XiaoFen cursed at her sister, who was busy helping the fallen individual up.
"Are you ok?" XiaoFu said as she clung onto the childe's arm. He gave a dazed look between the two identical sisters before he mumbled, "I'm ok", and scampered away.
"Wait-!" XiaoFu looked defeated. The encounter had not gone as she had expected. XiaoFu sighed. Rarely did she stumbled upon beautiful men.
XiaoFen rolled her eyes and pushed herself from MingYu's arms. She pulled XiaoFu with her and waved at the two men, saying something about sightseeing, and disappeared into the crowd.
This body is terribly incompetent, MingYu thought, his biceps were still tingling. ShiBai's body was clearly not used to carrying much weight. Even someone as light as XiaoFen nearly broke his arm. Shaking his hands testily, MingYu said, "So, what now?"
"The Jiang's?" ZhiYi turned towards the sky and whistled. ZhouYan fluttered down from the rooftop and stood over ZhiYi's shoulder. "We shall go and look for them. ZhouYan should know where they are."
MingYu was kicking tiny rocks along the main street. People bustled about, customers tried to haggle the prices, sellers tried to swindle the customers. Children and stray dogs ran free. Each table was overflowing with things to buy, from handkerchiefs to makeup to umbrellas.
The Jiang's sounded like they had their lives well established here in Lunan, from what ZhouYan had found out. Madam Jiang had remarried to the biggest jewellery shop owner of Lunan, Li PingShi, and was living large with her two children.
"So why are we here? They seem to enjoy their life. How should I make amends then?" MingYu frowned. What else could he possibly offer them, if they already had everything?
ZhiYi was as baffled. Something didn't feel right. "Check the scroll again."
MingYu brought out the scroll, and the two peered at it. The name Jiang was still there, but this time, it seemed to jump out of the bamboo at them. The letters sizzled like they were on fire.
"So, we are supposed to be here." MingYu tried to make sense out of it.
"We can always ask." ZhiYi pointed at the large shop in front of them. ZhouYan flew over the sign. Big golden letters adorned the pillars and the sign hanging on the ceiling spelled out, 'Li's jade and gems'. Customers flocked the building, mostly women from every class was there.
ZhiYi walked the steps up, and immediately, one of the many storekeepers scurried his way. ZhiYi looked like he had the money to spend. Some of the women who were left unattended were going to give them scolding looks, but instead they stood in awe in front of a tall, broad-shouldered beauty. ZhiYi was quite a sight, even here in Lunan, where beauty seemed to lurk behind every corner. As MingYu trailed behind him, the shopkeeper ran his eye over the rags and the straw shoes and said, "This gentleman..."
"Is with me." ZhiYi smiled. The shopkeeper gave MingYu another disgruntled look before putting on a polite grin.
"Yes, while of course. Is there anything you gentlemen are specifically looking for?"
MingYu almost went blind from all the shining gold and silver. He had never seen so many expensive things in one place before. ZhiYi rummaged around the inside of his robes and pulled out a green jade. It was a perfectly sculptured deer. ZhiYi was staring lovingly at the jade and handed it to the shopkeeper. "I want something like this."
"You mean a pair for this?" The shopkeeper was turning the jade under the light, inspecting the exquisite hand craftsmanship. "I'm sorry to inform you, but this jade is one of a kind."
"Oh, really?" ZhiYi said, quite convincingly.
"Yes, in fact, this seems to be crafted by Master Li himself. His trademark, five edged star, can be seen from the left hind foot of the deer." The shopkeeper trailed on, then he turned his look over to ZhiYi. "How did you get this? Master Li has ever only crafted for the royalty."
"It was a gift."
MingYu was looking around the shop, wondering how rich master Li was to own a place that was overflowing with things that each must have cost a fortune. The store keeper's words were gnawing at his mind, but he brushed it aside. ZhiYi had wandered the land for a thousand years, surely he had gained quite a fortune and knew many that were rich and powerful. Being gifted which such items were nothing new.
"Hmm, you are quite fortunate. Few will get gifted with such precious items. Anyhow, we don't have a pair for it. I apologise." The storekeeper handed the jade back to ZhiYi.
"Do you have anything crafted by master Li here?"
The shopkeeper gave a taut smile, "I'm very sorry. He has crafted nothing in a while."
"Oh, how come?"
MingYu was now all ears.
"He has been... busy." The shopkeeper glided to another corner of the shop and pulled out a tray of jades. "But we do have other well-known crafters who offer quite exquisite jades too. These here are also one of a kind, very rare jade." He offered them to ZhiYi.
ZhiYi looked on and finally decided on one. He was holding a dark green rabbit jade pendant. "I like this one. What do you think, MingYu?"
"Mm, it's nice." MingYu muttered without really looking. He was squeezing the pewter staff nervously. He never really fit into these kind of places and people were throwing him looks of disdain now that he was in ShiBai's body. He stood out like a sore thumb.
"Really?"
"Yeah, yeah, it's nice."
"MingYu." The tone commanded full attention without sounding rude or forceful. MingYu winced and turned to ZhiYi. A faint blush crept up MingYu's body when he realised the man was studying him attentively. ZhiYi was holding the pendant up between them, smiling. "Do you like it?"
ZhiYi's gentle gaze was strictly on MingYu, and MingYu couldn't help but shift his attention between the jade and the man holding it, constantly battling which one he should concentrate on. Deciding that he should look at the jade, he forced his full attention on the thing.
Dark green jade seemed to change between different hues of green under the light. The rabbit was finely crafted, looking like it was taking a leap of faith. MingYu was mesmerised, but he wasn't sure was he mesmerised by the pendant or the person holding it. After a while, he realised he still hadn't answered ZhiYi's question, but the man already pulled the jade away, smiling with amusement.
"I take that as a yes." ZhiYi said and turned to the shopkeeper, "I will take this one then. Too bad, I would had love to get another one crafted by master Li himself."
The shopkeeper was buzzing as he wrapped the priceless jade up. It was maybe once a year that he sold so much in such a short time. He was in a very good mood and he let his tongue loose too. There was no problem with a little gossiping with such a great customer. "Yes, he has been busy ever since he married the newest madam. Beautiful children, mind you. We are all very grateful for the children. The house has never been so full of life."
"Oh? I heard the children are of her own." ZhiYi said nonchalantly. A sparkle flashed in the shopkeeper's eyes, and he suddenly lowered his voice.
"While, yes, madam Jiang's children. But patriarch Li loves them as his own. You know, he had wished for children for all these years. Too bad, his previous two wives both died of stillbirth. It was devastating, for all of us."
"That is terrible."
The shopkeeper nodded furiously. "Yes, yes, it is. Master Li has done so much for the common folk. It was unfair how his private life was so, so, unfulfilling."
"I heard he is rich but good-hearted."
"Yes, he is a great man. Is there anything else you would like to look at?" The shopkeeper looked hopeful. One more big purchase and he could take a leave for a year. ZhiYi gracefully showed himself out.
"That was an expensive inquiry trip." MingYu said dryly as they returned to the main-street. ZhiYi was humming to himself, then he fished the neatly packed package out of his inner pocket and offered it to MingYu.
"It's for you, I already have one."
"It's too expensive and doesn't really fit me." MingYu tried showing off his battered robes.
"You gifted me one, now I gift you one."
MingYu flushed like a tomato. So it was he who had gifted ZhiYi with such an expensive gift.
"Ming'er."
With shaky hands, MingYu took the package and gently tugged it in his robes. Then MingYu's stomach grumbled like a thundercloud. Even passers-by were throwing glances at him. ZhiYi looked at him with amusement in his eyes.
"Hungry?"
"Always."
They stopped by a shabby street shop serving noodles, and the two sat down. Before their dishes were served, PingZe was strolling by, and seeing the two, he plopped down in the tiny chair next to them. There was a relaxed grin present and his light eyes were slightly squinted, they were almost sparkling under the Sun.
"You look like death, brother MingYu." PingZe said brightly.
"That's the first I've heard today." MingYu muttered. ZhiYi was chuckling.
"You're in a good mood." ZhiYi said.
"Oh, you noticed?" PingZe was beaming. Somehow, his joyful mood irritated MingYu greatly. MingYu blamed it on hunger.
The noodles were brought over, and MingYu turned his attention to his bowl.
"What happened?" ZhiYi asked. PingZe was waving at the waiter for a bowl too.
"Well, the brothel down the streets had some new girls. All very pretty. By the way, I just passed by a teashop at the end of the street. A storyteller is sitting there. He had some fascinating stories." PingZe's dish arrived, and he shoveled it in his mouth with content. "I was thinking we should have some tea there. It's fun to hear how they get all the stories wrong."
ZhiYi was nodding silently as they ate. MingYu liked the idea. It had been a while since he had listened to any stories.
"But enough with me. Did you visit the Jiang's yet?"
"No, we only went to master Li's shop. He sounds like a great man. Madam Jiang should be living lavishly." ZhiYi said.
PingZe's grin faltered for a moment. MingYu caught it and said, "What is it?"
"Nothing much." PingZe swirled the last pieces of noodles in his bowl but didn't eat it. "While I was at the brothel, I heard some people talk about the Li household. Jiang MeiLin, madam Jiang's daughter, is already seventeen, but all marriage proposals have been turned down for a year now. I heard she's a beauty. The men around here are quite annoyed. They all are from respectable families. There is no reason for master Li to oppose it."
MingYu stopped eating, ZhiYi had too. Putting their chopstick down, the three were looking at each other with curiosity.
"Maybe, it is because finally master Li has children after many years and he doesn't want to marry one off so quickly?" MingYu offered.
"It's plausible." ZhiYi said.
"If you say so." PingZe didn't sound very convinced.