They reached a fancy-looking shop with a large wooden board hung at the entrance. Three bold calligraphic words written in white were written on it. They all looked like paintings with no decipherable meaning. Cursive and bent.
But to someone like Shen Zhufu who could read anything even in his past life, he was able decipher this strange and poor written words as " Bei liansheng."
'Bei Liansheng?'
The interior complemented the outside. Fancy and well arranged telling more about the owner of the shop. It was a quite extravagant clothing shop with extravagant clothes, shoes and accessories arranged at their different lanes. Women embroidering silky clothes with their needle and thread, servants running up and down, attending to customers. Two spiral staircases facing each other.
It looked like a prosperous shop.
A young man and a woman, getting their measurements, probably for their wedding clothes.
Testing several auspicious silks.
' Even the customers are just so..So..' Shen Zhufu felt his mouth hanging like a fish out of water.
" Follow me" the old man called to them.
'Oh!'
They both followed the old man to a lane that has beautiful silks either sewn or not.
" You can pick whatever you desire or you would rather take your measurements?"
Shen Zhufu glanced at the peacock, who has been quiet ever since they had entered the shop, " Well,do you have any that's not so fancy?"
The old man nod his head, " Follow me "
He took them to a lane, not very far from the young couple. Everything on that lane was not fancy but pretty.
Some were so bright and colourful, " No"
Some were so dull looking that it looked like mourning clothes, " We are not going for a funeral."
After several 'no's', he came across a pretty cloth that looks cool and elegant which suit his taste perfectly. He finally made up his mind, " This "
The old man took out the said clothe from the shelf, " Young master, you made a right choice! This fits you well!" He held the clothe in front of his chest, " You have a very nice taste."
He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, " Haha, is that a compliment?"
The old man pat him on his shoulder and looked over him, " What about you, young master?"
' Eh?' Shen Zhufu looked over his shoulder with distaste, " Oh! Mister, did you have any robes that has peacock embroidered on it?" His voice causal not complementing the sly look on his face.
The old man looked lost for a moment as if he couldn't understand what was wrong between the two young masters and something felt odd. Ever since he met them, he felt quite uncomfortable as if someone is watching him, and it made the hair on his skin rise.
Well, what could he do? As a businessman, despite his uncomfortableness, he has to wear a professional capitalistic smile.
" Peacock?" He looked up to meet a pair of playful eyes as something poisonous is hidden in-depth them. It could sting him, not only him but his business .
" N-not at all- Ahem! Young Master, you can pick whatever you want." He used the handkerchief in his hand to wipe the barely invisible sweat on his forehead as he turned to leave, " I'll be at the counter."
' huh?'
A arm wrapped around his shoulders, " So lets make his shop scanty!" His face full with mischief. He is up to no good. " Right Wei Xiang?"
Shen Zhufu shook his head with frustration as he had had enough of this peacock, " Don't do anything stupid."
" Haha- sure~"
Shen Zhufu felt uncomfortable with his reply which didn't sound convincing . ' What is that peacock planning in that soft head of his?' He gave a quick glance at the peacock, " Don't do anything stupid!" He had to repeat it again because what he saw wasn't convincing at all.
Cao Chang, " Haha, gege don't you believe me ~"
' Ge-? What?' He whirled around coming face to face with the peacock. Face deadpanned, " Call me that again and...." have your tongue slit off.
" Aww~ GeGe~"
Shen Zhufu face reddened with anger but a soft headed peacock misunderstood it.
" Gege is blushing ~hahahahahahahahahahahaha"
Speechless and tired of this nonsense, he turned away to pick out some clothes for him and his son.
He picked some pretty for his son, despite knowing, he had no need for them:he just wants him to have a normal life- And some clothes for himself and Cao Chang.
He took them to the counter where the old man said he would be.
" Young master, wow you actually have a good taste in fashion." The old man face glowed when he saw the clothes he picked, " Won't you try them on whether it would be your size or not?"
Shen Zhufu shook his head, " We have no time. The price for everything?"
The old man scratched his head with discomfort. Four pair of eyes glaring at him; one childish but scary and the other hidden in the shadows. He counted on his fingers nervously as he was calculating the whole price," Just two gold ingots"
He held two fingers out.
Shen Zhufu, " Tha.."
Cao Shang cuts him off. Like he usually does, " what about two fresh green apples instead?"
" Huh?"
" Huh!"
' he can't be kidding right?' Their eyes met as if both the old man and Shen Zhufu were communicating with each other.
Cao Chang, " The apples worth more than gold " in front of their widened eyes, he opened the sack hung around his shoulder and brought two fresh round apples, " have you heard about combining a magnolia with an apple brings about honors and wealth."
' I even reduced the price to a more lower price and he is telling me shit. Who does he take me for?' The old man glared at the smug young master before switching back to his usual childish behavior.
Cao Chang, " Right Gege ~" intentionally drawing his words with over exaggerated politeness.
Shen Zhufu face palmed several times since he doesn't know how many times he had done so today just because of that Peacock, " master, don't mind his nonsense." He whirl a finger at the side of his head, " You know?"
The old man put on one of his best professional smile ' at least, this one is sane.'
Shen Zhufu, " I will pay for it." He dipped his inside his sleeve and brought out a little red pouch.
It had a guqin embroidered on it.
It caught the attention of several people but two people were very much interested in its history.
He dipped his hand into it and brought out four golden ingots. As he was about to hand his payment to the old man, a firm hand stopped him. He felt his veins popping out of his forehead, " what?"
Cao Chang diverted his attention from the pouch; the bitterness couldn't be hidden in his voice even though he tried concealing it, " Take the apples or have nothing." It was stiff and eerie no longer his grumpy childish voice.
Not letting Shen Zhufu speak his mind, he dragged him out of the shop, not forgetting the clothes and dropping two apples for the speechless old man.
' The hell!!' The old man clenched his hands with boiling anger within him.
Soft jingles of bells brought him back to earth as a tall man in black appeared in front of him. Everything about him screamed ' malicious' and ' domineering '. He is someone who shouldn't be crossed.
Putting aside his previous customers, he put on his usual professional smile, " Handsome Young master, wel-"
The man brought out two small pouches filled with gold ingots and left without saying a word with jingle of bells and black dust trailing behind him.
' What a weird man .' The old man stared at the pouches before him, " Why does it seem I have seen this before?'
While on the other side , Shen Zhufu finally gaining his strength to set himself free from the tight grasp.
Shen Zhufu voice steeped with anger. He yelled , " Are you that softheaded?"
" Probably." He shrugged casually, " At least, we paid him "
" With what?"
He scratched his chin as if in deep thought "...Haha, Two apples" he held two fingers to his face.
Shen Zhufu eyebrow twitched. He was done with this nonsense, " Why?"
Cao Chang folded his arms on his chest, " Why what?"
He hardly spoke through gritted teeth, " Why did you stop me from paying? Now we had lost face in front of the old man."
He shrugged as if he doesn't care about what he did, " At least, I took our clothes and saved us money " his toothy grin revealed a little sharp canine which made his face mischievously boyish.
" The apples worth more as it would bring him honor and prosperity." He gave the boiling Gongzi a wink to quote off his words.
" We have sweet delicious apples of success to sell " he licked his lips and rubbed his palms together." Let's get started. We will steal all the customers."