After hearing Su Caier's request, the shopkeeper quickly gathered all the necessary tools. However, the material for the shoe uppers appeared to be more suitable for a young lady. Su Caier whispered, "I'm making shoes for my husband..."
The shopkeeper suddenly understood and brought out some fabric suitable for men.
Zhao Ce noticed the shop's patterned shoe uppers and asked Su Caier, "Do you want to get to some patterned shoe uppers? I've seen many young ladies in the village wearing shoes with patterns."
Su Caier declined, saying that she preferred her grass shoes for working. Zhao Ce looked at her worn-out grass shoes and decided to buy some fabric for her anyway. He teased, "I bought you the tools, but you still have to make the shoes yourself." Su Caier hesitated and asked for the cheapest material.
After finishing their shopping, the shopkeeper kindly saw them out and Zhao Ce led Su Caier to a family that sold earthen jars. Despite being located in a small alley, Zhao Ce had excellent directional sense and found the place easily. They selected some jars and ordered a few custom pieces. The shop owner was surprised at their request but didn't ask too many questions. After placing a deposit, they received a wooden sign and were told to come back in a few days to pick up their order. They also arranged for delivery, saving them the trouble of hiring a cart. After that, they went back to the grocery store and they gave the shop assistant two coins to hire a cart to bring back their basket that they left at the grocery store.
After bringing back the basket, Su Caier squatted down and carefully checked the goods inside. The shop assistant who brought the goods back said, "The shop owner said that he has taken good care of your things."
"We trust that nothing will be lost," replied Su Caier.
Zhao Ce also smiled and said, "Of course, we trust you." "But our home is far away, and we're afraid we may have missed something." "That's why it's a good thing for my wife to check carefully," Zhao Ce added.
The shop assistant smiled awkwardly and scratched his head. "Yes, that's true..."
Zhao Ce looked at Su Caier, who was squatting on the ground, and raised his eyebrows at her. Su Caier smiled back at him, showing her small white teeth. She stood up, holding the new fan from the basket.
The goods were all packed and ready for transport. The shop sent a cart with a shop assistant to accompany them. They didn't plan to do any more shopping and instead chose to ride the delivery cart back home, Zhao Ce and Su Caier sat at the back of the cart, which was already filled with many goods. Zhao Ce had long legs and couldn't hang them down, so he had to sit cross-legged at the back of the cart. Su Caier was worried about the cost of all the things they just bought and asked Zhao Ce how much they had spent. Zhao Ce smiled and said that it was just a small amount, and they had just bought a few things that would make their life easier. Su Caier was touched by his thoughtfulness and thanked him.
Su Caier dangled her small legs outside the cart and occasionally wiggled them. As they left the city, they could still hear many people who had just returned from watching the excitement at the county government discussing the master who had just appeared.
"I never thought there was something in this world called the Infant Pills.'"
"Oh my goodness, this is too unbelievable."
"Yes, that young man who was at the door of Mr. Zhao just now mentioned this thing."
"I was still wondering what it was at the time."
"Then the county magistrate became nervous and kept asking questions."
"He took off the Buddhist beads around his neck, dissolved them in water, and it turned into a white oily substance!"
"Unfortunately, these monks refused to say a word, even though the county magistrate had put them in jail and planned to interrogate them slowly."
"Estimating from this, they will probably be tortured."
The cart continued on its way, and Zhao Ce heard a lot. However, he didn't take it to heart. These monks looked kind, but their eyes were filled with blood, indicating that they had shed blood before. Moreover, it was said that they were invited by Mr. Zhao's mother from the mountains, so there may be other accomplices. That's why Zhao Ce claimed to be a relative of Mr. Zhao that was hired to expose their tricks.
Coincidentally, his surname was also Zhao. There's always someone responsible for wrongdoing. If someone wants to cause trouble, they can just go to the Zhao family. After all, their family is wealthy and powerful, and they are not afraid of any trouble. In any case, this matter is considered resolved with him. Let Zhao's family deal with the remaining issues.
Su Caier, who was beside him, became a little scared after hearing this and secretly leaned closer to her husband's back. Feeling her small body pressing against him, Zhao Ce smiled and said, "Don't be afraid, if anything happens, I will protect you." Su Caier blushed and said shyly, "Yes, my husband will protect me."
The ox cart gradually left the city gate. It was midday, and there were not many people on the road. Su Caier still maintained her posture of leaning towards her husband's side, feeling incredibly safe. Yes, there was really nothing to fear. Her husband would definitely protect her. Looking at the scenery receding around her, Su Caier's mood gradually became lighter. Occasionally, she would happily fan herself with the new fan. Her small legs hanging at the back of the cart also gently swayed.
Suddenly, a hand with distinct knuckles reached from behind her and wrapped around her waist, directly encircling her small waist. A gentle voice came from above her head. Zhao Ce said, "It's a bit dangerous, I'll hold you so you don't fall." As he spoke, he reached out and loosely wrapped his arms around the little girl's waist. After encircling her, Zhao Ce thought that the girl's waist was too thin. He felt that if he opened his palm, he could almost wrap it around her.
He lowered his head and saw the little girl's red ear tips. Zhao Ce couldn't help but chuckle softly. Su Caier's small body stiffened for a moment before becoming a little shy and moving slightly. After a while, she couldn't help but lower her head and glance at the hand encircling her waist. The fingers were slender, with distinct meridians on them. After looking for a while, she felt too embarrassed. She had heard the village women say that they would feel more shy at night in bed, but now Su Caier realized that there were even more embarrassing situations than that.