Chapter 316
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Zhang Xiaohua held a longsword in his hand, his arms crossed before his chest as he gazed up at the drifting white clouds in the sky, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Ji Xiaohua came skipping cheerfully into the small cottage, holding a bun in his hand.
“Mother, guess what I brought back for you?”
He had just stepped through the door when he shouted the question.
“Xiaohua, why are you back so early?” Ji Xiaohua’s mother asked in surprise, paying no attention to his words.
“Mother, I met a young master at the teahouse. He said he wants me to help him with something, and he offered to pay me ten copper coins a day—oh, no, eleven! Look, he even bought me this bun, and he told me to bring two baskets of them back for you.”
“What? Who let you leave the teahouse so easily? That was a job Old Man Hao from the street helped us find—it wasn’t easy.”
“I know, Mother, but…”
“No buts! You’ve got some nerve, trusting just anyone. What if someone tricks you? What am I supposed to do then?”
“Mother, that young master was really kind. And… and the teahouse manager already said I wasn’t allowed to go back.”
“Ai, you… Xiaohua, why can’t you let me have a moment of peace?”
With that, she struggled to get up from the bed, but Ji Xiaohua hurried forward to support her and said: “Mother, just rest. I’ll feed you the buns.”
Ji Xiaohua’s mother let out a bitter smile and said, “You, Xiaohua, why haven’t you grown up yet?”
“What’s wrong, Mother?” Ji Xiaohua asked in confusion.
His mother looked at him with loving eyes. Her son was just nine years old—still so immature. She explained patiently: “He’s a young master from a wealthy family. He came all the way here and even brought us food. No matter what, we should at least meet him and offer our thanks. Besides…”
She paused, then continued: “He’s still a stranger, after all. I need to see him for myself—make sure we’re not being taken in.”
Ji Xiaohua nodded obediently, helped his mother put on an outer coat and shoes, and supported her as they walked out of the house.
Zhang Xiaohua, seeing them emerge, hurried forward to offer a bow. But the woman bowed first and said respectfully: “Young master, this humble woman, surnamed Zhang, offers her greetings.”
Zhang Xiaohua quickly returned the gesture and said: “Auntie, there’s no need to be so formal. Your health isn’t well—you should be resting inside.”
Madam Zhang was only in her early thirties, yet her hair had already turned gray. At a glance, she looked even older than Guo Sufei had a few years ago. It was no wonder Zhang Xiaohua had addressed her as “Auntie” at first—he honestly hadn’t known what else to call her.
Madam Zhang gave a bitter smile and said: “Young master, please don’t address me like that. This humble woman cannot bear it. Just call me Madam Zhang.”
As she spoke, she let out a few coughs.
Zhang Xiaohua chuckled and said: “Then perhaps it’s better if I call you Mrs. Zhang instead.”
Madam Zhang repeatedly insisted she didn’t dare accept such a form of address, then took a careful look at Zhang Xiaohua. In her heart, she thought, Mm, not a bad young master at all—very approachable, without a trace of arrogance. That long robe he’s wearing—there’s probably no second like it in all of Songning Town. And his features are gentle, not the least bit shifty or sinister. Just looking at him puts one at ease.
Well, of course. This fellow was, after all, a kind-hearted village youth. How could he possibly have the sort of character that would make Madam Zhang uneasy?
After coughing a few more times, Madam Zhang asked: “May I ask what the young master wishes for Xiaohua to assist you with? If it’s not inconvenient, would you be willing to tell me a bit about it?”
Hearing the words “Xiaohua” sounded both unfamiliar and familiar to Zhang Xiaohua. He smiled and replied: “Oh, it’s nothing much, Mrs. Zhang. I’m from out of town, and just earlier at that teahouse where Ji Xiaohua works, I nearly got swindled. If not for his warning, I might’ve fallen for it. I figured that since I’ll be running some errands here in Songning Town, it wouldn’t hurt to have a local guide—someone to help haggle, make sure I don’t get duped. I noticed Ji Xiaohua was both clever and steady, so I thought of asking him for help. But… I didn’t expect he’d end up getting dismissed from the teahouse because of me. Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to him.”
He kept calling him “Ji Xiaohua”—those two words “Xiaohua” alone, he simply couldn’t bring himself to say on their own.
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang felt as if a stone had dropped from her heart. Coughing, she said: “If that’s the case, then let Xiaohua accompany the young master for a few days. But there’s no need to speak of compensation. Since he’s helping the young master, he should only take what the young master gives him—that’s something he should understand.”
Zhang Xiaohua waved his hand and said; “It’s nothing, Mrs. Zhang. Really, I only need help buying a horse and asking around for a few things. It won’t take a few days—half a day should be enough.”
Madam Zhang’s expression did not change, but Ji Xiaohua, standing to the side, was clearly disappointed. He had been hoping to earn a bit more money—after all, it was eleven wen a day.
Madam Zhang turned to Ji Xiaohua and said: “Xiaohua, go on and assist the young master with his tasks. Keep your wits about you, and don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Go quickly, and come back quickly.”
Ji Xiaohua nodded and moved to stand beside Zhang Xiaohua.
Zhang Xiaohua bowed to Madam Zhang, then led Ji Xiaohua out of the small courtyard.
As they stepped outside, Ji Xiaohua turned around and called back: “Mother, eat the buns while they’re still warm! Oh, right—eat a vegetable bun first, then have the meat bun!”
Madam Zhang coughed as she smiled and nodded, yet her feet had not shifted even half an inch.
Once they left Ji Xiaohua’s home, the first thing Zhang Xiaohua did was ask to be taken to a tailor’s shop. There, he bought an ordinary set of clothes and put them on over his original ones. After all, if someone wears strange or eye-catching clothing, they’re bound to draw stares no matter where they go. Naturally, he wanted to switch into something less conspicuous.
That said, Zhang Xiaohua’s body was already impervious to heat and cold, and the black long robe he wore underneath was clearly something of high quality. Though he was reluctant to take it off, he settled for wearing it as an inner layer.
As the saying goes, “A man is judged by his clothes, and a horse by its saddle.”
The moment Zhang Xiaohua changed into common clothing, his appearance became far more inconspicuous. Gone was the aura of a young master. Ji Xiaohua, standing beside him, praised: “Young master, you really are something. Just by changing clothes, you now look completely like an ordinary person, not like a young master at all!”
Zhang Xiaohua curled his lips and muttered to himself, Isn’t that obvious? I’m not ‘like’ one—I am just an ordinary person. Where would a young master even come from?
And just as expected, the change worked wonders. As they walked through the streets, no one paid any attention to these two shabby-looking youths.
Even when they reached the mule-and-horse market to select a mount, no one bothered to approach them.
Fortunately, Ji Xiaohua was a local and knew the area well. Before long, he led Zhang Xiaohua to a shop with a solid reputation. The shop assistant treated them with a neutral attitude—neither warm nor especially dismissive—which was more than enough to satisfy Zhang Xiaohua. However, when it came to choosing a horse, Zhang Xiaohua’s behavior clearly began to wear on the shop assistant’s patience.
Why was that?
No matter what kind of horse the shop assistant recommended, that tall, unassuming young man simply shook his head. He wouldn’t even take a step closer to look. After showing eight horses in a row, the shop assistant was already exhausted, and even Ji Xiaohua, who had been standing nearby, ready to help haggle, was full of confusion.
In the end, the shop assistant had had enough and asked: “Brother, are you here to cause trouble or to actually buy a horse? I’ve brought out eight horses already. You just glance at them and say no—without even walking up to take a proper look. How can you tell they don’t suit you?”
Zhang Xiaohua smiled and replied: “It’s not that I’m making things difficult for you. It’s just that these horses really aren’t suitable. What I need isn’t an ordinary horse.”
The shop assistant was puzzled. “Not an ordinary horse? Then what kind are you looking for?”
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xiaohua said: “One that’s especially good at bearing heavy loads.”
“Carrying loads?” The shop assistant blinked. “About how heavy are we talking?”
“Oh, three to four thousand catties.”
“What? Three to four thousand catties—not three to four hundred?” the assistant exclaimed in disbelief. “You’re not mistaken?”
Zhang Xiaohua gave a wry smile. “That’s right. Thousand, not hundred.”
The shop assistant shook his head like a rattle-drum. “That’s impossible. I’ve never heard of a horse that could pull three to four thousand catties. What you’re after must be an ox—no, wait, maybe one of those legendary camels.”
At this point, Ji Xiaohua seemed to have caught on. His gaze turned thoughtful as he looked at the longsword in Zhang Xiaohua’s hand.
The shop assistant clearly thought Zhang Xiaohua was just pulling his leg and no longer took him seriously. He turned to go greet other customers, but Ji Xiaohua quickly stepped forward with a cheerful grin and said: “Don’t misunderstand, big brother. My young master does have some unusual needs. That’s exactly why we came to your shop, isn’t it? Say, is your shopkeeper around? Maybe he might have an idea?”
Ji Xiaohua was still quite young, and in the shop assistant’s eyes, he looked just like a clever little servant. After a moment’s pause, the assistant went into the inner room. Before long, out came a tall, broad-shouldered man with a strong, sturdy build. He frowned slightly, looked Zhang Xiaohua up and down, and asked: “Young master, is it? I’m afraid our shop really doesn’t have the kind of horse you’re looking for. Perhaps you’d have better luck trying another stable?”
Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment, then cupped his hands in a polite salute and said: “I won’t trouble the shopkeeper further. But before I go, may I take a look at the best horse in your stable?”
“This…” The sturdy man hesitated slightly.
Ji Xiaohua grinned and said: “No need to worry, Shopkeeper. If it suits my young master, there’ll be no shortage of silver as a reward. Go on, bring it out!”
Zhang Xiaohua, hearing this, understood the shopkeeper’s concern. He had originally intended to take out a banknote from his money pouch to reassure the man, but since he didn’t know how much the best horse might cost, taking it out rashly might backfire—if it wasn’t enough, wouldn’t that be quite the embarrassment? Seeing how calmly Ji Xiaohua was handling things, he simply pursed his lips and smiled without saying a word.
After a moment’s hesitation, the burly man laughed and said: “No harm done. It’s just a look, after all. Young master, please—please follow me to the back.”
Zhang Xiaohua gave Ji Xiaohua an approving look, then followed the man to the rear.
After passing through a few narrow corridors, they entered a large courtyard. At a glance, it was clear that this courtyard housed several dozen fine, tall horses. However, identifying good horses couldn’t be done with divine sense—otherwise, Zhang Xiaohua would’ve swept through the place in an instant.
Just as Zhang Xiaohua was overwhelmed by the sight, the burly man turned back and said: “Young master, this way please.”
With that, he led Zhang Xiaohua over to a stable in a sunny corner. Tied there was a tall, handsome chestnut-red horse. Zhang Xiaohua didn’t know much about judging horses, but even with his limited experience, he could tell at a glance that this one was on a completely different level from the ones the shop assistant had shown earlier.
