by N/A
Han Ming Yi pulled open the curtains, glanced around, and then calmly got down from the horse carriage, saying: "No matter."
Du Xiao Li went and paid the fifty copper coins for the vendor's booth fee over at management. Afterwards, she had Leng Er take the basket to an empty spot near the outside of the market, and took out a piece of cloth to spread over the straw. Then, she had the tangerines individually taken out, piled them up like a little mountain.
"What fruit is this, why have I never seen it before?" Someone saw Du Xiao Li setting up the tangerines and curiously asked.
"This is called a tangerine. Does aunty want some?" Du Xiao Li asked with a smile.
That older woman looked for a bit, but ultimately still shook her head, saying: "A never seen before fruit, what if I get a stomachache from eating? Forget about it."
This first transaction wasn't a success, but Du Xiao Li wasn't discouraged either. She stood behind her own booth and continued to wait.
"Young master." Leng Yi had the horse carriage properly parked somewhere, and then brought over a stool for him. Han Ming Yi sat behind Du Xiao Li, watching the customers come and go one by one. About two hours in, not a single tangerine had been sold.
"Girl, don't tell me you're going to stay here all day, and not sell a single tangerine?" Leng Er crouched down next to Du Xiao Li and asked.
Du Xiao Li picked up a tangerine, peeled the skin, and shared half with Leng Er, saying: "Even if I don't sell a single one, it wouldn't be that strange either. The people of this world have low tolerance, momentarily unable to accept is also very normal. Did you think they would all be like you all?"
Because she was bored, Du Xiao Li began eating tangerines one after the other. A twenty some year old married woman saw her eating, and thus also wanted to try. Du Xiao Li handed her a piece of the one she was eating. That woman felt the taste was quite good, and thus asked the price.
"Ten copper coins for one catty." Du Xiao Li said.
"Ten copper coins for one catty, isn't this price of yours too high?" The woman said.
"This is already the lowest price. In this entire marketplace, do you see another place selling this tangerine of mine? If you come buy again in another two days, it won't be this price anymore." Du Xiao Li explained with a smile.
It was only ten copper coins, where was it expensive!? Eh, she seemed to have overlooked this current society's production capability. However, since she already said it, then will just have to sell it like this.
That woman thought for a moment, and felt it was still acceptable, so she spent ten copper coins to buy a catty. Du Xiao Li said she was her first customers, and thus gave her two additional ones.
"Take care, aunty." Du Xiao Li said with a smile, cheerfully putting away the ten copper coins into her own little satchel.
With someone as the start, more people came to try in succession. Some people didn't like the taste, while some people felt it was expensive. However, she finally sold another few catties.
Just then, two girls dressed in servant's clothes came into the marketplace. But, even if they were dressed as servant girls, their clothes were still much better looking than an average person's.
"Hong Jie, in this season right now, where are there still plums for sale!" One servant girl anxiously said.
The one called Hong Jie's face was also filled with worry. "Xiao Cui, are you certain there aren't any plums right now?"
Xiao Cui nodded and said, "The season for plums have long past already. Furthermore, there aren't any sour fruits for sale lately."
"Madam's morning sickness have been terrible lately, and want to eat sour things. What should we do..." As soon as she heard, she felt even more anxious and pulled Xiao Cui to go further into the market. "Let's first go see what all is there for sale."
The two of them circled around the marketplace, yet didn't find any sour fruits. They couldn't help feeling a bit dejected.
"Hong Jie, what will we do if madam gets angry?" Xiao Cui was nearly about to cry from worrying, "Ever since madam got pregnant, she seems to have completely changed, we......"
"Shut up, is madam someone we can casually discuss?" Hong Jie berated in a low voice.
"Xiao Cui is wrong." Xiao Cui got scolded, and thus lowered her head.
"What fruit is this, why is it this sour? Can this thing even be eaten?!" Just then, a voice was heard.
Sour? Hong Jie's attention was immediately drawn over, as she said, "Let's go over and see."
Du Xiao Li saw Hong Jie and Xiao Cui walking over. She then looked to the person in front that was obviously trying to nitpick and patiently said, "Big sister, this is called a tangerine. Before you ate, I already told you, the flavor is sour."
"Is it really sour?" Hong Jie came before her, picked up a tangerine, and smelled it.
"That's right. Right now, at this time, tangerines are still sour. After a while, it'll be sweeter. Does big sister want to eat a sour one or a sweet one?" Du Xiao Li had the half peeled tangerine handed over and said, "Does this big sister want to try?"
T/N: I just realized ever since Luo Qi appeared even Silver's screen time have decreased. I miss Silver already :(
Ch. 041 – Whoever Is Good To Me, Is Who I'll Be Good To
Whoever Is Good To Me, Is Who I'll Be Good To
T/N: Chapter (2/6) sponsored by Madam Daim! Thank you so much for the continuous support and sponsoring so many chapters!
"This is something that has never been seen before, watch out, might even lose your life from eating!" That nitpicking woman from just now said.
She was actually a vendor selling fruits too. Seeing someone new come, she thus wanted to come bully.
Hong Jie gave that person a glance, and that woman immediately went silent. She coldly snorted once and went back to her own place.
"Hong Jie, coming again to buy fruits for the madam? Is the madam currently well?" The neighboring vendor recognized her and greeted with a smile.
"Yes." Hong Jie and that person seemed very familiar with one another. "My family's madam recently has been having really terrible morning sickness and wants to eat sour things. That's why we're here to buy fruits for her."
With that said, she accepted the tangerines from Du Xiao Li, broke off a piece for herself, and gave the rest to Xiao Cui. Xiao Cui ate a piece, and her eyes squeezed shut from the sourness, slowly returning to normal after great difficulty. She excitedly exclaimed, "Hong Jie, it's sour! It's sour!"
Hong Jie also felt a burst of happiness inside, saying: "It's indeed sour. Just, I've never seen this fruit before, don't know if madam will like or not."
"We'll know once we buy some back to try. If madam likes it, we can come back again and buy some more." Xiao Cui said.
Hong Jie also felt this idea was not bad, and without even asking for the price, said to Du Xiao Li, "Give us two catties."
Du Xiao Li had the two catties of tangerines separated into two shares and said, "Hong Jie, I separated the tangerines. This side is the sour ones, and this side is the sweeter ones. The total is twenty copper coins."
Xiao Cui accepted the fruits, and Hong Jie took out twenty copper coins and handed it to Du Xiao Li, saying: "Little miss is rather considerate. If madam likes them, we'll come back again to buy some more. Xiao Cui, let's go back first then."
"Both big sisters take care." Du Xiao Li waved her hand at the two of them. When they'd walked far, she turned and asked the man next to her, "Uncle, what kind of person is that Hong Jie?"
"That's the county magistrate's wife's personal servant girl. She often comes to buy fruits for the madam." The middle aged man said.
"No wonder she bought it without even asking for the price." Du Xiao Li said.
Han Ming Yi watched Du Xiao Li carry on intimately with both the vendors on the two sides. She also was able to sell tangerines like handling a butcher's knife with ease*. If not for knowing her capabilities, it was really very difficult to view her as a seven year old little girl.
&nb
sp; (*T/N: Idiom meaning able to do something skillfully and easily.)
When it was almost noon, Du Xiao Li decided to head back. With Han Ming Yi, this young master present, she didn't dare to stay too late, else it would be bad if she starved him.
"You're closing this early?" The uncle just now saw that Du Xiao Li was beginning to put the tangerines back into her basket and asked in surprise. They would all normally stay here for the whole day.
"That's right, it's already noon, need to go back and eat." Du Xiao Li said.
At this time, Xiao Cui hastily ran over with two middle aged women. "Little miss, your tangerines, we want all of them!"
"Want all of them?" Du Xiao Li looked to her tangerines; there was still half a basket left. She didn't hear incorrectly, right?
Xiao Cui nodded her head and said, "Our family's madam ate your tangerines and liked it very much. That's why, we decided to buy them all."
"Oh." Du Xiao Li had the tangerines taken out again, left some, and had the rest placed into the large baskets that the two older women brought. Weighing it, it was a full twenty catties.
Xiao Cui gave Du Xiao Li the money and said, "Little miss, are you also coming tomorrow?"
Du Xiao Li turned and looked to Han Ming Yi, and said, "I won't be coming tomorrow, need to wait a few days before coming. The remaining tangerines on the trees can only be eaten after a few day."
"Our madam said, if you come, first deliver some over to our madam. Naturally we won't give you any less money." Xiao Cui said, and then lead the other two away.
Up until now, Du Xiao Li was still somewhat amidst the clouds. She turned around and looked to Han Ming Yi, excitedly saying, "Big brother Yi, I sold it all, I actually sold all of it! Haha!"
She was actually already prepared to not sell a single one today, but unexpectedly, she met such a big client on her first day, and they even freely advertised for her. To say she wasn't moved was a lie. Now that these tangerines have been acknowledged, her tangerine orchard plan can be carried out!
Seeing Du Xiao Li this happy, the corner of Han Ming Yi's mouth unknowingly raised, "Not bad."
After putting the cloth into the basket, the group left the fruit market. Leng Yi had the horse carriage driven over and said, "Young master, are we directly going back?"
"Are we directly going back, or eat first, then go back?" Han Ming Yi looked to Du Xiao Li and asked.
"I want to go see big brother." Du Xiao Li said.
"To the school." Han Ming Yi ordered.
Leng Er drove the horse carriage to the school. When they arrived, Du Xiu Heng had just gotten out of class. Han Ming Yi then decided to take the siblings to a nearby restaurant to eat.
"Xiu Heng, then I'll go buy lunch at the dining hall." Zhang Rui, who'd came out with Du Xiu Heng, said.
"Big brother Zhang Rui, let's eat together." Du Xiao Li said, "Big brother Yi, is it okay?"
Du Xiu Heng had often mentioned how much Zhang Rui took care of him at school when he went home, so Du Xiao Li wanted to invite him for food sometime as way of thanking him.
Han Ming Yi didn't speak, thus tacitly agreeing.
While the group ate, Du Xiao Li told Du Xiu Heng about how she'd sold the tangerines. Hearing that the tangerines actually sold for almost seven hundred copper coins, Du Xiu Heng was also very happy.
"Younger sister Xiao Li is really impressive!" Zhang Rui praised.
He knew that the money for Du Xiu Heng to come to the school and study was all earned by Du Xiao Li. Every time he went back, she would let Du Xiu Heng bring some things from the mountains for everyone. Sometimes, even he envied him for having such a good younger sister.
Sometimes when he chatted with Du Xiu Heng, whenever he hears him say how much his younger sister has done for him, and in the future, he'll definitely have to pass the imperial exam and let his younger sister also live good days with himself, and so on and so on, he would just think how nice it would be if he also had such a relationship.
"Big brother Zhang Rui, big brother always say you often take care of him in school, so thank you." Du Xiao Li said.
"Haha, you're already calling me big brother, and Xiu Heng also addresses me as older brother, taking care of him is only natural. Besides, Xiu Heng also frequently takes care of me." Zhang Rui said with a laugh.
"That's right, big brother, I saved some tangerines. Later, you all can take them back to school to eat. However, it's a bit sour, if you want to eat sweeter ones, then need to wait a period of time." Du Xiao Li said.
"Okay." Du Xiu Heng nodded.
Han Ming Yi quietly ate his food to the side, all the way until they finished, not saying a single word.
After they finished eating, Du Xiao Li had Du Xiu Heng sent back to the school before parting. And after she got back on the horse carriage, Leng Er said with smile, "You're not just ordinarily good to your big brother!"
"Of course! That's my big brother!" Du Xiao Li said with a laugh. To be able to have such a relationship in this life, she very much thanked the heavens, so naturally she would properly cherish it.
"Then what about us?" Leng Er suddenly asked.
"Whoever is good to me, is who I'll be good to. And whoever provokes me, my tolerance is very little!" Du Xiao Li said.
"Just like your eldest aunt?" Leng Er asked, "When will her leg finally heal?"
"After a few days." Du Xiao Li was unwilling to talk about Cui-shi, so she pulled open the window curtains to look at the scenery outside.
Han Ming Yi stared at the side of her face, his mind continuously replayed her words just now, 'Whoever is good to me, is who I'll be good to'. Thinking, if it was because he'd kicked her that one time, that's why she wasn't as close with himself like as with Leng Er?
Returning from the county seat, they needed to pass by a small river. When the horse carriage arrived near the little bridge, Du Xiao Li suddenly made Leng Er stop the carriage. The horse carriage thus stopped at the head of the bridge.
Just then, several men in black suddenly jumped out from the water, surrounding their horse carriage.
Ch. 042 – Assassination Attempt and Falling into the Water
Assassination Attempt and Falling into the Water
T/N: Chapter (3/6) sponsored by Madam Daim! Thank you so much for the continuous support and sponsoring so many chapters!
Leng Yi and Leng Er looked to the men in black before them and said in a cold voice, "Who are you all?"
"The ones that have come to take your lives!" The man in the lead said, afterwards with a wave of his hand, the rest circled in.
Leng Yi took out a fireworks tube and pulled the string at the bottom. A burst of firework shot up into the sky, and produced an explosion sound in the air. Soon after, Leng Yi along with Leng Er pulled out swords from below their seats and went forth, not letting the men in black approach the horse carriage as much as possible. However, to no avail, the other party had too many people, and even if Leng Yi and Leng Er's martial arts weren't bad, they still didn't have a way to hold off everyone.
Du Xiao Li pulled open the window curtains and looked out. Outside the horse carriage messily laid the corpses of the men in black. She took a glance. Every men in black had their face covered, and there weren't any ornaments on their body either. She couldn't tell what kind of people came to kill Han Ming Yi.
"Careful!" Han Ming Yi pulled Du Xiao Li over. A blade immediately landed on the window sill that Du Xiao Li was leaning against just now.
Han Ming Yi heard the sound outside and said, "You stay in here, don't go out." With that said, he went out with a sword in hand.
"Why are the bodyguards still not here yet?" Leng Er and Leng Yi saw Han Ming Yi come out and had the assassins in front of them killed, before flying to his side, facing the assassins before them.
"Are you all waiting for backup?" The man in the lead saw Leng Er looking in the direction of the county seat and said. "Your backup won't be able to come for a while. By the time they arrive, you all will h
ave already gone to see King Enma! Attack!"
The two sides once again became entangled.
Du Xiao Li came to the carriage opening and lifted a small crack in the curtain. Seeing Han Ming Yi holding a sword and fighting with the men in black, she contemplated whether or not she needed to go out and help them.
"There's still someone in the carriage!" Someone saw Du Xiao Li and loudly shouted.
Soon after, the assassins near the carriage charged towards the horse carriage. An assassin slashed towards the horse carriage, and had the horse carriage cut squarely across . The reins also fell from the horse, and the horse immediately started running from the fright.
When the assassin had swung, Du Xiao Li was already pressed up against the bottom of the horse carriage, so that swing just now didn't injure her.
"It's a child?" The assassin saw Du Xiao Li and said.
"A child can't be let off either, go!" The assassin next to him said, and the two thus swung their swords towards Du Xiao Li.
"Damn it!" Han Ming Yi saw Du Xiao Li getting surrounded by the two assassins, softly cursed, and quickly rushed over. But his distance from Du Xiao Li was a bit far, as he saw the assassins about to stabbed her before his eyes.
"Quickly run!" Unable to save her in time, Han Ming Yi could only shout towards her.
Du Xiao Li held the dagger that she'd already gotten out in the horse carriage, and seeing the assassins stabbing towards her, her body swiftly shifted to the right when the sword was only a few centimeters away from herself. She then rapidly flashed to the assassin's left side, brandished her dagger and stabbed towards his back, directly stabbing his heart. After pulling out the dagger, the assassin thus fell to the ground dead.
"Are you alright?" Han Ming Yi didn't expect that Du Xiao Li would actually kill the assassin trying to kill her. However, the current situation didn't allow for him to ponder why Du Xiao Li's skills were that precise, only treating her as a blind cat encountering a dead mouse.
Du Xiao Li shook her head, indicating that she wasn't hurt.