BFDNS 019

Chapter 19: Stall at the City God Temple

“Brother Yi, have you eaten breakfast?”

“I have. Uncle Tang, are you going on a long journey today? Why are you carrying so many things?”

“My girl, Mu’er, married into the White Horse Town last year, didn’t she? A few days ago, she sent a family servant with good news, saying she’s with child and gave birth to a baby. She’s inviting me to the full month celebration.”

“Congratulations on gaining a plump grandson, Uncle Tang.”

After a while, more neighbors passed by the Xu family’s courtyard. Seeing Xu Yi busy in the yard working with medicinal herbs, they stopped to greet him.

The conversations were all brief, but because there were many people greeting him, Xu Yi talked until his mouth was dry. He ran inside to gulp down a pot of cool boiled water before coming back out to the yard to process the herbs.

Xu Yi had just placed the medicinal herbs on the stove to steam when someone from the Chen family next door came out of their house.

It was Madam Chen, dumping overnight medicine dregs in the yard. When she looked up, she came face to face with Xu Yi in the opposite courtyard.

Her complexion was poor, with dark circles under her eyes. She looked like she hadn’t slept well.

“Madam Chen.” Xu Yi politely greeted her.

Madam Chen nodded once. Unlike before when she would chat politely for a bit, she responded somewhat coldly and returned to her room.

Before long, both the Xu and Chen family courtyards were permeated with a strong medicinal scent.

……

The quantity of digestive pills being made this time was large. The stove opening in the kitchen burned for more than four hours before stopping.

Xu Yi was so busy his feet barely touched the ground. He didn’t even eat lunch. When he came to his senses, his stomach was rumbling loudly, and Little Huang was listless too. He looked like he was just as hungry.

He called for a runner to buy some braised meat, like pork belly and pig ears, picking a bit of everything.

Before long, the runner returned with still-warm braised meat.

As Xu Yi paid him the errand fee, he asked: “Is the marketplace lively outside today?”

The errand runner said: “Very lively. There will be morning and evening markets tomorrow and the day after. The number of people setting up stalls has increased.”

Having said this, he added: “If Young Master Xu wants to buy anything, you can still find me. I run errands quickly.”

Seeing he was honest and had bought braised meat from good cuts, Xu Yi had him run another errand to buy some honey.

Honey was expensive. Xu Yi gave him five qian of silver. What he bought back wasn’t much, stored in a ceramic jar. When opened, one could smell the sweet honey fragrance.

Since coming here, Xu Yi rarely ate sugar. Though he hadn’t liked sweets before, he suddenly became interested in sweet things.

Eating a bit of sugar was good for the body. Xu Yi scooped out a spoonful, dissolved it in warm water, making a bowl of honey water.

Gulp, gulp. After a few mouthfuls, his mouth was filled with lingering sweetness.

Next, Xu Yi continued rolling his digestive pills.

–

On another front, Xing Yuesen went to Father Xing’s study to report.

This wasn’t his first time taking on procurement duties. With over thirty people across four branches of the household, the things he needed to procure were extremely numerous.

Besides medicinal herbs, there were fabrics, ice blocks, firewood, oil, salt, and so on. Large and small, there were over a hundred items. Naturally, it was impossible for Xing Yuesen to handle everything personally.

He was mainly responsible for medicine and ice blocks himself.

Medicine related to the health of family members. Ice blocks were both expensive and scarce, requiring advance orders three months every year. Otherwise, if you waited until summer arrived to buy them, forget about getting any. Just sending a servant meant a high possibility of negligence. It was better for him to make the trip personally, which actually saved trouble and time.

After Father Xing heard his report, he was very satisfied: “Excellent. You no longer need my reminders. In the future, you must still remain humble and modest, not arrogant and self-satisfied.”

Xing Yuesen lowered his eyes slightly: “Father, I understand.”

“Mm.” Father Xing nodded and asked if he had anything else.

Xing Yuesen: “Tomorrow I’m going to the market with Xu Yi. In the afternoon, Xu Yi will come to the house to check Grandfather’s pulse.”

Father Xing was startled and asked with a frown: “Who is Xu Yi?”

Xing Yuesen was speechless: “……”

He said with a sigh, “He’s a good friend I met on the road recently. The medicinal decoction Grandfather is currently drinking was prescribed by him.”

Father Xing suddenly understood: “So it’s him. Since you’ve made an appointment with him, don’t be negligent.” As he spoke, he was also curious about what kind of person could catch his son’s attention. “After checking your grandfather’s pulse, bring him to have a cup of tea with me.”

–

Xu Yi knew nothing of this.

Early the next morning, after finishing his martial arts practice, someone knocked loudly on the outside door. Xu Yi rolled down his sleeves and went to open the door, seeing Xing Yuesen dressed like a green peacock standing outside.

Behind him was also a carriage pulled by donkeys.

“Brother Xing, you came so early.” Xu Yi was surprised.

Xing Yuesen said: “It’s not early. From South Street to the City God Temple takes over an hour. If we go too late, there won’t be a place to park.”

“Is this your carriage?” Xu Yi’s gaze looked behind, revealing an appraising expression.

He’d seen many carriages pulled by donkeys on the streets but had never ridden in one himself. He didn’t know what the experience of riding in a donkey carriage would be like.

Both donkeys were harnessed with ropes, held in the driver’s hands. The driver wore short cotton cloth garments, was about thirty-some years old, and looked honest and simple.

Yet he was very perceptive, having already moved out a wooden stool for boarding and holding the rope respectfully to the side.

“Hurry and get on. We’ll go early and return early.” Xing Yuesen called out.

Xu Yi asked him to wait a moment. He returned to his room to change into clothes more suitable for going out, as wearing a short shirt to the market wasn’t appropriate.

He didn’t have clothes as eye-catching as Xing Yuesen’s. His long robes were either gray or bamboo green. He picked the bamboo green one to change into, then wore a jade-green square cap.

Then he also came out carrying a bundle.

Xing Yuesen raised an eyebrow: “What’s this?”

“Digestive pills, and things for setting up a stall.” Xu Yi said.

Xing Yuesen: “?” He was even more puzzled.

Could it be that Xu Yi wasn’t going to browse the City God Temple market but to set up a stall?

Xing Yuesen immediately became interested. Having grown up with fine clothes and food, he’d never done business or earned money. Perhaps today, following by Xu Yi’s side, he could experience different pleasures in life.

The two of them boarded the carriage one after another. The carriage wasn’t narrow. The interior could sit two or three people, with soft cushions laid out. Sitting on them wasn’t uncomfortable at all.

When the carriage started moving, it wasn’t too bumpy either. Xu Yi could even lift the curtain to look outside.

However, he didn’t have many chances to look outside. As soon as Xing Yuesen got on, he pulled Xu Yi into conversation. The two were like-minded, chatting about this and that the whole way. Time passed very quickly, and it felt like before long, they’d arrived at the City God Temple.

They got off the carriage about two hundred meters away from the City God Temple. The driver pulled the carriage away to park.

The two went directly to the market. By this time, quite a few people were already setting up stalls in the market. The closer to the City God Temple, the more people there were. What remained were all the off-center positions.

Xu Yi casually found a spot, opened his bundle, and took out the contents: a folding wooden stool, a piece of hemp cloth with the characters “Digestive Pills” written on it, and thirty packets of digestive pills.

Seeing how thoroughly prepared he was, Xing Yuesen clicked his tongue twice, his eyes full of admiration.

“Brother Yi is many years younger than me, yet his wisdom is much higher than mine.” He hadn’t thought of so much.

Xu Yi’s mouth twitched. In modern times, he was actually two years older than Xing Yuesen.

“I need to stay here for a while. Brother Xing can go browse elsewhere first.”

Xing Yuesen shook his head and said: “I won’t go. I’ll stay here to watch how you sell digestive pills.”

All around were people in short shirts and garments setting up stalls, while Xing Yuesen was dressed like a displaying peacock, standing here completely out of place.

Many people were secretly sizing up which family’s young master this was, so handsome and dashing, elegant and refined, very pleasing to the eye.

At this time, the equally pleasing Xu Yi was much more low-key and didn’t attract much attention.

But also because of Xing Yuesen, some people noticed Xu Yi’s stall.

Soon, a young master dressed in gaudy colors stopped in front of the stall. He looked at Xing Yuesen beside him, then at Xu Yi, his face showing confusion and shock.

When Xing Yuesen saw him, he also rarely showed much of a pleasant expression.

It seemed they were acquainted.

Sure enough, the gaudy young master spoke: “Has the Xing family’s fifth young master’s household fallen to the point of needing to set up stalls in the market?”

That tone, that look, was obviously sarcastic and mocking.

Xing Yuesen’s expression turned slightly cold: “This seems to have nothing to do with Young Master Xin.”

“Aiya, we’re classmates after all. We should look after each other. This is what Teacher often mentions.” The man surnamed Xin’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. After mocking Xing Yuesen, he looked at Xu Yi again.

He couldn’t see any familiarity in Xu Yi’s face, so presumably they didn’t know each other. As for his clothes… disdain showed in his eyes. These days, even poor people liked to dress up as scholars.

“What kind of thing are these digestive pills you’re selling? I’ve never heard of them.” He spoke and then asked, “Also, what’s your relationship with Xing Yuesen that he’d accompany you here to set up a stall?”

Xu Yi: “There are myriad things in the world. Not having heard of something proves your knowledge is still limited. Prying into others’ relationships upon first meeting is a major taboo in making friends.”

Xin Shengyuan was annoyed: “I never said I wanted to be friends with you.”

Xu Yi: “Oh, then why are you asking me?”

Xin Shengyuan: “……”

How infuriating! He couldn’t find words to respond for a moment!

Xing Yuesen laughed: “Brother Yi, well done, well done. This kind of person can’t be indulged.”

Xu Yi nodded and asked the man surnamed Xin: “Are you buying pills? They treat food accumulation, regulate qi, and can be taken to adjust stomach and intestines.”

Xin Shengyuan looked at those pills and shook his head in disgust: “I wouldn’t buy something from the marketplace with no provenance. Who knows if your pills are even useful? Not buying, not buying.”

Xu Yi blinked and ignored him.

Yet this person still didn’t leave, as if determined to confront them. That posture showed someone who was usually arrogant and proud, never having suffered the slightest grievance.

Unable to get satisfaction from Xu Yi and Xing Yuesen, he threw a childish tantrum.

Xing Yuesen knew that although Xin Shengyuan had a sharp tongue that deserved a beating, he wasn’t someone who played dirty tricks. Seeing he wasn’t leaving, he didn’t plan to bother with him and continued chatting with Xu Yi.

As for Xin Shengyuan, he’d originally been too lazy to listen to what the two of them were saying, but as he listened, he became engrossed.

From standing with a face full of resistant arrogance, he changed to listening attentively with his body turned to the side, his ears perked up high.

Hearing an interesting part, he suddenly interjected: “And then what?”