CH 26

Chapter 26 – Clear conscience

When the little girl in the carriage heard the bustling noises around her, she opened the curtain to look at Man Bao.

When she saw Man Bao was younger than her, she beckoned, “Come over and chat with me.”

Man Bao ran towards her immediately. She glanced at the horse which was swishing its tail and asked, “May I touch your horse?”

The little girl obviously didn’t expect Man Bao to make this request. She was taken aback and nodded, “Go ahead if you want to.”

When Man Bao ran to the front of the carriage to touch the horse, the little girl’s attention also shifted accordingly. She said, “Get in the carriage and chat with me.”

The coachman was going to carry Man Bao up the carriage. Wu Lang who was watching their interactions alertly prevented the coachman from doing so, and protectively put his sister behind him.

“You can continue to chat this way. Why does she need to get on the carriage?”

The servant frowned, “Do you know who our lady is? Your family should feel honoured she wants to chat with your sister.”

Wu Lang didn’t care about this, and said, “Who knows if you’re kidnappers? If you want to chat, we can continue to talk this way. Otherwise, ask your lady to come down.”

He turned around and coaxed Man Bao, “Let’s go back, all of us will chat with you.”

The servant was enraged when she heard this but the little girl in the carriage thought it was fine and felt Wu Lang knew how to protect his sister.

She opened the curtain and sat on the shaft of the carriage. She didn’t look as if she was much older than Man Bao.

She stared at Man Bao curiously, and asked, “Did you pick these flowers from the mountain?”

Man Bao replied, “No, it was my elder niece and second niece. I just picked a few.”

The little girl laughed and said, “Some of the flowers are interesting, and they’re better than the ones we’re growing at home.”

Wu Lang couldn’t help saying, “These flowers are pretty common. Come spring next year, the blooming flowers on the mountain would truly be gorgeous.”

All children like flowers. This little girl was no exception. She said, “I don’t know if you can help me dig up some beautiful flowers in the coming year. I want to try growing them at home.”

Wu Lang was quite reluctant. It takes a long time to travel from the village to town. Now, they even need to pay entry fees…

Man Bao felt the little girl’s hobby was about the same as Keke. She was happy and nodded repeatedly, “Okay, I’ll dig them up for you then. Where’s your house?”

The servant beside her mistress hesitated to share the information.

The little girl, “My house is behind the county office. It’s easy to find. My surname is Fu. Just ask for the second lady of the Fu family.”

She was Man Bao’s first friend, and so, she was delighted, “My surname is Zhou, and my parents call me Man Bao.”

“Man Bao,” the second lady of the Fu family said with a smile. “Your name is so nice. My childhood name is Wen Yun.”

Man Bao also praised her, “Your name is also very nice.”

Wen Yun, “Your sweets are also delicious. Are they home-made, or did you buy them?”

Man Bao thought for a while, and said, “My friend bought them for me.”

Wen Yun, “Where did he buy them from? I also want to buy some.”

Man Bao, “You can buy from me, two sweets for one wen.”

Wen Yun hesitated for a moment, nodded and said, “Then, I’ll buy slightly more. I’ll buy 100.”

“I don’t have them now. I need to get them from home. Can I ask my brother to bring them to you tomorrow?”

Man Bao was going to the school tomorrow. Since it could be considered that she had widen her knowledge by coming to town, she has no plans to return to town anytime soon.

Wen Yun nodded and asked, “Should I give a deposit?”

Man Bao was surprised, “You want to give us a deposit? Sure, we’ll take it.”

Wen Yun froze for a minute and looked at the servant behind her. The servant looked as if she didn’t want to give the deposit and kept looking at her mistress, who stared at her insistently.

The servant had no choice but to give 10 wen to Man Bao, saying, “Little lady Zhou, my master is the county magistrate. Tomorrow, when you arrive at the house behind the county office, just knock on the side door. Tell the servants you are here for the second lady.”

Don’t blame the servant for specifically revealing their identity. When they saw the Zhou’s lack of reaction when Wen Yun said she lived behind the county office, and that her surname was Fu, it was evident they didn’t know she was the magistrate’s daughter.

Indeed, this was a group of hillbillies. They were also just kids so it would be strange if they knew Wen Yun’s identity just by her disclosing her surname and house’s location.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, she saw a trace of nervousness and panic on Wu Lang’s face.

Man Bao was enlightened, but she wasn’t afraid, so she curiously asked Wen Yun, “Is your father very fair?”

Wen Yun had no idea where Man Bao was coming from, but she nodded, “Yes, my father’s skin is fair.”

No wonder the entrance fee had increased by a wen. Humph! Keke was right, fair people were crafty.

Man Bao felt she had priced the sweets too cheaply, but since she had mentioned the price, she couldn’t change it now. She decided that if Wen Yun ever buys sweets from her again, she would increase the price.

Man Bao learnt this from the magistrate.

After making such a decision, Man Bao became happy again, and proactively recommended her sweets to Wen Yun, “My sweets are very sweet, exceptionally sweet. I’ve eaten so many sweets. Mine is the best!”

The servant glanced at the clothes she and Wu Lang were wearing, and somewhat mockingly said, “Have you had many sweets?”

Man Bao couldn’t see her ridicule but Wu Lang wasn’t stupid. Although he was afraid of them because of their status, he couldn’t help being angry when he saw Man Bao was treated with disdain.

“Of course. My sister has been eating sweets since she was young. She eats at least one sweet a day, and this has never stopped. Which child within 10 miles and eight villages can beat my sister’s sweet consumption?”

Wen Yun and her servant were stunned.

Wen Yun first looked at Man Bao’s teeth and asked, “Are your teeth okay?”

“Okay,” Man Bao opened her mouth to show her, and said, “I take good care of my teeth. I rinse my mouth every morning and evening. My friend said, do this and there wouldn’t be any tooth decay.”

Wen Yun felt Man Bao was different from the other children as she was quite knowledgeable.

She said, “I also often eat sweets, but my teeth are a little bit painful, so my mother won’t let me eat too many…”

The two children talked about everything under the sun. Man Bao had already shared about the extremely beautiful big rooster she saw today.

Wu Lang couldn’t help interrupting them, “Man Bao, the flower baskets are ready.”

The servant also breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately said, “Miss, we should go home.”

Man Bao and Wen Yun wished to continue chatting. They were reluctant to part.

Man Bao’s conscience was pricked, so she asked, “Elder sister Fu, the money you spent, did you earn them, or do they belong to your father?”

“Naturally, they are my father’s money,” Wen Yun said, “I’m still young and can’t make money yet.”

So, Man Bao’s conscience was soothed. Well, she earned money from the bad, bad magistrate, not from elder sister Fu.

Man Bao waved at her happily, “I’ll help you put the flower baskets in the carriage.”

For the 24 flower baskets, they received a total of 120 wen. Man Bao had already figured it out while Wu Lang and the others were sweating away, trying to calculate the amount with their fingers.

The servant glanced at Man Bao in surprise, counted the money, and gave it to her.

After the carriage had moved on, the servant said to Wen Yun, “Miss, the little lady from the Zhou family is so smart. Her brothers couldn’t figure it out, but she quickly calculated the correct amount.”

Wen Yun also nodded, “She is very smart and knowledgeable.”