Chapter 108 Xiao Bao's Tricks
"Selling sesame seed cakes! Soft and fluffy sesame seed cakes!"
"What a beast!"
...
Listening to the endless shouts and calls around her, Fan Xiaoxiao felt a mix of exasperation and helplessness.
Just now, she asked the old man to take her to find the child who was suspected of stealing her wallet. Without saying a word, the old man took him and Xiaobao and headed straight out of Jingchuan Town to the other side of the hillside they had left earlier.
This looked like a makeshift market, with farmers selling their household items everywhere. After looking around briefly, Fan Xiaoxiao frowned slightly—there didn't seem to be any rice or flour for sale here.
"Hey! Little one! Look! Over there! What's that?"
Fan Xiaoxiao, whose left hand was being pulled by the old man, sighed. She'd lost count of how many times this old man had pulled her like that. Every time she looked over, it was always something to eat or play with!
If she doesn't look, the old man will keep calling her.
"Little baby! Look!"
"Okay, okay." Fan Xiaoxiao was exasperated by the fuss and looked in the direction the old man pointed.
"Auntie, that thing has horns! Is it a cow?" Xiao Bao asked with some doubt, having never seen such a thing before.
Fan Xiaoxiao was slightly taken aback when she saw what was in front of the farmer.
A bull's head!? That's quite a find! In the Zhou Dynasty, bulls couldn't be slaughtered casually; they could only be sold by their owners if they died of old age or disease. And look at the bull's horns—large and thick, slightly curved backward, indicating it's quite old.
"Auntie?" Xiao Bao looked at Fan Xiaoxiao with some questions when she didn't answer for a while.
The latter was startled by his shout, but nodded after realizing what he meant.
"Uh! Hmm! That's a cow."
After saying that, she stepped forward and asked the farmer, "Brother, why are you selling your cow?"
The man selling the ox seemed troubled, his face etched with worry. When Fan Xiaoxiao approached him to ask, he immediately sighed, "Oh, don't even mention it. This ox of mine was an old one. A couple of days ago, we were rebuilding our house, and we were transporting timber from the county town. It literally worked itself to death!"
“If you are worried, my lady, I have official documents here.”
The farmer pulled out a document from his pocket bearing the official seal. Fan Xiaoxiao glanced at it briefly; it stated that the ox had died from overwork on a certain day, and the farmer's sale was approved.
"Kid! Buy it! We'll have beef for dinner!" The old man stared longingly at the beef and couldn't stop pulling at Fan Xiaoxiao.
"Grandpa Fatty! We can't waste money! Auntie's purse is still missing!"
Little Bao frowned, his face full of righteous indignation. The old man squatted down and began to coax him, "Little baby! You've never eaten beef before, beef is delicious!"
"We still need to find Auntie's purse!"
The old man, rejected again, choked slightly, scratched his head and thought for a moment, then continued, "But what if we find the money bag and sell all the beef?"
Xiao Bao was stumped by the question he was asked and looked at Fan Xiaoxiao for help with a troubled expression.
The farmer, seeing his expression, could only manage a weak laugh.
"Oh! Gentlemen! If you want to buy, I'll give you a discount. It was originally eighteen coins a catty, but I'll give you twelve coins."
Fan Xiaoxiao patted Xiaobao's head: "It's rare to find something like this, let's buy some."
Seeing that his aunt had said so, Xiao Bao nodded.
"Okay... then let's buy some..."
The old man was overjoyed when Xiaobao agreed, and he picked up Xiaobao and started rubbing him: "Oh my! Little baby! You're such a generous baby!"
The sudden lift startled Xiao Bao, who quickly reached out and patted the old man: "Ah! Grandpa Fatty! Put Xiao Bao down quickly... Huh?"
Xiao Bao seemed to have seen something. His initial screams of fright stopped abruptly, and then he waved his hands in one direction, shouting, "Sister Xiaoyu!!! Grandpa Lu!!"
Fan Xiaoxiao, who was picking out beef, paused slightly and turned to look in the direction Xiaobao was calling.
Not far away, Xiaoyu and Master Lu seemed to be buying something in front of a blacksmith shop. Xiaoyu seemed to have heard Xiaobao's shouts, turned her head to look in their direction, said a few words to Master Lu, and then walked over.
Xiao Bao quickly told the old man to put him down, then looked at him excitedly and said, "Grandpa Fatty! Aren't you amazing at treating illnesses? You cured Auntie's injury and Grandpa's at once! Can you cure anything?"
Upon hearing Xiao Bao's question, the old man chuckled, his expression a mixture of arrogance and disdain as he curled his lip.
"I've seen hundreds, if not thousands, of people, and I haven't encountered anyone I can't cure! It's just a matter of whether I want to treat you or not!"
"Then! If his voice is broken, can you see it?!" Xiao Bao looked at the old man with expectant eyes, his two little hands clasped tightly together.
The old man stroked his beard and smacked his lips, feigning composure.
"A broken voice? Others can't do anything about it, but me..." The old man dragged out his words, glancing at Xiao Bao out of the corner of his eye.
"How was it?" Xiao Bao asked politely, his little face full of seriousness and tension. This greatly satisfied the old man's vanity, and he raised his head slightly, letting out a proud snort.
"Hmph, of course I have no problem!"
While the two were talking, Fan Xiaoxiao deftly picked out a pound of beef and a pound of butter. As she turned around, she overheard them discussing whether she could get her voice checked. She smiled slightly, her gaze falling on the happy-looking Xiaobao.
"Does Xiaobao want Grandpa to check Xiaoyu's voice?"
"Xiaoyu? This little girl?" The old man pointed at Xiaoyu, who was walking over, and asked Xiaobao.
"?" Xiaoyu paused slightly when she saw the old man suddenly pointing at her, and looked at Xiaobao with some confusion.
"Oh! That's right!" Xiao Bao nodded with bright eyes, walked over to Xiao Yu, pulled her aside, and continued, "Sister Xiao Yu, let me tell you, this fat grandpa is someone I just met! His medical skills are amazing! He said he can check your throat!"
Fan Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow at these words. Good heavens, this little dumpling has actually learned how to set traps! The old man hasn't even agreed to see him yet, and he's already boasting about the doctor's skills. Looking at his adorable face, the old man can't refuse now.
However, for Xiaoyu, if the old man can cure her, that's fine; if he can't...
"What's wrong with your voice? I don't need to see a doctor. Why are you meddling in my business?" Xiaoyu seemed to have been touched on a sore spot. Her face, which had been showing some happiness, turned completely cold after hearing Xiaobao's words.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward. Fan Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly; what she feared most had come true. Xiaoyu was angry! She looked at Xiaobao with some concern, afraid that the little guy would be sad and cry.
Surprisingly, Xiao Bao didn't show any sign of defeat. Instead, he looked at Xiao Yu with a sincere smile and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Sister Xiao Yu, you don't like to talk much. If you get better, you can talk more! I want to talk to you! And Grandpa is really amazing!"
Xiaoyu looked at the old man with some disbelief, and that look immediately made the old man furious.
"Hey! Little girl! What kind of look is that! Let me tell you! I've been practicing medicine for decades! There's really no illness I can't cure!"
"Pshaw, I don't believe it!" Xiaoyu glanced at him coldly and turned to leave.
The old man flashed in front of her, blocking her path, and with two quick taps, he struck her pressure points. Xiaoyu was instantly immobilized. Terrified by this sudden turn of events, the girl's eyes widened, and she yelled at the old man, "You old liar! Let me go! I don't want your help!"
After saying that, she started calling out, "Grandpa! Grandpa!!!"
Seeing that she was about to call for help, the old man struck Xiaoyu's pressure point twice more, rendering her mute. He picked at his ear and gave her a cold smile.
"Little girl! You have to be treated today, whether you like it or not!"
(End of this chapter)
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