Chapter 117 Credibility: I Want to Trust Him Just This Once
Ji Fang stared at Feng Shisan's face, which was flushed red to the point of being black. "I remember you said that your family had some business in Rongdu. We've been here for so long, and apart from being with everyone else, you haven't gone out at all. What? Have you forgotten about your own business?"
“I can’t forget it.” Feng Shisan planted his sword in the ground. “It’s just that… I didn’t know what to do with my sword, I didn’t know what to do.”
"Is it called..." Ji Fang looked at the sword in his hand, "Drawing the sword, looking around, feeling lost?"
"Oh ho?" Feng Shisan's eyes widened like saucers. "Ji Fang, you can speak classical Chinese now? Who taught you?"
Ji Fang chuckled and scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "When we first went back to Tianlu, the young master said that wielding swords and knives was not a long-term solution. If we wanted to learn to read, we should go to his school. Later, I secretly went there a few times and listened to the young master read to everyone. There was a sentence like this. I looked at the sword in my hand and thought, 'Isn't that talking about myself?' So I remembered it."
"I see," Feng Shisan said, relieved. "Speaking of which, you were terrified when you saw the fire by the furnace, and Steward Pei even scolded you. What, you're not scared now?"
Ji Fang wasn't embarrassed when people brought up his past mistakes. He said, "I've seen it so many times that I'm not afraid anymore. We need fire to cast things, and we rely on fire to eat. People live off fire, so what's there to be afraid of?"
Feng Shisan stared intently at Ji Fang. The face before him was so familiar, yet it seemed somewhat unfamiliar. Ji Fang was right; everyone had something to do. Even Ji Fang had found his own path. Feng Shisan, if you continue to drift through life in a daze, you'll truly be wasting your ambitions.
"Ji Fang," Feng Shisan roared, "come out with me for a bit."
"Okay!" Ji Fang jumped up without hesitation.
Feng Shisan looked him up and down with his hands behind his back. "You're not even going to ask me where I'm going?"
Ji Fang walked out of the neighborhood without looking back, as if he had been waiting for Feng Shisan to take this step for a long time. "You're not going to sell me out. Rongdu is only so big. It doesn't matter where we go. I'll just stay with you." Ji Fang took a few steps and looked back to see if Feng Shisan was following. "Your destination is in Rongdu, right?"
"Go to the city gate."
"The city gate?"
"Go to the Vermilion Bird Gate. My father is the guardian of the Vermilion Bird Gate."
—What is upholding righteousness?
"You know nothing. Shouzheng is the city gate guard."
"Shouzheng...what rank is he? Does he have Ah Jiu's fish-transfer tally?"
"Vulgar! Shouzheng is guarding the gates of the capital city. How can we judge his rank by his position? Shouzheng bears the heavy responsibility of guarding the city. It is an extremely important task. If my father were still alive... I would join the army, not only to guard the gates of one city, but also to guard the gates of the entire country."
Rongdu, the capital city of the emperor, is filled with nobles. If a sign falls, it can smash several of them. Yet, even in such an imperial city, the street vendors can't help but glance at the young couple on the main road.
The young man was tall and handsome, dressed in a dark green brocade robe with a knife pattern, a dark ribbon tied around his forehead, and a carved sword hanging diagonally. His steps were slow and steady, and his demeanor exuded nobility. The young woman was tall and beautiful, dressed in a fiery red robe, her hair neatly tied up. Her steps were light and brisk, and she often whispered something to the young man beside her. Her brows revealed a hint of heroism, which attracted the frequent glances of passersby, who wondered which wealthy family's scion they were.
"Little Ma, you're being so mysterious. Where are you going, and why do you have to dress like this?" Guan Ye looked down at her new clothes. It wasn't that she didn't like to dress nicely, but this outfit was too tight and made it difficult to move around and do her work.
Xiao Ma kept his eyes straight ahead, saying, "Respect the robes first, then the person. You'll see when you get there."
Guan Ye chuckled, "Only mediocre people would act like this. Do you remember back in Ji Fang's courtyard, you guys were shirtless, and even without clothes on, you could tell you were exceptional individuals. Why would you need to offer a piece of cloth?"
Xiao Ma blushed, surprised that this girl was so perceptive. "That was you." Xiao Ma thought of something and lowered her voice, "That day you said you'd seen someone even bigger... You mean... Lou Cangyu's older brother, Lou Shitou?"
Guan Ye blushed and buried her head, saying, "I've never seen it before, how would I know?"
"You haven't seen it?" Xiao Ma asked in surprise. "Ji Yuan clearly said that you've seen an even bigger one, besides Lou Shitou, there's no one else."
"And you call yourself a smart person?" Guan Ye glared at him. "Can't you tell I'm talking nonsense? Before you... I've never seen anyone else like you..."
"Hahahaha." Little Ma laughed until tears streamed down his face, ignoring the onlookers. "A-Jiu remembered your words. Even after we'd all gone to bed, he was still practicing in the yard half the night. He remembered your words; he didn't want to lose to Lou Shitou, hahahaha..."
"This..." Guan Ye blinked. After Xiao Ma said that, A Jiu's body... seemed even more muscular than when they were on the island, especially his chest and stomach, which were more solid than bricks... and his biceps... wait! Guan Ye swallowed hard. Guan Ye, how do you know so much... Guan Ye spread her hands. These hands have committed a sin of lust and should be cut off.
"What are you thinking about?" Xiao Ma coughed. "Is Ajiu stronger than before?"
"Uh." Guan Ye blurted out, imagining A Jiu's tempting figure, and even gave a silly smile.
"Have you seen it? Or touched it?" Xiao Ma asked again, seemingly unperturbed. "You must have touched it. Your hands are truly blessed."
“Yes.” Guan Ye praised her hands sincerely, then suddenly realized, “Little Ma! You’re tricking me.”
Xiao Ma grinned mischievously, flicked his nose, and took a few steps forward. "Who told me to be the smartest person in Xingguofang? Guan Ye, you can't beat me."
"Little Ma, remember this, I'll get my revenge sooner or later."
The boy was agile and nimble, weaving through the streets like a nimble deer, his cheerful laughter drawing envy from onlookers. Suddenly, he saw that the long street was not far away, and the little horse stopped, halting its pace.
Guan Ye followed the gaze and saw several magnificent carriages parked deep in the long street. The people getting in and out were mostly dressed in fine clothes. In the blink of an eye, several commoners were also respectfully seen off. This is… Guan Ye saw the plaque hanging high and read it softly: “Gongcheng Money Shop”.
"You're here to deposit silver?" Guan Ye looked at Xiao Ma suspiciously. Xiao Ma's money bag jingled, and that little bit of silver shouldn't be worth anyone's attention. Guan Ye suddenly realized and pointed at Xiao Ma, saying, "I know, you want to deposit your last coin into the impregnable Gongcheng Money Shop?"
"I've come to collect the silver." Little Ma took out the jade clasp from his pocket.
Guan Ye stared in disbelief. She had known Xiao Ma for so long, but she had no idea that he was hiding something so valuable. Not to mention herself, even A Jiu and the others who had been with him day and night for several years probably didn't know.
Xiao Ma smiled at Guan Yan, then carefully put the jade clasp back into his clothes. "Back then, my parents were exiled to Lingnan. They left the city alone, and after much effort, they only managed to take two things with them."
“One item was three counterfeit copper coins related to my family’s wrongful conviction. My father covered them with his shoes and took them out of the city. He traveled for months, crossing mountains and rivers, and he didn’t dare take off his shoes and socks.”
This… Guan Ye sniffed; it must smell worse than a cesspool.
"This jade clasp is the token between my family and the Mei family, who have achieved great success." Xiao Ma looked at the Mei family's golden signboard. "My mother would hold it under her tongue during the day and carry it in her bosom at night, only daring to take it out after we arrived in Lingnan..."
"A token from the Mei family?" Guan Ye had never been to Gongcheng Money Exchange, but she had heard of the Mei family's reputation. Before her mother passed away, she was too weak to speak. Her father told Guan Ye to touch her mother's undergarment, where her mother had hidden the last silver note. No matter how desperate the situation, her mother would never take it out to exchange for silver. Her mother said that this was for Guan Ye. Heaven knows how long they would have to run away, or where they could run to. If Guan Xiaotian also died, only her daughter would be left all alone in the world. She kept the last bit of silver. Even if they both died, her daughter would still have something to look forward to.
While her mother was fast asleep, Guan Ye opened her inner garment and took out the silver notes she had hidden for over ten years. The silver notes had been kept close to her body and had been soaked with sweat over the years. Not only was the paper soft, but the writing on it had also become blurred. Guan Ye stared at it under the oil lamp for half the night, but still couldn't make out the seal on it.
"Father, this banknote is so badly damaged, will the money exchange still accept it?"
"Of course I acknowledge it, I have to acknowledge it," Dad said, though his tone didn't seem entirely certain.
The family's money was always managed by her mother. Apart from her mother, no one knew where the money was kept or how much was left. Her father, being a burly man, was too conspicuous, so Guan Ye had to take the banknotes to each money shop to inquire. The shopkeepers of other shops would only glance at Guan Ye and send her away, saying that a poor little girl dared to come to their door to cheat with worthless paper. Guan Ye was afraid of getting into trouble and being reported to the authorities, so she could only swallow her anger and suffer the humiliation until... she arrived at the entrance of the branch of Gongcheng Money Shop in the small town.
Guan Ye initially didn't dare go in. For some reason, there were always crowds outside Gongcheng Money Exchange, waving silver notes and shouting for cash. They threatened to overturn the exchange and rob the treasury if they couldn't cash them. With such a scene, even if he had the money, he wouldn't get a turn. Guan Ye sighed and was about to leave when the young accountant guarding the gate saw the silver notes in Guan Ye's hand, which were almost crumpled into pulp, and gestured for him to come closer so he could see them more clearly.
The accountant confirmed that the silver notes in Guan Ye's hand were indeed from Gongcheng Money Shop. He instructed Guan Ye to come back in two days to collect the silver, saying that the young master of the Mei family was already preparing the funds and would transfer them to the branch in two days at most. Guan Ye was sure to be able to collect the silver when he came back.
That's it? The Mei family actually accepts it? Guan Ye was skeptical.
"Of course I'll accept it." The accountant said with certainty, "You can tell this stamp is from our family just by looking at the edges. It's a Mei family banknote. We'll accept it even if it's rotten to pieces. The Mei family motto is: 'Where there's a person, there's a family; where there's a family, there's a business; where there's a business, there's integrity. Honesty is the key to success.'"
Two days later, Guan Ye went to the money exchange as scheduled. Outside, the clamoring crowd had already satisfied their money exchange. The accountant, seeing Guan Ye's ragged clothes, warmly welcomed her inside. In no time, Guan Ye had produced ten taels of silver, which the accountant thoughtfully converted into smaller pieces for her. Guan Ye used the silver to hire a doctor for her mother. Although her mother eventually passed away, the money was enough to keep her mother in a soft bed.
At that time, Guan Ye thought that in the future, she would like to die on a soft bed.
"Your family also has money deposited at the Mei family's?" Guan Ye asked Xiao Ma in a low voice. "How much?"
"Guess," Xiao Ma teased Guan Ye.
Guan Ye shook her head. "The Ma family is a wealthy family. Their silver reserves must be astronomical, but..." Guan Ye glanced at Xiao Ma without showing any weakness. "So what if they have a lot? They're no different from me."
Xiao Ma was speechless after being rebuked. He angrily tried to start walking, but stopped halfway with his foot in mid-air. Guan Ye thought he was worried that the Mei family wouldn't accept the token after so long, so she quickly said, "The Mei family is honest and trustworthy. They even accept banknotes that are as rotten as paper. You can go in without worry."
Seeing that Xiao Ma remained silent for a long time, Guan Ye pondered carefully. Xiao Ma ate and drank in the neighborhood and usually didn't need money. Why would he come to the Mei family's money shop to withdraw silver? What would he need silver for? Unless…
"Little Ma, are you going to run away?" Guan Ye grabbed Little Ma's sleeve.
"Where did she run off to?" Xiao Ma looked at Guan Ye as if she were an idiot. "She's escaped. Are we still going to reopen the case?"
Guan Ye slowly released her grip, her eyes still daring not to be careless. "Then what are you here to get the silver for?"
“I only found out today…” Xiao Ma shook his head as he looked at Guan Ye’s serious expression. “So A Jiu likes silly women. The token isn’t just for getting money. My Ma family has a large fortune stored in the Mei family’s bank. I, Ma Lin, could live off it for ten lifetimes, but… it’s not time to take it out yet.”
Ma Lin pressed the jade clasp to his chest. "The case of the counterfeit copper coins still has hope if we work with the Mei family. I think... I should trust him this once."
--"he?"
—"Mei Shiyu, the young master of the Mei family."
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