After leaving the school, Su Ruanruan bid farewell to Liu Shi, boarded an oxcart to the town, and then traveled to the city.
Although the school provides these things, you still need to practice calligraphy at home.
The next day, Su Ruanruan went to the bookstore, intending to buy some writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and some primers, but she encountered Huo Yan with a dark face at the door.
"What's wrong?" Su Ruanruan asked, noticing his displeasure and feeling a bit gossipy.
Huo Yan recalled the past few days. Jin Yu and Niu Mang had been holding back their laughter whenever they saw him, which made him feel extremely uncomfortable. Only then did he realize that Jin Yu had unintentionally obtained a storybook, which was the very storybook that the woman with the veil and out-of-town accent had sold to the bookstore.
If he finds out who that woman is, she's dead.
"What are you doing here?" Huo Yan glanced at Su Ruanruan.
"Of course, I'm buying things." Seeing how angry Huo Yan was, she quickly distanced herself from him.
After he went inside, Su Ruanruan slowly followed him in.
Su Ruanruan listened to the waiter's introduction, but her ears were perked up, trying to hear the sounds coming from the back room, but she couldn't hear anything.
Back room
"Didn't I tell you last time that you weren't allowed to sell those sketchbooks?"
Shopkeeper, "You mean 'Brother Huo, You Can't Do It'?"
Huo Yan's expression was displeased. "You already know, why ask!"
The shopkeeper pursed his lips, barely able to contain himself. If the previous books had a hint of Officer Huo's style, they did, but not much.
But this latest book is practically a carbon copy of his, describing everything from head to toe so similarly that it's hard not to mistake it for the original story.
Huo Yan said coldly, "I paid you money to destroy it, why are you still selling it?"
The shopkeeper sighed, "It was my fault, Officer Huo, please don't be angry. One of the shop assistants had some crooked ideas and copied the contents of the catalog several times, selling them to our regular customers. Now, I've already kicked him out, and this mistake will definitely not happen again."
Huo Yan said, "If I see her again, your little shop will have to close down! If you see that woman again, you must hold her off until I get there."
"Yes, definitely."
Su Ruanruan left without buying anything. Goodness, I wonder what happened to her. Her tightly furrowed brows could have trapped a fly.
The fire at the city gate affected the fish in the moat, so she decided not to go near him and would buy from him next time.
A few days later, Su Ruanruan returned to Daoxiang Village to see Xiaoxi, only to learn that her teacher had been away on business for the past few days and would not return for another two days.
On a whim, Su Ruanruan, with the approval of her uncle and aunt, brought Xiaoxi and Sanzhu to the county town.
When Sanzhu was a child, he went to the town. His parents, in order to save a few copper coins, couldn't even afford to ride in an oxcart, and he remembers walking until his legs were almost worn out. He had never been to the more distant county towns.
As for Xiao Xi, he had only been to the town to have his leg checked, but when he saw his sister's helpless eyes, he was only afraid. His eyes were always fixed on his sister. He didn't see what the town looked like, but he remembered that the pharmacy was full of the bitter smell of medicine.
Su Ruanruan led them on a stroll through the street, and the two children were dazzled by the dazzling array of goods and trinkets, as if they had discovered a new continent.
Su Ruanruan gave the two children a new set of clothes and took them to blow sugar figurines and buy candied hawthorns.
"Wow, cousin, look! That uncle looks so impressive."
Su Ruanruan followed his gaze and saw Huo Yan patrolling the streets with several constables.
He walked at the very front, looking quite imposing.
Sensing someone looking at him, Huo Yan suddenly turned his head. He immediately saw Su Ruanruan leading two children, staring intently in their direction.
The fair-skinned little boy held a string of candied hawthorns in his hand and looked at him calmly, while the other, taller child had an excited glint in his eyes and waved at him excitedly.
Huo Yan's brow twitched; these two children weren't afraid of him at all.
Su Ruanruan smiled awkwardly, quickly grabbed Sanzhu's swaying hands, and pulled the two away from the left and right.
These two kids are so naive. Can't they read the room? Look how sour that face is! Why aren't they leaving? What are they doing, crowding around like that?
After walking a long distance, Su Ruanruan crossed her arms and began to nag them, telling them not to strike up conversations with strangers, to know that society is dangerous, and to be careful not to be kidnapped and never see their families again.
But when she looked to her side, the two children were nowhere to be seen.
Su Ruanruan panicked and quickly walked back.
She called out the names of her two children while anxiously looking around.
Finally, they found Sanzhu, who had squeezed into the crowd, at the street performers' stall.
"Where's Xiaoxi?" Su Ruanruan asked.
"What?! Xiao Xi is missing? Wasn't he with his cousin?" San Zhu lost interest in watching the commotion. "Oh dear, it's all my fault, I didn't hold him properly."
"Don't worry, cousin, I'll go find him and bring him back right away."
Su Ruanruan grabbed him and said, "Let's look together. You're not familiar with this place, and I don't want to find him but not you."
Su Ruanruan pulled Sanzhu along to search the vicinity, but they still couldn't find any trace of Xiaoxi.
Xiao Xi has difficulty walking, so no one would likely target him with a crutch.
There's only one possibility: he's never been here before and he's lost.
But Xiaoxi is timid and doesn't like to communicate with people. Is she hiding somewhere crying right now?
"Cousin, that constable is drinking tea over there. Let's go ask him for help!"
Su Ruanruan looked over there and sure enough saw Huo Yan sitting in front of a tea stall, looking quite content.
Su Ruanruan paused for a moment, then took Sanzhu to ask him for help.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Huo Yan raise his chin in a certain direction.
Su Ruanruan shifted her gaze and saw several little beggars sunbathing in the sunlight at the far end of the alley. Xiao Xi squatted down beside them and shared the candied hawthorns in her hand with them.
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