Chapter 153 Daiyu Goes Shopping
"Miss Lin is going out for a stroll again today, so you should all keep your things to yourself."
"Boss, in previous years the Lunar New Year was a time when we made a fortune, but this year we haven't made a single sale yet. What are we going to eat and drink for the next few months?"
"Being hungry and thirsty is better than being worse off than dead..."
"It's already the tenth of the month, and Miss Lin goes out for a stroll every other day. We haven't seen what she looks like at all, but we've certainly had a good look at her maids and servants."
"Enough with the nonsense. If that female demon next to her sees you, are you prepared to have your legs paralyzed, your arms in a sling, or your head dead and left lying there?"
"You could say she's a female demon, but why are there so many more soldiers patrolling the streets this year?"
"I heard it was Prince Xian who suggested it. In previous years, the streets were too chaotic during the New Year holidays, with petty theft, swindling, and fraud rampant. The prisons are almost overflowing these days, and it's too unlucky during the New Year. So this year, more soldiers are patrolling to reduce trouble. A good start to the year will ensure a smooth year ahead. So, please don't walk into the line of fire..."
On the streets and alleys, those hooligans and scoundrels gather together and talk about how this year's New Year is truly difficult!
Ever since they were dealt with by that little devil from the Lin family on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the kidnappers have become like rats in a burrow, not daring to show their faces when there's a commotion outside.
Who would dare!
That little devil captured people, but didn't send them to the yamen (government office). People said, "You're from the martial arts world, so we'll follow the rules of the martial arts world." No one knows what method she used, but the people she captured either couldn't move their legs, or their arms felt like they were broken. They also felt like countless ants were biting them from the inside out, causing unbearable itching. They wished they could peel off their own skin.
The most severe case involved a person who became completely mentally impaired, exhibiting all of the above symptoms and becoming incontinent. Despite being young, the person's symptoms resembled those of a stroke.
However, when they visited the clinic and saw the doctor, there was absolutely no problem. Even the paralyzed one, after the doctor repeatedly took his pulse, was finally convinced that he was faking it and had come to cause trouble.
The instigator of the incident, little Lan Su, was munching on a string of candied hawthorns. The candied hawthorns made a crisp sound as they chewed, and the hawthorns were perfectly sweet and sour.
"Sister Su, the sound of it makes my mouth water. Can I have one?" Inside the carriage, a soft, sweet-sounding little girl pitifully begged for a candied hawthorn.
“Girl, you can’t eat candied hawthorns anymore. I didn’t keep an eye on you when you came to the street on the third day of the Lunar New Year, and you ate two skewers of candied hawthorns. Did your stomach feel uncomfortable when you came back? Granny Yuan said that if you eat anything from outside again, she’ll never let you go out again.”
"Then don't make me jealous. You're eating so deliciously all the time." Daiyu said, looking aggrieved.
Lan Su took another bite of hawthorn with a "crunch" before speaking, "It's really strange. These past few days, when I went out with the girl, all the candied hawthorn vendors on the street have disappeared. I finally found one, and I can't miss it."
"Hmph, just wait until I get back and tell Granny that you bullied me," Daiyu said angrily.
"Young lady, there's a mask vendor up ahead. They look very exquisite. Would you like to take a look?" Lan Su finished her last candied hawthorn, clapped her hands, and saw an old man selling masks ahead. The dazzling array of masks was overwhelming.
"Take a look, have a look! These are one-of-a-kind masks, featuring the twelve flower goddesses, the seven fairies, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, and Erlang Shen. Each one is incredibly beautiful and majestic..." Although the old man's voice was quite loud, his masks were indeed quite expensive, so while many looked at them, very few actually bought them.
Daiyu glanced through the carriage window a few times. "Zijuan, go and buy them all. We'll send them to the sisters to play with."
Lan Su called the old man over. She glanced up and saw that Yuan Hongqu was standing by the window of the Lan Yue Tower next door, looking down. Lan Su gave Yuan Hongqu a reassuring gesture, and Yuan Hongqu nodded.
The young girl Daiyu felt that the nanny was being overly cautious, not allowing her to eat this or touch that while shopping with her.
Later, she lost the desire to go out for a stroll, but unexpectedly, Granny Yuan told her that she had something to do and could not accompany her to go out for fun, and asked Lan Su and the others to go with her.
Sure enough, when Daiyu went out these past few days, Yuan Hongqu didn't accompany her. Daiyu felt that without Yuan's supervision, something seemed to be missing, but she still had a lot of fun. But why were all the little trinkets she wanted to try gone?
Last time she went out, she saw some people from the Western Regions, with high noses and deep-set eyes, leading tall camels. If a passerby wanted to ride a camel, it only cost five coins to travel a round trip through the market. She wanted to try it herself; she wanted to learn to ride a horse in a few days, as camels seemed more stable than horses!
And where are all the cockfighting and monkey shows?
Even the candied hawthorn vendors seemed to have vanished from the streets overnight...
"Mr. Yuan, if I may be so disrespectful, even if a princess wanted to come out for a trip, our Prince wouldn't go to such lengths. It's only to repay your favor that the entire city's guards haven't had a day off during the New Year. So, after the New Year, would our family have priority in choosing the items in the greenhouses of your estate?" The steward of the Prince Xian's manor at Lanyue Tower smiled, thinking that his family would definitely be able to snag the items from Mr. Yuan's estate this time.
“Steward Liu, if that’s the case, then my lord has also done a lot of work. Look how orderly the streets are. Last time, Mr. Yuan said that Miss Lin shouldn’t see any candied hawthorn vendors, so we bought all their candied hawthorns. Have you seen any candied hawthorn vendors these days? My poor young masters have been eating candied hawthorns at home until they’re vomiting sour water…” Chief Secretary Li of the Prince Zhongshun’s mansion had a long-standing relationship with Yuan Hongqu, and he had also done his part this time.
"You haven't done much good. Just now, there was a candied hawthorn vendor, and Miss Lin's people bought a few skewers!"
Li Changshi's face darkened, feeling utterly dejected. This one escaped the net, making all their hard work of the past few days go to waste.
Steward Liu of the Prince Xian's Mansion started off with a sarcastic remark:
"Besides, who told your family to be so generous? There were dozens of candied hawthorn vendors on the street, and you managed to buy them all. And not only did you buy them, but you also made sure your young masters ate them all! If you ask me, your household physician and wet nurse should both be kicked out. They can't even control their children's gluttony; they're utterly useless! In the end, it was only thanks to Mr. Yuan's prescription that your young masters recovered. You owe Mr. Yuan a huge favor!"
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