Upper Cold
After parting ways with Zhou Ziliang, Tang Feng felt a little sad, but the sadness came and went quickly. Qin Liuliu and Liu Yiwan didn't get along to begin with, and the two bickered quite a bit along the way. Tang Feng just listened to their arguments for amusement.
"Brother! Look, we might be entering the city!" Tang Feng looked ahead and saw the words "Bao Lu" prominently displayed on the city gate. Tang Feng smiled. It was getting late, so he figured they might as well rest. They hadn't seen many houses along the way, but there were plenty of merchant caravans. Qin Jiujiu had told him before they came that Shang Han was a country skilled in commerce. He hadn't paid much attention at first, but he hadn't expected so many caravans. Compared to his time in the Qiang and Hu regions, it was like heaven and earth. The Qiang and Hu had always relied on animal husbandry, but now, with their cooperation with Yan and Yun, things were probably much better. Shang Han, however, was different. Judging from the merchants' clothing, it was clear this country was wealthy.
Qin Liuliu craned her neck to look at the merchants leading camels, somewhat excited. She had never seen camels before. She tugged at Tang Feng's sleeve and pointed them out, "Brother! Look at that!"
"That's a camel. We'll switch to these when we reach the Baolu post station. Riding a horse in the desert is really inconvenient."
"Young Master, changing to camels right away... isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Liu Yiwan looked at Tang Feng with some difficulty, clutching the bundle in his hand tightly. Before leaving, Qin Jiujiu gave most of the silver to Liu Yiwan, telling him to keep an eye on Tang Feng's expenses and not spend too much. To make it effective, Qin Jiujiu also instructed Liu Yiwan that if there was any silver left, it would be given to Liu Yiwan as his monthly salary.
Tang Feng rolled his eyes. He knew perfectly well what Liu Yiwan was up to. "I think so too. To show our sincerity, when we get to Baolu, don't change your clothes. Liu Liu and I will ride camels, and you can ride a horse."
"This...this won't do! Young Master, what if you encounter danger on the road? If my horse can't catch up with your camel and you get injured, I'll have suffered a great loss!" Seeing Liu Yiwan laughing it off, Tang Feng really wanted to slap him to death, but fearing his nagging, he simply ignored him. After walking for a while, the three of them entered Baolu City. Shanghan was indeed different from Yanyun. There were an unusually large number of merchants selling goods on the streets, and the goods were dazzling. Even Tang Feng, a modern person, had seen many of them before.
Tang Feng first urged Liu Yiwan to go to the post station to change the horses, while he and Qin Liuliu went for a stroll in the streets. It was Qin Liuliu's first time seeing these novelties. Shanghan's porcelain and glass had always been exported to various countries, and the craftsmanship was quite exquisite. Tang Feng found a small shop and went in to look at the goods. He spotted a pair of white jade love knots. In terms of the development of handicrafts, Shanghan was far ahead of Yanyun. Tang Feng took the pair of love knots off and asked, "Shopkeeper, how much are these love knots?"
"Oh my, young master, you have a good eye! This is our shop's prized possession. Look at this mutton-fat jade, not a single impurity!" She then held the jade up to the candlelight for Tang Feng to examine. It wasn't the usual cold touch of ordinary white jade either. "Try it," she said. Tang Feng picked it up and examined it carefully. It was indeed pure white without a single impurity, and it felt warm to the touch. "Boss, how much silver?"
"This pair costs one hundred taels; they're not sold separately."
Tang Feng handed the silver to the shopkeeper and then asked, "Sir, do you have someone here named Su Zili who came from Yanyun?"
The shopkeeper put the silver into his purse. Seeing that Tang Feng had given him ten extra taels, he looked up and pondered, "To be honest, I do remember. But that was years ago. His attire was quite strange; he was wearing the clothes of a fortune teller from Yanyun. However, he only stayed at Baolu for a while before leaving, saying he was going to Sangyan. But who knows!"
"You're not lying to me?"
"My lord, you've given me an extra ten taels of silver. If it weren't for genuine affection, I wouldn't bother to cheat you."
Tang Feng agreed, "Shopkeeper, do you have any other good items here?" Tang Feng glanced at Qin Liuliu, who was standing to the side, fascinated by the items, and smiled. Over the years, the manor hadn't skimped on Qin Liuliu's gold and silver, but the child was getting older and should have something to wear.
The shopkeeper, quick to read people's expressions, saw Tang Feng staring at Qin Liuliu and said with a smile, "Yes... buy it for this young master! Here, take a look, our newest item, a red agate and gold-threaded jade gourd."
It was made entirely of agate, except for the gold trim around the spout. The bottom of the gourd was hollow, revealing a jade bead inside. The upper part of the gourd was covered with scriptures written in gold dust. Tang Feng saw that the craftsmanship was indeed exquisite, so he picked it up and handed it to Qin Liuliu. "Liuliu, take a look, do you like it?"
Qin Liuliu was overjoyed, holding the gourd pendant. Actually, he couldn't really tell if it was good or bad, but it was a gift from Tang Feng. Although Tang Feng doted on him, he was always busy traveling, so he didn't spend much time with Qin Liuliu, and rarely took him to these shops.
Seeing how much Qin Liuliu liked it, Tang Feng paid the money without saying a word, bent down and tied the pendant around Qin Liuliu's neck, jokingly saying, "Our Liuliu is so lucky, I've never tied a pendant for anyone else in my life!"
"Doesn't Brother Ziliang have it either?"
"No"
"Oh my, look how perfect this is! Wearing this magic gourd brings good fortune, prosperity, longevity, and happiness!" The old shopkeeper chimed in, making Qin Liuliu a little shy. She then moved behind Tang Feng. While Qin Liuliu was usually quite informal at the Tang residence, she became somewhat reserved outside. Tang Feng frowned and pulled Qin Liuliu out of the way. "How old are you? Still hiding behind me? Quickly thank the shopkeeper!"
"Thank you," Qin Liuliu had barely finished speaking when Liu Yiwan burst in. "Young Master! We've finally found you! Shall we leave? I've found a suitable inn."
Since this wasn't an official mission, they couldn't stay at a post station. Liu Yiwan found the largest inn in the area. After all, when he parted ways with Zhou Ziliang, Zhou Ziliang had specifically instructed him not to be greedy for cheap things in Shanghan, as shady inns usually appeared in cheap places. Liu Yiwan had a problem: he would listen to anyone, except Tang Feng. Zhou Ziliang hadn't known him for very long, but he was incredibly obedient.
Tang Feng tilted his head back, shielding his eyes from the sunlight, before he could make out the words on the signboard: "Abuyi? What a strange name." The seasons here are quite distinct. If the Qianghu region is like spring all year round with large temperature differences between day and night, then Shanghan is like summer all year round. Despite its name, Shanghan has nothing to do with the word "cold." Tang Feng estimated the temperature here must be over forty degrees Celsius. He was feeling dizzy from the heat. Glancing at Qin Liuliu, who was almost suffering from heatstroke, Tang Feng quickly pulled him into the inn and asked the waiter for two superior rooms. Qin Liuliu, always playful, grabbed his things and tried to run out, but Tang Feng grabbed him by the back of his collar. "Liuliu, finish packing before you go running around. You can't always rely on your brother! You're going to get married someday!"
Upon hearing Tang Feng's words, Qin Liuliu became unhappy, "Brother... that's too early. I don't want to get married; I have to protect you."
"You're protecting me? You're really something! Go pack your things, I'll be so grateful."
The night market in Shanghan is quite different from that in Xiling. Xiling has a curfew at a certain time, but Shanghan doesn't. Tang Feng heard from the innkeeper that Shanghan is a city that never sleeps; as long as the shop owners don't want to leave, the shops will stay open forever.
Tang Feng led Qin Liuliu to a restaurant. As soon as they sat down, the proprietress came over and asked, "Guest, what would you like to eat?"
What do you have here?
"I don't think you're from Shanghan, so you might not be used to some of the food. This tomato and beef stew, you could try it." Tang Feng thought it sounded good and asked Qin Liuliu, "What do you want to eat? Or do you want to eat the same as me?"
"One is fine," Qin Liuliu said, not being picky at all. The restaurant wasn't big, with only seven or eight tables, but it was packed. It was clearly a restaurant specifically for merchant caravans. As a town on the border of Shanghan, Baolu's shops and restaurants were mostly geared towards passing caravans.
Tang Feng took a bite of the paonang and thought it tasted pretty good. It was much more comfortable than life in the Qiang and Hu regions. Speaking of the Qiang and Hu, he didn't know why he felt so uncomfortable back then. But here in Shanghan, despite the harsh climate, Tang Feng felt quite at ease. He even felt like he had almost forgotten about finding Su Zili.
"Brother... I saw someone selling milk wine over there," Qin Liuli nudged Tang Feng's arm, then pointed towards the door. "Can I have some?" Tang Feng couldn't help but chuckle. "You still remember?" Ever since Qin Liuli tasted a tiny bit of wine in Qianghu but couldn't taste anything, she'd been thinking about that cup of milk wine ever since.
Tang Feng handed the purse to Qin Liuliu. "Go on! Come back if it's too expensive. If you spend too much, Liu Yiwan will nag me all night." Watching Qin Liuliu run off, Tang Feng felt a pang of emotion. Seven years had passed in the blink of an eye. These seven years couldn't be described as idyllic, but they were certainly colorful. Qin Liuliu was already so grown up. When he first picked him up, he was still a tiny little baby wiping his tears with his clothes. Now he was all grown up.
Qin Liuliu was obedient; besides two cups of milk wine, she didn't buy anything else. She handed them to Tang Feng and said, "The boss said this is made with camel milk, so it's definitely different from the Qiang and Hu wine." Tang Feng brought the cup closer and smelled it. The wine had a strong milky smell, nowhere near the strong, gamey odor of camel milk. He took a small sip; the milky flavor wasn't very strong. Sure enough, the merchants in Shanghan were all cunning; they even knew to dilute it with water to save money.
After a few rounds of drinks, Qin Liuliu had already fallen asleep on the table. It was his first time drinking, so his alcohol tolerance was understandably low. Tang Feng handed the money to the landlady, then carried Qin Liuliu on his back. Luckily, the inn wasn't far; otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to carry him all the way back.
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