spoiled brat

Chapter 27 26. Spring Harmony (6)

The doctor, though young, was quite worldly-wise. He glanced at the prescription and then looked at the two of them:

"Can you afford it?"

The two had only recently become wealthy and hadn't had time to buy new clothes. They were still wearing their old clothes, which made them look rather shabby.

Before Zhaozhao could speak, Xiaoduo took out a bag of silver from his pocket and threw it onto the bluestone bricks, making a crisp sound.
"Is that enough? I have more in my pocket."

The young apprentice chuckled, bent down to pick up the silver, weighed it in his hand, and quickly said respectfully:
"That's enough, that's enough."

He led the two to the pharmacy in the northwest corner of the first floor, read out a few medicine names to the pharmacist sitting on the spiral staircase inside, and then added:
"The customer said they want the best!"

His shout was so loud that it attracted the attention of the customers waiting for their medicine. Where did the two children get the money to buy expensive medicine?

Avoiding all gazes, Zhao Zhao lowered her head and said to Xiao Duo:
"You... when you're out and about, you have to hide your wealth. If you act like you're being taken advantage of, people will rip us off."

Xiao Duo realized he had acted impulsively, but he couldn't bear to lose face in front of Zhao Zhao, so he stubbornly insisted:
"Fine, rip them off! Money's worthless, we can always earn more!"

A moment later, the young apprentice returned to the two of them with a smile.

"Two of the medicines are sold out and won't arrive until tomorrow morning," the apprentice said with a smile. "Why don't you two come back tomorrow to pick them up?"

Zhao Zhao nodded, and the young apprentice wrote down a list on the table, explaining that she could come and collect the medicine the next day.

He returned the change to Xiao Duo, and the once heavy bag of silver was almost empty.

Zhao Zhao felt a pang of heartache and added her own money to the money. Xiao Duo, however, became anxious as if he had been slapped in the face: "Zhao Zhao, the money I lost to show off, what are you going to make up for?"

"Small things."

Zhao Zhao stuffed the bill into her sleeve and started to walk out. Xiao Duo tried to stop her to return the money, but someone suddenly stepped between them.

"Gentlemen," the man said with a fawning smile, so slick it was sickening, "would you like to stay at an inn?"

Zhao Zhao and Xiao Duo were both shrewd people who had been around the streets for a long time. They knew that most of these people who came up to solicit customers were shady businesses, so they repeatedly said they didn't need their services. But the man shamelessly continued to follow them.

"You two seem to be deeply in love, our little shop can..."

Zhao Zhao turned around and gave him a cold look.

The man immediately realized he had misspoke and quickly changed his tune, saying, "I was wrong, I was wrong... You two are both pure of heart, untainted by any worldly dust..."

As Zhao Zhao and Xiao Duo walked, this person followed them the whole way, truly like a wet noodle stuck to your hand, impossible to shake off.

Xiao Duo was so annoyed, but too embarrassed to tell them to get lost, she asked irritably, "What are your prices? Where is your shop?"

The man pointed and saw a four-story inn not far away on the street, decorated in a luxurious and exquisite style.

"We happen to have one roommate bed left today. If you two want it, we'll offer you 80% off the price."

As dusk began to fall, the aroma of food and wine from restaurants along the street wafted on the breeze, and Zhao Zhao and Xiao Duo's stomachs rumbled in unison.

"Oh my, you two look quite hungry..." The man smiled, bowed, and gestured for them to proceed.
"Add two strings of copper coins and our shop will also give you three dishes and a soup as a gift."

The two exchanged a glance, swallowed hard, and ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of the discount, so they followed the man into the inn.

Upon seeing the guests, the servant guarding the door hurriedly came forward: "Please come in, gentlemen!"

Zhao Zhao and Xiao Duo were used to serving people in the building, so they were not used to being served by others. They were as timid and hesitant as country bumpkins, and were led into the side room on the second floor by the servant.

After entering the room, the servant who had led the way didn't leave, but bowed and smiled at the two of them:
"You two..."

Zhao Zhao knew this meant money was needed, but before she could take out her money, Xiao Duo had already paid, instructing her:

"Hurry up and bring the food, and bring another bucket of rice."

When the legendary three dishes and one soup arrived, the two realized that this was indeed a rip-off restaurant.

The vegetables were infested with insects, the soup was leftover, and the rice was spoiled.

The two sat facing each other, speechless for a long time, before Xiao Duo finally cursed:
"You bastard, go talk to him!"

Zhao Zhao was a vengeful person, but she would never act impulsively in unfamiliar territory. She pulled Xiao Duo aside and whispered:
"Today is the Flower Festival, there's no curfew, let's go out and have some fun."

Xiao Duo was initially very angry, but after hearing what she said, her ears inexplicably turned red.

"...Zhao Zhao'er, do you want to go out and play with me?"

Zhao Zhao knew what he was thinking, and smiled:

"No, it's not that. You were showing off outside this afternoon, making me waste money on you. I have to find a chance to spend it back."

Xiao Duo was initially a little embarrassed, but after hearing this, she laughed:

"Okay, spend it all, so there won't be any misunderstandings between us."

Seeing the two men emerge from the side room, the servant brazenly approached and asked, "Are you two heading out?"

Knowing this was a shady establishment, the two of them left nothing behind in the private room and cautiously said, "We'll be back in a bit."

The servant glanced at the person with a smile and then stepped aside to make way.

Just outside the inn was the market street, which was still very lively even though it was night.

After a night of revelry, the rosy-cheeked ladies, chatting and laughing with the wealthy young men, wandered off in a drunken stupor, leaving behind a lingering, sweet scent of perfume that seemed to invigorate even the unassuming vendors in the surrounding area, urging them to hawk their wares with renewed vigor.

Zhao Zhao and Xiao Duo were like two little frogs hopping around among the lotus leaves, jumping from the fruit shop to the barbecue stall, and then from the barbecue stall to the mutton shop.

As early summer approaches, it's already a bit too hot to eat hot pot with mutton, but the mutton at this restaurant is incredibly creamy and flavorful. The two of us ate until we were sweating profusely and still felt it wasn't enough, only stopping when we were so full we couldn't eat anymore.

Zhao Zhao was feeling sleepy after eating her fill and was about to go back to the inn to sleep when she heard a chorus of cheers behind her. Xiao Duo exclaimed in delight, "Zhao Zhao, look at the sky!"

Heaven?

Zhao Zhao looked in the direction Xiao Duo was pointing, and not far away, a woman in red was suspended in the deep blue night sky, as if she had the wind under her feet.

"It's a tightrope walk!"

Xiao Duo's eyes sparkled as he pulled Zhao Zhao into the crowd to get a closer look at the acrobatics.

Zhao Zhao looked up and saw the woman in red walking steadily in the air on a thin, almost invisible rope. She was as noble as a cat and as nimble as a bird. Although she was performing, she looked down with an air of dominance over the world.

With cheers ringing in her ears, Zhao Zhao was stunned. She clapped and cheered a few times as well. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Zhao Zhao actually saw the woman in red smile at her.

The land-based entertainment was diverse, including tightrope walking, log walking, fire swallowing, knife spitting, and meteor showers. The two intended to watch until the very end, but overheard some spectators nearby saying that the Flower Goddess Temple was closing.

Xiao Duo urged Zhao Zhao to make a wish. Just as she turned to leave, she saw the woman in red standing not far away, her dark eyes fixed on Zhao Zhao.

She was a woman from the Western Regions. She walked up to Zhao Zhao, said something in a foreign language, then wiped the lip rouge off her lips with her finger, and placed it on Zhao Zhao's forehead as if bestowing a blessing, before gracefully walking away.

The spot she touched felt slightly warm, and Zhao Zhao chuckled, "What did she say?"

Xiao Duo scratched his head, not understanding either:
"She said...she said..."

Just then, a bystander who understood Hu language chimed in and enthusiastically chimed in:

She said that all birds would fly into the sky.

As night deepened, the two arrived just as the Flower Goddess Temple was closing. They stuffed copper coins into the incense box and knelt before the Flower Goddess.

The goddess of flowers is Yang Guifei.

Logically speaking, a prostitute who uses her beauty to please men should be extremely devoted to Yang Guifei, but Zhao Zhao held incense in both hands, and although she was kneeling, she could not muster any respect in her heart. She just bowed casually and got up without even making a wish.

The young nun who had been standing guard walked up to the two of them, holding a tube of wooden sticks in her hand, and said with a smile:

"May the Goddess of Flowers bestow her blessings? Would you two like to draw lots to guide those who are lost?"

Having heard many operas, Xiao Duo believed that heroes would always be guided by gods before their fortunes took off. So he bowed again to the statue of the Flower Goddess and respectfully accepted the divination stick from the little nun's hand.

He closed his eyes, shook the divination sticks, and muttered incantations, appearing very devout.

A short while later, the form was issued.

The young nun picked up the fortune stick and smiled, saying, "Who has written history for ten thousand years? Three thousand miles away, one desires to be ennobled—for official rank and wealth."

Xiao Duo was overjoyed and urged Zhao Zhao to give it a try too.

It doesn’t hurt to try.

Zhao Zhao closed her eyes, shook the divination tube, and two sticks came out at once.

The young nun picked up the wooden stick from the ground, her expression gradually fading, and she frowned slightly.

"I have failed to repay the deepest kindness, even in life and death, I have been a teacher and friend to you."

She paused, then read the second divination slip:
"Those who forget righteousness and benevolence should not ascend the Swallow Tower in Pengcheng."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Duo quickly spat a few times, pulling Zhao Zhao away while cursing:
"What kind of bullshit Flower Goddess is she? She's so weird and sarcastic!"

He stormed off, seemingly angry about something, and comforted Zhaozhao, saying, "None of those are allowed."

Zhao Zhao doesn't believe in gods or Buddhas, let alone fate. She doesn't believe in anything that she can't grasp or step on.

She laughed, speaking of her dreams in a nonchalant tone:

“Xiao Duo, the night I helped Sister Yun’er have an abortion, I had a dream. I dreamt of a fierce-looking Bodhisattva who said that I would one day walk a path to heaven, stepping over mountains of corpses and seas of blood.”

Xiao Duo was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then burst into laughter: "Zhao Zhao'er, you're a girl, where would you get the chance to go to the battlefield? Besides, you're not a ruthless person, and there's a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood leading to the dead... Nonsense!"

The two chatted and laughed as they walked, until they realized that there was no one on the surrounding streets, at which point they gradually fell silent.

It was late at night. The shops on the street were closed and the stalls were packed up. The night wind swirled fallen leaves and made the lanterns under the eaves whistle.

“Zhao Zhao’er…” Xiao Duo swallowed hard. “I don’t think I ate enough tonight. I feel a little weak in my stomach.”

Afraid of the dark and ghosts, yet going to the battlefield?
Zhao Zhao rolled her eyes at him and cautiously surveyed the surrounding roads. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she felt as if someone was hiding in every dark alleyway.

“Zhao Zhao’er…” Xiao Duo rubbed his shoulders, feeling cold. “You think Yunzhou is such a big city? There shouldn’t be any bandits or robbers there…”

Just as Zhao Zhao was about to say no, a fierce-looking man emerged from the shadows at the entrance of the alley ahead, holding a wooden stick as thick as an arm.

Both men felt a jolt in their hearts and turned to run away, only to find three men standing behind them, their objects gleaming brightly in the moonlight.

That's a knife, a knife that can kill.

They encountered bandits while walking at night.

"Zhao Zhao'er, run!"

Xiao Duo shouted, grabbed Zhao Zhao, and ran. The two disappeared into the dark alley, followed closely by four bandits like black snakes.

Zhao Zhao's heart was pounding as if it was about to explode. As she ran, she pushed over the pile of firewood in the narrow alley to block her way, yelling, "Xiao Duo, you jinx!"

"Just keep running!"

Xiao Duo's legs were practically on fire as he swung them around, panting heavily: "They're not assassins from a play who can fly over rooftops! They all have two legs and one head, so who can outrun whom?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a whooshing sound came from behind him. Xiao Duo felt a sharp pain and itch in his arm, and it started to go numb slightly.

"Damn it! These bastards are experts; they brought anesthetic blowguns!"

He slowed down his leg swing, and Zhao Zhao gritted her teeth and dragged him along. Just as they rounded a corner, a bandit was found lying in wait at the supposedly empty alleyway.

Upon seeing the two, the bandit attacked without a word, striking with his staff. Xiao Duo raised his hand to block the blow for Zhao Zhao, and his arm bone cracked with a crisp sound.

Just as they were about to be caught, Zhao Zhao rolled over and crawled under his arm, pulling the pale-faced Xiao Duo along as they continued running.

She didn't want to spend money to avoid trouble, but the situation was urgent, so she had no choice but to grab a handful of copper coins from her pocket and throw them behind her, trying to slow down the pursuit of the four bandits.

Unfortunately, those four bandits had grand ambitions and didn't care about such a small amount of money. Instead of slowing down, they ran even faster.

Xiao Duo ran slower and slower; he broke out in a cold sweat from the pain on his forehead, and the anesthetic was taking effect.
"Zhao Zhao'er, you abandoned me and ran away! Go to the main road and find the night watchman!"

According to the plot of the play, Zhao Zhao would say that she would follow him to the death and never leave him. But she didn't say a word. She first threw a few pieces of silver behind her, and then kicked Xiao Duo into the pond after going around a few alleys.

Xiao Duo was submerged in the water, gurgling and blowing bubbles. When he heard footsteps above him, he quickly held his breath and waited until the footsteps faded away before popping his head out of the water.

The four bandits went after Zhao Zhao.

Xiao Duo climbed out of the water. The anesthetic made his vision blurry. He tried hard to make out the street scene around him, wanting to hurry to the main road to find the watchman and report to the authorities, but the dizziness in his head was getting worse and worse...

With a thud, he collapsed weakly to the ground.

*
Zhao Zhao was unfamiliar with the place and didn't know which way to go. Yunzhou City was too big, with alleys and streets like a dense spider web.

Exhausted, she ran slower and slower, her mind grew duller, and she was eventually forced into an alley, where two bandits blocked her way from both sides.

Zhao Zhao was caught in the middle, and the four bandits approached her like hunting wolves, ready to pounce and chop her into mincemeat at any moment.

Zhao Zhao hated herself for being so powerless, her life completely in someone else's hands. She was panicking, but still forced herself to remain calm:
"It's just about money, no need to kill anyone... How much money do you want? I'll give it to you!"

(End of this chapter)