Chapter 46: Thick Skin (Part 2)

Chapter 46: Thick Skin (Part 2)

"What did you say?"

In the study facing south, Qiao Hui frowned at Zhang Wenbo, who was panting for breath in front of him. "Chen Ji Paper Shop invited me to open a bag?"

Zhang Wenbo caught his breath and nodded repeatedly, repeating, "Yes, yes! Mr. He, no, Shopkeeper He, asked you to come to Chen Ji... Sun Shun colluded with some young masters from Chuzhou Prefecture to cause trouble on Shuixi Street... Many people were watching... Oh my, Shopkeeper He is really something..."

His words were incoherent, jumbled, and made little sense...

Qiao Hui rolled his eyes.

He had just finished writing the commentary on the proposition "To gather the people of the world, to gather goods from all over the world, to trade and retreat, each getting what they need" that his father had assigned him for the Lantern Festival. He had burned the midnight oil, filling two pages with his thoughts.

He had made great progress in his thinking but had regressed in his vitality.

Therefore, when his nap was ruined by Zhang Wenbo's foolishness, Qiao Hui, with dark circles under his eyes, was extremely irritable.

Irritated as he was,

what did Bo'er say?

Shuixi Street?

Shopkeeper He?

Qiao Hui took a deep breath, stood up, and handed a cup of tea to Zhang Wenbo. "Tell me slowly."

Zhang Wenbo drank it down in one go, wiped his mouth, and exclaimed, "You tell me, didn't you buy a blind bag from Chen Ji!"

Qiao Hui: ...

Why bring up the sore spot?

There were so many topics, yet he chose to mention this great humiliation.

"I'll pretend I did."

Qiao Hui decided to ask questions himself. "Did Sun Shun cause trouble because he couldn't collect all five color cards? How many people did he take with him? Did he go empty-handed or did he bring something handy? Was anyone else at Chen Ji besides Shopkeeper He?"

Question and answer, for Bo'er, it was much simpler.

"Yes, yes! That grandson of a turtle can't stand losing. He felt ashamed for not being able to collect all five color cards, just like Shopkeeper He said, this thing is just for fun. What are we playing card collecting for? Isn't it for the joy of the unknown in collecting cards... He insists on taking it too seriously, demanding returns for his efforts... Tsk tsk tsk, at the end of the day, it's still about not having enough money..."

Bo'er started rambling again.

Qiao Hui silently closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and scolded softly, "Get to the point!"

Zhang Wenbo quickly regained his composure. "He brought six people! All from Chuzhou Prefecture, they usually live off the crumbs that fall through Sun Shun's fingers! They went empty-handed! Besides Shopkeeper He, there was a fierce little girl at Chen Ji, and a bald man with almost no hair on his head!"

At least there were people there.

Qiao Hui relaxed slightly.

Sun Shun wasn't born of good stock. His family ran a teahouse, and it was rumored that several beautiful teahouse girls inside were bought from brothels. They dared to get involved in any business.

Qiao Hui suddenly remembered something and asked frowningly, "Shopkeeper He asked me to bring the bag I bought?"

Zhang Wenbo nodded vigorously.

Qiao Hui lowered his head, curled his fingers, and tapped his knuckles lightly on the nanmu table twice. After a moment of silence, all the pieces in his mind connected, and after figuring it out, he couldn't help but chuckle.

A laugh out of anger.

That little girl...

Really...

Really...

She was something!

Setting one trap, tricking people twice!

Frugal to the extreme, nothing wasted!

Qiao Hui recalled how she had tricked Mr. Chen Liu under the tree on Shuixi Street, back then she had just gotten her six-zhang xuan paper!

This little girl first deceived him into buying a bag, then calculated that he wouldn't bother opening it, essentially handing the final move to him—this was to buy time for herself to deceive the six-zhang xuan!

What?

Did she think he was a pawnshop that didn't charge?

And with temporary storage?

Seeing Qiao Hui laughing coldly and tapping the table, Zhang Wenbo recognized the signs; this was the precursor to Qiao Dajieyuan's madness. He quickly added, "Shopkeeper He said that if you go, she'll tell you the solution to that Tiantuan style."

Qiao Hui's hand relaxed, nearly knocking his chin onto the table.

This little girl!

Fearing that Qiao Hui wouldn't go, Zhang Wenbo, despite his fear of Qiao Hui's foul mouth, urged, "Go, go, the little girl is quite nice, quick-witted and smart, also pretty..."

Qiao Hui squatted down and rummaged through the pile of manuscripts stacked half a person high.

Zhang Wenbo continued talking incessantly, "The most remarkable thing about this little girl is her bravery. Sun Shun, that fat-head, ordinary men don't even want to cross him, but this girl isn't afraid at all!"

He found it.

Qiao Hui yanked out the leather bag.

Seeing that this person was still crouching to avoid trouble, Zhang Wenbo mustered up all his courage, "We won't even mention how you only allow officials to set fires but forbid commoners from lighting lamps."

"I promised to take you along with me in everything I do from now on. Stop secretly trying to be a scholar... But you have to go and clear Madam He's name today!"

Qiao Hui stood up expressionlessly with the leather paper bag in hand.

Him?

A scholar wannabe?

How should one put it?

For Bo'er, there was no beating that went to waste.

"Let's go!"

Qiao Hui waved the leather bag in his hand. Seeing two sheets of paper filled with calculations on the table, he smiled inwardly. Was it the solution to the Heavenly Origin style?

He had solved it long ago!

...

Jing County was merely a small town built along the Wuxi River. It wasn't very large. The Qingcheng Mountain Courtyard was on the east side of the Wuxi tributary, while the Chen Ji Paper Shop was on the west side. Hence, this street was called Shuixi Street.

Qiao Hui moved swiftly. Just after crossing the small bridge, he saw a throng of people surrounding the area three layers deep on the other side. The shops were empty as everyone had gathered at the entrance of the Chen Ji Paper Shop for the spectacle.

Through the crowd, he heard Sun Shun's gruff voice.

"...I've found out that your mother is one of Mr. Chen's concubines. You're just an illegitimate child... Who knows who your father is? If your father had a name, why would you follow your mother's surname?"

Qiao Hui squeezed through the crowd.

Sun Shun sat with his legs crossed, his head held high in arrogance as he spewed nonsense at the entrance.

"You tell me, what did your mother do before she followed Third Master? Was she a courtesan in a brothel? Or a singer on a pleasure boat?"

An onlooker who couldn't bear to listen any longer retorted, "To speak to a young girl like that is truly lacking in virtue!"

Sun Shun saw that Qiao Hui hadn't arrived yet. Knowing that Zhang Wenbo, that useless fellow, wouldn't be able to invite Young Master Qiao, he spat at the righteous onlooker without any qualms, "I'm lacking in virtue? She's the one who's lacking in virtue for scamming money!"

"A little harlot's daughter, dressed modestly and demurely, has learned the art of swindling men out of their money perfectly."

Qiao Hui looked at He Xianjin. The young girl had her lips tightly pursed, her face flushed red, and her hands clenched tightly inside her sleeves. Unable to bear it any longer, she took a step toward Sun Shun.

Qiao Hui quickly walked to the middle, blocking He Xianjin's path. He raised the leather bag in his hand to his chest and scanned the crowd, speaking succinctly, "I bought this bag and haven't opened it since the New Year's Festival. Fellow townspeople, please take a careful look. Is this opening sealed?"

Those in the front row leaned forward for a look, nodded, and passed the message back, "It's sealed with paste! There's even sealing wax on the opening!"

Qiao Hui nodded and handed the leather bag to He Xianjin, "Hold this for me first."

Xianjin took the leather bag and was about to open it when Qiao Hui stopped her, "Wait a moment."

Qiao Hui stretched his arms, neck, and wrists. After lifting the hem of his robe, he took a large stride toward Sun Shun. His elbow suddenly exerted force, and his right hand formed into a fist, creating a "whoosh" sound as it cut through the air!

Qiao Hui landed a punch on Sun Shun's left eye!

With full force!

The power!

The precision!

The posture!

Sun Shun let out a wail, covering his left eye as he squatted down, groaning in pain!

Xianjin was stunned.

Zhang Wenbo was also stunned.

The onlookers were stunned too.

By the Wuxi River, even the spring breeze seemed to pause.

Qiao Hui retracted his fist, moved his wrist, and took back the leather bag from Xianjin. He tore it open fluidly, frowning as he pulled out several bamboo papers and a few speckled gold-coated xuan papers one by one. Finally, he pulled out a half-arm-long, moon-white, translucent color strip.

Qiao Hui placed the papers back in the bag, stuffed the leather bag into his chest, and strode toward Zhang Wenbo. He inserted the moon-white color strip into Bo'er's slightly agape mouth, "Here's the color strip. Help me with my domestic chores for a month."

"I'm exhausted. I'm going back to sleep."