There was no hint of embarrassment on Su Jiu’s face. She merely glanced at him coldly, curled her fingers into claws, and struck a retaliatory blow at the man’s chest.
The man was stunned and took a step back. As soon as he retreated, Su Jiu found an opportunity, flashed out of the bed, and then ran to the door.
The man looked at his hand, turned and gave chase again.
Su Jiu rushed to the end of the hallway, struck the window open with one hand, and jumped up. Hearing the footsteps behind her, she smiled and looked back, shook the purse in her hand, and said to the man, “It’s just a few dozens of silver taels, why are you so stingy? I’ll have this then, see you again!”
She leaped down and landed lightly amongst the crowd in the street.
The man looked at her smile, stunned, his pace slowing down. After looking down from the window, the crowd was bustling, and he could no longer see the young man, no, the girl’s figure.
Such seasoned and vicious martial arts skills and from a woman! he couldn’t help noticing.
See you again? The man’s eyes narrowed slowly.
Behind him, footsteps up the stairs rang, as more than a dozen guards hurriedly rushed up to the third floor. The leading guard saw the man’s back and bowed in relief, “Your Highness!”
The man turned slowly, his face expressionless, as he walked past them and went downstairs.
The guests in the lobby had been cleared away, and there was no music playing. The brothel madame knelt on the ground and trembled.
“Greetings to Your Highness, Prince Rui!”
The man walked out slowly and paused to glance at the brothel madame. He asked quietly, “Did you know that young man?”
The brothel madame shook her head in a panic. “No, I didn’t know! He said that there were enemies after him, and asked me to help cover-up. I did not expect that it would be your Highness, otherwise, I wouldn’t dare go against you! I have always obeyed the law!”
Listening to the brothel madame’s babbling explanation, the man grew impatient, his handsome face growing colder, and he walked out without turning back.
A guard outside the Drunken Joy Pavilion was holding the man’s dark horse, respectfully standing aside.
The man got on the horse, glanced at the crowd in the street. After a long time, he looked down with a shallow smile, and then led the horse to the direction of Prince Rui’s Manor.
—–
Su Jiu went around two streets, and no one followed her. When she was sure that she had really lost the man she heaved a long sigh of relief.
Looking around, she realized that she had lost her way!
Shengjing was so big that she had frantically run aimlessly to get rid of the man, and now she didn’t know where she had gone.
But it was early, so as long as she walked, she could find her way back.
Not in a hurry to return, Su Jiu found a stall selling tea, sat down and asked for a large bowl. She picked it up and drank half in one sitting.
Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she saw a commotion in front of her. A crowd had gathered.
Su Jiu put down money for the tea and squeezed into the crowd. She saw a stall selling chicken.
A man dressed in patched up clothes knelt on the ground, his face ashen as he cried and begged, “Whoever stole my money, please give it back to me. My wife is still sick, waiting for me to bring the chicken back so she can get better!
“Please give me back my money, I beg of you, sir!
“I’ll kowtow to you, please be kind!”
As the man wiped his tears, he cried and begged humbly.
The crowd gathered around and whispered timidly while discussing the upsetting scene.
People like Su Jiu who just joined the crowd didn’t know what was going on. These people asked others next to them, “What happened?”
“This man said he came to the city with firewood on his back and exchanged it for money to buy a chicken for his sick wife. But when he got to the chicken seller, he found that his money was stolen!”
“How pitiful!”
“Yes, these thieves are inhumane!”
“These kinds of thieves should be killed on sight!”
“Right! Death is too merciful for them!”
The crowd were angry and cursed at the thief who had stole the man’s money.
Su Jiu touched the purse in her sleeve and looked a little pale. For the first time, she had an impulse to escape.
After all, she thought, I am a thief, too…
Although she never stole from nor robbed the poor, the crowd’s curses were as if they spat in her face. Burning shame gradually flashed on her pale face.
The man on the ground was still kneeling and howling. The thief naturally would not return the money to him, and even if the thief wanted to, they wouldn’t dare with so many people watching.
The man was despondent, his cries growing more and more forlorn.
Su Jiu took a step forward and pulled the man up. “You’re a grown man, what are you crying for? I’ll buy the chicken for you!”
The man was stunned, as he looked up at Su Jiu. His face was covered with tears and his eyes were red. He looked at her in a daze.
Su Jiu turned to look at the chicken stall and pointed to a basket of chickens. “How much is this altogether?”
The people who watched the excitement all quieted down at once and looked at Su Jiu.
Look at this handsome young man and his kind heart!
The chicken seller looked at Su Jiu in a daze and said, “There are five chickens in this basket. I usually sell a chicken for 25 coins. If Young Master wants it, I’ll sell it for 100 coins. I’ll even put them this basket for you.”
Su Jiu nodded, took out 100 coins and handed it to him. “Give him all these chickens!”
The howling man staggered up, looking at Su Jiu in disbelief and stuttered, “These… these chickens are all for me?”
“Yes, make chicken soup for your wife so she can get better!”
Su Jiu’s eyebrows were drawn thicker by Nanny, but did not affect the delicacy of her features at all, and just added a handsome aura. When she spoke, she was clear and simple, resembling a young master who had just begun exploring the world.
“Thank you Young Master, thank you! I thank you on behalf of my wife and mother!” The man was ecstatic and was going to kneel down again.
Su Jiu helped him up immediately. She was wearing brocade robes but did not mind the dirt on the man’s body. She picked him up and easily lifted the baskets of five chickens and put them on his back. “Go home!”
“Yes!” The man stopped crying, wiped his tears away, grinned, and walked out happily.
“How kind of this young master!” one man said.
“Yes, and so handsome, too!” another agreed.
“This man was lucky to meet this Young Master today!”
In this way, the crowd chatted and gradually dispersed.
As soon as Su Jiu was about to turn around, she heard a low voice ringing from behind her. “Why is it that every time I meet you, Master Su is standing up for someone’s grievances?”
There was no hint of embarrassment on Su Jiu’s face. She merely glanced at him coldly, curled her fingers into claws, and struck a retaliatory blow at the man’s chest.
The man was stunned and took a step back. As soon as he retreated, Su Jiu found an opportunity, flashed out of the bed, and then ran to the door.
The man looked at his hand, turned and gave chase again.
Su Jiu rushed to the end of the hallway, struck the window open with one hand, and jumped up. Hearing the footsteps behind her, she smiled and looked back, shook the purse in her hand, and said to the man, “It’s just a few dozens of silver taels, why are you so stingy? I’ll have this then, see you again!”
She leaped down and landed lightly amongst the crowd in the street.
The man looked at her smile, stunned, his pace slowing down. After looking down from the window, the crowd was bustling, and he could no longer see the young man, no, the girl’s figure.
Such seasoned and vicious martial arts skills and from a woman! he couldn’t help noticing.
See you again? The man’s eyes narrowed slowly.
Behind him, footsteps up the stairs rang, as more than a dozen guards hurriedly rushed up to the third floor. The leading guard saw the man’s back and bowed in relief, “Your Highness!”
The man turned slowly, his face expressionless, as he walked past them and went downstairs.
The guests in the lobby had been cleared away, and there was no music playing. The brothel madame knelt on the ground and trembled.
“Greetings to Your Highness, Prince Rui!”
The man walked out slowly and paused to glance at the brothel madame. He asked quietly, “Did you know that young man?”
The brothel madame shook her head in a panic. “No, I didn’t know! He said that there were enemies after him, and asked me to help cover-up. I did not expect that it would be your Highness, otherwise, I wouldn’t dare go against you! I have always obeyed the law!”
Listening to the brothel madame’s babbling explanation, the man grew impatient, his handsome face growing colder, and he walked out without turning back.
A guard outside the Drunken Joy Pavilion was holding the man’s dark horse, respectfully standing aside.
The man got on the horse, glanced at the crowd in the street. After a long time, he looked down with a shallow smile, and then led the horse to the direction of Prince Rui’s Manor.
—–
Su Jiu went around two streets, and no one followed her. When she was sure that she had really lost the man she heaved a long sigh of relief.
Looking around, she realized that she had lost her way!
Shengjing was so big that she had frantically run aimlessly to get rid of the man, and now she didn’t know where she had gone.
But it was early, so as long as she walked, she could find her way back.
Not in a hurry to return, Su Jiu found a stall selling tea, sat down and asked for a large bowl. She picked it up and drank half in one sitting.
Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she saw a commotion in front of her. A crowd had gathered.
Su Jiu put down money for the tea and squeezed into the crowd. She saw a stall selling chicken.
A man dressed in patched up clothes knelt on the ground, his face ashen as he cried and begged, “Whoever stole my money, please give it back to me. My wife is still sick, waiting for me to bring the chicken back so she can get better!
“Please give me back my money, I beg of you, sir!
“I’ll kowtow to you, please be kind!”
As the man wiped his tears, he cried and begged humbly.
The crowd gathered around and whispered timidly while discussing the upsetting scene.
People like Su Jiu who just joined the crowd didn’t know what was going on. These people asked others next to them, “What happened?”
“This man said he came to the city with firewood on his back and exchanged it for money to buy a chicken for his sick wife. But when he got to the chicken seller, he found that his money was stolen!”
“How pitiful!”
“Yes, these thieves are inhumane!”
“These kinds of thieves should be killed on sight!”
“Right! Death is too merciful for them!”
The crowd were angry and cursed at the thief who had stole the man’s money.
Su Jiu touched the purse in her sleeve and looked a little pale. For the first time, she had an impulse to escape.
After all, she thought, I am a thief, too…
Although she never stole from nor robbed the poor, the crowd’s curses were as if they spat in her face. Burning shame gradually flashed on her pale face.
The man on the ground was still kneeling and howling. The thief naturally would not return the money to him, and even if the thief wanted to, they wouldn’t dare with so many people watching.
The man was despondent, his cries growing more and more forlorn.
Su Jiu took a step forward and pulled the man up. “You’re a grown man, what are you crying for? I’ll buy the chicken for you!”
The man was stunned, as he looked up at Su Jiu. His face was covered with tears and his eyes were red. He looked at her in a daze.
Su Jiu turned to look at the chicken stall and pointed to a basket of chickens. “How much is this altogether?”
The people who watched the excitement all quieted down at once and looked at Su Jiu.
Look at this handsome young man and his kind heart!
The chicken seller looked at Su Jiu in a daze and said, “There are five chickens in this basket. I usually sell a chicken for 25 coins. If Young Master wants it, I’ll sell it for 100 coins. I’ll even put them this basket for you.”
Su Jiu nodded, took out 100 coins and handed it to him. “Give him all these chickens!”
The howling man staggered up, looking at Su Jiu in disbelief and stuttered, “These… these chickens are all for me?”
“Yes, make chicken soup for your wife so she can get better!”
Su Jiu’s eyebrows were drawn thicker by Nanny, but did not affect the delicacy of her features at all, and just added a handsome aura. When she spoke, she was clear and simple, resembling a young master who had just begun exploring the world.
“Thank you Young Master, thank you! I thank you on behalf of my wife and mother!” The man was ecstatic and was going to kneel down again.
Su Jiu helped him up immediately. She was wearing brocade robes but did not mind the dirt on the man’s body. She picked him up and easily lifted the baskets of five chickens and put them on his back. “Go home!”
“Yes!” The man stopped crying, wiped his tears away, grinned, and walked out happily.
“How kind of this young master!” one man said.
“Yes, and so handsome, too!” another agreed.
“This man was lucky to meet this Young Master today!”
In this way, the crowd chatted and gradually dispersed.
As soon as Su Jiu was about to turn around, she heard a low voice ringing from behind her. “Why is it that every time I meet you, Master Su is standing up for someone’s grievances?”
