Chapter 94: Huani
Liu Yongfu and Zhang Ju pushed their son away like this.
It was three or four days later when Liu Fa received the news, and it was his landlord who told his family that the house was empty.
Liu Fa had no way of knowing why this family of three suddenly left, nor did he intend to find out. He settled accounts with the landlord in the county, who was generous and didn’t fuss over the incomplete lease, even refunding him a little extra money, which helped offset some of his losses.
About ten days later, there was news from the county yamen that, after a coroner’s examination, Liu Xiang did indeed die from childbirth complications. They asked the family to come to the yamen to collect the body for burial.
Since the family had fled, Liu Fa had no choice but to retrieve Liu Xiang’s body and bury him on a hillside.
That night, he tossed and turned without sleep. Before dawn, he went to the crossroads to burn a pile of paper money, then returned home and lay down again.
The next day, he brought in a shaman to drive away evil spirits.
From then on, the Liu family never mentioned this matter again.
…
In March, the ice and snow melted, and spring arrived in the north.
Fragrant Melody Pavilion hired an assistant named Huani, introduced by Feng Lao San.
Huani’s husband worked as a bodyguard for merchant caravans year-round, sometimes for just over ten days, sometimes not returning for several months after long journeys. However, he would stay home for extended periods after his travels, leaving Huani feeling lonely. So, she wanted to earn a living doing something that would both make money and pass the time.
Qingyan saw that she was good-looking, well-spoken, and knew her background, so he wrote an agreement with her to help out in the shop.
This way, Aunt Li could spend more time developing new items, and Qingyan could go out to see goods and visit similar shops in the county to see what competitors were selling.
If something happened at Qiuniang’s home, she could easily return to take care of things.
After the New Year, Sanmao had quit the job at the wealthy household in the county. Before the ground thawed, he was already moving around the village and renting several dozen mu of land.
Qiu Henian and Qingyan were busy, and managing the land at home was not easy. Sanmao volunteered to help them manage it together. Since an additional thirty mu wasn’t much, he agreed to let his elder brother and sister-in-law decide what to plant, and he would take care of everything from planting to harvesting.
His elder brother and sister-in-law naturally wouldn’t let him help for free. They agreed to split half of the harvest with his family. Sanmao and Qiuniang both refused to accept it, but after some persuasion from Qingyan, they reluctantly agreed to take one-third.
Huani was very clever, had a sweet tongue, and was efficient in her work.
After being taught by Qiuniang for two or three days, she settled in. She had never sold anything before, so she found it novel and interesting, eagerly greeting customers.
One morning, shortly after Fragrant Melody Pavilion opened, a customer arrived.
At a glance, Huani saw that he was dressed in silk robes, carrying a fan, and accompanied by a servant boy, so she knew he was from a wealthy family.
As her gaze moved upward, Huani was suddenly stunned. She had never seen such a handsome man before.
The man entered the shop, closed his fan with a snap, and noticed Huani staring straight at him. With a Buddha-like smile, his lips curved slightly as his phoenix eyes subtly assessed Huani.
The servant boy behind him lifted his chin and said to Huani, “I’ve heard your shop’s perfumes and ointments are quite famous. Hurry up and show them to my master.”
The man’s attitude was quite lofty. Huani regained her senses and though uncomfortable inside, she still smiled and said, “Alright, please wait a moment, sir. I’ll fetch them for you.”
At that moment, the handsome young man tapped the servant boy on the head with his fan, reprimanding, “I’ve taught you better manners. How can you be so rude to the lady!”
The servant boy immediately lowered his head, not daring to speak.
Huani looked at the handsome young man. He bowed slightly to her and said, “It was my poor teaching. I apologize for the disrespect.”
With that, he glanced at Huani and smiled gently.
Huani’s cheeks turned red instantly. She quickly bowed in return, then turned and hurriedly went to fetch the perfumes and ointments.
The handsome young man watched her retreating figure, his gaze lingering on her waist for a moment. He opened his fan, revealing a meaningful smile.
At that moment, Qingyan was in the storeroom on the second floor, taking inventory. With the weather warming up recently, the brightly colored, lightweight pearl flowers were selling well.
He estimated that demand for these pearls would increase even more when summer came and clothes became lighter.
Feng Lao San was about to go to the capital in a few days, so Qingyan planned to ask him to bring back more of these pearl flowers and select some matching necklaces and earrings.
Qingyan had seen in the county that more people were wearing simple and delicate necklaces and earrings that matched their headpieces. He estimated that this trend would soon spread to the town, so he needed to prepare in advance.
After finishing the inventory, Qingyan tidied up the storeroom a bit, washed his hands, and then went downstairs.
Today was supposed to be his day off, but Sanmao had rented land, and today he had to sign agreements with people. Qiuniang was worried, so they swapped for half a day, and she went back to look after things at home.
Coincidentally, Qiu Henian came to town in the morning to deliver supplies. Qingyan had agreed with him to come to the shop at noon, and when Qiuniang returned, they would go home together.
As he descended the stairs, halfway around the corner, Qingyan’s eyelids twitched. He saw someone he never expected to see here.
Yang Huai stood in front of the shop counter, smiling at Huani. Huani’s cheeks were flushed, and she occasionally raised her eyes to look at Yang Huai, then quickly lowered them, in a shy posture.
Standing near the shop door, the servant boy was guarding from a distance, his back turned to this side.
Qingyan almost wanted to turn around and go back.
Upon seeing Yang Huai, Qingyan was reminded of that nauseating blend of faint stench and sweetness from that night, Liu Xiang’s swollen, bruised hands outside the sackcloth, her greatly distended belly, and Qi Yanlan crying as she told him about the scene where Liu Xiang’s mouth, nose, and nails were filled with dirt.
That night had been a nightmare for Qingyan, and he had tried his best not to recall it.
Yang Huai’s face, in particular, sent chills down his spine, especially now, when he was completely unprepared. Qingyan felt his vision darken, his chest constricted, and everything he had eaten that morning threatened to rise up. He nearly vomited.
His face was deathly pale, but he had no choice but to descend the stairs step by step.
Huani was still downstairs.
Hearing the movement on the stairs, both of them looked up. One with curiosity, the other with a hint of panic, they both quickly stepped back.
Qingyan smiled at them and said, “Why is Master Yang visiting our humble shop today?”
Yang Huai held a fan in his hand and quickly scanned Qingyan up and down before abandoning Huani and walking over, smiling, “The perfumes and fragrances in your shop are quite renowned in the county, so I had to come and take a look.”
Qingyan asked, “May I ask whom Master Yang intends to show them to? I can recommend something suitable.”
Yang Huai stood before him, his gaze fixed on Qingyan’s face.
He said, “We’ve just settled a marriage alliance at home. I’m here to please my future wife.”
At his words, Qingyan’s eyes flickered. He noticed that behind Yang Huai, Huani’s body stiffened and her expression visibly dimmed.
He pressed his lips together and smiled at Yang Huai, “Please come this way, Master. You can have a look at the newest peach blossom ointment in our store.”
Yang Huai spent about the time it takes to burn an incense stick in the shop. After he had chosen his items and paid, Qingyan realized that the back of his inner robe was soaked with cold sweat.
He glanced at Huani, who was staring blankly outside the door, sighed inwardly, and said, “The stove has warmed up the food. You should go ahead and eat. I’ll wait for Qiuniang to arrive.”
Huani snapped out of her reverie, nodded, and went to eat in the back.
Qingyan thought for a moment, took advantage of the absence of others, and went to the next-door shop that sold fresh fruits. When he returned, he held a bright yellow-orange orange in his hand.
After Huani finished eating, Qingyan peeled the orange while saying, “This orange looks beautiful, with a smooth surface, bright color, and a fresh fragrance.”
He skillfully peeled the orange skin clean, revealing the moldy and rotten flesh inside, with greenish juice almost dripping onto Qingyan’s robe.
He stood up and threw the fruit into the hearth, lips pursed, saying, “Who would have thought it was completely rotten inside.”
With that, Qingyan went to wash his hands on his own. Whether Huani understood or could sober up from hearing it, he couldn’t elaborate further.
After a while, Qiuniang hurriedly came to change shifts.
After a while longer, Qiu Henian also entered the shop.
Huani hadn’t seen him before and thought he was a customer.
She was about to step forward to greet him when Qiuniang stopped her, smiling, “This is Qingyan’s husband. Just call him Brother Qiu.”
Huani nodded and greeted him with a bow.
Qiu Henian glanced at her, nodded in response, and then looked back at his husband.
Huani was quite good-looking, fair-skinned, and anyone who saw her couldn’t help but take a second look. It was the first time she had seen someone be so indifferent to her.
Qingyan was busy packing up the things behind the counter that he needed to take back. Qiu Henian waited beside him. When Qingyan finished packing, Qiu Henian approached and slung the bundle over his back.
After exchanging greetings, the two left through the shop door.
Huani unconsciously followed a few steps. She saw the two of them walk to the street not far from the shop door, where there was a covered cart filled to the brim.
Qiu Henian put the bundle on the cart and secured it. Then he took out an oiled paper package from under the tarp and handed it to Qingyan, who was waiting nearby.
Qingyan took the oiled paper package, opened it, smiled happily, and took out a steamed bun to eat.
Qiu Henian pushed the cart, and the two of them headed east along the roadside.
Qingyan occasionally fed a bite of the bun to the man pushing the cart. As they walked farther away, Huani could still see him wiping sweat from his husband’s brow with his sleeve.
Qiuniang walked over, stood next to her, and also looked in the direction the two had left, as if she knew what she was thinking.
She smiled and said, “This ordinary couple is always together, seeking stability and harmony. Their hearts are in the same place, working together. They don’t bother with extravagance, and these days will surely be prosperous.”
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
Chen Yu rolled his eyes, “If I don’t put him down, I’ll be carrying him all the time. When you have one in your belly and it grows this big, you’ll understand how hard it is to carry them every day!”
(guess what’s next, heheee ^^)
