Chapter 17

On the other side, Xiao Han pulled Fang Qing to the place where they make knives and swords.

"You don't know any martial arts, what are you doing making knives and swords?" Fang Qing asked.

"I'm not making them to fight with!" Xiao Han took out a blueprint from her waist. On it were drawings of various surgical instruments, which Xia Miaomiao had helped her draw last night, with dimensions marked.

"What's this?" Fang Qing leaned over to take a look, "They're all daggers?"

"Buddy, you don't understand this, do you? These things can be used to dissect corpses!" Xiao Han said seriously.

"..." He shouldn't have asked.

Xiao Han walked over and handed the blueprint to the boss, and talked to him for almost half an hour before the boss seemed to understand what she meant.

"Boss, how long will it take you to make these?"

"Three days. Come back in three days to pick them up." said the boss.

"No, three days is too slow. Can you have them done by tomorrow?"

"......Miss, I've never seen most of these things before. I can't make them that fast!"

Xiao Han took out a large ingot of silver, "Is this enough?"

The boss' eyes lit up as he immediately tried to take the silver, "Enough, enough! I'll have people rush the job and definitely have them ready for you tomorrow!"

Xiao Han immediately pulled her hand back and gave him two small pieces of silver, "Boss, this is the deposit. When I come to collect them tomorrow, you'll get the big piece!"

"Fine, fine." The boss smiled ingratiatingly.

Just then Fang Qing walked over and reminded her, "Miss Xiao, these aren't worth that much money. These daggers are so small that they won't take much material."

Xiao Han looked at the boss and said very generously, "It doesn't matter, people in the Jianghu emphasize righteousness! Buddy, do you see any swords you like over there? I'll give you one!"

Fang Qing looked at the swords and knives hanging over there. He did want to change his weapon, but he hadn't been willing to buy one because he was still saving up to get married.

This Miss Xiao didn't have any relationship with him, and he had even locked her in the firewood shed before... Why would she want to give him a sword?

"Young Master, whichever one you like, go ahead and take it. I wouldn't feel right charging you extra money." said the Boss with a smile.

Xiao Han saw Fang Qing standing there motionless, somewhat puzzled.

"Bro, go pick one! Don't miss out!"

"I..." Fang Qing was a little embarrassed, not knowing whether he should take one.

"Aiya, ancient people are so troublesome!" Xiao Han grabbed Fang Qing by the arm and pulled him over. "Look, I think this sword looks pretty good. What about this one?"

Fang Qing looked at the sword. The pattern carved on the hilt was exquisitely made.

It really was very nice, but he still didn't say anything.

Xiao Han glanced at him, then took the sword off the rack. "Boss, I'll take this one. I'll come get the others tomorrow!"

"Wonderful, wonderful, Miss. Please come again!"

Xiao Han walked out the door and shoved the sword into Fang Qing's hands.

"Bro, what's the matter? You're not saying anything?" Xiao Han couldn't help asking, "How have I offended you?"

"You haven't. Thank you, Miss Xiao."

"Don't keep calling me Miss, just call me Xiao Han! My friends all call me that! Or... Brother Xiao is fine too!" Xiao Han flung her hair and strode forward boldly. Fang Qing watched her swaggering gait and couldn't help murmuring, "She really doesn't seem like a young lady..."

...

Sang Li and Xia Miaomiao were at the Rouge Shop buying things.

Places with lots of women inevitably also have the most gossip, in ancient times as well as modern.

The two were polite and modest, and had even given the owner gifts, so after a while they were chatting with the boss lady and several older women and hearing all kinds of rumors.

"Boss lady, why is everyone on this street talking about the White family patriarch?" Xia Miaomiao asked very casually.

Xia Miaomiao looked clever and innocent, with a sweet voice, so all the older women seemed to like her a lot.

"Oh my! You don't know? The White family patriarch died these past couple days. They say he was murdered!" The boss lady whispered, "Many people guess it was the Li family who killed him!"

"Why the Li family?"

"They were enemies! With the White patriarch dead, the Li family benefits! And also... " The boss lady looked left and right, then whispered in Xia Miaomiao's ear, "They say the White widow has been having an affair with the Li family head... "

Sang Li and Xia Miaomiao exchanged knowing glances.

This was a little beyond their expectations.

"Thank you for all the information, Boss lady. My sister and I feel we've really hit it off with you. We'll take all these rouges and cosmetics."

The boss lady was happy to see them buying so much without haggling over prices. She casually asked, "What families are you young ladies from? Do you have marriage arrangements?"

Sang Li and Xia Miaomiao looked at each other. Gossip was less fun when aimed at them.

Feeling they had found out enough, they politely said, "Boss lady, we sisters have other things to do, so we'll head back now. We'll come again another day to help your business."

Having said this, the two hurried out of the shop.

"Please come again often, young ladies!" The boss lady waved to them.

"Boss lady, what family are those young ladies from? They look unfamiliar, not like Lan City locals." said the shop assistant.

"I don't know either. They're probably from some wealthy new family that just moved here. Anyway, they're very generous spenders, not bargaining prices with me at all. I like girls like that."

...

Around noon, the four women regrouped.

Yi and Fang Qing had originally been sent by Wang Fu to monitor them, but as expected, the two served as porters carrying all the things the women handed to them.

Feeling a bit hungry after all the shopping, they had Yi and Fang Qing take them to the best restaurant in Lan City.

"Wow, I didn't expect ancient restaurants to be so elegant. I thought they'd be shabby." Su Mo looked around and couldn't help exclaiming.

The waiter hurried over to greet them when he saw so many guests. "Are you dining, honored guests?"

"Yes. Do you have private rooms?" Su Mo asked.

"Private rooms?" The waiter looked puzzled.

"She means do you have elegant, secluded dining areas?" Xia Miaomiao quickly clarified.

"Oh, yes of course!" The waiter immediately replied, "Please follow me upstairs, honored guests."

They followed the waiter up to the second floor into a booth similar to modern private rooms, with windows looking down at the street scenes below.

"What dishes may I recommend, honored guests?"

The four women looked at each other blankly. How would they know what dishes to order?

"Yi, what do you guys like to eat? Come help us order!" Su Mo called out to them.

The two men standing by the door were taken aback and answered in unison, "We're not eating."

They were here to monitor these women. How could they be out touring and dining? If Uncle Fu found out he'd skin them alive!

"Not eating? You've been hungry all morning. Why aren't you eating? Aren't you hungry?"

"Not hungry." "......"

Seeing this, Sang Li turned to the waiter, "Could you recommend some of your signature dishes?"

"We have many: Phoenix Tail Shark Fin, Red Plum Pearl Fragrance, Bean Noodle Dumplings, Milk Corner, Auspicious Dragon Pair, Buddha's Hand Golden Roll, Golden Thread Crispy Sparrow..."

"Stop!" Xiao Han couldn't help interrupting the waiter, "What kind of dish names are these?"

"Bring us one serving of everything you just listed." Sang Li said.

"Very good, please wait a moment honored guests."

Yi and Fang Qing looked at each other. They were completely surprised these women had so much money.

Hadn't they said they were robbed of all their silver by mountain bandits on the road?

Su Mo ran to the window, leaned on the ledge looking at the ancient people coming and going below, and couldn't help saying, "...Let's treat this as a sightseeing trip!"

Sang Li walked over and quietly asked in her ear, "Find out anything?"

Su Mo gave her an OK gesture, "Pretty much. I even took notes."

Su Mo took out her phone and suddenly had an idea.

"Oh right! Let's take a group pic, us four! At least we'll have a memento for when we get back!"

Xiao Han had been looking through the things they bought. Hearing Su Mo she immediately stood up too.

"Agree, agree! The four of us have gone through life and death together!"

Su Mo went to the door and handed her phone to Yi. "Little bro, help take a pic for us."

Yi took the phone, as if handed a hot potato.

"I... I don't know how to use this," Yi said awkwardly.

"Oh, it's very simple. Here, let me show you," Su Mo walked over and opened up the camera. "Just hold it like this, point it at us. Once we're ready, press this button here to take the picture, see?"

Fang Qing, who was standing to the side, stared with surprise as he saw the image on the phone screen.

"Got it?" Su Mo asked, turning to look at Yi.

Yi's face was completely red. With Su Mo standing so close and talking to him, he vaguely caught a whiff of her fragrance, making his heart race.

"I... I think so," Yi instinctively took a step back.

Su Mo immediately ran over to the other three girls, linking arms with them as they stood together.

"Alright, we unfortunate sisters, together forever! Eggplant~" the four of them laughed.

Right then, Yi happened to press the shutter button.

"Let me see!" the four of them crowded over to look at themselves on screen, smiling gleefully.

"Hahaha, you three look so silly with those smiles!" Xiao Han couldn't help but laugh.

Su Mo retorted, "You're the silliest one! Look at you, your eyes disappear when you laugh!"

Xia Miaomiao chimed in, "That's right, just look how demure and well-behaved my smile is!"

Sang Li added, "Mm, my veil adds a special charm."

Su Mo posed coquettishly, "Don't I look like the top courtesan of a brothel?"

Xiao Han declared arrogantly, "You can keep up your vain antics! In the end you'll all be my concubines!"

The three girls shouted in unison, "Get lost!"

The four dissolved into laughter and chatter.

Fang Qing and Yi, standing by the door, couldn't comprehend some of the things the girls were saying. But seeing them joke around so merrily, the two boys couldn't help smiling as well.

After a while, the dishes started coming out one after another.

The two boys were dragged over forcibly to dine together with the four girls. For both of them, it was the most expensive meal they'd ever had. Today, they were lucky enough to feast under the shine of the girls' radiance.