After standing on tiptoe to see the figures in the painting clearly, Changning’s grape-like eyes lit up with delight. Her chubby little finger pointed at herself in the painting.

“Ningniang is in there! Ningniang likes this!”

Before Fan Changyu could speak, Xie Zheng asked the scholar, “How much is your painting?”

The scholar froze for a moment before realizing this frighteningly handsome man was asking about the price of the painting. He hurriedly said, “No need for money, no need at all! Consider it a gift from this humble student to Young Master and Madam.”

Fan Changyu was still embarrassed by the scholar’s earlier words, though she did think the painting was quite beautiful. Seeing that the scholar absolutely refused to name a price, she thought for a moment, then selected a smaller piece from the two strips of cured meat she had originally intended to give Constable Wang and handed it to the scholar.

“Then this strip of cured meat is my gift to you as a New Year present.”

Then she stiffly pointed at Changning and corrected him, “This is my younger sister.”

Receiving a strip of cured meat was an unexpected delight for the scholar. His flattering words poured out even more freely than before.

“This humble student was blind not to recognize it! Then I wish Madam and Young Master a pair of dragon-and-phoenix twins next year, complete happiness, and children always laughing around your knees!”

Fan Changyu: “…”

She wanted to explain something else to the scholar, but their fake marriage was hardly something worth clarifying to a stranger.

Even after leaving the scholar’s stall with the painting in hand, Fan Changyu still felt awkward. Every now and then, she glanced sideways at Xie Zheng, who was walking beside her holding the rolled-up painting.

Only after seeing that his expression remained perfectly normal did the awkwardness in her chest ease slightly.

When they returned to where they had set up the stall and finished packing up, they were preparing to head to the bookstore to buy paper and ink when the owner of a nearby New Year goods shop came waddling over. Apparently, after watching Fan Changyu sell more than twenty strips of cured meat in less than an hour, he had become envious of the business.

“Miss, please wait.”

Hearing him call out, Fan Changyu turned around and saw the fat shopkeeper approaching with a smile plastered across his face.

“Will Miss be coming here again tomorrow to sell cured meat?”

Tomorrow would already be the second day of the New Year. Not only did Fan Changyu need to reopen her own pork shop, she also had to supply braised meat to Yixiang Tower. She probably wouldn’t have time to come here again.

So she shook her head.

“I likely won’t have time these next few days.”

The fat shopkeeper smiled and said, “Then this old man would like to discuss a business deal with Miss. However much cured meat you have at home, bring it all here and sell it through my New Year goods shop. We’ll split the profits sixty-forty—you take sixty percent, I take forty. What does Miss think?”

Fan Changyu immediately thought of what Shopkeeper Yu once described as “using empty hands to snatch a white wolf.” He wouldn’t spend a single coin, yet she’d transport the cured meat here and still have to split the profits with him afterward.

Unlike fresh meat, cured meat could hang in a cool, ventilated place for half a year or even longer without spoiling, so naturally it sold for much more.

During the New Year period, Fan Changyu priced it at sixty-five coins per jin. Even after bargaining, the lowest she would go was just over sixty coins.

According to the fat shopkeeper’s proposed split, even if all the meat sold at sixty-five coins per jin, she would only earn thirty-nine coins per jin herself. She might as well just sell it directly from her own shop.

Fan Changyu said, “I don’t want a profit split. If you truly want to buy, we can calculate the accounts clearly and sell by weight directly.”

The fat shopkeeper chuckled.

“Miss clearly isn’t someone who knows how to do business.”

Just as Fan Changyu was about to respond, Xie Zheng suddenly spoke from beside her.

“A profit split is acceptable.”

Both Fan Changyu and the fat shopkeeper turned to look at him simultaneously.

Fan Changyu looked stunned, while the fat shopkeeper smiled so broadly his eyes narrowed into slits.

“This young brother clearly understands business. Thinking long-term like this—”

Before he could finish, Xie Zheng shot him a cool glance.

“Eighty-twenty.”

The fat shopkeeper’s smile froze.

“Young brother, that’s asking far too much.”

Meanwhile, Fan Changyu had already started calculating how much she would earn under an eighty-twenty split.

At sixty-five coins per jin, she’d get fifty-two coins. Even if sold at sixty coins per jin, she’d still receive forty-eight coins.

But truthfully, she still hadn’t intended to do this business deal at all.

“What split are we even talking about? Why not just sell it outright in one transaction? The wholesale market price for cured meat is already around fifty coins anyway. I’m not comfortable delivering all the meat before seeing any money first. Come on, let’s go buy your paper and ink first. We still have to visit Constable Wang afterward for New Year greetings.”

She grabbed Changning’s hand and was about to leave when the fat shopkeeper hurriedly stopped them.

“Fine, fine, eighty-twenty it is!”

Smiling helplessly, he said, “Miss and Young Brother really played good cop and bad cop well. I only wanted this deal because the cured meat Miss sold today had excellent color and smoking quality. One look and I could tell it was premium goods.”

As he spoke, he ushered the three of them toward the New Year goods shop.

“Let’s draw up a contract first. Then Miss can deliver the meat afterward.”

When Fan Changyu looked at Xie Zheng again, she still seemed slightly dazed, as though she couldn’t believe the deal had actually been settled just like that.

Xie Zheng’s expression remained calm as ever.

“Go sign the contract.”

The fat shopkeeper was clearly experienced in this kind of “empty-handed” business deal. He quickly drafted the contract himself.

Even after he handed it to her, Fan Changyu didn’t dare let down her guard. She carefully read every word before handing it to Xie Zheng.

“See if this looks alright.”

Only after Xie Zheng nodded did she boldly sign her name.

The fat shopkeeper paid a one-tael silver deposit and smilingly escorted them out.

As they walked down the road, Fan Changyu muttered to Xie Zheng, “Tomorrow morning I’ll need to reopen the meat shop and deliver braised meat to Yixiang Tower. I probably won’t be able to bring the cured meat here until the afternoon.”

Xie Zheng said, “If you’re too busy to spare the time, I can hire a cart and deliver it for you.”

Fan Changyu felt somewhat embarrassed.

“Then… should I pay you wages?”

Xie Zheng glanced sideways at her. Fan Changyu felt she hadn’t imagined it—he seemed unhappy again.

Changning, meanwhile, remained completely carefree. Hopping along at the very front, whenever she spotted some little trinket she wanted but didn’t dare ask Fan Changyu for, she would stare longingly at Xie Zheng instead.

Bit by bit, Xie Zheng bought her several small things until her arms were stuffed full, her chubby hands barely able to hold everything.

Fan Changyu finally warned her, “Ningniang, if you want to buy every little thing you see, then next time I won’t bring you to the county market anymore.”

Changning lowered her head and stared at her toes while being scolded.

Then the man beside them spoke in his cool, detached voice.

“I was the one who wanted to buy them for her.”

Fan Changyu felt as though he was deliberately competing with her somehow. Pressing her lips together, she said, “Children don’t understand things. You can’t just indulge them endlessly. She likes every single thing on the street—are we supposed to buy everything? Some lessons need to be taught before she understands.”

Xie Zheng said nothing more.

As the three continued walking, even Changning sensed the strange atmosphere between them.

She looked at the two adults, then at the pile of toys in her arms. Suddenly stopping, she turned around and shoved all the little trinkets into Xie Zheng’s hands. Clutching her own clothes with her tiny fists, she said, “Ningniang doesn’t want them anymore. Brother-in-law can return them.”

Seeing that a layer of tears had already gathered in the little girl’s black grape-like eyes, Fan Changyu sighed and crouched down to pat her head gently.

“What’s bought is bought. But you can’t do this again in the future, understand?”

Changning nodded tearfully and stretched out her little arms for a hug.

Fan Changyu pulled the child into her arms and gently patted her back, her tone both helpless and affectionate.

“What are you crying for? I didn’t even scold you harshly.”

Sniffling, Changning said, “Big Sister shouldn’t be angry at Brother-in-law. Ningniang knows she was wrong.”

Fan Changyu looked toward Xie Zheng, who was standing nearby holding a pile of little toys, and sounded even more helpless.

“I’m not angry at him.”

Changning said, “You’re ignoring Brother-in-law.”

Fan Changyu laughed helplessly. “When did I ignore him?”

Tears still shimmering in her eyes, Changning said, “You stopped talking to Brother-in-law.”

Fan Changyu thought to herself that she usually didn’t talk much with Yan Zheng anyway, but seeing her younger sister looking ready to burst into tears at any second, she still coaxed gently, “Weren’t we talking just now? We just haven’t spoken for a moment.”

But the large tear still rolled from Changning’s grape-like eyes and splashed onto the ground with a soft plop.

“Big Sister is still angry.”

Fan Changyu surrendered completely and asked, “Then what will make you believe I’m not angry?”

Changning thought seriously before declaring, “Hold hands! Holding hands means making up!”

Fan Changyu fell silent for a moment.

“How about I keep talking to him the rest of the way instead?”

But Changning stubbornly insisted on a child’s logic.

“Only holding hands means making up.”

Fan Changyu exchanged a glance with Xie Zheng. Nothing could be read from his face, but she herself felt unbearably awkward inside.

So she tried coaxing the child again.

“Look, your brother-in-law is carrying so many things, and your sister is carrying things too. If we both use only one hand, won’t that be really heavy?”

Only then did Changning finally give up. But as she walked ahead, she still kept turning around to glance at them every so often.

Afraid Changning might suddenly make even stranger requests, Fan Changyu proactively spoke to Xie Zheng.

“Children are noisy like this. Don’t take it to heart.”

Xie Zheng replied, “I don’t find her noisy. After the New Year, I’ll probably be leaving, so I just wanted to buy her more little things.”

Fan Changyu hadn’t expected there to be such a reason behind him buying Changning so many things.

Hearing that he was leaving soon, an indescribable feeling rose in her chest as well.

“I’m sorry. I misunderstood you earlier.”

Xie Zheng turned to look at her.

“What are you apologizing for?”

Fan Changyu said, “I misunderstood you and spoke too harshly. Of course I should apologize.”

Pressing her lips together, she asked again, “You’re leaving so soon? Won’t you wait until your injuries are completely healed first?”

Just as Xie Zheng was about to answer, a troop of mounted soldiers suddenly charged wildly down the street, knocking over pedestrians and merchants’ stalls along the way.

As the warhorses thundered toward them, Fan Changyu instinctively crouched down to shield Changning, while Xie Zheng raised his cloak to block the muddy water splashing from the horses’ hooves.

After the soldiers galloped off into the distance, many of the knocked-down pedestrians and mud-splattered vendors cursed furiously behind them.

Fan Changyu looked up and saw half of Xie Zheng’s cloak covered in mud.

Frowning, she asked, “Did you get hurt?”

Xie Zheng shook his head, but his gaze still followed the departing soldiers, dark coldness hidden deep within his eyes.

A peddler whose stall had been overturned spat fiercely in that direction and cursed, “These damned officials! Can’t even let people have peace during New Year!”

Fan Changyu asked, “Why are there soldiers in Qingping County again? Are they here to suppress bandits?”

The peddler snorted.

“Suppress bandits? These are debt-collecting demons come to seize grain! Haven’t you heard what happened in Taizhou? The front lines are short on food. Since the army can’t collect enough grain, they’ve started robbing the common people directly. If you refuse, they’ll beat you to death.”

Another older man beside them added, “At this rate, they’ll probably start conscripting soldiers before long too.”