Chapter 48: Finding Joy in Suffering

  Ximen Qing and Xia Lian wore Confucian robes, swaying three steps at a time as they came down from the Lion's Pavilion, strolling leisurely along the main street.

  Ximen Qing covered his mouth with a fan and picked at his teeth, saying: "Yang brother is really lucky, it's rare for them to have ready-made iron materials in their hands. We've settled on the price of gold and can set off soon. You're looking to do long-term business, so the price they gave you is still very reasonable. I know the market conditions, this price didn't cheat you. However, with the ironware settled, things like fur and animal tendons are more troublesome..."

  Ximen Qing flicked the toothpick to the ground and put away his fan, saying: "If you want to make a large purchase of this item, you can only start from outside the pass. If you want high-quality goods, you must find a way from outside the pass. Originally, it was not easy to contact them, but this year the Mongols suffered a great loss at the hands of the Prince of Yan, fleeing hundreds of miles and leaving behind many elderly, weak, poor, and widowed people who lacked food and clothing. The grain and strong labor were all taken away, and they are worried that they will not be able to survive the winter. They proactively sent someone over to find a buyer, which is exactly what you wanted. Not only did we save time, but we also saved a lot of money."

  Xia Fu smiled and said, "This is all thanks to Brother Ximen's extensive connections and many acquaintances. If not for that, I would be at a loss as to where to start, Brother Ximen has gone to a lot of trouble."

  Ximen Qing laughed and said, "It's not a big deal if I put in some effort, anyway. As long as I don't waste my energy, I can still make a profit from it. My wife is good at managing the household and teaching our children, she's dignified and virtuous, actually she's an excellent woman. The only thing is that she likes to be jealous, especially when it comes to money. If I bring this sum of money back home and slap it on the kang, won't she serve me even more intimately?"

  Ximen Qing also didn't know what he was thinking of and snickered a few times.

  Xia Liu reminded: "I don't know when I can contact the supplier. If there is no exact schedule, it will be difficult for me to explain. Besides, I really need to go back quickly, so let's hurry up."

  Ximen Qing said, "You can't be in a hurry about this. The person has been found, but the earliest delivery will be between October and November. I'll wait for news here, and as soon as there's any news from this side, I'll immediately send someone to deliver a message to you. At that time, we two will go to Beiping together. As for the transportation vehicles and mules, I can think of a way. I can also help you get through the water and land checkpoints and inspection offices, but as for the expenses of getting through these connections..."

  Xia Fu smiled meaningfully and said, "Of course I'll take care of it."

  Ximen Qing dryly laughed and said: "Eh, after all it's Qi Wang's money, so be generous with other people's wealth, brother don't need to feel the pain. Right, this time is different from usual, the goods are more than ten times what I used to smuggle, such a huge amount of goods, it's hard to avoid being noticed when transporting, who knows if something unexpected will happen, at that time we'll have to use your Qi Wang Fu connections."

  Xia Fu nodded and said: "This is no problem. If I go to Beiping, what should I bring for trade? Gold, silver or something else?"

  Ximen Qing laughed and said, "Actually, they are more interested in things like grain, tea leaves, and cloth. They like to barter. However, it's a bit too conspicuous for us to transport goods to Beijing with great fanfare. Let's use money instead. Gold and silver are both acceptable, as is the Great Ming's circulating treasure note. They all recognize these."

  "That's good."

  Ximen Qing glanced at him and said with emotion: "When I first met you, I thought you were from Ying Tianfu. Unexpectedly, you are a native of Qingzhou. You are several years younger than me. Could it be that you, like me, inherited your father's business and succeeded to the brocade clothes?"

  Xia Liu shook his head, sighing: "My situation is much more complicated than yours, it's hard to explain. Where is the Brocade Guard? If it were a few years ago, even if everyone had risked their lives, they might not have been able to join the Brocade Guard. But now... the Brocade Guard is no longer as powerful as it was in its heyday. Since I joined the Brocade Guard, I've been walking on thin ice, like standing at the edge of a deep abyss."

  Ximen Qing nodded in agreement, "Yes. Who would have thought that with a single order from the Emperor, the invincible Imperial Guards would suddenly retreat and become toothless tigers? The will of Heaven is indeed unpredictable. However..."

  "He said solemnly, 'I always feel that the Brocade Guards won't end like this. Life is full of ups and downs, fate is unpredictable, who can guarantee that the Brocade Guards won't rise again...'"

  He said, subconsciously raising his head to glance up at the sky, and was taken aback, exclaiming: "Ah! Indeed, it's a gathering of wind and clouds!"

  "What?"

  Xia Jiang also raised his head to look up at the sky, and saw a thick, heavy black cloud covering half of the sky, while the other half was clear and cloudless. The deep blue sky was calm and vast, with no clouds in sight. The part where the two halves of the sky met was illuminated by sunlight, as if it had been coated with a layer of silver. He couldn't help but exclaim: "What a rare and magnificent sight!"

  Ximen Qing slowly lowered his head, and a crystal clear water droplet on the bridge of his nose was slowly sliding down to the tip of his nose. Ximen Qing seemed to suddenly transform into a wise man, saying in a thick and steady voice: "Don't you notice that it's going to rain?"

  Xia Yu was astonished and said: "Rain? The sun is shining brightly, are you going to rain with the sun?"

  The sound had barely faded when a loud clap of thunder boomed in the sky, and a torrential downpour came pouring down from above. The raindrops, as big as beans, pounded against the ground with a deafening "patter-patter" sound. The pedestrians on the street let out a collective gasp and scurried about in all directions. In an instant, the heavy rain filled the sky and covered the earth, making everything look hazy and indistinct. This rain was truly sudden and violent.

  The two of them exchanged a glance, let out a loud shout at the same time, and lifted their robes to run forward. The rain came suddenly and poured down heavily, as if there was a divine being standing in the sky holding a large basin to pour water downwards. What's strange is that on the other side of the sky, it still looked clear and blue, shining with bright sunlight.

  The two of them had only run a few dozen steps when they were drenched by the rain. Squinting their eyes to look ahead, they saw that in the heavy rain, many ordinary people were standing quietly there, stretching their necks to look at them. Ahead, there were many people walking, carrying poles, holding children, and pushing carts, rubbing shoulders and jostling each other, making a lively scene. This kind of scene was normally nothing special, but since it was pouring rain, they didn't dodge or flinch, which made it seem particularly strange.

  Two people felt a bit apprehensive, turned their heads to look back, and saw that the big street behind them was also covered in a thick fog of rain, with raindrops hitting the ground forcefully, splashing up pieces of water flowers. Apart from this, there was nothing else unusual. What were those people looking at?

  For a moment, the two of them didn't dare to think too much, they just exerted their strength and ran wildly. When they ran closer, they only discovered that the rain was actually bounded by that street. On this side, it was pouring heavily, while on the other side, not a drop of water fell. The people of Yanggu County were standing outside the rain line, curiously admiring this rare and spectacular sight, and the two of them were the ones who got drenched in the rain...

  ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

  Two people walked dejectedly on the main street, Ximen Qing wringing the hem of his clothes and sighing: "I've lived this long, but I've never seen such a wicked rain."

  Xia Liu trudged through the muddy water, walking forward with a lazy tone: "I've seen sunny rain and heard of cloudy rain, but I've never seen anything like this before - on one side of the street, the rain is pouring down so heavily, while on the other side, not a single drop falls. This kind of weird rain, I'm seeing it for the first time."

  The two of them looked at the chicken beside them and said in unison: "It must be your fault!"

  Ximen Qing hummed: "Don't fart and look at others, I and you are in conflict with each other. Since I met you, my bad luck has never stopped. In the past, when I flirted with big girls and young wives, my wife never knew about it. But since you came, I was scolded by my wife for a whole day. Because of that Peng girl, I've been sleeping on the floor for two days already, isn't this all because of you?"

  Xia Jiang wiped the rain from his face and asked strangely: "You hit the ground, what does it have to do with me?"

  Ximen Qing said, "What's not related? The night before last, my wife had already gone to bed. I undressed and was about to get intimate with her when she suddenly asked me who was more beautiful, her or your wife."

  "What did you say?" Xia Yu asked.

  Ximen Qing said: "Of course I say, your wife is even more beautiful."

  "You're just getting what you deserve, don't blame me for this."

  Ximen Qing said straightforwardly, "I'm being honest! Hmph, last night, I managed to coax my wife into a good mood. Just as I was about to get intimate with her, she suddenly asked me which one of you two is more beautiful."

  "Are you going to tell the truth again?"

  Ximen Qing gave him a white eye and said: "Do you think I'm stupid? Of course, I say my wife is the most beautiful. My little Dongfang is charming and lovely, like jade and flowers, unique in the world."

  "Ha! That's the way to do it. Women all like to hear flattering words, even if they know you're speaking falsely. This time, Sister Ximen is overjoyed and Brother Ximen should be able to get what he wants, right?"

  Ximen Qing hung his head and said dejectedly: "Don't mention it, this time I not only slept on the ground again, but was also kicked off the bed by my wife with one foot."

  "What's going on now?"

  Ximen Qing said with a forced smile: "She says I'm now hopeless and have learned to tell lies..."

  Xia Jie was silent for a moment, then sighed sympathetically: "Actually, I think... Sister-in-law is just enjoying the process of abusing you."

  Ximen Qing's face was filled with grief and indignation as he said, "I think so too."

  Xia Liu patted his shoulder with a suppressed smile and said, "Mourn in moderation and adapt to changes!"

  Ximen Qing's face, which had fallen, suddenly lifted up as if pulled by an invisible thread, and his narrow phoenix eyes narrowed, letting out a few sly laughs. Xiaonan was startled, took a step back, and cautiously said: "Brother Ximen, what's wrong with you?"

  Ximen Qing didn't even look at him, and with a swagger, he ran to the side of the road, shouting: "Ah ha! Little Wine, you've become so charming after not seeing you for a few days! Come, come, let me take a look, this figure, this face, whoever marries our family's Wine will be blessed with good fortune for several lifetimes!"

  Jiuer is a young girl who sells pears and jujubes under the willow tree, she is only 13 or 14 years old, in the tender age of youth, with a delicate and slender figure, but her chest already shows a slight curve, her round face has a healthy rosy complexion, like a tempting red apple, big eyes, small mouth, when she smiles, there are two shallow dimples, sweet appearance just like the refreshing pears on her stall.

  Ximen Qing walked over with a sly smile. He picked the largest pear from the little girl's tray, and with ill intentions, he glanced at the little girl whose face was starting to blush. He took a big bite of the pear, juice dripping down, as if he were actually biting the little girl's lips. He repeatedly praised: "Sweet, really sweet..."

  The little girl lowered her head in embarrassment, fiddling with the hem of her clothes and said: "Uncle Ximen is teasing me again."

  Ximen Qing hastily declared: "No, no, no, I'm only a few years older than you, so call me Brother Ximen, don't call me Uncle. Your father is the one who's your uncle! Wine girl, have you found a suitable husband yet? If not, why not tell your father and come to my house as a concubine instead? Although I'm a bit older than you, I know how to treat my wife well..."

  "Uncle Simen is bullying us again, I won't talk to you anymore."

  The little girl ran behind the willow tree with a blush, and then quietly looked back to see if he had left. Ximen Qing said a few words, as if he had taken great advantage of someone else's kindness, laughing with flying eyebrows and dancing colors. He called out several times, but didn't see Wine coming out, so he reluctantly threw a few copper coins on the stall and walked back with excitement.

  Xia Yu looked at Ximen Dajie with a mixture of disdain and disappointment, unable to find the right words to say. After two days of interaction, he had gained an understanding of the situation in Ximen's household and his character. This Ximen Qing, who shared the same name as the infamous Ximen Daoren in history, had a shrewish wife and a son and daughter. Whether it was women coming to see him for medical treatment, or servant girls at home, or beautiful young women he encountered on the street, Ximen Dajie always liked to take advantage of them with his smooth talk.

  Actually, he was just talkative and had a good sense of propriety when it came to taking action. Ximen Qing looked refined and elegant, and also had a lot of money in his pocket. Although his words were flowery, they were mostly compliments and jokes. Xiaonan found that whether it was the maids in his mansion or the female patients he treated, or even the women he met on the street, none of them seemed to dislike his advances. However, once his wife found out, she would inevitably grab his ear and scold him with a feather duster.

  But Ximen Qing is tireless in his pursuit of pleasure, and can be considered a unique individual. Who would have thought that such a person would turn out to be the embodiment of the character from "Water Margin" who combines all the worst traits of a local tyrant, evil landlord, dishonest merchant, and lecher? It's truly astonishing.

  Ximen Qing didn't think his behavior was shameful, but rather glorious. He smugly ate a pear, and the depression brought by the heavy rain and his wife was swept away. After taking a bite of the pear, he said to Xiaozhuang: "By the way, speaking of your wife, you said she's just your bodyguard? This girl is really strange, everyone knows she's a woman, but she refuses to admit it, wearing men's clothes and wandering around my backyard every day. If this continues, others will think my wife has eloped. How can you let her behave so wildly, and every time you see her, you're so serious, calling her 'Young Master Peng'?"

  Xia Liu's face slowly rose with a mysterious smile, her eyebrows slightly raised, and she lightly laughed: "Don't you think it's more interesting to tease her like this?"

  Ximen Qing looked at him and said with a scornful tone: "You're such a despicable person!"

  Xia Yu: "......"

  The two returned to the "Weishengtang Pharmacy", changed their clothes and went to the Western Cross House, but did not see Peng Ziqi. They then went to the back garden, passed through the Moon Gate, and saw from a distance that Ximen's wife was chatting with Peng Ziqi in a small pavilion. Peng Ziqi still wore men's clothing, although everyone already knew she was a woman.

  Ximen Qing smiled and said, "This Miss Peng is quite good, I can see that she actually has a bit of feeling for you, but doesn't want to let you see it. A girl's face is thin, after all. If Yang brother also has feelings for her, he should take the initiative. As the saying goes, a strong woman fears being entangled by a man. Don't look at how she's currently treating you indifferently, once this layer of window paper is pierced, even if she's as tough as steel, she'll become soft and gentle, and your happy days will arrive, heh heh..."

  Xia Liu coughed and said, "It seems that Peng Niang's body has already recovered greatly. Even if she still can't ride a horse for long distances, it's still possible for us to return by waterway. I think we'll set off early tomorrow morning back to Qingzhou."

  Ximen Qing unexpectedly said: "So soon?"

  Xia Liu Dao: "Hmm, there are still many things to take care of over there. Ah, Xi Men brother, your medical skills are exceptional, and you run a pharmacy at home too. I'd like to ask you, is there any medicine that can make someone fall into a deep sleep without being easily detected?"

  Ximen Qing said: "Of course there is such a medicine, but... why are you asking this?"

  Xia Xianxi said: "Really have such a medicine? Haha, great! One guest doesn't bother two hosts. Then I'll trouble brother to send me some, my younger brother has his own use for it."

  Ximen Qing's face changed color and he exclaimed: "You... you want to use medicine on Peng Niang?"