Once the paper flower cards were produced, they sparked a craze in Yingchuan City. Not only were the wealthy young masters fond of them, but ladies and young misses were even more enthusiastic about gathering to play with the cards.
The two hundred sets at Baizhen Shop sold out quickly. Shopkeeper Xu, a clever man, came up with a few brilliant ideas—adorning the cards with floral embellishments and silver foil, which of course drove the prices to exorbitant heights. Baizhen Shop profited handsomely, and Shopkeeper Xu finally held his head high among his peers.
Lu Chao stared at the pile of silver on the table in disbelief, looking at Lady Lu.
"Mother, this... all of this is for me?"
Lady Lu nodded.
"Yes. From now on, the shop will give you a monthly share of the profits. You can keep this money, but any expense over a hundred taels must be approved by me. I’ll have Nanny Yang keep a ledger. Agreed?"
How could Lu Chao refuse? He nodded eagerly.
"Mother, you’re the best! I’ll keep doing business with you in the future!"
Lady Lu covered her mouth with a handkerchief, laughing.
"Very well, then. Thank you for supporting your mother’s business."
Lu Yuanyi, who had never given much thought to money before, now clutched the silver he had earned himself, reluctant to spend even a single coin.
"Mother, may I go out tomorrow to explore the city?"
Lu Chao had been here for half a year but hadn’t yet had the chance to properly wander around Yingchuan City.
"Mother! I’ll go too! I’ll accompany Chao'er—I’ll protect him!"
Lu Yuanyi wouldn’t miss this opportunity and volunteered to act as Lu Chao’s bodyguard.
"Very well, go ahead. Take plenty of servants with you."
Lady Lu agreed readily. The wound on Lu Chao’s arm had begun to scab, and aside from some lingering weakness, he was mostly recovered. Knowing he would soon return to school, she decided to let him enjoy these last few days of freedom.
The next day, Lu Chao and Lu Yuanyi, accompanied by several tall servants, set out in grand fashion.
The streets buzzed with the cries of vendors, and Lu Chao, like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time, found everything fascinating.
"Steamed buns for sale! One copper coin each!"
"Young master, care for a bowl of mutton noodles? Hot and hearty—warms you right up!"
Lu Chao held his breath and shook his head—the mutton’s gamey smell was overpowering.
"Qingshan, go buy a few steamed buns."
He handed over a string of copper coins.
"Chao'er, the buns outside are coarse and scratch your throat—they’re not good!"
Lu Yuanyi whispered a warning. Like Lu Chao, he had once been curious about everything and tried the street vendors’ food, only to find it far inferior to the Lu family’s kitchen staff.
"It’s fine, I just want to try them."
The buns weren’t pure white—their yellowed crust bore traces of wheat husks. The first bite was dense, not fluffy, with a rough texture and a wheaty aroma. No wonder his brother said they scratched the throat. Still, Lu Chao chewed slowly and swallowed, not wasting a crumb.
The bun stall was doing brisk business, surrounded by common folk. The vendor, a sweat-soaked man with a towel around his neck, swiftly handed out freshly steamed buns. A middle-aged woman—likely his wife—wrapped in a scarf that covered most of her face, stayed inside, passing trays of buns to the front without stepping out.
"Grandpa! The buns are so good! Can we buy more next time we come to the city?"
A child’s voice piped up. Lu Chao turned to see an elderly man and a young boy, their clothes clean but patched.
"Of course! Next time, Grandpa will buy you more."
As Lu Chao watched the bustling crowd, he felt, for the first time, the stark divide between rich and poor in this ancient world. Though the Lu family had declined, their servants still wore gold and silver, while for these common folk, even a one-coin bun was a luxury.
"Chao'er, what are you staring at?"
Settled in a teahouse, Lu Chao gazed intently at the street below.
"Second Brother, look—seven or eight out of ten people on the street are men. There are hardly any women. Why is that?"
"Because women shouldn’t appear in public, of course," Lu Yuanyi answered without thinking.
"Do you think that’s right?" Lu Chao glanced at him and lowered his voice. "If you had a daughter, and because women aren’t allowed outside, she spent her whole life confined to the inner courtyard, never seeing the world beyond, her sky no bigger than the patch above her head—wouldn’t you pity her?"
Lu Yuanyi hesitated, grappling with the question for the first time.
"But... it’s always been this way..."
"Just because it’s always been this way, does that make it right?" Lu Chao didn’t expect to change his brother’s mind with just a few words.
Lu Yuanyi stared at his audacious, rule-defying younger brother and quickly covered his mouth.
"Shh! You must never say such things in front of others."
Though young, he had read enough to know the severity of societal rules. If the wrong person overheard, such talk could cost Lu Chao his life.
Lu Chao nodded and fell silent. He had deliberately spoken softly.
Suddenly, a commotion in the street drew their attention.
"You wretched girl! How dare you show your face here and disgrace the Xu family! Get back home now!"
Below, at a silk flower stall, a scrawny man was yanking the arm of a young "boy" who struggled fiercely against him.
"Who are you to control me? My parents are gone—I’m earning money to feed my brother! What’s it to you? You just want to seize our land! I’ll report you to the authorities!"
The "boy" was, in fact, a young woman. Passersby pointed and whispered, quickly forming a circle around them.
"What kind of woman does business in public? It’s a joke! I’m your uncle—with your father gone, it’s my duty to discipline you! The clan has already arranged a marriage for you. Go home! Your brother will be taken care of by the family. A married daughter is like spilled water—you’ve no say in family matters!"
"Young lady, your uncle speaks sense. If your younger brother has the clan’s support, you should return home."
"Goodness, this girl has nerve, selling flowers alone like this. What future husband would want her?"
As the crowd turned against her, the girl grew desperate.
"Taken care of? By marrying me off to a man in his forties or fifties? He just wants to sell me! If I’m gone, won’t they devour my little brother alive?"
Her anguished cry echoed down the street.
"The clan is too cruel."
"Poor girl—what a tragedy."
As sympathy swayed back toward her, the man raised his voice.
"Her birth chart curses her husbands—only the Wang family is willing to take her, and they offered ten taels for the dowry! Her parents’ funeral cost me ten taels! If anyone pities her, pay the debt, and we’ll talk!"
At the mention of money, the crowd thinned. Who had ten taels to spare?
"I said I’d earn the money to repay you! Why must I marry? You just want our house!"
"Move along! What’s this crowd for? Gather and cause trouble, and you’ll get five lashes!"
The patrol from the City Guard arrived, scattering the onlookers. Commoners knew better than to tangle with officials—no one wanted a whipping.
