Crossgate Seal Chapter 471

The next day, early in the morning, Lu Zheng was awakened by the crowing of roosters outside the door.
“What’s going on?”
“Young Master, there’s a man outside carrying two old hens, saying they were sent by Old Master Wang from the north of the city.”
Lu Zheng, throwing on his inner robe, went out and saw Uncle Li coming to the backyard to report.
“Old Wang is quite courteous, starting to send gifts today,” Lu Zheng murmured, then nodded, “Alright, accept them.”
Uncle Li, unaware of the context, followed Lu Zheng’s instructions, agreed, and prepared to go outside.
“By the way, from time to time, they might send more chickens, just accept them,” Lu Zheng reminded.
“Yes, understood!” Uncle Li responded, getting a rough idea, then went out to receive the hens, giving the man a few coins in return.
“Keep one for the house, send the other to the Liu family,” Lu Zheng said, then left, heading to Leping Tower.
As expected…
“Young Master Lu, good morning!” Old Master Wang was also at Leping Tower.
“Master Wang, good morning!” Lu Zheng greeted with a cheerful smile, “Thanks to you, my household won’t lack chicken to eat anymore.”
“My family has a chicken farm, so many chickens we can’t finish them. It’s my honour if you’re interested, Young Master!” Old Master Wang laughed.
Some regular customers nearby were puzzled. Previously, Young Master Lu and Old Master Wang sat far apart, so why were they suddenly so friendly?
From their conversation, it seemed Old Master Wang owed Lu Zheng a favour, but since they didn’t elaborate, others didn’t pry, simply joining to exchange greetings before taking their seats.
Old Master Wang, acting familiar, sat beside Lu Zheng, ordering fragrant tea and pastries from the waiter.
Lu Zheng glanced and noticed the middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and big eyes from yesterday also at Leping Tower.
Lu Zheng saw him, and he saw Lu Zheng, nodding slightly before being led by the waiter to a seat behind Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng’s eyes flickered, he turned slightly, smiled, and clasped his hands, “Greetings, sir. I am Lu Zheng. May I know your name?”
The middle-aged man waved his hands repeatedly, “No, no, hardly a ‘sir.’ My surname is Fan, Fan Boyu.”
Lu Zheng smiled faintly, “Mr. Fan, you seem unfamiliar. Have you just moved to Tonglin County? Or are you accompanying family for the county exams?”
“Neither. I do some travelling trade. Got rheumatism, so I’m staying in Tonglin County for half a month to recover,” Fan Boyu smiled, adding, “Young Master Lu seems quite familiar with the doctors at Renxin Hall?”
Lu Zheng nodded, “They’re neighbours.”
Fan Boyu nodded, smiling, “Neighbours should help each other.”
Old Master Wang glanced over, his eyes flickering, and smiled, “What business does Mr. Fan do? Care to share? I’m also a merchant, perhaps we could collaborate?”
Fan Boyu was momentarily stunned, then quickly said, “Just trading mountain goods, a bit of everything, herbs, furs, wild game, though not much, sold here and there.”
“Oh?” Lu Zheng smiled, “That business depends on mountains. Is Mr. Fan from near the Ling Mountains? From Rongzhou or Lingnan Circuit?”
“Rongzhou, Linling County,” Fan Boyu smiled.
“Oh? What a coincidence, I’ve been to Linling County a few times. The wild delicacies at Kanshan Tower are exceptional,” Lu Zheng laughed.
Fan Boyu nodded, “The most famous is their Braised Hundred Flavours, a mix of pork, deer, tiger, dog, and over a dozen wild delicacies, the signature dish of Kanshan Tower.”
Old Master Wang chimed in, “I visited ten years ago. Is the most famous place in Linling County still Luoxia Tower in the South Street Market?”
Fan Boyu shook his head, “No, now the largest brothel is called Fengqi Pavilion.”
Pausing, Fan Boyu smiled, “You might be mistaken, sir. Luoxia Tower is in North Street, not South Street.”
Old Master Wang slapped his forehead, “I’m getting old, my memory’s failing.”
As he spoke, the storyteller hired by Leping Tower entered from behind the curtain.
With a strike of the gavel block and a sip of fragrant tea, he began.
“The story continues from yesterday, where the romantic scholar Wang Sheng parted with the talented lady Qin Hongyu to head for the capital exams. One day, walking the official road, he arrived at a mountain god temple…”
The storyteller spoke on stage, the audience listened below, occasionally sipping tea or eating pastries, quite leisurely.
“Hey, storyteller, you just said the female ghost ate all passersby, cruel and ruthless, so why did she take pity on a roadside rabbit? Isn’t that nonsense?” a man in the audience interrupted.
“Not so,” the storyteller shook his head, “The ghost was ruthless to people because she was murdered, but pitying the rabbit shows her nature isn’t entirely bad.”
“If she’s so ruthless to people, why didn’t she kill Wang Haoran?”
“Because Wang Sheng also pitied the rabbit, and she extended her affection to him,” the storyteller explained, then continued the tale.
Fan Boyu nodded, “Impressive, this story’s good, rare to have a character both good and evil, neither wholly one nor the other.”
Usually, story characters are stereotypical for easy understanding and relatability, but this tale crafted a ruthless yet partially soft-hearted female ghost, quite striking.
Lu Zheng’s lips curled, “This *Tale of Two Beauties* is famous. What, Mr. Fan never heard it before?”
Fan Boyu’s expression froze, then he smiled unchanged, “Always busy with trade, no time for stories. Only now, with rheumatism slowing me down, do I have time to wander and listen.”
“According to Dr. Du, your rheumatism is still early-stage, not even noticeable on rainy days, let alone affecting walking or running,” Lu Zheng asked, “It seems Mr. Fan’s family is quite well-off, stopping entirely over a minor symptom?”
Fan Boyu took a breath, “Mainly, after years of running around, I’m tired, saved some money, so I’m not in a rush.”
“I see…”
Lu Zheng nodded, looking at Fan Boyu, who looked back.
On stage, the storytelling was in full swing, yet the two fell silent, the atmosphere around them tense. Old Master Wang swallowed, subtly shifting his body outward.
“You…” Fan Boyu’s eyes narrowed, taking a deep breath.
“So, with such a wealthy background, you wouldn’t have designs on Dr. Du, would you?”
Lu Zheng frowned, coldly saying, “She’s in her prime, beautiful as a flower, her family isn’t short of money, and she wouldn’t leave her hometown for mere wealth to go to Rongzhou.”
Fan Boyu: ???