After crossing Ling Mountain, it was as if winter arrived in an instant.
Lingnan Road still carried the bleak autumn wind, but as Lu Zheng and his companion emerged from Ling Mountain, entering the boundaries of Rongzhou on Lingbei Road, they already felt the chill of winter.
A fine rain fell steadily, accompanied by a biting cold wind.
“If we go a bit further north, it might start snowing, I reckon,” Liu Qingyan said, holding Lu Zheng’s hand as they strolled through a small county town in Rongzhou.
Lu Zheng held up an oil-paper umbrella, walking shoulder to shoulder with Liu Qingyan along a street by the river.
On the riverbank were shops lining the street, and on the inner river, boats ferried passengers.
Every so often, a willow tree was planted, its branches swaying in the wind, accompanied by the pattering rain, gentle breeze, and mist, giving Lu Zheng the vivid sensation of wandering through a misty Jiangnan scene.
“Really, this place would be perfect for shooting a film, all natural!”
“What did you say? Shooting a film?” Liu Qingyan looked at Lu Zheng with curiosity.
Lu Zheng smacked his lips, “It’s a form of entertainment from my hometown, somewhat like acting. If we ever go back, I’ll take you to see one.”
“Sounds good!” Liu Qingyan smiled.
Lu Zheng had mentioned it briefly before, and Liu Qingyan knew that returning to his hometown required a high level of cultivation as a prerequisite.
She had been a bit worried before, but now she had enough confidence and patience to walk this path with Lu Zheng.
The fine rain was persistent, not heavy but enough to soak clothes and chill the body, clinging annoyingly. Most passersby hurried along, and even those with leisure time took shelter in pavilions or wine houses. Few were like Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan, strolling and enjoying the rain.
But they were content.
Wandering through this ordinary small town, they felt relaxed and carefree, holding hands, feeling the warmth of each other’s presence.
How they wished days like this could last forever.
“What a beautiful round fan.”
As they passed a shop selling fans, Liu Qingyan spotted a round fan on a rack at the shop’s entrance.
It had a pinewood frame with a silk surface, embroidered with a pattern of a hundred flowers in various coloured threads.
“The craftsmanship is quite good.”
Lu Zheng nodded, noticing that the fans in this shop were of high quality.
“How much is this fan?” Lu Zheng asked the shopkeeper, only to find that it was a plump woman.
“Young master, you have a good eye. This fan was hand-stitched by an artisan with decades of experience in silk weaving, taking a full ten days!”
Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan stepped into the shop, not interrupting her self-praise, just listening with amused smiles.
With nothing pressing, they were passing the time.
Seeing they weren’t annoyed, the woman grew more enthusiastic, “Look at these peonies, look at these roses, they’re practically alive! Every stitch, so fine and dense, the skill is profound.”
She rambled on at length, finally getting to the price, “This hundred-flower round fan, you won’t find its equal in all of Rongzhou Prefecture. Only one guan and five hundred wen, truly not expensive at all!”
It wasn’t expensive, and Lu Zheng was about to nod when Liu Qingyan tugged at him, “Five hundred wen!”
Lu Zheng: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ
“Oh, dear young lady, five hundred wen wouldn’t even cover the cost of this fan,” the woman cried out, “You can’t expect me to lose money on this deal! A five-hundred-wen fan could only buy one with a simple single-flower or landscape design, not this one.”
Liu Qingyan toyed with the fan, “This fan is indeed lifelike, but it lacks a certain charm, a bit too crafted. It’s not worth that price.”
“Since the young lady is so lovely and suits this fan so well, I’ll make a concession, one guan and four hundred wen.”
Liu Qingyan shook her head, “Too much. I love this fan, but I won’t pay over the odds. Six hundred wen, and we have a deal.”
“Too low! Too low!” The woman shook her head repeatedly, “I’ll give you a fair price, one thousand two hundred wen, no lower.”
Liu Qingyan blinked, “That’s high. If you sell it to me for eight hundred wen, I’ll pay now.”
“Young lady! Please raise it a bit more! Just eight hundred wen, I’d make no profit at all!” the woman said earnestly.
Liu Qingyan’s eyes flickered, and she shook her head, moving to put the fan back, “Eight hundred wen. If you won’t sell, so be it.”
“Wait, wait, wait!” The woman hurriedly waved her hand, then nodded helplessly, “Young lady, you’re a shrewd one. Eight hundred wen it is.”
Liu Qingyan’s face lit up with a smile, radiant as blooming flowers, gentle as swaying willows.
Of course, it was Lu Zheng who paid.
After handing over eight hundred wen, Liu Qingyan didn’t ask the woman to wrap it up. She held the fan in her hand and walked out with Lu Zheng.
Under the oil-paper umbrella, Liu Qingyan gently traced the silk threads on the fan’s surface, brimming with delight.
“I never would’ve thought, you’re quite the thrifty one,” Lu Zheng said with a laugh.
He hadn’t thought much of it during the haggling, but now that he brought it up, Liu Qingyan’s cheeks flushed.
One part was Lu Zheng’s teasing, and the other was his praise for her frugality.
“That woman saw your good nature and quoted a high price. If we’d bought that fan for one thousand five hundred wen, she wouldn’t have thought kindly of you, only rejoiced at fleecing a fool.”
“Hahaha!” Lu Zheng nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, you’re right!”
Liu Qingyan raised her brow with a smile, “Winter’s coming soon, and the fan shop’s business will slow. If she doesn’t sell other things, she’ll likely have to wait until next spring. And at eight hundred wen, she’s definitely still making a profit.”
When the shopkeeper says a price doesn’t make a profit, that’s probably the item’s baseline value in their mind.
“So, you’re kind-hearted, letting her earn some money early.”
“Naturally!” Liu Qingyan nodded matter-of-factly, quite pleased with herself.
Tch, tch, as expected of the virtuous Qingyi Niangniang, truly doing a good deed every day!
Lu Zheng held the umbrella, with Liu Qingyan leaning against his right side, one hand holding his arm, the other gently waving the round fan in front of her chest.
The fine rain fell softly, the small town picturesque.
They seemed to walk within a painting, following the small town’s river, its bridges and flowing water, circling around to a small dock.
They descended the steps slowly, arriving at the dockside.
“Young master, young lady! Want a boat ride?” a boatman poked his head out from a black-awning boat.
“A boat ride,” Lu Zheng nodded, letting Liu Qingyan board first before following.
“Come in, come in, take shelter from the rain!” The boatman hurriedly came out, ushering them into the awning, then put on a bamboo hat and draped a straw raincoat hanging by the boat’s side.
“Where to, young master?” the boatman asked.
“Just take us around the river, and get us to the Yuelai Inn by the hour of You.”
“Right you are!”
Knowing these were two refined folks enjoying the rain, the boatman wasted no words. He untied the rope from the dock, took up the bamboo pole, gave a gentle push against the shore, and set the boat gliding.
“Swish, swish—swish, swish—”
The small boat swayed gently along the river, rocking back and forth. The boatman swayed with the boat’s motion, working the pole with a rhythmic harmony.
Under the black awning, Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan nestled together, watching the ceaseless fine rain outside, savouring this quiet, warm, and sweet moment.
