Ji Taoyu agreed without comment, leading Huo Shu to a stationery shop. He wanted to pick an affordable set, but these things were expensive, even a mid-range set cost several hundred coins.
After browsing, Huo Shu chose the most expensive among the options, a set costing 1,200 copper coins.
Ji Taoyu’s eyes widened. Instead of Huo Shu, he should be called Huo Huo Silver!
[Huo Huo Silver (霍霍银子): silver-squandering Huo:
霍霍 (huò huò): onomatopoeia for swishing (like a blade), but colloquially means squandering/wasting recklessly;
银子 (yín zi): silver (money)]
He shook his head, but Huo Shu was already lining up to pay.
Waiting, Ji Taoyu glanced around the shop, suddenly lost in thought.
His family had often bought books and stationery for You Lingxiao. He’d browsed Linhe Quarter and this very shop.
They’d always bought You Lingxiao decent writing materials, afraid he’d be looked down on at the academy for using cheap ones.
Though he’d never calculated how much they’d spent over the years, a single trip here never cost less than a hundred copper coins.
Some poor families didn’t even earn a hundred copper coins in a month.
What a farce it all was.
Ji Taoyu tried not to dwell on it, but familiar sights inevitably brought back memories.
As he zoned out, a slightly worn copy of The Washing Away of Wrongs was thrust into his hands.
[The Washing Away of Wrongs (洗冤集录, Xǐyuān Jílù): the world's oldest surviving forensic manual, written in 1247 by Song Dynasty official Song Ci, detailing methods for autopsy, crime-scene investigation, and evidence analysis to correct judicial injustices]
He looked up at Huo Shu: "This is?"
Huo Shu gazed down at the distracted ger: "From the shop. Let’s go."
Before Ji Taoyu could react, Huo Shu turned and left.
Ji Taoyu's eyes lit up as he skimmed the title, realizing the book, which appeared to be a mystery novel, was actually a forensic manual.
"Wait for me!"
Clutching the book, he hurried after Huo Shu.
Wu Lianhe’s address was in a neighborhood called Little Shantou.
The area was densely packed with old houses, the alleyway leading to a dock. With few shops around, it wasn’t a busy area except for residents.
But the houses were small and crowded, making the place lively on its own.
Huo Shu and Ji Taoyu zigzagged through narrow, winding alleys for over fifteen minutes before finding Wu Lianhe’s place.
Ji Taoyu knocked on a wooden door adorned with a pair of red couplets - the calligraphy unrefined, even childish. A voice called from inside: "Who is it? Coming!"
It was a woman’s voice, but the door opened to reveal a boy.
Young-faced but tall, the boy stood nearly as tall as Ji Taoyu.
Seeing strangers, he was about to ask who they were when a woman in an apron rushed out from the kitchen, crossing the small yard to greet them: "Brother Huo, Tao ger! Come in!"
Wu Lianhe quickly introduced the boy: "Pan’er, this is your father’s comrade. You should call him Uncle Huo."
Zhao Pan studied the tall, imposing Huo Shu - a rare sight in the south, though intrigued, he obeyed: "Uncle Huo."
Huo Shu looked at the boy with round face and thick brows - a carbon copy of Zhao Changsui.
Zhao Changsui had a foolishly kind face, grinning like an idiot even as a captain, often needing Huo Shu to beat sense into overconfident recruits.
He crouched, gripping Zhao Pan’s shoulders: "You look just like your father."
Zhao Pan had heard about his father from his mother. Knowing his father’s comrade was visiting, he’d been eager.
The boy, unlike others, wasn't intimidated by Huo Shu's stern demeanor - instead, he felt a connection, knowing this man was linked to the father he never knew.
"Uncle Huo."
Huo Shu handed him the gifts: "I heard you’re in school. I didn’t know what to get, just some writing materials. Take a look."
Zhao Pan’s face lit up. He eagerly unwrapped the bundle: "Qingzhu Studio’s Four Treasures!"
[文房四宝 (wénfáng sìbǎo): Four Treasures of the Study (brush, ink, paper, inkstone)]
Then he found a simply wrapped handkerchief, unfolding it, his eyes sparkled: "Incense ink?"
He sniffed it, grinning with tiger-like canines: "It really is! Uncle Huo, you know about this stuff?"
He bowed deeply: "Thank you, Uncle Huo."
"Brother Huo, you shouldn’t have spent so much coming here. We should be thanking you."
Huo Shu stood, watching the delighted Zhao Pan. His smile identical to his father’s, even his cheerful personality a match.
Zhao Changsui, as a recruit, had been bullied and starved yet remained annoyingly optimistic, finding joy in a single iron-hard bun.
Later, after real battles, his archery improved, becoming one of the few who didn’t died fast.
"Glad he likes it."
He glanced at Ji Taoyu, silently thanking him.
"I’ll make tea for Uncle Huo."
Zhao Pan, holding his gifts, noticed Ji Taoyu: "And this brother is?"
"This is the village head’s ger from my village, same generation as me. Call him Uncle Tao."
Zhao Pan obediently greeted him before dashing inside to make tea.
Wu Lianhe was surprised Ji Taoyu had come. The two arriving together was odd, though she hadn’t been back to the village in years, her parents and siblings visited occasionally.
She knew about village affairs, including Ji Taoyu’s engagement to the You family’s new juren.
Once the boy was inside, she asked: "Brother Huo and Xiao Taozi, you two are…"
Ji Taoyu floundered, unsure how to explain.
Huo Shu cut in: "I asked him to come."
Wu Lianhe dropped the subject, ushering them inside warmly.
"I bought meat and vegetables early this morning, lunch is almost ready. Pan’er went to the market too. Crabs are in season, and since Brother Huo’s from the north, you probably haven’t had many. So we got plenty."
Ji Taoyu stood: "Let me help, Third Sister Wu."
"No, sit down. Lunch is almost ready. You're our guest, so don't worry about helping. Just relax and have some tea."
Wu Lianhe pushed him back into his seat: "Have some snacks."
Zhao Pan brought over the tea: "Osmanthus chrysanthemum tea."
And a plate of roasted pumpkin seeds.
Ji Taoyu, fond of floral tea and thirsty from the trip, sipped gratefully.
Thank you for the chapter!!!
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