Chapter 22 - The Cannon Fodder Little Fulang [Quick Transmigration]

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

After the injured man left, Wu Kang'an and his companions asked the inn servant about any recent news.

 

From the servant, they learned that the fifth prince had survived an assassination attempt and had been missing for over ten days, only to return safely yesterday. As the servant shared this story, he marveled at the fifth prince's remarkable luck.

 

Once the servant left, Wu Bai mused aloud, "I'd wager that man we saved was none other than the fifth prince."

 

"No way! Could it really be such a coincidence?" Wu Erge* replied, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

 

[T/N: Erge - Second brother.]

 

"I can't be certain—it's only a guess. But regardless, we mustn't speak of this to others. If someone dared to attack a prince, they could easily target us if they found out we played a role in his survival. We lack the prince's fortune and status," Wu Bai warned.

 

"Understood, Bai ger. You can count on us to keep silent." Wu Kang'an, now a soon-to-be father and much more prudent than before, was no longer the rash youth Wu Bai had first met in this world.

 

Satisfied with Wu Kang'an's assurance, Wu Bai felt at ease.

 

With the fifth prince's return, the tense atmosphere in the capital gradually eased, and more people ventured out onto the streets.

 

One day, the three of them decided to go out for a stroll and buy a few things. They planned to stay in the capital for half a year; while the inn had everything they needed, there were always small items that could make their stay even more comfortable.

 

Having not gone out for some time and being unfamiliar with the capital, they felt an air of excitement as they explored the markets, finding each trinket and gadget they encountered quite novel.

 

Wu Kang'an's attention seemed particularly drawn to items meant for children; he could hardly resist buying everything he saw. If Wu Bai and his fulang hadn't held him back, he might have bought out an entire toy stall.

 

Their journey to the capital had been well-funded by Father Wu, ensuring ample funds for Wu Kang'an's examination expenses. As for the child, with Wu fulang only a month in, they assumed they would be back in their hometown by the time he was born.

 

During their travels, they had regularly sent updates to Father Wu whenever they came across a post station. But upon arriving in the capital, they had yet to send word back home. So today, in addition to sightseeing, they intended to mail a letter home.

 

As they strolled along, they asked the local merchants where they might send a letter.

 

They soon learned of a place called the Ink Fragrance Pavilion on Baihu Street, where letters could be delivered for a certain fee.

 

After clarifying directions, they eagerly made their way to that pavilion.

 

The Ink Fragrance Pavilion's signboard was large and prominent. Upon reaching Baihu Street, they spotted it almost immediately.

 

Following the attendant's guidance, they found a counter, where they asked for an envelope, wrote down the recipient's address, sealed their letter, and paid the fee to complete the mailing.

 

Perhaps noticing their unfamiliarity with the place, the attendant offered them directions to another part of the pavilion—a side passage leading to the back.

 

Following the attendant, they soon found themselves in a grand hall, opulently decorated. Against the walls were several elegant private booths, each with a book resting on the accompanying table.

 

They found a seat, curious about the book's contents and why each table held one.

 

Upon opening it, they realized it wasn't a book at all, but rather a menu-like catalog. Listed within were various foods, drinks, and the Four Treasures of the Study, each with its price. The final three pages recorded an array of book titles, from the Four Books and Five Classics to collections of rare and peculiar tales and folklore.

 

Curious, Wu Bai inquired further with the attendant who'd led them there. He learned that as long as they could pay, the Ink Fragrance Pavilion would provide anything listed within the catalog.

 

For pricier items like books, they had the option to borrow rather than buy, provided they met two conditions: reading only within the pavilion and paying a certain fee. The rate was standardized at one hundred copper coins per hour, regardless of the book chosen. If they could finish ten books within that hour, the rate would remain the same.

 

While Wu Bai and his party were speaking with the attendant downstairs, Xiao Zimo was upstairs, conversing with the shopkeeper. Suddenly, his attention shifted, and he looked incredulously down at the booths below.

 

"Xiao gongzi? Xiao gongzi?" The shopkeeper had been introducing him a new inkstone, extolling its rarity and quality, and was just about to ask if Xiao Zimo was interested. But the latter was fixated on the view below.

 

After calling his name a couple of times with no response, the shopkeeper stepped to the window and followed Xiao Zimo's gaze.

 

There, seated at one of the booths, were three people—two appeared to be a married couple, and the third, a young ger, seemed to feel their eyes upon him and looked up.

 

At that moment, the young ger smiled brightly in their direction.

 

The shopkeeper glanced quickly at Xiao Zimo and was astonished to see a faint smile, almost imperceptible, on the famously stoic man's face. He could have sworn that the mouth of the ice-cold Xiao Zimo, known throughout the capital for his frigid demeanor, had just curved upward—ever so slightly.

 

Though Xiao Zimo quickly suppressed that faint smile and looked back at the shopkeeper with his usual icy expression, the shopkeeper's nervousness melted away in an instant.

 

Rumors about Xiao Zimo had long circulated—he was as cold as winter frost, indifferent and unapproachable, which made dealing with him a nerve-wracking experience. If it weren't for his need to make a living and promote his shop's wares, he wouldn't have wanted to deal with Xiao Zimo at all.

 

Yet now, after glimpsing this side of Xiao Zimo that no one else seemed to know, the shopkeeper suddenly felt much more at ease.

 

He resumed his sales pitch, only to be cut off as Xiao Zimo interrupted, "No need for more talk. Just pack it up and deliver it to my residence."

 

With that, Xiao Zimo left without hesitation, directly descending to the floor below.

 

The shopkeeper, suddenly struck by a thought, returned to the window, peering down. Sure enough, he saw Xiao Zimo approach the three downstairs, greeting them warmly.

 

Though he couldn't make out what they were saying from this distance, he could tell by Xiao Zimo's eager demeanor—one that oddly resembled his son-in-law's early attempts at winning favor with him.

 

Amused by this thought, the shopkeeper's curiosity grew. Who was this young ger that could captivate even Xiao Zimo's heart?

 

Unfortunately, when he looked closer, the young ger and his party had already risen to leave, and he could only catch a glimpse of that ger's back as they exited.

 

With a hint of regret, the shopkeeper carefully packed the inkstone, then ordered his staff to send it to the Xiao residence.

 

As one of the empire's prominent imperial merchants, the Xiao family supplied the palace with rare jade artifacts and fine jewelry, their jade trade flourishing across the land. The shopkeeper had no doubts his inkstone would be safely delivered and his payment assured.

 

At the entrance of the Ink Fragrance Pavilion, Wu Kang'an glanced impatiently at Xiao Zimo. "What exactly do you want? We're heading home now. You're not planning on following us, are you?"

 

"No, no, just passing by," Xiao Zimo waved his hands, "I happen to be going to Changyong Street as well."

 

"How did you know we're going to Changyong Street?" Wu Kang'an shot a scolding look at Wu Bai. "Bai ger, did you tell him while we weren't paying attention?"

 

Wu Bai lowered his head, staying silent, his demeanor suspiciously guilty.

 

He couldn't exactly explain to Wu Kang'an that Xiao Zimo wasn't some unscrupulous schemer to be guarded against. After all, he himself was no naive child.

 

Wu Kang'an fumed quietly. Had he known they'd encounter Xiao Zimo, who had set his sights on his younger brother, he would have refused to bring Bai ger to the capital, no matter the circumstances.

 

He could already picture Wu fulang chasing after him with a broom for letting this happen.

 

Thus, they walked on in silence until they reached Changyong Street. Just before Wu Bai entered the inn, Xiao Zimo took advantage of Wu Kang'an's averted gaze and quickly slipped a note into Wu Bai's hand.

 

Wu Erfulang saw the discreet exchange but chose to say nothing. In his view, Wu Bai was sixteen already—of marriageable age. If they delayed any longer, he'd be considered an "old ger" and hard to match.

 

While Wu Erfulang had heard of Xiao Zimo before, he hadn't met him in person until today, and he found Xiao Zimo not only attentive but also treated Bain ger with genuine care. Most importantly, Bai-ger seemed to reciprocate Xiao Zimo's feelings. So why should he oppose them getting along?

 

Opposing them would likely only earn him Bai ger's ire. Besides, their current prosperity owed much to the recipe for braised meat that Bai ger had brought home—a recipe he'd learned from Xiao Zimo himself.

 

Given this debt, Wu Erfulang decided to have a serious talk with his husband, persuading him to let go of unnecessary concerns. Wu Kang'an was only worried for Bai ger, but it was clear that there was mutual affection between the two. It would be cruel to blindly stand in their way.

 

So that night, Wu Erfulang carefully discussed the matter with Wu Kang'an, emphasizing that his fears were overblown and that Bai ger was no longer a child—sooner or later, he would have to marry. And if marriage was inevitable, why not let Bai ger choose someone he was happy with?

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