"Accompanying you is like accompanying a tiger. I recall Li Yi once looked for Jiang Changyang, and also Min Wang who appeared at the unnamed wine house yesterday, as well as Jing Wang whom Jiang Changyang insisted was not his friend. My heart understood, and I solemnly said: 'You must be careful. Anyway, I think that nothing is more precious than safety and health.'"

  Jiang Changyang smiled slightly and pinched her face: "I have a plan. You need to trust me, don't worry. Although I like that you care about me, but I don't like it when you worry for me."

  "Anyway, be careful. I'm leaving, and I still have to go to Dongshi."

  Jiang Changyang escorted her to the entrance and didn't turn back until he couldn't see her figure anymore.

  Peony arrived at Dongshi and went straight to He's spice shop. She walked into the shop, and the clerk, with a keen eye, caught sight of her and came up to her with a smile all over his face: "How is it that you have time to come here today?"

  "Peony smiled and said: 'I have something to ask of my sixth brother, is he inside?'"

  The fellow hesitated for a moment, shook his head and said: "He's not here. Earlier, Old Man Lu came to find him to discuss something, he invited Old Man Lu to the wine shop, saying it was getting late, and told us to close up shop and go home directly when the time comes. He won't be back."

  "How long has it been?" Peony glanced at the sky, and now it's just Shen Zheng. In the past, when Old He had important guests, he would go to the wine shop even earlier than this. But if it was someone like Lu Wulang, they wouldn't take him to the wine shop, but instead bring him directly home. However, thinking about it, they're young and might also want to watch Hu Ji's performance. But when did Lu Wulang become so close with Liu Lang?

  The fellow hesitated and said: "Today is a bit busy, I didn't keep track of time at the moment, it seems like it won't be long?"

  Peony saw him in a difficult situation and smiled, no longer asking questions, not even asking which family he went to, only asking the shopkeeper: "Uncle Dong, how's business lately?"

  The shopkeeper was an old man who had been working for the He family for many years and was deeply trusted. Hearing Peony's question, he smiled and said, "They are all old customers."

  The peony sank in her heart, that is to say the business of the fragrance shop was still good but not as before. Thinking back when Si Lang was in charge, old customers would naturally not let go, and every day there were many new customers coming to the door, only then would they have such a good business, only then could they support this big family with fine clothes and food. Now it's just left with old customers, that is, being taken away by other fragrance shops. She hesitated for a moment, smiled and greeted the shopkeeper and several apprentices, asked about the location of the East City Cockfighting Arena, called Gui and Shu Er, bought a few pieces of good fabric suitable for elderly women and little girls in the neighboring shop, and went to the cockfighting arena.

  The cockpit was near the liberation pool, and the peony people had not approached yet, but they already heard the deafening cheers and strange calls. Looking around, it was seen that a cockpit also divided into luxury seats and ordinary seats. The luxury seat was a room with a transparent partition door in front, inside which were placed some stools, tables, tea sets and other items, and the viewing angle was naturally the best, high above. There were many people dressed in luxurious clothes sitting high above, sipping hot tea soup while watching the battle.

  Ordinary people, however, are packed in a circle without any order, pushing and shoving each other, desperately trying to get closer to the center of the arena where two roosters are fiercely fighting, flapping their wings non-stop, pecking and clawing at each other, using their spurs to strike each other, with blood splattered everywhere. As soon as one of them gains the upper hand, the crowd erupts in cheers and applause, slapping their thighs and waving their arms wildly, completely absorbed in the frenzy, eyes wide open like bronze bells, faces, ears, and necks flushed red, with bulging veins on their necks as thick as chopsticks.

  The peony first looked at the two chickens in the arena, one of which had temporarily gained the upper hand. Its entire plumage was a bright green color with a blue-green sheen, and during the fight, it occasionally revealed its white underfeathers. The other chicken, slightly weaker, had red feathers on its neck and back, gray-brown feathers on its sides, and a black tail.

  Mr. Qi saw the peony staring at those two chickens, and took the initiative to introduce her: "Seventh Master, the feather color of fighting cocks is very particular about, green, red, purple, black and white are the best. That green-haired one, with white down feathers, is called '乌云盖雪' (Black Cloud Covering Snow); that red one is also, called '白绒' (White Down). Do you see the chicken's spur? There are sharp thorns on it, and there is also mustard powder on the wing. A peck, a scratch, or a slash can all be detrimental."

  "Clearly it's red, why call it white?"

  "Red gamecocks have white down when they first hatch."

  "Peony smiled and said: 'You really understand a lot.'"

  He smiled slightly: "A petty person living in a market town would naturally know some things about trivial matters."

  "Hey, you said only one can win? I'm also going to bet. Are you in? I'll lend you money."

  "It's no use now, we'll have to wait for the next round." Gu shook his head lightly: "Thank you for your kind intentions, Sister Xie, but I've never gambled in my life."

  Peony looked at you with a neither arrogant nor humble expression, and thought of Yuhe.

  At this time, the two chickens were getting a bit tired and gradually lost their original spirit. A man in a hemp garment came over with a bucket of cool water and sprayed it on the heads and faces of the two chickens. The two chickens immediately became excited again and fought even more fiercely and wonderfully.

  "Peony's mind was not on this, she whispered to Gui: 'Go and find out where Zhang Wulang is. If he has time, trouble him to come over for a chat, if he doesn't have time, I'll wait. I and Shu'er are waiting over there, stand far away, to avoid any trouble.' Gui didn't ask who Zhang Wulang was, nor did she hesitate, turning around and leaving immediately. It was actually Shu'er, who looked on with envy, not wanting to leave at all."

  Peony chose a relatively quiet spot under the shade of a tree, standing and looking around. She always felt that she could see Liu Lang here. Although she knew that since Liu Lang had come here, he would inevitably be hiding deliberately, not letting people know, and it was not easy to find him, but she still couldn't help but look around, with the result being just as she had expected, unable to find him.

  Before long, Gu indeed brought Zhang Wulang over. Zhang Wulang was wearing a green satin jacket with a half sleeve, and inside he wore a moon-white round-necked narrow-sleeved shirt, with his sleeves rolled up high, taking two steps for every one of Gu's. As soon as he saw Peony, he chuckled and said: "He... Seventh Brother, you're really a rare guest."

  "Peony smiled and bowed to him: 'Qī Láng has seen Wǔ Gē, I have something to ask for Wǔ Gē's help. Is Wǔ Gē available at the moment? If not, it's okay if I wait a bit longer.'"

  Zhang Wu Lang turned his head and took a glance at the enthusiastic crowd, saying: "After this round there's another one, the next round's fighting cock has already been chosen, someone will go take care of it, I'm done here. This isn't a place for chatting, over there I have a residence, if you don't mind the dirt and smell, you can follow me."

  "Peony smiled and said: 'How could I possibly mind the stench?'"

  Zhang Wulang looked at her with a smile and nodded his head.

  A few people walked in front and behind, bypassing the enthusiastic crowd, from a small path next to the elegant seats, with several courtyards with closed gates on the side, also bursting out with cheers and anxious shouts that were no less than those outside. Mudan thought, the one outside is a public performance, this one inside might be a private box, some noble people who are enthusiastic about this, but do not want to show themselves to others.

  She had just thought of this when Zhang Wu Lang smiled and said, "These people inside are all wealthy, they're very generous with their money, they don't want to mix with the petty and stingy commoners outside."

  The peony smiled slightly. The cockfighting was real, and the other schemes inside were also true. She had heard Jiang Changyang say before that the princes loved to gather in their residences to fight cocks, but when the emperor found out, he explicitly forbade it. In fact, what he feared was the princes secretly colluding with each other; so these places were actually great for underground activities.

  Before long, Zhang Wulang stopped in front of a noisy small courtyard and said, "You wait here first." He had just gone in for a short while when the inside fell silent. A girl with clear eyebrows and eyes walked out yawning and said, "He Qigong, please come in."

  The peony fixed her eyes on him for a moment, and it was the little girl with sharp teeth she had seen at Zhang Wulang's house that day. She remembered giving Zhang Wulang a scolding, but he let her get away with it, which made her curious about what kind of relative she was to Zhang Wulang. So she smiled and said: "So it's you! What's your name?"

  The girl smiled, revealing two white rabbit-like teeth: "My name is..."

  Zhang Wulang walked out and said in a loud and clear voice: "She's called a rice worm, just call her Rice Grain."

  The girl heard this and rolled her eyes, put her hands on her hips and scolded: "Where did I eat for free? At home, I do laundry, cook meals, warm my mother's feet at night and massage her back; during the day, I deliver food to you and help you with your accounts, I..."

  As soon as she heard the little one calling out "old mother this" and "old mother that", everyone couldn't help but smile, and Fan Lian's eyes turned red in an instant, glaring fiercely at Zhang Wulang.

  Zhang Wulang ignored her and asked Peony to go inside: "Get all those idle people out of here, come in and talk."

  Peony gently stroked Fan Li'er's soft hair and smiled: "Did you braid your own braids? They're really well done."

  Fan Yunhong's eyes were red as she stared at her, suddenly blurting out: "I don't comb my own hair, who will comb it for me? I'm not a rich lady, I can't afford to raise slaves and servants to serve me."

  At this age, the child is full of thorns. Peony was taken aback, smiled slightly, and turned into a room with blue and white flower curtains in the middle, where there was a small couch covered with blue and white flower cloth, several crescent-shaped stools, a low table, on which were scattered a few sheets of paper, a half-bald pen, and an old abacus.

  Zhang Wulang curled his lips: "It's just a matter of rice grains. This ghost girl, her mouth is poisonous, not likable at all, fortunately she still recognizes a few characters. Dan Niang don't bother with her, she has the kind of virtue that invites death. Last time your sixth brother came, he joked with her for two sentences, and she poured a cup of boiling tea on his crotch..." He suddenly stopped talking here, looking at Peony with some embarrassment.

  The child looked at Zhang Wulang with a mixture of surprise and fear, then at Gui, and finally at Mudan. Gui's face was expressionless, as if he hadn't heard anything. Mudan smiled slightly: "His temper is not good, but my sixth brother must have deserved it. Fortunately, it was my sixth brother; if it were those noble guests in your courtyard, they wouldn't be easy to deal with and wouldn't care that she's still young." Is it just a matter of saying "pants" or something? Is it worth making such a big fuss about?

  Zhang Wulang's face turned slightly red, and he turned his head to the side, saying: "That is, I've told her before, not allowing her to go out and wander around. Normally she just stays in this room. If you hadn't come today, she wouldn't have been called out either."

  "Speaking of my sixth brother, I came from the spice shop earlier and didn't see him. I heard he went to a tavern with a friend. I was worried he would call you along too, and I'd come for nothing."

  Zhang Wulang smiled slightly: "He did come to invite me a few times, but when did I have the time to accompany him to drink idle wine? Later, he never came again. One day, I had some free time and thought that he had invited me several times without going, so I felt guilty and went to ask him out for a drink, saying he wasn't there, and went to the tavern."

  Peony understood Zhang Wulang's meaning. Liu Lang probably had some problems, but not with Zhang Wulang, and might have even had conflicts with him, so they parted ways unhappily. As a result, he was scalded by a cup of hot tea, but afterwards, he never heard Liu Lang mention it again. His own family affairs shouldn't be bothered with others, knowing the general idea is enough, other things can be discussed with his family members when he gets back.

  "Speaking of which, Peony changed the subject and brought up the main topic: 'Fifth Brother, I came today with another matter to ask for your help. I heard that next spring, there might be a Peony Flower Festival.' She told him about what happened with Cao Wanrong today, saying: 'I want to ask Fifth Brother to arrange for two brothers to investigate the background of the Lu family in Luoyang and what Cao Wanrong's goal is. According to the rules, this is the down payment. It's not convenient to bring money, so I'll use this as collateral.'"

  The child carefully placed a silver bowl on the table.

  Zhang Wulang frowned and said, "What's this? It's just a small matter. Last time you only said those few words and gave each of the brothers a piece of cloth. They all say you're too generous. This time..."

  "Brother Five, I know there are rules to follow. If it were just you, I wouldn't be polite, but the other brothers all have families to support. This isn't worth anything, it's just a token of goodwill. Besides, if Peony Flower really wants to do something, I'll need to trouble you with many more things, can't always have people running errands for nothing, right?"

  Zhang Wulang hesitated for a moment and said, "Alright, I will pass on your message to the brothers and tell them to take care of things properly."

  Peony let out a breath of relief, smiled and thanked him, asking Guizhen to bring over the few pieces of fabric they had bought earlier: "Last time I went to Fifth Brother's house, I was treated with great hospitality by Auntie. I wanted to invite her to visit us, but unfortunately I'm often not at home. This is a small token of my appreciation, just in time for Auntie and Rong'er to make some winter clothes."

  Four pieces of fabric, one sky blue, one dark crimson, one tender green and one peach red, all were high-quality brocade. Zhang Wu Lang was silent for a moment, then suddenly took a deep breath and shouted loudly: "You idle eaters, haven't you come to thank He Qi Ge yet?"

  Just after shouting, Fan Li's head stretched in from under the curtain, opening a pair of clear black and white eyes to say disdainfully: "My ears aren't deaf, what cow is calling."

  Zhang Wulang was so angry that he almost fell over. She, on the other hand, walked away calmly to look at the goods and then showed a very satisfied expression as she gazed at the peony, nodded in approval, smiled and said: "He sister, it's really good-looking, much better than what some people bought. I owe you one, thank your family's mother for me again. Earlier, I got scolded and felt uncomfortable in my heart, so I took out my anger on you, please forgive me. Actually, I just want to be a rich wife, raise servants and have them serve me."

  "Really ambitious, you'll definitely get rich." In fact, the money she has now isn't hers, but was given by He Zhizhong and Mrs. Cen. The money that truly belongs to her won't be available until next spring. It's bound to happen. She clenched her fist lightly.

  Zhang Wulang automatically ignored some of the people mentioned in Fan Li'er's words, and after seeing her thank Peony, he stood up to send Peony out: "It's getting late, I'll send you out. Otherwise, when everyone disperses and returns home later, it will be dirty and chaotic, with all sorts of people around."

  Peony turned her head and took a glance at Fan Li'er, who was intently examining a piece of fabric against the light, then gently stroked it against her cheek, revealing a sweet and happy smile on her face. What a lovely little girl.

  Zhang Wulang glanced at her lightly and gritted his teeth: "A dead girl who is hated by the dead."

  "Ha! The little girl is quite interesting, is she a relative of yours?"

  "Isn't that so. Also counts as. My mother doesn't know where she came from, it's simply impolite, treating my home like her own. I heard she's the daughter of a poor family, both parents are dead. She recognizes a few dog-eared characters and thinks she's superior. Whenever she annoys me, I'll grab her by the collar and throw her out the door, see if she doesn't cry for her father and mother!" His eyes were somewhat red, speaking in an irritated yet affectionate tone "Two burdens, old and young, making it so we can't go anywhere. Your fourth brother wants me to follow them to sea, your big brother wants me to join the army... I said I'm just a commoner eating this bowl of plain rice, doing business is all about closing up shop, only this still makes money..."

  Peony heard him say this for the first time. She was silent for a moment, then smiled: "Actually, Zhang Wu Ge, I think you're quite carefree now. At least, you haven't sunk in with them. This bustle is really lively."

  Zhang Wulang curled up the corner of his mouth and smiled, standing like an iron tower by the wall. He looked up at the blue sky and said: "This life is more interesting than a play, often watching people's joys and sorrows, family breakdowns... But this matter, after all, is not a good deed, I'll just consider it as accumulating good deeds for my meals. By the way, your sixth brother loves to go to that big Hui restaurant."

  Peony remembered that wine shop, at that time she had just come out of the Liu family and followed Zhang Shi and Sun Shi to the side of the lotus pond to see the peonies. There, she met the beautiful Maya and was teased by Pan Rong... At that time, Zhang Shi said that Liu Liu loved to go there. She thanked Zhang Wu Lang and turned to leave.

  Zhang Wulang stood still, making sure she had safely left the area before turning around. As soon as he turned around, Fan Lier kicked him in the back of his leg and scolded with her sleeves rolled up and her eyebrows furrowed: "What are you looking at? Where are you looking? Am I the daughter of a poor family? Can't even recognize a few words? So raising me was to accumulate good deeds? You want to hold my collar and make me cry for my father and mother?! Mother said, when I grow up, I'll get married! When I'm older, let's see who cries for their father and mother!"

  How old is she? Ten years old. He is about to turn ten. Zhang Wulang helplessly looked at the small, thin figure in front of him, whose height only reached his armpits, and sighed, grabbing her collar and walking back and forth, lightly tossing her into the room, saying: "Wait until you grow up a bit more before we talk again, freeloader."

  "I'm not eating for nothing!" The rice grains reddened his eyes.

  "Your mother named you Fanli, isn't it because she hoped you could eat white rice or whole grains of white rice? Fanli is someone who eats white rice." Zhang Wulang retorted, and loudly called out to the side room: "Someone come, do something!"

  An ink-stained inkstone flew through the blue and white flowered curtain, accurately hitting Zhang Wulang's back, and a new green brocade on his arm suddenly bloomed with a black flower. A burst of laughter erupted from several rooms around him that were previously quiet, Zhang Wulang's face turned increasingly ugly, he furiously rushed in, only to see Fan Liang'er standing tall on the couch, wearing the newly bought peony-patterned fabric, her eyes red as she said: "I won't wear it, I'll make a dress for Mother instead. When you get married in the future, leave this for your new wife, I'll make one for her. My needlework is very good, don't drive me away."

  Zhang Wulang sighed and walked out with his hands covering his head: "You dress yourself."

  A few people, including the peony master and his servants, had not gone far when they suddenly heard a commotion behind them. It was the last cockfighting match that had dispersed in disarray. Someone had gambled away all their property and was being taken away by others who were stripping him of his clothes to settle the gambling debt. The man was crying out loud, half-naked from the waist up, banging his head against a nearby tree trunk, shouting that he would rather die. His face was covered in blood, but he was still dragged away without any mercy. A large crowd of onlookers followed him, making a ruckus and kicking up dust and foul-smelling sweat as they went. The man's mournful cries could still be heard: "Lan Niang, I've wronged you... Let me die... I'm possessed by the devil..."

  The peony shuddered and involuntarily followed those people for a few steps. Gu called out in a cough, "Mother? It's getting late."

  Peony suddenly woke up and looked back at Guihe Xuer, saying: "After returning, it will be clearly stipulated that no one in Fangyuan is allowed to gamble."

  On the way home, when passing by the largest Huren wine shop, Peony looked up and saw a woman leaning on the windowsill of the second floor, wearing a celadon-colored gauze skirt and a celadon-colored gauze shirt. She was swinging one leg that wore crimson lantern pants, with her white jade-like feet still bare without stockings. A delicate ankle had a string of exquisite golden bells hanging from it. She turned her head to smile at Peony, lifted her snow-white slender hand to tuck away a strand of slightly curled brown hair behind her ear, and gently strummed the Hu Lu Si with her hand, throwing a flirtatious glance at Peony, her emerald-like eyes being seductive and enchanting.

  It's Maya. Peony raised her eyes and looked at her, she was really beautiful.

  Xu Er still remembered finding Liu Lang and pushed Mudan: "Mother, are you going in? Look, Hu Ji is taking you as a young and beautiful lord."

  "Let's not go in," said Peony, seriously. "How do you know she took me for a young master? These people have the most poisonous eyes, maybe they saw Ah Kwei." As for Liu Lang's matter, it hasn't been settled yet, we need to discuss it with the family first and ask about the situation before taking any action, what's the point of rushing into the tavern?

  Xiao'er was taken aback for a moment, then covered her mouth and giggled secretly.

  Ah Kwei was so furious that he didn't speak to Peony for several days.