20demayo Chapter 432 Getting Up
Chapter 432 Getting Up
Should he preemptively collect the silver ingots?
No way! Even beggars should have backbone. People are free to give if they want to, and it's their prerogative not to.
Zhang Mingyue squatted down in front of Xu Chengyao, picked up the silver ingots on the ground, and weighed them in her hand.
What does this mean? Are they reluctant to give too much? The Zhang family is so wealthy, they wouldn't exchange a silver ingot for two copper coins, would they?
Zhang Mingyue picked up the broken porcelain shards from the grass beside her, compared them to the broken part, and put them into the bowl along with the silver ingots.
Xu Chengyao's gaze followed her movements: Not to get back the silver ingots? Then what exactly was she trying to do?
Zhang Mingyue's voice was gentle: "What's your name?"
Xu Chengyao remained silent.
Zhang Mingyue said, "My name is Zhang Mingyue, and my family owns a pharmacy. What's your name? Where do you live?"
Jiang Qingfeng and the other two sensed something was wrong and gathered around.
He Manman exclaimed, "This child is quite good-looking; it's a pity he's a beggar."
Shen Qianqian looked him up and down: "Why do I feel like I've seen him before?"
Jiang Qingfeng asked, "Sister Qianqian, have you seen him before?"
Shen Qianqian thought for a moment: "I probably haven't seen it before, but it just looks familiar."
Zhang Mingyue looked around: "Are you the only one here?"
Zhang Mingyue said, "Do you have anywhere to go? If you don't, you can come with me. My family's pharmacy just happens to need a young apprentice. I'll provide you with food, clothing, and lodging, plus a monthly allowance."
Xu Chengyao remained silent.
He Manman said, "He's a little mute, no wonder he's a beggar."
Xu Chengyao naturally looked at He Manman with an unfriendly gaze.
He Manman seemed startled: "This little mute has quite a temper."
Zhang Mingyue then took out a silver ingot: "If you tell me your name, I'll give you this silver ingot too."
Luo An didn't specify how much Xu Chengyao should beg for to be considered acceptable, but more was better than less, to avoid giving Luo An an excuse to cause trouble.
Seeing that Xu Chengyao's expression had softened somewhat, Zhang Mingyue took out two more gold leaves: "If you answer all my questions, I'll give you all of these."
Jiang Qingfeng chimed in from the side, "We're not scammers. Zhongjing Pharmacy on Shangcheng Road is owned by our family. My husband works at the Hanlin Academy. You can easily find out if you ask around."
Xu Chengyao first took the gold leaf and silver ingot before replying, "My name is Luo An, I come from Dongyang, and I have no home now."
Luo An used his name to frame him, so of course he has to use Luo An's name to retaliate. Don't blame me for being unjust if you're ruthless.
Xu Chengyao was so focused on getting revenge on Luo An that he didn't notice Zhang Mingyue's surprised expression at all.
Zhang Mingyue confirmed: "What did you say your name was?"
Xu Chengyao added an explanation, emphasizing each word: "Luo An, Luo as in walking into a trap, An as in being uneasy."
He Manman couldn't help but scold, "Why are you like this, kid? Don't you know that you're beholden to those who give you money? Speak properly."
Zhang Mingyue asked, "You came all the way from Dongyang alone?"
Xu Chengyao began to fabricate lies with his eyes wide open, his expression and voice filled with sorrow: "There's a war going on over there, and my brother and I were fleeing here. When we were crossing the Jingjiang River, we encountered a storm, and my brother fell into the river and died."
Zhang Mingyue's heart skipped a beat, and her voice became somewhat urgent: "What's your brother's name? How old is he? What does he do?"
Xu Chengyao suddenly felt something was wrong: the Zhang family ran a pharmacy, and Luo An had worked as a doctor on Chongming Island for several years. They said, "The Crown Prince appointed Qingfeng's family to review memorials at the Taiji Hall."
Could it be that Luo An knew the Zhang family before? Oh no! If Luo An finds out he's making up lies, given Luo An's petty nature, he'll definitely make things difficult for him!
Xu Chengyao quickly replied, "My brother's name is Luo Cheng, Cheng meaning successful. He's fourteen years old and works as a kitchen helper in a wealthy family."
Zhang Mingyue was clearly disappointed: "In that case, if you have nowhere to go in the future, you can come to Zhongjing Pharmacy to find me anytime. It's on Shangcheng Road, very easy to find."
After Xu Chengyao and Zhang Mingyue's group had gone some distance, they collected all the copper coins and silver from the broken bowl and shouted loudly, "Hey!"
No one responded. Were they going to ignore him?
He couldn't keep kneeling here, or he'd be recognized sooner or later. He'd almost broken out in a cold sweat when Shen Qianqian said Xu Chengyao looked familiar.
Xu Chengyao calculated the distance and decided to walk across by placing his hands on the ground and walking upside down on his hands. He stretched his neck, swayed his body, and patted his knees to warm up, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his knees.
Xu Chengyao stared at his leg for a while before he realized: His leg was healed?! He jumped up suddenly, then slumped back down.
Learning from his experience, Xu Chengyao carefully and slowly supported himself to stand up, moving forward step by step to confirm that his leg was really healed; it had just gone numb from kneeling for so long.
Luo An sat by the second-floor window drinking tea. From his vantage point, he could see everything outside, but Xu Chengyao couldn't see him.
When Xu Chengyao rushed upstairs like a gust of wind and stood in front of Luo An, Luo An was not surprised at all. He stood up and said, "Pay for the tea."
The waiter came over with a smile and said, "Sir, eight coins."
Xu Chengyao watched Luo An come downstairs, lost all interest in counting the copper coins, tossed down a piece of silver and hurried after him.
Xu Chengyao saw Luo An get into the carriage, and shouted "Wait for me!" as he rushed out of the teahouse and jumped into the carriage, his movements swift and clean.
Jie Jiao couldn't help but praise, "Your Highness, what skill you have!"
Xu Chengyao sat opposite Luo An, his face darker than a pot lid: "Why should I pay for your tea?"
Xu Chengyao felt like he had gone mad. Luo An said he would pay for the tea, so he paid for it. How could he be so obedient? If Luo An had no money, he would pay off his debt with his body. It would be best if he were kicked out of the teahouse.
Luo An ignored Xu Chengyao.
Xu Chengyao then asked, "Are you familiar with Zhang Mingzhi's family? I just ran into his wife and his sister. His sister is really beautiful. They're getting engaged on the 19th of this month."
Luo An closed his eyes slightly and remained silent.
Xu Chengyao continued, "His sister asked me what my name was, and I said my name was Luo An."
Xu Chengyao waited deliberately for a while, but Luo An seemed not to care at all, not even raising an eyebrow.
Xu Chengyao persisted: "She was extremely surprised. Her sister even asked me what relatives I had. I told her I had an older brother who was a doctor, and she even described him in terms of his appearance."
Luo An then opened his eyes: "Tell her I'm dead."
It's a certainty, not a question. Does this person have super hearing? How can they hear from this far away?
Seeing Xu Chengyao's stunned expression, Luo An asked, "If the Grand Tutor knew that the Crown Prince was full of lies and talking nonsense, what kind of punishment would he impose?"
Xu Chengyao was genuinely guilty: "...Where did I lie?"
Luo An leaned back: "Although you're stupid, you guessed one thing right. I do know the Zhang family. When they ran a pharmacy in Wudong County, I worked there as a volunteer doctor."
Although the Zhang family are merchants, they are kind and generous, not unscrupulous. If you were to describe me to Miss Zhang as my younger brother, she would never allow you to be a beggar on the street.
Indeed, even though Xu Chengyao didn't reveal Luo An's identity, Zhang Mingyue was already planning to make proper arrangements for him based solely on Luo An's name.
Xu Chengyao found Luo An terrifying, but also felt guilty for fabricating his death story, so he remained silent. It wasn't until Luo An alighted from the carriage that he remembered Luo An calling him stupid.