On the way back, Wen Ranran had to use all her persuasive skills before Wen Yiliang finally agreed to let her push the empty cart.
He walked beside her, occasionally reaching out to help push, afraid that his precious daughter would tire herself out.
Shops lined the streets on both sides. Wen Ranran looked around with great interest when suddenly she spotted a dazzling Lantern Tower ahead. The first level was painted with mountains, rivers, and vegetation; the second featured birds and beasts; the third depicted various scenes of daily life; and the top level illustrated stories of gods and immortals. Countless silk lanterns adorned the eaves and corners, shining with golden brilliance and vibrant colors.
It was an exquisite and magnificent sight she had never seen, even in modern times.
Wen Ranran stared in awe, instinctively turning to call her father to look, only to find the space beside her empty—Wen Yiliang was nowhere to be seen.
Rising on her toes to scan the area, she spotted Wen Yiliang standing at the entrance of a bookstore, peering inside.
Wen Ranran walked over and gently tugged his sleeve. “Father, shall we go in and take a look?”
Wen Yiliang looked down at his daughter, then reluctantly glanced at the rows of books inside the bookstore. The scent of ink and paper filled the air. Gritting his teeth, he turned away and closed his eyes. “We should head back. Your mother will worry if we’re late.”
Wen Ranran handed the cart to a bookstore attendant and cheerfully pulled Wen Yiliang inside. “It’s still early!”
Wen Yiliang couldn’t refuse, surprised by his delicate daughter’s unexpected strength.
He hadn’t wanted to enter, but once he stepped inside and found himself surrounded by the sea of books and the fragrance of ink, he felt both joy and a tinge of melancholy.
Once, his study had been like this bookstore, filled with countless books, but now not a single volume remained.
Wen Ranran gazed at Wen Yiliang in his coarse linen robe, noticing the sorrow in his eyes, and her heart ached.
Not long ago, he had been a noble from the Bo Residence, adorned in gold and silver. Now, he had to help her run a stall to earn a meager living, too hesitant to even enter a bookstore.
Ranran looked up, forcing a cheerful smile to comfort him. “Father, I can earn money now. If there’s any book you like, we can buy it!”
Wen Yiliang looked down at his coaxing daughter, warmth filling his heart. He patted her head and shook his head with a smile. “I’ve already read most of these books—they’re etched in my mind. Buying them again would just waste money.”
Wen Ranran was astonished. The shelves were packed with dense volumes that made her dizzy. She hadn’t been in this world long and only knew Wen Yiliang was a scholar with excellent handwriting, never realizing he was such a remarkably well-read master!
“Then why don’t you teach at an academy? It would be better than copying books.”
The question touched a sore spot. Wen Yiliang sighed, hanging his head like a frost-bitten eggplant. “Ranran, have you forgotten? In this dynasty, one must first earn an official rank to qualify as a teacher. In my youth, I wanted to rely on my own efforts to pass the exams and achieve great things… but your grandmother firmly forbade it.”
“Why would Grandma stop you from pursuing such an honorable path?”
“She said that as a descendant of nobility, with ancestral privileges still intact, securing an official post wouldn’t be difficult. Studying for the exams and competing with impoverished scholars would make outsiders think the Bo Residence was so destitute it couldn’t support me. She found it utterly shameful…”
Huh?
Wen Ranran shook her head at these absurd arguments: With this kind of logic, no wonder the Wen family fell from grace!
She looked at Wen Yiliang’s sorrowful expression, pursed her lips, and firmly grasped his hand, declaring word by word, “Father, I will send you to the academy to study. If Grandmother forbids you from taking the exams, I will support you!”
Wen Yiliang paused at her words, lowering his gaze to meet Wen Ranran’s bright, star-like eyes. Her delicate, youthful face was filled with determination, and the small, tender hand holding his transmitted an indescribable strength, stirring a long-barren corner of his heart back to life.
“Father, don’t worry about money. I can earn it.”
Wen Yiliang’s nose tingled with emotion. He turned away, using his sleeve to wipe the moisture from his eyes, his lips trembling as he struggled for words. He wondered how many good deeds he had done in his past life, how much merit he had accumulated, to deserve such a filial daughter in this one.
As Wen Ranran and Wen Yiliang stepped out of the bookstore, she was already planning how to send him to study when she suddenly noticed a woman hurriedly carrying a crying little girl. At first glance, it seemed like a typical scene of a child throwing a tantrum with her mother, but something felt off.
The child’s struggles had exposed much of her belly and back, and one of her shoes was missing. Instead of adjusting the girl’s clothes, the woman glared fiercely and slapped her several times.
Having seen countless cases of child traffickers in her previous life, Wen Ranran grew instantly alert. She hurried over and blocked the woman’s path. “Is this child yours?”
“She’s mine,” the woman replied, her expression stiffening for a moment before she relaxed upon seeing Wen Ranran’s delicate appearance. “I’ve spoiled her. She’s throwing a fit because I didn’t buy her a candy figurine.”
Wen Ranran glanced at the little girl in her arms and was about to speak when the child reached out to her, crying, “Save… not Mama!”
The girl, still struggling to form complete sentences, managed to utter those fragmented words, strengthening Wen Ranran’s suspicions.
“What’s wrong, Ranran?” Wen Yiliang caught up, glancing between the two in confusion.
“Father, it looks like a child trafficker.”
The woman, eager to avoid further trouble, tried to leave while speaking, “This child often lies to gain sympathy. I have urgent matters at home and can’t chat with you any longer.”
The little girl’s face flushed with panic as she kicked and struggled violently. “Bad person! Sister, save!”
Seeing the woman about to flee, Wen Ranran quickly reached out to stop her, raising her voice. “This child doesn’t want to go with you. It doesn’t seem like she’s yours!”
Her clear, loud voice immediately drew the attention of passersby. Some quick-thinking onlookers shouted about reporting to the authorities.
The woman’s expression darkened. She spat and cursed, “If she’s not my child, is she yours? Mind your own business!”
With that, she shoved Wen Ranran aside and, clutching the child, barged through the gathering crowd in a desperate sprint.
Wen Ranran stumbled but quickly regained her balance and gave chase.
The onlookers, realizing the woman’s guilt, surged forward to block her escape.
“Quick, catch that child-trafficking woman!” Wen Ranran shouted.
Hearing her, the surrounding crowd immediately dropped what they were doing to help. Street vendors, shop assistants, and pedestrians alike joined forces to apprehend the trafficker.
But the woman was agile, dodging many attempts to stop her. Just as Wen Ranran grew anxious, she spotted several familiar, tall figures heading straight toward the fleeing woman. Her heart lifted with relief. “Dong Shu! Brother Zhuzi! Quick, help me catch that woman with the child!”
Zhu Zi, being young and quick to react with considerable strength, heard someone shouting to catch the kidnapper. He swiftly identified the target, lunged forward, and pinned the woman to the ground.
Wen Ranran hurried over, picked up the little girl who was covered in dust, and carefully checked her over. Fortunately, she had only suffered minor scrapes. Had she been successfully kidnapped that night, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
The fate of abducted young girls was often grim—most ended up in brothels, forced into child prostitution or groomed to serve clients once they grew older, their lives utterly ruined.
The thought of this made Wen Ranran’s blood boil with rage. She kicked the woman several times, hard, causing her to wail in agony.
The onlookers, many of whom had children, siblings, or relatives of their own, shared a deep hatred for such vile kidnappers. They stepped forward one after another, holding the woman down and beating her.
The little girl in Wen Ranran’s arms gradually quieted her cries. Exhausted and terrified by the ordeal, she had no energy left, sobbing softly as she nestled against Wen Ranran.
Wen Yiliang watched her tear-streaked, red-eyed face with a pang of heartache. “Thank goodness we saved her. Can you imagine how devastated her family would have been otherwise?”
Wen Ranran gently wiped the cold sweat from the child’s forehead and spoke in a soothing tone, “There, there, sweetie, don’t be afraid. The bad person has been caught.”
The little girl nodded weakly and curled up even tighter.
“What’s your name? Do you remember where you live? What are your parents’ names?”
Tears still welling in her eyes, the child pouted and shook her head. “A Xiang… big courtyard… Daddy is gua gua.”
As the girl spoke and gestured, Wen Ranran could only make out that her name was A Xiang—the rest was a complete mystery.
By the time the officers from the City Patrol Supervisor arrived, the kidnapper had already been beaten half to death. The constables handcuffed her and led her away, met with cheers and applause from the crowd.
With the situation under control and the authorities present, most of the bystanders dispersed. Zhu Zi and Dong Shu, along with a few others, had work to attend to and bid a hurried farewell to Wen Ranran before rushing off.
The lead constable was about to ask for details when he suddenly caught sight of the child in Wen Ranran’s arms and started in surprise. Worried he might be mistaken, he called over a few colleagues and pointed at the girl. “Take a look—isn’t this the boss’s fourth daughter?”
The officers gathered around for a closer look, and after exchanging glances, three or four of them exclaimed in unison, “It is! It’s the boss’s fourth daughter!”
“What’s her name again? I think it’s A Xiang!”
The young constable in charge reached out to playfully tease her, “A Xiang, do you remember me? I even had drinks at your house once!”
The little girl glanced at him timidly, then buried her face in Wen Ranran’s chest without a word.
The situation grew awkward, and the constable gave an embarrassed chuckle, scratching his head.
Although they were officers and seemed to recognize the child, Wen Ranran remained cautious. After all, many kidnapping cases involved acquaintances.
After a moment’s thought, she said, “Sir, this child is badly frightened. Could you please find her family?”
“You’re absolutely right, miss.” With that, he immediately turned and ordered someone to go search for them.
“The City Patrol Supervisor office is just ahead. Why don’t you wait there, miss?”
“That would be fine.” Wen Ranran nodded in agreement.
Wen Yiliang had already retrieved their cart and was about to leave with his daughter when the young constable snatched the cart from him, beaming. “Your daughter saved our boss’s child—that makes her our boss’s benefactor. And our boss’s benefactor is naturally our benefactor too. How could we let our benefactor do any heavy lifting? Please, both of you, walk comfortably. I’ll push the cart for you.”
She stared blankly at the yamen runner’s back as he huffed and puffed while pushing the cart, inwardly giving him a thumbs-up: such quick reflexes and sharp eyes—truly born for the workplace!
Wen Ranran and her companions hadn’t gone far when suddenly they heard a woman’s mournful cry from behind: “A Xiang!”
Turning around, she saw an elegantly dressed woman stumbling toward them, tears streaming down her face. The man beside her wore official robes, his expression anxious, but the deep furrow in his brow eased considerably when he spotted the little girl in Wen Ranran’s arms.
“Mother! Father!”
At A Xiang’s calls, Wen Ranran’s anxious heart finally settled.
“A Xiang!” The woman swept A Xiang into her arms, weeping uncontrollably, her eyes swollen like walnuts.
The man patted A Xiang’s head, then turned to Wen Ranran. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he bowed deeply to her, his voice hoarse and trembling: “Yu Shu offers deepest thanks for young lady’s great kindness.”
Wen Ranran hastily waved her hand. “It was just a small effort—I dare not accept such formal gratitude from an official.”
The woman wiped her tears and choked out, “What may seem like a casual act to you, young lady, is an immense grace to us.”
As she spoke, she moved to kneel and kowtow. Wen Ranran hurriedly stopped her. “It was the gods and Buddhas watching over A Xiang. Please don’t thank me.”
Tears welling in her eyes, the woman clutched Wen Ranran’s hands and sobbed, “If not for your rescue, young lady, I couldn’t go on living without A Xiang.”
Yu Shu looked at his wife and daughter, his frantic heart finally calming. He and his wife had rushed over upon hearing that a child trafficker had been caught and a little girl saved—their emotions swinging between hope and fear along the way, terrified that the rescued child might not be their A Xiang…
Then they’d encountered his subordinate who mentioned a young lady had saved A Xiang from the trafficker, finally allowing their frightened souls to return to their bodies.
Such kindness—how could they ever repay it?
“The important thing is the child is safe now,” Wen Ranran said, patting A Xiang’s head with a smile. “It’s getting late—I should be heading back.”
With that, she took Wen Yiliang’s arm and headed home.
Having done a good deed and earned so much silver today, Wen Ranran felt her steps lighten.
Yu Shu suddenly slapped his forehead as he watched Wen Ranran’s retreating figure. “Yun Niang! In our haste to thank her, we forgot to ask the young lady her name or where she lives!”
Yun Niang frowned slightly at this, but then remembered the cart. “The young lady and her father were pushing a cart—they must be vendors at the market. Husband, keep an eye out during your patrols—we’re sure to find our benefactor.”
Yu Shu nodded, putting his arms around his wife and daughter as they walked home.
＊
After selling Jianbing for eight or nine consecutive days, Wen Ranran today replaced the bean sprout and pork stir-fry with minced meat and vermicelli, also bringing along pickled cowpeas and Pickled Peppers.
Customers would grow tired of the same two dishes—it was time to offer some variety. Having earned quite a bit from both morning and night markets these past days, she now had ample funds and planned to buy some spices after closing up to make marinated dishes for sale.
While pondering this, Wen Ranran suddenly noticed that a cart had already parked beneath the locust tree where she’d been setting up her stall these past days. Looking closer, she saw they were also selling Jianbing.
Wen Yiliang spotted it too, his voice filled with anxiety: “Ranran, what should we do? Not only have they taken our spot, they’ve copied your Jianbing!”
“Our business has been doing well lately, so it’s no surprise someone’s trying to copy us.” Wen Ranran remained unperturbed, calmly parking her cart opposite the newcomer. “As for the location, it doesn’t really matter.”
“Good wine needs no bush. With my skills, I can make money anywhere. Don’t worry, Father.”
Just as Wen Ranran had laid out half of the food from her cart, she heard the man at the opposite stall bellow: “Jianbing for sale! Big jianbing for just four coppers!”
Wen Yiliang’s face fell immediately: “Ranran, he’s selling them cheaper than us!”
Sure enough, as soon as the words were spoken, people were drawn to the call, gathering around the other stall. Among the crowd, Zhu Zi, Dong Shu and their group of burly manual laborers stood out particularly. Wen Yiliang turned ashen when he saw even their regular customers deserting them.
Wen Ranran glanced over briefly before lowering her head to arrange the freshly chopped Sour Cowpeas and Pickled Peppers she had prepared that morning.
Zhu Zi, Dong Shu and the others had just finished their shift. In their weary daze, they had headed straight for the locust tree as usual. But as they drew closer, they suddenly realized the aroma was different – it lacked the familiar fragrance!
Just as they stood there confused, a tangy and spicy scent suddenly wafted through the air, making their mouths water.
As everyone turned toward the source of the aroma, Wen Ranran seized the moment to call out:
“Jianbing for sale! Jianbing with Sour Cowpeas and Pickled Peppers! Big jianbing with meat – tangy and spicy to whet your appetite!”