Chapter 5, Chaos

I slowly sat down against the door, at a height just right to be at eye level with the little boy. This is the most important aspect of psychological counseling: empathy. Only in this way can effective psychological treatment take place. I took the little boy's hand and said, "Little brother, tell your sister, what is your name?"

What should I do? Food is the primary necessity for the people; perhaps I could open a restaurant or a tavern? I began to let my thoughts run wild.

Why? If you have made a mistake, go back and admit your fault to your parents; they will surely forgive you

Alright, listen carefully, I am the third son of the Lady of Guo State, strike me hard!

"Sister." With a thud, the child I saved on the street knelt by the bed.

"You, do you not know the principle of refraining from inappropriate speech and sight?" I said with resentment

"Little brother, wake up quickly, are you alright?" Seeing that he did not respond, "Why haven't you gone home yet? You've been out for a long time, your family will be worried."

Oh, I remember that foreign man in the crowd of onlookers

Hearing that Lingling was fine, I felt somewhat relieved, but then, "Ah!" I exclaimed loudly, "Who administered the drug to me just now?"

The little boy quickly stood up upon seeing me, and I suddenly remembered, "Where is Lingling?"

The little boy lowered his head in silence

Yes. Lingling and Yun'er supported me to the door, but I was still not at ease. I turned back and asked, "Little brother, can you go home by yourself? Do you need me to find someone to take you back?"

Before they had the chance to speak, I quickly instructed in rapid succession: "Thank you for your rescue, young sir. I must take my leave now! Yun'er, Lingling, help me up; we can talk more when we return!"

I pulled the little boy into my arms: "How can several adults lay hands on a small child?"

Among the bustling crowd, there were women with high coiled hair and wide-sleeved long skirts, as well as Persian merchants wearing green felt hats and leading camels. Additionally, there were many individuals of various ethnicities and regions that I could not clearly identify, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere. Lingling seemed to rarely go out, initially feeling a bit timid, but after wandering for a while, she gradually relaxed, revealing her childlike nature as she looked at the jeweled flowers and touched the fabrics. The inherent love of women for shopping truly remains unchanged throughout the ages.

"It's nothing, whose child has run out?" I pulled the child back, "Little brother, why are you running?"

"You, woman, ask me who I am; are you perhaps intending to set your dogs on me?" The person, clearly in a good mood, jested with me.

"Miss, are you alright?" Lingling hurriedly approached.

Seeing the burly servant approaching, I quickly pulled the little boy into my arms, not raising my head, and smiled sweetly at Lingling: "If I am beaten to death, tell the master the truth." A fist struck my back, and just as I was about to cry out, I heard "Get out of the way, get out of the way," and a gust of wind rushed past me, causing me to faint once again

My sister has ear holes, and moreover, the ear holes on both sides are not the same size

Oh? I didn't even notice myself; this child's powers of observation are truly remarkable

To make a living, one must do something. In modern times, I am pursuing a dual degree in International Trade and Law. The law will certainly not be of use here for the time being, while trade, engaging in small business, should still be relatively reliable. Looking at the street vendors, I can only think of the character played by Zhang Weijian in "The Treasure Bowl." There is a famous saying by Shen Wansan, the first wealthy merchant of the Ming Dynasty who donated to repair Nanjing City for Zhu Yuanzhang: "Doing business means buying east and selling west, buying low and selling high, and hoarding what is scarce!" The truth is indeed concise and to the point.

Oh. I let out a long sigh, "Little brother, how do you know that your sister is a girl?"

Ah, where do I have any family? I murmured softly, "Where is this?"

Dismounting from the carriage, I weave through the corridors, as if traversing through another world

Ah? Li Sheng widened his eyes, seemingly in disbelief

My name is Ge Le, and I am a merchant from the Huihe

Haha! That man laughed heartily, "You women of the Central Plains are so affected; I thought you were different, but it turns out you are just as pedantic!"

A cacophony of sounds emerged

I nodded

Having a daughter can also bring glory to the family; nowadays, those associated with the noble consort are beyond the reach of us common folk

"Miss," "Miss," came two urgent calls; it was Lingling and Yuner who had arrived

I instinctively reached out and grabbed a boy about eight or nine years old who was running past me

The little boy raised his tearful eyes and said, "My name is Li Sheng!"

Sister, great kindness is not to be thanked in words. Today you saved me, and in the future, I will surely repay you! The little boy displayed a strong sense of masculinity.

Oh? This took me by surprise

"Is that the sister who is with you?" the little boy asked, looking up at her.

This is an inn, a temporary place for me to stay he replied

Ah, I was taken aback.

In a daze, it seemed as if someone was applying medicine on my back, "It hurts, be gentle. Ah, be gentle." Tears streamed down my face, and I woke up to a gray tent. I was lying on the bed, and when I turned my head, a man's large face was close to me, "You? Why is it you? Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Indeed. I was immediately drenched in cold sweat

"Little brother, I do not need your repayment, just get up quickly." I reached out to pull him, but as soon as I touched the injured area, I had to grit my teeth and endure the pain

Haha, among the onlookers, someone found it amusing. I turned my gaze towards the sound and saw a man of foreign descent with brown skin and eyes the color of the sky.

I do not know whether he, at such a young age, can understand what I have just said. I only saw him staring at me intently, and finally, he solemnly nodded and said: "Sister, I will listen to you. I will go home right now"

At this moment, several strong men rushed over, along with a young master dressed in splendid attire, pointing at the injured child, "It is him, beat him up!" The strong men approached, ready to take action.

Yun'er asked again: "Do you know, miss, that the horse which was later injured was the special steed used to transport lychees for the noble consort from Lingnan?"

Exiting through the back gate of the garden, we hired a carriage, and before long, we arrived at the bustling West Market in the city of Chang'an. The urban layout of Chang'an is rigorous and orderly, with the East Market and West Market located outside the imperial city, among which the West Market is particularly crowded with merchants, lined with taverns, and filled with brothels and dance halls, creating an extraordinary lively atmosphere

Listening to the various discussions, I seem to understand that this trivial matter is beyond my control; however, realizing this now is of no use.

The foreign man immediately replied: "It was I who asked her to go back and inform your family!"

"Was it you who saved me?" I felt somewhat confused and at a loss, only sensing a lingering pain in my back

"Because you have a great mother!" I paused for a moment and slowly said: "Everyone says that a prostitute has arms like jade for a thousand pillows, and lips like vermilion for ten thousand guests to taste. But who knows that although they greet guests with smiles on their faces, their hearts are weeping and bleeding? If it were not for necessity, who would willingly become a prostitute? Therefore, a wise person should only hate the clients; without the clients' desires, how could there be forced prostitution and selling oneself as a courtesan? Thus, first, prostitution is not shameful, and you need not feel embarrassed to face others because of it. On the contrary, you should feel proud to have such a mother who thinks only of you; second, you have a good father who does not play games or deceive your mother, but rather, risks great social condemnation to bring your mother into his home, which shows he is a person of affection, righteousness, and commitment. You should not blame your aunt and sister; they have not personally experienced the suffering involved, and some idle gossip is understandable. Third, your mother sells herself again so that you can study well and have a bright future. Therefore, do not harbor resentment towards anyone; just strive to improve yourself and continue the family legacy. Your sister believes that in the future, whether in civil or military affairs, you will certainly surpass ordinary people. The hardships of childhood are a touchstone; have you heard that a sword's edge comes from being sharpened?"

"Sister, I ran away from home, I don't want to go back!" said the little boy, pouting.

"No, no, I have no knowledge of location, storefront, or cuisine." The ability to envision while also conducting objective analysis and being willing to self-criticize is an essential quality of an outstanding marketing professional

Li Sheng, you will definitely become a remarkable man in the future! I said with full confidence

The most annoying thing is people like this. If you want to fight, then fight, but why insult someone's parents right from the start? It is understandable that children may not know the severity of their actions and that roughhousing is common among them. However, you are taking advantage of your numbers to bully smaller children, which seems unreasonable. If the parents of those children come to confront you later, and there is a lot of shouting back and forth, is it really worth making such a big deal out of something so trivial?

Upon exiting the inn and boarding the prepared carriage, I noticed the worried expressions on Yun'er and Lingling's faces. Yun'er remained silent for a while before finally speaking: "Miss, do you know which manor it was that struck you today?"

Ah, it is another member of the Yang family

Ah, this child learns quickly. I smiled slightly, "My sister's surname is Shen, and her name is Shen Xuefei"

"Sister, they say my mother is a prostitute, but my father is a descendant of the great general Li Jing, with both literary and martial prowess. How can we be inferior? Ever since he married my mother, he has been ridiculed, and his official career has suffered as well. After my father passed away, our family's situation became even more difficult. My aunt and sisters all say it is my mother's fault. Two days ago, my mother sold herself and left behind three hundred taels of silver. I escaped from home because I want to find my mother." Wailing, the little boy went from choking back tears to finally crying out loud.

Catch him, do not let him escape

Thank you for your rescue! I turned around and was about to leave when Xiao Lisheng stepped forward, bowing deeply, and said, "Lisheng requests to know the esteemed name of the elder sister"

I was lost in my own thoughts when suddenly I felt a bump against me

The boy raised his head, and I was indeed startled; his face was bruised and swollen, with blood at the corners of his mouth

But is there something difficult to say? Today, you and your sister have gone through hardships together, so whatever it is, just speak up! I have once again fallen into the habit of being overly concerned with fairness.

Sister, it was I who administered the medicine to you. Just now, this uncle wanted to give you the medicine, but I told him you are my sister, so the uncle gave the medicine to me instead and even explained the usage to me. It was I who applied it to you.

"Alright." After saying so much in one breath, I felt somewhat exhausted and gestured for Yun'er to help me outside. Looking up, I caught sight of the foreign man's gaze fixed intently on me, his eyes a mix of blue and green. I couldn't help but smile and bowed slightly, saying, "Today has indeed been chaotic, and I have yet to inquire about your esteemed title, but I will express my gratitude another day!"

My temper is easily ignited. "Alright, I will take charge of this matter today. Before you hit me, tell me, who are you? If you can't kill me, I will bring my dog to find you later!"

Those strong men seemed to think that what I said made sense, just as I was about to speak again, that young gentleman in splendid attire interrupted, "Who do you think you are? If you say another word, I'll take you down with the rest!"

Then let us engage in the business of women, but I still have not figured out how to use or identify the quality of rouge, powder, gold, silver, and jade ornaments. I might get deceived again... Forget it, forget it, this path is not viable.

Indeed, those who are currently rampant on the streets are either from the Yang family or the Cui family

This rascal has struck my young master, and we must teach this reckless little scoundrel a proper lesson