Chapter 2, The Strange Young Master

"Little dead post, your eyes light up at the sight of money," Xiao Sui said, pouting her pink lips.

Indeed, what the young master said is exactly what this humble servant has been thinking. Xiao Sui'er could no longer contain herself.

"Xiaomi Er, what do you think the young master is doing?" Two days later, Xiao Sui Er could no longer hold back and asked.

"It's nothing, isn't it that I, Xiao Sui, am here? Stop rambling, here are twenty wen, go to the City God Temple and buy some food, and wait for us obediently."

But madam instructed to follow the young master, " Xiao Zhuzi hesitated.

Since arriving in this era, for Wang Feng, a man lacking ambition, grand plans are certainly absent. However, it is still necessary to make small plans for future life. In later years, Wang Feng becomes a person with a strong sense of bourgeois sentiment, but he struggles with financial constraints. Occasionally, he scrimps and saves, losing weight over half a month, yet he still wants to take his girlfriend, who shares the same sentiment, to upscale cafes or bars for a day or two of leisure. Now that he is here, he is unsure if there is coffee to drink, but since his family is so wealthy, it would be nice to try out some new experiences.

Su Jin and Xiao Sui sat inside the car, lifting the curtain to look outside. The further they went in, the livelier and more prosperous the market became. On both sides of the street, shops were lined up in succession, selling a variety of goods, far exceeding Su Jin's imagination

Su Jinqing was fortunate that the situation was not so dire. After all, he had taken over the body of a wealthy second-generation heir from a prominent family. The Su family was one of the four major wealthy families in Luzhou City. If he had ended up in the body of a beggar, it would have been utterly heartbreaking. To travel all the way to the Song Dynasty just to scavenge for leftovers to fill his stomach—such a life would be exceedingly tragic

"The young master can go wherever he wishes; you just need to follow and protect him. As long as you ensure he is not bullied by idle people, that will suffice," Madam Wang instructed Xiaosui and the young servant accompanying them.

After turning at a bustling intersection, beneath a large locust tree to the south of the road, a white cloth banner was displayed, inscribed with the four black characters "Su Ji Cloth Shop" in gold. Xiao Sui pointed delicately and said, "Young Master, we have arrived. I will go to greet the shopkeeper."

Fitness is not achieved in a day. Su Jin understands that one cannot be impatient. Methods such as running, pull-ups, and push-ups require persistence; although one may not necessarily develop a muscular physique, strengthening the body is certainly attainable. The spring days are long, and after early morning exercises, Su Jin finds herself with nothing to do for the entire day, which leaves her feeling stifled. She refuses to write or read; her mind is filled with the complexities of classical Chinese, having learned a great deal about ancient texts in her later studies. Now, upon encountering these vertically arranged texts from left to right, her head feels like it might explode. The long spring days leave her with nothing to do after her morning exercises, which stifles her even more. She is unwilling to write or read, and her mind is cluttered with the intricacies of classical Chinese, having studied ancient literature extensively in her later academic pursuits. Now, when she sees these vertically arranged texts from left to right, it feels overwhelming.

Madam Wang is extremely supportive of Su Jin going out for a stroll. She has noticed that her son has become much more cheerful and lively recently, which brings her greater joy than the previous silent and reticent son who resembled her deceased husband. Madam Wang herself is an open-minded person. The Su family is large and prosperous, and whether her son studies or not is fundamentally unimportant. Would he abandon such a vast family business to pursue an official position? Should she, as a woman, be left to uphold the family business forever?

"Ask if you must." Since the young master regained consciousness from his coma, many things have felt off to Xiao Sui'er. Previously, he was taciturn, often absorbed in reading and practicing calligraphy. Now, however, he doesn't even pick up a brush throughout the day and is willing to converse with both her and Xiao Mi'er. Yet, there is an underlying sense that something is amiss, though Xiao Sui'er cannot quite articulate what that feeling is.

I heard Aunt Zhang and the others in the kitchen laugh while covering their mouths whenever this matter was mentioned, which is truly strange said Xiao Sui, tilting her head

One after another, there were rice shops, fabric stores, tea houses, restaurants, pharmacies, antique shops, and pawnshops, along with various street stalls selling sugar figurines, pancakes, snacks, and more, leaving Su Jin dazzled and immensely excited

"Stop talking, why don't you go ask the young master yourself?" Xiaomi, who is a year older than Xiaosui, seems to understand a bit more than Xiaosui, and with a toss of her hairpin, she ran away with a flushed face

"I... I don't know." Xiaomi'er said, her face slightly flushed

The two got out of the car, and Xiaosu said: "Xiaozhu, you drive the car to the City God Temple in the West City and wait for us there. I will accompany the young master to stroll over." In front of these young servants, Xiaosu displayed a commanding presence akin to that of a big sister.

Xiao Sui is a child with a naturally greedy appetite, while Su Jin is trying these ancient snacks for the first time. These exquisite and delicious treats are irresistible to him. The two of them, struggling with full bellies and burping, still have unfinished snacks in their small cloth bags, yet they find themselves unable to continue.

Su Jin smiled brightly at Xiao Sui'er and said, "You really know how to do favors, generously using others' kindness. I fear that on ordinary days, Xiao Zhuzi and the others must be flattering you quite a bit."

Xiao Sui stuck out her tongue silently, and the two of them crossed the street to arrive at the store entrance. The store itself was quite spacious, but both inside and outside, it was deserted, which was in stark contrast to the bustling crowd on the street.

With a renewed spirit, Su Jin decided to take a look at their own enterprise. Nodding in agreement, the two of them followed the crowd, clutching their stomachs as they moved forward

Su Jin was almost certain that it was because she, being useless, did not know how to spend money, which led Madam Wang to appoint Xiao Sui to manage the finances. When they went out, it was also Xiao Sui who followed to handle the payments

The Su family members looked on in astonishment as Su Jin got up early every morning, wearing pajamas and running laps in the garden. The pajamas of this era were loose and smooth, quite comfortable for sleeping. However, once she started running and began to sweat, they clung to her body, making it extremely uncomfortable. Moreover, the half-silk, half-cotton fabric was quite transparent, revealing certain parts of her body, which made the two maids standing by feel quite embarrassed.

Su Jin remained noncommittal regarding Xiao Sui's question about her lying on the ground with her bottom rising and falling. She initially intended to tease the girl, but seeing that the little one had not yet fully developed, with her chest only slightly protruding like two small buns, she felt a sense of guilt in her heart about speaking in such a manner to a child.

Wang Feng's first thought was fitness. His body was too frail; although his frame was relatively well-proportioned and his appearance was decent, the sickly and weak demeanor was truly displeasing to Wang Feng. Thus, he began to formulate a fitness plan

The two strolled leisurely along the street, and Su Jin found everything to be novel. They bought and ate whatever food they encountered. Before long, their stomachs were filled to the brim with various delicacies such as fried pancakes, bean cakes, glutinous rice cakes, sesame balls, rock beans, colorful candies, lychee syrup, compressed sugar, and five-colored candies, leaving them feeling uncomfortably full.

"Young Master, just ahead is our own shop. Why don't we go in, take a rest, and have a cup of tea before we continue on our way?" Xiao Sui'er pointed towards the street corner ahead.

Strangely enough, this young master, after finishing his run, insists on pulling himself up by a bamboo pole tied to a tree trunk, hanging in mid-air, and only stops when he has exerted himself to the point of turning red in the face and straining his neck

An even more embarrassing posture is not this; the young master, after finishing with the bamboo pole, is still lying on the ground, his buttocks rising and falling, seemingly unaware of what he is doing. Exhausted and drenched in sweat, he only stops after reaching this state.

"Little pillar, let's get off and walk. What is the point of shopping by car?" Su Jin said

The early death of my father is not necessarily a bad thing. This way, apart from my doting mother, I become a little tyrant myself, a wealthy second-generation rich kid with no one to manage me. If such an identity were placed in later generations, it would undoubtedly be a striking flower that attracts all kinds of attention.

Su Jin smiled as she grabbed her arm and said, "Making such a big deal out of it, are we rolling out the red carpet? We are here to take a break, not to disrupt the business"

Su Jin smiled and said, "No need, no need, this is very good. I was just joking with you."

Upon seeing the money, the little pillar no longer hesitated, cheerfully accepted twenty wen, greeted Su Jin, and rode away with a flick of the whip

Xiao Sui'er's face turned red as she said: "Young Master, you have teased the little maid. The Madam has mentioned that your expenses and finances are managed by me, and you only need to report the accounts monthly; otherwise, Young Master can manage the expenses himself."

After wandering aimlessly at home for a few days, Su Jin could no longer sit still. He wanted to go out for a stroll, as he might have to live in this era for the rest of his life. What joy could there be in staying cooped up at home? Moreover, how could one waste the beautiful time of April in spring?

The green mule cart, clattering along, turned from the small alley in the East City onto the main road, heading deeper into the bustling market of Luzhou's main street.