Chapter 43: Seeking Protection

Chapter 43: Came to Seek Protection

It wasn't quite right to say they'd taken his spot—the man's stall wasn't directly in front of the paper and ink shop, just very close to it.

Even so, Wen Xi still felt a bit put out.

If the man were selling something else, it wouldn't have mattered, but he too was setting up a stall to write couplets. Wasn't this obviously trying to steal their business?

Only one or two people in town wrote couplets. Could this be the infamous Third Liu everyone talked about?

Wen Xi gave the stall owner a good once-over. He looked about the same age as Yan Fengan, was wearing a patched gray padded jacket, was skinny, and had a bruise at the corner of his mouth.

Wen Xi didn't know any Third Liu, but he knew a longtime bully wouldn't have that kind of pathetic, cowardly vibe.

He gave Yan Fengan's sleeve a little tug and murmured, "This isn't that scholar Third Liu's been bullying, is it?"

Pretty much. Yan Fengan whispered back, "That's about right."

With that, he gave the scholar a cool glance. When the man saw the two of them, he froze for a moment, then lowered his head and hastily tidied his table, showing how guilty he felt.

The shop wasn't open yet, and without a table they couldn't set up either. Wen Xi and Yan Fengan didn't say a word, just stood there watching him.

Even though neither of them looked threatening, Chen Jiwen's scalp still prickled. He held out for a bit, but couldn't take it anymore. Then, blushing, he silently moved his table toward the corner at the end of the street—not out of their sight, but far enough away.

Shopkeeper Zhou opened up on time. Seeing the young couple both staring that way, he craned his neck to see what they were looking at.

Yan Fengan asked to confirm, "Is he the one who had that run-in with Third Liu a few days ago?"

Shopkeeper Zhou nodded. "That's him. I thought he wouldn't dare set up again, but here he is. His family must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel."

Wen Xi asked, "Is his family that badly off?"

Shopkeeper Zhou sighed. "His mom's blind and his dad's got consumption. How could they not be? He probably saw you two set up here yesterday and saw Third Liu didn't dare cause trouble, so he came up with this scheme to ride on Scholar Yan's coattails and earn a bit for food and firewood."

Wen Xi's earlier discomfort slowly faded as Shopkeeper Zhou spoke. If the scholar weren't truly desperate, he wouldn't have resorted to this.

Yan Fengan glanced at the figure hunched in the cold wind and said to Shopkeeper Zhou, "If he wants protection, he should just say so. What's with slipping away in a panic without a word?"

"Well... he's probably too shy to ask."

Yan Fengan shook his head, went into Shopkeeper Zhou's shop, and grabbed a table, setting up his own stall as well.

Yesterday he worked his tail off writing couplets all day, and then Zhao Gengnian made ten times what an ordinary couplet costs with just one. Today Yan Fengan wanted to do something different.

He took out a full sheet of red paper and wrote out a very clear price list on it.

1. Standard: Ordinary red paper couplets, ten wen each (Note: content can't be customized, may repeat, includes paper and ink).

2. Refined: Gold-flecked red paper couplets, one hundred fifty wen each (Note: can include custom names and content, includes paper and ink).

3. Premium: Vermilion wax paper or double red paper couplets, three hundred wen each (Note: can include custom names and content. Ink made with pine soot ink and bronze gold powder).

There were other fancier, pricier papers, but since they weren't sold in town, Yan Fengan didn't bother listing them.

Wen Xi's mind wandered. He'd already seen what Yan Fengan could do yesterday and knew his couplets could fetch such high prices. If he could sell just one vermilion wax paper couplet today, wouldn't that match yesterday's whole take?

Wen Xi secretly started hoping his husband would write more expensive couplets—that way he wouldn't tire himself out, and they'd earn more.

Shopkeeper Zhou glanced at the list and said in surprise, "I didn't know you had it in you, Scholar Yan. If I'd known you could do name-embedded couplets, I'd have had you write me one ages ago."

Yan Fengan smiled and said, "It's not too late now. So, you want one? If you want, I'll write you one at a discount."

Shopkeeper Zhou laughed too. "Then write me one. No discount needed—just do me a small favor."

Yan Fengan raised an eyebrow. "What favor?"

Shopkeeper Zhou glanced down the street and sighed. "That Chen kid is really pitiful. Could you do him a favor and let him set up next to you?"

Yan Fengan stayed quiet, neither saying yes nor no. Shopkeeper Zhou went on, "I probably shouldn't say this, but I see you're doing fancy couplets today. If you could let some of the regular couplet customers go his way, it shouldn't hurt your business."

"Of course, I'm just suggesting. If you don't want to, that's fine. But I still want that name-embedded couplet."

Being a businessman, Shopkeeper Zhou knew how the world worked. Scholar Yan's here to make money, not do charity—why should he hand over his business? So if Yan Fengan said no, Shopkeeper Zhou would think it was only natural.

They weren't even related, so why was Shopkeeper Zhou helping him? Wen Xi found it a bit strange. "Is Shopkeeper Zhou related to him?"

The question made Shopkeeper Zhou chuckle wryly. "If he were my relative, I couldn't just stand by and watch him get bullied like that. We're just fellow townsfolk, so I figured I'd help where I could. His dad used to haul loads in town, unloading goods for the shops. He's helped out at my shop a few times too. Over time, I got to know his family situation. That kid's really filial—just weak and soft-hearted. Otherwise he wouldn't have let Third Liu push him around like that."

Hearing this, Wen Xi felt sorry for Chen Jiwen too. But sympathy was sympathy—he wouldn't try to influence Yan Fengan's decision.

Yan Fengan didn't beat around the bush. After a moment's thought, he said, "It's not a no, but if he sets up next to me, I take a cut. Go tell him—if he's okay with it, have him come talk to me himself."

Once he'd loosened up, there was a real chance. Shopkeeper Zhou said, "Okay, okay, I'll go get him right now."

Shopkeeper Zhou hurried down the street, bent over, and said something to Chen Jiwen. The man jumped up in a fluster, then followed Shopkeeper Zhou over.

He stood in front of Yan Fengan and Wen Xi, his face bright red, head down, both hands twisting his tattered cotton jacket. His lips quivered for a moment before he spoke. "Scholar Yan... Yan's husband... I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take your business."

Yan Fengan and Wen Xi watched him in silence. Chen Jiwen said again in a small voice, "You're a scholar, so Third Liu wouldn't dare mess with you. This town's big, but the only way he won't smash my stall is if I set up near you."

Yan Fengan looked at the bruise on his lip and asked, "He smashed your stall and beat you—didn't the town patrol step in?"

"The patrol captain drinks with him all the time and figures it's better to just let things slide. He insisted we had a fight over customers and said I threw punches too, so the whole thing just got dropped."

Thinking about it, Chen Jiwen's eyes went red with anger.

Yan Fengan sighed. He knew the type. These local small fry were sometimes more trouble than the officials at the county office.

Seeing how pitiful Chen Jiwen looked, Yan Fengan didn't say much else and got straight to the point. "You want to set up next to me? That's not a no, but I take a cut. For every couplet you write, you pay me one wen. Letters home and fortune characters don't count."

Chen Jiwen blinked. "One wen?"

"Don't tell me one wen is too much for you?" Wen Xi's eyes went wide. If someone gave him this chance, he'd pay three or four wen, let alone one.

Chen Jiwen shook his head over and over. "No, no, that's not too much at all. Thank you, Scholar Yan, Yan's husband, for your help."

He'd figured Yan Fengan would take at least half as commission. Who knew he'd only ask for one wen? That was basically letting him set up for free.

Chen Jiwen was so grateful he didn't know what to say besides thank you.

It was Shopkeeper Zhou who spoke up. "Since it's settled, what are you waiting for? Go move your table over here, you silly kid."

"Oh, oh, I'm on it."

By the time Chen Jiwen had his stall set up, Yan Fengan was already writing Shopkeeper Zhou's name-embedded couplet. Chen Jiwen glanced at the price list and was taken aback—he wondered when his writing would ever be worth as much as Scholar Yan's.

Shopkeeper Zhou provided the paper and ink himself, and he'd been so accommodating, so in the end, Yan Fengan only charged him a qian of silver.

As Shopkeeper Zhou pasted the couplet on his door, Yan Fengan picked up his brush and crossed out the "Standard" line on his price list.

Since Chen Jiwen had set up his stall beside him, Yan Fengan stopped writing couplets on cinnabar red paper.

Shopkeeper Zhou's couplets were also written on gold-splashed red paper, a high-quality paper that wouldn't fade over time. When pasted on pillars and hit by sunlight, they shimmered and sparkled, really eye-catching.

Passersby couldn't help but stop and admire them, praising Yan Fengan for his beautiful handwriting.

There were also those who thought the price was too high.

"No matter how good-looking it is, it won't put food on the table. Selling a couplet for a hundred to two hundred wen—that's way too expensive."

"Couplets on vermilion wax paper cost three hundred wen—isn't that a rip-off? The paper's expensive, but not that expensive!"

Wen Xi couldn't stand anyone badmouthing Yan Fengan and was about to retort when someone in the crowd chimed in, "Oh, you clueless rubes, if you don't get it, just keep quiet. The price is clearly marked, unlike Third Liu, who strong-arms people into buying. If you think it's too pricey, then don't buy it!"

"This isn't your ordinary couplet—haven't you noticed that Scholar Yan worked Shopkeeper Zhou's name into the couplet itself? Ask anyone in town who else can do that!"

"True enough! If I had the money, I'd buy one of those couplets too—how much face it'd give me at my door."

"Come on, you can't even bring yourself to buy meat, and you're talking about buying couplets? Look, that one over there for ten wen is more your speed. Go buy it."

The man glanced at Yan Fengan, then at Chen Jiwen: "Scholar Yan, you're not writing regular couplets anymore?"

"No, too many customers, and I can't handle it all by myself. I've got a helper today—if anyone needs one, they can see him over there." Yan Fengan gestured toward Chen Jiwen.

Chen Jiwen wasn't new to setting up a stall and knew Yan Fengan was sending customers his way. He quickly said, "I'll throw in a free 'fu' character with each couplet. Ten wen with red paper included, or eight wen if you bring your own paper."

The crowd pursed their lips in disappointment—they'd all come specifically for Yan Fengan, only to find he wasn't writing anymore.

The man eyed Chen Jiwen critically: "Write one out first so I can take a look. If the handwriting's bad or the content's no good, I won't take it."

Chen Jiwen immediately stood up, laid out the paper, and dipped his brush in ink. In no time, he'd finished a couplet.

The man glanced at it and said, "The handwriting's okay, I guess. Scholar Yan, can you take a look and tell me if the content's any good?"

Yan Fengan read it carefully: "It's quite good—clearly the work of a well-read man."

Only then, satisfied, did the man pay up.

After that first sale, more and more people started coming to Chen Jiwen for couplets.

Seeing that no one was at Yan Fengan's stall, Wen Xi let out a soft sigh and worried, "What if nobody comes to buy the expensive couplets?"

Yan Fengan reached over and smoothed the frown between Wen Xi's brows: "Who says no one? Isn't Shopkeeper Zhou a buyer? I've already made a qian of silver."

Oh, right—Wen Xi stole a glance at Shopkeeper Zhou. If just one more person bought a high-priced couplet, Yan Fengan would earn what he made yesterday.

"It's still early, don't worry. Once more people pass by, someone will come."

Many shops had only just opened; news couldn't spread that fast. It'd take at least an hour or two.

Yan Fengan had expected all this. He reached out and touched the colorful hair tie on Wen Xi's head: "Didn't you and the sisters-in-law make some hair accessories yesterday? Why don't you set them out and sell them?"

Wen Xi smiled sheepishly: "I forgot."

He took the hair ties out of his cloth bag and laid them out. Soon, a little girl in a green padded jacket came over, dragging her mother along.

"Mother, these hair ties are so pretty—buy me one!"

The woman leaned in, rummaged through, and picked up a red tie, checking the craftsmanship and feeling the beads: "How much is this one?"

The beaded hair ties went for ten wen in the county town, so Wen Xi set the same price.

"Can you go any cheaper? Eight wen, how about it?"

"I really can't do eight wen. Look, the beads and silk thread I use are top-quality—ten wen is already a low price."

The woman was reluctant to part with her money and pulled the child along as she walked: "Come on, Mother will buy you candied hawthorn up ahead. This is too dear—we don't need it."

"No, no, I want this one!" The girl clutched the red tie, refusing to let go, and planted herself in front of the stall.

The mother, worn down by her persistence, finally shelled out ten wen for the tie.

Wen Xi pretended not to notice her displeasure and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, when you tie your daughter's hair at home, don't pull the thread too tight. These ties are well-made—as long as you don't cut them with a knife or burn them, they'll last until next New Year."

Hearing this, the woman's expression finally relaxed.

No sooner had the mother and daughter left than a young man of about fourteen or fifteen, not yet married, approached with bright eyes fixed on the colorful tie in Wen Xi's hair: "That tie in your hair is gorgeous—how much is one?"

Wen Xi pointed to the ties on his stall: "You've got a good eye, young sir. This kind is braided from five silk threads with two glass beads added. If you'd like one, I'll sell it to you for twenty-five wen."

The young man picked one up and examined it, quite pleased: "Twenty-five wen isn't bad. If I buy it, could you tie it for me?"

"Of course." Wen Xi took the tie, had the young man sit on the stool, and pulled out a wooden comb to redo his hair.

He hadn't originally planned to bring a comb, but as he was leaving, he remembered he'd be selling hair accessories today and went back inside to grab it.

It turned out to be just what he needed.

Wen Xi was decent at simple buns and soon had the tie fastened in the young man's hair.

There was no mirror around, so the young man felt his hair with one hand and asked, "Does it look good?"

"Very good." Afraid it might sound perfunctory, Wen Xi added, "With skin like jade and brows like willow, you make my tie look even more elegant."

That was a compliment Yan Fengan had once paid him, and Wen Xi had tucked it away, now trotting it out.

The young man's cheeks flushed at the praise: "You sure know how to talk. Give me another single-strand one—I'll switch them out."

Wen Xi picked out a pink one for him and, seeing no other customers around, added, "This can be worn not just as a hair tie but also as a bracelet—just wrap it twice and tie a loose knot."

The young man's eyes lit up, and he extended his slender wrist: "Really? Then put it on me and let me see."

Wen Xi sized up the young man's wrist, and with a few deft flicks of his fingers, turned the tie into a bracelet.

"There you go—try the fit."

After putting it on, the young man shook his wrist, heard the beads clink, and was thoroughly pleased. Without a second thought, he paid up.

After he left happily, a few more people came to Wen Xi's stall, asking either for hair ties or braided bracelets.

Yan Fengan sat by the table, chin propped on his hand, his gaze quiet and tender resting on the busy Wen Xi.

Wen Xi was different when doing business—neither timid nor awkward, as if he radiated light.

The one who once couldn't even shout out a call now chatted easily with customers—what remarkable progress.

Though he still carried a hint of naivety and shyness in his speech, compared to before, he'd been utterly transformed.

Feeling the unique charm Wen Xi exuded, Yan Fengan's heart swelled with an indescribable joy.

When Wen Xi's hair ties sold out, Yan Fengan's side also had a customer.

It was Shopkeeper Luo from the town's cloth shop. His young son had just come home with a colorful hair tie, saying that a scholar was writing some fancy couplets there and insisted that he go take a look.

Shopkeeper Luo, worn down by his son and realizing he hadn't yet found someone to write this year's couplets, decided to go check it out.

To his surprise, the scholar turned out to be an acquaintance.

Yan Fengan had bought several bolts of cloth from his shop before, and Shopkeeper Luo hadn't forgotten. He greeted him with a cupped-fist salute, then requested an embedded-character couplet from Yan Fengan, using gold-speckled paper.

With nothing else to do, Wen Xi stood by Yan Fengan's side, helping grind ink and take the money.

At the price of one hundred fifty wen, the cloth shop owner didn't even bargain. He paid one qian of silver, then counted out fifty copper coins.

Wen Xi pocketed the money, and two shallow dimples appeared on his cheeks.

This Shopkeeper Luo was a real character. He was very pleased with what Yan Fengan had written, and on his way back to the cloth shop, he showed it off to everyone he ran into, which lured the rice shop and tea house owners to come seek couplets from Yan Fengan as well.

That day, including Shopkeeper Zhou's, Yan Fengan wrote six embedded-character couplets and one special vermilion wax-paper couplet. After subtracting the cost of paper and ink, he cleared about a thousand wen—more than what he and Wen Xi had made together the day before.

By mid-afternoon, they packed up their stall again.

Chen Jiwen's home was in town, so he wasn't in a hurry to close up. From morning till now, he'd written twenty-five couplets in all. Seeing Yan Fengan about to leave, he quickly counted out twenty-five copper coins and handed them over.

Yan Fengan counted out ten wen from the pile: "Think of these ten wen as you buying me a drink. I probably won't be coming back in the future. You'd better figure out how to handle Third Liu, or else your business still won't be able to thrive."

Chen Jiwen nodded gratefully: "Thanks, Scholar Yan. Got it."

With those ten wen, Yan Fengan bought candied hawthorn sticks for the two children at home, and then went to the jewelry shop to buy a bronze mirror for Wen Xi.

It was only earlier, when those young men were getting their hair tied, that Yan Fengan suddenly realized their room was also short a mirror.

With a mirror, it'd be easier for Wen Xi to get ready every day.

Leaving the town, the two walked home hand in hand. Wen Xi asked him, "Why aren't you coming tomorrow? New Year's is still a few days away."

Yan Fengan smiled slightly: "Of course, it's 'cause your husband's lazy. Setting up a stall every day is a drag. I've made over a thousand wen these past two days, and that's plenty."

Wen Xi murmured, "Who ever complains about making too much money?"

Yan Fengan swung their clasped hands: "You little money-grubber, don't you worry. Even if I don't set up a stall, the money that's meant for me will still come."

His name had already gotten around these past two days, so why bother coming to town to freeze his butt off? If anyone really wanted him to write couplets, they could find him at home.

All he had to do was wait.