[To Become a River of Stars] Dong Xiange - Chapter 27
By the time they reached the shore, Shiliu had already added another entry to the mental ledger she kept in her heart.
Though Shiliu was known for remembering food but not punishment, her memory was actually quite sharp. If she chose to, she could recall every kindness and every slight with perfect clarity.
And the person before her was, without a doubt, the biggest villain she had encountered in her entire life.
When her senior brothers teased her, they might pretend to snatch her snacks, but as soon as she puffed up her cheeks and threatened to tattle to their master, they would laugh and return the treats, sometimes even giving her chubby cheeks an affectionate pinch. When her horse stance wavered during training, they would cover for her.
As for her master, though he made her copy endless texts as punishment, he always brought back the most interesting trinkets for her after his trips down the mountain.
But this despicable creature was fierce, annoying, loved to bully and torment her, and constantly found new ways to call her stupid.
Shiliu’s martial arts were average, her sword skills mediocre—her only point of pride was her mind. She was always the first to sniff out which senior brother had hidden something, and when it came to books, little Shiliu remembered them best of all.
Grudge, grudge, grudge, Shiliu resolved inwardly. This time, she would not forget the wrongs just because of a good meal.
That resolution lasted about as long as it takes an incense stick to burn. Soon, Shiliu was utterly captivated by the bustling, noisy market and couldn’t move another step.
Tongzi County was a rare confluence of several waterways in the north, attracting merchants from far and wide. Xianbei, Wuhuan, Uighur, Tartar—you could find them all here, a true gathering of the five northern tribes.
Today was market day, and the air was filled with chaotic, vibrant life.
Vendors argued over whose stall had encroached on whose territory, ox carts yelled for space to pass, an elderly man haggled over a less-than-fresh cabbage, insisting on two coins less, and a woman who had her backside pinched shrieked, “Which wretched, thousand-cuts scoundrel was it?”
But Shiliu’s soul was captured by the soup dumplings. When the large, round bamboo steamer was lifted, a billowing cloud of steam, rich with the scent of meat, rushed straight into her nostrils.
She could hardly move.
With one glance, Li Xuanci knew exactly what was going through her hopeless mind. He turned to leave, but Shiliu—who had just moments ago been mentally tallying his offenses—grabbed his sleeve.
“Let go.” He didn’t even need to look back to know it was her. He never liked physical contact, and Jin Zhan knew better than to cross that line.
“I want dumplings,” Shiliu said bluntly.
“No,” he replied tersely.
“Then I’m not moving.”
“Suit yourself.”
Truly, her natural nemesis.
If Shiliu hadn’t been broke, she would never have begged this tyrant. But her stomach was churning like an opera performance, so she had to yield temporarily and try a different approach.
“The best place to gather information is right here in the market. Isn’t that why you’re traveling incognito—to avoid all that tedious official talk?”
It was a valid point. Proud as he was, Li Xuanci was not unreasonable. He gave a slight nod to Jin Zhan, who dutifully produced the money pouch.
Delighted, Shiliu ordered a large steamer of dumplings. Seeing Li Xuanci standing far off, she reluctantly dragged him over, advising, “You’re scaring everyone away, standing there like a door god.”
Li Xuanci glanced at the willow-wood table and stools—clean enough—and reluctantly sat down.
With her payer secured, Shiliu no longer cared whether he was happy or not. She happily dug into the dumplings. The hot soup inside spurted out as she took a small bite, scalding her tongue.
Shiliu took her time wrestling with the steaming dumplings. The other customers at the stall had cycled through three rounds. At one point, an elderly woman bought soup dumplings to take home for her grandson. She seemed to be a regular, chatting casually with the vendor about how the city gates were closing early lately, so she had to hurry back.
Surrounded by strangers and trivial chatter, Li Xuanci grew visibly impatient. At any moment, it seemed he might draw his sword and cleave the tables and stools to splinters.
But Shiliu was in no hurry. In fact, when a street hawker passed by, she even picked up her bowl and went over to see what he had.
The hawker was sharp. Noticing their fine clothes, he eagerly approached, spreading out his wares: hairpins, floral ornaments, soapberry paste, needles, and threads.
Li Xuanci naturally disdained such trivialities. Shiliu glanced over the items and asked, “We’re heading to our nephew’s birthday. Do you have anything suitable to bring along?”
The hawker’s face showed a flicker of regret. “I did have some, but I haven’t been bringing them lately. If you’re willing to wait a moment, I can fetch them for you right away.”
“Why aren’t you carrying them?” Shiliu asked.
“Ah, who brings young children out on the streets these days? Even if they did, it’d just be a waste of space,” the hawker replied smoothly.
“What’s happened?” Shiliu asked naturally.
The hawker grew wary, switching to the local dialect. “You two aren’t from around here, are you?” When he noticed Shiliu struggling to understand, he switched back to the official language and brushed it off. “It’s just the changing weather—children get sick easily, so folks don’t bring them out.”
With that, he even lost enthusiasm for making a sale and soon moved on.
Shiliu slowly returned to the table. Li Xuanci was already standing, ready to leave. Jin Zhan left some copper coins, and they departed.
“Figured it all out, haven’t you?” Li Xuanci asked once they reached a quieter spot.
“You knew all along?” Shiliu didn’t want to tell him, preferring to let him stew in his own arrogance.
“It’s just the authorities rounding up young children to sacrifice to the river god. What’s so hard to guess?” He didn’t even raise an eyebrow, calmly revealing the answer.