Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard Chapter 41

Whoever Is Good To Me, Is Who I'll Be Good To

T/N: Chapter (2/6) sponsored by Madam Daim! Thank you so much for the continuous support and sponsoring so many chapters!

"This is something that has never been seen before, watch out, might even lose your life from eating!" That nitpicking woman from just now said.

She was actually a vendor selling fruits too. Seeing someone new come, she thus wanted to come bully.

Hong Jie gave that person a glance, and that woman immediately went silent. She coldly snorted once and went back to her own place.

"Hong Jie, coming again to buy fruits for the madam? Is the madam currently well?" The neighboring vendor recognized her and greeted with a smile.

"Yes." Hong Jie and that person seemed very familiar with one another. "My family's madam recently has been having really terrible morning sickness and wants to eat sour things. That's why we're here to buy fruits for her."

With that said, she accepted the tangerines from Du Xiao Li, broke off a piece for herself, and gave the rest to Xiao Cui. Xiao Cui ate a piece, and her eyes squeezed shut from the sourness, slowly returning to normal after great difficulty. She excitedly exclaimed, "Hong Jie, it's sour! It's sour!"

Hong Jie also felt a burst of happiness inside, saying: "It's indeed sour. Just, I've never seen this fruit before, don't know if madam will like or not."

"We'll know once we buy some back to try. If madam likes it, we can come back again and buy some more." Xiao Cui said.

Hong Jie also felt this idea was not bad, and without even asking for the price, said to Du Xiao Li, "Give us two catties."

Du Xiao Li had the two catties of tangerines separated into two shares and said, "Hong Jie, I separated the tangerines. This side is the sour ones, and this side is the sweeter ones. The total is twenty copper coins."

Xiao Cui accepted the fruits, and Hong Jie took out twenty copper coins and handed it to Du Xiao Li, saying: "Little miss is rather considerate. If madam likes them, we'll come back again to buy some more. Xiao Cui, let's go back first then."

"Both big sisters take care." Du Xiao Li waved her hand at the two of them. When they'd walked far, she turned and asked the man next to her, "Uncle, what kind of person is that Hong Jie?"

"That's the county magistrate's wife's personal servant girl. She often comes to buy fruits for the madam." The middle aged man said.

"No wonder she bought it without even asking for the price." Du Xiao Li said.

Han Ming Yi watched Du Xiao Li carry on intimately with both the vendors on the two sides. She also was able to sell tangerines like handling a butcher's knife with ease*. If not for knowing her capabilities, it was really very difficult to view her as a seven year old little girl. 

(*T/N: Idiom meaning able to do something skillfully and easily.)

When it was almost noon, Du Xiao Li decided to head back. With Han Ming Yi, this young master present, she didn't dare to stay too late, else it would be bad if she starved him.

"You're closing this early?" The uncle just now saw that Du Xiao Li was beginning to put the tangerines back into her basket and asked in surprise. They would all normally stay here for the whole day. 

"That's right, it's already noon, need to go back and eat." Du Xiao Li said.

At this time, Xiao Cui hastily ran over with two middle aged women. "Little miss, your tangerines, we want all of them!"

"Want all of them?" Du Xiao Li looked to her tangerines; there was still half a basket left. She didn't hear incorrectly, right?

Xiao Cui nodded her head and said, "Our family's madam ate your tangerines and liked it very much. That's why, we decided to buy them all."

"Oh." Du Xiao Li had the tangerines taken out again, left some, and had the rest placed into the large baskets that the two older women brought. Weighing it, it was a full twenty catties. 

Xiao Cui gave Du Xiao Li the money and said, "Little miss, are you also coming tomorrow?" 

Du Xiao Li turned and looked to Han Ming Yi, and said, "I won't be coming tomorrow, need to wait a few days before coming. The remaining tangerines on the trees can only be eaten after a few day."

"Our madam said, if you come, first deliver some over to our madam. Naturally we won't give you any less money." Xiao Cui said, and then lead the other two away.

Up until now, Du Xiao Li was still somewhat amidst the clouds. She turned around and looked to Han Ming Yi, excitedly saying, "Big brother Yi, I sold it all, I actually sold all of it! Haha!"

She was actually already prepared to not sell a single one today, but unexpectedly, she met such a big client on her first day, and they even freely advertised for her. To say she wasn't moved was a lie. Now that these tangerines have been acknowledged, her tangerine orchard plan can be carried out!

Seeing Du Xiao Li this happy, the corner of Han Ming Yi's mouth unknowingly raised, "Not bad."

After putting the cloth into the basket, the group left the fruit market. Leng Yi had the horse carriage driven over and said, "Young master, are we directly going back?"

"Are we directly going back, or eat first, then go back?" Han Ming Yi looked to Du Xiao Li and asked.

"I want to go see big brother." Du Xiao Li said.

"To the school." Han Ming Yi ordered.

Leng Er drove the horse carriage to the school. When they arrived, Du Xiu Heng had just gotten out of class. Han Ming Yi then decided to take the siblings to a nearby restaurant to eat.

"Xiu Heng, then I'll go buy lunch at the dining hall." Zhang Rui, who'd came out with Du Xiu Heng, said.

"Big brother Zhang Rui, let's eat together." Du Xiao Li said, "Big brother Yi, is it okay?"

Du Xiu Heng had often mentioned how much Zhang Rui took care of him at school when he went home, so Du Xiao Li wanted to invite him for food sometime as way of thanking him.

Han Ming Yi didn't speak, thus tacitly agreeing.

While the group ate, Du Xiao Li told Du Xiu Heng about how she'd sold the tangerines. Hearing that the tangerines actually sold for almost seven hundred copper coins, Du Xiu Heng was also very happy.

"Younger sister Xiao Li is really impressive!" Zhang Rui praised.

He knew that the money for Du Xiu Heng to come to the school and study was all earned by Du Xiao Li. Every time he went back, she would let Du Xiu Heng bring some things from the mountains for everyone. Sometimes, even he envied him for having such a good younger sister. 

Sometimes when he chatted with Du Xiu Heng, whenever he hears him say how much his younger sister has done for him, and in the future, he'll definitely have to pass the imperial exam and let his younger sister also live good days with himself, and so on and so on, he would just think how nice it would be if he also had such a relationship.

"Big brother Zhang Rui, big brother always say you often take care of him in school, so thank you." Du Xiao Li said.

"Haha, you're already calling me big brother, and Xiu Heng also addresses me as older brother, taking care of him is only natural. Besides, Xiu Heng also frequently takes care of me." Zhang Rui said with a laugh.

"That's right, big brother, I saved some tangerines. Later, you all can take them back to school to eat. However, it's a bit sour, if you want to eat sweeter ones, then need to wait a period of time." Du Xiao Li said.

"Okay." Du Xiu Heng nodded.

Han Ming Yi quietly ate his food to the side, all the way until they finished, not saying a single word. 

After they finished eating, Du Xiao Li had Du Xiu Heng sent back to the school before parting. And after she got back on the horse carriage, Leng Er said with smile, "You're not just ordinarily good to your big brother!"

"Of course! That's my big brother!" Du Xiao Li said with a laugh. To be able to have such a relationship in this life, she very much thanked the heavens, so naturally she would properly cherish it.

"Then what about us?" Leng Er suddenly asked.

"Whoever is good to me, is who I'll be good to. And whoever provokes me, my tolerance is very little!" Du Xiao Li said.

"Just like your eldest aunt?" Leng Er asked, "When will her leg finally heal?"

"After a few days." Du Xiao Li was unwilling to talk about Cui-shi, so she pulled open the window curtains to look at the scenery outside.

Han Ming Yi stared at the side of her face, his mind continuously replayed her words just now, 'Whoever is good to me, is who I'll be good to'. Thinking, if it was because he'd kicked her that one time, that's why she wasn't as close with himself like as with Leng Er? 

Returning from the county seat, they needed to pass by a small river. When the horse carriage arrived near the little bridge, Du Xiao Li suddenly made Leng Er stop the carriage. The horse carriage thus stopped at the head of the bridge.

Just then, several men in black suddenly jumped out from the water, surrounding their horse carriage.

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