BYBOTE Chapter 44: Lou Fei's Delimma

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Uncle Jing had been a shopkeeper for over 30 years and had experience in various industries before managing the pharmacy. He was knowledgeable and trustworthy. Since both the pharmacy and the shop for sale were on the same street, he was the best person to ask.

When they explained their idea, Uncle Jing asked, "Do you plan to run a business yourselves or just rent it out?"

"For now, we plan to rent it out," Xi Yanqing said.

Uncle Jing stroked his beard. "The location is good, but the shop is a bit small. If you rent it out, you’ll make six or seven taels a year. It’s a good deal, but buying property is a big decision. If I were you, I’d also ask Boss Shi for his opinion."

"Shi Shi?"

"That's right. Boss Shi is knowledgeable and well-versed in business. If he suggests you buy something, you can trust his judgment." Uncle Jing smiled. "I can see that both Boss Shi and my young master have a good impression of you. If you go to them, they will surely give you solid advice."

"We just left from there," Luo Fei said with a smile. "But it seems like we'll have to make another trip back."

Since it was in the same town and not far away, Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing treated it as a stroll.

Li Siyuan was still praising Luo Fei for being thoughtful when he unexpectedly returned so soon. Of course, he welcomed them and instructed his butler to prepare some tea while chatting with Luo Fei and his group.

Shi Shi was a man of few words, mostly listening quietly. When he heard that Xi Yanqing and Luo Fei wanted to buy a shop, he said, "That shop used to sell cosmetics and perfumes. The owner’s husband passed away years ago, and she has been managing it alone. However, she recently remarried and is likely selling the shop to move south with her new husband."

"Yes, I’ve heard about that." Li Siyuan cradled the little Changle, who was sleeping soundly in his arms. "Staying here always invites gossip. It’s good that Sister Zuo is leaving."

"You can buy the shop, but you should act quickly and discuss it with the owner, or you might lose the opportunity." After all, 110 taels was not a high price for that shop, and given its prime location, Xi Yanqing was unlikely to be the only interested buyer. "It's still early. If you want to buy it, I can go with you to check it out."

"Then we’ll trouble you, Brother Shi."

Seeing Luo Fei's enthusiasm, Xi Yanqing decided to make the purchase.

He had already inspected the shop inside and out. Though it was only about 17 to 18 square meters in total, the layout was decent, and it had potential. Even if they didn't open a business there, they could rent it out and sell it later at a profit, given its excellent location.

When Xi Yanqing and Luo Fei arrived at the shop again, just as Shi Shi had predicted, two other groups had come to inquire, both interested in buying. However, when these people saw Shi Shi, they suddenly stopped talking and respectfully asked, "Boss Shi, are you also planning to buy this shop?"

The person who asked looked disheartened, as if they were dreading Shi Shi’s answer.

However, Shi Shi did not say yes. But the person's expression did not improve much either because what Shi Shi said was, "I’m not buying it, but my friend here is."

Upon hearing this, the shop owner, who had been considering lowering the price to 100 taels, immediately said, "Oh, so this young man is a friend of Boss Shi? In that case, I can only sell it to him."

Someone protested, "Why? We were here first! Can't we just buy it at the asking price?"

The shop owner replied, "Boss Shi and Young Master Li once saved my life, so I must prioritize them. Besides, this young man came before you. If we’re talking about who was first, it’s him."

She hadn't expected that this couple would actually know Shi Shi and return so soon. If she had known, she wouldn't have wasted time negotiating with the others.

Realizing they had no chance, the two groups left. After they were gone, Xi Yanqing said apologetically, "Madam, we hadn’t planned on buying a shop when we left home today, so we don’t have enough silver on hand. Could we leave a deposit for now?"

The shop owner replied readily, "Of course. Since you’re friends of Boss Shi, you don’t even need to leave a deposit. I won’t be leaving for another three days—just bring the money within that time." She suddenly chuckled.

"What’s so funny, Sister Zuo?" Shi Shi asked.

"I was just thinking about how I had planned to ask you to help me sell this shop if I couldn’t find a buyer within two days. I promised my husband I would leave in three days, and in this town, the only people I trust are you and Young Master Li." She sighed. "I should have sold this shop long ago, but I was reluctant to part with it. I never thought the buyer would end up being someone you know."

"Well, that works out. You can come visit anytime."

"I don’t think that will happen. Once I leave, I don’t plan on coming back. Otherwise, I wouldn’t need to sell the shop." She stood up and said apologetically, "Alright, Boss Shi, Brother Xi, let’s finalize this deal for now. I still have things to pack, so I can’t entertain you any longer."

"We’ve already taken up too much of your time. Thank you for doing us this favor."

"It was the right thing to do," she said with a smile, then saw them out. True to her word, she didn't take a single coin as a deposit.

Xi Yanqing had genuinely intended to leave some money, but he and Luo Fei hadn’t brought enough, never expecting to make such a big purchase today. Honestly, it all still felt a bit like a dream.

As they bid Shi Shi farewell, Luo Fei started to say, "Tomorrow—"

Before he could finish, Shi Shi made a silent gesture.

Xi Yanqing understood immediately and nodded. "Thank you for everything today, Brother Shi. We keep troubling you—we really feel bad about it."

Shi Shi smiled. "It’s all fate. To be honest, if it weren’t for the clothes Luo Fei gave me today, I probably wouldn’t have come out. I suppose your way of doing things just happens to suit me and Siyuan. From now on, we’re brothers, so no need to be so formal. It’s getting late—head home early."

Xi Yanqing clasped his hands in thanks and left with Luo Fei.

Luo Fei was still confused. As they walked, he asked, "Why didn’t Brother Shi let me talk when we left the shop? I was just going to say we’d bring the money tomorrow."

Xi Yanqing interlocked their fingers. "That’s exactly why. There were too many people around. If you had said that, you would’ve been announcing to everyone that we have money. That could attract thieves."

Luo Fei quickly covered his mouth and looked around. Seeing no one suspicious, he finally relaxed.

By the time they got home, it was already dark. Their three dogs were waiting eagerly at the door. If the shop hadn’t been so far away, Luo Fei would have taken them along. He quickly petted each one. "Nothing happened at home today, right?"

Black Bean wagged its tail. "Woof woof!"

Luo Fei smiled. "Looks like all is well."

Before leaving, he had left plenty of food just in case. The dogs weren’t hungry, but around dusk, Luo Yong had stopped by. When he didn’t find Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing, he left again.

After locking the door, Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing looked at each other and said in unison, "Did we really just buy a shop?"

Then, they both laughed. One went to start the fire for cooking, while the other went to dig up their silver.

Their money was buried quite deep—Xi Yanqing had hidden it well since it was a significant amount. He had placed small pieces on the upper layers and buried the bulk at an almost ridiculous depth.

By the time he finally dug it all out, Luo Fei had already finished cooking. Exhausted, Xi Yanqing barely had the energy to eat. Luo Fei reheated some steamed buns from the morning and waited for him.

Fortunately, the money was still there.

Luo Fei stroked it affectionately. "Well, tomorrow you’ll be changing your last name. Today you belong to the Xi and Luo families, but tomorrow you’ll be a Zuo."

Xi Yanqing chuckled. "Alright, wife, if you keep rubbing it, the edges will wear down. Don’t worry, I’ll earn more for you to manage."

Luo Fei nodded, took one last look at the silver, then wrapped it carefully in cloth and placed it under their blanket.

The next morning, before dawn, the couple woke up, packed their things, had a simple breakfast, left the dogs at the Luo family home, and headed to town.

On the way, everything was peaceful. After arriving at the town, they didn’t go to see the shop owner’s wife first but went to find Shi Shi instead. Since they hadn’t paid a deposit yesterday, Shi Shi was essentially acting as a guarantor, so Xi Yanqing felt that it was best for Shi Shi to be present during the transaction.

Although buying and selling property here wasn’t as complicated as in modern times, there were still procedures to follow. Fortunately, Xi Yanqing's original body was literate, and after a busy day, they managed to complete the transfer procedures. Xi Yanqing and the female shop owner with the surname Zuo pressed their fingerprints, received the property deed, and put up an advertisement for renting out the shop.

Yes, even in ancient times, there were advertisements, though they were just written on paper and posted in certain places.

Shi Shi said, "Let's go. Now that everything is settled, come to my house for a meal before you leave."

Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing had treated Shi Shi to lunch earlier, and now Shi Shi was returning the favor. They thought about it—if they went home, they would still have to cook—so they went to the Shi residence instead.

Both Shi Shi and Li Siyuan noticed that while Xi Yanqing and Luo Fei were genuine farmers, their perspectives and way of speaking were quite different from other farmers. How should they put it? The two of them had an exceptionally broad mindset, as if they had a wealth of knowledge and ideas. If only Xi Yanqing were like this, it would be understandable, given his experience from fighting in wars. But sometimes, even Luo Fei’s words carried a unique insight, which was rather unusual.

After Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing left, Li Siyuan curiously asked Shi Shi, "Does Luo Fei know how to read?"

Shi Shi shook his head. "He doesn’t. Only Xi Yanqing can read."

Xi Yanqing was literate because his original self had thought ahead and learned to read while serving as a soldier. Luo Fei, however, was illiterate because his original self had never learned. The ancient script here was quite different from the modern Chinese script that Luo Fei knew, so he could only recognize an occasional character.

At first, Luo Fei didn’t think much of it since most people around him were illiterate. But after going through the property transfer process today, he realized that this couldn’t go on. He needed to learn. Not because he aimed for scholarly success, but because the more he understood, the better he would comprehend this society, and the less likely he would be deceived.

Simply put, if Xi Yanqing hadn’t been able to read, they might not have been able to buy the shop at all.

So, when they got home, Luo Fei told Xi Yanqing about his thoughts. "Qing-ge, I want to learn how to read. Can you teach me?"

Xi Yanqing was very supportive. Since they had ink and paper at home, he started by writing down simple characters while Luo Fei worked on his embroidery. He even added small pinyin annotations next to them, making it easier for Luo Fei to recognize the pronunciation without having to ask repeatedly. This way, learning would be much faster.

Luo Fei made a study plan for himself. From that day on, he decided to learn ten characters every day and practice writing them frequently.

Since paper and ink were expensive, Luo Fei was reluctant to waste them. He decided to practice on the ground whenever possible.

In his previous life, he had never been this determined to study. But in this environment, his ambition was suddenly ignited. Or perhaps, it was Xi Yanqing’s serious attitude toward life that inspired him to take life—and himself—more seriously.

Xi Yanqing handed Luo Fei the notes he had made while reading about medicinal herbs. "First, learn the characters I wrote. Then, check this book to see if you recognize any characters. Mark the ones you know, and let’s see how long it takes for you to recognize all of them. I figure by then, you’ll know quite a lot."

Luo Fei cherished the book in his hands. "Alright. Do you still need this book, Qing-ge?"

Xi Yanqing replied, "No, I’ve already memorized everything in it. Just use it as you see fit."

Luo Fei thought this was a great idea. From that day on, he began teaching himself ancient script.

Two days later, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Luo Fei got up early, took care of household chores, and then brought half of the pastries that Li Siyuan had given him, along with some other food, to his family home. There was a local custom: married daughters or sons-in-law could return to their maiden home for the Dragon Boat Festival, but not for the Mid-Autumn Festival. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, neither married daughters nor sons-in-law could stay at their parents' home.

Since Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing would be spending the night together, Luo Fei decided to deliver the food to his family in advance. He brought a slab of pork belly, some sugar, and melon seeds.

Initially, Luo Fei planned to drop off the items and leave after exchanging a few words, but Li Yuehua stopped him, saying she had something to discuss.

"Erbao, tell me, do you know about that young man named Luo Yong? What’s his family situation?" Li Yuehua asked. "Does he have any other family members? What kind of person is he?"

"Huh? Mom, why are you asking this? Are you thinking of making him a son-in-law?" Luo Fei teased with a grin. "I was wondering why I didn’t see Sanbao."

"Well, I’m just worried! The other day, when you and Yanqing went to town, Luo Yong came by and brought us a bunch of hazelnuts and walnuts, saying they were for Sanbao. You know how much your sister loves eating these—she practically never lets go of sunflower seeds. I kept them for her, but I just don’t understand why Luo Yong brought them. And Sanbao won’t say anything either. She’s been staring at those nuts for two days now, not eating them herself and not letting anyone else eat them. She looks like she wants to eat them but is holding herself back. I have no idea what she’s thinking."

"Sanbao won’t say anything, so just let it be. It’s nothing serious, just a small misunderstanding," Luo Fei briefly explained the incident by the river and the “female warrior” situation. "Anyway, Luo Yong meant no harm. Since he brought the nuts, you might as well accept them. Luo Yong doesn’t have any family—he lives alone. But he’s hardworking and has a good temperament. If he and Sanbao end up together, I think it’d be a good match."

"In that case, I understand. But right now, Luo Yong is still living at Doctor Liang’s house. He doesn’t have a place of his own. What about the future?" Li Yuehua was serious about finding a reliable son-in-law, so she wanted to consider all aspects.

"It’s just temporary. It’s not like he’ll always be staying at Liang’s house. He’s capable, doesn’t have bad habits, and knows how to manage a household. He’ll definitely build his own house sooner or later," Luo Fei said. "The real issue is whether the two of them like each other. Right now, it seems like there’s a possibility. Just keep an eye on Sanbao—when she finally eats the nuts, let me know."

"Why?"

"When she eats the nuts, it means she has forgiven Luo Yong," Luo Fei explained. "Then I’ll let Luo Yong know, and their little grudge will be over."

"Alright." Li Yuehua packed a few pancakes for Luo Fei. "There’s nothing fancy at home, just these pancakes filled with sugar and peanuts. Take them back and share them with Yanqing."

"Thanks, Mom." Luo Fei carefully took the pancakes. "Where’s Sibao?"

"Your father scolded him. He’s probably in the vegetable garden."

"Why?"

"Well, school will start again after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Sibao wants to study, but your father didn’t agree," Li Yuehua sighed. "Your eldest brother’s wife has been gone for quite a while now. He can’t stay single forever. Your father thinks it’s time to find him a new wife."

Luo Fei understood. They needed money to arrange a new marriage for Luo Ji, so Luo Yi’s schooling had to be put on hold.

Yes, education was a luxury in these times—especially for children from poor families.

Luo Fei went to the back garden and found Luo Yi sitting in the cabbage patch. When he saw someone approaching, he quickly turned his head to wipe his eyes.

"It’s a holiday—why are you hiding here alone? Want to come to my place for a bit?" Luo Fei patted Luo Yi’s shoulder.

"No, Second Brother." Luo Yi's voice was muffled. "You should go back too."

"Are you mad at Father?" Luo Fei crouched down beside him.

"No. Father is right. We can't let Big Brother live alone forever." Luo Yi's eyes reddened again as he spoke. "Ever since Sister-in-law passed away, Big Brother has always felt guilty towards the family. I know he works so hard because he wants me to start studying as soon as possible. He even said before that it didn’t matter if he didn’t get married, as long as I could study first. But just like Father said, by the time I do start studying, who knows when the family will have enough money to get Big Brother a wife? Second Brother, do you think I shouldn’t be thinking about studying?"

"Of course not! What's wrong with wanting to study? People should have aspirations." Luo Fei pulled his younger brother up. "But you’re not going to achieve your dreams just by squatting here. Besides, if Big Brother sees you like this, he’ll only feel even more guilty toward you. So let's go inside first."

"Mm." Luo Yi stood up and patted his numb legs. "Then, Second Brother, you should go back too. It's Mid-Autumn Festival today, don’t stay here too long."

"Got it." Luo Fei replied before heading back. On the way, he kept thinking about what Luo Yi had said.

This little brother of his really had it tough.

Xie Yanqing noticed that Luo Fei seemed preoccupied and asked, "What's wrong, wife? You keep sighing."

Luo Fei said, "Luo Yi wants to study, but it seems like the family wants to get Big Brother a wife first. When I visited today, Luo Yi was crying in the vegetable garden. It made me feel really uneasy."

If Luo Yi were a thoughtless child, it would be one thing, but Luo Yi was actually quite mature. The problem was that pursuing an education cost a lot of money.

A sense of guilt suddenly crept into Luo Fei's heart.

Even though he was no longer the original Luo Fei, the Luo family truly treated him as one of their own and had always been good to him. Now, he and Xie Yanqing were living a better life—not exactly wealthy, but at least they didn’t have to worry about food and clothing. Meanwhile, the Luo family was still struggling.

Luo Fei felt conflicted. On the one hand, he wanted to save money to buy a new house, but on the other hand, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Luo Yi.

Xie Yanqing thought for a moment and said, "Actually, letting Luo Yi study isn’t impossible. We can help out a little. The main reason many families say they can't afford schooling is because ink, paper, and brushes are expensive. Another major expense is taking the exams—traveling to the exam sites, paying for food and lodging, and sometimes even bribing officials. Those are the biggest costs. But actual studying itself doesn’t cost too much."

"But don’t people study just to take the exams? To earn a government position?" Luo Fei knew that he himself was studying just to improve his knowledge, but that wasn’t the case for Luo Yi. If Luo Yi started studying, he would inevitably take the exams, which would lead to a huge financial burden.

"All investments come with risks—that’s a universal truth. Besides, Luo Yi isn't the kind of kid who acts recklessly. I think he knows his limits." Xie Yanqing hugged Luo Fei. "You can talk to Father and Mother about it. Isn't the new school enrollment period right after Mid-Autumn Festival? If Luo Yi wants to enroll, I think he should give it a try. If he does well, we’ll support him all the way. If he doesn’t, he can always return to farming. No harm in that, right?

"Also, wife, think about it—there are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Sooner or later, the Luo family will find out about our shop. Even though you’re technically part of the Xie family now and how you live isn’t directly tied to the Luo family, if we’re doing well but refuse to help them, wouldn’t that make us seem heartless?"

"Then I’ll go ask Father and Mother about it tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Besides, at Luo Yi’s stage, he doesn’t need to take exams yet, so two or three taels of silver a year should be enough. With so many of us, I think we can manage to support him."

After the couple finalized their decision, they went to discuss it with Luo Tian and his wife the next day.

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