C198

"Third sister?" Are you ready? "

Wen Wan's voice came from outside, and Wen Ling hurriedly answered, "I'll be right out!" She pulled at the hem of her skirt and opened it up. Seeing that it had returned to its original state, she smiled helplessly at the bronze mirror. Then, she got up and pushed open the door.

As usual, Wen Wan wore a light blue robe. The light color of the robe made his neck appear somewhat pale, but he didn't look ugly at all. The scented sachet on her waist exuded a faint fragrance, which made her smell exceptionally comfortable.

Seeing Wen Wan looking at her, Wen Ling lowered her head and quietly called out, "Big Brother," somewhat helpless. It was her first time going out to look at lanterns. Although she had dressed up well, when she thought about walking in the crowd, she was afraid that she would be laughed at if she did not dress properly.

A shadow appeared before his eyes and he touched the top of his head lightly. "This set of clothes is really nice. It's just a little light."

Wen Ling froze. She looked up at her brother and asked carefully, "Then I'll go change the set?"

Wen Wan laughed softly. "The material you use to make your clothes is also not very bright. I can see that you have chosen a very good set. Even though it's plain, it suits you. I'm just saying that you have too many plain clothes and that it's better for you to dress up in a more stylish manner. "Smile, it's very nice to watch."

His appearance was very ordinary, but when he smiled, his expression was gentle. With the addition of his gentle voice, it caused one to feel relieved listening to him.

The nervousness in Wen Ling's heart lessened a little. She smiled sweetly and said, "Many thanks, Big Brother."

Seeing her smile, Wen Wan also smiled back: "The carriage has been prepared outside the door. It's about time, let's go." "I've reserved a good table near the window for the teahouse. We'll have some tea and refreshments first. It'll be more lively once the sky turns lighter."

"Eldest Young Master …" When the maids saw that Wen Wan was really going to take the Lady out, they couldn't help but panic.

When she saw the panic of the servant girl, the happiness within Wen Ling's heart faded slightly. She pursed her lips and raised her head to look at her elder brother. "Big Brother …"

Wen Wan said, "Master asked, if you would like me to take Third Sister out, he won't make things difficult for you."

With these words, all the female servants couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. They replied in a low voice, "Yes, this servant understands."

Wen Wan lowered his head to look at Wen Ling, who secretly revealed a relieved smile. It was somewhat funny, but he didn't reveal it, only saying: "Let's go."

Wen Ling answered with an "Oh." Then she quickly trotted a few steps and followed. For the first time, the blue figure walking in front of him was not so unfamiliar, so distant. They were separated by a small step and could reach out and touch him.

Little Jun stuck out his tongue and followed behind him.

— —

"What a beautiful lamp!" Wen Ling raised her head and looked at the lanterns that covered the sky. Her eyes were filled with happiness.

Wen Wan helped her fend off a few people who almost bumped into her. He held out his hand to stop her. "It's easy to run into people here. Take my sleeve. I'll lead you."

Wen Ling followed his words and grabbed his sleeve, looking around and feeling a sense of novelty.

Wen Wan was afraid that Wen Ling would not be able to keep up with his footsteps, so he deliberately slowed down his pace. However, Wen Ling had to pull him along in order to keep up with the running Wen Ling. Seeing her little sister brimming with happiness, Wen Wan gave a helpless smile. He didn't ask her to slow down, but followed her with her strength, using his back to block the person who almost bumped into her.

Look at this, big brother!" Wen Ling suddenly let go of his sleeve, squatted in front of an inconspicuous stall, and carefully poked a small wooden puppet placed on the tarpaulin with her finger. Raising her head, her snow-white face was filled with curiosity and happiness towards all sorts of things. Accustomed to the Miss, can only walk through the yard a thousand times a day swing, flying a kite. This was probably the first time she had seen such a lively scene.

Wen Wan was surprised. "You like this?"

Wen Ling nodded. "I quite like it. It feels very fun."

"If you like it, you can take it and play with it." A man wearing a black cape and a straw hat appeared without a sound. He sat down behind an empty booth and placed his clothes on the table, "Feel free to look at any you want."

Wen Wan's eyes slightly moved, a trace of guesswork flashed in the depths of his eyes. When this booth owner came, there were no footsteps, and his aura was separated from the laughing pedestrians behind him. In addition to this strange outfit, although it didn't seem out of place with the lantern festival, it still looked somewhat strange.

People of the martial arts world, experts.

Wen Wan thought to himself, but he didn't show it on his face. "If Ling'er likes it, then take a look." He looked down at those puppeteers who looked crude, but had extremely nimble joints, and he seemed a bit absent-minded.

"Big Brother, I want this." Wen Ling wasn't very good at fiddling with these kinds of small toys. After playing with them a few times, she picked out a relatively small puppet and raised her head once again.

"This, is it for sale?" Wen Wan suddenly spoke out and pointed at the puppet which was half covered by the clothing of the vendor.

Unlike the other puppets, this one had the height of half a person. Not only did it have joints, even the joints of its fingers were carved and joined together. The puppet's facial features were carefully sculpted. Although it had its eyes closed, its eyelashes and half-open lips resembled a real person. However, its face was overly pale. No expert was needed to tell the difference between this puppet and the other small things that could relieve the boredom.

Therefore, Wen Wan has this question: "Do you sell?"

The booth owner raised his head, revealing a smile in his eyes. "Can you tell me why you want to buy this one?"

Wen Wan smiled. "I just like it. Do I need to know the reason?"

The booth owner asked again, "Then tell me if you want to buy this puppet for your own viewing, or to give it to someone else?"

Wen Wan pondered for a moment, and then said with a carefree expression, "I have heard that puppets are very mysterious. He only hated traveling in the martial arts world when he was young, but he didn't have the chance to meet her once. To tell the truth, the reason why he had bought the Puppet's Heart was only to enjoy it. However, after thinking about it again, the creator must have exhausted all his blood and effort to create this mysterious object. How could he make a plaything for a man, throw it away and leave it behind when he was not happy with it, so that the treasure would be covered in dust? So, I bought this puppet to satisfy my curiosity and also to give it to a friend who likes organs. "

His voice was not loud, but after he said this, it attracted quite a few people's attention. When Wen Wan heard the discussion, his smile deepened, and he secretly sized up the stall owner's expression.

The stall owner looked at those people who were clicking their tongues and suddenly asked, "From the looks of your clothes, you should be the young masters and mistresses of wealthy families, right?"

Wen Wan nodded with a smile. "My father does business, and is only a family of merchants. If you have money, of course you wouldn't be able to call him young master or miss."

The stall owner asked, "Why not? Is your family short on money? "

Hearing such a straightforward question, Wen Wan couldn't help but smile. "First of all, he's not an aristocratic family, and secondly, he's not a scholar or a scholar or a scholar. His body reeked of copper. Can he be considered young master or miss?

The stall owner laughed, "The people behind you are all people who wanted to buy this puppet but were rejected by me. Since you are a merchant, you should know what is the purpose of buying and selling items. "

Wen Wan opened his fan and smiled from the corner of his eyes: "There are so many trades in this world, it is hard to explain the benefits you seek. However, from what I see, business is mostly about money, which is to say, benefits. Moreover, it was only for the sake of not dishonoring the goods. I've heard that treasured sabers that are worth only a single copper coin can't bear to have their treasured sabers be covered in dust and find a good master for them. This kind of business is not something that can be measured by money. "

The booth owner asked, "Are you the good owner?"

Wen Wan shook his head. "I am not, but the friend I will give you in the future will definitely be a good master."

The stall owner then asked, "If I wait here and ask your friend to buy it personally, will he come?"

"Yes." Wen Wan replied quickly, but he didn't give a perfunctory answer. "I believe that this puppet of yours is willing to travel a thousand miles just for this item."

There was a flurry of discussion around them, and laughter.

Hearing this, the stall owner laughed again, "Do you know why they are laughing?"

Wen Wan's face was calm as he leisurely replied: "One laugh, I thought puppets were just some artiste selling art in the martial arts world, for the rich to laugh, so that I could get a bit of money from them, but why do you flatter me like this? He then smiled, thinking that since he was standing here and it was unknown whether he had that friend or not, it was probably just a moment of happiness and an excuse for wanting to obtain it. It is precisely that 'fictitious' friend that exists. If this esteemed one believes that you are waiting here, give up on the love before you and let my friend travel a thousand miles to come, isn't this kind of behavior a bit too laughable? "

The booth owner asked, "Then why did you answer your friend so straightforwardly? Aren't you afraid that I really won't sell it to you?"

Wen Wan closed his folding fan, turned his wrist and pointed at the puppet with the folding fan: "Do not disappoint the treasure, do not bully the craftsmen."

The vendor was silent for a long time. Then, he picked up the puppet and raised his head to look at the buyer, "What price do you want to pay for this?"

Wen Wan said, "Please state your price."

"Aren't you afraid that I will offer a sky-high price?" The stall owner narrowed his eyes, "If that's the case, are you still going to buy it?"

Wen Wan chuckled, and replied quickly and decisively, as always: "No." Without waiting for the tsk-tsk sound to come from behind him, he continued, "This item is priceless, if you buy it with money, no matter how much it is, it will not be worth the price. If he wanted to choose the master, why would he offer such a sky-high price? If you offer a sky-high price, it means that I am not a good master. "Although I am leaving, I would also like to request that you wait for a few months to meet my good friend before deciding."

He raised his hand and extended three fingers. "Answer three of my questions. If it's inconvenient for you to tell me, you may not answer. I will ask another one. That is enough for three more questions."

Wen Wan was not the least bit surprised, and slightly nodded: "Please."

The booth owner squinted and smiled, "Are you really a merchant?"

Wen Wan said: "I have been doing business with my father since I was young, but I have only invited you to read a few years of poetry and have practiced some martial arts to strengthen your body. With my father's help, the market has been in a tumble for more than ten years. "Besides doing business, I'm afraid there's nothing else that this humble one would do."

The booth owner sighed, "Talking like this just for the sake of a merchant, it's too much of a pity."

Wen Wan said: "People can be made into pearl jade, and ask for the glory of general talent. In the end, it's just rubble, so what's so good about it? I am a businessman and your excellency is a worker. Do you think yourself despicable (1) to Shennong, please? "

The stall owner laughed and stood up to pay his respects, "You claim that you have only followed Teacher in reading poetry for a few years. "With your ability, if you were to become an official, why wouldn't you do the same?"

"Is this the second question?" Wen Wan leisurely returned the courtesy, but avoided answering.

The booth owner was slightly startled, then he smiled and said, "It's better to count it as the second question."

Wen Wan pondered for a moment, then waved his fan and replied, "Chu has a godly turtle. It is better to die than to leave a bone. It is better to live than to leave a tail in the wash." "2)"

The stall owner sighed and said, "Such a good claymore. Your excellency's ambition is not something that ordinary people can have.

Wen Wan said, "Your excellency is too kind, I dare not say so. "The left side is just to protect the family's peace, and to make a single person feel at ease. Where does your ambition come from?" After a slight pause, he raised his hand and said, "There's still one more question, please."

"In that case, let's ask me the final destination of this golem." The stall owner picked up the puppet and extended a hand to him. "I would like to know, to that friend of yours, what is the weight of this puppet?"

Wen Wan slightly pondered, truthfully saying: "If the zither, can be tempered, intoxicated in it, forget to return. To let go of something heavier, to play with something less than it is. "3)"

The stall owner gently stroked the puppet's forehead, and then he once again handed it over with both hands: "This item is for sale to Young Master."

Wen Wan also received it with both hands, bowing respectfully: "Many thanks." It was heavy, cold to the touch, and a little strange. If not for that cold and hard touch, Wen Wan might even have thought that this was a real baby. After sizing up the puppet for a moment, he put it back into his sleeves and lowered his head to smile at Wen Ling. "Take your puppet and leave."

Wen Ling was taken aback as she looked at the booth owner. The stall owner laughed, "Such a worthless thing. Isn't it wonderful to be able to make a beauty laugh? It's okay for the girl to take it. " Wen Ling timidly smiled and softly said a few words of 'thank you'. She extended her hand to pull her brother's sleeve and followed him.

"Third sister." When Wen Ling heard this, she raised her head, and her hair became a little messy from the rubbing of Wen Wan's hand. Wen Wan's smiling voice was as pleasant as ever. "It's been a big help."

Wen Ling was startled. "Ah?"

Wen Wan lightly waved his sleeves, but it was hard to tell that there was such a large puppet hidden inside: "I was just worrying about what to give him, so I sent him a big present."

Wen Ling raised her head and asked, "Is he the friend that Big Brother mentioned just now?"

Wen Wan nodded. "One, a 'friend' with several connections."

Wen Ling replied with an "Oh." She obediently didn't ask any further questions. Not long after, she was drawn away by something new, and this point of confusion was immediately thrown to the back of her mind.

When Wen Wan saw her run away, he smiled and didn't immediately follow after her. Instead, he gave a casual wave of his hand.

"Young Master?" Wen Ning squeezed through the crowd and stood behind Wen Wan.

"This one." Wen Wan took the puppet out of his sleeve and handed it to him. "Take care, don't touch it." "Also, go and see if that person is still here for me."

Wenning nodded. "Do I need to follow afterwards?"

Wen Wan adjusted his sleeves. "No need, you can go to the inn first."

Wen Ning responded and then reminded him, "Young Master's injuries haven't healed yet. Be careful."

"I know." Wen Wan glanced at him indifferently, "It's not like I'm trying to stir up trouble, what could go wrong with this bustling place?"

Wen Ning did not say anything further. "Yes, I will go first." He left along with the crowd and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Wen Wan's gaze never left his sister, putting aside the matter at the side, his eyes also had a hint of gentleness.

Girls really like this sort of place …

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Annotations:

(1) Despicable and mean.

(2) Origin: "Zhuangzi", the phrase "the end of the mud", is an interesting allusion. If you are interested, you can go and have a look. I really like this story.)

(3) For the first word, read Wai; for the second word, read Wéi.