Repaying kindness (Part two)

When the song ended, everyone cheered in unison. Yuan Shiqing took out a tael of silver, while Murong Feiyan felt around in her money pouch and gave all the loose silver inside to the father and daughter. Altogether, it came to at least a tael.

Zhan Peng was only a hunter and had little money on him. He gave them all his hundred-odd copper coins, leaving himself without even enough to pay his bill.

Murong Feiyan fixed her gaze on Hu Xiaotian. Of everyone present, he was certainly the wealthiest. The father and daughter were so pitiful that, if this fellow had even a shred of humanity, he ought to show some compassion. If he opened his heart and displayed a little generosity this time, perhaps her impression of him would improve, and she might reassess his character. But although Hu Xiaotian wanted to give a tip, he had no money to give. When had he ever brought even half a copper coin out with him? Whenever he needed to spend money, his servants rushed to pay first. In this era, what person of real standing wandered around carrying a money pouch? Too little would not last, and too much was like strapping a dumbbell to his waist. Since servants followed him everywhere anyway, they carried his money too. Paying for things himself had never entered Hu Xiaotian's mind.

He did go through the motions, but there was no money in his pockets. In fact, his clothes did not even have pockets. Fang Zhitang approached him with an ingratiating smile and a bowed back, waiting for his reward. Hu Xiaotian searched for ages without producing a single copper coin. Embarrassed, he said, "Uh... well... I didn't bring any money..."

Fang Zhitang did not mind hearing this. The people of Great Kang were simple and honest, and tipping was entirely voluntary. Whether someone gave anything, and how much, was a matter of personal inclination. The father and daughter had never forced anyone to pay. Whether he received money or not, Fang Zhitang maintained his humble smile. "Fang Fang, thank these gentlemen for their generous gifts. We'll be going now!"

Hu Xiaotian scratched his head awkwardly, wondering whether he should go downstairs and get some money from his servants. Murong Feiyan rolled her eyes at him, her expression utterly disdainful.

Hu Xiaotian had never felt so embarrassed in either this life or his previous one. "I... really didn't bring any money..."

"It's all right, it's all right!" Yuan Shiqing said with a smile.

Hu Xiaotian looked at Murong Feiyan. "Don't look at me like that. You're making me seem like some heartless rich man."

Murong Feiyan smiled indifferently. "I know nothing of your character, Young Master Hu, nor do I care!"

Even Zhan Peng, an outsider, could tell that Constable Murong seemed prejudiced against his benefactor. Given that Hu Xiaotian had enthusiastically helped his father, a passing stranger he had never met, he certainly could not be a stingy man.

Murong Feiyan's attitude got under Hu Xiaotian's skin. Fuck! You little Murong wench, if I don't strip you bare and administer justice in this lifetime, I'll take your surname! In truth, Murong Feiyan had not done anything to offend him. Who knew why he had suddenly become so extreme? Apparently, this body had evil in its genes, which explained why wicked thoughts kept springing up in Hu Xiaotian's mind.

Yuan Shiqing hurried to smooth things over. "If you didn't bring money, never mind. There's no obligation to tip."

Easy for you to say, you old fellow, Hu Xiaotian thought. You know the Fang family so well that anyone can see you're deliberately helping them. Listening to their song was just a pretext; lending them a hand was your real purpose. He said, "How about this? Once I get home, I'll have someone send over five taels of gold. It's only a doctor's fee, isn't it? I'll take care of it for them." Given his family's wealth, five taels of gold really amounted to nothing. He might as well be generous and enjoy helping someone again.

Hearing such a generous offer, Yuan Shiqing immediately thanked Hu Xiaotian on the father and daughter's behalf, then made to go out and call them back to express their gratitude for his great kindness. Murong Feiyan shook her head. "No hurry. I'm just afraid certain people will forget what they said. They make such fine promises now, but once the meal is over, it all slips their minds. Wouldn't that leave the poor father and daughter rejoicing for nothing?"

Hu Xiaotian understood now. Murong Feiyan was goading him because she feared he would not keep his promise. He smiled. "You have a point, Constable Murong. Once we finish eating, come home with me."

Murong Feiyan glared at him. "Why would I go home with you?"

"To get the gold! If you don't trust me, surely you can trust yourself."

"I'll go, then," Murong Feiyan said. "Who's afraid of whom?"

Just then, the waiter came to serve the dishes. Yuan Shiqing ordered a jar of fine wine, and Zhan Peng rose to take it, volunteering to pour for everyone. Murong Feiyan and Hu Xiaotian were both younger than him, but one served in the authorities and the other was an official's son. Hu Xiaotian was also his benefactor, so Zhan Peng was perfectly happy to pour their wine.

Although Yuan Shiqing was hosting, he could not hold his liquor. Li Yifeng had been an accomplished drinker, but unfortunately, Hu Xiaotian had disgusted him into vomiting endlessly, forcing him to withdraw before the battle began. Hu Xiaotian had often drunk and gone bar-hopping in his previous life, and his tolerance had been decent, but he had little confidence in this body's ability to handle alcohol. In fact, he had not tasted a single drop since arriving.

Hu Xiaotian took a tentative sip. The wine of this era was not very strong, but its flavor was mellow and sweet. After all, it was brewed from grain, unlike the blended alcohol of his previous life. Following the principle of wading into unfamiliar waters slowly, he drank one bowl first. He felt no reaction whatsoever. His mind remained clear and his speech distinct. Apparently, his capacity for liquor had not been completely lost during his journey through time and space.

Still, Hu Xiaotian behaved very shyly and politely while drinking. After all, he had no real confidence. He kept insisting he could not hold his liquor and almost claimed he was allergic to alcohol, but stopped with the words on his lips, afraid these ancient people would not understand.

Zhan Peng could drink an ocean. In this era, offering a toast was how one expressed respect at the table. He lifted Hu Xiaotian's wine bowl with both hands and offered him another toast. Taking the bowl, Hu Xiaotian said with some reluctance, "Brother Zhan, this is already your third bowl to me."

"Three bowls aren't enough to repay your great kindness, Young Master Hu," Zhan Peng said. "Even thirty wouldn't be too many."

Thirty bowls? You're trying to drink your benefactor to death! That's not repaying kindness-it's taking revenge! You really are an earnest fellow. But then Hu Xiaotian reconsidered. Or perhaps not. Yuan Shiqing is paying today. Are you drinking with your belly wide open because it's not your money? This fellow always put sinister motives first.

Watching Hu Xiaotian decline and demur, making a production out of every drink, Murong Feiyan could not help speaking up. "If you can drink, drink. If you can't, don't. A strapping seven-foot man, and not a scrap of decisiveness!"

"You're decisive, are you?" Hu Xiaotian said. "Let me see you drink three big bowls in a row!"

Zhan Peng and Yuan Shiqing exchanged a glance and could not help smiling. These two were clearly born adversaries, bickering from the moment they met.

"What are three bowls?" Murong Feiyan said. "We'll drink by the jar! Waiter, bring two jars of wine!"

Hu Xiaotian froze at that. Who said women were inferior to men? Not only was Murong Feiyan highly skilled in martial arts, her capacity for liquor was frightening too.

Murong Feiyan watched his expression with a cold eye. "Scared?"

"If I'm scared, then you gave birth to me!" Hu Xiaotian said.

Murong Feiyan was an unmarried maiden. At his words, her pretty face instantly reddened, and she spat, "Shameless!" She had actually wanted to call him a beast, but remembering the story Hu Xiaotian had told, she could no longer bring herself to utter that word.

Hu Xiaotian examined the two jars that had been brought over. Each held at least three jin of wine, and with the weight of the jar itself, probably weighed around five jin. They sat heavily on the table, intimidating just to look at. He shook his head. "Forget it. I'd better not drink. If I really swallow all that, I'll lose my life. Fine, I'm scared. Is that good enough?"

Murong Feiyan truly did not know what to do with this fellow. He had just said that if he was scared, she had given birth to him, and now he was admitting he was scared. Wasn't that the same as saying she had borne him? She was still an unmarried maiden-how could she possibly have given birth? This brat was utterly hateful. Whenever she was with him, she never gained the upper hand; somehow, she always came off worse. People who followed different paths could not make plans together. What had possessed her to sit down and eat with this spoiled rich wastrel?

Just then, a commotion suddenly sounded outside. Hu Xiaotian seized the opportunity and said, "I'll go see what's happening out there." He had figured it out: he gained little by fighting with a woman.

"Stay seated, Young Master Hu. I'll take a look!" Zhan Peng said. He was sitting closest to the door, making it easy to come and go. Before Hu Xiaotian could rise, he had already opened the door and stepped outside.

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