22: Chapter 22 Dangerous Encounter at the Market 22: Chapter 22 Dangerous Encounter at the Market The marketplace was bustling with noise, vendors calling out loudly, some people arguing red-faced over a couple of Copper Coins, and others rolling up their sleeves as though they were about to fight.
What a portrayal of the various walks of life.
Wufu, carrying a basket on her back, watched with interest, thinking that the daily lives of ancient people were quite fascinating; after all, isn’t life everywhere all about survival?
The common folks felt the same; they didn’t care who the emperor was, only whether they could live their days in peace and happiness.
It must be the same in modern times, right?
“Would you like me to buy you a stick of candied haws?” Madam Zhou asked when she saw her staring at a vendor who was carrying a pole with candied haws on it, thinking she wanted to eat them.
Wufu, who was not a child, shook her head, saying, “No, let’s have lunch later instead.”
Madam Zhou, however, thought she was worried about spending money and said, “We can afford a stick of candied haws.” Without waiting for Wufu to respond, she approached the vendor and exchanged two wen money for a stick of candied haws, which she placed in Wufu’s hand.
Wufu looked blankly at the candied haws in her hand and then at Madam Zhou, who was smiling with her eyes curved in joy, saying, “Eat it!” as she raised Wufu’s hand to bring the candied haws to her mouth.
Wufu bit into it reflexively, and the sour and sweet taste of candied hawthorn entered her mouth.
“Is it sweet?” Madam Zhou asked, watching her.
“Sweet!” Wufu smiled, offering the candied haws to her, “Eat.”
Madam Zhou obediently took a bite, “It’s really good!”
The mother and daughter shared a stick of candied haws, smiling, and at that moment, the image of Madam Zhou became one of the most vivid in Wufu’s future memories.
From ahead, shouts and cries carried over.
Wufu looked and saw someone running towards them, moving incredibly fast, almost upon them, but she and her mother were still in the middle of the road.
The person running in front had on a dark cyan robe and, as his eyes met Wufu’s, he threw something in a parabola.
Wufu, without time to think, wrapped her arms around Madam Zhou, and before she knew how, they were standing by the side of the road.
Surprise flashed in the man’s eyes, but it was only for an instant.
He vanished in the blink of an eye.
The pursuers behind similarly passed like a gust of wind.
The people around hadn’t even reacted before the two figures had disappeared.
Madam Zhou, supported by Wufu on the side of the road, had gone pale and hurriedly checked on her daughter, “Are you okay?
Wufu, are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, what about you?” Wufu countered.
Madam Zhou shook her head, “I’m fine too, what was that just now?”
“As long as you’re fine, let’s not worry about it,” Wufu consoled her briefly, then looked back at the marketplace.
The commotion caused by those two men had frightened people; fruits and vegetables were scattered all over the ground, and everyone was busy picking them up while they cursed the ancestors of those responsible.
Wufu turned to look in the direction where the two persons had disappeared, took another bite of her candied haws, and quickly put the incident behind her.
There’s trouble everywhere—street brawls, petty thugs causing a scene—such things happen in every era, not to mention those who become innocent victims caught in the crossfire.
It occurred to her that in this era, the legal system would only favor the nobles and powerful, and if someone died unjustly, with no power or status, their death was simply their bad luck.
Well, to avoid becoming another hapless victim, from today on, she decided she needed to acquire more life-saving skills and Kung Fu.