Knowing the Warmth of Southern Tea (GL) - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When Wen Cha regained consciousness, she realized she was no longer being hung up. She felt a surge of secret joy.

“Awake?” Nan Nuan asked, handing her a glass of water. It was only then that Wen Cha took in her surroundings. She was inside a carriage; Nan Nuan sat opposite her, with a small table placed between them.

“How long was I out? Where are we going?” Wen Cha asked. She felt as though she had boarded a pirate ship—she wondered if it was too late to jump off.

“Not long. You were hung up the night before last and stayed that way until now,” Nan Nuan replied, glancing out the crack in the window.

“So, I was hanging for another day and night. Good Nan Wei, I’m starving!” Wen Cha exclaimed. She was so hungry that she had lost her fear; before knowing the time she felt fine, but now that it was said, she felt she might die of hunger.

“There is a food box under the table. It might be a bit cold. Make do with it,” Nan Nuan said. Wen Cha immediately pulled the box out. Inside were four dishes and a soup—two meat, two vegetable—along with rice. She began to wolf it down. Nan Nuan watched her, smiled, and shook her head.

“A true daughter of the martial arts world indeed, unconstrained by trivialities.” Hearing this, Wen Cha suddenly felt bashful. She wasn’t paying attention and started choking, quickly gulping down several mouthfuls of water.

“It’s just that… I’m famished. Actually, I’m quite elegant when I eat at home,” Wen Cha said with a smile. However, the thought of her family suddenly made her lose her appetite. She had left a letter in a fit of pique, determined to venture into the world, yet before she had even begun her journey, she had landed in this mess. A wave of sorrow washed over her.

“If you’ve eaten your fill, that’s fine. It’s better not to overeat anyway, or your stomach will hurt.” Sensing Wen Cha’s sadness, Nan Nuan handed her a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.

She really is just a pampered little girl fresh to the world, Nan Nuan thought.

During the day and night Wen Cha was unconscious, Nan Nuan had received a message confirming the girl’s background. She was indeed unconnected to other court factions, though her specific identity remained unknown. The rest would have to wait until An Er returned from the tribes.

“Ah, thank you.” Wen Cha took the handkerchief, suddenly thinking Nan Wei wasn’t such a bad person after all. Wait, am I sick? I can’t think a villain is a good person just because he shows a tiny bit of kindness. Wen Cha, stand tall! Don’t be seduced by the dark forces!

Nan Nuan nodded and stopped looking at her, turning instead to gaze out the window. Feeling awkward, Wen Cha followed her gaze.

As the saying goes: you don’t know until you look, and once you look, you’re startled.

“Where is this?” Wen Cha asked, staring at the bustling market outside. The crowd was dense, people coming and going, the air filled with the cries of vendors and the clamor of trade.

“This is the city of Bing.” This was Bing City, the largest gathering place for merchants, and its market was the legendary Bing Market.

“Ah! I’ve wanted to come here for so long! I heard that as long as you have money, you can buy anything here. Wealthy merchants and the richest people in the world all gather here,” Wen Cha said. It was said that Bing City was a city that never slept; with enough gold, one could enjoy any pleasure imaginable.

“Indeed. But one must have the money to buy,” Nan Nuan remarked. She couldn’t help but admire the scene. Were it not for the laws restricting merchants, who knew how extravagant this place would become? Commerce was, after all, the most profitable venture.

“Wait, look!” Wen Cha wasn’t listening. Her attention had been caught by a small thief committing a robbery outside the window.

“I need to get off!” Without waiting for a reply, Wen Cha jumped from the carriage to catch the thief.

“An San, no need to move. I want to see exactly who she can catch with those amateur skills of hers,” Nan Nuan said. She suddenly wondered if bringing this trouble along was a mistake. Well, let’s just see.

“Understood.” An San had already transitioned from a hidden guard to a visible guard, driving the carriage. Last night, he had received new orders to ensure Miss Wen Cha’s safety. Her life was now tied to the Master’s; no accidents could be permitted.

Wen Cha rushed forward and grabbed the thief’s wrist. Realizing his right hand was caught, the thief tried to pull away to flee, but Wen Cha wouldn’t let go.

The thief broke free from the grip and swung back to restrain Wen Cha. She kicked at his lower body; the thief dodged and suddenly pulled a dagger from his robes, lunging at her.

“Pah! You stinking woman, go to hell!” the thief spat. At that moment, Nan Nuan picked up a chopstick from the table and flicked it out.

It struck the thief’s knife-hand perfectly. The thief dropped the blade in pain, and Wen Cha seized the opportunity to knock him down.

Just then, the city constables arrived. Being a constable in Bing Market was a lucrative post, but a difficult one. There were many rich people here who valued their lives, so the competence of Bing City constables rivaled—or even surpassed—those in the capital.

“A report was made of someone causing trouble in the city.” The constables saw a man lying on the street and a woman with her foot on his chest.

“Officer, this man is a thief. I saw him stealing and caught him,” Wen Cha explained. The constable looked at her clothing—which was not of the Central Plains style—and grew suspicious.

“Take both of them back,” the constable ordered.

“Wait! Why me? I’m the one who caught the thief!” Wen Cha protested. She didn’t understand why she was being arrested for doing a good deed. The constable understood what had happened, but following the principle that ‘those who are not of our kind must have different hearts,’ and preferring to arrest the wrong person rather than let one go, he ignored her.

“An San.”

“Understood.”

At the command, An San stepped forward.

“Please wait a moment, Officer,” An San said.

“And you are?” the constable asked.

“Please listen, sir. I am a native of Bing City. A few days ago, I accompanied my Master to Hu City on the border for business. There, we met this young girl who was selling herself to bury her father. Her father was a citizen of our country who did business in Hu City, but he died of a sudden illness. The servants stole everything and left her alone. My Master is kind-hearted, so he bought her to bring her back to her hometown.”

“That sounds reasonable. But why is she dressed in foreign clothes? Does she have household registration documents?”

“The girl couldn’t bear to part with the clothes her father bought her as a memento. Sir, here is the registration.” An San pulled a paper from his robes; it was stamped with an official government seal.

The constable took it and inspected it closely. The seal was genuine. However, he felt something was off. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “I see. But if she is capable of catching a thief, why was she bullied by servants?”

“Sir, it was I who knocked the thief down. I’ve studied martial arts for a few years. I struck to stop him before he could commit violence.”

The constable looked An San over and returned the documents. Just as An San was about to put them away, the constable attacked. An San instinctively parried, and the two began to exchange blows.

“Why does the officer make things difficult for a humble servant?” Remembering his Master’s grand mission, An San shifted from attack to defense, refusing to strike back.

The constable didn’t intend to have a real fight in public; it was merely a test. Based on the moves, this man was likely a hidden guard from the capital. “Take the thief away, and take this man back to give a statement.”

The constables dragged the thief away, and An San followed to provide his report.

Wen Cha knew she had caused Nan Nuan trouble, but she couldn’t suppress her excitement. She ran quickly back to the carriage.

“Nan Wei! Was that you? Just now, whoosh!” Wen Cha asked excitedly. Nan Nuan ignored her.

“How did you get those registration papers? When did you make them? Can you make more? Next time I’ll bring my mother here to play; she said she couldn’t come because she has no registration.”

“Nan Wei, can you teach me?”

Nan Nuan suddenly regretted not tying her up. Perhaps then, things would be much quieter.