Chapter 549: Curiosity

Chapter 549: Chapter 549: Curiosity

He Huan was still that cheerful self, neither fatter nor thinner, his spirit high; upon seeing Shen Hao he bowed deeply and addressed him as "Lord".

Shen Hao had a good impression of He Huan, and knew that the master behind this man was the illustrious Third Prince—definitely not someone Shen Hao wanted to provoke willingly. So, when He Huan saluted, Shen Hao did not put on any airs, but quickly returned the courtesy and invited him to sit.

"Lord Shen, it’s your rare rest day and yet I’ve come to disturb you—I really must apologize. But tomorrow is the Gold Medal Assembly, and we absolutely can’t miss having someone as pivotal to Fengri City as Lord Shen. So I had to thicken my skin and come—please, do excuse me!"

He’d heard about this so-called "Gold Medal Assembly"—one of the major festivals for merchants in Fengri City. All the wealthy folks under its district usually come to join the fun—even if they don’t buy anything, they’ll come to take a look. It was also a rare, excellent chance to mix in with society.

The main organizer was the Fengri City Auction House, and they’d even join forces with some Flower Houses and restaurants to put on a series of promotional events—big commotion all around.

"How could this be an intrusion? I should be the one thanking Shopkeeper He for taking the trouble to come in person."

Since the man had come all the way here, rejecting him would be inappropriate. Plus, it seemed many people already knew about Shen Hao’s rest days lately, so he couldn’t use "official business" as an excuse to brush things off.

"Hahaha, that’s a relief. This is your Gold Medal, Lord Shen—please keep it safe." He Huan laughed as he fished out a palm-sized box from his chest and passed it to Shen Hao.

"This is the Gold Medal?"

"Yes, Lord Shen—this is a specially-made medal, with an array pattern unique to you. Bring this with you and you can access the private room in the main venue."

Shen Hao opened the box. Inside lay a gold medal, three inches long, two wide, and half a finger thick. It was real gold. One side was cast with the bold words "Fengri City Auction House", the other held some simple array patterns. Following He Huan’s instructions, Shen Hao poured his True Qi inside, allowing the plaque to register his identity.

Seeing Shen Hao formally accept the Gold Medal, He Huan finally released a real sigh of relief. He was just clutching the Buddha’s feet before the test—a last-minute assignment pressed down from above. If he failed today, he’d be in for a heap of trouble back home. Thankfully Shen Hao, though he’d declined before, had given him face by personally receiving him this time.

"Lord Shen, there’s also this," said He Huan, handing over a booklet, "inside are the main auction lots and activities of this Gold Medal Assembly. Please have a look, and if you have any thoughts, do let us know."

"Mn, I’ll look it over." Shen Hao accepted the small booklet, set it aside, and didn’t bother flipping it open.

He Huan was sensible, too; knowing he had only interacted with Shen Hao a few times and they had no great acquaintance, getting this much face was already a stroke of luck. So, he made his farewell. Finally, Housekeeper Hu Tian saw him out.

Shen Hao sat in the main room and flipped open the little booklet. There was quite a bit inside—the most eye-catching were the magical artifacts and elixirs, upper-grade even top-grade magical artifacts included. The elixirs also included several Treasure Pills, with the cultivation-boosting Treasure Pills listed first. Compared to the magical artifacts, elixirs were in even higher demand.

Aside from these star lots, there was a huge variety of other auction items. From slaves, to medicinal herbs, to jewelry, to antique calligraphy and paintings—even a fair number of playthings and assorted curios.

According to the booklet, aside from the auctions themselves, the Gold Medal Assembly would also host various performances—renowned songstresses, masters of the guqin and singing, acrobats. Lastly, there would be collaborations with such-and-such Flower Houses and such-and-such restaurants, and so on and so forth.

After looking it over, Shen Hao set the booklet down, not giving it much thought. Still, he felt this Gold Medal Assembly was far more sophisticated than he’d expected—they’d milked all the ancillary value around the auction dry. Even this Gold Medal on the table, as far as Shen Hao knew, was something people had to pay for—only, He Huan hadn’t mentioned money in his case.

"What now? You can understand this?" Putting the booklet down, Shen Hao noticed that Hong Xiu, tidying up the tea set from He Huan’s visit, kept sneaking peeks at the booklet on the table, clearly distracted. This little fox girl could read?

"Mhm, Master, I can! These two words say ’acrobatics,’ right? Like the circus tricks from the East Market, isn’t that right?" Seeing her master ask, Hong Xiu wasn’t afraid at all and replied brightly, eager to show she was no longer illiterate—she could recognize a few big characters now!

Shen Hao patted Hong Xiu’s head. "And what have you learned? Old Hu says you and Brocade and Silk are learning to read with him?"

"Yep, yep! Housekeeper Hu’s teaching us. Ms. Xia Nu also teaches a bit, but she doesn’t know many; Housekeeper Hu knows more. I’ve learned nearly thirty characters. Brocade and Silk is better than me—she knows over fifty!"

Well, at the end of the day, just a not-quite-grown kid. Shen Hao was in a good mood, so he smiled, "So, which words can you write?"

"I can write hong shao pork, grilled fish, lamb leg, pastry, Blue Moon Cake..."

Shen Hao’s lips twitched. Figures! Of course you’d learn to read from the dinner menu, Hong Xiu!

And just look at you—so chubby now... Or, wait, not really? Hmm. Maybe just developing well? At this rate, you’ll outshine Xia Nu soon enough? Is it your physique, or do fox women simply not get fat from eating?

"So, you like acrobatics?"

"Mm hmm! Because they’re really fun to watch! Those people are incredible—they swallow fire, don’t fear knife cuts, and can pull monkeys out of their sleeves!"

Food and fun, just right for her age. Shen Hao pointed at the booklet on the table: "There’ll be a lively show tomorrow—acrobats, and lots of good food. Want to go?"

"I know, Master! It’s the Gold Medal Assembly! The whole city’s been talking about it these days. But... can I really go?" Hong Xiu was a little excited, cheeks aglow and wide eyes brimming with anticipation.

"You’re my slave. If I say you can go, you can go. Go and ask Brocade and Silk and Ms. Xia Nu—if they want to go, you can all go together."

"Okay, Master! I’ll go ask them now!" With that, she quickly finished tidying up and darted off like a gust of wind.

...

The next morning, Shen Hao woke up early by habit. Beside him, Xia Nu drowsily woke as well, rubbing her eyes as she got up to help Shen Hao dress. Actually, she still wanted to sleep—whenever Master Shen had a rest day, she ended up even busier, but her heart was at ease for it.

"Master, can you wear the new clothes I bought for you today?"

"New clothes? Sure."

Xia Nu smiled with squinting eyes, hopped off the bed, and fetched a white robe from the wardrobe—a purchase she’d made long ago, convinced Master would look very handsome in it. Pity that rest days were a rarity and he usually wore the somber black of his official robes, rarely getting the chance for this one. Now, seeing her rare opportunity, Xia Nu’s eyes sparkled with delight as she nimbly dressed her master in the new outfit.

Taking a few steps back, Xia Nu cradled her chin and beamed with pride at the freshly dressed Shen Hao. So handsome!

Handsome, aren’t I?