Volume 6, Chapter 16: Dim Sum and the Foreign Girl Former Part (1/2)

“It’s gotten quite bustling.”

It was her dad, Ruomen, who was speaking in a calm tone. He had taken off his white court physician robes today. Though he was wearing trendy male clothes, his round features and gentle face resembled an old woman. He was tapping his cane as he ambled along the main street.

“Try not to fall.” Maomao looked around as she walked beside her dad. It was fine if it was the street with nothing, but a large street with lots of traffic had more people, which had more than usual with the festival racket. An elderly man missing a kneecap would fall over if anyone bumped into him.

“It’s fine,” he said.

“Yes, yes. Please listen.”

Normally, she would be speaking more bluntly, but she controlled it today as there were other people around. Yao and En’en, and the constantly angry court physician whose name she couldn’t remember had also come along. There was also a military official, but this was an escort.

“It would be better if we used a carriage.”

“With this many people here, wouldn’t a carriage just hold up the street?” Dad had said it cheerfully, but it was awkward to make an elderly with a bad leg walk.

To speak of why these individuals were out and about, they were tagging along to buy medicine. Ingredients for household medicines would normally be delivered right to the medical office’s doorstep, but apparently, for rare medicines, they would go for direct meetings. She was told that they would be tagging along frequently now for medicine buying since there were a lot of merchants from distance places in particular.

The reason Dad was out to buy medicine was that he was the most adept among the court physicians in foreign languages. The reason Maomao and the others were coming along was for study.

This was a very joyous occasion for Maomao. On top of being able to be with Dad, she can see unusual medicines. She was excited, but…

“Don’t do anything unwarranted.” The court physician, the angry court physician, watched Maomao fixedly. She felt that he had been observing her from the start, but he got more strict ever since he discovered the frog-laced salve from the other day.

“I’m sorry.” Dad didn’t contest it either.

Maomao herself had been already been planning to stay compliant in other places.

Compared to before, Yao seemed to be more respectful to Dad. She was a meddlesome person as usual when it came to En’en, but recently, Maomao understood that the court lady had quite a good personality.

(Yao is probably sheltered.)

The court lady was wearing a composed expression, but there would occasionally be a crazy look in her eyes when she perused the shops. Along with being unused to the throngs of people, she looked unsteady on her feet. En’en, seeing that, seemed as though there was some inexplicable emotion brimming in her expressionless mien. How to put it, it looked like the eyes you get when you stare at a squirrel you sighted adoringly from a distance.

(Could it be the right person in the right place?)

En’en handled the Yao protection charm well, though.

(Could she be having a bit of fun?)

…was what she wouldn’t not think. It might be better than doing it against her will, though.

During the time Yao’s eyes sparkled at the candy sculptures, they reached their destination. It was an eating house targeted to the elite. A shop where you can organise confidential discussions.

(It would be more useful to have private rooms.)

Even though it’s medicine, foreign wares are expensive. If you carelessly try to make a deal on the road, it wouldn’t be unusual to get robbed on the way back. Thus, they had an escort with them.

As it was during the daytime, there were many female customers. It seems that there were a lot of light dim sums during the day; the freshly steamed baozi looked delicious.

“Please come in.” A waiter guided them to a private room.

There was a bright haired foreigner in the private room. He had thick body hair and wore a thick beard under his nose.

Maomao and the others were going to follow in after Dad into the room, but the foreigner raised his hand.

“….”

He was a bit far away so she couldn’t hear him. However, Dad looked at Maomao and the other two while shaking his head.

“Only three people can come in,” he said.

“Eh…”

If it was three people, then the ones left out would be Maomao and the others. The two court physicians were required, and they also wanted to leave the escort just in case.

“Or rather, don’t bring the female children, it seems he said. If it were someone else, it would have been fine.”

Will we have to wait in the corridor? she asked, crestfallen.

“You are experienced with shopping, right? Why don’t you go outside to buy other things for us?” The court physician handed a piece of paper and some money to Maomao. The court physicians’ favourite treats were written down. The paper was crammed with writing and there was a considerable sum of money too. “You can buy whatever you like if there’s change leftover. Candy sculptures are fine too. Come back in a dual hour.”

“…understood.”

This court physician was always angry, but it seems he didn’t forget about awarding sweets. It seems he clearly saw that Yao was interested in the street stalls.

“You know how to use money properly at least, right?” As if she couldn’t stand that Maomao was the one who got the money, Yao charged at her.

(Does she even know what she means by saying that?)

In other words, this young lady revealed that she didn’t know how to use money. As if she had learned about it recently, she was a little proud.

Behind Yao, En’en’s eyes were sparkling. “Isn’t our young lady adorable?” her eyes said.

Yao was complaining that Maomao was carrying the money. That said, she didn’t feel at ease to pass it to Yao, so she handed it to En’en instead.

Yao looked somewhat dissatisfied, but it seems she didn’t oppose leaving the wallet to En’en.

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“Shall we start with the steamed buns?”

As the money was now in her hands, En’en naturally started to split up the sums.

When Maomao peeked at the piece of paper and saw the name of the shop indicated, she contorted her expression.

“What’s wrong?” Yao asked.

“This shop always sells out at noon.” Maomao pointed in the direction of the shop.

“Yao-sama, that’s how it is.” En’en was quick to read the atmosphere.

“Eh? Eh?”

Maomao tugged the hand of the lost Yao. En’en too.

“Once it’s sold out, our evaluation will go down,” Maomao said.

And Yao shuddered. “Let’s hurry up.”

The three of them dashed all the way to the steamed bun shop.

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