Yan Shian’s mood was brighter than ever before. “I really like these things. How much do they cost?”

Being friends with Shi Buyu naturally meant he wasn’t exactly a purely good person.

Fan Can had no qualms about being tough with acquaintances. He laboriously picked up his bundles to move somewhere else for the big deal. Dan Niang carried them over, holding them single-handedly and went into the tent.

The tent was not large, and from the details, it clearly belonged solely to Dan Niang.

“Is this your first time at the Ghost Market, Young Master Yan?” Dan Niang invited him to sit down, then grabbed Xiao Shier’s collar and pressed him to sit next to her.

Yan Shian paused at her action before answering, “Yes, first time. I’ve only heard about it before.”

“Then you’ve missed out on a lot of fun,” Fan Can cut in, placing his treasures one by one in front of him. “Don’t underestimate the Ghost Market. There are really good things here, many of which I’ve picked up from other places’ ghost markets.”

Yan Shian raised an eyebrow. “Buying low and selling high?”

“No, no, no, truly good things can’t be bought cheap,” Fan Can corrected his misconception. “If someone came to the Ghost Market with a scam, no need for the market guards to act; the stall owners would eat that bad rule-breaker alive. If it’s really good stuff, no one would rush to sell it at a cut-throat price. This has been a rule in our Ghost Market for many years. What I earn is just the price difference from region to region — hard-earned money, not dirty money.”

Yan Shian was surprised.

Rules like these — how many really follow them? Most people pay lip service but break them in secret. Yet, those who mix in the Ghost Market told him that everyone here truly follows the rules; no one dares to break them.

He suddenly realized that he had always been looking up high, never noticing these inconspicuous people who live seriously and earnestly.

He watched Fan Can hold each item, introducing its name, origin, and stories. At this moment, he didn’t feel any suspicion toward Miss Shi.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Miss Shi already yawning, clearly uninterested. So he picked a few things himself and asked questions, then bought them all outright. No bargaining — whatever the price was, he paid it.

“This is the first time I’ve seen such a straightforward customer,” Fan Can said, pointing at the silver notes, his eyes shining with happiness.

“Miss Shi said the Ghost Market doesn’t need much haggling.”

Seeing that she helped him make a big profit, Fan Can decided to forgive her behavior today. If he had known she would bring such a rich client, he would have sent the goods early.

But then: “Xiao Shier, what’s the deal with this cousin of yours?”

“It’s just like that. You don’t have a cousin, but I do?”

Fan Can, about to forgive her, immediately tensed again. Was this person really worth forgiving? She wasn’t! She deserved a beating!

Dan Niang pressed on his shoulder to keep him sitting still, while holding Xiao Shier down. After calming them, she asked, “So, this is the one who helped you?”

“Yeah.” Shi Buyu looked at Dan Niang but didn’t explain, only said earnestly, “When the time is right, I’ll tell you the details.”

Fan Can snorted lightly, “Xiao Shier, you’re playing bigger and bigger.”

Shi Buyu snorted back, “So are you going to help or not?”

“Of course.” Fan Can rolled his eyes at her. After fighting for so many years, would it be for nothing?

This wasn’t a place to talk much, so everyone stopped at that.

After clearing out the goods he had, Fan Can began eyeing other good things from other stalls, bringing his wealthy employer to shop in bulk. Although the money didn’t go into his pocket and the items belonged to others, he still felt very satisfied.

Meanwhile, the wealthy employer Yan Shian had spent who knows how much money, with an ever-increasing smile on his face.

Yan Shian thought it was worth it.

Back home, Shi Buyu stayed in the small flower hall, talking about these two.

“Fan Can is very clever. He can understand any book at a glance. His teacher even thought he could produce a student who would enter the court and become a prime minister. His family was proud of him. But unexpectedly, he suddenly lost motivation. No matter how they taught him, he didn’t take it seriously. No advice worked. He was determined to dive into the marketplace to do the kind of trading he found interesting.”

Shi Buyu smiled, “In the Dayou Dynasty, merchants were low class, not even qualified for imperial exams. Of course, his family opposed him and tried all means to bring him back. The first time I saw him, he was beaten so badly by the Fan family brothers his mother wouldn’t have recognized him. But no matter what they did to pressure him, they wouldn’t hurt his hands or face. The Fan family wanted those intact, hoping he could have a bright future on their behalf. So I took him away.”

Yan Shian was stunned. “Took him away means…?”

“At that time, I was very curious about the outside world. The White Beard kept controlling me, and the more he did, the more I wanted to run away. When I saw him, I took him with me. I thought two people together wouldn’t be scared, and if we met bad people, we’d have a helper.”

Yan Shian laughed at this — something only Miss Shi would do.

“Fan Can said, only after seeing for yourself do you realize what a copper coin can do, what a silver tael can do, what a piece of silk can be sold for at low prices and what it can be sold for at high prices. Don’t be fooled by his money-hungry appearance — he actually doesn’t know how much silver he has. In his eyes, the only thing that matters is what the item’s price should be. Too high is a fake price, too low and you should raise it.”

Shi Buyu looked at him. “Do you believe it? He’s the purest-hearted person I know. If not for Dan Niang protecting him, he’d be dead a hundred times over.”

“Do you like him?”

“Of course. I have too many distractions in my heart and can’t be as pure as he is. Naturally, I like him.”

“Oh, that kind of like!” Yan Shian nodded. “Pure people are rare.”

“He’s able to stay so pure because Dan Niang is by his side.”

Shi Buyu rested her head on her arm and spoke of the two: “Dan Niang and he have been betrothed since childhood. After I took him away, Dan Niang thought he had changed his heart and chased after him to find out for sure, but she was always one step behind. Eventually, she caught up. After I learned their relationship, I thought she was going to hit me, but she didn’t. She even made me good food, saying I’d helped a lot. Back then I didn’t understand. Later I found out that their families had similar status originally. Then Dan Niang’s family declined, while Fan Can’s family rose because of him. The Fan family had planned to break the engagement, but Fan Can disappeared, so the engagement didn’t break off.”

Yan Shian pushed the teacup toward her. “Did the Fan family ever acknowledge it?”

“No. Fan Can went home and told them he wouldn’t marry anyone but Dan Niang. When they opposed, he left again.” Shi Buyu smiled slyly, “But we spread the news of their marriage throughout the city. I even asked White Beard to write business cards and had my brothers as honored guests, inviting many famous scholars to attend. Whether it happened or not, it was sure to happen. The Fan family dared not refute it. Later, Fan Can stopped returning home, and they had no way to deal with it.”