Chapter 11: Prince: Ugly

The purchasing master glanced at Gu Yi, his eyes showing clear admiration.

Dalang immediately pulled Gu Yi behind him.

Seeing his sister being looked at in such a way by an old man, he felt inexplicably upset.

The purchasing master could not quite understand the child’s protective and disgusted emotions. There was a momentary displeasure, but seeing how beautifully the child was carved, pleasing to the eye, his displeasure quickly disappeared.

The big restaurant had its own supply channels, and over the years, fishermen had stopped trying to sell directly to the kitchen because they were never accepted.

“Master, please take a look,” Gu Yi said.

The purchasing master hesitated for a moment, then replied, “Let me have a look!”

Dalang’s face grew even more sour, stiffly handing over the bucket.

Upon seeing the red fish, the purchasing master’s face immediately became excited, “Oh, this fish looks good.”

“I’ll take it. What price do you want?”

Seeing that he was sure about his purchase, Gu Yi sighed with relief and called out her price, “Ten taels.”

Dalang couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise.

Normally, the fish catch could only sell for a few hundred wen at most, so this was quite a steep price.

But unfortunately, Gu Yi was never someone afraid of rejection. She didn’t know the market price, but if she offered too low, she would regret it later.

The purchasing master, however, did not react strongly, calmly negotiating, “Ten taels is too expensive. Although this fish is still alive, its tail has a hole poked in it, so it’s not very lively. I’ll take it for seven taels.”

To make a nice steamed fish and send it to a distinguished guest, the reward would be far more than ten taels.

Gu Yi’s eyes brightened for a moment, trying to hide her excitement, and nodded gracefully, “Seven taels it is. Master, are there any other fish you want? If so, I’ll give you a better price so we won’t have to go to other places.”

The purchasing master’s lips twitched, “…Alright, bring them all in. I’ll settle the payment in full.”

He didn’t forget to remind her, “In the future, if you have such fish, just send it to the back door. The price will definitely not disappoint you.”

Gu Yi agreed enthusiastically.

She took the silver, turned, and walked off.

“We have silver now! Over seven taels, what should we spend it on?”

With more than two taels left at home, plus the more than seven taels they had now, they were nearing ten taels.

She was still thinking about her large iron pot.

Gu Yi wondered what to buy first, only to see Dalang looking upset and sulking.

“What’s wrong?”

Dalang paused for a moment and said, “I didn’t like the way he looked at you.”

Gu Yi pinched his face. “What’s the big deal? Your sister is good-looking, so of course, people will look a little longer. I can’t just cover my face so no one looks at me. Beauty is my advantage.”

“See, if we weren’t pretty, that purchasing master wouldn’t even look at our fish. If he didn’t look, how could he buy?”

She had always believed that grace and beauty were huge advantages in life, a golden finger that allowed more people to see how outstanding she was.

“In the past, no one would look at you like that, and no one would look at mother that way.”

Dalang suddenly remembered their past in Shengjing and, comparing it with now, felt a pang of sorrow.

He had forgotten many things from before, but he always felt that, in this calamity, the most wronged were mother, sister, and the younger girls.

They used to hardly leave the house. Their servants would always be there for them. Now, they had to go out and work to make a living.

“That’s because we had Father. Our family was high and mighty, but now we are exiled as criminals over a thousand miles away.”

Pain often doesn’t come from life itself but from comparison. They had once lived a life of luxury and fine food, but now, they had to expose themselves and live by catching seafood.

Dalang gave her a look, full of protection and admiration. “I don’t believe Father would lose a battle. He never loses, and he would never fall into an enemy’s trap due to overconfidence.”

Yes, her cheap father was a war god, a natural-born general. From a lowly soldier to leading an army, he had never been defeated.

But everyone eventually encounters their Waterloo.

Gu Yi held a more reserved view on this.

Dalang expressed his feelings, and his face relaxed a lot.

They bought some rice, flour, and a lot of eggs.

“We’ll buy two chickens to slaughter and eat chicken!”

Gu Yi waved her hand and gave the silver. Dalang followed her, carrying two clucking chickens.

When they saw a stall selling buns by the side of the road, and the savory smell of meat reached their noses, Gu Yi swallowed. “Are you hungry?”

Dalang looked at her and nodded.

“Then let’s buy buns to eat!”

Gu Yi had originally considered buying a few to take back for the family, but after thinking about the weather, she quickly dismissed the idea. She bought three meat buns, giving Dalang two.

As for mother and the others, she would buy some flour and pork to bring back and cook.

“I have a small appetite, so you carry more. Eat one more.”

Dalang took it.

Gu Yi inhaled deeply, the rich fragrance so close, and took a big bite. As she bit into the meat filling, juice instantly spilled out, and the flavor became even more overwhelming.

Meat buns were truly a wonderful food.

Seeing his sister enjoying the food, Dalang also ate heartily. The taste lingered in his mouth, and he couldn’t help but think how delicious such a simple meat bun could be.

This was their lunch.

After finishing their lunch, Gu Yi walked around the street a little more, while the big restaurant was still serving distinguished guests.

That live East Star Grouper had already turned into a large dish on someone else’s table.

…

The county magistrate glanced at the man seated at the head of the table and put on a flattering smile. “Prince, the dishes are ready. How about letting my daughter serve the wine?”

The man at the head of the table was clearly a young man barely out of his teens, dressed in dark robes with dark floral patterns embroidered on the cuffs, understated yet elegant.

His long fingers gently tapped the table in a rhythmic manner, exuding an air of casual refinement.

He didn’t refuse, but his narrow, dark eyes glanced at the shy, demure young woman, and he uttered a single word, “Ugly.”

The woman’s face, once flushed with charm, turned pale instantly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

No woman could bear such a great insult.

The girl, crying, turned and ran out of the room.

The county magistrate’s expression darkened as he looked at his running daughter, then at the languid prince, torn, unsure of what to say.

He had heard of how the Prince was notoriously hard to please when it came to women, speaking without mercy. Many women who had thrown themselves at him were humiliated, some crying endlessly, sinking into self-doubt and shame, while others had even taken their own lives.

He thought these were just rumors.

The county magistrate couldn’t help but curse inwardly. The Emperor had sent this Prince to the barren land, yet he still had the audacity to look down on his beautiful and obedient daughter.

It was then that one of the men by the Prince’s side reminded, “County Magistrate, you should hurry and chase after your daughter. It’s best to avoid any bad incidents. The Prince won’t fault you.”

The county magistrate excused himself with a pale face and left.

Yan Ce sighed, “Why can’t they learn? They always believe the rumors.”

After a pause, he turned to the Prince, curious. “Your Highness, with so many women, haven’t you met one who makes your heart stir?”

Xiao Jing Su glanced at him, “Before they get close, there’s already a strong fragrance that gives me a headache.”

Yan Ce smiled, as if remembering something. “Indeed, you prefer beauties from your dreams.”

Xiao Jing Su gave a mocking cold laugh, a flash of killing intent flickering in his eyes.

Yan Ce shivered, suddenly feeling the temperature around him drop.