Chapter 14: New Home

Thanks to their efforts the previous day, two baskets of bamboo dragonflies were completed.

Cao Xi’s hands were worn from the rough work. However, Li Feng was adamant that she shouldn’t continue carving the wood. Instead, he had Qin Zhao take over the sanding, leaving the final touches to him.

By early morning, the town was bustling. Li Feng and Cao Xi set off to sell the bamboo dragonflies, while the water buffalo and others continued selling baskets.

Once they arrived at the town, they split up. Li Feng sold on the east street, while Cao Xi took the west. Soon, half the town had seen their product.

Cao Xi set up her stall, loudly calling out, “Selling bamboo dragonflies! Watch them fly up in the air!”

Nearby, Qin Zhao had also set up his stall, constantly turning the dragonflies. They soared up and down, drawing a growing crowd.

“To the ladies and gentlemen, come see! If you have children, you must take one home for them. Trust me, they’ll love it!” Cao Xi was enthusiastically promoting the product.

Finally, a young man came up to inquire, “How much for this?”

“Twenty coins each,” Cao Xi replied, sticking to the pricing they had set: twenty coins for one, or thirty-five for two.

“How can you sell this wooden stick for so much? Are you out of your mind?” The young man couldn’t believe his ears.

“If the price doesn’t suit you, you’re welcome to move along,” Qin Zhao responded, clearly unhappy with the young man’s tone.

The young man, sensing that Qin Zhao was trying to push him away, glared and snapped, “What’s your problem?”

Cao Xi, trying to smooth things over, smiled and said, “My brother didn’t mean to offend you. Take two for thirty-five coins.”

The young man, eager for the deal, immediately purchased two. As he left, he shot a nasty remark toward Qin Zhao, “Watch how you talk next time, you’re worse than a dog.”

Qin Zhao gritted his teeth, irritated by the comment, but he didn’t plan to engage further with someone like that. He couldn’t help but feel a little furious.

Cao Xi, seeing an opportunity, quickly continued her pitch: “For those who want two, they’re thirty-five coins. Once they’re gone, that’s it!”

People quickly rushed to buy, eager not to miss out.

The novelty of the bamboo dragonflies had people excited—some took them home for their children, while others bought them just to play with themselves.

Before long, the entire batch was sold out.

“At this point, I’ll be back next time. Come back if you need more,” Cao Xi called after the last of the buyers.

The bamboo dragonflies were sold out twice. The product was simple, but it sold like hotcakes, similar to sugar-coated hawthorns. Once the first batch sold out, the second set of buyers quickly arrived.

As the crowd slowly dispersed, Cao Xi tugged at Qin Zhao, saying, “Next time, don’t let things get tense. If we get into a conflict, we’re the ones who’ll lose out. Our goal is to earn their money, so let’s not let these people get to us.”

“His words were too harsh,” Qin Zhao said, feeling aggrieved.

“They were harsh, but I didn’t want him to keep talking. Especially when he was being so rude to us,” Cao Xi sighed, feeling helpless. “You can’t always just argue, sometimes it’s better to wait for the right moment.”

Qin Zhao looked confused. “Wait? What do you mean?”

Cao Xi gave him a sideways glance. “It’s called patience in the face of provocation. When things calm down, we can deal with it properly. You’ll understand when you get older.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Qin Zhao tilted his head, not understanding.

Cao Xi just shrugged, deciding not to elaborate. “When things settle down, I’ll send you to study at the academy.”

Qin Zhao froze for a moment. “You’re going to send me away?”

He raised his head, glaring at Cao Xi, as if daring her to admit it.

Cao Xi refused to confirm it. “I didn’t say anything like that. You’re imagining things.”

“Hmph! You wouldn’t dare,” Qin Zhao muttered, puffing up his chest and walking ahead with a haughty attitude, looking like an arrogant rooster.

As they continued, they saw that Li Feng still had a few bamboo dragonflies left.

Cao Xi and Qin Zhao split the remaining stock, taking them to the street corner to sell.

The three of them sat down in a secluded spot to divide the earnings. Cao Xi said, “I’ll look around town today and see if I can find a suitable house.”

Li Feng asked, “What kind of house are you looking for?”

Cao Xi thought for a moment. “I need two bedrooms and a kitchen. And it needs to be affordable for us.”

“If you’re not picky about the location, you can try near the city wall. The rent there is usually much cheaper,” Li Feng suggested, clearly familiar with the area.

They had been around the town long enough to know its ins and outs, and finding a house didn’t take long.

The first house they checked was near the city wall, but it had a high rent of fifteen hundred coins a month, which was way beyond their budget. They didn’t even bother negotiating, afraid the landlord would agree without hesitation.

The second house, however, was much more affordable. It was a little farther out of the city, about half a tea session’s walk, and came with a small courtyard with some vegetables and a jujube tree. The house had two bedrooms, a storage room, and a clean kitchen. It seemed like a good option for their needs.

The second house, with a rent of 500 coins per month, was much cheaper than the first one, and Cao Xi and Qin Zhao both liked it.

The third house was farther away, located next to a dirt temple, with only a wall separating it from the outside. It was near the city wall and had a small courtyard surrounded by shrubs. The house itself was old and had a strong earthy smell. Despite the house being rundown, the rent was affordable at 300 coins per month. The only downside was that it was quite isolated from the neighbors.

Back at the temple, the three of them sat down in a circle to discuss which house offered the best value.

The house near the city wall was ruled out for two reasons: it was too expensive, and the space was too cramped for them to expand.

Cao Xi found herself torn between the second and third houses.

Li Feng suggested, “Why don’t we go with the second house? Living too far from the town could be dangerous for just the two of you.”

Qin Zhao also agreed, “The second house is too old, and the condition of the house isn’t worth the rent.”

After hearing Qin Zhao’s words, Cao Xi made up her mind. “Alright, let’s go with the second one.”

Though she had been wavering, hearing Qin Zhao’s opinion made her decide quickly.

Li Feng asked, “Do you two have a household registration? You need one to rent a place.”

Cao Xi quickly responded, “I have one, but Qin Zhao’s got lost.”

Li Feng paused for a moment before replying, “You’ll need to file it with the government. As for Qin Zhao…”

He added after a brief silence, “The government is struggling financially, with the ongoing border wars. As long as you have some money on hand, it should be fine.”

Cao Xi nodded, “Understood, I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”

---

The next day, Cao Xi took Qin Zhao to handle the household registration. They arrived at the government office early and had to wait outside.

As they sat down, Qin Zhao’s balance wavered, and they both ended up tumbling onto the ground.

“Hey! Who let these kids sit here? Get up!” a guard shouted as he approached them, his expression stern.

The guard quickly moved toward them, trying to usher them away, but Cao Xi hurriedly stood up and helped Qin Zhao. “Sir, we came to register our household registration.”

The guard took a few steps back, eyeing them closely. “Where is your companion?”

Before Cao Xi could speak, Qin Zhao’s eyes filled with tears, and a few droplets began to fall.

“Sir, he’s gone. Now it’s just me and my sister.”

The guard’s expression softened when he saw the tearful boy. “Let me see the registration.”

Cao Xi quickly took out the household registration from her bag and handed it over to the guard.

He glanced at it and then back at them. “Why is it just you two? Where’s the rest of your family?”

“Sir, he’s my cousin. His registration got lost on the way here,” Cao Xi explained, her voice steady as she discreetly slipped some silver into the guard’s hand.

The guard accepted the silver, his demeanor softening further.

The guard glanced at the amount of silver, his wrinkled face immediately brightened into a smile.

“Come in, if anyone asks, just say you’re distant relatives of mine. If no one asks, don’t say a word.”

Cao Xi quickly grabbed Qin Zhao’s hand, following the guard as they entered. As the saying goes, when you have someone from the government, things get done swiftly, and their household registration was processed in no time at all.

Cao Xi and Qin Zhao exchanged a smile.

Cao Xi pinched Qin Zhao’s cheek and teased, “Little rascal.”

Qin Zhao frowned slightly and, feeling embarrassed, swatted Cao Xi’s hand away. “Don’t mess with me.”

Cao Xi just chuckled in response.

---

After their quick success with the registration, Cao Xi decided to find Li Feng.

“That was fast,” Li Feng said, surprised.

Cao Xi smiled and handed him the basket. “The method worked.”

Li Feng replied, “Once we sell the bamboo dragonflies, we can go and sign the rental contract.”

“Alright.”

By afternoon, after all the bamboo dragonflies were sold, the three of them rushed to meet the landlord. They finalized the details, and Cao Xi signed the contract. She sighed deeply, feeling like she had finally secured a small space to breathe in this unfamiliar world.

Having transmigrated here, she had a place to stay and food to eat.

That evening, back at the temple, Cao Xi told the others that she and Qin Zhao were moving out.

The others, who knew they weren’t the same kind of people, were not surprised, though it was still a bit hard to part with the familiar faces after living there for two years.

As they were chatting, Xiao Rui slowly moved toward Qin Zhao and tugged at his sleeve. “Brother Zhao, are you really leaving?”

“Yes, we’re moving out tomorrow morning.”

Qin Zhao felt the tug on his sleeve and frowned slightly as he gently pulled it away from Xiao Rui’s grasp.

Her hands, now empty, trembled as she bit her lip, her face turning sorrowful. “Brother Zhao, I don’t want you to leave.”

Qin Zhao wasn’t one to easily show concern, but he still smoothed out the wrinkles on his sleeve and turned his attention back to Cao Xi.

“It’s not really leaving. We’ll still be in the same city, and you can visit us anytime.”

Xiao Rui, though used to Qin Zhao’s indifference, continued to gaze up at him with teary eyes. “Will we really still live close to each other?”

Qin Zhao seemed slightly startled. He fixed his gaze on Xiao Rui, his eyes sharp.

His voice unintentionally rose several decibels, “It’s none of your business, she’s my sister, so what’s wrong with us living together?”

It was a bit too harsh, especially after all the trouble of moving out of the temple. He didn’t want to make things uncomfortable, but his loud voice made it impossible for anyone not to hear. A few pairs of eyes all turned toward him and Xiao Rui.

Xiao Rui, overwhelmed by the situation and embarrassed in front of the person she liked, burst into tears and ran off.

Qin Zhao felt awkward. He never meant to make someone cry with a single sentence.

He rubbed his nose and glanced at Cao Xi, who was looking at him with an amused expression. He wanted to explain, but it seemed pointless.

Normally, he was quite clever, but when it came to dealing with emotions, he was as dense as a rock.

Cao Xi felt a bit melancholic. How could he ever win a woman’s heart if he kept acting this way?

Qin Zhao stood there like a log, unsure of what to do. Cao Xi took his hand and gently pulled him toward the riverbank.

“Why did you say that earlier?” Cao Xi asked.

Qin Zhao replied, “Xiao Rui didn’t want us to live together. I… didn’t know how to handle it.”

He trailed off, his face conflicted. He had hurt her feelings, and now he felt regret.

“It’s not hard to be straightforward. You shouldn’t make her feel embarrassed,” Cao Xi sighed, exasperated. “He’s so dense.”

Over time, Xiao Rui had developed feelings for Qin Zhao, and it surprised Cao Xi. She hadn’t expected the girl to be so young and already involved in a crush.

Qin Zhao rolled his eyes, clearly dismissing Cao Xi’s teasing words.

“Really? What did you expect? If you make a move like that, this is the result. Hmph!” Qin Zhao said, clearly annoyed.

Cao Xi sighed, “You can’t blame her. She just doesn’t want to be apart from you.”

“Did Xiao Rui not want me to move in with you? Is that why she said all that?”

Qin Zhao nearly dropped his jaw at Cao Xi’s words. His direct stare felt like a slap—he couldn’t believe how clueless Cao Xi could be.

Cao Xi couldn’t take it anymore. He turned away, embarrassed, and muttered, “Am I really that much of an idiot?”

Qin Zhao didn’t respond, only gave him a long, silent look before ending the conversation.

Cao Xi originally wanted to ask Qin Zhao for advice about Xiao Rui, but his words had completely derailed the conversation. Now, he figured he might as well let the matter go and think it over later, maybe after a couple of days.

Back at the temple, Xiao Rui was sitting on the bed, staring at Qin Zhao as he walked in. She opened her mouth as if to say something but hesitated. Her eyes locked on his, filled with so many unsaid words.

Qin Zhao, however, appeared completely oblivious, giving her a glance before turning away. He looked like the worst kind of scoundrel, totally unaware of what he had done wrong.

Seeing his cold attitude, Xiao Rui couldn’t hold it in any longer. She burst into tears and ran away.

Qin Zhao was immediately uncomfortable. He hadn’t meant to make her cry with a single sentence.

He rubbed his nose, glanced over at Cao Xi, who shot him an accusing look, and reluctantly changed his tone. “Well, you’re welcome to come over and visit anytime.”

Qin Zhao felt utterly drained. How could Cao Xi act so childish? And yet, he had no choice but to go along with it, since there was nobody else around to guide him.

He tightened his fists, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders.

“Xiao Rui,” he said, trying to sound gentle, “After we move, you can keep the bed. It’ll be yours. We’ll be moving out, but you don’t have to worry.”

It seemed like the temple would be empty after they left, and Xiao Rui would have to make do with the bed. It was the least Qin Zhao could offer.

Upon hearing Cao Xi’s words, Qin Zhao cast a quick glance at him. Was Cao Xi implying that he and Xiao Rui would now be sleeping separately? He didn’t think that was a good idea.

---

After the move, Qin Zhao and Cao Xi met up with Li Feng, who was also busy with his own arrangements. They asked him to stay and help them carry their things.

The things they had accumulated in the past two days at the temple had surprisingly piled up. They tried to pack what they could, leaving behind what was impossible to take.

The three of them packed their belongings into three bundles. The largest bundle was taller than Qin Zhao himself. He couldn’t carry it, so he had to take the fragile items like bowls and dishes.

Cao Xi took one of the smaller bundles, and Li Feng ended up carrying the rest, looking comical as he was almost completely covered by the large bundles, with only his head visible.

Though the distance wasn’t far, they had to stop three times on the way before finally reaching their new place.

Once they entered the yard, Li Feng immediately headed for the water well, gulping down several mouthfuls of water before collapsing onto the ground. “Finally, I can breathe again.”

Qin Zhao followed him, took a sip of water, and chewed on his tongue. “Wow, the water here tastes sweet.”

Cao Xi looked at the two of them, feeling a little sorry for their exhaustion. He had been the one to suggest they carry so much, but it was clear now that he had underestimated how tiring the move would be.