Chapter 115: Lu Liaoliao's Smile

In the most magnificent room of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, the guests were numerous and the exquisite dishes kept arriving one after another. Originally, Lu Lueluo, the honored guest of the banquet, had been completely overshadowed by Wang Zhun, who had unexpectedly appeared midway through the event. Except for Jun Ruocheng, who came over to sincerely apologize, everyone else simply nodded and smiled before gathering around Wang Zhun, the number one scoundrel of Chang’an Tianzi.

“Brother Wang Zhun, with your status, who in Chang’an would dare to cause you trouble? Why were you galloping away while constantly looking back as if someone was chasing you?” Cheng Changmu raised his cup in a toast to Wang Zhun and asked curiously.

“Hahaha! You’ve really made me laugh to death!” Wang Zhun slapped his thigh while laughing heartily. “Where do you think I just ran out from?”

“Where?” Cheng Changmu asked tactfully.

“Today I visited the residence of Princess Yongmu’s son-in-law. The princess herself cooked a feast, and after we were full, I challenged the son-in-law, Wang Yao, to an archery contest. We placed an apple on his head and only shot at the apple—not at the person.

Since I was the guest, I shot first. I intentionally aimed a bit low and broke his headband with my arrow, causing his official hat to fall off. He looked disheveled with hair all over the place. Then I mounted my horse and fled so fast he couldn’t catch me.

Damn it! Who told them to call me the biggest waste and scoundrel in Chang’an and send their daughter far away to Luoyang to avoid me?” Wang Zhun finished with a proud look, downing a large cup of wine as he glanced around arrogantly.

“Brother Wang Zhun, you’re truly my idol. I think you should have just taken their beautiful daughter by force from the start and settled down with her. Let’s see if they’d still recognize you as their son-in-law,” Wei Yingwu jumped up, waving his arms enthusiastically, earning Wang Zhun’s newfound respect.

Wang Zhun’s eyes flickered subtly. “Little devil Wei, rumors say you plunder from the palace by day and steal from neighbors by night. Seems like you’re even more formidable than me.”

“Hehe,” Wei Yingwu smiled slyly. “How could I compare to Brother Wang Zhun? I still have much to learn from you.”

“Hahaha!” Wang Zhun burst into loud laughter.

“I think, Brother Wang Zhun, your little stunt today wasn’t merely to mess with that son-in-law, Wang Yao,” Lu Lueluo stood and smiled faintly at Wang Zhun.

“What do you think I’m up to?” Wang Zhun sneered.

“Brother Wang Zhun, you shot your arrow to break his headband without harming him. Such masterful archery is unmatched in Chang’an. Though you come from a scholarly family, your spirit is bold and heroic—you aspire to be a great general on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, as the only son, the censor won’t allow you to risk yourself in the field. So you’re stuck in the capital, frustrated and bored, deliberately stirring up trouble to take revenge on your family.

Being called a worthless scoundrel must hurt you deeply. So you used this archery contest to display your mounted archery skills in public. I wonder if my guess is correct?” Lu Lueluo finished with a smile and a bow toward Wang Zhun.

“Damn it! Are you secretly the illegitimate son of that old ghost Li Linfu? How else could you read people’s hearts so accurately from afar?” Wang Zhun’s face turned pale, looking quite unsettled.

All the noble youths in the room suddenly turned to look at Lu Lueluo, making him feel uncomfortable.

“Brother Wang Zhun, you’re joking. I, the young master, am merely a physician at the Imperial Medical Institute, unrelated to that prime minister in any way.”

“Damn it! If it weren’t for that ancient monster Li Linfu, I’d seriously suspect you know some mind-reading sorcery. But I’ve heard your mounted archery is peerless; you stunned everyone at the marriage contest. I’m no expert in other skills, but I’m confident in my own mounted archery. Dare you challenge me?” Wang Zhun’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Very well! It would be an honor to compete with such a master as Brother Wang Zhun,” Lu Lueluo agreed readily.

“Wait!” Wang Zhun shouted, causing the gathering spectators to freeze.

Wang Zhun smiled strangely. “Your family is the richest in the Tang Dynasty, and I, Wang Zhun, am never short of silver. If we compete, we must raise the stakes.”

“What kind of stakes do you want, Brother Wang Zhun?” Lu Lueluo, confident in himself, asked with a smile.

“Given our wealth, we don’t care about each other’s money. The stakes are: whoever loses will treat all the brothers and friends present to drinks at the Hu Ji tavern.”

Wang Zhun announced the bet proudly, drawing cheers from the noble sons.

Lu Lueluo felt a sudden chill. He had hoped to win some fortune from this wealthy man, but this bet was troublesome and unrewarding. He hesitated.

Wang Shiyi, standing anxiously behind, poked Lu Lueluo’s back. If he refused, it would be a great loss of face for the Wang family.

“All right!” Lu Lueluo quickly snapped out of it.

“I’m impatient, so let’s set the time for tomorrow at dusk. The place? The newly built racecourse at the Wang family’s Dayu Town villa should still be there. Let’s meet there,” Wang Zhun waved his hand impatiently and settled the matter.

“Come on, brothers, keep drinking! Tomorrow, bring more people to cheer me on!” Wang Zhun shouted.

On an early autumn morning, amid the misty fog, many pedestrians were already visible on the streets of Dayu Town. Whether it was the nineteenth day of the ninth month or not, many hopeful souls came to offer incense to the God of Wealth, praying for blessings to improve their lives.

Zhang Sanniang was still diligently sweeping the street. She glanced at the steaming buns in front of her shop with pride and satisfaction.

A shabby middle-aged couple holding brooms looked awkwardly at the spotless street Zhang Sanniang had cleaned, unsure what to do.

Zhang Sanniang took out four copper coins and placed them before the couple. She had just finished cleaning neighboring streets and felt sorry that the new street cleaners might lose some income.

The weathered man pushed the coins back to Zhang Sanniang and silently pulled his wife away. Zhang sighed slightly, knowing she couldn’t continue cleaning on her own.

The red sun rose, blazing brightly, and the fog vanished without a trace.

“Steamed buns! Delicious steamed buns! Ten copper coins for three, three coins each!” A clear child’s voice called out loudly.

After buying this steamed bun shop for two thousand copper coins, Zhang Sanniang had adopted the same shouting style.

Almost everyone in Dayu Town knew the trap in this call, but many visitors still paid ten coins for three buns. The locals smiled knowingly, thinking they had found another fool.

“Little brother, give me three steamed buns,” Lu Lueluo casually tossed ten copper coins into the money basket beside the buns.

“Ah! It’s the young master Lu! Didn’t he settle happily in Chang’an with the Wang family’s young lady? Why is he back in Dayu Town?” This time, the townsfolk didn’t mock him but eagerly surrounded him to greet and speak.

“Benefactor! Why come here? If you want steamed buns, I can’t take your money!” Zhang Sanniang’s face was full of excitement as she hurriedly tried to grab the coins back.

Lu Lueluo stopped her hand. “Zhang sister, if you want to invite me for a meal, you can prepare a good one at home and I’ll be very happy. But these buns are business; we can’t break the rules, right?”

Zhang wiped her tears and said, “All right. My husband has news—he broke his leg fighting in the Stone Kingdom but will soon come home. When he does, I’ll make a feast and invite you and your wife, and settle the rest with you.”

“Great! Zhang sister, make plenty. I have three wives, you know,” Lu Lueluo said with a bittersweet smile.

“Absolutely, I promise enough for everyone,” Zhang said, smiling through tears.

“Young master Lu, what good news have you brought us this time? Some elders say you’re the disciple of the God of Wealth, blessing everywhere you go,” a young man shouted from the crowd, causing laughter.

“Hehe,” Lu Lueluo smiled. “I’m here to compete in mounted archery. Whether I bring prosperity, I’m still figuring that out.”

“Who dares to challenge Young Master Lu in archery? Don’t they know he’s the best in the Tang Dynasty?” someone else shouted, making Lu Lueluo blush. His skills weren’t even as good as Pei Wuniang or Kang Zhimu.

“Yes, yes! Let’s all cheer for Young Master Lu tomorrow!” an enthusiastic youth rallied the crowd.

Wang Shiyi, seeing the crowd surrounding Lu Lueluo, grew uneasy as his professional bodyguard instincts kicked in. He nudged Zhou Lizi.

“Hehe,” Zhou Lizi laughed easily. “In other places, who knows? But here in Dayu Town, no one dares harm the young master. If anyone tries, the residents will swarm and swallow them whole.”

“Sigh,” Wang Shiyi sighed. “I don’t quite understand our son-in-law. He smiles at his real friends, but I feel no joy inside. Yet with these ordinary townsfolk, his smile is bright and genuine.”

“That’s the kind of young master I, Zhou Lizi, would follow to the grave. You too come from a guard’s background, but you’ve known only the wealthy and privileged. You wouldn’t understand,” Zhou Lizi said proudly, a rare smile crossing his usually stern face.

“All right! Tomorrow at dusk, the new racecourse at the Wang family villa. Anyone free, come cheer me on. Who knows, maybe I’ll bring a new fortune for everyone,” Lu Lueluo waved cheerfully to the crowd, a plan already forming in his mind.