Chapter 357: Little Demon Star

Chapter 357: Chapter 357: Little Demon Star

With the horse secured, the cart would be much simpler.

Ji Huan glanced at the horse obediently following beside Guan Shan. Its belly was so gaunt it caved inward, every rib clearly visible. She almost wanted to give up on the idea of buying a cart.

’A horse in this state can barely walk on its own,’ she thought. ’How can I expect it to pull a cart?’

’If I take it home, who knows how many days it will last...’

Guan Shan saw right through her and said, "It will be fine. It can work."

Ji Huan was skeptical, but she wondered if it was her imagination. The horse, which had been listless before, now seemed to have a lot more spirit.

It was as if it understood Guan Shan’s words, even lifting its neck proudly toward Ji Huan.

"...Fine."

Across from the Horse Market were shops selling carriages. They had a full range of equipment—halters, bits, whips, saddles, reins—everything you could possibly need.

Ji Huan’s requirements for a cart weren’t high; it just needed to be sturdy and spacious.

One look at the luxurious, elegant, and extravagant models told her they weren’t suitable for trips to the countryside.

Of course, she didn’t pick a poor-quality one either. In the end, she chose a relatively plain, mid-range model.

The cart, along with the necessary parts and accessories, cost a total of four taels of silver.

It wasn’t a small amount, but compared to the twenty taels she had just spent, it was a drop in the bucket.

Although the cart was pre-built, there were still small details to handle and parts to assemble. All the hammering and banging would take some time.

Ji Huan had a shop attendant take the horse to the stable in the backyard to be fed and watered.

When the attendant came to lead the horse away, it refused to move, no matter how hard he pulled. Even Ji Huan’s help was useless.

It wasn’t until Guan Shan shot it a look that it dejectedly followed the attendant.

Ji Huan: "..." ’Forget it,’ she thought. ’I’ll just pretend I didn’t buy the horse for myself.’

Waiting around was dreadfully boring, so she asked Guan Shan to keep an eye on things while she and Dabao went to wander down another street.

Guan Shan frowned slightly. "You aren’t familiar with this area. You shouldn’t wander off."

Ji Huan, already walking away with Dabao in tow, turned and waved at him. "Don’t worry, it’s just the next street over. We’ll be back in a bit."

She had noticed it when they arrived that morning—across from the Horse Market was a cross-street dedicated to food and daily necessities.

It was a rare trip out for Dabao, so she had to buy him some tasty treats and fun things.

Besides, it was almost noon. Given Guan Shan’s attire... it was probably safer not to dine in a restaurant. ’We’ll just buy some buns or something to tide us over,’ she decided.

This area was still some distance from the county center, and the cross-street wasn’t a main road. However, due to its proximity to the Horse Market, the foot traffic was considerable.

More than half the street was lined with food vendors, and the air was filled with the overlapping cries of hawkers.

With a clear goal in mind, Ji Huan led Dabao straight into a pastry shop.

The pastry shop in town only had a few items, but this one, by comparison, offered a dazzling array.

Ruyi cakes, auspicious fruit pastries, plum blossom cookies, seven-piece puzzle pastries... and many others she couldn’t name.

Ji Huan let Dabao choose. He pointed at the chestnut cakes, then immediately pulled his hand back, not picking anything else.

Ji Huan had no choice but to decide for him.

In addition to the chestnut cakes, she bought several packets of pea flour cakes and walnut cookies. Before leaving, she also had them weigh out some crispy candy. With so many children at home, that would be the most popular treat.

As they left the pastry shop, the scent of meat buns wafted to her nose. She looked across the street and, sure enough, there was a bun shop.

"Are you hungry, Dabao? Let’s go buy some bun—"

As Ji Huan spoke, she started leading Dabao across the street. She hadn’t even finished her sentence when a commotion erupted around them.

"Oh no, run! That Little Demon Star is here again!"

"He trashed my stall yesterday, and he’s back again today?!"

"Didn’t the Wan Mansion’s steward say he’d keep him under control? Let’s go report him to the Wan Mansion!"

"Stop talking and hurry up..."

Ji Huan only caught a few snippets before she saw the vendors on both sides of the street looking as if they were facing a great enemy. They frantically bundled up their wares, tucked them under their arms, and fled.

However, only a few were quick enough. Before most could pack up, the sound of galloping hooves echoed as a horse charged down the street.

Although Ji Huan didn’t know what was happening, she instinctively pulled Dabao back to the front of the pastry shop.

Turning to look at the street entrance, she saw it was already in chaos.

A rider and horse were charging recklessly, swerving as if drunk instead of riding in a straight line.

The stalls that hadn’t been cleared in time were all knocked over, their contents scattering everywhere. The vendors didn’t dare spare them a glance, scrambling to escape.

The rider burst into laughter. Instead of stopping, he continued to crack his whip, striking the horse’s rump viciously.

The horse, stung by the pain, galloped even more erratically, like a headless fly. It was heading straight for the pastry shop.

Ji Huan never imagined that even retreating to the side of the road wasn’t safe. She was about to pull Dabao back into the shop, but before she could move, the horse was upon them.

A massive horse’s head loomed before her. Ji Huan’s pupils contracted, and her mind went blank. Without thinking, she twisted, wrapped her arms around Dabao, and threw herself backward.

Amid a flurry of startled cries and sharp gasps, the two of them tumbled into the shop.

Their bags of pastries scattered across the entrance, trampled into a pulp by the horse’s hooves.

Half of Ji Huan’s body was numb from the fall. As her senses returned, the first thing she did was ask if Dabao was hurt.

Seeing Dabao shake his head, she helped him to his feet.

She glared angrily at the doorway, only to see that the rider was a boy in his early teens.

The horse he rode had clearly been carefully chosen—not too powerfully built, just right for someone his age. But even so, if it ran into or trampled someone, it could easily be fatal.

The boy was dressed in fine brocade robes and was quite handsome, but his face was marred by an air of sheer arrogance. Seeing the disheveled and terrified state of Ji Huan and her brother, he waved his whip and laughed wildly.

"HAHAHAHAHA, how ridiculous! I wasn’t going to hit you, so why did you dodge? Are you that scared of dying, you cowards!"

Ji Huan detested spoiled brats, especially the kind who had no regard for human life.

However, one look told her he was from a powerful, wealthy family. Crossing him would only lead to endless trouble. So, despite her anger, she could only resign herself to her bad luck.

Just as she took Dabao’s hand to leave, the boy spurred his horse to block their path.

"You startled my horse, and now you think you can just walk away? Get on your knees and kowtow to me ten times, then kowtow to my horse three times. While you’re at it, shout ’Grandfather, I was wrong.’ Do that, and this young master will graciously spare you."

Ji Huan was so angry she laughed.

’How unreasonable,’ she fumed. ’Who startled whom? If I hadn’t dodged with Dabao so quickly, the two of us might have ended up just like these crushed pastries on the ground!’

She didn’t want to cause trouble, but trouble had found her.

She could see it clearly now. With this naughty boy’s tyrannical attitude, apologizing or trying to be conciliatory would be useless. He wouldn’t be satisfied unless she knelt, kowtowed, and called him ’Grandfather’ as he demanded.

It wasn’t that Ji Huan’s knees couldn’t bend, but she wouldn’t bend them for just anyone.

"Who isn’t afraid of dying? Are you not afraid? Why don’t you stand there and let me ride a horse straight at you and see what happens?"

The boy froze for a moment, as if he couldn’t believe this woman dared to talk back.

For the past few days, he had been running rampant in this area. Even if people went to the Wan Mansion to complain afterward, they wouldn’t dare say a single word to his face.

The first two who had dared to confront him were whipped until they were writhing on the ground. She heard one of them nearly died and was still laid up in a clinic.

Their families had threatened to report him to the government office? Hmph. The steward just went and gave them some silver, and they all became as docile as lambs, never mentioning the matter again.

’The lives of the poor are so cheap,’ he thought. ’How dare she compare herself to me.’

"You? Can you even ride a horse? I bet you’ve never even seen one up close."

Ji Huan scoffed. "Even if I’ve never ridden before, I imagine I wouldn’t charge around blindly like a headless fly."

’Is she mocking my riding skills?’

The boy’s expression changed.

It was true that he had only just learned to ride after arriving in Yeyang. Back in the Capital City, his family was strict and forbade him from touching such things.

However, although he hadn’t been learning for long, everyone praised him for picking it up quickly and well. Even the horse trainer who taught him complimented his exceptional talent.

’How dare this woman say I can’t ride well?’

The boy flew into a rage. Without another word, he raised his whip and lashed out at Ji Huan.