Chapter 83: The Trade Fair

Three days later, at dawn.

After finishing his morning cultivation, Li Yang made his way toward Jimintang. Before he even reached the entrance, he could see from afar a group of one young man and three young women waiting outside the pharmacy. Two of them were none other than Doctor Sun’s daughter, Sun Yuran, and her friend Zhou Xin, with two carriages parked beside them.

The other pair—a young man and woman—were also in their prime. The man had slicked-back hair, a delicate face, and wore a gray Western suit with gleaming leather shoes. The girl beside him was extravagantly dressed in a white gown, her pretty face and graceful figure reminiscent of a proud little peacock.

“Miss Sun, good morning. Where’s Doctor Sun?” Li Yang approached, greeting Sun Yuran, dressed in a pink Western dress, and Zhou Xin, who was in a bright red cheongsam.

“My father went to a meeting with the chamber of commerce. He asked me to wait here for you and take you to the trade fair first,” the girl replied coolly, glancing at Li Yang.

“Xinxin, is this the one Yuran is waiting for?” The girl in the white dress, arm linked with Zhou Xin’s, looked at Li Yang with curiosity.

Standing among these well-dressed young people, each one eye-catching in their finery, Li Yang, clad in his black-and-white traditional robe, seemed completely out of place.

“He’s just one of Yuran’s clients. Who else could it be? Uncle asked Yuran to take him to the fair,” Zhang Xin said with a mischievous smile, sidling up to the young man and whispering something conspiratorially, her face full of playful wickedness.

The young man nodded in understanding, a flicker of disdain in his eyes as he looked at Li Yang. He took the initiative to extend a hand and introduced himself.

“My name is Yang Xuan, Yuran’s classmate, and the young heir of Shengtian Trading Company—one of the four great firms in Kuncheng. For you to pursue our beautiful Miss Sun, you must have quite the background. Where do you work, might I ask?”

Li Yang glanced at the young man beside him, amused and a little rueful. Scions like this existed in every era—easily provoked by a few words from a mischievous girl like Zhou Xin, eager to try and put him down.

He had no interest in sparring with such a simple-minded fellow. With an indifferent expression, he simply replied, “Li Yang.”

“So cocky!” Yang Xuan was momentarily taken aback. Looking around, he saw both Zhou Xin and the girl in the white dress stifling laughter, and even the usually reserved Sun Yuran couldn’t help pressing her lips together. Clearly, none of them expected someone to so brazenly disregard Young Master Yang.

“Alright then! We’ll be seeing a lot of each other—plenty of time to have some fun.” With that, Yang Xuan ignored Li Yang, leading the girl in the white dress onto the front carriage.

Sun Yuran shot Zhou Xin a glare, then cast Li Yang a worried glance. Yang Xuan was not someone to be trifled with. In the past, someone in Kuncheng had crossed him and was left crippled by Yang Xuan and his cronies the very next day. With his family’s influence, one of the city’s most prominent, the matter was quickly swept away without consequence. Because of this, few dared to provoke him within the circle of wealthy heirs.

Li Yang noticed the worry in Sun Yuran’s eyes, and his regard for this seemingly aloof but genuinely kind-hearted girl grew.

As the others climbed into the carriage, Li Yang was left standing alone. Suddenly, Yang Xuan stuck his head out of the carriage window, slapping his forehead in mock surprise.

“Oh dear… friend, did we leave you behind? My apologies, my fault entirely!”

Yang Xuan’s face was full of mockery, though his mouth kept uttering apologies. “It’s just that this carriage is a bit small, not enough space for everyone. Why don’t you take a rickshaw instead?”

Li Yang frowned at Yang Xuan’s expression, a glint of coldness flashing in his eyes. Just because he ignored an ant didn’t mean he’d tolerate repeated provocations.

“Or, you could squeeze in here with us,” came a voice from behind. Sun Yuran had lifted the carriage curtain and was inviting him.

Her words left everyone stunned, even Zhou Xin shooting her several odd looks.

Yang Xuan thought, What’s gotten into Sun Yuran today? Could she really be interested in this guy? Nonsense—everyone in Kuncheng’s elite circles knew the proud Miss Sun never looked at anyone. Even Chu Shanhe, the president’s son, had pursued her for ages without a clear response.

The girl beside Yang Xuan, in the white dress, rolled her eyes and muttered, “There she goes again, that young lady and her misplaced kindness.”

Li Yang gave Sun Yuran a surprised glance but said nothing, climbing silently into the carriage.

“Alright then, let’s go!” Yang Xuan, annoyed at his failed attempt to exclude Li Yang, glared at him before instructing the driver to depart.

……

The headquarters of the Kuncheng Chamber of Commerce was on the city’s busiest trade street—the very heart of all commercial activity in Kuncheng. The entire street was lined with tall buildings, filled with shops, restaurants, and dance halls. Though not as grand as the skyscrapers of modern times, the architecture of the Republican era was robust and imposing, blended with Western elegance, giving it a unique charm.

The Chamber’s headquarters sat at the center of the street, with blue tiles and whitewashed walls. Only the most prominent merchants in Kuncheng could secure a counter here. Without social status, even the threshold was out of reach.

After stepping out of the carriage and presenting their invitations, Li Yang and the others entered a hall already filled with displays from various chambers. The crowd was a sea of suits and polished shoes, everyone exuding wealth and privilege.

“Young Master Yang, you’re here!”

No sooner had Yang Xuan and his companions entered than a group of ten or so young men and women gathered around. Not all were striking in appearance, but their fashionable attire marked them as Kuncheng’s privileged youth.

For a moment, Yang Xuan was the center of attention, clearly a figure of some standing among these heirs.

“Yang Xuan, let’s go check out the Qin Hua Pavilion showroom. The stuff here is for small-timers—nothing worth seeing,” said an enthusiastic youth, pulling Yang Xuan upstairs.

Li Yang, who had been surveying the scene, was intrigued. He’d heard of Qin Hua Pavilion—the largest trading house in Kuncheng, boasting the city’s biggest pharmacies and dealing in herbs, furs, ores, and more.

Following the group upstairs, he saw a grand, separate hall filled with displays.

“Gentlemen and ladies, please take a look around. If you need anything, just say the word,” greeted an elegant woman of about thirty in a bright red cheongsam, her figure curvaceous and dignified. She poured tea for them and instructed several attendants to serve the group.

After she left, one of the heirs, surnamed Wu, beamed and said, “We owe this to Yang Xuan. Qin Hua Pavilion has powerful backing, and that woman is the manager, said to be the mistress of Brother Xiong, leader of the city’s biggest gang, the Qinghua Society. Normally, we’d only be greeted by junior staff—never like this.”

“Zhou Xiong? I’ve heard of him. They say he has both underworld and official connections. Some merchants who slighted him disappeared without a trace. His influence is so strong, he’s rumored to have ties to the Marshal’s office,” added a pretty girl nearby.

These heirs, wealthy but far from Zhou Xiong’s level, were clearly in awe of such a figure, their excitement growing as they spoke of him.

“Hmph, no matter how powerful he is, his woman still has to pour our Young Master Yang a drink,” the girl in the white dress suddenly scoffed.

Yang Xuan basked in their flattery, casting a smug, challenging look at Li Yang.

Li Yang ignored the childish provocations, turning instead to survey the displays. Qin Hua Pavilion truly lived up to its reputation—the selection of high-quality medicinal herbs was impressive, and he even found the elusive wudong grass he’d been seeking.

……

After a while, one of the heirs’ pretty companions excused herself to use the restroom. Dressed to impress for the fair, she wore a tight black cheongsam with a high slit, her long, fair legs on display. Though only sixteen or seventeen and still a bit youthful, her mature attire and delicate makeup made her look older, her gait swaying seductively.

No sooner had she stepped out than a corpulent, pig-faced middle-aged man appeared, sizing her up lasciviously before giving her a lewd slap on the behind.

One of the heirs, Ma Fei, who had been flattering Yang Xuan inside, recognized the familiar shriek and rushed out. He found his companion being dragged by the hair and slapped repeatedly by the middle-aged man, who cursed as he hit her. “Dressed like a tramp, and now you pretend to be innocent?”

Ma Fei, whose family ran a fabric business and held some status in the chamber, was used to getting his way as part of Yang Xuan’s entourage. Seeing this, he couldn’t hold back—he kicked the fat man to the ground and unleashed a flurry of blows.

“Damn you, touching my woman? Die, you fat pig!” Ma Fei kicked again, drawing screams from the man.

The fat man scrambled up, jabbing a sausage-like finger at Ma Fei. “You brat, just wait. Tell me your name if you dare—I’ll see you dead!”

“Fine, I’ll be waiting. I’m from the Ma family’s fabric firm in Kuncheng—come at me if you’ve got the guts,” Ma Fei retorted, feeling triumphant as he led his companion back inside.

When the others asked what happened, he put on a show of nonchalance, “Nothing, just ran into a fat pig—sounded like he was from Shaanxi province. Tried to mess with Xiaoyan, so I taught him a lesson.”

Xiaoyan, his new girlfriend, was not to be touched by anyone else.

“Nice, you’ve got guts—causing trouble right here at the Chamber headquarters,” another heir laughed, punching Ma Fei on the shoulder, while Ma Fei strutted with pride.