My classmate Zhu Houzhao

Chapter 16 Miss Sun, Horse-face Skirt

Fang Heng gave Feng Shi a meaningful smile, and then left Shuntian Prefecture.

Looking at Fang Heng's smile, Feng Shi felt a chill run down his spine and his whole body felt uncomfortable. Looking at the Shuntian Prefecture in front of him, he also felt a sense of gloom. However, since he had come here, he naturally had no reason to go back.

The grievance drum quickly brought the Shuntian Prefect to his seat in the yamen, looking down at Feng Shi with a displeased expression.

For the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, it was best to resolve the affairs of the people of Shuntian Prefecture privately. Although he loved money more, this was the capital city, a place of great importance. If the grievance drums were played too often, wouldn't that show that he, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, was incompetent?

"Who is standing below? Why are you beating the drum of grievance?"

The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture looked at Feng Shidao.

"I, Feng Shi, am accusing the owner of the Shen family shop of committing violence and assault, and of ordering his shop assistants to beat me into this state."

As Feng Shi spoke, he lifted his shirt, revealing his bruised and swollen chest.

"You're Feng Shi?"

Upon hearing this, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture thought to himself, "Isn't this a coincidence? I was just about to send someone to arrest you, and you've delivered yourself right to my doorstep."

"That is indeed me, a humble citizen."

The tone of the Shuntian Prefect made Feng Shi's heart skip a beat, but since things had come to this point, he dared not hide anything.

"Men, seize this scoundrel!"

The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture slammed his gavel, and instantly thousands of yamen runners on either side pinned Feng Shi to the ground.

Feng Shi felt as if his arms were about to be twisted off, his neck was pressed to the ground, and his cheeks were pressed against the ground, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"My lord...it is I, a humble citizen, who has filed a complaint...Why is Your Excellency acting this way?"

Feng Shi pleaded.

Facing the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, the usually domineering Feng Shi didn't dare to utter a single harsh word. He knew very well that in this capital city, let alone the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, even a sixth or seventh-rank official was not someone he could afford to offend.

"Feng Shi, you used to smuggle salt and make huge profits. Now you see that the owner of the Shen family's shop is young and want to take over the shop, isn't that right?"

The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture shouted sternly.

This stern shout made Feng Shi tremble with fear.

"My lord, I'm innocent!"

Feng Shi was at a loss for words and could only say that he was wronged.

"Hmph! Whether he is innocent or not, I will investigate and draw my own conclusions. Suppress him and detain him properly."

The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture struck the gavel again, signifying the end of this court session.

After the court session, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture summoned the head constable of Shuntian Prefecture.

"What are your orders, sir?"

The constable said respectfully.

"Take some men to Feng's shop and bring over the shopkeeper, Chen Si."

The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture took a sip of tea and said.

"Yes, sir."

The constable was puzzled when he heard this. Why was the official taking such a serious matter about a mere shopkeeper from the Feng family?

However, he only thought about it and naturally didn't dare to ask any more questions. He turned around and ordered two constables to follow him to Feng's shop.

On the other side, Fang Heng relaxed after returning to the clothing store. There had been too many things to do that day. Although he had many memories in his mind, which made him look very mature, he was still just a twelve-year-old boy in essence.

Having just arrived in the capital, Fang Heng encountered so many things. He was only barely holding on. As soon as he returned to the shop, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. This exhaustion was not physical, but psychological.

Looking at the boy in front of him, who was a few years younger than himself, Wang Xiaoer was filled with admiration. Putting aside everything else, just facing Feng Shi made him tremble with fear. His boss was just a boy, yet he could handle things with ease.

Wang Xiaoer, being very perceptive, brewed a pot of tea for his employer. Fang Heng drank the tea while reclining in the clothing store's chair, his eyes unfocused and blank.

Boom boom boom!

It's strange, but every time the shop closes for a short time, someone knocks on the door. As soon as it closes, the door is knocked again.

"Boss, should we open the door?"

Having learned his lesson from Feng Shi, Wang Xiaoer felt that this knock on the door might not be a good thing either, and looked at Fang Heng.

"Let's open it."

Fang Heng finished his tea in one gulp, sat up straight, and placed the teacup on the table next to him.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaoer hurriedly went to open the door. When the door opened, he saw a woman standing outside, followed by a maid. The woman looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, just beginning to mature, and had a delicate and charming appearance.

"What advice does this young lady have for me?"

Fang Heng came before her and bowed.

"You must be Young Master Fang?"

The woman glanced at Wang Xiaoer and Fang Heng, and instantly realized that the young man in front of her seemed to be the person she was looking for.

"That is indeed me. May I ask what your orders are, Miss?"

"I dare not give orders. Lord Jiang and my father are good friends. In the past, I asked Young Master Fang to make a horse-face skirt through Lord Jiang. In a few days, I will be attending the coming-of-age ceremony of Lord Li's daughter, and I would like to ask Young Master Fang to make a horse-face skirt for me."

The woman spoke gently.

"A pleasure to meet you. May I ask your surname, Miss?"

Fang Heng only asked for her surname, not her given name. Asking a woman's name so abruptly is very impolite and offensive.

"My surname is Sun."

"Miss Sun, what are your requirements for this horse-face skirt?"

Fang Heng thought for a moment and then said.

"The horse-face skirts that Young Master Fang made before were all excellent. My sisters also wanted to have them made by Young Master Fang. However, Lord Jiang is busy with official duties. It all depends on fate if they can contact Young Master Fang through Lord Jiang. My sisters are not familiar with Lord Jiang and dare not go to the Northern Garrison Command. This time, Young Master Fang, just make the horse-face skirts as you see fit. Don't make them too eye-catching and don't let them overshadow the main garment."

Miss Sun first offered some compliments to Fang Heng, and then got to the point.

Fang Heng nodded upon hearing this. Miss Sun's words were similar to what he had expected. After all, it was someone else's daughter's coming-of-age ceremony, and if she dressed too brightly, it might displease the host family.

"Miss Sun, please take a look at the fabrics in my shop. Do you see anything you like? If not, you can tell me what kind of fabric you want, and I will go and buy it later."

As Fang Heng spoke, he led Miss Sun and her maid into the shop. At this time, Wang Xiaoer had already opened the shop door completely, which was necessary. If the door had been half-closed, Miss Sun would never have come in, as it concerned a woman's reputation.

After entering the shop, Miss Sun looked at the few remaining fabrics. Although there weren't many, the fabrics sold in the Shen family shop were always of good quality, so Miss Sun didn't mind the small quantity and carefully examined each one.

"This material is nice, but it's a bit plain. Could you perhaps pair it with a different color?"

Miss Sun picked up one of the pieces of fabric and said.

Fang Heng glanced at it. Miss Sun was holding a light blue silk fabric, which looked very elegant. The color of the fabric met her requirements, but if this was the only color available, it would be too plain.

"What do you think, Miss Sun? You could use some dark purple thread to outline it, and then add some light gold and red embroidery."

Fang Heng offered his suggestions.

Upon hearing this, Miss Sun thought for a moment, and her eyes immediately lit up.

"As expected of Young Master Fang, let's proceed with the arrangement as you suggested. I wonder if it can be completed within five days?"

Miss Sun said with some concern.

"Yes, we can find a few more embroiderers."

Fang Heng thought for a moment and said.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, young master. Here's the deposit. Please feel free to make it, up to fifty taels is fine. I'll come back when it's finished."

As she spoke, Miss Sun took out a silver note and placed it on the table in front of Fang Heng.

Fang Heng picked up the silver note and glanced at it. The face value wasn't large, only twenty taels.

The horse-face skirt was something that ordinary people couldn't afford. The children of ordinary landlords would usually make some basic versions, which generally cost between one and three taels.

Above that are the styles purchased by the children of wealthy families, which cost between three and ten taels.

The procedures Ms. Sun had done with Fang Heng before were mostly like this.

However, since Miss Sun is attending an important occasion this time, she obviously wants to have a better horse-face skirt made, the top-of-the-line kind, which is expensive, usually costing tens of taels, and some even costing hundreds of taels for extremely intricate craftsmanship and extremely expensive materials.

"Thank you for your trust, Miss Sun."

Looking at the silver note in his hand, Fang Heng understood that Miss Sun trusted him a lot. This trust was not because she gave him the silver note, but because she directly stated her budget.

When young ladies from wealthy families went to order custom-made horse-face skirts, they wouldn't directly state their budget. Instead, they would specify their needs and have the tailor calculate the cost. If the cost was acceptable, they would make the skirt; otherwise, they would go to another tailor.

Miss Sun's reaction clearly indicates that she has decided on Fang Heng.

"Young master, you flatter me. It is truly that the horse-face skirt you made is exceptionally fine; you won't find another like it in the entire capital."

Miss Sun covered her mouth and laughed.

After Miss Sun left, Fang Heng did not have Wang Xiaoer close the shop door again, but instead handed the silver notes to Wang Xiaoer.

"Go and redeem this banknote."

Although Wang Xiaoer knew that his master trusted him, he did not expect the trust to be to this extent. Holding the silver note in his hand, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go!"

Fang Heng frowned as he looked at Wang Xiaoer, who was moved to tears.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaoer finally came to his senses, hurriedly left the shop, and headed straight for the money exchange.

After Wang Xiaoer left, Fang Heng took a pen, ink, paper, and inkstone from the counter and began to make a shopping list.

When Wang Xiaoer returned with the money, Fang Heng handed him the purchase list.

"Call Dog Egg and the others to make the purchases according to this list."

When Wang Xiaoer took the order, he saw that the materials listed were not many, but they were all relatively expensive, obviously intended for making a horse-face skirt for Miss Sun from earlier.

After doing all that, Fang Heng ignored everything else and went straight to his room in the backyard. He lay down on the bed, ready to take a nap. As for the front hall of the clothing shop, there were naturally other people watching over it.

"Young Master is too tired. You've only just arrived in the capital and there are already so many things to do. In my opinion, it would be more comfortable for you to stay in Liangxiang."

Seeing Fang Heng like this, Xiao Tao said with a face full of heartache.

"I've just arrived in the capital and I'm unfamiliar with the place, so some troubles are inevitable. It'll get better soon. Come over and give me a shoulder massage."

Fang Heng sat up as he spoke, taking Xiao Tao's hand.

Feeling the warmth of the young master's hand, Xiao Tao recalled sitting in his lap yesterday, the sensation of being jostled by the donkey cart was indescribable, and her face flushed slightly.

She came to the bedside and began to massage Fang Heng's back.

As she continued hammering, Xiao Tao heard a faint snoring sound. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the young master had fallen asleep sitting up. This made Xiao Tao feel even more sorry for him. She carefully took off the young master's boots and socks, then laid him flat on the bed and covered him with a blanket. However, she did not leave. Instead, she sat by the bed and looked at Fang Heng, as if she could never get enough of looking at him.

Fang Heng slept until the next morning, feeling refreshed. Xiao Tao, seeing this, hurriedly prepared water for him to wash his face.

With Xiao Tao's help, Fang Heng finished washing up and got dressed. Xiao Tao had helped him take off his clothes while he was asleep.

After finishing all this, Fang Heng went outside and checked the sky. It was just getting light. Lord Zhang was off today and wanted him to go there today. He should go early and show the proper attitude.

"Xiao Tao, go and get that inkstone."

Fang Heng looked at Xiao Tao and said.

Fang Heng had bought this Duan inkstone long ago. In fact, Fang Heng had long planned to become an apprentice, so when he had money, he spent several dozen taels of silver to buy a fine Duan inkstone. Although it was not the most top-grade, given Fang Heng's status and Zhang Lun's personality, he would not accept anything too expensive.

Soon, Xiao Tao came to Fang Heng with a package.

Fang Heng took the package, left the shop, and headed straight for the Zhang residence.

When Fang Heng arrived, the gatekeeper of the Zhang residence was already waiting. Upon seeing Fang Heng, he opened the gate directly.

"Come in. The master should be washing up at this time. Please wait a moment before you go in."

The doorman spoke as if he were instructing a younger member of his family.

"Thank you, sir."

Fang Heng bowed and said.

"You are a good boy, and I think the master will like you very much as his disciple."

The gatekeeper looked at Fang Heng and couldn't help but sigh.

The two chatted like this for about fifteen minutes.

"Come with me."

The gatekeeper spoke as he walked forward.

The Zhang family mansion is a three-courtyard house, not very large. This is thanks to the fact that Zhang Lun's ancestors were wealthy. Otherwise, given Zhang Lun's personality, he probably wouldn't even be able to live in a three-courtyard house now.

The two soon arrived at the back of the Zhang residence, where the gatekeeper led Fang Heng to the door of Zhang Lun's study.

"Master, Young Master Fang has arrived."

The gatekeeper stood at the doorway.

"Come in."

A man's voice came from the study.

Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper pushed open the door to the study.

"Young master, please go in."

The doorman said this and then turned and left.

Fang Heng entered the study and saw a man with slightly graying temples writing at his desk.

The man didn't give Fang Heng a second glance; he wrote a poem quickly and fluently.

During this time, Fang Heng's breathing became slightly weaker, for fear of disturbing Lord Zhang.

After finishing writing, he put the brush in the brush washer to wash it, then placed it on the brush holder, wiped his hands, and then looked at Fang Heng.

"The pastries you sent yesterday were delicious. If you have time in the future, you can make more."