Chapter 31: Stay Away From Him

That young woman actually ignored him, not even sparing him a glance before walking right past?

Logically, this was exactly the result he wanted, so why did he feel so unsettled?

With this thought, Mu Zitao’s pace slowed, and he turned around, clearing his throat a few times. The young woman showed no reaction at all. Driven by some inexplicable impulse, he coughed even more loudly—surely she must hear him now?

Yet, the young woman still didn’t stop. However, the seven handsome little bald boys all turned their heads in unison to look at him.

"Mother, look, that gentleman is coughing. Is he...?" Tianshu whispered, prompting her. It was far too obvious; the man had stopped and was staring right at their mother—he was clearly trying to strike up a conversation, wasn't he? The children had all recognized him as the diner from the bun shop the previous afternoon, the one who had been with Uncle Yuefan.

Distracted, Hong Xiaoduo neither stopped nor turned back. "If he’s coughing, he must be unwell or sick. Let’s stay far away from him. If it’s a respiratory infection, a viral infection, or something like the flu, getting infected would be very troublesome."

Tianshu and the others were taken aback. They didn't understand most of their mother's long explanation, but they grasped one thing: a coughing person might be sick, and being near them could lead to catching it—which would be a big problem!

Yes, listening to Mother was never wrong. The children cast a fearful glance at Mu Zitao, their short legs quickening as they scampered ahead.

Mu Zitao had excellent hearing and had naturally caught every word. A mixture of shame and annoyance swirled within him. Before he could process these complex emotions, the next scene nearly made him cough up blood right there on the street.

"A donkey?" he heard the young woman exclaim loudly. One look at how rapidly she dashed toward the donkey pulling a cart on the other side of the street was enough to confirm how excited she was.

She had turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to him, yet she was this excited over a draft donkey!

She was definitely doing this on purpose, intentionally humiliating him. But what was wrong with him? Had his brain been squeezed in a door? She had walked toward him, and if she pretended not to see him, she should have just kept going. Who was he to care whether a young woman looked at him or not?

Why had his brain short-circuited, causing him to stop and cough on purpose? What was the goal? Was he trying to attract her attention? If she cared at all, she wouldn't have acted like she didn't see him!

In the end, a dignified general, famous since his youth, was now being ranked lower than a donkey in the eyes of this young woman. Wasn't he just asking for discomfort and inviting his own humiliation?

Seeing their mother so interested in the donkey by the roadside, Tianshu and the others followed and stood by to watch.

"Mother, do you like donkeys very much?" Kaiyang asked out of curiosity.

Hong Xiaoduo shook her head. "Guess?"

Tianshu noticed that her gaze wasn't just on the donkey, but also appraising the cart. A vague guess formed in his mind, but he wasn't certain, so he remained silent.

The man driving the donkey was middle-aged. Just as he was about to kindly warn the young woman watching his donkey to keep the little bald boys away so they wouldn't get kicked, he saw his wife, who was seven months pregnant, coming out of a shop. He hurried over to help her onto the cart. The young woman looked at the handsome, clean-shaven little boys with curiosity, but her husband urged her on, saying they needed to get back before sunset and couldn't delay any longer.

Even after the donkey cart had traveled quite a distance, Hong Xiaoduo remained standing there, watching it.

That was right—she wanted to buy a donkey cart.

She couldn't place the seven children in a secure location, so she had to keep them with her. She didn't mind walking, but she couldn't bear to see these little ones suffer along with her. During their chats, Tianshu had mentioned that they had followed that villain begging everywhere, and they had walked to every single place. When the younger ones like Kaiyang got tired, the older ones would take turns carrying them. The only time they rested was when the villain himself got tired and wanted to stop.

Every time Hong Xiaoduo thought of that scene, she wanted to go back to where she first met them and slaughter that villain.

Being a fan of historical novels didn't mean she understood ancient prices, as they varied by dynasty. However, she knew that ancient transportation was limited to horse carts, ox carts, and donkey carts. Sedan chairs were ignored and out of the question.

She also knew that horses were vital in ancient times. Given the low level of productivity, riding a horse was the fastest form of transportation, and messages were almost exclusively delivered by horse. Therefore, having enough fast horses was crucial for postal stations, as the timely delivery of a single message could have enormous consequences. To royalty and high officials, the quantity and quality of their horses were symbols of their noble status.

For ordinary people, horses were not practical; they had oxen for plowing and donkeys for hauling goods. They couldn't afford to buy them, let alone keep them. Besides, even if wealthy, powerful families kept horses, they had to be branded and registered with the local magistrate.

Horse carts were too expensive and flashy; ox carts were steady but very slow. Thus, for Hong Xiaoduo, the only option for transportation at the moment was a donkey cart.

After some thought, she took the seven little ones directly to the clothing store.

When the auntie saw them, she quickly took out the cloth hats she had sewn overnight and placed them on the children. They were all made of water-blue cotton silk; once the little bald heads wore them, their handsome features looked even more refined, like students from a prestigious academy. The auntie didn't find it troublesome to call over a seamstress from the back room to help adjust the sizes. After all, the children were bald, and if the hats didn't fit properly, a slight gust of wind could blow them away.

Although the auntie had offered to do this herself and had emphasized that she used fabric scraps and wouldn't charge, Hong Xiaoduo still asked how much she should pay for the labor.

The auntie was adamant, refusing the money and saying if Hong Xiaoduo insisted, she would take the hats back. Seeing this, Hong Xiaoduo could only thank her. Turning her head, she noticed winter clothes hanging on a rack. "Auntie, have you started selling winter wear?" Hong Xiaoduo asked, stepping forward to touch them.

The auntie followed her and replied, "Yes, we started making them over a month ago, and we only hung them in the shop this morning."

"Do you have them in all sizes for adults too?" Hong Xiaoduo asked.

"Yes, we do. Young lady, surely you aren't planning to buy their winter clothes now?" the auntie asked, surprised.

There was still over a month until winter, and clothing shops were everywhere; as long as one had silver in their purse, they could buy them anytime.

"Buying them now isn't too early. Besides, whether bought early or late, they have to be bought eventually. It's better to get it done now so I don't have to worry about it. When it gets cold, they can wear them immediately, so they won't get sick from the cold. Please, Auntie, help us pick out a winter outfit for everyone, including shoes and socks. Just choose something with medium-quality fabric like the ones we’re wearing; keeping warm is all that matters," Hong Xiaoduo said.

The auntie, a clever woman, immediately understood: this was the young woman’s way of reciprocating kindness and supporting her business. She agreed repeatedly and called the shopkeeper from behind the counter to help select the cotton-padded clothes.

"Mother, are you buying us new clothes again?" little Yaoguang asked happily, and the other six stared at Hong Xiaoduo with excitement.

Hong Xiaoduo smiled. "That's right. But after we buy them, you have to carry them yourselves—don't complain that they're heavy."

Kaiyang and the others immediately and happily promised they wouldn't find them heavy and would carry them themselves.

Suddenly, Hong Xiaoduo felt a tug at her sleeve. She turned to see Tianshu looking hesitant, as if he had something to say.

"What is it? Do you want to pick the style yourself? Or the color? Or is there something else you want?" Hong Xiaoduo asked him in a low voice.

Tianshu hesitated for a moment, then tugged at her sleeve and walked toward a corner...