Chapter 27

Chapter 27

“What?”

Seeing our shocked expressions, Cui Zishu looked rather proud of herself. She spread her palm open to reveal a small piece of broken silver.

“You spent a whole month in seclusion to paint that, and it only sold for one piece of silver?”

Cui Zishu pursed her lips. “Otherwise, its only use would have been to stoke the furnace. Without value, it’s nothing more than a scrap of waste paper.”

At that moment, the winner of the Society of Painting was announced. The winning piece was far inferior to the one Zishu had painted.

“The shopkeeper also said he’ll take as many as I can paint from now on. Now I can finally contribute to the family.”

Cui Zishu handed the silver to me and prepared to head back to the shop to continue her business negotiations. Cui Shao, feeling uneasy, had Qingshan follow her.

Since Cui Zishu hadn’t won the top prize, we lost interest in admiring the rest of the artwork. We took my younger brother for a stroll through the streets instead. His eyes darted everywhere, wanting to eat and play with everything he saw.

I calculated our silver in my head. Although we had enough money, it wasn’t meant to be squandered like this; the savings could buy a significant amount of rice, flour, and oil.

My brother pouted, looking unhappy, but he was sensible enough not to say anything more. Just as we were about to leave, however, Cui Shao pulled out his purse. “It’s a rare occasion to be out having fun. Buy whatever you want.”

“Thank you, Brother-in-law!”

My brother’s face instantly lit up with a smile. He pointed at the stalls, wanting this and that.

Unfortunately, before he could get his hands on anything, his prize was knocked to the ground. An exquisite sugar figurine shattered instantly into pieces.

“Yo, let me see who we have here. If it isn’t Lord Cui, Cui Shao!”

The speaker was mounted on a tall horse. He had come galloping through the bustling market, causing a stir of commotion. He pulled up in front of Cui Shao, brandishing a riding crop-the very thing that had just struck the sugar figurine down.

He leaned forward, affecting the pleasant surprise of an old friend reuniting, but his gaze was malicious, fixed on Cui Shao like a venomous snake.