Bab 34: Chapter 33 Skirmish
Just as he was worrying about LiHua, one of the guards respectfully saluted LiHua and told her that only the bearer of the token could be admitted. LiHua remembered that Kai Zong had only extended his welcome invitation to her and towards her supposed 'young master', He FeiQuan, to whom she looked back and nodded understandingly at He FeiQuan, "Quan gongzi, unfortunately yet not surprisingly, you are not that popular in this area too". He FeiQuan merely looked away and study the area further.
LiHua "This big brother, this token was given from Kai Zong to my grandparents, and I, Li HuaLi would like to pay respects to the Kai family to acknowledge the friendship between our families. I understand this token could only myself, and I will not trouble you further. Could you ask a representative from the Kai family to meet us at our inn in the …" Looking at the unpopular He FeiQuan to continue her sentence.
"The XiangYue ChaGuan (tea shop), in the city center." He FeiQuan helpfully told the guard and he turned to leave.
LiHua apologized for her young master's rudeness and ran back to keep up with He FeiQuan's pace. She would have to come back here herself in the future to play in the Kai's residence
When they reached the city center, LiHua would not cease to move from one stall to another, buying fried tofu snacks, then roasted chestnuts, and her favorite – Bing HuLu, candied hawthorns.
He FeiQuan saw her holding on all those snacks and eating them with gusto, taking bites alternatively between the snack bags, lips smacking. He shook his head at her unladylike image and told her he would wait for her at the MingYue Inn. LiHua nodded and she sweet talked to the candied hawthorns stall seller, a middle age woman, asking her sweetly if she could help her make the next batch of candied hawthorns. Just as they were heating the sugar in the pot, LiHua heard a commotion.
"Stop thief! Ai! Young people these days are such ungrateful lot. Stealing from the old!" An old man with a long beard, vigorously trying to catch up to a young girl, while panting and holding on to his thick walking stick.
The young woman stopped her tracks, and pointed her finger while facing the sweating old man, "Old man! Don't spew nonsense, I had only tried to help you get up and who knew..." She then took out her handkerchief and started to cover her face, crying "who knew you tried to take advantage of me."
Now there was a crowd around them and they gasped aloud, scolding the shameless act of the old man. LiHua stuffed her snacks into her small satchel, while she still chewed on her candied hawthorn.
The old man had his eyes bulged out when the young woman accused him of molesting him and was too incensed for words only saying "you, you…shameless! Don't lie to everyone and just return me my pouch".
"Old man, young or old, as a man, if we dare to do certain actions, we had to own to them. You should not use your status as an elder to bully a frail girl, you should apologize to her and we all will forget what happened. Let bygones be bygones." A shifty bearded man spoke out. Some people in the crowd agreed and jeered at the old man.
LiHua could not stand this silliness and the bullying of the old, she stood out and pleasantly asked the young woman. "This big sister, how did the old man fall?"
"He… somebody accidentally bumped him and he fell on me. Then when I tried to be helpful and helped him back to his feet, he… he...waaa, how can I face other people?" The young lady went back to covering her face crying.
"Hmpf! It was obviously you purposely tripped and grabbed me to make me fall. When you so called trying to be helpful, you were helping yourself to take my pouch." The old man patted off the dirt from his sleeve, indignant about the situation he was in.
"This big sister, since both of you, say one thing and the other says another, how about we be fair? Why don't we both ladies, or the ladies here in the audience, volunteer to go together somewhere and have this big sister show us what you have in your clothes. It is unfortunate we cannot refute whether the old man did or did not take advantage of you but let's make sure he did not falsely accuse you first."
Before anyone could protest, LiHua continued, "Old man, what do you have in your pouch?"
"Some money, I don't remember the amount but, oh! There are 2 red strings inside." The old man replied.
"Any big sister or aunts willing to help this big sister to clear her name? Big sister, if you please, anywhere you find comfortable?" LiHua gestured to the young accused woman.
The young woman looked up from her handkerchief, glanced at the crowd, then she nodded pitifully and pointed towards an alley. Only LiHua, and the young woman walked towards the alley. Just as the approached the alley, the young woman changed her expression to that of a fierce person, and two men sauntered in from the back.
"What a stupid chit, trying to be an upright citizen, blame yourself for ruining my act!" She spat and gestured to one of the men, "Ah Gou, let's finish her and take her things!"
"Ew! So disgusting!" LiHua wiped her hands when some of the spit landed on her sleeves. She did not even bother to see the men when they leered at her and approached her.
A woman suddenly appeared and went in front of LiHua, taking a protective stance and in a few moves or bare hands and kicks, LiHua's savior rendered the attackers unconscious.
"Thank you, Bing HuLu aunt!" LiHua beamed at her savior, who, she recognized as the candied hawthorn stall seller. The middle age woman was momentarily blinded by LiHua's smile, thinking her as being very adorable.
Lihua squatted down at the young woman, and poked around her body, taking out many things from the clothing, while muttering, "not this, not this, why does she have so many junks? Not this, no, is this? No. Ah, this must be it!" she fished out a gourd embroidered pouch. "Bing HuLu aunt, let's go back and pass it back to the old man!"
The previous crowd had already dispersed when LiHua and young woman left, only left with some curious bystanders, and one of them was the shifty bearded man. LiHua called out to him, "this big brother, can I trouble you to help call the authorities and send the woman to receive her sentence? This is my first visit to the city, so I'm not familiar with the area. Thank you for your trouble."
The bearded man squinted his eyes at LiHua then he laughed out loud, "Little girl, I am the authorities, you did well today standing up when others did not, and the old man, I apologize for the rudeness. This one will make let the subordinates to write the reports appropriately and bid both of you farewell." And he left the area and out from the corners, some men in court uniform came out and followed the bearded man.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone