The woman selling buns glanced at him and softly rebuked, “What a fool! Go away!”
Zhang San Shao: ???
He pointed at his own nose and incredulously said, “You dare to call this young master a fool! I am Zhang’s third young master!”
The woman laughed scornfully and, in a tone one would use to coax a child, responded with sarcasm, “Yes, yes, yes! Third young master Zhang, hurry home! Don’t delay this old woman from selling buns!”
Not only did he fail to get the buns, but he also ended up feeling furious; Zhang San Shao stamped his feet in anger.
As he passed by a tavern, he caught a whiff of the fragrant wine, immediately stirring his appetite. However, as soon as he stepped inside, a shop assistant chased him out.
“Go away! Go to another place!”
Though the assistant was dismissive, he threw a steamed bun at Zhang Si Shao.
Zhang Si Shao stared at the bun on the ground, his expression one of disbelief. How could the illustrious fourth young master of the Zhang family be treated like a beggar, receiving charity from others?!
With a scowl, Zhang Si Shao stepped on the bun in frustration and turned to leave.
When Zhang Da Shao passed by the brothel, he coincidentally encountered a former lover bidding farewell to a departing male guest.
“Young Master Liu, take care! Do come again! I’ll make sure to serve you better next time!”
When the girl turned around and saw Zhang Da Shao, her beautiful brows furrowed instantly as she stepped back several paces. Although she didn’t speak, her expression of disgust was unmistakable.
Zhang Da Shao quickened his pace, walking past her. As memories of how tender and captivating these women were in his embrace flooded his mind, a wave of nausea rose in his stomach. He couldn’t help but gag a few times.
After supporting himself against a pillar to regain his composure, he looked up and realized his younger brothers were missing!
Feeling ill, Zhang Da Shao felt discomfort rising within him. He paused for a moment before preparing to head back to find his three younger brothers—only to see them approaching in a group, looking rather displeased and cursing.
Zhang Er Shao exclaimed, “How dare he call me a pauper! It’s infuriating! When we get home, I’ll throw a chest full of silver at him!”
Zhang San Shao complained, “That woman treated me like a fool! I could have exploded with anger!”
Zhang Si Shao lamented, “Do you know? I was treated like a beggar! That tavern’s assistant kicked me out and even threw a bun at me! Truly, thank his ancestors!”
Hearing their grievances, Zhang Da Shao: …
No wonder they were in such a state; it turned out their cravings for gambling, drinking, and gluttony had flared up!
Recalling how he had been scorned by his former lover, Zhang Da Shao finally understood why he felt so nauseous. It was because he had been looked down upon! No wonder he felt so miserable!
But now was not the time for idle thoughts; Zhang Da Shao just wanted to rush home and confirm that Zhang Fang was safe.
“Stop wandering around! Let’s go home!” This time, Zhang Da Shao kept a close eye on his three younger brothers, making sure they wouldn’t stray.
The doorman of the Zhang family opened the door and was momentarily stunned to see the disheveled lads.
“Young Master? Second Young Master? Fourth Young Master? Third, Third Young Master?”
The now thinner Zhang San Shao bore a resemblance to Zhang Er Shao, but only seven parts. The doorman was greatly shocked, staring blankly in disbelief. He couldn’t fathom what had happened to these four young masters to change them so drastically!
Zhang Da Shao grabbed the doorman by his collar and asked, “Is Fifth Young Master well?”
The doorman regained his senses and replied slowly, “Fifth Young Master is doing fine. He’s neither interested in women nor gambling anymore. He has turned over a new leaf and is learning to manage the family business with the master. Lately, he’s been going out with the master.”
Hearing this, Zhang Da Shao felt relieved but did not let his anxiety go. He asked, “Is Fifth Young Master at home?”
The doorman shook his head and informed them, “Fifth Young Master left several days ago and hasn’t returned.”
The moment the relief washed over him, it quickly turned to tension again as Zhang Da Shao stared at the doorman, agitatedly asking, “How long has he been gone? Where did he go? How many people did he take with him?”
The doorman was startled by Zhang Da Shao’s expression and nervously answered, “Fifth Young Master left seven days ago. He took along the steward Wei and several of our best guards. Young Master, why don’t you and your brothers go rest in the courtyard for now?”
Zhang Da Shao had no desire to rest! At that moment, visions from the dreams of the previous night flashed in his mind, sending shivers down his spine, making his legs unsteady.
If it weren’t for Zhang Si Shao’s effective support, Zhang Da Shao would have surely collapsed to the ground.
“Zhang Fang…” he murmured, his face turning pale as he broke out in a cold sweat.
Zhang Er Shao and the others noticed Zhang Da Shao’s concern for Zhang Fang and asked the doorman, “Where did Fifth Young Master go?”
The doorman wore a stiff expression and replied awkwardly, “As for the whereabouts of Fifth Young Master, I am not sure. All I know is that he has been gone for several days.”
“Let’s go! We’ll find Father!” Zhang Si Shao was the quickest to respond, thinking that Zhang Fang must have gone out with Steward Wei for business related purposes, and Old Master Zhang would certainly know his whereabouts.
The doorman hesitated, wanting to say something but ultimately held back his words.
Zhang Er Shao and Zhang San Shao helped Zhang Da Shao into Old Master Zhang’s courtyard. They entered the house only to find it empty; they went to the study and still didn’t see Old Master Zhang.
Old Zhao, hearing news of their return and sensing something was off, hurried over to check on the young masters.
“Ah! What happened to you, Young Master?” Zhang Da Shao’s face was so pale that it looked as if he had suffered immense shock.
Without replying to Old Zhao, Zhang Si Shao directly asked, “Where did my father go? Do you know the whereabouts of Fifth Young Master?”
Old Zhao responded, “The master has gone to the capital city. As for Fifth Young Master, he went to Hai City.”
“Hai City? What’s he doing there?” The faces of Zhang Si Shao, Zhang Er Shao, and Zhang San Shao changed instantly, turning serious.
They had initially thought it was just a nightmare for Zhang Da Shao, but Zhang Fang had actually gone to the seaside! A wave of concern washed over them!
Old Zhao glanced at the other servants and led the young masters into the house, shutting the door before speaking.
“Fifth Young Master turned over a new leaf and is learning to manage the family business with the master. However, the fabric shop has been losing money for the past two years, and the master has been using the family’s money to keep the shop afloat. The very reason the shop has come to this is the foreign merchants! Those foreign merchants are truly despicable! They use foreign cloth to steal our market, and when our fabric can’t be sold, they buy it at low prices and sell it back in their own countries at high prices! The master and Fifth Young Master have decided to compete with these foreign merchants! Therefore, the master went to the capital, and Fifth Young Master headed to Hai City.”
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