Yunling's stomach was already empty, and now that the shopkeeper had asked her that question, it naturally started rumbling.

Yunling, somewhat embarrassed, covered her stomach and told her the truth.

"To be honest, I was in a hurry to leave at dusk, so I've been waiting outside the Mei residence ever since."

Although the words stopped there, everyone present knew how long Yunling had waited. Her willingness to go to such lengths to find a musician precisely reflected her appreciation for talent.

This is a kindred spirit of their music troupe!

The shop owner was very moved and quickly called someone to bring the items forward.

"If you don't mind, young lady, please have some. These are snacks that Master Mei has given us. They were made by the cook in the house and can't be bought outside."

Yunling's main principle is to accept everything offered, without having to go out and do anything herself. Even if it's just wild vegetables, she's happy to eat them.

"Then I am truly grateful to the shop owner and all the musicians. I won't stand on ceremony."

"Please go ahead, young lady."

Although Yunling was able to stay at Qinglan Music House, it was not an inn or restaurant, and there were quite a few people there, so she could only squeeze in with Taoyao, whom she knew.

"She's grown up and become beautiful."

"Sister, would you like some shrimp dumplings? There are two shrimp in each one."

Tao Yao smiled and opened the window wider, sitting by the window with a wine cup in her hand, looking quite content.

"I've had my fill at the Mei family's house. How is your aunt doing now?"

After Yunling chewed and swallowed the shrimp meat in her mouth, she picked up a shrimp dumpling and replied:

"She's amazing. She's the first female yamen runner in Pingcheng, and perhaps the first in the whole world. She might even become a female constable in the future."

"And you?"

"I'm still the same as always. But sister, how did you end up in Pingcheng?"

A bitter smile appeared on Tao Yao's face. She looked out the window, took a sip of wine, and the cool breeze ruffled her hair, adding to her bitterness.

"The year after you left, a wealthy young man came to our place. He fell in love with me at first sight and insisted on marrying me. I didn't believe him at all."

"But he was really good to me. He took care of everything, big and small. He never lost his temper. He gave me all his money. He said he really wanted to marry me."

“He said he didn’t mind my past, he said we had a future, and he wanted me to come home with him to be a comfortable housewife and grow old with him. I was moved by him and packed my bags to go with him.”

"Little did I know that once I boarded the ship, I would find out that it was all just a bet he made with others. He laughed at me for being naive and easily deceived, and even more so for being nothing more than a woman who had been tasted by many men, unworthy of being a respectable wife."

“I pushed him off the boat, took the silver from his bundle, and came here by boat. I didn’t want to do the old things again, so I found this music hall and became a musician.”

Tao Yao spoke lightly, but the bitterness she had experienced and the turbulent emotions she had endured were beyond the comprehension of outsiders.

Yunling felt a pang of sadness and couldn't even eat the shrimp dumplings. The feeling of finally mustering the courage to trust someone, only to find out in the end that they were lying, was a disappointment that was even greater than a waterfall.

"Hey, don't think of me as too pitiful. Didn't I have a glorious image in front of those people before? It's really a wonderful story that a kind and wealthy young man fell in love with me and helped me escape my misery."

"In fact, I didn't lose anything. He gave me money, and I didn't have to entertain customers. I pushed him off the boat, took his belongings, and became a musician in the music hall. No one here knows my past. I'm very carefree."

Yunling put down her chopsticks, her throat tightening with emotion.

"In the end, it's still not easy for my sister."

"Hey, stop talking about this. Let bygones be bygones."

Tao Yao drank the wine in her cup in one gulp to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

"By the way, what exactly do you want, you little pleasure-seeker?"

"Two days from now, I'm going to hold a women's fashion show in the lobby of Shengfu Restaurant. Everything was fine until I suddenly realized that we were missing some music, so I came to find Yue Niang in a hurry."

Tao Yao blinked, and it took her a while to come to her senses.

"Holding a women's-only event at Shengfu Restaurant...you...so you, the big boss, were hiding something when you spoke earlier."

"Sister, you flatter me. I'm not some big boss. I'm just trying to find a way to make a living for my family."

Tao Yao smiled and said:

"Although I am not a local, I have heard of Shengfu Restaurant. For the manager of Shengfu Restaurant to make room for you to work, it must be extraordinary. In addition, your aunt is a female yamen runner. Tell me, is your family one of the wealthiest families in this city?"

Yunling couldn't help but laugh along.

"Sister, come home with me tomorrow, and you'll see if my family is one of the wealthiest in the city."

"You still have to go home with me? You didn't make a bet with someone outside, trying to see if I'll take the bait, did you? I won't..."

Tonight didn't seem particularly long; before we knew it, it was dawn. Although I missed a beauty sleep, thankfully, the shrimp dumplings weren't wasted.

The shop owner was very hospitable, knocking on the door early in the morning to inquire about Yunling's condition.

"I wonder if you slept well last night, young lady? I forgot to burn mugwort leaves to repel mosquitoes last night, I don't know if it affected you."

"The shop owner is too kind. My sister and I haven't seen each other for so long, so we talked late into the night by candlelight. We didn't see any mosquitoes, but we ate all the shrimp dumplings."

"I see. Oh, then it's good that you've finished the shrimp dumplings. Otherwise, they might spoil in this hot weather. It's a good thing."

Yunling had wanted to say the same thing, but if she said it herself, it would sound a bit too envious. However, it was different when someone else said it, so she still had a good impression of the shop owner.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Master. But I wonder how much it would cost if I were to hire you for three days?"

“Our music girls earn two hundred coins a day, but since you are acquainted with Yao Niang, it will only cost you one hundred and fifty coins a day.”

“That won’t do,” Yunling said, taking out a string of coins from her bosom and handing it to the shopkeeper. “I’m familiar with my sister, so I can’t let the shopkeeper suffer a loss for nothing. Let’s calculate it as two hundred coins a day. If my sister feels tired when she comes back in three days, please let her rest for two days.”

The money had already been handed to him, and it was a round number, so the shopkeeper couldn't very well take some out to return it. He accepted it and thanked him a few times.

Tao Yao packed her things and set off with Yun Ling. The two ate something casually at a roadside stall before heading home.