Chapter 223 An Unexpected Surprise

Qiuqiu is already a mature one-year-old baby. She's seen all sorts of things, big and small, and has even dined at the same table as the most distinguished couple in the Great Zhou Dynasty. To this day, she still can't figure out why she went out like a silly girl.

Sobbing, having a cousin who's so critical is really too much of a blow to me.

Yun Shuyue advised Qiuqiu to be more open and honest. Although many people here are controlled by the Shao family with drugs, it doesn't mean they don't hate human traffickers!

"Chirp, confidently show off your beauty!"

With teary eyes and two alarming red patches on her cheeks, Chuchu stared at her cousin and exclaimed, "You're bad!"

This aesthetic...

She should have struggled as much as possible the moment her cousin took out a handful of flour and smeared it evenly on her face!

Qiuqiu's little face was painted deathly pale, with two red circles drawn on her cheeks with rouge, and she was wearing Gu Wen's old clothes from when she was little. Gu Wen liked bright colors, which wasn't a problem in itself, but Qiuqiu's outfit...

This looks so ominous!

The old man, whose eyesight was failing, approached Yun Shuyue and asked, "Young lady, can I ask you something?"

Yun Shuyue, who was disguised as a woman taking her child out to buy groceries, was taken aback. Why was this old man stealing her lines?

However, the first step in getting information is to get closer to someone you know, so she replied cheerfully, "Go ahead."

Judging from the old man's clothes and appearance, he was no ordinary person; the jade pendant hanging from his waist alone was priceless.

They must find an opportunity to extract information from him.

The old man's worried expression and the intense gaze he gave Qiuqiu made them very uncomfortable.

Yun Shuyue patted Qiuqiu's back to comfort her. "Just bear with it a little longer!"

The old man squinted, then rubbed his eyes, and asked Yun Shuyue, "Young lady, do you know where I can buy paper figures?"

Yun Shuyue: "!!!"

She was just a hair's breadth away from throwing a punch!

Does this old man even know how to talk? How would she know where to buy such unlucky things!

The old man's temples were gray, and the lines around his eyes were deep. His brows were constantly furrowed. Seeing that Yun Shuyue was about to change her expression and leave, he immediately stopped her.

A sixth sense told Qiuqiu and the others that they could get useful information from this old man, so they reached out and tugged at their cousin's hair, "Keep it!"

The old man was startled, and pointing tremblingly at Qiuqiu, he stammered, "She...she can talk?"

Yun Shuyue was even more displeased, pouting as if she didn't want to talk to him, and she was a little irritated: "She's not mute, why can't she speak? You... um?!"

She carefully observed Qiuqiu's latest outfit and realized her own shortcomings in makeup skills.

Um, the paper doll he's talking about... could it be...?

Chirp bared its teeth fiercely at the two of them, [You better not mean that!]

"Awoo!"

A scoundrel has appeared; watch your words!

The old man realized he had made a mistake and apologized to them repeatedly. Then, feeling that an apology alone was not enough to express his remorse, he directly tore off the jade pendant from his waist and stuffed it into Qiuqiu's arms.

The moment Qiuqiu hugged the priceless jade pendant, her eyes lit up. After touching it a couple of times, she handed it back to the old man, saying, "Here, Grandpa!"

A fleeting smile crossed the old man's worried expression. He took the jade pendant and waved it at Qiuqiu. "Do you know how valuable this jade pendant is? With this jade pendant, you can exchange it for half a street here."

Yun Shuyue, with her sharp eyes, recognized that the jade pendant was of very high quality, worth at least a thousand taels. However, the fact that it could buy half a street still startled her when she first heard it.

She didn't know who the person in front of her was. If she knew his true identity, she would know that what he meant by "exchanging half a street" was not just shops, but also all the manpower and connections he had accumulated over the past few years.

Zhang Linyue: "I can give you another chance, do you want it?"

The jade pendant was presented to Qiuqiu again. With such a great temptation in front of her, even an adult would be tempted, let alone a child who is oblivious.

What intrigued Zhang Linyue was that the woman in front of him didn't make any move, acting as if she were casually discussing with a child whether or not to buy a piece of candy. "Want some?"

Chiu Chiu shook her head firmly, "No!"

Her mother said, "You can't take things that don't belong to you! You can't take things from strangers either!"

You should never accept something incredibly powerful from a stranger!

[I'm not the female lead, how could I possibly encounter such a secluded master?]

[Maybe the moment I accept the jade pendant, a group of people will suddenly appear out of nowhere, punching and kicking me, accusing me of being a thief, and then conveniently locking me up!]

Chuchu shook her head firmly again: "No, I don't want to~"

"Cool~ Not letting~"

She explained earnestly, and although her speech was unclear, Zhang Linyue understood her perfectly. He hesitated for a moment before withdrawing his hand, his eyes filled with sorrow: "Your mother raised you very well."

"Sigh... If only my child knew like you that you shouldn't take things from strangers."

Zhang Linyue felt a pang of pain in his heart when he thought of his good-for-nothing only son. The thought of his son lying in bed like a madman, waiting to die, made him sway and almost collapse on the spot.

Yun Shuyue reached out to support him, "Be careful!"

Zhang Linyue steadied himself, shook his head with a wry smile: "I'm too old, I'm no longer useful."

"That's enough. What happened today was my fault. I was disrespectful to the young lady. I am a merchant in Yuncheng, and I have some influence here. I will not force you if you do not want my jade pendant. If you need anything in the future, please come to the Zhang residence to find me, Zhang Linyue. Consider today a favor I owe you."

Yun Shuyue and Qiuqiu inexplicably gained a favor.

Zhang Linyue continued to wander aimlessly, looking lost. Qiuqiu sensed that he was in a daze and, worried, grabbed him.

"cry?"

"Don't...cry?"

Zhang Linyue was suddenly pulled and didn't dare to move. He patted Qiuqiu's palm and said, "Grandpa is fine. I just wanted to do you a favor."

Yun Shuyue and Qiuqiu inexplicably gained a favor.

Zhang Linyue continued to wander aimlessly, looking lost. Qiuqiu sensed that he was in a daze and, worried, grabbed him.

"cry?"

"Don't...cry?"

Zhang Linyue was suddenly pulled and didn't dare to move. He patted Qiuqiu's palm and said, "Grandpa is fine. I just want to walk around a bit more."

"Keep with me!" Chiu Chiu refused to let go, feeling as if her grandfather was about to break.

Zhang Linyue was probably getting old, and his emotions were running high. The adorable little chick was a stark contrast to his own unfilial son. Thinking of his good-for-nothing son made his heart ache with anger, and this was the only way he could vent his frustration.

"Alright, since we're destined to meet today, let's go, Grandpa will treat you to dinner!"

Yun Shuyue: Wait! How did it become father and son again?

Your relationship developed so quickly!

Yun Shuyue was completely taken aback by Qiuqiu's ability to make friends for the first time. In a daze, she followed Zhang Linyue into a nearby restaurant, watching in utter bewilderment as Qiuqiu clinked glasses with the other person.

Don't get me wrong, their "pushing glasses and exchanging toasts" refers to the act of pushing the glass around and pouring drinks for the other person.

"drink!"

A good drink can wash away a thousand sorrows!

Yun Shuyue felt like she was going crazy. How could she have heard Qiuqiu urging someone to drink?

The problem is, Chiu Chiu didn't say anything!

In her daze, Zhang Linyue smashed the cup, grabbed Qiuqiu's hand, and burst into tears, crying, "My child! Grandpa's heart is breaking!"

The wine glass shattered with a crisp sound, startling Yun Shuyue awake. "What happened to you?"

Ignoring Yun Shuyue, Zhang Linyue stubbornly pulled Qiuqiu aside and poured out his grievances: "My good-for-nothing son was fed longevity elixir! That's longevity elixir!"

"Shao Xin! My Zhang family will never let you get away with this!"