Chapter Thirty-Four: Choosing a Maid, Encountering a Vicious Servant at the Market

Because the path she was to take was a path of revenge, a path fraught with hardship.

Therefore, she could not abandon her plans because of Liu Wenbo, nor could she prevent him from pursuing an official career or realizing his ambitions simply because her future path was different from others.

Qin Xiaoxiao nodded vigorously, her eyes full of trust in her sister, and her previous impatience gradually subsided.

The two walked side by side toward the market. Sunlight filtered through the sycamore leaves overhead, casting dappled golden spots that fell on their blue dresses.

The wind carried the sweet aroma of street vendors selling sugar cakes. Although the road ahead was still fraught with unknown dangers, the two sisters' huddled figures conveyed a sense of steadfast hope.

They didn't see that by the window on the second floor of the teahouse on the street corner, Aunt An's confidante was withdrawing her gaze, turning around and quickly going downstairs.

The thugs that Aunt An sent to intercept the two sisters have not yet returned with any news, so Aunt An couldn't sit still at home and personally led Granny Liu and others to the market to find out what was going on.

Little did Qin Zhining know that the well in the backyard of the Qin County Magistrate's mansion, which had been sealed for many years, was covered up even more tightly this morning.

Zhou, the personal maidservant of Xie Mingyuan, the first wife of Qin County Magistrate, has been sleeping in this dry well for several years.

Not only that, the missing sums of silver from the Qin County Magistrate's office, as well as Xie Mingyuan's most beloved jade hairpin, were found in Aunt An's jewelry box.

In particular, there are too many secrets in the Qin County Magistrate's mansion, all waiting for Qin Zhining to discover and uncover them little by little.

As the warm sun gradually slanted westward, it cast long shadows of the two of them.

Qin Zhining and Qin Xiaoxiao wandered around the market again, asking two small brokerage firms, but neither of them said they had ever seen a maid who knew kung fu. Finally, they arrived at Jimin Brokerage, the largest brokerage firm in Lincheng County.

As you step inside, a faint scent of wood wafts out.

[Ding—Host, the Wood System is officially online.] The woody scent of the dentist instantly awakened the dormant Wood System, which immediately went online and began working.

Qin Zhining was startled awake by the calls in her mind and came to her senses, only then remembering that she hadn't checked in through the daily check-in system.

"System check-in," she said telepathically. "Please have the wood-type system set up warning plants for me; I'll need them when the time comes."

[Received, host.] The interstellar space responded cheerfully. [Host has successfully checked in. Random reward: three antidote pills, one prescription for restoring voice, and a 20% increase in internal strength. Rewards distributed.]

Upon hearing the sound of the medicine being restored, Qin Zhining was overjoyed. Qin Xiaoxiao would soon be able to speak again!

"Ladies, are you sure you're here to choose maids?"

The brokerage shop owner was a middle-aged man with a goatee. He was leaning over the counter, fiddling with an abacus. When he saw two thin, skinny girls come in without saying a word, he patiently asked them in a cold tone.

"What kind of maids are you two ladies looking to buy? Are you looking for a clever maid, a capable servant, or perhaps a head matron?"

Qin Zhining stepped forward and said calmly, "Manager, we'd like to find two maids who know some martial arts, preferably with a calm temperament and the ability to protect people. We also need to find a headmistress."

The prince who poisoned the boy said he would give her a head nanny, but Qin Zhining felt more at ease using someone she had trained herself.

"The head matron must be around thirty years old, and the maids with martial arts skills should be fifteen or sixteen, or even seventeen or eighteen. As long as they have good character, that's fine." She made these hiring requirements to the brokerage manager.

The shopkeeper was taken aback upon hearing this, put down the abacus and rubbed his hands together. "It's rare to see a maid who knows kung fu. Ordinary families buy maids because they want someone who is diligent and obedient."

However, if the girl is truly interested, I do have two suitable candidates—two sisters who fled famine in the north a couple of years ago. The older sister is named Qiu Kui, and the younger sister is named Dong Mei.

It is said that her family used to be镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), but later suffered a misfortune. The two sisters learned martial arts from them for several years, and ordinary men couldn't get close to them.

As he spoke, the shopkeeper called out to the back room, "Okra, Winter Plum, come out and let the two young ladies take a look."

A short while later, two girls dressed in coarse cloth came out.

The older sister, Qiu Kui, looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. She was taller than the average girl, with straight shoulders, bright eyes, and a capable air about her.

My younger sister, Dongmei, is two years younger than me. She looks quieter, but when she clenches her fists, her knuckles are clearly visible, so she doesn't seem to be a pushover.

"Greetings, ladies." Okra stepped forward, curtsied, and spoke first, her voice neither humble nor arrogant.

Dongmei followed suit, bowing and greeting her sister.

When Qin Xiaoxiao saw the two girls, her eyes lit up immediately. She gestured and chattered away at Qin Zhining.

Qin Zhining understood and said to Qiu Kui and Dong Mei, "My sister wants to see your skills. Could you show her a couple of moves?"

Okra glanced at the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper didn't find the request inappropriate and nodded.

The group left the front hall and went into the courtyard.

Okra found a half-person-high bluestone slab, took a deep breath, gathered her energy in her dantian, and slapped it down with her palm.

With a loud "bang," the stone slab cracked.

Qin Xiaoxiao stared wide-eyed, her eyes shining brightly.

Qin Zhining nodded secretly.

Yes, this skill can indeed protect people.

“We sisters have no other desires but to find a stable family and have food to eat. If the girl doesn’t mind, we are willing to follow her and protect her.”

As Qiu Kui spoke, she tugged at her sister's hand, and the two sisters together curtsied to Qin Zhining once again.

Seeing this, Qin Zhining had an idea. She negotiated the price with the shopkeeper, paid the money, completed all the formalities, signed a contract with the Qiu Kui and Dong Mei sisters, and then led the three of them out.

They hadn't gone far from where their teeth were coming in when they heard a commotion ahead.

As they got closer, they saw a fat man dressed in silk clothes grabbing an old woman selling vegetables by the arm, cursing and swearing.

"You old codger, how dare you block my way? My horse got spooked and trampled a couple of your tattered vegetables, so what? You dare ask me for compensation?"

The old woman's face turned red with anxiety, and tears were about to fall. "Those vegetables were just picked today. I was going to take them to buy medicine for my grandson. How could you be so unreasonable..."

The fat man impatiently shoved the old woman, who stumbled and almost fell.

Okra reacted quickly and stepped forward to help the old woman.

Qin Zhining frowned and stepped forward, saying, "Young master, I am an old woman. It is too much for you to bully me like this."

The fat man glanced at Qin Zhining sideways, and seeing her plain clothes, he became even more arrogant. "Where did this little girl come from, daring to meddle in my business? I am the steward of Master Zhang's family. Do you know who Master Zhang is?"

Okra shielded the old woman behind her and said coldly, "No matter who you are, it's wrong to bully the elderly. Your horse trampled the old woman's vegetables, so you should pay for it."