For the first time, Shen Xingmian felt somewhat fortunate that she hadn't run so fast with Xuetuan, but instead had quietly ridden in the carriage, thus avoiding missing the delicious wontons.
When I return to Beijing with my parents and grandparents in the future, I will definitely introduce this stall to them and take everyone to have a meal here.
The horse had been running all morning and was a bit tired, so Shen Xingmian fed it some fresh, tender grass and water from her spatial storage. She planned to run to a secluded spot and then switch to another carriage.
Before she could even change carriages, Rui Rui was already so sleepy inside that she was practically dozing off.
Seeing this, Shen Xingmian simply let them return to their space and lie down on the bed to catch up on their sleep, while she prepared to take Xue Tuan for a wild run.
The snowball hadn't been released yet today, and it even expressed its dissatisfaction. First, it acted spoiled and refused to get up, then it nudged Shen Xingmian with its forehead, getting Shen Xingmian covered in tiger fur and still wouldn't stop.
Shen Xingmian really put in a lot of effort to completely cure it.
After being gently rubbed and soothed for a while, Snowball finally cheered up, lay down on the ground, and waited for its little owner to sit on its back.
The man and the tiger ran wildly for an afternoon, and by evening they had reached the outskirts of Beijing.
Shen Xingmian then returned to her space to rest, planning that the three of them would enter the city together by carriage early the next morning.
I was always in a rush in Beijing before, and I didn't have time to take a good look around here, let alone stroll around the streets and enjoy the hustle and bustle.
She had always longed for ancient lantern festivals.
She really hoped to join in the fun if she had the chance, but unfortunately the Lantern Festival had already passed.
Having been away for so long, I wonder what the situation in the capital is like lately, and whether any major troubles have occurred.
I asked Uncle Jiang Yu before, but he was busy taking care of Rui Rui and didn't pay much attention to what was happening in Beijing.
Rui Rui's condition has improved a lot now, so the three of them went in to see what was going on.
When they entered the city, their travel permits were handed to the guards, and they encountered no obstacles. They entered the city smoothly with the others.
This time, the feeling was very special, unlike any other town I had ever entered before. The capital city was indeed extremely prosperous and bustling. Even on non-holiday days, the crowds were much larger than in other places.
However, the expressions on the people's faces did not show happiness or joy; instead, they all looked worried.
Although she didn't know exactly what had happened, Shen Xingmian already had a general idea in mind.
This is probably related to the mess she left behind.
The situation was urgent, so she emptied those people's houses and left in a hurry, without having the energy to consider what would happen to them after they became poor overnight.
Later, after traveling further and having more time to think, she realized that the people in the capital might be exploited and under some pressure, but she wasn't quite sure how exactly.
In her past life, she was just an ordinary person who couldn't even follow the proper steps. She was dealt a terrible hand, and no matter how she played it, it was a complete disaster.
Later, after surviving and gaining superpowers, the situation improved somewhat.
After arriving here, one thing after another happened, and her superpower level couldn't keep up, so she simply didn't have time to think things through.
Besides, even if she were given ample time, she might not be able to consider everything thoroughly...
Seeing the numb expressions on the faces of the people, her first reaction was self-blame. She felt that if she hadn't taken so many things with her, they might not have been living such a difficult life.
But she quickly regained her senses.
Although her connections contributed to the people's poor living conditions, the main reason was the exploitation by corrupt officials in the capital.
Does that mean that if she doesn't take those things with her, those people will let the common people go?
No, it's just a matter of degree and pace.
The privileged kids who still ride horses recklessly in the streets will still knock over other people's stalls and step on other people's children, showing no remorse whatsoever, and even whipping the adults in return.
In this place where power reigns supreme, people are devoured without a trace.
Ordinary people had no chance to resist, nor could they ask for help.
What she should do is not reflect on herself, nor try to make those corrupt officials reflect on themselves, but to punish them and make them feel the pain of ordinary people having nowhere to turn for help.
Those who send others to hell should also experience the consequences themselves.
The further Shen Xingmian went, the more unsettled her emotions became. The underlying prosperity of the capital city remained unchanged, but many other things had changed.
Even Rui Rui noticed it, and turned to her, saying, "It seems like everyone is having a hard time. Along the way, not everyone looks worried, but they all seem pretty much the same."
Shen Xingmian nodded with difficulty, feeling very uncomfortable because she had also been a part of pushing things along.
Originally, she only planned to pass through the capital and go south as soon as possible to find her second uncle and cure her little cousin, but now, she suddenly wanted to go into the palace again to see what the people in high positions were doing.
It's strange, isn't it? Didn't this emperor like to cover up his shortcomings back then? Did the empty treasury make him just give up and do whatever he wanted?
I thought he didn't want to raise taxes and damage his reputation since he had just ascended the throne, in order to save face as emperor.
Forget it, don't overthink it. We've just arrived in the capital, so let's find out what's going on first before deciding on a course of action.
Ugh, I suddenly regret not bringing Dad along. Otherwise, I'd have a smart person to talk to.
If left to her alone, she'll probably act recklessly again.
Shen Xingmian initially thought that fools who ride horses in the street were just characters in TV dramas, and never imagined that they would actually exist in the real world.
She thought that the second-generation rich kids in the capital should at least consider the reputation of their elders. Even if they were bad, they should be bad in secret, not out in public and be cursed by the people.
But later it was discovered that art really does come from life, and the reason why TV dramas portray things this way is because there are actually people who do that.
Their carriage had barely entered the capital when they encountered two runaway horses. Fortunately, nothing bad happened, and no children were trampled to death.
It seems that this kind of thing has happened too many times, and parents are no longer willing to let their children play alone on the street.
They're either kept at home or held in someone's arms.
In short, we will not let children be left alone on the street.
How to put it? Just imagine it for a moment, and you can feel that sense of powerlessness. To avoid bad things from happening, you can only try your best to shrink your boundaries.
Compress, and compress again.
The world of the powerful and influential grows ever larger, while the world of the poor shrinks ever smaller.
It's like a common saying in modern times—the poor are all squeezed online and can only entertain themselves through their phones, while the vast offline world belongs to the rich.
It's heartbreaking to even think about it.
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