"Luckily, I didn't run into him." Zhou Chenyu left home with the copper coin in her hand, and she even took a detour to avoid Chen Tongsheng.
Compared to the bustling market yesterday, there were far fewer pedestrians along the way today, and occasionally when she turned a corner, she was the only one on the road.
Summer mornings are hot early. The fiery sun rises from the foot of the mountain, and beams of golden sunlight pierce through the dense forest on the left, dispelling the morning mist.
The sound of flowing water came from the lower side to the right. The grass and trees on the bank grew lushly. This clear mountain stream flowed along the rice fields toward the city.
Zhou Chenyu walked a short distance from the village entrance, his forehead already covered in fine sweat. "It's so hot."
In the corner of the field ahead, a young couple wearing woven hats were bending over to harvest rice. Their two children, one big and one small, were quietly playing in the mud by the edge of the field, without crying or making a fuss.
The rice paddies have not yet been harvested on a large scale, but the tea stalls along the roadside are doing a lot of business. This is because Qingshui Town is a necessary stop on the way north, and many travelers will sit down and have a couple of bowls of tea before continuing their journey.
Zhou Chenyu found a seat and sat down. The shopkeeper was busy, so she casually asked the man next to her, "Brother, how much is a bowl of tea here?"
After asking, she noticed that the man had a beard and looked somewhat fierce, but he spoke in a very casual and friendly manner. "Miss, one coin a bowl. Drink three bowls, and then you can have more tea as you like."
Caught off guard, Zhou Chenyu laughed and said, "That's quite a good deal."
"Shopkeeper, check please!" The man put down three coins on the tea table, greeted her, and then strode away.
The female shopkeeper hurried over to collect the money, and casually asked Zhou Chenyu, "Miss, would you like a bowl of tea?"
"Yes, give me a bowl." After Zhou Chenyu finished speaking, the female shopkeeper replied with a "okay" and left. Although she had asked the price, Zhou Chenyu still subconsciously asked, "Shopkeeper, how much is a bowl?"
"Young lady, we only make a small profit from tea, don't worry." The female shopkeeper hesitated to answer the question about the price.
This is the familiar routine?
Zhou Chenyu frowned, sensing something was wrong.
The female shopkeeper slowly poured a bowl of tea and then replied, "For just three coins, you can have unlimited tea."
"I'm sorry, I won't drink it."
The female shopkeeper strode over, placed the tea on the table, and stepped forward to stop her: "Hey, miss, I've already prepared your tea. How can you just leave like that?"
"The man who just left told me that if I only wanted one bowl, it would only cost one coin? How come it's three coins here?"
The female shopkeeper pretended not to understand, then, as if she had become a different person, she started yelling and cursing, "Girl, we're just running a small business, barely making any money. You're quite pretty, how can you be so vicious? What family would want you in the future?"
She's already seen Qian Rushan, so why would she be afraid of these small fry!
Zhou Chenyu sneered, "Oh, I see. You think that big brother is tall and strong, so you don't dare to lie to others? You think you can bully a weak little girl like me? Let me tell you, my money isn't so easy to earn."
The woman, seeing the woman's sinister gaze, knew she was not to be trifled with. Deciding it was better to avoid trouble, she reluctantly took back the teacup, muttering under her breath, "Can't even afford three coins? He's just a penniless wretch!"
"The unscrupulous merchants' methods of ripping people off have remained unchanged since ancient times." Zhou Chenyu took a few steps, and the family running the tea shop was still cursing. A plan formed in her mind:
I was initially worried that setting up a dessert stall here might steal business from other people.
Now that they've insulted her like this, she has no choice but to act like a jerk!
Zhou Chenyu left the teahouse and entered the market. The shops on the street were still open as yesterday, but there were far fewer customers. "Should I buy red beans first or wine first?"
The rice wine shop is on East Street, while the bean market is on West Street. They're quite a distance apart, and it's too much trouble to carry the wine to buy red beans. It's better to buy the red beans first.
"This is my first time coming here alone, I shouldn't get lost, right?" Zhou Chenyu hesitated and headed west, when Qian Rushan's laughter suddenly reached her ears. Why is it them again?
"These people just loaf around all day, don't they have anything to do? If I can't afford to mess with them, I'll just avoid them."
Zhou Chenyu quickly found an inconspicuous alley to hide in. After Qian Rushan and his little follower had gone far away and disappeared from sight, she sneaked out of the alley like a thief, only to bump into Yang Xi who was coming from the opposite direction.
Yang Xi stood straight in the passageway, his posture upright and graceful, like a slender bamboo.
The moment Zhou Chenyu saw him, she suddenly understood the saying: when God closes a door, He will always open a window.
Zhou Chenyu's bad luck from meeting Qian Rushan earlier vanished, and a bright smile appeared on her delicate face. "Chief Yang, what a coincidence, we meet again."
Yang Xi saw the woman at the alley entrance, his tense face revealing a cold stern expression, but he didn't stop walking. "Your matter with Qian Rushan has been resolved. Is there anything else you need from me?"
Can't I look for someone if there's nothing wrong?
“I…” Zhou Chenyu thought of the tea stall where they drank tea, and followed him relentlessly, saying with great enthusiasm, “Yang Bantou, you guessed right, I do have something to tell you. I want to report a black shop that specializes in swindling and cheating, it’s that tea stall outside the city.”
Yang Xi frowned, annoyed, without even lifting his eyelids. "How did they lie to you? Do you have any witnesses?"
witness?
“Uh… strictly speaking, I wasn’t fooled either.” Zhou Chenyu saw him purse his lips, and his expression darkened further.
She carefully gauged the situation and cautiously probed, "I've contacted you so many times, are you getting annoyed?"
Yang Xi slowly turned around and looked directly at Zhou Chenyu. "It seems that you still have some self-awareness, young lady."
Was the answer that direct?
Zhou Chenyu's height only reached his shoulder, and his neck was a little tired from looking up.
She lowered her eyes and said weakly, "Chief Yang, I didn't mean anything by it. My grandmother taught us from a young age that we should repay even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude. You saved me, and I would feel guilty if I didn't repay this kindness. Can you tell me how I can help you? I can do any kind of work, and I'm not afraid of hardship."
With the government office right in front of him, Yang Xi's eyes were as cold as ice, making one want to give up completely. "I don't need your repayment. Leave now."
"Ouch!" Zhou Chenyu watched Yang Xi walk into the yamen. She kicked the stone block next to her and jumped up in pain. "Oh my god, my foot hurts, boohoo."
Xiao Qi glanced at Zhou Chenyu groaning outside the door and asked, "Master, why is Miss Zhou here to see you again? She seems to have injured her foot."
Yang Xi glanced back and said, "The government office is not a place for treatment. She should go to a clinic if she is injured."
Xiao Qi, unaware of his helplessness, secretly smiled and asked, "Master, Miss Zhou keeps coming to see you. Is she interested in you?"
Yang Xi glanced at him coldly, his expression serious. "You have nothing to do?"
Seeing his master's horrified expression, Xiao Qi silently swallowed the rest of his words, daring not to utter any more nonsense.
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