After leaving the palace, Xiaolian and I didn't linger. We hired a carriage and headed out of the imperial city.
The reason I didn't choose to stay in the capital was because I was afraid that if someone recognized me, it would cause unnecessary trouble. So, Xiaolian and I discussed it and decided to move to a city that was farther away from the capital.
This city is Xinghai City, which is relatively close to the sea. I've inquired about it before; the people here are simple, honest, and friendly, and most importantly, they're wealthy. Also, it's far from the imperial city, so nobody knows us.
The carriage traveled for four or five days. I had expected to encounter bandits or something along the way and was prepared to lose some money, but we passed through safely without any major incidents. Each time, the coachman was the one who resolved the situation.
After Xiaolian and I thanked him, the driver just nodded. I always felt there was something strange about him, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Whenever I asked him for directions, he was always brief and to the point, never saying anything more.
This made Xiaolian and me a little scared. Although we both had some cultivation, the coachman's skill in resolving trouble was something they couldn't match.
After observing them for a few days, they found that the driver meant them no harm, so they felt relieved.
Forget it, whoever he is, we'll part ways once we get to Xinghai City, so let it be.
When the carriage arrived at Xinghai City, I gave the driver some silver, and he left. Watching him leave without looking back, Xiaolian and I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiaolian and I found an inn in the city to stay in first, and we'll move there directly after we buy the courtyard house.
Xiaolian and I asked the shopkeeper where there were any shops for sale, and then we took Xiaolian to the street. We first browsed around the existing clothing shops and found that most of them had very ugly styles, but fortunately the fabrics were still acceptable.
"Miss, when we take over the shop, the clothes we make will definitely be the most beautiful."
Di Furong patted her: "Xiao Lian, it's not enough to just look good; it also needs to be sturdy and practical. Sometimes we all have to work, and we can't just sit around drinking tea and chatting all day. Besides, the amount of fabric in our rings isn't enough for us to squander in the long run. In the future, we need to find fabric merchants to cooperate with so that we can develop together."
The fabric in their rings was a gift from the Imperial Uncle after he took office, seeing how hard they were living. He and Xiaolian only made a few pieces to replace them, and saved the rest.
Xiao Lian nodded: "Yes, yes, I'll do whatever you say, Miss."
After they finished talking, the two went to look at the shops that were for sale. They finally decided on a street-facing shop. Although it was more expensive, it was larger than the other shops, and being on the street, it would definitely have better business.
The deal was finally struck at one hundred taels of silver. During the transaction, Xiaolian kept complaining that it was too expensive, saying that one hundred taels would be enough to feed the whole family for several years.
However, Di Furong felt that the hundred taels were well worth it. She had bought such a large shop, and there was even a small courtyard behind the shop, which was enough for the two of them to live in. It was a win-win situation.
After buying the shop, Di Furong inquired about its condition, hired some workers to renovate it, and bought new furniture and decorations.
Although Di Furong was a woman, she was still a princess in the imperial harem, and her imposing presence could still intimidate some people. Therefore, the common people didn't have much of a say about a woman running a shop.
After the shop was set up, the decorations and furnishings inside were all done by Di Furong and Xiao Lian together. Since it was their shop, they could arrange it however they wanted.
After everything was set up, Di Furong and Xiao Lian would come over every day to open the shop for ventilation, then make clothes in the shop and turn the leftover fabric into decorations.
Seeing them making clothes, some curious people would come over to watch. They didn't hide anything, so they let them look freely, which helped increase their visibility.
A few days later, just as the two were about to close the door, they suddenly saw a dirty person lying next to them. Di Furong thought it was a beggar, so she asked Xiaolian to get him two steamed buns.
Unexpectedly, the beggar suddenly ran into the house, frightening Di Furong and Xiaolian.
"Seven years ago, I was grateful for a meal at the palace."
When Di Furong heard him say these things, her heart skipped a beat, but thinking about it carefully, she did indeed save someone many years ago.
"Are you the assassin from back then?"
The man nodded: "I was just gathering information, not killing anyone. Thank you for the meal you gave me back then."
Years ago, while he was spying on the imperial harem, after completing his mission, he passed by a dilapidated palace and heard cheerful laughter coming from inside. He couldn't resist going to investigate and was surprised to find two thin, frail young girls laughing happily while washing clothes. Curious, he wondered if washing clothes could be so enjoyable, so he went to see for himself.
Finally, he was rewarded with a bowl of rice by Di Furong. Although he wasn't hungry at the time, he felt it was the most delicious meal he had eaten in all these years.
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