After leaving the city gate, Shi Lan walked south, crossing mountains and rivers, enduring the biting cold of winter and the gentle breezes of spring. It took him more than half a year to reach this capital city, which the Han people had recently established as the highest-ranking city.
Standing in this place, which is said to be the residence of the dynasty's highest ruler, Shi Lan sighed slightly. Only after leaving the barbarian territory did she realize that the royal surname of the Great Yu Dynasty was actually Shi.
Shi Lan still remembers her first reaction when she heard the news. She actually thought that she might be one of the princesses, but then she laughed at herself.
Princesses are precious and delicate, and are cherished and protected. Even if the people are unsettled during the southern tour, the dignity of the royal family will not be damaged, and the princess's dignity will not be diminished. The wet nurses who can serve the princess have all undergone rigorous screening, and their daily lives are always under the public eye.
The premise for Chang Shi to switch babies was that no one was in the room, so the moment the princess's thought popped into her mind, she ignored it.
Besides, she believed that Madam Chang wouldn't mistake where her own daughter was.
Following the flow of people, Shi Lan staggered into the bustling and lively capital city.
It was nearly noon, and the aromas wafted from the shops along the street. Shi Lan swallowed hard and reluctantly looked away.
Along the way, Shi Lan had already spent all her money. The only valuable things she had now were the hairpin she had taken from Chang Shi and the worn-out undergarment. However, those were tokens she used to find someone, and she would not sell them even if she starved to death.
A few children walked by playing in the distance. Shi Lan stared at the sesame candy in their hands for a while. The thoughts that flashed through her mind made her feel ashamed. She turned her head, pinched herself hard, and came to a shop with a sign that said it was hiring shop assistants.
"Shopkeeper, are you hiring any helpers here?"
The shopkeeper inside was doing accounts behind the counter. He frowned when he saw Shi Lan, who was disheveled, but nodded and said yes.
Seeing the shopkeeper's disgusted expression, Shi Lan blushed.
During the more than half a year of fleeing, she didn't wash her face or comb her hair once for safety, and now the smell on her body is really unbearable.
"Shopkeeper, do you think I'm suitable?"
Knowing she was not in good shape, Shi Lan didn't mind the shopkeeper's attitude and asked with her head held high.
Without looking up, the shopkeeper replied, "Six hundred cash a month, room and board included, no leave allowed, no holidays. Would you do that?"
Shi Lan quickly calculated that a vegetarian bun now costs ten coins. She can eat three buns in one meal, which is six a day. She can only afford to eat buns for ten days in a month. The wages are too low.
The shopkeeper fiddled with the abacus beads, completely ignoring Shi Lan.
Shi Lan clutched her stomach, suppressing the rumbling sounds, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Shopkeeper, I'll make it."
The young shopkeeper finally raised his head and looked at her directly. "Young master, have you thought it through?"
Shi Lan stared at him with wide eyes, "You said you'd provide food and lodging, but does that mean you'd be well-fed?"
The shopkeeper nodded, "Of course, you can eat your fill."
Shi Lan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I've thought it through. Please allow me to wash up, and I'll start work shortly."
The shopkeeper nodded, led Shi Lan to the back house, pointed out the water-fetching area to her, and then returned to the front.
Shi Lan fetched water, quickly washed herself and tidied her face and head, and then went to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper stared in astonishment at the fair-skinned boy in front of him, and after a long pause, pointed to the books on display and said, "Go and tidy things up, and also fetch some water to clean the shelves."
Shi Lan responded with a smile and happily ran off to tidy up.
The shopkeeper watched her move among the ink and brush, touched his nose, and looked at Shi Lan with sparkling eyes.
Although Shi Lan was still dressed in tattered clothes, his appearance and demeanor were completely different from before. Chu Liulang, the shopkeeper of the study, felt a sense of unease, wondering whether this person under his command was good or bad.
The man was not good at managing things, and at this moment he urgently needed a job to clean the house, so he didn't care about anything else.
Shi Lan's current thought is simply to have food to eat, a place to stay, and the opportunity to inquire about the Pan family's whereabouts. As for anything else, she hasn't thought about it, nor does she have the time to. Her goal is clear: to complete the task as soon as possible and gather all the stones so that she can leave this life of constantly traveling the world sooner.
Chu Liulang absentmindedly fiddled with the abacus beads, his eyes occasionally glancing towards the shelf.
Shi Lan, oblivious to everything, dusted off the bookshelves and cleaned the room spotless. Only then did she turn around and look at Chu Liulang with sparkling eyes.
"The shopkeeper has finished."
Chu Liulang nodded and pointed behind him, "I remember there were a few steamed buns left this morning. Go and eat them if you're hungry."
Shi Lan readily agreed, her large eyes narrowing into slits.
Knowing that he was working so hard, this seemingly dull guy would definitely feel embarrassed not to let himself eat.
She jogged to the kitchen, grabbed the white steamed bun she had been eyeing for a long time, took a big bite, and the aroma of rice filled her mouth, making her smile happily.
Standing by the door, Chu Liulang saw Shi Lan and suddenly chuckled, realizing he had been too suspicious. She was just a pretty boy; how could he have thought she was such an important person?
In the blink of an eye, Shi Lan had finished one steamed bun and reached for the second one.
Chu Liulang took two steps back and quietly disappeared behind the curtain.
Shi Lan settled down here, and every day, besides cleaning, she delivered goods to customers.
Many of the guests at the study were from prominent families and were generous spenders. Shi Lan was also very sweet-talking, so she could always get some tips. Chu Liulang knew that he didn't pay much, so he always pretended not to know and let the tips go.
More than a month passed, and Shi Lan had saved up more than one tael of silver. At the same time, she also learned from others that there was a high-ranking family surnamed Pan on the outskirts of the city. It was the maternal family of the current Imperial Concubine. There were three imperial uncles, and all three of them had wives accompanying them. As for whether any of the wives in the family had passed away, because it involved the inner quarters and was a long time ago, outsiders did not know much.
To find out the details, Shi Lan went to the matchmaker who often sent girls to wealthy families. She gritted her teeth and gave her the money she had painstakingly saved, asking her to keep an eye on the Pan family's movements. She promised to give her the money she had earned from selling herself if she went in.
The matchmaker was initially puzzled by her childlike appearance, but Shi Lan explained that she was a girl who disguised herself as a child to make a living. She feared that she would be unable to protect herself as she grew older. She had heard that the Pan family was a family of scholars with an excellent reputation, and she loved books and calligraphy, so she was willing to sell herself to serve the noblemen in the mansion.
The matchmaker carefully examined Shi Lan for a while. Seeing that although she was young, she was pretty and would surely grow into a beauty in a few years, the matchmaker, harboring some unspeakable thoughts, readily agreed.
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