Chapter 34: Returning to the Old Trade (Part 1)
Qi Shan knew Shen Tang quite well, and could tell from the flicker in her eyes that she was up to no good: "That's all ancient history. Maybe I'll tell you if there's a chance in the future."
The implication was that he could speak, but Shen Tang could not inquire.
Shen Tang scoffed, removed the fork stick supporting the window, and the vertically opening window slammed shut.
You can still faintly hear Shen Xiaolang muttering, "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. Who's curious about your messy affairs?" Qi Shan can only shake his head with amusement.
"Young Master Shen... still has the heart of a child."
Qi Shan sighed softly and began to open her bag.
I had only tidied up halfway when I saw the old woman's silhouette reflected on the door.
She raised her hand and tapped three times lightly. Qi Shan then said, "Come in."
The old woman pushed open the door and brought in a low table filled with dinner and lamp oil for the night. Upon seeing this, Qi Shan quickly got up to greet her: "How can I let you do these things? Leave them to me."
The old woman smiled and stepped aside, saying, "Young Master Qi, you can just sit down. This old woman is still quite nimble; why can't I do it?"
She put down the food table and then made the bed.
After she finished her work, Qi Shan took out several large pieces of silver from her purse and handed them to the old woman, saying, "This is for our use while we are staying at your esteemed residence. Please accept it, Madam."
"That won't do—"
The old woman pushed the silver back without thinking.
If it weren't for this young man, the old couple's bodies would have been cold for four or five years, and they wouldn't be able to live here peacefully.
That's not all—
This young man's future is also ruined.
She said, "You absolutely cannot accept this money."
To everyone's surprise, Qi Shan remained firm, pushing the money back and saying, "One thing at a time. If the old lady doesn't accept it, we two will feel embarrassed to continue living here with a clear conscience." As she spoke, she even prepared to repack her scattered luggage.
After much persuasion, the old woman finally accepted the money.
She looked at the young man's silhouette reflected in the wooden door and sighed softly.
Tired from traveling all day, Chen Tang fell into a deep sleep as soon as her head hit the wooden pillow. She slept soundly through the night without a dream, unaware that the oil lamp next door had been burning all night.
The next day, the pavilion's pupils rose in the east.
Shen Tang opened her eyes precisely on time, summoned by her biological clock.
He pulled out his homemade bamboo tube, fetched clean water from the courtyard, and plopped down on the porch to begin tidying himself up. Qi Shan had just returned when she saw Young Master Shen sitting there with an air of nonchalance, bending over to wipe his teeth and rinse his mouth.
He handed over a package.
"Here's breakfast. Eat it while it's hot, it's still warm."
"Thank you." Shen Tang splashed cold water on her face, and the last traces of sleepiness vanished in the jolt. She picked up a steaming piece of flatbread and, out of the corner of her eye, saw Qi Shan sit down beside her. She asked, "Yuan Liang, do you know where the brothel is in Xiaocheng?"
Qi Shan, who was about to speak, asked, "...???"
I almost choked on my breath.
He asked with a dark face, "Young Master Shen, how old are you to be thinking about going to brothels for pleasure? That's not a place for you."
Playing with trivial things can lead to the loss of one's ambition; this is unacceptable!
"What unhealthy things is Yuanliang thinking? I just want to go to the brothel to find someone and see how she is doing." Shen Tang said with a smile, "After all, without her, I probably wouldn't have risked escaping so soon. But it's also thanks to her that I was able to meet Yuanliang."
Qi Shan understood Shen Tang's meaning after a moment's thought.
"Are you looking for trouble?"
It's mostly the bad luck of those exiled women of the Gong family.
He spoke up to warn Shen Tang, lest she recklessly capsize in the gutter: "As far as I know, the Gong family still has a fifth doctor who has fled. As long as he remains at large, the exiled Gong family prisoners will be under constant surveillance. Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble by approaching rashly?"
Don't try to cause trouble for someone and end up getting arrested yourself.
"But it's not my style to leave a grudge unavenged."
Shen Tang frowned. She asked herself honestly, she wasn't exactly a vindictive person, but she wasn't a foolish older sister who would laugh it off even when someone pushed her into a fire pit.
That's not magnanimity, that's stupidity!
Qi Shan offered a suggestion: "You can take a roundabout approach."
Shen Tang asked, "For example?"
Qi Shan: "Think about it yourself."
It was Shen Tang who was seeking revenge, not him. Even his revenge required someone else's advice, so even if he could get revenge, it wouldn't be a satisfying one.
Shen Tang pondered for a moment, then shook his head and murmured to himself.
"No, no, this method won't work..."
"What method won't work?" Qi Shan's curiosity was piqued.
He was curious to see how this young master Shen would take his revenge.
Shen Tang awkwardly looked away, refusing to speak.
It's not that the method wasn't ruthless enough, but rather that it was inappropriate.
Especially in today's world where the law is practically nonexistent, it's perfectly reasonable to retaliate in kind and seek justice for oneself—there's no reason why a victim can't retaliate in kind just because the perpetrator did it to the victim. It's illegal, but satisfying! However, the enemy is a woman, and Shen Tang herself is also a woman; retaliating in kind would be too despicable.
What method?
Naturally, one would pay someone to take care of that business.
However, this operation still has a problem—
Shen Tang was penniless.
The Jiaofang (a type of entertainment venue) was different from ordinary brothels and theaters, and its average price was not low.
So, she nipped the idea in the bud as soon as it came to mind.
She sighed, "Never mind—let her live a few more days, and after that fifth doctor from the Gong family is arrested, I'll go to her house to ask for her advice."
Qi Shan smiled and shook her head.
The Fifth Master belongs to the ninth rank of Martial Valor.
Where is it so easy to catch them?
The morning passed in a flash, and Shen Tang had nothing to do. She had memorized all of Qi Shan's scrolls over and over again, but she couldn't see any difference in them anymore. Having nothing to do was quite unpleasant for her, as she was somewhat hyperactive. In fact, not only was she uncomfortable, but Qi Shan was too.
"If Young Master Shen is bored, he can go for a walk in the street to clear his mind."
Stop hovering around him and sighing. He's been so distracted all morning that he couldn't concentrate on anything.
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang immediately perked up.
Yes, the whole of Xiaocheng was still unfamiliar to her. She could always find ways to pass the time; what was the point of being stuck in one place? She went into her room and took out her little stash of money—she had saved up a small amount by selling plums, cakes, and maltose along the way.
Qi Shan only had time to tell her to be careful of the servants and not to get lost before Young Master Shen had already disappeared like a gust of wind.
"Tsk, still has the mind of a child."
Qi Shan sat down again, lost in thought as he stared at the table. On the table lay a scroll covered with notes and notes, from which the words "Imperial Seal" and "The Way of the Feudal Lords" could be vaguely seen, along with the city defense layout of the entire Xiaocheng area.
At the same time, Shen Tang also took her motorcycle and ran into the street.
Beyond the wall lies a vast wasteland, while within the wall, life is vibrant with the smoke of cooking fires, and vendors hawk their wares every few steps along the street.
Shen Tang was curious about everything and bought a lot of odds and ends, and before she knew it, her purse was almost empty.
"We still need to find a way to make some money..."
Shen Tang wailed inwardly.
She's so poor, she's a disgrace to the time-traveling woman.
I'm so ashamed, so ashamed_(:з」∠)_
But after walking around, there really wasn't a good business to be had.
Cakes, plums, and maltose—Xiaocheng has no shortage of these, so the competition is fierce and business isn't easy. Shen Tang drove around on her motorcycle for a bit, then caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye and quickly turned back.
"Zhengguang Bookstore? Accepting artwork drafts?"
Hehe, she suddenly had a great idea to make a lot of money.
Let me revise it before you take a look.
I probably won't be feeling too well these next couple of days, sorry.
(End of this chapter)
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