"Baked flatbread, baked flatbread, thin crust and lots of filling..."
"Young lady, would you like to take a look at our Yueyin Pavilion's new ready-to-wear clothing? It's absolutely great value for money."
"You little brat, you stole my money again and gave it to that girl in the east of the city? Don't let me catch you, or I'll break both your legs!"
The bustling market was filled with the vibrant atmosphere of everyday life.
The aromas of cosmetics and food wafted to her nose, and Yun Lian, who was already hungry, stood longingly by the steamer.
"Hey mistress, I'm starving! This darn meat bun smells so good!"
“You can work for the old lady and have her provide you with food; it will definitely work.”
"How about I let her buy on credit first, and we can eat the steamed buns after I go to earn some money?"
The old lady selling steamed buns couldn't bear to see the woman's mouth watering and her blocking her stall.
He blurted out, "Girl, are you hungry?"
Yun Lian nodded repeatedly.
"Oh, I feel sorry for you. Business isn't good today. Come on over, I'll bring you something to eat."
Yun Lian's eyes widened, and she happily took small, quick steps.
"Thank you, ma'am, you're such a kind person."
The old woman brought her a large bowl of meat buns. Yun Lian wanted to eat elegantly, but she still unconsciously retained a bit of her fox-like habits and wolfed down the food, which caused her to choke.
"Oh dear, poor thing, eat slowly, no one will take it from you. Drink some water."
The old woman looked at her with increasing heartache.
The clothes were clearly ill-fitting and stained with blood. The poor thing must have come from nowhere.
Yun Lian, who was happily eating, had no idea what kind of backstory her aunt had already fabricated for her in her mind.
She had never thought meat buns could taste so good.
"Thank you so much, ma'am! You're such a kind person. I wish you great success in your business! I'll come back to repay you! Or is there anything I can help you with?"
The old woman could tell that the girl's hair was messy, but her eyes were sharp and she could tell that she was a good girl. It was just that the world was unfair and had not treated her well.
"No need to repay me, child. Just do what you're supposed to do, but be careful. There are a lot of bad people in this world, and besides, you're so pretty. Don't let the bad guys catch you."
As Yun Lian listened to her words of advice, a pang of sadness welled up in her heart for no apparent reason.
They were just strangers who met by chance. The old lady had many cracks on her hands from making steamed buns all year round. Even though she herself was not doing very well, she still did her best to help others.
"Don't worry, Auntie, I'm very capable and I definitely won't be bullied."
The old woman looked at the bloodstains on her shoulder, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.
"Okay, go wherever you want. I don't need you to repay me. Living your own life well is more important than anything else."
"Auntie, I'll come back to you tonight. I'll pay for the steamed buns."
Seeing her determination, the old woman didn't refuse. "Go ahead, child."
After eating and drinking her fill, Yun Lian skipped and hopped off to find work that could earn her money.
She left in a hurry and didn't see that after she left, the cold-hearted Taoist priest came to the old lady's steamed bun stall again, and the two became familiar with each other.
"Yichan, you don't need to help me. Go ahead and do what you need to do. My little stall is nothing to trouble you."
"If you hadn't saved me back then, there wouldn't be any so-called Zen. I was just doing what I could along the way, it's nothing to do with helping."
"Why are you so disobedient, little Taoist? How can a monk's hands be used to knead dough?"
Thanks to Yichan's appearance, the steamed bun stall attracted many more customers and its business gradually recovered.
Meanwhile, on Yun Lian's side...
Don't say it.
This kind of work is really hard to find; even basic shop assistant jobs require long-term employment.
With no other option, Yun Lian had to go to the docks to carry heavy loads. The loads were counted by the piece, and the more you carried, the more you earned.
This is a gathering of people who are just trying to make a living and have no other way to earn a living but to sell their physical labor.
When she first arrived, no one believed that her small frame could carry such heavy bags. It wasn't until Yun Lian could carry twice as many as they could that those simple, honest men were truly convinced.
After leaving the dock, Yun Lian had a few more copper coins in her hand.
The clothes she was wearing were even dirtier. If you gave her a bowl and she were to squat on the ground, someone would probably give her money.
From a distance, Yun Lian called out to the steamed bun shop, "Auntie, Auntie, I'm back!"
The old woman was packing up her stall when she heard a familiar voice and came out. She saw that Yun Lian looked even more disheveled than when they had parted, and she couldn't help but worry.
"Why are you back again? Didn't you say you could go wherever you wanted and didn't need to come back?"
Yunlian happily handed all the copper coins she had earned to the old lady.
"Auntie, I've come to pay back the money for the steamed buns. Thank you for letting me have a full meal."
"Those few steamed buns aren't worth that much money! Take them back quickly, they look even more pitiful than before! How could a young girl like you earn so much money so quickly?"
A steamed bun costs only one copper coin. Business has been slow these past few days, and she can only earn a dozen or so copper coins a day.
I wonder what kind of grievances she endured to earn so much.
Whose daughter is suffering outside again?
The old woman's eyes reddened slightly.
Yun Lian grinned foolishly, showing her big teeth. "I work as a porter at the docks, it's a quick way to make money, Auntie, you can keep it without worry."
Ignoring the dirt on her body, the old woman quickly pulled her around to check on her.
"How can you carry such a big bag with such a small body? Don't let it crush you. Is anything hurting, my dear?"
"It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt. I'm very strong. Just call me if you want to carry anything."
Just as Yichan finished kneading the dough, he heard a familiar voice and instinctively came out.
Seeing that it was the silly little fox from this morning, I was slightly taken aback.
She looked even more disheveled than in the morning; her clothes were almost unrecognizable, covered in blood and ash, but her eyes shone brightly.
Unforgettable once seen.
"Why are you here?"
Upon hearing his voice, Yun Lian was so frightened that she quickly covered her mouth and instinctively looked around, trying to escape.
"What are you doing here? Little Taoist priest, you didn't chase me all the way here, did you? Why are you so persistent?"
Yun Lian jumped behind the old woman and grabbed her clothes tightly.
The old woman was very surprised.
"Yichan, how come you know this girl? What a coincidence that you two are connected? This girl came to give me money as a thank you for the steamed buns I gave her at noon."
"We're not close; we've only met once."
Yichan wanted to tell the old woman the little fox's identity, but then he saw the little fox's upturned eyes filled with pleading.
"Now that the money has been delivered, you should leave quickly and stop bothering the old lady."
Yun Lian clung to the old woman's clothes, looking aggrieved.
"I never said I was going to pester that old lady. You wicked Taoist priest, I hate you. It's just because I made you lose a few chickens today, do you have to make such assumptions about me?"
"Don't worry, I will pay you back every penny of the money I owe you!"
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