Huang Pozi was too scared to notice that after she left the kitchen, Su Xiaoqi’s wrist had already recovered its freedom.
Having scared the woman away, Su Xiaoqi felt relieved. She prepared fish soup and cold dressed fish, then brought them upstairs.
Zhao Liushun also arrived. After some discussion, everyone’s faces looked grim.
Su Xiaoqi called everyone to eat. Zhao Simei claimed she was still working and dared not eat, fearing that the shopkeeper's mother-in-law, Huang Pozi, would cause her trouble again later.
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqi, as the sole supplier, greeted Shopkeeper Su and obtained his permission.
Only then did Zhao Simei eat her meal.
After eating, Zhao Liushun went to the bookstore to collect the books he and Shen Yun were to copy.
Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun escorted Zhao Simei home.
She lived nearby, just two alleys away.
Before them stood a row of low tiled houses with small gateposts. The doors were faded and peeling, looking precarious.
Zhao Simei’s scholar husband had gone out to set up a stall and write for others.
Her three sons had gone to the outskirts of the city to collect firewood and had not yet returned.
Su Xiaoqi saw that the interior was truly meager, genuinely bare.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, she excused herself to use the privy and secretly took ten jin of rice and ten fish from her spatial dimension, placing them in Zhao Simei’s drafty kitchen.
Unexpectedly, Shen Yun came looking for her and happened to witness the entire scene.
Shen Yun saw very clearly that Su Xiaoqi had nothing on her person.
Yet, with a raise of her hand, bright white rice appeared out of thin air in her palm.
The fish did too.
The ten whole fish, too many for the Jiang residence to store, were placed by Su Xiaoqi into the water缸 beside the courtyard.
As soon as the fish entered the water, they swam with flicking tails.
Shen Yun’s eyes widened in shock.
What kind of miraculous feat was this?
He very much wanted to know, but then he recalled Su Xiaoqi’s habitually secretive demeanor.
He wisely chose not to ask, turning away quietly and pretending he hadn’t seen anything.
He was willing to wait, perhaps one day she would be willing to tell him, who knew!
Su Xiaoqi left without mentioning anything to Zhao Simei, not wanting to explain.
After all, the items placed in her home were meant to be used.
If they were too pedantic to use them, they would only starve.
Su Xiaoqi, however, had overestimated their hesitation.
When Zhao Simei saw the white rice, she was a little confused.
But upon seeing the ten live grass carp swimming in the water缸,
She immediately understood.
She knew that Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi must have left them for her.
Her heart filled with gratitude. Clutching a pile of provisions enough for them to eat for a month, she burst into tears.
The street at dusk carried a slight warmth of spring.
The crowds gradually thinned, and many shops were preparing to close their doors.
Su Xiaoqi, however, was enjoying her stroll immensely.
She had long wanted to explore the market to understand what kind of businesses were most profitable in this era.
However, not knowing the way, she hadn't dared to wander aimlessly.
Taking advantage of Shen Yun's presence, Su Xiaoqi explored the street to its fullest.
She peered into every shop, regardless of what it sold.
Especially those selling clothing and accessories favored by women.
Shen Yun thought she had taken a liking to something and wanted to buy it but lacked the money.
He hesitated for a moment, then took out a jade pendant carved with concentric circles and led her to a pawn shop.
He intended to pawn it to get money to buy her a ring.
His reasoning was that Su Xiaoqi had stared at a silver ring for a long time as they passed by, and he assumed she liked it.
“Uh, I don’t like it, I really don’t like it.
I was just looking,” Su Xiaoqi said, shaking her head frantically.
She couldn’t fathom Shen Yun gifting her a ring.
Such items were merely ordinary decorations in this era.
In their time, they truly symbolized marriage. Without true love, she wanted nothing to do with it.
She didn’t want Shen Yun to bind her with it.
As they were bickering at the entrance, they heard someone snort disdainfully,
“Hmph, can’t even afford a silver ring, what a pauper.”
That familiar voice…
Su Xiaoqi looked up and indeed saw Su Jiamo’s infuriating face.
After humiliating Shen Yun, he cautiously approached Su Xiaoqi and pointed to a jewelry shop opposite.
“Come with me, let your second brother treat you, buy whatever you want.”
Su Xiaoqi, with lightning speed, dodged his hand, preventing him from touching her.
Just as she was about to unleash some harsh words to put him in his place, she saw a young maiden in a pink gauze long dress walking towards them.
She had an oval face, fair skin, elegant features, and exquisite makeup and hairstyle.
Illuminated by the setting sun, she looked as beautiful as a fairy.
Su Xiaoqi quickly searched the original body’s memories and found the newcomer’s identity – Su Yu Ru, the true eldest daughter of the Su family.
She was the one Su Xiaoqi’s current body was meant to impersonate in marriage.
“Second brother, do you know them?” Su Yu Ru asked curiously, looking at Su Jiamo.
These two were quite good-looking, especially the man. He was handsome, with sculpted features and sharp lines,
making one’s heart flutter at first glance. The woman’s features were not bad either, though her skin was indeed too poor, rough and dark, exuding a wild beauty.
However, they were both dressed in coarse cloth, without any decent jewelry, suggesting they were quite poor.
Su Yu Ru swept her gaze over the two, having already formed her evaluation.
“Of course, I know them. My own sister and brother-in-law, how could I not know them?”
Su Jiamo’s tone was somewhat sour.
His own sister, having grown up in a secluded mansion,
had never been told about the messy affairs of the family.
Therefore, she only knew that someone had married into the impoverished Shen family on her behalf, but she didn't know who that person was.
But being intelligent, she immediately recognized the people before her after her second brother’s explanation.
So, this tall man with handsome looks and a pure demeanor was the fiancé she had been betrothed to.
He was truly handsome, but unfortunately, a bit poor.
Shen Yun was highly sensitive and disliked the beautiful maiden’s critical appraisal of them.
He disliked Su Jiamo’s gaze fixed on Su Xiaoqi even more.
He grabbed Su Xiaoqi’s hand and pulled her into the jewelry shop, “Let’s go.”
Su Xiaoqi also didn’t want any further interaction with the siblings.
Without looking back, she followed him.
Shen Yun decided against pawning the jade pendant this time and just waited.
Su Xiaoqi glanced at it. The concentric circles jade pendant, she remembered the author mentioning it in the book.
It would have great use for Shen Yun in the future, so it couldn't be pawned.
She quickly stopped him, saying she didn't like jewelry and was merely looking out of curiosity.
As she spoke, a gilded peony silver hairpin was suddenly thrust before her.
Needless to say, the only one capable of such an annoying act was Su Jiamo.
“Take it away.” Su Xiaoqi glared at him.
Did he not learn his lesson last time and still wanted to test her fists?
“Don’t be like that, good sister, this is my heartfelt gesture.” Su Jiamo was truly perverse.
Clearly, after being so badly beaten by Su Xiaoqi last time,
he had secretly sworn to take revenge on her.
But when he saw her standing with Shen Yun, flashing such a charming and pretty smile,
a strong sense of jealousy arose within him.
He just wanted to follow her and please her.
While Su Jiamo was holding Su Xiaoqi’s attention, Su Yu Ru looked at Shen Yun—
the man she had been betrothed to.