Spirit City Night Market

"It's truly bustling with people, an endless stream of them." Shen Nuonuo looked at Spirit City, which remained so lively despite the late hour.

This night market is quite similar to the one in my previous world.

When Qian Daoliu, Ghostly Douluo, and Moon Guan heard Shen Nuonuo mention her previous world, they wondered whether parallel worlds truly existed.

At this hour, although it was already late at night in Spirit City, crowds still flowed through the streets. Shops stood side by side, while smoke rose from the teahouses, filling the air with the distinctive warmth of everyday life.

"Grandpa, I want to go down and take a look." Seeing the dazzling array of goods displayed by the vendors outside, Qian Renxue wanted to have a closer look.

Shen Nuonuo also looked at Qian Daoliu. The longing in her eyes spoke for itself.

The warmth of everyday life is so wonderful. It's been far too long since I've seen it.

"Alright, Grandpa will take you both." Now that they had arrived on his own turf, Qian Daoliu naturally had no concerns about their safety.

The carriage stopped by the roadside, and Moon Guan remained behind to guard it. People moved through the bustling streets, where every stall was piled with all kinds of goods and the scents of countless delicacies filled the air.

Shen Nuonuo and Qian Renxue followed Qian Daoliu into the crowd. As for Ghostly Douluo, he was unaccustomed to such liveliness and silently followed the three of them.

Spirit City's night market was at its most vibrant, brilliantly lit and exceptionally bustling. The dazzling goods at each stall gleamed beneath the lights, drawing countless passersby to stop and stare.

Seeing Qian Renxue practically itching to move, Qian Daoliu found it both amusing and somewhat heartwarming.

He handed Shen Nuonuo a large, bulging bag of Gold Soul Coins and let the girls wander freely.

He and Ghostly Douluo would simply protect them from behind.

Qian Renxue excitedly grabbed Shen Nuonuo's hand, occasionally skipping as she ran toward the little stalls.

She curiously asked about the uses and origins of all sorts of goods.

Shen Nuonuo let Qian Renxue drag her around. At first, she was somewhat reserved, but after being swept up by Qian Renxue's enthusiasm, she completely let herself go.

The two ran about everywhere like lively little monkeys, invigorating the entire street.

When passersby saw the two adorable little fairylike children frolicking so happily, they could not help but smile, as though infected by their energy.

The street vendors eagerly showed Qian Renxue their wares. As for why they did not introduce them to Shen Nuonuo instead?

The vendors wanted to! These two children radiated nobility through both their appearance and clothing. They were undoubtedly the children of some wealthy family.

But just as the vendors were about to enthusiastically pitch their goods to the pair, they met Shen Nuonuo's scrutinizing gaze and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

Her eyes seemed to tell them, Don't try to fool me. Don't explain. I know everything.

Qian Renxue was a genuine child and listened enthusiastically to the vendors' sales pitches. If Shen Nuonuo had not desperately stopped her, Qian Renxue would have thrown down that whole bag of Gold Soul Coins.

Spending money like water!

Qian Renxue was completely swept up in it by then and had bought quite a few random things. Shen Nuonuo, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm in the face of sweet talk and only bought a few sets of clothes.

"Huff, huff... Sister, I'm so tired." Qian Renxue was a little exhausted. Her face was flushed red, and her clothes were soaked with sweat.

Shen Nuonuo looked at Qian Renxue resentfully and tapped her on the head. "Hmph, silly Little Xue. You got taken advantage of, and you're still grinning foolishly."

"Huh? Those uncles and aunties were all so nice. They wouldn't cheat me, would they?" Qian Renxue looked at Shen Nuonuo innocently and scratched her head.

Those uncles and aunties had been so warmly enthusiastic. How could they possibly cheat a child like her?

"It's fine. You've contributed to the night market's GDP."

After thinking it over, Shen Nuonuo decided that Qian Renxue had indeed contributed to the local economy.

With just one shopping spree, those vendors could earn more money than they might otherwise make in several months.

Qian Renxue blinked, not quite understanding what Shen Nuonuo meant. "Sister, what's GDP?"

Shen Nuonuo smiled and explained, "GDP is an indicator used to measure a region's level of economic development. Little Xue, your spending at the night market contributed to its economy, which is why those uncles and aunties were 'especially enthusiastic' toward you."

Qian Renxue suddenly understood and nodded. "I see. Then did I make a huge contribution?"

Three black lines appeared across Shen Nuonuo's forehead, and she chose not to explain.

"Come on, let's go look at some other snacks." Shen Nuonuo took Qian Renxue's hand and led her onward through the night market.

The lively atmosphere kept Qian Renxue excited. "Sister, then what can we buy?"

Shen Nuonuo thought for a moment and said, "We can buy some snacks to try, and some little trinkets too, like bracelets and hair clips. Those are all useful."

Qian Renxue nodded excitedly, tugging Shen Nuonuo toward a stall selling candied hawthorns.

The stall owner was a middle-aged woman. Smiling, she asked, "Little girls, what would you like to eat?"

Qian Renxue's eyes lit up. Pointing at the many varieties of candied hawthorns on display, she asked, "Sister, can we buy candied hawthorns?"

Seeing the anticipation in Qian Renxue's eyes, Shen Nuonuo smiled and nodded. "Of course. What flavor do you want?"

Qian Renxue hesitated briefly before saying, "I want one sweet-and-sour one and one strawberry one."

Hearing Qian Renxue's request, the stall owner smiled and picked up two skewers of candied hawthorns. She dipped one in sweet-and-sour syrup with a spoon, added strawberries to the other, and handed both to Qian Renxue. Taking the two skewers, Qian Renxue carefully bit into one, and the sweet flavor immediately filled her mouth.

"Sister, it's so delicious! You have some too!" Qian Renxue cried excitedly, her eyes full of delight as she handed Shen Nuonuo the other skewer of candied strawberries.

Shen Nuonuo accepted it and took a bite. Seeing Qian Renxue's innocent smile, she could not help smiling as well. She felt that everything that had happened today would likely be an invaluable part of Qian Renxue's childhood.

The two continued wandering through the night market, buying little trinkets and sampling all kinds of food. Both their stomachs were round and full, while Qian Renxue's smile never faded. Like a happy little sprite, she brought Shen Nuonuo endless joy.

After wandering around for more than half a shichen, Qian Renxue was finally dragged back into the carriage by Shen Nuonuo, though she was reluctant to leave.

The carriage was filled with bag after bag of things—food, toys, and all sorts of miscellaneous trinkets.

Shen Nuonuo looked at the heavy bag of Gold Soul Coins Qian Daoliu had given them. More than half of it was already gone.

Qian Renxue truly had the makings of a spendthrift.

A few Gold Soul Coins would have been more than enough to buy that entire pile of things she had purchased.

If she lived in Shen Nuonuo's world, she would definitely be the sort of child who could be lured away with a single lollipop.

And even after being sold off, she would still help count the money for the person who sold her!

Raising a child really was a long and arduous task!