Resuming Old Business (Part 1)

Qi Shan, having a decent understanding of Shen Tang, knew she was brewing mischief the moment she saw her eyes darting around. "That's ancient history. If there's a chance in the future, I might tell you."

The unspoken meaning was that he could talk about it, but Shen Tang couldn't pry.

Shen Tang scoffed and removed the pole she was using to prop open the window. The vertically opening window slammed shut with a bang.

Faintly, she could still hear Young Master Shen muttering, "Fine if you don't want to talk, who's curious about your damn business anyway." Qi Shan could only shake his head with a chuckle.

"Young Master Shen... still has a child's heart."

Qi Shan sighed softly and began to open his travel bag.

Just as he was halfway through unpacking, the silhouette of an old woman appeared on the door.

She raised her hand and knocked three times. Qi Shan called out, "Come in."

The old woman pushed the door open, bringing a low table laden with dinner and lamp oil for the night. Seeing this, Qi Shan quickly got up to greet her, "How can you handle these chores? Leave it to me."

The old woman smiled and stepped aside, "Please, Young Master Qi, just sit. This old woman's hands and feet are still nimble, why can't I do it?"

She set down the table and then made the beds.

After she finished, Qi Shan took out several large pieces of silver from his money pouch and handed them to the old woman, saying, "This is for our stay at your residence. Please accept it, Madam."

"Oh, you mustn't--"

The old woman pushed the silver back without a second thought.

If it weren't for the young man before her, their old bones would have turned to dust over forty years ago. How could they possibly be living here peacefully?

Not only that--

This young gentleman's future had also been ruined.

She said, "This money absolutely cannot be accepted."

Unexpectedly, Qi Shan's attitude was firm. He pushed the money back, saying, "One matter is one matter. If Madam doesn't accept it, we won't feel comfortable continuing to stay here with a clear conscience." He even prepared to repack his scattered belongings.

After much persuasion, the old woman finally accepted the money.

She looked at the silhouette of the young man framed by the wooden door and let out a long sigh.

Tired from traveling during the day, Shen Tang fell asleep soundly as soon as her head hit the wooden pillow. She slept without dreams, unaware that the oil lamp next door had been lit all night.

The next day, the sun rose in the east.

Summoned by her biological clock, Shen Tang opened her eyes precisely on time.

She took out her homemade bamboo tube, fetched clean water from the courtyard, and sat down on the corridor to attend to her personal hygiene. Qi Shan had just returned when he saw Young Master Shen sitting with a rather uninhibited posture, bending over to brush his teeth.

He handed her a packet.

"Here, breakfast. Eat it while it's hot; it's still warm."

"Thank you." Shen Tang splashed cold water on her face, and the remaining sleepiness vanished in a jolt. She took a bite of a steaming flatbread, and her peripheral vision caught Qi Shan sitting down beside her. She opened her mouth and asked, "Does Yuan Liang know where the brothel in Xiaocheng is?"

Qi Shan, who was about to speak: "...???"

He almost choked.

He asked with a dark expression, "How old are you, Young Master Shen, to be thinking of seeking pleasure at the brothel? That's not a place you should go."

Indulging in pleasure leads to neglect of duty; it's not advisable!

"What unhealthy thoughts are you having, Yuan Liang? I just want to go to the brothel to find someone and see how she's doing." Shen Tang said with a grin, "After all, without her, I probably wouldn't have risked escaping so early. But thanks to her, I was able to meet Yuan Liang."

Qi Shan pondered for a moment and understood Shen Tang's intention.

"You want to find someone to settle a score with?"

Most likely, it was about those female members of the Gong Clan who were exiled.

He offered a reminder, lest Shen Tang rush headlong into disaster, "As far as I know, there's still a Wudafu from the Gong Clan on the run. Until he's caught, the exiled Gong Clan criminals will remain under surveillance. If you approach them rashly, aren't you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself?"

Don't try to settle a score and end up getting caught yourself.

"But it's not my style to let an offense go unpunished."

Shen Tang frowned tightly. She asked herself, she wasn't someone who held grudges over every little thing, but she wasn't a foolish girl who would smile and be unconcerned even when pushed into a fire pit--

That's not broad-mindedness, that's stupidity!

Qi Shan offered a suggestion, "You can approach it indirectly."

Shen Tang asked, "For example?"

Qi Shan: "You figure it out yourself."

It was Shen Tang's revenge, not his. If she had to ask for advice on how to get revenge, even if she succeeded, it wouldn't be as satisfying.

Shen Tang pondered for a moment, shook her head, and murmured.

"No, no, this method won't work..."

"What method won't work?" Qi Shan's curiosity was piqued.

He wanted to know how this Young Master Shen intended to get revenge.

Shen Tang awkwardly shifted her gaze, unwilling to say.

It wasn't that the method wasn't vicious enough, but rather that it was unsuitable.

Especially in this era where law and reason were nonexistent, using the enemy's own methods against them to seek justice was perfectly reasonable—for the same act, the perpetrator could do it to the victim, but the victim couldn't retaliate with the same means. It wasn't legal, but it was satisfying! However, the enemy was a woman, and Shen Tang herself was also a woman. Using the same method to retaliate would be too base.

What method then?

Naturally, it was to spend money to hire someone to take care of that person's business.

But this plan still had a problem—

Shen Tang was broke.

And a brothel was unlike ordinary entertainment venues; the average price was not low.

So, the moment this idea popped into her head, she immediately extinguished it.

She sighed, "Forget it—let her live a few more days. After that Wudafu from the Gong Clan is captured, I'll go and ask her for advice."

Qi Shan smiled and shook his head.

Wudafu was ranked ninth among Martial Gall.

How could they be captured so easily?

A blink of an eye, and the morning was gone. Shen Tang had nothing to do. She had memorized all of Qi Shan's scrolls back and forth, and looking at them again wouldn't reveal anything new. Having nothing to do was difficult for her, who had a bit of hyperactivity. In fact, it wasn't just her who was uncomfortable; Qi Shan was also struggling.

"If Young Master Shen is bored, you can go for a walk on the streets."

Don't wander around in front of me, sighing and groaning. He hadn't been able to read a single word all morning because he was constantly being disturbed.

As soon as Shen Tang heard this, she perked up.

That's right, Xiaocheng was still unfamiliar to her. She could always find ways to pass the time. What fun was it to be cooped up in one place? She slipped into her room and took out her little stash—she had saved a small sum from selling green plums, cakes, and malt candy along the way.

Qi Shan only had time to remind her to be careful of the constables and not to get lost before Young Master Shen had already disappeared like a gust of wind.

"Tsk, still has a child's heart."

Qi Shan sat back down and once again lost himself in thought before the desk—on the desk lay a scroll filled with notes and insights, where the words "National Seal" and "Way of the Feudal Lord" could vaguely be seen, as well as the defensive layout of the entire Xiaocheng area.

At the same time, Shen Tang led her motorcycle onto the street.

Beyond the city walls lay a thousand miles of wasteland, but within the walls, smoke curled and life thrived, with vendors calling out their wares every few steps along the street.

Shen Tang was curious about everything she saw and bought a lot of small trinkets one after another, and before she knew it, her money pouch was almost empty.

"I still need to find a way to make some money..."

Shen Tang wailed inwardly.

Being this poor was a disgrace to her as a transmigrator.

Shameful, shameful (:з"∠)

But after browsing all the way, there were really no good businesses.

Cakes, green plums, malt candy—Xiaocheng had no shortage of these. The competition was fierce, and business wasn't easy. Shen Tang led her motorcycle around, and her peripheral vision caught something. She zipped back.

"Zhengguang Bookstore? Buying artwork?"

Heh heh, she suddenly had a great idea to make a fortune.

I'll take a look after I've revised it.

My condition probably won't be too good these past two days, sorry.