Jin Shanyao placed the divination stick container under the table, cleared her throat, and tried her best to act as if nothing had happened.
"Listen to me, child. If you want to express your feelings, do it right the first time. Just ask her if she wants to be buried with you."
" Shopkeeper Jin... I am a scholar, and I do not wish to resort to vulgar language; it would be unbecoming."
Jin Shanyao her lips and said, "Wait for me a moment."
After saying that, she turned and stepped out of the shop, then rushed into the study and pulled out the book she had written herself, "Life Principles You Can Listen To or Not."
He flipped through two pages quickly, turned and rushed out of the study, then slowly stepped into the shop.
"Young master, you've kept me waiting," Jin Shanyao said with a smile after sitting down. "We made a vow of life and death, to be together forever. I'll hold your hand and grow old with you. Believe me, you will have a good ending."
The man gritted his teeth, " Shopkeeper Jin, I've said I'm a scholar."
Jin Shanyao's smile froze on her face. "Um, wait for me..." With that, she turned and left the shop, only to stroll back a moment later.
He feigned profundity and said, "Young masters love to hear nice things. Trust me, just say, 'I wish to find one true love, and stay with you until our hair turns white.'"
The man silently clenched his fists, feeling his emotions were somewhat unstable, " Shopkeeper Jin..."
Jin Shanyao her hand to interrupt him, "No need to say anything, I understand..." She turned to leave, but the man grabbed her arm, "Don't run... it's tiring."
He finished speaking somewhat dejectedly, "I'm just a coward, I didn't know how to bring it up, and I only did the divination to give myself some courage."
With Jin Shanyao, she said in a deliberately profound tone, "Things are constantly changing. In matters of the heart, divination is the worst thing to do. Whether it succeeds or fails, it must be spoken out."
Otherwise, you'll always have this on your mind. Even if you both start your own families later, you'll still regret it and feel resentful. It's better to suffer for one day than to suffer every day."
Silence fell after she finished speaking. Jin Shanyao, thinking the man hadn't understood, explained, "It's all the same anyway, what's the use of being afraid? Just grit your teeth and go for it."
The man stood up and bowed, "Thank you for your explanation, Shopkeeper Jin."
Jin Shanyao smiled slightly, "No problem, no problem, five taels of silver..."
After seeing the man off, Jin Shanyao silently took out the book "Life Principles You Can Listen To or Not" and began to recite it. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught two furtive figures glancing at her every now and then.
Jin Shanyao stepped forward, and vaguely heard the two talking, "Up, up, up, up..."
"I'm scared..."
"Life, life, life is important, but fear, fear, fear is even more important."
"Let me think about it some more."
"What are you thinking about..." The sudden voice startled the two bandits, who fell to the ground with a thud. They looked up and saw Jin Shanyao.
The younger brother's heart leaped into his throat. He pointed at the Jin Shanyao, "Gold, gold, gold..."
The bandit leader silently pressed his hand down. "I saw it."
"Speak, what do you need me for?" Jin Shanyao his hands behind his back and bent down to look at the two of them.
The bandit leader, leaning against the wall, struggled to his feet. " Shopkeeper Jin... we've heard you're skilled in divination. We'd like to know how much longer we have to live. We never want to live in constant fear again."
Jin Shanyao and stretched out his hand, "Ten taels of silver."
"What... Shopkeeper Jin, there's too much money..." The two secretly sent most of the money home, keeping only a small portion to make ends meet.
Jin Shanyao to leave, and the bandit leader hurriedly called out, "Ten taels, ten taels..." He quickly took out some silver and handed Jin Shanyao.
Jin Shanyao glanced at them sideways and said, "Don't worry, you two will live to die."
Upon hearing this, the bandit leader excitedly grabbed his henchman's hand, "It's alright, it's alright, we'll live to die."
The younger brother said urgently, "Anyone can live until they die."
The bandit leader knelt down with a thud before Jin Shanyao his feet. "Miss Jin, we have reformed, please show us a way to live!"
"Go find Su Wenqian and tell him everything you saw," Jin Shanyao said with a wicked smile. "If he doesn't care, then you two should cling to his legs and not let go."
Trust me... you won't die.
The bandit leader and his henchmen wept with joy, repeatedly kowtowing to Jin Shanyao while expressing their gratitude, before getting up and running outside.
Jin Shanyao just sat back down in the shop when she saw the bandit leader and his henchmen pacing hesitantly outside.
Jin Shanyao called out to the door, "What are you doing sneaking around like that? Come in and talk to me."
The bandit leader, his legs trembling, stepped into the shop and stammered, "Miss Jin, who is Su Wenqian?" They only realized halfway there that they didn't know him.
"Prefect of Qingzhou Prefecture, Su Wenqian, Your Lord Su."
Upon hearing this, the bandit leader's legs went weak and he was about to kneel down when his henchman helped him up. The henchman swallowed hard and said in a trembling voice, " Shopkeeper Jin, you wouldn't be lying to us, would you?"
"Don't worry, I never lie."
The bandit leader and his henchman exchanged a glance, then headed towards the prefectural government office with an air of resignation.
After everyone left, Jin Shanyao continued to silently recite "Life Principles You Can Listen To or Not." If someone says you are unsociable or aloof, it's because you don't put them at the center of your life.
When someone asks you to adapt to the environment and make changes, it's because you're too opinionated and haven't followed their wishes. In short, they wanted to take advantage of you but failed.
Not bad, not bad... Just as she turned the page and continued reciting, there was a noise at the door. Jin Shanyao looked up but didn't see anyone, so she continued reading.
Thump, thump Jin Shanyao looked up again but there was no one there. Oh dear... A ghost in broad daylight! Just as she was about to get up and investigate,
A small hand suddenly reached out from in surprise at the table. The hand opened, and five coins clattered onto the table. Jin Shanyao looked down across the table and saw a two- or three-year-old toddler struggling to climb onto a chair.
Jin Shanyao stared at the fluffy head. "A medical consultation? Or divination?"
The baby was so frightened that he slipped and was about to fall, but Jin Shanyao him and lifted him onto a chair.
The two stared at each other, wide-eyed.
The toddler, dressed in fine clothes, stared intently at the Jin Shanyao child with his large, watery eyes. "You're the most famous fortune teller in Qingzhou Prefecture?"
With a confident smile, Jin Shanyao leaned back in her chair. "Young master wishes to have his fortune told?"
"Baby, seeking medical advice..."
Uh... wait, shouldn't you be praising a miracle doctor when you're having a consultation?
The baby was depressed. "My grandmother said I'm stubborn and told me to see a doctor to check my mouth, lest I get beaten to death one day when I go out."
"Oh... what do you mean?" Jin Shanyao, intrigued.
The baby said in confusion, "Don't you feel your pulse???"
"Cough cough... put your hand out," the baby struggled to stand on the chair, half of his body leaning on the table, his wrist resting on the pulse pillow.
She kept talking, "My dad made me memorize poems... I asked him: 'Nobody in the family memorizes them, why should I?' He couldn't answer and then hit me..."
Jin Shanyao at the little hand; it was indeed bright red. "That was too harsh!" she thought, withdrawing her hand from taking the pulse. "Little one... you're healthy, you're not sick."
The toddler said smugly, "I told you I wasn't sick, but my mom wouldn't listen and always called me an idiot."
"Oh... tell me about it."
The toddler, hands tucked into his pockets, frowned slightly as he pondered, "This isn't the first or second time they've hit me. They think I'm small and easy to bully. Once, they hit me really hard, and I said, 'If you dare hit me because I'm small, I'll hit you because you're old.'"
So my dad switched to a feather duster and chased me all over the yard beating me. I could tolerate that...
The toddler slammed his hand on the table, hissing in pain. His expression was furious. "I said if you dare hit me again, when I grow up I'll beat you to death, beat you to death, beat us both to death!"
So my mother started hitting me too. My grandmother said I was stubborn and told me to say something nice, then my parents would stop hitting me. But look at my mouth, shopkeeper...
As he spoke, he climbed onto the table, pouting as he leaned closer to Jin Shanyao's eyes.
Just then, Meng Anzhi, who had just entered, saw them. She quickly stepped forward and picked up the baby, saying, " Xiao Huzi, what are you doing here? Your mother has been looking for you frantically."