There is a god in the sky

Chapter 157 Reunion in Bianjing 3

Xuan'er said angrily, "How could this person be like this? It's too much!"

Shen Lan led her back, saying, "She wasted her whole day, so it's normal for her to be angry."

"But you already paid me, sister."

"That little bit of money is just a labor fee, not as good as a legitimate business deal."

The agent receives a commission only after the deal is done; if the deal falls through, Shen Lan cannot pay the full price.

"Let's try a different place tomorrow." Seeing that she was unhappy, Shen Lan pinched her cheek. "Come on, we just passed a delicious wonton stall, let's go eat some wontons."

Xuan'er smiled and said, "I smelled something delicious and it made me hungry. It must taste really good."

That stall was doing very well, so they had to share a table with others. They tried a bowl of thin-skinned wontons and ate a meat-filled sesame seed cake with it, which was quite delicious.

On the way back, Shen Lan noticed that someone was following her again, and whispered to Xuan'er, "Let's go, let's go into the clothing store on the street and take a look."

It was already dark, and the shops on the street were all lit up.

Shen Lan entered the shop and said to the embroiderer who came to greet her, "My sister and I would like to buy a set of ready-made clothes each. Do you have any suitable for us?"

The embroiderer glanced at them a few times, then picked out several sets of clothes.

"Ladies, please go in and try them on. These outfits are all about the same size, and we can alter them if they don't fit."

Shen Lan pushed Xuan'er inside to change her clothes, while she stood guard outside the door, chatting casually with the embroiderer.

She glanced at the shop door out of the corner of her eye, wondering who was watching her.

She just arrived in Bianjing. Could she be an accomplice of the assassins from yesterday?

Probably not. They're after the gunpowder; what's the point of watching her?

Not long after, she saw a man standing outside the shop. When he looked up and came in, their eyes met.

"Girl, you have a great figure and fair skin. That bright red outfit suits you best..."

Shen Lan could no longer hear the sounds around her.

Her gaze lingered on the man, and she had barely taken a step when he quickly lowered his hat and strode into the crowd.

Shen Lan withdrew her foot.

It seems he doesn't want to see me.

Li Ye, Li Ye, since you are also in Bianjing, why are you deliberately avoiding me?

Shen Lan couldn't understand. He had been following her for almost a day, which meant he recognized her, but why couldn't they meet openly and honestly?

"Sister, what do you think?"

Xuan'er came out.

She was wearing a peach-pink jacket with two pom-poms tied at the collar, which made the little girl look radiant.

"It looks good." She reached out and straightened her collar and sleeves.

She's gained some weight in the past few months, so these clothes are still a bit too big.

"If a customer orders this set, I'll tighten the waistline and shorten the trouser legs so it will fit perfectly next year."

Shen Lan inquired about the price and, finding it reasonable, bought it.

The embroiderer asked happily, "And what about yours, young lady?"

Xuan'er quickly brought over the bright red dress, "Sister, try this one on."

Shen Lan didn't object and went in to try it on.

The bright red jacket with a front opening, edged with white fur, was very warm.

She wore a red and white pleated skirt, embroidered with snow-covered red plum blossoms, which was much more festive than her usual attire.

When she came out, Xuan'er clapped her hands and exclaimed, "So beautiful! Sister should wear brightly colored clothes!"

The embroiderer also praised it highly, saying, "This dress is brand new. The girl has fair skin, which is a perfect match for this red color. She would look even better with a simple double bun hairstyle."

Shen Lan's profession is unusual, so she rarely wears bright red or purple colors.

However, at her age, this color doesn't look out of place at all.

Xuan'er made the decision for her and bought it directly. Then she started bargaining with the shopkeeper and managed to get him to give them two extra pairs of fluffy sleeves.

As soon as she came out of the shop, Xuan'er was overjoyed and skipped and hopped along the street.

"Sister, I'm so happy."

Shen Lan also smiled; happiness is contagious.

In Xuan'er's eyes, a new dress can bring her great joy.

Her needs are actually very simple.

Upon returning to the inn, Shen Lan and her companion were warmly greeted by the innkeeper as soon as they entered.

"The two young ladies are finally back. Someone was looking for them." He winked vigorously behind him.

Shen Lan had already seen Sui Feng and nodded to the shopkeeper: "He's here to see us."

Sui Feng walked over with his sword in his arms, cupped his hands in greeting to Shen Lan, and said, "Miss Shen."

The shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that this man had come seeking revenge. Judging from his appearance, he was a government official, and his small shop couldn't afford to offend him.

"It's good that we're acquaintances, you two can chat at your leisure." The shopkeeper retreated behind the counter, working on his abacus while secretly observing them.

Sui Feng came to tell Shen Lan, "The master has woken up."

Shen Lan was not surprised; he was just injured and would wake up naturally after resting.

"The master learned that you two were staying at an inn and asked me to bring this." Sui Feng handed over a wooden box.

Shen Lan thought it contained money and refused, saying, "We have enough money on us. Just remember to pay our monthly salaries."

"Miss, please open it and take a look."

Shen Lan opened the box with a puzzled look, and inside was a set of keys, land deeds, house deeds, and other items.

What does it mean?

Xiao Ji is going to give away the house directly?

Who can stand this?

"This is a shop that has been losing money for years. The master dismissed the current manager today and wants to hire Miss Shen as the new manager."

There's a courtyard behind the shop, which has been vacant for many years. With a little cleaning, it should be habitable. I just don't know if Miss Shen would be willing to take on this job.

Shen Lan clenched her fist, thinking to herself: Thank goodness, she almost thought Xiao Ji wanted to keep her as a mistress.

"Has Lord Xiao forgotten that I am a coroner?"

"The master said that the coroner has little work. If Miss Shen is willing to do more work, she might as well help him revitalize this shop."

Shen Lan thought about it and realized that this place was much better than renting a courtyard. It wouldn't cost her any money and she could even make some.

Moreover, having a shop would allow her to move around Bianjing openly and legitimately.

What does this shop sell?

"It's a bookstore that also sells writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones."

Shen Lan, recalling the storybooks Xiao Ji had written, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is this bookstore always losing money?"

"Yes, the master is too lazy to manage it. He only occasionally lets the shopkeeper print some books that he likes to read. That shopkeeper is not good at it and is cunning and deceitful. The shop has lost more than a thousand taels in three years."

They're really rich and can do whatever they want.

Shen Lan secretly shook her head, thinking that it was probably because Xiao Ji had been away from home for three years and his subordinates were not working hard.

"By the way, where are Qingfeng and Mingyue? They should be home by now, right?"

"There are still some debts to be collected in the south, so these two went to collect them for the master."

Shen Lan compared the people around Xiao Ji and found that she and Xuan'er were the most idle.

It seems we have no choice but to take action against this shop.

Seeing that it was getting late, Sui Feng bid farewell to Shen Lan, saying, "I will come to take Miss Shen to see the shop tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

"it is good."

Before leaving, Sui Feng instructed her: "If you hear any rumors about the adult later, don't take them to heart. Just wait for the adult to recover."

Shen Lan didn't understand the meaning of those words at the time, but the next day, when she took Xuan'er downstairs early in the morning, she heard some diners discussing the Xiao family.

"Have you heard? The top scholar from the Xiao family who was demoted to Lingnan has returned to the capital!"