When Shen Qingwan saw that they had only ordered a few vegetarian dishes, she quickly called the waiter over and added a few of the restaurant’s signature meat dishes.

Since the city gates were already closed for the night, Shen Qingwan decided not to return.

The other three also planned to stay in the shop’s backyard and squeeze in for the night instead of going back.

However, Shen Qingwan was a woman, and it was inconvenient for her to stay with them.

So, after dinner, she planned to find an inn for the night.

Walking down the still brightly lit streets after dinner, Shen Qingwan felt a mix of emotions.

Just as she reached the entrance of an inn, before she could step inside, she saw a waiter forcefully throwing a young man out.

The young man, holding a sword in his hand, had an air of confidence about him, but at the moment, he looked rather disheveled.

“I really had my money pouch stolen! How can you just throw me out like this? I told you, once I find my father, I’ll pay you back. Do you really think I can’t afford it?”

The young man stood up angrily, patted the dust off his clothes, and was about to leave when he suddenly bumped into Shen Qingwan.

Shen Qingwan hadn’t expected him to charge forward so recklessly, but she reacted quickly and dodged him just in time.

The young man was stunned by her agility and immediately looked at her with admiration.

“This brother has impressive skills! My name is Meng Xingzhou. May I ask for your name?”

Meng Xingzhou smiled brightly at Shen Qingwan, trying to curry favor with her.

But Shen Qingwan ignored him and turned to enter the inn.

The next second, Meng Xingzhou suddenly grabbed her arm and pleaded, “Brother, could you lend me some silver? My money pouch was stolen, and I’m penniless right now. Could you help me out? I… I can use my sword as collateral. This sword was my father’s birthday gift to me. Once I find him, I’ll redeem it.”

Shen Qingwan glanced at the sword. It was indeed a fine weapon, but she wasn’t interested.

“I have no interest in your sword. Let go.” Her voice was cold, but Meng Xingzhou clung to her like a drowning man clutching a lifeline.

“Brother, my father is General Zhenyuan, Meng Qi. If you help me this time, I will repay you a hundredfold!”

Shen Qingwan had never met such a persistent young man before.

He was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with fair skin, bright eyes, and an innocent, straightforward demeanor.

His naivety and embarrassment made it obvious that this was his first time traveling alone.

Not wanting to argue with him, Shen Qingwan took out two taels of silver from her waist and handed it to him, considering it a small favor.

She was about to leave when the boy blocked her way again, insisting on giving her his sword.

“Brother, you haven’t told me your name yet! And this sword—since we agreed, you should keep it as collateral until I return with the money.”

Shen Qingwan sighed.

This was the most persistent boy she had ever met.

She shoved the sword back into his hands. “No need. Just take the silver. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be going now.”

“Wait! I can’t just take your money for free. You haven’t even told me your name! How will I find you later to repay you?”

Shen Qingwan felt a headache coming on. She was beginning to regret giving him the two taels of silver.

“If you say another word, give me back the silver.”

Seeing her cold expression, Meng Xingzhou tensed up and immediately shut his mouth.

Shen Qingwan, satisfied with his silence, turned and entered the inn.

..

The next morning, Shen Qingwan woke up early to head to her shop.

However, just as she stepped outside, she saw Meng Xingzhou waiting for her with his sword in hand, beaming at her like a ray of sunshine.

“Brother, you’re finally out!”

Shen Qingwan frowned. “Why are you still here?”

Meng Xingzhou hesitated for a long moment, unable to speak.

Seeing that he wasn’t answering, Shen Qingwan simply walked away.

But Meng Xingzhou followed closely behind her, keeping pace all the way to the shop.

“Brother, is this your shop?” he asked cheerfully, taking in his surroundings as he followed her inside as if he belonged there.

“Boss, who’s this?” Lu Youfu, one of the shop workers, asked when he saw Shen Qingwan walk in with the young man trailing behind her.

Shen Qingwan hadn’t expected Meng Xingzhou to actually follow her to the shop.

Grabbing him by the arm, she dragged him to the backyard and coldly asked, “What exactly do you want? I already gave you silver. Why haven’t you left?”

Meng Xingzhou fidgeted with his fingers, looking hesitant.

“If you don’t start talking, get out,” Shen Qingwan warned.

“I… I have no money left, so I can’t leave,” he finally admitted.

Shen Qingwan narrowed her eyes. “What happened to the two taels of silver I gave you last night?”

“I… I met a little girl last night… She said her grandmother was starving, so…”

The girl had been so thin, just skin and bones.

She had begged him for food, but he had none to give her. So, in the end, he had given her all his silver.

Shen Qingwan felt her blood pressure rising.

Where on earth had this little disaster come from?

“How much silver did you bring with you when you left home?” she asked.

Meng Xingzhou thought for a moment. “A… A little over one thousand taels.”

“And it was all stolen?”

He shook his head. “Only ten taels were stolen.”

So the remaining thousand taels… had all been given away?

This boy wasn’t just a walking disaster—he was a walking fortune distributor!

Even a house full of gold wouldn’t last with someone like him squandering it.

Shen Qingwan silently lit a candle in her heart for his father. Having such a son must be exhausting.

“Where are you from?”

“The capital. I’m the son of General Zhenyuan. I left home to find my father. I thought ten taels would be enough to reach him, but I didn’t expect to be robbed.”

He might have been naive, but he wasn’t stupid.

He had known to keep some silver for himself.

But he just couldn’t bear seeing people suffer, which was why he had given so much away.

However, he didn’t regret it.

Shen Qingwan figured that even if she gave him another hundred taels, he wouldn’t make it to his father.

Given the increasing number of refugees along the way, he’d probably hand out all his money before taking two steps out of the city.

“I’ll give you two choices. One, stay at my shop and help out. When the opportunity arises, I’ll send you to your father. Two, turn left out of this shop, and we’ll never see each other again.”

Her tone left no room for negotiation.

Meng Xingzhou’s eyes lit up. “So I can stay? You’ll really help me find my father later?”

“If the opportunity arises, yes. But if you stay, you must listen to me. Otherwise, I’ll kick you out immediately.”

Shen Qingwan wasn’t just being kind—she simply didn’t want to deal with the hassle.

Since the shop needed more workers anyway, she might as well put him to use.

If he really was the general’s son, it wouldn’t be right to leave him to fend for himself.

With his naive nature, he’d probably be tricked and sold off, all while thanking his kidnappers.

“Don’t worry! I’ll be good!”

Seeing that Shen Qingwan was willing to let him stay, Meng Xingzhou beamed, revealing a set of perfect white teeth.

Though he couldn’t search for his father immediately, earning some money here in the meantime didn’t seem like a bad idea.