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Shen Yu’an asked, “Is there a quieter little courtyard?”
The toothed man stepped out from behind the counter and inquired, “How big of a residence are you looking for, Miss?”
Shen Yu’an thought for a moment and replied, “Two or three rooms will suffice, and the courtyard doesn’t need to be too large, but it would be better if there were fewer neighbors around.”
Listening to Shen Yu’an’s request, the toothed man pointed to two courtyards on the drawing and said, “These two should meet Miss’s requirements.”
“The first courtyard is closer to the shop you bought yesterday, right behind the three courtyards on the same street as your shop.”
“While the second courtyard is even quieter, with fewer residents on that street, and it’s at the end of an alley.”
“Miss, which one are you interested in? I can have someone take you to see it. If you’d like to see both, I can accompany you.”
Shen Yu’an carefully examined the two courtyards pointed out by the toothed man and asked him to take her to see both.
They first went to the courtyard that was closer to the shop Shen Yu’an had purchased yesterday.
On that street, all the houses were two or three courtyards deep, but due to limited space, they had ended up constructing these small courtyards.
The street was densely populated, mostly occupied by individuals of some status, and Shen Yu’an had already dismissed it in her mind without even visiting the courtyard.
This courtyard was intended for the transportation of grain, and having a high population around would be a disadvantage.
So, after a brief glance, Shen Yu’an had the toothed man take her to another courtyard located three streets away from this one.
As expected, the second courtyard was just as the toothed man had described, incredibly quiet…
Most of the residences here were situated at corners, and what happened in front of their own doors would not be seen by neighbors on either side.
Moreover, the alleyways here were not narrow, and even carriages could pass through side by side.
Shen Yu’an was very satisfied and returned to the toothed man’s establishment to purchase this small courtyard.
After completing the property transfer, Shen Yu’an had Shen Si accompany her to buy some meat and vegetables before heading towards the direction of the village.
To reach the village from the town, they had to pass through a dense forest.
As the ox cart entered this small forest, Shen Yu’an heard shouting coming from within the woods.
It was a gentle and desperate female voice, “Help! Is anyone there? Help!”
Accompanying this voice was another, still that of a young woman.
Shen Yu’an lifted the curtain of the cart, causing Shen Si to slow down. After a moment, the voices became clearer, accompanied by several unpleasant male voices.
Shen Si hesitated, saying, “Master, maybe we should just keep going. Judging by the sound, there seem to be quite a few people over there, and I might not be able to handle them all alone.”
The intermittent sounds they heard allowed Shen Yu’an and Shen Si to understand what had happened.
It turned out that two young women passing through this area had been intercepted by a group of local troublemakers. While robbing them would have been bad enough, these criminals had gone further and were not sparing the two young women.
In Shen Si’s eyes, his master indeed had the appearance of a celestial being, and if those robbers, who were after both wealth and beauty, caught sight of her, it would be even more dangerous.
So, when Shen Si mentioned that he couldn’t handle them alone, part of his concern was for Shen Yu’an’s safety.
The people on the other side seemed to be numerous and in a strong position, and although Shen Si had some skills, he didn’t dare to display his prowess in front of so many people.
But there was no time to leave, as the two running and shouting women had already reached the narrow path, with several sinister-looking individuals hot on their heels.
The two women were overjoyed to see someone and sprinted in the direction of the ox cart.
One of the two women was none other than Fang Nian.
Seeing a cart in the middle of the road, driven by a man, she thought of hitching a ride with her friend to escape the pursuers behind them.
“Sir, let us catch a ride, and we’ll reward you handsomely once we shake off the people chasing us,” she called out.
Naturally, Shen Si needed to consult Shen Yu’an’s opinion and turned back to ask her.
Shen Yu’an responded, “Let them get on.”
As Shen Yu’an spoke, Fang Nian and the other woman noticed her, their surprise evident as they admired her exceptional beauty.
The two women quickly climbed onto the cart, their eyes fixed on the several men about to catch up from behind.
The other woman who had come with Fang Nian made a determined move, intentionally bumping into Shen Yu’an in an attempt to knock her off the cart and buy them some time to escape.