Jiang Yanyi had told Qiu Kui to address her formally as “Owner” or “Shopkeeper” in public, and Qiu Kui had slowly gotten used to it.

Seeing Qiu Kui’s anxious, hesitant expression, Jiang Yanyi knew she must have something to say.

So, after bidding farewell to Madam Chen, she turned to leave.

Although He Xingniang seemed eager to continue discussing leasing issues, Jiang Yanyi politely yet firmly said, “There’s a matter at home. We’ll catch up another time.”

With just a few words, He Xingniang’s intentions were politely but decisively shut down.

That “another time” was, of course, indefinite.

As they walked back to the shop, Qiu Kui carried a vegetable basket, indicating she had been out grocery shopping.

“What’s on your mind?” Jiang Yanyi asked.

Qiu Kui nervously clutched her clothing and glanced at Jiang Yanyi before finally speaking up. “Huahua, you said my wages were being saved with you. How much is there now?”

The typical wage for a kitchen helper in Xizhou was 500 wen per month, but Jiang Yanyi had generously set Qiu Kui’s wage at one tael.

It had only been a little over three months.

“I initially calculated one tael per month from selling the antique soup, and now that you’re managing the shop alone, selling flatbreads and oden, it’s one and a half taels per month. By the end of this month, you’ll have saved four taels and five qian.”

“Why? Are you and the blacksmith planning to buy a new house? Silly girl, just let me know if you’re short on funds. I’ve prepared a good dowry for you.”

Since Jiang Yanyi provided for Qiu Kui’s room and board, she had never asked about her wages before.

Jiang Yanyi guessed that Qiu Kui’s sudden inquiry was because she and Luo, the blacksmith, might be planning to buy a new house.

Qiu Kui shook her head. “It’s not for buying a house.”

After hesitating for a moment, as if fearing Jiang Yanyi’s reaction, she continued, “On the way to buy vegetables, I came across a girl selling herself to pay for her father’s burial… I… I want to buy her.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yanyi understood immediately.

Qiu Kui was kind-hearted, and her own parents hadn’t even had a mat to wrap them when they passed; it had left a deep mark on her.

Seeing someone else selling herself for her father’s burial made her feel a profound sympathy.

Jiang Yanyi asked, “Could it be a scam?”

Qiu Kui shook her head vigorously. “I watched her for a long time. She’s not a scammer. The girl has a large birthmark on her face, and no one wants to buy her because they say she’s unlucky.”

Sighing, Jiang Yanyi reached into her waistband for five taels of broken silver and handed it to Qiu Kui. “Take this silver and give it to the girl so she can give her father a proper burial. I’ll cover the cost, and whatever is left, let her keep as travel funds.”

In these chaotic times, lives were fragile. Jiang Yanyi knew she couldn’t help everyone with her small business, but when she could, she chose to lend a hand.

Qiu Kui accepted the silver with teary eyes. “Thank you, Huahua.”

“Just a small gesture of kindness. Hurry along now.”

Qiu Kui nodded, left her basket, and dashed out the door.

---

Jiang Yanyi thought that would be the end of it, but the next morning, when Qiu Kui went to open the shop, she found a “snowman” standing at the door.

Hearing that the girl who had sold herself to bury her father had shown up, Jiang Yanyi went out and was startled by what she saw.

The girl was covered in snow from head to shoulder, indicating she had been standing outside for quite a while.

She was petite, like a little bean sprout, but behind her was a large blade that seemed comically out of place.

Her hair was messy, with loose strands covering most of her face.

A birthmark stretched from her left cheek down to her neck, and her clothes were worn and torn, more fitting for a beggar than anything else.

As Jiang Yanyi sized her up, the girl studied her just as intensely.

Her gaze was different from any other Jiang Yanyi had encountered—heavy, weighted.

The kind of gaze that carried a burden.

With a polite smile, Jiang Yanyi invited her in, “It’s snowing hard outside. Let’s talk inside.”

The girl entered, carrying her massive blade.

Auntie Guo, hearing the commotion, came out, but seeing the weapon immediately put her on guard.

Sensing the tension, the girl glanced at Auntie Guo, her sharp instincts as keen as a wolf’s.

She then focused back on Jiang Yanyi, asking, “Are you the one who bought me?”

Her voice was a little hoarse, possibly from injury or naturally rough.

Jiang Yanyi nodded slightly, “Yes.”

The girl replied, “I swore to my father before he died that I would serve as a slave for ten years to whoever paid for his burial. From today onward, I’ll follow you.”

Judging from the girl’s demeanor, Jiang Yanyi thought she might be from a bandit background. “I don’t need a servant here. Now that you’ve buried your father, you should find your family. If you need travel funds, I can provide them.”

“I have no family left.”

The girl’s voice was even hoarser with that statement.

Her hair hid most of her face, making it impossible for Jiang Yanyi to discern her expression.

“I made an oath before my father’s death. I can’t break it.”

Jiang Yanyi sighed. “How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

Jiang Yanyi looked her up and down.

This thin, frail frame didn’t look seventeen at all.

“What’s your name?” she continued.

“My father never gave me one; he always just called me ‘Girl.’”

Glancing at the huge blade on her back, Jiang Yanyi asked, “What did you do before?”

“I accompanied my father as a guard escort.”

Jiang Yanyi was somewhat surprised and asked, “Your father is a bodyguard?”

The young girl nodded.

Jiang Yanyi exchanged a glance with Aunt Guo.

For a security agency to hold its ground, it needed connections with both the official and the underworld.

Aunt Guo, who understood this more than Jiang Yanyi, asked, “What’s your father’s name?”

The girl’s raspy voice uttered three words, “Huo Linshan.”

Jiang Yanyi didn’t recognize the name, but Aunt Guo knew it well—he was one of the top bodyguards in the capital.

With the chaos in the world, merchants naturally fled to places untouched by war, entrusting their valuables to security agencies for safekeeping.

People were barely able to eat, and bandits were everywhere, looting and killing for anything worth stealing.

After Aunt Guo explained this to Jiang Yanyi, she looked at the girl and asked, “Can you fight?”

The girl nodded confidently, boasting, “Your companion there wouldn’t stand a chance against me.”

Aunt Guo had already noticed the girl’s skill when she entered the room, but this arrogance made her a bit displeased.

She said to Jiang Yanyi, “Boss, I could test this girl out.”

Given the turbulent times, Jiang Yanyi hesitated.

She wanted to keep the girl around but worried it could be a ruse.

After a moment’s pause, she said, “Let’s go to the back courtyard. There’s more room there. And call Uncle Zhong.”

Feng Shuo had sent shadow guards to monitor the area around the house, so if Aunt Guo and the girl began sparring, the guards would notice any disturbance.

In case of an emergency, they could come quickly.

Asking Uncle Zhong to join was also a safeguard in case the girl had ulterior motives.

Aunt Guo and Uncle Zhong together would have a better chance.

Uncle Zhong was called to the outer courtyard and stood by Jiang Yanyi’s side, while Aunt Guo and the girl were already crossing swords.

As an outsider, Jiang Yanyi couldn’t understand the moves, but she trusted Aunt Guo’s skills, as she had once protected her from a group of assassins.

The young girl’s every move was forceful, and despite her small frame, she had surprising strength, even cracking the courtyard’s green bricks underfoot.

Jiang Yanyi saw that Aunt Guo and the girl were evenly matched and asked Uncle Zhong, “How’s it going?”

Uncle Zhong replied softly, “The girl’s breath is steadier.”

This meant that if nothing unexpected happened, the girl would likely win.

This result indeed surprised Jiang Yanyi.

In the end, Aunt Guo and the girl didn’t finish their duel, as Jiang Yanyi called for them to stop and suggested they wash up and have breakfast together.

Privately, Uncle Zhong asked Jiang Yanyi, “Are you planning to employ this girl?”

After some thought, Jiang Yanyi replied, “For now, let’s place her at the noodle shop.”

By keeping her under close watch, Jiang Yanyi could guard against any betrayal, but keeping her in the main household was like inviting a wolf into the fold.

At the noodle shop, she’d have Bing Shao watching her, so the girl couldn’t stir up trouble.

Uncle Zhong agreed with Jiang Yanyi’s approach.

**

Okra, perhaps feeling a shared struggle with the girl, took special care of her.

After Aunt Guo washed up, Qui Kui saw the girl’s face and hands were still dirty, as though she hadn’t washed properly in a long time.

She quietly passed her a bar of soap, saying, “Don’t worry. Hua… The boss is very kind, and Aunt Guo and Uncle Zhong are also good people.”

The girl sniffed the soap curiously before using it, seemingly intrigued by the fragrance or perhaps checking for poison.

Knowing she looked disheveled, she told Qui Kui, “I’d like to clean up with this water.”

Misunderstanding, Qui Kui quickly returned to her room and fetched a set of her own clothes, but the girl wouldn’t wear them.

However, Qui Kui accidentally glimpsed a rolled-up sheepskin scroll in the girl’s outer robe.

Curious, she asked, “What’s this?”

With her hair tied up from washing, the girl’s face revealed a large, frightening red birthmark.

Whether it was because Qui Kui had helped her or because she saw no threat in Qui Kui’s naive curiosity, she replied, “It’s something my father was entrusted to deliver on this job. Both my father and the recipient’s family have died. I don’t even know what it is.”

Having seen the girl’s skills in the duel, Qui Kui remarked, “If you’re so skilled, your father must have been even more powerful.”

“Of course!” The girl’s eyes reddened, and her lips tightened. “If it hadn’t been for that female doctor’s poison, my father would never have lost!”

**

Breakfast consisted of mushroom and chicken porridge with soy sauce pancakes.

The porridge was thick, with the chicken shredded finely, tender and boneless.

The dough for the pancakes had been kneaded multiple times, creating delicate layers.

The pancakes had a savory pork filling seasoned and wrapped within.

Brushed with a thin layer of oil and pan-fried until both sides turned golden, they were then sprinkled with scallions and sesame seeds to enhance the aroma.

Jiang Yanyi liked her food spicy, so she spread chili sauce over the sliced pancake.

Each bite of sticky, soft porridge and the crispy, savory pancake was both flavorful and appetizing.

Except for Chu Yanyan and the Duke of Chen, who were dining in the inner courtyard, everyone else gathered around a table in the shop to eat.

The girl looked at the porridge bowl in front of her, surprised to see meat as well as rice, and practically devoured it, downing half the bowl in one gulp.

She had never smelled anything as fragrant as the soy sauce pancake and bit into it with her hands.

She looked just like a starved little creature, suddenly presented with two platters of meat, unsure of which one to eat first.

Originally, Jiang Yanyi had prepared an extra portion to take to Feng Shuo after the meal.

But by the time breakfast was over, she realized this little girl had an enormous appetite and had eaten more than half of Feng Shuo’s share.