Step Down, Let Me Come!

Chapter 34: Back to Business (1)

Qi Shan understood Shen Tang to some degree. He only needed one glance at her sparkling eyes to know she was up to no good: “It’s an old story, I may tell you if I have a chance in the future”. 

He hinted that he might say about it in the future, but Shen Tang shouldn’t ask.

Shen Tang snorted and removed the forked pole supporting the window. The awning window snapped shut.

Shen Tang’s murmurs could be faintly heard, “It’s better if you don’t say. Who would be curious about your trifles?”, Qi Shan could only laugh and shook his head.

“Young master Shen… you’re like a child”. 

Qi Shan faintly sighed with sorrow, then opened his bag.

In the middle of packing, an old woman’s shadow appeared on the doors.

She lifted her hand and knocked 3 times. Qi Shan said: “Come in”.

An old lady pushed the door. She carried dinner on the side table and held a lamp oil for the night. After glimpsing her figure, Qi Shan immediately got up to welcome her: “How can we let you do this? Give it to me”.

The old lady smiled but evaded him: “Young master Qi should sit down. I’m still agile, so how can I not do this?”

She put down the table and made the bed. 

After that, Qi Shan took some silver from his pouch and gave it to the lady, he said: “These are from us for borrowing your house, so please accept it”.

“This is unacceptable – “

The old lady pushed the silver back without much thought. 

If it wasn’t for him, they would already be dead 4–5 years ago, how could they still peacefully live here?

It’s not only that - 

The prospects of this young master were also ruined in the process.

She said: “I certainly can’t accept this money”. 

Who knew that Qi Shan was so stubborn that he would push the money back again. “One yard counts for one yard. If the old lady doesn't accept it, we will be too embarrassed to continue to live here”. After saying that, he started to repack the scattered luggage.

After a long time, the old lady finally accepted the money.

She looked at the shadow of a young figure on the wooden door and sighed deeply.

Tired from traveling during the day, Shen Tang fell asleep soundly with the sleepers on. She didn’t dream that night, and she had no idea that the oil lamp next door had been lit all night.

The next day, East Ascension pavilion.

Shen Tang woke up naturally and opened her eyes.

She took the homemade bamboo tube, fetched clean water from the courtyard, and sat down on the porch to wash. When Qi Shan came back, he saw the young master Shen sitting in a bold posture, while bending over to wipe her teeth and rinse her mouth.

He passed her some things.

“Here, breakfast. It’s still warm, so eat now”. 

“Thank you very much”. Shen Tang splashed cold water on her face and the remaining sleepiness left her. She held a hot flatbread in her mouth. She noticed from the corner of her eye that Qi Shan sat down next to her. She asked: “Yuanliang, do you know where the brothel is in Xiao City?”

Qi Shan, who was about to speak: “…???”

His fork nearly fell. 

He asked with a dark face: “Young master Shen, how old are you? Do you want to go there to have fun? That’s not a place you should go to”.

Trifling can destroy the will, it’s unacceptable!

“Yuanliang, you thought about something bad, right? I only want to go there to find a person and learn about her current situation”. Shen Tang was grinning, “After all, if not for her words, I wouldn’t be able to run away so quickly. But thanks to her, I was able to meet Yuanliang”. 

After a quick musing, Qi Shan understood Shen Tang’s idea.

“You want revenge?”

She wanted to take revenge on those exiled women of the Gong clan.

Qi Shan wanted to remind Shen Tang, prevent her from recklessly bumping into the gutter and suffer a setback: “According to my information, there are still 5 members of the Gong clan on freedom. They weren’t caught, but they were snitched on by their clan’s exiled members. What could you do by approaching hastily without fear?” 

It’s better to not look for trouble and get arrested instead.

“But it’s not my style to let go of revenge”. 

Shen Tang frowned, then asked herself honestly. She wasn’t a narrow-minded person, but she also wasn’t a person who would jump into a fire and still smile, not minding. She wasn’t a foolish woman!

Qi Shan suggested: “You can take a roundabout route”. 

Shen Tang asked: “For example?”

Qi Shan: “Think about it yourself”. 

It was Shen Tang’s grudge, not his, so even if he made plans for her, when she succeeded, it wouldn’t be able to satisfy her heart.

Shen Tang briefly pondered, then shook her head. She muttered. 

“Not good, not good. This method is not good…” 

“What method won’t do?” Qi Shan’s curiosity was picked.

He wanted to know how was he planning to retaliate. 

Shen Tang awkwardly moved her line of sight, she didn’t want to say that. 

This method wasn’t too cruel, rather it wasn’t suitable. 

Especially nowadays, in this lawless world, it's reasonable to pay back others in the same way – and it’s also reasonable, for the victim to not be able to use the same method to retaliate. Her way was illegal but gratifying! The enemy was a woman and Shen Tang was also a woman, so it would be really disgusting to retaliate in that way. 

What method? 

Naturally, it’s to spend money to find someone to take care of the woman.

But, one problem still existed - 

Shen Tang was destitute. 

That brothel was also different from ordinary ones, the average prices weren’t low. 

So, when this thought occurred to her, she quickly extinguished it. 

She sighed: “Let it be – let her live more days. When the 5 seniors from the Gong clan get caught, I will come to her and ask for guidance”. 

Qi Shan smiled while shaking his head.

5 seniors were 9 class wudan fighters. 

How could they be caught so easily? 

The morning passed in a flash. Shen Tang was idling her time away. She looked through Qi Shan’s scrolls relentlessly, but she still couldn’t find anything interesting. There was nothing to do, and it was really difficult to bear for a person with ADHD like her. In fact, it wasn’t only difficult for her, but also for Qi Shan.

“Young master Shen, if you’re bored, go outside to play”.

Don’t wander about before his eyes, and stop sighing. He was so disturbed that he couldn’t even read one word the entire morning. 

Shen Tang became enthusiastic. 

That’s right, Xiao City was an unfamiliar place to her. She could always find some fun to pass the time. What was the point in staying in one place? She turned over her room and took out her slush fund – peddling green plums, pancakes, and malt sugar along the way saved her a small amount of money.

Qi Shan only had time to warn her to be careful to not be forced into labor and to not get lost, before Young Master Shen vanished with a gust of wind. 

“Tsk, still a child at heart”. 

Qi Shan sat at the table again and got lost in thoughts – Under the table laid a scroll full of his notes. The “seal of state” and “way of princes” could be vaguely seen written on it, as well as the layout of defense of the entire Xiao City.

Meanwhile, Shen Tang was pulling her motor onto the streets. 

The wasteland was thousands of miles away from the wall, but inside the wall, the sound of fireworks lingered, and the city was full of vitality. There were also merchants hawking every few steps along the street.

Shen Tang was curious about everything, so she bought many odd things one after the other, so her purse soon became empty.

“I still need to think of a way to earn money…”

Shen Tang howled in grief in her heart.

She was so poor, she had embarrassed all the time-traveling girls.

Ashamed, ashamed _(:з」∠)_

However, she continued to stroll, but she still couldn’t find a good spot for a business.

The Xiao City didn’t lack pancakes, green plums, or maltose. The competition was fierce, so the business wasn’t easy. Shen Tang pulled the motor in a circle, then she glimpsed something from the corner of her eyes, so she returned slowly.

“Bookstore? Accept sketches?”

Hehe. She immediately thought of a good way to earn money.