CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42: EATS TOO MUCH FOR THE FAMILY TO AFFORD

Madam Zhou Si glanced at Shen Qinglan and whispered, "Isn’t it so? They used to say the Shen Family had a fool. Now that the child is better, they keep finding excuses. To put it bluntly, they just don’t want Scholar Li to marry the girl from the Shen Family."

The woman sighed, "Isn’t the Li family trying to burn bridges after crossing the river? When Scholar Li hadn’t passed the scholar exam, they never looked down on the Shen Family?

When their eldest was sick, they even borrowed money from the Shen Family’s eldest for treatment."

Madam Zhou Si sighed, "People’s hearts are hard to fathom. It’s fortunate Scholar Li is a man of integrity, otherwise, wouldn’t a perfectly innocent girl like her be ridiculed for no reason?"

"Isn’t that right?"

...

These women chatted all the way, and Shen Qinglan listened to gossip the entire time.

It wasn’t until they reached the town that they stopped.

Shen Qinglan didn’t know where to go, so she could only wander the streets.

As she walked, she came to that bun shop she had been to before.

The owner had a good memory. As soon as he saw her, he grinned and asked, "It’s you, young lady, come for buns?"

Shen Qinglan had only eaten a pancake that morning and was feeling a bit hungry, so she nodded, "The usual, I’ll eat here."

The owner agreed and confirmed, "Five meat buns and a bowl of meat soup, right?"

Shen Qinglan nodded and went inside to sit down.

The buns and meat soup were ready-made, so shortly after Shen Qinglan sat down, the owner brought them over.

Shen Qinglan hesitated for a moment and finally asked the owner, "Do you know where I can find work, sir?"

"Work?"

The owner was taken aback. Seeing Shen Qinglan was young and small, he thought perhaps her family was too poor, and with a heart full of sympathy, he quickly said, "The Shengxiang Restaurant up ahead is hiring kitchen help, just washing vegetables. The shopkeeper is an old acquaintance of mine. The monthly pay is two taels. If you think it’s okay, once my wife comes, I can take you there to have a look."

Wasn’t Shengxiang Restaurant the same place she sold the wild boar to a couple of days ago?

A kitchen job for two taels a month didn’t seem too bad. Not knowing what else she could do, she would have to go take a look.

If the organization knew that a top assassin had fallen to the point of becoming kitchen help, wouldn’t they be astonished?

She pondered silently for a moment, then nodded, "Thank you!"

The owner smiled, "It’s nothing, young lady, no need to be polite!"

Shen Qinglan ate quickly and finished the five meat buns and a bowl of soup in no time. Her stomach under her clothes was a bit bulging afterward.

Just as she finished paying, the owner’s wife arrived.

After discussing with his wife, the owner led Shen Qinglan to Shengxiang Restaurant.

Halfway there, the owner curiously asked, "Where are you from, young lady?"

Shen Qinglan replied, "Lishui Village."

The owner realized, "So, you’re from Lishui Village. You’re quite young, what made you think of coming out to find work?"

Shen Qinglan added, "My family is poor."

The owner remembered that every time Shen Qinglan came, she ordered five buns and a bowl of meat soup and always finished them all.

Mind you, five buns and a bowl of soup was an adult male’s portion, and this young girl could eat it all in one go. He thought perhaps she had a large appetite, and her family couldn’t support it, so she had come out to look for a job.

Seeing the owner’s inexplicable sympathetic gaze, Shen Qinglan wasn’t angry. She merely raised an eyebrow and didn’t respond.