CHAPTER 34: 34: HANDSOME AND ELEGANT (1)_1

Shujun, although not knowing what trick she was up to, believed that time would reveal a person’s heart. Could she pretend for a day, and keep up the pretense for a lifetime?

Smoothing out her clothes, Shujun pulled out a money pouch and stuffed it into her hand.

"Shujun works at night and sleeps during the day, and my cooking skills are not very good, so to prevent inadequate care, take this pouch of copper coins and manage your own meals."

After that, he pushed the door open and left.

After Shujun left, Dong Huiying was a bit bored alone at home.

She felt her pulse; it was normal, but the purple-black blood in her body had come without reason or warning.

What was most important was that this blood was poisonous and could muddle a person’s mind??

She was deeply concerned and after some time, a glint flashed in her eyes, and like a carp flipping its body, she stood up.

"I need to verify this."

So, not long after, the dark-skinned young girl was fumbling in the corners, where she caught several small insects and confined them in a jar.

She pricked her finger, and a drop of blood fell into the jar; soon after, the whole jar was seething.

The poor insects suddenly became very agitated and began to slaughter each other.

Dong Huiying witnessed all this emotionlessly.

She was right, her blood could disrupt the mind, but something felt strange in her heart.

She always felt that the blood in her body was like poison but not exactly poison, not fully fitting the characteristics of poison.

What on earth could it be?

...

In Taihang Town, the spacious stone-paved streets were bustling with traffic and an endless stream of people. The buildings on both sides were closely spaced, mostly with black tiles and white walls, and there were numerous shops selling marinated meats, dried fruits, pastries, ready-made clothes, fabric, and various food stores, presenting a prosperous marketplace.

The women here were very tall and sturdily built, and most had a forthright nature. As they walked, they moved with the power and certainty of dragons and tigers.

The men were generally shorter, covering their faces with broad-brimmed hats, moving with tiny steps, and showing a humble and gentle demeanor, exuding an air of frailty and submissiveness.

Feeling hungry, Dong Huiying went out in search of food. She felt like a dwarf lost in a land of giants, tilting her small head back to look up at women who were much taller than herself. At eighteen, she seemed especially diminutive in comparison.

Everything here amazed her. She craned her neck this way and that, finishing with one side then gazing towards another, and as she walked along, her eyes barely had time to take it all in.

But the food here was very coarse.

She bought a large white flour bun; the bun was big and stuffed with plenty of meat, but the taste and texture were slightly off, nowhere near as good as the ones she made herself.

That made sense, as she loved to eat, loved to cook, and her culinary skills were top-notch. Given enough ingredients, she could even prepare a grand and noble ’Manchu-Han Imperial Feast’ with over three hundred dishes.

Nibbling on the not-so-tasty white flour pork bun, she felt a bit disappointed with the local cuisine. However, the jewelry like hairpins and bracelets caught her eye more, with designs ranging from elegant to cute, wooden hairpins as well as faux jade ones, some cheap and of course, some expensive.

But what was strange was that most of these accessories were worn by men, and though women also wore them, there were very few women adorned with hairpins, headdresses, or jade.

Compared to women, men were more concerned with looking good.

For example, many of the ready-made clothing stores, jewelry stores, and perfume shops in town were almost exclusively catering to men, while the women preferred to indulge in wild feasting at the restaurants. They would also frequent bookstores to buy the ’Four Treasures of Study’, leather goods, saddles, and bows, presenting a rough and martial bearing.

Walking and stopping along the way, Dong Huiying felt that she gained a better understanding of the era.

And at that moment, her attention was drawn to a man...

"Brother Chen, it’s been quite a few days since we last met." In a shaded area stood a White Cloth Banner with four characters on it, "Letters Home Written Here."

The man called ’Brother Chen’ wore coarse hemp clothes with a broad-brimmed hat. He sat on a wooden stool, but his legs were long, his frame not as frail as ordinary men, holding his own against the stature of the Liang family brothers.

The man facing ’Brother Chen’ was a bit slimmer and also wore a hat that concealed his face.

He put away a letter and took out two copper coins, but ’Brother Chen’ declined, stating there was no need for such formality among acquaintances.

Afterward, they chatted for a bit more before the slim man walked away with the letter in his pocket.