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Abnormal!
Extremely abnormal!
Shen Tang couldn't help but look around, rubbing her eyes.
After confirming that the scene before her wasn't a dream, she asked Qi Shan, "Yuanliang... we didn't go to the wrong place, did we? Did we accidentally step into some strange illusion, or perhaps crossed through a portal... It, it's not right..."
She couldn't help but turn to look at the city gate from which they had come.
The endless queue was still slowly inching forward.
Most of these commoners were clad in rags and looked dispirited. The commoners inside the city, however, were radiant and dressed neatly.
The visual impact of this bizarre discrepancy made her question reality.
Qi Shan was expressionless: "What's not right?"
Shen Tang pointed in the direction of the city gate.
"Look outside the city, then inside the city. What's right about this?"
Having grown accustomed to desolate and bleak scenes, seeing the bustling prosperity within Xiaocheng made one wonder if these two scenes truly existed under the same sky? But the reality was—they were merely separated by a city wall and a moat.
Qi Shan heard this and lowered his eyes. At some point, a hint of mockery had appeared at the corner of his lips. He adopted an old-fashioned demeanor: "Young Master Shen, you need to travel more and see more. Then you won't be surprised by anything anymore."
Shen Tang was displeased: "Are you saying I'm making a fuss?"
Not giving her any face at all?
"That is what I mean."
Yes, not giving any face at all!
Shen Tang: "..."
Her usual thought was to jump up and perform craniotomy on this guy.
Passing by a tavern, Qi Shan pointed to a spot beside the tavern door and instructed her: "Young Master Shen, wait here for a moment. I'm going to inquire about something. I'll be back in about an hour. Make sure to stay here and don't wander off."
"Inquire about something? Looking for your creditor's whereabouts?" Seeing Qi Shan didn't answer directly, Shen Tang waved her hand indifferently. "If you're going, go early. Come back early. We still need to find a place to stay tonight. I don't want to sleep by the roadside or under a bridge..."
Qi Shan: "..."
His originally complex mood, burning like a raging fire, was instantly deflated by Shen Tang's words, like a leaking ball. He couldn't connect with any emotions. The anger swelled and churned in his chest, eventually mixing into a ball and releasing as a long sigh.
He helplessly repeated: "Hmm, you too, don't wander off."
Shen Tang obediently stayed by the tavern door, watching Qi Shan's retreating figure disappear down the street. Only when he was completely out of sight did her eyes suddenly light up—although nearly a month had passed since her transmigration, she had basically traveled with Qi Shan every day, leaving her no personal time for activities.
Naturally, she hadn't had a good look at this world.
After waiting for a while, she turned and rented a small stool from the tavern owner. The motorcycle also obediently lay down beside her.
"What is this young lady's name?"
About a quarter of an hour later, a feigned dignified male voice came from above. Shen Tang looked up upon hearing it, and immediately saw a slightly plump, rough-featured middle-aged man staring fixedly at her.
She raised her finger and pointed at herself, asking, "Are you calling me?"
At this moment, only emoticons could express her feelings.
Oh my goodness()
It's been almost a month since I transmigrated, and it's the first time someone has gotten my gender right!
In the past, none of the commoners failed to be misled by Qi Shan.
Truly sinful, Qi Yuanliang!
The middle-aged man laughed and leaned closer, saying, "That's right, that's right."
Shen Tang was born handsome and beautiful. At just over ten years old, her potential for beauty was already evident. She just needed to be nurtured for a year or two to become a money-making commodity. Her skin was fair, her temperament clean, but her attire was not wealthy, so she was probably not from a rich family.
She looked around, like a country bumpkin curious about everything. She looked like a naive, inexperienced child.
Easy to trick.
He noticed Qi Shan and Shen Tang when they appeared.
He hadn't harbored any ill intentions at first. After all, Shen Tang was accompanied by Qi Shan—one had to know that one of the people least to be provoked in this world was a refined man dressed as a scholar, wearing a hair-crown and hairpins. God knows if they had a Wenxin Seal? It would be bad to hit a brick wall—but who told Qi Shan to leave, leaving only a lone Shen Tang?
These two had foreign accents.
If he didn't exploit this fat sheep, when would he be able to start his business?
As long as he could abduct and transfer her, Qi Shan's return would be useless.
Shen Tang now sat obediently on the small stool, her eyes innocent, and even showed the man a harmless smile: "What is it?"
The man chuckled: "It's like this. The gentleman you were with just now asked me to bring you to the inn."
Shen Tang asked, "Yuanliang asked you to call me?"
"That's right. I'm a helper at Fanghua Inn. The gentleman you were with, isn't he a tall, slender man in a moon-white scholar's robe, quite thin-faced? He said you'd be waiting outside this tavern." The man said, gesturing twice.
Shen Tang appeared innocent and pure.
The man described something, and she nodded in response.
"Right, right, right, that's Yuanliang... But he said he was going to inquire about something and asked me to wait here..."
The man interrupted Shen Tang: "Ah, that gentleman seems to have met an old acquaintance and couldn't get away for a while."
Shen Tang, seeing he "didn't seem to be lying," was half-convinced.
The man then asked, "Aren't you worried that waiting here will delay the inn's chores, little miss? It's not safe for a young lady like you to be on the street."
Shen Tang quickly shook her head.
"No, no, that's not what I mean."
After saying that, she thought for a moment, then asked the man again.
"If you wait here, won't it delay the inn's chores?"
The man waved his hand generously, laughing heartily.
"It doesn't matter. A delay is a delay. I can't just leave a young lady like you alone on the street. It's not safe."
As he said this, Shen Tang's expression seemed to waver.
This scene also fell upon the passersby.
The tavern owner looked up at the man, snorted disdainfully, but didn't expose him. Other shop owners also knew this middle-aged man—a notorious hooligan in this area, who often visited villages near Xiaocheng to look for good-looking boys and girls, took them home for a year or two, and if they didn't turn out crooked, he would sell them for a high price. Some unsuspecting outsiders were also his targets.
At this moment, he clearly had his eye on this young lady.
The tavern owner spat inwardly.
But he still pretended it was none of his business.
In this era, everyone's business was difficult.
Cutting off someone's livelihood was like killing their parents.
Offending such a hooligan meant he wouldn't be able to do business in Xiaocheng. It was better to avoid trouble; he would just pretend he didn't see anything.
At the same time, he secretly chuckled, mocking Shen Tang for being naive and foolish.
The man had a pair of long, narrow rat-like eyes. When Shen Tang wasn't paying attention, his gaze repeatedly sized up her face and clothes. Coupled with his frivolous demeanor, he was clearly not decent. Only a naive child from a wealthy family would fall for such a trick.
And she even talked and laughed with him.
Little did he know, Shen Tang's patience also had a reason.
Who told him he was the first person to call her by the right gender?
Shen Tang smiled faintly, finally willing to chat a little more with the other party.
And then—
If he gave up his ill intentions, that would be good. If he still caused trouble—
She would send him to an early grave.