Chapter 339: Bound to the Child-Bearing System, Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 340: Ordinary Person Striving to Live (8)

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Shen Yao had no household registration or travel permit, but because of Liu Jingyan's presence, entering the city was not difficult; it was merely a matter of spending more money to resolve.

After passing safely through the devices outside Luojing City that detect demons, evil spirits, and strange phenomena, Shen Yao stepped forward and walked into the tall city gate before her.

"Luojing City is divided into four districts: east, south, west, and north. Except for East City, which has no marketplace, the other three districts all do."

"Each district has eighteen marketplaces under its jurisdiction. The one we are going to now is Xingde Fang in North City."

Liu Jingyan explained softly to Shen Yao as they walked, and they once again boarded the carriage, entering the North District along this long street before them.

"Look here. Inside is the visiting market, usually open during the day and closed at night. When you have nothing to do on ordinary days, you can bring servants out for a walk."

Liu Jingyan had previously discussed with Shen Yao that half of the servants who returned with them would be kept first, and adding those already in the small courtyard, there would be enough to take care of her.

Of course, if Shen Yao encountered anything, she could send him a letter at any time, and he would handle the mansion affairs as soon as possible and bring Shen Yao into Liu Fu.

Xingde Fang is located in the central area of North City, adjacent to Xingsheng Fang and Xingye Ward.

Liu Jingyan had once bought a two-courtyard small courtyard here, and now it was suitable for Shen Yao to live in.

The carriage stopped at the mouth of the small alley, and Shen Yao, holding Liu Jingyan's hand, slowly got off the carriage.

"Most of the people living here serve in the Exorcism Office and the Demon Suppression Bureau."

The implication was that although the Exorcism Office and the Demon Suppression Bureau had to deal with demons, evil spirits, and strange phenomena all day, and it was unlucky, unlucky as it was, it was a small matter compared to safety.

If a non-human creature appeared in Xingde Fang, the surrounding neighbors could go on duty directly, greatly saving the time of reporting to the authorities and also ensuring the lives of commoners.

Not only here where Shen Yao was, but in East City where the Liu Family lived, the surrounding neighbors were also people from the Exorcism Office and the Demon Suppression Bureau. It was just that those people's superiors here, although they worked in the same yamen, were not on the same level in terms of their own strength and ability.

Shen Yao:...

What could Shen Yao say? She could only sigh that the people here were truly afraid of death; no matter where they lived, they wanted neighbors with strong combat power, mainly for the peace of mind even if they were not used.

After entering the city, Liu Jingyan had to return to Liu Fu and could not stay long at Shen Yao's place.

Calling all the servants over and gathering them together, Liu Jingyan gave them a lecture in front of Shen Yao, and by the way stood guard for Shen Yao, to prevent some people from outwardly complying while inwardly disobeying.

A great family's underworld had everything. Although Liu Jingyan was the legitimate son of the family, he had an elder brother who was favored above and a younger brother born of a concubine who was favored below. It could not be said that he lived poorly in the Liu Family, just that he was not as good as those above but better than those below.

"Yao Yao, wait for me to come back."

Liu Jingyan held Shen Yao and talked about their deep feelings for a while, finally pinching the time to leave.

After this person left, Shen Yao no longer held herself up, but went into the room to rest.

Fortunately, even if no one lived in the small courtyard, it would still be cleaned and managed daily.

"Miss Shen"

"Come in"

Shen Yao lay on her side on the soft couch, only to see the tightly closed room door pushed open and then closed, and a maidservant wearing uniform clothing came forward in small steps.

"Miss Shen, this servant is Qing Shui, usually responsible for the arrangement inside the room and the placement of items." Qing Shui bowed her body. Although she was not outstanding in appearance, she carried a steady temperament and seemed reliable.

"Mm, continue to be responsible. I have no requirements; as long as you do not disturb me, it's fine."

Shen Yao was staying here temporarily. In less than two months, she would move into Liu Fu. After all, her belly carrying twins could not be hidden.

The people in this small courtyard had no conflict of interest with her. As long as they did not deliberately cause her trouble, Shen Yao made up her mind to turn a blind eye.

Qing Shui did not expect the new mistress to be so easy to talk to. Soft and weak, yet her aura was not low.

Burying her head down, Qing Shui continued to speak about the surrounding neighbors.

Similar to what Liu Jingyan introduced: the family living on the left was surnamed Zhang, a Third Rank Martial Artist, serving as a Captain in the Demon Suppression Bureau; the family living on the right was surnamed Li, a Third Rank Cultivator, serving as the head jailer in the Exorcism Office.

These two households were considered the big shots in this area of Xingde Fang, and people visited them daily.

Previously, there was no master in the small courtyard, so Qing Shui and the other servants naturally did not need to care about these trivial matters. Now that Shen Yao had moved in, should the matter of paying respects be put on the agenda?

Hearing this, Shen Yao touched her chin. "Tell the steward later. Send a gift befitting her status."

"If they ask about my identity, just push it to East City."

Shen Yao did not directly sell out the Liu Family because it was unnecessary. She thought the people living here should have learned in advance what kind of people their neighbors were.

Although the plot of brainlessly provoking others and getting slapped in the face was satisfying, this was reality.

Luojing, at the feet of the Son of Heaven. Who would foolishly go offend people? A random brick could smash several influential figures. Naturally, one should seek harmony to make money.

After Shen Yao's words landed, she asked Qing Shui to temporarily serve by her side.

"I usually do not like going out, but I love hearing interesting things from outside."

"Have someone inquire about some things, and by the way, tell me about the situation in Luojing."

"If you do well during this period, when I leave, I will take you with me."

Although Shen Yao currently had no name or share, the person who brought her here was indeed from the legitimate line of the Liu Clan.

Qing Shui had stayed in the small courtyard for several years and once felt it was very tormenting. Now hope was right before her eyes. No matter what, she had to seize the opportunity.

Nodding to accept Shen Yao's instructions, Qing Shui obsequiously fetched a warm thin blanket.

"Miss Shen, in a few days it will be the Flower God Festival. On that day, items related to flowers will be sold at the North Market. I wonder if Miss Shen is interested in going to take a look?"

Shen Yao's expression froze slightly. "Flower God Festival?"

Qing Shui nodded. "It is the festival when the Flower Goddess once bestowed blessings."

Speaking of this, seeing that Shen Yao still looked confused on her face, Qing Shui simply explained the origin of the Flower God Festival.

Simply put, it was that long ago, the Human Race wars continued without end, commoners were displaced, and casualties were tragic.

One day, the tablet of the Flower Goddess worshipped by the commoners shone with divine light, greatly improving the bodies of many commoners who had suffered hardships, and even bestowed cultivation methods, allowing commoners who were bare-handed to preserve themselves.

Because the Flower Goddess acted greatly, her reputation was very high in the hearts of commoners.

After the founding of Wei State, the Emperor designated the day the Flower Goddess manifested her power as the Flower Goddess Festival; not only did common folk worship and celebrate it, but imperial clan relatives also took part.

"Miss Shen, this servant once heard a rumor that the Flower Goddess was the mother of the Founding Emperor, and that Wei State owes its founding entirely to the Flower Goddess's divine power..." Qing Shui grew more excited as she spoke, her expression turning strange and fervent.

Shen Yao spoke up at the right moment to interrupt Qing Shui and change the subject, lest saying too much invite unnecessary trouble.

Tsk tsk tsk

Indeed troublesome; how does it feel that entering the city is not as good as staying outside? These legends sound rather improper one after another—could it be hanging a sheep's head to sell dog meat, with some unknown secret hidden behind the Flower Goddess Festival?

Shen Yao secretly speculated on various possibilities in her heart, while her face remained that fragile appearance.

Smiling, she agreed to go out for the Flower Goddess Festival; Shen Yao reached out and sent Qing Shui away.

She gazed thoughtfully out the window; the weather was fine today, the small garden was lush and verdant, full of vitality.

Closing her eyes to rest her spirit on the surface, she was actually browsing through that pile of treasures in her space.

Indeed, hard work pays off; Shen Yao finally found several decent cultivation manuals.

Proper cultivation was no longer possible—the systems didn't merge—but she could still take a look at qi observation and pulse reading.

Especially since Shen Yao's body was quite special; she could sense strange auras, making her well suited to learn this Daoist art of qi observation and pulse reading.

Not to mention anything else, when encountering trouble she need not rush to cling to those of great fortune; as long as she stayed away from people with extremely bad luck, she could maximize her chances of saving her own life.

Shen Yao had no intention of holding up a flag and running outside to tell fortunes; she was just giving herself something to do, to pass the time and incidentally increase her probability of survival.

…………

"Madam, the household next door sent a gift," the steward entered the back courtyard carrying a wooden box and handed the items to the maid beside Madam.

"Someone moved in next door?" That was the Liu Family's house; the Liu Family lived in Changle Fang in East City, far superior in rank to Xingde Fang.

"Replying to Madam, it is a young woman; it is said that Liu Fifth Young Master personally delivered her here that day," the steward said with his head bowed, relating what he knew.

"Hmm, return a generous gift—after all, courtesy never offends. The Zhang Family doesn't lack for this; there's no need to form enmity."

The steward agreed and turned around, increasing the gift by thirty percent before sending it back.

In contrast was the Li Family, where the concubine made decisions; not only did they not return the gift, they even disdained Shen Yao's gift as perfunctory and did not personally pay a visit.

Shen Yao had not yet said anything when the attending servants could not help but erupt.

Thus, the two families formed a grudge; after resting for several days, Shen Yao went out for the Flower Goddess Festival to the lively North Market for amusement, and the two sides ran into each other.

Feeling the other side's cold snort and white-eyed look, Shen Yao smiled meaningfully; she decided to take back her previous words—brainless people exist everywhere, and being in Luojing did not exempt them.

"Miss Shen"

Qing Shui supported Shen Yao's arm, looking with ill expression at the departing members of the Li Family.

She hadn't felt the Li Family was so detestable before; just because they had a Third Rank cultivator, hum! What pretension! The Liu Family also had a Seventh Rank cultivator.

Qing Shui felt indignant in her heart; these past days they had gotten along extremely well, Shen Yao was not the sort of harsh mistress, so Qing Shui naturally counted herself on Shen Yao's side.

"I'm fine; wasn't it said the Flower Goddess Festival is very lively? Let's hurry and go."

Shen Yao boarded the carriage, letting the little servant drive, while in her heart she wondered what Liu Jingyan was doing at this moment.

Liu Fu in East City

Liu Jingyan was trying to persuade his family elders to agree to his marriage.

Going out for a trip and coming back to marry—it wasn't even their chosen match; if the Liu Family elders agreed, there would be something strange about it.

Liu Jingyan's progress was not smooth, and he also had to deal with the targeting from his half-brothers; he was utterly exhausted in body and mind.

"Alright, Jingyan, you need not beg me; in the end, this matter still requires your father and grandfather to nod in agreement."

"Your father has not returned from handling affairs for the Emperor, and your grandfather is in closed-door cultivation," Lady Liu said with a helpless expression, letting him think it over himself and absolutely not act on impulse; although he was the legitimate son, the Liu Family's resources were not particularly tilted toward him.

Liu Jingyan's expression was firm: "Mother, no need to persuade further; my heart is set." Marrying Shen Yao would not change, even if he had to pay a great price for it.

Lady Liu: ……

Lady Liu could not understand; she was not someone who valued romantic matters greatly, and her eldest son had no such inclination either, so why was her youngest son so special?

Could it be that extremes meet their opposite? Lady Liu thought of Liu Father, who valued the concubine-born son, and a mocking smile curved her mouth corner.

Seeing this, Liu Jingyan hurriedly grasped Lady Liu's wrist, explaining that he was not like Liu Father and did not have so many feelings: "In my life, she is the only one."

"How can you guarantee it? Life is very long." Back then, Liu Father had said the same thing; after just three years, with a new person entering the household, husband and wife became strangers.

Lady Liu did not object to Liu Jingyan marrying; she just worried he would be deceived.

Having suffered bitterness herself, Lady Liu did not want her two children to repeat the same mistakes; the word "love" was too tormenting, so better to give up.

"Mother, I will prove it to you," also to prove it to Yao Yao.

Liu Jingyan said no more, but stood up and left the Main Courtyard to return to his residence.

On the road, as expected, he ran into several detestable half-brothers.

They had no other skills, but were first-rate at yin-yang sarcasm, vying for favor, and gossiping; whoever heard them would say it was a family tradition, all learned from those concubine mothers.

Liu Jingyan coldly bypassed them and left, not forgetting to teach them a lesson along the way.

Anyway, their brothers did not get along; besides their habitually dreamy and naive Qin Zi being blind to it every day, everyone else saw it clearly.

Shen Yao did not know what happened at the Liu Fu; she arrived at the North Market by carriage and was directly stunned by the liveliness here.

Wow

She hadn't expected it to be like this.

Compared with the low buildings in Songyang City, the buildings in Luojing were taller and more delicate.

Various vendors hawked their wares around, and the entire street was covered by the flow of passersby.

Qing Shui steadily supported Shen Yao, with little servants clearing the way beside her.

As the group moved forward, Shen Yao was even asked by a vendor if she wanted to buy flowers.

Flowers?

It was a beautiful flower wreath, along with lifelike beautiful fake flowers.

Shen Yao touched the material, gestured for Qing Shui to pay, and put the flower wreath on her head.

There was naturally food for sale here, though most of it was related to flowers.

Shen Yao did not like sweet food; she bought a few to taste fresh, and gave the rest to Qing Shui and the other servants to share.

Seeing the sun slowly rise overhead, Shen Yao chose a shop with few people and went in to rest.

Unexpectedly, enemies met on a narrow road, and she bumped into that concubine of the Li family again.

Shen Yao had not wanted to pay attention to the other party, but the other party provoked her again and again.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao looked at the flower wreath on the other party's head and smiled faintly with an unfathomable meaning.

"Hmph! Just a plaything," the Li family concubine dared to say anything; all her fine silk and brocade could not hide her vulgarity.

Shen Yao was not angry. A dead person—if she got angry, wouldn't that show she was narrow-minded?

Qing Shui did not understand why her master was so calm, as if she took no notice of any provocation.

Until that Li family concubine left with her head held high, Shen Yao stretched her hand out behind people's backs, flicked her finger, and a glimmer of light entered the other party's body and disappeared.

"Tell the shopkeeper to serve the dishes. Today we went out, we should be happier."

Don't get upset over someone not worth it; it's no good for the body.

Shen Yao drank a sip of floral tea with an indifferent expression, told Qing Shui to arrange those little servants, and she propped her chin up to look at the crowd outside the window.

The distant street was lively yet filled with an eerie aura, but the crowds playing about seemed unaware, not knowing how many would be filled in this time.

Shen Yao, who had lost confidence in all sorts of legends, shook her head. Life is not easy; look after yourself.