Chapter 33: The Three Women Meet

South City.

Shen Qingci found the household Shen Liu had mentioned and saw Lin Yan's ox cart outside. Her anxious heart finally settled.

She stepped forward and knocked on the door. A moment later, it opened.

A woman stood in the doorway. Shen Qingci had never seen a face quite like hers. She wasn't strikingly beautiful, yet there was an indescribable comfort about her. Moreover, the woman standing before her gave off a very peculiar feeling, much like looking at a Bodhisattva statue in a temple.

Shen Qingci suddenly felt a bit self-conscious. She had intentionally changed into a clean dress before leaving home. Although plain, it accentuated her figure. Yet, standing in front of this woman, she felt drab and dusty from head to toe. She subconsciously pulled the child in her arms closer, as if drawing courage from the embrace.

"Are you here to see the doctor, miss?" The woman's voice was lovely, carrying just the right tone to put one at ease.

Shen Qingci opened her mouth, stammering nervously. "I... I'm looking for Mr. Lin."

Zhou Wanqing paused, then smiled. "Are you Shen?"

Now it was Shen Qingci's turn to be stunned. She didn't remember ever meeting this woman, but she nodded anyway.

A brilliant smile suddenly blossomed on Zhou Wanqing's face, lighting up her entire visage. It made Shen Qingci feel that her earlier sense of inferiority no longer mattered.

"Please, come in." Zhou Wanqing stepped aside. Her movements were natural and warm, as if welcoming a long-lost friend.

Shen Qingci stepped over the threshold. Just then, Zhou Wanqing's forward steps paused slightly.

"Is something wrong?" Shen Qingci sharply noticed the hesitation and asked immediately.

Zhou Wanqing shook her head slightly and replied softly, "It's nothing. Mr. Lin went out to run some errands, but he should be back soon. Miss Shen, why don't you have a seat and rest?"

Shen Qingci didn't press the matter. She wasn't the type to pry, and more importantly, she lacked the energy to do so right now. Having finally found the right place, she was more than willing to wait.

After the two sat down in the main hall and Zhou Wanqing brewed some tea, footsteps suddenly echoed from the corridor. A woman dressed in black walked out from the backyard.

Shen Qingci froze the moment she saw her. If looking at Zhou Wanqing felt like a refreshing spring breeze, then Mei Ruoying right now gave off the distinct aura of a Yaksha Protector.

Mei glanced at Zhou Wanqing, then at Shen Qingci, before withdrawing her gaze.

Zhou Wanqing instantly understood what she was trying to convey. She turned and smiled at Shen Qingci. "Miss Shen, please sit here for a moment. I'll be right back." She then pulled Mei Ruoying toward the rear residence.

Not knowing what to say, Shen Qingci simply nodded.

Once the two women left, she turned her head toward the memorial tablet placed on the table. When the words "Late Husband" caught her eye, Shen Qingci froze on the spot.

Meanwhile.

"Should we tell her what happened?" Zhou Wanqing asked hesitantly.

Mei Ruoying shook her head gently. "We'll wait until Mr. Lin returns to discuss anything." Sensing that her words might have seemed too abrupt, she added, "Miss Shen is an ordinary person, and it's too dangerous for her to get involved in these matters. It's better to leave her in the dark so she can simply welcome her father home when the time comes."

Zhou Wanqing nodded. For a split second at the door earlier, she had almost spilled the secret.

"Good thing I didn't say anything," she said, patting her chest in relief.

"It's not good to leave her sitting there alone, but I'm in no state to host guests. I'll have to trouble you, Zhou."

"It's no trouble at all. I was actually hoping to ask her some things about Mr. Lin anyway." Zhou Wanqing smiled faintly and turned to leave the rear residence.

Mei Ruoying stared blankly at the pile of dry firewood, one hand unconsciously gripping her collar. In a daze, she felt as if she were back in Viper Hollow.

When Zhou Wanqing emerged from the rear residence, Shen Qingci was still sitting in the main hall. She wasn't looking around or doing anything else. She merely held her child and sat there quietly, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the house.

Just then, the child woke up, blinking wide, dark eyes and looking around.

Zhou Wanqing caught sight of this from outside the door. She walked over and asked, "How old is the child?"

"Almost a year old." Shen Qingci looked down at the baby in her arms, a hint of a smile touching the corners of her lips.

A pang of sorrow struck Zhou Wanqing's heart. It reminded her of the days when she had a similar life. Back then, her husband was still alive, and they had wanted a child too. But later... She stopped herself from thinking further. Some things only brought more pain the more you dwelled on them.

"Doctor Zhou!" Shen Qingci suddenly spoke up.

"Hmm? What is it?" Zhou Wanqing poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Shen Qingci, trying to keep her tone as casual as possible.

"How did you... meet Mr. Lin?"

"It was fate, really." Zhou Wanqing recounted how Lin Yan had delivered the money and what had transpired at Viper Hollow. "Mr. Lin might seem as cold as ice on the outside, but he has a righteous and chivalrous heart. He makes people feel incredibly safe."

"Yes..." Shen Qingci instantly let out a sigh of relief. It turned out to merely be an employer-employee relationship; her earlier worries seemed to have been entirely superfluous. However, she seemed to have forgotten that she and Lin Yan shared the exact same kind of relationship.

...

Hundred Flavors Building.

Located in the east of Qingzhou City, the three-story building featured vermilion-painted pillars and upturned eaves. A row of red lanterns hung beneath the eaves, casting a glossy sheen over the bluestone-paved street out front.

It was prime dining hour, and the ground-floor dining hall was packed to the brim. The clamor of patrons playing drinking games and boasting, the clatter of bowls, chopsticks, and plates, and the drawn-out shouts of the waiters all blended together into a raucous din.

Lin Yan sat at a window-side table on the second floor. Before him was an Eight Immortals table, completely covered with a lavish spread of dishes. An unsealed jug of yellow wine rested at the corner.

The food was excellent. Yet, Lin Yan barely touched his chopsticks, choosing instead to gaze out the window.

An old man sat across from him, eating with great relish. He gripped half a pork hock in his left hand and held a wine bowl in his right. He would take a bite of meat, then a gulp of wine. Grease dribbled down his chin, but instead of wiping it properly, he just smeared it away with his sleeve, let out a couple of chuckles, and took another bite.

"Little brother, why aren't you eating?" The old man tore off a large chunk of fat from the hock and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling indistinctly. "This chef's skills are quite good, and he controls the heat perfectly. I've been wandering around Qingzhou City for days, and the food here at the Hundred Flavors Building suits my taste best."

Lin Yan slowly turned his head to look at the mess of empty plates on the table. "This meal of yours just cost me ten taels of silver!!"

In Daqian, ten taels of silver was enough to cover an ordinary family's living expenses for an entire year. It was enough to buy rice, salt, and fabric, with enough left over to purchase a couple of pounds of meat for the holidays.

In a single meal, this old man had eaten a whole family's yearly livelihood.

Hearing this, the old man was initially taken aback before breaking into a chuckle.

"Come now, little brother, what kind of talk is that?" He tossed the gnawed-clean bone onto the table and casually wiped the grease onto his clothes. "Children of the Jianghu should eat meat in big bites and drink wine in large gulps! If you do everything by the book and pinch every penny, where's the fun in that?!"