Wealth and glory seek stability

"Since you are here, follow me carefully. Don't be so willful in the future."

Jian Xi looked at the two little girls, who were both around ten years old. They had finally gained some flesh on their faces because they had been eating better recently.

She often didn't have enough to eat when she was a child, so when she grew up again, she started eating and buying things as a revenge, wanting to make up for her younger self.

But the trauma of childhood cannot be healed so easily. Even if she were to start over again and have the opportunity to take good care of herself, she would no longer have the same feeling as before.

People are always trapped throughout their lives by the things they could not get in their childhood. She was not born rich, nor did she have both parents. When facing children, she always retained the last bit of innocence in her heart.

Walking to a small stall on the side, Jian Xi personally bought two strings of candied haws and stuffed them into Lingbao and Baizhi's hands.

Lingbao secretly raised her head and glanced at her senior brother. Seeing that there was no look on his face that wanted to settle the score with her, she opened her mouth and took a big bite of the candied hawthorn.

She held the remaining candied haws in front of Mo Chuan, and there seemed to be some struggle and reluctance on her little face. "Here you go."

Mo Chuan didn't care about that. He took it and took a big bite. His eyes were full of disdain. "Hmph!"

Lingbao seemed anxious, "You have already eaten the candied haws, so you can't be angry."

Jian Xi was already used to their quarrels. She held Bai Zhi's hand and continued walking to the stall they had previously liked.

The herbs on the old woman's stall are all found everywhere in the mountains. Bai Zhi would point out the familiar herbs she saw, "That's plantain. Master said that plantain can clear away heat and detoxify. It can also be eaten if the livestock suffer from heatstroke in the summer."

The woman who was also looking at herbs at the stall, when she heard that these were herbs for livestock, quickly dropped the herbs she was looking at and clapped her hands for fear that they would be contaminated by something bad.

Jian Xi was a little embarrassed, but she didn't know what to say as she saw Bai Zhi squatting in front of the stall identifying herbs with a curious look on her face.

Fortunately, the old woman has a good temper. If she were a more aggressive one, she would have cursed loudly if her business was disturbed.

Jian Xi pointed to a bundle of herbs tied with wheat ears and asked, "Old lady, how much is this?"

The old woman rubbed her hands on her skirt and held up the herb that Jian Xi wanted with both hands. "This is the honeysuckle vine. There are very few honeysuckle at this time of year. This is the last crop. If the girl likes it, it only costs five coins."

Jian Xi took the vine from the old woman's hand, counted out five coins from the purse, and put two gold leaves between the coins. There were many people in the market, and the old woman looked trembling. If she gave it directly, she was afraid that someone would take notice.

The gold leaves are specially made by craftsmen and are exquisite. If they are pawned for money, they are enough for a poor family of three to live on for half a year.

The old woman was old, and she saw that there seemed to be some color in the middle of the five large coins in her hand. However, Jian Xi, who was standing opposite her, looked either rich or noble just by looking at her clothes, and it was obvious at first glance that she was not someone who would shortchange her of these copper coins.

She weighed the coin in her hand, and suddenly two delicate gold leaves appeared. The old woman's pupils suddenly shrank, and when she reacted, she immediately put the copper coin into the innermost pocket of her clothes.

When he turned around and saw Jian Xi, tears welled up in his eyes. "Miss, I really don't know how to thank you. My grandson is sick and needs money to see a doctor. I shouldn't have taken your money, but I was forced to do nothing. Just take whatever you like from this stall."

Jian Xi smiled and said, "No need for that. I want to know if the wheat ears on the honeysuckle vines were grown by you, old lady?"

The old woman was about to speak.

"I want this ear of wheat." An extremely arrogant voice came, accompanied by the neighing of a horse.

Riding horses is not allowed in the market, but the man, wearing a crimson fur robe and a deer-head hat, ignored these rules.

The horse stopped right in front of the stall, and the vendors setting up stalls around him pushed away, not daring to provoke this man.

Seeing this, Jian Xi took a step back and said with dissatisfaction, "Who are you to be so rude?"

The man looked arrogant and said nothing. He swung his whip and tried to roll the honeysuckle vine in Jian Xi's hand.

Mo Chuan's eyes were filled with murderous intent. He grabbed the whip swung by the man with one hand and pulled it hard. The man fell off the horse uncontrollably.

"You really think I'm a vegetarian. Are you giving me face? You're so arrogant."

Mo Chuan is a vengeful person, and Jian Xi has also asked him about this before.

It is said that monks are compassionate, but why does Mo Chuan have a bad temper?

Mo Chuan said nonchalantly: "Master teaches the Way of Freedom, which emphasizes acting according to one's will. If there is a grudge, it should be avenged on the spot. If it cannot be avenged, then study hard and avenge it when you are able to do so in the future."

The main point is not to suffer any loss.

The old woman and Bai Zhi were both protected by Jian Xi. The old woman pulled Jian Xi's sleeve with fear on her face, "Girl, that is Qing Zhu Zui, the young master of Qing Zhu Fang, the largest wine brewing house in Ke City. His aunt married the Lord of Ke City. The Lord has no children, so he dotes on this nephew. Run away now before the soldiers come."

Jian Xi raised her eyebrows, City Lord?

This is the first time I hear such a name.

Wu Zhuo beside him reminded him in time: "For a smaller city like this, the royal court will select a suitable person from the local clan to be the city lord. The city lord of Kecheng is a fourth-rank local official with real power. Although you are a third-rank official, you have not yet arrived at the fiefdom to take charge of military affairs, so you should not act rashly."

Jian Xi was a little surprised. She thought that all the people in the Wu clan were ignorant of worldly affairs. She didn't expect that Ge Wu Zhuo was a knowledgeable and interesting person.

Wu Zhuo just didn't want to cause trouble.

"I know. I will be careful."

Qing Zhuzui covered his chest which was making a dull sound from the impact. Fortunately, the clothes he wore in winter were thick enough, so he did not hurt his internal organs when he fell from the horse.

He looked at Mo Chuan with cold eyes, as if he was looking at a corpse. He took out a bone whistle from his arms, put it under his lips and blew it.

Qing Zhuzui snorted coldly, "Humph! You'll all be dead soon."

The sound of soldiers' footsteps could be heard in a circle.

Jian Xi was afraid of implicating innocent people, so she turned to the stall owner and said, "We are the ones who implicated you today. If anyone causes trouble for you, go to the East City Post Station and report the name of the Minister of Agriculture Jian Xi. The people there will naturally help you."

Jian Xi took off a hairpin from her head. On it was the emblem of the Xuanwu Royal Court. It was given to her by Zhang Cen'er before she left.

"This is a token."

She finished her explanation briefly.

The officers and soldiers had surrounded them.

Jian Xi put the ears of wheat tied with honeysuckle vines into her purse.