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For Xing Ruyi's request, the fox could not bear to refuse, which led to the later issuance of the appointment letter to Wang Rushi. In fact, positions in the Underworld are not fixed; just like in the human world, some people who have been commoners for a long time wish to become officials, while others who have held official positions for too long desire to return to a simple life as commoners. However, the Underworld is much simpler than the human world; one can either hold a position or be reincarnated. As for whether one can hold a position after reincarnation... Sorry, even Yama himself cannot be certain about that.
The reason? There are more applicants than available positions. To secure a job in the Underworld, one not only needs connections and background but also luck. Some people have waited for hundreds of years only to be sent off to reincarnate in disappointment.
Not long after resolving matters concerning the Wang Family, Xing Ruyi once again asked the fox to take A-Ling to Chang'an to help her find her family and investigate what had happened back then.
On the night before A-Ling's departure, she secretly visited the Sheng Family. Perhaps due to an unspoken connection, Shengzi, who was recovering from a serious illness, opened the door and saw a young woman in red standing outside. He blushed slightly and asked, "So late at night, is there someone you are looking for?"
A-Ling shook her head, two faint red tears streaming down her cheeks. The night was dark, and the lanterns dim; A-Ling was dressed in red, and Shengzi, shy and unable to look directly at her face, did not notice anything unusual. It was only when he heard her suppressed sobs that his heart suddenly ached. He lowered his voice as gently as he could and asked, "Has something troubled you? Don't worry; I am Constable. Although I may not be able to help you, if you need anything, I will do my best."
A-Ling shook her head again and forced herself to show a charming smile. "I would like to ask you to convey a message."
"What message?" Shengzi was confused; seeing the smile on her lips made his heart ache even more.
A-Ling's lips moved softly, but just then a breeze arose. Shengzi focused all his attention and only heard five words: "Brother Sheng, goodbye!"
Goodbye means never seeing each other again; at least in this lifetime, it would be difficult to meet again.
Tears blurred A-Ling's vision while dust obscured Shengzi's sight. By the time he opened his eyes again, the doorway was empty; the woman in red had long since vanished without a trace.
His heart felt heavy as if something had been placed upon it but had suddenly disappeared.
At Ruyi Workshop under the Ghostly Sophora Tree, A-Ling sang softly to the moon: "The green plums wither, the bamboo horse grows old; from now on, everyone I love will resemble you."
Since the fox took A-Ling to Chang'an to find her family, Xing Ruyi felt that her sleep was getting worse day by day. Without the beautiful silhouette of the fox on the windowsill and without A-Ling's soft voice calling her Sister Ruyi, life had become quite uncomfortable.
One morning, while still lost in dreams, Xing Ruyi was startled awake by a series of urgent and rough knocking at the door. Thinking something serious had happened, she opened the door only to find a rogue standing outside.
This rogue, Xing Ruyi recognized, was the only son of Granny Zhang from two streets away. Granny Zhang had lived a lonely life, with only this son who was unruly, lazy, and prone to stealing, making him unwelcome in Luoyang.
When Ruyi Workshop first opened, he had caused trouble there and was taken to the authorities by Chang Tai for disturbing public order and locked up for a few days. After his release, he had behaved himself for a while and kept his distance from Ruyi Workshop. Xing Ruyi had secretly asked the fox about him, but the fox only smiled and remained silent, likely having warned him in secret.
Now, just after the fox left, this rogue came knocking at her door. Did he think that Xing Ruyi was alone at home and mistook her for an easy target? Her eyes narrowed slightly as she discreetly formed a spell with her right hand hidden in her sleeve, ready to deal with him if he caused trouble.
To her surprise, the rogue pulled out a shiny silver ingot from his waist and placed it on the counter, shouting gruffly, "Get me all your best rouge from this shop."
Xing Ruyi smiled lightly but said nothing, picking up the ingot with two fingers. It didn’t look like stolen government silver; perhaps it was taken from some wealthy household?
"What are you staring at? That's my hard-earned money. Don't worry; I know you're familiar with people in the government. I still need to walk these streets in the future; I won't cause you any trouble," he said. Although he was a rogue, he was also clever and perceptive. Seeing that Xing Ruyi only smiled and examined the silver without speaking, he guessed what thoughts were running through her mind.
"Since you've gone this far, Fox Demon, what else is there to be concerned about?" Seeing no major issue with the silver, Xing Ruyi tucked it into her sleeve and put on a smiling face as she stood gracefully behind the counter. "Although you’re generous, you can’t just buy all my rouge with one ingot of silver."
The rogue widened his eyes. "You want to sell everything? Don’t be unreasonable; I’m only letting you pick out the best."
"All the rouge sold at Ruyi Workshop is the best. Each variety is unique—there’s only one box of each kind—and they’re sold only to those who are most suited for them. So if all of these unique rouges are indeed the best..."
"Then, pick a suitable one for me. No, not just one box; the silver given by my grandfather can at least buy three or four boxes." Zhang Wulai casually pointed at several boxes.
Xing Ruyi, while taking down the boxes of Rouge that Zhang Wulai had pointed to, asked as a matter of routine, "May I ask who this Rouge is intended for? If you let me know, the Fox Demon can help with the introduction. You see, this Rouge is not like buying vegetables; what works for a seventeen or eighteen-year-old is different from what works for someone in their late twenties. Since you are spending silver here, I want to make sure I recommend something that suits you."
"I love hearing that from you," Zhang Wulai said, scratching his head. "With just those few words from you, rest assured, no one dares to cause trouble for you in this Rouge Shop."
Xing Ruyi smiled silently. Besides the fact that she kept a thousand-year-old fox spirit at home, her connection with the top Constable Chang Tai in Luoyang City meant that no ruffians dared to mess with her. Moreover, she was not someone to be trifled with; even if she casually pinched a flower or leaf, those ruffians would tremble at the mention of her name. However, she was a good person and a lady who preferred to avoid trouble.
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