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At night, although Xing Ruyi did not go to Li An's house with Si Niang, the matter still weighed heavily on her mind. As dawn broke, she heard Deer Lady and Li Mao returning, so she hurriedly called them over to inquire about the events of the night.
Li An had nothing particularly special going on; he was simply tormented by his own guilty conscience. The so-called haunting by spirits was merely a manifestation of his unresolved inner turmoil. He had been suffocating under a heavy burden, and by the time he went out last night, he had nearly exhausted himself.
"Looks like my advice to Si Niang was wasted!"
"The shopkeeper shouldn't think that way. That lady is quite perceptive; even if she died unjustly, she wouldn’t come back to haunt him. That shows her broad-mindedness. Li An feels guilty and restless, which means he has a conscience. Debts like these must be repaid eventually. The method you provided him allowed him to take advantage of the situation; otherwise, when he reaches the underworld, the punishment would be severe."
"Whether it's difficult or not is a matter for later. If the prescription doesn't match the symptoms and Si Niang asks about it, where will I put my face?"
"This matter concerning the Li family will surely require your assistance in the future." Li Mao leaned in slightly. "They say serious illnesses are easier to treat than heart ailments. Although some unconventional methods were used last night to help Li An sleep temporarily, if he wakes up still feeling unwell, you will have to step in personally."
"Oh?" Xing Ruyi propped her chin on her hand and turned her head to look at Li Mao. "So you know some unconventional methods? Tell me what you did for Li An last night."
Li Mao scratched his head. "Actually, it wasn't much. During my training years, I often stayed at a Taoist temple and learned some simple techniques over time—just superficial stuff, nothing worth mentioning."
"Look at you! You know those techniques? If they sound reliable, once I return from Qingqiu, we should open another shop together. Oh no! Let's open two shops! By then, all the money in Luoyang will flow into our hands."
"The shopkeeper really loves money!" Li Mao said, tilting his ear slightly. "If we open two more shops, will they also sell rouge and face powder?"
"Fool! Of course not!" Xing Ruyi lightly tapped Li Mao on the head. "Actually, I've been thinking for a long time that both you and Deer Lady are extraordinary individuals. It feels a bit unfair for you to just be doing odd jobs in my rouge shop; you're both being underutilized.
As for Deer Lady, I’ve already made plans. When I return from Qingqiu, I’ll find a good location in this city to establish a restaurant, and naturally, Deer Lady will be the head chef. This way, I’ll have a place to eat, and it will also provide Deer Lady with a stage to showcase her talents while allowing us to make money."
"If the shopkeeper wants to make money, I won’t oppose it; however, I don’t want to be the one running the shop." At that moment, Deer Lady came over with a full tray of food. "You stayed up all night again last night? These are all nourishing dishes; eat them all without leaving any for me. Also, I'm staying here in this rouge shop; don’t think you can drive me away—you won’t succeed."
"That's true! If you don't want to run the shop but just want to sweep the floor or serve tea here in the rouge shop, that's fine."
"Useless!"
"We're all demons; what do we need to achieve besides cultivation?" Li Mao chuckled and scratched his head. "Don't overthink it, shopkeeper. We've already seen through your little thoughts. You're just worried that we won't have a place to go in the future, right? Old Master Yin has arranged everything. When you get tired of the splendor of this world and decide to return to Qingqiu, he'll take us along. By then, the Deer Lady will still be cooking, and someone will be sweeping and cleaning."
"It's hard to guess the thoughts of mortals, and I find it equally difficult to understand the thoughts of you demons. Isn't being a shopkeeper good enough? Why must each of you stay here in my Rouge shop as cooks or cleaners?"
"The shopkeeper's provocation isn't very effective." Li Mao rubbed his nose. "Didn't you just ask what kind of tricks were used last night? Actually, it was just a common Taoist feng shui calming method. While they weren't paying attention, I adjusted the layout of their home and cast a spell that should let Li An sleep for three to five days to regain his strength."
At this point, Li Mao suddenly slapped his forehead, raising his voice unconsciously. "Speaking of Li An, I just remembered something else that, while unrelated to him, is somewhat connected to our family's carriage."
"Huh?"
Li Mao's abrupt change of topic caught Xing Ruyi off guard. She absentmindedly took a bite of porridge and asked, "What happened to our carriage?"
"It's like this..."
Li Mao carefully recounted everything that had happened last night from start to finish. Upon learning that a ghost had followed their carriage to Li An's family doorstep during the night, Xing Ruyi set down her soup spoon.
"Weren't you just saying that the lady who was supposed to die with Li An didn't linger around?"
"It wasn't that lady; it was a mother and daughter pair with heavy yin energy. It seems they weren't targeting Li An."
"Could it be that they are after us?"
"The shopkeeper is overthinking it. In Luoyang City, whether it's ghosts or demons, not many would dare come looking for trouble at our Rouge shop. Those two must be quite bold if that's the case."
"Perhaps they're not here to cause trouble but rather have something they need from us," Xing Ruyi pondered.
"At first, I thought of this too. So when the carriage stopped, I immediately went to look for them. As a result, the mother and daughter were nowhere to be found. It was precisely because of this that I became worried."
"They're not here for Li An, nor are they here to do business with us? Could it be that the mother and daughter are here for Si Niang?" Xing Ruyi said, lowering her head to calculate. This little skill of hers was taught by the fox, and she didn't have much patience while learning. In Li Mao's words, she only learned the surface; she couldn't accurately predict past and present lives, but she could barely figure out how this person's fortune was today.
From Si Niang's fate and astrological signs, there were no signs of vengeful spirits seeking revenge, but her fate was quite heavy and difficult to decipher. Moreover, there was actually a rotten peach blossom in her destiny.
This wasn't too bad, but calculating made her even more anxious; she lost her appetite for the medicinal meal. Xing Ruyi had few friends in Luoyang City; Chang Tai was one, and the rest were Si Niang and Shengzi.
"I'm going to the Tavern. Please help me put away this medicinal meal and tell Deer Lady that I'll eat when I come back after finishing my business. I promise I won't waste a single bit," Xing Ruyi said as she stood up, quickly changed into another outer garment, and hurriedly left without bothering to fix her makeup.
"The shopkeeper has gone out again?" Deer Lady came in carrying a jug of Plum Wine, noticing the half-eaten porridge left on the table and a recently removed Azure Blue outer garment carelessly thrown over a chair.
"Yes, she went out! Last night, a ghost followed our carriage to Li An's Family. They aren't here for our shop or for that boy Li An. The shopkeeper is worried about Si Niang, so she went to check," Li Mao said as he tidied up the items on the table. He pushed the tray of food back towards Deer Lady: "The shopkeeper has left these dishes; let her eat when she returns. Please don't be angry with Aunt Sheng."
"Of course not! She's the shopkeeper; I'm just the cook. How could I dare to be angry with her!" Deer Lady exclaimed, slamming the Plum Wine down on the table. "This Fox Demon just won't listen; it seems she's about to become a new Wife, yet still meddles in these trivial matters. Which family's sister is so willful? Knowing that a grand wedding is approaching, she still doesn't take care of herself. Besides, our son-in-law isn't an ordinary man! How can this Fox Demon, in such a state, withstand it in the future?"
"Aunt Sheng isn't she just sharp-tongued but soft-hearted? Just now she wasn't angry with the shopkeeper; now she's nagging again," Li Mao reassured her. "Don't worry; the shopkeeper has Lord Yin and Young Master Yin Yuan with her."
"It's precisely because of Lord Yin that I'm even more worried," Deer Lady said, patting her chest. "If this Fox Demon were just an ordinary man, that would be fine. But who is our son-in-law? He is the future Emperor of Qingqiu, one of the few Nine-Tailed Fox Immortals in this world. And what about this Fox Demon? Although she knows some magic, she's still just an ordinary person. When it comes time for the wedding chamber with flowers and candles, can she handle it? Can she really handle it?"
"So that's why you keep urging the shopkeeper to eat medicinal meals," Li Mao blushed.
"Do you think everyone is as foolish as you? Besides sweeping and cleaning windows, they understand nothing else. I'm an experienced person; I know that between men and women there’s bound to be passion. Moreover, this fire of the shopkeeper has been burning for so long; once our lord's kindling ignites, won't it burn for several nights?"
"Several nights?" Li Mao scratched his head, trying to think about it when someone tapped him on the back of his head.
Turning around, he saw his young master, Yin Yuan.
Yin Yuan seems to have grown a bit taller compared to a few days ago. At this moment, he is smiling with his beautiful eyes, staring at Li Mao. He raises his chubby hand and points to Li Mao's forehead, saying, "Don't think about anything unnecessary. My Father Fox gets really jealous. If you accidentally think of something you shouldn't, it might be hard for you to keep your mind intact."
Li Mao quickly shivers and waves his hands, saying, "I wasn't thinking about anything!"
"Good! Actually, I'm quite worried too. You know, the more polite and refined someone appears on the surface, the more likely they are to be a beast behind the scenes."
"Really? Our Yin Yuan doesn't seem like that kind of person!"
"What about my Fox Demon mother? Doesn't she seem reliable on the surface?" Yin Yuan gestures for Deer Lady and Li Mao to come closer and then says, "Do you want to know what my Fox Demon mother is like when she's with Father Fox in private? Especially when she wants to ignite a fire with dry wood?"
"I'd love to hear about it!"
A cool voice interrupts, and Yin Yuan quickly stands up straight and smiles at the newcomer.
"Yin Yuan is very curious, but unfortunately, only Father Fox knows what my Fox Demon mother is like." Yin Yuan subtly pulls at Deer Lady: "Yin Yuan is thirsty; Aunt Sheng, please help Yin Yuan make some refreshing soup!"
Deer Lady realizes what's happening, bends down, and picks up Yin Yuan, giving Li Mao a knowing glance. "Sir, you've been busy all night; you must be tired. Please rest for now; the food will be brought to you shortly!"
"No need!" The fox lifts his eyelids slightly. "You don't have to worry about my Fox Demon. The reason I brought her back to Qingqiu is because I considered her physical condition. I am her husband, and I care about her health more than anyone else in this world. So, none of your concerns will happen!"
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