The scene before her pained Qi Huan.
She spoke up against the injustice, "Shopkeeper Chen, why must you bully a mere child?"
"Since you've thrown away these food scraps, it means you don't want them. The child was just helping your Ruyi Restaurant maintain cleanliness near the back door by picking them up. How can you repay kindness with resentment and raise your hand against them?"
"What do you know?"
Shopkeeper Chen not only didn't relent, but put more force on his foot.
"Our Ruyi Restaurant caters to the elite. Today, I must teach this filthy beggar a lesson, lest they continue to linger around and spoil the eyes of our esteemed guests."
Seeing his stubbornness, Qi Huan didn't want to argue further. She went straight to the little beggar, squatted down, grabbed their ice-cold, bony wrist, and freed their small hand from under Shopkeeper Chen's foot.
"Good deed +1, score +1."
The system's prompt made Qi Huan decide to go all the way. She lowered her voice and said softly, "Stop scavenging, come with me. I'll buy you meat buns."
The little beggar raised their head, staring at her with large, striking eyes.
Their clear gaze made Qi Huan's heart ache. She held the little beggar's arms with both hands, intending to pull them up.
However, Shopkeeper Chen harbored malice and secretly raised his leg, attempting to kick them down.
At that moment—
"Ah!"
A wail rang out.
It was a large black dog biting Shopkeeper Chen's leg.
With a few glances, Qi Huan ignored the skirmish between the man and the dog.
Holding the little beggar's dirty little hand, Qi Huan brought them to a bun shop not far from Ruyi Restaurant.
"Boss, two meat buns, please."
Estimating the little beggar's appetite, Qi Huan took out four copper coins from her purse and handed them to the boss.
After receiving the buns, she squatted down again, leveling her gaze with the little beggar's, and put the plump buns in their hands, saying:
"Eat up... From now on, don't scavenge near Ruyi Restaurant anymore. If you encounter Shopkeeper Chen again, you might not be able to escape so easily."
The little beggar didn't respond, cradling the bun and taking a large bite, wolfing it down ravenously.
"Good deed +1, score +1."
Hearing the system's prompt, Qi Huan became more enthusiastic in feeding them.
Until receiving the last bun, the little beggar finally mumbled a "thank you" and ran off with the bun in hand.
After the little beggar left, she fell into contemplation.
If this were the modern era, perhaps this little beggar could be sent to an orphanage like her, at least able to eat and dress warmly.
In comparison, she really missed the modern world.
She kicked a small stone on the ground, walking forward dejectedly.
As she walked, she suddenly felt a tug on her pant leg.
Turning her head, it was that same large black dog from before.
Qi Huan's face showed a hint of panic, remembering the dog's sharp teeth and agile movements when it bit Shopkeeper Chen.
Just as she grew anxious, a whistle sounded, and the black dog immediately released its grip, sitting on the ground with its front paws placed gently in front, tongue out, looking almost cute.
Li Shuchen approached slowly from behind her, tapping the black dog's head.
Seeing his familiarity with the black dog, Qi Huan asked curiously, "Is this your dog?"
"When did you get a dog out here?"
"..." Her questioning tone somehow felt amusing.
A hint of a smile flashed in Li Shuchen's long eyes. "Heizi is a dog I picked up on the road during my exile. I later gave it to a friend to take care of. Since you going out alone is unsafe, I wanted to find you a companion, so I brought it back."
"Heizi has been trained by an animal trainer. It can report back in critical situations and protect you."
"Keep it by your side. If you're ever captured again, it can come back and report. Or if you encounter people like Shopkeeper Chen, it can cover your escape."
After speaking, Li Shuchen patted the back of Heizi's head and said sternly, "Go. Find your new master."
Heizi reluctantly stood up, kicking its hind legs and whimpering a few times. Seeing his unwavering stance, it could only move behind Qi Huan obediently.
Although forced to keep a dog, Qi Huan was thinking about something else. "How did you know I was captured before?"
"Someone didn't come home one night, so I had to go look for her. As it turned out, when I found her, she was sound asleep in someone else's house. How could I not know?"
With a long stride, he approached her side and tapped her head again, leaving no room for refusal. "Take Heizi with you whenever you go out."
"Oh."
After responding, Qi Huan's heart felt as sweet as being soaked in honey.
It turned out that the people she considered family, like Li Shuchen, were also concerned about her.
When she didn't return home, he would go look for her.
When worried about her safety, he would send her a dog.
With the knot in her heart untied, she felt refreshed and began chattering animatedly with Li Shuchen.
"Li Shuchen, did you know? I recommended Xiu Wen, Yan Qinghe, and the others to Madam Lu to serve as tutors at the Lu Mansion. If they pass Madam Lu's test, they can leave the logging camp!"
"They've already passed."
"Oh, I didn't know that." Earlier, the system had prompted her score increased by 12, and she thought it was just from their meal.
Now that she knew, she was happy for them and began planning, "Then tonight, I'll make a table full of delicious dishes, and we can celebrate!"
Along the way, Qi Huan chattered incessantly like a chirping little bird.
In the snowy wind, Li Shuchen deliberately slowed his pace ahead of her, matching her steps. He also maintained a leading distance of one or two steps, shielding her from some of the oncoming cold wind, and even the usually cold and aloof expression in his eyes held a hint of warmth.
After arriving home, Qi Huan grew busy, taking out exquisite tableware and ingredients from her space pouch. She began preparing tonight's dinner around the stove.
Stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, cold cucumber salad, braised eggplant with green beans... One hot dish after another came out of the pot.
Everyone gathered joyfully around the wooden table. Seeing these out-of-season vegetables, they further believed Ah Huan was indeed a fairy!
Besides a fairy, who else could produce such delicacies?
If she were a monster, who would offer such delicacies?
Xiu Wen took a few old clay bowls and filled them with hot water, distributing them to everyone.
"Without tea or wine, we can only toast Miss Qi with bowls of hot water. You are truly our guiding light. Ever since you arrived, we've been able to eat hot meals every day when we return. Now, thanks to you, we've even been exempted from forced labor... Words of gratitude need not be said, they are all in the water... Oh, I mean, they are all in the bowls."
"Come, let's all raise our bowls and toast Miss Qi."
In this warm and joyous atmosphere, they finished the whole table of dishes.
After the meal, Yan Qinghe was so full that he could only stand up, rubbing his belly while pacing back and forth.
"Ah Huan, your culinary skills are becoming more and more refined, rivaling even the Jinyu Building in the capital. If I truly become a general in the future, I'll give you my entire salary so you can open a restaurant too."
"Okay, I'll remember that. If you become wealthy and noble, don't forget me."
Qi Huan joked for a bit, but suddenly had an idea.
She had been considering what to do with the one hundred taels given by Madam Lu, and now she had a plan.
She could open a restaurant with Li Shuchen's commoner status.
Or she could start with a food stall first.
On one hand, it would allow the money to generate more money. On the other hand, it would provide a place to help people like the little beggar. She was an orphan in her previous life, so she could empathize with the little beggars' plight.
Just as she had heard someone say in her previous life—because you've been rained on, you want to hold an umbrella for others.
With her mind made up, the next morning, Qi Huan asked for directions and headed straight to the Yaren household.
Heizi trotted happily behind her, strutting with agile steps and wagging its tail excitedly.
Qi Huan occasionally looked back at it, afraid it might get lost.
Heizi was so plump and sturdy that she easily attracted attention, and Qi Huan feared that dog traders might kidnap him and sell him for dog meat, so she kept a close watch on him.
Fortunately, Heizi was an obedient pup. Although he kept swiveling his big, dark eyes around, gazing in all directions, he stuck close behind Qi Huan.
Qi Huan gradually relaxed, and after walking for the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, she finally arrived at the gate of the Toothcarvers' Compound.
