Chapter 72: A New Beginning (1)
Early May in Jinghe Ninth Year was the end of spring and beginning of summer, yet Qinghe in the north was still quite cool, requiring a padded jacket when going out.
Liu Sheng did indeed wear a floral padded jacket when she went out early in the morning, holding a scallion pancake wrapped in oil paper, waiting with Cui Cui at the entrance of the government office.
Cui Cui was shivering from the cold, so Liu Sheng handed her the still-warm scallion pancake to warm her hands.
"Sheng Sheng Jie, aren't you afraid of the cold?" Cui Cui didn't decline, taking it to warm her hands.
"I'm not cold." Liu Sheng shook her head.
Liu Sheng was naturally not cold; her padded jacket was stuffed with soft goose down, making her instantly warm and even causing her Face to flush slightly from the heat.
This padded jacket had been sent to her by her parents a few days prior.
With an outer layer of vibrant floral cotton and a circle of snow-white rabbit fur around the collar and cuffs, Liu Sheng knew at a glance that it was her father's handiwork.
Liu Ruhai not only loved to cook but also had always been enthusiastic about making clothes for his daughter.
Liu Sheng's appearance was already on the cuter side, and wearing it made her look even more adorable and innocent.
Even when she went to buy scallion pancakes for breakfast just now, the stall owner, Aunt Wang, saw her and her eyes lit up, praising how beautiful she looked and only regretting that she didn't have a daughter like Liu Sheng.
This was precisely Liu Ruhai’s goal—to show off everywhere that he had a lovely, pure daughter.
But for his daughter, she believed clothes only needed to be clean; too many styles and colors would only unnecessarily increase the time she spent choosing, affecting her efficiency in completing her plans.
Moreover, for Liu Sheng, wearing or not wearing this padded jacket wouldn't cause her to catch a cold.
After all, she was now a legitimate Cultivator at the Qi Refinement Stage - First Layer, with Spiritual Qi nourishing her body from within, maintaining her body temperature was a trivial matter.
But there was no way; she couldn't be too high-profile.
If she walked through Qinghe's streets in a thin shirt at this time, people would think she was either a Cultivator or a madwoman.
Before she could research how significant the difference was between the Cultivation method of the Seven Profound Decree World and the locally Cultivated Spiritual Qi, and how the Realms corresponded, she temporarily couldn't reveal her identity as a Cultivator.
What if the two were vastly different, and it might reveal the fact that she had long deviated from the Supreme God, leading to her being treated as a "Blasphemer."
Now, the Supreme God's faith was very stable, and there had been no "Blasphemers" in recent years, but according to historical records, the God Manifestation First Year Early Stage had experienced a bloody struggle for faith.
Liu Sheng shivered, recalling the fate of those "Blasphemers" mentioned in historical records, and decided it was better to be cautious.
There was still one month until the Honghu Plan; she needed to complete it as soon as possible.
...
When Cui Cui saw Liu Sheng staring intently at a point in front of her, she knew that she must be lost in thought again.
She could only shake her head helplessly. Sheng Sheng Jie was good in every way—beautiful, kind-hearted, and intelligent—but she always seemed to be busy with something; even when her hands weren't busy, her mind was, making it impossible for them to play together properly.
In this regard, Sheng Sheng Jie was too much like her Young Miss!
Just as she was thinking of her Young Miss, Cui Cui glimpsed a slender woman dressed in thin coarse cloth emerging from the government office entrance.
Isn't that her Young Miss!
"Young Miss!" Cui Cui excitedly rushed forward, hugging Wen Weilan and burying her head in Wen Weilan's embrace, sobbing.
Liu Sheng was also roused from her contemplation by Cui Cui's excited cry and looked over.
Just then, Wen Weilan looked over Cui Cui's shaking shoulders towards Liu Sheng, a faint smile on her serene Face, nodding at Liu Sheng to express her gratitude.
Liu Sheng looked at Wen Weilan and felt that something was different.
Her complexion was haggard but very calm; the pride that once was as sharp as a drawn sword seemed to have vanished from her.
But Liu Sheng believed this did not mean Wen Weilan had become disheartened.
Now, she was more like a pebble polished by a river over many years—smooth and introverted on the outside, having lost her past sharpness, but gaining a few more points of steadiness and composure.
Cui Cui remembered that it was not the time to cry; her Young Miss had been in prison for half a month and must have suffered a lot, so it was better to quickly take her Young Miss back to rest.
So she raised her head, wiped her tears with her hand, draped the prepared large red feathered satin cloak over Wen Weilan, and also slipped a packet of scallion pancakes into her Young Miss's hand.
"This was specially bought for you by Sheng Sheng Jie; warm your hands with it first, and when we get into the carriage, quickly eat it to fill your stomach… Come, the cloud sedan is this way."
Cui Cui knew her Young Miss valued her Face and wouldn't eat in the street, so she only wanted to quickly take her Young Miss into the cloud sedan, or she would starve.
Wen Weilan held the still-warm scallion pancakes, which emitted an enticing aroma, and looked down, stunned.
Then, right there at the government office entrance, she began to eat, mouthful after mouthful.
...
Wen Weilan was no longer a Wen Family member, so she naturally wouldn't return to the Wen Manor.
She was slightly worried that Wen Weilan would be homeless and end up sleeping on the streets with Cui Cui.
Although she had received some money, very little was left, and she quietly calculated how much she could contribute if they had to stay in an inn.
But Liu Sheng never expected to be standing at the entrance of a three-courtyard residence at this moment.
"Is this your residence?" Liu Sheng turned to ask Wen Weilan, who was being helped down from the cloud sedan by Cui Cui.
"Yes, it is." Wen Weilan nodded.
"Aren't you, as the plays say, supposed to leave the Wen Family, have nothing, and then vow to reclaim everything you lost?" Liu Sheng asked earnestly.
Wen Weilan's eyes curved, and she laughed aloud: "Miss Liu certainly has many ideas."
Cui Cui was shocked; her Young Miss laughed! How long had it been since she saw her Young Miss smile!
Could it be?
Her eyes darted back and forth between her Young Miss and Liu Sheng.
Wen Weilan said, "Let's go inside first."
Seeing Liu Sheng still looking curious, she cleared her throat lightly and explained, "This is the residence my grandmother left me before she passed away. There's also another residence in Chang'an, and she also gave me two shops, one in Qinghe and one in Chang'an. All of them were specifically put under my name, so even if I leave the Wen Family, I won't be left with nothing."
Upon hearing this, Liu Sheng once again felt sad about her own poverty.
However, at least she wouldn't have to support her, and the sixteen Lingtual she owed would also be settled.
Seeing Liu Sheng's interest in the residence, Wen Weilan asked Liu Sheng to wait in the flower hall and enjoy some snacks while she first bathed to wash away the grime, then she would return to show Liu Sheng around the residence.
"Will this tire you out?" Liu Sheng asked Wen Weilan with a slight apology as they walked along the garden path, which was filled with peonies.
Wen Weilan was finally refreshed, wearing a moon-white satin padded jacket and a dark ink-embroidered long skirt, having regained her original noble appearance.
She smiled and shook her head: "It's fine. I just slept in there when I had nothing to do, so I'm very energetic now."
"Why don't we talk instead? I haven't properly thanked you yet."
Liu Sheng said, "Thanks are fine, just remember to give me sixteen Lingtual."
Sixteen Lingtual could buy a lot of Materials. Her Spirit Array Engraving Device was almost finished, and the next step was to reduce its size.
"Of course." Wen Weilan had also heard Cui Cui mention it; it was perfectly reasonable.
Her release was largely thanks to Liu Sheng, who also helped find the person who plotted against her. No amount of gratitude would be too much.
Thinking of this, her eyes couldn't help but dim. Not to mention that her spiritual power could never return, preventing her from Cultivating, just the thought of her grandfather, who also could not return, filled her heart with mixed emotions.
Although her grandfather had indeed harmed her, was all the nurturing and care from childhood fake?
She truly couldn't distinguish.
Liu Sheng sensed Wen Weilan's mood dipping and said nothing, just silently accompanying her.
They walked along the flower path to a pavilion suspended over a pond, where maids had already set out hot tea and refreshments.
The two sat down, enjoyed the garden scenery, and drank tea for a while. Wen Weilan finally composed herself and met Liu Sheng's gaze.
She had an idea that she had been pondering for a long time.
After hesitating for a moment, she finally made up her mind and asked, "How is it? This residence is not bad, right?"
"I can give it to you."
"As long as you are willing to open a shop with me."
Liu Sheng instantly swallowed the question she was about to shamelessly ask, "Your residence is so big, you wouldn't mind one more person living here, would you?" Her eyes widened.
Let's start a company together!