Chapter 7: Fateful Encounter

What is even more striking is the contour of her face, which possesses a rare and clear sculptural beauty. Her pair of eyes is clear and bright, and her slender, charming eyebrows slant towards her temples, further accentuating the brilliance of her dark, sparkling pupils. This evokes a sense of extraordinary grace and a uniquely captivating beauty, making her all the more enchanting even when she is angry and scolding at this very moment

The bustling Chang'an Avenue is a gathering place for merchants from various regions and local residents. The sounds of horse hooves, camels, cattle lowing, and even sheep bleating intertwine along the vibrant street. The merchants and peddlers entering and exiting the shops transform the spacious avenue into a narrow path, making it difficult for the city guards to patrol, forcing them to find a spot to rest and take a break.

Qin Shou arranged twenty-five clay jars, each weighing over ten jin, in the corner of the hall in one breath. He then portioned the soaked yellow beans from the wooden basin into batches. Picking up the rag that Su Fei had handed him, he covered the tops of the clay jars one by one.

Oh dear, mother, what use is there in planting without selling? I still need to go to the market, um... to check the sales prospects at the market. I won't chat anymore; I have things to attend to and will head out first

"Sister, wait a moment, just a moment..."

"Shouer, what use do you have for so many rags?" Jia Rong set aside the rags in his hand and walked over to the clay vat to try moving it aside.

Qin Shou smacked his forehead, secretly cursing himself for being foolish, wondering how he could have entrusted such a heavy task to his mother. He effortlessly placed the heavy clay jar in the corner of the hall with one hand on each side. Sophie wanted to help, but upon seeing the heavy clay jar, she hesitated, feeling capable yet unable to assist.

If you do not look at me, how can you know that I am looking at you? I am not afraid of beautiful women thinking I am a lecher; I am only afraid of ugly women thinking I am a rogue! Qin Shou was instantly furious and became spirited, retorting against the beautiful and willful woman before him.

Qin Shou, with tears unshed, lowered his head to look at the quilt with torn seams. The morning sun, full of vitality, created a peak-like curve, and the quilt, unable to withstand the pressure, had its stitches broken.

Boldly, let go of Sister Shu! Huh?!

He discovered that some of the yellow beans had begun to sprout. Qin Shouxin was overjoyed and, in a moment of urgency, called out to Jia Rong for help in changing the jar. A large pile of swollen yellow beans soaked in water would affect their normal development

Master

What do you want to do

Used for drainage, water should be applied once every one or two hours, ensuring that each watering reaches the soybeans, and any excess water must be drained out; otherwise, the bean sprouts will drown. The remaining task is to cover with cloth to maintain the temperature inside the tank

When Sophie ran out of Qin Shou's room, she was troubled about how to accommodate the twenty-five clay jars sent by Tang Youweng. Jia Rong, with a strange expression, noticed Sophie running out with a flushed face, while his hands continued to cut the torn cloth without pause.

Upon hearing this, the young boy tugged at the spirited and defiant woman. Constrained by the authority of the handsome man, the spirited woman could only leave in a huff, shaking her sleeves and accompanied by two armed guards.

Do not call me master, call me Shou Ge'er, go outside and wait first

Are you Sophie

Um... Sophie, please go out for a moment, I need to change my clothes! At this moment, Qin Shou realized that Sophie had seen him bare-chested, and he, with an unusually thick skin, used this excuse to send Sophie away.

Qin Shou opened the door and stepped out, immediately noticing that twenty-five clay jars had appeared inside the room. Overjoyed, he hurriedly ran to the wooden tray where the bean sprouts were being cultivated

"Shou'er, why have you entrusted such an important task to your mother? What are you doing?" The awakened Jia Rong looked at Qin Shou with irritation, as he was still unclear about what kind of scheme Qin Shou was plotting in his mind.

At the entrance of a narrow alley on Chengxi Street, where street vendors gathered, a boisterous and unruly woman stood with her hands on her hips, ignoring the small boy beside her who was trying to downplay the situation. She angrily scolded Qin Shou, who had bumped into her.

Ah... Ah?! The beautiful tough woman first let out a painful cry, feeling as if she had struck an iron plate. Immediately afterward, she exclaimed in surprise and lifted Qin Shou by the collar with one hand.

The little girl spoke Mandarin with a hint of awkwardness, which left Qin Shou momentarily stunned, especially her call that resembled the heavenly voice of a golden oriole, echoing in the air, as if it could linger for three days without end, making one forget the taste of meat for three months

After Qin Shou finished watering in sequence, she let out a sigh of relief and informed Jia Rong of the general details of planting soybeans. After all, these tasks did not require much technical skill and were more suited for women, who tended to be more patient. This also provided an excuse to keep Jia Rong occupied, preventing her from going out to socialize.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you seen a beautiful woman before?" To Qin Shou's surprise, the bold and arrogant woman glared at him, exclaiming, "Have you seen a barbarian? I have never encountered such an audacious barbarian!"

You..." The beautiful tough woman gritted her teeth and raised her slender fingers, pointing at Qin Shou, clearly contemplating the idea of charging forward to give Qin Shou a good beating

The handsome man raised his hand to interrupt the outspoken woman, asserting that justice and truth have their own conclusions. He formally clasped his fists in front of Qin Shou and inquired about the circumstances before making a decision.

"Blind as a bat, how can one walk?"

No, it's nothing, madam!" Sophie blinked and returned to normal. Under Jia Rong's skeptical gaze, she walked aside to help organize the clutter that Jia Rong had cleared out of the room.

Alright!

Amidst the dense crowd on the street, a handsome young man with black hair and a white outfit stands out. His clothing and hair seem to dance in the bustling throng, giving off an impression of both urgency and ethereal grace, with his unbound long hair and attire gently swaying in a carefree manner

"Shou Ge'er, forget it. Let's not provoke those wealthy and powerful individuals; we cannot afford to offend them!" The cautious Hei Niu approached the angry Qin Shou to offer a reminder.

Qin Shou thought it made sense; although the bold and fierce woman was arrogant and unruly, her attire was either luxurious or expensive. Just as he was about to let go of her, a loud and furious reprimand echoed.

Black cattle, go to the city to seek fortune

I incurred a loss

After the carefree Qin Shou casually deflected the conversation and distracted everyone, amidst Jia Rong's exasperated calls, he swiftly made his exit, leaving Jia Rong and Su Fei to slowly tend to the yellow bean sprouts at home

Hmm? Sophie, what is wrong with you?

"Sister Xu, please remain calm. This brother, may I ask the reason for this matter?"

The fierce woman, after the arrival of her savior, pointed at Qin Shou with a frustrated expression and ordered the handsome man who came to have Qin Shou beaten, feeling deeply humiliated and displeased at heart

As Qin Shou rushed out of the house, he immediately saw the black bull idly lingering at the doorstep. This burly man was surprisingly playing house with a group of snot-nosed little kids, leaving Qin Shou utterly speechless. He decided to take the black bull with him into the city to rescue this wayward little lamb and bring it back to normalcy

is, main ... ...

What are you doing? Who are you?

The black cow that responds to every call is accompanied by a little brat who screams and plays house, while the mischievous child follows closely behind Qin Shou as a companion. On the blacksmith Wang's side, there is currently no work, allowing the black cow a rare opportunity to rest for a few days

Sophie opened her mouth as if to say something, but under the piercing gaze of Qin Shou, her little face flushed instantly. She tossed her naturally curly golden hair, which reached her shoulders, and dashed out of the room.

"What are you asking? He was rude first and bumped into..." The fiery woman, visibly upset, pointed a finger at Qin Shou, placing all the blame on him and the *illustration*.

When Qin Shou reached out to touch her arm, Sophie lowered her head. In that instant, Qin Shou suddenly noticed a faint blush rising on her pale face, which had turned white from fear.

Thank you, I am still young and need guidance, but I do not require you to point fingers at me

Mother, let me handle it!

Enough, Sister Shu, I have my own decisions to make. Xiao Zhi, take Sister Shu to Guique Tower to wait for me! The handsome man once again intervened to interrupt the incessant nagging of the fiery woman, instructing the young boy beside him to take away the sister who had caused the disturbance.

Qin Shou gazed in astonishment at the spirited young woman, around fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in a round-collared robe. Her hair was styled in a bun, with wisps framing her face, and her lightly arched eyebrows held a hint of anger. Her skin was as smooth and delicate as warm jade, glowing softly like silk. Her cherry-red lips were naturally vibrant, exuding a captivating allure, while two strands of hair danced gently against her cheeks in the breeze, adding to her enchanting charm

Shou'er, what is the purpose of the hole at the bottom of this jar

Good morning, mother

This time, it was the beautiful tough girl who was frightened, her lovely face losing color as fear flashed across it. She had never expected that her usual ability to knock someone down with a single punch was completely ineffective in front of Qin Shou, who instead lifted her up by her feet, leaving her suspended in the air.

The little girl, Qin Shou, who was momentarily lost in thought, suddenly came to her senses and slapped her forehead. The call of "Master" reminded Qin Shou of the exotic little slave girl, Sophie, that she had brought back from the Western Market.

Qin Shou's words, which were infuriating yet without consequence, drove the beautiful and strong woman before him into a frenzy. She pushed aside the obstructive young boy with a flick of her hand and, with a delicate yet fierce shout, aimed a punch directly at Qin Shou's chest.

is ... ... the master ... ...

Mother, quickly, change the tank

After Qin Shou was flustered, he curiously observed the beautiful little girl in the room who remained silent. She was naturally beautiful, with fair skin, large eyes, a delicate nose, and full lips, complemented by a head of adorable curly golden hair, forming a picture of an exquisite foreign beauty.

Jia Rong stood humbly behind Qin Shou, learning the new and unique planting techniques. Without even mentioning whether he could grow the so-called yellow bean sprouts that Qin Shou spoke of, the intricacies of this planting method were enough to convince Jia Rong

Upon hearing this, Qin Shou turned around to look. A handsome young man, dressed in splendid attire and panting heavily, appeared behind him, accompanied by two sword-bearing guards rushing over. Startled, Qin Shou released the fierce woman, preferring to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Especially the little girl's eyes, like the ocean illuminated by moonlight, are beautifully deep blue and encompass everything. When she smiles, she looks particularly lovely, her eyes turning into crescent moons. Even though she wears the tattered clothes of Qin Shou from before, it cannot conceal her naturally noble aura.

Oh ... ...

Before Sophie could finish her words, Qin Shou interrupted her to correct her, stating that at such a young age, one should not be influenced by the taint of slavery

Master

The next morning, when Qin Shou woke up naturally at dawn, he was startled for a moment upon opening his eyes. He covered himself with both hands, trying to shield his thighs from the sudden exposure that came with his habit of sleeping naked.

Brother, may I have a word with you at the tavern ahead?

Third brother, beat him up

Qin Shou shook his head in silence, a silly smile revealing his true feelings. He genuinely did not know how to express his admiration for the black cow. Amidst the astonished gazes of the old village chief and others during their casual conversation, he set foot on the road to the city

Qin Shou could not help but glance a few times at the handsome man who had invited him. His skin was very fair, much like that of most literati; thus, his fair complexion made his striking features stand out even more, especially his lips, which were almost as red as if they had been painted with rouge. However, despite his beauty, he did not possess the slightest hint of femininity; particularly his eyes, which appeared both intelligent and proud.

The little girl gathered her courage, feeling a mix of shyness and anticipation, and softly called out to Qin Shou