The young girl before her no longer had any trace of a young lady from the Marquis’s mansion. She wore the most ordinary little floral jacket, her hair tied with just two red ribbons – just like those children from poor families running around the streets.
“I, I sell pancakes,” Yan’er stammered in reply.
“I’m asking why you came out to sell pancakes!” Qi Yue shouted, stepping forward to grab Yan’er and look her over from left to right.
The street idlers, annoyed at having their fun interrupted, were about to make lewd remarks when they saw how beautiful this woman was. But then they heard passersby whisper “It’s Lady Qi, it’s Lady Qi from Qianjin Hall, it’s that divine physician…”
The two idlers immediately shuddered.
Though they had never seen her, the name Lady Qi was now quite famous throughout Yongqing Prefecture.
From beggar to young lady of the Marquis’s mansion, then divorced by imperial decree, skilled in abdominal surgery, daring to lead people into fights, and all the young masters in the city were her followers – if she just called out, there would surely be a large crowd following her, attacking wherever she pointed…
The idlers turned around and tiptoed away hurriedly.
“Stop right there,” came a woman’s stern voice from behind.
Since she said stop, the two idlers really didn’t dare to leave.
“Lady…” they turned around, bowing with forced smiles, “We… we didn’t know…”
“Money for the pancakes,” Qi Yue said with a stern face.
The idlers hurriedly pulled out a handful of coins from their bodies and stuffed them into Yan’er’s hands before rushing away.
Following Yan’er to an alley near the city gate, after many twists and turns, they stopped at a doorway.
The door was half open, and two women in the courtyard were talking.
“Lady Chang, these clothes need to be starched and washed quickly – they’re needed urgently,” one woman said.
Chang Chunlan, wearing a plain shirt and skirt, nodded.
“Don’t worry, Sister Wang,” she said with a grateful smile, using her hand to smooth back her drooping hair. “I’ll wash them well.”
Only then did the woman nod and walk outside.
“Thank you, sister, for introducing me to this work,” Chang Chunlan followed behind, repeatedly expressing gratitude. When she looked up again, she froze.
Qi Yue stood at the doorway holding Yan’er’s hand, looking at her, while A’Ru beside her also looked completely astonished.
The small courtyard was somewhat messy, with drying clothes taking up all the open space.
“Yan’er and I moved out of the Marquis’s mansion,” Chang Chunlan brought out two small stools, wiping her hands on her clothes as she spoke. “Please sit. It’s rather messy here, so I won’t invite you into the house, and there’s no tea…”
“I didn’t come to hear about that,” Qi Yue interrupted, not sitting down. “What are you doing? Why did you move out when things were fine? Did they drive you out?”
“No, it was Yan’er who wanted to come out. Yan’er originally wanted to go live with her aunt, but mother wouldn’t let her…” Yan’er said hurriedly.
Chang Chunlan pulled her back.
“Go boil some water,” she said.
Though reluctant, Yan’er obediently went.
“Elder sister, what happened exactly?” Qi Yue didn’t believe this at all and asked directly.
Chang Chunlan smiled, smoothing her hair with hands that were swollen and pale from soaking.
“Learning from you,” she said.
Qi Yue slapped her forehead.
“Why are you learning from me!” she said with a sigh. “How can you be like me?”
Chang Chunlan still smiled.
“Yes, I’m not as capable as you,” she said.
Qi Yue stamped her foot.
“This isn’t about being capable or not,” she said urgently. “I, I…”
I’m different from you. I’m used to supporting myself, but you’re a native ancient person who sees father and husband as your whole world – that’s completely different.
This is terrible. Just running out like this – how can it work? Public opinion alone could drown her.
“But didn’t you do it?” Chang Chunlan asked.
“I, I have skills. Even if I came out, I could live well on my own,” Qi Yue said, widening her eyes.
“Though I don’t have your kind of skills, I also have hands,” Chang Chunlan said with a smile, extending her hands to look at them. “Look, these hands can also support Yan’er and me. It turns out that as long as you want to live, you really can live however you want.”
Is this also one of my butterfly effects?
Qi Yue looked at Chang Chunlan somewhat speechlessly. If she hadn’t set an example, Chang Chunlan would never have dared to do this, right?
But damn it, this wasn’t any kind of example at all – for her, this was the most normal thing in the world!
“Well then, since you’re learning from me, come with me,” Qi Yue finally said.
“If I wanted to depend on you, I would have gone from the beginning,” Chang Chunlan said, shaking her head. “Besides, who did you go to depend on? Don’t you also rely on yourself?”
“Bullshit,” Qi Yue said.
Chang Chunlan was stunned, and Yan’er, who was walking over, found it interesting.
“Bullshit,” she repeated after her.