My Lady Always Lacks Ambition
Chapter 172 - 171: I, a Wanted Criminal?

Chapter 172: Chapter 171: I, a Wanted Criminal?

Qin Liuxi gave Uncle Li acupuncture and wrote him a prescription before taking out the silver for the wontons and placing it down.

"You see, you’re being a stranger to Uncle Li now. You gave me acupuncture and even a prescription; I haven’t paid a penny for the consultation fee, and yet you’re paying for this meal. Should I also pay you the consultation fee then?" Uncle Li firmly refused and said, "Old man like me understands cause and effect; in the past, it was fine when you paid, but now you still pay, so I also must pay the consultation fee."

Qin Liuxi smiled and said, "I knew you would say that, so what I paid was on behalf of my friend."

She put down ten coins and said, "It’s not easy to run a small business; I can’t let you suffer a loss."

Yu Changkong, listening to the word ’friend’, glanced sideways at her.

It was then that Uncle Li picked up the ten coins, placed them in the cash basket, and said, "Alright, then this old man will accept it."

Qin Liuxi nodded and said, "Then I’ll be going, I’ll come back another time."

"Alright, do come by often."

Yu Changkong left the stall with her and said, "You’re quite familiar with them."

"Yes, I’ve been a long-standing customer. I’ve been eating here since I was little, how can I not be familiar?" Qin Liuxi said, "That girl called Juan’er, when I first saw her, she wasn’t even able to speak properly, and in the blink of an eye, she’s already grown into a young lady."

"Your words sound rather old-fashioned." Yu Changkong couldn’t help but smile, "I heard Uncle Li calling you Young Master Qin, and even Miss Li calls you Mr. Qin; don’t they know you’re the Master Buqiu from the Daoist Temple?"

"I’m different from the usual Xuanmen Taoists; I don’t typically reside in the temple, I prefer wandering in the marketplace. Thus, I seldom act in the capacity of a Daoist, unless absolutely necessary. Uncle Li and the others know I am a Taoist from Qingping Temple, but I don’t like to hear them constantly calling me ’master,’ so I let them use my surname instead. My family name is Qin; they’re showing respect by addressing me as ’Mr.’"

Yu Changkong then said, "We can only address you as ’master’ on regular days, but I wonder if that’s inconvenient?"

"A title is just a title; ’master’ is but an empty honor; good people can call me as they wish." Qin Liuxi didn’t mind.

Yu Changkong fell silent for a moment, "You are a member of the Mystic Sect; I also do not know if you use a courtesy name or go by your Daoist name; should I call you Xiao Qin? Or Buqiu?"

Or your given name?

Qin Liuxi looked at him and saw his serious expression, as if he was earnestly considering the question. She couldn’t help but laugh and said, "It’s just a name; you can call me Xiao Qin since I am younger than you, Mr. Changkong."

"Alright." Yu Changkong’s brows relaxed, "Then you can’t address me as ’Mr.’, you may use my courtesy name, my full name is Yu Lingci."

The two walked out of Ten Inch Alley and came to the bustling West Street marketplace. At the notice board, people were gathered around pointing and discussing excitedly, very thrilled.

"A hundred patterned silver in reward money, Mother, why should I bother selling things? If I find this person, won’t my family be able to enjoy a prosperous year?"

"Exactly, a hundred patterned silver in reward, if one could really get it, it’s enough to buy several acres of good farmland and be counted as a landowner."

"If I had those hundred silver, wouldn’t the girls from two villages line up, letting me pick one to be my bride?"

"That’s right, that’s right, one might even be able to take a second wife."

"Why stand around idle? Let’s hurry and look for them; whoever finds, it’s theirs, it’s worth a hundred silver!"

Yu Changkong, hearing these words, said, "It seems to be a wanted criminal being pursued by the governmental office. There are many people; to avoid collision, shall we take another path?"

"A wanted criminal, with a reward of a hundred patterned silver? What a great opportunity, I must seize it," Qin Liuxi, determined not to miss any chance for easy silver, said excitedly, "Let’s go over and take a look. I only need to see the person’s face, add in a divination, and this silver will definitely be mine."

Yu Changkong: "..."

So obsessed with money!

Just as Qin Liuxi was about to squeeze her way forward, Yu Changkong slightly turned his head and said, "Da Qiong, pay attention, don’t let the careless bump into the master."

"Yes."

Yu Changkong caught up with her, and from the corner of his eye, he saw someone approaching. His brows furrowed slightly, and he swished his sleeve to avoid them a bit. But by the time he looked again, the person had vanished.

Yu Changkong paused his steps slightly and gently wiped the corner of his eye. When one’s eyesight is normally good, could it get blurry so suddenly?

He didn’t think too much about it, squinted his eyes, and followed the shadow of Qin Liuxi.

Qin Liuxi was already squeezing her way to the front of the notice board.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing? Don’t push me, I just want to..." Someone who was pushed aside by her was getting annoyed. But then they turned their head, stopped mid-curse, looked at her, and then at the wanted posters on the notice board, their eyes filled with confusion.

Qin Liuxi said with a smiling, "Big brother, it’s our duty to actively participate in capturing wanted criminals for the country and its people. It’s not about the silver, really. Excuse me, I just want to take a quick look at what that guy looks like."

The other person: "!"

They twitched their lips and pointed at her, "Do you, wanna eat some melon seeds?"

They said, offering her a handful of melon seeds from their pocket.

Qin Liuxi thought to herself, isn’t it just like West Street to be so down-to-earth? The local people here are just so warm-hearted.

Before she could take any, Chen Pi tugged at her sleeve.

"What’s wrong?"

"Mr. Qin, you have to look," Chen Pi gestured with his mouth towards the portrait and said, "Isn’t it, when I look at this painting, it kind of resembles you?"

Qin Liuxi: "..."

What’s this about?

She looked up and, huh?

In front of the Zhao Residence, which bore its signboard, there were several figures arguing, and amidst another crowd of onlookers was a large portrait. It depicted someone wearing a green robe and high ponytail, holding a pile of melon seeds in one hand, and pinching one between her fingers, smiling mirthfully as she watched the squabble.

The melon-eating image was vividly captured.

But that face, if you could call it a face, with its nose that didn’t look like a nose and eyes that didn’t look like eyes, all mashed together—the resemblance was uncanny, and just plain ugly!

"Is this supposed to be you?" An excited voice asked.

Qin Liuxi replied, "If you’re saying that’s me, that’s really an insult. Could I even look like this? Whoever drew this, just be honest if your hand is disabled, I can fix it!"

Chen Pi felt a headache coming on.

Is the problem really how the portrait looks? She’s been posted on the wall for a reward!

"That’s definitely you, look, the eyes even resemble yours a bit, and this outfit, even the bamboo pattern on your hem is drawn the same way, and that horse-tail like hair, that same defiant little look, no mistake, it’s you."

Qin Liuxi looked at the robe in the portrait, then at her outfit for the day, indeed they were exactly the same.

"Right, it’s you, definitely you!"

"Oh my god, is this worth two hundred silver pieces?!"

"I knew my Da Xiong would strike it rich, quick, catch her and go to collect the reward money!"

The people around who recognized Qin Liuxi were excitedly crowding around her.

Qin Liuxi: "?"

What did she come here for? Right, to capture wanted criminals and collect the reward silver.

But who was going to tell her that the criminal she intended to capture had somehow turned into herself, and she was now the one posted on the wall?

Hold on, she’s only worth a hundred patterned silver pieces?

Which blind and crippled fool is responsible for this? Come out, let’s have a proper discussion!

Yu Changkong: "!!!"

Did she cast a fortune for herself when she left the house today?