Shen Yu couldn’t wear the clothes she had on anymore.
She dug a hole and buried them, then slipped back into her space.
Using shower gel, she thoroughly scrubbed herself from head to toe—not once, but twice—before feeling satisfied.
She changed into clean cotton clothes and looked in the mirror.
Her skin was now smooth and porcelain-like, glowing with a natural radiance.
Her eyes sparkled like clear springs, lively and bright. Her lips were a rich red, and her black hair flowed smoothly down to her waist. Although she hadn’t fully grown into her adult form, she was already stunningly beautiful.
Shen Yu admired herself in the mirror, spinning around proudly. But then a pang of worry hit her: going out like this would definitely draw unwanted attention. She quickly mixed a few herbs into a paste and applied it to her face, neck, and hands, temporarily restoring her original skin tone. Only then did she slip out.
..
Shen Yu planned to sell the wild boars in town and also check whether the large iron pots she had ordered were ready, even though the blacksmith had said they’d be finished in three days. It wouldn’t hurt to remind him.
By now it was almost noon. Following her earlier markers, Shen Yu returned to the foot of the mountain and then took the small road to the main road leading to the town.
Arriving at Qingshi Town around lunchtime, she bought a flatbed cart from an older man to transport her game.
She wheeled it toward a restaurant called “Xian Ke Lai.” It looked like the largest and most prestigious restaurant in town.
The main hall was packed with diners. A young waiter, seeing Shen Yu’s slight frame, assumed she wasn’t wealthy and scolded her:
“Go away! Our restaurant isn’t for you. Don’t block business!”
Shen Yu narrowed her eyes at him but didn’t reply. She simply turned and walked toward the opposite restaurant, “Juxian Lou.”
At the entrance, she noticed a luxurious carriage parked outside. An elegant young man, around eighteen or nineteen, stepped down. He wore a pale-blue long robe. Shen Yu’s eyes swept over him: his features were sharp and well-defined, his brows like ink, his eyes deep and sparkling, exuding both handsomeness and a hint of coldness.
“Handsome!” Shen Yu thought to herself.
A short, stout middle-aged man came out from the hall, bowing and calling the young man “Master Chen,” guiding him inside.
Shen Yu waited on the steps outside the restaurant. Seeing the proprietor, Li Mingcheng, run over, she quickly said, “The goods are in a nearby alley where my father is waiting. I’ll have him deliver them.” Then she turned and added, “Should I deliver them to the back door? There’s quite a lot.”
Li Mingcheng immediately replied, “Yes, yes, to the back door.”
Shen Yu pretended to be in a hurry, pushed the cart to a quiet alley, and unloaded three wild boars and six rabbits. She then wheeled the cart to the back door of Juxian Lou.
The young waiter was astonished to see Shen Yu alone handling so much game and rushed to fetch Li Mingcheng.
Li Mingcheng came out and assessed the haul. “Good heavens, these two wild boars weigh over 700 jin [≈350 kg]. Where’s your father?” he asked. Before Shen Yu could reply, she said, “My father is delivering goods elsewhere. If your restaurant can’t take all this, I can sell it elsewhere in town.”
Li Mingcheng examined the boars’ skins with his fingers. “The blood isn’t even dried yet—they’re freshly hunted. I’ll take the whole lot. Little lady, how would you like to sell it?”
Shen Yu’s face remained calm, though she was secretly pleased. “Pork in town sells for fifteen wen per jin. I can offer the wild boar at eighteen wen per jin. How does that sound?”
Li Mingcheng was impressed by the girl’s business acumen. He nodded enthusiastically and agreed.
Shen Yu explained, “These wild boars can be roasted for your restaurant. The six rabbits? Let’s price five wen each, and the two smallest ones are complimentary.”
Li Mingcheng couldn’t help but admire her: this child, though small, was already capable and clever in business.
The total weight of the game—two wild boars and one smaller boar—was 756 jin, worth 13 taels 608 wen. Adding in the six rabbits, the total came to 13 taels 708 wen. Shen Yu discreetly shaved off 8 wen and received the silver, then politely bid Li Mingcheng farewell.
The proprietor was so pleased with Shen Yu that he told the young waiter: “Whenever you have good wild game, deliver it here first.”
The waiter accompanied Shen Yu out the back and even received a small tip from her, grinning from ear to ear as he nearly wished to escort her home.
Shen Yu pushed her cart to the blacksmith’s shop, thinking about how slow this way of making money was—only a little over ten taels per trip. For a village family, that could be a year’s income. She hoped to find faster ways to generate funds so that the silver in her space could secure a proper house and a few good fields for her parents, freeing them from daily worry.
At the blacksmith, the two large and two small iron pots she had ordered were ready. Two of the large pots had been missed by previous customers, and she had snagged them.
Shen Yu happily paid the silver. Just as she was leaving, a plain-looking dagger hanging in the corner caught her eye. She tested the blade and bought it for two taels.
She loaded the pots onto her cart and then stopped at a wonton stall, enjoying a leisurely bowl while reflecting on the day’s events.
Meanwhile, in the private room upstairs at Juxian Lou, Chen Yuze had put down the book he had been reading. He looked at the perfectly roasted suckling pig before him. The aroma of the young boar meat was rich yet not greasy, tender yet not dry—he ate with great satisfaction, appreciating Li Mingcheng’s efforts.