Mistakenly recognized as a cousin, thousands of pampered

"Don't worry, I..." Shen Zhiyi was about to speak when suddenly his eyes froze, as if he had noticed something unusual.

Tao Jiuxi keenly caught the change in Shen Zhiyi's expression. She was stunned for a moment, then she looked in the direction Shen Zhiyi was looking, but she didn't see anything unusual.

Shen Zhiyi's eyes were fixed on the fleeting figure in the crowd. Unfortunately, before he could see clearly, the figure disappeared without a trace in an instant.

Shen Zhiyi frowned slightly, and a wave of doubts arose involuntarily in his heart.

He didn't want to tell Tao Jiuxi before things became clear, as he didn't want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

"What did you see?" Tao Jiuxi asked puzzledly.

"Nothing, the streets of Sucheng are very lively, walk around and pick out something you like."

"Let's go eat first. When we passed by that soup and noodle shop just now, I saw a lot of people inside. How about we go there to eat?" Tao Jiuxi suggested.

"Let's go now."

Shen Zhiyi responded, and then the group walked back a few steps and arrived in front of the shop.

"Boss, give me four bowls of our signature soup noodles." Tao Jiuxi shouted loudly.

The four of them sat down at the table one by one.

Outside of this place, there are no need to follow too many formalities, and it is normal for masters and servants to sit at the same table.

"Master, do you want to notify the local prefect?" Jiang Qu asked.

"Not yet. We are not taking the official ship this time, so it is better to keep a low profile and check the city out on our own." Shen Zhiyi never liked seeing officials from all over the country coming to greet him with a large number of people.

"Then I will look for a place to stay in the city today."

"Jiuxi, what do you think about staying here today?" Shen Zhiyi was the first to ask Tao Jiuxi what he thought.

"It's all up to you. Just take care of my food and accommodation." Tao Jiuxi responded with a smile.

"Noodle soup is here."

With a shout, four bowls of noodle soup were served on the table. Tao Jiuxi looked at the noodle soup in front of him and saw that the soup base was rich and mellow. Just looking at it made people feel that it was delicious.

After several people finished eating the noodles, there was still half of the noodles left in Tao Jiuxi's bowl. She really couldn't eat any more.

At this moment, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of a little girl standing not far away, staring at the bowl of noodles in front of her.

Only after seeing several people put down their chopsticks did the little girl timidly walk forward.

"Sister, are you still eating?" The little girl was so thin and tiny that she looked as if a gust of wind could blow her over. She wore a tattered, ill-fitting, coarse cloth dress. Her hair was a mess of dry grass, dull and scattered haphazardly over her shoulders, some strands tangled in knots. Her small face was grimy, as if it hadn't been washed in ages. Dust and sweat mixed together, leaving streaks of stains on her face.

Her eyes were big, but her look revealed a timidity and helplessness that was not commensurate with her age. Her eye sockets were slightly red, as if she had just cried.

"Don't eat."

Tao Jiuxi looked at the little girl and originally thought she was the noodle stall owner's child.

"Then...can you give me...something to eat?" The little girl's voice was trembling and almost inaudible.

She walked slowly closer, her eyes fixed on the bowl of noodles, her throat swallowing saliva continuously.

Tao Jiuxi couldn't bear to see the little girl in such a pitiful state. She turned around and shouted to the busy boss, "Boss, bring me another bowl of noodle soup."

The boss was busy at the stove where smoke was curling. When he heard Tao Jiuxi's call, he noticed that the little girl appeared again.

However, since someone was willing to pay for another bowl of noodles, he was naturally very happy to do so.

"Okay, sir, please wait a moment." The boss responded readily, without stopping his hands at all, and continued to skillfully fiddle with the noodles in the pot.

"Isn't that your father?" Tao Jiuxi pointed at the boss who was cooking noodle soup and asked the little girl softly.

The little girl shook her head silently, her eyes still a little dull.

"Then why are you here alone?" Tao Jiuxi asked again, his eyes full of concern.

The little girl still shook her head, her eyes empty, as if she didn't understand what Tao Jiuxi said. She just stared at the noodles that Tao Jiuxi had not finished eating.

Her small body leaned forward slightly, as if as long as Tao Jiuxi agreed, she would immediately pounce on the bowl of noodles.

When Tao Jiuxi looked at the little girl, she felt a surge of pity in her heart. She gently touched the little girl's head, trying to give her some comfort.

"Jiang Shun, Jiang Qu, please send someone to check again according to the route we decided on before we came here."

Shen Zhiyi saw that Tao Jiuxi had no intention of leaving, and he had planned to stay in Sucheng for a few days, so he was not in a hurry at the moment.

After receiving the order, Jiang Qu and Jiang Shun withdrew.

Tao Jiuxi asked the little girl a few more questions, but the little girl seemed not to understand what she said.

After a while, the boss quickly brought new noodle soup.

"Shopkeeper, do you know this child?" Tao Jiuxi pointed at the little girl and asked the boss.

"This child came here with her mother about a month ago. Her mother brought her here alone and was sick. They lived in a shabby house far away. But half a month ago, her mother died of illness."

The boss said this while busy with his work, with a hint of pity in his tone.

"Hey... With my small business, the best I can do is to not chase her away as long as she doesn't affect business."

"Died of illness? Don't the government care?" Tao Jiuxi frowned, his eyes full of confusion.

"An official passed by and dealt with her mother's body, but the government didn't take care of the child." The boss shook his head helplessly.

"Why?" Tao Jiuxi asked.

"They are refugees from other places. They have no household registration documents and no one knows how they got in. Naturally, no one in the government cares about them."

As soon as the boss finished speaking, a new customer came to the stall, and he became busy again, greeting the new customer.

The little girl stared at the bowl of hot noodles in front of her without blinking. She reached out her trembling little hand, but as soon as it touched the edge of the bowl, she was frightened by the scorching temperature and pulled it back.

Seeing this, Tao Jiuxi quickly stood up and gently carried the little girl to the stool. Then he turned to look at Shen Zhiyi and said softly, "Go get a small bowl."

Shen Zhiyi quickly brought a small bowl, and Tao Jiuxi carefully put the noodles into the small bowl, hoping that the noodles would cool down quickly so that the little girl could eat it as soon as possible.