A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Everyone has times when they have to walk alone on their own.

Gu Xixi, who inexplicably transmigrated into a book, had a terrible start to her life.

Mu Nanzhao, who traveled to the Northwest, feigned death due to poisoning.

Anqing and He, who left home at a young age to do business, are examples of this.

Jiang Mingyuan, who had studied diligently for many years, was like this.

Lu Jing, who went to Beijing to sue the evildoers and clear her family's name, naturally had her own sense of purpose.

It's not just about being afraid of implicating my friends.

She never intended to rely on anyone from the beginning, which is why she left without saying goodbye as soon as she arrived in the capital.

Gu Xixi understood Lü Jing's thoughts, which is why she respected her choice.

By the time they went to the restaurant to eat, An Qinghe had completely figured things out.

“Xixi is right, we should trust Lü Jing.”

"The fact that she went to the capital alone to file a complaint shows that she had already planned what to do."

Gu Xixi smiled slightly, "I was just thinking that I'll stroll around the East Market today, and then move to an inn near Jingzhao Prefecture tomorrow, so it will be easier to get news."

An Qinghe said happily, "Xi Xi, I knew I could have listened to you!"

Although Lü Jing was intelligent and capable, Gu Xixi never intended to abandon her completely.

After all, Fan Dongping's surname is Fan.

If he really is some kind of relative of Grand Secretary Fan, then Lü Jing will be facing a much stronger opponent, one that she definitely cannot handle alone.

Gu Xixi turned to Jiang Mingyuan, "We'll be going to the East Market later. What are your plans, Brother Zichu?"

Jiang Mingyuan said, "The imperial examination is just around the corner, so I won't go with you. I'll stay in the room to read and calm my mind."

Gu Xixi nodded, "The imperial examination is a major event, Brother Zichu, please focus on your studies."

"If there's anything you'd like to eat, or anything you need us to buy for you, just let us know."

An Qinghe also said, "Yes, please don't be so polite."

Jiang Mingyuan smiled and thought for a moment, then said, "I've heard that there are many dishes made by non-Han people in the capital, such as roasted mutton and mutton stew, which are quite good."

"There are also sesame dumplings cooked by chefs from Jiangnan. The glutinous rice is made with water and is soft and chewy. The sesame filling is mixed with the best pork fat. It is piping hot and sweet and flows into your mouth. The soup is sprinkled with osmanthus sugar. One bite is like being in autumn in Jiangnan."

An Qinghe couldn't help but complain, "Isn't it just craving roasted mutton, mutton biscuits, and sesame dumplings with sugar and osmanthus?"

"Is this how you scholars always talk? Can't you just be simple?!"

Jiang Mingyuan was taken aback.

Gu Xixi lowered her head and laughed out loud.

After his initial surprise, Jiang Mingyuan smiled helplessly, "Brother An's words make sense."

"I will try my best to cooperate with Brother An in the future and keep things concise."

Anqing waved his hand dismissively, "Forget it, just be yourself."

"Who told you to be so full of knowledge? It would be a waste not to let you say a few more words."

Gu Xixi and Jiang Mingyuan both laughed.

After a short rest after the meal, Gu Xixi, An Qinghe said goodbye to Jiang Mingyuan and went out.

The East Market was indeed very prosperous, not only gathering specialties from all over the country, but also attracting merchants from Silla, various Western Regions countries, and the Southern Frontier.

A Silla merchant was selling Korean ginseng, and a crowd had gathered around him, including ordinary customers and medicine dealers.

Gu Xixi looked at it curiously, then turned and walked away.

An Qinghe asked, "These are medicinal herbs unique to Silla, right? Since we have a carriage, why don't you buy some for Elder Jiang?"

Gu Xixi said, "His Korean ginseng is of average quality, and it may not be as unique to Silla as he claims."

If you keep heading northeast, you can find the same things, and the same quality at a cheaper price.

Continue walking, and you'll find live scorpions from southern Xinjiang, embroidered fans and brocade pouches from Jiangnan, silk flower earrings worn by women, large bowls of tea stalls, various local and out-of-town snacks, and acrobatic performances...

However, most of the items sold at street stalls are affordable for ordinary people.

For truly exquisite and expensive items, you have to go into the shops lining both sides of the long street.

Gu Xixi stopped in front of a shop and looked up at the plaque.

Anqing ran over excitedly, holding two velvet flowers. One was a pink lotus with twin stems and green leaves, and the other was a light purple orchid in the shape of a broken branch. Both were made to look very lifelike.

"Xixi, didn't you like these two flowers just now? I'll buy them for you to wear!"

Gu Xixi looked over and smiled apologetically, "But I picked it up just now not to wear it myself."

An Qing was stunned.

Gu Xixi said, "You know Wu Niangzi, who works at my farm, she has two daughters."

"I was thinking about what small gift I could bring back for them on this long trip."

“Little girls are delicate, I just saw... perhaps these velvet flowers would be suitable.”

An Qinghe, "adhering to the principle that as long as I'm not embarrassed, it's others who are embarrassed," nodded and said, "I also think it's appropriate."

"Although I haven't met those two girls yet."

"If you like them so much, they must be incredibly cute."

Gu Xixi took the velvet flower. "Thank you. I'll give you the money for the flower later, and then ask the stall owner to wrap it up for me."

What else could An Qinghe say? He could only nod and smile foolishly.

Gu Xixi stepped forward. "Let's go in and take a look."

Anqing and Guaiguai followed, their gazes falling on Gu Xixi's hairline, earlobes, and neck. She had saved up some money, so why wasn't she wearing any jewelry?

Don't like it?

This tea shop is quite large and located on the main street of the East Market, so it must be doing very well.

Gu Xixi walked into the lobby, but instead of a bustling crowd, it was quiet and elegant.

Half of the lobby area is used to display tea cabinets, somewhat like medicine cabinets in a pharmacy. Each small drawer is labeled with the type of tea, origin, year, and season.

Gu Xixi strolled among them, looking at each one in turn.

As expected of a major tea shop in Dongshi, it offers tea varieties from all over the country.

There are also top-quality teas such as Pre-Rain Longjing, Maoshan Xianhao, and Lan Guiren.

Unfortunately, the tea cabinet was closed, so the appearance of the tea leaves could not be seen.

As we approached the center, we discovered another staircase inside.

At this moment, a shop assistant came over. He wasn't curious about An Qinghe's appearance and didn't even glance at him.

"What kind of tea would you two distinguished guests like to see?"

"You can tell me the type of food you need, or your taste preferences, and I will recommend a few options."

Gu Xixi's gaze lingered on a drawer, but she did not answer immediately.

The waiter smiled and said slowly, "Go upstairs over there. The second floor is our tea room. The seats are separated by bamboo curtains, so it's quite quiet. A tea master will prepare tea for our guests every day."

"If our distinguished guests are unsure which option to choose, they may move to the second floor to sample the different options before making a decision."

He kept observing Gu Xixi's reaction as he spoke.

Although the woman wore no makeup or valuable jewelry, she was likely the one in charge in her relationship with the young man from the Central Asian region.

The waiter continued, "If our distinguished guest would like to rest a little longer and enjoy some tea and snacks, we have private rooms on the third floor."

Gu Xixi looked up, "I'd like to try dark tea. Do you have Fu brick tea?"

The waiter was slightly taken aback.

There are tea gardens around the capital, and the tea produced is mostly green tea, so loose tea is more popular among the people.

Someone who immediately asks for black tea cakes, especially niche and high-quality Fu brick tea, upon entering the store is definitely not an ordinary tea drinker.