The Female Shopkeeper carefully observes the interaction, secretly analyzing the relationship between Xu Chang'an and Zhu Pingniang, hoping to find some clues, as she has never seen a man enter Miss Zhu's "safe distance" zone.

Xu Chang'an is quite famous, the sisters all like him. As for the matter of him having a wife... in her eyes, as long as Miss Zhu likes him, it doesn't really matter.

But to her disappointment, she didn't see Ms. Zhu's ears heating up or her cheeks turning red, nor did she see an infatuation in Xu Chang'an's eyes...

A very strange relationship.

The Female Shopkeeper quietly made an evaluation in her mind about the pair.

Hmm.

The gaze Zhu Pingniang gives her, she can still understand... But as she compliments, some real feelings inadvertently slip out, because what she's saying is indeed true.

"Ever since you came, Beisang City has improved. Without you... I can't imagine what life would be like now."

The Female Shopkeeper stands up, her slender fingers pouring another hot cup of tea for Zhu Pingniang, speaking softly: "I heard that initially, the area south of the city was wasteland. Though there were no demon disasters, people lived difficult lives. Otherwise... I wouldn't have been sold here."

This place was originally a brothel, and Zhu Pingniang merely improved its rules.

"The girls are much like you." Zhu Pingniang says nostalgically, she once never imagined that one day she'd become a person who buys and sells girls every day.

The Female Shopkeeper smiles, then says: "Actually, looking back now, it's not really selling. They also had no choice, at least here they can have the thought of surviving."

"You." Zhu Pingniang cradles the teacup, looking at the shopkeeper who seems as plain as a virtuous woman.

If not for her shop being in the Flower Moon Building area, from her outfit and appearance, her speech could not be seen as having any traces of the past Artiste-Courtesan demeanor.

Zhu Pingniang asks: "Ni Zi, now that you're idle, have you thought that things might be better if you hadn't entered Beisang City back then."

The Female Shopkeeper's fingers tremble slightly, thinking to herself that Ms. Zhu truly hits the nail on the head.

Indeed, should she not detach herself too completely from her surroundings? But after redeeming herself, she really wanted to change to a... completely different environment from the brothel.

"These things... change as people change. Sister asks me, I don't know how to tell you." The Female Shopkeeper says.

"Let's hear it." Zhu Pingniang shows interest.

"..." The Female Shopkeeper remains silent for a while, glances at Xu Chang'an, then sighs.

For the sake of Ms. Zhu's feelings, she reveals some things... so be it.

"When I was a child and first thrown here, all I wanted was to die." The Female Shopkeeper smiles: "But children always aren't afraid of dying."

"Don't flatter yourself." Zhu Pingniang clicks her tongue, pointing to the Female Shopkeeper's face: "This girl was very timid as a child, crying nine days out of ten, how could she not be afraid to die."

"Sis."

The Female Shopkeeper doesn't blush at having her dark past exposed, simply lifts the teacup to cover half of her face, "When feeling distressed, not even finding a hair tie could make me cry without concern... whether I was afraid or not at that time."

"True enough, what girl knowing she's going into a brothel wouldn't be timid." Zhu Pingniang squints her eyes: "So then, how did you get used to it later."

The Female Shopkeeper states: "Sometimes wanting to die is a very easy thing, but since meeting you, it's not so easy anymore."

She survived because of the sister before her.

On the journey, there's always someone, like a lighthouse in the sea fog, guiding her to find clear direction.

"Stop it." Zhu Pingniang sounds dismissive: "Tell the truth."

"This is the truth, it's just not what you want to hear." The Female Shopkeeper lightly sighs, then rests her cheek while smiling: "I only wanted to survive in Beisang City, any way possible, any cost acceptable, dreaming of entering the Flower Moon Building as an artiste... back then thought entering the Flower Moon Building would allow wearing beautiful clothes, eating good food, wearing warmth in winter... And that's how it turned out."

"..."

"Are you satisfied, Sister?" the Female Shopkeeper asks.

"Mm." Zhu Pingniang responds.

The Female Shopkeeper slightly gathers courage, holds Zhu Pingniang's hand before her, softly says: "Sister, actually there aren't that many requirements in the world, just staying alive is enough."

Staying alive is enough.

Zhu Pingniang gazes at her indulgently, nodding: "That's right, staying alive is enough... But I remember you weren't as listless as now, you once had ambitions, the girl who wouldn't sleep night and day to learn the qin, where has she gone?"

"Redeemed myself, and I'm still not allowed to slack off." The Female Shopkeeper sulks.

"Your goal? Because of your current attitude, your girls want to emulate you." Zhu Pingniang pinches her hand: "In the world, is there anyone like you as a mother?"

Though they were girls sold into the brothel, she took one to be a foster daughter, yet she calls her 'Mother' nonetheless.

"Goal?" The Female Shopkeeper smiles, seriously says: "Sister, what do you mean by goal? I don't quite understand."

There's a pause in her tone.

"The sisters who come to drink tea with me don't know where to go, because the roads ahead are always too many or too few, so you say... what goal should I have, or rather, Sister thinks what's wrong with the girl wanting to be an Artiste-Courtesan."

Zhu Pingniang does not respond.

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