Simultaneous travel: I am rampant in the domestic area

Chapter Title: Please Choose Your Profession
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The mornings in the small town are always refreshing.

The sun is shining brightly, the clouds are beautiful, and the wind is gentle.

At least that's what Chen Ping'an thinks.

Today is a big day for him. He is determined to do his best in front of his boss, make good use of his eloquence, and help his boss sell a couple more wood carvings.

When it was dawn, Russell opened the door, and Chen Ping'an was already waiting there.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Russell asked.

"I've already eaten, two steamed buns." Chen Ping'an grinned, then added after a moment's thought, "Meat buns."

"Eat a balanced diet every day and take good care of your health"—this is written in the employee handbook.

Last night, Russell paid him a month's wages in advance, which really relieved his urgent need, and his mother's illness no longer had to be delayed.

"Very good, very energetic!" Russell encouraged loudly, patted Xiao Ping'an's head, and the two figures, one tall and one short, immediately left Mud Bottle Alley and merged into the gradually bustling crowd.

"Boss, where are we going?" Chen Ping'an asked curiously, following closely beside Russell.

"Looking for a shop." Russell walked with a leisurely pace, his gaze sweeping over the shops lining both sides of the street.

"A...shop?" Chen Ping'an stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening instantly, his face filled with astonishment: "Boss, didn't we sign the contract yesterday?"

He remembered clearly that the piece of paper with his little handprint on it was the proof of his work, the boss said.

But now that the contract has been signed, how come there isn't even a shop?
"Oh, we just moved here not long ago, we haven't had time to buy anything yet," Russell chuckled.

Actually, he initially planned to set up a stall anywhere like Lu Chen, but then he thought, "I can't let others suffer. I'm already a great sword immortal of the fourteenth realm. It's really not right for me to make myself suffer like this."

So he gritted his teeth and made a tough decision to take over a shop here.

Well, let Lu Chen pay for it; he's poor.

Holding Russell's sleeve, Chen Ping'an looked around with some curiosity.

The town has more than 600 households, with their blue-tiled houses of varying heights crammed together.

Mud Bottle Lane is located at the west end of the town, where poor families live in clusters. Chen Ping'an knows every nook and cranny of the area like the back of his hand.

But the closer you get to the town center, the wider the streets become, the more impressive the shops are, and the neater the stone-paved roads are.

Those silk shops, teahouses, and pawnshops with their vermilion gates and high-hanging plaques, and the grand mansions with their spirited shop assistants standing at the entrances, were places Chen Ping'an only dared to glance at from afar and never dared to approach.

"It seems there are no shops for rent around here." Xiao Ping'an observed for a while but didn't see any rental listings.

"It's alright, it'll be ready soon," Russell said confidently.

Before long, the master and apprentice arrived at Lu Chen's fortune-telling stall.

"Huh? What's going on here?" Lu Chen teased Chen Ping'an for a moment, then turned to look at Russell.

“Xiao Ping’an is now my helper in the shop,” Russell said with a smile, and Chen Ping’an nodded along like a chicken pecking at rice.

"Tsk, then I wish you success in finding your new disciple in advance." Lu Chen chuckled, but he quickly realized what he meant and asked, "Speaking of which, where did you get your shop?"

“Yes, where’s my shop?” Russell countered.

"Your mother..." Lu Chen stared wide-eyed in disbelief, pointing at himself and then at Russell, his arm trembling uncontrollably: "You're trying to hook up with me, aren't you!?"

"Our relationship is so close, why talk about being dependent on each other?" Russell said, patting Chen Ping'an's head. "Strictly speaking, he's still your grand-disciple, aren't you going to give him some kind of gift?"

"How come I never realized you were so shameless?" Lu Chen gritted his teeth, tears welling in his eyes.

“Shameless what?” Russell said irritably, “I didn’t ask you to pay. Just give me a place and I’ll go buy it myself.”

"Hey! You should have said so earlier! Why didn't you tell me something so important sooner!" Lu Chen immediately beamed and stood up from behind the stall with a grin.

The three of them arrived at Qilong Lane, and following Lu Chen's instructions, Russell arrived at the door of a small shop.

This is a small shop facing the street. The door is old and dark, and the mulberry paper pasted on the window frame has several holes.

There was no sign at the entrance, but a yellowed piece of paper was pasted on the door panel with the words "Closed for Sale, House for Urgent Sale" written in crooked characters.

The shop's location wasn't the best, but it was close to Mud Bottle Alley and had a small back room and a tiny courtyard.

Russell knocked on the door.

The man who opened the door was a middle-aged man with a worried look on his face. He was wearing a worn silk jacket with shiny cuffs and a dejected expression of business failure.

After a brief chat, the man was eager to get rid of the unprofitable shop, and Russell offered a generous price. In just a few hours, the contract was signed, and several heavy silver ingots were handed to the man. The small shop, along with the cramped living quarters behind it, changed owners.

"What a rich man..." Lu Chen clicked his tongue in amazement.

Russell ignored him completely, and with a wave of his hand, Chen Ping'an led the four immortal soldiers—broom, mop, rag, and dustpan—into the room.

The shop was empty, covered with a thin layer of dust, with only a few old tables, chairs and benches leaning askew.

The afternoon sun slanted in through the broken window frame, and dust motes danced in the beams of light.

Chen Ping'an stood in the center of the shop, rolled up his sleeves, drew water from the well in the backyard, and began to work busily.

"Have you decided on this kid?" Lu Chen asked quietly, referring naturally to the fact that the little guy's natal porcelain had been broken.

Once your natal porcelain breaks, you basically can't see the road ahead.

He took Russell to Mud Bottle Alley purely to keep an eye on that Mr. Sanshan Jiuhou, but he never expected that this kid named Chen Ping'an would get this destiny.

“It’s time to take on an apprentice.” Russell said with a hint of pride, “I think he’s quite good; don’t even think about taking him away.”

"Tch..." Lu Chen curled his lip and leisurely walked away with his hands behind his back.

Before long, the interior of the shop was cleaned and looked brand new.

"That's about it for the morning. Let's go eat." Russell looked around the shop with satisfaction, locked the door, and left with Xiao Ping'an.

In the small town, the pastries from the New Year's gift shops in Qilong Lane, Huang Erniang's wine shop, and Mao Da Niang's steamed bun shop are all famous for their high quality and low prices. Since my own shop is located in Qilong Lane, I can have enough pastries from the New Year's gift shops from now on.

People were coming and going at the entrance of the New Year's gift shop.

As Russell and Chen Ping'an approached, they saw a burly man carrying a beautifully dressed girl on his shoulder, standing at the end of the line.

The little girl had a round face and big, bright eyes.

"Xiao Ping'an, come and meet our neighbor." Russell patted Chen Ping'an on the shoulder, gesturing for him to come forward and say hello.

Both were located in Qilong Lane. The shop owned by Russell was only a dozen steps away from Ruan Qiong's blacksmith shop. Strictly speaking, they could be considered neighbors.

Hearing the voice behind him, Ruan Qiong turned around, his gaze falling on Russell, his expression slightly solemn.

He put his daughter down and solemnly bowed to Russell.

Anyone who sees a newly promoted 14th-realm Great Sword Immortal must give him the most basic respect.

“Mr. Ruan, we’ll be neighbors from now on,” Russell said with a nod and a warm tone.

"Neighbors?" Ruan Qiong asked, puzzled.

“I’m planning to open a wood carving shop in Qilong Lane. This little guy is the assistant I’ve hired. Xiao Ping’an, say hello to Mr. Ruan.” Russell patted Chen Ping’an on the shoulder.

Chen Ping'an immediately followed Ruan Qiong's example and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting. Ruan Qiong glanced at Chen Ping'an; he had heard a little about the little guy's experiences.

However, he couldn't quite figure out what Luo Jianxian meant.

They were called "waiters," but in reality, they were disciples who hadn't even begun their training.

"Ping An, go pick out some things you like." Seeing that the line was almost over, Russell turned to Chen Ping An and said, "Get some soft ones for your mother too."

"Okay!" Chen Ping'an replied and jogged into the store.

"Xiuxiu, go and take a look too. Help yourself to whatever you want to eat," Ruan Qiong said gently to her daughter.

Ruan Xiu couldn't wait any longer. As soon as her father gave the order, she rushed in.

In truth, Ruan Qiong didn't have much to chat about with Russell, but since they had already met, he felt he should at least say a few words.

While the two adults were exchanging pleasantries as neighbors, inside the shop, the two children had already formed a friendship.

In the New Year's gift shop, the dazzling array of pastries and desserts, radiating an alluring glow and sweet aroma, overwhelmed Chen Ping'an, who had rarely been here before. He was momentarily at a loss, unsure of which to choose.

He carefully pointed to a few less fancy-looking pastries, silently calculating the total cost of each one.

Ruan Xiuze, like a happy little butterfly, was already familiar with the way she moved around in front of the counter.

She found it amusing to see Chen Ping'an standing there with his face tense.

Looking at the items he was pointing to, they were all the most ordinary and cheapest snacks.

"Hey!" Ruan Xiu leaned close to Chen Ping'an, her voice as clear as a silver bell: "That sesame cake is no good, it's so dry! This one! This pine nut and lily bulb pastry is so delicious! It's fragrant and sweet!"

She stood on tiptoe, her delicate white finger pointing to a plate of pastries adorned with pine nuts and sugared lilies high on the counter.

Chen Ping'an looked in the direction she was pointing. The pastry was small and exquisite, and looked extremely expensive.

He instinctively shrank back and whispered, "Too expensive."

Ruan Xiu, however, did not care at all. She blinked her big eyes and suddenly picked up a small, equally delicate plum blossom-shaped cake from the plate next to her, which was cut up and offered to guests for tasting.

She stretched out her little hand and, without saying a word, cheerfully stuffed the small pastry directly into Chen Ping'an's slightly open mouth.

"Try it! It's delicious!" Ruan Xiu smiled, her eyes crinkling, looking as proud as if she were showing off a treasure.

Chen Ping'an was completely stunned.

My mouth was instantly filled with a delicate, soft, and incredibly sweet flavor.

The sweetness spread from the tip of his tongue all the way to his heart, making him freeze and his mind go blank.

He stared blankly at the pastry, forgetting to chew or speak, his little face turning bright red, like a boiled shrimp.

Outside the shop, Ruan Qiong, who was chatting and laughing with Russell, glanced inside as usual and happened to see this lightning-fast scene unfold.

His once magnanimous, smiling square face instantly froze, his eyes widening as if he had seen a mud-covered wild boar suddenly dart into his carefully tended cabbage patch.

An unnamed rage shot straight to the top of his head.

He glanced at Russell instinctively, only to find that Russell had already looked away.

Hmm, this rock really does look like a rock...

"Cough! Xiuxiu!" Ruan Qiong couldn't hold back any longer. He didn't care that Russell was still there. He suddenly shouted, his voice changing tone. He rushed into the shop and scooped up Ruan Xiu, who was still smiling and confused.

"Dad?" Ruan Xiu was startled by her father's sudden action, and almost dropped the half-eaten pastry in her small hand.

Ruan Qiong, carrying her daughter, hurried out of the shop as if fleeing.

As he passed by Russell, he forced a very unnatural, even somewhat awkward smile onto his still somewhat stiff face: "I'll have a detailed chat with Brother Russell next time."

Before he finished speaking, he had already carried Ruan Xiu away in a long stride.

You could still faintly hear him speaking to his daughter in a low voice as he walked.

Russell stood there, watching Ruan Qiong's hurried departure, and a gentle smile finally bloomed on his face.

Upon entering the shop, Chen Ping'an remained frozen in place. He had unconsciously swallowed the plum blossom cake, his face still flushed, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness. Seeing Russell enter, he asked somewhat guiltily, "Boss, have I caused trouble?"

"No." Russell pinched Chen Ping'an's thin cheeks and gave him a thumbs up: "Well done, kid, you're one of them."

"Huh?" Chen Ping'an was stunned, completely unaware of what had happened.

……

In the afternoon, when Chen Ping'an returned to the shop after delivering lunch to his mother, there were already more than a dozen wood carvings of various sizes on the shelves.

Russell called Chen Ping'an over and pointed to several wooden carvings on the table, asking him which one he liked best.

Chen Pingan looked up and saw that the wood carvings were all different in appearance.

There were martial artists brandishing their fists, Taoist priests entwined with talismans, sword immortals wielding flying swords, deities wielding the four elements of thunder, and generals carrying halberds...

There are eleven in total, each with its own unique characteristics.

"Just pick one, it's just for fun."

Seeing Chen Ping'an's serious expression, Russell couldn't help but chuckle.

It wasn't that I was just choosing for fun, but I really just picked randomly.

He imbued these wood carvings with Daoist principles, and Chen Ping'an would only choose the ones most suitable for him.

Regardless of which one he chooses, Russell is confident he can teach him very well.

Whether it's Chen Shu, Chen Quan, or Chen Ping'an choosing for themselves, they probably wouldn't be willing to sit at this gambling table.

Besides, with Russell around, it doesn't really matter whether he's one or the other; at worst, he can cleave this world in two with a single sword strike.

"You can choose multiple options as well." Seeing that Chen Ping'an was still hesitating, Russell added.

"Ok."

Having said all that, Chen Ping'an naturally wouldn't hesitate any longer.

He chose two of them.

Besides the sword immortal, there is also a healer who saves lives.

"Why did you choose this?" Russell asked curiously.

“This can heal Mother,” Chen Ping’an first pointed to the healer, then to the sword immortal: “This can protect Mother.”

"Then why not choose this one?" Russell asked, pointing to the soldier and the general. "Aren't these two more reassuring?"

"I think this one looks better." Chen Ping'an rarely showed his childlike side, and he chuckled.

"You brat." Russell chuckled.

Fortunately, I chose the Sword Immortal.

Otherwise, if a great swordsman's disciple were to become a martial artist, it would truly be a laughing stock for countless people. (End of Chapter)