Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

Gu Qionghua followed Shen Qing to a courtyard.

It's a very ordinary courtyard.

There were no steps or magnificent stone lions at the entrance, only a very ordinary wooden door.

clap clap-

Shen Qing raised her hand and knocked on the door a few times.

A short while later, a noisy chattering sound arose:

"Someone's knocking! Quick, go open the door!"

"Do the Beggars' Sect brothers want to see us?"

"I'll go, I'll go!"

"..."

Gu Qionghua frowned slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the noise.

Moreover, the term "Beggars' Sect" made her feel somewhat apprehensive and worried.

Shen Qing explained from the side, "The children are a bit noisy, please don't mind them."

"They were a group of pitiful children, without parents, who could only beg on the streets. I felt sorry for them, so I took them in to work at the restaurant."

These words were an explanation, and also a clear statement to Gu Qionghua that this group of children used to be beggars.

In an instant, Gu Qionghua remembered that day when a dirty little beggar had soiled her clothes.

The little beggar was filthy and smelly, his clothes were tattered, and he was disheveled.

Does this mean she'll have to associate with these people from now on?

Gu Qionghua's face turned pale, and she unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes with both hands.

But she gritted her teeth and said, "It's fine. It's more lively living with a group of kids."

Shen Qing looked at Gu Qionghua's pale face, nodded slightly, and said nothing more.

crunch--

The door opened.

The child's voice became even more eager and excited:

"Sister Shen, it's actually Sister Shen!!!"

"Sister Shen is here! Sister Shen is here!!"

"..."

All the children rushed over, their faces beaming with smiles and their eyes brimming with undisguised joy.

These children were dressed neatly and cleanly, and did not look like beggars at all.

Gu Qionghua visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, at least she wasn't really living with a beggar.

Upon entering the courtyard, Shen Qing introduced the children, saying, "This is our restaurant's new employee; you can call her Sister Gu."

"Sister Gu?"

"Sister Gu, I remember you. You're the second most beautiful sister in the world!"

"Sister Gu, your clothes are so beautiful!"

"..."

The group of children immediately surrounded Gu Qionghua again, their eyes filled with curiosity.

They had assumed Gu Qionghua was Shen Qing's guest and hadn't dared to approach her, but now that they heard she was a restaurant employee like them, the children felt a sense of kinship.

Gu Qionghua was at a loss, and the panic in her heart completely overwhelmed the pain she had just felt.

She had always been high and mighty, and even the maids and servants around her were always respectful and dared not overstep their bounds.

She had never been squeezed in the middle of a group of people like this before.

She instinctively wanted to shout "How dare you!"

But I managed to hold back.

"I...you...hello..."

Shen Qing couldn't help but laugh and spoke up to defuse the situation, saying, "Alright, your Sister Gu isn't quite used to it yet. I'll take her to see the house first. You guys go and have some fun."

"Yes, yes, I'm not used to it yet. I'll play with you guys after I get used to it..." Gu Qionghua looked helpless.

"Sister Gu lives in the same courtyard as us!"

"That's great! I like Sister Gu!"

"Sister Shen, Sister Gu, you can both be busy, I'll take them to learn to read!" Baozi patted his chest, looking very reliable.

As beggars, they naturally had some bad habits, so Shen Qing specially found a tutor for them to teach them.

The restaurant only opens in the afternoon, and these children all need to attend classes in the morning. As for the rest of their time, they can arrange it themselves.

"Okay, go quickly."

Shen Qing smiled, dismissed the children, and then led Gu Qionghua to a house.

"You can live here from now on."

The room was small, containing only a small bed and a square table; nothing else.

Gu Qionghua's pupils dilated slightly; clearly, the simplicity of the room shocked her.

"This...this..."

Is this habitable?

Even the servants in the princess's residence have better rooms than this.

This place is completely uninhabitable!

"What? You think it's too simple?" Shen Qing kept watching Gu Qionghua's expression.

Gu Qionghua bit her lower lip: "This...this is really uninhabitable."

"Why can't we live here? At least this house can keep us out of the wind and rain."

"When my family was poor, my mother and I lived in a dilapidated house that leaked wind and rain. This is much better than our old house."

"Those children used to sleep in dilapidated temples and on the streets. This kind of house is like a house for gods to them."

"Of course, it can't compare to your mother's princess residence."

Shen Qing spread his hands, his tone utterly matter-of-fact.

Making a decision is simple; it only takes a moment. You grit your teeth, steel your resolve, and the decision is made.

But only when you actually bear the consequences can you truly understand the meaning of what you've lost.

Gu Qionghua fell silent.

For a moment, she even considered running away.

Madam Shen is right; the house may be small, but it's not dilapidated.

It's at most a bit rudimentary.

But she felt uncomfortable just being in this room.

Not to mention that we'll be living here in the future.

"Or if you want to back out..."

"I won't go back on my word," Gu Qionghua said instinctively.

"But..." she said somewhat embarrassedly, "could you please add some toiletries and grooming supplies for me?"

"That's no problem. I'll have someone go to the street and buy you a basin, a bathtub, and a few towels."

Gu Qionghua: "..."

She felt like crying.

"Alright, I need to go back early. Remember to be at the restaurant on time tomorrow."

Shen Qing ignored Gu Qionghua's increasingly unpleasant expression and left her there.

A simple house, and her loneliness.

As soon as Shen Qing left, Gu Qionghua couldn't hold back any longer.

She crouched down, buried her head in her arms, and burst into tears.

She didn't want to stay here.

She wanted to go back to the princess's residence, back to her own courtyard.

Her bed was soft and comfortable, her bathtub was large and beautiful, and she had several boxes of jewelry for dressing.

Just a moment ago I was so determined to give up, but now I'm already missing those things.

"No, we can't go back. Once we've made a decision, we can't go back on it..."

Gu Qionghua cried as she tried to convince herself.

"The contract has been signed; we can't be untrustworthy."

"I wonder if my mother would feel sorry for me if she saw me like this..."

"..."