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

"We fell in love, and he said he would marry me after he passed the imperial examination."

Shen Qing spoke succinctly, paused, and then added, "Last night after closing up shop, he suddenly told me that he had found someone he loved and wanted to sever all ties with his past relationship."

Zhao Wan was slightly taken aback. No wonder, no wonder Song Wenqian returned so late yesterday and was covered in cold sweat.

So it turns out you did something wrong.

"So... before yesterday... you were still waiting for him..." Zhao Wan frowned deeply.

She never expected that Song Lang, who appeared to be a refined and ambitious man, would be two-timing her.

Isn't this just deceiving her feelings?

Shen Qing smiled indifferently: "Men are always unreliable, not even as reassuring as a basket of steamed buns. I have never taken his promises seriously."

The original owner of this body was the one who had been waiting for Song Wenqian, but the original owner had already passed away.

For her, a good cooking skill is more reliable than a man.

Zhao Wan was taken aback. She hadn't expected Shen Qing to be so open-minded. In all her years of life, this was the first time she had met a woman like Shen Qing.

Of course, she never thought of relying on a man, because her family was wealthy and her parents and brother were her greatest support.

Shen Qing's magnanimity and breadth of mind in setting up a stall alone is truly admirable.

"Thank you, otherwise I don't know how long I would have been fooled by Song Wenqian."

Zhao Wan smiled. She liked Song Wenqian because she liked his scholarly air and his pride in having lofty ambitions despite being poor.

Only today did I realize that Song Wenqian was only poor, lacking both ambition and arrogance.

In an instant, the initial surge of energy dissipated considerably.

"You're welcome, your steamed buns are ready."

Zhao Wan smiled and nodded, picked up two baskets of crystal soup dumplings filled with grilled cheese and onion, and walked straight towards Zhao Cheng.

The intense aroma that hits you makes your mouth water and your pores feel refreshed.

"Little sister, this smells amazing! This new flavor is so wonderful, it's even more amazing than the other fillings! It's so delicious!"

Zhao Cheng kept stuffing food into his mouth, his cheeks bulging and his mouth covered in soup, completely disregarding his appearance.

Zhao Wan slowly picked up a steamed bun, took a gentle bite, and the rich, piping hot soup gushed out, the complex aroma of onions and cheese fully releasing in her mouth.

It gives people a feeling of warmth and solidity, a sense of security and peace of mind.

Madam Shen is right. Sometimes, a steamed bun is more reassuring than a man.

......

Shen Qing quickly put Song Wenqian's matter out of her mind and continued to busy herself, rolling out dough and steaming buns with great efficiency.

Steaming baskets of crystal-clear xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) were being cooked one after another, filling the air with their aroma, making the whole street smell wonderful.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Shen Qing shouted.

It turned out that a dirty hand had secretly reached into the steamer, which contained freshly steamed crystal soup dumplings filled with fresh pork.

Following the dirty hand, there was a dark face, gray hair, tattered clothes, and a disheveled appearance.

He looked like an old beggar.

"Don't touch the steamed buns!"

The old beggar ignored Shen Qing's shouts, picked up the steamed bun, and was about to run away.

"Stop him!"

"Thief who stole the steamed buns, don't let him get away!"

"Everyone, stop him!"

"..."

The diners in line stepped forward and quickly surrounded the old beggar.

The old beggar looked around, a bitter expression on his face.

His eyes darted around, and after a while, he turned to Shen Qing and said, "Your steamed buns smell so good, I just couldn't resist."

"This isn't stealing, it's borrowing. I'll borrow a basket of steamed buns today, and I'll repay you tenfold another day!"

"Everyone, please disperse, please disperse. It's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I'll be going now, I'll be going now..."

Shen Qing stepped forward and asked, "May I ask, sir, which day do you mean by 'another day'?"

"Hmm... well, specifically..."

"It's clearly theft, not borrowing! I think you should be handed over to the authorities immediately!"

The old beggar's expression hardened: "It's clearly a loan. Don't look down on me. I have plenty of money, but I've just spent it all recently. I'll definitely pay you back tenfold another day."

Upon hearing this, those around him burst into laughter.

"You old beggar pretending to be rich? Bah!"

"Do you know how much a basket of crystal soup dumplings costs at Madam Shen's? Forty coins! Ten times that is four hundred coins. I bet you can't even come up with four coins."

"Anyone who dares to steal Madam Shen's steamed buns should be turned over to the authorities!"

"..."

Shen Qing frowned slightly. After a while, her eyes brightened slightly, and she said, "Never mind, it's just a basket of buns. I won't make a fuss about it."

"But, are you really serious about repaying me tenfold?"

"Of course it's true!" the old beggar said, head held high. "I keep my word and never go back on my word!"

Although he did intend to steal it, he would never go back on his word once he had spoken.

After all, making money—no, making money—was a very easy thing for him.

Shen Qing smiled and said, "If that's the case, then please sit down and eat. Be careful, it's hot."

The old beggar looked at Shen Qing suspiciously, and when he looked at the people around him, he raised his head high again.

He sat down in his seat with a serious expression, holding a crystal xiaolongbao (soup dumpling).

"Madam Shen, this old beggar is definitely a liar, don't be fooled."

"Yes, with his appearance, how could he possibly repay you ten times the amount?"

"Don't be fooled by a beggar!"

"..."

The surrounding diners began to persuade him to stop, as they had already been captivated by Shen Qing's crystal soup dumplings, and many of his former crispy fried chicken customers were also present.

For these guests, it was more distressing to see Shen Qing being deceived than for them to be deceived themselves.

Shen Qing smiled and said, "Thank you all. However, I think that old man is a trustworthy person. Even if I was wrong, it was just a basket of buns. He did all of it for charity."

As she approached, she noticed a herbal scent emanating from the old man.

Despite being dressed in rags, there was no foul smell; instead, there was a herbal scent, which reminded her of the ghost doctor the doctor had mentioned before.

She had always wanted to find the Ghost Doctor to cure Shen's mother's eyes.

However, having heard that the ghost doctor's treatments often required several hundred taels of gold, she did not search for it when she came to the ghost market to set up her stall.

The main problem is that we don't have enough money on hand right now.

Today, this old beggar smells strongly of herbs; he might very well be the legendary Ghost Doctor.

Using a basket of steamed buns to befriend the Ghost Doctor is a good deal. When she has enough money, it will be easier to hire the Ghost Doctor later.

Even if it's wrong, it doesn't matter, it's just a basket of steamed buns.

But what if he really is a ghost doctor?