"No need, I can take it myself. You can go about your business."
Cai Wei promptly dismissed the shop assistant’s kindness. She was about to take these things she bought to a secluded place and put them in the Space. If the shop assistant followed her, how could she do it?
"Well, take care, Miss. You’re always welcome to come again...."
Carrying a huge heap of spoils, Cai Wei left amidst the shop assistant’s enthusiastic thanks.
As she walked, she suddenly felt that something was not quite right; she kept feeling like there was someone following her.
"Brother Ying, can you help me check whether someone is tracking me, and find out who it is?"
Brother Ying flew out. In the broad street, a bird suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but no one paid any attention.
"Master, I’ve checked. It’s a female beggar. She doesn’t know kungfu; she’s just a beggar."
Cai Wei was relieved.
She must have seen Cai Wei giving Doggie some money earlier and wanted to beg from her. Yet, she didn’t beg and even kept following her. Why?
Walking into an obscure dead-end, Cai Wei stored away all the goods into the Space, then entered the Space herself and looked outside from within the Space.
Outside, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old female beggar had stealthily followed her from behind. When she didn’t see Cai Wei’s trace upon entering the alley, she was so surprised that she couldn’t close her mouth. Eventually, she clumsily jumped up, looked beyond the walls on both sides, trying to figure out if Cai Wei had climbed over the wall to leave.
"Ha ha ha, this clumsy fool——"
Brother Ying opened his sharp beak and started laughing loudly.
Cai Wei didn’t laugh though, for she saw anxiety written all over the face of the female beggar, her not-so-large eyes filled with tears.
Unable to find Cai Wei after a long search, the female beggar became disheartened and drooped her head, then started to walk towards the entrance of the alley.
"Are you looking for me?"
Cai Wei, crossing her arms, stood behind her and asked her coldly.
Hearing the sudden voice, the female beggar turned her head abruptly. Seeing Cai Wei who appeared out of nowhere, she was startled. She covered her mouth, pointing at Cai Wei. She stammered, ’you, you, you...’ for a while but was unable to finish her sentence.
Cai Wei said coldly, "If I were you, I wouldn’t bother guessing about some irrelevant things. The most important thing is your own affairs!"
Hearing this, the female beggar swallowed hard and said with difficulty, "You’re right, miss!"
"Say it, what do you need from me?"
The female beggar blushed upon hearing these words and became too shy to speak.
Seeing how she kept hesitating as if she was too shy to speak, Cai Wei responded indifferently, "Since you won’t speak, I shall leave then; I’m very busy!"
Having said that, she turned around to walk outside the alley.
Seeing Cai Wei leaving, the female beggar rushed over in panic, taking three steps at a time to block Cai Wei’s path.
"Miss, could you spare me a few copper coins?"
Her face turned redder when she finished speaking, as she looked down at her own toes, looking very embarrassed.
It seemed that she had recently joined the band of beggars and was still feeling ashamed about begging.
Cai Wei looked at her and saw that she was just an average-looking girl, strong and full of energy. If she wanted to earn her living through her own strength, she definitely wouldn’t starve.
However, she chose to beg instead of feeding herself with her own two hands. This was the type of person Cai Wei despised the most.
Cai Wei answered flatly.
The female beggar probably did not expect Cai Wei to refuse her, and her small eyes instantly swelled with tears.
"Aren’t you a good and kind-hearted person? Why won’t you help a poor person like me?"
Cai Wei scoffed, "Aren’t you a capable girl with a strong, healthy body? Why won’t you try to be self-reliant?"
The female beggar swallowed, wiped her tears away, and said, "Miss, many things in this world are not as they seem to be. I can’t explain to you why I can’t be self-reliant, but please believe that I’m not a bad woman."
Having said that, she wiped her tears and left.
After getting rid of the female beggar, Cai Wei followed her memory and found the bun shop where she had first met Doggie.
The buns at this place must have been delicious. Otherwise, so many people would not be queuing up in the cold to buy them. Unfortunately, she lost the buns she bought last time before she could eat them. What a pity for a foodie like her!