The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 456 Life and Death (Part 7)

Jiang Huiqin stayed in the kitchen until the yam cake was finally steamed. She originally wanted to wait until the yam cake was done, but the young lady arrived early, and she had to go to the front hall to greet her.

Adhering to the principle of "since we're already here," Jiang Huiqin tried a red bean paste bun made by Zhao Cheng'an before leaving, and left a comment:
"It's too sweet, and a bit hard."

Zhao Cheng'an was so angry that he jumped up and down on the spot, muttering under his breath, "Where were my steamed buns hard? Huiqin is slandering me!"

They've even learned to use the word "slander" now; it seems Zhao Cheng'an has taken some cultural lessons these past two years.

Chen Qiusheng said quietly, "Her brother is Jiang Chengde, and her sister-in-law is Qin Wan. Qin's Pastry Shop's signboard is all kinds of pastries, so isn't it normal that she thinks your pastries aren't good?"

Zhao Cheng'an stopped talking and instead stared at the yam cake in the pot. He asked, "Master Chen, Miss Fen is too young to finish such a big portion of yam cake, is she? I'm going to steal something outside the city tonight and don't have time to stake it out. Could you help me stake it out and pick it up the moment it falls on the ground so I can take it back tonight?"

Chen Qiusheng: ...

Qin Huai felt that Chen Qiusheng was already questioning the meaning of life.

Chen Qiusheng was indeed questioning his existence, remaining silent for a full five minutes before slowly asking, "This year... so early?"

"Yes, I just received the news yesterday. Last night, a lot of human traffickers gathered outside the city to sell people. They've changed locations, but I can still find them even if they've moved. I can dig them up even if they bury sweet potatoes underground."

"I've already asked the manager for leave. I'll leave the city as soon as it gets dark and try to be back before midnight. Master Chen, could you help me pick it up..."

"Impossible." Chen Qiusheng refused decisively.

Zhao Cheng'an turned away in disappointment, but his eyes lit up when he saw Xia Sheng returning with two cabbages. He went up to him and asked, "Xia Sheng, are you free to help me pick yam cakes tonight?"

"No." Xia Sheng didn't quite understand what Zhao Cheng'an was talking about, and clearly he didn't want to understand, so he simply refused and continued working expressionlessly.

Zhao Cheng'an could only slack off in disappointment.

He was the most unique pastry chef in the kitchen, doing the work of a pastry chef while only receiving the wages of an assistant. Because the pay wasn't much, and because he was Chen Qiusheng's man, no one would force him to do work that wasn't his responsibility.

In addition, Zhao Cheng'an was actually the old lady's personal pastry chef. Only the old lady liked the pastries he made. The other masters had a normal sense of taste and thought they were too sweet. If they wanted pastries, they had to specifically say they didn't want them made. This meant that Zhao Cheng'an was actually quite idle.

Qin Huai could tell that Zhao Cheng'an was tempted to sneak a snack while slacking off, but his professional ethics made him hold back.

Zhao Cheng'an had a very good principle when stealing—

I don't steal from the owner.

With nothing to do and no desire to do extra work, Zhao Cheng'an simply watched Xia Sheng work from the side.

Xia Sheng and Zhao Cheng'an are two complete opposites.

Both men received the same wages, but Xia Sheng was undoubtedly a jack-of-all-trades, doing every kind of work imaginable. He would create opportunities to do even when there was no work available, and he had a keen eye for finding work to do.

Zhao Cheng'an watched as Xia Sheng continuously chopped ingredients, tended the fire, added firewood, and occasionally prepared seasonings, cooked, and monitored the heat. Zhao Cheng'an couldn't help but ask, "Xia Sheng, aren't you tired?"

Xia Sheng gave Zhao Cheng'an a speechless look, his tone even carrying a hint of earnest advice like that of a parent teaching a child: "How can you be tired if you can learn as much as you can while you still can learn a skill?"

“You are living a comfortable life now because your master is taking care of us, but what if your master gets old and has to go back to the border? People always have to think about the future.”

“Once Master Chen returns to the area outside the pass, I won’t have to pay him his wages anymore. By then, Ping An should have already been admitted to university and can work for the government. Then it will be Ping An’s turn to support me.”

Xia Sheng:......

Xia Sheng couldn't help but say, "What if Ping An hadn't gotten into university? What if Ping An hadn't gone to work for the government? What if one day we were like my family back then, suffering three years of drought and having to sell all our land to save a single grain of food, only to end up hanging ourselves with ropes?"

"No, that won't happen," Zhao Cheng'an said confidently. "Xia Sheng, don't worry. Let's put aside the fact that we don't even have any land. Even if one day we're so poor that Master Chen sells all the firewood in the woodshed, we'll never starve to the point of having to hang ourselves. I have a skill; I can steal for you!"

"Actually, I can steal from wealthy families too. I went to the Prince's residence before I even met you..."

Xia Sheng immediately covered Zhao Cheng'an's mouth, signaling him not to say anything he shouldn't.

"What if you get caught stealing?" Xia Sheng asked.

Zhao Cheng'an hadn't thought about this question before. After thinking about it carefully, he said, "If I were beaten to death when I was older, it wouldn't be a loss. But if I were beaten to death like this, it would be a bit of a pity. Yes, Xia Sheng, you're right. If we're going to steal, we can only steal from those slave traders outside the city. We can't easily steal from wealthy families."

"Xia Sheng, you're such a kind person, always thinking of me like this."

Xia Sheng didn't understand, but he was used to it and ignored Zhao Cheng'an, continuing to do his own thing.

Zhao Cheng'an slacked off until sunset. During this time, the old lady's maid came to deliver a message, informing Zhao Cheng'an of the snacks the old lady wanted to eat the next day, and asking Zhao Cheng'an to prepare the ingredients in advance.

Zhao Cheng'an finished his bean rice just in time, before the sun completely set, and then ran wildly out of the city, full of energy.

I stole it all night.

Yes, Qin Huai watched Zhao Cheng'an steal all night.

If Qin Huai had to comment on Zhao Cheng'an's thieving skills, he could only say that under the cover of night, Zhao Cheng'an was virtually unmatched in this field; his thieving skills far surpassed his pastry-making abilities.

Fortunately, Chen Qiusheng and Xia Sheng have kept Zhao Cheng'an under control all these years, otherwise, after the Mad Miss, there would be another legend of a master thief in Beiping.

After a night of hard work and struggle, Zhao Cheng'an had a very fruitful day. Perhaps because he had stolen so much, his horizons had broadened. Unlike before, when he would steal anything, Zhao Cheng'an now stole more to hone his skills and prevent his craft from becoming rusty, making him more selective in his choices.

Meat is a must, whether it's offal or pig's head meat, Zhao Cheng'an will accept it all. Rice bran can be taken occasionally, and sweet potatoes can be chosen according to the situation, with a handful of fresh wild vegetables if available. Coarse grains such as black beans, soybeans, millet, and barley can be taken as much as possible.

Moreover, Zhao Cheng'an no longer ruthlessly exploits people like before. He always leaves some room for maneuver when stealing, so as not to scare people away and prevent them from practicing next year.

In the end, Zhao Cheng'an successfully returned home before midnight, dragging a sack full of goods.

No one in the Chen family slept; they all sat in the main room with lamps lit, waiting for Zhao Cheng'an to return.

The old servant of the Chen family is no longer here; he probably passed away from old age. Chen Ping'an has grown from a child into a teenager. He is not tall, only a little over 1.6 meters, with very fair skin, even a bit pale, and a sickly appearance. It is obvious that he is not in good health.

"Ping An, why aren't you asleep yet? Don't you have to go to school tomorrow?" Zhao Cheng'an dragged back a bag full of spoils, excitedly dumping the contents of the sack onto the ground. "I stole something good today, a bag of pig's head meat!"

"Take it to school to eat tomorrow." Chen Ping'an didn't say anything, but carefully looked through the contents of the sack. He was relieved to find that it was all food, no money, and no gold or silver jewelry.

"Father, it's all food," Chen Ping'an said.

Chen Qiusheng then nodded.

"Are you worried I'll steal something else?" Zhao Cheng'an asked casually. "I won't steal anything else. Master Chen told me that if I want to practice by stealing slave traders, I should steal some food, but I must never steal money."

“I didn’t say that,” Chen Qiusheng defended himself. “I said that if you’ve already stolen something, it’s better to steal food than anything else.”

“The Prince’s mansion was burgled tonight,” Xia Sheng said. “I heard that a lot of valuables were stolen, including two pearls. The police station is in chaos, with people all over the city searching for thieves. We were worried that you had been arrested by the police because you hadn’t come back yet, so we’ve been waiting for you at home.”

"Huh? No wonder it was so lively tonight, I kept hearing noises outside. Luckily I avoided the noises." Zhao Cheng'an suddenly realized, and looked somewhat troubled. "So, I can't go out of the city to steal things for the next few days? I went out of the city tonight, and the slave traders had very little stock. It felt like they'd sell out in a few days. I also heard them say that business is getting harder and harder, that taxes are too heavy in many places and everyone has left, so there's not much good stuff left."

Hearing Zhao Cheng'an say this, Chen Qiusheng just sighed and shook his head: "Alas, the world is not good now, we should just live our own lives well. Since it's chaotic outside, you should go less out of the city. Stealing is a skill, but it should only be used as a last resort. Steal less in ordinary times."

"No, it's not that you can steal it."

“Yes, Xia Sheng told me today. Don’t worry, after I get into university and start working for the government, I’ll support you and Brother Xia Sheng,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

"Of course you have to support us. Right now, the three of us are supporting you. Your medicine is too expensive. Xia Sheng and I don't even earn enough to cover your medicine costs in a month. If Master Chen hadn't told me not to steal, I would have wanted to steal from Manager Lu. The wages he pays me are too low."

Chen Qiusheng & Chen Pingan: ...

"Are you hungry?" Chen Qiusheng asked.

Zhao Cheng'an thought for a moment and said, "I'm not hungry, but I can eat."

Chen Qiusheng gave Xia Sheng a look, and Xia Sheng went to the kitchen and brought out the yam cakes that had been kept warm on the stove. There weren't many, just two pieces.

It looks exceptionally good; you can tell at a glance that it wasn't thrown on the ground and then picked up.

"Yam cake!" Zhao Cheng'an exclaimed in surprise, "Master Chen, could you go and pick some for me?"

Chen Qiusheng: ...

"Miss Fen didn't have a good appetite today, so she only ate two pieces of yam cake. I asked Xia Sheng to go find Hui Qin and ask her to specially save two pieces for you."

"If you want something to eat, you don't necessarily have to steal or pick it up. You can just say so. Leftovers are usually shared among us servants. As for good food, most of the masters in the Li family are kind and easy to talk to. Whether it's the old lady or Madam Li, they are all good people, not to mention that Young Madam Huiqin has known us for so many years."

“If you want something, just say it. If you can’t figure it out with your brain, you can ask Xia Sheng. If Xia Sheng can’t handle it, you can ask me. Don’t make decisions on your own, like picking up things or eavesdropping. The Li family is a good family, but not all families are good families.”

“The bond between us and Huiqin can be used for such small things, but there’s no need to use it all for such small things. Today I asked Xiasheng to ask Huiqin to save two pieces of yam cake for you, and I also asked Xiasheng to bring my recipe for stewed fish to Huiqin, and to find out Miss Fen’s taste so that I can make food that the children like in the future.”

"Your brain is sometimes smart and sometimes not so sharp. Think more before you do things and ask others for advice."

"Ping An has never caused me much worry since he was a child, but you have caused me a lot of worry."

Faced with Chen Qiusheng's fatherly nagging, Zhao Cheng'an simply finished the two yam cakes happily and asked, "Master Chen, there's still half a bag of offal in the sack. Should we boil it or braise it?"

"...eat it braised."

After finishing the yam cake, Zhao Cheng'an noticed that everyone still showed no sign of leaving, and knew that there must be something else to discuss tonight. He asked, "Is there something else important?"

Chen Ping'an said happily, "Father, I told you. He's not stupid at all; he could definitely have guessed it."

Zhao Cheng'an looked at Xia Sheng and keenly noticed a hint of joy and pride on Xia Sheng's otherwise expressionless face. He asked, "Did you get the reward money?"

“My master gave me a new name,” Xia Sheng said, his tone rising slightly.

"I know, what I overheard to tell you this afternoon is that you're getting a new name." Zhao Cheng'an didn't think there was anything wrong with it. "Does it sound good?"

Chen Ping'an took paper and pen from his room and wrote Xia Sheng's new name neatly on the paper.

Qin Huai could guess that Chen Ping'an had written in traditional Chinese characters, but coincidentally, the traditional and simplified Chinese characters for these three characters were the same.

Xia Murui.

"How do you pronounce the character 'Xia...Mu'?" Zhao Cheng'an had taken a little cultural lesson, but not much.

“Xia Mu Rui,” Xia Sheng said. “Young Master Li helped to choose this name. Mu means elegant, gentle, and polite. Rui is a kind of grass mentioned in ancient books, which means bright and prominent. My original name already had the character Sheng in it, because my parents hoped that I would be as vibrant as wild grass and survive. The new name should also reflect my parents’ previous expectations for me, so Young Master Li used the character Rui.”

"Wow!" Zhao Cheng'an exclaimed, sounding completely unaccustomed to the world. "That sounds amazing! Young Master Li, could you help me come up with a name?"

"I want a name that I won't regret using."

Qin Huai was completely stunned when he saw the three characters "Xia Murui" on the table, and had no time to pay attention to what the others were saying.

“I actually thought of a name for you too,” Xia Murui said. “You weren’t satisfied with the names that everyone suggested before. You felt that those names were either too simple, too complicated, didn’t sound good, or were a bit hard to pronounce.”

"You want a name that you feel is meaningful."

“Now that I have a new name, I can give you my old name. You don’t have parents, but I do, and I also have a master. I give you my old name, and I also give you the expectations my parents had for me.”

Do you like this name?

Zhao Chengan exclaimed loudly, "I love it so much! So, shall I be called Xia Sheng from now on?"

Xia Murui: "...There's no need for me to take your surname. Do you even have one?"

"No, but I can take Ping An's surname. Anyway, Ping An will take care of me in the future, so I'll take Ping An's surname!"

"Great! I have a name now! I'll be called Chen Sheng from now on!"

With Zhao Cheng'an's excited shout, Qin Huai left the dream.

(End of this chapter)