I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

In the world of the mountains, besides the cold, all that matters is how to fill one's stomach today, tomorrow, and the day after.

Carrying a small basket and with an open paper umbrella leaning against her shoulder, the white-clad enchantress headed north along a mountain path that no one had ever walked before. Once she left this forest, a small market in human society would be just over ten kilometers away.

She had seen that place from afar in the past, and the impression remained vivid to this day.

In fact, it's not that no one comes to the Ten Thousand Mountains. Herb gatherers often risk coming to the outer areas to collect herbs. Although there are many poisonous insects and wild beasts, and the terrain is rugged and uneven, a slight mistake could lead to their eternal demise. But it's still better than starving to death, and better than their families starving to death as well.

Life is cruel like that; most people don't have a second choice.

Bai Qingyu's steps appeared slow but were actually extremely fast. Nothing could hinder her. Her own demonic aura would repel the surrounding insects and wild beasts. Just as she wasn't worried about snakes crawling into the cave, her aura was equivalent to marking her territory. There were no other demons on the outskirts, and ordinary wild beasts dared not approach.

During the journey, Bai Qingyu frowned slightly, deep in thought.

This world is not the same as the world I know. The culture may not be the same, and the language may not be the same. Even if the languages ​​are the same, there will be certain troubles in communication. In ancient and modern times, the same words may have completely different meanings.

Furthermore, she was unaware of the value of currency, and the herbs she had painstakingly gathered could very well be swindled out of their value.

Bai Qingyu decided that once she arrived at the market, she would double the price no matter what offer was made, and observe the other party's reaction to find out how much her herbs were actually worth.

Thinking of this, she suddenly stopped and looked down at her clothes.

This outfit is a replica of the clothes worn by the child's birth mother. Isn't it a bit too luxurious? And won't my appearance cause any problems? In this world, Bai Qingyu is certain of one thing: being too beautiful is sometimes a sin.

After much thought, Bai Qingyu decided not to change her clothes, but to cover her face with a light veil and to keep the umbrella low in the market to avoid attracting the attention of thieves.

Without further ado, the feathers transformed into a white veil, and Bai Qingyu also broke off a blade of grass to make a hair tie to secure her hair; a low ponytail was better than disheveled hair.

·

Peach Blossom Town is currently holding its annual River God Festival. Legend has it that if you throw a beautiful young woman into the river today to be the River God's wife, the River God will bless everyone with good weather and a good harvest this year, and prevent drought.

Of course, throwing young girls into the river was just a pretext. Most of the time, they would just make a straw figure and throw it in, then offer sacrifices to livestock such as pigs, sheep, cattle, chickens, and ducks. However, half a year ago, a new official took office in the town. The official felt that the weather had become increasingly unpredictable in recent years, and there was even a drought last year. He believed that this was because people were throwing straw figures instead of real young girls.

The river god felt deceived and thus imposed punishment; they must do something to appease the river god's anger.

Not just young girls, but also virgins...

Emerging from the mountains and forests, Bai Qingyu followed the path towards the town not far away. From afar, he saw a procession of people and horses pouring into the town, making a great commotion with gongs and drums. The procession and its people were adorned with red ribbons, with a long red silk trailing from one end to the other, just like a wedding procession.

The bird has excellent eyesight; even from a great distance, Bai Qingyu could clearly see what was happening in the town.

The convoy entered the town, and soon a woman rushed out crying. Looking in the direction the convoy had left, she collapsed to the ground, clutching her handkerchief tightly and sobbing bitterly. Soon a lean man appeared and dragged the woman away.

Bai Qingyu witnessed this scene, but unfortunately, although the bird had good eyesight, its hearing was poor, and it couldn't hear what the woman was shouting.

She also wondered why a wedding procession would come in from outside the town, and why there wasn't even a flower bridge.

"It's probably some kind of custom," Bai Qingyu thought.

After many twists and turns, she traveled quickly and arrived in the town in the morning.

The town was bigger than she had imagined, with bluestone floors everywhere. She didn't know what festival it was, but every household had some kind of grass stuck in their doorway. The streets were bustling with people, with vendors shouting and passersby haggling. In particular, several young children were chasing and playing with rattles or candied hawthorns, laughing and running away into the crowd.

Bai Qingyu then withdrew her gaze, feeling slightly embarrassed.

She really had no resistance to these adorable little ones.

I really want to take it home and raise it...

Restrain yourself, you must restrain yourself!

We're people with kids too, no, we're birds with kids!

She kept repeating this to herself, afraid that her gaze would make the townspeople think she was a child abductor.

In ancient times, catching a child thief was not simply a matter of throwing him into jail; breaking his arms and legs was considered a light punishment.

Bai Qingyu walked down the street in her embroidered shoes, her snow-white figure instantly attracting countless gazes from both sides of the street. Some men turned to look at her, and she accidentally bumped into one of them. Just as she was about to apologize, she realized that the man in front of her was also looking back, because he had stopped in the middle of the road, which was why she bumped into him.

The man covered his nose and started cursing. The man who stopped and turned around immediately cursed back, causing a small commotion.

Actually, Bai Qingyu was thinking too simply, believing that covering her face would solve everything. Little did she know that while one's face can be concealed, one's temperament cannot be hidden.

A person's beauty is not just about their face. There is no shortage of handsome men and beautiful women among the many cultivators in the world, but temperament is the most precious thing. It is mysterious and ethereal yet real. One glance is enough to obscure a woman's appearance, and her temperament, like a quiet orchid blooming in a secluded valley, leaves a lasting impression.

The light veil on her face became a kind of hazy beauty at this special moment.

Noticing this, Bai Qingyu felt extremely helpless. She wondered what kind of interesting expressions the people around her would have if they knew she was a monster.

At this moment, the paper umbrella played a crucial role. The handle slid down, and my head almost touched the umbrella ribs and canopy. Although it affected my vision, it also completely covered my face.

This tactic effectively reduced the number of onlookers, instantly lowering her status from fairy-like to that of a rich young lady. However, even as a rich young lady, she still attracted many men's attention, earning her a lot of eyeballs.

The imagined scenario of a spoiled brat harassing someone and then getting beaten up in the street didn't happen. Perhaps she was lucky and didn't encounter any thugs. Any normal person would just watch from a distance and wouldn't come up to harass her. Bai Qingyu casually found a place that looked like a pharmacy and walked in with light, graceful steps.

The boss was an old man with white hair and beard, muttering something while working on an abacus. Judging from his appearance, he was an extremely shrewd and cunning person.

The boss's eyes lit up when he saw Bai Qingyu enter.

It's not that he's too old to like young girls, but Bai Qingyu's attire clearly indicates that he's a big client.

"Young lady, is there anything you need?" the old man asked in a hoarse voice.

Bai Qingyu walked to the counter, placed the basket directly on it without taking it down, and asked softly, "Do you accept medicine?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper frowned, carefully picked up the few medicinal herbs from the basket, and examined them closely.

Based on his experience, this was definitely the best medicinal herb, and it grew deep in the mountains.

"Young lady, these herbs..." The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, "Are you really going to sell them?"

"Sell." Bai Qingyu was sparing with her words, mainly because she was afraid of saying too much and making a mistake.

Without asking about the origin of the herbs, the shopkeeper frowned and said, "Ten taels..."

"Twenty taels."

“This…” The boss hesitated, but Bai Qingyu remained silent.

"This medicinal herb is precious, but..."

Before the shopkeeper could finish speaking, Bai Qingyu turned to leave, but the shopkeeper quickly interjected, "Miss, eighteen taels, that's really no more!"

A moment later, Bai Qingyu, carrying a small basket, came out with great satisfaction.

The medicinal herbs in the basket had turned into a heavy amount of silver.

The basket was never put down, and the two wings were tucked into the wide sleeves of the clothes, I wonder if the boss noticed.

Judging from the reaction, there was no reaction. It's normal for a rich young lady not to want to show off her skills, right?

Anyway, I finally have money.

"Rattle drum, candied hawthorn berries, and the kid's clothes, hmm, perfect!"

I've almost got a thousand recommendation votes, so I'm asking for more votes. I'm doing the splits for everyone!

hum hum

Book 1: Chapter 8 Unfit to be Parents

Having money makes all the difference. Money is the most important thing in any world. It's a necessity to survive in human society. After having money, Bai Qingyu felt much more relaxed walking. After observing her surroundings, she was certain that her eighteen taels of silver were a considerable fortune.

However, this also served as a reminder to her that it was best not to bring out the medicinal herbs from the depths of the Ten Thousand Mountains; selling some ordinary medicinal herbs would be enough for her to survive.

She didn't want her identity to be exposed. The word "monster" was like a piece of fat meat. Once cultivators smelled the meat, they would swarm around her like flies, determined to kill her. It was as if all monsters in the world deserved to die.

Of course, this is just her current guess. This world is too big. Since there are demons, there should also be cultivators. In a world of immortals and heroes, there is no doubt about how low the status of demons really is.

After wandering around the streets for a while, Bai Qingyu felt somewhat out of place with the world around her. On a bright sunny day, she was holding an umbrella, while most of the people around her were dressed in coarse cloth, whereas she was wearing the finest silk. Moreover, her all-white attire was too eye-catching.

Not to mention the two little bells at her waist that jingled incessantly with her every step.

As Bai Qingyu passed a stall, her eyes were immediately drawn to the candied hawthorns on display. The lean man selling the candied hawthorns saw her stop and gave her a simple smile. "Would you like a skewer of candied hawthorns, young lady? They're freshly made today and absolutely delicious. All the kids around here love my candied hawthorns."

Upon hearing this, Bai Qingyu's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately went over. "Yes, three skewers. The money is here."

She held out a small basket to the man, filled with gleaming silver. It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted by so much money. But one look was enough to tell that the girl in front of him was no ordinary person; she must be a young lady from some wealthy family.

"Wrap it up for me, I'll charge extra," Bai Qingyu added.

In this era, oil paper was more expensive than some fabrics. Normally, a small stall selling candied hawthorns wouldn't have oil paper. But this lean man was a particular person. Bai Qingyu saw that his candied hawthorns were clean and had oil paper next to them, so she came to buy his candied hawthorns.

"okay!"

Three strings of candied hawthorns were wrapped in a piece of oiled paper. Seeing that Bai Qingyu didn't intend to take them herself, the man simply put the candied hawthorns into the basket, then took out a small piece of silver and put a string of copper coins in as change.

Bai Qingyu found it intriguing; how did this man know the value of the broken silver, since there was no price marked on it? Without giving it much thought, she continued walking with her basket, buying a rattle drum and some small toys from several stalls. Looking at these little things, a satisfied smile appeared on Bai Qingyu's face; anyone who didn't know better would think she bought them for herself.

Actually, it's the joy of finally having a toy for the child. This feeling is like a poor mother who unexpectedly strikes the jackpot and buys her young daughter a toy that only city children have. On the way home, she can't help but smile when she thinks about the surprised and delighted look on her daughter's face when she sees the toy.

It's a bit of a hassle not having hands, and it's a pity that the wings can't be taken out either.

The smile was turning into distress, as if someone was blocking the way ahead.

Bai Qingyu looked up and saw that the person blocking her way was neither a local thug nor a rich playboy, but a handsome young man with a frivolous face dressed in a flashy white robe and holding a folding fan, or rather, a "romantic scholar".

"May I ask your name, young lady...?"

Before the handsome young man could finish speaking, Bai Qingyu turned and went into a small shop selling clothing and fabrics.

It turns out that it's not just local thugs who are annoying; those self-proclaimed handsome and learned "talented men" are just as annoying. When they meet, the first thing they ask is, "May I ask your name, how old you are, where you live, and whether you are married?" You can tell what they're thinking at a glance.

Bai Qingyu thought he should go find a snake spirit or a fox spirit, but that didn't work either. In the book, snake spirits and fox spirits mostly liked scholars who studied hard, rather than romantic talents.

Upon entering the store, Bai Qingyu deliberately raised her voice and asked the shop owner, "Do you have any clothes for toddlers? My daughter is just one year old."

The shop owner was a kind-hearted woman. Upon hearing Bai Qingyu's words, she quickly came over. Seeing that Bai Qingyu was a little over 1.5 meters tall, with a petite and graceful figure, and then seeing the stunningly beautiful face under the umbrella, she smiled broadly, but couldn't help feeling sorry for Bai Qingyu.

Such a pretty girl, probably only fifteen or sixteen years old, already has a child, maybe even a year old. I wonder which crazy bastard did such an absurd thing.

It's not uncommon for girls to get married at fourteen, and she herself did too. It was precisely because of this experience that she knew how tragic it was to get married and have children at the age of ten. The past was simply unbearable; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it animalistic.

The proprietress greeted Bai Qingyu warmly, but as she turned around, she couldn't help but glare at the handsome young man outside who, even after hearing Bai Qingyu say that he had a daughter, still refused to give up and wanted to follow her in.

He's already married with children, yet he still likes to flirt with other girls. He's shameless.

"Young lady, my little shop has been here for over ten years, and its reputation is absolutely excellent. If you want ready-made clothes, we do have some in the shop, but you'll have to choose the fabrics yourself. If it's convenient, you can bring your child over to have a set of clothes made to fit."

Most shops offer custom-made products, especially larger shops. They take measurements to determine the size for each customer, then select the fabric, and after paying a deposit, the customer can pick it up on a later date.

After saying that, the proprietress turned to Bai Qingyu and whispered, "Girl, you must not believe a word that scholar outside said. He already has a family. His wife gave birth to a son last year, but he never takes care of her at home. He's always out having fun. His wife is no saint either; she's very close to that salt seller, Qian Laosan."

Bai Qingyu was looking down at the different fabrics in the store when she heard this sentence. Her eyes narrowed and she instinctively extracted the key points of the sentence.

The man is married and had a child last year. Neither he nor his wife are good people; they go out partying every day.