As Zhao Yan took out more and more things, Lin Xi Hang stared, his eyes wide with surprise. There was a plumb bob, a brush, yellow talismans, a compass, and candles.
"Why do you have so many things?" he exclaimed.
"Because this bag has a space talisman," Zhao Yan replied.
"A… space talisman?"
Then, as if struck by a realization, he slapped his forehead. "Is it like Doraemon's Fourth-Dimensional Pocket?"
"It's not that magical. My space is very small," Zhao Yan said, gesturing with her hands, which weren't long enough. She scratched her head and pointed to the inside of the car. "It's about the size of your car."
Lin Xi Hang was stunned for a good while, his mouth agape as if an egg could fit inside. He thought that if he had such a talisman, it would save him a lot of trouble.
Before he could speak, Zhao Yan seemed to understand what he was thinking and raised her hand, making a cross sign.
"No way! No way!"
"Space talismans are not for sale, and I only have one. No amount of money will change that."
Lin Xi Hang gave a wry smile. "Alright then."
After returning to the Lin residence, Zhao Yan rested for two days.
Without the Yin Weng draining Lin Xi Hang's yang energy, his complexion improved significantly.
The Lin mother and son were very grateful and specially invited several renowned chefs to their home for a meal.
The meal lasted for two to three hours. Seeing that so many dishes were left uneaten, Zhao Yan almost suggested packing them up.
After the meal, Zhao Yan returned to her room to pack her backpack. She was ready to leave the Lin family.
She strongly disagreed with the old man's words.
Why should one rely on a man when they have hands and feet?
No one can be relied upon except oneself.
Today, someone might call you "dear," but tomorrow they might call you a shrew.
"Alright, Auntie Lin, you don't need to see me off," Zhao Yan said, walking over and giving Lin's mother a gentle hug.
"Yan Yan, come and stay with me for a few days when you have time. It feels so quiet without you," Lin's mother had urged her several times before. Knowing that Zhao Yan was determined to leave, she didn't try to persuade her any further.
"I'll definitely come when I have time," Zhao Yan said, waving her hand as she got into Lin Xi Hang's car.
Once in the car, she said to Lin Xi Hang, "Take me to Dongshan Park in Jiangcheng City."
Lin Xi Hang asked, "Did you forget anything?"
Zhao Yan shook her head.
"This is for you," Lin Xi Hang said, handing her a drawing board.
"I saw you drawing talismans with your head down before. I always felt it was inconvenient. Using a drawing board to support your work might be better for your cervical spine."
"Thank you," Zhao Yan smiled.
"Mm," Lin Xi Hang replied softly.
Upon arriving at Dongshan Park, Zhao Yan asked Lin Xi Hang to go back, saying she could handle the rest.
"I'll stay with you for a while longer. It'll prevent my mother from nagging me when I get back too early," Lin Xi Hang said with a smile.
Hearing this, Zhao Yan didn't say anything else.
She sold one talisman to Lin's mother and six talismans to Lin Xi Hang.
She now had thirty-five thousand yuan.
Lin Xi Hang had wanted to give her a hundred thousand, but Zhao Yan refused.
The different prices she mentioned earlier were just her teasing Lin Xi Hang.
The old man had told her that in this line of work, one only sells talismans; the service is free.
Once my talismans are bought, a karmic connection is established.
After walking around for a few laps, Zhao Yan wanted to buy a mobile phone. She didn't know much about phones.
She asked Lin Xi Hang, who confidently claimed to know everything about them.
Good heavens, by the time she walked out of the phone store, she had spent 5,999 yuan.
Lin Xi Hang even wanted her to buy the latest model, the Fruit Promax.
Seeing the price, over ten thousand yuan, she almost fainted at the counter.
If Lin Xi Hang hadn't accompanied her, she would have thought he was a salesperson's stooge.
Seeing Zhao Yan's distressed expression, Lin Xi Hang couldn't help but chuckle. "I originally wanted to buy it for you, but you wouldn't let me."
"It's not like I don't have money. Besides, even if I didn't have money, I wouldn't accept your things," Zhao Yan shook her head.
Lin Xi Hang scratched the back of his head. Having spent time with her these past few days, he understood Zhao Yan's personality.
"You haven't gotten a SIM card yet, right? By the way, do you have a bank card?" Lin Xi Hang asked.
"No," Zhao Yan shook her head.
"And an ID card?"
Zhao Yan still shook her head.
"Then what do you have?" Lin Xi Hang asked.
Zhao Yan reached into her backpack and rummaged around, soon pulling out a document. "Can this Taoist priest certificate be used?"
"Are you perhaps undocumented?" Lin Xi Hang took it and looked at the information on the certificate.
"Zhao Yan, Female, born November 17, 1994."
"Residential address: No. 1, Haowang Mountain Village, Jiangcheng City, Nan Province."
He compared it with her. "This doesn't look like you."
Zhao Yan rolled her eyes. "That's a photo from when I was little!"
"Can I get a SIM card with this Taoist priest certificate?"
Lin Xi Hang spread his hands. "I've never tried to get a SIM card with a Taoist priest certificate. I'll look it up online."
After searching, he shook his head at Zhao Yan. "It seems unlikely. How about I use mine to get one for you?"
Zhao Yan thought about it; it was the only way.
She gave Lin Xi Hang the money for the SIM card and waited for him to get it done.
After he finished, he inserted the card into the phone and fiddled with it for a while before handing the phone to Zhao Yan.
Zhao Yan familiarized herself with the phone and then went around the streets with Lin Xi Hang, treating him to a cup of milk tea and some street food.
Lin Xi Hang had to go to his company. Zhao Yan waved goodbye and watched him drive away.
After Lin Xi Hang left, she picked up her phone and searched online for whether a Taoist priest certificate could be used to get a SIM card.
She found that in this city, Taoist priest certificates could indeed be used.
Her phone vibrated, showing a red notification with the number 1. It was a message from Lin Xi Hang.
"If you need anything, @ me."
Zhao Yan touched her chin, instantly understanding.
"He said he couldn't get a SIM card with my certificate, just to get my WeChat."
"He even has such cunning plans."
"Heh, men!"
Zhao Yan opened her sticker album and sent an OK gesture with a cat's paws.
Calculating her expenses, she had 29,600 yuan left from the initial 35,000.
She felt a pang of regret and patted her face.
"Time to work hard and earn money."
She took out her notebook, on which were written her previous plans.
She seriously took her pen and crossed out the words "sleep on the overpass."
With over twenty-nine thousand yuan now, there was no need to be so frugal.
After some thought, Zhao Yan wrote in her notebook: "Rent a shop and open a business. My first small goal is to earn a million yuan."
The thought of a million yuan startled her. One should not be too ambitious. She erased it and changed it to one hundred thousand yuan.
With her skills, she was considered a skilled worker. Opening a shop should be enough to sustain herself.
She first looked up the prices of shops in Jiangcheng City.
Seeing the prices, her heart turned cold.
Her twenty-nine thousand yuan was barely enough to rent a place for a month.
Shops in Jiangcheng City were so expensive!
She searched online for the cheapest type of housing.
Looking at the page, the words "haunted house" caught her eye.
Zhao Yan slapped her thigh. "That's right! Haunted houses are probably cheap because no one dares to rent them."
The more people who died in a house, the cheaper it would be. It would be livelier at night, and she could even play mahjong when she was bored.
Thinking of this, Zhao Yan chuckled.