Su Qing stayed in Chuncheng for a few more days, buying a lot of local specialty pastries. She stored them all in her space, planning to pick out some of the more shelf-stable ones to give as gifts when she returned. As for those that wouldn’t keep, she could only leave them in her space to eat herself.

During these few days, she ate her way through all of Chuncheng’s local specialty snacks. It had to be said, the master chefs at the state-run restaurants here made local delicacies that were truly exceptional, with an amazing taste. Su Qing couldn’t resist buying a lot in batches, storing them all in her space to eat slowly later.

Meanwhile, a major case in Chuncheng was the talk of the town. The local Public Security Bureau had caught some human traffickers and, following the clues, had also destroyed several of the traffickers’ dens, rescuing dozens of women and children who had been abducted. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

This news was incredibly heartening. The story was spreading through every street and alley in Chuncheng. Hearing this news, Su Qing was in such a good mood that she ate an extra bowl of rice.

At the Chuncheng Public Security Bureau, Qiao Wensong asked a team member, "Still haven’t found her?"

"No," the team member said. "The young woman used a fake name. I tried to look her up with it, but I couldn’t find anyone at all."

"Hmph. This young woman really does good deeds without seeking recognition," Qiao Wensong remarked with a sigh. They had already prepared a commendatory banner and a reward for her. But now, they couldn’t find her, so they couldn’t give her the rewards even if they wanted to.

"I’ll try again," the team member said.

"Alright, keep looking. But if you really can’t find her, then let it go. It’s clear she was genuinely just lending a hand," Qiao Wensong said with a nod.

"Yes, sir."

The train ride from Chuncheng to Laxian took twelve to thirteen hours. So, after staying in Chuncheng for a few days, Su Qing bought a train ticket to Laxian. She arrived the day before the Kaoyuan Stone Quarry opened and found a hotel to stay in.

"Hey! Watch where you’re going! Don’t you have eyes?"

Since she wasn’t familiar with Laxian, Su Qing went to look for the address Shi Youda had given her after checking into her hotel. Surprisingly, it wasn’t in a remote location. The quarry’s address was blatantly located in a large factory building on the northwest side of Laxian. The factory was clearly not abandoned. When Su Qing arrived, there were quite a few people around. Several large trucks were parked in the factory’s open area, and some people were unloading raw stones from them. Su Qing was so focused on watching them unload the stones that she didn’t pay attention to what was behind her and accidentally stepped on someone’s foot.

"My apologies." Su Qing had stepped on the person’s foot and immediately turned to apologize. She didn’t expect the girl facing her to start spouting insults right away. Instantly, Su Qing’s expression turned cold. "You’re the one who doesn’t have eyes, aren’t you? Who has eyes on the back of their head? I was standing here in front, and you stuck your foot under mine. And you think you’re in the right? Are those two eyes on your face just for breathing?"

An Zhiwei was infuriated by Su Qing’s words. "How dare you speak to me like that? Do you have any idea who I am? You ugly freak."

Seeing the scar on Su Qing’s face, a look of disdain flashed in An Zhiwei’s eyes. She lifted her chin even higher, her face full of contempt.

"I don’t care who you are. What, are you the Jade Emperor himself?" Su Qing paid no mind to the girl’s status. ’Anyone here is probably either a stone gambler or a jewelry boss from Xiangcheng,’ she thought. ’So what if this girl is from some big-shot family there? I’m not from Xiangcheng. Even if they wanted to cause trouble for me, I’m not afraid.’ "And speaking of ugly freaks," she continued, "an ugly appearance isn’t scary. What’s scary is an ugly heart and an ugly mind. That’s why you see ugliness in everything. Understand?"

"You... you!" An Zhiwei shouted. "I’m from the An Family! How dare you talk to me like that?"

’The An Family?’

Su Qing instantly thought of An Zhihan. ’The An Family from Xiangcheng?’

But knowing was one thing; Su Qing wasn’t scared. "The An Family? Never heard of them. Are they that impressive? Do you have a throne to inherit?"

Su Qing’s nonchalant words provoked An Zhiwei so much she was about to jump up and down in fury. In Xiangcheng, her An Family was a prominent and respected powerhouse. When had she ever been looked down upon by a mainlander bumpkin like this?

"You..." An Zhiwei raised her hand to slap Su Qing, but Su Qing grabbed her by the wrist. With a light push backward, An Zhiwei lost her balance and fell to the ground with a THUD.

"Waaah..." It wasn’t just the pain for An Zhiwei; it was the utter humiliation. She, the great young miss of the An Family, had actually been pushed to the ground by an ugly freak.

"Xiao Wei, what’s wrong?" The argument between Su Qing and An Zhiwei had attracted the attention of quite a few people. A young man with two bodyguards had just walked out of the factory building and saw the scene. He hurried forward to help An Zhiwei up. "What happened?"

"Brother, she bullied me!" Seeing her older brother, An Zhiwei’s backbone instantly stiffened. She pointed at Su Qing and tattled, then ordered the two bodyguards behind her, "You two, go beat her up! I’m going to make her learn today who the An Family is."

"Heh. I didn’t know who your An Family was before, but now it seems you’re nothing but a bunch of animals who throw their weight around," Su Qing said coldly, not the least bit intimidated.

"What did you say!" An Zhiwei furiously ordered the two bodyguards, "Get her! Don’t stop until you’ve beaten her to her knees, begging me for mercy."

"Xiao Wei!" An Zhiqian quickly stopped An Zhiwei. This was the mainland. The An Family’s presence here was already on shaky ground. If they caused trouble on the mainland, he was afraid they would be reprimanded when they returned to Xiangcheng. If it affected something else, the losses would far outweigh the gains.

An Zhiqian was starting to regret bringing An Zhiwei along. His younger sister was a spoiled princess who knew nothing but how to have fun and was used to throwing her weight around. As for today’s incident, he knew without even asking that An Zhiwei was surely the one at fault.

However, he was also used to being in a position of power. In his eyes, Su Qing’s clothes marked her as a commoner from the mainland. There was no way that he, the young master of the great An Family, would apologize to someone like her.

And so, An Zhiqian slightly raised his chin and said to Su Qing, "Regarding the matter between you and my sister today, regardless of the cause, I hope it ends here. And please, do not pester us any further."

Su Qing was so infuriated by An Zhiqian’s words that she laughed. "Pester? You’ve got it wrong, haven’t you? It was your sister who was cursing at me like a mad dog. I haven’t even demanded an apology from her yet."

"Who are you calling a mad dog?" An Zhiwei said angrily.

"Whoever answers, of course," Su Qing snorted, raising an eyebrow at An Zhiwei.

"You..." An Zhiwei gritted her teeth, unable to stop herself from lunging forward to slap Su Qing, but An Zhiqian held her back. An Zhiqian looked at Su Qing, his expression displeased. "Young lady, there’s a saying: ’Where it’s possible to let someone off, one should.’ I’ve already told you this matter ends here. If you refuse to let it go, things will get ugly. You should know that there’s always someone better out there. It’s best to be cautious in all things."