Only now did he have some vague ideas about his yifu's 'deaf rules' - Shen Yi's every word, he could not 'hear' any of them. Other people's words, he must evaluate whether he liked 'hearing' them or not. And as for those young misses and ladies, even if a female mosquito made a faint noise, he could, without a doubt, hear them crystal clear.

Not only was he a lazy loiterer, but he was also a flirt!

It was as if the term "gold and jade appearance yet rotten inside"* was made just for him.

*金玉其外，败絮其中; idiom; gilded exterior, shabby and ruined on the inside

When the Giant Kite returned, the children from all the nearby neighboring towns would gather together for the occasion at the city's gate. Whenever there was a crowd, there would also be people who'd take advantage of it to draw business. They slowly formed a large scale market; the locals called it 'Yan Zi Market.'

Shen Shiliu had never learned to read other people's expressions. Even if he did notice, he would still pay it no mind.

He seemed to be unaware of his adoptive son's mood as he roamed around the overcrowded market excitedly, taking an interest in everything he laid eyes on.

Chang Geng, who was already filled with annoyance, also had to follow Shiliu's every step and constantly keep an eye on him so he wouldn't get lost.

In recent years, the world was not stable, people were poor, and most of the market's trades were small things that the local farmers produced. There was no delicious food, and nothing good to drink; it was boring enough to kill somebody.

It was said that wars were the reason for making people's lives more difficult, and the taxes paid for by the common masses became heavier and heavier after each year.

But in the past, after each battle, they were always able to recuperate for a while.

Yet, no one knew why in recent years, the people seemed never to have enough room to catch a breath.

Counting the last twenty years, Great Liang first had the Northern Expedition, then had the Western Expedition, became a great nation, and earned respect among the neighboring countries, upholding immense honor.

But, strangely, the people were getting poorer and poorer.

Chang Geng was so bored to death wandering around the market that he wanted to let out a deep yawn. He only hoped that this country-bumpkin Shiliu, who was curious about everything, would tire himself out soon so they could go back. He would rather be Teacher's Shen assistant instead.

Shen Shiliu bought a bag of roasted salted beans and ate them while he walked. And as if he had eyes on the back of his head, he stretched out a hand and accurately inserted a salted bean into Chang Geng's mouth.