Li Jin Qing: The one behind it all

Chapter 58

I know some people probably don't read the author's note at the end of the chapter, so I'll just say it here:
Thank you for 50k!
(full thanks and a question at the end- I cannot describe how happy I am)

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If life was a game and Jin qing the player, she was confident she was on the path to victory. 

Everything was going so well she was absolutely terrified of herself letting her guard down, which was rather strange for her. 
Nothing ever went this well, but she figured it was the heavens apologizing to her for giving her such a bad life. 

If the gods above allow this plan to succeed and send me back to the Wei, all will be forgiven. The heavens help who helps themselves. I can't be standing around and doing nothing. 

But who knew taking the orphans to the market would be as stressful as war?

Jin qing thought she had enough experience taking people to the markets of the city to shop around- after all, she had done that countless amounts of times with Xi Yan. Granted, Xi Yan did get poisoned by food that was meant to be for her, she didn't realize until now how well behaved she was compared to the two children she was with now. 

Nian Zhen and Xiao Wen, fully dressed and washed, looked adorable in their new clothes... though Jin qing suspected that the cleanliness of both their clothes and themselves wouldn't last very long if they kept running around on the streets. 

The two children had asked if they can go outside for that day as they were exhausted from staying indoors for two days straight... But she was starting to wonder if she should have brought two pieces of rope to restrain the two children from running too far.

"Big sister Jin qing- can we get some candy?" Xiao wen asked, tugging at the cloth of her skirt and looking up at her with his big bright eyes. "Please?"

Jin qing looked down at him, moving her basket to her other hand to ruffle his hair "It's going to spoil your meal. You can have some later."

"But there's so anything things to eat here-"

She sympathized with him on his wanting to eat sweet things, but she wasn't in the Wei anymore where she had the entire treasury to spend if she wanted to. "I know, I know there is." Jin qing said mournfully with a pout. 

 "But I want sweets...


ah, this kid is adorable-

"No."

The boy copied her pout, but didn't seem to mind much and ran to join his sister by the stall selling toys. he pointed to one that had a butterfly made of what looked like dried bamboo "Can I have one?"

"Xiao wen why are you always asking Jin qing to buy you things-" Nian Zheng scolded her brother, but Jin qing looked over at the prices and found it to be rather affordable. 

"It's alright. Why don't you pick one too?" she teased her. 

"But I'm a little too old for these toys-"

"If you say so." Jin qing pressed a copper coin into the hand of the seller and took the butterfly and held it out to Xiao Wen. "If I buy you this, you can't ask for anything else, alright? Promise me."

Xiao wen reached out for the stick happily "I promise I won't ask for anything else!"

"And not to run around the market too much."

"I promise!"

Jin qing gave the stick to Xiao Wen. 

A part of her scolded herself that she was wasting too much time. Jin qing was pretty sure Sheng Feng would return in less than a week if what Tian Xiang told her was correct, and wanted to get as much done as possible before she had to leave.