Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1144 - 583 Lian Manman’s Discontent_2

As everyone strolled to Lian’s Restaurant, Shopkeeper Wang came out to welcome them in.

Shopkeeper Wang had already prepared a late-night snack in the kitchen. Everyone was tired from the long walk, so they sat down to rest and enjoy the snack. Naturally, there were Lian’s most famous buns and the fried rice balls that Lian Manman and Xiao Qi loved.

Lian’s Restaurant had also prepared several fireworks, and upon the owner’s arrival, they were set outside the building to be displayed. Wu Lang and Wu Jiaxing took Xiao Qi, Xiao Long, and Xiao Hu downstairs to set off the fireworks, while Lian Manman and the others stayed inside to watch through the glass windows.

In Jinyang County Town, the best place to view the lanterns during the Lantern Festival was the Nine-layered Pagoda, the tallest structure in the town. However, not everyone could enter freely, especially at such times.

As it was planned in advance to see the lanterns, Wu Lang had already paved the way. After everyone had eaten the late-night snack and watched the fireworks at Lian’s Restaurant, they intended to head to the Nine-layered Pagoda to take in the panoramic view of the lantern market.

Lian Manman ate two kinds of pastries at the restaurant and drank a bowl of lotus seed soup before coming downstairs. As she stood at the entrance, right at that moment, Wu Lang and the others ignited the last firework. This one was "The Heavenly Lady Scatters Blossoms," where bundles of fireworks soared into the sky and transformed into multicolored flowers, falling from above like a shower of stars.

Xiao Qi and the children were hopping and shouting in excitement, while crowds gathered on the street to watch the spectacle. Lian Manman stood on the steps without immediately going down. Amidst the dazzling display, one person particularly caught her attention, smiling right at her.

Lian Manman blinked, wondering where such a fox-eyed handsome youth came from. The way he smiled at her looked somewhat familiar, and after a slight pause, she recognized the person on horseback smiling at her as Shen Qian.

By this time, Wu Lang and Xiao Qi had already approached, and Shen Qian also jumped down from his horse. After exchanging a few words of greeting, the three of them walked towards Lian Manman.

"Sister Manman." Shen Qian greeted Lian Manman with a clasped-hand salute, his eyes brimming with a smile.

Lian Manman hurriedly curtsied in return. Up close, she noticed even more how much Shen Qian had changed. Not only had he slimmed down, but he also had grown much taller. Besides retaining his good complexion, his features had matured.

As the saying goes, "a girl changes eighteen times as she grows up," but Lian Manman felt this applied to boys as well.

Shen Qian’s transformation was far beyond "eighteen changes." Moreover, Shen Qian now completely overturned her predictions of his appearance. He seemed unlikely to grow into someone like Shen San, a big fatty, and probably not into another Shen Liu he had hoped to be.

Upon a closer look, Shen Qian bore six or seven parts resemblance to Shen Liu, but the biggest difference was in the eyes.

Phoenix eyes, the phoenix eyes she expected? Why did Shen Qian have such charming fox eyes! This pair of eyes completely overthrew the image of Shen Qian she had in her mind as easy to tease and amusing.

After the salutations, Lian Manman stood straight and looked at Shen Qian again. As she confirmed that Shen Qian was indeed half a head taller than her now, and those fox eyes had no chance of transforming into phoenix eyes or even returning to slanted eyes...

"Fatty." Lian Manman’s mouth blurted faster than her mind. It seemed that by calling him this way, the Shen Qian in front of her would revert to the fun, slightly shorter chubby kid.

Shen Qian squinted his eyes, smiling helplessly.

"Manman, you should call him Brother Ninth." Wu Lang chuckled.

To call Shen the Fatty "Brother Ninth" was probably impossible in this lifetime, for the simple reason that she was unwilling.

"Xiao Jiu, why are you here?" Thinking thus, Lian Manman quickly changed the topic. This time, she refrained from calling him Fatty and instead called him Xiao Jiu.

"There’s nothing much at home, and I heard the lanterns in Jinyang County Town are beautiful, so I came." Shen Qian replied, his smiling eyes fixed on Lian Manman’s face. "Manman, you’ve grown... much taller."

Although the lanterns in Jinyang County Town were beautiful, how could they compare to those in the Prefecture City? Shen Qian should have gone to the Capital City for grander lanterns rather than this little Jinyang County Town. However, what he said afterward delighted Lian Manman quite a bit.

Shen Fatty, it seemed, had become more perceptive and articulate.

Wait, was her jealousy of Fatty growing fast and being taller than her that obvious?

"Brother Xiao Jiu," initially Xiao Qi called Shen Qian Brother Ninth, but after hearing Lian Manman call him Fatty, he, too, switched to Brother Xiao Jiu. Unlike Lian Manman, he wasn’t jealous of Shen Qian’s rapid growth; he just found calling him Brother Xiao Jiu more endearing. "It’s fortunate you came today, had it been a day early or late, we would have missed each other."

"Indeed, it was just by chance." Shen Qian smiled again. He had come with a glimmer of hope, especially since he knew Lian Manman’s family acquired property in Jinyang County Town.

If Lian Manman hadn’t come to town to see the lanterns today, then, he had already planned for it. A thirty-mile journey wasn’t far at all. He could always say he came to visit, to consult Mr. Loo for knowledge, and meet with Wu Lang and Xiao Qi. That shouldn’t have been a problem.

While they talked downstairs, Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, and others came down from the building.

"Wu Lang, is it almost the Chinese hour?" Lian Shouxin asked Wu Lang first, then noticing Shen Qian, was both surprised and delighted.

Naturally, another round of greetings and polite exchanges followed. Despite Shen Qian’s notable status, he showed no arrogance and observed the etiquette of a younger generation towards Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, Lady Li, and others, charming them almost instantly. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Knowing the group intended to head to the Nine-layered Pagoda, Shen Qian chose not to ride. Instead, he let someone follow with the horse while he walked, holding Xiao Qi’s hand, alongside Lian Manman.

******

Here’s another update. In the middle of the month, I’m asking for your pink votes of support.

I’m feeling slightly better, but still not pushing too hard. I’ll strive for another update tonight, requesting your pink votes as encouragement. O(∩_∩)O~ (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)