Today happened to be market day, and in front of the Grand Xiangguo Temple, crowds surged, all heading toward the temple.

Although Nathan Foster couldn’t see what was happening inside the temple, the lively scene in the square was already dazzling enough for him.

The ox cart slowly made its way across the square in front of the temple gates, which was packed with all kinds of street performers.

Acrobatics and magic tricks, fortune-telling Taoists, storytellers with clappers, martial artists with staffs, monkey shows, sellers of strength pills, various aphrodisiacs, and secret family remedies—people wove through the crowd, making for an exceptionally bustling scene.

After crossing the square, the ox cart finally came to a stop.

“We’re here!”

Claire Owen took out a few coins and handed them to the driver, then pulled Nathan Foster off the cart.

In front of them stood a three-story wooden building with a hard gable roof, and a colorful silk arch of celebration erected at the entrance, looking splendid and magnificent.

From the third floor down hung a string of diamond-shaped signboards, each with a large character, together spelling out “曹婆婆肉饼” (“Granny Cao’s Meat Pies”).

This was one of the most famous snacks in Tokyo, equivalent to Quanjude today.

But Claire Owen exclaimed, “What bad luck!”—there was a long line outside the shop, at least over a hundred people.

Nathan Foster scratched his head. How long would they have to wait?

“Sister Qian, why don’t we try another place?”

“It’s fine! I’ll hire someone to stand in line.”

Claire Owen had been craving their meat pies for nearly half a year and wasn’t about to give up so easily. She quickly found a servant who specialized in waiting in line for others.

With the worry of queuing gone, Claire Owen smiled and tugged Nathan Foster, “Come with your big sister to browse the cosmetics shop!”

Nathan Foster saw the cosmetics shop was packed with beautifully dressed young ladies, and his scalp tingled. He quickly took a few steps back.

“I’ll go over there and watch the acrobats. I’ll come find you in a bit.”

Before she could reply, Nathan Foster had already dashed off and disappeared.

Claire Owen was a little worried about him, but she couldn’t resist the deadly allure of the cosmetics shop. After hesitating for a while, she finally convinced herself and turned, heading excitedly into the shop.

Nathan Foster wandered around the square with great interest. There were all sorts of little trinkets, but unfortunately, his pockets were empty—he could only look, not buy. So he headed toward the temple gates.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed a young woman in a green silk warrior’s outfit in the crowd, holding a little girl by the hand, standing out from everyone else.

What made this woman so eye-catching was her height. Nathan Foster had never seen such a tall woman before—she was at least 1.8 meters, with long arms and legs, and a sturdy build. Her hair was braided into a shiny, thick plait, and on her back was a huge broadsword, at least a meter long.

Nathan Foster was truly interested in the broadsword on her back—he’d actually run into a female knight of the Song Dynasty.

He hurried to catch up, getting closer and closer. His gaze gradually shifted from the broadsword, and he couldn’t help but click his tongue in admiration—those long legs! What a waste of fabric; making a pair of pants for her would be enough material for him to make a whole robe.

Just then, the little girl beside her suddenly stopped, turned around, and glared angrily at Nathan Foster. “You’ve been following us—what do you want?”

Nathan Foster was startled and quickly took a step back. Only then did he notice that the little girl in front of him was quite unusual.

She looked about six or seven years old, with snow-white skin, big, bright, expressive eyes, and a delicate, exquisitely carved face—she looked just like a porcelain doll.

Her hair was styled in double buns, a pink pearl necklace hung around her neck, she wore a light yellow jacket, and below was a long black skirt with gold trim, the fabric clearly of high quality. At her waist hung a small jeweled dagger.

Nathan Foster had never seen such a beautiful little girl before. It was just a pity that the dagger at her waist made her a bit less cute, but added a hint of menace.

Nathan Foster scratched his head and smiled innocently at the female knight. “Big sister, the broadsword on your back looks really impressive. I just wanted to see if it’s real.”

“Hmph! You’re quite the actor.”

With a flash of cold light, a chilling dagger appeared before his eyes.

“I’m warning you—if you keep following us, I’ll leave a mark on your face. I mean it!”

Another flash, and the dagger disappeared. The little girl grabbed the knight’s hand and said, “Sister Jian, he’s probably a little thief. Let’s go!”

The two of them ignored Nathan Foster and quickened their pace, heading straight into the temple.

Nathan Foster felt thoroughly humiliated—he’d actually had a dagger pointed at his face by a little girl. He wanted to shout a few insults to save face, but felt a bit guilty.

He could only mutter under his breath, “So fierce at such a young age—when you grow up, you’ll be a real shrew. Whoever marries you is doomed for eight lifetimes!”

After cursing the little girl, he felt a bit better and slipped into the temple.

Inside, it was a different scene. Both sides of the corridor were lined with all kinds of stalls, stretching as far as the eye could see, and the crowds were even denser.

To Nathan Foster, it felt like a super flea market, or a small commodity wholesale center.

Turning into the left courtyard, it was a bit better—there weren’t as many people as in the main hall. Nathan Foster noticed that almost everyone here was a scholar, many of them wearing blue scholar’s robes.

Both sides of the corridor were packed with bookstalls—at least a hundred of them. In the open space in the middle, five or six colorful tents had been set up, with crowds of scholars underneath, all eagerly raising their hands.

Nathan Foster walked up, and his eyes lit up. It turned out these tents were hosting quiz contests with cash prizes for correct answers—what a great opportunity!

Chapter 8: My Dad Is a Minister