Julie didn't go directly back to the village. Instead, she rode her horse to the pawn shop.
She planned to buy someone to guard her home while she was away.
But it wasn't just about guarding the door.
The person had to know martial arts. They didn't need to be experts, just capable enough to handle some troublemakers or people causing problems at the door.
She couldn't stay at home all the time without going out. Now that she had become the village leader, there would definitely be more people watching her, both openly and secretly.
At home, she could protect Bailee, Haven, and Lorrie. But what if she wasn't there?
That's why buying someone skilled in martial arts to guard the house was important.
Even if their skills weren't high, or they didn't have natural talent, it didn't matter. She would practice with them regularly, and after taking a few hits, their skills would improve.
She wanted someone older, at least over 30.
This way, the men at home wouldn't get upset thinking she wanted to take another man.
To her, three men were already enough. She didn't plan to take more. It would cause too many problems at home.
She wasn't really interested in that area anyway. In fact, she was a bit indifferent, since not having a man didn't bother her. She still had Thumbelina, after all.
Julie always liked to prepare in advance—it was helpful and harmless.
It was better to be prepared than to wait until trouble was near and then think about how to minimize damage.
At the pawn shop, Julie dismounted, and a servant quickly came over to take the horse. She didn't refuse; the servant seemed experienced.
With that, Julie relaxed and didn't worry about her horse.
She glanced at Little Black, signaling it to behave.
Little Black neighed, looking very well-behaved.
This was the first time the servant had seen such a horse: "Your horse is very intelligent and obedient. It's almost like a spirit."
Julie nodded but didn't say anything.
Once the horse was tied up, the servant led Julie into the main hall.
A woman around 35 years old, dressed in a blue satin robe, came out. She was Wang Tian, the manager of the pawn shop.
She had been in charge of the shop for decades, known for being smooth-talking and never offending anyone.
Even though Julie was wearing plain clothes, Wang Tian welcomed her with a smile, saying, "Miss, please wait a moment. I'll have them come out so you can choose. You can also tell me your preferences, like the age range you want or the type of person you need. Do you want someone who can read and write, or maybe someone good at singing and dancing?" She almost asked if Julie was looking for a young man to buy.
Julie ignored her assumptions and directly stated her requirements: "I need someone aged between 30 and 45, and they must know martial arts." Anyone older than 45 was not needed. She was buying someone to be a bodyguard, not someone to live out their retirement.
Wang Tian was a bit surprised, realizing she had misunderstood.
It was a shame; not long ago, several young, delicate-looking men had come to the shop, but it seemed this young lady wasn't interested in them.
Soon, several dozen men, of varying ages, stood in the courtyard outside the hall.
Wang Tian thought about Julie's request, and only three of the men met her requirements.
She asked the others to leave, not wanting to offend anyone unnecessarily.
Julie looked at the three men. She didn't make her decision right away, nor did she choose all of them. Instead, she decided to test their skills.
Only by sparring could she tell if they were truly skilled or just pretending.