The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 135 Documents
Ma Jieyong sipped the fish soup from his bowl, feeling both happy and sad.

He might not be able to eat such delicious food again in the future, so he should eat as much as he can while he still can.

Gao Yan knew that Shang Wan had taken in an injured child and asked curiously, "Doesn't that child come out to eat?"

Xiao Huan said, "I'll take it in for him in a bit."

Before Gao Yan could ask anything else, He Sizhi stepped on his foot under the table and simultaneously placed a piece of food on his plate.

Gao Yan had no choice but to suppress his curiosity and shut up to eat.

Shang Wan glanced at He Sizhi and thought to herself that this master was not only good at cooking.

Xiao Huan brought Chu Xu a bowl of fish soup and steamed egg with rice, which made Chu Xu's eyes well up with tears as he ate.

He finally got to eat something substantial!

When has he, the second master of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, ever suffered such humiliation?

When Shang Wan came in, Chu Xu had just put down his bowl, his little face still showing a hint of satisfaction.

Xiao Huan cleared the dishes and took them out.

Shang Wan waved the ointment in her hand at the child, "I'll change your dressing and then take you away in a bit."

"I don't want to leave." Chu Xu shrank back, his cat-like eyes gazing longingly at Shang Wan. "But three promises are too many."

Shang Wan raised an eyebrow. "You're the second young master of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion. Is one life not worth three promises?"

Chu Xu shook his head. "Compared to the family, it's not worth it."

Young men from prominent families prioritize the interests of their clan.

"Can you tell me what I need these promises for?"

"I'll take care of it." Shang Wan sat down on the cushion and said while unwrapping the gauze from his body, "Don't worry, I won't let the Duke's Mansion help you do anything illegal, immoral, or murderous."

Chu Xu pouted, "But three promises are too many, can't one be enough?"

Shang Wan examined his wound closely, then looked up and asked, "What do you think?"

"I... Ah!" Chu Xu cried out in pain, tears welling up in his eyes.

Waaaaah, my wound hurts so much!

He kept his mouth shut, sniffed through his red nose, and tried hard not to let the tears fall.

A real man doesn't cry!
Shang Wan softened her grip, quickly applied the ointment, and then took a clean gauze to wrap the child's wound.

“I…I can grant you more requests.” Chu Xu forced back his tears and discussed with Shang Wan, “When I get home, I can also provide you with shelter.”

“Don’t forget that distant water can’t quench immediate thirst,” Shang Wan chuckled. “You’re only six years old, what kind of protection can you offer us?”

Chu Xu felt slighted and immediately widened his amber cat-like eyes, "I am the second young master of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, and many people are eager to curry favor with me."

Shang Wan corrected, "It's not about currying favor with you, it's about currying favor with the Duke of Dingguo's mansion. Rather than needing your protection, why wouldn't I just let the Duke of Dingguo's mansion provide it directly?"

Chu Xu muttered, "Aren't they all the same?"

Shang Wan looked at him with a half-smile. Chu Xu looked away, feeling unsure of himself. He glanced around and took in all the simple objects.

Suddenly, a thought struck him: "When I get home, I can give you lots and lots of money. With money, you can buy big houses and many servants, buy delicious food and fun things. I can give you more money than you can spend in a lifetime."

A family of military generals, with wealth accumulated over generations, has the confidence to say this.

Shang Wan chuckled, "A lifetime of food and drink without worry, sounds pretty good."

Chu Xu asked in surprise, "You agreed?"

"What do you think?" Shang Wan glanced at him. The surprised expression vanished instantly, and Chu Xu puffed up his cheeks like a bun, saying angrily, "Then what do you want to do? I can't agree to three promises, one at most, or you can just send me away."

In any case, he would never agree to three promises. Not only him, but even if his father were here, he would not easily make such promises in the name of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.

As for making a promise and then breaking it?
impossible!
The men of the Chu family are men of their word; they will keep their promises even at the cost of their lives.

Shang Wan shook her head inwardly. The silly child had never experienced the harsh realities of society.

When negotiating, if you don't ask for an exorbitant price at the beginning, how can you give the other party room to lower the price?
"I'll take the loss; I've already saved you. If you just die like this, it'll be a waste of my medicine," Shang Wan said. "How about a promise plus a place at the Imperial Academy?"

Comparing the three promises, Chu Xu suddenly felt that the current conditions were quite acceptable, and he was even a little touched.

For ordinary people, keeping him around would indeed be a huge problem, and they might even lose the lives of their own family members.

This woman says she doesn't care about him, but she probably still wants to save him, right?
Maybe this is what it means to be a kind person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart?

However, he still had some doubts, "What do you need the enrollment quota for the Imperial Academy for?"

Isn't that handsome scholar disabled? Even if he had a spot, he wouldn't be able to get into the Imperial Academy.

Shang Wan said, "I have my own uses for it. Just tell me whether you agree or not."

Chu Xu set a condition: "If I agree, you must not only protect me, but also safely escort me back to the capital."

Shang Wan readily agreed, "Okay."

Chu Xu puffed out his cheeks and pretended to hesitate, but when he saw that Shang Wan was about to get impatient, he nodded his little head and said, "I agree."

Shang Wan reached out her hand, "A token."

Chu Xu took out a small purse from under his pillow and handed the jade pendant to Shang Wan.

Shang Wan took it, glanced at the bronze token in his hand, and asked, "What's the use of this token?"

"It's a toy my brother gave me." As if afraid it would be snatched away, Chu Xu put his little hands behind his back, which aggravated the wound on his back, making him gasp in pain, and tears welled up in his eyes again.

It would be a miracle if they believed the business gala, but seeing Chu Xu's wary look, they decided not to ask any further questions.

"Can you write?"

Seeing that she didn't press him for answers, Chu Xu breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and said with a hint of pride, "I can write. I started learning when I was two years old."

"Let's draw up a written agreement," Shang Wan said. "Write down the terms we just agreed on, and have them signed and sealed."

Chu Xu's eyes widened. "You don't believe me?"

"You can't see into someone's heart." Shang Wan placed the pen and ink in front of him, smiling slightly. "I believe more in written words."

Chu Xu angrily wrote the agreement, and after Lu Chengjing read it, he signed and pressed his fingerprint on it.

At Shang Wan's insistence, the bronze token was also pressed on, leaving a clear and complete imprint.

"It's done." Shang Wan blew the ink off the paper, folded it up, and put it into her bosom, or rather, into her spatial storage.

"We don't know where those assassins are, and you need to recover from your injuries, so safety is the priority. We won't send you back to the capital yet; we'll make plans after you've healed. The wooden shed is only so big, with no extra rooms. You'll sleep with Shi Tou tonight, so he can keep an eye on you and prevent you from kicking off the covers."

Chu Xu: "..."

He wouldn't kick off the covers! Besides, how can you kick off the covers when you're sleeping on your stomach?

Seeing the child puffing out his cheeks and looking unhappy, Shang Wan added, "You can barely even turn over now. What if you want to drink water or go to the toilet at night? You'll need someone to help you."

There's some truth to that, but Chu Xu still felt wronged.

As I said before, this pampered young master has always been surrounded by servants and taken care of wherever he goes. He has never suffered like this before.

(End of this chapter)