Black Book

Chapter 255 Transformation
Zhu Haomiao nodded slightly after identifying the owner of the voice from the hazy fragments of memory.

"Uncle Qin, come in."

crunch~
The elegant wooden door was slowly pushed open, and an old face that was familiar yet unfamiliar appeared in front of Zhu Haomiao.

When he pushed the door open, he saw empty wine bottles scattered all over the floor. Qin Changzhong frowned, and when he saw the young man sitting cross-legged on the bed, a trace of horror flashed in his eyes.

"Qin Bo? What's wrong?"

Noticing the other party's fleeting emotion, Zhu Haomiao asked curiously.

"Nothing, I just felt like the young master had become a different person, and for a moment I was a little afraid to recognize him."

Qin Changzhong lowered his eyebrows and nodded, stammering twice.

Hearing this, Zhu Haomiao touched his cheek solemnly.

Would a simple change in temperament make such a noticeable difference?
This shouldn't be the case. I disguised myself very well...

Or is it because the people around him are too familiar with Li Lin, and any slight change will cause them to react sharply?

Just as the young man was thinking about whether to distance himself from these servants, Qin Changzhong suppressed the throbbing in his heart and said with concern.

"Master, it's already noon, time to eat."

"No hurry, ask someone to clean up first. I need to take a shower and change clothes."

Pointing at the empty wine bottles on the ground, Zhu Haomiao sniffed the smell of wine and sourness on himself and frowned in disgust.

Qin Changzhong was slightly stunned, wondering why the young master, who was always sloppy, suddenly became so fond of cleanliness. He usually only took a bath once a month!
But he quickly came to his senses and Qin Changzhong nodded respectfully.

"Yes, Master."

After a while, the few remaining servants in the mansion came in one after another, cleaned the house quickly, and filled the wooden barrel next door with hot water.

After taking a comfortable hot bath, Zhu Haomiao rubbed off a pound of dirt. He changed the water four times before he finally cleaned himself up.

After washing off the stickiness all over his body, the young man changed into a clean black suit and came to the dining hall in a refreshed state.

"Master!"

From a distance, a maidservant about eighteen or nineteen years old bowed and saluted, but when she saw Zhu Haomiao, her eyes were suddenly stunned.

Although Li Lin originally had handsome features, his behavior always revealed an unconcealable vulgarity. He walked with a hunched back and a hunched body, and his eyes wandered around furtively, just like a rat in a gutter.

In modern terms, that means there is a strong sense of stealing.

But at this moment, the young man straightened his back, looked straight ahead, and walked steadily, neither hurried nor slow. Even his eyes, which had been flickering, became concentrated and deep, and the sinister and vicious look between his brows was gone!
As the young man approached with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, she actually felt a hint of majesty and oppression coming towards her.

In a trance, the maid seemed to see the figure of the previous generation of [Pingyang Earl] in Zhu Haomiao!

What happened?

How come that hopeless loser suddenly seemed like a different person? !
Just as the maid was stunned, Zhu Haomiao walked past her calmly, which frightened her so much that her neck shrank and she quickly lowered her head, not daring to look directly at him.

On the other side, Zhu Haomiao sat at the dining table with his arms and legs crossed. He looked at the simple dishes and pursed his lips in an indescribable expression.

Resisting his disgust, the boy picked up his chopsticks and started eating, but the more he ate, the more uncomfortable he felt.

The fish meat was not deodorized and was overcooked, a failure!
The beef was not pounded, there were too many tendons, failure!

The pork was not cooked through and was undercooked. What a failure!
The seasoning was a total failure, it was very salty and bland with no other flavor!
Zhu Haomiao held his forehead in pain, having to swallow a whole table of dishes with his picky tongue.

When has my little Zhu Zhu ever suffered such hardship?

It seems that the first priority is to find a qualified cook for myself!

The original chef in the mansion had left because he hadn't been paid for several months, and now the maid is doing the job, so it's no wonder the taste is so touching. Looking at the maid standing stiffly beside him, Zhu Haomiao sighed helplessly.

For those who have not learned it, being able to cook the ingredients is already considered a success.

Couldn't ask for more...

"Master, the family is almost broke, how about... we sell the [Pingyang Marquis's Mansion]?"

At this moment, Qin Changzhong leaned close to Zhu Haomiao's ear and gave him an earnest admonition.

"The cost of maintaining the mansion is too high, and we have no income now... We have to eat and eat..."

Listening to his hesitant words, Zhu Haomiao thought for a few seconds and shook his head decisively.

"Your salary will be paid soon. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Every time you get your salary you squander it immediately. Besides, your salary can't even support an entire mansion!
Qin Changzhong secretly complained in his heart, but did not try to persuade him. He sighed and stepped aside.

After dinner, Zhu Haomiao left the mansion directly and wanted to explore the new map. However, he was surrounded by a group of people not long after he walked out of the gate.

"Pingyang Bo, when are you going to pay back the 5000 taels of silver you borrowed from my master?!"

"And my master's 3000 taels..."

"My master's 1500 taels..."

…………

Looking at these debt collectors who were talking at the same time, Zhu Haomiao frowned with a headache and patiently comforted them.

"Don't worry, I will pay it back."

After saying that, the boy took a step forward and prepared to leave, but was stopped by the crowd.

"You always say this, but the result is delay. Today you must give me a definite answer!"

"That's right! You must give me a definite answer!"

Faced with the excited debt collectors, Zhu Haomiao hesitated for a moment and nodded.

"I must pay off my debts before the end of the year."

After hearing these solemn words, most people looked at him doubtfully with their faces showing signs of hesitation, except for a fellow with a fat face who sneered.

"Want to wait until the end of the year? No! Don't you still have the [Pingyang Marquis's Mansion]? If you sell it, you will have the money to pay off your debts."

As he spoke, the man with a face full of flesh stared at Zhu Haomiao, looked him up and down sinisterly, and sneered threateningly.

"If you sell it early, you can still have some money left. Otherwise, the interest will compound and you won't be able to pay off the debt even if you sell the [Pingyang Marquis's Mansion]!"

"Don't say I didn't give you a chance. It would be disgraceful for a dignified [Pingyang Earl] to be reduced to selling his butt to pay off his debts!"

However, in the face of his vicious and fierce threats, Pingyang Bo, who usually bullied the weak and feared the strong, showed no change of expression and even looked him up and down with a smile.

"Okay, I get it, go away."

"what?"

Boom!
Before he could react, the young man kicked him in the chest and abdomen. The enormous force caused his two hundred pound body to float into the air and fly three meters away.

I watched as the burly man with a face full of flesh bounced heavily after landing on the ground, sparks and lightning flew all the way and he rubbed out a few meters before finally hitting the corner of the wall and stopping completely, curling up on the ground and wailing in pain.

The remaining debt collectors were like frightened birds and quickly took a few steps back.

(End of this chapter)