If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 243: The "Demeanor" of the Shangbang Prince

Seeing that there was something exciting to watch, Xiaoyu immediately stopped.

She searched the crowd for a while, but couldn't find Ziying, so she opened her spiritual eyes and listened to the other girls whispering.

But she is no longer the same person she was before. Even if she is willing to stand behind the crowd and watch, it is impossible for others to remain indifferent when they see her.

"Ah, Xiao Fengxian, Xiao Fengxian is back!"

"Xiao Fengxian, you have been very impressive recently. First you killed a deer demon, and then you cooperated with the holy monk Chi Jiuluo to kill a ferocious tiger demon. You are amazing!"

"Xiao Fengxian, I heard from a guest that the tiger monster can swallow half of Tianmen Town in one gulp. Is that true?"

"Xiao Fengxian, have you become an immortal? Immortal Master Chi Lingzi, cough cough, I was also there when Chi Lingzi disguised himself as an immortal master. I accompanied Master Sun to the Lao Mansion that day.

Even though he is a demon, Chi Lingzi is also a demon god like an immortal! You actually killed him by yourself."

The girl outside the yard was chattering, and the people in the yard seemed to notice the noise and their voices became much quieter.

Xiao Yu dealt with them for a few words - mainly praising Chijuro, and then asked: "What's going on inside?"

"Master Gongsun has lived in Yihong Courtyard for more than two months and is finally leaving, but he only plans to leave by himself and is unwilling to redeem Jinlian." said Aunt Wensou, who teaches painting in Lixiang Garden.

"Alas, for this 'Master Yihong', Jinlian even offended Master Wen to death." Another third aunt who taught her "daughters" sighed.

Xiao Yu asked curiously, "When I was still in Xiao Jing Xuan, Master Wen often went to Yi Hong Yuan, and they got along well. How could he have offended him so much?"

"Wen went to Yihong Courtyard not for Jinlian? How could he not be angry when he eavesdropped from outside the window every day on Master Gongsun and Jinlian's obscene words and lovemaking in the room?" said Xiaolan, the listed girl.

"Uh, eavesdropping?" Xiao Yu was stunned. "Master Wen sneaked into Yihong Courtyard late at night to eavesdrop?"

Xiaolan smiled and said, “Hey, if it’s really late at night, he probably won’t hear it and won’t be angry.

Master Gongsun had just had lunch and dinner with him, and then he turned around and went to the inner room with Jinlian to do that thing.

One time I went to accompany them drinking, and I could hear them talking softly in the inner room from outside, and then I heard the sound of a dog licking porridge soup.

Third Aunt touched her and said angrily, "You think this is your room and you can say whatever you want."

Xiaolan wanted to shout: My room is a nest for lovers, isn't this place the same?

Looking up at Xiao Yu, she understood and smiled awkwardly, saying, "I saw that Master Wen was so angry that his face turned red, and he slammed the table and shouted 'Angry, angry'.

When he saw Jinlian later, he said in a sarcastic tone, "The girls from the prostitutes' families in Qingshui Bay are indeed fickle and make a living by flirting with men, but they can also be divided into high and low. The high-class ones only do it at night, while the lowly ones indulge in promiscuity during the day, just like shameless pigs and dogs."

Jinlian was also sharp-tongued, and she directly scolded, "It is shameless for pigs and dogs to make trouble in broad daylight, but at least they are honest. Those pigs and dogs who can't get what they want and can only bark and bite wildly are even more shameless and ugly."

Third aunt grabbed her arm again and glared at her.

Xiao Yu was an adult in her previous life, but now she is a savage. She didn't pretend to be reserved or shy. She didn't care at all. She laughed and said, "Sister Jinlian and Master Wen seem like a strange pair of happy enemies."

Xiaolan also laughed, "This kind of happy enemies are rare even in brothels."

"Master Wen was disdained like this, he must have rolled up his sleeves and left on the spot, right?" Xiao Yu asked.

"Alas, if Jinlian had disliked him for the first time, she wouldn't have been so arrogant." Xiaolan said.

Xiao Yu said: "The three-foot-thick ice is not formed in a day. Before the first-class murderous words are spoken, there must be third-class and second-class hurtful words first.

But Jinlian has said such things, and Master Wen is not the nearest brothel, so he will definitely not come to Hongxiufang again if he lets others do shit and piss."

"Xiao Fengxian, you only know that bad words can hurt people, but you don't know that bad words can be followed by bad deeds!" Xiaolan said.

Xiao Yu was surprised and said, "A gentleman should use words instead of fists. Could it be that they are going to draw their swords and fight each other?"

"He didn't draw his sword, but he did slap Jinlian. Master Wen slapped Jinlian, and Jinlian told him to get out." Xiaolan said.

Xiaoyu was speechless.

Given Jinlian's status, she certainly shouldn't speak ill of the young master of the Wen family.

But Jinlian had clearly climbed up the social ladder, at least everyone thought she had, and Master Wen even ran into other people's yards every day and even eavesdropped.
They were whispering outside, while Jinlian and Gongsun Wujiu were still talking inside.

At this moment, Jinlian said in a tearful voice: "Even if you want to leave, you should have told me a few days in advance? You were fine in the morning, but suddenly said you were leaving in the afternoon. How could you be so determined?"

"It's not that I'm determined, I just don't have time."

Master Gongsun even went out in person to help the servants pack the gifts into the box.

"What if I insist on keeping you for three or five days?" Jinlian asked.

"Not to mention three or five days, even three or five hours won't work." said Master Gongsun.

Jinlian said angrily: "We have been in love for many days, how dare you not save my face?"

Master Gongsun smiled and said, "I am not Master Wen from Yingxiang Mansion."

Xiaoyu wanted to laugh again.

Seeing how ruthless he was, Jinlian began to cry again.

Aunt Liu said, "Young Master, look, Jinlian is crying. Can you bear it? Why don't you redeem her? I'll have to pay two thousand gold coins for others, but you only need to pay half, one thousand gold coins. I'll just consider it a loss of a dowry. How do you think?"

Master Gongsun waved his hand without even turning back, and just directed the servants to carry the gift onto the donkey's back.

"Today is the Double Ninth Festival, and it's getting dark. Let's go tomorrow morning." Jinlian couldn't help but persuade again.

"No need. After leaving the city, I will take the water route to Luodu. It doesn't matter if it gets dark when I'm on the boat." said Master Gongsun.

Jinlian covered her face and cried, then rushed back to the east wing and slammed the door shut.

Aunt Liu sighed and said, "Since the young master must leave, let's settle the bill first." Gongsun Wujiu nodded to a servant who looked like a butler, and the servant took out a purse and handed it to Aunt Liu.

Aunt Liu felt something was wrong when she took the purse. It seemed to contain gold ingots, but they were too light.

When they opened it, they saw that it was filled with gold ingots, rather than more valuable gemstones, jade pendants, etc.

She weighed it and asked tentatively, "These ingots are worth about three hundred taels of silver. Should we give them to the cook, the handyman, or our madam?"

"All expenses are included in it. Aunt, just reward whoever you want." said Master Gongsun.

"Sir, don't joke around." Aunt Liu forced a smile.

"No kidding."

Aunt Liu's expression changed and she said, "Since you are serious, let's do the math. You have thirteen people including your master and servants, fifteen mules and horses, three meals a day, snacks, tea, and fodder for the animals. The cost is at least five taels of silver a day.

In total, you lived there for more than two months, and it cost more than three hundred taels of silver. Your bag of silver is barely enough for you!
Also, how is Jinlian's overnight stay calculated? How is it calculated for renting a courtyard as big as Yihongyuan?"

Gongsun Gongzi turned around and said, "Aunt, don't forget. After I entered the family, I also gave you a bag of silver. Please use the abacus beads to carefully calculate whether it is just right."

Aunt Liu didn't need to move the abacus beads, she just calculated it in her mind, and it was just right!
It’s not that Master Gongsun gave enough money, but according to the minimum standard, it was barely enough.

Jinlian is a registered girl, and since she is a registered girl, she has a fixed price. But customers often pay more, because Hongxiufang belongs to the service industry, and the amount of money can determine the quality of service the customers enjoy.

Since they come here to enjoy themselves, guests often don’t mind giving some tips to the “top girl” so that she can be more attentive, please them more, and prepare better dishes and drinks.

"Master Gongsun, if we feed you tofu, cabbage, millet rice, and sorghum porridge every day, and don't feed the livestock, but only feed them sorghum stalks, the little money you give us will be barely enough.

But we at Hongxiufang take care of you and your servants in every possible way, and flatter you to the utmost. Every day we serve you big plates and bowls of all kinds of delicacies and good wines. Whatever you ask for, we will grant you whatever you ask for.

Your mules and horses eat seven dou and four liters of raw food and one hundred and twenty kilograms of grass every day, all of which is the best dry alfalfa."

Gongsun Gongzi smiled and said, "The cabbage, tofu, and millet porridge are also very delicious. You must have a big plate and a big bowl, but it has nothing to do with me. We always eat whatever you bring.

We humans are like this, so animals don’t need to worry about it.”

The girls and aunts outside the yard were stunned.

Aunt Liu shouted excitedly, "Sir, you are a nobleman in Shangbang! You let our madam pay for you, do you still want the honor of Shangbang?"

Gongsun Wujiu said disapprovingly: "I am just me, how can I talk about the glory of the state?
Moreover, Shangbang’s glory has never been achieved by being a sucker.”

Aunt Liu became even more excited. "It's only natural for prostitutes to pay for prostitution. How did you become the scapegoat? There is only one scapegoat, and that's Hongxiufang!"

Seeing that the gifts had been prepared, Gongsun Wujiu became a little impatient and said, "Auntie must settle accounts with me. You can go to Luodu to find the Eastern Imperial Envoy. He is at least a celestial being and will definitely be able to help you figure it out.

If I really underpaid, you can ask him directly for it."

Aunt Liu couldn't believe what she heard. "Master, do you think I dare not go to Luodu? Yes, I am not even as good as the mud on the soles of the Eastern Imperial Envoy's feet, but if this incident is exposed, will you feel proud?"

"Go ahead and make a scene. I've been like this in Xianyang. It doesn't matter."

Gongsun Wujiu waved his hand, signaling his servants to leave immediately, and he also led his horse out.

The aunts, girls, and eunuchs at the gate of the courtyard looked at him dully, but no one tried to stop him.

Gongsun Wujiu remained composed throughout, showing no sign of shame or embarrassment. When he saw Xiaoyu, he smiled and bowed, fully demonstrating the bearing and etiquette of a nobleman from a superior country.

Xiaoyu is a little impressed by his strong mental quality and his unmatched shamelessness.

However, his followers, although they tried their best to remain expressionless and calm, there was inevitably a hint of embarrassment in their eyes.

"Aunt, don't be angry. Master Gongsun probably really has no money." Xiaoyu walked into Yihong Courtyard and said to Aunt Liu.

She had probably never suffered such a loss in her life. She was so angry that her face turned blue and she kept gasping for breath.

"He is a nobleman from a high country, how could he be short of money?" said Aunt Liu.

Xiaoyu recounted the story of how Huangsha Xiaosheng plundered the noble son of Shangbang.

“When he was in Xianyang, his wealth should not have been very rich, otherwise why would he come to Xisha to make a living?

"We were a group of more than ten people, and had walked tens of thousands of miles. We had already spent most of our money, and after being ripped off by Little Saint Huangsha, it was already very generous of them to take out a bag of silver to pay the bill."

"Squeak~~~"

The door opened, and Jinlian, with red and swollen eyes, walked out quickly, saying hopefully, "So, it's not that he doesn't want to redeem me, but he's just too poor to pay?

How could he be so stupid? If he had told me earlier, I could have secretly paid for him!"

Aunt Liu rolled her eyes.

Xiao Yu said honestly: "He is going to the Western countries to be a son-in-law. He probably won't redeem you even if he has money."

"It's not easy to be a son-in-law. He may not live for more than two years. It's a good thing that you didn't go with him, Jinlian. At least you don't have to worry about becoming a widow early." Aunt Liu sneered.

Jinlian was shocked and anxious, "Why can't he live more than two years? Did you curse him?"

"Why do you need me to curse him? Do you know why he was still 'Master Yihong' yesterday and suddenly wanted to leave this afternoon?" asked Aunt Liu.

Jinlian hesitated and said, "It seems to be because of a letter I received at noon."

"Did you see what was written in the letter?" asked the aunt again.

Jinlian shook her head.

Aunt Liu sneered, "He will join the 'Demon Suppression Army' and will soon go to the Western countries to hunt monsters! And he will not hunt ordinary monsters, but big monsters, or even monster kings. Only by completely solving the monster problem and winning the hearts of the Western people can he marry the noble lady and inherit her family business."

(End of this chapter)