Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 34 I Want to Be a Devil

Lu Jia wasn't blind. The man in front of her was skilled in martial arts, could chop a copper lock in half, and was also good at gambling. When asked to pretend to be a merchant, he not only wasn't intimidated, but he also completely fooled Zhang Laosan.

How could he be the kind of江湖人 (jianghu person) I imagined? How could a江湖人 who struggles to eat and survive possibly acquire such skills?
Shen Qingzhou was glad that she had put out the tinderbox.

He knew he had to be careful around this woman, but he never expected her to ask that question so quickly.

"Let's go outside first," he said. "This isn't the place to talk."

Lu Jia snorted, "The couple has already gone back to their room and won't be coming back. This is just where they keep their accounts; very few people come here late at night."

"Why can't we say it here?"

Did he think she wouldn't notice he was avoiding her? Hmph.

Shen Qingzhou glanced at the roof beam: "Haven't I already told you who I am? Why are you still asking?"

“You can do everything, you’re so amazing, you can’t possibly be an ordinary martial arts person.” Lu Jia circled around him. “You don’t have any of the bad habits that martial arts people usually have.”

“Young Master Qin, if you still don’t tell the truth, then you’re not being sincere.”

Lu Jiayou's bright gaze fell on his clean clothes, her expression looking very serious.

In the darkness, Shen Qingzhou turned her face away and let out a barely audible chuckle.

sincere?

Such fresh words.

After a moment of silence, he said, "You have good taste. Actually, I was originally from a wealthy family."

Lu Jia raised an eyebrow.

She knew that people who spent their lives in the underworld wouldn't dress as elegantly as him.

"A pampered young master, bored with his life, unexpectedly fainted in front of me. So he decided to find some amusement, pretending to be a carefree wanderer and playing around with me?"

Shen Qingzhou said, "Look at my physique, do I look like someone who has the ability to idle around and harass respectable women?"

Oh, yes.

He is sick.

Lu Jia suddenly realized. She had seen many spoiled brats, but there were indeed very few who were sick and loved to play.

Shen Qingzhou said, "My father was away from home when I was little, and he rarely came back. Only my mother and I were left at home. Many people bullied us. Later, my mother died, and they only bullied me."

"Later, my father came back, but he had a new son, and I became an orphan."

Lu Jia's composed demeanor gradually crumbled.

"Wha, what?"

Shen Qingzhou looked at her: "I did live a wealthy life when I was young. I've met many people who were even more powerful than the Zhang family."

"So it's normal that you don't think I'm like an ordinary person from the martial arts world."

"But I do lack parents and have no one to rely on. But don't worry, after eating so many meals from you, I'll leave once I've settled things with the Zhang family."

Whether you want to or not, you have to leave.

She's too perceptive. They've only met a few times, and she's already convinced he's not a true gangster.

Both the Shen and Lu families are formidable clans in the court, and based on their respective positions, they shouldn't have had this interaction.

If she were to uncover his identity, or if someone with ulterior motives were to find out, there would definitely be a lot of trouble.

After all, Shen Qingzhou should be recuperating at the Grand Commandant's residence at this time, waiting to resume his duties at the Ministry of Revenue after he recovers.

"Are you telling the truth?" Lu Jia asked.

Shen Qingzhou rolled up his sleeves and showed her his entire arm.

The arm wasn't overly muscular, but it wasn't thin either; the lines were firm and sharp, even appearing quite powerful. There were several scars from the arm to the forearm, clearly from sharp weapons.

“My mother was seriously ill when I was eight years old, and I have been facing these things ever since.” Shen Qingzhou lowered his sleeves, his voice still calm. “This skill is something I forced myself to learn.”

Lu Jia paused for a moment, looked at the wound on his hand, and sighed. Actually, whether he was an emperor or a beggar was none of her concern. Her only concern was whether he might be a member of the Jiang family.

But ever since he appeared, he has admitted that he is a member of the underworld, and he has never said that he is a good person.

If he really wanted to harm me, with his skills, what method couldn't he use to succeed?
Therefore, it is unlikely that he was sent by Chiang Kai-shek.

The reason for inquiring about his background was to find out how he mastered his skills and what other abilities he possessed.
Yes, to put it bluntly, Lu Jia just wanted to see how much more she could squeeze out of him...

I didn’t expect it! I didn’t expect it!
It was so bad that she felt embarrassed to do it.

She remained silent for a while, and Shen Qingzhou worried that she might have gone too far.

He rolled up his sleeves: "It's nothing really. You're a young lady, so it's only right that you be careful. If you meet someone like me again, just don't trust him."

Lu Jia lowered her head for a while, then suddenly raised it and said, "I'm sorry."

Shen Qingzhou wouldn't blame her: "It's alright."

Lu Jia coughed: "I meant the pot of meat I promised to stew for you—" She pointed in the direction of her house, "I'm afraid you won't be able to eat it."

Shen Qingzhou: ……

……

The pot of stew was still on the fire, and the charcoal in the hearth was still burning brightly, but the soup had dried up, leaving only a few dark lumps at the bottom of the pot.

Lu Jia was so engrossed in watching the play that she forgot everything else because of the account book.

Although Qiu Niang and Xie Yi lived right at their doorstep, they never expected Lu Jia to climb over the wall to go next door to watch a play, nor did they expect to come back to take care of her.

The four people stared silently at the blackened pot of meat for a long time before Qiu Niang quickly rolled up her sleeves and started washing the pot and cooking again.

Shen Qingzhou looked at Lu Jia: "I've noticed that you're not very sincere with me either."

Lu Jia felt ashamed: "I promised to provide you with meals for three days, but starting tomorrow, I'll add two more days. No, three more days!"

She stamped three fingers with her pen.

Shen Qingzhou glanced at her: "I can't come tomorrow, and I'm not free for the next few days."

Lu Jia saw him out of the courtyard: "What could be so busy you, a prodigal son like you?"

Shen Qingzhou leaned against the door and turned around: "Didn't you tell me to save money for medical treatment and to get married as soon as possible? Shouldn't I go kill a few people and save up some money for my wife?"

Lu Jia stopped: "For the sake of our past acquaintance, tell me the truth, are you really making a living by traveling around?"

Shen Qingzhou felt that replying to this question was a bit difficult.

Lying is wrong. Besides, his original intention was to repay her.

But what's the point of saying it?

She was unaware that she had a past life connection with him.

Moreover, he felt that the waters in the imperial court were much deeper than those in the martial arts world. From another perspective, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was a wanderer in the martial arts world.
He nodded: "Yes."

"Great!" Lu Jia clapped her hands.

Shen Qingzhou: ?

"This time I'm going to be your employer!" Lu Jia's eyes shone brightly. "With your help, I'm sure this will work out!"

Shen Qingzhou had a gut feeling that nothing good was going to happen.

Lu Jia put her hands behind her back and strode forward with her feet slightly apart: "I think what you said that day was right. I shouldn't waste my time and energy on manual labor. And I do need manpower. More importantly, my shop needs to open soon, and all of this requires a lot of money."

"so what?"

"I want all of the Zhang family's assets."

Lu Jia stopped, the sunlight illuminating her gleaming teeth beneath her wicked smile:

"I'm going to be the devil. And I'm going to hire you as my little devil!"

(End of this chapter)