Misty Rain of the Old Times

"Buy a place to live?" Upon hearing this, the little girl's expression froze, and she looked a bit confused.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said matter-of-factly, "Yeah, is there a problem? Otherwise, where would we stay?"

Seeing that her husband didn't seem to be joking, she hesitated and asked, "Aren't we going back?"

When she said this, she didn't seem to feel the desolation of leaving her hometown. After all, home was wherever her husband lived. It was just a little unbelievable that she would buy a place to live. Even if it was small, it was still a house. Was it really that casual?

In her mind, or in the mind of more than 99 percent of people in this world, a house is something that is passed down from generation to generation. The house remains even after the person is gone. Building or repairing a house is something that countless people never experience in their lifetime, so how could they just talk about it?

Understanding her mindset, Chen Xuan said, "Of course you should go back. You saw it just now, it's quite convenient to come and go. You'll come here often in the future. Before, I could manage on my own, but I'll need a fixed place to live in the capital. It's not like I don't have the means, so why wander around? Don't you think that makes sense?"

As a family, of course we need to discuss and plan how to live our lives. Besides, Chen Xuan can't even find a few people he can truly confide in.

She said "Oh," scratched her head, and asked, "Housing prices in Beijing must be very expensive, right? Do we have enough money?"

“It’s not like we’re buying a grand estate. If it’s just a small courtyard, even in a good location, ten thousand taels of silver would be enough,” Chen Xuan pondered for a moment and said.

The young girl was still a bit incredulous. She didn't know that she would spend several thousand taels of silver to buy a house for just a few days in the capital, which was essentially a temporary stop.
Although she had been with Chen Xuan for more than half a year, her deeply ingrained ideas had not yet adapted to the change in her status. There was no way around it; she had always stayed in a small place and had not met many people. It was unrealistic to expect her to suddenly become extravagant.

After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Does buying a house also require procedures like household registration and identity?"

“That’s true,” Chen Xuan scratched his armpit and then laughed, “But Roujia, do you think that if I, your master, paid for a house, even without the land deed, anyone would dare say it’s not mine?”

As he spoke, he put his hands on his hips.

The young girl didn't refute her master's shrewdness, but simply said, "But without a land deed, I always feel a little uneasy."

"Is that so? I'm too lazy to go back and get my household registration or anything, so how about we mooch off someone? Don't worry, I have a lot of influence. I wouldn't dare point to the Spring and Autumn Avenue that separates the capital and say it's mine, but if I ask someone to stay here, it's an honor that their ancestors' graves are emitting smoke," Chen Xuan said, resting his chin on his hand.

"Wouldn't that be bullying?" The little girl didn't dare say that, and hesitated, "Isn't it bad to live under someone else's roof?"

"This won't work, that won't work, are we supposed to live on the street? I don't care, but I'm afraid you'll suffer," Chen Xuan said, spreading his hands.

Su Roujia was also bewildered, and said helplessly, "I'll listen to Master."

So, there was no point in discussing it for so long. Chen Xuan simply said, "Never mind, let's go into the city first and talk about it then. I'll show you around. Anyway, it's still early, and we're not in a hurry about finding accommodation. Maybe we'll find a road when we get to the foot of the mountain."

The young girl was completely bewildered and could only do whatever the master said.

This master and servant pair is a story of an unreliable master bringing a country girl who has never seen the world to the big city. The master is carefree and the maid is bewildered and helpless.

Then Chen Xuan led her directly into the capital, without having time to queue properly.

First, he took the little girl to the intersection of the Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter Avenues that run through the capital, so that she could admire the statue of the founding emperor of the Jing Kingdom. Then he took her to Mirror Lake to see the snow scene. The lake was frozen over, and many people were playing and skating on it. Chen Xuan told the little girl that he often fished in the lake, and she believed him without hesitation.

As she gazed at the frozen lake and marveled at the lives of people in the capital, Chen Xuan was pondering that he really needed a permanent residence in the capital, otherwise it would be inconvenient to travel and find a place to stay. It didn't matter when he was alone, but with his little maid following him, he couldn't just live a life of hardship.

After strolling around Mirror Lake, Chen Xuan was about to take the little girl to the next place when she suddenly pointed to the sky and exclaimed in shock, "Master, look! There's a mountain floating in the sky. What would happen if it fell down?"

The sky was originally overcast and snowing, obscuring the floating islands above the capital. But before we knew it, the snow stopped, and the clouds occasionally parted, allowing the little girl to see them, which is why she exclaimed in surprise.

Anyone who has been to the capital knows about the floating islands. At this moment, the little girl's exclamation drew strange looks from some people around her.

Those gazes made the young girl realize that she had probably made a common-sense mistake. She blushed and hid behind Chen Xuan, feeling uneasy, afraid that she had embarrassed her master.

Chen Xuan, of course, had to defend his own daughter. He glanced around and shouted, "What are you looking at? Do you think you're so knowledgeable? Go cool off somewhere else."

The little girl was so embarrassed she almost cried, and gently tugged at his clothes.

People quickly looked away, deciding not to stoop to his level; he was just a rude country bumpkin.

Chen Xuan turned around and comforted the little girl, saying, "Don't bother with these pretentious guys. They don't know anything. They think they're so knowledgeable, but they have no idea what you've seen and experienced with the Soft Armor—they can't even dream of it."

Upon hearing this, the little girl thought about it and realized it made sense. "My master knows formations and can carry me flying. Do you know them?"
Then Chen Xuan continued, "You mean that floating island? It can only float in the void with the help of an array." "Like the mist array that Master made?" she blinked and looked down at the package in her arms, which still contained array flags.

Shaking his head and then nodding, Chen Xuan said, "The effects are different, so we can't generalize."

As he spoke, he glanced at the little princess's private floating island, stroked his chin, looked down at the little girl, pointed at the floating island, and said, "Roujia, what do you think of us staying there?"

"Huh?" The little girl was immediately stunned. Was that a place for people to live in? No, it was a place for ordinary people to live in.
Nodding, Chen Xuan's eyes lit up and he said, "Ahem, well, anyway, it's practically ours anyway, so that's not important. What's important is that the view up there is great, especially on a snowy day. Imagine living up there, wouldn't you feel a sense of loneliness and isolation?"

Su Roujia covered her mouth and laughed, "Master, I don't think we can afford that floating island. Even if we had the money, we probably couldn't buy it. So please don't say things like 'it's our family's property. People will laugh if they hear it."

This is more than a joke; to escalate it to the point of being a serious crime of disrespect would be an understatement.

Ignoring all that, Chen Xuan simply said, "If you have the chance, Roujia, tell me if you'd like to live upstairs?"

"It's inconvenient to go up or down, and won't it be too cold? I'd be happy just to go up and take a look... I'd like to, but are you serious, sir?" She hadn't even thought about such a thing before, and spoke cautiously as she spoke.

Snapping his fingers, Chen Xuan said, "That's settled then. You're going to serve me for the rest of your life, so of course I have to grant this little wish. Come on, let's get the keys. It's also time to introduce you two."

With that, Chen Xuan led her away in a flash. The people around them turned pale upon seeing this, not because they thought they had seen a ghost in broad daylight, but because they knew they had encountered a master. They had been mocking them earlier, and if they had angered him, things would have been terrible. Fortunately, he didn't seem to mind...

"Master, slow down, I can't take it anymore," the little maid said hesitantly as Chen Xuan led her around in a flurry of activity. She wondered to herself, "Where is Master taking me? To get the keys? Is it true that he has a lot of influence in the capital?"
Before she could finish her sentence, she found herself stopped, and the two of them appeared outside a magnificent gate.

Although she was not very knowledgeable, Su Roujia could tell at a glance that this kind of gate must be the residence of a very important person. The gleaming copper nails on the vermilion gate and the imposing guards outside made her feel intimidated.

Pulling her aside as she stood there in a daze, Chen Xuan stepped forward and greeted her under her incredulous gaze, "Are you guys busy? Is the princess here?"

Princess? Princess's residence? Princess Fuyao's residence?

Upon hearing Chen Xuan's words, the little girl looked up and saw the plaque above the gate. Her mind went blank. Her master actually knew Princess Fuyao? And it seemed that he came here often and was already familiar with the place.

She dared not think about it any further; given her status, even the thought of it was a crime!

Even though she had always lived in a small place, she had heard of Princess Fuyao's reputation. Almost everyone in the entire Jing Kingdom knew her. She never dreamed that one day she would have any interaction with such an important person.

While her mind went blank, the guards of the princess's residence lowered their posture, and one of them stepped forward to greet her respectfully: "Young Master Chen has arrived. It's cold outside, please come in quickly. In response to Young Master Chen, unfortunately His Highness is not here. He went to the palace early this morning. Should we send someone to inform him?"

Just kidding. With this man's arrival, who in the entire princess's residence would dare to be disrespectful? Everyone knows that he might become everyone's master one day.

It's the master, not the prince consort; this is the fundamental difference between marrying a princess and marrying a monk!

Unfortunately, the little princess must have gone to visit the old emperor. The old emperor's life is already counting down, especially in the dead of winter. To put it bluntly, a simple cold could be his death.

Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "No need to send anyone to disturb me. I'm here on nothing important. Is the steward here?"

"Of course we are here. What are your orders, Young Master Chen? I will send someone to inform you and come to see you. Please come in first," the guard said respectfully. He knew that if he were to be negligent towards this man, no one would have a good outcome.

The main gate was indeed not the place they had agreed upon. Chen Xuan nodded and stepped forward. The little girl was still stunned and stood there. He tugged at her and she subconsciously followed, her head still spinning.

Although the guards he brought dared not ask too many questions, Chen Xuan still introduced her, saying, "This is Su Roujia, my personal maid. Now it's just the two of us, brothers. Let's get to know each other, and don't misunderstand and refuse her entry in the future."

"We will remember this. We have met Miss Su."

The guards were startled and immediately imprinted Su Roujia's appearance in their minds, and they all bowed respectfully.

Young Master Chen's personal maid—the emphasis is on the word "personal," especially since he said that the two of them depend on each other for survival. According to common sense in this era, her status is higher than that of a concubine, second only to the mistress. Who would dare to neglect her?

Su Roujia followed Chen Xuan into the princess's residence with a blank mind. She had only been in the capital for a short time, but everything she had experienced overturned her understanding of the world that she had held for more than ten years.

From another perspective, isn't this also a kind of tragedy...? (End of Chapter)