A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 16 My Heart is Clear as a Mirror (Please recommend and add to your favorites!)
"You brat, if I hadn't called you, were you already planning to become my apprentice?"

Qi Erniang was dressed even more brightly than usual today. Although it was almost winter, she was still wearing a strapless ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a lotus pattern, covering her plump body, and a peacock blue brocade jacket over it. The bright red silk flower that was slanted into her hair made Li Weizhou laugh.

"Laugh at your mother!"

Qi Erniang wasn't stupid; she naturally saw that Li Weizhou's smile was unlikely to be one of praise, so she plucked the bright red silk flower from her temple and threw it at him.

Li Weizhou actually caught it with his hands, casually put the silk flower into his sleeve pocket, hesitated for a moment, and then took out a purple lacquered wooden box, saying, "Sister Qi, you are so beautiful, wearing silk flowers is a bit tacky. Here is a treasure for you, thank you for your kindness."

Qi Erniang rolled her eyes at him, but said gently, "What treasure could a penniless pauper like you possibly have..." Before she could finish speaking, a dazzling wine-red luster flashed from the opened wooden box, and a wine-red gemstone lay there in the unremarkable wooden box.

"Wow!!"

While Qi Erniang was still in a daze, a young girl wearing a white fur coat came down from upstairs and exclaimed in surprise, "How beautiful Hongzhu is!"

Only then did Li Weizhou realize that the people here called rubies "red pearls".

Qi Erniang flipped the wooden box shut, frowned slightly, and looked at Li Weizhou, saying, "Little Zhouzi, what are you doing...?"

Li Weizhou shrugged and said, "Sister Qi, please don't ask me where I came from. I didn't steal, rob, or cheat."

Qi Erniang's gaze was somewhat scrutinizing, but her tone had already turned joking: "I bet it's mostly something your mother left for you to use for your wedding. What, you want to marry me?"

The shopkeeper and the girl in white robes both laughed out loud. Li Weizhou also laughed and said, "If I could really marry you, sister, that would be my blessing. Unfortunately, even if I gave you another hundred red beads, it would still be wishful thinking. It's just a token of my gratitude. Sister Qi is a heroine among women, so there's no need to take these things too seriously. It's actually the same as giving you a piece of calligraphy and painting. It's just that you're not good at studying and are naturally beautiful."

After hearing this string of sweet words, Qi Erniang couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Good lad! I won't have to worry about you getting married in the future. With that clever tongue... I wonder how many girls you'll charm in the future."

The girl in the white fur coat beside him winked at Li Weizhou and said, "Good brother, I'm your older sister too. Give me one too, and I'll really be your wife!"

This young lady, named Yuanyuan, was one of the top courtesans at Zuixianglou. She was eloquent, knowledgeable in poetry, and a skilled musician. Countless wealthy and powerful men were captivated by her charm.

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "Being your wife is fine, but when you have some free time, Sister Yuanyuan, teach me some music and strings, and I'll think of buying you another one as a gift."

Anyway, he's not planning to learn anytime soon, so I'll give him the lessons when he wants to.

Upon hearing this, Yuanyuan laughed heartily and said, "You still want to learn music and strings... Good little brother, come back to your room with me, and I'll teach you to play the flute. How about we play the flute and zither together?"

Li Weizhou seemed completely oblivious, so he stopped looking at her and said to Qi Erniang, "Sister Qi, let's go to the room to talk."

Qi Erniang glanced at the willow trunk he carried with him, nodded, and said to Yuanyuan, "Go back to your room first, and I'll call you later so you can play it properly for him."

After saying that, he led Li Weizhou upstairs.

Yuanyuan stood downstairs, one hand on her hip and the other clenching her fist, looking furious.

……

"You actually made it?"

Looking at the neatly arranged red emerald-like scented soaps in the wicker boxes, Qi Erniang's almond-shaped eyes widened slightly, and she took a deep breath and said.

Li Weizhou smiled but didn't say anything.

He seemed disdainful of answering such a question...

Qi Erniang glanced at him sideways and rolled her eyes at him, but she wasn't disgusted by the little man's arrogance.

Because he really is capable...

I took one out and smelled it; it had a delicate, not cloying, fragrance.

Qi Erniang asked, "One hundred yuan?"

Li Weizhou shook his head and said, "Make fifty pieces first, and another fifty pieces in the second half of the month."

Qi Erniang smiled upon hearing this and looked at Li Weizhou, saying, "When did you make this? Did you stay up all night and work hard?"

Li Weizhou shook his head again and said, "I never stay up late. Staying up late damages your essence and blood. I only do it in my spare time."

Qi Erniang's smile became much more genuine. She had visited Li Weizhou three times that night, and each time she turned off the lights. Li Weizhou had fallen asleep early and, judging from his breathing, was sleeping soundly.

However, she still didn't expect Li Weizhou to be so honest with her.

The more experienced she is, the more she has witnessed the treacherous and complex nature of human hearts, and how people can speak more cunningly than ghosts, before becoming smug and self-satisfied with their wisdom and resourcefulness...

Now that I've met this sincere young man, I feel that his heart is as pure as a white lotus, and the more I get to know him, the more elegant he becomes, like green tea. It's wonderful.

Qi Erniang looked at Li Weizhou with a smile and reached out to pat his head.

Li Weizhou was somewhat annoyed. He looked at Qi Erniang and said, "Sister Qi, I tried to dodge just now, but I could only watch helplessly as your hand came towards me... What happened?" Qi Erniang laughed triumphantly and said, "Naturally, it's because I was too fast... Sanlang, from now on, don't call me Sister Qi anymore, just call me Sister Erniang. From today onwards, I've accepted you as my younger brother." The implication was that she would protect him.

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "Then just call me 'sister'. Anyway, I don't even have a cousin, only a younger sister."

That's a bit abrupt, not because of the difference in status, but because of the distance in worldly identity.

It's not just the worldly views of outsiders, but also the worldly views in Qi Erniang's heart.

Li Weizhou was, after all, a respectable man. He had only worked at Zuixianglou before and had never sold himself into prostitution.

No matter how you look at it, Qi Erniang is still of low social status.

Sure enough, Qi Erniang was silent for a moment after hearing this before smiling and saying, "Judging from the current situation, you will most likely not stay in the small Qingzhou Prefecture in the future. You have a bright future ahead of you. Aren't you afraid that people will laugh at you in the future?"

Li Weizhou shook his head and said, "Sister, there's no need for such petty talk between us. Even if I really succeed in making Baibaolou a big success and become a prominent figure, it won't change the fact that I was once a waiter at Zuixianglou and received your care."

So what? My mind is as clear as a mirror, what do I care about praise or slander from the world?

My sister helped and protected me during my most difficult time, and now she's joining me in planning our lofty ambitions. Whether we succeed or not, this experience will be invaluable in my life. How could I let rumors sway my conscience? My sister underestimates me, and she underestimates herself.”

These words were not mere idle chatter to him; he was genuinely grateful to Qi Erniang.

Because he could sense Qi Erniang's kindness, and in fact, Qi Erniang had given him a lot of help.

Without this connection, Li Delong's family, a local powerful family, alone could not protect such a large business.

It's really eye-catching; even small businesses are struggling.

Even if Li Weizhou were a recluse of the White Lotus School or a hermit of the Green Tea School, he wouldn't pretend to be ignorant about his own inner thoughts.

He was grateful for the kindness; what did the madam's status matter?
There are countless morally upright people in the world, but when Li Weizhou was struggling to survive, who lent him a helping hand?
So screw worldly customs and moral standards!

Upon hearing this, Qi Erniang stared intently at Li Weizhou, then touched his face, her eyes filled with emotion. She said, "Alright, then I'll truly accept you as my brother. This box of scented soap will be five taels of silver per piece. As your older sister, I won't make money off you..."

Li Weizhou chuckled and said, "Sister, as the saying goes, even close brothers should keep clear accounts, so that they can remain brothers for a long time. If one side benefits while the other suffers, it's not really good for family ties. With your intelligence, you can see that clearly. I have many other ways to make money, not this one. Let's do as we agreed before, or I won't sell to you. Besides, if I really need money, I'll just ask you, sister, without any hesitation."

Qi Erniang was even more satisfied and laughed heartily, "Good, good! My brother Zhou'er is the reincarnation of the God of Wealth. From now on, I'm sure I'll have endless money to spend! You wait, I'll go get you some gold."

After she went behind the screen, she took out a ten-tael gold ingot and handed it to Li Weizhou, then asked, "Is there anything recently that requires your help, sister?"

There really is...

“My cousin helped me find a piece of land outside the city. It’s probably quite remote. I plan to build Shenji Valley there…”

Before Li Weizhou could finish speaking, Qi Erniang shook her head repeatedly, saying, "No, no, there's a law in the city to guarantee that no gang would dare to cause trouble here, otherwise the Mountain Forest Envoy would definitely not let them off. The Great Qian Dynasty has been able to enjoy its rule for over five hundred years because of this. But even if the dynasty is so strong, it can only guarantee that there will be no chaos within the city. You're so audacious as to dare to cause trouble outside? Although your sister has some skills, she's not that capable. Listen to me, give up this idea."

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "Of course I wouldn't go there easily. But I know some secret mechanisms and techniques, so I can turn that place into a dead zone to attract people who covet my Hundred Treasures Pavilion's secret formula to steal it. That way, the pressure on me will be much less, and so will my sister."

Qi Erniang was startled upon hearing this and turned her head to say, "Deadly place? You know such powerful mechanical secrets?"

Li Weizhou nodded and sighed, "My mother... no, my maternal grandfather was the real genius. If he hadn't passed away early due to an accident, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion might have already been established."

His mother's title is no longer enough.

His maternal grandfather was just an ordinary county official who had passed away many years ago, but he could still be brought up to hold his own.

If anyone else had said this, Qi Erniang would have been half-convinced, but she was willing to believe her younger brother. She said, "Your maternal grandfather and your mother were truly remarkable. It's a pity they didn't meet sooner. Now, tell me, what do you want me to do?"

Li Weizhou chuckled and said, "When we leave the city, I'll trouble you to see me off, sister. My cousin probably found me a place at the foot of Dayuan Mountain. He said there are many valleys there. But he also said there are some bandits and strongmen there. I don't think he can protect them. I'll trouble you to escort me."

Qi Erniang laughed and said, "I was worried for nothing. You're even so careful when you leave the city... But I can escort you once, two or three times is no problem, but I can't escort you every time, I'm busy sometimes. How about I lend you Song Shi?"

Li Weizhou shook his head and said, "No need. I plan to hire all the villagers around here to do the clearing and building of the fortified village. Even if there are bandits nearby, they are most likely connected to the villagers, so it won't take away their livelihood. After it's built, I'll go and arrange it, and they won't have a chance."

Qi Erniang looked at Li Weizhou with some surprise and said, "I really didn't expect you to have such a scheme... Well then, I really want to see how you can create a death trap to kill the enemy. When are we going?"

Li Weizhou said, "Let's go directly to the patrol station outside the city to find my cousin."

"Okay. Wait here for a moment, I'll change my clothes."

Qi Erniang agreed, then went behind the screen to change her clothes. She quickly came out and saw Li Weizhou standing with his back to the screen, his hands behind his back. He was clearly only a sixteen-year-old boy, but his carefree demeanor was admirable. She couldn't help but take his arm and say with a smile, "Good brother, let's go."

……

(End of this chapter)