A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 40 Something happened

"Whoa!"

Li Chang'an, dressed in official robes, rode a tall horse. Behind him, besides two inspectors, were two large carts pulled by slow horses, carrying more than twenty new servants of the Li family.

Today I'm showing the new servants the way; for some time to come, these people will be going into the valley to do things.

A patrolman behind him said, "Boss, things haven't been peaceful in Fu Family Village lately. Fu Tianxing's youngest son fell off his horse and died, and his second wife insists that his eldest son killed him. I don't know if Fu Tianxing has gone senile, but he actually beat his eldest son, Fu Qingshan, half to death. It's said that both of his legs were broken."

Fu Qingshan is actually quite a figure. The rapid growth of Fu Family Village over the years is all thanks to him. Moreover, although Fu Qingshan and Fu Tianshou, the most outstanding member of the Fu family, are nominally uncle and nephew, they are practically brothers; Fu Qingshan is even two years older than Fu Tianshou. When Fu Tianshou returns, Fu Family Village will be even more lively.

Li Chang'an rode lazily on his horse and said, "Why do people say that there are more fools than dogs in the world? Even a child can say that harmony brings prosperity. Who doesn't understand this? But some people are too short-sighted. For a little bit of personal gain, they will fight each other viciously with their relatives."

In the end, the infighting resulted in a complete mess, with families broken apart and people dying, making them a laughing stock in the eyes of outsiders.

"If it were about seizing a king's throne, that would be one thing, but with just a few scraps and pieces, and yet so many dead and wounded, it's utterly foolish. You lot who follow me, you absolutely mustn't do anything so stupid."

Another inspector laughed and said, "Actually, this kind of thing is common in ordinary people's homes. It's really rare for things to be like what the boss's family does. We're lucky; we've followed the boss for the past few years and have learned a lot."

In a family, if there's one sensible person, things will gradually get better. In the past few years, I always gave in to my brother and sister-in-law, but in the last two years, they seem to have come to their senses. They not only take good care of my parents, but they also often think of me.

For close relatives, unless they are truly beyond redemption, suffering a little loss is not a big deal. The third master of the boss's family caused even more trouble a few years ago, but didn't he turn things around completely this year?

Li Chang'an laughed and cursed, "Turn around my ass! I'm practically a full-fledged worker already!"

The two subordinates burst into laughter, but then Li Chang'an's expression suddenly changed. He actually waved for them to stop and told the carriages to move aside.

The two inspectors didn't understand. They were inspectors outside the city. Once outside Qingzhou City, they were arguably the most powerful. When would they ever give way to someone?

However, the group obeyed the order and stopped to the side. Looking back, they could see two horses turning from the official road onto the country road and galloping towards them.

Such a magnificent steed is rarely seen.

Before long, two riders came galloping at full speed, but when they passed Li Chang'an, the one in the lead suddenly reined in his horse.

It's a fine horse after all; it can stop steadily even with such a sudden stop. The young man in the lead stared at Li Chang'an and asked, "What are you doing?"

Li Chang'an clasped his hands and said, "I am Li Chang'an, the Inspector General. I am here to escort my servant to Li Family Valley. This must be Tianshou. It's been quite a few years..."

The newcomer was none other than Fu Tianshou, the true dragon of the Fu family. Back then, his martial talent was only one level below Li Changning's, but Li Changning went to the capital, while he could only go to Jinzhou Prefecture—a world of difference…

Fu Tianshou seemed to no longer recognize Li Chang'an, staring at him and saying, "That's all Fu Family Village's land. When did a Li Family Valley emerge?"

Li Chang'an explained with a smile, "Our third son bought it from your eldest brother. It's just a piece of barren mountain valley. Your eldest brother really dared to ask for two hundred taels of silver..."

Before he could finish speaking, Fu Tianshou coldly said, "The Fu family does not sell ancestral property. Go back." With that, he tossed a few silver ingots from his sleeve and let them fall to the ground as if feeding a dog.

Li Chang'an stopped laughing, and his tone turned cold as he said, "You think you can just refuse to sell a house just because you want to?"

Fu Tianshou stared at Li Chang'an for a moment, then suddenly lashed out with his whip. With a "crack," Li Chang'an was sent flying off his horse, crashing heavily to the ground. After letting out a scream, he immediately stopped his two men who had drawn their swords, gritting his teeth and saying, "Take me home first. Let's go back!"

The two inspectors glared at Fu Tianshou, but still obeyed. After forcing the servants off the carriage, they hurriedly drove towards the city.

……

Dream Pavilion.

Li Weizhou went with Miss Mengjun. It was broad daylight, but the store was not yet open for business, and many of the girls had not even gotten up yet.

Even so, the building was filled with the scent of rouge.

Unlike Zuixianglou, Yimengge is run by the head courtesan Chu Mengjun, not the madam.

The madam led the men to serve fragrant tea and then withdrew.

Li Weizhou followed Chu Mengjun upstairs and into her boudoir.

Ah, the afternoon sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, casting dappled light and shadow on the plain-colored zither table.

A few white plum blossoms are arranged in a celadon vase on the desk, their sparse shadows cast by the light, their subtle fragrance wafting in the air. Occasionally, petals drift down and land next to the still-wet ink plum blossom painting on the rice paper, adding a touch of poetic charm.

A long table, simple and elegant, with writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone neatly arranged on its surface, and an open book, which should be an ancient book, because the pages are yellowed and the edges are worn and frayed.

A girl living in such a boudoir, how many educated men in the world could resist...? Li Weizhou's face showed a hint of approval, and Chu Mengjun led the way to continue forward.

On a bamboo flower stand in the corner, several pots of white orchids quietly bloom. Beyond the three screens with pine, cypress, plum, and orchid patterns, one can see the boudoir bed and dressing table...

A faint scent of incense wafted from deep within the gauze curtains, mingling with the aroma of ink and flowers, creating a tranquil and serene atmosphere in the room.

In contrast, Qi Erniang's boudoir was much simpler and more practical...

Chu Mengjun didn't say anything, but let Li Weizhou look at her collection of gold jewelry, most of which were exquisite pieces.

Li Weizhou said, "Baibaolou has recently created a batch of new headdresses... Actually, it's not that recent, we've been preparing for this day for a while. We've collected all the gold available on the market, and now it's the perfect time to launch new products. In fact, even if the Zhou family hadn't transferred the silver shop, Baibaoge would still have opened."

Chu Mengjun suddenly realized, "So that's where we were lying in ambush. I was wondering why you exchanged so much gold; so many people were wondering..."

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "I knew it. With so much gold bought, no one would be unaware."

Chu Mengjun also laughed and said, "Everyone thought that Qi Erniang was up to something, which is why she bought so much gold. Some people tried to find out, but she didn't deny it. I didn't expect it to be you. It seems that many people have misunderstood your wealth..." She paused and then said, "Alright then, I'll go and have a look when your Baibaolou opens."

Li Weizhou was well-versed in service and marketing: "You don't need to go; it might be inconvenient for some people. How about this, Baibaoge can open a booth in your building, or even just a counter. That way, we might save a lot of money..."

Chu Mengjun covered her mouth and laughed again. Her eyebrows were like spring mountains with dark eyebrows, and her eyes were like autumn water. She was truly a classic beauty.

But I wonder if Li Weizhou's standards have become too high now, because he feels that this kind of beauty is a bit... craftsman-like.

Of course, it's not like he's looking for a wife, so it's not his place to criticize. He's just offering his opinion from an appreciative perspective.

Moreover, even with her somewhat artificial appearance, she remains a first-rate classical beauty.

I wonder what benefits the Eight Kings and Eight Clans wanted to gain in the horse market, what intelligence they wanted to gather, and why they placed such a beauty in such a small town.

Chu Mengjun could feel Li Weizhou's unyielding gaze, but she was used to it and didn't take it seriously.

The maid behind her, however, found it rather strange. Why didn't the mistress of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion have that fiery, eager, and lewd look in her eyes? She was quite puzzled.

Is it a lack of understanding of human affairs, or an inability to handle human affairs...?

Chu Mengjun understood a bit. This person was not old, but he was much more wary of others than the average person. He had always been on guard against her.

However, she herself wouldn't do anything to harm him, and everything she said was sincere...

Chu Mengjun smiled and said, "Okay, let's set up a display case for now, but it can't be permanent. After all, it's not easy for the sisters to earn money, so let's leave them some money for their retirement."

Just then, an old woman came in. Judging from her composed manner, she was probably not just an ordinary laundry woman.

Sure enough, she glanced at Li Weizhou first, then lowered her head slightly and said to Chu Mengjun, "Miss, news just came from outside that the second master of the Li family was whipped by Fu Tianshou, the second master of the Fu family, who was rushing home from Jinzhou to deal with family matters, on his way to Fu Family Village. He is now seriously injured and has been sent home..."

"Farewell!"

After saying that, Li Weizhou got up, went downstairs, and left.

Chu Mengjun escorted him to the corner of the stairs and said gently, "If there's anything I can do to help, please just say the word."

Li Weizhou turned around again, clasped his hands in a salute, and then quickly left.

After he disappeared, the old woman asked, puzzled, "Why do you think so highly of this man, young lady?"

Chu Mengjun smiled slightly and said, "He has really given me a lot of surprises today. If the next challenge can bring something different, it will be even more interesting."

"Is it from the Fu family?"

The maid asked thoughtfully.

Chu Mengjun smiled slightly and shook her head, saying, "No, it's Feng Biwu. Because she felt betrayed by a man, her family was destroyed, and she almost ended up in a brothel, this Biwu-jun dislikes unfaithful men the most... Hehe, just wait and see how much weight that fourth young master of the Li family really carries. We'll find out soon enough."

The maid's smile vanished instantly...

……

(End of this chapter)