Witch, please have some self-respect!

The accounting office was located near the inner quarters.

Shen Yun, leaning on his cane, walked slowly through the mansion.

With his white beard and hair, hunched over and leaning on a yellow wooden cane, anyone who saw him would feel that this old man wouldn't live much longer.

"Uncle Shen, where are you going?"

As they approached the accounting room, a fragrant breeze suddenly wafted over, and an old woman with heavy makeup blocked Shen Yun's way.

"Xiao Hui, what's wrong with you...?"

Shen Yun frowned slightly and pushed Hui Mama away without making a sound.

Hui San Niang was also an old servant in the Feng household, responsible for teaching etiquette to the new maids and distributing miscellaneous items among the servants.

She is usually mean-spirited and likes to take advantage of her servants, but she is a believer in the Lord's Mother.

Although Shen Yun disapproved, lacking the power to do so, he had to be mindful of interpersonal relationships and avoid being hypocritical.

"Great news! Great news!"

Hui San Niang smiled broadly, her makeup smeared all over Shen Yun's body.

He turned sternly and waved to the person beside him, calling out, "Come here, what are you standing there for!"

Shen Yun looked over and saw a young man of about twenty years old walking timidly towards them, then suddenly kneeling on the ground.

"Mr. Shen, I heard that you have no children. My parents, grandparents and I have all passed away."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to take care of you in your old age!"

With a loud thud, the young man crashed heavily onto the bluestone slab.

Shen Yun leaned on his cane, his aged face showing no joy, but rather a deep frown.

When he was most trusted, the head of the family approved his adoption of several godchildren and godgrandchildren so that someone would take care of him in his old age.

Over the years, he has encountered people who wanted to be his godson and others who wanted to recognize him as their godfather.

There have even been cases where a father and son have one recognized as a godfather and the other as a god-son.

Shen Yun sternly rejected them all.

His fear of being cared for in old age was a pretense; his godsons and grandchildren were more eager to see him off in his final days.

Then inherit the estate.

Shen Yun was in charge of the accounts, and no one would believe him if he said he had no money, since there was also a mansion bestowed upon him by the master in Mi Xian City.

He's another old bachelor who's practically buried in the ground. Who will inherit his estate after he dies?

Many people covet him.

This is not the first, nor will it be the last.

"Now that you have a wife, wouldn't it be double happiness to have a grandson too!"

Seeing Shen Yun's furrowed brows, Hui San Niang offered words of comfort.

This time, Shen Yun seemed to have thought of something, and his brows relaxed.

Uncharacteristically, he stepped forward, knelt down, helped the young man up, and asked kindly, "What's your name? What did you do before?"

Seeing Shen Yun's amiable demeanor, Hui San Niang's eyes lit up.

That old geezer has really changed his mind!

This morning, while emptying the chamber pot, she deliberately pulled Wan'er aside and spoke a few words, realizing that Wan'er was still a virgin.

Knowing that Shen Yun was definitely beyond saving, in her despair, giving him a son might displease him.

The eldest grandson is just right; the chances of success are much greater.

"Grandpa Yun, my name is Shen Qiqiang. I used to fish and sell fish outside the city. This month I joined your household as a guard."

Shen Qiqiang was also very excited, with a big red mark on his forehead, indicating that he had really kowtowed.

Shen Yun's lips twitched; he had even gone to the trouble of finding someone from the same clan.

Judging from the name alone, he doesn't seem like a filial child.

He patted Shen Qiqiang on the shoulder and said, "Good kid, but this is a big deal, I need to think about it."

After saying that, Shen Yun turned and left.

Tangping Gujuan saw a glimmer of hope for changing his fate, and he decided to change his strategy to give some people something to look forward to.

It's not unreasonable to take a year and a half, or even two or three years, as a son or grandson for consideration.

Having a few potential godsons and grandsons makes things easier to handle within the household.

Information will also be more readily available.

Shen Yun walked ten meters away, while Shen Qiqiang was still in the same spot. Hui Sanniang, furious at his lack of progress, kicked him.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and catch up with your godfather!"

Shen Qiqiang hurriedly caught up, "Grandpa, Grandpa, let me help you..."

Shen Yun tapped his cane twice: "I'm happy when you call me affectionately; but I don't like it when you call me godfather."

"Understood. I'll greet Master Yun first, and wait for you..."

"That's right, Xiaoqiang, I have high hopes for you."

Shen Qiqiang left only after they arrived at the accounting office. He was a guard for the Feng family and had his own job.

"Mr. Shen, are you preparing to adopt your son?"

Accountant Sun walked up from behind, his eyes gleaming.

If he could become the godfather, wouldn't the position of chief accountant be his for sure?

"I just liked the kid."

Shen Yun neither nodded nor shook his head, but waved his hand to signal Accountant Sun to go about his business.

Seeing this attitude, Accountant Sun was utterly frustrated.

Where am I inferior to that young man?

Shen Yun returned to the steward's room and opened the account book to look at it.

Thanks to the nine years of education I received in my previous life.

Based on his experience in this life, this is a complete game-changer for other accountants who still use abacuses.

He has real skills and can easily spot the tricks in the ledgers.

"Last month's servant expenses totaled 353 taels, including monthly allowances, meals, clothing, and expenses for injuries and illnesses..."

"The total expenses for the guards' cultivation amounted to 979 taels, 300 taels for the Body Nourishing Pills, 500 taels for the Grain-Abstaining Pills, 1450 catties of meat totaling 145 taels, and weapons..."

"The Third Young Master receives five hundred taels of silver, three Blood Essence Pills for three hundred taels, and seven Body Nourishing Pills..."

...

"The Fang family disciples' cultivation expenses totaled 5,690 taels, including: pills, wild beast meat, weapons and armor, talismans..."

"Send this to the young lady at the Holy Sect, thirty thousand taels..."

Shen Yun carefully examined the account book, reading through each entry and word.

The level of importance attached to the government is obvious at a glance.

The bulk of the expenses within the manor are still related to cultivation. Blood Essence Pills are the best aid for cultivation, followed by Body Nourishing Pills.

Bigu pills are also superior to ordinary meat.

The saying "the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts" is true.

An ordinary laborer earns less than one tael of silver a month, while the cheapest fasting pills cost one tael of silver each.

Practicing martial arts can only offset the effects of one day's exertion.

Although Shen Yun was the chief steward, he dared not embezzle any money, otherwise he would not have been able to get to this position.

Eight taels of silver a month, enough for food, clothing, shelter and transportation all provided by the Feng family.

You can’t spend it all, you can’t spend it all.

In less than half an hour, Shen Yun finished reviewing the ledger and found several discrepancies.

The difference was a full thousand taels of silver, which he secretly noted down.

When it was time to rest, Shen Yun brewed a pot of fine green tea, which was said to have spiritual plant bloodline, filling the room with fragrance.

I picked up "Miscellaneous Notes of Wu Yaozi" at random.

This book is very interesting; it was rewritten based on a travelogue obtained from a nine-story flying treasure ship.

Shen Yun spent a lot of money to buy it.

The book says that this world is called the Azure Fiend Secret Realm, which is less than 10,000 years old and is still in the primordial era when all things are flourishing.

A thousand years ago, the secret realm was captured by the Holy Evolution Continent, and there were no human beings here before.

The Celestial Race led cultivators from both the human and demon races to this place, establishing large cities in the wilderness and developing this small secret realm.

"This place is just a small secret realm. What about the Celestial Race? What gives them the right to lead both the human and demon races..."

Shen Yun fell into deep thought while sipping tea.

I wonder how vast the world outside the secret realm must be. I really want to go and see it.

Unfortunately, the records say that at least a celestial palace must be built to leap into the nine heavens before one can safely travel to the outside world.

The Heavenly Palace and the Nine Heavens must be cultivation realms, which Shen Yun had never heard of. He imagined they were more powerful than the Blood Sea Ancestor in the city.

He had heard many accounts of the Azure Fiend Secret Realm recorded in the miscellaneous notes.

He didn't know anything else, and continued flipping through the pages, his expression becoming increasingly serious.

The exciting part is that the guy who called himself Wu Yaozi became a god and traveled from the Qing Sha Secret Realm to the outside world of Sheng Yan Continent and all the myriad worlds.

The myriad worlds were not the universe and starry sea that Shen Yun knew in his previous life, but a divine tree of unknown size, each leaf of which was a world in itself.

The secret realm is but a newly sprouted branch, insignificant in the face of all the myriad realms.

From one world to another, they do not rely on traversing the void, but rather use the altar to travel through the underground ancestral veins.

The contents of the record broadened Shen Yun's horizons, but he didn't know how much of it was true and how much was false.

Looking through the book, the truth of the world is hidden in an endless fog, which he needs to dispel himself.

During this time, an apprentice brought Shen Yun some dried fruit and pastries.

Shen Yun read through the notes, sipped his tea, and enjoyed the delicious food, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Originally, Shen Yun was getting old and rarely ate these snacks.

But after practicing the Purple Lightning Breathing Method yesterday, my appetite has greatly increased.

Enjoying tea and reading brings joy and well-being, increasing your blessings by 1.

As noon approached, the ancient scroll sent a message.

"Yesterday, Wan'er washed my feet. Ten minutes is enough to increase one's merit. But if I enjoy it alone, it takes half an hour to increase one's merit."

Shen Yun made up his mind.

Should I try hiring a few maids to serve me in the future?

Buying a servant requires gaining freedom.

Otherwise, it would be absurd for servants to buy servants and for servants to serve other servants.

They still lack the power; no one would object if the head of the guards kept a few servants.