The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror-Chapter 26 - 22: New Home

Xu Qing bent down and pulled Guo Zhuang to his feet.

Guo Zhuang was startled. He had intended to keep kneeling for a while longer to show his sincerity. He did not expect Xu Qing's strength to be surprisingly great, leaving him no choice but to stand up with the motion.

From this, he understood even more that even if he and his brother had not rushed back before the county examination, Zhao Bao's men would not have posed a threat to Xu Qing.

He then mocked himself, "I did not expect that the Young Master's kung fu has fully inherited the essence of Master Li's teachings. My brother and I may not even be a match for you, let alone the shrimp soldiers and crab generals under Zhao Bao."

Xu Qing said, "Big Brother Guo, since you are willing to work for me, naturally, I do not want to keep my martial arts a secret from you, so as to avoid any misunderstandings in the future. What I value is Big Brother Guo's character. As for whether I need Big Brother Guo's protection, that's not important. I am not asking Big Brother Guo to be a house slave for me."

Upon hearing Xu Qing's earnest words, Guo Zhuang was moved, "Anyway, my life is the Young Master's from now on. However the Young Master wants me to die, that's how I'll die."

Since the merit of the earlier "rescue" had greatly diminished, the more beautiful the pleasantries, the better.

He had no money, and his kung fu was not as good as that of the uncle and nephew. All he could sell were his life and loyalty.

It's not to be pitied; many people like him don't even have the opportunity to sell their lives.

A real man in this world, if no one appreciates him, it's even more miserable than being a ghost!

Xu Qing couldn't help but chuckle, "Big Brother Guo, I need your help, what would I need your life for? Your life is precious to me."

Hearing Xu Qing's heartwarming words, Guo Zhuang couldn't help but feel touched, even if he knew the other party was trying to win him over. Xu Qing then produced a piece of silver, which was obtained from Dong Dahai.

"Big Brother Guo is working for me; it would be wrong not to give you silver coins. This is tea money for the brothers; you must take it."

Guo Zhuang knew that money was indeed needed to do things. This was also the secret as to why the Zhao family could be arrest officers for so many years.

Constables working under Zhao Xiong got paid indeed.

Otherwise, even if these constables were relatives and friends of Zhao Xiong, over time, if they only exert effort and receive no money, their spirits would dissipate.

Guo Zhuang readily accepted the money.

Xu Qing nodded slightly and left the Guo Family's residence with Xu Fu.

As for the slave contract, Guo Zhuang would naturally handle that later, by registering it with the officials.

...

...

"Auntie, I'm back."

"Hmm, I'll go cook right away. Eh, who is this?"

Xu Qing smiled, "This is a servant I've just bought; I need him to run some errands later. Let him make do with staying in the firewood room tonight."

"What's the matter?"

Xu Qing told Zhou Family about his partnership with Dong Dahai to run a chicken farm.

"Hire people to raise chickens and pay them wages? Just take care of their meals. I can also tend to the chickens! Give the wages to me." Zhou Family was somewhat angry. When the young master was not in charge, he spent money without counting.

There was no reason to take care of these landless peasants' meals and give them wages.

Not even a great philanthropist would do that.

Xu Qing smiled, "Auntie, once the chicken farm is up and running, there will naturally be a continuous stream of income. What do you need to work for in the future? Just wait to share the profits."

"Profit-sharing? Isn't the chicken farm yours?"

Xu Qing said, "Mine is also Auntie's. You can enjoy your days in comfort from now on. By the way, you should learn more about how to check accounts. In the future, the income from the chicken farm will be managed by Auntie. Xu Fu will watch over things on that end for us."

Zhou Family said, "No, I can spend some of the money, but most of it should be saved for your wedding."

Xu Qing smiled, "Auntie, have you forgotten? I am the top candidate; soon I'll be a scholar. A 14-year-old scholar, afraid of not getting a wife?"

"That's true, oh my..." Zhou Family suddenly frowned with worry.

"What's wrong?"

"In the future, you will surely marry a daughter from a prestigious family. With my background, I am afraid I will embarrass you." At this thought, Zhou Family inevitably felt melancholy.

"I'll marry later, and make sure to find a bride who is well-educated, well-mannered, and shows great respect to my uncle and aunt."

"It won't do to wait too long, otherwise your uncle will surely blame me."

"Um, let's wait three years. The county examination is two years from now. If I pass and become a Scholar, our family will be considered gentry, and we won't need to seek an excessively high-status match."

Golden Scholar, silver jinshi.

Once a jinshi, one can only serve as an official in other regions, which reduces one's influence on the local area.

If one becomes a Scholar, they can directly participate in local governance. Especially in the countryside, a Scholar's influence is significant.

"Ah, you're still young, there's no rush." Zhou Family knew that a Scholar is like Wenquxing descended to earth, and it wouldn't be easy to pass. But she refrained from speaking harshly, unwilling to dampen her nephew's enthusiasm.

While aunt and nephew were talking, there was some commotion outside; it was Archivist Li returning.

Zhou Family went to help him out of his official robes and saw Archivist Li looking rather troubled. She asked, "Why are you back so early today, did something happen?"

After seeing an outsider in the house, Archivist Li first inquired about Xu Fu's matters. Once he knew he was a servant bought by Xu Qing, he asked him to go to the kitchen to start a fire. Then he said to Zhou Family and Xu Qing, "Zhao Bao came back to the County Government from the countryside today."

Zhou Family angrily said, "This guy hired thugs to try and injure Qing brother, and he dares to come back? Didn't you give him a good fifty beatings first?"

Archivist Li sighed, "He came to apologize with a punishment he inflicted on himself. Carrying a bundle of thorns on his back that caused much bleeding, he crawled on his knees from the entrance of the Government Office to my constables' room – many people saw it."

"That's severe," Zhou Family exclaimed in surprise.

"He nearly harmed Qing brother. How could I forgive him just because he puts on a pitiful act? But this time, even County Magistrate Wu is on his side, advising me to be merciful where it is due."

Zhou Family couldn't help but say, "Qing brother isn't his nephew, of course, he doesn't feel the pain. I'm telling you, we can't let him off this time. If it weren't for Qing brother having a lucky star watching over him, and he had been harmed by them, failing the Imperial Examination, who could we rely on for the rest of our lives?"

Archivist Li: "That's exactly what I think, but..."

Xu Qing: "Uncle, is it because Zhao Xiong has returned?"

Archivist Li: "Not only has he returned, he has also established connections with Jiangning Prefecture. The document appointing him as the arrest officer of the Government has already been delivered to the County Government."

Xu Qing was not surprised: "Given the resources of Zhao family, it was only a matter of time before Zhao Xiong became an arrest officer for the Government. But serving as an arrest officer for the Government is surely not as conducive to looking after the family as being the constable of Qingshui County. Pressured by us, he had no choice but to endure it at the Government for the time being."

Zhao Xiong made a wise move because the County Magistrate was against him, and his direct superior was his enemy. No matter how attractive the position of arrest officer was, it would be fraught with danger.

It was better to lay low for now.

Because once County Magistrate Wu leaves, it's uncertain whether Archivist Li can continue to hold his position.

In fact, if it weren't for Zhao Bao's rashness, Zhao Xiong would certainly lie in wait, biding his time for a lethal opportunity.

Archivist Li: "Qing brother, what do you think I should do?"

Xu Qing softly said, "The County Master doesn't want to cause additional problems. Even if uncle wants to pursue the matter, we won't be able to. Uncle, let's discuss their compensation instead."

Archivist Li let out a long sigh, "You expected this as well?"

"Zhao Bao asking for punishment served to maintain our face, but it didn't truly compensate us—a fool's game. Uncle is a trusted aide of the County Master, and I am a case leader personally appointed by the County Master. If they do not provide proper compensation, where does that leave the County Master's dignity?"

"Um, they've compensated us with a large residence with four courtyards."

"Such a significant gift?" Zhou Family first exclaimed in surprise, then embarrassedly looked at Xu Qing, "Qing brother, your aunt didn't mean to suggest you're not worth it, eh..."

Xu Qing smiled, "A big trouble turned into a big house, it really is quite a win."

Archivist Li then said, "I've heard the house has bad feng shui. It was the old residence of Gu Feng, the senior gentleman. For thirty years, two generations of Gu Family died early and eventually became extinct. The relatives disputed over the Gu Family's estate, and this house is precisely what Zhao Xiong pried from the Gu family's hands. Till now, it remains uninhabited and quite dilapidated."

Xu Qing: "Then is there any rumor about the house being haunted, or someone having died there?"

"There hasn't been any talk of that, just what I mentioned earlier, that the former two owners of the house died prematurely."

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"Uncle, agree to it, let's move early," Xu Qing softly said.

To someone with a lifespan of less than three years, what does it mean to die prematurely?

Moreover, with the bronze mirror to observe his condition, any ill omens could be detected.

As for dying without descendants, the uncle and aunt were already temporarily childless. It wasn't something that needed consideration at the moment.

Besides, he had a fortune on his side and had a faint feeling that perhaps this residence might conceal some hidden fortune.