Making Amends

In the library, Dan Heng sat behind the service desk, holding a book and reading quietly.

He had already finished all the books in the collection. What he read now were books purchased from traveling merchants, from all over the Douluo Continent.

Some were even local chronicles. For example, records stating that a village in the Heaven Dou Empire called Holy Soul Village had once produced a Soul Sage. He read those too, and at an alarmingly fast pace.

As a result, although Dan Heng's salary was quite generous, he was always living beyond his means.

Now that he had a wife, he did the cooking while his wife bought the groceries. She also paid for the household furniture and such, allowing him to barely maintain a balance.

As he neared the last page of the book, a shadow fell over him.

Dan Heng looked up at the smiling head librarian and waited for her to speak.

"Dan Heng, you must be very happy to have married such a beautiful and virtuous wife, right? She may be willing to be with you, but you can't rely on her affection and never give her any surprises."

The head librarian advised him.

"..." Dan Heng gave a quiet acknowledgment.

The atmosphere in the library was quite good, and there was no intrigue among the coworkers.

Hearing the head librarian bring it up, they all began asking Dan Heng in low voices whether he had gone on a honeymoon after getting married.

Some also said that he should treat his wife better. Gu Yuena looked like the kind of woman who knew how to run a household.

Dan Heng thought of his bargain wife always taking it upon herself to invent new dishes and wasting piles of ingredients. He nodded stiffly.

"So, Dan Heng, what gift are you planning to prepare for Nana today?"

The head librarian had not forgotten her original purpose.

Several coworkers gathered around as well, chattering away with suggestions.

Some said flowers, some said gemstones, some said rouge... They practically wanted Dan Heng to buy everything.

The head librarian raised a hand to quiet them, then looked at Dan Heng with a smile. "Dan Heng, do you have any ideas?"

Dan Heng shook his head and answered honestly, "No money."

Afraid that the head librarian and the others would not believe him, he pointed at the stack of books beside him, all bought from traveling merchants.

It was not that he particularly loved reading. Once a habit had formed, it was difficult to change.

"..." The head librarian's mouth twitched. Now she understood why Dan Heng had no money.

At that moment, the deputy librarian spoke sourly. "You married such a beautiful wife, yet you do nothing for her. That's how you make your wife change her heart! Dan Heng, you should learn from me. Look at the necklace I bought for my wife."

The deputy librarian was a middle-aged man and... extremely jealous of Dan Heng!

On Dan Heng's wedding day, the moment he saw the bride, Gu Yuena, his jealousy had reached its peak.

The head librarian frowned and shot the deputy librarian an unhappy look.

You did not expose someone's shortcomings when insulting them. What the deputy librarian said was practically a curse on Dan Heng.

Dan Heng shook his head, just about to say something.

Suddenly, cries of surprise rose from outside.

A young man ran in, his face flushed red, and shouted, "A lot of people have come outside! They're carrying so many chests of treasure! I saw loads of gold, silver, and jewels!"

Everyone exchanged looks, utterly confused.

Even if there really was someone so extravagantly wealthy in Small Town, why would they come to the library?

Soon, two men entered through the doorway. They wore festive red-and-white clothes and carried shoulder poles. A large uncovered treasure chest swayed between them, filled with gold ingots.

On the Douluo Continent, gold ingots were not currency but valuable treasures.

A whole chest like that was probably worth more than a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!

Everyone's eyes widened. Other than Dan Heng, everyone had nearly forgotten how to breathe.

Then another pair of men entered, carrying a treasure chest filled with jewelry.

The deputy librarian glanced at the gemstone necklace in his hand and silently tucked it into his clothes.

Compared to any piece of jewelry in that chest, his necklace was like a tiny speck of booger. It was simply too embarrassing to show.

More than twenty people entered in all, carrying over a dozen treasure chests inside.

Everyone stared so hard their eyes nearly went straight, unable to tear their gazes away.

They all wished they could dive into them.

Dan Heng frowned slightly and looked toward the entrance.

A sleek, well-groomed man entered. He was the lord of Small Town.

He was a town lord in name, but he had little actual power. In a place near the Star Dou Great Forest, a town lord had to tread carefully, terrified of offending some Soul Master who might simply cut him down.

Over the ten years before his appointment, more than twenty town lords had already been replaced.

Under everyone's astonished gazes, the town lord walked up to the service desk and clasped his hands. "Mr. Dan Heng, these were entrusted to me by a friend for delivery to you. He said that his previous rashness caused Mr. Dan Heng trouble..."

"These are his gifts of apology. He hopes that Mr. Dan Heng will accept them."

"When he is ready, he will come to your door to apologize in person."

The town lord wore a broad smile, and there was a hint of ingratiation in the way he looked at Dan Heng.

"!!!" Everyone stared at Dan Heng in shock again.

They had never expected such a grand display to be for Dan Heng?

After keeping such a low profile for so many years, did Dan Heng have some powerful background they did not know about?

These were merely apology gifts, yet so many treasures had been sent.

The deputy librarian's face turned pale with fright. He wished he could slap himself twice. Why had he tried to show off just now?

If Dan Heng held a grudge against him, wouldn't he be finished?

Dan Heng immediately understood. This grand display had been arranged by Prince Zhu.

It was supposedly an apology, but Dan Heng did not care about Prince Zhu's previous arrogance. What troubled him instead was the spectacle he had made now. Wasn't this disrupting his life?

With everyone around him looking at him with reverence, could things still be the same as before?

Dan Heng sighed and frowned. "Please tell that person that I have never blamed him, and I do not need any gifts of apology."

The town lord hurriedly said, "How could that do? That lord said that if you refuse to accept them, it means you are still resentful of him... Oh, and the reason that lord did not come himself is that he is unwell."

"But he will come visit you in person..."

The town lord pleaded bitterly. From the look of it, he practically wanted to hug Dan Heng's thigh.

Dan Heng frowned. If he let these people remain here, things would only get worse.

He walked out from behind the service desk, stopped beside the nearest gift chest, and took a bouquet from atop it.

"I'll only take this. Return the rest to him."

Dan Heng spoke in a tone that allowed no objection.

Then he asked the head librarian for leave and said he would return home first.

The head librarian was still stunned by the whole thing. She nodded in agreement and watched Dan Heng leave.

The town lord wanted to say something but stopped himself, not daring to ask him to stay.

Even that lord had to offer apologies to someone like Dan Heng. How could he dare say anything else?

When he returned home, Gu Yuena was watering the vegetable patch.

Seeing Dan Heng return with a large stack of books, she quickly came over. Her radiant, smiling face turned toward him. "Husband, you're home so early today?"

Dan Heng gave a quiet acknowledgment and handed Gu Yuena the bouquet he had taken from the chest.

"This is for you."

Gu Yuena looked at the red bouquet and blinked. A blush appeared on her exquisite face, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly. "It's so beautiful..."