Employment Perks?

Employment Perks?

Zheng Fa watched Steward Wang leave, his back slightly stiff, his gaze calm.

Behind him, Mother Zheng spoke with some concern. "He came intending to ease the relationship between our two families. We'll still have to see each other every day. Was it really good to refuse him like that?"

Zheng Fa knew his mother had a gentle nature and disliked stirring up trouble.

His little sister Zheng Shan, on the other hand, clearly distinguished gratitude from grievance. "Who wants a few stinking coins?! Wang Gui's whole family is no good!"

She clearly still remembered how Wang Gui had blocked them at the village entrance.

Zheng Fa stroked his little sister's head and explained to his mother:

"Steward Wang probably meant no good. I was only just chosen by Madam to become Seventh Young Master's study companion, and I'm already brazenly taking someone else's silver. What would that look like?"

This was completely different from what Huang Yu's family had sent.

Huang Yu's father had sent plain writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and several bolts of coarse cloth. They were not valuable, but they were useful.

But Steward Wang... a whole bundle of silver was simply too conspicuous.

The meaning of praising him to death was probably even stronger.

In the end, one was sincerely trying to befriend them, while the other harbored malicious intentions.

Mother Zheng froze, seeming to understand somewhat. The look in her eyes as she watched Zheng Fa was strangely gratified. "You really have become sensible."

Zheng Fa smiled and nodded, not modest in the least. "Don't worry, Mother. I'll earn you far more than this little bit of silver in the future!"

He knew that his mother had likely always been trembling with fear. The more confident he was, the more reassured she would feel.

In truth, he had deliberately intended to scare Mother Zheng a little too—he was not sure whether Steward Wang truly meant to praise him to death, but he knew there was no need to take such a risk over that silver.

His little sister nodded along from the side. "Mother, I'll earn silver for you too in the future. We don't want the Wang family's silver!"

Her little face was full of determination.

Mother Zheng rolled her eyes at her. "I'll thank Heaven and Earth if you can just stop being so greedy for food!"

Zheng Fa picked up his little sister and bounced her in his arms, laughing. "You are a little heavier! And you seem a little taller too."

Then he remembered something else. "Mother, make me two outfits from the cloth the Huang Family sent. Use the rest to make clothes for yourself and Little Sister."

Mother Zheng was unwilling. "That was given to you, and since you're going to Zhao Residence, you need a few more sets of clothes to look presentable."

"I'm only a study companion, not some great personage. What's there to be presentable about?" Zheng Fa pinched the little tuft of hair atop his sister's head. "Besides, none of us have had new clothes in years."

"New clothes!"

In Zheng Fa's arms, his little sister heard the words "new clothes" and raised both hands, cheering.

She was delighted beyond measure.

"Then I'll make you two outfits, and give the rest to your sister. Mother doesn't need any." Mother Zheng thought for a moment, then said firmly.

After staying home for one night, Zheng Fa put on the new clothes his mother had rushed to make overnight and bade the village farewell once more.

This time, Mother Zheng's eyes were slightly red.

By Zhao Family rules, Zheng Fa had to study and practice martial arts alongside Seventh Young Master, and could only return once every six days.

If Zheng Fa remained a study companion, then for at least the next few years, he would spend most of his time at Zhao Residence.

Zheng Shan had been especially happy these past few days. There was good food at home, and Mother had made her new clothes too.

Wang Gui no longer dared bully her either.

But now she clung to Zheng Fa's knee and wailed:

"I don't want to eat city meat anymore!"

"I don't want to wear new clothes anymore!"

"I don't want Brother to go to the Zhao Family!"

The old man driving the ox cart had come for Zheng Fa again. He held a pipe in his mouth as he watched the scene, then said with some difficulty, "Little Zheng, we should set out. We can't keep the noble person waiting."

Zheng Fa picked Zheng Shan up, placed her in their mother's arms, and nodded at Mother Zheng, whose eyes were red as she said nothing.

His little sister's crying grew louder. Zheng Fa forced himself not to turn back.

The old man flicked his long whip lightly against the ox's rump and seemed to speak to Zheng Fa. "First time leaving home, Little Zheng?"

"Mm." Zheng Fa did not particularly want to talk.

"When I was young, the first time I left home to drive a cart, my mother looked at me the same way..." The old man took a puff from his pipe. "But young people always want to go out, want to do something big. Still, if you can turn back and look, you should look a little more."

Zheng Fa turned around and looked at the two figures still gazing into the distance after the ox cart.

The old man's rambling continued beside his ear. "This old man, if I wanted to turn around and look at my mother now, I couldn't see her anymore."

Zheng Fa opened the large bundle on his back. Inside was another small bundle. "Last time, you said you liked my mother's cooking. She made some more."

The old man stared blankly, then turned to look at Zheng Fa.

"You really believed I liked your mother's cooking?"

"My mother believed it."

"And you didn't tell her?"

"Making these lets her feel more at ease."

The old man was silent for a while. Then he took out a flatbread from the bundle and bit into it. "You're better than I was when I was young."

When the cart arrived at Zhao Residence, they still entered through the back gate.

But this time, Gao Yuan was waiting for him.

Gao Yuan wore a scholar's robe and carried an exquisite bamboo bookcase on his back.

Zheng Fa wore coarse cloth and carried the large blue-cloth bundle Mother Zheng had prepared.

They looked at each other, and Gao Yuan was instead the one who seemed a little embarrassed.

"Quick, let's go. Seventh Young Master is waiting for us."

The moment he saw Zheng Fa, Gao Yuan hurriedly spoke, and the two headed toward Seventh Young Master's residence.

Zhao Residence was enormous.

Seventh Young Master's residence was also deep within the estate.

By the time Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan arrived, Zheng Fa's back was soaked with sweat.

Seventh Young Master's little courtyard—no, it should have been called a large courtyard.

It was a typical three-section courtyard. Looking beyond the rear courtyard, it even seemed to come with its own garden.

It could be called a courtyard within a courtyard.

This showed just how high Seventh Young Master's status was within Zhao Residence, and how favored he was.

To the right of the courtyard's main gate hung a brown wooden plaque with three words written on it:

"Envying No Immortal"

Zheng Fa silently thought that, in a world ruled by immortal sects, such a name was truly hard not to call arrogant.

The courtyard gate was slightly ajar. Gao Yuan stepped forward and knocked lightly.

The door opened a crack, and a maid poked her head out. The moment she saw them, she understood. "The new study companions? Come in. Young Master is waiting for you."

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan entered the courtyard and immediately noticed one striking feature:

There were no men.

The servants leading the way, sweeping, and coming and going were all young maids.

Zheng Fa was fine, but Gao Yuan could only keep his eyes fixed straight ahead the entire way, visibly nervous.

The place where Seventh Young Master would meet them was the study in the outer courtyard. The maid led them to the study door.

Someone sat in a chair, absorbed in reading an ancient book in his hands.

Sunlight streamed through the glazed window onto his white robe, casting a faint silver sheen over it and making his delicate, fair features seem even more refined.

Even though Seventh Young Master's reputation did not seem very good, Zheng Fa had to admit that this fellow certainly had an impressive appearance.

Seemingly hearing the footsteps of the three of them, Seventh Young Master lifted his brows and looked toward Zheng Fa and the others.

The moment he saw them, he smiled, rose, and strode toward them. In a warm tone, he said, "You two are my new study companions? Gao Yuan?"

He pointed at Gao Yuan, then looked at Zheng Fa. "Zheng Fa, right?"

He had actually remembered both their names.

"I've been waiting for you two!" Seventh Young Master seemed extremely happy. He tossed aside the book in his hand, came over to greet them, and even warmly helped Gao Yuan carry his bookcase.

Gao Yuan's excited face flushed slightly red.

"You two put your things down first. I'll make the call—we'll go to Mist and Rain Pavilion and have a feast to welcome you!"

Even Zheng Fa was somewhat stunned.

This Seventh Young Master was a little too enthusiastic.

On the other hand, what kind of place was Mist and Rain Pavilion? It was Jingzhou City's most famous pleasure house.

The employment perks for a study companion were this generous... or this corrupting?

When he looked at Gao Yuan beside him again, Gao Yuan's face suddenly turned pale as he said, "Seventh Young Master, wasn't your last study companion the one who urged you to go to Mist and Rain Pavilion, then got beaten by Madam and sent back?"

Seventh Young Master froze. He threw the bookcase in his hand onto the ground and clapped his hands.

"You're quite well informed." The smile slowly vanished from his face. "Then tell me, would you two rather roll out on your own, or be like that last idiot—get beaten first, then thrown out?"

The bookcase hit the ground with a clatter and cracked apart.

Just like Gao Yuan's expression.

(End of Chapter)