I Read a Lot, I Wouldn't Lie to You

"Ah." Ye Zhiqiu let out a soft sigh.

Little San would probably be hit hard by this. But some things had to be faced sooner or later.

"Mom, Xiao Wu and I will go check on Little San first. Uncle Tang Hao isn't around, so he's probably really upset. Oh, and make a few extra dishes tonight. We'll all eat together." After tossing all the food, clothing, and daily necessities from the Black Jade Bracelet into the house, Ye Zhiqiu headed next door to Tang San's home with Xiao Wu.

The door was open. Tang San stood in the middle of the wooden house, holding a slightly dusty sheet of paper in his right hand. His expression was complicated, and he remained silent. From his tightly clenched left fist, it was clear that Tang San was not in a good mood.

Ye Zhiqiu stepped forward and patted his shoulder, comforting him. "Little San, at least Uncle Tang Hao didn't leave without a word. He left you a letter, which means he still cares about you. He probably had some unavoidable reason for leaving. Don't worry. You'll have a chance to see him again someday."

Following Ye Zhiqiu's lead, Xiao Wu gently comforted him as well. "That's right, that's right. Maybe your dad left on purpose because he wanted you to grow better and become stronger? Don't be depressed. Come eat at Brother Qiu's house first. I'm starving."

Ye Zhiqiu's face darkened. Why did comforting someone sound so awkward coming out of your mouth? You clearly just wanted to hurry up and eat, didn't you? The comforting was only incidental, wasn't it? It definitely was, right? A bitter smile appeared on Tang San's face. "Ah Qiu, sometimes I really envy you. You have such a happy family. Ah... I only have Dad as family. Now that Dad is gone, this house is no longer a home."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Your dad isn't dead, he's just not home. Even if he isn't here, don't you still have me and Brother Qiu as your two good friends? If you really want to find a family member, then..." Xiao Wu patted her small chest. "Then I wouldn't mind being your big sister. As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father, and an elder sister is like a mother. As long as you call me Sister Xiao Wu, Sister Xiao Wu will let you experience the greatness of motherly love."

Ye Zhiqiu: You're really something. Tang San: ??? "You seem to be younger than me, don't you? If I remember correctly, you were born in August, while I was born in January. No matter how you calculate it, you should be the little sister." Tang San said darkly, unwilling to concede.

Xiao Wu tilted her head and tapped her chin with one finger. "But you can't beat me. You lose every sparring match. Without that weird movement technique, you wouldn't even have a chance to draw. Brother Qiu said that the capable are teachers. I'm stronger than you, so naturally I should be the big sister." Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips proudly and lifted her chin.

Ye Zhiqiu watched the two of them actually start arguing and felt a little speechless. Still, Xiao Wu had managed to divert Little San's attention.

Watching the two continue their endless debate, Ye Zhiqiu had no choice but to intervene. He was hungry and wanted to eat.

"Great Might Heavenly Dragon~"

"Bang~" "Bang~" Ye Zhiqiu gave each of them a flick on the forehead.

Tang San and Xiao Wu both cried out, "Ow!" as they clutched their heads.

"Is there any point in arguing about this? Go eat." Ye Zhiqiu said with a stern face.

Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue mischievously and skipped off ahead.

Tang San seemed to be in much better spirits as well, no longer wearing such a bitter expression. He followed closely behind Ye Zhiqiu as they headed toward Ye Zhiqiu's home.

For Tang San, tonight's meal was special. He had never eaten at the same table with family before. Tang Hao would always stand there and gulp down a bowl of porridge in a few mouthfuls before either going back to sleep or heading out to drink.

Although Ye Nan and Liu Qingqing were not Tang San's family, Tang San had a good relationship with Ye Zhiqiu, so Ye's Parents were naturally kind to him. Tang San would politely call them Uncle Ye and Aunt Liu whenever he saw them. They could barely count as half-family.

When Ye Zhiqiu and Tang San entered the house, they found seven or eight dishes already laid out on the table. Ye's Mother was still busy in the kitchen, so it seemed the dishes had not all been served yet. "Little San, sit down quickly. Don't be formal." Ye's Father smiled at Tang San.

Tang San nodded. "Thank you, Uncle Ye. Sorry to trouble you." Then Tang San sat in the empty seat beside Xiao Wu.

Looking at the seven or eight dishes of various meats on the table, Ye Zhiqiu's mouth watered. It had been a long time since he had tasted his mother's cooking.

"Isn't this enough food? What's Mom still busy with?" Ye Zhiqiu could hardly hold back anymore. Under normal circumstances, he would have started eating already, but there was a guest today. Though everyone knew each other well, proper etiquette could not be neglected. They had to wait until Liu Qingqing joined them at the table before eating together.

"Auntie asked me what I liked to eat just now, and I said carrots. She's making them now." Xiao Wu said somewhat embarrassedly.

Ye Zhiqiu rolled his eyes after hearing that. You can actually feel embarrassed? "Hehe, no rush." After taking a sip of wine, Ye Nan continued, "Egg, tell us about what you and Little San went through this past year. Also, where did you get so much money to buy things? You didn't do anything bad at the academy, did you?"

"Uh..." Ye Zhiqiu guiltily glanced at Tang San and Xiao Wu, only to find them holding back laughter. There was no need to wonder—they were definitely laughing at his nickname.

Ye Zhiqiu's face darkened. It seemed he would have to find a chance to put the two of them through some training.

"Dad, do I look like someone who would do bad things? Look at these sincere little eyes of mine." Ye Zhiqiu tried his best to put on an innocent expression. He had inherited his father's delicate features, so he really did look rather convincing.

"As for money, I still have plenty. Spirit Hall gave it to me. After becoming a Spirit Master, you can receive a large sum every month. And I'm already a level 27 Soul Grandmaster now, so I can receive even more." After speaking, Ye Zhiqiu took out more than half of his Gold Soul Coins from the Black Jade Bracelet and placed them before Ye Nan—over six hundred in total. Such a huge pile of gold coins was truly overwhelming.

Everyone at the table was stunned.

Ye Nan was stunned that his son actually had so much money. As for Spirit Master ranks, he had no real concept of them.

Xiao Wu and Tang San, meanwhile, were shocked that Ye Zhiqiu was already level 27. What the hell? We're only level 18 now, so how are you already level 27? Did you cheat? Did you secretly attend extra classes? When Liu Qingqing came out carrying several dishes made from fried carrots, she nearly dropped them all. The two elders had truly never seen so many Gold Soul Coins in their lives.

Could Spirit Masters really make this much money? "Little Qiu, tell me honestly, where did this money come from? You can't go down the wrong path!" Ye Nan's tone was stern. This time, he did not even use Ye Zhiqiu's nickname.

"Dad, this really is money from Spirit Hall. A Soul Grandmaster can receive a subsidy of fifty Gold Soul Coins every month." Ye Zhiqiu hurriedly explained, kicking Tang San and Xiao Wu beneath the table.

The two were both quick-witted and immediately understood.

"Uncle Ye, Ah Qiu is telling the truth. Spirit Masters really do receive substantial monthly subsidies," Tang San said.

Xiao Wu nodded with an expression that said they were not lying. "Little San is right. We read a lot, so we wouldn't lie to you."

From now on, the first chapter would be updated around 5 p.m. every day. The second chapter would be updated around 9:30 p.m. After release, an additional chapter would be added around noon. The timing for other bonus updates would be random, chosen from among those three slots.

Don't ask why updates were posted at these times. It was because I found that updating at these times brought in the most bookmarks. Please understand.