Money Always Runs Short When You Need It

As dawn broke.

Liang Qu sat quietly indoors, and with a slight tremor, a layer of black ash was washed down.

I didn't rest all night, but I didn't feel tired at all. I felt refreshed and full of energy, and the empty room was filled with light.

As I stood up, my bones and muscles cracked and popped like a machine gun, and I felt no chill of spring as my blood flowed.

Carefree!

Liang Qu strode into the courtyard, the water washing over his entire body. After being washed, he poured the water into the tree pit, then knelt before the water vat, his fingers parting his lips.

Reflected in the water, each tooth appears full, neat, white, and shiny.

Tiger Teeth Strong Bow, free of cavities and odd shapes, truly the dream tooth.

Liang Qu grew up in a malnourished environment, and he couldn't even get enough to eat. Let alone take care of his teeth, he would be grateful if he lost even a few teeth.

It's a wonderful surprise that digesting the Dragon Tendon has resulted in the growth of a new set of teeth.

Circulate the Circulating Qi Inscription once.

The flow of Qi and Blood throughout the body is smooth and Wishful, like bathing in Hot Spring. It mobilizes the Dragon Tendons Tiger Bones, making them move freely and gracefully, truly becoming a "natural" Martial Bone, with no part out of harmony.

He casually picked up a pile of square bricks in the corner of the yard, and with a gentle squeeze, the entire bluestone brick turned into dust, which fluttered down to the ground in the wind.

I felt nothing at all.

Liang Qu further urged his Qi and Blood to circulate in the Niwan point, above his ears and eyes, and his five senses suddenly became more acute. In addition, with the Ying Long Mark on his body, the air currents seemed to have a tangible quality and could be "seen".

He stretched out his hand, and the air flowed between his fingers.

The moisture around me gradually thickened, and within a few breaths, my palms became damp. In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, dewdrops condensed.

The Water Control Divine Ability has become stronger, and it can now condense moisture from the air. Although the process is slow, it is a huge improvement.

Liang Qu sprinkled water droplets, connecting Ze Cauldron.

[Cauldron Master: Liang Qu]

[Refine Marsh Spirit: Marsh Ape (Azure) (Fusion Degree: 82‰)]

[Marsh Spirit's Favor: First Level of Martial Dao Divinity (River Master Emperor); Ying Long Mark: First Level]

[Innate Skills: Water Leap, Water Breathing, Water Prison Soaring Water Riding Waves]

[Marsh Essence: None]

River's Favor: 0.0101

[Ruler of Water Beast: Jiaomu Crocodile, Tiger-Head Catfish, Rock Turtle Crab, Heavenly Water Centipede]

[Evaluation: Marsh Ape Marsh Spirit originates from the great Lord of the Huai River Waters, with extremely low activation level; a minor character worth mentioning.]

The integration rate rose to 82 per thousand, approaching 10%.

Half a Dragon Tendon, which is only two and a half zhang, one-fifth of the whole.

Aside from leaving a small portion for each of the four beasts, most of it went into Liang Qu's own stomach, and the effect was surprisingly potent, contributing over 7,600 points of Marsh Essence! Moreover, the greatest benefit of the Dragon Tendon wasn't increasing strength, but prolonging life!

Increase lifespan.

No one can remain unmoved by these two words!

However, Liang Qu is currently very young, and even in his growth period, so he cannot feel the effects at all. On the contrary, his hair is shinier and more lustrous. I wonder if it is the effect of the Dragon Tendon? If Xu Shi were to take it, the effect would probably be more obvious.

Life expectancy increased, physical condition improved, fusion rate increased, and teeth were replaced.

The only regret is that my skill level didn't improve.

Consuming the Dragon Tendon is equivalent to Liang Qu expanding the water tank once again. The water level inside didn't increase much, and it even raised the requirements for expanding the water tank again.

The same thing happened with the Dragon Tendons Tiger Bones last time, except that the increase in Qi and Blood brought by the Marsh Spirit evolution that time was equally fierce, so they canceled each other out.

But it's okay, my strength has increased!

That feels so good!

Liang Qu was in high spirits and was about to show off his skills against Fubo when he suddenly remembered that he had given Fubo to his Senior Brother Lu to sculpt last night, so he had to give up.

Liang Qu stood in the middle of the courtyard, as if he were standing at the center of a world.

The wind is blowing, bringing with it the sounds of the surroundings.

The two jujube trees in front of the side room sprouted buds and leaves, and all the branches were covered with green dots. The bamboo shoots planted in the backyard slowly grew out of the soil. The dew silently moistened the earth. Further away, the waves rose and fell, the tides were so comfortable.

Liang Qu sat on the tree pit under the jujube tree.

The surrounding area is a covered walkway leading to the West Wing and the main room.

It was the first time in my life that I had stayed in such a big place. I stretched my back and strode around, feeling a sense of pride in my heart.

However, two attempts are not enough; a third attempt is needed.

It wasn't that Liang Qu felt the two courtyards weren't enough to live in; it was that Red Mountain wasn't enough.

With Red Mountain, a stable must be built.

The stable cannot be built directly in the yard; it must be located between the backyard and the main house, with a small door on the side for easy access and to prevent unpleasant odors.

Liang Qu had already designated a plot of land behind the main house and fenced it off. The stables were half-built, and the rear building would be constructed after the main house was completed.

It's essentially a three-courtyard house built for a stable. The rear building can be converted into a study, and the bamboo should be growing by then, which will be quite interesting.

Liang Qu could already hear the voices of workers talking in the backyard, as well as the friction of riveting wood together.

They came to work early and didn't ask for a raise.

That's truly rare and precious.

Since Ping Yang Town was changed from a town to a county, many wealthy families have come and bought courtyards to live in temporarily. However, they are certainly not comfortable and all need to build houses, which has led to a very strange "labor shortage".

There are many disaster victims who can't get food, but they can't get this job.

The reason is simple: they are unreliable, or rather, wealthy families think these people are unreliable.

In comparison, these wealthy households naturally felt that local residents with families were more trustworthy. In addition, with springtime approaching and the busy farming season, the fish catch gradually increased, and the wages in the entire Yi Xing Town rose by two-thirds, nearly doubling! There were still many things to do. Liang Qu returned to his room, spread out paper and pen, and began to record everything.

It's not good to always use water tanks when the yard is big, so a well needs to be dug in the yard.

As long as it's not too outrageous, you can just dig a hole near a river and water will flow out, maybe even leading directly to the Jiang Huai River.

Secondly, there are many things that need to be purchased.

We need tables, chairs, benches, candlesticks, writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, bowls, chopsticks, tea sets, and tea. We couldn't even find a mirror last night. We need to prepare more beds and hire two more servants.

These days, hiring a servant is expensive. Even if it's a slave, it can easily cost four or five taels of silver, and that's for a seven or eight-year-old girl.

You only realize how little money you have when you need it.

Liang Qu touched his pockets and realized that he had unknowingly returned to a state of abject poverty.

The expenses are too high.

Learning martial arts and medicine is one aspect; workers need to be paid wages, materials cost money, and everything requires money.

Aside from the unexpected income from the Ghost Mother Sect, imperial rewards, and three martial arts competitions that brought him over a hundred taels of silver each, Liang Qu's current daily income comes from fish catches, plus the salary he receives from the River Conservancy Office, which he has not yet fully joined.

Now, Liang Qu not only asked Uncle Chen to help with fishing, but he also brought over the fathers of Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang. Li LiBo also has two older brothers, making a total of five strong laborers.

They formed a small Fish Gang, but instead of profiting by Fish Gang others, they won by using "skills".

As spring arrives and fish become more plentiful, this portion of income amounts to about one or two ounces per day.

As for salary, Da Shun's salary is divided into four parts: subsidies for Martial Master arts masters, regular monthly salary, annual stipend, and official land.

Given Liang Qu's status Subordinate Eighth Rank official, he wouldn't receive any subsidies for the time being. Not counting his annual salary and official land, his monthly stipend would be twelve taels of silver.

However, the current salary system in Da Shun is a bit of a rip-off; it deducts from the value of goods! It calculates the price of spices based on market value and gives them to officials!

Ultimately, it's all Da Shun Hai Mao's fault!