An Invitation

"Right! Right! Mooches for a meal!" Steward Gao said, looking expectantly at Zheng Fa, his tone more polite than last time he visited. "I wonder, is it convenient?"

"Uncle, please come in."

Zheng Fa invited Steward Gao and his son into the small courtyard. His younger sister, Zheng Shan, scurried over with two small stools.

"These furniture pieces were gifts from you, Uncle Gao," Zheng Fa said with a smile, looking at the stools. "I should have thanked you properly long ago."

"These little things are nothing!" Steward Gao quickly waved his hand upon hearing Zheng Fa's words, but the nervous demeanor he had upon entering had faded considerably.

"Uncle, you are...?"

"Nephew Zheng, I heard from Gao Yuan that you taught him an Immortal Family Secret Method?" Steward Gao carefully said, putting down his chopsticks.

"It can hardly be called an Immortal Family Secret Method."

"So you did teach him!" Steward Gao slapped his thigh, revealing his purpose. "I came this time specifically to bring him to properly thank you."

"Steward Gao, you brought so many things last time. We haven't even finished the food yet," Mother Zheng interjected before Zheng Fa could speak.

"Madam, that's nothing. It's not worth mentioning compared to that Immortal Family Secret Method!" Steward Gao disagreed.

Seeing Mother Zheng about to refuse again, he added, "I heard Madam has always wanted to find a ready-made clothing shop."

Zheng Fa looked up at him.

"Nephew Zheng, please don't misunderstand. You're focused on your studies and martial arts, so you don't know, but there are quite a few people watching you in the Zhao Manor right now," Steward Gao quickly explained.

Zheng Fa wasn't surprised. He had no foundation in the Zhao Manor, but now that he was somewhat of a figure, he naturally attracted attention.

However, the matter of the ready-made clothing shop mentioned by Steward Gao concerned Zheng Fa more. He looked at Mother Zheng, and indeed, her expression was hesitant.

Mother Zheng had always wanted to earn some money. She glanced at Zheng Fa, who nodded slightly.

"If you could find a shop, I would trouble Steward Gao," Zheng Fa said.

Steward Gao was overjoyed. "As it happens, my wife's brother has a shop under his name. Madam can go over in a couple of days."

After speaking, he took out a piece of paper and placed it on the table.

"Wait..." Zheng Fa frowned. "What do you mean, Mother is going over?"

"To take over the shop!"

Mother Zheng quickly spoke up. "I just wanted to find a shop to take on some work."

"Madam, this shop isn't worth much. Sigh... we're all practically family. This is my shop, registered under my wife's brother's name," Steward Gao said frankly.

"If Madam has someone you trust, you can transfer the shop to them. If not, if you trust me, the shop will remain under my wife's brother's name, and I'll have someone deliver the monthly profits to you."

This was indeed the norm in the Zhao Manor.

Although they couldn't have private property after signing the deed of sale, for someone in Steward Gao's position, such arrangements were very common.

It was likely Madam knew this too.

Otherwise, why would so many people flock to the position of Seventh Young Master's Page?

Zheng Fa was even certain that as long as he was in the Zhao Manor, Steward Gao would definitely deliver this money.

Gao Yuan suddenly spoke up. "Zheng Fa, just accept it. My father has more than one shop."

Zheng Fa: ... Is it really okay to betray your father like this in front of him?

As expected, Steward Gao's face darkened. He glared at his foolish son before forcing a wry smile at Zheng Fa. "Nephew Zheng... I know my family is taking a huge advantage, but no matter how much I give, I feel it's not enough. If you don't even accept this shop, I truly won't be able to sleep..."

Zheng Fa looked at Steward Gao, who clearly wouldn't leave unless he agreed, then at Gao Yuan beside him, and nodded.

After the two left, Mother Zheng stared blankly at Zheng Fa. "Our family... just got a shop?"

Steward Gao let out a long sigh of relief as he walked out of Zheng Fa's house.

Gao Yuan behind him asked doubtfully, "Father, is this enough?"

"Enough for what? Seventh Young Master said Zheng Fa has a powerful figure behind him. This is an Immortal Family Secret Method; can one shop be enough? This is our family showing our stance," Steward Gao glared at him. "Remember this from now on: if Zheng Fa tells you to go east, you don't go west!"

"We are servants of the Zhao family. We listen to Zheng Fa?"

"... In any case, as long as it's not something that asks you to betray the Zhao family, you do as Zheng Fa says!"

"Then, what if Seventh Young Master and Zheng Fa have a conflict?"

"I think Seventh Young Master is also very wary of the person behind Zheng Fa. I think Zheng Fa's connections are thicker than Seventh Young Master's," Steward Gao gritted his teeth. "Stand with Zheng Fa!"

"Father, are we... betraying our master by doing this?" Gao Yuan asked, conflicted.

"Don't talk about us. Father is the steward of the Second Branch. What does the young master of the First Branch have to do with me?" Steward Gao stated his position clearly.

"But I'm the young master's page..."

"Exactly. You're betraying your master; I'm not."

"Wait, wait, wait..."

From the study room came Seventh Young Master's wail. "I just blinked, and how did it get to this point?"

He looked at Zheng Fa, who was deducing things with a pen in front of him, his eyes filled with clear confusion.

"...It's just, very obvious!" Zheng Fa also looked puzzled.

"Obvious? How can I not see it?" the Seventh Young Master retorted indignantly, "This secret technique is too difficult!"

Gao Yuan, standing nearby, also had a bitter expression.

Neither of them was learning well.

The Seventh Young Master was practically illiterate except for Talisman Diagrams; he just couldn't grasp anything, no matter how he tried.

Gao Yuan was relatively better. He had learned accounting from the accountant and could understand about half of it, but learning was extremely painful for him.

Neither of them had the kind of good brain that Zheng Fa needed.

The teaching process even made him want to apologize to Old Man Bai—teaching idiots could really be this agonizing.

Actually, out of caution, Zheng Fa had also abridged this book, Junior High School Mathematics Volume 1. It mostly contained applications rather than the more fundamental axiomatic proofs.

But for the two of them, who had not received modern education, it was still a bit difficult to understand.

"Zheng Fa, do you have any simpler secret manuals?" The Seventh Young Master, seeming to realize he couldn't learn it, pleaded with Zheng Fa.

"I do have one." Zheng Fa took out a copy of Elementary School Mathematics.

"I knew it, you were holding out on me!" The Seventh Young Master happily took it.

"I wasn't holding out. This is for my sister to learn."

The Seventh Young Master's hand froze, and he asked, "How many sisters do you have?"

"One. You've met her. She's six this year."

The Seventh Young Master and Gao Yuan exchanged a glance, seeing a similar look of consternation on each other's faces. They hadn't heard of any immortal technique manuals that required shamelessness to practice!

The next day, the Seventh Young Master seemed to have skipped school and didn't show up at all.

Steward Wu, whom they hadn't seen in a while, stood in the study, seemingly waiting for them.

When he saw them enter, his gaze fell on Zheng Fa.

"Zheng Fa, Madam requests to see you."

"Requests?" Gao Yuan was a little confused by the word "requests."

Zheng Fa, however, seemed to have been expecting this day. He nodded to Steward Wu and calmly said, "Please lead the way, Steward Wu."

This book, Junior High School Mathematics, was for the Seventh Young Master, but it was also written for Madam.

Ever since he had mastered the Crane Body Technique, Zheng Fa had been repeatedly asking himself the same question:

As a woman who controlled a thousand-year-old noble family, as a mother, what would Madam do when a pageboy of unknown origin, whom she couldn't control, suddenly appeared by her son's side?

And every answer he came up with seemed less than optimistic.