A Debt of Gratitude

Lin Fei took his steward Bai Yansong's advice and specially bought fifty guards from the employment agency.

The fifty guards cost more than a hundred servants.

But after hiring them, the results were remarkable.

Drawing on his past experience, Bai Yansong laid down ten rules.

Lin Fei read them over. Some might have seemed unreasonable, but they addressed potential problems at their root.

For example, men and women were to live separately. Except during designated hours, no one was allowed to enter the women's quarters without permission.

Hundreds of grown men living together were bound to have some who were full of restless energy with nowhere to vent it.

If one of them gave in to wicked thoughts and did something worse than a beast, he would not only harm the maids but might also encourage the others to follow suit.

In a grand household, secret meetings and affairs between male and female servants were taboo to begin with.

Every rule came with a corresponding punishment.

Minor offenses meant dozens of strokes; serious ones could mean death or being sold off.

Under Bai Yansong's management, the servants all had clearly defined duties and did their own jobs.

Lin Fei visited the haunted mansion every day and returned to his small residence in East City to spend the night.

After dinner, Lin Fei lay on the couch with his head resting on Peach Blossom's thighs.

One personal maid massaged his legs while another kneaded his shoulders.

Peach Blossom popped a peeled grape into Lin Fei's mouth, then caught the seeds he spat out in her hand.

"Now this is the life!"

Lin Fei narrowed his eyes, his face full of contentment.

He was finally getting a taste of how the rich lived.

That nine-to-nine grind back on Earth? Whoever wanted it could have it.

"I knew I was right about Peach Blossom. That girl was a beauty in the making. After being cared for for a while, her little face has gotten even prettier."

Peach Blossom had once been so hungry that she was gaunt and malnourished.

But now she lived in luxury every day, and her life was comfortable. Not only had her complexion grown fairer, her figure had also filled out.

Her little face suited her name: cheeks like peach blossoms, fair with a rosy flush, and utterly alluring.

"Dear, I want to go back to South City tomorrow and have a look. Will you come with me?"

"What do you want to go back to South City for? Isn't there no one left in your family?"

"I grew up in South City. My family may be gone, but the house is still there. It's the only thing I have left to remember them by."

Lin Fei nodded, understanding how she felt.

No matter how well life treated you now, the place where you had once lived with your parents was always the hardest to forget.

After graduating, Lin Fei had worked in Yunzhou and rarely returned to his rural hometown.

But sometimes, in his dreams, he would find himself back in his childhood.

"All right. I'm going to South City tomorrow anyway. I'll go with you, and we can pay our respects to your father while we're there."

Peach Blossom lowered her head and kissed Lin Fei on the cheek, her eyes full of gratitude.

"Thank you, dear!"

The next day.

Lin Fei and Peach Blossom took a carriage to South City, bringing only one personal maid and one guard.

Though Lin Fei had money now, he had always kept a low profile. He didn't want to draw attention and invite trouble.

The alley where Peach Blossom's family lived was home to poor folk.

It was so narrow that a carriage couldn't turn around inside, and would block anyone else from passing.

So Lin Fei and Peach Blossom had to walk.

"Dear, my house is just up ahead."

As they reached the door, they heard crashing sounds from inside, along with a woman's cries.

"Please, stop smashing things!"

"We really don't have any money..."

"No money? Then your wife and daughter will pay off the debt!"

Lin Fei glanced at Peach Blossom in confusion. "Why is there someone at your house?"

Peach Blossom shook her head. She had never returned since leaving with Lin Fei, so she had no idea what was going on either.

Just then, several men dragged two women out of the house.

"You old bastard, you had no money and still went gambling! We'll sell your wife to a broker and make back what you owe."

"Your daughter's pretty enough. We could get a good price for her at Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion!"

A middle-aged man crawled out of the house. He was bruised and swollen, his face smeared with blood.

"No..."

"Please, spare my wife and daughter!"

Peach Blossom cried out, "Xinghua!"

"Dear, Xinghua grew up next door to me. Could you help them?"

Lin Fei furrowed his brow slightly. He wasn't the sort of person who could stand by and watch someone suffer.

But the factions in Nanli City were tangled together, and those men clearly weren't the kind you wanted to cross.

After what had happened with the Blood Wolf Gang's underlings, Lin Fei really didn't want to invite trouble.

But when he saw Peach Blossom's pleading eyes, his heart softened.

"Let's find out what's going on first."

When Xinghua saw Peach Blossom standing at the door, she didn't dare believe it was really her at first. After all, Peach Blossom looked completely different from before.

But when she heard Peach Blossom call her name, she recognized her.

"Sister Peach Blossom, help me!"

The leader barked, "Who are you to them? This girl's father lost money gambling. We're here to collect the debt."

"If you have nothing to do with them, then move aside."

When Lin Fei heard it was only a gambling debt and not some major trouble, he relaxed.

"How much do they owe? I'll pay it. Let them go."

"You'll pay their debt? He lost three silver coins, but with interest piling up, it's doubled now. He owes six silver coins."

Lin Fei took out a gold coin and tossed it to the man.

He didn't actually have any silver coins on him, only gold.

"That should cover it, right? Keep the change. Buy yourselves some tea with it!"

"You lot are lucky. You've got a benefactor looking out for you. Let's go!"

The men were pleased with the money and graciously let the family go.

After they left, Peach Blossom helped Xinghua to her feet.

"Xinghua, how did you end up in my house?"

"My dad owes a lot in gambling debts, and people took our house. I heard you sold yourself to bury your father and someone bought you. I thought you'd never come back, so we moved into your house."

Xinghua timidly studied Lin Fei, then glanced at Peach Blossom. She quickly stepped back, afraid of offending him.

"Sister Peach Blossom, who is he...?"

Peach Blossom introduced him. "This is my husband. He was the one who buried my father for me."

Xinghua immediately seized the chance to curry favor. "So you're my brother-in-law! Thank you. If it weren't for you... who knows what might have happened to my mother and me..."

She dropped to her knees in front of Peach Blossom with a thump, then began sobbing.

"Sister Peach Blossom, for the sake of the friendship we've had since childhood, please see this through and help us again!"

"My dad's a hopeless gambler. He's lost everything of value, and now we don't even have a bite to eat at home."

"If you don't help me, I'll either starve to death or get gambled away by my dad."

Xinghua's mother knelt too and kowtowed over and over.

She could see that Peach Blossom's life had changed. She wore fine silks and satins, which made it clear she had married into a wealthy family.

"Peach Blossom, kind-hearted Peach Blossom, please, Auntie's begging you too."

"When your mother was seriously ill, our family lent you money to buy her medicine. After your mother passed away, our family helped with the burial too. Do you remember?"

Peach Blossom had always been softhearted. Hearing these memories brought every old debt of kindness rushing back.

If she didn't repay them, her conscience would never be at ease.

"Dear..."