Lin Yi carefully examined the various materials before him.
He found several that he needed for refining corpses, as well as a few precious materials that would greatly benefit his future martial training.
He picked out a few and said earnestly, "I'll count these as a debt. I'll make it up to you later..."
"Make it up to me?" Yu Qinglian's eyes curved as she reached out and gently pressed a finger to Lin Yi's lips. "Do you think I need you to make it up to me?"
"Aren't you already mine, body and soul? You've given yourself to me. Are you still worried I can't afford to keep you?"
Lin Yi froze, then gave a helpless smile.
Now he understood why so many people in his previous life had been fond of older women dating younger men.
He had to admit, older women really were wonderful.
Lin Yi decided to take back what he'd said before.
What was that saying? Even if a man was broke, he couldn't be bought; if you gave him enough money, that was called love...
Just then, a sly glint flashed in Yu Qinglian's eyes. "Hm? Are you planning to have your fill of me, break things off, and then leave without a word?"
Lin Yi faltered. "Of course not..."
A smile instantly blossomed across Yu Qinglian's face. "Exactly."
Lin Yi cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Still, there's something I've been hiding from you."
Yu Qinglian narrowed her eyes, a hint of curiosity in them. "What?"
"Hu Ma has another identity. He's the county magistrate's long-lost son. He was found not long ago, but it hasn't been made public yet..."
Yu Qinglian looked astonished and couldn't help exclaiming, "The county magistrate and his wife could have a hideous creature like him?!"
"???" Lin Yi was dumbfounded.
Wait, sis, wasn't your focus a little off?
Shouldn't the important part be his identity?
Yu Qinglian spread her hands. "Don't look at me like that. Anyway, with things as they are, I can't stay in Jiaqing County. I might as well take this chance to leave, seek a breakthrough, and advance my cultivation."
"But..." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure there's nothing else you're hiding from me?"
Lin Yi thought for a moment and raised a hand to scratch his brow. "There's one small thing."
"I'm not twenty. I'm sixteen this year."
"You're... sixteen?" Yu Qinglian's voice faltered.
"Mm," Lin Yi replied.
"I'm twenty-one, and you're sixteen..."
Yu Qinglian murmured softly, as if struck by lightning. Her expression shifted between light and shadow.
A moment later, as if she'd made up her mind, she pulled Lin Yi close by the neck again and muttered, "Fine. Sixteen it is. Sixteen is exactly what I want."
As she spoke, she pressed Lin Yi back onto the bed.
The night was hushed and still. Moonlight, hazy and alluring, streamed through the window lattice and fell upon their intertwined silhouettes.
The next morning, at dawn.
The bandage on Lin Hua's head hadn't even been removed yet, but he had already gotten up early.
Chen looked at him bitterly and tried to persuade him. "You're hurt this badly, and you still want to go to the restaurant?"
Lin Hua shook his head. "I've thought about a lot these past few days. In the end, family matters most. Since Hu Ma is dead set on taking that plot of land, who knows what underhanded tricks he might pull later? He could end up dragging you all into it..."
"At worst, we can set up our old teahouse again. We'll still be able to get by."
"Mm..." Chen murmured, her head bowed as she held back from saying more.
"Then I'm off. Stay home and look after Xiuwen. Yi'er's busy these days, too. He has to go into the inner city to choose a suitable martial arts hall. Don't let him know about what's happening at home."
"Mm." Chen answered in a low voice, forcing herself to hold back. She was afraid her husband would hear the sob in her voice.
"Then I'm off." Lin Hua chuckled softly and gently patted Chen's head.
The moment he stepped out the door, the ease on his face vanished, and he couldn't help letting out a low sigh.
"Xiuwen's old enough to need a private tutor, and Yi'er's taking up martial arts. I can't skimp on the meat he needs to build himself up..."
The Lin Clan had once run an Escort Agency, so Lin Hua knew all too well how much it cost to train a Martial Artist.
The burden of all those little expenses weighed on his shoulders like a mountain.
"Well, Old Lin! Congratulations! Come over for a cup of tea!"
As soon as he reached the alley mouth, Old Liu from the teahouse greeted him with a broad smile.
"No, no, some other time," Lin Hua said, waving a hand.
But before he could finish, Old Liu had already warmly ushered him over and sat him down in front of the shop.
The place was packed with neighbors. As soon as they saw Lin Hua, they gathered around him like old friends.
"Old Liu, how's the food at your new restaurant? I'm planning to try it at lunchtime today! We're all old neighbors, so you'd better give us a discount!"
"That's right! Old Liu, everyone knows how good your cooking is. We've been looking forward to the food at your restaurant for ages!"
Lin Hua froze for a moment, his lips moving. "You're... not afraid of Hu Ma?"
"Ha! Hu Ma? Tsk, tsk. He's a stray dog with nowhere to go, tail between his legs and on the run. It'd be great if someone ran into him—the bounty's a full hundred taels!" someone in the crowd joked.
"Hm? What happened to Hu Ma?" Lin Hua asked, bewildered.
Everyone laughed and explained over one another.
"Hahaha, Old Lin, you haven't heard?"
"Hu Ma chopped down the son of Master of Qingsong Hall over some woman from a brothel."
"He's wanted throughout the city now! The County Yamen is offering three hundred taels, Green Pine Martial Hall five hundred, and the Peace Guard fifty! If you find him, you'll never have to worry about food or drink again!"
The more they said, the more pleased they became.
Hu Ma had always enjoyed bullying men and women, and he often went around Black Water Alley extorting people. The neighbors hated him, so now they had no shortage of cutting remarks as they kicked him while he was down.
"Good... That's wonderful... Hahaha!" Lin Hua laughed heartily, all the gloom from before swept away. Then he shouted, "I'm treating today! You're all coming—to my restaurant!"
The neighbors jumped up excitedly and cheered. "Boss Lin, what generosity!"
Suddenly, someone asked Lin Hua, "Take a look—is that your Lin Yi over there?"
Lin Hua froze and hurriedly looked toward the distant crowd. Then he smiled and waved a hand. "Hey, you know my boy. He's a famous handsome young man—you can pick him out of a crowd at a glance. That one clearly isn't him..."
[Successfully avoided disaster. Received 10,000 Destiny Talisman Coins] [Current Destiny Talisman Coins: 21,000] [Technique: Corpse Kui Rebirth Method (First Layer)] [Proficiency: 525/1000] [Qi Refining Path: Corpse Puppet Path] [Realm: Ninth Rank] [Destiny: Know Heavenly Fate, Jade Cicada Cocoon] [Know Heavenly Fate: Seek good fortune and avoid calamity; perceive Aura of Fortune; can use Destiny Talisman Coins to activate Strong Luck] [Jade Cicada Cocoon: Inherited from the mother's Destiny, "Molting Jade Cicada." Once fully charged, it can break out of its cocoon and awaken its own Destiny.] [Jade Cicada Cocoon completion: 95%]
Lin Yi glanced from afar at what was happening over by Lin Hua, then melted into the crowd and headed for his secret base in the suburbs.
"With the spoils Hu Ma left behind, delivered just when I needed them, I can start refining corpses and fully nurture this 'Jade Cicada Cocoon.'"
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