She nodded, her tone calm. "Thank you for your trouble."
Li Fu hastily said he did not deserve it, then jogged ahead, took out the key, and pushed open the courtyard gate.
"My lady, this way."
The courtyard was not large, but it was clean and tidy.
There were three rooms in the main house, one side room each to the east and west, a well in the courtyard, and several clusters of lush green bamboo. It was exceedingly elegant.
"My lady, are you satisfied?"
Jiang Yuechu swept her gaze around. This place was countless times better than the barracks. How could she possibly be dissatisfied?
"Mm."
She nodded, indicating that it was acceptable.
Seeing this, Li Fu's smile grew broader. He continued chattering on, introducing the various facilities in the courtyard, as well as where in the city it was convenient to shop and where the food was good.
Jiang Yuechu grew somewhat impatient as she listened. She waved a hand and cut him off. "Alright, you may leave first."
Li Fu tactfully handed over the keys at once, bowed, and took his leave.
After he left, Jiang Yuechu walked into the courtyard and took a deep breath.
This was her home now.
For the first time since coming to this foreign world, she had a place of her own to settle down.
Though this place of refuge had come through a few twists and turns, and with a touch of bloodshed.
But so what?
She looked around.
"With such a big house, shouldn't I hire a few maids and servants to help take care of it..."
No, no, no.
She violently shook her little head.
Jiang Yuechu, Jiang Yuechu, how could you fall so low?
You were only a lowly Eighth-Rank Squad Commander, and you were already thinking of having people serve you?
Besides, even if she wanted to, she could not afford it.
She only earned ten taels a month. In the Great Tang Dynasty, ten taels of silver might be enough for an ordinary family of three to live free from want for half a year.
If they were frugal, they could barely make it through a whole year.
But to Jiang Yuechu, that was merely a drop in the bucket.
They said the poor pursued learning while the rich pursued martial arts.
But in truth, studying cost money, and practicing martial arts cost even more.
For children from poor families, having enough to eat and wear was already a luxury. Where would they find spare money to buy medicinal herbs that nourished their qi and blood, or hire a martial arts master to teach them?
Even the most basic martial techniques required ten years or more of grueling training before one could truly enter the hall.
Meanwhile, children of prominent clans had fine teachers guiding them from childhood, delicacies to nourish them, medicinal baths to temper their bodies, and physiques naturally far superior to ordinary people.
How could the costs involved amount to merely a thousand gold?
The Hundred Demons Register was indeed heaven-defying, allowing her to cross what would take ordinary people decades of bitter cultivation in a short time.
Yet this golden finger was not omnipotent.
Just in terms of daily consumption, she had now reached the Bone-Chiming Realm, and her body's demand for energy had risen to an astonishing degree.
That meant that from now on, eating alone would consume most of her wages.
What?
You asked how she had dealt with this before?
Naturally, she had shamelessly mooched meals off Wei Qing.
But now that she had at least risen to Eighth-Rank Squad Commander, how could she still have the nerve to go?
At that thought, she instantly gave up the idea of using her salary to enjoy herself.
Maids, servants, an elegant life—these were all nothing but flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water.
She took a deep breath and cast aside all those messy thoughts.
She immediately decided to go out and buy supplies first.
After all, she would be living alone from now on.
She had to prepare her own food and daily necessities.
To the east of Liangzhou City, outside the Demon-Calming Ward, was the marketplace.
Jiang Yuechu first went to a cloth shop and had two sets of everyday clothes tailored, then found a tailor and ordered two sets of fitted martial attire.
After buying all the necessities for daily life, she found a rice shop and purchased five shi of refined rice.
The Demon Suppression Office's promotion pay did not include monthly rice and meat, so she would have to cover these days' expenses herself for now.
Having bought the rice, it was time for meat.
A martial artist's diet was vastly different from that of ordinary people.
Ordinary pork and mutton not only failed to fill the stomach, but were also a mere drop in the bucket when it came to improving cultivation.
Wealthy martial artists generally bought the flesh and blood of demonic beasts specifically.
Demonic beasts were not demons. They were rare, strange beasts carrying a trace of demonic bloodline.
The Demon Suppression Office's Scarlet-eyed Steeds were one such kind.
To martial artists, the flesh and blood of demonic beasts were great tonics.
Jiang Yuechu considered that she had already reached the Bone-Chiming Realm. Ordinary meat would likely struggle to meet her needs.
Since she was buying supplies anyway, she might as well take a look at this so-called demonic beast flesh.
After making some inquiries, she headed toward the largest butcher shop in the city.
"What? You're selling this tiny bit of meat for fifty taels?! Why don't you just rob people!!!"
The butcher shop owner was a broad-shouldered, thick-waisted man, yet Jiang Yuechu's roar made him shrink his neck, his face full of grievance.
He looked at Jiang Yuechu's Demon Suppression Office uniform. In the end, he did not dare say much, merely explaining in a low voice, "My lady... demonic beast meat has always cost this much over the years. Ordinary hunters simply do not dare lay a finger on it. Only some jianghu folk specifically go out to hunt demonic beasts..."
Jiang Yuechu took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger in her heart.
Damn!
Fifty taels of silver for such a tiny piece of meat?
Even robbery was not this fast!
She only earned ten taels a month. Buying one piece of meat would cost five months' salary. Who could stand that?
She grumbled inwardly, though her expression remained unchanged.
Demonic beast meat was good, but with her purse empty, she could only settle for the next best thing for now.
Depressed or not, what else could she do if she could not afford it?
It was not as if she could actually rob someone.
That was the conduct of bandits. Jiang Yuechu was, after all, an Eighth-Rank Squad Commander with an official post.
"Forget it. Cut me five jin of beef shank, and add two fat chickens."
She pointed at the ordinary livestock meat on the chopping block, her tone carrying a trace of reluctance.
The butcher shop owner heaved a sigh of relief and swiftly cut and tied up the meat.
Jiang Yuechu took out her money pouch and was about to pay when a steady voice suddenly sounded beside her.
"Wrap up that meat. I'll pay for her."
Jiang Yuechu froze and turned toward the newcomer.
He wore dark robes, stood tall and straight, and had deep-set brows and eyes, steady as a mountain.
If it was not Wei He, then who could it be?
Her heart skipped a beat.
There was nothing more awkward in the world than running into your superior while out shopping.
"Lord Wei... why are you here?"
"I merely happened to pass by."
Jiang Yuechu hurriedly waved her hands. "No, no, how could I let you spend money on me, my lord..."
Wei He shook his head, his gaze falling on the few jin of ordinary meat in her hands. "This little money is but one hair from nine oxen to me. Now that you have entered Bone-Chiming, it is precisely the time when you need to nourish your qi and blood. This ordinary meat is merely a drop in the bucket for you. Do not scrimp on such worldly possessions and delay your cultivation."
"..."
Jiang Yuechu was somewhat surprised.
She had never told anyone that she had entered the Bone-Chiming Realm.
Even Xu Changfeng had said nothing at the time.
Wait...
Perhaps he had already known, but simply could not be bothered to mention it.
"Thank you, my lord."
She cupped her fists in thanks, her tone gaining a few degrees of sincerity.
What else could she say?
She could not possibly argue with her direct superior in front of the butcher shop owner, could she?
Would that not make her seem petty while also embarrassing her superior?
She sighed inwardly, yet a trace of warmth rose in her heart.
Wei He merely gave a faint "Mm" and said no more. He casually took out silver from his robes and paid.
The shop owner accepted the silver, thanking him again and again as he deftly packed up the meat Jiang Yuechu had ordered.
Only after seeing her accept it did a trace of satisfaction appear on Wei He's face.
He did not linger long. After giving a few instructions, he hurried away again.
As if he truly had only happened to pass by.
Watching Wei He's back disappear around the street corner, Jiang Yuechu carried the meat in her hands, her heart filled with countless complicated feelings.
What exactly did he seek by taking such care of her...
Forget it.
A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring.
No matter what his purpose was, she would remember this kindness.
Before you continue