Night talk

Five hundred bolts. Aunt's heart pounded wildly. These silk fabrics were of a wide variety, including damask, silk, brocade, satin, and gauze. The weaving was exquisite and the patterns were beautiful. Aunt had visited many silk shops and had a sharp eye. Any one of these silk fabrics was far better than the expensive silks sold in those shops.

There were five hundred bolts of such expensive and exquisite material. The aunt felt overwhelmed by the sudden happiness.

Xu Lingyue wasn't much better than her mother. Throughout history, women have always had a special fondness for clothes.

Xu Lingyin, who would sneak away to eat alone when her parents and sister weren't looking, was an exception; she was still a child.

"I'll go help!" Second Uncle Xu couldn't sit still any longer. He jumped up and strode outside.

Xu Qi'an stood by the carriage, discussing with Song Tingfeng how to resolve the Sangbo case before going to the Imperial Academy of Music- run entertainment venue).

"Speaking of which, of the twenty-four courtesans of the Imperial Academy of Music, I've only slept with Fuxiang. I'll visit them all one by one another day," Xu Qi'an said expectantly.

"You—" Song Tingfeng stared at him strangely, "Aren't you and Fuxiang lovers? What you should be doing now is redeeming her from her servitude.

Xu Qi'an also stared at him with a strange look, unable to understand why people in ancient times always liked to use public vehicles for private purposes.

Well, the status of a concubine was only slightly higher than that of a servant. Perhaps in their eyes, redeeming a courtesan was equivalent to a man buying a girlfriend who couldn't speak or eat and survived on air.

Moreover, the courtesan wouldn't leak air.

Wife and concubine are different concepts and cannot be compared. But in my opinion, redeeming a courtesan from her brothel is the same as meeting a beautiful, wealthy woman on a blind date who claims to sell clothes. It's just a difference in values and ideas.

Xu Qi'an shook his head, not wanting to continue the topic.

"Second Uncle, don't move these." Xu Qi'an called out quickly when he saw his Second Uncle Xu come out to help.

When his second uncle looked over, Xu Qi'an tossed the 60-pound box over with one hand. "You carry this."

Second Uncle Xu reached out and took it; it felt quite heavy. He opened it and... what was it that blinded him?

My aunt was admiring the beautiful silks and satins in the front hall, touching them here and there, her beautiful face beaming with an uncontrollable smile.

Xu Lingyue placed her small hand on a piece of silk, feeling the thin and smooth texture, and her girlish heart pounded.

Snap!

The mother's aunt slapped the hand away, saying unhappily, "Don't get it dirty."

Xu Lingyue said quietly, "What are you so happy about, Mother? These things were bestowed upon my elder brother by His Majesty, not yours."

A fatal blow!

The aunt's smile gradually faded. After a moment, a stiff smile appeared on her dignified and beautiful face. "Well... I've been quite good to Dalang, haven't I?"

She herself wasn't confident in what she said.

Xu Lingyue nodded. "Yeah, it's good. Your older brother is a money-losing burden."

"You brat!" Her aunt poked Xu Lingyue her to stumble.

Just then, the mother and daughter saw Second Uncle Xu come in, looking distraught, carrying a box.

The aunt lifted her skirt and went to greet him, "What is that in your hand, sir?"

*Snap. Snap. Second Uncle Xu opened the box, then closed it again, and looked at his wife, saying, "Are you blind?"

"Blind."

My aunt, a virgin who never married, now has three children and has never seen so much silver—no, gold—in her thirty-six years of life.

My second uncle had never owned so much gold before.

My throat is so dry. I've been exhausted all day and haven't even had a sip of good tea.

"Ningyan, please sit down. Your aunt will make you some tea."

I want steamed eggs.

"Auntie will have the kitchen make it for you right away."

"Is there no milk?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Auntie will heat up some milk for you right away."

At the dining table, Xu Qi'an sat with an air of superiority, while his usually arrogant aunt attentively served him. Xu Qi'an Xu Qi'an wanted steamed eggs, his aunt had them made for him. If he wanted tea, his aunt brewed it for him. Xu Qi'an wanted milk, his aunt gave it to him, trying her best to mend the strained relationship between aunt and nephew.

"Auntie, that's not very sincere. I want to eat eggs made by Auntie herself," Xu Qi'an grumbled.

The aunt bit her lip and forced a smile, "Auntie will make it for you."

The steamed eggs arrived, Xu Qi'an said while eating, "Sigh, there are so many dirty clothes left in the neighbor's yard. As an unlucky guy without parents, I have to wash them myself."

Aunt gritted her teeth. "Ningyan, that's too formal of you. I treat you like my own daughter. I'll wash you."

Feeling triumphant, Xu Qi'an felt his mind clear and the obsession that had been weighing on his heart finally dissipated.

"Second Uncle, why don't we sell this house and buy a bigger one in the inner city?" Xu Qi'an suggested.

The plump and beautiful aunt's eyes lit up, and she became radiant.

Selling the house. Second Uncle Xu glanced at the furnishings in the hall and suddenly sighed, "This is our ancestral home. You're just going to sell it like that? Your father and I grew up in this house."

"Fine, I won't sell. Eight thousand taels of silver is enough to buy a more spacious house in the inner city." Xu Qi'an raised his cup to drink, then put it down and suddenly said, "Second Uncle, am I your illegitimate child with another woman?"

"Pfft!" Second Uncle Xu quickly turned his head down and sprayed a mouthful of wine all over Xu Lingyin's face.

He intended to spray the ground, but the little girl was too small, so the spray landed right on her head and face.

The little girl was completely bewildered, not knowing what she had done wrong. She bravely held back her tears, licked the wine off her face, and realizing it didn't taste good, she burst into tears.

Second Uncle Xu glared at his nephew, who was speaking without thinking, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

The second uncle showed no guilt or shock. The aunt's face also showed no suspicion or astonishment. Xu Qi'an expert in the psychology of facial expressions, made the judgment.

When people are least prepared, their subconscious actions are most in line with their inner thoughts.

Xu Qi'an immediately ruled out the possibility that he was his second uncle's illegitimate son. His reasoning wasn't without merit; when he was young, his second uncle's colleagues would visit his home and point at Xu Qi'an, asking, "Is this your son?"

Or, pointing at Xu Erlang, they might say, "Your daughter is so beautiful."

What does it represent? It represents the similarity in facial features between Xu Qi'an and Second Uncle Xu.

From a genetic perspective, the two are related by blood.

"Are you kidding me? I've never met my biological parents, and I look so much like my second uncle." Xu Qi'an shrugged.

"By the way, has Auntie met my mother?"

Auntie replied, "Of course I've met her. I took care of your mother for a while when she was pregnant with you. Your mother was very gentle, unlike you."

He stopped abruptly, almost snapping at his nephew out of habit.

"What about your older brother?" Xu Qi'an asked, his head down as he ate his steamed egg, his eyes glancing at his second uncle.

Second Uncle Xu was stunned for a moment before he realized what he meant, and said irritably, "Then you're my father."

He recalled briefly and said, "Your grandparents died early, and my brother and I grew up relying on each other. Your father was more talented than me, but unfortunately he died in the Battle of Shanhai Pass."

Xu Qi'an didn't ask any further questions. He quickly finished eating and left the five hundred bolts of silk and satin at the main house. He then carried the box full of gold ingots back to the small courtyard.

It's not safe to keep gold at home. With so many colleagues at the yamen Nightwatchers into the house to steal it, it would only implicate my aunt and sister.

"Wei Yuan said that for a long time, Nightwatchers would be sent to secretly protect and monitor the vicinity of the Xu Residence to prevent the Daoists of the Earth Sect from seeking revenge. This would also deter night Nightwatchers with ulterior motives." Xu Qi'an leaped over the high wall and put the box into the fragments of the Earth Book.

After her bath, the fragrant aunt sat on the edge of the bed, tilting her head and wiping her jet-black hair with a towel.

Second Uncle Xu sat cross-legged on a small couch not far away, Qi Refinement breathing exercises.

"You practice every day, but I haven't seen you improve at all." Auntie rolled her eyes charmingly.

Whew~

Second Uncle Xu exhaled a long breath and opened his eyes. Although he looked refreshed after breathing in, there was a deep sadness in his eyes.

He had long since reached the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, and no matter how much he practiced, his Qi would not increase. However, the door to the Spirit Refining Realm remained firmly closed.

"Master, do you think you can get a promotion if you break through to the next level?" Auntie said, stretching her waist as she spoke.

Xu Pingzhi hummed in agreement. "Of course."

After drying her hair, Auntie took off her embroidered shoes, sat sideways on the bed with her long legs crossed, and hugged a pillow to her chest. She complained, "That Xu Ningyan is so smug! If it weren't for the fine silks and the house in the inner city, I wouldn't have put up with him. I'd have given him a good dressing down."

As she spoke, she sighed, "You've grown up so much without me even realizing it."

When I first took him from my husband, he was as big as a kitten.

"Knock knock knock"

A knock sounded at the door, and Xu Qi'an's voice came from outside. "Second Uncle, there's something I forgot to tell you."

The aunt was startled and quickly lowered the bed curtains, shrinking into the quilt.

Xu Pingzhi stood up and said, "To the study."

"No need, Second Uncle, just come out, say a few words at the door and leave," Xu Qi'an said.

The aunt, clutching her blanket, hid behind the bed curtains and eavesdropped. The uncle and nephew exchanged a few whispered words before the husband returned and slammed the door shut.

"What are you talking about? Did he secretly give you some money?" Aunt peeked out from under the bed curtains, glaring at Xu Pingzhi.

Suddenly, she froze, noticing her husband's slightly reddened eyes and moist gaze.

"Master?" The aunt called out blankly, at a loss for what to do.

"I've finally found hope." Xu Pingzhi closed his eyes and whispered, "Hope for the Spirit Refining Realm."

My aunt pursed her red lips tightly.

Is it Ningyan?

Xu Qi'an returned to the courtyard, seemingly inspired. He paused at the door for a few seconds before gently pushing it open.

He walked to the table as usual, lit the candle, and the slender flame emitted a dim yellow glow, driving away the darkness and gilding the room with an orange hue.

On the bed, an old Daoist priest with gray hair sat cross-legged. Although his hair was tied up with a hairpin, strands of messy hair still hung down.

He had deep-set features and a peaceful expression.

"You've arrived," Xu Qi'an greeted with a smile.

"I've arrived." Master Jinlian nodded and returned the smile.

"You shouldn't have come," Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice.

Master Jinlian asked in surprise, "What do you mean? Didn't we agree to meet secretly today?"

No, I was just joking. Have you heard of Gu Long's novels? Xu Qi'an shrugged. "Just kidding with the Daoist priest."

"How is the investigation into the Sangbo case going?" Master Jinlian didn't seem to care. After all, everyone has their quirks, and the members of the Heaven and Earth Society all had very strong personalities.

Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment and said, "This case is extremely complex, involving too many forces. So far, the clues are numerous and disorganized. To be honest, in all my years as a police officer, I've never encountered such a thorny problem."

"We usually rely on surveillance!" he added in his mind.

At that moment, he told Master Jinlian everything he had gathered and his own speculations.

Since joining the Heaven and Earth Society, he and Master Jinlian have reached a preliminary level of trust, and he feels that the other is a good candidate to be an ally. Moreover, the Sangbo case has no connection with Master Jinlian.

Well, if his escape to the capital was just a pretext, and his real purpose was to pave the way for the Sangbo case, and he was the one who silenced Magistrate Zhao, then that would be a real bombshell!

Xu Qi'an tried to find humor in his predicament, thinking that everyone seemed like a bad guy and an old silver coin to him.

"You suspect that the Prince of Zhenbei is the mastermind behind this, that he has made a pact with the Demon Race in the north and the witch god cult in the northeast, and is attempting to usurp the throne?"

"So the Sangbo case was blown up, releasing the first supervisor," Master Jinlian said, frowning.

"What do you think, Daoist Master?" Xu Qi'an countered.