"Dad, we haven't even bought the house yet, what are you doing here? The whole family is waiting for your decision."
A middle-aged man found his elderly father in the vast Jiangnan Academy, his face full of complaints.
But it must be said that Jiangnan Academy is really big. I heard it has been expanded and renovated several times. Now it looks like a palace. You can get dizzy if you're not careful.
The middle-aged man was named Tian Yannian. He had just fled from the South Sea and was the same man who had been scolded by his father on the ship.
"What's the rush about the house? With money, why worry about not having a place to live?" The old man rolled his eyes at his simple-minded eldest son. "The key issue is that our family has no property now. How are we going to establish ourselves here!"
"Father, we don't even have a house. How can we settle down? Let's go back and choose a house first. The whole family has nowhere to live!" Tian Yannian said with a wry smile.
"Having a place to live doesn't mean you've established yourself," the old man glared at the other man with exasperation. "These are chaotic times. Money can depreciate at any moment. Before, our family had land to preserve our wealth, but things are different now. In Jiangnan, jade is the currency, but what if it changes in the future? Wouldn't all our jade become scrap metal? If you don't quickly acquire some assets that generate more money, how can you sleep soundly at night even if you buy a house?"
"Um..." Tian Yannian scratched his head, agreeing with his father's reasoning, and asked, "But Father, why bring businesses to the academy?"
"You're not doing anything productive, but even I, a nearly seventy-year-old old man, know that the biggest business opportunities in Jiangnan are all in the Jiangnan Academy. You, a good-for-nothing, only know how to take shortcuts and engage in crooked schemes. Tell me, what will happen to our family if we leave?"
"Father," Tian Yannian, was speechless. Was he really that worthless?
"Did you find any business opportunities while you've been here so long, Father?"
"Do you think you're looking for crickets in a bustling marketplace?" The old man sighed helplessly. "Most of the things at the Jiangnan Academy are incredibly novel, and all the students are quite eloquent, describing their projects as if they were flowers, but whether they're actually effective or not, we have no idea."
"Doing business is like entering a completely different world; many businesses seem lucrative, but if you don't understand the industry and jump in headfirst, you'll mostly end up losing everything. You can't make decisions lightly; it's best to find someone knowledgeable in the field."
"Where are we going to find someone who knows about this?" Tian Yannian frowned. He had seen many novel things along the way and naturally agreed with his father's words, but could they find someone knowledgeable in such a short time?
"That is indeed a problem." The old man looked around, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Is that kid from the Jiang Household?"
Upon hearing this, Tian Yannian looked over and immediately nodded, saying, "Yes, it's the Jiang Household. Oh dear, what a tragedy. The Jiang Household lost all their men and women just to protect this child."
"Yes. All the men are dead, what's a five-year-old child doing here?"
"Huh?" Tian Yannian was taken aback.
"You foolish boy, the Tian Household is counting on you and will eventually fall apart." The old man didn't even bother to look at his son, and strode over to the Jiang Household's child.
Jiang Xiaoling was strolling around the academy at that moment.
He had only been in Jiangnan for three days, but he had already visited several times, since his mission was to observe Jiangnan Academy.
The academy isn't without Principal God; it's said that a Great God Ziwei is worshipped here. However, the academy has a very free atmosphere, and not everyone believes in her. From what he's heard in the past two days, at least two-thirds of the students don't worship that Great God Ziwei.
It is indeed a suitable place for the Federation to establish its first batch of forces, but would Chen Qing really be willing?
To be honest, Jiang Xiaoling felt great about the two days he spent there. He really liked the free academic atmosphere, the relaxed environment, and the lack of political motives. Wasn't this the life he had always dreamed of?
If a group of people from the Federation were to infiltrate this place, wouldn't the atmosphere change so much that people wouldn't even recognize themselves?
Of course, he also knew that his will was completely insignificant in this power struggle between the authorities and Chen Qing; he was merely a mouthpiece, irrelevant to the overall situation.
"Is this young friend Jiang?"
A cheerful voice rang out. Jiang Xiaoling turned around, thought for a moment, and then remembered who it was. She quickly bowed and said, "Grandpa Tian."
"Young friend, what brings you here?" Old Man Tian asked with a smile.
Actually, he had wanted to visit them for a long time. When they were in bed, large families like theirs, and even some families of sorcerers, would have dozens of people crammed into one room, but the Jiang Household had a separate room. There must be a reason for that.
"Uncle, you're too kind. Just call me by my childhood name." Jiang Xiaoling said shyly, "It's like this, the academy has pre-enrolled me, and I've been invited here these past two days to familiarize myself with the environment."
"Pre-recruitment?" Old Man Tian's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, Tian Yannian behind him also widened his eyes.
They had heard of the Jiangnan Academy's reputation back in the Southeast; its places were so scarce that thousands of families vied for them. The powerful families of the Southeast would beg and plead in the capital to pull strings, just to send one or two of their children to take the exam. And now this kid was telling them he'd been pre-admitted?
No wonder he was able to get a room all to himself on the ship; he must have a special talent!
Thinking of Jiangnan's unconventional approach to selecting materials, the two members of the Tian Household looked at Jiang Xiaoling with eyes that seemed to sparkle.
"Nephew, you're not married yet, are you?" Tian Yannian asked hastily.
Jiang Xiaoling shook her head slightly and said, "No, but... we already have a direction. Please forgive me."
"Already have a direction?" Tian Yannian frowned. You're just a five-year-old kid, you've only just arrived, what direction do you have? This is clearly an excuse. He was about to say something more when Old Tian next to him pushed him aside, "Hey, your Uncle Tian is an honest man, he says whatever comes to mind, don't take offense."
After saying that, he quickly turned around and glared at the bewildered Tian Yannian. Looking at his clueless son, he felt a surge of annoyance.
With such a promising future, they naturally want a capable father-in-law. How could they possibly be interested in a family like theirs? They really don't know their place. It seems I need to find a way to live a couple more years so my grandson can take over the family when he grows up. My only foolish son is simply not capable of running the household.
"You're too kind, Mr. Tian." Jiang Xiaoling smiled slightly, but her tone was noticeably more distant than before.
Old Master Tian inwardly cried out in alarm and quickly said, "It's like this, my eldest grandson just turned twelve this year. He has excellent character and virtue, and is also very good at studying. Although I don't know if he will have the chance to enter Jiangnan Academy like you, Xiaoling, at least he will definitely have no problem participating in the imperial examinations and obtaining a degree."
"What does Grandpa Tian mean?" Jiang Xiaoling's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Since the other party was introducing his own grandson, it was easy to guess what he was up to.
"Well, we're both from the Southeast, and we don't know anyone here. It would be best if we could look out for each other. Your father and my family have a history of friendship. And since you're Xiaoling young, it's not convenient for you to get involved in many things. If we become relatives, we can help each other out, right?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiaoling lowered her head and began to think. She had promised her mother that she would definitely find a good marriage for her sister, but it was easier said than done.
It's impossible for my sister's affair to remain completely hidden. Even if I have a very promising future, it's hard to see it in a short time. Even if we get engaged now, if something comes out in the future and the man decides to break off the engagement, my sister probably won't be able to withstand a second blow.
Conversely, if a well-known family can accept this from the beginning, it will actually reduce future risks.
Moreover, the Tian Household was a prominent family in White Cloud City, a scholarly family with three generations of officials. Although the family had declined by the time of Master Tian, its heritage remained, and it was still a well-known family.
Such a marriage should be very satisfactory to both the mother and the sister.
but
"If I may be so bold as to ask," Jiang Xiaoling looked up at the other person, "Your grandson, are you sure you don't mind?"
"Don't worry, Xiaoling. Since my family has brought it up, we won't take it to heart. After all, Miss Jiang was forced into this situation. We're all pitiful people persecuted by those Southern Barbarians bastards. Who can look down on whom?"
"That kid is waiting for news from Grandpa Tian."
"Good, good, good!" Old Tian clapped his hands and laughed, then quickly called his son to prepare to go home first.
He was already thinking about how to explain this to his grandson when he got back. The Jiang Household's boy was such a treasure, and none of the people around him were even noticing, letting him get such a good deal. He had to settle things as soon as possible.
Unlike the other old guys who were keen on finding projects in the academy, he knew very well that without a knowledgeable guide, the money he made from selling his land wouldn't last long. To establish himself, he had to invest in reliable potential projects. What project could have a pre-recruited sorcerer as a potential candidate?
Watching the smug old man leave quickly, Jiang Xiaoling breathed a slight sigh of relief and murmured, "Telling Mother about this when we get back should help my sister get out of her gloom, right?"
"You seem to care quite a bit about your NPC family members."
An aged voice sent a shiver down Jiang Xiaoling's spine. The word "NPC" wasn't something just anyone could say!
Looking back, I saw a kind-looking old man dressed in white.
"Who are you."
"People here generally call me Mr. Heavenly Secrets," the old man said with a slight smile.
Jiang Xiaoling felt a chill run down her spine.
Number Three!!
There will be another update tonight.