Xie Jingchu put away his memories and looked at Ruan Jiu with deep affection in his eyes.
Bringing Ruan Jiu back to the mansion was, in his opinion, the wisest decision he had ever made in his life.
With Ruan Jiu in the Xie Mansion, he began to find life interesting.
He couldn't help but want to protect Ruan Jiu and give her the best things.
He wanted to see how far her frail body could carry her.
It was also Ruan Jiu who taught him that no matter what, one should live and become the person one wanted to be.
For all these years, Ruan Jiu had always thought that it was he who had redeemed her and saved her from a wandering life.
But what she didn't know was that if he hadn't met her that day, he might have become a pile of bones long ago.
She was the one who had redeemed him!
"I won't tell you," Xie Jingchu raised his eyebrows.
There was no need for her to know about those unpleasant things.
"What... what?" Ruan Jiu suddenly raised her head.
She didn't expect Xie Jingchu to say such a thing.
Xie Jingchu gently tapped on her head and said, "If you know too much, you might get killed."
After saying that, he stood up and walked back.
Ruan Jiu rubbed her head, pouting her small mouth.
Then she followed him.
"Just tell me."
"No way!"
"Please tell me."
"I won't!"
"Just tell me a little."
"Absolutely not!"
...
After the old master of the Xie family announced the new person in charge of the Xie family, probably only the eldest branch of the family was happy in the entire Xie Mansion.
Xie Jing even wanted to swagger through the mansion. He looked high - and - mighty in front of everyone.
"Fourth Master, look at the way the eldest master behaves. He has held three banquets in the mansion this week," Qin Yuan complained.
Xie Jing had invited all the merchants who had business dealings with the Xie family in the past.
His purpose was to tell everyone that he was the one in charge of the Xie family now.
"Just take care of our own business," Xie Jingchu said calmly.
He didn't really care about these things.
Qin Yuan continued to complain, "Fourth Master, you should have asked for a grain store. Instead, you asked for that abandoned tea mountain."
Even though the Fourth Master was extremely capable, it was useless if the thing itself was of no value!
After hearing this, there was not a trace of annoyance on Xie Jingchu's face.
He closed the document in his hand.
Then he said unhurriedly, "Let's go to the prefect's mansion."
-
"Fourth Master, please wait. Prefect Lin is still busy," a maid in the prefect's mansion said as she replaced Xie Jingchu's teacup.
After the maid left, Qin Yuan couldn't help but complain, "We've already changed the tea three times! If it were in the past, it wouldn't even be the Fourth Master's turn to come and see him in person!"
"Treating people according to their status is quite normal," Xie Jingchu said as he calmly picked up the teacup.
"Why has the Fourth Master become so good - tempered?" Qin Yuan was puzzled.
After all, the "bad reputation" of the Fourth Master was well - known throughout the south of the Yangtze River.
Xie Jingchu pointed at the things on the table. "When asking someone for a favor, we have to put on a show, don't we?"
After hearing this, Qin Yuan felt even more indignant on Xie Jingchu's behalf.
When had the Fourth Master ever suffered such humiliation?
After a while, Prefect Lin walked over slowly.
There was a smile on his face as he said to Xie Jingchu, "I've been really busy with official business today. I'm sorry for neglecting you, Fourth Master."
Xie Jingchu smiled and said, "It doesn't matter."
"Indeed. After all, the Fourth Master is a man of leisure now. The thing you lack the least is time," Prefect Lin still greeted him with a smile, but his words were not pleasant.
Hearing this, a trace of coldness flashed in Xie Jingchu's eyes.
However, he quickly suppressed the emotion in his eyes.
He still smiled and said, "That's why I've come to ask the Prefect Lin for a way to make a living today."
"Oh?" Prefect Lin paused for a moment and then said, "It would be my honor to be able to help the Fourth Master."
Then, Xie Jingchu asked Qin Yuan to present the things on the table.
Prefect Lin took them and looked carefully.
He frowned and looked embarrassed. "Fourth Master, this is not easy to handle."
"Prefect Lin, although the tea mountain has been abandoned for a long time, all the land deeds and formalities are in order. Reopening the tea mountain is just a matter of your word," Xie Jingchu said.
Prefect Lin pursed his lips. "You know that the tea mountain has been abandoned for a long time. Many things are too old. I need to check carefully before I can make a decision. What if there are any mistakes in those land deeds?"
"Prefect Lin, what do you mean by that?" Qin Yuan exclaimed. "The Fourth Master wouldn't use a fake land deed to deceive you!"
Prefect Lin's eyes darkened, and he said coldly, "Everyone knows that the Fourth Master is like a stray dog now. When a person is pushed to the edge, what can't they do?"
Hearing this, Qin Yuan rolled up his sleeves and was about to rush forward to fight with Prefect Lin.
The Fourth Master could bear this, but he, Qin Yuan, couldn't!
Seeing this, Xie Jingchu quickly shouted angrily, "Qin Yuan, be so bold!"
After hearing this, although Qin Yuan was unwilling, he had to obediently return to Xie Jingchu's side.
Then, Xie Jingchu still said to Prefect Lin with a smile on his face, "Then how many days do you think it will take for you to finish the investigation, Prefect Lin?"
Seeing Xie Jingchu being so respectful, Prefect Lin felt secretly happy.
The Fourth Master of the Xie family was nothing more than this.
In front of him, even a dragon had to coil up, and a tiger had to lie down.
So, Prefect Lin said arrogantly, "It will take at least three to five days, and at most half a month."
After hearing this, Xie Jingchu was silent for a moment and then said, "Then we'll be waiting for your good news, Prefect Lin."
After saying that, he led Qin Yuan away.
"Fourth Master, why did you stop me just now? He deserves a beating. A good beating will make him behave!"
"What? Have you been living a comfortable life for too long and want to stay in prison? Your Fourth Master doesn't have the ability to get you out now," Xie Jingchu said.
After hearing this, Qin Yuan scratched his head awkwardly.
He had indeed been too reckless.
"However, Fourth Master, are we just going to swallow this humiliation?"
"Don't be impatient."
After saying that, Xie Jingchu's eyes sharpened.
After Xie Jingchu left, Lin Baor, Prefect Lin's daughter, walked out.
Although she was standing in front of Prefect Lin, her eyes were always looking in the direction where Xie Jingchu had left.
"What are you looking at? He's long gone," Prefect Lin teased.
"Oh, Father, I wasn't looking at him," Lin Baor said coquettishly.
Having her thoughts seen through by her father, Lin Baor shyly lowered her head.
Prefect Lin said helplessly, "Xie Jingchu is no longer the all - powerful Fourth Master! You'd better give up those thoughts as soon as possible!"
"Father, I just want him," Lin Baor said, pouting.
She had been in love with Xie Jingchu for so many years. How could she just give up like that?
Moreover, she liked Xie Jingchu not because of his status and position.
It was because...
"Be obedient, Father will definitely find you a better one, a thousand times better than that Xie Jingchu," Prefect Lin comforted her.
"I don't care! If you don't let me marry him, I might as well become a nun!"
Hearing this, Prefect Lin was really scared.
She was his only precious daughter.
So, Prefect Lin had to agree. "Okay, okay, my dear daughter, Father agrees."
"Now that he has lost his power, Father must help me."
"You're really giving me a headache."
In the past, he couldn't afford to offend Xie Jingchu.
But now, wasn't Xie Jingchu at his mercy?
Since Baor liked him, it wouldn't be a bad idea to let him become a son - in - law living in the Lin family.