Yu Qing listened and was quite speechless. He discovered that the world of the wealthy was not something he could empathise with. As a proper sect leader, he had been running around risking his life for a few taels of silver, yet it could not even compare to a single item in the dowry of a daughter from a wealthy family. It was far inferior.
At the same time, he envied them greatly and sighed. “Whoever marries the Third Miss will truly have no worries about food and clothing for life.”
Liu Gui: “Naturally. But it also depends on whom. If they are not a matching family, how could a poor lad possibly receive such a large dowry? The higher the other party’s status, the more the bride’s family can give. If a marriage cannot bring benefit to the family, cannot add glory and splendour to the family, and does not gain the family’s approval, I am afraid whether the Third Branch’s assets can be smoothly taken from the family would be a problem.
Cough… I have said too much. The Third Miss’s dowry naturally will not have this problem. Old Mister Yuwen is a giant in the literary world. An alliance with him brings honour to the entire Wen Clan. I have heard that many officials in court claim to be the old gentleman’s students, some even holding high positions. Not to mention others, just the Fifth Young Master serving as an official in the capital will surely benefit greatly in the future. One can imagine that when the Third Miss marries, the main branch alone will add a generous dowry that will make the Third Miss feel its weight.
Brother Niu, the Third Miss has no trusted people around her, only Song Pingping and Xiao Hong. Song Pingping is from Qinglian Mountain and will not follow her in marriage. Xiao Hong is a personal maid, and even if she accompanies her in marriage, she will be busy attending to the Third Miss. How could she attend to so many outside matters?
Once that dowry is given to the Third Miss, if she herself has no available personnel, then the family will assign people to help manage it. If she has her own people available, then there is no need for others to interfere. In any case, it cannot directly fall into the Yuwen family’s hands. The Wen family will not agree. The maiden family is not without people, and the Yuwen family are also people of standing. They would not do such a thick-skinned thing.
And Brother Niu is about to become the Third Miss’s only choice. As long as Brother Niu can gain the Third Miss’s trust, in the future there will be no one but Brother Niu to manage the Third Miss’s industries. Brother Niu, this is a lucrative position that countless people dream of. Others beg and cannot obtain it. How can you refuse?”
“Heh heh.” Yu Qing gave a dry laugh, his tone already softened. “I am afraid my abilities are limited. I am afraid I cannot do it well!”
“We who serve as subordinates do not need others to say we are good. It is enough if the Third Miss thinks you are good. Come, when you have the benefits, do not forget your brother.” Liu Gui pulled him along.
Yu Qing dry laughed, “Then let us give it a try. For things I do not understand, I ask Brother Niu to instruct me much.”
“We are like what to what? Easy to say. If anything happens, just speak up.”
The two were almost arm in arm. In the eyes of other servants, it seemed these two truly had a good relationship.
Soon, the two entered the miscellaneous affairs room.
This time, Steward Feng stood up and walked around the long desk, giving the feeling of personally greeting him, which rather flattered Yu Qing.
Seeing the appearance of the two, Steward Feng guessed something and smiled. “Liu Gui should have told you everything. I will not say much more. In short, going to serve in Jade Garden is your good fortune. The West Miscellaneous Courtyard has not treated you poorly either. In the future, when you are by the Third Miss’s side, please put in a good word for our West Miscellaneous Courtyard.”
Yu Qing nodded and bowed. “I dare not. Steward, just give any instructions.”
“Eh, in the future it will not be my place to give instructions.” Seeing the bowl in his hand, Steward Feng smiled and asked. “Have you not had breakfast yet?”
Liu Gui interjected, “He was just going to the dining hall when I pulled him over.”
Steward Feng: “Then go fill your stomach first. This is your last meal in the West Miscellaneous Courtyard. Liu Gui, go and give a greeting, open a small kitchen. Also, boil some extra eggs. Later let Niu Youqing take them away to eat slowly.”
“Alright.” Liu Gui agreed.
Steward Feng: “After eating, go back and pack. When you are done packing, come find me. I will personally send you to Jade Garden to hand over duties. I will give you one morning to pack. Is that enough?”
“Enough, enough.” What else could Yu Qing do but thank him repeatedly and again?
He followed Liu Gui straight to the dining hall. Liu Gui went into the kitchen to greet people, while Yu Qing took the chance to signal Mu Aotie and Nan Zhu inside the dining hall.
When the small kitchen food was ready, Yu Qing carried a stack of food boxes back.
Pushing open the door of the West Miscellaneous Courtyard, he found Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie already there.
“Have you taken on another duty delivering meals to someone?” Nan Zhu looked at the food boxes curiously.
Yu Qing, having closed the door, placed the food boxes on the ground. “Seeing that you two have not had a good meal in a long time, I just got these from the dining hall’s small kitchen. Eat quickly if you want.”
The two senior brothers had indeed been fasting for a long time. Hearing this, they hurriedly went to open them. What met their eyes was a large bowl. Lifting the lid, a fragrant aroma assailed their nostrils. It was a large bowl of sliced meat soup sprinkled with green scallions.
They hurriedly opened the second layer. Good heavens, all boiled eggs.
Opening the third and fourth layers, still eggs.
Actually, the total was exactly one hundred.
“Can we eat?” Mu Aotie asked.
Yu Qing: “They are brought specifically for you to eat.”
Mu Aotie immediately lifted the soup bowl and gulped several mouthfuls of sliced meat soup. Delicious. After handing it to Nan Zhu, he immediately picked up an egg. Rubbing it between his palms, breaking the shell and peeling it clean, the white egg meat went down in two bites.
“Recently, my mouth has truly become bland enough to grow birds. Finally I can change the flavour. No matter how one cultivates, a person is still a vulgar person. The desire for food and taste probably cannot be severed in this lifetime.” Nan Zhu mumbled with his mouth full.
The two squatted on the ground, taking turns, you a mouthful of soup, me a mouthful of soup. They were too lazy to ask where it came from. Eat first, then talk. They believed Old Fifteen would not poison them.
Yu Qing also squatted nearby slowly peeling eggs to eat, occasionally accepting the soup they passed to him for a sip. This sliced meat soup was truly delicious. It did not require any culinary skill.
Soon, the large bowl of soup was gone, and sixty or seventy eggs were devoured.
Only then did Nan Zhu suck his teeth and lift his chin. “Such a feast, where did you get it?”
Yu Qing was silent for a moment, then said, “Given by the West Miscellaneous Courtyard. Steward Feng instructed the kitchen to prepare it, as a farewell for me.”
“Farewell?” The two senior brothers spoke in unison, both surprised.
Yu Qing: “Yes, I am leaving here. I just received word that Wen Xin selected me to serve in her Jade Garden. Probably that dog is not suitable to be raised here, and she wants me to go to Jade Garden to help raise spirit pets.”
Nan Zhu tutted, saying to Mu Aotie, “That Third Miss is in danger. She was already being eyed by a thief, and now she has pulled the thief right beside her. I am afraid her innocence will be hard to preserve!”
Yu Qing: “Hey, hey, hey. Full and bored, talking nonsense?”
Nan Zhu chuckled, “Giving you face, letting you pretend. You really think we are blind? We have seen big from small kids. You really think we cannot see your feelings for that Third Miss?”
Mu Aotie directly punctured it, “You like her.”
Yu Qing: “Stop talking nonsense. Do not measure a gentleman’s heart with a petty person’s mind.”
Nan Zhu raised his hand, “Alright, your mouth is stubbornly dead, relying on youth to act shamelessly. We will not argue with you.
Old Fifteen, whether you like her or not, we do not care. But there is one thing I must remind you. After going to her side, you must absolutely control yourself. You and she are from two different worlds, completely not on the same level. A mismatch of social status will have no good outcome.
The key point is the gap is too vast. She is also already betrothed. The Wen family has ten thousand reasons why they would never let this daughter be with you. You also do not have the strength to take her from the Wen family’s hands. So absolutely do not act on emotion and mess things up. This thing, the deeper you sink in, the harder it is to end well.
Your brother here has suffered this loss. I nearly lost my life. Do not follow in my footsteps. It will hurt very, very much. We should still earn money and raise our cultivation level. That is the most practical thing. With strength, whatever you do will have backbone, and you will not lack beautiful women. Is that not so?”
Mu Aotie nodded, “Old Seventh is right.”
Yu Qing sighed, “What are you thinking? I wanted to talk to you about money. As far as I know, this Wen Xin will have a large dowry after marriage…” He relayed what Liu Gui had told him to his two senior brothers.
“Whoa, so much dowry?” Nan Zhu was quite shocked.
Mu Aotie pondered silently, his gaze slowly flickering.
Yu Qing: “It should not be false. Very likely it is true.”
Nan Zhu asked suspiciously, “That is to say, you have a chance to take charge of this enormous industry?”
“Otherwise what.” Yu Qing spread his hands.
Nan Zhu: “Damn it, just passing it through your hands every year, even without embezzlement, you would still be covered in fat! Such a large industry gathered in your hands is wealth and power!”
Yu Qing beckoned with his hand. When the two leaned their heads in close, he said in a low voice, “What I want to say is, if I can truly take charge of this, do we still need to find that Little Cloud Room?”
Nan Zhu hesitated, “The problem is, you cannot guarantee this industry will ultimately be managed by you. There are too many variables.”
Yu Qing: “So we must strive for it. Actually we all know that Yun Xi’s words are simply unreliable. Our going to Little Cloud Room is purely a helpless act under the inability to find a source of wealth. We just want to try our luck. Now this opportunity has come. It is solidly placed right before our eyes. It truly is not good to miss. If we really give up and leave, in case Little Cloud Room is just Yun Xi talking nonsense, if we want to turn back and scheme for this good fortune from the Wen Clan, there will be no opportunity.”
Mu Aotie: “When the three months are up, both of us must leave.”
Nan Zhu: “Yes, if you stay, the two of us will most likely be driven away.”
Yu Qing: “Am I not still here? If I stay, firstly I can strive for the chance to take charge of that industry. Secondly, without the three-month limit, I can unhurriedly slowly inquire about Stone Ji Bay’s matters. In any case, you two just need to cooperate with my actions from outside. At that time, if you are willing to find Little Cloud Room, you can continue searching.”
Nan Zhu chuckled, “In case Yun Xi is really talking nonsense, you are the one who does not lose out. We still have to do shady things for you behind the scenes.”
Yu Qing: “Seventh Senior Brother, are you foolish? As long as that industry is under my management, who to use is not up to me? Allocating an industry worth tens of millions of taels for you to manage, what is wrong with that? By then none of us will lack cultivation resources.”
The two senior brothers’ eyes lit up. Nan Zhu: “I think it is feasible.”
Mu Aotie hesitated slightly, “What about Linglong Temple in the mountains?”
Yu Qing: “Let Little Uncle Master guard it there. These years, he has been enjoying himself… toiling outside. Now it is time for us to share the burden.”
Nan Zhu: “Exactly, exactly. As long as the heart is there, what difference does it make where one cultivates? Just treat this time as an extended period of external experience.”