Hu Youli’s eyes followed the movement of his hand.
On the unfolded paper, three striking large characters were prominently displayed: Three Rooms Residence.
The signature was A Shiheng, with a date of some year and month.
This was naturally Yu Qing’s own handwriting. In fact, he was very resistant to using the name “A Shiheng” to write such things again, but compelled by the situation, he could only make do and cope.
As for the content of the inscription, it was indeed simple. The key was that he did not know what to write. It was similar to when Little Fresh Tower asked him for an inscription. He also kept it simple and made do, casually writing “The World is Good.” He had not expected that the world would appreciate it with such good taste.
Now it was also making do. He was at a loss for words, and the content was somewhat plain. He simply wrote that there were three rooms here.
Hu Youli instantly seemed petrified. She stared intently and carefully. As she looked, she seemed to become somewhat excited. Her hands cupped her own face again, and her two fox ears swayed left and right. She was so excited that her cheeks burned.
She had seen A Shiheng’s authentic work at “Langhuan Residence.” She had carefully studied it countless times. Once she saw the spirit and charm within the characters, she was immediately captivated. After coming back to her senses from that feeling, she was instantly excited beyond measure.
That feeling could not be wrong. She had already determined it was an authentic work.
Because of this, she somewhat asked Nan Zhu in disbelief, “Is this really being given to me?”
Nan Zhu put on a haughty expression. “Do I look like someone who does not keep his word? Take it!” He waved his hand and tossed it to her.
Hu Youli immediately received it with both hands as if she had obtained a priceless treasure. Her heart was excited, her hands trembled, and her entire body shook uncontrollably.
Because she paid attention to this, she understood the rarity of this item. One could say she understood it better than Yu Qing and his three fellow disciples. She had never dreamed that one day she would possess an authentic ink treasure of the world’s number one talent. When they promised it earlier, she had only held expectations.
What could be more beautiful than a dream becoming reality?
The key point was the content of the characters. “Three Rooms Residence” did it not refer to her sky loft dwelling? This was equivalent to an ink treasure specifically designated for her.
The more she looked at it, the more she liked it, and the more excited she became.
“Three rooms… Three Rooms Residence. Sister, I can write too. I will write it for you.”
Xiao Hei, who had read the characters on the treasure, saw that Hu Youli liked it very much and expressed his willingness to help.
Hu Youli laughed with a puff. She rubbed his head with one hand, then looked at the three fellow disciples again. She suddenly felt she had no way to thank them. Words of gratitude truly could not come out. She felt that whatever she said to express thanks would be too light. At the same time, she regarded the three with higher esteem and felt much more goodwill. These people really did know that Tanhualang.
She hesitated to speak for quite a while, before finally asking, “What would you like to eat? I will go make it for you.”
She had wanted to say they should go out to find a place to eat, but considering the prices, she decided to do it herself.
Xiao Hei immediately shouted loudly, “Eat meat pies.”
Nan Zhu gave him a white-eyed look. He found this little fellow truly unpromising. All he knew was eating those two meat pies. Was he not tired of them? Of course, he could not make excessive demands either. He knew this woman did not earn money easily. He immediately spread his hands and said, “Do as you see fit.”
“Yes, I will go buy groceries.”
Hu Youli put away the calligraphy, turned around, and quickly went downstairs, hiding back in her own room.
Xiao Hei ran down and found her room door closed. He immediately pounded on the door and shouted continuously.
Little did he know that Hu Youli was afraid of precisely him. She first hid the ink treasure properly, then opened the door to see him.
Xiao Hei pestered her to go buy groceries together. Just as Hu Youli was getting a headache, a cold and heavy reprimanding voice came from upstairs, “Xiao Hei, practice your calligraphy.”
Xiao Hei was immediately speechless. However, he silently cursed toward the air upstairs. He also brandished the stick in his hand, abstractly beating someone in the air.
But in the end, he still honestly went to practice calligraphy at the table nearby. There was no other way. Although that person would not beat him, he would tell his father. That person was accurate in this regard every time he told. His father would definitely beat him.
Hu Youli smiled. Before leaving, she rubbed his head, “Practice your calligraphy properly. When I come back, I will make meat pies for you to eat.”
Xiao Hei nodded forcefully and clenched his fist in response.
Afterwards, Hu Youli busied herself until late evening. Only then did she prepare a table of fragrant and delicious delicacies within this small sky loft. It truly had both mountain delicacies and sea treasures, as well as fruits and vegetables.
The several guests seated could not help but exchange glances when they saw this array of delicacies. They naturally knew how exaggerated the prices in Haishi were.
Yu Qing asked, “This table must have cost quite a bit of money, right?”
Xiao Hei, who had crowded to the table, said nothing. He first stood on tiptoe, tore off a chicken leg, and gnawed wildly, chewing with fragrant oil filling his mouth.
Hu Youli shook her head, not mentioning money. She proactively poured wine for everyone, inviting them to drink.
In fact, it had indeed cost her quite a lot of silver. It was a full thirty thousand taels, and that was only the cost of ingredients. She had to work hard for several months to save that amount. This was the old capital she had dug out from her own saved cultivation resource money.
This was not over yet. After pouring wine for everyone, she took out another thirty thousand taels of silver notes and placed them before Yu Qing. “The rent, deposit, and some money for food and expenses, including the money for printing the missing person notice last time, are all refunded. Please check if the amount is correct.”
The three fellow disciples understood. She was fulfilling her promise. No matter how long they stayed, it would be free.
Yu Qing was silent for a moment. He picked up the silver notes and stuffed them back into her hands. “Forget it. What is past is past. Let us start from today.”
Hu Youli shook her head repeatedly and declined, pushing them back. “No, no, no. The cost of you sending letters back and forth to obtain that piece of calligraphy is more than this amount.”
To her, the value of that piece of calligraphy far exceeded this sum of money. Even if measured in monetary terms, it could be sold for a large sum. She had truly made a huge profit.
Nan Zhu, Mu Aotie, and Xiao Hei watched the two pushing the silver notes back and forth as they ate.
Nan and Mu looked at Yu Qing with even stranger expressions. With Old Fifteen’s dead stingy temperament, something seemed off no matter how they looked at it. Do not tell them he was treating this fox spirit as a disaster victim and giving relief. She was definitely richer than them.
Later, it was truly difficult to decline such warm hospitality. Added to that, thinking that he would probably have to stay in Haishi for a long time and was indeed short of money, Yu Qing reluctantly accepted the money.
After Hu Youli also sat down and started eating, Nan Zhu pulled out a cleanly sucked bone from his mouth and asked, “Youli, do you like that A Shiheng so much?”
Hu Youli tilted her head and smiled, “There are many people who like him.”
This was equivalent to openly admitting it.
Nan Zhu said, “You are different from others. We mentioned your situation to him in our letter. Otherwise, he would not have written the inscription ‘Three Rooms Residence’ for you, right? He knows about you. Moreover, he is still unmarried. Shall I matchmake for you? Of course, I must first ask you. If there is a chance, would you be willing to be his woman?”
Hu Youli blushed from his teasing. However, she shook her head and touched her fluffy pointed ears. “I am a half-demon who cannot even transform into human form properly. Tanhualang did not even take a fancy to the Earth Mother’s direct disciple. How could he take a fancy to me? Stop joking with me.”
Nan Zhu chuckled, “You can consider being something else first. Look, you like literature and ink. He happens to lack someone to add fragrance by his red sleeve. If you are willing to be his maid, I can recommend you.”
“Really?” Hu Youli’s eyes instantly lit up. Being able to watch the world’s number one talent write and paint by his side, she truly could not imagine it.
“Ugh…” Nan Zhu let out a muffled groan from the pain. He had been kicked by Yu Qing under the table.
The kick made quite a noise. Everyone looked at Yu Qing, who had an expressionless face.
Nan Zhu immediately changed his tune. He pointed his chopsticks at Yu Qing. “My recommendation would not have much effect. He is more familiar with A Shiheng and has a brotherly friendship. That piece of calligraphy of yours was also obtained because he spoke up. As long as he agrees and is willing to open his mouth, A Shiheng would definitely be willing to accept you as a maid. You just need to win him over.”
Hu Youli’s eyes looking at Yu Qing instantly revealed full expectation. She tentatively asked, “Really?”
Yu Qing said, “The dead fatty is a chatterbox and always has a foul mouth. Do not listen to his nonsense. A Shiheng will not engage in that red-sleeve-adding-fragrance business, and I cannot open my mouth to ask either.”
Hu Youli let out another somewhat disappointed “Oh.” However, her gaze drifted toward Yu Qing from time to time, seemingly half-believing and half-doubting Yu Qing’s words. This was mainly caused by Nan Zhu’s mischievous grin toward Yu Qing.
Yu Qing suddenly added another sentence, “Youli, do not publicize that piece of calligraphy for now. Wait until after we leave. We do not wish to invite trouble.”
Hu Youli nodded and giggled, “Rest assured. I would not dare to publicize it casually. Once people know I have Tanhualang’s ink treasure in my hands, and that it was an inscription for my house, not only would I be unable to keep this ink treasure, but I am afraid whether this house would ultimately belong to me would become a problem.”
Hearing him speak like this, Yu Qing was somewhat relieved and continued eating.
After coming to Haishi, the three fellow disciples had indeed not eaten anything good in order to save money. The appetites of cultivation practitioners would also become restless after being suppressed for too long.
Halfway through, someone from the neighbourhood downstairs called for Hu Youli. She immediately went down.
While she was away, Nan Zhu leaned close to Yu Qing’s ear and whispered in a low voice, “The interest for Blue Sea Shipping next year, and the expenses on Ye Diandian’s side, where will we get that twenty million from? Money is not that easy to earn. There will not be a second Golden Ruins for us to pick up money. Do not look at this small house. In Haishi it can be sold for a large sum of money. It is enough for that expense. We just happen to have met someone willing to listen to you. Think clearly.”
Mu Aotie, who was nearby, suddenly blurted out, “A disciple of our sect, even if starving to death, cannot eat soft rice.”
Yu Qing said to Nan Zhu, “Do not force me to clean house.”
Nan Zhu sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and muttered in his mouth, “Think about what to do about that money.” After speaking, he continued eating his own food.
Before long, Hu Youli returned. Nan Zhu asked, “What was it?”
Hu Youli said, “Paying for water.”
Haishi was a place built upon large areas of rock. There were no lakes, no wells, in short no fresh water. Daily water had to be purchased, and it was not cheap. This trade was monopolized by Thousand Streams Mountain.
There were also some fuels for grilling and cooking. The same applied to them.
Of course, Thousand Streams Mountain did not force everyone to buy. Everyone could also purchase from the outside world. The problem was that the cost was enormous. It could not possibly be cheaper than produce from the nearby mainland. And the nearby mainland was under the complete control of Thousand Streams Mountain.
Just as she finished speaking, Xiao Hei, who had pulled out a bone from his mouth, suddenly shouted, “Sister, they want to sell your house to exchange for money.”
Hu Youli was stunned and looked at the three of them.
The three fellow disciples who were eating seemed petrified. They all maintained their eating motions. Afterwards, they all slowly looked at that traitor Xiao Hei. Only then did the three realize a problem. This boy might not be reliable. They would have to be careful speaking in front of him in the future.
The key point was that being suddenly sold out like this was somewhat awkward.
“Yes.” Mu Aotie suddenly spoke up and pointed at Nan Zhu. “He said to sell.”
Yu Qing also said to Hu Youli, “Indeed. If you do not believe it, you can ask Xiao Hei whether it was this dead fatty who said it. Ask Xiao Hei whether the two of us were trying to stop it.”