Chapter 15: A Business Opportunity
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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Baron Ping’an’s residence.
Lin Xiu brought the stray dog home, and after a thorough scrubbing by the servants, the unpleasant smell was gone.
He crouched down, patted its head, and declared, “From now on, your name is Da Huang.”
The dog seemed intelligent. It circled Lin Xiu a few times, then went outside and lay down by the wall, its eyes scanning passersby, more vigilant than Sun Dali.
Although the poison was purged from Sun Dali’s system, he still needed a few days to recover. As a precaution, Lin Xiu stayed home.
This was the capital. While some might want him dead, few were as brazen as the assassin who dared infiltrate a noble’s residence.
Staying home was safe, but it created an awkward situation for Lin Xiu.
Spending all day at home meant more time with Baron Ping’an and his wife. While they were kind, Lin Xiu knew their affection was meant for the other Lin Xiu, creating an uncomfortable dissonance.
At dinner, Baron Ping’an’s wife kept piling food into his bowl, her gaze full of love. While he felt warmth, he also felt conflicted.
Unable to bear her enthusiasm, he excused himself, claiming he was full, and quickly retreated to his room after a single bowl of rice.
Later that night, hunger woke him. Cultivating mystical arts consumed a lot of energy, doubling his appetite. Before the Zi hour, he was starving. He was about to check the kitchen when someone knocked.
Opening the door, he saw his mother standing there. “What is it, mother? It’s late.”
She said, “I noticed you didn’t eat much tonight. I came to check if you were hungry. I can make you some noodles.”
“No, I’m not hun…”
*Growl…*
His stomach betrayed him.
His mother smiled. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
She returned with a bowl of plain noodles in clear broth, garnished with a few vegetables and two poached eggs.
It was a simple dish, but Lin Xiu savored every bite, finishing the broth and licking the bowl clean.
He had tasted all kinds of delicacies, but this simple bowl of noodles was the most delicious thing he’d ever eaten.
He’d had a nanny cook for him as a child. Later, it was mostly instant noodles, takeout, or fancy restaurants with girls. In both his lives, this was the first time he’d eaten a meal cooked by his mother.
He put down his chopsticks. “Thank you.”
His mother stroked his hair. “Silly child, no need to thank me. Tell me if you want anything else, and I’ll make it for you.”
The love in her eyes was something he had craved but never received in his previous life. Lin Xiu paused, then nodded, whispering, “I know… mother.”
With a full stomach, in the quiet of the night, lying in bed, Lin Xiu felt, for the first time, that fate had been kind to him.
Perhaps being hit by a meteorite wasn’t punishment for his messy love life, but a reward for his good deeds.
He slept soundly that night, the best sleep he’d had in a long time.
The next morning, after washing up, Lin Xiu went to the front courtyard and saw the household staff lined up, his parents standing at the front. He approached them. “Father, Mother, what’s going on?”
Zhou Jun, his mother, turned to him. “Your father and I discussed it last night. Our funds are dwindling. We can’t afford to keep so many people. It’s best to let them seek other employment, so they don’t waste their time here.”
Supporting a household of over ten people was expensive.
A Third Rank Baron’s salary wasn’t much. It had barely sustained them before. The Imperial Physician’s visit had depleted their savings. Keeping the servants was now a strain.
Zhou Jun addressed the staff. “The Lin family is not what it once was. Staying here won’t benefit you. Today, I’ll return your contracts and give you each ten taels for travel expenses. Those who wish to leave are free to do so.”
The servants were purchased property, belonging to the Lin family. Baron Ping’an and his wife could have sold them, but instead, they granted them freedom and travel money, a rare act of kindness among the nobility.
But kindness wasn’t practicality. The Lin family’s decline was irreversible. Staying wouldn’t benefit their futures. It was better to leave and find better opportunities.
Several maids and servants took their contracts and money, knelt, kowtowed to Baron Ping’an and his wife, and returned to their rooms to pack.
Four figures remained.
Zhou Jun looked at a middle-aged woman. The woman smiled. “Madam, I’ve been cooking for the Lin family my whole life. I have no other skills. If you don’t mind my cooking, please let me stay…”
Beside her, a stooped old man spoke. “I don’t have many years left. I only ask that, for old times’ sake, you provide me with a coffin when I die. That would be enough.”
Sun Dali’s answer was simple: “I’m not leaving.”
Finally, a young woman, her expression resolute, said, “I will serve Madam for the rest of my life.”
Of the Lin family’s servants, four remained: Old Huang, the gatekeeper; Sun Dali, the guard; Wang Shen, the cook; and A Yue, Zhou Jun’s personal maid.
The departure of the others made the declining Lin residence feel even emptier, a poignant reminder of their fallen status.
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Lin Xiu and Sun Dali walked down the street, lost in thought.
It was ironic. In his previous life, he’d had nothing but money. In this life, he had everything but money.
He had loving parents, a caring sister-in-law, a loyal guard who would risk his life for him, and most importantly, he had a home, and even a dog…
What more could he ask for?
His desires had always been simple.
In this wondrous world, even without any special abilities, he didn’t want to go back.
From now on, he was truly the son of Baron Ping’an, a clerk in the Ministry of Records of the Great Xia Dynasty, Lin Xiu.
He cherished this life and would do everything to protect his newfound family. With the Lin family’s situation worsening, he needed to do something to change their circumstances.
Sun Dali followed behind him. Lin Xiu looked back. “You haven’t fully recovered. Go back and rest. I’ll be back soon.”
Sun Dali shook his head vehemently. “I’ll stay with you, Young Master. I’m more at ease that way.”
He did want to rest, but the weather was scorching. He couldn’t stand staying home. It was cooler beside his Young Master.
Lin Xiu had been cooped up for days. He wanted some fresh air. But after a short walk, he decided to return.
The heat was oppressive. Even though he was a walking air conditioner, he still felt uncomfortable. Lying at home with chilled watermelon was much more appealing than walking under the blazing sun.
He wasn’t the only one who felt this way.
There weren’t many pedestrians on the streets. Most avoided the direct sunlight, sticking to the shade along the buildings, complaining as they walked.
“This damned weather! It’s so hot! My clothes are soaked!”
“I can’t stand it. I’m going to Pin Fang Pavilion. I heard it’s cool there.”
“Don’t bother. I just came from there. They’ve run out of ice. It’s like a steamer in there, unbearable…”
This summer was exceptionally hot. If even Lin Xiu felt it, ordinary people suffered even more. Everyone in the capital, from nobles to commoners, was struggling in the heat.
Lin Xiu looked up at the blinding sun, and a thought struck him.
He could use his ability to make money!
With the persistent heatwave, ice was in high demand. Merchants, nobles, even royalty couldn’t buy it, unless they had his ability.
While his current power was less than Lingyin’s, making ice directly was difficult, but simply freezing water was much easier. The two weren’t comparable in difficulty.
And apart from Lingyin, he was the only one in the capital who could do it.
This was a golden opportunity! A true business opportunity!
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