Chapter 34: Too High to Reach
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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Lin Xiu felt he had the potential to be an animal trainer. Why hadn’t he suggested this career path to Haitang? She seemed to be planning on selling tofu later…
In this world, many influential and wealthy families kept spirit pets. Those people didn’t care about money, making this a highly profitable business, even more so than ice-making.
However, before he could understand animal speech, being an animal trainer didn’t seem appealing.
But seeing the depressed state of the Noble Consort’s spirit pet, Lin Xiu’s thoughts wavered. Being an animal trainer was不如 being a veterinarian.
As far as Lin Xiu knew, the profession of veterinarian didn’t seem to exist in this world.
Throughout history, there were only doctors who specialized in treating humans, not animals. Although a small number of people, like Haitang, could understand animal language, understanding them didn’t equate to being able to treat their illnesses.
If the Noble Consort’s spirit pet hadn’t happened to be suffering from depression, Lin Xiu would have been helpless. But as soon as he acquired Shuangshuang’s ability, he could immediately start practicing.
Lin Xiu had already decided that if his family ran out of money in the future, he would open a clinic in the capital, specializing only in treating animals, not humans. Wouldn’t that be like printing money?
Right, he could recruit Haitang then, which would also prevent anyone from suspecting him.
The next day, Lin Xiu went to the palace again to make ice. When he arrived at Changchun Palace, he saw that the Noble Consort’s spirit pet was much more energetic than yesterday. The Noble Consort was clearly in a good mood, a smile constantly gracing her face.
With the master happy, the servants naturally didn’t have to walk on eggshells. The entire atmosphere of Changchun Palace was much brighter.
The Noble Consort held her spirit pet and looked at Lin Xiu with an appraising gaze, asking again, “Are you really not considering entering the palace?”
Lin Xiu quickly replied, “Thank you for your kindness, Your Ladyship, but I am the only son in my family, and they rely on me to carry on the family line. Please forgive me for being unable to comply…”
The Noble Consort sighed regretfully but didn’t press the matter. “Since you’re unwilling, I’ll just have to reward you with something else…”
Leaving the palace, Lin Xiu held another brocade box in his hands.
Zhao Lingyin leaned against the carriage and asked, “What is it?”
Lin Xiu casually handed her the brocade box. “A reward from the Noble Consort. I have no use for it, so I’m giving it to you.”
The Noble Consort was truly generous. Both times she had rewarded him with valuable items. This wasn’t surprising, though. After all, nothing that came from the palace was ordinary. The monthly allowance the concubines received from the Department of Internal Affairs was limited, so she couldn’t reward him with hundreds or thousands of taels of silver. However, she had plenty of precious jewelry and wouldn’t hesitate to bestow them.
Zhao Lingyin opened the brocade box, and the next moment, she felt her eyes dazzled.
Inside was an emerald green jade bracelet. The translucent jade was delicate, evenly colored, and free of any impurities or cracks, clearly a top-grade jade, even more precious than the gold hairpin from last time.
Zhao Lingyin instinctively wanted to refuse, but she worried that if she did, Lin Xiu would turn around and give it to another woman. So, she accepted the brocade box and explained, “I’ll keep this for Elder Sister.”
Lin Xiu shrugged. “As you wish.”
He simply didn’t like owing favors. Lingyin’s kindness to him was second only to that of Lord Pingan and his wife. A single gold hairpin couldn’t repay her kindness, so whenever he had something good, he always thought of giving it to her first.
As for what she did with it, that wasn’t his concern.
He didn’t have to go to the palace the next day. After lunch, Lin Xiu strolled out with Sun Dali.
Pear Blossom Garden.
Inside a private room on the second floor, Lin Xiu looked at Caiyi and asked, “Caiyi, are you feeling better?”
Caiyi said gratefully, “Thank you, Young Master. I’ve fully recovered.”
Lin Xiu thought for a moment and said, “If you really want to thank me, then don’t let the manager charge me so much silver. If I have to spend several taels every time I come to listen to music, I really won’t be able to afford it.”
Caiyi covered her mouth and chuckled. “The silver from last time is enough for you to come every day this month, Young Master. Next time you want to listen to music, just come find me at the theatre. I won’t charge you.”
Lin Xiu mused that first, the brothel women didn’t charge him, and now the theatre performers didn’t either. Had he somehow awakened the ability to freeload?
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After a moment, Caiyi looked at Lin Xiu and asked, “Young Master, will you be listening to ‘Chi Ling‘ today?”
Lin Xiu shook his head. “No, today I’ll teach you a new song called ‘Peeping Through the Window.'”
…
After about half an hour, when Caiyi finished singing the last line, Lin Xiu slowly opened his eyes.
Caiyi’s voice was beautiful and soulful. Listening to her sing was an exquisite pleasure, even addictive.
Caiyi didn’t know what Lin Xiu was thinking while listening to the music. When she sang this song for her fellow performers, they didn’t find it particularly remarkable. Only this young master seemed captivated by it.
Downstairs at that moment…
Several young men strode into the Pear Blossom Garden. One of them said, “Where’s Caiyi? Get her out here! It’s been a long time since we’ve heard her sing…”
The Pear Blossom Garden manager hurried over, apologizing profusely. “Please wait a moment, young masters. A gentleman has just requested Caiyi. As soon as she’s finished, I’ll have her sing for you…”
“Hey, Brother Wu, she’s making us wait.”
“I wonder which family’s young master is so important that he can make so many of us wait for him alone.”
“It seems he doesn’t hold Brother Wu in high regard…”
…
Hearing their words, Wu Qing frowned. He wasn’t angry at the theatre manager, but at his drinking buddies.
He wasn’t some super rich second-generation heir. He just had a father who worked in the government office. In this capital, there were thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people who didn’t need to hold him in high regard.
In a place like this, those who dared to throw their weight around without considering the consequences would have died countless times over.
However, this wasn’t a prosperous area of the capital. The people living nearby were either commoners or merchants with a little money. Generally, influential and wealthy individuals wouldn’t come to such a shabby little theatre, so he didn’t need to be overly cautious.
Moreover, he had checked, and there were no guards at the theatre entrance or inside, further indicating that there were no important people present.
In that case, he had nothing to worry about.
He had been recuperating at home for more than half a month and had been bottling up his anger. He wanted to find a place to vent. If anyone got caught in the crossfire, they could only blame their own bad luck.
He snorted coldly at the manager. “I’d like to see who’s so important…”
In the private room on the second floor, Lin Xiu was about to teach Caiyi another song when the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
The doors here had no locks, a measure to prevent unruly guests from misbehaving with the theatre’s performers. Under normal circumstances, no one would barge in.
This time, there were clearly unusual circumstances.
Several young men stood at the door, looking menacing. The one at the front happened to be someone Lin Xiu recognized.
When Wu Qing saw Lin Xiu in the room, his face turned white.
Because of this person, he had been severely beaten by his father and had been recuperating at home for half a month. He had only just recovered enough to go out today.
He had also learned later that this person worked in the imperial palace. That day, the palace’s chief eunuch had gone to the East City government office, and his father had nearly lost his official post.
For the sake of currying favor with a first-rank marquis, he had almost offended the current Emperor. After learning the truth, Wu Qing even felt that his father’s beating had been too light.
This guy was truly insidious!
Knowing full well that the Emperor would summon him to the palace soon, he had deliberately allowed himself to be caught by the East City government office, making it impossible for the palace eunuch to find him. If that matter had escalated, it was uncertain whether he would have kept his head.
Just thinking about it made his legs weak.
From then on, Wu Qing’s heart was filled with wariness towards Lin Xiu.
If he provoked him again, he might be killed at any moment.
Seeing the East City Captain’s son standing at the doorway, frozen in place, Lin Xiu stood up and asked, “Are you here to arrest me and take me to the government office again?”
Wu Qing immediately bowed. “I’m sorry, I went to the wrong room…”
With that, he turned and left without looking back.
Taking three steps at a time, he quickly descended the stairs and ran as fast as he could, ignoring the throbbing pain in his buttocks from his recent injury whenever he moved too much…
Those who had come with him didn’t know what had happened, but without their leader, they quickly scattered like birds and beasts.
Lin Xiu looked at the manager who had come upstairs and asked in confusion, “What happened?”
The manager cautiously walked in and tentatively asked Lin Xiu, “May I ask, Young Master, which influential family in the capital are you from?”
Lin Xiu waved his hand. “Just a nobody, not worth mentioning.”
The manager said nervously, “You jest, you jest…”
How could a nobody know an imperial physician? How could a nobody make the East City Captain’s son flee in terror with a single glance? But since Lin Xiu wouldn’t say, she didn’t dare to ask further.
Lin Xiu knew the manager didn’t believe him, but he was telling the truth.
In a place like the capital, there was no shortage of influential figures. Fallen nobles, those whose names no one had ever heard of, weren’t they nobodies? He had merely used the imperial palace’s banner to intimidate once.
His mood spoiled, Lin Xiu lost interest in listening to music. After bidding farewell to Caiyi, he left the theatre.
In the private room on the second floor, the manager looked at Caiyi and said, “Girl, this young master is clearly not an ordinary person. You must seize this opportunity. I can see he’s different from those frivolous young masters. This might be your chance to become a phoenix…”
Caiyi simply smiled faintly and said, “I don’t have that kind of luck.”
The manager shook her head. “You have to make your own luck. Back in my day… ah, forget it, best not to talk about the past…”
Caiyi shook her head. “Manager, please don’t speak nonsense. The young master truly has no such intentions.”
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For performers like them, the best outcome was to be taken in by a wealthy family as a concubine, securing a place for themselves in the latter half of their lives.
This young master was handsome, upright, considerate, and caring. Having such a person as a support would naturally be wonderful, even as a servant or concubine, she would be willing. Unfortunately, she could see that he had no such intentions towards her and had never made any inappropriate advances.
Today’s incident further demonstrated his noble status, one she dared not aspire to.
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