booktalesy Chapter 46 Redemption of Life, The Small Courtyard
Chapter 46 Redemption of Life, The Small Courtyard
Chen Ye knew neither how to raise horses nor how to ride them, so upon returning to the capital, he temporarily entrusted the horse given to him by the Cui family to Su Guang for care and use, and returned to Guihua Lane alone.
He closed the door, sat on the edge of the bed, closed his eyes and went through the whole process in his mind. After confirming that he hadn't missed anything, he let out a long sigh.
Although it's unclear what the Cui family's next move will be, everything that needs to be done has already been done.
All that's left is to take it one step at a time.
Chen Ye put aside all his thoughts and went to sleep.
He barely slept for two days and two nights because of this.
After another struggle, if he hadn't been reborn several times and hadn't been full of energy, he probably wouldn't have been able to hold on.
Now that everything has settled down, Chen Ye decided to stop thinking about anything and get a good night's sleep.
I would never do something like sleeping only two hours a day and still having to keep exercising.
Chen Ye slept very soundly that night.
When he woke up, it was already completely dark.
He opened the window; the alley was pitch black, and he could only hear the night watchman banging his clapper and passing by with his lantern.
It was already past midnight.
Chen Ye lit an oil lamp.
A tiny ray of light, about the size of a soybean, leaped up, pushing the darkness far away and revealing a circle of light that was neither too big nor too small.
Using the dim light, Chen Ye took out the valuables he had divided up during the day from under the bed.
A pearl, entirely milky white and the size of a thumb, landed in the palm of the hand.
Su Guang and the others called it a hidden gem of the East China Sea.
One is worth six taels.
This item is not easy to sell.
Fortunately, the pawn system is not picky; as long as it belongs to him, he can redeem his lifespan.
These hard-to-sell jewels can be cleaned up by the system, killing two birds with one stone.
With a thought, a familiar interface appeared before Chen Ye's eyes.
[Remaining redeemable lifespan: 146 days]
With a thought, Chen Ye noticed that the jewelry he had selected had vanished into thin air, turning into a faint golden wisp of light that disappeared into the panel.
The numbers on the panel started to jump.
Current remaining lifespan: 595 days.
[Pawnable lifespan: 594 days]
[Cumulative redemptions: 548 days]
[Remaining redeemable lifespan: 0 days]
Looking at the number after "Remaining Redeemable Lifespan" which had turned to zero, Chen Ye couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
It felt like a long-wrinkled bed had finally been completely smoothed out, which was very satisfying.
Now that his lifespan issue has been temporarily resolved, he can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
All that's missing now is a higher-quality cultivation technique.
The Cui family, being a high-ranking family of the second rank, possessed a vast collection of books.
There must be the martial arts techniques he needs inside.
……
The Cui family.
Near the northwest corner, there is a charming little courtyard.
The courtyard is planted with daylilies and Chinese toon trees, along with osmanthus, angelica, and orchids, creating a scene of "Chinese toon and daylilies flourishing together, orchids and osmanthus blooming in unison".
Goji berries and chrysanthemums were planted in the corner, and a Chinese privet tree was planted next to it.
Looking around, one sees a vibrant and thriving scene.
Cui Xijun had just finished dealing with the Liu family's affairs and returned from outside. Before she could even sit down, the courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside.
"Third Sister!"
At the door, a young man, barely out of his teens, ran in quickly and threw himself into Cui Xijun's arms.
The young master wore a red headband, a purple-red robe, and a jade pendant at his waist, exuding an air of nobility.
Two young women followed behind him.
The one at the front was wearing a light purple jacket, and his demeanor was calm and composed.
The one behind her wore a neat short-sleeved shirt with a belt tightly around her waist. When stepping over the threshold, she habitually leaped over it, not at all like a proper young lady.
These people are Cui Xijun's brothers and sisters.
"Cui Kan, stop fooling around."
Miss Cui Lingyi gave a soft rebuke, but there was no reproach in her tone.
She walked up to Cui Xijun, looked her up and down, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she was alright.
"Manager Cheng told us everything. We heard you had some free time, so we rushed over to see you."
The second young lady, Cui Yingtang, was not as reserved as her eldest sister. She walked straight up to Cui Xijun, grabbed her shoulders, and turned her around from head to toe to make sure she wasn't missing any limbs before letting go.
"Hongling said there were corpses everywhere. How many of those desperados attacked you? What was the leader's cultivation level?"
Cui Xijun's shoulder ached from being pinched, but she didn't flinch and replied, "There were about a dozen people, and the leader should be a Dragon Elephant Realm expert."
"Dragon Elephant Realm? How did you escape? I heard that Guard Yin is dead."
"It was quite a coincidence. A young man happened to be passing by and ran into me. Liu Zhao had set up traps in the carriage, and I was trapped inside. He was the one who freed me. When I came out, he was covered in blood, and he must have killed the rest of the bandits."
Cui Yingtang frowned and asked, "Did you check the background of that young man?"
"We investigated the Liu family incidentally. All we know is that he's a newcomer to the capital who just came to make a living. He happened to be visiting Xiangguo Temple to offer incense and had no ill intentions towards the Cui family. We need to investigate further to find out the specifics."
Cui Yingtang was silent for a moment, then sat back in her chair, picked up the cold tea on the table, and took a sip.
"What a pity." She paused, then turned to Cui Xijun. "If those thugs weren't dead, I could have exchanged a few blows with them. Let them die a worthy death."
Cui Lingyi sighed and said, "Yingtang, Third Sister just survived a robbery, and instead of asking about her injuries, you're asking about the assailant's cultivation level. Now you're thinking about fighting again. How will you ever get married?"
She sat down beside Cui Xijun and asked, "What do you plan to do with the person who saved you?"
Cui Xijun said, "This is what I'm thinking: first, see if this person is suitable. If they are, we'll hire them to work in the household; if not, we'll give them some money to get rid of them. What do you say, elder sister?"
"It's good that you understand. Just a reminder, even if you're brought in, you can't become a retainer of the Cui family. The clan still has some opinions about what you did before."
Cui Xijun paused slightly and said, "Then when we recruit them, we'll keep them by my side and not put them in the manor for now. We'll talk about it later when it's more suitable."
Cui Lingyi did not continue the topic.
She looked at her third sister's face and said, "You've lost some weight these past few days. I had someone make some ginseng soup, I'll bring it to you later."
Cui Kan peeked out from Cui Xijun's embrace, looked up, and asked, "Third Sister, when you encountered that group of thieves, were you scared?"
Cui Xijun looked down at her younger brother and said, "I'm scared, but being scared won't help. We still need to find a way to fight our way out."
Cui Kan tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said very seriously, "Then when I grow up, I'll be your bodyguard. I promise no one can bully you."
Cui Yingtang scoffed from the side, "You should stand in the stance training I taught you for half an hour first."
"Second sister, you're making fun of me again!" Cui Kan blushed, jumped down from Cui Xijun's arms, and rushed to Cui Yingtang, waving his fist.
Cui Yingtang pressed one hand on the top of his head, and his fist swung futilely just an arm's length away from her, unable to reach her no matter what.
"Second sister, you're just taking advantage of your long arms!"
Cui Kan's face turned bright red, but not from anger; it was the kind of anxious feeling that comes from being teased by his sister and feeling helpless.
Cui Lingyi watched the two bickering, a slight smile playing on her lips, but she didn't say anything to stop them.
She knew Yingtang was teasing the child; the two of them were used to playfully fighting.
Cui Lingyi looked at Cui Xijun and asked, "So, you plan to just leave things like this with the Liu family?"
"Well, we've already given in what we should, and we've already said what we needed to say. Let's know when to stop," Cui Xijun said calmly. "If we keep making a scene, it won't look good for anyone."
Cui Lingyi nodded, without asking any further details.
She took a folded sheet from her sleeve and handed it to Cui Xijun: "This is what you asked for. I had the accountant calculate it overnight. When you let the steward and the others take over later, you'll have a better idea of what to expect."
Cui Xijun unfolded the list and glanced at it. It was densely packed with accounts of the businesses they had obtained from the Liu family this time, as well as the connections behind them.
She looked up at Cui Lingyi, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Big sister, you investigated the hidden businesses behind this too?"
Cui Lingyi smiled faintly and said, "You, the 'talented scholar with a sword in her skirt,' are taking the blows outside. I can't just sit here doing nothing."
"When you're done with your work, come visit me in my yard."
After saying that, she got up and walked towards the door.
Seeing that her eldest sister had left, Cui Yingtang stood up and followed her out.
Cui Kan clenched his little fist and said, "Third sister, you wait. I will definitely practice martial arts well and start practicing stances seriously from tomorrow."
Cui Xijun reached out and ruffled Cui Kan's hair: "Go find your second sister. Tell her that your third sister said you'll have to practice your stance training for an extra half hour starting tomorrow, but you're not allowed to slack off."
"I won't slack off!" Cui Kan turned and ran to the door, then turned back and called out, "Third Sister, take good care of yourself. I'll come see you another day!"
After saying that, he ran off in a flash.
The side hall finally quieted down.
After talking with the others, Cui Xijun thought of Chen Ye again.
Now that everything is settled, it's a good time to investigate the other party's background and see if they are suitable.
Cui Xijun immediately summoned Steward Cheng and made the arrangements.