Chapter 61: Establishing a Household
Calling it a ride was just polite; Lu Yinglin actually had his own carriage.
Naturally, the Shen family had no objections.
Lu Yinglin ordered his servant to prepare the carriage, then turned back to invite Rong Xie to share the ride.
Thinking the destination was the same anyway, Rong Xie agreed. Besides, he had something to discuss with Lu Yinglin.
“Master Lu, I have something to discuss with you.”
Once in the carriage, Rong Xie spoke.
Lu Yinglin was somewhat surprised and smiled. “I thought I’d have to persuade you first. It seems you’ve thought it through?”
“Mm. I thought about it. I still can’t sell the Lightning White Orchid,” Rong Xie said.
Lu Yinglin raised an eyebrow and sighed. “It seems you haven’t thought it through.”
Rong Xie didn’t have the energy to beat around the bush and said directly, “Considering Shen Bingsi’s feelings, I can’t sell it. But not selling it isn’t an option either. So I want to mortgage it at the Yuanbao Auction House first. When I have money later, I’ll redeem it.”
“The mortgage price won’t even be half the auction price,” Lu Yinglin reminded Rong Xie. “And the mortgage isn’t indefinite. If you don’t redeem it within the agreed period, the live pawn will become a dead pawn.”
“…That’s what I wanted to discuss with you. Can you give me a quote for the mortgage duration and price?” Rong Xie asked.
Lu Yinglin looked disapproving, but when it came to business, he adopted a professional attitude and calculated the Yuanbao Auction House’s mortgage times and corresponding prices for Rong Xie on the spot.
“Then I’ll choose the one with the longest redemption period,” Rong Xie said. “I also need time to raise money. The longer, the better.”
“The longer the time, the lower the price offered. The longest is three years. Are you sure you can get that much money in three years? You still need money to buy a house, and daily expenses run every day. After three years, you’ll be lucky not to lose money.”
Rong Xie knew Lu Yinglin was right, but…
“Just consider it keeping a hope alive,” Rong Xie lowered his head.
Lu Yinglin put away the paper and pen, his attitude becoming more businesslike and distant. “Since you’ve decided, I’ll issue a formal price list later. The pawn procedure still has to go through the Yuanbao Auction House counter. There’s a counter in the Capital; I’ll handle the connection then.”
“Thank you, Master Lu,” Rong Xie said, smiling faintly. “Or should I call you Manager Lu?”
Lu Yinglin was somewhat helpless. “I don’t mind if you call me Senior Brother Lu. It’s just… choosing a losing deal when you could have taken more money… forgive me for not agreeing.”
“It makes my heart feel lighter,” Rong Xie said. He lifted the curtain and looked out. The rural path had turned into the main road leading to the town.
Lu Yinglin shook his head.
Before noon, the group arrived at the county Yamen.
It was Rong Xie’s first time entering a mortal government office. He witnessed the layers of thresholds and procedures. Without connections or being a local gentry, who knew how many times one would have to run back and forth to get a result.
Fortunately, the Shen family had high status locally, and with Lu Yinglin from the neighboring Qinghe Lu family there to support the scene, Rong Xie’s identity documents were approved quickly. He received a stack of freshly stamped documents, carefully put them into a bag after checking, and stored them in his pouch.
“Who is Rong Xie?” the clerk shouted. “Come here!”
Rong Xie hurried forward. The clerk looked at him, seeming disbelieving, then looked again. Rong Xie suspected there was dirt on his face, but heard Lu Yinglin laughing beside him. “Sir, this is a Daoist cultivator who has achieved some cultivation, preserving his youth.”
The clerk realized and his attitude instantly became much more polite. “So it’s an Immortal Master who has attained the Dao.”
His subsequent explanation was much more patient: The identity documents were returned to him after stamping; he should keep them safe. The new household registration had to be processed in the Capital and entered into the Ministry of Revenue’s records, which was troublesome. The county Yamen had runners to deliver the letters, but a round trip took a month. Added to the Ministry’s process, it would take half a year for Rong Xie’s household registration to be created, so there was no rush.
Before that, if there were matters involving travel, entering cities, or trading, showing the identity documents would have the same effect.
“I see. Thank you for informing me, Sir.” Rong Xie mimicked Lu Yinglin’s manner in speaking to the clerk.
The clerk laughed. “Immortal Master need not be polite.”
Coming out of the Yamen, the sun was still high. Rong Xie couldn’t help taking out the newly acquired identity documents to touch and look at them again.
Now, he was a free man, no longer belonging to the Shen family household registration. He could go anywhere legitimately. If he encountered anything, he wouldn’t need to depend on others or pass through the Shen family.
The wind blowing in his face felt fresh and light. Rong Xie felt the weight pressing on his heart for days swept away, and his steps became much lighter.
“Junior Brother Rong, congratulations,” Lu Yinglin smiled.
“Thanks to Master Lu’s help, the documents were processed so smoothly.” Rong Xie bowed to Lu Yinglin.
“You’re welcome; it was just a small effort.” Lu Yinglin leaned slightly closer to Rong Xie. “Now you know establishing yourself outside isn’t that difficult, right? Rely on parents at home, rely on friends outside—this saying is never wrong. Making a few more friends outside only brings benefits, no harm. Besides, everyone wants to be friends with a good person like you.”
Rong Xie’s ears felt slightly warm. Lu Yinglin was too close, making him uncomfortable. However, before he could react, Lu Yinglin straightened up and walked toward the carriage, sighing as he walked. “Sigh, your business is done, but mine is far from over. I really don’t want to go back to the old Lu family.”
“Master Lu doesn’t want to return to the Lu family?” Rong Xie was surprised. He thought Lu Yinglin was the type of popular model disciple in the Lu family.
“Of course. Who wants to go back to their hometown and kill time among a bunch of relatives who hugged you when you were a baby?” Lu Yinglin looked miserable. Suddenly, he looked up, his eyes shining as he gazed at Rong Xie. “How about this? Junior Brother Rong, accompany me back for a trip?”
“Me?” Rong Xie never expected Lu Yinglin to invite him to the Lu family. Yet he didn’t have a good excuse to refuse. “Now? I haven’t packed my luggage…”
“No need to pack, just for one day!” Lu Yinglin patted the carriage shaft. “Just pretend to be my employer, constantly urging me to get on the road. Seeing you urging urgently, those relatives won’t keep me.”
“This… but I don’t know how to pretend to be your employer, nor do I know what to urge.” Rong Xie instantly became nervous.
“Don’t be afraid. Just stand there with a cold face, and they naturally won’t dare come up to talk to you,” Lu Yinglin said seriously.
Rong Xie was skeptical.
Rong Xie still got into Lu Yinglin’s carriage and went to the Lu family with him.
Compared to staying at the Shen family, going out to hang around anywhere for a day was more comfortable.
At nightfall, the carriage entered Qinghe County.
Qinghe County was much larger than Heyang County, and the Lu Manor was located on the best plot of land by the river. With its high walls and grand gates, one could easily believe it was the residence of some prince or noble.
The carriage entered the Lu Manor through a side gate. Along the way, Rong Xie saw a solemn scene. Yards were separated by walls of uniform height, and the roads in between were identical. The overall impression was one of orderly discipline—not like a home for a large family, but like an examination hall.
Rong Xie watched in astonishment, wondering how such a stern and solemn place could produce someone as unrestrained as Lu Yinglin.
It was possible… extremes breed their opposites.
The carriage stopped by the gate leading to the inner residence. The two got off. A servant carrying a lantern led the way, making seven turns and eight bends through the narrow, neat alleys, finally arriving at Lu Yinglin’s courtyard. The courtyard had a main house, guest rooms, and all daily necessities.
“Young Master Lin, the Master is dining in the main hall and asks the Young Master to go over immediately,” the servant relayed.
“Understood. You wait outside first.” Lu Yinglin made a helpless expression at Rong Xie.
“Yes.” The servant withdrew.
Only Lu Yinglin and Rong Xie remained in the courtyard. Lu Yinglin took Rong Xie to his guest room, telling him to rest there first. Servants would bring daily necessities later. If he wanted to eat or use anything, he could just tell them.
Rong Xie wasn’t hungry. Since gaining sufficient spiritual energy, eating or not didn’t make much difference.
“Do I not need to go over?” Rong Xie asked. “Playing the employer urging you and such…”
“Do you want to go over?” Lu Yinglin laughed.
“No,” Rong Xie said honestly.
“Then you don’t need to go.” Lu Yinglin couldn’t help laughing.
Rong Xie raised his eyebrows. He seemed to understand something; the bit about pretending to be an employer was indeed coaxing him.
“You’ve been running around all day too. Rest early,” Lu Yinglin said. Suddenly, he remembered something. “Right, I almost forgot. I need to tell the boys to prepare a tub of hot water. You need a hot compress, right?”
“Hm?” Rong Xie didn’t understand.
“I saw you rubbing your shoulder often, seemingly having difficulty lifting your arm.” Lu Yinglin gestured to Rong Xie’s shoulder.
“Ah, it’s nothing.” Rong Xie subconsciously rubbed his shoulder. “But… hot water would be wonderful.”
Later, Lu Yinglin went to the main hall to see the Lu family head.
Rong Xie breathed a sigh of relief. He felt more at ease being alone.
Servants indeed brought hot water and daily necessities. Rong Xie asked them to leave the hot water; the rest wasn’t needed as he had brought several sets with him.
Rong Xie changed into a bath robe, dipped a towel in hot water, and wiped his body, feeling much more relaxed. The pain in his shoulder also eased.
Standing before the mirror, Rong Xie brushed his damp hair aside, opened the collar of his bath robe, and pulled it down below his shoulder.
Three distinct bruises remained on his cold white skin, shocking to the eye. Rong Xie pinched one masochistically, hissing—it still hurt.
Thinking of how Shen Bingsi grabbed his shoulders, asking in disbelief why he wanted to leave, Rong Xie couldn’t help but fall into a daze.
So, Shen Bingsi didn’t want him to go?
Even though he touched a nerve and did the thing Shen Bingsi hated most, Shen Bingsi still didn’t want him to leave.
Knowing this result, Rong Xie felt the empty spot in his heart filled again.
As long as you give up that stupid thought, we can pretend nothing happened.
If only he could give up that thought.
He could have the best friendship in the world. But the feelings in his heart had turned sour.
He couldn’t return to Shen Bingsi’s side as if nothing happened, using the guise of a best friend to dual cultivate with him. Having done the most intimate things, then retreating to the starting point afterwards, Shen Bingsi could put on his pants and calmly say: We are the world’s best friends, right?
He couldn’t live a day like that anymore.
Let it… end here.
Personally telling him that the Lightning White Orchid was sold by him, seeing his breakdown… Rong Xie knew they could never go back.
It counted as a farewell. At least better than leaving directly while Shen Bingsi was in seclusion.
Knock knock!
A knock sounded on the door.
Rong Xie immediately pulled up his bath robe, simply tied his hair, tidied his appearance, and went to the door.
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