NOVEL WEB Chapter 104: A Wealthy Household
Chapter 104: A Wealthy Household
When he climbed the tree to look towards Green Bamboo Town, it seemed close, but in reality, Xu Lian didn’t return to the town until late afternoon. It truly lived up to the saying, “Looking at the mountain, you think it’s close, but it can tire out a horse.”
However, after walking for an entire afternoon and sweating profusely, the lingering pain in his body surprisingly disappeared. His physique had returned to normal, and the flow of his internal energy was once again smooth.
“Could this have been planned by the White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector?” Xu Lian wondered, startled. Perhaps the White Fox had taken him to such a distant forest on purpose so that he would sweat out the last of the poison in his body on the way back.
When Xu Lian returned to the New Street Mansion, he noticed that the dining hall was lit up, with laughter emanating from inside.
He immediately understood.
Wang Cuiyun had already brought in the more than thirty women she had selected.
“I’m actually quite hungry. I wonder what the White Fox fed me during the eight days I was unconscious,” Xu Lian thought as he walked to the dining hall.
Upon entering, he was greeted with quite a sight… Three large tables were set with lavish feasts, and over thirty women were eating, chatting, and laughing merrily.
Sitting at the head of the table, despite her wrinkled old face, Wang Cuiyun was undoubtedly the “star of the show”. Surrounded by the thirty women like a queen bee, she was the center of attention, with everyone flattering and fawning over her. Her laughter was so loud that it seemed she could barely contain her joy. After all, she had the appearance of a wealthy matron.
When she saw Xu Lian enter the dining hall, Wang Cuiyun jumped up as if her seat had caught fire. She quickly walked over with a bright smile, “Master’s back! You little wenches, hurry up and come greet Master!”
The more than thirty women immediately put down their chopsticks.
One by one, they lined up in front of Xu Lian.
Twelve in a row, three rows in total.
Judging by their height, they had clearly been arranged by Wang Cuiyun beforehand.
They all bowed together, “We greet Master. Welcome home, Master. You must have been very busy working outside.”
Then, one by one, they raised their heads, their faces rosy and charming, their eyes filled with affection as they gazed at Xu Lian.
Even their greetings were so synchronized… Xu Lian was sure that Wang Cuiyun had spent a lot of time training them during those eight days.
This made Xu Lian’s mouth twitch. He felt like he had entered the Lichun Brothel.
Without Wang Cuiyun’s interference, they might have been fine, but after being trained by her for eight days, they all seemed to have adopted her mannerisms.
After all, what kind of person was Wang Cuiyun in her youth? She was the kind of person who often invited passing men into her house. What kind of behavior could she have taught them?
Fortunately, Xiya had remained untainted by Wang Cuiyun’s influence. Otherwise, Xu Lian would have been the one with a grassy field on his head.
“Master, what do you think?” Wang Cuiyun asked with a proud smile, clearly seeking praise. “My eye for beauty is quite good, isn’t it? These women may not be as stunning as Xiya or Chan’er, but they’re all quite beautiful. The most attractive women in the city are basically all here.”
Xu Lian felt a little discouraged. The women he had “caught” through his own efforts always felt more genuine, while these women felt a bit lacking.
Noticing his lack of enthusiasm, Wang Cuiyun walked to the far right of the first row and stood on her tiptoes to lift the chin of the tallest woman.
To accommodate Wang Cuiyun, the tallest woman bent slightly, allowing her to lift her chin easily.
Wang Cuiyun chuckled, “Master, look at those teeth, so straight and white, not a single cavity. Even after eating meat, there’s no food stuck in her teeth. And she has such a sweet smile.”
The tallest woman gave Xu Lian a flattering smile.
From her look, Xu Lian could feel her intense desire for food, as if he were a living sack of grain.
Wang Cuiyun then walked over to the shortest woman on the far left. “Master, this one is also quite good. She’s petite and delicate, just like Chan’er.”
The short woman seemed a bit shy and hadn’t fully adjusted yet, her face slightly flushed. However, she quickly gave Xu Lian a flattering smile.
Xu Lian saw the longing and yearning in her eyes for a better life.
“Since you’ve joined the household, you can stay,” Xu Lian said, taking a seat beside Wang Cuiyun at the head of the table and starting his dinner.
Wang Cuiyun also returned to her seat to eat. “Didn’t you hear Master’s words? You can all stay in the house.”
The women were overjoyed and bowed to Xu Lian with gratitude in their eyes.
“Sit down and eat,” Xu Lian said to Wang Cuiyun. “After dinner, give each of them five taels of silver, a piece of meat, a chicken, a fish, and a bag of grain. Have their families come to collect it.”
Wang Cuiyun was displeased. “Being able to join our household and eat well every day is a blessing they’ve earned over several lifetimes. There’s no need to give money and grain to their families.”
“Is this household run by me or by you?” Xu Lian shot a sharp glance at her.
They were all young, unmarried women. According to the customs of Green Bamboo Town, they should be compensated with an equivalent amount of grain.
Even if they were sold to a wealthy household as maids, they would still be compensated.
In addition, Xu Lian had to consider the level of affection. It was better to give more.
Wang Cuiyun quickly gave an apologetic smile. “Of course, the master has the final say. We’ll give them the money and the grain. After all, we’re not short of resources. A little extra won’t hurt.”
The women were thrilled and thanked Xu Lian and Wang Cuiyun repeatedly.
Wang Cuiyun then brought up the incident of the flowers and plants in the backyard wilting overnight.
Xu Lian explained that the well water in the backyard was toxic.
Wang Cuiyun found it strange. “I also took water from the backyard to water the plants to save time. Why didn’t anything happen when I did it?”
Xu Lian had to say, “Maybe the poison wasn’t strong. You watered less, so there was no problem. I watered too much.”
Wang Cuiyun didn’t ask any more because she knew that Xu Lian had some secrets.
After finishing dinner, Xu Lian was deep in thought as he watched the three tables of food being completely devoured, not even a single grain left. “Is the food not enough? We should prepare more in the future.”
Wang Cuiyun explained, “Master, you’re thinking too much. There was more than enough food. They’re just used to living a hard life, so they stuffed themselves for fear that they wouldn’t get such good food next time.
We can’t prepare too much food for every meal, or someone might actually overeat to the point of death!
The first time you let me enjoy such a good life, I almost ruined my stomach by overeating.”
Serves her right… Xu Lian said nothing more.
Wang Cuiyun then directed the women to clean up the dishes and take them to the kitchen. After washing and arranging them properly, she began distributing the money and grain.
Once finished, she led them to the main gate of the residence and sent some people to call their families.
When they heard the news, their families quickly arrived.
Each family member who received the money, grain, and fish was overjoyed, and their eyes filled with tears of gratitude as they thanked Wang Cuiyun profusely.
After everything was done, Wang Cuiyun closed the gate.
A few hours later, the sound of a wooden clapper rang out, signaling the arrival of the night patrol.
The women all eagerly volunteered to donate blood, hoping to impress Xu Lian.
They weren’t stupid, they were shrewd.
You see, the night patrol collected blood based on the number of male family members. With only Xu Lian as the only male in the household and over thirty women, they could take turns donating blood. In a month, each would only need to donate a small cup, which was easy.
Moreover, Xu Lian often traveled and wasn’t home, so there were times when no blood needed to be donated at all, making it completely stress-free.
“What are you all so eager for? Look at you, acting like country bumpkins who’ve never seen the world,” Wang Cuiyun said proudly. “Our household enjoys the same treatment as the Su, Pei, and Fang families-we are exempt from blood donation.”
This surprised and delighted the women. Now, not only could they enjoy sumptuous meals every day, but they didn’t have to give a single drop of blood. This place was practically heaven on earth.
“It is getting late. Go back to your rooms and rest,” Wang Cuiyun commanded like a general on the battlefield, then returned to her main room, well aware of what men were like.
After bowing to Xu Lian, the women returned to their rooms, but each of them kept glancing back at him, trying to catch his attention.
Some pretended to stumble and let out a little gasp;
Others stopped to stare at the moon as if admiring the stars;
A few moved as slowly as snails, as if their feet were chained;
Each was using her own tricks, hoping to attract Xu Lian’s attention and be invited into his room. Only then would they feel safe in this wealthy household. As women from Green Bamboo Town, they had grown up hearing about such things. The simple, obvious, and easy to understand logic of it all was clear to them.
Xu Lian frowned, sensing that palace-like dramas would soon unfold in this mansion. Fortunately, Wang Cuiyun was there to keep order. Otherwise, he might return after a business trip to find only a few survivors.
He returned to his main room, closed the door, and went to sleep. After being unconscious for eight days and just having the poison cleared from his body, he had no interest in anything else.
Just as he lay down, he heard a woman quietly approaching his room and gently knocking on the door.
Xu Lian pretended not to hear it.
The woman didn’t dare bother him anymore and left disappointed.
A while later, another woman came, her presence as light as a breeze, barely touching the door.
Xu Lian still ignored them.
After a while, more women arrived.
Xu Lian was annoyed. He opened the door and said, “Anyone who comes to my room again will be kicked out of the household.”
With this announcement, the women immediately calmed down.
Xu Lian finally got some peace. When it was late at night, he got up, left his room, and headed to the backyard as he had an appointment with the White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector.