Apr 21, 2026
Chapter 80 — Act Separately • Financial Power
The next morning, Ling Jingxuan and Yan Shengrui rose early. After their usual morning training, the two split up—one pulling a handcart alone to Yuehua Gully to catch fish, the other staying in the yard with two little buns and Xiao Huzi, teaching them martial arts while munching on steamed buns. As for cooking and cleaning, those chores were left to the Song family.
Inside the humble little courtyard, children’s bright, carefree laughter drifted out from time to time, the kind of happiness that seemed impossible to contain within the small walls.
After the tavern’s runner came to collect the day’s fish, Broker Liu personally arrived with thirty workers. Every one of them was broad-shouldered and dark-skinned, their sturdy builds making it clear how much thought Broker Liu had put into choosing them.
When they first saw Ling Jingxuan’s home, a brief flicker of doubt passed through the group—but it didn’t last long. The Ling brothers, Ling Jingpeng and Ling Jinghan, took the initiative to organize the workers and led them off to begin clearing the wasteland.
“Godfather! Godfather!”
A carriage had already been prepared. Tiewazi, dressed in brand-new clothes, ran happily into the courtyard. Behind him, Zhao Dalong and Han Fei, who had also been specially tidied up for the occasion, followed nervously.
The moment the two little buns spotted their friend, they rushed over excitedly. The three children grabbed each other’s hands and spun around in delighted circles.
“Hehe… careful, you three. Don’t get your clothes dirty.”
Watching them, Ling Jingxuan shook his head helplessly. Was going to school really that exciting?
Well… they were still children, after all.
“Jingxuan… do you think this will work? Will that Mister Chu look down on our Tiewazi?”
Because of the way the Village Head and the Old Xiucai had once nitpicked and made things difficult for them, Han Fei had long since lost confidence. He always felt uneasy around scholars. Now that they finally had a chance to send Tiewazi to study in town, he was terrified that he might ruin this rare opportunity.
As the saying goes—nothing in the world is more pitiful than a parent’s heart. For their children’s sake, people often became someone entirely different from their usual selves.
“There’s no need to be nervous. Mister Chu is a very good man. He’s not much older than we are. And he has a son too—nine years old, I hear. A very handsome little fellow.”
Seeing how stiff the couple had become with tension, Ling Jingxuan did his best to reassure them. If they kept this up, they might very well faint the moment they actually met Chu Ci.
“R-really? That’s good… that’s good…”
But a chill that had frozen for a thousand feet could not be melted in a single day. A few simple words from Ling Jingxuan did little to calm them. Even though it was early morning and they hadn’t done any labor yet, both of them had already sweated through their clothes—it showed just how nervous they truly were.
“Then I’ll head to town first with Brother Han and the others. When the builders arrive, you arrange things here. I’ve already spoken with Jinghan and the others—have the workers dig a boundary trench around the outer perimeter first. If possible, it’d be best for the team responsible for building the courtyard wall to start today. At the latest, everyone needs to begin work by tomorrow.”
Knowing they wouldn’t calm down anytime soon, Ling Jingxuan stopped trying to reassure them further. Turning to Yan Shengrui, he spoke with a hint of resignation. Everything had piled up at once—they could only split up and handle things separately.
“Mm. I know what to do. Be careful on the road. Go early and come back early.”
Raising his hand, Yan Shengrui naturally brushed the stray strands of hair from Ling Jingxuan’s cheek and tucked them behind his ear, his voice full of indulgent fondness.
“Mm.”
Ling Jingxuan nodded, then turned to the Song mother and daughter waiting nearby.
“Aunt Song, the workers will be doing hard labor, so make sure they never run out of water. Start simmering the big bones Shuisheng bought earlier, and steam more mantou. Deliver them at noon. We absolutely mustn’t shortchange people who are putting in the heavy work. Shuiling, help your mother when you can. When you have spare time, you can continue working on those schoolbags I asked you to make.”
“Yes, Master Xuan!”
The mother and daughter bowed respectfully. After yesterday’s first awkward day of settling in, they were much more at ease today.
This household might still look poor for now, but their master treated them well. Though things had not yet become so casual that servants and masters ate at the same table, the food they received was exactly the same as what the masters ate. The two elder masters, as well as the Second and Third Young Masters, were all kind people.
Especially the young masters—those little ones treated Xiao Huzi as if he were their own elder brother. And of course, Ling Jingxuan himself had once saved them, making him their benefactor.
The only person they felt a little afraid of was Master Sheng. For some reason, he carried an air that made people instinctively keep their distance. Every time they saw him, an inexplicable sense of awe crept into their hearts.
“Let’s go.”
After finishing his instructions for the household, Ling Jingxuan nodded to Yan Shengrui, then decisively called over the excited children. Song Gengniu and his two sons hurried after them.
From now on, Song Gengniu would be responsible for driving the carriage to take the children to and from school, and since Xiao Huzi would serve as the two buns’ study attendant, they naturally had to go along as well. As for Song Shuisheng, he carried a plump carp in one hand and held a jar of fruit jam in his arms. Those were the apprenticeship gifts Ling Jingxuan intended to present to Chu Ci.
“Father, we’re leaving now.”
Before climbing into the carriage, Ling Wen solemnly bent at the waist and gave Yan Shengrui a proper bow. Seeing this, Xiao Baozi and Tiewazi, who had been halfway onto the carriage, quickly slid back down and copied him.
Yan Shengrui smiled and gently patted each of their heads.
“Go on now. When you meet Mister Chu, be just as polite as you are now. Listen to your daddy, and don’t run around everywhere.”
“Yes, Father.”
After bowing again, Ling Wen climbed into the carriage with his two younger brothers. Only after watching them leave did Yan Shengrui turn back toward the courtyard.
Because the road from Ling Jingxuan’s house to the village had never been properly built, it was narrow and uneven. The carriage could not travel very quickly.
As they passed through the village, even from inside the carriage they could hear the villagers outside whispering and chattering. The difference now was that the villagers no longer regarded them simply as disgraced oddities or monsters.
Instead, their voices carried naked envy and jealousy, barely bothering to hide it.
“Xiao Wen, I’ve been thinking… what if we repair the road from our house to the village? Or even build one straight to the market at the village entrance? Otherwise you’ll be jolted around like this every day. No matter how thick the bedding in the carriage is, it won’t be comfortable. And if it rains, the wheels will definitely get stuck in the mud, which would delay you getting to school.”
“Besides, isn’t there a saying—if you want to get rich, build roads first? Our family business will only grow bigger in the future. Without a proper road, how can that work?”
Once they left the village, the road suddenly became much smoother. The carriage picked up speed and began to race along properly.
Ling Jingxuan glanced at his son as he spoke, choosing his words carefully, afraid the boy might once again scold him for wasting money. After all, he had spent a huge amount the day before. If Shengrui hadn’t stepped in to smooth things over, his Da Baozi might have nagged him to death.
Strangely though, this time the little bun didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he looked at him for a long moment, then clenched his teeth as if enduring physical pain before saying,
“From now on, Daddy can handle the money however you see fit. You don’t need to tell me about everything. Fixing the road is a good thing—if you want to do it, then go ahead.”
It was obvious he had made a great effort to give up control of the household finances. Ling Jingxuan froze for a moment, then smiled, touched. Reaching out, he pulled the boy onto his lap.
“Alright, Daddy will listen to you. Xiao Wen, don’t worry. I’m not someone who spends recklessly without thinking. If I hadn’t planned for the future, I wouldn’t have spent money like that. Daddy promises you—if it’s money that shouldn’t be spent, I won’t spend even a single copper coin.”
“Mhm, that’s how it should be. Daddy, I don’t really understand what you mean by increasing income, but saving money is something we must stick to. If something can be saved, then we should definitely save it.”
Seizing the chance, Ling Wen naturally slipped back into his habitual lecturing.
But this time Ling Jingxuan didn’t complain at all. Instead he nodded repeatedly.
“Xiao Wen is right. From now on, Daddy will try to be more frugal.”
Father and son had practically reversed roles—the son lecturing like a little adult, while the father obediently agreeing. Looking across the entire world, there was probably only this one family like that.
“Daddy, what kind of person is Mister Chu? Will he… not like Xiao Wu?”
After playing with Tiewazi long enough, Ling Wu slid down agilely and climbed onto his father’s lap. On the other side, Tiewazi gazed at them longingly. Prompted by Ling Wen’s question, Han Fei finally realized he had been neglecting his own son and quickly reached out to pull him into his arms.
“How could that be? Our little buns are so adorable—how could Mister Chu possibly dislike you? Don’t worry. Mister Chu is a very good person. As long as you behave yourselves and study diligently under him, he’ll probably like you even more than Daddy does.”
Freeing one hand to steady the boy in his arms, Ling Jingxuan chuckled softly.
If all his guesses were correct—if Yan Shengrui truly was Prince Sheng, and Chu Ci and his son really had come from the Imperial Capital and fled from it—then Chu Ci would certainly treat the little buns well. Who knew, perhaps one day he might even have to rely on the buns’ father for help.
Anyone who managed to grow up within the Imperial Family could never be simple. Even if Chu Ci was not quite as brilliant as Shopkeeper Zhang had described—overflowing with talent and brilliance—he could not possibly be foolish enough to abandon the opportunity to curry favor with Shengrui.
“Hehe, that’s good, that’s good! Daddy, what does Mister Chu look like? Is he as handsome as you?”
Grinning brightly, Ling Wu asked eagerly. When it came to unknown things, he always had endless questions.
Ling Jingxuan glanced lightly at Zhao Dalong and Han Fei, who were also secretly pricking up their ears, as well as Ling Wen and Tiewazi, before smiling.
“Mister Chu is much better-looking than your daddy. But Xiao Wen, we can’t judge people by their appearance, alright? Some people may not look handsome, yet their hearts are kind. Others may look very handsome, but their hearts are black as ink. When we judge someone, we have to use our hearts—not just our eyes.”
“I know, I know, Daddy! I know what you mean. Like that fierce woman who came to our house causing trouble—she looked very pretty, but her heart was black. But our grandpa may not look handsome, yet he treats us very well. Is that what you mean?”
The moment Ling Jingxuan finished speaking, the little bun eagerly took over the conversation. He even provided examples to prove his point, speaking with complete seriousness.
Ling Jingxuan—and Zhao Dalong and Han Fei as well—couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
Wasn’t that exactly the case?
Still, if Ling Chenglong ever learned that his precious grandson thought he wasn’t handsome, he would probably be quite heartbroken. Luckily, Ling Jingxuan and his two brothers all took after Ling Wang-shi in looks. If they had resembled Ling Chenglong instead, the little bun might have already mocked them without mercy.
“This child is truly clever. In the future he’ll definitely become a Zhuangyuan!”
The lively banter between father and sons finally eased the tense atmosphere inside the carriage. Han Fei forgot about the fear lingering in his heart and smiled as he reached out to pat Ling Wu’s head.
But the little bun frowned immediately.
“I don’t want to become a Zhuangyuan! That’s Big Brother’s dream. I want to become a great general!”
“Hahaha!”
At his words, the three adults burst into laughter again, nearly collapsing over themselves.
Ling Wu assumed they were laughing at him. Pouting indignantly, he secretly swore to himself that one day he would become a great general and prove them all wrong.
None of the people present—including Ling Wu himself—could possibly have imagined that someday in the future he would not only truly become a great general, but would even follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming a formidable figure whose name alone made neighboring kingdoms tremble with fear.
Of course, that was a story for another time.
After the lively commotion, the last traces of tension vanished completely. The carriage sped swiftly along the official road, attracting no small number of envious and jealous glances along the way.
From this moment on, Ling Jingxuan’s entanglement with the Imperial Family, as well as the future of Zhao Dalong, Han Fei, and the three little buns, would all begin to undergo earth-shaking changes.
Notes & Pinyin
- 狀元 (zhuàngyuán) – The scholar who ranks first in the highest level of the imperial examinations; the most prestigious academic title in Imperial China.
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Translator: LazyHermitGal
Author: LazyHermitGal
A Lazy Hermit Gal wondering in the void and falling into the translation abyss.
