Chapter 77 - Good Move, Second Master
Chapter 77: Good Move, Second Master
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Miss Hongxiu, although you come from a brothel, you have a noble character. In my opinion, you are no worse than those heiresses,” Zhou Shu said.
Hongxiu turned her head, tears still on her face. “Young Master, are you telling the truth?”
Hongxiu’s voice was a little shaky. “Hongxiu looks like a willow withering at the approach of autumn. How can I compare to those heiresses? Hongxiu still has this bit of self-awareness.”
“If you look like a willow withering at the approach of autumn, then almost all women in this world will not have to live anymore.” Zhou Shu shook his head.
He was speaking the truth. In his previous life, Hongxiu’s looks would have made her a big star.
As for being born in a brothel, so what?
Weren’t those female celebrities on Earth the same?
Although she knew that Zhou Shu was coaxing her, she was still overjoyed.
“I misunderstood, Young Master,” Hongxiu said weakly.
The tears on her face had yet to dry, and her bashful expression made Zhou Shu look deeply at her.
“A beautiful lady has her beaded curtain raised,
Behind which in deep thoughts she sits with her elegantly thin eyebrows distorted;
I can see moist trails of tears from the corners of her eyes,
I wonder who it is that she harbors resentment toward?”
Zhou Shu couldn’t help reciting this poem.
Mi Zhifu, standing at the side, was dumbfounded. If his master had such moves, wouldn’t his kids be half his height by now? Unlike now, he was almost 30 years old and still single!
Hongxiu’s eyes widened, and her breathing became hurried.
She suddenly covered her face and left.
“Miss Hongxiu, banknote—” Zhou Shu gave himself a tight slap. Who asked you to be so unrestrained?! Why did you recite a poem for no reason? Do you really think that you’re Li Bai?
“A poem by Young Master Zhou is worth more than ten thousand taels of gold.” Hongxiu’s voice came from afar.
Zhou Shu: “…”
More than ten thousand taels of gold?
Poetry is indeed a good tool for freeloading…
Zhou Shu looked at the banknote in his hand. He was wondering if he should return it to Mi Zhifu when Mi Zhifu walked up to him and gave him a thumbs up.
“Good move, Second Master,” Mi Zhifu praised sincerely.
“You flatter me,” Zhou Shu said humbly.
“Second Master, please enlighten Master in the future. Master’s literary talent is also very good, but he doesn’t know how to use it in the right place. The Mi family is still waiting for Master to carry on the family line,” Mi Zhifu continued.
“What do you mean?” Zhou Shu was interested in the gossip. His big brother, Mi Ziwen, still didn’t have a son?
Mi Zhifu whispered something.
A look of realization appeared on Zhou Shu’s face as he laughed. “Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”
“Then, I shall thank Second Master on behalf of Old Master,” Mi Zhifu said sincerely.
He kept going on about his master and old master, yet Zhou Shu could actually understand.
“Steward Mi, if there’s nothing else, I’ll return to the workshop first.”
Zhou Shu hesitated for a while before returning the banknote to Mi Zhifu. He had to return what he borrowed.
“Second Master, please wait.” Steward Mi didn’t reach out to take the banknote. “This banknote was given to Second Master by Master. There’s also another matter that I have to trouble Second Master to help me settle.”
“Me? What is it?” Zhou Shu glanced at the banknote in his hands and once again felt how wealthy Mi Ziwen was.
The denomination of this banknote was actually 1,000 taels of silver!
Fortunately, Hongxiu didn’t accept it just now. Otherwise, it would have been a tremendous loss for him!
This was 1,000 taels of silver!
He had thought it was just one or two hundred taels of silver!
“Second Master, please follow me.” Mi Zhifu smiled mysteriously and walked ahead.
Zhou Shu was puzzled and followed.
He wasn’t worried that Mi Zhifu would harm him. Not to mention Mi Zhifu’s strength, his identity was verified by Yin Wuyou and Yang Hong. He was a genuine steward of the Mi family.
Mi Ziwen was his sworn brother. How could his steward harm him?
Although Zhou Shu hadn’t interacted much with this brother that he had easily gotten, he still trusted him.
The main point was that he didn’t seem to have any reason to scheme against him. He came from an aristocratic family, and his wealth was comparable to that of a country. He also had a teacher who was the commander of the three armies. He had both money and power. So why would such a person scheme against Zhou Shu?
At least for now, the things that Zhou Shu had shown weren’t worth being schemed against.
Zhou Shu followed him without hesitation. Mi Zhifu nodded to himself.
Today, in the Divine Constable Bureau, he had been paying attention to Zhou Shu.
How could he not be curious about his master’s sworn brother?
Before coming to the Divine Constable Bureau, Mi Zhifu had been ordered to investigate Zhou Shu. With Mi Ziwen’s identity, how could the Mi family let down their guard when someone appeared beside him?
According to the investigation, Zhou Shu was only a slightly talented Forging Apprentice. The Mi family couldn’t understand why Mi Ziwen had become sworn brothers with him.
Mi Zhifu was also puzzled before. But after seeing Zhou Shu, he understood.
After a short interaction, he felt that Zhou Shu was definitely someone who could go far.
His master had indeed inherited his teacher’s wisdom!
Mi Zhifu brought Zhou Shu two streets away and stopped outside a courtyard.
“Second Master, please.” Mi Zhifu pushed open the two doors full of bronze nails and made a gesture of invitation.
“Is this my big brother’s home?” Zhou Shu was puzzled. This residence was located in the middle of the capital. From the entrance, it looked quite grand, but it didn’t seem to match Mi Ziwen’s status.
Logically speaking, given how wealthy the Mi family was, shouldn’t the residence be ten times bigger?
“Hasn’t my big brother already left for war? Steward, why did you bring me to his residence?” Zhou Shu asked.
“This isn’t Master’s residence.” Mi Zhifu shook his head. “This is yours, Second Master.”
“My residence?” Zhou Shu was stunned. A thought he found hard to believe emerged in his mind.
It wasn’t easy to live in the capital.
In the imperial capital of Great Xia, the price of such a residence was astronomical.
And it wasn’t something that could be bought with money!
“Steward, are you serious?” Zhou Shu looked at Mi Zhifu.
Although his sworn brother gave him money every now and then, and they weren’t small sums, Zhou Shu had never thought that he would be so generous.
How could his big brother give away a residence that Zhou Shu could never ever afford in his lifetime?
“Of course,” Mi Zhifu said. “I have already prepared the transfer contract, and I have also filed a record with the government. As long as you sign the contract, this residence will be your home in the capital.
“Master’s instructions were a little last minute, and time was limited, so the conditions are a bit lacking. I hope you can forgive me, Second Master.
“In addition, Second Master, you have to choose your own servants. I don’t know what your preferences are, so I didn’t dare to make arrangements.
“Master has instructed that the Mi residence will take care of all the servants’ salaries. You don’t have to worry about it, Second Master. You can go to the Mi residence to pick out some useful people or buy some people from the market.”
Mi Zhifu explained everything slowly. Zhou Shu was stunned when he heard everything.
Not only is he giving a residence to me, but it even comes with servants?
Moreover, the servants’ wages will all be taken care of?
Big Brother, are you providing for me?
If more such big brothers come, there will be no need for me to forge weapons.
Wouldn’t it be nice to live a life of luxury?
“Steward, this isn’t too good, right?” Zhou Shu felt as if he was dreaming. “If Big Brother is so wasteful, won’t he anger his family?”
“Of course not.” Mi Zhifu smiled. “Master is in charge of the Mi family now. Old Master usually doesn’t ask about these things. Besides, this isn’t much. I feel that it’s too shabby.”
Zhou Shu was flabbergasted. This is shabby?
A luxurious mansion within the third ring of the capital with an unlimited number of servants that had their salaries covered for life, how can this be called shabby?
Is poverty limiting my imagination?
Or is it that I’m unable to imagine the happiness of the rich?
“Second Master, if you need anything else, feel free to instruct me.” Mi Zhifu smiled. “Before Master went to war, he said that if I didn’t take good care of you, he would skin me alive.”
“No,” Zhou Shu said firmly. “It’s all good! Steward Mi, don’t worry. If Big Brother is unhappy with you, I will definitely stand on your side.
“You couldn’t have done any better. I’m very satisfied!”
“That’s good.”
Mi Zhifu suddenly slapped his forehead. “Look at me. I almost forgot something so important!”
He carefully took out a booklet from his clothes. “Second Master, you are a Forging Apprentice. This book is a forging technique manual that Master specially found. The forging techniques recorded inside are genuine unique skills of Forging Masters.
“According to my knowledge, there are at least three Forging Apprentices who advanced to Forging Master after studying this forging technique manual.
“Master asked me to hand it over to you, Second Master. I hope that you will be able to advance to Forging Master as soon as possible!”
Mi Zhifu handed the booklet to Zhou Shu with a serious face.
The most important thing for Forging Apprentices was the secret forging formulas. As for Forging Masters, the most important thing was their own skills.
This forging secret technique manual was about weapon forging techniques. It was also the most important thing for Forging Apprentices to advance to Forging Master.
It could be said that if Forging Apprentices were unable to grasp a certain level of forging techniques, they would never be able to become Forging Masters.
True forging techniques were usually kept secret and wouldn’t be taught to others.
Mi Ziwen had actually found such a thing for him!
Zhou Shu once again felt this big brother’s sincerity!
He really treats me as a brother. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to do all these things.
What about me? What have I done for him?
Zhou Shu began to think seriously. He had never liked owing others, even if Mi Ziwen was his sworn brother.
He thought about what he should give Mi Ziwen as a gift.
Zhou Shu looked at Mi Zhifu. “Steward, let me ask you. How is my brother’s cultivation now?”
“Master’s cultivation is at the fourth rank, only a step away from the third rank,” Mi Zhifu said without hesitation.
“Cultivation at the fourth rank… this is a bit troublesome,” Zhou Shu muttered to himself.
“What did you say, Second Master?” Mi Zhifu was puzzled.
“Nothing.” Zhou Shu shook his head. This matter wasn’t urgent.. In any case, Mi Ziwen’s triumphant return would still take some time. He had to prepare a gift of sufficient quality!