Chapter 137: Like-minded, Borrowing Again
Some of the slightly older children imitated the martial arts school disciples they had seen, tying their legs into crooked horse stances or running with weights, all with focused expressions.
And almost everyone would glance toward Chen Shun’an from time to time.
Gratitude, awe, filial affection…
Master Li looked at the group of children and sighed,
“When I get back, I’ll have little Zhao find a few tailors to come to the orphanage and take measurements for these children to make some new clothes.”
“This is…” Zhou Daquan wiped his hands, looking at Chen Shun’an with some restraint.
Chen Shun’an said, “This is the Family Head of the Golden Snake Li Family…”
“Ah? So it’s the Li Family Head! Your presence brings light to our humble abode, brings light to our humble abode…”
The couple had both heard of the Golden Snake Li Family’s reputation; Li Shicheng, who usually only appeared in rumors and anecdotes, was now vividly standing before them, leaving them both shocked and flustered.
Thus, their awe toward Chen Shun’an deepened even further.
Master Chen is actually close friends with the Li Family Head—truly formidable connections.
Zhou Daquan was flattered and surprised, hurriedly rubbing his hands as he said,
“Master Li, no need for custom tailoring. Just buy some standard-sized clothes a couple sizes larger. Perfect—these kids grow so fast, anything too fitted won’t last a few months…”
Li Shicheng was slightly taken aback, then nodded in understanding: “Oh… right, right, it was inconsiderate of me.”
Chen Shun’an walked up to the several Pounding House gang members, took out a few taels of broken silver from his bosom, and politely cupped his hands,
“Thank you, brothers, for your hard work on this trip. When you get back, please convey my thanks to Landlord Huang and Brother Yue on my behalf.”
The men took the reward silver, their faces beaming even more, and said repeatedly,
“It’s nothing, Master Chen. You carry on—we’ll be off.”
“Take care.”
“Pack up the hemp rope properly—don’t leave a mess for them.”
Watching the Pounding House gang members push their cart away, Chen Shun’an’s gaze deepened.
Although their water station and the pounding house were like fire and water, clashing every few days.
But it was due to historical reasons, a factional struggle.
Chen Shun’an, no longer an ordinary water carrier and already stepping into the ruling class of the water station, naturally wouldn’t make things difficult for the underlings.
It wouldn’t be proper.
Moreover, these gang members would in the future frequently deliver rice and grain to the Rongyuan Orphanage; giving them a small favor now would make things smoother.
The power of these grassroots gang members could sometimes play an unexpected role.
“You two, I came today because I have something to discuss.”
Chen Shun’an walked up to the Zhou Daquan couple and got straight to the point, explaining in full how the Li Mansion would step in to select some orphans and teach them martial arts and literacy.
Thud!
Thud!
The couple didn’t say much and directly knelt down again.
If it had been anyone else saying such things, the couple would definitely think they had ulterior motives like Owl Third Master.
But this was Master Chen, this was the Golden Snake Li Family.
“Alright, get up.”
Chen Shun’an was helpless and reached out to help them up.
He strolled around the orphanage a bit.
Although the Rongyuan Orphanage had been converted from a garden with excellent overall layout and building materials, it had aged over the years, weathered by wind and sun.
The previous few times Chen Shun’an visited, many houses were dilapidated, leaking wind from all sides in the cold and infested with mosquitoes and bugs in the heat.
Standing inside, one didn’t dare sneeze loudly for fear of blowing the walls down.
Fortunately, there were no rats or weasels causing trouble.
No other reason—anything non-human that dared enter the orphanage, if it had meat, wouldn’t leave alive.
These children had all gone hungry too much.
Coming again today, Chen Shun’an saw that many houses now showed signs of repair, with neat wooden boards nailed up and walls freshly plastered.
In the courtyard were even scattered a few roughly polished stone locks, an old grindstone, and several rusty broken weapons.
Clearly for the children to temper their qi and blood themselves.
Chen Shun’an had a realization and asked Zhou Daquan,
“Did that kid Yi Yan add these? Haven’t seen him in a while—is he doing well?”
Zhou Daquan said, “It was that child. He followed Zuoling Yi Wen on conscription to hunt in West Mountain.”
At this, Zhou Daquan sighed, “He’s just a little kid, yet already searching mountains in the wilderness, fighting wild beasts—sigh…”
Chen Shun’an nodded and said no more.
Before the Bai Shan Ren entered the pass, they revered martial prowess and barbarism; boys making real-hunt games with “willow branches as bows and thorny twigs as arrows” was commonplace.
Yi Yan was after all half Bai Shan Ren, and likely because his aptitude had recently shown promise with great progress in strength, he caught his birth father Zuoling Yi Wen’s eye and began to be trained.
With matters here settled, Chen Shun’an and Li Shicheng turned to leave.
“Master Chen!”
Suddenly, a crisp voice called out.
Chen Shun’an turned back to see two youths in their early teens hurrying after him, one boy and one girl.
That boy Niu Dabiao was born with immense strength and a huge appetite, but he only grew in size without growing brains, always getting bullied when doing odd jobs outside;
That girl Du Xiaohua was fair and clean, with bright black-and-white eyes sparkling.
Only a centipede-like twisted scar on her left cheek marred her delicate beauty.
She had cut it on her own face as a child; otherwise, her beauty would have long brought her disaster.
Niu Dabiao grinned foolishly and handed over a string of objects,
“Master Chen, this good-luck bead string is from peach wood I chopped in the mountains, the wood heart section.”
Du Xiaohua held her head high, her voice clear: “I carved it. On it is the ‘Eighteen Gates Immovable Wisdom King Protector Dharma Images.’ They say it can subdue all demons and ward off all bad luck.”
Chen Shun’an took it and examined it closely. The bracelet had eighteen beads, each peach wood bead intricately carved with varied Wisdom King or Arhat dharma images in exquisite knife work, layered and solemn—not an ordinary item.
The mountains near Wuqing County rarely had mature ancient trees, let alone peach wood, and with the baojia system prohibiting indiscriminate logging.
Niu Dabiao must have gone to desolate mountains and remote wilds, fighting jackals and wolves to chop back the peach wood heart.
And the craftsmanship to carve and string the beads—even in Chen Shun’an’s eyes—was impressive, requiring precise wrist control and a nimble, retentive mind.
Wrist strength, eyesight, and mental focus—all indispensable, truly rare.
Chen Shun’an hadn’t expected the orphanage to harbor such hidden gems, these two talents.
He smiled faintly and solemnly tucked the bracelet into his bosom,
“Good, I’ll take it.”
…
Chen Shun’an and the other left the orphanage and walked slowly along the long street, somewhat silent.
Li Shicheng suddenly said, “A Da and A Er at the mansion, along with many maids and grooms, are orphans.”
“Adopted from the orphanage?”
“No. When I was young and traveling outside, after wiping out mountain bandits and saving a group of villagers… I originally brought them back and placed them in Wuqing County’s orphanage, but found it secretly harvesting living babies for folding. In rage, I slaughtered the orphanage steward. My father was still alive then and spent a great price to suppress the matter.”
“I see… Sigh, in these times with land tax replacing head tax, the people are impoverished, infant abandonment is rampant, even Sacred Dynasty laws deem it legal for parents to sell their own children, with government encouragement leading the way, plus the hardship of dowries for girls causing more drownings, further unbalancing the sex ratio—this is the malaise of our era.”
“I didn’t expect Brother Chen to have such insights. I’ve learned from you. So, Brother Chen, or rather that one, wants to…”
“I dare not speculate on heavenly might. For me, it’s just doing my small part.”
“I see.”
Their conversation touched lightly and stopped.
But through this, they bared their hearts.
The relationship between Chen Shun’an and Li Shicheng advanced further, especially for Li Shicheng, who felt a thrill like recalling his youthful days meeting a confidant.
Perhaps this was due to shared aspirations.
…
“Brother Chen, you spent that one thousand taels so quickly? And now you want to borrow three thousand more?!”
In the Guanghui Money House’s private room, Huo Ning’s eyes widened in shock at Chen Shun’an, who had come to borrow money.
Chen Shun’an looked restrained, tightening his half-worn old cotton robe, and said,
“You’ve made me lose face, Huo. It’s just that my expenses have been too great.”
Huo Ning was somewhat helpless: “Brother Chen, you haven’t repaid a single copper of that one thousand taels principal or interest—how can I lend you more?”
“How about this: for this three thousand taels I’m borrowing, use one thousand to settle the previous debt. You just give me two thousand, deduct whatever interest, and from now on we’ll only count this loan.”
Chen Shun’an’s expression was calm.
Wait, using new debt to offset the old?
So how much does Chen Shun’an owe the money house now?
Huo Ning was stunned for a moment, unable to calculate.
Moreover, what does “only count this loan” mean?
Does Chen Shun’an mean he only owes three thousand taels?
Can accounts be calculated like this?
Beside him, an old clerk subtly elbowed Huo Ning and whispered,
“He’s toying with you, Street Runner Huo.”
Huo Ning suddenly realized, then saw Chen Shun’an’s faintly smiling face.
This slippery customer!
Huo Ning cursed inwardly a few times, putting on a troubled face,
“I can’t decide this—I need to ask the landlord first. Wait a moment, Brother Chen.”
With that, Huo Ning hurried off.
Chen Shun’an was quite patient, sitting in the private room,
In truth, Huo Ning didn’t need to consult—Zhao Guanghui had already ordered that whenever Chen Shun’an came to borrow, anything under five thousand taels could be lent.
Just needing to sign a special IOU.
After half a incense stick, Huo Ning returned panting and sweating profusely.
He placed a thick stack of IOUs before Chen Shun’an.
Chen Shun’an glanced at it—dense with tiny print, more convoluted than sacred laws; not just ordinary people, even second-rate experts would get lost in it.
But for Chen Shun’an now with photographic memory, a quick look memorized it all.
He keenly noticed a line buried in the sea of text, an extremely hidden small line—
If the debtor fails to repay on time, and after acquiring land, houses, clothing, jewelry at thirty percent market price still can’t cover the debt, the Guanghui Money House has the right to dispose of the borrower’s body, cultivation,
The dagger revealed.
Chen Shun’an’s heart stirred.
He could understand sending borrowers to mine, dive, or treasure hunt.
But what for the body and cultivation?
Could that be reused?
