SPMT : Chapter 15

Xiao Jingting was adjusting the grape trellis when an uninvited guest came to his door.

“Brother Xiao, it’s been a long time.” A somewhat sly-looking man entered the gate, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Jingting’s blue-tiled house.

Xiao Jingting looked at the newcomer, a flash of wariness crossing his mind.

The newcomer was named Wang Erhu, the original owner’s “close friend.” The original owner’s gambling and addiction to Xiaoyao Powder both had Wang Erhu’s contribution behind them. Fortunately he had transmigrated early—otherwise, if the original owner had spent a few more days hanging around the gambling house, his wife, children, and house would probably all have been lost completely.

Xiao Jingting always felt that Wang Erhu’s approach to the original owner might have been premeditated. After all, the original owner had done plenty of harmful things. Now that he had fallen from grace, it wasn’t impossible that the original owner’s former enemies wanted to kick him while he was down.

Wang Erhu looked at Xiao Jingting and said, “Brother Xiao, this house of yours is quite nice.”

Xiao Jingting smiled and said, “It’s just a country house—no matter how nice, how good can it be? This whole house isn’t worth as much as a broken shack in the city.”

Xiao Xiaofan stood beside Xiao Jingting, looking at Wang Erhu with curiosity.

“Brother Xiao, this must be Xiaofan—he’s really cute! What a pity he’s simple-minded,” Wang Erhu said with a sigh.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiaofan looked at Xiao Jingting pitifully. Xiao Jingting reached out and rubbed Xiao Xiaofan’s head. That bastard original owner had cursed Xiao Xiaofan as a bastard child in front of Wang Erhu plenty of times, which was why Wang Erhu was now being so brazen.

“Brother Wang, instead of staying nicely in the city, why have you come to this countryside?” Xiao Jingting asked.

“I haven’t seen Brother Xiao for several days and was quite worried, so I came to check on you. I heard your wife is very fierce—I thought you’d been confined by your wife,” Wang Erhu said half-jokingly.

Xiao Jingting felt a cold laugh rising in his heart. Was Wang Erhu trying to sow discord?

“Brother Wang is overthinking. I’ve been staying in the countryside these days because I’m really strapped for cash—too embarrassed to go to the city,” Xiao Jingting said, shaking his head.

“That can’t be right—Brother Xiao is still a young master of the Xiao family after all. How could you be out of money so quickly?” Wang Erhu said with surprise.

“How hateful! Those people from the Xiao family all worship the high and trample the low. When my parents were alive, they showed me every care. Now that my parents are gone, they’ve all revealed their true faces, banishing me to this godforsaken place and only giving me so little silver that it wouldn’t even fill the gaps between teeth,” Xiao Jingting said angrily.

Wang Erhu looked at Xiao Jingting and said, “I heard that Brother Xiao has been farming these past few days? How could such work be suitable for you? When I came here, I cast a divination for you, Brother Xiao. Today your lucky stars are shining bright—if you go to the gambling house for a round, you’ll absolutely see wealth flowing in.”

Xiao Jingting waved his hand and said, “To be honest with Brother Wang, I can afford to win now but can’t afford to lose. I’d better not take that risk.”

Wang Erhu looked at Xiao Jingting and felt that after not seeing him for just a few days, Xiao Jingting seemed like a completely different person. If this were before, after a few words of persuasion, this idiot Xiao Jingting would have gone with him eight or nine times out of ten. Now he was completely impervious to persuasion.

Wang Erhu glanced at Xiao Xiaofan and said, “Brother Xiao, although your son is simple-minded, he’s quite good-looking!”

Xiao Xiaofan had been eating much better recently and had gained some weight, making him quite adorable like jade and snow.

Xiao Jingting smiled but said nothing.

“Brother Xiao, do you know? The Zhou family is currently recruiting child servants for their young master. They’re offering thirty taels of silver each. If your son were to try out, he’d most likely be selected,” Wang Erhu said.

Xiao Jingting smiled coldly and said, “I haven’t reached the point where I need to sell my son.” The Zhou family head was a Seventh Level Qi Cultivation expert. Although the Zhou family was nothing compared to the Xiao family, for the current Xiao Jingting, they were still a formidable force.

Thirty taels of silver for one child really wasn’t little. With so much silver involved, any child entering the Zhou family would definitely have to sign a slavery contract. Coming from Wang Erhu’s mouth, this matter reeked of conspiracy no matter how you looked at it.

“This child Xiaofan is simple-minded. If the Zhou family discovered this and thought I was deceiving them, I’d be in serious trouble,” Xiao Jingting said, shaking his head.

“If Xiaofan won’t work, isn’t there still Xiaodong? This isn’t a bad thing either. If he were selected by the Zhou family and gained the young master’s favor, he’d be living in luxury alongside Young Master Zhou,” Wang Erhu said enviously.

Xiao Jingting laughed coldly in his heart. For Wang Erhu to think of him when there was something good, this matter probably had some inside story.

“Xiaodong won’t work. I’m still counting on Xiaodong to support the family in the future. All the farm work will depend on him later on,” Xiao Jingting said, shaking his head.

“Counting on him to support the family? Didn’t you say that little brat was ungrateful?” Wang Erhu said.

Xiao Jingting said dismissively, “He’s just a child—a little guidance will do.”

Wang Erhu rambled on at Xiao Jingting’s place for a long time but gained no advantage, and left dejectedly.

As soon as Wang Erhu left, Xiao Jingting discovered that the atmosphere at home, which had finally relaxed, became tense again. Xiao Xiaodong once again hid Xiao Xiaofan in their room, guarding against him all day like guarding against thieves.