After seeing off Xiao Yi and the others, Xiao Jingting finally breathed a sigh of relief. Remembering the spiteful look the little girl gave him before leaving, Xiao Jingting felt a headache coming on. Gratitude and resentment – the original owner spoiled those two brats and now they resented him! But just two unruly kids who haven’t grown up yet weren’t much of a concern.
“Did you get the money?” Xiao Jingting asked Xiao Xiaofan.
Xiao Xiaofan patted his chest, pretending to be mature, and said, “Dad, with me around, you don’t need to worry, right?”
Xiao Jingting nodded and said with a smile, “Of course, I trust my capable Xiao Xiaofan.”
“The money is with Big Brother. He said the amount was correct. If he’s bad at arithmetic and counted wrong, it’s not my fault,” Xiao Xiaofan said.
Xiao Xiaodong gave Xiao Xiaofan a disdainful look and said arrogantly, “Do you think I’m as stupid as you?”
Xiao Xiaofan glanced at Xiao Xiaodong discontentedly, then, feeling aggrieved, he hugged Xiao Jingting’s thigh and said, “Dad, brother is always saying I’m dumb. But sometimes, I can be very capable too!”
“That’s right, Xiao Xiaofan is often very capable,” Xiao Jingting said.
Feeling proud, Xiao Xiaofan lifted his chin at Xiao Xiaodong.
Xiao Xiaodong snatched the silver ticket and handed it to Xiao Jingting, saying, “It’s all here, a total of two thousand taels.”
Xiao Jingting took the silver ticket and put it in his storage bag, saying, “Xiao Xiaodong has counted it, so it must be correct.”
Xiao Xiaofan chimed in, “Dad, I had to throw a tantrum and roll around, and pull her skirt to get the money. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy to get the silver ticket.”
Xiao Jingting: “…”, throw a tantrum, roll around, pull her skirt?
Xiao Xiaofan didn’t notice Xiao Jingting’s expression and continued excitedly, “Dad, I also got two red packets. I asked for one for my brother. Brother is so dumb! He couldn’t even speak in front of that woman. Xiao Xiaofan is so amazing.”
Xiao Xiaodong: “…”
Xiao Xiaofan mysteriously said to Xiao Jingting, “Just now, that girl tried to snatch my red packet, so I gently pushed her and she fell down. She’s really weak, isn’t she anemic?”
Xiao Jingting: “…”, he occasionally mentioned anemia, and Xiao Xiaofan remembered it instantly.
Xiao Xiaofan hesitantly took out a red packet and reluctantly handed it to Xiao Jingting, “Dad, here’s a red packet.”
“How many taels of silver are in it?” Xiao Jingting asked.
“Twenty taels,” Xiao Xiaofan said.
Xiao Jingting stroked his chin and said, “Twenty taels, just this much! Keep it for yourself.” Xiao Xiaofan quickly retracted his hand upon hearing this.
Xiao Jingting looked at Xiao Xiaofan’s greedy expression and couldn’t help but laugh.
Xu Mu’an came out and said, “Have you two eaten breakfast yet?”
Xiao Xiaofan nodded and said, “No, not yet.”
Xiao Jingting was taken aback. They hadn’t eaten yet and they went to collect debts? His son was too proactive, making him feel embarrassed as a father.
Xu Mu’an looked at Xiao Xiaofan and said, “Xiao Xiaofan did a great job today, so you can eat more.”
Xiao Xiaofan happily said, “Okay, I’ll eat a lot.”
…
Xiao Yi led the two children back to their guest room.
“Mother, did you borrow the money?” Chen Xijin asked anxiously. Although they said borrow money, they were actually asking Xiao Jingting for some silver. Xiao Yi had asked Xiao Jingting for money a few times before, and each time he readily agreed.
Xiao Yi shook her head and said, “No.”
“I heard Uncle say that Xiao Jingting spent over a hundred thousand to buy a Spirit Tower. He’s really rich now.” Xiao Yi squinted her eyes. Xiao Jingting indeed had a lot of money, but unfortunately, he’s stingier now than before.
Chen Yue Ling was still immersed in her resentment towards Xiao Jingting’s neglect. She said angrily, “Uncle Xiao doesn’t help me at all. I won’t bother with him anymore.”
Xiao Yi looked at Chen Yue Ling with a helpless expression. Xiao Jingting was different now. Before, when Chen Yue Ling acted up a little, Xiao Jingting would patiently coax her. But now, things were different. It was said that Xiao Jingting spoiled those two brats rotten. He even went against Xiao Qingyan for them.
“If you ignore him, he’s probably happy not to deal with you too,” Chen Xijin said.
Chen Yue Ling’s face turned red and she muttered, “Uncle Xiao doesn’t keep his promises. He used to say he loved me the most, cherished me the most.”
Xiao Yi lowered her head. She had heard before coming that Xiao Jingting had changed quite a bit. Sun Miaomiao hadn’t gotten much out of him either, so she was prepared for the current situation. Although she was prepared, Xiao Yi still felt uneasy. In her heart, she hoped she was an exception to Xiao Jingting, but unfortunately…
“Mother, I heard that Uncle Xiao is now at the fifth level of Qi Cultivation. Is that true?” Chen Yue Ling asked. In Chen Yue Ling’s eyes, her father was a very powerful person. Even her father failed to advance to the fifth level of Qi Cultivation. It didn’t make sense that someone like Uncle Xiao, who was so unambitious, could reach the fifth level!
Xiao Yi said, “Your Uncle Xiao has great luck and has consumed treasures from heaven and earth, so he’s now at the fifth level of Qi Cultivation.”
Chen Yue Ling’s already bad expression worsened.
“Miss, it seems that Miss Xiao didn’t get anything good from Xiao Jingting,” a maid said to Sun Miaomiao.
Sun Miaomiao nodded and said, “As expected.” Xiao Jingting was indifferent to her, to their former friendship, and probably didn’t have a good impression of Xiao Yi either.
…
Xiao Jingting hastily packed up his things. Xu Mu’an looked at the bustling Xiao Jingting and asked, “Are we leaving today?”
Xiao Jingting nodded and said, “Yes! The sooner, the better. Our son’s antics are something ordinary people can’t handle.” If he wasn’t careful, Xiao Xiaofan would end up fighting someone. Although it wasn’t Xiao Xiaofan’s fault, it wasn’t good to keep getting into fights. He could protect the brat once or twice, but if he continued fighting, he couldn’t protect him anymore.
Xu Mu’an nodded and said, “That’s true.” It was obvious that Xiao Linfeng and Wang Lu were very impatient with their son. Xiao Linfeng and Wang Lu had been biased for a long time, and it wasn’t easy to change their minds.
“Hurry up and pack. We’re leaving soon,” Xiao Xiaodong said.
Xiao Xiaofan excitedly rolled around on the bed. “Great, we finally don’t have to stay in this awful place anymore.”
Xiao Xiaodong looked at the gleeful Xiao Xiaofan and poured cold water on him, “Yeah! Staying in this place, you’re getting beaten up all the time.”
Xiao Xiaofan flipped over gloomily, raised his fist, and said, “Xiao Yuerong, that jerk. When I grow up, I’m going to make him pay.”
Xiao Xiaodong smirked coldly and said, “Only when you’re strong can you make others look bad. If you’re not strong enough, they’ll make you look bad instead.”
Xiao Xiaofan looked at Xiao Xiaodong with frustration and said, “Brother, you’re so annoying, always pouring cold water on me.”
Xu Mu’an walked in and said, “Hurry up and pack. We’ll be leaving soon. If we don’t pack in time, we’ll have to leave things behind.”
Xiao Xiaofan jumped off the bed in an instant. “Wait for me, wait for me! I have so many toys that I can’t leave behind.”
Xiao Xiaodong snorted disdainfully and said, “Just a little brat who only knows how to play with toys.”
Xiao Xiaofan looked at Xiao Xiaodong, pouting, “Brother, you secretly played with my toys. I saw it.”
Xiao Xiaodong’s face turned slightly red and he retorted, “You’re mistaken.”
Furrowing his brows, Xiao Xiaofan argued, “Really? My little duck, I barely played with it and it’s already broken. It must have been you who broke it while playing.”
Blushing, Xiao Xiaodong said, “It’s because you didn’t take care of it properly, so it broke. It’s not my fault.”
“No, it was you who broke it and then forgot about it,” Xiao Xiaofan muttered.
“It was you who broke it and then forgot,” Xiao Xiaodong insisted.
With an irreparable look in his eyes, Xiao Xiaofan stared at Xiao Xiaodong and said, “My memory isn’t that bad. Don’t think you can bully me just because you think I’m dumb.”
Xiao Xiaodong huffed, “Your memory has always been bad.”
Xu Mu’an looked at the two children with helplessness and said, “Alright, stop arguing. We’ll be leaving soon. If you don’t pack in time, you’ll have to leave things behind.”
Xiao Xiaofan’s expression changed drastically as he exclaimed, “Then slow down a bit!”
Xiao Shangfan looked at Xiao Xiaodong and said, “Brother, I won’t argue with you about playing with my toys anymore, but you have to help me pack them.”
“I didn’t play with your toys, but since you look pitiful, I’ll help you pack,” Xiao Xiaodong said with a tug.
Xiao Xiaofan nodded helplessly. “Fine, fine, whatever you say. Just help me get the toys onto the car.”
Outside the door, Xiao Jingting watched the two little devils bustling about, busy but happy. He thought to himself, Xiao Xiaofan’s toys have multiplied without me realizing it. A little brat is always a little brat, and the first thing he thinks about when moving is toys. Xiao Xiaodong really does love his brother! Despite usually being harsh with Xiao Xiaofan, he shows true brotherly love when it counts.
…..
“Are you really leaving?” Xiao Qingyan asked Zheng Peier.
Zheng Peier nodded and said, “Yes.”
“So suddenly?” Xiao Qingyan asked suspiciously. He had thought Xiao Jingting would linger around his parents for a while and show some filial piety.
Recently, many people had come to visit their parents and praise Xiao Jingting for turning over a new leaf. But now, the praises were dwindling. Xiao Jingting had been at the fifth level of Qi Refinement for a long time, and it was no longer a novelty.
With so much praise, their parents seemed to be softening towards Xiao Jingting.
Xiao Qingyan squinted his eyes, his thoughts deepening. He had been stuck at the fifth level of Qi Refinement for too long. While it was common for many people to linger at this stage, if he didn’t break through soon, his status might be in jeopardy.
“Perhaps he’s taking a step back to move forward,” Zheng Peier said ominously. With Xiao Jingting leaving, their parents would feel more guilty.
“Having to repay 10,000 taels of silver every month, Xiao Jingting is really crazy. I don’t believe he can repay this by farming. If he can’t repay the money, he might end up crying to his parents,” Xiao Qingyan said sarcastically.
“Indeed,” Zheng Peier agreed. “He must have used the down payment money to sell some precious treasures.” It was unclear how valuable the spiritual plants were to fetch such a large sum of money, but they must have been extraordinary.
“Heartless and unscrupulous.” Mentioning the precious treasures made Xiao Qingyan ache.
“Qingyan, should you go back to the academy?” Zheng Peier asked.
Xiao Qingyan nodded and said, “Yes.” It had been a while since he left the academy. Although the academy allowed students to leave, being away for too long wasn’t ideal. He had been away for quite some time now, and it was becoming difficult to prolong his absence.
“We’ll have to ask our parents for more money. Going back to the academy requires preparations,” Xiao Qingyan said.
In his mind, Xiao Qingyan thought: With our parents suddenly gone, I’ve had enough of struggling without money. The people at the academy are all about boosting and belittling others. If I run out of money, my status will plummet immediately.
“After I lease out the land our parents gave us, we should have a substantial monthly income,” Zheng Peier said.
Xiao Qingyan gave Zheng Peier a cold glance and said, “You should think about that yourself. But you’ll have to report to me every month.”
Since their parents disappeared this time, Zheng Peier had insisted on separating from Xiao Qingyan. Xiao Qingyan had distanced himself from Zheng Peier a lot, but they had two sons together after all, so there was still some affection between them. Xiao Qingyan didn’t have anyone else suitable to entrust, so he could only rely on Zheng Peier.
Zheng Peier nodded and said, “I understand.”
Rain : Sorry I’m laaaaate
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