Gurgle, gurgle—
The wheels of the carriage rolled over the blue bricks and stopped outside the Pei residence.
Pei Xiangjun, holding a fluffy bird in her arms, stood under the lantern like a virtuous lady waiting for her husband's return, gazing into the distance.
Seeing Night Jing Tang alight from the carriage, Pei Xiangjun smiled and asked, "Jingtang, how did the conversation go? Did Yang Guan give you any trouble?"
"Third Sister, why are you waiting at the door?"
Night Jing Tang ascended the steps and reached out to touch the bird in a manner more accustomed to him than to enjoy its company.
"No trouble. It took quite a bit of effort to explain things to Mr. Yang..."
"Cough cough—"
Chen Biao, who was unloading the carriage, and two unfamiliar bodyguards stumbled at the words, turning to look at Night Jing Tang with a meaning that said:
"Five sentences from start to finish, and you call that a lot of effort? Don't you understand why Mr. Yang didn't trouble you?"
However, Yang Zhao and the others, who were more accustomed to Night Jing Tang's ways, reacted more calmly. In their eyes, Night Jing Tang had indeed put in a lot of effort today.
In a lawless frontier town, encountering such ruffians, it would have been considered an overstatement if Night Jing Tang had even said a word. He had finished the task and left immediately afterward.
Night Jing Tang ignored their glances and continued to gently explain the process to avoid alarming Pei Xiangjun, a lady of the house.
Pei Xiangjun followed his every word attentively, not easily startled. After listening to Night Jing Tang's explanation, she bit her lip and looked at him admiringly:
"You're amazing. Having a man like you in the family is different~"
The expression of admiration from a peerless beauty was quite captivating.
Though Night Jing Tang didn't care much about fame and fortune, under the admiring gaze of his sister-in-law, he couldn't help but feel a bit proud. He waved his hand in a very masculine manner:
"It was just a small effort."
"Just now, I discussed with your uncle's wife and decided to make you the deputy director of the Pei Group, with a monthly salary of a hundred taels of silver. Do you think it's too little?"
The position of deputy director was equivalent to that of the Pei family's vice president, with sufficient authority to access the treasury. A monthly salary of a hundred taels of silver amounted to around ten thousand taels.
This treatment seemed a bit exaggerated, and Night Jing Tang would definitely feel guilty if he accepted it. He shook his head and said, "A woman once told me that a man should rely on his own abilities to earn a living, and now you want to give me such treatment? The shopkeepers on the street won't agree. Let's just stick to the salary of the head escorts."
Upon hearing this, Chen Biao quickly shook his head. "Young Master Night, you're too modest. You've just settled things with Mr. Yang today, and the money saved is much more than this. Besides, what can you do with a monthly salary of twelve taels of silver? Even if you're the young master, it's not enough for a drink at a restaurant..."
Pei Xiangjun also nodded and said, "That's right. Being the deputy director is not easy. There are many social occasions to attend. If you go out drinking and enjoying the music with the young masters from Wende Bridge, you won't even be able to tip the girls. That would tarnish the reputation of the Pei family. This money is just for pocket expenses. Don't feel embarrassed. Just focus on helping the family."
Upon hearing this, Night Jing Tang stopped refusing and said, "Then I'll go along with Auntie's arrangement. Is there anything else at home that needs my attention after Qinglian Villa?"
Pei Xiangjun had quite a lot on her plate—her elder brother died in the martial world, his title of "Gun King" was taken away, and this revenge had not been avenged; many martial forces were vying for the wealth route, and no one dared to step forward to resolve the situation; the hall masters of the Red Flower Building were restless and constantly pressuring her to step down.
But these were all Jianghu matters, and Night Jing Tang's exposure to them was too early. With a smile, he said, "We have a bunch of shopkeepers under us. It wouldn't be right for the young master to handle everything. It's raining today, and there are no social occasions. You should rest for now. Let Chen Biao take you around the capital."
After listening to this, Pei Xiangjun leaned in and discreetly slipped a silver ticket into Night Jing Tang's arms:
"In the future, they will all be your subordinates. Take them out for a meal or a drink from time to time. It's the duty of the young master."
Chen Biao, upon hearing this, brightened up and hurriedly sent the horse back to the stable.
Upon hearing about going out for a meal, the bird on Night Jing Tang's shoulder suddenly felt less comfortable, jumping onto Night Jing Tang's shoulder and chirping towards Pei Xiangjun as if saying goodbye.
Night Jing Tang changed back into his regular clothes before leaving the house, accompanied by a few escorts.
However, before leaving, Pei Xiangjun saw Chen Biao's sly smile and reminded him again, "Chen Biao, don't take them to inappropriate places. Jingtang has just come from outside and hasn't seen the nightlife of the capital. If you take him to places like those where Pei Luo frequents..."
Chen Biao wiped away his sly smile and pretended to be mature: "Madam, do I look like that kind of person?"
"Rest assured, I know my boundaries."
After Night Jing Tang replied, he left with a few escorts.
Half an hour later, on the second floor of the Chunxiang Pavilion.
A musician holding a pipa was singing a melodious tune on stage.
Three dancers in colorful clothes danced gracefully to the music, their figures elegant.
Seven or eight strong escorts with eyes wide open stood at the window, watching the girls downstairs, swallowing their saliva uncontrollably, unwilling to even spare a bite of the food.
Night Jing Tang sat in a private room, enjoying the music and drinks, while the bird beside him seemed to be drinking even more than him.
Chen Biao held up a cup of wine with both hands and toasted Night Jing Tang: "Young Master, you really know how to enjoy yourself!"
Night Jing Tang, tasked with taking his subordinates out for a "team-building" activity, naturally couldn't make it too simple: "Just listening to some music, not going to a brothel. The girls in the border towns, to be honest, are far inferior to those in the capital. They're probably stronger than me. If it weren't for my martial arts skills, I would have been taken away to be someone's disciple at the age of fourteen..."
Chen Biao blinked and leaned in, saying, "Young Master, are you still..."
Night Jing Tang found it hard to answer that question.
Yang Chao, who was drunk beside him, chimed in, "With your looks, young master, if you go out to find a girl, the girls should be paying you. It's a losing business. Would you do it?"
"That's right. The girls who match the young master are probably only the daughters of the rich from Wende Bridge. Those ordinary girls outside wanting to marry into a wealthy family, I'd be the first to refuse..."
"Hehe..."
Enjoying the music, eating and drinking.
As they were having a good time, there was a commotion outside on the street.
Trot, trot, trot—
The sound of a large group of soldiers running.
The group frowned and got up to look out the window, only to see many imperial troops and constables from the Black Yamen running in the rain, heading towards the Mingyu Tower at the end of their sight.
"What's going on?"
"With such a big commotion, it's probably something wrong with Prince Jing's mansion. The Black Yamen holds many Jianghu criminals, and they say the Mingyu Tower also houses many martial arts secrets. There are often bold and reckless Jianghu thieves causing trouble there, and it usually quiets down after a couple of hours."
Not concerned about matters that didn't involve them, Night Jing Tang didn't pay too much attention and continued to drink.
Men of martial prowess had good alcohol tolerance, and the wine they drank was of good quality, aromatic but not strong. They had been drinking for most of the day without anyone getting drunk, and they didn't realize it was already afternoon.
After having their fill, one of the escorts, a bit licentious, hinted at going to a brothel for some fun.
But Chen Biao knew the limits and didn't dare to ask Night Jing Tang. If he dared to take the young master to a brothel, Auntie Pei would definitely kick them all out of the house. In the end, he didn't dare to broach the subject with Night Jing Tang, and they all dispersed.
By the time it got dark, Night Jing Tang returned alone, with a horse and the bird, to the dyer's street.
The silver ticket Pei Xiangjun gave him today was an advance on his monthly salary, a hundred taels of silver, enough to rent a courtyard with two entrances. With some luck, he might even be able to buy a maidservant to keep him company at night.
Though Night Jing Tang wasn't picky about his lodgings, a house with such a large hole in the roof wouldn't do. He returned home now to pack up some belongings and inform the landlady, planning to find a better place to live.
Creak—
The old courtyard door, without a lock, opened, revealing the unchanged interior.
Night Jing Tang tied his horse under the eaves of the kitchen and entered the main house, pushing the door open. However, he and the bird were both stunned.
The room was bare, with only a bedspread covering a double bed. Underneath the deep gray sheet, there lay a pair of embroidered bamboo leaf green shoes. A strange woman sat cross-legged on the bed, her hair styled in a bun, adorned with a green jade hairpin. She appeared to be a young woman.
The woman's skin was extremely fair, with a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes and eyebrows like willow leaves in early spring. Her cherry lips were naturally rosy and full, without the need for rouge. Her beauty defied comparison with worldly descriptions, resembling more of a fox fairy repaying kindness in a farmer's house or a celestial maiden marrying into a cowherd's family. She exuded an ethereal aura.
The woman was wrapped in a light blue cloak, with only her fair hands placed on her abdomen in a neat manner, forming a mudra. She seemed to be practicing some profound martial arts, with beads of sweat on her forehead, indicating that wisps of mist were rising from her hair bun, as if she were feverishly cooking.
"Chirp?"
The bird stood at Night Jing Tang's feet, tilting its head towards the bed, as if looking for a steamer below.
Night Jing Tang was bewildered, not noticing the otherworldly beauty of the woman. He just wondered if he had entered the wrong room.
However, in a house with such a large hole in the roof, there couldn't be a second home in the capital.
"Miss, are you..."
Night Jing Tang's home had been occupied, so he couldn't just turn around and leave. He called out at the door, but the woman showed no reaction. After some thought, he approached the bed with a knife in his hand.
Meanwhile, the bird cowered and hid behind the door, poking its head out as if it were scared out of its wits.