Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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Zhuang Li was extremely impatient with this, and naturally made a request to Qi Wang: “Could you please clear the area?”
Qi Wang waved his hand slightly, and more guards emerged from the shadows and dispersed the crowd.
As these people left, their eyes were filled with fervent anticipation, their expressions one of extreme worship, and they were shouting things like “Please enlighten me, God!”
“It’s just some illusion, nothing special.” Zhuang Li pointed to the chair opposite him and said gently, “Please sit down.”
Qi Wang sat down, his gaze fixed on the young man, and said frankly, “I was in the next room when you were exorcising the ghost for Miss Zhou.”
Zhuang Li raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised, yet unable to suppress a smile.
“System, do you still think this person isn’t paying attention to me?” he asked in his mind, his tone tinged with smugness.
7480: “…Alright, Master, you win. The gods love you.”
Zhuang Li smiled with satisfaction, then guided Qi Wang to speak: “So?”
Qi Wang slowly said, “So I know that you deliberately belittled Ling Xi and Xuan Zhenzi in front of everyone. You were hoping that these arrogant words will lure Ling Xi out and then you could put him on trial.”
“Yes, but I didn’t expect to lure his master up with me.” Zhuang Li readily admitted to his scheme.
Of course, during Ling Xi’s trial, he would omit the experiences of Miss Zhou or other women with similar backgrounds, only revealing Ling Xi’s crime of murder. But he didn’t need to explain this to anyone.
Qi Wang nodded and said, “When we were interpreting the characters yesterday, you said that the person I was looking for had appeared. Is that person you?”
Zhuang Li raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “What do you think?”
Qi Wang lowered his eyes slightly, falling silent. Lost in thought, a crimson hue appeared on his pale ears. He longed to ask again— was the one you were waiting for me?
But he also knew that if he actually asked, he would definitely get a negative answer, or even a ridiculous laugh.
A vibrant and beautiful young man would only fall in love with an equally vibrant and beautiful young woman, so how could he possibly be interested in a half-dead man like him who was about to die?
This feeling of self-loathing pierced Qi Wang’s heart like a needle, enveloping him in a persistent, stinging pain. In a daze, he finally realized the source of his restlessness and lingering attachment.
They had only met once, yet the boy had left an indelible mark on his heart.
He was already thirty-five years old, while the boy was only eighteen or nineteen, so full of youthful vigor and lively charm. His feelings for the boy seemed like a defilement.
Qi Wang’s burning ears quickly turned cold, and his slightly parted lips closed again. He wearily waved his hand and got up to leave.
Zhuang Li had already seen through his thoughts. So he suddenly leaned close to his ear and whispered with a smile, “Why didn’t you ask? You guessed right, the person I’ve been waiting for is you.” After saying this, his soft lips, whether intentionally or unintentionally, gently brushed against the tip of Qi Wang’s ear.
Qi Wang was stunned, frozen in place as if struck by lightning. This was an answer he could never have guessed, and the joy that followed was something his long-closed heart could not bear. He was completely at a loss for how to react, except that his ears quickly turned bright red.
Zhuang Li didn’t mind his slowness. After tidying up the things on the table, he beckoned to his younger brother with his index finger and said nonchalantly, “Let’s pack up and go home.”
Zhuang Jiuge bowed respectfully and humbly to Qi Wang, then caught up with his brother and quickly walked away.
By the time Qi Wang recovered from his shock, the two brothers had already disappeared into the vast crowd.
“Go to Luoxia Village!” Qi Wang, now back to normal, eagerly issued the order.
….
Meanwhile, Zhuang Li and Zhuang Jiuge met up with Zhuang Lao Er and Liu Chunhua at the dock.
The broker didn’t know whose property the house in Xishan belonged to, and only said that he would inquire for them and asked them to come back in a couple of days.
Zhuang Li was not disappointed. He took out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve and handed them to Zhuang Lao Er, saying in a very calm tone, “Father, keep these silver notes safe. Use them to buy houses and land in the future.”
Zhuang Lao Er carefully counted the taels and found there were over five hundred taels. He was immediately stunned. His son had earned such a huge amount of gold and silver in just two days. What was going on? Would their family soon become the richest family in Bazhou City?
Zhuang Jiuge quickly recounted the events of the day in vivid detail, eliciting gasps of surprise from the couple.
News spread quickly at the dock. When the family of four stood together talking, many people were already looking over, openly or secretly, with expressions of awe on their faces.
Nowadays, everyone knew that this Mr. Zhuang was a powerful and influential figure, and even the Governor and Qi Wang had to treat him with respect! With such a son, why should Zhuang Lao Er still work? He could go back to being a big shot.
Feeling the awe and envy in everyone’s eyes, Zhuang Lao Er straightened his back, waved his hand, and said excitedly, “Let’s go, let’s go to the bank to deposit the silver, and while we’re at it, let’s buy a roast pig[1] to take back!”
Zhuang Jiuge: “Dad, I want to eat roast goose again!”
Zhuang Li: “I want to eat braised pork knuckle.”
“Alright, roast pork, roast goose[2], braised pork knuckle[3], everything!” Old Zhuang laughed heartily.
While the family of four was enjoying a sumptuous dinner in the city, two strangers arrived in Luoxia Village. They were both twelve or thirteen years old and were very good at sweet talk. They quickly won over the children in the village and used candy and copper coins to get information about Zhuang Lao Er’s family. Their eyes were also wandering around, looking left and right, and their behavior was very sneaky.
Because they were young and had ordinary appearances, the villagers were completely unaware of it.
Only Zhuang Tian’er glanced at the two of them as she passed by, a slight, sinister smile playing on her lips.
It seemed that the eldest son of the Zhuang family had already spread the news that the second branch of the Zhuang family had made a fortune.
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