Su Jin plans to use the whip the Emperor gifted her as collateral with Xie Jingchen, but now Xingxing lights a candle, and the whole mood changes, making it feel like she's selling herself for a loan.
She just casually asked a question, does this little Maid need to be so dedicated?
Su Jin was in tears.
Xie Jingchen held the whip in one hand and the candle in the other, looking at Su Jin, he said, "With a whip and a candle, what do you intend to do?"
He asked very seriously, and Su Jin replied, "Nothing!"
As she spoke, she reached out and grabbed the candle back, casually throwing it out the window.
Two candles, one got thrown out, while the other hit the window frame and bounced back.
Xie Jingchen eyed the distance between the desk and the window. It was so close, yet she couldn't throw it out; this aim... he didn't doubt at all Su Jin would hit him on the back, ending up injuring his head.
But he didn't believe it was nothing; the faint embarrassment on her face couldn't escape his eyes. He grew more curious about the intention of putting the candle and whip together.
Taking a deep breath, Su Jin pointed at the whip and said, "I'll pawn this whip to you, you help Dongxiang Marquis Mansion pay off the debt, and I'll pay you back with interest. Then you loan me some more money."
Xie Jingchen put down the whip and said, "I don't need the whip. Thirty thousand taels are your consultation fee."
"I'd prefer if you gave me a divorce letter as the consultation fee," Su Jin said.
Xie Jingchen paused and said, "I can't do such a thing as repaying kindness with resentment."
Su Jin's breath caught in her throat, "You say such blatant lies with your eyes open, doesn't your conscience hurt?"
On the first day she entered, Duke Zhen Country Mansion gave her a bowl of sterility medicine. What's there to hold on to?
Being divorced brings a bad reputation, but as a female bandit, she had no reputation to lose. Being divorced was expected, and if she truly got kicked out, who knows how many people would applaud behind her back.
Xingxing stood aside, with a dazed expression. Did the girl mean she doesn't want the thirty thousand taels but wants the divorce letter?
Is the girl completely foolish.
The worst part is, the Young Master doesn't agree. He seems even more foolish.
Xie Jingchen looked at Su Jin and said, "From the moment Iron Armor Guards surrounded Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, you should've known you kicked an iron plate. Even if I agreed to give you a divorce letter, Duke Zhen Country Mansion would never allow a divorced Eldest Young Madam to remarry. Are you willing to live a life of candlelight and incense forever?"
Xingxing got anxious, pulling Su Jin's cloud sleeves, saying, "Girl, don't ask for a divorce letter. Staying at Duke Zhen Country Mansion is better than becoming a nun because nuns can't eat meat."
For a meat-loving Maid, not letting her eat meat is like taking half her life.
Su Jin took a deep breath, "I don't believe this is the only road."
"There is indeed another way."
"I told you so…"
"And that's death."
"..."
Su Jin choked, glaring fiercely at Xie Jingchen, reminding him, "I am a female bandit, you know!"
Don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, making things difficult for yourself.
"I know."
Su Jin squinted, "You know? Since you know, why don't you hurry and hand over the money, or do you actually want me to rob you! From now on, Agarwood Pavilion is mine!"
Xingxing was awed by Su Jin's presence and a bit moved, thinking that's her girl, weak but spirited.
Xingxing regained the feeling of robbing together with the girl on Qingyun Mountain, standing by Su Jin's side to back her up, "Not just Agarwood Pavilion, but the whole Duke Zhen Country Mansion will belong to my girl in the future!"
Su Jin, "…."
Xie Jingchen, "…."
This is the real bandit. She was asking for an Agarwood Pavilion, and her person is audacious enough to want the whole Duke Zhen Country Mansion.
Should she say that what the Maid says doesn't represent her? She still doesn't quite get the hang of bragging...
She should remind Xingxing that once outside Agarwood Pavilion, she shouldn't really take Duke Zhen Country Mansion as her turf, or she might get beaten to death.
Seeing Xie Jingchen's mouth twitch, Su Jin's ears blushed slightly, and she said aggressively, "What are you looking at? Hurry up and take out the money!"
Xie Jingchen, "…."
In just half a day, she exposed her bandit nature. He thought she'd hold out for at least three to five days.
Xie Jingchen took out the brocade box from the drawer, and before Su Jin could instruct, Xingxing took the brocade box, counted the silver notes, and said, "Girl, there's twenty-five thousand taels."
Su Jin frowned.
She was thinking if this much money would be enough to open a shop, but Xingxing thought she disliked the amount and asked, "Tell me honestly, do you have more silver notes hidden on you?"
Xie Jingchen shot a cold glance, scaring Xingxing into hiding behind Su Jin.
The Young Master is so fierce.
Su Jin cast a sidelong glance at Xie Jingchen and said, "So there really is more hidden. Will you take it out yourself, or should I search for it?"
Xie Jingchen's eyes flared with anger, "You, this woman, don't go too far!"
Su Jin snorted, "Even now, you can still give me the divorce letter."
Xie Jingchen's forehead veins jumped, and he opened the drawer, slapped the last silver note on the table, and abruptly left, lest he be angered to death.
Once he was out, Su Jin sat down in his seat, smoothing the paper with a paperweight, preparing to dip the brush in ink. Meanwhile, Xingxing asked, "Girl, did you remember something from before?"
"...Not yet."
Outside, Xie Jingchen halted, knitted his brows, and heard a conversation from inside the room:
"Didn't expect he's actually quite rich."
"I've been with the girl robbing for dozens of times, and this is the first time I find the Young Master so easy to rob. The Young Master is so weak that bullying him makes my conscience hurt. Madam forbade us from bullying the old, weak, sick, and disabled."
"How is he weak?" Su Jin's mouth twitched.
"No one is weaker than the Young Master! I've been robbing with the girl for a full two years and only collected sixty-three taels of silver, which we buried on Qingyun Mountain, and the girl never dared to use it."
"..."
"Marquis is right, the Capital City is indeed overflowing with wealth, even the Young Master carries tens of thousands of taels, others must be even richer."
"Hmm, put aside the robbing idea for now, and remember, out there, never brag."
"I didn't brag."
"...Do you think I can claim the whole Duke Zhen Country Mansion?"
"You don't need to claim, eventually, the Duke Zhen Country Mansion will follow what the girl says."
"Are you sure?"
"Marquis said so, when he arrives in the Capital City, he'll be the boss, the Emperor is second, and he's ranked fourth."
"Who's third?"
"You, girl."
"...Am I getting bragged up like this?"
"Marquis never brags."
"This was definitely dad who said it."
"It was Madam who said it."
"..."
Outside, the Hidden Guard flashed out, looking at Xie Jingchen and said, "Master, I think you should grant the Eldest Young Madam a divorce."
"This family is interesting."
Hidden Guard, "..."
What's interesting, their nonsense can almost pierce the heavens.
When Eldest Young Madam entered the door, aside from the dowry on credit, she had only one Maid by her side, no proper manners, not even a housekeeper. Even with this, she dares to claim she wants the whole Duke Zhen Country Mansion. The Hidden Guard was impressed.
If it weren't for him watching over the study, not allowing anyone to approach, wouldn't they laugh till their teeth fell out if they heard it?
Xie Jingchen looked at the drifting white clouds in the sky and laughed, "There used to be bandit troubles on Qingyun Mountain, now it seems, the Capital City will have bandit troubles."
The Hidden Guard held his forehead, the Young Master can still laugh, but the first to suffer will be you, Young Master.