Chapter Thirty-One: This Is My Humble Abode

Seemingly unable to believe his own eyes, Li Wenxuan strode forward, pushed open the door, and stared at the thick, crimson carpet that blanketed the entire room.

At some point, protruding ledges had been built into the walls, topped with candles that bathed the interior in light as bright as day. The walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings. Behind the door stood a row of brand-new shoe cabinets: the first shelf was packed with exquisite leather official boots, the second with thick cashmere socks and sweat-absorbing insoles, the third with a full set of new boots for spring and autumn, and the fourth with a summer collection.

The shoe rack itself was made of pear wood.

Damn, that is extravagant! A complete setup.

Looking at the pristine, plush carpet, Li Wenxuan felt hesitant to step on it with his shoes. He took them off at the door and walked in wearing only his socks. The sensation beneath his feet was incredibly cozy and comfortable.

A few steps further in sat a large rosewood desk, holding an elegant brush rack with several expensive-looking calligraphy brushes. Even the paperweight on the side was made of celadon jade.

Hell! That was the only word in Li Wenxuan’s mind. What the hell is all this for?

Behind the desk was a wide, luxurious rosewood chair. Li Wenxuan leaned against the desk, surveying the spacious "small living room" behind it. There was a low table, soft cushions, and a stove with a roaring fire. No wonder he didn't feel the chill even without his shoes. The table was spread with melon seeds, peanuts, candied fruits, a bottle of wine that looked far from cheap, and several beautifully crafted cups. Beside the stove sat a pot of hot tea with matching delicate tea cups.

Li Wenxuan felt this was no different from the reception rooms he had seen in the General’s Mansion. In short, it was one word: expensive.

Beyond that, a large folding screen depicting cranes soaring in the sky divided the modest room in two. A heavy beaded curtain hung beside the screen. Li Wenxuan stepped forward nervously and touched it. He let out a sigh of relief; they weren't pearls, just ordinary wooden beads painted in various colors, giving off a faint, lingering scent of incense.

Hmm, it actually smelled quite nice.

This, along with the screen, had been installed as a single unit. Li Wenxuan turned around and looked at Crazy Donkey with a complex expression.

Crazy Donkey, you absolute lunatic! If the superiors found out about all this, they’d have my head eight hundred times over! Besides, this is just a rented house! Why are you doing this? Have you lost your mind? Damn it! Can’t you use the limited corruption opportunities of a Chief Inspector of the Eastern Depot for something that actually matters?

Li Wenxuan really wanted to rush over and hit the guy with a full set of "Shadowless Kicks."

He pushed aside the beaded curtain and walked in. A large, warm bed draped in dark red peony-patterned linens appeared before him. The air was filled with a faint incense, and he had no interest in looking at anything else. Right now, he just wanted to collapse onto the bed and sleep until the world ended.

Beside the bed stood a rack displaying a set of formidable iron armor. Inside the open closet, one could see the seasonal uniforms of a Chief Inspector, along with several other sets of brand-new brocade robes.

Comfortable! Too comfortable!

Hmm? Why is there no bathroom? Li Wenxuan suddenly felt that this room, with its ceiling-high luxury, wasn't quite perfect. No restroom, no washing area. He didn't expect a wet-dry separation, but this was a hovel—it didn't even have a kitchen.

He stepped back outside, put on his shoes, and pulled the door shut to take a look. It was indeed a hovel. A hovel that looked wretched on the outside but was filled with gold and jade on the inside. Maybe he could write an "Inscription on My Humble Abode" and hang it on the door later.

Li Wenxuan glanced at the nervous, anxious-looking Crazy Donkey and gritted his teeth. "How much?"

"About... about a thousand taels of silver. But, Master Li, there was really no need to pay. People from our Eastern Depot..."

"Damn it..." Li Wenxuan clenched his jaw. *How do you know I have a thousand taels?*

Crazy Donkey trembled, suddenly realizing he might have made a mistake. This official seemed truly different from the others!

Li Wenxuan fished out his money, feeling a pang of reluctance as he pulled out the gold ingot he had obtained from Tang Qi. It had been warming in his pocket; he’d grown attached to it.

"Take it to pay. If you dare pull a stunt like this again, watch your skin!" Li Wenxuan said with a sidelong glare.

Crazy Donkey was so terrified he nearly knelt on the spot. He took the money with shaking hands and was about to leave when Li Wenxuan added, "The restaurant next door... tell them to charge market prices, and remember... I want my change!"

Crazy Donkey shuddered, looked back at Li Wenxuan, and nodded frantically. "The servant understands!"

Damn it... Li Wenxuan turned, took off his shoes, and walked back inside, sitting on a cushion by the stove. No place to wash his feet, either. This guy only cared about looks and forgot the practical stuff. Looks like he’ll have to spend more money.

However...

Tsk, tsk, tsk! Eating a piece of candied fruit—this was a truly posh life! Li Wenxuan suddenly felt the money was well spent, even if his heart ached. His coin purse now held only a handful of loose silver, less than ten taels left.

Damn Crazy Donkey! It’s easy to spend someone else’s money without feeling the pain.

Li Wenxuan poured himself a cup of hot tea and suddenly looked forward to tomorrow. When Tang Qi comes to duel him, how much money will he bring?

Right! How could he have forgotten that Tang Qi is a walking ATM? Tang Qi’s father was a former General. In the military hierarchy of the Wu Kingdom, the five positions of Front, Center, Rear, Left, and Right Generals were the highest ranks for martial officers. As a top-tier military scion, this guy probably carried hundreds of taels of pocket money on him.

An ATM that refills itself—this is perfect. Yes, he must find a way. Tomorrow, he shouldn't crush Tang Qi too easily. He needed to give Tang Qi the illusion that his victory was just a stroke of luck. Then Tang Qi would be unwilling to let it go and would schedule another duel. That way, he could keep the money flowing.

Yes, exactly. He must maintain his ATM. Sigh, he shouldn't have told Crazy Donkey to bring back the change; it was beneath his dignity. But could he take it back now? Crazy Donkey was already long gone.

Inside the room, a conflicted Li Wenxuan sipped his tea and leisurely ate his candied fruit, picking up the bottle of wine to see if it was worth the price.

In old man Jiang’s room, the family sat around the stove, looking at one another in a silence so heavy it was suffocating. Old man Jiang’s wife, who had been out washing clothes and bedding at the mine, had returned. Knowing that a Chief Inspector of the Eastern Depot had moved in, she couldn't even eat; she just wiped away tears, unable to say a word.

"Mother, this is fate..." Jiang Xiaoxiao’s face was numb. Her vitality seemed to have been sucked away by a demon, leaving behind nothing but a beautiful shell, like a sculpture born from the hands of a master craftsman.

"Sigh—" Old man Jiang puffed on his dry tobacco pipe, the smoke obscuring his aged face, making it even more blurred in the firelight. He didn't know if he couldn't face his daughter or if he felt he had lived his life without honor.

"For Father and Mother, for Sheng—" Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't shed a tear. Her heart had already accepted the bitter fruit of being a girl from a poor family born with a beautiful face.

She resigned herself to her fate. She would pry open the door of that Eastern Depot dog official. A blink of an eye was all it would take.

"Beast, come and get me!"