I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 106: As always, a fireside chat
At the gate of Li Mansion.

Li Ru and Madam Li stood under the eaves, looking up at the bluestone street covered with snow ahead.

As agreed, Li Shaoyun would ask for leave from the Tiger and Wolf Sect this morning and return home early to celebrate the Little New Year. As his parents, they were naturally looking forward to it.

While waiting, Li Ru smiled and said, "Although Shaoyun had a difficult time initially going to the Tiger and Wolf Gate, things are finally going smoothly now. From now on, Shaoyun just needs to practice martial arts diligently, and he will definitely pass the martial arts examination in the future."

Madam Li's aged face also revealed a relieved smile. "How could it be so easy to pass the martial arts exam? But I've noticed that Shaoyun has become much calmer over the past year. Especially in the past ten days or so, not only has he been diligently practicing martial arts, but he also brings small gifts every time he comes home. He's learned to be filial."

Speaking of this, Li Ru's face was even more beaming. "Madam is right. Shao Yun used to be somewhat arrogant and frivolous, but now... he's become much more sensible. Perhaps it's because he's been in the Blood Ridge black market for so long, not relying on his parents anymore, that he's slowly become more sensible."

Madam Li glared at Li Ru. "Shaoyun learned all those bad tempers from you. Shaoyun told Chunlan privately that he was put in solitary confinement for nearly half a year for secretly learning martial arts, and was only released more than ten days ago. The reason he became mature was because of the hardship he suffered. This child didn't tell me about his solitary confinement, and as a mother, I am heartbroken."

Li Ru disagreed, "It's okay for young people to suffer a little more."

Madam Li made a timely suggestion, "It's okay to suffer a little loss. Shaoyun seems more stable than you now. You should also control your temper. You are already old, how many years do you have left? Don't be so angry and punish the servants at every turn. If you keep doing this, when you are old, few people will be sincere to you. It's not worth it."

Li Ru was embarrassed for a moment and his face turned slightly red.

Although Li Ru was mean, the Li family was considered a wealthy family in Wuqiao Town. However, Li Ru still respected this lady. On the one hand, Madam Li was a maid from a wealthy family in the county town, and as long as the master was still there, Li Ru did not dare to do anything.

On the other hand, after spending thirty years with Madam Li, he also admired this hostess from the bottom of his heart. Not only Li Ru, but the entire Li family respected Madam Li.

"Madam is right in reminding me. I will pay attention to it next time." Li Ru finally said this reluctantly.

Mrs. Li naturally knew that Li Ru was not sincere, but she still felt a little relieved.

"Mother, father."

A friendly shout was heard.

It was Li Shaoyun who came over excitedly in the wind and snow, carrying the osmanthus cake from Wufangzhai.

Mrs. Li took the cake wrapped in mulberry paper and brushed the snow off Li Shaoyun's shoulders. "Why are you buying cakes for me in this heavy snow? It would be terrible if you get frozen. Come in quickly."

After entering the inner courtyard, Madam Li asked the maid to fetch some hot water and also asked someone to bring a bowl of hot lotus seed soup for Li Shaoyun to eat to warm his body.

Li Ruze asked Li Shaoyun about his progress in martial arts training in Xueling in the past few days.

Li Shaoyun was in high spirits, no longer as depressed as before. While eating lotus seed soup, he mumbled, "Not bad. The new incense master has been very kind to me. Not only did he give me the title of deputy deacon, he also made up for the martial arts training resources I had previously missed. Well, I feel like I've made great progress."

Madam Li was extremely pleased. "My Shaoyun has indeed matured a lot. It's no wonder that he has earned the appreciation of the new incense master. But if someone treats you well, you should also return the favor. You should visit him during the holidays."

Li Shaoyun has been free for more than ten days now, and he has returned home several times to report his safety. However, he has never told anyone about Xie An's becoming the leader of the Blood Ridge Incense, mainly because he still hasn't recovered from the shock.

There are still obstacles in my heart.

"I know, mother. After we finish the New Year tea and dinner, I will bring some cakes to thank the incense master."

Mrs. Li was all smiles. It was the first time she liked her son so much and she felt that her son was capable of taking on responsibilities.

"Mom, when does the New Year's tea and dinner start? I want to finish eating early and go pay my respects to the incense master."

"Oh, look at my memory. I asked Chunlan to take two taels of silver to the pawnshop to visit Master He and ask him to come for dinner. It's been so long. I'll ask someone to go and urge him again."

Li Shaoyun, who was drinking lotus seed soup, suddenly paused and asked, "What happened to He Chunli?"

Madam Li glared at Li Ru and told him everything. Finally, she said angrily, "Your father tried to hide it from me."

Bang!
The porcelain bowl in Li Shaoyun's hand suddenly fell to the ground, shattering with a clang. He almost yelled, "Dad, did you spank He Chunli!?"

Li Ru snorted lightly and said in a condescending tone, "Humph, this guy made me lose two hundred taels of silver for nothing. If I don't give him a good beating, how can he learn his lesson?"

Li Shaoyun suddenly stood up from his seat and walked out madly, shouting:
"It's over, it's over. My Li Mansion is going to be destroyed."

This frightened Madam Li and Li Ru, but they didn't know the inside story and their faces were filled with surprise.

Suddenly, Li Shaoyun, who had just run out the door, turned back and grabbed Li Ru's hand, "Dad, come with me. Go kneel down and apologize to He Chunli immediately. You must ask for He Chunli's forgiveness, otherwise our Li family will be destroyed."

"Are you crazy?" Li Ru, not understanding the situation, flew into a rage. "You want me, a master, to kneel down and apologize to a servant? Where's your brain? I just praised you for being mature and steady... I'm your father."

"father!"

Seeing that Li Ru refused to go, Li Shaoyun finally couldn't help crying out, "Dad, you're in big trouble."

Li Ru still didn't take it seriously. "It's common for a servant to be beaten with a stick when he makes a mistake. Even if he's beaten to death, it's nothing."

"Dad, do you know who the new incense master of the Blood Ridge Black Market is?"

"Who?"

Li Shaoyun knew that he had to say it out loud, "It's Xie An. That old man Xie from our Li Mansion!"

The new deacon who replaced Zhang Biao was Xie An. Later, he broke through the second level of the Jingrou realm, defeated all the heroes in the Baiyu Hall of Shuideng Town, and took the position of the leader of the Xueling black market.

Now, Tang Qingyun, the son of Old Master Tang from Tang Family Fort, and Chen Qing, the son of Tiger and Wolf Sect leader Chen Qinglang... are all guests of honor to Xie An! "

hiss!
Li Ru took a deep breath, stood up straight, and his mind went blank.

He was different from the common people in Wuqiao Town. He had been doing business for many years, so his contacts were naturally much higher than those of ordinary people. He knew what the Blood Ridge Incense Master meant.

How could a businessman not know the status of the Blood Ridge black market in the surrounding six towns?
The annual revenue of the Xueling black market alone is several times greater than the output value of the entire Wuqiao Town.

Among the four great incense masters under Baiyu Hall, the Xueling incense master is the most prominent.

Baiyutang was a large sect with 300 disciples, dominating the six towns. Li Ru had personally witnessed countless wealthy merchants bringing silver in boxes to Baiyutang every year as tribute.

If not for this, Li Ru would not have gone to so much trouble to send Li Shaoyun to the Xueling black market to learn martial arts.

When Zhang Biao, a steward, visited the Li residence, Li Ru still had to kowtow to him.

What’s more, he is a incense master?
As for Tangjiabao and the leader of the Tiger and Wolf Sect... they are like heaven to Li Ru.

Such big figures are actually Xie An’s guests of honor?
Only one year... How is that possible!?
The adrenaline in his body surged rapidly in a short period of time, almost making Li Ru lose his breath. His face turned red and purple. "Are you sure?"

Li Shaoyun was extremely anxious. "How could this be a mistake? I was not in a clear mind and secretly learned martial arts. According to the rules of the sect, I should have had my tendons cut or been beaten to death. But the new deacon only punished me with solitary confinement for a few months... But the new deacon was masked at the time. I only now know that he is Xie An!
Later, I was released because he was promoted to the position of incense master and held a grand banquet. At that time, he asked me to be filial to my mother.

pat.

Li Ru lost his balance for a moment and collapsed to the ground. "Oh my God, Old Xie actually became the head of the Tiger and Wolf Sect... How unbearable! I beat him with a bamboo stick before..."

The mention of the bamboo pole incident stirred Li Shaoyun's thoughts, and he felt extremely scared. "According to the information I learned, when he redeemed himself, he had already replaced Zhang Biao as the deacon of the Tiger and Wolf Sect. At that time, we extorted 180 taels from him... If he got angry, in a rage... our Li Mansion would be gone. Not to mention now..."

Li Ru felt a chill down his spine after hearing this and hurriedly got up from the ground. "Quick, call Doctor Li and go to the pawnshop to visit He Chunli immediately. Madam, quickly, take all the silver and follow me."

Mrs. Li was so frightened that her face turned pale. She stumbled to the inner room to get the silver. Because she was too anxious, she tripped over the threshold and lost her balance and hit the door panel.

"Mother." Li Shaoyun wanted to go over and support her. Madam Li stood up despite the pain, rubbing her temples and ran inside. She opened the drawer, took out the ten pieces of precious silver, and then took out the banknotes, packed them all up, and then hurried out.

“Hurry up!

I've told you to treat others kindly, but you just don't take it seriously. You think you're so great just because you're the master. You beat people with sticks at every turn, even though they don't have any bad intentions. You did the same thing to Old Xie before. He's been diligently managing the shop for our Li Mansion for thirty years. It's neither moral nor logical to ask him to redeem himself now that he's old. Yet you insist on hitting him with a stick.

Is it worth it for that little selfishness? Put yourself in their shoes.

Now I treat Master He the same way, if he misjudges an object, he will be beaten...

So what if I'm the master? This world is in chaos. In the eyes of the bigwigs, our Li family is nothing but pitiful creatures. Why is it like this?

Now we've gotten into a big mess. If anything happens to my family, I...will die."

Mrs. Li walked out of the living room door while muttering, her eyes red.

Li Ru hung his head and didn't dare to refute a word.

……

But when Xie An entered the pawnshop carrying cakes and clothes, Yuhe knew that they had something to say, so she did not follow him in, but stayed at the door of the pawnshop watching the carriage.

A year later, the pawnshop was still the same.

Chunlan led the way while respectfully speaking about the changes that had taken place over the past year.

"After you left, He Chunli became the shopkeeper. Although business wasn't as good as it was when you were there, He Chunli was diligent and down-to-earth, and Han Li had no complaints and assisted him. The two of them worked together to keep the shop in perfect order. Madam often praised them for their quick grasp of the subject.

He Chunli has become more sensible and less shy. He also knows how to behave and has learned some etiquette. He would bring gifts to his wife and father every New Year and festival.

Han Li is eloquent and has secured a lot of business."

Xie An felt greatly relieved after hearing this.

Xie An knew that it was only a matter of time before He Chunli became smart and sensible.

What made Xie An happy was that Han Li let go of his prejudice and opened up his heart. He did not feel resentful about his original arrangement and did not follow Zhang Bing's old path.

Xie An entered the pawnshop and glanced around, but didn't see his two disciples. "Xiao He is the master of the court, so why isn't he here?"

Chunlan hesitated, and finally did not dare to face Xie An's oppressive gaze, and recounted what had happened.

Got spanked again?
Last time it was Li He, this time it’s Li Ru…

It’s still the end of the year and it’s snowing.

Xie An took out a piece of Wufangzhai pastry and stuffed it into Chunlan's hand. "Miss Chunlan, keep it. This is a little gift from me. There is still work to do at the Li Mansion. You go back first. I will visit you at the Li Mansion later."

Then, Xie An hurried to the backyard carrying bags.

As soon as I entered the backyard, I heard the voices of Han Li and He Chunli coming from the familiar house.

"Hiss, be gentle."

"I didn't even touch your butt, why are you yelling? Okay, hurry up and go to the Li Mansion to have the New Year's tea and dinner. Remember, just two bites. I'll finish my work in the shop and wait for you at the door of the Li Mansion. By the way, take this bracelet."

"Ah? This bracelet...are you really going to give it to Chunlan?"

"You're willing to spend half a month's salary to buy it, but you don't dare to give it to me as a gift? You're such a coward."

"I...was afraid that Miss Chunlan would dislike me."

"You're a court master now, so why are you feeling guilty? Looking around Wuqiao Town, how many court masters are as young as you?"

"That's true. Okay, I'll keep it with me for now, and if the opportunity arises, I'll give it away."

"Is the opportunity right? Are you still pretending? Let me tell you, Miss Chunlan is very popular. Many of the servants in the Li Mansion are flirting with her, and there are also several young masters from the shops in town who have their eyes on her."

"Fuck, don't scare me."

At this moment, a clear voice came from outside the door: "You like Chunlan, right?"

"No, no, Han Li is just talking nonsense..." He Chunli instinctively denied it, his face flushed. The next moment, He Chunli's whole body was shaken.

Han Li was also shocked.

Then, both of them wiped their eyes fiercely at the same time, opened their eyes again, and saw a tall middle-aged man in luxurious brocade robe standing at the door.

"master!?"

"Ah."

Xie An nodded with satisfaction.

After saying hello, the scene... became awkward!
Han Li, with his sharp eyes, quickly stepped forward and took the two fine cotton jackets and the Wufangzhai cakes from Xie An's hands, placing them on a bench nearby. He then stood back, looking at Xie An in his splendid attire, feeling a little hesitant.

He Chunli was also a little at a loss.

They are no longer the newbies they were before. After a year of seeing and hearing, they naturally realized that Xie An's brocade robe was very expensive. Moreover, Xie An's temperament was noble and outstanding, obviously much better than that of ordinary people. Just looking at him gave people a strong impact, making people dare not approach him.

Xie An saw through their little tricks at a glance and said, "Why, you think I'm wearing more expensive clothes, so you don't recognize me as your master, right?"

"No no."

"How dare I? My master will always be my master."

"Then come here."

The two disciples shyly approached Xie An, who then reached out his hands and embraced them in his arms, "You miss the master, and the master misses you too."

Although it was a simple hug, it made the two disciples' eyes red.

Especially He Chunli, he called out "Master" in a low voice.

After a while, when Xie An let go of his hand, the strangeness between the three of them disappeared for the most part, and each of them had an unconcealable smile on their faces.

Xie An took out fine cotton jackets and asked his two disciples to put them on, and then took out cakes from Wufangzhai for them to share.

After expressing their gratitude, the two disciples put on their new clothes, moved stools and sat around Xie An, eating cakes and asking him about his experiences over the past year. Of course, He Chunli couldn't sit because his butt was hurt, so he squatted to the side.

Whenever Xie An talked about something exciting, their eyes would widen...

This situation and scene is just like going back to the New Year's Eve last year.

They also sat around Xie An in this way, listening to Xie An talk about what the older generation had seen and heard, as well as the lessons of life.

As always, chatting around the fire.

----

P.S. A reader mentioned that the details about Han Li's family were different from those in the previous chapter, so I made some changes in Chapter 23. It was mentioned early on that Han Li took a three-month leave due to family matters. The original chapter 23 said "they either had no parents or were sold by their parents", but it was changed to make it clear that Han Li was the latter.

(End of this chapter)