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

Chapter 28 Advance Monthly Payment
The entire pawnshop fell into deathly silence.

Xie An stared at the silver and money in Madam Li's hand and was speechless for a long time.

Xie An could sense Li Ru's thoughts for three reasons:

First, he felt that he had been a slave for thirty years and shouldn't have thought about breaking free from the control of the Li family...

The second reason is that it offended Li Ru's authority and made him unhappy.

Thirdly, Li Shaoyun's martial arts training was very costly, so he simply slashed himself with a knife. It was a suppression, but also a real cut.

Li Ru knew he couldn't come up with that much money, so he had no choice but to stay in the pawnshop and work for the Li family. Over the years, Xie An's skills as an appraiser had become quite good, and he had also gained considerable fame both inside and outside the town. Many of his regular customers came to him just for him. As long as Xie An remained in the pawnshop, the value of his items would naturally exceed two hundred taels.

If Li Ru insisted on doing so, with Xie An's current ability, he had no intention of letting the Li family have an easy time.

But Mrs. Li...is kind and compassionate.

For a moment, Xie An couldn't help but recall the glorious scene when Madam Li married into the Li Mansion.

At that time, I was a young man, and Mrs. Li was also a young girl in her prime.

Now his temples are gray.

Time makes people grow old.

After recovering from his shock, Xie An bowed and said, "I appreciate Madam Li's kindness. But I absolutely cannot accept this money."

Mrs. Li was firm in her attitude. "Old Xie, I sincerely hope you can have a good end. I'm not trying to test you."

Feeling Madam Li's sincerity, Xie An no longer concealed the truth. "Madam, if I don't have the ability to raise the money to redeem myself, even if I receive your favor, I won't be able to live outside. Redeeming myself like this is meaningless. Please give me seven days, I will go and raise the money."

Sensing the determination in Xie An's eyes, Madam Li did not force him any further. "In that case, I won't force you. I'll go talk to the master and give you seven days to raise the money. If you can't raise it by then, you can ask Chunlan to tell me."

After leaving a few words, Madam Li got up and left, stepping back into the snow and wind.

Xie An sent her to the door and watched Mrs. Li's back as she walked away.

Chunlan, who had left a little later, came up and said, "Thank you, Master. Madam Li is so kind to you. Why do you have to do this? It will only make you suffer."

Xie An said, "Madam Li is a servant girl, and marrying into the Li family must have had a difficult life. If the master knew about this, her life would be even more difficult. Madam has been very kind to me, how could I make things difficult for her?"

Chunlan stared at Xie An deeply, then turned and left.

……

If it were a few months ago, one hundred and eighty taels would definitely be a number that Xie An could not imagine.

But for Xie An now, it is not too exaggerated.

After all, Zhang Lin had said that the salary for a Baiyutang deacon was only twenty taels per month. He could ask Zhang Lin for help and overdraft his money for six months... a total of one hundred and twenty taels, plus the sixty taels he already had. That would be more than enough.

Back in the hut, Xie An saw his two disciples enthusiastically practicing health-preserving exercises. Han Li was actually quite good at it. As for He Chunli… he was practicing with his butt sticking out, which looked like a doggy style…

Seeing his disciple happy, Xie An felt much less depressed.

The shop wouldn't open until the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, so everyone had nothing to do. Normally, this was the time to visit relatives, but since the three of them were servants and had no relatives, there were no relatives to visit, so they huddled together for warmth, forming a small family.

"Master, do you think I'm practicing correctly?"

"And I, and I..."

Xie An glanced at his two disciples' moves and said, "Han Li's is okay, but Xiao He, are you...doggy-paddle swimming?"

"Hahaha." Han Li slapped his thigh in delight after hearing this. He Chunli, who was already shy, felt even more embarrassed.

"Let me show you how to do it, watch."

Xie An was not in a good mood today, but seeing his two disciples working so hard, he couldn't help but be infected, so he stopped and set an example for them.

As the saying goes, it is better to come straight to the point. After Xie An demonstrated a few moves, his two disciples were shocked.

"Master, your fighting skills are so beautiful, just like a hero."

"Xiao He, you're too bad at talking. Please remove the word 'seemingly'. The master is the hero."

"Brother Han is right. I was careless."

"Don't be distracted. Watch carefully," Xie An scolded. The two disciples finally focused their attention and began studying seriously. The more they watched, the more astonished they became. Although they were beginners, they could clearly sense Xie An's movements were fluid and seamless. His punches even caused bursts of air to explode, a truly majestic sight.

In an instant, both of them looked at their master with eyes full of admiration.

Xie An practiced every move, then stopped and stood still. "Okay, you guys figure it out on your own. The key to cultivation is up to you."

After leaving a few words, Xie An returned to the utility room next to the cabin and practiced health-preserving exercises for the day.

At dusk, Xie An and his two disciples had dinner and hurried out.

When he walked out of the town, night fell. Xie An wrapped his face with a black cloth and came to the Xueling black market again.

Although the black market was not explicitly closed, there were not many people on the third day of the Lunar New Year. There were only a few twenty or thirty stalls and few customers.

Xie An went directly to the black market, but did not find the chamber pot boy. He then went to a courtyard on the edge of the city and found Zhang Lin.

"Brother, I've finally got you here." Zhang Lin, still wearing a deacon's uniform, warmly welcomed Xie An into the inner hall and asked Zhou Xing to make some old tea for him.

After some pleasantries, Zhang Lin got straight to the point. "What a coincidence. Deacon Zhang Biao was ambushed by bandits on New Year's Eve, and his position as deacon just happened to be vacant. If you're interested in joining Baiyu Hall, you'd be perfect for this position."

While speaking, Zhang Lin looked at Xie An with a half-smile, as if he knew something.

Although there was no evidence, Zhang Lin had a strong feeling that this was done by the old man in front of him.

A few months ago, Zhang Lin and Xie An hinted at Zhang Biao, and then Zhang Biao died.

And Xie An came to visit him just three days after his death?

How could there be such a coincidence?
Moreover, Zhang Lin had checked the scene and knew that Zhang Biao was shot to death by a heavy bow. Zhang Lin had seen the deaths of Zhang Wei and Lu Wei from a distance, as Xie An had used a heavy bow at that time.

To sum up, Zhang Lin guessed 80% to 90%: Zhang Biao was killed by the old man in front of him.

But without evidence, this kind of thing can only be buried in the heart and must never be spoken out.

Facing the look in Zhang Lin's eyes, Xie An knew what the old man was thinking.

However, Xie An was not alarmed. He was just speculating and had no evidence. Moreover, after six months of understanding, Xie An felt that the interests of both parties were aligned and the other party would not expose the matter publicly.

Of course, Xie An wouldn't completely rely on Zhang Lin's credibility. He always wore a mask when he came to the black market, so Zhang Lin didn't know his identity. If Zhang Lin really had any plans to frame him, Xie An would have no choice but to send him off.

Favors are favors, and they can be repaid. But if it is a matter of life and death, Xie An, who has the power, will definitely not hesitate.

After weighing the pros and cons, Xie An asked, "Deacon Zhang, can I get an advance of six months' salary?"

(End of this chapter)