Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 20 No wonder

With the dim light of the lantern at the door, Chen Xuan could barely see the furnishings inside the house.

There was a bed, a wardrobe, a table, a washbasin stand, candlesticks, a covered toilet in the corner, and some other miscellaneous items, such as candles, washbasins, foot basins, kettles, etc.

There isn't much, but it's clean and tidy.

Chen Xuan had never stayed in an ancient inn, so he didn't know whether these things were standard equipment. However, he guessed that even the upper rooms of a large inn might not have such things, and this was a room in a separate courtyard.

There were candles, two small iron-like objects, and a bamboo tube on the table.

After fumbling around for a while, Chen Xuan finally figured out that the two iron-like objects were flints, an ancient tool for making fire, but he didn't know how to use them. They were not lighters. He knocked them a few times imitating the actions in movies and TV shows, and only saw some sparks.

Fortunately, the bamboo tube was a fire starter. After opening one end and blowing a few breaths, the smoldering fire inside began to flame, and then the candle was lit.

Only when the room was bright did he turn around and close the door. To prevent the candle from going out, he placed it on the candlestick and covered it with a lampshade, making the light dim.

The ten-square-meter room was a bit crowded, but it was the best living place Chen Xuan had ever lived in this world, a thousand times better than the dog cage he had lived in before.

"This treatment is a bit too good. The two followers that Butler He brought earlier entered the same room. I was definitely not mistaken, but I stayed in a single room. Why is that?"

This thought flashed through his mind. Chen Xuan couldn't figure it out for the time being, but he didn't worry about it. He would know the answer sooner or later.

Butler He was just an errand boy. The real owner had never met him, so he was definitely rich or noble. Chen Xuan didn't think that he had no descendants and bought him to take care of him in his old age, treating him like a young master...

Now that things have come to this, I might as well make the best of it. After several days of traveling, Chen Xuan is a little tired. He is feeling fine now, so he might as well go to bed.

Hot water and toiletries were readily available. Chen Xuan took a special look at the kettle. The outside was made of bamboo strips, and there were even patterns on it. The inner liner was made of copper, and there was a filler in the middle to keep it warm.

"This is soap for cleaning, tooth powder, and a toothbrush. Wow, the 'ancients' here are no less sophisticated than the society I once lived in when it comes to daily necessities. And they're all natural, without any additives."

Feeling speechless, Chen Xuan washed up, blew out the light and went to bed. The bed was clean and smelled of sunshine.

Thinking of the dog cage he lived in some time ago, Chen Xuan, even though he was a grown man, suddenly felt like crying. This is the life that people live. If you have never suffered, you will never understand how precious ordinary life is.

Even though he was exhausted, Chen Xuan just couldn't fall asleep. It was definitely not because the porcelain pillow was too hard.

Unable to sleep, he simply thought of all sorts of random things. Where was the old man who kidnapped his boatman? What he said about Xiaoqing River in Meiliu Village, Daniu Township was absolutely a lie. The old bastard looked honest, but he didn't tell a single truth.

Those human traffickers are not normal in their skills. Maybe they have martial arts skills. And the man who fell face down on the street before was able to jump more than ten meters high even after vomiting blood. Can a normal person do that?

Butler He is not an ordinary person either. He seems gentle and refined, and can predict accidents in advance. If you say he is an ordinary person, Chen Xuan would never believe it even if he is beaten to death. When you think about it carefully, his calm steps along the way were as if measured with a ruler, and no pedestrians on the street have bumped into him. It is definitely not just because of his dress and demeanor that people deliberately avoid him!

Why did he take a fancy to me? What was his purpose in buying me? I'm just a child now, I won't be forced to do hard labor, right? The treatment I receive doesn't seem like hard labor.

Where will Zhang Lanlan end up? Are Erdan and the others okay?

And how much did they spend on buying themselves?

Chen Xuan was so overwhelmed with thoughts that he didn't even know when he fell asleep...

The next day, before dawn, Chen Xuan woke up to a knock on the door. He was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was no longer in the dog cage.

When you get up, turn on the light first, then go open the door.

I saw two women in their twenties standing at the door. They were pretty and wearing blue and white long skirts. One of them was holding a lantern and the other was holding a tray with a set of clothes piled on it, as well as two steamed buns and a plate of side dishes.

Somewhat confused and not knowing what to call him, Chen Xuan asked, "Excuse me, who are you?"

"I heard from Butler He that your name is Chen Xuan, right? You look quite clever, no wonder the Madam took a liking to you at first sight. Don't be too reserved, we'll be family from now on, and we'll have a lot of time together. It's easy to get along with each other," the woman carrying the tray said, looking at Chen Xuan with a friendly smile, her eyes a little curious. The woman holding the lantern continued, "Well, little Chen Xuan is still a little uncomfortable, don't scare him, business is more important."

"Oh, right," the woman who spoke first nodded quickly, stepped into the room and said, "Come here, Xiao Chenxuan, um, let's just call you Xiaoxuan, otherwise it would be too unfamiliar. Try this suit on to see if it fits. I made it last night. If it doesn't fit, we'll make some alterations later. If it does fit, just do this. Do you need our help?"

Delivering clothes to him early in the morning? Apparently, he also sent food. Chen Xuan was really confused.

"Hehe, is Xiao Xuan shy? Hurry up, don't waste time, we have to hurry up, let me help you," another woman joked, put down the lantern and went forward to help.

Although her tone was joking, Chen Xuan vaguely felt that there was something unquestionable in her words.

He soon realized that the purpose of helping him put on clothes was fake, and the real purpose was to help him observe if he had any hidden diseases or defects!
Since he couldn't escape, he simply said awkwardly, "I can come by myself, why would I bother you two sisters?"

"It's okay," the woman said as she started to take action.

Chen Xuan simply closed his eyes and let it go, diverting his attention and asking, "What are your two sisters' names?"

"Sister, you keep calling me sister. Xiao Xuan is so sweet. Remember, we are the Madam's personal maids. My name is Qingyu, her name is Qinghe, and there are two other childhood sweethearts, Qingping, who haven't come yet. You'll have a chance to meet them in the future," said the woman who was dressing Chen Xuan with a smile. Her hands were skillful and she changed Chen Xuan's clothes in no time.

Chen Xuan closed his eyes and did not see them quietly looking at each other and nodding, apparently to make sure that he had no hidden illness or defects.

"Okay, Xiao Xuan, open your eyes. It fits you well. Clothes for the next four seasons should be based on this size." Qinghe took a step back, looked at Chen Xuan, and nodded with satisfaction.

At this time, Chen Xuan was wearing a green robe that fit him well, and a small hat of the same color, probably to cover his short hair, looking like a clever little boy.

"Qingyu Qinghe? Or Qingyu Qinghe?" Chen Xuan didn't quite understand, but he understood. They said they were personal maids to some lady, so their status must be not much different from that of Butler He.

At present, it seems that they are here to check their bodies for that lady.

Chen Xuan couldn't help but be curious and said, "Sisters Qingyu and Qinghe, I've remembered this. May I ask you two sisters, thank you for your kindness. I wonder what your future plans will be? I'm really worried about clothes and food."

"Hey, it's rare that you can think of these things at such a young age. Looking at you... Forget it, let's not talk about the past. Once you enter the Gao family, you are a member of the Gao family. Everything that happened yesterday is in the past," Qingyu said speechlessly.

Qing He took over the conversation and said bluntly, "Since you asked, Xiao Xuan, I'll tell you in advance. My young master is already of school age. My wife loves him so much that she was reluctant to send him to school to suffer for the past two years. But delaying it was no use, so she cruelly sent him there at the beginning of the year. However, he still needed a companion. None of the children she had at home met my wife's eyes, so she went around looking for one herself. She went to many places but didn't find anyone she was satisfied with. She came to Jinxia County to try her luck, but she fell in love with you at first sight. You are such a lucky guy!"

"I'll tell you a secret, little Chen Xuan. Now you have just settled in our Gao family, but you are no longer a slave, but a child of a good family." Qingyu blinked and whispered this secret that could not be called a secret to Chen Xuan, probably to comfort him.

After hearing what they said, some of Chen Xuan's confusions suddenly became clear.

It turns out that he is a study companion. No wonder he is treated so well, no wonder Butler He is so easy to talk to, and no wonder those two followers look at him with envy.

The young master they were talking about might be the heir in the future, and as a study companion, this identity was not ordinary, similar to a personal secretary. If one abided by the duties, once the young master inherited the family business, after years of getting to know each other well, the position of housekeeper would be a sure thing.

Moreover, if the young master enters the official career in the future, he will most likely become a legal advisor and his status will rise accordingly.

With such an identity, one will be able to act on behalf of the master in many cases in the future, so it is inappropriate to be demoted to a slave.

Of course, the premise is to abide by this and not do wrong things in the future.

Moreover, this identity is good, but to be frank, if the Gao family commits a crime, you will be implicated when the entire family is executed, and there is no way to escape it!
The lady they were talking about actually ran around looking for a study companion, which shows how much she cares about the so-called young master.

As for the Gao family, I don’t know what kind of family background they are, but it seems that they must be a wealthy and powerful family.

Oh right, I was just worried about not being able to read the local language. We can still study together in the future. Besides, since I'm from a decent family, I wonder if I'll have a chance to take the imperial examination. Even if the hope is slim, it's not completely impossible...

(End of this chapter)