Chapter 9: Money Should Not Be Spent Too Sparingly

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For monsters and some humans, these dried meats were delicious snacks.

The father and son, along with Uncle Hao and the butler, searched intently but couldn't find anything appealing, so they gave up.

He Lingchuan lowered his head and subtly glanced at the divine bone necklace. This was also a trophy from the leopard demon. He had repeatedly considered whether to offer it up, but a voice deep inside always warned him: "Never show it to anyone!" The premonition was so strong that, after much deliberation, he decided to follow his instincts.

"Take these back. The two guards will remain under the supervision of Hongbaidao. Oh, I remember Hongbaidao has a farm in the southern suburbs. It's the off-season now, so the farm will likely be deserted. Lingchuan, do you understand? ... Good, go after dinner and handle it well." He Chunhua turned to Uncle Hao. "Ah Hao, stay for a moment."

He Lingchuan acknowledged the order and left, while Uncle Hao remained.

Only after the figure of the He family's eldest son disappeared behind the doorway did He Chunhua speak to Uncle Hao: "Tell me everything that happened today, from beginning to end."

Uncle Hao recounted everything, without adding or omitting a single detail.

He Chunhua listened, nodded, and dismissed him.

The seasoning room fell silent. He Chunhua stared at the leopard carcass on the table, lost in thought for a while.

Butler Wu waited nearby. Only after two incense sticks had burned down did he speak, reminding him, "Master, it's time for dinner."

Governor He grunted, "What do you make of this matter?"

"The young master may seem reckless, but he handled it quite well," Butler Wu chuckled. "Those two guards shouldn't have been allowed to run around and snoop in the city."

"The little rascal has matured a bit," Governor He sighed softly. "It seems his severe injury this time was a blessing in disguise."

"Master was initially worried about the young master's sudden change in temperament; now you can rest assured."

"Indeed," Governor He said faintly. "Let's go, it's time for dinner."

No matter how much Governor He yearned for his homeland, or how much the He family mansion resembled the capital's style, daily meals still had to bow to reality, mirroring the local cuisine of Blackwater City. After all, those who live by the mountains eat from the mountains, those who live by the water eat from the water, and those who live on barren land must eat what that land provides.

He Lingchuan heartily devoured half a boiled lamb leg in front of him. It was genuinely stewed in clear water, with only ginger and scallions added to remove the gamey smell. The clear stew brought out its natural flavor. The lamb itself was tender and springy; dipped in seasoned pepper and spicy salt, it was incredibly delicious. He Lingchuan cut a slice, dipped it, and ate it, sighing contentedly.

The cooks at the Governor's manor only used bighorn sheep no older than eighteen months. These sheep roamed the Gobi Desert, often eating medicinal herbs like dandelion and scutellaria, which gave their meat a rich, mellow flavor distinct from similar breeds elsewhere, making it a specialty of Red Cliff Road.

Beside He Chunhua sat a beautifully dressed woman, who gently blew on her millet porridge twice before slowly drinking it. Her unhurried grace stood in stark contrast to He Lingchuan's hearty eating. This was He Chunhua's first wife and the mistress of the He mansion, Ying Hongchan. She occasionally tasted a piece of lamb, but only after the butler had carefully deboned it and arranged it pleasingly.

She listened to her husband and younger son's conversation, smiling pleasantly, occasionally glancing at He Lingchuan. Their family of four was all here, complete and orderly.

He Chunhua was discussing this year's tax revenue for Qiansong Commandery with his younger son. Yes, taxes. It was one of the favorite topics among Blackwater City residents. Governor He's most effective assistant was neither a senior accountant nor his chief strategist, but his younger son, He Yue, who was not yet fourteen.

This young boy learned to read at three, could recite three hundred Tang poems by heart at seven, and the following year, the He mansion sent two accountants to prison. He Yue, with nothing better to do, had audited the account books, uncovering several long-standing fraudulent accounts and exposing two fat embezzlers. By the time He Yue was twelve, besides excelling in chess, calligraphy, and painting, he began to 'point fingers' at Governor He's administrative affairs... no, rather, he offered advice and strategies.

He Chunhua was no pedantic old scholar. His younger son's proposals were clear, logical, and effective, so he naturally encouraged them wholeheartedly. He Yue gained more confidence with each task, even able to share some of his father's workload. Thus, this scene was quite common now.

He Lingchuan did not participate in their discussion, not uttering a single word. He simply enjoyed his meal quietly, as his original self had always done. He couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Both He brothers inherited their father's good looks. He Lingchuan had sharp features and was tall and handsome, while He Yue had delicate features and resembled Madam Ying more. However, their characteristics were entirely different. He Yue had a photographic memory, whereas He Lingchuan, as the eldest son, would invariably fall asleep within fifteen minutes of reading, more effective than any sedative. The only thing more annoying than 'the neighbor's perfect child' was 'my own brother is a genius student.' It was a complete and utter domination in every aspect.

"Alright, let's eat!" Ying Hongchan interrupted the conversation between the elder and the younger. "If you don't pick up your chopsticks soon, the food will get cold." In reality, if they didn't pick up their chopsticks soon, He Lingchuan would have eaten most of the dishes. He practiced martial arts, and his appetite was more than double that of an ordinary person.

Seeing Ying Hongchan personally pick up a deep-fried river shrimp for He Yue, He Lingchuan wiped his hands with a cloth and said, "Second Brother, issue a customs clearance document to Liu Baobao's merchant guild tomorrow. Their caravan is returning soon and doesn't want to get stuck at Baitong Pass."

"I told you not to call me Second Brother!" He Yue genuinely disliked the nickname, finding it too unpleasant. "I was just about to tell you, Liu's merchant guild owes two years of vehicle and horse taxes, plus late fees, totaling over seven hundred taels. They only get the clearance permit once they pay it all."

"If that caravan doesn't return, they can't pay the seven hundred taels," He Lingchuan chuckled. "We're old acquaintances; just make an exception this once. I'll go and keep an eye on it for you then."

He Yue was about to say more, but He Chunhua spoke first: "It's fine, issue the document."

His word was final, so He Yue could only grudgingly agree, casting another glare at He Lingchuan. An 'exception' just this once? This 'once' had already happened many times over! When had the old man ever personally overseen it? He always forgot as soon as he said it! Yet, Father always favored the elder brother.

He Lingchuan raised his sea buckthorn juice to him and grinned. In fact, after one or two instances, he understood. This wasn't embezzlement; it was doing work on behalf of his father. Governor He was an official, after all, and sometimes it was inconvenient for him to appear personally, so his son acted on his behalf.

"Speaking of which, Big Brother's expenses this month have indeed decreased," He Yue stated, as if reciting from a ledger. "He's only spent over two hundred taels from the manor, compared to the usual nine hundred taels, which wasn't even enough. However, after your injury, medical treatment, medicine, and tonics also cost over three hundred taels..."

He Lingchuan's heart skipped a beat. He quickly feigned impatience: "Alright, alright, I get it! Wasn't I stuck in bed for too long, with no chance to spend? I know I spent less, I'll make sure to spend more next month!" Slip-ups really were everywhere. He hadn't expected that spending less money would make him even more suspicious.

Roughly, one tael of silver could be exchanged for one thousand cash. So, Young Master He's usual monthly expenditure was nine hundred thousand cash!

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