Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World-Chapter 50 - You’re Invited
Chapter 50: Chapter 50: You’re Invited
Chapter 50 -50: You’re Invited
“Yes!
Yes!
Mooching a meal!” Chief Manager Gao said, looking at Zheng Fa with an eagerness more polite than the last visit, “I wonder, is it convenient?”
“Uncle, please come in.”
Zheng Fa invited Chief Manager Gao and his son into the courtyard, while his younger sister Zheng Shan scurried over with two small stools.
“This furniture was actually a gift from you, Uncle Gao.” Looking at the two small stools, Zheng Fa said with a smile, “I should have thanked you long ago.”
“What’s this little thing!” Hearing what Zheng Fa said, Chief Manager Gao quickly waved his hand, but the restrained expression he had when he first came in faded quite a bit.
“Uncle, what is this about…?”
“My dear nephew, I’ve heard from Gao Yuan that you’ve passed on to him a secret technique of the Immortals?” Chief Manager Gao carefully set down his chopsticks and spoke.
“It’s not worthy of being called a secret technique of the Immortals.”
“Then it’s passed on!” Chief Manager Gao slapped his thigh, revealing his true purpose; “My visit this time is specifically to bring him to properly thank you.”
“Chief Manager Gao, you already sent over a lot of things last time, and we haven’t even finished eating those yet.” Zheng Fa hadn’t spoken yet when Mrs.
Zheng interjected.
“Madam, that’s nothing compared to the secret technique of the Immortals.
It’s not worth mentioning!” Chief Manager Gao disagreed.
Seeing Mrs.
Zheng wanted to refuse, he said, “I heard that Madam has always wanted to find a ready-made clothing shop.”
Zheng Fa looked up at him.
“My dear nephew, don’t misunderstand, you’ve been focused on studying and practicing martial arts and might not know.
There are quite a few people in the Zhao Mansion who are keeping their eyes on you now,” Chief Manager Gao hurriedly explained.
Zheng Fa wasn’t surprised.
He didn’t have much of a foundation in the Zhao Mansion, but he was now somewhat of a figure and naturally attracted attention.
What mattered more to Zheng Fa was the mention of the ready-made clothing shop, as he looked towards Mrs.
Zheng, seeing her expression of hesitation.
Mrs.
Zheng always wanted to earn some money through work.
She looked at Zheng Fa, who nodded slightly.
“If it’s possible to find a shop, then I’ll have to trouble Chief Manager Gao.”
Chief Manager Gao was overjoyed: “Perfectly, my brother-in-law owns a shop, Madam can take it over in a few days.”
With that, he took out a piece of paper and placed it on the table.
“Hold on…” Zheng Fa frowned, “What do you mean by my mother going over there?”
“To take over the shop!”
Mrs.
Zheng quickly said, “I just want to find a shop to take on some work.”
“Madam, the shop isn’t worth much, well…we’re all not strangers here.
This is my shop, registered in my brother-in-law’s name,” Chief Manager Gao confessed.
“Madam, if you have someone you trust, the shop can be transferred to him.
If not, and you trust my word, the profit from the shop will still be in my brother-in-law’s name, and I will send someone to deliver the earnings to you every month.”
This was indeed a common practice in the Zhao Mansion.
Even though signing a servitude contract meant one couldn’t own private property, at Chief Manager Gao’s position, such maneuvers were too common.
The Madam must understand this as well.
Otherwise, why would the position of Attendant Student for the Seventh Young Master be so coveted?
Zheng Fa was certain that as long as he was in the Zhao Mansion, Chief Manager Gao would make sure to deliver the money.
Gao Yuan suddenly spoke up, “Zheng Fa, just accept it.
My father doesn’t have just one shop.”
Zheng Fa: …Is it okay to undermine your father right to his face?
Sure enough, Chief Manager Gao’s face darkened as he glared at his foolish son before turning to Zheng Fa with a bitter smile, “My dear nephew…
I know my family has taken great advantage, but no matter how much I offer, it seems too little.
If you don’t accept even this shop, I really won’t be able to sleep…”
Zheng Fa looked at Chief Manager Gao, who had a look that said he wouldn’t leave without an agreement, then glanced at Gao Yuan beside him and nodded.
After the two left, Mrs.
Zheng stared blankly at Zheng Fa, “Our family…
now we have another shop?”
…
As Chief Manager Gao walked out of Zheng Fa’s house, he sighed with relief.
His son Gao Yuan behind him asked puzzledly, “Dad, is that enough?”
“Enough for what?
The Seventh Young Master himself said Zheng Fa has a powerful figure behind him.
This is a secret technique of the Immortals; is one shop enough?
Our family is just making a gesture,” Chief Manager Gao glared at him, “Remember, if Zheng Fa tells you to go east, you must not go west!”
“Our family serves the Zhao Family, we listen to Zheng Fa?”
“…
Anyway, as long as you’re not asked to betray the Zhao Family, you should follow Zheng Fa’s orders!”
“But what if Seventh Young Master has a conflict with Zheng Fa?”
“I see that even the Seventh Young Master is wary of the people behind Zheng Fa.
It seems to me Zheng Fa’s backing is much more solid than Seventh Young Master’s.” Chief Manager Gao gritted his teeth; “I’d side with Zheng Fa!”
“Dad, is it…
is it disloyal to do this?” Gao Yuan was troubled.
“Don’t lump us together.
I’m the steward of the second house, what do I have to do with the young master of the main house?” Housekeeper Gao looked as if he had a firm stance on the matter.
“But I’m the Seventh Young Master’s Attendant Student…”
“Well, yeah, you would be disloyal, but I wouldn’t be.”
…
“Wait, wait, wait, wait…”
From the study came the wail of the Seventh Young Master: “I just blinked, how did it come to this?”
He looked at Zheng Fa, who was deducing something with a pen in front of him, his eyes full of clear confusion.
“…well, obviously!” Zheng Fa also looked perplexed.
“Obvious?
I can’t see how!” The Seventh Young Master argued, not convinced: “This Secret Technique book is too difficult!”
Gao Yuan also had a pained expression on his face.
Neither of them was particularly good at learning.
Except for talismanic diagrams, the Seventh Young Master could almost be described as unlearned, unable to understand no matter how hard he tried.
Gao Yuan was relatively better off as he had learned bookkeeping from the accountant.
He could understand a small part, but it was still extremely painful to learn.
Neither had the sharp mind Zheng Fa needed.
The teaching process was so frustrating that it even made him want to apologize to Old Man Bai – teaching fools truly could be this painful.
In fact, due to caution, this “Junior High School Mathematics Volume One” had been edited by Zheng Fa, focusing more on application, rather than on more fundamental axiomatic proofs.
But for both of them, unexposed to modern education, it was still somewhat difficult to grasp.
“Zheng Fa, do you have any simpler Secret Technique books?” The Seventh Young Master seemed to have a feeling he wouldn’t understand it and pleaded with Zheng Fa.
“I do have one.” Zheng Fa took out a “Elementary Mathematics”.
“I knew it, you were holding back!” The Seventh Young Master joyfully took it.
“I wasn’t hiding it, this is for my sister to learn.”
The Seventh Young Master’s hand froze, he asked: “How many sisters do you have?”
“One, you’ve met her, she’s six years old this year.”
The Seventh Young Master and Gao Yuan exchanged glances, reading a similar struggle on each other’s faces: they hadn’t heard of any Immortal Law Secret Technique that requires one to be shameless to practice!
…
The next day, like a truant, the Seventh Young Master was nowhere to be found.
Long unseen, Housekeeper Wu stood in the study, waiting for them.
Seeing the two enter, his gaze fell on Zheng Fa.
“Zheng Fa, the madam asks for a word.”
“Ask?” Gao Yuan was a bit puzzled by the word “ask”.
Zheng Fa, as if he had been expecting this moment, nodded to Housekeeper Wu and calmly said, “Please lead the way, Housekeeper Wu.”
This “Junior High School Mathematics” was for the Seventh Young Master, but also a message to the madam.
From the moment he achieved the Spiritual Crane Body, Zheng Fa kept asking himself the same question:
As a woman who controls a millennium-old family, as a mother, how would she react to the sudden presence of an Attendant Student with an unknown origin and beyond her control by her son’s side?
And every answer he came up with seemed rather bleak.
