Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 544 - 506: What’s Wrong with Making Yu En Happy? (1)

Chapter 544: Chapter 506: What’s Wrong with Making Yu En Happy? (1)

"The day after tomorrow, let’s go shopping. There’s a place that makes the most delicious roasted goose," Lou Chengye suggested.

Li Yu En nodded with a smile, "Sure, sure, let’s go eat roasted goose. I love roasted goose."

Snap—

Li Xingsheng put his chopsticks down.

He looked seriously at the two of them.

The couple was startled and stared blankly at Li Xingsheng.

"Second brother... what’s wrong?" Li Yu En blinked, confused.

"Second brother, is there anything the matter?" Lou Chengye also asked.

"You two!" Li Xingsheng pointed at Li Yu En, then at Lou Chengye, "Do you only know how to eat, eat, eat? Can’t you have some other ambitions?"

Lou Chengye frowned, "Is it wrong to make Yu En happy?"

Li Xingsheng, "..." Of course not! "But you can’t play and eat every day."

Li Yu En spat out a piece of duck foot bone, "Second brother, anyway, it’s after the New Year’s plan. We’ll talk about it after the New Year."

Lou Chengye nodded in agreement, "Yes, we’ll talk after the New Year."

Li Xingsheng, "..." He was amused and exasperated. These two were a match made in heaven.

They eat together and play together, not minding each other’s company.

"Sister, Chengye. When I talk about future plans, I’m not referring to the immediate days and what you’ll arrange. I mean, do you have enough money to last you a lifetime?" Li Xingsheng glanced at Lou Chengye, "Chengye, you ran away from home claiming your brothers looked down on you for not having a job or a wife. Now you have a wife, but what about a job? Are you going to let your wife follow you, using up all your resources, and then roam outside?"

Li Yu En waved her hand, "Second brother, we won’t roam. I can cook and support him."

Li Xingsheng grabbed chopsticks and placed a piece of braised duck in Li Yu En’s bowl, "Eat up, sister."

Li Yu En was touched, "Thank you, second brother."

After quieting down her foolish chatter, Li Xingsheng turned to Lou Chengye, "Chengye, you’re not really expecting my sister to support you, are you? Her dowry isn’t much."

Lou Chengye blushed, "Of course not. I’m... I’m planning for the future."

"Have you thought it through?" Li Xingsheng poured a cup of wine for Lou Chengye.

Lou Chengye held the cup, toasted to Li Xingsheng, and sighed, "I want to take the military examination, but my father won’t let me."

Li Xingsheng remarked, "Taking the military examination is a good idea. The court is always lacking military officers."

Lou Chengye shook his head, "But my father won’t let me, saying our family is scholarly and can’t produce a martial artist. He says martial artists are all barbarians."

Li Xingsheng snorted, "That’s prejudice!"

Lou Chengye said, "I can’t convince my father, and my mother disagrees too." He frowned, "I naturally don’t love studying, but they insist I take the scholar’s examination."

Li Yu En tilted her head to look at Lou Chengye, still chewing on braised duck, "Chengye, you could secretly take the exam."

Lou Chengye shook his head, "My father is the magistrate. Whether it’s the civil or military exam, he’s the chief examiner. Can I hide it?"

Li Yu En was stumped, "Then what to do?"

Lou Chengye sighed, "If I run to another State Mansion to take the exam, my father would still find out."

Truly a timid fellow.

Li Xingsheng patted his shoulder, "Go take the exam first. Once you win the martial champion title, let’s see if your father can bear to let you give up on it."

Lou Chengye thought for a moment, "Can it really work like that?"

"You’re still young, give it a try." Li Xingsheng encouraged him, recalling the time he lost his travel funds and warned sternly, "Don’t lose your funds again."

Lou Chengye blushed, "That was my first time traveling far, inexperienced. I won’t do it again."

Besides, it wasn’t him who lost it; the horse went missing with the funds strapped on it.

Next time he travels, he’ll keep the funds on himself, not on the horse’s back.

Li Yu En defended Lou Chengye, "Second brother, it was his first time traveling far, unaware of the dangers outside, hence lost the funds and horse. Next time, it won’t happen."

Li Xingsheng looked at Li Yu En, then at Lou Chengye, "In any case, remember what I said. Plan for the future, don’t just use up everything."

Both replied together, "Of course not, second brother."

.

Li Yu En and Lou Chengye spent a day at Li Xingsheng’s small mansion, only returning to Lou Mansion after dinner.

Li Xingsheng escorted them to the mansion entrance before heading back.

The couple didn’t return empty-handed; they brought back some gifts too.

The servant accompanying them from the Lou Family carried one load there and brought back another of different gifts.

These gifts included some sundries from north to south purchased by Li Xingsheng in the city, and some local specialties brought along when Li Xingmao sent a letter via village folks.

There was a pair of deer, a basket of live fish, and a basket of fresh lotus roots.

Prefect Lou learned of it and was very pleased, repeatedly saying that the gift Li Xingsheng sent was good.

However, Lady Lou was quite disdainful, ordering Chang Sui to send the items to the kitchen without another word.

Lou Chengye and Li Yu En came together to meet Lady Lou, who excused herself, saying the wind had given her a headache and refused to see anyone.

The couple then left and went to see Old Lady Lou.

Old Lady Lou liked them, kept them for a chat, and only let them leave when the lamps were lit.

Once the couple left, Lady Lou immediately asked Mrs. Qin, who had accompanied them, "Did you find anything in that mansion?"

Mrs. Qin replied, "Yes, a jade screen placed on the table, I remember it always being on the master’s desk, but now it’s in Li Family’s brother’s room."

Lady Lou squinted her eyes, "When was it taken? How could I not know?" That small screen wasn’t cheap; it was made of jade!

Mrs. Qin said, "Madam, could it be that Li Family persuaded the Fifth Young Master to take it quietly?"

Lady Lou sneered, "It must be! Go call the wife of the eldest son."

"Yes, Madam."

Mrs. Qin immediately went to fetch Lady Lou.

Lady Lou explained the situation to Lady Lou, "Take people to Li Mansion right away and say that the master lost something. We don’t know which servant took it, and having searched the mansion in vain, we now need to search the servants’ homes."

Liu Er and his two sons were part of Li Yu En’s dowry, sometimes visiting the mansion, sometimes staying at Li Xingsheng’s small residence.

Lady Lou did not like Li Yu En and was just waiting to see her misfortune. Listening to her mother-in-law’s instructions, she immediately said, "Rest assured, mother-in-law, the item will be found."

Upon leaving Lady Lou’s room, Lady Lou immediately sent her maid to call over some rough laborers, taking a few young servants with her to Li Xingsheng’s small residence overnight.

By this time, it was well past the first hour of the night.

The December night winds blew fiercely, with not a single soul walking in the alleys.

The gates of Li Xingsheng’s residence were tightly closed.

There was candlelight in the courtyard, and people spoke inside.

Lady Lou tightened her cloak around her and said to her companion, "Go ahead and knock."

The nanny beside her stepped forward to knock, "Open the door, open the door, Lady Lou has arrived."

"Who is it, which lady?" Liu Er’s voice came from behind the door.

"Lady Lou from the Lou Mansion is here, open up quickly," the nanny said again.

Behind the door, Liu Er and his two sons were in discussions, surprised by the sounds outside.

Why would Lady Lou come so late at night?

"Dad, judging by the knocking and shouting, they come with no goodwill," Liu Er’s eldest son, Liu Jinbao, said with a furrowed brow.

"With such anger, what’s going on?" Liu Yinbao also said.

"Open the door and find out, what should we be afraid of?" Liu Er nodded to his sons, "If she ends up crying after being scolded, I’ll be happy to laugh."

Liu Jinbao and Liu Yinbao went together to open the door.

Lady Lou’s nanny burst in with an imposing demeanor.

She glanced at the three Liu family men and coldly said, "Where is Li Erlang? Why can’t I see him?"

However, the smiling Lady Lou who followed in said, "Nanny Gui, these are Fifth Young Madam’s dowry. You should not speak such words."

Nanny Gui looked at her, adjusted her demeanor, "Yes, Eldest Young Madam."

"Lady Lou, coming so late at night, is there something you need?" Liu Er saluted Lady Lou.

He saw that not only Lady Lou and her servant had arrived but also two women, one maid, and three young servants.

Their eyes glanced at him and his sons with a strange look.

This setup could only mean trouble.

Liu Er glanced towards the main hall of the wooden building, wanting to say something but refrained.

Lady Lou looked around and said, "I only need to speak with your Li Erlang, is he here? Call him to see me."

Liu Er replied, "Lady Lou, Erlang is talking with a guest and is not available now."

Lady Lou didn’t truly want to see Li Xingsheng; she was only speaking courteously, "In that case, talking to you will do."

Liu Er, surprised, said, "Please go ahead, Lady Lou."

"This matter is as big as it is small," Lady Lou smiled, "Something was lost at home, and the lady ordered a night search. Whether inside the mansion or the servants’ houses outside, all must be searched."

The young and impulsive Liu Jinbao immediately exclaimed, "Lady Lou, we haven’t taken anything from the mansion."

Liu Yinbao also followed, "That’s right, we haven’t taken anything from anyone."

Lady Lou smiled slightly, "I never said you took anything, searching here is just to prevent others in the mansion from speaking against you, lest they say that the lady and Fifth Young Master shelter you. Do you want to be misunderstood?"