When they arrived at the Grand Master's Mansion, Grand Master Xie was in a garden. He was playing chess with an old housekeeper, staring at the chessboard with all his attention.
Grand Master Xie looked quite old, probably in his fifties, with wrinkles all over his face and gray hair, but his eyes were very bright. He raised his hand and said, "Let me wait until I finish playing this game."
"Dad, I'm back." Xie Lingyun stepped forward.
Upon hearing this, Master Xie immediately widened his eyes and said happily: "Ling'er, you are back? Hey, this is..."
Grand Master Xie saw Li Yuguo, and he was quite wary of this unfamiliar face. Li Yuguo also clasped his fists and said, "Cao Min Li Huguo has met Grand Master Xie. Cao Min came from Jiuxiao City. By the way... Cao Min's father, Grand Master, may recognize him. He entrusted him to A letter from the common people to the Grand Master."
Li Yuguo said as he took out the letter from his arms.
Grand Master Xie frowned: "Li Yuguo? Where is the letter? Show it to me."
Li Yuguo was also very respectful and presented the letter with both hands. When Master Xie saw the handwriting on the letter, his expression changed. His cold eyes immediately widened, like two money eyes. He took a deep breath. Said: "Your father is..."
"My father is a businessman in Jiuxiao City, named Li Zhen." Li Hugo said.
Master Xie was so excited that he was speechless. He immediately stood up and opened the letter to read it. However, after seeing the contents of the letter, Master Xie burst into tears. He was swaying and almost fell down. : "Your Majesty... My dear nephew, you are finally here. I have been waiting for you for eighteen years. Eighteen years..."
"Master, do you know my father?" Li Yuguo asked tentatively.
"We know each other, more than we know each other!" Grand Master Xie stood up, "My nephew, you don't have to be so polite. You can just call me Uncle Xie."
Li Yuguo clasped his fists and said, "I see... This junior has met Uncle Xie."
"It's good that you're here, my dear nephew." Master Xie seemed to have thought of something and immediately said, "I and your father took the exam together before. We are classmates and friends, but I didn't expect that we would be eighteen when we parted ways. Years ago, but now that I can see the son of my old friend, it seems that God has treated me well..."
Grand Master Xie's eyes were intense and he was staring at Li Yuguo, which made Li Yuguo feel uncomfortable: "This junior will now study in Shujian Academy for a period of time, and will take the exam in a while. During this period, this junior will come to visit more often. Thank you, Uncle."
Many people around him were also dumbfounded. They thought Li Huguo was a poor boy from the countryside, but how could he have imagined that he would have such a background.
Before Li Yuguo entered, he was still stared at by several servants, for fear that Xie Lingyun would lure a wolf into the house.
But now, when they saw that Li Yuguo actually interacted with Grand Master Xie, they were shocked and frightened. They were worried that Li Yuguo was a stingy person and trouble would come to their door.
But Li Huguo didn't care. After all, no matter in this world or in this world, there are usually many people who change their views because of their identity.
"I wonder where my nephew lives now?" Grand Master Xie waved his hand and asked someone to prepare a chair, and the few chess players who were playing chess with Grand Master Xie also left knowingly.
Li Yuguo said: "I should live in the courtyard dormitory of Shujianyuan. After all, I am new here and plan to stay for half a year. If I live in an inn, it will cost too much and it will not be easy to make money. I heard that it takes a year in the academy. It only costs twenty taels of silver, and half a year’s stay seems to only cost fifteen taels.”
In fact, twenty taels is not cheap anymore. These twenty taels can buy a mid-range house in Jiuxiao City. However, in this prosperous capital city, twenty taels is just a small amount. After all, merchants from all over the world gather here. The place, the capital, is a paradise for the rich, but a hell for those without money and power.
The gap between the rich and the poor here is huge, and Li Yuguo has never been a wasteful person, so he plans to live in Shujianyuan.
But at this time, Taishi Xie smiled and said: "Since I know your father, how can I treat you badly? How about this... I still have many vacant rooms here. You can choose one to live in. What do you think, Hugo?"
"Thank you very much, uncle, but this is the Grand Master's residence. I'm afraid there is something wrong with this junior being here."
"Oh? Why is it inappropriate?"
"Since in the next six months, this junior plans to study at Shujian Academy, and the nominal dean of Shujian Academy is Uncle Xie, so if I live in Uncle Xie's house, I'm afraid it will be true, and I will pass the exam in the future. It's okay if it's not good, but if you go to high school, Uncle Xie, your reputation will be ruined." Li Huguo said.
Xie Wuji nodded with a smile, asked Li Yuguo to sit across from him, and pushed a cup of poured tea to Li Yuguo: "Why is it that my reputation has been tarnished since you entered high school?"
"Because others will think that I have a nepotistic relationship with you. I relied on your relationship to go to high school. People have two skins. You can't control what others say. After all, this mouth grows on others, and Xie Uncle, you have a good reputation throughout your life, but I'm afraid it will be in danger when you get old." Li Huguo said.
"Hugo!" Xie Lingyun pushed Li Hugo and said.
Xie Wuji quickly stopped his daughter and said: "What Hugo said makes sense, makes sense, hahaha! In this case, I can't let you live at home, so why not do this... After all, you are also my friend, So I can’t treat you badly. I also have a lot of houses and courtyards in the city. These courtyards are not big, but they are more than enough to accommodate five or six people, and they are not far from Shujian Courtyard. If you live in Shujian Courtyard , I will be worried, but if you live outside, I can also prepare a few servants and maids for you, and they will also serve you in daily life."
"Thank you so much, uncle." Li Yuguo said. He knew that if he refused again at this time, he would appear to be unkind and would be damaging his father's face.
Since Xie Wuji also made concessions, as a junior, he naturally couldn't push his nose in the face.
"Girl, take Hugo to see the house, the house in Binghu Plaza." Xie Wuji said.
"Yeah." Xie Lingyun tugged on Li Huguo's sleeve, "I'm not leaving yet."
"Oh, okay." Li Huguo quickly followed.
Xie Wuji watched Li Yuguo and his daughter leave. His smiling face slowly turned serious. He said, "You all should go, let me be alone."
He glanced at the servants around him, and they all retreated very obediently: "Yes, sir."
After the people left, Xie Wuji was the only one left in the yard. He stood up and looked at the rockery and gardens in the distance: "Stop hiding, third child, come out quickly."
"Second brother." A person came out of the darkness. It was none other than Li Sanyuan. Xie Wuji put down the letter. There was no word on it. It was a wordless letter.