Chapter 9

Translator: Exodus Tales

Editor: Exodus Tales

The room was filled with many pieces of jewelry. At a glance, the pieces of jewelry looked like a magnificent golden cloud.

Nan Baoyi looked through piece by piece.

This box of pearls was a gift her Big Brother bought for her when he was doing business in Donghai, she could not sell this…

This set of jade hair ornament was a gift from her Second Aunt on her tenth birthday, she also could not sell this…

This pair of auspicious red coral bracelets were given to her from her Grandmother’s dowry, this was even more not for sale…

After going through the pieces of jewelry, most pieces had a history and Nan Baoyi could not bear to sell any of it.

After one hour, she picked up a pair of dangling hairpins in gold.

This was from her cheapskate Father. It was said that Nan Yan also had the same pair. This kind of affection was not worth it, might as well just sell it!

He Ye went to the pawnshop for her and said the gold hairpin could only sell for five hundred gold.

“Still short of eight thousand gold… This Madam Liu is quite expensive.”

Nan Baoyi’s sight set on the newly bought inkstone suddenly.

Xiao Yi, in the previous life, was extremely wealthy. Although he was only a poor adoptive son now, he should have a lot of money personally since he was quite manipulative.

She picked up the inkstone and rushed towards Pipa Yard, “Second Brother, I’m here to bring you some warmth!”

After passing through the loquat trees and bluestone steps, Nan Baoyi, who was already familiar with the place, ran into Xiao Yi’s study.

The teenager was wearing a slim black robe with a round neck and was studying by the window.

“Second Brother!” She called out sweetly and softly and held the inkstone with both hands like presenting a treasure, “I bought this from a shop in Hanlin street, do you like it?”

Xiao Yi took a glance. It was a good inkstone worth about a thousand gold.

But he could see a motive in the little girl’s eyes. She must be up to something no good.

He withdrew back his sight and expressionlessly flipped a page of his book.

Nan Baoyi pouted. The future powerful minister was too hard to please and always ignored her, why is that…

Fortunately, she was thick-skinned. So what if the minister ignored her, as long as she could be on his good side, she would be happy to even perform a one-person monologue around Xiao Yi all day long.

She helped Xiao Yi to spread out the calligraphy set, took an ink stick, and started to grind it on the inkstone, instigating, “Today is a good spring day, Second Brother should not be reading. Why don’t you write some poetry? You are talented and if I could get your work of art, I will definitely hang it on my bedside!”

Xiao Yi’s face was cold as ice.

Counting the days, it had been three days since he last scared the little girl. She was not as afraid of him as the past few days ago. She had the appearance of a thieving little rat with an arrogant stubbornness that came back to haunt him like she was about to expose a hole in his roof.

He flipped a page and continued to ignore her.

Nan Baoyi snatched away the book from his hands and put it on the table.

Xiao Yi stared at her.

The little girl rested her face on both her hands on the table and blinked her long eyelashes. She chuckled sweetly like a delicate little hibiscus, “Second Brother, gift me your work of art, will you?”

Xiao Yi wanted to know what ideas this little girl had in her head. And so he raised his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a quatrain of a poem on a piece of paper.

Nan Baoyi waited till he finished and smiled widely, “Second Brother, is this inkstone very nice to use?”

“Good enough.”

“I spent ten thousand gold on it!”

Xiao Yi: “…”

Ten thousand gold for just an inkstone?

Not a problem, Nan family had money, she could spend it any way she wanted.

He unconcernedly got up to wash his hands.

Nan Baoyi caught up with him and said, “Second Brother, I bought this inkstone especially for you… it costs ten thousand gold!”

Xiao Yi dried his hands indifferently, “What are you trying to say exactly?”

“As the saying goes, good deeds should be reciprocated. I give you such an expensive inkstone, do you want to consider reciprocating the good deed? I’m a very tacky person, you can just give me back a ten thousand gold banknote will do, heh heh.”

Xiao Yi: “…”

Heh heh.

This little girl was ripping him off now, very good.

He sat back on his chair and opened up his book again, “I don’t want this inkstone anymore.”

“But you’ve already used it!” Nan Baoyi was a little proud, showing six tiny slender fingers, “Give you a discount. Why don’t you give me six thousand gold? Six aspects in life going smoothly, what an auspicious number.”

Looking at Xiao Yi’s cold expression, Nan Baoyi put down two fingers, “Or maybe, four thousand gold? Wealth in four seasons!”

Xiao Yi remained unconcerned.

“Then just three thousand gold, three auspicious times in a day!”

“Not even three thousand gold, what about two thousand gold? Best of both worlds, it can’t be lower anymore!”

“One last discount, one thousand gold okay? One smooth journey, one step to reach success, one last breath!”

The space between Xiao Yi’s eyebrows suddenly palpitated.

What was this girl doing as a rich pampered miss? She should not waste her eloquence and be a correspondent instead.

He impatiently closed his book, “You need money?”

Nan Baoyi guiltily entwined her fingers together and nodded her little head unhappily.

She quietly raised her head and looked at Xiao Yi. The teenager’s eyebrows were still like the mountains and sat in a posture that gave off a confident and reliable vibe.

After a moment of silence, she suddenly hugged Xiao Yi’s leg and bawled, “Second Brother told me to be the monkey but I don’t have any money, I can’t control the cat…

“Second Brother, I don’t have a mother. Once Stepmother enters the residence, she and Nan Yan will both surely bully me. They will take away everything… Second Brother is a good person, the most capable person. Second Brother must help me… When I grow up I will be good to you and repay you!”

The little girl’s fair and charming face was covered in tears, crying so bitterly like she suffered half a lifetime’s grievances.

Even if he knew she was most likely acting, Xiao Yi was still very upset.

He was planning to bully this girl on his own, how could he let someone else do it?

“How much do you need?” he asked coldly.

Nan Baoyi froze, quickly wiped her tears, and stood up. She told him everything that happened in Spring Jade Hall.

Xiao Yi tapped his knuckles gently on the table, his face was unreadable.

She actually thought of using Madam Liu’s indenture to handle the situation. This shows that the little girl was not too stupid.

He reopened his book, “Go back home, you will get Madam Liu’s indenture.”

Nan Baoyi walked out of his study, facing the spring scenery, feeling like she was dreaming.

The big money problem that was giving her a headache was settled just like that?

This future powerful minister was definitely capable!

While she was thinking of how to repay him, two young maids carried their belongings and stepped into Pipa Yard.

They both looked very attractive. These must be the ‘maids’ chosen for Xiao Yi by Aunt Ji.