Chapter 60 – Young Boy Xu Xiaoyu (4)
After a good night’s sleep, Jiang Pengji got dressed and washed up with the assistance of Ta Xue and Xun Mei.
“Second Young Master, last night the Old Steward sent word that there was a servant who escaped from the farm but was later caught.”
Ta Xue adjusted her collar and neatly tied up Jiang Pengji’s long hair with a simple yet elegant jade hairpin.
In ancient times, clothing and personal grooming were elaborate and meticulous; Jiang Pengji could only manage a basic ponytail and was clueless about the rest.
Letting her two maidservants fuss over her, she raised her half-closed eyelids and asked, “The escaping servant? Is it Xu Ke?”
“That seems to be the name; he’s outside waiting for your orders…” Xun Mei confirmed, capping it off with criticism, “The Second Young Master treats the servants kindly, unlike those other young lords. If Young Master Zhu took him in, what more could he want? How could he even think of escaping…”
Jiang Pengji listened silently, her thoughts aligning more with Xu Ke’s bravery; someone who fights for their freedom has courage—an extremely rare quality in this time period.
One Xu Ke wasn’t enough for her to be viewed as a fool, so she chose to simply listen.
After opening the live stream as usual, Jiang Pengji resumed her elegant appearance and quietly ate her breakfast.
Of course, in light of the times, resources were scarce, and her morning meal seemed rather subpar to a group of viewers.
Outside the study, she spotted Xu Ke, who had changed into clean clothes, his previously unhealed wounds now bandaged appropriately.
Jiang Pengji walked over to freshly tidied Xu Ke, “What are you doing here?”
“The Master instructed that I follow the Young Master for learning and serve you,” Xu Ke replied, his body quivering slightly. His words bore a hint of reluctance, yet his demeanor remained respectful, quite different from the previous day.
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow, her thoughts turning quickly, a smile curling at the corners of her lips.
Because of her status, Liu Lanting had not kept a learning book boy around him. Menial tasks like paper cutting were handled by Ta Xue and Xun Mei. Now that Xu Ke was essentially a half book boy, those chores naturally fell to him.
Upon entering the study, she was greeted by shelves filled to the brim with countless bamboo scrolls and priceless paper books.
A glance at the labels on each shelf left Xu Ke dumbfounded, completely lost in awe.
This single study was several times larger than an average household, and the collection of books was worth its weight in gold!
If he had had any grievances before, they vanished upon seeing these texts, even making his hands tremble with excitement.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Pengji shot a glance at Xu Ke, taking a seat and pointing to a storage box beside the desk, “Cut the paper properly.”
The bamboo paper produced in the workshop was large, and Jiang Pengji needed it trimmed to the right size. The smaller cuts had been used for practicing writing and completing assignments—A4 size was far too small for creating design diagrams, so it needed to be recut.
【Stowaway Non-Money】: The streamer’s giving out sugar early in the morning! Red and fragrant sleeves, even if the gender’s reversed, it’s still a treat for the eyes.
【Old Attacker Not Husband】: Hey, is that the stubborn boy from yesterday?
Jiang Pengji seemed to be practicing her writing while actually keeping an eye on the live stream comments—full of seasoned viewers!
【Overbearing CEO】: Did something unspeakable happen last night, eh? One night passed, and it feels like the little wolf cub has turned into a little lamb—what did you do to that cutie last night, streamer?
Jiang Pengji secretly clicked her tongue; it wasn’t her fault for any “heh heh heh” behavior; someone had clearly tamed the wolf.
【Magical Girl A-Feng】: It’s only been two days since I last came, and the streamer’s already starting to plan the harem?
【Pretty Soldier A-Yuan】: The onlookers are utterly confused, while Young Master Xu appears humble, such a picturesque scene…
The comments went increasingly off the rails, with some even tossing tips hoping for a live tutorial on charming men, causing Jiang Pengji’s brow to twitch in delight.
Beside her, Xu Ke was completely unaware of Jiang Pengji’s vibrant inner thoughts. His pale hand rested on the bamboo paper, and the smooth feeling under his palm turned his cheeks a shade of red, as if he was touching soft feminine skin, his heartbeat quickening, leaving him flustered.
This is bamboo paper?
Xu Ke had studied under a teacher in Zisang County and had caught a fleeting glimpse of it, which left his heart racing.
As a commoner, just having the chance to study was already a stroke of luck—where would he ever get his hands on paper that was worth more than gold?
Let alone, the bamboo paper he had seen before and the one in this storage box were as different as can be.
If the former felt like the skin of a middle-aged woman—somewhat loose—the latter felt as tender and smooth as a newborn, making it addictive to touch.
Jiang Pengji: “…”
Was she mistaken? Why did it feel like she brought back a paper-obsessed fanatic?
In truth, she didn’t intend to keep Xu Ke close; she merely wanted to buy him to train him to be a steward, primarily to manage her group of house servants, be it for daily chores or training processes and rewards—everything was essential.
He was merely the first building blocks of her future faction and her testing guinea pig, thus should be regarded with some significance.
Though she used to be the commander of the Seventh Legion, her current world was vastly different from her own, and many things needed trial and error on her part.
The light she saw in Xu Ke’s eyes was what she admired, but… did it seem to lead that father with a daughter complex to misunderstand?
Due to the frenzied busyness of the past few years, Liu Zhi’s life had become quite irregular; today, he even slept until noon before rising.
When Jiang Pengji came to pay her respects, she observed him closely during their meal and noticed a shade of blue beneath his eyes.
She pondered for a moment but still asked, “Father, did you not sleep well last night?”
Liu Zhi gave a slight smile before taking a sip of tea, “I was taming wolves.”
Jiang Pengji: “…”
The white lotus aesthetic was consistent, yet the slyness varied… That much was true, and Jiang Pengji silently averted her gaze.
Without a shred of sympathy, she thought, Xu Ke… probably would carry a lifetime of psychological scars from this, right?
Then she recalled something and felt the need to clarify with Liu Zhi.
She believed Liu Zhi must have misunderstood, thinking she was infatuated with Xu Ke’s looks.
“Father, after all, Xu Ke is a man; keeping him by my side may not be appropriate.”
Jiang Pengji was a girl now, and Xu Ke was sharp like Feng Jin—if she wasn’t careful, he might slip out of character.
Liu Zhi said, “After all, he was bought with real gold and silver; let him stay as a book boy for now, and if it doesn’t work out, we can dismiss him later.”
Jiang Pengji narrowed her eyes; did Liu Zhi… have ulterior motives in what he said?
“I’d like him to manage the training of those house servants and act as a financial steward.”
Liu Zhi finally raised his head to look at her, his brows subtly knitting together, then he replied casually, “Do as you see fit.”
