Zhou You was very unhappy.
This could be seen from the dishes he ordered.
Sweet and sour carp, braised beef, roasted squab, charcoal-grilled sirloin…
Zhou Chen stood by, serving tea and pouring wine. She wasn't hungry, as she had eaten a lot at Supreme Purity Restaurant earlier.
Zhou You had a good appetite; at most, he would just need to visit the latrine a few more times.
The desire for food and drink is always the most captivating.
After three trips to the latrine, Zhou You was no longer as unhappy.
His mood began to turn, from cloudy to clear.
After five trips to the latrine, he was already back to normal, beaming with joy.
Zhou Chen thought that the Second Young Master must be drunk.
Only a drunk person would laugh like an idiot.
“I’ve thought of a way!”
Zhou You slammed the table, his eyebrows dancing with excitement.
A new idea had formed; now it just needed to be put into practice.
He ate this meal for two hours.
And Old Dog and Xiao Jing finally arrived, having been delayed. They had another task: to pay for the meal.
Old Dog wasn't stingy this time; he generously paid ten taels of silver for the meal.
Bang!
The two of them placed their large and small bags on the ground.
This was the disadvantage of not having a storage ring; everything had to be carried on one's person, or on one's back, or stored somewhere.
Old Dog wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Another pot of tea.”
“One qian of silver.”
“Then forget it, I won’t drink.”
Old Dog sat down. “Ten taels of silver for a meal, and they don’t even include a pot of tea? No wonder their business isn’t big.”
He grumbled with great dissatisfaction.
Zhou You, with an air of self-possession, reprimanded him, “Don’t badmouth people behind their backs. You’ll make me want to badmouth others too.”
Old Dog said, “Young Master, this time’s Pick up the bargain…”
Zhou You shook his head. “You keep it yourself.”
Old Dog chuckled. “Alright then.”
He had found the Sun family’s secret chamber, and he had acquired quite a lot of things this time.
Old Dog changed the subject. “Can you help me store these?”
“Yes.”
Zhou You was very generous. “Pay the carrying fee?”
“Carrying fee?”
Old Dog suddenly stood up. “I paid for the meal just now.”
“Nonsense.”
Zhou You said, “That’s two different matters. It’s not like I don’t have money. That hundred-thousand-tael gold note is in my hands.”
Old Dog hesitated. “You’re usually very generous.”
Zhou You gave him a roll of his eyes. “I am generous, but I’m not stupid.”
Xiao Jing nudged Old Dog with his hand. With all these large and small bags, how could they carry them? Besides, this wasn't like Ye City, where he didn't know anyone and couldn't deal with things immediately.
Old Dog tentatively asked, “How much is the carrying fee?”
Zhou You tapped the table with his finger. “We’re all acquaintances, so I’ll give you a discount: one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone.”
“Then I’ll just carry them myself.”
Old Dog was unwilling, instantly leaning back.
One Mid-Grade Spirit Stone?
Wasn't that asking for his life?
From the entire Sun family, he had only found ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones and three Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.
These packages mainly contained gold, silver, soft goods, antique vases, and other items.
“Whatever.”
Zhou You’s expression remained unchanged; he wasn't short on that little bit.
Xiao Jing suggested, “Let’s still go to the pawnshop and money exchange to convert them. It’s too inconvenient like this.”
Old Dog sneered, “This place is unfamiliar, and we have no connections. Plus, these are the Sun family’s things. Won’t they rip me off? I risked my life for these; I absolutely cannot let those scoundrels profit. I’ll wait until I find a familiar place to sell them; it won’t be too late.”
Xiao Jing was helpless; Old Dog’s temperament was hard to change.
Zhou You stood up. “Let’s go. I’ve already thought of a way. And with you carrying so many things, it’s hard to guarantee that other families in Xiliang City won’t target you. They’re currently observing, simply because they’re unsure of our strength.”
Indeed, after eating and drinking to his fill, his mind had become much clearer.
Old Dog picked up the packages again, carrying what he could on his back, tucking what he could under his arm, and holding what he could in his hand.
In any case, he would rather die than abandon them.
Xiao Jing found it both exasperating and amusing, but he couldn't refute it.
Walking on the main street, Zhou You glanced around, then walked straight ahead without looking back.
Seeing this, the others quickly followed. Although they didn't know what method he had thought of, they had nothing else to do at the moment, right?
Along the way, people occasionally stared at them.
Those were informants from various families.
The Sun family’s downfall, though not many people died, essentially crippled them.
The first thing other families in Xiliang City would naturally do was seize their immovable property and businesses.
For example, gambling houses, brothels, cloth shops, grain and oil stores, and so on.
Whoever controlled these businesses could make money; this was a steady stream of income.
Rooted in the mundane world, one could never avoid these things.
Finally, Zhou You stopped in the center of the city.
The city center was a circular plaza, with a thirty-meter-tall statue in the middle. Almost every city had such a statue.
In most cases, the statue represented the first emperor of the Hua Xia Dynasty.
Zhou You took a deep breath and leaped onto it.
Seeing this, the surrounding crowd gathered around.
“How disrespectful! How dare he defile the emperor’s statue!”
“He’s practically courting death! If the imperial court finds out about this, will he have any way to live?”
“He looks quite handsome, but why is his mind not normal?”
“The City Lord’s Mansion will probably send people soon.”
Everyone discussed animatedly. In their eyes, the fellow on the statue was already a dead man.
Xiao Jing was dumbfounded.
Zhou Chen was bewildered.
Old Dog’s eyes widened. “What is he doing? Is this the method he spoke of?”
Zhou You flipped over, stepping on the emperor statue’s head, and looked around.
He wasn't interested in listening to those voices.
Xiao Jing whispered, “Is he looking for someone?”
Zhou Chen wondered, “The Second Young Master just came down from the mountain, and this is his first time in Xiliang City. Who could he be looking for?”
This action was very confusing; they couldn't understand it at all.
Old Dog frowned. “He must have lost his mind, otherwise he would never do something so blasphemous to the Hua Xia Dynasty.”
He pondered for a moment and decided he needed to keep his distance.
At the very least, when he came down later, he would pretend not to know him.
Picking up a bargain was fine, but absolutely not trouble.
Zhou You cleared his throat. “Hey, hey, hey.”
He continuously cleared his throat, hoping his voice would be clearer.
Then, Zhou You took a deep breath. “Are you male or female?”
His voice boomed like a tide, spreading to different corners, and those nearby covered their ears, shaken by the sound.
Old Dog sighed helplessly. “He’s really gone mad.”
In a pavilion, a Moon Emperor Sect woman peered out. Was this guy still pondering her gender? Wasn't it obvious that she was a woman?
At the same time, on a certain street, a woman’s expression changed drastically. She hurriedly ran to a corner, first unbuckled her belt, then lifted her skirt, and then reached out to touch. She immediately let out a sigh of relief. “I’m a man.”
In an instant, Zhou You suddenly turned around, his gaze like a torch.
“Found you!”