Chapter 00007: Chapter 7 9 The Gap It turns out that squandering money is also a skill. He Lingchuan had been spending with all his mi
# Chapter 7-9: The Gap
It turns out that squandering money is also a skill. He Lingchuan had been spending with all his might, but in a month, he only managed to spend two hundred taels of silver.
In this remote border region, a hundred taels could comfortably support an ordinary family of four for five or six years!
Ying Hongchan cleared her throat lightly. "Lingchuan, I was just about to tell you that we've spent too much during the summer and autumn, and the household needs to tighten its belt. Starting next month, your expenses will be reduced to within eighty taels." After saying this, she glanced at her husband.
Before He Chunhua could respond, He Lingchuan had already exclaimed, "Eighty taels? That's barely enough for two trips to the Hongyan Pavilion!"
Ying Hongchan's expression darkened. "Your younger brother doesn't even spend twenty taels a month."
"He..." He Lingchuan retorted, "He eats and drinks at home, what does he need money for? I have so many people under me, and I need to maintain relationships in the city. Maintaining relationships costs money, and it's not just for my sake!"
"What relationships are you maintaining?" Ying Hongchan sneered coldly. "Those people flatter you, but their eyes are all on your father. Do we need to maintain such relationships? Our family doesn't lack watchdogs."
She didn't give He Lingchuan a chance to respond. "The times are turbulent, and money and resources should be used wisely. Lingchuan, your father and I don't expect you to solve the family's problems, but at least don't add to the chaos."
These words were a bit harsh, and He Lingchuan felt a lump in his throat, filled with dissatisfaction.
But these weren't his own emotions.
In fact, every time the family gathered for a meal, he could sense a deep-seated "unhappiness" emanating from the depths of his mind, almost a subconscious reaction of the body.
The original owner of this body didn't like such scenes. Given that He Chunhua doted on him, this emotion was likely directed at the lady of the house.
"Father," he turned directly to his father.
He Chunhua pondered for a moment, then said, "Your mother is right, but eighty taels..." It was still a bit too little. "Let's make it two hundred taels."
A hundred taels would be enough, lest he exhaust himself spending. He Lingchuan's face showed displeasure. "That's still too little! Three hundred taels!"
After a long argument between mother and son, with He Chunhua playing the mediator, Ying Hongchan finally held firm at one hundred and eighty taels.
Ying Hongchan gave her husband a reproachful look. She wanted to cut back on the eldest son's expenses, but this father couldn't bring himself to be strict. After all the arguing, they only managed to reduce it by twenty taels compared to last month!
It's true that one doesn't know the cost of firewood until they manage a household.
"Every month, we save over six hundred taels of silver," He Yue blinked. "That's enough to buy dozens of sets of fine armor, or a few excellent warhorses, or at least recruit sixty soldiers."
As soon as he finished speaking, He Lingchuan slammed the table and stood up. "I'm full!"
Before striding out of the dining hall, he didn't forget to grab a stewed pear from the brass basin, eating it as he walked.
The pear had been stewed with rock sugar and Sichuan pepper for over half an hour, making it sweet, soft, and tender, with the added benefit of clearing heat and reducing irritation—perfect for cooling down after eating lamb.
No one stopped him.
As he was about to leave the garden, He Lingchuan glanced back and saw the three of them still sitting around the table, eating and discussing happily.
He shrugged and quickly returned to his own residence.
To be fair, He Chunhua treated his eldest son quite well. He Lingchuan occupied the largest, quietest, and most beautiful courtyard in the east, complete with black pines, white peaches, winding streams, pavilions, and even a small martial arts training ground.
He Yue's residence, though also in the east, was only half the size of his brother's.
The only servant in the courtyard came at the sound, but He Lingchuan waved him away.
He Lingchuan took off his shirt and practiced martial arts under the moonlight for over half an hour, until he was thoroughly invigorated.
The original owner wasn't skilled in literature but had a passion for martial arts from a young age and wasn't afraid of hardship, which was rare among the children of noble families. The He family had produced military generals in the past and had their own set of body-refining techniques, which He Chunhua had passed on to his eldest son.
As he practiced, a faint white mist enveloped his robust body, visible only under the moonlight.
This was just right. He Lingchuan quickly finished his practice and sat down to regulate his breathing.
The white mist gradually re-entered his body through his mouth and nose.
This completed a cycle.
What he practiced was the He family's ancestral technique, called the "Pulling Technique."
He Lingchuan used the body-refining technique to force his true qi out of his body, allowing it to come into close contact with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, especially the moonlight. Then, through breathing exercises, he drew it back in, refining and purifying it.
Thus, through movement and stillness, expulsion and absorption, pulling and guiding, the cycle was completed.
Of course, one could complete a full cycle using the "Pulling Technique" alone, but starting with body-refining could expel accumulated cold, filth, and illness from the body, resulting in better purification of true qi.
After regulating his breathing, He Lingchuan felt even more energetic. He grabbed a white towel and went to take a bath.
The hot water had also been prepared by the servant, a simple, honest man in his thirties.
He Lingchuan soaked in the hot water and let out a long sigh. It would be nice if someone could scrub his back now—so comfortable.
As a transportation hub connecting the north and south, Blackwater City naturally had bathhouses, known as "bath markets." Besides communal bathing, back scrubbing and foot care were regular services. But that was in the bathhouses. Young Master He couldn't enjoy the back-scrubbing services provided by young girls at home.
Because he didn't have any maids.
No maids in their teens, twenties, or even thirties or forties—none at all.
If one wanted to maximize the benefits of practicing the He family's martial arts and gain lifelong advantages, they had to maintain their virginity.
When He Lingchuan first started learning, he was naive and didn't understand the drawbacks. As he grew older and saw his friends enjoying the pleasures of life, he questioned He Chunhua. His father was heartbroken.
He Lingchuan was passionate about martial arts and naturally didn't want to give up halfway, so he endured.
However, He Chunhua didn't want to deliberately test his eldest son's willpower, so he didn't assign any female servants to his courtyard.
He Lingchuan sat in the large wooden tub, thinking about the leopard demon from the western mountains, the Donglai Mansion guards captured by the Red and White Path, and the miscellaneous items hidden in the leopard's tooth.
When would the Donglai Mansion realize that the guards they sent to Blackwater City had gone missing?
How would they react?
And how would the prefect respond?
He subconsciously picked up the necklace on his chest and looked at it a couple of times, then suddenly yanked it off and threw it with all his might toward the distant garden.
The necklace traced a parabola in the air, flying over the wall.
A few moments later, he felt something strange on his chest and looked down—
The necklace had returned on its own, hanging neatly around his neck.
Sure enough, no matter how many times he threw it, this thing would always come back.
He had examined it many times. Although it looked like jade, it wasn't made of jade. Instead, it resembled ivory.
In the end, ivory and bone are very similar in composition.
On the day he fell off the cliff, he heard the leopard roar a new term:
Divine Bone.
Could this stubborn necklace pendant that refused to leave him be a Divine Bone?
...
After the meal, He Yue excused himself, and He Chunhua and his wife went to wash up.
Only then did Ying Hongchan have the chance to scold her husband. "You spoil Lingchuan too much. The household's monthly expenses are mostly spent on him! And look at his attitude—slamming the table and leaving! How arrogant!"
"Next month, it won't be like this," He Chunhua soothed her. "He's just recovered from a serious injury, and we're cutting back on his allowance. It's natural for him to feel unhappy."
Ying Hongchan was about to say more, but He Chunhua changed the subject. "Have you noticed any changes in Lingchuan recently?"
"Recently?" Ying Hongchan thought carefully, then shook her head. "Apart from spending less money, there don't seem to be any changes."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 7
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 7-9: The Gap
It turns out that squandering money is also a skill.
He Lingchuan had been spending with all his might, but in a month, he only managed to spend two hundred taels of silver.
In this remote border region, a hundred taels could comfortably support an ordinary family of four for five or six years!
Ying Hongchan cleared her throat lightly.
"Lingchuan, I was just about to tell you that we've spent too much during the summer and autumn, and the household needs to tighten its belt. Starting next month, your expenses will be reduced to within eighty taels."
After saying this, she glanced at her husband.
Before He Chunhua could respond, He Lingchuan had already exclaimed, "Eighty taels? That's barely enough for two trips to the Hongyan Pavilion!"
Ying Hongchan's expression darkened.
"Your younger brother doesn't even spend twenty taels a month."
"He..."
He Lingchuan retorted, "He eats and drinks at home, what does he need money for? I have so many people under me, and I need to maintain relationships in the city. Maintaining relationships costs money, and it's not just for my sake!"
"What relationships are you maintaining?" Ying Hongchan sneered coldly.
"Those people flatter you, but their eyes are all on your father. Do we need to maintain such relationships? Our family doesn't lack watchdogs."
She didn't give He Lingchuan a chance to respond.
"The times are turbulent, and money and resources should be used wisely. Lingchuan, your father and I don't expect you to solve the family's problems, but at least don't add to the chaos."
These words were a bit harsh, and He Lingchuan felt a lump in his throat, filled with dissatisfaction.
But these weren't his own emotions.
In fact, every time the family gathered for a meal, he could sense a deep-seated "unhappiness" emanating from the depths of his mind, almost a subconscious reaction of the body.
The original owner of this body didn't like such scenes.
Given that He Chunhua doted on him, this emotion was likely directed at the lady of the house.
"Father," he turned directly to his father.
He Chunhua pondered for a moment, then said, "Your mother is right, but eighty taels..."
It was still a bit too little.
"Let's make it two hundred taels."
A hundred taels would be enough, lest he exhaust himself spending.
He Lingchuan's face showed displeasure.
"That's still too little! Three hundred taels!"
After a long argument between mother and son, with He Chunhua playing the mediator, Ying Hongchan finally held firm at one hundred and eighty taels.
Ying Hongchan gave her husband a reproachful look.
She wanted to cut back on the eldest son's expenses, but this father couldn't bring himself to be strict.
After all the arguing, they only managed to reduce it by twenty taels compared to last month!
It's true that one doesn't know the cost of firewood until they manage a household.
"Every month, we save over six hundred taels of silver," He Yue blinked.
"That's enough to buy dozens of sets of fine armor, or a few excellent warhorses, or at least recruit sixty soldiers."
As soon as he finished speaking, He Lingchuan slammed the table and stood up.
"I'm full!"
Before striding out of the dining hall, he didn't forget to grab a stewed pear from the brass basin, eating it as he walked.
The pear had been stewed with rock sugar and Sichuan pepper for over half an hour, making it sweet, soft, and tender, with the added benefit of clearing heat and reducing irritation—perfect for cooling down after eating lamb.
No one stopped him.
As he was about to leave the garden, He Lingchuan glanced back and saw the three of them still sitting around the table, eating and discussing happily.
He shrugged and quickly returned to his own residence.
To be fair, He Chunhua treated his eldest son quite well.
He Lingchuan occupied the largest, quietest, and most beautiful courtyard in the east, complete with black pines, white peaches, winding streams, pavilions, and even a small martial arts training ground.
He Yue's residence, though also in the east, was only half the size of his brother's.
The only servant in the courtyard came at the sound, but He Lingchuan waved him away.
He Lingchuan took off his shirt and practiced martial arts under the moonlight for over half an hour, until he was thoroughly invigorated.
The original owner wasn't skilled in literature but had a passion for martial arts from a young age and wasn't afraid of hardship, which was rare among the children of noble families.
The He family had produced military generals in the past and had their own set of body-refining techniques, which He Chunhua had passed on to his eldest son.
As he practiced, a faint white mist enveloped his robust body, visible only under the moonlight.
This was just right.
He Lingchuan quickly finished his practice and sat down to regulate his breathing.
The white mist gradually re-entered his body through his mouth and nose.
This completed a cycle.
What he practiced was the He family's ancestral technique, called the "Pulling Technique."
He Lingchuan used the body-refining technique to force his true qi out of his body, allowing it to come into close contact with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, especially the moonlight.
Then, through breathing exercises, he drew it back in, refining and purifying it.
Thus, through movement and stillness, expulsion and absorption, pulling and guiding, the cycle was completed.
Of course, one could complete a full cycle using the "Pulling Technique" alone, but starting with body-refining could expel accumulated cold, filth, and illness from the body, resulting in better purification of true qi.
After regulating his breathing, He Lingchuan felt even more energetic.
He grabbed a white towel and went to take a bath.
The hot water had also been prepared by the servant, a simple, honest man in his thirties.
He Lingchuan soaked in the hot water and let out a long sigh.
It would be nice if someone could scrub his back now—so comfortable.
As a transportation hub connecting the north and south, Blackwater City naturally had bathhouses, known as "bath markets."
Besides communal bathing, back scrubbing and foot care were regular services.
But that was in the bathhouses.
Young Master He couldn't enjoy the back-scrubbing services provided by young girls at home.
Because he didn't have any maids.
No maids in their teens, twenties, or even thirties or forties—none at all.
If one wanted to maximize the benefits of practicing the He family's martial arts and gain lifelong advantages, they had to maintain their virginity.
When He Lingchuan first started learning, he was naive and didn't understand the drawbacks.
As he grew older and saw his friends enjoying the pleasures of life, he questioned He Chunhua.
His father was heartbroken.
He Lingchuan was passionate about martial arts and naturally didn't want to give up halfway, so he endured.
However, He Chunhua didn't want to deliberately test his eldest son's willpower, so he didn't assign any female servants to his courtyard.
He Lingchuan sat in the large wooden tub, thinking about the leopard demon from the western mountains, the Donglai Mansion guards captured by the Red and White Path, and the miscellaneous items hidden in the leopard's tooth.
When would the Donglai Mansion realize that the guards they sent to Blackwater City had gone missing?
How would they react?
And how would the prefect respond?
He subconsciously picked up the necklace on his chest and looked at it a couple of times, then suddenly yanked it off and threw it with all his might toward the distant garden.
The necklace traced a parabola in the air, flying over the wall.
A few moments later, he felt something strange on his chest and looked down—
The necklace had returned on its own, hanging neatly around his neck.
Sure enough, no matter how many times he threw it, this thing would always come back.
He had examined it many times.
Although it looked like jade, it wasn't made of jade.
Instead, it resembled ivory.
In the end, ivory and bone are very similar in composition.
On the day he fell off the cliff, he heard the leopard roar a new term:
Divine Bone.
Could this stubborn necklace pendant that refused to leave him be a Divine Bone?
...
After the meal, He Yue excused himself, and He Chunhua and his wife went to wash up.
Only then did Ying Hongchan have the chance to scold her husband.
"You spoil Lingchuan too much. The household's monthly expenses are mostly spent on him! And look at his attitude—slamming the table and leaving! How arrogant!"
"Next month, it won't be like this," He Chunhua soothed her.
"He's just recovered from a serious injury, and we're cutting back on his allowance. It's natural for him to feel unhappy."
Ying Hongchan was about to say more, but He Chunhua changed the subject.
"Have you noticed any changes in Lingchuan recently?"
"Recently?" Ying Hongchan thought carefully, then shook her head.
"Apart from spending less money, there don't seem to be any changes."
(End of Chapter)