Chapter 51: An Invitation

"Right! Right! Just here for a free meal!" Manager Gao said, looking at Zheng Fa expectantly, his tone more courteous than when he last visited: "I wonder, would it be convenient?"

"Uncle, please come in."

Zheng Fa invited Manager Gao and his son into the small courtyard, while his younger sister, Zheng Shan, scurried over to bring two small stools.

"This furniture was a gift from you, Uncle Gao," Zheng Fa said with a smile as he looked at the two small stools. "I should have thanked you long ago."

"What are a few things like that!" Hearing Zheng Fa say this, Manager Gao hurriedly waved his hand, though the stiffness he had felt upon entering had faded considerably.

"Uncle, this is..."

"Nephew, I heard from Gao Yuan that you passed on a secret immortal technique to him?" Manager Gao put down his chopsticks and said cautiously.

"It's hardly a secret immortal technique."

"Then you did pass it on!" Manager Gao slapped his thigh, revealing his purpose. "I came this time specifically to bring him here to thank you properly."

"Manager Gao, you already sent so many things last time; we haven't even finished eating those provisions yet." Zheng Fa hadn't spoken yet, but Zheng Mother spoke up.

"Lady, that is nothing compared to that secret immortal technique; it's not worth mentioning!" Manager Gao said, disagreeing.

Seeing that Zheng Mother still wanted to refuse, he said, "I heard that Lady has been looking for a clothing shop."

Zheng Fa looked up at him.

"Nephew, do not misunderstand. You are focused on studying and practicing martial arts and do not know this, but there are many people in the Zhao Manor keeping an eye on you," Manager Gao hurriedly explained.

Zheng Fa was not surprised; he had no deep roots in the Zhao Manor, but now that he was a figure of some standing, it was natural to attract attention.

However, it was the matter of the clothing shop that Manager Gao mentioned that concerned Zheng Fa more. He looked at Zheng Mother, and indeed, her expression was hesitant.

Zheng Mother had always wanted to do some work to earn money. She looked at Zheng Fa, and Zheng Fa nodded slightly.

"If we can find a shop, then it would be troublesome for Manager Gao."

Manager Gao was overjoyed: "Just so happens, there is a shop under my wife's younger brother's name. Lady, please go there in a couple of days."

Having said that, he took out a piece of paper and placed it on the table.

"Wait..." Zheng Fa frowned: "What do you mean by my mother going there?"

"To take over the shop!"

Zheng Mother hurriedly spoke up: "I just wanted to find a shop to take on some work."

"Lady, this shop is not worth much. Hey... we are all not outsiders; this is my shop, registered under my wife's younger brother's name," Manager Gao said frankly.

"If Lady has someone she trusts, then transfer the shop to him. If not, if you trust me, keep the shop under my wife's younger brother's name, and I will have someone deliver the monthly profits to you."

This was indeed the norm in the Zhao Manor.

Although signing a life-sale contract meant one could not own private property, for someone in Manager Gao's position, such operations were far too common.

The Lady likely knew this clearly as well.

Otherwise, why would so many people flock to the position of the Seventh Young Master's scribe?

Zheng Fa was even quite certain that as long as he remained in the Zhao Manor, Manager Gao would definitely send this money.

Gao Yuan suddenly spoke up: "Zheng Fa, just take it. My father has more than one shop."

Zheng Fa:... Is it really okay to betray your father like this to his face?

Sure enough, Manager Gao's face darkened. He glared at his foolish son, then turned to Zheng Fa with a bitter smile: "Nephew... I know my family is taking a huge advantage, but even if I gave more, I would still feel it was too little. If you don't even accept this shop, I truly won't be able to sleep..."

Zheng Fa looked at Manager Gao, whose expression said he wouldn't leave unless Zheng Fa agreed, then looked at Gao Yuan beside him, and nodded.

After the two left, Zheng Mother stared blankly at Zheng Fa: "Our family now has an extra shop?"

Walking out of Zheng Fa's door, Manager Gao let out a long sigh of relief.

Gao Yuan behind him asked in confusion: "Father, is that enough?"

"Enough for what? The Seventh Young Master even said Zheng Fa has powerful backers behind him. This is a secret immortal technique; would one shop be enough? We came here to show our stance." Manager Gao glared at him: "Remember this in the future: if Zheng Fa tells you to go east, you cannot go west!"

"We are servants of the Zhao family; we listen to Zheng Fa?"

"... Anyway, as long as it doesn't ask you to betray the Zhao family, just listen to Zheng Fa!"

"Then, what if there is a conflict between the Seventh Young Master and Zheng Fa?"

"I think the Seventh Young Master is also wary of the people behind Zheng Fa. I think Zheng Fa's thigh is thicker than the Seventh Young Master's," Manager Gao gritted his teeth and said; "Stand with Zheng Fa!"

"Father, does doing this... count as betraying our master?" Gao Yuan said, conflicted.

"Don't say 'we'. Father is the steward of the Second Branch; what does the Young Master of the First Branch have to do with me?" Manager Gao looked very principled.

"But I am the Young Master's scribe..."

"Exactly. You betray your master, but Father does not."

"Wait, wait, wait..."

In the study, the Seventh Young Master wailed: "I just blinked my eyes, and how did it come to this?"

He looked at Zheng Fa, who was holding a pen and working out calculations in front of him, his eyes full of innocent confusion.

"... It's just, obviously!" Zheng Fa's expression was also puzzled.

"Obviously? How can I not see it?" The Seventh Young Master said indignantly: "This secret technique is too difficult!"

Gao Yuan beside him also wore a bitter expression.

Neither of them was learning very well.

The Seventh Young Master, aside from the talisman diagrams, was practically uneducated and could not understand it no matter how he studied.

Gao Yuan was better in comparison; he had learned accounting from the bookkeeper and could probably understand about half, but learning it was extremely painful.

Neither was the kind of sharp mind Zheng Fa needed.

The teaching process even made him want to say sorry to Old Man Bai—turns out teaching a fool could be this painful.

Actually, due to caution, Zheng Fa had also edited this "Primary Mathematics Volume One," focusing mostly on applications rather than the more fundamental axiomatic proofs.

But for the two of them, who had never received modern education, it was still somewhat difficult to understand.

"Zheng Fa, do you have a simpler secret manual?" Young Master Seventh also seemed to feel he could not learn it, and pleaded with Zheng Fa.

"I do have one." Zheng Fa took out a book titled "Elementary Mathematics."

"I knew it! You were hiding another move!" Young Master Seventh joyfully accepted it.

"I wasn't hiding it; this one is for my younger sister to study."

Young Master Seventh's hand froze. He asked, "How many younger sisters do you have?"

"One. You've met her. She is six years old this year."

Young Master Seventh and Gao Yuan exchanged a glance; they both saw a similar look of entanglement on each other's faces: They had never heard of any immortal technique secret manual that required shamelessness to practice!

The next day, Young Master Seventh seemed to have skipped school and did not come at all.

The long-unseen Butler Wu stood in the study, as if waiting for the two of them.

Seeing them enter the room, his gaze fell upon Zheng Fa.

"Zheng Fa, the Lady requests a conversation with you."

"Requests?" Gao Yuan was somewhat confused by the word "requests."

Zheng Fa, however, seemed to have been waiting for this day all along. He nodded to Butler Wu and said calmly, "Please, Butler Wu, lead the way."

This "Junior High Mathematics" was for Young Master Seventh, and also written for the Lady.

Since mastering the "Spirit Crane Body," Zheng Fa had repeatedly asked himself the same question:

As a woman who controlled a thousand-year-old family, and as a mother, how would she react when a book boy with a mysterious background and beyond her control suddenly appeared by her son's side?

What would she do?

And every one of his answers seemed rather pessimistic.