Chapter 472: An Eye-Opener

A three-courtyard residence, two... two Grandmasters!?

A thunderclap on a clear day!

Long Yao and Long Li were dizzy, following closely behind as they exited the partition wall; seeing the two jujube trees and the hall behind them, they hurriedly lowered their heads.

Their eyes were fixed straight on Liang Qu's heels, and their steps quickened.

They were truly intimidated.

Liang Qu laughed.

One courtyard, two Grandmasters...

Well.

It was quite scary.

No need to explain; they'd get used to it after more contact.

Wulong lay under the veranda, opened its mouth to yawn, turned its head, and wiped all the wall dust it had picked up onto the silly chicken.

They toured the entire courtyard.

Liang Qu led the Dragon Maidens back to the backyard and pointed to the east wing and the side room.

"Choose, who lives in the side room, who lives in the east wing, or maybe both of you together, living in one room..."

"Living in the east wing!"

"Together?"

"Yes!"

"Good, go inside and tidy up yourselves. Put any clutter in the small room in the front courtyard. If you need to buy extra things..." Liang Qu pondered for a moment, "From now on, you'll each get twenty taels of silver a month as an allowance; I'll give you an extra month's pay in advance... It's a bit low, but it will increase later."

The two were Galloping Horse Martial Artists, after all; too little wouldn't be appropriate.

Long Yao waved her hands repeatedly: "It's not low, not low at all; it's all up to his lordship's arrangement."

Long Li looked sincere and replied earnestly: "We two are already grateful to be able to follow his lordship; we dare not ask for more."

Hiss~

Comfortable!

The pleasure of having Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe follow him was far less than that of Long Yao and Long Li.

Liang Qu criticized himself for his gender bias.

He should treat everyone equally!

He'd have the big beaver fix up the two men's pond-side hut another day!

Long Yao and Long Li took the keys and went into the room to tidy up.

Liang Qu watched for a while, seeing them being orderly, turned his head and shouted: "Mother Li!"

"Oh, coming."

Mother Li, who was airing sheets, wiped the water off her hands and ran over.

Liang Qu gave instructions while calling for Tatta Kai to go into his room and take out a fifty-tael silver ingot and some loose silver.

He handed all the silver to Mother Li, asking her to take the two Dragon Maidens to the town market to shop and add beds, wardrobes, furniture, and the like to the east wing.

In addition, he paid five months' wages and informed her that her food allowance would increase by three qian, becoming one tael and five qian a month.

From now on, there would be more bedding and clothes to wash; more work meant more pay.

Mother Li was happy in her heart; looking at the Dragon Maidens, she was first startled by their height, then clicked her tongue in wonder.

"The girls are truly pretty."

Long Yao and Long Li greeted her awkwardly.

"Why greet a washerwoman like me? Let's go, I'll take you to the street to buy things!"

"Mother Li, you..."

The Dragon Maidens looked at the airing sheets.

"Pah, I'm done! That was the last one. Usually, there's not much work every day; the plum rain is coming soon, so I'm taking advantage of the sun to air everything out."

Mother Li was full of energy, pulling the two to town to shop.

Long Yao and Long Li had no choice but to go out; once they left the second courtyard, their bodies relaxed, and a sense of excitement emerged.

They had always been active in the Great Marsh and had never been to a human market, so infinite curiosity surged in their hearts.

Little did they know, the two of them walking on the street was a unique sight in itself.

"This, this, this... whose girls are these?"

"They're actually taller than men..."

The villagers all widened their eyes, seeing the Dragon Maidens passing by, their black pupils darting around uncontrollably.

Not to mention women, such height in men was rare, and although they were tall, their figures were graceful, their hips as round as peaches, making people's blood rush and their skin itch under their clothes.

Unfortunately, before anyone could rush up, Mother Li turned her head and spat on the ground, effectively dousing the men's fire.

Several bachelors looked closely.

"Mother Li?"

The moment they recognized her, everyone trembled, feeling a sense of emptiness.

Who didn't know Mother Li was the washerwoman for Master Liang's house?

The people Mother Li could lead...

The wandering gazes around them disappeared by more than half.

Mother Li scared off the hot-blooded brats and comforted them: "Country folk are rough, don't mind them, girls. People are just about those things! Eating, drinking, pooping, peeing, and sleeping with women!

But don't worry, in all of Yixing Town, whether they're from out of town or locals, if anyone dares not give Master Liang face, no one would say a word even if they were beaten to death; others would even applaud!

If anyone makes you unhappy in the future, just call out, and there will be plenty of people to help you vent!"

Long Yao and Long Li smiled awkwardly; they wouldn't really cause trouble for his lordship, but they had a deeper understanding of Liang Qu's prestige.

"Is Lord Liang really that powerful?"

"Of course! I wash clothes for Master Liang; my old man at home has to watch my expression every day!" Mother Li showed some pride on her face. "Before, he'd always complain about the saltiness or lack of meat when I cooked; now, he has to eat whatever I make!"

While chatting, Mother Li's tone paused; seeing something shocking, she hurriedly left the Dragon Maidens and stepped forward quickly.

"Oh my, Chen Caigui, you heartless thing, three jin of pig head meat, and you want to charge one tael of silver?"

In front of a small braised meat stall, Mother Li went up and scolded him, managing to squeeze back a few dozen copper coins from the vendor, which she stuffed into the hands of a small otter nearby, muttering that a jin of meat wasn't that expensive.

The two small otters seemed to understand, but the meat was already in hand; the two beasts bit the packed pig head meat, hung the copper coins around their necks, and ran past the Dragon Maidens on all fours, rushing into the Liang residence and disappearing.

The Dragon Maidens were eye-opened.

Half an hour later.

Canopy beds, curtains, wardrobes, and tables were moved in one after another.

Mother Li helped change the new bedding.

Thus, Long Li and Long Yao officially moved into the east wing of the backyard, separated by a curtain in the middle, counting as two rooms.

It wasn't cramped.

The entire east wing was very large; not to mention separating it into two rooms, three would have been fine, similar to the martial arts hall Liang Qu lived in before.

"Prosperous household."

Liang Qu watched for a while, feeling refreshed, and returned to the pond.

On the opposite bank.

A brand-new Flying Eagle boat was completed; Tatta Kai was chewing on pig head meat, holding a bucket of tung oil, happily painting the boat.

Under the bow, a full six small otters sat in a row, picking up meat slices with their claws, sharing the remaining braised meat.

Tatta Kai's family wasn't that prosperous; some of them were Scarface's boys.

Tatta Kai and Scarface still fought whenever they met, one playing ape fist, the other playing Arhat claws, their martial arts progressing rapidly.

But the small otters of the two families gradually became familiar and hung out together.

From time to time, they would go to the street together to buy food, including but not limited to beggar's chicken, pig head meat, and spiced beef.

Who knew where they got their money? Did the big beaver give it to them?

Liang Qu remembered the dog-head gold the beaver family gave when they moved in, and his gaze fell on the Flying Eagle boat while his mind wandered.

"Need to let A-Fei find some time to send the boat model over..."

"Yo, new people in the house? Dragon Maidens? You've got good luck with women, kid."

Wu Cangshou, who had been swimming in the Great Marsh to cool off, surfaced, poking its head out, and teased him upon seeing the graceful Dragon Maidens busy in the courtyard.

Liang Qu grinned.

"Don't joke, Grandpa Shou; I don't mind, but it wouldn't be right to ruin the Dragon Maidens' reputation."

If the other party wasn't shy, the joke would be no fun at all.

Wu Cangshou looked around.

"Kid Liang, the pond is too crowded; is the expansion next door done? Go urge them!"

The old toad loved planting lotus flowers, and with its immovable growth talent, the entire pond was completely occupied by lotus flowers, visually very crowded.

Fortunately, the fat catfish and the immovable one had gone out to catch offerings these past two days, otherwise Wu Cangshou wouldn't have wanted to come back.

"Almost there; I asked about the schedule, and the wall will be broken through in two more days, and then it will be spacious." ===== CHAPTER 473 =====