Chapter 226: What a Waste of Money!

"Go, find more people to catch a few more rats and throw them into the cell. Damn his leg, I can't stand this; if it were me making a racket every day, I'd have already had someone break their legs so I wouldn't have to watch this annoyance daily."

"Hey, you and Lord Yuan are really kindred spirits; shall we become friends?"

"Heard their food is outstanding?"

"Otherwise, why wouldn't the Prefect Zhifu's parents stay there and not return? I heard the Prefect Zhifu visits them every year; otherwise the two elders wouldn't go back."

"Then just prepare a simple gift; I'm not trying to curry favor, I'm just going to befriend him."

"Even if your gift is lavish, they won't care; I heard Qiao Niang gets twenty percent of the Wang Family's business profit each year."

"I bet she makes at least several tens of thousands of taels of silver a year, right?"

"Exactly. Don't be fooled by her Small Food Shop's modest look; the accounts show that just this shop brings in at least fifty to sixty thousand taels a year, let alone her family also raises deer and Fragrant Antelope, whose Deer Antler and Musk can fetch a good amount of silver."

"Sheesh, I really underestimated Qiao Niang."

"Indeed, her garden grows only rare medicinal herbs, which also bring in a lot of silver."

Xiao Qing suddenly appeared beside her, "Wow, master, this cat is so beautiful!"

The master extended a palm and said, "Stop talking, did you give him that amount?"

Continuously calling out, Qiao Mai hurriedly fetched a ham, broke it into pieces, placed them before them, then set a small bowl and poured in some Linghe Water.

Qiao Mai felt a bit guilty toward the old lady; if she hadn't gone to Fucheng to confide in the old lady, that elderly couple wouldn't have separated.

"Cat? A cat that's crimson? It looks more like a red fox."

"But they're thick‑skinned; do they care about that? As long as they can get silver, what's the point of a thick face?"

"Hmph, with a wife like that as backing, if this official still can't do his job, he might as well go home and grow sweet potatoes."

"Truly a waste of money!"

Although Zhu Xianling sent people to give them a "small care", he didn't go overboard; regarding food, the hard, unmoving steamed buns turned into soft, fluffy ones.

"There's no rats in the space?"

"Meow meow"

Zhu Xianling bit his lip, "It's necessary. This County Magistrate will certainly use this thick skin to become familiar at her house; even if I can't snag silver, I can still get food and drink, I can't leave empty‑handed."

"Here, esteemed guest."

"Haha!"

After coming out, she poured the cat litter into the litter box, then put food in one cat bowl and water in another, and placed the kitten into the cat nest.

"It's only four people; Zhu Xianling can afford it."

"Sir, you are the head magistrate of Yi County; I trust that if you sincerely befriend the Qiao Family, they are so wealthy that they'll definitely support you when needed."

"Dogs guard the house, cats catch mice; their duties differ."

"Um, is this cat a Spirit Beast or just an ordinary cat?"

"Well, do you have any ideas?"

"Master, why is your thinking so narrow?"

"Hmm, just buying wasteland outside the County Town cost ten thousand taels, plus building city walls, renovating the Xian Ya, hiring workers to plant trees—those aren't even counted yet. Look at how this County Magistrate runs things, compare with other magistrates; elsewhere they stuff their own pockets, but the Yuan County Magistrate's family takes money outwards. Such a magistrate is truly rare."

"To hassle a bit of stuff from the son and daughter's household, he entered the First Branch—truly makes one laugh till teeth fall out."

"It was still before dawn when Yuan Jiaqi was woken by the kitten's cries."

"The master and servant looked at each other and burst into laughter; for no other reason, they truly are a pair of mischievous kids."

"It's just that little thing from the mountain; basically nothing."

"He lay on the kang and was startled by the two little critters running on the floor."

"Zhu Xianling glanced at the master and asked, 'Do you have such imposing presence that diminishes your own father's vigor?'"

"Once she gets what she wants, she stops caring."

"The two kittens, highly spirited, ignored the ham and rushed straight for the Linghe Water, soon swelling their little bellies."

"Hehe, thanks for granting me freedom, master!"

"So under Xiao Qing's direction, she bought several pairs of the same cat breed on the Platform, all unrelated by blood yet able to grow and mate with each other."

"Yes, yes, not just two, there are even ten."

"I'm interested in that cat of yours, need two—do you have them?"

Qiao Mai rubbed her eyes and, without blinking, lied outright.

"So she browsed the Platform one by one, finally choosing a short‑haired crimson cat; the description praised its gentle temperament, fondness for clinginess, and high spirit."

"Both ordinary and Spirit‑Beast‑grade ones are available."

"Is this a fox?"

"Anyone there?"

"Our space is so big; why not raise some too? Bring a few of any breed; I'll raise them for you, okay?"

"When did two little critters appear in our house, and what's that pile on the floor?"

Qiao Mai took a pair of cats out of the space; the kittens, just two months old, were suddenly shifted to a new environment and were a bit scared.

"Cats don't only eat mice; don't forget our pond where fish and shrimp are almost overflowing. With these cats, they'll be constantly caught, and the space needs ecological balance."

"The dog breeds also arrived in several pairs; since Xiao Qing has time, just let them raise them."

"It's not, it's a cat,"

"With that remark from the master, her courage grew."

"In the cell, Yuan Qiao and two elderly couples—'you look at me, I look at you'—all look like frost‑beaten eggplants, dull and lifeless."

"This New Year, the old master and old lady are separated; one is in Fucheng, the other at the Qiao Family."

"Sitting before the computer, she took a deep breath and opened the Platform to search."

"The two kittens licked each other's fur, snuggled together; Qiao Mai turned her head, glanced at the peacefully sleeping Yuan Jiaqi, then fell asleep there."

Nowadays Qiao Mai is a Diamond Level Guest on the Platform, so every seller shows her great respect.

Thinking of her own Ling'er, she decides to buy two and starts communicating with customer service.

As long as their bodies have no problems, let them stay inside forever.

She smiles and pats their little heads, then suddenly remembers something, returns to the space, and buys cat food, cat litter, a cat bowl, and a cat nest for the kittens.

"Fifty thousand taels?"

"Xiao Qing, buy whatever you want; as long as it's good for the space, it's fine."

Besides, the house already has two stylish and cute dogs; changing the variety would be a bit fresher.

"Otherwise, an entire family depends on her for livelihood; even though Yuan County Magistrate holds office, he still relies on her support—just that meager salary can't even sustain himself."

"Hmm?"

"I heard that after he took office, Qiao Niang spent a lot of silver?"

The puppies are also quite cute, but they can't be held all the time; they can stay by her side from day to night.

"Alright, alright, you handle it as you see fit."

"Last night I couldn't sleep, went out for a walk, found two little things, and brought them back. Pretty, right?"

"Go to sleep; tomorrow I'll introduce you to the new master!"

Qiao Mai didn't open her eyes, "What's wrong?"

It's just the big New Year; others are enjoying fine food and spicy drinks, while they are in the prison gnawing at the nest every day, which saved their son the silver for food and drink, so it wasn't all in vain.

"Didn't you slip in so many while I wasn't paying attention?"

So after staying up through New Year's Eve, he returned, waited for Yuan Jiaqi to fall asleep, tapped his Sleep Acupoint, and entered the space.

"Madam, madam?"

The old lady especially loves small animals; why not give her a cute, adorable, gentle one? She instantly thought of a kitten.

"You didn't catch the cat's meow?"

"Hehe, I forgot this; the fur is so short and winter so cold—if you don't save them, they'll surely freeze to death."

"Mm, last night I gave them pest control, planning to give one to Grandmother and one to Ling'er; as for the naughty kids, forget it—they have Wu Zhui and Sai Xue, and also Ma'er."

"Mm‑hm, I also don't like boys raising such cute little animals; it makes them act all girly."

(End of chapter)