Chapter 162: Admitting defeat

When Chen Guanxin saw Chen Guanlou, he subconsciously wanted to hide.

Seeing he couldn't hide, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward. His eyeballs rolled around, appearing both guilty and cunning. He was full of petty schemes and illicit affairs.

"Thinking about how to fob me off?"

"Chen Tou, you've misunderstood; how could that be? I was overjoyed to hear you had returned."

"So happy, why not invite me for a drink?"

"This... it's currently time for duty; is it appropriate?"

"If I say it's appropriate, then it's appropriate. Let's go, let's find a place outside to eat something hot. This ghostly weather is freezing to death."

In just half a month, traveling over a thousand miles back and forth, crossing mountains and ridges, wading through rivers, his legs were aching from walking.

They found a small tavern, sliced two plates of side dishes for the wine, and had the tavern keeper warm a pot of wine. The two brothers closed the door and chatted while eating.

"Uncle arranged for you to serve in the Heavenly Prison; what do you think about it yourself?"

Eh?

Wasn't he here to hold him accountable?

Chen Guanxin was full of surprise. He had been nervous the whole time, carefully responding, "My old man is just being whimsical. Brother Lou, you don't need to pay attention to my father's thoughts."

"So, I am asking what you think. There is no one else here; speak up. I need to know your thoughts so I can help you, right? Even if you want to make money, you have to find the right path and find the field you are good at. You don't have the ability to eat the money from every trade."

Chen Guanlou spoke a few words from the heart.

Chen Guanxin was moved!

"Yes, yes, yes, Brother Lou, you are right. My thoughts are nothing else: just be able to make money and suffer less."

"You don't mind that being a Heavenly Prison guard is a lowly profession?"

"To say I don't mind would be impossible. That place, the Heavenly Prison—to be honest, to this day I can't understand how you, Brother Lou, managed to persist. That place is truly too torturous for people."

"How else could I persist? Naturally, by relying on money." Chen Guanlou laughed, his words very straightforward.

Chen Guanxin's courage also opened up, and he began to drink and eat, "That's true. If it weren't for the money, I reckon most guards wouldn't be able to persist. Brother Lou, you should know that my father sent me to the Heavenly Prison just to make me make money."

"How do you plan to make it? Tell me about it. Maybe I can help you."

As soon as Chen Guanxin heard this, he immediately became interested, "The matter is actually like this: my father manages two farms for the Marquis Prefecture, but because the weather hasn't been very good these past two years—either drought or flood—the output has greatly decreased. Added to the fact that the produce from the mountains has also decreased, there has long been a deficit."

Chen Guanlou raised his eyebrows slightly; this was the first time he had heard of this.

"With such large farms, there can still be a deficit?"

"Who says not? I asked my father the same thing, and he said, firstly, there are too many people eating and too few people working. Secondly, the quota set by the Marquis Prefecture is too high and hasn't been adjusted just because the year was bad. You also know that the second branch is currently in charge of the Marquis Prefecture, and the second young mistress is a greedy person. If she doesn't nod, my father has to pay the quota according to the previous years' precedents; it is truly miserable. Added to the fact that our family has many people, it is hard to go from luxury to frugality; our expenses haven't decreased at all, and we have added quite a few expenses because of the increase in population. So, you understand."

Chen Guanlou began to laugh, "Your father takes concubines, and your brother follows suit. The backyard has added several children. With more people, you have to add more maids and nannies to serve them. It is truly a large family with a large business."

"Exactly! It's just me, a bachelor, whose monthly expenses are fixed and haven't changed for so many years. Yet my father is most dissatisfied with me, complaining that I waste the family's money and grain, and insists on driving me out to do things. Sigh, if I have to do things, I have to do things; I thought since I came to the Heavenly Prison, I couldn't come for nothing, right? I must make some money."

"Is the monthly income from the Heavenly Prison not enough for you to spend?" Chen Guanlou asked with a half-smile.

Chen Guanxin gave an awkward laugh, "It's enough. I just want to make my father look at me with admiration. Brother Lou, I absolutely have no intention of stealing your business; I swear."

"Your father didn't give you any instructions?"

"Instructions for what?" Chen Guanxin looked puzzled.

Chen Guanlou picked up his wine cup, a mocking smile hanging on the corner of his mouth, "Your father didn't instruct you not to reach your hand too far? If you overstep your boundaries, you will have your hands chopped off. Since I promised your father I would take care of you, naturally I won't let you suffer; the share that belongs to you will certainly not be missing. If you hang out with me, I guarantee you will eat well and drink well. As long as you don't gamble recklessly, it won't be a problem to buy property and take two concubines in a year.

But why are you so impatient? I've only been gone for a few days, and you couldn't hold back. Even the two Master Fans don't question my business. What do you think you have to rely on that you dare to pry into my business? Hmm?"

"Ah... I... Brother Lou, listen to my explanation." Chen Guanxin suddenly panicked, and a feeling called fear inexplicably arose in his heart.

He guiltily avoided Chen Guanlou's gaze; he didn't know what that was, he only felt danger—huge danger. The instinct to seek advantages and avoid harm told him he couldn't be tough; he had to admit defeat.

"I absolutely have no intention of prying into your business, absolutely none. I just, just, just wanted to understand more and see if I could help."

"You want to help?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Chen Guanxin nodded repeatedly, his little eyes very sincere, "I really want to help. This business of antiques, calligraphy, and paintings—how could I have the ability to eat it alone? I have no capital, nor do I have the knowledge or connections in this area! Besides, those imprisoned officials don't trust me either. Hehe, Brother Lou, believe me, everything I said is true."

Chen Guanlou looked at him with a half-smile, reached out to touch his head, and then patted his cheek, as if treating a kitten or a puppy.

Chen Guanxin sat honestly, not daring to tilt his head even a little.

He didn't know why he was so cowardly! Clearly, he was quite arrogant on ordinary days. Yet in front of Chen Guanlou, he really couldn't be arrogant. All his courage and fearlessness vanished when facing Chen Guanlou's eyes, which were like an abyss.

Timidity occupied his entire mind.

He waited uneasily for the verdict.

Chen Guanlou had just returned to the capital, and many people hadn't realized the changes in him. After the Hu Village incident, he was still him, yet he was not him. The soaring murderous aura, although restrained and hidden by him, still revealed a hint of the truth through eyes that had been sacrificed by blood. Sharp people would naturally see his difference.

Someone who had been baptized in a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, even if they tried hard to pretend to be harmless, the violence revealed in their eyes in an instant carried a strong deterrent and danger, making people feel fear in their hearts.

Unless he could reach the state of "great skill appearing clumsy," he could not hide all his sharpness and achieve true harmless camouflage.

He patted Chen Guanxin's shoulder, "If you really want to help, then listen to me. We are both surnamed Chen; if I don't lead you to get rich, who will?"

Chen Guanxin nodded fiercely, "I, I will definitely listen. From now on, I will never act recklessly. Brother Lou, believe me, I will show you."

Chen Guanlou smiled with satisfaction.

Chen Guanxin felt a sense of relief; the feeling of having needles pricking his back finally dissipated. ===== CHAPTER 163 =====