Chapter 287

"The five-year period is approaching; are you returning to Fengzhou after leaving the academy?"

Lu Qingqiu was thinking about the matter of "making it real," and upon hearing this, she came back to her senses, stunned for a moment at the mention of Fengzhou, her red lips biting lightly.

Leave the academy and go to Fengzhou? It seems Ji You really wants to let the sisters eat something else together.

In an instant, many images filled the mind of the eldest daughter of the Lu family.

Ji You saw her blushing cheeks and realized he had said the wrong thing: "I've been talking about Fengzhou's grain during the disaster relief these past few days, so I slipped up; I meant, will you return to Yunzhou after leaving the academy?"

"According to my father's arrangements, I should enter the Spirit Stone Chamber of Commerce after returning home."

The Lu family's cultivation talent is not high, and the two Lu daughters are considered the best; if there are no accidents, the future Spirit Stone Chamber of Commerce should be under their control; if they can be persuaded to change the system, the foster pavilion system in Yunzhou, which makes the descendants of miners owe debts from birth, might be able to get better.

However, looking at Lu Qingqiu's expression of wanting to "make the rumors real," using other methods of persuasion seems easier than using the mouth.

Xiang Kuangcheng was right; cultivation is nothing, and in the end, a good body is more useful.

At this moment, Ji You's mind was filled with inexplicable postures, secretly saying that the ancients were right; the human heart is truly yellow.

Afterward, the two chatted about some trivial matters, and Lu Qingqiu was called away by a maid who hurried from the courtyard, receiving a thick stack of invitations from her hand.

As the New Year approaches, the Spirit Stone Chamber of Commerce has many dealings in the capital, which are basically handled by this eldest Miss Lu.

The ones she visited this year were all the fixed ones from the past, but the invitations received have increased.

Lu Qingqiu actually knows very well that the extra invitations may not be for their Lu family, but largely because others know she has lost her virginity to Ji You.

Probably many people want to use him to probe what is going on with Ji You and why the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan's attitude toward him is so strange.

Afterward, the two waved goodbye; Ji You turned and left the outer courtyard, walking along the mountain road to the inner courtyard to take away the cotton shoes, flower-patterned padded jackets, teacups, and cotton cushions stored in the camphor wood box last year.

Among them was a letter from Yuan Caiwei, which was sent over when Ji You went to disaster relief a few days ago.

The Heavenly Tian Shuyuan is the last stop on the Pill Sect's pill transport route; Yuan Caiwei and Yuanchen were coming to deliver pills and specifically told him the arrival date.

This couldn't help but make Ji You think of that winter, the three people in one room, and his own corner of the mouth that had been bitten by the vinegar-loving Inspector.

Heh, it's getting livelier and livelier...

Ji You put the letter away and found the disciple guarding the mountain gate.

He doesn't live in the academy now, so he left the address of the Wulu Chamber of Commerce, asking the gate-guarding disciple to pass on a message after the Pill Sect people arrived, and then drifted down the mountain.

When he returned to the Wulu Chamber of Commerce, he saw a beautiful silhouette from afar.

Yan Shuyi was wearing a wide-sleeved immortal dress, looking exquisite and slender, and was strolling in front of the shop with Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu.

She was wearing a veil, with only her beautiful eyes exposed; seeing Ji You, she nodded indifferently, as if they were only acquaintances.

Not familiar with him, so she won't be slapped.

Ji You looked at her at this time: "Have you had lunch?"

"Not yet..."

"Thinking of eating what?"

Yan Shuyi was silent for a moment: "Want to eat shredded potatoes with vinegar and chili."

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, thinking to themselves that it was finally over.

The Inspector had said she wanted to take them out for a stroll after breakfast since the Chen hour; the two thought it was to browse the East and West Markets and even had some hidden expectations in their hearts, only to realize later that they had thought too much.

For two full hours, the range of their stroll hadn't exceeded the square inch in front of the Wulu Chamber of Commerce.

They hadn't accompanied Yan Shuyi to Shengjing to hide away for the winter before, but after returning, they often heard her muttering about accidental encounters at the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan, accidental encounters at Xiang Kuangcheng's gate.

The two were puzzled at the time, thinking how there could be so many accidental encounters; now they know that these were the kinds of accidental encounters.

Afterward, the four entered the Wulu Chamber of Commerce; Ji You set out the teapot and teacups, and after brewing a pot of clear tea, he began to roll up his sleeves to cook.

There are no green vegetables to stir-fry in winter, but there are plenty of potatoes.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu went to help Ji You, while Yan Shuyi squinted slightly at the teacup on the table.

The strange man had brought all the things she used to hide away for the winter last year, which meant he had anticipated that she wouldn't be able to help coming to find him.

This actually also felt a bit like dismantling her persona, and the feeling of being anticipated made her a bit displeased.

Ji You swung his arms to move the spatula and lowered his voice to Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu: "How long have you been strolling at the entrance?"

Ding Yao coughed: "Starting from the Chen hour, it's been about two hours now."

"I thought she would at least be able to hold out for a day without coming to see me after going back."

"The Inspector couldn't sleep at all after going back last night, dragging us to sit by the stove and not letting us sleep."

"Then call her to leave after you finish eating later, and see what reaction she has."

"Yes, Young Master."

After a while, the food was on the table, and the four had lunch on a leisurely winter afternoon.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu waited until their own Inspector stopped her chopsticks and began to stare blankly before speaking: "Inspector, we agreed with Miss Rui'er to stroll for a while and then go back; it's about time to leave now."

Yan Shuyi didn't even turn her head, but her eyes gradually became sharp.

The two exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves that there was a reaction; the reaction was to pretend not to hear.

After a moment of silence, a light laugh came from the hall, instantly making Yan Shuyi squint her eyes; she understood that her two maids were sent by Ji You to say that on purpose, so she stood up and walked toward the hall.

Before long, a sound of clattering came from the hall.

The two waited without moving, counting down silently in their hearts; before long, they heard the sound in the room stop abruptly, so they pursed their lips.

Alright, the Inspector has succeeded again; she's probably sitting in his lap by now.

At this time in the hall, Yan Shuyi's fragrant tongue was being rolled, struggling with a face as cold as frost, her eyes staring straight at Ji You, full of defense while her breathing grew heavier.

Ji You reached out and slapped her rounded bottom, releasing her lightly: "Stop messing around, let's get to business."

Yan Shuyi endured the burning sensation on her bottom without rubbing it, glancing at the letter on the table: "Is the supply of Snow Domain Demon Stones going to be restored?"

That was what Ji You had just finished writing when she came in, a whole page written in a flowing hand, and the ink was not yet dry.

"This time for disaster relief, Fengzhou's grain reserves were almost exhausted; although the Great Xia gave a portion from the national treasury, the rest was signed with the disaster victims in labor contracts, but the remaining silver in Fengzhou's accounts is now almost gone, and the money in the Ji Village has been emptied."

Yan Shuyi heard that the money at home was gone, and a trace of solemnity appeared in her eyes.

Ji You blew the letter dry and put it into an envelope: "The snow in Fengzhou has been decreasing these past few days, and the risk of spirit stone transport has lowered; I have to fish some back, and besides, those aristocratic families and Immortal Sects are supported by the ten thousand people, so they should always share some of the burden for the ten thousand people."

Yan Shuyi raised her eyes to look at him: "Winter transport difficulties are a good excuse; with the Qingyun Immortal Rules, it's hard for anyone to make a move against you, but if you rely on having the transport routes in your hands and raise prices to sell, you will accumulate resentment; this is a bad strategy."

"No need to raise prices; first transport a batch secretly, store it in the warehouse, and sell it under the name of inventory by other chambers of commerce."

"You want to distance yourself? That's a good idea, but I'm afraid it will be easily seen through."

"Just don't admit it; they need spirit stones, and all I want is money."

Ji You looked up at Yan Shuyi at this time: "Inspector, you have come from afar; as a friend of Wei Rui's sweetheart, I must not be negligent; what do you want to eat tonight?"

Yan Shuyi's little mouth was pecked, and she looked at him coldly for a long time: "Eat shredded potatoes with vinegar and chili."

In the following days, Shengjing City remained calm, with occasional news coming in, causing ripples in this calm.

An elder of the Wendao Sect, three hundred years of age, returned his soul to the Heavenly Dao, and countless disciples walking outside the mountains returned to the mountain to send him off.

That elder's name had disappeared from the Qingyun world for a long time, so it didn't cause much of a stir, but what caused a stir was another matter, which was that the Shanhai Pavilion Abbot decided to let the direct disciple try to control the Sacred Artifact.

Controlling a Sacred Artifact is not a matter of one morning or evening; according to past records, fast is five or eight years, and slow is ten or twenty years, which is not uncommon.

But even so, it is enough to cause countless discussions.

Because when the direct disciple controls the Sacred Artifact, it also means that the Shanhai Pavilion Abbot has decided to go into seclusion to ascend; what they witness will be another change of an era, which cannot help but make people sigh.

As for the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan, no students have been able to sense the Little Little Tian Shu this year.

This is already the third year, the third year without Little Little Tian Shu sensing, which has caused some rumors such as "the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan Abbot is in poor health" and "the Little Little Tian Shu has a problem" to keep growing.

However, because those students who had sensed the Little Little Tian Shu before can still use the Little Little Tian Shu to enlighten the Dao, not many people believe such rumors.

As for Ji You, he has been busy with restoring the spirit stone supply during this time, communicating many times with Qiu Zhong and He Zhang in Fengzhou.

The first batch of spirit stones in the plan appeared at the Qionghua Pavilion's stall; the quantity was small, and it was quickly bought at a high price by an aristocratic family nearby.

Then came the third batch, the fourth batch, which were also all bought out by the nearby aristocratic families who moved upon hearing the news.

Self-collection is actually a very troublesome matter, and with the increased road taxes in Fengzhou and the difficulty of gathering the goods the demon race wants, it is actually more convenient to buy them out at high prices like this.