Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 237 Bookkeeping

Nianyao said, "Is he lost his way or is he lame? Didn't he realize he came here by himself? Do I have to go and get him? Go back and tell him..."

Qin Jiu and Zhou Yan said at the same time, "Chief!"

Nianyao paused, then asked, "If I don't go, will he not come?"

The messenger stood at the door: "The prince said that if the gang leader doesn't personally come to fetch him, he will return the way he came."

Qin Jiu advised, "Chief, we'll go with you. Jiangxinzhou has beautiful scenery; a walk there will help you digest and improve your health—it's a win-win situation."

Nianyao reluctantly got up and went out to the dock first.

The three of them could see a row of ships lined up on the dock in the distance, all packed with people. Xu Sheng stood at the very front, holding a folding fan, looking relaxed and at ease.

When Xu Sheng saw them coming, he waved to them from a distance: "Chief Xue, come on up."

Nianyao walked closer and stopped, looking up at Xu Sheng: "Where's Qi Yang?"

Xu Sheng smiled and said, "General Qi is busy with important duties and can't spare the time. Sister-in-law, we haven't seen each other for a long time, and I miss you both very much. I wonder if you miss me too?"

Xu Sheng was as cheeky as ever! Nian Yao coldly replied, "You need a beating, don't you?"

Xu Sheng shook his folding fan: "How can you be so ungrateful? I told you how much I missed you, and you want to fight me. Although it is said that fighting is a sign of affection and scolding is a sign of love, we don't seem to be that close or loving. However, even Luo An can't beat me, let alone you."

Nianyao glared at her angrily: "You really never learn."

Xu Sheng laughed loudly, "Same here. I have a short memory, but you have a long one. We're evenly matched, the elder brother doesn't talk about the younger brother."

Nianyao asked, "What do you mean?"

Xu Sheng said, "Your brothers have been dead for so long, and you're only now thinking about avenging them? Aren't you forgetful?"

Nianyao glared at Xu Sheng, who looked down at her with a half-smile that was quite irritating.

Qin Jiu advised, "Chief, let's go up."

Xu Sheng said, "Chief Xue, if we don't set off soon, it will get dark. I don't mind, but Chief Xue's time can't be wasted."

Nianyao held her breath and said goodbye to Zhou Yan: "Uncle Zhou, Ninth Brother and I are leaving first."

Zhou Yan thought for a moment: "Chief, whether on the battlefield or in the martial world, life and death are common occurrences. Safety first, please take care."

Nianyao was deeply moved and stepped forward to hug Zhou Yan: "Uncle Zhou, thank you for taking care of me all these years."

Zhou Yan patted her on the back: "Chief, we've watched you grow up. You're no different from my own daughter, there's no need to be so polite."

Nianyao nodded: "Uncle Zhou, we're leaving now. Take care."

As Zhou Yan watched Nian Yao and Qin Jiu board the ship, he said to Xu Sheng, "Thank you for taking care of the leader, Your Highness."

Xu Sheng replied with a grin, "Of course, she's my sister-in-law. As her elder brother, I have to act like one. Uncle Zhou, we're leaving now."

The ship came from the shipyard on Chongming Island and was moving very fast. By the time Nianyao stood on the deck, the ship had already sailed more than ten meters.

Xu Sheng stood at the bow of the boat, while Nian Yao stood at the stern. She was determined to ignore Xu Sheng, since she wouldn't gain anything by arguing with him.

Xu Sheng looked at her and said slowly, "You stand at the bow of the ship, and I stand at the stern."

What the heck? Nianyao almost cursed, but barely managed to hold it in. She put her hands behind her back and looked up at the water.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, scattering across the river's surface, making it shimmer like golden ribbons of silver, dazzling the eyes. Ships swiftly glided across the water, as if a sharp blade had sliced ​​the ribbon in two, only for the water to quickly merge back into one, as if the ships had never been there.

Nianyao stared blankly: Geese leave no trace, water leaves no trace, but what about when a person dies?

So many brothers died, leaving no trace, and they're not even mentioned now. Time can erase everything, including life, death, and separation.

Xu Sheng was the first to enter the tea room at the bow of the boat. He said to Nian Yao, "Chief Xue, come in. It's sunny outside. If you get tanned, you won't be pretty. Don't cry if Luo An complains about you later."

Nianyao unconsciously clenched her fists and turned to Qin Jiu, asking, "How do we deal with someone like this?"

Qin Jiu said in a deep voice, "Silence can deal with everything."

Nianyao nodded and walked into the tea room, sitting opposite Xu Sheng. A tea set was on the table. Nianyao didn't know much about these things, but her intuition told her it must be very valuable.

Xu Sheng poured a cup of tea and handed it to her: "You usually drink the tea brewed by Luo An, now try my tea."

The tea in the cup is bright red, with a unique aroma that resembles both flowers and fruits, fresh and natural, making it very tempting to taste.

Nianyao sniffed, picked up the cup and drank it all in one gulp, naturally exclaiming, "Good tea."

Xu Sheng said, "That's right, being with Luo An has greatly improved my tea-tasting skills."

Nianyao held the cup in her hand, staring at it, remaining silent.

Xu Sheng didn't mind. He picked up a tea leaf from the tea canister and introduced it to her, saying, "Luo An drinks good tea, so I have to drink good tea too. He drinks green tea, so I'll drink black tea."

However, my tea is much better than his. Look at these tea leaves, they are needle-shaped, made from carefully selected single buds, and are the highest grade of black tea.

"An ounce of gold for an ounce of tea, that's quite expensive. That cup you just drank must have been worth... an ounce of silver. Put it on Luo An's tab, I'll ask him for it later."

What? Nianyao applied a little force, and the cup in her hand shattered. Nianyao slowly placed the cup on the table, and it immediately broke in two.

Xu Sheng exclaimed, "This is a Tianmu Cup, very expensive, worth an ounce of gold..."

Nianyao's voice was very calm: "Put it in Luo An's account."

Xu Sheng was quite surprised and looked her up and down: "Isn't this a bit inappropriate..."

Nianyao simply fetched the cup and poured the tea herself: "Even close brothers should keep clear accounts; it's only right."

Qin Jiu stood outside the teahouse gazing at the horizon, then turned and looked back upon hearing this.

Xu Sheng immediately called out, "Ninth Brother, come and sit down. With brothers on guard duty, it's not your turn, Ninth Brother."

Qin Jiu clutched her stomach as she walked downstairs: "No need, I need to go to the bathroom, please excuse me for now."

Nianyao snorted, a smile appearing on her face: "Your Highness, your saliva is worthless, you don't need to charge me, right? Let's have a serious chat."

Xu Sheng, with his thick skin, showed no sign of surprise: "Chief Xue, when have I ever been improper?"

Nianyao asked, "First, did you get your hands on Young Master Jing and his money? Second, is Yunting missing or dead?"

Xu Sheng said, "Young Master Jing's money is in my hands, but it's almost all spent. As for the man, I don't know. I'm too busy leading troops in battle to care about those rich young masters."

As for Yun Ting, he's currently leading troops to besiege Furong City. You're his sister; even if you don't wish him well, you can't just curse him like that, can you?"

Nianyao slammed the cup down on the table, and it shattered with a crack. "This broken cup of yours," Nianyao exclaimed in disbelief, "was it made of mud?"

Xu Sheng nodded: "You're right, this is made of fired clay. Intentionally damaging this rare and precious cup deserves double the compensation, right?"