Chapter 61 Establishing a Business:
Although he claimed to be hitchhiking, Lu Yinglin actually owned his own car.
The Shen family naturally had no objections.
Lu Yinglin told his servant to prepare a carriage, then turned around and asked if he could ride in the same carriage with him.
Rong Xie figured that since the destination was the same anyway, it didn't matter whose car he rode in, and he also had something to say to Lu Yinglin.
"Young Master Lu, there is something I would like to discuss with you."
Once in the car, Rong Xie spoke.
Lu Yinglin was somewhat surprised and laughed, "I thought I'd have to offer some advice first. It seems you've thought it through?"
"Well, after thinking about it, we still can't sell the Michelia alba," Rong Xie said.
Lu Yinglin raised an eyebrow and sighed, "It seems you still haven't thought it through."
Rong Xie didn't have the energy to beat around the bush, and said directly, "Considering Shen Bing Si's feelings, I can't sell it, but not selling it isn't an option either. So I'm thinking of mortgaging it to Yuanbao Auction House first, and then redeeming it when I have the money later."
“The price of the mortgage is not even half of what it would be at auction,” Lu Yinglin reminded Rong Xie. “Moreover, the mortgage is not indefinite. If you do not redeem it within the agreed period, the active mortgage will become a dead mortgage.”
"...That's what I wanted to discuss with you. Could you give me a quote on the mortgage time and price?" Rong Xie asked.
Lu Yinglin looked disapproving, but when it came to business, he still adopted a professional attitude and calculated the mortgage time and corresponding price of Yuanbao Auction House for Rong Xie on the spot.
“Then let’s choose the one with the longest redemption period,” Rong Xie said. “I also need some time to raise the money, the longer the better.”
"The longer the time frame, the lower the price they can offer. The longest is three years. Are you sure you can raise that much money in three years? You still need money to buy a house, and you're running around every day for daily expenses. If you don't lose money after three years, you'll be lucky."
Rong Xie knew Lu Yinglin was right, but...
"Let's just keep this in mind," Rong Xie said, lowering his head.
Lu Yinglin put away the accounting paper and pen, his attitude becoming more businesslike and distant: "Since you've made this decision, I'll give you the official price list later. The pawning process will still go through the counter of Yuanbao Auction House. There's a counter in Shengjing, and I'll handle the arrangements then."
"Thank you, Young Master Lu." Rong Xie said with a smile, "Should I address you as Manager Lu?"
Lu Yinglin said helplessly, "I don't mind if you call me Senior Brother Lu, but I really can't agree with choosing to make a losing deal when you could have made more money."
“This makes me feel a little more at ease,” Rong Xie said. He lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. The country lanes had turned into a main road leading to the town.
Lu Yinglin shook his head.
Before noon, the group arrived at the county government office.
This was Rong Xie's first time entering a government office to handle official business. He witnessed the numerous thresholds and procedures. Without connections or being a local gentry or prominent family, he didn't know how many times he would have to make the trip to get a result.
Fortunately, the Shen family still held a high position in the area, and with Lu Yinglin, a member of the neighboring Qinghe Lu family, backing them up, Rong Xie's identity documents were quickly approved. He received a stack of brand-new, stamped documents, counted them, carefully put them into a bag, and then put them into his personal pouch.
"Who is Rong Xie?" the clerk called out, "Come here for a moment!"
Rong Xie hurriedly stepped forward. The clerk glanced at him, seemingly incredulous. He looked again, and Rong Xie wondered if there was something dirty on his face. But then he heard Lu Yinglin laugh beside him, "Master, this is a Taoist priest who cultivates immortality. He has already achieved some level of cultivation and can ensure that his appearance does not age."
The clerk suddenly realized and his attitude became much more polite: "So you are an enlightened immortal."
The subsequent explanation was much more patient: the identity documents and other materials would be returned to him after the official seal was affixed, and he should keep them safe. The new household registration certificate would have to be processed in the capital and would need to be registered in the Ministry of Revenue's register, which was quite troublesome. The county government would have its own errand runners to deliver the message, and it would take a month or two to go. In addition, with the Ministry of Revenue's procedures, it would take half a year for Rong Xie's household registration certificate to be made, so Rong Xie didn't need to rush over.
Before this, if it involved passing through, entering the city, or buying and selling, showing the other party your identity documents would have the same effect.
"I see, thank you for informing me, sir." Rong Xie also imitated Lu Yinglin and spoke to the clerk.
The clerk smiled and said, "Immortal, there's no need for you to be so polite."
As he left the yamen, the sun was still high in the sky. Rong Xie couldn't help but take out his newly acquired identity document and touch it and look at it again and again.
Now that he is free and no longer under the Shen family's household registration, he can go wherever he wants without any problem. He no longer needs to rely on others or get past the Shen family.
The breeze blowing in her face was fresh and light, and Rong Xie felt that the burden that had been weighing on her heart for many days had been swept away, making her walk much lighter.
"Junior Brother Rong, congratulations!" Lu Yinglin said with a smile.
"Thanks to Young Master Lu's help, the documents were processed so smoothly." Rong Xie bowed to Lu Yinglin.
"You're welcome, it was nothing." Lu Yinglin leaned closer to Rong Xie. "Now you know, it's not so difficult to establish yourself outside, is it? At home you rely on your parents, but when you're out in the world you rely on your friends. That saying is always true. When you're out in the world, making more friends can only be beneficial, not harmful. Besides, everyone wants to be friends with someone as good as you."
Rong Xie's ears felt slightly hot. Lu Yinglin was too close, making him a little uncomfortable. However, before he could react, Lu Yinglin straightened up and walked towards the carriage, sighing as he went: "Sigh, you've finished your business, but mine is still a long way off. I really don't want to go back to the Lu family."
"Young Master Lu doesn't want to return to the Lu family either?" Rong Xie was surprised. He thought Lu Yinglin was the kind of popular and exemplary young master in the Lu family.
“Of course, who wants to go back to their hometown and spend their days among a bunch of relatives who held them when they were little?” Lu Yinglin said with a worried expression. Suddenly, he looked up at Rong Xie with shining eyes. “How about this, Junior Brother Rong, come back with me?”
"Me?" Rong Xie never expected Lu Yinglin to invite him to the Lu family, and he had no excuse to refuse. "Now? I haven't packed my bags yet..."
“No need to pack your luggage, it’s just a one-day trip!” Lu Yinglin patted the carriage shaft. “Just pretend to be my employer and keep urging me to get going. When those relatives see how much you’re pushing me, they won’t keep me here.”
"This... but I can't pretend to be your employer, and I don't know what to urge you on." Rong Xie immediately became nervous.
"Don't be afraid. Just stand there with a cold face, and they naturally won't dare to come up and talk to you," Lu Yinglin said seriously.
Rong Xie remained skeptical.
Rong Xie still got into Lu Yinglin's carriage and went with him to the Lu family.
Rather than staying at the Shen family's place, it would be more comfortable to go out and spend a day somewhere else.
As night fell, the carriage entered Qinghe County.
Qinghe County is much larger than Heyang County, and the Lu Mansion is located on the best piece of land by the river. With its high walls and imposing gate, it could easily be mistaken for the residence of a prince or nobleman.
The carriage entered the Lu residence through a side gate. Along the way, Rong Xie saw a solemn scene. Each courtyard was separated by a wall of uniform height, and the roads in the middle were also identical. Overall, it gave people a sense of order and discipline. It did not look like a mansion where a large family lived, but rather like an examination hall.
Rong Xie was surprised, wondering how such an unrestrained person as Lu Yinglin could grow up in such a solemn and solemn place.
It could also be... that things will turn into their opposite when they reach an extreme.
The carriage stopped by the gate leading to the inner residence. The two got out of the carriage, and a servant carrying a lantern led the way. After winding through the narrow and neat alleys, they finally arrived at Lu Yinglin's courtyard. The courtyard had a main house, guest rooms, and all the necessities for daily life.
"Young Master Lin, the Master is having dinner in the main hall. Please come over there immediately," a servant relayed the message.
"Okay, you can wait outside first." Lu Yinglin gave Rong Xie a helpless look.
"Yes." The servant withdrew.
Only Lu Yinglin and Rong Xie remained in the courtyard. Lu Yinglin led Rong Xie to his guest room and told him to rest there. He said that servants would bring daily necessities soon, and he could just tell them what he wanted to eat or use.
Rong Xie wasn't hungry. Ever since he obtained sufficient spiritual energy, there was no difference between eating and not eating.
"Don't I need to go over there?" Rong Xie asked, "To play the role of the employer urging you or something..."
"Do you want to go there?" Lu Yinglin asked with a smile.
"I don't want to," Rong Xie said honestly.
“Then we don’t need to go.” Lu Yinglin couldn’t help but chuckle.
Rong Xie raised his eyebrows, as if he understood something. It turned out that the matter of him pretending to be the master was just to coax him.
"You've been running around all day, get some rest," Lu Yinglin said. Suddenly, he remembered something, "Oh right, I almost forgot, I need to tell the boys to prepare a bucket of hot water. You want to use it for a hot compress?"
"Huh?" Rong Xie asked, puzzled.
“I noticed you often rub your shoulders, and you seem to have some difficulty raising your arms,” Lu Yinglin gestured to Rong Xie’s shoulder.
"Ah, it's alright." Rong Xie subconsciously rubbed his shoulder. "But... if there's hot water, that would be even better."
Later that evening, Lu Yinglin went to the main hall to see the Lu family head.
Rong Xie breathed a sigh of relief; he felt more comfortable being alone.
The servants brought over hot water and daily necessities, but Rong Xie told them to put down the hot water and that they didn't need anything else, as he carried several sets with him.
Rong Xie changed into a bathrobe, soaked a towel in hot water, and wiped his body down. He felt much more relaxed, and the pain in his shoulder was relieved.
Rong Xie stood in front of the mirror, brushed his damp hair to one side, lifted the collar of his bathrobe, and pulled the hem down to his shoulders.
Three obvious bruises were left on his pale skin, which looked shocking. Rong Xie pinched them as if torturing himself, and hissed. It still hurt.
Thinking of how Shen Bingsi had gripped his shoulders and asked him incredulously why he was leaving, Rong Xie was lost in thought.
So, Shen Bingsi didn't want him to leave?
Even if he offended him and did the thing he hated most, Shen Bingsi still didn't want him to leave.
Knowing the result, Rong Xie felt that the empty space in his heart had been filled again.
As long as he abandons that foolish idea, he can pretend nothing happened.
If only he could give up that idea.
He could have gained the best friendship in the world, but the feelings in his heart had already changed.
He could no longer return to Shen Bingsi's side as if nothing had happened, and under the guise of being best friends, cultivate with him. Even though they had done the most intimate things, after it was over, he returned to square one. Shen Bingsi could put on his pants and say frankly: We are the best friends in the world, right?
I couldn't go on living like that for even a single day.
Let's end it here.
He told him in person that he had sold the orchid, and seeing his devastated expression, Rong Xie knew that they could never go back.
It can be considered a farewell, at least it's better than leaving directly while Shen Bingsi was in seclusion.
"Knock knock!"
There was a knock on the door.
Rong Xie immediately pulled up his bathrobe, tied his hair up simply, tidied his appearance, and came to the door.
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