Zhang Fan moved out of the high-rise apartment and into a new home located by an artificial lake in a villa area, a very nice environment.
Zhang Fan arrived in Helenbergh with almost no luggage, just a bag, and checked in. The new house had too many rooms, making it feel empty and lacking any human presence.
It's time to add a few more people to the population.
On the first morning, Zhang Fan went to the east gate of Helenburg and asked someone at random. The person pointed to a roof not far away. After walking along the winding alleys of the slum for a few turns, he saw a familiar figure repairing a roof.
"Monkey, how come you seem to know everything?" Zhang Fan looked at Hou Wu on the roof.
"Hey? Big brother!" Hou Wu grabbed the eaves and nimbly jumped down from the roof without even needing a ladder.
"To make a living here, you have to know a little bit of everything," Hou Wu said optimistically. "What brings you here today, brother?"
"I've come to discuss something with you. How much do you earn per month now?"
"Oh, this is a slum. I do odd jobs and don't earn much money." Hou Wu thought for a moment. "Sometimes I can take on several jobs a day and earn a hundred or two gold coins. Sometimes I don't work a day and I don't have any income. On average, I earn about two thousand a month."
"I'll give you four thousand to be my housekeeper."
"Huh? Big Brother needs a butler?" Hou Wu was a little surprised. In his understanding, Zhang Fan still lived in a high-rise apartment, where there was standardized room service and cleaning. Why would he need a butler?
“I’ve moved. I’ve been allocated a house in the Helenburg villa area, so I need someone to look after it.”
After listening, Hou Wu realized something and asked in surprise, "Brother, you really completed that S-level mission? That tattered clothes really went for 180,000?"
"Otherwise what? Why would I be able to live in a villa?" Zhang Fan smiled. "So I should thank you. How about it? Consider becoming my housekeeper?"
“Big brother, Monkey is very willing, but…” Hou Wu hesitated, “My two younger brothers are still in school and need to be taken care of, I can’t leave this family yet…”
“What’s the big deal?” Zhang Fan waved his hand, feeling that it was no problem at all. “I have plenty of rooms. Of course, your two younger brothers can move in too.”
"Oh, thank you, brother!" Hou Wu was delighted. After all, the environment in the slums wasn't very good. If they had the means, who would want their school-aged child to live in the slums?
“I’ll go tell them to tidy up. My two younger brothers are a bit young, but they can do a lot of things and they will help their older brother.”
"By the way, Monkey, do you know any aunties you're familiar with? I also need a servant to cook and clean." Although the villa area can provide butlers and servants, Zhang Fan still prefers to use his own people for convenience.
“There was a woman named Wu Ma who used to be my neighbor in Xilin. She always took good care of the three of us brothers. Sometimes when I wasn’t home, Wu Ma would look after my two younger brothers,” Hou Wu said. “In recent years, Wu Ma’s family has had a few grandchildren, and their expenses have increased. So Wu Ma has started doing housework to supplement their income.”
"Okay, ask her if she's willing to come. How much is her salary now? I'll offer double."
Around noon, Hou Wu arrived with his two younger brothers and an older woman, carrying large and small bags.
Wu Ma looked to be in her fifties, with a kind and auspicious face. As soon as she entered the villa, she started cleaning and helping the Hou brothers pack their luggage. She was diligent and efficient, which pleased Zhang Fan.
Wu Ma lived in the servants' quarters near the entrance, the two brothers shared a bunk bed room, Hou Wu lived in a separate suite, and Zhang Fan lived in the master bedroom with a terrace on the second floor. The other rooms on the second floor were temporarily empty and were arranged as a study and office.
Lunch was a four-dish meal prepared by Aunt Wu, consisting of braised pork, tea oil chicken, steamed sea bass, and stir-fried lettuce with garlic. The fish head was made into a fish head tofu soup. The vegetables were fresh and green, and the fish was fragrant and delicious, making it look very appetizing.
"What? What are you standing there for?" Zhang Fan had already sat down at the table, but he saw Hou Wu and Wu Ma standing on either side with their hands hanging down.
"Sir, please eat first." Aunt Wu smiled. "Although we come from the countryside, we still know these customs."
In wealthy families in Adelaide, servants would never eat at the same table as their masters; often, they would eat the leftovers from the master's meal.
"I don't have that many complicated rules here!" Zhang Fan said, somewhat displeased. "Hou Wu, call those two little monkeys out to eat with us too. I like a lively meal!"
"gentlemen……"
"Am I not the owner of this place? Why won't they listen to me?"
Since Zhang Fan had said that, Wu Ma hesitated for a few moments before sitting down. Hou Wu also called his two younger brothers out of their room to eat together.
"Oh right, I forgot to ask last time, what's your name?" Zhang Fan asked Hou Wu's slightly older brother.
"My name is Hou Liu," Hou Liu said, shoveling mouthfuls of white rice into his bowl. "Our names were given to us by my older brother."
“Then you should be called Hou Qi.” Zhang Fan turned to look at the younger brother.
"No, my name is Hou Yingjun," Hou Yingjun replied, wiping the rice from the corner of his mouth.
"Cough!" Zhang Fan choked on his food, then quickly pounded his chest a few times. He pointed at Hou Yingjun, veins bulging on his forehead, and questioned Hou Wu, "Why isn't he called Hou Qi?"
"Because I like it." Hou Wu answered with a blank look. What kind of question is that?
"Uh..." Zhang Fan was choked and couldn't speak.
Yeah, who says Hou Yingjun has to be called Hou Qi?
A group of people were chatting at the table, while the television next to them was playing the midday news.
The news reported that a wanted criminal nicknamed "Scarface Qiang" was found dead this morning in his hotel room, the cause of death being an overdose of hallucinogenic drugs.
Zhang Fan shook his head. This prince was truly ruthless, acting so quickly, not even waiting a day.
The second news item caught Hou Wu and his group's attention because it was about Xilin. The gist of the article was that Prince Reinhard loved his people like his own children, and the people of Xilin were in favor of him. They presented him with a "hundred-family garment" to repay the prince's kindness.
After reading the news, Hou Wu was so shocked that he opened his mouth wide and couldn't speak.
This is different from what he knows. And why do these news clips shown in the middle look so much like the videos he filmed that day?
"No doubt about it, that's your tattered dress. I'm the one who released the news." Zhang Fan couldn't help but laugh at Hou Wu's reaction. Getting Erwin to help create a news story wasn't difficult. "Now you know why that dress is worth 180,000 gold coins, right?"
"Brother, I still don't understand." Hou Wu was still in shock. "That's fake! What if Prince Reinhard finds out the truth?"
“If no one says it’s fake, then it’s real,” Zhang Fan said calmly and meaningfully. “Most importantly, Prince Reinhardt believes it’s real, so it’s real.”
"Big brother, I'm a little confused..." Hou Wu still couldn't understand.
"Prince Reinhardt 'took the lead' in forgiving the debts of his own fiefdom, winning the hearts and minds of the people. The news has already been released. What do you think the other nobles with fiefdoms will think? What will they do?"
"In order to respond to the prince's call, to win the hearts of the people, and to obtain this so-called 'hundred-family garment,' these nobles also need to take action and forgive some of the debts of the people in their own fiefdoms."
"Perhaps each debt is not much, but how many nobles are there in the entire Duchy of Ryan? How many fiefdoms? How many people live in those fiefdoms? The accumulated debts of these forgiven debts will become astronomical."
"And the gratitude that each person whose debts were forgiven might remember is not for the nobles, but for Prince Reinhard, who led the way."
"This practice of using other people's money to gain public support for yourself—now tell me, how much is that shirt of yours worth?"
"..." Hou Wu was completely dumbfounded. How could there be so many secrets behind a tattered piece of clothing?
"Forget it, I won't think about it anymore." Hou Wu shook his head. "Anyway, I know that by forgiving so much debt, my brother has truly helped many poor people. I thank my brother on their behalf!"
"From now on, Big Brother will be in charge of using the brains, and Hou Wu will handle the errands!"
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