32. Poor
"Doesn't your general have any private property?"
Xiao Pingchuan began to avoid Shen Suqin.
Initially, Shen Suqin did not notice anything amiss, only wondering why Xiao Pingchuan, having lost his military power, was still leaving early and returning late every day.
Later she learned that Xiao Pingchuan left home early every day simply to kill time in a small tavern.
Yes, he learned to drink alcohol at some point.
Go to a pub and stay there all day.
But now he has lost his military power to rely on, and only has the title of General of the Cavalry with no real power left. This is just giving the arrogant young nobles in the capital something to talk about.
If it were Shen Suqin, he would definitely choose to stay discreetly in the general's mansion and would not step out even once.
Sure enough, something bad happened that day.
In the middle of the day, a bodyguard rushed back to get help, saying that the general was fighting with someone.
Xu Youcai immediately grabbed his axe and prepared to rush out.
Shen Suqin sighed, grabbed him, and asked him to take her with him.
And so, Shen Suqin followed six or seven people out the door in a flurry of activity. Along the way, Xu Youcai didn't seem worried at all; instead, he looked eager to try.
Shen Suqin was speechless: "Brother Xu, are you going to save someone or stir up trouble?"
Xu Youcai chuckled: "Isn't it just that I haven't fought in a long time and my hands are itching? The general doesn't need us to save him. It would be good enough if you could leave me two to have some fun."
Shen Suqin was speechless for a moment.
After walking through several streets to the scene of the incident, I could hear Xiao Pingchuan's deep, pleasant voice cursing from afar.
"How old is he? How could you let someone beat him up?"
"Your dad works in the Ministry of War? Oh, another one trying to compete by having a powerful father. Why don't you ask around about the last guy who tried to compete with me by having a powerful father, and see how he's doing now?"
"Arrest me and put me in jail? I'm a first-rank official, and your father is a third-rank official, yet you have the audacity to want to arrest me and put me in jail."
"So what if I'm Xiao Pingchuan? Even without military power, I'll still beat you to a pulp."
"Get lost, even if the King of Heaven himself came to plead for you today, it wouldn't make a difference."
......
Shen Suqin glanced at Xu Youcai silently, then hesitated for a moment before asking him, "Is your general always this talkative?"
Xu Youcai swallowed hard. "Well, not really. He's actually quite introverted."
Introverted?
So this is how the word "introverted" is used?
Shen Suqin breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the huge crowd of onlookers not far away, unsure whether to squeeze in.
"General!"
Just as she hesitated, Xu Youcai suddenly yelled and rushed out, shouting as he ran, "Leave two for me! Don't knock them both down, let me have some fun too!"
Shen Suqin: "..."
She felt that she had made a pointless trip.
But since she was already there, she slowly squeezed through the crowd.
Upon entering, one could see that Xiao Pingchuan was standing on a person. The person appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in rather luxurious clothes, lying face down on the ground, groaning and moaning.
Beside him lay about a dozen people, who looked like servants.
So Xiao Pingchuan single-handedly defeated all of these dozen or so people.
Hearing Xu Youcai's voice, Xiao Pingchuan looked up and around, brushed aside Xu Youcai who was pressing towards him, and stared at Shen Suqin from a distance across the crowd.
"General, you really didn't leave a single one alive." Xu Youcai's tone was full of regret. "Little Thirteen even ran back to call us to join in the fun, but in just a short while, you finished it all by yourself. That's really not fair."
Xiao Pingchuan, annoyed by his chatter, pushed him aside and asked, "Where's Chai Shun? He didn't come."
"No, he was injured and is lying in bed. What's next? Should we continue fighting?"
"What are you fighting for? If you keep fighting, someone will die. Do you have any money on you? Give me some."
Xu Youcai hurriedly rummaged through his clothes, saying, "I brought it, I brought it. Here, fifty coins, all for you."
"What are you going to do with me? See that injured old man over there? Ask the brothers to chip in some more money and take it to treat his wounds."
Xu Youcai looked in the direction Xiao Pingchuan pointed and saw a ragged old man holding his arm and trembling.
"Did this bastard under your feet do this?"
"Um."
“Then why should we pay for it ourselves?” Xu Youcai squatted down and touched the money bag of the young man lying down. After feeling it, he shook it up and down, took out the largest piece of silver, and stuffed it back in. “Here, the medical expenses, I’ll pay for them for you.” He patted the young man’s face, got up and took two steps, and stuffed the silver into the old man’s hand.
"Thirteen, come here and take the old man to get a house. After that, take him home."
"Okay."
After making the arrangements, Xu Youcai ran back to Xiao Pingchuan's side to claim credit, "General, how was it?"
Xiao Pingchuan lifted his foot and kicked the young man away, saying, "Not bad, you've learned how to do things since you came to the capital."
"Hehe, what should we do next? Shall we go back to the manor?" He lowered his voice as he said this, "The madam is here too."
Xiao Pingchuan lowered his head and straightened his sleeves: "Take her back, I have something else to do."
"What's up? Let's go together."
"Tsk, you dare to meddle in my affairs?"
Xu Youcai immediately changed the subject, "Then you go first, I'll take care of the rest of the mess for you."
He was referring to the group of people who were lying on the ground, unable to get up.
"Um."
Xiao Pingchuan actually pushed through the crowd from another direction and left.
Having witnessed the entire process, Shen Suqin slowly frowned. Perhaps she should find some time to have a proper talk with Xiao Pingchuan.
Having wasted most of the day going out, upon returning to the General's Mansion, Shen Suqin, for reasons unknown, summoned Xu Youcai and asked him, "Who was in charge of the General's Mansion before?"
Butler? What an unfamiliar term.
Xu Youcai thought about it carefully and replied, "It's probably Kui Lang."
"Kui Lang?" A name that sounded unfamiliar. "What is her relationship to the general?"
Shen Suqin thought this person was probably an elder of Xiao Pingchuan, but then she heard that Xiao Pingchuan was the only one left in the Xiao family.
"Oh, he's a deputy general in the army, in charge of the Black Flag Army's logistics."
Shen Suqin: "..."
Shen Suqin: "I'm asking who's in charge of the General's Mansion's internal affairs, not the Black Flag Army."
Xu Youcai scratched the back of his head: "There's no such thing as a general's mansion."
"Your general doesn't have any private property?"
"It seems not. He lives and eats in the army and doesn't seem to own any private property. You've seen the house we're living in now; there's nothing of value there. Oh, by the way, there seems to be a general's mansion in Ningyuan, the capital of Jinzhou, but the general hasn't been back for many years. Apart from an old woman who looks after the house, there's nothing there either. I don't even know if anyone can live there."
"And what about your general's salary?"
"The general's salary is very small. As soon as it arrives, Kui Lang takes it to buy grain. I have never seen any money come back."
Shen Suqin had a headache: "Then where does the money come from for all the food and supplies you have every day?"
"It didn't cost much money on the Shule River. After returning to the capital, we got some from the Cangshuang Tower. That's what we're spending now."
"Did my betrothal gifts also come from there?"
Xu Youcai nodded.
Shen Suqin sighed: "Alright, come with me to the storeroom. Pick out all the silks, satins, jewelry and ornaments that you don't need and sell them."
"Huh? That won't do."
"What's wrong with that? I don't need it."
Xu Youcai waved his hands repeatedly: "You've only been married a few days and you're already selling your dowry. If word gets out, our general will lose face."
When she got married, the betrothal gifts were included in her dowry and carried back to the general's mansion together.
Shen Suqin wanted to roll her eyes at him, and said irritably, "Is eating more important or saving face?"
"Face," Xu Youcai said decisively.
Shen Suqin was speechless; men's pride is useless.
“Let me tell you,” Shen Suqin said earnestly, “the silver that Cangshuanglou brought back was used by your general to make winter clothes for the Black Flag Army. If you don’t find a way to get some more silver, the general’s mansion will soon be starving.”
"That's alright, we bought a lot of millet beforehand, enough to last until we return to the North."
"You only eat millet?"
"It's good enough to have millet to eat. Before, when we had no grain, we ate grass roots and tree bark... No, anyway, having millet is enough."
At this point, Shen Suqin suddenly fell silent.
After a long while, she waved her hand, signaling Xu Youcai to leave.
“Hey, Brother Xu, when the general returns, have him come see me,” Shen Suqin said.
"Yes, madam."
After Xu Youcai left, Shen Suqin called Ju Tao over.
"Take some men to the warehouse and dispose of anything you don't need, then exchange it for silver," Shen Suqin told her.
Ren Ju Tao didn't ask any further questions, only saying, "Should we handle all the congratulatory gifts sent from various places together?"
"You decide what to do."
"OK."
"ASAP."
"good."
Xiao Pingchuan returned to the mansion at Hai Shi (9-11 PM), and as soon as he entered, Xu Youcai pulled him to the main courtyard.
"Madam has been waiting for you all afternoon. What have you been doing these past few days? You've been leaving early and coming home late every day," Xu Youcai complained like an old woman.
Xiao Pingchuan selectively replied with the first half of his question: "What is she waiting for me for?"
"It seems like we want to discuss winter clothes with you."
"Oh, you'll come with me."
"What would I do with you? They didn't invite me."
"This is a military order."
Xu Youcai: "......"
Xu Youcai: "Obey military orders."
Knock, knock, knock—there was a knock on the door to Shen Suqin's bedroom.
"Who is it?" the person inside asked.
"It's me, Xiao Pingchuan."
"Come in."
The master bedroom was personally decorated by Xiao Pingchuan, who even personally selected the tables and chairs. Unfortunately, he has never stepped into the bedroom since the wedding.
Shen Suqin was looking at the account book by candlelight when she saw Xiao Pingchuan push the door open and enter. She closed the account book, looked up and said, "General, please sit down."
Xiao Pingchuan shook his head: "Let's talk standing up."
"What are you standing for?" Xu Youcai's head suddenly popped out from behind Xiao Pingchuan, pushing him to sit down at the table and saying, "We should sit down to talk business, right, Madam?"
Shen Suqin didn't know Xu Youcai would also be there, and all the things she had prepared to say suddenly became unspeakable.
"you."
"you."
She and Xiao Pingchuan spoke at the same time, their eyes briefly meeting before quickly looking away.
"You go first," Xiao Pingchuan said.
Shen Suqin nodded. "That's right. The general told me before that he was sure he wanted to buy winter clothes from me. Today I'm here to formally confirm the price and production time with you."
"Um."
"The price has been set at 20% below the market price, and the buyer is the Su family of Jiaozhou. General, you should know the Su family, right?"
"I know, it's the largest fabric shop in Daliang."
"Yes, Master Su and I have known each other since childhood. He was the one who helped me behind the scenes with the Jin Yun Fang incident. General, rest assured, for the same price, you will definitely not find anything better in the market than this in terms of workmanship and materials."
Thank you.
“Of course,” Shen Suqin said. “There is one more thing I need to tell the general. Because I have investments in the Su family, a small portion of the money I receive from the general will become dividends and come back to me.”
Xiao Pingchuan nodded: "I have no objection, that's your money."
Shen Suqin nodded in satisfaction.
"Does Miss Shen have anything else to say?" Xiao Pingchuan asked.
Shen Suqin: "That's all."
Xiao Pingchuan stood up: "Then I'll go out first and get some rest."
After saying that, he left cleanly and decisively without waiting for Shen Suqin's reply, leaving Xu Youcai staring at Shen Suqin.
After a while, Xu Youcai asked hesitantly, "Um, may I ask why our general doesn't sleep in the master bedroom?"
They're already married, so why are they sleeping in separate rooms?
Shen Suqin really wanted to tell him that her marriage to Xiao Pingchuan was just a sham.
But when the words reached her lips, she couldn't bring herself to say them, and only vaguely said, "Perhaps the general doesn't like it."
Xu Youcai slammed his hand on the table: "That's too much! I'll go talk to him for you."
"Oh, no need, Brother Xu, you're back, really no need."
Xu Youcai had already stepped halfway out the door when he pulled back and asked, "Why don't you use it?"
Shen Suqin swallowed hard. "When it comes to feelings... well, they should just take their natural course."
Xu Youcai exploded again, "Does Madam mean that our General doesn't like you and doesn't want to sleep with you? That's impossible. You don't know how he led us through the streets and alleys to buy betrothal gifts, his big front teeth were so cold from smiling. He even told us happily that you two were in love and that he definitely liked you."
Looking into his simple and honest eyes, Shen Suqin almost couldn't even finish her lie.
Although Xu Youcai was usually a rough and unrefined man, he surprisingly became quite clever for once when he saw Shen Suqin's expression. He realized that the person who disliked this marriage was probably the madam.
Thinking about this, he suddenly felt a little helpless.
He said, "Madam, no, Miss Shen, such an outstanding person, how could she possibly fall for our General?"
Of course, it's not that their general is bad. Of course, their general is good, loyal and righteous, and a good fighter. It's just... not that good, and they're not a good match.
"I, I, I..." Xu Youcai was at a loss for what to do, unsure whether to go in or out, and paced back and forth on the threshold. "I won't ask anymore, you, you should get some rest."
After saying that, he ran away as if he were being chased by a dog.
After running a couple of steps, he turned back and gently closed the door for Shen Suqin.
When passing by Xiao Pingchuan's room in the west wing, Xu Youcai noticed that there were no candles lit in the room, wondering where his general had gone to drink again.
No wonder Rang, who used to never drink, suddenly became obsessed with wine jars after getting married.
He felt a little sorry for their general.
well.
After the bedroom became quiet again, Shen Suqin sat quietly for a long time without moving.
As night fell, the pale moonlight shone into the room. Shen Suqin opened her eyes and turned over, faintly hearing what sounded like wind breaking in the distance.
She put on her clothes, stepped out into the moonlight, and followed the sound to the training ground in the backyard.
Under the moonlight, Xiao Pingchuan, shirtless, gripped a heavy sword with both hands and slashed fiercely diagonally. The surging sword energy directly split the nearby blue stone rockery in two.
Shen Suqin was stunned, astonished by this pure sense of power.
The heavy sword had no edge. The sixty-plus pounds of black iron sword felt like a wooden sword in Xiao Pingchuan's hands. As he leaped and flexed, the black iron gleamed coldly, tearing apart the oppressive air. The warm moonlight was shattered into tiny fragments and scattered on his body, flowing slowly along the curves of his muscles, making him look like a beautiful painting.
This is the General of the Cavalry who commands 100,000 troops in the north, as fierce and brave as a wolf, with bones of bronze and arms of iron, invincible.
Half an hour later, Xiao Pingchuan stopped, sweat trickling down his sharp chin. He casually wiped it away, picked up his sword, and went back.
After he left, Shen Suqin emerged from the corner and stared blankly in the direction he had gone for a long time.
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