Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 53 Life is full of cameras

The next morning, Chen Xuan was woken up by the ringing of the phone again. This wasn't his first experience, so he quickly got up and went out to the main building and asked, "Master, why did you call me?"

"A Xuan, you haven't gotten up earlier than me. Hurry up and wash up and have breakfast. We will set off for school soon," Gao Jingming said with a smile as he opened the window on the second floor.

Xiao Cai was holding a small bun and handing it to his mouth. It was like he was ready for food.

What time is it now? I heard you say you have class early tomorrow morning. You're not going to be late, so is there any need to be so anxious? And when did you run back?
Although he was complaining in his heart, Chen Xuan quickly responded: "Okay, young master."

After returning to his room to wash up and ask for breakfast to be brought, Chen Xuan was still thinking. He had thought that he had gotten used to waking up early recently, but it seemed that everyone else was waking up earlier than the chickens. It seemed that he would have to wake up earlier in the future. As a servant, it was not a big deal if he always woke up earlier than the young master...

After quickly filling his stomach, he packed two sets of clothes, all of the same style, with no choice. Then Chen Xuan also took the money that Gao Jingming had left over from yesterday.

At this time, Xiao Ye came to inform him, "Xuan'er, I forgot to tell you something. The young master will be in the school for ten days. Although he will eat and live in the school, he will need money, so you have to go to the account office to withdraw the expenses during this period."

It's normal to have pocket money for school. Chen Xuan asked, "Then how much is appropriate?"

"In the past, every time I went to school, I received thirty taels. You can withdraw according to this amount. It is included in the young master's monthly salary. It is not an extra amount like yesterday. Well, the young master's monthly salary is now one hundred taels, and it will increase as he gets older," Xiao Ye explained.

How much? How much did you say?
A seven or eight-year-old kid, going to boarding school, would spend thirty taels for ten days? Maybe he couldn't spend it all, but judging by yesterday's spending, it was too much!
Although he was very surprised, Chen Xuan still hurried to the accounting office to withdraw money.

No one knew what kind of income the Gao family had, but Gao Jingming's father's salary as an official was definitely not enough. Money came like the wind...

I've been to the accounting office once and I'm pretty familiar with the process. It went very smoothly. I still had to press my fingerprints and sign before the money was recorded in the accounts.

It wasn't the accountant from yesterday. Chen Xuan specifically asked him to change some coins, as Gao Jingming might give him some rewards at any time.

There is a cashier weighing record nearby. If there is a mistake and the accounts don’t match, many people will be implicated and in trouble.

When Chen Xuan returned to the courtyard, Gao Jingming and the others were ready to set off.

Xiaoye was carrying an obviously heavy book basket, and Chen Xuan couldn't help but ask, "Sister Xiaoye, are you guys going too?"

"Of course, Xuan'er, you are not familiar with many things yet, so we naturally have to help you, and we also have to take care of the young master. Everything has been packed, let's go. The young master's school basket is quite heavy, so I will carry it. When you grow up, you will have to carry it by yourself," Xiao Ye explained with a smile.

Nodding, Chen Xuan asked again, "Has the young master finished his homework?"

"Yes, yes, A Xuan, let's go. Don't keep Linzi and the others waiting for too long. Not only have we made all the preparations for going to the school, but even the servants and guards have been arranged." Gao Jingming said this in an urging tone.

Originally these were my jobs, so I just ignored them and it saved me some trouble.

When they arrived at the Gao family's gate, a large group was already waiting. There were three carriages, more than a dozen guards, and two servants. Among the guards were Geng Hong, Niu Le, and Lengbing, who Chen Xuan was familiar with. Butler He was also there? Was such a big scene necessary?

But Wang Hai was not among the two servants.

"Xuan'er, I know you are more familiar with Wang Hai, but I don't like that guy. He is a little too eccentric. So when Xuan'er was practicing calligraphy yesterday, we arranged for you and didn't ask for him specifically," Xiao Cai whispered beside Chen Xuan.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan sighed inwardly. Wang Hai has been blacklisted in the minds of Xiao Cai and the others. The young master's personal maid dislikes him. It will be difficult for him to make progress in the future.

So, when your status is not high enough, being too active may not be a good thing...

"Come here tomorrow and talk to your mother," Mrs. Gao's voice came from a carriage, and then Gao Jingming ran to get on the carriage.

Xiao Ye reminded Chen Xuan: "Xuan brother, let's get in the car and set off."

Then they boarded another carriage. Seeing that everyone was present, Butler He said, "Let's go."

Then the convoy started and headed towards the gate of Yang County.

A mother worries about her son even when he is far away. Mrs. Gao is going to personally accompany Gao Jingming on his journey, but she doesn't know how far she will go.

After a while, they arrived at the archway outside Yang County, where there were more than ten carriages parked on the roadside, with dozens of people on board.

Among them were some familiar figures, who were the guards and servants of Zhou Lintian Xueyu's family.

Such a scene attracted the attention of pedestrians entering and leaving Yang County early in the morning, but they stayed away from it and did not dare to get close.

"Jingming, Jingming, you're just here. We've been here for a while and have been waiting for you."

When the Gao family members approached, they heard Zhou Lin's shouting.

Gao Jingming, who was still in the carriage, responded loudly, "I'm here now," and then lowered his voice and said, "Mom, Linzi and the others are waiting for me. You don't have to see them off. Go back and rest." "Well, my son has grown up and understands how to feel sorry for his mother. Remember to go to school and study hard. If you have anything, ask someone to let you know." Mrs. Gao said reluctantly and got off the car with Gao Jingming.

Gao Jingming looked towards the direction of Zhou Lin and his team and said perfunctorily, "Yeah, don't worry, mother. I'll remember it."

"You, go ahead and don't keep them waiting for too long," Mrs. Gao said helplessly.

"Okay, Mom, I'm coming over."

Gao Jingming responded and then ran to the front. It was unknown which carriage he got on. Then he stuck his head out and shouted, "A Xuan, we are all here. Let's go!"

After experiencing all this, Chen Xuan felt both amused and annoyed. What was the difference between this and a wild horse running free?
Afterwards, each team gathered together and set off in a mighty manner. There was no crying on the spot, and it was not like they would never come back.

She watched the convoy leave until it disappeared from her sight, then Mrs. Gao reluctantly withdrew her gaze and got into the carriage.

On the way back home, Mrs. Gao's voice came from the car and said, "Butler He..."

"What instructions does Madam have?" Butler He immediately walked to the side of the carriage and asked.

Mrs. Gao said calmly, "Nothing, just chatting."

"Madam, please speak."

Then Madam Gao asked, "What do you think of Chen Xuan these past few days?"

Chen Xuan had been at the Gao family for a few days, but Mrs. Gao had hardly ever asked about his situation until Chen Xuan accompanied Gao Jingming to school.

As if he had anticipated Madam Gao's question, Butler He had already prepared for it. He paused for a moment and said, "Bold but careful, and extremely clever."

"Oh? How do you think that you deserve such high praise from Butler He?" Mrs. Gao said in a calm voice.

Then Butler He said, "Madam, Chen Xuan's every move has been under observation these past few days. He himself is unaware of it, and I have personally communicated with almost everyone he comes into contact with. Since this concerns the young master, I must pay more attention to it."

"They say he's brave. According to Xiao Cai and the others, Chen Xuan, even at a young age, wasn't afraid to help the young master keep his money. It was just a test, but he actually believed it. It's commendable that he took on such a responsibility. Of course, he has guards when he travels, so theft and robbery won't happen."

"As for his attentiveness, although he's unfamiliar with many situations, he's good at asking questions about things he doesn't understand. He remembers everything he's asked about and acts accordingly. For example, he went to Deacon Deng's office to arrange for travel escorts and servants, and he also considered Geng Hong and the others' food at Dewei Tower. Although he's quite immature, he can see through these details."

"As for his exceptional intelligence, according to guard Leng Bing, he knows his limits and when to advance and retreat. He gets along with the young master and his friends, is considerate of their feelings, and doesn't act out of place. He also doesn't force things he's not clear about, like distributing the bounty through Xiao Cai. There are other similar examples..."

After listening to Butler He's description, Madam Gao's voice in the carriage was still calm and said: "If you put it that way, it makes sense."

Then Butler He said, "Madam, after I learned about the situation this morning, I have to give him a rating of being diligent and studious."

"Tell me"

"Madam, yesterday, after Chen Xuan came back with the young master, he finished his homework and took the initiative to ask Xiao Cai and the others to teach him how to read. He wasn't just pretending, he was really learning seriously. After Xiao Cai and the others left, Chen Xuan practiced calligraphy alone until late at night."

"Well, it's understandable that you're diligent and studious, but I don't know if you can keep it up forever," Mrs. Gao's voice was emotionless.

After a moment's hesitation, Butler He said sincerely, "All these things aside, at this age, I admit I'm not as good as Yuan Yi. Madam, you have a really good eye. You chose this boy right away. He will definitely become the young master's right-hand man in the future."

"It's too early to say this, but I believe I won't make a mistake in choosing someone," Mrs. Gao said in her calm tone.

After hesitating for a moment, Butler He spoke, "Madam, there are countless talented young men in the world, but from what I've observed, Chen Xuan is clearly not one of them. He's just precocious. Also, from what I've learned, he clearly knows how to count, but he doesn't understand the value of money. However, he does understand refunds, subsidies, and increases and decreases. From what I've seen of him accompanying the young master on his trip yesterday, I can tell you that he didn't need anyone's help with withdrawing money or even settling accounts... It's these kinds of situations that render our people useless."

"Butler He, what do you want to say?" Mrs. Gao asked calmly.

Housekeeper He said, "Based on all the circumstances, Chen Xuan seems to have some background. He's not from a wealthy family, but he definitely grew up in a comfortable environment for a while. I don't know why he ended up like this. So, Madam, would you like to investigate his past?"

Regarding this issue, Mrs. Gao said directly: "There is no need. He is still young. The past is the past. His hair is enough to explain some problems. Moreover, we are not always on the move. We found him. He did not come to us on his own initiative. The possibility of him being planted is very small. So no matter what his origins are, let's leave it here for now. It is enough for my son to share his worries in the future. If he performs well and wants to settle the past in the future, as long as it is not too troublesome, my Gao family will not mind helping him. Okay, let's do this. Since he has this mentality, we can appropriately reduce the number of people originally arranged to check for him in the future. Growth must be experienced by oneself."

"Yes"

Chen Xuan didn't know about their conversation. If he knew, he would definitely wonder in his heart, "Can you please stop installing cameras around me?"
What, playing The Truman Show...

(Please recommend, collect and read with monthly tickets)

(End of this chapter)