After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

It was a perfect score! We won!

Seeing Zhao Gongzi's dejected expression, Jiang Xiaoqi suppressed the corners of her mouth that were about to turn up.

"Thank you for your kind offer, both of you."

"Ahem, it's because we're not as skilled as them."

Tan Hao felt more at ease at this moment, after all, he was certain that he couldn't memorize the text as well as the little kid in front of him, so this outcome was fine.

“Ah Hong, the place next door is also very nice. There aren’t many of us, so we can fit. You just said you liked the garden in that courtyard.”

"Sigh, alright, alright, all that effort this afternoon wasted! Kid! You're lucky, we're undefeated in terms of skill!"

Zhao Hongxuan stubbornly insisted that this was the first time he had felt the word "defeat" was related to the two of them while following Tan Hao. He would remember this little devil!

Jiang Xiaoqi smiled and did not refute.

Winning or losing doesn't matter; getting real benefits is the only thing that matters. Right now, he's the one "eating the meat," so he should try not to make any noise.

"Thank you both for your hospitality today. If you don't mind, I'll treat you to a meal after I move and settle down. Please do me the honor of joining me!"

These two will definitely buy the two-courtyard house next door. Since they will be neighbors for a long time to come, it's best to maintain a good relationship.

The two naturally agreed, but after saying goodbye, Jiang Xiaoqi was thinking about something else.

The reason he had Master Lin escort him on horseback was not merely to stay in a larger courtyard, but because of the words Madam Chiang spoke to him before he left.

If Madam Jiang hadn't stopped him in time, he probably wouldn't have been so determined to buy this three-courtyard house today.

But he had a compelling reason to buy it, so even if he resorted to some despicable means, all he could say was: "I'm sorry, you two."

Yes, he cheated. He used 500 points to buy a one-time X-ray vision ability from the system and got his hands on the crumpled paper with the word "中" written on it first.

Fortunately, Wenbin was quick-witted at the beginning. Otherwise, if he had followed his own instructions and handed over the house, even if Wenbin had arrived later, it would have been difficult for Wenbin to force himself to take it back, and a struggle would have been inevitable.

Wenbin was chilled to the bone by his young master's laughter: Had the young master gone mad with joy? It's just a mansion, it can't be that serious...

"You scoundrels, don't bring anyone to see my house again this time. Although we didn't pay a deposit before, you haven't forgotten what my great-aunt told you, have you?"

"Yes, yes, we certainly wouldn't forget. It was our brokerage's oversight. We'll waive the fees this time. Oh, and also, we'll cover the fees for processing the deed with the government!"

Because Jiang Xiaoqi was on holiday and had returned to Changshou Village, the brokerage firm had to wait a few more days. When the wealthy young master came to their door, she lost her mind and forgot all of Madam Jiang's instructions.

At this time, he was quite efficient in handling matters. Before the government office closed, he quickly went over and transferred the house deed to Jiang Xiaoqi's name.

The three courtyards cost Jiang Xiaoqi over three thousand taels of silver, even after waiving the intermediary fee and transfer fee.

Madame Chiang Kai-shek repeatedly instructed Jiang Xiaoqi to protect this three-courtyard house, because it contained a secret passage that few people knew about.

This is the old residence of the Liu family. The previous prefect of Xinghe Prefecture was a member of the Liu family. After being promoted to the capital, he immediately had Jiang Changqing, who was the son-in-law of the Liu family, fill the position.

Only a few members of the Liu family knew about the secret passage in this house. At that time, the court was in turmoil, and the Liu family's daughters had not yet entered the palace to become concubines. At a time when many old officials were being purged by the new emperor, each branch of the Liu family had prepared a way out for themselves.

This is also due to the Liu family's cautious nature. During that court purge, even the Liu family members who held minor official positions of the sixth or seventh rank were not affected. They are the only family among the aristocratic clans to have survived intact to this day.

What's even more remarkable is that he now enjoys the emperor's trust and his influence in the court is growing ever stronger.

That's too far!

Back to the secret passage! This secret passage didn't lead to any treasure, but rather to the outside of the city. At the time, the Liu family, who served as the prefect for six consecutive years, spent most of their time digging the secret passage, but it's unknown whether they ever actually used it.

Madam Jiang was a daughter of the Liu family and was unaware of the secret passage. However, after Jiang Changqing took office as the prefect, the elder brother of the Liu family asked someone to inform her.

As for why the house wasn't given directly to the Jiang family, but instead went through the government-run brokerage, only the Liu family knows the answer.

Jiang Xiaoqi didn't dwell on this. As long as there wasn't anything outrageous hidden in the house, it wouldn't bother him. However, he still needed to check it himself to feel at ease!

"Wenbin, go to the woodshed and get two torches."

Jiang Xiaoqi decided to go on an adventure tonight. Sigh... I should have left Master Lin with us...

Wenbin quickly found a torch, and Jiang Xiaoqi led him to the bedroom that Madam Jiang had mentioned. They were too small to move the bed, so they had to crawl under it.

There were pieces of stone slabs pieced together under the bed. Pushing aside one of the darker-colored slabs, a dark passage slowly opened up under the bed.

"Young Master, I'll go down first, you follow behind me!" Wenbin, holding a torch, entered the secret passage first without saying another word.

The secret passage was very narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass through, but it was still spacious enough for a child. The two of them walked in one after the other. The light from the torch was limited, only illuminating a few meters.

After walking for a while, they came to a fork in the road. "Young Master, which way should we go?" Wenbin asked, turning around.

Jiang Xiaoqi observed the passage and noticed that the left passage was more spacious, while the right one was somewhat narrower. After a moment's thought, he pointed to the left passage and said, "Let's go this way."

The two continued on their way, and the air became increasingly humid, with occasional dripping sounds of water.

Jiang Xiaoqi felt a vague unease, sensing that this road was more than just a simple path leading out of the city.

The further they went, the more winding the passage became, and Jiang Xiaoqi and Wenbin felt as if they had entered a maze. Suddenly, the torch in Wenbin's hand flickered a few times, and the flame became weak.

"Oh no, the torch is going out!" Wenbin said nervously.

Jiang Xiaoqi quickly took out a spare tinderbox and tried to relight the torch, but the tinderbox was damp and unusable.

“Let’s go back!” Jiang Xiaoqi decided.

The torchlight will dim not because it gets damp, but because the oxygen is becoming increasingly scarce!

We can't go any further. If we go any further, they will faint or even suffocate due to lack of oxygen.

Just then, a strange sound came from the darkness, as if something was approaching.

The master and servant's hearts raced, their backs pressed tightly together, alertly sensing the movement around them.