Seeing that he had finally caught on, Lu Ping couldn’t help but laugh. "Serves you right. Who told you to keep pestering your cousin to treat you to the best food and drink on the way here? I didn’t expect you to be the first to want to back out."

Shan Ke’an replied, "Let’s not have the pot calling the kettle black. So, how was it? Meeting someone from back home must have gone pretty well, huh? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been chatting this late."

Lu Ping said, "He seems like a good person. Plus, he was the top scorer in the Dao City examination this time, which means he’s practically guaranteed to become a scholar."

Shan Ke’an was no fool. "He only started his studies a day before us, but he’s already receiving special treatment from Mr. Nan. He must be someone special. I never thought a simple-looking guy like you would have such a good eye for people."

"You’re the simple one," Lu Ping retorted. He didn’t believe Shan Ke’an had the patience to just wait around for him. "Just spit it out. Why were you waiting for me?"

"What a thing to say! We’re brothers who traveled all this way together. Can’t I drop by to see how you’re doing?" Shan Ke’an sat down directly across from him and poured himself a cup of tea.

"I have to say, this place of yours is a bit spartan. And where are those attendants who came with you? I haven’t seen them for several days."

Lu Ping was taken aback. "Why the sudden interest in them?"

Shan Ke’an made no attempt to hide his curiosity. "Even though we’re not living in the same courtyard, we’re always in and out. It’s just that I haven’t seen your people around, so I got curious and came to ask."

Lu Ping explained, "I’m not sure how long we’ll be in Sea City, so I had someone buy a small courtyard nearby. For the past few days, I’ve had my men cleaning it up. I was planning to invite you over for a housewarming once it’s ready, but I didn’t expect you to bring it up first."

"I didn’t mean anything by it; I was just curious. But you’re living in a perfectly good courtyard here. Why go to the trouble of finding another place? Are the staff here not serving you well?"

Shan Ke’an glanced around the residence. It did seem a bit more modest than his own.

’I can’t believe these damn servants. They’ll feign compliance while doing whatever they want, no matter where they are. Looks like I’ll have to have a serious talk with my cousin about this.’

Lu Ping quickly waved his hands. "No, not at all. I’m always coming and going with you all, so even if they wanted to slack off, they haven’t had the chance."

"The reason I’m getting another house is that I find the climate here quite pleasant. If I have a small courtyard, I can bring my mother over for a visit every now and then."

"Oh, I see! And here I was thinking the staff was giving you poor service. I didn’t realize you were such a devoted son. What you said has given me an idea."

"After a while, I’ll have my people look around for a place too. Even if my family doesn’t visit, it would be nice to have somewhere to come and relax once in a while."

Lu Ping was speechless.

* * *

The moment Ancient Wen Heng walked through the door, a delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. "What’s cooking that smells so good?"

Jin Qianqian poked her head out of the kitchen. "You’re in for a treat! We took a trip to the port today. It was quite lively, and we brought back lots of freshly caught seafood."

"I haven’t been to the port yet. What’s it like? Was it busy?" Ancient Wen Heng took the towel Hong Tianbao offered him and wiped his hands.

’It had only been a few days, but the new servants were already proving to be very competent.’

’For this kind of servant trade, the baby brokers would always train them in advance. They would explain all the rules thoroughly, so the servants could get to work right after they were purchased.’

’Even though they didn’t have a carriage yet, Hong Da hadn’t been idle, despite his limp. He had even cleared out every last weed that was starting to sprout in the corners of the yard.’

"It wasn’t that busy, actually. Mostly just small fishing boats coming and going. There were some large cargo ships, but I heard they all belong to the aristocratic families. They don’t sell regular goods at the port at all." Jin Qianqian had watched for a long time as goods were unloaded, only to be immediately hauled away by carts waiting on standby.

"There were some foreigners, too, but they weren’t dressed as elegantly as you see on TV. Their clothes were actually kind of strange." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Ancient Wen Heng replied, "That’s normal. Remember those foreign goods we looked at a couple of days ago? Aside from a few novelties, they showed no real craftsmanship. They’re probably not very civilized yet."

Jin Qianqian nodded in agreement. "I did see some foreigners constantly loading things onto their cargo ships, though. It looks like our local products are much more popular."

"I’m just curious what they use to trade for them."

Ancient Wen Heng took a sip of the tea Liu Xiaohua brought him. "I’ll go take a look with you in a few days when I have a day off."

"Oh, right. Where’s Gu Lejia?"

Jin Qianqian looked at Hong Tianbao. "You tell him."

"Young Master Le Tian also went out not long after you left. I asked where he was going, but he told me not to mind."

"So, that kid still isn’t back?"

Jin Qianqian nodded. "He’s been here longer than we have, so I didn’t send anyone to look for him."

That wasn’t what Ancient Wen Heng was concerned about. "Let him be. He’s a grown man; we can’t keep him cooped up here all the time."

Just as they were setting the table for dinner, Gu Lejia walked in.

"You haven’t eaten, have you?" Jin Qianqian asked casually. "Little Hua, set another place at the table."

"Yes!"

"Don’t bother, I’m not eating." Gu Lejia glanced at the seafood on the table, his face darkening. "There isn’t a single thing here I can eat."

SLAM! Ancient Wen Heng slapped his chopsticks down on the table. "There are so many dishes, and you’re telling me you have no options? Eat if you want to, or go hungry if you don’t. Stop with the passive-aggressive remarks."

"Seventh Uncle," Gu Lejia’s voice was suddenly full of grievance. "I can’t eat any of this. The moment I do, I break out in red hives all over. I didn’t know when I first arrived, and I nearly died."

’A seafood allergy,’ Jin Qianqian thought. She hadn’t even considered it. ’To think Gu Lejia would have a condition like that. He’s been in Sea City for so long, so what has he been eating to survive? After all, here in Sea City, they love to use seafood as an ingredient in just about everything.’

Ancient Wen Heng asked, "Then what do you usually eat?"

Gu Lejia finally had someone to whom he could pour out his grievances. "Chen Dongjia took pity on me and gave me a separate stove. Every day, I’d go to the back kitchen, get a share of grain, and just whip up something simple for myself."

Ancient Wen Heng pointed to Mrs. Huang, who was still busy in the kitchen. "Then go talk to her about setting up a separate stove for you. From now on, if you want something to eat, cook it yourself."

Gu Lejia was speechless.

Ancient Wen Heng paid no mind to his expression, simply turning to peel a shrimp for Jin Qianqian and urging her to eat more.

Jin Qianqian, in turn, placed a piece of squid roll in his bowl. "This is incredibly fresh. It was prepared right before going into the pot. You should hurry and try it."

Watching the couple’s intimate back-and-forth, as if no one else existed, Gu Lejia could only turn and head for the kitchen.

Ancient Wen Heng’s cold voice followed him. "Remember to cook it yourself."