A moment of surprise passed.
Leng Qingmei suddenly shivered.
It felt like an electric current surged through her body.
Making goosebumps rise on her skin.
At this moment.
She had sorted out her thoughts.
Her eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Meaning to say."
"The City Lord who was killed in the martial arts arena earlier was just a double."
"The real City Lord is still alive."
"And, he had already anticipated an assassination today?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"No wonder the City Lord's Mansion guards responded so quickly and remained calm in the face of danger."
"They already knew someone would attempt an assassination today!"
"In that case, Chen Nan has inadvertently helped, achieving a great merit."
Leng Qingmei knew.
What gaining the City Lord's appreciation would mean for the Leng family.
It meant the Leng family would receive the City Lord's support, and even become the foremost family in Tong City.
However.
Was Chen Nan truly acting without intention?
Thinking back to what she had said in the carriage earlier.
She felt her face burning.
If not for Chen Nan's 'reckless' actions today.
Would the Leng family have gained the City Lord's appreciation and received an invitation from the City Lord?
She knew.
All of this was thanks to Chen Nan.
This made her feel an intense curiosity towards Chen Nan.
Ever since Chen Nan returned yesterday, his behavior had been unusual.
His challenge in the martial arts arena today, claiming to avenge the City Lord, seemed as if he had seen through everything.
If this were the case.
It would be a very tricky matter for her.
"I, Leng Qingqiu, walk the path of supreme strength."
"The Ten Directional Yama is my dream."
"It is precisely for this reason that I would seek a good-for-nothing as a husband."
"If he truly grows strong..."
"Then I will have no choice but to kill him."
"Men will only become stumbling blocks on my path to power."
Actually, Leng Qingqiu had never considered marriage.
But before her mother passed away, she had hoped her daughter would find a good family to entrust her life to.
Out of necessity.
She had chosen a docile, useless man as her husband.
The purpose was to control him.
But now.
She was gradually realizing that Chen Nan might not be as incompetent as she imagined.
There was a subtle trend of him becoming uncontrollable.
She could accept Chen Nan rising to power.
However.
She would not tolerate Chen Nan being beyond her control.
Thinking of this.
She left the room.
"I recall purchasing some fine silks and satins earlier, didn't we?" she asked her maid, Xia Lan.
Xia Lan respectfully replied, "Yes, my lady."
Leng Qingmei said faintly, "Fetch some and send them to the son-in-law's residence."
"Tell him to accompany me to the City Lord's Mansion tonight."
"And increase his monthly allowance to twenty taels."
Although she had spoken rudely before.
She had no intention of apologizing to Chen Nan.
It wasn't that she refused to admit her mistake.
But rather, Chen Nan was not worthy of her apology.
------
In the backyard.
Chen Nan wrote down the names of over a dozen medicinal herbs on a piece of paper.
As long as he could acquire these herbs.
He would be able to take medicinal baths to strengthen his body.
However.
He had no idea how much these herbs would cost.
He walked into the courtyard and asked Song Ziwei, who was in the laundry room, "Ziwei, how much silver do we have on hand right now?"
Song Ziwei's eyes became wary. "Are you thinking of buying those illicit books again? Young Master, reading such books harms your body and erodes your will. You cannot fall into despair because of this!"
As she spoke, she revealed a look of disappointment.
Although she addressed Chen Nan as "Young Master."
In her heart, Chen Nan was one of the two people closest to her in this world.
The first was Chen Nan's mother.
"Since I've already burned those books, I naturally won't buy them again." Chen Nan said with some embarrassment. "I was thinking of buying some medicinal herbs."
"See? See?" Song Ziwei shook her head and sighed, a helplessness that shouldn't belong to someone her age appearing on her young face. "I told you before that reading such books would drain your body, and now you believe me!"
"I thought you truly regretted your past actions and burned those books, but I didn't expect it was because you exhausted yourself through overindulgence."
"I..."
Chen Nan almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
He desperately wanted to explain something.
But he was unable to refute.
He couldn't very well ask Song Ziwei to verify such a matter, could he?
Even though Song Ziwei certainly wouldn't mind, and would even eagerly cooperate.
However...
The host's principle of not harming the hens in his own coop was worth affirming.
Even though the host had done a lot of "handiwork."
He had never thought of making a move on Song Ziwei.
"Son-in-law, may I come in?"
Xia Lan's respectful voice came from the doorway.
Chen Nan turned to look.
Xia Lan, Qiu Zhu, and Dong Ju, the three maids, were carrying fine silks and satins.
Along with twenty taels of silver, they appeared at the door.
Before Chen Nan could speak.
He saw Song Ziwei quickly get up and wipe her wet hands on her clothes, then say kindly, "Please come in, three elder sisters."
This woman is a little money-grubber!
She values wealth as much as her life.
She unceremoniously accepted the fine silks and satins, as well as the twenty taels of silver.
Then she caressed the silks and satins, her eyes filled with joy.
After all, she had never seen such fine material.
"What is the meaning of this?" Chen Nan casually sat in a lounge chair in the courtyard, playing with a goldfinch in a cage.
The host was a poor person.
But after suddenly becoming the young master of a wealthy family in Tong City, he couldn't help but become a little extravagant.
He heard that keeping birds made one appear sophisticated, so he had been keeping birds.
During the day, he played with the birds.
At night, he read books and played with the birds.
Xia Lan respectfully said, "My lady says these silks and satins are for you to make clothes."
"And these twenty taels of silver are your monthly allowance."
Song Ziwei excitedly asked, "My young master's monthly allowance has been raised to twenty taels?"
Xia Lan: "Yes."
"Tell your lady that I will accompany her to the City Lord's Mansion tonight." Chen Nan said, playing with the bird and fiddling with walnuts, appearing calm and detached.
Xia Lan, Qiu Zhu, and Dong Ju were all greatly surprised.
How did he know the lady wanted him to accompany her to the City Lord's Mansion tonight?
Could it be that he could foresee the future?
For a moment.
The way they looked at this good-for-nothing changed significantly.
They looked at him as if he were an immortal being.
"Then, son-in-law, please rest. We shall take our leave." The three turned and left, discussing along the way why Chen Nan had changed so much.
Actually, Chen Nan also wanted to keep a low profile.
Pretending he knew nothing.
But.
Did a high-profile life require pretending to be low-key?
It was precisely for this reason that he had mentioned Leng Qingmei wanting him to go to the City Lord's Mansion tonight.
This was within his expectations.
Because the City Lord's Mansion would certainly invite him and Leng Qingmei to the mansion.
After all, only the couple had stepped forward today.
When Leng Qingmei received the invitation from the City Lord's Mansion, she would naturally understand the purpose of their stepping forward.
The two lengths of fine silks and the twenty taels of monthly allowance were her gestures of goodwill towards him.
"Having made a mistake, yet refusing to admit it, a woman full of herself!"
"Just you wait, one day this young master will make you kneel before me and beg for mercy." A cold glint flashed in Chen Nan's eyes.