Chapter 0006: I Really Just Want to Be a Good-for-Nothing Dandy

I also hope to withdraw some funds from the residence

Kou Ji was taken aback and expressed his gratitude once again with a bow.

After entering the government office, the reason he stubbornly stayed at the main entrance was solely to see Kou Zhun, in order to clearly understand the attitude of the Kou family towards him

Kou Ji tilted his head, looking at him with a smile that was neither fully a smile nor a frown, and asked softly, "What do you mean by this?"

Kou Zhong's smile froze on his face as he lowered his head and said, "It is the old servant who has spoken too much..."

The head maid was taken aback, glancing at Kou Ji, then at Kou Zhong, who stood silently beside her.

Seeing Wang Shu look at him with a peculiar gaze, Kou Ji immediately added another remark

Kou Ji pointed to Er Bao behind him, then gestured to the clothes he was wearing, and said with a low laugh: "Once I enter Bianjing City, regardless of whether my grandfather acknowledges me or not, I can be considered a member of the Kou family. Wearing this outfit when I go out would tarnish the reputation of the Kou family.

Wang Shuhan smiled and said, "Consider this a test given to you by your grandfather. If you pass the test, you will be the young master of the Kou family; if you do not pass, you will have to accompany your father back to the countryside of Huazhou."

Once a matter arises, Kou Zhun will handle it without any leniency

The appearance of Wang Shu represents Kou Zhun; negotiating terms with Wang Shu is equivalent to negotiating terms with Kou Zhun

Wang Shudao: "If you call me uncle, as your uncle, I cannot be stingy. Let me remind you, you only have three and a half days left."

Wang Shu believed that Kou Ji would demand a large sum, but he did not expect that Kou Ji only asked for ten guan.

Kou Ji did not understand Wang Shu's thoughts, so after hearing Wang Shu agree to his second condition, he proposed a third condition.

Kou Ji is unwilling to be subjugated by others

The area of the room is quite large, yet the furnishings are not many

Wang Shu raised his hand and indicated, "You may speak freely, but I cannot guarantee that I will agree to your request"

Kou Ji no longer stubbornly stood in place waiting for Kou Zhun

Kou Jisi pondered and smiled, saying: "May I propose three conditions?"

Kou Zhong did not leave with the others; instead, he bent forward and said to Kou Ji: "Young Master, please follow this old servant to the room for bathing and changing. Later, this old servant will take you to meet Young Master Kou Li..."

The second treasure wanted to follow in, but was stopped by Kou Zhong.

Ten guan of money is an annual expense for the common people, but for the Kou family, it is merely a drop in the bucket

He hesitated for a moment and said softly: "I will grant you twenty guan..."

Wang Shu waved his hand and left the main hall

Kou Ji entered the parlor, shook off the chill from his body, and, under the service of Kou Zhong, drank two bowls of fragrant tea. After the maidservants had prepared hot water, they entered in succession, carrying a copper basin.

Ah! I clearly just want to be a carefree dandy, enjoying the riches and glory...

To enjoy the wealth and nobility of the Kou residence is undoubtedly a first-rate delight

Kou Ji said: "I still wish to see my father. Having entered the Kou residence without paying respects to my grandfather already counts as a breach of filial piety. If I do not pay a visit to my father, I fear it will become a topic of gossip among others"

Kou Ji, under the guidance of Kou Zhong, entered the corridor

His cheap father is the best example

Our Great Song Dynasty is founded on filial piety, and you prioritize filial piety in all matters; there is no reason for me to refuse.

Kou Zhong, I will take your young master in for a bath and a change of clothes shortly

Kou Zhong revealed a rare smile on his face and asked, "Does the young master not require anyone to attend to him? The maidservants in the residence have all been trained by the palace matrons, and their skills in serving are unparalleled"

Around the bathtub, there are several lightweight gauze screens, on which are outlined ink paintings of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums

He does not intend to continue the conversation with Kou Ji, so he directly gets to the point: "Since you have taken on this matter, let me explain the rules to you. From this moment on, neither I nor your grandfather will assist you; all problems must be resolved by you alone"

At the end of the corridor, Kou Zhong stopped in front of a private room. He instructed several maidservants to assist Kou Ji with tailoring and boiling water, and then led Kou Ji into the private room

Kou Ji did not decline and clasped his hands, saying: "Thank you, uncle."

Kou Ji stood up and waved his hand at her, saying, "You all can go out first."

The head maid skillfully entered to test the water temperature, then obediently walked in front of Young Master Kou and said, "Young Master, the hot water is ready..."

Wang Shu spoke candidly, yet his face bore a smile that was neither fully genuine nor entirely absent.

Having said this, he immediately left the room with the maid from the side chamber

Kou Ji specifically proposed to visit Kou Li, and Wang Shu understood the ulterior motives behind this.

This feeling made him uncomfortable.

Wang Shuyi was taken aback for a moment, then carefully examined the somewhat shabby clothes of Kou Ji and Er Bao, and nodded, saying: "What you say makes sense. Regardless of the circumstances, you are ultimately of the Kou family. When out in the world, you naturally cannot diminish the reputation of the Kou residence."

Kou Zhong hurriedly bowed and replied: "Understood, my lord..."

Kou Ji chuckled, "It has unnecessarily added quite a bit of difficulty."

After Erbao left, Kou Ji entered the side room

He quietly instructed Erbao a few words, and Erbao obediently followed the steward of the front yard to the woodshed for bathing and changing clothes

The terms have already been agreed upon, so there is no need to risk the storm to wait for Kou Zhun and to bow in filial piety to him

From this point, Kou Ji observed the strictness of the ancient hierarchical system

Against the northern wall, there is a Luohan couch, and in the center of the room stands a massive redwood bathtub, spacious enough to accommodate three people bathing, with additional room to spare

He confirmed that the door was tightly closed before removing his clothes and immersing his body in the warm water

Kou Ji looked at the door that was gradually closing, and the smile on his face instantly vanished

Wang Shu turned around and instructed Kou Zhong.

Kou Ji slowly leaned his head back, resting on the wooden pillow in the bathtub, gazing up at the neatly arranged beams and columns above, his mind filled with countless thoughts

The time of a stick of incense, the large bathtub is filled with hot water

The loyal Erbao followed closely behind Kou Ji

In fact, in Kou Ji's heart, he is absolutely unwilling to bow to anyone if it can be avoided.

After discovering that Kou Ji was an overconfident person, Wang Shu also lost interest in Kou Ji

However, he is not the biological grandson of Kou Zhun, so he is always slightly inferior in terms of status

Wang Shuming was aware of Kou Ji's subtle intentions, yet he still agreed to him

The place where the household servants bathe is located in the southeast corner of the front courtyard, in the woodshed. I will have the steward of the front courtyard take you there shortly

What exactly did Kou Li do wrong? Since Kou Ji could not obtain any information from him, he could only try to extract information from Kou Li.

He held his breath in the hot water for a full ten breaths before finally lifting his head, splashing water everywhere. Then he exhaled deeply and said softly, "The wealth and nobility of this mansion are truly not easy to enjoy. Even before entering the door, I have already encountered trouble. If it weren't for the fact that I, in my past life, had been tempered by years in the mortal world, I might not have dared to take on this matter."

Wang Shudian nodded and said, "This also requires you to inquire for yourself"

Kou Ji was taken aback and hesitantly asked, "Including the details of the entire matter?"

The reason for agreeing so readily is that Wang Shu understands in his heart that even if Kou Ji finds Kou Li, he may not be able to extract much useful information from Kou Li's mouth

There is no need for too much, ten strings are sufficient

May we, master and servant, be permitted to wash up and change into fresh garments