Chapter 30 - Bamboozled Into Limping
The pigpen became silent after a moment.
Chen Chen sat outside it, watching Lao Hei with a look of confusion on his face.
Lao Hei stood there, not daring to move. He was looking around with wide eyes, as if something terrible would happen.
Yet, the changes he was imagining did not appear.
Man and pig watched each other like this for a while, until they could no longer stand it.
Lao Hei moved slightly but found everything as usual. Suddenly, he became happy, rolling in the pigpen, kicking all fours, and getting up off of the ground.
Boom!
As a roar sounded, the pigpen collapsed right under Chen Chen's shocked gaze. Lao Hei, who had jumped up unexpectedly, flew seven or eight meters into the air.
"What the..?!"
Chen Chen cried and backed up two steps.
Plop!
With a muffled sound, Lao Hei fell to the ground. He was stunned, his face showing utter confusion.
'Maybe the inner elixir has continuous power…' Chen Chen thought to himself as he looked at Lao Hei, who was sitting on the ground.
After all, the power of a creature with 200 years of cultivation wasn't very easily absorbed.
It would be normal for the process to take eight or ten years.
But if right after taking it, Lao Hei could already jump so high, then maybe he could touch the heavens in the future?
As he imagined the scene, Chen Chen smiled. He walked to Lao Hei and patted its head comfortingly.
"Lao Hei, take care of yourself."
After patting Lao Hei, Chen Chen ignored the pig, humming a little song as he went inside the house, leaving Lao Hei staring at his shabby den.
...
Several days later, Chen Chen moved his family into the brand-new Zhao mansion.
Of course, at this time, the Zhao mansion has been renamed the Chen mansion.
Although this house was much smaller than the county magistrate's mansion, it had no problem housing 50 or 60 people.
It would be pointless for a family of three to live in such a large place, so Chen Chen paid high wages to young people from Stone Village, who would be caretakers in this home.
At the same time, quite a few women were hired to do sewing work. Together with the maids provided by the Zhang family, the place suddenly looked full.
Of course, in addition to human living quarters, Lao Hei was also given a large pig pen, which was as big as Chen Chen's previous home.
However, Lao Hei wasn't happy. In the past few days, he was either eating or sleeping, as if he was afraid that he'd forget his original intention of being a pig.
Chen Chen didn't bother Lao Hei. He didn't expect the inner elixir to transform Lao Hei into a diligent cultivator anyway.
If Lao Hei could occasionally guard his home, that would be good enough.
After setting up his family, Chen Chen went to the market to buy some expensive outfits.
After putting on the clothing, his overall style jumped from 85 to 99 points!
Looking at the handsome young man in white reflected back to him from the big, bronze mirror at the tailor, Chen Chen couldn't help but ask in his mind, "System, within 15 meters of this area, who has the most style?"
"It's you, the host."
"Well said."
Switching back to reality, he ordered, "Shopkeeper, wrap up all the silk and satin in your shop and send it to the Chen house."
Chen Chen waved his hand and told the shop owner.
The shopkeeper was shocked, asking tentatively, "The Chen house? The newly-arrived Chen family?"
"Yes."
"Sir, you are...?"
"I am Chen Chen," he answered honestly.
The shopkeeper immediately ran out from behind the counter when he heard those words. Smiling, he said, "Master Chen, don't kid me, you are the owner of our shop! If you need anything, just let us know. We will bring it over; there's no need to trouble yourself."
Chen Chen frowned upon hearing this. "Huh? My family owns this shop?"
"Indeed... The 14 shops on this block are all yours as well," the shopkeeper said with envy.
All smiles, Chen Chen stated, "In that case, bring one-third of the stock to the Chen family."
"Yes, right away!" the shopkeeper answered.
Chen Chen left the shop with satisfaction after hearing this.
Next, he walked around on that street for a while, his smile becoming brighter.
The entertainment venues, especially, brought him joy. When he first came here in the middle of the night, it was to pick up money.
It was as if he was stealing things; he was afraid to be seen.
Who knew he would be the owner of all of these shops one day?
After some more time spent marveling, Chen Chen walked back home with a lot of packages.
Before he arrived home, he saw a carriage parked at the door, the decoration indicating it was a Zhang family carriage.
Chen Chen understood. Since he had moved into his new home, Zhang Ji had come to offer his congratulations. It was typical. As for the carriage, it was probably carrying gifts.
This Zhang Ji, while a little stupid, had decent character. He respected him very much, maybe even to a fanatical level.
'Aye… Maybe I shouldn't bamboozle him so much in the future,' Chen Chen pondered, feeling a little embarrassed. After sighing, he walked towards the house.
As soon as he walked through the entrance, a young man dressed in sackcloth and leaning on crutches greeted him.
"Brother Chen, I'm here to congratulate you on your move!"
Hearing this familiar tone, Chen Chen rubbed his eyes and said in disbelief, "Dear brother?"
To be honest, if it weren't for Zhang Ji's voice, he wouldn't be able to tell who the young man in front of him was.
Just a few days ago, Zhang Ji was a stylish young man with at least 85 or 90 points, but now...?
He had a limp, most of his hair was chopped off, and there were a few scars on his face. Adding in the sackcloth, he looked like a refugee.
Seeing Chen Chen dressed all in white, Zhang Ji explained in embarrassment, "Earlier, when I saw Brother Chen dressed in a sackcloth, I thought that Brother Chen must wear such clothes to temper your will, so I asked someone to make a set for me."
Chen Chen was speechless for a long time before asking, "Then what's the matter with your leg? And the wound on your face? Who beat you? Tell Big Brother! Big Brother will avenge you!"
Zhang Ji was even more ashamed when he heard this, his face flushing red.
"Brother Chen, I was greatly inspired by your story about the baby eagle that day, and since my light work isn't very good, I just..."
When Chen Chen heard this, he almost lost his breath. He asked in shock, "You… You didn't jump off of Black Wind Cliff, did you?"
"No… Your little brother went to Black Wind Cliff, but I was ashamed. In terms of willpower, I'm not as good as Brother Chen, so I didn't dare jump from there after all.
"In the end, I went to Little Dragon Mountain, just outside the county, and only then did I have the courage to try it. Compared to Brother Chen, I actually tied a rope to my waist..."
Zhang Ji became even more ashamed after he admitted this. He thought of Chen Chen leaping down without any hesitation on that day, his admiration for him beyond words.
Chen Chen had no idea what to say.
Although Little Dragon Mountain was only a small hill, it was still around 100 meters high.
God might take care of you, but you shouldn't abuse that blessing!
Look at him! He broke a leg, even with a rope tied to him. This proved that people's luck could be exhausted, right?
Seeing Chen Chen's serious expression, Zhang Ji hurriedly added on, "Brother Chen, you know what, this method really works. I gained a deep understanding of light work when I was falling. When my legs get better, my light work will definitely improve a lot."
Chen Chen held his breath and ignored his words, patting Zhang Ji on the shoulder and preparing to educate him.
If he didn't and this kid really got himself killed one day, he would definitely feel guilty.
However, Zhang Ji suddenly pointed to the corner of the wall and smiled, saying, "Brother Chen, your little brother isn't talented, and he didn't dare jump off of Black Wind Cliff. But guess what? I found two large reishi mushrooms on the rock wall of Little Dragon Mountain. I brought one here to Brother Chen as a gift."
Chen Chen looked in the direction he was pointing towards and saw the huge reishi mushroom. It was purple in the middle and could almost be used as an umbrella.
Looking at Zhang Ji, who was a little embarrassed, there were mixed feelings present in his heart. At that moment, he let out the breath he was holding.