Chapter 42

The selection of the servant student was now no longer in doubt, and Madam ultimately decided that Shimeng and Tang Jie would be responsible for it.

After the decision was made, some were delighted, while others were disheartened.

Everyone gathered around to congratulate Tang Jie and Shimeng, and even Manager Qin received congratulations from others.

Praises such as the Wu family's dual talents and Manager Qin's keen eye for talent poured in.

Some quick-witted individuals had already secretly left the manor to inform the Wu family, who would undoubtedly reward them generously.

This day became a day of celebration for all the servants, much like the imperial examinations of ancient times or the modern talent shows, being a servant student was a common dream for ordinary people.

Tang Jie and Shimeng responded to the congratulations of the crowd, an experience they had never had before. Once they stepped through the dragon gate, they got a taste of being a star.

Unlike the attention given to the successful, the unsuccessful were ignored.

After Tang Jie had responded to a round of congratulations, he noticed that Shimu had left the hall at some point and disappeared without a trace.

No one knew when he had left.

Just as he was wondering, he heard Zheng Shufeng say, "Tang Jie, come here."

At this moment, Master and Master Lu had already left, and only Zheng Shufeng remained as the head of the household.

Tang Jie responded and went over. Zheng Shufeng pointed to a seat beside her, "Sit down."

"Madam is here, I dare not sit," Tang Jie said.

"There's no need to be so formal," Zheng Shufeng smiled. "This is what you deserve."

After becoming a servant student, Tang Jie was no longer a servant, or rather, no longer an ordinary servant. According to the long-standing customs of the major families, even the masters would be much more courteous to these future Immortal Masters.

Tang Jie knew this, so after thanking her, he sat in the seat below Zheng Shufeng.

Zheng Shufeng looked at Tang Jie carefully, noting that he remained composed and did not become overly proud after securing the position of servant student. She was deeply satisfied and nodded, saying, "You've been in the Wei family for almost three years. During these three years, I've watched you work and have a good understanding of your character. Do you know why I chose you to enter the manor back then?"

"Madam, was it because of the three strings of cash?" Tang Jie asked cautiously, unsure why Zheng Shufeng was asking this.

Zheng Shufeng shook her head with a smile, "Your filial piety to the Wu family's two elders was indeed the most important reason I chose you, but there was another important reason: your background."

Background?

Tang Jie was slightly surprised. Wasn't his background the biggest problem for him?

Zheng Shufeng continued, "To walk alone from the Wild Valley Plain to the Canglong Prefecture, you must have endured a lot of hardship during that time, right?"

Hearing this, Tang Jie couldn't help but think of Xumu Yang and the arduous journey he had made from Anyang to Canglong Prefecture. He couldn't resist answering, "That period was the darkest time of my life. Walking alone in the desolate mountains and wilderness, with little money and no clear direction... Sometimes I wonder how I managed to make that long journey and arrive at Canglong Prefecture."

To walk all the way under the pursuit of the Heavenly Palace, Tang Jie indeed endured much hardship, suffering from hunger and danger.

A twelve-year-old child surviving such conditions and arriving at Canglong Prefecture was itself a miracle.

Tang Jie had never spoken of these experiences, and no one had realized their significance, but Zheng Shufeng had noticed the extraordinary nature of his journey, which moved Tang Jie deeply.

"Indeed, it wasn't easy..." Zheng Shufeng nodded and sighed. "If Chong'er had your resilience and perseverance, he wouldn't have only opened four gates. Your fifth transformation of the Jade Gate is not due to your extraordinary talent but to the rewards of your past experiences. Such experiences are rare even among the servants in the Wei family."

Hearing this, Tang Jie suddenly understood why Zheng Shufeng valued him so much.

Sure enough, Zheng Shufeng said, "Actually, I know that making Chong'er endure some hardship would be good for him. But I am a woman, a mother, and how many mothers can truly bear to let their children suffer, especially the kind of suffering that could cost them half their life? Do you know how much it pained me to see Chong'er crying and shouting when he opened the door today?"

"I understand, a mother's love is boundless," Tang Jie replied.

"A mother's love is boundless..." Zheng Shufeng repeated, a smile finally appearing on her face. "Well said. Chong'er has been pampered since childhood and has never endured hardship. The Wanquan City is thousands of miles away from Canglong Prefecture. Once he enters the school, I won't be able to protect him even if I want to. If I don't find someone truly reliable, can I rely on those useless people? So my first request is to entrust you with the care of my son, Chong'er. Although Shimeng is also a diligent child, he is far inferior to you."

Although Tang Jie's background was somewhat unclear, his ability to live independently and handle affairs, as demonstrated by his journey from Anyang to Canglong Prefecture, was what Zheng Shufeng valued.

For Zheng Shufeng, the success of a servant student and their return to benefit the family was never her top priority.

Her top priority was her son!

As long as her child was well, everything else was acceptable.

In this sense, the two main purposes of a servant student, "accompanying and serving," were more important to Zheng Shufeng than "investing in the future."

In fact, the initial purpose of major families selecting servant students was to take care of their children, and the expectation of a return was only an added benefit.

As Tang Jie said, people often lose sight of their original goals while pursuing them.

But Zheng Shufeng had not!

She knew exactly what she wanted.

Therefore, even though Shimu's Heart Demon Vow was impressive, he lacked the ability to take good care of Young Master Wei Tianchong, so Zheng Shufeng did not choose him. In her eyes, "being able to take good care of Young Master" was the primary criterion for selection!

So even if Tang Jie had not achieved the fifth transformation of the Jade Gate, his demonstrated survival and problem-solving skills would still have made him her choice, something even Tang Jie had not anticipated.

Hearing Zheng Shufeng say this, Tang Jie finally understood.

Although he had realized Zheng Shufeng's emphasis on this matter, he had not fully grasped how much it outweighed all other considerations.

Discovering a problem but not taking it seriously is the same as not discovering it at all. Tang Jie felt he had made a big mistake—had he realized this earlier, he could have promised a smaller return in his Heart Demon Vow.

Thus, he had already paid a price for this mistake.

This was not entirely his fault. In recent days, he had faced mostly young, immature opponents.

Their weakness had made his victories easy, but it also meant he had not been fully stimulated, leading to some oversight.

True brilliance always emerges when facing a formidable opponent.

In the past three years, he had been somewhat held back by weak opponents, and the only highlight was the appearance of Jiziqian, which had invigorated him.

Fortunately, the Xiyue Academy was full of talented individuals, and the competition was fierce. He believed many exciting challenges awaited him in the future.

"Please rest assured, Madam, Tang Jie will take good care of Young Master," Tang Jie responded hastily.

Zheng Shufeng added, "Additionally, Chong'er is still young. When he was younger, he even whipped you. At that time, I was here, so I wasn't worried about you being wronged. If you caused any trouble, I, Zheng Shufeng, could handle it. But once he leaves this home and goes to the imperial capital, a sacred place of Immortals, if he causes any trouble, even I might not be able to protect him. If he causes a major incident, it could lead to the destruction of the family. So my second request is to ask you to keep an eye on Chong'er and prevent him from causing any trouble."

She spoke with great seriousness, and Tang Jie knew she was not exaggerating.

Those who could enter the Xiyue Academy were either well-connected servant students, nobles, geniuses, or Immortals—none of them were easy to deal with.

Wei Tianchong might be a bully in the Wei family, but he would have to learn to be humble in the academy.

However, the impulsive nature of youth was hard to control, and who knew when trouble might arise. As she spoke, Zheng Shufeng actually bowed to Tang Jie.

This bow shocked everyone, and Tang Jie jumped up to avoid it, "Madam, your bow is too heavy, I dare not accept it."

"As long as you can fulfill the two tasks I have entrusted to you, a simple bow is nothing," Zheng Shufeng smiled.

Taking good care of her son and preventing him from causing trouble were Zheng Shufeng's two main requirements, and the most important ones. As long as these were met, all her investments in Tang Jie would be worth it. The return he had promised was just a bonus, something she did not particularly care about.

Tang Jie smiled bitterly at Zheng Shufeng's request, "Madam, I can promise to do my best to take care of Young Master, but some of his actions are beyond my control."

"I understand," Zheng Shufeng nodded. "You are, after all, a servant, and he may not listen to you. The incident at Yinglong Mountain is proof of this. At that time, you could stop him by killing the horse, but in the future, there may not always be a horse to kill. Since I have chosen to trust you, I will trust you completely... Yanzhi, bring the family law."

Yanzhi hurriedly walked to the front of the hall and brought a whip to Madam.

This was not the same whip Wei Tianchong had used to beat Tang Jie, but a specially made instrument of punishment made from high-quality green bamboo. It would not cause serious injury but would cause excruciating pain, ensuring that the recipient would never forget the experience.

It was also the tool used by the Wei family to enforce family rules, symbolizing the authority of the family head, and no Wei family member could resist it.

Zheng Shufeng grabbed the bamboo whip and handed it to Tang Jie, "Once we go to the academy, I will formally entrust this to you. If Chong'er dares to act rebelliously, use this family law to punish him! I believe you know when to use it and when not to."

Tang Jie trembled.

This was like a sword of authority!

With this in hand, he no longer had to worry about Wei Tianchong's stubbornness leading to trouble.

Looking at the bamboo whip, Tang Jie bowed deeply and said loudly, "Madam, I am deeply grateful for your trust. Please rest assured, Tang Jie will not let you down and will take good care of Young Master!"

Seeing the small bamboo whip, the other servants were shocked, and Shimeng sighed inwardly, realizing that in Madam's eyes, he was not as important as Tang Jie.

If he hadn't pushed Jiziqian out, he might be the one who had been rejected. Thinking of this, he was drenched in sweat.

However, he now understood that in the future, his status among the three of them would definitely be lower than Tang Jie's.

This was... truly frustrating!

Just as everyone was in shock, a servant suddenly ran in, shouting in panic, "Madam, Madam, something terrible has happened!"

"What's so terrible?" Zheng Shufeng frowned.

"Shimu... Shimu has gone mad, he... he..."

"What has he done?" Zheng Shufeng asked impatiently.

"He has taken Young Master!"