Chapter 47

In a hall of a mansion not far from the Zhou residence in the southern part of the city, Zhou Chong sat in a chair, slowly sipping tea while casually observing the decorations in the hall. Compared to the hall in his own residence, which didn't even have chairs, this hall exuded a sense of luxury. On both sides of the hall were several sets of valuable sandalwood tables and chairs. Sitting on them, one could smell a faint, pleasant aroma.

Behind the tables and chairs were two rows of antique shelves, displaying various uniquely shaped porcelain and jade objects. Although Zhou Chong wasn't very knowledgeable about these items, he could tell at a glance that any one of them, if broken, would require him to sell himself to pay for it. Behind Zhou Chong stood the plump Xu Butler, holding a small wooden box containing the manuscript of "Journey to the West" that Zhou Chong had just finished writing.

This was Xie Lingyun's temporary residence in Songjiang. Although the Xie family's ancestral home was not in Songjiang, they had a mansion in the city for the convenience of conducting business. Xie Lingyun usually lived here.

Regarding the matter of Xu Butler and Su Niang, although Zhou Chong was very concerned about money, he ultimately decided to help them. This decision was strongly supported by Concubine Wang and Zuo'er, which made Xu Butler extremely grateful. He knelt down to kowtow to Zhou Chong, but Zhou Chong pulled him up.

Decisions made should be acted upon immediately, a good habit Zhou Chong was learning. So after lunch, Zhou Chong and Xu Butler immediately brought the manuscript to find Xie Lingyun. To help Su Niang redeem herself, they needed money. According to Xu Butler, the outer courtyard demanded a high price for redeeming women, and without several hundred taels, Zhou Chong wouldn't have the confidence to go there.

However, Xie Lingyun was a very busy person. When Zhou Chong and Xu Butler arrived, she was out on business. But Xie Lingyun had already instructed her servants to immediately notify her if Zhou Chong came. Therefore, when Zhou Chong and his servant reported their names, they were warmly welcomed by Xie Lingyun's servants, and someone quickly sent word to Xie Lingyun, who should be returning soon.

As Zhou Chong was lost in thought, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the hall. Then a beautiful figure entered the hall. Seeing Zhou Chong sitting there, she immediately smiled faintly and bowed gracefully, saying, "I apologize for keeping you waiting, Sir Zhou. Please accept my apologies!"

Seeing the incomparably beautiful Xie Lingyun, Zhou Chong, who prided himself on his composure, felt a moment of dizziness. However, he didn't lose his composure and smiled as he stood up to return the bow, saying, "Miss Xie, you are too kind. I am here today to fulfill our previous agreement. I have brought the complete manuscript of 'Journey to the West.' Please review it!"

"Complete manuscript, so soon?" Xie Lingyun's eyes widened in surprise. Initially, they had agreed that he only needed to deliver the first fifty chapters by the end of the month, and the rest could be completed next year. Even with that much time, Xie Lingyun was still worried that Zhou Chong might not finish. But she never expected him to not only complete it but also so quickly, far exceeding her expectations.

Seeing the usually calm and composed Xie Lingyun's surprised expression, Zhou Chong felt quite proud. The manuscript was already in his mind, and he just needed to copy it, so the speed was naturally much faster.

At this moment, Xu Butler presented the manuscript. Xie Lingyun's young maid, Suanzhu, stepped forward to receive it and placed it on the table at the main seat. Xie Lingyun walked over, sat down, and personally opened the manuscript. She skimmed through the first ten chapters and then quickly glanced through the rest.

After about half an hour, Xie Lingyun put down the manuscript with satisfaction and praised, "Sir Zhou, you are truly talented. In less than a month, 'Journey to the West' is already complete. If this news were to spread, it would shock many people!"

Zhou Chong only smiled politely in response to Xie Lingyun's praise, without saying anything. Perhaps because he had been at a disadvantage during their first meeting, he always maintained a cautious attitude towards the shrewd and calculating Miss Xie. Therefore, unless necessary, he did not want to have much interaction with her.

Seeing Zhou Chong's cold response, Xie Lingyun did not show any surprise. She continued, "Sir Zhou, you have completed 'Journey to the West' as per our agreement. I will pay you the 300 taels as promised. Would you prefer silver bills or the equivalent in silver?"

Hearing Xie Lingyun finally mention the key point he was most concerned about, Zhou Chong immediately smiled. However, he then thought about how Xu Butler needed 40 taels annually to support Su Niang, and 300 taels might not be enough to redeem her. Sighing, he looked at Xie Lingyun somewhat awkwardly and said, "Miss Xie, you are indeed trustworthy. However, I need some silver urgently, and 300 taels might not be enough. Therefore, I hope Miss Xie can lend me some silver."

Xie Lingyun was surprised to hear Zhou Chong asking for a loan. She couldn't help but look him up and down. In her impression, Zhou Chong was someone who would not compromise on his principles. When they discussed the manuscript, he preferred to let it rot rather than lower the price. Such a person would actually ask for a loan?

"How much do you need?" Xie Lingyun asked, maintaining a calm expression, but her eyes showed a keen interest. She really wanted to know why Zhou Chong needed the money.

"Not much. In addition to the 300 taels for this manuscript, I would like to borrow another 300 taels. If Miss Xie is willing to lend me the money, I will write a promissory note immediately," Zhou Chong said. However, he didn't notice that Xu Butler was secretly wiping away tears behind him. As an old man who had watched Zhou Chong grow up, Xu Butler knew that his young master had a proud spirit. Now, to help him, Zhou Chong had to lower himself to borrow money from a woman, which made Xu Butler feel deeply indebted to him.

"300 taels?" Xie Lingyun's eyes showed a thoughtful expression. Finally, she nodded and said, "I can lend you 300 taels, but you must write another book as good as 'Journey to the West.' The 300 taels will be the payment for this book."

"Another book?" Zhou Chong sighed inwardly. Writing was not only mentally demanding but also physically exhausting. He had already been pushed to his limits writing 'Journey to the West.' He had planned to stop after receiving the 300 taels, but now he had to write another book!

"Deal!" After some consideration, Zhou Chong gritted his teeth and agreed. Although he was already very averse to writing, he was determined to persevere for the sake of helping someone.

"Doing business with you is truly enjoyable, Sir Zhou!" Seeing Zhou Chong's determined expression, Xie Lingyun felt a strange excitement, but she quickly suppressed it and turned to instruct, "Suanzhu, get 600 taels in silver bills!"

"Yes, Miss!" Suanzhu replied and quickly left the hall. Soon, she returned with a tray carrying six 100-tael silver bills. By this time, Xie Lingyun had already drafted a new document, stating that Zhou Chong had borrowed 300 taels from her and needed to write a book as good as 'Journey to the West.' The quality of the two books would be determined by their future sales.

After reviewing the document and finding no issues, Zhou Chong signed it and took the 600 taels. Just as he was about to leave, Xie Lingyun spoke again, "Sir Zhou, how is your sister Zuo'er? Did she like the rouge I sent her?"

Hearing this, Zhou Chong turned and glared at Xie Lingyun. He was now certain that she had deliberately sent such expensive rouge to Zuo'er. Otherwise, with her shrewdness, she would have known the difficulty Zuo'er would face in reciprocating.

Xie Lingyun, seeing Zhou Chong's glare, remained unperturbed. She was a woman, and no matter what she said, Zhou Chong refused to lower the price. She had a box of rouge from the capital and the previous agreement with Zuo'er, so she took the opportunity to send the rouge to Zuo'er, targeting Zhou Chong to make him spend money, a small act of revenge.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Xie. Zuo'er likes the rouge very much. She is preparing a gift for you, hoping to surprise her 'sister Lingyun,'" Zhou Chong said coldly. Although Xie Lingyun's actions were harmless, involving Zuo'er in her schemes made him uncomfortable.

Hearing Zhou Chong emphasize the words "sister Lingyun," the intelligent Xie Lingyun understood that he was criticizing her for involving the innocent Zuo'er. However, she maintained her composure and smiled, "I'm glad Zuo'er likes it. There's no need for a gift."

"Etiquette cannot be neglected, especially since Miss Xie has helped me so much today. I and Zuo'er will personally deliver the gift to you in the future," Zhou Chong said and turned to leave. He didn't want to continue the insincere politeness and wanted to quickly go to the annex to rescue Su Niang, who was pregnant, from that fiery situation and help her reunite with Xu Butler.