Chapter 38

PS: Thank you, HBVNZFASG, for the generous 200 Qidian coins! I bow deeply in gratitude!

Today is the last chapter of the first volume. The next chapter will be the brand new second volume. I hope all of you will continue to accompany me in the second volume! Thank you all for your support, I bow deeply in gratitude!

As soon as he got the deed, Zhao Chen immediately arranged for He San to bring the craftsmen to the new house. All the furniture inside had to be dismantled and replaced with high-legged tables and chairs. He wanted to replace everything with Eight Immortals tables and Taishi chairs. He didn't want to eat like the Lao Qin family, kneeling on the ground; that wasn't eating!

With a home, a lot of things followed. Zhao Chen couldn't handle everything alone. In the end, he had no choice but to go back to the College of Natural Philosophy and conscript some people. He handed over the miscellaneous tasks to Changsun Chong and others, while he focused on the renovation.

However, just as things had calmed down for a short while, when Changsun Chong and the others returned from the East Market, Zhao Chen was stunned.

Li Jingheng had brought him half a cart of wine, Changsun Chong had brought half a cart of porcelain, and that was fine. What Zhao Chen couldn't tolerate was that Chai Lingwu, the dimwit, had brought over a dozen sobbing little girls.

He even boasted that since Zhao Chen's new house was completed, someone had to clean and serve, and he had gone to great lengths to pick these dozen pretty and well-mannered little girls from the slave traders.

Zhao Chen was so angry that his whole body trembled. As a person from the future, he couldn't tolerate such inhumane acts of treating people like livestock.

Especially when they were a group of pitiful children!

Without a word, he picked up a stick and chased Chai Lingwu around the yard, almost driven mad by this scoundrel!

"These children were sold to the slave traders because their families couldn't survive. If they had any other way, who would sell their children?" Sun Simiao squatted in front of a sobbing little girl, wiping away her tears with a loving gaze. When Zhao Chen, out of breath, came to his side, Sun Simiao spoke calmly.

"Master, you can't be serious about keeping these children!" Zhao Chen was shocked, his mouth wide open. This was too unbelievable. Sun Simiao had always been a savior in his mind. Hearing such words from Sun Simiao, Zhao Chen couldn't believe it.

"Why not?" Sun Simiao stood up, looking at Zhao Chen calmly. "Do you lack a few meals?"

"No!" Zhao Chen took a deep breath, threw away the stick, and looked at Sun Simiao seriously. "Master, this isn't about a few meals. If it were just about helping these children, I would do it without hesitation. But these children have parents. Who can be sure they weren't kidnapped by the slave traders?"

"Is that what you're worried about?" Sun Simiao asked, looking at Zhao Chen strangely. Seeing Zhao Chen nod, Sun Simiao continued, "That's simple. You can take these children back and confirm it!"

Hearing this, Zhao Chen felt a lump in his chest. From Sun Simiao's tone, it seemed he was determined to keep these children.

He glanced at the dozen or so little girls in front of him, all pale and thin, dressed in tattered clothes. The oldest was about twelve or thirteen, the youngest only eight or nine. In the future, they should have been the age to be pampered in their parents' arms!

Zhao Chen was furious, glaring at Chai Lingwu. "Chai Lingwu, since you brought these children, you will take them back one by one. Only if their parents can't support them can you bring them back!"

"Heaven, are you joking?" Chai Lingwu exclaimed. "So many children, where am I supposed to find their parents?"

"That's your problem!" Zhao Chen said bluntly. "And I'm telling you, all these children must be returned to their parents. If you dare to take them to the slave traders, our friendship is over!"

"Damn, what kind of situation is this!" Chai Lingwu could tell Zhao Chen wasn't joking. If he really took the children to the slave traders, Zhao Chen might cut ties with him. This made him very angry.

Angry as he was, he still had to return the children. Chai Lingwu muttered to himself, pulling Hu Lu along. With Hu Lu, who knew everything in Chang'an, the task might be easier.

"Please, Master, let Xiao Mai stay! Xiao Mai begs you not to send her back..." One of the dozen children brought to Zhao's house, a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, suddenly knelt in front of Zhao Chen, crying and begging.

"Why doesn't Xiao Mai want to go back?" Zhao Chen was taken aback by this sudden scene. He pulled the girl up and looked at her kindly, asking curiously.

"Master, Xiao Mai's father died, and her mother remarried..." The girl, named Xiao Mai, sobbed and told Zhao Chen her story.

It turned out Xiao Mai was also a pitiful child. She lost her father at a young age, her mother remarried, and her stepfather couldn't tolerate her, beating and scolding her. Eventually, he sold her to the slave traders.

Hearing Xiao Mai's story, Zhao Chen sighed, rubbed her head, and said, "Then you can stay."

The other children were taken away by Chai Lingwu. By evening, Chai Lingwu returned, hugging Zhao Chen tightly. Zhao Chen noticed his eyes were red. It turned out that some of the children had indeed been kidnapped by the slave traders.

When Chai Lingwu returned the children safely, their parents knelt before him, crying their hearts out. This even made Chai Lingwu cry.

"Do you remember where the slave traders are?" Zhao Chen's eyes turned cold as he asked Chai Lingwu.

"Of course I remember!" Chai Lingwu seemed to understand what Zhao Chen meant. His eyes suddenly turned fierce.

"Break their legs and throw them in the river!" Zhao Chen said coldly without hesitation.

These beasts, if today's children fell into their hands, what about the previous children? Zhao Chen didn't believe they had only kidnapped these dozen children.

"Sure!" Chai Lingwu nodded vigorously. Filled with a sense of justice, he would do it without hesitation, even if it meant chopping them up and feeding them to dogs.

However, just as he stood up, Chai Lingwu seemed to remember something, blushing and sitting back down in front of Zhao Chen. "Xiao Chen, I might have done something wrong. You can't scold me!"

"Tell me first!" Zhao Chen's brows furrowed, looking at Chai Lingwu with a stern gaze.

"Alright!" Chai Lingwu took a deep breath, adopting a posture of readiness for punishment, and said, "Xiao Chen, to be honest, I not only brought the children back, but also their entire families!"

Chai Lingwu observed Zhao Chen's reaction, seeing his face turn slightly unpleasant, he lowered his head, regretfully saying, "Actually, I knew this was a bit foolish, but when I saw them kneeling, I couldn't say no!"

Zhao Chen looked at Chai Lingwu, who was sitting with his head down, and couldn't help but laugh. This guy was so overwhelmed by justice that, as the son of the Princess of Pingyang, he felt compassion for the lower class.

"Is that all?" Zhao Chen asked with a smile after Chai Lingwu finished speaking.

"Yes... yes!" Chai Lingwu looked up at Zhao Chen, surprised that he wasn't being scolded. "Xiao Chen, you're not angry with me?"

"Of course not! This is an act of kindness, why would I be angry?" Zhao Chen patted the still stunned Chai Lingwu, stood up, and stretched. "Let's go! You must be hungry after running all day!"

The renovation of the house was completed in just a few days. He San and the others were very efficient. All the rooms in the front and back of the house were completely transformed, with a style completely different from this era.

Changsun Chong and the others toured all the rooms with curiosity, touching this and that, envious of the new furniture. They had never seen such things before, and most importantly, they were very comfortable to sit on.

As soon as the renovation was completed, Lao Qin sent several servants from his household to Zhao Chen's house. These were all personally trained by Lady Qin. With the addition of the children Chai Lingwu brought back, Zhao's house was suddenly full.

All the items from the College of Natural Philosophy were moved back, along with Qin Haidu and Liu Huer. Zhao Chen had originally wanted Sun Simiao to live in his house, but Sun Simiao refused, not wanting to be a burden.

When Liu Huer came, he even brought Liu Cheng and his wife. Liu Cheng's injuries were almost healed, but even if he fully recovered, he wouldn't be able to continue his duties in the Hundred Riders.

Zhao Chen sighed inwardly. Liu Cheng's guilt was obvious. After a moment's thought, Zhao Chen understood. Liu Cheng wasn't resigning from the Hundred Riders; he was just changing his identity.

Li Er still had doubts about him!

So be it, if he came, he would stay! Having someone like Liu Cheng by his side was better than being secretly monitored by Li Er.

---

**End of Chapter**