"Master Lin laughed and said, 'Reviving the Li Family takes two things.'
'What two things?'
'First is capital. Without capital, no matter how capable you are, it is impossible to restore the former glory of the Li Family in a short time.'
'And the second?'
'Second, you need a wife to help you bear children and make the family prosper.'
Chapter 32: Playing for High Stakes Today
Li Muchen was speechless.
This old man, no matter how he put it, still wanted to marry his granddaughter off to him.
If he became the son-in-law of the Lin Family, he would get half of the Lin Family's assets, and that would be the capital to revive the Li Family.
And marrying Lin Manqing would naturally help him bear children.
How could Li Muchen ever consent to be a live-in son-in-law?
Even if he were to marry Lin Manqing, he would do it on his own true merits, marrying her openly and honorably, rather than relying on a piece of paper to live off a woman's family.
'Grandpa Lin, let's talk about this later. Right now, the most important thing is to find out who wants you dead.'
Hearing this, Master Lin couldn't help but frown.
Li Muchen was right. If this person wasn't found, the Lin Family would forever live in the shadow.
Today they could use the nail-head arrow book to target Master Lin, and tomorrow they could target Lin Qiusheng.
'Grandpa Lin, do you have any enemies?'
'Of course I have enemies. Having done business for a lifetime and built up such a huge family, I wouldn't even believe it myself if no one wanted me dead. Take the major families in He-cheng for example; on the surface, everyone is amiable, but behind our backs, who knows who is cursing me.'
Master Lin gave a self-deprecating smile.
'We can only start with the traitor. I'll have Chanming look into it.'
Li Muchen said, 'Better not alert the enemy just yet. Leave it be, and let me handle this. But before I find this person, you'd better keep pretending to be sick so no one suspects anything.'
Master Lin nodded and said, 'Alright, I'll leave everything to your arrangement. My old life is in your hands now.'
Li Muchen just wanted to comfort him a bit and put his mind at ease.
Then he suddenly heard the old man say, 'Are you really not considering getting the wedding done first?'
Li Muchen was instantly left speechless.
Just then, the ward door opened, and Madam Lin and Lin Manqing walked in together.
Yan Huimin was holding a thermos and smilingly said, 'Dad, the medicine is ready. Drink it while it's hot.'
With that, she poured the medicine into a bowl.
Li Muchen picked up the bowl, gave it a sniff, and asked, 'Were you present the whole time?'
Yan Huimin smiled and said, 'Following your instructions, I was there the entire time. I watched them fill the prescription, I personally checked every single herb, and I brewed it myself. Even the pot for brewing the medicine was washed by me, without letting anyone else touch it.'
Li Muchen smiled and put the medicine bowl down.
Yan Huimin and Lin Manqing then helped the old man up, and personally fed him the medicine.
Master Lin said, 'You've put in a lot of thought.'
Yan Huimin said, 'This is what I should do. Thank goodness you had the foresight to find such a good husband for Manqing. Once your health is completely recovered, I'll start arranging and get their wedding settled.'
Lin Manqing's face flushed: 'Mom, what nonsense are you talking about!'
'How am I talking nonsense? I'm talking about serious business.'
Yan Huimin looked at Li Muchen, the more she looked at the young man, the more spirited and handsome she thought he was.
True to the saying, a mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law and likes him more with every glance.
Li Muchen felt awkward under her gaze and deliberately took his leave.
'Grandpa Lin, get some rest. I'll come to see you every day for the next couple of days.'
Lin Manqing glanced at Li Muchen, and Li Muchen happened to look back at her.
Lin Manqing opened her mouth as if to say something, but immediately lowered her head again.
It felt as though there was some expectation in her heart, causing it to beat rapidly. Hearing the sound of Li Muchen's departing footsteps until the ward door clicked shut, her heart felt as if something had been lost, suddenly hollow and empty.
...
Returning to the Qinmin Restaurant, it was the busiest time of noon.
The divine doctor who had just displayed miraculous skills in the hospital ward was now back to being a busy restaurant worker.
The immortals in people's imaginations all possessed an ethereal, Daoist air with billowing sleeves.
Yet reality often showed that the sweeping monk or the gate-keeping old man were actually masters hiding in plain sight.
And the waiter at the small restaurant downstairs might just be an immortal capable of spitting out flying swords.
Li Muchen took a moment to call Ma Shan and asked him to arrange a visit to Caitou's dog farm as soon as possible.
He wanted to start with Caitou and investigate who was plotting against Lin Manqing.
This person was likely the same one trying to harm the old master of the Lin Family.
Ma Shan called back shortly, saying he had dinner arranged with Huang San that night and telling Li Muchen to come over dressed as a wealthy young master.
Li Muchen told Ding Xiang that he had some business with Ma Shan that night.
Ding Xiang never asked what they were up to; perhaps in her heart, they would never do anything bad.
'Go ahead, I'll watch the shop.'
Li Muchen knew that whenever he took time off, Ding Xiang would do the work of two people, covering his share as well.
She said that way, the proprietress wouldn't dock Li Muchen's pay.
Li Muchen thought this girl was truly foolish, and truly lovable.
After lunch, the proprietress Sister Mei put on her bag and walked out with a swaying stride.
Li Muchen called out behind her: 'Sister Mei, I'm taking the evening off.'
Sister Mei turned back with a charming smile: 'Alright, but there's a condition.'
'What is it?'
Li Muchen was a bit surprised. Last time he asked for leave, the proprietress agreed readily; why was she attaching conditions this time?
'Accompany me to get my hair done.' Sister Mei winked at him.
This wasn't the first time the proprietress had invited him to get his hair done.
Li Muchen had never understood why the proprietress frequently needed her hair done, nor why she had to drag him along.
Li Muchen wore a conflicted expression.
Sister Mei let out a chuckle: 'I'm not going to eat you.'
With that, she came over, hooked her arm through Li Muchen's, and said, 'Leave granted!'
Then she swayed as she walked out.
When she swayed, her full hips would bump against Li Muchen's legs.
Li Muchen always worried her waist might snap.
At the corner of the street, Sister Mei led Li Muchen into a barbershop.
The barber was clearly very familiar with Sister Mei, warmly calling her Sister Mei right off the bat.
'Give my little brother a haircut, make him look handsome. If he's not handsome, I'll smash your sign!'
'Rest assured, Sister Mei, aren't you confident in my craftsmanship?'
Sister Mei went upstairs.
Li Muchen figured getting a haircut wasn't a bad idea since he still needed to play the role of a young master that evening and go to the dog farm with Ma Shan.
The barber's skill was indeed good; in no time at all, he finished cutting it, simple and stylish.
Li Muchen was quite satisfied and asked how much it cost.
The barber said Sister Mei had already instructed to put it on her tab, no payment needed.
So Li Muchen called Sister Mei: 'Sister Mei, my hair is done.'
He originally just wanted to make a quick call to let her know and then leave.
However, Sister Mei said on the phone: 'Alright, then come on up, room number three.'
Li Muchen was momentarily baffled, wondering what he was supposed to do upstairs.
Upstairs it was then; mouths fed by others soften, hands taking from others grow short. Who told him he was currently an underling working for her, who had just enjoyed a free haircut?
Upstairs, Li Muchen found the door marked with the number 3, knocked lightly, and called out, 'Sister Mei.'
'Come in, the door's unlocked,' Sister Mei said.
Li Muchen pushed the door open and entered.
He saw Sister Mei lying prone on a narrow bed, her back bare, her breasts squeezed out into two prominent mounds on either side, and the lower half covered only by a piece of white cloth across her buttocks, leaving her fair, smooth thighs exposed.
A young woman was pouring oil into her palms and then rubbing it onto Sister Mei's back.
Her back was already smooth, and with this oil rubbed on, it looked slick and glossy enough to make one's heart flutter.
Sister Mei turned her face sideways to look at Li Muchen's newly cut hair. 'Not bad, this looks handsome!'
Then she raised a hand to signal the young woman: 'You go ahead, let him do it.'
The young woman smiled at Li Muchen, put down what was in her hand, and walked out.
Li Muchen was dumbfounded. What was going on here?
Could this be what his master called the bitterness, poison, and bone-corroding nature of the mortal world?
Then he heard Sister Mei say, 'Why are you just standing there like a fool?'
Chapter 33: The Person Who Made Sixth Master Back Down
On this day, Li Muchen learned a craft called "oil massage."
Yet his hands remained very clean; where he was supposed to touch, he touched, and where he shouldn't touch, he absolutely did not.
Sister Mei got down from the beauty bed, the bath towel sliding off her body.
Li Muchen stood to the side, neither intentionally looking nor intentionally avoiding.
His master had said that the mortal world corrodes bones, but his bones had long since been tempered against wind and frost atop the Kunlun snowy mountains.
His master had said that when immortals enter the mortal world, they greet those who come and send off those who go, without letting anything linger in their hearts.
Upon leaving the barbershop, Sister Mei headed straight to the A-Liu Mahjong Parlor across the street.
Seeing the sign of the A-Liu Mahjong Parlor, Li Muchen was reminded of the two punks who had come to the restaurant to collect protection money the other day.
Boss Wang had said they were Scarface Liu's men.
The A-Liu Mahjong Parlor was run by Scarface Liu.
Li Muchen remembered that when Boss Wang mentioned Scarface Liu, though his face still wore a smile, his eyes hid daggers.
The parlor's storefront wasn't large, but the space inside was quite expansive.
From the second to the third floor, there were dozens of tables in total, along with several private rooms.
Sister Mei was very familiar with the people inside and quickly found a table to sit at.
She asked Li Muchen if he wanted to play a few rounds, but Li Muchen shook his head and just watched from the side.
Sister Mei's luck was quite good; after a dozen rounds, she had won seven or eight hundred.
Yet Li Muchen knew that Sister Mei was already exercising restraint; with her skill level, finding it hard not to win money would be an understatement.
Because she was cheating.
Li Muchen didn't understand gambling tricks, but sleight of hand was just like magic, relying on manipulation.
Sister Mei's hands were fast, but she still couldn't escape his eyes.
In over two hours, she had won close to ten thousand.
'That's about it. The shop will be busy soon. If I don't go back, my old man will start yelling at me again.'
Sister Mei pushed her tiles forward, picked up her money, and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, she was blocked by a group of people.
The leader had a scar across his face.
Someone nearby called him "Sixth Master."
Li Muchen guessed this man must be Scarface Liu.
'Sister Mei, wonting money and just leaving like that?'
'Oh, Sixth Master! The little bit of money I won isn't even enough for a single day of your table fees. How did it manage to alert Sixth Master?'
'Winning money isn't about the amount; as long as you win fair and square, you can come and go as you please in my, A-Liu's, establishment. But someone says you cheated. Everyone knows A-Liu doesn't tolerate any sand in my eyes. You aren't leaving today until you clear this up.'
Sister Mei pointed at the surrounding crowd and cursed: 'Who? Who said I cheated? You heartless wretches, playing the victim and making false accusations! Come out here!'
Scarface Liu sneered: 'Sister Mei, cut the act. You come every day and win every day; even a fool can tell you've been cheating.'
Sister Mei retorted with a laugh: 'Ha! I only win three or five hundred a day. What, Sixth Master's place doesn't even allow winning three or five hundred?'
'It was precisely because you won so little that I didn't bother you. But today you've won a bit too much. If I don't step in, the rules of this place will be ruined by you.'
'What evidence do you have that I cheated? Even catching a thief requires catching them red-handed,' Sister Mei argued craftily.
'Evidence, you want evidence?' Scarface Liu narrowed his eyes. 'You've got tiles hidden on you. Don't think I don't know—strip off your clothes.'
Li Muchen knew Sister Mei had tiles hidden on her; the moment she stripped, it would definitely be exposed.
He was very curious to see how Sister Mei would handle this.
Sister Mei's expression shifted slightly as she turned back and grabbed Li Muchen's hand: 'Little Li, let's go.'
Several tough-looking men behind Scarface Liu stepped out and blocked their path.
People nearby started jeering:
'Hurry up and take your clothes off.'
'Cheaters get their hands chopped off. Take off your clothes and let everyone see if you're a cheat.'
'Right, take off your clothes, hurry up!'
The men's eyes looked as though they were about to drool.
Scarface Liu said, 'Sister Mei, if you don't want to strip in front of all these people, you can go to my office instead.'
Sister Mei spat: 'Bah! In your dreams. You guys just want to look at my body, fine, I'll strip.'
With that, she made a move to take off her clothes.
Li Muchen stepped forward and said, 'Hold on.'
Scarface Liu's pupils contracted: 'What do you want?'
Sister Mei looked at Li Muchen, feeling both curious and expectant.
Li Muchen said, 'You accused someone of hiding tiles and demanded they strip. Does that mean from now on, anyone who comes here to play can be stripped by you whenever you please?'
The surrounding crowd murmured in agreement upon hearing this, realizing this concerned everyone's personal interests.
Once this precedent was set, Scarface Liu could make anyone strip whenever he suspected them.
In broad daylight, even a man would lose all his dignity.
Scarface Liu's face filled with murderous intent as he asked, 'Then what do you want?'
Li Muchen said, 'If she hid tiles, she should naturally be punished, but what if she didn't?'
Sister Mei chimed in, 'Exactly! What if I didn't hide any? How will you compensate me?'
'If you didn't hide tiles, whatever money you won today, I'll double it and give it to you. From now on, whenever you, Sister Mei, come here, I won't question how much you win,' Scarface Liu said.
Li Muchen felt this condition was unfair, as the two sides weren't on equal footing.
Before he could speak, however, he heard Sister Mei say, 'Add one more condition: from now on, don't send your lackeys to my restaurant to collect protection money.'
Li Muchen couldn't help but smile; this Sister Mei was actually thinking about her restaurant at a time like this.
'Fine, no problem,' Scarface Liu agreed to Sister Mei's terms.
Sister Mei hardened her heart: 'Look, see for yourselves.'
With that, she took off her coat and dress, leaving only her form-fitting undergarments.
A gasp rose from the crowd; Sister Mei's figure was truly seductive.
Standing there openly, Sister Mei glared at Scarface Liu and said, 'Open your eyes wide and look—where did I hide any tiles?'
Someone nearby shouted, 'Take off your underwear too!'
Yet anyone with eyes knew that it was impossible to hide mahjong tiles inside such tight undergarments.
Demanding she strip down to nothing would be going a bit too far.
Scarface Liu frowned and looked at Li Muchen standing beside Sister Mei: 'Kid, did she hide the tiles on you? Take off your clothes too.'
Sister Mei panicked and scolded, 'Scarface Liu, if you have a grudge against me, don't drag my little brother into this.'
Li Muchen, however, showed no fear whatsoever and said, 'I can take my clothes off too, but what if I don't have anything on me either?'
Sister Mei said anxiously, 'Little Li, don't pay attention to him. You didn't even play at the table, what right does he have to search you?'
Scarface Liu said, 'I already stated the conditions just now.'
Li Muchen said, 'Those were the conditions between you and Sister Mei, and Sister Mei fulfilled them. Now it's my turn. You make your living through gambling—how about we make a wager?'
'What kind of wager?'
'I heard the rule of your gambling den is that cheaters get their hands chopped off. If I have tiles hidden on me, you can chop off one of my hands. But if I don't have tiles on me, it proves you're blind and mistaken, and since those eyeballs of yours are useless, you'll gouge out one of your own eyes. How about it, dare to bet?'
Li Muchen stood there, his expression serene and carefree, as if he were talking about someone else's gamble.
'Kid, are you bluffing me?' Scarface Liu's face sank, filled with murderous intent.
Li Muchen sneered, 'Consider it a bluff, then. What about it? If we bet, let's start; if you don't dare, get out of the way.'
The scene fell into complete silence, all the mahjong tables having stopped playing.
This was a mahjong parlor, not a grand casino, and this kind of betting limbs or eyes was a first for them.
Even Sister Mei's alluring figure was completely ignored.
In the eyes of gamblers, there was only ever the game.
The scar on Scarface Liu's face twitched: 'Fine, you're vicious! Kid, we'll see.'
With that, he turned and left with his men.
A thunderous round of applause erupted from the crowd.
'Young man, tell us, did you pull off a trick?'
'Young man, impressive! You made Sixth Master back down!'
Sister Mei put her clothes back on, hooked her arm through Li Muchen's, and chuckled softly: 'Little Li, Brother Li, Lord Li, today you are my lord.'
Chapter 34: Young Master Li
Leaving the A-Liu Mahjong Parlor, Sister Mei pulled ten thousand yuan from her bag and handed it to Li Muchen.
'What's this?'
'For you.'
'I don't want it,' Li Muchen shook his head.
Sister Mei was persistent, insisting on stuffing the money into Li Muchen's pocket.
'This is what you earned.'
'Sister Mei, why did you cheat?' Li Muchen asked.
'I... when did I cheat?'
Li Muchen pulled two mahjong tiles out of his pants pocket.
One was a One of Bamboos, and the other was a Nine of Characters.
'Give them back to you.'
Sister Mei's expression shifted. She looked back to make sure they were far enough from the mahjong parlor before letting out a sigh of relief.
'You knew I hid the tiles on you?'
'Mhm.'
'Then why did you still make that bet with Scarface Liu?'
'What else could I do? Let him search me?'
'But what if Scarface Liu had taken the bet?' Sister Mei's eyes were filled with worry.
'He wouldn't have bet.'
'You're so certain?'
'What good would winning a hand of mine do for him?' Li Muchen laughed. 'If he lost an eye, he would lose everything. Scarface Liu isn't a gambler who's lost his mind; he runs a gambling den.'
Sister Mei looked at Li Muchen as if looking at a novelty: 'For someone so young, you speak like a seasoned veteran of the underworld. Were you a wanderer in the pugilist world before?'
Li Muchen said, 'I picked up scrap metal when I was a kid.'
Sister Mei burst out laughing: 'Picking up scrap metal doesn't count as wandering the pugilist world.'
Li Muchen said, 'With hands as fast as yours, Sister Mei, were you a magician before?'
'You've got a sharp eye.' Sister Mei rolled her eyes at him. 'When I was a kid, I was a little thief who begged everywhere and occasionally stole things. How's that, do you think we're a well-matched pair?'
Li Muchen didn't bite and asked instead, 'Sister Mei, just how much money did you win at the A-Liu Mahjong Parlor for Scarface Liu to target you like this?'
'What winnings? I just win three or five hundred a day to earn back the protection money he extorts from me. It's just that I won a bit too much today, and who knew this Scarface Liu would be so petty over such a small amount and accuse me of cheating.'
Li Muchen didn't believe for a second that Scarface Liu would make such a big fuss over just that little bit of money.
However, since Sister Mei refused to say, he stopped asking.
Sister Mei said with lingering worry, 'Scarface Liu holds grudges. You made him lose face today, and he won't let you off. You need to be careful.'
Of course Li Muchen wasn't afraid, but with Sister Mei saying this, he couldn't help feeling a bit concerned about Ding Xiang.
'Sister Mei, aren't you afraid he'll come back to the shop for revenge?'"