Chapter 336: Chapter 229: Brother-in-law, You’re Good at Painting, Right?

He went downstairs.

Seeing Xiaodie and Xiao Wuge chatting with Pei Guanli, he walked out of the wooden building with them and asked, feigning ignorance, "What are you all talking about?"

Xiao Wuge looked up at him and chuckled. "Brother-in-law, Sister Guanli is teaching me how to cultivate in the Martial Arts."

"Is that so?"

Chen Yi glanced at the Tiger Girl, his stare causing her to lower the head she had just proudly lifted.

"Brother-in-law, I’ve been practicing Martial Arts for years. I’m more than capable of teaching little Xiao Wuge."

"Alright, alright. I know you’re skilled in the Martial Arts. From now on, when I’m not around, you can teach Wuge more often."

"Really?"

"Of course not. At best, you can be a living training dummy for Wuge."

Hearing this, Pei Guanli pouted. "Brother-in-law, you’re looking down on me..."

Chen Yi didn’t bother explaining. He just smiled, tapped her on her smooth forehead, and started walking toward Jiaxing Garden, pulling Xiao Wuge along.

As he walked, he looked back and laughed. "How could I dare look down on you? Granny Shan would skin me alive."

Pei Guanli rubbed her forehead, her pout turning into a grin. She trotted over happily and grabbed his other arm. "Ah Ma would never do that."

"You never know..."

A short while later, the group arrived at Jiaxing Garden under a light drizzle.

Xiao Wan’er was already waiting outside the gate. When she saw them, her gaze fell involuntarily on the Tiger Girl’s hand.

She didn’t say anything about propriety, merely looking at Chen Yi with her gentle, tranquil eyes and beckoning to him.

"Brother-in-law, come quickly. Before you leave for the academy, Tingyun and Huatang have something to discuss with you."

Chen Yi acknowledged her, then swatted Pei Guanli’s clinging hand away. He let go of Xiao Wuge and quickened his pace, asking with a smile,

"Has Wang Ji already met with Fairy Tingyun and the others?"

"Yes, Wang Ji showed our family a great deal of respect. He had all the disciples from the Celestial Sect settled in within half a day yesterday."

"It’s just that Hundred Herbs Hall hasn’t expanded yet, so for now they’ll have to make do with staying in the communal dormitories."

As they spoke, they entered the living room and began to eat and chat.

Aside from Xiao Wan’er, Xie Tingyun gave the most detailed account, thanking Chen Yi profusely.

"It’s all thanks to you, Young Master. Shopkeeper Wang said that out of respect for you, he is giving my junior brothers and sisters a special salary of ten taels of silver per month."

"Those with higher Cultivation, like my sixth junior brother and seventh junior sister, will receive fifty taels of silver per month. And I heard there will be bonuses during the holidays."

Chen Yi smiled and shook his head. "It has little to do with me."

"Shopkeeper Wang already knew the Celestial Sect is a renowned and righteous sect in the Jianghu. Your fellow disciples are quite skilled, so it’s only right that he wouldn’t be stingy with the silver coins."

That’s what he said, but most of the one hundred and twenty-seven disciples from the Celestial Sect had Lower Three Grades Cultivation. Normally, even five taels of silver a month would be considered generous.

It was entirely because of Chen Yi’s influence that Wang Ji offered a monthly wage of ten taels.

The fifty taels of silver coins that the few high-level disciples with Middle Three Grades Cultivation would receive was also a high price.

It was a generous amount, at least when compared to an expert of the Middle Three Grades like Liu Lang.

At this moment, Shen Huatang also offered her thanks. "Young Master, it’s all thanks to your help that Senior Sister will avoid being punished according to the sect’s rules this time."

Chen Yi was taken aback. "Punishment?"

Before Shen Huatang could continue, Xie Tingyun rushed forward and covered her mouth, saying with a strained laugh, "No, no, Junior Sister Huatang misspoke. What punishment?"

The Celestial Sect was, after all, a major and reputable sect. They rarely took on roles as guards for others, with the exception of Noble Families like the Xiao Family, which had ties to the Celestial Sect itself.

This time, Xie Tingyun had secretly brought so many disciples with her, so she did indeed deserve to be punished according to the sect’s regulations.

But because Hundred Herbs Hall was paying so well, she estimated that the elders of the Celestial Sect wouldn’t be too angry.

Besides the traditions passed down by the Sect, disciples who practiced Martial Arts still needed to eat, drink, and live. They had to buy medicinal herbs, pills, and other items, all of which naturally required silver.

After a bit more small talk, the matter of the Celestial Sect disciples was considered settled.

Chen Yi recalled the news he had heard yesterday and looked at Xiao Wan’er. "I heard the price of grain has gone up?"

The smile on Xiao Wan’er’s face faded slightly. She nodded gently. "It has indeed risen a bit."

"However, a message came from Qingjing Residence this morning, telling me not to get involved and not to use the funds from the treasury. Grandfather is handling it."

"He also told me to continue with the preparations for the Medical Dao Academy as planned."

’The Old Master really understands Xiao Wan’er,’ Chen Yi thought to himself.

’Just like me, he was worried that Xiao Wan’er would pawn her jewelry or postpone the Medical Dao Academy to raise money.’

After some thought, Chen Yi said, "In a few more days, the silver from Hundred Herbs Hall’s profit-sharing will arrive. We should be able to spare some of the surplus then."

"Also, if the Old Master needs it, I have plenty of silver here that can be used for emergencies."

A smile returned to Xiao Wan’er’s face, but she feigned a reproachful tone.

"I know you have silver, but the amount of silver coins needed to buy grain is immense. How could we use yours?"

"Even if I agreed, Grandfather would never allow it."

"We’ll see how it goes."

Chen Yi replied, not pressing the offer of money any further, making it seem like a mere polite gesture.

But he knew in his heart that the rising grain prices were a plot against the Xiao Family by outsiders.

If they spent extra silver according to their enemy’s calculations, there was no guarantee the other party wouldn’t press their advantage and raise the price again.

It would be best to resolve this through other means.

Nevertheless, Xiao Wan’er was very happy to hear Chen Yi say this.

’Brother-in-law is willing to share in the Xiao Family’s hardships, willing to offer his own silver,’ she thought. ’This means he truly sees this place as his home.’

’At the very least, she would no longer have to worry about Chen Yi trying to run away from the Xiao Family again.’

’Of course, she had stopped worrying about that a long time ago.’

At this thought, Xiao Wan’er said with a radiant smile, "While you go to the academy to teach the Calligraphy Dao today, Brother-in-law, I’ll prepare some things at home."

"First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll set off for the fiefdom outside the city."

"If all goes well, we can make it back before nightfall tomorrow."

Chen Yi couldn’t help but tease, "And if it doesn’t go well?"

Xiao Wan’er shot him a charming glare and chided, "If it doesn’t go well, then we’ll just spend the night there."

"There’s a residence on the fiefdom, built back when Father and Mother were still alive."

"When I was little, Mother would take us there to stay for a while every summer."

"And in that residence, there’s a painting hanging in the study... a village artist painted it for me, my second sister, and our father and mother..."

Perhaps because Xiao Fengchun had been gone for several years, or perhaps because of Chen Yi, there was much less sorrow in Xiao Wan’er’s expression when she spoke of her parents.

She smiled and rambled on, telling many stories from her childhood, bringing smiles to the faces of everyone listening.

Only Xiao Wuge looked conflicted. "Sister, Brother-in-law, I want to go outside the city with you too."

Xiao Wan’er laughed and patted him. "You’re not allowed."

"Weren’t you just clamoring about going to the Martial Arts Arena every day to practice your Martial Arts Cultivation? Have you forgotten so soon?"

"But I want to go see the portrait of Father and Mother you mentioned."

Hearing this, the smile on Xiao Wan’er’s face faded a little, and her expression grew complicated.

After a moment of silence, she shook her head and said, "I’ll bring the portrait back with me when I return."

Although Xiao Wuge was disappointed, he didn’t press the issue. "Sister, it’s a promise, okay? Don’t forget."

Before Xiao Wan’er could agree, Chen Yi said with a smile, "She won’t forget. I’ll remind your big sister."

Xiao Wan’er hummed softly in agreement. "I won’t forget."

Just then, Pei Guanli, her mouth greasy from eating, rolled her eyes and said to Chen Yi with a mischievous grin,

"Brother-in-law, aren’t you also skilled in calligraphy and painting? Why don’t you paint something for us when you have the time?"

This time, it was Chen Yi’s smile that vanished. He said irritably, "Don’t worry. I’d paint for anyone before I’d paint for you."

He still hadn’t practiced the Painting Dao. If he were to actually pick up a brush, he figured it would be just like his previous attempt at the Zither Dao.

—An absolute eyesore.

Fortunately, he had obtained a calligraphy and painting scroll titled *Mid-Autumn River Map* on the night of the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gala.

When he had time, he would have to work on his Painting Dao to avoid another encounter with an idle person like Pei Guanli, who loved to bring up sore subjects.

Xiao Wuge, naturally unaware of Chen Yi’s little secret, said with a hopeful expression, "Brother-in-law, paint one for me! When I’ve achieved success in my Martial Arts training."

As he spoke, he even started to coax Xiao Wan’er.

"Big Sister should get one too, right? Have Brother-in-law paint one for you. It’ll definitely be beautiful."

Xiao Wan’er glanced at Chen Yi and said with some hesitation, "Wouldn’t it be too much trouble?"

Seeing how things were going, Chen Yi said helplessly, "It’s not that much trouble, it just takes some time..."

’That settles it,’ he thought. ’As soon as I get back from the academy, I’m going to start practicing the Painting Dao.’

’If he didn’t master all four arts of Music, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting soon, he was bound to face many more embarrassing situations in the future.’

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