Chapter 30.1: Returning Home With Riches and Honor

After leaving Black Warrior Gang's territory, Shen Lang proceeded to return home without stopping. His family waited for him. They stood at the foot of the hillside mountain eagerly awaiting his return.

"My son, are they treating you well?" The mother asked warmly. Truth be told, she was worried. Waiting, she found the time pa.s.sing by pause in slow motion only to roll by fast. And then, when she stopped to take a breath, the moment became a past.

"Mmn." Shen Lang smiled softly." "My wife is very kind to me."

She sighed. "I feel at ease knowing this."

The two knights brought the boxes of gifts filled with fine clothing, rice noodles, meat, and many medicinal herbs inside the Shen Family's home. Jin Mulan was careful in her choosing. She noticed her father-in-law and brother-in-law injured during the banquet last night so she'd gone ahead and prepared various medicine and tonics to heal their wounds.

Shen Lang smiled at the thought of her care.

He took out a pouch containing three hundred gold coins and placed it on the palm of Shen Wan's hands. "Father, please use this money to build a new house for the family. Use good materials like bricks and tiles."

Shen Wan's face changed a little. "Lang'er… you are now a man belonging to the Count's Palace. It's of no problem you wanting to spoil us every now and then with these items you brought with you, but I can't accept this… we can't take the Count's money. If we do, we're afraid your reputation would suffer."

He held a euphemistic outlook in regards to the nature of life, and quite frankly, he's afraid his son would bear the reputation of eating soft rice and climbing the thighs of the Count.

Shen Lang grinned. "No, father, it's all right, really. These were earned by me solely, not from father-in-law."

"Then… how did my son make money?"

"I invented a new dye recipe and sold it to a silk merchant in Xuanwu City. Of course, I dared not use it before, but now, with my current position, I feel more at ease doing this."

But he'd never tell the truth. That the money accrued was due to blackmailing Tian Heng? Impossible. All the more reason to refuse him. Yet, even so, Shen Wan remained hesitant. Since childhood to now, he was addicted in saving and laboring heavily for his hard-earned money and to have a pouch of gold coins fall on his lap, it seemed like a dream.

"Father, if you build a big house, I can spend the night well the next time I'm back, and also, in the case my wife comes with me, it'll be impossible for someone like her to spend the night in this current style of living." Shen Lang encouraged him.

"…." His son's statement prompted Shen Wan to build a new house. It'll be grand.

Though he thought it highly unlikely the young lady of the Count's Palace to visit his living quarters, but he better build a welcoming home in the case she visits. He can't leave his son to lose face. It'd be embarra.s.sing.

"But son, it's enough to build a big house with a couple of dozen gold coins. What need would I have for three hundred gold coins?"

Shen Lang coughed. He did not know. He never once touched dozens and hundreds of gold coins before, only copper. And forget silver. He had never seen it.

In the market, where the common folks go to buy their essential needs, one would find it difficult to find a person paying with gold coins. And in the countryside, using the best bricks, building a large courtyard surrounded with metallic fences, the cost wouldn't even amount to a hundred gold coins.

"If you have plans to make it grand and beautiful, the gated walls should also be thick and high."

"Alright." Shen Wan nodded.

Shen Jiang looked at Sheng Lang ardently to the side. Ah… he was always labeled a scoundrel who'd never amount to anything much like his older brother. Now he's the Count's son-in-law. The thought sparked a hope of fire in his heart. He dreamed long ago of leaving this small village and journey to the outside world.

Shen Lang smiled and patted Shen Jiang's shoulder. "You should stay still and recover from your injury. Once you're healthy and well, let's go out and create you a good future."

"Eh?" Shen Jiang's lips parted. "Will you still introduce me to… to… to Widow Liu? If so, we can do it now!"