Chapter 57 Liu Miao: Could I Really Eat Myself into Poverty?

Time flew by like a white steed flashing past a crevice.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Han had been studying martial arts for a full month. Every morning he went up the mountain to practice martial arts, in the afternoon he opened his shop for business, and at night he sat in meditation to cultivate his vital energy.

Was he tired? Without a doubt, he was exhausted.

If not for the fact that his Senior Sister was exceptionally beautiful with a stunning figure, Jiang Han probably would not have been able to persevere.

His Senior Sister possessed breathtaking looks, fair skin, and long legs, complemented by willow-leaf eyebrows, peach-blossom eyes, and a cherry mouth—she was quite literally the primordial archetype of a heartless beauty, Liu Ruyan.

What Jiang Han enjoyed the most was learning combat techniques from Liu Miao, because his Senior Sister would pin him beneath her, a process that was simultaneously agonizing and delightful.

Over the past month, Jiang Han had reaped considerable rewards. His body had developed muscles, and he was no longer the frail, weak scholar he was at the very beginning.

Although his cultivation of the Pure Sun Technique had not yet crossed into the first tier, his physical vigor and mental spirit were completely transformed, making him feel like an entirely different person compared to a month ago.

Jiang Han felt that taking on ten opponents at once would be an effortless task for him now.

The workshop had been hiring workers to carry out construction for some time, and Jiang Han estimated that in another two or three months, they would officially be able to begin producing floral dew and distilling liquor.

Although a substantial amount of silver had been spent during this period, the shop had also generated impressive profits.

Occasionally, Qin Yunmian would also visit the shop to find Jiang Han, under the pleasant-sounding pretext of checking on the workshop's progress, though in reality, she was simply seeking an opportunity to spend time with him.

However, due to Jiang Han's martial arts training, the two did not cross paths very often, yet every meeting was filled with pleasant conversation.

"Junior Brother, starting from today, you no longer need to come up the mountain." After finishing their martial arts practice, Liu Miao looked at Jiang Han and said indifferently, "Master has left."

"Ah, when did this happen?" Hearing this, Jiang Han looked completely stunned.

"Just last night," Liu Miao replied.

"Why is it so sudden?" A trace of sorrow flashed across the depths of Jiang Han's eyes.

Liu Miao observed his expression and nodded slightly. Her Junior Brother truly held deep affection for their Master, which fully justified the high regard Master had for him.

"Master came to Luoyang upon an invitation and had matters to attend to temporarily, so she left last night."

"Then when is the funeral banquet... wait, Master just left Luoyang?" Jiang Han was momentarily taken aback.

"What funeral banquet?" Liu Miao frowned and said, "Master simply left because she had matters to attend to."

Jiang Han: "..."

Very well! So that was the kind of leaving she meant!

"Then are you leaving as well, Senior Sister? Whom am I going to learn swordplay from in the future?"

Jiang Han suddenly felt a pang of reluctance. Although he had only spent a month with this Senior Sister, the thought of her leaving inevitably stirred up a few threads of parting sorrow.

"Who said I was leaving?" Liu Miao frowned.

"Didn't you say I wouldn't need to go up the mountain anymore, Senior Sister?"

"Indeed, but I never said I was leaving."

"Then where am I supposed to find you from now on?"

"Don't you have a courtyard of your own? Master instructed that I should live at your place from now on. Firstly, to supervise your sword practice; secondly, to save on dining expenses; and thirdly, so that someone can wash my clothes in the future," Liu Miao stated in a thoroughly righteous tone.

Jiang Han: "..."

This... she even wants me to wash her clothes? Isn't that going a bit too far?! ...Huh? Why do I suddenly feel a trace of secret delight?

Jiang Han was torn between sorrow and joy.

Was he happy that his Senior Sister would be living in the same courtyard as him?

Or was he sorrowful that his Senior Sister would be able to beat him up at any time and any place?

Yet, upon second thought, given Liu Miao's formidable martial arts, wouldn't living in his courtyard simply make her his personal bodyguard?

If any blind troublemakers came to cause havoc, his Senior Sister could directly step in and teach them a lesson.

However, that courtyard was a bit too small. Should he buy the neighboring courtyard to expand the place?

"Is the Junior Brother unwilling?" Seeing that Jiang Han remained silent for a long time, the space between Liu Miao's eyebrows knitted slightly.

"If Senior Sister Ruyan is willing to come, I am naturally a hundred times willing," Jiang Han blurted out smoothly.

"Very well! But who is Ruyan?"

"Uh... a word used to describe a beauty, which I feel matches Senior Sister perfectly."

"Oh! This Senior Sister is well aware that she is as beautiful as an immortal; Junior Brother need not offer such praise in the future."

...

Jiang Han brought Liu Miao back to the residence, just in time to see Jiang Qingyan helping to bottle the floral dew.

The moment Jiang Qingyan looked up, she received a major shock!

Where on earth did the Second Brother lead such a stunning beauty back home for?

Wasn't that Miss Qin from last time enough? Now he has brought back another one?

Jiang Han said, "Third Sister, you're here. Perfect, go help me tidy up the western side chamber so that this young lady can stay there from now on."

Jiang Qingyan was even more astonished. Clearing out a room for this woman to live in? This young lady was already willing to move into the Second Brother's home—could it be that the two of them had already developed a relationship?

Usually, the Second Brother looked so honest with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, so how had he managed to attract so many young women?

"Hello, Miss Jiang. I am your Second Brother's Senior Sister, and my name is Liu Miao," Liu Miao said in a cool and detached manner.

So she was a Senior Sister after all. I misunderstood... A smile blossomed on Jiang Qingyan's face: "Miss Liu, please come this way."

Jiang Han walked toward the front yard and asked Wu Wenhua, "How much did we sell today?"

"Reporting to Young Master, we sold fifty bottles of the crystal glass version and one hundred and seventy bottles of the porcelain version," Wu Wenhua replied, scratching his head with an honest smile.

Jiang Han nodded. Although the sales volume looked low, it was actually due to the low production yield of the floral dew, as only a tiny amount was produced each day.

"That's right, Young Master, someone came looking for you at noon today."

"Who was it?"

"It was a pretty young lady who said she was Miss Zhou from the Ningyan Pavilion. When she couldn't see the Young Master, she asked me to let you know that if you have free time, you should go pay her a visit."

"Oh, it's her!"

Jiang Han recalled the top courtesan of the Ningyan Pavilion, to whom he had once gifted a ci poem.

After she recited the poem at the Spring Outing Literary Gathering, her fame skyrocketed. Once that poem spread to Luoyang City, a continuous stream of talented scholars came seeking her name every day.

It could truly be said that she had achieved overnight fame.

No, wait—he hadn't even had his turn yet!

"I need to find some time to visit her and reinforce our relationship; the intelligence mastered by this courtesan is very useful to me," Jiang Han thought to himself.

Wu Wenhua added, "Besides that, another young lady came looking for the Young Master, claiming to be the young miss of the Loyal State Duke's Manor, and said she wanted to invite the Young Master to attend some kind of Dragon Boat Festival Literary Gathering."

Jiang Han had no impression of this: "The young miss of the Loyal State Duke's Manor? What does she look like?"

Wu Wenhua scratched his head in thought, racking his brain before describing her using his limited vocabulary: "Round face, huge chest."

Jiang Han suddenly had a flash of insight: "It's her!"

Wasn't she the very first customer who showed up after his Dark Floral Dew shop opened? A petite young girl with a doll-like face and an impressive chest.

At this moment, Liu Miao emerged from her room and said, "Junior Brother, can you gift me a bottle of that floral dew of yours?"

Having strolled around the courtyard just now, she had been captivated by that extraordinary fragrance—a scent even more enchanting than the face powders and rouges she used!

Jiang Han offhandedly replied, "Senior Sister, my floral dew is very expensive. It costs ten taels of silver per bottle."

Liu Miao pursed her lips: "Would treating you to a meal suffice?"

Jiang Han pondered for a moment, pointed at the little tot squatting on the ground catching ants nearby, and said, "Alright, but we have to go to the Drunken Cloud Tavern, and you have to bring her along."

Liu Miao glanced at Wu Yun and noticed that the little girl had also raised her head to look at her, her round eyes flashing with eager anticipation.

This little tot looked rather foolish and clumsy, not seeming very bright at all.

Liu Miao replied, "No problem."

"She eats a lot, so Senior Sister, don't regret it later."

"I won't regret it."

Liu Miao curled her lip, scoffing inwardly—wasn't she just a little tot? How much could she possibly eat? Could she really eat her into poverty? Her Junior Brother was truly amusing.