Chapter 100 — Xie Siquan
The next day, Bai Mingyu went to the car dealership. As he watched the staff preparing to deliver a car, he suddenly heard a familiar name. He walked over, brushed past the clerks, checked the delivery slip against the address—and it really was Xie Jing.
Bai Mingyu called over the manager, described Xie Jing to him, and asked if this was the person who had bought the car yesterday.
The manager remembered clearly and smiled: “Yes, yes, it’s this young master. The new car that came into the store yesterday was bought by him. There was also a young man about twenty or so with him—seems like his elder brother.”
Bai Mingyu was startled. “But his surname is Bai? Could it be that Lord Bai Jiu has come, and I don’t know yet?”
The manager shook his head. “Not someone from your family. I know Lord Bai Jiu well; Miss Hongqi already warned us—he would never be mistaken. The person who came yesterday spoke with a Sichuan accent. He’s quite good-looking and generous.”
Bai Mingyu felt uneasy. After sending the manager away, he thought for a moment and decided to go see Xie Jing himself.
He had been careful, sitting in the middle to keep a female classmate separated—but now Xie Jing had turned and found a man instead?
Bai Mingyu’s mood bounced up and down along the way. He wasn’t sure which “side” he was on.
Now that Lord Bai Jiu valued Xie Jing even more, if he found out the slightest clue, he might get angry. Whether Xie Jing would be unlucky, Bai Mingyu didn’t know—but he himself was definitely going to get unlucky!
Bai Mingyu knew the address of Granny Kou’s house; he had helped Xie Jing pick it originally. He knocked a few times, but no one answered.
Just as he was about to knock again, the wooden door creaked open. A man leaning sideways against the door frame yawned, wearing a coat with a disheveled collar. He had obviously just gotten out of bed, still a bit grumpy, and looked impatient. “Who are you?”
Bai Mingyu was taken aback by the disheveled man and glanced inside. “I’m looking for Xie Jing. Where’s Granny? Why isn’t she here?”
Xie Siquan: “I asked who you are. Who cares who you’re looking for!”
Xie Siquan was also irritated. In Sichuan, when he slept, no one dared disturb him.
For years, the Xie family had been his dominion.
Even in Shanghai, if he disliked He Dongting, the He family would comply with a snap of his fingers.
If it had been someone else, they might have realized sooner—but Bai Mingyu, the second young master of the Bai family, was stubborn. The two of them asked questions, but he didn’t answer. Bai Mingyu paused for a moment, then charged inside while shouting Xie Jing’s name, demanding him to come down.
Xie Siquan wasn’t as foolish as the kid, but his strength matched Bai Mingyu’s. His expression darkened instantly; he grabbed Bai Mingyu’s wrist, kicked his knee, pulled his arm back, and forced him to kneel. Raising an eyebrow, he sneered: “What kind of person are you, coming into my house and yelling like this?! Kid, has no one ever taught you that when visiting a household, you must first announce yourself?”
Bai Mingyu gritted his teeth in pain and shouted: “Xie Jing! If you don’t come out, I’ll go find Lord Bai Jiu—”
“Thump, thump,” footsteps came down the stairs. Xie Jing ran down barefoot, his hair sticking up—obviously just out of bed. He spoke: “This is Bai Mingyu, the second young master of the Bai family. I recognize him.”
Xie Siquan snorted and let go of Bai Mingyu.
Bai Mingyu wanted to shout again, but as soon as he uttered “Lord—” Xie Jing quickly covered his mouth. “Say it outside! Go outside!”
Bai Mingyu: “Mmm!!”
Xie Jing dragged him to the stairs to whisper for a bit. When Bai Mingyu came back, he behaved politely, apologizing and calling him “Uncle.”
“I was momentarily blinded by pig fat earlier and misunderstood. Usually, Xie Jing doesn’t have relatives visiting, nor many friends. I panicked and offended you, Uncle, so I apologize.” Bai Mingyu cupped his hands in a formal bow.
Xie Siquan’s expression softened; he waved it off. “Forget it. Next time, make sure to say who you are. Charging in like that… if it were in Sichuan, I would’ve broken your legs.”
Bai Mingyu: “…”
The wheel of fortune turns, and finally, one day, someone else gets to punish him.
Xie Jing, standing nearby, couldn’t help but chuckle.
Bai Mingyu bumped him with his arm, and Xie Jing instinctively nudged back—not losing out.
Xie Siquan saw it but said nothing.
After Bai Mingyu realized this man was Xie Jing’s uncle, he couldn’t stop calling him “Uncle”—even more diligently than Xie Jing.
After washing up and changing, Xie Jing came down and saw Bai Mingyu pouring tea. He held the cup with both hands and offered it to Xie Siquan: “Uncle, take it slowly. The tea was freshly boiled and is still hot.”
Xie Siquan murmured in response, took a sip, and casually set the cup on the table.
Bai Mingyu gave Xie Jing a triumphant look.
Xie Jing didn’t know what Bai Mingyu was up to. He only figured it out after Bai Er had finished being dutiful and was escorted out.
Bai Mingyu beamed: “Xie Jing, just now when I called you ‘Uncle,’ he responded!”
Xie Jing: “Huh?”
Bai Mingyu: “That means from now on, we’re of the same generation! Peer-to-peer. Remember that!”
Xie Jing: “…”
He had overestimated Bai Mingyu. The kid’s mind was only so small.
At the alleyway, Xie Jing saw the car Bai Mingyu personally delivered. Bai Mingyu patted the car, tossing him the keys: “I originally wanted to give you a discount, but since this is your uncle’s first gift to you, I can’t. Later, I’ll treat you and your uncle to a meal—don’t miss it!”
Xie Jing took the keys and nodded.
When he returned, Hu Da had delivered breakfast: several dishes on the small table. Xie Siquan had changed into simpler clothes and sat there smiling, calling him: “Jing’er, come eat.”
Xie Jing sat down. “Where’s Granny and Li Yuan?”
Xie Siquan added some sugar to his soy milk. “Oh, I sent someone to accompany her to see a few old friends. She’s been in the north for years; it’s rare for her friends to still be around. Li Yuan wanted to go with her, so they went together.”
Xie Jing began eating, and Hu Da stood by without leaving. Xie Jing glanced at him.
Xie Siquan, misunderstanding, immediately said: “Ah, Jing’er, if you hadn’t mentioned, I’d almost forgotten. You’ve been with me for seven or eight years, and you don’t even recognize him! Jing’er’s face is carved from the same mold as mine, and you still don’t dare recognize him? That’s a long time—punishment’s in order!”
Xie Jing nearly choked on a piece of fried dough, coughed, and quietly said: “Uncle, I just wanted to ask if he wanted to eat too.” There was too much food; they definitely wouldn’t finish it all.
Xie Siquan forced a friendly tone: “Oh, eat then. Hu Da, you sit and eat too?”
Hu Da didn’t dare sit, replying repeatedly: “Master, I’ve eaten.”
“Alright, then forget it.” Xie Siquan happily picked out dishes for Xie Jing. “Jing’er, try this—it’s crispy and salty, perfect with rice.”
After breakfast, Xie Siquan talked to his nephew about the family business. Most of Sichuan’s salt, land, and miscellaneous goods were controlled by the Xie family of the Upper City.
Of these, well salt accounted for the majority.
They boiled sea water for salt, and controlled both waterways and roads. Their fleet numbered in the hundreds, and shouting at the dock instantly mobilized thousands.
Xie Siquan wore a plain patterned outer robe over a stone-blue inner robe. The arrow sleeves covered his hands, and a thin belt cinched his waist. The outfit was neat and practical, as if ready for hunting. Sitting cross-legged, he lightly swung his legs and said to Xie Jing: “Jing’er, do you know about the ‘Huguang settlement of Sichuan’? Our ancestors migrated here and produced several top scholars. Anyway, they studied. As for the family traditions, I plan to rebuild them, so there’s not much to inherit. But that’s unimportant; we can write a few rules together.” He had seen the He family’s rules before—they were just a small booklet written by humans. He and his nephew could do the same.
Xie Siquan racked his brain trying to figure out how to reflect the ancestral spirit but couldn’t come up with anything.
Xie Jing listened while eating. After breakfast, he checked the time. “Uncle, I’m going out.”
Xie Siquan: “Where to?”
Xie Jing: “To work. I manage a few people at the Bai family.”
Xie Siquan froze for a moment, then cautiously asked: “Jing’er, did you hear what I said just now?”
Xie Jing nodded.
Xie Siquan looked bewildered. “Then why go to work? I can support you. Come back to Sichuan with me—you’ll have a life of luxury.”
Xie Jing: “That’s your property, Uncle. What does it have to do with me?”
“Foolish boy, what’s mine is yours.”
“I don’t want it. Save it for my younger cousins instead.”
“Hahaha! You’re so young but speak so seriously—it’s amusing! Don’t worry about that. I have plenty of money; it’s all yours!”
Xie Jing didn’t argue. As he got up to leave, Xie Siquan initially disagreed but then nodded: “Fine, go ahead. I also need to go to the Salt Bureau today.” He handed Xie Jing his white jade Buddhist bead bracelet, and before Xie Jing could react, he kissed his forehead and laughed heartily: “Go. I’ll pick you up later!”
Eastern Courtyard
Xie Jing went to see Lord Bai Jiu and mentioned his uncle.
Lord Bai Jiu saw his mood improve slightly and listened patiently. He asked: “What do you think?”
Xie Jing, sitting on the chair’s armrest, looked down for a moment and then opened his eyes with a slight smile: “Master, I may have been wrong before. My uncle treats me well; maybe because we were separated too long, I didn’t dare recognize him at first.”
Lord Bai Jiu lightly flicked the white jade Buddhist beads at his chest and murmured, saying nothing more.
Xie Jing noticed a wound on his hand and reached to check. “Master, what happened to your hand?”
Lord Bai Jiu held his hand and kissed it, saying: “Nothing. I accidentally bumped it. Since you want to acknowledge your uncle, I should formally meet him another day. Do you know when he’s free? I can prepare a note in advance and send someone.”
Xie Jing thought: “He seems quite free, nothing much to do. But he went out today, so he should be free the next couple of days.”
Lord Bai Jiu chuckled.
The head of the Xie family in Upper Sichuan controlled most of the salt in Sichuan—how could he be free? He was likely busy day and night; even meeting him once would be difficult.
Lord Bai Jiu scratched Xie Jing’s chin. Seeing his serious expression, he relaxed somewhat.
Xie Siquan had recognized Xie Jing.
He loved Jing’er dearly, and that was enough.
Elsewhere, the He family
Xie Siquan sat in the reception hall, drinking tea while waiting for He Dongting.
Soon, He Dongting arrived, looking slightly puzzled. “Why are you here so early this year? Shu Wei’s birthday isn’t for a few days. The day before the Dragon Boat Festival—you haven’t made a mistake, have you?”
Author’s note—mini scene:
On Xie Siquan’s private life—
Xie Siquan: “In Sichuan, when I slept, no one dared disturb me.”
Xie Siquan (added): “Regardless of the type of sleep.”
On being adorable—
Xie Siquan: “My nephew is just incredibly cute!”
