After My Engagement Was Broken, I Married My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 9

Jiang Xingyuan had officially settled into the Xie family’s ancestral residence.

Because he was a guest of the Third Branch, he was naturally arranged to stay in a private courtyard within the Yayu Pavilion, where the Third Branch resided. His courtyard happened to be right next to the Qingfeng Courtyard, where Xie Huai lived.

After arranging Jiang Xingyuan’s accommodations, Xie Rong’an, worried he might not be accustomed to the environment, thoughtfully assigned a personal servant to help him get settled.

The servant appeared to be around his age but possessed a much steadier temperament; he was a clear-featured Beta.

“Young Master Jiang, my name is Zhao Lou. You can call me Xiao Lou. If you need anything, please feel free to call on me.”

Zhao Lou kept his eyes lowered. When he spoke, he never once raised his head. His movements were strictly disciplined. “I live in the room right next to yours.”

Jiang Xingyuan watched this in amazement. How should he put it? This was equivalent to being assigned a personal page, the kind of scenario he had only ever seen in period dramas.

While the Jiang family had servants, they were never this extravagant. Between the maids and the driver, there were only six people in total. Since entering the Xie ancestral home, he had already seen more than six servants just passing through. The Jiangs were considered wealthy, but in front of a titan like the Xie family, they were clearly outclassed.

“Xiao Lou, what’s your monthly salary?” Jiang Xingyuan asked suddenly. As a former worker himself, he was dying to know the price tag for such “guest at home” service.

“Ah?” Zhao Lou froze. He hadn’t expected Jiang Xingyuan to ask such a question. “This…” He didn’t know how to respond.

Seeing Zhao Lou stunned, Jiang Xingyuan wondered if he had overstepped. Salary was, after all, private. “Never mind, it’s okay if you don’t say. I was just joking around,” Jiang Xingyuan said, quickly waving his hand with a smile.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw Zhao Lou visibly breathe a sigh of relief.

“Don’t worry, I’m very easy to get along with.” Jiang Xingyuan made a grand gesture, throwing his arm around Zhao Lou’s shoulder and leaning in enthusiastically. “Hey, no need to be so stiff. How old are you? We look about the same…”

Suddenly, a stunningly beautiful face enlarged in front of Zhao Lou. Those fox like, captivating eyes were smiling as they gazed at him, as if he were the only person in the world.

Zhao Lou stared blankly, momentarily dazed. He quickly snapped out of it, his face flushing crimson. “I… Young Master Jiang… please don’t do this. We have… rules.”

Zhao Lou immediately lowered his head, not daring to look again. He bit his lip, blushing, and gently tried to push away the hand on his shoulder. However, his strength as a Beta was no match for an Alpha.

“Alright, alright…” Seeing that Zhao Lou was flustered to the point of turning red, Jiang Xingyuan let go. The kid looked young despite his attempt to act mature.

Gazing at the luxuriously soft bed in the room, Jiang Xingyuan’s eyes lit up. He flopped onto it without even taking off his shoes.

“Young Master… your shoes.”

Seeing Zhao Lou anxiously rushing over to help him take them off, Jiang Xingyuan was startled. Before the servant could reach him, he kicked his legs, sent his shoes flying onto the floor, and rolled onto the bed. “No need to go through all that trouble.”

Jiang Xingyuan propped his head on his hands and pulled out an apple from somewhere, munching on it. As he ate, he looked at Zhao Lou standing by the bed. “By the way, tell me about the Xie family. I don’t want to accidentally offend someone since I’m new here.”

Zhao Lou relaxed and said with a light smile, “The head of the Xie family is the Old Master, but he is elderly and rarely appears around here. Then there is the Second Branch in the Linfeng Pavilion, it’s far from here. The Second Master has difficulty walking, so he rarely appears either…”

“We are in the Third Branch, in the Yayu Pavilion. The Third Master has three children. The eldest son and second daughter are not at the ancestral home. Only the Third Young Master is here, in the Qingfeng Courtyard next door.”

“The Fourth Branch lives in the Wanxiang Hall. Master Xie Fourth is busy with work and rarely shows up. The Fourth Branch has two sons, both Alphas…”

“The Fifth Branch… Master Xie Fifth does not live in the ancestral home.”

“Why?” Jiang Xingyuan asked, comparing this to the data he had memorized earlier. In his memory, the Fifth Branch indeed lived elsewhere while everyone else stayed at the ancestral home.

Zhao Lou lowered his gaze. “Those are matters of the main family. I don’t know why.”

“Fine.” Not getting the answer he wanted, Jiang Xingyuan suddenly remembered something. His gaze shifted. “By the way, which branch does Xie Chao belong to?”

“He is from the Fourth Branch.”

“Does he have an older or younger brother?” Jiang Xingyuan frowned slightly.

“The Second Young Master of the Third Branch has an elder brother.”

Jiang Xingyuan nodded. “Okay, keep going.”

“The Sixth Branch also doesn’t live in the ancestral home, though a young master from that branch stays here. The Seventh Branch… the Seventh Master is in poor health and stays in the Luoming Pavilion. He rarely appears either.”

“And finally, there is the Ninth Master.”

Jiang Xingyuan’s interest piqued. He noticed Zhao Lou’s tone became significantly lighter and more cheerful.

“The Ninth Master lives in the Jingya Hall. It is elegant and quiet there. He rarely appears in other parts of the estate.”

“Isn’t he a monk?” Jiang Xingyuan asked. He only knew that Xie Chao was terrified of this Ninth Master.

Zhao Lou shook his head. “The Ninth Master was sickly as a child, so he studied under Grandmaster Xuan Kong as a lay disciple of the Great Buddhist Temple. He enshrines Buddha statues in the ancestral home, eats vegetarian meals, recites sutras daily, and manages Buddhist affairs. He is fair and possesses a heart of compassion.”

Jiang Xingyuan was surprised. Zhao Lou had been objective before, but he turned into a total fan boy the moment the Ninth Master was mentioned, his eyes practically sparkling. It seemed Zhao Lou held the Ninth Master in extremely high regard.

Recalling the terrifying aura he had felt for a split second in front of the Buddha hall, Jiang Xingyuan shook his head. Perhaps it was his imagination. On second thought, they had only met once, and the Ninth Master had already helped him twice, even directly punishing Xie Chao. From that perspective, he wasn’t just a good person, he was a benefactor.

To survive in this ancestral home, he needed to read the situation and find a “big brother” to protect him. The Ninth Master was clearly an excellent “thigh” to hold onto.

“What about… the First and Eighth branches? You didn’t mention them,” Jiang Xingyuan asked curiously.

“There is no First Branch or Eighth Branch.”

Jiang Xingyuan’s brows furrowed. How could there not be? The branches were numbered sequentially; if the numbers existed, the people must have existed once. Usually, in family rankings, “none” meant they were deceased. Probably died of illness, he thought.

He finished his apple and tossed the core into the trash, heading for the door. Night had fallen, and the sky was dark.

Having eaten his fill, Jiang Xingyuan said to Zhao Lou, who was following him, “Let’s go for a walk to digest, and while we’re at it, head over to the Qingfeng Courtyard next door.”

He hadn’t forgotten his mission in the Xie family. He had upset Xie Huai earlier, so he figured he should try to gain some favor by inviting him for a stroll.

To his surprise, he was met with a closed door.

The servant guarding the courtyard said with a smile, “I’m sorry, Young Master Jiang, our master has already retired for the night. My name is Biyun, a servant of the Qingfeng Courtyard. If you have business with our master, you can ask me directly.”

“If you wish to see him tomorrow, you’ll have to come earlier,” Biyun added.

“Ah, what a pity. I was worried I offended him today, and that’s why he wouldn’t see me,” Jiang Xingyuan sighed.

Seeing Jiang Xingyuan’s regretful look, Biyun’s eyes flashed with a hint of disdain. A toad lusting after swan meat. He had heard of this Second Young Master Jiang’s “illustrious” reputation. Seeing him now, he truly was a fool, what a waste of such a good-looking face.

“In that case, I won’t disturb him. Xiao Lou, let’s go.”

Jiang Xingyuan felt a bit deflated. As he walked, he muttered, “Where does Xie Chao live? I wonder how his sutra copying is going?”

“Xiao Lou, do you think we should go pay him a visit?”