"… …" Shu Mingshen seemed a little embarrassed. He slowly put down the chopsticks in his mouth, covered his mouth, and coughed lightly. He said to the Ninth Young Master, "Brother Dongfang just doesn't like outsiders in the house. He doesn't mean any harm to you, Ninth Elder Brothers. If he has been rude in any way, please forgive him, Ninth Young Master."

When the Ninth Young Master heard this, he quickly smiled and said, "Brother Shu, you worry too much. This Dongfang gongzi is forthright and unruly, and doesn't care about trifles. He is the one we should look up to. How can I blame him for such a small matter?"

Shu Mingshen couldn't help but gratefully say, "The Ninth Elder Brothers really are emotional people!

Since that's the case, I can rest assured. "

"… …" The Ninth Young Master didn't say anything. He just smiled and looked at Shu Mingshen beside him, who continued to talk to him excitedly.

At noon, Shu Mingshen tidied up the rooms of the guests, cleaned the courtyard in front of the door, washed the clothes and bedsheets that he had accumulated over the past few days, and took care of the pots of flowers that Hua Manlou had given him. Then, he turned around and went to the backyard to kill a rooster. He planned to make chicken soup for everyone to drink during lunch.

The Ninth Young Master sat by the window, pretending to look at the piles of books in Shu Mingshen's room. In fact, he was observing what he was doing.

He saw Shu Mingshen fetching water to wash the clothes, then running to the other side to wipe the floor of the cloister. If a tile on the roof was broken, he would immediately climb up the ladder to fix it. After fixing it, he would carry a dustpan to the chicken coop in the backyard to feed the chickens and clean up the chicken droppings. He was so busy that he couldn't be happier.

"…" Jiu Gongzi could not help but find it amusing as he watched the other party run around aimlessly without even touching the ground.

Although he heard from his subordinates that the other party's life was poor, he didn't expect it to be so poor.

What on earth was this person busy with? Even his servants didn't bother to do such a messy thing …?

By noon, lunch had already been placed on the table.

However, this time, Dongfang Bubai wasn't there. There were only three people, Shu Mingshen, the Ninth Young Master, and Agy.

After Shu Mingshen finished feeding his neighbor's fat cat, which had come to his house for a meal, he finally wiped the sweat off his forehead and sat down at the dining table.

"Brother Shu, as a disciple of Confucius and Mencius, do these things every day?"

The Ninth Young Master tilted his head and looked at's head. If you spend all your time on these trivial things, how will you have the time to read the books of the sages? "

Shu Mingshen replied honestly, "I'll be free in the afternoon!"

"And I'm already very satisfied that I don't have to go out to look for work and can live without worrying about food and clothing." Shu Mingshen scratched his head and smiled, "Otherwise, I can't do anything. Even if I go out to do odd jobs, they might not take me in."

The Ninth Young Master thought for a while. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Brother Shu, I think you're quite capable … …"

"Washing clothes, cooking, mending, and cleaning. You're good at everything." The Ninth Young Master looked at him with a smile and said, "You're so virtuous. Even a girl from an ordinary family might not be able to compare to you, Brother Shu."

"… …" Shu Mingshen blushed at the other's teasing. In fact, he was forced to do this. Torn clothes couldn't be repaired. If he didn't cook, he would starve to death. So, it wasn't that he wanted to do these "women's things", but that he was forced to do it.

"… …" Agy was still eating silently with his head down. After a while, he put down his bowl and stood up with a cough, "Cough, I'm done eating … …"

He wanted to turn around and leave like every time, but he hesitated before leaving. He turned around and said to Shu Mingshen, "I'm going out in the afternoon to find something to do. Is it okay for the two of you to stay at home?"

Shu Mingshen looked at him with a smile and waved his hand, "It's okay. Agy, you can go by yourself. Don't worry!"

"… …" Agy turned around and looked at him for a moment, then finally turned around and walked out of the door.

The Ninth Young Master looked at Agy's back as he left and raised his eyebrows. He smiled at Shu Mingshen and said, "Brother Agy doesn't seem to like to talk much?"

Shu Mingshen nodded and said, "Agy is indeed a little taciturn, but after interacting with him for a long time, you'll know that he's actually a very warm-hearted person!"

He had heard from the neighbors that Agy was stabbed by those villains in the brothel that day because he wanted to save a girl who was bullied. So, he told the Ninth Young Master about this incident and how he picked up Agy on the street.

The Ninth Young Master listened thoughtfully, then slowly nodded and said, "I didn't expect there to be such a strange person in this world … …"

Seeing Shu Mingshen looking at him doubtfully, the Ninth Young Master coughed a few times, held his chest, and said, "I'm saying that Brother Agy must have some hidden reasons for doing this. But his selfless behavior is really touching. Even I can't help but admire him … …"

Seeing Shu Mingshen's proud expression, as if he was happy for the man named Agy, the Ninth Young Master raised his eyebrows, coughed a few times, and rubbed his chest, saying, "It's just that I suddenly feel a little stuffy in my chest. I'm afraid I've said too much. Cough, cough, I need to go back and lie down … …"

Shu Mingshen saw this and hurriedly put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hand. He said with a face full of self-blame and concern, "It must be because I've said too much to the Ninth Elder Brothers. That's why your old injury has relapsed. I'll help you back to your room to rest now. Ninth Elder Brothers, please bear with it for a while. You'll be fine soon!"

As he said this, he carefully helped the Ninth Young Master back to his bedroom.

Jiu Gongzi put all his weight on Shu Mingshen. He watched as Shu Mingshen staggered back to his room, half supporting and half carrying him. He tucked Shu Mingshen in and asked about Shu Mingshen's well-being with a concerned expression for a long time. Only then did Jiu Gongzi finally walk out of the door worriedly.

"… …" The Ninth Young Master lay in the warm and comfortable quilt and slowly yawned.

In fact, he rarely, or it could be said that he had never stayed in such a simple and crude room before. Even if it was an inn, he would rarely stay there. When he went out, he would stay in his own luxurious and well-decorated carriage.

However, for some reason, after he had stayed here for two days, it was not as unbearable as he had imagined.

The room was filled with the fragrance of ink. The blanket and bedsheets had been changed by the scholar. Moreover, they had just been exposed to the sun outside. When they came in contact with his skin, there was even a warm feeling …