Chapter 138: The Child Who Took the Fall for the Master

The tavern’s boss had a shrewd personality and loved to haggle over every detail, often quarreling with his wife.

While Xie Hui worked as the accountant there, he got along well with his colleagues. After two months, he used his earnings to hire an old woman to handle household chores, which eased his burden considerably.

Children tend to forget quickly, and with a father who indulged his every whim, it took less than two months for Xie Hong to shed any trace of unfamiliarity with his father.

Clingy and fond of acting cute, Xie Hong would occasionally throw a tantrum when teased by his father.

“Hong’er, look what Daddy brought home for you!”

One day, as soon as Xie Hui entered the house, he couldn’t help but announce this.

Since hiring the old woman, he hadn’t taken the child back to the tavern. The tavern was crowded and chaotic, and he couldn’t keep an eye on him while busy.

Shortly after Xie Hui spoke, a little figure in a dark blue outfit came running out with tiny steps.

“Daddy, let me see what it is!”

When Xie Hong reached him, Xie Hui bent down and handed him the sugar-coated hawthorn he had hidden behind his back.

“Wow, Daddy, it’s candied hawthorn!”

Delighted, Xie Hong reached out to grab it, but Xie Hui teasingly held it higher, watching the little one jump up and down trying to reach it, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Is it because Hong’er hasn’t been eating properly lately that you can’t reach it?”

The child, growing smarter by the day, was no longer easily fooled by clumsy lies. Hearing his father’s words, he stopped and glared at him fiercely.

“Daddy’s doing it on purpose! It’s not because I didn’t eat properly.”

In the past, when he was just a playmate at the master’s house, he couldn’t eat properly. So now, he needed no reminders; he would sit obediently at the table when it was mealtime.

“Oh? How could Daddy be doing it on purpose?”

With that, Xie Hui lowered the candied hawthorn to Xie Hong’s level.

Xie Hong snatched it up, smiling brightly at his father.

“Thank you, Daddy. You’re the best~”

Seeing how quickly his son’s expression changed, Xie Hui felt both amused and helpless. He ruffled his son’s hair and handed the groceries he brought home to the old woman.

This old woman was a widow from the neighborhood who had raised her son single-handedly after her husband’s death, making ends meet by doing odd jobs.

Xie Hui himself didn’t like eating the leftovers from the tavern, but the old woman didn’t mind. Occasionally, when he saw something good and got the boss’s permission, he would bring it home.

Business at the tavern wasn’t great during winter. The boss let go of two staff members, but Xie Hui was lucky to keep his job, although his last month’s pay was reduced.

Though the tavern’s poor business was understandable, Xie Hui disliked the boss’s way of handling things, so he planned to find a new job after the spring began.

The old woman returned home around New Year’s Eve. Besides preparing for the New Year, Xie Hui started arranging for Xie Hong to attend school in the spring.

Although he could teach some things himself, it couldn’t compare to a proper teacher.

During his time as an accountant, he met a few people and, after some inquiries, found a teacher named Master Zhao. This Master Zhao was a Juren, a scholar who had passed the imperial exams, but had no interest in becoming an official and preferred teaching.

Apart from his excellent teaching skills, what Xie Hui valued most was his good reputation.

“Daddy, are you sure you’re not lying to me? The tuition is so much; will I be able to earn it back after studying?”

Xie Hong watched as his father prepared the tuition, feeling a bit skeptical.

With so much silver, they could live comfortably for quite a while, and his father could take a break.

“Hong’er, Daddy isn’t lying to you. I believe in you; you can do it.”

Flattered by his father’s praise, Xie Hong couldn’t help but feel a surge of confidence.

Since Daddy said he could do it, then he surely could!

When spring came, Xie Hui took the tuition and his child to visit Master Zhao. As they arrived, they saw a man with a child being sent away, looking displeased.

Brought inside by a servant, Xie Hui was about to hand over the tuition when Master Zhao stopped him.

“I need to see if he has a talent for studying. If not, you should take these things back.”

Master Zhao made it clear from the start. He had seen too many parents eager to send their children to him without considering their aptitude, resulting in students who learned nothing despite days of teaching, which frustrated him.

“Alright, Master, please go ahead.”

Xie Hong wasn’t afraid and spoke in his childish voice.

Upon hearing him, Master Zhao glanced at him and praised, “This child has some courage.”

Master Zhao took out a primer and taught the child to read a few times. Although Xie Hong stumbled a bit, he managed to read every word accurately.

“I’ll take this student.”

Hearing this, Xie Hui breathed a sigh of relief. If Master Zhao had refused, he would have had to look elsewhere, wasting more time.

After handing over the tuition, Master Zhao informed them of the school schedule, and someone from Master Zhao’s household escorted them to the door.

“Daddy, were others more fluent than me?”

Though accepted as a student, Xie Hong felt his performance wasn’t great upon reflection.

“There’s no need to compare with others; just do your best.”

Xie Hui ruffled his son’s hair, offering guidance before heading to a pastry shop to buy some treats for him.

While Xie Hong showed promise in business, Xie Hui wasn’t sure about his academic potential.

He could accept a child being outstanding or ordinary, knowing not everyone could be a genius.

After dropping the child off with the old woman, Xie Hui planned to visit the tavern to see if any place needed an accountant.

Whether it was a tavern or another shop, he was open to opportunities.

He had already informed the tavern boss of his decision to leave, using family matters as an excuse.

Before leaving, Xie Hui called his son over. When the little one came over, looking puzzled, he ruffled his hair and smiled.

“Hong’er, lend Daddy some good luck. Hope Daddy finds a good job today.”

Xie Hong paused, realizing his father referred to being accepted by Master Zhao. After thinking it over, he hurried to catch up as his father turned to leave, tugging on his coat.

He rubbed his head against his father’s side, messing up his neatly combed hair.

Xie Hui smiled, sent him back, instructed the old woman to take care of him, and left the house.

Xie Hui wandered the streets, asking around, but found no vacancies for an accountant. A few places, impressed by his appearance, asked if he’d work as a hall attendant.

Xie Hui wasn’t picky, but the pay for an attendant was less than an accountant, and with his son starting school, future expenses would be significant.

After a long search without success, just as Xie Hui was about to head home, an old woman dressed in fine clothing stopped him.

“I’ve been watching you for a while. Are you looking for an accountant job?”

Xie Hui nodded with a smile, “Yes.”

“Have you ever worked as a steward?”

Her question happened to touch on Xie Hui’s expertise.

Being an accountant paid well, but being a steward paid even more. At this point, he was just a common man, willing to bend for a few pieces of silver.

“I’ve worked as a steward for over ten years.”

The old woman’s expression turned somewhat unnatural after hearing his response. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was doing it on purpose. How could it be such a coincidence that she happened to run into him?

“If you’ve been a steward for over a decade, how come you’ve now ended up as an accountant?”

When the old woman asked this, Xie Hui didn’t mind her probing questions. Her inquiry suggested she was genuinely considering hiring a steward.

“A while back, the family I worked for got into trouble. It was the Wang Family…”

The incident with the Wang Family aiding a prince in rebellion had caused quite a stir throughout Capital City, and the old woman had heard about it. She recalled hearing people praise the Wang Family’s steward for managing their affairs so efficiently.

Now, seeing Xie Hui with his extraordinary demeanor and sharpness, the old woman felt somewhat reassured.

“Come to the Li Mansion tomorrow and give it a try. Let me see what you’re capable of.”

After confirming the location, Xie Hui bid farewell to the old woman with a smile. By the time he returned home, the sky was already starting to darken.

As soon as he pushed open the door, before he could even gather his thoughts, he heard footsteps. A little one quickly ran up to him and hugged his leg.

“Papa, how did it go today?”

Xie Hui crouched down, gently ruffled his hair, and replied with a smile, “Papa won’t be an accountant anymore. I met a nice person who wants me to try being a steward tomorrow.”

The word “steward” didn’t sit well with Xie Hong. He frowned, wanting to say something, but feared dampening his father’s spirits. After a moment, he forced a smile and pretended to be happy, saying, “That’s great, Papa.”

Xie Hui gently tugged at his cheek, “Your fake smile looks worse than crying. It’s just being a steward, not some monstrous beast.”

Feeling a bit down, Xie Hong used his father’s cheek-tugging as an excuse to sulk. He wrapped his arms around his head and squatted in front of his father, pouting.

He couldn’t help but glance at his father, and upon meeting his father’s amused gaze, he awkwardly turned his head away.

“Hmph!”