I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 50: An Invitation

"Yes, yes, dinner!" Steward Gao said enthusiastically, looking at Zheng Fa with a hopeful smile and speaking even more politely than during his last visit. "I hope it's not inconvenient?"

"Please, come in, Uncle Gao."

Zheng Fa welcomed Steward Gao and Gao Yuan into the small courtyard. His little sister, Zheng Shan, cheerfully brought over two small stools.

"These stools were a gift from you, Uncle Gao," Zheng Fa said with a smile, gesturing at the stools. "We should’ve thanked you sooner."

"Oh, it was nothing!" Steward Gao waved his hand, looking more at ease now.

"Uncle, is there something on your mind?"

"Dear nephew," Steward Gao said cautiously, setting down his chopsticks, "I heard from Gao Yuan that you’ve passed on an Immortal secret technique to him?"

"It’s not an Immortal secret technique, really."

"But you did teach him!" Steward Gao slapped his thigh, finally revealing his purpose. "I’m here today to properly thank you for that."

"But you’ve already brought us so much," Zheng Fa’s mother interjected. "We still haven’t finished eating all the food you sent last time."

"Madam, those gifts were nothing compared to an Immortal secret technique!" Steward Gao countered earnestly.

Seeing her about to refuse again, he quickly added, "I also heard you’ve been wanting to find work at a tailor shop?"

Zheng Fa’s gaze shifted to his mother.

"Dear nephew, don’t misunderstand," Steward Gao said hurriedly. "You may be focused on studying and training, but many in the Zhao estate have their eyes on you."

Zheng Fa wasn’t surprised. Without deep roots in the estate, his newfound prominence naturally attracted attention.

However, it was the mention of his mother’s desire to work that concerned him more. Glancing at her, he saw her hesitation and nodded slightly.

"If a shop could be arranged, that would indeed be helpful," he said.

Steward Gao’s face lit up. "Perfect timing! My brother-in-law owns a shop. Madam can take over in a couple of days."

With that, he pulled out a piece of paper and placed it on the table.

"Wait a moment," Zheng Fa said, frowning. "What do you mean by ‘take over’?"

"She’ll run the shop, of course!"

His mother quickly interjected, "I just wanted to do some work for a shop, not take one over."

"This shop isn’t worth much!" Steward Gao explained candidly. "Between us, this shop is technically mine, but it’s registered under my brother-in-law’s name. If you have someone trustworthy, you can transfer it to them. If not, you can leave it under my brother-in-law’s name, and I’ll send you the profits every month."

This arrangement was standard practice in the Zhao estate. Though servants technically couldn’t own property, senior figures like Steward Gao often found ways around such rules.

Zheng Fa was certain that as long as he stayed in the Zhao estate, Steward Gao would ensure the money kept coming.

Unexpectedly, Gao Yuan chimed in. "Zheng Fa, just accept it. My father has more than one shop anyway."

Zheng Fa: …Are you sure it’s okay to sell out your dad like this?

As expected, Steward Gao’s face darkened, and he shot his son a glare before turning back to Zheng Fa with a wry smile. "Dear nephew, I know this is a significant favor, and even giving you the shop feels insufficient. If you don’t accept it, I truly won’t be able to sleep."

Faced with Steward Gao’s insistence and seeing Gao Yuan’s eager expression, Zheng Fa eventually nodded.

After they left, Zheng Fa’s mother stared at him in disbelief. "Does this mean… we now own a shop?"

…

Outside the Zheng family courtyard, Steward Gao exhaled deeply.

"Is this enough?" Gao Yuan asked, puzzled.

"Enough? Hardly!" Steward Gao shot him a look. "The Young Master said Zheng Fa is backed by a great cultivator, and he’s learned an Immortal secret technique. One shop is nothing! This was just a gesture to show where we stand."

"Are we servants of the Zhao family or of Zheng Fa?"

"… As long as it doesn’t conflict with serving the Zhao family, you follow Zheng Fa’s lead!"

"What if the Young Master and Zheng Fa have a falling out?"

"Then we follow the one with the stronger backer," Steward Gao gritted out. "Right now, that’s Zheng Fa!"

"Doesn’t this count as betrayal?"

"It’s not betrayal," Steward Gao said firmly. "I’m a steward for the Second Branch. What do I care about the First Branch’s Young Master?"

"But I’m the Young Master’s study attendant…"

"Exactly. If you betray him, that’s on you, not me."

…

Meanwhile, in the study, the Seventh Young Master groaned in frustration.

"I only blinked, and now it’s come to this?"

He stared at Zheng Fa, who was calmly working through a mathematical problem with a brush, his confusion plain.

"Well, it’s obvious!" Zheng Fa replied, equally puzzled by the Young Master’s struggle.

"Obvious? I don’t see it!" the Young Master protested. "This secret technique is too hard!"

Beside him, Gao Yuan looked similarly distressed.

Neither of them was particularly good at learning. The Young Master, despite his talent in talismans, was hopeless in everything else. Gao Yuan, at least, had some background in accounting, which gave him a slight edge—but not much.

Teaching them was so frustrating that Zheng Fa found himself silently apologizing to Old Bai. So this is what it’s like to teach idiots…

Because of his caution, Zheng Fa had simplified Middle School Mathematics significantly, focusing on practical applications rather than abstract principles. Even so, it was difficult for two people with no modern educational background to grasp.

"Zheng Fa, don’t you have an easier secret technique?" the Young Master pleaded.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Zheng Fa pulled out Elementary Mathematics.

"I knew it! You were holding out on me!" The Young Master grabbed the book excitedly.

"I wasn’t hiding it. This is for my sister."

The Young Master froze. "How many sisters do you have?"

"Just one. You’ve met her. She’s six."

The Young Master and Gao Yuan exchanged a look, their faces reflecting the same conflicted realization: What kind of Immortal secret technique requires this level of shamelessness to practice?

…

The next day, the Young Master skipped their study session entirely.

Instead, an unexpected guest arrived: Steward Wu, who had been absent for some time.

Standing in the study, he glanced at Zheng Fa.

"Zheng Fa, Madam requests your presence."

"Requests?" Gao Yuan repeated, puzzled by the choice of words.

Zheng Fa, however, had been anticipating this moment. Nodding at Steward Wu, he said calmly, "Lead the way."

This book, Middle School Mathematics, was written for the Young Master but also for Madam.

Ever since mastering the Linghe Body, Zheng Fa had been asking himself the same question:

As a mother and the matriarch of a thousand-year-old family, what would Madam do if her son’s attendant suddenly turned out to be a mysterious and uncontrollable variable?

Every answer he had reached was… not optimistic.

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