Chapter 16 Can We Talk?

"Big brother, think of me in a better way. I'm not a pervert. I like living people, fresh and lively girls."

Zhou Xuan had never thought to describe girls as "fresh and lively", but here and now, it seemed like the only phrase that could make big brother truly understand his preferences.

"Like the living ones? No, that's not good, it gives a bad impression."

Could there be anything that gives a worse impression than patronizing the dead?

"That place is not for respectable people like us! Don't think about those vulgar prostitutes, it's dirty! If you want to go, go by yourself, big brother is a decent man."

Yu Zhengyuan even got angry.

Go by myself, but first, I need money.

Ever since joining the Zhou Family's Troupe, Zhou Xuan had searched the entire house. No wallet, and as for the original owner hiding any money?

None!

He searched every crack in the house, found several dead cockroaches but not a single copper coin.

For money, Zhou Xuan unleashed his full imagination.

He had gotten the original owner's diary and a key yesterday.

The key was still in his pocket.

He guessed that maybe everyone in the troupe had a cash box, and the key was for it.

So, the question is,

Where is my cash box?

"Big brother, since I came back to my senses, my brain's not that great. I can't remember many things, like where the cash box is."

"It's not that your brain is bad, you simply never had a cash box."

Zhou Xuan: "..."

Yu Zhengyuan explained, "You really forgot. After your sister became the class leader, she supervised you strictly and specifically canceled your cash box. You couldn't withdraw a dime from it. No choice, you were just too reckless before..."

"How reckless?"

"In one year, just visiting brothels and supporting actresses in theaters, you could spend up to twenty percent of the troupe's profits."

That's beyond reckless,

It's utterly hedonistic, splashing money around, too indulgent.

Damn!

The good days were all squandered by the previous guy, and here I am, just reaping the leftovers.

Such bad luck.

"Don't blame the class leader, there really has been a big change since she started managing you strictly."

"Change? Like what..."

"Like our salaries have gone up."

Zhou Xuan: "..."

It's all my money, my money.

Sigh,

The good times are gone, but going forward, there will always be expenses. Not suitable for a guy like me, the young master, to have cleaner pockets than his face, right?

Yu Zhengyuan curiously asked, "Do you genuinely not remember at all?"

"Some I remember, some I don't."

"The class leader assigned you a personal financier; whenever you went out, he'd follow you. You eat, drink, have fun, and he would pay for it, but he had to report every transaction to the class leader.

Remember, each month had a spending limit, within a thousand bucks."

Oh,

There's someone else paying, no need to carry a wallet. Is this what it's like to be a spoiled rich kid?

Sort of grand, just feels too familiar.

"Snap."

Zhou Xuan slapped his thigh,

Remembered now,

WeChat Family Card!

Different setup, same flavor.

"Where's that personal financier now?"

"After your spirit wandered off, he was scared of being blamed by the class leader, didn't dare ask for his wages, and hid back in his hometown."

Yu Zhengyuan regretfully said about the financier, "That lad was clever; I wanted to take him as an apprentice several times, to nurture him well, but unfortunately, he followed you."

"Big brother, could you consider my feelings when praising others?"

"Straightforward, don't take it to heart, big brother has no complaints against you." Yu Zhengyuan then realized that he unintentionally dissed Zhou Xuan and hurriedly apologized.

Until recent days, Zhou Xuan had not interacted much with Yu Zhengyuan, only knowing him as the big manager of the troupe.

He managed external trades and internal personnel.

The most authoritative person in the troupe besides his sister.

Now from this chat, he felt big brother was quite down-to-earth.

When the carriage passed Taiping West Road, Yu Zhengyuan stopped the carriage to buy two bowls of silken tofu.

"Haven't had breakfast, can't handle the hunger."

There was only one spot at the breakfast stall, Yu Zhengyuan gave it to Zhou Xuan, and folded his silk robe front and back, tying them up, then plopped down on the ground, swirling the porridge in a ceramic bowl.

Zhou Xuan couldn't help but start making a large circling motion, then gave a thumbs up, praising: "Big brother, truly authentic."

After a hearty meal, Yu Zhengyuan got up, dusted off his butt, and unfastened his robe, letting it fall back down, voila, back to being a respectable businessman.

"You pay, I've got no money."

Zhou Xuan boarded the carriage, thinking that after work he should find his sister and discuss the Family Card issue further, also asking if the limit could be increased, trying to match the status of Young Master.

...

Taiping West Road is part of the slum area; this road is long, taking fifteen minutes by carriage, then the vehicle turned into Taiping Road.

Taiping Road is the economic center of the Ping Shui Prefecture.

Two roads, only a word apart, but the scenes, worlds apart.

"Magical, so magical."

This was Zhou Xuan's first time on the main street, seeing a hodgepodge of vehicles, cars, donkey carts, horse carriages, peddlers pushing wheelbarrows, cramming the street.

The sidewalks had straight tram tracks installed, occasionally a tram blaring "beep beep" would whizz past by his vehicle.

The roadside vendors, selling vegetables, ice cream, socks, shoes, all crouching by their stalls, loudly hawking.

In stark contrast, the shops facing the street, some exquisitely decorated.

Luxury shop clerks, inspired by the poor street vendors outside, all prancing arrogantly, occasionally pushing open the pristine glass doors, fiercely waving to chase away the vendors getting too close to the shop.

"Go die further away, don't mess up our business."