Salary Payment (Part 3)

Qin Jianghe also nodded and said,

"Auntie, just treat us like your own nephews. Please don't be so polite, otherwise the two of us will feel quite uncomfortable, don't you think?"

Seeing their reserved manner, Aunt Sun laughed heartily,

"Sigh! Look at me. You are good brothers with Gao'er, yet I'm being so formal. It's my fault. Sit tight, eat and drink well. I'll go hurry him up.

You see, it's not even bedtime yet, but he was just wearing his inner garments in his room. Now he insists on getting fully dressed before coming out to see you, otherwise he feels it's disrespectful. Tell me, isn't this child just too stubborn?"

With that, Aunt Sun left the room and walked towards Sun Yigao's room.

Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe sat in the Sun family's empty main hall, looking at each other in dismay.

Suddenly, they both burst into laughter.

Qin Jianghe said softly,

"I think Aunt Sun is also quite nervous."

Lin Xiao nodded,

"Isn't she? I guess she rarely has the chance to entertain younger generations like this on normal days."

After all, in the past, she never let Sun Yigao interact with the village kids, afraid it would delay her son's studies or that he would be led astray.

Hearing that they had arrived, Landlord Sun also came out to greet them, sitting aside and chatting with them for a bit.

When Sun Yigao came out, Landlord Sun left the main hall, leaving the space for the three of them.

Seeing that Sun Yigao was indeed dressed neatly, Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe couldn't help but exchange a smile.

Sun Yigao bowed to the two with cupped hands and said,

"Sorry to keep you two waiting."

Lin Xiao quickly helped him up and said,

"Hey! We are so familiar with each other, Yigao, please don't be so formal, or we'll be unhappy."

Qin Jianghe also nodded in agreement from the side.

"Exactly! If you are so polite to us, but we aren't that polite to you, wouldn't that make us look very rude?"

Sun Yigao lowered his head and smiled,

"You two brothers are right. From now on, I'll forget all these formalities in front of you."

Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe then laughed,

"That's how it should be!"

Upon learning that Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe were there to distribute the sect's stipend, Sun Yigao did not refuse. He just looked at the one hundred copper coins in his hand and smiled faintly,

"I always thought that before passing the imperial examinations, I would have no way to earn a single cent by myself and could only be a parasite at home. I didn't expect that now I could have a stipend without even taking the exams."

Lin Xiao chuckled and said,

"These one hundred coins aren't much, just a token. Our sect is still in its starting phase. We will strive to expand and strengthen our sect in the future to give everyone a larger stipend!

Speaking of which, the number of disciples in our sect will only increase, and many of them might not be very literate. In the future, there will be many areas where we will need you, Elder of Instruction Yigao, to put in some effort!"

Sun Yigao smiled gently,

"I, Gao, will definitely do my best."

Taking their leave from the Sun family, Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe walked around to the back of the Sun residence and arrived at Jiang Youfu's house.

The Jiang family had quite a few members, but they all got along very harmoniously.

However, Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe only greeted the Jiang family members before talking to Jiang Youfu outside the courtyard.

When Lin Xiao handed the string of coins to Jiang Youfu, Jiang Youfu took it with great excitement.

"Brother Xiao! So much money!"

Jiang Youfu never even thought about refusing.

As long as it was given by Lin Xiao or said by Lin Xiao, he always accepted it directly without question.

Lin Xiao signaled for him to keep his voice down, then put an arm around his shoulder and asked,

"Just now, Tietou said he's going to have his dad bring back some roast chicken from the newly opened shop in town tomorrow. I heard it's delicious. Do you want some? If you do, take the money and go to his house to tell him in a bit."

Hearing this, Jiang Youfu nodded his head like pounding garlic,

"Yes, yes, yes! I'll go find him right now!"

So Jiang Youfu pocketed the warm copper coins he just received and ran towards the Hu family in the middle of the village, while Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe continued walking east.

There was still one last family left.

Liu Yunan's house.

Before the two even reached the front yard gate, Lin Xiao, with his excellent hearing, heard voices coming from inside the Liu house.

"I went to the clinic to ask today. The old doctor said this medicine can be brewed at most one more time, and then it will be completely useless." Judging from the voice, it should be Widow Liu.

"Sigh, we managed to get through tonight with this medicine, but I see your sister's fever still hasn't gone down... I don't know what we should do tomorrow..."

Lin Xiao glanced at Qin Jianghe, but seeing his oblivious look, he remembered that Qin Jianghe couldn't hear it.

Lin Xiao tugged at Qin Jianghe's arm and quickened his pace.

As soon as he reached the gate of the Liu family's small courtyard, he called out loudly,

"Baldy! Are you home? Jianghe and I are here!"

Lin Xiao then heard the pattering sound of someone putting on shoes inside the house.

A moment later, Widow Liu and Liu Yunan walked out.

Widow Liu's eyes were still slightly red and swollen. She forced a smile and said to Lin Xiao and his companion,

"It's Brother Xiao and Jianghe. Come in and have a seat. Auntie will pour you some water."

Liu Yunan was a bit surprised and asked,

"Brother Xiao, why did you two come at this hour? Is something the matter?"

Lin Xiao pulled Liu Yunan into the house and signaled Qin Jianghe behind him to close the door.

After all, the fence of the Liu family's yard was too dilapidated. Anyone outside could easily see everything happening in the yard clearly.

Once Qin Jianghe closed the door, Lin Xiao pulled Liu Yunan to sit down,

"We came to give you your sect stipend."

Before Liu Yunan could ask, Qin Jianghe took out a string of one hundred copper coins from the storage bag in his clothes and handed it to him.

Taking the string of coins in disbelief, Liu Yunan felt his voice turning dazed,

"Brother Xiao, is... is this for me?"

Lin Xiao nodded affirmatively and said,

"This is the stipend issued by our sect. Everyone gets one."

A faint glimmer of tears flashed in Liu Yunan's eyes, but a smile graced his lips,

"Our sect is truly wonderful."

Qin Jianghe laughed playfully,

"Of course! In the future, we will all work hard together to build our sect better and better. Hehe, when that time comes, our stipends will definitely keep increasing!"

Leaving the Liu family, Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe walked on their way home.

Lin Xiao was somewhat puzzled.

He had clearly finished distributing the salaries to everyone, so why was there no notification that the stipend distribution quest was complete?

Lin Xiao opened the disciple panel.

Hmm... he seemed to have forgotten Little Luan.

But Little Luan was just a small demon chicken. Would giving it copper coins really be of any use?

A stipend... it should first be something the recipient could actually use, right?

Once Qin Jianghe returned home, Lin Xiao decided to make a trip up the mountain to ask.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

Anyway, at his current speed, a round trip to the mountain wouldn't even take a few minutes.

Immediately, Lin Xiao hurried toward the mountain.

It had to be said, with higher cultivation, a person's courage seemed to grow as well.

If it were in the past, in this era where it was pitch black as soon as night fell, it would be absolutely impossible for Lin Xiao to run into the wild mountains in the dark!