Zhao Wuya looked at the bed covered with Daoist robes, feeling quite envious.

"Brother Xuan, you have nine robes, can't you spare me one?"

"Of course not, my sister said that nine is the ultimate number, to be one short would change things, like becoming sworn brothers."

Zhou Xuan opened the wardrobe, carefully hanging the robes with hangers inside.

"If you're envious, go find a tailor to make one for yourself. Although you might have me beat in looks, you're far below me in temperament; I'm afraid you wouldn't carry the same style well."

Zhou Xuan joked as he locked the spring lock on the cabinet and went downstairs.

"Brother Xuan, you're the vainest!"

Zhao Wuya looked at Zhou Xuan in his new clothes, feeling quite jealous, and followed him sulkily.

...

In the hall, Xu Li and Yu Zhengyuan had already decided to listen to Zhou Xuan's storytelling that evening.

The two of them, according to a fortune teller, were destined to be busy all their lives; even when life was easier, they couldn't sit still.

Among the other troupe members, those who were doing well were used to leisurely sipping tea daily, delegating tasks to apprentices and masters.

But Yu Zhengyuan and Xu Li handled buying groceries, cooking, laundry, and rice washing themselves, never dumping the mess of their lives on others.

In such a short time, the couple had already regarded Zhou Xuan's shop as their own, thinking some paintings were not properly placed, and asked Little Fuzi to buy new ones, stabilizing any wobbly furniture with a hammer and nails.

"This screen needs replacing too, Fuzi, do you have a good painter around here? Find someone, and I'll help them tidy up this screen to make it look neat."

Xu Li asked Little Fuzi.

"There's a painter on the street, I'll go invite him."

Little Fuzi was about to leave when Yu Zhengyuan stopped him: "Fuzi, wait a moment."

"Big Manager, what can I do for you?"

In the troupe, those close to the seniors called them "senior brother," but the apprentices usually referred to them as "manager."

The four senior brothers of the Zhou Family's Troupe were essentially the managers of the large troupe, managing its orderly operations.

"The sun outside is too harsh, you're running around tirelessly. Here's some change, go get some iced plum soup."

Seeing it was money for himself, Little Fuzi waved his hand, saying, "Big Manager, no need, the young master also pays me a salary, quite a lot too."

"Xuanzi pays you money?" Yu Zhengyuan was a bit surprised.

In the Zhou Family's Troupe, apprentices don't get a salary; at most, they get some petty cash for errands.

Not just the Zhou Family's Troupe, throughout the Ping Shui Prefecture and other states, apprentices don't receive wages.

What does being an apprentice mean? Finding a master to learn skills for future livelihood.

The master doesn't charge tuition, and the apprentice doesn't ask the master for wages. In the minds of Jing Country people, this was considered fair.

Yu Zhengyuan was also used to not paying the apprentices. But since the Zhou Family's Troupe had been doing exceptionally well, he would sometimes find reasons to give them a little hardship pay.

"Yes, the young master paid me quite a lot, seven or eight thousand already."

Little Fuzi spoke honestly.

After Zhou Xuan made a few big deals with tattoos, he shared the profits with the Fifth Senior Brother and Fuzi.

The Fifth Senior Brother received more, while Fuzi, although less, was still considered quite high in other shops.

Recently, although the Fifth Senior Brother had taken a position in the Bone Elder Association, rendering the "Jingyi Store" nominally defunct and no longer soliciting business, Zhou Xuan still gave Fuzi a "subsidy" every week, ranging from one to two hundred, up to three to four hundred, not fixed.

"How much did you just say?"

Yu Zhengyuan feared he was hearing things and asked again.

"Seven or eight thousand."

"…" Yu Zhengyuan looked at the change he had already taken out, suddenly feeling it was paltry and promptly put it back.

He then asked gossipily, "You got seven or eight thousand, how much did your Fifth Senior Brother earn?"

"He got a bit more than me, two to three thousand."

"I thought you guys came to Mingjiang Prefecture to suffer, turns out you're here to strike gold? I'll also tell the class leader when I return that I want to come to Mingjiang Prefecture to do business."

Yu Zhengyuan chuckled, waved his hand to signal Fuzi to go about his business, buy some paintings, and invite a painter to work on the screen.

"Big Manager, I'm off now."

Little Fuzi gave a greeting before leaving the shop.

Xu Li smiled broadly, saying, "Old Yu, don't be envious, everyone has their own fortunes, and with a name like Little Fuzi, he's bound to be lucky."

Yu Zhengyuan laughed and said, "I'm not envious of others. Seeing Fifth Senior Brother and Fuzi living it up in Mingjiang Prefecture with Xuanzi, I can't be happier.

Fuzi is a good person, honest, with no ill intentions. Most importantly, amongst so many apprentices in the Zhou Family's Troupe, Xuanzi chooses to play with him, they get along well, and now he has made some money with Xuanzi, which is well deserved."

In a blink, during the turmoil in Mingjiang, the counter, somewhat weakened, became very stable under Yu Zhengyuan's repairs.

At this moment, Zhou Xuan descended gracefully, stroked the clean surface of the counter, and marveled, "Senior Brother, you're quite the handyman; my shop has never been this tidy since it opened."

"If your senior brother and sister-in-law stay here for a day, they might even remodel the shop for you, so that whether you're doing business or living, you'll be more comfortable from now on."

Xu Li said while eyeing Zhou Xuan's new Daoist robe, chuckling, "Magnificent, really handsome; our class leader's taste is impeccable. Old Yu, take a look, our little junior brother looks like a transformed person."

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