Chapter 7: The Chosen Employee

Li Xuzhang trusted Song Shiyu, but Li Xubai did not share that sentiment. With a look of inexplicable suspicion, he scanned her up and down: "Can you actually do it?"

Song Shiyu snorted coldly: "If I can't, why don't you step up and try?"

Li Xubai rolled his eyes dramatically and muttered, "Just make sure you don't turn a decent lame man into a cripple."

When Li Xubai was in full form, his tongue was as venomous as a viper; even professional rappers would struggle to best him. Yet, he was only using a tenth of his power, and already, Song Shiyu was no match for him.

"You!" Song Shiyu’s face turned white with rage.

Seeing that the two were about to start bickering again, Li Yunnuan hurriedly and timidly intervened: "Second Brother, Sister-in-law, please stop arguing. Third Brother... your arguing is making Third Brother's leg ache."

Li Xubai and Song Shiyu instantly fell silent.

Song Shiyu looked at Li Xuzhang and said calmly: "Third Brother, I cannot guarantee with absolute certainty that resetting the broken bone will succeed. You must think it over carefully and decide if you can bear the consequences of failure."

Li Xuzhang asked: "Sister-in-law, if it fails, what... what will happen?"

Looking at the eleven-year-old Li Xuzhang, Song Shiyu felt a strange, jarring sensation. In her previous life, Li Xuzhang had been much older than her, yet through this bizarre rebirth, she had become his sister-in-law, seven years his senior.

She thought for a moment and said calmly: "In your current condition, if we do not reset the bone and you rest for a few more months, although you will remain lame, you could at least manage to walk with a crutch. But if the surgery fails, you will likely be paralyzed and confined to your bed, never to walk again."

The faces of Li Xuzhang and Li Yunnuan turned deathly pale as they exchanged glances.

Li Xubai chimed in lazily, twisting the knife: "A lame man can still earn a bit of money, but a paralyzed man just eats for free. I, for one, won't be supporting you."

Li Xuzhang’s face was grim, but after only a brief moment of hesitation, he raised his head stubbornly: "I would rather be a paralyzed man who took a risk than a lame man who gave up!"

"Third Brother!" Li Yunnuan cried out in distress.

"Good!" Li Xubai gave Li Xuzhang a heavy pat. "That’s the spirit. To win, one must gamble. If you lose and end up paralyzed, don't worry—Second Brother will give you a bowl, and I promise you won't go hungry."

"A bowl?" Li Yunnuan was confused, unable to fathom what a bowl had to do with being paralyzed.

Li Xubai nodded with a straight face: "If Third Brother sits at Zhou Bridge with that bowl I give him, it’ll be a golden rice bowl. You’ll be raking in the money every day."

Li Xuzhang and Li Yunnuan both gasped, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Song Shiyu burst into a laugh, then quickly composed herself: "I hear the prison food in Bianliang Prefecture is the best in the city. Are you hoping to go in and get a taste, Second Brother?"

Li Xubai scoffed. The ancients were right—there is no heart as poisonous as a woman’s.

The next morning was clear and bright, with gentle winds and light clouds. Li Xubai was a man of decisive action; once he set his mind on something, he would do it immediately, without hesitation.

He rose early and jogged a few laps around the courtyard, though his body was still too frail, leaving him breathless after just a short distance. He needed to increase his training to restore his physical strength to the level of his past life as quickly as possible.

His body was the foundation of everything!

There was plenty of silver, plenty of time, and plenty of beauties waiting for him to squander once he was back in peak condition.

A shop assistant took down the last of the door panels and unfurled the shop banner; the Lulu Tong Horse and Carriage Rental Agency began its daily operations. The manager stood at the door, gazing out, and told his assistant: "If the man from yesterday arrives, take him straight to the second floor."

The assistant bowed respectfully and agreed.

No sooner had he spoken than the manager saw Li Xubai walking down from Zhou Bridge. He raised an eyebrow and hurried forward to meet him: "Young Master, you are a man of your word. You’re here early—have you made up your mind?"

Li Xubai smiled gently: "Yes, I have decided. I hope you will take good care of me, Manager."

The manager’s eyes crinkled with delight: "That’s wonderful! Our shop has truly struck gold." As he spoke, he led Li Xubai to a private room on the second floor and ordered tea and snacks.

"Since you’ve decided, I shall have the contract drawn up. Once both parties sign, it will provide security for us both," the manager said.

Li Xubai nodded: "That sounds reasonable. You are very thorough, Manager."

The manager smiled: "You are too kind, Young Master. My surname is Su, and my given name is Dongche. May I ask how to address you?"

Hearing the name "Su Dongche," Li Xubai nearly laughed out loud. How fitting—the manager of a carriage agency who is a master of vehicles.

He managed to control his expression and said calmly: "My name is Li Xubai. I am the second-born in my family. If you don't mind, you can call me Erlang."

Manager Su’s smile deepened: "Very well, Erlang. Let me explain the situation at our shop." He cleared his throat, looking quite proud: "Lulu Tong is the largest carriage agency in Bianliang. Ninety percent of the dignitaries in the city purchase their horses and carriages from us. We provide horse-drawn carriages, donkey carts, and ox carts, as well as highly skilled drivers. Of course, we don't just sell; we also lease them. The rental fees fluctuate based on the quality of the horses and vehicles, as well as the skill of the driver."

He spoke eloquently, and Li Xubai listened with great focus.

This agency sounded much like an auto rental company from his past life, only with the added benefit of providing drivers. Here, everything was handled in one place—a client could simply show up and be ready to ride.

After Manager Su finished explaining, his throat dry, he presented the contract prepared by the accountant. Li Xubai read it over carefully, signed it, and stamped it with his thumbprint.

"The contract is for one year. As we agreed, the salary is six taels of silver per month. After a year, if you wish to continue working here, we can renew it. One more thing you should know: the shop provides one meal per day, four sets of clothes and four pairs of shoes per year, and two days of leave per month. Any additional leave will be deducted from your wages."

Li Xubai reviewed the contract again. The terms were not harsh at all, and the benefits were quite generous. In his past life, companies were often obsessed with "996" work schedules, offering no leave, and deducting pay for the slightest absence, let alone providing uniforms or meals.

With the Li family having four and a half mouths to feed, six taels of silver—even after deducting the one and a half taels for rent—would be enough for their daily needs. As for the gambling debts, he would simply have to ignore them for now.

He nodded: "I understand."

With that, he signed the document and pressed his bright red thumbprint onto the paper.

Manager Su smiled with satisfaction, tucked one copy of the contract away, and said beamingly: "Good! Now, let me introduce you to the managers and staff in the private rooms."