Liu Yisheng’s eyes flickered and he said, "I thought of a few names, but I’m not sure which one to pick."
Gu Jiao looked at him, "Let’s hear them."
Naming-challenged Liu Yisheng: "..."
Struck by inspiration, Liu Yisheng said, "How about you name it? After all, it’s your cat. It’s just temporarily being fostered at my place."
"That’s fine." Gu Jiao nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "Let’s call it Xiaoshi."
There were already nine divine animals at home, and this one would be the tenth in rank.
"Alright, Xiaoshi it is." Liu Yisheng had no objections.
"Did you come today to see Xiaoshi?" he asked as he stood up to pour water for Gu Jiao.
"I came to see you as well." Gu Jiao said.
Liu Yisheng’s hand, pouring the water, shook, spilling a drop on the table. He took a cloth and discreetly wiped it away, placing the poured tea beside Gu Jiao, "You really must have a lot of free time on your hands."
Gu Jiao took off her small backpack and pulled out a few thick books, "Here."
Last time, she had given Liu Yisheng the Four Books, and this time, she brought the Five Classics and two volumes of Arithmetic.
All annotated editions, perfect for self-taught scholars.
"You..." Liu Yisheng hesitated.
Gu Jiao could almost guess what he was about to say, "I know, you can’t afford them. I’m not giving you the books for free. This is Xiaoshi’s board fee. Xiaoshi is so plump, just look at how much it must eat."
The white cat meowed sorrowfully.
Liu Yisheng sighed, "You’ll regret betting on me."
Becoming a marquis or a prime minister was impossible for him in this lifetime.
Liu Yisheng was conflicted for a moment but eventually accepted the books. However, he made a mental note of their value, as he intended to pay her back someday.
Caressing the covers of the books, Liu Yisheng said, "Consider these books borrowed from you. I’ll pay you back once I’ve made some money."
"Whatever you say," Gu Jiao replied indifferently. It was just a few books; she wasn’t lacking Silver. She just accommodated his fierce pride by not refusing on the spot.
At that time, Gu Jiao had no idea that one day, years later, Liu Yisheng would indeed repay her for the books but not with Silver.
One book for one city.
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