I am dying of old age, and I have awakened to the character of longevity.

A few days ago, Li Ru felt that Xie An's request for redemption was inappropriate. He had decided to let him cool off for a few days to put him in his place and let Xie An know his status as a servant.

Now that Xie An had come to his door the day before the pawnshop opened, Li Ru instinctively felt that Xie An was coming to submit.

Li Ru had been in business for many years and felt that he had a deep understanding of how to manage people, so he couldn't help but feel a little smug.

"Madam, I told you. Just let him cool off for a few days, and he'll be obedient."

Madam Li sighed softly and didn't say much.

Li Shaoyun interjected, "Dad, I heard from Mom that you promised Old Xie Tou a redemption fee of one hundred and eighty taels of silver?"

Li Ru said, "The original price was two hundred taels, but your mother felt that it would be too harsh, so she reduced it by twenty taels."

Li Shaoyun pondered for a moment and said, "Now that I'm the nominal Deputy Deacon of the White Feather Hall, I need to spend money in more places. One hundred and eighty taels is too little, isn't it?"

Li Ru chewed on a piece of braised pork contentedly, speaking vaguely, "It doesn't matter, Old Xie Tou can't come up with one hundred and eighty taels. It's just to make him realize that it's impossible and give up. He's been a appraiser in town for thirty years and has a good reputation. Keeping him in the shop can boost business to some extent. We can earn more silver to pay for your martial arts training."

Li Shaoyun nodded in agreement, "Dad, you're so thoughtful."

"Chunlan, it's still snowing outside. Go get Old Xie Tou a hand warmer." Madam Li knew that Li Ru valued family rules and did not meet with servants during meals, so she said this to Chunlan.

Chunlan nodded and hurried away.

The snow outside was getting heavier and heavier, and the weather was freezing.

"Master Xie, Madam asked me to bring you a hand warmer. Take it. The master will be eating for a while longer." Chunlan hurried out of the courtyard to bring Xie An a hand warmer to keep him warm.

Standing in the snow, Xie An didn't feel too cold because he had practiced the Nourishing Life Skill. However, he still thanked her and took it.

The reason was nothing more than that his request for redemption had offended Li Ru's authority. Therefore, Li Ru wanted to suppress him so that he would be well-behaved in the future, not mention the matter of redemption again, and continue to be a slave for Li Ru from then on.

Any servant who requests redemption will more or less anger their master. This is not new in the Great Qian Dynasty.

This is the fate of a servant.

Everything is fate, and there is no room for choice.

The more Li Ru was like this, the more determined Xie An became to take control of his own life.

Xie An stood in the snow and waited for almost an hour before he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up and saw Chunlan walking over, "Master Xie, the master wants you to go in."

"Okay."

Xie An showed no expression and followed Chunlan into the inner courtyard.

Entering the living room, a warm feeling washed over him, dispelling the chill from Xie An's body.

Xie An still maintained his humble and bowed posture, "Greetings, Master, Madam, Young Master."

Li Ru sat high in the seat of honor, holding a steaming tea cup in both hands, and said lightly, "Have you thought it through? Then go back and do your duty as a appraiser. Your monthly salary will remain the same. Go ahead, take good care of the shop and prepare to open the door to welcome guests."

Xie An didn't expect Li Ru to jump to conclusions without even asking, so he didn't speak immediately. Instead, he keenly sensed the expressions of everyone in the living room.

Li Ru's resentment and arrogance; Li Shaoyun's disdain; Madam Li's regret and guilt; Chunlan's sympathy.

Xie An wanted to remember this unforgettable feeling one last time, and then... completely bid farewell to this feeling of being a slave.

Seeing that Xie An didn't answer, Li Ru blew on the tea leaves in the tea cup, took a sip of tea, and said indifferently, "Huh? Did you hear what I said? If you don't have any other questions, you should go back to the shop early, lest you delay the shop's business."

Huff!

Xie An took a deep breath, and then... for the first time in front of his master, he slowly raised his head and looked Li Fu's master in the eye.

This subtle action shocked Li Ru greatly.

Since he had been in charge of the Li family, no servant had ever dared to look him in the eye like this.

What's more, in his impression, Old Xie Tou had always been low-key, humble, timid, and afraid of trouble. Today, he actually...

Moreover, Li Ru clearly noticed that Xie An's eyes revealed a firmness, and even a hint of threat.

This... it's simply outrageous.

Madam Li and Li Shaoyun were both taken aback. Li Shaoyun frowned and said, "Master Xie, my dad told you to go back to the shop, didn't you hear? You're already so old, it's a blessing that my dad can let you be a appraiser in peace."

Xie An turned a deaf ear, took out a cloth bag, and opened it on the Eight Immortals table next to him.

A full one hundred and eighty taels of silver.

Then, Xie An straightened his back and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "According to Master Li's request, I have gathered one hundred and eighty taels of silver."

His voice was not loud, but every word was like iron.

There was no longer any of the servile humility of a slave. He also unconsciously changed the "little one" that he used to call himself to "I."

Xie An now had the strength to crush the entire Li Mansion.

Li Shaoyun, as a martial arts scholar, was still some distance away from the Copper Skin Realm and could not withstand a single punch from him.

If the Li family kept its word today, the matter would be over.

If Li Ru continued to make things difficult, Xie An would have no choice but to send him on his way.

Li Ru was obviously very displeased with Xie An's attitude, but looking at the real one hundred and eighty taels of silver on the table, he swallowed the words of rebuke that had reached his lips.

After all, he had promised it himself.

He just didn't expect Xie An to actually raise enough silver. If he went back on his word today, the matter would become a big deal, and the Li family's reputation would be ruined.

Although the Li family was rich, there were also respected village elders in the town. If the Li family lost its credibility with them, it would be difficult to do business in the town in the future.

Although Li Ru was mean and calculating, he also knew what was important. In the end, he suppressed his anger and said coldly, "Old Xie Tou, it's chaotic outside now. There were rumors a while ago that bandits from the Dayin Mountain were coming down the mountain to rob. You're already so old, have you really thought it through?"

Sensing that Li Ru still wanted to control him, Xie An simply stood with his hands behind his back, no longer paying any attention to etiquette, "I have already thought it through."

Even the humble "I" was gone, replaced directly with "I."

Li Ru was so angry that he jumped up and down. He was about to explode when Madam Li stopped him. In the end, Li Ru suppressed his anger and sneered, "Good, good! Old Xie Tou is really promising! Madam, go get the deed of sale, and write a letter of release on my behalf."

Madam Li brought the deed of sale and wrote a letter of release, handing them to Xie An together. She didn't want Xie An to stay here and provoke conflict, so she urged Xie An to leave, "Old Xie Tou, the wind and snow are heavy outside, I'll see you off."

The two had just walked out of the living room.

Bang.

Li Ru slapped the table, shaking the tea cups until they fell over, "Old Xie Tou dares to glare at me, it's simply outrageous!"

He regretted saying less in the first place. He should have asked for a thousand taels... to see how Old Xie Tou could raise it and how he couldn't bow his head.

But he also knew that there was no turning back.

What he didn't know, however, was that if he had really done something out of line just now, the entire Li Mansion would have been gone...

Li Shaoyun, however, was only focused on the silver on the table, "Dad, calm down. He's just an old man, he'll only live a worse life away from the Li Mansion. It's possible that before long, he'll have to beg us to take him in."

Li Ru shouted, "By then, even if he kneels down and begs me, I won't take him in."

...

Xie An walked out of the Li Mansion's gate. Madam Li took out a small five-tael silver ingot and handed it to Xie An, "Old Xie Tou, you're old and have no children. Take this five taels of silver, so you won't have nowhere to go after leaving the Li Mansion. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, let Chunlan tell me at any time."

Xie An wanted to refuse, but thinking that he was penniless at the moment and that Madam Li was genuinely concerned, he accepted the kindness, "Thank you, Madam Li is kind."

Madam Li said, "Old Xie Tou, take care."

Xie An felt the sincerity in Madam Li's words, so he bowed and said, "Madam, take care."

Then, Xie An turned and stepped into the wind and snow.

Madam Li stood under the eaves, watching the old man walk further and further away. Watching him walk with his head held high and his chest out.

No longer the humble and servile old man he once was.