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

The night was deep, and the dew was heavy, with a biting chill in the air.

It caused the candlelight in the room to flicker incessantly, making faint "sizzling" sounds.

Han Li and He Chunli stared wide-eyed at Xie An, awaiting his instructions.

Xie An sat in his seat, carefully examining his two disciples.

Speaking from the heart, Han Li was lively, quick-witted, and more suited for business. While He Chunli was honest and not good with words, his skills were more solid, and he was more steadfast and reliable.

Having Han Li as the appraiser master would benefit the pawnshop's business.

With that in mind, Xie An no longer hesitated: "Han Li, you are quick-witted and good with words, a good seed for doing business."

Upon hearing this, Han Li's heart leaped with joy.

Immediately afterward, Xie An's next words poured cold water on him.

"He Chunli may be a bit dull, but his skills are solid, he doesn't aim too high, and he works diligently. It's more prudent to have He Chunli as the appraiser master. After all, you are both servants, and the success of the business is not the most important thing for you. Ensuring that the pawnshop's business doesn't go wrong is the foundation of your survival. If the business has a mishap, it won't matter how much silver you earn for the Li family; they will still punish you as they see fit."

A deep disappointment was evident in Han Li's eyes, and he seemed like a deflated ball.

He Chunli's eyes, however, sparkled with joy and surprise. He looked at the disappointed Han Li beside him, wanting to decline. After all, he had always felt that Han Li was more suitable to be the appraiser master. He even considered it a certainty.

He hadn't expected his master to let him be the appraiser master.

But—

An appraiser apprentice's annual income was only six or seven taels. While an appraiser master's income started at least at ten taels, a doubled income.

Although He Chunli was dull, he wasn't stupid. He knew that this might be the only chance he had to get ahead in his life. He didn't want to miss it.

He could only let Han Li be disappointed.

Thinking of this, He Chunli gritted his teeth and cupped his fist in salute, "Disciple will do his best for the pawnshop, try not to make mistakes, and live up to Master's expectations."

Han Li also gritted his teeth, suppressing his disappointment and unwillingness: "I will defer to Master's decision."

Xie An nodded slightly, "That's good. I hope you will help each other in the future. I will be moving out tomorrow."

Xie An was now a deacon of the Tiger Wolf Gate. If he developed well in the future, he would naturally have the ability to help his two disciples redeem themselves. It would just be a matter of a word.

But Xie An didn't say this. On the one hand, Xie An hadn't even taken office at the Tiger Wolf Gate yet, and his future was uncertain, so it was not good to promise anything.

On the other hand, Xie An also felt that everyone had their own destiny.

If the two disciples maintained their original intentions in the future and still respected and were filial to him, then he would help them if he had the ability.

If they changed their hearts later, then there would be no need to help them.

...

During dinner, He Chunli was still as attentive as before. He stuck out his butt to pour tea for Xie An, serve rice, pick up dishes, and so on. Han Li, on the other hand, looked dim and only focused on eating his rice with his head down.

Xie An saw everything and knew that Han Li had already developed a grudge against him.

Xie An didn't point it out.

This kind of thing needed Han Li to weigh and adjust himself.

After all, he had brought him for more than ten years, from a child to the young man he was today. He had also taught him the skill of appraising objects. This kindness alone was far greater than anything else.

If he knew what was important, he could figure it out himself.

If he developed hatred towards himself because of this, Xie An would only be disappointed and helpless.

After all, Xie An now possessed enough strength and didn't need to rely on them two to support him in his old age. If it were a few months ago, Xie An would still need to rely on these two disciples to support him, and he would really have to carefully allocate these two disciples.

After nightfall, He Chunli went to bed early and slept soundly.

Xie An went to the adjacent utility room to practice fetal breathing exercises. Through the half-open window, he saw Han Li sitting alone on the steps outside the door, propping his chin with his hands, staring blankly at the sky, lost in thought.

Through a window, Xie An could feel the disciple's helplessness, unwillingness, and disappointment.

Xie An didn't go to comfort him.

The next morning.

The eighth day of the Lunar New Year was the day when shops opened their doors to welcome customers. Red lanterns were hung on the shop fronts on both sides of the street, and couplets were pasted, hoping for a prosperous and smooth business in the coming year.

Chen Yuan came to the pawnshop's backyard early in the morning and found Xie An.

"Congratulations, Old Xie. You've redeemed yourself and become a free man, turning over to be your own master."

The voice wasn't loud, but Xie An could tell that Chen Yuan was genuinely happy for him. He exchanged a few pleasantries and said, "Old Chen, I'm also planning to resign from the position of appraiser master."

Chen Yuan wasn't surprised at all, "I know. It's said that you even had a disagreement with the master. And after redeeming yourself, you're a free man, and the income of an appraiser master isn't the same. It's just that after you leave... who do you plan to have take over the pawnshop's appraiser master position?"

At the end, Chen Yuan took the initiative to lower his voice, and his eyes glanced at Han Li and He Chunli, who were working in the pawnshop.

Xie An weighed his words.

Although he was the appraiser master and could recommend the next appraiser, Chen Yuan was, after all, the manager. He couldn't say things too firmly, lest it cause Chen Yuan's dissatisfaction. Even if He Chunli became the appraiser master, it would be difficult to avoid conflicts with Chen Yuan.

Since he planned to have He Chunli replace him, he would help him to the end.

With this in mind, Xie An asked, "Having experienced Zhang Bing's matter, I'm still worried. Old Chen, who do you think would be good for me to take over?"

Without the first half of the sentence, it would be an ordinary question.

But with the first half of the sentence, it was meaningful.

Chen Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "You've really reminded me. Han Li, like Zhang Bing, is quick-witted, good with words, and knows how to observe people's expressions. But such people are prone to straying. On the contrary, He Chunli... I think he's honest and hardworking. If he takes charge, the pawnshop won't easily have problems."

After hearing Chen Yuan's statement, Xie An was relieved and said, "Old Chen has foresight. That's what I think too. But Han Li's heart isn't bad, and he's different from Zhang Bing. Please cultivate him more in the future."

Chen Yuan readily agreed, "Did you communicate with them in advance?"

Xie An didn't hide it and told the truth.

Chen Yuan glared at Xie An and laughed, "You sly old Xie, you clearly had a plan and came to test my intentions. You're really a thief."

Xie An smiled in relief, "You're the manager. I have to listen to you."

Chen Yuan didn't mind and laughed heartily, "Okay, then it's settled. I'll go tell the master. The pawnshop is opening today, and I have things to do, so I'll leave first. In a couple of days, I'll invite you to Feiyun Tower for a table to celebrate Old Xie's redemption."

Pawnshops are a technical job, and although the Li family master cared a lot, he also knew that technical jobs had to be done by technical workers. He wouldn't interfere too much in the choice of appraiser master. At worst, if the pawnshop's business wasn't good, he would just change the manager.

After seeing Chen Yuan off, Xie An simply packed his luggage. He didn't tell his two disciples and left directly through the back door, heading to the Blood Ridge Black Market to take office.

He was previously just a servant, with no connections or relationships. No one came to see him off, and he left alone with his luggage.

On the same day, there was another person who went to the Blood Ridge Black Market to register and take office as the deputy deacon.

The Li family's eldest young master, Li Shaoyun.