The old man asked casually, and De’an answered just as casually, "Of course there are ways. Adopt a son from the clan, take in a few sworn sons, or find a few good sons-in-law."

Chu Xun said, "An adopted son would have to come from the clan and would likely be an adult already. He’d have his own memories, and he wouldn’t share the same parents as the biological son. How can you guarantee he won’t burn the bridge after crossing it? The same goes for sworn sons. People’s hearts are fickle. Over time, with no one to hold them in check, there’s no telling if they might develop ulterior motives."

As for sons-in-law, marrying his daughters into good families would be fine. But if he were to bring a son-in-law into his own home, how would that be any different from the first two options? It could very well be a disastrous move, like letting a wolf in the door.

Huang Chen agreed, adding, "All three methods are flawed. The risk of future trouble is too great."

De’an countered, "How are they flawed? I think they’re perfectly fine. Let’s set aside the first two and just talk about the last one. With Mr. Sheng’s capabilities, it shouldn’t be hard to find a few good families to ally with through marriage. If these in-laws are also people of upstanding character who champion justice, that would add another layer of security for the widow and orphans."

Each of the three made a valid point, and for a moment, they were at a stalemate.

The old man sipped his tea unhurriedly, his gaze shifting to the aloof young man who had remained silent. "And what do you think?"

Zhao Jing set down his teacup. His gaze was profound as he looked at the old man and said in a measured tone, "In my opinion, there are five methods." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The old man’s interest was clearly piqued, and he angled his body toward him.

"Pray, elaborate."

"First, arrange marriages with powerful and influential families, securing worthy sons-in-law."

"And the second?"

"Second, entrust the care of his son to a close and trusted friend."

Before the old man could ask again, Zhao Jing continued, "Third, arrange a childhood betrothal with a family powerful enough to offer protection. Fourth, select a good mentor. And fifth, the so-called ’devouring of the heirless’ only occurs because when the master of the house dies, his property has no clear owner. He can prevent this by planning ahead and officially assigning his assets to his wife, daughters, and young son."

When Zhao Jing finished, the old man’s expression remained placid, betraying no emotion. The middle-aged, loyal servant behind him, however, was visibly excited.

’Clearly, Zhao Jing’s strategies had covered all the bases. This would place multiple safeguards on the young master. He wouldn’t even need to use all of them. Just picking three or four would be enough to guarantee the young master grows up safely and inherits the family estate.’

The loyal servant’s lips trembled. He wanted to say, ’Good. Excellent.’

But his reason prevailed, and at the last moment, he swallowed the words.

But it was clear he couldn’t compose himself so quickly. He was so incredibly excited that he overstepped his master and called out to the waiter, "Bring a pot of the new Pre-Qingming Longjing Tea! And some more pastries—goose-fat rolls and donkey rolls. An extra helping of those two."

The waiter gave a resounding "Right away!" and cheerfully went to fetch the items.

Silence fell over the table.

Chu Xun and Huang Chen stared at Zhao Jing in utter amazement, as if they were meeting him for the first time.

They knew Zhao Jing was uncommonly intelligent and quick-witted, something they’d glimpsed from his essays for the county examination. But at this moment, they felt as if they were seeing the vast mass of an iceberg hidden beneath the water—a mysterious depth they could never hope to fully comprehend, even if they dedicated their entire lives to it.

A mixture of awe, amazement, defeat, and envy showed on their faces.

Chen De’an’s reaction was much simpler. He couldn’t even be bothered to open his mouth, merely letting out a soft snort through his nose, as if to say, ’See? I knew it. The moment Jing opens his mouth, the rest of us get ground into the dirt, completely and utterly crushed.’

’There was really no point in feeling dejected. After all, you get used to it after taking a few beatings.’

The goose-fat rolls and donkey rolls arrived, along with two other fashionable pastries: apricot blossom crisps, made with seasonal apricot blossoms, and cloud-flake cakes, which carried the auspicious meaning of "rising step by step."

Though the food had arrived, only De’an was in the mood to eat. The others were either silent and lost in thought or continued to sip their tea without tasting it.

As Noon approached, the old man snapped out of his reverie. With a relaxed smile, he invited everyone to a banquet at the tavern next door.

Chu Xun rose and replied, "We are already indebted to you for your kindness and dare not impose further. If fate brings us together again, we young men will host a banquet for you, sir, to return the favor."

The old man did not insist. After another moment of pleasantries, he left with his loyal servant.

Into the complete silence, De’an suddenly spoke. "Uh, I saw his boots. They were official-issue."

Huang Chen froze, his eyes wide. Then, as if a thought had struck him, his lips trembled as he spoke. "Around sixty years old... an extraordinary bearing... wearing official boots, and with hidden guards in the shadows. This man... this man must be..."