After hearing Cheng Zheng tell such a secret history, not only Zhou Shaojin, but also Cheng Lu was stunned for a long time.
Cheng Zheng said apologetically, "Prime Minister, you might as well discuss this with your cousin from the second branch. Their first branch has always been close to the second branch. With his help, even if Uncle Chi's anger cannot be completely eliminated, at least your future will be secure. The assessment will begin after the provincial examination, and time waits for no one."
Cheng Lu hesitated and said, "Brother Zheng and I have never had any contact, and Uncle Chi is involved... I'm afraid Brother Zheng won't help me?"
Cheng Zheng said: "If you want me to help you, then he will not help you. Both families have been guarding against me!"
Cheng Lu asked, "What does Brother Yi Baoming mean?"
Cheng Zheng thought for a moment and said, "I'll give you an idea. Whether it succeeds or not depends on your luck!"
Cheng Lu thanked him repeatedly.
Cheng Zheng lowered his voice until it gradually became inaudible.
Zhou Shaojin was extremely anxious, but there was nothing he could do and he dared not move a step.
After a while, she heard Cheng Lu excitedly say to Cheng Zheng: "Thank you, Brother Baoming! I will treat you to tea after I finish this matter!"
Cheng Zheng laughed and said, "You and I are brothers, there is no need to be so polite. You should explain yourself to Yuelu Academy. Yuelu Academy is known as one of the four major academies. If they have a bad impression of you, it will be a hindrance to you even if you enter the official career in the future."
It was the first time for both Cheng Lu and Zhou Shaojin to hear such a statement.
After a moment of silence, Zhou Shaojin heard Cheng Lu say bitterly: "No wonder someone wanted to send me to Yuelu Academy to study! So this is their plan."
Cheng Zheng said sincerely, "Since Uncle Bai passed away, there are some things you don't know. Most of the scholars from Huguang came from Yuelu Academy, and scholars from Jiangxi cannot work in the Ministry of Revenue. If you just want to be a seventh-rank county magistrate, it's fine. But if you want to be a frontier official, which of the annual taxes, river works, and military pay must not be dealt with by the Ministry of Revenue? They won't deduct you or make things difficult for you. They just follow the rules and drag you along. That's enough to make you suffer."
Cheng Lu said nothing.
The sound of breaking branches and rustling clothes could be heard gradually fading away in the woods.
Zhou Shaojin knew that they had left, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He waited until the voice had disappeared for a long time, looked around, and didn't see any people. Then he tiptoed out from behind the big locust tree.
Chunwan looked pale.
Zhou Shaojin felt a little sympathetic towards her.
Anyone who hears such words would be scared to death, let alone Chunwan is just a maid!
She comforted Chun Wan: "Don't be afraid. I'll take care of everything! But you have to keep the words to yourself and let them rot in your heart, otherwise even the gods can't save you."
Chunwan kept nodding.
The two of them were in heavy moods and returned to Hanbi Mountain Villa in silence.
Zhou Shaojin didn't want to make Mrs. Guo worry, so he cheered up and showed her the pattern he had designed for Cheng Ji.
Old Madam Guo particularly liked the design of the indigo-colored undergarment with a pink-colored Four Seasons Ruyi pattern that she had designed, and said with a smile, "Make one for yourself, too. It would be nice for a young girl to wear something so colorful."
Zhou Shaojin's face flushed. He returned to Fucui Pavilion, but he couldn't help taking off his clothes and picking up the material to compare it with his body.
The delicate and fair skin is as pure and beautiful as the first snow against the soft indigo plain Hangzhou silk.
Her face turned even redder, she bit her lip, put on her clothes, called Chunwan in, and asked her to put away the indigo plain Hangzhou silk: "I have another use for it."
Chun Wan did not suspect anything, and smiled as she put the material into the box, saying, "What material is the second cousin going to use to embroider the undergarment with the Four Seasons Ruyi pattern?"
"Use lake green!" Zhou Shaojin said, "Embroidering a goose yellow pattern will also look good."
Chunwan smiled and nodded without thinking much about it.
Xiao Tan ran in with a big smile on her face, panting, "Second cousin, the fourth master is back!"
"Really?" Zhou Shaojin dropped the paintbrush in his hand and ran out.
Cheng Chi had just entered Hanbi Mountain House, exhausted, when he saw Zhou Shaojin, who was wearing a peach-colored boa with green rims, standing gracefully under the veranda of the flower hall, craning her neck to look at him. When she saw him, her eyes lit up and she ran over.
Like a young swallow flying into the forest.
Cheng Chi couldn't help but smile, as warm as the spring breeze.
Zhou Shaojin stood in front of him with a slightly heavy breath, his eyes as bright as the summer sun, looking at him with burning eyes: "Uncle Chi, when did you come back?"
Cheng Chi smiled gently and said softly, "I just got back! I didn't even have time to wash up when you caught me at the door."
He teased her.
Zhou Shaojin's face suddenly felt hot, then turned pale and lowered his head.
How could she think about Uncle Chi all night long
Just think about it, it’s disrespectful to Uncle Chi!
She quickly collected her thoughts and said with a smile, "Uncle Chi, go back to your room and wash up! The old lady must be waiting anxiously."
But that smile seemed a little forced.
Cheng Chi couldn't help but feel a little strange.
This little girl's mood is like the weather in June. How come she was fine just now, so why did she feel uncomfortable in the blink of an eye
The family has been peaceful and harmonious these days, and she has been happy and has not suffered any grievances at all... Could it be because of Cheng Ji's matter
But wasn’t Cheng Ji’s problem solved smoothly
Cheng Chi smiled thoughtfully and said, "Do you have something to tell me?"
Zhou Shaojin's heart seemed to skip a beat.
Could it be that Uncle Chi saw something
She felt guilty for a moment and began to stutter: "I, I don't have anything to say to Uncle Chi..."
Cheng Chi reminded her: "Cheng Ji should be getting married soon, right?"
So this is what Uncle Chi was referring to!
Zhou Shaojin secretly sighed and said with a smile: "I thought Uncle Chi didn't know?"
Cheng Chi smiled slightly.
She was a person who couldn't keep secrets, at least in front of him.
Maybe I want to wait until he has packed up and then find an opportunity to talk to him about this matter properly
Cheng Chi said, "Wait for me to greet the old lady, and then we can have dinner together!"
Zhou Shaojin's heart started beating again, and he said excitedly, "Then I'll go help Biyu and the others prepare dinner."
Cheng Chi nodded.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but watch him leave.
Cheng Chi felt as if a pair of gentle gazes were glued tightly to his back.
His heart sank.
He thought over and over again about his behavior just now, and after making sure that he had not done anything inappropriate, he breathed a sigh of relief.
This little girl, does she know what she is doing
Cheng Chi smiled bitterly and went back to Tingli Pavilion to wash up.
Huaishan brought in the gifts he brought back and placed them on the bedside table of the Luohan bed.
Cheng Chi's eyes fell on the small box wrapped in purple gold silk.
This is the gift he brought to Zhou Shaojin.
Thinking of Zhou Shaojin's look just now, he hesitated for a long time, which was rare, and put the box in the partition of the treasure cabinet in the study, and then went to the upper room.
There was great joy in the upper room. The mother was standing in the hall with a smile on her face, watching Zhou Shaojin instructing Biyu and the others to set the table.
Cheng Chi was a little surprised.
He had been out and about most of the time in recent years. Even when he was at home, he either stayed at Zaoyuan or had his meals at Congguiyuan on the hill. When he came over occasionally, his mother would act as if he had just had breakfast at Hanbi Shanfang and was coming for dinner. Although she was happy, she was also indifferent and just did what she had to do. She had never been as emotional and enthusiastic as she was now.
Cheng Chi looked towards Zhou Shaojin.
I saw her chattering and instructing Biyu: "It's so hot, Uncle Chi must have worked hard to come back all the way. First serve the assorted fruits and vegetables, then the cold dishes. They will whet your appetite and relieve the heat. Although the chilled green bean paste and lotus seed soup are good, they are cold foods after all, and we are afraid that the alternation of cold and heat will upset our stomachs. The people in the kitchen should also be told that if they hear people from the Oriole Pavilion asking for chilled food, they should talk to them and wait until tomorrow..."
Jade nodded repeatedly.
Mrs. Guo had already seen Cheng Chi and greeted her son with a smile: "You are here!"
Cheng Chi hurried forward and saluted.
Zhou Shaojin's face turned slightly red.
I wonder if Uncle Chi heard what she said just now
If she heard it, she wouldn't think she was meddling in other people's business, right
In her previous life, she was weak and couldn’t be touched by anything. She developed a lot of taboos and couldn’t help but use them on Uncle Chi…
She quietly looked at Cheng Chi's expression.
Seeing Cheng Chi calmly bowing to Madam Guo, Zhou Shaojin finally felt relieved.
Cheng Chi was quite distressed.
The little girl took such good care of him that he should thank her.
But he was afraid that if he continued to care about her like this, she would be ignorant and her feelings towards him would be exposed and known to everyone.
He is not afraid of anything.
I’m afraid someone will wake the little girl up and embarrass her.
Cheng Chi decided to pretend he didn't see it, and helped Madam Guo sit at the table, smiling, "How are you these days? I heard that Cheng Ji and Li Jing are engaged, and the Li family is probably going to enter the officialdom because of this marriage. I just don't know what the ancestor of the second branch will do when the children of the Li family want to study at the Cheng clan school?"
If a scholar emerges from the Li family, the third branch will have support and the current balance will be broken.
Mrs. Guo said nothing and glanced at Biyu.
Biyu and others retreated tactfully.
Zhou Shaojin was originally going to leave, but thinking about who would help serve the dishes if he left, he stayed, but half of his attention was on Cheng Chi and Madam Guo, and the other half was on the maid serving the dishes outside the door.
Madam Guo had obviously thought about this question, and said in a deep voice: "Let's not talk about whether the Li family will come to our house to study. Even if they do, it will be at least ten years later, after Jia Yatou gave birth to a son, when the Li family feels that the relationship with the Cheng family is close enough. We can't suppress others just because that person may be successful, right? Things in the world are always better to block than to open! If Jiashan doesn't even have this kind of mind and ability, how can he be the eldest son of Jiuru Lane. You let Li Jing marry Jia Yatou, don't you think the same way?"
Zhou Shaojin took the bowl of cherry pulp brought by the maid, placed it on the table, and listened.
Cheng Chi's clear laughter came to my ears, and he said, "I haven't thought so much about it. I just think it's rare that Li Jing values Cheng Ji so much. If Cheng Ji marries him, she will be much better than others. As for whether she can help or not, if the family still relies on these women and children to accomplish things, then the Cheng family will soon fall apart."
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Sisters and brothers, today’s extra update.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: The update is scheduled at 12 o'clock in the evening, which is safer...
※(To be continued)