Mrs. Dong thought of her son's words: "… After you have achieved success, you can tell the old lady from the fourth house about this. The second house's ancestor's birthday banquet is full of rich people, and I don't know if anyone will take a fancy to Shao Jin. We must find a way to let Shao Jin know our family's intentions."
Although this is somewhat against etiquette, if Zhou Shaojin became his wife, it would be a good handle to control her.
That's why Mrs. Dong said those things to Zhou Shaojin.
But I never expected that Zhou Shaojin would not accept the challenge.
She sat on the toilet, her chest aching with anger. It took her a while to calm down. Then she thought of Zhou Shaojin who was still waiting for her outside, so she slowly counted the bath beans.
Zhou Shaojin waited and waited until his legs and feet felt sore, but Dong still didn't come out.
She thought for a moment, then waved to the maid on duty outside the hall and said, "Go and bring me a stool."
The little girl ran over and brought her a small stool carved with red lacquer.
You can't just sit here and block other people's way!
Zhou Shaojin looked around and saw that the place where she was standing happened to be facing a clump of banana trees. The broad leaves hung down, like an umbrella propped up on a piece of bluestone. If one didn't pay attention, one would not notice that there was someone sitting under the banana trees.
She couldn't help but smile.
Just sit there - when Mrs. Dong comes out and doesn't see her, she will definitely be unhappy. Then she can stand up and both claim she is right and complain about why Mrs. Dong stayed in the bathroom for so long.
Zhou Shaojin was carrying a small stool and walking towards the banana tree, but out of the corner of his eye he suddenly saw a corner of a skirt with a scarlet beaded hem exposed under the banana tree.
She was like a frightened bird, and took several steps back in fear, and asked sharply, "Who is hiding there?"
The branches and leaves of the banana tree swayed, and a young girl with a pretty bun, wearing a red gold peony butterfly hairpin and a large kingfisher flower walked out.
"Pan Qing..." Zhou Shaojin was stunned, "Why are you hiding here?"
Then didn't Pan Qing hear everything she and Dong said clearly
Pan Qing's face flushed, and he explained anxiously: "I didn't mean it! I came here a long time ago... I wanted to get some fresh air... I didn't expect you and Aunt Bai to stop suddenly... I'm not that kind of person, I won't say anything. Really!"
She spoke incoherently and was so anxious that sweat broke out on her forehead.
Zhou Shaojin believed her words.
There was no need for Pan Qing to spy on herself like this. Once discovered by others, her good reputation would be ruined.
Zhou Shaojin thought carefully about what he had just said to Dong, and it seemed that there was nothing wrong with it. Even if it was embarrassing, it was Dong's shame...
She nodded and said, "So are you going back to the living room or standing here for a while?"
Zhou Shaojin accepted Pan Qing's words so calmly that Pan Qing was speechless. After a long while, he said, "I'll go back to the living room... If I don't go back, my mother will send someone to look for me..."
Zhou Shaojin nodded politely.
Pan Qing's face turned even redder. He lowered his head as he brushed past her and went up the corridor.
Zhou Shaojin spread out a small stool under the banana tree.
Pan Qing, who was walking on the corridor, walked slower and slower, and finally stopped and turned around to look back.
Zhou Shaojin was sitting upright on a small stool, looking relaxed and at ease.
Pan Qing thought of how calm she was without asking for reasons, how she remained expressionless when she persuaded Cheng Ji... She had a rare calmness and composure in her character among girls... And then she thought of her brother's surprise and gaffe when he saw her... She thought for a moment, turned around and walked quickly to Zhou Shaojin's side.
"You, do you trust me so much?" She looked at Zhou Shaojin with burning eyes, "What if I tell my mother?"
Zhou Shaojin was thinking about something until Pan Qing walked in front of her. She was a little surprised. But after hearing what Pan Qing said, she couldn't help but smile and asked her, "Can you do it?"
In her previous life, when Cheng Ji teased her, she didn't go to her elders to complain. She had the arrogance that she could handle her own problems, let alone something like this that had nothing to do with her.
The Pan family is also a famous and prominent family with a large population. I believe she has seen a lot of filth!
Pan Qing choked on his breath and said after a long while: "Of course I won't tell the elders, but you didn't ask anything... Aren't you afraid that you have misjudged someone?"
Zhou Shaojin suddenly found Pan Qing quite interesting. She smiled and said, "Did I misjudge him?"
"You..." Pan Qing once again felt like he didn't know what to say.
"Okay, okay." Zhou Shaojin smiled, "You don't have to be so nervous. This is not a big deal. Even if you tell others, what will happen? Others will only think that Dong has bad intentions and is not a kind person. What does it have to do with me?"
It turns out that they had already planned it out.
Pan Qing's expression changed slightly.
Zhou Shaojin was a person with a delicate and sensitive mind, so how could he not know what she was thinking
She couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, and sighed, "You people, when others trust you, you think they have ulterior motives, and when others don't trust you, you think they look down on you... You are really hard to deal with!"
Pan Qing's face instantly turned red as if blood seemed to drip from it, and he was too ashamed to speak.
Zhou Shaojin has a gentle personality and has lived two lives as a human being. Although he is still young in this life, he feels that he is older than Cheng Ji and Pan Qing. How could he embarrass these young girls
She quickly changed the subject: "Why did you come out alone? Where are the maids and servants serving you?"
Zhou Shaojin's voice was gentle and sounded very sincere.
Pan Qing let out a long sigh, and felt her face getting less hot. She whispered, "Everyone was fine, but then the retired Madam Sun mentioned a nephew from her mother's family..." As she spoke, her face turned red again, "She took my hand and kept asking questions, and my mother couldn't change the subject several times. I couldn't stand her asshole look, so I ran out under the pretext of going to the bathroom, and even forgot to say hello to the maids and servants."
It turned out that Mrs. Sun wanted to marry Pan Qing but Pan Qing refused!
Zhou Shaojin didn't expect Pan Qing to say this to her. After being surprised, she felt a little understanding.
This is just like her and Cheng Lu. Although everyone knows what Dong means, but she doesn't point it out or say it clearly. There are always some variables, and it's not good to publicize it like this.
She showed sympathy to Pan Qingsheng and said, "Since my aunt doesn't agree, I guess this thing won't work."
If I remember correctly, Pan Qing seemed to have married a family with the surname Yu.
Zhou Shaojin comforted Pan Qing: "Don't worry, your aunt must have her own plans for your marriage."
After hearing this, Pan Qing actually lowered her head shyly.
Could it be that... there is some inside story about Pan Qing and the Yu family's marriage
Why hadn’t she heard of it in her previous life
Zhou Shaojin opened his eyes wide, feeling that he was like a blind man in his previous life, so he should speak less in this life!
She said awkwardly, "You should go back soon! Didn't you say that if you were out for too long, your aunt would send someone to look for you?"
As she was talking, Dong came out of the bathroom. Looking up, she saw Zhou Shaojin standing and talking to Pan Qing calmly. They looked quite intimate. She couldn't help but look slightly gloomy.
Could it be that Pan Qing came just as he left, and the two of them kept talking, and Zhou Shaojin didn't even wait for her anxiously
"Miss Pan!" Mrs. Dong pushed Zhou Shaojin aside and greeted Pan Qing with a smile.
Pan Qing was very cold to her. She called her "Aunt Bai" as a greeting, and then said to Zhou Shaojin with a smile: "Then I will go back first! After the birthday banquet is over, I will go to Wanxiangju to visit you and Sister Chujin."
She heard every conversation between Mrs. Dong and Zhou Shaojin clearly. Several times, she almost rushed out and wanted to hold Zhou Shaojin's hand to stop her from listening to Mrs. Dong's nonsense. Fortunately, Zhou Shaojin saw through Mrs. Dong's conspiracy... A despicable and shameless person like Mrs. Dong is not worth associating with at all.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and saw her off.
Mrs. Dong was full of suspicion: "Why is she here?"
Zhou Shaojin didn't want to talk to her any more, and said calmly, "We just happened to meet."
The two of them returned to the room one after the other.
All the dishes were served. Mrs. Yu Yang said, "Why did you come back just now? The dishes are cold." Then she pointed to a bowl of crucian carp soup on the table and said, "The crucian carp is newly released. It's very fresh. Have some!"
Mrs. Dong responded randomly, but Zhou Shaojin sat down calmly and ate quietly without communicating with Mrs. Dong the whole time.
Mrs. Yu's eyes rolled around, sometimes looking at Mrs. Dong, sometimes looking at Zhou Shaojin.
After a while, the mother in charge came in and asked everyone to move to the Peony Terrace for tea, and said, "The show will start in half an hour."
Everyone stood up and walked towards the Peony Terrace with laughter.
Mudan Terrace is a small two-story building with a stream running in front of it. There are koi in the stream and some duckweed floating sparsely on the surface of the stream. Opposite the building is a terrace paved with bluestone.
The stage is set up on the terrace.
They watched the show on the second floor.
The guests in the open hall had already arrived and were sitting on the veranda on the second floor hung with a beaded curtain. The guests in the side rooms were either sitting on the veranda on the first floor or crowded into the side rooms on the second floor.
In her previous life, Dong asked Zhou Shaojin to accompany her, and Zhou Shaojin sat with Dong under the veranda on the first floor. Once, someone threw a bag of melon seeds at her under the theater, causing everyone to look at her, which made Dong very unhappy.
In this life, she doesn't want to do such shameless things again.
Zhou Shaojin went to the second floor.
As soon as her sister saw her, she waved at her and motioned her to come over.
Several old ladies smiled and turned around to look at her kindly.
Zhou Shaojin was in a good mood, and smiled as he walked over quickly to take his sister's arm. But before the two sisters could say anything, they heard the sound of "dong dong dong" in the stairwell.
Cheng Xu ran up.
"Grandma, Grandma," he called out in a high and urgent voice, looking straight at Old Madam Guo as if he had no eyes, "Have you seen the second cousin of the Zhou family? I have something urgent to discuss with her!"
Everyone in the room suddenly looked up and their eyes all fell on Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin wished there was a crack in the ground he could crawl into at this moment.
Why does Cheng Xu always do things that embarrass himself
She hid behind Zhou Chujin.
Madam Guo's face also sank, and she angrily scolded Cheng Xu: "How old are you? Why are you still so reckless? How can you reassure the teachers and commanders? Hurry up and get down! Is this the place where you can yell and make noises?"
※
Sisters, today's update... O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)