"... Hehe... So Zhang Dongming didn't know about it?"
The sun shines through the gaps between the trees. Birds hop back and forth on the swaying branches. Through the open window of the house below, an old man and a young boy sit opposite each other at a desk, enjoying tea and cakes as they turn the pages of a book with the scent of ink.
Lu Liangsheng put down his teacup with a smile. As soon as it was dawn, the old man invited him over and asked him about what happened last night.
"He doesn't lie. He probably doesn't know."
"Hmph, you are a businessman. I agreed to this marriage because I thought Rong'er and his son were in love with each other. What is the result?"
Zhou Zhen slammed the table, causing some of the tea to spill out. Even though he knew the matter was over, when he spoke of the suffering his daughter had endured, he wished he could run to Zhang's house and spit in shame.
"... You couldn't stand the temptation of a vixen and did something shameful like this. I will have someone cancel this marriage tomorrow."
After saying this, he raised his hands and thanked the scholar opposite him.
The servants and stewards on the corridor outside the door were waiting respectfully, not daring to look any longer.
Inside the room, Lu Liangsheng also accepted the gift. After all, he was not the only one who had contributed, so he just accepted it on behalf of Sun Yingxian.
Then he stood up and bowed.
"Mr. Zhou, there are still wounded people in the side yard who need to be taken care of. I will go back first."
"That's fine, but you also need to review your lessons more."
Zhou Zhen did not try to persuade him to stay. He already knew basically everything he needed to know, so he just walked him to the door of the study.
"At five o'clock in the morning, I ordered someone to boil ginseng soup. I think it's almost time. I'll have someone send it to Liangsheng and the young Taoist priest later."
"Liang Sheng thanks Mr. Zhou on behalf of Sun Yingxian."
The manners were perfect and impeccable. Lu Liangsheng bowed, left the corridor and quickly returned to the side yard. Now that the matter had been resolved, the rest of the matters between the Zhou and Zhang families had nothing to do with him.
Sun Yingxian returned to the side yard with a relaxed mood and lay lazily on a recliner basking in the sun, with a pair of crutches beside him for movement.
Lu Liangsheng set up the easel, flipped through a few pages of the "Illustrated Records of Mountains and Seas", found a picture of a ferocious beast and put it aside, then took the inkstone and sat on a stool to grind the ink, then tilted his head to look under the eaves.
"By the way, where is my master?"
The Taoist opened his eyes and turned sideways lazily.
"I don't know. I haven't seen him out since this morning. Who knows what he's doing?" He slightly opened his eyes, glanced at the scholar over there, and groaned, "Ouch... my hand... ouch... my foot hurts too. He was so kind to help... but he didn't even bother to look at me..."
Smearing blue ink, Lu Liangsheng slowly traced the paper with the tip of his pen, listened to the Taoist's groan under the eaves, sketched a smile, and continued to paint.
"I applied the medicine and bandaged you. I will go to the street to refit your clothes someday. How come I don't care about you?"
Sun Yingxian chuckled twice, then turned around and looked at the scholar behind the easel: "I don't have many relatives, so feel the warmth more."
Speaking of this, I suddenly remembered the story of that Taoist.
"By the way, was that guy handed over to the government just like that?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lu Liangsheng turned his head slightly and smiled, "Captain Zuo has already set up an ambush. If he doesn't hand over the person, do you think he will let me attack the government? Not only will I fail the exam, but I will also have to implicate Lujia Village, Magistrate Min, and my mentor... But Zuo Zhengyang is also a good person to talk to. The previous incident..."
As they were talking, two maids came in from the side courtyard door carrying trays.
"Mr. Lu, Taoist Sun, this is the ginseng soup that the master asked the kitchen to make for you two to nourish your bodies."
Without waiting for the maid to put down the bowl of soup, Sun Yingxian stood up with the help of her crutches, limped over to catch the bowl, took a sip, and squinted her eyes to enjoy the aftertaste of the soup.
"This rich family... One word: awesome!"
As he spoke, he winked at the maid, causing the two maids to hurriedly put away the trays, apologize to the scholar, and flee away.
"No taste... Just like those two fox demons, vulgar and mediocre!"
Lu Liangsheng smiled and drew a long line on the paper with blue ink, dotted with green rocks, flowers and grass in the distance, "How can others not run away when you are so abrupt?"
The Taoist curled his lips and walked back with the ginseng soup.
"… My master once told me that to win a woman’s heart, you have to be direct. You don’t understand."
Halfway through the walk, he suddenly quickened his pace and ran towards the end along the eaves. Lu Liangsheng turned his head to look at the limping figure.
"What are you doing?"
"Pee!" Sun Yingxian yelled from the other side.
Lu Liangsheng shook his head and turned back to continue painting. A breeze blew, and the sunlight filtered through the gaps between the branches, casting a dappled shadow on the scholar's robe, which swayed gently.
Inside the house, a short figure was laughing. In the toad's eyes, the green pill spit out from the gourd's mouth was caught in the webbed feet, and a faint fragrance was emanating from it.
"Hehe... I finally don't have to suffer injustice everywhere..."
He threw away the gourd, held the pill in his webbed hands, and slowly walked outside to look at the scholar painting in the yard.
There was a conflicted look in Toad Taoist's eyes as he tightly grasped the green pill.
Good life...
If it were given to him, he would be able to reach the foundation building stage in one go...
… No, no, my cultivation is more important.
A tangled thought flashed through his mind, and he held the pill in his hand and prepared to find a secluded place to concentrate on absorbing it. This process could not be interrupted by anyone or anything...
He quietly lifted his flippers, stepped over the threshold and slipped out.
…
On the other side of the eaves, the Taoist priest, who had only walked more than ten steps, turned back with his crutches.
"Damn it, why are you carrying ginseng soup into the toilet? Old Lu, please help me untie my belt!"
He limped forward with his cane raised, and stepped out of the door with his short legs. The Toad Taoist holding the elixir turned his head, his eyes suddenly widened, and he couldn't help but cursed: "That motherfucker—"
The end of the stick was swung upwards, hitting his flippers and chin with a bang. His hand felt lighter, and something broke away and flew out.
No…
The Toad Taoist bumped into the door sill and watched the green color rush out of the eaves, cast an arc far away, and fall into the yard.
Gulp...
The ginseng soup placed on the low table made a slight sound and splashed a few drops of soup. The next second, a hand reached out, picked up the bowl, put it to his mouth and drank the little ginseng soup that was left.
"Hmm... Why does it taste weird..."
Lu Liangsheng smacked his lips and looked at the bottom of the bowl. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the toad slumped on the ground over there. He quickly put down the bowl, stood up, and called out respectfully.
"Master."
Under the eaves, the Toad Taoist had a dull look in his eyes and his lips trembled constantly. He could hear Sun Yingxian's voice in his ears: "Old Toad, your apprentice is calling you." He turned a deaf ear to it.
He slowly got up and staggered outside.
Lu Liangsheng and the Taoist exchanged a glance and quickly shouted, "Master, what's wrong with you?"
"Old man... it's okay..."
The distraught little figure raised his flippers and shook them, "I just want to go out for a walk... just a walk..."
The morning sun became bright and brilliant, and the cicada's chirping gradually became annoying. The servants who came and went in the courtyard did not notice that between the flowerbed and the rockery, a toad was pulling the flowers and plants in anger, and its two eyes were full of eerie air.
"I am so angry, how could such a thing happen..."
He grappled with gritted teeth, looked in the direction of the side yard, threw the grass stems in his hand to the ground, and stepped on them.
"This is outrageous... No... If this continues, when will I be able to recover my cultivation? I must separate from my disciple..."
His eyes turned to the front yard again. He didn't want the gourd anymore for the time being, so he turned around and ran to a place with few people, and sneaked out of the yard, panting, around the corner.
I looked back at the towering gate of Zhou Mansion.
"I will come back when I regain my human form!!"
However, the moment he turned back, he saw a pair of horse hooves falling down, hitting the Toad Taoist's mouth and nose with a bang, and he stood still on the ground. He looked up, and saw a man in the robes of a constable who was looking down.
Look him in the eye.
Next second.
The Toad Taoist quickly lay down, curled up into a ball, and puffed up his cheeks.
"Quack..."
Um
Zuo Zhengyang dismounted from his horse and picked up the toad.
"It looks like it belongs to Liang Sheng. How did he get out? Go in and give it back to him..."