Сhеng Lu рatiently listеnеd to his mothеr's lengthy сhаttеr, аgrееd to havе a maid bring over a bowl оf lоtus seеd souр, аnd оnlу then sаw his mоthеr оff.
Аlonе under the verаndа, he stоod quietly, gаzing at the рomegrаnаtе trее in thе сourtyаrd—рlantеd bу his fаther уeаrs аgo, now lush аnd flоurishing—and lеt out a seriеs of cold snееrs.
Whаt nonsеnse about him роssiblу misspеаking withоut thinking, whаt nоnsеnse аbоut somеonе with ulterior mоtives sрrеаding rumors—in truth, thеу hаd аlready dеcided in their hearts thаt he was the оne who sаid it, evеn thrеatеning him that if these words reached his mentor’s ears, it would harm him… Yet his mother hadn’t uttered a single word in his defense and had handed over the entire matter to Madam Yuan for handling… How utterly foolish… It was almost beyond description… Never using her head… How could he have a mother like this!
He thought of Madam Yuan.
Graceful and elegant in appearance, poised and generous in demeanor, adept at socializing, skilled in maneuvering… Compared to her, Cheng Xu was merely better at being born into the right family…
His expression suddenly turned gloomy.
Zhao Dahai, dressed in a short blue cloth jacket with a black cloth belt tied around his waist, walked in.
He was in his twenties, not tall but sturdy, with a square face and purplish-red skin, looking like a man from the fields—honest and simple.
"Young Master!" He respectfully bowed to Cheng Lu.
Cheng Lu gave a slight nod and said in a low voice, "Let’s talk in the study."
Zhao Dahai silently followed Cheng Lu into the study.
Cheng Lu pointed to the armchair opposite him and said, "You must be tired from the journey. Have a seat!"
Zhao Dahai thanked him but dared not sit. He took the tea offered by a maid and drank it all in one gulp, waiting until the maid withdrew before speaking softly, "I’ve found out everything you asked me to investigate. Master Xu has been sent by Madam Yuan to Hangzhou Prefecture, supposedly to pay respects to his mentor for a birthday celebration. Master Shi, aside from attending a poetry gathering with his classmates, has spent the rest of his time at the flower market. According to the flower market clerks, Master Shi seems to be planning to host a chrysanthemum appreciation gathering at home and is scouring the streets for rare chrysanthemum varieties.
"Master Zheng, on the other hand, has visited the Guangdong Guild Hall several times, dined twice with the second master of the Thirteen Hongs of Guangdong, and attended a drinking party with courtesans. According to the servants who attended them, it seems the third branch wants to collaborate with the Thirteen Hongs on maritime trade. However, I haven’t been able to confirm whether a deal was ultimately struck. I plan to visit the third branch’s medicine shops in a few days. If Master Zheng intends to do business with the Thirteen Hongs, the minimum investment per share would be fifty thousand taels of silver. That’s no small sum, so I suspect the funds will come from the medicine shops. By keeping an eye on a few of them, we can find out whether Master Zheng’s business venture has succeeded.
"Master Gao and Master Yi have hardly stepped out since the fire last time, except to buy books at the bookstore or purchase writing materials at Wende Pavilion.
"Master Nuo remains the same as before, often encouraged by Master Ju to gamble at the brothels near the Qinhuai River." At this point, he paused slightly and added, "There’s one more thing. The woman Fifth Master has been keeping outside gave birth to a son yesterday. Fifth Master is keeping it quiet for now."
"Oh!" Cheng Lu raised an eyebrow and smiled. "It looks like there’s going to be more excitement in Nine Prosperities Lane."
Zhao Dahai chuckled along with him.Cheng Lu instructed him, "Keep a close eye on the affairs of the third branch. Report to me as soon as there is any news." He muttered to himself, "The capital Chi Fourth used to open Yutai back then was earned from maritime trade with the Thirteen Hongs. It seems Cheng Zheng wants to follow in Chi Fourth's footsteps."
Zhao Dahai had no way to judge and found it difficult to respond.
Cheng Lu personally refilled his cup.
Zhao Dahai hurriedly bowed in thanks.
Cheng Lu gestured for him to sit down again.
Only then did Zhao Dahai perch on the edge of the chair.
Cheng Lu changed the subject, "Can you find out when Zhou Zhen will return?"
Zhao Dahai thought for a moment and replied uncertainly, "I'll try my best, sir."
Cheng Lu sighed, his expression somewhat gloomy.
Zhao Dahai then gathered his courage and said, "Master, is it about the Zhou family's second young lady..."
Cheng Lu remained silent.
Seeing that he did not forbid the topic, Zhao Dahai continued with concern, "Master, do you really intend to yield the Zhou family's second young lady to Cheng Xu? Now that Zhou Zhen has been transferred to Baoding as prefect... Even if you could find someone of comparable background to the Zhou family's second young lady, they might not have her gentle temperament; and those with a good temperament might not have such an excellent family background as hers..."
In this household, the only one who could speak openly with Cheng Xu and whom he trusted was Zhao Dahai.
Feeling deeply frustrated, Cheng Xu indulged Zhao Dahai somewhat and said, "Do you think that if I don't yield Zhou Shaojin to Cheng Xu, I could marry her? Dream on! He would never agree to marry the Zhou family's second young lady to me. If even Zhou Shaojin could uncover what happened back then, how much more so him. If I hadn't bought the neighboring house, I might have been able to feign ignorance in front of him, but now that the house is registered under my name, claiming ignorance of the past events would be unconvincing... But even so, she, Zhou Shaojin, shouldn't expect to have an easy life.
"Madam Yuan would never agree to Cheng Xu marrying Zhou Shaojin, yet Cheng Xu is deeply devoted to her. Before the Zhou family's eldest young lady gets married, Zhou Shaojin will surely continue staying with her sister in the Cheng household. With Cheng Xu turning a blind eye, as long as Cheng Xu's name becomes linked with Zhou Shaojin's, it won't be easy for her to shake off the reputation of 'secretly exchanging favors' with him.
"If Cheng Shi and Cheng Zheng were to do something at this time, that would be interesting!
"However, these are matters for the future.
"What worries me now is Zhou Zhen. A mere scholar, yet he managed to make that prodigal son of the Zhuang family dare not trouble him again—he is likely no simple figure. Cheng Xu cannot see my intentions, Chi Fourth Master disdains to meddle in such affairs, but Zhou Shaojin is Zhou Zhen's daughter. If he is attentive, he will surely notice..." At this point, the image of Zhou Shaojin's delicate and charming face surfaced in his mind.
If only she weren't Zhuang Liangyu's daughter... No, even if she were Zhuang Liangyu's daughter, if she didn't share that identical face with Zhuang Liangyu, he might have pretended not to know... married her properly, cherished her like a precious jewel, just as Zhou Zhen treated Zhuang Liangyu... But now, whenever he saw that face, he would think of Zhuang Liangyu.
He recalled the small portrait his father treasured in his study, remembered that year when he followed his father to offer incense at Ganquan Temple. His father pointed from afar to that graceful and elegant beauty and asked him, "Would she make a good mother for you?"... He remembered the pained and despairing expression on his father's face before he died...He closed his eyes.
Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back.
From the moment he accidentally encountered Zhou Shaojin two years ago, he had already lost any path of retreat.
Cheng Lu instructed Zhao Dahai: "Go deliver some rice and grain to those few households again. If they ask, say it's a Mid-Autumn Festival gift. Tell them to go out less, and if anyone asks about what happened back then, not to speak carelessly."
Zhao Dahai respectfully acknowledged the order.
Cheng Lu asked: "What about that beggar?"
"He has already been sentenced to immediate execution," Zhao Dahai hurriedly replied. "I disguised myself as a helper to deliver the message to that household. I even pretended to extort two hundred taels of silver from them, and that household didn't suspect a thing at all. You can rest assured."
Cheng Lu nodded, saw Zhao Dahai off, and then knelt before his father's portrait.
"Father, don't worry, I won't let your suffering be in vain. I only hate that Zhou Zhen would rather wear the cuckold's horns than expose what happened back then." He gazed at his father's smiling face and murmured, "I can't find Zhuang Liangyu, but I can find Zhou Shaojin. I will make Zhuang Liangyu restless even in the underworld, I will make Zhou Zhen regret ever marrying Zhuang Liangyu..."
He spoke through gritted teeth, his sinister voice echoing in the small side room.
※
Zhou Shaojin also received news that Cheng Xu had gone to Hangzhou to celebrate his mentor's birthday, and she couldn't help but silently recite "Amitabha Buddha" in her heart.
It seemed that seeking out Madam Yuan had been effective.
Not two days later, Cheng Gao came over quietly to tell her: "The Second Branch's Old Ancestor said the atmosphere in the clan school is poor, that the scholars aren't diligent or striving upward, studying hard, but instead are concerning themselves with matters of the inner courtyards. He called Uncle Yi the Third over and reprimanded him, telling him that when he has free time, he shouldn't always be sightseeing with others. Since he has taken over the clan school, he should properly manage its affairs."
Zhou Shaojin smiled faintly.
Who would have thought that not two days after Cheng Gao said this, another incident occurred in the Cheng Clan School.
In view of the poor scholarly atmosphere in the Cheng Clan School, the Eldest Branch decided to donate two thousand taels of silver to the school. Based on recommendations from the school's instructors, ten scholars who had achieved the rank of xiucai would be selected to study abroad for two years at one of the Four Great Academies—Yuelu Academy.
An average of two hundred taels per person.
Not to mention studying at Yuelu Academy, this sum could almost buy a small one-courtyard house in the inner city of Jinling.
Every scholar in the Cheng Clan School was eager to try, and no matter where you went in Nine Prosperities Lane, you could hear the servants and women discussing this matter.
But Cheng Lu's face turned pale.
He knew this matter was almost certainly aimed at him.
Pulling the firewood from under the cauldron.
He just didn't know whether this was Fourth Master Chi's idea or Madam Yuan's idea? Even if it was Fourth Master Chi's idea, without Madam Yuan maneuvering in the background, would Fourth Master Chi bother with such trivial matters?
Cheng Lu did not apply, but his name still appeared on the red paper posted on the clan school's spirit wall.
People in the clan school congratulated him, some sincerely, some with envy.
He smiled appropriately, responding to each one, but his heart felt as if a hurricane were raging inside.
Madam Yuan, Cheng Xu, just you wait!
Cheng Lu went home to pack his luggage.
Madam Dong cried like a tearful person, holding her son's hand and asking: "Can't you not go?"
"No!" Cheng Lu said softly, "It would offend the Eldest Branch."
Hearing this, Madam Dong became even more heartbroken, weeping for Cheng Bai: "How could you bear to leave us mother and son behind? If you were here, how could my son, even after becoming a xiucai, still have to watch others' moods..."
Cheng Lu looked at his mother throwing herself on the bed, feeling only annoyance.
All she knows is how to cry!
If crying were useful, he would cry even more sorrowfully than she does.Father had always strived to show Zhuang Liangyu, to make her regret, but before Father could achieve his goal, Zhuang Liangyu died. Father lost all interest in life and naturally passed away... Mother was truly foolish, not even knowing what the person beside her was thinking... But Mother was right about one thing: if Father were still here, they would have a house and property, and he wouldn’t have to put up with the attitudes of Nine Prosperities Lane... If anything happened to him, Father would step forward... Father would protect him like an eagle!
He thought of Father’s broad back and warm hands, and his vision gradually blurred...
※
Sisters, here’s today’s bonus update!
It’s the weekend again, wishing everyone a happy weekend!
PS: Fixed the typos...
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
OpenNovel