Awkwardness, awkwardness froze in the air.
"So, according to you, this Lord Shen kindly rescued you during the time you were stranded?"
Inside the general's mansion, at the dining table, Zhan Yue suspiciously placed a piece of food on his beloved daughter's plate.
Even though Xiao Zhi had been praising "Oh, our Lord Shen is so kind and outstanding, he's practically a god descended from heaven, a reincarnation of the God of Literature, and his beauty is unparalleled in the world" on the way back to the General's Mansion, Zhan Yue, who came from a military background, still didn't have a good impression of that weak and pretty boy.
Hey, that kid's all expressionless and acting all high and mighty. Who's he giving that attitude to?
He called me "Dad" right off the bat; he's obviously an orphan!
Meanwhile, Yan Huishi, who had somehow sniffed out the food from somewhere and was now trying to freeload, started stirring things up.
"Teacher, I'm not saying this to criticize you..."
"Their only daughter has been separated for so long, and you didn't even think to investigate whose child she is! Look how worried your uncle and aunt are; that's a bit selfish. Although you are my teacher, what you did was truly inappropriate, and it pains me deeply!"
Shen Suqing remained silent, giving Yan Huishi a cold glance.
One glance was enough to intimidate Yan Huishi.
Even after years of brutal and ruthless teaching by Shen Suqing, Yan Huishi's fear of this impartial teacher had become ingrained in his bones. But in order to stir up trouble and undermine his teacher, Yan Huishi stubbornly stuck to his guns.
"Teacher, why be angry? I was just stating the facts!"
"Oh, alright, alright, why are you arguing? Come on, everyone, eat more vegetables."
Liu Ruyan smoothed things over, smiling slightly as her gaze inadvertently shifted between her daughter and the white-robed civil official.
Others may not understand, but she sees it clearly in her heart.
From the moment they sat down at the table, the stern-faced adult first pulled out a chair for Xiaozhi and sat down naturally next to her. Then he served Xiaozhi many of her favorite dishes, and even picked out the scallions from the dishes beforehand. He was so thoughtful that he promptly handed her a handkerchief when Xiaozhi got splashed with oil.
Most importantly, his behavior was not deliberate at all; it was completely natural and habitual.
A smooth, fluid combo—this relationship doesn't seem like taking in or lodging at all...
Thinking of this, Liu Ruyan curled her red lips and gave her trembling daughter a meaningful look.
Wow, this little girl has really grown up!
Zhan Xinjia, who was staring blankly with her chopsticks in her mouth, was startled by her mother's gaze and quickly looked away. She shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth and casually served Meng Qiao, who was watching the whole thing in a daze, a piece of food with her chopsticks.
Or you might as well just confess!
Anyway, she likes Lord Shen, and Lord Shen likes her too, so what's the point of hiding it?
After a moment of hesitation, Zhan Xinjia was about to speak when Yan Huishi suddenly interrupted her.
"I suppose the teacher is always of noble character and integrity, and took in our little sister out of kindness without expecting anything in return. I'll go to the East Palace another day and pick out a couple of things to send to the teacher's residence as a token of my gratitude for the care the teacher has given our little sister these past few days. That will be enough."
Teacher, you may not know this, but our Uncle Zhan is a military general who likes to be straightforward. He hates dealing with you bookish civil officials.
Now that Mei Bao has gone home, the teacher shouldn't loiter around this area so much. After all, men and women shouldn't be so close; it would damage Mei Bao's reputation and also cause Uncle Zhan to misunderstand.
"Our" sister Bao, "our" Uncle Zhan.
When Yan Huishi spoke, it seemed as if he was asserting his dominance. He was the one who grew up with Mei Bao as childhood sweethearts, and he was also the one who had a good relationship with Uncle Zhan. He knew that being close to the water tower meant getting the moon first.
Thinking of this, Yan Huishi couldn't help but hum smugly.
Yan Xiyue couldn't bear to look at his smug, petty demeanor.
How embarrassing!
Zhan Yue, who was standing to the side, agreed wholeheartedly after hearing this.
"Hmph, what Hui said is right. What I hate most are you civil officials who like to scheme and plot. You're all cunning and treacherous, and your words are full of hidden meanings. I just can't talk to you intellectuals!"
Shen Suqing: "..."
Seeing that Lord Shen's face was getting darker and darker, and even his hand holding the chopsticks was trembling, Zhan Xinjia, who had been pretending to be dead for most of the day, hurriedly began to make amends.
"Oh, Dad, Mom, you've misunderstood. I didn't run away from home. I just felt sorry for you working so hard, so I wanted to go out and find some work."
It just so happens that Lord Shen is hiring odd jobs, and I was working there! You can ask Lord Shen if you don't believe me!
No sooner had the good news been heard than the young man, who had remained silent the entire time, calmly pulled out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve.
During this meal, he finally found an opportunity to speak his first words.
“One thousand taels a month. This is Azhi’s previous salary and the salary for the next six months, totaling eight thousand taels. I will pay it all at once.”
"Taking away the young master?!?!"
Zhan Yue slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his eyes practically glued to the banknotes.
Before Zhan Xinjia could recover from the shock of "Master Shen is so rich", she felt her collar being pulled up and she was lifted off her seat with the bowl in her hand!
Liu Ruyan picked up her daughter, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, heartbroken and indignant, and scolded her sternly.
"How can you be so clueless, you silly child? Didn't you see that our distinguished guest, Lord Shen, has an empty cup? What are you standing there for? Hurry up and pour him some tea."
"that is."
Zhan Yue stuffed the silver notes on the table into his pocket and began to give Zhan Xinjia serious pointers.
"Now your father has no choice but to criticize you."
"How have your parents always taught you to be polite? Lord Shen hasn't even touched his chopsticks yet! Who gave you permission to eat first? All of you, stand up and let Lord Shen take his food first!"
After saying that, Zhan Yue grinned lewdly and patted the expressionless Shen Suqing on the shoulder.
"Oh my! I usually like you educated young people the most. Look how delicate and gentle you are! You are clearly pillars of the court! You are all extraordinary!"
"These past few days, I must have been spending a lot of time with Lord Shen, learning a great deal and becoming more virtuous in the process. Being able to associate with Lord Shen is truly a blessing I've accumulated over eight lifetimes!"
Shen Suqing: "..."
When the geese returned: "..."
Yan Xiyue and Meng Qiao remained silent, focusing solely on eating their rice.
Good heavens, greedy as much as money, fickle as a face.
When the wild geese returned, he was so angry that he couldn't catch his breath.
“Uncle Zhan, money is just an external thing, how could you…”
"Oh dear, you don't understand. How can a person not even want money? Alright, alright, hurry back to the palace to find your father after you finish eating. Your father has been sharpening the guillotine for half a month, just waiting for you to stretch your neck. Don't meddle in our adult affairs."
After patting Yan Huishi's head, Zhan Yue casually pushed him aside.
Eight thousand taels!! That's eight thousand taels!!!
What does that even mean?! The largest silver note Zhan Yue had ever seen in his life was only one hundred taels, and his family of three's annual expenses were less than two hundred taels. Yet this Lord Shen spent eight thousand taels in one go!
Let alone a small piece of paper, even if Lord Shen bought the couple and made them his old servants, Zhan Yue would still praise him for enjoying life.
Eight thousand taels!!!
He almost wished that Xiao Zhi would just kowtow to the God of Wealth right now and become his godfather.
Eight thousand!!! Eight thousand!!!
The thought of so much money lying in his sleeve made Zhan Yue roll his eyes and almost faint. In fact, he really did faint, but Liu Ruyan pinched his philtrum and woke him up again.
With trembling hands, Zhan Yue wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and began to persuade him with a painstaking and loving fatherly heart.
"Little Zhi, you must get to know a promising young man like Lord Shen! We feel so relieved to have you with Lord Shen. You don't need to worry about your mother and me. Someone will come to inform you when we pass away."
Zhan Xinjia: "???"
Zhan Xinjia was still in a daze until she and her luggage were packed up and thrown out.
No, Dad, Mom, aren't you going to raise us anymore?
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