Chapter 132 Duan Mansion
"You're really interesting."
Tao Tao reached out and poked its fluffy little head.
The parrot, like a dog, tilted its head back and rubbed against her fingertips, completely unlike its previous arrogant self.
Seeing how obedient it was, she softened a little: "Alright, then you can stay, but you can't bully others or cause trouble."
"Nod if you understand, otherwise it means we're not meant to be."
The parrot actually nodded and even flew onto her arm.
Her arm suddenly felt heavy. "Alright, alright, I'm going to take a shower. You can go stay here by yourself."
After taking a bath, she sat on the soft couch and clapped her hands at it, saying, "Come here."
It spread its wings and suddenly flew over, standing on the table to look at her.
I'll give you a name.
She stroked its little head with her fingertips as she thought.
"Let's call him... let's call him Asu, that's settled."
"Asu, Asu..."
"You're not allowed to make noise at night, or you'll disturb them."
She took out a packet of dried fruit and candied fruit from the snacks she had bought during the day and put a few pieces in her palm.
"Do you want some? Hmm? Asu."
Asu lowered its head and pecked directly at the palm of my hand with its sharp, hard beak. It didn't hurt, just felt a little numb, and the dried fruit crunched crisply.
After finishing her meal, she dusted off the crumbs in her hands, got up, opened the door, and called out, "Leng Qiao, are you there?"
A moment later, Leng Qiao suddenly appeared in front of her. Tao Tao looked at her in surprise, then looked up at the roof.
"You...you've been up there the whole time?"
Leng Qiao nodded calmly.
I'm sorry I wasn't very nice to you this afternoon.
Hearing Tao Tao apologize to her, a hint of surprise flashed in her calm eyes.
"Does Miss want to ask me about what happened last night?"
The two sat at the table, facing each other. Tao Tao looked up at her and said, "Yes, I don't remember much about last night. My last memory is Ding Yunxiang making me a bowl of red date porridge."
"Yes, that jujube porridge contains henbane seeds, which can cause people to fall into a coma, and in severe cases, can even lead to poisoning and death."
"Then what should I do now..."
She was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly remembered that she seemed to have a sweet taste in her mouth that morning.
She thought it tasted like red date porridge, but now that she thinks back, it seems to have a slightly bitter taste of medicine in it.
Leng Qiao told her what happened after she fell into a coma. It turned out that he wasn't the one who did it; it was the parrot.
Tao Tao turned her head and gave a cold look to Asu, who was sleeping on the soft couch. She frowned. She knew she couldn't blame the parrot, so she had misunderstood him.
She knew that Asu's pecking would hurt a lot, but she didn't expect it to be so deadly that it actually killed the person.
"I understand, thank you."
She was somewhat lost in thought and didn't even notice when Leng Qiao left.
After a long while, she became so frustrated that she ruffled her hair into a mess, muttering "It's all over, it's all over" over and over again.
"What should I do! I shouldn't have acted so impulsively. I should have asked first before speaking!"
"Ah... Help! Someone give me some advice... I'm going crazy."
………
Duan Mansion.
Night fell over the land.
Duan Gan stepped across the threshold and strode forward, with Chen Jinghe following closely behind.
Butler Feng exclaimed with delight upon seeing this and hurriedly stepped forward: "Fourth Master is back! I'll immediately send someone to inform the Old Master. He'll be so happy to know you're back."
He spoke loudly, as if he couldn't wait to announce it to the world.
But he noticed that the people in front of him were not heading towards the old master's courtyard. He knew in his heart that they must have gone towards the ancestral hall.
Every time he returned, he would first go to the ancestral hall to offer incense to the Fourth Master and Fourth Madam.
Stepping into the quiet shrine, the pale yellow candlelight flickered in the gentle breeze, casting eerie shadows that seemed almost alive.
There were many ancestral tablets on the table, one after another, with his parents on the middle left side of the third layer.
Duan Gan took the incense and candles handed to him by a servant, lit them on the oil lamp, and then knelt down to kowtow.
His behavior wasn't particularly devout, but it wasn't perfunctory either.
He got up, placed the incense sticks in the incense burner, and then turned and went to the other courtyard, the courtyard of Old Master Duan.
Sitting in his armchair, Old Master Duan took a sip of tea, his gaze occasionally drifting outside, revealing his inner anxiety.
Butler Feng, standing to the side, said, "Master, Fourth Master is definitely on his way. Please wait a moment."
"Who said I was waiting for him?"
He sneered, then continued, "Every time I come back, I have to beg and plead three or four times, and even then, I might not come back. Who am I doing this for? Isn't it all for him!"
“He’s incredibly popular outside. Everyone says he’s the emperor’s favorite and a powerful minister. Just listen to how the rumors have spread. If he doesn’t rein himself in, who knows what will become of him?”
"Once they gain a little power, they become so arrogant and ignorant of their own limitations that they don't even want to go home anymore..."
Just as he was grumbling and complaining, footsteps finally came from outside the door.
"If coming back is just to listen to your endless, useless talk, then there's really no need for me to come back."
Duan Gan remained indifferent, showing no intention of being polite even to his elder, Old Master Duan.
"I've seen it all, grandson, I'll take my leave now."
Seeing that he was about to leave, Old Master Duan became furious and scolded, "You come back here!"
He stopped in his tracks, turned around and walked back, smiling, "Grandfather, if you have any further teachings, please tell me. I will definitely think about them carefully when I get back."
"I heard you're getting quite close to a young girl from the marketplace, is that true?!"
Old Master Duan's eyes were deep and his expression was not good.
"So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?"
His failure to directly address the question indicates that there must be something wrong.
Old Master Duan gripped his crane-headed cane tightly, his face growing even more grim. He said in a deep voice, "I forbid you from having any contact with that kind of person!"
"Born of the common people, not only a merchant but also reeking of money, he even engages in such disreputable business. He's not even qualified to be your concubine! Don't lower yourself to associate with such a social climber..."
Before he could finish speaking, the person in front of him turned around and walked away decisively.
"You damn Duan Si! Come back here right now! Cough cough cough..."
The old man Duan's angry and powerful voice gradually faded away in the wind.
"Fourth Master, are you still going back to the Privy Council so late?"
Chen Jinghe asked from the side.
I'll be back tomorrow morning.
After returning to the courtyard belonging to the fourth branch, Duan Gan went directly to his bedroom, entered the inner room behind the screen, and found a sandalwood brocade box in the drawer.
He opened it and saw a pair of red coral earrings inlaid with gold beads.
There were originally two identical pairs, but the other pair was buried with Duan Gan's mother.
Therefore, they are the only pair in the world.
He lowered his eyes and stared at the earrings, looking thoughtful.
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