Chapter 598: Luthier
"Master!"
Xiao Lai Fu, who had just finished school and was picking insects for chickens near the water mill by the river, was really scared when he saw Zhen Yubai suddenly appear.
I thought to myself that I didn’t make any mistakes in school today.
Doesn’t Zhen Yubai know what the little guy is thinking?
Without intending to tease him, she first said that she was not going to look for his parents, and then she stood by the roadside and asked with a smile, "School is over, why aren't you going home yet? What are you doing here?"
Knowing that the teacher was not going to look for his parents, Xiao Lai Fu immediately felt relieved. He stood up, picked up the bamboo tube containing the insects, smiled and handed it to the teacher to show him, raised his head and asked curiously:
"Sir, are you going to look for your wife?"
Zhen Yubai nodded, looked at the grasshoppers jumping around in the bamboo tube, and asked in a gentle voice, "Is the village chief at home?"
"Yes." Little Lai Fu closed the lid of the bamboo tube, put it into the empty space of the book box, took up his own magical book box and waved generously, "Master, I will take you there. Madam just came back from the fields."
Zhen Yubai followed the little fellow and asked again, "Is Mr. Liu here?"
"No." Xiao Laifu said, "Master and Uncle Awang went to the town to collect rent."
The wheat has just been harvested. This year's spring harvest is very good. The master said that he would sell the harvested grain and secretly buy some fruit for them.
By the way, there is a large orchard in the nearby town. The pear blossoms are in bloom. The master said that when he is free, he will take them to visit the orchard and paint. He is looking forward to it.
But the little fellow obviously didn't know that his master was a man who was good at making empty promises. He said so, but when he turned around and asked, he said innocently, "Ah? I forgot!"
Zhen Yubai didn't know what the child was looking forward to. When he heard that Liu Ji was not there, he hesitated for a moment, but thinking that since he was already there, he followed the child into Qin Yao's house.
"Madam! The teacher is here!" As soon as little Lai Fu entered the room, he dropped his book box and ran into the main room while shouting.
When he didn't see anyone, he ran out and shouted towards the backyard, "Madam, Madam! The Master is here to see you!"
Li was drying clothes in the backyard. She felt helpless when she heard the noise and said softly, "Keep your voice down. Madam is in the vegetable garden."
Little Lai Fu nodded and told his mother that the teacher had arrived, then quickly rushed to the vegetable garden to inform his wife.
Qin Yao came back with a bunch of vegetables. When she washed her hands and walked into the main room, Li had already brewed the tea. The visitor was standing in the main room with a teacup in hand, admiring the abstract paintings on the wall that Liu Ji had insisted on hanging.
"Ahem!" Qin Yao coughed twice in embarrassment. Seeing Zhen Yubai shift his gaze from the painting, he strode to the main seat and sat down. She asked in confusion, "Master, how come you have time to come here?"
Si Niang's zither is placed in the corner of the main room. Things that are just obtained always feel fresh. She played it with her father all night last night and it was not enough. She vowed that she would practice for half an hour every night after finishing her homework in the future.
Qin Yao didn't know how long she could hold on, but as a parent she certainly couldn't refuse her child's initiative to learn, so she asked Yin Le to bring a long table over early in the morning and place the piano in a corner of the main room.
Zhen Yubai looked at the piano and said to Qin Yao with a half-smile, "I had turned off the lights early last night and was ready to go to bed, but was suddenly awakened by bursts of piano music. It turned out that someone was practicing the piano at the village head's house. I wonder who was learning it?"
Qin Yao cursed in her heart, Liu Ji, you are such a disgrace!
With a smile on his face, he replied, "It belongs to my fourth mother. Her uncle just came back from the capital and brought her this zither. The teacher also knows that there is no way we can have a zither player in this rural area. The child thought it was fun and just played it randomly. Sorry for the joke."
Zhen Yubai nodded suddenly, "I see."
I walked over to the piano table and took a closer look. It was just an ordinary piano with two strings loose and not tightened. It was obvious that the owner didn't know how to use it at all.
No one comes to see you for no good reason. Qin Yao saw that he came but didn't talk about business. Just as she was about to urge him, she heard Zhen Yubai say with a smile:
"To be honest, I also know a little about playing the piano. If the village chief doesn't mind, I can teach your fourth daughter to play the piano after class."
Qin Yao was instantly attracted and stopped urging him. She asked him when he would be free and how he planned to collect tuition.
The family is not short of money and the child is interested, so what's wrong with letting her take an extracurricular interest class!
When Qin Yao heard Zhen Yubai say that he didn't want money, she suddenly felt that this man had become more handsome.
There was the sound of carriages and horses outside the yard. Liu Ji and Awang came back, each pulling a cart of wheat. All the excess had been sold for cash.
Liu Ji got off the carriage, threw the whip to Awang, and rushed into the yard excitedly, "Madam, the rent this year is two taels of silver more. Eh? Zhen Yubai, why are you here?!"
There were a man and a woman alone in the room. The man was quite good-looking. Liu Ji quickly rushed into the room and stood between the two.
Just when he was about to show off today's harvest to his wife, he looked up and caught a glimpse of the satisfaction in her eyes that she couldn't hide in time. Liu Ji's heart was alarmed and his defenses were instantly broken.
"Madam, what are you two talking about here? You seem so happy." Liu Jiwei frowned and asked in a sarcastic voice.
At the same time, he did not forget to glance at Zhen Yubai warily. Seeing him standing next to his daughter's precious piano table, he took two or three steps towards him and pulled him away. "Master, please be careful. This piano is the only one in the village. You can't afford to pay for it if it is damaged."
Zhen Yubai's mouth twitched slightly. Liu Ji's full of malice was about to overflow. How could he not feel it? He stepped back speechlessly, returned to the guest seat and sat down. He picked up the teapot and poured tea into the empty teacup himself, explaining as he poured:
"Master Liu, please don't misunderstand me. I am not very talented, but I know a little bit about etiquette and music. I was just discussing with the village chief about the fourth girl learning the piano."
Liu Ji sat down opposite him. He wanted to drink tea but couldn't find any. So he simply gave up. He cleared his throat and said, "Thank you, but I don't believe you. Tell me! What are you doing in my house?"
Qin Yao poured a cup of tea and placed it next to the furious Liu Ji. Liu Ji was so happy that he almost couldn't help but curl up his lips.
After finishing a cup of tea, I felt confident and stared at the person opposite me, listening to what he had to say.
Zhen Yubai felt that he was wronged, so he drank some tea to moisten his throat, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:
"Master Liu, your husband may not be well."
After hearing this, Liu Ji almost jumped up and wanted to hit him, "What nonsense are you talking about? My teacher is well in the capital, what do you know!"
Zhen Yubai did not argue with him, and continued in a deep voice: "My old illness has relapsed, and I am depressed by my heart disease. I am afraid I don't have much time left."
Liu Ji's heart was shocked. Seeing Zhen Yubai's serious expression, and he didn't seem to be trying to disgust or scare him on purpose, he suddenly fell silent.
"I saw every word with my own eyes. Believe it or not, I just came here to remind you of the village chief's kindness in saving my life."
Zhen Yubai clasped his fists towards Qin Yao and said, "Village Chief, since Mr. Liu doesn't welcome me, I will take my leave first."
He stood up, picked up the umbrella he had left under the porch, and strode out, leaving the couple in the house looking at each other in bewilderment.
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