"Zhaozhao! I'm here! I'm right here!"
The young man was dressed in a black outfit, the flowing fabric of which accentuated his handsome face and made him look radiant.
At this moment, the boy stood atop the high wall, shouting loudly down below.
Upon hearing the sound, the girl, who had been lost in thought while reading, slowly raised her head.
When their eyes met the boy's bright, star-like eyes, they couldn't help but be slightly momentarily distracted.
However, she quickly came to her senses, put her hands on her hips, and said angrily, "Why are you climbing the wall again? If my father sees you, he'll be so angry that he'll break your legs!"
However, the boy was unconcerned by the girl's rebuke.
He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a sly smile, and with a flash, landed steadily on the ground.
After landing, the boy grinned and approached the girl, grabbing her sleeve and shaking it, saying in a coquettish tone, "Ah Zhao~ Uncle is so fierce, you definitely won't leave me to die, right?"
The girl looked disgusted and pulled her sleeve back, but if you looked closely, you could see that beneath her seemingly angry expression, there was a subtle, almost imperceptible smile.
Clearly, she was not angry at the boy's actions.
The boy noticed the girl's reaction and became even more brazen.
He sighed deliberately, feigning sorrow, and said, "Ah, Ah Zhao, you're so heartless! I went to Ruyi Zhai early this morning to queue up and buy you your favorite Ruyi cakes. Since you're so heartless, you might as well give these cakes to Ah Fu at the door..."
After saying that, the boy turned around and pretended to leave, looking quite serious.
Sure enough, the boy had only taken a few steps when the girl shouted, "You dare!"
The girl stood with her hands on her hips, puffed out in anger, like an enraged little tiger, glaring at the boy in front of her who was laughing loudly and without any restraint.
"Okay, okay, don't be angry. This Ruyi cake is reserved for Zhaozhao, not for anyone else!"
Hearing this, the girl's anger subsided slightly, but she still retorted, "Hmph, at least you have some conscience, knowing that I love to eat this!"
As she spoke, the girl snatched the Ruyi cake from the boy's hand and began to eat it in big mouthfuls, her mouth instantly stuffed full, just like a little hamster hoarding food.
The boy smiled and rested his chin on his hand, staring intently at the girl as she ate, muttering to himself, "Ah Zhao, did your aunt skimp on your food again? Look how hungry you are."
The girl finally managed to nod, muttering indistinctly, "That's right, my mother said that if I can't lose weight enough to fit into that beautiful wedding dress before the wedding, even if I starve to death, it's my own fault, boohoo..."
Whether it was because she choked from eating too fast or because she was genuinely upset and saddened, the girl's eyes actually started to redden as she spoke, and large tears rolled down her cheeks.
Upon seeing this, the boy felt extremely distressed and quickly took the girl's hand, gently comforting her.
"Don't cry, don't cry, it's all my fault. Let's not lose weight anymore, okay? I'll go and find you a wedding dress that fits you better, and I promise you'll marry me looking beautiful!"
Before he could finish speaking, the boy flashed and, after a few nimble flips, disappeared from the courtyard in the blink of an eye.
The girl was left standing there alone, staring blankly at the crushed Ruyi cake in her hand.
The next morning, as dawn broke, the world was still immersed in tranquility.
Before the young girl Zhao Zhao could receive the relief food from the boy, the courtyard was greeted by a group of uninvited guests.
Several fierce-looking old women rushed into the courtyard like wolves and tigers, and instantly spotted their target.
Before the girl could react, her arm was grabbed roughly and she couldn't break free.
"Granny, I was wrong. Please don't take my measurements today..." the girl pleaded in a trembling voice, filled with terror.
But her show of weakness failed to move these hard-hearted old women in the slightest.
The old woman handed the soft ruler in her hand to the lady standing to the side without any expression.
The lady merely glanced at the ruler, and then her previously gentle eyes suddenly turned sharp, fixing intently on the girl.
Zhao Zhao couldn't help but shiver, curling up tightly and daring not to make a sound.
Seeing the girl's timidity, the lady felt a surge of anger. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pointed at the girl several times, but in the end, she said nothing. She flicked her sleeve and turned away angrily.
The master of the mansion returned home after a busy day.
As soon as he entered the inner courtyard, he saw his eldest daughter standing in the distance, her eyes filled with tears, waiting anxiously on the path he would take back to his room.
The old man sighed inwardly, intending to quietly change his route, but the young girl's eyes were too sharp; she immediately spotted her father.
She lifted her skirt and ran over without hesitation.
"Father! Waaah... Father..."
The girl threw herself into her father's arms, crying her heart out.
Left with no other choice, the old man could only gently comfort his daughter, and it took a great deal of effort to finally soothe her.
Having finally escaped his incessantly crying daughter, the old man dragged his weary body toward the main courtyard, where he was met by his wife, whose anger had not yet subsided...
The old man sighed helplessly, then rallied his spirits, steeled himself, and stepped forward with a forced smile.
"Madam, it's all Zhaozhao's fault for being so disobedient! She's such a big girl, yet she's still so greedy. She really needs to be taught a good lesson!"
However, as soon as he spoke, he saw his wife glare at him fiercely.
The master's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly changed his words, "However... this girl is grown up, and we can't beat her. Madam, in your opinion, how should this matter be handled?"
"You ask me what to do? Humph! I'll see how you two drive me to the brink of illness one day! Then you'll be all set!"
The old man shrank back, touched his nose sheepishly, and dared not utter another word.
After a moment, as if he had remembered something, he muttered to himself, "And that Ming boy too. Whenever our brat cries or makes a fuss, he ignores everything else and keeps finding ways to feed and drink Zhao Zhao. Does he really think I, as her father, don't know this?"
As he spoke, the old man grabbed a handful of peanuts from the table, threw them into his mouth in a huff, and chewed them with a crunching sound.
At this moment, his wife rolled her eyes at him, "So what if this is good for your daughter? Haven't you thought about the consequences? In a few years, our daughter will be getting married! We've been teaching her to dance since she was little, and she's probably forgotten it all by now! If she continues to eat like this, she'll be as fat as a ball by the time she gets married, and she won't even be able to fit into her wedding dress. I'd like to see where you'll put your old face then!"
The master, however, didn't seem to care. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Who would laugh at our young lady? If she really can't fit into that wedding dress, we can just change into a bigger one. What's so difficult about that?"
After saying that, he continued eating peanuts as if nothing had happened, completely ignoring his wife's worries.
The lady was so angry that she laughed. She raised her eyebrows and glanced at the master, saying, "On this point, you are just like what that young man from the Ming family said."
"He does have some good judgment," the tone seemed to carry a hint of praise.
"What good taste! That wedding dress was prepared starting from the moment Zhaozhao was born. Every stitch was my hard work. Do you know how much effort and time I spent on it!"
At this point, the lady's eyes reddened slightly, and tears welled up in them, clearly showing that she was genuinely moved.
Upon hearing his wife's rebuke, the master was startled. He immediately straightened up, his face instantly becoming serious. He nodded and replied, "You are right, Madam. I was not considerate enough. I hope you will be magnanimous and not blame me!"
When the lady saw him bowing and apologizing, she snorted coldly, turned her head away, and stopped looking at him. She secretly wondered if she should go to the capital and ask a few nannies who were good at treating illnesses to come back.
Just as the lady was deep in thought, she was startled by a sudden scream from the master, which jolted her awake.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?! You scared me to death!" the First Madam scolded, clutching her chest.
The master looked astonished and pointed towards his daughter's courtyard, stammering, "I...I clearly blocked our courtyard completely, not even a fly could get in, how did that brat sneak in to bring food to Zhaozhao?"
Upon hearing this, the lady glanced at him sideways, but her anger subsided, and she calmly answered his question.
"That kid from the Ming family is very cunning. He probably started planning this a long time ago. Otherwise, how could he have broken through your blockade so easily?"
Upon hearing this, the magistrate suddenly realized what was going on. He was so angry that his face turned ashen. He rolled up his sleeves and gritted his teeth, saying, "That ignorant brat! Guards, I want to see what tricks he can pull without this tree!"
He then angrily prepared to lead his servants to his daughter's courtyard.
In the end, the lady managed to stop it.
“Your daughter cherishes that sycamore tree like her own lifeblood. If you dare to touch even a single branch, she’ll fight you to the death.”
Upon hearing this, the old man, though still furious, stubbornly retorted, "Who said I was going to cut down the tree? I'll be guarding the wall right now. If this brat dares to take a step closer, I'll break his legs!"
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