Su Rong’s roast chicken, perfected through countless trials and adjustments since her childhood, was incredibly delicious, its aroma wafting across Phoenix Mountain.
Zhou Gu had tasted all types of delicacies in his life, but he was amazed by the taste of the wild chicken that Su Rong had roasted. His upbringing and disciplined mannerisms prevented him from giddily hopping around the Phoenix Tree with the roast chicken in his hand.
Su Rong asked him, "Do you like it?"
Unable to resist the delicious taste, Zhou Gu nodded repeatedly, "Delicious."
Su Rong tilted her head and laughed, "If you like it, that’s good enough."
Zhou Gu nodded again, "I like it."
In the end, Su Rong ate half a chicken and Zhou Gu ate one and a half. The delectable meal brought tears to the guards who had accompanied them. Although they had also caught and roasted their own wild chickens, their attempts tasted like wax, and they looked mournful while eating. Being used to the fine food served in the Duke Residence, these guards had never needed to cook for themselves. Despite having money, they found it useless in the wilderness, with no place to spend it.
Feeling satisfied and drowsy, Zhou Gu said to Su Rong, "I want to take a nap."
Su Rong pointed to a tree trunk, "Why not sleep up there?"
"How could I sleep on a tree?" Zhou Gu was dubious.
"You can. I’ve tried before." Su Rong assured him seriously, "And it’s quite comfortable."
Zhou Gu was unconvinced.
Su Rong turned around, quickly climbed up a tree, and made herself comfortable on a large branch. She placed one foot on the trunk for balance, stretched the other one out, used her arms as a pillow, and closed her eyes. It truly looked like she could fall asleep comfortably.
Zhou Gu hesitated for a moment, then picked a tree near Su Rong’s, climbed up, and copied her pose, finding that it wasn’t too unbearable.
So he closed his eyes, "Alright, I’ll try to sleep. I won’t roll off, will I?"
Su Rong did not answer him.
Zhou Gu turned to look at Su Rong and was surprised to find that she was already asleep, her breathing steady and her demeanor peaceful. Her ability to fall asleep at a moment’s notice, as she had done on the boat, amazed him.
Zhou Gu felt a mixture of emotions. He began to suspect that Su Rong didn’t care about him as a fiancé, as she frequently left him alone while she slept. He was aware that most betrothed girls in the Capital City always minded their manners around their fiancés and wouldn’t behave as freely as Su Rong.
He closed his eyes again, thinking about the prudish and tedious girls he knew.
While Su Rong and Zhou Gu were eating, drinking, and deeply sleeping in the heart of nature, the Governor’s Residence in Jiangning County was bustling with activity.
The Inspector of Jiangzhou, along with his wife and children, brought lavish gifts to the Governor’s Residence to apologize to Zhou Gu. They had left before dawn and arrived around noon.
Given his subservient position to the Inspector, Governor Su was obligated to give the Inspector and his family a grand welcome when they visited, so he personally greeted them and led them inside the residence.
The Inspector’s wife had no choice but to put on a pleasant façade while addressing Mrs. Su, "I was mistaken last time and misjudged you and your daughter. I have come today to apologize."
Excited over the realization of her long-awaited dream, Mrs. Su gave an insincere laughter, "What are you talking about, madam? There is no need for an apology. We are not important enough to warrant an apology from you."
The Inspector’s wife masked her irritation at this remark. She wanted to leave but knew that she couldn’t, especially with Zhou Gu, her son-in-law, living in the Governor’s Residence, which elevated Mrs. Su’s status. The Inspector’s wife could no longer afford to cross her.
She hastily replied, "It was indeed my fault, so naturally I should apologize. I have brought gifts of apology for not only young master Zhou but also for you and your daughter."
Anxious to avoid any more barbed comments, she quickly drew out the gift list, "Here’s the list of gifts."
Mrs. Su did not take it, feigning surprise, "Madam, we are not that materialistic. There really is no need."
As she mused, she sighed, "I remember when my daughter came home years ago, she cried for more than a month and didn’t dare to go out for half a year. Every time she went out, people would taunt her, saying she had gone crazy trying to marry above her class and had no shame in trying to steal someone else’s lover. Such cruel words... How could a little girl like her bear it? She almost took her own life. If it weren’t for the people I assigned to watch her, who knows where she might be now..."
Mrs. Su had to hold back her tears, "Ah, if only her father and I had been more powerful. Then no one would have dared to mistreat her."
This remark openly accused the Inspector’s wife of abusing her power to bully others.
Visibly agitated and turning a mix of red and green, the Inspector’s wife wanted to refute the accusations, but she knew very well that Su Rong would never kill herself, let alone cry for a month or be so sensitive to harsh words and criticism. Mrs. Su knew how to spin lies!
She drew out another list from her sleeve and said through gritted teeth, "These are three shops, part of my dowry. Here are the deeds."
However, Mrs. Su still refused, pushing the Inspector’s wife’s hand away, "Ah, madam, my family is not so cheap. My daughter suffered greatly back then, but I never expected you to come and apologize personally. Please, take your gifts back! Luckily, the Duke doesn’t know about the incident, and I didn’t mention it to old Duke, it’s really beneath him. That’s why he’s always been in the dark. We should let bygones be bygones and not bring it up again. There is no need for you to mention it." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
The Inspector’s wife could tell from Mrs. Su’s words that she was savoring the situation, so she gestured to her maid, who promptly presented another list, "We also have a 50-acre fruit orchard on South Mountain."
She could barely contain her resentment, "You must accept it, or I won’t be able to rest easy."
Mrs. Su was indeed tempted. This heavy compensation indicated just how much the Inspector’s Residence had bled. And this was just for Su Rong, not even for Zhou Gu. Satisfied, Mrs. Su felt that she had avenged her humiliation from three years ago at the hands of the Inspector’s wife.
Feeling relieved, she didn’t stop rejecting the gifts, pushing the Inspector’s wife’s hand back again, "My daughter is not here today. She’s out having fun with young master Zhou. As you know, I’ve never been able to decide for her. I really can’t accept these gifts."
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