Chapter 468 Protection Fee
Bai rolled her eyes at her husband and said, "If you're hurt, just rest. Why are you running?"
"This is Youmiao's first time back. I would come even if I broke my leg." Chu Qin nodded to Chen Xing and looked at his eldest daughter happily. He thought she was good no matter how he looked at her.
"Don't stand here like an idiot. I'm here for Youmiao. Go apply some medicine." Bai reached out and pushed him.
Chu Qin said, "Then you two can chat first. I'll be back soon."
"Okay." Chu Liuzheng pointed at a servant and ordered, "Help my father and walk slowly."
The servant quickly agreed and helped Chu Qin go back to apply the medicine.
Mrs. Bai first took Chu Liuzheng to the front hall for tea and snacks. Chu Liuzheng felt that he had not digested his breakfast yet and could not eat any more, so he suggested walking around the house.
Bai introduced her to her daughter as they walked.
"This is your eldest brother's yard. He has a study there. It provides a place for his books."
"Xin'er's yard is here. She likes this pond. She's been talking about going down there to touch the lotus roots these past two days. If I hadn't stopped her, she would have gone down to swim."
Chu Liuzheng glanced at the pond and smiled faintly: "I think this pond is quite clean. It's our own pond. If she wants to swim, let her swim. We can find two maids who know how to swim to look after her."
"No." Bai pulled her out. "It would be fine if it was hot, but it's freezing cold in the water right now. If you catch a cold, you'll have to ask for leave from the academy. I'm taking advantage of her."
Chu Liuzheng laughed and helped her down the stairs, "Xin'er is so young, mother, please don't be so harsh on her."
"Your father spoils her, and you spoil her even more." Mrs. Bai glared at her daughter. "Xin'er will be coming of age in two years. We didn't have the conditions before, so we let her run around like a monkey, never doing anything serious. Now that she's in the academy, she can't be like before. She should at least behave like a girl."
[A-niang definitely didn't know Xin'er was collecting protection money at the academy, otherwise she wouldn't have said that.]
Chu Liuzheng shook his head in his heart and followed Bai to the garden to see the flowers she planted.
Originally, the Bai family wanted to grow vegetables, but Chu Qin felt that it would ruin the garden. What if Chu Shangming wanted to bring his colleagues back for a meal in the future? They would all come to enjoy the flowers and the scenery, but he couldn't just enjoy garlic sprouts and cabbages at home, so it would be better to plant some flowers.
Bai agreed. The emperor had awarded her the land, including the farm. Now she had no worries about food and no need to save money on vegetables. So she started to learn how to tend to flowers and plants. Gradually, she found interest in it and now treasures the flowers she planted.
Hearing that the mother and daughter were in the garden, Chu Qin, who had finished applying the medicine, also rushed over.
The three of them chatted and laughed, and Chu Qin also sent the housekeeper to the academy to pick up Chu Yuxin.
As soon as Chu Yuxin came back, the house became more lively. The family talked and an hour passed by unknowingly.
Bai went to the kitchen to cook lunch. The remaining three looked at each other and followed her to the kitchen to help.
Chu Qin was responsible for lighting the fire, Chu Yuxin was responsible for washing the vegetables, Chu Liuzheng was responsible for cutting the vegetables, and Bai was responsible for swinging the spoon, just like when they still lived in the village.
During the meal, the smile on Bai's face never faded. She kept picking up dishes for Chu Liuzheng, and soon there was a small mountain of food in Chu Liuzheng's bowl.
The weight of this motherly love was really too much. Chu Liuzheng successfully ate too much and yawned while holding a cup of tea in his chair.
Bai said, "If you're tired, go to bed. It's still early."
"Okay, I'll go to sleep for a while." Chu Liuzheng carried Chu Yuxin away and returned to the yard. He closed the door and stared at her with squinted eyes.
"Sister, why are you looking at me like that?" The little girl felt inexplicably guilty when she was stared at by her. Her almond-shaped eyes, similar to Chu Liuzheng's, were rolling around.
"Of course it depends on your abilities." Chu Liuzheng crossed his legs, resting his chin on the pillow with one hand. "Tell me, what good things have you done in the academy?"
"I'm helping my classmates..." Chu Yuxin put her hands behind her back, her little head spinning rapidly, "practice calligraphy."
Chu Liuzheng: "With your lousy handwriting, you're still helping others practice calligraphy?"
"Sister~" Chu Yuxin hugged her arm and shook it unwillingly. What she wrote was not a crappy handwriting.
Chu Liuzheng didn't buy her tricks and reached out to pinch her cheek. "You're quite capable of asking your classmates to complete the teacher's assignments for you and even charging them money."
Chu Yuxin was stunned. How did her elder sister know this?
She pouted in dissatisfaction, "Sister, did Qixi tell you?"
Qixi is a maid serving Chu Yuxin. She is the same age as Chu Yuxin and usually accompanies her to school at the academy. She is almost like a book boy.
"Don't change the subject." Chu Liuzheng knew her little tricks and tried to scare her. "Your Majesty is surrounded by many capable people. I know everything you do in the academy."
"Ah?" Chu Yuxin looked around in surprise, as if someone would suddenly jump out of the room.
Chu Liuzheng patted her head. "I know you're impatient to learn those things, but reading can improve your understanding, and learning the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting can cultivate your character and benefit you in the future. I don't ask you to master everything, just pick one or two that you like and study them attentively, and just have a basic understanding of the others."
[Once my eldest brother has made a name for himself with King Xiao and is granted an official position, A'niang and Xin'er will inevitably have to go out and socialize with the women of other families. I don't say how long it will take, but at least we won't get cheated.]
If the tyrant fulfills his bet, my family's social circle will have to expand. The wives of princes, generals, and ministers are truly formidable.
Chu Liuzheng didn't want to let Bai suffer, so he could only be stricter with his sister.
Chu Yuxin pouted, her tone a little aggrieved, "Sister, I want to study hard, but they all laugh at me behind my back."
Chu Liuzheng asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Chu Yuxin was reluctant to say it. She didn't want her elder sister to be unhappy, and she didn't even tell her father and mother.
"You're just making fun of me." Chu Yuxin lay on her elder sister's legs, her cheeks puffed up in unhappiness.
Chu Liuzheng poked her with amusement, "That's no reason for you to collect protection money from your classmates under the banner of Her Royal Highness the Princess. If word gets to Her Royal Highness the Princess, even I won't be able to protect you."
"Then I won't accept it anymore." Chu Yuxin corrected her mistake and asked Qixi to fetch her money box. "Sister, all is yours."
"What do you want me to do for you?" Chu Liuzheng opened the coin box and took a look. There were both small and large amounts of silver in it. A quick glance revealed that there were about two hundred taels of silver.
Chu Yuxin shook her head, feeling somewhat proud, "These are all the dowry I saved for my elder sister."
Chu Liuzheng felt warm in his heart, but he said, "With the money you cheated?"
Chu Yuxin pouted, "I didn't lie, they all took the initiative to send it to me, I didn't ask them to."
"Did you return the gift?"
Chu Yuxin said confidently: "No."
Chu Liuzheng: “…”
She patted her sister's head and returned the money box to her. "Find a chance to return the gifts one by one. If you really want to save up a dowry for me, you have to rely on your real ability."
Chu Yuxin was puzzled: "What real ability?"
Chu Liuzheng nodded her head and said, "You have to think about it yourself. Everyone is different."
Chu Yuxin didn't think about it herself, she hugged Chu Liuzheng and acted coquettishly, "Sister, just tell me, sister~"
Chu Liuzheng was about to tease her when Chen Xing suddenly pushed the door open and came in, "Sister, the young master is here."
[Oh no, time is up, I have to go back to the palace.]
(End of this chapter)
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