Zhuang Liuyun, who left in a panic yesterday, was picked up back early this morning.
Seeing the car driving into the alley where Chi's house was located, she couldn't help but hold her brother's hand tightly, put her head against the car window, and looked out nervously.
Chen Xuanting glanced at her in the rearview mirror and said casually, "The Second Young Master left home last night and hasn't returned. It's said he had an argument with the Marshal. The Marshal is a soldier, and the Second Young Master is a scholar. The two brothers have different personalities and never get along."
Zhuang Liuyun's nervousness immediately disappeared, and he breathed a sigh of relief toward the car window. However, it was cold, and the breath immediately turned into mist, sticking to the car window.
She was startled and quickly glanced at Chen Xuanting. Seeing that he was concentrating on driving and didn't notice her, she raised her white and tender hand and quickly wiped away the mist.
After destroying the evidence, she wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but then she realized she was still facing the car window, so she quickly covered her mouth.
She didn't realize that her actions had already been seen by Chen Xuanting, who was silently curling his lips.
The car drove around the long alley and arrived at the main gate of Chi's house.
Chi Ming stood upright on the steps, with a mink cloak hanging in his arms and a pair of small and exquisite leather shoes in his hands. Beside him was an attendant holding an umbrella.
The winter rain was still falling, wetting the blue brick ground and bringing a biting chill.
Seeing the car approaching, Chi Ming immediately walked down the steps, walked around to the side where Zhuang Li was, and stretched out his hand from a distance, making a gesture to open the car door.
Chen Xuanting quickly stopped the car.
"Don't get out yet." Chi Ming opened the car door and warned in a deep voice.
Zhuang Liuyun froze as he tried to get out of the car. Looking back, he realized he wasn't talking to himself, but to his younger brother. He saw Brother Chi hand the mink cloak he had in his arms to the attendant. He then half-crouched by the open car door, helping his younger brother take off his cotton shoes and replace them with the leather shoes he had someone buy him yesterday. Then he reached out and helped his younger brother out of the car.
Zhuang Liuyun: “…” He felt that his doting on his younger brother was surpassed by Brother Chi.
Zhuang Li nestled comfortably in Chi Ming's arms and chuckled, "You little idiot, see? This is my sedan chair."
7480: “…” Childish!
Chi Ming gently placed the boy on the ground, then took the mink cloak handed to him by the attendant, shook it open, and wrapped it around the boy and the fat cat in his arms.
"Take two steps slowly and see if your shoes hurt your feet. If your feet hurt, you must tell Brother Chi. It's okay if you don't want to tell him. Just lift your toes and shake them. Brother Chi will help you change your shoes right away." Chi Ming instructed seriously.
He didn't think Zhuang Li was a fool at all.
He firmly believed that the boy would understand what he said and would respond one day, so he would never tire of telling the boy how to live.
Zhuang Li, who was wrapped like a ball, had no time to pay attention to Chi Ming. He was pulling at his clothes, trying to get the fat cat's head out.
Chi Ming was not angry. He took off the boy's mink hat and scratched his head.
---
Chi Ming brought the siblings to a beautiful Chinese-style courtyard and introduced them, "You will live here from now on. My yard is next to it."
"Thank you, Brother Chi. I like it here very much." Zhuang Liuyun bowed gratefully.
Chi Ming pointed to the small building next to the yard and said, "That's the library I prepared for Xiaobao. Let's go in and take a look."
"Oh, there's a library here too?" Zhuang Liuyun was surprised. She had thought that a military commander like Brother Chi didn't like reading.
Chi Ming said without hesitation: "It used to be a warm room, used for leisure and entertainment. This morning, thinking that you would stay for a long time, I temporarily had it converted into a library."
Zhuang Liuyun thanked him profusely, deeply moved. Without a doubt, this library was specially prepared by Brother Chi for Xiaobao. From now on, Xiaobao could live there peacefully. Wherever there were books, that was his home.
Several servants came in and out carrying basins of water, rags, brooms, and other items in their hands. It seemed that they had been busy all morning.
After entering the small building, I found that it was indeed very clean. The furniture everywhere was bright, the lights and water heaters were on, and the temperature was very warm and pleasant.
The first floor was the reception room, furnished with a sofa, a gramophone, a small round table, and other furniture. The second and third floors were completely empty, and there was no time to install bookshelves, so a pile of books was neatly stacked in the corner. The floor was covered with a white cashmere carpet, which felt like walking on clouds.
Zhuang Liuyun was stunned for a moment, and after a long moment, he said with tears in his eyes, "Thank you, Brother Chi! This place is just like the library at home. Xiaobao loves to lie on the carpet and read. Give him a book or a newspaper, and he'll read quietly for a whole day. He'll definitely like it here."
Chi Ming squatted down and took off Zhuang Li's leather shoes, changed them into new cotton slippers, and then gently pushed Zhuang Li into the house.
He looked at the boy's back gently, with anticipation in his eyes.
Zhuang Li put the fat cat down, walked to the corner, and began to carefully look through the pile of books.
Most of Chi Ming's books are about military affairs, and some are about politics and philosophy. Although there are not many of them, they are all excellent works.
As a scientist, Zhuang Li naturally loves reading, so he likes this place very much.
Chi Ming, who had never had any interaction with the original owner, was able to build such a library according to the original owner's preferences overnight, which shows his intentions.
Zhuang Li stroked the cover of one of the books and asked in his heart, "Little idiot, now you understand what the distinguished guest means, right?"
7480 said sourly, "I understand."
Damn it, the host is simply inhuman! They're an old married couple, yet they're still manipulating the emotions and will of the gods. The gods would be furious if they knew!
"He won't be angry." Zhuang Li guessed 7480's thoughts and said with great certainty, "No matter what I look like, he will love me. Now I am even more certain of this."
7480: “…”
I'm so angry! When will Shen Ling, this gigolo, finally stand up for himself?
Seeing Zhuang Li completely immersed in his books, ignoring him, Chi Ming felt a little empty, yet also very comforted. Currently, his greatest wish was to keep the boy and let him slowly get used to life here.
As long as the boy lives in peace and happiness every day, Chi Ming will be satisfied.
"Let's go. Let's not disturb him." Chi Ming motioned for Zhuang Liuyun to follow him outside. Pointing at a maid standing at the door, he said, "I've called all the servants who serve you to the front hall. She's Aunt Ma. Go with her to greet everyone. If anyone neglects Xiaobao, just tell me and I'll kick them out immediately."
"I understand. Thank you, Brother Chi." Zhuang Liuyun didn't know how to express his gratitude.
She was used to lowering herself to the dust and had no idea that everything Chi Ming arranged had nothing to do with her.
Every blade of grass, every brick and tile here exist to meet Zhuang Li's needs, and Zhuang Liuyun is just a by-product.
Even so, for Zhuang Liuyun, this was already the most generous gift she had ever received. With tears in her eyes, she escorted Chi Ming to the gate of the courtyard, bowing repeatedly to express her gratitude.
Chi Ming pointed to the gate of the courtyard next door and said, "This is my residence. No outsiders are allowed to trespass. If you need to see me, you must first tell the guards at the door, and they will pass on your message. I still have official business to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. I'll come back to have lunch with Xiaobao at noon."
"Okay, okay, Brother Chi, you go ahead and do your work." Zhuang Liuyun bowed repeatedly, his attitude very fearful.
Zhuang Li stood on a tall building holding the fat cat, overlooking their every move.
He could read lips, so he knew what the two were saying.
Chi Ming treated Zhuang Liuyun politely but also distantly. After saying goodbye, he turned and went to his own courtyard and entered the heavily guarded study.
His study was also a small stand-alone building, with two armed guards guarding the door, and many soldiers patrolling back and forth.
Standing upstairs, Zhuang Li could still see Chi Ming's every move, because the small building he was in stood between the two courtyards, and the left and right windows corresponded to the scenery of the two courtyards respectively.
After Chi Ming entered the study, Zhuang Li withdrew his gaze and was about to continue reading, but he found that a woman in her forties or fifties walked straight into Chi Ming's yard carrying a food box.
The armed guards didn't try to stop her; instead, they saluted respectfully. She could go wherever she wanted, without needing to be informed.
The woman passed through the gate, around the garden, and entered Chi Ming's study unimpeded. She was wearing a gorgeous cheongsam, expensive jewelry, and exquisite makeup. Although she was no longer young, she still had a charming charm.
The soldiers in charge of guarding the study all saluted her, which shows how special her status is in the mansion.
Zhuang Li stared at the woman's back for a while, then walked back to the pile of books, picked out a copy from the scattered newspapers, read it silently for a while, and then put it down.
This newspaper published a personal interview with Chi Ming. Through his own oral account, Zhuang Li quickly grasped the basic situation of the Chi family.
The woman who could freely enter and leave Chi Ming's study without reporting to him should be his stepmother, that is, Chi Cheng's biological mother.
Chi Ming is the legitimate son, and Chi Cheng is the illegitimate son.
The Japanese bombed Chi Ming's father and mother to death, but this woman managed to escape the war zone in disguise with her two young brothers. She had saved Chi Ming's life, so Chi Ming was very tolerant of Chi Cheng.
Zhuang Li reviewed the Chi family's situation in his mind before starting to read the other news. He sorted the newspapers in chronological order, carefully examining each one, making sure not to miss a single detail.
At the same time, Chi Cheng's mother, Lin, was opening the food box and asked worriedly, "Chi Ming, are you really separating from Cheng'er? He came to me and cried yesterday. Please don't bother with him because he is still young."
"Twenty-two is not young anymore. When I was twenty-two, I was fighting the Japanese in the north and was almost killed by a shell." Chi Ming closed the battle report and said in a cold tone.
Lin choked and said, "Then can you give him some time to move out? He has no money and can't even afford to rent a decent house."
"This is his spending in recent years, Aunt Lin, please take a look." Chi Ming handed over a stack of bills that he had prepared long ago and said seriously, "He has taken a total of 200,000 yuan from me. When my father died, the inheritance he left to my brother and me was only 200,000 yuan in total.
"Over the years, I've taken everything from the Chi family, risking my life to get it. He took 200,000 yuan, which is equivalent to taking all the family property left by my father. I didn't take a penny. He didn't have money to rent a house, that's his business, it has nothing to do with me."
Chi Ming clasped his hands together and asked calmly, "Aunt Lin, you are always reasonable. What do you think of my treatment of Chi Cheng?"
Lin: “…”
"Forget it. Cheng'er has become more and more unreasonable since he met Ding Ning. Let him live outside for a while and suffer a little." Lin tried to fight for the privilege of her son to continue living in the Chi residence in a roundabout way.
Chi Ming saw through her little thoughts, but he was also grateful for her life-saving grace, so he indirectly agreed: "If he can't make it outside, the door of the Chi family will still be open to him."
Lin was finally relieved and brought the boiling ginseng soup to Chi Ming's desk, but accidentally knocked over the bowl of soup, soaking a pile of documents.
Chi Ming immediately moved away, while Lin took out a handkerchief and hurriedly cleaned the table.
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