Chapter 54 You can only make Zhou Mujiao your concubine!
As Zhao Yunjing and his two companions stepped out of the government office, a delighted female voice rang out behind them: "Brother Zhao!"
He sensed something was wrong, and when he looked back, he was indeed in a bad situation.
The person who called out to him was Miss Chen, the daughter of the county magistrate! Beside her was Young Master Chen!
Young Master Chen stared at Zhao Yunjing and asked his sister, "Wan'er, do you know him?"
As Miss Chen walked towards Zhao Yunjing, she answered her brother's question: "Brother, do you remember? Last time, when Xiao Cui and I were dressed as men and went out on the street, we were almost harassed by some lecherous men. It was Brother Zhao who saved me. Speaking of which, I haven't formally thanked Brother Zhao yet."
Brother Zhao, it's fate that we've met again today. Since destiny has brought us together once more, why not seize the day and have a meal together at the Good Fortune Restaurant?
Young Master Chen's tone softened: "Zhao, although I don't like you, you saved my sister, and I must repay that favor! Come on, I'll treat you to a meal! After this meal, you and my sister will have nothing to do with each other! Don't even think about using this to ask my father for something!"
Sister Liu, with her fiery temper, immediately exploded upon hearing this: "Hey, they taught your sister and protected her innocence, so they're your sister's savior, and also your family's savior! Is this how you talk to your savior? What kind of family are you? Do you have any manners at all?!"
Miss Chen: "My father is Chen Zhi, the magistrate of Taohua County."
The county magistrate is quite something!
Sister Liu gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, the county magistrate is indeed remarkable!"
"The common people can't fight with the officials," Liang An swallowed his words and tugged at Yue Yun Jing's sleeve, "Young Master Zhao, it's already this late..."
He knew about the relationship between Zhao Yunjing and Zhou Mujiao, and his face burned with embarrassment as soon as he opened his mouth, unable to persuade them any further.
Liang An and Sister Liu exchanged a worried glance. This Miss Chen, a lady from a respectable family, dared to call a stranger in public, which was already quite troublesome. With the addition of the纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled and dissolute young master) Young Master Chen, Zhao Yun Jing was afraid he wouldn't be able to leave without suffering a severe beating today.
Miss Chen smiled at Zhao Yunjing: "I would be honored to have such a small honor bestowed upon me by your presence, Brother Zhao."
"Enough with the nonsense, just say whether you're going to eat or not!" Young Master Chen said impatiently.
Zhao Yunjing cupped his hands and said, "Miss Chen, I made it very clear last time that the person who saved you was not me, but Ajiao. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave."
Miss Chen looked dejected, while Mr. Chen beside her suddenly became agitated: "Hey, Mr. Zhao! What did you say? The person who saved my sister was Miss Zhou?"
"It was indeed her who did it."
Young Master Chen was overjoyed: "So Miss Zhou saved my sister! Such a great favor, I must thank you in person! Wan'er, come with me home, and tomorrow morning, we'll go and thank your savior!"
Miss Chen had finally met Zhao Yunjing, so naturally she was unwilling to leave.
Young Master Chen said, “My dear Wan’er, my dear sister, how come I, your brother, am so clever, yet I have such a rigid sister like you? That Miss Zhou lives with that man surnamed Zhao. If you come with me to Peach Blossom Village, I will see Miss Zhou, and you will be able to see that man surnamed Zhao in the same way!”
Although she could go directly to the Zhao family to meet the Zhao family's parents, Miss Chen still put on a stern face: "Big brother, if you keep calling Brother Zhao 'that guy with the surname Zhao,' then I'll tell Mother how badly that woman treated me. Even if you like her then, you can only make her your concubine!"
"Okay, okay, I was wrong, I was wrong. It's Young Master Zhao, Young Master Zhao, alright?"
The brother and sister reached an agreement, and then Young Master Chen raised his voice: "Young Master Zhao, then it's settled. Tomorrow, I will go to your residence to thank Miss Zhou. I won't bother you today. Wan'er, let's go."
Miss Chen kept turning back to look at him, while Zhao Yunjing didn't even turn his head. Liang An and Sister Liu didn't dare to speak. It was only at this moment that they realized that Zhao Yunjing often seemed inconspicuous and didn't talk much, but he was actually a ruthless person!
The dyeing workshop matter went smoothly. Zhao Yunjing kept Zhou Mujiao's instructions in mind and stayed there a little longer. He chatted with the dyeing workshop owner and some workers, and got a general understanding of the situation. After coming out, he also learned about Liang An's progress in building his team. Following Zhou Mujiao's train of thought, he gave some of his own insights and helped Liang An broaden his thinking.
Liang An exclaimed, "Young Master Zhao, you and Miss Zhou are an unbeatable match! I thought you were just all brawn and no brains! By the way, Young Master Zhao, your calligraphy is so beautiful, and your scholarship is quite good. Why don't you spend a year at the county school and take the imperial examination next year? Even if you only get a Xiucai degree, you won't be a commoner anymore, and Miss Zhou can become a Xiucai's wife. If you pass the provincial examination and become an official, the entire Zhao family's status will be elevated!"
Zhao Yunjing smiled and said, "...Then I wish Brother Liang a safe journey."
Liang An went to the clothing store and exchanged a few words with Sister Liu before immediately getting busy. He had seen his former employer, Boss Zhu, that morning. Boss Zhu had ordered his men to follow him, knowing that he was going against him and would definitely take action. He had to prepare in advance.
As the sun set, Zhao Yunjing returned home, his car half-loaded with things he would need for the rest of the day.
The Chen siblings are coming to our house tomorrow, and he needs to tell Zhou Mujiao about it as soon as possible so that she can be mentally prepared. He searched around but couldn't find them.
Uncle Zhao had been watching him for a while, and now he leaned in and said, "Your hypocritical attitude is exactly like your father's back then! You're feeling down because you can't see people, aren't you? I knew you'd regret it!"
Ignoring his father's words, Zhao Yunjing asked in a deep voice, "Father, where is my mother?"
"If you're going to find Ah Jiao, then go find Ah Jiao! Why do you have to say you're going to find your mother? Yun Jing, your father has been through this before, and what I'm telling you is all based on experience. You can't get a wife by beating around the bush. You have to tell her directly, or let her know that you like her, want to marry her, and will work hard to give her a good life!"
"...Where is Gillian?"
"She's a quick learner!" Uncle Zhao said with a reassuring smile. "Your mother couldn't bear to see those fields overgrown with weeds, so she wanted to go and plant something. Ajiao went with her, and she just got there. The hoe is over there. Hurry up, hurry up, or it'll be too late!"
“These things…”
"Get out!"
Zhao Yunjing touched his face, picked up his hoe, and went down to the field.
When the family divided their property, the Zhao family gave them all barren land, either by a swamp or next to rocks. There were only a few slightly better plots, and Zhao Yunjing tried his best to care for and cultivate them, but he still couldn't grow much grain. Even the fields adjacent to theirs had very low yields.
Zhou Mujiao and Aunt Zhao wielded hoes to clear the weeds from the field ridges, slowly patching them up and clearing the drainage ditches.
Several children followed suit and worked very diligently. Even the youngest, eighteen, who was initially attracted by the butterflies, became fully engaged in the work afterward.
However, she was still a child, and she got tired after working for a while. She sat down on the ridge to rest, wearing the sun hat that Zhou Mujiao had made for her out of flowers. Her little face was flushed red from the heat, like a red apple. Zhou Mujiao suddenly wanted to take a bite.
"Eighteen, come here."
As soon as the little girl was called over, she jumped up and exclaimed, "Sister Jiaojiao, Big Brother is here! Big Brother, we're here!"
Zhou Mujiao was also wearing a flower wreath hat. From afar, Zhao Yunjing's heart pounded. As he got closer, he felt that the phrase "more beautiful than flowers" in the Shuowen Jiezi (a dictionary of Chinese characters) must have been drawn based on her.
Seeing that Zhao Yunjing had something to say, Aunt Zhao took the children elsewhere, while Xiao Wu stayed behind with Zhou Mujiao without hesitation.
He said he would protect his older sister, and he wasn't just saying it.
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