Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Stop pretending, you just came here specifically to find...
The surprise of meeting each other dispelled the bad mood just now. Zhang Xiaoman's smile was as bright as the sun in the sky. "You came to see me specially, didn't you?"
Chen Lingan was not as excited as she was. He could even be said to be a little indifferent. "It's just a coincidence."
Zhang Xiaoman didn't believe it at all. "Nonsense, Jinling is so big, how could we just bump into each other?"
Chen Ling'an snorted coldly and walked away.
"Hey, why are you so angry?" Zhang Xiaoman hurried behind, "Wait for me, I have something to ask you!"
Jinxiu followed her closely. Ever since she knew that the hero who saved the beauty was Chen Ling'an, the surprise she felt at first sight immediately disappeared, and was replaced by vigilance - even though she was a little maid, she knew Chen Ling'an's bad reputation, she couldn't let him deceive the girl!
Chen Ling'an didn't look back and slowed down his pace intentionally or unintentionally.
"My fifth sister likes calligraphy and painting. I want to choose a gift for her, but I don't know much about it. Can you help me pick one?" Zhang Xiaoman looked hopeful.
Chen Ling'an finally condescended to look over and asked, "Are you here at the Old Courtyard to buy paper and pens?"
Seeing Zhang Xiaoman's confused expression, Chen Ling'an knew she didn't understand anything. He said unhappily, "This is a place where the rich and powerful gather. You don't know, and neither do your family members?"
Zhang Xiaoman figured out what was going on after a moment's thought. She didn't understand, but the driver must have known, but he kept silent and didn't remind her. Perhaps he had received a "tip" from someone.
I wonder if the old woman following the car was involved.
She sighed secretly, then smiled and said, "I thought the Imperial Academy and the Imperial College were all here, and I thought..."
A hint of sarcasm played on Chen Ling'an's lips. "Thanks to those scholars who are well-read in the books of sages and boast of their romantic talents, the Ten Miles of Qinhuai River has been enriched with so many anecdotes."
"No, I won't come again!" Zhang Xiaoman circled around him, "Please help me, you have real stuff in your stomach, you can't compare to those hypocrites."
"If you dare to give something chosen by a treacherous villain, others will not dare to accept it."
"If you are treacherous, there will be no good people in the world."
"Oh, sweet talk."
…
Although he was full of disgust, he still brought them to a low hill shaded by trees. At the foot of the hill was an inconspicuous writing brush and ink shop with a black lacquered plaque with gold letters hanging on it, which read "Nanhu Study".
The shop front is small, but the interior is spacious. There are almost no customers. The waiter sits behind the counter with his head propped up, yawning out of boredom.
Chen Ling'an coughed lightly.
The young man woke up as if from a dream. When he heard that they came to buy painting supplies, he began to introduce them hurriedly.
What about Hu brushes, Pai brushes, crab claw beards, hemp paper, parchment paper, rice paper, cooked and raw silk, and countless colors of paint... Zhang Xiaoman soon felt dizzy after listening to them and was dazed by what he saw. He couldn't tell what was good and what was bad.
Fortunately, there was Chen Ling'an. Amid the clerk's exaggerated recommendations, he found a box of colorful stones in a corner. After picking for a long time, he picked out a few small blue pieces and asked the clerk to buy them.
The shop assistant refused to sell it. "The shopkeeper said that this was ordered by a regular customer, and he won't sell it to anyone no matter how much they offer."
Chen Ling'an fell silent. A glimpse of sorrow flashed across his eyes, but it was fleeting. When he spoke again, his tone was cold again. "Go and tell your shopkeeper that no one dares to deny me, Chen Ling'an, what I want."
When the waiter heard where he came from, he shrank his neck and hurried into the inner room to ask for advice.
Not long after, he came out, wrapped up the stones and put them into a small brocade box, and said respectfully, "The shopkeeper said that the money has been paid in advance, so you can just take it."
"I don't owe anyone any favors." Chen Ling'an threw down a silver note and turned to walk out of the store.
Zhang Xiaoman asked him how much money he had, "I'll pay you back, you're welcome, I'm a wealthy woman now too."
Chen Ling'an raised his eyebrows and stretched out a finger with a smile.
"One or two taels? That's not bad!" Xiaoman said as he lowered his head to take out his purse.
Chen Lingan laughed and shook his finger, "Is one or two taels of silver worth a silver note?"
"Then... ten taels?" Xiaoman touched her purse. She only had five taels of silver, so she was afraid she would have to pay him back later.
Chen Lingan stopped teasing her and said, "One hundred taels."
"How much?!" Zhang Xiaoman gasped. Wow, just a few stones the size of a fingernail, and they cost one hundred taels!
"It's so expensive, are we being cheated?" Zhang Xiaoman reminded him in a low voice.
Chen Ling'an laughed and held up a piece of stone, explaining, "This is lapis lazuli, also known as ultramarine. It's a very precious pigment, even less valuable than gold."
Zhang Xiaoman sighed twice, his heart bleeding.
"Do you paint?" Chen Lingan glanced at her.
Zhang Xiaoman shook his head.
"That's all. No matter how rare the paint is, it's useless in your hands. You bought a gift specifically for your little sister, so you must really want to make friends with her. When you give a gift, it should be from the heart."
Seeing that she was still grimacing and looked painful, Chen Lingan suddenly thought of something.
Sure enough, Zhang Xiaoman said hesitantly, "Um... can I pay you back slowly?"
The things awarded by her stepmother must not be sold, and she has no private property worth investing in. The only money she can control is one or two taels of silver per month.
I had to save money and secretly send it to Grandma Xuanfu, and I also had to leave some money to reward the maids and servants in the mansion. It would be great if I could have three or four hundred coins in my hands.
I had planned to buy a gift worth two or three taels of silver, but ended up spending a hundred taels all at once. It will take me forever to save enough money!
This won't do. Zhang Xiaoman frowned slowly and began to think about ways to make money.
"Don't even think about shirking your debt." Chen Ling'an glanced at her. "Write me an IOU. If you dare not pay it back, I'll go to Zhang Wen in front of all the civil and military officials at the imperial court to collect the debt!"
"He didn't say he wouldn't return it." Zhang Xiaoman muttered, and seeing Chen Ling'an walking away on his own, she hurriedly picked up her skirt and followed him.
Jinxiu, who had been playing a background role, couldn't help but complain: Why are girls chasing Chen Ling'an all the way? This is the opposite.
Not long after walking out, I heard the sound of reading coming from deep in the shade of the woods.
Zhang Xiaoman looked around curiously, "Is there a school here?"
Chen Ling'an hummed, his tone carrying a hint of bitterness that he himself didn't even notice. "Nan Cui Academy, a place that cultivates the pillars of the nation."
It sounded familiar, as if it was where my eldest brother studied. Zhang Xiaoman glanced at Chen Lingan, who looked unhappy, and wisely stopped the topic.
The Zhang family's carriage was still parked there. The driver and the maid who followed the carriage were sitting at a tea stall, eating melon seeds, drinking tea and chatting. The atmosphere was very lively. Jinxiu called them several times before they slowly came over.
But they were all stunned to see a handsome and cold-faced young man standing next to Zhang Xiaoman.
Chen Ling'an didn't even glance at them. He waved the IOU in his hand at Zhang Xiaoman and left without saying a word.
Because there were outsiders present, Jinxiu couldn't say anything she had on her mind. After finally holding it in, she could not wait to say, "Miss, quickly ask the mistress for two hundred taels of silver. We can't afford to owe him a debt!"
Zhang Xiaoman smiled and said, "It's okay. I'll pay it back eventually. Don't tell my wife, or I'll be really angry."
Jinxiu agreed hesitantly, "I am your maid, so of course I have to follow your wishes... But what happened today cannot be hidden from the master and the mistress, so you should think about how to respond later."
Zhang Xiaoman nodded absentmindedly, playing with the pieces of lapis lazuli in his hands. Somehow, he felt a little sour in his heart.
After thinking about it, he packed a small bag of Yanjin plums and asked Jinxiu to deliver it to the Beizhenfusi Yamen.
Jinxiu shook her head vigorously and refused to leave.
To be honest, everyone close to him avoided Chen Ling'an like the plague, which made Zhang Xiaoman feel really uncomfortable. She took a deep breath and said slowly, "You saw him today too. Do you think he's scary?"
Jinxiu hesitated for a moment and shook her head slightly.
"That's it." Zhang Xiaoman breathed a sigh of relief and continued to persuade him patiently, "If it weren't for him today, we wouldn't know how much humiliation we would have endured. Zhou slandered and insulted him behind his back, but he didn't arrest Zhou and throw him into prison. This shows that he is not a cruel and tyrannical person. The most untrustworthy thing in the world is rumors. People still say that I am ignorant, rude, and stupid. In fact, I am beautiful and intelligent, very smart!"
After saying this, he raised his eyebrows and lifted his chin, looking as if he was looking down on the world.
Jinxiu was so amused that she burst out laughing, and her resolute heart began to falter.
"Miss, why don't you give me something else? Men generally don't like candied fruits. Our master and eldest son rarely touch these snacks," she said.
Zhang Xiaoman told her to just go, "He will definitely accept it."
Jinxiu went out nervously with the Yanjin plums and came back with a look of surprise on her face.
"The people from the Northern Pacification Office said that Lord Chen had gone to the palace on business, and that they would present the things to him when they returned. As soon as I mentioned the girl, they immediately became respectful. Their attitude was beyond words!"
Jinxiu whispered to Zhang Xiaoman, "There's another thing. When I went out, Mrs. Li from the second gate didn't even ask me where I was going. The same thing happened to the people at the corner gate. They've always been close to Aunt Yao. Miss, be careful they might do something bad."
Zhang Xiaoman nodded and secretly prepared his speech.
The result was beyond their expectations. The Zhang family was very calm, without any ripples.
When Mrs. Jiang woke up the next morning, she asked Zhang Xiaoman if she was ready and if there was anything else she needed. It seemed that she was unaware of her little action.
As for his father Zhang Wen, he didn't even show up.
Jinxiu patted her chest in gratitude, but Zhang Xiaoman felt something was wrong. After thinking about it, he thought that someone must have kept it a secret for her.
Who could it be?
She wanted to discuss it with her stepmother, but her stepmother was impatient and had a bad temper. If she knew that the servants knew about it and didn't report it to her and laughed at her, she would have to quarrel with Aunt Yao again.
My father will definitely protect Aunt Yao as always and criticize my stepmother and her for their wrongdoings.
She was not afraid of her father's scolding, but she was afraid that her stepmother would be bullied and sad alone.
Xiaoman thought about it and decided to put it aside for the time being and wait for the old lady to come.
After a drizzle, the old lady of the Zhang family, Yang, returned with the fifth daughter Zhang Anyi and her biological mother, Aunt Sun.
Old Lady Bian was a devout Buddhist who ignored worldly affairs. She spent most of the year living in a nunnery, eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures, returning home only during festivals to receive filial tributes from her children and grandchildren. Even when Zhang Xiaoman returned to Beijing and Madame Jiang personally invited her to join the family reunion, the old lady simply said, "I know."
Aunt Sun was originally a maid serving the old lady. The old lady felt sorry for her son because he didn't have a considerate person who knew his feelings. Seeing that Aunt Sun was honest and kind, she assigned her to serve her son.
She was a few years older than Zhang Wen, of ordinary appearance, and not much favored until she gave birth to Zhang Anyi. Therefore, she had no intention of getting involved in the inner house strife, and simply used the excuse that her daughter was frail and needed rest and recuperation to accompany the old lady in the nunnery.
This was the first time Zhang Xiaoman met them.
Old Mrs. Bian was a bit plump. Although she was nearly sixty years old, her hair was still as black as crow feathers, and there was not a single wrinkle on her face. She lowered her eyes and looked like a calm statue of Guanyin.
Perhaps because he had been in the temple for too long, the smell of cigarette smoke had soaked into his body. Xiaoman, who was sitting at the end of the table, was a good distance away, but the smell still penetrated his nose.
His behavior was that of a sage. Apart from asking about his son's daily life in detail and talking to Mrs. Jiang for a few words, he ignored everyone else equally.
Even the Yao mother and daughter, who were so favored by Zhang Wen, were not spared a glance. As for her newly found granddaughter Zhang Xiaoman, she merely nodded as she knelt in obeisance.
The atmosphere was very depressing for a while.
Aunt Sun said softly, "Madam, it's hot out, and everyone is huddled here, feeling suffocated. Why not let the children go talk in the green gauze cupboard?"
Old Mrs. Bian closed her eyes slightly, which was considered as tacit consent.
Zhang Xiaoman and Zhang Junyi breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, looked at each other, then looked away at the same time, and went to the green gauze cabinet next door, one after the other.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xiaoman gave the prepared gift to Zhang Anyi.
Maybe because they had been together for too long, Zhang Anyi looked very much like an old lady, with a round face, round eyes, and a plump body, like a steamed bun made of leavened dough.
She was not tall, and wore a plain navy blue jacket and skirt. Her hair was also very plain, and there was no bright color on her body. She was obviously only a fourteen-year-old child, but she exuded a heavy old-fashioned air.
But when she saw what was in the brocade box, her eyes immediately sparkled with surprise. She looked at the stone again and again, touched it again and again, and was reluctant to put it down. "It's so beautiful! The color I mix will definitely look great. I love it so much. Third sister, thank you!"
Zhang Xiaoman smiled: At last he looks a bit like a child.
Zhang Junyi also came over to take a look. She was an expert at identifying valuables and could tell at a glance that it was extremely valuable. "Lapis lazuli?! Fifth sister, the person you should thank is the Madam. Third sister couldn't possibly have such a fine thing. It must have come from the Madam's private vault."
"Sister, you're wrong. I bought it," Zhang Xiaoman said defensively. "Mom is always fair. Don't blame her for everything."
Zhang Junyi sneered, "These pieces of lapis lazuli must cost at least a hundred taels of silver. Where did you get the money? Madam has been partial to you for a long time now, and you're acting like someone is jealous of you, and you're just saying it out loud. It's really petty and makes you look even more obvious."
Her voice was quite loud and the noise was quickly heard from the other side of the grille. In a moment, a maid asked the three sisters to come over and answer the call.
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