Chapter 83
The changing area is made of a pole covered with opaque cloth, which cannot block out the outside noise. The sound of talking and laughing can be heard from time to time, so close that it seems to be right next to your ears.
Zhou Li put his hand on Tang Jing's hand and said in a low voice, "Get out."
The man came in with unknown intentions, and Zhou Li's hair stood on end. He was really busy these days and had no time to feed someone. Tang Jing's resentful eyes seemed to have substance, and almost poked a hole in Zhou Li's back several times.
Tang Jing didn't let go, "I'll help you."
She took Zhou Li's hand away and continued as she pleased.
Zhou Li wore a costume belt on the outside. When she untied the costume, she saw a wide belt inside to show off her slender waist. The snow-white inner garment was like clouds in the sky. Tang Jing couldn't let go of her slender waist.
Zhou Li was ticklish, so she slapped Tang Jing's hand away and glared at him, "If you want to serve me, serve me well."
A lazy smile appeared on Tang Jing's lips. He pinched Zhou Li's waist and said, "Let me measure it."
Zhou Li scolded her and aborted the baby.
As if hearing the noise inside, someone passing by asked, "Master, are there mosquitoes?"
Zhou Li nuzzled Tang Jing, and Tang Jing grabbed her hand, brought it to her lips and kissed it. Zhou Li pushed her head away and snorted coldly to the outside: "Yeah, it's really big. I patted it several times but it didn't kill it."
"Then the boss, please change quickly, or you won't get bitten."
"Um."
Zhou Li put her hands on Tang Jing's head to prevent her from taking any further action. Tang Jing pinched Zhou Li's waist with both hands and pulled her into his arms. Zhou Li lost her balance and was pulled down. Tang Jing leaned against the wall. Her face rubbed against Tang Jing's shoulder, leaving a mark of rouge and powder. Tang Jing took the opportunity to kiss Zhou Li.
Zhou Li hadn't taken off her makeup yet. She pinched Tang Jing's mouth and said viciously, "I'll poison you to death!"
Rouge is filled with lead powder, and eating too much is bad for your health.
Tang Jing loved her bold look, his chest trembled and he chuckled.
"If I die, will you be a widow?"
Zhou Li adjusted his tone and whispered, "Stop making trouble."
Tang Jing said lazily: "Well, kiss me and I'll let you go."
Zhou Li pulled Tang Jing's ear, "You're so beautiful!"
Tang Jing tried to rub against her, but Zhou Li dodged him.
Someone outside urged, "Boss, are you still not done cleaning up?"
"Everyone, it's time to go eat!"
Zhou Li patted her shoulder, and Tang Jing let go and stopped making trouble.
After helping Zhou Li take off his costume, Zhou Li glared at Tang Jing and said, "I'm going out first."
Tang Jing raised the corners of his lips and waved at her.
Everyone started packing up. Zhou Li adjusted her clothes and went to remove her makeup. As soon as she left, Xiao Yuan bumped into Zhou Li's legs like a firecracker and asked, "Boss, why is that sister gone?"
Zhou Li subconsciously looked behind her and saw Tang Jing was about to take a step forward. She held Xiao Yuan's hand and used her body to block him and took Xiao Yuan away.
"My sister should have gone back." Zhou Li said.
Tang Jing shouldn't be in trouble with Zhang Man. Besides, this is Guanshi County. Who would dare to lay a hand on the eldest daughter of the Zhang family? If something happened to the Zhang family on Zhang's territory, it would be a joke.
"Oh." Xiao Yuan asked again: "What about Sister Tang Jing? I saw her just now, and she disappeared in the blink of an eye."
Zhou Li's face flushed. She coughed and said, "I didn't see it either. Maybe he went back with Sister Zhang Man."
Xiao Yuan said regretfully: "I still want to talk to her for a while and ask her where the brothers who were rescued by the boss last time are now."
Zhou Li was stunned. She had forgotten about this, but Xiao Yuan still remembered it.
Zhou Li softened his voice, "Then we can ask her next time we see her."
Just as Madoka nodded, she heard a voice behind her, "I can tell you right now."
Tang Jing was standing right behind them.
Xiao Yuan cheered, broke free from Zhou Li's hand and hugged Tang Jing's thigh, "Sister, sister, how are they? I came from the northwest this time and brought them gifts!"
"It's all good. Go back to the orphanage and learn from the teachers." Tang Jing picked up Xiaoyuan. Xiaoyuan exclaimed and hugged her neck.
Looking at the ground so far away from her, Xiaoyuan's pupils were filled with fear and excitement. She giggled: "So they will become little masters in the future?"
"That depends on what they are willing to do."
Xiao Yuan nodded, not quite understanding. Someone called her from the front. Tang Jing put Xiao Yuan down, ruffled her hair, and said, "When your class leader is free, I'll take you to see them."
Xiaoyuan ran away happily.
Zhou Li pursed her lips: "Did I agree?"
Tang Jing walked a few steps towards her and rubbed her hair as if he was rubbing her little round head: "If you don't want to watch, then don't go. I'll listen to you."
What is this? As if she really obeyed.
Zhou Li pushed Tang Jing's hand away unhappily, "Wait a few days, until I'm done with my work here."
Zhou Li also wanted to go and see how those children were doing.
Tang Jing followed behind her. Zhou Li reacted and turned around suddenly, bumping into Tang Jing. Tang Jing held her shoulders. Zhou Li took a step back, poked Tang Jing's chest and whispered, "What did I say just now? Why didn't you come out after a while?"
Tang Jing said innocently, "They wanted to move the shelf, so I had to come out."
Zhou Li looked over and saw that the shelf was indeed gone.
She stood up straight, snorted coldly, turned around and left, and Tang Jing followed closely.
People I met around me would often call out, "Boss."
"The boss will have dinner later."
"I'll just wash my face and go." Zhou Li nodded.
Dapeng ran in from outside, sweating profusely. He had packed up early and was now saying to Zhou Li in shock: "Outside, outside, a group of soldiers is coming!" Dapeng was so scared that he couldn't speak clearly.
Zhou Li frowned. She walked around Dapeng and walked out quickly. There was indeed a group of soldiers coming outside, especially the man riding a tall horse in front. He had a serious expression, two deep wrinkles between his brows, and his hands were holding the reins. He was looking at the City God Temple. Zhou Li was about to go out to greet him, wondering where this official came from. Logically speaking, this was Zhang Mei's territory, and she was on good terms with the Zhang family. It was impossible for the people around her to be unaware of the situation. Besides, Tang Jing should have taken care of everything.
Zhou Li glanced at Tang Jing, and that one glance made her stop in her tracks, because Tang Jing was one step faster than her and called out, "Brother?"
Tang Jing walked out, stood in front of the man, looked up and asked, "Brother, why are you here?"
The man looked down and sneered, "Come to catch you."
Before Tang Jing could react, the man waved his hand, and two people came from behind and twisted Tang Jing's hands behind his back like prisoners.
Tang Jing had a puzzled look on her face. When the people she brought with her saw their master being tied up, they stood up and fought against the other party.
The man looked around and said in a deep voice, "Are you planning a rebellion, Tang Jing?"
Tang Jing asked calmly, "Brother, you came to see me right after you got back. I wonder if you've seen our parents first."
The man sneered, "That's none of your business. Today, I'm going to enforce the family law on my father's behalf! How could our Zhang family raise a scoundrel like you? Neither male nor female! And you're still hanging around with other people!"
When the man mentioned the word "hanging out", his eyes were directed at Zhou Li, and Zhou Li was shocked.
This man should be the eldest son of the Zhang family - Zhang Zifeng. Zhang Zifeng has been away all the time, and he is hostile when he just came back. It seems that not all members of the Zhang family are as easy to talk to as his parents.
Zhang Zifeng held the reins with one hand and with the other drew the whip from his waist, pointing at the people surrounding him and saying, "What? Are you going to stand up for your master?"
Now everyone looked at each other. On the surface, Zhang Zifeng was the eldest son of the Zhang family and had a high status, so they naturally did not dare to offend him. However, the Anbu was above other departments, so they only listened to the leaders of the Anbu.
Seeing that the two sides were about to fight, Tang Jing spoke up.
"I'll go back with you. Once I see my father and mother, I'll know the answer."
Zhang Zifeng snorted coldly. Tang Jing was tied up by someone. The person said sorry, put her on the horse, and went straight home with the team. Tang Jing's people also withdrew, leaving only the people in the troupe in a panic.
Zhou Li said in a clear voice: "It's okay, it's just an accident between them. It has nothing to do with us."
Is it really irrelevant? Zhou Li sat in the restaurant, staring at the teacup on the table in a daze.
The dishes have been served. Today is the first performance in Guanshi County. Although something happened just now, it does not affect everyone's interest. Those who want to drink drink, and those who don't want to drink drink tea. Let's raise our glasses to celebrate the opening of the theater today.
Zhou Liqiang cheered himself up, stood up and said a few words, then sat down again. After she took the first bite of the dish, everyone started to eat. Zhou Li didn't have a big appetite, so she put down her chopsticks after a few bites and drank tea, occasionally taking care of Xiaoyuan. Gousheng liked his master more, so he stuck to Dapeng and sat at the men's table. He was secretly fed a sip of wine, and his little eyebrows were wrinkled, making everyone at the table laugh.
Xiao Yuan also had a good appetite, but she was small and felt full after eating a little. Seeing Zhou Li drinking soup, she waited silently. After a while, she asked, "Master, when are we going to the orphanage to see the brothers?"
Zhou Li was stunned, put down the bowl, and touched Xiao Yuan's head. "Wait until your sister Tang Jing is free."
Xiao Yuan tilted her head and asked, "Sister Tang Jing was just tied up and taken away by her brother. Did she do something wrong? Then will she still be free?"
Zhou Li didn't know how to answer, so he could only touch Xiao Yuan's head and assured uncertainly: "Probably."
Gousheng over there was also full, and called out to Xiaoyuan. Xiaoyuan got off the stool, and the two children ran away hand in hand.
Zhou Li picked up the chopsticks, took two bites of the food, and put them down again. Thinking of Zhang Zifeng's arrogant attitude just now, he felt a little uneasy. Looking at the expressions of Zhang Mei and Ji Qingshu, they should not lynch Tang Jing, right?
After eating, everyone returned to their residence. Zhou Ligang picked up the book at hand and took a look at it.
In summer, the days are long and the nights are short. The sky is clear and the sun shines obliquely from the west, making people dizzy. Zhou Li picked up the book but couldn't concentrate on reading. Fortunately, she stood up and walked around the room, and then stood by the window.
The house she lived in was the largest room in the house and had the best orientation. Tang Jing had given her the title deed at that time, and when Zhou Li came, the housekeeper of the house gave her this room, saying that it was decorated by the master herself. Standing in the room, everything Zhou Li saw was arranged according to her preferences.
Laughter was heard outside. The people in the troupe were not satisfied with their performance in the theater, so they came back to play some musical instruments and sing. This was their daily routine in the past, but Zhou Li was absent-minded. He closed the window and sat alone in the room in a daze.
It was not until the night fell that Zhou Li came to her senses. She looked at the sky, went to get some water, washed her face, and got ready for bed.
In the middle of the night, someone suddenly knocked on the door, and a panicked servant came in and asked, "Where is Mr. Zhou? Miss Zhang Man asked me to find her! Please ask her to come to the mansion as soon as possible!"
Zhou Li was still sleeping, but her sleep was not very peaceful. She had some messy dreams. She woke up suddenly, but she didn't know what she dreamed about and why she was so scared. She was sitting up and thinking about drinking some water when she heard a knock on the door.
"Mr. Zhou! It's urgent!"
Zhou Li went to open the door in his inner clothes and saw a familiar servant standing next to the old figure of the housekeeper.
The servant knelt down to Zhou Li when he saw her, and said in a panic, "I am from Miss Zhang Man's courtyard. Miss Zhang Man is begging Mr. Zhou to go to the mansion and save her elder sister!"
Zhou Li's eyes widened instantly, and he helped the servant up and asked, "What?"
The servant was quite articulate and said briefly, "Master and Madam are not at home, and the eldest young master wants to punish the eldest young lady with family discipline! The young lady can't stop him!"
"I'll leave now!" Zhou Li made a prompt decision, went in to change his clothes, and followed the servants to Zhang's house.
She had originally thought that with Zhang Mei around, Zhang Zifeng would not act arbitrarily, but she didn't expect that Zhang Mei was not there.
Zhou Li was worried. He followed his servant out and got on a carriage to rush to Zhang's house.
The sound of night watchmen was heard outside. Zhou Li was suspicious for a moment, but she had already arrived at Zhang's house and had no time to think.
The guard at the door saw the pass token and let Zhou Li in. By then, Tang Jing was pinned down on a stool, and Zhang Zifeng personally held the cane: "Tell me, do you admit your mistake?!"
Tang Jing shouted, "I'm not wrong!"
Zhang Man pleaded, "Brother! After all, my elder sister is a woman! How can you treat her the same way you treat your own soldiers?"
Zhang Zixin was on the side trying to persuade Zhang Man to go away so as not to get hurt accidentally. The four of them were trying to persuade each other, each with their own advice.
Arriving here in a panic, Zhou Li was stunned and didn't know what to do.
Zhang Man was sharp-eyed. Seeing Zhou Li arrive, she ran over crying, grabbed Zhou Li's hand, and said, "My eldest brother insisted that I was wrong and told me to mend my ways. I refused to listen to anyone's advice and even called you a demon. How could Mr. Zhou be a demon? Please talk to my eldest brother and ask him to let me go."
Zhou Li was even more stunned. Zhang Zifeng didn't listen to anyone, so why would he listen to her?
Before she could figure it out, Zhang Zifeng pounded the stick into the ground and said, "Didn't you say you two are truly in love? If you really love me, prove it to me. Will she be able to live with you? Or die with you? Even if I beat you to death today, she can only watch!"
Zhou Li was incredibly angry when these words came out. Her eyes blazed with sparks as she looked at Zhang Zifeng and cursed, "Did you give birth to her or raise her? What gives you the right to decide her life?"
"Why?"
"Because she was raised by my father! As the eldest son of this family, I have the right to teach my sister a lesson!" After saying this, Zhang Zifeng raised his stick and hit Tang Jing's butt! Tang Jing groaned, Zhou Li's pupils constricted, and his chest rose and fell.
Zhang Zifeng raised the stick and hit Tang Jing again. Tang Jing didn't say a word. Zhang Man's eyes were red with tears. Zhang Zixin just stopped her from the side and told her not to get involved in this matter. Since her father and mother were not at home, the eldest brother was the oldest in the family and no one could stop him.
Zhou Li heard another sound. She couldn't help herself and stepped forward, grabbed Zhang Zifeng's stick, and shouted, "If you want to hit her, then hit me too! I seduced her! Yes, I am the witch you're talking about! Since you look down on us so much, beat us all to death if you have the guts!"
After Zhou Li finished speaking, the yard fell silent.
Suddenly, there was a burst of applause. Xu Ziyi arrived with the elders of the Ranger Hall. He tutted, "What are you doing? The young people of the Ranger Hall are having a free love relationship. Does that bother you? I told them not to publicize their relationship. Look, isn't this making people hate them?"
The latter sentence was said by Xu Ziyi to the elder.
The elder forced a smile on his wrinkled face: "Young people nowadays are still too naive."
The elder clasped his fists towards Zhang Zifeng and said, "Sir, our Ranger Hall has already negotiated with the mansion. We originally wanted to strengthen the relationship and arrange an engagement with our second son, but look at these two unfortunate couples on the ground. Don't they also meet the requirements? Boss Zhou is a core member of our Ranger Hall, and Miss Tang is also from the mansion. Why not let them go?"
Zhang Zifeng frowned at first, seeing Zhou Li's stubborn expression, then seeing the hostile looks in the yard, he loosened his grip, and Zhou Li snatched the stick away. He shouted angrily, "This is simply ridiculous! How can a woman..."
"I agree." A majestic voice pierced through people's eardrums. Zhang Zifeng looked towards the entrance of the yard in shock. Zhang Mei and Ji Qingshu came back.
Zhang Mei frowned and waved her hand to have Tang Jing carried back to the house. Tang Jing refused. She was only hit by two sticks. She was fine. She looked at Zhou Li. Zhou Li was still holding the stick tightly, staring at Zhang Zifeng with hatred, as if he really wanted to hit him with a stick.
There was a smile in Tang Jing's eyes, but it quickly disappeared. He gasped, trying to attract someone's attention. Sure enough, Zhou Li threw away the stick and ran to help Tang Jing.
Ji Qingshu looked at the chaos in the yard and sighed. She had just left with her husband today and such a big thing happened right after. Feng'er is so stupid, doesn't he know that if he makes a fuss, he will bring shame to the family?
Ji Qingshu came over and looked at Tang Jing with heartache, and said to Zhou Li: "Please take her back to the house first. We are here, kid, don't be afraid."
Zhou Li pursed his lips and nodded.
Zhang Zifeng shouted angrily: "Dad! Is this acceptable?!"
Zhang Mei didn't bother to pay attention to him and said to the elder of the Ranger Hall, "Since we want to become in-laws, why don't we discuss it in detail?"
The elder went there happily and winked at Xu Ziyi before leaving. Xu Ziyi walked up to Zhang Zifeng leisurely to persuade him. He had met Zhang Zifeng once before and they were not unfamiliar with each other.
Meanwhile, Zhou Li supported Tang Jing, who put his weight on her. Zhou Li muttered, "Even children know to run away when they get beaten. Don't you know that? Why put up with this? Even telling a few lies wouldn't lead to this."
"I don't want to."
Tang Jing said: "I want to love you openly and honestly."
"Zhou Li, I did it."
"And you?"
"Do you love me a little now?"
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