Chapter 31 Mr. Zhou's Private Residence
Outside the school gate, a black Cullinan was parked under the shade of a tree on the side of the road.
Chen Zan had only taken a few steps out of the school gate when she saw Zhang Qing appear on the road she had to take to get to the bus stop.
She paused and looked at the Cullinan behind him. She didn't seem too surprised by Zhang Qing's appearance. She unconsciously tightened her knuckles, raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, and took the initiative to say, "Is Mr. Zhou here too?"
Zhang Qing replied: "Mr. Zhou has a signing ceremony this morning."
Chen Zhan was stunned for a moment, "So you came to see me?"
Zhang Qing smiled slightly, "Ms. Chen, Mr. Zhou knows everything that happened in the school."
Chen Zan felt that the news spread very quickly. Knowing that she could not resist the Wei family, the only person she could ask for help in the whole Rongchuan was Zhou Jingyu.
Pursing his lips, he said in a mocking tone, "So, are you going to help me deal with this?"
Zhang Qing shook his head: "Miss Chen, do you still remember the priceless pot of Fire Lotus your grandmother gave to Mr. Zhou?"
Chen Zan said nothing.
Zhang Qing continued, "The flower grower I hired isn't very skilled and hasn't been taking good care of the flowers. They haven't looked very energetic these past couple of days. I heard that Miss Chen has been with your grandmother since she was a child and has been deeply influenced by her art of flower cultivation. Miss Chen, are you free to come with me to take a look?"
Chen Zan looked up at the dark clouds in the sky that were getting heavier and heavier. She said inexplicably, "Secretary Zhang, it's going to rain."
Zhang Qing didn't understand what she meant and didn't want to talk to her casually, but Mr. Zhou said that he would pick her up and it would be up to Ms. Chen whether to go with her or not. This was only the first time.
In his puzzled eyes, Chen Zhan smiled at him gently and said, "Please ask Secretary Zhang to take me there."
Zhang Qing thought that this trip would not be so easy, but Chen Zhan suddenly loosened his grip, catching him off guard. He looked at the other party in shock, thinking he had misheard.
Until Chen Zhan had already walked past him and reached the car, he said softly, "Secretary Zhang, aren't we leaving?"
Zhang Qing came back to his senses, took a few steps forward and opened the car door. Before getting in, he still carefully confirmed again: "Ms. Chen, have you made up your mind?"
The Sleeping Fire Lotus was actually just an excuse. Everyone knew what Chen Zan's departure represented.
Chen Zhan's eyes fell on Zhang Qing coldly, and his tone was unusually calm, "Secretary Zhang, I've been forced into a desperate situation. Is there any better choice?"
Zhang Qing was speechless. There was indeed no better choice than Mr. Zhou. However, if Chen Zan knew that she was forced into this situation because of Mr. Zhou's instigation, she wondered how she would feel. But Miss Chen would probably never know.
He just said, "Miss Chen, Mr. Zhou loves to protect people and likes to defend their shortcomings. If you follow him, you won't have these grievances anymore."
Chen Zhan turned his eyes away and didn't respond to this. He just said, "I don't have that much time. Whether it's my mother, grandmother's surgery, or my homework, I hope everything can get back on track."
Zhang Qing: "That's natural."
The car door closed, shutting out all the surrounding noise. As I merged into the traffic, a light rain began to fall, hitting the car window, creating small splashes that eventually grew thicker and thicker, blurring the entire window.
——
Chen Zan didn't know where Zhou Jingyu lived, but rich people usually lived in the luxury residential areas with the highest housing prices in Rong City.
But when the car drove to the most prosperous commercial district in the city center, Chen Zhan was a little surprised, "Secretary Zhang, are you still going shopping?"
Zhang Qing smiled without saying anything, and the car turned into the alley.
In addition to the large high-end commercial areas and office buildings, the most lively area of the First Ring Road Center in Rongcheng is the cultural and tourist attraction behind it, which consists of three alleys of varying widths and the courtyards between them. It has also been developed into a very distinctive internet celebrity check-in area in the center of Rongcheng.
Chen Zhan would also come here to shop with friends during holidays, and would often meet foreign tourists checking in and taking photos here.
But this was obviously not a residential area, until the car passed through the bustling downtown area and drove into a secluded alley, stopping in front of a house with a sign.
"Private residence, no visitors allowed"
The thick black walnut double door panels have a texture like a solidified dark river and are inlaid with brass door knockers. Two stone lions are guarding on both sides. Above the door lintel hangs an ebony plaque with the two words "Jingfu" written in a thin gold script, which is extremely elegant.
Chen Zan was surprised. She had been here before for shopping, but she was always stopped by the uncle in the security booth nearby. He told them that this was a private residence, not a scenic spot, and not open to the public, so they wanted to go somewhere else.
The security guard in the security booth just glanced at the license plate and let the car pass. The garage next to the gate for vehicles to exit slowly rose.
After getting off the car, Chen Zan couldn't help but exclaim, "Is this Mr. Zhou's residence?"
Zhang Qing explained with a smile: "It is said that the alleys in the center of Rongcheng are very similar to the old alleys in Beijing. In fact, during the Qing Dynasty, they were all the residences of the Manchu and Mongolian Eight Banners, and their construction was similar.
The Zhou family's old lady's ancestors were from the orthodox upper three banners, the White Banner. When the alley was being renovated, the government reclaimed most of their property and sold it. The old lady wanted to keep it, so she kept it here and hired someone to take care of it. Coincidentally, Mr. Zhou came to Rongchuan this time, and the house happened to be located in the center with convenient transportation, so he decided to stay here.
"The old lady of the Zhou family changed her ancestor's name to Jing, so this place is called Jing Mansion."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zan was once again shocked by the Zhou family's wealth and status.
The gate is deep and facing is not a courtyard, but an elegant bluestone screen wall with ink painting engraved on it. In front of the wall is a shallow pool with clear water and a few red and white koi swimming in it.
Passing through this screen-like space, the courtyard's true appearance is revealed. The courtyard is spacious and square, and its layout inherits the framework of the traditional courtyard house, but has been improved in style to be more in line with modern homes.
The main house in the north is the most spacious and has been converted into a small second floor. It does not have the traditional flying eaves, but is covered with large floor-to-ceiling windows.
The most luxurious place Chen Zhan has ever been to is the Tang Palace Club, but compared with the Tang Palace's decoration that is so luxurious that it looks like a nouveau riche, this place reveals the owner's profound background everywhere.
Along the way, there were not many servants in sight. Zhang Qing said that Zhou Jingyu was not used to being served by too many people, so the servants came to clean at a fixed time every day.
As for the furnishings in the house, Chen Zhan took a quick glance and saw a lot of celadon and white glaze, as well as artistic calligraphy and paintings. If nothing unexpected happened, they should all be authentic.
As soon as Chen Zan put down his schoolbag, Zhang Qing went to the garden room and brought out the pot of sleeping lotus.
I don’t know how the servants here take care of this pot of water lilies every day. It certainly doesn’t look as good as the one I took care of in October at my grandmother’s house.
Chen Zhan was not a squeamish person. He rolled up his sleeves and went to check the soil. He also asked Secretary Zhang to get some fertilizer for the flowers.
"Winter has arrived in Rongchuan. The water temperature of the Sleeping Fire Lotus needs to be kept above 1°C during its growth period, otherwise it will stop growing."
Chen Zhan was no longer as reserved as he had been when he first arrived, now that he was in his area of expertise. While measuring the water temperature, he said, "If the water temperature is below ten degrees for a long time, it may cause frost damage. The water depth should also be around 25 to 30 centimeters, and the water quality must be kept clean..."
After she finished speaking, Zhang Qing didn't respond, so she looked up at Zhang Qing with a puzzled look.
Zhang Qing scratched his head and said, "Miss Chen, this flower is really delicate. I'll have to trouble you to take good care of it from now on."
He is capable at work in the group, but his flower-growing skills are a little lacking.
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhan put down the small shovel he was using to fertilize, pursed his lips slightly and said, "Secretary Zhang, I still have to go to school and don't plan to live here every day."
Following Zhou Jingyu doesn't mean she has lost her own life.
Zhang Qing was understanding and said, "Ms. Chen only needs to discuss this matter with Mr. Zhou. Mr. Zhou is very easy to talk to."
Chen Zhan sighed softly, "Maybe."
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