Chapter 66
No one knew which era the system was produced in, but it understood many of the things Chu Huan said. It was not known whether it had eaten the melons from her previous life, or whether it was originally from the modern era.
Even now, when others were still confused, the system understood it in seconds.
System: [Hey, Sister Huan, I wouldn't have thought of that until you mentioned it.]
Jing Shuai rented his carriage and mansion, and through his clothing, speech, and behavior, he created the image of a child from an official family, completely deceiving Chu Shu, who also came from an official family.
If Chu Shu had sent someone to ask your father or your brother—well, if your brother isn't around, you could have asked your mother—they would have known Jing Shuai's identity was fake and wouldn't have jumped into it.
Chu Huan immediately responded: [That's impossible.]
In her eyes, my mother harbors ill intentions and will only find her a family that appears glamorous on the surface but is actually a mess on the inside. She will never leave any benefits for her. My father, with my mother's influence, will definitely not treat her well either.
If she asks anyone, she'll just alert the enemy. My parents would have surely given me such a good husband, so how could she have gotten the chance? She definitely doesn't want to go through all the hard work only to end up making things easier for me.
If Chu Shu was willing to trust Chu Ping and Wen Shi, would she still let Liu Yue, a concubine, arrange her marriage?
Old Madam Chu was just saying nice things when it came to the marriage, the real decision makers were Liu Yue and Chu Shu, and one can imagine the connections of the concubines and illegitimate daughters, so it's not surprising that they ended up in this situation today.
The system was speechless: [Let's not talk about Jing Shuai, a scumbag who flirts with other women everywhere. You don't even look down on him.]
[You're only fourteen after the Chinese New Year, and you still have two years until your coming-of-age ceremony. Your parents never thought of marrying you off so early.]
Its sister Huan is targeting people of the same level as Phytophthora, handsome men with good looks, capable, self-discipline, and perfect male virtues, okay? Ugly cucumbers like Jing Shuai, please get out of here immediately!
Wen nodded silently, that’s right!
In the past, she always worried that her daughter would talk nonsense and might not be able to get married. Now her daughter has become a student of the old Grand Tutor and the old Grand Preceptor, and a companion to the fifth prince. With such an identity, what is there to be afraid of?
Chu Huan said earnestly, "Tong'er, in the eyes of someone with paranoia, all our words are just sophistry, and all our actions are harming her."
Persecution mania? This was the first time everyone heard the term, but it seemed very fitting.
In Chu Shu's eyes, doesn't everyone want to harm her?
If Chu Shu had asked her family for help or consulted Old Mrs. Chu, she would not have been deceived by Jing Shuai.
The only hope now is that Chu Shu has not been deceived too much and can get out of it in time.
Chu Huan was also worried about this: [How serious has it become?]
Although the two sisters don't get along well, they are blood relatives after all, and Chu Shu cannot be allowed to be bullied by outsiders.
If something really happened to Chu Shu, Chu Ping would be sad, Old Madam Chu would faint, and the Wen family would also have a hard time. The peaceful and quiet days now would be gone forever.
The system understood the host very well and said quickly: [Don't worry, Sister Huan. You are quite a clever sister.]
Although Jing Shuai has proven to be a decent guy in many ways, your sister feels she can find someone better with her qualifications. So, she's currently pursuing Jing Shuai while looking for other candidates, keeping him as a backup.
Chu Huan: “…” You know what, that’s pretty cool.
She said, without prejudice, "It's good for girls to be more confident, more cautious, and pick more men."
It is better than being inferior, careless, and love-sick, getting carried away by a hypocritical man and having a relationship that causes heartbreak, financial ruin, and the whole family to fall in love.
System: [Indeed, if it were an ordinary girl, she would have already fallen for him and been completely deceived by him.]
Everyone: ???
Wait, why do you two think Chu Shu’s behavior is good?
Generally, when a girl is looking for a husband, don’t the elders first inquire about the family traditions, parents and brothers, how the married woman is doing in her husband’s family, and then look at the husband himself. How can a girl get along with someone without asking anything?
Is Chu Shu's behavior of contacting several people at once, hooking up with one while contacting that one, worthy of approval and promotion?
Then I thought of Chu Huan's bold remarks about cultivating a husband, and suddenly I felt that maybe this is what the girls of the Chu family are like?
Chu Hua boldly speculated: "Given Jing Shuai's proficiency, I have reason to suspect Chu Shu isn't the first person to be deceived."
The system's gossip antenna suddenly stood up: [That makes sense! ]
Previously, I had looked up the gossip about Chu Shu's marriage at Chu Huan's request. When I heard that there was more gossip about Jing Shuai, the system quickly searched again using Jing Shuai's name.
really!
System: [He has already deceived many girls, either by using sweet words to coax them around, or by playing the victim to gain their sympathy, and then using their own savings to buy things and jewelry for Jing Shuai.]
When he had almost drained the girl's savings and could no longer squeeze out any more value, he immediately kicked her out. The girl was too shy to admit that a man had swindled her out of so much money, as pursuing the matter would only damage her reputation. She could only swallow the bitter fruit in silence.
Chu Huan's heart suddenly began to lift: [Could it be that he deceived me, deceived me, deceived me financially, deceived me sexually, deceived me completely?]
System: [No, Jing Shuai cheated the girl of her money, but not her body.]
He knew that if he could only defraud a woman of money, some people would be willing to lose some money to keep their scandal secret. But if he took a woman's body and she got pregnant, there would be no way back.
Chu Huan was glad that those girls had not fallen into the worst situation yet and were able to see through the ugly faces of men. The money they were cheated of was considered tuition. She hoped that they could learn from their mistakes and not fall into the trap of scumbag men again in the future.
After chatting with the system, Chu Huan returned to her own courtyard, tidied up a little, and went to the courtyard of the fifth prince next door.
The fifth prince was sweating after doing a set of boxing and was washing and changing clothes in the side room.
As soon as I heard Chu Huan and the system's voices getting closer, I knew they were coming to the study, so I quickly sped up.
At this time, Chu Huan had already entered the study, but her curiosity was still lingering: [Is the girl who was deceived also from the capital?]
That's what she asked. She felt that with Jing Shuai's cautiousness, he shouldn't be tempted by so many people in his own neighborhood, otherwise it would be easy to be exposed.
System: [No, he started doing this when he was a teenager. Back then, he cheated girls out of their money, mainly to spruce up his wardrobe, and out of a bit of vanity and a competitive streak.]
[Later, he hooked up with a wealthy widow. He felt that trading bodies was faster than deceiving someone for money and feelings. It was consensual and there were no worries, so he became more involved in this business.]
He was quite clever. After scamming people in the same place a few times, he would move on, gradually accumulating capital and technology, all the way from a small county town to the capital.
Chu Huan didn't know what to say, so she said dryly, "If what he did wasn't a scam, it would be quite inspiring."
The system really wanted to slap its thigh: [Oh! Who said it wasn't? ]
[He's a good-looking young man with a good face and a gifted body and skills. If he doesn't have any bad intentions, wouldn't it be great for him to be a live-in son-in-law who lives off his wife?]
Eating the soft rice of a group of widows is eating, but eating the soft rice of a girl is also eating? The former has to carefully serve so many people, fearing that the financial sponsor will turn against him at any time and he will lose his job, while the latter only needs to serve his wife well.
Chu Huan couldn't agree more, but...
[Maybe when I was young, I had high aspirations and looked down on the one in front of me, wanting only to be with a richer woman. Now that I'm older, I know I don't have that ability, so I'm looking for a more stable path.]
[The girl he initially deceived could only buy a few pieces of jewelry for him, but the wealthy women he hooked up with now could easily spend tens or hundreds of taels of silver. Their savings were incomparable, and their gains were worlds apart.]
The system looked through the details and found that they matched what Chu Huan said, and suddenly felt complicated.
Is this what it means to strive for higher ground?
Chu Hua: [This is usually the line a villain says right before they're about to die. Tong'er, don't use it.]
[Okay, Sister Huan, I'll remember this!] The system quickly recorded this, highlighting the key points.
Everyone: “…”
I feel like if this continues, the simple system will be completely led astray by Chu Huan.
The old master hadn't arrived yet, so Chu Huan casually picked up a book and opened it: [Who has Chu Shu fallen for now?]
Just as he finished speaking, the fifth prince pushed the door open and walked in, "Sister is here."
Her sister spoke in the green tea-flavored tone that Chu Huan hated the most, and the cold wind that rushed in when the door opened made Chu Huan shudder all over and almost throw the book in her hand away.
The Fifth Prince had no idea that he had escaped a head-smacking crisis, and gave Chu Huan a simple and well-behaved smile like a boy next door.
Chu Hua's face was wooden: "...Yeah."
[Tong'er, isn't it said that the Fifth Prince is a scheming person? Why do I feel like he's more like a green tea?]
The Fifth Prince paused after sitting down and brushed his clothes as if nothing had happened.
What kind of tea? He didn't know.
The system was also curious: [The information here should be correct.]
[Will you be acting like a bitch again? Today you're a green tea, tomorrow you're a white lotus, the day after tomorrow you're a sinister person, changing your personality every day?]
[Or perhaps his enjoyment of having others fooled by him is part of his dark side?]
Chu Huan was powerless to complain: [Whatever.]
【Ignore him and continue eating melon. 】
As soon as the old master entered the range of fifty meters, he heard Chu Huan's voice and immediately took bigger steps.
Although the Jinyiwei will record everything and the emperor can eat the whole melon in a few hours, who wouldn’t like to eat a ready-made hot melon?
On a cold winter morning, eating a hot super-large melon will not only make his cold legs feel better, but he can also walk another cup of tea in the cold wind!
At this moment, the system revealed a shocking news: [Chu Shu is in big trouble this time, she has set her sights on the Fifth Prince!]
Fifth Prince: ???
Old Master: ???
Everyone: ???
What a beast!
The fifth prince is only nine years old this year, and his hair hasn’t even grown out yet!
Everyone in the Chu family who could hear the system's voice was dumbfounded. How could Chu Shu dare to do that?!
Someone from the Jinyiwei even slapped him in the face, thinking that he was dizzy because he got up too early today, which is why he heard such outrageous news.
The Fifth Prince was so shocked that his head felt numb and his face turned pale. He was enduring pain that shouldn't have happened to him at his age!
Chu Huan was so shocked that she almost uttered "Goodness!" [No, who gave her the courage?]
The system hesitated for a long time before finally saying: [Don't ask me, I don't know.]
Chu Huan: […What’s going on? Wasn’t she treating Jing Shuai as her backup? Why did she suddenly jump to the Royal Family?]
The system searched for the detailed reason: [Oh, I see.]
Your father didn't get a promotion, but your brother did, becoming an Imperial Commissioner. With the Emperor placing him in such high esteem, his meteoric rise is imminent. You also attended court for your brother, meeting the Minister of Revenue, the Second Prince's wife, and others. She felt her status had risen, and that the children of a third-rank official were within her reach.
The Fifth Prince has been staying at your house for over two months. The news of you becoming his study partner has been circulating for quite some time. Even the princes have been seduced by you. Chu Shu feels that her worth has increased, and that the young masters of the Grand Tutor and Grand Preceptor families are within her reach.
Everyone was already numb from listening, and they were screaming in their hearts: Chu Shu, your grandfather is too outrageous!
The old Grand Tutor never expected that in addition to the Fifth Prince, Chu Shu also had her own grandson on her mind, and she accidentally slipped in the snow.
At the critical moment, he was supported by the fake Chu family servant, the real Jinyiwei, who came with Chu Huan to eat melons.
Just as the old Grand Tutor was about to express his gratitude, he saw the sympathetic eyes of the Jinyiwei, as if saying: Grand Tutor, please accept my condolences.
Old Grand Tutor: “…” This is too sad!
Chu Huan was so angry that she laughed: [When nothing happened, they treated us like a scourge, but when they needed help, they asked us to do it. The beads of their wishful thinking have finally shattered in my face!]
[Ha, why on earth does she think that given our relationship, I'll help her with her marriage?]
The system was slightly confused: [Aren't you two just familiar strangers? Is there something else going on?]
Could it be that it has missed some melons and hasn't eaten them yet?
Chu Huan took a deep breath. "Liu Yue has always portrayed herself as a weak, helpless, and innocent person. She's relied on this to gain unparalleled success against my father and the old lady, causing my mother to suffer greatly. Chu Shuqing has surpassed her teacher, even at a young age, mastering the art of cooking and tea making."
[Then... you know I'm a straightforward person and don't like to play around with people.]
Old Master: ???
Others: ???
Aren't you twisted enough? You're almost twisted like a mosquito coil!
In the entire Chu family, only Wen, Qingzhu, and the system agreed with this statement.
Indeed, Miss Huan'er has always been a person who gets things done directly and doesn't like to use messy methods.
Chu Hua: [Initially, I had no experience dealing with green tea. The old lady was partial, Liu Yue was fake crying, and my father was confused. I suffered a lot, and she stole a lot of jewelry and fabrics.]
Later, I moved here and put up a sign at the door saying "Dogs and Liu Yuechu Qichushu are not allowed inside." This made them so angry that they went to the old lady and cried.
The system said indignantly: [Sister Huan, how could you do this?]
Everyone was stunned. Didn't the system always stand on Chu Huan's side? Why was it speaking for someone else this time?
The system was heartbroken: [Aren’t you insulting the dog?]
Everyone: "..." We shouldn't have doubted the system's bias towards Chu Huan!
Chu Huan responded quickly: [In response to the old lady's accusations, I also said the same thing: get rid of the dog.]
[The old lady's words were useless. My parents' presence didn't help either. Every time they saw me, they got angry and stopped coming to my place. This gave me some peace and quiet.]
Later, my soap business was booming, and Chu Shu bribed someone in my yard to steal my recipe. Even with all the evidence, she refused to admit it. She turned around and accused me of being disrespectful of our sisterly love and deliberately slandering her. She almost banged her head against a pillar to prove her innocence.
Old Master:?
Why does this series of actions sound so much like those censors in the Censorate who always bang their heads against the pillars?
The system was almost pissed off: [How could she be so shameless! ]
Chu Hua: [That room is either full of white lotus or green tea, always saying "Sister, you slandered me" or "Sister, you misunderstood me." It's made me allergic to white lotus and green tea now.]
The fifth prince touched his nose. This was exactly why Chu Huan didn't like others calling her sister.
Chu Hua: [After I turned ten, Mom took us out to banquets. She made friends with a bunch of fake girlfriends who kept throwing dirty water at me. As a result, there weren't many girls my age who wanted to play with me.]
[Although I didn't mind it too much, her behavior was disgusting. I didn't let my mother take her out, and I disgusted her a few times. This went on for a long time.]
Later, at a banquet on a boat, she pushed me into the water. The lake water was too cold in the autumn and winter, and I ran a high fever for several days. I stayed home for over a month before recovering. After that, my mother stopped caring about her side of the family.
Otherwise, given the education that Wen received since childhood to be a good wife and mother, she would not easily give up on the concubine's daughter's marriage - if the concubine's daughter did not marry well, outsiders would also blame the mistress.
The system choked up for a long time, sobbing and saying: [A little quarrel between sisters is fine, but how could Chu Shu deliberately drag you into the water? ]
"Sister Huan, you hadn't invented penicillin back then. If it was a bacterial lung infection, without antibiotics in the old days, it would have been very difficult to save the patient. There were many cases of fevers damaging the brain and even killing people."
"I was wondering why you're so afraid of the cold. As soon as winter arrives, you're already using charcoal basins and hot water bottles. It turns out you got sick after being pushed into a lake in the middle of winter."
[You always feel uncomfortable during your period. Is this the reason?]
The Fifth Prince and the Old Grand Tutor frowned. They really didn't know that the two sisters had such a feud that almost resulted in a life.
Chu Hua: [There was a bit of a commotion on the boat that day, and several people fell into the lake in the panic. There were no witnesses, so I'm not sure if she hit me on purpose.]
System: [What riot?]
Chu Hua: [Someone's dead.]
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