Chapter 33 Drawing a Turtle
The reaction of the crowd was within Mrs. Li's expectations.
The emperor is far away and the sky is high. In Xunzhou, the Li family is the most powerful family.
As long as you mention your husband's name, those who know what's good for you will give you face.
But Director Liu did not intend to take this matter lightly.
He insisted on expelling Zhou Xiaomeng from the academy, and after Li Shaoer recovered, he asked Li Shaoer to explain in person.
Madam Zhou said all the nice things to the headmaster, but he just wouldn't give in.
In desperation, Madam Zhou had to leave with her daughter in sorrow. Anyway, her family didn't expect Zhou Xiaomeng to pass the examination to become a female official. They just wanted her to study for a few years so that they could talk to her husband's family in the future.
When we reached the door, Madam Li stood on the steps and glanced down at the Zhou family mother and daughter:
"Where is Madam Zhou's shop?"
Madam Zhou hooked her neck and said cautiously:
"Mrs. Li, Zhou Ji's dry goods store is on Spring Garden Street."
Madam Li nodded her chin condescendingly:
"Go back and discipline your daughter. I will have the housekeeper take care of your shop's business."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter:
"Thank you, Madam Li! It is a blessing for the Zhou family to be cared for by the Li family."
They run a small business, but if the Li family comes to buy, they are big customers, and one or two orders are enough to support them for several months.
Mrs. Zhou was very happy and she pulled her daughter and bent down very low.
When Madam Li saw Madam Zhou's materialistic face, she looked down on her. She sneered and went to Wendao Hall to see her son.
Zhou Xiaomeng held her arm that was bitten by a snake, and her face was still swollen with bright red slap marks. She asked with a pale face:
"Mom, will I never be able to come to the academy again..."
Madam Zhou looked back at her daughter's injury and felt a pain in her heart. She wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve before the smile on her face faded.
Mrs. Gu didn't say anything from beginning to end and was anxious to see her daughter.
"Captain Liu, tomorrow is a day off. Can I pick up Qing Ning a day early?"
Her cat Qing Ning is timid and was kidnapped by gangsters before. She didn't know how scared she was.
Shanzhang Liu agreed and turned to Hao Ren and his wife and said:
"Village Chief Hao can also take the children back home to rest early."
Hao Ren: "Thank you, Headmaster. I'll go see the two children later."
Wu Yingniang watched Madam Li leave and said to Hao Ren:
"Aren, I'm going to wash my hands. You go and look after the child first."
…
After getting permission from Principal Liu, Mrs. Gu hurried to pick up Gu Qingning from the academy.
Gu Qingning saw her mother coming a day in advance, so she was naturally very happy to go back with her mother.
Before she left, she whispered in Su Zhizhi's ear:
"Zhizhi, I'll bring you a bag of sesame candy next time I come back. The sesame candy my cook makes is so delicious."
Su Zhizhi: "It's a deal!"
Mrs. Gu originally thought that her daughter would come out of the school with a wronged look as usual, but she saw that her daughter looked very good today and her smile was even brighter.
On the way back, Mrs. Gu hugged Gu Qingning in the carriage:
"Qing Ning, tell me the truth. Are you scared? Did Li Shao'er and the others bully you again?"
Gu Qingning leaned in her mother's soft and fragrant embrace:
"Mom, I'm not scared. I have friends in the academy. I have Zhizhi."
She told her mother about Su Zhizhi and mentioned that she would bring sesame candy for Zhizhi next time.
Mrs. Gu was surprised: "Is it the village that saved you last time?"
Looking back at Qing Ning's rescue, the Gu family originally wanted to send some thank-you gifts to Liangmin Village, but after asking around, no one knew how to get to Black Bandit Mountain, so they could only send some thank-you gifts to reward the county government officials.
Mrs. Gu was relieved to see her daughter happy:
"From what you said, Zhizhi is a good child and you get along well. When you get home, Mom will embroider two purses and two pairs of shoes for you."
Gu Qingning: "Mom, you are so kind——"
“Ouch—”
The carriage suddenly stopped.
Madam Gu held Gu Qingning and managed to steady herself:
"Ergou, what's going on?"
Er Gou, the carriage driver, replied:
"The carriage in front suddenly fell over. It seems to be the Li Mansion's carriage."
In the carriage of the Li Mansion, Madam Li was originally sitting well, with the unconscious Li Shaoer beside her.
Li Shaoer has not woken up since he fainted last night. Today, he was carried into the carriage by the servants of the Li Mansion.
After the wheels started rolling, Madam Li didn't even glance at Li Shao'er:
"Stop pretending."
Li Shaoer's eyelids moved and he opened his eyes.
"Mother." She sat up and stared down at her toes.
Madam Li closed her eyes in disgust and said coldly:
"If you do something shameful like this again, don't go to the academy and don't bring shame to Sheng'er."
Li Shaoer was like a saw-mouthed gourd in front of his stepmother, and dared not say anything:
"Yes, mother."
At this moment, the carriage's harness suddenly broke off and the carriage tilted forward.
Li Shaoer's body was unstable and he rolled out from behind the carriage curtain and fell face down on the ground.
Mrs. Li's head hit the door frame of the carriage, and a big swelling appeared visibly.
Both of them cried out in pain.
"Madam, Miss!"
The Li family's servants were in a mess and hurried to help.
The streets are bustling with people.
Wu Yingniang stood at the street corner, separated by the crowd.
She looked expressionlessly at Madam Li and Li Shao'er who were being helped up, her fists clenched and unclenched, and she turned back to the academy.
Mingde Academy, outside Taoli Hall.
Hao Ren had already picked up Xue Che.
Two figures, one big and one small, were standing not far from Taoli Hall.
There was no one around, and the two talked in low voices.
Hao Ren's expression was hard to read: "Did you see him put it there?"
Xue Che looked at his bookcase and said decisively:
"I didn't see it, but I know he put it there."
Li Zhangsheng.
Xue Che pursed his lips and continued, "I asked the concierge, and yesterday morning, a servant from the Li residence came to deliver a box to Li Zhangsheng."
Hao Ren frowned for a moment, and gently placed his palm on Xue Che's head:
"I see."
It was lunchtime and students came out of Taoli Hall one after another.
Everyone had an expression on their face that said, "I have gossip to share."
After all, something happened last night. This morning, Zhou Xiaomeng was expelled from the academy crying, and Li Shaoer and Gu Qingning were also taken away.
The students quickened their pace and walked towards the kitchen to discuss these things.
Hao Ren and Xue Che waited outside for a while, but Su Zhizhi didn't come out.
Seeing that everyone in the school had left and Su Zhizhi was nowhere to be seen, Hao Ren frowned, worried that something had happened to Su Zhizhi again.
He walked quickly into the lecture hall and saw Su Zhizhi drawing on the table.
She was the only one left in the room, and she took the ink and painted circles directly on the table.
"Zhizhi, what are you doing?"
Su Zhizhi was called and shuddered. After seeing who it was, her eyes were filled with joy.
"Dad, Che! Why are you here?"
Although she was happy, she did not forget to use her body to cover the graffiti on the table.
Xue Che: "Zhizhi, what are you drawing?"
"Nothing." Su Zhizhi's smile was a little fake.
Hao Ren picked up Su Zhizhi with both hands and looked down—
There was a picture of a big black turtle on the table with its neck tucked in, and next to it was a snake that was not yet finished.
Xue Che: "Why did you draw a turtle on your desk?"
Su Zhizhi put her hands on her hips and said, "Who said this is my desk? This is Li Shaoer's desk."
"She hid behind my back and ordered others to frame me. She's a coward! She got bit by a snake and it's her own fault."
Su Zhizhi used an idiom again.
As she spoke, she secretly watched her father's face, thinking that he would scold her.
Hao Ren originally wanted to admonish Zhizhi, saying that as a student, he should not doodle on the desk at will.
But after seeing the turtle drawn by Su Zhizhi, he remembered something and tears almost welled up in his sore eyes.
He was silent for a moment, and the words on his lips turned into a sigh.
"Zhizhi, let's go home."
"Okay, Dad."
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