The housekeeper gently arranged the tea set in his hands.
"Of course not. When I first came to Jizhou, I was only eight or nine years old, all alone, with only a few close attendants by my side. I was very depressed, and every evening I would sit on the doorstep and cry, my tears flowing like a beaded curtain, and no one could console me."
"Yes, back then no one worried that I couldn't withstand the cold wind of Jizhou, no one saw my face being chapped by the wind, and no one told me... not to wrong myself."
The study was completely silent.
You can hear the north wind whistling against the windowpanes.
Butler Qian thought to himself: Is Master... jealous?
Zhao Changqing's light voice continued: "Tell me, what would have happened if I had insisted on not coming to Jizhou back then, and had thrown a tantrum, cried and made a scene?"
He posed the question, but before anyone could answer, he burst out laughing.
“I’ll definitely be scolded for my inappropriate speech, willful behavior, and unruly behavior. If I don’t come, they’ll force me to come.”
Steward Qian hurriedly bowed and said, "Master has been obedient and sensible since childhood, and would never do such a thing."
He was met with a low chuckle.
There was no real joy in the laughter.
Seeing that Zhao Changqing's emotions were gradually breaking down, Butler Qian suddenly remembered something and changed the subject.
"Master, the mistress is going to Zhulin Temple tomorrow."
Zhao Changqing finally turned around from the window, turned his face to the side, and asked, "What is she doing at Zhulin Temple?"
"She's going... to perform a Buddhist ritual for the deceased." Butler Qian lowered his head further and further, not daring to look at the person in front of him.
"A ritual for the deceased? Whom is being prayed for?"
Butler Qian: Who else can we help to pass on to the afterlife? Of course, it's...
"...to deliver you from suffering."
"..."
Zhao Changqing was stunned.
This woman... has a lot on her mind...
"Sir, this matter must be stopped at all costs, but... how can we stop it?"
Zhao Changqing: "Break her legs?"
Butler Qian: "...No need for that."
Zhao Changqing paced back and forth in his study for a long time before suddenly stopping.
"I'll go with you tomorrow."
"Want to go together?"
“I’ll go with you. I told you I wanted to perform this ritual myself. Who gets to be helped to pass on to the afterlife is entirely up to me.”
"yes."
The housekeeper left quickly.
Zhao Changqing sat alone behind his desk, flipping through old books.
The books on the bookshelf are still there, and they are still arranged as they were before.
The only missing book is "The Customs and Scenery of Jizhou".
He had lived here alone for more than a decade, and only now did he truly realize that he was not the only owner in this courtyard.
Sitting inside, one could occasionally hear the voices of women talking to their servants as they passed by outside.
He Youyou.
A woman who is not particularly likable has a pleasing name.
After noon, the courtyard became quiet again.
It was as quiet as ever, an endless, deathly stillness.
He couldn't help but stroll out of the house and look around, only to find that even the servants in the courtyard were gone.
He wandered around the courtyard aimlessly until he bumped into Butler Qian, who had just come in through the main gate.
Where did everyone go?
Butler Qian asked in confusion, "What are your orders, Master?"
"Why is there no one to serve us in the courtyard?"
Butler Qian laughed and said, "Oh, the servants have all gone to watch the mistress and young master learn to drive."
"Learn to drive? What kind of driving?"
"The mistress said that everyone should learn to drive. Having this skill will prevent them from relying on others in the future. When they go out, they can drive themselves even if there is no driver."
Where do they learn to drive?
"The open space outside the gate."
Zhao Changqing lifted his robe and said, "Let's go take a look."
The two walked out of the gate and, sure enough, saw a carriage in the open space outside.
A line of people surrounded the carriage on both sides, leaving a path for it to pass.
Zhao Changqing looked closely.
Wow!
There were quite a few people.
Not only the servants of the Han family, but even his own attendants stood by, watching the spectacle with great interest.
Some were grinning, some were clapping their hands, some were crossing their arms, and others were pointing at the carriage and making jokes.
It was quite lively.
Zhao Changqing stood with his hands behind his back on the high steps of the gate, his gaze following the carriages coming and going.
The man sitting in front of the carriage, holding the reins, was none other than Han Wenzheng.
The coachman sat beside him, instructing him on how to control the horse's speed.
Han Wenzheng held the reins, his face flushed with excitement, yet he was too nervous to move, urging the horse forward slowly.
"Ah Li, don't be nervous, relax."
A shout came from the crowd.
Zhao Changqing looked in the direction of the sound and saw He Youyou calling out.
He Youyou wasn't wearing her mink coat at the moment, but rather a narrow-sleeved cotton coat. The coat was men's style, and it was unclear who she had borrowed it from.
Zhao Changqing felt somewhat uncomfortable and looked away.
"Speed up, speed up! Run faster!"
He Youyou's shouts reached his ears again.
Hearing her words, Han Wenzheng mustered his courage and, following the coachman's instructions, lightly flicked the whip, producing a hollow sound in the air.
The horses pulling the carriage were well-trained steeds; the whip didn't need to be used. The sound of the whip was enough to tell them to speed up.
The horse went from slowly pacing to running.
"Well done! Ahri, you learn so fast! You can drive so steadily after such a short time, not bad at all!"
When Han Wenzheng heard He Youyou's praise, his already flushed face became even redder and more adorable.
Fortunately, he knew his own limitations and didn't get carried away and immediately spurred his horse into a gallop.
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