Chapter 125 A jade pendant, I am your biological father
As soon as Chen Chu stepped outside, she saw Zhou Jun pacing anxiously in circles outside the door.
"Ah Jun? You're here, why aren't you going in?"
Zhou Jun suddenly stopped, and when he saw Chen Chu, his face instantly turned bright red.
"Good morning, Brother Chu. Are you on your way to the Censorate?"
Shen Chu nodded. "You came to see me? Is there something you need?"
Zhou Jun nodded, then quickly shook his head and waved his hands, "No...nothing, I just came to thank you in person. Thanks to you, Brother Chu, I will never forget your life-saving grace."
Chen Chu saw that his eyes were darting around and he was constantly rubbing his hands together, as if the words "I have something to do" were written all over his face.
She smiled and said, "I thought we were friends. Friends don't need to be so polite, do they?"
Zhou Jun's eyes suddenly reddened. "Yes, we are friends."
Shen Chu patiently persuaded, "Therefore, friends should be more honest with each other and just say what's on their mind."
Zhou Jun was stunned, and his face turned even redder.
He waved his hands frantically, "It's really nothing, it's just...it's just the gift that was delivered yesterday..."
Shen Chu looked puzzled. "What's wrong with the gift?"
Zhou Jun stammered, "My mother asked me to ask if you've seen the gift that was sent yesterday? Is it suitable?"
"Oh, the gift is very nice." Shen Chu said with a smile, "It's all writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, which are very suitable for me. Please thank the princess for such a thoughtful gift."
"Brush, ink, paper, and inkstone?" Zhou Jun murmured, his expression somewhat strange.
Chen Chu's heart stirred slightly. "Is there something wrong with the gift? Ah Jun, you might as well just say what you want to say."
Zhou Jun gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, "Brother Achu, it's like this, my mother was in a hurry to pick me up yesterday, and instructed the housekeeper to pack the gifts she had prepared and send them over."
While tidying up, the housekeeper accidentally put a box that was lying next to her in the box as well, and brought it over along with the other items.
At this point, Zhou Jun looked ashamed. "Brother Achu saved me from dire straits, so I should give him something extra. I really have no face to ask for it back."
But inside that box was a jade pendant that my mother had painstakingly found, intended to cure my father's illness.
Brother Achu, could you please return my jade pendant to me?
After saying this, he looked at Shen Chu with a mixture of shame and anticipation, but his heart was filled with unease.
He was often bullied and ridiculed when he was a child. Apart from Li Chengxuan, his childhood playmate, Shen Chu was the first friend who treated him sincerely.
Especially this time, when he was sentenced to exile, it was Shen Chu who tirelessly went to find evidence to overturn his case.
He wanted to take back what he had given away, but he couldn't bring himself to ask, and he felt bad for Brother Achu.
But this jade pendant was bought by my mother at a high price to treat my father's illness. Without the jade pendant's nourishment, my father's health would only get worse.
Shen Chu frowned slightly. "Jade pendant? I..."
She was about to say that she hadn't seen the jade pendant at all when she suddenly remembered the box that had been rummaged through yesterday, and she realized what was going on.
It seems that the jade pendant must have been taken by the Marquis of Changning.
No wonder even the packaging of Chengxin Paper was opened; it was because they found the jade pendant and wanted to see if there were any other good things in the other boxes.
Shen Chu was so angry that her fingers trembled slightly. She didn't care about saving face for Marquis Changning and said, "My father accepted the gift when it was delivered yesterday."
The jade pendant should be with him. Wait a moment, I'll go get it for you.
Zhou Jun's eyes flickered slightly, and a strange look flashed across his face.
"There's no rush. I won't wait here. If you've finished admiring it, please have Brother Achu send it to my house, or let him know and I'll come back to pick it up."
After saying that, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, then ran off in silence.
Shen Chu turned and went back to the mansion with a sullen face.
Marquis Changning was sunbathing on a recliner under the eaves with his legs crossed. Hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes, glanced at them, and then closed them again.
Shen Chu asked in a deep voice, "Where is the jade pendant that Princess Qinghe sent? Where did you put it?"
Marquis Changning's beard twitched slightly, his eyelids not even opening. "What jade pendant? When did the princess give me a jade pendant? How come I didn't know?"
“Father, there’s no point in pretending anymore. I wouldn’t come to you directly if I didn’t have concrete evidence.”
Marquis Changning opened his eyes. "I said I've never seen it, and that's final. Is it on the gift list?"
Shen Chu sneered, "The jade pendant wasn't on the gift list. The butler accidentally packed the wrong item and sent it to our house."
Marquis Changning looked displeased. "Who doesn't write their gifts on a gift list? If it's not on the list, then it's obviously not sent."
Who told you about this jade pendant? Let him come and confront me.
You're the same; you believe everyone who says there's a jade pendant? Are you stupid?
Shen Chu frowned slightly. "So, Father didn't see the jade pendant?"
Marquis Changning stood up and angrily turned to walk towards the study. "You unfilial son, how could you believe an outsider instead of me?"
I am your own father! How could you listen to the slander of outsiders instead of trusting your own father?
Maybe they're taking advantage of your naivety and deliberately trying to scam you into paying for the jade pendant.
Shen Chu took a deep breath and followed him into the study.
She believed Zhou Jun wasn't lying, because there was no need for it. Besides, it's already embarrassing to ask for something back after giving it away, and Zhou Jun was already shy, so there was even less reason for him to tell such a lie.
She stared at Marquis Changning and smiled faintly, "Since Father says he has not seen it, then I will have the Princess's Mansion report it directly to the authorities. I'm afraid the Court of Judicial Review will definitely send people to our house to search for it."
Oh, or perhaps it's not the Dali Temple that's coming; after all, our family has a criminal record. Maybe it's the Flying Eagle Guard.
Father hasn't experienced the Flying Eagle Guard's instruments of torture yet, has he? This is a good opportunity for him to try them out; as long as Father is happy."
She turned and left.
From behind came the furious voice of Marquis Changning, "You unfilial son, stop right there! Who are you threatening?"
Shen Chu turned her head and sneered, "Since Father has never seen the jade pendant, what is there to fear from threats?"
Marquis Changning's forehead veins throbbed with anger, his eyes flashing slightly. "You are not allowed to let the Princess's residence report this to the authorities. I did indeed take the jade pendant."
After a pause, he said with a straight face, "Zhou Jun is the only son of Princess Qinghe. If it weren't for you, he would have been exiled to Yunnan."
Yunnan is thousands of miles away from Beijing. With Zhou Jun's small stature, exile would be tantamount to death.
You did Zhou Jun such a great favor by saving him, so what's wrong with his family giving you a jade pendant?
"In my opinion, even one jade pendant wouldn't be enough; that was a life-saving favor. We should give several more to repay it."
Shen Chu found his words unreasonable. "Even if it was a gift, it was a gift to me. It's my thing. How could Father go through my things and take the jade pendant without permission?"
Marquis Changning dismissed it, saying, "I'm your own father, so what if I go through your things? Even if I kept all those things from yesterday, so what?"
As my son, shouldn't you at least offer me something as a token of your filial piety?"
Shen Chu laughed in anger, "Does a biological father have the right to take his child's things at will? Let alone a biological father, even a biological father wouldn't do such a disgusting thing."
When the Marquis of Changning came out of the Flying Eagle Guard, he said with a warm expression that he was making it up to him.
It's only been a few days, and they've already reverted to their old ways.
Too lazy to argue with the Marquis of Changning, she stretched out her hand and said, "Give me back the jade pendant. It was found by the princess to treat Zhou Junma's illness. We must return it."
Marquis Changning's pupils contracted. "Return it? Do you even know what kind of jade pendant that is? You dare to say you're returning it? You'll be scared to death if I tell you!"
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