Chapter 34 Hearing the secret, I offended the young master…
Walking through the shade of the trees in the backyard, Zhang Ting arrived at the room of the terrified waiter and pushed the door open.
Li Ruilian stood guard outside the door.
Zhang Ting looked up and around. The last time he came, this guy was sharing a room with several others. Now, the huge room only had a quilt left.
Manager Wang had been waiting there for a while. When he saw Zhang Ting arrive, he greeted him respectfully and then tactfully withdrew.
Although the woman regained consciousness, her mind was still somewhat confused, and her body would tremble uncontrollably whenever someone approached.
Zhang Ting stopped and considerately took a few steps back.
She only stopped standing after seeing that the waiter had returned to normal.
She said gently, "I've been very busy these days. I had some free time today and wanted to come see you, but I was so happy to hear that you had woken up on the way."
The woman had been in a daze for a while, but she wasn't completely oblivious. She knew that her illness could be cured entirely thanks to Zhang Ting finding a doctor and prescribing medicine for her. She was extremely grateful and wanted to tell Zhang Ting the secret as a way of repaying him.
But to her surprise, this lowly person, as insignificant as a reed, could be so remembered by her esteemed master. She was overwhelmed with gratitude and felt as if she were floating on clouds.
She frowned slightly, as if she were saddened by her employee's plight, and sighed, "You've really suffered these past few days."
An unprecedented joy welled up in his heart, and the waiter couldn't wait to go out and serve the dishes, exerting all his strength to live up to this importance.
The servant knelt on the ground, tears of emotion welling up in his eyes, determined to repay Zhang Ting's kindness. "This servant thanks Master for saving my life."
Zhang Ting stepped forward to help her up, "Oh! What are you doing now? Since you serve me as your master, I naturally have to take care of you."
Seeing that her body was still trembling, Zhang Ting moved away from her and asked carefully, "Have you felt unwell anywhere lately?"
"Or is there anything in the room that needs to be added?"
The shop assistant wiped his eyes and shook his head, "This servant lacks nothing, thank you for your trouble, Master."
But Zhang Ting saw that she had a hard life, with thin bedding and patched clothes, and still insisted on giving her her February allowance.
"Speaking of which, you went there on official business. I'll have the accountant transfer the money to you later. Take it and make proper arrangements."
The waiter was deeply moved: "Thank you so much..."
Zhang Ting smiled faintly, as if casually asking her, "I heard on the way that you have something important to report?"
The shop assistant wiped away her tears and said to her, "The day I walked to the execution ground, I passed through an alley and heard a secret story."
“The executioners in the alley were chatting idly. One of them complained that he was beheading people every day, and his hands were shaking from it. He also said that if it weren’t for the Minister of War’s sudden betrayal of the Crown Princess, they, as lowly henchmen, wouldn’t have to suffer so much.”
"The other person said, 'If the Crown Princess becomes the Crown Prince, you and I will be even busier...'"
After the man finished speaking, fear returned to his face.
Zhang Ting listened quietly, not at all surprised. Seeing the shop assistant's fear, she reassured her, "The matter is long gone. The situation in the capital is stable now, so you don't need to be afraid."
"As for the part about the Minister of War, just pretend you've never heard of it, and I'll pretend I've never been here today."
Although the man was still a little scared, he understood what she meant and nodded blankly.
A gentle smile appeared on Zhang Ting's face as she said softly, "Forget about it all."
He then went out and found Manager Wang, instructing her to keep the servants quiet and strictly forbid them from discussing matters of the court.
Since we're already here, we might as well ask Manager Wang about the business situation of Keyinglou.
Zhang Tingke Yinglou has finally established itself in the capital. Recently, she has had some new ideas, and since she came today, she wanted to share them with Manager Wang.
Manager Wang asked in surprise, "You mean you want to bring acrobatics to Keyinglou?"
The acrobatics that Manager Wang mentioned were the kind of things you see on the street, like breaking rocks on your chest or breathing fire. Zhang Ting rejected her suggestion, saying that with so many customers in the restaurant, how could they do such dangerous activities?
"No, what I mean is to find a few people who can do magic tricks, or to hire entertainers to sing and play instruments, mainly to liven up the atmosphere."
"If we can take it a step further, we can plan to open a branch."
Manager Wang pondered for a while and also thought the method was excellent, so he readily agreed.
Having finished dealing with matters at the restaurant, Zhang Ting had no interest in wandering around today, so he went straight into the carriage and headed back.
The weather was not cooperating today; a light drizzle began to fall halfway through the journey. The wind blew in one side of the carriage curtain, and raindrops were swept in, landing on Zhang Ting's dark brocade robe and spreading dark stains. She lowered her eyelids, her gaze fixed on the robe.
At 3:15 PM, the carriage stopped in front of the Zhang residence's plaque. Zhang Ting got out of the carriage briskly and went straight to his study.
I had barely sat down when Xiao Rong thoughtfully brought me a bowl of ginger tea.
Before Zhang Ting could ask, he lowered his head and said meekly, "It was Young Master's order."
Then, they left properly.
Zhang Ting stopped him halfway, saying, "The driver got caught in the rain today, so bring him a bowl too."
Xiao Rong nodded in agreement.
The large room fell silent again. Zhang Ting drank the ginger soup in one gulp, put down the empty bowl, and stared at the table, lost in thought.
More than a month has passed since the conflict between the emperor and the crown princess ended, but its aftershocks continue to rage.
Dr. Zheng's suicide is a good example.
Is it that the emperor can accept the Crown Princess's old faction joining him, but will not let go of the former Grand Secretary's faction?
Or was it that Dr. Zheng was too proud and aloof, preferring to die to prove his integrity rather than submit to the new prime minister?
Zhang Ting sighed deeply. After all, she was just a scholar, and these court intrigues had nothing to do with her now.
Outside the window, dark clouds hung low, and a torrential downpour began. The raindrops pounded on the ground, making a rapid, pattering sound that echoed in Zhang Ting's ears.
She picked up the book she had read that afternoon and continued studying it, but she couldn't concentrate on that particular page. She closed her eyes, leaned back in her chair, and rubbed her temples.
After a long while, Zhang Ting sat up and suddenly opened her eyes. She unfolded a sheet of Xuan paper and silently recited the limerick that Dr. Zheng had given her:
From a young age, he had lofty ambitions and a desire to become famous throughout the world.
But if you ask me to bend my back, I'd gladly serve as a humble servant.
Her lips were pressed into a straight line, her eyes were deep and dark, like a cold, dangerous pool, brimming with a sharp edge.
She admired the character of Grand Secretary Zong and Dr. Zheng, and respected their deep-rooted patriotism and concern for countless students.
But Zhang Tingning is a tiger among men, not a sparrow under the eaves.
......
Before dinner at 5 PM, Lin Xiuzhen knocked on the door of the study and only dared to go in after Zhang Ting called her.
Lin Xiuzhen was unusually cautious with Zhang Ting today, as if afraid of her anger, and presented the new letter with both hands.
Zhang Ting accepted it with one hand; it was given to her by Qiu Yuan.
She bent down to open the letter, and when she didn't hear the servant's footsteps leaving, she asked calmly, "Is there anything else?"
Lin Xiuzhen nervously tugged at the hem of her clothes, then scratched her head awkwardly, "This servant offended Young Master Xiaoyi before, please forgive me, Miss."
After that day, she overheard her master, Li Ruilian, mentioning that Young Master Xiaoyi was actually Miss's man.
She unexpectedly bumped into him, carving wooden hairpins for him, and even spoke to the young lady.
Zheng Er happened to be nearby and overheard this. He said that the young lady told her to throw away the pot of orchids as a warning not to have any improper thoughts, or else she would be thrown out of the mansion.
The Zhang family is small, easy to manage, and provides generous monthly wages. The head of the household is kind and hospitable, so she doesn't want to be sold off.
Lin Xiuzhen was an honest woman. Upon hearing the news, she was restless all day and couldn't sleep soundly at night. Today, taking advantage of the opportunity to see her master, she told him everything in one go.
Zhang Ting was just unfolding the letter when he heard this. He didn't take it seriously and just said, "He's the steward now. You won't get away with offending him."
"Just remember that next time."
In her letter, Qiu Yuan said that she planned to go to Guoan Temple to offer incense during her next day off and had also invited the same group of students from last time. She asked Zhang Ting if she wanted to come along.
Zhang Ting needs to build a wide network of connections now, which is perfectly acceptable.
Lin Xiuzhen realized that Zhang Ting seemed to have misunderstood her meaning, and wanted to explain but didn't know how to start.
After Zhang Ting finished writing his reply, he looked up and saw that Lin Xiuzhen was still there. He put the letter in an envelope and handed it to her, asking her to deliver it to the Qiu residence later.
Lin Xiuzhen took the envelope, straightened her clothes, and still hesitated for a moment. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, "Miss, it was because I saw that Young Master Xiaoyi's wooden hairpin was broken, so I started to make him another one..."
Zhang Ting raised her eyebrows slightly and understood in an instant. She put her hands together and smiled slightly: "It's only natural for young people to be attracted to someone."
He slowly stood up, walked to Lin Xiuzhen, smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes, and then looked up with a bright and cheerful expression. He said softly, "I didn't mean anything by it. I just think that since Xiuzhen is good at woodworking, she should make the most of her strengths and work in a broader field to make the most of her abilities."
"If your household lacks anything, just make it yourself, and I will have someone allocate funds for you."
However, the price is certainly far below the market price.
She smiled and gently patted Lin Xiuzhen's shoulder, "If your skills improve in the future, I can open a carpentry shop for you, and we can work together to promote and develop woodworking."
This opened up another avenue for wealth.
Lin Xiuzhen was so moved that her lips trembled slightly, tears welled up in her eyes, and then spilled over.
"Miss... has been incredibly kind to me."
She was extremely ashamed. "This servant is foolish and has misunderstood you." After saying this, she wanted to kowtow to Zhang Ting to apologize.
Zhang Ting pulled her aside, holding her hand with a look of relief, "It's good that you understand now."
"Keep striving for improvement; your best days are yet to come."
Lin Xiuzhen nodded resolutely, as if she had been injected with chicken blood, her voice firm and powerful: "This servant will certainly not let Miss down!"
Zhang Ting was very satisfied and smiled.
As evening fell, the rain stopped, the dark clouds dispersed, and the distant mountains were shrouded in layers of mist, like a fairyland. The dust on the plants in the courtyard was washed away, leaving them lush and green. A gentle breeze blew by, carrying a hint of chill.
Xiaoyi pulled her clothes tighter, shivered, and then took a deep sniff of the fresh scent in the air.
A slight smile played on his lips as he hummed a cheerful tune, his steps light and quick. He particularly loved the scene after the rain, when the sun shone through the clouds; it was so refreshing.
Upon arriving at the main hall, it was completely empty.
Xiao Yi sat on the stool, idly fiddling with her fingers, then put her hand to her nose to smell the medicinal fragrance. After playing for a while, Du Zaolang had already served all the dishes.
He lay on the table, clutching his rumbling stomach, feeling unbearably hungry.
But someone is up to something and hasn't shown up yet!
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