Chapter 212 Cuckoo in the Nest
Meng Shilan stood in the courtyard, where several fireflies were flitting about.
The attic door was open, and fireflies flew out.
Song Jiyun saw her.
"So it turns out the young master has a distinguished guest."
A mocking smile curled at the corners of her lips. "Miss Meng, even if I am a sparrow, I would not be alone with a man late at night."
Zhou Congxian frowned. "The nights in Dongshan are chilly, which is not suitable for Grandmother to recuperate."
“My grandmother’s legs and feet have been sensitive to cold for the past two years, so why would she want to come to Dongshan Village?”
Song Jiyun directed the servants to carry the chests inside.
"The young master is concerned about the young lady of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, so naturally he has neglected his great-aunt."
“My great-aunt has been taking the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician, and these days she has been experiencing intense heat and profuse sweating, drenched in sweat all day long.”
"It was the imperial physician who advised my great-aunt to go to a cooler place to escape the summer heat."
Meng Shilan stepped into the front hall, saying, "The old lady's health is of utmost importance."
"We'll head back to Beijing first thing tomorrow morning."
Song Jiyun curtsied and said, "Thank you for your generosity, Miss Meng."
This place originally belonged to the Zhou family, yet she used the word "reluctantly parting with it," as if Meng Shilan had usurped the place.
Song Jiyun intended to stab her.
Meng Shilan merely glanced at her, "Miss Song is quite diligent."
“It’s getting late and the dew is heavy, and it’s a mountain road at night, so even Aunt Gao doesn’t want to make this trip.”
"Miss Song is so filial; it's truly touching."
Song Jiyun's lips trembled slightly.
They compared her to Madam Gao, implying that she was now nothing more than a maid.
If it were the Song Jiyun of the past.
She couldn't swallow this insult.
Now, she has heard all the harshest things said.
The smile in her eyes didn't reach them. "You flatter me."
A servant boy ran over and said, "The east wing facing the sun is occupied."
Song Jiyun scolded, "You can't even handle this simple matter? That's your great-aunt's favorite room!"
Meng Shilan understood everything. Song Jiyun was using the old lady's name as a shield, and with the old lady around, even if Zhou Congxian was biased, it wouldn't matter.
She smiled, then glanced at Zhou Congxian one last time, "How can I occupy the old lady's room?"
"Give me a hand and carry Fu'er and Pangxi out."
"My daughter and I will just find a room and make do. We're heading back to the capital early tomorrow morning anyway."
Zhou Congxian didn't even glance at Song Jiyun.
He turned to Meng Shilan and said, "Go back and rest with the child. I'll handle the rest."
Meng Shilan glanced at Song Jiyun, then turned and went back.
She didn't know how Zhou Congxian solved it.
But when I woke up the next day...
The trunks that were originally placed in the front hall were gone, and Song Jiyun had also disappeared.
Shuang'er and Dan Niang were completely unaware of this.
The two stretched lazily, their faces full of contentment.
"I slept exceptionally well last night listening to the chirping of insects!"
"Sister, let's spend every summer here from now on."
Meng Shilan glanced at her and said, "You want to come to someone else's estate every year?"
"Shouldn't you say that we should work hard and make more money to buy a manor like this?"
Shuang'er chuckled, "There's something ready-made..."
Seeing her sister's expression, she quickly changed her tone, "There's something ready-made; it just depends on whether Prince Zhou is willing to part with it."
Meng Shilan thought of what Song Jiyun had said yesterday.
She scoffed, "Then I'm afraid they won't be willing to cut it."
Shuang'er was unaware of what had happened yesterday, and assumed that her sister had not yet forgiven Prince Zhou.
"With your sister taking action, what wouldn't the young master be willing to give up?"
"Speaking of which, this estate used to belong to the Duke of Zhenguo's manor."
"We're not talking about buying it back at the original price, nor are we going to take advantage of him. We'll just add a little, so at least he doesn't lose money."
Dongshanzhuangzi has a good location and is a great place to escape the summer heat.
In order to raise funds, the Duke of Zhenguo's manor sold Dongshan Villa.
If my sister wants to buy it back now, how could the prince possibly refuse?
Meng Shilan glanced at her, "You haven't even finished the business deal, but you've already learned how to force a sale."
Shuang'er said, "This can't be called forced buying and selling; it's clearly a mutual agreement."
Meng Shilan was too lazy to argue with her. "After you finish breakfast, pack your things and we'll go back."
"Ah, you're going back so soon?" Shuang'er and Dan Niang exclaimed in surprise.
"Mother, I haven't had enough fun yet!"
Fu'er also shook his arm.
She just got to know her friends yesterday, and today they're going to go fruit picking together in the back hill!
Shuang'er only then sensed something unusual.
She moved closer to her sister and asked, "Did you two have a fight?"
Meng Shilan nudged her arm, "Don't say anything irrelevant in front of the child."
"Old Madam Zhou is coming to escape the summer heat. This is someone else's estate. How can we take over her place?"
Shuang'er opened her mouth, "Didn't the young master say yesterday..."
"Who is the old lady?" Fu'er asked, tilting her head back.
She was just over three years old when she left the Duke of England's mansion.
I had long forgotten about the people and things at the British Duke's mansion.
Meng Shilan touched her daughter's little face.
Instead of answering his question, she asked him a question.
Do you like this estate?
"like!"
"Okay, Mother will find a way to buy it back."
She looked at the lush greenery outside the door, her lips slightly pursed.
To usurp someone else's place.
So what if we take it!
When they were halfway through tidying up, Zhou Congxian returned.
He stared at them, completely bewildered. "What's going on here?"
"Back to Beijing."
Shuang'er responded to him while directing Wei Xun, who had returned with him.
"Move these two crates upstairs first."
Zhou Congxian glanced into the inner room; no one was there.
Where is your sister?
Shuang'er gestured towards the back mountain with her lip, "I'm going to pick fruit with Fu'er and Xuan'er."
There are a few wild fruit trees on the back hill. They don't bear many fruits, but the sweet and sour ones are very appealing.
Fu'er had already heard about it from her friends yesterday.
When Zhou Congxian found the group of people.
Meng Shilan was using a long pole to help the children knock down fruit.
"Mother! There's more here!"
She was sweating profusely from the heat. She looked up in the direction where Fu'er had reached out her hand, but did not see the large, protruding rock on the ground as she backed away.
My heel tripped over a stone, and I instantly lost my balance.
She was so frightened that she immediately dropped the long pole.
There was nowhere to grab onto on the hillside, so he could only resign himself to rolling down.
She closed her eyes, but the expected pain did not come.
Instead, she fell into a warm embrace.
"Why didn't you call a servant to beat him up?"
An angry voice came from above.
When Meng Shilan opened her eyes, she saw Zhou Congxian's frowning face.
Wow! Wow!
The surrounding area was filled with the sounds of teenagers jeering and teasing.
Fu'er patted her chest, "Father, thank goodness you saved Mother!"
Zhou Congxian glanced at his daughter, "What else do you want?"
Fu'er immediately jumped up, "And over there, and over there too, there are big peaches!"
Zhou Congxian mustered his strength and leaped into the air, soaring up a tall tree.
The initial jeering turned into cheers of admiration.
"Wow!"
"Fu'er, your father is so amazing."
"Fu'er, your father can fly!"
Fu'er proudly raised her little chin.
"Flying is not all! My father can do many things!"
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