Chapter 134 Talkative, and Joking
The rain that had been falling for two days finally stopped early the next morning.
When the sun rises, the clouds in the east are illuminated with a dazzling array of colors.
However, this beautiful scene lasted for less than fifteen minutes before the sky cleared up and was filled with clean, pure white clouds.
It drifts and changes with the wind.
Xiao Die and Xiao Wuge got up early as usual, and even Pei Guanli got up to wash and get dressed before dawn.
Her fair, delicate feet skipped and hopped along the bluestone path, the bells on her chest jingling.
The bell rang incessantly.
Upon hearing the sound, Xiaodie quickly put a finger to her lips and pointed upstairs.
Pei Guanli understood and covered the bell, then quietly sat down at the table. "Brother-in-law hasn't gotten up yet?"
Xiaodie nodded gently, "Perhaps she was tired from walking around Guiyun Academy yesterday. I went to check on her this morning, and she was still sleeping soundly."
Pei Guanli said "oh" and then greeted Xiao Wuge before picking up the breakfast on the table and starting to eat.
She is a native of Sichuan and loves spicy food.
Back when we lived in the Wumeng Mountains, we would eat spicy food with cornbread for breakfast, and we could eat several of them.
Sometimes when the tribe runs out of fine or coarse noodles, they'll cook some wild vegetable soup, and she'll fill the bowl with chili peppers.
After each meal, her fair and round face would turn rosy, so much so that the people of the mountain tribe called her "Red Girl".
Xiao Wuge, who was still drinking porridge, couldn't help but ask curiously when he saw this, "Sister Guanli, is plain porridge with chili peppers delicious?"
"It smells wonderful."
Pei Guanli said, scooping a spoonful of chili into his bowl, "Try it."
Xiao Wuge hesitated for a moment, then stirred it twice with a spoon and took a sip.
My mouth was instantly filled with a spicy taste.
"Spicy, so spicy, so hot, so hot, hiss, hiss..."
Xiao Wuge's face turned visibly red, and he grinned, gesturing for Xiaodie to give him a glass of water.
At this time, Xiaodie naturally couldn't just give him plain water. After looking around, she opened a bottle of Wangji tea and handed it to him.
Xiao Wuge took it and drank two sips before feeling a bit better in his mouth.
Seeing his expression, Pei Guanli laughed heartlessly, blinking as she laughed:
"Your face is red too, from now on I'll call you Brother Hong."
In this way, the mountain tribe will have her "Red Sister", and the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion will also have "Red Brother".
Xiao Wuge didn't care about the title and still frowned, "It's too spicy, Sister Guanli, aren't you afraid?"
"Of course I'm not afraid. I've always eaten like this since I was a child."
As Pei Guanli spoke, her eyes were fixed on the Wangji tea in his hand, and after a moment of recollection, she said:
"This tea seems to be very popular in the city lately. I've seen a lot of people carrying it outside these past few days."
Xiao Wuge subconsciously took another sip before saying, "My brother-in-law's pharmacy sells it; it's produced by Baicaotang."
Pei Guanli didn't remember much of the elaborate explanations given; only the word "delicious" stuck with her.
"Let me try some too."
"I'll get it."
Xiaodie ran to the storeroom and brought back two porcelain bottles. "One is Wangji Tea, just like Young Master Wuge's, and the other is Zhimei Tea."
Which one would you like to drink?
After asking the question, she added, "My son-in-law said that strawberry tea is more suitable for women."
"Cheeseberry".
Pei Guanli took it, eagerly opened it, took a sip, and her eyes lit up.
"It's sweet and sour, so delicious!"
“Back when I lived in the tribe, I especially loved eating wild peaches from the mountains, and they tasted similar to these.”
She finished the bottle in no time.
She wanted to ask for another bottle, but seeing that it was getting late, she had no choice but to wipe her mouth clean and run towards Jiaxingyuan.
"I'll buy a few more bottles to drink when I go out for a stroll."
Looking at her energetic demeanor, Xiao Wuge unconsciously adopted a mature expression and said:
"Sister Guanli, you are so brave!"
Xiaodie couldn't help but laugh. "Brave is used to describe men or soldiers."
"If she joins the army, I believe she will be... somewhat inferior to my second sister."
After the two finished eating, seeing that Chen Yi had not yet gotten up, Xiao Wuge asked Xiao Die to take him to Jiaxingyuan.
Having spent so much time together, they all knew Chen Yi's habits.
When he has nothing to do, he sometimes sleeps until late morning.
Once Chunhe Garden has completely quieted down.
Chen Yi, who was in the side room, let out a long breath, slowly finished his practice, and got up to look out the window.
The sun was shining brightly, and the Chunhe Garden was a lush green. Occasionally, a few golden carp would leap out of the water as the pond rippled.
Some of the splashing water landed on the surface of the water, creating ripples, while others hit the birds drinking at the edge of the pond, causing them to chirp and fly away.
With someone having cleaned it, the garden was free of fallen leaves and flowers, making it appear even fresher and more natural.
Chen Yi felt pleased with the sight.
"The rain has stopped and the sky is clear; it's a good omen."
However, this tranquil and comfortable state of mind vanished as soon as he dressed up and arrived at the purple bamboo forest.
Chen Yi calmed his mind, stood firmly on his feet, and began to practice the spear stance technique.
Although the stance training has only slightly increased his strength, it allows him to better activate his body.
Muscles, bones, skin, flesh, limbs, and even hair can be controlled using the Xuanwu Breath Concealment Technique.
About 15 minutes later.
Chen Yi put away his stance training and, taking advantage of the surge of blood and energy, began to practice the Collapsing Mountain Fist and the Hundred Flowers Palm.
One is fierce and powerful, the other is agile and nimble.
Two completely different fist techniques, palm techniques, and even the accompanying footwork, yet he executed them all as if they were perfectly natural.
It has a much better feel than before.
That charm is none other than the spiritual essence gained after mastering martial arts.
Each move, each stance, causes the flow of true essence, which in turn draws upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, causing a shockwave within a radius of five zhang.
And with each change in his fist and palm movements, a blurry afterimage would appear behind him.
This will make his punches and palms even more powerful.
This caused the surrounding bamboo to sometimes bend over as if blown by a strong wind, and at other times to sway and shed bamboo leaves as if a gentle breeze had swept by.
Chen Yi was completely unaware of this, focusing only on absorbing the profound mysteries of martial arts and improving his Bengyue Fist and Hundred Flowers Palm as much as possible.
One hour, two hours, three...
It wasn't until nearly noon that Xiaodie's figure appeared from Jiaxingyuan.
Chen Yi stopped, calming the surging true energy and strength within his body while using his true energy to evaporate the sweat from his body.
In just three breaths, he returned to his usual dry and peaceful state.
Before Xiaodie could come looking for him, Chen Yi stepped out of the bamboo forest.
Xiaodie paused for a moment after seeing this, but didn't ask any further questions. She simply smiled and said:
"Young master, you're awake. Are you hungry? Miss asked me to call you over for dinner."
Chen Yi nodded and casually instructed, "There are still some fallen leaves in the bamboo grove that haven't been swept up. Could you please clean them up?"
Xiaodie exclaimed, saying that she had just cleaned this morning, and hurriedly went to get the broom and dustpan.
Chen Yi grinned. "No rush, we can do it after we eat."
Xiaodie hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "Young Master, I'm not hungry. You should go eat, so Miss won't get impatient."
Seeing this, Chen Yi had no choice but to walk towards Jiaxing Garden.
Xiaodie watched him walk away, a serious look appearing on her face. She then grabbed a broom in one hand and a dustpan in the other and rushed into the bamboo grove.
It looked as if they were going to fight these "disobedient bamboos" to the death.
Hearing the voice behind him, Chen Yi silently apologized and went straight into Jiaxing Garden.
Compared to the vibrant Chunhe Garden, Jiaxing Garden is much quieter.
The garden is lush with flowers and plants, but not many trees, making it more like a garden landscape in Jiangnan Prefecture.
Passing through the porch, one finds a path paved with gravel, with slightly taller flowering trees on both sides that obscure the view inside.
After bypassing the path, Chen Yi saw Xiao Wan'er waiting in front of the wooden building.
She changed her outfit today, wearing a plain white jacket with an orange long skirt. Under the shade of the trees in front of the house, fluorescent spots were scattered on her body.
It made her look much brighter.
Especially when Xiao Wan'er saw Chen Yi's figure, the slight smile on her lips made her appear even more gentle and charming.
It seemed that because her body had warmed up, she no longer had as many worries and anxieties as before.
Chen Yi saw her from afar and raised his hand to greet her, "Good morning."
Xiao Wan'er's expression turned reproachful as she said, "It's already noon, is it still early?"
Chen Yi walked over with a smile and explained casually:
"Yesterday, Mr. Yueming led me around Guiyun Academy twice. We got back late, so I slept in a bit this morning."
Xiao Wan'er understood this as well, so she didn't dwell on the greeting and asked, "Did things go smoothly?"
Just as Chen Yi was about to answer, he caught a glimpse of Xiao Wuge rubbing his stomach and knew he was hungry. So he simply said "smooth sailing" and gestured for them to come inside.
Xiao Wan'er understood and led him to a seat, then invited Cui'er and Juan'er to bring over the food.
“I think so too. Since Mr. Yue Ming invited you to teach at the academy, he won’t change his mind unless something unexpected happens.”
Chen Yi pursed his lips: "It's good that you changed your mind."
"When I arrived yesterday, the teacher's letter had just arrived, and I learned that Mr. Yue Ming had actually written a letter to the teacher."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wan'er's eyes were full of smiles. "Mr. Juyi would probably also persuade you to go to Guiyun Academy, wouldn't he?"
"Yes, and they even said a lot of good things about me."
"That's good."
The food was served, and the group ate and chatted.
Xiao Wan'er asked, "Now that you've gone to the academy, are you still working at the Jishi Pharmacy?"
Chen Yi hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'll take it on as a side job. It's good to get an extra monthly salary from the shopkeeper."
"Nonsense. If the academy is too busy, I will arrange for someone else to be the manager of Jishi Pharmacy."
"Not for now. The academy only requires teaching for four days a month, so I should be able to manage the pharmacy as well."
Before Xiao Wan'er could speak, Xiao Wuge, who was standing next to her, said with a grin, "Brother-in-law hasn't been to the pharmacy for quite some time."
"...Too talkative."
Seeing Chen Yi's discomfiture, Xiao Wan'er couldn't help but smile brightly, "If that's the case, you can indeed continue to serve as the manager of the pharmacy."
This made Xiao Wuge, Juan'er, and Cui'er laugh.
Seeing this, Chen Yi pretended to sigh and said, "You guys have no idea how hard I've worked."
"Yes, yes, yes... Brother-in-law, you've worked the hardest."
The others took this as a joke.
But only Chen Yi himself knew that he was destined to be a hard worker.
He had originally intended to be a carefree son-in-law in the Marquis's mansion, but due to a series of current and future matters, he had to become quite busy.
After lunch.
Chen Yi didn't stay at Jiaxing Garden for long. He told Xiao Wan'er that he was going to Baicaotang.
Xiao Wan'er saw him to the door and reminded him, "Things aren't peaceful in the manor these days, so be careful when you're out and about."
"Don't go out alone like yesterday, without even a guard."
She paused, then hesitated, and said, "If it's because of my previous appointment with the owner of Baicaotang, we can postpone it."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi smiled, bowed, and said he understood, then told her to go back to Jiaxing Garden first.
"Although your health has improved a bit, you still need to keep warm, like you are now..."
He pointed to the orange dress, "It's easy to catch a cold."
Xiao Wan'er glanced down and blushed instantly. Just as she was about to look up and give him a lecture, she saw that Chen Yi had already run away laughing.
She had no choice but to swallow her words again, and as she turned away, she uttered two words lightly:
"Too talkative..."
He's also a chatterbox.
...
They left the Xiao residence.
As usual, Chen Yi did not allow the armored soldiers to follow him.
Even if he wanted to, he figured the manor wouldn't have enough manpower available right now.
According to his observation, the atmosphere in the mansion was even more solemn today than yesterday.
Not only were the armored soldiers solemnly guarding various residences and key locations, but even the maids and servants were hurrying about.
Clearly, this atmosphere would continue in the Xiao household until there was any progress in the investigation of Liu Jing's death.
Chen Yi was well aware of this, but for the time being, he didn't have any good solutions.
We can't exactly make him turn himself in at the yamen, can we?
However, he can't offer much help, but he can still do some small things.
Or rather, he could try to resolve this crisis.
Since seeing that message last night and making that bold guess about Xiao Dongchen's actions, Chen Yi also had an idea.
"If the hidden guards can find a fake 'murderer,' so can I."
Unfortunately, he doesn't have much time left now, and his temporary plan is to go and check on the situation tonight first.
If a "murderer" connected to the Xiao family were to actually appear, he might have to take some risks.
We can't let that "murderer" get involved with the Xiao family.
Not long after.
Chen Yi arrived outside the West Market and looked around the Huixian Tower, but he did not find any people from the Criminal Investigation Department.
After thinking for a moment, he didn't rush to Baicaotang, but instead wandered around the area a few times.
They mostly went to alleys or places where they could hide, to get a clear understanding of the situation in the area.
After he had seen enough, Chen Yi went inside the Hundred Herbs Hall.
Wang Ji, who was standing in the lobby greeting customers, spotted him immediately and greeted him with a smile, "Manager Chen, what a rare guest."
Chen Yi exchanged a few polite words with a smile and followed him inside. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of "Knife Madman" Liu Lang, but without hesitation, he followed him upstairs.
"This person's injuries don't seem to be improving. Are they that serious?"
Under the influence of Qi Observation Technique, Chen Yi was able to see that the wound on Liu Lang's chest had only healed to a very limited extent.
Even his internal injuries did not improve, as if some strange true energy or other force was hindering his recovery.
As Chen Yi followed Wang Ji upstairs, he pondered the situation.
After thinking it over, it's actually a good thing that Liu Lang can only maintain his injuries with his true essence.
At least he can't use martial arts at any time.
We arrived at the quiet room.
After closing the doors and windows, Wang Ji said, as if seeking credit, "Sir, the matter you instructed me to handle last time has been settled."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
