Chapter 302 Eldest Sister, How is Chen Yu? (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Whether he listened or not, Xiao Jinghong would eventually have to talk to Chen Yi after returning to the manor.
It's unavoidable.
She didn't want to avoid it either.
Early in the morning, after washing up and changing into casual clothes, Xiao Jinghong went outside the building.
In the courtyard, Xiaodie was sweeping up fallen leaves with a broom, even having to climb up a ladder to sweep the top of the pavilion.
Perhaps it was because the courtyard was too secluded.
In the cool, slightly damp breeze, Xiaodie's humming voice could be heard.
The melody is cheerful.
The lyrics, however, do not resemble the style of the Great Wei Dynasty.
"Cool, the wind carries a message; autumn, the moon is boundless; my longing for my beloved feels like each day is a year, though I am not a jade tree standing tall in the wind..."
Straightforward and novel.
Xiao Jinghong subconsciously looked at the wooden building on the other side, and inexplicably felt that it was her husband's masterpiece.
As she recalled those lines, a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips. "He certainly has a handsome and dashing appearance."
In Xiao Jinghong's mind, Chen Yi had a gentle and composed temperament that could not be described by superficial words like "handsome and elegant."
Moreover, he is a scholar who is very likely to break through to the Saint Realm of calligraphy before the age of thirty, which is enough to make him stand at the top of the younger generation of the Great Wei Dynasty.
What does one's appearance matter?
"ah!"
As Xiao Jinghong stared absently at the wooden building where Chen Yi was, Xiao Die caught a glimpse of her as she descended the stairs and exclaimed with delight:
"Second Miss, when did you get back?"
Xiao Jinghong snapped out of her daze, her smile fading, and said in a flat tone, "Last night."
Xiaodie, not even bothering to put the ladder away, rushed over: "You've come back because of the young lady's matter?"
"Last night, the young lady was saved by that 'Dragon Spear' thing, a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."
"Second Miss, have you gone to see the Eldest Miss?"
Xiao Jinghong nodded slightly, "I already know about this matter, and I will visit her at Jiaxing Garden later."
She glanced at the sky and asked casually, "Did the young master go to bed very late last night?"
Xiao Die nodded and said, "Yes, after the young lady was rescued last night, she brought the young master here."
"The young lady was a bit frightened and didn't look well. Fortunately, the young master comforted her and she went back to rest after midnight."
"Midnight..."
Xiao Jinghong thought to himself, no wonder. Chen Yi's breathing was still steady, and he was obviously sleeping soundly.
She thought for a moment, then beckoned to Xiaodie, turned around and went into the wooden building, "Tell me about the interesting things that have happened in the manor these days."
Xiaodie, unsuspecting, followed him with a slightly reserved demeanor.
The question and answer complemented each other perfectly.
However, there's nothing interesting happening in the Marquis's residence.
Or perhaps Xiaodie knew some interesting stories. The person she interacted with most was Chen Yi, so naturally, she talked most about things related to Chen Yi.
But that's exactly what Xiao Jinghong wanted to hear.
Therefore, Xiaodie talked about everything from the old Marquis's birthday celebration until last night.
Although it spanned a considerable period of time, Xiaodie managed to recount the story in great detail, relying solely on her memory from writing "The Biography of the Second Son-in-Law and the Little Maid of the Marquis of Wu's Mansion."
Academies, pharmacies, poetry, calligraphy, painting, music, and so on.
Especially the origins of those poems.
For example, the poem "Prelude to Water Melody: Mid-Autumn Festival - When Will the Moon Be Bright?" won first place at the Guiyun Academy Mid-Autumn Poetry Festival.
And Chen Yi, through the poem he wrote to Mr. Sun Fu, "Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world does not know you?", reveals his perfect calligraphy skills.
Xiao Jinghong listened with great interest and also learned about Chen Yi's recent situation.
But she didn't show it, and only continued to ask about Xiao Wan'er, the old man, and others.
"You mean, the Cui family is going to get involved in the medical academy that my eldest sister founded?"
"Yes, Miss asked the young master what he thought."
"The young master said that if Miss Cui does not interfere in the affairs of the academy, she can participate."
"reasonable……"
Xiao Jinghong nodded slightly, thinking to herself that it was no wonder her elder sister's letters were so protective of her husband.
It seems that her husband has been helping her a lot during this period.
The Medical Academy...that's a good thing.
As for the old master's situation, Xiao Jinghong knew a lot about it, so he only asked a few simple questions.
It was mostly about the rumors circulating in Shuzhou City recently, and Liu Hong's repeated visits to offer advice.
Let's chat for a bit.
Seeing that it was past 5 a.m., Xiao Jinghong got up and said, "Go and check on the young master. If he wakes up, come to Jiaxing Garden with him."
Xiaodie agreed and followed her out of the wooden building. After watching her go to Jiaxing Garden, she hurriedly went to find Chen Yi.
"Young master, young master, the second young lady is back! Please, please wake up!"
"Xiao Die? Let me sleep a little longer... Second Miss is back... Hmm? Madam is back?"
"Take a bath and change your clothes!"
Hearing Chen Yi's voice from inside the room, Xiao Jinghong smiled knowingly, then lightly crossed the corridor and disappeared into Jiaxing Garden.
Chen Yi vaguely heard the sound and breathed a sigh of relief.
As soon as his wife returned, she started asking him about his experiences over the past few days, which really put him under a lot of pressure.
No wonder Chen Yi felt so guilty.
It's really true that the things he's done recently could be attributed to Chen Yu and Liu Wu.
If Xiao Jinghong finds out that he was the one who did it, trouble is bound to arise.
At that time, Old Master Xiao will probably be more wary of him.
Fortunately, Xiaodie didn't know much.
Otherwise, that girl would probably have already sold him out.
Xiaodie, unaware of his thoughts, hurriedly fetched water and brought a brand new set of clothes.
“Young Master, the Second Miss went to Jiaxing Garden and said she would have breakfast there when you wake up.”
Chen Yi hummed in agreement, and while washing up, he asked Xiao Die outside the door:
"When did Madam return?"
"The second young lady said it was last night, and that you were already asleep when she went to rest."
"Because of my eldest sister's matter?"
"Yes, the master urgently summoned her back..."
If you're going to put on a show, go all the way.
Chen Yi always had to ask some common questions.
After washing up, he changed into a brand new black brocade robe, fastened the jade belt, and hung a sachet on it.
He looked in the bronze mirror.
Although he wasn't exactly handsome, he was still considered to be above average in appearance.
Coupled with his composed and unhurried demeanor, the word "handsome" is not an exaggeration when describing him.
Chen Yi smoothed a stray hair from his temple and smiled gently. "My lady, it's been a long time. My husband coughs..."
I almost forgot.
With Xiao Jinghong's cultivation level of the upper three ranks, his hearing is probably able to cover the entire Dingyuan Marquis's mansion.
Xiaodie, who was outside the door, heard the voice: "Young Master, are you ready?"
"alright."
Chen Yi pushed open the door and went out, leading her to Jiaxing Garden while reviewing today's intelligence.
Upon seeing the above content, he paused in his tracks.
[Daily Intelligence - High-Grade Mystic: At 1:15 AM, at the Provincial Administration Office, Marquis Dingyuan, Xiao Yuan, visits Liu Hong, the Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shu Prefecture, to question him. A small opportunity may be obtained.]
condemn?
After a moment's thought, Chen Yi understood.
Xiao Jinghong did not go with the old master to see Liu Hong, which means that the Xiao family was not yet ready to take down Liu Hong.
The old master's personal visit this time was probably to stabilize grain prices in Shuzhou Prefecture.
"It seems that the old master can still distinguish between what is important and what is urgent. Dealing with the Jizhou Merchant Guild is the best option right now."
Originally, Chen Yi had planned to find another opportunity to remind the old master to appease the people of Shuzhou.
Unexpectedly, the old master was not affected by Xiao Wan'er's kidnapping yesterday at all, and went directly to the Provincial Administration Office.
Therefore, Chen Yi also needs to speed up.
At the very least, he needed to determine whether Lin Zhenghong and the others would resell the grain to Cui Qingwu.
We also need to notify Zhang Dabao as soon as possible to throw out those merchants and others who were knocked out by the "Immortal's Drunkenness".
And Liu Lang...
Thinking this, Chen Yi quickened his pace and hurried to Jiaxingyuan.
Before he could even step into the living room of the wooden building, he heard Xiao Jinghong's voice coming from inside:
"Big sister, what do you think of 'Chen Yu'?"
Chen Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he almost lost his footing.
Why does the lady ask this?
She, she... no way?
One old man wasn't enough; now even Xiao Jinghong is trying to persuade Xiao Wan'er to marry "Chen Yu".
No, no, that won't work.
Without giving it much thought or waiting for Xiao Wan'er's reply, Chen Yi turned around the screen, glanced at the people inside, and then bowed with a smile:
"Please forgive me, I went to bed a little late last night and slept in a bit this morning."
As he spoke, his gaze swept past Xiao Wan'er and landed on Xiao Jinghong, greeting him with a smile:
"Madam, when did you return?"
Xiao Wan'er breathed a sigh of relief. Before Xiao Jinghong could speak, she gestured for Chen Yi to sit down. "Second sister returned last night."
"Husband, I came back last night."
Xiao Jinghong was not wearing the half-mask at this moment, her face was bare, and her appearance was no less than that of Xiao Wan'er.
She had narrow, elongated eyes with slightly upturned corners, a delicate nose, full lips, and fair, translucent skin.
—Absolutely beautiful, and with a touch of dashing elegance.
Chen Yi responded with an "oh," sat down next to her, and asked familiarly:
"How many days will you be staying, Madam, this time?"
He dared not steer the conversation toward that fictitious person again, regardless of whether it was Chen Yu or not.
Xiao Jinghong paused, a slight apology appearing on her face: "My husband, please forgive me. I came here for my elder sister."
"But now that I see my elder sister is safe and sound, Jinghong should hurry back to Wushan Trade Market as soon as possible, as it will take a few more days to complete."
"So rushed?"
Chen Yi frowned inwardly, vaguely sensing something strange.
He knew that the old master had summoned Xiao Jinghong not only to rescue Xiao Wan'er, but also, more importantly, to deal with Liu Hong.
Even if the old master could handle this matter alone, Xiao Jinghong shouldn't have left the city so soon.
At the very least, we should investigate.
Or... a cicada shedding its shell?
Very likely.
Thinking this to himself, Chen Yi smiled and said, "Madam is busy with affairs, so she should go and deal with them first."
As he spoke, he caught a glimpse of Xiao Wan'er's slightly nervous expression and continued:
"I'm eating and talking at the same time because I'm getting a little hungry."
Xiao Jinghong had no objection to it; on the contrary, she felt that his uninhibited manner was exactly what was appropriate.
Xiao Wan'er breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and invited the group to have breakfast.
"Second sister, I didn't know you were back, so I didn't tell the kitchen to make your favorite cold mutton."
"It's alright, this is enough."
Chen Yi breathed a sigh of relief, picked up a steamed bun from the table and stuffed it into his mouth while talking about recent events.
After guiding Xiao Jinghong to comfort Xiao Wan'er, the conversation turned to the grain prices in Shu Prefecture and the matter of Guiyun Academy.
"The annual examinations will begin in ten days. If my results are not good, I hope you will not laugh at me."
"Jinghong dares not."
Xiao Jinghong didn't say she wouldn't, but rather that she dared not; her tone showed no intention of treating Chen Yi as a son-in-law of the Xiao family.
It was as if she were his lawfully wedded wife.
"Furthermore, with my husband's talent and learning, passing the annual examination will not be a problem."
Xiao Wan'er nodded in agreement, saying, "Second sister is right. My brother-in-law has been working very hard lately."
"He not only searched through classic texts and historical records, but also specially asked someone to find the questions from the annual examinations over the years, and studied them diligently."
"Yeah?"
A smile flashed in Xiao Jinghong's beautiful eyes as she turned to look at Chen Yi, "With my husband working so hard, there won't be any problem with the annual examination."
Chen Yi met her gaze and nodded with a smile, "Thank you for your kind words, Madam."
They exchanged a glance and then ate their steamed buns in unison.
Xiao Wan'er saw their expressions and felt a strange mix of emotions welling up inside her.
A mix of bitterness, guilt, trepidation, and nervousness caused her to silently lower her head.
She ate her breakfast in a haphazard way, her mind wandering, and she couldn't even hear the sounds around her.
With her second sister and brother-in-law so deeply in love, she, as the eldest sister, really shouldn't and couldn't do such a despicable thing.
However, the bitterness in her heart prevented her from making a tough decision.
This wasn't the first time Xiao Wan'er had considered severing ties with Chen Yi.
Just like when she first received the poem "Ode to the Graceful Goddess".
For example, when Chen Yi held her hand...
I considered it again and again, but the result was always the same.
A clear image had already formed deep within Xiao Wan'er's heart.
In addition, she had experienced what happened yesterday—when she was so close to death, it was Chen Yi who gave her hope.
No, it wasn't just hope, but personally rescuing her and bringing her back to a world full of color.
She didn't want to, and was unwilling to, be so resolute.
A moment of silence.
Xiao Jinghong put down his chopsticks, unaware of Xiao Wan'er's unusual behavior, and continued to speak as the old master had instructed:
"Big sister, last night Grandpa asked me to come and ask you if you have any lingering thoughts about Baicaotang's 'Chen Yu'?"
Xiao Wan'er looked up blankly, "Chen Yu?"
She looked at Chen Yi, and was about to nod subconsciously, but after realizing what was happening, a look of panic appeared on her face.
"No, I have no such thoughts."
Chen Yi almost put the bowl in his mouth, but before Xiao Jinghong could ask any more questions, he put down his chopsticks and said:
"Madam, is the old master planning to marry my eldest sister to 'Chen Yu'?"
Xiao Jinghong paused, looked at Xiao Wan'er who had half her face hidden in the collar of her cloak, and nodded:
“Grandpa did have this idea.”
“That Chen Yu is young and promising, with extraordinary talent. He has achieved success in both martial arts and medicine, which is truly rare.”
"If you are interested, I will go and see him myself later."
Xiao Wan'er hurriedly shook her head, "Second sister, there's no need for that. I... I have no feelings for Chen Yu, and I... I would never marry him..."
As she finished speaking, a bitter smile appeared on her lips, hidden beneath her collar.
It's as if they're referring to Chen Yi, not "Chen Yu".
Chen Yi glanced at her, then at Xiao Jinghong, whose expression remained unchanged. He placed his hands on his knees, pressing down his toes, and asked with a forced smile:
"Madam, is Brother Chen Yu exceptionally talented in martial arts?"
"Yes, Grandpa told me."
Out of caution, Xiao Jinghong did not reveal that Chen Yu was "Dragon Tiger" Liu Wu. After explaining, he asked:
"Husband, I've heard you have some private dealings with 'Chen Yu'?"
Chen Yiqiang smiled calmly and said, "Speaking of personal relationships... I have a pretty deep relationship with him."
"I've met him several times and know he's achieved remarkable success in medicine. However..."
"But what?"
"However, Chen Yu's ambition lies in the martial world, so it's unlikely he'll stay in Shu Prefecture for long."
Xiao Jinghong frowned slightly. "You mean, he's leaving and won't come back?"
Chen Yi nodded: "He came to Shuzhou to repay the old master, and in the future he will follow his master's orders to travel all over the world to save the people."
"That's what he told me, so I guess he probably won't stay in Shuzhou forever."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghong's brows relaxed, and he said thoughtfully, "Such a person is indeed problematic."
Because of the Wushan trade market and the Dingyuan Army incident, Xiao Jinghong naturally knew what it was like to be separated from Chen Yi so often.
If Chen Yu were to end up like her in the future, wouldn't the eldest sister be left to live alone forever?
After all, Xiao Wan'er's health was extremely unsuitable for long journeys.
Xiao Wan'er breathed a sigh of relief, "Second sister is too busy to worry about me."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded, giving her a reassuring look. "What elder sister says is true... In my opinion, we should wait until Madam has met him before making a decision."
See?
If you ever see "Chen Yu", I'll take your surname!
(End of this chapter)
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