Chapter 279-280. The Bad Guy Lei Zhouzhou/The Happy Fruit Miao Yuzhu [Double Update, Make Up for Yesterday]
Zhou Yi felt that he was not a feudal patriarch.
But seeing Zhou Zhou and Lin Zhong inseparable, inseparable and inseparable, he still felt a little uncomfortable.
If this were modern times, he would be able to righteously warn Lin Zhong to get away, and he would be able to confidently ask Zhou Zhou to study hard, get into a good high school and a good university, and wait until his horizons broadened and he was old enough to fall in love and get married.
Of course, it’s okay not to talk or get married.
But this is the Daisuke Dynasty.
Even if there is no Lin Chong, there are Chen Chong, Li Chong, and Zhang Chong. If they are not from the Duke of Suguo's Mansion, they may be from the Shangshu Mansion, the General's Mansion, or the Vice Minister's Mansion. Zhou Zhou is in adolescence, so it is normal for him to be tempted by love and curious about matters between men and women.
As a father, what Zhou Yi has to do is to guide Zhou Zhou, protect Zhou Zhou, and prevent him from being deceived by the sweet words and small favors of little boys.
Zhou Yi convinced himself in this way, and then openly monitored Lin Zhong, supervised Lin Zhong, and warned Lin Zhong——
All right.
From his observations along the way, he found that Lin Zhong was a quite upright gentleman and had not done anything excessive towards his son Zhou Zhou, except for the time when Zhou Zhou took the initiative to invite him to ride a horse and let him sleep on his back.
When Zhou Zhou was taking other friends horseback riding in the village, some girls and boys wanted to ride horses but were too timid to do so by themselves. Zhou Zhou would ride with them and let them hold his waist or he would hug them from behind.
——There were boys and girls who confessed their love to Lei Zhouzhou because he was handsome, tall, gentle and considerate.
Unfortunately, the slow king Lei Zhouzhou didn't realize it at all. When he heard the little girl and boy say that they liked him, he also said that he liked them. When he saw their blushing faces, he asked if they had a fever or were sick.
As a result, several boys and girls who originally thought they were the main wives happily told their friends, but found that, coincidentally, Lei Zhouzhou said that he liked them.
So the boys and girls went to confront them angrily. Lei Zhouzhou didn't realize the problem at all and said with a serious face,
"We are all friends. You like me and I like you. What's wrong with that?"
It made the young boys cry.
At that time, Lei Zhouzhou was twelve years old and had become a well-known scumbag.
A young man of similar age who also liked Lei Zhouzhou thought that since he was of the opposite sex, his confession would definitely not be misunderstood, so he went to confess his feelings -
Lei Zhouzhou's nickname "Zha Ge'er" became even more famous.
Every year someone confesses their love to him, but each person only gets one reply: "We are friends, of course I like you too." Sometimes there's also a reply: "Why are you crying?", which makes people so angry that they call him a fool.
Lei Zhouzhou, who always gets first place in every exam: "?"
However, because he has so many friends, he is not so strong about gender boundaries.
He didn't feel anything ambiguous about a bachelor riding on the same horse with a bachelor, nor did he understand what it meant to let a bachelor sleep on his shoulder.
"Does it mean my shoulders will be sore?"
Lei Zhouzhou answered without hesitation, his quite straightforward eyes filled with clarity and sincerity.
Zhou Yi, who was explaining the concept of "men and women should not touch each other" and "men should not touch each other" said: "..."
Zhou Yi tried to struggle: "If Lin Zhong wanted to hold your hand, the kind where they interlocked their fingers, would you let him hold it?"
"Yes."
Lei Zhouzhou thought it wasn't a difficult task, so he nodded. He was just a little confused, "Why do we have to interlock our fingers? Can't we just hold hands normally?"
"Don't worry about it."
"oh."
"What if Lin Zhong holds your hand without your consent?"
"Let him lead the way."
"How would you feel if Lin Zhong suddenly hugged you?"
"Nothing."
"How would you react then?"
"Take him back, or pat him on the back."
“…”
Zhou Yi didn't know what to say for a moment. As friends, this was normal. As a pursuit object, taking her home was a bit ambiguous.
He thought for a moment and asked again, "Then what do you think, Lin Zhong, as a man who values etiquette so much, why did he suddenly hug you?"
"Maybe he encountered something sad and wanted to find someone to comfort him?"
Lei Zhouzhou reasonably guessed that when his friends encountered sad things, he would also hug them to comfort them. This was what his father taught him when he was a child.
Dad also said that sometimes hugging is useless, but it can make people feel better.
And it is really useful. Every time he listens to his friends talking about their sad stories and can't give any good advice, he hugs his friends. His friends will feel much better, say that he is so nice, and give him gifts to express their gratitude.
“…”
Zhou Yi never expected that the boomerang could hit him. If he had known this, he would not have taught Zhou Zhou this trick.
There are also men among Zhou Zhou's friends. When they were young and ignorant, they would cry. But when they grew up and knew how to save face, they would not cry loudly and ask for comfort. Those who would seek Zhou Zhou for a hug were all boys and girls, so Zhou Yi did not notice this.
It's okay now.
Let Lin Zhong take advantage of the loophole.
Lin Zhong looks at the handsome boy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, but he is actually a scheming boy. He knows that Zhou Zhou would comfort people in this way, and he might really use this trick when he is shameless.
"Anyway, since you two aren't in a relationship yet, don't let Lin Zhong hold your hand or hug you, and don't go out with him alone when you get to Kyoto."
"All right."
Lei Zhouzhou was a little confused, but nodded, "Then I can't ride a horse?"
"cannot."
Zhou Yi said, "Why would he ride your horse when he has his own? If he feels tired, he can take a carriage."
"All right."
Lei Zhouzhou nodded.
"Zhou Zhou is grown up now. She must learn to avoid suspicion with men. Apart from Lin Zhong, she cannot ride a horse or a carriage with other men, unless they are members of our family."
Zhou Yi emphasized, "Only those who are on the same household registration and are blood relatives can be considered family members, understand? Even someone like my cousin's husband doesn't count."
"I understand."
Lei Zhouzhou said obediently.
"Go play."
Zhou Yi looked at Lei Zhouzhou's cheerful figure, sighed, and thought to himself, you know shit. If you really knew, you wouldn't have agreed to let Lin Zhong give it a try.
—
When I returned to Kyoto, it was the transition from spring to winter.
There was either heavy snow or chilly weather on the road, which delayed us a lot of time.
When I returned to Kyoto, it was already March. Willows were everywhere, and the weather was warm. People took off their cotton coats and put on light spring clothes.
Lei Li, Zhou Yi and their group entered Kyoto and headed straight for the imperial city. They reported to the emperor and were then kept in the palace for lunch. It was already afternoon when they finally returned to the Changning Marquis' Mansion.
Lei Zhouzhou did not hold an official position and did not need to report to the palace. He returned to the Changning Marquis' Mansion in the morning to inform his family of the news that his father had returned. The entire mansion became lively as they prepared for the welcoming banquet in the evening.
I haven't been home for a year and a half.
Liu Ye'er and Lei Dashan are old, but because they practice Tai Chi every day to exercise, have nutritious meals, and have their great-granddaughter Xiao Yuzhu to accompany them, they are happy every day, their ears and eyes are not deaf or blurry, and they are still in good health.
I just miss my brother Lei Li who is thousands of miles away.
Now that Lei Li and Zhou Yi have returned, Liu Ye'er is in high spirits. She even rolls up her sleeves and cooks a meal for her brother and son-in-law.
"Stop working, mother."
Lei Li quickly called Liu Ye'er, took her hand, and said with a smile, "I just got back, please chat with me for a while. I'll be staying in Beijing for a long time this time, so there's no rush to cook today."
"That's right."
Liu Ye'er was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling. She looked at Lei Li again and again, wanting to say that he had lost weight.
But although Lei Liren was busy outside, his food, clothing, housing and transportation were not bad at all, and Zhou Yi was keeping an eye on his meals. He did not lose weight at all, and even had a little more fat.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."
Liu Ye'er felt a little reluctant to say that she had lost weight, but she was really happy. She repeated this sentence several times, and her eyes became moist.
Lei Dashan also nodded repeatedly and repeated twice, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."
Lei Li mentioned the bandit problem in Qingyuan in the letter he sent home, but he only talked about the good things in the letters he sent to his parents. He also asked Lei Jingsheng and Lei Shengjiang not to tell his parents, and they themselves did not tell the elderly.
When the old man asked, they all said that Lei Li and his friend were eating and drinking well outside, and that Lei Li was the Marquis of Changning, and if others did not live well, the Marquis could do so too.
But the elderly are worried about their children and always try to find out for themselves.
Lei Dashan was the master of a marquisate, but he was not arrogant. He wore ordinary brocade clothes every day and went out for a walk. His favorite thing was to go to a teahouse to listen to stories. If he was happy with the stories, he would give some silver as a reward, just like the master of an ordinary wealthy family.
While listening to the book, Lei Dashan also met several old friends with similar interests. Among those old friends, there were businessmen who were most well-informed about business news. Qingyuan, in particular, was a big piece of meat, and everyone wanted to tear off a piece.
Qingyuan with banditry is poisonous meat, while Qingyuan without banditry is meat on the chopping board.
Marquis Changning eliminated the banditry, rebuilt the escort agency, organized a chamber of commerce, and assembled a merchant caravan. This was impossible to hide from the merchants who were like sharks that smelled blood.
As early as last year, this matter had reached Kyoto. Lei Dashan knew that his child was having such a dangerous life in Qingyuan, and he wiped away his tears several times at night.
He didn't dare tell Liu Ye'er, for fear that his wife would be frightened with him, but after being married for so many years, how could he hide it from Liu Ye'er?
So the situation changed from one person crying out of pity for the child to two people crying out of pity for the child.
Fortunately, Lei Li and Zhou Yi have been sending letters home regularly. They write to their parents about interesting things they encountered on the road, beautiful scenery and delicious food, and they also include landscape paintings in the letters.
Knowing that the child is on the way back, the two elders are still worried, but not as much. Instead, they are looking forward to the day when the child returns more and more.
Now that the children are back, the two elders can’t say much. They just keep looking at their children. Just looking at them makes them feel at ease and happy.
Miao Fulang and Zhang Daqiang were also very happy to see them back.
When Lei Li asked about Lei Shengjiang and the others, Miao Fulang said, "Shengjiang is still on duty at the Hanlin Academy. The wife of Minister Zhang invited Yurui to see the flowers, saying that she had just obtained two pots of jade peonies, which were very beautiful. Yurui went with Yuzhu in her arms."
"Mrs. Zhang's family also has a little girl named Xiangqin, who is only two months older than our Yuzhu. The two children play very well together. The last time Yuzhu came back from Mrs. Zhang's house, she said she wanted to play with Xiangqin again."
As he spoke, he looked at the sky and said, "Yu Rui and Yu Zhu should be back soon."
Lei Li and Zhou Yi had previously sent a letter home saying that they would soon arrive in Kyoto, but they didn't know the exact time. The Lei family estimated that it would actually be two days later, but they didn't expect them to return today.
Lei Zhouzhou returned to Changning Marquis Mansion in the morning.
But unfortunately, Miao Yurui had just left the house when he came back. The invitation had been agreed to by Mrs. Zhang earlier, and the family was not in a hurry to reunite, so he did not send anyone to invite Miao Yurui back.
Moreover, Lei Li and Zhou Zhou have to go to the palace to report on their work, and it is unknown when they will be back. If they are late, it is possible that they will come back after having dinner in the palace.
"Daddy, Daddy."
As soon as Miao Fulang finished speaking, Miao Yurui's voice was heard outside the court. He smiled and said, "Yurui is here, and Shengjiang should be back soon."
"Ginger is not in a hurry."
When Lei Li heard Miao Yurui's voice, he stood up and went outside to greet her. He said with a smile, "Shengjiang is already an adult, he won't get lost. I'd better go and see what our little Yuzhu looks like. I wonder if she still remembers Grandpa."
After a pause, he smiled and shook his head. "Children have short memories, so they probably don't remember. There are some differences between the grandfather in the painting and the real grandfather."
"Daddy."
Miao Yurui had already entered the courtyard. When he saw Lei Li and Zhou Yi in the hall, his eyes became slightly moist. He patted the little Yuzhu in his arms and said,
"Yuzhu, call someone quickly."
"Grandpa."
The delicate little girl was wearing a pink dress and had two cute little braids. She leaned on her father's arms, her bright big eyes looking out with a little curiosity.
"Are you Grandpa Li Zi in the painting?"
Xiao Yuzhu is already two years old. She has no memory of meeting her grandfather when she was a few months old, but she is not afraid at all when she sees the stranger who is smiling at her.
She thought of the grandfather in the painting, who was exactly the same as the grandfather in front of her, with the same smiling face and the same handsome appearance.
"yes."
Lei Li's peach blossom eyes curved up, and he looked very friendly. Little Yuzhu spoke in a baby voice, so he imitated her childish voice and said, "I am the Grandpa Li Zi in the painting. Grandpa Li Zi held Yuzhu many times when she was very young."
"I don't even remember."
Xiao Yuzhu shook her head, got down from her father's arms, and ran to her grandfather. She was picked up and held high. She was giggling with excitement.
"It's so high, higher than what Daddy can lift."
"Can we play again?"
"Okay, okay!"
"Let's fly~"
"Flying! So high!"
"Spin in circles~"
“Wow~~~~”
The courtyard was filled with laughter as clear as silver bells.
The little girl smiled with a blushing face, hugged Lei Li's neck affectionately, and seemed to have never been apart from this old man Li Zi.
"Grandpa is so awesome!"
"Does Xiao Yuzhu like Grandpa?"
"like!"
"Grandpa loves our Yuzhu~"
"Hehe~"
The little girl laughed happily, her big eyes bright and lively. She spotted Zhou Yi in the hall and asked, "Is that Grandpa Yi Ren?"
"yes."
Lei Li carried Xiao Yuzhu into the main hall and asked, "Why do you call him Grandpa Yi Ren?"
"Because there's "Yi Ren" in Grandpa Yi's name, just like there's "Chestnut" in Grandpa Li's name."
The little girl had a very cute and self-righteous attitude. In her little brain, she understood that if the pronunciation was the same, it must be the same word.
The little girl’s favorite food is chestnut and barley porridge.
Grandpa Chestnut and Grandpa Job's Tears are good-looking and always bring back many novel gifts. The little girl likes them just like chestnut and Job's Tears porridge.
"Grandpa Job's Tears..."
The little girl saw Zhou Yi in the main hall clearly, then looked at Lei Li who was holding her. A question popped up in her little head, "Why is it that Uncle Li Zi is white, like Job's tears, and Uncle Job's tears is dark, like a chestnut?"
This was so cute that everyone laughed out loud.
The little girl was still confused and didn't know why the adults were laughing.
"this……"
Lei Li said with a smile, "I want to ask grandma why you named Grandpa Li Zi Li Zi."
"Grandma."
The little girl asked in a baby voice, "Why do you call Grandpa Lizi Lizi?"
"Because when your great-grandmother was pregnant with him, her favorite food was chestnuts."
Lei Dashan was nostalgic for those days and laughed as he spoke, "When autumn came, the chestnut trees on the mountain dropped chestnuts all over the ground. The chestnuts had green, prickly shells that cracked open, revealing the brown chestnuts inside."
"I went to pick chestnuts early in the morning and could gather several large baskets a day. I picked chestnuts for several days and had so many that I ate them until Li Ge'er was born."
"At that time, my family was poor and we didn't have much money. We couldn't afford to buy sugar, so we only found wild fruits in the mountains, which were sweeter."
Liu Ye'er continued, "These chestnuts are good stuff. They're sweet and soft. Not only are they delicious, but they're also more filling than wild fruits. There are so many chestnuts on the trees that some poor families pick them up in the fall and rely on them to survive the winter."
"People in the village also say that whatever you like to eat when you are pregnant is what the baby in your belly will like to eat."
"I figured the baby would also like to eat chestnuts, so I simply named her Li. It can be used for girls, boys, or men. Dashan also thought it was a good name, so later it became Li Ge'er."
Chestnuts have a green, prickly outer shell and a brown, hard shell, but the flesh inside is sweet and soft.
At that time, Liu Yeer hoped that the baby in her belly would be like a chestnut, with a hard, thorny shell to protect itself, and have a strong character so that it would not be bullied. And her life would be as sweet and happy as chestnut meat.
And now it has all been realized.
“Oh~”
Little Yuzhu didn't know whether she understood or not. She looked at Zhou Yi curiously with her big eyes rolling around as if she had suddenly realized something. "Grandpa Yiren's name means that my great-grandmother loves to eat Job's tears, right? Is it Job's tears porridge?"
"That's not the case."
Zhou Yi touched Xiao Yuzhu's head and said with a smile, "The 'Yi' in my name is the Yi in perseverance, which is different from the 'Yi' in coix seed."
"As for why I chose this name... maybe it's because they hope I will have perseverance and determination, and will stick to what I do and not give up halfway, right?
"I don't understand."
Little Yuzhu shook her little head and spoke in a baby voice, so cute that everyone burst into laughter.
She didn't know why everyone was laughing, but when she thought about what she was about to say, her face lit up with pride. "I know my name too. How did it come from? Daddy said it's from very expensive jade and the pearls on my hand!"
Priceless jade.
The apple of the eye.
It seemed that what the little girl said was not wrong, and everyone laughed at her childish words again.
The little girl thought everyone thought she was wrong, so she quickly added, "It's true! Jade and pearls are both so beautiful! And Daddy also said...something about flowers being like jade, which is a compliment to someone's beauty!"
"As beautiful as a flower?"
Miao Yurui asked her flatteringly.
The little girl's eyes lit up and she nodded her head vigorously, "Yes! That's it! I want to be as beautiful as Hua'er and Yu'er in the future!"
"Our Yuzhu is now as beautiful as flowers and jade. Even more beautiful than the moon and the flowers."
Lei Li teased her with a smile.
"Moon? Flower?"
The little girl hadn't learned this word yet. She tilted her head and said, "What does it mean? More beautiful than flowers and jade?"
"Yes."
Lei Li imitated her and tilted her head, saying, "It means that a person is so beautiful that the moon subconsciously hides and the flowers are ashamed. There's also the saying 'sinking fish and falling geese', which means that a person is so beautiful that the fish forget to swim and sink to the bottom of the water, and the geese forget to fly and fall from the sky."
"Wow~~"
Xiao Yuzhu couldn't help but open her mouth wide, her face full of admiration, "How amazing! So, once he gets to the river, he can catch fish without any effort at all? He doesn't even need to shoot an arrow to pick up a big bird?"
Everyone laughed at the cuteness again.
Only Lei Zhouzhou was serious. He shook his head and said, "That's an exaggeration. No one can catch fish and wild geese with just their beauty. But if you want to catch fish and wild geese, Yuzhu, I can teach you."
"Yeah!"
Little Yuzhu cheered excitedly, "I want to learn! I want to catch lots of fish and grill them!"
"Yuzhu likes grilled fish?"
Seeing her nodding repeatedly, Lei Li said with a smile, "Grandpa Yi Ren knows how to grill fish. When Yu Zhu catches some fish, let Grandpa Yi Ren grill it for you, okay?"
"Grandpa Yi Ren can also grill fish?"
Xiao Yuzhu looked at Zhou Yi, feeling a little bit unbelievable. She thought Zhou Yi was tall and strong and looked a bit fierce, and didn't look like someone who could cook.
"Dad baked it. Is it delicious?"
"tasty."
Zhou Yi took Xiao Yuzhu in his arms and said, "I was the one who taught your father how to grill fish. My grilled fish is the most delicious. If you don't believe me, ask your father and grandmother."
"Grandpa Barley Grilled Fish is the best in our family."
Miao Yurui smiled and said, "Grandpa Job's tears can also make many delicious things. He can also make Yuzhu's favorite chestnut and Job's tears porridge and osmanthus cake."
"Really?"
When little Yuzhu saw that everyone was saying it was true, her face was immediately filled with admiration and joy. "Yuzhu likes Uncle Yiren the most! Uncle Yiren, can you make osmanthus cake tonight?"
"sure."
How could Zhou Yi not agree?
"Wow!"
Xiao Yuzhu was overjoyed and kissed Zhou Yi on the face, "Great! Thank you, Grandpa!"
"Um?"
Seeing this, Lei Li pretended to be angry and said, "Why do you only kiss Uncle Yi Ren and not Uncle Li Zi? Uncle Li Zi even prepared a gift for Yu Zhu."
There is a gift!
小玉珠雷達一響，頓時伸手要雷栗抱抱，然後吧唧一口親在他臉上，笑眼彎彎道，“謝謝阿爺！”
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