Chapter Forty-Two: Not Going

  The 4th update~

  Your vote shocked me, is this really the result of my single post? Unbelievable! I actually posted it for self-consolation, or to save face, but I never thought...

  Thank you, thank you.

  I'm done for today, goodnight. See you tomorrow.

  As the sun sets in the west, Zhou Liuang and Qin Langjun put down their bowls and chopsticks, looking at the stacked dishes and the bubbling soup in the pot.

  "It's indeed interesting." Shūroku said.

  "And there is also a bit of elegance and refinement." Qin Langjun smiled and said.

  "It's just that this name is not well-chosen." Zhou Liulang said, "Passerby Immortal? What kind of name is this, it's too ridiculous."

  The little servant standing by smiled.

  "The young master," he said, "people say that this is a divine recipe left behind by a passing immortal. The shopkeeper didn't have time to ask the name, so it was named as such."

  Zhou Lang laughed on Saturday.

  "He's a sly one," he said, standing up.

  Qin Langjun was also helped up by a small servant and went out.

  Outside the gate, the hall was filled with people's voices, all sitting around the stove, meat fragrance and steam rising, and outside the gate, there were still horse-drawn carriages passing by from time to time.

  "No more space, no more space." The guy at the door kept shouting, dissuading new arrivals from entering. "Please come back tomorrow, please come back tomorrow."

  A new flag was hung in front of the door, with large letters reading "Immortal's Residence".

  "Even the name has been changed, just for a fresh taste, and the names left by our ancestors have all been changed." Zhou Liulang said with a shake of his head and a smile, taking over the reins and mounting the horse.

  "People's hearts are not enough. It can't be blamed on him." Qin Langjun said with a smile. He looked up at the flag, seemingly deep in thought, and then turned to look at Zhou Liulang, who was already urging his horse forward. "Liulang, such a delicious dish, I'm sure your sister will like it too. Let me invite your sister to come here and gather together, she must be delighted?"

  Zhou Lang turned his head to look at him with a hint of scrutiny.

  "You really like her?" he asked.

  On Saturday evening, when the lights were already lit at home, Zhou Lang went straight to Cheng Jiaoniang's residence.

  "Your Highness."

  The maidservant outside the door made an uneasy curtsy.

  Ever since this daughter-in-law entered the house, the whole family's heart has been in a state of turmoil.

  On the day of entering the house, first let the lady freeze for half a day, and then the sixth young master made a fuss about begging for forgiveness with a humble attitude. It wasn't until evening that it was finally settled, but then they said the servant had run away, causing a huge commotion that lasted for three whole days...

  My dear mother, when will it ever end?

  The young master is here again, I wonder what kind of trouble he will stir up this time...

  Fortunately, Zhou Liulang did not enter the house, but stood at the entrance of the courtyard, looking at the main house.

  The lamp in the house casts a warm glow, reflecting the shadows of two people sitting opposite each other on its surface. They seem to be playing chess, yet they also appear to be chatting and laughing.

  "You don't need to go over there and look, she must have gone back home."

  "How did I know? Because I wanted to know, so I knew. You didn't want to know, that's why you don't know. It's not that you really can't think of it."

  "Sixth brother, you must keep a distance from this sister of yours. Keep her at arm's length, guide her gently, and only then will she look up to you and listen to what you have to say. Otherwise, there is no solution. Don't be reckless again."

  Qin Lang's voice sounded in his ear.

  Zhou Lang clenched his fists and turned around, walking away with big strides.

  The women let out a sigh of relief and told about the previous night, and the others also dispersed.

  Before long, another figure appeared at the gate of the courtyard, but it was hiding and dodging, as if afraid of being seen.

  Daughter, are you going to eat this? Doesn't it taste bad?

  Daughter, is it correct for me to write like this?

  Half of the celery looked at the two silhouettes reflected on the door, as if seeing the scene again, hearing the dialogue again.

  She saw her again, but the person beside her was no longer herself.

  Half of the celery bit down on her handkerchief, stuffing her mouth to stifle her sobs, her vision blurry, her hand resting against the cold wall, reluctant to move an inch.

  "Who is there?"

  The maidservant inside noticed and shouted loudly.

  He turned around hastily and ran into the night.

  My wife held a lantern and looked outside the door, but there was no one, only the winter wind whistling by.

  No, life is still young, how can unclean things also come to cause trouble?

  She couldn't help but shiver, and hastily went in to close the door with a bang.

  The sky was bright, and Madame Zhou had been sitting in the hall for a good while when she finally saw Jingniang come out of the inner room.

  "Jiao Jiao, Madam Chai from the imperial physician's family has come in person to invite you. Go take a look and see what kind of illness their young mistress is suffering from." Lady Zhou said hastily.

  Jiang Nang looked at her and sat down.

  "How am I supposed to know?" she said.

  No greeting, no asking how things are going, but it's fine anyway, she may or may not know about these things.

  Mrs. Zhou sat up straight.

  "So, go take a look." She said with a smile.

  "I won't go," said Cheng Jiaoniang, taking the water handed over by the maid.

  "Why don't you go?" asked Mrs. Zhou hastily.

  "Why must I go?" asked Cheng Jiaoniang.

  "You can cure illnesses, you are a divine doctor." said Mrs. Zhou.

  "I'm not a divine doctor, some illnesses I can treat, but others I won't." Jingniang shook her head and slowly drank water.

  What nonsense!

  "Jiaojiao." Madame Zhou took a step forward and put her hand on Jiaoniang's shoulder, "Don't be sulky."

  Jiang Nang put down her water glass.

  "It's wrong." She looked at Mrs. Zhou and said, "Who is being stubborn, it's not me, it's you guys."

  Mrs. Zhou was about to say something else when Cheng Jiaoniang stood up.

  "Madam, our young lady is going to prepare medicine for Old Man Chen today. Would you please have someone get the carriage ready?" The maid said as she took hold of Madame's hand.

  Are you going to prepare the car?

  Mrs. Zhou looked at this little girl and felt a bit annoyed.

  What kind of person am I!

  What kind of person are you!

  But yet cannot, isn't it prepared for the car? Not allowing her to go and diagnose Old Master Chen's illness?

  Why wouldn't I let her go and treat Old Man Chen's illness? Am I an idiot?!

  "How is it?" Old Master Zhou paced back and forth in the room, getting a bit impatient. Seeing Madame Zhou enter, he hastily asked, "Is Madame Wu still waiting? Tell her to hurry up with packing and follow us."

  Mrs. Zhou's face looked unpleasant.

  "Hurry up, she'll be grateful just to be able to go," she said.

  "What's wrong?" Old Man Zhou frowned and hesitated for a moment.

  "She won't go." said Mrs. Zhou with a bad tone.

  "Didn't go?" Old Man Zhou was even more stunned, thinking he had misheard. "Why didn't you go?"

  "'Others say don't go, how would I know?' said Mrs. Zhou, full of grievances, 'Must we tie her up and take her there?'"

  This is seeing a doctor, not being imprisoned, and it's all settled with just one binding.

  "This wretched servant girl." Old Master Zhou understood and gritted his teeth in anger.

  "I've just used it to ask Old Lady Chen for a diagnosis and returned it to Madame Wu. Now that I've returned it, what should I do tomorrow? If I return it to Madame Wu, what if another madame comes?" said Madame Zhou, sitting down and feeling her heart ache with anxiety.

  Mr. Zhou was also depressed and sat down without saying a word.

  Yes, this is about seeing a doctor, not anything else. Shouting and scolding and threatening, even if you go, the other party can say they can't see it, and there's nothing they can do about it.

  "At first, it was said that inviting her to our home would be a great honor, but is this really an honor? Now the Chen family looks down on us, and as Old Lady Chen recovers, she'll become even more famous. Later, when people come to visit, they'll look for us, and it will all be our family's affair. This servant girl doesn't go to see her once or twice, but in the end, everything will be blamed on our Zhou family!" Madam Zhou said, pressing her hand against her head.

  "What's to be done? Drive him out?" Old Mr. Zhou said in a bad temper.

  "Drive him out, what will our Zhou family become?" said Mrs. Zhou.

  What has it become? Neither inside nor outside is human!

  How did it end up like this?

  Old Zhou's face turned long.

  "Now this little wench is someone who can't be beaten or scolded, she can only be coaxed and cajoled, and made to be happy and joyful, before she can be of use to me." he said.

  "This foolish child has actually become the young ancestor! Mrs. Zhou leaned on the armrest, holding her head and spitting out air, "What kind of thing is this!"

  This seems different from what they originally thought.

  How could this be?

  What's wrong with it? (sigh...)