Chapter 56 Rumors

  Not getting married?

  What's the point of a woman if she doesn't marry?

  Old Zhou glared.

  The Zhou family doesn't need useless people.

  Mrs. Zhou smiled and handed him the wine cup.

  "With her being like that, what good family would want her?" she said. "Having lost her mother at a young age and been foolish for many years, nowadays it's just that some unknown prescription can cure illnesses, but in appearance she still looks different from ordinary people, which good family would be willing to accept her."

  She emphasized the three words "good man's house", and Old Man Zhou understood.

  What is meant by "good people" are naturally those who are useful to the Zhou family.

  Old Zhou took a sip of wine and didn't say anything.

  "It's better to stay at home, with you and me around, she can eat and drink well, and the children will also treat her as a aunt when we're not around. Why go to someone else's house to suffer? Besides, she still has her dowry, isn't that more comfortable?"

  Old Zhou suddenly came to his senses and nodded repeatedly.

  "Right, right, it should be like this." He said, "You're still as thoughtful as ever, worthy of being an aunt."

  "I'm just speaking from the heart," said Mrs. Zhou with a smile.

  "Come, come, madam, I'll pour you a drink." Old Master Zhou said with a smile, taking the wine jug and pouring a drink for Madame Zhou.

  Mrs. Zhou smiled and poured a cup, on a winter night indoors, the old couple was also harmonious and happy together.

  The sun was already high in the sky, and Madame Zhou had changed into her clothes and sat down to slowly drink tea.

  "Mother, I'd rather not sit in the same car as her," a woman said with some displeasure. "Just looking at her makes people uncomfortable."

  "Then don't go," said Mrs. Zhou.

  "No, Qiao's daughter is skilled in tea art and it's easy to meet her. I don't want to," the woman said, pulling on her mother's sleeve. "Mother, let's add another carriage so she can ride alone, it will show that we value her."

  Just as she was speaking, footsteps were heard outside the door. Madame Zhou glared at her and signaled for her to sit properly, while putting on a warm and gentle smile herself.

  It was the maid who came in.

  "Madam, it's Cheng Niangzi, she says no." She knelt down and paid her respects, saying in a trembling voice.

  Mrs. Zhou's smile on her face suddenly disappeared.

  Look, look, she knew! She knew!

  Madam Zhou sat in her niece's hall once again, asking her to go out with her.

  As soon as this thought flashed through her mind, Mrs. Zhou, who was sitting down, wanted to get up and leave with a flick of her sleeve.

  Is she the only one in the world who can be a aunt like this?

  But she still had to grit her teeth and sit tight.

  "Why don't you go? It's been agreed upon, how can you be so unreliable?" she said, looking at the woman in front of her.

  The woman in front of her was slowly eating her meal.

  A woman who is always disheveled from dawn till dusk, what a sorry state!

  "When did I say I was going out?" Jingniang asked, raising her head.

  "Didn't you say it yourself, diagnosing people's illnesses?" Mrs. Zhou said through gritted teeth, her smile somewhat stiff; if not for decades of experience as a wife and mother, she would have lost control of her temper.

  Jiang Yao's mouth curved slightly as she lowered her head and took another bite.

  "Madam, our young mistress said she can diagnose illnesses, not go out." a maid beside her said.

  "Mind your own business when mistress and young lady are talking." The maid behind Mrs. Zhou immediately said.

  "Don't be anxious, madam, and don't get annoyed," the maid said with a smile. "My mistress is tongue-tied and can't speak much, so I have to speak on her behalf as her maid."

  Really?

  This program girl indeed rarely speaks, it turns out she can't speak at all.

  So there's no fool who can suddenly become as good as a normal person, or else they'd be a freak.

  His wife didn't know what to say, and Mrs. Zhou let out a sigh.

  "How can you diagnose an illness without going out?" she said softly.

  "Madam doesn't know, our young lady has two rules for treating illnesses." The maid said with a smile.

  From start to finish, Cong Jiaoniang had been eating with her head down, and Madame Zhou couldn't help but look at this maid.

  "One is not to make house calls." The maid said, "Only see patients in the clinic."

  What's going on here!

  "About Mr. Chen's family..." Madam Zhou couldn't help but say.

  The maid smiled slightly and interrupted her words.

  "Of course, if it's like Mr. Chen Xiang's family, then that's a different story altogether." she said.

  How is Mr. Chen's family?

  Mrs. Zhou was shocked.

  What can she say about this? How can she say it?

  They say your family is not as prominent as Mr. Chen's, so you're not qualified to invite him?

  She's gone mad or doesn't want to stay in Beijing anymore!

  "Jiaojiao, don't be ridiculous, didn't you set this rule yourself?" She said with a deep breath.

  Jiang Yao shook her head.

  "Since it's settled, it can't be changed, how can one speak without faith?" she said.

  Mrs. Zhou was choked again.

  "Besides, if I break the rules, I won't be able to watch it," said Cheng Jiaoniang.

  If you break the rules, can't watch it? Is this a threat?

  If you don't follow her rules, then don't look?

  Mrs. Zhou looked at the woman in front of her who was still eating calmly and got up with gritted teeth.

  After dinner, it was time for the Zhou family children to pay their respects to their parents. Zhou Liulang arrived a bit late and entered the house to find only one of his sisters sitting inside.

  The atmosphere in the house is somewhat depressing.

  "You're just the same," said Old Man Zhou. "If you don't go, then don't go. Just follow the rules and that's it. What's there to get angry about?"

  It was then that Zhou Lang saw Madame Zhou's eyes were slightly red.

  "Mother, what's wrong?" he asked hastily.

  "It's all right." Mrs. Zhou forced a smile to comfort her son.

  "What else can be said, it's all that foolish child from Jiangzhou." My sister spoke up beside me, with a hint of indignation. "You boast and brag about yourself, but when things go wrong, you deny any responsibility and make Mother the villain. Today, outside, Mother was scolded terribly!"

  "Seventh Girl, be quiet." said Madame Zhou, "You go and rest now."

  "It's all because her parents have spoiled her!" said Zhou Qiuniang, standing up to leave, and then seeing Zhou Liulang, she flicked her sleeve, "And you too!"

  Zhou Qīniáng left, Zhou Liùláng still sat there motionless, looking at his mother with a sigh and a hint of sadness.

  "She." He opened his mouth to speak, and Old Man Zhou also happened to open his mouth, so Zhou Liu Lang stopped.

  "She said that this is not intentional nonsense." Old Master Zhou said, stroking his beard, "In the past few days, I have been busy with social engagements and vaguely heard that she can cure illnesses relying on a divine recipe left behind by an immortal."

  "Father." Shūzaburō cried out, unable to hold back.

  How can such nonsense be believed! It's also too hypocritical to use it to comfort your mother.

  "Or perhaps it's not an immortal, but rather a wandering Taoist or some kind of loose cultivator." Old Master Zhou chuckled and said with a hint of drunkenness still on his face.

  Unlike being ridiculed by women when going out with his wife, men took a long-term view and didn't mind the temporary setback. So these days he was very comfortable outside: on the one hand, he had climbed up to someone like Chen Xiangong, and on the other hand, there was still a powerful person at home who could revive him from death.

  "This foolish girl's recovery is mostly thanks to this gentleman's efforts, but unfortunately, after being foolish for so many years, it's still not effective here." Old Master Zhou stretched out his hand and pointed to his head, laughing, "So, she can't remember clearly, and can't even explain herself clearly."

  Mrs. Zhou and Zhou Liu Lang were stunned.

  "Where did you hear these things?" asked Mrs. Zhou.

  The one who was the main character of the gossip actually lived in their house, how could they not know about these things.

  "Where can I get it?" Old Zhou said, "At Mr. Chen's house."

  As Chen Shao's father recovered from his illness and his position became more stable, the Chen family's gate was bustling with carriages this New Year.

  The gatehouse was packed with people, just like a tavern or teahouse, although the tea served by the Chen family's gatehouse was slightly inferior and, according to Chen Shao's habit, most of these people would not be received, but this could not stop the visitors who came shoulder to shoulder.

  They actually didn't come just to see Chen Shao, it's just a common practice in official circles, as long as the person is present and the intention is there.

  The officials in the gatehouse were mostly familiar with each other, smiling and greeting one another. With nothing to do on a winter's day, they sat down to drink tea and chat idly.

  "...the Miss Cheng met a master, who was said to be the divine doctor Bian Que..."

  "...Forget it, she was at the Taoist temple and naturally would have met Li Zhenren who rode an ox..."

  In the midst of laughter and chatter, such words occasionally came out, and it was unclear who started talking about this on which day. When discussing Old Man Chen's illness, the topic somehow shifted to this Jiangzhou woman who cured the sick person.

  Even when it's time to leave, some people will still be arguing and won't let go, with someone even pulling on the door handle to ask questions.

  "Which immortal did you say the girl from Jiangzhou met?"

  The gatekeepers who added tea and poured water were crying with laughter.

  "Don't spout nonsense, such things don't exist." They could only say this, but they couldn't stop the spread of these words at all.

  In Mr. Chen's hall, Chen Shao also couldn't help but laugh and cry.

  "Father, how can you say such things." he said.

  Mr. Chen put down the book in his hand.

  "Didn't you say so?" he asked with a serious and puzzled expression.

  "Father!" Chen Shao bitterly smiled and said, "I was referring to a superior being, I didn't say it was an immortal."

  "That kind of master who can cure foolishness and bring the dead back to life, isn't he just like an immortal?" Old Master Chen said with a smile.

  Chen Shao couldn't help but know that his father was intentionally muddying the waters.

  "Father, spread this word out..." he said.

  "It wasn't me who spread it." Old Master Chen hastily waved his hand and said, "I was just chatting with the old servant, who knew who would spread it out? I'm recuperating at home, it's not me who said it."

  Chen Shao couldn't help but laugh.

  If it weren't for your permission, who would dare say anything?

  "The Master said: 'Do not speak of strange powers or gods, I do not know and will not say or ask.' Old Mr. Chen waved his hand with a hint of solemnity, 'I only know that Mrs. Cheng is my lifesaver.'"

  The Confucian disciples are not to be mentioned, but there are so many people in the world who are not Confucian disciples, especially for such a mysterious and strange thing. It can be imagined that during this festival, Cheng Niangzi will inevitably fill the entire capital with her name.

  "Father, is this all right with Cheng's wife?" he asked hesitantly.

  "Cheng Niangzi's encounter with the immortal is better than others' encounters with immortals." Old Master Chen smiled as if he didn't care, "There are many people in this world waiting to pick up good fortune, but why did this good fortune come so easily?"

  Just as Old Man Zhou said, although the women who came and went were sour in their words, they still didn't stop visiting the Zhou's house because of this.

  There were more carriages and horses in front of the Zhou family gate, crowding what was originally a spacious and wide entrance into a narrow and chaotic one.

  But no one was angry about it, the gatekeepers ran around with a few happy and slightly proud gestures directing the parking of horse-drawn carriages. When they were surrounded by onlookers, they occasionally wiped their sweat with a hint of helplessness, saying something like "The New Year's festival is really tiring" with a tone of complaining while secretly boasting.

  The living room of Zhou's wife was also packed with people, and the sound of laughter and conversation was loud enough to be heard outside the door. The topic of discussion mostly revolved around Cheng Jiaoniang.

  "...was I really foolish when I was young?"

  "Yes, yes, I was actually quite close to Guo's wife when we were young. In the first few years after our marriage, whenever she returned to Beijing from her hometown, she would specifically come find me and sit with me for a bit." A gentle sigh escaped one of the ladies' lips.

  The Zhou family children loved to use military equipment names, and the girls were no exception. Cheng Jiaoniang's mother was named Ge, ranked fifth in the clan, and people either called her Wu Niang or Ge Niang.

  "After giving birth to this child, he never came back to see me again, and even the daily letters stopped." The lady continued, with a hint of melancholy.

  Go to work, a whole day of meeting, updated once today. RS