Volume 4: Observing the Sky Chapter 70: Uncomprehending

  On Saturday, Lang walked briskly, and the servant girls on the road hurried to bow their heads and give way, watching as the young man went away with the cold winter wind.

  "Does the Sixth Master seem unhappy?"

  "Who made you unhappy again, young master? So early in the morning."

  "It's been a long time since Sixth Master has been happy..."

  "It seems like young master is going to Cheng's daughter-in-law's place..."

  Ban Jin did not stop in his tracks, looking anxiously in that direction with an uneasy expression.

  Daughter...

  "Hey, hurry up, you're just eating for free?" another servant girl shouted impatiently.

  Ban Jin busily lowered his head, gripped the stick in his hand tightly, and together with this young girl, they lifted a basket of steamed buns and walked away with difficulty.

  "Jiangniang, are you trying to provoke me? If you don't want to, then just say so. Why must you make my mother so angry?"

  Zhou Lang drank and looked at the woman sitting in front of him.

  "Sixth Master, our young mistress is ill!" The maid shouted with raised eyebrows.

  "Spare me the nonsense, it's enough to fool others." Zhou Liu Lang said.

  "Jiang Niang, isn't she just a maid? Isn't it just that you think we didn't care about you? Are you being too sensitive?"

  Zhou Lang looked at the woman sitting in front of him, especially at her wooden expression, and he felt a surge of anger in his heart, not knowing whether it was for his mother's shame or something else.

  "A little kindness in your eyes has also become a bad heart. Can't you just say something? Don't be so ambiguous!"

  "That little money of yours, what kind of money is it? Is it worth our while to bother with you?"

  "We're fed up with you, Cheng Jiaoniang. Do you think you're capable now? Not afraid of anything? To us, the Zhous, you're nothing but disgusting!"

  "Jiang Niang, now that you've gained fame, do you think we're just taking advantage of your glory? Trying to profit from you? But don't forget, the Zhou family still has to protect you from wind and rain. Without our family's protection, you'll be devoured by others until not even a bone is left!"

  Jiang Niang put down the water cup in her hand and looked at Zhou Liulang, who was standing indoors with a red face. She seemed to have not heard what he had just said, and her expression remained unchanged.

  "Who wants to eat me?" she asked.

  Zhōu Láng's teeth chattered with a "kaka" sound.

  "You just pretend!" he said, turning around and walking away with a swish of his sleeves.

  The house returned to quietness, and the maid knelt down with a hint of worry and anger.

  "My daughter..." she said.

  "It's nothing," said Cheng Jiaoniang, looking out the door, "You've provoked me three times now."

  What's going on here? Is this Sixth Master's rude and impolite behavior?

  What's the use of passing again?

  The maid was slightly taken aback.

  "I'll practice writing characters, you read books instead." said Cheng Jiaoniang, as she brushed her sleeve and stretched out her hand.

  The maid hastily responded and took over a book from beside her.

  The crisp sound of reading comes from inside the room.

  In the capital city, in the midst of a bustling street, although it's not yet time for dinner, the Divine Residence is already teeming with people.

  Singing and drinking with prostitutes. Hawking tea and snacks, laughing and joking with idle men. And the steam rising from the copper pot, making the entire hall like a fairyland, noisy and lively.

  The ground floor hall was noisy, while the second-floor private rooms were elegant and quiet. Only when the waiters came in and out to serve tea and wine could laughter be heard from the open doors.

  Wu Qi stepped into a private room and hurriedly closed the door himself. This was a large private room with a screen of flowers and grass in front, behind which two or three people were sitting.

  Wu Qi squeezed out another three points of smile on his face, and only then did he walk around the screen. A man with a big ear, white face, long beard, and an air of majesty appeared before him, about fifty years old.

  "Grandpa." He shouted and walked a few steps over to kneel down.

  Two young official courtesans sitting beside him handed over a wine jug.

  Dong Qi personally poured and handed it over.

  "Thanks to Grandpa Zhou's efforts, we were able to sell the wine," he said.

  Wine is a government-run business, and all wine sales are subject to taxation by the authorities.

  The man took over the wine glass and hummed a calm tone.

  "What good wine is this, these officials scattered and sold, after all, are not as good as the exclusive brew." He said, only eating one mouthful and then stopping, "The good wine brewed by Huixian Building, wait for me to find their formula."

  Dong Qi was overjoyed.

  "But what about Hui Xian Lou..." he worriedly added.

  It's impossible for him to open a wine shop and get permission to brew his own wine without having any backing from the authorities.

  Especially that brewing secret recipe, it's simply priceless, how can you just say take it if you want?

  "The censor-in-chief Niu Wenqing has made a big mistake." The man said calmly.

  Wu Qi suddenly enlightened.

  That is the backing of Hui Xian Lou, when the backing collapses, it's naturally time to divide the spoils.

  "Thank you, Grandfather." He hastily bowed and exclaimed.

  There are roadside gods and fine wines; it's hard for the god of wealth not to appear!

  If I get rich, some people will be jealous...

  "Grandpa, what I told you last time, just in case..." he said hastily, lifting his head.

  "What's up?" the man asked indifferently.

  "It's this passing immortal master..." Dou Qi said in a low voice.

  "Is Gu De Lang going to marry into the Zhou family?" the man asked with a snort of disdain, "It's nothing worth mentioning."

  "But I heard that the Zhou family is now very influential, they have connections with Governor Chen and Imperial Censor Tong, and there's even a divine being who can bring people back from the dead at their home..." Dou Qi said in a low voice.

  "Raising the dead and becoming an immortal?" The man coldly laughed, "This is absurd and blasphemous. A gentleman should avoid such talk, but since it's just a rumor among the common people, I'll let it pass. But they actually dare to acknowledge it? As high-ranking officials of the imperial court, they openly and loudly spread such nonsense. I think the Zhou family has ulterior motives and evil intentions. Are they trying to say that this roadside immortal is also a gift from the gods? Something only they can use, but others cannot?"

  He slapped the towel he used to wipe his hands on the table.

  "He dares!" he said, a greedy smile rising at the corner of his mouth. "If he really dares, it's not bad."

  Really? Not bad at all!

  Dong Qi was somewhat perplexed.

  "Bring back the dead? That's interesting." The man muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing.

  Ever since Tong Naihan was cured, although the news of Cheng Jiaoniang's illness spread out in a few days, it did not suppress everyone's astonishment at such a miraculous event, nor would it stop people from seeking medical treatment. However, due to Cheng Jiaoniang's two unbreakable rules, those who sought diagnosis did not swarm in.

  After all, people who are willing to die for a cause are rare, and those who can casually pull out 10,000 yuan to do so are even rarer, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

  On the quiet morning of late winter, the tranquility of the Zhou family was once again disrupted by a commotion.

  "Quickly invite the divine doctor to save a life, my father is dying!"

  The knocking at the door made both Mr. and Mrs. Zhou feel a bit of a headache.

  "You call this a good thing? Always having dead bodies carried into our home, isn't that inauspicious?" Mrs. Zhou complained.

  Fortunately, since the Zhou family broke into the door, there has been a lesson and courage in front of the Zhou family gate. No matter who shouts what title, they will not easily break in again.

  "What are you blocking for? We're not looking for the Zhou family, we're looking for Mrs. Cheng. Let us through!" The people outside the door were furious, accompanied by a woman's wailing cries.

  Mrs. Zhou heard the sound and wanted to cough again.

  What does it mean by having nothing to do with the Zhou family! What are these people thinking!

  But it's really not good to make a scene in front of the door, so I had no choice but to accept the invitation and let them come in.

  "What's wrong? My wife is ill at home." said Mrs. Zhou in the courtyard, especially when she saw that the person on the poster was also from an unremarkable family, she was even more displeased.

  Everyone knew that Jiang Niang had fallen ill and invited a doctor. Upon hearing this, some people came in a flurry, but before they could speak, a maid approached.

  "Madam, Miss Cheng wants to get ready to go out." she said.

  For a moment, everyone in the courtyard was stunned.

  If you can go out, then you're not sick anymore, right?

  Mrs. Zhou was furious in her heart, and she didn't say anything early or late, but just had to bring it up when it concerned her.

  She couldn't understand why ever since this spoiled girl appeared, everything had become a source of conflict between them.

  "Cheng Niangzi, Cheng Niangzi." The people on that side also reacted and shouted for her to come out.

  At this point, it was impossible to stop her, so Madame Zhou had no choice but to let someone lead her away.

  Just arrived at the second gate and bumped into each other head-on.

  Looking at the person being carried in front of her, Cheng Jiaoniang slightly lifted her hood and took a glance.

  "I'm not treating you now, go find someone else." she said.

  Everyone was stunned, and the people of the Zhou family were also stunned.

  Can't be cured?

  How can't it be cured again?

  Is it that they cannot be governed, rather than being ungovernable because of a lack of rules?

  What does this mean?

  "Daughter, daughter." The crowd rushed over and busied themselves seeking her everywhere.

  "My father's like this, it can't go on, Madame Cheng, have some mercy..." they cried.

  "We have money, we brought it with us! Ten thousand taels!" Someone else shouted, "No, fifteen thousand taels, twenty thousand is fine too, Mistress Cheng, please save our lives!"

  20,000!

  Everyone in the Zhou family was stunned.