Chapter 21 Rumors

  The lights in the Zhou's house were shining brightly, and as he watched the horse carriage enter, Zhou Liu Lang couldn't help but take a few steps forward.

  The curtain was lifted and the servant woman helped Mrs. Zhou out of the car. The curtain was put back down, and no one else came out.

  Zhou Lang let out a stifled breath from his nose.

  Back in his own courtyard, he opened the door and found Qin Langjun simmering wine by the stove in the main hall, with a rich aroma wafting through the house.

  "How about it? Why don't you go wait by the door?" He said with a smile, looking at Zhou Liulang who was sitting on the couch.

  "It's only right to welcome our parents." Shūsaburō said, draining his cup in one gulp.

  Qin Langjun smiled and poured him another bowl.

  "Old Master Chen will wake up tonight, so we need to stay there," said Zhou Liu Lang, "It's not what you think."

  "It doesn't matter, you'll know later," said Qin Langjun, "She won't be entering your household."

  Zhou Lang burst out laughing.

  "It doesn't matter if you come in or not." he said.

  "What did Uncle and Aunt say?" Qin Langjun asked.

  "It doesn't matter, just like that." Shūroku said somewhat absent-mindedly, "Say, you look quite similar to your aunt."

  "Oh, your aunt is quite a beauty." Qin Langjun said with a smile.

  On Saturday, Lang turned his wine bowl, slightly distracted, and his father wouldn't say much, but his mother had all the common ailments of women, with a slightly exaggerated description of that woman.

  From dismounting the carriage to entering the house and changing clothes, he stunned everyone with every detail, down to the point where the woman seemed to be standing right in front of him.

  Just like the first time at Cheng's house, just like in his dreams every night, the woman stared at him woodenly, then her mouth corners slightly curved up, revealing a sneer.

  He picked up his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

  "Call in Cao Shu and hear about what happened on the way. It must be very interesting," said Qin Langjun.

  The maid kneeling beside her quickly responded and got up to call someone out.

  "Is there something interesting?" Shūroku said in a low voice. He looked at him again, "Aren't you going back yet?"

  "I'm not leaving tonight," said Qin Langjun.

  "This woman, what's so interesting about her that you're lingering in my house and won't leave?" Zhou Liulang said, "You're so interested, why not just marry her and take her back with you."

  As soon as these words came out, both of them were stunned for a moment.

  Qin Langjun's grandmother was Princess Fengning, although she had already passed away, but in terms of bloodline, he is still very close to the current emperor. His father was famous for his elegant writing style and the Qin family was a prominent clan in Shu, so even though Qin Langjun has a disability, it's not like any ordinary family can marry into theirs.

  He says so himself, but it's actually mocking his shortcomings, only a fool who can find flaws would match him.

  Zhou Lang's face turned slightly red.

  "I didn't mean it like that," he muttered.

  Qin Langjun burst out laughing.

  "I know you didn't mean it," he said with a smile. "But for such a beautiful woman, I'm afraid I have no chance."

  Zhōu Láng yào shuō shén me. Mén wài duì tóu yǐn zhe Cáo guǎn shì lái le.

  Translation:

  Zhou Lang wants to say something. The girl outside the door brought Cao Guan Shi here.

  "Thanks for your hard work." Zhou Liulang said, gesturing for Cao Guan Shi to take a seat.

  Cao Guan Shi was very happy.

  "It's not hard, it's not hard, as long as I'm back home. My heart feels at ease and all my fatigue is gone." He said, kneeling down to sit.

  Traveling thousands of miles, home is always on one's mind; Zhou Lang nodded repeatedly.

  Qin Langjun smiled.

  "What? It sounds like you've been through a lot with Cheng's wife?" he asked.

  Zhou Lang frowned.

  "You're thinking too much, everything is related to her. What does she have..." He couldn't help but say.

  Before he had finished speaking, Cao Guan Shi smiled wryly on this side.

  "Alas, I should have listened to Lang Jun's words." He said with a bow.

  Zhou Lang's voice suddenly stopped, seemingly a bit suffocated and helpless, so he simply picked up his wine bowl and didn't speak anymore.

  "It's not that I think too much, but you're unwilling to think." Qin Langjun said with a smile, looking at the depressed Zhou Liulang. "Things in the world are not all like this, people don't have much difference, the difference is just whether they are willing to think or not."

  "Ask what you want to ask, don't beat around the bush." Zhou Liu Lang said with a glare.

  Her eyes moved to Cao Guan Shi's body, and Ya Tou poured a bowl of wine for Cao Guan Shi.

  "To say it, this young lady of the Cheng family is quite strange..."

  The door was closed, isolating the warm early winter night.

  Compared with the bright and warm place where the old master and young master are, the servants' quarters seem dark and cold.

  Half of the celery is rubbed by hand, close to the oil lamp, and sews a garment.

  The sound of footsteps and the laughter of the maidservants came from outside the door, which was then pushed open. People and the chill of early winter rushed in together, causing the oil lamp to flicker and almost go out, and Ban Jin hurriedly shielded it with her hand.

  "If it wasn't for Xiaoyue hurrying to leave, I would have won."

  "...you can't win, Xiaoyue is having a good fortune and her wealth is flourishing..."

  "...Xiao Yue was really lucky, being assigned to Cao by the mistress. Cao is very capable, although he's a bit older, everything inside and out can't be done without him..."

  "...this time back is a great achievement, when it's settled, Little Moon can go to the lady's side and become a capable daughter-in-law."

  The girls sat down in front of the mirror, each doing their hair and makeup, chattering and laughing with each other, filling the room with joyful noise.

  "Has Cao Guan returned?" asked Ban Jin in surprise, getting up too quickly and forgetting the needle and thread in her hand, which poked into her finger without her noticing.

  The girls seemed to have noticed her only now, and most of them looked away with disdain after a glance.

  "Yes." There was only one answer. He faced the door and gnawed on his whip, "I entered the city in the evening and just returned with Master and Madam."

  "That, that's my wife coming." Ban Jin said with a trembling voice, too excited, tears couldn't help but flow down.

  This time several people laughed.

  "Whose daughter are you? Whose family is yours? And whose family are you from?" one of them said with a hint of disdain, "Isn't this your home? We've really been troubling the young lady in our home."

  The house was filled with laughter and joy.

  Ban Jin looked embarrassed and lowered his head.

  "I, I..." She muttered for half a day, still unable to say anything, tears dripping down to her feet.

  "What's wrong with you, crying at this late hour?" a maid shouted.

  "What's wrong, looking so gloomy all day? Who owes you money?" another one shouted.

  "It's been bad luck since you moved in!" Several others shouted.

  The house is in a mess.

  Half of the celery retreated back to his own bed, hastily using his sleeve to wipe away tears, trying not to cry, but couldn't stop.

  "Alright, next time tell mom to find a good place for this girl from another family to live. We're not worthy of living with others, it's a pity for the sister."

  Ban Jin lowered her head in a panic, holding the needle and thread, her body trembling.

  "Hey, if you want to do needlework, go somewhere else. We need to sleep. You're keeping the light on and we can't sleep. We're not like you with nothing better to do. We're busy."

  The door was closed, the oil lamp went out, and it was pitch black inside and out.

  Ban Jin hugged her clothes and looked around, tears streaming down her face.

  Daughter...

  Daughter...

  What's going on?

  What's going on here?

  It was already late at night, and in the old master's house of the Chen family, there were four or five people sitting inside. Some leaned against a table with their eyes closed, while others sat upright with their arms around them and their eyes closed. Only Li Taai, the physician, sat beside the bed, occasionally stretching out his hand to feel the pulse once in a while.

  "Is this acupuncture really going to work?" he muttered to himself.

  On the couch, Old Master Chen was snoring as usual, with drool occasionally dripping from his mouth and a gurgling sound in his throat.

  Li Taizhen glanced out of the window and saw the east turning white.

  "It's almost dawn, isn't it said that the latest is to wake up at dawn? How come you're still not awake?" He muttered, seeing the little boy sleeping soundly under his feet, he kicked him with his foot.

  "Get up, child."

  The little boy woke up half asleep and half awake, and for a moment he was unstable, stretching out his hand to grab the bed and support himself.

  "Master, Master." He said drowsily.

  "What time is it now..."

  "It's almost time for the fourth watch." Li Taishan said, turning his head to glare at Little Tong.

  The little boy nodded, wiped his mouth with his sleeve and sat up straight.

  "It's already 4 o'clock... The sky is going to light up..."

  Doctor Li looked at Little Tong, and Little Tong also looked at Doctor Li.

  "Why don't you open your mouth when you speak?" Doctor Li asked absent-mindedly.

  "Master, isn't it you who's speaking?" The little boy also asked in a daze.

  "Third Brother, Third Brother?" A hand was raised from the couch and grabbed the arm of a little boy beside him.

  The little boy was so frightened that he let out a loud cry, and everyone in the house woke up.