Chapter 359: Chai Zhengzheng

6:00 PM

The sun had not yet set,

Chai Mansion,

On the road from the second gate to the main mother's courtyard, the maid Fuyi chatted with the managing nanny for a while, then led two nannies carrying wooden boxes toward the inner courtyard.

Qiusheng Courtyard

On the target standing under the wall, there were silk ribbons of different colors decorated.

"Thud!"

The exquisite, symmetrical, slender, and delicate feather arrow, with a sharp arrowhead, nailed into the edge of the target.

Chai Zhengzheng, holding the exquisite soft bow, sighed and said to Zhou Niangzi beside her: "For this last arrow, I don't have enough strength!"

Zhou Niangzi, the daughter of Zhou Dong, looked at the target in the distance and said: "Zhengzheng young lady, only two of the ten arrows are crooked; that's already very powerful!"

Zhou Niangzi said, took the soft bow from Chai Zhengzheng's hand, helped her knead and relax the muscles on her arms, and continued:

"Before, we couldn't even hit the target with a single arrow!"

Hearing Zhou Niangzi's words, Chai Zhengzheng smiled embarrassedly.

After relaxing for a while, seeing that Fuyi had already brought people in, Zhou Niangzi said: "Zhengzheng young lady, then let's stop here for today; I'll come again tomorrow!"

Chai Zhengzheng nodded: "Thank you, Zhou Niangzi! Miss Yun Mu, send her off!"

Watching Miss Yun Mu send the person out of the courtyard, Chai Zhengzheng walked to the target and looked at the feather arrows nailed to it.

The soft bow she used didn't have much strength, so the sharp feather arrows stuck into the wood; the experts who protected her before faced military crossbows with much greater strength.

Fuyi let the nannies put the things into the room, walked to Chai Zhengzheng's side, and said: "Young lady, let me clean up!"

Chai Zhengzheng shook her head and didn't speak. Afterward, the master and servant cleaned up the bow and arrows and entered the house.

Miss Yun Mu, who had finished sending Zhou Niangzi off, also returned to the Qiusheng Courtyard.

Inside the room,

on the window sashes around the hall, there was thin, light-transmitting, and insect-proof gauze fixed, reflecting the light of the Dragon Boat Festival's setting sun in the courtyard.

Chai Zhengzheng washed her hands under the service of a small maid, took the towel served by Fuyi, and while wiping her hands, looked at the wooden box in the room:

"Why was such a thing carried in today?"

Fuyi, while reaching out to take the towel Chai Zhengzheng finished wiping her hands with, said:

"It was the manager of the pawnshop in the family who received a big high sword with excellent quality two days ago, so he gave a very high price to collect it."

"Look, he even made a wooden box and sent it to the courtyard like offering a treasure."

Chai Zhengzheng was full of interest: "Oh?"

Saying this, she sat on the chair behind the table.

Hearing this question, Miss Yun Mu walked to the wooden box, opened it, and took out an exquisite long wooden box.

Then Miss Yun Mu placed the long wooden box on the wooden box and opened it, looking at the decorations in the exquisite wooden box:

"Young lady, this manager is truly diligent; he even decorated it with things to ward off evil spirits."

Chai Zhengzheng behind the table asked curiously: "Really? Bring it up, let me take a look."

"Yes."

Looking at the long sword lying in the silk of the wooden box, Chai Zhengzheng took two handkerchiefs from the maid standing on the side, covered the scabbard and the hilt respectively, and pulled it out with force.

"Clang!"

Chai Zhengzheng was also used to good things; looking at the long sword in her hand, she nodded in appreciation: "This manager has a heart. Give an order, reward!"

"Yes, young lady."

Putting the sword back into the scabbard, Chai Zhengzheng shook her head and said softly:

"Unfortunately, he doesn't care for this thing."

Suddenly not knowing what she thought of, she frowned slightly and asked:

"Such a good thing, who pawned it in the shop? Did the manager find out clearly?"

Fuyi said: "Returning to young lady, I found out clearly; it was Ninth Young Master of the Qiao family! Thousands of strings of money; the manager thought that Ninth Young Master should not be able to redeem it when it expires."

Chai Zhengzheng looked at the exquisite long sword in the wooden box and shook her head: "Send it back to the shop to be kept well later! After the agreed time, transfer it to the family's sword shop to be a treasure of the shop."

"Yes, young lady."

The sky was dark,

the candles in the lanterns had already burned a section.

In the hall of the Chai Mansion,

Madam Chai's personal nanny was arranging meals at the table.

The Chai family head walked in with a smile, talking to Madam Chai,

"Madam, you should have eaten with the children; why wait for me."

"Official, it's not late!"

"Today I was summoned into the palace, and His Majesty told me many things, saying that previously the Western Army secured Xiazhou, old General Cao's offensive was extremely fierce, and the young master of the British Duke Zhang's family directly surrounded the Bai Gao Kingdom's Iron Smelting Office near Xiazhou."

Madam Chai smiled: "Looking at the official's happy appearance, did you get any good news?"

The Chai family head smiled: "Not bad, young master Zhang captured many craftsmen, mostly those who forge and repair military equipment. Besides people, the youngest son of the Li family who followed the army also discovered several new-style bellows and other objects that our Great Zhou didn't have."

The couple washed their hands in the water basin held by the maid on the side, wiped them dry, and sat down.

Madam Chai looked at her official and said:

"Then, let's talk to the Empress again, maybe we can go and take a look."

The Chai family head said: "His Majesty instructed so!"

Madam Chai said again:

"By the way, official, that youngest son of the Li family, is he from the family of the Minister of Personnel Li?"

The Chai family head shook his head: "No! Madam remembered wrong. This Li family is the one whose elder brother serves in the Directorate for Imperial Manufactories, and whose ancestors served as the head of the Wensi Academy several times."

Madam Chai nodded hesitantly while thinking.

Looking at his wife's appearance, the Chai family head said: "This Li family, the daughter married into the Lu family's main branch of the Duke of Lian as a second wife, and the son is the sworn younger brother of the Xu family's Fifth Young Master."

Immediately, Madam Chai's eyebrows were full of smiles, and she suddenly realized: "Oh!!! Tsk! It's sorted out! Official, why didn't you say so earlier! Why talk about the Directorate for Imperial Manufactories!"

The Chai family head looked at his wife unhappily.

At this time,

Chai Bo entered the hall, sat on the chair, took the cool sweet drink handed by the nanny, and said: "Mother, what is so happy about?"

Madam Chai: "Nothing."

Afterward, Chai Zhengzheng walked around the screen with a smile, brought the maid in, and bowed: "Father, Mother."

The Chai couple showed smiles: "Zheng'er, come and sit!"

Chai Zhengzheng sat beside her mother with a smile.

After a while,

at the entrance of the hall,

Chai Jin, holding a horse whip, walked over quickly with a smile on his mouth and a proud face; before the small maid reached out, he pinched the curtain with his hand first.

Just when he was about to enter the door, Chai Jin stopped his steps, his eyes turned, and he threw the horse whip to the small servant, adjusted his expression, and changed it to an unhappy one.

Afterward, he lifted the curtain and stepped into the hall; seeing his younger sister sitting inside, Chai Jin flicked the curtain hard:

"Swish~"

Hearing the sound of the curtain, everyone in the hall looked over.

Chai Jin met everyone's gaze, frowned, and sat at the table by himself: "Hmph!"

Then he glared at his younger sister angrily, which made Chai Zhengzheng feel inexplicable.

"Jin'er, what's wrong?"

Madam Chai asked.

Chai Jin sighed and said:

"Mother, it's not me, it's younger sister!"

"Brother, what did I do?"

Chai Jin said: "Younger sister, you entrusted me to go to Pan Tower to look for some future pipa top performer who is excellent in both appearance and talent, saying that three or four thousand strings would be enough, but..."

Chai Zhengzheng: "But what happened? Brother, didn't you say that the young masters in Bianjing like that Yun Niang the most?"

Chai Jin shook his head and said: "The manager said that it was indeed the case at the beginning, but the young masters of the Gu family and the Liang family didn't know what happened, and after rewarding that Fang Niang three hundred strings, the famous wealthy squires in Bianjing also followed."

"Brother, what happened later?"

"Later? Later, those few started to compete with the manager under my hand and followed for several rounds."

The Chai family didn't ask what the result was.

Chai Jin shook his head somewhat incomprehensibly and continued: "It is said that when Fang Niang went to thank them, the few from the Tian family and the Zhang family all regretted not following for a few more rounds!"

Hearing this, the Chai couple looked at each other with unclear meaning.

Chai Bo said: "Why is this?"

Chai Jin looked at Chai Zhengzheng while saying: "It is said that Fang Niang's voice is very good. Younger sister, after this, I... spent... quite a lot of silver notes!"

Chai Zhengzheng understood in her heart and said: "Oh! Since brother spent more silver, then I will make it up to you tomorrow!"

Chai Jin said: "That's more like it."

Madam Chai said:

"Jin'er, since the beginning of the year, your younger sister's stationery shop, since it had musicians playing music, business has been much better."

"Asking you to look for this pipa top performer is also for our family's business!"

"Since the Tian family and the Zhang family all like this woman, not only her deed of sale, but also her deed of registration should be bought!"

Chai Jin bowed: "Mother is wise! I have already sought out the old acquaintances of the Cao family and bought that woman's deed of registration."

After speaking, he pressed the corner of his mouth and glanced at Chai Zhengzheng proudly.

The Chai family head looked at his children and smiled: "Alright! Eat!"

After the meal,

the Chai couple stood up, walked toward the backyard hand in hand, and prepared to go for a walk in the garden,

the Chai siblings followed behind,

before going out, Chai Jin looked at his parents in front, took out a few contract papers from his bosom and handed them to Chai Zhengzheng: "Here! People still have to wait for the nannies to check them."

Under the lantern light at the entrance, after Chai Zhengzheng put away the contract papers, she looked at Chai Jin with admiration in her eyes and said in a low voice: "Brother~~~ why are you so smart!"

Chai Jin tried hard to press the corner of his mouth and pretended to be indifferent: "Small matter~"

"Thank you, Brother!"

Watching Chai Zhengzheng jump out of the door and chase after her parents, Chai Jin's mouth couldn't help but smile.

Chai Bo, who was standing on the side, looked at Chai Zhengzheng's figure with the same doting look as Chai Jin, sighed, and said: "Big Brother, next time younger sister has something, it will be my turn to handle it!"

Chai Jin put his hands behind his back and said: "We'll see!"

Saying this, he followed.

Chai Bo: "Hey! Big Brother~"

Qiusheng Courtyard

The hall was very quiet,

the green smoke of the incense burner drifted slowly in the candlelight, emitting a refreshing fragrance,

this was also the place where Chai Zhengzheng usually looked at account books and handled family affairs,

Wei Fangzhi, wearing new plain white clothes and no jewelry, holding a pipa in her arms, stood in the room according to the teachings of her masters since she was a child, with her chest out and head high.

Although her chest was out and head high, Wei Fangzhi's eyelids had been drooping since she entered the room, and she had never looked around; the center of her vision had always been on the exquisite pattern of the carpet under her feet.

Through the window gauze, a slight night breeze blew in, blowing the new clothes on Wei Fangzhi.

Between the clothes and her skin, Wei Fangzhi sighed comfortably in her heart.

Although she had been trained as a future top performer since she was young, she had never worn such light and comfortable silk clothes.

The inspection by the young ladies after entering the door, the scrubbing by the nannies, she didn't take it to heart, because since she understood things, she had been in the teaching workshop.

Later, she was spotted by Ruan Mama, who had made a name for herself, and sent to several dance and music masters to learn.

Because of her outstanding talent, Great Master Tang treated her as her closed-door disciple, teaching her all her skills.

It would be better to say that she was treated as a daughter rather than a closed-door disciple.

Whether it was Ruan Mama's selection or Great Master Tang's choice of disciples, there was no shortage of such inspections and scrubbing every time.

Bianjing nobles were like clouds, wealthy households were like rain,

with tonight's status, Wei Fangzhi knew that in the future, whether it was pure conversation, playing music, or accompanying wine, the cost of her appearance would not be too low.

"I wonder how long it will take to redeem myself."

Wei Fangzhi thought about these things and sighed slightly.

At this time,

the sound of the maid talking came from outside the door.

Amidst the rustling,

the door was opened,

the nanny who had been standing not far in front of Wei Fangzhi walked past her.

Wei Fangzhi, holding the pipa, breathed slightly, then began to blink, twitched the corners of her mouth to move her cheeks, so that she could show the smile corrected many times by Ruan Mama after seeing people later.

At the same time, she bent her somewhat stiff knees slightly and lowered her head even more.

After Chai Zhengzheng entered the door, the nanny walked over quickly and whispered:

"Young lady, she looks honest; since she entered the room, she hasn't raised her head even once."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded, and the maid Miss Yun Mu beside her said: "Thank you, Nanny."

"This is the slave's duty."

The maid Fuyi reached out: "Nanny, please come this way."

The nanny bowed to Chai Zhengzheng and exited the hall.

Afterward,

Miss Yun Mu waved to the other maids in the hall,

and the other maids walked outside hurriedly.

Outside the door,

Fuyi's voice sounded: "Go to your own rooms and wait; Miss Yun Mu sister and I are here."

The maids agreed.

At the door, Fuyi and Miss Yun Mu nodded to each other and closed the door from the outside.

In the hall,

only Chai Zhengzheng, the maid Miss Yun Mu, and Wei Fangzhi remained.

Chai Zhengzheng sat on the chair behind the table and raised her chin,

Miss Yun Mu walked to the side, moved an embroidered stool, and walked to Wei Fangzhi's side:

"Please sit."

"Thank you."

Chai Zhengzheng behind the table looked at Wei Fangzhi, who was looking at her with disbelief in her eyes, and nodded in appreciation: 【

"She does have a good appearance!"

"Her voice is also very pleasant!"

Wei Fangzhi: "This slave... thank you, Miss, for the compliment."

Chai Zhengzheng smiled slightly: "How do you know the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family? How many times have you met?"

Wei Fangzhi hugged the pipa in her arms tightly and said: "Replying to Miss, this slave does not know the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family; on the contrary, I once received a life-saving favor from Young Master Xu before."

Chai Zhengzheng frowned slightly: "Oh?"

Wei Fangzhi: "It was before at the Shenbao Temple outside the city..."

Chai Zhengzheng: "Oh! No need to say more, I know about this matter!"

"This slave has met Young Master Xu four times!"

Chai Zhengzheng: "Hmm?"

(End of chapter)