Chapter 595: Madam Chai strikes while the iron is hot [Thanks! Bow again! Owe 46k]

In the carriage,

Chai Zhengzheng raised her sleeves to block the sand and dust,

Hearing the voice of her elder brother Chai Jin outside,

Chai Zhengzheng directly lowered her sleeves and looked out of the carriage.

Before she could see clearly, the north wind, which was somewhat cold, and the sand and dust in the wind were blowing into the carriage.

Enduring the discomfort, Chai Zhengzheng squinted and looked out.

Outside the carriage, the light was dim, and the floating sand and dust covered the sky and the sun.

In the sand and dust, a figure who was quite tall and had a sturdy build came into Chai Zhengzheng's eyes.

This person was standing beside the carriage, rubbing his arms on his own, and beside him was her own elder brother.

"I'm fine!" the man's voice came.

"Jin'er!"

Madam Chai called out in the carriage.

Chai Jin and Xu Zaijing, who were standing beside the carriage, both turned their heads to look over.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Chai Jin asked, leaning toward the carriage entrance.

"Let me and your sister go out first."

"Oh oh!"

Hearing this, Chai Zhengzheng hurriedly stood up, followed behind Miss Yun Mu, and walked toward the outside of the carriage.

Chai Jin reached out his hand, first letting Miss Yun Mu get off the carriage, and then helped Chai Zhengzheng, Madam Chai, and the personal mother behind down.

Everyone got off the carriage, covering their mouths and noses with the handkerchiefs in their hands. Only then did Chai Zhengzheng see clearly the position where their own carriage was.

The carriage was now by the side of the Hulong River, and behind the carriage was a steep slope, and there was a deep rut on the slope.

Looking down in the direction of the rut, it was the rippling river surface.

Although spring is the dry season, there was quite a lot of water in this Hulong River.

Madam Chai looked at the steep slope, patted her chest with lingering fear in her eyes, and said: "Heavens! This... this was almost falling in!"

After getting off the carriage, Chai Zhengzheng, who was holding Madam Chai's arm, also frowned after seeing this scene.

The Chai family's carriage was exquisitely crafted, and the materials used were not sparing in cost, so the weight was naturally very large.

On this kind of slope by the river, as long as the carriage compartment slid down, it would be very difficult for the horse pulling the carriage to brake.

What's more, the carriage was backing up just now!

Pulled by this force sliding down, the horse would most likely be pulled down, and then fall into the river with the carriage.

"Please, please punish the master!"

The Chai family's carriage driver, who had his eyes blinded by the wind and sand just now, also woke up from the fright at this time and hurriedly knelt on the ground and shouted.

The personal mother standing beside Madam Chai looked at the situation behind the carriage and scolded somewhat angrily: "You don't need to punish yourself! After returning home, there will be family law waiting for you!"

"It was the small one's negligence! The small one is willing to accept punishment!"

The driver knelt on the ground and replied.

Chai Jin to the side sighed and said: "Mother, today the wind is strong, sand and dust blinded the eyes, no one could have expected that there would be a flag blown by the wind in mid-air to cover the horse's eyes."

"It was truly an accident."

Chai Zhengzheng glanced at the driver kneeling on the ground.

In just the few moments of talking, there were vaguely dark traces on the driver's forehead and temples.

It was probably because he was startled and busy just now, and he had tried his best to pull the carriage, and only then did he sweat after exerting force.

Chai Zhengzheng said a few words in Madam Chai's ear. After Madam Chai glanced at the driver, she said: "Get up. Go to the carriage and find a thick piece of clothing to put on him."

"Yes, Madam."

The personal mother hurriedly agreed.

Hearing this, the driver kneeling on the ground was stunned for a moment, and then kowtowed heavily toward Madam Chai: "The small one thanks Madam!"

Madam Chai placed her hand on the back of Chai Zhengzheng's hand, who was holding her arm, and said to the driver: "You should thank Jing-ge'er the most."

The driver hurriedly moved his knees a few times and kowtowed toward Xu Zaijing: "The small one thanks Fifth Young Master for his help!"

Xu Zaijing tilted his chin toward Qingyun, who was closer to the driver and holding his own fallen veil hat, signaling him to help the person up, and said: "This was originally an accident! No one wanted it to be like this!"

When Qingyun helped the person up, the driver still bowed toward Xu Zaijing without stopping.

Madam Chai walked closer to Xu Zaijing, looked at Xu Zaijing who was squinting his eyes, and said: "Jing-ge'er, I saw you rubbing your arms just now, are you alright?"

Chai Zhengzheng beside Madam Chai raised her handkerchief to block the wind and sand, and looked at Xu Zaijing's arm with eyes full of concern, then looked at Xu Zaijing's face, with an expression full of wanting him to speak quickly.

"I'm fine, it's just that I exerted force suddenly just now, and it's a bit uncomfortable,"

Xu Zaijing said with a smile.

Madam Chai took another step forward, reached out and held Xu Zaijing's palm, and said: "If Jing-ge'er wasn't here today, who knows what would have happened!"

Before Xu Zaijing could speak, Madam Chai frowned: "Hmm?"

Chai Zhengzheng beside her looked at Madam Chai suspiciously.

Subsequently, Chai Zhengzheng felt her mother's arm move, and Xu Zaijing's palm, which was held in front of her, was turned over.

"Ah!?"

Seeing Xu Zaijing's hand, Chai Zhengzheng's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise.

"This, your palm..."

Chai Jin, who was beside her, heard his younger sister's cry of surprise and also took a step forward.

Only then did Chai Jin see that in Xu Zaijing's palm, in the place where calluses were most easily formed under the middle finger and ring finger, there were two foreign objects, and under the foreign objects was tender flesh with blood color.

Looking closely, it was a layer of callus that had been ground open from the skin, hanging on the palm with claws and teeth.

Just looking at it could make people feel the pain.

"Hiss!"

Xu Zaijing, whose hand was held by Madam Chai, also gasped and smiled: "I didn't notice it just now! No wonder my palm felt a bit hot."

Chai Zhengzheng stood beside her mother,

Staring blankly at Xu Zaijing's palm in front of her,

For some reason,

She felt a sourness in her nose, and hot tears rushed into her eye sockets.

Afraid that Xu Zaijing would see, she hurriedly lowered her head.

Lowering her head somewhat violently, with a blink, the crystal clear teardrops were squeezed, flew out of her eye sockets, and fell onto the ground full of sand and dust.

Feeling the arm being hugged tightly by Chai Zhengzheng, Madam Chai was stunned, then looked at Xu Zaijing with eyes full of heartache and said: "Child, this... is very painful, right? Didn't the Empress bestow quite a few good medicinal ointments on Jing-ge'er, why..."

Xu Zaijing smiled and shook his head, saying: "Madam, these calluses grow and fall, fall and grow, it's not painful!"

Chai Jin to the side interjected: "Mother, the Empress bestowed good medicinal ointments, but it can't stand Jing-ge'er practicing more and more, calluses are inevitable."

Looking at Chai Zhengzheng who was lowering her head in front of her, Xu Zaijing, who had excellent eyesight, naturally also saw the crystal clear teardrop that flew out.

Elder brother Chai Jin spoke, but Chai Zhengzheng didn't raise her head, just raised her handkerchief to wipe near her eyes, seemingly having sand and dust get into her eyes.

After wiping, Chai Zhengzheng even deliberately squinted her eyes and raised her head, covering up the expression in her eyes.

"Whoosh~"

Another gust of north wind blew,

Madam Chai naturally, without a bit of hesitation, pulled the handkerchief that Chai Zhengzheng had just used to wipe her tears from Chai Zhengzheng's hand.

Then,

In Xu Zaijing's surprised and stunned eyes,

Madam Chai shook the handkerchief, which was made of expensive and exquisite materials and had a soft and absorbent texture, vigorously, and covered it on Xu Zaijing's palm.

After covering it well, Madam Chai wrapped the handkerchief around Xu Zaijing's back of the hand again, and finally tied a knot in Xu Zaijing's palm.

After the handkerchief was covered, Madam Chai held Xu Zaijing's wrist with one hand, pushed Xu Zaijing's fingers with the other, and let Xu Zaijing, who was somewhat stunned, close his palm, letting Xu Zaijing hold the knot in his palm, and said: "Jing-ge'er, in this kind of weather, it's really not the time to talk."

"Wait until the weather is good, my family will come to pay a visit and thank you."

Saying this, Madam Chai patted Xu Zaijing's held palm again.

Chai Zhengzheng beside Madam Chai was already somewhat unable to react to what had happened.

The personal mother behind and the Chai family's personal mother could only watch this happen before their eyes.

Xu Zaijing was even more: "Madam Chai, I, this... you..."

Before he finished speaking, Madam Chai led Chai Zhengzheng and turned to walk toward their own carriage.

Chai Jin looked at his mother Madam Chai with great admiration, then turned to pat Xu Zaijing's arm and said: "Jing-ge'er, see you in two days."

After the four got into the carriage,

Qingyun, who had just helped the Chai family's carriage driver adjust the carriage direction, watched the Chai family's carriage walk forward and get onto the big bridge over the Hulong River, and walked to Xu Zaijing's side, who was still stunned, and said: "Young Master, this..."

Xu Zaijing felt the softness of the handkerchief in his palm, as well as the painful heat where the calluses had fallen off, glared at Qingyun and said: "This matter cannot be told to anyone! Even your wife, Hua Qing, cannot be told!"

"Ah? Young Master, you this..."

Before Qingyun finished speaking, he saw Xu Zaijing walking toward the little horse, and he could only hurriedly follow.

Entering the Wansheng Gate,

Seemingly because there was a city wall blocking it, the wind was much smaller.

The carriage walked on the street, the sound of the carriage wheels was rumbling.

Outside the carriage, the north wind and sand and dust were rustling.

When leaving Jinming Pond, the Chai family's carriage, which was very clean and elegant,

At this time, even if a candle was lit, the light was dim, and one could feel that there was sand and dust everywhere in the carriage.

But,

The people in the carriage had no mind for these things.

In the quiet atmosphere,

By the candlelight, Chai Zhengzheng looked at Madam Chai beside her and said: "Mother, you... how could you... how could you use daughter's handkerchief to... to bind his wound?"

Miss Yun Mu to the side looked at Chai Zhengzheng, pursed her lips slightly, not knowing what it meant.

Madam Chai was very direct, looked at her daughter and said: "Zheng'er, I see that if it depended on you, I don't know when you two would be able to take a step forward!"

"What step forward, take two steps!" Chai Zhengzheng hurriedly lowered her head, somewhat at a loss, pinching her clothes and saying.

"Sigh!"

Madam Chai sighed heavily and said: "You girl, seeing that there is a wound on someone's hand, you just feel heartache, only busy lowering your head and crying, what else can you see?"

The personal mother of Madam Chai sitting opposite Miss Yun Mu nodded in approval, looked at Madam Chai and said: "Madam, this servant saw it just like this just now! Especially after Xu Fifth Young Master looked down!"

Chai Zhengzheng raised her head, suspiciously saying: "In this kind of weather, can he see me crying..."

"Yes!" the personal mother said with certainty.

Madam Chai looked at Chai Zhengzheng and said: "Your mother, I, saw the surprised expression in Jing-ge'er's eyes, that's why I decisively tied your handkerchief to his hand!"

"In the future, when he sees the handkerchief, he will think of the appearance of Zheng'er you lowering your head and shedding tears today, and he will be moved again in his heart!"

Chai Zhengzheng looked at Madam Chai with a half-understanding expression.

Looking at her daughter's expression, Madam Chai said earnestly: "Zheng'er, you feel heartache for Jing-ge'er, this child, is it because he saved us?"

Chai Zhengzheng thought for a while and shook her head lightly: "Mother, daughter is not because he reached out to help, just... after he saved daughter, daughter didn't have the opportunity to be alone with him..."

"Although I know from others that Jing-ge'er practices diligently every day, today is the first time daughter has seen the calluses in his palm when facing him, and the calluses fell off like that!"

"Mother, you say how many times his calluses must have fallen off since he was a child, and how many times he must have been in pain?"

Chai Zhengzheng had some heartache in her eyes, raised her head to look at Madam Chai.

Madam Chai looked at Chai Zhengzheng with gratification and said: "Zheng'er, Jing-ge'er is smart, naturally he can understand why you cried. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a moved expression in his eyes."

"For the family, for himself, working hard every day, although he has achieved success, who else would say a word of 'you have worked hard' to Jing-ge'er?"

Chai Zhengzheng shook her head and argued: "Mother, Xu Hou's wife is a good one, Pingmei and Anmei sisters, they are naturally also heartache for Jing-ge'er!"

Madam Chai touched Chai Zhengzheng's hair with a smile and said: "I naturally know these! But girls of the same age? Can anyone say that to him?"

Chai Zhengzheng was stunned. After going through the noble young ladies like Zhang Fifth Young Lady, Gu Tingyi, Rong Feiyan, etc., in her heart, she shook her head and said: "Mother, daughter thinks, there should be none..."

Madam Chai nodded with a smile: "Not bad! And Zheng'er, your tears are saying a sentence of 'you have worked hard and suffered' to Jing-ge'er!"

"Zheng'er, you are beautiful, and you previously received the great kindness of being saved by Jing-ge'er, this kind of fate, and the tears that come from the heart!"

"Mother, how can I not strike while the iron is hot and tie a handkerchief to the Xu family's young master?"

Listening to Madam Chai's words,

Chai Zhengzheng suddenly felt that the north wind and dust outside the carriage were not annoying at all, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but float a sweet smile.

Suddenly,

Chai Zhengzheng raised her head with some anxiety, looked at Madam Chai who was somewhat suspicious in front of her, and said: "Mother, doing this to him, will it... will it... affect his studies and imperial examination?"

Madam Chai was stunned and said: "Studies... imperial examination?"

"Yes! Daughter is afraid..."

Chai Zhengzheng raised her head and asked in confusion, "In this kind of weather, can he see me crying?"

"He can!" her personal maid replied with a certain tone.

Madam Chai looked at Chai Zhengzheng and said, "Your mother here saw that look in Jingge'er's eyes, which is why I made the prompt decision to tie your handkerchief onto his hand!"

"In the future, whenever he sees the handkerchief, he will think of you, Zheng'er, lowering your head and shedding tears today, and his heart will be moved all over again!"

Chai Zhengzheng looked at Madam Chai, seeming to understand but not quite.

Observing her daughter's expression, Madam Chai said earnestly, "Zheng'er, do you feel sorry for Jingge'er because he saved us?"

Chai Zhengzheng thought for a while and shook her head gently: "Mother, it is not because he reached out to help; it is just... after he saved me, I never had the chance to be alone with him."

"Although I knew from others that Brother Jing practices diligently every day without fail, today was the first time I saw the calluses on his palms with my own eyes, and how those calluses were peeling off!"

"Mother, you say, from childhood to now, how many times must those calluses have fallen off, and how many times must he have been in pain?"

There was some pity in Chai Zhengzheng's eyes as she raised her head to look at Madam Chai.

Madam Chai looked at Chai Zhengzheng with gratification and said, "Zheng'er, Jingge'er is a clever one; naturally, he can figure out why you were crying. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a look of being moved in his eyes."

"Working hard every day for the family and for himself—even if he has achieved success, who else would say to Jingge'er, 'You have worked hard'?"

Chai Zhengzheng shook her head and argued, "Mother, the Xu Hou's Lady is a good person, and sisters Pingmei and Anmei, they naturally cherish Brother Jing too!"

Madam Chai smiled and stroked Chai Zhengzheng's hair, laughing: "I naturally know that! But what about girls of his own age? Is there anyone who would say that to him?"

Chai Zhengzheng was stunned. After running through the names of the Zhang family's Fifth Young Lady, Gu Tingyi, Rong Feiyan, and other noble ladies in her mind, she shook her head and said, "Mother, I think... there probably isn't."

Madam Chai nodded with a smile: "Exactly! And your tears, Zheng'er, were a way of saying to Jingge'er, 'You have worked hard and suffered!'"

"Zheng'er, you are beautiful as a flower, and you have the great grace of having been saved by Jingge'er—with such fate, plus tears that come from the heart!"

"How could I, your mother, not press the advantage and tie a handkerchief onto the Xu family's young master?"

Listening to Madam Chai's words,

Chai Zhengzheng felt for a moment that the north wind and dust outside the carriage were not annoying at all, and a sweet smile couldn't help but bloom on the corners of her mouth.

Suddenly,

Chai Zhengzheng raised her head with some anxiety in her eyes, looking at the somewhat confused Madam Chai, and said: "Mother, doing this to him... will it... will it... affect his studies and the imperial examinations?"

Madam Chai was stunned and said: "Studies... and the imperial examinations?"

"Yes! Daughter is afraid..."

Looking at Chai Zhengzheng's worried appearance, Madam Chai pondered for a moment and said: "Zhengzheng, thinking about how Jingge'er can be self-disciplined and rise early to practice diligently every day regardless of the bitter cold or scorching heat, he is surely someone who can control his own mind!"

"I think he won't be easily swayed by romantic feelings!"

"Oh!" Chai Zhengzheng breathed a sigh of relief and said: "That is good! I would not want to affect his future because of today's events."

Madam Chai looked at her daughter and smiled: "Zheng'er, even if later he..."

Before she could finish her sentence,

Chai Zhengzheng hurriedly reached out to cover Madam Chai's mouth, saying: "Mother, you must not talk nonsense."

Glancing at the palm under her nose, Madam Chai nodded helplessly: "Fine, fine, fine! I won't say it anymore!"

Only then did Chai Zhengzheng release her hand from covering her mouth.

The carriage rattled along,

and the carriage drove into the main gate of the Chai residence amidst the dust-filled sky.

In the evening,

near the Chai family stables,

after settling the carriage and horses, the Chai family coachman sat in the room with lingering fear, his heart full of dread as he thought about what had happened in the afternoon.

A Chai family steward walked into the room and said to the coachman: "Old brother, look at all this dust on you, hurry and brush it off!"

"After you're done, drink this bowl of calming decoction."

The coachman turned his head, looked at the Chai family steward holding a tray, and hurriedly stood up: "Steward! I..."

The Chai family steward smiled and shook his head, saying: "Don't say it! The Eldest Young Master has already told me! You were frightened and broke into a sweat, so you must take the medicine just in case. If you really ruin your health, it's your wife and nephew who will be worried."

The coachman nodded, his eyes full of emotion, and said: "Aye!"

In the Chai family's backyard,

at Qiusheng Garden,

Chai Zhengzheng, who had changed into new clothes after bathing, frowned as she looked at the teacup on the table, turned her head to look at Miss Yun Mu, and said: "I... this... can I not drink this medicine?"

Miss Yun Mu shook her head and said earnestly: "Young Lady, Madam said that it was warm in the morning and cool in the afternoon, and you have cried, so you must drink this medicine!"

Chai Zhengzheng pursed her lips and said: "Miss Yun Mu, every medicine has three parts poison!"

Miss Yun Mu said: "Young Lady, you only need to drink two bowls at most, it will be fine! If something happens, it won't just be Madam and us who are worried!"

After saying this, Miss Yun Mu lowered her head.

After glaring at the head-lowered Miss Yun Mu, Chai Zhengzheng took a deep breath and said: "Go, get the candied fruit ready!"

Around the Hour of the Rat (11:00 PM),

in the bedroom,

"Miss Yun Mu!"

Chai Zhengzheng's voice rang out from within the bed curtains.

"Young Lady, what is it?" Miss Yun Mu walked over quickly, draped in her clothes.

*Tap-tap-tap-tap*

Listening to the sound outside, Chai Zhengzheng asked: "What is that noise?"

"Young Lady, it is raining!"

"Oh! It is raining!"

After repeating the sentence, it became quiet inside the curtains, and soon Chai Zhengzheng's breathing became steady again.

Seeing this, Miss Yun Mu quietly retreated.

The next day,

it was still drizzling in the early morning,

but by morning,

the sun rose from the east, illuminating the deep blue sky.

Quyuanjie, Marquis Yongyi's Mansion.

Xu Hou's Lady, Sun Shi, sat on a Luo Han chair, leisurely eating a medicinal soup.

Putting down the soup bowl, Sun Shi took the handkerchief handed over by Cui Mama to wipe her mouth, looked at Qingcao standing in the hall, and said: "If there is something, Qingcao, speak."

Qingcao frowned as she looked at Sun Shi and said: "Madam, this morning, this morning, the Young Master asked this servant to wash a... You had previously instructed this servant, so..."

As she spoke,

Qingcao pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve.

Cui Mama hurriedly passed the handkerchief into Sun Shi's hands.

Xie Shi and Hualan, who were on the side, looked at the object in Sun Shi's hand and exchanged surprised glances.

In the eyes of the sisters-in-law was the thought: "When did the younger brother-in-law, Jingge'er, become so enlightened!"

(End of chapter)