Chapter 167: The Wealthy Young Lady Relies on You

Night falls.

When Su Dafang returned from outside carrying his Medicine Chest, an elderly woman was in the shop to collect medicine.

Behind the counter.

One person was gathering medicine, while the other was looking down, fiddling with an abacus.

The elderly woman gathering medicine looked at the slap marks on the faces of the two people behind the counter and laughed: "Are you two lovebirds fighting again? I heard from your grandfather that you fight every day, but how can you hit each other in the face? It's so unsightly for people to see."

Luo Zijun finished gathering the medicine, handed it to her, and said with a smile, "One tael of silver."

The smile on the elderly woman's face vanished instantly, and she said in surprise, "It was only seven mace last time; why has it suddenly become so expensive?"

Su Dafang hurriedly stepped inside and said, "Zijun, Auntie Zhang is a regular customer; charging seven mace is fine."

Only then did a smile return to Auntie Zhang's face, and she took out a tael of silver.

Luo Zijun took it and passed it to the side.

Su Qingling took it coldly and aloofly. After waiting a few seconds and seeing he didn't speak, she turned her head, glanced at him coldly with her beautiful eyes, and said, "How much change?"

Luo Zijun still didn't speak.

Su Qingling pinched his waist.

Luo Zijun hissed, then opened his mouth to say, "Three mace, of course. Do you even need to ask? Why are you so—"

He let out another miserable shriek.

Seeing this scene, Auntie Zhang wanted to laugh, but then remembered the national mourning had not yet ended, so she hurriedly covered her mouth.

Su Dafang hurriedly scolded the two of them: "That's enough, you two! Hurry up and give the lady her change!"

Only then did Su Qingling let go, take a small piece of broken silver from the drawer, weigh it on the scale nearby, and place it on the counter.

Luo Zijun hissed twice more before picking up the silver and handing it to Auntie Zhang.

Auntie Zhang took it in her hand, smiled as she looked at the two of them, greeted Su Dafang, and walked out the door.

Su Dafang went over to close the shop door, then glared at the two of them and said, "Making a scene while there's a customer—what kind of decorum is that?"

Luo Zijun hurriedly went over to complain: "Master, Senior Sister not only pinched me, she slapped me in the face, and she even forced me to kneel and lick her shoes."

Su Dafang glanced at him, walked over to put down the Medicine Chest on his shoulder, and said with a calm expression, "So, did you lick them?"

Luo Zijun said, "I was just about to lick them when that Auntie Zhang arrived."

Su Dafang went over to pour a cup of tea, took a few sips, and said, "Then continue."

Luo Zijun: "..."

"Master, it's getting late, I'm heading back."

In truth, he felt very guilty.

Su Dafang looked at him askance and said, "Did you do something shameful, you brat?"

Luo Zijun said, "No, what shameful thing could I have done?"

Su Dafang gave a cold snort and said, "You have two slap marks on your face, but your Senior Sister only has one. You hit her one less time; that's clearly not normal."

Luo Zijun: "... Master, should I go pay her back a slap now?"

Su Dafang drank his tea and said, "Go ahead, if you have the guts, brat."

Luo Zijun looked at the young lady behind the counter and said, "Forget it, Senior Sister is so beautiful, I can't bear to."

Su Dafang gave a cold laugh and ignored him further.

Luo Zijun waved goodbye. As he opened the door, he turned his head to look at the young lady behind the counter and said ingratiatingly, "Senior Sister, I'll come back to lick your shoes next time."

After saying this, he went out the door.

The shop became quiet.

After a good while, Su Dafang looked toward the counter and asked, "What's the matter? That brat looked guilty. Ling'er, you mustn't go soft-hearted."

Su Qingling was lying on the counter in a daze and ignored him.

Luo Zijun did not return directly to the Bai Mansion, but instead came to the Chujian Bookstore.

As soon as he went upstairs, he said, "Chujian, you look truly beautiful today."

Then he added, "That... Brother Zijun wants to tell you a story, do you want to listen?"

Liu Chujian looked at him for a few moments and smiled slightly: "Can I choose not to listen?"

"No! You must listen!"

Luo Zijun went straight over, picked up her delicate, soft body, placed her on a chair, squatted in front of her, held her soft little hands, and said, "This is a story about the tragic fate of a wealthy Young Lady; you must listen."

As he spoke, he began to tell it without allowing any room for argument.

After he finished.

He suddenly sighed again and said, "Now, only your Brother Zijun can save her."

Liu Chujian was silent for a moment, then said softly, "How can Brother Zijun calculate her future fate? Perhaps that ungrateful wretch will be wary of her family and not dare to make things difficult for her?"

Luo Zijun said with certainty, "Chujian, believe me, as long as she marries him, the outcome will inevitably be tragic. Within a year, she will surely perish."

Liu Chujian stared at him for a while and suddenly said, "Could it be that Brother Zijun has long coveted her and is deliberately deceiving me?"

Luo Zijun reached out and pinched her delicate cheek, saying, "Is your Brother Zijun such a despicable person?"

Liu Chujian gave a playful smile: "Who knows!"

Seeing her charming and lovely appearance, Luo Zijun couldn't help but stand up and kiss her little mouth.

After a long while, he pulled away and asked, "Do you know now?"

The young lady on the chair was panting, her cheeks flushed with color, her eyes hazy, her body soft, and her lips glistening. She stubbornly said, "I... I don't know..."

Luo Zijun kissed her little mouth again.

After a moment, he pulled away and said, "Do you know now?"

The young lady's body was soft, her eyes were filled with spring water, her chest was heaving, and she still shook her head.

"You are doing this on purpose, wanting it the whole time, right?"

Luo Zijun pinched her cheeks again. The young girl's eyes were brimming with spring water, her face full of coquettish charm; she bit her pink lips and said in a sweet, delicate voice, "I just... I just wanted it the whole time..."

Luo Zijun deliberately stood up and said, "It's getting late, so I'm leaving."

"You... you're mean."

The young girl let out a delicate huff, pouted her little mouth, puffed up her pink cheeks, and wore a look of utter resentment.

Luo Zijun crouched down to kiss her again, bit her ear, and said, "How about this, Brother Zijun won't leave tonight, and I'll show you something even meaner?"

The young girl's body trembled, but she suddenly sobered up and said, "No, during the period of national mourning..."

"We aren't government officials, so we don't get any of the benefits."

Luo Zijun didn't take it to heart.

The young girl stretched out her arms, hugged his neck tightly, looked at him with watery eyes, and said with a bit of smug pride, "Brother Zijun, I have good news to tell you. Your Chujian is now a wealthy Young Lady and an official's daughter..."

Luo Zijun said, "What do you mean?"

!

The young girl tilted her delicate, flower-like face, gave his lips a light kiss, and whispered, "My father has been restored to his former position... Didn't Brother Zijun always want a wealthy Young Lady to cling to you? Now, the wealthy Young Lady in front of you is clinging to you. Are you happy?"

Luo Zijun: "..."

He didn't seem to have said that, did he? He had only written a book.

"Chujian, who gave the order to rehabilitate your father?"

Luo Zijun asked.

Liu Chujian whispered, "It can't really be called rehabilitation, because my father was innocent to begin with; he just spoke a few truths and offended the late King. This time, it was the Queen who had my father restored to his position. The Queen even specifically sent someone to our mansion to comfort my father."

Luo Zijun said, "It seems that Queen is no simple person."

Liu Chujian immediately understood: "Does Brother Zijun mean that the Queen is trying to win my father over?"

Luo Zijun said, "Your Liu family was wronged and had your home confiscated; now that the Queen has helped you clear your names, your father is naturally very grateful to her."

Liu Chujian was silent for a moment and said, "Recently, there have indeed been several others who were punished back then, just like my father, who have been restored to their positions. There are also a few who were released from prison."

Luo Zijun said, "There must also be quite a few who were suddenly thrown into prison, right?"

Liu Chujian nodded.

Luo Zijun didn't say anything more and said, "The current situation in the imperial court is unclear, and various factions are fighting openly and secretly. It's best for your father not to take sides for now."

Liu Chujian said, "My father said the same thing."

Then, with a face full of admiration, she said, "Brother Zijun, you are so amazing; it feels like you know everything."

Luo Zijun rubbed her little head and said, "You haven't tasted the most amazing thing about your Brother Zijun yet."

Liu Chujian gave a shy smile, hugged his neck tightly, and whispered, "After the national mourning ends, will Brother Zijun let Chujian taste it, okay?"

"We'll see how you behave!"

Luo Zijun said with feigned arrogance.

Liu Chujian laughed and said, "The story Brother Zijun just told, that wealthy Young Lady in it, is the second young lady of the Jia Mansion, right?"

Luo Zijun nodded.

Liu Chujian asked, "Then after Brother Zijun saves her, what should be done?"

Luo Zijun said, "Let her be my... younger sister."

Liu Chujian couldn't help but smile and said, "Making her Brother Zijun's younger sister wouldn't be very appropriate."

Luo Zijun said, "Why?"

Liu Chujian said, "Since Brother Zijun wants to save her, there must naturally be a reason, otherwise Master Jia won't let her go. If she were only to be Brother Zijun's younger sister, this reason certainly wouldn't be appropriate, and it wouldn't hold water."

Luo Zijun said, "Then what should be done?"

Liu Chujian said with a beaming smile, "Let her be a younger sister to Sister Su and me."

"Ah?"

Luo Zijun looked bewildered.

Liu Chujian huffed: "Is Brother Zijun still going to pretend? That was your intention all along, wasn't it?"

Luo Zijun shook his head: "No."

"Hmph."

"Chujian, how did you become like that girl Bi'er, liking to huff and puff."

From behind the bookshelf not far away, a "pfft" sound suddenly came, followed by Bi'er's laughter.

"Little girl, eavesdropping again! Let's go, come home with this Young Master tonight; this Young Master is going to teach you a good lesson!"

Luo Zijun looked toward the back of the bookshelf and said.

Bi'er hurriedly came out from behind the bookshelf and ran away laughing.

Luo Zijun looked at the sky outside, stood up, and said, "Chujian, it's getting late, I have to go back."

During the period of national mourning, there was a curfew.

Walking on the street too late would very likely lead to being arrested.

Liu Chujian also hurriedly said, "Brother Zijun, then you should go quickly."

Luo Zijun lowered his head again, kissed her little mouth, and then waved his hand as he went downstairs.

After he left.

Liu Chujian sat in the chair for a while longer, then suddenly called out, "Bi'er, come out, I have something to tell you."

Bi'er hurriedly ran out from the room: "Young Lady, what is it?"

Liu Chujian said, "Tomorrow, go make a few new sets of bedding and tidy up two more rooms."

Bi'er looked puzzled: "Are there guests coming?"

Liu Chujian smiled slightly, her gaze turning toward the window, and she murmured, "Not a guest, but... a younger sister."

(End of this chapter)