Chapter 578: Chapter 566: After Testing the Waters, Just Playing Along
The midday meal was taken under the teacher’s roof.
Shen Hua rarely made things difficult for Cui Yun; she ate in small bites, head lowered, absentmindedly listening to Cui Yun and the teacher discuss the Historical Records.
Soon, her bowl was supplemented with a serving of cherry meat, which she favored.
The hand Shen Hua used to grip her chopsticks tightened. She looked nonchalantly again at the person who had served her the meat.
Cui Yun noticed her gaze: "After all, I took the money. I must do something."
That made sense.
Seeing him so eager to please, Shen Hua graciously ate and began to command: "Clip me another piece."
"Another bowl of soup."
"I also want sweet and sour lotus root."
Cui Yun, while responding to the old man, did not forget to fulfill her requests, eventually serving her the lotus root that was right under the girl’s eyes.
"You don’t have hands?" The teacher, frequently interrupted, huffed and glared.
Shen Hua was at ease either way; her eyes and brows curved in contentment.
"I have money."
However, when she spoke again, Cui Yun ignored her.
Shen Hua: ?!!
Seeing her baffled, Cui Yun gave a slight smile.
"After all, I only have a copper coin more than others; there’s only so much I can do."
"How about it, Miss Shen? Will you give a bit more?"
Shen Hua thought, this man knows how to raise the price on the spot.
Mrs. He seemed contemplative upon seeing this.
If it weren’t for the nobility of Cui Yun’s status, she thought, the two would be well suited for each other.
After the meal, Shen Hua drank some flower tea, rested for a moment, and was then called by the old man to recite her book.
When she left the school, she was at full vitality again, humming a tune crisply and calling out.
"Zhui, let’s go."
Shen Zhui ran towards her.
Mrs. He loved to nurture various flowers and plants, but she hadn’t expected Cui Yun to have some knowledge in this area as well.
His bit of knowledge was substantial in her eyes.
She took note of his advice seriously, an epiphany struck her: "I had no idea, that these should be taken into consideration. I usually just place them outside, not paying much attention to wind and sun. I thought watering them daily would be enough, how could they be more precious than raising a child? No wonder they never last long after being bought."
After she finished speaking, even though she seemed eager to continue the discussion, she did not detain him.
"Alright, you may go as well."
Cui Yun stood up: "There are books on gardening at home. I didn’t bring them with me this time; I’ll send them to you later."
Shen Hua heard Mrs. He being sweet-talked into sheer joy: "Well, that’s wonderful. Now that you’re in Fengzhou, come over when you’re free."
"No way, he will pester me to study."
Cui Yun intended to refuse politely, but on hearing this, he stretched his lips into a smile: "Then I will take the liberty."
Shen Hua: ...
Truly detestable.
Watching the departing figures, Mrs. He couldn’t help but laugh, then her brows furrowed.
"This child, has she truly forgotten Young Master Cui?"
The old man said irritably: "Forget? I think she’s fully aware but pretending to be confused."
"She has a better memory than anyone else. The book I had her recite before, I never reviewed with her because she had already memorized it by heart; any further effort from me would be redundant."
"Others say she can’t calm down, talking about one thing and she goes off on a tangent, telling her to come early in the morning but she ends up raving about how tasty the pan-fried buns were. Completely off-topic. Yet, this is the same person who could sit down and embroider for an entire day without a single word of complaint. If only she were willing to apply herself, how could Zhou Zhi of the Zhou Family compare?"
"I wonder how tasty those pan-fried buns really are; will she bring some tomorrow?"
With that, he massaged his headache.
"When I first took notice of Shen Hua in the female college, it was nothing more than for her uncluttered, pure thoughts, as well as her good memory and ability to think critically."
Yet, Shen Hua only listened to what she wanted to hear.
Every time during class, I would fall asleep lying down, but as soon as I heard him scolding someone, I could wake up and open my eyes.
Upon hearing this, the teacher’s wife said, "That can’t be possible."
"She’s being mischievous, if you ask me, probably just took in a deep breath and is deliberately making things difficult for Young Master Cui. Otherwise, would she really eat the dish that a man she met just half a day ago picked up for her, with how spoiled she acts?"
"I’ve been arranging that chess game for so long. Yet she stubbornly sat by my side without moving, when normally, she would have taken the opportunity to skip class long ago."
The teacher’s wife was amused upon hearing this.
"Does Young Master Cui know about this?"
"Him?"
The old teacher said grumpily, "Do you think he’s not testing the waters?"
"One is more sly than the next!"
"Once he’s clear on his probing, he just goes along with the act."
This time on my return, I didn’t go to Muchun Garden, so I took a shortcut instead.
And along this path, I happened to pass by the residence Cui Yun bought back then.
Originally, it was chosen for convenience.
This property, Cui Yun actually had Ji Qing purchase it; he didn’t come to see it at the time because of the rush, but he personally selected the location on the blueprint.
He paused slightly in his steps. On this street, he recognized it. The house was untended, long uninhabited, and with dry leaves scattered all around the exterior, signs of its decline were evident.
"Sister."
Miss Shen had been paying close attention to Cui Yun.
"Is he really going to send us back?"
Shen Hua replied nonchalantly, "You offered too little, sister, he only filled half of his plate, naturally, he’s only sending us halfway."
This comment wasn’t particularly restrained, neither mild nor strong, and it remained unclear whether it was intended for Shen Zhui to hear, or for someone following behind.
Shen Zhui pondered thoughtfully.
Her young face furrowed.
"If that young man were here, he would definitely ensure our safe escort."
"Sister should never have hired him."
Shen Hua also felt that the money spent was a waste.
She lead the way forward.
Just then, at the corner, a person rushed over, looking disheveled, like a rooster that had fallen into trouble.
It was He Chu.
In these past few hours, he had experienced hardships like never before.
A man who prided himself on his cultivation, he had to swallow his pride and go door to door begging, scrounging for money everywhere.
He began to resent Mrs. He.
Of all people to offend, it had to be the Shen Family. He clearly forgot how happy and supportive he was when Mrs. He initially devised the plan.
He didn’t understand how suddenly all the houses that were on good terms with the He Family had locked their doors, unwilling to see him.
Even though he knocked on each and every door, not a single cent came into his hands.
In the end, through a door, his aunt said coldly.
"Let me make it clear to you, even if nobody came to warn me off, I wouldn’t lend you a single copper coin. How much money have you and your mother taken from your uncle over these years? It’s laughable, just because you’re smarter than your cousins, they weren’t allowed to go to school, but we had to support you, an outsider?"
"Your uncle may be a fool, but I’m not."
"With your mama now in such a place, essentially a prostitute! Without her release, you won’t be able to participate in the Imperial Examination. Given this, why should the whole family tighten its belt to live day by day to accrue such a debt for you?"
"Don’t come here again in the future, I’m embarrassed by it, and I’d rather consider that I don’t have this relative."
He knew that his uncle was definitely at home, but with his aunt taking a stand, it was a clear abandonment of him.
Everything at home that could be sold, had been sold, yet it was like throwing a cup of water on a burning cart of wood.
In the end, the filial He Chu didn’t even know whether his obsession was to seek out his mama, or the vexation of being barred from the Imperial Examination.
"Shen Hua."
A flash of cold light appeared beneath the sleeve. He Chu rushed over, brandishing a dagger at Shen Hua.
"You and your Shen Family have ruined me; now I will ruin you."
