Free Web NovelChapter 416: Chapter 161: Stalemate
He had given the old lady another earful, but saying any more was pointless.
Chen Bai gave up and said no more. He stood up to leave. "I won’t keep you. Go on and continue sunning your books. Oh, and speaking of which, I just realized—it’s the height of summer and so humid. Why pick now to air them out?"
Chen Wanqing explained, "We had no choice. A box of books my father-in-law left behind was stored improperly and got infested with bookworms. We caught it early, so we need to repair them right away. And while we’re at it, we decided to sun the books from that box as well."
"So that’s what’s going on."
He then brought up their studies. "Yucheng’s tutor received a piece of calligraphy from Jing and was absolutely delighted. He’s treating it like a priceless treasure. Because of that, he’s been giving Yucheng extra attention, too. We really have Jing to thank."
Zhao Jing had achieved the junior triple crown in the examinations, discovered the treasure on Xiaoao Mountain, and received a reward from His Majesty. With such immense imperial favor, everyone knew Zhao Jing was destined for a great future. Consequently, the Scholars and local gentry of Qingshui County who hadn’t visited the Zhao Village before now all sent their calling cards.
Zhao Jing was only human, not a god; he didn’t have the time to meet every single person.
For those he couldn’t meet, he would compose a carefully worded letter in reply, using phrases like "It is a shame our paths did not cross" and "As you are my elder, it is I who should be visiting you."
The message was clear—he would not be meeting them—but it was phrased so tactfully and pleasantly that even those who were rejected could not take offense.
Among the many who sought an audience, Zhao Jing made a point to personally meet the tutors of Yao’an and Yucheng. He even invited the two to stay for lunch, and the implication was self-evident.
The tutors were no fools. Eager to cultivate a relationship with Zhao Jing, they began treating Yao’an and Yucheng with the utmost dedication. As a result, the two boys’ schoolwork improved noticeably.
After they exchanged a few more words, Mrs. Zhao came in.
Whenever Mrs. Zhao had a spare moment these days, she would go over to the main branch of the Chen family’s old residence for a look. It wasn’t to supervise the work of the servants they’d purchased—it was purely because she had nothing else to do and just wanted to stroll over... well, alright, she was still a bit worried about how things were being handled there, so she made sure to visit at least twice a day.
Furthermore, it was the slack season for farming. The wheat had been harvested and the huangqi roots had sprouted, so there was no major work left to do in the fields. The women of the clan had once again sent word, asking if they could come and help for a few days. However, after being betrayed by her kinsmen before, Mrs. Zhao had grown cold toward them.
But she couldn’t refuse them outright, so she used a tactful excuse: "The business is Wanqing’s, so she has the final say. I’m just her mother-in-law; I wouldn’t dare make decisions for my daughter-in-law."
This back-and-forth had delayed her, so she returned a little later than usual.
When Mrs. Zhao saw Chen Bai, she was incredibly warm and insisted on having him stay.
She even ordered Zhao Jing to open a bottle of wine that Mr. Zhao had treasured, insisting Chen Bai have a few drinks before he left.
But how could Chen Bai possibly stay?
He had a mountain of things to deal with at home—he was busy running his side business and collecting grain from all over.
Even Yuzhu was so busy she was run off her feet, and she’d lost several pounds from sheer exhaustion.
Chen Bai refused again. "I’ll have a drink next time I visit... I really can’t stay long. There’s too much to do at home, and I can’t manage it all... Please, don’t insist, my dear in-law. There will be plenty of other chances."
And with that, Chen Bai practically fled.
After seeing Chen Bai off, the family returned to the courtyard.
Mrs. Zhao went to prepare lunch, while Zhao Jing and Chen Wanqing went back to sunning the books.
Chen Wanqing said, "Li’an is incredibly stubborn. Once his mind is made up, ten bulls couldn’t pull him back. But the family at the old residence won’t give in easily, either. This is going to be a long process. I wonder if we’ll get to attend Li’an and Chunyue’s wedding feast before we leave Qingshui County."
Zhao Jing said, "There’s actually a simple way to solve this."
Chen Wanqing’s head whipped around. "How? Come on, Jing, spit it out! Don’t leave me hanging."
Zhao Jing turned to face her. "You have to kiss me first."
Instead of a kiss, Chen Wanqing gave his foot a hard stomp.
"You scoundrel! It’s broad daylight, and the main gate is wide open! You may have no shame, but I certainly do!"
Zhao Jing chuckled softly. "You’re so cruel. I think you’ve made my foot swell up."
Chen Wanqing glanced down at his lower body and muttered under her breath, "That’s not your foot that’s swollen, *that* is. What are you getting so worked up about? I only stepped on your foot, not on... that."
Zhao Jing let out a low, meaningful "Mmm." "That’s not a bad suggestion. You can give it a try later."
Blushing, Chen Wanqing started to lift her foot to stomp on him again, but then she remembered his words and awkwardly pulled it back.
She wanted to curse him under her breath but didn’t dare.
His hearing was too sharp; he could hear even the quietest whisper.
’And besides, Jing is a total deviant in bed, up for anything.’
’If I talk about stepping on *it* today, he’ll make me follow through tonight. To be honest, his ’anything goes’ attitude is a little frightening.’
