Zhao Changting walked out of the Upper Chamber, and Zhao Jingzhi, who had been chased out earlier, immediately wanted to approach him.
But as soon as she lifted her foot, the image of Zhao Changting beating Pei Zizhao flashed in her mind, so she set her foot back down.
She was still a little afraid.
Even though Pei Zizhao deserved the beating, her eldest brother had been too ruthless when hitting him. On the battlefield…
Zhao Jingzhi forced herself not to imagine those bloody scenes, squeezing out a faint smile as she said, “Eldest Brother.”
Zhao Changting’s heart sank slightly. He didn’t want his sister to fear him or to feel any distance between them.
In his youth, he had been too impulsive and stubborn. After their mother passed away, as the eldest brother, he should have taken good care of his sister and protected her. But in a fit of anger, he had left home for seven years. Even though his sister had been loved and cared for during those years and had lived well, he still felt guilty because he hadn’t fulfilled his duty as a good older brother.
Sighing inwardly, Zhao Changting softened his expression as much as possible and walked toward Zhao Jingzhi. “Why haven’t you gone back? Curious about what Pei Zizhao said?”
Afraid that her voice might betray her fear, Zhao Jingzhi quickly nodded.
Zhao Changting hadn’t intended to tell Zhao Jingzhi, but perhaps this could help bridge the gap between them a little?
So he pointed toward the courtyard gate and said, “Let’s talk as we walk.”
Zhao Jingzhi thought for a moment, and in the end, her curiosity temporarily outweighed her fear. She nodded and stepped forward.
After the siblings left Fushou Hall and ordered the servants to follow at a distance, Zhao Changting finally said, “That Pei Zizhao, he looked down on Zhuang Hui because she’s not the biological daughter of the Marquis’s household. He said some unpleasant things belittling her.”
Zhao Jingzhi was still young, and Zhao Changting didn’t want to burden her by involving her, so he didn’t mention her.
As for Zhuang Hui, he didn’t want to repeat the exact words either, as they were too vulgar for his sister’s ears, and he couldn’t bring himself to say them.
Even so, Zhao Jingzhi flew into a rage upon hearing this. “What? He actually dared to look down on Hui…” Realizing her voice was too loud and that speaking plainly might be overheard by the servants, which could affect Zhuang Hui, she swallowed her words and instead whispered angrily, “Ugh! Who does he think he is? Just a son of a Count’s household, and he dares to pick and choose? He’s not even worthy of Sister Hui!”
“Eldest Brother, you were right to beat him! But breaking one leg wasn’t enough—you should have broken both!”
“What kind of person is he? Sister Hui is so gentle and beautiful, and he dares to look down on her? Is he even worthy?!”
Zhao Jingzhi was furious, and her tirade against Pei Zizhao seemed endless. Although she didn’t use particularly harsh words, as a young lady, her incessant cursing and near-jumping in anger were quite unbecoming.
The words of reprimand were on the tip of his tongue, but remembering the fear Zhao Jingzhi had shown earlier, Zhao Changting held back.
After finishing her rant, Zhao Jingzhi suddenly said, “Thank goodness you stood up for Sister Hui, Eldest Brother!”
“Eldest Brother, Sister Hui is truly wonderful. Even though she’s not my biological sister, she treats me just like one. Eldest Brother, can you treat her as your own younger sister too?”
“That way, even if she’s not biologically part of our family, she’ll be just like one. It’ll definitely be easier for her to find a good match in the future, and no one will dare to look down on her. By the way, do you have any friends or colleagues who are young, handsome, with good personalities and family backgrounds, and who aren’t married or engaged yet?”
Excited by her own brilliant idea, Zhao Jingzhi’s eyes sparkled: “Big brother, why don’t you just introduce a good match to Sister Hui!”
Zhao Changting was utterly baffled. He really wanted to ask Zhuang Hui what kind of bewitching potion she had fed his grandmother and sister.
How had she managed to charm them like this, making them both so devoted to her, willing to give their all?
He had interacted with her too, and she seemed perfectly ordinary, even a bit petty and narrow-minded, with nothing particularly outstanding about her.
Was he setting his standards too high, or were his grandmother and sister just too easily swayed?
“Big brother?” By now, Zhao Jingzhi was no longer afraid of him. Seeing him silent, she tugged at his sleeve.
Zhao Changting snapped back to reality and shook his head: “There isn’t anyone.”
Zhao Jingzhi was disappointed: “Huh? Are they all married already?”
Zhao Changting: “You asked for someone who’s young, handsome, with a good personality and a good family background. There’s no one like that.”
Zhao Jingzhi: “Huh? Are my standards too high? But Sister Hui…”
Zhao Changting, too impatient to listen further, cut her off: “Stop daydreaming.”
A man with such excellent qualities, how could he possibly take a liking to someone like Zhuang Hui, given her family background and character?
Unless… thinking of Zhuang Hui’s face, Zhao Changting thought, unless he was a lecherous man.
But a lecherous man, driven by lust alone, would neither consider family background nor a woman’s temperament and abilities. What great prospects could such a person possibly have?
Zhao Jingzhi understood—oh, it was just that her big brother didn’t know any good men like that.
She looked Zhao Changting up and down, thinking that her big brother was indeed young and handsome, with an excellent family background, but…
Zhao Changting: “What are you looking at?”
“I was thinking, big brother, you are young and handsome, and your family background is excellent too, but your personality isn’t that great…” Being young, Zhao Jingzhi couldn’t hold back her thoughts and accidentally blurted out what was on her mind.
Zhao Changting was so angry he laughed: “Right, I’m not worthy of your Sister Hui.”
Zhao Jingzhi shrank her neck in—she hadn’t said that.
But, but if she were really asked for her opinion, she truly wouldn’t want Sister Hui to marry a man like her big brother.
Always keeping a cold face and rarely smiling was one thing, but he was always making people learn rules and etiquette, so stern and annoying!
If Sister Hui were to marry, she should marry a scholar—someone with refined looks, gentle and elegant, who would treat Sister Hui as if holding her in his hands for fear she might fall, or keeping her in his mouth for fear she might melt. Only someone like that would be worthy of Sister Hui.
Worried that Zhuang Hui might be upset by today’s events, after parting ways with Zhao Changting, Zhao Jingzhi went to Lanyuan.
Only upon arriving did she learn that not only was Sister Hui not upset, but she had even gotten the idea to eat deep-fried skewers today. She had set up an oil pot over a stove in her room, fetched fresh vegetables, meat, and various seasonings from the main kitchen. Yingtáo and Grape were already seasoned experts, and by the time Zhao Jingzhi arrived, they had just finished frying a batch of vegetarian skewers.
The vegetarian skewers, freshly fried in the oil pot and brushed with specially prepared sauce, smelled absolutely divine!
Zhao Jingzhi immediately forgot her original purpose and cheerfully ran forward, saying: “Sister Hui, I want some too!”
Although Zhuang Hui couldn’t exactly say she was upset today, she was indeed feeling low. While many things about traveling back to ancient times were quite nice, the matter of marriage came with many restrictions and was beyond her control—truly a major downside!
Returning to Lanyuan, her mood was gloomy, so she decided to indulge in some junk food to comfort herself properly.
As for Zhao Jingzhi, the young girl had also been frightened today, so they might as well eat together. She could just have a little less.
“Come, these freshly fried cabbage leaves are still hot,” she called to Zhao Jingzhi.
Zhuang Hui knew that with the recent incident involving Pei Zizhao, even if her meeting with Cui Lang were expedited, it would take at least twenty days—likely not until October—before there would be an opportunity.
There was no other way. In ancient times, things were like this. No matter how anxious she was, she couldn’t disregard the reputations of Zhuang Mingxiang, or even Zhao Jingzhi. After all, the rumor that the Changping Marquisate had a stepdaughter desperate to marry would sound truly unpleasant if it spread.
Since that was the case, she could only proceed as usual: paying respects, learning etiquette and manners, and going out less to avoid Zhao Changting.
The marquisate was large, and Zhao Changting was often occupied with social engagements. As long as she avoided the morning greetings, steering clear of him wouldn’t be difficult.
Zhuang Hui had thought it through well. However, what she didn’t know was that the next evening, when Zhao Changting returned from outside and was giving instructions to Jiang Lai in the outer study, Liu Mama arrived in her name, bringing milk tea and an improved version of small cakes.
“Regarding yesterday’s matter, both the young lady and the madam are deeply grateful to you. Hearing that you enjoyed sweet foods as a child, the young lady had the kitchen prepare the ingredients yesterday and personally made this milk tea and small cakes for you today,” Liu Mama relayed according to Zhuang Mingxiang’s instructions. “These are snacks the young lady developed herself. Not only do the young masters and young ladies of the household enjoy them, but even the Old Madam once praised the small cakes for their excellent taste.”
“Young Master, please try them and see if they suit your palate. The young lady said that if you like them, she will make them for you again in the future.”
Liu Mama had previously served in Fushou Hall. Though not the most trusted, she was one of the Old Madam’s personal attendants and had watched Zhao Changting grow up.
Therefore, when Zhao Changting glanced at the items in the basket she was holding and motioned for Jiang Lai to take it, he politely said, “I didn’t do much. Please convey to the madam and the young lady that there’s no need to take it to heart.”
Liu Mama quickly replied, “How could it be ‘not much’? You saved our young lady’s life yesterday!”
Zhao Changting said calmly, “It was merely a small effort.”
With this attitude, Liu Mama dared not say more. She bowed and withdrew.
In the courtyard, she told a young attendant that someone would come later to retrieve the basket and then left first.
In the study, Jiang Lai placed the basket in front of Zhao Changting. Smelling the aroma of the milk tea and small cakes, he swallowed his saliva. “Master, this milk tea and small cakes smell wonderful. Which would you like to try first?”
Zhao Changting didn’t even spare a glance. “Neither.”
Jiang Lai remembered: the young master no longer liked sweet foods.
But he still did, so he hurriedly asked, “Then could you grant them to me?”
Zhao Changting ignored him and continued with the earlier matter. “Go personally to inspect those two thousand acres of land in Daxing. Since Grandmother intends to return them to me, I will not only take them back but also manage them well.”
Only then would he not let down what his mother had left behind.
And by managing them well, in a couple of years when A Zhi married, he could also provide additional dowry.
As Jiang Lai listened, he took Zhao Changting’s silence as consent and tasted a spoonful of the cake, followed by a sip of the milk tea. Being a lover of sweet foods, his eyes widened in astonishment after tasting them.
Fortunately, he remembered that Zhao Changting was still giving instructions. Even with wide eyes and a shocked expression, he didn’t forget to nod. “Alright. If there’s nothing else, shall I set off this afternoon?”
Without waiting for Zhao Changting’s reply, he continued, “What are these called again? Milk tea and small cakes? How can they be so delicious and so tasty!”
“Hmm.” Zhao Changting acknowledged first, then said with displeasure, “They’re just sweet foods. How good can they be?”
Having grown up together as master and servant and fought side by side on the battlefield, Jiang Lai and Zhao Changting interacted more like friends. “It’s really delicious. Why don’t you try some too?”
As he spoke, he scooped another piece of small cake with a small spoon and brought it toward Zhao Changting’s mouth.
Zhao Changting avoided it with disgust, saying, “I won’t try it. You can eat it yourself.”
Jiang Lai had no choice but to withdraw his hand and eat the spoonful of cake himself, then exclaimed, “So delicious!”
He added to Zhao Changting, “It’s your loss for not eating! But did the eldest young lady make this herself? I never expected she had such great skill!”
The praise in his tone was too obvious, reminding Zhao Changting of Zhao Jingzhi’s words from the previous day.
So, besides being gentle and beautiful, her Sister Hui had yet another virtue—being a good cook?
Hah, that made him even less worthy of her!
His own sister was taking someone else’s side. If Zhuang Hui weren’t a girl, Zhao Changting would have wanted to give her a beating.
Author’s Note:
Too tired to update on Sunday, so making up for it today.