funbook-pk Chapter 261 Come and get this duck
Chapter 261 Come and get this duck
Zhai Rongyu looked at him somewhat nervously.
"Then...aren't you in danger?"
"The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease." Jun Ce patted the top of her head. "Don't worry, with my current cultivation level, they can't do anything to me."
Zhai Rong felt somewhat relieved.
He wasn't one to boast, so since he said he was fine, I chose to believe him.
……
As soon as Zhai Rongyu returned to the Minister's residence, she was informed that someone was coming to pay their respects.
“She is Tao Siwen, the daughter of a censor in the Ministry of Works,” Shuang’er said.
[Oh, it's that one with the messy family relationships.]
"Let her in." Zhai Rongyu sat on the swing, but before she could finish speaking, another servant came to report that Wei Wenshu was also outside requesting an audience.
Zhai Rongyu was somewhat puzzled.
Why do they all want to see me?
"Please come in, everyone."
Wei Wenshu carried a pile of writing implements into Chenxingzhai, and Tao Siwen followed behind her meekly.
"Miss Zhai!" Tao Siwen saw Zhai Rongyu swinging on the swing in the courtyard. Her previous fear vanished, and she was about to rush over to greet her when she was frightened by a sharp look from Wei Wenshu and lowered her head again.
Wei Wenshu turned her head with a rather haughty air and put on a smiling face for Zhai Rongyu.
"Miss Zhai, look what good things I brought you."
She gestured to the maid to place the writing set on the table, saying, "This set is a treasure I searched for a long time to obtain; it's worth a fortune!"
"It just so happens that the weather is fine today, so I brought her over to practice calligraphy with Miss Zhai."
Zhai Rongyu's lips twitched.
With such a grand display, I thought it was a gift for me.
[So, it turns out it was brought over to practice calligraphy with me?]
I really will thank you.
Zhai Rongyu was at a loss for words.
"Hehe, Sister Wei has such a good interest," she chuckled dryly.
After saying that, she glanced at Tao Siwen and saw that she looked like she was holding back her excitement but was hesitant to speak, so she took the initiative to start the conversation, "Where is Sister Tao? What do you need me for?"
"What could she possibly want?" Wei Wenshu glared at Tao Siwen, her eyes filled with disdain. "The daughter of a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Works, coming to the Minister's residence to visit, yet she brings nothing and is dressed so shabbily. Is she here to beg for alms?"
She smiled and covered her mouth with a handkerchief.
Seeing that Tao Siwen's face had turned pale, he smiled and said, "I was just joking, please don't take it to heart, Sister Tao."
The disdain in his eyes was completely undisguised.
She, a noble lady from the Duke of Wei's mansion, was forced to greet the same people as the daughter of a mere official in the Ministry of Works.
What bad luck.
And what's the deal with Zhai Rongyu?
Instead of entertaining them themselves, they went to ask Tao Siwen.
If it weren't for Zhai Jiqing, she wouldn't have given Zhai Rongyu a kind look.
Compared to the Duke's mansion, the Tao family was worlds apart in terms of social standing.
Therefore, when Wei Wenshu teased her, Tao Siwen didn't dare to argue back at all. Instead, she blushed and hurriedly explained, "No, no... I didn't come here to freeload!"
Zhai Rongyu frowned.
Is Wei Wenshu out of her mind?
She didn't bring anything herself, saying that this set of writing implements, worth a fortune, was just meant for me to see.
How dare you talk about others like that?
She glanced at Tao Siwen and smiled, "Sister Tao, please feel free to speak your mind."
As if she had received some kind of approval, Tao Siwen finally stepped forward, grasped Zhai Rongyu's hand, and said eagerly, "I've come to thank Miss Zhai."
"The talisman you gave me last time was very effective. I haven't encountered any strange things since, and things have become much more peaceful at home."
“I went to Yunshan early this morning and donated some incense,” she said, taking out a piece of paper from her sleeve and handing it to Zhai Rongyu. “This is the receipt from the Taoist temple. I’ve come here again to thank Miss Zhai and show my respect.”
Zhai Rongyu took it and looked at it, her eyes slowly widening.
Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands...
"You donated three thousand taels of gold?!" She was greatly shocked.
Wei Wenshu's expression also changed, and she said sarcastically, "How do you have so much money?"
Sending so much money to the Minister's residence is a slap in the face to her, isn't it?
Tao Siwen scratched his head and smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "I told my elders about Miss Zhai's kindness in giving me the talisman, and they were very supportive, so they added more incense."
"The amount is not much, please don't mind, Miss Zhai."
Zhai Rongyu quickly waved her hand, "How could I complain? This is already a lot!"
Wei Wenshu scoffed coldly, slowly twisting the handkerchief in her hand, her words laced with barbs, "So it was the whole family that contributed so much money, it's truly admirable that the Tao family has such a kind heart."
"But is this small amount of money really worth you making such a fuss over to claim credit?"
"That's true, you people from small, humble families are always making a fuss over nothing."
“My set of writing implements is worth a thousand gold pieces. Your Tao family probably has never seen anything like it in your entire life.”
Tao Siwen's face turned pale, and she bit her lip, lowering her head in silence.
Zhai Rongyu rolled her eyes silently.
[He's stingy himself, yet he makes baseless accusations that others are trying to freeload.]
She deliberately walked to the table, tilted her head to examine the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone on it, and thought, "Just as Sister Wei said, they are indeed priceless treasures."
"It's a pity that my handwriting is not good, so I'd better not ruin them."
"Sister Wei, please go back. My little courtyard can't hold such valuable things."
[Even a Buddha like you cannot be accommodated.]
This is tantamount to telling them to leave.
Wei Wenshu didn't feel embarrassed at all. She pretended not to understand the meaning behind her words and shamelessly said, "It's alright. If Miss Zhai is not good at writing, you can ask your brother to come and practice."
Zhai Rongyu almost laughed out loud.
[Hey! So that's what you were waiting for?]
"Second brother probably doesn't have the time for that..."
As luck would have it, Zhai Jiqing entered Chenxingzhai at that very moment.
"Little sister, are you feeling better?"
He paused when he saw Wei Wenshu, then continued with his impeccable smile as he walked up to the group. "Miss Wei, what brings you to my residence today?"
Wei Wenshu pursed her lips, a hint of triumph flashing in her eyes, and then smiled gently, "Last time, when you and I were chatting under the moon, we talked about our experiences with calligraphy. I thought that since we are of one mind, perhaps Miss Zhai would also like these things."
"Well, I just recently acquired a set of treasures, and I thought I'd bring them over for you and Miss Zhai to take a look at."
"If you don't mind, young master, you may write a few words for Shu'er as a return gift."
Zhai Rongyu: ...
[It's like being stabbed in the butt with a knife; it's an eye-opener.]
[That's not what she said just now.]
Why did my second brother immediately offer to give me this ink, paper, and inkstone as soon as he arrived?
So, since your second brother isn't coming, you're just taking him back with you?
[They really didn't lose out at all.]
Upon hearing this, Zhai Jiqing glanced at the writing implements on the table and sneered inwardly.
Zhai Rongyu looked at Wei Wenshu, then at Zhai Jiqing, and suddenly realized that Wei Wenshu was after her duck. The priceless calligraphy set was the deposit for her second brother's silly duck.
She rubbed her eyebrows, somewhat speechless.