Chapter 295: Chapter 282: Searching for A Daughter-in- law
Translator: 549690339 |
The clear, righteous gaze of the man before her didnât remind Zhuang Qingning of a scoundrel. In fact, him being a teacher reminded her of her past life, when she had been taught by a stern yet kind old professor. These memories brought inexplicable warmth toward the stranger before her.
Moreover, given the assignment she had just receivedâŚ
For the sake of the sizeable reward, charge on!
âPlease, come in.â she said.
âThank you, miss.â Fan Wenxuan thanked her politely, following Zhuang Qingning through the door.
Sister, youâre back.â Zhuang Qingningâs younger sister Zhuang Qingsui flew over to her like a small bird upon seeing her return home, âIâve already fed Snow Globe as you ordered â I cooked some chicken meat and chicken heart, even added some egg yolk. Snow Globe really enjoyed it.â
Having quickly finished her words, Zhuang Qingsui tilted her head curiously at the stranger beside her sister, âAnd who is this gentleman?â
âHeâs a traveler who stopped by for a drink.â Zhuang Qingning gently patted Zhuang Qingsuiâs head, âWhy donât you fetch a pot of cool tea?â
âOkay.â Zhuang Qingsui assented, running off to the kitchen with excitement.
Zhuang Qingning brought over a stool, âPlease have a seat, sir.â
Thank you, thank you.â Fan Wenxuan sat down, heaving a long sigh of relief. Finally, he found a place where he can catch his breath and rest for a moment. Especially in this pleasing, fresh, and elegant setting, where it felt comfortable just to stay.
Combined with a pot of cool, refreshing tea that was delicious without being too cold, it was incredibly soothing on the palateâŚ
Fan Wenxuan felt he was truly lucky!
I truly am grateful, miss. May I ask what your name is?â Fan Wenxuan asked.
My surname is Zhuang.â Zhuang Qingning replied with a smile.
In the presence of strangers, itâs inappropriate for a woman to tell her full name. Zhuang Qingning had come to understand this requirement.
âThank you, Miss Zhuang.â Fan Wenxuan thanked her again, âI was really fortunate to have met you today. If not for you, I would have had to knock on several doors to find water.â
Pardon my intrusion, but this beautifully unique courtyard intrigued me. Could you tell me what your father does for a living? Itâs quite rare to see such an aesthetically pleasing arrangement.â
With its refinement and charm, this elegant courtyard was a rare sight. It exuded a more picturesque ambiance than the typical farmhouse, and a more rustic appeal than the deliberately constructed estates of wealthy households. To be honest, compared to Fan Wenxuanâs own residence at Qingzhuyuan, this courtyard was more to his liking.
If he could meet the person with such an extraordinary taste, he would definitely look forward to it.
Whether or not they were a well-read scholar was irrelevant, as this person surely has a spectacular understanding of life and literature.
âWithout concealing anything from you, Mr. Fan, my parents passed away earlier, leaving me and my younger sister behind. I recently finished tidying up this courtyard and moved in.â Zhuang Qingning replied with a smile.
Can it really be that such a young lady had created this sublime environment?
Fan Wenxuan was utterly stunned. Yet, seeing Zhuang Qingningâs composed demeanor and more dignified manner than that of a typical country girl, he found it somewhat plausible. Embarrassed, he hurriedly said, âI apologize for my rudeness just now. I hope you can forgive me, Miss Zhuang.â
âNot at all, thereâs no need to fret. Since you werenât aware, no fault can be placed on you,â Zhuang Qingning replied, âMr. Fan, it appears that youâve lost your way. Do you remember where your home is? Can you find your way back?â âI teach in the west side of Qingzhuyuan. I have no idea about the roads here. Itâs uncertain how much time Iâll need to get back home if I were to ask for directions along the way,â he sighed as he brought up the topic.
Had he known, he wouldnât have sneaked out alone. He wouldâve instructed his servants to hitch up the carriage and taken an outing as a cover-up. Who couldâve guessed what he was really up to?
Turns out, his clever plan to discreetly leave ended in failure. He couldnât find his way back home. It was likely difficult for him to return now.
Though getting back was not an impossible task, it would mainly be a matter of endurance. Meanwhile, poor Chu Jinzhou was probably worried sick about him.
The thought of his beloved disciple, looking miserable and worried made Fan Wenxuan let out one hundred and twenty sighs in his heart.
âIâve not heard of Qingzhuyuan, but Iâve heard that the west is where merchants and nobles gather. Itâs a place where people from our village rarely venture, so I suppose few would know of it,â Zhuang Qingning thought for a moment, before suggesting, âIâve opened a shop in the town and will be heading there shortly to deliver goods. If Mr. Fan doesnât mind, he could come to town with us. There are many shops there that deliver goods to the west. Someone there may know where Qingzhuyuan is, and Mr. Fan could easily hire a carriage in town to take him back home.â
âWhat does Mr. Fan think about this plan?â
âMiss Zhuang has come up with a brilliant idea. I will gladly accompany you. But I must apologize for causing you such inconvenience,â Fan Wenxuan said as he rose to thank her.
There s no need for such formalities,â Zhuang Qingning said with a smile, âIf one can lend a hand when someone is in trouble while away from home, itâs their duty to help.â
Zhuang Qingning was a genuinely good person.
Fan Wenxuan couldnât resist stroking his chin thoughtfully.
âSister,â Zhuang Qingsui blinked, tugging at Zhuang Qingningâs sleeve, âCan I come with you when you head to town later? Iâve been telling Sister Qiuying for a while now that I want to show her Snow Globe.â
Zhuang Qingning rubbed Zhuang Qingsuiâs nose, âPerhaps youâve forgotten
that you havenât finished todayâs lessons?â
Zhuang Qingsui immediately wilted at the reminder, hanging her head and tugging at her own sleeve.
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âMingli will be coming over to practice reading with you later. Would you have the heart to leave him by himself or have you forgotten what you said earlier?â Zhuang Qingning teased, rubbing Zhuang Qingsuiâs nose again.
I didnât forgetâŚâ Zhuang Qingsui lifted her drooping head slightly to nod.
âThatâs right, what has been said should never be forgotten. And you shouldnât give up easily on a decision youâve made,â Zhuang Qingning advised with a smile, âDidnât we just talk about it earlier? You have a day off every five days. You can accompany me to town then to see Sister Qiuying. Thereâs no rush.â
Okay, sister. Iâll wait for my day off then.â Zhuang Qingsui eagerly agreed. Chasing after Snow Globe, she ran off to play.
âIs little Miss Zhuang learning to read?â Fan Wenxuan raised an eyebrow and asked.
Yes, sheâs learning to read and write. She once mentioned wanting to be a teacher, so I thought of sending her to school. But there are no schools nearby that accept female students. The only womenâs college located in the county town has high admission criteria and wouldnât accept someone who doesnât know a single character. So, for now, Iâm teaching her a few words at home. When I think the time is right, Iâll try to enroll her in school,â Zhuang Qingning explained.
In her previous life, Zhuang Qingning had a deep fascination for classical literature and was familiar with many characters. It wasnât a problem for her to teach Zhuang Qingsui now. However, she was not very familiar with systematic teaching methods and therefore thought it was best to send her to a womenâs college when the time comes.
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