Chapter 22: Jade Spring Pavilion

  Summer is approaching, the spring sun is getting scorching hot. Looking up at the sky, it's a vast expanse of white clouds and azure blue. The fiery red sun is recklessly burning everything in its path, illuminating the entire city of Lingyun with an intense glare. Yet, amidst the crowds coming and going, people are sweating profusely, and not a few citizens are muttering to themselves: "This damned weather..."

  In the Shen Mansion, it was rare for the whole family to gather together. They were having lunch, and Zhu Ziming was naturally among them. He lowered his head and ate quickly.

  Today, I have to go with Wang Yinli to take a look at the college and then visit Confucius. It's busy, the college is taking shape under Wang Yinli's generous funding, and many desks, chairs, beds and other daily necessities for students have been purchased. With the help of the servants in the Wang Mansion, the college has been arranged properly and is waiting for Zhu Ziming to inspect it.

  Mrs. Shen held her chopsticks, savoring her food slowly, when she inadvertently looked up to see Zhu Ziming's disheveled state and furrowed her brow: "Zhu Ziming, haven't you had breakfast?"

  Zhū Zǐ Míng's mouth was still full of food, and he mumbled unclearly: "I've eaten, but I'm still hungry..."

  She was being scolded by her aunt again, Lin Zhuyun, who was sitting opposite Zhu Ziming, was secretly laughing and eating with a difficult expression, as if someone would fight with her for food.

  "Mother, I'm full," said Shen Biying softly, putting down her bowl and chopsticks. Her voice was slightly cold. She still had half a bowl of rice left in her small bowl, clearly unwilling to continue eating with the coarse Zhu Ziming at the same table.

  Zhūzi míng lèng le yī xià, xīn li yǒu xiē bù kuài le, zài zì jǐ de shì jiè lǐ, nǐ yào shì wǒ wèi lái lǎo pó, wǒ fēi dé hěn hěn chōu nǐ pì gu zuò, hái méi dà hái xiǎo le, gěi wǒ shōu zhěng wǎn zhuāng qù!

  Translation:

  Zhūzi was taken aback for a moment, feeling somewhat displeased in her own world. "If you were to be my future wife," she thought, "I'd have to spank you hard on the butt, you're still young and not yet grown up, go clean up the bowls and chopsticks!"

  But I've crossed over and become the son-in-law of their family, do I dare to smoke? Really don't dare... It's just that this Cold Beauty doesn't give her future husband any face.

  Endure for a moment, calm and peaceful, low-key, low-key.

  Mrs. Shen glared at Zhu Ziming, earlier reminding him to pay attention to his image, not wanting to displease Xiner. But now it seemed that Xiner had already lost her appetite, clearly showing how much she disliked him.

  Who did I provoke? Zhu Ziming curled his lips, continued to lower his head and eat, thinking secretly in his heart that after the academy officially opened, he would earn silver and buy a mansion in Lingyun City, support several concubines, and still need to look at your face? Let you guard an empty room!

  "Brother-in-law, you should also be polite when eating, eat slowly," Lin Zhuyun quietly reminded him when Madam Shen and Shen Bixian were not paying attention: "Look, you've made your sister-in-law angry again."

  As expected, the son-in-law had no human rights. He didn't even care about eating his meal properly. Zhu Ziming chewed his food fiercely a few times, making a loud "hissing" sound, which undoubtedly made Shen Bixian's eyebrows furrow. Was this person going to lose all sense of shame?

  "Zhu Ziming, your table manners are no better than those of a servant, you might as well eat with the servants from now on," Shen Bixian said coldly.

  This cold beauty's mouth is really ruthless! Zhu Ziming chuckled and said: "As the saying goes, 'food is heaven for the people', everyone in the world needs to eat and drink, can't the beauty of eating be related to good or bad? Miss Shen may be a golden branch and jade leaf, but are ordinary people not human, don't they need to eat too?"

  The servants and maids standing by, as inferiors, were stung by Miss Shen's words which hurt their inferiority complex. However, Zhu Ziming's remark that even servants are human beings made them secretly applaud, but they didn't dare to show it openly.

  The vast Shen Mansion, with dozens of servants, was suddenly scolded by a single sentence from Shen Biying. Gnashing her teeth, Zhu Ziming's cunning mind snorted: "Only good at boasting, can't achieve great things."

  Seeing the two of them quarreling, Mrs. Shen sighed bitterly in her heart. Xiang'er and he were completely different in temperament, and it was unclear whether their union was right or wrong. Now that things had come to this point, they might as well see it through to the end...

  Zhu Ziming smiled and said: "I bask in the glory of the Shen family, do I need to be a vessel?"

  Her brother-in-law's words made Lin Ziyun want to laugh, but she couldn't laugh out loud, because it seemed that this son-in-law's identity had already determined Zhu Ziming's fate, a silent and unknown, inferior son-in-law who evoked a sense of pity amidst the sorrow.

  Mrs. Shen shook her head, and with Zhu Ziming's talent, it was indeed a pity...

  Shen Bixian was speechless, biting her teeth and not knowing what to say. He was just a son-in-law, what great talent could he have? Every young girl had dreams of meeting her ideal husband, Shen Bixian naturally did too, but now... A hint of sadness flashed in her beautiful eyes, and she quickly walked down from the main hall.

  Seeing Miss Shen's expression, Zhu Ziming just smiled and didn't say a word. When they finished eating and were about to leave, Mrs. Shen suddenly said: "Zhu Ziming, at noon Xiang'er wants to go to Yuquan Building, you accompany her."

  Just as he was about to take a step forward, Zhu Ziming's foot paused in mid-air, and he stared at Mrs. Shen in astonishment. He had just finished arguing with Miss Shen, and now he was going to go and deal with her together - wasn't this asking for trouble?

  Yuquan Building was the heart and soul of Old Master Shen, and also a part of the Shen family's source of income. However, Yuquan Building was managed by Shen Biyin, so it was natural that she had to go there every day to take care of things.

  "Madam, I still have some matters to attend to. Shall I let Zhang Hu follow you?" Zhu Ziming hastily said with a smile.

  "Hmm?" Madame Shen said displeased: "What can you have to do, can you bear to see Xiang'er working so hard every day without helping him?"

  Mrs. Shen's meaning is already very clear, you as Xiang Er's future husband, this Yuquan Building also has your share, you don't help, can it be said to have passed?

  It seems like today is really going to be the day to release Wang Yunli's pigeons... Zhu Ziming helplessly replied: "Alright..."

  Madam Shen smiled and said: "This is more like it, follow Xiang'er and learn a thing or two."

  "Auntie, I'm going too," Lin Zhuyun put down her bowl and chopsticks, saying hastily.

  "Go and do what? You'll just cause trouble, stay at home."

  Lin Ziyun pouted with her cherry lips, looking at Zhu Ziming with a wronged expression. Zhu Ziming shook his head, "I'm powerless..."

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  Sitting in Shen Fu's carriage, Shen Biying and Zhu Dachang went to Yuquan Building together. At this moment, Shen Biying and her personal maid sat opposite Zhu Dachang, with a small case table in the middle, on which were placed teapots and incense burners, emitting a faint scent of sandalwood, making the small carriage look warm and elegant.

  He took a sip of the fragrant tea with a satisfied smack of his lips, and leaned back comfortably in the carriage. He glanced at Shen Biyin, only to see her eyes closed, seemingly unwilling to look at him.