Chapter 45: Nitpicking Right and Left
“The Fifth Head Magistrate, that little old fool, will take care of it, you don’t need to worry. When the time comes, even if the other side really wants to do something, there’s still him at the top.” Luo Pei Shan didn’t hide his own shameless thoughts in the slightest.
Jing Wan was somewhat left speechless. “Grandfather, is it really okay? After all, this peony is in our hands.”
“Did you think that that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d had this peony sent over, just because you liked it? He would be that kindhearted? It’s because he’s eyeing those treasures in your hands. Do you know how many years he’s been dreaming of those rare camilla breeds? If he can’t even resolve this bit of problem, how would he even have the face to ask? Third girl, let me tell you, unless that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d bleeds big, you definitely can’t just give him your camellias.
“Grandfather, since Fifth sir wants one, we can just give him another strain. Although the difficulty is a bit high, it’s not impossible. Certainly can’t gift him the parent tree.” Unsure if it’s because of the limitation of the technique, or some other reasons, those name breed flowers not only can’t be ma.s.s reproduced, but even for one out of a hundred to be able to live was already pretty good. The survival rate was somewhat inconceivably low. Reasonably speaking, it’s shouldn’t be like this. After all, although the survival rate of the reproduction method that already exists in this world isn’t very high either, but it definitely wasn’t this unreasonably low.
“Another strain?” Luo Pei Shan’s interest rose.
Jing Wan first let someone move the ink peony back to her Elegant Haitang Residence. Afterwards, the grandfather and granddaughter pair remained in the greenhouse, with all kinds of moving about. Jing Wan felt great regret for those little succulent plants, as well as those flower branches that she’d meticulously selected. Although those flower branches all had been abandoned, Jing Wan felt that the possibility of growing them into flowering plants was still pretty high. Unfortunately, they all perished in the sea of fire. And those fleshy pot plants (the succulent plants), she could only wait until that merchant brought them over again.
Although majority of the time, it was one person talking, one person listening, then even getting their hands and body all dirty, completely disregarding their ident.i.ty, but it was very obvious, even if there wasn’t any distinct sounds of laughter and cries of joy, the mood was very good. The two were both very happy and pleased.
When Luo Jing Bo brought Chen Zheng Min over and saw precisely this scene, the two looked to one another, unsure whether or not they should go up and disturb.
Rather, it was Luo Pei Shan who saw them first and beckoned them over. The two quickly went forward to give their greetings. Jing Wan wasn’t awkward about this attire of hers either, and further didn’t evade, calmly greeting the two, “Older cousin Min, third brother.”
Chen Zheng Min couldn’t help looking a few extra glances at Jing Wan. The girls he’d seen before on normal days, they were either gentle, dignified, witty, or coldly arrogant, yet not one would disregard their appearance like this. However, his younger cousin Wan at the moment, in his eyes, appeared exceptionally moving. Without wearing makeup, her face appeared healthy and naturally rosy, that pair of eyes brightly glistening.
Noticing Chen Zheng Min’s gaze, she didn’t shy away either, just somewhat puzzlingly asked, “Older cousin looking at me like this, could it be that there’s also mud on my face?” Seeing that her own hands were even more dirty, she didn’t dare to touch.
Chen Zheng Min blushed, coughing once as a coverup, then turned his head, “There’s not, it’s I that was rude.”
Jing Wan unconcernedly smiled and cleaned her hands. Looking at the sun, it wasn’t early anymore, “Grandfather, this granddaughter will go back first.”
Luo Pei Shan permitted, “Change your clothes and go see your grandmother.”
Jing Wan’s eye slightly twitched, must be something, else grandfather wouldn’t specifically say this. “Yes.”
After Jing Wan left, Luo Pei Shan finally looked to Chen Zheng Min again. At first, when his old wife had told him, he thought that this brat matching with his own granddaughter was still manageable, but looking now, he was increasingly unpleasant to the eyes. Darn brat, where are you putting your eyes? The person’s almost gone, yet still stealing glances, think this old man is blind, just a decoration? Don’t you know you can’t brazenly look at young ladies? Where’s your gentlemanly manners? Then thinking again to how his precious granddaughter in the future will become someone else’s, even coming back to visit, she’ll be a delicate guest, never mind accompanying him. Originally, he thought that these happy days were just a beginning, but looking at it now, he could even count the days till the end. He felt even more unbearable. ‘Cough…..’
That sound was like thunder, anyone could tell he was in a bad mood.
Never mind the ‘guilty conscious’ Chen Zheng Min, even Luo Jing Bo was startled.
“You brat, didn’t you say you’ll come later in the afternoon, why did you come now?”
It sounded like it was still that usual solemn voice, yet Chen Zheng Min felt that there was anger contained in his tone. He couldn’t help lowering his posture even lower some. “By coincidence, this student heard about the matter at the flower market. For a moment, this student was somewhat worried, thus came a bit earlier to see.”
Once he found him unpleasant to the eyes, Chen Zheng Min’s concerns, in Luo Pei Shan’s eyes became ‘having ulterior motives’. “The news spread quite fast.” Though he wasn’t surprised that others knew he was also at the flower market. After all, at the time, at the flower market only his and Fifth Head Magistrate’s status were the highest. This bit couldn’t be hidden. Furthermore, this matter appeared fishy, unsure if there’s a deeper meaning at play. Perhaps, very soon, the entire court will all know the ‘role’ he played in this. He looked again to Luo Jing Bo, “What are you still dazing around for? You finished your a.s.signments for today?”
Luo Jing Bo didn’t know why this fire suddenly caught on to him. It wasn’t just a day or two he’s been following by grandfather’s side. Don’t a.s.sume that he was just carrying his usual sternness on the surface. In actuality, his anger right now was roaring. This bit, he definitely wouldn’t perceive wrongly. If grandfather were to lash out, even his father, who was the least scared of grandfather, wouldn’t be able to bear it. “Still haven’t finished, this grandson will go back now.” Luo Jing Bo very insensitively abandoned Chen Zheng Min and ran. That speed still maintained elegance, but was definitely not slow either.
Chen Zheng Min felt that the back of his neck was a little cold, he kept having a bad premonition.
“For the time being, go to the study and wait. This old man will go change clothes.”
“Yes.”
Meanwhile, Jing Wan had returned to the Elegant Haitang Residence and changed her clothes. Gong mama ordered the servant girls to specially treat her hands. At this time, Jing Wan completely didn’t have any authority. If she dared to say no, the people serving all wouldn’t say anything, but Gong mama will stare at her with a stern look, and that look was just like saying she’d had done something terribly wrong. And the servant girls will all bitterly stare at her too, it was equally unbearable. That’s why what she needed to do was just obediently accept it.
When Luo Old Madam saw Jing Wan’s pair of white and tender hands, she nodded her head in satisfaction. The things Gong mama did, Luo Old Madam had long known since back when they were still in Qi’an Fu. That’s why, even if Gong mama wasn’t a house born servant[1], she still equally highly regarded and trusted her very much. And not merely because she was a mama that came from the palace that she was held highly, but because she genuinely treated Wan Wan well.
“Wan Wan, what grandmother wanted to talk about is still your older cousin Min’s matter. That day at Ding Duke Manor, because the few w.a.n.gyes came afterwards, no one had paid attention to the matter of us meeting Ding Duke Manor’s old madam. But after you all had left………” Luo Old Madam carefully recounted what had happened afterwards. “That Sun Yi Lin is a good one, but the Ding Duke Manor nevertheless is a pool of muddy waters, you absolutely can’t marry in. Mentioning your older cousin Min, that was also just an excuse for refusing. Your grandfather already said, your marriage, you can decide on your own. Grandmother doesn’t want Wan Wan to suffer grievances either. As for Sun Old Madam, there’ll always be a way to deal with to her.”
Jing Wan knew that her grandmother told her everything, not because of Ding Duke Old Madam’s status, letting her understand the situation and settle on Chen Zheng Min, this fiancee, but purely because she didn’t want to hide it from her. “Grandmother, older cousin Min is also not bad.”
“Wan Wan can think it over some more, really no need to be in a hurry.”
“Grandmother, don’t you always say that the heart can easily change, and nothing in the world is constant? What’s good now, might not necessarily be good in the future. What’s not good now, also might not necessarily be bad forever. The days are all lived by people, as long as we put in the effort, no matter how bad, it’s still only a part of life. To say something unpleasant, who says a woman must live according to the man. Those unhappy women in the back manor, half the reason is on the men, but the other half is also because of themselves. Although this granddaughter has only seen older cousin Min twice, this granddaughter believes that this granddaughter still has a bit of skill at judging people.” After all, she wasn’t a real young lady raised completely in the boudoir. That father of hers in her past life, although was a degenerate, he still taught her quite a few things. Her ability to judge people definitely wasn’t just a bit.
Luo Old Madam didn’t know whether she should feel heartache, or should feel happy. “How about this, in the afternoon, you go meet with Min boy again. It’s not too late to decide then.”
“Alright.”
In her past life, Jing Wan lived to twenty some years, but she didn’t marry. In fact, she never even had a formal boyfriend before. Before her family met with misfortune, she did somewhat manage to get a little boyfriend. And between that little boyfriend, they at most only held hands, not having ever kissed either. It’s also because of this, that the other side broke up with her. He thought that she was too conservative, but actually that wasn’t the case. She only felt that she was too young at the time, and just wanted to have a young and pure romance. If they were able to last long, there was plenty of time in the future for them to do even more intimate things. But more importantly, it was because her rationality was always greater than her emotions. She has never considered doing things on a moment of impulse.
[1] House born servant – Servants that are born into a household from parents who were also servants.