Chapter 29: Want to Kick Zhou Yuanshen Out

Second Master had not yet returned to the manor.

He hadn't sent word that he wouldn't be back for dinner, so everyone sat waiting for him in the flower hall of Jiangyun Courtyard.

Second Madam's maid did Cheng Zhao's hair. There were no extra hair ornaments, just a single jade hairpin to hold it in place.

Cheng Zhao touched it twice, finding it quite interesting. She was even better at doing hair than Nanny Li.

Zhou Yuanqi was currently making a grand speech about why he shouldn't practice the spear.

First, he accused Second Madam of being tyrannical, saying this was wrong and that a mother should be kind and affectionate.

Then he threatened Second Madam, claiming he would not only complain to his maternal grandmother but also to Dowager Madame; furthermore, he would spread Second Madam's bad reputation.

Second Madam merely asked him faintly, "Are you my son?"

"Yes."

"You don't have to be," Second Madam said.

Zhou Yuanqi choked with anger. Unable to reason with her, he felt like pulling his hair out.

Cheng Zhao laughed from the sidelines.

Zhou Yuanqi turned his attention to her: "You wield a spear like a madwoman. If the managing nannies see you, will they ever submit to you in the future?"

Cheng Zhao smiled and said, "You should first think about how to deal with those fake calligraphy copybooks of yours."

Zhou Yuanqi: "..."

The child had his heart pierced twice in one evening, just short of vomiting blood.

He wished he could drop his little old scholar disguise and throw a massive tantrum right in front of Cheng Zhao and Second Madam to regain some face.

Today, he had lost both his dignity and his pride.

When Cheng Zhao taught him how to distinguish between genuine and fake calligraphy copybooks, he unexpectedly discovered that the five thousand taels of silver his maternal grandmother had given him had all been swindled by unscrupulous merchants.

Heartache!

"Where did you get those copybooks?" Cheng Zhao asked again.

Zhou Yuanqi: "Someone gave them to me."

"These look like they were printed by booksellers from Zhouhai; it's the ink they use," Cheng Zhao said. "If that 'someone' spent money on them, you can tell me. I can find someone to ask around for you and see if we can get the money back."

"Really?" Zhou Yuanqi was surprised.

Then he realized he had almost been tricked by Cheng Zhao into telling the truth. Feigning nonchalance, he waved his hand, "Forget it."

"Forget it? Such realistic fakes must have cost hundreds of taels of silver, right? Wouldn't it be a pity to just forget it?" Cheng Zhao said.

Zhou Yuanqi: "..."

No, he couldn't catch his breath. He was about to die of anger.

Second Madam saw through it and deliberately teased him, "Maybe more than hundreds of taels. Tell your sister-in-law and ask her to think of a way. The Cheng family is familiar with the booksellers over in Zhouhai."

Zhou Yuanqi was about to cry.

He was even angrier.

Fortunately, Second Master returned at this time.

While Second Madam and Cheng Zhao, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, echoed each other to tease Zhou Yuanqi, Zhou Yuanshen sat to the side, not saying a word.

Cheng Zhao ignored him, and Second Madam also treated him as if he didn't exist.

Since he didn't speak, no one asked him anything.

The sour radish duck soup for dinner finally soothed Zhou Yuanqi's bleeding heart.

He decided to heartily drink two large bowls of soup and throw the matter of buying fake copybooks and losing a huge sum of five thousand taels to the back of his mind.

However, The Brute had come, so there might not be enough soup to go around.

Zhou Yuanqi cast a resentful glance at him, wondering what on earth he was here for.

To act as a door god?

The sour radish duck soup was delicious, and Cheng Zhao felt that today's tasted even better.

Her father-in-law and mother-in-law both praised it; Zhou Yuanqi buried his head in his bowl, expressing his satisfaction and delight; only Zhou Yuanshen very cautiously drank three mouthfuls.

Just three mouthfuls.

He set it aside and didn't touch it again.

By the time dinner ended, he hadn't taken another taste, causing Zhou Yuanqi to glance at his bowl several times.

Zhou Yuanqi was very dissatisfied with such a waste of good food.

But he didn't dare act rashly; The Brute would really hit him.

It would be great if there was no The Brute in the family.

Zhou Yuanqi remembered last time his father was talking with a strategist in the outer study, saying that the First Branch also wanted The Brute, so why not adopt him out to the First Branch?

Anyway, his maternal grandmother was very rich, so Zhou Yuanqi didn't need to spend the Duke's estate's money. The Brute could be anyone's older brother.

An older brother who wouldn't even drink perfectly good duck soup—Zhou Yuanqi didn't want him!

After dinner, Zhou Yuanqi couldn't wait to ask this question: "Father, when are you going to adopt Third Brother out to the First Branch?"

Second Madam was stunned.

Second Master desperately winked at Zhou Yuanqi and even kicked him under the table.

Zhou Yuanqi suddenly realized that his mother didn't know yet.

He had to tell his mother.

His mother would definitely be eager to kick The Brute away.

"...Mother, Grandmother wants to adopt Third Brother into the First Branch," Zhou Yuanqi said.

Second Madam's face darkened.

"Even if there's an adoption, it would be you. You haven't come of age yet. Lord Duke is already an adult. Where is the logic in adopting an adult?" Cheng Zhao laughed from the side.

Second Madam's face looked terrible: "What is going on?"

"Nothing is going on." Zhou Yuanshen, who hadn't opened his mouth all night, finally spoke. "Just some ridiculous rumors that only a child would take seriously."

Second Madam: "Are you hiding something from me? Hiding it just from us mother and daughter-in-law?"

Cheng Zhao suddenly felt guilty.

They are only hiding it from you, Mother-in-law. I am aware of it.

"No," Zhou Yuanshen said.

Second Master remained silent.

That day, when Cheng Zhao and Zhou Yuanshen left Jiangyun Courtyard, and Zhou Yuanqi also left, Second Madam interrogated Second Master.

Second Master had no choice but to tell her about the matter.

Second Madam was so angry her eyes turned red.

"They want to hog all the good things; they are so greedy." Second Madam was furious to the extreme, her chest heaving violently, almost bursting into tears.

It wasn't out of sadness, but out of such intense anger that she couldn't control her tears.

Second Master hurriedly rubbed her back to soothe her.

"Yuanshen hasn't agreed yet," Second Master said.

Second Madam: "Did you agree?"

Second Master: "..."

"If you dare agree, I won't live with you anymore," Second Madam said.

"Alright, I won't agree," Second Master said. "Yuanshen is grown up; we can't make decisions for him anymore."

Second Madam thought for a moment, "The other children can't either!"

"They don't want the other children," Second Master said.

"Does Zhaozhao know?" Second Madam asked again.

For a moment, Second Master didn't realize who she was talking about.

"Cheng Shi, of course."

Second Master: "..."

He paused and said tactfully, "Perhaps the couple discussed it, or perhaps he didn't tell her. It's not my place to pry into that."

"If she knew, how wronged would she feel?" Second Madam ached for her. "They bully me, and then turn around and bully my daughter-in-law."

She wished she could march to Shou'an Courtyard and argue it out with Dowager Madame.

Second Master told her not to make a fuss. Once Dowager Madame caught hold of a weakness, Zhou Yuanshen would have to agree just to smooth over the conflict, even if he didn't want to.

They had to stay steady for now.

Second Madam thought of Cheng Zhao's cleverness and decided to swallow her anger.

She had never learned how to endure in her entire life, and she had never gained any benefits either. She might as well learn this skill now and see how it turns out.

When Cheng Zhao and Zhou Yuanshen came out of Jiangyun Courtyard, she stood at the door and asked, "Where will Lord Duke rest tonight?"

Zhou Yuanshen: "...Nonghua Courtyard."

"I am not feeling very well today. I'm a bit sore and tired from practicing the spear with Mother, and I ate too much, so I'm afraid I cannot serve you," Cheng Zhao said.

Zhou Yuanshen glanced at her.

"How about I send someone to escort you to Lijing Courtyard?" Cheng Zhao asked.

That was Mu Jiang's courtyard.

Zhou Yuanshen turned and walked away without saying another word to her.

He headed straight for Nonghua Courtyard.

Cheng Zhao did not chase after him; she followed him back to Nonghua Courtyard at a leisurely pace.

Along the way, she had already sorted out her feelings.