novelaction Chapter 135: Talent
Chapter 135: Talent
Chapter 135: Talent
They didn't leave the restaurant until dusk.
Ji Meiqing stretched and then looked at the person next to her and said, "We can finally get a good night's sleep tonight."
"Hmm." He didn't deny it; it had been several days. Every time he woke up, he didn't see her, even though they had been sharing a bed for quite some time. It always felt like he was the only one there.
Back home, dinner was already prepared. Ji Tianci came out of his room, and when Ji Meiqing looked at him, she asked earnestly, "How did your studies go today?"
"I've finished reading the 'Rules of Learning'."
"You finished reading it instead of memorizing it?" she asked again. "I'll let you off the hook today, but if you haven't memorized it by tomorrow, you won't get dinner."
"I know, I know." He didn't care about Ji Meiqing's threat at all. To him, it was nothing, just reciting a text.
The dishes were all served, simple home-style fare, but Ji Meiqing stopped looking at them. Her face was calm, but her eyes suddenly became serious.
Lu Yu put a piece of meat on her plate, but when she didn't eat it, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." She picked up her chopsticks again, ate a couple of bites of rice, and then suddenly remembered the promise she had made with Lu Yu that there should be no secrets between them. So she put down her chopsticks, looked at him, and said what was on her mind with unusual seriousness.
"I'm thinking, when should we go to the beach? I want to see the sea."
Lu Yu also put down his chopsticks. "If possible, we can go there for the Spring Festival this year."
"The sea in the south, the snow in the north. Not bad at all." The chopsticks were picked up again, and the group sat around the small table to eat their meal.
Since that day, business here has clearly improved significantly. They have more money on hand again, and more and more people are coming to drink here, so rebuilding a winery has been put on the agenda.
The Ji family somehow got wind of the news that she had opened a restaurant, so they quickly sent people to investigate.
The restaurant is booming and earns a considerable amount of money every day.
Madam Ji sat in the room, her face solemn. Xiao Cui came in to pay her respects; she was six or seven months pregnant and walking was a little difficult.
She walked in, supporting her pregnant belly. When Madam Ji saw her, her expression softened considerably. "You are pregnant too, so you don't need to be so diligent in paying your respects in the future."
"I'm just doing my duty as a daughter-in-law." She lowered her head, gently stroking her belly. Seeing the worried look on Madam Ji's face, she couldn't help but ask, "Mother-in-law, what's wrong? Is something bothering you?"
"It's that Ji Meiqing again." Madam Ji couldn't help but sigh when she mentioned her.
Upon hearing the name, Xiao Cui's eyes flickered. "How did Sister Meiqing offend Mother-in-law?"
"She opened a restaurant outside. Tell me, how can this not make people angry? A young woman, always showing her face in public, and just the other day she was living with a strange man. Fortunately, she got married, so our Ji family didn't lose too much face..."
She angrily poured out all her grievances, while Xiao Cui listened. After listening to her story and seeing Madam Ji's angry face, she finally spoke up to advise, "Mother-in-law, there's no need to be angry, lest you harm your health. Mother-in-law is wholeheartedly devoted to the Ji family, which is a blessing for the Ji family. But Sister Meiqing doesn't appreciate it, and there's nothing we can do about it, isn't there?"
"Ugh."
Xiao Cui continued, "Since Sister Meiqing doesn't appreciate it, then Mother-in-law should teach her a lesson. Otherwise, if things continue like this, even though she's severed ties with the Ji family, she'll still carry the Ji family's surname and bleed... the Ji family's blood."
"If that second young lady had even half of your thoughts, then I wouldn't have to worry about her!" she said wistfully.
Xiao Cui chuckled twice, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Rouge from outside followed her in, swaying as she entered, adjusting the pearl hairpin in her hair.
"This humble servant greets Madam." She squatted slightly, then immediately stood up, turned around and looked at Xiao Cui, rolling her eyes disdainfully.
Upon seeing her, Li's expression immediately soured. She had suffered a lot at Tian Zhuo's hands these past few days, and now that she had come to pay her respects, she probably didn't want her to live long.
She didn't give the woman with rouge a friendly look either, and said with a sour face, "Aren't you afraid that Tianzhuo will miss you if you come here?"
"I spoke with my husband, and he agreed, so I came." Rouge straightened her clothes, then looked at Xiao Cui, noticing her attire, and said, "Sister, these clothes you're wearing..."
Hearing her say that, Xiao Cui subconsciously put on airs, straightened her clothes, sat up straight, and raised her head.
Rouge finished what she hadn't said earlier, saying, "This fabric... it was fashionable last year, wasn't it? Sister, you're so privileged because of your son, how can you dress so shabbily? My husband had a few bolts of this season's fashionable fabric sent to me the other day. If you don't have any, I'll..."
Seeing that she didn't look well, Rouge also said with difficulty, "I'm afraid I can't give it to you either, I'm afraid my husband will be unhappy."
Xiao Cui's face darkened upon hearing this.
"Sister, please don't disturb the baby. If you do," she said, looking meaningfully at her belly and clicking her tongue twice, "you might not be able to rely on your child for status in the future."
"Rouge!" Madam Ji could no longer contain herself, her face contorted with anger, almost slamming her fist on the table. Rouge, however, remained calm and composed, watching Madam Ji with an air of nonchalance.
"Madam, you mustn't get angry. A woman ages quickly when she's angry." She glanced at the two of them again before getting up and adding provocatively to Xiao Cui, "Tian Zhuo is probably waiting for me. I'll be going now. Goodbye..."
She slowly left, and Madam Ji could no longer contain herself and slammed her hand on the table several times. Xiao Cui wanted to go forward to comfort her, but was glared at fiercely, which frightened her so much that she immediately withdrew her hand and hurriedly said, "This concubine takes her leave."
She had just stepped out of Madam Ji's courtyard when she saw Rouge leaning against Tianzhuo's chest, and her expression changed.
"Sister, you're here too? My husband and I were just about to go out and look around the streets. Would you like to come along?"
Rouge was talking happily, but Ji Tianzhuo beside her said, "Forget it, she's pregnant, she should stay home and take good care of herself. Otherwise, if something happens to her when she goes out, and she blames us, that would be terrible."
Xiao Cui's face immediately turned pale after hearing his words.
Rouge, however, scolded with a mocking laugh, "She's your concubine, and she's carrying your child. You can't say things like that."
Ji Tianzhuo chuckled and pinched her cheek. The two flirted and left in front of her. Xiao Cui watched their affectionate scene and couldn't help but clench her hands tightly, letting her nails dig into her flesh without feeling any pain.