Chapter 875: Chapter 519: Wine, the Old Confucian, the Mo Xia Sword, and Yourong’s Calligraphy (Part 1)
As the young couple exchanged glances in secret.
Zhang Huizhi asked the plain woman, “Yunniang, where’s Fu’er?”
The woman lowered her eyes and replied, “Fu’er took a short nap at noon, then continued with the assignments you set for him this morning, for an hour. After finishing, he’s been practicing his writing in the north room until now, waiting for you to assign more tasks…”
“Let him continue practicing writing.”
“Yes.”
The plain woman responded softly and withdrew.
Zhang Huizhi turned his head, gazing toward the north room, where a slow young boy was quietly copying books and practicing writing.
The young Confucian scholar from Siqi Academy was silent for a moment, then glanced towards the direction of the western side kitchen.
There, several poor old servants, missing limbs or scarred faces, were busy under the plain woman’s call, chopping wood, boiling water, fetching wine, and cooking.
Rumbling along with occasional gasps and coughs.
Zhao Rong also seemed to notice the commotion in the kitchen. He looked at one old servant whose face was apparently destroyed by fire and was coughing from the smoke.
The disfigured old servant appeared to have a respiratory ailment, yet still took out a copper pipe with a tobacco pouch, puffing a few times, with cheeks flush, letting out a satisfied breath.
The other old servants were similar, each with their issues, and lamps burning low.
“Brother Huizhi, perhaps let’s not bother with so many dishes to pair with wine; let’s sip a few glasses and chat. Besides, I’ll have other things later, so I won’t stay for dinner.”
Zhao Rong couldn’t help but sincerely suggest.
Zhang Huizhi seemed to come to his senses, withdrawing his gaze from the kitchen, then appearing to stare blankly at Zhao Rong for a moment, firmly shook his head.
“Ziyu hardly comes to visit a brother… We must have a good drink and good food… won’t be lacking, otherwise, I’ll feel guilty. Ziyu, please enjoy without worry; my wife will settle the kitchen affairs.”
He lifted his half-lowered eyelids, fully awakening from the sleepiness earlier, reassured Zhao Rong.
The latter glanced at the sky; there’s still some time until the afternoon’s Shen hour.
“Alright, let’s go with brother Huizhi’s decision.”
Zhao Rong smiled.
At this moment, the little Qian’er standing behind him quietly pinched the soft flesh on Zhao Rong’s waist, then without waiting for his reaction, she hummed softly and walked to the kitchen.
“I’m going to help Sister Yunniang.”
Hmph, in the past in front of outsiders, she was always civil and virtuous, but Brother Rong’er just chose to ignore it and bring up the ‘other people’s wives’ instead…
Little Qian’er felt a bit aggrieved.
Zhao Rong softly “heh” sounding as the little girl was neither gentle nor heavy. He vowed to return the favor on her little bottom later.
He secretly promised, gazing at the stubbornly running away little girl’s back to help in the kitchen.
“Ziyu, what’s the matter?”
Zhang Huizhi looked at the young scholar’s face, expressing concern.
“Ah, nothing, right, what were we just talking about?”
Zhao Rong turned around, shifting the topic.
Zhang Huizhi did not answer immediately but picked up the wine jug on the table, handed a jug to Zhao Rong.
Under the bamboo grove, on the couch, in the autumn breeze, two academy scholars each invited with a jug of exotic wine.
“Ziyu praised my self-cultivation and family governance, a brother dared not accept.”
“Why not accept it, we Confucian scholars should never mind any trifles, the first rule is to have a thick skin. When receiving praise, humility is due, but also internally think ‘who wouldn’t know this’ and secretly hope ‘what if it happens’.”
“……”
“Ziyu is truly humorous.”
“This secret, I wouldn’t generally share it with people. Come, let’s clink one together.”
“……”
A clear, crisp sound of wine cups clinking resonated on the table.
“Tsk… Brother Huizhi’s home-brewed wine is truly spicy!”
“It’s brewed by an old servant from my humble abode, you like it, brother Ziyu?”
“Indeed, flavorful, the last time I had such a wine was in…”
“Oh? Was it where?”
The young scholar nodded, “In my last experience.”
Zhang Huizhi: “…”
Wearing his black Confucian robe, he sat speechless before nodding his response, “If brother Ziyu likes it, there’ll be a signature dish by the old servant served shortly.”
“Oh? Then I must taste it well.”
Zhang Huizhi nodded, looked at him, suddenly said:
“Ziyu, perhaps let brother look at the Jade you have around your waist?”
Qing Jun’s Jade Token? That wouldn’t do. If she’d know another man touched her Jade Token, she’d surely be furious.
The young scholar hesitated initially, but after touching the hanging item at his waist, he asked, “Brother Huizhi, which Jade do you refer to?”
Zhang Huizhi reached out, pointed at the Linlu Jade on Zhao Rong’s waist, eyes fixed on it, “This identity Jade, I also have a Siqi one, wanted to see the difference.”
Zhao Rong paused, then gladly nodded, “For this one, no problem.”
He took off the Jade from his waist and handed it to Zhang Huizhi.
The latter took it and simultaneously removed his own Siqi identity Jade, examining both closely.
Zhao Rong thought little of it, smiled, “Actually, not much difference. I’ve seen the Scholar Jade from Siqi Academy before. They all bear the same functions: identification, emergency life-saving, location mark for academy mentors… Besides, I heard some senior scholars even refine them into Lifebound Artifacts, but mine is just temporary, inconvenient for refining.”
He paused, then chuckled:
“Speaking of which, I previously traveled past Zhongnan Mountain and received a Spirit Jade from a friend there, capable of refining the Scholar Jade, but it’s merely been gathering dust in my bag…”