Chapter 10

Madam Su sighed and then hesitantly said: "Let me speak honestly with my mother. Regarding the examination, no one can guarantee anything. I am afraid, afraid that Da Lang..."

The old lady immediately understood Madam Su's meaning, but she had great confidence in Chu Shi. "However, this is still not good. With Da Lang's talents, even if he does not succeed in this examination, he will certainly excel in the next one. If the future in-laws overlook Da Lang because of this, it will be their loss."

Ah! Zhou could not help but lean back in surprise, yet there was no trace of sympathy on her face

In the afternoon, while practicing the piano, Zhou Rong looked at Ji Ling's piano in surprise, "Is this the Jade Pot Ice?!"

Every family has its own difficulties to contend with. After the two murmured for a while, they each fetched water and returned to their rooms to attend to Ji Ling and Ji Le as they got up and washed up.

Although Ji Ling was also keenly aware that Zhou Rong likely had feelings for Chu Shi, she had never considered exploiting Zhou Rong's psychology in this regard

The old lady dined in the small kitchen, overseen by Chef Wang. Chef Wang only attended to the old lady's meals; after preparing dinner, she would rest and not engage in any further cooking. This was because the old lady, in her pursuit of health, never consumed late-night snacks

Ji Ling was almost drooling from what Ji Le said. Both she and Ji Le came from humble backgrounds, and at home, they had never enjoyed any delicacies. They had thought that upon entering the Chu residence, they would be able to feast on fish and meat every day, but unfortunately, reality did not meet their expectations. Their three meals a day, except for lunch at the Ke Garden, were all taken with the old lady.

The old lady remained silent, clearly unmoved by the reasons presented by the Su family

Zhou Rong secretly sighed, not expecting that sending a little cousin for adoption would be met with such generosity from Chu Shi. The foundation of the Chu family is indeed not something the Zhou family can compare to; of course, this may not be the Chu family's concern, but rather a reflection of Chu Shi's extensive connections and capabilities.

After being reprimanded by Zhou Rong, Ji Ling secretly resolved to practice her calligraphy more when she returned home, but by noon, she began to feel drowsy again

Since the disappearance of the eldest daughter of the Ge family, after Chu Shi went to Henan Prefecture, the smile on the old lady's face has noticeably diminished significantly

Ji Le let out a cold laugh in her heart, realizing that Ji Ling was indeed wary of her. However, on the surface, Ji Le smiled brightly and said, "This is the first time I've seen so much silver, and it's all at my disposal. I want to have a late-night snack tonight, and I must order pig's trotter soup." As she spoke, Ji Le exaggeratedly swallowed her saliva.

"Naturally," said Madam Su, "Da Lang left for Henan Prefecture last night. The Ge family is located in Henan Prefecture. When he left, he mentioned that he needed to assist the Ge family in finalizing the marriage arrangements for Miss Ge before he could return"

The first image that arose in Ji Ling's mind and continued to linger was that of her aunt, Yu Fang. Ji Ling harbored a thought that she deemed utterly unrealistic, yet she was determined to pursue it. However, whether she could succeed was not within her control, so she could not say for certain at this moment, only telling Ji Le: "I haven't made up my mind yet"

Ji Le curiously said: "Sister Rong, has Cousin Shi met the eldest daughter of the Ge family? I heard that she is not in the capital. Moreover, isn't this marriage arranged by the elders in the family?"

This remark struck the old lady directly in the chest. Although her family had produced two Grand Tutors, the past is but a distant memory. Currently, the highest-ranking official in the family, Lord Chu, holds a position in the Supervisory Court, which is not even a principal post, and his ability to speak before the Emperor is quite limited.

When Zhou Rong was worried that Chu Shi would be heartbroken, his mother, Madam Su, and the old lady naturally shared the same concern

Huai Bing yawned and said: "Miss Le is practicing her calligraphy."

Zhou Rong said: "You are unaware of this matter regarding the picture book. Although marriage is traditionally arranged by matchmakers and dictated by parental authority, it is ultimately a lifelong commitment for individuals. Therefore, in families of any standing, it is customary to first meet and assess each other before engagement. I have heard that initially, it was the eldest son of the Ge family who personally chose and nodded in agreement before the engagement was established."

When the esteemed gentleman was serving as the inspector in the south, in order to show filial piety to the elderly matriarch, he specially invited Chef Wang from Yangzhou to travel a great distance to the capital to attend to her. Chef Wang, having come from a family of salt merchants, was naturally skilled in preparing all kinds of rare delicacies from both land and sea, but this was not her greatest talent.

The eldest son must be feeling very sad, right?" Zhou Rong said as if asking herself.

Madam Su is concerned that if Chu Shi fails to achieve success, it will be difficult to find a suitable match for him, and he may not be able to attract a truly distinguished young lady from a prominent family. She wishes to take advantage of the current favorable opinion of Chu Shi to seek a daughter-in-law, hoping to secure a match now so that whether or not Chu Shi succeeds will not affect the marriage prospects.

"Just thinking about it makes my mouth water, the snow-white pig's trotters paired with snow peas, tender and soft, and then dipped in the soy sauce prepared by Chef Wang, it's simply irresistible," Ji Le expressed with longing.

Therefore, the fact that Chu Shi's fiancée is no longer around is not a good thing for the Chu family, but it is certainly a cause for joy for Zhou Rong. As expected, Zhou Rong's favoritism towards Ji Le has increased even more.

Madam Su nodded slightly, and could not help but complain: "The Ge family really does not know how to raise their daughters. Such a grown person, and just like that, she is gone. It is truly..." The words Madam Su did not finish were: how unfortunate. Just as Chu Shi was about to go on stage to participate in the imperial examination, his fiancée had disappeared, which inevitably cast a shadow over the situation.

Chef Wang is almost proficient in various dishes from all over the world, and her skill lies in finding excellence in simplicity. She does not use rare delicacies, but rather prepares home-cooked meals that, when crafted by her, possess an extraordinary flavor.

In the end, Zhou Rong sighed again, saying, "I do not know what kind of outstanding woman the eldest daughter of the Ge family is; alas, perhaps beauty is often accompanied by misfortune."

Qian Mian sighed, "Isn't that so? But my companion seems to never get enough sleep. In the evening, after practicing calligraphy for a while, they start yawning. They are also rather dull, unlike Miss Le, who knows how to please the old lady.

However, speaking of Cousin Shi, he has recently encountered a rather unfortunate matter, and the old lady hasn't even managed a smile today because of it

Ji Le looked at Ji Ling and seemingly joked, "Sister Ling, are you saving your silver and not using it to prepare your dowry for yourself?"

Ji Ling understood that Ji Le was hinting at the principle of reciprocity, but she only had two taels of silver, which were already earmarked for other purposes and were far from sufficient. Upon hearing this, Ji Ling could only lower her head in shame

The old lady nodded, which was taken as an implicit agreement to Madam Su's proposal, but she earnestly advised her not to leave too many traces that would make the Ge family feel disheartened. "We must wait until Miss Ge has completed her mourning period before discussing this matter."

At her age, the elderly lady must focus on health preservation, emphasizing a light diet, which typically consists of more vegetarian food and less meat. Sometimes, her meals may even lack oil more than those of poorer families. How can this not make Ji Ling and Ji Le crave for more?

Qian Mian was taken aback, "Practicing calligraphy at such a late hour?"

The old lady did not expect that Miss Ge had just arrived, and Mrs. Su was already considering this idea, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? Miss Ge hasn't even climbed the mountain yet."

Do not say that Ji Le and Ji Ling cannot invite Chef Wang; even if Chu Shi wants to eat the dishes made by Chef Wang, he can only come to the old lady's place to beg for it. Therefore, the so-called trotters soup that Ji Le mentioned is merely made by the chef's wife, and naturally, one has to pay for it.

The whereabouts of Ji Ling and Ji Le remain unknown, as they both left early last night, and there has been no further sighting of Chu Shi since then

Although Ji Le is only 9 years old, like Ji Ling, before entering the Chu residence, her family repeatedly reminded her to take good care of the old lady and win her favor, so that in the future she could find a good marriage. Therefore, at their age, they already understand what marriage is about. They also have a vague understanding of what it means to experience the first stirrings of love. Ji Le sees this in Zhou Rong.

It is indeed not surprising regarding Ji Ling, as it is quite normal for her to be sleepy during her growth period. At her age, it is expected to sleep more in order to grow taller in the future. Moreover, her temperament is not as competitive as that of Ji Le; even if Ji Le surpasses her, she does not feel unhappy about it. To put it bluntly, she simply lacks ambition.

If it were not for Huai Bing and Qian Mian being on good terms, she would not have confided her innermost thoughts to her, "Our Miss Le is working hard to catch up, and if Miss Ling is rejected too many times, it would not reflect well in front of the old lady"

Madam Su said: "Mother, I understand. How could I be so ignorant? I have just been observing quietly. This time in the spring examination, Da Lang's teacher has said that he is very confident, and even has hopes for the top three. I am still hoping for a double happiness. I also worry that Da Lang may not be able to focus because of the matter concerning Miss Ge, after all, she was the one he had chosen in the first place."

The old lady nodded and said, "This is only right; Da Lang has always done exceptionally well." Although Chu Shi essentially maintains a distance from everyone, anyone who has interacted with him has nothing but praise for him. Such a person is either genuinely good or exceptionally skilled at manipulating people's hearts.

A glimmer of cunning flashed in Ji Le's eyes, "Does Sister Rong not know? The eldest daughter of the Ge family, who was engaged to Cousin Shi, disappeared yesterday"

Madam Su said: "Mother, this is just one aspect. I worry if my eldest son fails the examination, but I also worry if he passes. I fear that too many people will be interested in him, and some families may find it difficult to refuse."

In the Jialetang, Madam Su said: "Mother, look at the eldest daughter of the Ge family; she is unfortunate. What will happen to her engagement with that young man? Will they have to reconsider?"

Ji Le asked Ji Ling: "Sister Ling, what do you plan to use this month's allowance for?"

Ji Le knew that she had guessed Zhou Rong's thoughts correctly. Because every time she mentioned Chu Zhi, Zhou Rong would always unconsciously perk up her ears to listen

Ji Le interjected, "Hmm, it was indeed Cousin Shi who gave it to Sister Ling."

Huai Bing nodded, but since she had become Ji Le's maid, it was only natural that her master should be well, for her own well-being depended on that. She then said, "I see that you all turned off the lights quite early; isn't Miss Ling being a bit too carefree?"

While drawing water from the well early in the morning, Qian Mian encountered Huai Bing, who was turning the wheel and said: "Why were the lights still on so late at your place last night? I got up in the middle of the night to relieve myself, and the lights were still on."

If it is indeed the case that some shallow nouveau riche family without any foundation has set their sights on Chu Shi, then being obstructed by official duties and refusing them would inevitably offend people

Ji Ling nodded slightly, not at all surprised that Zhou Rong could see through it at a glance. A talented woman is indeed a talented woman; Zhou Rong has an extreme fondness for the guqin and is almost intimately familiar with the famous guqins of all dynasties.

And Ji Ling and Ji Le also received their first monthly allowance, just like the four young ladies of the Chu residence, each receiving two taels of silver per month

"Ah, what is the matter?" Zhou Rong asked with concern

However, there is no way to indulge one's cravings. Although there is no shortage of food in the Chu residence, if one wishes to be picky and add dishes, one must pay the kitchen staff out of their own pocket to be able to enjoy them. This is because the supplies in the kitchen are also limited.

Ji Le Dao: "Is it delicious? Tomorrow night you can also order a bowl of pig trotter soup."

As evening arrived, sure enough, Ji Le ordered a bowl of pig's trotter soup and called Ji Ling over to eat together. Ji Ling wanted to politely decline, but as a young girl, she could hardly resist the temptation of pig's trotter soup. After being persuaded a few more times by Ji Le, she finally sat down. The meal was truly delicious.