Chapter 2, Young Zhou Lang

"Mother, please take a look and see if there is anything that needs to be modified." Sun Shaogong respectfully turned the bamboo slip over and presented it to Daqiao. As Daqiao took the slip in hand and glanced at it, his eyes immediately brightened, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "Aman, what excellent calligraphy!"

Zhou Xun spoke with a smile on his face, his gaze fixed on Sun Shao, his eyes reflecting a hint of hope. He wished to see the familiar expression of anger on Sun Shao's face. This thought crossed his mind, and he immediately lowered his head, secretly reprimanding himself for losing composure. Sun Shao's greatest frustration was that, despite being eighteen years old, he had yet to be granted military authority. He had originally not intended to provoke Zhou Xun, which is why he had come directly to Daqiao. However, unexpectedly, Zhou Xun's unusual attitude had stirred him, and he could not help but feel the urge to engage in conflict again. It seemed that his efforts in self-cultivation were still lacking.

The hands of the bridge were frighteningly thin, and Sun Shao could almost feel the shape of the bones; the hands were also very cold, devoid of any warmth

Since A Xun is being conscripted, the family is moving to Jianye, and it is likely that we will not see each other again in the future, it is only natural to pay a visit.

Looking at the emaciated bridge, Sun Shao felt an inexplicable sadness. He naturally knelt down in front of the bridge, bent over, and whispered, "Mother, you have grown thinner again"

Daqiao pushed a bamboo slip forward on the table. Sun Shao took the slip and glanced at it. The slip contained several lines of elegant and graceful writing, conveying a meaning that was not significantly different from what Zhou Xun had just said, but it specifically indicated that it was an invitation for both Daqiao and Sun Shao to attend together. Sun Shao began to understand; perhaps there had been a banquet in the past that the violent boy was generally reluctant to attend. This time, Xiao Qiao had specifically come to invite the two of them, which was why Daqiao sought his opinion.

"Aman," she called out to Sun Shao's nickname, "your aunt has invited us to her residence for a visit, what do you think..."

"Well, practicing calligraphy is beneficial for you," Daqiao subtly advised. Sun Shao had previously been somewhat impetuous and frivolous; she had once urged him to practice calligraphy to cultivate his temperament. However, Sun Shao had treated her words as mere background noise, neither refuting nor heeding them. His attitude today could be considered an improvement.

Qiao Ying responded with a sound, bent down to move the piano table, and then brought over a writing desk. She then turned around to fetch the ink and brush. Da Qiao leaned forward to take a piece of ink from the ink box, lifted the water dropper, and dripped a few drops of water onto the ink piece, then pressed the grinding stone on top and began to turn it slowly. Her body was indeed too weak; even such a small task left her slightly breathless. He Tushu Sun Shao saw this, took a step forward, and placed his hand on Da Qiao's hand: "Mother, let me do it." Her body was indeed too weak; even such a small task left her slightly breathless. He Tushu Sun Shao saw this, took a step forward, and placed his hand on Da Qiao's hand: "Mother, let me do it."

"The lady is waiting inside." Qiao Ying bowed and raised her hand to part the beaded curtain on the door. Sun Shao stepped inside, and the tall figure in plain clothing was sitting at the qin table, her slender hands resting on the instrument. Upon seeing him enter, she merely cast a glance his way before lowering her eyelids again. She was very thin, with sunken eye sockets, high cheekbones, and hollowed cheeks. The two hands resting on the qin were also skin and bones, with prominent joints. The entire person resembled a barren tree stripped of its leaves, devoid of vitality, lacking even a hint of beauty.

Da Qiao tugged at the corner of her mouth, and a fleeting smile flashed across her eyes before vanishing without a trace. She had clearly heard the conversation between Sun Shao and Zhou Xun downstairs just now, and she was somewhat surprised that Sun Shao had not spoken harshly to Zhou Xun today. However, she also understood that although Sun Shao was not her biological son and no longer relied on her as he did in the past, his feelings for her were genuine. Seeing Sun Shao was no different for her than seeing her own biological son. Yet, she was aware that although Sun Shao was not her biological son and had grown up no longer depending on her as before, his feelings for her remained sincere. Seeing Sun Shao was no different for her than seeing her own biological son.

Zhou Xun was somewhat surprised. Although they were cousins, their relationship was not harmonious. Every time Sun Shao saw him, his face wore an expression of displeasure, as if Zhou Xun owed him several hundred gold pieces. Zhou Xun interpreted that displeasure as a concealed envy. Speaking to him today with such a beaming smile was a first in several years. Zhou Xun had become accustomed to Sun Shao's rudeness, which was veiled by his inferiority complex. Speaking to Sun Shao so calmly made him feel somewhat out of place, and for a moment he stood there, forgetting to respond. After a moment, he finally replied somewhat flustered: "It's nothing of great importance. In a few days, I will be going to Jianye for military service, and my mother and younger siblings will also be moving there. I will no longer be able to spend my days and nights with you, which I find very hard to part with. Therefore, at my mother's behest, I have come to invite you and my elder brother to visit our residence tomorrow for a discussion."

"Aunt Qiao, is Mother home?" Sun Shao nodded in greeting to Qiao Ying. Qiao Ying had raised him, and he had always addressed her with respect as Aunt Qiao, treating her not as a servant.

"Thank you for your trouble, my dear brother." Zhou Xun replied respectfully and then proceeded to follow Sun Shao upstairs

The young man before us is Zhou Xun, the eldest son of Zhou Yu. Inheriting the fine genes of Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao, Zhou Xun is remarkably handsome, with thick eyebrows like swords, eyes resembling lacquer dots, and red lips paired with white teeth, presenting himself as an elegantly poised young gentleman

As the two were conversing, the ink was already ground. Just as Daqiao was about to fetch the brush, Sun Shao stepped in first, picked up the brush that was resting nearby, and said with a smile, "Mother, please rest; let me take care of it all."

So it turns out to be you, Da Di. Sun Shao suppressed the violent boy's anger, revealing a smile, and according to the etiquette he remembered, he cupped his hands in salute and politely asked: Is there something important that brings you here so early

Daqiao looked at Sun Shao, seeing his sincere expression, and feeling somewhat strained himself, he nodded slightly and silently released the ink stick. Sun Shao gazed at the ink piece in the inkstone, picked up the ink stick in his hand, and began to rotate it in circles. His movements were gentle and fluid, which surprised Daqiao a bit. He raised his head to look at Sun Shao and asked, "Aman, have you been practicing calligraphy again recently?"

The bridge looked at Sun Shao with a mix of surprise and relief, then nodded to Qiao Ying: "In that case, bring me the pen and ink, I will respond to the letter, so that A Xun can return early."

Sun Shao unconsciously let out a sound of acknowledgment, reflecting on his calligraphy, which he considered to be quite good, perhaps better than that of the previous violent child. He smiled and nodded, saying, "When I have the time, I will practice a bit."

Sun Shao ascended the small building, where the melancholic sound of the zither had already ceased. Qiao Ying, in middle age, stood at the door, gazing at the serene-faced Sun Shao with a gentle smile.

In that case, you may as well reply to this letter on my behalf

Sun Shaoyong thoughtfully recalled and found that his original memory of the small bridge was surprisingly vague, as if he had not seen it for a long time. Among these indistinct impressions, it seemed that there were also quite a few grievances.

Sun Shao seemed not to have understood the meaning behind Zhou Xun's words. He chuckled and said, "I see, then let me congratulate you first, my dear younger brother. Please wait here for a moment, I will go see my mother and be right back."

Here. Sun Shao held the brush in hand, licking the ink on the inkstone while recalling the format of the reply letter. Although that violent boy was not good at literature, he was still clear about the basic format of letters. Moreover, in his previous life, most of the calligraphy he practiced used the characters from the Jin dynasty's letters, so the choice of words and sentence structure was not unfamiliar to him. After a brief contemplation, he had a draft in mind, picked up the brush, and swiftly wrote several lines for the reply letter. He examined his calligraphy and sighed inwardly. Having been accustomed to writing on rice paper, he found it somewhat uncomfortable to write on this bamboo slip, which greatly diminished the effect. However, compared to the original calligraphy on the bamboo slip, it was not lacking in quality.

The bridge smiled; today, Sun Shao was very well-behaved, exuding a distinct difference from the past, which made her very happy. However, she was also somewhat worried, fearing that Sun Shao's calligraphy might not be up to par, which would invite ridicule from Zhou Xun and the others. But upon further reflection, she thought that it was rare for Sun Shao to take the initiative to write a reply for her. If she were to refuse him, it might upset him, which would be quite undesirable.