Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 832 What a pity

Chapter 832: Chapter 832 What a pity

Mingyun wanted to hold onto Gu Liufeng, but in the end, she didn’t extend her hand; Liufeng also wanted to leave a good impression on his grandfather.

In the Zhou residence, Zhulan, seeing the pastries in Gu Liufeng’s hands, smiled and personally took them over, "You shouldn’t have gone to the expense."

Gu Liufeng was relieved to see that she didn’t disdain the pastries he had bought, "It should be Liufeng who is causing the disturbance."

Zhou Shuren said, "Dinner will take some time to be ready; let’s go to the front courtyard first."

Mingyun saw that Gu Liufeng hadn’t regained his composure for quite some time, and tugging at Liufeng’s sleeve, she said, "Let’s go."

Gu Liufeng hurriedly paid his respects and then followed Mingyun with quick steps out of the room. Grand Master Zhou was going to appraise him, and he must perform well.

In the front courtyard, Zhou Shuren sat down, motioning Mingyun and Gu Liufeng to sit as well, while Ming Teng and another had gone back to the house to change clothes.

Gu Liufeng was very nervous; ever since he and his uncle had met Grand Master Zhou, he had often heard his uncle speak of Grand Master Zhou. He could tell that his uncle greatly admired Zhou Shuren.

Zhou Shuren, with a book prepared earlier by his side, said, "I have heard Mingyun often speak of you. Today, I shall evaluate you myself; if there is anything you do not understand, you may ask me at any time."

Gu Liufeng was excited. His own master’s scholarship was not bad, but in terms of vision, he was no match for Grand Master Zhou. This opportunity was too rare, "Thank you, Grand Master."

Zhou Shuren quite liked the young man and for the sake of his grandson, he was also willing to take the effort. Friends were also needed in the bureaucratic world; foundations laid from childhood were much more reliable than those made later in the bureaucracy.

Time passed quickly, Chang Lian returned to the residence, and dinner was ready. Because Gu Liufeng was present, today’s meal was separate; the women in the house, such as Yushuang and others, were grown up and it was not appropriate for them to share a room for dinner with an outsider.

At Zhulan’s side, the womenfolk discussed household affairs or shared some gossip they had heard.

At the men’s dinner table, Chang Lian and Chang Zhi exchanged glances, understanding their father’s intentions. The two took turns talking to Gu Liufeng.

Gu Liufeng was very nervous, afraid he might say something wrong, but fortunately, they only asked about study matters.

After dinner, Mingyun invited Liufeng to the main house’s courtyard, introducing, "This is my room, please come in."

Gu Liufeng thought that the Zhou family’s residence was quite large, worthy of a house rewarded by the Emperor. His uncle’s house, with its two courtyards, was just a bit larger than the courtyard where Mingyun lived.

His aunt had a rather nice courtyard, and when his cousin got married, it had already been included as part of her dowry.

Grand Master Zhou was truly valued by the Emperor; even his uncle envied Grand Master Zhou, but then again, this was also due to Grand Master Zhou’s ability. Had he not had the ability, the Emperor would not have valued him.

Gu Liufeng’s eyes immediately landed on the seal on Mingyun’s desk, which looked very familiar. He picked it up and remembered; this was the material he had had his eye on. Smiling, he said, "It seems I’m truly fated with Brother Zhou. I wanted to buy this piece of material but couldn’t because of what happened, as Brother Zhou already knows. I didn’t expect that it would be Brother Zhou who bought it."

Mingyun looked at the seal and explained, "This is a birthday gift carved by my younger sister. I did not purchase the material myself."

Gu Liufeng had a good memory; he had personally gone to apologize before, and his most vivid memory was of the Zhou young lady who had twisted her ankle, very beautiful. Recalling this, his ears reddened slightly, and he hastily put down the seal in his hand.

Mingyun certainly wouldn’t discuss his sister in front of another man, and quickly flipped out a book of copied writings, "This is a copybook that my fourth uncle gave me for practicing writing; I’m giving it to you."

Liufeng shook his head, "This is too valuable, I cannot accept it."

Mingyun laughed, "It’s not valuable; my fourth uncle wouldn’t part with the real thing for me. All he gave me were his own copies."

Liufeng blinked, then accepted it, "Thank you."

Mingyun said, "My fourth uncle is the most naturally talented in studies in our family; he has copied many books and scripts, enough to fill a whole bookshelf, so it really isn’t valuable."

Liufeng felt a warmth in his heart; Mingyun was saying this so he wouldn’t feel burdened. He felt that everyone in the Zhou family, from Grand Master Zhou to the other family members, were all very approachable. The whole family was harmonious and he was especially envious of that.

In the main courtyard, Zhulan knew that Gu Liufeng had left and was playing with her fan, "I find this boy quite agreeable. If not for his widowed mother and a domineering aunt, he would have been a good candidate."

Zhulan truly felt it was a pity; so no matter how good Gu Liufeng was, she could only regret it.

Zhou Shuren was not as meticulous as his wife about the affairs of the inner courtyard, "Actually, Hu Xia is quite reasonable about the big picture."

Zhulan lifted her head, "What do you mean by that?"

Zhou Shuren could sense his wife’s resistance and thought for a while, "Nothing much, I will definitely find a suitable and well-matched marriage for Yushuang."

Zhulan, "Hmm."

The next day, Zhou Shuren’s rest period officially ended. He donned his official uniform in the morning, had breakfast, and went to the Ministry of Revenue.

As soon as he set foot in the Ministry, he received a warm welcome from the Officials of the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhou Shuren thought to himself with a chuckle, here it comes, back to being worked to the bone.

Indeed, as soon as he entered his office, Officer Li’s eyes were somewhat evasive, "Sir, these are what the Chief of Staff has passed on to you."

Zhou Shuren silently looked at the stacks of account books piled high on his desk, expressionless, "... I understand."

Officer Li quickly exited the room, patting his chest once outside, relieved; in these past days, the Chief of Staff hadn’t stopped mentioning Zhou Shuren, this was the result of such mentions.

Zhou Shuren flipped through the account books to see what they contained, then his expression darkened. Some were items that Xiao Qing was supposed to audit, so why had they appeared on his desk?

In the court, Xiao Qing sneezed; ah, it must be Zhou Shuren talking about him. Now that the man was back, he could relax a bit!