Chapter 40: The Youth Takes a Blow

Tu Shan, fearing the old man might work himself into a fit, cheekily leaned in to coax him: "Look at you, why are you so hot-headed? Here, have an orange and cool off.

I brought some soybeans. Don't you like eating tofu? Auntie Jia, do you know how to make tofu? If not, I can teach you. Since the old man wants to eat it, we have to make it the best we can."

Jia Hui chuckled: "I do, don't worry. If the old man wants to eat it, I'd learn even if I didn't know how."

The old man was mollified and huffed with feigned arrogance: "Stinky girl, you still have a bit of a conscience."

Tu Shan grinned: "Auntie Jia, do you know how to make pea starch jelly?"

Auntie Jia replied happily: "I do! I can also make pea flour cakes and pea-noodle soup from the outer provinces. Girl, do you want some? If you do, I'll make it for you."

"That would be lovely." Tu Shan handed the soybeans she had brought to Jia Hui: "Here are some peas; please make some pea starch jelly for me so everyone can have some."

"No problem. I'll make some pea-noodle soup tomorrow morning. Why don't you come over and eat with the old man and the others?"

Jia Hui was a veteran of the Zongzheng household, having worked there for over thirty years; she was no different from family.

Inviting someone over for a meal didn't require asking the masters for permission.

Besides, the person being invited was someone the masters liked, so there was no need to specifically ask for anyone else's opinion.

Not to mention, Old Man Zongzheng already had an expression that said, "If you dare refuse, I'll flip out."

Tu Shan thought for a moment and decided she should have time tomorrow morning: "Alright, thank you, Auntie Jia."

As she spoke, she pulled a bundle of furs from her basket—one sheepskin, one roe deer skin, and two rabbit skins.

Using her ability to keep them fresh and odorless, she shoved them at Ming Zhan: "Grandpa Ming, please help me tan these. I want to make clothes and shoes for the winter. I'll bring you something delicious later."

Ming Zhan... work had fallen from the sky.

He wanted to say he didn't know how, but he had just eaten her food, and his mouth was soft.

No, wait—how did this girl decide he knew how to do this?

Unfortunately, he wasn't a man of many words, and he wouldn't ask about the confusion filling his belly, so he just accepted it honestly.

Old Man Zongzheng snorted: "You certainly know how to order people around. What else is in the basket? Take it all out."

Tu Shan glanced at him: "Do you have a dog's nose? This is what I brought for my midnight snack. You don't even have teeth left, why are you so greedy? Eat, eat, but don't eat too much tonight; this stuff gives you heartburn."

She shoved a roasted sweet potato into the hands of both Old Man Zongzheng and Old Man Ming.

The old man was angered once more, clutching the sweet potato and staying silent.

Ming Zhan held the still-warm roasted sweet potato, speechless: "I wasn't greedy."

Tu Shan smiled: "You can eat it even if you aren't greedy. I have things to do, I'm leaving first."

Old Man Zongzheng glared at her: "What could you possibly have to do in the middle of the night? Stop running around like a wild monkey all day."

Tu Shan clicked her tongue: "Work. What 'running around'? Am I that kind of person?"

"What kind of work can you have in the middle of the night?"

"Hey, why are you so ill-mannered, old man? Can you just ask about work matters? It's a mission, I can't talk about it. Early to bed and early to rise makes for good health. Go eat and sleep, stop worrying about nothing."

Tu Shan ran off with her basket; she was truly busy.

Old Man Zongzheng was so angry his hands shook: "That stinky girl, who is she lecturing? Who is she calling ill-mannered?"

The four people meeting her for the first time watched the furious old man, unable to process what had happened for a long time.

Were they not going to get an explanation? What exactly was going on?

Where was their dignified, kind, magnanimous, and calm old man?

Tao Shihan, Zongzheng Min'an's wife, leaned toward her sister-in-law: "Sister-in-law, what's going on?"

Mother Wei smiled but said nothing, maintaining a mysterious expression.

No, really, what was going on? Not saying anything left people feeling itchy with curiosity.

Zongzheng Guotai's eldest daughter, Zongzheng Ying, raised her spirited eyebrows and leaned toward the old man: "Grandpa, is she a girl from one of our relatives' families?"

The old man suppressed his anger and became kind-hearted again: "Are you curious? Xiao Rui, you crossed paths with her—what are your thoughts?"

Zongzheng Rui was the eldest son of Zongzheng Guotai and Mother Wang. He followed his second uncle, Zongzheng Min'an, into the military.

He was twenty-seven this year and had been a golden child since he was small. He rarely encountered setbacks and had sailed smoothly to become a "King of Soldiers."

Tonight, he had encountered the greatest hurdle of his life.

Exchanging moves with Tu Shan, he could feel that in her eyes, he was just a playful child. She hadn't even taken him seriously, yet he had been subdued completely. Even now, it felt like a nightmare—not real at all.

All his pride was shattered into pieces.

"She is very strong."

Old Man Zongzheng found his drained expression amusing: "Child, do you know now that there are people beyond people? You are indeed smart and capable, but you are too arrogant.

Setting aside how skilled she is, before you attacked, did you consider her ability to pass through all defenses and climb into the courtyard without alerting anyone? Do you have that?

If you don't, what were your odds of winning if you just rushed in like that?"

In the past, Zongzheng Rui would have argued a bit, but tonight, he had no face to argue.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa. I will reflect more in the future."

The old man waved his hand; his grandson still had too little experience.

Zongzheng Ying looked at her brother. He was the most capable of the younger generation in their family, and now he was dejected after being struck down by an unknown little girl. She was even more curious about who she was.

She looked at her parents, who were both in the know, but they just wouldn't say.

"Dad, who is she?" Zongzheng Min'an asked calmly.

Old Man Zongzheng had only two sons, Zongzheng Guotai and Zongzheng Min'an—one in politics, one in the military.

Zongzheng Guotai, the politician, was a smiling tiger; Zongzheng Min'an, the soldier, was a cold-faced Yama.

Old Man Zongzheng glanced at him: "Do you really not know?"

Zongzheng Min'an:??

Was he supposed to know?

The old man snorted. He was starting to protect his own now.

His second son, while not a gossip who loved to speak ill of others behind their backs—in fact, he was a man of few words—had never explicitly spoken ill of Ling Yang's wife. But from his demeanor, the old man could tell he looked down on, or even disliked, the Tu girl.

Before, it didn't matter; they were strangers.

From now on, it wouldn't do. That girl was under his protection.

"Useless thing, blind and stupid. Eat."

The roasted sweet potato was sweet and sticky—truly delicious.

Zongzheng Min'an...

He looked at his wife, who was also completely bewildered.

He looked at his older brother, sister-in-law, and Jia Hui—well, they all looked profound.

Uncle Ming?

Uncle Ming was even less reliable; he only showed a pleasant face to his father.

Oh, no—today there was one more person, a little girl whose name he didn't know.

Ming Zhan was unmarried, with no children. Since he was eighteen, he had been by the old man's side.

He had performed great military feats and saved countless lives.

But he had refused all fame and fortune, remaining by Old Man Zongzheng's side as a guard, a post he had held for over sixty years.

In the Zongzheng family, he held the same status and authority as Old Man Zongzheng, and everyone respected him.

But his nature was cold, his temper was cold, and his style was cold. The younger generation might dare to crack a small joke in front of Old Man Zongzheng, but in front of Ming Zhan, no one dared to be presumptuous; they didn't even dare to stand or sit casually.

Zongzheng Min'an had been trained by Ming Zhan, and he was just as cold.

And Ling Yang had been trained by Zongzheng Min'an, and he was cold in exactly the same way.

Now, Ling Yang also worked under Zongzheng Min'an.

Tsk, these three generations were perfect replicas.

Therefore, in everyone's eyes, Ming Zhan was a fierce, cold, serious, humorless, and rigid man. Getting information out of him was harder than ascending to heaven.

Yet, an unknown girl had become the exception, and she could even order him around at will. It really shattered everyone's perception.

(End of chapter)