Chapter 467 - 178: Hiring a Cat
Chapter 467: Chapter 178: Hiring a Cat
Chen Wanqing awkwardly ushered the two inside and, lowering her voice, explained the situation.
There was no way to hide this. It was better to tell them now than to have them hear it from someone else and get angry later.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhao was so exasperated she had to laugh.
"Nonsense! How is Jing getting more childish with age! His tutor is strict with him because he has high hopes for him. Instead of being grateful, he... Hmph! Jing is studying next door, isn’t he? Watch me go over there and knock some sense into him."
Chen Wanqing quickly stopped her. "What’s done is done. Scolding him now won’t help. Besides, he’s still resentful. If he’s holding a grudge, he won’t make much progress in his studies anyway. It’s better to just let him vent... Worst case, we can go and apologize afterward..."
In the end, Chen Wanqing managed to persuade Mrs. Zhao to leave. Before she left, Xiang’er gave Chen Wanqing a thumbs-up.
’Without Sister-in-law, this family would fall apart sooner or later!’
Because of this incident, Zhao Jing didn’t get a single kind look from his mother during dinner.
After the meal, Mrs. Zhao got up and left, sighing dramatically. Zhao Jing then took Chen Wanqing’s hand and led her outside.
At their feet, Jinbao trotted back and forth, YIPPING excitedly as he followed them.
He was truly lively and incredibly clingy.
If his mother didn’t watch him so closely, Jinbao would spend his nights either on Mrs. Zhao’s bed or by Xiang’er’s cot.
Just as she thought of the mother dog, Chen Wanqing heard its loud, sharp barks coming from the side gate.
It was getting dark, and she was calling for Jinbao to come back to sleep.
The little puppy reluctantly circled Chen Wanqing twice. Seeing no reaction from her, he went to circle Zhao Jing’s feet. Zhao Jing, of course, paid him even less mind. In the end, the little guy sulkily went to find his mother.
"It’s cold and windy today. Let’s not walk around anymore. We should head back inside."
"Alright. When we get back, you can write your essays, and I’ll work on my incense."
"Okay."
Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside, it was cozy and warm. The two of them focused on their own tasks. Occasionally, the candle would sputter with a soft POP, startling them both. They would look up, their eyes meeting in a gaze full of gentle affection.
She had thought they would be busy late into the night. After all, Zhao Jing had spent so much time writing the "Cat for Hire" notice that his four policy essays for the day would surely take a long time to finish.
Unexpectedly, after only one hour, Zhao Jing pulled her toward the bed to rest.
Chen Wanqing felt he was up to no good and said hesitantly, "Jing, you drained so much of your vitality last night. I think you should rest well today and build up your strength for the days to come."
Zhao Jing, who had been lost in thought, was drawn back by her words and let out a chuckle.
"I didn’t intend to, but since you brought it up, my dear, I feel obligated to find out just how one’s vitality is drained."
And so, the night was once again filled with their passionate exploits.
Fortunately, he called it a night after just one round.
Afterward, Chen Wanqing was a little incredulous.
’Really? Just once?’
Ever since they had first started, Jing had always gone for at least two rounds.
He was like a greedy hunter, afraid that if he missed his prey this time, he would starve later. So whenever he had his prize in his grasp, he would always take as much as he possibly could.
Thankfully, she was still so tired from the day before, and the sleep she’d managed that morning hadn’t been enough to make up for it.
Seeing that Jing had truly stopped for the night, she let him clean up the aftermath while she lay back on the pillow and quickly drifted off to sleep.
The night was cold, the wind strong, and the sky as black as spilled ink. It howled so fiercely that it even made the door to their room CLATTER in its frame.
A CREAKING sound echoed, startlingly clear in the dead of night.
The old woman guarding the main gate heard the sound and rushed outside to look, not even bothering to throw on a cloak.
"Who is it? Who’s there?"
"It’s me. I have some business to attend to. No need to be alarmed."
"Ma-Master, are you going out alone? Do you want me to go with you?"
"No need. Go back and rest. Just leave the gate unlatched for me."
"Yes, yes, of course."
Zhao Jing emerged from the pitch-black alley and stepped onto the main street.
The night was already late, and even the shops along the street had closed. Only the inns, restaurants, and pleasure houses were still brightly lit, with the sounds of string and bamboo instruments drifting from within.
Zhao Jing walked to the street where the Red House was located. He took a piece of silver from his sleeve and tossed it to a beggar huddling under the eaves to escape the cold. "Go to the Cuiyun Building and deliver a message. Say that Mr. Yin is hosting a banquet at the Golden Jade Restaurant and wants to hire some girls to attend to his party. The call-out fee is five taels of silver per person, no limit on the number of people. First come, first served."