Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 196 He is still a child (seeking votes)
Beijing, southern suburbs.

The old house of Qin Yun’s family.

The courtyard door suddenly opened with a "click" from the outside, which scared Chai Shuang who was drying clothes in the yard. Just as she looked towards the door vigilantly, she saw her brother coming in carelessly, walking to the ancient well and lifting the wooden barrel from the bottom of the well, then scooping half a ladle with a melon ladle and drinking it up loudly.

"Brother, why are you back now?"

Chai Shuang was a little confused.

Normally, Chai Meng would come over occasionally, always early in the morning or late at night. This was the first time he came back so late in the morning.

Chai Meng finished drinking the water, burped comfortably, and said, "I followed the master to deliver the goods here today. I am thirsty now, so I came into the yard to drink some water!"

"Where's the goods?"

Chai asked, his eyes wide.

In her opinion, she lived in the Zhang family's warehouse. She said she came to deliver goods but there was no sign of the goods. Everything seemed very strange.

Chai Meng smiled and said, "The second young master of the Zhang family is very reasonable. He rented a yard nearby and piled all the goods there. He said that it is not good for a girl like you to look after a bunch of miscellaneous items."

Chai Shuang tried to persuade him: "Brother, we can't do this... The host is giving us face by letting us stay here temporarily, how can we not know the limits? We should move the goods here and don't let the host waste money."

Chai Meng explained, "Little sister, do you think I am the kind of person who likes to take advantage of others? I also told the second young master of the Zhang family that it's okay to put it here, and you can take care of it for him. But the second young master of the Zhang family said that there are some chemicals in the stored goods... I didn't understand it either, probably similar to medicinal herbs. Maybe it's bad for your health if you smell it too much, so we didn't ship it here."

"What? Chemicals?"

Chai Shuang suddenly felt that his brain was not enough.

Chai Meng waved his hand: "Who cares what it is... At worst, I can pay the rent of the house to the second young master of the Zhang family. This is outside the city, and the rent is not expensive. This way we can have a home in the capital, isn't it good?"

Chai Shuangxin said, this place is not expensive, but before the Zhang family hired you, you still couldn't afford the rent, right?
Thinking about those days...I was almost sleeping on the streets.

How miserable!
Chai Shuang hesitated and said, "Then...how about...going to say hello to the host?"

"As a girl, how can you go out and meet people casually?"

Chai Meng refused immediately and lectured her, "You are a lady from a famous family after all. You should pay attention to maintaining your reputation and respect yourself!"

A trace of disappointment flashed across Chai's eyes. He shook his head and smiled bitterly, "What kind of lady from a noble family am I? I'm just a poor person who lives in someone else's house."

Chai Meng suddenly seemed to think of something and asked, "Have you boiled the water?"

"Ah."

Chai Shuang said, "There is hot water on the stove. Would you like some tea, brother?"

"It's not for me to drink, it's for the second young master of the Zhang family... It's rare for him to come here, so we must invite him to our home." Chai Meng said, as if he was about to go out to invite someone.

Now Chai Shuang has no idea what to do.

She looked at her brother who was rushing out the door with a puzzled look on her face, as if asking, didn't you just say that I was a lady from a famous family and not suitable to show my face in public?
Invite people to your home in the blink of an eye?
Are you saying one thing and doing another?

Are you really planning to "sell your sister for fame"?

……

……

No matter what, Chai Shuang hurried into the house, threw a handful of tea leaves into the empty teapot, then picked up the tin kettle from the stove and filled the teapot.

Before she left the house, she heard Chai Meng showing off in the yard: "Second Young Master, you see, this place is quite spacious. It's good for my sister to live here. But since it's just a temporary stay, you should move here next time if you have any goods. After all, my sister can't live in such a big yard by herself."

While arranging the tea tray, Chai Shuang thought, is my brother reluctant to spend the money to rent the courtyard?
Why do they keep emphasizing that this is a warehouse rented by the Zhang family?

That's not right. This is not my brother's character at all. According to Chai Meng's previous violent temper, whenever he saw powerful people, he would definitely be filled with indignation and unwilling to fall behind... Why is it that now, every time my brother mentions the second young master of the Zhang family, his temper becomes a little incomprehensible?

When she walked out of the room carrying the wooden tray with the teapot and teacups on it, and saw Zhang Yanling standing next to Chai Meng, she just stood there in a daze, neither saying hello nor moving forward.

Zhang Yanling also looked at her and was equally amazed at her stunning beauty.

She is worthy of being a woman who is confident in competing for the title of Crown Princess. She has towering cloud-like hair, long and beautiful eyebrows, and a pair of delicate phoenix eyes on her fair oval face. They seem affectionate and solemn, resentful and dignified, making people unforgettable at first sight.

The two looked at each other.

Chai Shuang quickly lowered her head, and after a long while she moved lightly, walked forward and placed the tea tray on the newly erected wooden table, then picked up the teapot and poured tea into the cup.

"Little sister, say hello." Chai Meng reminded.

Chai Shuang filled the two cups with tea, put down the teapot and handed the cups to the two men. Then he stood up, bowed, and said in a coquettish manner, "Greetings to Master Zhang."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Miss Chai, you are too polite... I didn't intend to come in, but I couldn't resist Mr. Chai's invitation. Mr. Chai, I'm really sorry to bother you."

Chai Meng said, "Second Young Master, you are so polite. Since you are here, why don't you come in and sit down? Eh? The tea doesn't seem to be very good. The tea tastes a little bitter... I'll go in and find something else."

Having said that, Chai Meng walked into the house, ready to find the best tea that was hidden in the bottom of the box.

Chai Shuang followed his brother into the room and asked curiously, "Is he the second young master of the Zhang family that your brother has been talking about?"

Chai Meng asked: "If not him, who else could it be?"

"But……"

Chai Shuang was a little embarrassed and asked with a red face: "Why is it only this big?"

Chai Meng sighed, "I've told you long ago that this guy is a smart kid... Don't underestimate him. He's as talented as anyone and often says surprising things. I've read the writings of sages for more than a decade, but I'm often left speechless by his casual rebuttals. It's more like he's my teacher than me being his teacher."

Only then did Chai Shuang understand why his brother's personality had changed so drastically.

He used to be arrogant because he was facing a group of uneducated merchants. As a scholar, how could he take those low-class common people seriously?

But when he met a truly talented young man who was far superior to him in both knowledge and interpersonal skills, his temperament changed drastically.

To put it bluntly, I just don't have the capital to be arrogant.

"He is not very old, who is his teacher? How can you, my second brother, praise him so much?" Chai Shuang still looked suspicious. Chai Meng smiled and said, "Little sister, you really can't hide things... You want to ask me, since he has a famous teacher, why did he hire me back to be his teacher, right?"

Chai Shuang's face froze, but he lowered his head in shame and nodded in reply.

"In fact, I still haven't figured it out until now."

Chai Meng sighed, "I really can't hold my head up in front of him. It's really uncomfortable. But after I give him formal lessons, I may be able to find some clues and then come back to answer your doubts."

"You don't have to do this, brother."

Chai Shuang said, "Just know what's going on. Don't bother telling me!"

……

……

Chai Meng excitedly brought out a new teapot from the kitchen. After the two people's teacups were filled with new tea, the taste was indeed much better.

"Second Young Master, have a try. This is the Dahongpao I brought from Shanxi. It tastes wonderful... I usually can't bear to drink it." Chai Meng greeted him with a smile while sitting on a small stool.

Zhang Yanling said, "How dare I? How can a teacher pour tea for his students?"

Chai Meng said, "You are being too polite, Second Young Master. Actually, I have always wanted to ask you something. Who is your mentor?"

His sister asked the question just now, and he was very curious about it, so he took the initiative to ask when they were alone.

Zhang Yanling took a sip of the tea and tasted it carefully. Although the taste was much better than before, after he had drunk Huangshan Cloud Tea, he felt that the color and aroma of this tea were not as good. But when he tasted it carefully, it seemed that there was a different taste filling his mouth and chest, and his heart was moved.

Judging from Zhang Yanling's limited experience in tea tasting, it must have been brewed by a master chef of a certain level. The temperature was just right, which fully stimulated the potential of Dahongpao and naturally improved the taste... But the tea set was too ordinary and it was difficult to show its shape and color.

But to say that this has risen to the level of the tea ceremony seems too far-fetched.

"It's my father."

Zhang Yanling replied casually.

Chai Meng said with emotion: "I never thought that Zhang Honglu was so good at educating his children... Hmm..."

He got stuck halfway through his words, or rather halfway through his flattery. If Zhang Luan was really a "good parent", then what was up with the people who were shouting and yelling outside the courtyard?

The gap between the two brothers of the Zhang family is really huge.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "My brother is a little dull, not very proficient in schoolwork and other things, and he doesn't work very hard. I'm sorry to make you laugh."

Chai Mengxin said, you also know that your eldest brother is a good-for-nothing, right?

That's really rare.

"How could that be? The eldest master seems to be just a little more straightforward." Seeing Zhang Yanling drink the tea in front of him, Chai Meng couldn't help but reach out to pour it again.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "It is important for people to know themselves. My brother may be lacking in this aspect. He often needs help from his younger brothers. My father always says so. Of course, Mr. Chai can teach him more in the future and let him become a well-educated and sensible person."

Chai Meng sighed inwardly, I don't need to worry too much about making you well-educated and well-mannered, and I don't have the right to worry about it, but it is really difficult for me to teach your elder brother to be a gentleman.

As the saying goes, people with ability don't need my teaching, and people without ability cannot be taught even if I want to.

Your family hired me... but it was in vain.

Zhang Yanling seemed to see Chai Meng's concerns and couldn't help but smile and said, "My father has always hoped that I can continue my studies and make progress in my studies, but you have been with me for a long time, so you should be able to see that I am not interested in studying for the imperial examination... Besides, it is useless for me to take the imperial examination since I am in a family preparing for the imperial examination."

"You can't say that."

Chai Meng said, "Reading is always beneficial."

Zhang Yanling said: "But... it is better to have no books than to believe in them completely, isn't it?"

Chai Meng frowned: "It seems that the meaning of Mencius should not be used here."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "I would rather be an idle person now and serve the court in my own way...Please come back, and go in and out with you on weekdays. My father and mother will be comforted by this, and that will be enough."

"what?"

When Chai Meng heard this, he immediately felt that he was being used as a tool.

It seems that you feel that I can't teach you, and you ask me to be your teacher just because you need a cover so that you can fully enjoy a free and easy life?

you……

This really doesn't give me, a gentleman, face.

You are even challenging my bottom line!
"Sir, do you have the ambition to become an official in the future?"

Zhang Yanling asked casually while drinking tea.

Chai Meng put away his previous anger in an instant, and said with emotion: "When you are in a high position in the government, you worry about the people; when you are far away in the rivers and lakes, you worry about your ruler. A real man should establish lofty ambitions for the country and the people."

Zhang Yanling said: "I also think Mr. Chai has the potential to be an official. The most important thing is that he can bend and stretch, which is what a real man does."

I……

Chai Meng wanted to hit someone again.

But he seemed to understand something immediately. His weaknesses and even his emotional fluctuations were easily grasped by this kid.

Stop struggling and drink your tea.

Love whoever you want! Love whatever you want!

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(End of this chapter)