Zhulan wanted to investigate the Zheng family because of Zheng Shi. Since the two families often interacted, Zhulan found out that Zheng Shi was someone who kept a low profile. After seeing a painting done by Zhulan, Zheng Shi unexpectedly gave some pointers to Zhulan, which surprised her. She never imagined that the reclusive Zheng Shi, who rarely left home, would be a skilled painter. Whether or not Zheng Shi was an expert, one could tell from her work.

Zhu ln was certain that Zheng Shi must have received formal education in painting since childhood. However, Zhulan never paid much attention to Zheng Shi because Zheng Shi rarely left the house, and Zhou Shuxi didn’t move in with them, so Zhu Lan rarely saw Zheng Shi.

Zheng Shi’s natal family was in Lijia Village. Zhulan mentioned it to Zhou Shuren, and Zhou Shuren took it to heart and went to inquire about it.

Zhulan wanted Li Shi to go back to her parent’s home to inquire, but she was afraid that Li Shi wouldn’t be able to hide the matter. Zhulan was not curious about the Zheng family, it was just a matter of habit. Being aware of unknown identities could avoid a lot of trouble.

Zhou Shuren went to Pingzhou. This was the first time Zhulan and Zhou Shuren separated after they expressed their feelings for each other. They didn’t think anything of each other before. Zhulan was worried about him leaving this time. Zhou Shuren was gone for seven days, and she could dream about him every night.

Seven days later, Zhulan was peeling pine nuts in the yard with her daughters-in-law. Zhou Shuren came back in a carriage. Zhulan sat on a chair and watched Zhou Shuren get off the carriage. She stood up in excitement and walked over quickly, reaching out to hold Zhou Shuren’s arm, “Why do I think you have lost weight?”

Zhou Shuren’s heart beat violently a few times. This time they separated, he felt he missed her more than the last time they separated. “I think you have lost weight. You must not have eaten well when I am away.”

Completely ignored, Zhou, the eldest, and Zhou, the second, finally understood why Father urged the carriage to travel so quickly. It was all because he was concerned about Mother. Even though the two of them hadn’t eaten anything while bouncing around in the carriage at noon, their stomachs were already very hungry. However, watching Father and Mother, they inexplicably felt full and couldn’t eat anything.

Zhulan was the first to react. She was in the yard. She saw her two sons either looking at the sky or looking down at the ground. “You are back.”

Boss Zhou, “.”

Second Zhou, “.”

“Mother doesn’t care at all,” her tone was so indifferent. “Indeed, father is the most important one in Mother’s heart!”

Zhou Shuren found there were too many distractions around, but as the head of the household, he had to restrain himself. Reluctant to let go of Zhulan’s hand, he said to Boss Zhou, “Bring down the food and fabric we bought in the car.”

Boss Zhou felt that Father was very impatient. Being the eldest was not good. He always bore the brunt of it. He really didn’t want to be the eldest. His son was the eldest grandson and he didn’t know when he would grow up and take over his responsibilities!

Zhou Shuren walked towards the house. Zhulan saw that Li Shi’s eyes were glued to the things they brought back from Pingzhou. She asked Li Shi to tidy up the yard, but Li Shi was also absent-minded.

Looking at Zhao Shi again, her eyes were all on Chang Yi, and her eyes were full of tenderness!

Zhou Shuren coughed, and Zhulan quickly followed. After entering the house, Zhou Shuren hugged Zhulan, “Did you miss me?”

Zhulan despised Zhou Shuren for knowingly asking, “What do you think?”

“Ah, this man,” she thought, “I hope he speaks out what he wants!”

Zhou Shuren was particularly satisfied holding Zhulan in his arms. Without Zhulan in their home in Pingzhou, he had no sense of belonging at all. He curled up his lips and said, “I missed you.”

Zhulan’s heart beat twice quickly, “Me too.”

Zhou Shuren lowered his head and kissed Zhulan. Zhulan closed her eyes, but soon Zhulan pushed Zhou Shuren away, “What’s in your arms?”

Only then did Zhou Shuren remember the gift he brought back to Zhulan and took it from his arms. He took out a cloth bag and said, “I attended a poetry meeting in Pingzhou and participated in a poetry competition. I got ten taels of silver. I added another thirty taels of silver. I bought a jade bracelet from an antique store. Do you like it?”

“The green bracelet, with good quality,” Zhu Lan said as she put it on, looking beautiful. “Is this also an antique?”

Zhou Shuren nodded. “Yes, it’s quite old. Because the quality doesn’t look like that of an antique, those with poor eyesight think it’s a fake. Plus, it’s not cheap. It stayed in the antique shop for a long time, so I managed to pick it up at a bargain.”

He accompanied Zhao Bo to go together, and he immediately liked it at a glance. Unfortunately, he only had a little over thirty taels of silver left. The shopkeeper insisted on forty taels of silver, and he was even considering borrowing the money. Unexpectedly, he encountered the poetry competition, aimed at winning the first prize money, and he really won the silver.

The more Zhulan looked at the bracelets, the more she liked them, “These jade bracelets can be kept as heirlooms.”

Zhou Shuren saw that Zhulan liked it and was very satisfied. “You like it. When I have more money in the future, I will collect more.”

Zhulan raised her head and said, “You won a poetry competition. I didn’t expect you to be so good.”

As for borrowing ready-made poetry, with Wang Ru here, Zhou Shuren would definitely not do that.

Zhou Shuren flicked Zhulan’s forehead with his finger, “You don’t believe your husband so much? This is an insult to my profession. It’s a pity that I can’t go back to modern times. In modern times, I wrote a lot of poems, and I wrote them all in special notebooks. Originally I was going to write enough and compile it into a book for my own collection!”

Zhulan has never seen Zhou Shuren write poetry. In the Zhou family, Zhou Shuren’s sons also studied literature for the exam. Seeing Zhou Shuren’s arrogant look, she laughed and said: “Okay, Okay, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have doubted my husband.”

Zhou Shuren pointed at his face, “I’ll punish you by kissing me.”

Zhulan kissed me quickly, “Okay!”

“That’s pretty much it.”

Zhulan asked, “How is the life of the Wu family in Pingzhou?”

Zhou Shuren had been on the road for a day. Not only did his butt hurt from the bumps, but his body bones also ached. He didn’t even need to change his clothes. He took off his shoes and pulled the pillow over to lie down, lying down comfortably. He took a breath and said, “The Wu family is doing well. It’s only been half a year. You don’t know how capable Wu Ming is. He bought the Wu family a house and moved near our home.”

Zhulan blinked, “The house near our home is not cheap, how did he do it?”

Zhou Shuren admired Wu Ming a lot, mainly because Wu Ming was really young. Just the thought of discussing knowledge with Wu Ming made him feel inadequate. Wu Ming was a genius among geniuses. Zhou Shuren had even less confidence in winning first place. “The house we bought has a courtyard as soon as you enter, costing a hundred taels. This young man made improvements to agricultural tools and was rewarded two hundred taels by the magistrate. Guess where he found inspiration for the improvements?”

Zhulan knew Zhou Shuren. Since Zhou Shuren asked, it meant that she had seen it before. After thinking for a while, she caught the light, “He got inspiration from furniture, from the furniture made by Wang Ru.”

Zhou Shuren’s eyes were full of admiration, his wife was so smart, “Yes, he found inspiration from the furniture made by Wang Ru.”

He also looked at a lot of furniture, but he didn’t get inspiration. However, it was also because he had seen a lot in modern times, and in his mind, there was nothing to innovate, and innovation is borrowed from modern times. With Wang Ru’s presence, he will not think about changing anything.

Zhulan saw that it was getting late, “You lie down for a while, and I’ll prepare some of your favorite dishes.”

Zhou Shuren nodded, “Okay.”

Zhulan came out of the house and saw the things they bought from Pingzhou in the main hall. Zhulan didn’t see Li Shi and Zhao Shi. They were probably in their respective rooms. After all, they had been separated for some time and they both had something to talk about.

Zhulan first looked at the food and cloth. There wasn’t much cloth, and most of it was food. The medicinal wine was bought for her father. Zhulan divided the food and cloth. She estimated that the time was almost up, and went out and called out to Li Shi and Zhao Shi.

When the two of them came out together, Li Shi looked happy and a little shy. She looked at the hairpin on her head. The Boss bought it for her.

There was no joy on Zhao Shi’s face, instead, she turned a little pale. This was wrong. Considering how much Second Zhou cared about Zhao Shi, he should have bought a gift.

Zhulan asked, “Zhao Shi, what’s wrong with you?”

(End of chapter)

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