Chapter 69: Guest of Mingzhou

  After half a month of recuperation, Shen Thirteen's illness had gone seven or eight tenths, and from now on it was all about nursing.

  Apart from Shen Changyu, other members of the Shen family remained tight-lipped about this matter and no one specially thanked Chen Jing, probably because they didn't know.

  After curing Shen Shisan Niang, Chen Xing had nothing much to do and continued to look for a place to stay in the city.

  After looking for several days, I finally found a suitable one. The owner of the house entrusted his relatives to help find buyers. However, when a buyer was found, the owner insisted on handling the transaction personally, probably because he had an emotional attachment to the ancestral home and wanted to find a reliable buyer.

  However, the landlord went to Huguang for business and won't be back within half a year.

  This thing has delayed again.

  Before I knew it, it was already late June.

  At the entrance of Qi Wan Lane, a ancient locust tree was filled with cicadas. The clear and crisp sound of the cicadas added a few points of annoyance to the originally hot summer. Warm golden sunlight shone on Qi Wan Lane, and the forest shade was misty.

  Summer has arrived just like this.

  "This day is most prone to heatstroke," said Chen Jing.

  The weather is scorching hot, the ground is burning, and even studying at home can't calm my mind. Qiwan Lane doesn't have an ice cellar to hide in, so I can only rely on fanning myself to cool down, hiding in the house and not daring to go out.

  Li Balang's enthusiasm for studying has also waned.

  Two brothers, one couldn't bear to read books, and the other couldn't go out, so they had no choice but to play chess to pass the time.

  Chen Jing played chess while fanning himself, thinking about the peddlers outside, it was still a working day, and he couldn't help but think of heatstroke.

  "We're not going out, what's there to fear about heatstroke." Li Balang vigorously shook the fan in his hand and slowly picked up the conversation.

  "Not us, I mean those who work in the fields and workshops," said Chen Jing. "Under the scorching sun, they can't help but get heatstroke, it's really pitiful."

  "You're really sympathetic." Li Balang's tone was still casual, his mind all on the chessboard.

  It's hard for him to have resonance with Chen Jing like this.

  Li Balang was born as a young master, with a group of servants serving him at home. Without experiencing it himself, he wouldn't take the perspective to consider for poor people.

  So Chen Jiong's sighs, in Li Balang's view, are also empty sighs from a high position, without any substantial meaning.

  He doesn't think Chen Jing is really a pitiful person.

  The topic couldn't be discussed further, and Chen Jing didn't say another word.

  They continued playing chess.

  "Second Master, Uncle, Madam is asking you both to come out and have some mung bean soup." Qing Yun's voice sounded from outside the window.

  Her voice was soft and gentle, like a clear breeze blowing by.

  Li Balang saw that he was about to lose, so he threw down the chess piece in his hand, casually messed up the chessboard and said: "Let's go, let's go drink mung bean soup."

  Chen Jiong smiled and followed him to Zhong Tang.

  The elder sister-in-law and Qingyun cooked mung bean soup early in the morning, which has been cooled down to clear away summer heat.

  When they sat down, Qingyun fanned them from the side.

  "I really want to take off my shirt!" said Li Balang, "This weather is too hot."

  Li scolded slightly: "You are a young master from a wealthy family, not some street urchin, why are you fighting with your shirt off? Look at Zhang, isn't he dressed neatly?"

  The straight skirt of a summer shirt is made of fabric that is thinner than that of a spring shirt, but it is still very hot and not breathable, and cannot compare with the summer shirts of later generations.

  Chen Jiong was slightly thin and sweated little. Although he also felt hot, outsiders couldn't tell.

  Li Balang was different. He and Chen Jing were about the same thinness, but due to physical reasons, he always had a sweaty forehead, looking particularly afraid of heat. He always went shirtless, but unfortunately this house was too small, without even an inner or outer courtyard, inconvenient.

  Li Balang is just talking big. If he really had to fight bare-handed, he would probably feel awkward too.

  "The Ge family next door is moving out," said Mrs. Li to Li Balang, Zhuang Yu and Chen Jing. "We've lived in the neighborhood for almost ten years, and we've always gotten along well with each other. Mr. and Mrs. Ge are both kind-hearted people who are hard to come by, and in these ten years, our two families haven't had a single disagreement. Now that they're leaving, I wonder what kind of family will be moving in next door, and whether we'll get along..."

  Neighbors get along harmoniously, and home feels warm too.

  Otherwise, there are often disputes and quarrels, making it unbearable to live together.

  The courtyard of Ge's family is a two-progression courtyard, much more spacious than Chen Yun's.

  The Ge family is in business. Their eldest son is clever and capable, went out to do business at a young age, now has three shops in Mingzhou, earning a lot of money. The Ge family's eldest daughter and second daughter also married into families in Mingzhou.

  Now, only the old couple and a few servants are left in Wangxian County.

  At the beginning of this year, Ge's eldest son advised his parents to move to Mingzhou as well, so that the children could take care of them. However, the two old people were reluctant to leave, after all, they had lived there for a long time and were familiar with their neighbors.

  Later, I still decided to leave, mainly because their ancestral tomb was originally in the countryside of Mingzhou, and relatives were all over there. Returning home is also a return to one's hometown. In the early years, coming to Wangxian County was for business, and when I die, I would have to be carried back to Mingzhou for burial anyway, so it's better to just go back.

  "Are they moving?" Chen Jiong asked, "Has their house been sold?"

  "It was sold two months ago." Mr. Li said, "I heard it was sold to an official surnamed Jiang."

  "Are you from Wangxian County?" Chen Jing asked, "What do you do?"

  "He's not from Wang County. Ge's aunt said he was from the south, spoke politely and generously spent money. He came alone with a few followers, no wife or children, saying he was here to do business." Li had already inquired clearly about this.

  Ge's aunt strongly spoke of the new owner's advantages, but Li still felt it was unreliable.

  Going out for business, being wealthy and having no wife or concubine following him is the most absurd thing.

  It's tolerable to be absurd, but I'm afraid it's used to accommodate a mistress.

  When things come to light, the big woman will make a scene at the door, which is also very annoying. As neighbors, the two families' courtyard walls are connected, and it's hard not to be affected by the repercussions.

  "What a businessman! I don't think so." Li Balang smiled and said, "Maybe it's for setting up a mistress."

  In this era, the powerful and influential families had strict rules, and people like famous courtesans or actors were not allowed to enter their homes as concubines. Those young masters, who mixed with women in the pleasure quarters outside and developed real feelings for them, were unable to bring them home due to family and clan rules, so they could only secretly set up their loved ones in separate residences outside.

  "Don't talk nonsense." Li interrupted him.

  This is exactly what Li worried about.

  It's still quite convenient for ordinary families to take in a concubine.

  Cannot have concubines at home, need to secretly arrange for a mistress outside, either the main wife is too jealous or the family status is high and cannot tolerate a lowly concubine.

  Neither is easy to get along with.

  Li sighed.

  "What's the worry, aren't we going to move too?" Chen Jing smiled and said, "In a few days, I'll go find another house. If the neighbors are easy-going, we won't rush, take our time; if it affects our lives, I'll hurry up and find one, move out as soon as possible."

  "Mr. and Mrs. Ge were good people. The new neighbors are here now, but I'm afraid they can't compare to them." Qingyun also said on the side.

  "Maybe the new neighbor is a businessman? Now it's all unknown, just random guesses." Chen Jing smiled and said, "No need to worry. When night falls, we'll go to the night market, Da Shu and Qing Yun will also go."

  "We're going, who's watching the house?" Big sister smiled and said, "Although it's peaceful now, we can't leave the house unattended."

  Chen Jiong didn't say anything more.

  Li Balang yearned for the night to fall.

  It's cooler at night.

  Talking about family affairs, drinking mung bean soup, it was soon time for lunch.

  The elder sister-in-law and Qingyun went to cook, while Chen Jing and Li Balang waited to eat.

  Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

  "Looking for you again?" Li Balang smiled and said, "I really didn't expect that you would be such a busy person. If I had known earlier, I might as well have stayed at home reading books, it's even more chaotic here."

  Chen Jing smiled and ignored his teasing, getting up to open the door.

  The golden sun is like a fire, scorching the body, even the shadows on the ground are hot.

  Chen Jiong's cloth shoes were a bit hot on his feet, he almost jumped and ran to the gate of the courtyard to open the door.

  Opening the courtyard gate, two people were standing at the entrance, also covered in sweat.

  Chen Jiong recognized them.

  One was Gong Zhili, a great officer of the Ming state, who had seen him when Wen Xiweng was ill; another was Ming Feng, always following Yang Zhihou's servant.

  "Gong Dafu, Ming Feng, you two, what are you doing together?" Chen Jing asked, but in his heart he was thinking, "Has Yang Zhi Zhou fallen ill?"

  "....Please come in." Chen Jing welcomed them into the house.

  "No, Master Chen," said Gong Zhili, "there's an urgent illness, would you please go take a look?"

  "Going to Mingzhou?" Chen Jiong asked.

  "Yes...". Gong Zhi left the way.

  Chen Jing looked at Ming Feng again and asked him: "Is it your family's old master who is ill?"

  "No, it's the old master's brother. Gong Daifu said that your medical skills are exceptional, and the old master also knows you, but he was afraid you wouldn't be willing to go, so he sent me to invite you. Please, Chen Guanren, hurry along." Ming Feng said.

  He often followed Yang Zhiqiu and when he spoke seriously, he had a few points of official tone.

  "Alright, wait a moment." Chen Jiong said.

  Li Balang also walked out and stood under the eaves of the house, avoiding the sunlight as he looked at them.

  Chen Jiong rushed into the kitchen and told everything to his sister-in-law and Qingyun.

  The kitchen was sweltering hot and Li was drenched in sweat, but she didn't care. She came out to ask: "Who's sick?"

  Chen Jiong simply said.

  Li looked at the two people who refused to enter and drink tea, feeling suspicious in her heart, thinking that Chen Jing had caused trouble, and couldn't help but worry: "You don't know them, it's not even in Wangxian County, how can you go so far? Moreover, you're not just a nominal doctor!"

  "It's Old Man Yang." said Chen Jiong, "I know him."

  He is going there.

  Li Balang ran over and asked about the situation too.

  Chen Jiong briefly said something and then went into the house to change into a clean straight robe, following Gong Zhi Li and Ming Feng out.

  Li and Li Balang stood under the eaves, both frowning.

  "Second sister, what are you talking about?" Li Balang shook his head, "Every time someone asks him to see a doctor, he runs away quickly, even faster than a servant's legs!"

  "What nonsense are you talking about!" Li patted Li Balang lightly and was very dissatisfied with Li Balang's comparison of Chen Jing to a running errand boy.

  But Chen Jing's appearance was summoned by others, and he went with one invitation, which was indeed not very dignified.

  Li also tried to persuade him but he wouldn't listen.

  Having said too much, Chen Jing was afraid of being annoying, now even Li Shi dared not to speak more, but in her heart, she was worried about him all the time.

  It's been a short while since the last time at Shen's house, now someone has come to invite us again.

  Will you be busy with these things every day after gaining fame?

  Books, I'm afraid there's no more time to read them.

  Mr. Li let out a deep sigh.