Chapter 287: Chapter 287 Tact
Xie Jingchen felt his eyes strain from reading and wanted to raise a hand to rub them.
Su Jin was sitting right in front of him, and he said, "I want to drink tea."
"Tea again?" Su Jin looked at him.
"...."
"Maybe the congee and buns were too salty," Xie Jingchen said without a hint of embarrassment or breathlessness.
Su Jin, "...."
There was no excuse she could find to refute that.
Because she didn’t eat it.
Not eating meant she didn’t have the authority to speak.
What if the cook in the small kitchen mistook salt for alkali?
Su Jin got up to pour him tea.
Xie Jingchen took the opportunity to rub his eyes a couple of times.
Su Jin spun around quickly, but unfortunately, she was a step too late and missed catching him.
She poured a cup of tea and brought it over, Xie Jingchen took a sip.
Then his torment of Su Jin escalated.
"Tired of reading, recite it to me," he said.
"...."
He got up and lay down on the small couch.
Su Jin glared at him fiercely.
It was her father who wanted him to read the "Daqi Law," and since he got injured acting as her cushion, logically and emotionally, she had no reason to refuse.
Su Jin picked up the thick book and started reading aloud.
Xie Jingchen listened with his eyes closed.
Gradually, the corner of his mouth began to twitch.
Su Jin’s reading was stuttering at best, with mistakes and omissions.
Xie Jingchen looked at her, his eyes filled with scrutiny and doubt.
He found it hard to imagine that a woman so skilled in medicine could not recognize so many words.
Su Jin’s face was filled with embarrassment.
Her eyes glared fiercely.
Three parts embarrassed, seven parts annoyed.
"What are you looking at? Do you expect a bandit like me to be well-versed in poetry?" Su Jin said righteously.
As someone accustomed to simplified characters, asking her to read traditional characters was challenging.
The text was filled with rare characters, and the problem was, there was no punctuation.
Then—
The Hidden Guard standing outside the door heard the Eldest Young Madam read a sentence.
The Eldest Young Master corrected a sentence.
A few sentences in, Su Jin looked at Xie Jingchen and said, "You already know it by heart, yet you still ask me to read!"
"Your mistakes were too outrageous," Xie Jingchen replied.
"...."
Fine, you win!
Su Jin turned a page and continued reading.
Outside the window, the sun was bright, and a gentle breeze blew.
If it weren’t so uncomfortable lying down, it would truly be a peaceful time.
South Courtyard.
The Third Madam sat at the dressing table, taking out the silver notes hidden in the makeup box.
She counted out six thousand taels.
She wore a pained expression.
Thinking about losing six thousand taels, getting slapped by the Old Madam, and being resented by the Third Master, she felt Mrs. He deserved to die.
She touched her slightly aching lower abdomen.
Thinking about spending so much money, and having the Third Master bring in a few concubines to annoy her, it felt like a knife twisting in her heart.
She tightly gripped the silver notes and handed them to the maid, "Go to the South Courtyard and find Princess Nanzhang to make up the ten thousand taels."
"Then deliver the silver notes to the Eldest Young Madam and tell her to bring the pills to the South Courtyard in five days," the Third Madam instructed.
The little maid took the silver notes and left the South Courtyard.
Peony Garden, inner room.
Princess Nanzhang was studying the accounts.
The little maid came in and whispered, "Commandery Princess, the Third Madam sent someone to get the money."
Princess Nanzhang’s face darkened.
She slammed the accounts shut and gritted her teeth, "Give her the silver notes!"
Mrs. Zhao went to get the silver notes and threw them at the little maid.
The little maid didn’t catch them, and they fell to the ground.
She quickly bent over to pick them up, feeling a bit discontent inside.
It’s not like she wanted the money, and it wasn’t for her. Why was the temper directed at her? If they dared to anger the Eldest Young Madam, she would make sure they had no temper left.
The little maid collected the silver notes and delivered them to the Agarwood Pavilion.
Xingxing received the silver notes and took them to Su Jin.
"Miss, the Third Madam sent over a silver note of ten thousand taels," Xingxing said happily.
"I know."
"Go inform the maid from the third household that I’m returning to the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion tomorrow and will bring the medicine with me," Su Jin said.
She still had two pills ready.
Xingxing looked at her and said, "The maid from the third household said to deliver it in five days."
Su Jin raised an eyebrow.
They weren’t in a hurry to need it?
But since she had already received the money, it didn’t matter when she delivered the pills.
"Then deliver it in five days," Su Jin said.
Xingxing took the silver notes to store them carefully.
Su Jin continued reading the "Daqi Law."
Reading, reading—
She put Xie Jingchen to sleep.
Su Jin, "...."
This was too humiliating, wasn’t it?!
Su Jin glared fiercely at Xie Jingchen.
Thinking about going with Marquis Jibei tomorrow to treat Old Duke Chong, Su Jin lost focus.
She went back to the inner room, rummaging through cabinets, looking for Xie Jingchen’s old brocade robe.
After trying several sets, she picked out the one that fit best. Xingxing helped her tie up her hair, put on Xie Jingchen’s white jade crown, and then reshaped her eyebrows into sword-like ones, adding more heroism.
She looked as elegant as jade, a true talent.
Xingxing even produced a folded fan, then tied Xie Jingchen’s Jade Pendant to Su Jin’s waist, not leaving out the purse.
Xingxing’s eyes sparkled with excitement, "Miss, you’re dressed so beautifully, are you going to the street to deceive some young ladies?"
Su Jin, "...."
"What about me then, I don’t have any servant’s clothes," Xingxing said urgently.
But she quickly smiled again, "If someone kidnaps Miss to be a husband in the mountains, it would be quite amusing."
Su Jin couldn’t help but tap Xingxing’s forehead with the jade fan in hand, thinking it’s not enough to kidnap someone herself, still contemplating being kidnapped.
"What are you thinking, I’m dressed like this to go out for business," Su Jin said.
Xingxing nodded repeatedly.
"I’ll go to the front yard to get some servant’s clothes and go out with Miss for business," Xingxing said.
"Don’t," Su Jin said.
Anything they did would cause gossip.
Disguising as a man to go out, anyone with common sense would know it’s against the family rules. If Princess Nanzhang caught her, she would definitely be punished with kneeling again.
Xingxing looked at her.
If she didn’t go, the clothes wouldn’t magically appear in her hands.
"I’ll go to find Master’s entourage for them," Xingxing said ingeniously.
She rushed out like a gust of wind.
The Hidden Guard looked at her expressionlessly, "You won’t fit into my clothes."
"I want your old clothes," Xingxing said.
"I don’t have old clothes."
"...."
"Why don’t you have old clothes?"
"Did you not wear clothes before?" Xingxing asked seriously.
Not lending her clothes is one thing.
But trying to fool her?
Not a chance!
The Hidden Guard, "...."
As servants, how many clothes do they have? Which piece isn’t worn until torn?
"Do you have any old clothes that aren’t torn?" the Hidden Guard asked tactfully.
"I do," Xingxing said.
"And quite a few."
"...."
What could the Hidden Guard say?
He quietly said, "I’ll go look."
The Hidden Guard returned to his quarters, rummaging around, eventually finding two old clothes that Xingxing could wear.
Xingxing was delighted and wanted to try them on first.
As soon as she draped one on, her arm got stuck, and it tore.
Her face reddened as she looked at the Hidden Guard.
The Hidden Guard, whose face had not reddened in years, almost looked like it was burning with embarrassment.
"I’ll go to the embroidery room and get you some servant’s clothes instead."
Before he finished speaking, he jumped up and disappeared from Xingxing’s sight.