Chapter 9

“Constable Zhang.”

Zi Yi walked up to her, looking a bit unnatural as he spoke.

Zhang Meng was sitting outside the teahouse drinking tea when she saw Zi Yi walking towards her, nearly causing her to choke. She quickly swallowed the tea and nodded at Zi Yi.

Zi Yi sat across from her, finding it difficult to speak: “Yesterday, I… Constable Zhang… what do you think…”

Zi Yi’s words were unclear, but Zhang Meng felt she understood his meaning and quickly spoke up: “The sachet is very beautiful, I like it very much, but…”

Zi Yi’s face suddenly turned red and he quickly shook his head, interrupting her: “Zi Yi doesn’t mean to ask about that. Zi Yi wants to ask, yesterday, what did Constable Zhang think about the actions of my family’s Young Master?”

Zhang Meng was stunned. Shouldn’t he be asking about her reply to his confession-like actions from yesterday? Why was he asking about her opinion of Xu Lu Cha?

It was true that yesterday Xu Lu Cha had punished a servant, but wealthy families often had many complicated and messy matters. As long as no one was killed, it was not something for the government officials to manage.

Zhang Meng replied: “I don’t really have any thoughts. Since it angered Young Master Xu, that servant must have done something wrong.”

Zi Yi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and said: “He stole something very important from the Young Master, that’s why the Young Master was furious.”

“Oh.”

Zi Yi asked again: “Constable Zhang has a very good relationship with the lord. Constable Zhang and the lord probably share everything with each other, right?”

Hearing this, Zhang Meng understood his meaning. Xu Lu Cha was probably afraid she would tell Zhong Huo about his actions of beating someone yesterday, so he specially sent Zi Yi to sound her out.

Zhang Meng smiled and shook her head: “Zi Yi, tell your Young Master not to worry. I’m not a talkative or meddlesome person. I naturally won’t tell the lord about yesterday’s matter.”

Zi Yi also felt embarrassed: “Zi Yi has been impolite.”

Actually, Zhang Meng did have some good feelings towards Zi Yi, but not in a romantic way. She felt that in some aspects, Zi Yi resembled her adoptive father.

They both came from servant backgrounds and were both gentle and graceful.

Even though Zi Yi had always been by Xu Lu Cha’s side, he still hadn’t been tainted by Xu Lu Cha’s bad habits of fawning over the rich and despising the poor, which Zhang Meng admired.

Having rested enough, Zhang Meng stood up, preparing to go on patrol.

Zi Yi also quickly stood up: “Zi Yi also wants to stroll around with Constable Zhang, is that alright?”

Zhang Meng nodded: “Of course, it’s just that the sun is a bit fierce and I still have to patrol for a while. I’m afraid Zi Yi will suffer a bit.”

Zi Yi: “It’s fine, Zi Yi just wants to walk with Constable Zhang for a bit.”

Zhang Meng and Zi Yi walked side by side. Zi Yi kept trying to find topics to chat with her about, but the topics were all related to her relationship with Zhong Huo.

After listening for a while, Zhang Meng couldn’t help but interrupt him: “You’re a bit strange today, why do you keep asking about me and the lord?”

Zi Yi paused and quickly shook his head: “Zi Yi is just curious.”

After that, Zi Yi stopped asking about Zhong Huo, but Zhang Meng felt he was even stranger.

Zi Yi was very nervous. To him, Zhang Meng seemed like a bomb that could explode at any moment. But even though Zi Yi was stiff all over and walked in an uncoordinated manner, he still insisted on patrolling the streets with her, which made Zhang Meng’s heart ache a little for him.

Actually, Zhang Meng considered herself to be friends with him. Usually when talking to him, she was very natural and easy-going. But now for some reason Zi Yi was so nervous that it made Zhang Meng nervous too.

After patrolling the streets for about half an hour, Zhang Meng couldn’t stand it anymore. She could only take out two copper coins from her sleeve.

“Zi Yi, let me show you a magic trick.”

“Isn’t this the third son of the Xu family? Why aren’t you boating and admiring flowers with Miss Qian today?” A clear voice rang out. Xu Lu Cha raised his eyes and saw that it was the second son of the Zhang family, Zhang Hong Yue. He smiled slightly: “So it’s Young Master Zhang. Miss Qian is a busy noble, naturally she can’t always accompany Lu Cha. But why is Young Master Zhang so free today?” Zhang Hong Yue wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief: “Hong Yue can’t compare to Young Master Lu Cha in terms of free time. In a bit, Hong Yue still has to go to the store to check the accounts.” Xu Lu Cha smiled: “Young Master Zhang is really clever and capable.”

After Zhang Hong Yue left, Xu Lu Cha dropped his smile.

He was just the son of a small teahouse owner, yet he flaunted his talents every day, how ridiculous.

Xu Lu Cha picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea, sipping it slowly.

After a while, a delicate-looking man in purple clothes walked towards him hesitantly.

Xu Lu Cha slightly raised his beautiful eyes and asked: “Zi Yi, how is it going with getting close to Zhang Meng as I instructed?” Zi Yi’s face reddened slightly and he replied in shame: “Young Master, Zi Yi has no experience in getting close to women, so…” “Oh?”

Zi Yi put a bulging bundle he was carrying onto the stone table in front of Xu Lu Cha and opened it.

Inside were all kinds of snacks – candied hawthorns, maltose, sugar sticks, roasted sweet potatoes, and many small cakes and pastries.

“Constable Zhang bought them for Zi Yi. She thought Zi Yi hadn’t eaten today.” Zhang Meng held up the sachet with one hand, placing it in front of her eyes and examining it carefully.

The sachet was exquisitely made, with fine, dense stitches. Mountains, rivers, and a fisherman rowing a boat were embroidered on it in black and white thread, looking vivid and lifelike.

The thought of a man embroidering was just too adorable no matter how she thought about it.

Although she had been living in a female-dominant world for eleven years, she had lived in the mountains before and had hardly seen any men besides her adoptive father Yang Qing. While she found the concepts of female superiority and male inferiority in this world novel, they hadn’t impacted the worldview she had formed in the modern era at all.

In the modern world, she rarely saw men who could sew. Now that she was in this world where all men could sew, she found it very fascinating.

“You’re preparing to marry him, aren’t you?” A cold voice sounded behind her.

Zhang Meng quickly stuffed the sachet into her sleeve and stood up: “My lord.” Zhong Huo had a gloomy expression: “A man has finally taken a liking to you, Constable Zhang. Congratulations.”

Zhong Huo’s sarcastic tone made Zhang Meng a bit puzzled and nervous.

But she still honestly told Zhong Huo what she thought: “I don’t think Zi Yi necessarily likes me.” Zhong Huo snorted coldly: “Although you’re annoying and stupid, maybe he’s blind.” “…” Where was the lord’s usual virtuous, steady, calm and gentle image?

Zhang Meng felt wronged. In the past two days, the lord seemed to have less of an issue with her, but it turned out to be just her imagination.

“My lord, I really don’t think Zi Yi has any feelings for me.” When Zhang Meng patrolled the streets with him today, he was incredibly nervous, as if Zhang Meng was a man-eating beast.

Later, Zhang Meng performed a few magic tricks for him and he finally relaxed a bit. But he never dared to look at Zhang Meng, instead staring at the snack stalls on the side. Although Zhang Meng was already dirt poor, seeing Zi Yi staring at the snack stalls so longingly, she had no choice but to buy him food.

Thus, half a month’s salary was gone again.

Zhang Meng said: “My lord, please don’t tease me.”

Zhong Huo’s face was cold, her dark eyes surging with emotion. After a long while, she finally spoke: “Zhang Meng, come with me to inspect tomorrow.” A sachet? What’s so great about that? She had received them too.

In Yan City, who knew how many sachets she had received from the sons of noble families, and each one was prettier than the so-called Zi Yi’s embroidery.

What was that person so proud of?

It was just a sachet, she could embroider too!

And she was sure her embroidery would be better looking than Zi Yi’s!

Zhong Huo forcefully slammed the ink brush on the table. On the rice paper was a woman holding a saber, glancing back with a brilliant, gentle smile. But Zhong Huo frowned, crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it on the ground.

That stupid person with no standards at all!

That stupid person who gets dazzled by beauty!

Did she accept sachets from any man?

What was the difference between her and those wastrel sons in Yan City who specialized in toying with men?

Zhong Huo stood up and paced back and forth in agitation.

It was just a sachet!

Who couldn’t embroider one?!

Zhong Huo opened the sewing box and took out an embroidery needle and silk fabric.

It was just a sachet!

“My lord, it’s time for dinner!” There was a sudden knock on the door.

Zhong Huo’s movements halted and she hurriedly threw the needle, thread, and silk onto the bed, covering them with the quilt.

She straightened her clothes and went to open the door.

Seeing Zhang Meng standing outside, Zhong Huo’s face was cold as she glared at her.

“I told you earlier, knock gently. If you do this again, don’t blame me for docking your wages.” Zhang Meng: “…Oh.”

Zhang Meng and Zhong Huo went to the backyard to have dinner together. On the way, they ran into Ji Ming.

Zhang Meng quickly and perceptively walked ahead, intending to give the two of them some private space.

Actually, Zhang Meng truly felt that Ji Ming was a good man. He was magnanimous, knowledgeable, courteous, and gentle.

Originally, for a son from a noble family like Ji Ming who had grown up with a life of luxury and being adored by everyone, it would be normal to have a bit of a young master’s temper.

But Ji Ming wasn’t like that. The two times she had caused him misfortune, he had spoken up for her. Not every young master would have such magnanimity.

Not long ago, because she felt bad about always bringing Ji Ming bad luck, she had been avoiding him.

When he discovered this and learned of Zhang Meng’s thoughts, he smiled helplessly.

He said: “Constable Zhang, please don’t feel guilty. You didn’t do it on purpose. And although those two experiences weren’t exactly pleasant for Ji Ming, he doesn’t dislike them either. Always staying in the inner chambers living a dull life, occasionally having a few thrilling events is quite interesting.” Zhang Meng’s good impression of him was fully refreshed at that time. Her later advice to Zhong Huo to listen to Zhong Ling and marry Ji Ming was also because of this.

She felt that although Zhong Huo was a good person and indeed outstanding enough, with her strange temper, only Ji Ming could tolerate her.

Zhang Meng looked back at Zhong Huo and Ji Ming.

A beautiful woman and a handsome man, one with a gloomy face and one with a gentle smile.

Although a bit strange, they were surprisingly well-matched.

“Zhang Meng, you come here! Why are you walking so fast? Rushing to grab food?! As a member of the government office, being so gluttonous, aren’t you ashamed?!” “…”

The lord is truly unpleasant.

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