Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 167 He's not a good person!
The fact that Shen Qingzhou, who was usually so aloof and otherworldly, would actually appear at a temple fair was already astonishing enough, but to make matters worse, he was with a girl! Wasn't that even more jaw-dropping?!
The pageboy had been serving Shen Zhui for more than half a year, and for the first time in history, his mind started to work in sync with Shen Zhui's.

"Who is this girl? I've never seen her before?"

Even he had never seen it before, let alone Shen Zhui, who grew up on the border!

He found a carriage to hide in, then peered through the carriage into the direction of the carriage. After a few glances, he said, "She's quite pretty, and her clothes are elegant. She's probably a young lady from a wealthy family. But why is he dressed like that? He looks like a lackey!"

The pageboy disagreed: "Even in the most ordinary and vulgar clothes, our young master looks much better than everyone else. Which servant has the same charm as our young master?"

Shen Zhui glanced at him: "You guys are all talk, always bragging."

He had no intention of admitting what the pageboy had said.

The page boy snorted but didn't argue with him. Instead, he looked at his young master and the girl beside him with great interest.

The two stood side by side, discussing several folding fans in their hands. Because of the distance, their voices were sometimes clear and sometimes muffled. But it was clear enough that they knew each other very well and were in perfect sync.

This is truly a case of the sun rising in the west!
Their eldest son has actually descended to the mortal realm. He used to speak no more than three words to a girl a year, which made everyone think he would be naked for the rest of his life. But now he has actually started to interact with girls on his own initiative!

excitement!
Are they about to have a young mistress?
With the power of the Grand Commandant's mansion, they should be able to marry her within three months, right?

We'll have a little prince in less than a year, right?

You had a son and a daughter in less than three years, right?
Great.

The Grand Commandant's mansion, so large yet so deserted, can finally be lively again.

How happy would the people in the manor be if they knew?
How happy his wife would be if she knew this from beyond the grave?
No, he must immediately mobilize everyone when he gets back to make clothes for the children, make tiger-head shoes, and set up cradles, swings, and everything else!
"Hmph, I'm going back to tell my father!"

Bubbles were flying around in the pageboy's eyes when he heard Shen Zhui's voice.

He glanced over immediately, straightening his back: "What does the Second Young Master want to do?"

"I will not tell you!"

Shen Zhui wouldn't believe him. This kid's body is in Cao's camp but his heart is in Han's. He's been with him for so long, but all he can think about is Shen Qingzhou.

Humph.

"What are you doing?" The pageboy didn't know what the consequences would be if he told the Grand Commandant, but he panicked when he heard that the Grand Commandant was up to something. He quickly grabbed the pageboy's arm and pulled him back, saying, "We should go back!"

"I'm not going back!"

"If you don't go back soon, I'll tell the Grand Commandant that you're out playing and not coming home to do your homework!"

The fan vendor was a young man with refined manners, but he was dressed in rags and looked like a scholar struggling to make ends meet.

Shen Qingzhou asked the stall owner to wrap up the fans and then gave him an extra piece of silver.

The stall owner tried to decline, but Lu Jia, standing nearby, generously pushed the fan away, saying, "We've been walking around for half a day, and it's rare that your fan matches our taste. It shows you have good craftsmanship, and you deserve it."

The stall owner blushed with shame, but he also accepted their kindness.

Shen Qingzhou tucked the fan into his pocket and turned to leave, but out of the corner of his eye he caught someone gesturing to him from directly in front of him.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed his own bodyguard.

He turned his head to the left in the direction the other person pointed, and immediately saw Shen Zhui and the pageboy pulling at each other in the crowd not far away.

His gaze suddenly turned cold. "What's wrong?" Lu Jia peeked out.

Shen Qingzhou turned around: "I suddenly remembered that He Qu is still waiting for me, so I have to go first. Let Yin Liu and Chang Fu take you back first."

After saying that, he glanced into the crowd, made eye contact with the shadow guard, and then walked into the bustling crowd.

Lu Jia frowned, tiptoed to take a look, and saw that the street was crowded with people, making it impossible to ride a horse or a carriage. Shen Qingzhou walked steadily across half the street, then turned left and entered another alley.

After a moment's thought, she called for Yin Liu behind her to follow, and quickly caught up with Shen Qingzhou.

After she left, the stall owner watched their backs for a while, then looked back at Shen Zhui, who had broken free from the pageboy and was following Lu Jia. He bit his lower lip, greeted the stall owner next door, picked up an abacus, and followed her.

Lu Jia followed and turned into the alley. There were far fewer people here, but when she looked around, Shen Qingzhou was nowhere to be seen.

"Yinliu, you walk fast. Go ahead and see if you can spot Qin Zhou or He Qu."

Even though she repeatedly reminded herself not to doubt Qin Zhou and not to dig into the secrets of someone who was truly good to her, Qin Zhou was revealing more and more flaws, which Lu Jia could no longer ignore.

He was looking at the fan perfectly fine a moment ago, but after glancing around, his expression changed. Even though his steps were steady, Lu Jia could tell he was avoiding something.

What are they avoiding?

After thinking for a moment, she suddenly turned around.

As he turned around, he bumped into someone.

"Mmmm!"

A remarkably tall boy of about fifteen or sixteen, whose foot she had stepped on, stood in front of her in a panic.

"I'm so sorry!" she said. "Are you alright?"

Caught off guard, Shen Zhui panicked and didn't know what to do: "Aunt... Sister, you're too kind!"

Good heavens! He just wanted to secretly follow her to see which family's young lady she was. He didn't want to run into her, so how did she end up bumping into him?

But no matter what, he can't panic right now!

He could yell at that weirdo Shen Qingzhou, but the woman in front of him might actually be his sister-in-law. He'd have to ask her for pocket money from now on, so he'd better watch his mouth!

elder sister?

Lu Jia looked up at the towering figure before her. Was this a rather inappropriate way to address him?

Before she could make a further move, her eyes suddenly widened!

"Run, girl!"

Upon hearing this sudden roar, Shen Zhui instinctively tried to turn around, but before he could even get going, he was struck hard on the back of the head!
Clutching her head, she turned around and saw a ragged, poor scholar standing before her, holding a large abacus high in his hands, his face filled with fear yet resolute as he blocked Lu Jia's path.

"Girl, don't believe him!"

"This guy has been lurking around and spying on you for a long time, following you all the way here. He's no good!"

"..."