Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 195 Min Zangzhi Makes a Move

"Building a house? You mean you, a young woman, are going to build a house with those shirtless men?"

After the man finished speaking, he realized that his voice was a bit too loud, and hurriedly said somewhat awkwardly, "Miss Chu You, that's not what I meant. I was just worried that you, a weak woman, would suffer from the wind, sun, and rain."

After you marry me, you won't have to work so hard. You just need to be filial to your parents-in-law, have tea with your sisters, and manage the household affairs.

Zhou Zhao listened and chuckled coldly to himself.

This kind of person is not worthy of Chu You at all. Letting them talk any longer will only bring bad luck to Chu You.

Just as she was about to stand up from behind the chrysanthemum pot, she saw an old woman pat Chu You on the shoulder and then look sharply in her direction.

"Little girl, be careful. There are two petty thieves lurking around, spying on you. Don't be fooled by their respectable appearance; they might be child predators!"

She, Zhou Zhao, the young master of the Court of Justice, looks just like a flower girl!
Zhou Zhao chuckled awkwardly, slowly stood up, and waved to Chu You.

A fan! She wanted the fan that Min Zangzhi always carried with him!
A straw hat! She wanted Ah Huang's straw hat, the one that hid his face when he wore it!

The old woman kept talking and talking, and then pointed to Min Zangzhi, who was biting a handkerchief behind the feather fan. "Especially this one, he followed you in as soon as you came in! He's been hiding behind the fan, peeking at you. His ears are practically standing up like a donkey's!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhao instantly felt no longer embarrassed.

All eyes in the room were on Min Zangzhi.

Zhou Zhao also looked over openly, only to see Min Cangzhi's hand holding the fan tremble. He suddenly stood up, the feather fan in his hand leaving afterimages, and then rushed to Chu You's desk, his face flushed, and smashed the feather fan in his hand at the man she was on a blind date with.

Although the feather fan is light, the beads studded on it make a loud thumping sound when struck.

Min Zangzhi's chest heaved violently as she smashed the man's chest, yelling as she did so, "Do you know what you're saying? All she wants is to build a house in the capital, not to build the Great Wall on the moon. Did she say she wanted to marry you?"
You keep babbling on and on, your face is bigger than a full moon!

The man was stunned by the blow. He stood up, clutching his head, and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing?"

Min Cangzhi closed her fan, not daring to look at Chu You, and gave the man a sarcastic glare. "What do I mean? I look down on you for trying to fool a young girl. Your father is in the Public Security Bureau, not you. What do you mean by trying to get a government position? How long? What are you trying to do? Become a demon in the underworld? That's not even a possibility."

Grandma, mother-in-law, five older sisters… the whole family lives off your father's salary alone. What kind of person is in charge in a family like that? Is he supposed to feed his seven mothers-in-law steamed buns while he himself eats wild vegetables? And you really think you're so well-off?!

Min Cangzhi grew angrier as she spoke, “Even the slaves of wealthy families don’t need one person to serve seven. Oh, not just seven, there’s also you, a good-for-nothing who has no proper business, likes to drink and carouse with your cronies, and brags about how you could read at the age of three.”

Zhou Zhao listened, and almost wanted to applaud Min Zangzhi.

This fellow was clearly furious, completely forgetting the meaning of "refined scholar and elegant gentleman".

The man was stunned by the barrage of insults, and when he heard the diners in the hall pointing and whispering about him, he became even angrier. "What does this have to do with you? Mind your own business! What makes you so great? You hit someone for no reason. Be careful, or I'll report you to the Court of Justice!"

Upon hearing the words "Tingwei Temple," Min Zangzhi snapped out of his daze. He half-covered his face with his fan, not daring to look at Chu You's expression.

His eyes darted around haphazardly, and when he spotted Zhou Zhao watching the chrysanthemum pot with obvious delight, his old face darkened, and he turned his head away again. "Go ahead, and see if I'm afraid of you."

The man was about to say he wasn't afraid when he was dazzled by the magnificent gems on Min Cangzhi's feather fan. He immediately deflated, flicked his sleeve, snorted coldly, and walked out, pushing Min Cangzhi aside.

"Min Wenshu, Azhao, what are you doing here?"

Chu You snapped out of her shock and looked at Min Cangzhi and Zhou Zhao with a puzzled expression. "Why are you two angry? He doesn't agree to me building a house for A Zhao, so I don't agree to marry him. I'll just let him go."

Zhou Zhao pointed at Su Changying, "Changying wanted to eat drunken crab, but she happened to see you here."

The old woman, seeing that she recognized the group, looked somewhat embarrassed. She couldn't help but mutter, "Since we know each other, this old woman has been meddling. The world is truly going to the dogs, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be. These days, young people act so furtively that it's impossible to understand them."

Upon hearing this, Chu You bowed to the old woman and said, "Thank you for your kind reminder. If I encounter such a situation in the future, I will learn from you. If it really is a case of beggars, then I will have accumulated a great virtue."

The old woman's expression softened considerably upon hearing this, and she nodded somewhat reservedly to Chu You.

"However, the feather fan wasn't wrong either; that person wasn't a good match. A gentleman's promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold; how can someone who can't keep his promise be a good match?"

As she spoke, she took the servant's hand and walked towards the door.

Once the excitement had died down, the people around them sat back down, though their small eyes kept glancing over from time to time.

Min Cangzhi took a deep breath, glanced at Zhou Zhao to signal her not to come over, and sat down in front of Chu You.

"My name is Min Zangzhi, a clerk in the Court of Justice. I own three mansions and ten shops in Chang'an, as well as a farm in the suburbs with a total of one hundred acres of fertile land. My family was originally a wealthy merchant family in Shu. When Your Majesty was in a state of decline, my father gave his all to help you and risked his life for you, which can be considered as meritorious service in supporting the emperor."

Min Zangzhi spoke, her voice becoming a little softer.

“I have a sharp tongue and always cause trouble. A sorcerer predicted that I would be beaten to death sooner or later, and all my wealth would be for nothing. Therefore, before my father died, he did not ask for high office or salary, nor did he want a title or fief. He asked His Majesty for an iron certificate that would guarantee me a worry-free life. This is the blessing of my ancestors.”

Zhou Zhao listened intently and suddenly realized what was going on.

She knew it! Min Zangzhi was just a lowly clerk, yet he acted so arrogantly in the Court of Justice. His mouth was so annoying, but Chang Zuoping always had to give in to him, even when he was fuming.

So he was wearing an iron helmet bestowed upon him by His Majesty! An iron helmet!
"I am not very talented, but I am proficient in all six arts of a gentleman. I am also quite famous for my skills in perfumery, music composition, and calligraphy. If Miss Chu does not have any requirements for her husband to be a high-ranking official, I will probably remain a lowly clerk for the rest of my life."

As Min Cangzhi spoke, he looked intently at Chu You.

"I can answer the girl's question. After you get married, you can build a house whenever you want."

Because my true love was Chu You, who did arithmetic and built houses.

(End of this chapter)