Promise!

Chapter 121, Wen Ning

As the snow fell heavily, countless snowflakes shimmered with light, reflecting the lights of countless homes. On the white expanse of ground, a series of footprints stretched out, leading to the residence next to the Dongqiaowufang settlement.

Zhuang Jin pushed the door open and came in.

"Husband!" Chen Yun saw Zhuang Jin return, put down the large pruning shears she was holding, and went over to brush the snowflakes off him: "Why is there so much snow? Don't catch a cold, come and change your clothes and shoes..."

"I am a martial artist, how could I be so fragile?"

As Zhuang Jin was saying this, Chen Yun still pulled her to change her clothes and come out. Seeing the bonsai in the living room, she asked, "Is this a bonsai tree? Did Wei Xun send it over a few days ago?"

"Yes, this is a Chinese cypress. It has a good foundation. I'll take a look and prune it."

With the weather getting colder lately, flowers are becoming increasingly rare. Zhuang Jin once remarked that the room looked a bit monotonous, and Chen Yun took note of that, which is why she trimmed the bonsai to make up for it.

"For bonsai trees, you need to select bonsai with roots that have grown large and emerged from the soil in the shape of chicken claws. Cut them into three sections: left, middle, and right. Then prune the branches, one section per branch, usually seven or nine branches to the top... A good bonsai takes at least thirty or forty years of hard work from planting to pruning!"

Compared to her initial silence and quietness when she first married into the family, she is now more talkative in front of Zhuang Jin, thanks to Zhuang Jin's persistent and gentle teasing, like playing with a cricket.

Zhuang Jin listened to Chen Yun's words without feeling bored. The slight loneliness in her heart was dispelled, and she smiled gently, "No rush, a lifetime is long, let's take it slow."

Chen Yun was perceptive and noticed that Zhuang Jin seemed a little down when he returned today. Since Zhuang Jin didn't say anything, she didn't ask. She just stayed by his side and talked to him about the potted plants, Chen Honggan's visit today, the repayment of the loan, and the neighbors' recent situation that she heard from her younger brother.

"...The fighting between the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang has affected the lives of the people in the city... Fewer caravans are coming... The Medicine King Gang's herb-gathering boys are coming in waves, making it difficult for herb gatherers... Nowadays, the price of medicinal herbs in the city has increased significantly... Old Man Weng next door used to..."

Zhuang Jin listened quietly. When Chen Yun talked about the neighbors' suffering, she would subconsciously frown, showing empathy and sorrow, but he could not empathize with her at all.

Perhaps he was naturally cold-hearted, or perhaps... he had experienced and seen too much, just like Gao Shi, gradually becoming cold-hearted and indifferent...

Chen Yun knew Zhuang Jin's attitude towards outsiders: for example, when talking to Jiao Kun, she once said, "His suffering was not caused by me, so what does it have to do with me?" She also said things like, "Seeking the pity of the strong and showing sympathy for the weak are both foolish behaviors."

Seeing that Zhuang Jin wasn't very interested, she changed the subject, talking about the maids and servants in the house: "Xiaoxiao and Minshang, it's almost the end of the year, I'm planning to give them two more sets of clothes and shoes... What do you think, husband?"

"Yunniang, you can decide these things."

Zhuang Jin paused for a moment, then said, "There's no need to be too nice to your subordinates. Remember: a small favor is appreciated, but a large favor breeds resentment. Being too close breeds disrespect, while being too distant breeds resentment... My advice is: follow the established system, do what needs to be done, reward those who deserve it, and punish those who deserve it..."

In his mind, Chen Yun was a little too kind.

For example, when Chen Yun was arranging flowers in a vase, Zhuang Jin said, "Your flower arrangement is beautiful, but it lacks naturalness. It's not like the flowers and plants outside, which are accompanied by bees and butterflies." Chen Yun replied, "I do know a method. Find cicadas and butterflies, kill them with needles, tie them with fine silk threads, and attach them to the flowers in the vase. They will either be holding the flower stems or stepping on the leaves, making them look lifelike. However, I feel guilty and cannot bear to do it."

By observing only a part of the whole picture, we can gain some insight.

Of course, it's really nothing. As long as you're not a pushover with no bottom line, being a little kind-hearted is better than being a snake in the heart.

“Husband, I believe what you’ve said rationally, but…” Chen Yun lost her father at a young age. At that time, her mother was sick and her younger brother was studying, and they relied on her needlework to make a living. The neighbors didn’t help much, but they would occasionally introduce her to work. Her family environment and experiences shaped her current personality.

“It’s alright.” Zhuang Jin shook his head: “Yunniang, I don’t necessarily want you to accept my views. You can have your own thoughts and understanding, and you don’t have to immediately distinguish who is right. We can grow together in practice… If there are any problems, just consider it as trial and error. I’ll take care of everything!” This attitude of ‘I don’t agree with you, but I still support you’, and the tolerance it contained, moved Chen Yun deeply. In this era of male chauvinism, how many husbands could treat their wives like this?

"My husband!" she called out, rising as if to throw herself into Zhuang Jin's arms. Zhuang Jin had already raised his right hand, ready to embrace her, but she smiled slyly and said, "My husband must be hungry. I'll go prepare dinner," before turning and walking away with light steps.

Seeing this, Zhuang Jin shook his head slightly and smiled helplessly yet indulgently.

Having lived two lives, he has never been able to empathize with strangers, but he is different with those close to him, such as his parents, wife and children... Many people say that he is cold and selfish, but Zhuang Jin does not deny it, because he has always been.

Inside, under the bright candlelight, cooking was taking place in the kitchen, with the sounds of pots and pans clattering and a faint aroma wafting through the air.

Zhuang Jin was practicing martial arts in the living room, refining a mid-grade Black Yuan Powder.

At this moment, the sorrow he felt because of Gao Shi completely faded away. The cruelty of the world, the chaos of war, and the wickedness of people's hearts seemed to be completely shut out. His heart was filled with a small but resilient warmth.

……

The next day.

"What?! Gao Shi is dead?! Killed by Zhuang Jin?!"

Dong Pei was so shocked that he stood up abruptly, not only because his plan had failed, but also because he was surprised that he had misjudged the situation: "Could it be that I really misjudged him, and that Zhuang Jin is a cold-faced and ruthless person?"

"No! Impossible!"

He recalled the intelligence he had read about Zhuang Jin, pondered for a moment, and immediately rejected the idea: 'Zhuang Jin is cautious and intelligent; he probably saw through my scheme, which is why he killed Gao Shi… Doing such a thing must have been painful for Zhuang Jin; going against his conscience like this will likely damage his mental state and may even affect his future martial arts.'

The concept of mindset is vague and mysterious, but Dong Pei could only comfort himself with this thought to calm his anger, since the doctor had advised him not to get angry before his injury healed.

"Sir, Zhuang Jin has also brought you something." The man handed over a box.

"Oh, you dare to send me things? Aren't you afraid I'll use this against you?"

As Dong Pei spoke, he opened the box and discovered that it was a set of women's clothes.

This clearly means that he is petty and narrow-minded, his scheming methods are underhanded, and he is like a woman—small-minded and useless.

"Zhuang Jin, you brat, you've gone too far!"

There is no such thing as male-female intercourse in this world. Dong Pei felt greatly insulted when he saw this. His face turned red and then pale. Suddenly, there was a "plop" sound from behind as his wound burst open, and blood stained his clothes.

"grown ups!"

……

(End of this chapter)