You Promised to Be an Idle Son-in-Law, How Could You Become a Land Immortal?

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Give Brother-in-law a Thrill

The next day, the sun shone brightly.

Or rather, it was a scorching summer day.

Even in the picturesque Spring Lotus Garden, with its lush greenery, pond, and Purple Bamboo Forest, a trace of sweltering heat could still be felt.

Chen Yi was better off.

After achieving proficiency in Martial Arts, the Qi Mechanism within his body had many wondrous uses, one of which was being impervious to heat and cold.

Xiao Wuge and Xiaodie, on the other hand, were suffering a bit.

Xiaodie, in particular, hadn’t had a moment’s rest since waking up before dawn.

First, she helped Xiao Wuge get out of bed, then she attended to Chen Yi’s morning routine of washing up and dressing.

Since Xiao Jinghong and Su Zhenyue were not in the mansion, she also had to wake Pei Guanli, help her dress, and then prepare breakfast.

It was undeniably hard work.

But Xiaodie was happy to do it.

As a maid who had lived in the Marquis’s Mansion since childhood, being valued and appreciated by her masters was already a stroke of good fortune.

So, she was very content.

”Young Master, the mansion has been quite lively these past few days.”

Chen Yi blew on the rice porridge in his porcelain bowl and took a sip. ”Lively? Shouldn’t the guests have left by now?”

It had been four days since the old master’s birthday banquet, and he had stayed in the Spring Lotus Garden the entire time without going out.

It wasn’t that he was truly worried about the impact of his calligraphy or the Holy Emperor’s verbal edict; rather, it just took some time for the guests in Shu State City and the Marquis’s Mansion to depart.

He simply didn’t want to bother with the pleasantries of interacting with people he didn’t know.

”Most of the guests in the mansion left yesterday. Only the Old Duke and Mr. Sun the Elder are still here, along with a few others.”

Xiaodie answered his question first, then said with a smile, ”Young Master, I wasn’t talking about inside the mansion, but outside.”

”Right now, everyone in Shu State City is talking about your calligraphy piece.”

Chen Yi wasn’t surprised. He just said, ”Oh,” put down his porcelain bowl, picked up his chopsticks, and popped a piece of pickled bamboo shoot into his mouth, eating it with a CRUNCH CRUNCH.

Xiao Wuge followed his example, also picking up a bamboo shoot and eating it.

Then came Pei Guanli, who simply grabbed two pieces with her fingers and tossed them into her mouth, making her cheeks bulge out.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

Watching the three of them, Xiaodie blinked and couldn’t help but chuckle.

’I should have known.’

’A man as talented as the Young Master naturally wouldn’t be bothered by a single piece of calligraphy.’

Chen Yi seemed to feel he should press on, so he said, ”Go on.”

”...”

Xiaodie pouted. ’What was that saying again? The emperor isn’t worried, but the eunuchs are panicking.’

’That’s probably what the Young Master is like right now.’

But she wouldn’t get mad at the Young Master. She sat on a small stool, watching the three of them eat breakfast while chattering away:

”The young masters of the Noble Families in Shu State City heard that the teachers from Guiyun Academy adore your calligraphy, so they’ve been visiting the mansion constantly these past few days.”

”They haven’t come to bother you, Young Master. They just asked their family elders to pay a visit to the Marquis, hoping to copy your calligraphy piece.”

”At first, the Marquis didn’t mind and had someone bring it out for them to copy. But then more and more people came, so he ordered the steward to guard the gate and turn them away.”

”But still, word of your calligraphy has spread...”

Chen Yi listened to it all as if it were just some amusing story.

He knew that in the Great Wei Dynasty, many famous masters could produce calligraphy with a Mental Realm of ’blossoming brilliance’. This in itself wasn’t particularly rare.

The reason it caused such a sensation was ultimately due to the perfection of his Cursive Script style.

It was a level of mastery sufficient to establish a new school of thought, and that was why those people tirelessly came to visit.

That was also why the teachers from Guiyun Academy had lost their composure so spectacularly at the birthday banquet.

After breakfast.

Chen Yi grabbed a small bucket, caught a few large earthworms, and resumed his battle with the Golden Carp alongside Xiao Wuge.

It was strange.

Aside from Xiao Wuge, no one else could seem to catch the Golden Carp in the pond.

Well, to be precise, Chen Yi and Zhang Heng couldn’t.

Chen Yi was fine with it. He hadn’t caught a single fish in two months, but he maintained the optimistic mindset of a dedicated fisherman.

Zhang Heng, after fishing for a few days, repeatedly declared it dull and boring.

Especially after seeing Xiao Wuge pull up one Golden Carp after another, he looked ready to explode with anger, his lips pursed in a deep pout.

Having heard about this, Pei Guanli had now enthusiastically grabbed a fishing rod and set up a spot nearby.

However, she was clearly not the patient type.

Before a single stick of incense had finished burning, she irritably threw down her rod, muttering about how dull and boring it was.

Her complaints were identical to the Young Crown Prince’s.

Chen Yi remained completely unaffected, sitting as still as a statue on the pavilion railing.

His eyes were fixed on his float, but the corner of his eye twitched—in his peripheral vision, he could see Xiao Wuge catching one fish after another.

If you were to ask what is most humiliating for a fisherman, it would have to be when you’re at the same pond, at the same fishing spot, and someone else is constantly reeling them in while you get nothing.

That was more or less how Chen Yi felt at this moment.

After Xiao Wuge caught five fish in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, even someone with his calm temperament found it unbearable.

Therefore, when Xiao Wuge’s float bobbed again, just as he was about to pull a Golden Carp from the water, Chen Yi snatched the fishing rod from his hands.

”Wuge, let go, let your brother-in-law have a go... No, that’s not right. This fish is strong, let me help you.”

Without another word, Chen Yi gave a mighty pull, his eyes glued to the water’s surface in anticipation of his catch.

Who would have thought that just as the corners of his mouth curled into a smile, the hooked Golden Carp would flip over and escape the hook the very instant he took the rod.

Chen Yi’s smile froze. ”...”

Xiao Wuge wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. He just quietly took the rod back. ”Brother-in-law, maybe it’s full.”

Pei Guanli, however, burst out laughing without any regard for her image. ”Brother-in-law, so there are things you’re not good at after all.”

Chen Yi watched for a moment, then calmly retracted his hand, grabbed his own rod, and said lightly:

”It’s not that I can’t, it’s that...”

Xiao Wuge cut in before he could finish: ”Only those who are willing will take the bait, right, brother-in-law?”

”...That’s right.”

’Dammit, there’s definitely something wrong with the Golden Carp in this pond.’

’They’re playing favorites, aren’t they?’

’Fine, fine, fine.’

Chen Yi decided he would get a fishing net that afternoon. He refused to believe he couldn’t catch a single fish by casting a net.

Afterwards, as usual, he went to the study to practice calligraphy for a while.

He wielded his brush freely, not writing any specific phrases but just practicing to better familiarize himself with the Wei Qing and Cursive Script styles.

「Nearing noon.」

Chen Yi composed himself, preparing to go to Jiaxing Garden to see how Xiao Wan’er would ”scold” the Medicine Hall Master.

He had already come up with an excuse—to get a free meal.

But just as he stepped out of the wooden building, he saw several figures appear in the Spring Lotus Garden.

Who else could it be but Duke Qian, Zhang Xuan, Sun Fu, and the others?

Chen Yi glanced over, his eyes skipping past Xiao Qiuyun and Zhang Heng who were behind them. He stepped forward and bowed.

”Greetings, Duke Qian, Mr. Sun the Elder.”

Seeing him ignore her, Xiao Qiuyun’s smile faltered. She spoke up, ”Nephew Qingzhou, why don’t you greet your aunt?”

Chen Yi looked at her and said, as if only just realizing, ”Greetings, Aunt Qiuyun.”

Xiao Qiuyun was Xiao Jinghong’s third paternal aunt, so she was indeed his elder.

However, she was born when Xiao Wang was nearly forty. So while her generational rank was high, she was only a few years older than them, around twenty-six or twenty-seven.

”Now that’s a good boy. My niece Jinghong is quite lucky.”

’Good boy?’

Chen Yi frowned inwardly but didn’t say anything more, wanting to see their purpose in coming.

Zhang Xuan glanced at the two of them and said with a smile, ”We came uninvited. I hope we’re not disturbing you?”

Chen Yi’s expression turned serious. ”A little.”

”Ah.”

The smile on Duke Qian’s face instantly froze, as did the one on Xiao Qiuyun’s.

Sun Fu, on the other hand, burst out laughing. ”Qingzhou, you certainly have a straightforward personality. Not bad, not bad at all.”

Zhang Xuan was exasperated and glared at him. ”What’s not bad about it?”

Xiao Qiuyun nodded in agreement and said faintly, ”Jinghong treats you very well on a daily basis, doesn’t she?”

”My wife does indeed treat me very well.”

It was no wonder Chen Yi was being so blunt; he didn’t even have to think to know why they were here.

It couldn’t be for anything other than his calligraphy.

Seeing this, Sun Fu stepped in to smooth things over, saying directly, ”Qiuyun is taking Heng’er back to Guangyue Prefecture today. Since Jinghong isn’t here, Duke Zhang thought they should bid you farewell and have you pass on the message to Jinghong.”

Chen Yi nodded in understanding and said with a smile, ”I misspoke just now. I hope Your Grace the Duke will forgive me.”

Zhang Xuan pointed at him, not believing him for a second.

However, it was just a minor slight, and he couldn’t very well get angry with Chen Yi, as it would make him, the great Duke Qian, seem petty.

He then waved his hand at Xiao Qiuyun. ”It’s getting late. You should take Heng’er and head back. The journey will be tiring, so be careful with everything.”

Xiao Qiuyun’s expression calmed. She curtsied, said no more, and led Zhang Heng straight out of the Spring Lotus Garden.

But just before leaving the corridor, Zhang Heng turned back on his own and shouted, ”The most shameless runaway groom in history, nyaah nyaah...”

Xiao Qiuyun only gave him a token tug before letting him continue shouting.

”...”

After the two had walked far enough that Zhang Heng’s voice could no longer be heard, Chen Yi finally looked at the two elders and said with a smile:

”Now we’re even.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xuan, who had still looked displeased, suddenly burst out laughing. He pointed at Chen Yi and said with a laugh:

”You brat, you’re exactly like your father. You can infuriate someone to death with a single sentence, but then you manage to make up for it.”

Sun Fu shook his head with a wry smile. ”There are some differences. That Chen Xuanji was a calm and deeply profound man. He would never say such playful things.”

As the topic was his ”father,” Chen Yi didn’t feel it was appropriate to say much.

”Alright, if you have something to do, go ahead. This old fogey Sun and I, hmm...”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up when he saw Xiao Wuge fishing in the pavilion. He pulled Sun Fu along and headed over. ”There are fish in this pond!”

Seeing this, Chen Yi smiled, instructed Xiaodie to attend to them, and then went to Jiaxing Garden by himself.

’They like to fish?’

’In that case, it seems the Old Duke and Mr. Sun the Elder should be easy to get along with.’

’This must be the mutual appreciation that exists among fishermen.’