Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!

Chapter 255: Chapter 255 Cherishing Words Like Gold, It’s Late_1

Zhou Laoda held the lantern high, Zhulan, ”......don’t hold up the lantern.”

Outside it was pitch-black, and the light from the lantern wasn’t very bright. Holding up the lantern looked somewhat scary, and coupled with the cold night wind, whoever lacked a strong fortitude would surely be frightened into illness.

Zhou Laoda put down the lantern and pricked up his ears, ”Mother, the sound of horse hooves, the noise is getting closer.”

Finally, a smile appeared on Zhulan’s face. Indeed, there’s something to the saying ”great minds think alike,” her intuition wasn’t wrong.

The horse carriage stopped at the doorway. Zhou Shuren had already heard Laoda’s voice from inside the carriage, and he quickly disembarked, relying on the dim light of the lantern to see the paleness on Zhulan’s face from cold. Frowning, he took off his cape, ”Why didn’t you wait inside the house? Look, your face is all blue from the cold, and with the lantern too. It’s lucky that I have a strong mind, otherwise I might have been seriously frightened.”

Zhou Laoda, ”....”

Father’s tone was full of pity, yet his son couldn’t help feeling angry on behalf of Mother!

”Hiss.”

Zhou Shuren grabbed Zhulan’s hand in one swift motion and really pinched it, twisting twice on the back of her hand, which was already quite numb from the cold, causing real pain.

Zhou Laoda, ”.....”

What was he to think! Letting out that Father’s tongue was sharp; this was the first time he realized that even Father had a wicked tongue. He truly hadn’t expected this side of Father in private!

Zhulan thought Zhou Shuren was late because of drinking, but she was surprised not to smell any liquor on him.

Zhou Shuren noticed Laoda, coughed, and the eyesore still wasn’t leaving.

Zhou Laoda got the hint immediately, ”Mother, Father, you two rest. I’ll take my leave first.”

Zhou Shuren with a stern face, uttered sparingly: ”Mhm.”

Zhou Laoda, ”.....”

Father, it’s too late to act stern now, I’ve already seen your true colors!

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren went back inside the house, and Zhulan asked, ”Why did you come back so late today?”

Zhou Shuren was full of joy, ”Today I first went to visit a friend, and at noon in the teahouse I ran into Wu Ming and his master by chance—a rare opportunity indeed. Wu Ming invited me, so I took the chance to sit down. We hit it off well, so Wu Ming’s master invited me back for tea, and I ended up staying there for late lunch, hence my late return.”

Zhulan was happy for Zhou Shuren, who was just short of a good mentor, ”You had the chance for a lengthy conversation, it seems like you’ve caught the eye of Wu Ming’s master, Xu Jinshi.”

Zhou Shuren, with a smile on his lips, ”Right, Xu Jinshi said I can visit him at Green Mountain Academy if I have any questions.”

This was the biggest surprise of the day.

Zhulan, elated, ”Well that’s great, moving to Pingzhou ahead of time was the right choice.”

Zhou Shuren, having drunk his fill of tea, sat back with a full stomach, ”I was planning to ask Wu Ming tomorrow to take Rongchuan and Mingyun to Xu Jinshi’s Academy to see if they could enroll. But I took the opportunity to mention it today, and he told me to bring the two children over tomorrow.”

Zhulan responded, ”I will go and tell Rongchuan and Mingyun, so they can prepare in advance.”

Zhou Shuren stopped her, ”No need to tell them, there’s nothing to prepare in advance. If we tell them now, it might affect their rest. It’s better to tell them in the morning, so they can be well-rested.”

”Look at me, just excited. Let them rest properly. Oh right, the Jiang family sent their gift back; they gave me some jewelry, ink and brushes for you, and a pair of ornamental vases. I don’t know their value, can you take a look tomorrow?”

Zhou Shuren, whose brain was exhausted by the day’s events, ”Mhm, I’ll look tomorrow.”

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren washed up and lay down. Zhou Shuren, holding Zhulan’s hand, ”I won’t come back late in the future.”

Zhulan, with a smile curling on her lips, felt his concern for her having waited in the wind, ”Modern times are better, information is so convenient.”

Zhou Shuren responded, ”It’ll be more convenient when we have a young servant in the future.”

”It’s getting late, you should sleep soon!”

”Alright, good night.”

”Good night.”

After getting up early and having breakfast the next morning, Zhou Shuren mentioned going to Green Mountain Academy. Due to Xu Jinshi’s presence, the Academy attracted many seekers of knowledge each year, making admission quite difficult. It was renowned in the two neighboring states.

Zhou Shuren had told the children about the academies in Pingzhou, but they hadn’t expected on their second day there to have a chance at an entrance examination at Green Mountain Academy. Rongchuan and Mingyun were somewhat excited.

Chang Lian and Chang Zhi exchanged a look. Chang Lian said, ”Father, we...”

Zhou Shuren cut Chang Lian off, ”Wait until you’ve taken the academy’s examination.”

Naturally, he hoped that Chang Lian and Chang Zhi could become disciples of Xu Jinshi, but that depended on fate between master and disciple. As a father, he could only provide limited help; it was up to the children themselves.

Chang Lian suppressed his eagerness. The most important thing for him right now was the government examination. Clenching his fist, he knew he must work hard to pass and become a Scholar, as preparation for the future mentorship.

Zhou Shuren took Rongchuan and Mingyun to the Academy, leaving the rest of the family anxiously awaiting news.

Lady Li, concerned for her son, saw that noon arrived and they hadn’t returned. She couldn’t help but mutter, ”Mother, do you think Mingyun can do it?”

Zhulan, lifting her eyelids, ”Mingyun isn’t under the influence of you two; you should have confidence in him.”

Lady Li, ”.....”

Mother, though it was meant to comfort her, it was actually the kind of consolation she didn’t really want!