bookpub Chapter 78 Meeting with the Zhou Family
Chapter 78 Meeting with the Zhou Family
Seeing his attire, the young apprentice guarding the shop assumed he was a young master from a wealthy family and quickly bowed to greet him, saying, "Young master, are you here to get medicine or to see a doctor?"
Chen Ye said, "Call your manager here."
The young apprentice called out towards the back of the restaurant, "Manager, a distinguished guest is looking for you!"
A moment later, a middle-aged man hurriedly walked out.
He looked Chen Ye up and down, but didn't recognize him. A look of doubt crossed his face as he asked, "Young master, who are you?"
Chen Ye remained silent, but took out a jade pendant and handed it over, then said, "Go to the Feng family and ask your wife to come over. Tell her that an old friend has something to discuss with you."
The shopkeeper took the jade pendant and examined it closely. He recognized it as a personal item belonging to Madam Zhou Yun'e. Knowing that the matter was of utmost importance, he dared not delay.
"Please come upstairs and have a seat, sir. I will go and fetch your wife shortly."
After saying that, he quickly ran out.
When the young apprentice saw that this young master knew his wife, he felt that his status was too high to be described, and his attitude became even more respectful.
"Honorable guest, this way please."
Chen Ye remained calm as he walked upstairs.
The upstairs room was small, containing only two black lacquered armchairs.
A potted asparagus fern sits on the windowsill opposite, and you can see pedestrians coming and going on the street through the window.
Chen Ye picked a chair and sat down.
After the young apprentice led Chen Ye to the room, he left and then returned a moment later to serve him a cup of tea.
After drinking a cup of tea, about half an hour later, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the stairwell.
More than one person came.
The door opened, and the aroma of medicine wafted up the stairs from downstairs in the clinic. A woman dressed in a plain long dress stepped in first.
She wore a pale purple veiled hat, her face lightly veiled, and was followed by a middle-aged man dressed as an old servant.
After entering the room, the old servant behind him first scanned the room to make sure no one was there before silently closing the door behind him.
The woman then raised her hand and slowly removed her veil.
A pretty face, yet one that couldn't hide her haggard appearance, was revealed.
This person was none other than Zhou Yun'e, the widow of the third branch of the Feng family.
She was thinner than Chen Ye remembered, and there was a hint of weariness in the corners of her eyes, but her almond-shaped eyes were still sharp. After entering the room, she fixed her gaze on Chen Ye and looked him up and down.
"You..." A hint of surprise flashed across Zhou Yun'e's eyes: "Your attire..."
Chen Ye stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Thanks to Madam, I was fortunate enough to pass the martial arts examination and am now a retainer of the Cui family."
Zhou Yun'e's gaze lingered on his plain white robe for a moment, then looked at the jade pendant at his waist, a hint of surprise appearing in her eyes.
"I do remember that when you left me, you were just a cart driver." Zhou Yun'e sat down in the main seat, her tone carrying a hint of unspeakable daze: "It's only been a few months, and you've already become a scholar."
Chen Ye sat down again and said calmly, "I am only where I am today because of Madam's care back then."
Zhou Yun'e didn't respond to that question, but instead asked, "Did you come to see me today because of something important?"
Chen Ye looked up at her and said, "I heard that your allowance for the courtyard was withheld by the eldest son's family. Things must be tough for you right now, right?"
If Zhou Yun'e was merely surprised just now, a chill suddenly rose in her heart.
This young man came to the capital penniless, but in just a few months he has transformed into a scholar, and now he even knows everything about her private affairs. This is truly terrifying to think about.
The more she thought about it, the more alarmed she became. She felt that this man was deep in thought, had grand ambitions, and exuded an indescribable danger.
However, Zhou Yun'e remained calm and said indifferently, "What happens in my courtyard has nothing to do with you, does it?"
"Of course it's related." Chen Ye picked up his teacup and took a sip of cool tea.
Zhou Yun'e sneered, "Oh, what does it matter?"
Chen Ye chuckled and said, "It's quite a coincidence. During the martial arts examination, someone tried to kill me. Guess who it was?"
Zhou Yun'e frowned and asked, "Who is it?"
"It was an examiner named Du Wang. I've already killed him." Chen Ye's tone was calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter: "Before he died, I asked him if he was sent by the Feng family."
Zhou's gaze suddenly sharpened: "He admitted it?"
"Of course not, he was already speechless after I beat him, haha..." Chen Ye looked into Zhou's eyes and smiled slightly. "But I also found out later that he met Xu Rong before becoming an examiner. And the reason he was able to become an examiner was because of Qin Shaoheng, the examiner."
He leaned forward slightly and said, "Madam Zhou is intelligent; she should understand what this means."
After listening, Zhou Yun'e still couldn't figure out his intentions, so she tentatively asked, "So you came to me today because you want me to avenge you?"
After saying that, she gently shook her head, a self-deprecating smile on her face, and said, "I can barely protect myself now, so I'm afraid I can't help you with this grudge."
Chen Ye gazed at her, his voice suddenly lowering slightly, carrying a hint of seduction as he said, "Madam Zhou, would you like... your son to become the head of the Feng family?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yun'e suddenly raised her eyes, her gaze sharp as a knife, filled with scrutiny and a hint of weighing her options.
Chen Ye did not avoid her gaze and said, "I heard that there has been quite a stir in the Feng family recently. The First Madam is stirring things up behind the scenes, and the elders of the Feng family and Feng Bainian are showing signs of softening their stance, wanting to lift the confinement of the eldest young master, Feng Rong."
Now that the First Madam is making so many moves, it's not impossible that Feng Rong might re-select an heir in the future.
Zhou Yun'e refused to be led by the nose by Chen Ye and retorted, "He killed his own brothers! How could the Feng family allow such a heartless and ungrateful person to be the head of the family?"
"What if Young Master Feng is colluding with foreign enemies or harboring malicious intentions? Wouldn't Feng Rong's actions then be considered courageous and a willingness to stand up for the family?"
Zhou Yun'e was furious and retorted, "Impossible..."
"Why is it impossible?" Chen Ye interrupted her, his voice deepening as he said coldly, "The dead can't argue. And the world isn't just black and white. You're a smart person; you should understand that."
Taking half your allowance right now is just the beginning. From now on... it will be a step-by-step tightening of the screws.
When that day comes, will you and your son still have a place in the Feng family? Will you accidentally fall into the water and die?
If you can't even see this clearly, in my opinion... Madam would be better off leaving this troublesome place, the Feng family, and returning to your parents' home as soon as possible."
Zhou Yun'e fell silent.
After a long silence, she finally let out a long breath, looked at Chen Ye again with a resolute expression, and said, "You're very smart, smarter than I thought. Tell me, what exactly do you want?"
Chen Ye sat up straight, stretched out his legs, and said clearly, "I said I would help your son ascend to the position of family head. Of course, if I could also take care of the Feng family's main branch, that would be even better."
Zhou Yun'e understood.
She suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled, a hint of allure on her face, and said, "Now that you are a retainer of the Cui family and have the status of a scholar, why bother getting involved in the murky waters of the Feng family?"
Chen Ye met her gaze and sighed, "It's not that I insist on wading into this muddy water, but the water has already reached my feet. I have no choice but to wade in!"
He got up and walked to the window, looking out at the street where pedestrians were everywhere.
Then, Chen Ye turned around and said, "I've heard everything that needs to be said. So I've come to see you today, Madam, to ask what your plans are?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yun'e chuckled and stood up.
Standing at nearly 1.7 meters tall, she appeared quite imposing. She approached Chen Ye, her breath sweet as orchids, and asked, "What do you want to do?"