Chapter 152(1/2)
The male protagonist’s best mother-in-law (thirty-nine)
Author: Salina
The male protagonist’s best mother-in-law (thirty-nine)
Zhao Qingyun will help Ji Xiaosi, not because he pities him, nor because he wants to repay his kindness.
He simply felt that Ji Xiaosi was a person worth helping.
Being born into a family like that, with such a pair of unreliable parents, it was like being stuck in a quagmire.
Ji Xiaosi did not sink, but climbed up desperately.
Zhao Qingyun respects people who work hard and is willing to help.
He believes that as long as Ji Xiaosi is given a little help, he can get out of the quagmire and reach a higher position!
Ji Xiaosi's lips twitched. He was a sensitive person and could feel the kindness emanating from Zhao Qingyun and his "respect" for him.
Yes, respect!
Not pity.
Because of the partiality of the grandparents and the foolish filial piety of the parents, the third bedroom of the Ji family was located in the back street of the academy and was definitely the object of pity for everyone.
However, Ji Xiaosi doesn't want to be pitied all the time.
He knew that the neighbors took pity on him out of good intentions and did not mean any harm.
But always being surrounded by such eyes is another kind of harm to Ji Xiaosi, who is only ten years old!
Only with Mrs. Gu and Zhao Qingyun, he is not the poor Ji Xiaosi, but a good young man who works hard to make progress.
Suppressing the sour emotion in his heart, he silently saluted Zhao Qingyun, then turned and left.
Zhao Qingyun also turned around and returned to the yard.
Zheng Wanjun, who was next door, heard the "squeaking" sound of the door shaft turning and knew that Zhao Qingyun had closed the door.
She shouted to Lady Wan, "Auntie, I'm going to walk around the street!"
Then he quickly walked out the door.
After running a few steps, Zheng Wanjun caught up with Ji Xiaosi.
When Ji Xiaosi heard the sound, he turned his head and looked over, and happened to see a beautiful picture that he remembered forever——
The sky was dim, with the afterglow of sunset, and on the bluestone street, a fair-skinned and delicate little girl walked towards me with a smile.
Her eyes were shining like little stars in the sky.
She was so lively and cheerful, and there was a temperament in her bones that made him want to get close but didn't dare.
"Zheng, Miss Zheng, you, you called me?"
Ji Xiaosi was a little embarrassed when he spoke, and his hands were desperately trying to shrink into his sleeves.
Miss Zheng is so delicate and beautiful, just like the white porcelain dolls sold at the New Year's Fair.
As for myself, I was covered in ink, smelly and dirty, like a pile of mud in a quagmire.
Just standing in front of Miss Zheng, Ji Xiaosi couldn't help but feel ashamed.
"Yes! Koshiro, is that the engraving in your hand?"
Zheng Wanjun asked innocently and curiously, her childish and weak voice completely in line with her physical age.
"...It's an engraving! However, I didn't steal it, but the master carved it and broke it and didn't want it. I, I want to take it home for the fire."
Ji Xiaosi waved his hands desperately.
The eldest son of the Zhao family just said that he cannot steal it, even if he returns it.
Therefore, Ji Xiaosi paid special attention to the word "steal".
In addition, he didn't want the porcelain doll-like Mrs. Zheng to misunderstand, so he tried his best to explain.
Zheng Wanjun: ...I don’t care if you picked it up or stole it, I just want to use this engraving as an excuse.
Although he was complaining in his heart, Zheng Wanjun continued to maintain his innocent appearance.
"Can I take a look? I have a lot of books at home, but I just don't know how they are printed!"
"...Dang, of course!"
Ji Xiaosi quickly held the broken carving in front of Zheng Wanjun with both hands.
"This is the engraving! Why is it one piece?"
"Because, because the book is a whole page."
Perhaps the distance was too close, and Ji Xiaosi seemed to smell a good smell.
It has the fragrance of osmanthus, not strong, but refreshing to the heart and spleen.
Ji Xiaosi's ink-stained face turned red.
His heart was pounding even more rapidly, and he stuttered a bit when he spoke.
"However, if one character in a whole piece of engraving is broken, the entire engraving will be useless!" Just like the piece in Ji Xiaosi's hand.
Ji Xiaosi was stunned and looked at Zheng Wanjun blankly.
His brain was running rapidly, "Yes! It can be divided into characters and carved one by one, just like a separate seal!"
Zheng Wanjun quietly retracted his hand and hid his father's seal in his hand.
"Huh? This Ji Xiaosi is very smart! He can tell you everything at once!"
Zheng Wanjun came to Ji Xiaosi just because he was a book printing apprentice at the bookstore, not because of how good this person was.
At this moment, after a short chat, Zheng Wanjun discovered that Ji Xiaosi's mind was very flexible.
Although Ji Xiaosi's name does not appear in the book, Zheng Wanjun feels that with Ji Xiaosi's cleverness, he may not be unable to succeed as long as he is given a chance.
"Did I discover a talent?"
Zheng Wanjun became excited.
In later generations, when reading novels, I always see that the heroine can help someone casually, and then she can gain the male partner who becomes the boss, the third male, or the fourth male.
Zheng Wanjun complained about "Mary Sue", but in her heart she was envious.
Now she has become a member of the army of people who travel through books, and has also met Ji Xiaosi. Zheng Wanjun seems to have heard the sound of success.
Perhaps, she, Zheng Wanjun, can grow into a great heroine even without the male lead Zhao Qingyun!
Zheng Wanjun was lost in thought, and Ji Xiaosi felt a little uneasy when he saw Zheng Wanjun didn't speak.
He asked cautiously, "Am I, what I said is wrong?"
Ji Xiaosi's voice woke up Zheng Wanjun, and she hurriedly said: "Yes! You are so right! Xiaosilang, I found that you are very smart!"
Just one point and it’ll show through!
And subsequent facts proved that Ji Xiaosi was not only clear about one point, but also able to draw inferences from one instance to another.
So, when Zheng Wanjun brought the finished product made by Ji Xiaosi to Mr. Zheng, and Mr. Zheng called Ji Xiaosi to his home, Ji Xiaosi showed off his reading talent.
He may not have the photographic memory that Zhao Qingyun does, but he can still recite it three times.
The key is that Ji Xiaosi works hard enough and is pitiful enough.
There are still some shortcomings.
This made Mr. Zheng's frustration with Zhao Qingyun instantly doubled.
Ahem, Mr. Zheng really loves talents and values geniuses like Zhao Qingyun.
However, Zhao Qingyun is so smart that he has a photographic memory and can easily recite the books he has read.
At the age of nine, he is extremely self-disciplined.
Facing Zhao Qingyun, Mr. Zheng felt helpless that he had nowhere to teach him.
Moreover, although Mr. Zheng doesn't want to admit it, there is a faint jealousy in his heart.
Mr. Zheng came from a scholarly family, with seven Jinshi in his family, and his father and son were both successful.
His father and eldest brother are both amazingly talented people.
He was the only one who was born weak.
Growing up, I took more medicine than food.
Reading and taking imperial examinations also require a healthy body.
Mr. Zheng seems to have been deficient since birth.
His parents did not have high expectations for him.
As long as he lives well and can marry a wife and have children smoothly, his parents will be satisfied.
His parents did not have high demands, and Mr. Zheng did not feel relaxed. Instead, he felt sad that he was not taken seriously.
To be continued...