Ji Shisu didn't know what was going on. He felt extremely sleepy in Furongyuan.
Originally, he was determined to wait for Zhao Luoning to come, but he fell asleep while waiting.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning.
In order to prepare for the Qixi Festival, the servants had been busy day and night for several days.
So according to the Ji family's custom, the shop would be closed for a day today to allow the servants to get together with their families.
Therefore, Ji Shisu didn't need to rush to the shop today. However, it was the first time he had gotten up so late.
When Ji Shisu woke up, the quilt beside him was already cold. Presumably, Zhao Luoning had gotten up a long time ago.
The room was empty and extremely quiet. The sunlight shone in through the half - closed window, making the room bright and illusory.
Ji Shisu lifted the quilt, picked up his boots and put them on. Wearing only a plain undergarment, he wanted to push open the window to check the time when he saw Zhao Luoning standing in the yard talking to Caixue.
He couldn't hear what they were saying. He only saw Caixue showing her something. She was rubbing the handkerchief in her hand and pacing back and forth in the yard, looking troubled about something.
Could there be something that could trouble her?
It turned out that she was just an ordinary person, who could worry and be disappointed. It turned out that when she wasn't overbearing, she was so charming and endearing.
Zhao Luoning didn't notice that Ji Shisu had gotten up.
Just now, Caixue had brought a family letter. Recently, a batch of business firms had emerged secretly. No one knew what means they had used, but they had snatched many old customers from the Zhao family's tea house.
As a result, the funds naturally became tight.
Eldest brother didn't know whose idea he had listened to and came up with the idea of passing off inferior products as superior ones. Sure enough, within a few days, they were reported to the government, and now he was still locked up in prison.
Fortunately, Caixue found out early and ordered people to suppress the matter. All the inferior tea had been bought back at a high price. Otherwise, if the matter got out of hand, the Zhao family would surely lose their reputation.
What troubled Zhao Luoning now was finding a proper reason to leave the Ji Mansion so that she could go back to help the Zhao family through this crisis.
Just as Zhao Luoning was thinking, she felt Caixue tugging at her sleeve. She followed Caixue's gaze and saw Ji Shisu standing by the window, staring straight at her.
She didn't know if he had heard her conversation with Caixue.
She remained calm and called out to someone, instructing,
"The second master is awake. Why isn't there anyone to attend to him?"
Hearing this, the maid immediately prepared the water for washing and carried it into the room.
"Caixue, find someone to go back to our family first and tell them that I'll go back in a few days. Ask them to be patient and wait for the news."
Caixue nodded, memorized her words, and stepped back. Only then did Zhao Luoning step into the room. Seeing that Ji Shisu had already finished washing, she ordered someone to serve the meals.
As Ji Shisu straightened his robe, he asked casually,
"I saw you looking absent - minded in the yard just now. Did something bother you?"
Zhao Luoning was startled. Why was Ji Shisu suddenly concerned about her affairs?
"It's just some trivial matters in my natal family. You don't need to worry about them."
Seeing that Zhao Luoning didn't want to say more, Ji Shisu knew that it was useless to press further, so he turned to ask about other things.
Zhao Luoning answered them one by one. For the questions that were really inconvenient to answer, she just made up some excuses.
Soon, the maids served the meals. Seeing that Zhao Luoning was concentrating on her meal, Ji Shisu didn't ask anything more. Each of them had their own concerns.
Before Ji Shisu had finished his breakfast, someone was sent from the old matriarch to ask him to go there. He had to put down his chopsticks. After walking a few steps, he turned back and said to Zhao Luoning, who had also put down her chopsticks,
"I'll stay in Furongyuan again tonight. Get prepared so that you won't be in a hurry again."
Zhao Luoning was shocked. She was extremely unwilling in her heart, but she still respectfully replied,
"This concubine understands."
After giving the instructions, Ji Shisu left Furongyuan contentedly.
As soon as Ji Shisu reached the door of Furongyuan, Yuchi, who had been waiting there, stepped forward.
"My lord, you had a good sleep today."
Ji Shisu smiled. "I don't know what's going on. I always sleep soundly in Furongyuan."
Ji Shisu attributed all this to Zhao Luoning.
With her, he seemed to be able to fall asleep peacefully every time. It was as if all his troubles could quietly disappear here.
Thinking of Zhao Luoning, Ji Shisu asked, "How's the matter I asked you to investigate?"
"Your subordinate went to find some old wet - nurses who had served in the Zhao Mansion last night. They said that it had been an open secret for many years that Lord Zhao favored his wife and neglected his concubines. The second miss, Zhao Luoyue, had been spoiled since childhood and was extremely domineering. She often bullied Lady Zhao and the eldest miss, Zhao Luoning."
Hearing this, Ji Shisu frowned.
If he hadn't intervened yesterday on the street, Zhao Luoyue would really have openly offended her elder sister.
This was absolutely not allowed in the Ji Mansion.
Even if a concubine was favored, the second branch would always be respectful when they saw the first branch. The concept of the superiority of the legitimate and the inferiority of the concubine had been deeply engraved in the minds of every Ji family member.
So Zhao Luoyue's behavior made Ji Shisu suspicious, which was why he sent Yuchi to find out about Zhao Luoning's situation before her marriage.
After this investigation, he found that he really knew nothing about his wife.
She always seemed so high - and - mighty, often giving him a cold shoulder, looking extremely proud.
He had thought that she had been well - protected in her natal family.
Ji Shisu felt as if his heart had been grabbed. He asked,
"I heard that the actual person in power in the Zhao family is Zhao Luoning's younger brother, Zhao Luojing. Why doesn't this Zhao Luojing stand up for his mother and sister when they are bullied?"
"The second young master of the Zhao family is in poor health. He spends more than half of the year recuperating in a mountain temple. It's already very difficult for him to take care of the business. Lady Zhao never bothers him on the mountain with family琐事."
Zhao Luojing's poor health was not news in the circle. This business genius who was rarely seen had long intrigued Ji Shisu. However, over the years, all his invitations had been declined on the grounds of poor health.
Yuchi looked at Ji Shisu and advised, "Second master, this is after all a family matter of the Zhao family. It's not appropriate for us to interfere, right?"
"Luoning is a member of the Ji family since she married me. If the Zhao family bullies a member of the Ji family, how can I not interfere?"
Ji Shisu thought for a while and said, "Didn't the Zhao family's tea house come to us for help when they had trouble some time ago? Just say I'm not around and let them wait. Wait until Zhao Luojing or my good father - in - law comes to me. Then we'll have a good talk."
"My lord, this is after all the natal family of the second young mistress. What if something goes wrong..."
Ji Shisu remembered the way Zhao Luoning had been whispering with the maid in the yard this morning.
Could it be because of this matter?
But thinking of this, Ji Shisu got even angrier.
The Zhao family, they're really something.