Thinking of the past few days with Zhang Ru, Lin Zhaozhao felt that life would be worse than death.
Every day before dawn, he would be woken up to copy Buddhist scriptures and then kneel in the ancestral hall.
When I was reprimanded at night, I had no time to rest except for three hours of sleep.
If her mother hadn't found an excuse to take her to visit the doctor today, I'm afraid she wouldn't be able to get out.
"Brother Mingchang is very busy these days? How come you don't see Zhaozhao?"
If Li Mingchang went to the Hou Mansion a few more times, she would have an excuse to sneak out for some air.
Li Mingchang was startled, then smiled.
"I recently went out with my father and have only been back for a few days."
Zhou Yixiu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the two chatting so well.
He glanced at Wang Shuang beside him and joked.
"The two younger ones have something to say, so we older ones shouldn't stand here and get in the way.
Didn’t Sister Shuang say that she can get a new set of jewelry? How about showing it to me?"
Wang Shuang naturally understood what Zhou Yixiu meant and greeted her to get up with a smile.
"Okay, maybe we two sisters haven't seen each other for a long time.
Let’s go and catch up on old times in the back.”
Before leaving the house, he told Li Mingchang.
"Mingchang, please treat Zhaozhao well."
Li Mingchang responded and prepared to take Lin Zhaozhao for a walk in the garden.
Unexpectedly, Lin Zhaozhao stopped him.
"Brother Mingchang, I have been detained in my house by my grandmother during this time.
How about you take me out for a walk?
I’m really, really suffocated.”
Li Mingchang glanced at Lin Zhaozhao and saw that she looked pitiful.
After all, he couldn't refuse, so he nodded and asked someone to prepare the carriage.
The carriage took the two of them down the street.
Finally, it stopped at the entrance of Treasure Pavilion.
This was requested by Lin Zhaozhao, saying he wanted the braised squab from Zhenpin Pavilion.
Li Mingchang took Lin Zhaozhao out of the carriage and went straight through the door.
After announcing his name, the waiter immediately led him to the private room on the second floor.
Unfortunately, we just went to the second floor.
They bumped into their old friends, and they looked at Li Mingchang and Lin Zhaozhao behind him.
They immediately winked and gathered around.
"Oh, Brother Mingchang, is this Miss Lin from the Hou Mansion?
Seriously, seeing it once is better than hearing it a hundred times!"
They were all prominent figures in the capital, and they had also heard about Lin Zhaozhao being arrested and sent to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment.
That's why he teased Li Mingchang like this.
Lin Zhaozhao, however, did not hear the hidden meaning. Seeing how handsome the young men were, he couldn't help but blush.
"Brother Mingchang, are these young masters your close friends?
I don’t know, how to call it?”
Li Mingchang glanced at Lin Zhaozhao and frowned impatiently.
"This is the young master Wu Yong from the family of Wu Shilang of the Ministry of Industry.
The man next to him is the eldest son of Commander Zhang's family, Zhang Wang.
The last one is the young master of the Guo family, Guo Qiliang."
Lin Zhaozhao's heart moved as he listened.
"How are you gentlemen? It's better to meet by chance than to invite you. Since we met here.
How about sharing a table?"
When the three of them heard Lin Zhaozhao's words, their smiles became even deeper.
"Miss Lin is different from the ladies in the capital. There is no defense between men and women.
It's very straightforward and straightforward, so we would rather obey orders than be respectful."
The three of them surrounded Li Mingchang and walked to the private room.
Just as Lin Zhaozhao was about to follow him, Li Mingchang looked back at her and said warmly.
"Zhaozhao, I seem to have left my jade pendant in the carriage.
Excuse me, can you get it back for me?"
Lin Zhaozhao nodded without thinking much.
"OK."
After Lin Zhaozhao went downstairs, the smile on Li Mingchang's face disappeared.
He pushed Wu Yong away from his arms and entered the private room impatiently.
"It was for my mother's sake that I dealt with her.
What are you getting into? You could have coaxed her to finish the meal and sent her back.
Then I went to Baihualou to have a good time, but now I’m all in trouble.”
Wu Yong followed the door and smiled narrowly.
"Didn't I hear that your two families are determined to get married? I want to help you, right?
However, Lin Zhaozhao occupies the title of Miss Hou Mansion.
Compared with Su Jinxiu, this appearance is far behind.
I’m not bragging, I took a look at Su Jinxiu from a distance that day.
I thought it was an immortal descending to earth! I really don’t know if your brain was kicked by a donkey.
Su Jinxiu has been under your nose for so many years, and yet you are unmoved."
They are no better than Li Mingchang and have no friendship with the Hou family.
Therefore, I knew before that there was a young lady in Zhenyuan Hou Mansion.
However, they had never met each other before. It was not until the Ruyi Restaurant opened that they learned that Su Jinxiu was once a young lady from the Zhenyuan Hou Mansion.
When this matter was mentioned, Li Mingchang became inexplicably irritable.
"Stop talking, I wanted to know what Su Jinxiu is like now.
I have made her mine a long time ago, why is there any need for this?
Now, I don't have the guts to get close to Su Jinxiu.
I advise you not to..."
He was embarrassed to tell them that his injury was related to Su Jinxiu.
The three of them couldn't help laughing when they heard Li Mingchang's words.
"Why, you can't eat it yourself, and you don't allow us to taste it?
You, just guard your Lin Zhaozhao.
As for Su Jinxiu, I won’t bother you to worry about it.”
Li Mingchang couldn't help but snorted when he saw that they didn't listen to their advice.
"I've said everything that needs to be said, it's up to you whether you want to or not..."
Just as he was talking, Wang Shuncai knocked on the door outside.
"Several gentlemen are here. What do you want to eat today?"
Li Mingchang was interrupted and said angrily.
"Cook Su Jinxiu's specialty dishes and let us try them.
If it's not as delicious as Su Jinxiu's cooking, you'll have to take off your reputation as the best in the world as soon as possible."
Wang Shuncai frowned, responded and retreated.
When I got downstairs, I happened to run into Lin Zhaozhao.
The two met each other, and Wang Shun saluted.
"I met Miss Lin and said goodbye in Wucheng. This is the first time we have met.
I wonder how Miss Lin is doing lately?"
Lin Zhaozhao looked at Wang Shuncai and thought that he was Su Jinxiu's defeated general, and couldn't help but frown.
"I won't tell you whether I'm doing well or not. Shopkeeper Wang looks at me and doesn't seem to be having a good time?
I was merciful to Su Jinxiu in Wucheng, but looking at it now, Su Jinxiu doesn't seem to appreciate it!
I saw that all the guests in the Zhenpin Pavilion seemed to have gone to Su Jinxiu's Ruyi Restaurant.
I’m afraid it won’t be long before this Zhenpin Pavilion will be overrun by Ruyi Restaurant and close down, right?”
After saying that, Lin Zhaozhao bypassed Wang Shuncai and went straight upstairs.
"If I were Shopkeeper Wang, I should think about how to deal with Su Jinxiu.
This time, please be smarter and stop being merciful..."
When Wang Shuncai heard these words, a trace of gloom flashed in his eyes.
Looking at the obviously deserted lobby, he clenched his fists.
He was kind to Su Jinxiu at first, but his business was taken away by Su Jinxiu.
I wanted to take advantage of this competition to force Su Jinxiu to retreat.
Unexpectedly, Su Jinxiu refused to fight.
No, he couldn't sit still and wait for death.
Wang Shuncai called a few disciples and whispered.
Several people nodded and went to work according to Wang Shuncai's instructions.