Chapter 22 What is Rectangular

  The sun rises in the west and sets in the east, just like fate pushes you forward, whether it's pushing, blocking or pulling you, you still have to take a step. Xia Zhiqi is a lazy person who hates doing things that are "self-deceiving, deceiving others, and being deceived by others". So now, she follows her fate, not seeking to leave a name in history books, but just to keep her small life.

  "Chu Qi, I want to ask you for a favor—"

  The soft voice of Mei was as low as a mosquito's hum, but it interrupted her transcendental philosophical thoughts.

  "What?"

  She glanced at her, and Mei Zi hesitated. She didn't know why, but Chu Qi and the other servants in front of him were actually no different, with the same blue cloth shirts and the same linen shoes and belts, but she felt that Chu Qi was different. Not only did Master treat her differently, but even the aura emanating from her seemed to make her feel a little inferior.

  "Is it hard to say?"

  She paused, hummed a sound, swung her sleeve and quickened her pace. "Then let's not mention it."

  "Ah, Chu Qi..." Mei Zi grasped her sleeve and bit her lower lip, "I'll say it, I'll say it."

  Xia Zhong Qi cried and laughed at the same time, she's really a little girl.

  Of course, she forgot that in other people's eyes, she was just a little girl.

  "Chu Qi, look at my face, these past few days I don't know what's wrong with it, but a lot of acne has grown...I'm afraid Yue Yu sister will think I'm ugly and won't let me serve grandfather anymore. I, I want to ask for your help..."

  On the seventh day of summer, she measured her past. This plum blossom combed a braid, wore a green jacket, round face white and powdery, very lovely, but on her face grew many large and small red grains, which really affected the appearance.

  With a sly wink, she smiled and asked, "What can I help you with?"

  "Meizi pouted, 'I've seen Dr. Sun and taken a lot of medicine, but it's not getting any better, in fact, it's getting worse. Dr. Sun said he wasn't good at this kind of thing, but he also said that your medical skills are excellent, Chu Qi. You must have a way to fix this, right?'"

  Of course there is a way.

  Possible, but the method isn't used casually...

  After some thought, she seemed particularly troubled and scratched her head, saying bitterly, "This is a very rare skin disease, except for me, I'm afraid no one can cure it. But what's the benefit of this hard work for me?"

  Plum suddenly became anxious and grabbed her sleeve, refusing to let go.

  "Good sister, help me out, I'll listen to you from now on."

  "Is that so?" Glancing over at the inn, Xia Chuqi let out a difficult sigh. "But I don't trust you. Because your master is a big scammer, and you must be a little scammer too."

  As soon as the words came out, Mei Zi was so scared that her face turned white, and she raised her finger to make a "shh" gesture. "Chu Qi, this is something you can't say, or it'll cost you your head." After thinking for a moment, she felt that Chu Qi often offended Master, but no matter how much he scolded or beat him, he never killed him. She couldn't help but pout and said, "Master won't want your head, but he might want mine... Good sister, what can I do to make you trust me?"

  Xia Chuqi hugged her arm and smiled mischievously, "Go ahead, scold me once, Zhao Zhuang is a bastard. I'll believe you then."

  "Ah!?" Mei Zi stomped her foot, almost in tears. "No, no way. I'm Grandfather's slave, his person. If I don't serve him with loyalty, I'll be struck by lightning from heaven. Good sister, can we change it? Change it to 'Mei Zi is a fool', okay?"

  Looking at her pitiful and coquettish appearance, Xia Chuyi's heart softened.

  Feudal etiquette and moral teachings are actually harmful to people.

  She can't even reform Mei Zi's three views.

  The bad girl hooked down her lip, she hugged Mei's arm, and walked while saying, "You really look pitiful, so I'll help you this one time. But you owe me such a big favor, from now on you're my person, whatever small news there is, must tell me first. Got it?"

  Plum didn't object, nodded heavily and said, "Okay, I'll listen to sister."

  "Good girl!" With a smile, Xia Chuqi pinched her round face, revealing eight pearly white teeth. "I'll head back to Hui Chun Tang to get some things and I'll have your prescription ready for you."

  To facilitate serving Zhao Zun, the post house was set up as a living quarters for his personal attendants, just east of the Jade Emperor Pavilion. On the seventh day of summer, Xia and Mei Zi walked together through the kitchen, woodshed, warehouse, and around a well, and the west wing was in front of them.

  Before they entered the yard, she saw a big guy sitting at the gate. With his head hung low, he occasionally looked towards the entrance, with a look of grievance and loss on his face, yet he still hadn't noticed them walking up from the side.

  "Idiot!"

  At the beginning of summer, a soft call came from behind, and the fool suddenly turned around, staring at her with a pair of red eyes like a rabbit, rushing over like the wind, almost knocking her down, before tightly hugging her.

  "Grass, I've found you, I've finally found you..."

  His excitement was not fake, his jumping for joy was truly genuine. This man who had known her for a short time, or rather this child whose intelligence had yet to mature, every time he saw her would use this posture. Either protecting, relying on, or foolishly, but with all his heart and sincerity wishing her well.

  Her nose stung for a moment, she gently patted his back, smiling and comforting him.

  "It's okay, it's okay, be good."

  The fool sniffled, seemingly suddenly thought of something delightful, quickly let go of his hand, one hand hastily rummaged into his bosom, pulled out an oil-paper package and handed it to her with a flattering smile.

  "Grass, for you..."

  "Huh? What's this?" Xia Chuqi lifted up the oil paper bag.

  "Baozi, white baozi, with meat filling, delicious."

  Xia Qi's eyes widened as she stood there, speechless. Mei Zi, on the other hand, couldn't help but smile mischievously, "Chu Qi, your silly brother got a meat bun and didn't dare eat it, hiding it in his arms every day, saying you love to eat meat."

  Eating meat...

  He still remembers.

  Xia Qi's throat choked, and she opened the oiled paper package to find that the meat bun had been squeezed out of shape and looked like it had gone bad. She felt both like crying and laughing, and as she thought about it, her breath caught in her throat. With a burst of strength, she twisted Xiao Bai's arm.

  "You big fool, I told you not to eat it and now it's all spoiled. Don't let this happen again, did you hear me?"

  She pinched his arm, but he just smiled foolishly with a wide grin.

  "Grass, Wang Ye is a good person, the meat bun that the fool ate was given by Wang Ye."

  "Good person?"

  On the seventh day of summer, she gritted her teeth and poked his chest hard, "You're really stupid when I say you are."

  If Zhao Ziyu was a good person, then there would be no bad people in the world.

  However, she glanced at Mei Zi Xiao Yan, Zhao Zhu's die-hard fan, and didn't dare to tell the fool directly that the "good person" in his mouth was actually a real big bad egg.

  As she thought of this, she suddenly had an epiphany. She must draw a clear line with the fool first, so that he wouldn't become Zhao's leverage to blackmail her, and then in the future, Xia Chuqi would be free to go wherever she wanted.

  "Fool, you go back to the village first, okay?"

  The fool stared blankly at her, his big head tilted as if he didn't quite understand.

  "Grass, aren't you coming back?"

  On the seventh day of summer, her heart and mouth tightened, and she hesitated, "I... uh..."

  He patted his head, and the fool seemed to have reacted, turning his back and squatting in front of her, patting his own big shoulders again. "Grass, you must be tired. Come on, I'll carry you home..."

  Home...

  Where did she come from?

  Coming into this world alone, every single blade of grass has its roots, but she doesn't.

  The fool waited for her for a long time without moving, turned his head to take a look, suddenly became furious, came over and carried her on his back, rushing out without saying a word.

  "Our home is gone, our home is gone...... We are no longer here, even if there's meat to eat, we're still not here..."

  Foolish as he is, how can he understand the underlying reasons? And how can he comprehend that one cannot leave just because they want to? No matter what Xia Qi says, he refuses to let go and doesn't care that Mei Zi is anxiously chasing after him. With each step getting bigger, relying on his brute strength, he charges from the west wing of the mansion towards the western city gate of the post station.

  They hadn't reached the city gate yet when they saw a group of people coming from the post house.

  Apart from Zhao Zilong in his black golden armor, gripping a dark horse whip, there were also Zheng Erbao and about ten personal bodyguards standing beside him.

  He reined in his horse and gave a cold, sweeping glance over them.

  Zheng Er Bao was a mischievous monkey spirit. As soon as he saw his master's unpredictable face, he let out a low growl in a sharp voice.

  "Hey, you fool, aren't you going to put him down? This isn't your own home, have some manners."

  The fool glanced at Zhao Zhu with a timid look, but still stubbornly refused to let go, "We're going home, not staying here."

  Zhao Zun pursed his lips and didn't speak, but Zheng Er Bao felt a headache coming on.

  He, this arrogant master, was often aloof and difficult to understand. What exactly he had in mind, even he himself couldn't be sure. But that fool was also someone who couldn't be reasoned with. What to do? He lowered his head and gave a signal with his eyes to the two bodyguards, and they drew their swords and strode quickly towards the fool.

  "Halt! What are you doing?" Zhao suddenly shouted coldly.

  Two bodyguards stopped in their tracks and turned around to look at him.

  "Everyone get out!"

  Zhao Zun coldly spat out a sentence, his tone sharp as a knife edge. In the cloak wrapped with gold trim, the black and gold armor reflected a faint glow. The chill was so intense that it made one's bones ache with cold.

  "Zheng Er Bao!"

  "Father..." Zheng Er Bao cautiously stepped forward.

  He glanced at Xia Zhongqi and frowned, saying coldly, "Let someone teach her some discipline."

  After finishing speaking, he heavily grasped his cloak and led a group of bodyguards on horseback away.

  Only the faint echo remained, cold and desolate, reverberating softly in the courtyard, unusually startling.

  Digression

  Don't look at this nineteen-year-old being so arrogant, it's said that later on, when he discovered his position in a certain woman's heart wasn't even as good as an idiot's, he was so pathetic he wanted to bang his head against the wall...

  Mini Theater Broadcast

  Nineteen Master (hatefully): Fool, why are you competing with me for the daughter-in-law? Do you know what a daughter-in-law is used for?

  Fool (glancing at him): Of course I know, it's for eating.

  Nineteen Master (helplessly): Do you know how to eat?

  Dummy (shy): ......

  Nineteen Grandfather (his face turned green).

  Fool (suddenly raising his head): It's just that my wife can make many delicious dishes...

  Nineteen (raising an eyebrow): I can also give you a lot of delicious food, more than she gives you.

  Fool (with a weird expression): But can you give birth to babies?