Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 33: The Secret Comes to Light
Before bed, a small incident occurred: Fourth Aunt came to visit. She entered the room, closed the door behind her, then leaned close to Chen and whispered about something she had seen outside.
“Second Sister-in-law, did you hear?” Fourth Aunt began mysteriously.
Zhu Ping’an was speechless. She had not said what happened yet, but was already asking whether his mother knew. How was anyone supposed to know before she explained?
“What is it?” Mother Chen put down the shoe sole in her hand and asked.
As the saying went, one did not slap a smiling face. Chen and Fourth Aunt were not especially close, but they were still sisters-in-law. Since Fourth Aunt had come to visit in good faith, Chen remained polite.
“I just saw Eldest Sister-in-law asking Father and Mother for two strings of cash,” Fourth Aunt said, glancing mysteriously toward the window before lowering her voice.
“What?” Chen’s voice rose at once. Two strings of cash was no small sum; it was enough to cover a farming household’s daily expenses for quite some time.
Fourth Aunt quickly raised a finger to her lips, signaling Chen to keep her voice down so Grandmother would not hear. Then she continued indignantly, “Exactly! I reacted just like you when I first heard. Why should the eldest branch be able to take that much money from Father and Mother? And you won’t believe what happened next.”
“What happened?” Chen played along.
“Eldest Sister-in-law told Mother that Eldest Brother is going to the county town for a few days to study with other scholars. She says he’s preparing for the next examination,” Fourth Aunt whispered.
Upon hearing this, Chen squinted slightly, a habit of hers when she was thinking.
“You mean Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law are working with her natal family to fool us? They said her family would provide one string of cash for Jun’er’s schooling, but now Eldest Sister-in-law has taken two strings from Father and Mother. If one string goes back to her natal family, that leaves another string as private money,” Chen speculated.
A reluctant smile appeared on Chen’s face. “Surely not. Her family shouldn’t be that unreasonable.”
Seeing that Chen would not openly take a position, Fourth Aunt chatted a little longer before making an excuse to leave, apparently intending to find Third Aunt next.
Listening from the side, Zhu Ping’an was genuinely impressed by Eldest Uncle. From what he had seen of Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt, this scheme very likely came from him: first have his wife’s natal family put up one string of cash, then ask Grandmother for two strings under the pretext of going to the county to study with friends. After repaying the first string, one would still remain as private money.
It was a clever bit of sleight of hand. Eldest Uncle, the most educated adult in the household, had managed to keep everyone else running in circles.
Still, Eldest Uncle had been too impatient. Jun’er had only been attending school for a few days, yet he was already trying this trick. Of course it would arouse suspicion. Chen might have forced a smile and denied it aloud, but she clearly had doubts of her own, just like Fourth Aunt. Had Eldest Uncle waited a year or so, the scheme would have been much harder to notice.
It looked as though the Zhu household was about to become lively again.
Leaving aside whatever Fourth Aunt, Chen, and Third Aunt might do next, Zhu Ping’an rode Old Yellow out after breakfast at dawn. Besides yesterday’s fish basket, he secretly took a little salt and seasoning from the kitchen and tucked them into an old pouch Chen had sewn, hanging it at his waist.
Zhu Ping’an arrived a bit earlier today. While tying up Old Yellow Bull, class had not yet started.
The teacher came up the slope in loose robes and broad sleeves, carrying a scroll of ancient books and looking every bit the elegant scholar of the Wei and Jin style. He happened to see Zhu Ping’an bending over to tie the cow to a tree. So the mischievous child who had been playing with water and stones outside the school these past few days was actually a little cowherd. At such a playful age, it was rather amusing.
Zhu Ping’an realized that the teacher had already stepped into the bamboo grove.
“People at birth are naturally good. Their natures are similar, but habits make them differ. Without education, their nature will change. The proper way to teach is to value concentration…”
As soon as the teacher entered the private school, the sounds of children reciting the Three Character Classic rang out, each child nodding and shaking their heads as they read aloud.
Attending classes, practicing writing…
Time slowly passed, and the sun rose higher and higher. With no shade, Zhu Ping’an started to sweat a little from the heat, the sweat sliding down the side of his face, down, and down…
Something felt strange. Zhu Ping’an wondered why he seemed to be sweating so much today. It had been hot on previous days too, but never like this.
When he looked up, he found the mischievous little girl grinning as she tipped a bamboo tube and dripped water onto his forehead, drop by drop.
It was that cunning little girl, Li Shu.
“Aha! I caught you eavesdropping on the teacher’s lesson! I’m going to tell him,” Li Shu whispered excitedly, delighted to have found Zhu Ping’an’s weakness as her little legs prepared to dash into the school.
Zhu Ping’an had to admit that the sly little girl had caught him red-handed. He did not dare take the risk and could only give in.
“No, no, no…” Zhu Ping’an hurriedly grabbed Li Shu’s hand to stop her from running away.
Seeing Zhu Ping’an’s frightened expression, the cunning little girl felt quite pleased.
“You say I can’t go, so I’m supposed to listen? Hmph! Now I’m definitely going,” she declared.
The cunning little girl just enjoyed watching this little brat look scared. You want to bully me? You want to be clever? You don’t want to flatter me? Hmph!
“Little beauty…” Zhu Ping’an clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture.
The little beauty snorted softly, thinking to herself, “So now you realize I’m a little beauty!”
So, although the cunning little girl shouted that she would tell the teacher, inside she felt quite pleased.
“How pitiful. Alright, alright, since you’re so pitiful, I won’t tell the teacher… for now,” the cunning little girl revealed her proud nature, acting as if she were bestowing a favor.
The scheming little girl was shrewd enough to say she would not tell the teacher “for now,” which naturally meant she could still tell on him later if he displeased her.
When under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head. Zhu Ping’an, under the threat of the cunning little girl, had no choice but to lower his head; after all, he had been caught by this pesky girl.
“I don’t like it here,” Li Shu said, lifting her chin as she proudly walked away with her hands clasped behind her back.
Zhu Ping’an obediently followed behind, watching the proud and haughty little girl in front of him. Suddenly, he had a mischievous thought about growing up to achieve great success and taking this cunning brat as his eleventh concubine, teasing and bullying her.
Of course, this thought only flashed through his mind. Marrying this quirky, proud, willful, cunning, and gold-digging girl would surely lead to chaos at home. He certainly didn’t want to be the unlucky one.
“Why are you so slow? Are you trying to make me tell the teacher?!” The cunning little girl noticed Zhu Ping’an lagging behind and immediately raised an eyebrow in a cold threat.
Indeed, the cunning little girl was the least adorable of all!