A ragged cub at the beginning

Tang Xu was in a very good mood early in the morning, humming a song. He was going to make money today. He had already told Fang Zijun and Du Jiarui at the end of the class yesterday that they didn't have to go to class today. After the two of them packed up, the driver from Zhou's house was already waiting at the door.

The Zhou family sent a carriage, and it was the first time for Tang Xu and Qiyue to ride in one.

The two of them, one big and one small, were all curious. They looked around and watched the people passing by through the window. But after a while, Tang Xu found it boring. The carriage was driven by the driver in the city. The speed was very slow and the chair was hard and uncomfortable, which made his brains shake.

Qiyue seemed not to notice it. He leaned on the car window with his hands and looked out with a happy smile on his face. He even found the curtains lifted by the breeze very interesting. He kept muttering exclamations and questions.

“Wow, that pinwheel is colorful.”

“This house is so beautiful!”

"what is this?"

"It smells good, and there's delicious meat."

Although Tang Xu was about to get carsick, he was very happy. Qiyue was becoming more and more like a normal child and was no longer afraid of making any noise.

When she was about to vomit, Zhou’s house finally arrived.

Zhou's mansion was much bigger than her courtyard, with pavilions, towers, winding corridors, and a new scene at every step. Tang Xu was dazzled, Qiyue opened her mouth, and the two of them were like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, exclaiming in amazement.

Green Ring, who led the way, showed a kind smile and slowed down her pace to let the two of them enjoy the view, which made Tang Xu very fond of her. Unlike those arrogant maids in TV dramas, those who didn't know would think they were the masters.

Mrs. Zhou chose to receive them in the back garden, and her two sons and one daughter were all present. Both sons were married, and they sat with their wives. They were used to their mother inviting painters to come to their house from time to time, but this was the first time for such a grand ceremony.

Tang Xu bowed to Old Madam Zhou and greeted everyone else one by one.

Mrs. Zhou had more than a dozen scrolls brought out, and Tang Xu flipped through them. It couldn't be said that the paintings were bad, but the portraits of the ancients were more about the spirit, and the form was naturally inferior to the realism. But she could roughly guess Mr. Zhou's personality from the expressions and movements of the people in the paintings.

The easel was placed outside the pavilion, which was prepared by Mrs. Zhou. There were all kinds of brushes and paints, and snacks and tea were laid out on the table.

Madam Zhou asked the maid to accompany Qiyue to eat snacks at the table. Tang Xu sat behind the easel and said, "Then I will start. Madam, do you want a portrait of yourself, or a portrait of you and Master Zhou together?"

"Let's go together." Old Madam Zhou was a little nervous. Her daughter beside her noticed it and put her arm around her and acted coquettishly, making her smile.

Based on the information he obtained and the appearance of Mr. Zhou's children, Tang Xu slowly pieced together a face in his mind.

The woman held a strand of long hair in her hand and squinted at the man beside her, her eyes were lively and a little naughty. The man lowered his head slightly, with a helpless and doting smile on his face. One hand was placed on the woman's shoulder, as if to protect her, afraid that she would fall if she walked too fast.

Two people snuggled under a tree to enjoy the flowers, two people took a boat to cruise on the lake, and a man helped a woman push a swing...

During their interaction, Tang Xu drew several drafts, including those of his youth and old age, so that Madam Zhou could choose freely.

There were a lot of discarded manuscripts on the ground. Mrs. Zhou's children had been waiting for a long time and were feeling a little impatient, but they didn't dare to show it to Mrs. Zhou.

Little Qiyue was attracted by a caterpillar and squatted on the ground watching it chewing leaves. She muttered something that no one could understand, as if she was chatting with the caterpillar.

It was almost noon, and Young Master Zhou's wife was getting anxious waiting, and was about to speak. Tang Xu finally put down his pen, carefully checked several drafts, and handed them to Lu Huan. "Madam, I drew a few versions, take a look and see if there is one you like. If it's not suitable, I can draw it again."

"Okay, you've drawn so many." Old Madam Zhou stood up excitedly. When she saw the man's face in the painting, her eyes were fixed. "It's him, it's him..." The old lady muttered, with a smile on her lips, but her eyes gradually became moist. When she saw the painting of the hair being pulled, tears fell down. She quickly raised the painting, afraid that her tears would wet the paper.

"Mother..." Miss Zhou wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and her eyes were also red. She thought that this Miss Tang was indeed worthy of her reputation. With just these, she almost restored her father's appearance, and he was still young.

Mrs. Zhou wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, smiled and patted her daughter's shoulder, and ordered someone to serve the meal. "Eat first, and go back to your work in the afternoon. There's no need to modify this painting."

During the meal, Mrs. Zhou had no appetite and was reluctant to let go of the painting. Young Master Zhou tried to persuade her, but she just brushed it off.

After dinner, only Miss Zhou was left to accompany Old Madam Zhou. The old lady suddenly said, "Brother Ce and I have been childhood sweethearts and have been engaged since we were young." When she said this, she lowered her eyebrows and smiled shyly. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes did not detract from her beauty and temperament at all, but instead added a kind of charm unique to mature women.

Mrs. Zhou's surname is Wu, Wu Zhuoyin, and Mr. Zhou's name is Zhou Ce. The Zhou and Wu families are opposite each other, and both have been merchants for generations. The goods they sell are somewhat conflicting, and their relationship is not very good. However, the wives married by the two young masters are close friends and best friends.

After the two young ladies came into the family, the relationship between Wu and Zhou eased somewhat. Later, the Zhou family encountered difficulties, and the young lady of Zhou asked for help from her good friend. The young lady of Wu persuaded her husband to lend a hand, and the family was able to overcome the difficulties. After that, the relationship between the two families became very close, and later they even arranged a marriage for their children and became relatives.

They are now Madam Zhou and Master Zhou. They have been childhood sweethearts since they were young. As they grew up, they gradually fell in love and got married as soon as they reached the right age. Wu Zhuoyin can be said to be a winner in life. She has never had any worries overnight.

Before I got married, my parents loved me and I had never been wronged. After I got married, my husband doted on me and I had two children. My parents-in-law never gave me a hard time and my husband kept the backyard clean. The only pain I had experienced in my life, apart from having children, was losing my husband.

As Zhou Ce aged, his health deteriorated. He handed over all his business to his two sons and moved to a mountain villa with his wife. During the two years, he subtly told his wife that he had a happy life and had no regrets, hoping that his wife would calmly accept the fact that he was leaving. Before he left, his last wish was that he was worried about his wife and repeatedly told his son to be filial to her.

Mrs. Zhou was smiling as she told an interesting story before they got married. On a whim, she insisted on cutting off a strand of Mr. Zhou's hair and putting it in a scented bag with her own hair to offer in the Taoist temple.

Tang Xu's painting happened to bring back her memories by accident.

After listening to the story, Tang Xu felt calmed down, and a slight envy rose in his heart. The story of Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou was actually very plain, and there were almost no twists and turns in their lives, but this was something most people would never envy in their lifetime.

After a short rest, I moved to the study room in the afternoon to color the painting. Qiyue was taken by Luhuan to play in the garden, and his laughter could be heard from time to time. He is no longer like before, and he will talk and laugh loudly when he is happy.

When night fell, Tang Xu finished coloring the painting. Suddenly, Mrs. Zhou said with a stern face: "Your painting of Brother Ce doesn't look that good."

Tang Xu was stunned for a moment and almost thought that Madam Zhou was going to default on the debt.

Seeing her frightened look, Madam Zhou laughed like a child who had succeeded in a prank, "Brother Ce is not so good-looking, but..." She paused and sighed, "Xueyu, send Miss Tang back." Then she left

Tang Xu breathed a sigh of relief and was shocked. She did beautify it a little. She thought that the person had passed away, and people would always add some filters when they recalled the people or things that made them happy in the past. Mrs. Zhou acted very nostalgic, but she didn't expect that she would say it directly.

"Miss Tang, don't mind." Xueyu explained: "Originally, the old lady wanted to let you stay overnight, but she was afraid that you would feel uncomfortable."

"It's okay, I don't care about that." Tang Xu picked up the sleeping July. To be honest, she was a little heavy now.

Xueyu escorted them to the carriage and handed over a purse, "This is the young lady's reward."

Tang Xu opened it and saw, wow! Five hundred taels of silver! She looked up at Xueyu, "Mammy, is this wrong?"

"That's right. You said before that you would only paint one, but the young lady painted five. This is what you deserve. It's getting late, and you've worked hard today. Take the child back home and have a rest as soon as possible." Nanny Xueyu waved her hand and asked the servant to set off.

When I got home, everything was quiet, with only the sound of a baby crying coming from the Zhao family.

She entered the house and was about to close the door when Dong Wanwan came out from nowhere and stopped her with her hand. "Sister Wan? Aren't you resting yet so late?"

Dong Wanwan came in and closed the door, frowning and asked, "Waiting for you, where did you go during the day?"

"Ah?" Although Dong Wanwan was enthusiastic, she was very sensible. She usually wouldn't ask about her whereabouts. She waited until so late to ask, fearing that something might have happened. She said wait, put Qiyue in the room and covered her with a quilt. Fu came out again and asked, "I went to the Zhou family to paint for Madam Zhou. What happened?"

"Have you offended anyone recently? There were rumors coming out of nowhere, saying that you were a fickle person, hooking up with men everywhere, and even gave birth to a child..." Dong Wanwan couldn't finish, "It spread everywhere today, and when you left in a carriage this morning, a lot of unpleasant things were spread."

Tang Xu frowned. There are always people who spread rumors in every era, and they are all keen on spreading obscene rumors. Disgusting! She was a little angry, but she couldn't think of who she had offended. "I don't know. I told you when I first came here that July is my sister's child. It's nonsense to seduce someone!"

"Of course I know you. The neighbors heard that you were teaching and wanted to come to your house to find you, but now no one mentions it anymore." Dong Wanwan sighed. She was thinking that if Tang Xu could receive some money to teach the children, it would not only be decent, but also she wouldn't have to go out in the sun and rain every day. Who knew that this rumor suddenly popped up, and it was difficult to find someone now. She tried to explain, but even if people believed it, they were unwilling to send their children here again.

Who wants to take care of a child? Fortunately, she didn't come. Tang Xu rolled his eyes in his heart and said, "There's no need to take care of the child. I don't have much knowledge and I don't dare to mislead the students. Sister Wan, please help me find out where this rumor came from."

"Okay, I'll ask your brother-in-law to keep an eye on you. And think carefully about whether you have offended anyone recently."

"Okay, please."

"That's not the point. I'll go back first." Dong Wanwan was about to open the door and go back, but when her hand touched the door, she turned back and hesitated, "You, you'd better not go out to the stall these two days, so as not to hear some unpleasant words."

"I am not afraid of my shadow. I am upright and I am not afraid of these things." Seeing Dong Wanwan's disapproval, she tried to comfort her. Suddenly, she thought of the five hundred taels of silver she had just received today. She should be able to buy a house with a shop in front and a yard in the back. Why not go and look at houses in the next few days? Thinking of this, she changed the subject and said, "It's okay if we don't go to the stall. I'll take Qiyue out for a walk tomorrow."

"Okay, it's good to take a rest." Seeing that she listened to the advice, Dong Wanwan smiled and went back.

Tang Xu simply washed up and lay down on the bed, still wondering who he had offended. Apart from the Fang family, the Zhao family was the only one he had contact with on his first day. The other neighbors were just greetings and smiling.

Neighbors, or the scholar from Shuxiang Street? The scholar? His words were indeed rude, but he hadn't been here for a long time, so it shouldn't be that serious, right?

Who is that? Tang Xu fell asleep with doubts. In her dreams, there was always an unclear black shadow pointing at her from behind.

The next day, they slept in late, and when Fang Zijun knocked on the door, they had just woken up. Fang Zijun ran some errands for them, and Du Jiarui also came.

Since she didn't have to set up a stall today, she simply took care of the three children for the whole morning. In addition to teaching, she also taught them games and told them stories during breaks. Seeing that it was almost lunch time, Fang Zijun and Du Jiarui were still reluctant to leave and wanted to hear the rest of the story.

After a while, Dong Wanwan came to call him, and Fang Zijun reluctantly turned back every step, saying reluctantly: "Aunt Xu, I'll be here soon after dinner. Please wait for me to come back, I'll be here very quickly, don't tell them secretly, I want to hear the rest too. I'll be here in a moment."

Tang Xu felt that if he didn't give a definite answer, Fang Zijun would not be able to leave this door. "No need to talk about it this afternoon. Let's talk about it tomorrow. You should go back soon."

"You're not going to talk? Can't we talk at night?" Fang Zijun hurried back and raised a finger, "We can talk for a while at night. I can go to bed a little later."

"I can also sleep a little later!" Du Jiarui responded.

July was not in a hurry. He was with his mother every day and had stories to listen to every day. He was so happy!

"Dandan! You haven't come back yet?" Dong Wanwan called out again, urging.

"I'm here." Fang Zijun replied, his eyes still looking at his Aunt Xu expectantly.

"Okay, okay, let's go back and eat." Tang Xu agreed reluctantly.

Fang Zijun ran away with a grin, as if he had gotten some great bargain.

Du Jiarui was reluctant to leave, and since no one was urging him, he pulled July to play hopscotch.

Tang Xu didn't urge him, and told him to eat here if he didn't go back. She told him not to quarrel or fight, and then went to cook.

Just as the food was put into the pot, Du Yun's voice came from outside the door. She shouted outside, "Jia Rui, is your uncle here?"

"It's my uncle! Uncle, why are you here?"

"You haven't finished school yet?"

"Down? I don't want to go home."

"Why?"

"I want to be a child in Aunt Xu's house and listen to stories every day."

There was silence outside the door for a while, and Tang Xu was silent too. Why was this child so easy to kidnap? He was going to be someone else's son just for a story? She took the dish out of the pot, walked out of the kitchen, and met Du Yun's puzzled eyes.

Facing the light, Du Yun squinted slightly. Tang Xu then realized that Du Yun was very good-looking, especially his pair of willow-leaf eyes, which were very regular in shape and gave people a gentle feeling. His nose was straight and his cupid lips were pink, which made him look a bit kissable.

No, no, no, what am I thinking about! What kiss or no kiss! Tang Xu blinked. Before, she only noticed Du Yun's temperament, the kind of elegance and refinement in his every move. Unexpectedly, he is also very handsome and tall. It would be great if he was my boyfriend. She laughed in her heart, rubbed her nose with her hand to cover up, and said, "I told the children a story today. They all liked it very much. I don't want to go back. I was thinking of keeping Jiarui here for lunch."

"That's so rude. It's a rare day off for you, and you're still bothering me to take the children out to play." Du Yun shook his head and looked at Miss Tang. From what he had seen and heard, Miss Tang was not as bad as the rumors said. She was cheerful and lively, reading, calligraphy and painting, and she was patient and gentle with the children.

Tang Xu was admiring his face and noticed that he seemed to want to say something, but swallowed it back and asked, "But what's the matter?"

Du Yun glanced at the two children, walked closer and lowered his voice and asked, "Miss, do you know He Xide?"