Zheng Xiao Mistake: The Mistake of Rebirth Provoked the Cold Master

"Of course it's that kind of thing. You can't just tie a belly out of thin air to scare people, right?" Shopkeeper Huang joked with a smile.

It took Zhu Zheng a while to understand what was going on. She suddenly recalled the only vague experience of "success" she had with a certain adult at the Waterside Poetry Party, and her face became inexplicably hot.

"Oh, I, about, three or four months ago..."

"Then choose this one. You have a delicate frame, so you won't see anything in three or four months. Wait a month and come back to me to exchange it for a bigger one."

Shopkeeper Huang picked out a cowhide tripe and then reminded her as if he had remembered something, "But I don't sell cowhide babies here. When they are nine months old, you have to find a way to continue your performance."

Zhu Zheng nodded and said, "The child is real."

Shopkeeper Huang was stunned for a moment.

Zhu Zheng quickly corrected her, "I mean, it's not necessary to wait until the time comes to look after the child."

"That's right, no one can sing to the end when they fake pregnancy to win favor."

Shopkeeper Huang pointed to a row of dusty wooden shelves not far away and said, "Look, nine-month-old bellies can't even be sold. So much good cowhide is wasted."

Zhu Zheng looked up and saw a row of lifelike cow stomachs on the wooden shelf. They looked scary big.

When my sister’s belly gets this big, I don’t know what will happen. Will I be able to keep the news a secret and not leave the Zhu residence?

Finally, Zhu Zheng returned home with the fake belly she had bought. She waited anxiously until late at night when everyone was asleep. Only then did she dare to secretly get up, tie the fake belly tightly around her waist, and start rehearsing her plan for tomorrow in front of the mirror.

The plan was this: tomorrow she would deliberately arouse her grandmother's suspicion, draw attention to herself, and then reveal some flaws. She would then cry in panic and say that she had made a mistake, pretending to be pitiful, appearing to be helpless and desperate, and begging her grandmother for protection.

Of course her grandmother would not pity her, but she had no choice but to protect her or not.

She didn't know how severe the punishment would be. She would definitely be beaten and made to kneel in the ancestral hall. If her sister were to bear the consequences, she might even have a miscarriage.

It would be more cost-effective for her to kneel down and take the punishment.

Anyway, it was impossible for her to be beaten to death. By then, when the grandmother had calmed down and saw that her "child" was still so strong and unyielding, she would definitely not force him to drink a bowl of abortion medicine. After all, this was a matter of one death and two lives, which was a total loss for the grandmother, so she would definitely not take the risk.

After the calming process was over and her grandmother calmed down and started to think of ways to help her, she would react accordingly and see how her grandmother would react. When she seemed to be able to accept the situation, she would find a chance to tell her the truth: it was her sister who was pregnant.

The bolt from the blue struck for the second time. My grandmother couldn't let this madness happen again.

In fact, losing your temper is an intense and passionate act that requires both hands and brain, and is very physically demanding. At my grandmother's age, she will definitely not be able to lose her temper again in the short term.

Zhu Zheng's plan was rather crude, and there might be unexpected problems at any stage, but it was feasible. After all, she had lived with her grandmother for nearly twenty years and had already fully understood her temperament and character.

Of course, my sister must not know about this plan, otherwise she would definitely not agree.

The night was hazy and the moon and stars were sparse.

Zhu Zheng touched her slightly bulging belly in front of the mirror. She felt a little panic and anxiety, but more of it was filled with absurd confusion.

She stood there for a long time, and when she was about to take off her fake belly and lie down, there was a noise outside the door.

Zhu Zheng's ears perked up, alarm bells rang, and she immediately reacted by blowing out the tiny candle flame.

At the same time, the door was pushed open suddenly, bringing in a cool spring breeze.

Zhu Zheng just asked "Who?", before she finished her words, she was suddenly pulled into an embrace that smelled of dust mixed with the fragrance of cold plums.

A familiar voice sounded, inexplicably hoarse, and entered Zhu Zheng's ears.

"What does letter mean..."

Zhu Zheng was so frightened that she pushed the person away and looked at him for several times in the moonlight outside the window before she dared to confirm that the person in front of her was indeed the Grand Tutor who had not been heard from for nearly three months.

"You..." Zhu Zheng looked as if he had seen a ghost. He looked around and was a little confused. "Sir? How did you get in?"

How did this person get around the guards of the Zhu Mansion and fall from the sky? Zhu Zheng subconsciously glanced at his outer robe. There was a lot of dust on the hem, and there were also a few suspicious grass scraps mixed in...

Could it be that he climbed over the wall?

There was no one around in the middle of the night. This was not something a gentleman like you would do...

Rong Yan ignored her question, raised the green envelope in his hand, and repeated, "What does this letter mean?"

this letter……

Two months later, it took Zhu Zheng a long time to recall what she had written in the letter. It should not be obscure, but when he asked her about it, she didn't know which sentence she didn't understand.

Zhu Zheng opened her mouth, thought for a long time, and was silent for a long time. Before she could explain, her wrist was held by Rong Yan, and she heard him ask in a hoarse voice, "Why do you want to go back to Chengxu Mountain?"

Rong Yan's eyelashes and hair were covered with dew, and he must have traveled a long way in the dark. Seeing that he looked very serious, Zhu Zheng wanted to investigate him, so she said quickly, "I have already replied that the matter is over. Has your Excellency not received it yet?"

"That's not the answer." His eyes were red as he asked persistently, "Tell me, why do you want to go back there?"

There was no need to mention the original idea anymore. Anyway, it was impossible to take my sister with me now. Zhu Zheng didn't want to cause trouble, so she could only say half-truthfully, "I just miss Master... Just asking..."

Rong Yan was stunned for a moment, and gradually loosened his grip on Zhu Zheng's hand. His eyelashes trembled, and his expression was like a banana leaf hit by rain, wet and half drooping.

There were no candles lit in the room. A ray of silvery moonlight leaked in through the half-open door, stretching the two people's shadows very long.

The envelope was wrinkled in Rong Yan's hand. After a long time, she heard him call out in a low voice.

"Zhu Zheng...you said that day, the bridge is the bridge, the road is the road."

What does it mean.

It is true that these words were said by Zhu Zheng herself, but when they were returned to her, she realized that these six words had such power that they made people feel depressed.

She didn't know whether the saying "Bridges are for bridges and roads are for roads" had any strict interpretation. For example, they had seen and talked after returning to Beijing. If that was still within the scope of "Bridges are for bridges and roads are for roads", then how could her writing of the letter be considered a violation of this saying?

Since Rong Yan reiterated that they should distance themselves from each other as agreed, Zhu Zheng had no choice but to cover up for her rash letter writing.

"A road can be paved even when the water is dry, and a bridge can be built on a dry road. I believe that the friendship between gentlemen should be flexible and not be bound by such trivial matters..."

Rong Yan closed his eyes and said in a depressed voice, "You and I cannot be 'gentlemen' friends'..."

His tone of voice was very light, but it was like something heavy hitting Zhu Zheng's heart, making a deep sound.

Zhu Zheng was choked and said, "Oh... okay."

Then let's continue with "bridges for bridges, roads for roads". She will keep it in mind and strictly abide by it in the future and never do anything out of line again.

Trying her best to ignore the depression rising in her heart, Zhu Zheng could only maintain her final nonchalance and turned around to say this.

"Since we have to keep our distance, please go back now, sir, before anyone sees us, to avoid any rumors..."

Before she could finish her words, her wrist was suddenly pulled, and Rong Yan suddenly hugged her tightly from behind. Unlike the false force just now, he actually held her whole body in his arms, with his chin against the top of her head and his arms tightly around her waist.

Zhu Zheng didn't understand what he wanted to do by changing his mind every day, but after a moment of confusion, she remembered what she was doing before Rong Yan came in...

Oh my god, how could she forget that she still had a fake belly tied to her body? If Rong Yan found out while holding her like this, she wouldn't know how this would end.

Zhu Zheng immediately struggled to remind him that he should not behave and speak in such an inappropriate way, "Sir, you are out of line!"

Rong Yan was startled, and suddenly turned her around in his arms, without loosening his grip at all.

"We've done more outrageous things, haven't we?"

His voice contained a note of weariness, which made people mistake it for a kind of despair. As soon as he finished asking the question, Zhu Zheng was hugged tightly face to face again.

The nightingale on the branch outside the window chirped twice. She dared not move in this familiar embrace, not even to breathe, but she still felt a momentary stiffness where they were touching under the spring clothes.

It’s over, it’s over, he must have discovered it…