The young master smiled and said, "It smells really good, and it must taste delicious. I just had lunch, so I'll save it for later."
“Alright,” Cheng Xiaolin said, closing the box as instructed. “My cousin is new to the south and may not be used to it. Just tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll make it and bring it over when I get back.”
"How could I trouble my sister?"
“My cousin is usually not this polite.”
The young master smiled and said, "Sister, you are too kind. We are family, so how could I be so polite?"
Cheng Xiaolin pursed her lips: "It's good that my cousin knows." After thinking for a moment, she casually asked: "Do you remember someone named Ding Bocheng on the door?"
The young master glanced at her and nodded: "It seems there is one. What, did he also make your sister angry?"
The bribed person was suddenly sent away, and no one could find out why. The servants all kept their mouths shut. Cheng Xiaolin was a little guilty, but seeing that he looked normal, she quickly smiled and shook her head: "I'm not angry, it's just that he escorted me back to the mansion the last two times. It's a little strange that he didn't see me today."
The young master thought for a moment: "Yesterday I heard Liu Bai say that someone made a mistake and was sent back. Could it be him?"
"I see." Cheng Xiaolin was quite disappointed. She already had something to hide, and her cousin, who was always good at keeping his emotions hidden, made her even more uneasy, even though he said it casually. She quickly changed the subject, and after saying a few more words, she made an excuse to leave.
.
The girl wore a jade-green shirt, which was quite a nice outfit, but it was obvious that she was a little girl. Her chest was flat and not very developed. She had a delicate and pretty face, and her childish eyes were staring at the ground with a timid look.
The young master looked at it intently for a while, then slowly picked up the teacup.
Seeing that he remained silent, Liu Bai couldn't help but say, "Young Master..."
The young master turned his head to look at him and smiled: "Are you looking for a daughter for me?"
Liu Bai was extremely embarrassed. "Tch, you're only twenty-four. How could you have a twelve-year-old daughter?"
The young master sighed, "I did tell you to find a young girl, but no matter how interesting a child is, I'm not in a hurry to become a father right now. You don't need to worry about me like the old lady."
You yourself said the younger the better, pointing to a girl in her early teens and saying, "She's about the same age as that one," and now you think a twelve-year-old is too young? Liu Bai was annoyed: "Your subordinate is dull-witted, young master... how old should she be?"
The young master replied without hesitation: "Around sixteen or seventeen years old."
Liu Bai coughed up blood: "Young Master!" That girl is no longer a little girl; there are plenty of girls who got married at sixteen or seventeen!
Seeing his strange expression, the young master raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong?"
Liu Bai was defeated and lowered his head: "No, what I meant was... actually, sixteen years old is not young."
The young master was satisfied: "You think so too?"
I was wrong. I always thought you were wise, young master. Liu Bai suppressed the devastation of losing his idol and whispered, "If I may be so bold, Miss Cheng should be around this age."
By the way, Cheng Xiaolin is only seventeen years old. She's old enough to be getting married. It's true that concern makes one confused. It would be easier if she weren't a little girl. The problem that had been bothering him was finally solved. The young master leaned back in his chair, in a good mood: "Well said. You're very smart."
It's not that I'm smart; it's something everyone understands. Liu Bai said in despair, "Then..."
"No need to look anymore, go downstairs."
"Yes." He withdrew with the little girl.
With his peach blossom eyes slightly narrowed, the young master turned to look out the window. It seems I still like women. That girl is qualified to be a woman.
.
As he entered Jin Garden, the little girl didn't rush to greet him as usual, which disappointed and displeased Jin. So he coughed loudly, but the little girl seemed not to hear him and remained squatting under the tree, concentrating on her own work.
Jin Huanlai began to wonder what the little girl was looking at so intently. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the little girl was actually holding a snow-white rabbit in her arms!
Why do girls like these pointless things? Jin asked, a headache forming in his head, "Why did you bring this back?"
Qiu Lingling was startled, finally noticing he was back. She quickly got up, held the rabbit up to his nose with both hands, and asked, "Hey, do you like it?"
The rabbit glared at him with its bright red eyes, and Jin Huanlai's eyes also started to turn red. "This cult leader would like something so...so childish?!"
"Where did you get this?" He shoved it away.
“It was given to me by Young Master Yi…” Qiu Lingling replied, hugging the rabbit and turning to walk towards the room. “I’ll go feed it first.”
Yi Qinghan? Jin Huanlai suddenly realized, and sneered, "It's you again, kid. I knew you weren't a good person long ago. Sure enough, you had ulterior motives. You're taking advantage of the little girl's naivety and gullibility?" Despite his thoughts, he wasn't worried that Yi Qinghan would do anything reckless. After all, the little girl was the sect leader's junior sister. The relationship between the Yi family and the Thousand Hands Sect was sensitive, so Yi Qinghan should know his limits.
What made him very uncomfortable was that the little girl would actually abandon the dignified leader and run off to keep company with a rabbit!
.
Over the next month, the leaders of the various altars and branches of the Thousand Hands Sect noticed that the sect leader's temper had become worse than ever before. He would often take two people away to discipline them, and the phrase "This sect leader will punish you" became the most frequently used phrase, causing everyone in the Thousand Hands Sect to keep their heads down and do things cautiously.
Jin, unaware of his own predicament, was looking out the window at the little girl and the rabbit with a wry smile. She had clearly grown into a young woman, yet she understood nothing. Not only was she ignorant of manners and etiquette, but she was also so childish. How could she be a wife? Back then, that girl was already so gentle and sensible at sixteen…
I woke up suddenly, and then those things became blurry.
Jin Huanlai never intended to actually make the little girl his wife, but the fact that the dignified leader was outshone by a rabbit made him very indignant, and he began to carefully observe the precious rabbit.
The rabbit was fed until it was plump and chubby, like a snow-white ball of fluff.
Qiu Lingling tossed the rabbit into the wooden cage and called out to him through the window, "Jin, come back, I'm going down the mountain."
Looking for Yi Qinghan?
"Yes, his restaurant got some new wine and he wants me to check it out for him."
I'd heard that kid's a wine connoisseur, why would he need you to accompany him? What's so special about giving him a rabbit? You're so easily fooled? Hasn't this leader ever given you anything? Jin opened his mouth, then closed it again. Okay, he admitted it, he hadn't given the little girl anything, because she was always the one taking his things…
Playing dice and drinking, won't the little girl be led astray by that guy surnamed Yi? This is a serious question. Master Jin snorted in a low voice: "Just stay away from him!"
Qiu Lingling was stunned: "Can't we go to him?"
Jin Huanlai was a little embarrassed. He turned around and sat down, saying in a harsh voice, "Go if you want. I'm just saying this because people are busy with their business. You'd better not go and cause trouble!"
The truth is, Master Jin had a very bad impression of Yi Qinghan. He disliked her but couldn't quite put his finger on why. Of course, the main reason was that the little girl was showing signs of emerging from ignorance and starting to get to know more people and things. This made him very uneasy, like worrying that something that had always been with you would be taken away by someone else. If he didn't let her have access to these things, it seemed like he didn't have the right to do so, and it wouldn't be fair to her either.
“That’s right, I’ll go to him less often,” Qiu Lingling ran into the room and shoved the wooden cage containing the rabbit into his arms. “You keep an eye on it for me and remember to feed it grass.”
Jin, jump up! This cult leader will feed the rabbits for you?
"I'll be back soon," Qiu Lingling giggled and ran off.
Inside the cage, the fat rabbit glared at him. The two stared at each other for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before the mute servant came in and gestured to ask what they would have for dinner.
Jin murmured, "Rabbit jerky, rabbit cubes."
The mute servant was startled and hurriedly nodded and gestured, as if to tell them to go down the mountain to buy rabbits.
"What are you buying? I don't see any ready-made ones!" Jin Huanlai gritted his teeth, threw the cage into his arms, snorted heavily, and turned to leave.
Discover the charm of the peony garden
As dusk fell, Qiu Lingling finally returned. After quickly greeting Jin Huanlai, she looked around for her beloved rabbit: "My rabbit, have you fed it?"
Feed it? It's more like it's feeding me. Jin calmly sat at the table, with several exquisite dishes in front of him, the most tempting of which was a plate of red oil rabbit cubes.
As expected, Qiu Lingling asked anxiously, "Jin, where's my rabbit?"
He had entrusted something to someone and ended up storing it on a plate. When she questioned him, Jin felt a little guilty. He had lived for twenty-five years and had actually argued with a sixteen-year-old girl. How embarrassing! Despite his regret, he pretended to be nonchalant and pointed to the plate of red oil rabbit pieces with his chopsticks: "What rabbit? Eat first and try their fried rabbit pieces. They taste pretty good."
"Rabbit Ding?" she exclaimed as she rushed to the table.
Ignoring her eyes, Jin banged on the table and emphasized, "It's time to eat! Stop yelling!"
There was no movement.
Jin looked up, his face hardening: "You..." He suddenly stopped.
The little girl stood motionless in front of him, her pearly teeth lightly biting her red lips, glaring at him angrily, her eyes round and red-rimmed, with a faint glint in them.
"It's just a rabbit, is it really that big of a deal?" Jin stood there for a while, then reluctantly pulled her along, trying to soften his tone: "Alright, alright, this cult leader will buy ten more for you tomorrow..."
"You bastard!" Qiu Lingling kicked him and ran out.
Jin stared blankly, speechless. Spoiled, definitely spoiled! As the dignified leader of the sect, who in the martial world would dare to speak disrespectfully to my face? This little girl actually dared to kick me, and all for a rabbit, a rabbit given to me by someone else!
.
It was late at night. Outside the gate, under the only lantern in Jin Garden, the little girl sat on the steps with her knees drawn up, seemingly with no intention of resting.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Jin hesitated for a long time before finally opening the door, walking over, coughing, and patting her: "Hey, aren't you going to sleep yet..."
Before he could finish speaking, the little girl suddenly jumped up and threw herself into his arms, giggling.
Jin was startled: "You, you, you..."
"Hey, I knew you'd come to see me," Qiu Lingling looked up at him, her big eyes full of mischief. "Don't be angry, I didn't really kick you. See, doesn't it hurt at all?"
Master Jin was embarrassed. "I'd get angry with you? I..."
Qiu Lingling suddenly let go of him: "I know you don't like rabbits."
Jin turned his face away and sullenly hummed, "Of course... didn't you notice it running around everywhere and making a mess of Jin Garden? I hate ugly things!"
"It's not ugly at all!" Qiu Lingling retorted. "It's my pet. If you don't like it, just let me release it. I thought you would tell me, but you ate it instead."
Jin returned without saying a word, then turned and went back to his room.
Qiu Lingling laughed from behind: "Okay, I won't raise rabbits anymore, I'll just keep you company."
The little girl actually figured it out! Jin Huanlai's face started to burn. He didn't dare to turn around and roared fiercely, "Do I need you to accompany me? Go to sleep now! If you keep fooling around, I, the leader, will punish you!"
The door slammed shut.
"Jin, come back! I'll buy you lots of rabbits to eat tomorrow!" A clear laugh came from outside the door.
This is getting more and more outrageous! Jin remained silent and collapsed onto the bed in frustration.
After a long pause, he smiled.
Okay, it seems I'm more important than the rabbit, although my value goes far beyond that.
Jin still felt a vague sense of disappointment. Although the little girl's closeness to him was mostly due to her ignorance, he still cherished her. At least, having someone by his side seemed nice. But now he clearly felt threatened.
What is Yi Qinghan's ulterior motive in deliberately getting close to the little girl? With the Yi family's ancestral precepts in place, would he be targeting the Thousand Hands Sect?
Of course, the little girl will eventually have her own life. Wasn't that the plan when we sent her to learn martial arts from Jin Yue? But Yi Qinghan is not a simple person. At least, his identity is not suitable. Wealthy families are complicated, and everyone has many wives and concubines. If the little girl is bullied, she will have nowhere to cry.
"You're not allowed to see Yi Qinghan?" Master Jin would never dare say that, because it felt too sour.
I'm no one to her, so I have no right to forbid her from seeing other men. As for my unhappiness, it's because I don't want something that's been with me to be taken away by someone else. I just like having things around, but I've never thought about liking them. I don't want to lose anyone else, so if I don't like something, then I won't lose it.
.
"Brother Hua!"