Chapter 58: Invitation

  Decided to change houses, Chen Jing was not in a hurry and looked around everywhere.

  He believes in Feng Shui.

  A house is not just about good architecture, but also good Feng Shui.

  However, he couldn't understand Feng Shui and didn't know any good Feng Shui masters for the time being, so he just selected a few courtyards with good architecture as alternatives.

  It's hard to find a good house, after looking for two days, there isn't one place that makes Chen Jing satisfied.

  This matter, in previous years, was only feared to be unfinished. However, since re-buying the house, it will become the ancestral home, and Feng Shui concerns the fate of this clan, so it must be done with caution.

  Chen Jing was so slow and deliberate that Li Balang couldn't bear it, complaining: "When can we finally make a decision? If you want to buy, hurry up and buy, isn't everything the same after looking around?"

  He thinks buying a house is like buying clothes, once you see it and like it, just buy it, no need to fuss about it.

  "What's the hurry?" Chen Jiong smiled and said.

  "Doesn't it bother you when something isn't done properly?" Li Balang said. He was particularly impatient, and once he decided to do something, he wanted to get it done immediately without delay; otherwise, he would always be preoccupied with it and end up doing other things poorly as well.

  Since Chen Jing said he wanted to buy a house, Li Balang was anxious to finish buying it within one day.

  Chen Jiong smiled: "It's not uncomfortable, what's there to be uncomfortable about?" Chen Jiong was a slow-tempered person, while Li Balang was quick-tempered, and they rarely saw eye-to-eye on such matters.

  Li Balang was speechless.

  After a few days, he stopped accompanying Chen Jing.

  By June 1st, it had started raining at midnight.

  Chen Jiu got up early, wearing a raincoat and a conical hat, went to the Jade Garden River to fetch water.

  The rain is pouring down, dense and heavy, the willow trees by the river have a layer of light mist rising from them, faintly visible. The willow leaves are stained with raindrops, giving off a soft and lustrous glow.

  The rain falls on the river's surface, stirring up small ripples that slowly spread out, and before they have a chance to disperse, new ones form again, rising and falling in succession.

  It's raining and no need to wash clothes, Chen Jiong fetched water five times and then went back home.

  "Are you still going out to look at houses today?" Li Balang also got up and saw the rain outside, asking Chen Jing.

  "I'm not going," said Chen Jiong with a smile. "I've been running for several days, but I didn't gain anything. Let's wait until the weather gets better before we go take a look."

  "You're too picky, like a woman." Li Balang despised Chen Jing.

  Chen Jing's elder sister heard this and couldn't help but educate Li Balang: "Choosing a house is a big deal, it's good to be picky. Be more cautious, or you'll regret it in the future. You're not steady in your actions, yet you mention being considerate!"

  Li Balang curled his lip.

  After breakfast, the rain grew heavier, with raindrops falling from the eaves like pearls. The sound of the rain was loud and clear, causing the banana leaves in the courtyard to tremble. Sparkling water droplets rolled back and forth, making it quite interesting.

  Nephews and nieces go to clan school.

  Li Balang said he would take a rest today and didn't want to read books. He asked Chen Jing if he wanted to play chess.

  "Alright." Chen Jing said.

  They had just set up the chessboard when they heard a knock at the door.

  Qingyun and Li were sewing in the house when they heard a noise. Qingyun was displeased: "On a rainy day, who is visiting? How impolite..."

  "You're getting lazier and lazier," Mrs. Li scolded with a smile. "Go open the door quickly, it's probably some friend of yours."

  Qingyun raised an oilcloth umbrella and wore wooden clogs on her feet as she went to open the courtyard gate.

  He is Chen Qi and Chen Mo's person.

  Qing Yun stood up and pulled a long face, coldly calling out "Seventh Young Master" and letting Chen Qi enter.

  Chen Jing stuck his head out of the window and saw it was Chen Qi, shouting: "Seventh Brother."

  Chen Qi came in the rain, which was a bit unexpected for Chen Jing.

  He invited Chen Qi into his ear room and introduced Li Balang to him.

  They exchanged greetings.

  Qingyun brought in a tray with red lacquer finish. On the tray were tea cups and snacks.

  "I heard that Second Uncle and Third Brother framed you?" Chen Qi sat down to drink tea and chat with Chen Xuan. He didn't have anything particular to say to Chen Xuan, he just dropped by out of boredom.

  It's been a long time since he saw Chen Jing, and when he heard that Chen Jing had returned home, he came over to take a look.

  It wasn't until three or four days later that Chen Qi heard about it.

  "It doesn't matter." Chen Jiong smiled and said, "It's all in the past."

  Chen Qi was indignant and felt it was unfair.

  Li Balang originally did not know what Chen Jing and Li Shi were doing in Jingzhong Alley that day. After hearing what Chen Qi said, Li Balang also understood and became angry.

  "It's just a small matter, it was a misunderstanding from the start." Chen Jiong changed the subject and asked Chen Qi, "Brother Qi, what have you been busy with lately? Have you gone to Wanyun Pavilion?"

  "Studying at home, what's the point of going to Wenyuan Pavilion!" Chen Qi said with a bit of frustration, "It's raining today, I said it was stuffy in the house and wanted to go out for a walk. Second Brother only agreed because we usually study and write at home."

  Chen Jiong smiled.

  "...Central and you, do you know Shen Changyu? He has been in close contact with my second brother recently. I've heard him mention you several times." Chen Qi came today not only to clear his mind but also to tell Chen Jing this gossip.

  He has been holding it in for a long time.

  He admires Shen Changyu very much and is very interested in his affairs.

  "What did I say?" Chen Jiong asked back.

  That time, Shen Changyu saw Chen Jing and Chen Qi pressing He Zhen into the water, which was equivalent to witnessing Chen Jing's entire medical treatment process. Chen Jing had no reputation in Wangxian County, and Shen Da Caizi wanted to befriend him, but wasn't someone at home sick?

  "... didn't say anything. Every time he came, he would talk to Second Brother in the outer study room, and I was reading books in the house, so I heard everything. He intentionally or unintentionally asked about you, and said that our family is holding a poetry gathering, inviting you as a guest, but you weren't at home. Asked where you went." Chen Qi told Chen Jing everything he had heard.

  Chen Jing's eyebrows slightly furrowed.

  On the first day they returned from Yaojiang River, Aunt Ge from next door also said that someone had been looking for him several times.

  "Oh, I see." Chen Jiong smiled and asked, "What did Second Brother say?"

  "What does Second Brother want to say?" Chen was at a loss.

  Chen Jiong smiled and didn't answer.

  "What's wrong with you, several times wanting to hint at Second Brother. Has Second Brother offended you?" Chen Qi was not foolish, he could hear the tone of Chen Jing's words, but didn't quite understand what Chen Jing meant.

  "There is none." Chen Jiong replied with a neutral tone.

  Chen Qi couldn't see through his meaning and didn't dare to openly get angry.

  But I'm not happy about it.

  Chen Qi was unhappy and couldn't sit still. He stood up to leave, politely inviting Chen Jing and Li Balang to go out and have some fun. He wanted to go to Wanjun Pavilion.

  Unfortunately, it was raining outside, and neither Chen Jiong nor Li Balang liked the dampness, so they politely declined Chen Qi's invitation.

  Chen Qi bid farewell.

  "What did he come for?" Li Balang asked Chen Jing after Chen Qi left.

  Chen Qi came, but didn't say anything.

  "It's boring at home, come find me to play." Chen Jing smiled and said, "If you weren't here, he would definitely pull me out. Now I have a guest, he is embarrassed to drag me hard, so he left by himself."

  Li Balang nodded and dropped a son, no longer mentioning Chen Qi.

  The two of them played chess with relatively calm minds, moving pieces back and forth, and before long, half a time had passed.

  The rain falls neither quickly nor slowly, like a curtain drifting down, and the eaves of the courtyard and the tips of the trees are all covered with a layer of light gauze.

  At this time, there was another knock at the door.

  Li put down the needle and thread in her hand, raised her eyes to look at the gate of the courtyard, feeling suspicious: "On sunny days, no guests come. They all rush to come on rainy days, what are they after?"

  Qingyun went to open the door again.

  This time when she came as a guest, she didn't recognize him, so she left the courtyard gate slightly ajar and shouted towards the ear room: "Second Master, someone is looking for you."

  Because they didn't know each other, Qing Yun blocked the doorway and simply wouldn't let the guest enter.

  Chen Jiong came out of the house.

  Lai Ke was a tall man with two young servants.

  The man wore a Buddhist-style hat and a plain blue robe, with a servant holding an umbrella for him. However, the hem of his robe was soaked halfway up by the rain. His face wore a smile, and he didn't seem to be here seeking revenge.

  Chen Jiong said: "Qing Yun, let the guest come in." He felt that the guest looked a bit familiar.

  Qingyun opened all the doors of the courtyard.

  "Is this the residence of Mr. Zhong and his brother?" The guest was courteous, bowing to Chen Xuan, "I am Shen Lun, courtesy name Changqing, I have come uninvited, disturbing Mr. Zhong and his brother."

  He is Shen Changyu's younger brother and the sixth son of the Shen family.

  He looks similar to Shen Changyu, about 50-60%. Chen Jing had met Shen Changyu once before and had a vague impression. Seeing Shen Changqing, he naturally felt familiar too.

  "Brother Shen." Chen Jiong returned the courtesy and invited him to sit in the central hall.

  Qingyun poured tea.

  Chen Jiong asked him about his purpose in coming.

  "My brother admires your and your brother's talents. Our humble abode is having a poetry gathering on the fifth of June, my brother asked me to personally invite you and your brother, hoping you will grant us the honor." said Shen Changqing.

  Chen Jiong was neither talented in poetry nor famous. The Shen family invited him, but the Drunken Old Man's interest lay not in wine.

  Three times, Chen Jiong guessed that someone was likely to be ill. Otherwise, he wouldn't have condescended time and again. The first time he was invited, he felt uneasy, had no confidence, and didn't dare to confirm anything, so he didn't go.

  Now I have about 70-80% confidence.

  Today is June 1st, but they invited Chen Jing to come as a guest five days later. This means that even if someone in the Shen family was really ill, it wasn't an emergency.

  "I'll definitely go, thank you." Chen Jing replied.

  Let's go and take a look, what if someone really is sick?

  Relieving people's suffering is Chen Jiong's responsibility.

  Shen's such concealment was naturally due to some unpleasantness that he did not want to mention to others, and Chen Jing also did not expose it.

  "Many thanks, Brother!" Shen Changqing was overjoyed and repeatedly bowed to Chen Jing, leaving the invitation behind.

  After chatting for a while, Shen Changqing bid farewell.

  Li and Qingyun came out of the inner house after Shen Changqing left, asking Chen Xuan what was going on.

  Chen Jing showed them Shen's family invitation letter.

  "What's going on?" Li asked in confusion, "Aunt Ge said that we weren't at home and someone came looking for you several times, but were they the ones? What kind of poetry is so important?"

  Chen Jiong then told his sister-in-law his guess: "I'm afraid it's because they want me to diagnose their illness."

  "...If someone in the family is ill, just openly invite you to go. Using poetry as an excuse, I don't know what that means." Li furrowed her brow, "Is it that asking someone to see a patient is beneath them, or are there other concerns?"

  She felt that the Shen family did not respect Chen Jing.

  "I don't know," Chen Jiong smiled and said, "Maybe it's just a poetry meeting. Since I've been invited, I'll go take a look."

  "Second Master, don't go!" Qing Yun heard this and wasn't happy either. "Since the Shen family is being so pretentious, let them pretend. You're not some quack doctor who hangs up a sign to practice medicine, why do you come and go at their beck and call? When they need you..."

  "Medicine is originally not used to earn respect, but to relieve people's suffering." Chen Jiong smiled and said, "Moreover, it was all my guesswork, they didn't say anything, just invited me to a poetry gathering."

  The two women still thought Chen Jiong's guess was correct and took his side in complaining about the injustice.

  Chen Jiong smiled and diverted the topic.

  After noon, the rain finally stopped.

  Chen Jiong and Li Balang played Go for a whole afternoon, both of them were a bit tired.