Golden Branch

After saying this, Madam Lou was still worried that Wang Heng was too young to understand her "hints," so she continued, "Nine-Niang is very beautiful. Her eyebrows and eyes, her skin, if she weren't a little fatter, she would be no worse than our Ah Chi!"

It has to be said that in order to attack Wang Heng, Mrs. Lou was telling lies with her eyes open.

Wang Heng is indeed fat, but she doesn't look greasy at all, let alone ugly.

Wang Heng has a small frame and an even smaller face.

Her small face, which is the size of a palm, has a layer of fat on it, which only makes her more cute and doesn't make her ugly.

Even Zheng Chi, who has a slender and graceful figure, cannot compare with Wang Heng in appearance.

Zheng Chi is more handsome than beautiful.

Wang Heng is cute yet delicate.

Zheng Chi, who was picked out by Mrs. Lou to be part of the experimental group, felt too embarrassed to accept the praise from his grandmother in a shameless and unconscionable manner.

Apart from being more slender and graceful than Wang Heng, she could not compare with Wang Heng in terms of fair skin and delicate features.

Wang Heng is really white, so white that it is transparent and glows.

Especially just now at the door, with the orange sunset light as the background, she stood in the halo, and her whole body seemed to be emitting a layer of soft light.

If it weren't for his body shape flaws, Zheng Chi wouldn't want to be in the same frame with Wang Heng.

Well, okay, even if I am a lot fatter than her, I am still whiter, more beautiful and cuter than her.

Zheng Chi: ...I was actually outdone by a fat guy?!

What Zheng Chi cared about more was not only Wang Heng's fair skin which had nothing to do with refinement, but also Wang Heng's clothing.

The chubby little girl was wearing a pink and purple chest-length skirt made of fine brocade with hints of gold thread woven into it.

The embroidery is exquisite and embellished with pearls, gems, etc.

Her jet-black hair was combed into two buns, tied with a purple headband and decorated with several delicate yet precious flower ornaments and pearl flowers.

The flower ornaments are made of red gold and inlaid with gems, and the pearl flowers are made of bright pearls of uniform size, any one of which can be used to make jewelry.

The material and workmanship are both high-end, and the style is very fresh. At first glance, it is obvious that it is a style that little girls can wear.

This should be jewelry specially customized for Wang Jiu.

Zheng Chi speculated that this should be the most fashionable thing in the capital.

Unlike her, the jewelry she wore was either outdated or old jewelry refurbished by her grandmother.

It's either tacky or old-fashioned, and it's not a style suitable for a little girl of her age at all!

Inferiority, jealousy... strands of negative emotions began to grow in Zheng Chi's heart.

"Really?"

When Wang Heng heard Mrs. Lou implying that she was fat and might become ugly again, she was not sad or depressed. Instead, her eyes lit up.

"Does Lady Tai think I'm fat too?"

There was even a hint of excitement in Wang Heng's tone.

Even people who met her for the first time thought she was fat, which showed that she was really fat.

Hehe, the meat, eggs, cakes and snacks I ate over the past two or three years were not in vain.

Madam Lou, Zheng Chi and everyone else in the Zheng family: ...I'm afraid there's something wrong with the Ninth Lady of the Wang family!

A teenage girl is at the age when she loves beauty.

Being laughed at for being fat and ugly, yet you don't cry?

You know, just half an hour ago, Lou Yu just said to Zheng Chi that he was "too thin and could be blown away by the wind easily", and Zheng Chi burst into tears out of shame and anger.

Lou Yu's words came from the love and care of an elder brother for his younger sister and were a kind reminder.

As for Madam Lou, the malice in her eyes was almost becoming reality!

She was deliberately mocking Wang Heng, provoking her and attacking her.

This fat girl Wang Heng, instead of crying out of anger, looked so happy?!

Is she stupid and can't tell the difference between good and bad words?

Lou Yu saw the reactions of everyone in the Zheng family.

He pursed his lips slightly and suppressed the anger surging in his chest: These poor idiots actually dared to laugh at his fat girl?

The fat girl doesn’t think she is fat or ugly!

Lou Yu never disliked it either.

In his heart, the fat girl is the prettiest and cutest girl in the world.

It is a treasure that belongs exclusively to him.

Even if he and the fat girl didn't care, Lou Yu would not allow her to be ridiculed, despised, or humiliated in public!

Resisting the urge to jump up and hit someone, Lou Yu followed Wang Heng's words and said, "Nineth Lady is the most blessed!"

What happened to being fat?

Full of blessings!

Unlike a certain bean sprout, which is shriveled and thin, and falls over when the wind blows, it looks unlucky!

Blessing?

What a blessing!

Just now, everyone in the Zheng family was left speechless by Lou Yu's words "being able to eat is a blessing". They were almost having a stress reaction to the word "blessing".

Mrs. Lou still looked unhappy.

However, Zheng Chi felt an inexplicable uneasiness: Well, if I stay, my cousin will not let me be a "lucky" little girl like Wang Jiu, right?

……

"Brother, this is a new snack Amian made! It's called fried melon seeds!"

Wang Heng briefly exchanged moves with Madam Lou, not caring about winning or losing, as she was in a good mood anyway.

As for what Mrs. Lou thought, Wang Heng said she didn't care.

She greeted the Zheng family members according to etiquette, and then excitedly presented her newly acquired delicacies.

Lou Yu raised an eyebrow, "I knew you were going to look for that girl!"

The fat girl has no conscience. We finally got a day off and had originally planned to go boating in the river together.

As soon as she heard that he had guests, she hurriedly sent someone to deliver a message, saying that she would not disturb him from entertaining the guests, and then she ran to find Wang Mian.

Wang Mian?

Well, he does have some skills.

Not to mention anything else, just the fact that she can cook delicious food that the fat girl likes, Lou Yu can tolerate it a little.

Lou Yu even began to cover up some of Wang Mian's flaws.

For example, Dongshan Academy.

Wang Mian thought his plan of "living in seclusion in the city" was perfect, but Lou Yu had already guessed it when Wang Mian proposed the "Study of Things".

He is a smart man!

And you know how to hide your shortcomings!

Considering that the fat girl liked her and she was of some use to the fat girl, Lou Yu actively cooperated.

He built an academy, invited teachers, hired craftsmen, and recruited students... Lou Yu played a great role in the successful completion of Dongshan Academy, which became famous in just one year.

He provided manpower, money and effort not only to provide Wang Heng with a place to study, but also to provide cover for Wang Mian.

"Hey, brother, I also want to get more delicious food and send it to you to eat together!"

"Try it now, there are several flavors."

"Besides the plum flavor you've tried, this time we have original, caramel, and milk flavors. Oh, and there's also spicy flavor, but Amian said it's too spicy and she's worried it'll upset me!"

Wang Heng chattered while ordering people to bring over baskets of melon seeds.

She is cheerful and lively, while Lou Yu is patient and doting.

Mrs. Lou watched the two interacting, a thoughtful look flashing across her face.

Lou Yu seems to be closer to Wang Jiu.

However, Wang Heng looked so childish and had such a "blessed" figure that Mrs. Lou did not think about the relationship between a man and a woman.

What she thought was: This is the friendship that we have grown up with.

Even if they don't develop romantic feelings in the future, they will still be close brothers and sisters.

This is also what Madam Lou hoped for. If Achi and Dalang grew up together, they would be cousins, and they would have a childhood sweetheart friendship. Even if they were not a loving couple in the future, they would not become enemies.

Seeing how Wang Heng and Lou Yu get along, Mrs. Lou becomes more determined to keep her granddaughter.

Zheng Chi was confused. She was surprised to find that Wang Jiajiu Niang, who was quite close to her cousin, actually loved to eat.

She carried a small bamboo basket on her back, slung around her waist.

In between conversations, he would casually take out dried meat, preserved fruits, biluo, steamed cakes from the bamboo basket... Oh my God, he just kept eating, eating, and eating!

From the time she came to the time she left, which was only about an hour, Wang Jiu never stopped talking.

Not only did the cousin not despise her, but he also wiped her hands and handed her a cup of tea with a smile while she was eating.

This, this... Zheng Chi was ten years old and had seen the world.

But she had never seen such a combination, one who could eat, and the other who indulged!

"If I stay at the Lou family, Wang Jiu likes to eat, but I don't. Will my cousin dislike me?"

"Or, will he force me to eat non-stop like Wang Jiu until I become a fat man?"

Zheng Chi felt worried and uneasy.

But soon, she saw that her cousin not only let Wang Heng eat, but also did not forget to give her a "return gift" - Wang Jiu gave him some melon seeds, and he gave Wang Jiu a box of rubies and sapphires.

Yes!

Ruby and sapphire!

Each one is the size of a fingernail, red, blue, green, and purple.

The small red lacquer and mother-of-pearl box is only the size of an adult man's palm, but if it is full, it can contain dozens or even hundreds of pearls.

So many gems, just given away so easily?

But my cousin said a little embarrassedly, "These gems are not big enough and the quality is average. You can play with them."

It’s not about making jewelry, it’s about “playing”!

How to play, treat gems as stones?

What was even more hateful was Wang Jiu. She didn't even take the box of gems seriously. She glanced at it casually and nodded, saying, "That's perfect. I'll ask Amian to help me design a chess set. We can play with the chess pieces."

Zheng Chi: ...This is a gem! Not a stone!

What toys to make?

Her mother's dowry also included such gems.

But there are only a dozen of them, and my mother treasures them very much. She would only take out a few of them with care every few years when she buys jewelry.

Lou Yu, on the other hand, just gave it to the little girl next door.

And Wang Jiu really accepted it calmly.

Zheng Chi clenched his little hands tightly.

She didn't know what she was angry about, but she was very angry and very indignant.

However, there was something even more stimulating to her——

After giving him a box of gems, Lou Yu still felt it was not enough. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Using gems as chess pieces is not very appropriate!"

Zheng Chi was about to nod, yes, yes, who would make toys with gems?

The next second, Lou Yu continued, "I remember I have a box of mutton-fat jade. I'll have a craftsman polish it and make you a chess set. Backgammon? Or Go? It's up to you!"

"No! Brother, you've already given me several chess sets, jade, agate, and more! I'm not buying a proper chess set this time, I just want to play!"

"Want to play? Then I'll get you some pearls. I remember someone gave me a box of Hepu pearls last month. They're nice in size and color. You can play with them or string them into beaded flowers!"

"...Okay! Then let's use pearls. Amian said we can string them together and hang them up, and she also said it's called 'A Curtain of Dreams'!"

Lou Yu and Wang Heng were having their most daily conversation, but all the Zheng family members, including Mrs. Lou, were stunned.

What kind of prodigal son is this?

Gem toys!

Chess sets made of jade and agate!

Well, okay, the Zheng family was also this luxurious when they were prosperous.

Unfortunately, most of the Zheng family members sitting there were young people, and they could only glimpse the glory of their ancestors from the letters passed down by their ancestors.

As for themselves, they are always in a turmoil over a portion of food or a piece of cloth.

How can one still afford to use these expensive things for entertainment?

Mrs. Lou was especially angry when she saw how Lou Yu wasted his money.

This is the property of the Lou family, but it was squandered by Lou Yu, a bastard with a lucky life!

"...Da Lang is still too young, and there's no elder to guide him!"

"If he continues to squander like this, the little fortune that Ajin gave him will be squandered!"

"No, I want to arrange the marriage as soon as possible, so that I can discipline him properly as an elder!"

"And what about Ajin? I also need to write to him as soon as possible!"

Even if we can't get engaged right away, we must tell Lou Jin about Lou Yu's wasteful behavior!

After being adopted out, Lou Yu was no longer Lou Jin's son, but Lou Jin was still the head of the Lou family.

As the head of the Lou family, Lou Jin is also qualified to discipline Lou Yu!

Zheng Chi stared at the box of gems in a trance.

Lou Yu is so generous to her, even though she is just a little girl from the neighborhood.

If I become his wife, she can also be so willful with jewel toys, jade chess pieces, pearl door curtains...

Marrying my cousin isn't that difficult.

……

Although Madam Lou was just passing by, she was a relative whom she had not seen for many years. In addition to her little calculations, she decided to stay in the Lou family fort for a few more days.

Zheng Chi followed Lou Yu like a well-behaved little sister.

Lou Yu: ...and he didn't get mad and run away? Well, from now on, you can't blame Ye Ye for being naughty!

"This is the largest restaurant in Hedong. They have many novel dishes that are not available in Yizhou or even the capital!"

Lou Yu acted like a good brother and greeted Zheng Chi warmly.

As for Wang Heng, she would follow him habitually without his even asking her to.

A young boy, two young girls, and a dozen servants entered the restaurant in a mighty procession.

This restaurant is huge, with three floors.

The lobby is spacious, and the second and third floors are private rooms.

Lou Yu looked around and found a seat by the window in the lobby.

Lou Yu sat in the main seat, with Wang Heng and Zheng Chi sitting on either side.

Lou Yu was very familiar with ordering dishes, and there were more than a dozen dishes that Zheng Chi had never heard of.

Zheng Chi: ...So many? Aren't the portions large?

Zheng Chi had a bad feeling in his heart.

In the corridor on the second floor, two men were standing by the railing.

One of the men, wearing an apricot-colored Hu suit, looked toward the window downstairs and asked, "...Is that the eldest son of the Lou family?"