Quick Transmigration: Survive to the End

After Qiu Rui was sent back to Youhuang Pavilion, Dong Xin couldn't help but ask, "Miss, who was instigating Qiu Rui behind her back?"

"I was just saying it casually. Who knows if she wants to do it on her own or if someone is telling her what to do behind her back?" Yin Yin smiled slightly. "If she has someone backing her, this is a good opportunity to eliminate another potential threat. If she doesn't have anyone backing her, my head maid has already been replaced by you. Does it matter what she thinks?"

Dongxin was both happy and insecure: "Miss, I'm not as smart as Sister Qiurui. You won't look down on me in the future, will you?"

"As long as you remain loyal to me, even if you are no longer my head maid, I will not let you lose your future."

Hearing Yin Yin's words, Dong Xin didn't think too much about what it would be like if she didn't become a head maid in the future. She just happily held the things and said, "Miss treats me so well. I will definitely serve Miss well!"

Just as Dongxin was expressing her loyalty, a servant from Zhanzheng's courtyard came out to greet her. He was taken aback at first, then smiled and said, "Young Master knows that Miss is coming. Please come in directly."

Dongxin blushed and followed Yinyin into the room with a dazed look in her eyes.

"Big brother," Yin Yin saw Zhan Zheng reading a book on the recliner in the corridor, and without being polite, she told the servants to bring her another one, and then told Dong Xin to put down what she was carrying. "These are sachets and fan covers that I made specially. I also had a few purses, but I'm still missing a few stitches. I'll have Dong Xin bring them over when they're done in a few days."

Zhan Zheng put down his book, looked at two items, and knew that she had made them herself. "Why did you make so many? If you have free time, you can play the piano, read books, or go out with friends. That's better than doing needlework to pass the time, and it won't strain your eyes."

"I wanted to bring you something since my elder brother is going to the capital. I thought of many things, but in the end I decided to bring something that I could actually use, so that all the effort I put into bringing it to the capital wouldn't be wasted."

Zhan Zheng listened to her with a smile, then beckoned to the servants to put everything away: "Put everything away carefully. Once we get to the capital, I'll have them all made by my sister herself."

Yinyin cleared her throat: "It's fine to use it occasionally, but for everyday use, it's better to use the ones made by the sewing room. Those are the ones that are truly proper to use."

“What they do is nowhere near as effective as what my sister does,” Zhan Zheng said, then instructed her, “Once I go to the capital, I reckon I won’t be back before the imperial examinations are over. You and Mother should stay home and be careful, don’t just stay home all the time.”

"I remember," Yin Yin said a little guiltyly. "In the future, I'll take Mom out for a spring outing, invite her to the village to escape the summer heat, climb mountains with her to admire the maple leaves in the autumn, and build a snowman at home to hibernate in the winter, okay?"

After Zhan Zheng nodded, Yin Yin, still unwilling to admit defeat, instructed Zhan Zheng: "Brother, don't just think about me and Mother. You're going to the capital alone, and there will be plenty of troubles. You must remember to be careful and write back often."

Zhan Zheng nodded in agreement, but didn't want to talk to her about this anymore, so he asked, "Usually Qiu Rui is always by your side, why is it Dong Xin instead today?"

Yinyin knew he was deliberately changing the subject, but she could only say, "Qiu Rui often suppresses Dong Xin and others, only letting her into the room to serve me when I'm resting. She even tries to get me to say things that might upset Mother. I'm thinking of when I'll go back to Mother and let her go back to find a husband while she's still young."

As she spoke, Yinyin relayed what she had said that day to Zhanzheng, and reiterated her point: "If my younger brother has the ability, he can pass the imperial examination on his own. If he doesn't have the ability, even if I ask Mother and you, my elder brother, for help, what future can he have? It would only make you, my elder brother, take on an unnecessary risk."

After saying that, Yin Yin deliberately pretended to be annoyed: "She even said it was for my sake, big brother, tell me, isn't she wicked?"

After listening, Zhan Zheng couldn't help but sigh and reached out to ruffle Yin Yin's hair: "With your intolerant nature, what will become of you when you get married?"

“What’s wrong with being intolerant of injustice?” Yin Yin muttered. “Does that mean my older brother won’t protect me after I get married? If that’s the case, I might as well not get married at all and just find a husband to marry into my family.”

After listening, Zhan Zheng asked thoughtfully, "If you were to take a son-in-law, what kind of person would you like to marry into?"

Yinyin was surprised that he didn't think his idea was rebellious, and immediately said, "As long as you're not stupid, you have to be good-looking. I judge by your looks."

Zhan Zheng gave her a somewhat complicated look, but couldn't help flicking her forehead: "Everyone wants a talented, sensible, and ambitious husband, but you only want someone with a good-looking face. In the future, when you go out with your girlfriends, aren't you afraid of being inferior to them?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Yin Yin seemed completely unconcerned. "Those who know my identity and have remained my friends to this day certainly won't break off our friendship just because I have a husband who is not as good as them in the future. If they do, it only means that I misjudged people, and losing this friend is not a pity."

"You're quite magnanimous," Zhan Zheng said, rubbing the spot where she had been flicked. Thinking it was almost time, he got up and led her to the main courtyard for dinner.

Halfway there, Zhan Zheng added, "I've remembered what you said. I've also made a list of books for you, which I'll have someone give to you before I leave. After I'm gone, you must finish reading all the books on that list. After you finish reading each one, you must write a review and send it to the capital with the letter. After I've finished reading them, I'll send you the list of books for the next one."

Yinyin blinked, somewhat incredulous: "Do I still have to do my homework?"

"otherwise?"

"Big brother, didn't you just say that I could just stay home, play the piano, read books, and go out to play?" Yin Yin puffed out her cheeks. "You didn't keep your word!"

Zhan Zheng said without changing his expression, "Isn't this just like reading a book? It's just with the addition of a reading report. When you have free time, read the book and write a reading report. Just pretend you're busy."

"To be honest, I'm not as smart as my older brother," Yin Yin sniffed and snorted. "I will write, and I will definitely send you a big box of things every time. I guarantee that you won't be able to finish reading them in ten days or half a month. I will never ask you to rush to send me books!"

These words, spoken in a fit of pique, didn't annoy Zhan Zheng. Instead, they made his smile widen: "Alright, then I'll be waiting for you to fill a thick box with letters that can last for ten or fifteen days. If it's not enough, I promise I'll add more books to help you make it up, okay?"

"Big brother," Yinyin stopped and stood on tiptoe closer to him, saying, "You've taken all the bamboo shoots from the mountain!"

Seeing that she ran away as soon as she finished speaking, without leaving a trace, Zhan Zheng didn't need to react much to know that what she said must not be a good thing.

"What a scoundrel."