"Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter sisters of the four seasons, can you please leave first?"
In the inner courtyard, Chen Zhian was lying naked in the large bathtub.
Four maids with slightly flushed cheeks half knelt on both sides serving, their thin clothes dampened by the mist, their delicate figures faintly visible, causing Chen Zhian's blood to boil.
These four maids, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, either grew up with the original owner or were snatched by him from outside.
Their looks were quite outstanding.
In the past two years, the original owner had indulged in debauchery and naturally had already enjoyed these pitiable sisters to the fullest.
But just taking a bath, these four girls instinctively removed their clothes, assuming an attitude of being at his disposal.
How could anyone resist this?
Of course, Chen Zhian couldn't resist.
But he had just arrived...
"Is the young master disgusted with us?"
Autumn Chrysanthemum and Winter Plum's faces dimmed slightly.
They were different from Spring and Summer, having been snatched by Chen Zhian from the outside.
From initial unwillingness to gradual acceptance to now contentment, their hearts were already completely devoted to this rogue who had snatched them back.
Born into ordinary families, being able to eat their fill in this turbulent world of war was already the greatest luxury.
In the past two years in the Marquis's mansion, Chen Zhian treated them very well, even sending them livelihoods for their families, so where would they still have any resistance?
Now, seeing Chen Zhian asking them to leave, they felt anxious and immediately bowed their heads in sorrow.
"Never mind, help me get dressed!"
Chen Zhian sighed helplessly.
I want to be a true gentleman.
"Alas!
This world is too absurd, not allowing..."
Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter smiled brightly, cautiously helping him wipe his body...
After lingering for half an hour.
Chen Zhian arrived in the front yard feeling refreshed.
Just as he entered the yard, he saw a figure in red rushing towards him, with two shallow dimples on her face.
As she ran, the bells on her wrist jingled crisply, giving off a refreshing feeling.
"Third Brother, come and see the drunken prawns I made for you. I caught them myself at Xiaona Lake!"
The person was Chen Aman's youngest daughter, Chen Zhi Dong, fourteen years old this year.
Chen Zhian hugged his little sister and pinched her nose, smiling, "Hurry and bring them out for Third Brother. I've been craving your cooking for a long time."
If you were to ask who in the family was closest to the original owner, it would be the youngest Chen Zhi Dong.
Over the years, Chen Zhi Bai devoted himself to the study, while Chen Zhi Ming came and went like a ghost. They spent their days together playing.
It was only in the past two years that the original owner gradually reduced contact with the kid, feeling like he was grown up now.
But the bond remained.
After a brief play, the old steward of the mansion emerged like a ghost and, with his hoarse and dry voice, said that the Marquis had been waiting in the living room for a long time. He urged the young master and the young lady to hurry over for the meal.
Chen Zhian was startled by the old steward.
He glanced deeply at him and led his little sister to the hall.
In memory, this guy seemed to always have this appearance of an old ghost, with his hoarse and dry voice like a castrated old duck, making everyone feel that his days were numbered.
But he outlasted many stewards who appeared younger than him.
The old steward followed behind them, hands folded in his sleeves, with a deferential demeanor.
Entering the hall, Chen Zhian found a chair to sit on and casually scanned the dishes on the table.
In his heart, he couldn't help but sigh. The Chen Liu Marquis's mansion was indeed running out of money!
These dishes, if placed in an ordinary household, would already be considered lavish. But in the Chen Liu Marquis's mansion, with a banquet lacking even a bear paw and bird's nest, it could only be described as plain.
In the original owner's memory, a bear paw was a staple at every meal.
As if sensing his gaze, Chen Aman, sitting in the main seat, said apologetically, "Son, all the money in our treasury was sent to the wealthy Wang family in the capital today. We'll have to endure some hard times for a few days. When the tax money from Chen Liu arrives, Dad will make sure to make up for the bear paw for you!"
"No need, I've long grown tired of bear paws. I won't eat them anymore!"
Chen Zhian picked up his chopsticks, picked up a crystal-clear drunken shrimp, and said with a smile, "Little sister's cooking is getting better and better, just eating these is enough."
Chen Aman's expression froze slightly.
He knew his son's temper very well. According to convention, if the bear paw was missing from the table, causing a scene or making sarcastic remarks was inevitable.
But since coming out of the prison, his son's attitude towards people and things had changed a lot, becoming much more accommodating...
If he hadn't secretly probed Chen Zhian's soul, he would have suspected that his beloved son had been possessed by someone else.
Chen Zhian remained unchanged in the face of all this.
He knew he was ultimately not the original owner, and many habits couldn't be hidden from those he spent every day with.
The reason for this.
It was also a deliberate opportunity to reshape a persona.
As the saying goes, experience brings wisdom. Is it normal to have a conscience awakening, and become less foolish, and less wicked after spending a night in prison?
It's very normal!
He wore a look of three parts regret, three parts remorse, three parts embarrassment, and one part relief on his face as he said in a low voice, "Father, brother, little sister..."
"The matter of Li Xining is too suspicious. I thought about it all night in the prison and finally figured it out...
A traitor is trying to harm me!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Aman was full of question marks.
He really wanted to ask his eldest son, does such a straightforward conspiracy need so long to think about?
Chen Zhibai's hand holding the book trembled slightly.
Only Chen Zhidong's brows furrowed slightly, a coldness flashed in her phoenix eyes, and for a moment, a hint of dignity appeared on her small face!
Chen Zhian was completely unaware.
"Yang Xianxian, Qian Sangao, Wei Zixian...
I thought they were all good friends, good brothers.
I didn't expect,
They stabbed me in the back!"
With that, he looked at Chen Aman apologetically, "Father often warned me to stay away from those unscrupulous friends, but I just turned a deaf ear to it.
Now it seems that they... are not good people at all..."
Upon hearing this, Chen Aman was completely relieved!
Indeed, my son is not pretending, even his repentance is so cute.
Yesterday's incident seemed to be set up by the second son of the Ministry of Households, but in fact, it was a deeper scheme by the Crown Prince to test the Chen Liu Marquis's mansion.
This involved the grievances between two generations.
The reputation of the Chen Liu Marquis's mansion had been unremarkable over the years, and its presence in Chang'an City was weak. Chen Liu Jia was also aging.
Letting that kid feel like he could stir up the Chen Liu Marquis's mansion a bit, that's why this happened.
But Chen Aman didn't plan to tell Chen Zhian any of this.
After all...
Talking about it won't do any good.
Just let him continue to think that those guys aren't good people!
If my silly son clashes with the Crown Prince, I'm afraid he wouldn't even know how he'd die.
"Son, this matter can't be blamed on you. Just stop associating with them in the future. Besides, I've arranged a marriage for you, and I hope you can become a practitioner soon and settle down."
Chen Aman's eyes welled up with tears. Although his son was foolish, at least he could see the error of his ways. Most importantly, he finally accepted him as his father from the bottom of his heart. Isn't that better than anything else?
Chen Zhian was immersed in his performance and didn't pay attention to what Chen Aman said at all.
Suddenly, he became serious and said, "Father, I've noticed that our family's treasury is almost empty. Why don't you borrow some money from Duke Anwu? I want to start a small business to support the family!"
Uh?
Chen Aman stood there in confusion.
Merchants were for the lowly commoners.
His youngest son had always looked down on those people, so how could he suddenly want to get involved in that business after spending just one night in jail?
However, thinking that his son finally had something he wanted to do, he didn't want to dampen his enthusiasm. He waved his hand and said, "Whatever business my son wants to do, feel free to say it. Father supports you!"
Chen Zhi'an blushed shyly and slowly uttered three words, "Open a brothel!"