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Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Miss, Guess Who’s Here!
In the side chamber, Mrs. Li looked at the small bowl of millet porridge and a plate of green vegetables in front of her, while occasionally catching whiffs of the meat’s aroma and laughter coming from Zhan Lan’s side.
She slammed down her chopsticks, muttering to herself, "Amitabha Buddha, sins, sins!"
Tie Chui and Tie Tou had already dined with the cooks, with grease still uncleaned from their lips, and quietly watched Mrs. Li eat.
Mrs. Li suddenly felt like she was sitting in a prison, being watched by guards.
Feeling disdainful of those clumsy maids, she urged, "You two go out, I want some quiet time!"
"Yes, madam." The two left the courtyard and started playing with Little Black, but still glancing at Mrs. Li from time to time, making it difficult for her to swallow her food.
After Zhan Lan had settled everything, when the sun set, she received several large boxes of gifts sent by Qin Shuang and Zhan Beicang.
Liu Xi opened the boxes one by one; some contained exquisite ornaments, others food. Upon opening the last food box, Liu Xi took out an osmanthus cake, looking at Zhan Lan sympathetically, "Miss, the mistress and the master are still thinking of you, this osmanthus cake is certainly made by the mistress."
Zhan Lan looked over to the food box, where the osmanthus cake was sprinkled with a sprinkle of osmanthus and honey, its fragrance delightful.
This was personally made by Qin Shuang, she recognized at a glance, also her favorite pastry since childhood.
Zhan Lan smiled slightly. If she was merely an adopted daughter of the Zhan Family, Zhan Beicang and Qin Shuang had been quite good to her.
Yet, as her biological parents, this feeling only made her taste bitterness.
Soon, Xiao Tao came running over, excitedly saying, "Miss, guess who’s here!"
Zhan Lan raised an eyebrow. She had only told Zhan Hui and Qin Shuang about her new residence; could it be Zhan Hui?
Zhan Lan got up and went out to meet him. She saw a chestnut horse at the entrance with Zhan Hui sitting on it. Upon seeing her, he immediately dismounted.
"Lan, this mansion isn’t bad, eh? I’ll come over for a drink another day," Zhan Hui held the reins as he approached Zhan Lan with his horse.
"Sure, there’s plenty of Plum Wine!" Zhan Lan chuckled.
"Hold on, I daren’t let you drink the Plum Wine anymore..."
While they were talking, Zhan Lan noticed a carriage parked not far from the entrance.
Zhan Hui followed Zhan Lan’s gaze and whispered, "By the way, grandfather also came to see you."
A surge of warmth filled Zhan Lan’s chest, and she quickly walked up to Zhan Xinzhang’s carriage.
"Grandfather, you shouldn’t have come yourself. If you had told me earlier, I would have come to meet you..." Zhan Lan was slightly embarrassed.
It was not customary for an elder to visit a younger one.
Zhan Xinzhang didn’t get off the carriage but lifted the curtain, giving Zhan Lan an annoyed look, "You, always coming up with new ideas. Did you tell your grandfather before suddenly moving out of the house?"
That one word "home" warmed Zhan Lan’s heart.
Zhan Lan hung her head in shame, and Zhan Xinzhang alighted from the carriage, surveyed Zhan Lan’s courtyard, and nodded, "This estate isn’t cheap, is it? Live here first and see if you get used to it. If you like it, grandfather will advance you some money to buy it."
Tears welled up in Zhan Lan’s eyes. From childhood, Zhan Xinzhang had been very affectionate towards her, and even though the old man didn’t know her true identity, they shared a special connection.
Perhaps, that’s the affection between generations!
But she had also hinted at her identity to her grandfather before, unsure if he would catch on.
Zhan Lan’s throat tightened, looking at Zhan Xinzhang’s graying hair, she said with a smile, "Then I will surely ask grandfather at that time."
Zhan Xinzhang nodded and asked with gravity, "How goes your preparations for the Martial Arts Examination recently?"
Zhan Lan answered earnestly, "Not bad, I can’t afford to slack off."
While speaking, Zhan Xinzhang bent down to take something out of the carriage.
Zhan Lan caught a glimpse of a cold glint in front of her, and before her eyes appeared a war spear.
Zhan Xinzhang’s aged hands gripped the war spear forcefully, handing it to her, "Girl, this war spear is now yours!"
Zhan Lan was taken aback. The war spear before her eyes was the one her grandfather had used in battle, named Iron Blood.
For the owner of the war spear, it was like an old comrade, a battle buddy! Their regard for the war spear had long since transcended that of a cold weapon.
Zhan Lan didn’t dare to reach out to accept it. Zhan Xinzhang advanced it a bit more and said, "You take it for now. After the Martial Arts Examination, just give it back to your grandfather!"
Suddenly, Zhan Lan felt no more psychological burden; she took the war spear, heavy and particularly icy in the winter day, yet a warm current seemed to spread throughout her body.
Her eyes curved into crescent moons, "Thank you, Grandfather!"
Behind her, Zhan Hui pouted, "Grandfather, you’re so good to Lan, I’m getting a bit jealous!"
Zhan Xinzhang gave him a glance, "You, if you could also fight with a war spear, I’d give you one too!"
Zhan Hui looked at the hefty war spear and said, "Still, it’s better to give it to Lan. She’s more suited!"
Zhan Xinzhang glanced at Zhan Lan and then at Zhan Hui, unwittingly blurting out, "No wonder Rou’er is jealous of your close bond, you two actually seem more like real siblings!"
Zhan Hui laughed, all teeth and no eyes, "Don’t let Rou’er hear this; otherwise, she’d give me the cold shoulder again!"
Facing Zhan Xinzhang’s probing gaze, Zhan Lan smiled and said, "Grandfather, it’s getting late. I’ll walk you back."
Zhan Xinzhang looked thoughtfully at Zhan Lan and nodded, "Good."
All the way, Zhan Lan was guessing the meaning of her grandfather’s previous remark. Could it be that Grandfather also started to doubt her true identity?
Zhan Lan couldn’t hold back and was about to speak when she heard her grandfather say, "Girl, whatever you want to do, go for it. Your grandfather supports you."
Zhan Lan looked at Zhan Xinzhang’s trusting eyes, her throat tight with emotion.
Perhaps, Grandfather had already guessed something, but he didn’t want to disrupt her pace.
This trust made Zhan Lan feel infinitely warm.
Zhan Lan nodded, squeezing out one word from her throat, "Mm."
...
After returning to her new residence, Zhan Lan took a pot of wine and went upstairs.
The second floor’s furnishings were also very elegant, a great place for drinking tea, sipping wine, and reading books; one could simply sleep on the bed when tired. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Zhan Lan lit the stove to warm her hands above the flames.
It was already winter. She opened the door and went out to the porch, only to be driven back by a blast of cold air.
Zhan Lan immediately returned to the room, putting on a white fox fur cloak.
Holding the warmed wine, Zhan Lan leaned on the wooden railing, wanting to take in the view of the river.
This balcony was huge, with a view of Wangjiang Lake on one side and, seemingly, another family’s separate residence on the other.
Zhan Lan glanced into the distance and suddenly felt that this mansion seemed familiar.
A cold touch drifted into her neck; Zhan Lan raised her hand and saw six-petaled snowflakes land on her palm.
"It’s snowing!"
She had just moved today and had encountered Ding’an City’s first snowfall. She exclaimed, "May this auspicious snow herald a prosperous year!"
Zhan Lan sipped the warm wine when she heard a creak. A window opened in the house opposite.
Within a ten-step distance, a man’s familiar voice came through, "Who’s there? Up in the middle of the night, disturbing someone’s sweet dreams!"
Zhan Lan saw the man’s face and spat out a mouthful of wine.
