Ci Jinzhi

Chapter 72
At first glance, the layout of the living room looks the same as before, but if you look at the details, it is different everywhere.For example, a pot-bellied vase with flowers on the table against the wall, and a green cloth cushion on the chair.

In the words of the buddy Liu Zhou, it was really a waste to let the old man who was the shopkeeper in the living room use it.

"Sister Ji, sit down." Xin You greeted with a smile, lifted the teapot and poured two cups of tea.

The chrysanthemum tea has two grains of rock sugar, which tastes sweet and refreshing.Ji Cailan took several sips and praised without hesitation: "Sister Kou's tea here is really delicious."

"Sister Ji must come here often."

"Sister Kou, you don't think I'm bothering you all the time."

"How come, I'm not busy. There are shopkeepers, employees, and craftsmen in the bookstore, and I'm the only idler."

Ji Cailan only felt that the new friend was happy everywhere, and the smile on her face became more: "That's good. Sister Kou, has the second part of "Painted Skin" been written? Can it really be sold in early September?"

"should be no problem."

"Great!" Ji Cailan clapped her palms, trying not to ask Wang Sheng whether it was the beautiful girl or the fang-toothed ghost that Wang Sheng saw from the window.

She is not so ignorant to ask such embarrassing words.

Xinyou took a sip of tea: "By the way, why didn't sister Zhou come with you?"

Hearing Xin You mentioned Zhou Ningyue, Ji Cailan sighed: "Cousin is not in a good mood recently, and she doesn't say anything when I ask her. I asked her to come here today, but she doesn't want to go out."

"I saw that sister Zhou was in a good mood that time."

"Yeah, who knows what's wrong." Ji Cailan was a little worried.

She has only two older brothers, and has always treated her cousin as her own sister.The cousin is not happy, and she is a little bit boring when she plays.

"I have something, sister Zhou may be happy when she sees it."

"what?"

"Sister Ji, wait a moment."

Xin You went out and whispered a few words to Xiao Lian who was staying in the study hall.Xiaolian nodded and walked away quickly.

"Sister Kou, can't you tell me what it is first?" Ji Cailan couldn't help asking curiously.

Xin You smiled: "There will be no surprises after I say it, and Sister Ji will see it later."

Xiao Lian didn't keep the two of them waiting long, she walked in through the curtain, handed Xin You an object wrapped in green cloth, and left silently.

Xin You opened the green cloth outside, revealing a booklet without a cover.

Ji Cailan's pupils trembled.

What's this!Could it be the legendary comic book?The one with no clothes on!
Although she hasn't read it, she has accumulated rich experience in reading so many stories over the years, and occasionally knows the existence of that kind of comic book from the occasional sentence or two mentioned by the characters in the story.

This... If Sister Kou invites her to watch it, will she watch it or not?

Ji Cailan hurriedly glanced at the door, feeling extremely conflicted for a moment.

Although Xinyou knows a lot, comic books and so on are really her cognitive blind spot. Looking at Ji Cailan's reaction, big doubts arise in her heart.

Why did Miss Ji suddenly become furtive?
"What's wrong, sister Ji?"

"No, nothing."

Xin You pushed the booklet over: "Open it and have a look."

"Ah, this, is this appropriate?" Ji Cailan sank an extra booklet in her hand, and was a little incoherent.

She's not ready yet!

Xinyou became more and more confused: "Why is it inappropriate? I showed it to Sister Ji, and Sister Ji will not show it to others casually."

Ji Cailan:!

But Sister Kou's kindness is hard to turn down, or... just take a look.

Ji Cailan was heartbroken and opened the booklet.

What I saw was a man dressed as a scholar stopped on the road and was chatting with a woman.The woman has a graceful figure and is very beautiful.

This picture is not black and white, but colored. Whether it is the hairpin in the woman's hair or the skirt embroidered with flowers, they are all very detailed and lifelike, as if the man and woman are right in front of them.

Unconsciously, Ji Cailan turned to the second page, and there was another vivid picture.

"How is it? Does it look good?" Xin You's voice sounded with a smile, pulling Ji Cailan's mind back.

Ji Cailan raised her head sharply, and pointed to the picture on the pamphlet: "Well, could this be the scene where Wang Shenglu met Mei Niang?"

"It's kind of like the description in the text, right? I drew the scenes from the upper part of "Painted Skin" on a whim, what does Sister Ji think?"

Ji Cailan blinked in embarrassment.

She was thinking too much, she kept turning backwards just now, thinking that the naked one was behind!

But soon the excitement overwhelmed the embarrassment, Ji Cailan's eyes were burning, and she pressed the booklet with both hands: "Sister Kou, you are too good, how did you think of drawing the story!"

"Maybe it's too busy. Sister Ji, do you think Sister Zhou will feel better when she sees this?"

"Of course." Ji Cailan nodded vigorously, and blurted out the invitation, "If Sister Kou is okay, let's go find my cousin together, and let her be surprised by this too."

"Okay." Xin You readily agreed.

The two walked out of the bookstore together, without hiring a carriage, talking and chatting, and walked to Zhou Ningyue's house without knowing it.

"Cousin, look who's coming!" Ji Cailan shouted cheerfully while still in the yard.

Although Xin You has a lot of thoughts, she doesn't feel a genuine smile when she is with such a pure and lively girl like Ji Cailan.

The door of the west wing was pushed open, and Zhou Ningyue came out, seeing Xin You beside Ji Cailan with a surprised expression on her face: "Sister Kou?"

Xin You didn't respond immediately, and the scene changed before her eyes.

It's daytime.Standing outside the door, Zhou Ningyue seemed to have seen something. The basket in her hand fell to the ground, stumbled and ran while turning her head, ran to the courtyard and fell to the ground, with a face of pain and panic.

It was her father Zhou Tong who chased him out of the house.

"Sister Kou—" Seeing that Xin You was silent, Zhou Ningyue called out again.

Xin You regained consciousness, the girl with a sweet smile in front of her eyes overlapped with the terrified girl in the picture, the contrast made people feel extremely complicated.

Fortunately, Xin You has been here since she was a child. Although she can't be calm about those sudden scenes, she can be calm on the surface.

"I haven't seen you for a few days. Sister Zhou seems to have lost some weight." Xin You greeted calmly, but quickly analyzed what she saw in her mind.

From when Zhou Ningyue accidentally dropped the basket to when she fell down, there was no small movement, but when Zhou's father chased her into the yard, no one else showed up.

None of Zhou's mother, maidservant, doorman, cook, and servant appeared.

Could it be that only Zhou Tong and Zhou Ningyue were at home at that time?
This situation is very strange.

Xinyou noticed the basket that fell to the ground with doubts.

The small wicker basket turned sideways, the floral cloth covering the basket slipped, and the mooncakes were scattered all over the floor.

Mooncake——Xinyou's heart skipped a beat.

Is that day the Mid-Autumn Festival?
If it's Mid-Autumn Festival, other people don't say, the possibility that Zhou's mother is not at home is very small.

Thinking of Zhou Ningyue standing outside the door and suddenly dropping the bamboo basket and running out in panic, Xin You had a guess in her mind.

(End of this chapter)