The world of film and television begins from childhood

Zhou Chen said, "Just accept it. As long as grandma and the others are safe, it's good. When did grandma and the others return to Beijing?"

"Just two days ago, just like you, I was able to get back in time for the festival."

"Oh, that's good."

"Ma'am, are you feeling better?"

"I feel better now. Ah, sir, you come again? I really have no strength left. Go find Cuichan."

"No, I just want to be with my wife tonight, and then go find Cuichan tomorrow."

When meeting again after a long separation, some emotions do not need to be expressed in words, but should be expressed through practical actions.

The next morning, Cuichan came into the room early to serve.

In the whole mansion, she was the only one who could come in to serve Zhou Chen and Hua Lan before they got up. The other maids and servants were not allowed to come in unless Zhou Chen and Hua Lan called them.

As soon as Cuichan came in, she saw Zhou Chen getting up from the bed, and her cheeks suddenly turned red.

Zhou Chen found it funny, so he walked over and touched her rosy cheeks. This girl was usually very imposing when directing people to do work, but in front of him, she was very shy.

"My wife hasn't woken up yet. I'm going to practice outside. Please wait for a while."

"Okay, Lord Marquis."

Cuichan was not surprised at all that Zhou Chen was energetic early in the morning while Hualan was drowsy. If it were her, she would definitely act like her own girl.

Only those who have truly experienced it can understand the Marquis's abilities.

After returning home, Zhou Chen would get up early every morning to practice. Although his progress was extremely slow, he did make some progress over time.

After finishing the exercise, Hua Lan got up, washed up, and had breakfast with Zhou Chen.

"My lady, it will be New Year's Day in a few days. We will go to Sheng's house someday, and you should prepare the things we need to send."

Hua Lan said, "I have prepared all these. It is up to you to decide when to go."

"Okay, I still have some official business to deal with these few days, let's go in a few days. By the way, has the relationship between you and your father-in-law improved recently?" Zhou Chen asked.

"It's much better than before you left. To be honest, it's all because of what happened to Miss Lin and her daughter."

"Something happened? What happened to them?"

Zhou Chen paused, he knew in his heart that it must be the trick he had played that had worked. It seemed that the mother and daughter must have suffered a lot during the time when their injuries broke out.

Hua Lan lowered her voice and said, "Our family has kept this matter secret. I didn't dare tell anyone else. In fact, Lin Xiaoniang and her daughter had tuberculosis, and the disease was almost passed on to the maid who took care of them. They were sent to a farm outside the city two months ago."

"what?"

Zhou Chen was a little confused when he heard this: "Tuberculosis? Sent to the manor outside the city?"

"Yes, although my mother said that this is retribution for their bad deeds, but when I think about it carefully, I still feel sorry for them. Tuberculosis is a terminal illness. It's okay for Miss Lin, but Molan is my sister after all. If something really happened to her, I really couldn't bear it."

Hualan did not show happiness when she learned about this. Instead, she felt sorry for Lin Qinshuang and her daughter. Molan was so young and had not yet married, but she had contracted this disease. Even if she didn't lose her life, who would dare to marry her in the future?

Zhou Chen frowned slightly, but soon understood the reason. He used his internal energy to stimulate their lungs. If an attack occurred, the symptoms were indeed somewhat similar to those of tuberculosis. It was reasonable for them to be mistaken for tuberculosis.

He also knew what tuberculosis meant in such an era. Even if Sheng Hong doted on Lin Qinshuang, it was not surprising that he sent them to a farm outside the city under such circumstances.

But if that were the case, the treatment Lin Qinshuang and her daughter received at the farm outside the city would definitely not be as good as at the Sheng Mansion.

"So how are they doing now? Can my father-in-law resist going to see them?"

Hua Lan said: "According to my mother, she seemed to have gone to see him, but she didn't bring him back. It seems that the situation is not good."

"That's it."

Zhou Chen nodded without asking any more questions. He knew best that he had done it himself. Without good treatment, the recovery would be very poor, the suffering would be prolonged, and even if it was not controlled in time, it would cause irreparable damage to the lungs.

But he just thought about it for a while and stopped thinking about it. He didn't feel any guilt. There was no need for him to feel guilty towards someone who had hurt his child.

If he really had so much guilt, then among all the enemies he killed on the battlefield, how many of them had a grudge against him?

If one's heart is not strong, guilt can really drive one to death.

He couldn't help but think of Minglan. Minglan should have figured out the real reason for her mother Wei Xiaoniang's death. Now, before she could take action, Lin Qinshuang became like this. I wonder what her mood is now.

What he didn't know was that Minglan had already learned about Lin Qinshuang's affairs, and she was now in a very complicated mood.

She had never expected that the enemy would fall before she even started to retaliate. She wanted to step on him to avenge her mother.

But after thinking about it for a few days, she gave up the idea. Lin Qinshuang had tuberculosis, and there was no need for her to risk being infected by stepping on her. Perhaps letting Lin Qinshuang die from the torture of tuberculosis would be the best revenge on her.

The old lady was in a very good mood these few days after she came back. The most noisy mother and daughter in the mansion were gone, and the family was harmonious, so her mood naturally improved.

A few days later, Gu Tingye brought the good news to Zhou Chen, saying that he would be getting married to Yu Yanran, the eldest daughter of the Yu family, after the Lantern Festival, and also invited Zhou Chen to go to Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion to attend.

Zhou Chen naturally agreed readily. Looking at the happy Gu Tingye, he always felt a little uncomfortable. Gu Tingye was really going to marry Yu Yanran.

What about Minglan?

As far as he knew, due to the changes in the plot, Hualan's health was much better than that of ordinary people under his care. Naturally, there was no need for the old lady to ask the famous doctor, Mrs. He, for her, and Minglan naturally had no chance to meet He Hongwen.

In this way, Minglan no longer has any fate with Gu Tingye and He Hongwen, and now the only ones eyeing Minglan are Qi Heng and Madam Wu.

What's more coincidental is that in Molan's current situation, it is naturally impossible for her to have an affair with Liang Liulang, and the Earl of Yongchang's Mansion is under the control of Madam Wu. If Madam Wu insists on letting him marry Minglan, with Liang Liulang's situation, he probably won't be able to persuade Madam Wu unless something unexpected happens.

Who will Minglan choose?

Thinking of this, Zhou Chen couldn't help but feel happy and found it very interesting.

For Minglan, neither Qi Heng nor Liang Han are good choices, but if there is no better choice, everything is uncertain.

For some reason, he really wanted to see how Minglan's drama would unfold, and how the plot he changed would end.

On the eve of New Year's Day, Zhou Chen and Hua Lan went to Sheng Mansion together. Sheng Hong seemed to have forgotten the unpleasantness of that time and chatted with Zhou Chen with a smile.

Sheng Hong felt miserable. He wanted to show his displeasure, but he didn't have the courage.

Look at the titles that the eldest son-in-law has now. Any one of them can beat him half to death. With such a powerful son-in-law, even as a father-in-law, he feels a lot of pressure and dares not show any displeasure.

Not only can you not show a straight face, you also have to smile, and your smile has to be natural, happy, and without any signs of acting.

When it comes to acting, Zhou Chen is no worse than Sheng Hong. When the two movie kings perform against each other, if you don’t know, you would think they are father and son.

Compared to Sheng Hong, Wang Ruofu was much happier and looked very proud.

She has accomplished several major events this year. Now, she is the master of the inner courtyard of Sheng Mansion. The most annoying Lin Qinshuang has finally disappeared. Just for this reason, she can wake up with a smile every night.

Although Sheng Hong had quarreled with her many times these days, so what? No matter how much they quarreled, that little bitch Lin Qinshuang would not come back. Sheng Hong could only sleep in her bed obediently.

Her son also got married this year, and she managed her daughter-in-law until she was completely obedient. She threw all the hard work at home to her. Now she feels relaxed, especially during the few months when the old lady went to Youyang, she was even more proud.

This feeling of pride lasted for a long time, until the old lady came back and scolded her, and she finally restrained herself.

If there is anything else on her mind now, it is only one thing, which is to quickly find a suitable husband for her youngest daughter Rulan.

Whenever she thought of Rulan, she got a headache. Look at how happy and powerful her eldest daughter is now. It's all because she married well.

She didn't ask Rulan to marry as well as Hualan, but at least she couldn't marry too badly. At least he had to be from an earl's mansion, or the legitimate son of a noble family.

So, when Hualan came home to give gifts, she pulled Hualan aside and kept complaining.

"Hua'er, you have to think more about your sister. If you can't find a suitable one year after year, Rulan will really become an old maid."

She had a headache, and Hualan had the same headache.

"Mother, Rulan will only be seventeen in a year, why are you in such a hurry? Besides, it's not like I didn't help you choose a girl, but I mentioned several girls from earl's and marquis' houses, and you didn't like any of them. I'm not very familiar with the ladies of those noble civil servants, so where can I go to ask for you?"

As the wife of Marquis Zhongjing, Hualan's social circle naturally mostly consists of officials and wives of noble military officers. Although she has contact with the families of civil officials, her relationship with them can only be described as average.

But her mother and sister looked down upon the several legitimate sons of noble families that she had mentioned. They either disliked this one or that one; in short, they just looked down upon them.

She was originally full of enthusiasm, but after failing again and again, she began to become discouraged. Every time she heard her mother mention it, she felt a headache.

Wang Ruofu suddenly said, "My Lord, you know a lot of people, how about..."

"Don't give me such bad advice, mother. What are you thinking? How can you think of asking the official to propose marriage to my sister? I can't do such a thing. If this is the case, I think you might as well ask father to do it."

Wang Ruofu said angrily: "If your father could be trusted, would I need to look for you? I think you don't care about Ruer at all. Huaer, you are the eldest sister. You are living a good life now, so you should take care of your younger sister. You..."

"Okay, okay, mother, I understand. Please stop talking. I will find time to talk to Madam Wu after the New Year. She knows more about the powerful families in Bianjing City than I do."

"I think this is okay, you can ask her." Wang Ruofu nodded in surprise.

Hualan quickly dealt with her mother and then ran to Shou'an Hall.

But she didn't expect that when she arrived at Shou'an Hall, she would face another difficult problem.

"Hua'er, you are so smart. I'm sure you have already guessed something about Ming'er and Young Master Qi. Ming'er has made up her mind, and I can't change it. Do you think she has a chance?"

"what?"

Hualan was immediately confused. She had just dealt with her mother, and now there was the matter of Minglan and Young Master Qi. Was the main purpose to not let her live in peace?

"Grandmother, Young Master Qi is indeed a modest gentleman. I also heard Madam Wu mention to me that Young Master Qi is quarreling with his mother, Princess Pingning. It should be because of Minglan, right?"

"Yes, alas, this girl doesn't listen to advice and is very stubborn. I thought there was no fate between them, but I didn't expect that Young Master Qi would be so stubborn. I'm afraid that they will continue to be so stubborn and hurt themselves in the end."

Hua Lan sighed, "Grandmother is right to worry. Princess Pingning is really, how should I put it, too arrogant. How could she possibly be interested in Minglan? I heard that the Rong family and Prince Yong are both interested in marrying into the Duke of Qi's mansion. I guess Princess Pingning is considering it."

"The Rong family and Prince Yong?"

The old lady was also having a headache. Neither of these two families could be afforded to be offended by the Sheng family.

Seeing the old lady in distress, Hualan comforted her in a gentle voice: "Grandma, you don't have to worry too much. No matter what, I am here and will not let Minglan be bullied."

The old lady sighed, "You are a good child. You have never given me any worries since you were little. Even the most difficult marriage went very smoothly without causing me any worries. Compared to you, Ming girl has to make me worry. She may not have as good luck as you. I have to support her."

"In fact, I would rather she find an ordinary family. Even if they can't be rich and powerful, as long as they can live in peace and security and have enough food and drink, it's enough. And with the Sheng Mansion and a big sister like you around, she won't suffer if she marries into an ordinary family."

"It's just that this child has grown up and has her own ideas. I can't change them. I can only think more about her and consider her future plans."

Hualan remained silent. This was what her parents and elders were all about. Her mother was for Rulan and her grandmother was for Minglan. They were all very concerned about her.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 1143 Aunt Kang comes to visit, shameless

On the way back, Zhou Chen saw Hua Lan frowning slightly, as if she was thinking about something.

"Madam, what's wrong with you? You look so sad after coming out of Sheng Mansion?"

Hualan shook her head and said, "Nothing, it's just that my mother told me about Rulan's marriage today. This child is the same. She has seen several people for her, but she is not satisfied with any of them. My mother wants her to marry into a wealthy family, but she doesn't have this idea. She only wants to find a family lower than the Sheng family. Alas."

Zhou Chen could imagine his mother-in-law's anxious and angry look, and he could also imagine Rulan's indifferent attitude.

If Hualan inherited part of Wang Ruofu's personality, then Rulan was almost like she was carved from the same mold as Wang Ruofu.

What’s even more interesting is that Rulan always likes to go against her mother Wang Ruofu.

"I think Fifth Sister's idea is a good one. With her personality, it would not be a good thing for her to marry into a wealthy family. If she marries someone who is not as good as the Sheng family, she will have the support of her father and brother in the future, and she will be able to live a comfortable life."

Hua Lan nodded and said, "I have the same idea, but the problem is, you know my mother, she doesn't like people from humble backgrounds, she is very proud."

She could understand Rulan's thoughts and her mother's thoughts. Rulan did not seek to be superior to others, she just wanted to live comfortably and not be bullied by her in-laws. Her mother's idea was that a girl should marry up, and she wanted Rulan to marry into a wealthy family.

The reason her mother thought so was because of her successful precedent.

But she herself understood how lucky she was to be able to marry Zhou Chen. If it weren't for the relationship between the old lady and her mother-in-law, she wouldn't have been able to marry into the Mansion of Marquis Zhongjing. If it weren't for the love of her mother-in-law and the official, she wouldn't have been able to live so comfortably and freely without having to consider other people's feelings.

So it is not impossible for her mother to want Rulan to be like her, but the possibility is really too low.

"Let's not talk about this, sir. Why didn't the court arrange a New Year's Day banquet this year?"

Zhou Chen said, "Because the emperor's health is getting worse, there are no more palace banquets. However, the queen will still summon the ladies of high rank on New Year's Day, so you should also be ready on that day. Mother will not go that day, so you will go alone."

Hua Lan said confidently: "Sir, don't worry about me. You were so powerful in the former court, and I will definitely not embarrass you in the harem."

She is no longer the "country girl" who just came to Beijing from Yangzhou. She is now the eldest lady of the Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion. Her husband is so powerful and majestic, so as his wife, she naturally has enough confidence to face the queen and those nobles.

"Of course I believe you."

Zhou Chen was not worried about Hua Lan. Just as Hua Lan said, she was different now and had matured a lot.

During this year's Spring Festival, Zhou Chen did not have to go anywhere. He just stayed at home with his mother, wife and children. He also handed over the official matters to his subordinates.

Because he had made great contributions in suppressing a rebellion not long ago and had been promoted, many people came to visit him during the New Year, especially the other branches of the Zhou family, who also came to congratulate him.

The current Zhou Chen is more than just the Marquis of Zhongjing. His powers are no less than those of a marquis. The most important thing is that he is not yet thirty years old. He still has at least several decades in the future. It may be possible for him to enter the Privy Council as a military officer like Prime Minister Di.

Zhou Chen had to deal with these normal exchanges of courtesy in person. He did not like such false courtesy, but some things were unavoidable in the officialdom.

There are some people Zhou Chen is willing to deal with, but there are some people he is not willing to deal with, such as the one who came to visit today.

"Mother, Aunt Kang."