The heavy red lacquered door of the Chen Mansion was slowly opened a gap from the inside.

A boy looked through the crack in the door. Seeing that it was an old trace, he immediately closed the door again.

Chen Ji didn't urge him, he just waited quietly in front of the door.

He heard the boy shouting from behind the door: "Butler, butler! The third young master is back, what should I do?"

There were footsteps inside the door, and the housekeeper frowned: "How many times have I told you that there are only two young masters in the Chen Mansion, how could there be a third young master?"

After a while, the red-lacquered door reopened to a gap wide enough for one person. The housekeeper stood in the gap, looking up and down at the traces.

Finally, his eyes fell on the blue baggage on Chen Ji's shoulder: "You...why are you back?"

Chen Ji asked calmly: "Have the rules of the Chen family changed? When the Chen family wants to return to their own home, do they still need to obtain the consent of their servants?"

The butler's expression changed: "You didn't ask for my permission. It was the master who asked you to be an apprentice in the medical clinic. Now that you want to come back, you have to ask the master, right?"

Chen Ji pressed the beast's head on the door behind him, and pushed the door open with gentle force.

The housekeeper wanted to block the door, but was almost pushed away by the force of the door.

Chen Ji walked straight inside. The housekeeper stumbled and stood up. He stood up and grabbed his arm: "How could you break in? The master is not at home. You have to ask the master whether you can go back to Chen's house.

!”

However, at this moment, a voice came from the front hall: "It's so early in the morning, what's the fuss about? This is the residence of a fellow magistrate in Luo City, not a villa in the market place."

The boys stood still, and Chen Ji looked up, only to see a middle-aged woman wearing a purple stand-up collar and a pure gold crown on her head, with a bright green emerald centerpiece in the middle of the crown.

A green and white glass hairpin was inserted at the top of her bun. Even Concubine Jing rarely wore such formal clothes on weekdays.

Such careful and exquisite facial features have only been seen on Concubine Yun.

Chen Liqin married a Liang family.

Chen Ji turned around and bowed in salute: "Auntie."

Mrs. Liang stood on the steps of the main hall and looked at him with a smile: "I'm finally back, but I've been away for two years. I didn't know who I was. She used to call me mother, but now I just call her aunt. This needs to be spread outside.

If we really think we are mother and son, we will laugh at our lack of rules in the Chen family."

In the Ning Dynasty, there was a distinction between legitimate concubine and concubine. When a concubine called his biological mother, he could only call him "aunt", but he had to call his legitimate mother "mother".

It's just these two words that Chen Ji can't say out loud no matter what. He can tolerate other things, but not this matter.

I saw him bowing again and changing the topic: "Auntie, now that Prince Jing's Mansion has been sealed, Taiping Medical Center can no longer stay. I plan to return home, study classics and meanings with my brother, and wait for the next imperial examination."

Seeing that he refused to change his words, Ms. Liang was not angry. She raised her arm, and a maid immediately reached out to hold it: "I heard from Wenxiao that you have changed your mind now, which is naturally good, but you have been studying medicine for two years.

Wouldn't it be a pity if we gave up halfway? I happened to hear that Mr. Qiao from Taiyuan Hospital was about to recruit a disciple, why not..."

While he was talking, a carriage slowly stopped outside the door, and the wooden wheels made a hard collision sound on the bluestone road.

Chen Ji turned around and saw Chen Liqin, dressed in red official robes, opening the door curtain and being helped down by the coachman.

Officials of the Ning Dynasty would go to the Yamen before dawn at Mao Shi. By then, it would be time to finish their official duties and go home for lunch.

As soon as Chen Liqin stepped through the door, he looked up and saw Chen Ji and the baggage on his shoulders. His eyes lit up: "When did you come back? Where have you been when Luo City has been in chaos these past few days? It makes me worried for a while."

Chen Ji smiled and saluted: "I'm at Taiping Medical Center, I didn't go anywhere."

Chen Liqin was startled for a moment: "Really? Then what are you doing now..."

Chen Ji explained: "Prince Jing's Mansion and Taiping Medical Center will be sealed. I plan to go home and prepare for the next imperial examination."

"Okay, okay," Chen Liqin said hello three times, took Chen Ji's arm and walked in: "You can think so. After all, studying medicine is a minor path. If you can read the scriptures thoroughly, you will be a shepherd in the future.

What I want to do is: in a few days, I will send a letter to Donglin Academy and talk to the principal about your enrollment."

Just as Chen Liqin was pulling Chen Ji inside, Mr. Liang said from the side: "Master, this matter can be discussed in the long run. Now that Chen Ji has just returned home, please stop talking about your studies. He was watching the Liu family's rebellion on the edge of the palace.

He comes and goes and decides that he cannot eat well or sleep well, so I will arrange a place for him first so that he can have a good rest."

Chen Liqin suddenly understood and hurriedly explained to the housekeeper: "I remember that when the Liang family's wife and brother came here a while ago, they had just packed up Mingquan Garden. Now that he is gone, Chen Ji can live there. Wang Gui arranged for Chen Ji to settle down in Mingquan Garden.

.”

Mrs. Liang smiled at the side and said: "Master, you are confused. Mingquan Garden is a temporary accommodation for guests and is too far away from the main house. We have to place Chenji next to Wenzong and Wenxiao so that the three brothers can stay together."

If you are close to each other, if you have any academic confusion, it is convenient to ask Zong and Xiaoxiao to answer it for him."

Chen Liqin stroked his beard and said thoughtfully: "That makes sense."

Mrs. Liang told the housekeeper: "Wang Gui, take Chen Ji to Tingquanyuan to settle down."

Chen Liqin sighed: "Madam, you are so considerate. Thank you for having you in our family."

Liang smiled and said, "Thank you, Master."

…

…

In front of the door of Tingquanyuan, the housekeeper removed the padlock on the door with a smile on his face and opened the door.

I saw that the small courtyard was filled with debris from the mansion, including tiles used to repair the mansion, blue bricks stacked in two rows, and more than ten barrels of tung oil used to preserve the wood of the house.

The steward's lips curled up slightly, and he turned around and glanced at Chen Ji proudly: "Please, Third Young Master, you will live here from now on."

However, Chen Ji didn't care. He walked inside and opened the door of the main room.

The room is piled with old tables, chairs and benches that have been discarded from the government, and there are also high stacks of Luocheng government documents on the bare bed board.

He reached out and wiped it on the table, kicking up a thick layer of dust.

The housekeeper said casually: "If you are not satisfied with this residence, you can go to the madam and tell me, I have no control over this matter."

Chen Ji said casually: "It's pretty good here."

"Huh?" The housekeeper was stunned for a moment: "What did you say?"

Chen Ji smiled and said: "I said this place is pretty good, clean, but a little dirty."

The housekeeper hurriedly said: "There was a war in Luo City a few days ago. The servants have been busy cleaning up the messy places in the house these days, and I can't allocate anyone to help you."

Chen Ji looked at him deeply: "It doesn't matter, I can clean it myself."

The housekeeper was a little worried. He didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in Chenji Gourd. He took a few steps out doubtfully: "You said this yourself. If the master asks, don't blame me."

Chen Ji smiled and said: "Don't worry, it would be nice to have a place to live. It's not too late for me to be grateful."

The housekeeper became even more uneasy. He lowered his head and wondered if Chen Ji had any back-ups waiting for him. Chen Ji had been away from the government for two years, but when he came back, he was a little confused.

While thinking, a young man ran to the door of Tingquanyuan and said: "Steward, I have been sent to ask if the Third Young Master's residence has been arranged. If so, I will take him to the back hall. The master said, before lunch

There are still some things to tell him."

The butler replied loudly: "The arrangements have been made, let's go over now!"

…

…

In the back hall of the Chen Mansion, there is a plaque hanging with three large gold-lacquered characters "Master Dao Zun" written on it.

The couplet on the left reads, "I am poor to the core, but I still have a little life left. It is better to study than to starve to death."

The couplet on the right side reads, "Before you are satisfied with your studies, you need to practice in every possible way. If you are proficient in literature, you will be proficient in luck."

Chen Ji looked up, picked up his clothes and stepped into the threshold.

In the back hall, Chen Liqin and Mr. Liang were sitting on the imperial chair, while Chen Wenzong and Chen Wenxiao were sitting at the lower end.

When Chen Wenzong saw Chen Ji, he immediately stood up happily and said, "Are you finally willing to come back? No wonder my father said there was something important at home and called us over in a hurry."

Chen Wenxiao sat crookedly on his chair and curled his lips: "I said before that I would never come back again."

Chen Wenzong frowned, turned to look at Chen Wenxiao and shouted: "Shut up!"

Chen Wenxiao shrank his neck and said nothing.

"Ahem," Chen Liqin cleared his throat: "I called you here today just to tell you three brothers that from now on you should work together as one, and there should be no more barriers. As the saying goes, in fighting a tiger, brothers are brothers, and father and son are soldiers in battle.

After I wait a hundred years, the three of you brothers will still have to watch and help each other in the court, and no one else can be considered sincere."

Chen Wenzong hurriedly bowed: "Father is right, Wenzong will definitely keep it in mind."

Chen Ji smiled and said: "I will definitely learn from my elder brother and take him as a role model."

Chen Liqin looked at Chen Wenxiao and said in a deep voice: "What about you?"

Chen Wenxiao sat on the chair and said reluctantly: "Me too."

Chen Liqin said angrily: "Sit up straighter for me. If you don't stand or sit down, I think you're worse than Chen Ji now!"

Chen Wenxiao opened his mouth, but no words came out for a long time.

At this time, Mrs. Liang put the tea cup in her hand on the table and said: "By the way, Chen Ji, I heard rumors in the market that you, the prince, the princess and others made cement products, and you can get them from there every year."

I received dividends from the newly established Construction Engineering and Preparation Bureau. Is this true?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "Where did you hear that, Madam?"

Chen Wenxiao sneered: "Liu Quxing from Taiping Medical Center has told his family that for this happy event, his family even held a special banquet to entertain relatives and friends. What, you still don't want to admit it?"
To be continued...