Well, Grounded Again

Emerging from the Lihong Courtesan House, Chen Yi had Liu Si'er drive the carriage around the south of the city a few times, and found them all much of a muchness.

Aside from having elegant facades, larger shops, the sound of music drifting out, and high officials and nobles coming and going, there was no difference.

It was not as interesting as fishing in the estate.

Shortly after, Chen Yi brought the few of them back to the Marquis's mansion, without even eating lunch outside.

Not long after.

After sending Chen Yi, Xiao Die, and Xiao Wuge back to Chunhe Garden, Wang Lixing looked at the surrounding Marquis's Mansion Guards.

"Second son-in-law, where did he get this kind of nerve?"

"Who knows? In my view, he must have been cooped up in the estate for too long, and went to the south city to feast his eyes."

"If the Old Marquis and the Second Master and the others find out, this son-in-law of ours will probably not hear the end of it."

"But that scholar surnamed Liu who was blocked at the Lihong Courtesan House earlier really had me laughing uncontrollably."

"Haha... You were fine not saying it, but the moment you say it I want to laugh again."

Wang Lixing did not linger, and after changing into his armor, he went to Xiao Xuanshuo's quarters to report on his mission.

"Bitch! Bastard!"

"He, he actually dared to take Wu Ge to that kind of place, he has no shame, but my Xiao family cannot afford to lose this face!"

Xiao Xuanshuo slapped the armrest of his wheelchair, his upright face filled with rage.

Wang Lixing stood nearby without daring to move a muscle, secretly breaking out in a cold sweat for Chen Yi.

After cursing for a long while, Xiao Xuanshuo's temper still did not subside.

Yet he knew that such matters could not be brought into the open, and spreading them to the Old Marquis would only add unnecessary trouble, so he immediately issued an order:

"Lixing, go notify the estate guards that starting from today, Chen Yi is not allowed to leave the Marquis's mansion by even half a step!"

Wang Lixing acknowledged the order, lifted his gaze to scan Xiao Xuanshuo's expression, and hesitated as he said, "Then the son-in-law... Second Miss sent a letter earlier saying his grounding was lifted."

"As for Jinghong, I will speak to her myself, you just do as I order." Xiao Xuanshuo snorted:

"In addition, you go and relay to that scoundrel, and tell him that I said when Jinghong returns to the estate, I will test his martial Dao progress. If he fails to break through to the Ninth Rank · Lower Tier, I will have him sent rolling to report to the Black Armored Army!"

Wang Lixing opened his mouth, and thinking of Chen Yi's performance in practicing the stake training these past days, he silently shook his head.

Even with the Mystic Grade Great Spear Stance Cultivation, wanting to temper the fleshly body and elevate one's cultivation base to the Ninth Rank · Lower Tier was no easy task.

Most people required two to three months of time, and only those exceptional talents could accomplish the first step of refining the inner qi within their bodies in a single month.

Even Second Miss had required over half a month when she originally cultivated.

And that was the result of diligent, unceasing effort every day, while the son-in-law... The son-in-law was going to suffer miserably this time.

Yet to Wang Lixing's surprise, upon learning of this, Chen Yi not only did not kick up a fuss, but was instead very calm, as if he had anticipated it long ago.

"Not allowed to leave the Marquis's mansion, but I can roam freely within the Marquis's mansion, right?"

"That is indeed the case, son-in-law, you..."

Chen Yi waved his hand to cut him off, "Understood, from now on the stake training will proceed as usual."

He truly had anticipated it.

If he went undiscovered it would be fine, but with Xiao Wuge and the others following along, the matter was bound to reach the ears of the Xiao family's elders.

After all, the Xiao family was a Marquis of Wu Family of Great Wei, and for him, a matrilocal son-in-law, to stroll around the pleasure districts of the south city in broad daylight-not getting a beating already showed immense grace.

Wang Lixing wore a wry smile, cupped his fists, and turned to leave Chunhe Garden.

The person had barely left.

Large, heavy tears fell from Xiao Die's face, and uncontrollable whimpering broke out in her mouth.

"Son-, son-in-law, it's all my fault, I didn't stop you..."

Seeing her pear blossoms drenched in rain, Chen Yi could not help but be amused.

"What are you crying for? Think about the bright side."

"You, you've been grounded again, and you have to be tested on your martial Dao, what part of that is good?"

"Precisely because of being grounded, won't I have no way to run around blindly anymore? Think about it, won't you never have to worry from now on either?"

Xiao Die thought tearfully through her shimmering eyes, and it seemed to be the logic of the matter.

She hurriedly wiped her tears with her sleeves, her face wanting to smile yet holding it back, turning beet red all over.

"Son-in-law, you are really, you really..."

What he really was, she could not even articulate.

Yet having lived in the Marquis's mansion since childhood, she had seen plenty of people coming and going: high officials and nobles, wealthy scions, and scholars and Juren scholars steeped in poetry and books, but not a single one was like the son-in-law.

To say he had literary talent, he truly did, but he was not arrogant about his talents.

He frequently read books, but one could tell he disliked reading, merely using it to pass the time.

He also often spoke strange vernacular, yet occasionally uttered a few very reasonable sentences... Anyway, he was just weird.

"If you're done crying, go to the kitchen and see what we're having for lunch."

A single sentence made the little girl wipe her tears clean and trot out the door.

At this moment, Xiao Wuge, who had been sitting quietly to the side, looked at the nonchalant Chen Yi and asked curiously:

"Brother-in-law, you don't like going out?"

"It depends." Chen Yi looked left and right, picked up a fishing rod, and walked toward the pond side, "If there's nothing much, going out of the Marquis's mansion is also boring."

Xiao Wuge followed behind him, also carrying a fishing rod, and after thinking for a moment, revealed a smile.

"I know, Brother-in-law is right."

"What do you know?"

"I know that Brother-in-law, you prefer tranquility over activity, like fishing and drinking tea, and dislike martial arts and reading."

"I suppose you got that right..."

In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed.

During these days, Chen Yi stayed very obediently in the Marquis's mansion, though he had not been entirely without leaving Chunhe Garden.

His luck was relatively good; during this period, three of the "Daily Intelligence" entries happened to be located right inside the Marquis's mansion.

So he had Xiao Wuge and Xiao Die lead him around the Marquis's mansion to wander everywhere, firstly to watch the commotion and secondly to learn his way around.

Although they were all noisy, brawling pieces of intelligence, and the rewards granted were not as good as the Playful Dragon Teases Phoenix body movement technique outside the Lihong Courtesan House that day, Chen Yi was still content.

At the very least, it was improving faster than when he previously stayed in Chunhe Garden relying on baseline fortunes.

It not only allowed him to advance both "Martial Dao · Fist" and the newly practiced "Martial Dao · Step" to the Minor Accomplishment Realm. The Collapsing Mountain Fist had also broken through to the Proficient Level, along with the Playful Dragon Teases Phoenix body movement technique showing considerable progress.

Naturally, there was also his cultivation base.

Through this period of cultivating the Great Spear Stance Cultivation, his cultivation base had already broken through from the Ninth Rank · Lower Tier to the Ninth Rank · Middle.

The harvest was quite bountiful.

This day in Chunhe Garden, within the pavilion.

Heavy rain poured down from the sky, pattering down into the pond.

Chen Yi and Xiao Wuge sat side by side on the pavilion railing, one large and one small gripping two fishing rods, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the fishing floats.

Xiao Die sat at a stone table nearby, occasionally filling their cups with hot tea while watching the brother-in-law and the Young Marquis.

She rested her chin in her hand and pondered the amusing events of the past few days, a somewhat peculiar feeling in her heart.

She did not know if it was just her imagination, but whenever there was some playful chaos or disturbance within the estate, the brother-in-law would invariably appear at the very first moment, even cracking melon seeds to watch the show.

Yet she herself did not even dare lift her head, terrified of being implicated by those people.

With this thought, a smile surfaced on Xiao Die's face, and she softly asked:

"Son-in-law, in a few days it will be the Old Master's Birthday Banquet, do you need to prepare a gift?"

"Birthday banquet... It indeed ought to be prepared."

Come to think of it, Chen Yi had been in the Xiao Manor for several months, yet he had never laid eyes on the Old Marquis even once.

Whether that Old Marquis was still holding a grudge over him fleeing the marriage or was busy with other matters, he did not know; in any case, when he went to pay his respects those past few days, he had been turned away by people guarding the door.

Thinking better of it, Chen Yi severed those idle thoughts, deciding that drinking tea and fishing in Chunhe Garden was pretty good too.

"Judging by the days, Eldest Miss and Second Miss will be returning soon as well."

Chen Yi's ears twitched slightly, and realization dawned in his mind.

For the Old Marquis's grand birthday, Xiao Jinghong naturally had to rush back, and he wondered what kind of attitude this wife of his would hold upon her return.

Thinking of this, Chen Yi asked, "Xiao Die, does the Old Master have any hobbies?"

Presumably it was unlikely for Xiao Jinghong to prepare any gifts, so at the crucial moment, he would still have to rely on himself as the matrilocal son-in-law.

Xiao Die thought for a moment, "The Old Master used to like brandishing spears and waving staffs, but that was in the past, now..."

Xiao Wuge turned his head to supplement: "Grandfather has constantly been playing chess with several visiting grandfathers recently."

"Playing chess?" Chen Yi rubbed his chin; this was something he did not know how to do.

"Then we'll just present the Old Master with a piece of calligraphy."

During this period, his progress in Running Script was not small either, and writing a Birthday Ode should be presentable enough.