Back to the 70s: My Childhood Sweetheart Spoils Me Rotten

Zhuge Mingshan was really annoyed. Grandpa Zhuge casually complained that the house was too big to clean.

Although he didn’t explicitly ask everyone to help with house cleaning, wasn’t that the implication?

In the past, Zhuge Mingshan would never have volunteered. She was a scholar, bearing the family’s hopes for their rise. Even if she wanted to, her grandparents wouldn’t have allowed it.

Thinking back to the day when Grandpa mentioned this, and then specifically named Zhuge Mingshan to go, how could she not be angry?

She wanted to throw a tantrum and say she wouldn’t go, but she really didn’t have the guts to defy Grandpa.

Damn it, if only she had been favored by Grandpa Zhuge back then, she would definitely be living the life of a pampered lady like her grandmother, instead of cleaning like a servant.

Zhuge Mingshan gloomily continued working, her eyes wandering around. "Who are you looking for?"

Her cousin had long been displeased with her. In the past, it was fine if she didn’t want to work, but now Grandpa specifically named her, yet she dared to slack off here. Hmph, does she really think she’d see Grandpa Zhuge coming around for inspection here? 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Looking around, "Why haven’t I seen Gong Ruini and them?"

"They have work to do." Her cousin said sourly, "They’re Grandpa Zhuge’s treasures, and we’re just weeds."

Go on, make a fuss. Hopefully, things will get blown out of proportion. Her cousin had long wanted to see Zhuge Mingshan take a fall.

If she could also bring down Gong Ruini and them, that would be even better.

Zhuge Mingshan was indeed jealous of Gong Ruini and them, but she wasn’t stupid. How could she not see through this provocation? If things got out of hand, would Grandpa Zhuge have a good opinion of her?

Gong Ruini and they would be just fine. On the contrary, it’d be her having bad luck. "Right, we’re just weeds. Let’s just do our own work."

Her cousin pouted; this girl wasn’t easy to fool. But no matter how clever she was, "Shanshan, it’s really a pity. If you tried a bit harder, you could have become Grandpa Zhuge’s apprentice."

"But why did Zhuge Hongjie catch Grandpa Zhuge’s eye?" Honestly, that’s something many in the Zhuge family couldn’t understand.

"How would I know?" If it were someone else, Zhuge Mingshan might not have been so agitated, but it had to be Zhuge Hongjie.

Come on, who is Zhuge Hongjie? A well-known troublemaker. She really didn’t understand why Grandpa Zhuge favored him so much.

Zhuge Mingshan was not without anger, but she couldn’t find Zhuge Hongjie. Otherwise, she would have already mocked him and asked how he sucked up to Grandpa Zhuge.

"I think Grandpa Zhuge must be fooled by him. Otherwise, why would he choose that scoundrel? Shanshan, I really think you’re better than him." Since they couldn’t trap Gong Ruini and them, it didn’t matter. There’s still more to follow, isn’t there?

Those words were quite to Zhuge Mingshan’s liking. Yeah, why isn’t she the choice? "Forget it, that’s Grandpa Zhuge’s choice."

"Some people’s nature is like that. No matter how well they disguise it, can they hide it forever?" Zhuge Mingshan always believed that some people could never hide their temper forever.

"Once his true nature is exposed, I think he won’t have any face left."

Zhuge Hongjie unintentionally passed by, overhearing Zhuge Mingshan’s remarks about him, and just passed by with a smile.

Clearly just a kid, but speaking like a market woman, he really didn’t understand what her grandmother taught her.

Zhuge Hongjie really couldn’t grasp how Zhuge Mingshan grew up. Weren’t their siblings supposed to battle various ways to stand out? How come Zhuge Mingshan was this dimwitted?

If such a fool could become outstanding, then truly the direct line of the Zhuge family was in various states of disgrace.

Zhuge Mingshan’s comments weren’t unheard by Zhuge Zhi. It wasn’t that Ge Yunkui and his wife eavesdropped on their conversation, but someone willingly passed the information to them.

Zhuge Zhi originally thought the family would reflect on why they couldn’t surpass Zhuge Hongjie, but he didn’t expect them to think he was hoodwinked by Zhuge Hongjie. "What a bunch of idiots."

"They only guess because they didn’t handle their own matters well." No inclination to strive, "If they could learn just ten percent of the Compendium of Materia Medica, I wouldn’t deny the opportunity."

"Even if they can’t be doctors, knowing medical principles would be sufficient to do herbal medicine business or work in a Traditional Chinese Medicine pharmacy, but look at them."

Recalling how those folks stuttered through memorizing the Compendium of Materia Medica, Zhuge Zhi couldn’t bear to see it, "Outside, they’re still spreading rumors on how smart and diligent they are."

"They truly mastered bragging but hadn’t focused on learning." Zhuge Zhi could tolerate not-so-smart disciples because outstanding talents like Zhan Banxia were rare.

But if they neither strive nor study hard, only to brag outside, they aren’t suited to learn Chinese medicine. If they were to be apprentices, they wouldn’t learn much and would end up exaggerating, claiming to be Hua Tuo reincarnated.

"Is everything ready?" After venting for a while, Zhuge Zhi felt better and stopped worrying. There’s no point in obsessing over certain things.

Cai Xingjuan stood out and itemized the previously purchased New Year’s goods, "Everything’s bought, and based on the information Hongjie provided earlier, gifts have been distributed according to each family’s situation."

Zhuge Zhi nodded and continued practicing calligraphy. He wouldn’t bother over these details. Since Cai Xingjuan and the others said it was settled, he didn’t want to waste time on it.

Cai Xingjuan was used to this kind of trust. She was about to ask who would oversee the gift distribution when the time came, even though the master valued their couple greatly.

But the Zhuge family folks never showed them a friendly face, unless they needed something, when they’d be a bit courteous. However, one glance and you could spot that condescending look in their eyes.

"Let Banxia and them distribute the gifts, and have Hongjie assist on the side. Don’t show yourself." After thinking it over, Zhuge Zhi decided it was better to push Banxia and them out at this time.

Although Banxia and them were kids, they were definitely more sensible than the average. The sooner they’re nurtured, the faster they’d improve.

Zhuge Zhi hadn’t intended to push Zhan Banxia and them out so quickly, but the clan was becoming too excessive. Some things had to be prepared earlier.

Letting Banxia and them show face? Had the master already prepared? Cai Xingjuan was quite puzzled, but her long-standing habit kept her from speaking up.