The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class

Chapter 196

He Zheng scratched his head, perplexed and curious, and asked, "Do we have to learn how to cook for the imperial exams?"

Zong Jincheng continued to fabricate, "You know what it's like to fight a war on paper, right? We just need to understand how to make roasted goose—we don't have to actually go and roast one."

"Oh..." He Zheng suddenly understood, "Got it, got it! This term, Cheng Fuzhi highlighted it for me. I remember!"

Cheng Zhidong slapped his own forehead.

He Zheng's tendency to understand the difficult stuff but struggle with the simple basics had to be corrected starting today—no time to waste!@@@@

He Zheng was completely duped by Zong Jincheng, yet he remained completely oblivious. As soon as everyone entered the room and began reporting good news, the entire room was filled with joy.

Pan Hongzhi said, "That's incredible! He Zheng will be able to study normally from now on, and in three years, you can all take the imperial exams together."

Zhao Yin added, "He Zheng started with the difficult stuff, so now he has to go back and catch up on the most basic fundamentals to avoid being tricked by Jin Cheng."

Cheng Zhidong nodded with his eyes closed, "Exactly, exactly. We're in a desperate situation."

He Zheng exclaimed and asked, "Jin Cheng tricked me about what?"

"Hahaha..." The group burst into laughter again.

Cheng Zhidong rubbed his temples and said, "The 'Ode to the Goose' is a children's poem, composed by Luo Binwang when he was seven. It merely vividly describes a group of geese playing in the water... there's no roasted goose!"

Zong Jincheng was the loudest in his laughter, "Fuzhi, why did you have to tell him so soon? You should’ve let us enjoy the joke a bit longer before dinner!"

Cheng Zhidong chuckled, "I'm getting old, can't hold back."

He Zheng covered his face with both hands, blushing all the way to his ears.

The Old Marchioness called everyone to sit down. Zong Jincheng instinctively wanted to sit next to Xu Wan but remembered that they had business to attend to and instead plopped down beside the Old Marquis.

Old Marquis: "?"

His grandson's sudden affection made him feel a bit uneasy.

One by one, sumptuous dishes were served, and the table was filled with familiar friends and family. They happily celebrated He Zheng's progress.

He heard everything, and he told everyone!

"Grandfather!!!" Zong Jincheng angrily chased after him.

Everyone at the table was stunned.

The Old Marchioness didn’t know what had happened, only that one had run off, and the other was now chasing.

Xu Wan was also confused, but after glancing around, her eyes finally fell on the martial arts expert, Cui Liu.

Cui Liu, coincidentally meeting her gaze: "..."

Xu Wan heard the full conversation from Cui Liu and finally understood the situation. Zong Jincheng's memory was impressively sharp, as he could recall such an event from the Mid-Autumn Festival so clearly. Even the Old Marquis hadn’t expected this.

Moreover, although the Old Marquis had denied every word, Zong Jincheng clearly didn’t believe a single one.

This kid, in just a few short months, had grown in an alarming way...

"Grandfather! Don't run!"

"You don’t chase me, and I won’t run!"

The older one and the younger one ran wildly around the marquis manor, amusing the servants who passed by, causing them to chuckle.

Zong Jincheng chased and shouted, "Grandfather, I was so good to you! I even washed your feet for you. After you bragged outside about how filial a grandson I was, you sold me out as soon as you got back."

"I didn’t! Where did I sell you out? I love you too!" The Old Marquis tried to explain as he ran, not wanting to stop and argue with him.

This little grandson was now well-read and had become quite eloquent. A rough, straightforward old man like him wasn’t a match for this sly, clever boy.

Zong Jincheng waited until he was far enough away from the dining area before raising his voice and yelling, "You're lying! You eavesdropped on me, then went straight to tell Grandmother, and told Xu Wan too. You spread my secrets everywhere, made me feel embarrassed for months, hurt my innocent heart, and damaged our deep grandfather-grandson bond. You're overstepping the line!

The Old Marquis was overwhelmed by the guilt trip, stopped, and argued, "It’s such a small thing, nowhere near as serious as you’re making it out to be."

Zong Jincheng grunted, grabbed his arm, and said, "Gotcha!"

The Old Marquis: "..."

Damn it, he had fallen for the boy’s trap.