Chapter 24 - 24 The Past and Present Life of Little Black

Words : 964 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 24: Chapter 24 The Past and Present Life of Little Black "Return to the Master, Manager Liu from Hengchang only offered her one hundred silver taels upon seeing her clothes, feeling something fishy, but the woman didn't mind the amount being too little." Mu Yan sneered coldly, this wretched girl's greed is rarely matched in this world! He glanced at the clothes and said coldly, "Take the clothes and throw them away, I don't want anything that girl has worn." The man in black picked up the clothes to leave. Mu Yan stood up, his purse from within his sleeves dropped to the floor. Another man in black looked at the purse embroidered with strange beast patterns on the ground in panic, and nervously asked, "Master, do you still want this?" Mu Yan's gaze fell on the purse, on the ugly duckling embroidered on it. He pinched it with two fingers, disdainfully, and threw it mercilessly into a corner of the table. "Leave it there, it wards off evil!" Both men in black bowed and exited the room. Mu Yan looked at the ugly duckling and muttered, "Quite bold, driven mad by poverty, aren't you!" ... On another side, in the backyard of General Mansion, Zhan Lan, who was looking for clean clothes for Dugu Yan, suddenly sneezed twice. "Someone must be cursing me!" Zhan Lan moved his tired shoulders, feeling exceptionally weary today. "Who dares to curse you, I'll teach them a lesson with a punch!" Dugu Yan said indignantly. Zhan Lan poked Dugu Yan's forehead, "You, at such a young age, should not be constantly saying 'I'. Remember this is General Mansion; you have to be careful." "Alright, I got it," Dugu Yan laughed and said. Zhan Lan looked at Dugu Yan helplessly; the girl looked much prettier after cleaning up. Her eyebrows were dark, and her features were good-looking. Zhan Lan remembered that when Dugu Yan was sixteen or seventeen, she had a wild beauty that was quite aggressive. Like a poppy blossom so radiant it's unforgettable. "Whimper..." Little Black, in a corner of the room, let out a whining sound. Zhan Lan went over to bandage its wound and brought over a bowl of shredded chicken leg meat for it to eat. Little Black had never eaten such delicious meat before, its tail wildly wagging; excitedly, it made whimpering purrs. Little Black was a stray dog; if Zhan Lan and Zhan Heng hadn't saved it today, it might have died. They looked at each other, and Si Jun gave a slight smile, gesturing modestly, "After you, Junior Sister." For the first time in their lives, they were so close to each other. Zhan Lan's hands trembled; she was afraid she couldn't control herself from grabbing Si Jun by the throat and strangling him. Thus, she took two steps back and distanced herself: "After you, Young Marquis." Si Jun no longer insisted and walked ahead. He felt a sense of strangeness in his heart: although Zhan Lan was talented, as an adopted daughter of the General Mansion, she should be eager to establish a connection with him. After all, his public identity was that of a Young Marquis. If Zhan Lan could address him as Senior Brother, she might gain higher esteem in the eyes of others. But Zhan Lan didn't, and it seemed she didn't want to get too close to him, maintaining a distance and politeness. Amidst the chirping of birds, the trio crossed a bamboo forest and circled around two artificial hills, inhaling the scent of flowers on their way to the classroom. This was the classroom at Yunyin Academy designated for the children of officials. The teachers here were scholars second only to the Qingfeng Scholar; ordinary people, even if wealthy, couldn't afford to hire them. Si Jun and Zhan Lan arrived at the classroom one after the other. The teacher had not yet arrived; the Attendant Student led them to their respective seats. Since Si Jun and Zhan Lan were disciples of the Great Scholar, their seats were in the front row, sitting opposite each other. A few steps away were the seats of other nobility's children. Glancing to the side, Zhan Lan saw Zhan Xuerou sitting to the left and behind her, Zhan Liluo and Bai Lu, while to the right sat Wang Qingchen and other aristocratic peers. There was also a woman wearing a veil, staring at her with venom in her eyes. Bai Lu said mockingly beside her, "Isn't it enviable how some people have such doggone luck?" "But you can't always rely on luck, can you? Sooner or later, the truth comes out, just a sack of weeds inside!" Cui Ying would usually have chimed in to make Zhan Lan uncomfortable. But after being publicly reprimanded by Zhan Lan the day before, not many in Ding'an City were aware of the incident. Cui Ying, wearing the veil, dared not openly agree with Bai Lu's words and simply nodded perfunctorily. Zhan Lan ignored them and withdrew her gaze. During the class, Zhan Lan realized why it was important to study; no matter how much she had self-learned in her previous life, she had not truly accessed such a vast expanse of knowledge. In terms of martial strength, she was unafraid, but when it came to cunning and strategy, she felt she was not yet sufficient. After the class, Zhan Lan packed her book bag and walked out with Dugu Yan, but Bai Lu blocked their way, taunting: "Zhan Lan, are you in such a hurry to go back and cook? After all, when living under someone else's roof, you must perform well!"

Chapter 24 - 24 The Past and Present Life of Little Black

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