Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 25

Upon hearing that Cheng Jinyang had bestowed the name “Northern Army” upon them, the officers were elated, while the three girls behind him were speechless.

Wasn’t this a bit too casual?

The citizens of Jiankang called the area around Jingkou “the North,” implying it was a place full of northerners. This wasn’t a compliment, as Jingkou was clearly in the southern region along the lower Yangtze River. The nickname “the North” simply stemmed from the fact that, despite being in the south, it was heavily populated by northerners, turning it into a place dominated by Tungusic people…

With the name decided, Sun Wuzhong wasn’t done yet. He gave a signal, and two or three adjutants rushed forward with writing paper, brushes, and ink stones.

“Please, my lord, grant us a calligraphy masterpiece to honor our army’s illustrious name!”

Cheng Jinyang: ……….

Thanks to a certain predecessor, people in this world mostly used hard-tipped pens for writing, which were faster and more convenient than brushes but lacked the beauty and charm of brush calligraphy. Thus, aristocratic children often mastered both to showcase their long-standing family heritage—”Our family’s calligraphy tradition goes back to before Sima Yi.”

But Cheng Jinyang… definitely couldn’t write calligraphy.

As he scratched his head in frustration, Sun Wuzhong and the others became anxious.

Could it be that Lord Sima’s handwriting was terrible? Then, from behind, Xing Yuanzhi sighed:

“Let me do it.”

Cheng Jinyang immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Sun Wuzhong and the others were overjoyed and quickly persuaded her:

“Please, madam, bestow us with your calligraphy!”

Xing Yuanzhi: ???

Her cheeks turned slightly red. She picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and with a swift motion, three elegant and clear characters appeared on the paper.

Behind her, Cui Xiaoniang’s eyes burned with jealousy, but given the occasion, she couldn’t step forward to correct them with, “She has no marital relationship with my Jinyang.”

Once Xing Yuanzhi finished, Cui Xiaoniang stepped forward with a smile and said, “The style is graceful and the spirit lively. Yuanzhi’s calligraphy is indeed excellent, but it lacks a bit of propriety. How about I give it a try?”

Xing Yuanzhi’s face darkened, while Sun Wuzhong and the others quickly brought out a new blank sheet, bowing and saying, “Please, madam, bestow us with your calligraphy too!”

Cui Jinqi picked up the brush, calmly dipped it in ink, and with a swift flourish, produced three large cursive characters… which didn’t look like characters at all, just an indecipherable mess.

“With a natural flair, Jinqi’s cursive is simply marvelous, though it might be too whimsical for the martial spirit. How about I write another one?” Chu Qingqing suggested, causing Cui Xiaoniang’s face to darken as well.

Sun Wuzhong and the others, already accustomed to this, promptly said:
“Please, madam, bestow us with your calligraphy as well!”

Chu Qingqing picked up the brush, her expression solemn. With a few swift strokes, three characters appeared, sharp and vigorous, making Sun Wuzhong and the others exclaim in admiration.

These characters were full of a murderous aura, like they were carved with a knife, far superior to the previous two madams’ writings!

Thus, Xing Yuanzhi and Cui Jinqi’s faces both turned sour, while Cheng Jinyang quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

“Very well. Yuanzhi’s calligraphy will be displayed outside the barracks, Jinqi’s in the staff room, and Qingqing’s in the training field.”

“Wise decision, my lord,” the adjutants all bowed in unison.

After inspecting the camp, they took the three girls back to Jiankang, and everyone remained silent along the way.

Not because Cheng Jinyang had handled the earlier situation poorly, but because he had done so flawlessly.

Xing Yuanzhi’s calligraphy was elegant and clear, making it the easiest to recognize for the common people, so it was placed outside.

Cui Jinqi’s calligraphy was an indecipherable mess, understandable only to those with some appreciation of calligraphy, hence it was placed in the staff room where the more educated officers and staff could see it.

Chu Qingqing’s calligraphy was full of martial spirit, perfect for the training field to inspire the soldiers.

The question is, when did this guy develop such an ability to easily smooth over our conflicts?

You could call it cunning, but that doesn’t quite fit. It’s more like quick thinking, a kind of emotional intelligence. But to say it’s not cunning is also incorrect, as it’s clearly a skill honed from dealing with our jealousy and bickering.

When they landed back at the Cheng clan territory, everyone felt an inexplicable, unidentifiable sense of loss. However, upon returning to their rooms, they were surprised to find everything completely renewed.

The floor was spotless, the bed linens and blankets all freshly changed, even Xing Yuanzhi couldn’t find a speck of dust. Zheng Qiupei, wearing a dust cap, was vigorously wiping the window glass.

“Sister Xiao Pei, make some tea,” came the voice of Miss Wang from the study.

“Alright!” Zheng Qiupei immediately picked up the teapot from the cabinet and ran inside.

After a while, she came out with the teapot, only to hear Yang Wangshu, playing a video game on the sofa, call out, “Sister Xiao Pei, I’m hungry!”

“Want some snacks?” Zheng Qiupei brought over a snack box.

“I want osmanthus cake.” Yang Wangshu took a snack, smiling as she bit into it, “Sister Xiao Pei, you’re the best.”

Zheng Qiupei also smiled, her pure face full of joy and satisfaction, making Cheng Jinyang stare in astonishment: Is this some young mother? This level of attentive service, she exudes such a maternal vibe.

“Ahem, Sister Xiao Pei,” Cheng Jinyang coughed and said, “You don’t need to trouble yourself with these tasks. Our clan has people to handle this…”

“Jinyang, would you like to try some of the snacks I made?” Zheng Qiupei turned around, holding the snack box, looking hopeful.

“Ah, this?” Cheng Jinyang hesitated, only to see three, four, five, six hands reach out and grab all the snacks in the box in an instant.

“It’s time for dinner,” Xing Yuanzhi said seriously, holding a piece of cake, “Jinyang, you shouldn’t eat, it’ll ruin your appetite for dinner.”

“Boys shouldn’t always eat snacks, like some little girl,” Cui Jinqi mumbled with her mouth full, “We’ll help you finish them.”

“Hmph, I admit your snack-making skills have some merit,” Chu Qingqing begrudgingly examined a piece of cake, her expression gloomy, “But it’s not without flaws…”

“What are you all fighting over?” Cheng Jinyang was speechless. Zheng Qiupei smiled apologetically, saying, “It’s okay, I didn’t make much this time. I’ll make more for you next time.”

“No, really, you don’t need to trouble yourself so much…”

He quietly left, went to the dining hall for dinner, then returned to his office to finish his remaining work.

The three girls continued to follow him closely, not eating dinner, just exchanging cakes among themselves, the sound of their chewing filling the air.

Chomp chomp.

“Want to try this red bean cake?” Xing Yuanzhi asked, “I think it’s delicious.”

Chomp chomp.

“Oh my, this has a strong milk flavor, can you taste it?” Cui Jinqi covered her cheeks, looking blissful, “Sister Xiao Pei’s skills are as great as ever.”

Chomp chomp.

“It’s not milk, it’s condensed milk,” Chu Qingqing said, her face stern, breaking off a piece of red bean cake to taste, “There’s something else in here too, I’ll figure it all out.”

Chomp chomp.

“Hey!” Unable to bear it any longer, Cheng Jinyang slammed his keyboard, “You three! Stop eating in my office!”

————-

Transition chapter: taking Mama Pei to the dream realm to fight monsters tonight.