Chapter 1008: A Bluff That Paid Off Big Time (1)
Before them stood a mansion built against the hills, yet standing independently; no neighboring houses were to be seen within a mile or so, just a few similarly large courtyards that were also apparently built here by wealthy families from the city.
The mansion covered an extensive area; one could neither see the corners of the walls at a glance nor the end of the estate. What lay inside could be partially surmised from the intricate carvings of carps playing with pearls on the rows of green tiles atop the vermillion gate.
This residence not only astonished Xin Er but also the others. Zhenzhen looked at the towering gate, barely containing his excitement, "This yard is indeed very large; who knows, maybe there’s even enough room to gallop horses inside!"
Xin Er slapped her brother’s shoulder, gloating, "Master punished you to copy the Book of Rites, and you still have the mood to think about playing; it seems your punishment wasn’t severe enough!"
Zhenzhen’s face fell, and he looked at his elder sister with a plaintive expression, "When other siblings make a mistake, their sisters help them correct it. But you, you won’t even help me copy it and even ridicule me. Are we even blood-related?"
Embracing their father’s arm, Xin Er said with a chuckle, "You’d have to ask Dad about that; perhaps you’re a wild child he picked up somewhere."
Zhenzhen immediately looked towards his father, hoping for a fair word to suppress his obnoxious elder sister.
Mo Qingze feigned profundity with a glance at Zhenzhen and, under his hopeful gaze, delivered a "fatal" blow with a smile, "When Dad was your age, he could recite the Book of Rites from memory. Since you can’t, it’s clear you’re a bit slow; perhaps you were indeed switched at birth, and not my own flesh and blood."