After Dong Changyang finished speaking, he immediately extinguished the incense.

Calm down.

Dong Changyang tried hard not to look too foolish.

It must be because she’s growing up recently, which is why she’s acting so strangely. The biology textbook also mentions that during growth periods, due to hormones, it’s easy to fall into various anxiety symptoms.

This is all normal.

There’s nothing to worry about.

Besides, with such a handsome guy like Chen Huanzhi talking and chatting with you every day, and meeting you every day, it would be unusual not to develop some inappropriate thoughts.

That’s how it is, and that’s the reasoning behind it, but Dong Changyang still buried her head in the blanket.

She wasn’t worried that Chen Huanzhi would sneak a peek at her after she left, because she knew very well that a gentleman like Brother Chen would never do something as improper as peeping at her.

Ahhhh, the belated teenage years have left Dong Changyang completely at a loss.

Why can’t such things have an absolutely correct answer like test papers?What would Brother Chen think?

Gentleman Brother Chen Huanzhi now saw Dong Changyang, like a little rabbit, completely covering herself with the blanket.

It wasn’t that he was deliberately peeking; it was just that Dong Changyang’s smooth actions of extinguishing the incense, zoning out, and covering herself with the blanket happened too quickly for Chen Huanzhi to react.

Could it be that Changyang is shy?

Chen Huanzhi recalled how girls in the capital reacted to him and suddenly felt that Changyang’s behavior wasn’t that unusual.

After all, Changyang is still a young girl, and feeling shy is normal.

She probably finds it inconvenient to meet with him since she’s attending that summer camp with other friends, but she might be afraid of strangers, which is why she’s so reluctant to part with him.

Chen Huanzhi felt he had found a perfect explanation.

Really, what’s there to be shy about?

Changyang is just growing up and becoming more conscious of her dignity.

As someone who has been adored by various women since childhood and has grown up to become the ideal husband for young ladies in the capital, Mr. Chen Huanzhi’s emotional intelligence in dealing with women is astonishingly low.

Therefore, after figuring it out, Chen Huanzhi decided not to disturb Dong Changyang’s sudden burst of teenage emotions and went back to his own business.

The shopkeeper Wang, who had been waiting outside for quite a while, finally got to present the account books to his young master.

“Young master, the private rooms have recently been in short supply,” Shopkeeper Wang said with a beaming smile. “Especially those rooms with good views and auspicious themes; they’ve been booked early. Do you think we should expand?”

In the past, Shopkeeper Wang would have laughed at the idea of expanding the tea house just a few months after opening, thinking it a sign of youthful recklessness. But now, with their Jinjiang Pavilion, it all seemed perfectly reasonable.

“There’s no rush for now,” Chen Huanzhi said, not eager to expand immediately. After all, it’s currently the peak promotion period for mahjong, and expanding might displease the customers coming to play. Besides, mahjong tiles are easy to imitate; their booming business is mainly due to the private rooms’ exclusivity and the initial good reputation.

Playing mahjong is the same anywhere, but Jinjiang Pavilion is safe, has a good environment, and excellent service. If everyone comes here, they naturally won’t consider other places.

“It seems I was too hasty,” Shopkeeper Wang quickly realized his suggestion wasn’t very good.

“Young master, recently some ladies have been bringing their daughters and daughters-in-law here. Do you think we should send someone to teach them how to play?”

To better serve their guests, they had some maidservants trained to teach the game, ready to assist new customers.

“That’s a good idea,” Chen Huanzhi said with a smile. “Just add a seat for them in the private rooms and let them watch their mothers or mothers-in-law play first. No need for us to specifically teach them.”

“Understood.” Although a bit puzzled, Shopkeeper Wang followed Chen Huanzhi’s instructions.

The trend in the capital maintained its air of mystery for only about two days.

There was no helping it because these ladies behaved too strangely.

Sometimes they would come back beaming, give the servants extra wages, and buy more clothes for their children, saying things like they “won a big hand,” leaving everyone baffled.

Other times, they would be seething with anger, cursing out a well-known lady for deliberately sabotaging the game or for forming a team with someone, making their children almost think their mother had gotten into a fight with someone.

Even if it was some kind of witchcraft, it wasn’t the usual sort.

No one could stay calm.

Soon, some favored youngsters directly asked about it.

If sons asked, the ladies would smile and say it was “women’s fun.” But if daughters or favored daughters-in-law asked, the ladies would mysteriously say, “Come with me tomorrow, and you’ll see.”

The youngsters were puzzled, but since their mothers said so, it didn’t seem right to press further.

The next day.

At Jinjiang Pavilion, almost every familiar old customer brought a younger family member along.

The ladies pointed at each other’s companions and laughed.

“Old sister, you usually keep your youngest daughter hidden away. How come you brought her out today?”

“And aren’t you the same? This must be your niece from your mother’s side.”

“Oh my, I thought bringing my daughter-in-law was unique, but it seems you all did the same.”

…….

The older ladies chatted and laughed happily, while the younger ones looked at their mothers or mothers-in-law with disbelief.

What? What? What?

When did their mothers (or mothers-in-law) become so close with these ladies? They remembered that in the past, their relationships weren’t that great because of some minor issues, let alone teasing each other in front of the younger generation.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think they had been close friends for many years.

The younger ones exchanged puzzled glances, managing only to show awkward yet polite smiles, having no idea what was going on.

Could it be that Jinjiang Pavilion has such power to turn hostility into friendship?

However, this harmonious atmosphere was not something they usually experienced.

The younger ones noticed that their mothers or mothers-in-law’s expressions changed after seeing a few people.

“Today, I don’t want to play cards with Madam Yan anymore. She simply can’t handle losing, despite being famous in the capital for her kindness. She’s not all that.”

“Exactly, exactly. How you play cards reflects your character. Madam Yan can’t handle losing at cards, let alone anything else.”

“You don’t know about Madam Lin. She once hid cards secretly, relying on her speed, and I caught her cheating.”

“We definitely won’t play with someone like that.”

“Come, come, we’re missing one. Your daughter looks sharp, let her join us. Newcomers often have good luck, she might even get a Thirteen Orphans.”

“Sister, that intercept you pulled on me yesterday ruined my appetite for dinner. Just wait, today I’ll win one to show you.”

“I won’t admit defeat either!”

The younger generation clearly couldn’t understand the deep bonds formed at the card table.

Especially when one player’s card manners were poor, the other three would easily unite against a common enemy, quickly developing a sisterly bond.

After saying all this, everyone found their card friends. They waved, pulling their card friends and the younger ones they brought into the private rooms.

Chen Yu, who happened to be Chen Huanzhi’s cousin, also came to Jinjiang Pavilion this time with her mother-in-law.

The reputation of Jinjiang Pavilion had been discussed with Chen Yu by her younger sisters before, but she hadn’t had the chance to visit. Knowing that Jinjiang Pavilion might have been established by her highly regarded cousin, Chen Yu felt a sense of pride.

This time, her mother-in-law specifically chose her from several daughters-in-law, likely influenced by her cousin’s reputation.

Honestly, Chen Yu’s mother-in-law wasn’t bad, and could even be described as good. But no matter how good a mother-in-law was, how good could she really be? Her mother-in-law liked to chat with her daughters-in-law for no reason, which was truly annoying.

However, her mother-in-law hadn’t been paying attention lately, not even to her own household. She had been carefree, acting as if she were the shopkeeper, and seemed younger and more lively every day, which caught Chen Yu’s attention. When her mother-in-law instructed her to bring her to Jinjiang Pavilion, Chen Yu secretly wondered if something she had done recently had upset her mother-in-law.

This nervous feeling persisted until they arrived at Jinjiang Pavilion and Chen Yu relaxed upon seeing her mother-in-law chatting with other ladies.

It seems my mother-in-law brought me here because she values me. Look, all the other ladies are accompanied by influential figures in the social circle!

This is more useful than attending those fancy flower shows.

Once inside the private room, Chen Yu noticed that it was a bit too small.

Her mother-in-law always preferred spacious rooms. How could she endure such a cramped space?

Just as Chen Yu was about to suggest changing to another room, another young daughter-in-law spoke up first.

“Mother-in-law, would you like to switch to another private room?”

Darn it, she was too slow.

Chen Yu secretly worried. Everyone else had already asked, so if she asked now, it would seem like she was just copying them. Would her mother-in-law think she wasn’t clever enough and stop bringing her out in the future?

“I’m not changing. I had good luck here yesterday; moving would just waste my good luck!” The young daughter-in-law’s mother-in-law promptly refused. “Don’t make a fuss. Come, sit. Watch me play a few rounds first. If you have any questions, ask me then.”

“Hurry, hurry! I visited the temple yesterday to pray. My luck is sure to turn now!”

“Dear, pay attention. Don’t spend all day in your room embroidering. What if you strain your eyes? A woman who doesn’t enjoy herself ages quickly.”

Chen Yu found the atmosphere here completely different from what she had imagined.

Could it be… Could this woman, rolling up her sleeves to play cards, really be her usually dignified and refined mother-in-law?

Could she have been possessed by some kind of spirit?

Chen Yu lifted her head and saw several other young women looking equally surprised, finally feeling less embarrassed herself.

Well… let’s just watch my mother-in-law play cards first.Chen Yu sat next to her mother-in-law and watched as she rolled the dice and then started dealing the cards.

“Dear, pay attention. First, when we’re dealing the cards…” Her mother-in-law still took care of Chen Yu, carefully explaining the rules as they dealt the cards.

The other three ladies also started teaching their own younger companions in a decent manner.

It’s good to teach them early.

It’s good to teach them early, so in the future when we’re short one player, we won’t have to search everywhere for a card partner. How nice!