Chapter 565 Ji Shan

Chapter 565 Ji Shan　　" So does that mean that we should just bring some random girl and let her take Wan Wan's place?" Shen Tian breathed heavily and shook his head not wanting to argue with his mother anymore. He raised his hands and simply spoke his final note, " You want to adopt her, fine. If you do that, I will not stop you but do not expect me to be the same mother. Because I won't."

Then without waiting for Old madam Shen to say anything he walked out of the study room and headed straight to the courtyard where he lived with his wife. Both Shen Tian and his wife, Xu Jia came from a scholarly background. Xu Jia was the daughter of an academy teacher while Shen Tian was once a student at the same academy, the two of them loved the peace and liked to have their life remain undisrupted all. However, ever since Old madam Shen brought Ji Shan to their house their peace has been disrupted and Xu Jia simply stopped leaving her courtyard. 

After all, at least her courtyard was one place that she has barred Ji Shan from coming but, of course, the latter has to make light of her stern orders. There were many times Shen Tian has watched Ji Shan trying to come to their courtyard, and since she has the backing of his mother, there was a little that Xu Jia could do to stop her. 

At first Shen, Tian wasn't that against having Ji Shan at his house but then one day he heard her talk back to his wife and that was when all the delusions that he had about her broke because though that girl looked soft temper and his voice was as sweet as a nightingale's, he didn't trust that the girl was a simple child.

Because no girl would barge inside their courtyard and when refused entrance would snap back with ' But Grandma says that I can go wherever I want,'

It was indeed something that his mother would say but that doesn't mean that Ji Shan can just roam around the house as if she owned it. 

Shen Tian sighed and stepped inside the courtyard and headed straight to the study room that faced the orchid garden that his wife has been taking care of, when he walked through the hallway, he smelled the scent of incense burning in the study room and the sight that he witnessed upon entering calmed his nerves. His wife and son were sitting on the small table and practising calligraphy, as he entered Xu Jia looked up and after finishing his last stroke, his son, Shen Beichun also looked up. 

" Father," unlike his unruly cousins of him, Shen Beichuan was a rather calm child. It wasn't that he and Xu Jia were exceptionally strict with him, it was just his personality. Even after watching his father come inside, Shen Beichuan was as calm as a cucumber. 

" Son," greeted Shen Tian feeling amused as he watched his son try to act like an adult, he wished he could tell his son that he should just enjoy this time that he has as a kid because after he grows up there will be no lack of troubles waiting for him but he knew better than getting engaged in this battle with his son since the latter inherited all his mother's debate skills and would turn him speechless in just a few minutes.

" You look upset," said Xu Jia as she calmly stood up and brewed sencha for him. " What happened?"

Shen Tian took the cup from her and sighed. " What else mother is still adamant about having that girl as her granddaughter, though that girl is good she is too childish and there is something weird about her temper as well, I don't think I like how she talks back to you and BeiBei."

Xu Jia blinked her eyes which were as clear as the sky. " I think the key to why mother is so adamant lays with your uncle, you know how easy it is to hoodwink mother, she has always been guilty about sister in law's death, I believe that uncle must have said something about sister Shui and it doesn't help that the girl looks a bit like sister Shui."

Shen Tian frowned. " Shui Shui, I thought she looked like Wan Wan."

His wife sighed and shook her head taking the empty cup from his hand. " That's the same thing, Wan Wan looks like sister Shui and mother has always been filled with guilt when it comes to sister Shui, I think that by taking Ji Shan as her granddaughter, she is trying to well, make up for the guilt that she has in her heart,"

" No matter what she does now, it's not going to change anything," said Shen Tian bitterly as he shook his head. " And instead of replacing Wan Wan, she might as well try to you know to look for her, Wan Wan must have grown up and she can take a better decision than she did when she was a kid, right?"

" Mother is old and she is no longer as smart as she used to be when she was young," was all Xu Jia said, " But I do understand, what she is trying to do is not something that she should be doing but then again, uncle seemed to have muddled his way through her."

" Mother is muddleheaded as usual and Ji Shan is not helping with that flowery speech of hers, she has been making the waters even muddier. I just hope that my brothers return soon, or else my mother will definitely just get through her plan and adopt that girl."

Xu Jia nodded but then her gaze fell on a faint silhouette that was lurking outside before it walked away and she narrowed her sharp phoenix eyes. 

Seeing his wife make such an expression, Shen Tian looked over his shoulder and when he saw nothing, he looked at his wife. "what's wrong?"

" Nothing I just remembered that I have left a few things unattended," said Xu Jia as she walked out of the courtyard, and sure enough her gaze fell on the familiar back of Ji Shan and she called out, " do you like eavesdropping?"