Chapter 607 - Chapter 607: Chapter 594: Righteous Daughter (1/2)

Chapter 607: Chapter 594: Righteous Daughter

Zhuang Qisheng spoke rather politely.

Zhuang Qingning was somewhat uncertain about the reason and purpose of Zhuang Qisheng’s sudden visit, so she responded politely, “Master Zhuang is far too kind, these are simply my duties as a common girl. If I can help a lot of people, it is my good fortune.”

“Even along the journey, I heard about Miss Zhuang’s character being benevolent, kind-hearted, and very understanding of social norms and manners, and now I see that it is indeed so.”

Zhuang Qisheng had a smile spread across his face, “You are so young but already with such innovative ideas, having helped so many people, and yet still so humble and respectful afterwards, the more I see, the more I like. From the first time I saw you, I felt very close to you. It turns out that we both have the same surname Zhuang, we share quite a destiny.”

“To be frank with you, Miss Zhuang, I think you are a very good person. As fate has brought us together this way, I would like to adopt you as my foster daughter.”

Zhuang Qisheng wanted to adopt her as his foster daughter?

Zhuang Qingning blinked her eyes, her puzzled gaze swept over Zhuang Qisheng’s all-smiling face.

Zhuang Qisheng’s words didn’t leave any room for discussion, as if he was giving her a direct order. Even though he was all smiles at this moment, his arrogance was considerably evident.

Then again, Zhuang Qinglan’s previous arrogance and overbearing manner was still in her memory. Even though a child’s incompetence doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with their parents, looking at the daughter’s attitude, Zhuang Qisheng probably isn’t a good-tempered person either.

This unsolicited kindness was suspicious to Zhuang Qingning.

Especially now with the waterwheel making a lot of noise outside, Zhuang Qingning had heard others praising her. For Zhuang Qisheng to suddenly come over and ask to adopt her as his foster daughter might as well be taken as a clear intention.

“I appreciate the kindness of Magistrate Zhuang,” Zhuang Qingning responded indifferently, “but adoption is not a trivial matter, there are many ceremonies to be observed. Most importantly, I need to discuss it with my parents first.”

“But I heard that Miss Zhuang’s parents have passed away a long time ago?” Zhuang Qisheng frowned.

“Indeed.” Zhuang Qingning tipped her chin up.

So, there was no room for negotiation.

Zhuang Qisheng wasn’t a fool, and he understood the unsaid part of Zhuang Qingning’s words. The smile that was once all over his face now faded a lot, “I am the Magistrate of Ningming. Does Miss Zhuang feel that becoming my foster daughter would be demeaning?”

“Not feel like it, it is certain.” Zhuang Qingning looked at Zhuang Qisheng and said softly, “Magistrate Zhuang and I have the same surname Zhuang, and you have a daughter named Zhuang Qinglan. If Magistrate Zhuang were to adopt me as a foster daughter, those who are unaware might mistake me as your biological daughter.”

“The magistrate himself said, with the matter of the waterwheel, my reputation has so spread far and wide that people might suspect that Magistrate Zhuang wants to take advantage of my name to build up his own authority.”

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Qisheng’s face slightly changed.

Zhuang Qingning was right; he indeed had that idea. He wanted to take advantage of the situation and pave his way to quick success.

Strictly speaking, he had other plans as well.

When he heard Zhuang Qingning’s name, Zhuang Qisheng was initially surprised at the similarity with Zhuang Qinglan’s name but then conceived a bold idea.

Since their names were so similar, even though the characters were different, they were still homophones. Outsiders looking in wouldn’t be able to discern any difference from that of real sisters. As for the matter of reputation, it all spread by word of mouth, and it wouldn’t be unusual for a character in the name to get mixed up in the process.

In that case, Zhuang Qingning could be transformed into Zhuang Qinglan, and in the future, the credit for the invention of the waterwheel would naturally fall on the shoulders of Zhuang Qinglan.