Do you know: I’m Xu Jiazi

Bianjing

Early in the morning

Outside the Suzaku Gate,

On the east-west street,

Smoke was coming out of the chimneys on the roofs on both sides of the street.

The smoke was blown away by the morning breeze, blowing the smoke into the air.

There were shops and vendors on the roadside who were steaming or cooking.

When the steamer was pulled out or the lid of the pot was opened, there was always a large piece of white steam, which floated into the noses of passers-by with the aroma of soup and rice.

On the roadside, under the eaves of a shop that had not yet opened, the door board that had been used for many years had been rubbed shiny by the waiter. Two children, one big and one small, were leaning on the door board used to close the shop.

One was a boy, about eleven or twelve years old, about the same age as Chu Zhan, with some water stains and mud spots on his rolled-up trouser legs.

The other was a little girl, about six or seven years old, with some worn clothes on her body, but still clean compared to the boy next to her.

Smelling the aroma of food on the roadside, the two swallowed their saliva together, and then hugged the things in their arms closer.

"Clack, clack"

The horseshoes stepped on the stone road, making a chaotic sound.

Hearing this sound, the little girl quickly stuck her head out and looked outside.

When she saw a group of patrol soldiers on horseback, the little girl put her head back with some disappointment in her eyes.

The little girl took another look at the steamed rice mixed with red dates on the stall not far away and licked her lips.

On the side of the road,

Two well-dressed maids, carrying exquisite food boxes, walked out of the shop.

"This Zhen family's date cake smells good, no wonder the fourth lady likes it"

One of the maids said, and saw the little girl licking her lips on the side of the road.

Not knowing what she was thinking of, the maid pulled her companion over, looked at the things in the two people's arms, and said, "How do you sell it?"

Looking at the two people's dress, the little girl opened her big eyes with clear black and white, and shook her head quickly: "I won't sell it to you!"

When the little girl spoke, the maid who was pulled over narrowed her eyes and whispered to her companion: "Sister Yunzai, look! It's a double-headed lotus."

The maid Yunzai took a look and said: "Sew it out with thread"

After seeing the things in the girl's arms clearly, she stopped talking.

"Name a price, we buy your things, and you can go to eat the steamed rice."

The boy with wet trouser legs said: "I said, I won't sell it to you!"

"You"

The maid called Sister Yunzai took out her purse and said: "Luzhong, how many copper coins do you have on you?"

"That's all."

Looking at the ten copper coins in her hand, Yunzai said: "Then sell me two, it's okay?"

The boy and the little girl looked at each other and nodded.

After handing an unopened lotus to Yunzai, the young man said, "Thank you very much."

Yunzai and Luzhong smiled and turned to walk towards the carriage not far away.

After half a quarter of an hour,

there was another sound of horse hooves.

The little girl poked her head out again. After seeing who was coming, her eyes lit up and she said, "Brother, brother, someone is coming!"

Hearing this, the boy hurriedly handed the lotus in his arms to the little girl.

Then, the little girl ran out with a bunch of lotus flowers: "Sir! Sir! Look at the lotus flowers I just picked! There is also a double-headed lotus here!"

"Sir"

As soon as she finished shouting, she looked at the black behemoth that snorted at her and raised one of its front hooves. She was so scared that she took two steps back and sat on the ground.

Xu Zaijing patted the little black colt's neck and comforted the mount.

Looking at the little girl running out from the roadside, Qingyun shouted: "What are you doing? It's you again, little girl! Just rushing out like this???"

"That's my little Li"

Seeing Xu Zaijing waving his hand, Qingyun didn't continue shouting.

It's no wonder Qingyun was so angry, it's just that the little Li colt is a male horse and is very brave.

Any timid horse might be scared by the action of this little girl rushing out.

"I, I."

In the carriage, Hua Xiang, who heard these words, lifted the curtain and looked out.

The little boy who hurried over from behind was slightly stunned when he saw Hua Xiang's appearance.

This stunned was certainly because Hua Xiang was fair and beautiful, but another reason was that the girl in the carriage was not the sister from yesterday!

Xu Zaijing got off the horse,

Qingyun also did the same thing, walked quickly to the little girl, pulled her up with some anger, and put the lotus on the ground back into the little girl's arms in a few seconds.

He patted the dust off her body again: "If you dare to rush out like this again next time, you will have a bad result!"

Looking at the little girl with tears in her eyes, Qingyun let out a breath of anger and did not continue.

Xu Zaijing looked at the lotus in the little girl's arms: "Today's double-headed lotus is not sewn together, right?"

The little girl shook her head and said: "Young master, this is picked by my brother in the pond."

"He said that the sister yesterday actually saw that our lotus was fake, but still gave more money."

"This morning, I just picked this lotus."

Qingyun on the side shook his head and said: "You two are looking at my sister Qingcao's kindness! If you give money for fake ones, won't you give more money for real ones?"

Hearing this,

the two children, one big and one small, lowered their heads.

Xu Zaijing took the double-headed lotus from the little girl and looked at it carefully, and then gave it to Zai Zhang on the side, and smiled: "Hua Xiang, give money!"

Zai Zhang on the horseback was also observing the lotus as carefully as Xu Zai Jing, wanting to see if it was real or fake.

"Yes, young master!"

"Take the rest too."

Hearing Xu Zai Jing's words, the two children raised their heads in surprise.

After Hua Xiang gave the copper coins, she looked at the two children who were afraid to look at her, and whispered: "Don't wait tomorrow, the young master may not go on this road."

After that, Hua Xiang stepped onto the carriage.

After passing this cross street,

to the north-south street of Jiying Lane,

it was still early, and there were not many people on the road.

Xu Zai Jing looked at the colorful tents set up in the middle of the road for selling things.

At this time, someone was moving goods into the colorful tents, most of which were the things that everyone wanted to buy on the Qixi Festival, such as 'Mohele (human-shaped dolls)', 'Guban (miniature models of the countryside)', and 'Shuishangfu (water toys)'.

The size and luxury of the colorful tents selling things in the middle of the road are proportional to the value of the things in the tents.

Zai Zhang, riding on a horse, approached these colorful pavilions from time to time. When he saw something he liked, he would buy it and put it in the carriage behind.

"Brother, stop looking. You will be late if you dawdle any longer!"

Hearing Xu Zai Jing's voice, Zai Zhang hurriedly rode to catch up.

When they arrived near the intersection of Jiying Lane,

vendors selling fruits bowed from time to time. Xu Zai Jing and his party nodded slightly and entered the gate of Sheng's house.

After getting off the horse and walking towards the school,

Xu Zai Jing could vaguely see the red silk on the top of the Qiqiao Colorful Pavilion built in the backyard of Sheng's family for praying for the Qixi Festival.

The Qiqiao Pavilion in the house on Quyuan Street was taller than that of Sheng's family.

After nodding to Changbai, who arrived early in the class, they began a day of study.

After school in the afternoon,

Xu Zai Jing and his brother walked outside with the maids and servants.

When they were about to get on the carriage, they saw Mother Cui standing there with a maid in her twenties.

The twenty-year-old maid was holding an exquisite long-necked porcelain vase in her arms, with a lotus in it.

Seeing Xu Zaijing and others coming over, Mother Cui smiled and bowed, saying: "Zhang'er, Jing'er, this morning, we also picked a lotus like this in the pond in our yard."

"After Miss Huaxiang sent this flower to Shou'an Hall, the old lady thought that this double-headed lotus had a good meaning, so she asked me to find this porcelain vase and let you two take it back."

Xu Zaijing hesitated and said: "Mother Cui, my great aunt wouldn't lie to me, right?"

Mother Cui and Cuichan smiled at each other and said: "The old lady guessed that Jing'er would ask this question. She said, if you don't believe it, go to Shou'an Hall and take a look."

"Okay! I'll go and take a look!"

Looking at Xu Zaijing walking towards the backyard and the voice of "I'll be back soon!"

Mother Cui and Cuichan didn't know what to say for a while.

Zai Zhang, who was standing aside, thought about Hua Lan and his son at home, and said, "Let's go first."

Shou'an Hall,

The old lady sat on the bed and looked at Sheng Changzhang, who was copying calligraphy on the low table.

Seeing Minglan put down her bookcase and left the bedroom, the old lady waved and said, "Minglan, come and see the calligraphy your brother copied."

Minglan pursed her lips at the door, glanced at the young lady who was making tea with Fang Mama behind the chair, and said, "Oh!"

She sat down beside the bed and was about to look at the calligraphy,

the voice of a maid came from the yard outside Shou'an Hall: "Meet the cousin!"

"The cousin is here!"

Hearing this, the old lady and Fang Mama looked at each other in confusion.

As soon as the voice fell, Xu Zaijing poked his head out from behind the curtain at the door of Shou'an Hall, and then lifted the curtain and walked in.

Seeing the old lady, Minglan and Changzhang who just happened to see him, Xu Zaijing took a quick look and said, "Grandma, where is the other double-headed lotus that Madam Cui mentioned?"

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing walked towards Shou'an Hall.

The old lady held a handkerchief in her hand, helplessly pointed at Xu Zaijing with her hand, and said unhappily, "For a lotus, would I, an old woman, lie to you!"

Looking at Xu Zaijing's expression of "you are still lying to me", the old lady said, "Look, it's right there!"

While talking, Minglan bowed belatedly, and Xu Zaijing also came to the Luohan bed and looked in the direction indicated by the old lady.

A lotus was quietly inserted in a long-necked porcelain vase, the style of which was exactly the same as the one in Cuichan's arms.

Xu Zaijing: "Oh, great-aunt, you really have it!"

The old lady nodded and said, "Your aunt brought Ming'er's daughter to pay respects this morning, and she brought it here."

Hearing this, Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded to Wei Shuyi who was standing with Fang Mama.

The last time I saw this Wei Xiaoniang was when Minglan went to visit her grandmother's house.

Today, Xu Zaijing had a whim and came to Shou'an Hall in a mischievous way, but he didn't expect Wei Xiaoniang to be there.

Now this daughter didn't have a round fan in her hand, and she seemed to be dressed more simply than when Xu Zaijing first saw her in Yangzhou.

Standing with Fang Mama, Wei Shuyi, who didn't have many jewelry on her hair, vaguely made people think that this was a housekeeper of the Sheng family like Cui Mama.

Seeing Xu Zaijing looking over, Wei Shuyi bowed to Xu Zaijing with a smile on his face.

Seeing Wei Shuyi's smile and light in his eyes.

Xu Zaijing retracted his gaze and smiled and nodded as a return gift.

Then he smiled at Sheng Changqi who was looking at him curiously beside the old lady, and said with a cupped hand: "Grandma, since you really have it here, I, your nephew, will take my leave first."

"The porcelain vase that Cui's mother carried out happened to be on the way."

Looking at Xu Zaijing who was retreating, the old lady smiled and waved: "Go!"

When Xu Zaijing disappeared from the door, the old lady shook her head and said, "How naughty!"

Hearing this, Minglan nodded in approval.

Fang's mother looked at Wei Shuyi and smiled, then said, "Old lady, this is how Brother Jing is in front of you now."

"I go out for shopping on weekdays, but I heard many people in the capital say that Brother Jing is very mature and eager to learn now! He is much better than those young men who live in the Yuqing Temple outside the city!"

"I see, Brother Jing is a sensible boy, he knows that he has to study hard for this year's college exam! He has lost his temper in the past six months since the Spring Festival!"

"Unlike in previous years, either the noble sons of Zhou were beaten, or the diplomatic envoys of Bai Gao were beaten."

Listening to what Fang's mother said, and thinking about what Xu Zaijing had done in the past two months, the old lady shook her head and said, "That's right."

After all, not many people knew about Xu Zaijing's previous trip to Baigao to save people.

When the old lady was a girl, the Yongyi Hou Mansion was at its most illustrious.

She was the only daughter who had ever entered the palace to serve the late emperor and empress. After leaving the palace, she was much more extravagant than the fifth daughter of the British Duke Zhang family today.

This kind of experience also allowed the old lady to meet many unruly clan nobles and Bianjing disciples.

No matter which person you name in your memory, the things he did in certain aspects were not as excessive as your grandnephew's.

After all, the old lady's grandnephew had almost indirectly destroyed two princes' mansions before, and even went to Bai Gao Kingdom to save people. There were all kinds of things.

However, the days of Yongyi Hou Mansion are prosperous nowadays!

The second day and night,

On the night of Chinese Valentine's Day,

Yong Yihou Mansion,

In front of the tall beggar building,

Xu Zaijing and his brothers respectfully offered incense, read poems and prayed in front of the Kuixing statue as before.

I look forward to getting good results in the college exam next month.

After the two of them finished praying, Mrs. Sun came forward with all the female members of the Xu family to beg for help.

After the host finished praying,

Several female envoys from the Xu family continued to beg for help.

Thinking of green grass, flowers and clouds, relying on their youth and the moonlight at night, threading silk thread through the eye of a needle in front of the table

Behind them, a female envoy from the Xu family placed a small wooden box containing spiders near the incense table.

If the spider in the wooden box can weave a round or square web on the second day, it is considered a coincidence.

Together in the city of Bianjing,

The Huyan family residence.

Xu Jia Anmei knelt on the futon with some emotion. In front of her was the Qiqiao Building built by the Huyan family. Next to her were Mrs. Pan and her two sisters-in-law, who were also kneeling on the futon.

Anmei’s Chinese Valentine’s Day in these years,

This was the first time for her to beg for help outside the Xu family.

And for the next few years, most of them will be in the Huyan family. .

Thinking of this, Anmei closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, praying that the child in her belly would be a boy. If it was a girl, it would also have to be a clever one.