Happy Little Scholar

When they looked up, both women were startled, and then their faces quickly showed joy.

Xiao Cui had said before that he had returned to Kyoto, but they missed each other a few days ago. In fact, they had not gone out these days.

Zeng Zuimo's joy was quickly concealed by her. Wan Ruoqing took a few steps forward quickly, and then stopped. Although she was excited, she became calm when she spoke.

"Xiao Cui said before that she thought you would come over these days."

Li Yi nodded, without any courtesy or unfamiliarity, and nodded: "I was delayed these days because of some things."

Wan Ruoqing looked at him and asked with a smile: "Is Madam Li in good health?"

Neither of them noticed that when they heard these three words, Zeng Zuimo's body trembled slightly, and his eyes looked at Li Yi, and then quickly moved away.

"Everything is fine."

Li Yi looked back and asked, "Is the person who just left the Ministry of Revenue Zeng Shilang?"

The defense force around Yangliu Lane is actually not low, but all this is based on the premise of not disturbing their normal lives. Those ignorant playboys or people with ulterior motives cannot get close to the gate of the courtyard at all, but if they agree, others will not stop them.

Wan Ruoqing nodded, then turned her head and looked at Zeng Zuimo.

Zeng Zuimo had stood up at this time, walked over, looked at Li Yi, and said softly: "I'm sorry."

"Ah?" Li Yi was stunned, not knowing why she suddenly said this.

"I was actually at home that day." Zeng Zuimo lowered his head and said: "If it weren't for me, this wouldn't have happened."

This matter has actually been buried in her heart for a long time. The two emotions of self-blame and guilt would intertwine in her heart every day. Until this moment, when she saw him in peace with her own eyes, her heart was finally relieved.

Li Yi finally remembered that he had come to Yangliu Lane once that day. At that time, Xiao Cui said that Zeng Zuimo was not there. When he went back, he met the Taoist nun.

He smiled and waved his hand at this moment, not caring about this matter at all, and said: "This is none of your business. She had planned it. If not that day, it could be the next day or the third day."

Without asking Zeng Zuimo why she asked Xiao Cui to lie that day, Li Yi looked at her and asked uncertainly: "That Minister Zeng..."

Zeng Zuimo whispered: "It's my second uncle."

Suddenly hearing this news, Li Yi's expression was slightly stunned. He looked at her and asked: "This..., what is going on?"

He could feel Zeng Zuimo's emotions at this moment. After saying this, he immediately changed his words, "If it's inconvenient..."

"Nothing inconvenient." Zeng Zuimo shook his head and said: "It's all over."

She walked out the door, "Just going to the shop, let's talk while walking."

...

Li Yi really didn't expect that she actually had such a story.

More than a decade ago, the Zeng family was not so prominent, but it was considered a wealthy family in Kyoto. Of course, the Zeng family at that time was not the Zeng family now.

Zeng Zuimo's father seemed to be a minor official in the Ministry of Households. Later, because of a mistake in an important matter, he was involved in the struggle in the court and was pushed to the forefront. As a result, the direct line of the Zeng family suffered a heavy blow. The male members were convicted or beheaded or exiled, and the female family members were sent to the Jiaofangsi. Others were saved.

Later, the second branch of the Zeng family got in touch with the Cui family, and the Zeng family was revived. Zeng Shichun was promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of Households. In total, the Zeng family is more prominent than ten years ago.

As a direct descendant of the Zeng family, Zeng Zuimo was implicated when he was very young. After many twists and turns, he went to the Jiaofangsi, Qunyuyuan, and then redeemed himself and came to Kyoto...

She had never mentioned these things before, and Li Yi knew about them for the first time.

Li Yi looked at her and asked, "Are there any family members in the Jiaofangsi now?"

Zeng Zuimo shook his head and said, "My mother had committed suicide before they came to confiscate our house. In fact, I am the only one."

Li Yi had heard about what was going on in the Jiaofangsi and the brothel. Then he thought of her decisive and almost stubborn character, and could roughly imagine how she grew up step by step from the daughter of an official to what she is now.

How many hardships and sufferings she had suffered in this process, even if he had lived two lives, he would never be able to understand it.

Thinking of these things, he felt inexplicably sad. Zeng Zuimo looked up inadvertently and happened to catch a certain expression on his face.

Li Yi's heart sank, worried that with her character, she might regard this as pity or compassion, and hurriedly explained: "Don't..."

Seeing his nervous look, Zeng Zuimo smiled instead, and a trace of warmth surged in her heart, and asked: "What about you, where have you been these few months?"

Wan Ruoqing, who had not spoken all the way, also turned to look at him.

"Heading west, we first went to Shuzhou, and then stayed in Qi for two months..."

Li Yi described the journey of the past few months in a brief manner, and naturally skipped the dangerous places in one sentence.

Even so, the two women heard something different from it, and they clenched their fists in their sleeves, but did not show any surprise on their faces.

A few steps behind him, the surprise on the face of the sloppy old man never faded.

At this moment, he finally understood why that shortcut was always blocked...

Li Yi did not say much on this topic. When passing by a ready-made clothing shop, he cleverly diverted the topic.

In terms of clothing, Kyoto has undoubtedly led the trend of Jingguo and even the surrounding countries. The dazzling clothing makes women dazzled. As for underwear, it has now been accepted by most women. Although some conservative people still resist it, it can no longer affect this vigorous underwear reform.

There is no change in the brothels. In fact, the operating model there has matured. The number of brothels in Kyoto has long reached saturation. In the past few months, in addition to expanding to more distant states and counties, it has also taken root in the places where it belongs, and gradually became a daily habit for the people.

Every time I dream at midnight, Wan Ruoqing still vaguely remembers that more than a year ago, when that brothel was about to close and everyone was worried about their livelihood, he broke into everyone's sight with a contemptuous attitude.

At first, I just wanted to live, to survive in such a world. Later, I didn't have to worry about life anymore, and I wanted to make the actors in Qing'an Prefecture live a better life. Later..., it became what it is now.

The extremely grand picture that was conceived at the beginning will probably be realized soon.

Li Yi estimated the time and said, "It's getting late, let's find a place to eat first."

"Why don't we go back and do it." Wan Ruoqing suggested.

Li Yi pointed to the restaurant in front and said, "I'll go to the shop and brothel in front later, and make do here first."

Wan Ruoqing nodded, and Zeng Zuimo naturally had no objection.

Since various new plays began to rise in Kyoto, many people, whether ordinary people or powerful officials, have developed the habit of listening to operas, and many restaurants in Kyoto have also made some improvements.

After entering the restaurant, the first thing you face is a half-person-high stage.

On the stage, there are actors specially invited by the restaurant to perform for the guests who come and go to eat.

In the lobby on the first floor, facing the stage, the tables are arranged in a star-shaped pattern. The second floor is better, and you can have a panoramic view from a higher place. Of course, the corresponding price will be more expensive.

It should be dinner time when Li Yi and the two women walked into the restaurant, but there were not many diners. From the outside, this should be a high-end restaurant. Ordinary people may not be able to afford it, so it is normal for such a situation to occur.

Soon a waiter came to greet them, and at this time, on the second floor, somewhere in the dining room, there were glasses clinking, but they were not taken back.

Seeing this, one person asked in surprise: "Mr. Qin, what's wrong?"