The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

The hall is a place to receive guests, but it is not a good place to receive close friends. After Chen Heng entered the house, he took Xue Biao and led Baoqin towards the pavilion in the backyard.

Xue Biao looked at Chen Heng with an anxious and expectant look. The long-lost feeling caused by the change in identity disappeared immediately. On the way, he laughed out loud and joked: It's just half a year since we last met. It made me think we hadn't seen each other for ten years.

What you're saying is that you only have a few decades in your life. Chen Heng glared at him, If it takes so long, I won't even be an official anymore. I'll find you and beat you up first.

Okay, okay. Xue Biao couldn't stand him for a while, so he had to smile and compromise, After all, he is an official. If he can't say more than three words, he will beat someone.

Although the small pavilion in the backyard of the county government office is not as exquisite as the Qingzu Pavilion of the Chen family in the capital, it is better than the spacious one. Sitting there, even the summer breeze blowing in your face becomes cooler.

Pan You'an took Chen Heng's favorite refreshments and led several servants in the mansion to wait under the pavilion. The three people above were already eager to talk.

Tell me about your stay in Guangzhou. Chen Heng just sat down and couldn't help but ask the Xue brothers and sisters.

What can I say. Xue Biao spread his hands and said with a smile, You know my temperament. In addition to indulging in landscapes, reciting poems and painting, there is someone else who doesn't love you. If you ask me, you might as well ask me Sister. She actually bought a lot of properties over there.

When Chen Heng heard this, he looked at Bao Qin in surprise. He originally thought that the two brothers and sisters went to Guangzhou Mansion simply to escape the winter. Unexpectedly, my good second brother also managed his own business.

Brother, don't be surprised. Baoqin, who is seventeen years old, is even more elegant than before. The eyebrows under the little hat make it difficult to distinguish between male and female, which is really amazing.

Baoqin took the initiative to get up and pour tea for his two brothers, and then explained aloud: At that time, Qiupu Second Street was completed, and the number of craftsmen in Yangzhou was more than doubled. The weaving they produced every year was already in the warehouse. They are piled up like a mountain. Brother, you know the weaving bureaus in Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Baoqin said a long string of words in one breath, and after hurriedly drinking a cup of tea, he continued, They always try to lower the price of our weavings. Since this journey is difficult and uncomfortable, several of the merchants on our streets have I’m thinking of going to Guangzhou to find out more.”

Seeing that the tea in Baoqin's cup was empty, Chen Heng hurriedly carried the teapot to fill it for her, and asked: Aren't the merchants from Guangzhou also coming to Yangzhou to get the goods? Wouldn't it be better to give the goods to them directly?

It's okay to leave all the power to them. Bao Qin nodded, but said helplessly, But you still have to rest assured that your job is in your own hands. Hundreds of merchants on the street are also being punished by the Weaving Bureau of Suzhou and Hangzhou. ”

Chen Heng can also understand the mood of Bao Qin and the others. After all, the current laws do not provide protection measures for merchants. If you really want someone else to take the goods, turn around and run away or steal it for yourself. Thousands of miles away, if you really want to rush to Guangzhou to file a complaint, you may not be able to find anyone.

That's fine. It's just a pity that I didn't inform you about the rebuilding of the port in Songjiang before you went to Guangzhou. Chen Heng shook his head. If Xue Baoqin had known about it earlier, he might have saved himself a tiring trip to Guangzhou.

Who says it isn't? Bao Qin showed a smile, supported her chin with her hand, and half leaned on the stone table. Pointing at the fresh fruits and vegetables on the plate with one finger, he said: It may not be a bad thing. At least it is always good to go to Guangzhou to see the world.

Chen Heng had never seen Guangzhou Mansion during this period. After hearing this, he asked: What is Guangzhou Mansion like now?

Baoqin thought for a while and replied: Compared to Yangzhou and Jinling, it's exactly the same. Xue Biao added: When it comes to making a living and doing business, I think Guangzhou is even better than our hometown. . The people there love to be adventurous and even more tossing. In addition, Governor Shen has been in charge for many years, and the people are really prosperous and open-minded.

After listening to this, Chen Heng couldn't help but sigh and said: It's a pity that I don't know if I will have the opportunity to go to Guangzhou once in my life and see the local customs with my own eyes.

This is also the disadvantage of being too early, Chen Heng thought in his heart. But if he didn't take up an official position early, the Chen family wouldn't be able to afford to study hard for several years. That means raising a strong labor force at home, not only eating and drinking for free, but also spending extra money to buy pens, ink, paper and inkstones.

Chen Heng shook his head and smiled, which fell into the eyes of the Xue family brothers and sisters. The latter looked at each other and smiled tacitly. Xue Biao suddenly opened the folding fan and said: I knew you would gossip like this. Changqing, go get my drawing.

Hey. The child under the pavilion responded. This person ran out, but Bao Qin had already leaned over and explained to Chen Heng: This is the little book boy my brother took in in Guangzhou.

Chen Heng blinked, indicating that he understood. When the little book boy left and returned, he untied the scroll in his arms and spread out the long painting with Pan Youan. A scene full of fireworks and bustling atmosphere stood before everyone's eyes.

In the painting, you can see that the streets are intertwined with each other and there are dense crowds of people. The paving of the factory shed is clear-cut. This painting must have been painted on a spring day when flowers were blooming, because beside the tourists stopped on the long street, there were bright peach and willow trees, and the ripples on the river were like silk. This scene made Chen Heng more and more happy as he watched it. He suddenly pointed to the long painted river and asked aloud: You should be moving in spring, but why are dragon boats here?

When it comes to this, Xue Biao gets excited. After adjusting his body, he led Chen Heng to the front of the painting, pointed at the ten or twenty dragon boats on the river, and said: They Guangzhou people call this a race. Don't look at it, everyone only comes out after the Dragon Boat Festival. In fact, every village and village, As early as the beginning of spring, water drills begin.”

Hahahaha. Chen Heng laughed. It turns out that Guangzhou people's love for dragon boat racing has such a long history. He had only seen similar scenes online a few times before, and this time he looked at Xue Biao's paintings.

I saw only ten or twenty dragon boats, carved with dragon heads and tails to show their wrath. There are twenty people sitting nearby holding large spears, whichever is more powerful. Use a colorful canopy in the middle and embroidered umbrellas with flags and flags at the front and back to choose the most beautiful ones. The bow of the boat broke through the waves, tilted slightly, and seemed to fly into the sky. The more viewers look at it, the more they look at it, and the more they look at it, the more they praise Xue Biao's superb painting skills, which is already popular among everyone.

The painting is good, the painting is really good. Even the shapes and expressions of each person are painted lifelike. Chen Heng turned his head, looked at the smug Xue Biao, and said sincerely, Congratulations, Xue Shanshui's name will be used in the future. I’m afraid it’s going to be louder.”

If you were not to be an official, with your hard work in calligraphy, you should have taken a step further. Xue Biao raised his eyebrows. He may not dare to listen to other people's compliments. Chen Heng would be happy to listen to dozens of flattery flatterers.

The ambition is not here, the ambition is not here. Chen Heng said with a smile and pulled Xue Biao to sit down again. They and Bao Qin continued to exchange the customs and knowledge of Guangzhou, and the Xue family brothers and sisters finally turned the topic to the Chen family.

What else is there to say about the Chen family? People living their daily lives are just firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea. Chen Heng smiled and talked about recent developments, then suddenly lowered his voice and told two old friends about Master Pei and his wife.

It’s impossible not to talk about this matter. We are all from the same academy. Don't talk about it now, but if it drags on for a few days, Xue Biao will definitely blame him to death afterwards.

The brother and sister, who were still rejoicing at their reunion, immediately lost their tongue. After hearing what happened, Xue Biao said with emotion, Now we know what it means to have a son who wants to raise a child but refuses to be kissed. I originally thought that when I came back this time, I would visit the mountain chief and the master's wife, and show off my reputation outside. I stopped by to pay a visit to my mentor and his wife. Draw a picture...hey.

Bao Qin, however, was speechless at all and remained stunned in his position. His eyes gradually turned red, and after a few breaths, he was able to suppress the sadness in his heart. She entered school late that year, and Teacher Xie was particularly worried about her. He would often leave her alone and speak gentle words of concern.

Who would have thought that I would only go to a distant place once. After returning, heaven and earth were separated forever.

With a slight nasal sound, Baoqin raised his fan, clasped his fists and bowed, saying, Brothers, I'm going out for a while.

The two brothers knew what she was going to do, and they didn't say anything to let anyone know. He just sat silently, watching the girl leave and everyone left. It wasn't until the figure disappeared into the distant bamboo forest that faint cries could be heard carried by the wind.

Everyone lost the excitement of the conversation. Until Daiyu came back, the three geese all looked dejected. What was Daiyu thinking? After just a few glances, she knew where the problem was.

The spirit of the mountain chief and the teacher is in the sky. When I see the three of you like this, I am afraid that I will have to fall asleep tonight and give you a hard slap on the hand.

It may not be easy for others to say this, but when Lin Daiyu said this, Bao Qin was really amused. The latter quickly said coquettishly: Sister Lin!

You still know how to call me sister? In the past few months, I haven't even replied to a few letters. I am still tired and I have to write to you again and again. I can't understand it after a while. Don't even think about leaving this house today. Just keep it for me. Be a flower boy watering the water.”

That won't work. I don't want to be a nasty guest who won't leave and disturbs your couple's good life. Bao Qinzuo smiled and stepped forward, holding Yinglian's hand. He looked carefully from left to right, and after a long time, he complained to Chen Heng, Brother, you are really ruthless. Sister Yinglian looks like this, even if you can't show off the gold and silver, use some. A green hairpin and a jade hairpin are also what you deserve. Such a good-looking person is just like the water in the clear soup given to you to take care of.

Good sister, I don't blame him. Before Chen Heng could explain, Yinglian hurriedly patted Baoqin's hand, her brows showing her return to nature, she smiled before saying anything, It's what I teach the children to do on weekdays. Nvhong, I don’t want to wear the pearl hairpin given by my husband and sister Lin.”

Baoqin listened to Yinglian's tone and saw that she did not look aggrieved. Finally he said with confidence: That's great. It seems that my elder brother still cares. Sister Yinglian finally stops hiding from people's eyes when she speaks.

Did I avoid people when I spoke before? Yinglian was a little in disbelief. She always knew about her own affairs.

Baoqin looked at Daiyu and then at Chen Heng. The three of them showed a tacit smile and lowered their voices together. Yinglian didn't have this habit at first. It was a little habit that she gradually got into after following Fengshi.

Baoqin took a step back, looked at the two sisters again, and suddenly said with regret: Ehuang Nv is only so good, I wish I could try it myself for my eldest brother.

Ridiculous, how absurd. Bao Qin, why did you end up like this when you went for a walk in Guangzhou? What exactly does Guangzhou Prefecture have? ? ? Chen Heng was stunned when he heard this. But Daiyu blushed, put her hand on Bao Qin's face, and retorted: Really speaking, you are the master of the palace this month, who is taking advantage of who among us?

Anyway, you can't make it easier for others to go. Xue Baoqin laughed and teased, Sister Lin is different after getting married. I thought you would be like before...

Seeing Xue Baoqin behave like a hesitant and stupid duck, Daiyu finally couldn't stand it anymore, rushed up to hug Baoqin, and started to rub her face and bully her. How could Chen Heng dare to look at this scene for too long? He turned his head and said to Xue Zhu, who was hiding together: What do you want to eat tonight?

Eat whatever you want. Xue Biao already knew from Chen Heng's mouth that the Chen family kept filial piety in private. Meat and wine must not be served well.

Okay. Chen Heng nodded and picked up the topic dryly. Only when the three women calmed down did they sit upright with coughs.

The two families are close friends, and there is only one table set for tonight. The three beauties were sitting together, and the two stinky men were leaning against each other. It could be said that they were each talking about their own affairs, and the atmosphere was finally quite lively.

…………

…………

At midnight, the county government officials saw him off in person. The Xue family brothers and sisters sat in the carriage and drove towards the last inn in the city. Today's reunion is generally a happy one.

Xue Biao half-leaned on the carriage and complained to Bao Qin: What a shame, even if you don't say anything about getting married, you start talking about me and ask me what kind of girl I like? It's really a disgrace to me. How can such a thing be done? Just ask directly.

Then the eldest brother told me what to do about this matter. Baoqin blinked, and she heard what her brother meant.

He should secretly take the girl's portrait and let me choose it carefully. Xue Biao smiled and asked about his sister, Your sister Lin, didn't you ask about your marriage?

Why didn't you ask? Xue Baoqin spread his hands and said helplessly, Do you guys have a good relationship with each other in private? You are all staring at my chopsticks.

How can it not be possible? Xue Biao said in dismay, hurriedly shook his fan, and said with a guilty conscience, Coincidence, it must be a coincidence. Last year, my family wanted to marry you, and you ran to Guangzhou. What are you going to do when you go back this time? Reason to hide.”

In order to serve as a shield for his sister, he even gave up his own blind date. I have been delayed in Guangzhou for so long this time and I want to delay it any longer. Xue Biao knew that he was a man and could afford to wait. After all, Baoqin is a daughter's house, so I don't know how much gossip there will be in the future.

Who said I wanted to go back? Bao Qin pursed his lips and smiled, and said words that shocked Xue Biao.

What? You want to stay in Songjiang?

The port here has just been built. The best treasure land is placed here. Brother, I can't help but see it. Baoqin said with righteous words, as if he had already planned this.

After hearing what his sister said, Xue Biao couldn't help but mutter, After all, it's your marriage, so it's more important.

Brother, you should worry about yourself. Xue Baoqin glared at him, When will you find a sister-in-law to come and give an explanation to your parents?

It's obviously your business, why does it involve me again? Xue Biao spread his hands, feeling helpless.

The two brothers and sisters were bickering happily when the groom driving the car suddenly made a sound, signaling the arrival of the inn. The Xue family brothers and sisters hurriedly got out of the car and were instructing the accompanying servants to move to the upper room to salute when they suddenly saw two figures walking shoulder to shoulder.

In the dark, people on both sides thought each other was just a passer-by. It happened that the waiter of the inn came out with a lantern to greet the guests. Everyone looked at each other under the lights, and Xue Pan immediately exclaimed: Cousin, cousin?

The food has gone bad, why did you meet him here? Xue Biao shouted in his heart that his luck was not going well today, so he could only dryly return the greeting: Cousin.

Oops, I'm not in a good state today. I originally wanted to explode, but after thinking about it, I waited until Friday to recuperate my body.