Chapter 511: Autumn Rain [Deep Gratitude! Bowing Again! 45k Chapters Owed]

In the afternoon,

Lady Yan Yan Sujun and her mother sat in the carriage returning to the city,

Wu Da Da Niangzi still held a gold-flecked floral note in her hand, studying it carefully.

"Mother, do you know what became of the older sister mentioned by that Lady Wei back then?"

The Eldest Lady of the Yan family glanced at her speaking daughter, then continued looking at the floral note: "That is a painful private matter for them; how could I bring it up in front of the wives of the Hou Fu and the official ladies?"

Lady Yan Yan Sujun shook her head: "Mother, I did not mean that; I meant that your daughter knows."

Listening to her daughter's account,

Wu Da Da Niangzi nodded with a smile on her lips: "It was not easy; that lady has finally seen bitterness turn to sweetness. With a son now, things will surely be better for her!"

Lady Yan Yan Sujun: "Mm-hmm! What Mother says is true!"

Wu Da Da Niangzi handed the floral note to Lady Yan Yan Sujun, saying: "These are gatherings young ladies enjoy; the Old Cao Gate is not far from our home, so you should go there when the time comes."

"Mm!"

"Furthermore, the Wu family can boast of two Five Jinshi scholars in one household; the father of the Young Master who is interested holds a high post in the Ministry of Revenue, and Wu Da Da Niangzi is the principal wife of a Hou Jue, so this family background is quite impressive indeed!"

Before Lady Yan Yan Sujun could utter any shy remarks, Wu Da Da Niangzi continued: "I observed that Wu Da Da Niangzi shares a Mo Ni relationship with the wives of the two Hou Jue families!"

Saying this, she patted her daughter's hand, feeling both gratified and reluctant to let go.

Qu Yuan Street remained bustling,

Chu Zhan, with a Mao Jin draped over his shoulder, was helping out at Hearing Shu Bo's stall under the canvas awning, glancing toward the street entrance every now and then between wiping tables and serving dishes.

"You lad, coming out from the residence, what are you hiding in your bosom that looks so bulging?"

Hearing Hearing Shu Bo's words,

Chu Zhan patted his clothes and shook his head: "Hearing Shu Bo, it's nothing, nothing at all!"

When he saw a carriage and horses turn into Qu Yuan Street,

Chu Zhan's eyes suddenly lit up.

Half a quarter-hour later,

at Marquis Marquis Yongyi's residence,

Xu Xu Zaijing was in the distance, leisurely walking his two pregnant mounts.

Beside the wooden hut by the racecourse,

Chu Zhan stared fixedly at a pale chestnut horse with a silver mane,

At this moment, this newly arrived horse was having its hooves held by Xun Shu while horseshoes were being nailed on.

Chu Zhan said:

"Brother Xun Shu, you, you be gentler!"

Holding a small iron hammer and working, Xun Shu looked up in frustration at Chu Zhan speaking beside him: "Why don't you do it then?"

Chu Zhan smiled awkwardly and waved his hands: "Brother Xun Shu, you do it, you do it!"

Qing Yun, standing nearby, patted Chu Zhan's shoulder and asked: "How is this horse?"

"Hehe, truly beautiful!"

A Lan, sitting on a small stool nearby assembling leather straps into a bridle, lifted her head: "One might think you were praising a wife rather than a horse."

"Hehe, once on the battlefield, she will be not only my wife but also my comrade-in-arms."

Chu Zhan said, looking at the horse with deep affection.

Hearing these words,

everyone around the wooden hut burst into laughter.

"Lad, catch!"

Hearing Yin Bo, walking out from the wooden hut, threw over a horse comb used for brushing the horse's coat.

Chu Zhan caught it with both hands, bowed respectfully, then carefully approached the horse and began brushing gently:

"One brush to the head, life will know no worry."

"Two brushes to the head, no illness and no sorrow."

"Three brushes..."

He had just recited two lines

when Chu Zhan felt his head jerk suddenly.

Qing Yun, standing behind him, looked at Chu Zhan with a mix of helplessness and amusement: "Where did you learn such phrases? Is this a time to speak nonsense? Be careful, or you might never find a wife!"

Chu Zhan quickly shut his mouth, pressed his palms together, closed his eyes, and prayed silently for a few moments.

Then, Chu Zhan continued brushing the horse's coat.

Perhaps enjoying the grooming, the newly bought horse affectionately rubbed its head against Chu Zhan.

Having spent a long time with Hearing Yin Bo, A Lan, and the others, Chu Zhan, who understood horse nature, grinned so widely his mouth stretched ear to ear.

He hastily pulled a Lin Qin from his bulging bosom and held it out to the horse's mouth.

"Sniff sniff... Crunch."

The horse ate it 'happily'.

"Slowly, slowly, there's more!"

Seeing how much the horse liked it, Chu Zhan said joyfully.

At this moment,

A Lan stood up from the side,

walked over to Chu Zhan, untied the existing halter, and fitted the leather strap bridle in her hand onto the horse.

The horse, fully focused on eating the fruit, barely reacted to A Lan's actions.

After fastening the bridle buckles and arranging them, Alan nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the horse now fitted with its bridle: "Not bad; it looks quite handsome."

Xun Shu, who had been busy nailing horseshoes, also finished his work and walked toward the wooden cabin nearby.

Soon he emerged, carrying a saddle in one hand and a hemp sack filled to the brim with corn in the other.

"Chu Zhan, go fetch another sack."

"Aye!"

Chu Zhan hurriedly ran into the wooden cabin and struggled to carry out another sack.

After securing the saddle and pad firmly,

Alan tied the two sacks of corn together and draped them over the back of this pale chestnut horse with a silver mane.

Chu Zhan, standing nearby, saw that the silver-maned horse showed no inclination to kick or rear, and his eyes grew even brighter.

"Brother Alan, did you train it when you selected it?"

Alan smiled slightly, then led the horse by the reins into the training ground.

Brother Qingyun, standing beside the wooden cabin, was about to mount his own horse to prevent any mishap with this new horse.

Young Master Yin Bo, seated in an armchair, waved his hand and said, "No need to go; from what I see, this horse can be ridden today."

Upon hearing these words,

Chu Zhan hurriedly stepped forward: "Brother Alan, let me try it."

Alan untied the two sacks of corn; seeing that the silver-maned horse still showed no reaction, he then handed the reins to Chu Zhan.

"Clomp-clomp-clomp-clomp—"

The sound of hooves arrived,

In the training ground,

Xu Xu Zaijing, watching Chu Zhan guiding the horse in a lap around the training ground, smiled.

As Chu Zhan passed by, Xu Xu Zaijing called out, "Faster!"

"Ha!"

Chu Zhan, atop the horse, gave a soft shout.

The horse ran even faster.

The next day,

Exactly at the Yin hour,

The sky was pitch black,

"Click~"

The courtyard door was opened from within,

Xu Xu Zaijing, wearing a cloak, walked out of the room; stretching as he went, he looked at the starless and moonless sky and said,

"It's turning overcast."

Seeing Seeing Qingcao holding a lantern behind him, she nodded; realizing Xu Xu Zaijing could not see her gesture, Seeing Seeing Qingcao quickly said, "Yes, Young Master; by the scent, I think it's going to rain."

Taking a deep breath of the air filled with morning freshness, Xu Xu Zaijing nodded and said, "Mm! Let's go!"

Crossing the passageway,

Upon arriving at the training ground,

The sound of footsteps stirred some unrest among the birds in the nearby falconry.

At this moment, lanterns were already lit in the stable,

and whether it was Alan or Xun Shu, someone was feeding the horses.

Entering the master's wooden cabin,

Removing his cloak,

While Seeing Seeing Qingcao waited inside the cabin, Xu Xu Zaijing walked outside.

By the light of the lantern at the cabin door, Xu Xu Zaijing saw Brother Qingyun, who was preparing the horses, with a face full of smiles.

"What's wrong?"

"Young Master, that lad Chu Zhan didn't return last night; he stayed in the stable accompanying his newly acquired horse until midnight."

Hearing this, Xu Xu Zaijing also laughed: "That lad! Fortunately, there are no mosquitoes at this time of year, otherwise he would have suffered greatly."

Brother Qingyun nodded with a smile: "I heard from Uncle that last night he kept Alan and Xun Shu from getting much sleep."

Xu Xu Zaijing asked in puzzlement, "Just sleeping in the stable; how did that keep Alan and the others awake?"

Brother Qingyun shook his head helplessly and said, "According to Alan, last night Chu Zhan felt his horse's mane was too messy and made a fuss about grooming it."

"Isn't that quick enough?"

"What Young Master says is true, but afterward, that lad Chu Zhan busied himself braiding the groomed mane."

After Brother Qingyun finished speaking, Xu Xu Zaijing laughed as well: "Truly quite mischievous."

"It's clear that Chu Zhan truly loves it."

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded.

Subsequently, Brother Qingyun and Xu Xu Zaijing helped each other don their armor and began the day's training.

After breakfast,

Xu Xu Zaijing took a carriage to the Sheng family residence.

Because it was overcast,

When Xu Xu Zaijing arrived at the Sheng family residence,

Initially, reading required lighting candles.

When Tutor Zhuang arrived at the schoolroom,

Dark clouds still filled the sky,

the daylight was dim,

and after enduring more than an hour of lessons, just as everyone was taking a break.

Xu Xu Zaijing and Sheng Changbai prepared to take a walk in the courtyard,

but the moment they stepped out of the schoolhouse,

a gust of autumn wind swept past,

blowing away Xu Xu Zaijing's hair ribbon,

whereupon Xu Xu Zaijing felt a sudden chill on his forehead,

as a cold autumn rain began to fall with a pattering sound.

Seeing Xu Xu Zaijing and Sheng Changbai walking back,

Gu Gu Tingye was just about to speak,

when Master Zhuang, seated at the very front, lightly tapped the desk with his folding fan and said, "Let us quiet our minds now! Observe the rain!"

"Yes, Master!"

Then, everyone turned sideways and quietly watched the courtyard.

"Tap tap tap tap"

That was the sound of raindrops smashing onto leaves.

"Rustle rustle~"

The fairly dense foliage, blown by the autumn wind, made a rustling noise that blended into the sound of the rain.

"Drip drip"

Rainwater that had gathered on the roof dripped onto the wooden steps before the schoolhouse.

After a moment of silence in the schoolhouse, the Master said, "You must know that while such weather is a beautiful sight for us, for those without autumn robes or shelter from the rain, it is a misfortune."

"You have all passed the provincial examinations and will surely become officials in the future, but please remember what this old man says now: show great compassion for the hardships of the people's livelihood, and do many deeds that bring benefit to the common folk."

Sheng Changbai, Xu Xu Zaijing, and the others hurriedly stood up, clasped their hands in salute, and said in unison, "Yes, Master! We students shall remember this."

Seeing this scene,

the young male and female servants on the wooden platform at the very back also hurriedly stood up.

Master Zhuang nodded while holding his paper fan: "Everyone, be seated!"

After Seeing Seeing Qingcao took her seat, she glanced at the rainy view outside the schoolhouse and sighed slightly in her heart.

At this moment, Cheng Cheng Qiuniang, sitting beside her, leaned over and whispered into Seeing Seeing Qingcao's ear: "Sister Seeing Qingcao, do you know why Hearing Buwei left just now?"

Seeing Seeing Qingcao shook her head: "I don't know; I only saw that after the Little Xiao Xiao Gongye summoned him, he went out."

Cheng Cheng Qiuniang nodded.

After the two separated, amidst the rain in the courtyard, the sound of raindrops striking an oil-paper umbrella appeared.

Before long,

Hearing Buwei's figure appeared in everyone's line of sight; he was holding an oil-paper umbrella and carrying something wrapped in a cotton quilt.

Seeing Hearing Buwei, a smile appeared on Qi Heng's lips.

Very soon,

Hearing Buwei reached the doorway, placed the oil-paper umbrella under the corridor to one side, and entered the schoolhouse carrying the item, coming to a stop.

Qi Heng stood up at this moment, bowed deeply with clasped hands to Master Zhuang, and said, "Master, this is from a pastry shop that recently opened in the capital, which specializes in making only one delicacy: Mi Fu Su Na Flower!"

"Recalling that my fellow students and sisters enjoyed them before! After learning of this, I specifically ordered a box from that shop; please, Master and all my fellow students and sisters, taste them to see how they are, and whether they are the same as the ones we ate last time!"

Hearing Buwei was standing close to Master Zhuang,

and by now a faint fragrance had drifted over.

After discreetly swallowing some saliva, Master Zhuang nodded and said, "The Little Xiao Xiao Gongye is too thoughtful!"

Hearing these words,

Qi Heng bowed once more, then cast a glance at Hearing Buwei.

Subsequently,

Seeing Seeing Qingcao and the others, who were seated on the wooden platform at the very back, hurried forward to help Hearing Buwei distribute the food.

As for the others, they were fine,

but after hearing Qi Heng's words, Gu Gu Tingye's expression became somewhat abnormal; he kept stretching his neck, as if trying to adjust his condition.

On the side near the entrance,

Seeing Mo Lan and Hearing Rulan, looking at the pastries before them, both smiled, stood up, and performed a curtsy to Qi Heng, saying, "Thank you, Brother Yuanruo."

Minglan also stood up: "Thank you, Little Xiao Xiao Gongye."

Qi Heng smiled and nodded to Seeing Mo Lan and Hearing Rulan; upon hearing Minglan's voice, he nodded to her as well.

Seeing Mo Lan had already sat down,

while Hearing Rulan remained standing, turned her head, and said to Minglan, "Sixth Sister, Brother Yuanruo's courtesy name was personally bestowed by His Majesty; you may just call him by his name."

Minglan glanced at Qi Heng, who was nodding, shook her head, and then sat down.

At this moment,

Cheng Cheng Qiuniang also placed a Mi Fu Su Nai Flower before Gu Gu Tingye,

whereupon Gu Gu Tingye directly picked up the porcelain plate holding the pastry, turned around, and placed it on Xu Xu Zaijing's desk.

"Gu Er Ge, aren't you eating?"

asked Sheng Changfeng, who was licking his lips upon seeing this scene.

Gu Gu Tingye nodded with an expression of some discomfort, saying, "Han Wulang, you and Feng-ge'er eat them! I, um!"

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at Gu Gu Tingye with curiosity, thought for a moment, and said, "Yuan Erlang, I heard before that Gu Tingyi and the Miss from the Chai family opened a shop together; you wouldn't be... suffering from overeating, would you?"

Hearing Xu Xu Zaijing's words and smelling the fragrance in the air, Gu Gu Tingye swallowed hard, pressing down on his churning stomach.

Looking up at Xu Xu Zaijing, Gu Gu Tingye said with some surprise, "Han Wulang, how did you know?"

"Guessed!"

Saying this, Xu Xu Zaijing handed the extra plate to Sheng Changfeng.

"Thank you, Xu Wu Ge."

Sheng Changfeng called out with a smile as he took it.

Xu Xu Zaijing first divided his own dim sum in half, then beckoned to Seeing Seeing Qingcao.

"Put the other half in the tea cups for you all to eat."

Having finished speaking, he handed out the plate in his hand.

Seeing Seeing Qingcao hurriedly took it and placed the dim sum into the tea cups.

Xu Xu Zaijing continued to ask Gu Gu Tingye, "On which street is the shop located?"

After thinking for a moment, Gu Gu Tingye said, "Huihefangxi in the inner city, on Old Cao Men Street."

Sitting on the other side, Seeing Mo Lan heard this, nodded, and said, "Sister Gu Tingyi really knows how to choose a location! On that Old Cao Men Street, daughters of official families often go sightseeing and tasting tea from morning till night!"

"The most famous one seems to be called something like Beishan Tea House; with a fruit shop opening there, business will surely be booming, earning buckets of gold every day!"

Hearing this, Gu Gu Tingye nodded with a smile: "Then I borrow Fourth Sister's auspicious words."

While the few of them were talking,

Seeing Seeing Qingcao had already divided the dim sum on the plate into several portions and shared them to taste with the female servants sitting behind, such as Xique, Xiao Xiao Xiaotao, and Luzhong.

After Xu Xu Zaijing finished his dim sum in one bite and handed the plate to Seeing Seeing Qingcao, he saw Xiao Xiao Xiaotao tasting the cake; while her face showed disbelief, her widened eyes were also full of an eager impulse to lick the plate clean.

Xu Xu Zaijing withdrew his smile, his eyes filled with contemplation.

In the afternoon,

on Old Cao Men Street,

although autumn rain was falling,

there were still pedestrians coming and going on the street, holding oil-paper umbrellas, wearing conical hats, and draped in straw raincoats.

By the roadside,

several exquisite carriages parked there had been soaked by the rain, turning dark and dripping with water.

Not far from the carriages,

on a wooden building hanging with the sign 'Beishan Tea House',

on the second floor,

tables were set with various foods emitting fragrance.

Chai Chai Zhengzheng held a tea cup to warm herself in her hands, frowned, and looked at Gu Gu Tingyi, saying, "Sister Gu Tingyi, are you saying those two lines of poetry were not composed by Gu Er Ge?"

"Mm! Brother falsely claimed Jing Ge's work as his own."

Rong Rong Feiyan, sitting to one side, her eyes shifting, asked, "Then, do these two lines have no continuation?"

Gu Gu Tingyi nodded helplessly: "Jing Ge said there are only two lines."

Li Family's Fifth Miss exchanged glances with Hai Lady Chaoyun, Lady Yan Yan Sujun, and other misses nearby, then said regretfully, "What a pity!"

At this moment,

the female servant Ziteng walked over to Chai Chai Zhengzheng's side and whispered, "Miss, someone just saw the Xu family's female servant, Miss Seeing Seeing Qingcao, arriving by carriage."

Chai Chai Zhengzheng turned her head and said in a low voice, "Invite her over... no, I will go down."

(End of Chapter)