Chapter 671

Uncle Yin waved his hand: "Jing'er, what you are doing is a bit inappropriate."

"Master, what is inappropriate?" Xu Zaijing asked in confusion.

Uncle Yin looked at the silver in his hand: "It's better to find yamen runners or patrol guards than..."

As he spoke, Uncle Yin looked at Seeing Alan, who had cotton cloth tied around his forehead.

Xu Zaijing glanced at Seeing Alan, his heart moved, and he said: "Master, I understand!"

The next day,

Morning,

Taking advantage of the warm weather, Uncle Shu's stall opened.

Because the sun was shining and it wasn't cold, the shade canopy wasn't set up.

Uncle Shu's stall was not far from the main gate of the Marquis's Mansion, so guests would come to patronize it from time to time.

"Give me a bowl of mutton soup to warm my body."

A guest who looked to be about twenty years old shouted, then sat at the table by himself.

"Alright! Guest, please wait a moment," Uncle Shu said with a smile.

The guest looked at the Marquis's Mansion wall not far away.

By the wall, there was someone with white cotton cloth tied around his head, with faint red blood stains on the cloth, and several yamen runners carrying knives were standing beside him.

"Old man, what happened over there?" the guest asked.

"They say someone threw something into the Marquis's Mansion yesterday and hit someone. Isn't this reporting it to the officials now!"

"What did they throw?"

"It seems to be pebbles," Uncle Shu said without raising his head.

"Peb... pebbles?" the guest asked in surprise.

"Yes!"

After pondering for a moment, the guest continued: "That's truly wicked."

"Who's to say it isn't!" Uncle Shu agreed.

After finishing, Uncle Shu continued to lower his head to make soup.

When he raised his head again, he found that there was no one at the table, only a dozen copper coins placed on the table.

Quyuanjie entrance,

The guest who was just at Uncle Shu's stall walked toward a luxurious carriage that didn't quite match his attire.

The attendant standing by hurriedly bowed.

Stepping on the horse stool to get into the carriage, the guest shook his head in the carriage and said: "This shouldn't be!"

The attendant who followed into the carriage whispered: "Master, what is wrong?"

The guest sighed and explained a few words casually.

After listening, the attendant looked troubled and said: "Master, you should just follow the method our Old Madam instructed and personally give the item to that Marquis's Mansion young master!"

"Like yesterday morning, you got up late, and in order to complete the instruction, you randomly threw silver ingots in. How could that be effective?"

The guest glared and said: "It was the beginning of the hour of Mao! The sky wasn't even light yet; isn't that early enough?"

The attendant advised: "Master, I just heard from a shop on the side of the road that the shop opens at the end of the hour of Yin, and they already couldn't see that young master's figure."

Looking at his master's expression, the attendant continued: "The cousin young lady was raised by our Old Madam, and you know her situation, so she naturally wouldn't lie to our Old Madam."

"Good! We'll talk about it tomorrow!"

The second day,

Quyuanjie entrance,

A ray of sunlight shone into the carriage through the gap in the curtain.

The young man wrapped in a fur coat opened his eyes, rubbed his face, and said: "Hasn't the person come out yet?"

"Reporting to Master, I haven't seen anyone."

The young man thought for a while and said: "What is going on."

"Could it be that the young master went out through another gate of the Marquis's Mansion?" the attendant outside the carriage said.

The young man pondered for a moment: "Let's go, let's go stroll around the best archery shop in the capital."

"Master, this..."

"Don't talk nonsense, let's go."

Pan Tower Main Street,

Zhou Family Archery Shop,

The shop manager held a bow arm in his hand, smiled at his shop assistant, and said: "This guest has good arm strength. Why don't you try this one in my hand?"

The young man who appeared at the entrance of Quyuanjie handed the hard bow in his hand to the shop assistant and reached out to take the bow arm.

After hanging the bowstring and testing it, the young man smiled: "Good bow, I'll take this one! Does the shop have good slingshot bowstrings?"

"Please come this way."

After a moment,

The young man waved his hand at the attendant with a smile: "Pay the money."

The third day,

Marquis Yongyi's Mansion racecourse,

Xu Zaijing was wearing armor and riding on the back of a trotting little chestnut horse.

After warming up for a lap, Xu Zaijing slowly drove the horse, and the rumbling sound of hooves immediately rang out in the racecourse.

When he started the third lap,

Xu Zaijing had already begun to draw his bow on horseback to exercise his riding and archery.

When the galloping horse passed by the wooden house, because there was no target, Xu Zaijing did not continue to draw his bow.

Suddenly,

"Twang!"

Hearing this movement,

Xu Zaijing and Qingyun turned their heads sharply one after another and looked at the courtyard wall not far away.

Separated by a courtyard wall was Quyuanjie.

The reason the two turned their heads was that they heard the vibration of the bowstring.

"Who is it!" Qingyun shouted angrily.

Before Qingyun finished speaking,

"Ding!"

A small object hit the arm shield that Xu Zaijing had raised by turning his body reflexively.

"Ding."

It was another light sound of impact.

The second light sound was the movement of Xu Zaijing using his arm shield to knock the object in mid-air away again.

"Stop! Don't run!"

Outside the courtyard wall, someone shouted loudly, not knowing who it was.

"Creak."

The wooden house door was opened, and Qingcao ran out with a look of surprise: "Young Master, Brother Qingyun, what happened?"

Xu Zaijing, who had reined in his horse beside the wooden house, reached out and caught the object flying in mid-air. After looking at the object in his leather glove twice, he said: "Qingcao, it's nothing."

Looking at Qingyun, who was preparing to ride his horse to chase out, Xu Zaijing shouted: "Qingyun, no need to chase!"

"Ah?" Qingyun looked at Xu Zaijing in surprise.

"Take a look." As he spoke, Xu Zaijing threw the object in his hand out.

Qingyun caught it in one go. By the candlelight near the wooden house, he saw clearly the object in his open palm.

"Young Master, this..." Qingyun said, weighing the object in his hand, and said: "Is this gold?"

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Maybe."

"Brother Qingyun, let me see," Qingcao on the side walked over and said.

Looking at Qingcao, who had taken the object and was preparing to bite it with her teeth, Qingyun hurriedly reached out to block Qingcao's forehead and scolded: "Girl, are you obsessed with money? You don't know if there is anything smeared on it, and you dare to put it in your mouth?"

"Ah? Oh! Brother Qingyun, I..." As she spoke, Qingcao looked back at Xu Zaijing.

Looking at Xu Zaijing, who was shaking his head, Qingcao was about to lower her head when she heard Xu Zaijing say: "What did you see?"

Hearing this, Qingcao hurriedly raised her head and said: "Young Master, if it is real gold, I'm afraid it weighs at least one tael."

Xu Zaijing's small storeroom had all kinds of gold and silver products, and Qingcao was used to handling them.

Qingyun looked at the courtyard wall and said: "Young Master, to be able to throw this piece of gold so far, I think they must have used a slingshot. And to be so accurate, I think that person is also a capable one."

Xu Zaijing shook his head: "That person is also a brainless one, not afraid of hitting the horse and startling it."

Qingyun nodded repeatedly: "I don't know if we can catch that person."

Looking at the maid who was leaning close to the candlelight to look carefully at the object, Xu Zaijing said: "Qingcao, stop looking. Use the silver beans from the first two days to pay for Seeing Alan's medical treatment, and exchange this item for rice and grain to send to the Juyang Institute."

"Yes, Young Master," Qingcao nodded.

Walking on the road to Yingxiang Lane, Qingyun rode his horse on the side and said: "Young Master, this kind of thing has been quiet for a while; why has it started again these two days?"

Xu Zaijing rode his horse onto the bridge and looked at the canal in the early morning: "Perhaps there is a smart person, or it has been verified, and they have told others."

Qingyun nodded. After thinking for a while, his eyes lit up, and he thought of a certain woman from before.

But after glancing at Xu Zaijing, Qingyun didn't say anything in the end.

Arriving at the Sheng family,

Because it was still not past the first month and the weather was still a bit cold, the school still had cotton curtains hanging and the stove burning.

After lifting the curtain and entering the room, besides the candle lit in front of Changbai in the school, there was an extra candle lit on the side.

Looking at Changmei, who stood up to salute, Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile: "Seventh Young Master, sit down. I've said it several times, there is no need to be so polite among relatives."

"Yes, Brother Xu Wu."

At noon,

After Scholar Zhuang walked out of the school,

Separated by the cotton curtain, Xu Zaijing and the others in the school vaguely heard the sound of talking outside.

Hearing the sound of talking, Zaihang hurriedly stood up and walked toward the outside.

Soon,

Zaihang's voice of "Greetings, Father-in-law" came in.

After some pleasantries, Zaihang returned to the school and looked at Changbai: "Brother Bai, I just heard Scholar Zhuang and Father-in-law talking, it seems..."

Changbai nodded: "Brother-in-law, that is what the scholar means."

Xu Zaijing, Qi Heng, and the others behind looked at the two of them with confusion.

"Second Brother, what are you and Brother-in-law talking about?" Changfeng asked.

Zaihang turned his head and smiled: "Scholar Zhuang and Father-in-law are discussing and preparing to let Changmei participate in the county examination."

"Ah?"

Hearing this, everyone in the school showed surprise.

"How old is Changmei? Why let him participate in the county examination?" Gu Tingyi frowned.

Zaihang smiled: "This is the scholar's intention."

Everyone shook their heads one after another.

"Changbai, how old were you when you passed the county examination?" Xu Zaijing asked with a smile.

Changbai didn't look back and said: "Twelve years old."

Afternoon,

Jin'an Studio,

"Master is here!"

The maid in the courtyard announced.

In the room, Seeing Wei Shuyi, who was embroidering by the bright window, raised her head in surprise.

After inserting the embroidery needle in her hand into the embroidery, Seeing Wei Shuyi tidied her clothes and hurriedly stood up and walked toward the door.

Before she reached the door, Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong smiled and lifted the curtain to enter.

"Greetings, Master, Master, you..." Seeing Wei Shuyi looked at Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong, who was in a great mood and smiling, looking straight at her, and was suddenly unable to speak.

"Shuyi, you raised the child well! Scholar Zhuang is full of praise for Mei'er's studies," Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong smiled.

Seeing Wei Shuyi lowered her head: "Master, this servant is ashamed and dare not accept it. It is the Old Madam's concern for Mei'er's learning, and the Da Niangzi's many instructions, that Mei'er is like this."

"Hmm, hmm!" Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong nodded with a smile: "Come, sit!"

After Seeing Wei Shuyi agreed, she sat at the table with Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong.

Soon, Seeing Qiujiang on the side smiled and served hot tea: "Master, please have some tea."

"Good," Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong nodded with a smile.

After Seeing Qiujiang served the tea, she retreated to the side.

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong looked at Seeing Wei Shuyi in front of him.

Seeing Wei Shuyi's entry into the Sheng family was originally for the Wang family to find someone to share Lin Qinshuang's favor.

She was not only a girl from a scholarly family, but her appearance was also first-class, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to compete for favor with the charming Lin Qinshuang.

"Shuyi, when we were in Fujian Road, I could see that you were a person who kept people at a distance. Since coming to the capital, I see that you have changed a lot," Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong said with a smile.

Seeing Wei Shuyi smiled, looked at Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong after raising her head, and said: "Master has clear insight. Before in Fujian Road, this concubine was worried about my mother and sister at home. Now that they are all in the capital, it is much better."

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong nodded: "Have you been tired from managing the household before?"

Seeing Wei Shuyi shook her head with a smile: "The Da Niangzi's accounts are clear, and with Mama Cui and Mama Liu helping, although this concubine is stupid and struggling, I haven't been tired."

Looking at the beautiful woman in front of him with fair and rosy skin and a gentle and moving temperament, Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong was in a great mood and nodded with a smile: "Shuyi, you have been in my Sheng family for more than ten years, and I see that your appearance hasn't changed much."

Seeing Wei Shuyi smiled: "Master praises me too much."

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong nodded, picked up the teacup to drink hot tea, put it down, and looked around the room of Jin'an Studio.

Looking at the calligraphy hanging on the walls of the room, all of which were his own handiwork, Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong was in an even better mood.

Suddenly,

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong frowned slightly,

It was because Seeing Wei Shuyi, like Wang Ruofu, hung paintings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism together, which looked like they were worshipped together.

Noticing Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong's gaze, Seeing Wei Shuyi smiled: "Master, Mei'er often complains to this concubine."

"Hmm? Mei'er is a good child, what would he complain to you about?" Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong withdrew his gaze and asked in confusion.

"He often complains that your calligraphy is too good, Master. Although he tries hard to practice calligraphy, in the end, he doesn't have the charm of the calligraphy you write."

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong shook his head and waved his hand: "This kid is too ambitious; how old is he?"

Although he shook his head and waved his hand, Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong was extremely pleased.

As he spoke, Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong stood up and walked around the room, saying as he walked: "Shuyi, I have seen your calligraphy, it is excellent. Why don't I see your calligraphy?"

"This concubine is ashamed and dare not accept it," Seeing Wei Shuyi lowered her head.

"You, you, you are really..." Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong shook his head and didn't continue.

Walking to the window and looking at the embroidery on the embroidery frame, Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong's eyes lit up, and he praised: "This flower is embroidered well."

Seeing Wei Shuyi walked over and smiled: "Many thanks for your praise, Master. Next month is the Fifth Da Niangzi's coming-of-age ceremony; this is also a little bit of this concubine's heart."

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong nodded with a smile, his eyes showing that it was a pity to give such good things to his own Rulan.

Afterwards,

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong turned around and grabbed Seeing Wei Shuyi's arms with both hands.

This action made Seeing Wei Shuyi's body tense up all of a sudden.

"Shuyi, I have another piece of good news to tell you today."

"Master, please speak."

"At noon, Scholar Zhuang told me that he is preparing to let Mei'er participate in next month's county examination."

"County examination?" Seeing Wei Shuyi asked in confusion.

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong nodded with a smile: "I have agreed."

After pondering for a moment, Seeing Wei Shuyi smiled: "Scholar Zhuang is a good teacher, and you, Master, are also a high-achieving scholar. Since you two say so, it naturally makes sense."

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong nodded with a smile, looked at Seeing Wei Shuyi, and said sincerely: "Shuyi, you gave birth to a good child for my Sheng family! Just now when I told Mother, she was also very happy."

"To be able to make Master and Old Madam happy, this concubine is also happy."

"Hmm! I will come to Jin'an Studio tonight," Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong said again.

"Yes, then this concubine will have the main kitchen make some good dishes and send them over tonight."

"And must prepare a few pots of good wine," Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong emphasized with a smile.

"Yes."

"Then, I will go to the study first, Shuyi, you continue to be busy," Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong smiled and turned to leave the room.

Seeing Wei Shuyi took Seeing Qiujiang and sent Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong to the courtyard gate. After watching Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong and Dongrong disappear around the corner, she returned to the room.

Returning to the embroidery frame,

Seeing Wei Shuyi took the embroidery needle she had inserted back into her hand,

Just as she wanted to continue,

But the embroidery needle moved several times above the embroidery, and in the end, it didn't pierce down.

"Little Niang, what is wrong?" Seeing Qiujiang asked with concern.

Seeing Wei Shuyi shook her head: "My heart is not calm, it is not easy to embroider."

"Then you should rest!" Seeing Qiujiang advised.

"Hmm."

After finishing, Seeing Wei Shuyi stood up, pushed open the window, and stood by the window with her hands folded, lost in thought.

How could she not know that the reason Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong's attitude was so good today was simply because Mei'er had hope of success.

Feeling the cold air blowing in her face, Seeing Wei Shuyi thought of the days in Yang Zhou in a trance.

On days like this when the sun was high, she liked to embroider things in the corner of the wall that was sunny and sheltered from the wind.

At that time, no matter how much she thought, she would never have thought that in this scholarly family, there would be such a vicious person who would rack their brains to harm her.

Nor would she have thought that after coming to the capital, she would actually manage the household, and for so long.

With the scene of herself wearing clothes with worn-out cuffs going to see Xu family relatives flashing through her mind, Seeing Wei Shuyi sighed softly.

Although she knew quite a few deeds of that young master's "misbehavior" from her sister and Xiaodie, Seeing Wei Shuyi always remembered the matter of that young master preparing a physician for her family.

Thinking of these, Seeing Wei Shuyi turned to look at the hanging painting on the wall.

After walking over to light the incense and insert it, she knelt on the cushion and prayed sincerely.

(End of chapter)