Chapter 692: Clothes, jewelry, fun and delicious things [Thanks! Thanks again!]

June 24th,

The birthday of the Shenbao Temple,

A heavy rain fell last night, and the sky was still overcast in the morning.

After the sun rose, the overcast clouds had a tendency to slowly dissipate.

By the morning,

The sky was clear and blue,

White clouds were drifting with the wind,

The white clouds moving with the wind would block the sunlight from time to time, leaving shadows of clouds on the ground.

When a person is in the cloud shadow, they will immediately feel cool.

Outside the west city of Bianjing,

On the third floor of Wu Lou, not far from Jinming Pool, a cool breeze blew the curtains on the floor.

"Young Xiao Xiao Gongye, it seems that last night's heavy rain was really useful; this wind is very pleasant!" Liang Han, who was sitting at the table, said comfortably.

Perhaps it was too comfortable, Liang Han couldn't help but yawn.

"Sixth Brother is right." Qi Heng nodded.

As he spoke, Qi Heng stood up, walked to the window, and looked north. After watching for a while, he said: "It's a pity, Jing Ge'er is studying hard at home today and can't see such beautiful scenery."

Liang Han looked in the direction of Qi Heng's gaze.

The two of them were quite high on the third floor. Looking north, they could see the scenery after the heavy rain under the blue sky and white clouds, which was very clear and beautiful.

The two tall flagpoles in front of the Shenbao Temple also clearly appeared in their field of vision. Huge colored paper puppets were hanging on the tall flagpoles, and the puppets were drifting with the wind as if they had come alive.

Although Wu Lou was nearly two miles away from Shenbao Temple, there were too many commoners outside Shenbao Temple today, and standing on Wu Lou, one could still hear the noise coming from afar.

Liang Han smiled: "Young Xiao Xiao Gongye is right."

Looking at the beautiful scenery in the distance, Qi Heng sighed softly for some reason.

Liang Han happened to look up and yawn again at this time, not seeing Qi Heng's worried appearance.

Qi Heng said helplessly: "Sixth Brother, why do you look so sleepy today?"

Wiping the tears that were about to flow because of the yawn from the corner of his eyes, Liang Han shook his head and said: "Sigh, Young Xiao Xiao Gongye, you don't know. Yesterday I enjoyed the rain scenery at Yuqing Temple until midnight, and early this morning I was dragged by my mother to Shenbao Temple to offer incense. How could I not be sleepy?"

Qi Heng looked at Liang Han and said: "Madam Wu is also praying for the Hou Fu!"

"Sigh!"

Looking at the sighing Qi Heng, Liang Han hurriedly asked: "Young Xiao Xiao Gongye, why are you sighing?"

"Sixth Brother, what kind of things do you think a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl likes?"

"Young Xiao Xiao Gongye, you asked the right person!" Liang Han said proudly: "This young girl likes beautiful clothes, valuable and exquisite jewelry, and delicious and fun things!"

Looking at the nodding Qi Heng, Liang Han smiled and said: "Young Xiao Xiao Gongye, could it be that you want to give something to a certain girl?"

"No, no." Qi Heng waved his hand and denied.

Liang Han looked at Qi Heng with a smile on his lips: "Young Xiao Xiao Gongye, with your expression and what you said, you might as well have written 'I have a girl I like' on your face."

Qi Heng was stunned, touched his face, and asked in confusion: "How could that be?"

As he spoke, Qi Heng also looked at Buwei, who was standing by.

Buwei didn't speak to deny it, just smiled.

Looking at Qi Heng's appearance, Liang Han asked curiously and inquisitively: "Young Xiao Xiao Gongye, I don't know which family's girl..."

Qi Heng opened his mouth to speak, but looking at Liang Han's appearance, Qi Heng smiled and changed his words: "Sixth Brother, I was just joking with you! It's just that a cousin of mine is about to have her birthday, and I'm asking what would be good to send."

Liang Han's eyes were full of understanding, and he nodded: "Oh—so that's it! Then send jewelry! That way, the elders and sisters of that girl can see it. If you send pens and ink or something, it won't be that conspicuous."

"Ha!" Qi Heng's eyes were full of sudden realization, and he looked at Liang Han with admiration: "Sixth Brother, that is very true!"

Buwei, who was standing on the side, looked at Qi Heng's smiling appearance and sighed helplessly.

At this time,

"Tap tap."

Someone knocked on the door outside the room.

Diaoche hurriedly waved at Buwei, signaling that he would go over.

Walking to the door, Diaoche looked at the maid at the door and said in a low voice: "What's wrong?"

"My Miss said she wants to take advantage of the coolness today to go to the polo field to play." The little maid said in a low voice.

"This, it just rained..." Looking at the little maid's frowning expression, Diaoche said helplessly: "Forget it, you wait outside the door, I'll go ask the young master."

After speaking, Diaoche closed the door and walked toward Liang Han.

After whispering a few words, looking at Qi Heng who was smiling opposite, Liang Han smiled somewhat proudly and said: "Young Xiao Xiao Gongye, it looks quite cool today, why don't we go to the polo field to exercise our bodies?"

Qi Heng shook his head: "Wait for Jiulang and the others to come over; it's not good if there's no one to greet them."

Liang Han smiled: "Young Xiao Xiao Gongye is right! Then I'll go down and play for a while first, and come back later."

"Alright!" Qi Heng smiled.

After a while,

Qi Heng on the floor walked out of the room listlessly and stood by the railing outside the private room.

Outside the house, the wind was stronger, blowing Qi Heng's clothes slightly.

"Ha!"

Not far downstairs in the polo field, there was a delicate shout from a girl.

Qi Heng turned his head to look, only to see Liang Han playing polo with a girl in the field.

In the huge field, there were only two people.

Buwei stood beside Qi Heng and said in a low voice: "Young Xiao Xiao Gongye, that girl is a relative of the Sixth Young Master's eldest sister-in-law's maiden family, and it seems her surname is Wan."

"Hmm, I know." Qi Heng nodded.

Suddenly,

Qi Heng narrowed his eyes.

It was that in the polo field, Liang Han and the Wan family girl both reined in their horses, and then after Liang Han dismounted, he got on the back of the Wan family girl's horse.

Just like that, the two of them on one horse ran in the field with their chests against each other's backs.

Looking at Liang Han's movements, it seemed he was teaching the Wan family girl the posture for playing polo.

Sometimes Liang Han would also wrap his arms around the girl's waist and put his chin on the shoulder of the girl in front.

"Oh my! Sixth Brother, you are so annoying!"

In the field, the girl's delicate and coquettish voice came over.

Seeing this scene, Qi Heng didn't know what he was thinking, but he stared in a daze, and his mouth even revealed a silly smile.

"Cough! Young Master."

Buwei's voice came.

Qi Heng woke up from his "good dream" and looked at Buwei on the side quite unhappily: "Hmm? What is it?"

Buwei said: "Jiulang and the others are here."

As he spoke, Buwei pointed downstairs, where Qiao Jiu was looking up, smiling, and waving to say hello.

The next day,

"You are so annoying!"

Seeing Mo Lan pinched a paper ball in her hand and glared at Rulan, who was giggling behind her, reproachfully.

'Shua'

A gaze swept over quickly.

Seeing Mo Lan, who noticed Qi Heng's gaze, met Qi Heng's eyes. After pursing her lips in shyness, she hurriedly turned around and looked at the paper and pen on the table.

After watching for a while, Seeing Mo Lan couldn't help but turn around and look at Qi Heng again.

At this time, Qi Heng had already lowered his head and was writing something on the paper.

Seeing this, Seeing Mo Lan felt a bit disappointed in her heart, looked at Qi Heng again, and then sat up straight under Changfeng's confused gaze.

On the other side, Xiaotao, who was serving the beverage to Changmei, was also walking from the front to the back.

After smiling at Xu Zaijing, who was looking up at her with a smile on his face, Xiaotao sat back on the wooden platform in the back.

Qingcao held a round fan in her hand, fanned Xiaotao, and said with a low smile: "Xiaotao, why do I feel like you are getting stronger and stronger."

As she spoke, Qingcao's hand that wasn't holding the fan pinched Xiaotao's arm.

"How could that be!" Xiaotao frowned, and as she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing her white and chubby arms.

Minglan, who heard the conversation, turned her head and looked with a smile.

By the wall,

Gu Tingye turned his head, smiled at Minglan who was looking over, and said to Xu Zaijing: "Fifth Brother, guess what I saw at Fan Lou yesterday?"

"What?" Xu Zaijing put down his pen and asked with a smile: "Could it be Head Courtesan Shishi?"

"Go, go, go, I'm already a married man, what Head Courtesan Shishi! I mean I saw a rotating fan in the private room of Fan Lou!"

"Oh?" Xu Zaijing was surprised for a moment, then said: "Fan Lou having a rotating fan can be considered a gimmick, which can attract many guests!"

Changfeng, who heard the conversation, smiled: "Then compared to the one in the schoolhouse, how is that rotating fan? Which one is more exquisite?"

Gu Tingye waved his hand and smiled: "About the same! The difference is that the box under the rotating fan is open, and the metal gears and such are all exposed."

"Hiss! Then wouldn't the key structure be seen clearly by people?" Changfeng frowned.

Gu Tingye nodded: "Yes! I asked the waiter at Fan Lou the same thing, but they said this is the explanation from the Ministry of Works."

Xu Zaijing smiled: "Second Brother, with such a thing there, if there are truly interested people, they will always find ways to check it. Rather than that, it's better to let people see it clearly."

"That's true." Gu Tingye nodded.

By the seventh month,

The weather was still a bit hot,

After school,

Xu Zaijing was riding a horse and saw stalls selling Mohele, Gu Ban, water floats, and other things on the street.

From time to time, there were children wearing lotus leaves, holding lotus flowers for sale in their arms.

"Little Fifth, what do you think of this Mohele?" Zaizhang, who stopped his horse in front of the stall, said with a smile.

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Brother, this one is not bad, it looks like a beautiful one."

"Hmm! Let's buy a rattle-drum too; Little Sister and Dai Ge'er and the others will definitely like it."

As they spoke, after buying a lot of things, the brothers returned to Quyuan Street.

At this time, the sky was still bright,

On the way to Sun Shi's courtyard,

They could hear the craftsmen in the mansion still clanging away, building the Qiqiao Tower to be used in a few days.

At the courtyard gate,

Yunjin, who was leaving the courtyard, saw the brothers and shouted into the courtyard with a smile: "Third Young Master and Fifth Young Master are back!"

After shouting, Yunjin curtsied with a smile and went to busy herself with her own affairs.

Zaizhang, who entered the courtyard, turned his head to look at Yunjin who was leaving and smiled: "This little maid is called Yunjin, right?"

"Hmm." Xu Zaijing nodded.

"It really is as your sister-in-law said, she looks a bit like that Minglan girl, especially those eyebrows and eyes."

"Hehe." Xu Zaijing smiled: "This maid is tanned much darker than Minglan."

"Haha, that's true." Zaizhang smiled.

After entering the house,

Dai Ge'er and Zhong Ge'er were naturally exceptionally happy to see the toys.

Just as Xu Zaijing was about to pick up his niece Qing Jie'er as usual, he was stopped by Dan Mama on the side, who smiled: "Fifth Young Master, I think you and Third Young Master should wash your faces and hands first!"

Xu Zaijing touched his face with a smile. He had sweated and gotten dusty on the way home, and not washing up in his own courtyard was indeed a bit dirty.

After washing his hands and face, Xu Zaijing picked up his little sister. When he looked around the room, he realized that beside his mother Sun Shi, there was an exquisite bamboo basket.

Seeing Xu Zaijing's gaze, Sun Shi smiled: "This is something Anmei had someone send over, saying that she heard from Tingyi that young ladies in the capital are popular for reading miscellaneous books, so she bought them and had someone send them over."

Xu Zaijing turned his head to look at his niece Qing Jie'er, who was smiling, and said: "Asking Qing Jie'er, who doesn't know many characters, to read this is a bit difficult, right?"

Hearing this, Sun Shi frowned at Xu Zaijing and scolded: "What nonsense are you talking about? This is for the Sheng family young ladies to read for leisure; what does it have to do with your niece?"

"Oh!" Looking at the bamboo basket that was even larger than a food box, Xu Zaijing said: "It really is quite a lot."

Sun Shi nodded and instructed: "Tomorrow, have your brother send these; you stay further away."

"Why?" Xu Zaijing frowned.

"Your brother is the brother-in-law of the Sheng family young ladies, so sending these things is nothing! You haven't been engaged yet, so sending these is ultimately a bit inappropriate."

Xu Zaijing thought for a moment and understood that it was nothing more than things with words, and sending them to girls might cause some misunderstandings.

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Mother's words are very true."

The next day,

When Zaizhang arrived at the Sheng family, he first went to Shou'an Hall and gave all the books to the Old Madam.

Along with the books, there was also a lotus flower with twin blossoms.

It was safer for the books to be checked by the Old Madam and then distributed.

A few days later,

July 7th,

Qixi Festival,

Those like Xu Zaijing who were studying for the imperial examinations recited poetry in front of the Qiqiao Tower.

Women and young ladies threaded needles to pray for skill in front of the Qiqiao Tower under the moonlight and burned incense to pray.

On the offering table in front of the Qiqiao Tower, there was naturally no lack of sealed spider boxes. If the spider in the box could weave a regular spider web the next day, the prayer for skill was successful.

A few days after Qixi,

It was the Zhongyuan Festival,

As in previous years, Xu Zaijing and his elder brother brought the old acquaintances of the Hou Fu to the Daoist courtyard.

On the huge money mountain in the Daoist courtyard, they offered their own sacrificial items.

Before, the infantry and cavalry under the Marquis Yongyi in the Northwest had fought a battle with Northern Liao. Although it was a great victory, many soldiers from Bianjing still died in battle.

Therefore, in front of the huge money mountain, there were many family members wearing white cloth.

After the Daoist priest of the Daoist courtyard inspected it, the huge money mountain was ignited again.

As the flames burned, the wailing of many family members also rang out.

The thin paper money turned into flying ash and drifted into mid-air with the wind.

Xu Zaijing watched this scene and prayed silently in his heart. War is fierce, and he prayed that his father and brother would be safe on the battlefield.

The weather was already a bit hot, and standing in front of the burning money mountain, everyone felt their cheeks a bit hot, and the sweat that flowed out was soon baked dry.

When Xu Zaijing and his elder brother turned to leave, touching their faces, they all felt a bit of a grainy texture.

That was the small salt particles left on the face after the sweat was baked dry.

On the way back to the Hou Fu,

Because too much paper money was burned, the outside of the Daoist courtyard was full of the smell of burning paper.

"Righteous Brother."

"Righteous Brother?"

Listening to the call beside him, Xu Zaijing turned his head to look at his righteous younger brother Lu Zezong, who was riding a horse beside him.

"Zong Ge'er, what's wrong?"

"Righteous Brother, just now you were looking north, what were you thinking about? Younger brother called you, but you didn't react." Lu Zezong said in confusion.

Xu Zaijing shook his head, looked at his nephew Xu Xingdai, who was also confused beside him, and said: "Zong Ge'er, it's nothing, I just remembered that I met a few heroes in this vicinity before. Now..."

Dai Ge'er looked suddenly enlightened, understanding that his little uncle was talking about the Yue family master he had gone to Xiangzhou to mourn before.

So, Xu Xingdai also looked north and said: "Little Uncle, is the Yue family brother coming to the capital next year?"

"Yes."

Xu Zaijing nodded.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 693 =====