Chapter 21

The fourteenth day of the first lunar month, testing lanterns.

On the street outside the courtyard, the government was building colorful sheds, hanging lanterns, and various artists were practicing tunes and miscellaneous plays. On the fifteenth day, they could earn some food money.

In the East and West mansions of the Jia family, the two Lai brothers each led a group of maids and servants to hang lanterns everywhere.

There were maids who were slacking off everywhere, sneaking out, pointing and jumping at the dazzling lanterns.

Early in the morning, Baoyu, Daiyu, the three springs and other sisters were busy writing lantern riddles.

According to the number of lanterns in the garden, this was not an easy task.

However, they were busy and full of interest. They couldn't let others see the lantern riddles they wrote, and they wanted to inquire about others' lantern riddles. They laughed and chased, and there was a sound of joy.

Tomorrow Jia Cong is going to participate in the Nanxi Literary Gathering. Jia She naturally ignores it, but Jia Zheng is very concerned.

He even arranged carriages and horses for him in advance, and also equipped two servants to take care of him, which made Jia Cong's originally indifferent heart recover some warmth.

After noon, Yingchun's maid Siqi came to find him and brought a pair of Cloud-Stepping boots made by Yingchun herself, saying that Jia Cong should wear them when he goes to the literary gathering.

When Siqi and Shi Shu left in the afternoon, he had already asked them to bring words to thank her.

Finally, Jia Zheng asked him to stay for a meal in the Mengpo Study and talked about some idle talk about his reading before letting him go back.

Tan Chun said that the dark clouds in the sky today were very heavy, and tomorrow must be a snowy day. The mountain gullies in Nanxi would be even colder, so she sent him this cloak to keep out the cold.

This made the haze accumulated in Jia Cong's heart because of Jia She's coveting of Zhi Shao dissipate a lot because of the thoughts and concerns of these people.

Finally managed to finish it on the fourteenth day.

By evening, Jia Cong went to the Mengpo Study to thank Jia Zheng.

Tan Chun also asked Shi Shu to bring an exquisite purple copper inlaid blue hand warmer, filled with enough silver frost charcoal, for Jia Cong to warm his hands on the road, so that his hands wouldn't be stiff when writing.

That day, Yingchun saw that Jia Cong's shoe surface was worn out in Rongqing Hall, so she thought about making a new pair of shoes for this brother, and also pulled Siqi to help sew the soles for a day.

When he returned to the granary courtyard, his new robe had been made. Zhi Shao's needlework was very good, and the new robe was truly fitting on his body.

Jia Cong didn't go to the backyard to thank Yingchun and Tan Chun, because they lived with Jia Mu, and Jia Mu had always disliked him, the grandson. The backyard was not a place he could go.

Fortunately, Jia Cong now had some silver in his hands. Usually, the meals in the kitchen were insufficient, so he secretly went outside to buy some food and brought back some bamboo charcoal.

Not long after Siqi left, Shi Shu came over and brought a bright red scarlet felt cloak, saying that the young lady had made it new this year, and she had only worn it once on New Year's Eve.

Zhi Shao burned the bamboo charcoal, and the room had some heat, but the thin quilt on the bed still felt cold to the touch. At this time, it started to snow outside.

By the time night fell, the west wind blew with a wooing sound outside, and the cold air in the room chilled the bones.

Although it was not obvious in the words, she was still quite yearning for Jia Cong to be able to participate in the elegant and high-end Nanxi Literary Gathering.

Jia Cong went to the desk as usual. This was a habit he had from his previous life to this life. He had to write a few sheets of calligraphy and read a few pages of books before going to bed.

Although there were filth and ghosts in these two mansions, there were still warm-hearted people.

Jia Zheng stroked his beard and smiled at Jia Cong, very satisfied with this nephew who had embroidery in his chest and was respectful and polite, and said a lot of encouraging words.

Zhi Shao took off her clothes, leaving only a small garment, and got into the quilt to warm it for Jia Cong first.

As a personal maid, she had been used to doing this since she was a child, and Jia Cong had seen it many times since he came.

The wind and snow outside were getting bigger and bigger, and the dry window paper on the window lattice was sucked by the wind and made a rustling sound.

Jia Cong yawned and prepared to go to bed. He had to get up early tomorrow to rush on the road.

Walking to the bed, he found that Zhi Shao, who was warming the bed for him, had fallen asleep curled up in the quilt, her little face flushed, like a beautiful peony flower.

In the past few days, Zhi Shao had been rushing to make new robes for him day and night. She had slept for less than two hours last night, and she had been rushing the last stitches all morning today.

These days, she was also worried about the dirty things of Jia She's forcing, and the two were intertwined. She was exhausted, and just after she slept the quilt warm, she fell into a deep sleep herself.

Usually Zhi Shao slept on the small stool in front of his bed, so she could pour water and put on clothes for him in the middle of the night. Jia Cong couldn't sleep on that small stool.

Seeing Zhi Shao sleeping sweetly, he didn't want to wake her up.

Personal maids of wealthy families grew up with young masters and young ladies since they were children. It was common for them to warm the bed and sleep with young masters and young ladies when they were young.

It was just that girls developed early. This year, Zhi Shao's body began to grow. She used to help Jia Cong warm the bed when it was cold, but she was embarrassed to sleep with him again. She was really a bit older.

Jia Cong gently moved Zhi Shao's body inside, then picked up Zhi Shao's quilt on the small stool and covered himself.

The bed had been slept warm and fragrant by Zhi Shao, and lying on it, there was an indescribable comfort and ease.

In his previous life, he had many stories between men and women, but in this life, he was still a child who hadn't grown up, so naturally he didn't have other thoughts.

This night, he slept exceptionally deeply and peacefully. When he woke up when the east was slightly white, he found that the quilt beside him was already empty.

The door opened with a creak, and a gust of cold wind poured in. From the corner of his eye, Jia Cong saw that the outside was white.

Zhi Shao brought in the face-washing water, and there was still a moving blush on her face. Last night, she woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to sleep on her small stool.

But she was afraid of waking Jia Cong. Today he was going to the literary gathering and had to sleep enough. She didn't dare to move around, still curled up in the quilt, confused until dawn.

She didn't know how many times she had warmed the bed and slept with the Cong Sanye since she was a child. Why was it a bit strange today? She was so shy that her legs felt a bit soft when she walked.

Zhi Shao served Jia Cong to get up and put on clothes, and used a comb to carefully comb his hair and tie it into a bun on the top of his head.

Since the day he sold calligraphy and got silver, Jia Cong often bought food to improve his meals. Young people were greedy for food, and the first thing after having silver was not to wrong his stomach.

After ten days, his complexion was much better than before, and his cheeks had some blood color, not as scary as before.

The new robe was made of silver bamboo pattern moon-white Shu brocade. This was the first time Zhi Shao saw Jia Cong wearing such good material.

It is true that Buddha relies on gold and people rely on clothes.

Zhi Shao saw him in a moon-white, elegant and bright long robe, with his belt tied tightly, making his back straight and his shoulders like cut, like a jade tree in the wind.

His long, oily black hair was tied with a Xiuyu hairpin. Zhi Shao knew that the Xiuyu hairpin was not worth much, but it was so exquisite when inserted in the Cong Sanye's hair.

Against Jia Cong's cheeks, which were already a bit bloody and moist, his beautiful eyebrows were thick and straight, his eyes were like autumn pools, and the lines of his nose and corners of his mouth were like mountain streams, with an indescribable beauty.

Zhi Shao was a bit stunned. She had known since she was a child that the Cong Sanye was handsome, but he lived a miserable life, so it didn't show much.

Since the day he was almost beaten to death by the Great Master, after he was saved, the Cong Sanye was different. He was smarter, steadier, and more responsible than before.

It seemed that in the blink of an eye, from a child who didn't know anything, he suddenly grew into the appearance of a man who could be relied upon.

Zhi Shao's heart jumped like a little deer. She suddenly understood why she had such unprecedented shyness last night.

(End of this chapter)