Chapter 220

Qingzhi Studio.

Ever since Jia Cong entered the Qingshan Academy three years ago, his days had been fulfilling and tense. He was either studying hard at the academy or going to Jin Ling to handle imperial business, and in the past six months, he had been busy with the autumn examinations.

Only now could this period be considered truly leisurely. The Great Zhou spring examination is held once every three years, and the next spring examination is still more than two years away, so there is no rush to chew on books at this moment.

As for the imperial deliberations that came a few days ago, although they made Jia Cong's mood somewhat heavy, after thinking behind closed doors for a day, his mind gradually became calm and clear.

He had passed so many difficulties, so he was not afraid of one more. Imperial power is strict, and the world is difficult, but fortunately, there is a long road ahead.

It was the sixth month, and the summer heat was becoming more vigorous day by day. On the paulownia tree in the courtyard, cicadas were buzzing, their voices monotonous and clear.

In the hall of the main room of Qingzhi Studio, in the center on a pear-wood table, there was a copper basin filled with crushed ice the size of a bowl mouth, emitting wisps of milky white cool air.

Although the Rongguo Prefecture is considered a wealthy family, even in the Grandmother's Rongqing Hall, there is no way to place such a large vat of ice to cool off.

The imperial palace has special underground ice cellars, where ice and snow from winter are wrapped in withered grass and stored, to be taken out in midsummer to cool the Emperor and his concubines.

Yingchun, who was on the side, asked: "Brother Cong, I heard that the Master and Lady want to discuss marriage for you?"

He ran to the East Market of the Love Shenjing several times and went to the quarry in the western suburbs before he collected all the materials. Fortunately, he had been free recently.

He was prepared to let Qu Hongxiu place ice cubes in the perfume shop, thinking that business would warm up quite a bit, and he could also find a small shop on Xinchun Street to open an ice-selling shop, lower the price, and estimate that he could make a big profit.

Because midsummer had arrived, the business of the perfume shop had been light recently. After all, in the hot weather, women's interest in visiting perfume shops would drop in a straight line.

It was just that collecting saltpeter and lime took him quite a bit of effort.

Although Seeing Tan Chun is a daughter of a wealthy family, she is shrewd and generous, and she is not ignorant of everything; she also knows some things about household affairs outside.

Thinking that the Emperor is so good at calculating, ungrateful, and mean, Jia Cong felt an unspeakable resistance in his heart. The Emperor's rice bowl is not easy to hold, so it is not good to hang oneself on one tree.

At this time, there is no air conditioning or electric fan. In the hot midsummer, girls rely on a hand-held fan, which is tiring just to think about.

The ice cubes in Qingzhi Studio were not bought, but made by Jia Cong himself. For others, the difficulty of making ice in summer is too high, but for Jia Cong, it is a simple matter.

Ice can be bought in the market of the Love Shenjing, but the price is expensive during midsummer, which is not something ordinary people can afford.

Jia Cong smiled: "It does not cost money. In the future, when I get it, I will send some to your room."

Jia Cong smiled: "The Lady did indeed ask the Master to ask me."

Compared to the imperial examinations and official career, and fighting with people, these things are much cheaper and easier for him.

Only the royal family, which owns the world, can waste human power like this, and even wealthy families rarely do this.

Even if he is worse off in the future, relying on his business with Qu Hongxiu, he can still be a wealthy man of leisure.

"Third Brother, where did you get so much ice? At this time of year, ice is not cheap."

She kept this matter in her heart, but it was inconvenient for cousins to ask about this. The Second Sister is the Third Brother's own sister, so it is natural for her to ask.

As long as you grind saltpeter and lime into powder and dissolve them in water in proportion, you can get a bucket of ice in a short while. Although you cannot remember the exact ratio of the two, it will be done as long as you try a few more times.

Seeing Tan Chun on the side felt her heart jump. Recently, it has been spreading in the mansion that because the Third Brother earned the title of top provincial graduate, several old relatives of the Jia family have taken a fancy to his future and entrusted the Lady to discuss marriage.

Beside the ice cubes in the copper basin, Yingchun and Seeing Tan Chun were sitting, and they were also specially invited by Jia Cong to let them feel the effect of the ice.

Originally, Daiyu was also called, but Hearing Zi Juan said that the young lady had heatstroke and was lying in bed resting.

Seeing Tan Chun could not help but ask: "Then what did the Third Brother say?"

Jia Cong smiled and repeated what he had said to Jia Zheng that day.

Yingchun was stunned when she heard it: "Brother Cong, the spring examination is still more than two years away, and the official observation will take another year or two. By the time you become a real official, won't it be four years later?"

Jia Cong joked again: "Second Sister thinks too highly of me. No one can say for sure about the spring examination. Once is enough, and it is held once every three years. It might be six years back and forth."

Seeing Tan Chun on the side could not help but burst into laughter and said to Yingchun: "Silly sister, don't let the Third Brother fool you. He doesn't want to discuss marriage, that's why he said that to the Master."

At Daiyu's residence, Hearing Zi Juan was sitting on the corridor outside the house, doing needlework, with a small medicine stove beside her emitting firelight.

She saw Jia Cong carrying a bamboo basket, emitting white air, and water dripping from the basket from time to time.

When Hearing Zi Juan saw Jia Cong, a smile appeared on her face: "Cong Sanye is here?"

"On such a hot day, why are you sitting outside?"

"The young lady has heatstroke, so I am decocting medicine for her. I am afraid of smoking the young lady if I put it in the room."

Hearing Zi Juan glanced at Jia Cong and could not help but sigh in her heart.

A few days ago, the old relatives of the Jia family came to congratulate the Cong Sanye on earning the title of top provincial graduate. These people took a fancy to the Cong Sanye's future and talked to the Grandmother about the Cong Sanye's marriage.

In the past two days, it has spread in the mansion that the Master and Lady are talking about marriage for the Cong Sanye. The young lady felt uncomfortable in her heart when she heard it, and she even became ill.

"I will send some ice cubes to Lin Meimei. You can put them in the copper basin, which can cool the room."

Entering Daiyu's room, he saw her leaning on the bed, her hair loosely tied, and she was flipping through a book in her hand at will.

"I heard that Sister is ill, so I came to see you. Is your body better?"

When Daiyu saw him enter, her eyelids drooped slightly, and she said: "On such a hot day, it is hard for you to come see me."

Jia Cong smiled: "Sister is not feeling well, so it is only right for me to come see you."

Daiyu glanced at him, and suddenly her eyes turned red, and she said: "You say so now, but in a few days when you are engaged, where will there be anyone else in your eyes?"

Jia Cong sighed secretly in his heart. The propaganda power of the inner-quarter women is truly underestimated. Jia Zheng, instructed by Lady Wang, discussed marriage with him in the study, and in just one day, the whole mansion knew about it.

It is no wonder that the talk of the "gold and jade marriage" spread so rapidly a few days ago.

Jia Cong smiled: "Sister is talking about the marriage the Master is discussing for me."

When Daiyu heard this, her face turned pale, and she turned her head away from him, scolding: "Whether you discuss marriage or not, what does it have to do with me?"

"Sister, do you know why I study hard to earn a title?"

Daiyu saw that he said something irrelevant, and hearing that there was something behind his words, she could not help but turn her head, her pair of watery, wonderful eyes staring blankly at him.

"It is not just to earn a future, but to be able to make my own decisions. Otherwise, in a big mansion, being led by the nose, what interest is there?"

Hearing this sentence, light slowly appeared in Daiyu's eyes. She was extremely intelligent; how could she not hear the meaning?

"I told the Master that the spring examination has not yet passed, the future is uncertain, and I dare not start a family."

Daiyu was born into a scholarly and official family, so she naturally understood the meaning. It had been several years, and the corners of her mouth slightly pursed, as if there was a smile.

She tilted her head and asked: "You fooled the Second Uncle like this, and he believed it?"

"You know, the Master cares most about my studies and career, so he naturally appreciates my thinking. Besides, what girl can wait for me for three or four years before discussing marriage? What is wrong with me marrying her?"

Daiyu's pretty face turned red, and she spat: "Third Brother is really shameless, saying he is like gold-inlaid jade. It is really rare, oh, who is waiting for you for three or four years to marry..."

Halfway through, she suddenly felt something was wrong, her pretty face turned red like a fire, and she hurriedly defended: "I am not saying I am three or four years... Oh, Third Brother, you are really hateful!"

At the door, Hearing Zi Juan was bringing tea to Jia Cong. Hearing the words of the two in the room, her face turned red, she stuck out her tongue, and hurriedly retreated.

Suddenly she bumped into someone behind her. Looking back: "Sister Bao, why are you here?"

She saw Baochai's pretty face slightly flushed, but her eyes were somewhat relieved, and she said: "I heard Lin Meimei was ill, so I came to see her. I... I thought there was something else, so I will go first and come back another day."

(End of chapter)