There were five women on the boat, Wang Wei and his maid Huixiang, Zhang Dai's maid Suzhi, Zhang E's maid Lu Mei, and one was Mu Zhenzhen. In the evening, the three Zhang brothers went to the restaurant on the shore to accompany Fan Wen
If they drink, the five women will stay on the boat, cooking porridge and a few side dishes in earthenware bowls. Mu Zhenzhen is also good at cooking, but not as fine as Wang Wei. Suzhi and Lumei have never been cooked.
As a cook, he only joins in the fun——
Although Mu Zhenzhen didn't talk much, Wang Wei was close to her. Wang Wei was the most agreeable. Of the three maids of the Zhang brothers, this fallen girl was the most innocent and simple.
The setting sun sets outside the mountains on the west bank of Xuedian Lake, and the sky is still very bright. The sunset is like fire, covering half of the sky. Wang Wei and the other girls have finished their dinner. In this hot day, bathing is indispensable. There are two bathtubs on the boat.
Men and women are separated, like Mu Jingyan, Nengzhu and the others, no matter what kind of bathtub they want, they just jump into the river and take a good wash——
Wang Wei came out of the bath. Her semi-wet long hair was draped down to her waist and hips. Her clean cloth robe was not tied around her waist. It was wide and wide. As she walked, her waist became slimmer and slimmer. Her plain face was not covered with makeup, but her features were beautiful.
Picturesque, with eyes looking forward, the smart and charming attitude made Suzhi and Lumei feel ashamed and secretly jealous——
"Weigu, Weigu, there are many birds by the lake, Weigu, look at -"
The boy named Xue Tong, who had been missing all afternoon, came back excitedly, carrying a bunch of birds, including yellow-headed wags, plum-flowered finches, small bean finches... about a dozen of them, colorful, standing under the willow tree.
He held the string of birds high to show Wang Wei that he had shot them all with a slingshot.
Wang Wei said angrily: "You don't even know you are coming back until sunset, right? Why did you bring so many birds?"
"Weigu, don't scold me, I have something rare to show you."
Xue Tong chuckled and placed the string of birds on the ground. Like a magic trick, there was a budding lotus in his hand. It turned out to be a parallel lotus——
Wang Wei said happily: "Is this Kunshan lotus flower? Where did you get it?"
Xue Tong said: "There is only one branch by the lake."
Wang Wei said: "The flowers haven't bloomed yet, which is a pity."
Kunshan's double-stemmed lotus is seen as auspicious and a good sign. According to legend, Gu Aying, a disciple of the famous plum blossom Taoist Yang Tieya in the late Yuan Dynasty, obtained a different species from Tianzhu and carefully cultivated it. It is very rare. There is a wild bounded lotus in Xuedian Lake, which is naturally even more rare.
——
Wang Wei said: "Little boy, throw the flowers to me."
Xue Tong then threw the lotus stick towards the bow of the boat. Wang Wei had quick eyes and quick hands. He raised his slender hand and caught the lotus stick, picked up the flowers and looked at them. Mu Zhenzhen on the side was secretly amazed, thinking that Sister Wang was so agile.
.
The string of birds at Xue Tong's feet suddenly fluttered and chirped crisply, as if shouting "Spare my life, spare my life——"
Xue Tong said: "One of them is not dead yet." Just as he was about to crush it with his foot, Wang Wei quickly shouted: "Don't move." He asked Mu Zhenzhen beside him: "Zhenzhen, what do you hear this bird calling?"
Mu Zhenzhen smiled and said: "It's strange, it seems to be screaming for mercy."
The bird was still chirping miserably. At first it sounded like it was shouting "have mercy", but if you listened carefully, it didn't sound like it at all. It was just a cry.
Wang Wei said: "Little boy, let this bird go."
Xue Tong knelt down and took a look, and said, "The left wing is injured and it can't fly even if it is released. Does Wei Gu want to raise it?"
Wang Wei said: "Then let's keep it first - Uncle Yao, go buy a birdcage on the street."
Xue Tong went to the river to kill and skin the birds with a five-inch knife. This Xue Tong was ten years old. He killed birds without blinking an eye and was quick with his hands and feet. He quickly washed and skinned a dozen birds and came over to beg Wang Wei to help him cook them.
——
At this time, Wang Wei spread a Guan mat on the bow of the ship and moved a small table. The double lotus was kept in a celadon vase. Wang Wei knelt down on the Guan mat, spread paper and polished ink to draw the double lotus.
Tong glanced at it and said: "Take a penny and let the store in town cook it for you. Come back as soon as you have eaten. Don't be playful."
Xue Tong agreed and left quickly.
Suzhi and Lumei gathered around Wang Wei to watch her paint lotuses. Wang Wei originally learned how to paint orchids and bamboos from the fake mare Xianglan, and he closely followed his style. Last year, under the guidance of Chen Meigong, he used colored inks that were dry and sparse.
A few sparse strokes of orchid and bamboo, the brushstrokes are soft yet strong, showing a strong character. At this time, the double-pedaled lotus was painted with ink, stained with dampness, and it was refreshing and pleasant. When the dusk fell, this picture of Kunshan's parallel-pedaled lotus had been painted, and the signature was Wanli Si.
On Xinwei day in the twelfth year of the twelfth year, Taoist Caoyi wrote in a boat in Qingpu——
When Mu Zhenzhen saw the beauty of Wang Wei's paintings, he couldn't help but praise: "Sister Wang's paintings are so good, just like my young mistress. Last time, my young mistress painted a picture of Cuju and six lampscape paintings, one of which was a peony flower."
The frog seemed to be jumping up."
Wang Wei went to Zhang Yuan's cabin and sat down. Hearing what Mu Zhenzhen said, he asked, "Has Mr. Jiezi got married? Whose daughter is it?"
Mu Zhenzhen said: "She is a young lady from the Shang family in Kuaiji. She was hired last year and is not yet married."
Wang Wei said "Oh", and after a while, asked: "Then Miss Shang must be both talented and beautiful, right?"
Mu Zhenzhen nodded and said, "Yes, she is beautiful, talented and virtuous. My grandma likes her very much, and the young master likes her even more."
Wang Wei's joy in painting the lotus gradually faded away, and a kind of sadness came to her heart. It was not jealousy or envy, but she felt self-pity and self-harm. Her father originally studied in Suiyang Prefecture and returned to his hometown due to illness, but in
When she died on the way, her stepmother sold her to a family that raised thin horses in Yangzhou and ran away with her belongings. Her father's coffin was stored in a small Buddhist temple somewhere in Jiangbei. She was young at the time and could not remember the name of the place or temple.
Name, I only know that it has not yet crossed the river, and is north of Yangzhou——
It was completely dark. Mu Zhenzhen lit the lamp and looked up. He saw Wang Wei, who was silent, her eyebrows slightly furrowed and her beautiful eyes filled with worry. What was she thinking?
Mu Zhenzhen didn't dare to disturb him and took a volume of "Historical Records" to read.
Wang Wei came back to his senses and saw Mu Zhenzhen reading "Historical Records" and said in surprise: "Can you really read history?" There are few women who read history, and most of them read romantic poems——
Mu Zhenzhen was a little proud, but did not dare to show it, and said: "My young master taught me this. I couldn't read last year. "Historical Records" and "Zuo Zhuan" were also taught to me by my young master."
Wang Wei looked at the joyful expression of this fallen girl and praised: "Sister Zhenzhen is smart and beautiful. Your young master also likes you very much, right?"
Mu Zhenzhen's face suddenly turned red and he didn't know where to look -
Wang Wei's heart moved. They were both personal maids. This Mu Zhenzhen was very different from Su Zhi and Lu Mei. They seemed to have not yet committed themselves, otherwise they would not be so embarrassed -
Seeing that Mu Zhenzhen was embarrassed, Wang smiled and said, "Zhenzhen, you can read a book, I'm going to rest."
Mu Zhen was so ashamed that he wished Wang Wei would leave quickly. Hearing that Wang Wei had gone to the next cabin, he immersed himself in reading "Historical Records" again. Every word on the page was vivid in his mind. He recognized every word and read it line by line.
But I don’t know what it means, I’m absent-minded.
Mu Zhenzhen flicked the wick a little brighter and looked at the light in a daze. Thinking about what Wang Wei had just said, the blush on his face remained——
…
Fan Wenruo drank well and talked eloquently. He and the three Zhang Yuan brothers drank wine and talked freely. At the end of Xu Shi, they returned to the Cao River. Fan Wenruo's boat was beside the wave boat. They said goodbye on the shore and everyone returned to their boats to rest.
Zhang Dai and Zhang E were both a little drunk. They were supported by Neng Zhu and Feng Zhu. Zhang Yuan was fine. Excessive drinking was harmful to his health. He later drank tea instead of wine. When the three brothers stepped onto the bow of the boat, they suddenly heard a sharp scream.
: "Spare my life——"
Zhang Yuan was startled, but when he raised his eyes, he saw no one.
Zhang E looked around with drunken eyes: "Who, who wants to spare his life?"
Zhang Dai was also very drunk and asked: "Spare whose life?"
Mu Jingyan said: "It's a bird chirping." He walked over and took off a birdcage from the top of the bow hatch. The bird in the cage was like a pigeon and slightly smaller, with black feathers like a starling, Zhang Dai, Zhang Yuan and Zhang Cai.
I have never seen such a bird before. Just as I was looking at it, the bird suddenly said "Spare my life——"
Zhang E laughed heartily and said, "I will pardon your innocence and spare your life."
A boy with disheveled hair emerged from the cabin, stood on tiptoe and stretched out his hand to ask for the birdcage from Mu Jingyan, saying, "This bird belongs to me. It was raised by my aunt Wei."
Mu Jingyan gave the birdcage to the boy and said with a smile: "This is not a parrot, but it can still talk. It's strange."
Zhang E asked the boy: "Where is your little aunt?"
Xue Tong said: "I have rested."
Zhang E said: "It's such a good night, it's a pity to sleep. I'll wake her up and watch the moon and drink with our brothers."
Zhang Dai was less drunk than Zhang E and said: "Third brother, tonight is May 30th, there is no moon."
Zhang E twisted his neck and tilted his head to look at the sky, and said: "There is no moon, then look at the stars." He shouted at the top of his voice: "Wang Weigu, come and see the stars -"
It's not a big deal to call Wang Weigu like this. Zhang Yuan knew that the third brother liked to sing a verse when he was drunk, so he said: "Third brother, let's sing "Single Sword Club"."
"No." Zhang E flatly refused and said: "Today I won't sing "Single Sword Club", but "The Romance of the West Chamber"." Then he sat on the bow of the boat and slapped the side of the boat and howled: "--Hungry eyes and greedy mouths.
Empty swallow, empty bone marrow is full of lovesickness, how can I expect his eyes to turn when he is about to leave! Xiudao is a young man, even a man of iron and stone wants to be affectionate. Near the pavilion, flowers and willows are vying for beauty, and at noon they are in the courtyard tower
The shadow is round. The spring light is in front of me, but the beauty is missing. I suspect a Brahma Palace to be Wulingyuan——"
Zhang Dai also became interested and sang: "From now on, the beautiful face is lonely, the pear blossoms are pale, and the rouge is light on the cherries. When will this lovesickness last? The dark sea is deep, the white land is thick, the blue sky is broad; the Taihang Mountains
Looking up as high as the sea, deep and thirsty as the Eastern Sea. How poisonous..."
Zhang Yuan couldn't help but laugh on the side. The eldest brother and the third brother were talking about the pain of missing each other. Wang Wei was in the same boat and confused the two clan brothers like me. This is troublesome. Is beauty a disaster?
Then I heard Zhang E shout: "Jiezi, I won't bet with you on Li Xueyi anymore, I will only bet with you on Wang Weigu."
Zhang Yuan said hurriedly: "Third brother is drunk, go to bed quickly, go to bed quickly."
Zhang E said: "Why am I drunk? Brother Fan, Brother Wen Ruo, do you think I'm drunk?"
There was a faint sound of snoring coming from the neighboring boat, and Fan Wenruo was already drunk.
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Something delayed me today, so the update is a bit late.