Chapter 244: It’s Hard to Find Happiness Overnight
The morning sun rises to the top of the mountain, shining brightly on the earth. The Caohe waterway suddenly becomes prosperous and lively. The boats passing by seem to suddenly emerge from the bottom of the water, and they are busy and non-stop. Zhujiajiao Town has the largest rice market in Songjiang, and most of the bustling people are coming and going.
Merchant ship selling rice——
Fan Wenruo stood at the head of the boat, watching Zhang Yuan and Wang Wei, the girl in the song, walking over, and said with a smile: "Brother Jie Zi, did you go for a walk with your confidante early in the morning?"
Zhang Yuan laughed loudly: "Brother Fan has a good capacity for drinking. He got all three of my brothers drunk last night - Brother Fan, please come to the boat here. We will sail to Zhenfengli now."
Wang Wei's face was like a peach blossom, and he saluted Fan Wenruo, lightly lifted his robe, and got on the boat first. Zhang Yuan was waiting on the shore, waiting for Fan Wenruo to get on the boat together, and told Laifu to go to the store in the town to buy more melons.
Eat fruit wine——
A moment later, the three-row wave boat slowly sailed out of the Cao River, followed by Fan Wenruo's small boat. The two boats, one large and one small, had to cross Xuedian Lake and pass through Jishui Port to Zhenfengli. The waterway is about twenty miles.
You can get there in an hour.
At the beginning of the hour, the two boats sailed into the middle of the lake. Fan Wenruo, Zhang Yuan, and Zong Yishan stood on the bow of the boat to admire the scenery of the lake and mountains. The breeze was blowing, which was very pleasant. However, they saw that the four sides were vast, the wind and waves were calm, and the level was as high as the sky. The scenery was as good as the sky.
At West Lake in Hangzhou, the vastness and tranquility are even better than the West Lake——
Zong Yishan said: "The water of Xuedian Lake is sweet, also known as Tianshui Lake. How about trying to make tea with the lake water?"
Zhang Yuandao: "Let's wait until my eldest brother Zhang Zongzi wakes up before making tea. My eldest brother is a master of tea ceremony. You can tell the quality of the water just by tasting it."
Zhang Dai and Zhang He were still sleeping soundly after the hangover.
Mu Zhenzhen came over with a painting and said: "Master, this is the Bingdilian painted by Wang Weigu. Didn't the master want to see it? My maid asked Wang Weigu for it."
Zhang Yuan took the painting and admired it with Fan Wenruo and Zong Yishan. Zong Yishan said: "Although it is a boneless painting method, there are bones between the shades of ink. It is quite worthy of being passed down by Chen Meigong."
Now that Fan Wenruo knows Zong Yishan's identity, someone who can ghostwrite for Dong Qichang certainly has high calligraphy and painting accomplishments.
Zhang Yuan asked: "Brother Yishan, how do you think Meigong's calligraphy and painting compare to Dong Xuanzai's?"
Zong Yishan hesitated for a moment and said: "Between brothers, Meigong is green and graceful, Dong Gong is handsome, each is good at winning."
Zhang E came out yawning. Hearing Zhang Yuan and others discussing Dong Qichang's calligraphy and painting, he said: "No one wants Dong Qichang's calligraphy and painting now. In fact, most of these calligraphy and paintings are for fame. I, Shaoxing, am a better painter than Dong Qichang."
There are so many, but the fame is not obvious, and good paintings are of no use, they can only be cramped in the countryside."
What Zhang E said is quite insightful. Zhao Zuo, a native of Huating, and the painter Shen Zhou, are vigorous in pen and ink and good at large-scale paintings. But because they are not famous, they can only be ghostwriters for Dong Qichang to support their families. People in the world really know how to calligraphy and painting.
Many, especially those businessmen who want to be arty after getting rich suddenly, only look at the people when buying paintings, not the paintings. When they heard that they were Dong Qichang's paintings and calligraphy, they flocked to them and were willing to pay hundreds of taels of silver. They didn't want the unknown paintings no matter how good they were. Then Zhao
The painting with Zuo's own name on it sold for less than one or two taels of silver, so he handed it over to Dong Qichang without signing it. Dong Qichang inscribed a few words and stamped it, and someone came to ask for hundreds of taels of silver. Then Dong Qichang gave Zhao Zuo five taels to write for him.
Yin, Zhao Zuo should also be grateful——
Seeing Wang Wei's painting of lotus flowers with parallel stems, Zhang E said happily: "The flowers are blooming and the stems are parallel, wonderful! Wonderful!" He also said: "This painting was sold to me. Zhenzhen. Help me ask Aunt Wang Wei how much money this painting costs."
?”
Mu Zhenzhen left and came back, saying: "Third Young Master, Wang Weigu said that this painting is not for sale and she wants to keep it for herself."
Fan Wenruo smiled and said: "The painting has lotuses tied together, and the people in the painting are in pairs. Of course I won't sell this painting casually. Maybe one day I will give the painting to someone for free."
Zhang Dai had also gotten up and came over to look at Wang Wei's painting and praised it for its good work.
Zhang E said: "I'll ask Aunt Wang Wei myself to ask her to give this painting to me." When he walked to Wang Wei's cabin, the door was ajar. When he pushed the door open and looked in, he saw Wang Wei eating porridge and asked with a smile.
: "Miss Wang, your Bingtilian painting is really good, would you like to give it to me as a gift?"
Wang Wei put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a silk handkerchief, stood up and said with a smile: "I made a bet with Mr. Yan Ke. If Mr. Yan Ke wins the little girl, I can take the painting."
Zhang E said: "Okay, you tell me." Zhang E was very happy to bet with others.
Wang Wei said: "I will play a game of chess with Mr. Yanke. If Mr. Yanke wins, the painting will be given to Mr. Yanke."
Yesterday morning, Zhang E and Wang Wei played two games of chess, and Zhang E lost both games——
Zhang E opened his eyes and said: "Then this painting of yours means that you are going to give it to my brother Jiezi. You can't beat Jiezi in chess, right?"
The king smiled and said: "If Mr. Jie comes, I will not play chess with him. I will play the piano and flute with him. I will never lose."
Zhang E returned to the bow of the boat and talked to Zhang Yuan and others. Fan Wenruo smiled and said, "It would be very difficult for this girl to give you a lotus painting. Unless she is the one she loves, she would bet with you on female popularity and cooking skills."
, it is always difficult for you to win against her - her fake mare Xianglan has passed away, this girl is the owner of Youlan Pavilion, she is very free, last time there was a businessman named Huizhou, who was willing to spend a thousand taels of silver for a night of happiness, and she was
reject."
Zhang Dai heard from Zhou Menong that most of the girls in the old Nanjing courtyards were the biological daughters of the madams. The madams showed great pity and would let them stay when they met a distinguished guest, regardless of the money. If the father was a commoner, his daughter did not like it.
If the daughter is allowed to refuse and disappear, of course she will not cherish her so much if she is a fake mother. The so-called "mother loves beauty, madam loves money" refers to the fake mother, but according to Fan Wenruo, Wang Wei's fake mare Xianglan is infatuated
And she was chivalrous, and was known as the "chivalrous prostitute" in the old courtyard. Even if Ma Xianglan had not passed away, she would not force Wang Wei——
Zhang E rolled his eyes and said: "The girls in these songs are very good at showing off their tempers, so no one is trying to bully her?"
Fan Wenruo said: "The famous prostitute in the song often associates with famous people, and ordinary people really can't deceive her. Even like this Wang Wei, not to mention that she is the female disciple of Chen Meigong, Gui'an Mao Gongzi is also the flower protector."
Zhang E frowned and said, "What Mr. Mao, Mr. Pi?"
Zhang Dai said: "Is it Gui'an Mao Yuanyi and Mao Zhisheng?"
Fan Wenruo said: "Exactly."
Zhang Dai nodded and said: "Mao Zhisheng also comes from a well-known family. He has some friendship with me. I was in the same examination room as him in the Hangzhou Provincial Examination last year, and he also failed. This man likes to read military science and has great ambitions." He then said to Zhang Yuan:
"Jie Zi, the "Eight Masters of Texts of the Tang and Song Dynasties" you are reading was edited by Mao Zhisheng's grandfather Mao Kun. Mao Kun was a famous ancient prose writer during the Jiajing period."
Zhang E asked Fan Wenruo: "Brother Fan, does this mean that Wang Weigu is attracted to Mao Zhisheng?"
Fan Wenruo smiled and said: "Maybe Mao Sheng is passionate. Wang Wei hasn't shown any intention yet, so Brother Yan Ke encouraged him."
Zhang E suddenly smiled and said: "Excellent, excellent!" He said to Zhang Yuan: "Meson, let's not bet on Li Xueyi anymore, bet on Wang Weiba - oh, I almost forgot brother, brother, please don't glare at me, we
The three brothers made a fair bet, who can win Wang Wei's heart? The other two must not be angry, otherwise it will be boring if the brotherhood is ruined for one woman."
Zhang Yuan said: "I don't want to bet. Let the eldest brother and the third brother bet." He ordered Laifu to bring the watermelons, cherries and plums he bought, and everyone ate fruits and melons at the bow of the boat instead of breakfast.
…
Zhang E spoke with a loud voice, and Wang Wei in the cabin heard it clearly. He snorted softly, and heard Zhang Yuan say that he would not gamble. The girl Wang Wei raised her eyebrows slightly, then lowered her head and continued to eat porridge, adding a piece of white lotus root.
Eat slowly in your mouth, thinking about something on your mind——
The sun shines through the tent window, and the high-waisted celadon vase exudes a faint green luster. The two buds of the double-flowered lotus inserted in the bottle have slowly bloomed, and the petals are stretched. This is the most beautiful time of the season for the double-flowered lotus——
Uncle Yao put some medicine on the injured wing of the black-feathered starling. The eloquent bird was in much better spirits. He was pecking at millet in the cage. After pecking a few grains of millet, he stretched his neck to drink water from the small bamboo bucket. It was very comfortable.
, obviously it was used to being raised. When it heard Xue Tong or the little maid Huixiang calling "Weigu", the bird also called "Weigu" loudly, and the voice was particularly loud.
…
Zhang Dai tasted the sweetness of Xuedian Lake water, so he took the water to make tea. Without moving, he brought out Usnea tea and invited Wang Wei to taste the tea together. After everyone tasted the Usnea tea cooked in Xuedian Lake water, they all praised the tea for its lasting fragrance.
, Zhang Dai asked Wang Weishao if he knew Min Wenshui, the tea ceremony master at Taoyedu in Jinling?
Wang Wei said with joy: "Does your eldest son and husband also know Mr. Wen? The little girl likes Mr. Wen's Luojie tea the most. When she was in Jinling, she would always go to Mr. Wen's house to taste tea even on a windy and rainy day."
Zhang Dai said: "My friend Zhou Monong often praises Wen Lao tea to me. This time when I go to Jinling, I will naturally go to Taoyedu to visit. It is said that Wen Lao doesn't like strangers, so I will ask Miss Wang to recommend it."
Wang Wei said: "That's easy to say." He turned his eyes and saw that Zhang Yuan was absent-minded and frowned slightly. He didn't know what he was thinking about. He seemed to be in trouble?
The two boats crossed Xuedian Lake in tandem and entered Jishui Port. This Jishui Port is connected to Baijiang River, and Baijiang River is connected to Taihu Lake in the west. This means that you can go directly from Xuedian Lake to Suzhou by boat, without having to go overland to Jiaxing and then board a canal boat to Suzhou.
.
In half an hour, they will arrive at Zhenfeng, Jun's hometown. Zhang Yuan hesitates in his heart, wondering if Jun is in Zhenfeng? If Jun is in Zhenfeng, how can he gain Jun's trust?
At the beginning of the year, the sun was blazing, and the two boats arrived at Zhenfengli. The three-row wave boat could not sail into the water alley of the town, and could only park at the dock outside the town. Zhang Yuan, Zhang Dai, and Zhang E took Fan Wenruo's boat instead, and Zhang E took the boat.
Yuan asked Mu Jingyan, Mu Zhenzhen and his daughter to come on the boat. Mu Zhenzhen knew that the young master was going to take her father to visit General Du, and that his father might go north soon. Mu Zhenzhen had already begun to feel sad.
.
Fan Wenruo led Zhang Yuan and others to meet Wang Huanru in the eastern suburbs of Zhenfengli first. Du Song had a nephew who was a student of Wang Huanru. Zhang Yuan and the Du family had never known each other, so of course it was not good to come rashly. He first asked Wang Huanru about the situation of the Du family.
Say it again.
The boat was zigzagging through the water alleys of Zhenfengli. There were stone bridges everywhere, waterways, green willows and poplars, and people living near the water. Zhang Yuan vaguely knew each other from the past. Only then did he realize that Zhenfengli was indeed Zhouzhuang. At this time, Zhouzhuang was a natural water town.
It has more charm, especially the water, which is far from the filthy state it would be four hundred years later——
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I wish all book friends a happy Dragon Boat Festival and family happiness!