On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, gifts came from the government. Qiao Mingjin looked the same as usual. To her, this was just a normal thing.
But for Yue Zhongyao, this was really an unpleasant thing.
Why should others care about his wife and daughter so much? Why should others take care of his wife and daughter?
On the evening of the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, Yue Zhongyao did not return to Qiao Mingjin's place.
Qiao Mingjin didn't think it was strange. She didn't think about anything else. She just thought that the Wu family had another trouble.
Wan'er wanted to run to the village to find her father, but she didn't dare. She was afraid of her grandma.
The little thing had no choice but to wander around the door several times on the way to the village, walking back and forth at the entrance of the courtyard. It wasn't until the night breeze got colder that Qiao Mingjin forcibly carried her back to the room.
The next day is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
There were no lanterns to see anywhere in the countryside, so naturally we ate and drank at home as usual, eating some roasted seeds and nuts by the charcoal basin, and chatting about home affairs.
Qiao Mingjin actually went to sit with some acquaintances in the village that day. With Su's kindness, she also had lunch at her house.
I didn't return home until it was time to cook dinner in the afternoon.
When mother and daughter returned home, Yue Zhongyao was already at home.
"father!"
Wan'er jumped forward very happily.
He put his arms around Yue Zhongyao's neck and asked him nonchalantly where he went last night and why he didn't come home to stay.
Yue Zhongyao held his daughter in his arms and glanced at Qiao Mingjin, hoping that his wife would ask about his whereabouts and express her concern like his daughter.
But Qiao Mingjin only glanced at him and turned around to do other things.
Yue Zhongyao's heart, which had finally calmed down, felt as if he had been cruelly stabbed once again.
Yue Zhongyao closed his eyes in pain. It seemed that he had not slept all night. Even after catching up on sleep today, his eyes were still very dry.
Yue Zhongyao did not go back to Yue's house on Lantern Festival, but stayed to help Qiao Mingjin prepare dinner. The family of three ate quietly, and then Yue Zhongyao took his daughter to the wing to play with her.
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was spent at Qiao Mingjin's house just like that.
In Qingchuan City, the atmosphere was much more lively.
Qingchuan City is neither big nor small. Since the first lunar month, red silk has been hung on every storefront in the street, and red lanterns have been set up high in front of every store.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, in Qingchuan City, the moon is full, the lights are bright, and people are flowing in like a weave.
Zhou Yanqing, on the other hand, looked like he hadn't eaten enough. He was surrounded by several cousins and walked forward unconsciously.
With servants in front and behind clearing the way, a group of more than ten or twenty people walked in the most lively market in Qingchuan.
The cousins are all beautifully dressed, with rich brocades and scented dresses. They move with small steps, leaving a delicate fragrance all the way.
Zhou Yanqing was surrounded by various scents, whether it was hair oil, purse, or something else. He endured it with all his might.
With my mother's fate at my side, I was helpless. After dinner, I went out to the flower street to watch the lanterns with a few of my cousins who were everywhere.
He only showed a slight hint of impatience, and as soon as he went astray, a cousin with a sharp eye would pull him back.
"Cousin, where are you going? I heard that the lanterns at Lin's shop in front are better than in previous years. Let's go and take a look."
Wu Jiao, the eldest son of the Zhou family and the concubine, held Zhou Yanqing's arm and said sweetly.
Lin Biyu, who was standing next to her, couldn't see Wu Jiao clinging to her cousin, so she squeezed over and skillfully pushed Wu Jiao away with her arms: "Sister Wu, this is a big crowd. You're going to make people laugh.
You don’t have to let people say that your prefect’s family doesn’t have a tutor.”
After saying that, he covered his mouth with a fragrant handkerchief and laughed.
Wu Jiao was so angry that she clenched her teeth, trying to get some free words. But she was also afraid of damaging her image in Cousin Zhou's mind.
She's just a merchant's daughter, how dare you look down on her!
He walked to the other side of Zhou Yanqing in a few steps, took Zhou Yanqing's other arm, smiled as bright as a flower, and said sweetly to Zhou Yanqing: "Cousin, you didn't eat much for dinner. I'm afraid you're hungry now."
Are you ready? How about we go to the tea shop in front and have some tea fruit snacks, and then we continue shopping? It’s still early anyway, and the lanterns will be put up until tomorrow morning.”
"Yes, cousin, my feet are sore from walking. Let's have some tea and have a rest. We can find a private room by the window where we can see the market."
The two women were competing to show off in front of Zhou Yanqing.
Liniang silently followed a few people, as quietly as if she didn't exist.
You two idiots, are you the kind of person who will become soft-hearted if you pester them? It’s just that the more you pester them, the more bored they become.
Wu Jiao, Wu Jiao, your concubine has already married in. Why do you think the old lady will let both of her sons marry your Wu family daughter?
Lin Biyu, because you are the old lady’s niece, the old lady pays special attention to you. But the old lady’s eldest son has already married a lady from an official family. Could it be that the youngest and most beloved son is allowed to marry a merchant’s daughter?
Come in?
Liniang lowered her head and sneered from behind.
Although I don’t know what kind of grandma I will marry in the end, she has been by my side all these years, and because it was given to me by Mr. Zhou from Beijing, I treat her very differently.
Although I haven't been to her room for a long time, as long as I am willing to take her out to watch the lanterns today, I still have her in my heart.
Now she is still the only aunt around me. As long as she listens to me, he will never forget her.
As long as grandma gets married and I stop taking her medicine, she can give birth to a son and a half and stay with him all the time.
Over the years, she had stayed quietly by her father's side, and he would occasionally say that she was sensible and obedient. That man had long occupied her entire heart.
She knows how much he cares about these women.
Liniang followed a few people, quietly, and did whatever the women asked her to do. It didn't matter even if she suffered some grievances. Didn't Mr. Cai give her an apologetic look just now?
Liniang raised her lips happily.
The group of people happened to walk in front of a gorgeously decorated tea shop. There were a lot of tourists on the street today, and the tea shop was also full of people.
"Sir, there are no private rooms anymore. There is only a place in the nave on the second floor." On a cold Lantern Festival night, Shitou ran to the room with sweat on his face.
Before Zhou Yanqing could speak, Lin Biyu shouted: "Why is it gone again? Didn't you tell me my brother's name?"
Shitou wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied humbly: "I reported it, but the shopkeeper said that the private room has been booked long ago. We have come several times and still haven't booked it yet."
After Shitou finished speaking, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was already the Lantern Festival, so he didn't have to take any time off. He also had to come and serve these ancestors.
How could his father not be able to book a private room? His father had already booked a private room in the best teahouse for a night of tea and drinks with a few friends.
How did you know that these ancestors would come back instead of celebrating the Lantern Festival at home?
Shitou glanced at his master with great resentment.
When Zhou Yanqing saw him, he bared his teeth and raised his fists. Brat, didn't you see that your master and I were also suffering?
As the group was about to leave, there happened to be a few young men in rich and noble clothes walking towards the tea shop, arm in arm.
"Hey, look. Who is this? Why did you push us to make appointments today? It turns out that you want to accompany a beauty."
"Oh, isn't it Mr. Liu? You made an appointment with us early and asked someone to push it. We thought you had something urgent to do, Mr. Liu. Oh, it turns out you want to accompany a beauty."
Another young master also came over and looked around Zhou Yanqing, tut-tutting: "Whose family doesn't have a beautiful woman to accompany you? You are the special one!"
Another person next to him joked: "Go, go, go. You have a beautiful wife, a beautiful concubine, and a son and a daughter. Our sixth master is still single. He is just like you."
Several people laughed as they talked, and couldn't help but look at the women surrounding Zhou Yanqing.
Wu Jiao, Lin Biyu and others all lowered their heads in shame.
There was some surprise on his face.
My cousin is interested in me. He specially made an appointment with my friend to accompany me to watch the lanterns.
Several women's hearts were so beautiful that they were almost bubbling over.
Zhou Yanqing glanced at these little friends leisurely: "You have time to grind your teeth here, why don't you treat me to a drink and wait here for gold to fall from the world?"
The young master who was the first to speak said: "We choose the place, and of course it is you, Mr. Liu, who will provide the money. How can we dare to call ourselves rich in front of Mr. Liu, who is rich and wealthy? Don't you think so?"
A bunch of people started making noises after hearing this.
Zhou Yanqing punched him, and they walked away arm in arm.
Wu Jiao followed closely and shouted softly: "Cousin!"
Zhou Yanqing did not look back, only waved her hand back.
Shitou glanced at the women who were stunned on the spot. He curled his lips, gave some instructions to the attendants and maids who were following him, and then trotted after his father.
Only a group of women were left standing there, stamping their feet angrily.
Wu Jiao and Lin Biyu each looked at each other, and then turned away their heads with hums.
"Go home!"
The two of them took their maids and servants back to the Zhou Mansion.
The place was covered by the bustling crowd again, as if the group of people just now had never appeared.
In front of a lantern stall diagonally opposite the tea shop, Liu Meiniang happened to see this scene.
She had long recognized Mr. Zhou Yanqing and Mr. Zhou.
When she was in Xiahe Village, she met Zhou Yanqing several times and even talked to him.
Mr. Saturday is really a kind man. Even though he had an impatient look on his face just now, he was still talking very patiently to a few ladies. Those ladies were pestering him like that, dragging him on the street, holding his arms.
Not angry at all. Still smiling.
He has such a beautiful smile.
She originally wanted to go up and say hello, but she didn't expect that a group of wealthy young men came over and took him away.
There was a son of a county magistrate in there. She and her mother went to live in Xiuzhuang, and saw him leading his mother to buy things.
It turns out that Saturday Master knows so many people, even the county magistrate’s family is friends with him.
That group of people wore jade hairpins, gold hoops, jade belts around their waists, and various jade pendants. They were very wealthy.
That jade pendant is enough to last their family for many years.
She had had several dreams at night, and in each dream it was her father who had made great contributions on the battlefield, been promoted to general, and returned home in glory...
She became a young lady from an official's family, sitting at the dressing table picking out the jewelry she wanted to wear that day.
Is it better to wear the golden hairpin with rubies and pearls and jade, or the pearl headdress the size of a dragon eye?
She was dressed in rich clothes, sitting in a magnificent home, calling her slaves and maids. She heard that some grown-up sent someone to kiss her again, but her mother didn't respond, saying she wanted to see her again...
Liu Meiniang watched the young nobles walking away arm in arm, her eyes flashing... (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest support.
power.)
ps: ps: It’s the end of the year and everything is busy. Sorry. I don’t know if yesterday was the Xiaonian or today is the Xiaonian. The firecrackers outside have been going off intermittently since they came down from Yemu. Have you bought your tickets to go home?
