Under the curtains on Tian Street, Old Master Chen and Chen Shao were both there. Unlike the women and children who were out admiring the lanterns, they preferred purity.
When Cheng Jiaoniang came in, the father and son were guarding the chessboard, fighting inextricably.
Through a screen, I could hear the lively chatter and laughter of the female relatives over there.
"...Chang Qingnu then replied, "Yama is a horse." Guo Yi was very happy when he heard it. He thought that he didn't say it right yesterday, but he has made progress today, so he asked who taught you?. Chang Qingnu remembered his sister-in-law's words and said
My brother taught me. Guo Yi asked where my brother is now. Chang Qingnu said he was at home. Guo Yi asked what his brother was doing at home. Chang Qingnu said his brother was giving birth to his son in the house.
Lying on the bed..." [Note 1]
Old Mrs. Chen burst into laughter.
There was also laughter on the other side of the screen.
Chen Danniang smiled and hugged Mrs. Cheng's arm, tears welling up in her eyes.
Needless to say, Chen Shiba Niang and her sisters burst into laughter.
"I've never learned anything from this before, and I'm starting to look less and less like my elders!" Mrs. Chen covered her mouth with one hand, pointed at Mrs. Qin with the other and smiled.
More and more girls from outside squeezed in, and those who had not heard and those who had heard were recounted again, and laughter continued one after another.
In the midst of all the laughter, Cheng Jiaoniang, who was sitting upright with a dull look on her face, looked very abrupt.
"Ms. Cheng." Mrs. Qin looked at her with a smile, "Isn't it funny?"
"It's not funny." Cheng Jiaoniang nodded and said.
Mrs. Qin was stunned, and then she laughed again.
"It's so funny, why don't you think it's funny?" she said, "tell me something funny."
"I don't know how." Cheng Jiaoniang shook her head and said.
"Ms. Cheng, that's the only bad thing about you. You are young and don't like to talk or laugh." Mrs. Qin said with a smile.
Mrs. Chen coughed lightly.
"Don't just say whatever you want," she reminded in a low voice.
This Lady Cheng is not the women who surrounded you in the past, letting you make fun of her and feel proud of her.
When the time comes, I will throw away your face. Instead of being a favor, I will become an enemy.
"My words are not malicious, Madam Cheng will not be unhappy." Mrs. Qin naturally understood her good intentions. She smiled and looked at Cheng Jiaoniang, "I will tell Madam another story and I will definitely make you laugh..."
"Okay, mother." Qin Shisanlang couldn't help interrupting her.
All eyes in the room turned to him.
Because he was a good family member and had no taboos, Qin Shisanlang also came in and sat at the entrance of the curtain.
"What you tell may not necessarily be funny, but everyone will cheer for it." He laughed, "Some people can make people laugh even if they don't tell jokes intentionally."
When he said this, he thought of Cheng Jiaoniang's slip of the tongue in Desheng Building, and he couldn't help laughing.
When he smiled, the maid sitting behind naturally knew what he was talking about, and couldn't help laughing immediately. She quickly stopped laughing and looked at Thirteenth Qin with a bit of annoyance.
The women in the curtain were confused by his inexplicable smile.
"As expected, Thirteenth Lang, you made yourself laugh before you even started talking." Chen Shiba Niang said with a smile.
Laughter rang out in the room again.
Mrs. Qin also laughed, covering her mouth with a fan, and her eyes turned to Qin Shisanlang and Cheng Jiaoniang respectively, Mimi smiled even more.
"Ms. Cheng, come and sit here."
Amidst the laughter, Old Mrs. Chen's voice came from behind the screen.
"Old Master, we girls are talking and you insist on breaking them up," Mrs. Qin said with a smile.
"Ms. Cheng is not an ordinary woman. If she doesn't like to hear what you say, she might as well come and play chess with me." Old Mrs. Chen said with a smile.
Qin Shisanlang raised his eyebrows slightly and watched Cheng Jiaoniang get up.
"Go." Mrs. Qin said with a smile, "I'll take you back later."
"Hey, that doesn't make sense." Mrs. Chen said with a smile, "Our family doesn't even have a carriage to give away?"
"You are only allowed to repay the favor and give us a chance." Mrs. Qin said, standing up and pointing to the maid behind her, "You stay and take good care of Mrs. Cheng."
The maid smiled and answered yes.
Everyone stood up to see off the guests, and Qin Shisanlang stepped out first.
"Why are you doing this? It's a waste of time." Mrs. Chen said in a low voice.
"No, how do you know it's in vain?" Mrs. Qin laughed softly, "This is the first time I've seen someone who doesn't laugh at my jokes. I don't believe I can make her laugh."
Mrs. Chen glared at her angrily.
Mrs. Qin pursed her lips, smiled, patted her hand with her fan, and left.
The female relatives seemed to be standing outside the curtain watching the street scene, and the curtain became quiet.
When Cheng Jiaoniang came in, Mrs. Chen and Chen Shao were still guarding the chessboard, fighting inextricably.
"Let's play chess later. It's better to be quiet than to laugh." Old Mrs. Chen said with a smile.
"Everyone has his own merits," Cheng Jiaoniang said, sitting down aside.
"Ms. Cheng never seems to have any regrets." Old Mrs. Chen said with a smile.
"Because there is nothing to complain about." Cheng Jiaoniang said, "In the end, all my wishes have come true."
This is really said without politeness.
How dare you say that.
But if you think about it carefully, she has always been like this.
Only when things don't come true will people feel resentment, for example, themselves?
At first, everyone was worried that Mrs. Cheng would not come to their home. Now it seems that why would she not come?
Although she hit a wall with him, she still achieved her wish. She was not a pitiful person in need of comfort, but a winner who was respected by others.
Chen Shao's hand paused slightly, and the white piece in his hand was a little off.
Old Mrs. Chen laughed and said no more. Even while he was talking, his eyes did not leave the chessboard.
The chessboard has reached a stalemate stage, and the father and son's moves are getting longer and longer.
Old Mrs. Chen held the black piece and hesitated for a moment, shook his head, looked away from the chessboard and looked at Cheng Jiaoniang.
"Have you remembered how to play chess, Madam?" he asked, "Do you think I still have a chance to win?"
Cheng Jiaoniang looked at the chessboard, stretched out her hand to twist a black stone, and placed it without thinking.
"Victory," she said, taking her hand back.
Old Mrs. Chen and Chen Shao both looked at the chessboard with shocked expressions on their faces.
Sure enough, this sudden kill caused the chessboard to suddenly change. The winner lost, and the loser won.
Chen Shao looked at the chessboard for a moment and smiled bitterly.
"Madam, next time you attack, can you say hello?" He said meaningfully, "My half-day efforts have been in vain."
"Don't blame me for this." Cheng Jiaoniang said with a slight smile, which also meant something.
Old Mrs. Chen laughed.
"Okay, if you lose, you lose. If you want to blame it, blame yourself, but you can't blame others." He said, waving his hand, "Eat tea, have tea."
The chessboard was pulled down and the maid brought fragrant tea.
"Come and have a try." Old Mrs. Chen said with a smile.
Cheng Jiaoniang thanked her, picked it up and ate it, and made a move.
"This is the imperial tea given by His Majesty." Old Mrs. Chen said with a smile.
"Your Majesty?" Cheng Jiaoniang asked, looking at Old Mrs. Chen, "From the palace?"
"Yes, the new fragrant tea in the palace." Chen Shao said, "I still have some here. If you like it, madam, you can take it and eat it."
Cheng Jiaoniang shook her head and smiled.
"No, I don't drink tea much." She said, drinking all the tea in the bowl. "It's getting late, I have to go back."
Old Mrs. Chen nodded and looked at her with a smile.
"Ms. Cheng." Chen Shao said.
Cheng Jiaoniang stopped and looked at him.
"Do good deeds and never rebel against the Dao." Chen Shao said.
"Good deeds? Dao?" Cheng Jiaoniang looked at him and said with a smile, "Sir, it turns out that this is why you work for an official. No wonder you are not very lucky."
Chen Shao frowned.
"You have to know that you are lucky this time because you stand on the right path. If you are on the wrong path, the result may not be certain," he said.
"Mr. Chen, do you really not know, or do you pretend you don't know what you are doing?" Cheng Jiaoniang said, looking at him, "Party agrees and opposes differences, regardless of right or wrong, this is the path you should understand now."
Chen Shao was stunned and watched the woman turn around and leave.
What is she talking about? Does she know what she is talking about?
The party agrees with each other and opposes differences, regardless of right or wrong?
Isn't this something that only those in the Gao Party would do? They will make random accusations and false accusations, and they will do anything to attack opponents of North Korea and China.
She actually said, this is the road!
"She is like this!" Chen Shao raised his eyebrows and said.
Old Mrs. Chen smiled from behind.
"Isn't she always like this?" he said.
She can shoot gangsters with her strength, kill civil servants of the imperial court when threatened, anything that seems difficult and should be avoided at a loss, this woman always has only one solution.
Not defensive, not forbearing, but a sharp and decisive attack without hesitation.
Just like this time, she couldn't persuade herself, so she turned around without hesitation and found someone who could persuade her. She didn't care what you were doing, she only wanted what she wanted.
What she asked for, he also had what he asked for...
Is it okay if the party agrees and opposes those who disagree, regardless of right or wrong? Is this... okay...?
"Little lady, do you know what you are talking about..." Chen Shao murmured with a complicated expression.
It seems that apart from treating illnesses and killing people, he still knows too little about this young lady from the Cheng family...
The night is getting darker and the autumn wind is starting to pick up.
"Your Highness."
A chamberlain approached the city wall and handed over a large fur cloak.
"Change into this thick cloak."
Prince Jin'an put his head on his hands and looked quietly at the city gate. He had been standing in this posture all night.
"No, it's almost over," he said.
As he spoke, sure enough, several servants ran out from under the city gate, holding long whips in their hands.
A crisp and harsh sound spread through the streets.
Accompanied by the sound of these whips, the joking crowd bowed and saluted towards the city gate, and then retreated outwards like a tide.
The bright lights gradually went out, and the night was like an entrenched giant beast, swallowing up the brightness in the street one by one, and the world gradually fell into darkness.
"Your Highness."
The waiter reminded gently.
All the people in front of Xuande Gate were gone, leaving only those busy cleaning the streets.
"Go back."
Prince Jin'an turned around, wrapped his cloak tightly and strode away.
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Note 1: Excerpted from "Qi Yan Lu" by Hou Bai of the Sui Dynasty (to be continued)
