Chen Caozhi, Ran Sheng and his entourage accompanied the Lu family's motorcade through Jurong, Qu'a, and Danyang, and arrived at Jinling on the 27th. Before leaving the capital, Gu Minzhi had sent someone to report to the Gu family's manor in Wulong Mountain, Jinling.
Therefore, as soon as Chen Cao and his party entered the boundary of Jinling, they were followed by the stewards and villagers of Gu's manor, and they went to rest at the foot of Wulong Mountain.
When it was almost midnight that night, Chen Caozhi had already fallen asleep. Suddenly someone knocked on the door. He faintly recognized that it was Lai De's voice. Chen Caozhi was surprised: Lai De had returned to Qiantang two months ago. How could this happen?
Here? Came from Qiantang? Something big happened in Chenjiawu?
Chen Caozhi put on his clothes and shoes and went to open the door. He saw several lanterns swinging around and noisy faces. It was the voice of Lai De and the voice of Lai De's father, Lai Fu. Chen Caozhi didn't see their faces clearly, but there were several people there.
Luo bowed and said happily: "The young man is really here, haha, I almost missed it——"
At this time, Ran Sheng, Xiao Chan, and Huang Xiaotong from the next door all came out, and they all asked Uncle Laifu, why did Laide come?
When Chen Cao saw Laifu and Laide and his son, although their faces were full of weather, they both looked happy. He knew that Laifu and his son were not here because of something unexpected happened in Chenjiawu, so he dressed slowly and asked them why they were here.
Laifu said: "The good little man has learned that the young mistress and the young lady Run'er have arrived in Wu County."
"Ah!" Chen Caozhi was surprised and happy, and asked, "What are sister-in-law and Run'er doing in Wu County?"
Laifu said: "It will be the young man's twentieth birthday in three days. The young mistress was worried that the young man would not be able to return to Chenjiawu on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, so she came to Wujun to welcome him. If the young man had arrived early,
, then we will go back to Qiantang together. If we arrive late, we will celebrate the birthday of the young man in Wu County. The young mistress and his party arrived in Wu County five days ago and waited for the young man for two days. When he did not return, they
I ordered my father and son to inquire about the way they came. This evening, I asked the owner of the tea shop on Tianning Road. I learned that a convoy from Jiankang's Lu family was heading to Gu's manor. My father and son came to inquire, perhaps because they were afraid that Mr.
I also traveled with the Lufu motorcade, as expected, haha."
When they learned that Ding Youwei and Run'er were in Wu County, Ran Sheng and Xiao Chan were overjoyed and said they would set off overnight to meet them——
Lai De reported: "Young Master, your mistress and your wife Run'er live in the Gu family's Taolin Xiaozhu. They used to live there when you were studying there. You also lived there, including Zongzhi's Young Master, Chen Mo and Chen Tan."
All the gentlemen are still waiting in Xu’s Thatched Cottage.”
Chen Caozhi was both happy and touched. In order to celebrate his birthday, his sister-in-law came to Wu County in such cold winter weather. She is like a mother and her family is like an ocean!
The winter month is a small month with only twenty-nine days. It is already the early morning of the 28th. It is more than two hundred miles from Jinling to Wujun. It can be reached in two days by horseback and four days by oxcart. Chen Caozhi
He planned to explain the situation to Mrs. Lu and Lu Weirui after dawn. He and Ran Sheng were going to ride to Wujun. His sister-in-law came from Qiantang, 600 miles away, to Wujun to celebrate his birthday. He couldn't let his sister-in-law down -
After hearing the news, the steward of the Gu family's manor came over and arranged for meals and accommodation for Laifu, his son and two private soldiers of the Chen family. Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan, who was a few yards away, also sent someone to ask what was going on. Chen Caozhi went there in person.
In reply, Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan heard Chen Caozhi say that she wanted to rush to Wu County quickly, and said: "Wei Rui and I both want to celebrate your birthday, what should we do?"
Lu Weirui was sitting next to her stepmother Zhang Wenwan, with her rich black hair tied up with a silk handkerchief, her pretty face looking carefree and charming because she woke up in the middle of the night, and her eyes looking at Chen Caozhi——
Chen Cao said: "But we can't reach Wu County within two days by car. Aunt Zhang is also bringing Xiao Daofu with her, so she is too tired."
The steward of the Gu family on the side intervened: "Mrs. Lu, Chen Langjun, you can't reach Wujun by land within two days by car, but you can go directly across Taihu Lake to Wujun by boat, and it will be smooth and not bumpy. I, Mr. Gu, am in the northeast of Taihu Lake.
There are fishing villages and large boats on the shore, ready for use at any time."
Mrs. Lu said happily: "This is very good."
The steward of the Gu Mansion said: "I will order people to arrange it, choose a big ship, clean it up, and send my wife and Chen Langjun to Wu County."
Early on the morning of the 28th, Chen Cao and his entourage left Gu's manor with Lu's family members and rushed to the east bank of Taihu Lake. Two 10-foot-long ships were already waiting on the shore. The boatman's servants moved the carriage of Mrs. Lu and others onto the ship.
After being busy for more than an hour, we set sail in the afternoon and sailed eastward along the north shore of Taihu Lake. They were all familiar waterways with no wind and waves. In the evening of the next day, we smoothly crossed the 200-mile waterway and arrived at the northwest shore of Taihu Lake.
The boat went along the Bailong River to the county town of Wu County. More than twenty awning boats sailed end to end. At midnight, they entered Wu County from Panmen and rested in Lu Mansion——
On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, when it was bright and clear, Chen Caozhi finished washing and rushed to the Taolin Xiaozhu in Shishishan Mountain in the west of the city to meet his sister-in-law Ding Youwei. Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan also got up early and sent the steward of the Lu family to accompany Chen Cao to invite Ding Youwei to the mansion.
Now they are in-laws. Although Chen Caozhi and Wei Rui have not yet performed the six rituals, with the marriage edict from Empress Dowager Chongde, their status has been confirmed——
Lu Weirui had finished dressing up and said to Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan: "Mother, let me go with Chen Langjun to meet Sister-in-law Ding."
Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan smiled and said: "Okay, it's all up to you. Remember to invite Ding's sister-in-law to the mansion before noon."
Chen Caozhi led the black horse out of the side gate of Lu Mansion. Ran Sheng, Lai De, and Jing Nu followed behind with the horses. Xiao Chan sat on the bullock cart driven by Lai Fu and said to Lu Weirui who was following Chen Caozhi: "
Miss Wei Rui, would you like to take a ride together?"
Lu Weirui looked at Chen Caozhi, and Chen Caozhi said with a smile: "Weirui and I are riding horses." After saying that, he helped Lu Weirui get on the horse and sit down. Then he stepped on the stirrup, hugged Lu Weirui and rode the horse to the west. Ran Sheng came.
De, Jing Nu and others followed behind dozens of feet behind.
In the early morning of the twelfth lunar month, there was a layer of white frost on the streets. Horses were galloping by, leaving traces of their hoofs. The common people who got up early in Wu Qun City saw a big black-maned horse carrying a young man and woman. The man was extremely handsome, and the woman was beautiful.
As beautiful as a flower, in the blink of an eye there was only a back figure left, and someone shouted in surprise: "Strange, strange, strange! Isn't that Jiangzuo Weijie and Chen Caozhi? Isn't the girl in his arms Miss Lu?"
Someone responded: "Yes, yes, it turns out that the people from the Lu family are back. It was strange that there were noisy carriages and horses and noisy people last night!"
The man from before said: "Chen Langjun and Miss Lu have been in love for many years and finally got married. It is really a great joy for our Wu County."
Empress Dowager Chongde was Lu, and Xie's two daughters were granted marriage on the third day of the winter. This incident caused a sensation in Jiankang, and spread to Wu County in the second half of that month. The people of Wu County had a very good impression of Chen Caozhi. When they heard about it, they were delighted to hear about it.
All blessings to Chen Cao——
There are double cypresses in front of the gate of Zhenqing Taoist Temple, and the gate is closed; the water of Xiaojing Lake is a little clearer and shallower, the leaves on the lakeside are withered, and the winter scene is bleak, but Chen Caozhi and Lu Weirui are full of spring, and Chen Caozhi is in Xu's Thatched Cottage.
There was only an old servant cleaning fallen leaves in front of the door, so he didn't stop and went straight to the peach grove. He dismounted outside the peach grove, tied to the edge of the horse forest, took Lu Weirui's hand and walked towards the row of thatched cottages——
At this time, the morning sun is rising, the peach branches are slanting, the ground is covered with white frost, and the small stream between the peach trees is gurgling. Chen Caozhi and Lu Weirui are walking slowly, their hearts are agitated, and they have been in love for several years, and now they finally finally
How happy are you that you can join hands to meet your sister-in-law?
Suddenly I heard the sound of gravel falling into the water in front of me, and a clear voice complained delicately: "Maybe Uncle Chou hasn't set off from Jiankang yet, and Uncle Laifu and the others have to go all the way to Jiankang!"
Another gentle and soft voice said: "Of course your ugly uncle wants to come back, but something may have delayed him. Let's wait for a few more days."
The childish voice said: "But today is Uncle Chou's birthday. Uncle Chou is not here, so it's so boring." There was the sound of gravel falling into the water again, and the girl picked up the stones and threw them into the water to express her boredom.
The gentle voice said: "How can you say it's boring? Didn't we learn the good news that Uncle Chou has been granted a marriage by the Empress Dowager Chongde? And along the way, haven't you gained some knowledge?"
She said in a childish voice: "Mother is right, but Run'er misses Uncle Chou. We haven't seen him for a year -"
"Run'er—sister-in-law—" Chen Caozhi and Lu Weirui walked out of the forest path.
Ding Youwei and Run'er, mother and daughter, were standing by the creek in front of the thatched cottage. Ding Youwei had a graceful figure, simple clothes and natural charm. Eleven-year-old Run'er was only half a head shorter than her mother, with a small waist.
Already slender and beautiful, when they heard Chen Caozhi's voice, the mother and daughter trembled slightly at the same time. They turned their heads to look at each other, with the same expression of surprise——
Run'er had already held up her skirt and came up to her with a shout, calling "Uncle Ugly, Uncle Ugly". As she rushed closer, she greeted Lu Weirui and said, "Aunt Ugly, be well."
Lu Weirui's face was as bright as the morning glow, and she was overwhelmed with joy and embarrassment. She called out: "Hello Run'er!" She gently pulled her hand away from Chen Cao's palm and saluted Ding Youwei: "Well, sister-in-law."
Ding Youwei's eyes were gleaming with tears. He stepped forward quickly, held Lu Weirui's hand, and said with a tearful smile, "Weirui, sister-in-law is so happy to finally see you and Xiaolang arrive."
Axiu, Yuyan, a group of Chen's maidservants, and several Chen's private soldiers all came out, shouting "Little Prince, Little Prince" in confusion, smiling happily.
Ran Sheng also came over to greet Ding Youwei. Run'er looked at Ran Sheng with wide eyes and said, "Xiao Sheng, you seem to have grown taller again."
Ran Sheng couldn't speak anymore and just laughed.
At this time, Chen Mo, Chen Tan and Chen Zongzhi came over accompanied by Xu Zao, a doctor of Chinese studies in Wu County. Chen Caozhi hurriedly came forward to greet him. Looking at Zongzhi again, his height had suddenly jumped up compared to the beginning of the year, and he was nearly seven years old.
He has a ruler, his face is like a crown jade, his body is like a spring willow, he is a graceful and beautiful young man.
Dr. Xu said with a smile: "Cao Zhi arrived as expected, and went to the thatched cottage for dinner. I specially invited two cooks to make leek leaf water cakes yesterday."
Lu Weirui was intoxicated both physically and mentally. Five years passed by. On the first day of the twelfth lunar month that year, she came to Xu's thatched cottage and saw Chen Caozhi copying the "Book of Songs·Beifeng·Kaifeng" over and over again - "The kaifeng comes from the south and blows the thorny heart."
.The thorny heart is young, and the mother is hardworking." It was at that moment that she fell in love with Chen Cao at first sight.
