When the outline of the Damingfu city wall with its dangerous heights and vast and deep chasms appeared in front of Xiao Tang and others, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Damingfu, we are finally back!"
After entering Damingfu City, Hua Rong and Hua Xiaomei looked at the thousands of dancing pavilions and singing platforms around them, and tens of thousands of Buddhist temples. They couldn't help but sigh. This was one of the four capitals of the Song Dynasty, second only to Tokyo Bian.
The prosperous place in Liang is indeed far better than other major states and mansions. Just looking at the endless stream of pedestrians and merchants is almost dazzling.
When Xue Yong and Zheng Tianshou were talking to each other, Xiao Tang had already returned home. Nearly a month and a half had passed since the escort arrived in Mizhou and took care of the affairs of Banqiao Town Shipping Department. The following time Xiao Tang
Tang Ke will not travel far again, because the day of his wedding to Su Jinniang is getting closer and closer.
Su Jinniang's whole family died, and her only uncle in Qingzhou was a cold and unrighteous man, so Su Jinniang had been adopted as an adopted daughter by Pan Taigong of Kongsongzhuang, although she still lived in Xiaotang's house on weekdays, waiting for her wedding day to come.
Then he waited for Xiao Tang at the Pan Mansion in Kongsongzhuang to come to accept Ji and welcome his bride.
Not only Xiao Tang and others, before everyone rushed back to Daming Mansion, they had already sent a horse to report that they would return to the mansion today. At this time, the doors of Xiao Mansion had already been opened, and there were servants spraying water and sweeping away the ashes, waiting for Xiao Tang
Waiting for someone to return.
Su Jinniang was dressed in a green yellow cedar and walked gracefully outside the door of Xiao's mansion. She looked from a distance, but she did not see Xiao Tang's carriage and horses.
"Haha, why are you in a hurry? Since the report said that it will be here around noon, it won't take a while." Sun Erniang suddenly came over, took Su Jinniang's arm and said with a smile: "Look, your wishful husband has finally returned.
The poor girl no longer has to look at her, and she only needs to be the watchman stone in this famous mansion."
Su Jinniang blushed and spat: "Sister Sun is teasing me again." Although Su Jinniang had a harmonious relationship with all the brothers under Xiao Tang, after all, she and Sun Erniang were both women and could easily get along with each other.
Much closer.
At this moment, Su Jinniang turned her head inadvertently and suddenly saw Xiao Tang and his entourage of carriages and horses driving along the avenue. She immediately beamed with joy and said, "Look! He's back!!"
Sun Erniang couldn't help shaking her head when she saw this, and thought to herself: This girl really can't keep her temper. If she wants to capture a man's heart, she has to whet his appetite. This is good, for fear that others will not know that she is full of thoughts.
If you put it on Xiao Tang, if you pass the door, won't you be eaten to death by that smelly man?
When Sun Erniang saw Hua Xiaomei among Xiao Tang's group stepping out of the van, her face hardened, and she looked at Hua Xiaomei with her charming eyes. She thought to herself: This girl is really pretty, she is actually a beauty.
.But Xiao Tang is a man with a good reputation, and he can't do the old cow eating young grass. I just don't know where this girl comes from, and he will keep her until she grows up and make her a concubine? It doesn't seem like it.
Su Jinniang didn't think as much as Sun Erniang did. She finally saw Xiao Tang and was about to run over, but suddenly felt that it was not dignified and stable. After all, she was about to marry into the Xiao family, and she had to look like a housewife.
How could Xiao Tang care about so many things? As soon as he saw Su Jinniang, he rushed over and took Su Jinniang into his arms, and even picked her up and spun her around twice. Su Jinniang's cheeks were flying, and she kept saying: "Put me down quickly... Then
Many people are watching..."
Seeing Xiao Tang's deep love for Su Jinniang, Sun Erniang sighed secretly, and had no intention of conjecturing and calculating anymore. How could his grandfather be so stupid? People who are destined to be together should be in love with each other, but my aunt is like this. Normally, he is very obedient and cares about others. If this is not the case that the emperor is not anxious and the eunuchs are anxious, what is this?
Although Sun Erniang was thinking this in her heart, she still had a playful look on her face and said jokingly: "Hey, the boss is so anxious that I can't even avoid him. Who is that little sister? She's really born. pretty."
Xiao Tang put Su Jinniang down and saw that the relationship between Sun Erniang and Su Jinniang seemed to be getting closer. Then he realized that he had overlooked one thing:
People like Sun Erniang, who are used to seeing evil people in the world and living on knife's edge, know how to protect themselves best. Although Xiao Tang promised to take her into the house to protect her, Sun Erniang could clearly feel the relationship between her and Xiao Tang What will she do at this time? Of course, she must try her best to build a good relationship with Su Jinniang, so that she can have a foothold here.
"It's time for Erniang to take care of Jinniang these days." Xiao Tang said calmly. Although he didn't want Su Jinniang and Sun Erniang to get too close, since Sun Erniang is now settled in the Xiao Mansion, I understand that she can't cause much trouble. Come.
Xiao Tang introduced Hua Rong, Zheng Tianshou, Hua Xiaomei and others to Su Jinniang. When Su Jinniang saw Hua Xiaomei's delicate and beautiful appearance, she felt pity for her temperament and felt indescribable affection and affection in her heart. She held her hands with Hua Xiaomei. The younger sister spoke warmly, and after a while the shy and reserved Hua Xiaomei smiled and started chatting with Su Jinniang.
"Young Master, you have worked hard this time on this escort trip, but I have been able to take a break for a long time." At this moment, Yang Lin, Shi Yong and others also walked out of the courtyard and smiled at Xiao Tang.
Seeing that Yang Lin was recovering from his injuries, Xiao Tang said, "Brother Yang Lin is fine now, but I have to leave the affairs of the escort agency to your hands."
Yang Lin smiled bitterly and said: "But it seems that the escort of the young master is too lively. On the way down, before leaving the border of Hebei, I heard that the young master was fighting against the door god Bao Xu. When passing through Qingfeng Town, there was no one except Baihu Mountain. The thieves went to Mizhou City to gamble with Korean merchants and won a big game, and killed the pig iron Buddha Cui Daocheng and Feitian Yaksha Qiu Xiaoyi in the Crock Temple..."
When Xiao Tang heard what Yang Lin said, he couldn't help but feel a little ashamed. Normally, escorts should be on the safe side and just want to be delivered safely, but this time the matter was rushed to one place... All the way to Mizhou The movement back and forth was indeed louder.
I heard Yang Lin say to Xue Yong again: "By the way, brother Xue Yong. When you and the young master were escorting, someone came to the house and said he was your apprentice."
Xue Yong was stunned for a moment, then said happily: "My disciple is here too?"
Xiao Tang asked Su Jinniang to settle Hua Rong first. Hua Xiaomei and others came to the main room with Yang Lin and Xue Yong, and saw a dark and thin man waiting here. He looked at Xiao Tang and Xue Yong and stood up immediately. He came and said happily: "Master is enjoying a good life in Daming Mansion, and my disciple is here to get along with me!"
Xue Yong introduced to Xiao Tang: "My disciple once learned the skill of gun and stick from me. He is originally from Hongdu. He is good at tailoring, flying needles and sewing, and has high skills. He also likes to use guns and sticks. , so he was called Hou Jian, the 'Three-branched Ape'."
Hou Jian is also one of the heroes of Liangshan. His original trajectory was to live in the Jianghu, and later worked in the home of Huang Wenbing, a cruel official in Wuwei Army City. It was also his gun and club master Xue Yong who won him over before defecting.
to Song Jiang.
And now Xue Yong is one of the six stewards under Xiao Tang's command, "one tiger, one leopard, one falcon, one man, one general and one son". Hou Jian also did not go to Jiangzhou because of Xue Yong's relationship.
Instead of seeking a living, he came all the way north to seek refuge in the Xiao Mansion.
Xiao Tang said to Hou Jian: "I have heard the name of Hou Jian, a monkey, for a long time, and today I finally meet him! Now that you have come to my Xiao Mansion, we will all be brothers from now on!"
Hou Jian not only knows some guns and sticks, but also has mastered tailoring and needlework skills, but he has been in the world for a long time without putting them to use. When he learned that his gun and stick master Xue Yongtou, Xiao Tang
Running various businesses in the Daming Mansion, I thought that by relying on my master's reputation, I could finally put the skills I had learned so hard to use.
Thinking of this, Hou Jian sang a song to Xiao Tang respectfully and said: "Xiao Renxia is like thunder, and I have been admiring him for a long time! I prepared a small gift when I came to meet you, but I hope you will accept it!"
After saying that, Hou Jian took out a scroll and unfolded it. Xiao Tang, Xue Yong, and Yang Lin suddenly felt their eyes light up.
Because the scroll that Hou Jian unfolded was the masterpiece "Traveling in Streams and Mountains" by Fan Kuan, a great painter in the early Northern Song Dynasty. However, this painting was not an authentic painting on silk with ink and ink, but seemed to be a through-arm painting of this amazing needlework.
It was embroidered stitch by stitch!
But in the embroidery painting, I saw the clumps of Hengdai, falling and falling. The mountains and rivers were deep and empty, and the water seemed to have a sound. Hou Jian used colored threads instead of ink to paint, and used needles as thin to add a lush and wonderful light to the eyes. The mountains and rivers are far and near.
The world is full of splendor and splendor, and all kinds of scenery are vividly displayed on the embroidery paintings. Xiao Tang stared intently and couldn't help but be fascinated by it.
When Hou Jian saw the expressions of Xiao Tang and others, his pride was palpable. He had been wandering around the world, and he had never been ridiculed for how a man who wandered around the world could be so interested in the needlework played by women.
But everyone has different strengths and talents, and Hou Jian is one who is determined to perfect this craft. Over the years, Hou Jian will use the flat rust techniques of straightening needles, wrapping needles, trocaring needles, and connecting needles;
He is also good at stitching techniques such as flat gold, gold ring, silver ring, gold lock, velvet laying, silk stacking, silk pasting, etc. He is also good at needle embroidery, needle cutting, needle rolling and other skills, and can perform eighteen needle embroidery skills.
Practice and become perfect at everything.
Xiao Tang looked at Hou Jian with a proud look on his face and thought that when they arranged the seats in Liangshan, he was ranked 71st, while his master Xue Yong was only ranked 84th. This Hou Jian was also ranked among the heroes of Liangshan in terms of martial arts and connections.
There's nothing outstanding about his intelligence either. It seems that his ability to rank higher than many Liangshan Disha who have far more combat achievements than him is all due to his professional skills.
But in Liangshan, Hou Jian was only the leader responsible for making Yiyingjing cheongsam and coat. He didn't have much leisure time to do elegant embroidery and painting, and in the rough rivers and lakes, his ability to fly needles and threads was not fully utilized. This person like this
With this ability, I should be able to play a greater role in the future... Xiao Tang secretly thought to himself.
"Congratulations, young master, for being able to recruit a brother with such skills this time!" Yang Lin congratulated Xiao Tang: "I heard that young master has also recruited Xiao Li Guang Huarong, white-faced man Zheng Tianshou, and mountain-shaking warrior Wen Zhongrong during this trip.
Cui Ye, a warrior who can move mountains, and the four of them. Counting this brother Hou Jian, we have seven more heroes in our house!"
"Seven heroes?" Xiao Tang frowned and looked towards Yang Lin.
Yang Lin smiled slightly and said: "Didn't the young master tell Sanlang before his escort trip to Mizhou, asking him to pay more attention to capable people who are good at looking at horses and raising horses when he goes north to buy horses? Sanlang had come back a few days ago, and he was with the horse collectors.
The two heroes we obtained are currently gathering at Xiao's house in Zongcheng County. We heard that the young master is coming to the house today, so they will probably be back soon."