"Children, don't be greedy, it's the New Year after Laba Festival. Drink Laba porridge for a few days, and it will be like twenty-three. Twenty-three, sticky melons, twenty-four, house cleaning day, twenty-five, grind tofu,
Twenty-six, cut the pork, twenty-seven, buy new clothes, twenty-eight, make the dough, twenty-nine, steam the steamed buns, thirty, stay up all night, and go to pay New Year's greetings on the first day of the new year..."
It was another sunny day. In an alley that intersected with Xuanwumen Street, in the cold wind, there were several children setting off firecrackers. Several children watching on the side clapped their hands red and sang in their mouths.
With catchy nursery rhymes.
The sound was so loud that a group of people on horseback passing by on Xuanwumen Street stopped and looked towards the source of the sound. The young man in the lead was originally described as handsome, but a scar of an inch on his left cheek ruined his appearance.
His face made people look a bit fierce. He listened carefully for a moment, and then he smiled thoughtfully until he finished listening to the nursery rhyme.
"I remember that I had never heard such nursery rhymes during the New Year celebrations in the capital."
Several tough men on the side looked at each other, and finally shook their heads and said that they had never heard of it before. Seeing this, the young man in charge actually rode his horse to the roadside, found a pastry shop that was still open, and asked directly about the pastry shop.
About the nursery rhyme. The boy was startled by the young man's appearance, so he was a little cautious. After thinking about it for a while, he smiled and started talking.
"Young master, you are asking about this nursery rhyme. Many people in the capital know it! It is said that on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the son-in-law of the Duke of Zhao's palace coaxed a wrestling child in the temple. The word spread as soon as it came and went.
Even young children can sing, and within two days all the children in the city were clapping their hands and singing non-stop. Don’t tell me, it’s really simple and easy to remember, it’s quite interesting!”
Hearing the words "Chenglong Jiaxiu", the scar on the young man's face trembled slightly, but then he smiled casually: "I have also heard about the reputation of Dr. Zhang, but I didn't expect that he still has kung fu.
Do this kind of thing."
"Ahem, he has done a lot of amazing things! Imperial College Banshan Hall, sir, do you know that? In the past, those dandy boys would fight cocks and walk dogs when they had nothing to do. It was such a mess. They have been studying hard in the past few months. This time the Imperial College is on holiday before the Chinese New Year.
, there are actually many people doing homework in Wenshu! The sun is really coming out in the west, it’s so fresh!”
The guy was obviously very talkative. In addition, the young man with a scar on his face did not speak in a ferocious manner, but had a gentle and gentle tone. He felt relieved: "I heard that this gentle man does his homework.
Among them is the second son of Duke Zhao! It is said that he has finished most of his homework, and there are only a few arithmetic problems left, and he still refuses to ask Lu Sanlang for help."
"Young master, you seem to be from a wealthy family. Lu Sanlang should know that, right? Hey, that's the chief of Jiuzhang Hall. The emperor personally praised the prodigal son who turned into a genius. One of Dr. Zhang's most proud disciples was Zhao Guogong in the past.
A good friend of the second young master of the mansion. Now seeing the fame of the friends who used to hang out together, the second young master Zhu must also feel unhappy."
Hearing this, the young man nodded to someone, but he sent someone to buy two boxes of snacks in the store. After giving the money, he said there was no need to look for it, but the waiter who got the unexpected reward was overjoyed until he left the shop.
, seeing that the guards around him all had strange expressions on their faces, and it was clear that they were holding it in with all their strength, the young man smiled suddenly and said, "Why, do you think it's incredible?"
"Young Master, it's not that we don't believe it, it's just that this is so unbelievable!"
"If the second young master really changes his temper, my husband won't be so distressed when he mentioned the second young master before!"
"There is also the little fat guy from the Lu family. Although I have never seen him, I have heard that he was a free-for-all in the capital. When the two sons of the Lu family became talented, he was the only one who was a loser. Even Lu
The ministers are filled with hatred. Now that a person like this has become a genius praised by the emperor himself, I really don’t believe it, even if I hear it a thousand times!”
The person who was called the eldest son was none other than Zhu Tingfang, the eldest son of Zhao Guogong Zhu Jing. He glanced at the crowd, was silent for a moment and then said with a faint smile: "Anyway, he will go home soon. You will know if it is true or not. If it weren't for
Suddenly I can see more real things when I go home, and I won’t hide the exact date of my return from my family. Let’s go back quickly!”
Since he didn't notify his family of the exact date of return, Zhu Tingfang deliberately abandoned the front door and went straight to the back street when he returned home. When he reined in his horse at the back door, he deliberately glanced at the suspected Zhang not far away.
He immediately dismounted from the house where Shou's temporary residence was. As soon as he strode through the door, several men followed closely behind him, and the servants and children playing at the door were simply stunned.
Who is this? He broke into Duke Zhao's mansion so brazenly?
When they heard the children yelling, the few maids who were driven out really thought that someone was trespassing and subconsciously wanted to call out loudly. But when Zhu Tingfang glanced over indifferently, they took a closer look and recognized that it was a big maid.
Young Master. It has only been half a year since he left home. Not only is the young master now much thinner than before, but he also has a scar on his face. They almost dare not recognize him!
Even though some people hurriedly tried their best to report the matter to Qing'an Hall, when the wife heard the news that her eldest grandson had returned, Zhu Tingfang had already arrived outside the hall in front of Qing'an Hall. After hearing this, she couldn't help but squeeze the beads in her hand and cursed with a smile.
: "This kid, thinks he is leading an army to surprise us? My family has clearly released people at the gate of the city, but no news has been sent!"
The one who reacted even more fiercely than Mrs. Zhu was Zhu Ying. Miss Zhu suddenly stood up and said with a red face: "I'm going to greet the elder brother and ask him what kind of medicine is sold in the gourd! What is this for?
ah?"
When Jiuniang saw that Zhu Ying had run out like a gust of wind, she glanced at Zhang Shou, who was still calmly drinking tea at the lower right of the wife, and said with a smile: "Those who come are not good, and those who are good will not come.
Lang came back by such a coincidence, probably because he wanted to see Ah Shou as soon as possible. Although he was away on war before, he must have gotten calluses on his ears just hearing the name Ah Shou."
Zhang Shou listened intently and heard Zhu Ying's loud shouting at first, but then it became quieter for some reason. He just pretended not to see Jiuniang's joking eyes and said calmly: "If I didn't
My guess is wrong, Mr. Zhu must have experienced hardships and wars outside, so even acquaintances are not easy to recognize, and the people he brought with him may not be the same group he brought with him when he went out."
The madam couldn't help but laugh: "This is possible, otherwise I would have thought that all the people sent by the family to the city gate have become blind!"
The next moment, a calm voice came from outside the door: "Grandma, mother, I came back at full speed in the starry night. I didn't send a message to my family in advance. It made you worry. It's all my fault."
Following these words, Zhang Shou saw a glistening jade hand holding up the door curtain. Immediately afterwards, a young man with sharp eyebrows and an upright posture crossed the threshold and saw a knife on his left cheek.
Scar, his whole body was dusty and a little thin, but when his eyes looked towards him, there was an indescribable energy, and he stood up.
Sure enough, before the visitor could say anything, Zhu Ying's figure appeared behind him: "Ah Shou, this is my eldest brother!"
Seeing Zhu Ying trying her best to wink at him, showing an expression that said "you must be careful", Zhang Shou couldn't help laughing, and then he cupped his hands: "I have met Mr. Zhu."
Zhu Tingfang's gaze shot towards Zhang Shou like a sharp arrow. However, his gaze, which could even intimidate the tough soldiers in the army, was somewhat ineffective when it fell on Zhang Shou. All he could see was the handsome young man in front of him still standing calmly.
She looked directly into his eyes with clear and calm eyes. After looking at each other for a moment, he laughed and returned the favor.
"I've heard about Dr. Zhang for a long time, and I saw him at my home just after I returned to Beijing. It's better to be famous than to meet him, and to meet him is even better." He was about to continue saying something, when he suddenly noticed someone grabbing his sleeve, and turned his head to see
Zhu Ying was glaring at him angrily, and he sighed secretly, then he could only pretend not to notice, and after throwing her away, he stepped forward to salute Mrs. Tai and Jiuniang.
When the wife-to-be husband first met, she couldn't help but be a little worried. But when she saw Zhu Tingfang's appearance clearly, her worry suddenly turned into heart-wrenching. Before Zhu Tingfang could kneel down and bow, she stretched out her hand and grabbed Zhu Tingfang's face.
The man pulled him up.
"Dalang, what happened to you before? Your face..."
Zhu Tingfang smiled nonchalantly: "Swords and arrows have no eyes. Since we are going into battle, we will inevitably encounter bumps and bumps. It's all over. It's okay. Don't worry, grandma."
However, although Mrs. Tai was looking up and down at her eldest grandson, Jiuniang couldn't help frowning and looking at the elderly stepson. Her eyes moved down Zhu Tingfang's disfigured face, and then she carefully looked at his
After making a movement, his eyes suddenly froze, and he asked in a deep voice: "Dalang, are your chest, abdomen and right side injured?"
When Zhu Tingfang went out earlier, he did not expect that his stepmother, who had always been the most stubborn character, would come back. At this time, he also did not expect that Jiuniang would abandon her usual character of seeing through things without telling them, and bluntly stated what was wrong with him.
The Dowager's expression changed drastically and she grabbed his arm and refused to let go. He could only put Zhang Shou's matter to the back of his mind.
"Grandma, mother, you can't go on the battlefield without taking any risks. Just like when dad used to have scars all over his body and not a few good pieces of meat? I'm still young, and the pain of these flesh and bones can be healed after a while...
"
Seeing that Zhu Tingfang, who had just been cold-hearted towards him, knelt down on one knee in front of the soft couch, softened his attitude, and sincerely comforted the two elders. Zhang Shou saw that Zhu Ying on the side had a look of displeasure on his face, so he moved over quietly.
Beside her, he whispered: "Aren't you going to help comfort your grandmother and your mother?"
Zhu Ying's expression changed for a while, then she suddenly took Zhang Shou's hand and walked out. Her move immediately woke up Zhu Tingfang. When he looked back, he saw the young man and woman disappearing through the door.
Outside. His heart skipped a beat, but then, a hand placed heavily on his shoulder.
"Da Lang, you don't need to use those empty words to comfort us two! A man is a real man who bleeds, sweats, but doesn't shed tears. You have always had the temperament to say no to suffering since you were a child. But because of this, we can't believe you when you say it's okay! I know.
Since you have been away for so long, you are thinking about your family, you are thinking about us, you are thinking about your sister and future brother-in-law, and your second brother..."
The madam suddenly paused and said word by word: "But now, you are the most important thing."
When Mrs. Tai was trying to pry open Changsun's mouth and ask what happened during the time when he disappeared, Zhu Ying impatiently drove away the girls and servants in the yard outside Qing'an Hall.
Cai looked at Zhang Shou with a complicated expression, and then said softly: "Ah Shou, I just reunited with my eldest brother after a long separation, and couldn't help... couldn't help but give him a hug!"
Zhang Shou was stunned for a moment. But it was not because of the loveless hug between the brother and sister, but... Zhu Ying actually confessed such a thing to him! Could it be that she thought he was such a stingy person? But thinking about it again, he
His face gradually became serious.
"When you hugged your eldest brother, was his reaction wrong? Was it because his expression was wrong, or was it because he couldn't help but groan in pain?"
"Both!" Seeing that Zhang Shou understood what she meant, Zhu Ying couldn't help but her face brightened a little, but she still couldn't help but hold on to Zhang Shou's hand, "Ah Shou, my eldest brother has always been the strongest person. When he was a child, he practiced martial arts.
He was injured and mostly kept silent, and when I just greeted him, I heard that he rode a horse to the back door of the house."
"But when I hugged him just now, I was excited for a moment, plus... plus I was annoyed that he suddenly attacked like this, so I used too much force, and I probably squeezed his wound like this!"
The more Zhu Ying spoke, the more upset her expression became: "Do you think we should invite an imperial physician to come now?"
Zhang Shou was silent for a moment, then saw Yutang Yulan, Mama Li and others suddenly filing out of the room without saying a word. Mama Li even winked at Zhu Ying when she went out, but the eldest lady didn't see her at all.
He pulled Zhu Ying into the house without saying a word. The moment he crossed the threshold, he saw that Zhu Tingfang had been stripped off her outer robe by Jiuniang.
Facing this scene, he couldn't help but glance at the wide-eyed Zhu Ying next to him, and when he saw Zhu Tingfang who turned around after hearing the noise, his face full of embarrassment and shame, he coughed lightly and said: "Master Zhu, sir.
You should go home because you are worried about your family, but you are a general leading an army on an expedition. Now that you are back in Beijing, even if the Ministry of War has sealed it, shouldn't you ask to see the emperor first?"
"That's right, I almost lost my job for personal reasons!" Zhu Tingfang felt that Zhang Shou's excuse was just right. He quickly reached out to grab the robe from his stepmother's hand, but his hand was empty. Helplessly,
Next, he simply took two steps back in a hurry and said seriously, "My robe is indeed not suitable for wearing out again. I will go back to my room to change my clothes and go to the palace to see the emperor!"
Seeing Zhu Tingfang leaving as if running away, Zhang Shou saw Jiuniang's face was angry, and the wife looked at him with a half-smile but not a smile. He smiled at them as if nothing was wrong, but he still dragged Zhu who wanted to chase his eldest brother.
Ying doesn’t let go.
"Mrs. Jiu, Yingying. The eldest son is an adult. He has his own ideas about some things. Although we care about him, we should not force him too much, otherwise the effect will be counterproductive."
"Zhao Guogong should also know about his injury, but since he was released, he must have expected it. At this time, instead of letting outsiders think that he is a victorious general who has come back with serious injuries, it is better to let him first
Hold on tight and fulfill his desire and determination to pretend that nothing has happened in front of others."
Zhu Ying was about to refute, but as soon as her eyes rolled, she said loudly: "Well, Ah Shou and I will accompany my eldest brother into the palace!"