In a blink of an eye, it is Shangsi Festival.
Today is March 3rd, and the garden is filled with colorful ribbons, all woven from branches and willow leaves. From a distance, the flowers are in full bloom, dazzling.
The moon-shaped window has its lattices propped up high, and sunlight fills the ground.
Song Lingzhi sat in front of the makeup mirror, letting Qiuyan and Baizhi paint her eyebrows and lips. The woman in the mirror had bright eyes, white teeth, and a clear skin.
Yang Fei's gauze skirt with peony pattern drags on the ground, and her hair is adorned with jade hairpins inlaid with gold and jewels and half-winged butterflies. She is more beautiful than flowers, even the swallows are jealous and the orioles are ashamed.
The narcissus pot on the gold-painted lacquer table is dotted with a few pieces of xuan stone. The tripod is burning magnolia incense, and the smoke is rising. Faintly, there is also the scent of lilies floating in the air.
Song Lingzhi closed her autumn eyes slightly. She had woken up early in the morning and felt drowsy at the moment. "Why is there an extra lily in this incense burner? Did I put the wrong incense cake in it?"
Qiuyan laughed behind him, "You didn't put the biscuits in the wrong place, girl, open your eyes and take a look."
In the bronze mirror, Qiuyan's eyes were smiling like a crescent moon. Her palm was open, and there was a small gilded glass bottle in it. "This is made with the spices that the master sent back the other day. Miss, can you smell it and see if it's okay?"
The floral scent is sweet and refreshing, not as pungent as the ordinary scented cakes you buy.
Song Lingzhi showed approval: "It's really good."
Qiuyan smiled happily: "Lily has a sweet smell, which is perfect for today. Mr. He will definitely like it."
Song Lingzhi's cheeks were stained with rouge. She picked up the round fan on the table and threw it into Qiuyan's arms: "Stop talking nonsense."
Qiuyan smiled and pulled Baizhi to join her: "How dare I say nonsense? If you don't believe me, you can ask Sister Baizhi. Mr. He is a very good person. I can see that he treats you very well."
She smiled and approached Song Lingzhi, whispering, "I heard from the maid who served Master He that Master He studied late into the night. He used to copy books for money and often went to bed at five in the morning. Later, the young lady asked him to copy Buddhist scriptures and sent him writing materials. Only then did he get better and no longer had to rely on copying books to make a living."
Song Lingzhi frowned, "That day I saw Brother He go to Baicao Pavilion to get medicine, saying that my aunt was not feeling well."
Qiuyan lowered her voice and said, "I heard that Madam He has an old scar on her shoulder, which is very scary. If the weather is bad, the wound will be even more painful, and you have to apply Wu Ma San on it."
Wu Ma San was expensive, and most of the money He Ming earned from copying books was spent on He Shi. He Shi was just an ordinary woman, and it was thought that only her gambling-addicted husband could do such a despicable thing.
Qiuyan was indignant: "People like this should step into a well, just like the homeless man who was fished out of the street the other day. Only when his face is soaked will it be considered good..."
Before he finished speaking, Bai Zhi suddenly shouted at him: "What nonsense are you talking about? The girl is still here. You are not afraid of dirtying the girl's ears with such dirty things."
Qiu Yan pursed her lips, confessed her guilt, and then spoke well of He Ming: "Mr. He is still the best. His appearance, character, and knowledge are all one in a hundred."
The silk handkerchief was lightly clenched in her palm, Song Lingzhi lowered her almond-shaped eyes, her eyes sparkling.
Even though Qiuyan didn't mention it, Song Lingzhi also knew that He Ming was a kind person. In his previous life, he studied hard for more than ten years and finally became the top scorer in the imperial examination. He was very famous, but because he spoke for the Song family in the court, he was demoted to a small border town by Shen Yan.
Grandmother would definitely like such a grateful person. If she married He Ming, her grandmother and father would be able to feel at ease in the future, unlike in the previous life, when even sending letters to herself became a difficult task.