Xia Houlin was sitting on the veranda making rabbit lanterns. Lianxiang's son, Brother Rong, and a mother's daughter in the house were waiting eagerly beside him. They were only four or five years old. Chan's cheeks and brows were smeared with rouge, like a boy of good fortune next to the Bodhisattva.
Xia Houlin picked out the softened reeds from the water basin, built a frame first, twisted two reeds into a circle to make a waist, and then pulled out two pieces through the waist and crossed them together. Add a horizontal bar in the middle of the waist. Then tie the head, the head is easy to weave, and the two circles are glued together, and an ear is protruded from the top. Just open a lantern stand and you're done.
The two youngsters looked at it for a while, Xiahou raised his head inadvertently, and saw the little girl who was rescued last night standing behind a porch pillar in front of him. Lianxiang said that her name was Li Miaozhen. She was the concubine of the Li family. The child without a mother must have been treated harshly by the mistress. She was supposed to be a member of the Jiaofang Division, but Shen Jue sent a message to Dali Temple and changed her into an official slave and placed her in the Shen residence.
She changed into a new dress, a navy blue robe, and a azure horse-faced skirt. She peeked with her black eyes open, but still didn't speak. Seeing Xia Houlin found her, she quickly hid back.
Xia Houlin smiled and lowered his head to paste the paper. He was afraid that the child would break it, so he pasted three layers of kraft paper. Then use red ink to light the eyes, hang them on the lamp pole, and drop a small tassel from the bottom, pick them up and take a look, two fat and round little rabbits are dangling around. The two children cheered, reaching for the rabbit. Xia Houlin raised the lantern and said, "Go and bring that sister here."
The child shouted hello, jumped over and pulled her sleeves. The girl was about to cry when she saw it, and she was rubbed against her. Xia Houlin tied another lantern, lit his eyes, hung up the pole, and sent it to them one by one, saying, "Everyone has a share!"
The two children cheered and ran away with the lantern, while Li Miaozhen still stood there holding the lantern.
"Do you want to tell me something?" Xia Houlin asked her.
She slowly took out a piece of mutton fat jade pendant from her bosom, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and handed it to Xia Houlin.
"For me?"
Li Miaozhen nodded and said, "Thank you for saving me." Her voice was very small, like a mosquito, and it took Xia Houlin a long time to hear it clearly. She lowered her head and said, "This is what my mother left for me. My mother said that I want to repay my kindness. I have no money, only this jade pendant for you."
Xiahou laughed, rubbed the top of her hair, and said, "I can't take what your mother left you, you can take it yourself. It's not too late to give it to me when you have money in the future, I'm not greedy, you give it to me. A penny will do. Well, let's go play."
Li Miaozhen gave a heavy hum, holding the rabbit lantern and running away. Xiahou Lin stretched his waist, packed the water basin and kraft paper, and went to Shen Jue's courtyard.
Shen Jue's yard is very sparse, he doesn't like others entering his territory, and only a few servants and Lianxiang are responsible for cleaning. In the dim sky, the shadows of the swaying trees lingered on the courtyard, and the wind was blowing, and there was a rustling sound. His yard is not as delicate and beautiful as other places in the mansion, but like the dignified landscape in literati paintings. Those places are for hospitality, for others to see. Only this yard is his own world.
Thinking of it this way, Shen Jue is really a contradictory person.
Clearly powerful, but self-disciplined like a monk, not obsessed with appetite, not fond of pink and pink, the huge courtyard, apart from two jars of dry lotus and a pear tree, has no other scenery. The blue tiles and white walls are as cold as a ruin, without the slightest popularity. Others only saw him wearing a luan belt when he entered the temple, wearing a loose dress, surrounded by civil and military officials, but not seeing him in the plain clothes and white clothes in the small courtyard, and his heart was like still water.
Xia Houlin sat in the yard for a while, felt sleepy, and went into the house to take a nap.
He slept soundly, when there was a commotion outside, the tent was suddenly opened, bright light came in, Xia Houlin opened his eyes in a daze, and a few servants dragged him up, he suddenly woke up, struggling desperately, Squeezed out of the gap, took the clothes on the sandalwood shelf and put them on, and said in shock and anger, "What are you doing!"
"Bold servant! I sneaked into the master's room while the master was away. Where's Lianxiang, call her!" A woman's sharp voice sounded at the door, Xia Houli looked over, a plump woman was standing at the door, combing her hair. Falling to the bun, the head is full of pearls, and the two sapphire pendants under the ears are glittering in the sunlight, like two drops of dew that will not fall.
A servant helped her in and sat on the drum stool. It was hard to see against the light before, but now Xia Houlin saw her face. He looks good, with a round and big washbasin, he looks very lucky, but the powder is too much, which adds an old-fashioned look. Today's women don't even know their mothers when they put on makeup, and Xia Houlin can't estimate her age.
There is only one master of the Shen residence, and that is Shen Jue. A servant called him appeared in the flat ground. He couldn't figure out what she was talking about, so he gave a polite bow and said, "The villain has clumsy eyes, I don't know which mansion the madam belongs to? Come in, Madam, it's better to move faster."
A lot of people came in outside. Xia Houlin turned around and looked out. He saw a bunch of servants moving and lifting them. The pots of pomegranate flowers were stuffed into the yard full of flowers, and they were all bright and purple. There are also people hanging palace lanterns on the trees, red and green, all kinds of colors are playing together, chickens fly and dogs jump.
Xia Houlin was stunned, what happened to this motherfucker
The woman gave him a cold look and said, "Who am I? I am the head mistress of this mansion!"
Xia Houlin was shocked, when did Shen Jue have another mother!
She picked up the tea cup, took a sip of tea with great manners, and sighed: "I know that the Governor does not come back often in the past days, and it is also very good to treat the servants. Face, if the master is not there, I will become the hegemon! I saw it today, but I didn't see it in the past? Who knows what your servant has done, and it is not necessarily the case that you will sneak out of the house tomorrow! Kindness, let me be this wicked person. Come on, take this stealing and slippery thing down, don’t take too much, hit twenty boards, sell it, and don’t allow him to enter the Shen residence again!”
Xia Houlin: "..."
Xia Houlin doesn't deal with women very much. He has hardly seen any normal women in his life, and he almost has a shadow in his heart. He bites the bullet and says, "Madam has misunderstood. The little one is not a servant of the mansion, but a clerk in the East Factory. The Lord has promised to rest in the Lord’s yard, if you don’t believe me, go ask the Lord.”
Lian Xiang hurriedly ran over and said, "Madam, Madam really misunderstood! Officer Xiahou, like a slave, is an old servant of the Governor. He has saved the Governor several times, and has a deep friendship. Officer Xiahou does not need to report when he walks in the mansion. , don't shy away, this is known to the whole house!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Zhu Xia looked at Xia Houlin for a while, dressed in black ramie, and said that it was inconspicuous if it sounded good, but it was shabby if it sounded bad. How can we say that our governor has a good heart! I know this person the most, and I can't help but miss the old days. The old yellow calendar more than ten years ago is still good to others. However, some people have to have self-knowledge. , knows his own identity. The Governor gives him a face and gives him dignity, but he can't just stick it up with a shy face!"
Zhu Xia picked out a few gold and silver coins from the purse and handed them over to the servants who were serving on the side, saying: "If you come to the house for the big festival, I can also guess what it means. The emperor still has straw sandals to kiss, not to mention us. Governor. Well, this is a reward for you, take it to order. There are a lot of things in the mansion today, and the Governor has to come back at night, I am afraid I will not have time to entertain you, come and see you off."
The maid came to him with a stack of gold and silver coins, Xia Houlu glanced at Zhu Xia lightly, didn't take the money, said goodbye, turned around and went out.
The forest is big, and there are really all kinds of birds. That's all, he's a big man, so he can't care about an ignorant woman.
Lianxiang twisted the veil and followed Xia Houlin out, angrily said: "What kind of person is this! He is so pretentious and prestige to be here, it really hurts to be a young master and take her seriously! I'm so mad at the old lady! Xiaolin , you go back first, and I will tell the young master when I look back, and see that the young master will not kill her!"
Xia Houlin said nothing and asked, "Who is this person?"
Lianxiang hesitated, struggling for a long time, before she said, "Forget it, I can tell you! Young master didn't let me tell it, but I feel really uncomfortable in my heart!" She dragged Xia Houlin and walked to the secluded place He said, "She is the food that the late emperor gave to the young master!"
Xia Houlin was shocked, it turned out that Shen Jue already had a daughter-in-law!
"Xiao Lian, you used to walk in the rivers and lakes, you don't know about the palace house! What kind of masters, what kind of nobles, to put it nicely, to match you with a daughter-in-law, help you get married and set up a family, but in fact, it's like matching a cat or a dog. , they look happy and happy! Don't even think about it, our young master has suffered from that big crime, already, already..." Lian Xiang burst into tears, wiped it with the veil, took a breath, and said, " It has long been inhumane! A woman is placed in front of her eyes, and she can't... Isn't this a heart attack!"
Xia Houlin frowned and said, "There is no other way to send this woman away? Anyway, I haven't touched her."
Lianxiang shook her head and said, "How can it be! She is the Queen Mother's maidservant. She is a pair of food on the surface, but is not an eyeliner in the dark! The young master has some power, but after all, he is not the master, how can you say that you don't want it? This woman, when she comes to our mansion, she will act as a demon every time, and she will feel uncomfortable if she doesn't do anything. To put it bluntly, it's not just for the sake of standing up! She serves people in the palace, and when she comes to our mansion My lord, I'm afraid that others won't know. This time I'm making a fuss about you, Xiaolin, I'm really sorry!"
Xia Houlin shook his head and said it was all right. He lowered his head to think for a while, and said with a smile: "Okay, anyway, I didn't buy food today, so I can't have a business at home. I'll just stay here and see what he can do with me. !" Xia Houlin straightened his appearance, strode Meteor back, Lian Xiang was stunned, and followed behind with small steps.
Zhu Xia was still in the courtyard, sitting at the table of the Eight Immortals. The front door was open. She looked down and pointed to the servants under the patio, telling them how to arrange the flowers and how to store the porcelain. Xia Houtong came in with the yanling knife, the big golden knife sat at the table of the Eight Immortals, and the yanling knife slammed down on the table. Zhu Xia was startled, stood up and took a few steps away from his heart, and said in a trembling voice, "You... why are you back!"
Lianxiang stood beside Xia Houlin, also a little dumbfounded.
Xia Houlin supported his head and looked at Zhu Xia, his eyebrows raised, and the corners of his eyes and brows showed a flowing ruffian.
"Sister-in-law doesn't know anything, in Xia Houlin, he is the sworn brother of the governor. I have heard of my sister-in-law's name, and I have admired her for a long time. When I see her today, it is indeed extraordinary!" Xia Houlin grinned, "Sister-in-law, why don't we both Chat for a while!"
Zhu Xia raised his eyebrows and said, "What do I have to talk about with you! Come on, drag this scumbag down!"
Immediately, several servants came up to drag people, and they looked unfamiliar, and it seemed that this woman brought them. Xia Houtong swiped the sword lightly with his thumb, and the yanling knife cut a section, saying: "The sword does not have eyes, everyone, it is in the governor's territory, and it is not suitable to see the disaster of blood." Everyone became jealous and looked at each other, Zhu Xia was very angry Trembling, talking again.
Xia Houlin took the lead and said, "Sister-in-law, my younger brother advises you to think twice before acting. My younger brother and the governor are a life-threatening friendship. You are pampered, I am afraid you don't know what it means to be life-threatening." He rolled up his sleeves and showed her his arm. The scar on the top, "Look, this one, I almost lost an arm, it was blocked for the overseer. There is also this one, this one, this one, this one, all of them!"
Zhu Xia stared at the scary scars and lost her mind. Originally thought it was a poor person who came to fight the autumn wind, but the governor was reluctant to rush, so she came to be this wicked person. Right now, it seems to have some weight. Zhu Xia laughed and said, "It turned out to be Brother Xiahou. It's all my fault that my sister-in-law has no eyesight and misunderstood Brother Xian. Come on, look at the tea!"
Xia Houlin and Zhu Xia sat with big eyes to small eyes. Zhu Xia was upset and wished that he would leave earlier and Shen Jue would come back later. Is it possible that he would have to eat at the same table with this rogue? She also wanted to live with Shen Jue and watch the moon and rabbits together! It is expected that it will not, after all, it is a fan, there is no reason to be at the same table with the supervisor. Zhu Xia was still at a loss, so he called someone to bring wine and a few dishes and greeted Xia Houlin. I hope he gets drunk and takes people away.
Who would have thought that Xia Houlin didn't get drunk after drinking two pots of wine in a row, and he sat firmly and looked like he could still fight for three hundred meetings.
Zhu Xia: "..."
After finally getting dark, Shen Jue finally came back from the palace. Xia Houlin and Zhu Xia sat face to face in the main room, and when they heard footsteps outside the courtyard, Zhu Xia stood up happily. Under the gloomy sky, Shen Jue walked into the door, looking at it, his eyes were full of red and green, and he thought he was going the wrong way. Turning his head again, he saw Zhu Xia standing by the door, and Xia Houlin sitting at the table, smiling at him.
Zhu Xia stepped over the threshold and took small steps to catch up to meet him. Unexpectedly, a dark shadow rushed over, stood in front of her, and grabbed Shen Jue.
"Little Jue, you're back!" Xia Houlu took Shen Jue's hand with one hand, and held Shen Jue's waist lightly with the other, led him in and sat at the table, not forgetting to instruct his servants, "Mali Food on the ground!"
"Xiao Jue?" Zhu Xia was stunned.
Xia Houlin patted his head and said, "I was happy for a while, and called out my nickname! My sister-in-law didn't know anything. I have a deep friendship with the supervisor, and I always used my nickname. I called him Xiaojue, and he called me. Xiao Lan." After speaking, he turned to ask Shen Jue, "Really, Xiao Jue?"
Shen Jue looked at him, under the shadow of the lamp, Xia Hou's brows and eyes were curved, and the dark eyes were filled with lights, like golden fluorescent light. The laugh is too exaggerated, the acting is too obvious, but... it's kind of cute. Shen Jue pursed her lips and smiled, "No."
Xia Houlin didn't expect that Shen Jue would demolish him, and was stunned.
Zhu Xia Yixi was about to speak, but Shen Jue said again: "You remember wrong, I always called you A Lin. There are too many people calling you Xiao Lin, but I am the only one who can call you A Lin. "
Xia Houlin was stunned, and suddenly realized that he was still holding Shen Jue's hand and wanted to let go, but Shen Jue held it back, preventing him from moving. He was a little overwhelmed, and the two of them clasped their hands under the table, their fingers intertwined. Shen Jue's hand was cold, the root of the disease that fell from his childhood. He couldn't cover it, and his palm was held by him.
Zhu Xiaqiang said with a smile: "The Governor is really nostalgic, I didn't expect you to have such a deep friendship."
"It's more than deep?" Shen Jue smiled softly, "A Lin's mother was injured for me, and later died suddenly. A Lin himself also suffered a lot of injuries because of me. What I owe A Lin will never end. "
Zhu Xia said: "It turns out that there is such a past in it, why didn't Brother Xiahou tell his concubine? There were many misunderstandings before, and I hope Brother Xian doesn't take it to heart." She sat down beside Shen Jue and continued, " The virtuous brother is the benefactor of the overseer, and naturally he is the benefactor of the concubine body. In the future, if there is any difficulty with the virtuous brother, just talk with the concubine body, and the concubine body will definitely help."
Xia Houlin only frowned and said to Shen Jue, "What are you talking about? What does my mother's affairs have to do with you?"
Shen Jue didn't answer, Xia Hourong wanted to say something, the servant brought dishes and put them on the table.
Xia Houlin closed his mouth, Shen Jue still clenched his hand, and quietly pulled it out, but Shen Jue didn't let go. He glanced at Shen Jue, who lowered his eyelashes. Under the candlelight, his long and curved eyelashes resembled moth wings, and a faint shadow covered his eyes with a gentle beauty. He couldn't see through Shen Jue's expression, so he had to give up. In a blink of an eye, he saw Zhu Xia sitting beside Shen Jue, still a little tight, feeling a little unhappy in his heart, and said, "Why don't the people who came out of my sister-in-law's womb don't understand the rules?"
Zhu Xia was stunned and said, "What?"
Xia Houlin sighed and said, "I think the governor is too indulgent to his sister-in-law. The younger brother should talk to the governor, and the sister-in-law should stand by the side and pour tea and water. I wonder which family has a daughter-in-law to serve the table. Even if I'm waiting for the poor family, my mother-in-law should also go to the kitchen to eat, why is my sister-in-law sitting so firmly?"
Zhu Xia stood up stiffly, gritted her teeth and smiled: "What Brother Xian said is, what he said."
Shen Jue smiled invisibly, finally letting go of Xia Houlin's hand and holding up his chopsticks to prepare dishes for him.
Zhu Xia stood on the side and watched, gnashing her teeth in hatred. Originally, she should have had a drink with Shen Jue Shangyue, but now she was sitting in Xia Houlin's seat, and she could only stand beside her and starve.
By the time they finished their meal, it was already dark, and the moon was full today, hanging on the pitch-black sky like a thin piece of paper-cut, with a light behind it, and it glowed halo.
Xia Hou put up a pergola and looked at the moon, feeling that the moon was big and round, a bit like Zhu Xia's face plate.
There was an incense table at the bottom of the patio, and in the center sat a white rabbit made of clay, wearing a red jacket, with the word "Fu" written on his chest. Zhu Xia followed behind Shen Jue and wanted to worship with him. Xia Houlu stepped in and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so big, my sister-in-law should stand farther away."
Zhu Xia was so angry that her mouth was crooked. She and Shen Jue were two good people, with Xia Houlin in the middle. Seeing this, Lianxiang set up an extra futon under the incense case. Shen Jue saw it, but didn't stop it. So Shen Jue and Zhu Xia were on the left and right, with Xia Houlin in the middle, and the three of them knelt on the futon together, twirling incense and bowing three times.
After getting up, Zhu Xia asked Shen Jue what she wished. Shen Jue didn't answer, but instead asked, "What did you promise?"
Zhu Xia bowed her head in shame, and said in a low voice, "I don't have anything to ask for, and the Governor is born to be a person who rolls around in the dust of wealth and honor, and he has everything. I just hope that the Governor is safe and everything goes well."
"Walking in the dust of wealth?" Xia Houlin smiled.
Zhu Xia hated him when he heard his words, and took a deep breath in his heart, and said, "What do you have to say about virtuous brother?"
"I think the overseer is a man who has been shepherding sheep for nineteen years in the snow and ice."
After saying this, everyone was stunned. Zhu Xia smiled and said, "The shepherd is Su Wu, and the overseer was not captured by Fanbang. What does it have to do with Su Wu? Brother Xiahou's allusions are too inexperienced. However, our family overseer is indeed a proud and unyielding one. The characters are barely compatible."
Shen Jue tilted her head to look at the full moonlight. Only he understands that what Xia Houlin said is not to be steadfast and unyielding, but that people are like winter, and their hearts are like still water.
Shen Jue looked at the sky and said to Zhu Xia, "It's getting late, are you going to rest? I'll take you off?"
There was an unshakable affirmation in his words, Zhu Xiaben wanted to stay a little longer, but Shen Jue had already picked a lantern and waited for her, so he had to go out. Xiahou Lin wanted to follow, but Shen Jue told him to stay where he was.
The whole journey was silent and silent, the servants were far behind, and the palace lanterns in Shen Jue's hands swayed, illuminating the larger area under his feet. Zhu Xia's heart was pounding, and after waiting for so long, it was finally time to be alone with him. She deliberately slowed down, Shen Jue noticed that she also stepped a little smaller, the corridor was twisty, surrounded by leaves and shadows, Zhu Xia slightly curved his mouth, feeling that at this moment, the world belonged to the two of them alone.
"Xiahou was born in the folk, and his temperament is out of touch. You should be more responsible." Shen Jue said as he walked away.
"How can the concubine have the same knowledge as him?" Zhu Xia maintained a smile, "His words are interesting, but the concubine finds it interesting."
"Really?" Shen Jue smiled and said, "I'm using the rouge I gave you last time?"
Zhu Xia nodded and said, "The Governor is very good at picking colors, this is just right for a concubine."
"You have a good foundation, and you will look good with a little rubbing. I heard that the Persian Luozidai are also very good. Next time the Fan people pay tribute, I will try to find some for you."
Zhu Xia said with a smile: "It's good that the governor has this intention. That's what the empress can only use, and the concubine's body should be made of bronze, so there's no need to be so troublesome."
When they got to her yard, Shen Jue stopped at the door and handed the palace lantern to the maid. Zhu Xia felt wistful in her heart. It was such a long journey, why did it end all of a sudden
"You want to use nature and use the best, what about the goddess? Are you afraid that I won't be able to find it?" Shen Jue smiled lightly, his smile was not deep, and he curled his lips shallowly, but his smile was stronger than the spring breeze. Be kind.
Zhu Xia has always liked him, his looks, and his gentleness. She had never seen him lose his temper, he was gentle and gentle with everyone, and he was courteous in advance and retreat. She knew that he was inhumane, and also knew that he didn't like others to see his scars, but because of such a disability, she felt that she was worthy of him.
She raised her head to look at him, and he looked down at her slightly, with a faint smile on Cibai's face, which was a different kind of gentle and pitiful look. Zhu Xiafu turned around, said goodbye to him, turned around and slowly walked into the courtyard, walked a short distance, and turned his head again, wanting to see him again. He was still standing there, watching from a distance.
He likes her. She was convinced that something collapsed in her heart. She ran over, in a hurry, as if the person in front of her was gone the next moment. Shen Jue gently supported her panting and asked, "What's wrong?"
She lowered her voice so that only the two of them could hear, "Be careful of the new commander of the Imperial Army, Wan Bohai."
The smile on Shen Jue's face deepened, and he watched her enter the room, where the light was on, he turned around and walked back to the main courtyard.