Chen Jingyin is sixteen years old this year.
At a banquet a few months ago, she met Qi Yan once, and fell in love with him at first sight.
Zhi Gui said: "During this period, Ms. Chen would come to the mansion from time to time, she never empty-handed, and every time she brought something made by herself."
Xia Xun casually asked:
"Don't you need to avoid suspicion for a young lady who hasn't left the cabinet?"
Zhigui stammered:
"Miss Chen's words and deeds are true... bold, the county magistrate Chen did not come forward to stop it, and outsiders may not be able to make irresponsible remarks. Those aristocratic ladies often talk about her. What they say is inappropriate, so the slaves will not repeat it to the prince. .”
Xia Xun looked out of the courtyard from a distance.
Under the dazzling sunlight, Chen Jingyin's dress was shining, and Xia Xun was so pierced that she squinted her eyes, unable to see her face clearly.
He withdrew his eyes, picked up the bowl, scraped off the rice stained on the side of the bowl with a spoon, and put it into his mouth.
As soon as Zhigui's expression moved, Xia Xun immediately said:
"I don't like to eat this thing, so don't bring it in the future."
He was afraid that when she saw him eating so cleanly, she would think he liked it and ask someone to make it for him to eat every day.
Zhi Gui followed the good advice like a streamer: "This servant understands."
Chen Jingyin disappeared in a blink of an eye, and was led away by the housewives and maids.
Xia Xun had no interest in her, so Zhi Gui put away the dishes and went down, while he sat by the window in a daze.
Many years ago, the courtyard of Qi Mansion was barren.
The original lake in the courtyard was so dry that there was not even a drop of water. The bottom of the lake was exposed and full of cracks. After a long time, it was covered by weeds.
The vines grew wildly, and soon grew taller than a person.
At that time, Xia Xun often climbed over the wall and hid in the grass.
At the beginning, no one lived here. One day, he sneaked in as usual and sat among the vines. Suddenly, footsteps came from behind him.
Xia Xun followed the prestige, and the man met his gaze and walked up to him, asking him what his name was and why he was here alone.
Xia Xun asked who he was.
He told him that he had just bought the yard not long ago.
Xia Xun said: "There are so many good houses in central Beijing, why did you buy this place? It's so broken, you must have been cheated."
He told Xia Xun that he was originally the son of an official, his parents were murdered by an adulterer, his family fell into ruin, and even his ancestral house was robbed.
He was displaced, and in desperation, he sold what little property he had left, exchanged some money, bought this deserted house, and lived on.
He also told Xia Xun that his name was Qi Yan.
A year later, Xia Xun and his elder brother went to jail.
Only in prison did he know that the "treacher" Qi Yan was talking about was his father Xia Hongxi.
Today, the courtyard has been renovated, and the lake is filled with water, sparkling in the eyes of Xia Xun.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, a handsome face suddenly appeared outside the window.
When the man saw him, his face turned pale with fright, he couldn't stand firmly on his feet, and fell back suddenly.
The maid rushed over to help her in a hurry, but when she was anxious, she stepped on the corner of her skirt again, leaned back, and fell on the maid.
The scene suddenly became chaotic, and the maids rushed to help her up. She hurriedly covered her face with a round fan, and asked in shame and surprise:
"Why is there someone in the house?!"
Not far away, several wives of Qi Yan's family hurried over here, shouting at the top of their voices:
"Can't go, can't go!"
"My lord has an order! No one is allowed to approach the main house! Bring Miss Chen out!"
"Quick! Stop it!"
Xia Xun thought, Chen Jingyin must have left.
As soon as Zhi Guifu stepped into the courtyard gate, seeing the chaotic scene, he walked up in two or three steps and questioned the servants:
"What are you doing? How did you bring Ms. Chen to this kind of place?! Your lord has ordered that no outsiders should come near the main room! If you disturb the young master, you will go and receive the punishment yourself when the lord returns!"
Except for the maid brought by Chen Jingyin, everyone else knelt down on the ground.
They were not kneeling Zhigui, but Xia Xun.
Zhi Gui reprimanded: "I won't speak good words for you guys! If the young master doesn't forgive you, just kneel down!"
Xia Xun understood.
They were afraid that he would sue Qi Yan and worried about being punished, so they knelt together and begged him for mercy.
Chen Jingyin was at a loss and stood there blankly, but she did not forget to cover her face with her fan.
Xia Xun said: "It's not a big deal, stop kneeling, I don't like crowds, let's all go down."
Everyone scattered like birds and beasts as if they had been pardoned, only Chen Jingyin and her maidservant were left on the scene.
Chen Jingyin's cheeks were flushed, and only then remembered to salute.
"I don't know who I am, I don't know if there are people in the main room! They all said that Mr. Qi has gone to court, how, how could-?"
Zhigui smoothed things over: "This Mr. Xia is a distant relative of your lord, and he has come to live in the capital for a while."
Chen Jingyin saluted again:
"Hello Mr. Xia, just now... I made you laugh..."
Xia Xun was expressionless and didn't even say anything about the scene.
Chen Jingyin was very apprehensive, her fingers tangle together.
Zhi Gui asked softly: "Miss Chen is here for something important?"
Chen Jingyin shook her head again and again:
"No, no! The concubine heard that Lord Qi was injured, so she made a snack with her own hands and wanted to give it to Lord Qi."
She looked affectionate and timid:
"Yesterday, when my father came back from court, he said that when he saw Mr. Qi's hands wrapped in gauze, he was afraid he was injured. I don't know medical skills, I was anxious, and I couldn't help, so I made blood-enriching snacks overnight, and I did my best... "
The more she spoke, the more shy she became, and her voice gradually lowered.
Zhi Gui stepped forward and took the wooden box containing the snacks from the maid.
"The servant thanked the lady on behalf of the lord."
Chen Jingyin said stubbornly:
"But I want to put it in his room! As soon as he comes back, he will know that I have been here!"
She looked excited, and the luxurious jewelry on her head swayed with her movements.
"This..." Zhigui didn't dare to make a decision, and looked at Xia Xun in embarrassment, "My lord, what do you think?"
Chen Jingyin also turned her face to him.
Xia Xun said indifferently: "What are you looking at me for? What does it have to do with me?"
Zhigui heaved a sigh of relief.
"Since the young master doesn't mind, this servant will put the food box in."
Chen Jingyin smiled, she looked at Xia Xun, thought for a while, and bravely said to him:
"If you don't dislike it, son, why don't you try it for me. You are a relative of Mr. Qi, and your taste is close to his. If you think it is delicious, maybe you will like it too."
She blushed and bit her lower lip lightly:
"If you think it's not delicious, I will go back and redo it immediately."
She was full of longing and anticipation, staring straight at him with bright eyes, Xia Xun couldn't refuse, and said coldly: "It's up to you."
Chen Jingyin was overjoyed, grabbed the wooden box in Zhigui's hand, stepped forward happily, opened the box lid, took out a piece of snack and handed it to Xia Xun.
Xia Xun reluctantly took it.
There is a peach petal printed on each piece of pastry, and the pastry is so crispy that it melts into the mouth when you sip it lightly.
Chen Jingyin is eager and looking forward to:
"How? Would Mr. Qi like it?"
Xia Xun gave a vague "hmm".
She smiled brightly.
"Great! This concubine can return home with peace of mind! When Mr. Qi comes back, you must tell him that I have been here!"
Zhigui sent her to the gate of the mansion and got into the carriage, she was still telling Qi Yan that she made the cakes by herself.
As soon as she left, it seemed as if she had taken away a large group of people, and the mansion returned to tranquility. In the courtyard and on the tall trees, the long-silent birdsong rang out one after another.
Zhigui put away the snack box.
Xia Xun leaned back in her chair, continued to stare at the lake in a daze, and dutifully acted like a prisoner under house arrest.
After lunch, feeling sleepy, he lay down on the bed, and soon fell asleep.
Someone came in to put down the gauze curtain in front of the bed for him, he felt movement, opened his eyes and saw that the person who came was not Zhigui, but another maidservant he had never seen before.
Seeing him wake up, the maid saluted him.
"My lord, my lord has ordered me to serve you from now on."
Xia Xun didn't take it seriously, and asked casually, "Where's Zhigui?"
Startled, she stammered:
"Master Qi just came back not long ago, and the fat belongs to her... She has other things to do."
Xia Xun glanced at her, and saw that her eyes were red, and there seemed to be tears in her eyes.
"Why are you crying?"
She shook her hand, and the gauze slid down.
"No, no! I have sand in my eyes!"
Xia Xun asked, "What happened to Zhigui?"
She pursed her lips tightly and shook her head slightly.
Xia Xun said indifferently:
"If you don't want to tell me, you shouldn't act like this in front of me."
She plopped down on her knees and said to him with a trembling voice:
"My lord, forgive me! To be honest, yes, it is the lord who has returned... He heard, heard that the Chen family lady had come, and saw you. He blamed Zhigui for not obeying the order and wanted to drive her away. The servant and Zhigui It's a fellow countryman, and I feel sorry for her, so I can't help it... The servant didn't do it on purpose!"
A figure appeared in Xia Xun's mind.
— It was his former maid, Shao Bo.
Xia Xun is a concubine with a low status in the family and is often bullied.
Shaobo grew up with him, one year younger than him, and the two of them have endured many beatings together since childhood.
After the Xia mansion ransacked the house, all the servants were dismissed, and she didn't hear from her.
After so many years, Xia Xun didn't know whether she was dead or alive.
Zhigui looked about the same age as Shaobo at that time...
Xia Xun let out a long sigh and sat up: "Where is Zhigui at the moment?"
The maid plopped to her knees.
"My lord, please don't intercede for her! If your lord knows that it was the slave who told you about this, he will not spare the slave easily! Maybe he will drive the slave out!"
Xia Xun walked to the table, picked up the teacup, and threw it on the ground.
She exclaimed: "Young master!"
The servants outside the house heard the movement, hurried in, saw the debris all over the floor, and immediately scolded her:
"How can you be so clumsy?! Can you hit a cup??"
Xia Xun pretended to be sullen:
"What kind of tea is this brewing? It's hard to drink. Call Zhigui and make tea for me!"
The servant hesitated, in a dilemma: "This... son... the fat belongs to her..."
Xia Xun asked him coldly, "You won't obey my order?"
The servant gritted his teeth and said bravely:
"How dare you, the little one! It's just... Zhigui didn't serve you well, and was punished by the lord, and is kneeling outside the lord's study! Or... the little one asks someone else to serve you, Young Master?"
Xia Xun bypassed the debris on the floor, stepped out of the room, and walked towards Qi Yan's study.