Shen Liufeng doesn't have any hobbies on weekdays, except for a sip of wine.
Jun Huailang's drinking capacity is very good, and he can accompany Shen Liufeng to drink every time. After discovering this, Shen Liufeng liked to be with him even more. Whenever he took a break and Jun Huailang had nothing to do, he would ask Jun Huailang to come out to drink with him.
After a long time, Jun Huailang got used to it.
The carriage swayed all the way, and it didn't take long for it to arrive at a restaurant where Shen Liufeng frequented. It was almost noon at this time, and the restaurant was very lively. Standing outside, you could vaguely hear the sound of Pingtan singing inside.
The clear and tactful Wu language, accompanied by the sound of the pipa like falling beads, vaguely floated out from the wooden windows of the restaurant and merged into the bustling streets and alleys.
"Listen to this voice, it looks like Su Xiaoqian." Shen Liufeng said to Jun Huailang after getting off the carriage. "She is especially good at Pingtan and singing. You are blessed with ears today."
Jun Huailang couldn't help but be surprised: "You can tell who sang it just by listening to the sound?"
Shen Liufeng opened the fan with a clatter: "Naturally. There are so many Jinling singing Pingtan, but few have such a clear voice."
The two walked into the restaurant, Shen Liufeng waving a fan and gossiping with Jun Huailang: "This little girl came here to sing Pingtan when she was fourteen or fifteen years old. I heard that her grandmother was sick at the time. It was only after Qian healed that she came to sing songs to make money. But the past two years seemed to be better, and she came less often. I always come here to drink and teach her to have a hard ear, and she is not used to listening to others sing."
Jun Huailang had never heard of Pingtan. He only heard that storytellers are not popular in the taverns and teahouses in the south. Their books are all played and sung.
The two of them are also regular customers. When they entered the restaurant, they were led by Xiao Er to a place with an excellent view next to the fence on the second floor.
After Jun Huailang sat down, he glanced down and saw a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl sitting on the stage below, with long hair in a bun, wearing an apricot-colored spring shirt, and holding a pipa in her hand.
She was born beautiful, and she is the unique lightness and gracefulness of Jiangnan girls. The pipa in that hand is also good. Although Jun Huailang can't understand her lyrics, he can still hear her.
After ordering the food and drinks, Shen Liufeng did not forget to instruct Xiao Er: "It's the same today, give Miss Xiaoqian three more rewards, which will be counted in my meal."
When Jun Huailang heard the words, he said in surprise, "Three hangings of reward money? This is not your son Shen's style."
Shen Liufeng sighed and said, "Of course it's not my style. It's rare to hear her sing a song, and I can't wait to give her all the money in my pocket."
With that said, Shen Liufeng poured a cup of tea for Jun Huailang, and said, "But this girl doesn't accept it. She has rules. She only accepts three prizes for rewards, and she will return the more money."
Jun Huailang was puzzled: "What kind of rule is this? Her family is poor, how can there be a reason not to accept rewards?"
Shen Liufeng said: "If she is a man, naturally she doesn't have to refuse."
Jun Huailang understood.
This woman has an outstanding appearance, and what she does is playing the piano and singing. She spends every day in the restaurant and restaurant, which naturally attracts the coveted man. If the visitor refuses to refuse, and receives too much gold and silver from others, it will inevitably be sold at a price and become a plaything for others.
"It does have foresight." Jun Huailang couldn't help sighing.
"Isn't that right?" Shen Liufeng heard the words, propped his chin, and smiled with a proud look. "This little girl is not only good at commenting, playing and singing, but also of high quality. I appreciate her in vain."
Jun Huailang laughed and listened quietly with him.
This girl sang "Yingying Playing the Qin", which was quite tactful and lingering. Jun Huailang has been in Jiangnan for a year, and he knows that the folk customs here are open, and that such excerpt dramas that praise love can be sung at will.
If they were in Chang'an, they would definitely be regarded as obscene lyrics. Even if someone sang it in the street, no one would dare to sit down and listen to it.
It didn't take long for their wine and dishes to be delivered.
This wine is made of peach blossoms from spring, sweet and refreshing, with the aroma of peach blossoms. The late spring wind was blowing slowly from outside the window, soft and gentle, more intoxicating than wine.
At this moment, there was a clang from the audience, interrupting the clear sound of the pipa.
Jun Huailang was taken aback, looked down, and saw a young man in brocade standing in the middle of the banquet, who smashed the silver at Su Xiaoqian's feet.
"Do you still want to give me money? It's just a sing-along. Who do you play with?"
Hearing that it was a northern accent, Jun Huailang couldn't help frowning and squinting, to take a closer look at the man's appearance.
Although I don't know him, but listening to him speak, I feel like someone from Chang'an.
For a time, there was an uproar in the restaurant.
There was a junior to persuade him and teach him to push away.
"Since you're selling color here, you're going to make a price anyway. Don't give money, you still need to set up an archway when you're a bitch?"
Hearing this, Shen Liufeng immediately stood up angrily.
"Who is this who is ranting here?" He pushed away his chair and was about to go downstairs to reason with him.
But immediately, the shopkeeper of the restaurant hurried over.
"You wait." Jun Huailang raised his hand to stop him. "Let's see how the store solves it, don't make things bigger and cause trouble for the store."
Shen Liufeng had to stop in place.
But fortunately, the owner of the restaurant was calm, and immediately called out the second and the handyman, and persuaded the young man into the box. It didn't take long for him to deliver wine and food to comfort the man.
The money on the stage was also picked up and returned to him. Not long after, the girl went on to play the piano and sing.
The restaurant returned to calm, but Shen Liufeng's interest in listening to Pingtan was disturbed.
"Singing meat songs? Who is this person insulting?" He put the wine glass on the table and said angrily. "Who hasn't heard about this Pingtan since he was a child, how can it become a meat song in his eyes alone?"
Jun Huailang poured him a cup of tea and comforted him with a faint smile: "This person has a dirty mind, so naturally he sees everything as dirty."
Shen Liufeng said: "You're right! It's not that other people's tunes are sung, it's that this person is a slut!"
He was angry and scolded people harshly, but Jun Huailang didn't stop him, so he could only scold him. However, Shen Liufeng's mood was ruined, and he felt uncomfortable drinking. After a while, he and Jun Huailang got up and left the table.
The two settled the bill and went straight out of the restaurant.
"He alone has silver in his hand? I can't wait to smash his head with silver and teach him to see that he is not the only one who has two stinky coins in his hand." Before leaving the door, Shen Liufeng murmured.
Jun Huailang reassured him gently, and as soon as he went out, he saw a familiar figure coming towards the restaurant.
"Master Guo?" Jun Huailang called to him.
This person's name is Guo Rongwen, a friend of his father's who was on the same list back then, and now works in the Ministry of Households. This time, he and his father went to Jiangnan to check the accounts of the prefectures in various places in Jiangnan.
Seeing that it was Jun Huailang, Guo Rongwen stopped to greet him with a smile: "It was Your Highness! Coincidentally, you came here for a drink too?"
Jun Huailang nodded and replied, "The weather is fine today, so I went out for a walk with Young Master Shen. Master Guo, is this...?"
He has helped his father this year, and he has some intersection with Guo Rongwen. This person has a gentle personality and a good-natured personality. Because of his good relationship with his father, he would also teach Jun Huailang what he did not understand on weekdays.
After a long time, even if his temper is as cold as Jun Huailang, he can still say a few words of greetings when he sees him.
Guo Rongwen nodded and said, "Come and meet a friend from out of town. The wine and food here are quite distinctive, so I made an appointment here."
Jun Huailang nodded, exchanged a few more greetings, and then separated from him.
—
That night, Jun Huailang received a letter from his home.
When the thick stack was opened, many pages of paper fell in pieces. Jun Huailang lit the lamp and gathered up the papers, and saw a few crooked paintings. At first glance, they were painted by Jun Linghuan.
He couldn't help laughing, the candlelight reflected in his dark pupils, making him look especially gentle.
He carefully looked at the paintings. They are all flowers and birds, I think Jun Linghuan learned them. She doesn't have any talent in embroidery, nor does painting, the flowers and birds are twisted and twisted, and they don't look much different.
Jun Huailang read it all seriously.
Turning to the last one, there is a line of childish words written on it.
"Brother, I haven't seen you for a year. Huan'er misses you very much. The second brother said that the letter should be written like a meeting at the beginning of the letter. I didn't think it was enough, so I drew a few more pictures. joyous."
"Seeing a bird is like meeting with joy." Jun Huailang laughed under the lamp and repeated in a gentle low voice, and then put away the pile of crooked paintings in a precious place.
He opened the drawer, and there was already a thick stack in it.
On weekdays, my mother's letters were all sent to my father, and the ones from him were sent by his younger siblings.
He put those paintings into the drawer, and picked up the letter from Jun Xiaowu.
Jun Xiaowu is a chatterer on weekdays, and he writes a lot every time he writes a letter. But he was impatient, and the letters were usually written in a very scribbled way.
Jun Huailang read slowly.
Jun Xiaowu wrote about trivial matters at home, and he wrote several pages. From what new things my sister learned recently, to the gossip I heard a few days ago, to the cold spring in Chang'an, the melting snow became ice on the ground, a certain boy in the courtyard slipped and lay in bed rested for several days.
At the end of the letter, Jun Huailang's eyes paused.
He saw a familiar name.
"... I went out to play with several young masters from aristocratic families a few days ago, and I heard from them that the fifth highness in the aunt's palace is very good now. He has been on duty in the six divisions, and everyone said that he will become the emperor in the future.
However, they also said that the Fifth Highness seemed to have a bad character and was very cruel. He is in charge of Jin Yiwei, and the ministers in the court are afraid of him finding fault, but he always finds fault, and the emperor is always facing him. They all said, maybe this person is a real evil star, confusing the emperor.
Brother, this letter will be burnt after reading it, and it must not be seen by others. They all said that the minions of the Fifth Highness are all over the place. If you let him know, I am afraid that he will trouble you. "
Jun Huailang read these short lines several times without realizing it.
When he slowly accepted the letter, he suddenly came back to his senses.
Only then did he realize that he hadn't heard from Xue Yan for a long time.
He has been in the south of the Yangtze River, and he has been busy all the time. It was only during this time that he was barely relaxed, but he also knew that this was just the tranquility before the rainstorm.
He looked back and thought, this year seems to have passed very quickly, as if he only left Chang'an a few days ago.
But he and Xue Yan did cut off contact.
When he was in the palace, the two of them saw each other every day. After all, they lived in the same palace courtyard and attended lectures in the same place every day.
But after leaving the palace, the relationship between the two of them seemed to be disconnected. It was not until he suddenly received news from the other party that he sat at the table for a long time as if he had been separated from the world.
After a while, he slowly picked up the pen, spread out the stationery, and prepared to reply to his younger brother and sister.
However, when he dipped in ink, his hand stopped.
He suddenly thought uncontrollably, wondering what Xue Yan was doing at this time.