"She laughed and asked how hard it is to be apart in this world."
"The unscrupulous lover."
“The long-awaited Sauvignon Blanc…”
Wu Nong's soft words of the woman's melancholy came gently across the courtyard, and the sound of the pipa, carrying countless traces of family resentment, turned into intoxicating liquor, pouring into the heart, and the sorrow broke the heart.
"The country fox girl still has the nerve to listen to such comments, how shameless!"
A carriage stopped outside the alley, separated only by a wall from the sad Wu Nong's soft words.
The cursing girl was standing next to the carriage holding a handkerchief. She was dressed in a brown spring dress and had a bun. She had sharp features and she could tell at a glance that she was not easy to mess with.
She glanced at the high-walled courtyard with boredom. She was suffocating in her heart, but she couldn't get angry. She could only curse in dissatisfaction to show her dissatisfaction.
The Pingtan in the courtyard was still singing, and the voice was soft, with the peculiar cooing of Jiangnan women, and the emotions contained inexplicable and unexplained resentment, which made people feel chilled to the core.
The maid Fang Ling could no longer listen, but the master in the carriage was indifferent.
Cui Wenxi sat in the car, quietly listening to the melancholy in the boudoir.
Pingtan tells the story of a woman in a boudoir waiting for her lover to return. She has been separated from her lover for too long, which makes the woman miss her but also have random thoughts.
Staying alone in the empty boudoir made her feel happy for a while, and felt sorry for herself the next.
Accompanied by the weeping sound of the pipa, the woman's lingering thoughts are vividly displayed.
Cui Wenxi has not listened to Pingtan for a long time. Today he accidentally heard a piece of music and thought it was quite good.
She had maintained a dignified posture without moving at all, with her back straight, her hands on her knees, and even her earrings had not moved much.
I don't know how long it took before Cui Wenxi said, "Come back."
Fang Ling outside was stunned and asked in surprise: "Is the lady going back like this?"
Cui Wenxi did not answer.
Fang Ling had no choice but to dig out the courtyard again before ordering the groom to ride the horse back home.
On the way, Fang Ling was unhappy after all. She frowned and walked to the carriage window and whispered, "Why don't you go in and take a look at that country vixen and teach her a lesson?"
Cui Wenxi in the carriage slowly lowered his head and his eyes fell on his hands.
The ten fingers were made as tender as onions by not touching the spring water, and the finger bones were slender and slender. They wore an exquisite ruby ring, which was extremely well maintained.
She carefully examined the light color on her nails and felt that it was a little dimmed by the gemstone ring, so she said, "Dye my nails when you get back. I'd better pick red ones."
Fang Ling: "???"
Cui Wenxi slowly supported the flower hairpin on her bun and continued: "Don't mention it again in the future."
Fang Ling outside said nothing.
She knew that her wife was prudent, and the King of Keqing had already brought the country girl who was pregnant with a baby back to the capital to raise her in another courtyard. It was really hard for people to understand that the mistress was still stable and not noisy.
"Madam..."
"Don't mention this matter again."
Fang Ling had no choice but to shut up.
Cui Wenxi in the carriage seemed a little tired, and her long-stretched back gradually relaxed. She leaned against the wall of the carriage quietly, with no expression on her face.
The Pingtan song just now was really well sung, and it won her heart.
After all, she was a bit naive. In such a feudal era, how could a couple stay together for the rest of their lives
She had been married to Prince Qing for seven years, and she was overjoyed to have such a beloved man who treated her like a jewel, loved and cared for her in every way, and understood the difficulties of being a woman.
She originally thought that her life was going smoothly. After all, the eldest daughter who was reborn as the Duke of Zhenguo was already considered a winner in life. She also met Prince Qing when she was marriageable and proposed to marry him, and she also made a lifelong promise in front of her parents. A pair of vows.
The oath letter is still in her mother-in-law's hand. The handwriting is extremely good and can penetrate the back of the paper. Every word contains true feelings.
At that time, the noble ladies in Beijing were envious.
Her parents were satisfied with the marriage, and so was she.
Unfortunately, the moon waxed and waned, and God played a joke on her - she would have no children after seven years of marriage.
This is a disaster for women and perhaps for this patriarchal society.
She was childless, and her parents were unable to seek medical advice.
Having nothing to do for seven years was her biggest fault as a woman, and now, her husband, Prince Qing, brought back a woman from Weizhou who was pregnant and was secretly placed in another courtyard.
She didn't know about it originally, but Fang Ling, her personal maid, got the information from elsewhere.
After all, she couldn't sit still. She was curious about what kind of woman could fall in love with her husband, so she came over to take a look.
She never thought that she would lose interest as soon as she reached the back door of the courtyard.
How about taking a look
So what if you make a big fuss
Apart from making others laugh, what else can she gain
Really uncomfortable.
Cui Wenxi played with the colorful jade tassel on her waist boredly, wrapping it around her finger again and again.
Those smooth and silky tassels were like secular shackles bound to her body. They looked bright and beautiful, and they were really lovable, but they entangled her tightly and could not break free.
Fang Ling, who was outside, was afraid that she would be sad, so she said softly: "Madam, don't let your body get so angry."
Upon hearing this, Cui Wenxi said "hmm" and then there was no more movement.
Fang Ling hesitated to speak, but didn't know what to say.
She had served Cui Wenxi for many years, so she naturally knew her temperament. Her emotions and anger were invisible and most of them were hidden in her heart. What King Qing did this time must have hurt her.
When the carriage arrived at Prince Qing's Mansion, the coachman put down his stool.
Fang Ling lifted the curtain and reached out to help her master get out of the car.
After Cui Wenxi came out, he still maintained the same posture as when he left the house. His back was straight, his walking posture was neither fast nor slow, the steps on his head rarely swayed, and the jade pendant around his waist was also docile. He looked like a noble person all over his body. Women are elegant and calm.
The servant at the door saluted respectfully.
They have never seen their mistress in any embarrassment. Just like now, everyone knows it, but the girl who has returned does not look sad at all.
She seems to have always been like this, no matter how big things happen to her, her head is always held high, her back is always straight, neither humble nor arrogant, and there is a pride in her bones that would rather break than bend.
On the way back to Yaoguang Garden, all the servants saluted her.
Cui Wenxi was no different from usual, looking friendly and cheerful, with no trace of anger at all.
She was also concerned that the ruby on her hand did not match the color of her nails, so she told Fang Ling to dye her nails later and choose the brightest red.
Fang Ling was helpless.
Back at Yaoguang Garden, the maid brought a copper basin for Cui Wenxi to cleanse his hands. She took off the gemstone ring, handed it to Fang Ling and put it in a delicate wooden box, then cleaned it carefully.
A clean and soft handkerchief was handed over, and she took the water stain on the handle and gently wiped it clean.
The maid brought the ointment, applied it little by little on the green onion fingers, and rubbed it carefully.
After the moisture of the balm completely moisturized the skin, Cui Wenxi looked at the white back of his hands with satisfaction.
At this time, Fang Ling came up and asked, "Madam, do you want to change into home clothes?"
Cui Wenxi said "hmm" and said, "Pick the lotus-colored one."
She especially prefers lotus root color, and Fang Ling knows this.
The maid waited on her to go to the dressing room.
Fang Ling chose a lotus-colored myrobalan skirt according to her wishes, and wore a lilac-colored twig-patterned large-sleeved shirt. She wore a string of agate beads around her neck, making her whole person look delicate and elegant.
Cui Wenxi stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself.
She is tall, has fair skin, and her slender figure is set off by a myrobalan skirt that makes her look graceful and graceful. However, the bun on her head does not match her outfit.
Well, I need to change my hairstyle.
So the maid who combed her hair took off the flower hairpins and step shakes one by one, and replaced them with a pony bun that matched her clothes. She put a jade comb in her hair and a delicate daisy on her bun. Velvet flowers.
This combination is both elegant and charming, and Cui Wenxi is very satisfied.
Fang Ling often wanted to say something, but she held it back, not daring to spoil her mistress's good mood.
A bit of sunlight shone in from the window, and Cui Wenxi walked slowly to the window to look at the sun outside.
Now that the weather is getting warmer in spring, everything is recovering. Everything is green and full of vitality, just like the top of her head, which is glowing with green.
She wanted something sweet.
Knowing that the mistress wanted to eat a bowl of sweet-scented osmanthus wine-stuffed meatballs, the cook in the small kitchen immediately kneaded the glutinous rice flour and cooked it.
Cui Wenxi sat on the couch and asked Fang Ling to prepare tools for nail dyeing.
The impatiens are not in bloom yet, so I use kodan powder to dye my nails.
The kodan powder was prepared last year. Fresh flowers are picked, mashed, filtered and boiled with water, dried and then sealed and stored in a celadon jar. It can be used at any time.
Fang Ling took the koudan powder and opened it gently, and a strong floral fragrance suddenly hit her nostrils.
If you want to get a good color, you need to use alum and cinnamon powder, and match them strictly in proportion to get a good color.
While she was preparing the kodan powder, the maid served sweet-scented osmanthus wine-stuffed meatball soup.
There are only a dozen meatballs as big as little fingers in the blue sky-colored porcelain bowl. The soup is as white as rice soup. There is a little fermented rice wine and osmanthus dew in it, and honey is added for seasoning.
The faint scent of osmanthus fills the nose, and a little bit of bright yellow osmanthus embellishes it, which is quite playful.
Cui Wenxi didn't eat much desserts on weekdays because they would make her gain weight. Today, she was so excited that she couldn't help but taste them.
It had already cooled down a bit when it came from the kitchen, and the temperature in the mouth was just right. Knowing that she didn't like sweets, she didn't add much honey, so just the sweetness was enough.
The fragrance of osmanthus dew mixed with the softness of the meatballs seems to taste pretty good.
She took the spoon and put it into her mouth bit by bit, chewing slowly and gracefully, and she was quite enjoying it.
Fang Ling, who was not far away, couldn't help but glance at her secretly, feeling increasingly uneasy. Whenever her master remained silent, she knew that he must be holding back a big move.
After finishing the fermented rice balls, the maid brought tea for Cui Wenxi to rinse his mouth. After rinsing her mouth, she took a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her lips. She looked at Fang Ling and asked, "Has the koudan powder been mixed?"
Fang Ling replied: "It's ready."
Cui Wenxi: "Then apply it for me."
Fang Ling brought the wooden tray in front of her and washed her hands with warm water first.
Her nails had just been trimmed a while ago and there was no need to shape them. Fang Ling wiped away the water stains with a handkerchief, put a wrist rest on it, and then dipped goose feathers in the prepared kodan and applied it little by little to her nails.
The entire movement is meticulous and barely stains the edges of the nails.
Cui Wenxi looked at her skillful actions and said with a smile: "Fang Ling's nail dyeing skills are the best. I'm afraid she can't even compare with those in the palace."
Fang Ling said: "As long as I can make my wife happy, I will be satisfied."
Cui Wenxi joked: "Look at your potential."
She seemed to be in a good mood, and when Fang Ling was wrapping her fingers with some cloth, she said that there was also a bowl of sweet-scented osmanthus rice balls left for her in the kitchen.
Faang Ling asked tentatively: "My wife rarely eats sweets on weekdays, so why do you want to use them today?"
Cui Wenxi said calmly: "It's good to use it once in a while."
Fang Ling didn't speak any more. She concentrated on wrapping the ten fingers stained with the kodan and said, "This kodan should be used overnight."
Cui Wenxi: "It doesn't matter, the color is not bright enough, just dye it a few more times."
Fang Ling was very worried about her and hesitated to speak: "Madam..."
Cui Wenxi: "Huh?"
I don't know why, but looking at those eyes as clear as a mirror, Fang Ling was speechless.
I believe that no matter which woman is informed that her husband has brought back a woman from outside, she will be in a bad mood, and she is also pregnant.
She must be feeling terrible.
Fang Ling felt distressed and helpless. Prince Qing had gone to the palace early in the morning to pay his respects to his duties, and he probably wouldn't come back until the evening. By then, he didn't know how the couple would end up.
Thinking of this, Fang Ling was like an ant on a hot pot, thinking cowardly, it would be fine if she didn't know.
At least there would be some temporary peace.
Her thoughts fell into Cui Wenxi's eyes little by little, and she chose to ignore it.
Last autumn, King Qing was ordered to go to Weizhou on errands and did not come back until yesterday.
A man can't be trapped in the back house like a woman. She understands the difficulty for him to go out and travels around. She keeps the house in order and never lets him worry about it.
Who would have thought that he actually returned to Beijing a while ago, and first placed the girl in Xing'anfang Courtyard, and then returned to his home.
He went to the palace early today to attend to his duties and would probably not return until the evening.
As a good wife, her husband's food and daily life must be taken care of properly, so very early in the afternoon Cui Wenxi ordered the small kitchen to prepare King Qing's favorite dishes.
Her nails were dyed and her fingers were wrapped with cloth, so many movements were inconvenient, but as long as everything related to Prince Qing, she would do most of it herself.
Later in the evening, King Qing Zhao Chengyan came back from the palace, wearing a black veil on his head, a purple robe, a jade belt around his waist, and Liuhe boots on his feet, looking very handsome and powerful.
As soon as he entered the mansion, he saw a maid coming forward, bowing to him and saying, "Mr. Lang, my mistress invites you to have dinner in Yaoguang Garden."
Zhao Chengyan said "hmm" and waved to the maid, "Come here after I change my clothes."
The maid responded "yes" and went back to return her orders respectfully.
Zhao Chengyan walked towards his Tingxue Hall with his hands behind his back. He was tall and straight, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He was born extremely upright. He had been nurtured and educated in the palace since he was a child. His character was calm and he had the aristocratic air of a veteran cadre.
Nanny Xue, who was serving him, had already prepared casual clothes. When he returned, the maid brought a copper basin for him to clean his hands.
Aunt Xue presented the handkerchief and Zhao Chengyan took it.
When she went to the dressing room to change into her robe, Nanny Xue suddenly lowered her voice and said, "Mr. Lang, I don't know whether I should say something or not."
Zhao Chengyan took off his robe and wore a white tunic underneath, "Mommy, if you have anything to say, it doesn't matter."
Aunt Xue took the Wusha and said softly: "My wife left the house this morning."
Zhao Chengyan was stunned.
Nanny Xue observed his expression carefully, "She seems to have been to the other courtyard in Xing'anfang."
Zhao Chengyan did not answer.
Grandma Xue didn't say a word either.
I don’t know how long it took before Zhao Chengyan frowned and asked, “Did she say anything when she came back?”
Nanny Xue shook her head, "I sent someone over to inquire. Madam, as usual, can't tell anything."
Zhao Chengyan softly said "Oh" and said with relief, "I will make it clear to her."
Nanny Xue said no more and helped him put on the light gray round-neck narrow-sleeved robe.
Even if it is just home clothes, the materials are all made of high-quality brocade from Jiangnan Weaving House. The treasure pattern is exquisite and meticulous, the workmanship and tailoring are exquisite, and it looks calm when worn.
Aunt Xue tied the jade belt for him and smoothed out the wrinkles little by little. Only when the clothes were perfectly flawless did she let him go to the Yaoguang Garden.
On the way, Zhao Chengyan's thoughts were turning over and over again. He was already twenty-six years old and he didn't have an heir yet. He must be lying if he said he wasn't in a hurry.
This topic has been bothering him for a long time.
It's a pity that although he married the best girl in the capital, there has been no news for seven years. This matter is really difficult to deal with.
With complicated and uneasy emotions, he went to Yaoguang Garden with great worries.
Cui Wenxi had already removed the cloth wrapped around her fingers. The time spent dyeing her nails was too short, and the color was not bright enough. It was a gentle light pink, and she had to dye her nails again at night.
When she learned that Prince Qing was coming, she went out to welcome him with great anticipation.
Zhao Chengyan walked into the courtyard and saw her standing under the tree, wearing a lilac-colored long-sleeved shirt, with a gentle and graceful silver face full of tenderness.
Her eyebrows are extremely graceful, with curved willow-leaf eyebrows, a pair of eloquent almond eyes, a straight nose bridge, small lips with beaded lips, and two small pear dimples on her face when she smiles, which makes people inexplicably comfortable and happy.
It is said that there are countless such girls in Beijing, but she, Cui Wenxi, is the only one who is recognized by high-ranking families as a model of a noble woman.
Her facial features are not outstanding, but her temperament and manners are excellent. She is not surprising at first sight, but the more you look at her, the more you look at her, and the more you look at her, the more charming she becomes.
Zhao Chengyan naturally loves such a girl to the core.
Cui Wenxi bowed slowly and called Shiro as usual.
Zhao Chengyan stepped forward to hold her hand, but she did not refuse, but meekly placed it on his palm. He held it gently and carefully observed her expression, showing no displeasure at all.
"You went to the palace early today to discuss your duties and didn't have time to accompany Yuan Niang. Are you angry?"
Cui Wenxi walked beside him obediently and replied: "It's not easy for Silang to go to Weizhou to run errands. Is it going well to go to the palace to resign today?"
Zhao Chengyan: "It went quite smoothly."
The couple walked into the side room.
Fang Ling ordered people to pass on the dishes, and there are five dishes, namely braised spring bamboo shoots with fire, cold braised fern moss, tofu and meatball soup, steamed sea bass and braised shrimp.
After washing their hands, the two sat down at the table.
Cui Wenxi personally prepared the dishes for Zhao Chengyan. Knowing that he liked braised shrimps, he put one into his bowl and said, "Silang, try this braised shrimps."
Zhao Chengyan moved his chopsticks and tasted it. It was fresh and sweet in the mouth, tender and springy to the teeth. It was the familiar home-cooked taste. "Excellent." He added, "Yuan Niang should try it too."
He thoughtfully gave her one.
The couple lived in harmony as usual, and she never mentioned the woman in Xing'anfang Courtyard. He didn't know how to talk about it, for fear of affecting her mood.
Fang Ling was waiting for them to eat, feeling uneasy, fearing that the two of them would accidentally lift the table and start a quarrel.
High-ranking families pay attention to smiling without showing their teeth and eating without making a sound. Both of them are from aristocrats and have received strict upbringing since childhood. They act thoughtfully and control their emotions very steadily.
Cui Wenxi chewed carefully, was not sloppy at all when eating, and held the chopsticks gracefully.
The same thing happened to Zhao Chengyan opposite her. His actions were as gentle as hers, but his heart was melancholy and he didn't know how to speak.
Cui Wenxi completely ignored his dilemma.
In order to maintain her slim figure, she ate less in the evening, only some japonica rice, some spring bamboo shoots, fish and shrimp and half a bowl of tofu soup, without even touching a meatball.
Zhao Chengyan was useless and looked worried.
Cui Wenxi looked at him and asked, "Silang has a bad appetite. Is there something on his mind?"
Zhao Chengyan replied: "No." He then explained, "I haven't been back to Beijing for a long time, so I'm not used to eating."
Cui Wenxi said "Oh" softly, lowered his eyes and put down the bowl, and said in his usual calm tone: "Silang, there is something I want to tell you."
Zhao Chengyan: "What's the matter?"
Cui Wenxi looked at him with gentle eyes and spoke in a soothing tone, saying softly: "Let's make peace."