After discussing a few more things, Mei Niang felt hungry and wanted to go downstairs for breakfast. Lu Xiangfeng collected the account books and led her and her servants downstairs, all the way to the restaurant in front. When they got to the second floor, they were told that the private room that Mei Niang usually used was occupied. Lu Xiangfeng was about to speak, but Mei Niang waved her hand and said:
"Forget it, the guests are the most important thing, let's just change it!"
The waiter Huang Fuxing looked at Lu Xiangfeng in embarrassment: "There is not a single room left. All the rooms on the second to fourth floors have been booked..."
Lu Xiangfeng was puzzled: "There are so many private rooms, and they are all booked after just a short while of opening?"
Huang Fuxing said, "It was ordered by a nobleman, who said that he hadn't had our Xiankelai snacks for a long time, so he called his men to come together. They have already arrived, and we just served the tea and snacks. We are sweating all over!"
Lu Xiangfeng looked at him, nodded, and turned to Mei Niang and said, "Miss, would it be better for you to go back to your room and have breakfast?"
Mei Niang glanced at the seats outside, picked out a seat by the window, and said, "No, just sit under the window over there. You can eat while watching the street view."
Huang Fuxing hurried over to wipe the table again and said courteously, "Please sit down, young lady. I will bring you some refreshments right away!"
Mei Niang said thank you for your hard work and asked casually, "That nobleman brought so many people to have breakfast. Have you heard where he came from and what his name is?"
Huang Fuxing tilted his head and thought for a moment: "I seemed to hear them mention the 'King of Qi', but I was busy leading the way and didn't pay close attention!"
Mei Niang was stunned: King Qi? No way, I run into this guy wherever I go! Forget breakfast, let's go, I don't want to see that unlucky guy again!
Seeing Huang Fuxing almost reaching the stairs, Mei Niang called him: "I suddenly remembered something, so I'm leaving now. I won't have breakfast, so you don't have to send it to me!"
Lu Xiangfeng advised: "No matter how busy you are, you can't miss the meal. Our Xiankelai snacks are famous for their exquisite taste. Girls and sisters, at least try some!"
Mei Niang glanced at Cui Xi and Cui Si and said with a smile, "Okay, pack three or four food boxes. We'll eat them in the car and bring some back for the madam to try!"
The wife she was thinking of was not the one in the Hou Mansion, but Madam Qin, her mother in this life.
Lu Xiangfeng told Huang Fuxing to do it. Huang Fuxing hurried downstairs, came up halfway and said that the accounting office downstairs was looking for the shopkeeper. Lu Xiangfeng went downstairs first. Mei Niang, Cui Xi and Cui Si were about to follow him downstairs. When they turned the corner, the door of the private room opened and the tall, cold and handsome King Qi walked out. Following him were Zhang Jingyun and Lingxuzi who were not wearing masks.
Mei Niang was unable to dodge and came face to face with the Prince of Qi. She knew that she was wearing a mask and he would not recognize her, but she still showed a little panic. What was worse was that they could not avoid eye contact. The Prince of Qi's clear and handsome eyes seemed to have some kind of magic, which attracted her gaze for a long time, until she heard Zhang Jingyun say, "Your Highness, please come this way!"
Suddenly she came to her senses, stepped back hastily, and knelt down with her head down. For a commoner woman to dare to stare at a man called "Your Highness" like that, wasn't that courting death
Zhang Jingyun naturally recognized her at a glance and kindly reminded her not to attract the attention of King Qi.
She lowered her head and looked at the pair of black thick-soled rhinoceros leather boots under the King of Qi's dark purple brocade robe embroidered with a coiled dragon, and she urged herself in her heart: Go away, go away, the girl doesn't have time to waste with you!
The King of Qi also felt strange. He didn't see clearly what the woman looked like, but he almost fell into her pair of star-like bright eyes. He looked at the three women kneeling at his feet, as if he smelled a sickening sweet smell of powder. He frowned, retracted his gaze, and strode downstairs.
Mei Niang raised her head and received Zhang Jingyun's concerned gaze. She smiled and greeted him, indicating that she was fine. She watched him and Lingxuzi disappear at the stairs.
At the gate of Xiankelai, the King of Qi boarded the carriage and turned to Zhang Jingyun and Lingxuzi and said, "Please do as you please. You don't have to follow me. I will only ride in the carriage to travel around the city for a while and then go back to the palace to rest."
Zhang Jingyun said: "Your Highness, please be careful. The wound cannot be opened again!"
"I know!"
Lingxuzi said to Shan Yong and the other two guards who were following him: "Your Highness didn't eat much. When you return to the palace, you must eat some food first and then take the pills!"
Shan Yong cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, Taoist priest, I'll remember it and take care of it!"
Zhang Jingyun and Lingxuzi were about to turn back to Xiankelai when three or five middle-aged men in elegant and noble clothes and with proud demeanor came up from the street on the left. They walked with their chests puffed out and soon arrived at the entrance of Xiankelai. Zhang Jingyun glanced at them and whispered to Lingxuzi:
"Let's go, we can't eat this breakfast anymore!"
The two had just taken two steps when one of the men shouted, "Stand still!"
Zhang Jingyun paused, turned around, and bowed slightly to those people as if he had just realized something. "It turns out that you are the seniors. I am so sorry for your disrespect!"
Zhang Wuyang put on a stern father's face, pointed at a man with two tufts of beautiful beard who looked like a scholar and said:
"This is my old comrade, my great uncle Zeng Jianyu, the commander of the Southern Defense Command. He just returned to Beijing two days ago. You should come and meet him!"
Zhang Jingyun bowed respectfully to Zeng Jianyu and said, "It is a great honor for me to meet you, my dear junior!"
Zeng Jianyu smiled and nodded: "It is true that the rumors are true. The eldest son has such excellent character and looks, and he is exactly the same as my father when he was young!"
Lingxuzi, who was standing next to him, lowered his head after hearing this, fearing that someone would see the smile that inadvertently appeared on his face.
What annoyed Zhang Jingyun the most was that people said he looked like Zhang Wuyang. He wished he could destroy his face and often wore a mask. Only recently was he forced by the emperor to show his true face to people.
As expected, Zhang Jingyun didn't say a word. Lingxuzi thought it would be a bad idea to let Zhang Wuyang lose face in front of his colleagues, so he raised his head and bowed to those people with a smile:
"My name is Xia Xueyuan, a good friend of Master Zhang. I am honored to meet Uncle Zhang and several adults! Are you going to Xiankelai for tea? Master Zhang and I have important matters to attend to, so we cannot stay with you for long. Please forgive us! Please come in, adults!"
He stepped aside to let Zhang Wuyang and the others pass, and led a few steps towards the gate of Xiankelai. Zhang Wuyang patted Lingxuzi's shoulder with satisfaction:
"Good nephew! You and Jingyun have been friends for many years, and you are as close as brothers. You should go back with him. Jingguo Mansion is his home, and it is also your home!"
Lingxuzi responded: "My nephew will remember it!"
Zhang Wuyang glanced at Zhang Jingyun, who had an indifferent expression, turned around, strode with his head held high, and was the first to walk into Xiankelai.
Zeng Jianyu said to him as they walked: "Young Master's temperament is exactly the same as Brother Zhang's when he was young. It's really rare to have such a similar father and son!"
Zhang Wuyang laughed: "Excuse me! This kid doesn't accept good things, but only accepts useless things!"
Zhang Jingyun stood there expressionlessly. Lingxuzi pushed him and said, "Let's go, or go back and continue drinking tea and eating breakfast. I'm not full yet."
Zhang Jingyun glanced at him and said, "Why should you be polite to him?"
Lingxuzi said: "He is your father after all. If you don't care about the father-son relationship, why can't you leave when he shouts stop?"
Zhang Jingyun sneered: "Father-son relationship? I wish I could cut off my flesh and bones to repay him and even things with him!"
Lingxuzi sighed, "In fact, I am similar to you. Before I was eighteen, I didn't even recognize my father. He was not in my heart. Master often took me on tours, and also let me go around by myself. My father came to visit me every year, but he never saw me. Master just didn't let me know. But in the end, he met me. On the rugged mountain road, my father didn't ask who I was. He held me tightly, with tears on his dusty face. At that moment, I knew that my blood was connected to his. I didn't remember him, but he always kept me in his heart... Parents in the world are kind-hearted. Even if you become a monk to practice, you dare not let them down!"
Zhang Jingyun lowered his head and laughed after a long while: "You can't let go, so you are destined to never become a real person in this life! Don't try to seduce me, my situation is far from yours. Let's go, let's go in and buy two boxes of freshly baked snacks, and follow me to the Song Mansion to visit grandpa and grandma!"
In the backyard of Xiankelai, Mei Niang took Cui Xi and Cui Si into the carriage. Lu Xiangfeng and two waiters brought four baskets of hot snacks. Lin Amao flicked the whip, and the carriage slowly left and went to Qin Mansion in the west of the city.
In the Qin Mansion, the slightly dilapidated courtyard was filled with a strong festive atmosphere. Qin Boqing was already well, but Madam Qin and Feng would not let him get out of bed too early, and forced him to lie in bed for a few more days to recuperate. When Qin Boqing was seriously ill, he had seen his mother and wife's tears many times, and understanding their painstaking efforts, he did not say much. He just believed whatever they said and only let them put a few books on the bed. After lying down and sleeping enough, he would lean against the head of the bed to read a few times. After taking several doses of medicine prescribed by Zhang Jingyun, Feng felt less weak and the dull pain in her stomach was gone. In addition, her husband's illness got better and his coughing in the middle of the night became less frequent. Her mother-in-law took the medicine and soaked her feet for a few days, and was able to walk a few steps with the help of a cane and the little girl. She was in a very happy mood and felt more relaxed. She no longer lay down, but got up early every day, holding her belly, and directed the servants to decorate the yard with all their heart, with colorful New Year symbols and pictures, bright red couplets, brand new red lanterns, and even the flowers and trees in the yard were tied with red silk, which made Mrs. Qin smile from ear to ear.
Mei Niang's return added more laughter and joy to this joyous little house.
Four baskets of cyclamen snacks were placed on the altar. Under the guidance of Mrs. Qin, Feng lit incense and prayed. When the incense was half burned, she allowed the snacks to be distributed, two per person, up and down. The snacks were still steaming. The family gathered in Feng's room and ate around the table. Qin Boqing was allowed to get out of bed. Feng sat on Qin Boqing's left and Mei Niang sat on his right. He smiled and broke the snacks open. He found that they were filled with sesame seeds, so he handed them to Mei Niang:
"Brother got a sweet one, give it to you!"
Mei Niang got a meat-filled bun and ate it happily. She shook her head and said, "I don't like desserts. Give it to my sister-in-law!"
Qin Boqing asked curiously, "Don't you love desserts the most? You have been snatching them from me since you were little, but now I give them to you and you don't want them. When did you change your taste?"
Mei Niang saw Madam Qin looking over, so she pursed her lips and smiled: "The taste of the Hou Mansion is different from ours. They always like to make sweet desserts. If you eat too much, you will get tired of it."
Madam Qin nodded: "Then don't eat it, Qing'er, eat it while it's hot."
Mei Niang took the snack from Qin Boqing's hand and gave him another one with pure meat filling: "If you have a cough, don't eat the one with sesame filling, eat this!"
Feng looked at them with a smile. Madam Qin was touched and sighed, "Son, you have loved your brother since you were a child. You should do the same to Lord Hou!"
Mei Niang wiped her lips with a handkerchief and said with a smile: "Mother, this love is mutual. My brother loves me too!"
After Qin Boqing recovered, he heard from Feng that Mei Niang had complained about the Hou Mansion in front of Madam Qin. Seeing his mother's face darken, he hurried to smooth things over:
"My sister went back today and told Lord Hou that when my brother is fully recovered, I will go to visit Lord Hou and give Heng'er a red envelope!"
Mei Niang responded, and Madam Qin smiled again: "That's exactly what should be done!"
The family sat and talked for a while. Cui Xi came in from outside and winked at Mei Niang. Mei Niang knew that she couldn't stay long, so she stood up and said goodbye, but she only dragged Feng Shi and said:
"Sister-in-law, please send me off. Mother, please sit still. Brother, it doesn't matter if it's raining or snowing. Just sit inside. Don't be busy studying. You don't have enough energy yet. Just chat with sister-in-law. When the sun comes out, sit in the yard and bask in the sun!"
Madam Qin and Qin Boqing agreed. Mei Niang helped Feng out and went to the front hall. Cui Xi handed over a purse, which Mei Niang handed to Feng.
"This is two thousand taels of silver. My brother is getting well. He will visit relatives and friends after the New Year and make friends with virtuous scholars. He always has social events when he is outside. Give him some money. He will study hard without any urging. My sister-in-law is not feeling well, so ask the maids to take good care of her. By the end of February, when the exam comes, he will be able to bring you a place in the imperial examination!"
Feng couldn't hide the smile on her face, but pushed the banknotes back: "Your brother's illness was said to be extremely difficult to treat in the autumn. He coughed up blood several times. Mother said that our master's career was ruined by this illness. If it weren't for my sister's risk of going out of the city... I asked Sister Lian about what happened that day. It was really too dangerous! I remember your love for you! I can't always take your money. You are still useful. I have plans for the money your brother got for the exam - I will sell the few acres of land outside the city as a dowry!"
Mei Niang stuffed the banknotes into her sleeve without saying anything: "What land are you selling? You've just married into my family for a few days and you're selling your dowry. Do you want your family to scold my brother? Take it. Remember that I used your name. You have shares in the industry outside. You can get dividends starting next year. You don't have to worry about the money. Just spend it!"
While Feng was stunned, Mei Niang let her go, waved her hand with a smile, and took Cui Xi and Cui Si away.
On the official road outside the city covered with thick white snow, the King of Qi's carriage drove slowly, heading straight to Guiyun Villa.
Shan Yong rode beside him and said to the King of Qi in the carriage with concern: "It's hard to walk on the snow. The carriage is shaking violently. I have been sitting for too long. Lie down now!"
The King of Qi leaned back in his seat and said lazily, "Go your way and stop talking nonsense!"
After a while, he angrily cursed again: "Idiots, that's all you can do. You can't even find a person! He clearly came out of the city that day and went to the front of Guiyun Villa, saying he was visiting a friend. That means his family is in the city. He said his last name was Qin and he was the second child in the family, but you still can't find him!"
Shan Yong frowned and said, "Master, there are many families with the surname Qin in the city. I have checked most of them, but there is no one named Qin Er..."
"What the hell! Did he fall from the sky, or did he spring out of a rock?"
The King of Qi was so excited that he punched the wall of the carriage hard. Shan Yong was startled: "Master! Master, please don't be angry! Take care of yourself! We are all looking for him, several people, and we have been looking for him all the time! Maybe we will have news tonight. The second son of Qin is thin. I saw that he couldn't stand the cold that day. His face turned blue when the wind blew. It has been snowing heavily these days, and it is inconvenient to travel. He may want to wait until the weather clears up before visiting Master. Master just returned to the city from the villa, and he has to go back to see him. I am afraid..."
"Stop talking nonsense! What if he comes? Let's go!"
"Yes, the road ahead is flatter now, so we can go faster. Follow us, those behind!"
The carriage gradually accelerated, and the guards rode on horses to catch up. The horses' hooves were in a mess, and wherever they passed, there were bursts of snow and fog. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)