It was the Mid-autumn Festival again, and because she was going to have dinner at Mrs. Tai's side in the evening, Song Jianing brought her younger brother over early to accompany Mrs. Tai more. Brother Mao carried the Chang'e Jade Rabbit Lamp in his hand that the two brothers and sisters made together, and the boy lit the lamp in the daytime, and mentioned it wherever he went.
Mrs. Tai asked the siblings to sit on the warm couch by the window, and the maids brought in the cakes and tea, and placed them on the low pineapple wood table.
The old people love their youngest sons and grandsons. The most rare thing Mrs. Tai is now is Brother Mao. She holds her in her arms and points to Chang'e on the lantern to ask who painted Brother Mao. Brother Mao replied while eating the cake. The four-year-old boy is handsome and beautiful, with clear articulation, and his phoenix eyes are more and more like Guo Boyan.
"Brother Mao, eat more, grow taller, and let your elder brother teach you kung fu in the future." Mrs. Tai laughed and coaxed.
Brother Mao nodded vigorously, Song Jianing sat aside and smiled, the soft autumn light came in from the west, and the atmosphere in the house was warm.
"Master Shizi." A maid's voice suddenly came from outside the window.
Song Jianing smiled slightly, Brother Mao was very happy, crawled out of the arms of Mrs. Tai, ran to the window and called out to Big Brother, and then ran to the edge of the couch, knowing that Big Brother would come out from here. Song Jianing was afraid that her younger brother would fall, so she held the little hand of her younger brother and pulled the boy to her side, and when she saw Guo Xiao came in, she let go of her hand.
"Brother!" Brother Mao rushed over excitedly.
Guo Xiao hugged his younger brother, his eyes went over Brother Mao's shoulder, and landed on his stepsister's face. Since she was given marriage to King Shou, she went out less and less. After careful calculation, Guo Xiao saw her several times with one hand after the Dragon Boat Festival. However, looking at Song Jianing's smooth face, he was sure that Guo Xiao was finally relieved that the medicine did not hurt her bones.
"Big brother is here." Song Jianing said with a slight smile.
Guo Xiao nodded and let Brother Mao continue to eat cakes. He sat at the low table opposite Song Jianing.
Mrs. Tai asked the eldest grandson, "Why did I come so early today?"
Guo Xiao glanced at his stepsister and said helplessly, "Yunfang and Jianing are about to get married. I'll come over earlier and stay with me for a while."
Mrs. Tai has always known that this grandson is a cold-hearted person. She glanced at the door and said strangely: "Yunfang is late this time."
Guo Xiao didn't respond, and asked Song Jianing, "I heard that a wedding dress was sent from the palace the day before yesterday. Is it appropriate?"
Song Jianing feigned shyness and lowered his eyes as he nodded.
Guo Xiao hummed, teasing Brother Mao, and suddenly said to Song Jianing, "Grandma coaxes Brother Mao, let's play chess with brother and sister."
Song Jianing raised his head in surprise.
Guo Xiao looked at her calmly. Song Jianing pursed her lips and looked at their wife with a smile. She couldn't find an excuse to refuse. Just as she was about to say it, Guo Xiao had already stood up and walked straight towards the red sandalwood rectangular table to the north. Song Jianing had no choice but to put on his shoes and go down to the ground. After walking a dozen steps, he sat opposite Guo Xiao.
There was a pot of sweet-scented osmanthus on the side, and the delicate fragrance lingered on her nose. Song Jianing tilted her head to look at her brother on the couch. She only took back her gaze when the maid brought the chessboard over.
"An An go first." Guo Xiao looked at the chessboard and whispered.
Song Jianing frowned slightly. Just now in front of Mrs. Tai, Guo Xiao called her Jia Ning. Now that she is far away from Mrs. Tai, he called her An An again, showing a strange intimacy. In fact, Song Jianing has been on guard against Guo Xiao for the past few years, until the marriage was decided, and her fear of Guo Xiao faded away. She didn't go out because of her status as a girl to be married, not to avoid him deliberately. But now, Guo Xiao was just two different nicknames, and Song Jianing's vigilance came up again.
But, even if Guo Xiao had that kind of thoughts on her, she was going to marry Shou Wang, so Guo Xiao wouldn't dare to grab a woman from Shou Wang
Song Jianing didn't believe Guo Xiao had the courage.
Being absent-minded, Song Jianing lost a son.
Guo Xiao followed closely, and Hei Zi was placed next to her Bai Zi, giving an inexplicable sense of oppression.
Song Jianing didn't like this feeling. The second stone was placed a little further away, without any rules. Anyway, he was not in the mood to really play chess with him. As a result, Guo Xiao chased after him again, put Heizi away, raised his eyes to Song Jianing, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "An An is going to be a princess, and eldest brother hasn't congratulated you yet."
Song Jianing smiled stiffly, and squeezed out another piece of white.
"The lord has a distinguished status, but it is said that he has already accepted two tutoring maids, does An An mind?" Guo Xiao turned around the sunspot in his hand, stared at Song Jianing's lowered eyes, and said quietly, "Before Tingfang got married, I asked What kind of man does she want to marry, she said, she doesn't mind the future husband's official status, she just hopes that man will be devoted to her."
As long as his step-sister is willing to stay by his side, he can also give her his wholeheartedness.
Song Jianing listened expressionlessly, she of course knew that King Shou didn't touch the two palace maids, and even if he did, he didn't care, so he answered sincerely: "With my status, the lord does not dislike me, I have already Satisfied, for the rest, I will keep in mind my grandmother’s teachings, not be arrogant or jealous, and try my best to take care of the back house for the prince.”
"Nonsense, An An is quiet and well-behaved, gentle and beautiful, who has the right to dislike you?" Guo Xiao put the black child in his hand next to her white child again, and noticed that Song Jianing was looking at him, Guo Xiao also raised his eyes, his black eyes were complicated. He looked at her, hoping she could understand what he meant. He is 20 years old, and since the day he understood the matter of men and women, for so many years, he has only had this girl across from him in his heart.
Song Jianing didn't notice Guo Xiao's eyes, because after Guo Xiao said "Who is qualified to dislike you", the moment she raised her head, Song Jianing saw Guo Xiao in her previous life. Wasn't she demure, well-behaved, gentle and beautiful back then? But Guo Xiao hated her even more than Liang Shao, Liang Shao at least gave her the status of a concubine, and was willing to talk to her with sweet words to coax her, Guo Xiao, he...
If it wasn't for her mother marrying her stepfather, in Guo Xiao's eyes, she was at most a beautiful commoner, a woman he could use his power to grab.
Song Jianing didn't want to think about the past life, nor did he want to accompany Guo Xiao to play the scene of harmony between brothers and sisters. He raised his hand and disturbed the pairs of Othello on the chessboard. Song Jianing deliberately said loudly: "Big brother won't let me at all, I won't leave with you!" She acted like a spoiled brat and left Guo Xiao, who was stunned there, and Song Jianing went to accompany Mrs. Tai again.
As soon as they walked to the couch, the twins came. The two brothers were the best at making jokes, and the house suddenly became lively.
Song Jianing didn't look at Guo Xiao again.
Guo Xiao stood on the side of the twins as usual, but in his mind was the mockery that flashed in her eyes before she disrupted the chess game. If she understood his heart, she would understand Guo Xiao's fear of disgust and resistance, but Guo Xiao couldn't figure it out except for ridicule.
~
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Song Jianing stayed in Linyuntang honestly. This time, he really avoided Guo Xiao. Occasionally, his mother left Guo Xiao to eat in Linyuntang. Guo Xiao took a photo.
"Sister, eat pomegranate!"
At dusk, Brother Mao suddenly ran over excitedly, with a big red pomegranate in his hand. Song Jianing couldn't help laughing. Halfway through his laugh, Brother Mao said happily: "Big brother bought it, bought a big basket, and gave me the biggest one!"
Song Jianing looked at the pomegranate in his brother's hand, and thought of one thing with hindsight. In the past two years, every time a new fruit is ripe, the first bite that everyone in the Guogong Mansion eats must be brought back by Guo Xiao. . Does Guo Xiao want to take care of the entire palace, or, knowing that she likes these things, is just for her
In a strange way, Song Jianing remembered the two red dates that Guo Xiao gave her last year.
Thinking about it this way, Song Jianing had no appetite to eat this pomegranate, and ordered Shuang'er to send it to the kitchen to peel it, only to watch his brother eat it.
Brother Mao is sensible and asked his sister several times, Song Jianing smiled and lied: "Brother Mao, eat it, my sister doesn't like it."
Brother Mao foolishly believed it, had enough to eat, and led the maid to Yihexuan to find the elder brother. The elder brother warned him when he just gave him pomegranates. When the brothers met, Guo Xiao picked up the boy and went to play in the garden. When he walked to the lake, he casually asked his brother, "Did Brother Mao share the big pomegranate with his sister?"
Brother Mao nodded and said obediently, "Sister doesn't like to eat, so I'll leave the rest to Shuang'er and the others."
Guo Xiao smiled and touched the top of the boy's head with his big hand, so as not to let his brother see the disappointment in his eyes.
How could he not like to eat it, he still remembered how she, when she was eleven years old, scooped pomegranates with a spoon at her grandmother's side.
It's not that she doesn't love it, but that she doesn't like eating what he gave her.
But Guo Xiao didn't understand why she was afraid of him, mocking him, and disgusting, so much so that she didn't even touch the food he gave.
~
The pomegranates are ripe, the capital is getting colder day by day, the chrysanthemum flowers in the yard are getting bigger and bigger, and there is another happy event in the Guogong's mansion. The third girl, Yunfang, is getting married.
Yun Fang got married on the sixth day of the sixth day, and put on makeup on the fifth day. Song Jianing and her mother went to the third room to congratulate her. Although there were some gaps between the sister-in-law, Lin was really happy for her niece on such a big day. She packaged a bulging red seal as a gift, and also gave Yun Fang a pair of emerald bracelets with clear green and translucent. This is Lin's dowry, a whole piece of emerald jade. Lin's people made three pairs of bracelets, and both Tingfang and Lanfang gave them away.
The third lady came from a famous family, but her family's property was really not as good as the Lin family, a wealthy businessman in the capital. Seeing the pair of bracelets, the third lady's attitude towards the Lin family finally softened.
Song Jianing gave one of the Bingti lotus handkerchiefs that she embroidered with her own hands, with gold thread embroidering "Flowers are full of flowers, and the moon is full of happiness".
Yun Fang smiled and thanked her. She checked the gifts she received today and found Song Jianing's handkerchief. She was so angry that she cut it with scissors, which scared the maids around her into silence.
The next day, the bridegroom came to welcome the bride, and the front yard was lively. Song Jianing stood beside her mother and watched the ceremony. Seeing that the third brother-in-law, Huang Zhensheng, was well-mannered, with a gentle and refined manner, and a handsome appearance, Song Jianing was very happy for Yunfang.
Yun Fang was wearing a hijab and could not see anything. He had long forgotten what Huang Zhensheng looked like, and was picked up by the groom in a complicated mood.
Three days later, the young couple returned home.
Everyone gathered in Changxin Courtyard. Song Jianing looked at Yunfang curiously. Seeing that Yunfang's complexion was ruddy and her face was full of spring, she was similar to the appearance of the eldest sister when she returned home. She guessed that the third sister and the third brother-in-law were in a good relationship. The sisters were all married to Mr. Ruyi, and listening to Mrs. Tai's teaching to Yun Fang, Song Jianing couldn't help thinking of herself.
On the ninth day of November, there are only two months left.
She lost her mind, Yun Fang accompanied her husband to serve tea to the elders, and when she saw Song Jianing's dazed look of Sichun, her lips slightly curled up, she pursed her lips quietly. Before she got married, she was extremely dissatisfied with her marriage. She thought that the Huang family was too strict, and being compared by Song Jianing's high marriage made her even more pitiful. The only fortunate thing is that Huang Zhensheng, who has not seen him for several years, has become so good-looking. Yushu is graceful and graceful, not much worse than Liang Shao. He is gentle and considerate towards her, and Yunfang's heart slowly becomes more comfortable.
But no matter how comfortable she was, Yun Fang couldn't help but feel jealous when she saw Song Jianing, feeling that she was inferior to others.
Therefore, in late September, when the maid rushed in, saying that the second uncle Song Jianing had beaten the drum and was going to sue the uncle in front of the emperor for forcibly robbing the Song family's daughter, Yun Fang's heartbeat quickened and her eyes lit up, she made no secret of it. I laughed in front of the maid!