Ever since Chen Jingzong said he would send Huayang a gift in return, he no longer stayed in the backyard. After dinner, he went back to the front yard, and no one knew what he was busy with.
If Huayang really wanted to know, she could just send her maid to ask the servants in the front yard. But the ninth day of the lunar year was already here, and it was only two or three days away. There was no need for her to rush.
On the morning of the eighth day, Wu Run from the princess's mansion came personally with two young eunuchs and carried a box to pay his respects to the princess. He stayed for quarter of an hour and then left.
"The princess treats the prince consort very well. He didn't come back during that period, but you still remembered to prepare a birthday gift for him."
Chao Yun was packing up the boxes while still sounding somewhat indignant.
Fortunately, the prince consort came back on his own. If he had continued to live in the garrison and not been able to send the princess gifts, he would have been heartless.
Huayang just smiled.
Chen Jingzong lived in the guard post, and that was because he had a bad temper and couldn't stand her talking about Nankang, it wasn't like Chen Jingzong had offended her. As Chen Jingzong said, she was a princess, and she wouldn't be so stingy as to not give him a birthday present.
Besides, she could not give gifts on other days, but on Chen Jingzong’s birthday, she couldn’t ignore him.
The rosewood box was placed in the inner room.
Unfortunately, Chen Jingzong continued to live in the front yard that night and did not even enter the inner room.
The next day was October 9th.
At dusk, tempting aromas began to waft from Siyitang's kitchen.
Eunuch Feng is in charge of the meals of the princess and her husband. He never tries to pry into their relationship. He only knows that the princess is going to celebrate her husband's birthday tonight, so there can't be any mistakes on his part.
Knowing that the prince consort loved wine, Eunuch Feng specially prepared a dish of wine-roasted chicken. He tasted it and found the smell of wine hidden in the tender and tender chicken. At first, he could not taste anything. But after the meal, the rich and lingering aroma unique to wine would emerge through the limbs and bones little by little, as if there was a continuous warmth, which was just right for this cold winter day with a north wind.
It was a special day, so Chen Jingzong returned an hour earlier and happened to meet his two brothers' carriages in the alley.
Chen Bochong's carriage was in front, and Chen Xiaozong's was behind.
Hearing the words of the carriage boy, Chen Xiaozong lifted the curtain. At this time, Chen Jingzong's horse just passed by his carriage window.
Chen Xiaozong smiled and said, "Usually you come back when we are almost asleep. Why are you coming back so early today? Are you asking us for a gift?"
Chen Jingzong glanced at him and said, "It's either calligraphy or painting, who cares?"
Chen Xiaozong: "It's better than you giving me nothing."
Chen Jingzong: "If you call me Fourth Brother, I will give you gifts every year."
Chen Xiaozong: "I am the only one who won't bother with you. If you have the guts, you can say the same thing to my elder brother."
Chen Jingzong didn't answer it, but he didn't speed up either. He just followed his third brother's carriage slowly.
After a while, they arrived at the gate of Chen's house. The three brothers got off the car or the horse.
The literary ones are graceful and elegant, while the martial artists are heroic and dashing. They all have slender and upright figures, and standing together, they are particularly pleasing to the eye.
Chen Xiaozong did prepare a gift for his brother, and said to him, "Just follow me to Fucuitang first, so that I don't have to send someone to disturb you and the princess while they are having dinner."
Chen Jingzong nodded.
Chen Bozong had just talked to the manager and learned that his father had not returned yet, which was nothing strange.
The three brothers all lived in the west courtyard. When they were walking together, Chen Xiaozong asked curiously, "Isn't your eldest brother sending you anything this year?"
On the birthday of the 48th year when the old man just returned to Beijing, it was his eldest brother who reminded him not to forget the gift.
Chen Bozong looked indifferent: "I have already given it."
Chen Xiaozong secretly admired him, thinking that he was worthy of being the eldest brother as he was so quick to give gifts.
Chen Bozong returned to Guanhetang first.
Chen Jingzong went to Fucuitang and got a big jar of... facial cream.
The third brother's serious words seemed to still ring in my ears: "Don't think that this is something only for women. There is scorching sun in summer and frost in winter. Both men and women have to endure the suffering. My eldest brother and I are fine. When we go out, we take the car, and when we are on duty, we basically stay indoors. Only you, look at your face, not only is it tanned, but it feels rough when autumn comes, right? Your family doesn't dislike you, can the princess bear it?"
"You don't have to be shy. I found this facial cream specially. It doesn't have any fragrance. No one will know if you use it."
Chen Jingzong touched his face, opened the lid and smelled it. It really tasted like boiled water.
Siyi Hall was just around the corner, so Chen Jingzong hid the jar in his sleeve and put it in the inner room.
The water room sent over two buckets of warm water.
Chen Jingzong wiped it carefully. It was dry, so the moisture on his body soon disappeared. His shoulders and arms were fine and did not feel any roughness to the touch, but his face was indeed a little rough.
Although the princess would not kiss him, she would sometimes pat him with her little hands when she couldn't bear it any longer.
Chen Jingzong then used a little facial cream and applied it evenly over his entire face, just like she did.
After tying his hair, Chen Jingzong changed into a crimson round-necked brocade robe and went to the backyard holding a long box.
Night has fallen quietly. Lanterns are hung under the eaves and lights are on in several rooms. Even though the light cannot penetrate the darkness far enough, it warms people's hearts.
Chen Jingzong met Huayang in the next room.
Huayang: "What's taking you so long?" She was hungry.
Chen Jingzong paused and said, "I didn't take a shower the past two nights, so I just rubbed it for a little longer."
Huayang: …
She shouldn't have asked!
Chen Jingzong liked to see her glaring, and raised the long box in his hand: "Do you want to see the gift first or eat first?"
Huayang snorted, stretched out his hand to him, and told the maids to serve food.
Chen Jingzong took off his boots, sat next to her, and put the box in her hands.
It was obvious that the box was used to store paintings. Huayang opened it and found a scroll inside.
He couldn't afford to buy famous paintings except through corruption and bribery, and ordinary people's paintings were hard to give away. He had been staying in the front yard for the past two nights, and it was said that he didn't turn off the lights until almost midnight. Huayang asked with a complicated expression: "Did you paint it yourself?"
Chen Jingzong: "Take a look first."
Huayang lowered his head.
As the scroll slowly unfolded to both sides, a picture of a beauty appeared before her.
The beauty is riding on the clouds, looking ethereal, her clothes fluttering in the wind, and behind her is a bright moon.
There is nothing else in the painting except the clouds, the moon, the beauty, and a white rabbit in the beauty's arms.
The painter's brushwork is amazing. The clouds and the moon as the background are not monotonous or boring at all, as if a fairyland had appeared on earth. The delicate pearl hairpin on the beauty's head, the exquisite embroidery and even the folds on her dress are all painted vividly, and the sense of lightness of her flying is even more rare.
While admiring the details, Huayang murmured, "Is this Chang'e flying to the moon?"
Chen Jingzong: "It was you and I who had a secret meeting under the moon."
Huayang: …
As soon as he opened his mouth, his elegance disappeared. Huayang looked at the inscription on the corner of the painting, which read:
“When I was young, I didn’t know the moon and called it a white jade plate.
The immortal hangs down his two feet, and the osmanthus tree is round.
The white rabbit has made the medicine, and I only wish to share it with you."
The first three sentences are the original sentences of the immortal poet, but the last one "The white rabbit has finished pounding medicine, and asks with whom to share it" was changed to "The white rabbit has finished pounding medicine, and only wishes to share it with you."
This poem hinted at Huayang's nickname, and her face felt a little hot. She looked at the beauty in the painting again, and she could actually see her shadow in her eyebrows and eyes.
"This is you, and this is me." Chen Jingzong pointed at the beauty, and then at the white rabbit in the beauty's arms.
Huayang: …
Chen Jingzong: "I am a rabbit. You are the fairy on the moon and I am the rabbit in your arms. This means we have been a couple for a long time."
Huayang: "There are many men born in the Year of the Rabbit in the world."
Chen Jingzong: "But you only married me, which means I am the reincarnation of the original."
Huayang did not argue with him about these empty words, and asked him, "Who did you ask to draw this?"
The painting was very good, but Huayang felt uncomfortable when she thought about how Chen Jingzong had carelessly asked someone else to paint her, and that the other person had painted her so realistically.
Chen Jingzong: "I only asked someone to paint Chang'e flying to the moon. I made all the requirements for the composition, and I specifically asked him not to paint her face."
Huayang looked over in disbelief.
Chen Jingzong: "Although I practice martial arts, I have also read the necessary books and learned painting from a teacher, but I didn't study it in depth. I spent two nights focusing on painting your facial features, and at least I can draw them somewhat well. Except for the facial features, the rest of this painting is copied from the other person's painting. Every stroke is from my hand. The original has been burned, so you can't see it even if you want."
Huayang felt relieved. Although this man was outspoken, he had never made any mistakes in important matters.
She didn't ask who Chen Jingzong asked for help.
"I know you have high standards. If I really gave you something I painted in two days, you would not even look at it." Chen Jingzong continued to explain that there was nothing ugly around her, whether it was the people or the things, so of course he couldn't be perfunctory with the painting he gave as a gift.
Huayang did not comment. No matter how good the painting was, when he thought of Chen Jingzong's analysis that the fairy and the rabbit were a perfect match, Huayang would not appreciate it in front of him.
"Put it away."
The footsteps of maids could be heard in the yard, and Huayang casually stuffed the painting into Chen Jingzong's arms.
Chen Jingzong rolled up the scroll with a smile.
The dinner was served and it was very sumptuous, and the celebration of the birthday was obvious.
"This chicken is good, you should try it." Chen Jingzong picked up a piece for Huayang.
Huayang tasted a faint smell of alcohol, which was lighter than fruit wine. Plus, the chicken was really delicious. Every time Chen Jingzong picked out the part she liked and gave it to her, Huayang would eat it.
After brushing his teeth and rinsing his mouth after dinner, Chen Jingzong carried Huayang into the bed and let her lean against the head of the bed.
"Why is your face so red?" Chen Jingzong asked in confusion, even though he hadn't done anything yet.
Huayang touched his neck, a little annoyed: "It's because you drank alcohol. I feel uncomfortable when I smell the alcohol too."
Chen Jingzong thought of her drunken appearance on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. His eyes darkened. He looked at her for a few seconds, reached into his arms, and took out a small lotus-shaped box.
Huayang was puzzled.
Chen Jingzong: "Calligraphy and painting are worthless, this is made of gold."
Huayang opened the box, revealing a pure gold bracelet with a small hollow gold bell hanging at each end.
Gold looks tacky. This style is the first time Huayang has seen it. It is very fresh.
She was about to try it on her hand when Chen Jingzong snatched the bracelet away, moved to her feet, held one of her ankles and said, "It's an anklet."
When Huayang was stunned, Chen Jingzong had already put on the bracelet. He shook Huayang's calf slightly, and the two small bells collided with each other, making a slight sound, so soft that the two people in the tent could hear it, but it would not transmit the sound to the outside like a big bell.
Huayang understood Chen Jingzong's intention belatedly.
But he is a person who never gives up.
"You smell really drunk. I'll drink less next time." Chen Jingzong hugged the soft princess and kissed the corner of her mouth.
Huayang originally wanted to scold him, but after hearing this, how could he open his mouth
She glared at him.
Chen Jingzong: "Only tonight, and from now on only on my birthday?"
Huayang: …
The clear and crisp ringing sound rang intermittently.
.
After a long, long time, Chen Jingzong reluctantly helped her take off the gold bracelet.
Huayang hugged the quilt, and as the sweat on his body dripped away bit by bit, he regained some clarity of mind.
Watching Chen Jingzong washing skillfully under the light, with a happy expression like a maid who was about to get paid, not feeling cold even wearing only a set of undergarments, Huayang shook his head, and finally when Chen Jingzong was about to turn off the light, he said lightly: "After all, it's your birthday, I'm not that stingy."
Chen Jingzong looked at the bed and she had already turned over.
But that sentence was enough of a hint. Chen Jingzong began to look carefully at the inner room and soon discovered the extra box.
Chen Jingzong walked over quickly, opened the lid of the box, and saw a pile of black things.
He took it out puzzledly and unfolded it thoroughly, only to find that her gift was actually an inky black fox fur cloak.
The old man has a cloak like this, a red one, given by the emperor.
The old man has never bought it himself. Even if the eldest brother and the third brother are rich and have the old man as an example, they will not buy such good things.
His fingers brushed over the thick, warm fur, and Chen Jingzong walked to the bedside holding the cloak. He said to the person pretending to sleep inside, "Your gift is too expensive. If I really wear it outside and the old man sees it, his eyes will pop out of his head."
Huayang: "Is it expensive? It's just an ordinary cloak to me. I have worn a similar cloak since I was a child."
Chen Jingzong said nothing, and put on the cloak first: "It seems a little small."
Huayang frowned. How could it be small? The size she gave for Chen Jingzong couldn't be wrong, and Wu Run would never make a mistake.
Surprised, she turned around.
Beside the bed stood the tall and slender figure of Chen Jingzong. He was tall with a long neck, and the thick fox fur on the collar of his cloak could not conceal his sharp and heroic demeanor.
"How does it compare to Zhou Lang?"
Chen Jingzong waited until she finished looking at him before asking.
Huayang glared at him and turned back: "Go to bed early after the test."
Chen Jingzong walked around in front of her half-man-high peep show again. After turning off the lights, he got into bed and pulled her into his arms: "The birthday isn't over yet, let's do it again."
Huayang: …
(End of this chapter)