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The mountains are covered with snow, but life continues without a break.
After riding all the way, they finally arrived at the small town around four o'clock in the afternoon. Zhu Ping'an originally thought it was an ordinary town, but he didn't expect that as soon as he rode into the small town, his thoughts were overturned.
The streets are paved with smooth stone slabs, and the houses on both sides are made of black tiles and black bricks, with flying eaves and corners, and the ancient style still exists. This town seems to have been immersed in the ancient rhyme of long poems for thousands of years, and has a heavy sense of history. Riding a horse into the town is like stepping into a poem scroll full of ink fragrance.
The town was picturesque, but for Zhu Ping'an, who had been traveling all day in the wind and snow, it was not as attractive as a bowl of steaming noodle soup and a warm bed.
He dismounted, found an inn, paid the room fee, and asked the innkeeper to help lead the black horse to the backyard, and then move the things on the horse's back to the room.
"Hey, young man, please bring me a bowl of mutton soup." Zhu Ping'an stopped the waiter who was about to leave and asked him to ask the kitchen to make a bowl of hot mutton soup.
"A bowl of mutton soup is ten cents. If you add pancakes, each pancake is one cent." The waiter turned around and agreed.
A bowl of mutton soup costs ten cents, which is about two cents more expensive than in my town. It may be because it is a windy and snowy day today, or maybe it is because I am a stranger.
"A bowl of mutton soup will be enough, no need for bread." Zhu Ping'an took out ten cents from his sleeve and handed it to the shop assistant.
The waiter took the money, said yes and left. While Zhu Ping'an was making the bed, the waiter came in with a bowl of steaming mutton soup, put it on the table, and then said goodbye and left.
Green chopped green onions float on the boiling, white, sweet mutton soup, while mutton offal and mutton roll around in the bowl. It's steaming and full of fragrance.
Zhu Pingan couldn't wait to take out two pancakes baked by his mother Chen from his bag, broke them into pieces and put them into the steaming mutton soup, then picked up another piece and put it in his mouth. Instantly, the fragrance blended into his whole body.
'White like jade, with a blend of water and fat, pure texture, fresh but not smelly, fragrant but not greasy, rotten but not sticky'
In the snowy winter, having a bowl of mutton soup with a fried pancake full of motherly love is so blissful.
Traveling in the snow, he felt cold and tired, especially after eating. He felt even more sleepy. So Zhu Pingan simply took off his clothes and lay down on the bed to sleep. He even forgot about the idea of taking a hot bath. He was too tired.
It is said that weak scholars are weak and can't even tie a chicken. Haha, now I think about it, this statement is totally wrong. But as for going to Beijing to take the imperial examination, scholars from far away places have to travel for half a year to get to the capital, sleeping in the open air. If the scholars are really weak, how can they do it
Not long after, Zhu Ping'an began to snore and fell asleep.
The Li family in Shanghe Village celebrated Laba Festival. The red lanterns were still hanging high and the servants were doing their work in an orderly manner.
As evening approached, a horse neighed at the door. Wang Xiaoer, who had gone to deliver a letter to Zhu Ping'an, also came home.
There were three braziers burning in Miss Li's boudoir, and a basin of water in the corner to replenish water. Even in the cold winter with strong winds and heavy snow, the room was as warm and comfortable as spring.
Miss Li was sitting at a table near the window, looking out the window thoughtfully, as if she was waiting for someone.
The tables and chairs carved from fine sandalwood were meticulously carved with different patterns, exuding a delicate and gentle feeling of a girl's home. On the sandalwood table were several sheets of rice paper, and on the inkstone were several brushes. On the rice paper was a poem, written in delicate strokes, with the ink not yet dry:
"Enter my love door, and you will know my lovesickness. Long lovesickness leads to long memories, short lovesickness leads to infinity. If I had known it would be so heart-wrenching, I would have never met you in the first place."
Suddenly, Miss Li's eyes lit up. Outside the window, a little maidservant was trotting towards the boudoir, balancing the hem of her skirt.
"Miss, Miss, Brother Wang is here."
A few seconds later, the little maidservant Baozi ran in panting, and as soon as she entered the door, she shouted and reported to her mistress.
"Come on, miss. I'm a little hungry. Go to the kitchen and ask the cook to make me some tofu and crucian carp soup. The taste should be lighter today. I don't trust others. Well, call Wang Xiaoer for me before you go to the kitchen."
Li Shu was calm and collected. She picked up the brush without any disturbance and continued writing the poem she had not finished. She did not even raise her head when she gave instructions to the little maid Baozi.
"Okay, I'll go right away." The chubby little maid was so happy when she heard the young lady say that she was the most trusted one. She nodded repeatedly and ran out happily, holding the hem of her skirt.
About five minutes later, an old maid led Wang Xiaoer in and stood at the door. Wang Xiaoer kept his head down when he walked in, not daring to look up at anything in the young lady's boudoir. He only looked at his toes and stopped after walking three steps.
"Wang Xiaoer, what was his reaction?"
After Wang Xiaoer and the old maid came in, Li Shu put down her brush and asked indifferently, as if she was indifferent, but her ears were perked up.
"My son-in-law was a little surprised when he heard about the engagement." Wang Xiaoer replied with his head down.
Hearing this, Li Shu held the brush in her slender hands and unknowingly stained the rice paper with a large amount of ink.
"However, after I handed the marriage certificate to my son-in-law, he read it once, nodded, and put it away close to him." Wang Xiaoer continued to answer with his head down.
Hearing Zhu Ping'an nod and put the marriage certificate close to him, Li Shu's brows relaxed. She didn't expect that the idiot would actually keep it close to him. She thought he would come back and cancel the engagement in a fit of anger.
"Did he say anything?" Li Shu asked with interest.
Wang Xiaoer lowered his head and recounted to Li Shu the conversation between him and Zhu Ping'an verbatim.
After hearing this, Li Shu pouted. This idiot is not afraid of being exhausted, he has a horse, why is he in such a hurry!
"When I first met my uncle, he had just encountered a wild wolf." Wang Xiaoer paused and told the story of Zhu Ping'an's encounter with the wolf.
"Ah? How is he?"
Hearing this, Li Shu, who had been calm and composed, suddenly pressed the brush on the paper, exclaimed in surprise, and her pretty face was full of worry.
The next second after asking, Li Shu realized that she had overreacted. Besides, since Wang Xiaoer could report to her like this, that idiot must be fine.
"It's so unlucky. Something happened right after we got engaged. People are saying that I'm unlucky for my husband."
So, Li Shu coughed, and returned to her calm and composed appearance, while also finding an excuse for herself.
"My son-in-law is fine. Thanks to the young lady for asking me to deliver the letter, I arrived in time and shot the wolf to death." Wang Xiaoer gave all the credit to Li Shu.
"oh."
Li Shu said "oh" lightly.
The room was quiet for a moment. Wang Xiaoer lowered his head to look at his feet, and then he heard his lady's instructions.
"Forget it, to avoid people saying that I have a hard fate and will bring bad luck to my husband, you should not go to my father's place this time, just pack up and head north. Well, since that person wants to travel thousands of miles, you should protect him in secret, and if there is nothing else, don't show up. As for my father, I will tell him myself."
Li Shu crumpled up the rice paper that was stained with ink and threw it into the trash can beside her, then gave an instruction casually.
"I'll go down and clean it up right away." Wang Xiaoer answered with his head down, then backed away while bending over.
"Wait, did you buy the medicine I asked you to buy?"
When Wang Xiaoer pushed the door, he suddenly heard the eldest lady's question. (To be continued)