"Master, are you practicing calligraphy again?"
Tao Mo said "hmm".
Hao Guozi came over to turn on the wick, but said "Huh", "This is not a copybook."
Tao Mo put down his pen, held up the scroll, and said complacently, "Gu She's ten fire prevention strategies! How is it? It's better than Zhang Zi's writing! Zhang Zishu said his classmate Gu Xianzhi is the best in the world, but I haven't seen it. But I think Gu She has already written so well, how can Gu Xianzhi be better? Saying that Gu She is the best in the world is not false.”
Hao Guozi looked at it for a long time: "Why do I think it is not as neat as Yan Zhenqing's writing?"
Tao Mo looked at Hao Guozi suspiciously and unhappily, Hao Guozi hurriedly laughed and said, "Young Master, I don't understand."
When Tao Mo got up after practice and asked for water to wash his hands, Hao Guozi hurriedly asked, "I think the young master and Gu She have reconciled again? In the past ten days or so, Gu She has been busy with the young master, fire prevention, and visiting the sick." , and gave clothes to the young master."
Tao Mo hurriedly explained: "It's not a gift, you forgot? He accidentally soiled my clothes and gave me compensation. They are old ones he wore."
Hao Guozi curled her lips: "Who are you kidding! Gu Xiaojia first brought the new set, which was obviously made according to the young master's size. The young master didn't want it, so he took this set. It said it was old, but it didn't look like it. How many times does it differ from new ones?"
Tao Mo looked and looked at him suspiciously, and immediately hesitated.
Seeing this, Hao Guozi was afraid that he would not wear it anymore, so he quickly remedied: "But maybe he is too embarrassed to pay you for the old one!"
Tao Mo believed it was true, and nodded: "Yes. If I stain someone's clothes, I must pay for new ones."
As Hao Guozi put out a piano, Tao Mo sat down to practice fingering.
Hao Guozi pouted: "Young master practiced and practiced, just fingering. After studying for so long, I can't play a single piece of music."
Tao Mo said, "I've only had one lesson, how can I play music?"
Hao Guozi added: "Although I don't understand it, I think this qin doesn't sound as good as the one that Mr. Gu gave you."
After speaking, he found Tao Mo immediately a little discouraged, and hurriedly remedied: "But the young master is getting more and more proficient."
Tao Mo sighed and said, "It's because I'm too stupid to please him. Otherwise, he is so good at playing the piano. Just teaching me a little bit is enough for me to use for the rest of my life. And the piano he gave, any random one, is better than me. I bought it myself so much better…”
Hao Guozi comforted him and said, "Young master, don't be discouraged! Isn't Gu She still so nice to the young master? When he is happy someday, if you talk about learning the piano again, maybe he will be willing to teach you again."
Tao Mo lowered his head and said, "He was unhappy in Xianweilou today, and he didn't even look at me when he left."
Hao Guozi asked what happened? Tao Mo told the story of Xianweilou. Hao Guozi wondered: "Why do I feel that Gu She is fighting against Mr. Mu? Isn't it against the young master?"
Thinking back, Tao Mo felt the same, but—
"Mr. Mu and Gu She don't even know each other! Why are they confronting each other?"
Both of them couldn't figure it out, and they were wondering, when a faint sound of the piano came, like resentment or admiration, like weeping like complaining, there seemed to be endless feelings in it.
Tao Mo listened obsessively, and was immediately stunned.
Tao Mo and Hao Guozi followed the sound of the piano and came to the back door. Under the moonlight like water, they played the piano alone. Her long hair was scattered on her shoulders, and then fell from her shoulders to her slender waist. Although the moonlight was bright, she couldn't see her face clearly, she just felt that she was floating like a fairy descending to earth.
After a long time, the song ended and the lingering sound curled up.
Tao Mo's voice was hoarse: "Shang Lu."
Shang Lu stood up: "Wu Wen."
Hao Guozi suddenly came to his senses, pointed at Shang Lu and said, "You goblin, you're making trouble again! Go! Go!" He picked up the zither and hit Shang Lu.
He missed it because Tao Mo hugged him and dragged him backwards. He tried his best to kick Shang Lu again, but he didn't.
Shang Lu was still standing there, her eyes just looking at Tao Mo: "This song "Recalling the Past", is the dance text understandable?"
Tao Mo hugged the struggling Hao Guozi with one hand, and covered Hao Guozi's mouth with the other hand, but replied in a hoarse voice, "Understood."
Shang Lu turned slightly, showing a beautiful curve from neck to waist, touched the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, and said in a low voice: "There is a lot of regret in it. Shang Lu has experienced life and death, and only then understands that only Wuwen is the place where Shang Lu loves." Zhong. This life, this life, I’m afraid I won’t be able to let it go until I die.”
Before Tao Mo could answer, someone suddenly fell from the wall, separating him and Shang Lu. The man turned around and smiled at him, with a pretty face, it was An Ran.
An Ran said "tsk tsk": "I'm too lazy to get up, you have to force me to get up. Well, I'm ready, come on, I'll make a gesture with you. Let's see if you are the best or I am the best?"
Tao Mo stopped and said, "Miss An Ran!"
An Ran said "Huh": "As soon as she played the piano, did I become Miss An Ran? You weren't like that when you called An Ran baby yesterday."
Tao Mo blushed with embarrassment: "You—why are you talking nonsense?!"
An Ran lightly rescued Hao Guozi from Tao Mo's arms. Hao Guozi was aggrieved and said, "Master, why do you want to change your mind? How nice is Miss An Ran?"
Tao Mo had a look of disbelief: "You—you—"
He was momentarily speechless.
Shang Lu was still shocked: "Miss An Ran, who are you from Tao Mo?"
An then took a step back and put Tao Mo's arm involuntarily: "Who do you think I am?"
Shang Lu said indifferently: "I think you and him are just acting."
An Ran squinted her eyes: "Is that so? How do you know?"
Shang Lu laughed at herself, "Do you know who I am?"
Before An Ran could speak, her tone changed: "I am the number one girl in Qunxiangyuan, the largest brothel in the capital. I started receiving customers at the age of 13, and it has been 8 years now. During these 8 years, I have seen countless men, coming and going, and also I know countless sisters. I know exactly what a man looks like to a woman; I also know exactly how a woman treats a man. The relationship between you and Tao Mo is as clear as water, and there is absolutely no ambiguity at all. All you did was to make me misunderstand and leave Tao Mo, am I right?"
An Ran said uncomfortably: "Are you deceiving me? Only fools fall for you!"
Shang Lu smiled wryly and said: "Why should I lie to you? I have also seen many men and women before I know that this is the only one who treats me well; this is the only person I really love in my heart. It's a pity that he treats me so well. My love is like the stars and the wind last night, and it cannot be traced back." A pair of eyes moved to Tao Mo, and under the moonlight, there seemed to be waves floating: "No matter how you treat me, I treat you like this in this life, it is impossible Change."
Tao Mo felt like his heart was being hit by a heavy hammer, and the pain was so dull that he couldn't speak, or he didn't know what to say, so he just pulled his arm out of An Ran's embrace with all his strength.
"and after?"
Mu Chun played with the teacup in his hand.
"I chased her away later, but Tao Mo seemed to be moved by her, and wanted to renew the old relationship." An Ran sat down with her lips pouted, "What should I do? I seem to be moved by her too!"
Mu Chunbai glanced at her: "Let's make a difference! Silly girl!"
An Ran lay down on the table, resting her arm on the pillow: "I'm just worthless! I feel like a big villain who beats mandarin ducks with a club!"
Mu Chun frowned and said: "This Tao Mo, he doesn't know any musical instruments, but he has a good temperament. Anyone who can play the piano will be fascinated by him?"
An Ran asked: "What do you dislike about Shang Lu? Is it because you dislike her family background?"
Mu Chun said blankly: "I don't know, anyway, I didn't like her at first glance."
He pointed his chin at Hao Guozi who was coming from a distance: "He doesn't like Shang Lu either, why don't you ask him?"
An Ran waved: "Fruit! Come here!"
Hao Guozi came over out of nowhere.
"Why don't you like Shang Lu?"
Hao Guozi was shocked: "Do you like her?!"
Gu Xiaojia and Hao Guozi have met several times and talked, but not much. So when the concierge came to say that Hao Guozi was looking for him, he was undoubtedly surprised.
In view of his son's strict rules, Gu Xiaojia did not dare to let Hao Guozi into the mansion, but went out to meet him.
When Hao Guozi saw Gu Xiaojia, he pulled him aside: "Brother Xiaojia, I have something to ask you."
"? What's the matter?"
Hao Guozi recounted what happened last night, and then said: "My young master seems to be a little nostalgic, I'm afraid he will be fascinated by that vixen again. My young master's nostalgia is because that vixen plays the violin well? When it comes to playing the piano, my young master respects your young master very much. If your young master continues to teach my young master how to play the piano, and my young master can play the piano himself, I won’t think it’s so strange for that fox to play the piano. Brother Jia, please help me Busy, tell your son, let him continue to teach! Anyway, he has already accepted my young master as a student."
Gu Xiaojia gave him a white look: "You think my son is as easy to fool as your young master? Don't make me sleep in the kitchen!"
"Sleeping in the kitchen?" Hao Guozi obviously couldn't imagine, "Why?"
Gu Xiaojia said angrily: "If you say something you don't like to hear, or do something that makes you unhappy, of course you will be fined to sleep in the kitchen!"
Hao Guozi asked strangely, "What kind of punishment is sleeping in the kitchen? It's neither painful nor hungry."
Gu Xiaojia was shocked: "Is your young master still beating you?"
Hao Guozi shook his head: "No."
"Then how does he usually punish you?"
Hao Guozi almost jumped up: "Punish me? Why punish me? I am loyal, why should the young master punish me?"
Gu Xiaojia was puzzled: "You never made your young master angry?"
"Oh, yes." Hao Guozi snapped her fingers, "There will be two times this year, once in the afternoon of the 15th day of the first lunar month, and once last night."
"Then how did your young master do it?"
Hao Guozi looked solemn, imitating Tao Mo's forbidden tone: "Guozi!"
"Then what?"
"What then?"
"Hit you, scold you, or starve you?"
Hao Guozi opened his already big eyes: "How can my young master be so bad?!"
Gu Xiaojia looked away expectantly in disappointment. It turns out that the young master has a good temper and doesn't get angry so easily; if he gets angry, he won't punish him to sleep in the kitchen.
"You are?"
Gu Xiaojia quickly apologized with a smile: "Young Master hasn't played the piano for a long time, so I will take it down and loosen the strings."
Gu She frowned, as if thinking about something, Er said: "Take out that 'Pine Friends' and put it away."
"Songyou" is the Qin that was once given to Tao Mo. Gu Xiaojia's temple twitched, feeling that Gu She seemed to have read his thoughts.
"Bang bang bang!"
Mu Chun leaned against the door frame, raised his finger and knocked on the door panel three times.
Gu She raised his eyes: "What's the matter?"
"Are you going to teach Tao Mo the piano? If you don't teach him, I'll ask another teacher to teach him, so that he won't be seduced by a vixen who can play the piano."
Gu She said indifferently: "Don't students ask for advice on their own initiative, and the teacher should ask for it?"
Mu Chunyi clapped his hands: "Okay, that's what you said. I'll call him, and you're not allowed to take three or four."
"No need." Gu She stood up and told Gu Xiaojia, "Prepare the car."
From the time Tao Mo heard the yamen servant report that Gu She was coming, to the time Gu She walked into the study, Tao Mo only had time to put down the pen in his hand.
"Gu She."
As soon as he called out, Gu She asked, "Are you practicing calligraphy?"
Tao Mo flattered: "I'm imitating your "Ten Strategies for Fire Prevention"."
Gu She glanced at it, then looked at the stack on the corner of the table: "Are these written earlier?"
"Um."
"Why was it written so well before, but today's is so impetuous?"
Tao Mo felt guilty for a while. He was thinking about Shang Lu all the time today, but he couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart, so he hesitated, wondering if he should go to her.
Gu She threw the paper in his hand back on the table, and walked to the piano case again: "Are you practicing the piano?"
Tao Mo gave a small "hmm".
"I taught it on the third day of the first lunar month. Today is the sixteenth day of the second lunar month. You only practice fingering?"
Tao Mo sensed his displeasure, so he nodded timidly.
"As a student, if you don't take the initiative to ask for advice, will you still wait for the teacher to come to you?"
Tao Mo almost stuttered: "It's not you who said, it doesn't matter if you learn the piano or not?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't learn the piano or not, but you don't have the talent. If you don't study more, are you preparing to be worse than an enlightened boy in the future?"
Tao Mo's face was flushed red, and he couldn't speak.
Seeing his embarrassment, Gu She seemed to be slightly less angry: "What do you do every day after business is over?"
"Practice calligraphy, practice piano, read books."
"From today onwards, after finishing the business, come to my residence and learn the Qin for a while."
Tao Mo raised his head in surprise: "From today?"
"has a problem?"
"No, no!" Tao Mo waved his hands again and again, "I—" But he didn't know what to say, but he couldn't help laughing out of elation.
Gu She's expression relaxed, but in an instant he straightened up again, turned and left.
Tao Mo went around the construction sites in the county, and when he returned to the county office, he couldn't wait to dig a few bites of food, and then urged Hao Guozi to prepare the car.
Hao Guozi thought it was Gu Xiaojia’s help, and felt very grateful. She wanted to bring some gifts for Gu Xiaojia, but she didn’t know what to bring. She remembered that Tao Mo had given her a new pillow on her birthday, but she hadn’t used it yet, so she wrapped it up and carried it on her back. On the back, ready to give to Gu Xiaojia.
Tao Mo was so excited that he didn't even notice that Hao Guozi was still carrying a package. When they came to Gu's mansion, Gu Xiaojia led them to the inner study, only to find the package on Hao Guozi's back.
"You are?"
Hao Guozi whispered to Gu Xiaojia, "I'll give it to you."
Gu Xiaojia was startled, and quickly looked at Gu She, feeling that Gu She didn't seem to be looking at her, so she breathed a sigh of relief.
He pulled Hao Guozi out and asked, "Why are you giving me all the things?"
Hao Guozi said while unpacking the burden, "You helped me, thank you!"
Gu Xiaojia looked at the unpacked bundle, his face turning green and then pale: "This is a pillow?"
"Hmm! The young master gave it to me on my birthday! I haven't used it yet, what a pillow!"
Gu Xiaojia threw the pillow on Hao Guozi's face: "You idiot!"
Hao Guozi was so wronged that she almost shed tears: "I don't even want to use it, I give it to you, why are you still beating me?"
Gu Xiaojia's chest rose and fell, he stared at Hao Guozi bitterly, and said after a while, "You and your young master are really a pair of fools!"
Hao Guozi yelled angrily: "You say I can, but don't say my young master!"