There aren't many people on the road...
Zhou Shaojin's heart was pounding.
But going out to play on New Year's Eve seemed a bit inappropriate... She couldn't help but hesitate.
Ji Ying saw through her thoughts, smiled, and kept urging her: "Let's go! Let's go! It's fun there. When I came from Cangzhou, I was at the shore of Jiangdong Bridge. At that time, I was stunned by the large and small ships coming and going on Jiangdong Bridge. But I was in a bad mood at that time, and I didn't have time to take a closer look. Later, I lived in Zaoyuan, and I couldn't find the way. This time I can finally get out, and your elders are not at home, so we can go there together to take a look... I heard that the food and drink expenses of Jinling City are all shipped in from Jiangdong Bridge. During the peak season of cargo transportation in spring and autumn, hundreds of boats compete with each other, and the scene is very spectacular. But at that time, I'm afraid it would be difficult for us to go out easily, otherwise we must go and witness it."
Zhou Shaojin was still a little undecided.
Zhou Chujin happened to come over to say hello to Jiying. Hearing this, he smiled and asked Jiying, "Is it okay for you to go to Jiangdong Bridge like this?"
Ji Ying felt relieved after hearing this and said hurriedly, "What's the big deal? The Fourth Master is going to go to Ting Yu Xuan with Old Madam Guo to have New Year's Eve dinner and stay up all night. When I go back, I'm afraid the people at Ting Yu Xuan may not have dispersed yet!"
That's true.
Zhou Chujin thought about it and nodded, "You can go out, but you must come back before Shenchu (3pm)."
Zhou Shaojin jumped for joy and said in disbelief: "Sister, can I really go out?"
"It's really possible." Zhou Chujin said with a smile, "But if you can't come back on time, you will never be allowed to go out again."
Zhou Shaojin hugged his sister tightly.
Ji Ying also thanked him repeatedly and said, "Miss, would you like to go out for a walk with us?"
"I'm going to stay at home to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner." Zhou Chujin said with a smile, "If it weren't for the rules in Jiuru Lane, I would have kept you here for the New Year's Eve dinner!"
The more festivals there are, the more easily people become tired. Although the maids who stay in Jiuru Lane to celebrate the New Year can get a considerable salary, they also have to stay in the mansion twelve hours a day and are not allowed to go anywhere.
Ji Ying chuckled and said, "I'll treat Miss to roast pork neck someday!"
Zhou Chujin never ate these, but was grateful for her kindness. He smiled and thanked her, then instructed Ma Fushan's family to arrange a sedan chair and the maids and servants to escort Zhou Shaojin and Ji Ying to Jiangdong Bridge.
Ji Ying smiled and said, "Miss, you don't have to bother yourself. I brought a carriage with me."
Zhou Chujin was stunned.
Most people in Jinling used sedan chairs, and horse carriages were very rare. Apart from other things, horses were controlled by the court, and due to water and soil problems, they were difficult to keep, and more expensive than raising a few sedan chair bearers.
Ji Ying smiled and said, "It's the Cheng Mansion's carriage."
Zhou Chujin was still a little worried, so he said to Ma Fushan's family, "It's New Year's Day, and we have to trouble them to go to Jiangdong Bridge. You go and give some hot soup to the people who are serving in the sedan chair, say hello, and give them some money."
Ma Fushan's family responded and left.
These were all etiquette, and Jiying didn't take them to heart. However, Zhou Shaojin knew that his sister was worried about Jiying, so she asked Ma Fushan's family to confirm whether the carriage and the coachman were from the Cheng family.
After a while, Ma Fushan came back with a smile, and while giving Zhou Chujin a look of "reassurance", he said, "The one who came is Huanqing, the happy brother of Master Xu. I thought his brother was a close servant of Master Xu, so I gave him a few more taels of silver."
Zhou Chujin finally felt relieved and sent Zhou Shaojin and Ji Ying out.
The shops along the street had long been closed, and the streets were deserted with few people in sight. Occasionally, one would see a grocery store, but the chubby boss or the capable boss lady would be alone in the store, taking care of one or two orders of business. The once prosperous street market suddenly gave people a very depressed feeling.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but tighten his sable cloak and asked, "Is there still a boat to see at Jiangdong Bridge at this time?"
"I actually don't know either." Ji Ying said honestly, "I mainly want to go out for a walk. Staying in Hanbi Mountain House all day looking at the green leaves is making me look like I'm growing moss."
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help laughing.
Ji Ying sighed and said, "You don't know, Madam Yuan went to the capital after having the reunion dinner on the eve of the Chinese New Year. She said she would not be back until the old lady's birthday on the ninth day of the ninth month. Whenever I think about staying in Hanbi Mountain House for nine months, I feel like I have lost half my life. I told your uncle Chi yesterday and asked him to send me to Zaoyuan to sweep the floor. Your uncle Chi said we'll talk about it later." As she spoke, she looked at Zhou Shaojin with a smile, "If I go to Zaoyuan, I will definitely invite you to be my guest."
"Is the scenery of Zaoyuan beautiful?" Zhou Shaojin asked curiously.
"At least it's better than Hanbi Mountain House." Jiying said with a smile, "There are many flowers and trees planted here, and it feels like it will never fade in all seasons..."
As they were talking, they soon arrived near Jiangdong Bridge.
The carriage stopped, and Huan Qing said through the curtain: "Second cousin, Miss Jiying, the carriage can't go through here. Please wait a moment, I will go and hire a sedan chair."
Ji Ying asked curiously, "How come you can't get through? Didn't Qin Ziping say it's easy to get through?"
"Isn't it almost New Year's Day?" Huan Qing laughed. "There are a lot of porters and muleteers living near Jiangdong Bridge. They usually work outside, but now they are all resting at home. The carts and baskets are all tied to the door, blocking the road..."
"Can we get a sedan chair at this time?" Ji Ying asked, "How about we take another route?"
"If we take another route, we're afraid we'll lose the key to Jiuru Lane after sending my second cousin home," Huan Qing said with a smile, "most of the people living here are coolies. If we ask around, we should be able to find it. If we can't find it, it won't be too late for us to take another route."
In fact, I was telling Jiying that it would be better to take this road, otherwise don’t blame me if you come back late.
Jiying had come out to relax, but now she was so angry. She couldn't help but complain in a low voice: "No wonder people in the mansion say that Huanqing and Huanxi are brothers but they are like two different people. Huanqing is lazy and Huanxi is worldly-wise... He can't even do such a small thing!"
Zhou Shaojin comforted her: "We don't have anything to do, just be patient and wait. At worst we can come back next time."
"That's the only way!" Ji Ying nodded dejectedly.
After waiting for a while, Huanqing didn't come back.
She couldn't sit still any longer and said, "Why don't we stand outside the car? The air outside is better."
Zhou Shaojin was dressed warmly and got off the carriage with Jiying.
The place where they parked was an alley with many things piled on both sides, even a children's stroller, but the doors of every house were closed and the aroma of roasted meat wafted out.
As soon as they got off the car, they saw the tall masts and the wide river.
"Where is that?" Zhou Shaojin asked excitedly, "Is it Jiangdong Bridge?"
"That should be it." Ji Ying stood on tiptoe to look around and said, "It seems that Huan Qing took a small path. It's such a short distance, so we should just walk over. We don't know how long we have to wait for him to hire a sedan chair."
Seeing that the alley was only a short distance away and that there was a sturdy old woman and two maids beside them, Zhou Shaojin nodded in agreement.
Ji Ying took Zhou Shaojin with him, paying attention to the bumps and potholes under his feet, and said, "It's a pity that I don't know where the Tong Garden is. I heard that the late emperor sympathized with the people and planted tens of millions of Tong trees in Jiangshan..."
"Look!" Zhou Shaojin, who was following her, suddenly grabbed her sleeve and asked, "Does that person look like Uncle Chi?"
Jiying looked over.
There were two people standing on the bow of a three-masted sailing ship not far away. One of them was tall and graceful, wearing a black mink coat, and his hands with jade-finger fingers were resting leisurely on the side of the ship. The winter sun shone warmly on his body, as if shining on a jade bottle, as bright and smooth as jade, graceful and noble.
Ji Ying was shocked and cried out, "It's really Cheng Zichuan! Why is he here at this time? Didn't he say he would play chess with Madam Guo in the afternoon?"
Zhou Shaojin leaned over and asked, "Is it really Uncle Chi?"
"It's really Cheng Zichuan." Ji Ying took another look, then her expression tensed, and she dragged Zhou Shaojin back: "The weather is too cold, let's wait in the carriage to celebrate."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Are you afraid of being discovered by Uncle Chi?" Then he turned around and glanced at the bow of the boat again.
Standing next to Cheng Chi was a burly man in his thirties. He was burly, wearing a lamb fur coat inside out, with a brown cotton robe underneath. He stood straight opposite Cheng Chi, with a pair of deep and cold eyes under his thick black eyebrows like two brooms, which looked like a dry well and a cold pond. He had a domineering look that looked down on the world, which formed a sharp contrast with the elegant and self-assured Cheng Chi.
She couldn't help but whispered, "Strange! That man looks like a porter who does rough work, but he has a very strong aura. He doesn't look like a laborer, but more like... a bandit who commands everyone to obey him..."
Jiying took a breath of cold air.
She suddenly wanted to tell Cheng Chi what Zhou Shaojin said.
Cheng Chi’s expression will definitely be very interesting…
※
Because of a chance encounter with Cheng Chi, their trip to Jiangdong Bridge ended abruptly.
Zhou Shaojin went back and told Zhou Chujin about it.
Zhou Chujin covered his mouth and smiled, saying, "You are allowed to sneak out to play, but Uncle Chi is not allowed to sneak out to see his friends! You and Ji Jian are the master and the servant, and he and his friend are the scholar and the warrior. What's so strange about that?"
Zhou Shaojin laughed happily, and worshipped the ancestors and had a family reunion dinner with his sister.
The crackling sound of firecrackers outside made the small flower hall for the two of them even more quiet.
However, Zhou Shaojin didn't feel lonely.
She served her sister a bowl of pork belly and rice soup, and asked her sister with a smile: "What did you say when you burned incense to the ancestors just now?"
Zhou Chujin ignored her, took a sip of soup and said, "It won't work if you say it out loud!"
Zhou Shaojin just smiled.
In her previous life, she heard it.
My sister said that we should pray to the ancestors to bless the Li family to give birth to a son who can support the family, bring honor to the family, and make a name for himself in history.
This time, my sister is destined to be disappointed.
But at least their little sister will survive and grow up safely.
※
Sisters, sorry, sorry, today's update is a bit late, suddenly something happened that I can't control. The update in the evening can only be postponed to around 11 o'clock... sweat...
※(To be continued)