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There were four dragon boats on the lake, red, green, white and black, from the Liu, Lu, Wang and Liu families. The Liu family was the Liu family of Mei Mansion, the father-in-law of Zhu Pengju, the son of the Duke of Liang, and the husband-in-law of the third daughter of the Sun family.
Lang Yue, who was wearing a green Taoist robe, explained eloquently: "… The next team is Team B, which comes from the Sun family, the Chen family, the Wu family, and the Qian family. The Sun family has a minister, which is also the maiden family of the seventh grandmother of the Liu family. There are twelve teams in total. The winning dragon boat in each team will be divided into four teams to participate in the semi-finals. The winning dragon boats can participate in the finals. This time, Shen Qingyun, the co-magistrate of Jinling Prefecture, also has a boat from the Shen family participating in the race, and it is ranked in Team You."
Zhu Zhu was surprised and asked, "Why did the Sun family also participate in the boat race? I remember that there are not many children in the Sun family!"
Lang Yue smiled and said, "It seems that some servants were selected from the farm."
Zhu Zhu said disdainfully: "Are you trying to compete with the Liu family?"
The affairs of the Liu and Sun families have become known to everyone in Jinling City.
Lang Yue cleverly did not answer, but smiled and said: "Our fourth master also prepared a clairvoyance for everyone, but there is only one, so the ladies have to make do with it."
When Gu Shiqigu heard this, she jumped up with joy and kept saying, "Bring it here, bring it here. Let us see it. I have never seen a clairvoyance before. I have only heard of it and read about it in books."
Cheng Ji was also making a fuss there: "Go quickly, go quickly!"
The others all smiled.
Langyue went to get the clairvoyance.
Zhu Zhu said with emotion: "No wonder my eldest brother admires Master Chi the most, he can get such a rare thing. But everyone, please don't say anything, this thing is banned by the court." He added, "It's also thanks to Master Chi that he dared to take it out. If it were our family, we wouldn't dare to do that."
The young ladies of the Gu family promised repeatedly that they would not tell anyone.
Zhou Shaojin was puzzled as to why the people from the Guo family had not arrived yet.
After a while, Langyue came in holding a box.
Several people gathered around to watch.
The telescope is only a foot long, with a gold-plated exterior carved with a Vermillion Bird and a Black Tiger, and is inlaid with rubies the size of pigeon eggs. When stretched out, it is about two feet long.
Everyone gathered around to watch as if they were seeing something strange.
Zhou Shaojin suddenly thought of Madam Guo and asked Lang Yue hurriedly, "Does the old lady have any?"
Several people were stunned.
Lang Yue smiled and said, "The fourth master borrowed three in total. One was given to the young ladies, one was sent to the old lady, and he kept one for himself. The second cousin can just use them. There is no shortage of them."
Zhou Shaojin then breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhu Zhu couldn't help but laugh and said, "Shao Jin is really thoughtful. We were so busy being happy that we forgot about this matter."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "This is the first time everyone has seen it, so they must be very curious!"
All of them were young ladies from wealthy families and were straightforward. They couldn't stand flattery, so they didn't say much. However, they felt in their hearts that Zhou Shaojin was a really good person and worth making friends with.
Drum beats were heard by the lake, and everyone watched the boat race from the window.
The drums beat, the oars flew like flywheels, the white waves rolled, and everyone clapped and cheered.
The area around Mochou Lake suddenly became even more lively than the temple fair during the Spring Festival.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but clench his fists and worry about the dragon boats.
Soon, the winner was decided.
The Liu family dragon boat team wearing red won first place.
The Liu family's dragon boat went to the side to rest, waiting for the rematch, while the other dragon boat teams left Mochou Lake with either sighs or heads down.
Group B rowed over and began to prepare for the race.
Taking advantage of this gap, everyone would discuss who would win first place, or turn around to buy a bag of melon seeds and peanuts, or go to the candy figurine stall to make a candy figurine.
Zhou Shaojin and others also returned to their seats and started talking about gossip in Jinling City.
Zhu Zhu led Zhou Shaojin to complain: "My brother was the same. I don't know why he agreed to the Liu family's marriage. Now, I'm afraid that everyone in Jinling City is laughing at him. But my brother is still marrying like a legitimate wife. Not only are the three books and six ceremonies complete, but the betrothal gift is also not less. My father and mother didn't stop him. I don't know what to say!"
Zhou Shaojin advised her: "Once I enter your family, I am a member of your family. If your sister-in-law is respectable, then that is also the respect of your family. Now that the matter is done, why bother about these things? As long as your brother and sister-in-law are happy, it's all fine!"
"I know the truth." Zhu Zhu pouted, "But I just feel uncomfortable. It's like I'm holding my breath..."
As they were talking, Group B was about to start the boat race.
The two dropped the topic and went to the window to watch the dragon boat race.
After a few groups of this, everyone's excitement wore off and their attention gradually shifted to talking.
Zhou Shaojin was thinking about Old Madam Guo, so he said something to Zhu Zhu and others and went to the private room in the east.
The private room on the east side was even quieter than theirs. Several old ladies simply sat together and talked. No one was watching the dragon boat race. Only two little girls were lying on the ground looking out of the wide-open window, taking turns using their clairvoyance.
Zhou Shaojin looked carefully and wondered who else could it be but the two young ladies from the Guo family
She was shocked.
Madam Guo said, "They came late and are very reserved, so I left them here."
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly stepped forward to bow to the two young ladies of the Guo family, apologized, and asked them if they wanted to go over and say hello to Zhu Zhu and the others.
The two young ladies from the Guo family were very polite. They told her softly not to be so polite, and then looked at Mr. Guo.
Mr. Guo nodded slightly, and the two Miss Guo followed Zhou Shaojin to the west.
There was a lively atmosphere among the crowd, introducing each other and greeting each other.
Zhou Shaojin then found out that the two young ladies of the Guo family, one ranked sixth and the other ranked seventh, were both seventeen years old this year and had not yet been engaged.
A few people lined up their teeth, called each other sisters, and the second group began to race.
Cheng Ji ran to the window to look, and called Zhou Shaojin and others: "See if the Shen family will show up?"
The two young ladies of the Guo family stood up and said goodbye, saying that there was no one to serve their elders.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and sent the two Miss Guo to the west, and then stayed to chat with them.
Madam Guo smiled and said, "It's almost noon. The twelve groups of dragon boats will probably finish the race around 1pm. The most exciting part is the semi-finals and the finals. I think we should have lunch early to see who will win this year."
Everyone said "good".
Mrs. Guo signaled Zhou Shaojin to make arrangements.
Zhou Shaojin knew that Mrs. Guo was praising her, so she smiled and stepped back, leaving the west side nervously.
Nanny Lu had already been waiting for her in the private room in the middle.
He handed her a menu and whispered to her, "The old lady has arranged everything, and Miss Second Cousin just needs to pretend."
Zhou Shaojin blushed and whispered, "How can this be possible?"
"Why can't I do it?" Madam Lu smiled kindly. "Even if the old lady arranges it herself, it's just an order! If you have to take the lead in everything, then what are we, the madams, doing? The second cousin can't take our jobs!"
She made a few jokes and eased Zhou Shaojin's nervousness.
Zhou Shaojin arranged everything and went to Old Madam Guo to ask, "Is it okay for you to have lunch in half an hour?"
Old Madam Guo looked at Old Madam Guan and Old Mrs. An from the Guo family who were sitting next to her.
The two old Ans nodded, and Mrs. Guo smiled and said, "Then we will have lunch in half an hour."
Zhou Shaojin presented the menu and asked the old An people if they wanted to add or subtract anything.
Everyone said that the arrangement was good, so Zhou Shaojin retreated again, turned to the west, and laughed loudly, "Can we have lunch in half an hour?"
"Okay, okay!" Zhu Zhu said with a smile, "What dishes have you prepared? In such hot weather, more cold dishes would be better."
Zhou Shaojin showed her the menu, but found that Cheng Ji was not in the room.
Her heart was pounding, and she asked hurriedly, "Cousin Jia?"
Gu Shiqigu, who was looking at the menu with Zhu Zhu, said absentmindedly, "He said he drank too much tea and wanted to go to the official room."
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief, but no matter how long he waited, Cheng Ji didn't come.
Her heart began to beat wildly again, and she whispered to Chun Wan: "Go to the official room and look for Miss Jia!"
Chunwan retreated calmly.
After a while, Cheng Ji, looking a little pale, walked in supported by Chun Wan.
"I'm sorry!" She said apologetically before anyone in the room could speak, "My stomach is not doing well, please don't bother me."
Gu Shiqigu and the others came around to greet her with concern. Seeing that she was not seriously injured, they went to the private room in the middle to eat together.
Zhou Shaojin, however, just watched coldly.
I feel that Cheng Ji is not someone who gets sick so easily.
After lunch and a short rest, the rematch began.
Everyone's emotions were aroused again, and they all leaned out to watch from the windows. Even the two young ladies of the Guo family, who had lunch together at noon, gradually relaxed and occasionally chatted and laughed with them. At the suggestion of Mrs. Guo, they came over to watch the dragon boat race with them.
Cheng Ji whispered to Zhou Shaojin that her stomach was uncomfortable and she wanted to go to the official room.
Zhou Shaojin asked Chunwan to go with her.
Cheng Ji didn't hesitate and went out holding Chun Wan's arm.
Zhu Zhu and the others were watching intently and no one noticed.
After one fleet finished the competition, everyone turned around and asked Cheng Jia.
Zhou Shaojin helped her explain: "…went to the official residence!"
Everyone stopped asking questions and continued to watch the dragon boat race.
But after one round of competition, Cheng Ji still hadn't appeared.
Zhou Shaojin was just about to signal Bitao to go and take a look when Chunwan ran in with a panicked look on his face.
She whispered in Zhou Shaojin's ear: "Second Miss, it's bad, Miss Jia is missing!"
Zhou Shaojin's heart skipped a beat, but he also felt a sense of relief as if something had finally happened.
"Where is Cuihuan?" she asked.
"I didn't see him either." Chun Wan said, anxious and scared, tears about to fall, "I have been waiting outside the official room. When I felt something was wrong and found an excuse to go in, I found that the window of the official room was open. I searched all the way there, but couldn't find anyone..."
Zhou Shaojin took a deep breath.
Could it be that cousin Jia eloped with Li Jing
She prepared for the worst and told Chun Wan in a deep voice, "Don't make it public yet. Go find Uncle Chi and tell her about this."
The Spring Festival Gala passed quickly.
Zhu Zhu came over and whispered, "Did something happen?"
Zhou Shaojin thought for a moment and said, "Cousin Jia is missing! I've sent someone to look for her."
Zhu Zhu was shocked. She looked at everyone in the room and said, "Don't make a sound yet. There are guards from the Duke of Liang's Mansion around Qingyan Tower. She couldn't have been kidnapped or abducted. I'll find a way to pass the Clairvoyance to you later. Look around. It's only been an incense stick's time. She shouldn't have gone far."
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Sisters, today’s extra update!
The update is around 10pm, I'll try to be earlier.
O(∩_∩)O~
※(The novel "Jinlingchun" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there will also be 100% lucky draw gifts for everyone! Open WeChat now, click the "+" sign "Add Friends" in the upper right corner, search for the public account "qdread" and follow it, hurry up!) (To be continued)