One morning in early winter, the thrush that Xu Changfeng gave me died.
"Could it be that the weather is cold? This is all the servant's fault. The servant should have brought it into the house." Biyu blamed herself. I looked at the bird whose cage was already stiff. Although I felt uncomfortable, I also knew that I couldn't blame others.
Xu Qihe just walked in. He asked someone to take the cage down, and comforted me: "Tomorrow, I will order someone to bring a parrot raised by a foreigner. It can also say hello, and it is more clever and interesting."
But I shook my head: "No."
Xu Qihe squeezed my palm, looked at me with eyes like autumn water, and said softly: "Then don't be sad, I invited a theater troupe over, and I will take you to the theater."
After the thrush died, I didn't keep anything anymore.
I stayed at Sanfang for two full months before returning to Xu Changfeng's place according to the original rules. After such a long time, when I came back to Dafang again, I felt a sense of missing.
As soon as I got back there, I first went to see Jun'er, who was studying in the house. Both men and women in the aristocratic family must learn to read and read, but most women only need to know a few big characters. Xu Changfeng puts so much effort into teaching Jun'er that he specially invites an editor from the Imperial Academy to teach her.
"Young Master—" As soon as Jun'er saw me, she stood up from her seat and ran towards me. "Young Jun, why hasn't Jun'er seen you for so long? Jun'er thought that you, like mother, would never come back again." She said innocently, and the nurse at the side hurriedly pulled her back: "Miss, don't talk nonsense!"
But what she said made my heart tighten, I bent down, looked at her and said, "Isn't it just now that I'm here?"
The little girl smiled, took my hand and asked, "Then young master, do you want to play with Jun'er?"
"For fun." I said, "I've been playing with Jun'er every day for the past few days." When Jun'er heard this, she refused to read the book and dragged me outside.
Jun'er has a lively and playful personality, but she is locked in the back house all day long, unable to go out easily, and Xu Changfeng is busy with business, so he is rarely able to accompany her. Therefore, she will regard me as a playmate and get close to me.
Jun'er and I were playing shuttlecock in the yard.
"Here! Here!" Jun'er raised the wooden clapper in her hand, and caught the colorful shuttlecock. You come and go, I let her in several times without any trace, which made her very happy. Huo Di, when the cold wind blew, the shuttlecock flew lightly and got stuck on the branch.
"Stuck again." Jun'er ran under the tree, picked up the stone and threw it like last time, but missed. I looked at the ground and found a slender branch: "Let me try."
I went under the tree and lifted my toes. I tried a few times, but the branch barely hooked to the branches and leaves next to it, but it was still a little bit short.
"Young Master, it's a little bit closer—" Jun'er called from the side. I pursed my lips and stretched my arms hard, wishing I could grow a little taller. When I lost my strength, I suddenly put my hands around my waist from behind and hugged me up.
"!" I looked down in shock.
Xu Changfeng hugged my waist and looked up at me, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised. I was taken aback, and then smiled.
Xu Changfeng lifted me up and hugged me, and I hooked the shuttlecock off without any effort. Jun'er picked up the colorful shuttlecock and ran over with a smile: "Thank you, Shaojun." I touched her head and said softly, "Jun'er should thank Daddy."
"Oh, Jun'er also thanked her father." She politely thanked Xu Changfeng, Xu Changfeng gave a low cough, and said jokingly, "No thanks." Jun'er was picked up and held high, which made Jun'er laugh out loud.
"Didn't the officials go to the Yamen today?" I asked him.
Xu Changfeng shook his head and said, "I'll take a two-day rest, it's just right, and I can accompany you to pay for it." Hearing this, I couldn't help but feel warm in my heart.
Xu Changfeng then said that he would take Jun'er and me out for a walk, and Jun'er clapped his hands happily and said yes. His idea came suddenly, but he didn't bring many people with him, only two servants who took care of Jun'er left the house together.
The last time I stepped out of Xu Mansion was at night, and this is the first time I went out in broad daylight. The three of us sat in a sedan chair, and the servants followed the arrogance outside, and went to the most lively Changmen Street in Shangjing.
At this time, I noticed that someone was holding my hand, and when I looked to the side, Xu Changfeng said to me: "There are many people here, I will hold you, don't get lost."
"Yeah." I nodded slightly.
Xu Changfeng held me with one hand and Jun'er with the other. Jun'er was naturally courageous, and she was not afraid when she saw so many people, but she looked excited, and after being hugged for a long time, she clamored to get down and walk by herself. Xu Changfeng had no choice but to let her go. Seeing that she was about to run, I hurriedly called "Jun'er" and heard Xu Changfeng say, "It's okay, there are servants and guards watching her, and she will be fine."
Even though he said that, I was still a little worried, but Xu Changfeng looked at me, making me feel a little uncomfortable, lowered his eyes and asked in a low voice: "What do the officials keep looking at me for?"
"Nothing," he said with a warm smile in his eyes, "Let's go."
This place is different from the one that Xu Qihe took me to last time. Looking around, there are all kinds of people, most of them are ordinary people, merchants and peddlers. Besides, there are many foreigners with blonde hair and blue eyes.
"This Changmen Street is the longest street in central Beijing. During Gaozong's reign, Dazheng opened the country, and this place is also open to people from all corners of the world, so no matter what time of day, there are the most people in Beijing." I listened to Xu Changfeng Tell me the history of this street, while looking around curiously. Xu Changfeng pointed to a small official who was walking along the street, and said, "That's the Changmen envoy. There are different vendors in this street every day. If you want to set up a stall, you have to pay 30 Wen a day. The Changmen envoy Fees are collected from house to house. This rule was also set by Gaozong. When Gaozong came to the throne, because he had just experienced the Jingtai Rebellion and the treasury was empty, Gaozong came up with this method. Still in use."
Gao Zong is the master of Zhongxing in our dynasty. He has been in power for thirty years and has made great achievements. The current prosperity of Dazheng depends on the foundation laid by Gao Zong.
This street has everything, there are sellers, and there are also many jugglers, which makes people dazzled. I saw someone set up a platform in front of me, the crowd was crowded, and Xu Changfeng took me there. There were so many people there, I stood on tiptoe, he suddenly lowered his head and asked me, "Can you see it?" He immediately picked me up, and I grabbed him in a hurry, amidst the noise, I heard him He yelled loudly, "Can you see it now?"
I looked at the stage, and when I saw the man doing the juggling, I happily shouted back to him: "I saw it!"
I have never seen the tricks performed by the Gentiles on the stage. Not only could they swallow swords alive, but they could also spew fire from their mouths. After the performance was over, a person led a monkey to ask for a reward. When the little monkey jumped up to me, Xu Changfeng gave me a piece of silver. After I rewarded the money, the little monkey jumped on my shoulder and played around.
Then, Xu Changfeng took me for a stroll. There are thousands of merchants on this street, and you can’t finish shopping in a few days, and the gadgets they sell are all kinds of strange things. I was holding Xu Changfeng's arm, and suddenly heard him say: "Actually, I haven't been here for ten years. In the past, Wan'er... was Jun'er's biological mother. She didn't like to be lively. Girl, she has been in poor health since she was a child, and she never went out after giving birth to Jun'er."
This is the first time Xu Changfeng took the initiative to mention Luo Wan'er to me. I know from the servants that at that time, the Yu family forced Luo Wan'er to become a concubine, but Xu Changfeng never agreed. Later, Luo Wan'er wrote a letter of divorce, and when Xu Changfeng returned home, she had already shaved her hair and decided to leave.
In all honesty, the Luo family is indeed a strong woman, if I were Xu Changfeng, I'm afraid I won't be able to forget her in my life.
Xu Changfeng stopped talking, and seemed to feel that it was inappropriate to mention Luo Shi in front of me. He held my hand tightly, and said without opening his eyes, "Let's go over there and have a look."
Not long after I walked, I saw a barbarian stall. Seeing that my pace was slowing down, Xu Changfeng pulled me over. There were many gadgets that I had never seen before on the stall, and I picked up something that looked like a catapult. Xu Changfeng explained to me: "This is a leather slingshot. If it is well made, it can also be used to hunt birds."
"—Really?" I didn't expect this seemingly ordinary thing to be so powerful.
Xu Changfeng smiled at me, I didn't want it at first, but he already bought it for some money. Xu Changfeng gave it to me: "Take it."
I took it with both hands, as if I had received something extremely precious.
We walked for a while, and when we saw Jun'er and the others, we headed back home. Jun'er was exhausted after a day of playing, and fell asleep leaning against me in the sedan chair. Back in the courtyard of the big house, I handed Jun'er over to the nanny who took care of her. The servants had already prepared a tub of hot water, and they were going to bathe and change my clothes according to the rules.
At this time, the sky was still bright.
I took off my clothes and let them go out. I sat in the bathtub, and the petals floating on the water swayed gently. I watched in a daze, but I didn't realize that someone came in behind me. Until he blocked the light, I froze for a moment, then turned my head back immediately, and there was a sound of water.
"Officer...!" He stood behind me, with the light behind him, so I couldn't see his expression clearly. I subconsciously immersed myself in the hot water, and under the sight of that, my face turned red unconsciously, and I couldn't help but turn my back on him again.
A palm came silently from behind and placed it on the back of my neck silently. The heat in that palm seemed to be extremely high, it made me flinch, but I didn't dare to dodge it. It slowly stroked to the front, and I felt the sound of the breathing behind it approaching, and the hot air came blowing in waves.
"..." My chest heaved slightly nervously, and I swallowed...
He leaned over, poked his face from behind, and pressed my cheek lightly. I tilted my neck slightly, and my lips touched his. As soon as I trembled, he pinched my jaw and squeezed my mouth tightly. I whimpered weakly.