At the hour of You, the resounding bells and drums on the city wall could be heard throughout the city. In the quiet Guo Mansion Garden, the curved wooden bridge at the back garden exit looked like an artificial rainbow in the afterglow of the setting sun. The lake in the middle of the garden was sparkling with an orange-yellow luster.
The atmosphere here is completely different from the outside world, without the hustle and bustle of the market and the fighting. It is like being isolated from the world. When the wife is not at home, Guo Shao can't see her during the day. Yulian and Yang are the masters of the family. The two of them have a very close relationship, like sisters, and they stick together all day long.
Do you think Alang will come back tonight? Yang asked Yulian who was helping while packing up the pipa and music scores.
Yu Lian muttered: Never mind, if he doesn’t come back he will send someone to say hello. We can just eat by ourselves or we can wake up that little Taoist priest who sleeps all day to eat with us.
You eat every day, can you think of something else? Yang smiled with her hands covering her mouth.
Yu Lian seemed to have thought of something, her face turned red and she said: What can I think of
Yang leaned over, covered her mouth with her hand, and whispered: If Alang doesn't come back, I'll go to your room at night.
Yu Lian's face turned even redder, and she said: If you say that again, I will be angry.
Yang was not angry, and said kindly: Men will not care about such things. Last time I asked you to serve Alang together, do you think he cares? If we don't enjoy ourselves now, we will suffer in the future.
"Sister, why do you have such thoughts? Isn't it good to live a peaceful and stable life now?" Yu Lian frowned.
Yang shook her head and sighed, saying: "Remember what I told you before? At that time, you wanted to be frugal and manage the family. I told you that what Alang lacked in his position was not money, but how to keep his power. Was I right?"
Did your previous frugality work? Think about it, more than a month ago, we both had to hide in other houses. In that situation, no matter how much money the Guo family had saved, it would be useless. If Alang failed, all the family wealth would be gone overnight.
Yulian was persuaded. What Yang said made sense. Yulian now learned to dress well and eat well, and was too lazy to save money, but sometimes she still felt uncomfortable about wasting money.
Now Yang's advice was repeated, and Yulian listened. She thought that she couldn't even have children, so it seemed right to enjoy life while she could.
She sighed and said: I really don't want to struggle anymore. If one day I can't rely on A Lang, I will follow him, so I don't have to suffer anymore and never want to go back to the place I was in before.
Ah Lang was also enjoying himself. Yang advised him kindly that Chen Jiali might have fallen in love with him, and maybe even her cousin Zhou Xian had been taken away by him.
Zhou Xianyulian frowned and said,
Yang said: She is the wife of Li Yu, the prince of Southern Tang. I used to have correspondence with her.
Yu Lian blushed and whispered: But the kind of thing you are talking about, we look the same in every way, is it interesting
Yang put her soft red lips against Yulian's ear and said softly: It's more interesting than doing it yourself.
Yulian gently lifted her up. Yang covered her mouth and laughed, staring at Yulian and looking at her: You are so beautiful, as white as a lotus emerging from the water, the name Yulian is really appropriate.
Just then, Dong Sanniang walked to the door and said: Alang is back.
Yang laughed after hearing this and whispered to Yulian: But Alang is still more interesting, he just is not very open, we have to teach him.
The two of them hurriedly went with Dong Sanniang to Guo Shao's living room. The entrance was the hall. Guo Shao was not wearing armor, but just sat there drinking tea and waiting for the meal to be served. When he saw the three women, he said, "Sanniang, let's have dinner together."
"I dare not sit with my master," said Sanniang, lowering her head.
After hearing this, Yang looked at Dong Sanniang calmly. The little girl was fourteen years old, and her breasts were already bulging. She had lived a good life in the Guo Mansion for several years and was well-fed. Her body was small and her waist and hips had a contour because she was well-fed. However, Dong Sanniang was treated specially by Guo Shao, mainly because her second brother killed the hero Zhao Sanlang. It was said that Guo Shao took him with him wherever he went.
Guo Shao said softly: Don't be afraid, it's been several years since I came to Tokyo from Hedong, and I have never beaten or scolded you. Besides, this is not the first time you have sat at the same table with me for dinner.
Sanniang said nothing.
Guo Shao turned around and looked at him again: Yulian Yue'e, I had some official business a few days ago and came back a little late.
Yang almost laughed out loud when she heard this. Was it a secret meeting between the widow Chen and Li Yu's wife? But she was not laughing at Guo Shao's lie. He was the most powerful man in Tokyo. Why would he lie to his concubine
However, Yang thought that this was the most pleasing thing about Guo Shao. In the past, Yang wanted to repay her gratitude the most, but now she felt that repaying the gratitude was secondary. She would be willing to stay with Guo Shao even if there was no gratitude.
At this time, a stout black woman and a middle-aged woman came up to serve the meal, and Sanniang hurried over to help. Guo Shao frowned and said, "Where is Qingxu?"
Yang smiled and said: Still sleeping.
When will she wake up? If she doesn't sleep, she will become stupid, Guo Shao said. Yue'e will go and wake her up.
Soon, Yang brought the girl with single eyelids and sleepy eyes and a delicate face. Qingxu would get up when she heard that it was time for dinner, but her room was really messy and she never made the quilt.
It's the same dishes again, Qingxu complained, can't we change the style
Yu Lian whispered: I will cook it tomorrow.
Guo Shao sighed and said: Perhaps it is a good thing that the girl does not know what sorrow feels like.
Yang recalled the mutiny that happened more than a month ago. Qingxu was staying in the mansion at that time. If the situation was not right and the rebels broke into the mansion, it would have been a funny scene if Qingxu was still sleeping soundly in bed.
Qingxu said: I helped you save the queen's life, and the grace of saving her life is as great as the sky. Just for this matter, you have to feed me with good food and drink, and I don't want your money, it's not too much, right
Never mind, never mind, I'll support you, you can do whatever you want. Guo Shaodao.
Qingxu asked again: When will Jingniang and I go to the palace to see the Queen
Guo Shaodao: She is already the Queen Mother
Qingxu was stunned after hearing this, and counted with his fingers: one day in heaven is one year on earth. The world has changed so much that Yang couldn't hold it back any longer, so she covered her mouth and laughed for a while.
After dinner, Yulian served tea. Guo Shao sat at the table, took out a booklet, and from the cabinet took out a book of notes from the Privy Council, and asked someone to grind ink and write and draw.
Yang reminded: Alang came back early today, so go to rest early.
Guo Shao said without turning his head: "Wash yourself clean and wait for me on the bed. Don't beg for mercy later."
Yang blushed: I'm a little weak, and Sister Yulian is here. I've asked someone to boil water, please let Alang take a bath and change clothes.
Guo Shaodao: The weather is getting cold now. I just washed it last night, so I won’t wash it again.
Ah Lang, take a bath, I will serve you in other ways later. Yang said softly.
Guo Shao turned his head to look at her, and Yang gently touched her lips with her long nails painted with exquisite nail polish. As expected, Guo Shao's face turned slightly red. Yang thought to herself, a slight hint will make the bad guy understand. Could it be that Chen Jiali's pretentiousness has already been taught to Ah Lang
Yang smiled and said: I also sent someone to buy some medicinal herbs, which can be soaked in water to nourish the body.
Guo Shao put away his things and waited at the back door to prepare hot water. He looked at the night view of the garden outside and suddenly felt that this garden was indeed a good place to be lazy. Fu Yanqing must be a person who knows how to enjoy life, so he built such a house in a small area.
But for some reason, he always felt that something was missing from Fu Ermei. So he always felt a little empty.
There was no Fu Ermei here before, and Fu Ermei had only been here for a few months. But once she had belonged to this place, Guo Shao felt very uncomfortable when she was gone, and no matter how many women he had, he could not offset this feeling.
He thought back, Yulian and Yang were both poor people caused by the war, and it was just by chance that he met someone who could let them live a stable life, so it was fine to keep them. But how did he offend Zhou Xian, and Li Xiaoniang made him very entangled. After thinking about it, he couldn't even figure it out.
In fact, he felt that having Fu Jinzhan and Fu Ermei was enough.
Guo Shao immediately pondered over it. The reorganization of the imperial army could not be completed in a short time, because the 20,000 people in the left wing of the Longjie Army had not returned to Tokyo; but as long as the left wing of the Hujie Army was successfully integrated into the Huben Army, the first stage of the reorganization could be completed and they could withdraw.
At this time, Dong Sanniang came in carrying a bucket of hot water. Guo Shao hurriedly said: What's the name of that strong woman? Ask her to do this kind of work so that it will be easier.
It doesn't matter. Dong Sanniang rarely spoke, and Guo Shao often felt that she was a little inferior.
Guo Shaodao: I will talk to your second brother someday and take you in as my sister. When you grow up a few years, I will find you a good family and pay for a generous dowry.
Suddenly a bucket of water fell to the ground.
I'm sorry, Alang. My Sanniang hurriedly lay on the ground and used her arms to collect the water on the ground, but there was no way to collect the water. She could only watch as the big bucket of water wet a large area of the floor.
Guo Shao heard her voice choking with sobs and said: It's okay, it will dry with the door open. Don't cry, I won't blame you. Is the water very hot? He hurried forward and touched it with his hand, and found it was warm water.
Dong Sanniang sobbed and said: Ah Lang, do you really hate me and want to send me away early
Guo Shao:
He pondered and said: "Little girls will grow up and marry and have their own family. If you have a high status and a rich dowry, you can choose a good one in every aspect. You are my sister, and even an official family will be happy to marry you. Isn't it a good thing?"
I think this place is good, A Lang is good, and I feel happy every day when I see A Lang coming back. Dong Sanniang said, I am not greedy. No matter how good other people's families are, I don't know how they will treat me.