After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 537 Birthday Banquet

Haitang didn't know that the table with the Zhou family's granddaughter-in-law and nephew's daughter-in-law was talking about Mrs. Ma, the third wife of the Zhou family. She was sitting on the seat of the Zhou family's old family members. She had just finished eating when she was invited by Zhou Xuejun to sit at the table of their sisters.

The girls' seats were placed in the water pavilion in the garden, next to the flower beds. Outside the window were flowers, and the house was surrounded by pearls and greenery. The little girls were all dressed up, chatting and laughing, it was so lively.

There were many girls with foreign surnames invited like Haitang, but she blended in without being conspicuous at all. Zhou Xuejun and Zhou Huajun talked to her, letting her taste the delicacies from the mountains and seas that were only available at the main table. They showed her their newly made clothes and the embroidered fan bags or sachets she gave to match the new clothes. She went to play Touhu, Shuanglu, and admired the newly blooming exotic flowers and plants in the garden, and then took her to watch the elder sisters who loved reading read pairs and couplets. After a round of laughter and laughter, the banquet came to an end.

Haitang thought of the sisters Tang Hui, Tang Ruo and Tang Lan she had just met. It's really been a long time.

Tang Hui looked pretty good. During the six months of traveling abroad, she seemed to have had a good rest, and everything in the past could be left behind. Even if an ignorant little girl mentioned Jin Shan during the dinner, she did not change her face. Regardless of whether she really gave up or raised the city and pretended not to care, at least she was no longer easily aroused by the past, and when others saw this, they would not continue to talk about the Jin family in a hurry.

Tang Lan's temper seemed to have calmed down a bit. Although he still spoke arrogantly sometimes and was still a headache when he was willful, at least he still had a look in his eyes and wouldn't go out of his way and make people laugh.

As for Tang Ruo, this was the first time Haitang saw her. She was indeed more beautiful than her eldest sister Tang Hui, and she also learned poetry and calligraphy etiquette better, and she was more active than her eldest sister in composing poems. It's just that Haitang has seen more outstanding ladies and feels that she is just okay. Even if his talent is more outstanding than that of Tang Hui, he is showing off his talents so actively in public that he wants to suppress everyone. And she took the initiative to propose to write down the results of the couplet poems and send them to the main table for the Duke of Zhen's wife to appreciate. This was also Sima Zhao's intention, and everyone on the road knew it.

Today, Ma Shangyi, as the representative of Empress Dowager Zhou, was arranged by Madam Zhen Guo to entertain her at the main table. The poems that Mrs. Zhen Guo can read can also be read by Ma Shangyi. Compared with the two nuns who were born in the palace of Concubine Zhang Gong but were bribed by Concubine Sun, Ma Shangyi was a close confidant of the Queen Mother, so her weight was naturally extraordinary.

Although the Tang family has changed a lot, some things and some concepts seem to have not had time to change.

Haitang watched silently as Tang Ruo overwhelmed everyone with his poetic talent and made a splash, then left with sisters Zhou Xuejun and Zhou Huajun. At this time, she had no intention of expressing herself. Unless the theme of a poem to celebrate someone's birthday is inspired by their feelings, what's the point of writing it?

In her previous life, when she was a female official in the palace, she had to write poems and poems every year because of her talent. From the queen mother, the emperor, the empress, the prince, the princess... to the concubine, the concubine, the concubine... and later developed to even a new one. It was the birthday of Jin's favorite concubine, and she was asked to write a new song of praise to celebrate the occasion. Over the past few decades, she has become so bored with this kind of propositional composition that she almost vomits, and she never wants to do it in her life.

The three of them returned to their seats, and the seats around them were almost empty. The little girls had eaten and drank enough and went to find their own entertainment. They really didn't have any friends to play with, so they were willing to walk around the water pavilion and enjoy the flowers alone. It was better than being bored in the water pavilion and looking at the disabled people. Xi was in a daze.

Zhou Xuejun didn't mind the desertedness in the water pavilion. She was a little tired after walking around today and wanted to sit down and have a rest. There are fewer people around, which makes it easier for her to talk to her friends and sisters.

Zhou Huajun asked someone to order new tea. While sitting down to drink tea, he took out a fan to fan himself and complained: "Why is it so hot today? It's obviously autumn!"

Haitang smiled and said: "The sun is nice today. We have just returned from walking around outside. We are sweating from walking, so naturally we will feel hot. Sit down and have a rest. It will be fine in a while."

Zhou Huajun increased the frequency of fanning and looked around: "Why don't you see Sister Wu? She was called away very early today, and I don't know where she went. I thought she should have come back by now, but she was still missing. silhouette."

Zhou Xuejun said: "I must have gone to my grandmother's place. If you want to find her, just go over and have a look."

Zhou Huajun thought for a moment: "Forget it, Sister Hai will stay with Xue Jun here, and I will get Sister Wu back. Otherwise, if we miss today, Sister Wu will not know when she will see Sister Hai again. She has been thinking about you for a long time, We haven't seen each other for several months, but how can the communication be as pleasant as talking in person?" Haitang thanked her with a smile, and Zhou Huajun stood up and left, waving his fan.

After she left, Zhou Xuejun lowered her voice and talked about the time Ma Shangyi inquired about Haitang: "I also mentioned it to Sister Huajun afterwards, saying that she shouldn't tell others about you, Sister Hai. She didn't even think about what was taboo about this matter, and she thought that Ma Shangyi was a member of our family, so there was no need to hide it. I didn't know how to tell her that our sisters couldn't help it. Sister, you..."

Haitang had already put this matter behind her: "It doesn't matter, I don't have any taboos about my matter, just say it. As long as you have this intention, Mr. Xue, you don't have to take this matter to your heart all the time."

Zhou Xuejun sighed: "As long as Sister Hai is not angry. In fact, I don't understand what Ma Shangyi thinks. During those days, she seemed to be always asking about your family. Not only did she ask about you, Sister Hai, but also Brother Hai also inquired very carefully. I thought to myself that this was not a good idea, so I mentioned it to my grandmother. She didn't say anything, so I couldn't say more..."

Although Zhou Xuejun is very smart, her parents are not around and her brother often goes out to study. She always feels that she is not as confident as she used to be when speaking at home. It is true that Mrs. Zhen Guo loves her, but she is not her biological grandmother after all. She does not dare to be willful in front of her...

If you think about it carefully, there are still some differences between her and Zhou Huajun. They are also sisters, and their parents are not around, but she can't be as wanton as Zhou Huajun. Be more cautious in everything you say and do than before. Because now, if she makes any mistakes and offends her elders, she will not have her parents around to protect her.

The little girl Zhou Xuejun felt as if she had grown several years older despite the injury she had been nursing for several months, and was now much more mature and steady.

Haitang looked at Zhou Xuejun's immature face with a "mature and steady" expression, and couldn't help but pursed her lips and hid a smile.

She comforted Zhou Xuejun and said, "It's okay. General Zhou and Mrs. Zhou will be able to settle down in the capital soon. Then you can go and reunite with your parents. You don't have to be so cautious anymore."

Zhou Xuejun sighed: "But when I go to reunite with my parents, won't my brother be the only one left in the family? My brother has to go to guard the border, and he must be lonely, right? I can't bear to leave him..."

This is not something Haitang can talk about. She smiled and didn't answer.

The two sat quietly chatting for a few words, then looked at the scenery outside the window, and then heard rapid footsteps outside the water pavilion. Zhou Huajun pulled Wu Qiong back.

As soon as Zhou Huajun came back, he eagerly said to Zhou Xuejun and Haitang: "It's amazing! We just heard a big news at the main table!"

She sat next to Zhou Xuejun and lowered her voice and said, "It turns out that Empress Wu gave birth to a seventh prince back then! She has always asked our Queen Mother to hide in Cining Palace!"

Zhou Xuejun was stunned: "Really or not?! We have never heard of it!"

Haitang asked: "Where did this news come from? Why did it suddenly come up during today's birthday banquet?"

(End of this chapter)