carved heart

Chapter 47 Suizhou apprenticeship (6)
Zhang Yicheng had a very peaceful life recently, Yuan Yicheng next door was promoted and finally left the post station, replaced by an honest and honest young man.Probably because he was new to the officialdom, he was a little immature, but he also respected him a lot, put him first in everything, and took the initiative to take on a lot of jobs.

Really a sensible young man.

He had nothing to do every day, drinking tea, wandering around, and living a leisurely life. Only occasionally when he thought of the time when Mu Yanghou arrived, his forehead ached and his chest throbbed.

What happened on that day will never be forgotten in eight hundred lifetimes.

Then a big Buddha came to his small inn, fortunately he received it carefully, did not provoke the frightening blood-drinking whip, and saved his old life.It's such a peaceful day now.

Zhang Yicheng stroked his white beard, drinking tea with squinting eyes.

The tea is so fragrant.

It's a good day.

Unexpectedly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the house.Zhang Yicheng was in a great mood at the moment, he didn't even bother to raise his eyebrows, he squinted his eyes, and said comfortably: "What's the rush, talk slowly if you have something to do."

The boy's face turned pale, he looked out of breath, and said: "Zhang...Zhang Yicheng..."

"I told you not to worry, it's not Mu Yanghou who is here, so speak slowly if you have something to say." Zhang Yicheng poured a cup of freshly cooked hot tea, brought it to his lips, and blew gently, just in time When he was about to take the first sip, the servant finally caught his breath and said without tears, "No! It's Mu Yanghou who came."

Zhang Yicheng shook his hand, half of his hand was scalded by the hot tea, he couldn't react, and he said after a long time: "What?"

"Mu Yanghou's carriage is coming! It's at the door!"

Zhang Yicheng said "Ah", only to realize that his hands were burning and hurting, but he couldn't care about it at the moment, and hurried out with the boy.

I didn't see Mu Yanghou in person last time, but this time I really saw him for sure.

With a gloomy face, he looked at him coldly.

"Are you the postman here?"

Zhang Yicheng's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "If you go back to the Marquis, you will be the next official." Seeing Xuanjiawei's cold and gloomy posture, he swallowed his saliva and asked, "No... I don't know that the Marquis is going to be here. Rest?"

However, Mu Yanghou did not return him, and stood in the small courtyard of the station with a serious face.

The scorching summer sun was a bit harsh, but Zhang Yicheng felt the cold sweat protruding from his back.Taking another sneak peek, ouch, isn't it the rumored blood-drinking whip that Mu Yanghou is wrapping around his wrist?Zhang Yicheng felt a little dizzy, and it took him a while to stabilize his steps.

At the same time, a few people Zhang Yicheng thought he was unfamiliar with came out of the backyard of the post station, and after a closer look, the leader was the white-faced gentleman who had come back to ask him to find Doctor Gongcheng.

"Report to Lord Hou, I found it."

... find what?Years of ups and downs in the officialdom told Zhang Yicheng that he smelled a conspiracy.

After a while, two more people came out from the backyard. They carried a white cloth wrapped around a person. Before they got close, there was a disgusting stench.Zhang Yicheng took half a step back and glanced at Mu Yanghou, his expression did not change.

"Uncover."

"Yes."

Yan Shen lifted the white cloth, and the person inside had already rotted to the point where he lost his human form. If it wasn't for the copper token on his body, he probably wouldn't have recognized that it was Chen Dou.

Zhang Yicheng was a little confused.

Dig up a body in his station?what happened?
But seeing Mu Yanghou said sadly: "Take it back for a good burial." His eyes turned to him immediately, and Zhang Yicheng said tremblingly: "Please allow the lower officials to investigate this matter, it must... must..."

Before he finished speaking, Mu Yanghou got into the carriage straight away.

The white-faced gentleman who stayed behind said to him: "It's enough for Zhang Yicheng to tell me. Has anyone interacted with the station in the past month? There is a record book, right? And a while ago..."

The voice of the conversation became farther and farther away, and once the car door was closed, the sound was completely cut off.

Mu Yanghou closed his eyes.

After a while, Yan Shen came back to report: "Master Hou, this matter has nothing to do with Prime Minister Wang. The subordinates will definitely find out as soon as possible." Yan Shen's heart was very heavy at the moment, and he didn't expect such a thing to happen in Gongcheng.Chen Dou was very skilled, it would be difficult for ordinary people to hurt him, but now he died in a foreign land.

Thinking of this, Yan Shen felt somewhat frustrated.

If Taishou Li hadn't sent someone to inquire, after investigation, he would have known that Chen Dou had been impersonated.

Yan Shen's gratitude and admiration for the Yin family increased a little.

If it weren't for the Yin family's action on this matter, I'm afraid Chen Dou's killing is also a matter of Master Hou's coming to Gongcheng again.Thanks to Yin's wit, not only did he not get hurt by the fake Chen Dou, but he also sent him to prison and conveyed the news to Yongping.

It's not without reason that their Lord Hou treats her differently.

It's just who the hell is it that actually takes advantage of Lord Hou to settle accounts with the queen?For a while, Yan Shen also said that he had no clue.It has been less than two years since the new emperor ascended the throne, and the political power has not yet stabilized. His Lord Marquis is a sharp knife in the hands of the new emperor. He has made too many enemies, and it will take time to investigate them one by one.

"Master Hou, someone has sent Chen Dou back to Yongping."

There was a "hmm" from the carriage.

Yan Shen asked again: "Where is Lord Hou going now?"

"Suizhou."

Qixi Qiqiao is the favorite festival of Suizhou girls.

There is no curfew in Suizhou on this day.

The streets and alleys are brightly lit, there are many stalls, and the east and west cities each have rare Tanabata sideshows.Many stalls are hung with carefully prepared lanterns, one after another, which is dizzying.

On the day of Qixi Festival, the most lively place in Suizhou is after the twilight.

The girls made careful preparations at home all day, and tied up the lanterns by themselves. They just waited to go to Suijiang with their beloved husband at night, and then set off the lanterns together.Although the marriage is still the order of the parents and the words of the matchmaker, if you really want to marry a good man, tonight is an excellent opportunity to be allowed.

On the street, people come and go, and there is a lot of traffic.

The pretty girl with the lantern had a red face and spoke softly.Lang Jun is full of affection, and only thinks that once the golden wind and jade dew meet, he will win but there are countless people in the world.

"Where's your lantern?"

Shangguan Shixin asked Ah Yin.

Ah Yin was slightly taken aback, and asked, "What lantern?"

Shangguan Shi said: "I heard from Jiang Man that you have been making lanterns in your house these days." When Jiang Man came back to report, Shangguan Shixin was carving cores that day.At that time, he was stunned for a while, and then he was ecstatic.Ah Yin makes lanterns, what is the meaning of making lanterns, I want to come to Ah Yin and listen to the people around me.She personally made a lantern and agreed to travel to Suizhou with him. Does this mean that she also has some meaning in her heart?
Shangguan Shixin didn't dare to think too much, fearing that it was just a dream of his own, he only called Jiang Manri to pay attention to the situation of Ayin's lantern.

Two days later, Jiang Man said that Ah Yin had made a lotus lantern, and Shangguan Shixin began to look forward to it.Jiang Man was extremely clever, in order to let his young master and Miss Yin be alone, he thought of a way to take Jiang Xuan away before going out.

Ah Yin was a little unclear at first, but now that Shangguan Shixin said it, he smiled and said: "That is a lantern made for Ah Xuan."

"……I see."

It was the first time for Ah Yin to visit Suizhou at night. When she was in Gongcheng, there was a daily curfew. At night, the streets were basically empty. Now it is rare to be lively. She looked around and found it interesting everywhere. , can't see it.

"It's so lively over there, Ziye, let's go and have a look."

Shangguan Shixin naturally agreed and walked over with Ah Yin.

It was originally a nuclear carving stall, with the same half-finished nuclear carvings placed on it, and all kinds of Qixi poems engraved on the bottom, such as if the two loves last for a long time, how can they be in the morning and evening.

The stall owner is holding an awl knife and is carving characters on the core carving.

But in just a moment, the stall owner handed the carved core carving to a girl.There were red clouds on the girl's cheeks, and she couldn't put it down holding the nuclear carving. The maid behind her gave thirty Wen, and the master and servant left talking and laughing.

Immediately, another gentleman held 77 Wen coins in his hand and said: "I want to carve people, and I want poems about meeting each other in golden wind and jade dew."

"Okay!" The stall owner accepted the money and readily agreed, took out the file, smoothed the skin, and looked at the gentleman carefully.After a while, the stall owner lowered his head, and quickly carved on the semi-finished core carving, without any drawings, and directly cut the knife.

Ah Yin watched intently, whispered to Shangguan Shi: "The masters are among the people."

Shangguan Shixin laughed and said, "Just look at how well he carves."

Hearing Shangguan Shixin's tone, Ah Yin asked curiously, "Is there something strange in it?"

Shangguan Shi said: "Everyone who travels on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month wants to make fun of it. It takes a lot of time to carve a person, but the small stall will not spend too much effort. You see, most of his stalls are engraved. Very little engraving."

Ah Yin heard the words, and looked carefully again.

The stall owner has already finished carving the eyes, which are only two or three points similar to that of the gentleman. Looking at the other carved core carvings, the girls all have melon-seeded faces, almond eyes, upturned noses and small lips, and the boys all have sword eyebrows and star eyes. .

She understood, and said with a smile: "The owner of this stall looks the same to everyone, and the people who buy it are just thinking about it."

After a while, the stall owner finished carving, and engraved the poem "When the golden wind and jade dew meet, they will win but there are countless people in the world" engraved on the bottom, and the nuclear carving of a gentleman carved on it was handed over to the buyer.The buyer looked at it and left happily.

Ah Yin said: "If you carve people beautifully, the buyers will be happy. This stall owner has a business mind." Unfortunately, the carvings are not resembling.

A Yin turned his head, and when he was about to talk to Shangguan Shixin, he disappeared.She was slightly taken aback, and looked around, only to see Shangguan Shixin approaching the stall at some point, and whispered something to the stall owner.

The stall owner immediately nodded in trepidation.

Next, the boss gave up his bench and took out a new pair of nuclear carving utensils.Ah Yin was a little far away, and could only hear a few words, such as "Smile and Accept" and "Slow Use".

Shangguan Shixin took over the nuclear carving utensils and took one of the semi-finished nuclear carvings. The bottom is engraved with the eight characters "Tenderness is like water, and good times are like dreams".

The crowd in front of the stall was a bit noisy, but when they saw a gentle and refined gentleman, the voices in the crowd became quieter.Until the file in Shangguan Shixin's hand came together, the crowd who were still making some noise suddenly lost their voice.

Everyone looked at Shangguan Shixin with bated breath.

Such a gentle and refined gentleman, when he raised the file, the nuclear statue in his hand seemed to come alive.

The eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and the bun on the top of the head are loosely tied, and a peony flower hairpin is inserted obliquely, making the eyebrows of the woman on the nuclear carving picturesque and gentle.

Even the folds on the skirt are carved so finely, as if the gentleman already has a weaver girl in his heart. Although we meet each other on July [-]th every year, every frown and smile has already been engraved in the gentleman's bones, so clear and vivid.

Suddenly, someone in the quiet crowd shouted.

"It's this girl! Yes, it's the girl on the nuclear carving!"

With a sound, countless eyes fell on Ah Yin.Those people looked at Yin, nodded frequently, and only said: "Like! Really like! This gentleman is very skilled!"

At this time, Shangguan Shixin stood up and walked slowly towards Ah Yin.

Many people automatically give way to a wide road.

Shangguan Shixin spread out his palms, smiled, and said, "Give me a nuclei carving."

The beautiful woman in the palm is like a flower like a jade, and the beautiful woman in front of her is even more beautiful, making the girls around her envious for a while.Someone even said: "A man with a talent and a woman with a beautiful face are a natural match."

Ah Yin's cheeks were burning hotly, and it took him a long time to hold back a sentence: "Head... It's the first time I watched Zi Ye's carved core, and I benefited a lot from it."

Shangguan Shixin sensed her uneasiness, coupled with the burning eyes of the people around him, he retracted his five fingers and said: "There are few people over there, let's go over there." Saying this, he took a step ahead and passed through the crowd.

A Yin followed behind Shangguan Shixin.

The darker the night, the more people there were on the street. Ah Yin's face was burning, and he was a little absent-minded. He was bumped by the passing crowd and staggered.At this moment, there was a warmth in the palm.

She looked up, and Shangguan Shixin stopped at some point, grabbed her hand, and said softly: "There are many people here, I will take you to a place where there are few people."

Along the way, she felt that Shangguan Shixin's hands were getting hotter and hotter, and at the back, she was sweating layer after layer, sticky.

Finally, Shangguan Shixin let go of her hand.

She looked at him, feeling a little uneasy for no reason.

He handed out a handkerchief and said, "Wipe your hands, you'll sweat a lot in the hot weather." He explained this in a gentle voice, but when he listened carefully, he could hear a trace of crampedness and nervousness.

Ah Yin took the handkerchief and wiped his hands.

He said again: "I was in a hurry just now, so... I grabbed your hand. Ah Yin, Ziye didn't mean to offend you." Seeing that she was still in a daze, he said softly: "It's the first time I've met you. On the day of Qixi Festival, one would either carve cores in the mansion or fight with others. I didn’t realize that Qixi Festival was different from ordinary days before, but now I know that it is different.”

He stretched out his hand, and in the palm was the core carving he had previously carved.

The moonlight is bright tonight, the bushes are covered with lanterns, reflecting on the core carvings, the newly polished core carvings have a layer of soft luster, just like her black hair, soft and bright, he is full of softness and joy, as if how Can't get enough of it.

He thought that only the nuclear carving could keep him in his heart until he met her.

She is intelligent, quiet, gentle and beautiful, with eyes comparable to the stars, shining brightly when the core is carved, which can make the world eclipse, just like that, she quietly climbed to the tip of his heart.

"I am 25 years old, and I like to carve with you."

"Ayin, Ziye wants to marry you."

Ah Yin was a little dazed. In the past 20 years, it was the first time someone proposed to her so sincerely.

Some people say that his hobbies are only nuclear carving and her.

"I..." She didn't know how to answer for a while.

Shangguan Shixin's palms began to sweat again, and he said: "Ziye understands the words of parents' orders and matchmakers. If Ah Yin is willing, Ziye will go to Gongcheng to propose marriage to your relatives today. Think slowly, don't worry, think it over Tell Ziye again."

Saying that, he stuffed the core carving into Ah Yin's hand.

(End of this chapter)