swear not to be concubine

Chapter 25

"...the peach blossoms by the water's edge over there are the best," Wu Jingxuan turned around and pointed to a place behind her, smiling, "Biaomei Hua and I had a lot of peach blossoms broken by the maid, I think I will send them off later. Go to bottle the old lady and the cousins. I happened to meet you here, sister Yan, come and pick two.”

On the one hand, she bent down slightly and smiled at Xu Miaojin: "Cousin Xuan will follow you back to Ningcui Xuan later, and personally pick two peach blossoms that bloom better to put in vases for you, and put them on the case near the window, okay?"

Xu Miaojin just stood there with lowered eyes, without answering.It's just that one hand is still holding Jian Yan's hand tightly.

The smile on Wu Jingxuan's face was a bit unbearable, but she still smiled and asked Jian Yan to pick a peach blossom.

Jian Yan thought for a while, and finally reached out to pick a peach blossom.

This Wu Jingxuan has already encountered a nail that is neither hard nor soft on Xu Miaojin's side. If she refuses again, maybe this cousin girl will be angry with herself.

Holding a peach blossom in her hand, she nodded to Wu Jingxuan and said with a smile, "Thank you sister Wu."

At this time, Wu Jingxuan turned her head to greet Xu Miaohua: "Cousin Hua, since we met Jin'er here, we might as well go to Jin'er's Ning Cui Xuan to sit together."

As soon as she said this, Jian Yan felt that Xu Miaojin was holding her hand tightly.

That's right, speaking of Xu Miaojin is the owner of Ningcuixuan, why did Wu Jingxuan invite someone to Ningcuixuan without first asking the owner what she meant, instead she made the decision on her own?Didn't he just fool her like a child as Xu Miaojin said?
It's just that Jian Yan didn't want to intervene in the affairs between their sisters, and after hearing what Wu Jingxuan said just now, she didn't intend to invite her to Ningcuixuan at all, so she thought it's better to say goodbye and leave.

Jian Yan was about to say goodbye to them, but Xu Miaojin suddenly pulled her hand hard.

She looked down and saw Xu Miaojin raised her head and looked at her with wide eyes.

Then she saw Xu Miaojin turned her head and said firmly to Wu Jingxuan: "Sister Yan is going too."

Jane Yan: ...

Can you ask me what I mean first, miss?
But Xu Miaohua over there sneered at this time and said: "I don't want to play this fun."

After all, he turned around and walked away with his maidservant.

During this period of time, Jian Yan also listened to some gossip, and knew that the Wu family had thought about delegating the power of housekeeping to her daughter-in-law.In theory, it should be given to the eldest son of the Qin family. Her husband is the eldest son, and she is the clan wife.It's just that Uncle Xu was dead at that time, she is a widow, what kind of family is she in charge of?And from an emotional point of view, Second Master Xu was born to Mrs. Wu, so she naturally kissed Mrs. Feng more, so she also wanted Mrs. Feng from Mrs. Qin to be the housekeeper, but Mrs. Qin was unwilling, and Mrs. Feng was naturally dissatisfied. , the last two people fought over this matter and almost couldn't fight.Wu had no choice but to take care of it herself.

And because of this matter, Qin and Feng were at odds with each other, and even Xu Miaohua became hostile towards Da Fang.

Xu Miaohua turned around and left without giving her face, Wu Jingxuan's face was somewhat embarrassed.

And Xu Miaojin probably didn't intend to give her face, because she didn't pay attention to Wu Jingxuan at all, she just raised her head and asked Jian Yan: "Sister Yan, can you go to my Ning Cui Xuan to sit for a while?"

While speaking, she also gently shook her arm. It seemed that the two of them were very familiar with each other.

At this meeting, Jian Yan could only agree.

She nodded: "Okay. It just so happens that I haven't been to your place yet."

Xu Miaojin was very happy, took Jian Yan's hand, turned around and was about to leave.Her maid, Qing Zhu, naturally hurriedly followed, and Bai Wei also followed after her.

Wu Jingxuan stood on the spot, and the embarrassment on her face became more and more obvious.

From the beginning to the end, Xu Miaojin didn't mean to invite her to sit in Ningcuixuan.

Her maid Xueliu asked her at this moment: "Miss, are you going to Miss Si's place?"

Wu Jingxuan thought that today was Xu Zhongxuan's day to rest.Although he didn't come back every day when he rested and bathed, just now the little maid came over and said that she saw the eldest son in the study today.Xu Zhongxuan valued his younger sister Xu Miaojin the most. Since he came back, he would definitely go to Ningcuixuan to visit her. If he went to Ningcuixuan by himself, he might be able to meet him.

Thinking of Xu Zhongxuan's elegant face, Wu Jingxuan's heart was like a deer bumping wildly, and even her face became hot.

So she immediately raised her heels and stepped forward.

Ning Cui Xuan is a small courtyard.Ruyi stomped up the third-level blue and white stone, two black lacquered doors, and two simple round brass knockers on the door.

Qingzhu took a step forward and patted on the door, a little maid came over and opened the door, seeing her own girl standing at the door with so many people, she hurriedly bowed and bowed, then retreated to the side with her hands down.

Xu Miaojin took Jian Yan's hand, stepped across the threshold first, and walked into the yard.

The courtyard is not very big, with zigzagging corridors on both sides, flower street paving in the middle, and various patterns and patterns embedded in various colored cobblestones.There are a few clumps of lush bamboo on the roadside, a few plantains outside the window, and the rockery is exquisite.

Xu Miaojin pulled Jian Yan to stand in the courtyard, pointed to the couplets on the front porch pillars for her to see, and asked her if the words on them were well written.

Jian Yan saw two lines of poems written on the red paper, the shadows were scattered and the moon moved against the wall, and the hall was full of cold voices.

She knew that this was a poem by a poet of the Tang Dynasty, Yongzhu, so it was quite appropriate to put it here.As for how it was written, she secretly guessed that these two lines of cursive should be written by Xu Zhongxuan, so she refused to comment, but nodded and said that these two lines of poems are very suitable for the occasion, and the two lines of cursive writing are also very good.

Wu Jingxuan was talking beside her at this time: "The brushwork written in these two lines of regular script is fluent and handsome. My cousin's calligraphy attainments are really proficient."

Jian Yan was taken aback for a moment, thinking in her heart, could it be that she had misread it, this is actually two lines of regular script, not cursive?
She looked at the couplets again, carefully reading each word, but she still felt that the two lines of cursive script were more cursive than regular script.

And it doesn't matter what Jian Yan looked at, she could vaguely see a person standing behind the fan in Mingjian from the corner of her eyes.

There is a thick layer of paper pasted on the fretted heart. Although it is opaque, you can't see what's inside, but today's day is bright and the light is excellent. If you look carefully, you can still vaguely see the standing behind. one person.

The man was very tall, so he must be a man.

There are not many men who can freely come and go in this Ningcui Pavilion, right?Jian Yan guessed who that person was almost immediately.

She cried out secretly in her heart.

The master who wrote this couplet is standing there, but they are talking about his calligraphy here.

Jian Yan originally didn't want to open her mouth to comment on what was written in those two lines, but at this moment she simply didn't open her mouth again, and just turned her head to look at the clump of bamboo beside her.

Xu Zhongxuan who was in the main room came out at this time, stood on the porch, looking at everyone under the steps.

He was still wearing the green veil with the collar and stood straight in the porch, as elegant and unrestrained as a stalk of green bamboo.

Seeing him, Xu Miaojin immediately asked, "Brother, when did you come?"

"Just arrived." Facing Xu Miaojin, he said very concisely, but he was looking at Jian Yan from the corner of his eyes.

The girl wore a light red blouse and a jade-colored silk skirt, but turned her head and focused on the green bamboo beside her, as if there was something particularly attractive on the bamboo leaves.

"Cousin," Wu Jingxuan said with a smile on her face, her heart pounding in her chest, and said softly, "So you are here."

But I was thinking in my heart, he really is here.Fortunately, she didn't just turn around and leave because of a moment of embarrassment, otherwise she might have missed the meeting.

At this moment, Jian Yan finally turned her head.

In terms of closeness, both Xu Miaojin and Wu Jingxuan had already greeted Xu Zhongxuan, and it was her turn at the meeting.

So she bowed to Xu Zhongxuan's short body, but she didn't look at him, she just looked down at her own toes, and called out politely and distantly: "Elder Young Master."

From Xu Zhongxuan's angle, he could only see the light blue tulle flowers and a white magnolia hairpin in her black hair.

Knowing that she couldn't see it, Xu Zhongxuan still nodded his head like a ghost, as a compliment, and then called: "Miss Jian."

Jian Yan stopped talking and just looked down at the ground.

She remembered the meeting on the first day when she and Mrs. Jane attended Xu's family banquet. After the meal, Mrs. Jian sat chatting with Mrs. Wu, Mrs. Qin and others. At that time, Mrs. Jian asked, "I don't know. Has the eldest son finished his marriage?"

As soon as she said this, Jian Yan, who was sitting next to her, felt hot all over her face, wishing she could find a hole to get in and never come out again.

In this age, to ask such a sentence in front of other people's relatives is really hard not to let people's imagination run wild.Especially Mrs. Jian herself has a daughter who is waiting to be married, and Xu Zhongxuan is there with such an identity.

Jian Yan heard Qin's chuckle at that time, and then saw her saying with a contemptuous smile: "Not yet. But there are many people who took their daughter's Geng Tie and sent people here Said dear. But I was thinking, after all, Brother Xuan is a third-rank official of the imperial court. At his age, this third-rank official is really not young. I am afraid that there will be a bright future in the future? So I thought So, Brother Xuan has to choose carefully about his marriage. Even if he can't be a princess or the daughter of a prince, he must at least be the daughter of a high-ranking official in the court. Brother, even I can't see it, so it's better not to mention it."

After she finished speaking, not only Mrs. Jian's face was a little embarrassing, but Wu's face was also a little ugly.

Qin said this to Mrs. Jian on the surface, but she also said it to her secretly.What happened to Wu Jingxuan, she must have known about it a long time ago.

At that time, Jian Yan lowered her head deeply, feeling that she was completely humiliated by Mrs. Jian.

From then on, it's uncertain what people in Xu's house will think of her, and how she will cling to Xu Zhongxuan.Therefore, after that night, she could not meet Xu Zhongxuan until she met him, so as to save others from gossiping later.

After entering Xu Miaojin's room, Jian Yan sat quietly at the table, looking down at the pattern of begonias and butterflies embroidered on the red table surround, and devoted herself to making herself a mass of air so that no one would notice.

And different from her low-key, since Wu Jingxuan entered the house, she ordered Qingzhu to find a blue flower gourd after the rain, and then instructed the little girl Xing'er to fill half of the flower gourd water, and then from Xueliu From the handful of peach blossoms she held in her hand, she picked out the two best ones, and inserted them into the gourd with her own hands.

Xu Miaojin sat beside Jian Yan, watching Wu Jingxuan doing all this boredly.After Xu Zhongxuan entered the room, he casually took a book from the book shelf beside him, and sat in the grand teacher's chair beside him to read it.

It's just that from the corner of his eye, he kept glancing at Jian Yan, and the book in his hand didn't turn a page for a long time.

She just sat there with her head down so quietly, from his angle, she could see her delicate and fair neck exposed.And there was a book in her sleeve, because her hands were hanging down slightly at this moment, the book in the sleeve slipped out, allowing him to see the words on the dark brown cover of the book.

But it is "Historical Records".

Few women in the boudoir read "Historical Records", Xu Zhongxuan thought in his heart, this Jian Yan, who is sitting here in a well-behaved manner, no matter how he looks at it, she is a woman in a boudoir who can't be more law-abiding.But just now among Merlin, he saw her sitting casually, humming a melody he didn't understand.When she was half squatting under the plum tree and holding the kitten in her hands, her eyes were full of agility, instead of wearing a mask on her face now, just an impeccable smile.

She is really not an ordinary dresser.

After Xu Zhongxuan came to this conclusion, he looked away and looked at the book in his hand.

At this time, Wu Jingxuan finally arranged the peach blossoms, with a smile on her face, she asked Xu Miaojin softly: "Jin'er, where should I put the peach blossoms in a vase?"

Xu Miaojin didn't look up at her at all, but just played with the rogue rabbit purse she got just now, and replied casually: "Whatever."

Wu Jingxuan raised her eyes and looked around, and seeing Xu Zhongxuan sitting in the teacher's chair reading a book, she held the flower gourd in both hands, walked over and put the flower gourd on the Eight Immortals table beside him, and took advantage of the opportunity to sit on another empty table. In the grand teacher's chair, across a table, he half leaned over to look at the book in Xu Zhongxuan's hand, and at the same time asked softly, "Cousin, what book are you reading?"

There was only a light slap, but it was Xu Zhongxuan who closed the book in his hand, and then directly passed the book across the table.

"Zhuangzi. Cousin wants to read it? Then I'll show it to you."

The smile on the corner of Wu Jingxuan's mouth froze.

Naturally, she didn't really want to read "Zhuangzi", she just wanted to use this book to strike up a conversation with Xu Zhongxuan, but who knew he cut off the conversation directly.

Xu Miaojin listened to it, and couldn't help laughing.But he didn't dare to laugh out loud, so he lowered his head and tried his best to endure it, but the shoulders on both sides were still shaking.

Jian Yan twitched the corner of her mouth.

This Xu Zhongxuan's words are too tricky.I'm so glad I never took the initiative to talk to him, otherwise I was blocked like this, not to mention my heart was so stuffy that I had a myocardial infarction, I'm afraid I would have a hard breath stuck in my throat, and I couldn't get up , can't go down, it will take a long time.

And this also strengthened her determination to meet Xu Zhongxuan as little as possible in the future, or even not to meet each other.

In front of Xu Zhongxuan, Wu Jingxuan's heart was obviously a girl's heart of glass and crystal. Jian Yan heard her calling her cousin in a trembling voice. When she heard this, her heart couldn't help trembling, and she felt a bit of pity for no reason.

But it is obvious that Xu Zhongxuan's heart is made of iron and stone, and it is not so hard, because Jian Yan heard his light voice saying: "Why, my cousin doesn't like to read "Zhuangzi"? There is a There are many books, and my cousin can choose one she likes to read."

Jian Yan just wanted to help her forehead.

In fact, speaking of Xu Zhongxuan's two answers, he couldn't find anything wrong.It's just obvious that even an outsider like her can tell that Wu Jingxuan is interested in Xu Zhongxuan, so she always finds various ways to talk to him.But it's a pity that although Xu Zhongxuan's answers seemed normal every time, they extinguished all possibility of Wu Jingxuan wanting to talk to him.

Jian Yan thought, the shadow area in Wu Jingxuan's heart should be unusually large.

But what does all this have to do with her?She really didn't want to sit here and watch such a scene where the female is passionate and the male is cruel.

Since it was Xu Miaojin who invited her to be a guest, and Xu Miaojin was the serious owner of Ningcui Xuan, she said goodbye to Xu Miaojin.

Xu Miaojin was not happy at first, but Jian Yan said in a soft voice that it was almost noon, and she was going back to accompany her mother for dinner, so Xu Miaojin couldn't force her to stay, so she could only hold her hand and let her go She will definitely come to her place to play in two days or something.

Wu Jingxuan saw Xu Miaojin being so familiar with Jian Yan from the side, and thinking about how often she would come to see her over the years, and would embroider some trinkets for her from time to time, but her attitude towards herself was always the same. He is cold and alienated, so he can't help but feel a little sour in his heart, and also a little jealous.

At this time, Jian Yan was facing her direction, smiled at her, and said: "Sister Wu, I will leave first. See you some other day."

Wu Jingxuan forced a smile, and said, "See you another day."

"Eldest son," Jian Yan faced Xu Zhongxuan's direction at this time, but her head was lowered again, she didn't look at him, and there was no smile on her face, she just said politely, "I'll take my leave first .”

She even disdained to tell him that we will meet again another day.

Xu Zhongxuan was stunned for a moment, then saw that Jian Yan had brought her maid, turned around and left.

It's just that Jian Yan just stepped over the threshold with one foot, and suddenly a clear voice sounded in her ears: "Miss Jian, please wait a moment."

Jian Yan frowned, but when she turned around, her expression was normal.

"Eldest son, what do you want me to do?" She still asked politely and alienated.

A peach blossom suddenly stretched out in front of her.

Gray-brown branches, with several pink-white peach blossoms on them, some of which have cracked flower buds and look like they won't be able to bloom.

Jian Yan was surprised, and couldn't help but looked up.

I saw Xu Zhongxuan actually had a gentle smile on his face, saying: "You forgot to take your peach blossoms."

When Jian Yan entered the room and sat down at the table, she conveniently put the peach blossom in her hand on the table next to her.I was in a hurry to leave just now, but I didn't think of it for a while.

She collected herself, reached out and took the peach blossom, and said a word of thanks in a low voice: "Thank you."

Xu Zhongxuan was still holding the "Zhuangzi" in his right hand, but he took this peach blossom with his left hand and handed it over.At first, Jian Yan never paid attention to him, she would reach out to pick up the peach blossoms in his hand at close range, and then she saw a bunch of plain and unmarked Ganan bracelets on his left wrist, the color was as dark as lacquer, and the texture was Hard as jade, when you get close, you can smell a faint fragrance from the tip of your nose.

Jian Yan hurriedly took a step back, bowed her skirt, then turned around and walked out with Bai Wei.

Xu Zhongxuan saw her figure descending the steps, walking unhurriedly on the stone-filled pathway, the pale golden sunlight shone on her body, which was a bit dazzling.

"Cousin," Wu Jingxuan had already walked up to him at this time, and seeing that he was just looking at Jian Yan's leaving back, the sourness in her heart had fermented into a jar of vinegar uncontrollably, but He asked knowingly, "What are you looking at?"

Xu Zhongxuan withdrew his gaze, turned around, went to the chair and sat down again, and then said: "The bamboo in Jin'er's yard is growing better and better."

As soon as she heard him talking about bamboo, Wu Jingxuan immediately remembered what Jian Yan said earlier, and then continued: "The two couplets written by my cousin to Jin'er are also well written, and they are most suitable for the occasion."

"Cousin Xuan," Xu Miaojin could be heard asking her at this moment, "You said that the two lines of couplets written by elder brother are suitable for the occasion, but do you know who wrote these two lines of poems?"

Wu Jingxuan looked at Xu Zhongxuan softly, her affection was almost overflowing: "Such a good poem is naturally written by my cousin."

Xu Miaojin sneered in a low voice, then lowered her head again to play with the red tassels on the purse in her hand, and refused to make another sound.

At this time, Xu Zhongxuan put down the book in his hand, and asked Xu Miaojin: "Is it time for you to take medicine?"

The brothers and sisters were connected, and Xu Miaojin immediately said: "Yes. It's time for me to take medicine. The doctor told me that after taking the medicine, I should take a good rest and not make noise. Cousin Xuan, thank you If you bother to see me today, just please go ahead, and it will be the same if you come to see me another day."

The eviction order was so obvious that Wu Jingxuan really couldn't sit down anymore.So she stood up and said a few words to Xu Miaojin to pay attention to her body and take a good rest.

It's just that she originally thought that Xu Zhongxuan would also leave, so she stood there and waited for a while, wanting to go out with him, but after a while, he still just sat there without moving.

"Cousin," she asked in a low voice, "are you not leaving?"

Before Xu Zhongxuan made a sound, Xu Miaojin rushed to answer: "I still have something to say to my eldest brother, cousin Xuan, please go back first."

Wu Jingxuan had no choice but to say goodbye to Xu Zhongxuan, then took Xueliu with her, turned around and left gracefully.

As soon as her back disappeared in front of the courtyard gate, Xu Miaojin hurriedly called to the servant girl: "Xing'er, go and close the courtyard gate, no matter who comes, they will just say that I have rested and are not allowed to open the door."

Xing'er hurriedly agreed to close the courtyard door.

Xu Miaojin then turned her head and said angrily, "I don't like Cousin Xuan."

"Why?" Xu Zhongxuan reached out and picked up "Zhuangzi" again, opened the book and read it.

"Every time Cousin Xuan comes to my place, she acts as if she is the master of Ning Cui Xuan, and makes my maids go round and round. Also, she is also very ridiculous. She doesn't understand a lot of things, but she still has to pretend to understand." Like the two lines of poems she said just now, they were originally said by sister Yan, so she directly took them and said them, but she didn't know who wrote these two lines of poems, but said that it was written by you, brother. That's all. Grandma originally said that a woman's ignorance is virtue, and she didn't let us read and write. If it weren't for you, eldest brother, my third sister and I might be blind. It's ridiculous that cousin Xuan wants to please you. Babaer ran to recognize the characters, and ran to learn calligraphy, it’s fine if you don’t understand, but you still have to show off there, but say that the couplet you wrote is regular script, so it’s obviously cursive, okay?”

Xu Miaojin couldn't stop saying such words, which made Xu Zhongxuan laugh.

He looked up at her, saw her small face full of anger, and said with a smile: "I didn't know you were so sharp-tongued. But if you don't like her being with you The servant girl who instructed you here, just say it straight next time, what's the use of getting angry in front of you and complaining behind your back?"

Xu Miaojin was so angry that she couldn't help but stamp her feet: "Do you think I don't want to? I really think about it. But if Grandma knows that I contradicted her like this, she might reprimand me."

Xu Zhongxuan closed the book, walked to her side, picked an embroidered pier and sat down, and said lightly: "Don't worry, with me here, you will never need to be afraid of anyone. Grandma is like this, so is mother. You don't have to suppress your temper and act like you're following the rules, just show your original appearance honestly. Just like Ning'er, live wantonly and vividly. As a big brother, I naturally He will always be behind you to escort you."

After he finished speaking, for some reason, he suddenly thought of Jian Yan.

The reason why she pretended to be well-behaved in front of people was because she was afraid of someone inwardly, so she had to do so?

Xu Miaojin was greatly moved, and said in a low voice: "Brother, you are so kind to me."

"I only have a sister like you. If I'm not good to you, who is good to me?" Xu Zhongxuan smiled slightly.Suddenly seeing the purse in her hand, the design looks like a rabbit, but it looks a little different, chubby, very cute, and she couldn't help asking, "Where did you get this purse?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Miaojin raised the purse in front of him as if busy offering a treasure, and said, "The pattern on this purse is interesting, right? I specially asked Sister Yan to come. The third sister got Sister Yan's embroidery earlier. I couldn’t stop showing off my purse in front of me. I couldn’t get angry. I found out that sister Yan came out today, so I took a green bamboo to block her way, and asked her to ask for this purse. The third sister’s one The one embroidered on the purse is a cat, but it is different from ordinary cats. It is called a beckoning cat. This one is a rabbit. According to sister Yan, it is called a rogue rabbit. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. I wish I could find a rabbit like this somewhere to raise it."

Rogue rabbit?Xu Zhongxuan thought to himself, this is the first time he heard of such a rabbit.But looking at this rabbit, although it looks silly and cute, I always feel that it will open its eyes the next moment, and I don’t know what kind of expression it will make, what kind of words it will say, it really fits it The name Rogue Rabbit.

(End of this chapter)