swear not to be concubine

Chapter 45

"what is this?"

Xu Zhongxuan held something in his hand, with a fat body, pointed ears, and crescent-shaped eyes bent into a pair of smiling eyes.It looked like a cat, but it was clearly not a cat.

Xu Miaojin was sitting at the piano table by the window and was tuning the piano. Hearing this, she glanced back, and then immediately turned her head to continue tuning her piano.

"Sister Yan gave this to me and my third sister, one for each of us. Sister Yan said it was called a lucky cat."

"Lucky cat?" Xu Zhongxuan read it again slowly, and saw the cat's right hand raised again, a small golden bell was hung on its neck with a woven red thread, and there was indeed a sign of fortune written on its chest. Such black characters, after thinking about it, really fit the name of the Lucky Cat.

Xu Zhongxuan couldn't help laughing, thinking in his heart, she is used to making weird things.

It was just because it was given by Jian Yan, so he carefully looked at this fat, naive lucky cat, and the smile between his brows and eyes deepened.

After playing with it in his hands for a while, he put the beckoning cat back on the antique rack and arranged it. Seeing the beckoning cat looking at him with a smile on his face, after a while, he calmed down. He walked to Xu Miaojin's side step by step, and asked her: "What are you doing?"

"The sound of my piano always sounds a bit wrong." Xu Miaojin frowned a pair of delicate eyebrows, looking down helplessly at the Yaoqin on the piano table, and said impatiently, "It's just me It has been adjusted for half a day, but it still hasn’t been adjusted.”

"I'll help you take a look."

Xu Zhongxuan asked Xu Miaojin to get up, while he himself sat on the stool, stretched out his right hand, brushed the seven strings one by one, listened intently for a while, then set the Shang string first, and then adjusted the other strings one by one , and finally stretched out his hand to brush the seven strings one by one, then stood up and said with a smile: "Okay. Come and try it out, isn't it right?"

Xu Miaojin sat down, stretched out his hand to try it, and then smiled and said: "I don't know if it's right or not. But brother, you are more accomplished in piano art than me. Since you agreed, it must be good. "

On the one hand, she ordered Qingzhu with a smile on her face, and hurriedly brought over the few candied fruit she just got yesterday, and gave them to the eldest son to eat.

Qingzhu agreed, and quickly brought a small peach-shaped box with black lacquer and gold over it.

There are a total of seven compartments in the storage box, and there are seven kinds of candied fruits, such as honey kumquat, sugar bayberry, golden jujube, kumquat cake, peach preserved, apricot preserved, and Bazhen plum.

Xu Zhongxuan sat in the chair, stretched out his hand to eat a piece of candied peach, and joked with Xu Miaojin: "You can only eat candied fruit after helping you do the work. If I didn't help you adjust the sound of the piano just now, don't you know these candied fruit?" Are you willing to take it out?"

Xu Miaojin also sat down, stretched out his hand to eat the golden silk candied dates, and then said with a smile: "I got all these candied fruits yesterday, and I want to keep them until Sister Yan and Third Sister come over to eat together today. It’s something that can’t come, you’re thanks to them, otherwise it wouldn’t be your turn to eat.”

Xu Zhongxuan originally stretched out his hand to get the honey kumquat, but he paused for a moment, then withdrew his hand and asked, "Why don't your third sister and Miss Jian come here today?"

He took a rest today, and originally planned to rush back yesterday evening, but he had to deal with some temporary matters, so he didn't have time to rush back.It's just that he rushed back this morning without stopping, didn't bother to eat breakfast, sat in Ning Cui Xuan for half a day, only thinking of seeing Jian Yan when he came back, but she didn't want to come to Ning Cui Xuan today that's it.

Presumably she knew that he was taking a rest today, that he would come to see Jin'er, and she deliberately wanted to avoid him, so she didn't come.

Xu Zhongxuan felt indescribably lost in his heart for a moment, no matter how sweet candied fruit he ate, he couldn't relieve the pain in his heart.

Xu Miaojin on the side saw that he was smiling just now, but now he was full of disappointment, and couldn't help but joked with him: "Why, elder brother heard sister Yan say that she won't be here today, so I can't see you Does that make her feel so lost?"

Xu Zhongxuan neither admitted nor denied, but silently reached out and took a piece of preserved peach and ate it.

Xu Miaojin sized him up again, seeing that he was wearing a brand-new jade-colored straight body and a pair of blue silk ribbons tied around his waist, he couldn't help but burst out laughing again.

"Brother," she couldn't help but laugh, "You picked out a new dress specially to wear it, do you want Elder Sister Yan to see how handsome you are?"

Xu Zhongxuan couldn't hold back from her joking face, so he raised his voice and said, "You talk so much? Eat your candied fruit quickly."

It was actually a little bit of embarrassment.

Xu Miaojin just laughed so much that he couldn't stop screaming, and hurriedly called Qingzhu to rub her stomach.And Qingzhu saw her young lady smiling like this, and although the eldest son was sitting there with a serious expression on his face, there was still a layer of suspicious red around the base of his ears, so he couldn't help but I think it's kind of funny.But she still tried her best to hold back her laughter, and came over to help Xu Miaojin rub her belly gently.

But Xu Zhongxuan had already seen the sharp-eyed smile on Qingzhu's face, which tried to bear it, but still couldn't bear it.For a moment, he felt that if he stayed here any longer, he might be ridiculed by Xu Miaojin and Qingzhu, his master and servant, so he got up, intending to leave.

When Xu Miaojin saw him, she hurriedly called him: "Brother, don't go."

But Xu Zhongxuan ignored her, turned around and walked to the door, and was about to lift the curtain with his hand.

Xu Miaojin's eyeballs rolled around, she was quick to gain wisdom, and said with a smile: "I have a way to let you see sister Yan later."

But seeing that Xu Zhongxuan really turned his head, although he didn't speak, but looking at the expression on his face, he was already moved by what she said, and he didn't plan to leave.

When Xu Miaojin saw it, she immediately laughed even harder than before, and she even burst into tears.

Xu Zhongxuan stood on the spot, seeing her smiling like this, not only her ears, but even her face turned suspiciously red, and the hand holding the soft silk door curtain was tightly clenched. punched.When Xu Miaojin saw it, he almost suspected it. The next moment he became angry because of embarrassment, he would tear down the door curtain with his hands.

But he still didn't pull down the door curtain. Instead, he let go of the hand holding the door curtain, turned around and walked to the chair he was sitting on just now, and then sat down again. The teacup on the desk is slowly drinking tea.

Xu Miaojin felt that she was almost joking, so she slowly stopped laughing.

"Brother," sitting in the chair next to Xu Zhongxuan, she leaned over and said with a smile, "I've never seen you like this. It turns out that you are also shy."

Xu Zhongxuan put down the teacup in his hand, and said lightly: "I'm just an ordinary person. When I see a girl I like, my heart beats fast, I get nervous, and I don't know what to do. I also try every means to get her back." Her favor will worry that she will look down on me, so I always want to show my best side in front of her."

Hearing what he said, Xu Miaojin fell silent.After a while, she asked in a low voice: "Brother, speaking of it, you have only gotten along with Sister Yan a few times. Why, did you really like her?"

Xu Zhongxuan felt that it was absurd to talk about such things with his younger sister, who was only ten years old.But first of all, he was experiencing love for the first time, and he felt uneasy. He didn't know what to do to win Jian Yan's favor. Second, Jian Yan is avoiding him like this now. It is also necessary to point out that Xu Miaojin mediates more in it, so you might as well talk to Xu Miaojin about this.

"I don't know," so he lowered his head, stretched out his hand to touch the teacup on the desk, and said softly, "I just feel that when I'm with her, I feel very It's peaceful and peaceful. And I don't know why when I see her so well-behaved, I always feel very distressed. It seems, it seems that she should be a very lively and carefree girl, and she shouldn't be It's just like now, keeping everything in the bottom of my heart, and always looking like that on the surface."

Having said that, he raised his head and looked at the fat, naive, and always smiling lucky cat on the shelf, with a gentle smile on his lips: "I just want to see her every day." They are all happy, with a smile on their faces all the time. It is not the kind of polite and alienated smile towards people, but a smile from the bottom of my heart."

Xu Miaojin looked at him in silence for a moment, then suddenly reached out and rubbed his arm.

Feeling a little numb, what should I do if I have goosebumps all over my body?But facing her eldest brother who is currently immersed in his affectionate confession, she thinks it's better for her not to say anything that spoils the scenery.And it seems to be an illusion, why does she feel that her big brother looks a little lonely at this moment?Letting her meet, I feel a little bit unbearable, wishing I could think of a way to take him to see sister Yan right now.

The two brothers and sister chatted a little more, Xu Zhongxuan sent Qingzhu and two little maids to the small kitchen to get today's lunch.

Because Xu Zhongan came back from school today, the family of three in the fifth room had a hard time reuniting, so Xu Miaoning ate with Ji's family and Xu Zhongan, and did not come to Ningcuixuan.And Jian Yan only said that she was not feeling well today, so she didn't come today.

When Xu Zhongxuan heard her reason, she felt that it was just an excuse. The most practical reason was because she knew that he would come to Ningcui Xuan after taking a bath today, so she wanted to avoid him, so she found an excuse not to say goodbye. coming.But on the other hand, he was also worried, what if Jian Yan was really unwell?She wanted to send a servant girl to take a look and ask questions, but she would definitely not tell the truth to the servant girl, so she had to go and have a look for herself to be at ease.

He was just worried about what she would have for lunch, and he was afraid that Mrs. Jane would only bring her two plain dishes, so just now he specifically asked Qingzhu to bring back more vegetables and rice from the small kitchen, Come back with two more plates of pastries.

Qingzhu agreed, turned around and left with the little maid, and came back soon.

The two little maids behind her each carried a food box carved with rosewood and vermilion lacquer, and she also carried a food box like this in her hand.When it was uncovered, the dishes in the food boxes carried by the two little maids were all the same. There were two kinds of meat dishes, one with stewed ham, the same steamed carp, the same vegetarian dish with rose bean curd, the same fried Malan head, and a large dish. A bowl of sour bamboo shoot and chicken skin soup, served with two bowls of fragrant rice.The food box in Qingzhu's hand contained two kinds of pastries, one was snowflake cake, and the other was four-inlaid jade belt cake.

When Xu Zhongxuan saw these dishes, he still said they were too vegetarian.Then she ordered Qing Zhu to send Jian Yan one of the food boxes containing rice and vegetables and the food box containing pastries.

Qingzhu agreed, and said: "Yes. The servant girl sent two little maids to deliver to Miss Jian."

"No," Xu Zhongxuan ordered, "You brought a little maid and sent it to her personally. And if she asks, you just say that Miss Si ordered you to send it over."

Qing Zhu was stunned for a moment, thinking in her heart, this is obviously the eldest son who wanted her to send all these meals and pastries to Miss Jian, why did he use the banner of the Fourth Miss?But she naturally didn't dare to ask the reason, but respectfully agreed: "Yes. This slave must follow the eldest son's order."

When she brought the little maid and brought two food boxes to the Dongkua courtyard where Jian Yan lived, Jian Yan was sitting on the wooden kang by the window, looking at the things on the kang table with a look of lovelessness, Plain vegetarian dishes that don't even have any oil stars, and the small half bowl of white rice.

It turned out that since she was uncomfortable today and couldn't eat with Xu Miaojin, Mrs. Jian couldn't force her, so she also complied.It's just like letting Zhenzhu take it back for her lunch.

Speaking of which, Jian Yan ate the same food in the past, and she ate well all these years.It's just how to say that sentence, it's easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but difficult to go from extravagant to frugal. In the past few days, all the dishes I ate were the best, not to mention the meaty ones, and they were all served in different ways. Yes, Jian Yan had long been unknowingly sloppy, so now that she saw such a meal again, she felt that she couldn't eat it anymore.

The stir-fried peas were picked up with chopsticks, smelling the smell, and they were put back on the plate before reaching the mouth.He poked the white rice with chopsticks again, put a few grains of rice in his mouth, chewed it, and found it hard to swallow.

In the end, she simply put down her chopsticks, looked at the food on the kang table and sighed.

She was thinking about a very important question. In the days when Xu Zhongxuan was in Xiumu, would she continue to find an excuse not to eat with Xu Miaojin, and eat such a meager meal alone for a day, or should she go out without shame? No, simply continue to eat all kinds of delicious meals with Xu Miaojin, or even Xu Zhongxuan?

Thinking of all kinds of delicious meals these past few days, Jian Yan, who was already hungry, couldn't help swallowing.But in the end she still clenched her fists, thinking in her heart, it would be better for her to eat such bland meals by herself.In fact, when she was with Xu Zhongxuan, she felt a little tired of pretending.And if she always eats with Xu Zhongxuan, in the eyes of caring people, they might say something about her.She didn't expect gossip and gossip to fly all over the sky. Although she was not afraid of it, she would find it a little annoying.

After thinking about it in this way, she looked at the food on the kang table, sighed deeply, then reached out to pick up the chopsticks, comforting herself with Lao Xing's usual method, this is not stir-fried peas, This is not fried peas, this is fried prawns, this is fried prawns.

Needless to say, after hinting to myself in this way, the taste of this stir-fried peas is really similar to fried prawns.

It's just that she had just eaten two mouthfuls of fried peas when she saw Bai Wei open the curtain and come in to announce that the servant girl Qing Zhu who was serving by the fourth girl had come.

After hearing this, Jian Yan hurriedly put down the chopsticks in her hand, and wanted to get up, while telling her to wait in the bright room, I will go out to see her right now.

If Qingzhu sees that she is eating only such food, go back and tell Xu Miaojin what people think of her.

It's just that Qing Zhu had already opened the curtain and walked in, together with the little maid, blessed Jian Yan respectfully, and said: "My servant has seen Miss Jian."

Seeing that they had already come in, Jian Yan simply sat down again, thinking that there were no two dishes on the kang table at all, she just nodded to the green bamboo generously, and asked with a smile: " But Jin'er has something to do with me?"

Qingzhu had seen the two dishes on the kang table a long time ago, and was very surprised.

I thought that although she was a maid, the dishes she ate every meal were better than this.Why did Miss Jane eat such a dish?Could it be that the food I ate these past few days was too meaty, and there was too much oil in my stomach, so I specially ordered these two bland dishes today?

But there was no hint of surprise on her face, she just stretched out her hand and handed the sour branch wood and vermilion lacquer carved food box to Bai Wei, still saying respectfully: "It's Si The girl sent her servants to deliver meals and pastries to the girl."

Jian Yan's face was full of surprise after hearing this.

"I sent Si Yue to tell Jin'er that I won't go to her for lunch today. Why did Jin'er bring me food and pastries? Could it be that my little girl was lazy and didn't go at all?" Did you say that to your girls?"

Qing Zhu kept in mind Xu Zhongxuan's explanation before coming, and she couldn't say that these meals and pastries were specially ordered by the kitchen to make an extra copy, and then specially sent to Jian Yan, so in her mind, I was thinking quickly, but what excuse should I say, which can not only fulfill this lie, but also prevent Miss Jane from doubting her heart?
Qingzhu is also quick-witted, but within a short while, she smiled and said: "This matter is said to be a servant who is incapable of doing things. After your maid came over in the morning to pass on your words, Miss Si told me, let me Hurry up and send a little servant girl to the small kitchen to tell Mama Xia that today's lunch is only for her alone. But at that time, the servant girl was doing an embroidery work for the girl, and she was a little fascinated by it. I just forgot about it. When I remembered it, it was almost noon. When I hurriedly sent the little maid to the small kitchen to tell Mama Xia, Mama Xia just acted as usual, you are here Our girl eats there, so I have already prepared meals for two or three people. No, I also sent two women, together with the little maid, to deliver these meals and pastries. Our girl Seeing that, she couldn't finish eating these, so she simply asked the servants to bring these to you. Our girl also said, please be sure to accept it, girl."

Jian Yan was a little skeptical when she heard it.But on the surface of Qingzhu's words, it really sounded that there was no loophole in it, but she couldn't help but not believe it.

So she nodded and smiled at Qingzhu: "Go back and tell your girl that it's hard for her to think of me all the time. I appreciate her kindness."

Qingzhu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking in her heart that this hard job given by the eldest son has finally been dealt with.However, he still smiled and said: "Yes. The servant will definitely bring the girl's words."

"Jin'er eating alone at noon?" Jian Yan suddenly asked slowly, seemingly unintentionally.

In Qingzhu's heart, she was lucky that she just succeeded in fulfilling the lie, and Jian Yan didn't become suspicious. When she heard Jian Yan's question, she subconsciously replied: "The eldest son is also here. .He dined with us girls."

It's just that as soon as the words came out, she wished she could slap her big mouth.She hurriedly glanced at Jian Yan, and saw that she had no expression on her face, she was still as usual, very plain, and she seemed to be very relieved and said: "That's good. I was worried just now that Jin'er was alone. It's so lonely when people eat. There is an eldest son there with her, talking and laughing, and she will eat an extra bowl of rice."

Qingzhu hurriedly smiled and said: "That's not how it is said."

She was afraid that if she stayed here for a while longer, maybe Jian Yan would ask her another question unintentionally, and then she would not be able to answer it, or she would simply be tricked by her, but what can I do? Woolen cloth?So he simply reasoned that Xu Miaojin was still waiting for her to serve her, and then took the little maid to bid farewell to Jian Yan and hurried away.

Jian Yan didn't keep her, and even ordered Bai Wei to give each of them a purse, which contained some scattered silver taels.

After they left, Bai Wei and Si Yue took the two food boxes and brought the food and pastries inside to the kang table.

"It's just a coincidence," Siyue said with a smile first, "The girl was worried about eating the food brought by Pearl just now, and the fourth girl sent these meals here, and they looked very tempting .”

Bai Wei also laughed and said: "That's not what you say. Speaking of it, our girls are also very popular. Whether it's the third girl or the fourth girl, they are all very close to our girls. I will definitely think of our girls."

"The third girl and the fourth girl play well with our girls on weekdays. If there is something delicious and fun, they will naturally think about our girls first." Si Yue said with a smile, "But according to me, this First of all, our girls are sincerely treating the third and fourth girls, and the third and fourth girls are well aware of it, so this is why we are sincerely treating our girls. Unlike that Miss Xuan, who just treats Good people don't care about their hearts, if they are hypocritical, the third and fourth girls will not be nice to her."

"April," seeing her talking about Wu Jingxuan, Jian Yan slightly raised her voice, and said to her, "Don't make up other people's secrets behind your back. Be careful that walls have ears, teach others to listen."

Siyue stuck out her tongue and said, "Miss, I know I was wrong."

On the one hand, he hurriedly removed all the food that had been placed on the kang table before, and arranged the food sent by Qingzhu, and then said with a smile: "Miss, let's eat quickly. The third girl sent Qing Ya over here By the way, after the meal is over, she wants you to teach her how to play the piano and embroider, I am afraid that after the third girl finishes eating, she will send Qingya to urge you to go over."

He put away the plate of snowflake cake and the plate of four-inlaid jade belt cake, and said with a smile, "I'll eat this when the girl is free and hungry."

Jian Yan nodded, took the bowls and chopsticks, and began to slowly eat the food sent by Qingzhu.

It's just that she was thinking in her heart, although what Qingzhu said, although it sounded watertight on the surface, she still felt that something was wrong.

From what she knew, Mother Xia was shrewd and miserly.It was that Qingzhu forgot to tell Xia's mother about it at that time, but after all, she sent a little maid to tell her about it. Then, wouldn't Xia's mother withhold the extra meals and cakes and save them for others? What I ate with my family, and I sent all these meals and pastries to Xu Miaojin?This really doesn't look like Mama Xia's usual way of doing things.And later she inadvertently asked, Xu Miaojin was eating alone today, and Qingzhu blurted out that Xu Zhongxuan was also there with her.It's just that after Qingzhu said this sentence, her face was full of annoyance and she didn't say anything, but she looked at herself secretly, what does this mean?Could it be that she didn't want to say that Xu Zhongxuan was with Xu Miaojin at the beginning, or was someone specifically asking her not to tell about Xu Zhongxuan being with Xu Miaojin?

Jian Yan had been avoiding Xu Zhongxuan from the beginning, and she also felt in her heart that for a person who sat in Xu Zhongxuan's position, the love between children and daughters is just a passing cloud, no matter how careless they are, only power can be tempted. So she couldn't have imagined that Xu Zhongxuan had gone to great lengths so that she could eat some meat.But she was also afraid that she would refuse when she knew it was his order, so she had to make up a lie painstakingly and carry out his feeding journey under the banner of Xu Miaojin.

(End of this chapter)