Xu Xuzhi

Chapter 34
Although it's the beginning of autumn, the summer vacation of most schools across the country is still going on, that is to say, Feng Jiu finally saw her girlfriends again, including Wen Xiuwei from Yanda University and Zheng Li from Fudan University.

When she got married in June, she resolutely did not allow them, who were in the final exam period, to come back to the wedding. After all, it was not a normal love marriage worthy of blessing, but a contemporary "sister marriage", which was really meaningless.

After they came back from the summer vacation, they got together a few times from time to time. Even Melanie, who was teaching in Beipiao, came back to join in the fun. She was the closest classmate who forged a pure friendship when they were young. When they met, they smiled. A greeting, the sense of alienation caused by the change of life trajectory, just like the sun raining from time to time in Fengtian in summer, soon even a trace is gone.

Wen Xiuwei's father recently thought that she would return to her hometown in Sichuan after the opening of Chun'er after the new year. After all, her parents are old and it is time to consider the issue of support; and Zheng Li's family has moved their family back to Shanghai, so this time she I came back purely to visit them and live in Xiuwei's house.

At this moment, they were sitting in the private room of Ning's family in Daguan Tea Garden, listening to an opera and drinking tea. Upon returning this time, Feng Jiu found that Xiuwei was still as lively and active as before, but Zheng Li, who had always been quiet but still funny, didn't know what to do. It looks a little preoccupied.

On the stage downstairs is Fengtian Luozi's "Flower as a Match", in which Li Yue'e's father, Li Maolin, is arguing with the couple who are about to go out: "Huh! Are you going to leave? It's not over yet. ?”

Wang: "It's over, it's over."

Li Maolin: "...I don't complain about anything else. What I blame is that it's too troublesome for you to go out. Why are you so annoying? Why are you so annoying? You should have left a long time ago. You have to wait for a long time. There is no end to the delay." ...There is no end, I am really annoyed..."

Fengjiu and Xiuwei, who were lying on the carved fence on the second floor, laughed together.

Vivid, realistic, meticulous observation, good book.

Ever since she experienced the beauty of traditional Cantonese opera in Guangdong, she also listened carefully to a few Fengtian Luozi after she came back. Sure enough, the high-pitched, bright, catchy Fengtian Luozi was a natural match for the sonorous and powerful Fengtian people with their own voices. The bright rhythm and straightforward libretto make people feel happy, and if you listen carefully, you will be easily intoxicated by it.

Xiuwei was happy to see it, so she casually picked up the lotus flower cake on the small table next to her and ate it, and drank a few sips of quiet jasmine tea, and she answered herself so thoroughly.

After a while, Fengjiu realized why she hadn't heard Zheng Li's voice for a long time. She looked back and saw that Zheng Li, a well-known classic beauty in Tongze Girls' Middle School, was sitting on a rose armchair in the back row. in a daze.

"In love?" Feng Jiu sat next to her and asked straight to the point—the young girl was suddenly in a daze, either she was short of money or in love, or was it just such a trivial matter?

Zheng Li suddenly raised her head to look at Feng Jiu. For a moment, Feng Jiu felt that she had something to say to him, and even asked him for help, but her ruddy lips fluttered a few times, and in the end she just shook her head.

Feng Jiu didn't think it was disobedient, and put his arms around her shoulders, "Okay, whenever you want to talk, I will accompany you at any time, and don't hold back your own discomfort."

Zheng Li is a typical traditional Jiangnan woman with a beautiful appearance. She is of medium height, slender and graceful, with two braids, soft and smooth, with a melon-seeded face, beautiful nose and phoenix eyes, just like the late Qing Dynasty who was good at "lanye painting" The girl who came out of the classical lady pictures in Gaiqi's works is as beautiful as the girl who walked out. In the words of a famous painter at that time, "the whole body is covered with sketches".

At this moment, her distant eyebrows were covered with a layer of sadness, like lilac covered with a layer of light rain and mist, Feng Jiu secretly thought about what kind of man could make her so sad.

Wen Xiuwei, a cheerful girl from Sichuan who just had a full snack at the side, finally managed to free her mouth. She walked over from the first row dangling, and sat upside down on the back of the chair next to Zheng Li, first " Tsk tsk" a few times, and then said: "Xiao Lili, what's the situation, tell the truth, you are still hiding with our sisters, it's not authentic, be careful, I will cut you."

Feng Jiu looked at Xiuwei's honey-colored vivid and beautiful face, wondering how could Xiuwei, a girl from Sichuan, raise herself to be more northeastern than her authentic Northeast girl?With a heroic spirit, he deserves to be a descendant of Qin Liangyu, a famous late Ming general who served as a heroine on the battlefield.

She secretly tugged at Xiuwei's skirt - since Zheng Li didn't want to say it, it could only mean that she didn't think it was time to say it, so let it be.

Feng Jiu changed the subject, "You guys don't have to go back to school on this rest day, do you? Go play badminton with me in Beiling? Ning Zheng invited some of his colleagues and wives, and there is a picnic. It would be very interesting."

When Wen Xiuwei heard that there was something to eat, she immediately declared that she would go. Zheng Li was actually not interested in sports, but because she lived in Xiuwei's house, she had to sacrifice her life to accompany Junzi.

After watching the play, Feng Jiu sent the two of them back home, and he also took a car back to the handsome mansion.

After washing up and changing the clothes she wore at home, she entered the study as usual.

The study room of Xiaohonglou is located at the east end of the corridor on the first floor. Peach trees, plum trees, apricot trees and many other kinds of trees are planted outside the windows. From the second month of the lunar calendar, peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, magnolias, and forsythias bloom sequentially, pink and light green , golden yellow and white jade, looking from a distance with clouds and rosy clouds, it is quite spectacular.

It was already the fifth month of the lunar calendar when Feng Jiu got married, so she only saw pink and purple Xifu crabapples that bloomed later, lotus-colored dried plums, white, purple and green lilacs, and red brocade. She quite liked the view from the window.

Ning Zheng's current official duties are mainly handled in a study room specially set aside for him by the old man in the Ningjun Military Headquarters and in the Daqinglou. Instead, the study in the Xiaohonglou has become a place where he occasionally writes and reads in his spare time.

This study room is not small, and there are several rows of bookshelves and antique racks standing high inside, and there are many collections of classics and history, foreign language books and antiques piled up on it. After getting married, it became Fengjiu's favorite place. Like a student, as long as there is no communication, she will strictly implement the study plan according to the class schedule, and there will be no change.

Before marriage, Ning Zheng specially made her a desk that was much smaller than his oversized huanghuali wood desk. It was hard for him to find the same kind of wood as that big desk, except that it was smaller, shorter, and made in the same style. It is also exactly the same - the style of the late Ming Dynasty, with one leg and three teeth, except for a few bunches of passionflower patterns carved under the waist, there is no other decoration, simple and elegant to the extreme.

The height of the small desk is shorter than that of the large desk, mainly because of the height difference between Feng Jiu and Ning Zheng. The yellow rosewood does not need to be painted, and the table is polished and smooth. When it was first brought in, Ning Zheng was very satisfied with it. He didn't expect that Bi Datong, who seemed rough, could handle this matter so well.

Now two identical desks, one large and one small, one tall and one short, are placed side by side with a distance of more than one meter, which makes people who see it for the first time feel very interesting.

There was a time when Xiao Buku came over to play, and Feng Jiu left a small gadget that she planned to give him in the study. She knew that Ning Zheng's confidential documents would not be brought here, so she took it with peace of mind. Come in and get it.

After Xiaobuku came in, he saw two identical desks, and couldn't help but let out a "huh". "Hearing the strings, you can know the elegant meaning." Feng Jiu, who understands Buku as well as his own mother, looked left and right to find things, and explained to Buku without looking back: "The son on the right is the son on the left. It's his mother."

Buku: "...Auntie, Buku has grown up, don't lie to me all the time."

Feng Jiu: "...hehe." By the way, he patted his trembling little buttocks, alas, how much I miss the years when he believed in no matter how nonsense he said, I feel a little regretful that Aunt Feng Jiu can no longer speak freely .

Every evening, Ning Zheng would listen to Zhi Changsheng's report on the activities of the people in the house collected that day, including Feng Jiu.

He soon discovered that Bong Goo often spent time in the study.

Since getting married, the third young mistress has spent three or four hours in the study almost every day... Zhi Changsheng noticed that Ning Zheng's hand, which was writing vigorously, stopped.

He didn't say anything at the time, but after a while, Zhi Changsheng realized that if he was in Fengtian, why would he have to go to Xiaohonglou to report the situation more and more now?
When Feng Jiu saw Ning Zheng in the study for the first time, he was also a little surprised and a little uncomfortable.

But Ning Zheng is here to look at military intelligence that is not urgent, or to instruct some official documents that need to be discussed for a long time. Feng Jiu originally wanted to avoid suspicion, but Ning Zheng said no.

If you really want to practice calligraphy and painting, study foreign languages ​​and read books, you really need to have a decent environment. In the living room, I want to lie on the sofa and watch after a while, and fall asleep easily after a while, so, Feng Jiu also forced himself to go to the study every day, which became a routine.

Of course, if it is necessary to call his subordinates for an emergency meeting, Ning Zheng will still go to the big brothel in front, and will never do it here.

After a long time, Feng Jiu became more and more used to being in the same room with Ning Zheng after finding out the pattern.

After a while, Ning Zheng also came back, and the sun has not set yet, so it is quite early today.

He went upstairs and looked for Feng Jiu everywhere, and seeing that she was not in the living room or bedroom, he knew that she must be working hard in the study again.So I went to the bathroom to take a shower first, then came out after wiping my hair, changed into a white shirt and linen trousers, went downstairs and turned left towards the study.

He gently pushed open the door of the study, and saw Feng Jiu, whom he hadn't seen for a day, was reading a book, holding a red pencil in his right hand, deftly turning it around the tiger's mouth from time to time, occasionally making some marks on the book.

He walked towards Feng Jiu. When Feng Jiu heard the sound, he raised his head, rolled his eyes, and slowly put down the thick "History of European Literature" in his hand, clamped it with a bookmark, got up and walked over.

She was wearing a veil with large sleeves and a white ground with red flowers, and a pair of black veil wide-leg pants underneath. Her hair was loose and her pink face was smiling. She seemed to be in a good mood.

"It's early to go back today, do you want to have dinner?"

Ning Zheng didn't speak, but just lowered his head and brought his face close to her lips. Feng Jiu slandered and asked for endless kisses, but he still seriously tilted his head on his left cheek. "Chirp" for a while - it is impossible not to chirp, the consequences will be very serious, Feng Jiu is not uncommon to be as knowledgeable as this kind of gangster.

They went to the restaurant together, and Wu Ma had already set the dinner delivered by one of the many kitchens in the Shuai Mansion on the walnut rectangular table. Feng Jiu didn't know until he entered the Shuai Mansion. "Sanchun Yiguan" will take turns to cook in the small kitchen. Sanchun refers to "Minghuchun", "Lumingchun" and "Dongtingchun". The first restaurant is "that restaurant". up.

On the table are topaz ginseng roasted tendons, Sichuan white meat, and a plate of roasted beans. The staple food is two bowls of two-rice porridge, a plate of fried beef dumplings with ice flowers, and two cups of chicken soup.

Ning Zheng looked at the dishes and said, "Looks like it's 'that restaurant''s turn tonight." The signature dish of that restaurant is this Sichuan white pork dish.

When several big restaurants came to serve at the old handsome's house, they naturally had to use all their strengths - it was one thing not to lose their position in front of powerful competitors, and the reward from the handsome mansion was also extremely generous.

Feng Jiu still doesn't touch Sichuan white meat, but she likes the roasted tendon of sea cucumber, which is soft and elastic.Ning Zheng watched her concentrate on eating, and couldn't help thinking of the past of eating hot pot last winter. It was because he knew that Feng Jiu was going to go abroad at that time, so he stepped up the arrangement, and finally caught this cunning bird in the net. own nest.

He couldn't help looking at Feng Jiu with full eyes. Feng Jiu noticed it and raised his eyes to look at him puzzled. Ning Zheng then said: "In a few days, when the frost falls, there will be a master Wang Baotian in our mansion who will start to pickle the wrong meat." Vegetables', you have to marinate a few big pottery pots every time, it's so delicious, you must have never eaten it before."

When it came to food, Feng Jiu couldn't help but pay attention, "How do you do it?"

Ning Zheng said: "It is to cut all kinds of common summer vegetables into small pieces, soak them in Jinzhou shrimp oil, and then put them in a jar to seal. Take them out in the next spring and use them to hangover with rice. They are crispy, crispy and fragrant. , and appetizing, the taste is particularly good.”

After Ning Zheng finished speaking, he saw that Feng Jiu, who had long been classified as a foodie in his heart, swallowed her saliva, looked at him eagerly, couldn't help laughing, stretched out her fingers and flicked her chubby earlobe, and the photo book It is said that such a person has deep blessings, "It's useless to see me, last year's share, this spring has already eaten up, because too many people like to eat it."

After eating, the two went around the garden as usual to digest food, and then went back to the study together to do their own things.

After reading a few old tunes, I suggested that the Ning and Lu factions either reconcile to deal with the Northern Expedition together, or crusade against the Land to give the Northern Expedition, which occupied Hunan and Hankou in Hubei, a high-ranking Ning army who had different opinions. After the general reported, he pinched Yintang wearily.

"What are you doing?" He turned his head to look at Feng Jiu who was beside him.

"Practicing calligraphy, I want to practice a new kind of cursive script." Feng Jiu chose a new Langhao made by Zhou Huchen, "I asked Mr. Dai, and he said that the sharp Langhao is most suitable for those who are new to practicing cursive."

In fact, Ning Zheng already knew it. After Feng Jiu called to inquire yesterday, his number one military adviser, Dai Boyong, had already informed him.

"This is the copybook that Mr. Dai gave me. Mr. Dai's place is really a treasure, there are all kinds of copybooks." Fengjiu smiled, thinking of the short, round middle-aged man, his words were very interesting.

"...Didn't you see if there is any treasure in our study?"

"You mean the ones on the shelf? I didn't see any copybooks I liked."

Ning Zheng stood up, walked to the last row of Bogu racks, bent down, pulled out a box, opened it, and waved to Feng Jiu.

Feng Jiu hurried over, and Ning Zheng thoughtfully stretched out his finger and clicked on several scrolls, finally picked out one of the long copybooks, and slowly unfolded it.

"How about a look at this?"

"Ah, there is actually the "Preface to Ouyang's Family Map" written by the 'Liuyi Layman'?"

"Connoisseurs come to appraise and see if it is authentic?"

"Nonsense, I can't do it right." Feng Jiu smiled shyly.

Fengjiu has a cheerful and generous personality, a rare magnanimity among women, and Ning Zheng has always liked her, but her shameful expressions from time to time, full of the innocence and immaturity of a girl, are even more touching.

Ning Zheng said calmly, "It must be the real work."

"Huh? How did you know?" Feng Jiu looked at it again and again, and he also felt that it was an authentic work. Mr. Ouyang's calligraphy is broad and elegant, and his heart is as firm as a rock. This character is very different from the high-spirited and vigorous calligraphy in his 30s and the calm and restrained calligraphy in his 40s.

Feng Jiu knew that although Ning Zheng had a solid foundation in Chinese studies since he was a child, he went abroad to study abroad when he was a teenager. It stands to reason that he is half Chinese and half Western, that is, a fashionable person with a yellow skin and a white heart. He did not expect to be so knowledgeable about Chinese calligraphy. Studying, the voice could not help but carry admiration.

Ning Zheng looked up, saw her eager eyes, couldn't help holding back a smile, and said leisurely, "Because I know—" What?Feng Jiu's eyes were bright, and impatiently leaned forward, getting very close to his face, Ning Zheng suddenly smiled, "Lin Rulan dare not lie to me with fake products."

Lin Rulan is the manager who specializes in buying and exchanging antiques and good things for the Ning family.

Ning Zheng watched Feng Jiu's eyes widen suddenly, and his mouth was tightly pursed, showing a murderous aura that didn't match his age. When the photos overlapped, he couldn't help but smile even more.

He stretched out his hand to touch Feng Jiu's blushing face, which was probably flushed with anger: "Madam's majesty is quite bluffing."

His fingers touched it, and it slid down quickly. Feng Jiu's skin is really slippery.

He couldn't help but froze for a moment, and his eyes became hot.

Feng Jiu immediately moved back expressionlessly, thinking that this guy is really narrow, but now it looks a little dangerous.

Ning Zheng didn't speak any more, Feng Jiu waved his hand without any further consideration, and went back to his small desk to work.

The feeling just now still remains on the fingertips, it is smooth, soft and sweet, making people throb.

Feng Jiu filled three large sheets of rice paper and kept her wrists hanging in the air for more than half an hour. She pondered over the copybook because she was new to it, unfamiliar with it, and didn't have much experience.

When she looked up, she realized that Ning Zheng was looking at her for an unknown amount of time.

She glanced back at him, ignored him, rubbed her wrists, and planned to write another article.

When she finished the task without knowing why and put down her pen, she found that Ning Zheng was still looking at her with his chin resting on his hands.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Feng Jiu was unhappy, pouted.

"It looks good." Ning Zheng changed his posture, still lazy.

Feng Jiu's roots are red, after all, a little girl who is only 17 years old, how can she resist the battle of a romantic man.

"You have a room full of good things, isn't it enough for you to see?"

"What good things look good?"

"...This Shezhou Shuanger Shuanglong Xizhu Inkstone is so beautiful, why don't you look at it?" Feng Jiu raised his bar.

"It's nothing without you."

"...This big sweet white porcelain pastel jade bottle is even whiter, why don't you look at it?"

"Not as soft as you."

"This snow fox fur cushion is softer, why don't you look at it?"

"It's not as comfortable as you holding it."

"...Do you still remember that you are a scholar? I think you really think of yourself as a soldier."

Ning Zheng laughed: "Where have you seen what a real Bing Luzi looks like?" Then he said in a low voice: "I call it, "Scholar, true 'color'".

Feng Jiu's face sank, he stopped talking, put the brush on the sixteen-hanging sandalwood pen holder, and walked out.

Ning Zheng moved rather quickly at this time.

He took a few steps to stop Feng Jiu.

"Why? Why don't you let this place go?" The red-faced and angry little girl wanted to burst into anger, "He just wants to practice a word and read a book, why are you interrupting?"

"... Feng Jiu, did you forget something?" Ning Zheng put one hand on the door frame of the study, and the other grabbed her shoulder.

Feng Jiu pondered his expression, and finally felt that it might be right not to speak.

"We are husband and wife." Ning Zheng said softly, this time, there was no joking, his expression was extremely serious, and Feng Jiu shivered.

Feng Jiu was also deceived by his passable behavior in the past two months, thinking that the two people's way of getting along with each other has a tacit understanding.

She visibly flustered, and turned her head to the left first, as if a late-Ming red and blue enamel snuff bottle on the ancient shelf beside her suddenly aroused her strong interest; Quickly glanced at Ning Zheng, and found that he was still maintaining the posture just now, staring at him firmly, then quickly turned his gaze to the right again, and went to look at the bookshelf, hey, what books are there?

Ning Zheng smiled, but the smile was not quite right, he suddenly dropped his head heavily on her shoulder, Feng Jiu seemed to hear an inaudible sigh at the same time.

She couldn't help coughing a few times, so she shook Ning Zheng's hand, thinking about it or holding back the idea of ​​going back upstairs now, what if he followed in again?It would be safer in the study room. She sat down on the huanghuali official hat chair with backrest behind her small desk. It's a little cold at noon, so it's inevitable that I'll be a little frozen.

Ning Zheng also returned to the big desk, rang the bell, and the servant came in, and he gave some instructions; afterward, someone brought in some snowflake pears, which are a special product in southern Liaoning, and Ning Zheng picked up the smallest one specially, and put it on the desk In a huanghuali pen holder engraved with cloud patterns and painted red, I found a small Zhang Xiaoquan fruit knife and peeled it carefully. Inch-wide yellow-green pear skin.

Feng Jiu was leaning on the handle of the chair with her legs curled up, but since Ning Zheng started peeling, she glanced at it inadvertently, then leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of the chair, staring at him nervously, It wasn't until he finished peeling the whole pear in one go that he relaxed, retracted his chin with a sigh of relief, turned around and sat upright, and leaned his back against the back of the chair.

Ning Zheng couldn't help laughing, "You are really a born caretaker."

Ning Zheng discovered early on that Feng Jiu had a very serious "obsessive-compulsive disorder" in a certain aspect, which was proposed by a French psychiatrist in the last century, and the term "obsessive-compulsive disorder" did not exist in that era.

For example, the cap of the pen must be screwed on properly, the clothes that are taken off should be classified into categories, the blue ones must be put in the blue pile, and must not be mixed with the white ones, and the slippers must be neatly arranged. Putting it together and keeping the heels together...and the peeling can't be broken, it seems to be a new quirk of Fengjiu he discovered, what will happen to her if she is broken?Could it be that he would be too restless to refuse to eat this pear?

But in his opinion, they are all cute.

Ning Zheng put the peeled pears in a small pastel dish with yellow ground, walked over and handed it to her. On the center of the dish was a chic green bamboo, and on the bottom was a large hazy pink flower. The peony is quite old-fashioned, and the peeled pears are placed obliquely among them, making the pear flesh more crystal clear and jade-like, which attracts people's appetite.

Feng Jiu said "thank you" involuntarily, took it and put it on the small desk next to him, looked at it, "I probably can't finish it by myself, let's divide it into two."

Ning Zheng stood still in front of her, Feng Jiu looked up at him, and stretched out his hand, meaning to ask Ning Zheng to hand her the fruit knife in his hand.

Instead, Ning Zheng withdrew the knife, and threw the knife on the red rosewood crescent table beside him, making a crisp sound, which startled Feng Jiu, and then looked at Ning Zheng puzzled, as if he was angry.

Ning Zheng took a breath and rubbed his forehead, "When you were not out of the pavilion, did you eat pears at home as well?"

"So what?" Feng Jiu was at a loss, not following his train of thought.

"Didn't anyone tell you that pears can't be shared?" Ning Zheng stared at Feng Jiu, as if he wanted to know if she was just pretending to be innocent.

Actually questioned his tutor again?It is tolerable or unbearable.

Feng Jiu lightly said: "I know, but I'm not superstitious." Ning Zheng listened to Feng Jiu's calm voice and closed his eyes.

He turned around and walked up to Feng Jiu, "I picked a small one on purpose, just because I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to eat it, this pear, according to your stomach's capacity," he deliberately swept Feng Jiu's flat belly, "I'm sure you can finish it."

Today, no matter what, you have to eat this pear in your stomach.

Looking into Ning Zheng's eyes, Feng Jiu read out these words.

"I'm so afraid that I won't be able to finish this pear, so you can eat it yourself, I don't want to eat it."

Feng Jiu was very depressed: he was the one who was making arrangements from the beginning to the end, did he even have the slightest desire to eat?What a hard-to-serve young master, with a weird temper.

Ning Zheng's mouth was tightly pursed, and the tense jaw indicated that he was angry. Feng Jiu looked at him and didn't speak anymore, but he was still a little angry in his heart, and couldn't help coughing a few more times. Ning Zheng said: "Xuehuali is pure-hearted Nourish the lungs, relieve cough and reduce dryness, I heard from Mama Wu that you have been coughing all afternoon, eat some pears to press; if you still don’t feel better tomorrow morning, then steam some Chuanbei pears and eat.”

How could it be that exaggerated?Just coughing occasionally.After all, Feng Jiu couldn't bear to ignore others' wishes, so he had to pick up the small plate, and ate the whole pear one bite at a time.She had just finished eating when Ning Zheng brought a hot towel, wiped her mouth, and wiped her hands carefully. He also looked very happy, and he still kept staring at her from time to time, as if he wanted to Confirming the saying that eating pears relieves cough, Feng Jiu was completely frightened away from his sporadic cough, and there was no sound until before going to bed.

Before going to bed, Ning Zheng dragged Feng Jiu who had rolled to the corner and curled up into his arms with ease, and soon heard Feng Jiu's calm and long breathing, which basically disappeared from the throat last night. Noisy, a smile appeared on her lips, she looked down at her face for a long time, then picked up the right temple and kissed her, rubbed her face again, and fell asleep contentedly.

Fengjiu felt that the pressure was increasing day by day. Although they didn't really have the same room, this person has no limit to being nice to others. The biggest reward for me", isn't it just counting on people to owe him favors, until they can't pay back, so they can only feed tigers with their bodies?
(End of this chapter)