marriage order

Chapter 1 He Wants to Sell Vegetables

In April in the world, the weather gets hot early, and the peonies all over the city are also tired under the scorching sun, putting on bad faces one after another to "declare the world"—unhappy, stay away from us.

It's not just these squeamish guys who are unhappy, but also the marriageable men and women all over the country.

Although both are unhappy, there are differences in the reasons why people and flowers are unhappy.

The main reason for the unhappiness among the young men and women of marriageable age is a marriage order promulgated by His Majesty the Emperor: All young men and women who have reached the marriageable age must marry themselves within six months.Otherwise, when the official media comes to catch you, they will just make up for it. In that case, all personal wishes will be sidelined!
As a representative of the big landlord class, His Majesty the Emperor’s thoughts are both simple and practical—there is an urgent shortage of labor, and the fields are barren. I can’t wait to starve to death. Children, contribute more productivity to me.

The original intention is very good, but if the policy is to be implemented, even Yuelao will cry. How can this be done by humans?

After checking the household registration, there are so many unmarried men and women. What are these children and their parents thinking?
The official media yamen everywhere were full of resentment for a while, especially in Chang'an.At the feet of the emperor, it is natural to set an example. The local yamen may be lazy, and the ones in the capital...don't dream.

Sitting among a group of resentful media officials, Nan Shan yawned.

She wanted to sleep very much, but she couldn't, the whining noise of "buzzing" around her made her brain ache.

Marriage matching is also divided into grades, and in this extraordinary period, the first thing to take care of is naturally the men and women of the noble families.In order to ensure that these people can shut up their expensive and long-winded mouths and accept the reality of getting married within six months, it is necessary to ensure that high-quality resources are consumed first within the class.

Nanshan pretended to think all morning, just to find a partner for a guy named Pei Qu.

This dear man's family background is too prominent, according to the standard of the right family, there are not many women in the whole country who can marry him.It stands to reason that the choice is so narrow, it should be easy to choose, and Nanshan can't afford to search for a needle in a haystack in this vast household registration.

If not, what else could it be?
After this man came back from Fanbang, within half a month he rejected all the suitable noble women in Chang'an City, and even rejected a small princess, because of the lack of fate.

The elders of Pei's family said helplessly: "It's fine for a woman from a good family, as long as she looks pleasing to the eye."

"'Looking pleasing to the eye'! How easy it is to say, what kind of lady would show her face to him! It is better to have standards than to have no standards, and she deserves to live—" the third-rank matchmaker who had promised Pei's family at that time came back angrily, and said abruptly Swallowing the last few words, he said viciously, "Wait, wait half a year and see how he can choose!"

"Oh, he can still become a monk. Also, there are indeed countless ladies in Chang'an who are willing to show their faces to him. At least he can line up from here to the flax cake shop in Fuxing. Alas, I'm hungry again." Another third-rank matchmaker heard. After the other party complained, he changed the subject with food in a blunt and hateful manner.

This problem has been hanging, and finally lost to Nanshan.

Although Nanshan is only a ninth-rank matchmaker, she is well-known, and she has a nickname called "living household registration", which means that she has memorized her household registration in her stomach and can update it at any time. She is really a little girl. animals.

It is said that if Nanshan is not a daughter, he will be able to make great achievements, and he will not be living with a group of people in this official media office to earn errands.But Nanshan always looks like he doesn't care, he has a harmless face for humans and animals, he doesn't make enemies with others, and he doesn't show his heart to others.

Nanshan doesn't like to eat, and most people who don't like to eat have a strong heart and are invincible.

So she didn't eat anything at noon, and set off directly from the official media yamen.

She stuffed more than a dozen volumes of pictures of beauties into her bag, and headed for the destination of this trip——Luoyang City.Chang'an is not far from Luoyang, and the footsteps are faster, and it only takes a day and night to ride a horse.But Nanshan hired a broken donkey cart and bumped to Luoyang, it was already noon on the third day.

When Nanshan rushed to Luoyang, he was looking for this Mr. Pei.

After entering the Dingding Gate, the third street on the east side and then eastward, the first square from south to north, called "Guide Square", is the place where Mr. Pei lives now.

The Pei family has produced countless dignitaries, including generals, ministers, queens and concubines, and their status can be described as very prominent.Pei Qu ranked seventh among his peers. He had a profound family education and amazing talents. He entered the Secretary's Department in his teens. He was almost like Nanshan, and he was an out-and-out beast.

Such is the life of being favored by the heavens, but unexpectedly, this Qilang of the Pei family, who had a bright official career, went to the small country of Fanbang by himself when he was at the height of his fame. Years, but still alone.

In addition to being weird about the marriage, all his movements after returning to China are even more strange.

After returning to the country, Pei Qu did not return to his home in Chang'an. Instead, he went to Luoyang, the eastern capital, to find a small house to live in. He didn't care about the government and the current situation, and only cared about some of the vegetable fields in the mansion.

That's right, a gentleman doesn't love court, books, or women, and he's obsessed with growing vegetables.

Perhaps Pei Jun had to rely on his own efforts in the barren small country of Fanbang because he couldn't eat enough and didn't have enough clothes to keep warm, so he cultivated himself into a generation of vegetable growers.

A gentleman must study, teach, and even grow vegetables in a foreign country. It is really sad for those who hear it and tears for those who see it.

Nan Shan thought, I don't know if Pei Qu grows vegetables elegantly or rough?Carrying her burden on her back, she walked through the workshops, thinking, and had to find the specific location of Pei's residence all the way.

The weather was indeed very hot, Nan Shan raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, suddenly his ears moved, her feet jumped off the ground and she saw a basin of water pouring down from upstairs.

"oops!"

Nanshan Xunsheng looked up, only to see a woman who had just finished washing her hair poked her head out, and looked at her with a smile: "Mr. Don't blame me."

Since Nanshan had already avoided it, he didn't intend to blame her, and he just wanted to continue walking, but a big brother behind him yelled: "If you don't see clearly, you will fall down, this time it is the young man who avoided it quickly, how about changing it? If you got wet all over the head and face, just say sorry and it's over, the people who got drenched are so troublesome!"

Nanshan followed the sound and saw that the big brother was carrying the load, and the two baskets at the front and back were completely empty.

The woman looked at the bearer brother, and muttered: "This gentleman looks... seems familiar."

"Of course I look familiar, I'm the unlucky one who was splashed by your body lotion last month!" The elder brother put on a displeased face while speaking, "It's because you still recognize me, and the matter of pouring body lotion didn't happen. You have a long memory!"

This big brother has thick shoulders and round waist, which looks a bit bluffing.The woman was a little ashamed for a while, thinking about what to say, the elder brother said again: "Remember next time, you must see clearly before falling down. If I find out again, I will drag you to Fangzheng's place Go ahead! I'm very busy today, so I won't care about the past with you."

As he spoke, he moved the bamboo pole on his shoulder, and continued to walk forward. When he reached Nanshan, he stopped and glanced at her. His pair of piercing eyes immediately saw that Nanshan, who was wearing men's clothes, was actually a woman, but he did not expose it: "Xiao Lang You just arrived in Luoyang? Where are you going?"

A smile appeared on Nanshan's face: "At Pei Qilang's house."

"Oh." The bearer elder brother responded meaningfully, and then asked, "Why is Lang Jun looking for Pei Qilang?"

Nan Shan looked away from the bamboo basket he was carrying, and asked without answering, "Maybe Xiongtai is from the Pei family?"

The big brother who carried the burden was just about to ask why he saw it, but he turned his head and saw a small lacquer sign hanging beside the bamboo basket, with the word "Pei" written on it squarely, it was like self-introduction.He smiled, and said to Nanshan: "I am indeed from Qilang's residence, I don't know why Xiaolang Jun is looking for my Qilang?"

Nan Shan didn't make any detours, he just said: "To tell the truth, a certain is a matchmaker from Chang'an's official media yamen, and this time he is here to say goodbye to your lord."

The eldest brother who carried the burden raised his eyebrows: "Qilang is selling vegetables in the market right now, and I just sent him the vegetables."

Sell ​​vegetables?

Nanshan lowered his head and coughed lightly: "A certain man only knew that Qilang was talented, but he didn't expect him to let go of his status and go to the market to sell vegetables. What a gentleman."

The bearer brother replied bluntly: "Qilang just accidentally planted too much, and he was afraid that it would spoil if he couldn't finish it."

"It's a virtue for a gentleman not to waste food." Nan Shan squinted and smiled, "If he becomes the wife of someone else, the Yue family will be very happy."

The big brother who bears the burden seems to deliberately destroy Pei Qilang's image in front of Nanshan: "No, no, no, Qilang said that he is just used to being stingy."

"Such a modest self-deprecating, Qilang really..." Nanshan, as a media officer, naturally ignored the elder brother's intentional slander, and put the words in a good way.

In the end, the big brother who took the burden cut her off categorically: "It's just being stingy."

Nanshan suddenly stopped talking, she lowered her head and scratched her temples, and then asked again: "When will Mr. Lang return home?"

The eldest brother who carried the burden glanced at her condescendingly and said, "That will have to wait until the market closes."

The market has only opened recently, and there is still a lot of time to wait until the market closes at sunset.

Since the master was at the market and not in the mansion at this time, Nanshan must have been in vain to go to Pei's mansion at this time, and there was no reason to wait for the master to come back at the mansion.

Nan Shan said: "Since that's the case, I'll visit the mansion later."

The elder brother carrying the burden pouted slightly, said goodbye to Nanshan politely, and left carrying the burden.

Nanshan watched him leave, thought for a while, then turned around and walked out of Guidefang, heading straight to the market on Dingdingmen East Street.

Along the way, the chirping of cicadas can be faintly heard, pagoda tree trees are in shade, and the humble elm trees are about to bloom among the branches and leaves.

Nanshan was thirsty, so she drank a bowl of cool apricot cheese on the side of the street to deal with it. After she finished drinking, she lowered her head and was taking out her money bag, when she heard someone shouting from the street: "Pei Jiaqilang is here to sell vegetables again today. La!"

Nanshan Xunsheng got up calmly, put the money on the table, and watched a group of people run to the east market.

The clerk poked his head out to take a look, and explained to the outsider Nanshan: "It's also a strange thing. This official man is not short of money, and he came here to sell vegetables regardless of his status. I don't know what he thinks. But Aren’t all the women and servants in Luoyang City happy to see such a handsome gentleman while shopping for vegetables? I heard that Pei Qilang has a very good temper, but he’s not married yet for some reason, it’s really hard to guess!”

Hearing what he said, Nanshan simply sat down again: "I want to drink a bowl—" She paused, "Cold water is fine."

She drank this bowl of tasteless cold water leisurely, until the sun tilted a lot to the west, then she got up Shi Shi, yawned comfortably, carried her burden on her back, and left the shop to go east.

At this time, dealers began to close the stalls. Nanshan walked forward in a leisurely manner, and finally stopped in front of a rouge and gouache stall.

As far as the eye can see, there is a young man who is picking up the leftovers.There were only a few stalks of lettuce and a few handfuls of spinach left in front of him, and he didn't want to throw them away at all, so he took a cloth bag and put them all in.

Nanshan seemed to be taken aback when he looked at him with his head down, but it was not obvious.

She took a deep breath and walked up to the man with a smile.The man packed up his things, and as soon as he looked forward, he met Nanshan's eyes.

Nanshan felt that this moment was extremely long, she raised her head and looked at him squarely, with a smile on her face, her voice sounded calm in this bustling market: "Your step is——Pei Jiaqilang?"

At this time, the sun was setting, and the eight hundred drums that closed the market rang out, urging people to leave.

Pei Qu's blue-gray clothes looked inconspicuous, as though they had been worn for a long time, but they were still fresh and elegant. Even though they had spent the whole afternoon with the two baskets of vegetables, they were clean and dust-free.

Seeing his delay in answering, Nanshan looked down at his hand, which was holding a cloth bag, with long knuckles and neatly manicured nails.

She looked at it stupidly, and the closing market drum sounded again, pulling her mind back.

Only then did Pei Qu answer: "It's Pei, how do you call me?"

Nan Shan raised his face and replied: "Nan Shan, a nine-rank media official from Chang'an's official media yamen, heard that Mr. Lang doesn't care about his family background, but only wants someone who is destined, so he came here to discuss with Mr. Lang."

Pei Qu's expression was gentle and indifferent, neither repulsive nor welcoming, he just said: "When did Pei say such a thing?"

When did you say that?That's right, literati love to pick out words, even if they mean it in their hearts, as long as they don't say it word by word, it can't be regarded as what he said.

Nanshan was so blocked by one sentence that he didn't know what to say.For some reason, her originally articulate speech is always not smooth today, probably because she left the border of Chang'an and was not acclimatized when she arrived in Luoyang?

The sound of the drum kept ringing between the two of them, like a reminder, it was very annoying, but it became a good reason for Nanshan to change the subject.She said: "The market will be closed now, why don't we talk while walking?"

Pei Qu originally planned in this way, so he took the cloth bag with leftovers and walked west with Nanshan.The road was full of traders hurrying along, but the two of them walked leisurely.Twilight dragged the figure away, the sound of cicadas subsided, pagoda tree swayed in the wind, Nan Shan suddenly sneezed untimely.

She lowered her head, rubbed her nose, and said, "Sorry, sorry."

Pei Qu glanced at her side face, but turned around again, and asked calmly, "The southern media official is so young, how can he be a media official?"

"There are relatives in the family who do this, and I thought it was fun, so I followed suit." She said it lightly, with a full child's tone, which fit her seventeen or eighteen years old.

It's not difficult to become a matchmaker these days. If you have a clean background, someone recommends you, you can memorize your household registration, and you can get acquainted with people, that's all you need to do, and some other small skills are even better.

Even though media officials have something to do with the word "official", they are not serious officials.Even if the imperial court favored the yamen, and even granted ranks, but the ranks are just bluffing, in fact, they are worthless.

Pei Qu noticed the change in the tone of her words, lowered her eyes slightly and asked again: "Do mother and father agree?"

"My father and mother are gone, so I live with the nurse now, and the nurse has no objection." After Nanshan Gualaguala finished speaking, he suddenly realized that he was just a stranger to Pei Qu. There is no need to speak too clearly.

She stopped in time, and when she was about to ask Pei Qu something, Pei Qu said: "The Southern media official came from Chang'an, where do you plan to stay tonight?"

While talking, the two had already turned into the third street, and they were about to arrive at Guide Square.At this time, the sun has already hidden half of the face, and the drums of the closed workshop also sounded, and the soldiers beat the drums in the same way, urging passers-by to go home quickly.

Nanshan resumed his previous unfamiliar attitude, and replied: "I'm going to find an inn in Guidefang to stay, sir, go back quickly, and I will visit again tomorrow."

"There used to be a library in Fangzhong, but now it's closed." Pei Qu said in a gentle voice, but it really poured cold water on Nanshan.

The gate of the workshop will be locked, and you cannot leave the workshop after the night ban, otherwise you will be punished as a night offender.

Nan Shan then stopped, with a slight look of embarrassment on his face: "Then..."

Pei Qu seemed to be able to see through the ghosts in her heart, and suddenly said in a very sympathetic manner: "If you don't dislike it, the steward of Pei's religious mansion will clean up a guest room, and the Southern media official will stay."

Nanshan was kind and did not refuse, and said politely: "Trouble."

Pei Qu took Nanshan into the mansion, and bumped into the elder brother who Nanshan met at noon today. After Nanshan asked, he found out that this elder brother was one of Pei Qu's long-term followers. His name was Shi Qing, and he had been with Pei Qu for many years. .

Shi Qing clung to Nanshan to "reminisce about the past", while Pei Qu went to change clothes first.

After Pei Qu left, Shi Qingcai said, "I'll take the Southern Media Officer to pick out a house, okay?"

Nanshan changed the burden into one hand, nodded, and followed him inside.At this time, the night was falling, the sound of the drums in the square was exhausted, the lanterns under the eaves were flickering, and the corridors and corridors were clean.Shi Qing stopped suddenly, turned around and said, "My husband likes to be clean very much. The Southern Media Officer remembers to take off his shoes when he goes to the gallery."

Without further ado, Nan Shan took off his shoes, and followed him in with only his white foot bag on.

Nanshan walked without a sound at all, Shi Qing felt that a ghost was following behind him, so eerie, he couldn't help shrinking his neck, and turned his head to look at her.He thought of Nanshan's quick reaction when avoiding the shower water that fell from the sky during the day, and felt that this little matchmaker had a lot of background.

Nanshan was very knowledgeable, so he chose a very small room with only one small window, a bed placed in the corner, no curtains, the rush mat on the bed seemed to have just been washed and exposed to the sun, and the smell was fresh and refreshing.

Shi Qing said: "You don't have to be polite, Southern media officials. If you need anything, just ask me." As soon as he finished speaking, he left, walking faster and faster, until he bumped into Pei Qu who had just changed his clothes. .

"Oh!" Shi Qing stood still and whispered again, "Does Qilang feel that this little matchmaker is suspicious?"

Pei Qu told him: "Don't talk too much."

Shi Qing put this topic aside, and said again: "Xu Shaoqing said that he is going to Luoyang, but he doesn't know when it will be. Do you want to pack up a guest room in advance?"

"it is good."

After Shi Qing got the words, he turned to work, but Pei Qu went straight through the corridor, and saw a pair of Nanshan's shoes at the end of the hallway.The size of the girl's shoes is not impressive, and the uppers of the shoes can't be said to be clean.

Pei Qu looked down at the shoes for a while, hesitated for a long time, and then leaned over to pick them up.

At this time, Nanshan was sorting out her dozen or so volumes of pictures of beauties in the house. Everyone in the world has their own looks. If there is one fate that must be emphasized, eye fate probably ranks first.And those with better looks may be able to get more preferential treatment in this matter.So she brought a bunch of scrolls, all of which were beauties, and she only hoped that Pei Qilang would like something.

But to be honest, Nanshan didn't have much hope for the success of the Pei family's marriage, so she didn't come here with the determination to win.Although she was quite articulate, she was by no means strong, not to mention that the other party was the Pei family who was not easy to persuade.

Furthermore, a man who is still unmarried at the age of 27 must have his own plans, and most of the interference of others is actually useless.

Nanshan tidied up his things, walked out of the room, and stretched in the corridor.It was twilight, it was very quiet, and the courtyard was a rare and beautiful view, but she suddenly bent down, quickly closed her hands, and with a "snap", a flattened mosquito obediently stuck to her palm.

Nanshan approached and blew, trying to blow away the dead mosquito in his hand, but at this moment a pair of shoes were placed on the clean floor in front of him.

Nan Shan was a little stunned at the moment, she felt that this situation was a bit familiar, and it was a little confusing for no reason.She straightened up and raised her head again, only to see Pei Qu's face in the twilight.

"Don't misplace your shoes." He said concisely, "It's time to eat."

Nanshan's stomach was empty, but she had no desire to eat at all.She quickly put on her shoes and numbly followed Pei Qu all the way to the middle hall, where there were short tables with flax porridge, steamed spinach, boiled lettuce, and even simply fried mushrooms.

It seems that Pei Qu is really frugal, and the leftover vegetables are brought back and quickly cooked for dinner, without wasting anything.

Nan Shan sat down at the next table, and only after Pei Qu started to move did he move his chopsticks.In her heart, she thought Pei Qu was a cheapskate, and she was stunned when she bit it down and found that it was cherry stuffing.

Cherries are like lychees, they are extremely rare and valuable in the two capitals!

Although it has been cooked under high heat, the cherries are still the original fresh and tender color, which is extremely attractive to look at, but Nanshan's eyes that had just brightened up suddenly dimmed again.She ate the cherries, drank a bowl of flax porridge, finished the spinach and lettuce, and finally poured a plate of mushrooms into her stomach without restraint.

The dishes were eaten clean, and her belly bulged as she wished. She resisted hiccups, turned her bright eyes, and looked around in this not very bright room, and happened to bump into Pei Qu looking over look.Pei Qu just glanced at it lightly, then lowered his head to eat the porridge.

Nanshan felt that she had waited for a long time before Pei Qu finished the meal, and her legs were going numb.When Pei Qu stood up, she also stood up from the mat, and even rubbed her calf quickly without leaving a trace.

Pei Qu went out first, followed by Nan Shan.Pei Channel: "The night is fine tonight."

A gentleman always talks nonsense.

Nanshan glanced at the thin and unremarkable moon, thinking that it was nothing more than that, it was not really a good night.

Because she was walking behind Pei Qu, she was not so restrained, and even her walking posture was a little casual.She boldly asked suddenly: "Why is Mr. Lang still unmarried at this age?"

Pei Qu answered her relaxedly but seriously: "Why does Pei have to get married?"

"Because of age..." Nanshan stopped in time before he could finish speaking.It seems to be a very logical reason to get married and have children when you are old, but this reason alone does not seem to be tenable.

This topic is really worth talking about, but after thinking about it, there is actually nothing to talk about. Nan Shan consciously shut up, but Pei Qu in front of him stopped.

"Southern media officials look like immature children in men's clothes. At such a young age, do you really understand the essence of marriage between men and women?"

This remark sounded contemptuous at first, but Nanshan was not annoyed, raised his hand and rubbed his nose, and muttered inaudibly: "There is no point at all."

Pei Qu saw through the limited light of the lantern that she was rubbing her nose with her left hand, and she was also holding chopsticks with her left hand just after eating.

There is no doubt that Nanshan is an out-and-out left-hander.

Nanshan noticed his gaze, but she was distracted and killed another mosquito. She shot very quickly and accurately, she was an old hand at killing mosquitoes.

It is a pity that Mosquito met such a clever opponent and became a Mosquito ghost without even having the chance to lament his fate.There was blood in the palms of Nanshan's hands, mixed with the dead bodies of mosquitoes, the dirtier and dirtier she was rubbing. She felt a sigh of relief as she rubbed her hands, as if she couldn't rub her hands clean anyway.

She bowed her head and said hello, saying that it was too late to bother her, then she turned around and walked towards the west porch.

The crescent moon is like a hook, and the light coming in through the window is really limited. A small lamp is dimly lit, which is hardly enough for lighting.

Nanshan washed his hands desperately in front of a basin of water, until his hands hurt so much that he left the basin, took a coarse white towel from the shelf, and dried his hands meticulously.

She finally felt much better in her heart, but midges and mosquitoes were rampant around her, and the sound of "buzzing buzzing" made people upset, and it was even more tormenting for Nanshan.

Nanshan has excellent senses.He has excellent senses of hearing, vision, and smell. He can easily hear people around, can read in dim light, and has a nose as sensitive as a dog.

She is only 17 years old, but she seems to have lived for many years.The feeling is too sharp, and most of the time it is a life of suffering, feeling that there is no rest when the world is full.

She sat down on the bed, and tapped the board on the edge of the bed with her fingers, as if she was counting the time and listening to the movement.

When a lamp in the room was burned out, it was late at night, the mansion was surprisingly quiet, everyone had probably met Duke Zhou for a long time, only Nan Shan was still washing his face with his head bowed.

People who sleep late are always lonely, Nan Shan wiped his face and lay down, pulled up the quilt, feeling that the night was gradually cooling down like a burnt stove.

Her thin shoulders trembled slightly, and finally closed her eyes and fell asleep.

(End of this chapter)