Yutai Bi

Chapter 46 The Guest
Three small sedan chairs with bamboo curtains escorted the three of them through the city, and arrived at Fang's house half an hour later.Fang Jiuniang sent her mother-in-law to wait at the side door.The sedan chairs of the three were carried all the way to the second gate, and when they got off the sedan chair, Fang Jiuniang had already brought the girl to stand at the screen wall.

"It's been a long time for you guys, the sun is up." Fang Jiuniang held Liuniang in one arm and Qiniang in the other, complaining with her mouth pouted.

Cen Sanniang followed Baicao silently.

Liu Niang glanced back at San Niang, and said to Jiu Niang angrily, "Why did you even invite her?"

Fang Jiuniang lowered her voice: "My mother asked me to invite you."

Liu Niang was even more upset: "Are you willing to let her be your sister-in-law? Brother Fang Qi is such a good person, why should he marry her?"

Fang Jiuniang was also unhappy: "Of course I don't want to. Go and meet my mother first, and we'll talk about it later."

Hearing that Fang Jiuniang had already made arrangements, Liu Niang became happy.

When I arrived at Mrs. Fang's residence, I greeted Ann.Fang Jiuniang pulled Liu Niang and Qi Niang to talk privately.Mrs. Fang very naturally kept Cen Sanniang.

Although she roughly guessed something, Cen Sanniang was still a little uneasy.

Mrs. Fang is Jixian, in her early thirties, her figure is not fat yet, and she looks as delicate as a girl.The eldest lady likes gorgeous clothes.Mrs. Fang is even better.The silver-red ramie dress is embroidered with patterns of flowers and birds with gold and silver threads.There are three rings on her fingers, set in gold, inlaid with sapphires and pearls.The workmanship is exquisite, and the ten fingers are as white as scallions.Combed a half-foot-high bun.In the center is a fist-sized ruby ​​flower inlaid with flowers, with branches on the left and right, and slender gold tassels hanging down.Wearing a pair of gold earrings in the style of smoked cages.

Cen Sanniang secretly praised, this Mrs. Fang really knows how to dress up.Showing wealth without being vulgar.She remembered that when watching the fire dragon parade in the Dragon Boat Festival, Mrs. Fang dressed up much older, probably because she brought a group of adult stepson and daughter.

"Sanniang, I heard that your grandfather lived in the former residence of the deceased king of Xiangwu County?" Mrs. Fang asked straight to the point.

Cen Sanniang replied softly: "The king of Xiangwu County has no heirs, and he inherited the family business from his grandfather. The title is not hereditary, because the grandfather has no princes."

Mrs. Fang shook her round fan and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter if Mrs. Li is not a knight. One of your uncles is now the governor of Youzhou, and the other is Captain Guoyi of Zhechong Mansion."

Cen Sanniang was startled.There were only five prefectures in the Tang Dynasty that had great governors. I didn't expect that my mother's half-brothers actually held heavy soldiers.Mrs. Li has been married to Longzhou for more than ten years, and Mrs. Xu came as a dowry, so it is not clear.Cen Sanniang lamented in her heart that her step-grandmother was not close to her mother, if the two uncles were relatives, she could walk away by herself.

She didn't show it on her face, and returned to Mrs. Fang modestly: "San Niang hasn't seen the two uncles yet."

It is a disguised admission that there are such two relatives.

Mrs. Fang received her in the main hall, behind her was an inner room separated by twelve wooden screens.Cen Sanniang heard a small sound inside.She couldn't help thinking about it, could Master Fang be listening to the corner inside?

Mrs. Fang didn't stay with her for long, and ordered the girls around her to take Cen Sanniang to the garden: "Our Fang family's garden is not as elegant as Cen's mansion, but there are more than ten acres of lotus in the lake, which is in full bloom at this time. My Jiuniang loves Tong Six Niang and Qi Niang talk privately, San Niang doesn't need to talk to her, you can go to the gazebo and have a look. If you want to row a boat to pick some lotus pods, tell the girl."

Cen Sanniang couldn't ask for it, so she stood up and thanked Mrs. Fang.

From the inner hall through a moon gate, there is a backyard that leads directly to the back garden.Both sides are full of hibiscus, and the pink and white flowers are in full bloom.Looking from a distance, it looks like a flower wall, which is so beautiful.

Cen Sanniang was a little happy not to deal with Fang Jiuniang, Cen's sixth mother and seventh mother.

The girl who led the way looked back and smiled and said, "The third lady will definitely like the lotus pond."

While speaking, a piece of blue came into view.

Baicao likes flowers and plants, and happily pointed to Lian Tianbi's lotus and said, "Third Lady, look!"

Cen Sanniang stood on the bank, looking at the layers of lotus leaves as tall as a person, with flowers and arrows in the middle blooming or budding, and the emerald green lotus pods bulging, a sense of freshness that had not been seen for a long time surged in her heart.

The Fang family's back garden is indeed not as exquisite and elegant as the Cen's family, but it has a grand beauty.

She remembered Mrs. Fang's words, smiled and said to the girl: "Can you row a boat?"

The girl responded and called the woman who punted the boat.It is a small painting boat, and you can avoid the sun by sitting in it.Cen Sanniang and Baicao boarded the boat, and seeing snacks, fruits and tea sets on the low table in the middle of the cabin, they knew that the Fang family had already prepared.The girl who led the way smiled and said: "If San Niangzi wants to fish, there are fishing equipment here."

Cen Sanniang thanked with a smile, and let the boat go deep into the lotus leaves.

After a cup of tea on the boat, another painted boat appeared among the lotus leaves.

"It's the Seventh Young Master!" The girl walked towards the bow, and the two painted boats approached. She stepped forward and saluted, and then returned to the cabin and said to Cen Sanniang with a smile, "The Seventh Young Master caught a carp and is roasting it himself. Please ask San Niangzi to taste it."

Cen Sanniang couldn't understand more than that, the Fang family deliberately arranged for her to meet Fang Ming.She readily agreed.

Fang Ming was wearing a gray-blue homely silk round-neck gown, with a cattail fan in his left hand and a pair of long bamboo chopsticks in his right.Seeing Cen Sanniang crossing the boat, she didn't get up, and greeted her familiarly: "Sanniang, my lotus leaf grilled fish will be ready soon, just wait. It's absolutely delicious, if it doesn't taste good, I'll pay for it!"

Cen Sanniang couldn't help laughing, remembering the time when she yelled for mutton skewers in her previous life: "Delicious lamb skewers cost five yuan a bunch! If they don't taste good, you don't need money!"

She entered the cabin and sat across from the table, waving the round fan lightly to watch Fang Ming grill the fish.

There is an iron net on the small charcoal stove, and a fish wrapped in lotus leaves is placed on it.

Cen Sanniang really did not expect that there would be a barbecue grill at this time.But Fang Ming's acquaintance made her feel a little strange.Is this the ancients?She remembered that the last time in the courtyard of Cen's residence, Fang Ming refused to take an extra step.

She waved a round fan to block Fang Ming's observation.

Fang Ming was seventeen or eighteen years old, with a face like a crown of jade, and a tall figure.

Cen Sanniang described him with a face like a crown of jade, not because he thought Fang Ming was handsome, but because his skin was smooth and fair, without acne marks, and his brows carried the unique vitality of young men.His eyes were clear, which made Cen Sanniang instinctively willing to trust him.

She thought of the way he apologized for Fang Jiuniang holding the silver, and also remembered the way he strode towards the crowd with a burning oil-paper umbrella in his hands without realizing it.Cen Sanniang sighed softly in her heart.She felt a little guilty... After she rejected the nobleman on board, she really had no other choice.She can only count on Fang Ming.

The fish has been grilled for a while, and the emerald green lotus leaves have turned yellow, exuding a unique fragrance of lotus leaves.

"It should be ready. Silver!" Fang Ming shouted behind him.

A man who looked like a servant walked in.

Baicao giggled.Cen Sanniang knew what she was laughing at, so she just covered her face with a round fan, trying not to laugh out loud.Yes, Fang Ming's personal servant is Yinzi.

Yinzi blushed when he heard Baicao's laughter, lowered his head and moved the stove away, cut off the lotus leaves, put the fish into a large blue and white porcelain plate with a wooden shovel, put it on the table, and bowed again. He retreated outside the cabin.

A carp that weighs a pound is steaming.

Fang Ming sniffed the fragrance intoxicatedly, and said with a smile, "San Niang, you don't mind being left alone?"

Cen Sanniang stopped Baicao from coming forward.Baicao Fang Mingfu greeted Fu and exited the cabin.

Fang Ming held on to the small pot and poured soy sauce on the fish. Then, holding a silver chopstick, he stroked the belly of the fish, and put a piece of white fish into the plate in front of him: "San Niang, please."

Cen Sanniang was not polite, and took a piece of fish to eat.The meat is fresh and tender without thorns, and only soy sauce is poured on it, which is monotonous but hard to hide its delicious fragrance.She raised her eyebrows, the fish had no fishy smell.

"I put ginger slices in the fish maw." Fang Ming explained simply, his eyes narrowed with a smile, "A gentleman is far from cooking, but sometimes it's a pleasure to do it yourself. Sanniang, it was inconvenient to talk at Cen's last time, you If you have anything to say, feel free to say it today.”

Cen Sanniang finished eating politely and put down the silver chopsticks.She stared at Fang Ming, and said softly, "...are we familiar?"

"A private meeting in the Cen mansion, don't we know each other well?" Fang Ming's gaze never retreated.

Cen Sanniang felt that he had seen through her, she sighed secretly, and lowered her eyelashes.

Fang Ming put down his chopsticks, ordered Yinzi to take the fish away, and set up the tea set.He made a gesture: "Last time I couldn't drink the tea made by Sanniang, please."

Cen Sanniang did not refuse, and rolled up her sleeves to make tea.

The wind blows, and it is cool.The sun is rising and it is not hot.Looking around, the blue waves are clear and the shadows are clear, and the lotus fragrance is faint.Cen Sanniang thought, this place is really well chosen.It is a good place to speak freely without being afraid that walls have ears.

"The girl who brought you here belongs to me." Fang Ming broke the silence and said frankly.

It means that even the person who handles the boat belongs to him, and the conversation between the two will never be spread.Cen Sanniang thought for a while and asked him, "What if I don't want to row a boat?"

Fang Ming smiled and said, "Then I can only invite you to the gazebo."

Cen Sanniang poured the tea soup into the cup, lowered her eyes and asked, "Why did Mrs. Fang remind me?"

Fang Ming said calmly, "I paid 100 taels of silver."

Cen Sanniang's hand to hold the teacup froze. Let Mrs. Fang help him for 100 taels of silver?She remembered that Uncle Liu and Uncle Chen had inquired about the news that the Fang family seemed to have a big business, and the sons were secretly trying to be the head of the Fang family.Mrs. Fang also wanted to fight for the interests of her three-year-old son.Could it be that Fang Ming and Mrs. Fang joined forces?Mrs. Fang is the stepmother, and is favored by Mrs. Fang. The youngest brother is only three years old. It is a wise choice to join forces with Mrs. Fang.It's not like Fang Ming's brothers can't see through this, right?

(End of this chapter)