wedding dress

Chapter 120 Winter
Xiaodong brought the soup with his own hands, opened the lid, and Qin Lie took a deep breath: "It smells so good."

Xiaodong first served soup to King An, and then Zhang Ziqian, Qin Lie, and Shen Jing all scooped a bowl in turn.

"Sister Xiaodong made this by herself?" Shen Jing asked, "Then I can have an extra bowl."

"Well, the material was cut by someone else, so I just watched the fire and did nothing else."

King An took a sip and asked, "Is there a cherry in it?"

Xiaodong nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, father has a really good tongue."

Shen Jing was slightly puzzled: "There are still cherries at this time?"

Xiaodong explained: "It's not fresh cherries, they are pickled when they are fresh, and they are served in jars. They are usually eaten as snacks. They are also used in the kitchen to make snacks. I tried to use them to make soup. A few days ago, I also took peaches. It’s dry stew, unfortunately it’s not very tasty.”

"No wonder there is a fragrance, and the aftertaste is also sweet."

Seeing that they had all drank, Xiaodong sat down to taste the soup himself.

Well, not greasy at all.An Wang usually eats more vegetarians and doesn't like meat or greasy meat. This soup should be good, right?
Wang An stood up: "Eat slowly, I'll excuse you first."

Xiaodong hurriedly got up and went over: "Father, I will accompany you back."

Shen Jing and the three of them stood up to see each other off, and Wang An waved his hand: "Sit down, don't disappoint today's good wine."

Xiaodong took the cloak and put it on Wang An, and put on a brocade cloak himself.After going out, King An said, "Let's go for a walk to digest food."

"Alright. Let's go to the plum forest for a while? The plum blossoms are all in bloom."

The cold wind was blowing, Xiaodong touched his face and felt slightly hot.

"I'm really happy today. My brother's letter has been confiscated. Father is also worried, right?"

"Well, what did I write in the letter to you?"

"Writing that the weather is very cold, and the iron armor is frozen." Xiaodong felt that the winter was hard even though he was dressed so warmly. He really didn't know how Zhao Lu suffered there: "By the way, my brother even carved a little monkey out of a bone for me. Said it was a birthday gift for this year. He gave me so many good things in the past, but I think this year is the most special."

The pond was frozen over, and from a distance, I could already smell the delicate fragrance of plum blossoms, but when the wind blew, I felt the fragrance was clear, cold and refreshing.Going forward again, turning around the rockery, you will see a tree of old plum blossoms with strong branches and elegant flowers.

Xiaodong picked one of the flowers, sniffed it, and pinned it to the button of his lapel with a smile.

"Next time I make clothes, let them make plum blossom buttons for me. Does it look good?"

Wang An smiled and praised: "It's beautiful."

Xiaodong supported Wang An and walked forward, and asked softly, "Father, that Zhang Ziqian..."

"Well?"

"I...have I seen him somewhere else before? I always feel a little familiar."

Wang An raised his eyebrows slightly: "Have you seen it?"

Xiaodong was a bit puzzled at first, but now she nodded with certainty: "I must have seen it, but... I can't remember it."

Wang An brushed the tip of her nose: "If you can't remember it, think about it slowly."

Hey, is this the attitude of a father?So irresponsible!

But since King An can trust him like that, he must not be an outsider... Well, depending on his age, it is also possible that he is King An's illegitimate son.

"I still remember the winter of the year before last, when we admired plum blossoms together, drew pictures, wrote poems, and invited Qin Nv to sing. Her song "Luomei" was so beautiful." Xiaodong shook her head: "It's a pity that her junior sister is much inferior. Well, I I remember that my brother picked plum blossoms to make wine, and... and Zhao Zhi, Zhao Zhi also came that day.

Xiaodong paused for a moment, then continued: "Brother must not be busy now, I really don't know what he will become after he comes back. Will he be like a majestic general, or like a barbarian?"

"You girl, why don't you look forward to it? Come on, sit on the pavilion."

"it is good."

The pavilion is built high, and you can see plum blossoms far and near from here, and the fragrance becomes more and more clear and ethereal.When I close my eyes, I just feel that I am trapped in the fragrant wind and clouds.If you are not afraid of the cold and sleep here, I am afraid that the dream is also fragrant.

"Among the three of them, which one do you think is closer?"

Xiaodong was slightly startled, and Wang An patted her hand: "Your brother is not here, if you are bored, you can talk to them, and you can ask them to accompany you when you go out."

Xiaodong resisted the urge to complain.

How dare she talk to them?Still going out?Mrs. Hu could not wait to tie her up with a chain.

"I'm not bored, there's a lot to learn."

Wang An smiled: "The soup you cooked today is not bad, it can be seen that it has grown."

Xiaodong thought for a while: "Well, brother Shen Jing is very knowledgeable and has a good temper, but he has already become an official, so he doesn't have so much leisure time..." It's just too good to be true, like an exquisite piece of art more than like a real person.Besides, he is currently living in the family uncle's house, so Xiaodong doesn't think he has to live in Prince An's Mansion, but just thinks... well, it's not that close anyway.

"I haven't spoken a few words with Zhang Ziqian. Besides, he is someone my father can use. If I ask him to accompany me for some inappropriate pastimes, I will be overqualified."

An Wang nodded.

"Qin Lie..." Xiaodong didn't know how to describe this talent for a moment.Usually he is as calm as a sophisticated person, but sometimes he has a childlike innocence and does some interesting things.For example, the cat she gave her, and many other things: "Brother Qin Lie should be a capable person, with a rough life experience, and he has made a career with his bare hands. He didn't even tell me that Universal Treasure was his business at the beginning. , Father, you don’t tell me either.”

Wang An spread his hands: "I thought you already knew."

"Father, how can you say that?" Xiaodong pulled him and shook Wang An repeatedly, begging for forgiveness: "Okay, okay. I heard from Fu Hai that you went to the cashier recently?"

"Well, I want to see the daily food, drink and flowers in our house, so Manager Fu showed me."

"Can you understand?"

"Yes." Xiaodong pointed his fingers and said, "The firewood and fruits sent by the inner house are not counted. My father has Lumi, but our house still needs to buy firewood, grain, and vegetables. The kitchen outside uses at least a dozen catties of meat a day." , more vegetables, rice and grains. I didn’t look at the account of my father’s kitchen, but my small kitchen has three meals a day plus supper and snacks... It costs a lot of money..." Xiaodong lowered his head slightly: " Usually I just read books about abusive dudes, but I can't think of myself..."

This is the crow landed on the pig, just watching others black.

"Why, do you feel like you've been extravagant?"

Xiaodong nodded.

"Then have you ever calculated whether your annual salary is enough for you to spend?"

Xiaodong calculated in his heart: "Well, if the clothes are not included, there will be more to eat..."

"Isn't this the end? You are an honest and cowardly child, and you can't do things like squandering and extravagance. Compared with the other mansions who eat sparrow soup and golden shreds, throwing tens of taels of silver for a meal, you She can only be regarded as a poor girl."

Xiaodong couldn't help laughing: "The bird's tongue soup is not tasty."

"Well?"

Xiaodong said: "I ate it at the Empress Dowager's place. It was respected by others. The Empress Dowager asked me if I liked it. I didn't think it was delicious at all. It's better than the stewed meat that my brother took me to Dongshi and ate on the street. As for the soup, that one is only twenty cents a bowl, much better than the sparrow tongue soup."

The father and daughter gossiped for a while, Wang An went to take a nap, Xiaodong went back to the study, and the meeting was not over yet.Zhang Ziqian's face also turned red, while Shen Jing simply leaned over on one side of the couch, with a thin blanket covering her body.

"Huh? Why did he..."

Zhang Ziqian said with a smile: "Just now we revisited the wine, and he accompanied him for two more glasses, and that's it."

Xiaodong poked his head over to see that he was sleeping peacefully, so he wasn't worried.

Qin Lie pointed to a plate of steamed cakes: "Sister Xiaodong is full? If not, eat some more. This honey cake is pretty good."

Xiaodong squeezed a piece, saw the paper lots scattered on the table, and asked, "Have you executed the order?"

"Okay, it's a pity you didn't catch up."

"Have you written poetry yet?"

"Don't, I can't do it." Qin Lie waved his hand: "I drank when I lost, and quietly recited a song called Qijue, and Ziqian also answered a couplet."

Xiaodong smiled and said, "It's a good thing I'm not here, or I would have made a fool of myself."

"If you lose, you will be punished and cook another dish for us."

She looked at the three people in the room, and unconsciously remembered what Wang An asked her just now.

All right, why ask this?

...Could it be that Wang An wants to be among the three...

surely not.

Wang An is very open-minded, but no open-minded father would do this.

What's more, Shen Jing seems to have already engaged in marriage.

When Shen Fang came here a few days ago, she mentioned that Shen Jing's marriage has already been settled.He also brought some tea leaves from Hedong, bacon, parfait, home-brewed wine and so on. Xiaodong's gift in return was very practical--four bolts of satin just to cut the clothes for the New Year, four baskets of charcoal, and the rest was all food.Shen Fang thanked her: "Thank you very much, you relieved my anxiety. Charcoal and vegetables are expensive and hard to buy during the Chinese New Year. Even the peddlers who used to pass by the door every day stopped coming. Got to go far."

Xiaodong said: "My father and I are the only two people in the family this year. This year must be deserted. Sister Fang, if you have time, please come over. It would be better if you can stay for a short time. There are more people and it will be more lively."

Shen Fang smiled and said that she would discuss it with her husband when she went back.

Shen Jing was too drunk to go back, Qin Lie was so drunk that his face was flushed, and he walked steadily with big strides - if he didn't go, he couldn't do it, even if Mrs. Hu didn't come in person, the elite soldiers under her were not just for nothing, so keep an eye on him. dead.

Xiaodong went back and read Zhao Lu's letter again, holding the little monkey in his hand, sometimes laughing, sometimes lost in thought.Mrs. Hu begged to look at it: "The engraving is really good, the prince really can't forget my sister no matter where he goes. Where do you keep it?"

"Give me the hibiscus box."

Mrs. Hu brought over the big red box engraved with hibiscus flowers, and Xiaodong carefully put the monkey into it.

In a few days, I heard a news.

It is said that the emperor intends to marry the sixth princess, and there is already a candidate.

This is not important, what is important is that Shen Jing heard that he is the No.1 candidate on the list!

------------

A year has passed before I knew it... I really can't bear it.

Ask for a ticket.

(End of this chapter)