Chapter 26

When Xie Qinghong arrived in Huaizhou, he finally understood the meaning of "Jiangnan in misty rain". It was early April, the season of plum rain. The misty rain fell on his face, as light as a veil. Hundreds of flowers bloomed in competition. Peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, and pear blossoms bloomed in layers along the way. Petals knocked down by the rain fell into the small bridge and the flowing water, which added a touch of lingering sentiment.

The literary atmosphere was thriving in Huaizhou. Xie Qinghong, holding an umbrella, followed her cousins ​​to the academy to attend classes, watched famous scholars debate in the bamboo grove, and participated in several banquets with flowing wine cups on a winding stream. Before she knew it, it was the Dragon Boat Festival in May.

Even before the festival officially arrived, the whole city was bustling with activity. Dragon boat teams practiced diligently on the river every day. The Liang family, with its large number of members, also sent more than ten young men to represent the Liang clan in preparation for the annual dragon boat race.

Xie Qinghong watched the lively scene, but suddenly recalled her unresolved conversation with Pei Du on the boat a month ago. The zongzi from the South were indeed on the sweeter side, which suited her taste perfectly. It was also rare to find zongzi made so small and delicate, allowing her to eat several different fillings at once.

Sweet rice dumplings, a true delicacy!

Just as she was reminiscing, her cousin suddenly called out to her, pointing to a magnificent dragon boat on the river and saying, "Sister Qinghong, look! The one at the head of that boat is Qiu Ran, the son of the governor of Huaizhou. He's the most outstanding young man in Huaizhou City, and he's not engaged yet. I heard that the governor's wife still wants to marry from Wangjing and doesn't even look at us girls."

Xie Qinghong followed her gaze and looked over. Compared to the other unremarkable burly men on the boat, Qiu Ran was indeed a sight to behold. However, in her eyes, he was still ordinary. Not wanting to spoil her cousin's mood, she nodded in agreement: "He is not bad. But I think the girls from Huaizhou are all top-notch, not much different from those in Wangjing, like you and me, right?"

Her cousin was all smiles after being coaxed by her, and couldn't help but whisper, "Cousin, you don't know, when you got off the ship the first day, several of your classmates from the academy happened to be at the dock. They saw you and said they were amazed by your beauty. When they came back and spread the word at the academy, many people wanted to come to our house as guests the next day, but I turned them all down."

Xie Qinghong didn't believe it: "I also studied at your academy for a month, and I didn't feel that they treated me any differently."

My cousin suppressed a laugh: "They're all so reserved, afraid of leaving you with a bad impression. You didn't even notice that there was always someone next to your desk during breaks. One would say her ink was good and ask you to try it, another would say her paper was expensive and insist you touch it, and the most outrageous one said that the crops she planted herself were growing well, so you went to see them and even planted a few yourself. Then several plots of wasteland behind the academy were cleared, all planted by them."

Xie Qinghong thought about it carefully and realized it was true. She was particularly impressed by the girl who talked about those kinds of crops. She had read the agricultural book before, but when she got here, she realized that agricultural books were also divided by region. The climate in the north and south is different, and the agricultural book she read was completely irrelevant to the south. She immediately put down the agricultural book and followed the girl to plant a few radishes. The radish leaves had already grown green.

She smiled and said, "They're so adorable. How about we treat them to a feast during the next few days of holiday? It's on me."

"Okay, but I'm afraid there will be too many people and my cousin won't be able to manage them all." My cousin said, feeling thirsty, so she took her hand and led her around the crowd to a street stall to buy some sweet soup.

Just as Xie Qinghong was about to pay, a hand reached out and handed over some loose change, and a clear voice rang out: "These two ladies' sweet soups are on me."

Xie Qinghong turned around in surprise and blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

Pei Du first took the bowl of sweet soup handed to him by the vendor. His nose was filled with the sweet aroma of fructose. He frowned uncomfortably and asked instead of answering, "Do you love sweets that much?"

The younger cousin glanced at her older cousin, then at the strange young man who had suddenly appeared, and a thought struck her: Could this be her older cousin's legendary fiancé, the Prince of the Southern Kingdom?

Xie Qinghong took her sweet soup from his hand and looked at him, asking, "Why did you come to Huaizhou when you weren't at your residence?"

Pei Du said, "Didn't you say you had something to tell me after we got off the ship? Where were we last time? Were you talking about how sweet rice dumplings are a delicacy?"

Xie Qinghong frowned slightly, turned to her cousin and gestured that she had something to do and told her to go play by herself. After her cousin left, they found a relatively quiet spot under a willow tree. She was somewhat puzzled: "A month has passed, did the young master come today just to continue the topic from last time?"

Pei Du said, "No, it's just that I was heading north to deliver the betrothal gifts, and since my fiancée is in Huaizhou, I figured I should come and see her."

"Send betrothal gifts?" Xie Qinghong almost dropped the bowl in his hand.

Pei Du nodded: "That's right. Now that the engagement is set, it's only natural to send the betrothal gifts. Otherwise, it would be improper. Besides, my fiancée is just too lovable. If I don't keep an eye on her often, I'm afraid I'll lose her."

Hearing these slightly ambiguous words, Xie Qinghong remained calm and nodded in agreement: "Indeed, I am so likable that even I like myself very much. It is understandable that you are worried, but there is no need to worry too much. I am a person who always keeps my promises and never goes back on my word."

Pei Du stared at her intently for a moment, then reached out and broke off a willow twig, playing with it between his fingers. He said, "In that case, I am relieved."

Before Xie Qinghong could speak, he was interrupted by Xie Qinghong's actions. Xie Qinghong skillfully wove the willow branches into a ring, picked some wildflowers from the roadside and stuck them into the willow ring. In just a few moments, a beautiful wreath was made.

I can hardly believe that this wreath was woven by a pair of hands that wield swords; it's exquisite and beautiful.

Xie Qinghong watched as he finished weaving, then he stretched out his hand and placed the flower wreath on her head. After putting it on, he tilted his head as if admiring it for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad."

"Alright, I've come to see you," Pei Du said. "If you need anything, you can write to me. I'll be going now."

Xie Qinghong: ?

She couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright?" He'd come all this way just to see her? Was this really the same unpredictable, capricious, and tyrannical Prince of the South?

She secretly jotted down the sixth point in her mind: Although she couldn't figure it out, she felt that Pei Du was acting strangely and might be plotting something.

Pei Du replied, "You don't want me to leave, you want me to visit your maternal grandfather's house?"

"I..." Xie Qinghong hesitated, unable to think of what to say, but was interrupted by him: "Time is tight today, I can't stay long, I'll visit again after I return from Wangjing."

"I'm leaving now, Xie Qinghong." Pei Du reached out and brushed his hand over her hair, gently patting her head as he adjusted her flower wreath. "Goodbye."

Xie Qinghong watched him turn and disappear into the crowd. Not long after, her cousin came looking for her and couldn't help but ask quietly, "Cousin, is that the Prince of Nan? Compared to Qiu Ran, he's like a cloud in the sky!"

Xie Qinghong then smiled: "You think so too? When I first met him, I thought he was exceptionally handsome, shining like the moon among a group of young men. But you can't judge a book by its cover. Some people are outwardly glamorous but inwardly worthless, so you can't really be sure."

My cousin exclaimed, "What you said is thought-provoking, but I think if a husband looks like that, I can tolerate him being a good-for-nothing."

Xie Qinghong agreed: "You're right. Some young men are just average on the surface and inside, and they even have filth and bad habits. That's what makes them really undesirable."

Suddenly, a burst of lively cheers came from the river. My cousin quickly pulled her to the riverbank and ran over, saying, "Oh dear, the dragon boat champion must be out! I was talking and forgot to go see. Let's go see what place our family got."

When they reached the riverbank, they could see clearly that the leader was Qiu Ran, the son of the governor of Huaizhou, who led the dragon boat team. He was standing on a small boat, smiling and bowing, while the girls around him threw handkerchiefs and sachets at him, their perfumes staining half the water.

My cousin, who had been so excited, was now somewhat disappointed: "Why isn't it my brother and his family? We're only the third in our family."

Xie Qinghong also felt it was a pity, as the prize for the champion was quite good.