Chapter 7

Since the "gentleman's agreement" between Luo Chaoyan and Huo Jin that day, the marriage between the two families was settled. The two sides exchanged birth dates, proposed marriage, and even scheduled the wedding for a month later.

The girls from prominent families in Kyoto who were interested in becoming Huo Jin's wife were heartbroken upon hearing this. As for the fourth daughter of the Luo family who suddenly came out on top, there were all kinds of rumors circulating in the community.

Some people said that she was just a wild girl who had just returned from Jiangnan and didn't know the rules and etiquette. She deliberately fell into the lotus pond in the Su Mansion so that Lord Huo could rescue her and have physical contact with her, which forced Lord Huo to marry her.

Others said that she was opportunistic and won the favor of the two young masters of the Huo family, which led to the Huo family coming to propose marriage to her.

When everyone was still despising Fourth Miss Luo's despicable methods, some people said that it was the Huo family who came to the house repeatedly to ask for the beauty's hand in marriage. The deep meaning is self-evident. The Huo family and even Lord Huo are very satisfied with his fiancée.

There were many different opinions, and for a while Miss Luo became the topic of conversation among the people in Kyoto. Everyone was very curious about what kind of person she was. What kind of genius could make Lord Huo, a cool and elegant young man with bamboo jade, be willing to marry him?

Miss Luo, who was being used as a topic of conversation, was sighing in her own yard at this time.

“Crack!”

Luo Chaoyan was chewing on a pear while watching Shu Lan embroidering a wedding quilt for her with boredom.

"Fengli, Shulan, did you think the temple fair was lively yesterday?"

Shu Lan asked her with some confusion: "Miss, weren't you the one who used to be intolerant of the teachings of the Taoist temples and temple fairs? Why is it that after coming to Kyoto, you often talk about going to the temple fairs?"

Fengli sneered, "Shulan, you are wrong. I don't want to watch Taoist priests and monks save all living beings. I am obviously bored and want to hang out outside to join in the fun."

"It's still our pineapple who understands me." Luo Chaoyan said pitifully, "I miss Jeju so much, and I miss my cousins ​​so much."

Fengli also had a face full of yearning: "Yes, in Jeju, I often went outings with my cousins ​​and picked fruits on the farm. At night, I learned how to grill lamb chops and dance around the bonfire like the people from the frontier. It was so much fun." She smacked her lower lip and looked greedy: "I wonder if Suxiang has researched any new delicious food?"

"Pineapple, how about..."

The two looked at each other and saw each other's thoughts.

"no!"

They grew up together, and seeing their expressions, Shu Lan knew what she was planning on them. She quickly stopped what she was doing, raised her hand and patted Fengli on the forehead, glaring at her, "You dare to sneak out of the house with the girl and wander around, or your wife will punish you."

Looking at Luo Chaoyan, she advised earnestly, "Young lady, you will be married in a month. Madam has repeatedly told you to stay at home and learn the rules of the aristocratic family during this period, and not to go out."

Luo Chaoyan nodded and said seriously, "Don't worry, I won't sneak out."

Shu Lan wanted to breathe a sigh of relief after hearing her say this, but then she said, "I beg my grandmother to let me out."

"Girl!" Shu Lan's scalp tightened.

"My grandmother agreed, so my mother agreed too."

Fengli was happy and raised her thumbs up, saying, "The girl is really smart."

Luo Chaoyan smiled and said, "Pineapple, let's go. Take the snacks made by the chef in the Su Mansion and go see grandma."

As they spoke, the two of them walked towards Old Madam Luo's Yanshou Hall with great joy.

When the two arrived, it happened that Mrs. Luo had just discussed with her three daughters-in-law that they would go to Puguang Temple to eat vegetarian food and worship Buddha in the next few days. Since the eldest daughter-in-law, Zhao, was going to prepare for the wedding with the third daughter-in-law, Yin, she asked the second daughter-in-law, Cao, to accompany them.

Luo Chaoyan felt that her chance to leave the house had come, so she acted coquettishly and cutely and asked to go with them.

The reason was very good. She was about to get married and wanted to pray for her family before that. Then she said shyly that she hoped that after marrying into the Huo family, she would be able to love her husband and have a baby soon. This was exactly what Mrs. Luo wanted, so she agreed to let her go.

Only Yin, who knew the truth, secretly glared at her daughter. She still remembered what she said when she asked her children a few days ago whether they really wanted to marry into the Huo family.

"Mother, Huo Jin is a good person, and the Huo family has a simple population. As long as I behave myself, my daughter will be rich and prosperous until old age with her intelligence and willingness to take advantage of others."

"Mom, Dad said that you had a difficult labor when you gave birth to me, so Dad didn't want you to have another child. It's obvious that giving birth to a child is a life-or-death struggle for a woman. The Huo family already has two precious grandsons, so they probably won't force me to have one. It would be easier for my daughter, and I'd agree to it just based on this."

Thinking of this, and now hearing her say that she wanted to go to the temple to pray for a child, how could she not know what she was planning, she was so smart. But it doesn't matter. After getting married, she will no longer be as free as a girl, so just let her be.

Gu Mansion Study

Gu Ling said to the head of the Gu family and his eldest brother Gu Yan in a cold tone: "Dad, eldest brother, what does Huo Jin mean by this? Does he not take our Gu family and the prince seriously?"

Gu Yan frowned: "Second brother, be careful with your words."

"Brother, what I said is wrong. The prince clearly intended for him to marry my third sister, but he refused and even wanted to marry a girl from the Luo family who appeared out of nowhere. Isn't it obvious that he looks down on our Gu family!"

Patriarch Gu looked at his eldest son and asked, "What do you think about this, Ah Yan?"

"Father, the Huo family is now close to the emperor and is favored by the emperor. Our Gu family is the prince's in-laws. If we marry into the family at this time, it will be too much of a show. Even the wise emperor might be suspicious."

Patriarch Gu nodded approvingly, "Old man Huo Qing is a cunning fox, so he naturally understands."

Gu Ling was dissatisfied and said, "The prince is the future emperor. Wouldn't it be better for the Gu family to assist the prince if they marry into the family? Your Majesty, why should you be suspicious? Humph! If you ask me, it's the Huo family who is being shameless."

"What do you know? Who can predict the future? You have to look at things in the long term and not just focus on the present. Forget it. You won't understand even if I tell you." As the head of the Gu family saw his second son's gloomy face, he guessed that he was going to do something bad. He was immediately angry and said, "Stop doing those unpresentable tricks and go back to school."

"Father!" Seeing that the head of the Gu family was extremely disappointed with him, Gu Ling angrily turned around and left.

He walked and thought, and the more he thought, the more unwilling he became. In his father's heart, he would never be as good as his eldest brother. His eyes were vicious, humph! Huo Jin, aren’t you going to marry a girl from the Luo family? I won’t let you marry me!

Puguang Temple

Huo Rui only brought his maid Qiuyue and servant Baimu to wander around the temple bored.

"Master Rui, it's almost noon. The old lady should have finished her worship by now. Let's go back. If it's too late, the old lady will be worried." Qiuyue said worriedly.

She looked at Bai Mu standing beside her, wanting him to help persuade her.

Bai Mu shook his head gently. He knew that this young master was very opinionated. He would insist on doing things if you didn't let him do them. If you didn't let him do them, he would find all kinds of trouble to make trouble for you.

"Master Rui, we didn't bring any guards with us when we came out. There are so many people in this temple, and I'm afraid I might bump into you."

"You are such a nagging girl..." Huo Rui was about to reprimand Qiuyue for her nagging, but his eyes glanced to a place not far away where a woman dressed as a maid walked out of the temple kitchen and was heading towards them. He felt that the maid looked familiar.

That’s right! He remembered that it was the woman's personal maid, whose name seemed to be Fengli. What was she doing here? Could it be that the woman had also come to the temple?

Bai Mu also saw Pineapple, and he was a little surprised and said, "Mr. Rui, it's Miss Pineapple!"

Huo Rui pursed his lips and thought to himself, that woman is indeed a person who is restless at home. She is about to marry my father, but she is still running around everywhere. With that woman's lazy nature, she will definitely not come to worship Buddha, humph! He wanted to see what she was doing here.

He glanced at Bai Mu and said, "Bai Mu, since Pineapple Girl is here, then Madam Luo must be in the temple as well."

"Ah? Oh! Yes, Master Rui, Mrs. Luo will be your elder in the future, why don't you go and pay her a visit?" Bai Mu cooperated.

Huo Rui nodded approvingly and looked at him and said, "You are right, it should be so."

"Qiuyue, go back and tell my great-grandmother that I'm going to visit Mrs. Luo and will be back later."

Qiuyue was a little hesitant, but seeing that the young master looked impatient, she had to agree.

After she left, Huo Rui took Bai Mu and found a flower bed to hide in. Only after seeing Pineapple walking past them with a basket of vegetables in her hands did they quietly follow.

I saw Pineapple walk out of the side door of the temple, and then go around and around to the back where there were few people.

There is a pine forest on the back hill. Luo Chaoyan and Yunmo used stones to build a simple charcoal stove. Seeing Fengli coming back, they smiled and said, "As expected of our Fengli, she never returns empty-handed after going out."

Fengli said with disdain, "Girl, the monks in that temple are very good at judging people by their appearance. When they saw that I was dressed simply, they thought I was poor and refused to give them some vegetarian dishes. But when I took out the money, their expressions changed instantly and they politely told me to take as much as I wanted."

Yun Mo was surprised and said, "Ah? Girl, the monks in this temple also love silver."

Luo Chaoyan said, "Of course, you silly girl, do you really think that monks are free from all worries? They also need to eat. There are hundreds of people in such a big temple. How can the food grown on the two acres of land in the temple be enough to feed them?"

Fengli suddenly realized, "So the master of this temple has to give lectures from time to time to attract people. With the flow of people, they will naturally have income, and with the income, the monks can have enough food and build houses."

Yun Mo said with admiration: "Sister Fengli, you are so smart."

"Hehe... this is all thanks to the young lady's good teaching." Pineapple said with a smile.

Luo Chaoyan rolled her eyes at her and said, "Let's get to work quickly, or we'll be too late when we get home, and I'm afraid grandma will nag us."

The two nodded and skillfully skewered the washed and cut vegetables.

After the charcoal in the charcoal stove is burned, Luo Chaoyan puts the skewered vegetables on the charcoal stove to grill. After the moisture is dried up, she brushes a layer of oil on them. When they are almost cooked, she sprinkles some homemade barbecue seasoning powder on them.

Soon, bursts of fragrance came from the back mountain.

Huo Rui and Bai Mu were standing not far away, watching them eating the delicious barbecue, and suddenly they felt their stomachs start to rumble.

"Young master, this fourth girl is really amazing. She can grill vegetarian dishes so deliciously." Bai Mu stared at the grilled skewers in the hands of the people in front of him.

Huo Rui was also greedy when he smelled the fragrance, but he still stiffened his neck and said, "Don't be so useless. You are embarrassing me."

But just as he finished speaking, his stomach started to rumble, playing the empty city stratagem.

Bai Mu had to hold back his smile for the sake of his life. In order not to embarrass his master, he could only bite the bullet and say, "Young Master, the fourth young lady will soon marry into the mansion. After all, we are a family. It is not too abrupt for us to ask for some food. Otherwise..."

Huo Rui wanted to agree, but felt it would be embarrassing, so he kept a sullen face and said nothing.

He kicked the pine nuts on the ground, but he didn't know whether it was intentional or unintentional, the pine nuts actually hit Luo Chaoyan on the head. If Fengli hadn't been quick-eyed and quick-handed, raising her hand to wave it away, she would have been hit directly.

"who?"

Luo Chaoyan and the other two looked around and saw Huo Rui and his companions sneaking around not far away.

Pineapple put her hands on her hips and angrily shouted, "You little bastard! You're trying to plot against my girl again."