From the inner hall to the outer courtyard, Chen Jianfang walked in front holding a lantern, and Xianjin walked behind. The two of them walked one in front and one behind, with a distance between them that was long enough for the fragrance of a plum blossom to dissipate.
The Chen family’s grandfather, who passed away early, loved plum blossoms and planted them all over the inner courtyard.
It was the middle of the twelfth lunar month. Xianjin moved his nose and smelled the fragrance of plum blossoms as cool as jade. After passing the second gate, he could no longer smell the fragrance.
He showed his golden personality. He was not used to the numb silence when walking with others. He casually said, "Why don't you plant plum blossoms in the outer courtyard?"
Chen Jianfang held a lantern in his right hand, and the dim light swayed in all directions, casting a vague yet concrete ball of light on the blue brick ground. He smiled and said softly, "The magnolia tree planted in the outer courtyard is my second uncle's favorite. My father is not at home all year round, and even when he is at home, he studies and rests in the inner courtyard. My second uncle is at home all year round, and he often sees the stewards and farmers in the outer courtyard."
After a pause, Chen Jianfang continued, "If you like plum blossoms, there is a plum forest upstream of Longchuan Creek. There are green-calyx plums on the east side and five-petal plums on the west side. We can go and see them after the first, second, and third day of the lunar new year."
These words seemed to have exhausted all of Chen Jianfang's strength.
Chen Jianfang lowered his head and hid his face in the ball of light, afraid that Xianjin would see the blush gradually spreading across his face.
Xianjin's attention is not here.
In some strange place.
Xianjin frowned, "The Third Master likes chrysanthemums, but I see there is not a single chrysanthemum in the entire mansion."
"What I mean is, the eldest uncle likes plum blossoms, so he planted plum blossoms in the inner courtyard where he lived for a long time; the second uncle likes magnolias, so he planted magnolias in the outer courtyard where he lived for a long time, but our third uncle didn't even get a leaf?!"
After saying that, Xianjin became unhappy and turned to tell Suo'er, "After the New Year, ask Boss Shang to help find some! Buy a few thousand chrysanthemum seedlings and plant them all over the empty space in front of the Jixi workshop!"
Give her father a chrysanthemum field!
Xianjin was immersed in the joy of Chen Fu surrounded by a field of golden chrysanthemums, and did not notice Chen Jianfang's anxiety caused by waiting.
"Xianjin——" Chen Jianfang spoke again.
Xianjin opened his eyes blankly, "Huh?"
Chen Jianfang didn't have the courage to say it a second time. He pursed his lips with difficulty and looked up at the girl in the warm light of the lantern. She had a puzzled look on her face and dazed eyes.
Next time.
Although there was no one around, we were still in the mansion and it would be bad if someone heard us.
Chen Jianfang picked up the lantern and said, "We have arrived at the warehouse. You didn't bring a lantern, so go first. I'll wait for you outside."
Xianjin took the lantern, counted out about twenty pieces of rice paper with silk-carved patterns from the warehouse, rolled them into a long scroll and put them in a bamboo basket. Sometimes the leader would say that he didn't know how high the sky was or how thick the earth was, so you just ignored him. One roll of rice paper? One hundred sheets? Let the Star of Hope write until tomorrow morning? This is obviously unrealistic!
The Star of Hope has not yet achieved success, so his calligraphy cannot be given away everywhere. If he does, it would be considered shameless and self-boasting.
There are three families in the family, plus the guys in the shop, so there are only about twenty households in total.
Twenty or so sheets of paper will be enough.
If you take too much, you won’t be able to finish writing the Star of Hope in one night, and there will be some white paper left, which will look unlucky during this festive family reunion.
Xianjin did not return the lantern to Chen Jianfang, but carried it himself, "Let's go, I'll take you to the study to get some writing brushes and ink."
Chen Jianfang wanted to take it, but Xianjin dodged sideways and glanced at Chen Jianfang's red fingers that were frozen, and the rough calluses on the knuckles of his middle finger. He remembered that Baozhu had been reluctant to use charcoal before. Charcoal is a precious thing. Some prefectures that could not afford real gold and silver had to use charcoal and cotton to pay the salaries of officials in winter.
No matter how rich the Chen family is, they can't spend money as they please like the government does. Xianjin said, "Wear your hands well. These days, you write by lamplight at night, and your hands are frozen."
Chen Jianfang frowned and said nothing. After a while, he lowered his voice and said, "When I pass the imperial examination next year, the situation at home will naturally be much better."
Xianjin glanced at him, pursed his lips and smiled, but said nothing.
The Chen family is a merchant family, and merchants have standards for building houses. Although there are some wealthy businessmen who ignore these rules by relying on their wealth, the Chen family wants to move up in status, so they naturally will not give others a handle on these minor details. Therefore, the Chen family's houses are not big. Several courtyards and houses are connected together, like a burnt cupcake.
The study cupcakes are just to the left of the warehouse cupcakes, just seven or eight steps away.
Xianjin did not go in. He stood under the overhanging eaves holding a lantern and waiting. Through the window, he saw that Chen Jianfang's study was neat and clean. Books and ancient tomes were stacked half a person's height on the right hand side for easy access, and the articles were placed on the left hand side at the same height as the books.
There was only one charcoal basin in the room, and there was even dust accumulated on the edge of the basin.
On the table was a leftover steamed bun and a half-drunk cup of tea.
Perhaps it was because it was the New Year, Chen Jianfang was wearing an indigo gown and had her hair tied up high. She was sitting in the middle of the window lattice, busy tidying up the inkstone, ink block and long hair. Her profile was quiet and peaceful, but the blue veins on the back of her hands revealed her firmness and uprightness, like a lone bamboo trying desperately to break through the hard soil.
Xianjin pursed his lips and looked away, only to see a slightly unfolded scroll placed on the chest of drawers.
Through the window lattice, Xianjin could not be seen clearly, so I could only squint and get a general idea - it was a very gorgeous and magnificent color scheme, with large areas of emerald green and light yellow, and a few spots of jumping scarlet and turmeric.
It doesn't look like Chen Jianfang's work.
Xianjin stood closer, almost sticking to the window frame.
Chen Jianfang looked up and was startled. "What's wrong?" He followed Xianjin's gaze and looked back at the scroll on the chest of drawers. "Are you looking at that painting?"
Xianjin smiled and nodded, "The colors are bright and beautiful, it's just that I thought you liked ink painting."
Chen Jianfang wiped the inkstone and put it into the bamboo basket, smiling and shaking his head, "This is a meticulous painting, not drawn by me, but by my mother, a painting of a hundred birds."
Xianjin seemed to have heard of the Hundred Birds Painting. After thinking for a moment, he said with a smile, "I heard from the eldest wife that she painted a Hundred Birds Painting for Zhang's Silk Shop. Could it be that the one you have here is your mother's practice painting?" Xianjin laughed, "How could the eldest wife be like this! The good ones are for Zhang's, and the bad ones are for you."
Chen Jianfang paused for a moment, then looked away and said, "This painting is the one my mother drew for Zhang Ji."
Xianjin frowned in confusion.
Chen Jianfang didn't know why he didn't dare to look up at Xianjin. He subconsciously knew that Xianjin might be angry after hearing the reason, but he couldn't figure out why he would be angry? His upbringing made it impossible for him to lie. He sighed and then spoke softly, "My mother is still in mourning. It's not appropriate to sell her paintings. So I found the head of Zhang's family and bought her paintings for a little more money."
Chen Jianfang wanted to explain, "This is actually nothing, but if someone with ulterior motives knew about it, it would probably cause a stir. A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall, so why take the risk at this time?"
Xian Jin holds a lantern in his hand.
There is light in the study through the window lattice.
Outside the window, there is light from the lanterns.
Xianjin felt depressed.
She could even remember the pride and joy on the face of the first wife, Mrs. Duan, when she told her about this.
Xianjin opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He opened his mouth wider and finally managed to speak in a hoarse and dark tone, "When our Chen Erlang passes the high school entrance exam, who will be qualified to go on the 'adventure'?"
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