Chapter 20 The Feelings of Young People
Chapter Twenty: The Feelings of Young People
"Miss, Young Master He has sent over some more things."
In the past few days, He Jinzhou has been sending a lot of things every few days, including interesting trinkets, storybooks, snacks and all sorts of other things.
Everything about it was something she liked.
Shen Tang reached out and took the box from A Yun's hand; inside was a white jade pear blossom hairpin.
There was also a letter inside.
When Shen Tang opened the package, she saw that it was an invitation to go to Juxianlou the next day.
The people of Daliang are open-minded, and the separation of men and women is not as strict as in the previous dynasty.
For engaged couples like them, it's perfectly normal for them to go out together.
Juxianlou is one of the top restaurants in Shengjing, serving Shandong, Sichuan, Cantonese, and Huaiyang cuisines. The chefs are highly skilled, and the dishes they make are delicious and visually appealing, making them very popular.
Shen Tang arrived half an hour earlier than the agreed time, but to her surprise, He Jinzhou was already there.
Judging from the tea in front of him, he must have been waiting for a long time.
Shen Tang smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said, "Sorry, did you keep me waiting?"
Today, Shen Tang was wearing a jade-green floral jacket and a pink gradient pleated skirt. The tassels in her hair swayed gently in the breeze.
She was radiant and beautiful.
He Jinzhou was somewhat dazed and stood there dumbfounded for a moment.
My heart started pounding uncontrollably, and my ears turned red.
He looked away in a fluster, muttering, "It's not your fault, it's... I arrived early."
So nervous that he started to stutter, He Jinzhou was secretly annoyed with himself for performing so poorly.
He was clearly adept at navigating officialdom and spoke eloquently.
But every time he was in front of her, he felt awkward and at a loss.
He Jinzhou suppressed the trembling and excitement in his heart and pulled out the chair in front of Shen Tang: "Please sit down."
Then he called to the waiter at the door that the dishes were ready to be served.
Then he said gently to Shen Tang, "I just ordered some dishes and asked them to prepare them, thinking that you wouldn't have to wait too long to eat when you arrive."
After being dressed and groomed by A-Yun all morning, Shen Tang was indeed a little hungry, so she strolled over and sat down on a chair.
Thank you.
He Jinzhou's hand was still on the back of the chair, and upon hearing this, his fingers clenched unconsciously.
"You're welcome."
The two were standing very close together. He Jinzhou's voice was gentle, polite, and magnetic.
He spoke those four words with such tenderness and affection, like a lover's whisper, that it made Shen Tang's ears tingle.
In previous meetings and engagements, elders were always present; this was the first time the two of them were alone together.
The two sat facing each other, neither speaking for a moment, creating an awkward atmosphere. Fortunately, the restaurant served the food very quickly.
The waiters carrying the dishes filed in, breaking the silence, and Shen Tang quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Tang looked at the dishes on the table with some surprise, as every single dish was one of her favorites.
If it's a coincidence, then it's far too coincidental.
He Jinzhou noticed her question and explained, "I asked my mother to have her ask your aunt about your preferences. I hope you won't find it offensive."
Shen Tang was somewhat surprised. Since her mother's death, apart from her aunt, no one had ever cared for her so much.
It felt like a warm current flowed into a certain part of my heart, comforting and soothing.
She looked at He Jinzhou across from her, her tone grateful and solemn: "I like it very much."
"Thank you."
*
After the two finished their meal, He Jinzhou said he would take her somewhere.
The carriage headed straight west and arrived at its destination a quarter of an hour later.
Shen Tang lifted her skirt, preparing to get off the carriage.
Suddenly, a hand reached out in front of me, with clean, beautiful fingers and distinct knuckles.
Shen Tang paused slightly, then calmly placed her hand in He Jinzhou's palm.
The man's palms were warm, and when Shen Tang's slightly cool fingers touched them, the warmth of his skin seemed to spread through her fingertips to her heart, making her heart tremble slightly.
After getting off the carriage, He Jinzhou tactfully withdrew his hand.
Shen Tang looked up and saw an ordinary shop in front of her, with the three large characters "Hundred Things Collection" written on the signboard.
He Jinzhou stepped inside first, followed closely by Shen Tang.
Once inside, He Jinzhou brought out two masks, giving one to her and the other to her.
"It's a mixed bag inside, so stick close to me when you go in."
Shen Tang reached out and took it, put it on her face, and nodded.
After entering the shop's main hall, walk around the courtyard, and a small path will appear.
He Jinzhou led her along the path, making several turns, for about fifteen minutes.
Faint voices and hawking calls gradually reached my ears, and the closer I got, the louder and more lively the sounds became.
Turning the corner, a wide street stretched out before me, bustling with people and throngs of pedestrians.
Among the crowd were people dressed in traditional Liang clothing, as well as people from different countries, including some blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreigners.
In addition to the usual jewelry, textiles, tea, and medicinal herbs, the stalls on both sides also sell other common items.
There were also "foreign goods" on display, from Central Asia, South Asia, and even Silla and Japan, all of which she had never seen before.
She had been in the capital for two years, and this was the first time she had ever heard of such a place.
Shen Tang looked around with curiosity, her eyes filled with shock and excitement.
He Jinzhou silently followed half a step behind her, using his hand to shield her from the crowd and avoid bumping into her.
Shen Tang's attention was drawn to a bracelet made of glass and coral beads, with alternating red and blue colors.
The beads are crystal clear, and when exposed to sunlight, they display different colors from different angles, which is quite beautiful.
Shen Tang was somewhat tempted and asked, "How much is this?"
The shopkeeper was a non-Han Chinese, but he spoke fluent Mandarin and said warmly, "One hundred and forty taels."
"It's a bit expensive," Shen Tang said, putting down the bracelet. "Let me take another look. Thank you."
He Jinzhou stopped her: "If you like it, buy it."
He was about to take out his money.
Shen Tang quickly pressed down on his arm, her tone resolute: "No need, let's look around some more."
"What if there's something even better?"
He Jinzhou looked down at her and did not insist any further.
Shen Tang breathed a sigh of relief and strolled slowly forward.
Although he was her fiancé, she still felt uneasy about letting him spend money.
The market was huge, with lots of novel gadgets. Shen Tang wandered around, completely absorbed, finding everything interesting.
By the time we had almost finished shopping, it was already dark.
After dinner, He Jinzhou escorted her to the entrance of the Meng residence, and Shen Tang stepped onto the steps to say goodbye to him.
But He Jinzhou suddenly called out to him.
"Wait."
Shen Tang turned around: "What's wrong?"
He Jinzhou took a small box out of his pocket and handed it to Shen Tang.
She reached out and took it, opened it, and found that it was the glass bead bracelet she had seen during the day.
Shen Tang was shocked and closed the box to hand it to him, saying, "This is too valuable, I can't accept it."
The He family was not a wealthy or powerful family, so spending over a hundred taels on a bracelet was simply too extravagant and wasteful.
He Jinzhou didn't reach out to take it, but asked, "Do you like it?"
Shen Tang bit her lip, a struggle flashing in her eyes, before finally following her heart and whispering, "I like it."
Upon hearing this, the man's eyes crinkled into a smile, and his face was filled with joy.
The value of something is not determined by its price, but by people's liking for it.
“Even something inexpensive is worth a fortune if you like it. Besides, I am your fiancé, so it is only right for me to give you a gift. There is no need for you to feel guilty.”
He Jinzhou looked at the person in front of him, and his tone suddenly became solemn. He said, "Miss Shen, it is the greatest blessing of my life to know you."
"There may be rumors that I married you in order to climb up the Meng family and pave the way for my future career."
"You may not believe it, but... but I really want to marry you. I have no other purpose than that. It's just because it's you. I... I love you."
He Jinzhou looked shy and flustered, his hands clenched tightly under his sleeves, but his tone was firm.
"I, He Jinzhou, will only have you in my life, and I will never take a concubine."
The young man's face was flushed red, and the affection in his eyes was undisguised, sincere and passionate.
Shen Tang looked at him, as if burned by the burning heat in his eyes, and hurriedly looked away.
She felt her cheeks burning and her heart pounding in her chest, she murmured.
He whispered, "Okay."
When Shen Tang returned to her room, she picked up the bracelet from the box and held it tightly in her hand.
Then he looked at the red veil in the basket next to him, which the bride needed to embroider by hand.
She recalled the anxiety and fear she felt when she first got engaged, filled with uncertainty about the future.
But tonight, it was miraculously smoothed out.
It inexplicably made her feel at ease.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
