The note was soft, the handwriting was delicate, and it had a faint fragrance; you could tell at a glance it was from a girl.
But Fang Heng didn't understand. He frowned and pondered for a moment, then, before his brothers turned around, he threw it into a corner.
Then he closed the door and went back to practice martial arts.
Completely unaware, the girl in the pale yellow dress was stamping her feet anxiously, tears welling up in her eyes.
It's helpless when you encounter a brute who's obsessed with martial arts.
Having no other choice, she could only turn her attention to Jiang Sheng, the only girl in the courtyard.
the next day.
With her brothers all busy with their own affairs, Jiang Sheng was studying the history book her eldest brother had given her by the window when she heard a knock on the door.
A short while later, Aunt Zhang came over and asked in surprise, "Little Jiang Sheng, you've made friends?"
"Friends?" Jiang Sheng was completely baffled. "No, I don't."
She used to have no friends in Shilipu Village because the homeless beggar was dirty and smelly, and the daughters of good families would cover their hands and walk around her when they saw her.
Later, when he arrived in Xieyang County, he was so busy making money that he didn't have time to make friends.
Later, when they arrived in Anshui County, there were even more young ladies from noble families in the prefectural city. Although Jiang Sheng was not a homeless child, she was neither high-class nor low-class, just an ordinary little merchant girl, so naturally she couldn't make any friends.
Looking closely, apart from exchanging a few words with Sister Xiaozhu and having five older brothers, Jiang Sheng didn't have a single friend.
"But there's a girl at the door who says she's your friend and wants to invite you to go flower viewing," Aunt Zhang whispered.
Jiang Sheng subconsciously tightened her coat and exhaled a breath of white air, feeling utterly bewildered.
It's winter, the dead of winter, even maggots are frozen to death, how could there possibly be any flowers to admire?
But this was the first person to claim to be "Jiang Sheng's friend." After hesitating for a long time, the girl jumped off the fire bench, put on the cloak her second brother had bought for her, and said, "Let's go take a look."
Aunt Zhang was worried and followed closely behind.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the Zanhua Courtyard, Jiang Sheng peeked through the crack in the door and saw a slender girl in a pale yellow dress, about twelve or thirteen years old.
Perhaps because she was dressed in thin clothing, she kept stamping her feet in place, occasionally crossing her hands in front of her mouth and breathing hot air to warm her cold hands and feet.
Looking at Jiang Sheng again, she was wearing a thick coat. Although she wasn't particularly slender and beautiful, her hands and feet were very warm.
Fourth Brother said that women should pay more attention to warmth than men. Too much exposure to cold can easily cause illness, and may even lead to chronic diseases in old age that are difficult to cure.
"Is this your friend?" Aunt Zhang asked softly.
Jiang Sheng shook her head regretfully. "Auntie, give her a cup of hot tea and let her go home."
Fifth Brother once said that there's no need to associate with unrelated people. Even pheasants know that weasels don't visit temples without a reason. People who approach you under the guise of being "friends" when you don't know them are definitely up to no good.
It's too cold outside; the fireplace inside is much warmer.
Jiang Sheng, wrapped in a cloak, staggered back to her room.
Aunt Zhang indeed poured a cup of hot tea, and under the astonished gaze of the woman in the pale yellow dress, she said tactfully, "I'm sorry, our young lady isn't here."
Despite visiting several times, they couldn't find a single person.
Normally, the girl in pale yellow might have already thrown a tantrum.
But now, holding a cup of warm tea, she frowned, endured it again and again, and finally turned around and went home.
As the Lunar New Year approaches, every household prepares red paper New Year's goods.
The Zanhua Courtyard is no exception.
As the sole owner of the entire workshop, Jiang Sheng had planned the New Year's goods well in advance, including food for her family, food for her aunt who was a day laborer, food for Uncle Zhang, food for Aunt Zhang, food for Magistrate Pang and Magistrate Bian, and even food for Wang Xiaosong and his sister, as well as Pang Dashan.
Because of the large quantity, it needs to be purchased in advance.
In mid-December, Jiang Sheng began to travel around Anshui County by carriage, buying pastries, candy, and wine.
Jiang San and Jiang Si were eventually pulled out; one was responsible for driving the carriage, and the other for transporting goods.
Jiang Sheng got so into the shopping that she bought each of her brothers a new outfit and a pair of cloth shoes with multi-layered soles.
Just as she was picking out a purse, the pale yellow figure who had been waiting for a long time finally approached her and said, "Sister Jiang Sheng."
Jiang Sheng looked up in surprise.
She only has five older brothers, so when did she get an older sister?
"Sister Jiang Sheng, don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person." The girl in pale yellow pursed her lips and went straight to the point, "I just want to see Fang Heng, but I can't. Can you introduce me to him?"
Oh, so you were looking for Third Brother.
Jiang Sheng slightly opened her eyes. Although she was young and had always been protected by her older brothers, she knew that her third brother's background was not simple, so the person who could find her third brother must also be extraordinary.
Could it be that someone from the Fang family in the capital has arrived?
Jiang Sheng felt worried and took two steps back warily, politely declining, "I'm sorry, it's not convenient."
Jiang San and Jiang Si also came over and stood in front of her to protect her.
The girl in pale yellow was still unwilling to give up and tried to grab Jiang Sheng's arm.
Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, "Don't touch my sister!"
Everyone turned their heads and saw a young man running nimbly towards them, blocking Jiang Sheng's path with lightning speed and pushing the pale-yellow-clad girl two steps away.
"Third Brother, what brings you here?" Jiang Sheng was both surprised and delighted, and rushed over to grab his arm.
Fang Heng breathed a long sigh of relief.
Actually, he hadn't planned to come out. It was just that he overheard Aunt Zhang mentioning that a girl claiming to be Jiang Sheng's friend had come to the door that morning, but Jiang Sheng didn't know her at all, which made him a little wary.
When noon came and his sister still hadn't returned, he became worried and went out to look for her. That's when he saw Jiang Sheng being forcibly pulled by the arm.
This was intolerable to Fang Heng, who immediately roared and rushed over, firmly protecting his sister behind him.
But it was actually a misunderstanding.
Jiang Sheng scratched her head. "Third brother, I didn't have time to go back for lunch. I forgot because I was picking out things."
It has nothing to do with the girl in pale yellow.
Fang Heng's resentment was finally calmed down. He turned to look at the girl in pale yellow, his eyes filled with calm and unfamiliarity.
The girl in pale yellow fell to the ground, her palms scraped, and she looked over with tears in her eyes, saying, "Brother Heng."
The world changes, and time turns.
Once upon a time, Fang Heng always protected her, but now not only has he changed, he even pushed her down and injured her.
The girl in pale yellow stretched out her trembling hands, trying to evoke a trace of affection in the boy. "Brother Heng, have you forgotten? You said you would always protect me. You said it."
Fang Heng had a moment of realization.
The girl in pale yellow was overjoyed and hurriedly added, "You said you would marry me and protect me forever, Brother Heng, Yuyao needs you."
It turns out she is Wang Yuyao, the eldest daughter of the Wang family and Fang Heng's childhood sweetheart and cousin.
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