Chapter 87
The journey between Chang'an and Xizhou takes several months. The weather on the frontier is cold, and the north wind is raging in the Hexi area. According to the Hu merchants who have returned from there, there have been several heavy snowfalls, and the area outside Yumen Pass is a world of ice and snow.
Madam Xiao was worried that the winter clothes she had prepared for Xiao Jijiu and his sons were too thin, so she asked her son to go to the market to buy some felt from a foreign merchant.
Fan Hui and Wei Mingsu accompanied Xiao E to the market. As soon as the three of them left, Xiao Suniang secretly followed them, as she also wanted to go to the market.
Upon arriving at the market, Xiao E and his companions headed towards the shops selling silk clothing and hats. Xiao Suniang mentioned wanting to buy some perfume and face powder for girls. The market was crowded, and Xiao Suniang's maid was young; Xiao E was worried about his younger sister and asked Wei Mingsu and Fan Hui to accompany them.
Xiao Suniang turned and walked east.
Xiao Suniang passed by several cosmetic shops but did not go in.
Fan Hui stopped and turned to look at Xiao Suniang: "Fourth Sister, what exactly do you want to buy?"
Xiao Suniang glanced at Wei Mingsu behind him, a hint of reproach on her face. She sighed and said softly, "I grew up in a humble family. I'm not very bright and don't have any special talents. I never thought that Third Sister would consider me a friend. She's been so good to me. Now she's getting married, but we're going to Xizhou and can't attend her wedding banquet. I want to buy her a gift to add to her dowry and show my appreciation."
Fan Hui looked at Wei Mingsu.
The market was bustling and crowded, with a constant flow of carriages, horses, and pedestrians.
Xiao Suniang's every word was full of veiled sarcasm.
Wei Mingsu seemed not to understand, his expression nonchalant.
Xiao Suniang asked, "Brother Wei, Third Sister has been very kind to you. She is getting married. Have you prepared any dowry gifts for her?"
Wei Mingsu lowered his eyes.
Fan Hui snorted and said, "Fourth Sister, don't force me. Wei Mingsu and the Lu family are not related. What reason would he have to send a gift? Even if he bought one, the Lu family wouldn't care to accept it. Besides, with a family like the Lu family, when Third Sister Lu gets married, she will definitely have a grand wedding procession, and her dowry will be as big as mountains of gold and silver. She lacks nothing."
Xiao Suniang angrily pushed him away and led her maid into a silk shop by the roadside.
Xiao E bought a felt mat and came to join them.
When it was time to go back, Xiao Suniang said she wanted to visit the Zheng family: "I want to deliver the gift I prepared for Third Sister to the Zheng family. Please ask Sister Zheng to pass it on to Third Sister for me. I'll also say goodbye to Sister Zheng."
A servant from the Zheng family took Xiao Suniang's gifts inside to deliver the news. When Zheng Xiao Niangzi heard that Xiao Suniang was going to Xizhou, she invited her into the courtyard for a chat.
Half an hour later, Xiao Suniang's maid and the steward of the Zheng family came out together and said to Fan Hui and Wei Mingsu, who were waiting for her outside, "Fourth Miss, please stay a little longer. Madam Zheng invites you two gentlemen into the mansion for tea."
The two had no choice but to follow them into the mansion.
The steward led the two to the courtyard, where a maid came to brew tea for them.
Fan Hui muttered a complaint under his breath: "Girls are such a hassle, it takes them so long to say goodbye."
The two drank a bowl of tea, and then a burst of laughter and chatter came from the other end of the corridor. A group of servants escorted several young men in brocade robes as they walked over.
The Zheng family steward greeted them with a beaming smile.
The group of young men, all around eighteen or nineteen years old, were dressed in fine clothes and exuded an air of elegance, chatting and laughing as they walked. When they saw Wei Mingsu and Fan Hui, the young man in white robes on the far right slowed down, nodded to them in greeting, and behaved with gentle manners.
Fan Hui watched them go inside and asked the maid if the gentlemen were the sons of the Zheng family.
The maid smiled and said, "The one in the blue robe is the young master of the mansion, and the one in the white robe is the guest, surnamed Wang."
Fan Hui turned to look at Wei Mingsu: "Do you know that young master Wang? He seems to know you."
Wei Mingsu looked at the teacup on the table and said, "I met this young master Wang a few times when I was copying scriptures for the Wang family."
Young Master Wang was young, handsome, and polite. Fan Hui took a liking to him, but Wei Mingsu seemed unwilling to talk about Young Master Wang. Fan Hui wisely refrained from pressing him for details.
They drank tea and waited for more than an hour before Xiao Suniang finally came out from the inner courtyard.
The three of them boarded the carriage, and the sound of drums came from the direction of the Drum Tower.
By the time Fan Hui returned to the Xiao family home, it was already dark.
He wiped his brow and said, "Fourth Sister, if you delay any longer today, the gates will be closing."
Xiao Suniang explained, "I was supposed to come back much earlier, but Sister Zheng said that a guest came to the Zheng family today and asked me to stay a little longer so that I could look after someone."
Fan Hui asked, "Who are you looking at?"
&n
Xiao Suniang glanced back at Wei Mingsu and said, "Look, Wang Qilang came to the Zheng family to play. Sister Zheng knew I was curious, so she took me to see him while they were playing ball."
Fan Hui smiled and said, "Is Wang Qilang really that good-looking? Why do you want to see him?"
Xiao Suniang frowned slightly: "The one that Third Sister is going to marry is this seventh son of the Wang family."
Fan Hui was stunned for a moment.
Wang Qilang?
The young master of the Wang family, who was wearing a white robe and nodding to Wei Mingsu, was the man Lu Huaying was going to marry.
He turned to look at Wei Mingsu.
Wei Mingsu remained expressionless.
Xiao Suniang sighed and said, "Now that I've seen Wang Qilang, I can finally rest easy. Wang Qilang is a handsome and talented man, skilled in both literature and martial arts..."
She paused for a moment, then glanced back at Wei Mingsu.
"Third Sister will like him in the future."
Wei Mingsu remained silent.
Xiao Suniang returned to the inner courtyard, and Fan Hui and Wei Mingsu went to see Xiao Jijiu. Xiao Jijiu gave them a few instructions, which they noted down before taking their leave and returning to their rooms.
They were going to Xizhou with Chief Minister Xiao and had already moved into the Xiao family's house, staying in a guest room.
Fan Hui checked the luggage, blew out the lamp and lay down. Suddenly, he turned over and looked at Wei Mingsu opposite him, saying, "Young Master Wang and Third Sister Lu are a perfect match, don't you think?"
Wei Mingsu kept his eyes closed and did not answer, as if he were asleep.
Fan Hui also went to sleep.
When he heard his snoring coming from inside the bed curtains, Wei Mingsu opened his eyes.
The room was pitch black, with moonlight shining through the window and the shadows of the trees swaying slightly.
Wei Mingsu thought about the question Fan Hui had asked.
When he learned from Wang Yu that Lu Huaying was going to marry Wang Qilang, he already knew the answer in his heart.
Wang Qilang and Lu Huaying are indeed a perfect match.
Xiao Suniang had been complaining about his coldness and heartlessness for the past few days, and was heartbroken for Lu Huaying. But after meeting Wang Qilang, she immediately felt that it wouldn't be bad for Lu Huaying to marry Wang Qilang.
Lu Huaying will come to terms with it eventually.
Wei Mingsu closed his eyes.
The autumn wind swept across the desolate autumn scenery, stirring up a carpet of golden leaves, while the sound of bells echoed behind me.
Under the apricot tree in front of the gate of Luyuan Temple, a young woman wearing a cloak finished reading the letter in her hand, then let her hands fall to her sides, and the letter fell from between her fingers.
She stood there blankly, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Wei Mingsu seemed to hear the sound of tears falling on withered leaves.
He looked up.
The young woman had her back to him, and instead of crying, she simply raised her hand to wipe her eyes.
Wei Mingsu had seen Lu Huaying laugh—lively laugh, bright laugh, perfunctory laugh, and smug laugh when teasing people. He had seen her pale-faced as she untied her skirt and played drinking games with a group of young men. He had also seen her drunk and acting coquettishly, and had seen her throwing a tantrum on his bed with her arms outstretched when she was being willful.
He had also seen her when she was sad and angry.
But when she was truly sad, she was so quiet, without making a sound.
She didn't shed tears; she simply wiped her eyes and turned back.
Wei Mingsu watched her retreating figure.
It's getting farther and farther away.
"Third Sister".
The young woman stopped and turned around.
Suddenly, a thunderous snoring sound erupted.
Wei Mingsu woke up.
The night was quiet, and the moonlight moved from the window to the ground, illuminating the neatly packed luggage.
Mrs. Xiao prepared winter clothes for the father and sons. Two days later, Xiao Jijiu, accompanied by his students and children, bid farewell to his relatives and friends and set off for Xizhou.
In the cold wind, Wei Mingsu helped his teacher onto the carriage and lowered the curtain.
Xiao E and Fan Hui both turned back to look at Chang'an, somewhat reluctant to leave.
He didn't turn around.
Next year, when he returns from his long journey, Lu Huaying will already be married.
woman.
He was just a passerby during her time of spoiled and willful behavior.
it's all over.
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