Rain
What my father said was true. It really rained in Bianjing the next morning.
But the rain was not too heavy.
At the hour of Mao, Taishi Zheng stood in the corridor of her boudoir, her lupine-blue dress soaked in the damp air. She wore no flowers in her hair today. Fu Yuanzi came from the east wing and, after handing her a green umbrella, greeted her, "Young lady, do you really have to go today? Otherwise, you could ask someone to harness an ox cart."
"I'm happy to set off, so why bother about wind and rain?" Zheng shook her head and politely declined Fu Yuanzi's request.
I saw the green umbrella held over her head and she walked out.
Fu Yuanzi stopped trying to persuade her and just watched the master leave.
But who knew that Taishi Zheng turned around before crossing the door and said, "Silly Yuanzi, don't worry too much. I'll be back soon. I'll come back for lunch. Can I bring you some sugar bees?"
"Okay!" Fu Yuanzi's soft voice fell into the mist and rain. Tai Shi Zheng smiled slightly and left with an umbrella.
Unexpectedly, when I went out, the sky cleared up.
The rain was like human hearts, changing and relentless. Taishi Zheng reluctantly put away his umbrella and walked briskly eastward past Pan Tower. Once he caught sight of the upturned eaves of Xuande Tower, he turned south and headed toward Xiangguo Temple.
Even more unpredictable is the bustling streets and markets along the road, where temptations abound like stars.
Hot breakfast! Fragrant tea and rice!
It is served one basket after another.
What should I do? I'm so hungry, should I eat? But as an official in the Imperial College, I have to go on duty at the beginning of the morning hour. Time is running out, what should I do?
Standing on the street of Imperial Street, Taishi Zheng sighed, "Looking at breakfast, sighing with regret"—ah, why is it so hard to find a man? In the end, it's unclear whether it was Cui Zhiyun's charm that defeated breakfast, or Zheng's curiosity.
She actually walked out of the Suzaku Gate on an empty stomach.
After crossing Longjin Bridge, the Imperial College was within easy reach. However, she still couldn't resist the temptation of the fragrant pancakes from Zhang's Pancake Shop, located west of the bridge. After all, the most popular pancakes in Bianjing were sold in front of the Wucheng King Temple and the Huangjianyuan.
I finally got here, so why not buy it?
It shouldn't take much time.
So, Tai Shi Zheng convinced herself and happily ran to buy two steamed buns and four sugar cakes.
But she didn't expect that it would start to rain heavily as soon as she came out of the store holding the paper-wrapped cakes.
Perhaps because the rain wasn't heavy at first, it made people less cautious. Suddenly, it intensified, causing pedestrians and street vendors to scramble for cover. In a matter of moments, the bustling Longjin Bridge was reduced to a desolate silence.
Fortunately, Dad had reminded her last night, and Zheng did not take it lightly like them, so she could walk towards the Imperial College so leisurely while biting the sugar cake.
The beginning of the Chen hour is just right.
It didn't stop him from taking a look at Cui Erlang.
But when they were almost at the Imperial College, Tai Shi Zheng stopped to look at an old lady who was setting up a stall on the roadside in the rain.
Zheng subconsciously lowered her eyes to look at the ground, only to see a dozen cabbages piled on a piece of rag, covered by a straw raincoat. When Zheng looked up at the old woman herself, her hair was wet from the wind and rain.
The moment compassion arose in his heart, Tai Shi Zheng looked at the old lady and felt a lump in his throat.
It's raining heavily. Should I buy all of Grandma's cabbages so she can get home sooner? But will Grandma think I'm pitying her? Besides, it would be a shame if so much cabbage went bad...
Zheng has many concerns, but she has never thought about what would happen if she missed herself.
When she smiled and held the umbrella over the old lady's head, Zheng said to her, "Grandma, it's raining so hard. Can I borrow the stool next to you to rest my feet?"
Good people are always good.
Without a word, the old lady wiped the rain off the stool for her and invited her to sit down. Thus, the two sat side by side, and Zheng could temporarily shield the old lady from the relentless wind and rain.
Watching the raindrops falling down the umbrella eaves, watching the pedestrians hurrying by with broken hearts.
Zheng was silent, unsure how to start a conversation. Grandma wasn't much of a talker either. When they both looked up, they gave each other an awkward smile. Zheng mustered up the courage to speak first: "Grandma, why don't you go home when it's raining? Or maybe just pack up your stall and take shelter for a while?"
Upon hearing this, the old woman looked at the young lady in front of her who was naive about worldly affairs, and her smile was full of kindness. "I live in the far suburbs, and it's not easy for me to come to Bianjing City. I always wanted to sell all these vegetables before returning, but it rained so early in the morning, so I only bought two. But it's okay, the rain won't last long, it will pass after a while. I used to plow the fields at home, and I did the work in my straw raincoat. I'm sorry to have worried you."
Zheng shook her head. "It's okay, grandma. I want to thank you for letting me rest. Then, grandma, when the rain stops, please weigh out two for me to take home."
"Okay, I'll give it to you at a discount."
The old lady responded, Zheng smiled while holding an umbrella, and the two generations of grandparents and grandchildren had a warm encounter in the cold mist and rain.
Zheng thought, if I missed the chance to see him, then so be it. At least I met the old lady, at least I bought some sugar cakes from Zhang's pancake shop. It was worth running all the way from the east city.
Sugar cookies,
Yes, sugar cookies.
Tai Shi Zheng then remembered the pancake in her arms, "Grandma, it's so early, you must not have had breakfast yet, right? This is the pancake I just bought from Zhang's, it's still warm. Please try it. This is one of the best pancake shops in the capital. If you weren't lucky enough to come today, you wouldn't be able to buy it."
"Thank you, young lady. I ate it myself. You can keep it and take it back home." The old lady refused.
Zheng sincerely wanted to give it to him. She wrapped it tightly in oil paper and casually stuffed it into the small basket beside the old lady. "If you don't eat it now, you will definitely be hungry at noon. I'll leave it for you to eat later. Don't be polite with me. I don't mean any other things. It's just that this cake is delicious. Please try it."
Unable to refuse Zheng's kindness, the old lady could only express her gratitude.
But seeing Taishi Zheng stuffing the pancakes, she offered to help: "By the way, grandma, I'm free anyway. Why don't I help you sell vegetables?"
This is what Zheng thinks is the best solution.
This way, the old lady won't feel that I'm pitying her, and there won't be too much cabbage in the house to eat.
But the old lady was suspicious, "Help me...sell vegetables?"
Zheng nodded and shouted fearlessly to the long street full of pedestrians: "White cabbage is like lamb and pig, and it emerges from the soil like bear paws. Winter is coming, so stock up on some cabbage to stew, pickle, and make soup. It's fresh and refreshing, and it dispels cold and reduces turbidity. Oh -"
"Ma'am, do you want to take two?"
Although Taishi Zheng came from a wealthy family, her energy and drive were no less than those of businesspeople who traveled extensively. Perhaps it was because the Taishi family had never placed too many constraints on her that Taishi Zheng developed such a free spirit.
The lady, attracted by the shouting, lifted up her straw raincoat and picked up two to take away.
Zheng excitedly stood up and sent the man away. This was the first business deal she had ever made in her life, and the old lady couldn't help but praise her.
But doing business is not as easy as she thought.
I don't know if it was just luck, but I happened to run into someone looking to buy cabbage. But since then, most passersby have hurried past, no longer stopping for the simple stall. The sound of the zither's calls has become increasingly quiet as no one has come.
The old lady sensed that the innocent young lady was a little discouraged, so she consoled her by saying, "Young lady, you've done very well. There aren't many people on the street right now, so take a break."
Zheng obediently lowered her eyes and rested aside.
However, just as she rested, someone in a pair of wet official boots passed outside the umbrella. At that time, Tai Shi Zheng's eyebrows were pressed under the umbrella and she didn't pay any attention. Unexpectedly, the person turned back.
Zheng was just staring at the green robe outside the umbrella when a gentle and steady voice said, "Excuse me, old man, how much are these cabbages?"
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