Banana trees are covered with heavy rain, willows are swaying on the embankment, an umbrella is floating on the bridge, and two swallows are flying through the stream.
At this time, the garden was deserted, with only the chirping of birds and the humming of the wind to be heard. The two of them left the Ziran Pavilion and walked leisurely towards the inner courtyard. Passing through the second gate and onto the veranda, Xu Jiang saw that Lou Yunchun's clothes were mostly soaked, while she herself was unharmed.
"Why didn't you tell me you were getting caught in the rain?"
"It's just my coat that's wet. I'll just change into it later."
"Don't wait a while, go now, be careful not to catch a cold."
"No problem, I'll take you to your mother first, it's on the way anyway."
Seeing his stubborn expression, Xu Jiang had no choice but to agree. When they arrived at the front room, Yin Yin was waiting at the door. Seeing the two of them coming, she quickly held up an umbrella to greet them.
After Lou Yunchun handed Xu Jiang to her, he went back to his room to change clothes.
Yinyin led Xu Jiang into the side hall. Madam Lou had already changed her clothes and prepared a table for them. Seeing that she was alone, she asked, "Where did Yunchun go?"
Yin Yin replied, "The young master has gone back to his room to change clothes. He will be here soon."
Madam Lou waved to Xu Jiang, "Then let's sit and wait for him."
Xu Jiang walked over and sat down next to Madam Lou. Seeing that she was neat and tidy and not wet from the rain, Madam Lou breathed a sigh of relief and then asked Liu Mei to bring her a cup of hot tea to drive away the cold.
After finishing a cup of tea, Lou Yunchun went into the house.
Mrs. Lou also invited him to sit down and let him drink tea. After he finished drinking tea, she told him to serve the meal.
The meal for three people did not have a complicated menu. There were spring bamboo shoot stew, water shield soup, mixed ferns, fried peach blossom fish, and dry-roasted river shrimps, mostly fresh side dishes. There were also Yu Lu dumplings, Qi Fan cakes and other pastries, all of which were refreshing and elegant.
After all the dishes were served, Madam Lou asked Liu Mei to take the maids out. They placed a low table under the eaves in the outer room and sat around it to eat and drink, making it convenient for them to receive orders.
It was bustling outside and quiet inside. The three of them served food to each other and had a warm and comfortable meal.
Mrs. Lou ate in moderation and would not eat until she was half full. The remaining food went into the stomachs of Xu Jiang and Lou Yunchun. Both of them had big appetites and finished off the entire table of food.
Seeing that the two of them were eating happily, Mrs. Lou felt satisfied. She was afraid that they were not eating enough and wanted to add more dishes, but was persuaded by Xu Jiang.
She and Lou Yunchun both ate just enough, and if they ate any more they would have been too full.
Mrs. Lou asked a few more questions, and when she saw that they were really full, she asked someone to clear away the leftovers and serve tea so they could chat.
After three boils of tea, the taste was bland and she felt lazy. Liu Mei calculated the time and came to urge Madam Lou to rest. Xu Jiang saw that Madam Lou looked tired and it was getting late, so she stood up and said goodbye.
Before leaving, Mrs. Lou asked Liu Mei to bring her a silk handkerchief.
Xu Jiang carefully put it away without refusing. Her name was embroidered on the handkerchief, and she knew at a glance that it was specially embroidered for her by Madam Lou.
With Lou Yunchun seeing her off, Yin Yin had no place to show her abilities. She could only stand under the eaves with her eyes wide open, reluctantly bidding farewell to Xu Jiang.
"Sister Xu, please come more often in the future. We are all looking forward to it."
Xu Jiang pinched her round face and replied with a smile, "Okay."
Coming out of the inner courtyard, the two of them still held the same umbrella. Xu Jiang was afraid Lou Yunchun would get wet again, so she leaned closer to him. Lou Yunchun, with a twist of thought, mistakenly thought she was reluctant to part with it, so he gave her the umbrella and held her hand.
Xu Jiang stared at their clasped hands, was silent for a moment, and then let him go.
Anyway, it was a rainy day and there was no one in the garden. Even if there were people, they would have avoided them when they saw them from afar.
The two of them walked slowly to the corner gate and were about to leave the garden when someone stepped in before them.
Both sides were stunned.
Lou Jing stared at their clasped hands and said in a drawn-out voice, "Oh—"
Xu Jiang was startled and quickly pulled her hand back, but she didn't want to use too much force and the back of her hand hit Lou Yunchun's face with a loud "slap".
Lou Jing raised his eyebrows, "Oh yo?"
Xu Jiang resisted the urge to burrow into the ground and gritted his teeth to greet Lou Jing, "Hello, Mr. Lou."
"Okay, okay." Lou Jing nodded and said gently, "Are you going back now?"
"Yeah." Xu Jiang was so embarrassed that he didn't dare to say another word.
Lou Yunchun touched his face and said to her, "The rain is getting heavier. I'll take her back."
Lou Jing looked at his stupid son and thought: It's a rainy day, and a day to keep guests, how come he has no tact at all?
However, it seems that Madam Xu is not very smart in this matter. She just matches the pot and the lid perfectly.
Well, children’s emotions can only be enjoyed by figuring them out on their own, so I just let them be.
"The carriage is parked outside and hasn't been untied yet, so let's take it back."
"Thank you, sir."
"Don't be polite, just go."
Xu Jiang and Lou Yunchun made way and asked Lou Jing to go first.
Lou Jing walked a few steps outside, then turned back to Xu Jiang and asked, "I heard you're hosting a book appreciation banquet. When and where?"
Xu Jiang hesitated for a moment, then said, "After Qingming, I'll be at the bookstore."
"Okay, let me know when you set a date. I'll be waiting."
"That's for sure."
After Lou Jing walked away, Xu Jiang ran out of the house as if escaping. Lou Yunchun quickly followed and shielded her from the rain.
As the two of them got into the car, Xu Jiang covered her face and lamented, "This is truly humiliating."
Lou Yunchun laughed grimly, "Yes, it was lost at home."
Xu Jiang showed her eyes and glared at him through her fingers.
Lou Yunchun laughed out loud at being glared at.
Xu Jiang rushed over in anger and covered his mouth, but she couldn't cover his smiling eyes.
"If you laugh again, I'll get mad."
Lou Yunchun kissed the palm of her hand to please and comfort her. Xu Jiang quickly let go, but was so angry that she slapped him on the back of his hand.
"It's all my fault." Lou Yunchun felt that her wild look made his heart beat faster, and he leaned over and kissed her hot cheek.
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