Arriving at the edge of the pond, the sounds of talking and laughing and congratulating each other came from the pavilion opposite. In the corridor beside the pond, many people came and went, and waiters were holding wine and food as they entered one after another.
Suddenly, the sound of a pipa was heard, startling a group of ducks and herons in the pond.
"Yes, Madam Xie." Wu Qingye heard the voice and bowed to the two of them and said, "The performance has begun. Please allow me to go ahead."
After saying this, he walked into the corridor and left in a hurry.
Seeing him leave, Lou Yunchun took a half step back, keeping a proper distance from Xu Jiang, and said, "Let's go too."
"Okay." Xu Jiang looked at him with a smile and stepped into the corridor.
The corridor twists and turns, and leads to the waterside pavilion. It is full of jade railings, green pillars, red chairs and colorful bowls. Lacquer tables, phoenix chairs, and glazed treasure vases can be seen. Brocade mats and feather balls, jade cups and gold cups are thrown around casually, which is a sight of luxury.
Inside the waterside pavilion was a desk, where attendants accompanying their master were spreading out books, flicking through the pages in the sunlight. Meanwhile, wealthy guests in brocade robes sat in groups of three or four, drinking and chatting, discussing poetry and essays, or debating current affairs.
Seeing that the seats were full, the two men walked around the waterside pavilion and went to the high pavilion through the carved corridor. When they reached the entrance, they were stopped by two attendants and were not allowed to enter.
After asking the reason, I found out that the people inside were all ascetics and they did not live in the same room with female guests.
Xu Jiang sneered in her heart, thinking that it was a great state to be able to practice in this nest of gold and silver.
Seeing that Xu Jiang did not know the rules, the two attendants asked her to show her invitation. After checking the invitation, they told her that her place was not in this pavilion.
It seemed that the positions were assigned according to status. Xu Jiang humbly asked, "Could you please tell me where my position is?"
The waiter pointed to three pavilions scattered in the distance and said, "Over there."
"Thank you." Xu Jiang and Lou Yunchun went to the water pavilion again.
The furnishings of the water pavilion and the waterside pavilion are incomparable, but there are more guests than in the waterside pavilion.
Because there were no desks in the water pavilion, people spread mats and spread books on the ground, or hung them on the railings to dry. Even the corridors on both sides of the pavilion were hung with calligraphy and paintings, which looked quite spectacular at first glance.
Xu Jiang looked around but couldn't find a spot. Then he said helplessly to Lou Yunchun, "It seems we are really late."
Just as he was about to leave, he heard a shout, "Manager Xu, this way!"
Xu Jiang looked in the direction of the sound and saw someone waving at her from another pavilion diagonally opposite.
"It's Shopkeeper Wu and Shopkeeper Dan!" What a ray of hope!
Xu Jiang waved to them, then said to Lou Yunchun, "Let's go."
The two of them walked through the corridor filled with calligraphy and paintings and met up with Wu Qingchuang and Dan Si.
Wu Qingchuang unloaded the bookcase for Lou Yunchun. "Oh, it's quite heavy." After saying that, he patted Lou Yunchun on the shoulder. "You kid, I haven't seen you for a while. You look much stronger."
Lou Yunchun lifted his hat slightly and smiled at him, "Shopkeeper Wu, it's me."
"Ouch, Lou..."
Xu Jiang made a silencing gesture to him, and he quickly stopped himself from saying Lou Yunchun's name. "I'm so sorry, I thought it was Liang Mo."
Lou Yunchun said gently, "No problem."
Dan Si bowed to Lou Yunchun, then invited Xu Jiang, "Shopkeeper Xu, we have plenty of space here. Would you like to squeeze in with us?"
"Okay." Xu Jiang didn't want to leave anymore. She felt relaxed, while Lou Yunchun was tired carrying the book box.
Several people helped Xu Jiang put the books in order. Compared with other people, Xu Jiang didn't bring many books, so it didn't take much effort. Besides, Xu Jiang's books had been exposed to the sun long ago, so today they were just going through the motions.
After everything was arranged, a few people sat by the railing and watched the scholars passing by choosing books and appreciating paintings.
Wu Qingchuang said to Xu Jiang, "I thought you weren't coming."
Xu Jiang withdrew her gaze from the horizon and said, "I was hesitant at first, but I thought I should come to such a grand event to broaden my horizons, so I came here."
Dan Si looked at her newly published book and praised it, "They are all rare stereotypes. Where did Manager Xu get them from?"
"Some were left by the master, and some were purchased. I still have some in the shop. After they are restored, I will print them one by one."
"If there are many copies, we can exchange them. After all, we are far away and it won't hinder business."
"Why not?" The three companies had collaborated many times, with good results. Xu Jiang took a look at the books the two had brought and said with a smile, "After this elegant gathering of books, I'll come over to select a batch."
Wu Qingchuang said hurriedly, "That's great. I've been asking you to come, but you never have the time."
A few people were talking excitedly when they suddenly heard the sound of drums from the balcony. Everyone in the pavilion rushed to the railing to watch.
Lou Yunchun held Xu Jiang and said to her, "Wait here for me. I'll be back soon."
Xu Jiang had long guessed that he insisted on coming to the elegant gathering because he had other important matters, so she nodded and said, "Go ahead, and be careful."
Lou Yunchun squeezed her hand, then turned and walked out of the water pavilion and headed towards the terrace.
Wu Qingchuang said, "The Bookworm Elegant Gathering has begun."
Xu Jiang watched Lou Yunchun disappear around the corner of the corridor before looking up at the terrace, which was called Yingxian Terrace.
In addition to the host, there were twenty other seats on the Yingxian Terrace, all of which were occupied by wealthy people in brocade clothes.
The host was Liu Sizhen. From this side, I couldn’t see his face clearly, but from his figure and dress, I could tell that he should be in his forties.
Xu Jiang also saw everyone in the music troupe, and also saw Xie Hongxing at a glance. She was holding a pipa and sitting next to the host with her head down.
As the drums stopped beating, Liu Sizhen stood up and toasted everyone. He must have said some polite words to thank the guests, but they were unclear in the pavilion.
After the toast, attendants brought eight long tables and placed them in the middle of the balcony for the guests to dry their books.
The guests' attendants placed the books they brought on the table, and then carefully turned the pages one by one, allowing the guests to enjoy the books while drinking.
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