By the time both of them realized something was wrong, Lou Yunchun's heart was already trembling. He was so hard and rigid that even his closest relatives found it difficult to truly integrate into the group.
This wasn't to say that Lou Yunchun was distant or indifferent to his parents; quite the opposite. He was extremely respectful and obedient, never disobeying them or causing trouble. He simply looked like the clay figures worshipped before the Three Pure Ones, devoid of any human touch.
As he grew older, he seemed to be more and more detached from the world. Lou Jing sought help from many experts, but with little success. The couple could only worry.
Later, Lou Yunchun passed the imperial examination, but his behavior after passing the examination made the couple even more shocked.
What scholar wouldn't be overjoyed after passing the imperial examination? Lou Jing considered himself indifferent to fame and fortune, but upon making the list that year, he couldn't contain his ecstasy, drinking with others until dawn and discussing his ambitions. But Lou Yunchun acted as if nothing had happened, treating it as nothing, and not showing the slightest bit of joy.
Lou Jing was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan at that time. He discussed with several friends and came up with a crooked idea, which was to arrange a marriage for Lou Yunchun.
Maybe after getting married and having a wife and children, he will naturally become more enlightened.
It is said that the newly crowned third place winner at that time had not yet become a daunting figure, and he was also handsome, so he had no worries about sales.
Lou Jing took him to see several shows with great hope, but he was unexpectedly struck by a bolt of thunder from Lou Yunchun, which made his eyes go black.
Lou Yunchun said that he had already returned to the Dao and did not want to get married. After serving the couple for a hundred years and growing old, he would retire from the world to practice Buddhism. Therefore, he did not want to leave any worries behind, nor did he want to waste his life.
This was the first time that Lou Yunchun went against his arrangement, but it did not make him happy. It meant that he was not just talking nonsense, but really intended to do so.
Since then, Lou Jing gave up the idea of arranging marriage with him. Although people still came to propose marriage from time to time, they disappeared completely after Lou Yunchun became famous.
He also accepted his fate.
Who would have thought that after all the troubles, Xu Jiang appeared!
Lou Jing was shocked and doubtful at first, thinking that he had made a mistake. But after repeated investigation, he confirmed that his son had ulterior motives towards Xu Jiang. He almost cried for joy.
God has eyes.
He also admired Xu Jiang very much. She was a rare woman in the world. She was strong-willed and open-minded, hardworking and motivated. Although she wandered around the market, she was rare in her insight and intelligence, and had her own character.
Such a person would be extremely happy to interact with him even if he did not have a rebellious son of his own.
"She is kind, has good cooking skills, and most importantly, has good taste. How come she fell for this idiot boy in our family?" Lou Jing felt happy and enjoyed the meal so much.
Madam Lou said, "Just like you took a fancy to me in the beginning."
Lou Jing choked on his porridge. "How can they be the same? Madam, you are not a dullard. You are a fairy who has come to earth. I happened to meet you by chance. It is the blessing of three lifetimes of cultivation. How can you compare with your stupid son?"
The maids in the room covered their mouths and laughed secretly when they heard what he said. Mrs. Lou blushed and hurriedly picked up a piece of cake and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Eat quickly."
The beginning of spring marks the end of a year, a cycle that repeats itself.
Agriculture was given great importance during the reign of the Emperor, and the Beginning of Spring, as the most important solar term for farming, was given great importance by both the imperial court and the people.
On this day, the sage would lead court officials to the eastern suburbs to worship the Blue Emperor, praying for good weather and a good harvest this year.
Provincial governors and county magistrates across the country also performed rituals to celebrate spring, distribute relief to farmers, and encourage agricultural work. They also held a solemn "whipping spring" ceremony, known as beating the spring ox. The spring ox was a clay statue of an ox. Beating the spring ox symbolized whipping the ox to plow the spring fields, praying for lush crops and a bountiful harvest.
After the Spring Ox is smashed, farmers grab its pieces and scatter them on their fields to bless the fields with fertility. This is called "grabbing spring."
However, in recent years, many armed fights have occurred in various places due to the fight to seize the spring, and the court has issued an order to ban it. However, there are always places where the imperial order does not reach, and the act of grabbing the spring is still popular.
Xu Jiang had encountered this in a remote mountainous area. The scene was so brutal and terrifying.
In addition to the countryside, people in the city also attach great importance to the beginning of spring, and there are many customs and rituals to follow, such as decorating spring, biting spring, and outing spring.
To decorate the spring, people wear spring ornaments and hang spring banners in their houses. On this day, men, women, young and old all change out of their heavy winter clothes and put on brightly colored headdresses to symbolize the arrival of spring. They also hang spring banners inside and outside the house to bring in the spring sunshine.
Xu Jiang got up early, changed into a white cloth skirt with pine and cypress green and grass, and pinned an apricot blossom on her hair, looking unusually beautiful and bright.
The apricot blossoms are not flowers, but velvet flowers that are popular in the capital. Madam Lou asked Lou Yunchun to send them to her. They match Xu Jiang's dress very well.
She had just hung up the spring banners when Liang Mo arrived, bringing holiday gifts.
The three-day deadline has arrived, and Liang Molai and Xu Jiang have officially signed the engagement letter. Today is the beginning of spring, when everything is reborn and the grass is sprouting. It is truly a good day and a good omen.
Liang Mo carefully put away the letter of engagement, then knelt down and bowed to Xu Jiang, "Please continue to teach me in the future."
Xu Jiang quickly helped him up and said gently, "Between you and me, there's no need for such grand formalities. As the saying goes: Learning allows you to know your shortcomings, teaching allows you to know your difficulties. Knowing your shortcomings allows you to reflect on yourself, and knowing your difficulties allows you to strengthen yourself. You have your own shortcomings, and I have my own difficulties. Let's learn from each other and help each other."
Seeing her so humble, Liang Mo admired her even more and thought: It seems that what I need to learn from Xu Jiang in the future is not only the skills, but also the breadth of mind.
I couldn’t help but think: It was the right decision to come here.
After the matter was finalized, Xu Jiang asked Liang Mo to look after the bookstore. After three days, he had become familiar with the affairs of the bookstore, so she felt relieved to leave him in charge.
She led her donkey out to the West Market to order paper and ink, and then to check out any fresh vegetables. She'd eaten too much meat during the Lunar New Year holiday, and now that spring had arrived, the mountain dwellers had emerged, so the market must have plenty of fresh game. Xu Jiang ran through a long list of menus in her mind, then swallowed her saliva and rode her donkey to the West Market.
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