shop
"Shopkeeper Zhao, Zhao... cough! Young Master Tan, take care, both of you. Come back sometime!"
Zhao Mingyan picked out several pieces of silk of different colors in one breath, until Tan Linshuang could hardly hold them anymore, and then she left with satisfaction after being seen off by the shopkeeper.
A piece of silk from this silk shop weighed about eleven or twelve taels. Tan Linshuang carried eleven pieces in her arms. Although she seemed to be walking with difficulty, she was actually not blushing or out of breath.
Zhao Mingyan glanced at him and became more and more suspicious that he was pretending to be sick, or that his illness was not as serious as he appeared.
From secretly taking his pulse that night, it can be seen that his pulse is indeed different from that of ordinary people, but Zhao Mingyan does not know much about medicine and cannot really tell what kind of pulse it is.
Besides, my grandmother is so smart that if he really was pretending to be sick, it would be impossible for her not to see it. Unless she was deliberately trying to hide it for him, but why would she do that?
That’s all!
There is a long way to go. Sooner or later, Zhao Mingyan will be able to tell whether the illness is real or fake. As long as he is not infertile like his uncle, it will be fine.
"Husband, what are you busy with in the study every day?" she asked curiously.
After being married for several days, she found that Tan Linshuang stayed in the study most of the time, and she didn't know what she was doing.
Tan Linshuang turned her head and asked instead of answering, "What about you, my lady? How did you spend your time before you married me?"
"Killing time?"
Zhao Mingyan sneered, "My husband really treats me like a daughter of a noble family."
"I'm busy in and out of Mingyuezhai all day, making lanterns, inspecting the lanterns made by the lantern makers, personally selecting the materials for the lanterns, and keeping track of the accounts... If it's a festival, I have to prepare for the lantern festival. There's no need to kill time. I'm afraid time is chasing me."
Zhao Mingyan counted on his fingers and told them one by one. The pride on his face made Tan Linshuang unable to hide her envy.
"very nice!"
He spoke from the heart, and suddenly felt that letting Zhao Mingyan marry him was really unfair to her.
If she were a man, she would definitely make Mingyuezhai even more glorious.
"I'm not like you, my lady. I'm in good health and can do whatever I want. The doctor told me to stay still, so apart from the study, I really have no place to kill my boredom."
"Today, since my grandmother and uncle are not at home, I dared to come out alone to relax."
Hearing this, Zhao Mingyan's previous doubts were half answered.
As for the other half...
"My husband, are you planning to take the imperial examination?" She suddenly changed the question.
Nowadays, there is no special "merchant registration", so the children of merchants can also take the imperial examinations.
However, there are certain restrictions on registration. A guarantor is required from a student on government stipend in the county, and every five candidates from the county need to provide a joint guarantee to prevent people of low status (such as prostitutes, slaves, etc.) from sneaking into the examination room.
If it is confirmed that the candidate is of low status, the guarantor and other candidates will be punished, or even banned from taking the imperial examination for life.
For Tan Linshuang, this threshold is not high.
Tan Linshuang nodded, "My grandmother wants me to take the imperial examination."
"What about you?" Zhao Mingyan asked.
Tan Linshuang suddenly lowered her eyes, and her expression could not be seen clearly.
Zhao Mingyan pursed her lips and didn't ask any more questions.
"I'm hungry."
After a moment, Tan Linshuang turned to look at her. "I heard that your Zhaohua Town's washed sand oil-fried rice cakes are a specialty." (Note: Washed sand oil-fried rice cakes are a traditional specialty snack in Zhaohua Town, Sichuan Province, and are listed as a county-level intangible cultural heritage.)
"Can you eat at street restaurants with your health condition?" Zhao Mingyan raised her eyebrows and looked at him.
"My heart and lungs are just not in good condition, but my stomach and intestines are fine." said Tan Linshuang.
"OK!"
Hearing what he said, Zhao Mingyan nodded readily and took him straight to a street restaurant she used to go to, and ordered a plate of washed sand oil rice cakes and two bowls of guild hall noodle soup.
"What kind of noodles are the Guild Hall's soup noodles?" Tan Linshuang asked curiously.
Zhao Mingyan said: "It's actually similar to ordinary noodles, but the seasoning is richer and the noodles are specially kneaded. They have a good texture and are very chewy. They are very delicious."
Tan Linshuang understood and became more expectant.
Soon, the table was filled with delicious food. He picked up his chopsticks and took the first step by picking up a piece of Xishayouci into his mouth. "Hmm... crispy on the outside and glutinous on the inside, sweet and delicious."
“It’s exactly the same as what I ate as a child.”
This long-lost taste made him feel deeply moved.
"Did you eat it as a child?"
Zhao Mingyan was slightly surprised. "I didn't see it sold in Yongnian Town?"
Tan Linshuang smiled and said, "It's not like I've been confined to my home since I was born."
Zhao Mingyan said, "If you can still eat more later, I'll take you to try some fried glutinous rice cakes."
"Hmm? What's the difference between fried glutinous rice cakes and washed sand glutinous rice cakes?" Tan Linshuang asked in confusion.
Zhao Mingyan explained in detail: "Both are made by soaking glutinous rice, steaming it, and mashing it into a paste. It is then refrigerated to set and cut into pieces. Finally, it is fried until both sides are golden brown. However, the washed sand oil glutinous rice cake is added with sugar, while the fried glutinous rice cake is added with salt and Sichuan peppercorns. The taste is salty, fresh, and slightly numbing."
"I see."
Tan Linshuang understood, "One is sweet and the other is salty."
After the meal, Tan Linshuang was 70% full, but Zhao Mingyan was only 60% full, so she followed her to another street restaurant to taste fried glutinous rice cakes.
“Although both are made from fried glutinous rice, the seasoning is different and the taste is very different.”
After tasting a piece of fried glutinous rice cake, Tan Linshuang said this.
Zhao Mingyan asked, "So, do you think sweet or salty tastes better?"
Tan Linshuang said, "People in Shu like spicy food, but I like salty food."
Zhao Mingyan raised her lips, "I love both sweet and salty."
Tan Linshuang just smiled and said nothing, then asked, "Why don't you go to Mingyuezhai and take a look?"
Zhao Mingyan looked at him and said, "Haven't you already checked it for me?"
Tan Linshuang remained calm and said, "I need to go again. My horse is still tied outside the shop."
Then, the two of them walked towards Mingyuezhai.
It was already dusk, and the lanterns on both sides of the street were lit one after another. The colorful lanterns reflected each other, making the entire Huadengfang as bright as day.
In an instant, Tan Linshuang felt that the stars in the sky had lost their color and were dimmed by the lights on the ground.
When they reached the door of Mingyuezhai, Tan Linshuang went to untie the rope, while Zhao Mingyan stood some distance away from the door, looked out, and saw that the store was still full of people, which made her feel disappointed.
It seemed that Mingyuezhai had not changed without her.
Hopefully, it can continue like this...
"aunt?"
Just as she was lost in thought, a familiar voice suddenly appeared behind her.
"Nie Sanlang."
She turned around and recognized the man at a glance.
He was a young man of seventeen or eighteen years old, tall and strong. When he stood under the lamp, his shadow cast on the ground looked like a mountain.
He is not handsome, but in the Shu dialect, he has a good-looking appearance.
"Long time no see." Zhao Mingyan smiled.
"It's really you!"
After seeing Zhao Mingyan clearly, Nie Sanlang took a step forward excitedly, but when he caught a glimpse of Tan Linshuang walking towards him with a horse, he paused and took two steps back.
"Long time no see, Madam Tan."
His voice suddenly became low, and a look of loss appeared on his face.
Tan Linshuang saw it and took it to heart.
Who is this person?
He didn't ask this question.
However, Zhao Mingyan took the initiative to briefly mention it to him on the way back.
"Nie Sanlang is a carpenter apprentice here. We also need wood to make lanterns, but we use it less frequently, only when making palace lanterns. So compared to bamboo lantern frames, we are not as good at making wooden lantern frames. Whenever we need wooden lantern frames, we ask his master to help us."
Tan Linshuang, who was riding in front of the saddle, nodded slightly and said nothing.
Zhao Mingyan stopped talking.
The night wind blew gently, ruffling the sleeves of the two people, making Zhao Mingyan feel a little chilly.
She moved her body forward and pressed against Tan Linshuang's back.
Two soft lumps suddenly pressed against her, and Tan Linshuang's throat itched. She suddenly said, "He looks very fertile."
Zhao Mingyan: ...
After returning to the Tan Mansion, the two men dismounted and separated quickly like thieves. One of them led the horse and slipped in through the side door of the north courtyard, while the other went through the main gate to the main courtyard.
Two sticks of incense later, Zhao Mingyan, who had already sat down at the dinner table, saw Tan Linshuang walking towards him, panting.
The two of them glanced at each other quickly, then separated again. Their faces remained calm, but their hearts were in turmoil.
Zhao Mingyan: I was worried that if he kept hesitating, he would be exposed. Panting like an old dog would not arouse my grandmother's suspicion.
Tan Linshuang: Phew… luckily I was quick.
"Grandma, uncle."
After the greetings, Tan Linshuang sat down between Zhao Mingyan and Fan Wenlan.
Well!
As soon as his butt touched the stool, Zhao Mingyan stepped on the instep of his foot. He frowned and turned his head, but she didn't look at him.
He immediately pulled his foot away and looked at her again in confusion.
Zhao Mingyan still looked straight ahead, but a sly smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
This girl!
Tan Linshuang felt amused in her heart.
There are so many weird eyes!
When the food was served, the two of them looked at each other quietly again in front of the table full of delicious food.
Neither of them could eat any more!
"Why aren't you two moving your chopsticks?"
Fan Wenlan quickly noticed the abnormality of the two people, "Yan'er, is the food tonight not to your liking?"
"No, I just...maybe I have some indigestion." Zhao Mingyan stammered.
"Indigestion?"
Fan Wenlan's eyes rolled, then widened, "You wouldn't..."
"mother!"
Tan Mozhu on her left couldn't help but interrupt her guess, "Yan'er has only been married for a few days, it can't be that fast."
"But..."
Then, he changed the subject and smiled meaningfully at Tan Linshuang and Zhao Mingyan, "It should be soon."
The two of them were stunned at the same time and lowered their heads awkwardly.
"Hiccup!"
Zhao Mingyan forced himself to eat two bowls of rice, and finally burped comfortably the moment he walked out of the main courtyard.
"Thank you for your hard work, my lady." Tan Linshuang smiled mischievously.
Zhao Mingyan glanced at him, and said something with a hint of meaning: "People say that being free is a relief, but when it comes to my husband, I have to change that."
"Oh? What to change it to?" Tan Linshuang put on an attitude of listening attentively and bent down slightly.
Zhao Mingyan raised the corner of his mouth, "I feel relieved when I am sick."
After saying that, he took Xiaozhu back to the North Courtyard and wrote a letter to the housekeeper, Matron Li.
One was to send the tea set, and the other was to ask her to pay attention to something.
If my mother could have a second bloom, she would be more beautiful than any other.
After writing this, she looked up at the spring flowers outside the window and smiled, "If I had a brother or sister, the lanterns in Mingyuezhai would be even more brilliant and dazzling."
"Everything is wrong?"
As soon as Tan Linshuang walked into the study, he couldn't wait to check today's almanac. When he saw the words "all things are not suitable", his eyes narrowed slightly.
Recalling today's experiences, he closed the almanac and told Ayun, "Burn the incense and bathe."
Everything is going wrong? I refuse to believe in evil and want to do something big tonight!
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