Ding Dusai blushed and asked, "Don't you want to see the beauty given by the government?"
"What's so good about them? No matter how beautiful they are, they can't compare to you, Saisai."
"Sir, actually... actually I don't particularly care about them." Ding Dusai lowered his head and rubbed the ground with his feet. "But, officials in the capital all have wives and concubines. If... if..."
Zhang Shixun suppressed his laughter, took her hand and said, "Don't worry, I will only marry one wife in my life."
"Not taking a concubine?" Ding Dusai was waiting for him to say this.
"No!" Zhang Shixun answered firmly.
"I don't believe it!" Ding Dusai said, biting his lip.
"If you don't believe me, then just go and watch the opera—just wait and see."
"Sir, are you kidding me? How can I read a libretto while riding a donkey?"
"Forget riding a donkey. You can also read the libretto while riding a horse. Do you want me to perform for you?"
"No! Is horseback the right place to read a libretto? You're just putting on an act."
Zhang Shixun looked at her pretty face and suddenly had an idea. "Saisai, if you have nothing to do, why don't you come with me out of town to play?"
"Out of the city, where to go?" Ding Dusai asked in surprise. She really wanted to be with Zhang Shixun.
"Go to Gao Laozhuang, where Wang Dong lives."
"Great!" Ding Dusai was very happy when he heard it, and said quickly: "Wait until I go back to the house and change into men's clothes."
"No need to change." Zhang Shixun held her, looked her up and down, and said, "You look absolutely stunning in this bright red dress. It's a good dress for you."
Ding Dusai looked down at his new New Year clothes and shook his head, saying, "No, others will gossip if they see us. You may not be afraid, but I am... You wait here, don't go, I'll be back soon." After saying that, he ran back to the yard quickly without waiting for Zhang Shixun's consent.
Zhang Shixun stood at the door, leading the black horse, waiting. It took a whole meal's time before Ding Dusai came out of the yard, still wearing the same green clothes.
"Come, let me help you get on the horse." Zhang Shixun grabbed her waist and lifted her onto the horse without saying a word.
Ding Dusai had probably never ridden a horse before, so he was so frightened that he hugged the black horse's neck tightly and said, "Sir, I'm scared."
"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Zhang Shixun jumped onto the horse's back, holding the reins in one hand and hugging her slender waist with the other.
"Sir... Sir, this is not good, right?" Ding Dusai said in a trembling voice.
Zhang Shixun ignored her and tapped the horse's belly with his heel. The black horse neighed a few times and galloped forward with its hooves.
Ding Dusai was so scared that he closed his eyes and leaned tightly against Zhang Shixun's chest.
Zhang Shixun had been practicing horse riding for so long that he was already very familiar with it. It didn't take long for him to get out of Fengqiu Gate.
The snow outside the city has not melted yet, and it's all white as far as the eye can see.
"Sir, I can't remember the last time I left the city." Ding Dusai said excitedly.
"Let's take a good breath outside the city this time." Zhang Shixun slowed down his horse and hugged her soft waist tightly.
The two of them looked at the wilderness greedily, feeling relaxed and happy.
"The steed is galloping across the vast grassland, the steel spear is tightly grasped and the sword is shining..." Zhang Shixun couldn't help singing loudly, loosened the reins, and the black horse started to gallop again.
"Sir, this is a song sung by a man. It's so majestic." Ding Dusai said regardless of the cold wind blowing in his face.
"Haha! Singing songs like 'Brothers and Sisters' here is really a disservice to the mood." Zhang Shixun stopped singing after just a few lines. The reason was that the lyrics did not fit in with the times, and he did not want to bother changing them at the last minute.
"It's not appropriate, hehe!"
"Saisai, there is a sedan chair over there." Zhang Shixun pointed to another road not far away.
Ding Dusai looked in the direction of his finger, and sure enough, he saw a sedan chair swaying slowly and leisurely heading north.
"Whose female relatives would leave the city at this time?" Ding Dusai was also curious.
"And we don't have any guards with us. What if we meet bad guys?" Zhang Shixun said worriedly.
"Sir, don't worry about others. Perhaps the two people carrying the sedan chair are the guards."
As the two were talking, the curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, and a woman in green jumped out. She put her hands together like a trumpet and shouted towards them, "Are those Saisai and Young Master Zhang on those horses?"
Ding Dusai took a closer look and immediately exclaimed, "Ah! It's Feng Yinu... Yinu, it's you."
"Yes! What a coincidence." Feng Yinu danced with joy and ran towards this side.
"Slow down, don't fall." Ding Dusai shouted.
Before he could finish his words, Feng Yinu slipped and fell on his back.
Zhang Shixun hurriedly urged his horse over and put Ding Dusai down.
"Look, you fell down." Ding Dusai laughed and went forward to help her up.
Feng Yinu patted the snow off her body and said, "It's okay. The snow is thick on the ground, so it won't hurt if you fall."
"Why don't you stay in the city in this kind of weather? What are you going to do outside the city?" Ding Dusai asked her.
"Don't mention it. My brothers are drunk and fighting with each other. I really can't stand it. I might as well go out for a walk in the city. Out of sight, out of mind." Feng Yinu said, squatting down and bowing to Zhang Shixun, saying, "Mr. Zhang, Happy New Year!"
Zhang Shixun said with a smile while riding on his horse: "We have already said New Year's greetings this morning, haha!" Then he bowed to her as a return gesture.
"Hehe! One more word won't be too much." Feng Yinu smiled and took Ding Dusai's hand, asking, "Saisai, you two are riding horses, looking so leisurely. Where are you going?"
"Let's go to Gao Laozhuang and have fun."
"Gao Laozhuang, what is that place?" Feng Yinu asked curiously.
"That's the farm of Mr. Zhang's cousin." Ding Dusai said, glancing at Zhang Shixun and saying, "Mr. Zhang, Yi Nu is just wandering around anyway, why not invite her to go to Gao Laozhuang with you?"
"Okay." Zhang Shixun agreed casually.
"That's great!" Feng Yinu was overjoyed and jumped up and down while hugging Ding Dusai.
"Yinu, let me go, let's go." Ding Dusai finally got rid of Feng Yinu, straightened his clothes and said, "We will take the sedan chair, and Mr. Zhang will ride a horse."
"No, I want to ride a horse." Feng Yinu acted coquettishly, and the headdress on the flower crown swayed, which had a unique charm.
"What will happen to Mr. Zhang if you ride a horse?" Ding Dusai was unhappy.
Feng Yinu tilted her head and asked Zhang Shixun, "Master Zhang, I've never ridden a horse in my life. Can you let me ride for a while?"
The voice is so sweet that it is hard to refuse.
"Okay...okay." Zhang Shixun had no choice but to agree. It was nothing urgent anyway, so he just let her do it.
Feng Yinu sent the sedan bearer away and excitedly pulled the sedan chair to the front of the black horse.
Ding Dusai didn't want to ride in a sedan chair, so Zhang Shixun had to help them both onto the horses and he held the reins in front.
The two girls chattered and laughed while riding on their horses, and before they knew it, Gao Village was already in sight.
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