3 Stupid Girl
◎My daughter is stupid and has brought shame to you and my sisters.◎
In the front yard of the Li family, nine hundred and ninety-nine pots of chrysanthemums were piled up into a pointed chrysanthemum pagoda, standing in front of the Yuancui Pavilion where male guests were entertained.
As soon as you enter the front yard, you can smell the rich fragrance of chrysanthemums floating in the air. Male and female guests either admire the chrysanthemums in the center, or sit in a circle in the northwest corner to play pitching pots, chatting and laughing, making it very lively.
Chu Yufu pulled Lan Zhu to stand in a corner of the courtyard. She looked up for a long time, but still couldn't find the shadow of the Third Master Li. Lan Zhu asked, "Isn't he in the front yard?"
"I shouldn't have done that." Chu Yufu murmured.
As the host, where else could Mr. Li San go if not to entertain guests in the front yard? Pinfanglou was where the female members of the family stayed, and she had just come from the garden, so she had not met them along the way.
Suddenly, Lan Zhu raised her arm and pointed at a window in the corner of the second floor of Yuancui Pavilion, motioning her to look: "Miss! Look, is that Mr. Li San?"
The direction Lan Zhu pointed to was southwest. The gray-black eaves blocked half of the red sun, and the light shone directly on her, which was very dazzling. Chu Yufu squinted her eyes and could only make out a figure in a dark green robe by the window. Half of his body was leaning out of the window, holding a wine glass in his hand, and his posture was casual and relaxed.
She put her hand on her brow to block the sunlight, and looked again. The man turned his head, and the two of them looked at each other from a distance without warning.
It was an extremely handsome face, with sharp lines, a high nose bridge, half-closed eyes, and a wisp of slightly curly black hair hanging in front of the forehead, reminding her of the pines and cypresses by the lake in the winter breeze, lazy and cold.
Just looking at his temperament, you can tell he is not one of the Li family's.
Under normal circumstances, she would have taken a few more glances at the handsome man, but now she had something else on her mind and didn't have the heart to do so. After secretly admiring him, she withdrew her gaze and said, "It's not him, it's just that his clothes are similar in color."
The two of them walked around the front yard and even stood at the door of Yuancui Pavilion to look, but they couldn't find anyone. Finally, Lanzhu came forward and asked a few servants, only to find out that their third young master had driven out just an incense stick ago.
Chu Yufu complained.
An incense stick ago, that means she entered the front yard as soon as Young Master Li San left. If it weren't for the incident with Miss Zhao Wu at the garden gate, she would have blocked her way!
-
The sun gradually went west, the wind became colder, the sky was slightly dim at 3 p.m., and the clouds in the distance seemed to be burned by fireworks, burning out a golden color. People began to say goodbye one after another, and the Chu family also bid farewell to the host family and walked out of the gate.
Mrs. Wu walked in front, with Miss Chu and Chu Yufu following on her left and right, while Lu Jiaan and her personal maid lagged behind.
As they were about to reach the gate of Li's residence, Wu glanced at her sideways and said coldly, "Your outfit today is quite bright."
Chu Yufu's heart trembled, knowing that the time for reckoning had come, and she instantly became extremely alert.
Mrs. Wu was so angry today that she couldn't hold it back until the banquet was over.
That fool Aunt Wan gave birth to a little fool who couldn't even understand what she was saying. She dressed up like this and came here to embarrass her. Ever since she took off her veil and cloak at the door of Li's Mansion, she was afraid that she would become the laughing stock of the entire banquet.
Besides, the shame of being poorly brought up is the least of her worries, but the worst thing would be if her marriage was ruined because of her stupid behavior. God knows how nervous she was when she spoke to Madam Li today!
Wu half-steadied her breath, suppressed her anger and waited quietly for Chu Yufu's reply. After a long while, she heard a timid voice from her right: "It's alright, it's alright."
All right? Wu turned to look at her.
The second girl lowered her head slightly, looking at her timidly with a pair of ignorant big eyes, as if she could see that she was unhappy, but she didn't know what she had done wrong. She looked scared and confused, with her neck half-hunched, which made people angry!
Wu closed her eyes, then opened them again, took a deep breath, and tried her best to control her tone. "Not bad? Look around at this party, is there anyone dressed like you? If the Li family doesn't like you, all my efforts would be in vain!"
After these words were thrown at her, the second girl seemed to be really scared. The corners of her eyes were red, and she bit her lip and dared not say a word. After holding it in for a long time, she couldn't hold it back anymore and cried, "My daughter is stupid. I'm embarrassed for you and my sisters. I just wanted to dress up nicely."
"I know my mother took great care of me and even wore the new clothes she made at the beginning of the year."
The trembling little girl's nose was reddened by the cold wind, and her eyes were filled with tears and fear. She looked both pitiful and hateful. If she was really disobedient, there would be plenty of ways to torture her, but this girl was an obedient one.
Seeing her pitiful and foolish appearance, Wu's rage suddenly subsided by half, and she even felt a little powerless. What's the point of being obedient on weekdays? She didn't understand what was said at the critical moment and fell apart at the critical moment. She was really a fool.
She's crying so hard that it's too much trouble to scold her. I'm afraid she won't understand even if I scold her, and it would be a waste of time.
Wu couldn't help but raise her hand and pinch her brows. She sighed and scolded, "I didn't know your eye sockets were so shallow before. Please close them quickly, or you'll make a fool of yourself."
"Yes." Chu Yufu took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes, trying hard to suppress her tears.
As we stepped out of the gate of Li Mansion, a carriage with a lantern with the words "Chu Mansion" hanging on it was already waiting there.
Before getting in the car, Chu Jinhe suddenly looked at her: "Second sister, I just saw Prince Zhao and Miss Zhao Wu. Miss Zhao Wu said that she almost fell in the garden. Did you support her?"
"Yes, I happened to pass by." Chu Yufu was stunned, then sniffed and replied.
Chu Jinhe's gaze fell on her shoulder: "She specifically told me that you seemed to have injured your shoulder."
"The fifth young lady from the Marquis Mingxuan's family?" Mrs. Wu stopped and looked at her daughter.
"Yes." Chu Jinhe responded.
There are many wealthy families in Shangjing City, but the top families can be counted on two hands, and the Zhao family of Mingxuanhou is one of them.
The current emperor has three sons, the youngest of whom, the fourth prince, is the daughter of Imperial Concubine Yun. Imperial Concubine Yun's full name is Zhao Ciyun. She is the eldest daughter of Marquis Mingxuan and the elder sister of Prince Zhao. Not to mention that Marquis Mingxuan himself has served as the Minister of Revenue for more than ten years, her status as a royal relative alone is invaluable.
Wu occasionally ran into the wife of Marquis Mingxuan at banquets, but she couldn't strike up a conversation. After all, her husband was only a doctor in the Ministry of Works, and there was no telling how far he came from the Marquis Mingxuan's mansion. Unexpectedly, the second girl had some luck, striking up a conversation with the Zhao family on her first banquet. The next time she ran into the wife of Marquis Mingxuan, perhaps she could use this as a chance to chat a bit and become familiar with her.
She's kind of useful after all.
Thinking of this, Wu felt a little better and her expression relaxed a lot. She casually said to Chu Yufu, "Since Miss Zhao cares about you, you can go see a doctor when you return home." After that, she got into the carriage with the help of her maid.
Two carriages arrived from the Chu family. Wu and Chu Jinhe rode together, while Chu Yufu and Lu Jiaan rode together. Seeing her eldest sister also lift her skirt and get into the carriage, Chu Yufu clutched her embroidered handkerchief in her palm, lowered her brows, and whispered to Lu Jiaan, "Cousin, please go first."
After the two of them got into the carriage, the driver waved his whip and set off for home. Chu Yufu carefully gathered her skirt and huddled in the corner beside the soft chair, not daring to take up too much space.
Lu Jiaan, who was standing next to her, looked at her hesitantly and wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing, closed his eyes, and rested in the elevator that swayed slightly from side to side.
The relationship between Cousin Lu and Chu Yufu is a bit subtle. It can't be said to be good, nor can it be said to be bad. This story has to start from when Cousin Lu just moved into the Chu family half a month ago.
As the only daughter of the Lu family, Lu Jia'an was spoiled by her parents since she was a child. She was terrible at needlework, poetry and literature, but she was very good at kicking Cuju and was familiar with the storybooks circulating in the market. She was straightforward and lively, and was very much loved by her grandmother. She now lives in her grandmother's Cishou Hall.
The old lady usually worshipped Buddha and even skipped the morning and evening visits from the younger generations for the sake of peace and quiet. She was not very close to the other young ladies and gentlemen, but she was very special to this granddaughter, which made Miss Chu feel uneasy.
As the only legitimate daughter of the Chu family, she never dared to slack off under her mother's teachings. She excelled in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and believed that she was much better than Lu Jia'an, a country bumpkin. However, she could not win the favor of her grandmother, but Lu Jia'an did.
So, on weekdays, whenever they met, Miss Chu always tried to show off to her cousin Lu. With her stepmother on one side and her grandmother on the other, Miss Chu didn't dare to offend either. Whenever she saw her cousin, she would avoid her like a mouse hiding from a cat.
As a result, Lu Jiaan naturally thought that she was on the side of her eldest sister and was deliberately being cold to him, so he also distanced himself from her.
To be fair, Chu Yufu likes to make friends with people who are kind-hearted and lively, but now she dare not do so.
It is clearly written in the original book that at this chrysanthemum viewing banquet, Lu Jiaan and Zhao Chunheng secretly fell in love, and Chu Jinhe also had a secret crush on Zhao Chunheng. Soon, the Chu family's backyard was in chaos.
She didn't want to get involved with either side and just wanted to find a way to quickly call off the marriage and live a peaceful life.
Perhaps it was because she hadn't slept well the night before, but the shaking in the carriage made her want to vomit. After a while, she felt so uncomfortable that she couldn't help but lift the curtain to get some fresh air. When she leaned out and her eyes fell on the right front, her pupils suddenly shrank and she immediately shouted.
"parking!"
The carriage stopped with a whoosh, and Lu Jiaan turned to look at her in confusion: "What's wrong?"
Chu Yufu withdrew her hand from lifting the curtain, held her shoulder, and said with a pale face, "Cousin, I just saw a pharmacy nearby and want to go there to see the wound on my shoulder. You go first. It's not far from here, I can walk back."
Seeing that she looked bad, Lu Jiaan thought she was in great pain, so he nodded to indicate that he understood. After Chu Yufu put on her veil and cloak and got off the carriage, the driver whipped the carriage and it drove away.
This is the north of Jinma Street, only two streets away from the Chu Mansion.
On the right side of the stone road is a Taoist temple with three big characters "Yuzhen Temple" written on its plaque. On the left side, in addition to two restaurants, there are also several medical shops side by side. The air is filled with a faint smell of herbs mixed with the smell of incense and candles. It is not only not unpleasant but also has a kind of distant artistic conception.
Chu Yufu slowly walked to a medicine shop and said, "Lanzhu, go buy a bottle of medicinal oil for treating injuries."
"Don't be in a hurry, take your time buying, I'll wait for you outside."
Lan Zhu nodded in agreement and walked into the shop. Chu Yufu lifted the veil from her hat and looked around Jinma Street.
At this time, the lights in Shangjing City were just beginning to come on. The restaurants along the street lit up their colorful lanterns, echoing the bustling and bustling signs floating in the air. The setting sun fell under the tall eaves of the restaurants, casting long shadows on the bluestone slabs. All around, the sounds of laughter, hawking, and the sounds of carriages and horses mixed together.
Her gaze finally passed through the crowd and landed on the green-curtained carriage with a 'Li Mansion' lantern hanging on it at the foot of the stone steps of the Taoist temple opposite. Her heart couldn't help but beat faster.
Just now, when she stuck her head out, she first saw the Taoist temple and then saw the carriage.
The words "taking a concubine, a female Taoist priest returning to secular life, Mr. Li San driving out, and the Li Mansion's carriage in front of the Taoist temple" kept flashing in her mind, so she immediately stopped the carriage.
The capital city is very big, and there is more than one family with the surname Li, but for some reason, she just had a hunch that this car belonged to the third young master Li!
The original book doesn't describe Mr. Li San's concubine very much, nor does it mention when he first met the Taoist priest. Their story is unimportant to the male and female protagonists, and can be briefly mentioned, but for her, it means something completely different.
After buying the medicine and walking out of the shop, Lan Zhu saw her staring blankly at the Taoist temple across the street and asked, "Miss, shall we go?"
"Wait a moment. The car was shaking so much that I felt dizzy. I want to get some fresh air." Chu Yufu said.
"Yeah." Lanzhu nodded in response.
The sun gradually set in the west, and the autumn wind blew straight into her collar. Half a minute later, Lan Zhu shrank her neck and said, "Miss, are you feeling better? It's getting late, and you've just recovered from the cold. Be careful not to get cold again."
"Wait a moment."
"Girl, let's go. We have to play on the way back..." Lan Zhu looked at the sky and wanted to persuade her again.
"Lanzhu, do you see that's Young Master Li San over there?" Suddenly, Chu Yufu interrupted her, lifted the white gauze on her veil with her left hand, and pointed to the Taoist temple opposite with her right hand.
"Ah?" Lan Zhu looked across in the direction of her finger.
At the gate of the Taoist temple, I saw a man in a green robe walking out. He had handsome features and wore a green jade crown on his head. In the cold weather, he held a carved folding fan in his hand and fanned it from time to time. Who else could it be but Mr. Li San?
【Author’s words】
Welcome to Baozi Jumping Pit, see you tomorrow at 9 o'clock [Lop-eared Rabbit Head]
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