Chapter 13: The mother-and-child buckle is sweating hot, and the breath is wet...
After nightfall, Taohuawu.
The courtyard is deep, the moonlight is like water, and the clusters of peach blossoms are coated with cold white outlines, which makes the peach blossoms in the center look even more rich, like rouge spread on rice paper.
The sound of a night watchman's bell echoed in the distance, and the entire peach tree trembled. The sky was filled with pink silk, like a heavy rain of peach blossoms.
A few petals of peach blossoms swirled and embedded themselves in the golden jade lotus crown that fell on his dark hair. The light spots reflected by the jade crown were like tiny pieces of silver foil, softly falling on his long black eyelashes.
Her fair, white hands picked up the peach petals that were about to fall, but her eyes unconsciously lingered on the slightly open collar of her clothes. The texture was as white as jade, and the lines were as sharp as a knife. She could almost imagine the heat of the undulating moon pressing against her.
The beauty bit her lower lip and gently and slowly stroked his large penis with one hand, either stroking or kneading it, slowly moving upwards. The person pretending to sleep on the jade pillow did not open his eyes, but the corners of his mouth curled up, as if encouraging her to continue.
The beauty was both surprised and delighted, and reached for his clothes with her other hand.
At the moment their skin was about to touch, someone grabbed her wrist and spoke in a lazy and hoarse voice, just like someone who had just woken up, "Naughty."
The beauty became more and more obsessed, and leaned close to his neck, breathing orchid-like, "Sir, I can be more naughty."
Shen Changfeng opened his eyelids, lifted her chin, and gently stroked the dimples on her cheek with his fingertips. There was a smile in his eyes, but his movements were a little absent-minded.
The singer pinched the remaining peach petals with her fingers and put them on the tip of her tongue. The flower juice squeezed out by her pearly teeth dyed her lips a gorgeous color. As the swallowing action tightened, her eyes gradually became blurred, and the silver threads stained with honey shone on her fingertips.
"Prince, it's late..."
It was indeed late at night. The days of rest had made his body accustomed to it, and a subtle pain and itch would crawl up his back from time to time, reminding him that someone was about to come.
He gazed out into the vast night. Outside the banquet hall, the candlelight was dim, and he felt a sense of desolation and defeat, far removed from the crowd. He looked around, but didn't see the quiet figure. Suddenly, he asked, "What time is it?"
The beauty was getting more and more delighted. Although Shen Changfeng had been asking her to sing songs these days and had been generous enough in rewarding her, as a veteran in the love field, she knew clearly that this was far from enough, because the way he looked at her was too calm, without the madness and chaos she wanted due to the demands of love.
"Sir, you might as well stay..."
"It's almost midnight!"
The boy's voice suddenly appeared, interrupting her attempts to keep him.
The blush on Shen Chali's face had not yet faded. He waved his hand again to refuse a singer's toast: "Thank you, but I'm still young, and my aunt won't let me drink." Amidst the laughter of the crowd, he hurriedly said goodbye to Shen Changfeng, "I have morning classes tomorrow, big brother, I'm leaving first."
Shen Chali was curious, nervous, and embarrassed. He had sneaked in while Concubine Liu was asleep, and he still had homework to finish. Drinking was not as important as homework. However, these sisters kept persuading him, and several cousins also joined in the commotion. He felt that he could not handle it anymore. At this time, he heard Shen Changfeng's question and hurriedly left the table.
Shen Changfeng slowly stood up and said slowly: "It's late, it's time to rest."
The beauty was unwilling to give in. She begged him to stay in a gentle voice, feigning anger: "Where are you going, my lord? Am I not better than that ignorant village girl?"
Shen Changfeng paused as he turned around, his narrow eyelids slightly raised, and he smiled lazily and casually, "If you talk nonsense about the prince's royal family members, you should be executed according to the law."
He patted her face lightly, his pupils as deep and cold as an ancient pond, and sneered: "Don't you want to live?"
The banquet suddenly became quiet and the atmosphere was extremely cold. The singer was so scared that her face turned pale.
Shen Changfeng reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and returned to his usual gentleness, "It's just a joke. It won't look good if your eyes are covered with tears."
Shen Chali, who had left the table early, only saw the two of them cuddling and whispering, and thought that Shen Changfeng was very lucky. But when he looked closely, he saw that Shen Changfeng was striding towards him.
Seeing that he was walking in a hurry, Shen Chali asked, "Where are you going, big brother?"
Shen Changfeng resisted the urge to tug at his collar, his tone sounding a bit irritated: "It's time to take the medicine." In fact, it was already past the time to take the medicine. Why hadn't she come yet? She would never forget that she personally delivered it to Taohuawu the day before yesterday, and her maidservant delivered it yesterday. What about today? Why didn't she deliver it?
Shen Chali exclaimed, having never thought that Shen Changfeng was such a health-conscious person. But didn't the doctor say that from today onwards, only external application of the medicine would be needed?
When Shen Chali expressed his doubts, Shen Changfeng was slightly startled, and then his heart was slightly relieved. So that's how it is.
Shen Changfeng asked, "Where did that little maid go?"
The little maidservant served Lin Meizhu, and knowing where the little maidservant was meant knowing where she was. Ever since that day when he mentioned Lin Meizhu, she had gradually reduced her appearances. He should have taken it for granted and felt relaxed, as he didn't like having a little tail following him around. But for some reason, when he didn't see her, he felt a little uncomfortable. He couldn't put his finger on what was wrong, but he just wanted to know what she was doing.
The scar on my back became more itchy.
Shen Chali didn't react, "Which one?"
Shen Changfeng tutted his words and said, "You said you wanted to stir-fry the cicadas."
Chen Chali said: "Ah... Qing'er, it should be in the porch."
Shen Changfeng was puzzled: "Why go there?"
Chen Chali:? He kept asking that ordinary girl what she was doing. He replied, "Because I need to sleep?"
The first-class maids lived in the several rooms in the main building.
Shen Changfeng's steps stopped abruptly as he turned.
There was a governor nearby who was quick-witted. He knew the question wasn't about the maid, but clearly wanted to know where his wife had gone. He immediately replied, "Miss Qing'er went to the kitchen earlier. It seems the Crown Prince's wife asked her to prepare a midnight snack."
Shen Changfeng raised his eyebrows, curled the corners of his mouth and walked towards Qinghui Hall.
He deliberately used the incident of him having an affair with the singing girl in Taohuawu to divert outside attention. Now that the case in Tianxiang Pavilion was nearing its end, he had to stop. He didn't want to see that little woman crying and complaining to the higher authorities behind his back.
The little maid went to the kitchen to ask for a midnight snack, so she should be waiting for him in the room, right? Although he was not hungry, he could have a bite or two because she was so thoughtful.
Would she be surprised to see that I had arrived early? Would she be happy?
He imagined Lin Meiju's black eyes sparkling as she walked towards him with a smile on her face. He couldn't help but chuckle and quickened his pace.
Walking through the west corner gate and around the flower hedge, Shen Changfeng crossed the corridor with excitement, and then bumped into the quiet and deserted Qinghui Hall.
The crickets in the shadows sang even louder, as if mocking his self-conceited silence.
The old man guarding the gate stood up, holding a lantern, his eyes half-closed. "Who is it so late at night... Ah! It's you, the prince!"
Shen Changfeng gritted his teeth, feeling inexplicably that he had been tricked, and asked, "Where is she?"
The old man trembled and said, "The prince has been away for the past few days, and the princess is staying in Hibiscus Garden."
In Hibiscus Garden.
There were several stacks of books on the sandalwood floor. Qing'er cut the ropes, untied the oil paper one by one, and then placed the brand new volumes on the bookshelf.
After a few rounds of this, Qing'er was exhausted and sweating. She pounded her back and said, "I don't know what Grandma Sun is thinking. She bought so many books. How long will it take to finish reading them? Besides, you don't have the time at all."
Although Lin Meizhu didn't have to pay her respects to her father-in-law at dawn or dusk, she would still go to Rongxi Hall early each morning to learn about household duties. She would first check the income accounts of the various farms and shops, and distribute the monthly allowances and servants' wages to each household. After lunch, she would listen to the general steward Shen's report on various matters. Servants who performed well would be rewarded, those who made mistakes would be punished. If it was a solar term, she would also prepare and finalize gifts and tributes, and arrange for their delivery.
She has to take care of both big and small matters. Even now, late at night, Lin Meiju is still using an abacus to check the warehouse's income and expenditure.
She had just taken over such a complicated and heavy task, and it was a bit difficult for her to cope with it, but she had to ensure that not a penny was shortchanged or wasted, so as to convince people inside and outside.
Qing'er flipped through the pages casually, and the densely packed words gave her a headache. "I can't understand a single word! It's like ants crawling..." She yawned, tears welling up in her eyes. She vaguely saw a portrait of a woman on the back of the page. Just as she was about to turn it over, she heard Lin Meizhu chuckle, "Mammy, you only mean well. You're just trying to cheer me up."
Lin Meizhu paused her sketching brush, rubbed her aching neck and shoulders with her other hand, and said, "We can finish it tomorrow. You should go and rest first."
Qing'er casually put the book aside and walked behind Lin Meizhu, gently patting her shoulders. She looked over the half-opened account book on the desk and sighed, "Young lady, you work so hard. To be safe, you even personally dispatched maids and servants to serve Taohuawu. Which guest who came to the banquet didn't speak well of you? It's hateful that those vixens always mock you every time they meet!"
Thinking of the jealous and contemptuous looks of those singers, Qing'er's eyes turned red with anger. If Lin Meiju hadn't held her down, she would definitely have fought with those people.
Lin Meizhu's smile faded slightly as she calmly turned the page and replied, "They're also miserable people. In their position, it's perfectly normal for them to hate me, resent me, and even want to replace me."
Qing'er hesitated and said, "Miss, aren't you sad?"
Lin Meizhu stared at the dim candlelight in silence for a moment before replying, "If they say anything mean to me, I'll give them ten slaps on the face..." She raised her head and blinked at Qing'er, a bright smile in her eyes. "I'll pay them back tenfold, and I'll even make a profit!"
Qing'er's heart softened at the sight of that gentle and charming smile. "Miss, if the prince saw you smiling at him like this, I don't believe he would be indifferent..."
The brushstrokes lingered on the paper, leaving behind tiny dots of ink.
Realizing she was distracted, Lin Meizhu immediately picked up her pen and said calmly, "He's seen all sorts of people. I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to catch my eye."
Qing'er didn't like Chen Changfeng's behavior, but she was afraid that if she said too much, she would upset Lin Meizhu, so she quickly changed the subject: "The kitchen has made Sichuan Fritillaria and Snow Pear stew according to your recipe. It's most comfortable to drink it chilled in the hot summer. Come and drink it while it's cool, young lady."
Lin Meizhu was about to make a joke when she caught a glimpse of a tall figure passing by the window. She recalled how Chen Changfeng had acted in the same way on their wedding night. Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly put down her pen and walked towards the door. "Why is the prince here?"
Shen Changfeng's face was a little worried, and the smell of alcohol and heat hit him. "I can't come?"
Lin Meizhu smelled the sweet fragrance of a woman on him, stepped back and led him into the room, "That's not what I meant."
"It's just that I've added some things to the room these days, and I haven't had time to put them away yet."
Shen Changfeng looked around, sweeping over the stacks of books and the antiques and scrolls that had not yet been put back in place on the antique shelves, passing by the account book spread out on the desk, and finally stopping at the half cup of snow pear soup.
Lin Meizhu wasn't sure what he meant, so she asked tentatively, "Is the prince hungry? I'll go tell the kitchen..."
Lin Meizhu had become quite fluent in Mandarin over the past two years, but her tone hadn't completely changed, leaving it with the gentleness that is unique to southerners. Like a blazing fire meeting shaved ice, seeing her submissive and gentle demeanor, Shen Changfeng's nameless anger inexplicably subsided, and his tone inexplicably softened, "No need, just some tea will do."
While Lin Meizhu was ordering the servants to make tea, Shen Changfeng had already strode into the clean room and said, "Get some water."
Lin Meizhu knew he was going to stay here, so she hurriedly asked Qing'er to go to the main room to get some clothes, and then called a few maids to get some silk quilts, pillows, and other things. When she returned to the inner room, she heard someone behind the screen call out, "Bring a bath towel."
Lin Meiju hurriedly took out a new handkerchief from the box. She looked left and right but found that the maids she sent out had not returned yet. She was about to go outside to call for them but was pushed back by a pair of hands.
Nanny Sun smiled and said, "Go quickly, young lady!" Then the door was closed tightly.
Lin Meiju heard the sound of water inside gradually subside, and her heart tightened. She unconsciously slowed down her breathing, walked towards the clean room, and slowly lifted the bamboo curtain.
What caught my eye was a muscular chest. Shen Changfeng's brows were slightly furrowed, his eyelids were slightly drooped, and the ends of his hair were a little wet. He turned slightly when he heard someone coming, his face showing his usual cold and arrogant expression. He said, "What are you standing there for? Damn..."
When he saw the man's soft shoes, his tired eyelids gradually relaxed and he woke up. He raised his head and observed the person in front of him calmly, "Come and help me wipe my body."
In the cold light of the candle, the blood scabs on his back looked even more terrifying, like the traces of a battle left after hunting in an animal farm. Lin Meiju suddenly felt a chill down her spine.
The weather was hot at that time. Lin Meiju was only wearing a white double-breasted gauze shirt with diamond-shaped patterns in the room, and a red embroidered waistcoat inside. Her arms under the half-sleeves were as smooth as milk under the soft moonlight. The gauze shirt was very thin, and when she lowered her head, she could see the small mother-and-child buttons on the waistcoat and her plump and round snow-white breasts.
At this moment, starting from her collarbone, her slender neck and cheeks were covered with powder, giving her a charming look.
She kept her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her each time she scrubbed, but her heart was still beating wildly. By the time she had cleaned her clitoris, she felt like she had been pulled out of water, sweaty and hot, her breath wet and hot. She didn't know if it was heat or shame.
Lin Meiju went to dig bamboo shoots. Every spring after a light rain, the bamboo shoots would break out of the ground. The shells of the shoots were often hard and prickly, but after peeling off the shells, the flesh inside was white, tender, sweet and crispy.
There are many differences between him and spring bamboo shoots. For example, spring bamboo shoots need a night to grow, but he grows much faster. Moreover, spring bamboo shoots are dead once they leave the soil, but he is full of vigor, hot and scorching, and has surging vitality.
Of course, the similarities are also obvious.
But Lin Meiju didn't dare to eat such spring bamboo shoots, and even felt scared to look at them for even a second, so she was very perfunctory in the final cleaning. Fortunately, he didn't mind.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to wait for Shen Changfeng to put on his clothes before taking a bath with the remaining warm water. As soon as she turned around, she felt him stop behind her, and his almost imperceptible heat pressed against her back.
She heard his voice with a smile: "Reciprocity?"
With a crisp "pop", the mother-and-child buckle fell to the ground.
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