Chapter 7 His lychee-like shoulders are exposed, his face is full of spring
As he walked to the outer courtyard, he suddenly heard a woman sneer, "You stole my marriage and you think you can leave so easily? No way!"
Lin Meiju looked in the direction of the voice and saw two figures, one big and one small, standing on the corridor. They were Lin Youan and Lin Qiwu.
Lin Zuqian and his wife, Wang, had a son and a daughter. Their daughter, Lin Youan, was also sixteen years old, a few months younger than Lin Meizhu, and their son, Lin Qiwu, was only five or six years old.
Lin Qiwu was puzzled. He looked up at Lin Youan and asked, "Second sister, didn't mother say that you and Brother Qi would get married next spring? Why do you say that the eldest sister stole Brother Qi?"
Lin Youan's marriage was arranged two years ago. The man was Wang Qi, a nephew of the Wang family. He was the youngest son of a well-off family and a gentle nature. Wang Qi's parents were close friends with the Wang family, so Lin Youan would have no need to manage the household and no worries about being harassed by his sisters-in-law or his parents-in-law. After Wang arranged for the two children to meet, she saw their shy yet secretly excited expressions and knew they were a good match. Both families were delighted, so the marriage was set early.
After hearing what Lin Qiwu said, Lin Youan's face flushed, and her arrogance died down a bit. She slapped Lin Qiwu on the head and said, "Idiot! Children shouldn't interrupt when adults are talking!"
Lin Qiwu slipped out like a loach and hid behind Lin Meiju.
She reached out and touched Lin Qiwu's little head, and asked, "Is mother feeling better?"
Lin Qiwu replied, "My second sister has stopped making trouble, so my mother is feeling better now. But she still gets a headache when she walks, so she doesn't come over anymore. She asked me to come and see my sister."
Lin Meizhu knew that Wang's rheumatism was related to her. As a concubine, she had no chance to attend the palace banquet. However, that day, Lin Youan suddenly had a high fever and was unable to get out of bed. Concubine Chen naturally would not miss such a good opportunity, and it was Lin Meizhu who accompanied Wang to the palace.
Later, Lin Youan learned that Lin Meiju was given a marriage, and he kept complaining to Wang. Wang's health was not good to begin with, and Wang's nagging day and night made her illness worse.
Lin Youan's face turned even redder, and he muttered, "I'm not making a fuss. You're talking nonsense, kid. I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Lin Qiwu relied on Lin Meizhu to protect him, and made faces at Lin Youan while going around in circles. Lin Youan and Lin Meizhu were not familiar enough to hang out together, so he was filled with hatred for Lin Youan.
Lin Meiju looked at the two siblings playing and couldn't help but feel a little envious.
She was a year or two older than Lin Qiguan, but because they hadn't grown up together, she hadn't experienced this playful mood firsthand. Although she was between the two of them and laughed along, she felt that her smile was a little stiff and fake. In the Lin Mansion, she always felt like an outsider.
She missed the days when she could laugh out loud, and then suddenly she remembered the seventh day of the New Year.
In the past, when he was making rice cakes in the kitchen, she followed him around to help. On the seventh day of the new year, he gave her a small piece of dough and taught her how to knead it. The fine powder hit her nostrils and she couldn't help sneezing. The dough also fell to the ground and she cried out of heartache.
Chuqi wasn't angry. Instead, she smiled with her eyes curved, calling her a little white-faced cat. He held her face and wiped her tears, but the more he wiped, the dirtier it became. The white-faced cat turned into a spotted cat, and Lin Meizhu also burst into laughter. Grandpa Chen Huisheng saw the mess they had made in the kitchen and was so angry that he cursed loudly. He stepped on a small lump of dough. It was so wet and soft that he thought he had stepped on something, so he jumped up and screamed. Chuqi and she couldn't help laughing. Chen Huisheng saw how embarrassed they were, and realized that it was just dough under their feet. He couldn't help but chuckle, and then the three of them burst into laughter.
After arriving in Beijing, Aunt Chen told her that if people knew that she and Chuqi had slept in the same bed, she would be thrown into a pig cage and Chuqi would have no hope of passing the imperial examination.
Lin Meizhu argued that they were forced to share a room because they were poor, and that there was a green cloth separating the two beds on the shared bunk bed. However, she had experienced the power of three people making a tiger, and she didn't want to be thrown into the pig cage, nor did she want Chuqi to ruin her future. So she chose to listen to Aunt Chen's advice, deliberately hiding her experiences in Lingnan, and erasing everything related to him from her memory.
But longing is like a surging tide, which cannot be withdrawn once it is opened.
Perhaps it was because Aunt Chen mentioned Chen Huisheng and Chuqi that the suppressed longing in her heart spread wildly in her mind.
Life in the capital was far better than in Lingnan. She didn't have to pretend to be well-fed and offer up her food, nor did she need to go to the pawnshop to exchange grain for her pawned winter clothes. She didn't have to work from dawn to dusk to farm and gather herbs. Here, she had everything she wanted, and now, as the Crown Prince's consort, she enjoyed endless wealth and splendor. Her life should be getting better, and she should be grateful.
But she seemed a little lonely.
She had a lot on her mind, but she couldn't find anyone who was willing to listen to her.
Lin Meiju didn't expect to cry, but tears flowed quietly through her fingers and she couldn't stop them.
Lin Youan and his brother were playing around when they accidentally bumped into Lin Meizhu's shoulder, causing her to stumble. Lin Youan quickly called out to his brother, but when he looked up, he saw Lin Meizhu shedding tears. He was startled and complained, "It wasn't intentional. How can you be so squeamish?"
Lin Meizhu turned her face away to wipe away her tears, and used a smile to cover up her loss of composure, "No, I just accidentally got blinded by the wind."
Afraid that Lin Youan might misunderstand, she took off the gold and jade bracelet from her wrist and said, "I don't know if you like the jewelry I brought. If you need anything in the future, you can send a letter to me."
Lin Meizhu was grateful for the dowry that Wang added to her. She knew that Wang did this largely to maintain the face of the Lin family, or perhaps to win a good reputation for Lin Youan, but the person who really benefited was her. Therefore, Lin Meizhu loved Lin Youan and was particularly tolerant of him.
Lin Youan dodged and said, "I don't care about these tacky things!"
Lin Meiju was a little embarrassed, and her hand paused in the air for a few moments.
Lin Qiwu reached out to grab Lin Meizhu's bracelet and said jokingly, "Second sister doesn't want it, but I do!" Then he winked at Lin Meizhu, "Second sister doesn't like jewelry! She finds it too heavy. She likes weird and strange things! Brother Qi gave her two little rabbits, and she loves them so much. Big sister, give her a big rabbit cage. She's sure to like it!"
Lin Meizhu glanced at Lin Youan's face and saw that she had no intention of objecting. She nodded and said, "I'll have the craftsmen finish it and send it over."
When I reached the Chuihua Gate, I suddenly heard someone behind me calling out "Hello."
"When the rabbit gives birth, if you want one, I will...give you one."
Lin Youan looked a little awkward, his fair, round face flushed, his eyes a little erratic, "I just don't want to owe you a favor, that's all."
Lin Qiwu leaned against Lin Youan, covering her mouth and laughing secretly, giggling.
As the sun fell on the bamboo forest, a warm feeling crept into Lin Meizhu's heart. She nodded heavily, "Okay."
Lin Youan felt a little complicated, always feeling that there was something different about Lin Meiju.
She was a little jealous of Lin Meizhu being able to join the palace. Later, she saw Aunt Chen brainwashing Lin Meizhu every day to put her husband first and work hard to win her husband's favor, which made her feel very annoyed. It was always Wang Qi who was scolded by her, and she didn't want to be bullied.
Lin Meizhu initially questioned and resisted, but each time she did so, she ended up kneeling in the ancestral hall and getting slapped on the hand. Lin Youan felt a sense of pity for Lin Meizhu for no apparent reason; being the Crown Prince's Consort wasn't all that great after all.
When Lin Meizhu first arrived in Beijing, she loved to smile, her cheeks rosy, her eyes sparkling, and she pinched the corners of her sleeves, looking curious yet timid. Of course, she would also cry secretly because she missed her grandfather and Chuqi in Lingnan.
At that time, Lin Youan thought Lin Meizhu was petty, but she didn't hate her because she would secretly share the snacks from her bag with her. Later, Lin Meizhu's bag was taken away by Concubine Chen because she was worried that Lin Meizhu would be too fat to get married.
But now, looking at Lin Meizhu's dignified smile, which always had no flaws, Lin Youan felt a little uncomfortable and a little angry. Today was clearly the day for the three-day visit to his parents-in-law, so why didn't Shen Changfeng come? What was he doing?
On the emerald green lake of Yijing Garden, a few pleasure boats drifted in the breeze. The mellow sound of stringed instruments lingered incessantly, and occasionally a woman's gentle laughter echoed, like the melodious song of an oriole.
The maids were tall and beautiful, swaying like willows in the gentle breeze, drinking wine and singing, showing their utmost charm.
White mist lingered on the ice jar, and various kinds of wine were placed on top. The chilled fruits were covered with dewdrops, which was very lovely.
Her hands painted with bright red nail polish picked up a fruit and carefully peeled off the red shell and white skin. Her fingers were very flexible, slender and long. The white fruit flesh and the red nail polish formed a vivid visual impact.
Noticing that the man in front of her was attracted, the beauty picked up the round fruit with two fingers and put it in her mouth. She climbed onto his shoulder with one hand and raised her neck to invite him.
The man chuckled and dodged, "It's no fun eating like this."
The beauty was puzzled and jokingly said, "Isn't this how lychees are eaten? What interesting ways do you have to eat them, Prince?"
Shen Changfeng's eyes fell on the red lychees on the white jade plate, and he suddenly recalled the pitiful look of that man with red eyes that day.
If you put your head close to her loose bun, can you also smell the lychee fragrance with wild dew?
The lychee skin is slightly astringent, and the tip of the tongue can clearly feel the uneven texture of the skin. The moment the skin is pierced, the tooth cavity is filled with dense sweetness, and the tender white flesh bounces and slides into the throat, but the faint fruity fragrance lingers in his mind, unable to be shaken off.
It’s more interesting to taste it this way.
Shen Changfeng frowned slightly. Why did he think of her again? He drank a glass of cold wine, determined not to look at that annoying lychee anymore. He curled his lips and said, "I think a hundred gold is nothing more than this."
To entertain the imperial family, the owner of Yijing Garden spent a fortune to have these lychees sent to the capital. These lychees, still hanging on the branches in the early morning, were picked and placed in an ice jar. From there, they were delivered to the capital by express riders, traveling day and night. It's said that the lychees were still wet with morning dew when they arrived at Yijing Garden. In total, a few plates of lychees in the ice jar were worth a hundred gold coins.
The man before him had long eyebrows that reached his temples, and he was handsome and tall. When he smiled, the arrogance in his eyes turned into a graceful demeanor, and the last trace of coldness was also dispelled. Seeing this, the beautiful woman who was accompanying him felt warm. She said coquettishly, "I think this is excellent. Your Highness said it was just so-so. Where can you eat better? Your Highness, can you take me to try it someday?"
Shen Changfeng put down his wine glass and looked at the woman leaning against him. She had a pair of fragrant shoulders, a face full of spring, an oval face and peach blossom eyes. She was undoubtedly a rare beauty.
Her face was covered with sandalwood powder, her cheeks were flushed, and her body was filled with the scent of wine and rouge.
Shen Changfeng vaguely recognized that this outfit was somewhat similar to someone else's.
But the person in front of me is too fake white, too bright red, and the fragrance is too pungent.
She wanted to taste his lychees? What a joke.
Shen Changfeng pushed the people around him away and sat up. The beauty was not paying attention for a moment and almost fell to the ground, causing everyone to laugh.
A purple-robed man at the head of the banquet table said with a smile, "Chen Du, how come you've become less compassionate and gentle after getting married? Could it be that you're afraid of the one at home?"
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