Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Like a gift from an old friend...
"How many pomegranates did you see on the tree?"
Sheng Puzhu walked very fast, almost jogging.
Xie Zhiyan stopped, his eyes as dark and intense as indissoluble ink: "Only one."
"Only one?" Sheng Puzhu felt regretful because he couldn't share it with Puyao.
Dried pomegranates can be preserved for a long time, but if they are cut in two, they probably won’t keep for many days.
"Slow down, don't fall." Xie Zhiyan held her wrist and slowly tightened his broad palm.
Sheng Puzhu could only try not to be too anxious, as this would be unbecoming of a girl. She slowly adjusted her breathing, hoping to calm herself down. She waited in the corridor and met the maid who lowered her eyes and walked away. She realized belatedly that although they were husband and wife, they should not hold hands like this without paying attention to others.
"My dear." Sheng Puzhu turned her head and her eyes fell on the intertwined sleeves of the two people. She signaled Xie Zhiyan to let go.
"Is it cold?"
Xie Zhiyan seemed not to understand. He took the cloak slowly and handed it to him: "Put it on if you feel cold."
Sheng Puzhu stared at him with her beautiful eyes, reached out to push her cloak open, and said in a charming tone, "I'm not cold. Madam Du prepared a cloak for me."
"Okay." Xie Zhiyan smiled slightly. "It's cold and windy in winter, and the pomegranate season is over now. Madam, you should hurry."
Sheng Puzhu was so absorbed in Shi Liu that she forgot to ask him to let go.
The man who said one thing and meant another had a curved shadow under his thin lips, and his complexion was like a jade mountain, shining brightly.
The Treasure Pavilion is not desolate in the deep winter. The green pine branches, daffodils and roses are in full bloom. The only bare thing is the carefully cared-for pomegranate tree in the yard.
The branches were covered with unmelted snow, except for a pomegranate that was no bigger than a goose egg. Its shell was covered with crystal clear ice crystals, showing a red color deeper than amber.
Sheng Puzhu stood on tiptoe to reach it, and just as her fingertips touched the cold fruit peel, she heard a light cracking sound.
The half-dried pomegranate, shimmering with crystals, fell and rolled in her soft palm.
Like a gift from an old friend.
From far away.
Sheng Puzhu let out a soft "ah," the kind of breathless sound made by someone who was so surprised that they forgot to breathe.
She suddenly turned around and met Xie Zhiyan's deep gaze.
"My dear, this is a gift from my father." Sheng Puzhu held the pomegranate higher, with her red fingertips against the deep red peel. She didn't look like a human being, but more like a Bodhisattva holding a flower on a lotus seat in the Mingtang.
"Do you like it, Madam?" Xie Zhiyan walked closer and wrapped his cold hands around her, as if he had captured a god and forced her to stay in the mortal world.
"Yeah, I like it."
When Sheng Puzhu smiled, her eyes were bright and her teeth were white, a face that captivated everyone.
When playing mahjong at night, Sheng Puzhu was obviously in a good mood.
She held a money box in her arms and a pearl and jade abacus strung with a red string, which she hung on her wrist when not in use.
Sheng Mingshu and Sheng Mingya lost miserably: "Why doesn't my eldest sister play? How can settling accounts be as fun as playing mahjong?"
The girl, who was good at playing with beads, ignored her sisters' provocations and just shook the money box, saying, "Why is it boring? All the money in here is New Year's money for my sisters."
Sheng Puyao lost all her money, but she didn't dare to deny her debt to Xie Zhiyan. She insisted on betting on the cat slave in her arms. The old lady couldn't bear it anymore and took the leaf cards from her hand.
Xie Zhiyan leaned back in his chair, his eyes indifferent. He slowly drew out a card and threw it out.
Sheng Puzhu glanced at the remaining leaf cards in his hand and smiled meaningfully.
As expected, after one round, Xie Zhiyan lost, and lost gracefully, while the old lady won more than ten small golden beans.
Having lost three rounds in a row, this card game really took a lot of thought.
It was easy to win, but she had to be very cunning to lose. The treasures in Sheng Puzhu's box were decreasing little by little. Seeing that she was about to lose even her own New Year's money, she had to stop Xie Zhiyan.
"My dear, you must be tired. Let me give you a shoulder massage."
"Or maybe have some tea and take a break?"
Xie Zhiyan looked straight at his wife behind him, his eyes calm: "Are you not going to settle the bill anymore?"
I'm almost bankrupt, what else can I do?
Sheng Puzhu raised an eyebrow and didn't say anything. Instead, he stuffed the box into his arms and said, "No, I have to win money."
The old lady laughed heartily and made a generous gesture: "Tomorrow you will go to Daxingshan Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings. You must get up early. Play for another half hour, then go back to your rooms."
Half an hour later.
The three sisters of the Sheng family all fell into poverty at the hands of Sheng Puzhu. The old lady divided the remaining money in the box into four parts: "Take all of it and buy some candy. But don't call me stingy."
Sheng Puyao cheered: "Thank you, grandma."
Xie Zhiyan shook the box filled with various treasures with one hand, and calmly took out three red envelopes from his pocket: "New Year's money, one for each person."
Looking at the thin red envelope, the three sisters of the Sheng family respectfully reached out to take it.
Sheng Puyao couldn't help but feel curious, so she quietly opened it and took a closer look. It was just a thin piece of paper, which was actually - a hundred taels of silver note.
It’s actually one hundred taels!
If a good person gives out New Year’s money, he will give one hundred taels!
"Thank you, brother-in-law." Sheng Puyao said crisply, almost bowing to him.
Xie Zhiyan's smile deepened, and he nodded lightly, "You're welcome."
On the way back to the Treasure Pavilion, Sheng Puzhu couldn't help but glare at him.
"My dear, you are so generous."
"If Puyao had used the hundred taels to sell candy, Grandfather would have called you to the study to question you."
She was born beautiful, with a pair of affectionate almond-shaped eyes that were slightly raised. When she looked at him, it seemed as if she could draw out a person's soul. Her expression was between innocence and charm, hidden in the dim light of the corridor, revealing a desire that made people pity her.
Xie Zhiyan knew that she didn't mean that, but he still kissed her rosy lips.
"?"
Sheng Puzhu was dazed, her waist was fastened, and her toes were slightly raised because she couldn't struggle.
Xie Zhiyan's kiss was deep and heavy.
It's not just a superficial review, nor is it a superficial taste.
He pressed her into his arms, his tall body covering her, his arms tightly clasped together. In the dim light, they could hear each other's breathing clearly.
"It's okay. One hundred taels is too much. If you want to exchange it for silver, you have to go to a bank."
"It's very troublesome. If I leave the house, I need to report to the elders. They probably won't be able to use it for a while."
After listening to his explanation, Sheng Puzhu seemed to have lost the ability to think. His lips were pushed open and even the sound of his rebuttal was swallowed by him.
"Madam, do you still feel there is something wrong?"
Xie Zhiyan held her lower lip, and slowly traced the shape of her lip beads with the tip of his tongue, asking calmly.
Sheng Puzhu was kissed so hard that she was dizzy. Xie Zhiyan took advantage of his height and became even more unscrupulous.
In the carriage heading to Daxingshan Temple, Sheng Puyao tugged at Sheng Puju's sleeve.
"What are you thinking about, sister?"
"I want one hundred taels of silver." Sheng Puzhu held his face with both hands, as if talking to himself.
"Sister, don't you have any New Year's money?" Sheng Puyao carefully took out the banknotes from her waist pouch and said hesitantly, "If you don't have any, Puyao will give you half."
Sheng Puzhu's eyelashes trembled as she finally came to her senses. She lowered her head, feeling guilty, thinking back to the time Xie Zhiyan had placed a thick red envelope in her treasure box before she went to sleep last night. Compared to the one hundred taels of New Year's money her sisters had received, her red envelope contained a full ten silver bills.
"No, Puyao, keep it for yourself, but you are not allowed to buy candy."
Sheng Puyao nodded obediently and analyzed seriously: "If I spend all the 100 taels on candy, my grandfather will punish me by making me copy books."
"Sister, why do your lips look swollen?"
Sheng Puzhu's porcelain-white face flushed instantly. She tried to hide it, leaning back and saying, "I put on lip balm, don't talk nonsense."
Although Sheng Mingshu doesn't talk much, she always hits the nail on the head: "Well, it looks like my brother-in-law kissed me. Whose lip balm can have such an effect?"
"Yesterday's one hundred taels of silver couldn't shut you up, little girl." Sheng Puzhu was so angry that she tried to snatch the purse tied around Sheng Mingya's waist.
Sheng Mingshu had no choice but to beg for mercy: "Good sister, I was wrong, please let me go."
"I didn't understand it at first, but my sister always told me to read more storybooks."
Sheng Mingya took a candied fruit and put it in her mouth, mumbling: "No matter how well the Chang'an City's storybook is written, it is not as romantic as the fireworks and prayer lanterns the night before last."
Sheng Mingshu leaned against Sheng Mingya and nodded repeatedly: "That's right."
"That night, Mingya and I stayed up all night to celebrate the New Year. I drifted off to sleep and was woken up by the fireworks in Chang'an City. There were also prayer lanterns all over the sky. There were probably thousands of them at least."
"I don't know whose young man is trying so hard to please this young lady."
Sheng Mingya nodded repeatedly: "Whoever releases a prayer lantern for me in the future, I will marry him."
Sheng Mingshu seized the opportunity and said coldly, "Don't be so love-brained. A man still has to look at his face."
Sheng Puyao nodded, seeming to understand: "Second sister is right, it depends on the face."
"It's a pity that I went to bed early that day and didn't see the prayer lanterns or the grand fireworks that spread throughout Chang'an City. If only Sister Mingya had gotten married, then I could have seen it all."
At this time, the carriage was gently knocked twice from outside, and a deep voice was heard saying confidently: "Mrs. Sheng San, today this prince will release the prayer lantern for you."
"I will propose tomorrow, and we will get married the day after tomorrow."
Sheng Puzhu moved his lips, speechless.
She couldn't help but sigh that her grandmother was right. The eldest son of the Fu family was just an ox and there was no hope for him.
Sheng Mingya put down the notebook in her hand, slowly lifted the curtain of the carriage, and looked with a smile at Fu Yunzheng who was riding a horse not far behind.
"Prince Fu."
Fu Yunzheng rode forward and asked, "What instructions does the Third Lady have?"
Sheng Mingya held the cup, poured tea, and then splashed it outwards.
With a quick and decisive move, he lowered the curtain right after pouring the liquid, and did not forget to smooth down the hair on his temples which was not at all out of place.
"Why are you looking at me?" Sheng Mingya raised her eyes and saw three pairs of eyes staring at her.
"Are you familiar with Fu Yunzheng?" Sheng Mingshu asked.
"Not familiar with him." Sheng Mingya denied.
Sheng Puzhu tilted his head and said affirmatively, "So you have seen it before?"
"Uh... I've seen it." Sheng Mingya said vaguely.
Only Sheng Puyao looked innocent: "Third sister, there is boiling water in the kettle, why did you change it to cold tea?"
"Heh... I took the wrong one." Sheng Mingya felt guilty and didn't dare to look at her.
"Tell me, what happened?" Sheng Puzhu suppressed his doubts in his heart, but still looked very natural on the surface.
Sheng Mingya had no choice but to confess: "I once secretly went out of the house to buy a storybook. Because I only brought a nanny with me, I was too cautious and mistook Master Fu for a scoundrel, and splashed honey water all over him."
"In the end, I met the real Lecher on the way back home. It was Prince Fu who didn't care about the previous misunderstanding and came to my rescue."
"And then?" Sheng Mingshu tilted her head and said affirmatively, "On my birthday, Winter Solstice, I saw that something was not right between you and him. Was it because I saved you?"
Sheng Mingya buried her head and was silent for a while before she said, "Didn't I splash honey all over him at that time? Later I heard that he was stung by a bee."
"I was afraid that my grandfather would find out that I had secretly left the house and punish me by making me copy books in the ancestral hall, so I secretly asked my nanny to send two jars of ointment to Master Fu and asked him to keep it a secret for me."
"So you two have become acquaintances after a few interactions?" Sheng Mingshu laughed coldly.
Sheng Mingya denied it repeatedly: "No, except for the winter solstice birthday, I have only seen him three times in total. Every time I avoided him, for fear that the elders would find out something was wrong."
"Are we still going to Daxingshan Temple?" Sheng Puzhu held a cup of tea, but did not drink it. He tapped the edge of the cup with his fingertips from time to time.
"Why not go? Didn't we agree to come here to pray for blessings?" Sheng Puyao asked back.
Sheng Mingya had no choice but to tell the truth, her voice as low as it could be: "I asked you to accompany me to pray today because I wanted to see my husband, but I didn't know that the person I was going to see was Master Fu."
"Then go ahead. If you don't want to see him, we can just avoid him." After a little thought, Sheng Mingshu made a rational decision.
The carriage stopped in front of the mountain gate of Daxingshan Temple.
On the third day of the New Year, incense is very popular.
Because they gave enough money for incense and had many maids and old women with them, the group was soon invited by the young monk to a more quiet Zen room to rest.
Sheng Puzhu walked around the meditation room and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see Fu Yunzheng following him.
But before he could relax, he heard a sharp voice: "Oh, who was it? It turned out to be the eldest lady of the Sheng family."
Mrs. Liu, the wife of Marquis Changxing, who had not been seen for a long time, was followed by Liu Jiao'e, who was pregnant.
Liu Jiao'e dressed like a woman and looked much whiter and plumper than before.
It was really bad luck that Sheng Puzhu went out without checking the almanac.
At this time, Sheng Mingshu opened the door and came out of the meditation room, holding a pot of boiling water in her hand. She waved it in Liu's direction and said, "I am weak and my hands are not steady. If I get too close and it splashes on you, please don't blame me, Madam."
Liu Jiao'e had been slapped by Sheng Mingshu before, but she was still very afraid of this seemingly weak and fragile second wife of the Sheng family. Her face was pale, and her hands tightly protected her abdomen: "Mother, let's go."
Liu didn't dare to gamble, because Liu Jiao'e was pregnant with her grandson. Although she felt aggrieved, she still pulled Liu Jiao'e away cursing.
Sheng Mingshu snorted and took Sheng Puzhu's hand: "Sister, ignore them. To be honest, I have to thank Liu Jiao'e for my ability to see the Changxing Marquis' family clearly."
The four sisters of the Sheng family had lunch at Daxingshan Temple. They then went to the main hall and each received a peace talisman. As they were about to leave, the carriage attendant hurried over and said with a pale face, "Madam, the carriage parked outside the temple has broken down."
"How could it break down out of nowhere? Didn't you check it before going out?"
The coachman replied tremblingly, "Yes, I checked carefully before leaving, and there's nothing wrong. The coachman said it looked like someone had deliberately broken a birch spoke near the wheel's teeth."
"The mountain roads are dangerous. Even if this car is usable, for the safety of the ladies, I do not recommend riding it again."
Sheng Puzhu nodded calmly: "I know."
"Send someone home first to tell Grandmother not to worry. There are many people offering incense today. If we meet a girl we know, we will take her back home."
After the car manager left, Sheng Mingshu's frown remained on her face for a long time.
"Who do you think it is, big sister?"
"It's hard to say." Sheng Puzhu looked uneasy, lowering her head and gently pulling at the wrinkles on her skirt. "There are many pilgrims today. Mingya splashed water all over Prince Fu earlier, and we're having trouble with the wife of the Marquis of Changxing. Plus, with the palace examinations approaching, many students have come from all over to pray at Daxingshan Temple."
"When there are too many people, things become complicated, and it's inevitable that some people will try to take advantage of the situation."
"Sister, what are we going to do now?" Sheng Puyao asked in a low voice.
Sheng Puzhu gently rubbed the furry head.
"It's okay."
"Just now when I was asking for the peace amulet in the main hall, I seemed to see Madam Wei San from the Duke of Chengguo's mansion."
Sheng Puyao: "Is she the future Crown Princess of Dayan?"
"Um."
"Let's go ask her. I happened to have met the wife of Duke Chengguo once before. She's a very nice person."
The fact that Sheng Puzhu could sincerely praise it as "excellent" proved that Lady Chengguo was trustworthy.
The sisters breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
