Banquet (Revised)
After eating the wontons, Shi Yanqing felt like he couldn't walk anymore.
Seeing that Zhou Hangui only ate a bowl of wontons, she remembered how much he ate normally, so she took him to a street pancake stall to buy a pancake with egg and diced meat.
When the stall owner handed the hot pancake to Zhou Hangui, Shi Yanqing saw him swallow his saliva very obviously, as if he had not eaten anything just now.
She couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips, feeling happy.
After Zhou Hangui finished eating the sesame cake, Shi Yanqing bought two bamboo tubes of fruit drinks from the stall next to him. Although there was no ice in them, they tasted slightly cool, as if they had been soaked in well water.
They strolled leisurely along the street while drinking.
When they walked under a big tree, they immediately stopped strolling, sat in a corner tacitly, and listened to gossip quietly.
For example, a quarter of an hour ago, the gossip was about Master Lin's new seventh concubine, who came from the mountains. It was said that Master Lin doted on her, showering her with gold, silver, and jewelry, and even stayed in her room when he was seriously ill, refusing to see a doctor or take medicine.
A few minutes ago, the gossip was that Master Qian gave up studying for the imperial examination and went out to make a living in the martial arts world. He even said that he wanted to marry a martial arts-skilled woman. Master Qian was so angry that he fainted.
Now the gossip has turned into that Miss Liu was broken off again, and her third fiancé died. Rumor has it that she might have a fate that brings bad luck to her husband!
"Hey, have you heard? The new county magistrate arrived in Yunshui County yesterday."
A middle-aged woman's voice came from the teahouse next to the big tree. The voice was neither loud nor soft, but it just caught the attention of Shi Yanqing and the others.
When they heard them mention Zhou Hanzhang, Shi Yanqing and Zhou Hangui looked at each other. They both felt curious and stood up and walked into the teahouse.
After they went in, they found an empty seat at a table not far from the women and sat down. They also ordered a pot of flower tea and started drinking it.
"I knew about this last night," a woman with a shrill voice said, raising her chin as she spoke, a hint of superiority in her tone. "My husband works at the county government office, and he told me about this when he came back last night."
"Did your husband tell me what the new county magistrate looks like? Is he good or bad in temper?" another woman asked curiously with her eyes shining.
"Well, my husband didn't say what the new county magistrate looks like, but the previous county magistrates were all quite wealthy. The new county magistrate should be similar, and they should all be very rich." The woman with a shrill voice answered, not feeling that there was anything wrong with the content of her words.
“Hahahahahaha!”
"Your description is quite accurate. The previous county magistrates were indeed very wealthy." The woman who first brought up the topic said with a smile, and the people around her also laughed.
Before long, their conversation turned elsewhere.
After listening for a while, Shi Yanqing saw that they were talking about trivial matters, so he stopped paying attention to their conversation.
She stood up and left the teahouse with Zhou Hangui, who was still listening with great interest.
"Sister-in-law, if my brother heard the conversation just now, I don't know how upset he would be. Let's not talk about this matter after we go back." Zhou Hangui came to Shi Yanqing's side, frowned and whispered.
Ever since he recovered from his last illness, Zhou Hangui felt from the bottom of his heart that his elder brother was very fragile mentally and was very prone to crying.
This is probably what my younger brother thinks from his perspective.
In his opinion, although his elder brother is several years older than him and is now an official, he does not want these gossips to affect his elder brother's mood.
Shi Yanqing smiled and rubbed Zhou Hangui's head: "As you say, we won't mention it."
The two of them returned to the mansion before dusk. Coincidentally, Zhou Hanzhang also arrived home when they returned.
"Yanqing, I just started working today. County Magistrate Lu is hosting a banquet at Zhuiyue Tower. You can come with me later." Zhou Hanzhang walked into the house and sat down on the chair tiredly. He reached out and loosened the buttoned collar of his clothes. Only then did he feel relieved and his body relaxed.
Seeing him like this, Shi Yanqing poured him a cup of warm water and handed it to him, then asked with concern, "It's only your first day in office and you're already so tired. Did they throw a bunch of chores at you?"
She knew that being an official was a lot of work, especially for Zhou Hanzhang who had just arrived. There would be even more things to do, and maybe they would even give him a warning.
Zhou Hanzhang took the tea and drank it all, then raised his hand to take off the official hat on his head, and his scalp, which had been tense all day, finally relaxed.
He smiled helplessly. "The first day wasn't anything special. I just got tired of chatting. This morning, I took Shi'an to the county government office and handed in my appointment documents. Not long after, County Magistrate Lu started chatting with me, asking about my background in a roundabout way."
To be honest, Zhou Hanzhang didn't mind chatting with his colleagues. After all, he was new here and needed to integrate well into the place.
But listening to what County Magistrate Lu said, one had to go through three twists and turns to understand the meaning, which was really tiring.
Shi Yanqing listened to his slightly hoarse voice and poured more tea into the empty cup to moisten his throat. "Why is he asking about your background? Is he trying to see if your background is powerful? If your background is powerful, he'll respect you, but if your background is weak, he'll seize power?"
Zhou Hanzhang shook his head slightly. "That's not the case. Actually, it's because the previous two county magistrates were both from Nanhai County. During their tenures, they colluded with local wealthy businessmen and secretly accepted a lot of bribes."
He frowned as he spoke, and was very disgusted with this kind of corruption.
"County Magistrate Lu couldn't stand this kind of behavior, but he didn't dare to intervene. He inquired about my background to confirm what kind of official I was so he could adapt to the situation."
"Then he should be relieved this time. You are a good official." Shi Yanqing teased with a smile. She had been with Zhou Hanzhang for almost two months and had a general understanding of his personality and temperament. She also believed in him in her heart.
"It's almost time," Zhou Hanzhang said, not feeling uncomfortable being teased. He stood up and rubbed his neck, a sore feeling making him feel a surge of excitement. "I'll go change into some casual clothes first, then have Shi'an drive us to Zhuiyue Tower."
Shi Yanqing looked down at the lavender and silver silk embroidered flower skirt she was wearing. There was nothing wrong with it, so there was no need to change into a new dress. "Okay, I'll wait for you outside."
By the time the carriage arrived at Zhuiyue Tower, it was already dark.
The lights outside Zhuiyue Tower were bright, with colorful lanterns swaying. Diners came in from the door in an endless stream, and came out supporting each other.
Zhou Hanzhang was the first to get off the carriage. He changed into a purple brocade gown, a black corset with a white jade lotus pendant hanging from it, and his hair was tied up with a crown. He had a dignified appearance and an upright posture.
"Be careful," he leaned over to help Shi Yanqing get off the carriage. Their clothes were similar in color, and anyone with a discerning eye could tell that they were a couple with a very good relationship.
The two of them entered Zhuiyue Tower together. The waiter at the door had a keen eye and immediately came forward to greet them.
"You two guests look unfamiliar. Could this be your first time at Zhuiyue Tower? Would you like me to introduce you to the special dishes of Zhuiyue Tower?"
Zhou Hanzhang didn't say much and directly said the name of County Magistrate Lu.
The waiter exclaimed at first, then his attitude became very respectful and he led the two into the Lixia box on the third floor.
As for Shi'an, he ordered a table of food on the first floor and prepared to wait here for the banquet upstairs to end.
Shi Yanqing followed Zhou Hanzhang after entering. There weren't many people in the box at the moment. Just as she was wondering who County Magistrate Lu was, she saw a dark-skinned, honest-looking young man stand up and walk towards them.
"Your humble servant greets you, sir," County Magistrate Lu folded his hands in front of his chest and bowed.
Zhou Hanzhang had a gentle smile on his face since entering the box. He reached out and helped County Magistrate Lu up, saying in a casual tone, "You're not on duty at the county office right now, so there's no need for you to be so polite. I thought we'd have a private gathering tonight, so I brought my wife along. Does County Magistrate Lu mind?"
After saying this, Shi Yanqing walked to Zhou Hanzhang's side and nodded to County Magistrate Lu with a smile, "This must be Lord Lu, right? He is indeed as young, promising, and extraordinary as my husband said."
County Magistrate Lu quickly said modestly, "Your Excellency and Madam are too kind. I agree with you and have brought my wife here as well."
As he spoke, County Magistrate Lu turned sideways and pointed to a plump woman in light green at the table: "That's my wife."
"That puts me at ease," Shi Yanqing covered her face with a handkerchief, looking a little embarrassed. "Husband, shall I go talk to Madam Lu first?"
Hearing the word "husband", Zhou Hanzhang's eyes trembled slightly. He rubbed his fingertips and suppressed the itch in his heart: "Okay, you go first."
Liu Anan felt a little uncomfortable after being brought into the box by Lu Tong. She seldom went out, and even if she did, she would not go to places with so many people.
Originally, if Lu Tong had chatted with her, she would have felt less nervous.
But before long, Lu Tong went off to entertain his colleagues, leaving Liu Anan alone in the corner, nervously tugging at her handkerchief.
"Can I sit here?"
Liu Anan, who was immersed in her own world, was suddenly brought out by a gentle voice. She raised her head and saw a woman with a gentle smile looking at her.
Liu Anan nodded carefully: "Okay."
Shi Yanqing realized that the woman in front of her was feeling uncomfortable. After thinking about it, she did not sit next to Liu Anan, but sat down one seat away from her.
"Are you Lord Lu's wife?"
Seeing that the woman next to him didn't speak, Shi Yanqing took the initiative to bring up the topic.
Liu Anan nodded: "Yeah."
Then she realized she had said too little and added, "What about you?"
Shi Yanqing smiled, and the hairpin in her hair swayed: "I am the wife of the new county magistrate. My name is Shi Yanqing, you can call me Yanqing."
Liu Anan pursed her lips and blinked, "My name is Liu Anan, the quiet An."
"Can I call you An An then?"
Liu Anan nodded.
Like a mimosa, it curls up into a ball when poked, Shi Yanqing thought.
She picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip of tea. Liu Anan beside her also picked up the teacup and drank tea.
Shi Yanqing turned her head and was about to say something when she saw the mark on Liu Anan's neck covered by the collar. She quickly looked away. Just when she thought it was not good to see someone's privacy, she suddenly felt something was wrong in her heart. She seemed to see something flowing.
So she turned her head again and her eyes fell on Liu Anan's neck.
The skin there is fair, and you can clearly see the blue blood vessels under the skin, and the blood is flowing regularly.
What's going on?
Shi Yanqing didn't bother to chat with Liu Anan to get closer to her. She reached out and grabbed Liu Anan's wrist without hesitation, and placed three fingers on it to feel her pulse.
Liu Anan was startled by this action and quickly pulled his hand away.
She looked surprised and suspicious: "Shi, Madam Shi, what are you doing?"
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