He was somewhat surprised by the height of the Sang family's courtyard wall when they were outside it.
While other people's fences and whitewashed brick walls are "half-hidden behind a pipa," this one is completely covered up.
It leaves no room for speculation. From the outside, the Sang family's residence appears as a fortress surrounding the center, except for a plaque on the door that identifies it as a house.
No wonder when he asked for directions in Hegou Village, people just pointed in a random direction. At the time, Ju Zi questioned whether they were being perfunctory, but they all said that as long as you're not blind, you can find Sang's house.
It's because its existence has become a benchmark for Hegou Village.
Out of professional habit, Master Li inspected the wall.
The materials and workmanship are not the rammed earth method commonly used in rural areas, nor is it bricklaying, but its solidity and hardness are comparable to building with square stones of the same size. It must be a mixture of clay, sand, and lime... So what is that outer layer of coating?
He leaned closer and sniffed it. After a while, only a faint, pungent oily smell remained. But with his experience, he knew that this not only prevented the wall plaster from cracking, but was also very beneficial for preventing insects and pests.
These... were all things that Sang Xuanqing researched on her own?
Teacher Li is becoming increasingly curious about her and is also very interested in the new things she's doing.
As he was admiring Sang Xuanqing's house design, he suddenly noticed a gaze that could not be ignored.
He looked up and saw the person standing under the eaves.
His dark blue sideburns were blown by the wind, and he was dressed in white, with a silver fox fur coat over them. Under the lamplight, his features were perfect and impeccable, especially his lips, which were as red as if they had been painted with rouge.
Even more dazzling and striking was the red veil around his eyes, which fluttered alluringly behind his ears.
It remains pristine even in snow, and becomes even more vibrant after frost.
Just as Master Li was secretly alarmed, wondering how such an extraordinary person could appear in the Sang family, an ordinary rural craftsman's family, he heard a woman's urgent and reprimanding voice from the side.
"Liu Fengmian, how long have you been standing there in the wind? Aren't you cold?"
When Teacher Li saw the shy little girl from before, she ran over to her in a few steps, puffed out her cheeks, and grabbed the man's hand.
The man, who exuded an aura that made Teacher Li uncomfortable, shifted his strange and unsettling gaze away from him and meekly accepted the little girl's harsh yet gentle instruction.
"who is he?"
Yuwen Sheng asked the question knowing the answer already.
Zheng Quchi asked in surprise, "You heard that?"
Yuwen Sheng smiled innocently and gently: "You don't actually think I'm completely unaware that there's a stranger in the house, do you?"
Are you unhappy?
How do you know?
"Do you mind Teacher Li?"
"Oh, his name is Teacher Li."
Yuwen Sheng certainly knew this Master Li; he had even sent someone to investigate his background.
Although in the end no suspicious things were found on him, Yuwen Sheng did not believe that this man named Li Shi was as clean as the background investigation suggested.
The two of them were playing a game of tai chi, neither of them willing to speak properly. In the end, Zheng Quchi couldn't stand it anymore and told him directly.
“He…he is a craftsman my second brother met in Guixu Ridge. He came here specifically to find him.”
"Your second brother isn't home, yet you let a stranger into the house. Aren't you afraid he'll be full of lies and deceiving you?"
If she weren't Sang Xuanqing herself, she might have been stumped by his question.
Uh, how am I supposed to explain this to him? She was absolutely certain that the other person wasn't a fraudster, which is why she asked her older brother to let him in.
Seeing that Zheng Quchi remained silent and avoided his question, Yuwen Sheng thought to himself, "Where did this random man come from? I haven't even said a word to him yet, and she's already taking his side."
“Even if he is familiar with your second brother, your second brother is not at home. Does that mean he will stay here with us to celebrate the New Year?”
She glanced at Master Li in the courtyard and whispered to him, "Second Brother definitely won't be back tomorrow. He'll probably know better than to wait for me and leave."
"So, where do you plan to arrange for him to sleep tonight?"
It's important to know that the Sang family only has three rooms in total.
"Let him sleep with my brother."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Sheng remained silent.
His face wore a gentle, spring-like smile, but his eyes were cold. Why would this Teacher Li suddenly come to the Sang family and, knowing that Sang Xuanqing was not at home, still shamelessly stay?
"Tonight I need to follow the rules of my Liu family and copy the ancestral hall prayer text. I must not be disturbed. You and your younger sister should sleep in the same room for now."
As he spoke, he retreated into the room and naturally closed the door in front of her.
Zheng Quchi: "..."
Is she noisy? Why does he have to chase her away when he's keeping vigil and copying prayers?
Seeing the interaction between the two, Li Shiben was puzzled until Brother Sang explained to him: "I am Sang Xuanqing's older brother, that is my third sister, and the other is my third sister's husband."
Only then did Teacher Li understand the relationship between the two.
But at the same time, he increasingly felt that the man named "Liu Fengmian" was strange.
Perhaps Sang Sanmei's appearance, aside from her flaws, was not examined closely enough, but overall, given Liu Fengmian's outstanding looks and temperament, the fact that he married a country girl makes one wonder if there's something wrong with the situation.
For Sang Xuanqing's sake, it seems necessary to investigate the background of this person named "Liu Fengmian".
“Your third sister’s husband looks quite special…”
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