Chapter 123 Cherry
"This was just brought back by a caravan from the south."
Zong Hebai pointed to the six cherry trees that were delivered to his door.
These six trees were planted in a three-foot-wide ceramic pot. They were about six feet tall, with swaying branches and leaves and abundant fruits.
"I'll give you a taste."
He did not mention the difficulties of planting and transportation, as if what he was sending were just ordinary flowers and plants.
Feng Qingsui knew that it would take a lot of manpower and resources to grow such a cherry tree like a bonsai and transport it from the south to the capital.
Cherries are already a rare and precious commodity in the capital, and these cherries shipped from the south, which ripen earlier than local cherries, are even rarer.
I'm afraid one tree can be sold for ten taels of gold.
Naturally, she would not refuse this kindness.
"Thank you, Fourth Uncle."
She was beaming.
"I love cherries the most. I was just talking to Wuhua about it. I thought we wouldn't be able to eat cherries from the south this year."
Seeing that his niece liked them, Zong Hebai smiled and said, "I've left a few more. If you're not full after eating them, I'll bring you more."
Feng Qingsui said hello.
After Liu Zonghebai drank two cups of tea, she asked someone to bring the medicinal tea she had prepared.
"The changing seasons make it easier to get rheumatic fever. I've prepared some medicinal tea. Fourth Uncle, please take it back home and share it with Grandmother and your aunts. If you feel a loss of appetite or fatigue, you can brew some."
Zong Hebai happily accepted it and said, "Uncle will not be polite with you."
He added, "It just so happens that your grandmother has had a headache these past few days, so I'd like you to take some time to go to the clan residence and see her."
As soon as Feng Qingsui heard it, she knew that it was an excuse made by the old lady to see her.
"Okay." She smiled. "I'll go when I have time."
The two chatted for a while, and Zong Hebai stood up to say goodbye: "I'm leaving first. If you have anything, just come to the Zong Mansion or the trading company to find me. Don't try to handle it alone. You have someone to back you up now."
"I see."
Feng Qingsui smiled slightly.
"Take care of yourself and your grandmother."
After Zong Hebai left, she instructed her servants to send the six pots of cherry trees to Qi, Ji Changqing and her courtyard respectively, two pots in each courtyard.
Then he picked a large bowl of cherries himself, washed them, put them in a glass cup, and tasted them one by one.
After Ji Changqing returned home from the office, he went to pay his respects to Qi as usual.
When I arrived at the gate of Ci'an Hall, I happened to meet Feng Qingsui.
Seeing her lips were red and tempting, as if she had just put on lipstick, and she looked a little more beautiful than usual, my heart suddenly trembled.
After a moment of silence, Fang looked away.
"Are you coming to have dinner with me?"
He said in a deep voice.
My voice is inexplicably hoarse.
Feng Qingsui shook his head: "I came here to eat ice cream. Mom made cherry ice cream and asked me to come and eat with her."
Ji Changqing was confused: "Where did the cherries come from?"
Every year when the cherries grown in the royal gardens first ripen, His Majesty will reward the court officials with cherries as a token of his favor.
He hasn't received a single cherry yet, so how come there is cherry yogurt in the mansion?
Could it be made of candied cherries?
Feng Qingsui replied, "These are cherries shipped from the south. Master Zong Si gave them to me."
Then he pointed to the cherry trees in the courtyard of Ci'an Hall.
Ji Changqing frowned.
"How many trees did he give you in total?"
"Six."
Feng Qingsui chuckled.
"There are two trees here, two trees there, and two trees in your yard."
The emperor rewarded his courtiers with cherries, but only gave each person one plate. There were two cherry trees, so many plates could be picked. However, Ji Changqing was not happy at all.
He vaguely heard Shangguan Mu mention that cherries were gifts from men to women as tokens of love or affection.
Some people would use a cherry box inlaid with jewels to hold cherries and love letters and give them to the woman they like.
If you're giving cherries as a gift, give an even number, like two baskets, or four boxes, or...six trees—a whole tree is only four.
Zong Si gave it to Feng Qingsui and he accepted it.
Are the two of them...
Zong Si, this old fox, could have set his sights on anyone else, but he actually set his sights on...his widowed sister-in-law.
Clearly has ulterior motives.
His face darkened.
Feng Qingsui saw that he looked unhappy and thought that he didn't like cherries.
"Second Master, don't you like cherries?" she asked. "If that's the case, I'll have someone move the two pots of cherries from your yard to mine."
Ji Changqing suddenly thought of something, glanced at her lips, and asked, "Do you like cherries very much?"
Feng Qingsui nodded.
“This is my favorite fruit.”
Ji Changqing's heart sank even more.
"Since you like it, keep it for yourself."
His tone was complicated.
"But no matter how good the food is, don't eat too much, otherwise it will hurt your spleen and stomach."
Feng Qingsui smiled and said, "Don't worry, Second Master, these cherries can't hurt me."
After saying that, he went into the house to eat cherry ice cream with Qi.
Ji Changqing felt like there was something stuck in his throat and couldn't eat a single bite. After saying goodbye to his mother, he returned to his own yard.
After sitting down at the desk, he faced a pile of documents and account books, but couldn't read a single word.
I simply called over the candlelight.
"Check Zong Si for me. Check if he has any bad habits, if he has any concubines, and if his business is legitimate..."
The candlelight agreed.
The next day he was given a detailed report.
After Ji Changqing finished reading, he found that Zong Si was just like him, very self-disciplined, with no bad habits, no concubines, and even less interest in pedophilia. He always abided by the law in doing business and had excellent personal morals.
Even if he used the same standards a father-in-law uses to choose a son-in-law, he couldn't find any fault.
That’s right, not everyone can catch the eye of that little fox.
She seems to like silver very much.
And Zong Si happened to have money...
Ji Changqing did not sleep all night, and the next day he went to court feeling dizzy.
Shangguan Mu came up from behind and slapped his shoulder hard, causing him to stagger.
"Why are you so weak today?"
Shangguan Mu looked suspicious.
"Did you stay up all night to write questions for His Majesty's palace examination? This is unlike you. Master Ji, you are so talented, how could you be stumped by just a few questions?"
Ji Changqing rolled his eyes at him.
He took a few steps forward, trying to shake off the sticky ball of malt sugar, but after thinking it over, he stopped.
"What have you given Miss Pei?"
Shangguan Mu was startled.
"Why are you asking this?"
Ji Changqing: "I have a friend who wants to give a gift to his sweetheart, but he doesn't know what to choose..."
Before he finished speaking, Shangguan Mu burst into laughter.
"You have come to this day too, haha!"
Ji Changqing frowned: "What do you mean by me? I already said he's my friend."
Shangguan Mu tried his best to suppress his laughter: "Okay, it's your friend, not you."
The veins on Ji Changqing's forehead were throbbing.
"It seems I asked the wrong person. Someone like you who only knows how to donate books and fruits to the students of Qingquan Academy doesn't know how to choose gifts at all."
"I call it catering to his tastes."
Shangguan Mu snorted coldly.
“No matter what kind of gift it is, as long as it touches people’s hearts, it is a good gift.”
Ji Changqing's face darkened.
The cherry that Zong Si gave me just hits the spot.
He kept the problem deep in his heart. After attending the morning court and finishing his official business, he pondered for a long time and finally remembered one of Feng Qingsui's hobbies.
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