Birthday gift
Lu Chang arrived at the Gao family three days later, just two days before his official appointment. The whole family breathed a sigh of relief. On the evening of the second day, the Duchess hosted a banquet for Lu Chang, which was filled with members of the Gao family.
He regained his usual gentle and refined demeanor, dressed in a blue robe, and raised his wine cup to thank everyone.
The old lady hadn't seen her grandson for three years. Now that he was kneeling in front of her, she couldn't help but wipe away her tears with a handkerchief and kept saying, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."
Lu Chang raised his wine glass to toast his younger siblings. Shi Jun's eyes were red, and he couldn't help but look at Lu Chang a few more times. Bo Jun hugged him tightly, wanting to say a lot to him. Lu Chang understood what he meant and couldn't help but pat his shoulder.
Jingwan sensibly raised her glass and said, "I wish my cousin a bright future and soaring success." After saying that, she downed her glass in one gulp.
Lu Chang remained silent until she finished her drink, then smiled and said, "Thank you, cousin."
At the banquet, his smile was no different from his smiles to everyone else. Jingwan breathed a sigh of relief, but she couldn't understand why she felt a faint sense of loss.
Gao Yun was afraid of her cousin, so she didn't dare refuse when he offered her a toast. The honest and simple-minded Gao Qian happily raised his glass to celebrate his cousin's return home, which showed that he was somewhat sincere.
This was arguably the most harmonious night for the Gao family.
Since that day, Jingwan has not seen Lu Chang at home. He is busy with official business every day and sometimes does not return until late at night.
If we happen to run into each other during the day, we just smile at each other and pass by without even exchanging a few words.
That would be best. They should get along like the most ordinary cousins in the world. She didn't think about anything else. On her birthday, Qin Ziyou invited her to go horseback riding, and Jingwan happily agreed.
She went out too frequently a few days ago. Although no one questioned her, it was still inappropriate. Now that she has gone out for a while, it won't arouse suspicion.
Beneath the Dongqiao Night Market, there still exists that boy, day and night.
There were many people in the city, so they got off the carriage after leaving the city and headed west outside the city, where a stable boy was waiting with two horses.
Both were tall, majestic black horses, with bright coats and full of energy. Qin Ziyou led them over and handed her the reins of one of the horses.
"You can ride horses, so I thought I couldn't just send you a pony to fool you. That's why I chose this one. Take a look, do you like it?"
Jingwan didn't reply to him immediately, but couldn't help reaching out to touch the horse, circling it before exclaiming happily, "You said this was a gift for me?"
Qin Ziyou patted the horse and laughed, "Of course, it's a birthday gift!"
"Quick, go up and give it a try."
Jingwan hadn't ridden a horse for many years, but she hadn't forgotten any of the skills. Qin Ziyou originally wanted to help her, but she stepped on the stirrups and jumped up.
His movements were so smooth and fluid that his help seemed somewhat superfluous. Qin Ziyou smiled and mounted another horse.
She wasn't very familiar with the horse yet, so she didn't dare to run. She just held the reins and walked slowly. The horse was gentle and obedient to its owner's every command, so it must have been well-trained.
At first she rode slowly, but when she reached a wide, deserted forest path, she became bolder and let the horse lead her at a trot. Eventually, she rode faster and faster, and the only sound on the forest path was the sound of the horse's hooves.
She turned around and said loudly with a laugh, "What are you standing there for? Come on!"
Qin Ziyou had often seen her gentle and kind side, but it was rare to see her so unrestrained. He was so moved by her that he spurred his horse and chased after her.
She seemed tireless, refusing to dismount even after the race. Qin Ziyou sat on a small slope nearby, drinking water and watching her train the horse on flat ground. Her movements clearly showed she was no amateur.
He was curious and asked who taught her to tame horses.
Jingwan looked at him with amusement and said, "The master at the horse farm taught us, but he didn't specifically teach us. It's just that Azhiqi and I watched a lot and gradually learned it."
This wasn't the first time Qin Ziyou had heard the name Azhiqi. He was Jingwan's good friend in the Northwest, a childhood sweetheart as people often say, and someone she would definitely want to see when she returned to the Northwest.
This person held a very important place in her heart during her life.
Qin Ziyou knew he was jealous and regretted that he had only just met her. But then he thought that no matter how important the person was, he was the one by her side now, and he would be the one by her side for the rest of her life.
Time may pass, but love will only grow stronger.
He saw Jingwan reveal a set of neat, white teeth, unaware of her own beauty as she smiled on horseback.
Only happiness could make someone so disregard public opinion about manners and behavior, and all he wanted was for her to be happy.
Jingwan noticed his gaze and pulled on the reins to calm the horse down. Qin Ziyou came over and reached out to help her down. This time, Jingwan did not refuse. Qin Ziyou put his arm around her waist and lifted her down from the horse.
With its owner gone, the horse was free and slowly walked to the side to graze.
Qin Ziyou didn't let go, his arms around her waist. He slowly lowered his head, and seeing that she didn't refuse or show any disgust, he probed little by little. Jingwan knew what was going to happen, and she was a little nervous, gripping his clothes tightly with both hands.
The weather was cold, and even her lips felt a little chilly. She slowly closed her eyes, relaxed, and simply followed Qin Ziyou's movements.
Unexpectedly, he was inexperienced, and their teeth clashed as if they were fighting. Inadvertently, he bit Jingwan's lip, and the taste of blood immediately came out. He was immersed in their love, but when he tasted blood, he quickly stopped and asked Jingwan to open her mouth so he could see: "Quick, did I bite you?"
The romantic and ambiguous atmosphere was suddenly shattered, and sure enough, a small hole was visible.
Jingwan couldn't help but chuckle, and in the end, she just tugged at his sleeve, laughing louder and louder.
Qin Ziyou was annoyed: "Don't laugh." But he couldn't stop her from laughing. Listening to her voice on the hillside, he realized that this world also belonged to him.
That night, Jingwan sat in front of the bronze mirror. She gently pulled open her lower lip, where there was a small cut. She had been burned by chili peppers while eating that day.
She stood in front of the bronze mirror, grinning foolishly, not even noticing Dongxia coming in.
"Why are you so happy, young lady?" Dongxia asked.
Jingwan quickly suppressed her smile and shook her head, saying, "It's nothing." Little did she know that everything that had happened during the day had been seen by Dongxia.
Her mission was to protect Jingwan's safety and she didn't care about anything else. But there were some things she didn't want to see but couldn't. After just one glance, Dongxia knew that her mistress had no chance. She didn't tell Lu Chang what happened during the day. What was there to say? Since she had chosen someone else, he had no right to know anything about her safety.
The sixth day of the first lunar month is an auspicious day. After a month of gloomy weather, the heavens suddenly smiled upon us, the sun shone brightly, and the clouds dispersed. We could even take off one or two layers of heavy clothing and put on some light autumn clothes.
Taking advantage of this time, the Duchess took her two children to the Great Buddha Temple. Bo Jun would be taking the imperial examination next spring, and Shi Jun's marriage was also a major concern for her. She wanted to go to the temple to pray to Buddha for good fortune.
He couldn't go alone; he had to ask Wang if she wanted to come along, lest she think he was being distant from his sister-in-law.
Just then, because the weather had been too cold for a while, Wang hadn't gone out. Now that her sister-in-law had invited her, she naturally wanted to go out for a walk, so she took Gao Yun with her.
All the Gao family children were going, so naturally Jingwan couldn't be left out. She had never been to the Great Buddha Temple and really wanted to go, but there was a newly made grinding wheel in the carpenter's shop that she was going to pick up today.
Seeing her predicament, Dongxia said, "I'll take it for you, Miss. I'll go to Dafosi Temple to find you after I bring the grinding wheel home."
Jingwan thanked her and asked the two servants in the courtyard to go with Dongxia so that she wouldn't be too tired to carry it all by herself.
Pingdu Dafosi Temple, known as the "Number One Temple Under Heaven," is nestled at the foot of Qianxun Mountain and is renowned for its efficacious prayers.
The temple has stood in the mountains for over fifty years. It was built under the supervision of emperors of successive dynasties, with a construction period of twenty years. It employed thousands of craftsmen, was magnificent in scale and beautiful in architecture, and housed more than three thousand monks.
Among them is a large Buddha statue, five hundred golden Arhat statues, famous monks from all over the world gathered here, and literary figures gathered to write masterpieces that have been passed down through the ages.
The mountain path leading to the temple is deliberately lined with cherry blossoms, attracting throngs of visitors every early spring, making it a peak tourist destination.
Jingwan had long heard of the Great Buddha Temple's reputation, and today was her first visit. She was quite excited and didn't even notice Gao Yun's disdainful look at her for being unsophisticated.
The carriage stopped as soon as it left the city gate. She looked up, somewhat puzzled. Gao Yun first lifted the curtain and saw that there were many beggars on both sides of the carriage.
They couldn't really be called beggars. Even beggars in Pingdu have a broken bowl and clothes to cover their bodies, but these people in front of me had filth on their faces, and I couldn't even tell if they were men or women. They were just holding their hands and asking me for food. I could tell from their accents that they were from out of town.
Thirty to fifty people surrounded the carriage, their begging voices weak and feeble, suggesting they hadn't eaten for several days.
Gao Yun disgustedly pulled the curtain shut, muttering, "It stinks, it stinks!"
Jingwan asked in surprise, "Why are there so many beggars?" She hadn't seen any when she left the city a while ago.
Today, not only the Gao family was leaving the city, but several other powerful and wealthy families also wanted to take the same route to the Great Buddha Temple to pray for blessings. This group of people blocked the way, and soon after, government officials came over and loudly reprimanded them.
Jingwan peered through the crack in the window and saw government officials wielding knives, driving away the crowd. Those who refused to leave were kicked to the ground and dragged along.
There were also little children who clung to the adults, their cries as sweet as those of newborn kittens.
In a short while, all of these people were arrested, and the once noisy road returned to its usual tranquility.
The excitement of going to worship Buddha vanished in an instant. She slumped her shoulders and stared blankly, feeling powerless. But that was all she could do; what else could she do?
When they arrived at the Great Buddha Temple, they realized they were late. The temple was bustling with people, and the smell of incense could be clearly smelled from the main road. People were interpreting fortune sticks, offering incense, and worshipping Buddha. Everywhere was crowded with people. Everyone quickly lined up to pray for blessings in front of the Buddha.
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