dinner
When he returned, he could only walk from behind the main stage. His grandmother was still sitting in front of him, and even though she didn't want to see him, he couldn't be impolite.
Qin Ziyou stopped after taking only two steps. He thought he was seeing things, so he rubbed his eyes with a handkerchief. When he looked again, the person sitting properly at the side was none other than Jing Wan.
The passageway was narrow, and he was blocking the way for the person behind him. He quickly took two steps and then one step back, afraid of disturbing the person.
After he left the main stage, he casually found a place to sit. Although the sun was shining, he wouldn't let Jingwan notice him, and he could still see her clearly from this position.
He sat there on the ground, wearing a white handkerchief over his head, looking at her.
The next horse race hadn't started yet, and everyone was chatting idly. No one knew who she had come with, but she was sitting alone, idly playing with her skirt.
She looks so beautiful! She looked good even in simple clothes before, but she looks even better now that she's dressed up.
It's just a pity that I can't go up to her and praise her openly.
A servant carrying a teacup passed by her, and Jingwan couldn't help but swallow hard. She hadn't had a drop of water since she left home!
I just forgot to bring any money when I went out, so I had no choice but to go thirsty.
It was sultry at midday. I was too excited just now, and now that I'm free, I feel sleepy and can't help but yawn. Maybe a bowl of tea would help me get rid of the drowsiness.
Jingwan was bored and playing around with her gauze skirt. There was no one around her. Madam Wang and the Duchess had already been invited to other places by other ladies, leaving her alone. Just as she was thinking about taking a nap, a boy of about twelve or thirteen years old carried over a bowl of tea.
"This is your tea, young lady. After you finish drinking, just leave the bowl here. We will come to collect it after Marseille."
The child finished speaking and left. Jingwan hurriedly called out to him, "You delivered the wrong thing. I didn't order this."
The boy, following Qin Ziyou's instructions, said, "We didn't send the wrong thing. Our proprietress understands that it's not easy for the girls watching the game, so she gave each of them a bowl of tea. Don't worry, girls, drink it!"
Jingwan looked and saw that someone had indeed brought out tea bowls to distribute to the girls around her. Because the tea bowls were marked with the Zuixianlou logo, no one had any doubts and they enjoyed the tea without worry.
The bowl she was carrying was different from everyone else's. While everyone else's was a pale red liquid, hers was milky white and drizzled with osmanthus honey.
She took a sniff; the aroma of milk filled the air. Little did she know that this dessert was called "Bing Su Lao" (冰酥酪), and it was expensive, not something ordinary people could afford.
Jingwan held up the bowl, somewhat hesitant, but the young man said again, "My landlady has the kindest heart, so please feel free to drink."
Upon hearing this, Jingwan felt embarrassed to refuse. The proprietress was so kind as to share such an expensive item with her; if she were to be ungrateful, she might offend her kind heart. So she scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth.
Not far away, Qin Ziyou watched her eat the cheese spoonful by spoonful, and seeing her satisfied expression, he felt even more satisfied than she did.
She had drunk cow and sheep milk in the Northwest before, but the food was rough and not as refined as that of the people in Pingdu. So this was the first time she had eaten this dessert made from cow milk. The heat and sleepiness were all driven away by the coldness. The milk flavor was rich and fragrant, with a slight aroma of wine. It was mixed with some glutinous rice. She couldn't help but eat spoonful after spoonful. Before long, she finished a whole bowl of sweet soup.
Finally, Jingwan put down her bowl, still savoring the unique flavor, and closed her eyes.
The young man, who was sitting next to Qin Ziyou, happily ran to take the bowl back after receiving Qin Ziyou's instructions. After receiving a silver ingot from Qin Ziyou, he carried the bowl back to the restaurant.
Qin Ziyou only left satisfied after the headscarf on his head had dried.
Only Qin Gang returned, and Old Madam Qin focused all her attention on this one grandson, ordering people to pour tea and massage his shoulders and back.
The old lady always doted on him, and Qin Gang always felt a bit of filial piety towards her. After answering the old lady's questions one by one, Qin Gang said, "Ziyou injured his foot while racing horses and was sent to the clinic as soon as he got off his horse. He can't come to accompany Grandmother, please forgive him."
The old lady nodded. Qin Gang's explanation dispelled all her earlier displeasure at Qin Ziyou's failure to come to see her.
After Qin Gang finished dealing with the old lady, he turned around and found a young girl sitting next to her.
After a moment's thought, he guessed that this must be the Gao family girl his grandmother had mentioned to him. Although he had thought of this, he still patiently asked, "Who is this?"
Qin Xi introduced the two to each other. Shi Jun stood up and bowed first, and Qin Gang returned the bow. The old lady found the two of them more and more pleasing to the eye, and they really looked like a respectful couple.
Gao Yun felt a pang of sadness. Why didn't Qin Xi introduce herself properly? This was her first time meeting Qin Gang. She had heard of this newly appointed top scholar when Lu Chang failed the imperial examination.
Seeing this imposing man who just came down from the horse farm today, I felt that the handsome actors on the stage were really inferior.
Qin Gang was tall and handsome, without the spoiled air of other aristocratic scions. Because he served as an official in the imperial court, he caught Gao Yun's eye, and she greatly admired this upright and virtuous gentleman.
She finally understood what love at first sight meant; all those crushes she had before were just casual flings.
However, the fact that the old lady was fond of Gao Shijun was infuriating. No matter how angry Gao Yun was, she was too embarrassed to be arrogant in front of Qin Gang, lest she leave a bad impression on him. She was only thinking about going home and figuring out with her mother how to get her married into the Qin family.
Her little commotion caught Shi Jun's eye. Even if she didn't want to marry Qin Gang, she was happy to see Gao Yun, who had been taking things from her since childhood, furious.
Today she got to eat a bowl of milk, watch a wonderful horse race, and go to visit Qin Zi in the evening. She finally found some joy and anticipation outside of jade carving.
When she got home, Dongxia heard her humming a little tune as she washed the clothes she had just taken off, and she knew that she was in a very good mood.
She was supposed to go to the horse farm today. Even though she was born out of wedlock, Jingwan should have had a maidservant by her side.
Unfortunately, she offended that second young lady last time, and this time they are deliberately making things difficult for her and not allowing her to go.
She didn't care; if she didn't want to go, she didn't want to go. But she quietly followed behind the carriage.
Qin Ziyou thought no one had seen him take the arrow, but little did he know that Dongxia had witnessed the whole scene. She watched the boy hide the arrow in his sleeve, watched him hide in the willow tree and study the arrowhead, watched him secretly return the arrow, and also watched the bowl of ice cream that was deliberately brought to him...
Those from prominent families are indeed not simple characters. No matter how innocent this young master may seem, he is probably hiding his true abilities. Jingwan, on the other hand, is a complete blank slate. With someone like her by his side, she must be firmly under his control!
After Jingwan finished washing the clothes, Dongxia went over to wring them dry. She was strong, so this kind of work was perfect for her. The two of them hung the clothes out to dry, and Jingwan touched the clothes with a touch of reluctance.
This is the first time she's worn such beautiful clothes, but unfortunately... they're not hers.
This slight disappointment was insignificant; she quickly went to pack up a few newly carved jade ornaments, preparing to seek guidance from Uncle Gong that evening.
There's always a figure waiting under the Dongqiao Night Market.
She lifted her skirt and quietly walked behind Qin Ziyou, deliberately patting his right shoulder.
"Oh, you've arrived..." Qin Ziyou turned his head to look to the right, but no one appeared before he finished speaking.
He looked to his left again, and Jingwan deliberately stood to his right. Before he knew it, Qin Ziyou suddenly turned around and grabbed her hand: "Got it!"
Jingwan chuckled: "You were still fooled by me."
He only held on for a short while before letting go and taking Jingwan to the Weaver Girl's Workshop, where Uncle Gong had already prepared herbal tea for them. Jingwan hurriedly took out her newly crafted trinkets and showed them to Uncle Gong one by one.
Qin Ziyou knew that she loved these things the most, so even if he wanted to talk to her more, he could only helplessly light a few more candles to make the room brighter so that their eyes wouldn't get too tired.
Uncle Gong remained silent, carefully turning the white jade carved sachet over and over before picking up the orchid-shaped jade comb to examine it. Jingwan held her breath, somewhat nervously awaiting Uncle Gong's guidance.
After examining the items, Uncle Gong's serious expression relaxed slightly. Jingwan noticed this change and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Gong Shu was usually a very kind old man, but when it came to jade carving, he became an extremely strict master.
Aside from offering some encouragement at the beginning of our acquaintance, he would always point out Jingwan's problems clearly and meticulously, asking her about each jade-carving process. When necessary, he would even re-carve certain stages of the jade-carving process in front of the master craftsman, so that she could identify her shortcomings.
Jingwan's favorite thing was watching Uncle Gong carve jade. Because he had been doing this for many years, Uncle Gong's fingernails were all cut short, and the sides of each finger were covered with calluses. Yet, all those exquisite jade pieces came from those rough hands. His wrists moved skillfully, the sound of the grinding wheel coming and going, each step controlled perfectly, and finally, he used a knife to carefully carve the details...
The insects, fish, birds, and beasts—every tiny eye, every small scale, and even every raised, intricate pattern—are so lifelike.
Watching Gong Shu carve jade is no different from watching a beautiful song and dance performance.
After looking at what she brought, Uncle Gong subconsciously pulled off the apron he was wearing and wiped his hands. He nodded, and just one word, "constantly striving for improvement," made Jingwan beam with joy. She looked at Qin Ziyou and saw that he was even happier than she was.
After leaving Uncle Gong's house, neither of them mentioned going home. They simply walked slowly along the Lishui Riverbank, with tiny fireflies flitting around their feet. Jingwan deliberately teased them with her foot. When she looked up, she saw Qin Ziyou walking ahead of her. In a daze, she seemed to see another person, taller than Qin Ziyou, also leading her along the Lishui Riverbank.
Feeling a little down, she pulled her foot back, saw Qin Ziyou sit down on the shore, and sat down next to him.
Jingwan couldn't help but share her day's events with Qin Ziyou, telling him that she had gone to see a horse race that was extremely exciting, and that the proprietress of the Zuixianlou restaurant was a wonderful person who had even given her a bowl of iced milk.
As Qin Ziyou lay on the grass listening to her beautiful voice, all the discomfort he felt from his father's scolding during the day vanished.
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