Chapter 40: Propose to Mother
When she returned to the mansion, Shi Jianli met Ming Yueshu who was strolling around the mansion. When Ming Yueshu saw her, he didn't even say hello, just turned his head and walked away as if he didn't see her.
Shi Jianli felt nothing except funny.
The next day was archery class. After meeting Mingyuelin, Shi Jianli noticed that she looked at her with a strange expression, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Shi Jianli asked as she took the bow and pulled the bowstring.
"I'll talk to you after school. Too many people will talk too much."
"Okay." Shi Jianli concentrated on archery and ignored the vague glance from Ming Zhoushi next to him.
Mingyueshu was shooting arrows absent-mindedly, and the arrow flew directly onto Mingyuesi's target. Mingyuesi looked at her and said nothing.
Every arrow hit the bull's eye. After practicing for an hour, Shi Jianli's arms felt a little sore, so she asked Lanxing and Xianyue to help her rub them.
After the others had dispersed, Ming Yuelin peeked around to make sure no one was around. He pulled out a letter from his bosom and handed it to her, saying, "My cousin and her family wrote to me yesterday afternoon and also sent some local specialties. I'll have Qi Yu deliver it to you later."
"This is a letter from my second cousin."
Shi Jianli paused as she took the letter. "Why would you give me a letter from your second cousin?"
"It's about you. See for yourself."
Shi Jianli hesitated as she opened the letter, but finally pulled it out.
Seeing her like this, Ming Yuelin asked, "Have you guessed what my second cousin will write?"
Shi Jianli didn't reply to her, but unfolded the letter.
The letter was addressed to Mingyuelin. It started with some greetings and some things about returning to Runan, and ended with a question:
Cousin, when I was at the Duke's Mansion, I discovered that I had a good impression of my cousin from the Shi family. I missed her even more after returning home. So after thinking about it, I would like to ask you to help me ask if my cousin from the Shi family treats me a little differently.
If so, I will tell my mother and ask her to go to the capital to ask for marriage.
If not, treat it as a joke, cousin, please burn the letter and don't leave any hidden dangers or cause gossip.
After reading the letter, Shi Jianli looked at Ming Yuelin and shook her head.
Ming Yuelin understood, put the letter away, and whispered, "I will burn this letter and then write back to my second cousin to explain your intentions."
"Thank you very much."
"What are you thanking me for? It was your second cousin who caused you trouble. Come to my yard for lunch today." Ming Yuelin held her hand.
"good."
The two of them walked towards Xianyunxuan in the East Palace, and halfway there they met Ming Zhaohuan, who was wearing official uniform.
"Brother, why are you back so early today?" Mingyue asked.
In the past, those who held official positions could not go home after attending court. They had to handle official business and could only go home after finishing their duties at 3 p.m.
Mingzhao first glanced at Shi Jianli, who happened to turn her head to look at him, and their eyes suddenly met.
A smile flashed in his eyes, and he looked at Ming Yuelin again, "I don't have much official business today, so I had half a day off, so I came back early."
"Then you go and rest. Sister Li and I are going to have lunch too."
"I thought you would invite me to lunch as well. I just finished my official business and I'm hungry." Mingzhao said with a smile.
"Ah?" Ming Yuelin was stunned for a moment, "Alright, let's go."
Ming Zhaohan shook his head and looked at Shi Jianli, "It was just a joke. You two were so affectionate, you would feel uncomfortable if I were there."
He waved at Tianfeng and said, "I passed by Shangweiju and heard that you girls like the cakes there. I asked Tianfeng to buy some of the best-selling ones. Take your pick and eat them."
Tianfeng handed four or five oil-paper bags to Qi Yan and Lan Xing.
"Thank you, brother."
"Yeah." Mingzhao nodded and took Tianfeng and Tianyu back to Langganyuan.
When they arrived at Xianyunxuan, while waiting for Qiyu and Xianyue to bring lunch, Mingyue looked at the small words on the oil paper package.
There are five oil paper packages in total, containing lotus cake, Taishi cake, mint cake, cloud cake and peony cake respectively.
"There's so much, how can we finish it? No wonder we say we have to pick and choose." Mingyuelin pushed the mint cake to Shi Jianli, "Here, Sister Li, you like this, and big brother also bought it."
Sometimes I would open the pear, pinch off a piece and eat it to fill my stomach.
Her drooping eyelashes suddenly lifted up, and she looked at the mint cake in her hand thoughtfully.
After the meal, Mingyue went to write a reply to Yuan Qingchen, and took Shi Jianli to watch.
She wrote: Sister Li already knows about this, but she doesn’t care. The letter has been burned. You should also burn it after reading it.
After finishing writing, Mingyuelin looked at Shi Jianli and asked, "Is this okay?"
Shi Jianli nodded.
Mingyuelin shook the letter paper and said that Sister Li was so beautiful and outstanding, Qiao Jingchuan must be blind, but her second cousin had eyes.
It’s a pity that the falling flowers have feelings but the flowing water is heartless.
After writing the letter, Mingyuelin asked Lanxing and Xianyue to take the specialties that Yuan Wan sent to Shi Jianli back to Tangliyuan.
The next day was a horse riding and archery class. Shi Jianli and others took a carriage to the horse farm of the farm. This farm was under the name of Anguo Gong Ming Weisu.
He stepped on the stirrup and mounted the horse swiftly. He saw a bow and arrow on Li's back.
There are many captured pheasants and rabbits in the horse farm, and they are very active as they flap their wings and run around.
Shi Jianli was riding on a horse, drawing the bow, taking aim, and the arrow flew towards the target in the distance.
With a "whoosh", the arrow hit the bull's eye.
In the morning, they practiced horseback archery. After finishing their own practice, Shi Jianli sat on the horse and watched others shoot arrows.
Mingyueshu pouted, looking reluctant, and the arrow she shot was crooked and didn't hit the target at all.
Mingyue Si was better, half of her arrows hit the target.
The riding and archery classes, like the imperial training classes, lasted a whole day. Lunch was eaten at the farm, and there was also a house specifically for them to take a nap.
In the kitchen, before dinner, Mingyue saw Li sitting next to her and said, "Sister Li, how about we have a horseback riding and archery competition this afternoon?"
"Okay." Shi Jianli agreed naturally.
I saw Ming Yueshu out of the corner of my eye. She was absent-minded and didn't say anything. I didn't know what she was thinking about.
After lunch, Shi Jianli changed her clothes and took a quick wash, then took a nap. When she woke up, she went to the stables and rode a horse with a bow on her back.
There were already quite a few people at the horse racing field. When the archery instructor heard that they were going to compete, he gave them some instructions and asked them to each take twenty marked arrows so that he could judge them.
The edge of the forest is guarded by the palace guards, so nothing serious will happen.
The competition began, and the two men rode their horses into the forest.
Arrows were shot one after another, and Shi Jianli also hit many pheasants and rabbits. She looked up at the direction of the sun through the gap in the woods, and then she untied the water bag on her waist and drank some water.
The arrows have been shot and the sun has set.
Shi Jianli felt a little tired from riding, so he got off the horse, sat on a rock to rest, and then went back.
There was the sound of horse hooves approaching. Shi Jianli looked over and saw Ming Zhoushi riding a horse towards him.
Seeing her, he also dismounted, brushed aside the dense bushes that were nearly as tall as a person, and walked towards her.
Shi Jianli clenched the water bag in her hand and asked calmly, "Fourth cousin, did you come to see me specially?"
"Yes, I want to talk to you." Ming Zhoushi was also wearing riding clothes. He also came to learn horse riding and shooting today. He looked at Shi Jianli with a very complicated look.
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