Chapter 68: Drunken Boat, Deep Flow
"The day before yesterday, I went to Minghuayuan. My mother said that my eldest brother went to see her early in the morning and tried to persuade her." Ming Yuelin held her hand. "In fact, my mother doesn't have any objections to you..."
"I know that as a mother, the Duke's wife naturally wants to find a wife with a family background that matches that of my cousin. Every mother is like this and will choose the best spouse for her child." Shi Jianli interrupted her with a smile.
Shi Jianli was surprised that the Duke's wife would easily accept Mingzhao just because he said he liked her. When she had the idea of responding to Mingzhao's approach, she had already prepared herself for the Duke's wife's disagreement.
She admitted that she was being impulsive in wanting to be with Mingzhao.
When you fall in love with someone for the first time, it is inevitable that you will lose your mind a little.
Later, she became angry and cold-faced because she misunderstood that Mingzhao was still having an affair with her while asking the Duke's wife to prepare an engagement for him.
Unexpectedly, Mingzhao went to find Mingyuelin as soon as he came back, found out the crux of the matter why she was alienated from him, and went to persuade the Duke's wife the next day.
In this way, there will be nothing preventing them from being together.
But Shi Jianli still had concerns, concerns about other things.
Mingyuelin was relieved to see that she didn't seem to have any grudges, "Then Sister Li, will you and my eldest brother get engaged?"
"Perhaps."
"Why maybe? Don't you like my elder brother?"
She pursed her lips and said, "I like it."
But I don’t like it so much that I can do anything about it.
Ming Yuelin nodded and didn't ask any more questions. She thought of Ji Rangzhou and the questions she had asked him when the marriage between the two families fell upon her.
Taiyuan Lake is located east of the city. Its shallow waters are connected by trestle bridges and pavilions, while the deeper parts are accessible only by boat. Numerous inns and restaurants line the lake, attracting dignitaries and nobles alike to enjoy the scenery during the summer when the lotus flowers bloom and the winter when the lake freezes and snow falls.
When they got off the carriage at the lake, the driver drove it away. Mingzhao also took his younger brothers and sisters to the pier.
There were several exquisite and luxurious pleasure boats parked on the lake where no lotus flowers were planted, and maids and servants were walking around carrying fruits and snacks.
As soon as I stepped onto the pier, I saw a young and beautiful woman walking towards me from one side of the pier with a cute little boy of three or four years old, followed by a handsome and tall man.
Seeing the large group of people from the Anguo Mansion, the beautiful woman stopped and glanced at them with a smile, "Are the whole family going on a trip today? No one is left behind."
"Sister Ji, Taiyuan Lake has beautiful scenery. Bring your brothers and sisters out for a stroll." Mingzhao greeted her first, then patted the head of the child she was holding. "Xingyu, do you still remember me?"
The one he called Sister Ji was Ji Rangzhou's sister Ji Yangqing.
Ji Yangqing is two years older than Mingzhao. When Mingzhao was still in the womb of Yuan Yuhe, the wife of Duke Anguo, the grandfathers of the two families who were on good terms arranged a marriage for her.
If it is a boy, he will be engaged to Ji Yangqing; if it is a girl, she will be engaged to Ji Rangzhou.
The original plan was for Ming Zhaohuan to get married when he was seventeen and Ji Yangqing to be nineteen. However, when Ji Yangqing was seventeen, she fell in love with Su Zhuochen, the top scholar in that year's imperial examination, and did not want to marry Ming Zhaohuan. So the marriage contract between the two families was assigned to Ming Yuelin and Ji Rangzhou.
Su Zhuochen is 28 years old this year. He has made outstanding political achievements and is already a fourth-rank official.
"Uncle Ming." Su Xingyu was not afraid of people. He smiled at him with a crooked look and walked forward to pull at the corner of his clothes. "When will you come to my uncle's house to play again?"
"Next time you're free, go. You and Mom and Dad are out playing today?" Mingzhao looked at Su Zhuochen who was standing next to the mother and son, "Brother-in-law."
Su Zhuochen nodded at him.
"Yes, and my uncle, he's gone to arrange the pleasure boat." Su Xingyu replied, and then bowed to the others in a formal manner, "Hello, uncles and aunts."
Ming Zhouqing bent down and picked him up. "You call me Big Brother Uncle Ming, then what should you call me? You used to call me Uncle Ming too."
"I'll call you Uncle Ming Er from now on."
Ji Yang glanced at Ming Yuelin, then turned to Ming Zhao and asked, "Have you arranged for the pleasure boat?"
"We had a three-story ship prepared last night. Why don't you come to ours? It'll be more lively there."
Ji Yangqing didn't hesitate, turned to Su Zhuochen and said, "Husband, go tell my brother."
"good."
Seeing his son being teased by a group of teenagers, Ji Yangqing had nothing to worry about. He smiled and pulled Mingyuelin over, "Lin'er, come talk to me."
"Okay, Sister Yang Qing."
Shi Jianli looked at the smiling woman in front of her, and thought of Ji Rangzhou's name, which felt very familiar.
After a while, she remembered a word.
Drunkenly floating in a light boat, the current leads to the depths of the flowers.
Mingzhao waved to his brothers and sisters and said, "Go walk around the pier by yourselves, and then get on the pleasure boat in half an hour."
There was a huge crowd of people, making him look like he was out to take care of a child, but he didn't want to take care of a child.
Mingyue Si went to look after Mingyue Wu and Mingyue Liu. Mingyue Lin was taken away by Ji Yangqing, and suddenly Shi Jianli was left alone.
Ming Zhouhe turned around and saw Shi Jianli standing alone by the pier admiring the newly opened lotus flowers. Just as he was about to go over, he saw Ming Zhao walking straight towards her.
After looking for a while, Ming Zhouhe's eyes darkened and he seemed to be thinking about something.
Shi Jianli leaned forward slightly, watching the fish nibble at the lotus leaves underwater. Then she heard the sound of footsteps, and a tall figure stopped beside her, startling the fish and sending them scattering in all directions.
Shi Jianli turned her head and glared at him slightly.
Mingzhao tilted his head, suppressing his smile, "Are you looking at the fish?"
"Well, you scared me away."
"The fish in Taiyuan Lake are quite plump. Do you want to ask someone to catch two and bring them back to the kitchen to cook?" He remembered that she had said before that she liked eating fish.
"Go ahead." She really wanted to eat.
"What kind do you want to eat?"
"Anything is fine."
Mingzhao waved to Tianyu to come over, and after giving some instructions, Tianyu left.
"Want to take a walk?"
Shi Jianli looked around and saw that in addition to the people from the Duke of Anguo's mansion, there were many other dignitaries who also came out to play.
"I didn't ask you to go shopping with me alone." Mingzhao knew her concerns, smiled, and looked at Tianfeng, "Go call Xiaoqi, just call him, don't bring anyone else."
"Yes, sir."
After a while, Ming Zhou came running over and looked up at Ming Zhaohuan with excitement on his face. "Brother, you called me?"
"Have you ever been to Taiyuan Lake before?"
"Yes. I come here two or three times every summer."
"I haven't been here for a long time. Can you show me the way and introduce the restaurants and scenery here? I see that this place has changed a lot compared to six years ago."
"Great!" Ming Zhouqi excitedly talked about how new piers had been built and how many restaurants and shops had opened.
Mingzhao even raised his hand and placed it on his shoulder, pushing him to the front. "You go ahead and lead the way."
After being interrupted, Ming Zhouqi nodded, recalled where he was just talking, and continued talking with his hands behind his back and shaking his head.
Mingzhao was satisfied. After taking a step, he tilted his head towards Shijianli, indicating that she should follow.
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