Chapter 115 The two ladies seemed to be playing a role-playing game...
Song Jin's so-called effort means that everything remains the same.
The next day, several women went to the street to buy shoes, and then planned to stop a woman selling pearl jewelry, so that they could choose carefully.
No one can resist furry things in winter.
Song Jin held a pair of satin boots with lambskin lining in her hand for a long time and looked at them until she was almost obsessed with them. In the end, she put them down under the temptation of the fields. Even Dujuan felt sorry for her.
"Why not just buy it? It's worth more than the jacket. You already have a set of clothes, so why bother with the shoes?"
Song Jin was very excited. He looked down at his feet. He was wearing a pair of dark blue cotton boots. His legs were frozen every day. If he hadn't walked around the stove so much, he would have gotten frostbite.
These shoes don't go with that dress.
"That's right, it's so beautiful. Let's walk across the bridge on the Lantern Festival. It will be so impressive to stand on the street." Chunyun also advised.
Song Jin made up his mind and bought it.
Even in the middle of winter, Mrs. Cen, who sells pearl flowers, would carry a bamboo box and walk from street to street, hoping to pry open the door of a wealthy family and buy a few strings of pearl flowers.
Song Jin and a few others stopped the person and brought her into the store, led her to the back hall, asked her to open the box, and select items one by one.
The box is not small and has many styles, including beaded, kingfisher-inlaid, and velvet flowers.
"Girls, just come to me to buy. I have the most and newest styles here. There are not many husbands willing to accompany their wives to buy pearl flowers these days. You are so lucky, girls."
After hearing this, several people burst into laughter.
Grandma Cen thought Song Jin was Du Juan's husband.
The few people did not explain and continued to look at the pearl flower. Song Jin took a closer look at the hairpin. There were silver feet, copper feet, and wooden feet. The wooden ones were naturally cheaper.
She chose two small hairpins with a row of beads and copper feet. She thought she wouldn't feel bad about it.
"How about this?"
Dujuan saw it and said it was good, but it was too small and couldn't hold the scene.
When Song Jin left the Bai family, she only had a plain silver hairpin, which she had bought on New Year's Eve in her early years. Now the style was outdated. When she dressed up as a man, she only used a piece of cloth to tie her hair, so she really didn't have any jewelry. It seemed a little plain to wear only these few things.
"How about this?"
Du Juan chose a red camellia velvet hairpin for her. Song Jin said, "Doesn't this go well with the jade purple? It's too bright."
"If you want to match it with jade purple, this is the most appropriate."
As Grandma Cen spoke, she picked out two velvet hairpins in the shape of green bamboo leaves, and Song Jin was immediately attracted to them.
The hairpin is made of black oiled wood with a cluster of emerald green bamboo leaves on it. They are not the rough leaves of the big bamboos on the mountain, but more like the leaves of goose-feather bamboo, which are smaller, more crowded, and more delicate.
Song Jin couldn't help but think of Ji Shubai. Her first impression of him was that he was a bamboo pole, liked to wear green, and was tall and straight.
"Beautiful." Song Jin took the two hairpins and looked at them intently.
Granny Cen smiled and said, "My husband, you have good taste. I never fool people."
Song Jin stared at the hairpin, and Grandma Cen stared at Song Jin.
Song Jin was actually very careful. She didn't often go to the front of the shop, but mostly stayed in the kitchen. She also tried to tell stories at night, in dim light, and even the name she used to the public was Lu Dalang, not Lu Jin. In addition, she was usually very busy when she walked outside, and the Lu family was new to the street, so no one knew that Song Jin was a girl.
But no matter how similar the costume was, one couldn't help but take a closer look, especially since she was an old woman who had seen countless people. Once she saw Song Jin couldn't let go of the pearl flower, she guessed something was wrong.
Men don't like to study this.
After looking her over, Granny Cen encouraged her, as if afraid that she would not buy something: "Your taste is unique in our county. Other ladies love flowers, and other husbands also buy flowers, but you only like bamboo leaves."
Seeing through things but not pointing them out is Grandma Cen’s way of survival.
Song Jin smiled and fell into the trap without any defense: "I want all of them."
"My husband is such a straightforward person. It's a pleasure to do business with you. No wonder you were able to open a shop here and gain a foothold."
When Grandma Cen praises people, she is like Song Jin. She just closes her eyes and starts praising. As long as the other person is happy, no one cares whether what you praise is true or false.
Ji Shubai decided the date would be after the Little New Year.
After the Little New Year, the government office basically closed down, and Song Jin's milk tea business also declined a lot.
Chestnuts were very popular. More than a hundred kilograms were sold out. Song Jin wanted to eat chestnut braised pork but couldn't at home, so she was thinking about storing more chestnuts for next year.
The business of preserved eggs is still slowly adapting. This dish is more suitable for cold dishes. Unfortunately, there is no chili seasoning at the moment, and Sichuan pepper is expensive. She had to ask the waiter to pick some out and sell them, and cook some porridge in her own shop, plus the Chai family would occasionally come to order some.
Song Jin figured out the problem. The customers were too single. He needed to find a few more wealthy families as customers. Like the Chai family, who also had government offices. They could eat and buy without paying any price. They were absolutely high-quality customers.
One day after the Little New Year, Ji Shubai sent Qingshan to tell him that he had arranged for Lord Lu to come to his house for a small gathering the next day, and asked Song Jin to come as well. Song Jin asked Qingshan to reply on the spot, saying that he would definitely come early the next day.
That night, several people were making trouble for Song Jin.
What kind of bun is good?
Several people took Song Jin's head and tied it up until late at night.
The next morning, Song Jin changed into a new outfit, put her hair into a bun, and put on a new hairpin, looking like a new outfit for the first month of the year. Taking advantage of the few people on the street, she got on the sedan chair sent by Ji Shubai and left.
It was a bitterly cold winter, but it suddenly became lively as New Year's Eve approached. Sitting in the sedan chair, Song Jin could hear the sounds of naughty children lighting firecrackers on the street, as well as the sounds of laughter and play. The giggles were accompanied by crackling sounds, and occasionally the cries of those selling oil, cakes and fruits. It was very lively.
Song Jin sat in the sedan chair and reached out to touch the lambskin jacket. It was soft and comfortable. He couldn't help but sigh. It was ridiculous that he could feel such care and worldly touch in the Ming Dynasty.
The sedan chair landed in the courtyard of the Ji family's old house. Ji Shubai was already waiting in the hall. When he saw the sedan chair landed, he walked over attentively.
Song Jin slowly walked out of the sedan chair. It was the first time she appeared in front of him dressed as a woman.
She was rounder than before, and her face was a little red from the winter cold, but her eyes were sparkling and bright.
Her hair was combed into a fallen horse bun, and in the center was a pair of hairpins with green bamboo leaf velvet flowers. The color was particularly bright and the style was particularly rare.
A pair of pearls covered her temples, and a pair of lilac pendants between her ears swayed as she walked, constantly hitting her fine hairy skin. The skin on her jaw was different from her cheeks, and in winter it became pale and fragile.
He rarely associates Song Jin with the word fragile, but the Song Jin at this moment is completely different from the Song Jin in his memory.
The dress she was wearing was a gift from him. He personally picked out the fabric and style, so she was very familiar with it. She took off her dull blue cloth coat and changed into a bright and clear one. With the sheepskin coat, she looked less bloated. A pair of deep grape purple shoes appeared under her skirt embroidered with lotus flowers.
Song Jin got off the sedan chair, took smaller steps, and walked slowly over and bowed.
"Long live Master Ji."
Du Juan put a lot of thought into this trip. In addition to hairstyle and jewelry, she even taught her etiquette again.
Song Jin used to be a maid in the kitchen. Her manners were not as thorough as those of the head maid in the mistress's room, such as Dujuan. Therefore, Dujuan gave her a good lesson before letting her go out in public.
Ji Shubai felt a little flattered when he saw this. The person in front of him looked like Song Jin, but also not like Song Jin. Seeing her bowing gently, he didn't know how to respond for a moment, so he had to follow suit. Unexpectedly, as soon as he shook hands, Song Jin couldn't help laughing.
The ladylike attire was only three points, especially in front of the familiar Ji Shubai.
"Master Ji, why are you so embarrassed today that you can't even speak."
"You're making fun of me again." This was the familiar Song Jin: "Come in quickly, Lord Lu won't be here until later."
The two sat in the hall. Qingshan served them tea, and his eyes glanced up and down at Song Jin.
This doesn't look like the tomboy who learned horse riding from me.
Song Jin wanted to laugh when she saw this, but she held it back, reminding herself all the time to be more ladylike and maintain her composure.
She picked up the tea bowl and imitated Ji Shubai, skimming off the foam with the lid, listening to the sound of the delicate celadon colliding. When she had stirred enough, she put it to her lips and prepared to take a sip. However, she felt it was too hot before she even touched it, so she had to smell it instead.
“This tea smells so good.”
There is also tea in Song Jin's shop, but the tea is not very good and cannot compare with what Ji Shubai drinks.
"If you like, take some with you when you leave. I can't finish it all by myself anyway."
"Then why did you buy so much?"
"The Chai family is in the tea business and they occasionally send it."
Song Jin understood and was not surprised.
In theory, the relationship between Ji Shubai and the Chai family is not like the general relationship between officials and businessmen, where businessmen protect officials and officials protect businessmen. Instead, it is like friends who have known each other since childhood. In this case, if the Chai family sends some food and daily necessities, as long as it is not a large amount, it can be said to be a gift between friends.
But with this title, and Ji Shubai being in Suzhou, then no matter what they do overtly or covertly, others will tacitly acknowledge this relationship.
Just like Song Jin, she obviously had nothing with Ji Shubai, but when she threw the fan in front of the steward at Chai's house that day, Steward Song immediately wanted to do business with her.
Once outsiders tacitly acknowledge this relationship, she will be unable to escape even if she wants to.
"Then I won't be polite." There's nothing to hide, just be open and honest.
Ji Shubai didn't know if it was because he had been in officialdom for too long, and he was used to the hypocrisy and roundabout way people talked to each other, so he was surprised to see Song Jin speak so frankly.
"I like you like this."
Song Jin suddenly broke down and started shaking with laughter.
Ji Shubai's words sounded just like a pampered boss saying to the woman who offended him, "Woman, you have successfully caught my attention." Song Jin couldn't help himself.
"What are you laughing at again?"
Song Jin laughed even more, because she found that Ji Shubai liked her to offend him a little, and then coax him when he was angry. He was easy to coax, and he would be appeased with just a few words.
Ji Shubai had no idea what she was thinking and just stared at her.
Song Jin showed no fear: "Sir, you look pretty when you're angry."
Ji Shubai turned his face away angrily, which made Song Jin want to tease him even more.
She stood up, brought his cup of tea and walked to him, bowed politely, and said softly: "Master Ji, I just said something wrong. I hope Master Ji will not hold a grudge and forgive me this time."
Ji Shubai puffed his cheeks and said, "Will you say the same thing when you meet Lord Lu later?"
Song Jin rolled his eyes and said, "If not this way, how should I put it?"
Ji Shubai turned away angrily: "Think about it yourself."
The words sounded like a spoiled child, which was not suitable for talking to Lu Junnian. It had to be changed.
Song Jin chased after his face and said in a serious tone, "Master Ji, I spoke out of turn. I hope you won't blame me. Please drink this cup of tea and forgive me."
Ji Shubai pursed his lips, this seemed to be more appropriate, so he raised his hand to take the tea: "This is more like it."
Who would have thought that before Song Jin even took the tea, his hands were shaking with laughter.
She felt like the two of them were playing a role-playing game, she was playing the timid little lady and Ji Shubai was playing the temper tantrum dog, so she was having a lot of fun.
"Just hold on."
"Okay, okay, hahahaha—"
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