Chapter 63: Girl, I and your brother Ji are close friends. ...
Song Jin felt lucky. He was lucky that Ji Shubai was not a ruthless person. He was lucky that Ji Shubai was not Pan Jinlian. He was lucky that he was in Ming Dynasty and not in "Water Margin".
After all, he is a rule-abiding person. If he fails to kill someone, he will just give up instead of tying him up and forcing him to drink.
Since coming to this world, Song Jin felt that her requirements for good people were getting lower and lower, so low that those who let her drink poison herself instead of having others drink poison were all good people. This was not a good phenomenon.
She had to find a way to get this matter resolved as soon as possible so that she could escape from this house arrest.
Song Jin's stomach growled, urging her to run to the kitchen. She complained all the way that there was no trash can and she had to go to the kitchen to throw things away. But as soon as she got to the kitchen, she smelled a familiar smell.
Mother Chen was squatting beside the stove, fanning the fire with a fan. A familiar smell wafted from the earthenware pot on the stove.
The old lady was very diligent in making the poison.
Song Jin stood at the door with a gloomy face. It was too early to conclude that he was a good guy.
"The girl is here? You were so anxious just now that you didn't even have breakfast. I'll cook noodles for you."
Song Jin: “…”
"Hey, why is this bowl broken? Have you drunk the medicine? I made it especially for you."
Song Jin felt his whole body stiffen.
"The young master came back early in the morning and said he would make medicine for you. Take this medicine three times a day. It is very good for your health."
To nourish the body? Isn't that killing people?
"Your leg, you need to see a doctor, otherwise it's not good for a girl to be lame."
Song Jin: “…”
Liar! You made her cry like that. Is it hard for her to speak clearly? You actually frightened her and cursed him to be a mute in his next life.
Song Jin ate a bowl of noodles in the kitchen silently. He didn't know if Mother Chen rarely saw outsiders, but she talked a lot.
"How did you sleep last night?"
“Is the noodles delicious?”
"Where did the wound on your neck come from?"
"How did you get to know my little master?"
......
Mother Chen was still talking until Song Jin finished eating the noodles.
"You stay in this yard, don't run around. The young master told you not to go out. I asked my old man to call the doctor, he will be back soon. Your clothes are not good, they smell. I will find you some clothes to change into."
After saying that, Mother Chen went inside. When Song Jin saw that the person was out of sight, he raised his leg and ran outside.
Ji Shubai didn't want to kill her, which meant he was soft-hearted. Now was a good time to attack. She couldn't just stand there and waste time, she had to take the initiative.
The kitchen was not far from the gate. Song Jin ran to the patio in a few steps. The gate was at the corner. The doorman had gone to call for the doctor, so the kitchen was empty at the moment, so it was a good opportunity for him to escape.
However, as soon as he turned the corner, Song Jin stopped immediately.
There was indeed no one at the door, but two officers were guarding it.
"Go back, go back," the two men unceremoniously drove Song Jin back, "Master Ji said that you can't go out, go back."
Abusing public power for personal gain is extremely shameless!
Song Jin went back unhappy.
Mother Chen helped Song Jin find an old set of clothes. They were made of blue cotton material. They were not bright, but they were clean and barely fit her.
"This is the clothes my little master wore when he was young. It's old and too small. Please don't dislike it."
"There are no girls in this house. My wife's old clothes are not suitable for you to wear. You can't wear my old clothes either. You have to make do with this old dress."
Song Jin was a little surprised. In her impression, Ji Shubai was not a poor man. How could he wear cotton clothes that were washed white and had kept them for so many years?
Mother Chen gave her an explanation.
"My young master is nostalgic, and this dress was made for him by his wife back then, so he is reluctant to give it to others."
Speaking of Madam, Song Jin remembered that Ji Shubai's parents were both gone, and he couldn't help but feel curious.
"Master Ji is not very old, why are both his parents dead?"
Unexpectedly, after hearing this question, Mrs. Chen, who is always talkative, didn't seem to want to answer.
"My young master doesn't like me to mention these things to others, so don't ask, especially don't ask in front of him."
Song Jin shut up obediently and took the old clothes to wash.
Song Jin couldn't go out and had nothing to do. Yesterday she only went to the hall and the small courtyard where she lived, and had never seen other places. Today she couldn't be surprised and simply walked around in this courtyard.
There were rockeries, lakes, corridors, curved bridges, and secluded pavilions. Song Jin could even see that the relief carvings on the door were truly varied.
Judging from the layout and size, it was once a good family. Song Jin remembered that Lord Luo said that Ji Shubai's father was the admiral of Fujian Sea Road, which should be a high position, but it did not correspond to the furniture in the house. Song Jin saw that the wood was cheap, the workmanship was simple, and the paint in some places had been repeatedly repaired.
Weird.
Song Jin was strolling in the yard with her hands behind her back. There were very few servants around, so she moved around the yard with almost no obstruction. As long as she didn't go out, no one would stop her.
She kept walking like this until she saw a woman in white at the end of Nagqu Bridge.
Song Jin was quite far away and could only see the woman's back. She was dressed in white and looked dressed up.
Is there a woman in the backyard of Ji’s family?
Aren’t you not married?
Song Jin became curious and walked over. The woman seemed to have heard the voice, so she turned around and saw Song Jin.
With just one glance, Song Jin understood that there are reasons why people in this world are licking their bootlickers.
But the woman had a silver-plate face, almond eyes, a pair of red lips that were half-opened, and a small and straight nose with a slightly blunt tip, which added a touch of innocence to her plump face.
As for the rest, Song Jin didn't see anything else. Her attention was completely drawn to those eyes.
The big round watery eyes, dark pupils and long eyelashes were looking at her puzzledly.
"Who are you?"
As Song Jin asked, the girl seemed frightened and took a half step back. She put her hands in front of her body, clutching a scarlet handkerchief, and looked at the ground: "I'm here to see Brother Ji."
The voice was sweet and gentle, but Song Jin didn't like what he heard.
Brother Ji, she almost got goosebumps.
But after thinking about it, I immediately understood.
What brother and sister? Ji Shubai hasn't gotten married yet, so he's most likely here for marriage, but I don't know who the arrow is pointing at.
"Your brother Ji, he's out."
Song Jin spoke in a relaxed tone and walked towards the woman, but she blushed and took a half step back. Song Jin noticed this and stood still.
"Then, sir, do you know when Brother Ji will be back?"
The woman didn't look up, and Song Jin was a little disappointed.
"It should be... soon. I don't know. Why don't you wait a little longer?"
She was bored and wanted to talk to a beautiful woman. But the woman turned her body to the side and was about to walk onto the bridge when a faint fragrance came.
"Where are you going girl?"
The girl paused for a moment and said, "I'll just go ahead and wait."
Song Jin was anxious, as he hadn't seen enough of the beauty.
"Then I'll accompany you."
The girl paused, her voice full of nervousness, and then quickened her pace: "I won't bother you, sir."
Song Jin: “…”
For a moment, Song Jin wanted to tell her that he was also a woman, but he was afraid of causing misunderstanding. After all, he felt that this woman and Ji Shubai must have that kind of relationship.
She watched the woman walk away and realized that she had made a very bad start. Did the girl think she was a pervert?
Song Jin knew that he had not noticed her identity, so he had to follow her from a distance. The woman walked for a while before turning back to see Song Jin following her from a distance.
The girl looked ahead and then behind, hesitating.
"Girl, do you want me to talk to you?"
Song Jin learned his lesson and decided not to move forward. He just stood on a tree and talked to her so as not to frighten her again.
The girl didn't answer, but just stood there with her head down, neither moving forward nor backward.
Song Jin walked closer and pointed to a small garden: "Miss, there is a table over there, do you want to sit and wait?"
The girl hesitated, and finally walked over and sat on a stone bench.
Song Jin stood at the entrance of the small garden and spoke to her: "Miss, what should I call you?"
"My last name is Pei." Although the voice was low, it was not as flustered as before. He probably realized that Song Jin had no intention of getting closer.
"So it's Miss Pei, my last name is Song." Song Jin said with a smile, "What do you want to talk to your brother Ji about?"
Miss Pei blushed: "No... not some slave's..."
Song Jin knew that he had said something wrong again, so he simply stopped mentioning Ji Shubai: "Girl, are you here alone?"
"The nurse is waiting for me in the hall."
"Is there any emergency?"
The girl turned around slightly and didn't answer. Song Jin guessed it was difficult to say.
"If the young lady is not in a hurry to leave, can I chat with her?"
The girl tilted her head slightly and looked Song Jin up and down: "Sir, are you here to see Brother Ji as well?"
Song Jin smiled and said, "I live here." The girl was a little surprised, and Song Jin quickly added, "Your brother Ji and I are close friends."
Song Jin felt that this was true, they both wanted to kill each other.
"That's Brother Ji's best friend."
Song Jin just smiled, neither refutating nor admitting. The girl relaxed her guard a little and started talking incoherently. Song Jin also gradually understood the girl's situation.
The girl's surname is Pei, and her aunt is Ji Shubai's aunt. As for why she came to see Ji Shubai, the girl refused to answer, so Song Jin did not ask.
"Your brother Ji may not come back today. If you really have something urgent, you might as well go to the government office to find him." Lady Song Jin had seen enough and spoke more seriously.
"I know. I won't go to the government office. I'll just wait here."
"Why?"
The girl didn't answer again, but just looked at the sky. It was almost noon.
"Miss, do you want to stay for dinner? I have to..."
"No, I'll just sit for a while and then leave."
Song Jin felt that this girl was just wasting time, so he pointed to a stool opposite and asked her: "Miss, can you allow me to sit down and talk?"
The girl covered her lips with a handkerchief and said neither good nor bad. Song Jin walked over and sat down.
"What do you do on weekdays, girl?"
"She is just doing some needlework." Then she asked, "Where is Master T?"
Song Jin really didn't like his identity as a child of a family, so he lied: "I used to be a sailor."
"Sailor?" The girl rolled her eyes, not seeming to understand.
"It means going out to sea to do business and sell things."
"Going out to sea?" The girl's eyes, which were already round, widened even wider. "I see that you are not that old, so why would you go out to sea? Aren't you afraid?"
Song Jin saw that the girl was somewhat interested, and since she had no one to talk to, he started chatting her up.
"Of course I am afraid. The waves on the sea can overturn the whole ship if the wind blows."
"Really?" the girl gasped.
"Isn't it true? When the wind started, the boat rocked and many people vomited."
The girl covered her nose, but her eyes were fixed on Song Jin.
"We went to Siam. Do you know Siam? They always say Sawadee Ka when they talk. It's next to the sea. We even swam in the sea. The seabed is so beautiful, just like Danzhou..."
Song Jin talked about the things he was good at incessantly. He simply stood up and started talking, from Sawadee ka to hello, from brown skin to blonde hair and blue eyes. He talked about a girl until he forgot the time until a voice came from outside.
"Girl...Girl..."
Miss Pei heard the shout and her face sank. "Oh no." She stood up and ran outside. When she was about to run out of the small garden, she turned around and asked Song Jin, "Will the young master be here tomorrow?"
"It should be there."
"Then...if I come again tomorrow..."
"I'll continue."
The girl gave a bright smile, turned and ran away.
Ji Shubai did not come back that day, and Miss Pei also left. Song Jin stayed alone in the yard, wandering around again and again, and finally sat down in the garden out of boredom.
It's really hard to live like this, waiting for others to decide your fate.
It was getting dark. The Chinese-style buildings that looked very simple and quaint during the day turned into Chinese-style horrors at night. Song Jin went to bed early and slept soundly last night, so he didn't notice the smell. Today, he looked carefully and didn't even dare to walk on the path in the garden.
As Song Jin walked into his yard, he complained in his heart why there were not more lanterns hung?
I returned to the house, and the more I looked under the dim candlelight, the more frightened I became. I simply went into the study and started looking for a book to read.
She already knew that The West Chamber was very popular in the world, but Song Jin did not find The West Chamber, but found a copy of The Water Margin, and began to read it on the table.
Traditional Chinese characters, vertically arranged, with words next to each other, Song Jin didn't last long before he fell into a deep sleep, and when he woke up, it was already daybreak.
Song Jin touched her face and felt like she was dreaming. Everything around her was fake, but the things in front of her were very real. She sighed, stood up, rubbed her numb arms, and went forward to find water with a basin in her arms.
While washing her face, she thought that Miss Pei would come again today, so she might as well make something delicious for her. So she asked Mother Chen for some dried corn, picked out the kernels, melted the sugar, slowly coated them, and then fried them in the oil pan.
Mother Chen stood aside, listening to the constant banging sounds in the pot.
"What are you doing?"
"I'll do the cannonball."
Mother Chen cried out, "The cannonballs are buried in the fire, why are you in the pot?"
Song Jin smiled and said, "My method is different from others. You will know after you have tasted it."
Mother Chen had no choice but to wait for the cannonballs to come out of the pot. After the cannonballs came out, her first reaction was not to eat them, but to look at the pot.
Fortunately it's not broken.
While muttering to herself, Song Jin had already stuffed a cannonball into Mother Chen's mouth. It tasted sweet and fragrant.
"It's delicious." Mother Chen nodded as she ate. "How did you make it? My little master likes sweet food. Teach me and I will make it for him in the future."
Song Jin smiled and said, "That won't work. I plan to make money from this business."
"Depend on this?" Mother Chen picked up a grain of corn and turned it over and over. "I think it's cleaner than the ones buried in the ashes, sweeter, more fragrant, and better looking. Hey, where do you sell it? When you sell it, I'll buy it and send it to my little master."
Song Jin smiled and said, "Don't worry, if I can sell it in the future, I will definitely deliver it to him personally."
Mother Chen was very happy. Song Jin asked for some more tea leaves, but she refused to brew them now. She wanted to wait for Miss Pei to come.
Song Jin took a bowl of roasted corn, a can of tea, a teapot, and two cups and went to the small garden in the backyard.
That morning, she sat on the stone bench in the garden in a daze, hoping from the bottom of her heart that Miss Pei from yesterday would come over, but she never expected that she would actually be waiting for her.
Nearing the hour of Si, a voice of "Young Master Song" called her back. Song Jin turned around and saw a young woman standing at the entrance of the small garden.
She was wearing a dress the color of the sea and sky, and a crabapple velvet hairpin was inserted in her black bun. The lilac jade pendant on her ear swayed gently with her steps, hitting her fair cheeks again and again, making it impossible to take your eyes off her.
"Miss Pei?" She finally met someone who could listen to her carefully, unlike Ji Shubai, who thought everything she said was a lie.
Even though it was a lie, it's not her fault. She didn't want to travel through time.
"Mr. Song."
Miss Pei bowed from a distance, and Song Jin returned the bow respectfully. When their eyes met, the girl's face turned red.
"The young master is still here."
Song Jin thought, isn’t it? Your brother Ji won’t let me go.
"The girl is here today..." Song Jin felt that the girl might have come to see her today.
Miss Pei moved towards the stone table and said, "I'm here to find Brother Ji."
You're lying. No one is at home. Why is she here? She's obviously here to find me.
However, Song Jin did not expose her: "What a pity, Master Ji is not at home now, why don't you let me wait with the girl?"
Miss Pei smiled, agreeing to this reason.
The two of them sat down together, Song Jin suggested going to get some hot water to make tea, and then he went out in a flash.
This time she was more cautious, knowing that the girl didn't want anyone to know that she was talking to a man in the backyard, so she walked through the corridor on the side of the hall to the kitchen. When she reached the stained glass window, she leaned over and took a look. Sure enough, she saw a woman in her forties sitting in the hall, and Mother Chen was talking to her on the side. She then quietly slipped away.
Mother Chen prepared boiling water on the stove in the kitchen. Song Jin scooped it into the copper pot with a spoon and slipped back to the backyard. Miss Pei was standing in front of a blooming pomegranate flower in a daze.
"Miss Pei, I'll get some water, let's make tea together."
Song Jin made some tea and pushed the radish towards her: "I learned this outside. They call it popcorn. Try it. It's quite different from cannonballs."
“Paogu?” Miss Pei was a little surprised: “I have never eaten Paogu before.”
"ah?"
Song Jin guessed that this young lady in the boudoir probably wouldn't eat something dug out of ashes. She felt from the bottom of her heart that this girl was really a flower in a greenhouse, beautiful and gentle, and knew nothing about the outside world, but at the same time was full of curiosity.
Miss Pei took a piece of popcorn and slightly opened her red lips. Song Jin stared at her intently and felt that she ate differently from others, always in a very slow and gentle manner, as if she was afraid of hurting the popcorn.
Miss Pei noticed Song Jin's gaze, turned slightly to the side, covered her lips with a handkerchief and ate slowly. She was not surprised or shocked, but her face was slightly red.
“Is it delicious?”
“It’s delicious.”
The girl spoke softly, and Song Jin also spoke softly, as if to coax her: "Then I'll cook for you next time, okay?"
Miss Pei lowered her head and said nothing, and stopped eating.
"What's wrong? Don't like it? Then I'll try something else. I can make a lot of things."
Two tears fell, and Song Jin panicked: "What's wrong? I...did I say something wrong?"
Miss Pei shook her head and finally spoke: "I don't go out often. If it weren't for my mother asking me to come and see Brother Ji, I wouldn't even be able to leave the house. Now I've been here for two days in a row, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to go out again."
"Ah? Why? Didn't you see him? Come back tomorrow."
Miss Pei shook her head: "You are a man. If the wet nurse knew about this, she would definitely tell mother. By then, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to come here."
"Your brother Ji is also a man."
"This is different." Miss Pei stood up and said slowly, "It was my mother and aunt's idea to come to see Brother Ji, but you are not Brother Ji, you are a stranger, this is different."
"Your brother Ji is also a foreign man."
"He's different."
Song Jin felt that the whole world was biased towards Ji Shubai, but she refused to admit defeat: "It's different. It was your mother and aunt's idea that you came to see your brother Ji, but it was your idea that you came to see me. Of course it's different."
She wanted to beat Ji Shubai, but the girl panicked.
"Don't talk nonsense."
Song Jin just shut up.
"Brother Ji and I...Brother Ji and I..."
Miss Pei pondered for a long time but couldn't come up with a clear answer, so Song Jin simply spoke for her: "But your parents want you to marry your brother Ji?"
Miss Pei lowered her head, neither admitting nor denying, which meant she agreed.
"But you don't want to?"
This time Miss Pei shook her head.
It's over, Song Jin thought, it's better to let Ji Shubai, that old-fashioned guy with a pretty face but no substance, seduce him.
"Marriage is a matter for my parents to decide. It is not my place to make the decision myself."
There was resentment in her voice, and Song Jin could tell that she had never thought about whether she was willing to get married or not, she just knew that she had to be obedient.
"What if you are asked to make the decision yourself?"
"Ah?" Miss Pei was a little surprised: "Marriage is a big matter, how can a girl decide on her own? Isn't that unfilial? And..."
Song Jin guessed that she wanted to say that she was unfaithful to her husband. After all, she never dated other men, so how could she make the decision on her own to choose her marriage partner?
"Where do you usually go and what do you do?"
The Bai family had no young ladies, but in Mancao's memory, Wen Ya would occasionally go out to meet friends, worship Buddha, listen to books or watch plays, or invite friends home. It was still quite lively. It was only after Song Jin came through that something happened in the family that she became a little quieter.
"I don't go out often. My mother said that girls should stick to their duties. Don't buy fortune-telling, don't listen to storytellers, don't follow lectures, don't feed monks, don't burn incense on the top of the mountain, don't burn incense in the temple, don't watch the spring lanterns, don't learn to play the guitar or sing..."
Miss Pei said many "Mo's" in one breath, which made Song Jin nod his head. He was surprised that she could remember so many "Mo's" and strictly abide by them. No wonder she blushed when she saw her and liked it so much when she told her a story.
She is easy to deceive and coax. She would be worried if the girl went out alone.
But she still came to see her, a man in her eyes.
Song Jin knew clearly that rules were rules and thoughts were thoughts. In the 21st century, people were still encouraged to have three children, which essentially meant that people were not going to have any more children. There were a lot of "Mo's" in the Ming Dynasty, and essentially the girls were unwilling to keep their promises.
No one is dead, and everyone's mind is alive. Who doesn't want to see more and hear more during their life on earth?
Song Jin is the most interesting person that Miss Pei can currently meet, so even if it goes against her principles, she is willing to take the risk to meet him.
After guessing what the girl was thinking, Song Jin invited the girl to sit down again, poured her tea and invited her to eat popcorn, while he started from the areas he was good at.
That day, she talked about everything from Qiongying to Mulan, from The Lion King to Ponyo on the Cliff. Miss Pei listened attentively, not caring about eating or drinking. Her eyes seemed to be fixed on Song Jin's face, until a voice interrupted her.
"Miss Pei."
The voice was cold and without a trace of emotion.
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