Chapter 83: Isn’t Pan Sheng scolding me?
Ji Shubai had good intentions in bringing Song Jin out to relax, but ended up being filled with rage, so he just kept walking forward, not paying any attention to Song Jin behind him.
Qingshan followed behind, and seeing that his master had a very bad face, he thought that the two had quarreled. He couldn't help but look back at Song Jin, but Song Jin was far behind, lying on the horse. His face could not be seen, only his shoulders trembling.
There was no other choice, so he turned around and went to look for Song Jin.
The most important thing is to return to the city before the city gates are closed.
After just two lashes, Qingshan was already in front of Song Jin: "Why are you crying again?"
Song Jin cried so sadly that he didn't answer at all.
"Stop crying, it's important to go back home. My master doesn't look well, I'm sure I'll have a hard time tonight."
After hearing this, Song Jin got up from his horse, his face wet.
"Have you offended my master again?"
Song Jin sobbed twice, but still didn't answer him.
"Why did you mess with him? He is harming me."
When the city gate catches fire, innocent people are affected as well. The master becomes unhappy and the servants suffer.
But when Song Jin heard Qingshan say that he had harmed him, he felt aggrieved. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth to howl.
Tears flowed down my face and I couldn't stop them.
Qingshan was also anxious when he saw this: "Hey, why are you crying even harder? We have to go back to the city. My master..."
As soon as Qingshan mentioned Ji Shubai, he appeared.
Song Jin was crying so hard that she didn't see anything. Qingshan couldn't help but move closer and poked her with her elbow. Song Jin then opened her eyes and saw Ji Shubai's cold face.
She immediately stopped talking and wiped her face twice with her sleeves. She swallowed back all the tears, grievances and wailing.
"Go to the front."
Ji Shubai gave the order in a cold voice, and Song Jin obediently rode his horse to the front.
When she walked to the side of the entourage, she was being scrutinized by everyone as if she were being inspected. She lowered her head and pretended not to see anything, and walked straight forward.
There was no conversation along the way, but after returning to the county government office, Song Jin encountered a new problem.
The things that Gao Juren sent her were delivered to the house where she lived according to the number of posts.
The banquet and cloth were easy to deal with, but the problem was the sheep that was led away. It was really the sheep that had been stabbed, and Song Jin felt both aggrieved and angry when he saw it.
Deal with them one by one.
She couldn't finish the banquet by herself, so she kept a few of her favorite side dishes and a jar of wine, and gave the rest to the servants who followed her.
She took the brocade silk herself, tied the sheep in the yard, and fed them with vegetables she exchanged for two dishes from the kitchen.
So that night, Song Jin held a jar of wine and drank and ate at one end of the yard, while the sheep lay at the other end of the yard and ate vegetables.
The more Song Jin thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. It was a rare moment when she felt guilty, but she was scolded like that. She felt so uncomfortable that she drank without restraint.
By the time the moon was at its zenith, she was already drowsy and rolled into bed to fall asleep.
She faced the wall and tried to persuade the damn ghost with kind words. She had already said what she needed to say. You wanted to bump into it yourself, so you can't blame me.
She faced outwards and thought that he had helped her after all. He was not like the people in history books who were just dry names. Shouldn't she repay the favor?
She turned over and called me "son of a bitch!"
She turned over again. Was it because she had been too tactful just now and he didn't understand?
......
Song Jin spent half the night making pancakes on his bed and finally fell into a deep sleep under the influence of alcohol. When he woke up, it was already noon the next day.
She slept for a long time and was very hungry when she woke up, so she ran to the kitchen to find something to eat.
The kitchen was particularly lively on this day, with many chefs working together and every stove was ablaze with red.
"What day is it today? Why is the kitchen so busy?"
Song Jin asked casually, and a maid turned around and answered her: "A distinguished guest has arrived. The county magistrate has asked us to serve you well. You can also enjoy it orally."
This sentence piqued Song Jin's interest. In her opinion, Ji Shubai was the distinguished guest, but it was obviously not him that the old woman was talking about.
"Which distinguished guest is this?"
"It's Lord Pan, who used to be a high-ranking official in the capital."
Song Jin curled his lips, it's the same as not saying anything.
"What kind of official? How high of an official?"
Song Jin asked like squeezing toothpaste, and this time more people spoke up.
"Master Pan, the Minister of Rites, Master Pan."
"Yes, that's him. I heard from my old man that he was the runner-up in the imperial examination in the 20th year of Jiajing. He's quite impressive. He said he was going out to have fun this time and passed by here."
"Come to think of it, we haven't received such a high-ranking official here yet, right?"
"They won't stay here even if they come."
"He said that he was no longer an official and was going out to relax."
"It's good to be a high-ranking official. Even if you don't become one, our master will still treat you like an honored guest."
"Tell your son to study hard and pass the imperial examination. Then our master will support you."
"Hahaha--"
Song Jin thought for a while and soon a name popped up: Lord Pan, the Minister of Rites.
Pan Sheng.
Song Jin slapped his thigh and ran away.
A living antique, she has to see it.
However, he turned back halfway through the run, panting and saying, "Mom, give me a bowl of noodles."
She would go after she had eaten. Besides, she hadn’t found out which house she would live in yet.
Song Jin ate while chatting with the old women, and they found out almost everything from their busy conversation.
Pan Sheng is a kind person and is very popular among his servants. He does not have the airs of a high-ranking official at all and is very easy-going.
After retiring, he returned to his hometown and often made donations, so he had a very good reputation.
The last point is that this person has a handsome appearance and will be a handsome old man even when he is old.
It was because of these reasons that Song Jin took a closer look at this person's information when he was reading history, and thus remembered this person. However, he did not expect to meet him now.
Song Jin had found out almost everything, but her passion was dashed because Qingshan had told her that it was not someone she could casually meet with a runner-up who had served as an official in Beijing. Ji Shubai and the magistrate must be there with her at the moment, so she was not qualified to serve tea or water. She simply ate some vegetables after the meal and went back to the house to feed the lambs.
The sheep wasn't in good condition, its hind legs were injured and it basically had to lie on the ground to eat.
Song Jin had no medicine and didn't know if there was a veterinarian here. In this hot weather, he could only tie the dog under the shade of a tree.
It's very evil.
After watching it finish eating the vegetables, Song Jin fed it some water and wondered where the sheep was going, but he had no answer. He could only curse Gao Ce in his heart.
You can't take the sheep away, and you can't raise it. Gao Ce gave her the sheep not because he thought she was kind and asked her to save the sheep, but because he wanted Song Jin to kill the sheep herself.
The more Song Jin thought about it, the angrier he became. He wished he could turn Gao Ce into a rope, tie a knot in it, throw it on the ground and stomp on it a few times.
Song Jin just stayed in the yard like this until about 3 p.m., when she guessed that the excitement over there should be over, and then she quietly went out to look for her living fossil.
It was simpler than expected. One reason was that Song Jin had been following Ji Shubai for quite a while and had become familiar with the county government. Last night, they had invited a banquet and everyone was very polite to her. So after asking around, she found out that Mr. Pan was playing in the flower hall, so Song Jin ran to the flower hall.
When approaching the flower hall, Song Jin slowed down his pace, pretended to be a gentleman, and approached slowly.
From afar, she heard cheerful voices talking inside, saying something like "Fragrance and Sparse Shadows" and "Three Variations of Plum Blossoms". It seemed like a young girl and an old man were playing.
She moved closer and looked through the open window, and saw an old man and a person dressed as a young man playing cards.
That young man...
Song Jin almost laughed out loud. Like himself, this woman was a woman dressed as a man. Moreover, the woman had delicate skin, red lips, white teeth, and a sweet voice. She looked even less like a man than she did.
She guessed that the old man with his back to her was Pan Sheng. He didn't look fat, his hair was gray, and he had a long beard from the side. He had a loud voice, so he should be in good health.
Song Jin remembered him as one of the officials who were impeached during the purge of Zhang Juzheng.
Fortunately, he had retired at that time, and Zhang Juzheng recommended him before his death, so he was recalled. However, Zhang Juzheng died before he arrived in Beijing to take up his post, and he was impeached and dismissed from office on the way.
He was lucky in theory, as he just had to walk a longer distance and was not affected by demotion or transfer.
Song Jin was staring at it in a daze, and for a moment he didn't notice someone approaching from behind.
"what are you doing here?"
A voice came out of nowhere, startling Song Jin so much that he even knocked the window loudly.
Now everyone saw her.
"Who is it?" Pan Sheng asked.
Ji Shubai walked out and gave Song Jin a look, signaling her to follow.
After the two entered the door, Ji Shubai bowed and said, "I am Shubai, a student, passing by here. I am sorry to bother you, teacher."
After saying that, he gave Song Jin another look, and Song Jin quickly bowed and said, "I am Lu Jin, and I am here to see Master Pan."
After Song Jin finished speaking, he didn't know if what he said was right or not, and then he heard a sweet voice saying, "Oh, another one calling you Sir. Sir, Sir, hahahaha——"
Song Jin guessed that the woman had a very good relationship with Pan Sheng, otherwise she wouldn't have joked like that.
Pan Sheng really didn't mind, and said in a kind voice: "Don't tease me. You just said you were going to change clothes. Now I have someone to accompany me, so go quickly."
After that, he asked Ji Shubai and Song Jin to sit down: "You two come and play with me, so that she won't complain about me all the time."
The woman covered her lips and smiled. Song Jin looked at the red and white cards on the table, but couldn't laugh.
She doesn't know how to play. She doesn't know how to play any of the 21st century Pai Gow or Poker. At most, she can only count points. Now that she is asked to play this game, she is stunned.
The girl was quite clever. Seeing her dull look, she guessed that she didn't know how to play, so she said with a smile, "I see that this young master is in a bit of a dilemma. Grandfather, how about we play something simpler?"
"You're not playing, yet you're still nagging."
"Grandpa~"
Song Jin could tell it was a grandfather and granddaughter. It is said that grandparents are closer than grandchildren. Pan Sheng doted on his granddaughter, so he agreed to her request.
The rules of the game are simple. First, each player draws three cards, and then they play a game. The rules are a tune name, two domino names, and a line from West Chamber. Then, the cards are turned over. If the player draws the domino name that was shouted, he has to drink.
It was very simple, but Song Jin had never memorized The West Chamber and didn't know the names of the dominoes. He sat there awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.
If she was facing Ji Shubai, she would have told the truth, but now she was under the guise of a retainer and facing Pan Sheng, she did not dare to make up a story, so she said honestly: "I have never studied The West Chamber, so..."
"Yeah, that's rare, hehe~~~"
The girl loved to laugh, and her voice was like a silver bell, very pleasant to the ear: "Isn't it a coincidence that when I came out this time, I brought a copy of The West Chamber with me."
After saying that, she asked the servant to go to her room to get it, and then asked Song Jin: "Don't tell me that you don't know this bone tile."
Song Jin bared his teeth slowly, feeling extremely embarrassed, and the girl finally couldn't smile this time.
This is a rare little antique.
"Or let the students play with the teachers." Ji Shubai spoke up, intending to let Song Jin end it like this. There was nothing he could do about it.
However, Pan Sheng didn't think so: "If you don't know how to play, just teach me. It's not difficult. Go, there is a card book in my room, go get it."
After giving the order, he smiled at Song Jin and said, "Let's play normally. You can just spread out the book and play. You will get it after playing a few more games."
Song Jin felt instantly relieved.
The girl left, and only three people were left at the table. Song Jin had two books spread out in front of her, one of which was a book of cards and the other was The West Chamber. Fortunately, she had the names of the ci tunes stored in her mind, otherwise she, a 985 graduate, would be illiterate here.
The three of them drew cards in turn. Pan Sheng was the first to draw. He just chanted: "Young swallows fly, peach blossoms fall, flying all over the nine streams and eighteen caves, just like immortals returning to the cave."
Song Jin felt like laughing after hearing this, as this phrase quite fitted his personality and the current situation. Being an official, he would be free and at ease, just like a god returning to heaven.
The cards were turned over, and Song Jin was still checking the book when Pan Sheng smiled and said, "No."
Song Jin was trying frantically to find the right words for himself, but Ji Shubai had already started.
"A bamboo branch, a third of the moon, fireflies flying around people, can kill several evenings."
Song Jin, who was buried in the study, suddenly raised her head after hearing this and looked at Ji Shubai with blinking eyes. Ji Shubai noticed her gaze, glanced at her, and then went to flip the card.
Just with that one glance, Song Jin felt cold and distant. For some reason, she felt like he was scolding her.
A person who can only pretend to be a good person by relying on him is just like a firefly flying by the side of others.
How long can a person who tells lies every day pretend? "How many dusks can he last" is really apt.
Song Jin was holding back his anger, biting his lip as he flipped through the book, not caring whether Ji Shubai was right or not, and finally he came up with a set of swear words.
"Flounder, double flying swallows, a pair of old eyes are dim and can't see the pearl curtain hiding the lotus face."
As soon as these words came out, Ji Shubai's hand that was picking up the cards stopped. Wasn't this just calling him blind? He had seen her so many times, but he didn't recognize that she was a woman.
However, it was not a good time to get angry, so he just sighed and continued to draw cards. Pan Sheng, on the other hand, looked at the two people in turn, and finally asked:
"Are you not scolding me?"
"No, no, no, of course not."
Song Jin was busy explaining and couldn't even speak. It was really an accidental injury. He only remembered to scold Ji Shubai for his poor eyesight and forgot that there was really a presbyopic person on the other side.
Pan Shengru's rumored good temper: "It's good that it's not, it's good that it's not, otherwise it would be bullying me, an old man."
After saying that, he seemed to react and asked Song Jin again: "Who are you scolding?"
He set his eyes on Ji Shubai, making Ji Shubai feel uncomfortable.
"It's just playing, not scolding."
"Oh, really?"
It was obvious that she didn't believe Song Jin's explanation, but Song Jin couldn't care less. He turned over the cards and saw that he had indeed won a Double Flying Swallow. So she picked up the wine glass and drank it down in one gulp. The spiciness made her eyes narrow.
This level has been passed.
Pan Sheng on the other end had already drawn all his cards, and now he continued with a smile: "The swallows have returned, the peach blossoms are red, the willows are green, the warblers are flying and the butterflies are playing together, come and lie down to watch the Altair and Vega stars in the evening."
Then he muttered, "Oh no, no, when the swallows come back, the Altair and Vega won't be there."
Song Jin was amused: "It's just a game."
"Yeah, yeah, just play around, no need to take it seriously."
Song Jin curled his lips after hearing this. He didn't know who he was talking to, but Ji Shubai next door must not have heard it, because he was reading:
"The Jade Butterfly fell in love with the Brocade Screen, but she didn't know that she was born different, which made the traveler who added fragrance anxious."
Song Jin's heart skipped a beat. He was scolding me. He must be scolding me. He was definitely scolding me!
Ji Shubai didn't look at Song Jin's eyes, and turned over the cards by himself. As luck would have it, he got a card that said "Born Different". Song Jin's teeth were bared, and she flipped the pages of a book, which attracted Pan Sheng to stare at her. Then she listened to her reading:
"He blames the east wind, rushes to see the flowers, and does not know that the dragonfly cherishes the morning dew. He must be a stone-hearted person."
Ji Shubai glanced at him, and Song Jin glared back, but she got so excited glaring that she actually forgot to reveal her cards. Ji Shubai's winks were of no use, so he had to reach out and help her reveal her cards.
Song Jin didn't recognize the card.
"Didn't win." The voice was quite light. Song Jin couldn't tell the good from the bad for a moment, so he had to throw away the cards in his hand and grab another one.
Pan Sheng, who was sitting opposite, had been watching the show for a while. At this point, he smiled and said, "There are guests on the Green Lotus Pond, and apricot blossoms are sparse on the willow bank. Little do people know that this landscape can be so charming that even a stone-hearted person can be moved."
Ji Shubai lowered his head and Song Jin bit his lip, neither of them said a word, they just felt numbness in their palms.
Pan Sheng teased the two of them, flipped the cards happily, and drank by himself, so Ji Shubai had no choice but to take it.
"The fairy in the moon, watching the flowers on the Yaotai, can't see the two gentlemen in the bamboo forest, it turns out to be the South China Sea Water Moon Guanyin."
The voice was as low as a thief's, but at least Song Jin heard it clearly. Although he didn't hint at anything to her, at least he didn't curse at her.
While the two were in awkward silence, the girl came back and sat down next to Pan Sheng with a smile on her face.
"How's the fun going?"
Pan Sheng didn't answer, but just glanced at the two of them. The two were so embarrassed that they could hardly sit still.
The girl immediately reacted and giggled: "Whose turn is it now?"
It was Song Jin's turn. She felt her face burning, but she had to continue. She just read:
"Crane soars into the sky, white cliffs and red walls, clear clouds and flowing clouds, it really seems like a person in a jade hall that is hard to approach."
After saying that, he didn't dare to look at Ji Shubai. He turned over the cards himself and won Qingyun Liuxia, and drank another glass of wine.
What bad luck.
Pan Sheng watched the show with a chuckle. At this point, he had more fun teasing the two of them than playing cards, and the two of them were completely defenseless.
"Fisherman's song, half of the river is red, I can't see you in the Twelve Wushan Mountains, it's really the heavens that don't make things easy for people, hahahaha——"
"Grandfather, you didn't answer well..."
Just as the girl was about to say something, someone came in from outside and whispered something in Ji Shubai's ear. Ji Shubai then stood up and asked to leave, and Pan Sheng naturally would not stop him.
Before leaving, Ji Shubai glanced at Song Jin, then looked at the cup in front of her.
He knew that she couldn't drink much and would make a fool of herself if she drank too much.
Song Jin blinked to indicate that he understood, then he turned around and left.
Seeing that he was about to leave, the girl covered her lips and smiled, "Grandfather, you should let me pick you up."
“What will you take?”
"As for me, I will welcome the happy reunion, with flowers facing each other, just like the lotus pods gathering. How can I blame the yellow oriole for being against me?"
"Hahaha, right, right, they come in pairs. Then who is Huang Ying'er?"
“It definitely wasn’t me, hahahaha——”
Ji Shubai had not walked far when he heard the joking voice behind him and his face suddenly became hot.
Song Jin felt extremely uncomfortable sitting there. She was fine when she made fun of others, but when she was caught making fun of them, and it was two against one, she suddenly felt like the bench had thorns on it and she couldn't sit still anymore.
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