On the first day of the first lunar month in the ninth year of Xuanli, morning.
The bustling Jinling City seemed to be still asleep after a night of noise. Fu Xiaoguan had already gotten up and was exercising as usual.
Su Su also got up early. She sat on the roof of a pavilion, her jade-like feet swaying back and forth. Occasionally, she glanced at Fu Xiaoguan, who was jogging in the yard, thinking, "What a lazy guy!" If running could improve martial arts skills, then martial artists wouldn't need to bother with meditation. So, she mostly gazed at the eastern sky.
The snow had just stopped, the sky was high, a red sun rose, and the brilliant rays of light reflected on Susu's face.
Her delicate face was adorned with graceful eyebrows and bright eyes. The corners of her mouth slowly turned up, a smile spread across her face, and her small mouth parted slightly, revealing a few glittering pearly teeth.
She was savoring it.
Thinking back on everything that happened at Dong’s house last night, I realized that this is what Chinese New Year is like.
She squeezed the red envelope Mrs. Dong gave her in her sleeve pocket. This was her New Year's money.
Childhood memories flooded into my mind, a little vague and hazy. I hadn't thought about them for so many years, and they had gradually faded away. When I wanted to pick them up again, I found that they were so fragmented.
She bent her legs, hugged her knees with her hands, looked at the sun that was neither glaring nor cold, and remembered what Fu Xiaoguan said to her last night -
Different youth, same confusion. However, youth will grow, confusion will dissipate. After the night, the sun will rise as usual! {Note 1}
Yes... after the night, the sun will rise as usual.
Just like now.
Well, this guy is quite good at comforting people. Unlike the eldest brother, who always says: "Why do you think about it?" Or the second brother, who would say: "Isn't it better to live in the present?" Or the third sister, who would say: "Overthinking only adds to your troubles."
They are all orphans, and ultimately unwilling to recall or face the past. This... perhaps is the confusion of growing up.
Su Su took a deep breath. Because of Fu Xiaoguan's words, she felt that she had completely come out of it, as if the fog had been cleared. Her mood became relaxed, and even the sun seemed to become more beautiful.
A breath rose in Susu's dantian, and then grew unrestrainedly. Then Susu stood up, and something strange suddenly happened within a radius of ten meters around her.
Su Jue took a step into the air.
Su Rou suddenly flew to the roof opposite.
Fu Xiaoguan stopped and looked at Susu in surprise.
The yellow skirt she was wearing moved without wind, and the snow on the roof of the pavilion was suddenly stirred. The snow was slowly spinning around her body, and then faster and faster. Soon, all the snow around her was dancing and wrapped Susu in it, just like a snowman was piled on the roof of the pavilion.
Fu Xiaoguan was extremely surprised and looked at Su Jue. Su Jue's face was tense and he even forgot to straighten his hat which was tilted an inch. The embroidery needle in Su Rou's hand had stopped, and there was a seriousness in her brows that Fu Xiaoguan had never seen before.
"This is……?"
After a few dozen breaths, Su Jue felt relieved. He landed beside Fu Xiaoguan and straightened his hat, "Hey... Sixth Junior Sister is about to break through again!"
"What's the breakthrough like?" Fu Xiaoguan asked curiously.
"The Nine Yang Heart Sutra has nine levels in total. Sixth Junior Sister had already cultivated to the second level, and Master didn't let her practice anymore. But now... she's about to break through without even practicing! Judging from the situation, breaking through to the third level isn't a problem."
Fu Xiaoguan was very impressed. Damn it, comparing yourself to others will lead to death!
He meditates whenever he has free time, and he has memorized the Nine Yang Heart Sutra by heart. However, after several months, he hasn't felt the so-called Qi at all. But Su Su doesn't even need to practice at all, and she is about to break through without being able to suppress it.
"Will this... be a problem?"
Su Jue shook his head. "Master said... don't force it, let it happen naturally. Now Sixth Junior Sister is very natural, so of course there is no problem."
Fu Xiaoguan looked up at the snowman again. Under the sunlight, the snowman shone with rippling light, which was very beautiful. It really looked like a master. "Why is she wrapped in snow?"
"Because...she's so hot!"
Fu Xiaoguan was stunned. This explanation was so powerful that he couldn't understand it.
Well, let’s see what it looks like when this master breaks through.
And then there was no other scene.
Half an hour later, the thick snow that wrapped Susu slowly melted, and a layer of light mist rose around her body. The mist swirled in the morning breeze and then dissipated, revealing Susu. Her yellow skirt was not wet at all!
She opened her eyes, still looking at the rising sun, and smiled sweetly, and then the sun seemed to lose its brilliance.
She sat down again, her little feet swaying, and looked down at Fu Xiaoguan, "Hey, hey, hey, what are you looking at? Have you never seen a beautiful woman? The early bird catches the worm, right? Why don't you fly faster?"
Fu Xiaoguan was speechless. This was so depressing!
He lowered his head and continued running, but what he was thinking in his heart was how many men would be heartbroken for this little girl when she grew up.
…
Dong Shulan arrived at the Fu Mansion at three quarters past noon. The matter between the two of them was basically settled last night. They were just waiting for Fu Daguan to come to Beijing to propose marriage in a few days. She had obtained her parents' consent, so she needed to take Fu Xiaoguan to visit relatives today.
It's not formal, but it's necessary.
The Dong and Yuan families were both native Jinling people. Both families had people serving as officials in the court and running certain businesses.
This move was necessary for two main reasons. First, it showed these relatives that the relationship between her and Fu Xiaoguan had been approved by her parents, so that the aunts and uncles would no longer try to match her with a son of a prominent family. Second, it made it clear that Fu Xiaoguan would be staying in Shangjing for a long time and serving as an official. The Dong and Yuan families had few officials, and their positions were not high. Although they could not help Fu Xiaoguan in any way, they were asked not to cause trouble.
The more troublesome ones are Dong Shulan's second uncle and third uncle. The second uncle Dong Xiangfang is now the Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple, a sixth-rank official, which is half a level lower than Fu Xiaoguan's fifth-rank doctor.
Third uncle Yuan Su was a Langzhong of the Right Secretariat of the Ministry of Personnel, also a sixth-rank official. This Ministry of Personnel was directly under the leadership of Yan Beixi, so third uncle was the most enthusiastic about marrying Dong Shulan to Yan Xiwen.
Dong Shulan had already told Fu Xiaoguan about these relatives in detail last night, hoping that Fu Xiaoguan would have a general idea of what was going on, as someone might give him a hard time.
She knew Fu Xiaoguan's temper well. He was the kind of person who would not suffer any loss. But these relatives were her elders after all. She hoped that if things were not too ugly, she would just endure it.
Fu Xiaoguan didn't care about this. After all, he was not someone who had any connection with him like Shi Chaoyuan. As for suffering a loss...it was okay to suffer a little loss and grievance if he could marry Dong Shulan.
"Do you think we need to prepare anything else?" asked Fu Xiaoguan.
"That's enough. This isn't a formal visit... We'll have to go again after we get engaged."
"Okay, let's get ready to go."
Under Chunxiu's arrangement, the servants of the mansion loaded all the gifts onto the carriages. Four carriages set off, passing through the newly awakened Jinling City, running over the scattered petals left by last night's fireworks, and heading towards the homes of the relatives of the Dong and Yuan families.
Susu and Chunxiu were accompanying them.
Susu was curious; she thought it was interesting, since it wasn't something you'd see in the temple. Chunxiu, on the other hand, wanted to arrange for a few servants to carry the gifts, and she also wanted to see what the Dong family's relatives were like. Otherwise, how would she answer the master if he asked her about it?
Fu Xiaoguan was not good at such social interactions. He was an orphan in his previous life, so how could he have any relatives?
Then, after rigorous training, he became a lone wolf. He didn't even have a girlfriend, and naturally, he didn't have any relatives.
So at the homes of Dong Shulan's uncle, second uncle, third aunt, and fourth aunt, Fu Xiaoguan didn't say much. Instead, Dong Shulan smiled sweetly and solemnly introduced Fu Xiaoguan to them, then said some New Year's greetings and chatted with them about family matters, and then said goodbye and went to the next house.
Almost all of these relatives were doing business in Jinling, and most of their children were students in the imperial academy. Only Dong Shulan's uncle's third son, Dong Xiumu, became a Jinshi in the fifth year of the Xuanli period. In October of the eighth year of the Xuanli period, he was given an actual position and sent to Heyu County, Ningzhou, in the northern Yellow River to serve as the county magistrate, which was considered as his entry into official career.
They had all heard of the name Fu Xiaoguan a long time ago, and knew that this small landlord from Linjiang was an extraordinary talent, so these relatives liked him openly. But as for behind the scenes - they still shook their heads, thinking that Dong Shulan was such a smart child and Dong Kangping was such an insightful person, but why did they give up Yan Xiwen of the Yan family and choose Fu Xiaoguan, who only held a sinecure!
In the eyes of businessmen, although this investment cannot be said to be a loss, it is obviously not profitable. However, if it is invested in the Yan family, even these relatives can at least get some benefits.
Now that the light has gone out, everyone is of course regretful, but this is Dong Kangping's family matter after all, and even the eldest brother Dong Mingfan can't say anything.
"Next we're going to my second uncle's house. He's the Vice Minister of the Honglu Temple I told you about last night. After you left last night, my father told me that my second uncle probably wouldn't give you a hard time, because the Honglu Temple is organizing the literary gathering you'll be attending during the Cold Food Festival, and my second uncle knows you'll be leading it. My second uncle is a very shrewd man. Although he holds a lower position, he has many connections in the court. I think he understands the implications of this."
Fu Xiaoguan took Dong Shulan's hand and placed it in his palm, saying with a smile: "You really don't have to worry about me. On the contrary, you must be very tired. Thank you for your hard work."
Dong Shulan smiled faintly, two blushes on her face. "I don't feel tired, I feel great, really. I used to worry about my parents, but now the biggest problem has been solved. This is partly due to the help of Her Royal Highness the Princess, but even more so because of you... My dear, this is all worth it."
Su Su, who was sitting in a carriage at the back, was holding a string of candied haws and licking them while saying, "This is... boring!"
Chunxiu turned to look at Susu. The little girl seemed to like sweets very much. "You will get fat if you eat too much sweets."
Su Su raised her beautiful eyebrows and thought that only by eating meat every meal like Second Brother would she get fat.
{Note 1: This sentence is from Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises"}
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