Chapter 277: Want to Engage Me?
After Murong Yu ordered to keep a close eye on the residences of the nobles, someone soon came back to report:
Recently, all the prefectures have been preparing to participate in the Apricot Blossom Banquet.
From the beginning of spring to the end of spring, almost every family in the capital takes turns holding a spring viewing party, and there are few days of rest.
It’s cold in winter and it’s inconvenient for people to go out, so when spring comes, everyone wants to make up for the parties they missed in winter.
However, each exhibition has its own characteristics. Some use flowers as the theme, while others use leaves as the theme for poetry.
The banquet held by the Duke of Ming’s Mansion this time is called the Apricot Blossom Banquet.
The biggest feature of the banquets held in their house is not the extravagance, but the large number of people.
The old Duke and his wife are in their seventies. They loved holding banquets when they were young, and now that they are old, they still like it.
Birthdays have to be celebrated, the New Year has to be celebrated, flowers have to be blooming in spring, tea has to be enjoyed in summer, crabs have to be eaten in autumn, and snow viewing has to be celebrated in winter.
Both men and women are welcome, and a curtain can be used to divide the venue into two parts.
The old duke and the old lady are not good at anything else, but they are good at matchmaking.
The couple always looked at the children of each family at banquets and would match them up if they thought they were suitable.
Strangely enough, all the couples who were introduced by the old Duke and his wife lived happily together after marriage.
Therefore, every family in the capital privately called them "the Yue Lao couple", and whenever the "Yue Lao couple" held a banquet, every household would come to give them face.
The more red strings you tie, the more people will come to the banquet.
Conversely, the more people come to the banquet, the more marriages will be facilitated.
Of course, there are also people who simply want to have fun, such as Su Zhizhi.
Heishan Prefecture also received the post.
The incense-scented note passed through the hands of everyone in Heishan Mansion.
Wu Yingniang glanced at the post and was really not interested in the Apricot Blossom Banquet.
She was also busy. Instead of going to the Apricot Blossom Banquet, she might as well deal with the restaurant's affairs or practice her shooting skills.
Su Zhizhi wasn't interested either. She had been playing with Gu Qingning every day for the past two days.
It was Gu Qingning’s first time in Chang’an City, and she found many things new and exciting. Su Zhizhi was also happy to take Gu Qingning everywhere.
The day after receiving the invitation from the Mingguo Mansion, Su Zhizhi and Gu Qingning made an appointment to go for an outing in the suburbs together, and Yuan Caiwei also came.
They brought a small table with a lot of food. They put the food on the table and ate while enjoying the fresh air.
Gu Qingning was a little shy when she first met Yuan Caiwei.
She had been bullied by Li Shaoer in the past. Li Shaoer was the concubine's daughter of a sixth-rank official, while Yuan Caiwei in front of her was the general's legitimate daughter.
Fortunately, Yuan Caiwei is lively and generous. She took the initiative to talk to Gu Qingning and told her not to be nervous.
Yuan Caiwei was originally talking about some funny family stories, but she sighed as she was talking:
"My mother received an invitation from the Duke of Ming's Mansion, saying there was an apricot blossom banquet. I didn't want to go, but my mother forced me to go this year, saying that I was already fourteen years old and had to go."
Gu Qingning understood the underlying meaning and asked, "The Apricot Blossom Banquet is a place for people to meet and greet each other. Why not go?"
Yuan Caiwei: "Because I feel very bored."
Su Zhizhi: "My family also received the post yesterday, but my mother and I weren't interested."
Yuan Caiwei's eyes lit up and she grabbed Zhizhi's hand: "Zhizhi, please, go. If you are here, we can play together."
Yuan Caiwei turned around and said to Gu Qingning, "Qingning can go too."
Gu Qingning shook her head. How could she dare to join this circle?
Yuan Caiwei patted her chest and said, "It's okay, just go and see the flowers and have some snacks. If anyone asks, just say you are Zhizhi's cousin."
"The Duke of Ming's Mansion has an opera troupe, and their performances are the best in the entire capital."
"The apricot blossom cake made by their chef is the best in the world!"
"Also, their dog can do backflips..."
Yuan Caiwei tried her best and finally persuaded Su Zhizhi and Gu Qingning to agree.
Su Zhizhi told this story after returning home.
Hao Ren: "Since Zhizhi wants to go, let's go as a family."
There are many people in the Duke of Ming's Mansion, and Hao Ren just needs to interact with all kinds of people in the capital.
Heishan Mansion is always lively during dinner time.
Anyone who thinks of something interesting can speak up.
Everyone was talking about their own things, and Su Zhizhi suddenly asked casually:
"Dad, Mom, Qing Ning and Cai Wei both said that their families are thinking of arranging a marriage for her. Do you want to arrange one for me too?"
Pop.
Old Xu dropped the chopsticks in his hand and was stunned.
This time it's not acting, it's real.
The whole room suddenly became quiet, everyone stopped talking, and everyone's faces looked as surprised as if they had heard a five-year-old child say he wanted to get married.
Su Zhizhi was calm and composed. When she talked about this topic, she was not shy like other girls. She even listed her requirements openly:
"I like practicing martial arts. It would be best if I could find someone I could practice martial arts with, someone I can't knock down with just one punch."
"You have to be good-looking, of course, but you don't have to be as good-looking as my dad."
"Oh yes, they all say that when you get married you have to marry into someone else's family, but I don't want to live in someone else's house. I just want to live in our own house."
"If we really want to get engaged, we should ask the other party if they are willing to live in our house."
"Also, you need to be good at climbing mountains..."
Su Zhizhi's tone was so casual that it was as if she was saying, "This dried radish needs to be chopped finer."
The people in the room were almost petrified. When they heard Su Zhizhi say this, their faces were about to crack.
Bang.
After dinner, Su Zhizhi went back to wash up.
Hao Ren was immediately surrounded by the villagers of Heishan Prefecture.
The villagers were watching eagerly.
Qiu Jinyu: "You guys are going to the apricot blossom banquet, aren't you planning to arrange a marriage for Zhizhi?"
Ni Tianji glanced at Qiu Jinyu and said in a serious tone, "If you want to get engaged, you must first tell Zhizhi. You can't keep the person you are getting engaged to in the dark, otherwise it will be a big mistake."
Hua Erniang: "Zhizhi is only thirteen."
Doctor Yu reminded Hua Erniang: "I was thirteen when you saved me, and you were only eleven."
Hua Erniang: "Don't argue. You are you, and Zhizhi is Zhizhi."
Old Xu: "Which young man in Chang'an is worthy of Zhizhi?"
Bai Xun: "If you want to get engaged to Zhizhi, you must first withstand three strikes from my sword!"
Everyone asked at once, even Wu Yingniang stared at Hao Ren:
"Aren, I think Zhizhi is still young."
Hao Ren rubbed his head. "What are you thinking? Of course I won't arrange a marriage for Zhizhi."
None of the men in Chang'an caught his eye.
Thinking about Zhizhi getting married in the future, Hao Ren, as an old father, was the first one who was reluctant to let her go.
But Zhizhi suddenly mentioned this today. Could it be that he has some plans in mind at the martial arts school?
Hao Ren's heart was filled with alarm.
A few days later, when Su Zhizhi was practicing in the yard, Wu Yingniang was watching beside her, with a look of wanting to say something but hesitating.
Su Zhizhi spun around and swung her whip across the air, shaking the branches and leaves in the yard.
"Mom, do you have something to tell me?" Su Zhizhi asked while drinking water during her break.
Wu Yingniang wiped the sweat off Su Zhizhi's face with a towel:
"Zhizhi, we want to tell you that there's no rush for engagement. You're still young... If you have any thoughts in your mind—"
Su Zhizhi's distinct black and white eyes shone brightly in the sunlight, as if she had completely forgotten that she had mentioned this before:
"Oh, then don't order it. I'm also very busy recently."
Wu Yingniang: "What are you busy with?"
"Busy practicing."
Su Zhizhi gulped down a big mouthful of wintersweet water, a smile of anticipation on her face.
"Dad told me that Che is coming to the capital. I have to intensify my training so that I can compete with Che when the time comes."
"I have no time to think of anything else."
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