52 Temple Fair
◎Throwing the ball to find a husband◎
In the dream, there was a statue of a goddess, emitting a faint halo, and he slowly walked towards her.
As they got closer, the goddess's face became clearer and clearer. Zhou Sheng's halo faded, and he saw a familiar light yellow.
What came into his sight was the face he saw day and night. He was slightly stunned, and his Adam's apple rolled.
The two phoenixes above his head were embracing each other and making low humming sounds.
…
The next morning, Shu Yao got up early for a rare occasion. She yawned and washed her face with warm water, looking at Ji Shijing's closed door. He rarely got up so late, probably because he stayed up too late last night.
In the room, Ji Shijing rubbed his swollen and painful temples, staring blankly at the mark on the bed. All the things in his dream last night kept flashing through his mind. He closed his eyes and sighed softly.
After getting dressed, he picked up the wooden hairpin on the table. On the hairpin was carved a lifelike phoenix with its wings spread, as if to soar into the sky. He gently twisted the hairpin and suddenly thought of the jade bracelet on Shu Yao's hand.
His eyes darkened and he locked the hairpin in the drawer.
When I opened the door, I saw her sitting under the eaves, holding a bowl of steaming noodles in her hand.
Hearing the sound of a door opening next to her, Shu Yao turned around and said to him with a smile, "A Jing, let's have noodles for breakfast this morning."
He passed by her.
A unique fragrance came, Shu Yao sniffed it, but the smell had already drifted away in the wind, leaving no trace.
After the second day of the first lunar month, Shu Yao started to go back to work. Business was better after the New Year than before the New Year. She was busy until the afternoon every day. However, the money she earned was also increasing day by day. Seeing that the small jar for saving money was almost full, she was so happy that she bought more dishes from the restaurant every day.
The Ji Mansion gradually became deserted during the first month of the year. Ji Dayong was either hanging out with the widows in Liuxiang or doing big business with officials. Perhaps because he made some money from business, he became extremely arrogant and immediately invested more money.
Since Ji Tianbao returned home on New Year's Eve, he has been staying in the gambling house for several days, day and night. He has lost countless amounts of money, but he still feels that he can make a comeback, and his bets are getting bigger and bigger.
The old lady's temper became more and more irritable day by day. The maids and servants in the house were replaced one after another. Everyone in Shoukang Pavilion was worried that they would be the next to suffer.
It was not until the ninth day of the first lunar month that a "guest" came to Ji's house.
Guo Cuiping was drinking Tremella and lotus seed soup when she heard the servant come to report that Ge Yong's family had arrived. She put down her spoon heavily, but finally got up to meet them.
Ge Yong's family was stopped outside the door, and Ge's mother stood aside and cursed, saying all kinds of sour words about how the Ji family didn't recognize them as poor relatives.
Guo Cuiping came to the door holding the heater and was caught off guard when she heard Ge's mother scolding her. Her face turned dark and she turned around to go back.
Ji Zhao called her first: "Mom."
Guo Cuiping then stopped and turned to look at her disobedient eldest daughter. She wanted to scold her, but when she saw her appearance, her eyes suddenly turned red.
Ji Zhao was wearing the lowest quality linen clothes with several holes on them. His hair was wrapped in rags. His hands and face were covered with frostbite. It was obvious that he was not having a good time.
Guo Cuiping trotted over to her side, handed her her heater, and said distressedly, "Zhao'er, come home with your mother."
But Ji Zhao didn't move, but just said: "Mom, our family came to visit you today, but the servants at the door wouldn't let us in. What's the meaning?" There was a hint of blame in his tone.
Guo Cuiping loosened her grip on her hand and looked at the other three people. They had nothing in their hands and didn't even bring any gifts.
Ge Yong gave her a flattering smile. Ge's mother and father stood aside with arrogant expressions, especially Ge's mother, who even picked her teeth casually.
Guo Cuiping let go of Ji Zhao's hand: "The house is being cleaned today, and no outside guests are being received."
At this remark, Mother Ge jumped up and dug the minced meat from her fingernails before retorting, "Mother-in-law, what you said is wrong. We came all the way from the countryside, and you won't even let us in. You really look down on us." She then muttered, "My son is going to pass the imperial examination this year."
Ji Zhao's belly was already showing, and she was about to kneel down to Guo Cuiping. Ge Yong beside her quickly helped her up: "Zhao'er, it seems that mother doesn't want to let us in today. It's a pity that you have been gone for two hours while pregnant. Sigh."
Guo Cuiping looked at her daughter's haggard face and finally softened her heart. The old lady was currently recuperating from illness, so she could still do this for her.
Ge Yong and his family entered Ji's mansion.
Mother Ge and Father Ge were so happy that they wanted to put any rare things they saw along the way into their sacks, with naked greed in their eyes.
Guo Cuiping let their family live in Xijiaoyuan. Although Xijiaoyuan was not the best courtyard, it was definitely not bad, especially since there was a naturally formed hot spring behind the courtyard, which was especially friendly to pregnant women.
But as soon as Ge's mother saw the house, she started to find fault again. This time, Guo Cuiping did not indulge them anymore and directly asked the servants to drive them out. Only then did Ge's mother shut up and moved in reluctantly.
Guo Cuiping pulled Ji Zhao aside, tucked her loose hair behind her ears, and said with concern, "Tell me, how are you doing in their family?"
Ji Zhao subconsciously stroked his belly: "Yong Lang is very good to me."
"How did those two old guys treat you?"
Ji Zhao paused as he touched his belly, a hint of fear flashing across his face, but he still smiled and said, "Okay."
Guo Cuiping sighed and said, "Your grandmother was killed by thieves a while ago. Go see her today."
Ji Zhao curled her lips and said, "Grandma has never liked me, so I won't bother her anymore." As she spoke, she looked up at the sky and suddenly panicked. "I have to go cook."
Guo Cuiping grabbed her and asked, "Do you cook at their house too?"
She nodded. If she was a little late, her parents-in-law would beat her. In the past few days, she couldn't count how many times she had been beaten. She was also asked to wash all the clothes in the house, and the chilblains on her hands never healed.
But for Yonglang, she was willing to do it.
So she didn't want to tell her mother about these things. If her mother knew, she would definitely ask her to leave Yonglang, and she couldn't bear to do that.
Guo Cuiping asked the servants to prepare food.
The moment the food was served on the table, Ge's father and mother grabbed a chicken leg each without caring about their image. Their mouths were full of oil, as if they had not eaten for several lives.
Although Guo Cuiping was also from the countryside, she was not as rude as the two of them.
She picked up her handkerchief and covered her nose with it, feeling a little disgusted.
All the abalone and sea cucumber on the table went into their stomachs, and his daughter didn't get any. Ge Yong next to him was only concerned with eating, not caring about his pregnant wife at all.
Guo Cuiping was a little indignant. She stood up and poured a bowl of chicken soup for her daughter: "Drink some chicken soup first to warm your stomach."
Mother Ge wanted to come up and grab the bowl of soup, but was scared back by Guo Cuiping's glare.
At the dinner table, Guo Cuiping spoke up, "My dear relatives, I raised Zhao'er with great care. Now that she's married into your Ge family, she's a member of your family. Now she's pregnant with your grandson. I hope you'll treat her well."
When she said this, she lost her arrogance and even had a hint of begging for skill.
Mother Ge burped and responded perfunctorily: "Of course. Ask her, we provide her with delicious food and drink every day." She winked at Ji Zhao.
Ji Zhao trembled a little and almost dropped the bowl in her hand. She shuddered and nodded.
Guo Cuiping saw her daughter's expression and knew what was going on. She wanted to talk to her daughter alone, so she said, "Zhao'er, it's rare for you to come back. Lai'er always misses you. Go see your sister."
Ji Zhao glanced at Ge's mother reflexively. Seeing that Ge's mother had no objection, she breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and followed Guo Cuiping out.
After the two left, Mother Ge grabbed some melon seeds from the table and started cracking them, spitting out the shells everywhere. "Son, did you see the jade bracelet on that old woman's wrist? It's obviously worth a lot of money. Why is their family so rich, so they only gave their daughter such a small dowry?"
Ge Yong crossed his legs, completely losing his usual gentle demeanor. He said, "Don't worry, Mom. The old woman loves Ji Zhao and is willing to spend money on our family for her daughter."
Father Ge laughed at the side: "My son is really promising. He was able to marry the daughter of a rich family."
Mother Ge grabbed another handful of melon seeds and said, "I must bring more money back this time."
Ge Yong and Ge's father nodded in unison.
In Ji Lai's room, mother, daughter and three of them sat together. When she saw her haggard sister, she was in disbelief for a moment, especially after seeing her red and swollen hands and nails covered in dirt. Her voice trembled, "Big sister."
Ji Zhao seemed to feel embarrassed and quickly retracted his hand.
Guo Cuiping took off the jade bracelet on her wrist and handed it to Ji Zhao: "Take this. If you are in trouble, you can pawn it for some money. I can't bear to see you suffer."
Ji Zhao put the bracelet in his arms, but what he was thinking in his heart was to give the bracelet to Ge's mother, so that she could live a peaceful life for a few more days.
"Zhao'er, did you keep the dowry your mother gave you when you got married?" Guo Cuiping asked.
Ji Zhao shook his head: "My mother-in-law asked her to keep it for me, so I gave it all to her."
Guo Cuiping felt a little disappointed, but she could do nothing about it: "What did you want from marrying him?"
Ji Zhao's fat cheeks were flushed: "Yonglang loves me."
Guo Cuiping felt her daughter was beyond redemption, and Ji Lai also felt her sister was possessed: "Sister, if he really loved you, you wouldn't be living this badly."
Ji Zhao stood up suddenly, pointed at Ji Lai, and spit flew from his mouth: "I am living a good life, you are just jealous of me, jealous that I found a man as good as Yonglang."
Guo Cuiping was afraid that she would get sick from anger, so she quickly stood up to comfort her. However, she didn't appreciate it at all and just left without looking back.
Guo Cuiping and Ji Lai looked at each other and saw deep helplessness in each other's eyes.
Ge Yong and his family stayed in Ji's house and did not leave until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
During the time they were in the mansion, Ge's father and mother resolutely regarded themselves as the masters of the house, ordering the maids and servants around with the look of smug villains.
Guo Cuiping didn't say much for the sake of her daughter, but she always felt upset when they lived in the mansion. Fortunately, after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, relatives who came to visit had to go back to their own homes. This was the rule left by their ancestors. As the day approached, she felt more and more relaxed.
Shu Yao knew that Ge Yong's family had moved in, but the West Suburb Courtyard and Chunhua Pavilion were far apart, and they had never met.
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month coincides with the temple fair.
As the lights came on, the long street became lively again. Every household hung festive lanterns, and the long lights on the street were hung from the beginning to the end. The sound of gongs and drums was deafening, and the guessing and singing were very lively, and the atmosphere was full of joy.
Shu Yao and Ji Shijing moved among the crowd.
She picked up a mask from the stall and put it on her face, then turned around to scare him, but Ji Shijing's expression did not change. He just looked at her deeply with a smile in his eyes.
Shu Yao put down the mask: "It's not fun."
At this time, someone shouted.
"Everyone, hurry to the platform. Today, Boss Wang's daughter is throwing a ball to find a husband."
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