Chapter 308 309. The Dark and Active Lin Zhong? [Double Update, to make up for yesterday's]
The year ends with the sound of firecrackers.
This is the fifth New Year that the Lei Li family has celebrated since coming to Beijing. Lei Shengjiang and Lei Zhouzhou have both started families, Lei Li is about to celebrate his 50th birthday, and Zhou Yi is 58 years old.
However, they lived a good life and were in a good mood. The couple looked much younger than they actually were. Even Zhou Yi thought they were only in their early forties.
As early as the 29th day of the 12th lunar month, the Changning Marquisate distributed New Year gifts and year-end bonuses to the servants in the mansion. Their wages were doubled from the New Year's Day to the 15th day of the first lunar month.
Therefore, every time this time came, the Changning Marquis's Mansion was always filled with joy and excitement. The maids, servants and old women were all smiling, happily pasting window flowers and hanging lanterns and ribbons, and replacing the unsaleable potted plants in the mansion.
The Lei Li family is used to cutting paper-cuts among their own children.
Liu Ye'er can cut many kinds of window paper-cuts, from simple ones like fish leaping over the dragon gate, two rabbits delivering gold ingots, plum blossoms, and asparagus fern reflecting the moon, to complex and delicate ones like a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix and a hundred chrysanthemums.
The Hundred Chrysanthemums Painting features many kinds of chrysanthemums, among which is a kind called "Heron Feather". The petals are nested within each other and hooked within each other. The size and thickness are very particular. The finished product is as plump and beautiful as the feathers of a heron.
Most of the window paper-cutting styles were learned by Liu Ye'er after she came to Kyoto. Many maids and nannies in the mansion knew how to cut window paper-cuts, and the styles of the paper-cuts varied depending on their hometowns.
Some of them were conceived by Liu Ye'er herself, such as the Hundred Chrysanthemums Painting, which she created by observing many kinds of chrysanthemums. She first traced the design on paper, and then trimmed and modified the pattern bit by bit.
After the window grilles on the windows have been there for a long time, Liu Ye'er will also cut some new window grilles and paste them, and she will show off her skills during the Chinese New Year.
Gradually, cutting and pasting window flowers together before the New Year became a tradition in the Changning Marquis Mansion. Lei Li, Zhou Yi and others also gathered around Liu Ye'er to cut and paste window flowers together.
The one with the worst cutting skills among them is Lei Li. Every year, the paper-cuts he makes are either unsuccessful or the ugliest. This year he is not the last one.
Because there is one more Lin Zhong this year.
Lin Zhong had never cut paper-cuts before. This was his first time at the Marquis of Changning's Mansion. He cut slowly and carefully for a long time, but even a simple little rabbit was cut off.
Lei Li saw it and immediately laughed at him with satisfaction, "Brother-in-law is really sensible. He specially cut his hair so ugly to make up for Daddy. Unlike my Zhou Zhou, who always cuts his hair beautifully. He doesn't give Daddy any face at all. Hahaha..."
Lin Zhong's face turned red when he heard this.
He was considered a prominent figure among the children of aristocratic families, talented in both civil and military affairs. However, his handicraft was not up to par. His embroidered hydrangeas looked like patches, his cut window grilles were bumpy, and the Pisces jade pendant he could barely present was the result of meticulous carving that cost him more than a dozen pieces of jade to make it passable.
However, Lin Zhong did not feel ashamed at all. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Even saints and gods cannot be perfect.
He said frankly and generously, "My cutting is not good, Zhou Zhou's cutting is beautiful, just right for the Qiufeng Courtyard. Zhou Zhou, let's go together to put up the window paper-cuts?"
"good."
Lei Zhouzhou nodded, without stopping his hands. After a while, an exquisite pair of fish playing with lotus appeared on his hand, which looked like a high-end version of the Pisces jade pendant.
On New Year's Eve, Lin Zhong and I pasted the cut red paper-cuts on the windows of Qiufeng Courtyard, including two fish playing with lotus flowers, joy on the branches of plum blossoms, immediate success and eternal love.
There are also Spring Festival couplets.
Lin Zhong's handwriting is vigorous and powerful. This year, he was the one who wrote the Spring Festival couplets for the Changning Marquis' Mansion. Thirteen people in the family went to paste them separately, and it took them half a day to paste them on all the doors of the mansion.
Even the small wooden houses for cats and dogs, the mouse houses used as mobile targets, and the bird cages for starlings and sparrows were decorated with Spring Festival couplets and window decorations.
only……
The one on the gate of the Marquis' Mansion was a bit "unsightly", but it was still Lei Li's favorite.
[No illness, no pain, no worries, but gold, silver and culture]
Horizontal banner: [Hahahaha]
“…”
Lin was silent while rewriting.
All the noble families in Kyoto valued their reputation, and they would never post such vulgar and plain-sounding couplets. Even reciting such couplets in public would make others laugh.
In the past few years, the Spring Festival couplets posted were written by Lei Shengjiang or Lei Zhouzhou. They are both serious people, and the Spring Festival couplets they wrote are also serious and elegant.
——Fortunately, this part of his personality is inherited from Zhou Yi. Otherwise, with power, wealth, and youthful vigor, the Changning Marquis Mansion would have produced two more troublemakers to disturb the peace of Kyoto.
“…”
Zhou Yi had obviously thought of this as well. He glanced at Lei Li silently, feeling a bit scared for the officials and aristocrats in Beijing, and also feeling lucky for Lin Chongqing.
He didn't want to see the sensible and well-behaved Zhou Zhou pushing Lin Zhong against the wall in the corner. He lifted Lin Zhong's chin frivolously and said with a playful smile:
"Hey, do you want a kiss?"
He also didn't want to think about his Zhou Zhou pushing Lin Zhong down in the room and angrily warning him, "If you don't give birth to a baby this year, you will die!"
It was so severe that Zhou Yi's eyes went dark.
“……?”
Lin Zhong suddenly felt a chill on his back. Looking back, he saw his father Zhou Yi's eyes filled with pity and relief, which made him feel a little confused and hesitant.
"Dad, what happened?"
"without."
Zhou Yi shook his head and patted Lin Zhong's shoulder again, his tone unconsciously filled with a hint of congratulation, "Nothing. Fortunately, it didn't happen."
Lin Zhong: “?”
Lin Zhong couldn't figure it out himself, so he asked Lei Zhouzhou, but Lei Zhouzhou didn't quite understand either.
The brother and sister-in-law who were pasting the word "Fu" nearby understood it, but Lei Shengjiang and Miao Yurui looked at each other, worked silently without saying a word, and chose to save some face for their father.
Xiao Yuzhu also likes the part of pasting Spring Festival couplets.
She liked it most when her father and his family held her up high and patted her hard. Her two little hands turned red, and little red handprints appeared on the white paper.
By grabbing the kitten's paws and patting the Spring Festival couplets, small paw prints can be printed on the paper. This makes Xiao Yuzhu feel very interesting and she can play with it for a long time and laugh.
All the couplets in the mansion had been posted. Early in the morning on New Year's Day, firecrackers in the Changning Marquis Mansion crackled like thunder, and a field of red flowers fell in front of the mansion gate.
Lei Li stayed up all night but was still very energetic. He and Zhou Yi gave red envelopes to the younger generations in the mansion one by one. The red envelopes contained gold notes made with two taels of gold.
Lin Zhong didn't expect that he also had it. He was stunned for a moment and was half a beat late.
"Thank you, Daddy, Father."
After Lin Zhong married into the Changning Marquis's mansion, he changed his way of addressing people and started calling them Daddy, Grandpa, and Grandma like Lei Zhouzhou. However, these names were somewhat intimate, which made him feel a little embarrassed and uncomfortable when calling them that.
For example, he calls Duke Suguo "father" and Princess Henghuan "mother" with more formal titles. Even his closest relative Lin Qing is mostly called "brother" instead of calling him "brother" or "big brother" like Lei Zhouzhou calls Lei Shengjiang.
Now that he is married, I have to call him "A'ge" instead of "brother".
"Of course we should. After all, we are your father and grandfather, hahaha~"
Lei Li was smiling from ear to ear, feeling very happy. Every time he heard Lin Zhong call him daddy, he felt like he was taking advantage of Duke Su, and he couldn't help but curl his lips.
That Duke Su with a dark face like a dead man, every time Lei Li talked to him, he was clueless and remained silent, and he never took the initiative to talk to Lei Li!
Which minister in the court doesn't take Lei Li seriously like this dead-faced man?
Even Lord Situ and Lord Censor had taken the initiative to talk to Lei Li. Although they were impeaching and boycotting him, at least their attitudes were correct.
The point is that the Duke Su's Mansion is an old aristocratic family, and the Duke Su is a few years older than Lei Li. Every time Lei Li faces the dead-faced Duke Su, he feels a little depressed as if he has punched cotton, and unconsciously becomes half a head shorter.
But when Lin Zhong called him that, and sounded more intimate than Duke Su, Lei Li felt secretly happy. Not only was he of the same generation as Duke Su, but his son was even closer to his family.
When attending court or leaving court, Lei Li, who had a particularly strong sense of revenge, would casually talk about Lin Zhong's affairs in his own family, praising Lin Zhong for his filial piety and good temper, and especially praising the good relationship between the young couple.
He felt even better when he saw Duke Suguo hesitantly trying to speak.
The dead-faced Duke Su used to just give him a perfunctory response every time he spoke to him!
And Zhou Yi: "..."
He was really afraid that Lei Li would accidentally call out Duke Suguo's nickname "Dead Face" in public, as well as the nicknames for Lord Situ, "Old Mynah Bird," Lord Censor, "The One Who Loves to Swear," and the nickname for the Emperor, "Dog Emperor"...
Afraid of actually saying "Dog Emperor" in public, and also afraid that Cricket would be heard by the Dog Emperor's spies in private, Lei Li later changed his words to call him His Majesty.
After getting used to it, Lei Li felt a sense of sarcasm every time he said "Your Majesty is wise and wise"...
And every time Zhou Yi went to pick up Lei Li from court, he heard Lei Li bragging and talking nonsense to other ministers. He wanted to ask Lei Li to stop talking because those ministers were almost tired of hearing his words, and if he continued, he would incur public wrath!
To be honest, Lei Li has been a little bit arrogant in the past two years. All the children in the family are doing well, and Yu Rui has been in the spotlight so many times. No one can help but be arrogant.
Only Zhou Yi was working diligently and had no time to relax.
In addition to the younger generations in the mansion, the small animals in the Changning Marquis' mansion also received red envelopes. Each cat received a portion of dried fish, each dog received a portion of dried meat, and the fish also received a snack.
These little animals also have their own names, such as the Little Three-Colored Cat, a Tuft of Black, and a Short Tail among cats, the Long Hair, Short Hair, Big Fatty, and Little Fatty among dogs, and the Chicken Wings with Rice among koi.
Such frivolous names were given by Lei Li and Lei Jingsheng. Although they were vivid and descriptive, Lin Zhong still couldn't help laughing when Lei Zhouzhou seriously introduced them to him and fed them with dried fish and meat.
"A tuft of black, a short tail..."
Lin Zhong imitated Lei Zhouzhou's behavior and touched their heads, fed them a dried fish or meat, and was immediately amused when he saw Lei Zhouzhou skillfully grab a big fat cat, stroke its fur up and down, and call it "big head".
Fortunately, Zhou Zhou’s name is normal.
Lin Zhong thought silently in his heart that he was very polite and did not complain about Lei Li's naming in public, otherwise Zhou Yi would definitely treat him as a close friend if he heard it.
The names "Heisha" and "Baisha" that Lei Li gave to the two dogs back then seemed like some non-mainstream second-year syndrome, which made him very worried about the names Lei Li gave to his children.
When Lei Shengjiang was twenty years old and was given a courtesy name, Lei Li was still eager to try it out, but it was Zhou Yi who couldn't bear it and covered his mouth, letting Miao Yurui give him the name.
Lei Shengjiang's courtesy name is Wenzhi. Ginger is hot in nature, but the ginger skin is slightly cold, so the character Wen was chosen, which means gentle and kind, just like Lei Shengjiang himself.
Lei Zhouzhou also took a courtesy name when he turned 20 last year. It is Xiazhi, Lei Xiazhi, which is the opposite of "Zhou", meaning "Zhou is lucky, but the flaws do not outweigh the merits".
I hope Lei Zhouzhou will have a smooth life. If there are some twists and turns that don't go as planned, it won't affect his mood. I also hope Lei Zhouzhou won't be too strict with himself and allow himself to have some imperfections.
Lei Zhouzhou's courtesy name was suggested by Lei Liqi and chosen by Zhou Yi. The whole family thought this name was good.
Lin Zhong is particularly so.
Sometimes he felt that Zhou Zhou was too good, so good that he would occasionally worry about losing her.
Especially when he was under house arrest in the Duke of Su's Mansion, he knew that the number of people who went to the Marquis of Changning's Mansion to propose marriage was as high as that of nobles across the river, so he was worried all day long.
Because he was not Lei Zhouzhou's only first choice, he didn't even know whether Zhouzhou would choose him, or whether she liked him more than Shuger.
——Shu Ge'er is Lei Zhouzhou's best friend in Kyoto. Many times when Lin Zhong saw Lei Zhouzhou and Shu Ge'er chatting happily, he would feel a little jealous.
It's just that he was used to being patient and introverted, and he was afraid that Zhou Zhou would know that he was jealous and hate him, so he hid it carefully and was not discovered by Zhou Zhou.
But someone as sharp and intelligent as Shu Ge'er naturally discovered Lin Zhong's little thoughts.
Shu Ge'er is a bit extreme in his protective nature. He thinks Lin Zhong is too jealous and petty, and has the "jealous demeanor of a concubine". He once advised Zhou Zhou to find a man with good character, talent and appearance to marry into the family, and not to marry Lin Zhong.
The key points of good character here are "not jealous, not interfering in Zhou Zhou's friendships and travels, not secretly jealous and acting like a mistress, and not excluding Zhou Zhou's real friends."
It's obvious.
These points are all directed at Lin Zhong.
Shuger and Lin Zhong probably dislike each other, but they try to maintain a false friendliness in front of Zhou Zhou.
After getting married, Lin Zhong had a legitimate status and acted like the "main wife". When he heard Shu Ge'er making sarcastic remarks, he just smiled magnanimously and said nothing.
But in the final analysis, Lin Zhong married into the Changning Marquis's mansion, and his situation was equivalent to that of a daughter marrying off a son. So if Lei Zhouzhou wanted to take a concubine to elevate her to a equal position in the family, Lin Zhong had no right to say anything, and the Lei family would of course side with Lei Zhouzhou and let him marry whoever he wanted.
Therefore, Lin Zhong felt a little uneasy in his heart. Occasionally, he even meanly hoped that Lei Zhouzhou would not be so perfect, not so good, so that he could have some "place to use his skills" and firmly occupy the most important position beside Zhouzhou.
...It's okay to be the second most important.
Zhou Zhou values his family the most. Blood is thicker than water, and he can never compare to his closest blood relatives.
if……
It would be nice if he and Zhou Zhou had a child.
Lin Zhong thought to himself, his eyes unconsciously falling on Lei Zhouzhou.
The female cat that Lei Zhouzhou was touching had a bulging belly, and it was obvious that she was pregnant. She ate well and slept well in the Marquis' Mansion, and she gained weight from head to toe. It was expected that she would give birth to a litter of healthy and lively kittens in the spring.
Zhou Zhou likes cute things. I'm sure he loves the cute little kitten. He would definitely like a cute child even more.
He is not bad looking, and his and Zhou Zhou's child will probably be very good-looking, probably not inferior to Xiao Yuzhu.
Lin Zhong, who really wanted to gain honor through his son, thought to himself, but he soon realized that his idea was dark and quickly gave up the idea, but he still felt a little guilty.
"What's wrong?"
Lei Zhouzhou was keenly aware of his mood change, and she raised her eyes to glance at him. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes, just a light touch, were enough to warm his heart.
Lin Zhong felt a slight burning in his heart, and at the same time he felt that he was narrow-minded and was too embarrassed to speak out.
He lowered his eyelashes, not daring to meet Lei Zhouzhou's clear eyes. He pursed his lips and said in a low and soft voice, "Zhou Zhou, can I kiss you?"
"Um?"
It was rare for Lin Zhong to be so proactive and bold. Lei Zhouzhou was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded and said, "Sure, you can kiss me without asking. We are husband and wife."
"Zhou Zhou..."
Lin Zhong leaned over, gently lifted the hair that was scattered on Lei Zhouzhou's temples, and gently tucked it behind his ears. Then he held his face and kissed his lips lightly and tenderly.
"It's so kind of you."
Lei Zhouzhou blinked, not understanding why he was said to be good just because they kissed him. He didn't do anything special. Is a kiss between a husband and wife worthy of praise?
It seems that his ability to praise others is still a little lacking. Without any specific incident to illustrate his point, he couldn't think of praising Lin Zhong for his good work.
"You're good too."
Lin Zhong felt happy after being praised. He put aside his previous sensitivity and thoughts, held Lei Zhouzhou's face with his hands and stroked it gently. He was very focused and kissed him lovingly.
“Not as good as Zhou Zhou.”
"A heavy boat is also good."
Lei Zhouzhou felt that calling him by his full name was not intimate enough, so he called him by his courtesy name, and when Lin Zhong heard that, he felt even happier than before.
Heavy boat.
Double week.
"—Zhou Zhou."
Lin Zhong moved closer to Lei Zhouzhou, feeding the kittens and puppies with his shoulder pressed against his knees. Then, seemingly casually, he mentioned, "Little Sanhua seems to be about to give birth."
"Not so fast."
Lei Zhouzhou said, "It should be the beginning of spring. It just looks fat because it eats a lot. It's actually still young. I just don't know how many kittens there are in this litter."
"Last year, she gave birth to a litter of seven kittens, and each one had a different fur color. Dad said it was either because there were too many recessive traits, or because the kittens had a different father."
"Cat Dad is different?"
Lin Zhong paused, "Can a female cat be pregnant with multiple male cats' cubs?"
"Yes, it is possible."
Lin Zhong concealed it well this time. Lei Zhouzhou didn't notice his pause and nodded, saying, "Cats' mating season is during those months. There are so many cats in the mansion, so it's normal to have sex with several males in a short period of time."
"A female cat will choose a stronger male cat and give birth to stronger and healthier cubs, so that the cubs have a higher survival rate. This is the maternal instinct of animals."
“…”
Lei Zhouzhou was speaking seriously about popular science, but when Lin Zhong, who had just started to think about it, heard it, he felt not only blushing at his bold choice of words, but also a little jealous sensitivity.
He lowered his eyebrows slightly and said casually, "If a female cat is pursued by multiple male cats at the same time, will she choose the strongest one, or will she get along with all of them?"
"I have no idea."
Lei Zhouzhou thought for a moment and said, "It depends on the cat. Some cats will always stay with cats they are familiar with and trust, while some cats are used to wandering and have no fixed place to live, so they may interact and develop relationships with multiple cats at the same time."
"Just like people, cats have their own emotions and habits, and I can't guess what a cat is thinking."
"Zhou Zhou."
Lin Zhong's tone was very light, with a subtle hint of sourness and tea. "If you met several nice people who liked you at the same time, would you choose just one, or would you approach them all?"
"Um?"
Lei Zhouzhou's usually slow brain was now alert, but his alertness was in the wrong direction. "Did you meet other good people?"
His eyes were as calm as a mirror, reflecting a small Lin Zhong, as if he could see through Lin Zhong.
"What……?"
Lin Zhong was stunned by the question and said hurriedly, "No, Zhou Zhou, trust me, I only love Zhou Zhou and I will never have other feelings for her in this life."
"But Daddy said that if a man asks you a question like this, it's probably because he has this inclination and is testing you."
Lei Zhouzhou glared at him steadily, then pursed his lips and smiled, "Father isn't entirely right. I naturally believe you. Besides, you and I have been eating and drinking together these days, so I haven't had the opportunity to get to know anyone else."
"I don't want to know anyone else, I just want Zhou Zhou."
Lin Zhong reiterated his feelings once again, but he was annoyed in his heart that he had asked such a stupid question in his impulsiveness. What if Zhou Zhou became estranged from him?
Lin Zhongsheng was afraid of saying the wrong thing again, so he was careful with his words and actions in the following days. He clung to Lei Zhouzhou wholeheartedly, and they were inseparable, which made Lei Li feel a little jealous.
Think about it, for all these years, it was Lei Li who was always showing affection in front of others. This was the first time someone was showing affection in front of him even more than him, and it wasn't an overt affection, but a subtle and silent affection.
Lei Li was suspicious. Aren't Kyoto's aristocratic families said to be the most knowledgeable about etiquette and rules? Why was Lin Zhong so clingy? Even the most favored concubines in other families didn't act like this. He didn't act like a legitimate husband at all.
Jealous Lin Zhong didn't care about so much. He was anxious to prove his innocence and please Zhou Zhou, and he was almost turning into a human pendant.
Even when Lei Zhouzhou drank too much water before going to bed and got up to go to the bathroom, Lin Zhong suddenly woke up when he realized that there was no one beside him. He hurriedly got up to look for him and stayed up with him, which made the usually bold Lei Zhouzhou a little embarrassed.
At night, Lin Zhong was also much more enthusiastic and proactive.
In the past few months, Lin Zhong was still a modest gentleman who restrained himself and followed the rules. Even if he wanted it, he was too shy to speak up and never took the initiative to ask Lei Zhouzhou for sex.
When they really wanted it, when they slept together, Lin Zhong's embrace would become a little stickier and tighter, but overall it was not noticeable.
Lei Zhouzhou was sharp enough to notice that he was different from usual, and then turned around and asked him if he wanted it. Lin Zhong nodded slightly and admitted it shyly and expectantly.
But considering that Lin Zhong is very patient, these unusual days are not many, only a few in a month.
Lin Zhong's bedding was also quite good. Seeing that Lei Zhouzhou was a little tired, he quickened the pace, then stayed affectionate with Zhouzhou in the area she liked for a while before getting up and carrying Lei Zhouzhou to take a shower. Finally, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
But these past few days, Lin actually took the initiative to ask Lei Zhouzhou if he wanted it again, although he was still very shy and his eyelashes trembled with embarrassment when he spoke.
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