In the courtyard where Daiyu lives, the summer is long. The warm wind blows through the green bamboos from the window, making a rustling sound. There is a bit of heat in the air. The fragrance of orchid and musk in the wing is mixed with the delicate fragrance of the girl. It filled the room.
Xiang Yun looked at the handsome young man with a smile on his face and said, "Brother Heng, why don't we play chess."
"Sister Lin will need to take a nap later, so we shouldn't disturb her." Jia Heng smiled, turned to look at Daiyu aside, and said with a frown.
Daiyu looked at the two of them and said softly: "Brother Heng, I don't usually take naps. Since Sister Yun wants to play, just play together for a while."
When Jia Heng heard this, he nodded and explained: "That's fine. Xiangyun pestered me to play chess when we were in Luoyang. He also said that it would be like two armies facing each other, catching each other and killing each other."
When Xiangyun plays chess, he is one of those types who enjoy playing chess more and more as he plays chess.
"Brother Heng is leading an army of 100,000 people outside. Brother Heng and I are playing chess. We are not just facing off against the Marshal of Soldiers and Horses. We have an army of 100,000 people. Let's see who can be wiped out and who can return victorious." Xiangyun said with a smile.
When Jia Heng heard this, he glanced at Xiangyun, his expression turned strange, and he swallowed back the "unspeakable" that came to his mouth.
Seeing Xiangyun, who was charming and naive and talking childishly, Daiyu's hazy eyebrows were almost like crescent moons. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled softly, saying: "This statement is strangely tight. It's so tight." Once you say that, I will give Brother Heng the next round later."
When people are playing together, if they don't participate, they will look out of place.
And Daiyu, who once said "carrying locusts chewing pictures", may not have an innocent side.
"Let's play one game each. Brother Heng is so awesome. Let's fight each other. No, let's do it together." Two shallow pear dimples appeared on the cheeks of Xiangyun Pingguo's round face.
Jia Heng's face paused slightly, and something strange came into his heart. How could Xiang Yun's words sound like a prophecy?
Everyone was talking and laughing. There was a chess set in Daiyu's wing. It didn't take long for Zijuan to bring it over with a smile. Then several people displayed their carriages and horses and started playing chess.
Jia Heng is not very proficient in Go, but he has few opponents in chess.
Xiangyun faced Jia Heng, and it didn't take long before he couldn't resist. Seeing that he couldn't take a few steps, he threw a cannon first. Under his beautiful eyebrows, his eyes widened, he pinched his chin with one finger and said, "Brother Heng." , how do you eat this?"
As Liang Shiqiu said in his essay "Playing Chess", I almost scratched my head and sighed...
Tanchun tilted his head, a look of thought on his handsome and natural-looking face, making suggestions and extending his hands to help from time to time.
Daiyu held a handkerchief at the side, covered her mouth and smiled softly, but looked at the calm and composed young man with a pair of starry eyes.
Speaking of which, this was the first time Daiyu saw Jia Heng playing chess. The girl tilted her head slightly, and her bright eyes under the curved eyelashes were like a clear spring, reflecting the young man's gazing and thinking figure.
That Qingjun face, with eyebrows as sharp as mountains, sword-shaped eyebrows at the temples, a straight bridge of the nose, and some thought in his eyes.
Life is never poetic all the time, nor is it erotic every day. There is more. You love chatting and I love laughing. I don’t know how many flowers fall in my dreams.
"Pap..."
Xiangyun picked up a rook, hesitated, then his eyes lit up and he said, "Brother Heng, I'm in trouble."
"You've jumped under the horse's hooves, and you're kicking all of a sudden." Jia Heng slapped the car.
"No, I made the wrong move." When Xiangyun saw that the rook was lost, his face became anxious and he began to regret his move and immediately picked up the rook from the chessboard.
Jia Heng smiled and said, "Sister Yun, why don't you regret it all the way to the beginning, and we can go directly to the next game."
These words are specifically for people who love to regret their chess.
Xiangyun acted coquettishly and begged: "Brother Heng, I wasn't optimistic just now."
Not long after, Xiangyun was checked by Jia Heng. He pouted, looked at the young man opposite and said, "Brother Heng, you won't give in to me either."
"Didn't I let you sit alone in the first place?" Jia Heng said softly, looking at Daiyu who was smiling at the side, and said, "Okay, I'll let you, Sister Lin, do it instead."
Xiangyun had to replace Daiyu.
Daiyu sat sideways on the Kang table, looked at Jia Heng, and said softly: "Brother Heng, let me have some."
After saying that, she sat next to the kang and started to play with the chess pieces. The girl's skirt sleeves were rolled up, and the emerald bracelets on her snow-white arms were so green that the skin on her arms became more beautiful than snow.
"Then I'll let my sister take the car, and Sister Lin will go first." Jia Heng said softly.
Then, Daiyu saw an elephant flying first, and then a horse.
Jia Heng looked a little distracted for a moment, but Dai Yu played chess with a certain attitude.
Jia Heng looked at the girl who was as beautiful as the bright moon and joked softly: "My sister plays chess steadily and has the style of a wise man."
Among all the golden hairpins, Xue and Lin are extremely talented. This talent is not only limited to poetry and poetry, but also quite quick-witted. Therefore, it is impossible not to study a game like chess, but most people at that time regarded chess as the most popular game. Ya, so I don’t play chess much.
Listening to the praise from the young man opposite, a light blush suddenly appeared on Daiyu's face, and she said softly: "When I was a child, I had nothing to do with my father. I had some sex, and it has been many years since I played."
"No wonder, step by step, they have their own rules." Jia Heng and Dai Yu were playing chess, and the two went back and forth.
Xiang Yun watched from the side, curled his lips and said, "Brother Heng is biased. After a long time, he killed two of Sister Lin's pawns."
Just now, Jia Heng had a great time eating Xiangyun's chess pieces, and the chess pieces clicked loudly.
Jia Heng looked at Xiang Yun, who had rosy cheeks. He couldn't help but stretched out his hand to scratch the bridge of Xiang Yun's nose. He looked at the girl with charming and innocent eyebrows and said, "Sister Lin, she is not that careless. Unless she changes her child, it will not be good." Eat the pieces, and besides, you don’t necessarily win by eating the pieces.”
In chess, as long as you don't make stupid mistakes at the beginning, you won't lose many pieces in the beginning.
Tan Chun said with a smile: "Sister Yun, just take your time and watch. If you don't move, if you move with thunder, you are still preparing a killing move."
Sure enough, within a few steps, General Jia Heng was heard.
Daiyu's soft eyes fell on Jia Heng's wildebeest, her starry eyes flashed, and she said: "Brother Heng is very good at chess, and I am no match for him."
As he said that, he reached out and moved the handsome man on the chessboard.
"Sister Lin doesn't usually play like this. It's great to be able to do it like this." Jia Heng turned the car to meet the driver again.
Daiyu pondered for a moment, then pulled a cart from the side because there was a horse to look after her.
Jia Heng also set up a cannon on the corner of his car behind the car and said softly: "Sister, if you act like this, you will easily lose your son."
Daiyu Yanyan frowned, thinking in her starry eyes, and was undecided for a moment.
Xiangyun said anxiously: "Sister Lin, eat his car."
Tan Chun rolled his eyes at Xiang Yun and said, "Sister Yun is talking nonsense. After eating the car, her handsomeness will be gone."
Hearing this, Xiangyun's cheeks turned red, and he stuck out his tongue in embarrassment and said, "Brother Heng, how come you are so good at using cannons? Sometimes he is on the top, and sometimes he is on the bottom."
Jia Heng said: "I'm not particularly good at using it, I just use it in conjunction with each other."
After a while, Daiyu was also killed by Jia Heng in a few steps. She didn't have much frustration on her face. She just smiled and looked at Tanchun aside and said, "Third sister, it's your turn."
Tanchun was supported by Jia Heng for a longer period of time, coming and going.
In this way, Jia Heng played chess with a few little girls. Unknowingly, time flew by and the sun set in the west.
Jia Heng took a look at the sky, put down the chess pieces, and said, "How about we stop here today, Sister Lin."
Daiyu raised her starry eyes and said, "Brother Heng, don't you have dinner here before leaving?"
"No, your sister-in-law will come to call you later." Jia Heng said with a smile.
It is quite rare to play chess with Daiyu and the others like this.
Because Xiangyun and Tanchun were both together, it was already evening when they returned to Ningguo Mansion, and they were about to go to Ningguo Mansion under the setting sun.
Suddenly I saw a woman with a slim figure and a dark green dress in the corridor. She came from the end of the corridor and saw Jia Heng. Her fair and jade-like face was filled with joy and she called out: "Heng." uncle."
Jia Heng looked at the girl walking towards him quickly and asked, "Ping'er? Why are you here?"
In fact, Ping'er is not very old, only about sixteen or seventeen years old, but his makeup and dress are slightly mature. Perhaps because he has to follow Sister Feng to control the servants, he can't look good in front of all the nannies and maids. Too tender.
Ping'er's eyebrows and facial features were exquisite and picturesque, and her willow-leaf eyebrows were so slender that they looked like they were painted on paper. Now she looked at the young man opposite with a smile and said softly: "My grandma just said that I would call the uncle to go over and check the account. I heard that the uncle is here with Miss Lin, so come over and have a look."
Jia Heng nodded, glanced at the pretty girl, and said with a smile, "Have you been here for a while?"
Ping'er was clearly a very considerate girl who didn't want to come in and disturb him when she saw him playing with Xiangyun, Tanchun and Daiyu.
"Not long after, I saw that Uncle Heng, Miss Yun and the others were having a good time." Ping'er was touched by the young man's warm smile, and subconsciously avoided his eyes and said softly.
I thought to myself, Yuanyang is so lucky to be able to entrust his life to such a wonderful man.
Jia Heng looked at Ping'er, who had beautiful features and gentle words, and asked, "Where is Sister-in-law Feng?"
"I'm in the house, preparing some account books. If the uncle can't come, I can take the account books to Ningguo Mansion later." Ping'er smiled and said softly.
Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said, "Then I'll go over and take a look."
The two of them walked along the verandah with green railings. Jia Heng slowed down and asked, "Ping'er, how are you these days?"
Hearing this, a flash of shame flashed through Ping'er's heart, and he smiled and said, "It's okay for me. I accompany grandma every day. Things in the garden in the mansion have been complicated recently, and I have more and more things on my hands. , of course not as good as the uncle who is busy with national affairs outside."
Jia Heng smiled and said, "That's good."
But something came to mind. Since Jia Lian was exiled, Ping'er had no whereabouts.
The two of them talked and came to Sister Feng's courtyard. It was in the evening, the sky was full of sunset, and there were several rose trees planted under the green wall with tall blue bricks and vines and vines. They were only covered by the shadows in the corners of the wall and no one was watching. .
Jia Heng looked around and clearly felt a sense of desolation lingering in Sister Feng's courtyard, and the wormwood growing out of the cracks in the green bricks was swaying in the wind, adding to the desolation.
"The grass is growing here. Why don't you let your servants take care of it?" Jia Heng asked.
Ping'er chuckled and said, "Grandma doesn't usually live here. There has been a lot of rain in the past two months. Maybe the servants have been negligent."
"Sister-in-law Feng doesn't live here, she lives..." Jia Heng said subconsciously, frowned and paused.
If he doesn't live here, he probably lives in his Dongfu. In order to facilitate the reconciliation of accounts with Dongfu, Ping'er lives in a courtyard in Dongfu. The master and servant live together all the time.
Jia Heng didn't know that Sister Feng had slept in the same room as Ke Qing while he was away from home.
The two of them talked and slowly entered the side room.
At this time, Sister Feng learned that Jia Heng was coming, and she quickly stood up, with a smile on her face and eyes, and said: "Brother Heng, you are finally here."
Jia Heng looked at the young Hua Xin woman who was wearing a peach red coat and skirt, and her figure was getting more and more mature. She sat down and whispered, "Sister-in-law Feng and Ke Qing can just take a look at the records in the account book."
"It should be shown to Brother Heng, the head of the family." Sister Feng said with a chuckle. It seemed that no man had set foot in the wing for too long. A fragrance overflowed in the room. Because it was summer, it was mixed with a bit of heat. The breath made people feel dazed for a moment.
Sister Feng raised her eyebrows, looked at Ping'er, and said with a chuckle: "Ping'er, why don't you wink at all? Hurry up and pour me two cups of tea."
"Oh." Ping'er responded with a smile and poured the tea.
At this time, Sister Feng handed over the blue-covered account book in her hand and said softly: "Brother Heng, look, all the wood and stone construction materials used in the garden during this period are recorded in this general ledger, and there are other For more detailed accounting, Brother Heng can also ask other accountants to take a look later."
The garden jointly funded by the Rongning and Ning governments took half a year to build, and a lot of money was spent on earth, wood, stone, and labor. This obviously required Jia Heng, the head of the family, to check where the money was spent.
Jia Heng responded softly, then took the time to pick up the account book, gently opened a page on the table, briefly read it, then closed it, raised his eyes to look at the woman opposite, smiled and said: "Wait for the evening , I’ll bring it back and have a good look at it.”
"That's fine." Sister Feng smiled and said with emotion: "This garden is worth a lot of money. It costs hundreds of thousands of taels. It is a beautiful and elegant garden. Even in the capital, it is one of the best gardens. I'll go in. After seeing the completed pavilion, I heard from the manager that it will be completed in another two months."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "That's good. This is also the biggest project in the government in recent years."
Although there was no Princess Yuan to visit him, the Grand View Garden still appeared in front of him for another reason. When the Grand View Garden was completed, it would be exactly one year since his soul returned to this world.
Sister Feng said with a smile: "No, if it weren't for the thieves from the Lai family and the Shan family, our house would have been repaired early on."
Jia Heng nodded, looked at the beautiful woman opposite, and asked: "Sister-in-law Feng, after repairing the garden, do you still have enough money in the house?"
Sister Feng said: "This is enough. The family has a large population. I borrowed a lot from those families at the beginning. In addition, there is still income from several businesses in the house. There is still a lot of surplus now. Brother Heng can rest assured." "
Jia Heng said: "That's good."
Sister Feng smiled softly, Dandanfeng blinked and said, "Brother Heng, are you worried about me?"
I originally wanted to take the usury money, but for some reason I remembered that the person in front of me had been condescending... I felt a little uncomfortable in my heart, so the young woman put a pair of embroidered shoes together under her skirt.
Jia Heng said nothing, but looked at Sister Feng calmly.
"Brother Heng, don't worry. The house is booming now, much better than in the past. I will definitely not touch those immoral things." Sister Feng felt nervous and said quickly.
Jia Heng muttered: "The house is not as usual as before. Sister-in-law Feng has also seen what happened in the court during this period. I don't know how many people are staring at us. We need to act with caution. Sister-in-law Feng is a smart person. There is no need to play the drum seriously." Hammer, I won’t say more.”
Sister Feng said softly: "Brother Heng, I know the pros and cons. Besides, I am a widow and unemployed. Even if I get the money, I don't know who to use it for."
Hearing this, Jia Heng was silent for a moment. He raised his eyes to look at Sister Feng opposite, who looked suddenly lost. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Second brother Lian's matter..."
Sister Feng sighed quietly and said with a sad smile: "Don't mention him. I am the chief culprit of where I am today."
Jia Heng thought for a while, looked at the young woman Hua Xin opposite who looked depressed, and said, "Sister-in-law Feng feels so miserable in her heart..."
He didn't know how to tell Sister Feng to remarry. Not to mention whether Sister Feng was willing or not, even Mother Jia would not agree.
The problem is... after Jia Lian was exiled, he was not pardoned.
Now Sister Feng is almost the same as being a widow. Let a young woman in her early twenties and childless be a widow. It goes against human nature, especially since Sister Feng often appears in public. After a long time, some things... are more difficult to say.
"Whatever Brother Heng wants to say, just say it, why are you so hesitant?" Sister Feng's heart skipped a beat, she forced herself to smile and said.
If she feels miserable, what else can she do? Is it still possible to steal...
Um?
I'm really confused, thinking about what to do.
He quickly threw away all the distracting thoughts in his mind and vaguely realized something. He clenched the silk handkerchief in his hand, and his palms were almost sweaty.
Jia Heng was silent for a moment and finally said: "Sister-in-law Feng should have heard what I said to Sister-in-law You. If you want to go home, I will talk to the old lady."
Sister Feng's beautiful face changed slightly, and she said softly: "Brother Heng, are you trying to drive me away?"
"Sister-in-law Feng misunderstood." Jia Heng said quickly and sighed: "I was just thinking about Sister-in-law Feng...after all, she is no better than Sister-in-law Zhu."
Sister Feng's face turned pale, her eye circles were slightly red, she seemed to be laughing at herself, and said, "Yeah, I'm not like Sister-in-law Zhu, and I don't have a son and a half."
Jia Heng was silent for a moment and said, "Sister-in-law Feng misunderstood. I just thought that Sister-in-law Feng had worked a lot for the family and that Brother Lian was not pardoned. After all, Sister-in-law Feng was too miserable."
The voice gradually became thinner for a while, and I felt that saying this in front of a widow seemed... a little weird?
Sister Feng said: "I know Brother Heng's good intentions."
Looking at the young man opposite, the words just flashed through his mind, and he had mixed feelings for a moment. He was worried that she would be lonely, but he couldn't help but go home and remarry.
I just feel that I don’t know who to confide in these years of grievances and sadness, which is really hard to suppress.
Under Sister Feng's eyebrows, Danfeng's eyes were filled with tears, and two lines of clear tears silently flowed down her face. Her vision was blurred for a while, but Sister Feng had always been strong and did not choke and sob.
Just then, a handkerchief was delivered.
"Sister-in-law Feng, I just made a mistake. Please wipe it out, sister-in-law Feng." Jia Heng looked at Sister Feng, his eyes narrowed, and he whispered.
This would fall in the eyes of others, and those who didn't know better would think that he was bullying Sister Feng.
Sister Feng's quietly flowing tears couldn't help but burst. She raised her eyes and looked at the square handkerchief, feeling that her thoughts were complicated and inexplicable.
After hesitating for a moment, she stretched out her slender hand and took the handkerchief, but it was inevitable that she would touch the cold fingers. The young woman withdrew her hand as if she was electrocuted, picked up the handkerchief and gently wiped the tears in her eyes, bowing her head in silence for a while.
Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said, "Sister-in-law Feng, don't be too sad. I'm thinking of Brother Lian. After a while, you can go to Guizhou to see Brother Lian."
Sister Feng wiped her tears at this time, held the handkerchief tightly in her hand, sighed softly, her tone returned to her usual crisp tone, and said: "It's too difficult to live thousands of miles away. Besides, even if we meet once, it's too difficult." What can we do?"
She had already given up on that man.
Thanks to book friend Tao Tingqing for many tips.
(End of chapter)
