It is almost the end of April in the lunar calendar. As early summer approaches, the West Lake has lost its red willows, greenery and blooming flowers in the spring, and has been replaced by lush greenery. The breeze blowing on the lake also gives off a feeling of intoxication.
It's almost the Dragon Boat Festival, and it's a sunny, windy, neither hot nor cold weather. Starting from the first day of May, it is the day of dragon boat racing on the West Lake. People from all over Hangzhou gather together to pack up their dragon boats and go to the West Lake to race and worship the gods.
Various colored boats and boats shuttle back and forth on the lake. West Lake is famous as a "lake". It has so many cruise ships and a variety of names, which is unique in China. Li E, a man from the Qing Dynasty, wrote "Records of Pleasure Boats", which collected more than 90 types of pleasure boats of various types on the West Lake since the Tang and Song Dynasties. By the late Qing Dynasty, there were as many as 1,560 types of pleasure boats. There are treasure vases and bright jade boats that can accommodate hundreds of people, as well as small foot boats and melon skin boats that can only carry two or three people. It makes people feel dazzled and overwhelmed.
Cai Shi followed Zhao Yingong's instructions to book a boat for sightseeing on the lake. He is a native of Hangzhou and knows where to find suitable ships. Most of the best boats on the West Lake are private pleasure boats for wealthy gentry. The Jin gentry are self-conscious about their status, so they can only "borrow" them with their films. Mr. Zhao has no relatives in Hangzhou, and his family background is not prominent, so he goes there with his post. "Borrowing a boat" is not possible.
Fortunately, there are also paintings boats built by wealthy merchant families. Because they are enjoyed by private people, and the wealthy merchant families want to show off their wealth and vindictiveness, the designs and decorations are all very ingenious. This kind of boat can be rented for fun when not in use, regardless of family background.
Because Zhao Yingong wanted to meet Mei Lin's request, he asked Cai Shi to find a boat with a boat girl. Cai Shi found a prostitute's painted boat outside Yongjin Gate, named "Fangfei Drizzle Boat". It was the ship of a bustard named Mei Niang.
This can be considered a kind of prostitute's house. Generally, a "mother" takes care of several "daughters", including both biological and adopted daughters. Specializes in soliciting business for lake tours and smelting tours. They are very common in the south of the Yangtze River. Compared with the ordinary "boat girls" who operate hand-operated boats, they are of a higher grade and have more sophisticated equipment.
This boat is 66 feet long and 10 feet wide. It is fully equipped with furniture and utensils. There is a hall for drinking and bedrooms for resting. There is also a spacious platform on the front deck with a cloth shed on it, which can be rolled up or down. Shu. Whether it's sunny or sunny, or drizzling, visitors can enjoy a feast on the upper reaches of the lùtai.
At this time, the boat was gliding slowly on the water. Two boatmen were holding poles at the stern of the boat, and they were pointing towards the middle of the lake without using much force. They knew that the gentlemen wanted to enjoy the mountains and rivers, and were not in a hurry. The boat slid slowly across the lake under their poles.
Sun Wangcai and several bodyguards stood at the bow and stern of the ship to lock up the cabin.
In the hall of the ship, sitting at the Eight Immortals table, Zhao Yingong and a group of elders who came to Jiangnan on a business trip were sitting. Each of them wore wigs, net scarves, and silk satins—but their postures were unnatural and they looked very awkward.
Cai Shi took Fenghua, Jiying and other personal maids to serve him.
Because this time it was purely a tour on the lake, and there were outsiders present. Therefore, Zhao Yingong had greeted everyone in advance and would not talk about work or Lingao matters on the boat, only about romance.
Several elders were busy with work on weekdays, and now they were suddenly free to visit the West Lake. Although the scenery outside was beautiful, they couldn't think of anything to say about "romance, flowers, snow and moon". Just enjoy the scenery of the lake and mountains outside the window in silence.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Zhao Yingong signaled Cai Shi with his eyes. Cai Shi nodded slightly and retreated.
After a short while, I heard the bead curtain leading to the back cabin sound. A woman in her early thirties was born with a round face. She had a bead hairpin inserted neatly in her hair. She wore a magnolia on each side of her temples. A snow-green pleated skirt looks clean and neat, but still has charm.
She was holding a tray in her hand, smiling and blessing her first blessing;
"Wish you all the best, Mr. Zhao."
"Oh, come on, that's all!" Zhao Yingong knew that this was the "mother" of the ship, Mei Niang, and said with a smile.
Mei Niang stood up and blessed everyone again;
"Bless you, gentlemen." Although his head was lowered, when he raised it, his eyes flowed inadvertently, which was extremely charming. Zhao Yingong smiled slightly, knowing that she must have been a veteran in the entertainment industry in the past.
The elders in the painting were not interested in this - it was not that they disliked her age. According to the standards of the old time and space, there were many women in their mid-thirties who thought they were little girls, but that her appearance was too mediocre. . With a round face, small eyes and a wide forehead, her appearance is not as good as that of a farm girl selling flowers by the lake.
Meiniang saw the ceremony and said: While he was perfunctory, he directed the maids on the boat to put out a fruit plate and tea.
The fruit plate is a Japanese lacquered red sixteen-cup plate. The auction price of this thing in the old time and space was over one million, and it is not a cheap item in this time and space. Zhou Dongtian, Xu Xu, Mei Lin and others couldn't figure out the reason, so they took a roundabout way. But he often dabbles in the world of collecting - although his collection does not afford any antiques of any value, but like many enthusiasts who do not own cars but are very familiar with cars, he has a deep understanding of ancient instruments. As soon as we got on the boat, we could see that all the furnishings and equipment on this boat were of the highest quality and definitely not ordinary ones. No wonder this day's tour cost forty taels of silver, not counting the rewards.
Various dried and fresh fruits and melon seed snacks are placed on the plate. There are some they know and some they don't, and they look very exquisite.
Mei Niang was very attentive, and after a while she personally brought four cups of tea, one blue and white glaze with red peony pattern on the bowl and tea cup. Zhao Yingong took a gentle sniff, and there was a very familiar smell, reminding him that this was the best Longjing tea. , the nèn leaves in the tea cup stretch out and sink, it is the Mingqian tea of Longjing.
"Mei Niang ordered good tea." Zhao Yingong picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and praised, "How come this Longjing is so much softer and fresher than others? There are no traces of winter snow on the leaves. I don't know if there is. What a wonderful way?"
Mei Niang said with a smile, "Master, the word 'soft and new' is used perfectly. It is exactly the opposite of the word 'hard and new'. After a winter of torture, the tea tree will inevitably have hard skin and withered surface, and the new buds will only bloom. The stale flavor comes out, and it is naturally new. It is not just to abandon the buds that have passed through the winter and only harvest the new ones in spring. Only the less is less, the guess is more refined, and the better is wonderful. .”
Except for Zhao Yingong, the other elders basically knew nothing about tea and the like. Listening to Zhao Yingong and this old lady talking about "soft" and "hard", everyone was at a loss and had no idea.
Seeing that the scene was a little cold, Mei Niang quickly glanced at the maid on the boat. Not long after, there was a faint sound of the skirt swinging from behind the screen, and everyone felt that their eyes seemed to light up; the girl who gave the gift looked like sixteen or seventeen years old. , according to the standards of this time and space, his figure can be called tall, about ｜66 meters. Because of the hot weather, she only wore a thin pink dress, with a moon-white skirt underneath, and a Japanese bun loosely tied behind her head. She had an oval face, pink and phoenix eyes, a slightly flat nose bridge, and a small cherry mouth, which made her look round and round. Holding a white sunflower fan with green gauze and gold piping in his hand, he walked out slowly.
The woman's appearance is similar to that of Mei Niang, probably the relationship between mother and daughter. She evenly applied makeup on her face, traced her eyebrows, and carefully selected the accessories on her head, so she looked extra fresh, gorgeous, and radiant. Zhao Yingong learned from Cai Shi that this young woman was a well-known beauty in Hangzhou.
Of course he is not a first-class person in terms of wealth, but on the flower boat on the West Lake, he is a first-class person.
"Daughter, I have met all my husbands." Mei Niang greeted.
"Meiyan'er has met all of you, sir." The woman had already folded her sleeves around her waist and bowed gracefully.
Zhou Dongtian, Xu Xu and others had little interest in aboriginal women. According to the aesthetic taste of the old time and space, she was just a middle-aged girl at best - not to mention a pair of small feet that appeared and disappeared under her skirt. It gives people goosebumps just looking at it.
Zhao Yingong smiled and said, "It doesn't matter to us. You serve this Master Mei so well."
"Master Mei came to the slave family's boat, but the slave family didn't know where to sit. I hope you can forgive me for being unwelcome and neglectful!" Meiyan'er Qingqi Zhu first expressed her apology. As a well-trained sister, she always speaks softly and slowly, which makes people feel indescribably comfortable.
"Um, ah, oh," Merlin hummed for more than ten seconds before he finally managed to say, "Sit down."
Mei Yaner smiled and said, "Thank you, Master." She immediately sat down beside Mei Lin. She had already taken the pine nuts from the fruit plate, peeled them off with her hands, blew them off, put them one by one on the handkerchief, and held them with her hands. Send it to Merlin and ask him to use it.
Don't look at Mei Lin who talks about appreciating famous courtesans every day and playing "Ming Dynasty style". This lively and fragrant Ming Dynasty famous courtesan actually sits next to him, blowing like a musk deer, and the fragrance of powder comes one after another. Come on, I suddenly felt at a loss. I didn’t know what to do? Should you sing "Thousands of Miles Frozen, Thousands of Miles Snow Floating" first to show your "bastard spirit" or sing "Sweet mìmì" to express your "literary style"? Or let’s talk about democracy, freedom and human rights, or equality between men and women. I held it in for a long time, but not a single word came out.
Meiyan'er saw that Master Mei was dark-skinned and tall, and his hands and feet were not as soft as those of a scholar. He looked like a martial artist fighting for a fight. I was already fed up with it. Looking at the other gentlemen on the boat, except for Zhao Yingong, although they were dressed gorgeously and looked like gentlemen, their behavior seemed very uncomfortable with the clothes. Moreover, he has dark skin, thick hands and feet, and is completely different from an ordinary rich man. He looks more like a rich man from the countryside.
But the ostentation of this group of people is not small, especially the few people on the bow platform, who are obviously guardians with martial arts skills. This made her feel more and more suspicious that these people were coming from evil ways, and she became more careful with her words. To be continued! .
