Just when Cheng Lin was muttering that Shi Xingzhou was not very discerning, why did he and the Marquis fall in love with the same woman? Apo Shi, who lived in the upper room of the restaurant, quickly summoned Shi Xingzhou while her daughter-in-law was asleep.
Shi Xingzhou was sleepy and didn't know why his mother was calling him over instead of resting at this hour.
Grandma Shi was worried that if he spoke too loudly, his daughter-in-law would be disturbed. This daughter-in-law was carefully selected by her. Although she was a merchant, her family had plenty of money. This girl's parents wanted her to marry into a high family, but at that time they specially invited a nun from the palace to teach her the rules carefully.
It's a pity that although the family wants to entrust her with important tasks, this girl does not have a temperament that can be manipulated by others. I don’t know what she learned from those nuns, but instead of becoming docile and well-behaved, she became more aggressive and difficult to deal with.
But being pungent has the advantage of being aggressive, and being difficult also has the advantage of being difficult to deal with. At the very least, my family needs such a fierce and capable daughter-in-law to support the family.
It was also because of this that Grandma Shi specifically asked Bingren to be the matchmaker to talk about the marriage.
According to Shi Xingzhou's background as a Jinshi in the Second Ranking, he would not be able to marry such a lovely wife. But who gave him an identity? He was a retainer of the Hou Mansion. Because of this, the girl's father hesitated, but the girl was very direct. She only said that she liked his person and his future, and she didn't mind coming in to be his stepmother. So, Grandma Shi quickly finalized the marriage and arranged it outside Shi Zhouwai. After the release was settled, he quickly married the girl and entered the house.
Now this is her daughter-in-law, but because she is so fond of this daughter-in-law, Grandma Shi doesn't want her daughter-in-law to feel unhappy, let alone her daughter-in-law and her son to get into trouble.
But what she discovered today was so big that she felt really depressed and panicked if she didn't say it out loud. Moreover, Xing Zhou had spread rumors with Sang Nianyue earlier. What if the Marquis found out about this and became angry with his son, further delaying his future?
It was precisely because of these thoughts that Grandma Shi could not fall asleep. After finally waiting for her daughter-in-law to rest, she quickly asked someone to quietly call her son over.
Grandma Shi lowered her voice and started talking about the fact that she went to the kitchen to get food today and met Su Jin, the maid.
At that time, she wanted to say hello to Su Jin, but the next moment she saw Cheng Yi following Su Jin, taking the big food box from her hand, and the two of them entered a small yard behind.
With Su Jin and Cheng Yi, Sang Nianyue and Hou Ye must be there too.
But one of them is a widow and the other is single. They live alone in the same courtyard. Why is this?
Grandma Shi became excited as she spoke. She held her son's arm and said worriedly: "You were attracted to that girl from the Sang family, and I was also optimistic about her. But she is not interested in our family. I thought it was because she had suffered from her husband's family. I don’t want to get married again, but who would have expected that she has too high a vision and looks down on our family.”
Speaking of this, Grandma Shi became sour. Even if she knew it, every woman felt that she would have a better future by following Mr. Hou. However, if you follow the Marquis, you won't be able to be a real wife. If you die, you will be a concubine. On the other hand, although Xingzhou is not as capable as the Marquis, if she agrees to marry him, their family will designate eight sedans to carry her in from the front door, and let her become the mistress of the Shi family as soon as she enters.
No matter what, it's better than being the concubine of the Hou Mansion, right?
Grandma Shi was so sore that she felt that the moon was like a dragon and a phoenix. Why didn't she see that she had such ambition before? He also said that Sang Nuoyue was hiding deeply and might have hooked up with the Marquis at some point.
When Shi Xingzhou listened to his mother's words, his expression became even more ugly.
He whispered: "Mother, you know Miss Sang is not such a person."
"I don't know what kind of person she is, but it is an indisputable fact that she lives in the same courtyard as the Marquis. I can't think of a reasonable explanation for this. Why don't you help me think about it?"
Shi Xingzhou was speechless and could only sigh and said: "But Miss Sang is not married, and the Marquis is not married. Even if they really live in the same courtyard, saying this will at most damage Miss Sang's reputation." Be honest and do no harm to others."
Grandma Shi looked at her son in surprise, as if she had just met him for the first time today.
She asked Shi Xingzhou: "Why do you think so? Can men and women hook up with each other without hurting others? How much does this affect the world's customs? Doesn't this also mean ethics and integrity?"
"Whether we talk about it or not, this is only a matter between the Marquis and Miss Sang. It has nothing to do with us. Let's not worry about it anymore."
Listening to this, Grandma Shi felt more and more wrong. Why is this just worrying about idleness? The Marquis is his food, clothing and parents. Without the Marquis to support him, he would still want to escape from that corner within three to five years. This is a fool's dream.
But there were rumors between him and Sang Nianyue before, so they can't be regarded as rumors. After all, he had truly "pursued" Sang Nianyue before and had the intention of accomplishing something good. But now their affairs have not come to fruition. Instead, the Marquis and Sang Nuanyue are getting involved. If the Marquis was a jealous person, or someone who did not rub dirt in his eyes, how could his son be in such a good situation?
Shi Xingzhou covered his forehead and said feebly: "Mom, don't say that, Mr. Hou is not such a person."
"Do you know this again? You are still too young and have too little experience. There are some things you don't understand. This man, as long as he is a man, he will sometimes be hot-headed and do things beyond his imagination..."
Grandma Shi chattered endlessly, and she seemed to have a tendency to talk at length. Seeing this, Shi Xingzhou had to give in and said some things he wanted to keep hidden in his heart forever.
Grandma Shi heard this and asked in surprise, "You said that you already knew about Mr. Marquis and Miss Sang being together?"
"It's not early, it was the day we left the city. That day I not only saw the Marquis, but also saw Qing'er beside him. As you know, the Marquis never shows off to others, but he is very close and tolerant to Qing'er. , this can’t be without reason.”
"Then what you mean is that Mr. Hou and Miss Sang may not know when..."
Shi Xingzhou nodded: "It should be very early."
He felt very sad in his heart, but he had to try his best to smile lightly, "It is impossible that the Marquis did not know about the matter between me and Miss Sang. But the Marquis treated me as before, even after he was awarded the Jinshi I told the Marquis that I wanted to serve as an official, and the Marquis also arranged a suitable place for me to go."
Grandma Shi muttered: "This is not a good place to go. It's a remote place. I heard that there are many unruly people there."
"But that's the best place to achieve political achievements. Moreover, the Marquis also told me a few useful contacts. If I have any difficulties, I can safely go to them for help. Mother, no matter what happens between the Marquis and Miss Sang, No matter what, the Marquis has always treated me with utmost kindness. As long as we are grateful, we should no longer doubt the character of the Marquis."
Grandma Shi wanted to say that "character" had nothing to do with a man's "nature", but when he saw his son looking at her with a frown, waiting for her to promise not to speak ill of Mr. Hou behind his back, he had to swallow it all. Cursing and muttering, he reluctantly said, "Okay, okay, mother knows, I just don't say these things anymore."
No one here knew about the night conversation between the two of them, and just to avoid being too embarrassed to meet each other, Shi Xingzhou and his party headed forward in the rain early the next morning.
His new wife had some objections to this and felt that it was unsafe to travel in the rain during a typhoon, but Shi Xingzhou had his own reasons to comfort her. I heard him say: "The date for taking office is really too tight. If I delay it any longer, I'm afraid it will be a few days later when I arrive at the appointed place. The court has strict etiquette in this regard. If you exceed the deadline, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain."
Shi Xingzhou's newlywed wife felt very guilty when she heard this. She said: "It's all my fault that I've never been on a boat. I couldn't stop vomiting as soon as I stepped on the boat. If we hadn't taken a boat to go south, we would have had much more time. It wouldn't be like today." In this way, traveling by land takes so much time. Husband, in the final analysis, I am the one who has caused trouble for you."
"It's okay, you and I, husband and wife, don't say these foreign words. It's just that now my wife has to work harder, and she has to accompany me on the journey through the wind and rain."
"With such a beloved man, let alone the miserable journey, I would be happy to accompany you on the mountain of swords and the sea of fire."
The young couple are gentle and affectionate, and have a deep love for each other.
But the rain was really heavy that day. After two hours of walking, even the horse started sneezing, so we couldn't continue walking. Otherwise, if we really stop halfway into the mountains and fields, then the sky will not respond and the earth will not work, that will be fatal.
There was no other way, so everyone had to settle down at nearby people's homes, preparing to wait for the typhoon to pass before continuing their journey to other places.
Naturally, Sang Nianyue didn't know much about this. She stayed bored in the small courtyard, watching the rain pouring down, and it really felt like a hole had been poked in the sky. It has been raining all night, and there is no sign of letting up. According to this momentum, I don't know when they will be able to take the boat south.
Moreover, the wind was very strong. In summer, the wind was so strong that the trees were broken. I heard that the situation on the street is even worse. The sign of this store was broken into two sections, the windows on the second floor of that store were blown out, and the tiles on the top of the good shops were not blown away. The heavy rain poured water into the house. It's so wet, it's like taking an open-air bath.
In short, from last night to this day, I did not stop anywhere, and the sound of ping pong ping ping ping ping was passed in from time to time. This is because they live in the backyard and hear little noise. If they live in a restaurant, it will be even more noisy. They can't even think of resting this night.
Unable to go out, let alone rush, and unable to read the book, Sang Nuanyue sat at the window with her chin in her hands and sighed.
It was Su Jin who reminded her and said, "Girl, don't you want to draw the scenery of the ferry in the capital? Now that your memory is still clear and you have some free time, why don't you just draw it?"
Sang frowned and responded with a smile, "That's fine."
Su Jin found a good way for her to kill time. Sang Nianyue really didn't go out that day. She just huddled in her room and drew her sunset picture of the ferry.
Shen Tingjun came and knocked on the door in the middle of the afternoon. At that time, Sang Nianyue had finished the painting and was reading it. She did not expect that the person outside the door was Shen Tingjun, but she responded reflexively, "Come in."
But when she saw Shen Tingjun coming through the door, it was already too late for her to take back what she just said.
Shen Tingjun walked up to her in confusion. He looked at the calligraphy and painting on the table and the wet ink on the scroll, and asked Sang Nianyue: "Have you finished the painting?"
Sang Nuanyue nodded hesitantly.
Shen Tingjun asked again: "Can you allow me to take a look?"
Sang Nuanyue didn't want him to see it, but he already mentioned it. How could Sang Nuanyue say no? In the end, he could only bite the bullet and said in a panic: "I'm not good at painting, it's just a boudoir practice, please don't make fun of me when you see it."
Shen Tingjun was already standing beside her at this time. He looked at the picture of the sunset on the ferry on the table. The characters on the ferry were lifelike, including an old man selling wontons on a load, young people soliciting customers for rides, and some There are tall foreigners with curly hair, naughty and lively children, and women and children who set up stalls selling clothes, shoes and socks.
They may frown, laugh, be cheerful, or be cheerful, and all kinds of expressions of sentient beings are all condensed in this picture.
The remaining light of the setting sun shines on the river and even reflects on their faces. A layer of brilliant light was cast on their tired faces, making the picture warm. It seems that even poverty, difficulty, disease, and separation are no longer scary at this time, but become warm and comfortable, and become acceptable.
Shen Tingjun didn't expect Sang Nianyue's paintings to have reached such a level. She seemed to be particularly good at depicting portraits, but the scenery she painted was also so pleasing. All of these combined together create a stunning and exciting picture. The emotional scroll makes people happy.
Shen Tingjun looked at Sang Nianyue and said solemnly: "You are being humble. This painting is very good."
"Are you serious?"
"very good."
"How does it compare to the Hou Ye's paintings? How can I compare to the Hou Ye's level?"
Shen Tingjun's handsome brows could not help but overflow with joy. His deep voice contained a faint smile. He looked at Sang Nuanyue and asked her, "Want to see me paint?"
Sang Nuanyue wanted to wave her hand, but she didn't mean it that way. She just wanted to see the paintings of Mr. Hou from the past. After all, there are rumors in the capital that Mr. Hou is not only a great talent with the rank of Sanyuan, but also a master of calligraphy and painting. If he had not entered the official career, he would have become a famous Confucian by now.
But who can refuse the good thing of watching someone who is a master of calligraphy and painting paint?
Not to mention that Sang Nian Yueben is also a fan of it, and although she modestly said that she was not good at painting, she still knew how good she was. Isn't it exciting to compete with the best in your field of expertise?
Sang Nuanyue couldn't help but nodded, "I want to see Mr. Hou paint, but I don't know if Mr. Hou is in the mood to paint for me at this time."
"Of course there is." Shen Tingjun smiled brightly, "It's just that I lack the grinding..."
"Whether it's grinding or serving tea and pouring water, the Marquis just tells you and I will do it for you."
"...Then I'll help my cousin."
Sang Nianyue stood on the side of the desk, watching Shen Tingjun paint.
An expert will know if there is one as soon as he takes action.
As soon as Shen Tingjun put pen to paper, Sang Nianyue understood that the reputation for excellence in calligraphy and painting was by no means a mere rumor. Shen Tingjun definitely had the ability to be promoted to the altar.
And as Shen Tingjun splashed ink, Sang Nianyue also understood what he was painting.
This is also a landscape painting, which depicts the scenery on the river.
There are many mountains on both sides of the river, and lush trees grow among them. The bright sunlight splashed down without any scruples, shining on the sparkling surging river. There are boats on the river, and there are young boys and maids walking around casually on the boats. And just in the open window of the cabin, a graceful figure lay lazily, seeming to be taking a nap and admiring the scenery.
The picture is beautiful and grand, with simple lines outlining a beautiful picture of the river. This kind of brushwork ability is something Sang Nuanyue does not have, and this kind of creation of artistic conception and control over the layout of the entire picture is far superior to Sang Nuanyue.
But Sang Nianyue couldn't help but admire Shen Tingjun's superb skills at this moment. She looked at the figure lying lazily on the window sill, she couldn't help but blush on her face, and even her eyes couldn't control it. Can't help but dodge.
She told herself not to look, but she couldn't help wanting to look.
She thought of the familiar colors and patterns on the woman's clothes, and also of the Cordyceps tassel hairpin that the woman wore on her head. She was lying lazily and contentedly, admiring the scenery or lost in thought, but had no idea that she was also such a beautiful sight in the eyes of others.
The person who painted her was obviously full of tenderness towards her, and even the brushstrokes were filled with careful care and pampering. Only on her body, the sunlight was soft but not dazzling. She seemed to be wrapped in a ball of light, making her whole person dazzling and dazzling.
This person is her, Sang Nuanyue knows it well.
But just because she knew it so well, she was at a loss at this moment and didn't know how to deal with it.
Shen Tingjun didn't know what he was thinking, or he was simply lost in thought about the pictures. Both of them fell silent, but the atmosphere in the room was not cold and awkward at all. Instead, it was filled with inexplicable warmth, the ambiguity that stretched to the extreme, and the eagerness to move that made people's hearts twitch and move.
After a long time, there was movement outside the door again, but it was Su Jin who came over with a lantern.
Su Jin seemed not to notice the red sleeves adding fragrance to the room. She said: "Girl, the room is too dark. No matter what you do, it hurts your eyes. I'll light the candle for you first. You can also clean up quickly." Then it’s time for dinner.”
Sang Nuanyue woke up as if from a dream, and responded with a dry voice, "Okay."
Su Jin lit all the candlesticks in the room, then looked up at the Marquis who was standing in front of the table and looking at her with a cold face. She couldn't control the tremor in her heart and quickly lowered her head.
She knew exactly what she was doing, and the Marquis must also be aware of it.
The Marquis still tolerates her now, but because of the friendship between her and the girl who grew up together, he can't bear the embarrassment and sadness of the girl, so he also treats her as a little maid.
Su Jin secretly felt that she was a bad person now, but the Marquis was so sophisticated that the girl was no match for him. It was obvious that the girl had already made a decision earlier, saying that there would be no further contact between the two parties. But first, because Qing'er was admitted to Yingtian Academy, they had to ask the Marquis for help, and then because they went south to Minzhou, they had to go with the Marquis.
Along the way, Su Jin saw how the Marquis treated his girl. She couldn't say how skillful and scheming Shen Hou was in winning the girl's heart. After all, his actions seemed completely sincere. And he addressed the girl as "Madam" in front of others, which shows that there is no blasphemy in his heart.
But there was always a huge difference between the two of them. As the girl's personal maid, how could she watch the girl fall helplessly and repeatedly, while she watched indifferently?
Su Jin couldn't do this.
In fact, she wanted to do more, but unfortunately she couldn't do it. Otherwise, it is unknown whether she will be able to stay by the girl's side when the Marquis's patience runs out.
After Su Jin went out, only Shen Tingjun and Sang Nuanyue were left in the room.
Because of Su Jin's movements in and out, the ambiguity and warmth that had been stretched to the extreme before no longer existed.
Sang Nianyue's restless and chaotic mood slowly calmed down. Although she was still a little embarrassed, she could calmly say: "Master Hou has a wonderful pen, but I am not as good as Master Hou."
Shen Tingjun said "hmm" and was silent for a long time before casually asking Sang Nianyue: "It's boring to be on the road, do you want to learn some techniques from me to pass the time?"
Sang Nuanyue's calm mood once again became uncontrollable.
She looked at Shen Tingjun and saw that Shen Tingjun was also looking at her.
His face was still stern and graceful, revealing indescribable splendor and majesty. And his brows were still cold and cold, always showing an indifferent and inhumane attitude. Looking at his eyes again, they were deep and dark, filled with too many unspeakable emotions.
Sang Nuanyue looked at him quietly, looking straight at him. She wanted to refuse, but the beating of her heart was too loud, her eyes were dizzy and her ears were ringing, and her thoughts were completely disrupted. So much so that he obviously wanted to refuse, but the word "ok" came out of his mouth.
It's just the word "good", but Shen Tingjun is like a drowning man who has been saved.
He couldn't help but laugh, and just looked at Sang Nuanyue, laughing softly, his voice was hoarse and low, which made his heartbeat become more and more disordered.
Sang Nuanyue suddenly felt regretful and at a loss. She lowered her head and said hurriedly, "It's getting late and we have to prepare for dinner. Does the Marquis need to tidy up?"
Shen Tingjun looked at her and said "need" after a long delay.
Then, he stopped forcing her and began to slowly clear away the pictures on the table.
When Sang Nuanyue saw this, she didn't care about Nan Ran at all. She stretched out her hand to block it, and Shen Tingjun raised his eyebrows and looked at her, as if asking her, what did she mean?
Sang Nuanyue clenched the handkerchief in her hand and asked hesitantly, without looking at him, "You want to take this painting away?"
Shen Tingjun said "Yeah", "This painting...can't I collect it?"
The restlessness that Sang Nuanyue had just suppressed burst out crazily again. Her face was as red as the peach blossoms in full bloom in March, and her peach blossom eyes were watery, sparkling with spring.
She wanted to say, of course you can't collect it, you know exactly who is pictured above.
But the painting was made by him, and she didn't seem to have any position in wanting to keep the painting.
But rather than collecting it, Sang Nianyue preferred to hide the painting by herself.
She blushed and said, "Although a gentleman does not take what others like, I really like this painting by Mr. Hou. I wonder if Mr. Hou can give me the painting without giving up his love?"
Shen Tingjun let out a long "Uh", "If it were the other painting, I would give it to my cousin if she asked for it, but this painting...can't do it."
"Why can't it work? Mr. Hou is a master of painting. If you want to paint more, just give me this one... okay?"
How could Shen Tingjun say no to her pleading? He finally said "yes".
But the painting that had been rolled up was unfolded by him again.
In Sang Nianyue's suspicious eyes, Shen Tingjun picked up the wolf hair and wrote two poems in the blank space in one fell swoop.
Remembering you, my heart is like the water of the West River, flowing eastward day and night without rest.
