Even though the door number of Buzhuang is not big, once you walk in, you can see that the inner hall is actually quite big. I saw eight black lacquered cloth cabinets placed around the inner hall. Each cloth cabinet was about two feet long and eight feet wide. The cabinets were filled with colorful silks and satins. Looking at the wall, I saw that it was densely covered with silk and brocade flowers, and the colors were dazzling under the sunlight. The strange thing is that although there are many goods, there are few customers in the store. Counting Zhao Niantong, there are only five or six people, and there are three clerks standing behind the cloth cabinet.
The two women who came in earlier were talking to a waiter on the left, mainly the older woman in Tsing Yi, while the young woman stood with her hands down. Zhao Niantong approached as if nothing had happened, and heard the woman in green say: "Jinbao, in three days it will be the big day for our ladies to compete in martial arts to find a bride. I don't like the lady you sent to my house very much, so I want you to go quickly." Looking for something better, have you found it now?”
I heard the waiter named Jinbao reply with a smile: "Hey, Miss Wang, do we dare to neglect the old lady and your instructions? It has been prepared for you a long time ago. Miss, please take a look..." said After that, he took out a roll of silk from under the cloth cabinet.
Zhao Niantong took a closer look. The silk was soft and even in luster, bright but not dazzling. It shone with colorful light in the sun. Although she didn't know much about it, she could tell that it was indeed the best quality. Plus, women have a natural love for wearing clothes. , couldn't help but exclaimed: "What a silk!"
As soon as this sound came out, Jin Bao, Miss Wang and the girl in blue all looked at her. Standing in front of me was a handsome young man wearing an apricot yellow robe, a Xiaoyao scarf on his head, a folding fan in his hand, and golden boots on his feet. He had a fair complexion and a handsome face. He looked so likeable.
Miss Wang's face turned red when she saw Zhao Niantong, she glanced sideways and said in a low voice: "Young Master, could it be that you have also studied the beauty of embroidery workers?
Zhao Niantong was stunned when he heard this, and then he remembered that he was a woman disguised as a man. So he laughed and said: "Where, where, I can't talk about research, I just have a little understanding. Especially this piece of cloth is soft and silky, just like your face, sister, bright and radiant. It is also the best in the world, making people I can’t put it down.”
Miss Wang's face turned even redder when she heard these words. She turned around and said scolding: "You are a slippery person. You are not a good person at first glance. You and I are strangers to each other, why are you teasing others for no reason?"
Zhao Niantong laughed loudly and said: "Sister, don't blame me, I'm just telling the truth. My surname is Zhao Minghong, do you dare to ask my sister's name?"
Miss Wang replied: "The little girl's surname is Wang and her last name is Rong."
Zhao Niantong said: "It turns out to be Sister Wang. I was so abrupt just now. I apologize to my sister here." After saying that, he clasped his fists and bent down to salute.
Wang Rong hurriedly stepped forward to help her and said, "Master Zhao, you are serious..." Before she could finish her words, she suddenly felt her right hand being grabbed by Zhao Niantong. She hurriedly tried to break free, but Zhao Niantong seemed to have something in his hand. This kind of magic power, the strength in his hand suddenly disappeared without a trace, not only that, the strength in his body seemed to be sucked away...
Zhao Niantong grabbed Wang Rong's hand and felt that the other person had become as soft as a bone just as she was trying to struggle. Without thinking too much for a moment, he took advantage of the situation and took her left hand and said, "Sister's hand is so smooth and tender, it's so delicate." Jade hands, fingers like onion roots..." Just as he was about to say more, he suddenly heard a scolding from the girl in blue!
"Let go! You unscrupulous young man, let go of my sister's hand quickly, or I will be rude to you!"
Zhao Niantong looked back and saw the young girl staring at him, her almond-shaped eyes glaring angrily, her fists clenched as if she was about to hit him.
Zhao Niantong laughed, still holding Wang Rong's hand and said: "Huh? This sister is not old, but has a bad temper. However, she looks pretty good when she is angry. It's easy for me to let go of your sister's hand. But you have to tell me what your name is?"
The girl in blue said: "I won't tell you! Let go of my sister's hand quickly, or I will call someone!"
At this time, Wang Rong also felt that it was inappropriate for Zhao Niantong to keep holding his hand, so she pulled out her hand with a strong force, but she also seemed to blame the girl in blue for meddling in her own business. She turned around and said displeasedly: "Shuang'er, don't do anything to Zhao Niantong." Young Master is rude!" Then he said softly to Zhao Niantong: "Young Master Zhao, this is the new maid my family bought. Her name is Shuang'er. She is an orphan. She has not been educated since she was a child and lacks etiquette. If she offends Young Master, I hope you will do more. Forgive me."
Zhao Niantong smiled slightly and said: "Sister Wang, you are worrying too much. I like this sister very much and she is outspoken. Today I am really lucky to meet two sisters who are as beautiful as gods. Meeting each other is fate. If sister likes this roll of silk, Why don't I let Xiaosheng buy it and give it to my sister to express my joy." After saying that, he reached into his waist to get some silver.
Seeing this, Wang Rong hurriedly said: "Young Master Zhao is so kind, and this little girl can't bear it! Besides, this silk is not for me, but for my young lady to compete in a martial arts competition in three days to find a bride. The old lady specially asked me to choose the best one. Use the materials to make a new dress for the lady."
Competition to recruit a bride? ! Zhao Niantong's heart was moved, but he said with a calm smile on his face: "That's it. Dare I ask where my sister is a noble person, and where is the place for the contest to recruit a bride?"
Wang Rong said: "You can't talk about nobles. I'm just a maid in the house. Mr. Zhao just arrived in Jinling these two days, right? How come you don't know about such a big thing like a martial arts competition in the Chen Mansion to recruit a bride? Now all the people in Jinling City The common people all know that Chen Yixin, the daughter of our great general Chen Xiaotian, will have a public competition on the tenth day of March to recruit a bride and choose a son-in-law who can ride a dragon. The competition arena will be set up at the foot of Qinglong Mountain in the west of the city. Didn't you see that Jinling City has been here in the past few days? Are there many martial arts practitioners in the martial arts world? The inns in the city are basically full now, with people coming from all over the world to participate in the marriage recruitment conference."
Zhao Niantong thought to himself, thanks to my senior brother and I arriving a few days earlier and living in the east of the city, otherwise we might not even be able to find a place to stay. I was thinking in my mind but asked: "So, the daughter of your house must be like my elder sister, with the beauty of a country and a city, and the shameless beauty?"
After hearing this, Wang Rong's pretty face turned red and she said softly: "Master Zhao is really good at joking. How can I compare to my young lady? If she had one-tenth of her looks and one-hundredth of her gentleness, I wouldn't still be the same person today." I don’t have a husband anymore…” His voice became softer and quieter, and by the end he was as quiet as a mosquito.
Zhao Niantong smiled and said: "Sister, please don't be too modest. Is there anyone in the world who is ten times more beautiful than my sister? I think this eldest lady is either plain in appearance or has a weird temperament. Otherwise, as my sister said, there will be a steady stream of people asking for her hand in marriage." If you are not alone, how can you stay in the boudoir and engage in some kind of competition to attract a bride?"
Wang Rong said: "Why should I lie to Mr. Zhao? To tell you the truth, my young lady has had a steady stream of people coming to ask for her hand in marriage since she was a child. There are countless high-ranking officials and children of famous families, but the young lady cannot like anyone. , and with such delay, we have reached the age of Huaxin. In the past few years, I have been very anxious, and I have been very careful and persuasive before I allowed you to agree to hold a competition to recruit a bride. Whoever can beat the young lady will be given her life. "
Zhao Niantong asked: "Oh? So your young lady is also very skilled?"
Wang Rong replied: "Of course, the master has been teaching kung fu to me since she was eight years old. When she was twelve years old, she was taught by Master Ning Yuan of the Emei Sect. At the age of twenty, she was taught by Master Zhang of the Kongtong Sect. I think this competition There are probably very few people who can defeat the young lady.
Zhao Niantong smiled and said: "You are recruiting a bride through a martial arts competition. You don't need a handful of people, just one person is enough."
Wang Rong thought: "Looking at how weak Mr. Zhao is, could he also want to compete in martial arts to get married? This time there are so many experts in the ring, I should advise him not to act rashly, otherwise his fists and feet will be blind. What should I do if he is injured? But I If I tell him directly, I'm afraid it will make him unhappy... With that, I can tell him the start time of the competition later, and it will be over by the time he goes, so that he has the intention but has no chance." Thinking of this Chu then said: "Master Zhao seems to be very interested in recruiting a bride. Why don't you come to the scene and have a look at my young lady?"
Zhao Niantong said: "To be honest with my sister, I do have this intention. But I don't know when the competition will start?"
Wang Rong said: "On the tenth day of the third month, the Youshi hour begins."
Zhao Niantong asked: "Youshi? Isn't it almost dusk?"
Wang Rong hesitated and replied: "Well, this is because... because the martial arts practiced by my young lady will be affected by the scorching sun. Only... only when the sun sets and the lanterns first come on, this skill can exert its greatest power.
The Emei sect is mostly practiced by women, whose nature is Yin. Therefore, Zhao Niantong did not doubt Wang Rong's words. He only said that it was some kind of strange martial arts that he had never heard of. He cupped his hands and said to Wang Rong: "In that case, I will meet my sister again at the foot of Qinglong Mountain in three days."
Wang Rong looked at Zhao Niantong and thought to herself, "I wonder if it will piss me off if he misses the competition three days from now?" She didn't answer for a while.
Seeing him stunned there, Zhao Niantong didn't think much, smiled and turned around to leave.
Wang Rong looked at Zhao Niantong's back and thought to herself: "Even if he was annoyed with me at the time, he would be able to figure out afterwards that I was thinking about him. I hope he can understand my painstaking efforts." Just as she was thinking, she heard Shuang'er Said: "Sister, why did you tell Mr. Zhao about the martial arts contest at Youshi? By then, the martial arts contest will probably be over."
Wang Rong looked at Shuang'er and wanted to scold her. But then I thought about it, this little girl is young and ignorant and doesn't understand my good intentions. If I tell her, it will expose my thoughts. So he said, "Don't you like Mr. Zhao? My sister tricked him into helping you vent your anger."
Shuang'er said: "I don't like Mr. Zhao because he is rude to my sister. Moreover, he is frivolous and doesn't look like a good person. But even so, shouldn't you lie to him?"
Wang Rong didn't want to explain too much, so she turned to the clerk Jinbao and said, "Jinbao, I need this piece of silk. Put the money in the account and settle it at the end of the month."
Jinbao said happily: "Okay, Miss Wang, I will find someone to take you to your house."
Wang Rong said: "No need. Shuang'er, take it, we're going back." After saying that, he turned around and left the cloth village.
Shuang'er said: "Yes." He raised his hand to lift the silk on the cabinet, put it on his shoulders, and strode out.
Jin Bao looked dumbfounded and thought to himself: "This is the first time I've seen this little girl. She has so much strength. It would be difficult for an adult man to carry such a roll of cloth, but she actually lifted it up and left without any effort. . It seems that the gang leader is right, there are really hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the palace of the Protector General, we have to pay more attention in the future."
