"If Wen Ruo likes it, I will give this cat to you!"
Fan Dazhi grinned, stood up and rubbed his empty stomach.
"You two live in the courtyard, with a cat by your side, which can relieve your boredom. I won't win anyone's love." Ding Wenruo shook his head, finished speaking softly, and glanced at He An.
A few people were talking when the old housekeeper outside the door came to report that the food in the kitchen was ready and the banquet was ready.
In the front hall of Ding Mansion, the large pear wood table is filled with dishes. The dishes are exquisite. Although the portions are not large, the presentation is very particular. Because there are guests, the meals are much richer than before.
The golden-colored and oily bucket chicken is cut and piled on a lace porcelain plate. There are a few slices of green winter squash on top and a red cherry in the middle, which will greatly increase your appetite.
The oval golden pumpkin was steamed soft and delicious. It was served in a snow-white porcelain plate. Fan Dazhi ate it happily. Halfway through, he discovered that there was something else in the pumpkin's belly. A plump and tender squab absorbed the fragrance of the pumpkin. It's sweet and salty, fresh and delicious, and even the soup tastes wonderful.
The steamed mandarin fish was cut into swallow-shaped fillets, as thin as cicada wings, and served with chef Ding's secret cooking oil. After taking only one bite, Fan Dazhi suddenly felt like crying. It was so delicious, right now. I am willing to cut my tongue.
Ding's food is really delicious. Even a plate of dried radish, paired with Sichuan bacon and dried peppers, has a unique taste.
Some of the seasonal vegetables on the table, such as radishes, pumpkins, and spinach, are all homegrown in the vegetable garden. Ding Feiyong said, warmly greeting the two of them to taste them.
He An was a little restrained and just ate a few dishes in front of him. Fan Dazhi was already hungry and didn't care about so many things. He was eating with great enthusiasm. Besides the sweet and mellow taste, he was also getting carried away with his mouth and mouth. He An's feet I kicked him twice under the table before he restrained himself.
Ding Wenruo adhered to the family motto of "eating without talking while sleeping" and silently lowered his head to pluck the rice grains in the bowl.
Ding Feiyong was in a good mood tonight and frequently raised his glass to invite He An to drink with him. After a while, the pot of aged Du Kang had reached the bottom.
Ding Wenruo saw that He An's face was slightly red, he put down the delicate small bowl in his hand, straightened his hair on his temples, glared at his father angrily, and said: "You have classes tomorrow morning, you let someone get drunk with you... If If you are late, you will be punished by the teacher!"
Ding Feiyong stroked his beard and laughed, drinking a glass of wine by himself, no longer forcing himself.
With a glance, he found that his daughter was secretly looking at He An, her eyes were twitching, her cheeks were slightly dizzy, and she seemed to be showing admiration.
Ding Feiyong's heart moved, He Anyun, Wen Yunwu, will definitely become a great weapon in the future. If his daughter fell in love with him, he would be happy to see it come to fruition... As long as Wen Ruo likes it, it would be a good thing to fulfill them... He An, this boy, is indeed a good match for Wen Ruo!
Thinking of this, Ding Feiyong smiled, took a piece of fish, drank another glass of wine, and asked about the ages of He An and Fan Dazhi.
"The two students are the same age. I am seventeen this year. I am only a few months older than Dazhi."
He An answered the teacher's question and turned around to see Fan Dazhi's face covered with rice juice. He couldn't help but lightly kicked him under the table.
"Oh...it will take a few more years to reach twenty. When the time comes for the crowning ceremony, I will host it for you two, okay?"
Ding Feiyong filled a glass of wine and looked at He An with a smile.
Ding Wenruo was secretly happy as he listened. When a man in the Chen Empire reaches twenty, he will have a crowning ceremony in the family ancestral temple. The crowning ceremony will usually be hosted by the family elders or a famous person.
When Ding Feiyong said this, he regarded He An and his two nephews as his nephews and descendants.
He An was a little flattered and toasted Ding Feiyong with Fan Dazhi to thank him.
Two candles as thick as arms were burning on the lampstand, illuminating the hall as brightly as daylight, reflecting the dancing shadows of trees on the window paper. The cold wind blew outside, but it was as warm as spring in the hall. The guests and hosts at this dinner were all enjoying themselves. joyous.
Fan Dazhi stroked his bloated belly and made a low "meow" sound in his arms. The little black cat woke up. Fan Dazhi's arms were extremely warm. It stretched lazily and stretched out its little Head, looking at everyone curiously.
Ding Wenruo picked up a piece of bone-in fish meat and placed it on the ground. The kitten jumped from Fan Dazhi's arms and rolled over. It lowered its head and sniffed, sneezed, and looked up at He An eagerly, "Meow. "Meow" call.
Wen Ruo was so surprised that he picked up another piece of chicken and put it on the ground. The little black cat rolled over slowly, lowered his head and sniffed, then turned and ran to He An's feet, calling out "Meow Meow Meow" and stretched out his hand. A small paw pulled at He An's trouser leg. His cute look made Ding Wenruo smile.
"It looks like it's hungry, Xiao An, give it some more bamboo leaves to eat!"
Fan Dazhi picked up a soup dumpling and stuffed it into his mouth. The fat and mellow juice stimulated his taste buds, and an intoxicated expression appeared on his face.
"Cats actually eat bamboo leaves?" Ding Wenruo felt even more surprised.
He An put down his chopsticks, shook his sleeves, and was about to take out the bamboo leaves in his sleeves when the little black cat meowed happily, jumped onto his lap eagerly, and crawled into his sleeves.
He An was startled, afraid of knocking over the cups and plates on the table, so he exerted force with his feet, pressed his back against the back of the chair, moved the chair back a few inches, and reached out to catch the kitten in his sleeve.
But in the blink of an eye, the little black cat had stuck out its butt and penetrated deeply into the sleeve. He An looked slightly embarrassed and reached out to grab it. Unexpectedly, this naughty little guy ran up his arm, suddenly struggled, and actually managed to hold it. He opened He An's clothes and sprang out from his chest, along with two pieces of paper from He An's arms, flying in the air.
He An was stunned. For a moment, he bent down and picked up the paper that fell to the ground. It was the one hundred taels of silver notes.
Another piece of folded tissue paper slowly unfolded in the air and fell to the plate on the table. Ding Feiyong, with quick eyes and quick hands, stretched out two fingers and picked it up in his hand.
There were only two lines of small words written on the paper, which were stained with ink. The fonts were powerful and meaningful, penetrating through the back of the paper. Ding Feiyong couldn't help but look at it carefully with curiosity.
"A gentleman's change is reflected in his literary talent!... Well, this looks like Master Lu's handwriting!"
Ding Feiyong stroked his beard and smiled lightly and returned the piece of paper to He An. He once taught at Zhixingyuan and was very familiar with Lu Zhengqing's calligraphy. He also had great respect for this upright and honest elder.
"Teacher has a keen eye. It is Master Lu who sent the student these small words!"
He An looked a little scared. He arranged his clothes and turned to look at the little black cat. This little guy seemed to know that he had just gotten into trouble and hid in Fan Dazhi's arms and never came out.
"A gentleman has changed from bad to worse, and his literary skills are also...not bad! These words Master Lu sent to you are very popular with me, it should come to light!"
Ding Feiyong picked up the wine glass in front of him and drank it all in one gulp.
Seeing that it was getting late, He An stood up and thanked the teacher and said goodbye. Fan Dazhi reluctantly left the half-eaten chicken butt and stood up too...
"Father seems to be in a very high mood today. He hasn't drank so much wine in a long time!"
Ding Wenruo helped the servants clean up the dishes, and glanced at Ding Feiyong with a pair of wonderful eyes, with a faint smile on his face.
Ding Feiyong sent He An and the two away. He stood at the door feeling drunk and said softly with a smile: "It's getting late. Wen Ruo should have a rest early. I'll go see your grandpa for my father's sake and let the alcohol go away."
After speaking, Ding Feiyong turned around and walked to the back house, slowly walking to the residence of his father Ding Fengyuan.
The night wind was biting and cold, and the back house of Ding Mansion was silent. A crescent moon hung on the bare treetops, and occasionally a few owl calls could be heard.
Ding Feiyong gently opened the door, and a strong smell of medicine hit his face. Under the dim light, a maid sat on a stool and dozed off. Ding Fengyuan was sleeping deeply on the couch next to her.
The maid suddenly woke up when she noticed someone coming in. Ding Feiyong waved his hand to her and whispered: "Go down and have a rest. Be more alert at night. If the master feels any discomfort, please call me at any time."
The maid obeyed and quietly exited the room.
Ding Fengyuan's breathing was heavy, and he occasionally murmured in his sleep. His cheeks were unusually flushed, his eye sockets were sunken, and his scattered white hair looked extremely old.
Ding Feiyong looked at his father who was sleeping soundly on the couch, sighed, and a look of worry appeared on his face. He leaned over, pulled the corner of the quilt, and walked out of the room gently.
Ding Feiyong walked into the study, lit the candle on the desk, brewed a cup of strong tea, his eyes fell on the exquisite long box, and he opened it casually.
Ding Feiyong was stunned when he saw that the box was covered with red silk, and a brand-new writing brush was shining brightly under the lamp. His face changed color in surprise.
He picked up the brush with trembling fingers and looked at the black penholder with purple light. Ding Feiyong was so shocked that he suddenly woke up.
Zhixingyuan actually values He An so much? Wei Zhilin actually gave He An a branch of the "Purple Thunder Bamboo" he always regarded as a treasure?
I remember that three years ago, on my father's 70th birthday, the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty sent many gifts, and even His Majesty the Emperor gave him thousands of taels of gold and thousands of pieces of brocade, but my father couldn't put down the brushes given by the Imperial Master.
The writing brush is made of "Purple Thunder Bamboo". It can stabilize the mind and make the pen follow one's wishes when used for writing. Moreover, the five elements of spiritual energy contained in it can nourish the internal organs and have the miraculous effect of prolonging life.
It's a pity that that winter night, a fire accidentally broke out in my father's study. Although it was put out in time, many calligraphy, paintings, and classics were still burned to ashes, and the writing brush also disappeared. My father was always unhappy about this.
It is said that this "Purple Thunder Bamboo" was obtained by the Imperial Master from unknown sources. It was originally red and purple. Even in the cold winter, its leaves never withered, which was very strange.
However, one summer, on a rainy night with lightning and thunder, the purple bamboo was split by lightning. The head of Zhixingyuan was heartbroken. He collected morning dew for irrigation every day and nourished it with the five elements of soil essence. I wonder if he was moved by this sincerity. The purple bamboo that was originally dead sprouted another branch in spring, but it became black with purple, making it even more magical. This is where the name "Purple Thunder Bamboo" comes from.
The writing brush was lost that year, and my father has always been worried about it. Unexpectedly... Unexpectedly, He An actually sent a "Purple Thunder Bamboo" today. Moreover, the rod is plump and straight, and is as gentle as jade. Compared with the one from back then. Better!
"If daddy sees this treasure that he has always missed is found, he may be happy and his condition will be greatly improved!"
Ding Feiyong felt excited when he thought of this.
