frightfiction Chapter 931 Ayi invites himself to go to Zhuangzi
Chapter 931 Ayi invites himself to go to Zhuangzi
Perhaps it was so that Li Ziwen and Mingrong could see each other, or perhaps it was because the villagers of Yamen Village didn't have to be so particular about having a meal with each other, with men and women having to be separated. In order not to make Li Ziwen feel restrained, the banquet was arranged to be particularly casual and comfortable.
The four large tables in the courtyard were close together, with no screen in the middle. Voices and laughter merged into one, bowls and chopsticks clinked against each other, and the aroma of wine filled the air.
Feng Jiaojiao was even more clever. Seeing that the elders had already walked through the Moon Gate, she quickly made arrangements. With a smile on her face and a clear voice, she asked everyone to take a seat while quietly bringing Mingrong to her side.
"The princess will naturally sit at the main table." She clearly pushed Jing Chunxi out, her tone carrying just the right amount of intimacy and respect. "Jin Jie'er, Xiaoyu, the four of you sit next to each other. Mingrong, come sit next to me." She took Mingrong's hand and gently pressed her onto the stool beside her.
With this arrangement, she and Mingrong could not only face the main table directly and see the expressions and behaviors of everyone at the main table clearly, but also see them at a glance whoever stood up to serve tea or toast. As a guest, Li Ziwen would definitely sit next to the old general, so he could naturally see Mingrong when he stood up. The view was almost unobstructed, which was a thoughtful move.
"Sister Xi, come and sit with grandpa and grandma." Sure enough, the old lady came over to their table and greeted them as soon as she came out of the moon gate. Her face was flushed and her eyes were kind. When she saw where they were standing, her gaze swept over Feng Jiaojiao and Mingrong, and she nodded to Feng Jiaojiao with great approval, her eyes full of satisfaction and recognition.
Then he called to Mingrong, "Madame Wang and the others are taking care of me. You are not allowed to come over. Eat well! Chat with your sister-in-law and sisters." His tone was gentle, revealing the consideration of an elder.
After saying this, Jing Chunxi took his grandmother's arm and whispered in her ear affectionately, his voice low and playful, "Grandma, this eldest grandson's wife I chose for you is very insightful. She's already testing Sister Mingrong, and I'm thinking of visiting her more often to comfort her."
"Great, great! How could our Sister Xi'er's choice not be good!" The old lady beamed at this, patting the back of Jing Chunxi's hand and saying repeatedly, "We are all very satisfied. She has a good temper and is very insightful. She got pregnant right after getting married, and it seems she will be able to have children." After saying this, she looked at Jing Chunxi and added, her eyes full of love and expectation, "You and her have a sisterly bond. You can tell at a glance that you are both blessed. You will definitely be as fertile as your mother in the future."
"Grandma! It's still too early for Sister Xi to get married." Jing Chunxi said coquettishly, two red clouds appeared on her cheeks, and she leaned her head on the old lady's shoulder and rubbed it for a few times, with the shyness and reluctance of a little girl.
"What do you mean early? Two years is just a blink of an eye." The old lady didn't agree. She smiled and tapped her forehead. "Go back and talk to your mother. Don't just remember to take care of the three little ones and forget the main thing - prepare your dowry." Jing Chunxi was speechless and her face became even hotter. Fortunately, the two tables were only a few steps away. She immediately pushed her grandmother to sit down, and she also quickly sat down beside her, trying to avoid this topic.
There was only one guest, but four tables filled the dining room, the atmosphere even more lively than during Chinese New Year. This was all because the old lady had invited all those who had been exiled to Lingnan to join them. These people, having survived the ordeal, were now filled with emotion and chatter. Even representatives from the side branches had arrived, and the atmosphere was lively with clinking glasses, laughter, and chatter.
Li Ziwen didn't even have time to steal a few glances at Mingrong. Everyone was so enthusiastic. They all came up to him to get friendly. One asked about the current situation of Yamen Village and whether he was familiar with the people. Another praised Mingrong for his promising young age and offered him wine and tea. He was overwhelmed and could only stand up to return the greetings.
"Alright, alright, just a token of our appreciation." The old general's resounding voice halted the onslaught. He stroked his beard, a smile and concern in his eyes. "Perhaps they'll have to take part in the next palace examination. Don't let them get too drunk."
Precisely because of this concern, Erlang and Li Ziwen were served the same fruit wine as the female relatives. The wine had a light amber color, was sweet and refreshing, but had a weak aftertaste.
It is also to prevent them from being unable to drink and delaying their work due to their scholarly constitution.
"Princess, Ayi requests to see you."
The next morning, Jing Chunxi was still sipping his white fungus and lotus seed soup when the gatekeeper, Mrs. Li, came in with a message. Her brow furrowed, her tone clearly filled with displeasure, "If the princess doesn't want to see him, I'll stop him at the door."
After that, he lowered his voice and added, "Why would such a treacherous person pollute the eyes of the princess?"
Haha, the people Chuntao chooses are different. They are always united in their hatred of the enemy and hate evil as much as they hate it. Jing Chunxi put down the celadon spoon and sighed inwardly that Tang Shuang was quite popular. Even ordinary servants would protect her, which warmed her heart.
"Let Tang Shuang hide in his room first, and then let him in." Although Jing Chunxi was a little dissatisfied with Ayi's behavior recently, he didn't want to beat or kill him, and he also wanted to hear what he had to say.
She gently stirred the soup in her bowl, thinking that marriage was a personal matter and could not be forced. Besides, that girl, Tang Shuang, had never expressed her feelings for him, yet she had accepted all the snacks and delicacies he had sent her over the years for nothing.
After washing her hands and rinsing her mouth, she and Xiaoyu had just sat down in the rosewood armchair when the door curtain was lifted by a slender hand.
Hongfen stood by the door with a stern face, her voice as cold as ice in the twelfth lunar month: "Princess, the kitchen steward is here." This stiff address made Jing Chunxi slightly stunned - in the past, these maids all respected him and followed Tangshuang to call him "Brother Yi" affectionately, but now the term "kitchen steward" made the distance between them seem like a thousand miles.
"Let him in!" Jing Chunxi slowly picked up the celadon teacup on the table, her fingertips gently stroking the warm cup wall. She took two sips of tea, straightened her body, and then put on the posture of a princess, ready to ask questions.
Ayi rushed in with a gust of wind, his clothes still stained with morning dew. He walked quickly to the center of the hall and slumped to his knees, his knees hitting the bluestone floor with a dull thud. He kowtowed three times before raising his head and speaking in a hoarse voice, "Ayi is guilty. The princess will punish him."
"If you had known better, you'd have taken twenty lashes of the cane." Xiaoyu, who usually would have listened quietly in such situations, suddenly spoke up. She sat upright on the embroidered cushion, her delicate face tense and her expression more serious than ever.
"Thank you, young lady, for the punishment. Ayi will accept it." Unexpectedly, without a word of explanation, he kowtowed three more times, his forehead slamming heavily on the cold, hard ground with a startling thud. But to Jing Chunxi, each thud seemed to convey a desperate determination.
Xiaoyu was speechless for a moment. She had intended to scare him, but she hadn't expected him to be so resolute. The little girl pursed her lips and looked at her sister helplessly, a look of helplessness in her eyes.
Jing Chunxi had a blank expression on his face, tapping the armrest with his fingertips: "Forget it, I thought you would wait for Tang Shuang for a few years!" There was a hint of sarcasm and a bit of regret in his tone.
"Why not," Jing Chunxi was about to say that he had originally planned to arrange for him to go to Zhuangzi, but he was interrupted before he could finish his words.
He suddenly raised his head, his forehead already bruised and purple, but his voice was remarkably firm: "Ayi has asked to be a servant in the farm."