After sending Zhong Qingkui away, Xia Houshu's mood suddenly became low, and she was no longer in the mood to return to the martial arts field. She slowly walked back to Qingfeng Pavilion alone. The sweat from the previous horse racing had been dried by the wind, but she still felt that there was something in her body.
Feeling sticky and uncomfortable, Qiao Ling asked Qiao Ling to boil hot water and put it into the room to take a bath.
Qiao Ling quickly went to get ready.
Xia Houshu had just soaked for a while when Yun Xi came in and said with a smile: "What's wrong today, girl? Why did you start taking a bath in broad daylight?"
Xia Houshu didn't want to explain anything and didn't know where to start. She deliberately changed the topic and said: "I heard that cousin Ruolan moved to a new house, which is two alleys away from Prince Gong's mansion. You can go back to your mother to find out.
Please tell me the specific location and then send me some gifts."
Yun Xi heard something was wrong, so she asked: "The relationship between the girl and her cousin is so deep. I helped her speak at Prince Zhao's Mansion before, and a while ago I went to Rong'an Hou's Mansion to visit her. Now she and her cousin are leaving from Prince Zhao's Mansion."
It’s a time when everything is renewed, so why don’t you go there by yourself?”
Xia Houshu waved his hands feebly and said: "Cousin Ruolan's move to a new home is a big event. Mother will definitely go there, so I won't join in the fun, lest the people from Prince Zhao's palace see it and make arrangements for me outside."
Only then did Yun Xi react and said quickly: "The girl is still thoughtful. My cousin has just moved into a new house, and there must be a lot of guests. She is busy inside and outside, so naturally she has no time to reminisce with you, girl. In this case, let's
Let’s send gifts first, and wait until it’s clearer over there for a while, girl, before we go.”
Xia Hou was so relieved that he really didn't think much about it.
Yun Xi was very discerning and didn't ask any questions. He knelt down and scrubbed Xia Houshu's shoulders and back, and then said, "I heard that a new tea shop opened in the south of the city. The snacks they serve are called Gulouzi, which came from the Western Regions."
The way to eat it is to stack the mutton and the prepared flatbread layer by layer, brush it with the prepared green pepper and black bean sauce, and then bake it in the stove. The aroma of the mutton is combined with the crispiness of the crust, and you can eat it.
It's fragrant but not greasy, and has endless aftertaste. Are you interested in going there? Or when I go out to buy a gift for my cousin tomorrow, I will also go to the south of the city and buy some ancient buildings for you to try? But it is said that you should eat it while it's hot.
It’s delicious.”
Xia Houshu was not a foodie, so he was not that interested in the food. He wanted to refuse, but Yunxi did not notice her reaction. Instead, he said with regret: "It is said that you have to eat Gulouzi while it's hot to appreciate it."
The essence of it is that if I buy it back, the mutton will be cold and the crust will not be so crispy."
Xia Houshu: "..."
Yunxi was thinking to herself, then suddenly said excitedly: "I think you'd better go with me, girl!"
When it comes to food, Yun Xi is always so concerned about it, and he doesn't know what is in this girl's mind. Xia Houshu is upset and wants to drive her out and have some quiet time. But then he thinks about it, Yun Xi is so
He strongly recommended Gulouzi to her. His original intention was not to take her to try new things, but to make her happy, so when the words came to her lips, she suppressed them and changed her words: "The food you recommended is definitely not good.
It’s wrong, let’s go and take a look tomorrow.”
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Yun Xi nodded happily.
The next day, Xiahou Shu asked Dong Xiao to drive them to the south of the city in a carriage. In order to prevent them from being stopped on the street again, she also asked Dong Xiao to drive a carriage with the Xiahou family crest on it. This decoration had a surprising effect.
Well, not only did there not be any accidents along the way, even the patrolling city guards were very respectful when they saw it, so they not only went to eat at the ancient tea shop that Yun Xi mentioned, but also visited several shops and bought a lot
Cloth, grain and oil were given to Xu Ruolan as warm-up gifts.
The master and servant returned to the Duke of Yue's Mansion with large and small bags of belongings. It was already dimly lit, and they even missed dinner time. However, they had been shopping outside for a day, and they often popped into any shop to taste delicious food.
Enjoy your meal, but I'm not hungry at all now.
Fortunately, after this day of wandering and shopping, Xia Houshu's mood did feel much better. Sure enough, money can solve most of the troubles in life.
As soon as he entered the inner courtyard, Xia Houshu saw Butler Li waiting in the corridor with a lantern. The candlelight in the lantern stretched his thin figure and cast a layer of halo and shadow on the wrinkles on his face.
Xia Houshu felt something was wrong, so he went up to him and asked, "Uncle Li, are you waiting for me?"
Butler Li always smiled at her and said: "Third Miss, I have been waiting for you for half an hour. Today, the Duke has official business and has gone out to socialize. The princess said she has something important to discuss with you.
, specially asked me to come to you, please go quickly."
Xia Houshu found this matter more and more strange. Butler Li was the chief steward of the Duke of Yue State. He was several years older than Xia Houyuan. He was highly qualified and well-controlled. He didn't need to do such small things as running errands and spreading news himself. Of course,
Occasionally, there would be times when he wanted to do it, but he said that he had been waiting for her for half an hour, which was a bit unusual.
Xia Houshu thanked Butler Li with doubts and asked Yun Xi to take the things he bought on the street back to his room while he walked towards Zhong Yuqing's residence.
Zhong Yuqing likes tranquility, so the Songya Hall where she lives is planted with quiet plants such as plums, orchids, bamboos and chrysanthemums. This season is when the bamboos are vigorous and the golden chrysanthemums are in bud, making the whole courtyard look deep and quiet. The inner room
The incense burner was burning with the soothing agarwood. My father hadn't come back yet, but my mother was quietly leaning on the cushioned mahogany lounge chair in a daze, holding an opened letter in her hand.
Xia Houshu approached slowly, glanced at the letter a few times, then bowed and asked, "Mother, what do you want from me?"
Zhong Yuqing slowly came back to her senses after hearing the sound, looked at her daughter and said softly: "Shun'er, I received a letter from your senior sister Miaoru today, saying that Master Qu Bai has been unwell recently and is ill in bed. How can you master and apprentice be together?
It's time to go visit the farm. Why don't you set off tomorrow and go to Boyun Temple to have a look. I've already ordered you to take the things you need to take with you, and I guess you should pack them up by now."
It seems that this is not a discussion, but a notification and an order.
Xia Houshu was suddenly stunned, and her memory seemed to be pulled back to the time before she was eight years old. Although there was nothing unpleasant about the days when she was fostered in Boyunguan, it was the last thing she wanted to recall in her life.
At a very young age, she became a disciple of Master Qu Bai, the abbot of Boyunguan Temple. She studied and went to Taoist temples with the disciples and sisters every day, making noisy and carefree life at first. But since then, she has gradually learned about her life experience.
After that, she wasn't so happy anymore. When she had nothing to do, she liked to go to the big rock on the edge of the cliff and sit alone and watch the sun rise and set, and the clouds roll and relax.
Master Qubai often looked at her and sighed, saying that it was not a good thing that her mind was too premature.
She has understood since she was sensible that she is different from other senior sisters - she has parents and brothers, so she is always thinking about how to get down the mountain. So after returning home when she was eight years old, she never went to Boyunguan again.
, I have never met Master or any of the other sisters. I only communicate through letters from time to time, and during New Year’s Day I send someone full of gifts to deliver them.
Over the years, Xia Houshu's feelings towards Boyunguan have been very contradictory. She is grateful to Master Qubai and the other sisters for their concern and care for her, but at the same time, she is also afraid of returning there again.
No matter how nice Boyun Temple is, it is not a home after all. No matter how close the master and the sisters are, they are not close relatives after all. What she longed for most when she was a child was the little warmth given by her close relatives, even if it was just for a day or a few hours. So every time her mother came to visit
She, she tried her best to show weakness and please.
Seeing that her daughter didn't respond for a long time, Zhong Yuqing called her several times in succession.
After a long time, Xia Houshu pulled away from the memories of the past, looked at his mother and asked: "How long do you plan to let your daughter live there?"
This sounded strange. He neither agreed nor refused. It always felt like he was being forced. Zhong Yuqing was very surprised and asked, "Aren't you willing to go?"
When Xia Houshu was sent to Boyunguan, she thought that she and her daughter had only a short relationship, and she was afraid that they would only be able to see each other from a distance throughout their lives. In order to make up for her debt to her daughter, she often visited her daughter at Boyunguan, but every time
Every time she went there with great expectations, she returned with heartbreak. In her impression, Xia Houshu was much more well-behaved and sensible when he was in Boyunguan than at home. He was very happy every time they met, and he didn't cry when he left.
She was making trouble, waving her hands to pray for her to come back later, which made people feel distressed. Although Master Qubai said that she was idle all day long, she got along well with all the teachers and sisters, and never violated the precepts or caused trouble. The overall evaluation was very fair.
.So she always thought that her daughter missed the life in Boyunguan, but when she saw Xia Houshu's reaction, she suddenly became a little confused.
"No, mother, I do." Xia Houshu did not reject his mother's proposal. Instead, he said with a smile, "I haven't seen them for many years. It's time to go back and have a look."
Zhong Yuqing breathed a sigh of relief.
Xia Houshu lowered his head and thought for a while, then said, "Mom, could you send someone to pick me up before the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
There are still more than twenty days before the Mid-Autumn Festival. If she can come back before then, she won't have to stay in Boyunguan for too long.
Xia Houshu's tactful and pleading tone really surprised Zhong Yuqing. She looked at her daughter quietly, suddenly blaming herself for her arrangement. But when she thought about the various rumors about her daughter in the capital, and the fact that Xu Ruolan had just broken up
At home, Prince Zhao's Mansion began to make excuses again. She felt that for the sake of her daughter's reputation and future, she had no choice but to arrange this, just to avoid the limelight.
Zhong Yuqing sighed softly and said: "You are my daughter and a girl from the Duke of Yue State. Naturally, we will not let you stay in Boyunguan all the time. You can go in peace. I will send someone there before the Mid-Autumn Festival."
I will pick you up and our family will be reunited to enjoy the full moon together."
Xia Houshu smiled and said: "Then it's settled. My daughter is going back to pack her bags now. I just bought some gadgets today and I'll bring them to all the sisters."
Zhong Yuqing nodded with satisfaction, but did not notice the gradually cold expression on her daughter's face when she turned around.
On the way back to Qingfeng Pavilion, I met Xia Houyi. He was pacing back and forth, looking a little anxious, as if he was waiting for her.
Xia Houshu couldn't help but laugh: "What day is it today? Why are everyone waiting for me?"
Xia Houyi looked behind her and said, "I heard from Jie Ying and the others that their mother specially sent Housekeeper Li to look for you. She thought there was something big going on, so she couldn't worry about it, so she waited for you here. But I think you are like this now."
It seems like my worries are a bit unnecessary?"
"It's not superfluous, not superfluous at all!" Xia Houshu said hurriedly, and then his mood became depressed again, "My mother asked me to set off to Boyunguan early tomorrow morning."
"Boyunguan?" Xia Houyi was shocked. He knew how much his sister resisted that place. He thought for a while and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry? What happened to Boyunguan?"
Xia Houshu pursed his lips and said, "Senior Sister sent a letter saying that Master is ill, and my mother asked me to visit him, just to avoid the limelight."
Xia Houyi breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed his smooth chin and said seriously: "You really should go there."
Xia Houshu looked stunned: "Aren't you here to comfort me?"