Peach blossoms in spring, willows drooping. Located on the bank of Qinhuai River, this small courtyard by Wuyi Alley welcomed new residents these days.
Qinhuai Wuyi Lane had always been a landmark area in Jiangning City. The lane was not wide, not as spacious as Zhuque Street, Headmaster Temple, and other places. But because of this, it was less vulgar and more literate. For thousands of years, it had been favored by many literati. "In the past, Wang Xietang's Yan flew into ordinary people's homes." The romance of the Eastern Jin Kingdom and the yearning for it had lasted for thousands of years. In fact, after it became a symbol, many people came to visit and reminisce about it every day. It was naturally impossible to say that it was as quiet and secluded as imagined.
As the poem said, Wuyi Alley was no longer a rich place that only big shots like Wang Xie could live in. But in fact, due to its reputation, it was not an exaggeration to say that every inch of land here was worth its weight in gold. Nowadays, those who could occupy a piece of land here were usually rich and powerful families with a strong background. If it was just an ordinary nouveau riche who wanted to buy a courtyard after getting rich, it would be extremely difficult if they didn't have a background in the bureaucracy. Therefore, although this courtyard looked ordinary, those who could live in it were naturally people with a certain background.
The courtyard looked simple, but it was just an introverted appearance. In fact, it was elegant inside. The layout of the courtyard was exquisite. There were not many bright colors, but it was full of literary and life atmosphere. The back of the courtyard was facing the river. The scenery looked ordinary, but in fact, the view was good, and it made people feel relaxed and happy at first glance.
At this time, there were still people moving things around in the courtyard. A middle-aged woman wearing a grayish-blue dress frowned and shouted as she walked past. When she entered the innermost room facing the river, she glanced inside through the window. The woman sitting in front of the bronze mirror took off her men's clothes, let her hair down, and dressed herself.
The middle-aged woman knocked on the door and went in. She tried to look very unhappy. In fact, she was really unhappy. "Where is Chun Mei? Why is she not here? "
"She was washing her face just now. I asked her to go out and get some water. Then I asked her to bring in some paper and ink. The things are piled up deep. She is probably still looking for them. "The woman smiled at the bronze mirror." Did mother go out to play today? "
"No! I've told you before, don't always dress up as a man and go out by yourself. You go again, you go again. Chunmei, that damned girl, is also too much. I told her to follow you, but she didn't. When she comes back later, watch me scold her … "
"It's not Chun Mei's fault. I left her alone. When I came back, she was crying. Maybe she was afraid of you scolding her … And I didn't go alone. I met Brother Yu today, and he went with me."
"She's crying …" The middle-aged woman mimicked her words and snorted. "She probably cried the first two times. You said the same thing every time, but she never cried … That Yu Hezhong isn't a good person either. Whenever he sees you, he's like a dog that wants to steal fish. He's always bowing and scraping …"
She didn't want to say. "Yu is good, and of a. he is. Moreover, it's cats that want to steal fish, dogs don't steal fish. Dogs … "The woman stopped here and laughed. She didn't want to say those filthy words out loud.
"Yes, he is like a cat who wants to steal fish … If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have let him in. Sigh, actually, I'm not a heartless person. It's just that Yu Hezhong doesn't deserve you. It's fine if you care about old times and invite him to a few gatherings. It's just that his family background is not as good as those people, so he doesn't want to lose face. You have to protect him, and when you protect him, he wants more. He even thinks that you really like him, Shishi.
The middle-aged woman nagged, "Humans are always in pain when they can't get what they want. Actually, it's okay if he is in pain. All the young masters in the capital like you, but Shishi, you only have one. You will be heartbroken. I don't care if they want to live or die. Men who don't want to serve their country and spend their time on women should die! But Shishi, you are soft-hearted. If Yu Ho-chung is heartbroken in the future, you will feel guilty. I am always thinking for you. It's better to make him give up on this idea as soon as possible. Look, when you came out to relax this time, he followed you again. If you go out with him alone, wouldn't that be like a lamb walking into a tiger's den … "
"Brother Yu's house is here. It's normal for him to come over when he is free … Besides, I am only dressed as a man. It's quite an eyesore. If Brother Yu can do it, he is really not picky …"
The woman let down her long hair as she laughed. She had removed her makeup and dressed up. When she was dressed as a man, her chin was a little sharp, and her forehead was a little high. If she was really a man, she would look a little skinny. Actually, she did this on purpose. Her forehead was a little high, and it was not obvious when she was dressed as a woman. When she was dressed as a man, she could cover it up with some powder. But she purposely protruded her forehead and chin. Although she was still a beauty, it looked a little out of place.
At this time, she changed her clothes and let down her hair. She returned to the image of a gentle and beautiful woman. She joked with her mother, and her smile was lazy and clever. The door opened once. It was probably a maid named Chun Mei. She came in with a brush, ink, and paper. When she saw the middle-aged woman, she lowered her head. She put down the four treasures of the study on a small table and wanted to help grind the ink. Li Shishi waved her hand and the maid left. At the same time, she heaved a sigh of relief. She didn't need to be scolded by her mother.
The middle-aged mother's surname was Li, and her name was Li Yun. She had taken in Li Shishi when she was five years old. How could she not understand her daughter's character? Li Shishi said that Yu Ho-chung was a joke, and she didn't say anything serious. At this time, her small actions fell into her eyes. She couldn't help but twitch her mouth. She didn't have the mood to scold this little maid. She only shook her head.
"Not a single serious word. Yu Ho-chung doesn't have the guts … Look, his poetry is ordinary, and his character is ordinary. He doesn't even have the guts now. Shishi, what kind of people do you come into contact with? Why bother with him … Moreover, it's hard to say when men suddenly eat the courage of a leopard and throw caution to the wind …"
The woman sat at the small table. At this time, she poured tea into the inkstone and was grinding the ink. She laughed out loud. "If he has the guts, I will follow him. What can he do?"
"Shishi, with your current reputation, you will kill him …"
"Even a ghost can be romantic."
The setting sun shone in through the window. A woman in a pink dress sat in front of the small table. She picked up the sheep-hair brush and looked at it. Then, she stuck out the tip of her tongue and gently licked the tip of the brush. The action looked simple and elegant, but there was an indescribable charm in it. However, the mother frowned slightly. "Don't lick around. I told you that you have this bad habit …" The woman took the brush and put it in the ink. Then, she drew on the white paper.
"… The world is difficult, and it's not easy to be a person. Mother, I also know that Brother Yu has some shortcomings, but is it really a noble profession for us …"
The middle-aged woman frowned. "It is a noble profession! Shishi, you are a noble person now. It's the same for everyone! "
"I don't think so." With her back facing her, the sun shone in through the window. "It's just … just a profession. Mother, if Brother Yu and the others want to chase after me, it's their own business. He feels happy and interested, but in the future, he will have to bear the consequences himself. I have fulfilled his wish and treated him as a friend and a big brother. Of course, he will be grateful to me. If it is really as mother said and it is good for him to break off our relationship, he will only remember my bad things. He will not be happy. As for whether it is good or not, it is hard to say … "
She thought for a moment, "Other people divide the affairs of the world into three, six and nine ranks. Just like what mother said, I am now a noble person. I am of the upper class. When they come to our Fan Lou, if they see me and talk to me, they will feel that they have done something of the upper class. When I interact with a scholar like Zhou dage, I will be regarded as an upper class. When I interact with someone like Yu dage, I will feel that I am of the lower class. Mother, I rarely feel this way. I think everyone should be the same, but since everyone thinks this way, I can't change it. Brother Yu feels that it is a great honor to interact with me. He feels that he has done a noble thing, and I also feel happy. Because of me, he has done a noble thing in his life. "
"He has done a noble thing, and he feels that he has a noble thing to be happy about, so he should have a noble thing to worry about. If he spends his life in a noble place, marrying a wife, becoming a small official in the future, doing ordinary things, and not being able to see a courtesan in a brothel, then he will naturally have a noble thing to be happy about. Teacher is so old, but I don't know if he is a noble, noble, or noble. He will always have his own troubles, but if you look carefully, he will also have his own happiness. I let Brother Yu and the others feel that they have become a noble person. I gave others happiness and satisfaction, so I have also done something … "
"Mother, you said that I should break off these things. I also know that Brother Yu cannot compare to those great talents in your eyes. Of course, I also like Brother Zhou and the others' poetry and literary skills. But I don't like Brother Yu because of these. I interact with him because Brother Yu is an old friend from my childhood. Isn't that how old friends should be? With all kinds of shortcomings, a noble person, no matter how hard he works, he will never be a true genius. Who can be acquainted with geniuses like Brother Zhou, Brother Ji, and Brother Tao since young? When I was young, I was also called Radish Head. Hehe, Radish Head of the Wang family … Radish Head of the Li family … "
Mama Lee frowned, "You were already very beautiful at that time. Radish Head doesn't mean that you are ugly …"
Li Shishi continued drawing and did not answer, "I know Brother Yu and interact with him. Sometimes, I also feel that I have a noble character. I can not leave an old friend like him. When they talk about it, they will also say, 'Ah, look at that Li Shishi, why is she so fond of Yu Ho-chung?' 'I don't know. Because Yu Ho-chung is a childhood friend of hers, although he is not as good as her, Li Shishi treats him very well.' They always think that I am very good, and I always feel a little happy … "
She said with a smile, "Mother, you also know that since I learned to play the guqin when I was young, I have always liked these kinds of praises. I am a very vain person …"
"A great reason, but it is still perfunctory …" Mama Lee rubbed her forehead and sighed, "Let's not talk about this. You can do whatever you want … Well, you went to the old alley today, right? Did you see anything?"
"It's still the same, almost the same as before. Unfortunately, the old man who used to teach the guqin is no longer here …" The pen in the woman's hand moved. As she spoke, a picture of the old alley appeared on the paper. She thought for a while and pointed a few figures on it, "Well, I only saw a person I used to know …"
*****
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
