Everyone gathered at the Beginning of Autumn Poetry Meet. Of course, such gatherings were always for people with status. At this moment in Little Yingzhou, even though many people came alone and walked with people they knew, the number of people who were qualified to attend the banquet was only about a quarter or a fifth. The rest were servants such as maids and manservants. There were also soldiers arranged by the Hangzhou Prefecture to maintain order and prevent accidents. These people were not included in the number of people attending the banquet.
On Ning Yi's side, only his wife and the Su family brothers were allowed to board the ship. Apart from them, there were three maids, the boatman, and the coachman Dong Zhu at the back. These five people could only wait in their pleasure boats while the banquet was going on.
Therefore, when it was time to go to Little Yingzhou to have a look, Ning Yi and Su Tan'er did not bring Juan'er and Xing'er with them. They only asked Xiaochan to follow them. If they did not need her to serve them on the ship, they had to ask her to come back.
Just now, Ning Yi told Su Tan'er about Xiaochan's worries. Given Su Tan'er's personality, she would not let this little maid who was like a sister suffer all the time. However, there were many people around, and it was not a good time to talk privately. Not long after, they bumped into Wen Haiying, and Su Tan 'er left with Wen Haiying. Ning Yi and Xiao Chan toured along the way and made a trip to the Baoning Temple at the center of the lake. He even offered an incense stick. As there were many people at the moment, he only let Xiao Chan stand at the side and pray.
At that time, the young girl had her eyes closed with a pious expression. She was chanting, and her silky bangs looked like they were glowing under the sunlight. When Ning Yi saw it, he felt like his heart was purified, so he put his palms together and bowed as well.
After leaving the temple, Xiaochan walked beside Ning Yi and asked curiously, "Did Young Master make a wish just now?"
"What about you?"
Xiaochan shook her head. "I won't say it. It won't work if I say it."
"Oh, so you want to make my wish not come true …" Ning Yi laughed and looked at Xiaochan, "Actually, I want Xiaochan to grow … a little bigger."
Xiaochan's figure was not bad. She usually wore loose and bulky clothes when she went out. She looked like a little girl in a New Year's painting. But after spending so much time with her, when he occasionally saw her wearing tight-fitting clothes at home, he found her curvaceous and alluring. It was just that she looked childish and cute, but it always made Ning Yi wonder if she would still look like this when she was thirty or forty years old … Of course, this was actually a good thing. Ning Yi rarely made wishes when he prayed to the gods, so he just said it casually. Xiaochan probably misunderstood him. She unconsciously lowered her head and whispered, "Xiaochan is already very big …"
She was now seventeen years old. In the outside world, a girl like her would usually be married. Xiaochan was probably thinking about what happened today. She suddenly felt a little sad, but she didn't want to sound like she was complaining, so she kept her voice very low. Ning Yi couldn't help but laugh. He reached out to pat her head, but Xiaochan was experienced. She hugged her head and trotted away.
The two of them toured like this for a while. Not long after, they stopped under the shade of a tree by the water. Specks of gold leaked through the gaps between the trees and floated on their bodies, making them look like golden Chan. There were people coming and going around them. Under the tree on the other side of the water, there was a girl playing the zither. When Su Tan'er was here, Xiaochan had something on her mind. She couldn't be too lively in front of Miss and Young Master. That was the duty of a maidservant. Now that she was only with Ning Yi, she was much more lively. She told Ning Yi about the background of the girl on the other side.
"… She, I heard her name is Lu Yingtong. She is one of the most famous house-cleaners in Hangzhou. She has dealings with many daughters of officials. It was said that this Miss Lu met a poor scholar and spent all her savings to send him to the capital to take the imperial examinations. Even now, she was still waiting for him to come back from high school. When everyone heard about this, they were very moved. Some daughters of rich families and daughters of officials even went to comfort her. You see, although there are many people around her, she doesn't care about those people … "
"Oh, oh, so touching …"
"Miss Lu is so beautiful. If I could play the zither as well, sister Juan'er and Xing'er would be so envious. And that scholar who went to the capital to take the exam, if he comes back in the future …" Xiaochan held her face with her hands, her eyes sparkling.
Ning Yi wasn't interested in this kind of story, but Xiao Chan's love for these stories was a very simple feeling. Ning Yi naturally wouldn't spoil the fun, and said with a smile, "Then does Xiao Chan also know a scholar who came to the capital to take the exam without any travel expenses?"
"I don't know. In the future, Xiaochan will … uh, marry Young Master. If Young Master wants to go to the capital, Xiaochan will take out the money she saved. Then … it's best if Young Master brings Xiaochan with him. If there's no money in the capital, Xiaochan can earn it back by doing business …"
"Oh." Ning Yi nodded and whispered, "Then how much money have you saved?"
Xiaochan was joking at first, but now she blushed. "Actually, it's not that much …"
The two of them talked for a while about the money. Ning Yi's original intention was to make her happy. He said that she was better than Lv Yingtong. Xiaochan hurriedly waved her hand and said, "No, no." After a while, she also put her worries to the back of her mind. She bounced up and down and talked about some anecdotes about scholars and beauties in Hangzhou that she had recently heard. No matter how strong a woman Su Tan'er trained her to be, whether it was her or Juan'er or Xing'er, they naturally liked to talk about this kind of gossip. Occasionally, they would think about becoming the female lead of a story or compare it with the things around them.
"I think the relationship between Young Master and Young Miss is more … uh, more blissful than they are. Juan'er and Xing'er think so too … "
Xiaochan blushed and finished speaking. Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "Ning Liheng." Ning Yi turned around. She also turned around. In their field of vision, Lou Shuheng, who was holding a folding fan and wearing a white robe, punched Ning Yi's face …
*****
Su Tan'er and Wen Haiying rested for a while in the pavilion on the side of Little Yingzhou.
There were mostly women in the shade of the trees around them. They were probably the madams of some families. They had greeted a few of them just now, but they seemed to be strangers to them.
In Hangzhou, Luo Tian's wife, Wen Haiying, could be considered the landlord. When she was young, she was a daughter of an official's family. She also knew these women from the upper class in Hangzhou. However, she had always been weak. After marrying Luo Tian, she was married to a merchant's family. She had lost contact with her sisters. After living in seclusion for a few years, she was depressed and it was difficult for her to interact with others. Although she had mostly untangled her emotions, when it came to talking with others, Su Tan'er was more free and easy.
Of course, among so many weak women, although Su Tan'er's temperament was outstanding, she was not the only one. In Wen Haiying's introduction, she also knew a few women. Not only were they virtuous and outstanding, they were praised for taking care of their husbands and children. At the same time, they were also good with money and power among other women. They were the same type of women as Su Tan'er.
"These years, it has been passed down. In Hangzhou, there is a Red Scarf Society. It is said that women are not inferior to men. It is not a strict society. They are all women. When they reach the age of 15, they know about it and join it. Sometimes they talk and do needlework together. I was still young at that time. My sister took me to join, but I didn't know too many people. After I got married, we didn't have a gathering. Look, Sister Xia under the tree over there. She is the granddaughter of Tang Xiuxuan. She is very kind, but I was timid at that time and didn't talk to her much … "
Wen Haiying usually didn't have much contact with others. At this time, she had a trusted sister, so she was quite talkative. She talked about interesting things when she was young and so on. She felt that at that time, people probably wouldn't know her. However, after a while, two women came to say hello. One was the daughter-in-law of a Tongzhi in Hangzhou, and the other was the granddaughter-in-law of the Chang family. After introducing each other, they didn't care that Su Tan'er was a merchant's daughter. They sat down in the pavilion and chatted.
They talked about Wen Haiying's memories when she was young, then talked about Wen Haiying's sister, and talked about Wen Haiying's reputation as a talented woman in the past. Then, the topic naturally turned to today's gathering. Everyone was already married, so of course, they couldn't talk about such vulgar things like men. They were just talking about poetry. Previously, when Lou Shuheng and his group were writing poems, these two women were also at the side. They watched as those people passed around the poems in high spirits. Of course, the group of women had their own appreciation.
"… Just now, I saw Miss Su talking to Lou Shuheng. It seems that the two families know each other. To be honest, Young Master Lou's poem was really well written. With just a few sentences, he wrote about the atmosphere in Little Yingzhou … Oh, if we are talking about poetry, Sister Wen's literary talent was the best back then. What do you think, Sister Wen? "
Wen Haiying thought for a while. "Actually, I haven't written much these few years. But … it's really good …"
When it was Su Tan'er's turn to ask, Su Tan'er naturally agreed. "Actually, I don't know as much about poetry as you do. But it sounds good too." Actually, to her, anyone who could compose poems was very good. When she attended poetry gatherings as a young girl, she would naturally feel that whoever was praised the most was the best. She was also infatuated with that person. After marrying Ning Yi, that feeling faded a lot. However, if one wanted to judge whether a poem was good or bad, it could only be judged by the cheers of others.
After chatting about poetry for a while, Su Tan'er looked at them talking about the benefits of poetry. Occasionally, she would go along with them and nod her head seriously. Not long after, she recalled something and said naturally, "Actually, a few days ago, when I came here with my Husband, he also composed a poem. At that time, he seemed to have said it casually, so I only remembered a few sentences. It was similar to their poems. Let me think …"
She tried hard to recall for a while. "The banks of the West Lake are all called for, and the pavilions are as bright as a sleeping drape. Bao Ning is restored … in the best place, and the light of the water is everywhere without a clue. When the dust doesn't come, the horse's legs will break, and sometimes the sea and the moon will depend on each other … He said four sentences at that time, but I only remember three … "She pursed her lips in regret.
It was actually Qin Guan's poem, "Sending the Monk Back to Bao Ning". The whole poem had a total of 10 sentences and 140 words. Ning Yi had read this kind of long poem before, but he couldn't remember all of it. He only remembered the first four sentences, and the rest was intermittent. During those days, when the family traveled around, Ning Yi couldn't help but recite a few sentences of the poem to express his feelings. He also said things like, "If you want to visit the West Lake, the clear lake is not as good as the rain lake, the rain lake is not as good as the moon lake, and the moon lake is not as good as the snow lake."
He recited four sentences of the poem, and Su Tan'er tried hard to remember only three, but it sounded smooth. Her Husband's talent was overflowing, so it should be a good poem. There was also an element of showing off in it. If Lou Shuheng had seen this scene, he would have realized that Su Tan'er didn't admire his poem at all. She was just being polite to Wen Haiying.
Indeed, even though it was a remnant of a poem, the other three were surprised for a while when she said it. Then, they asked about Su Tan 'er's husband. Su Tan' er was happy in her heart, but she spoke modestly. Wen Haiying thought about the poem over and over again in her heart. Then she said softly, "No wonder my brother-in-law is the First Scholar of Jiangning..." She hadn't socialized for a long time, so she didn't know anything about Ning Yi's other poems. The other two women asked her about it, and she said in surprise, "Is it Ning Liheng from Shuidiao Getou?" "It's Ning Liheng from Qingyu Case?" Wen Haiying listened to him in surprise. After showing off, Su Tan'er happily talked about how she and her Husband came here. Of course, she didn't mention Ning Yi's status as a marrying son-in-law. Anyway, it wasn't important.
At the same time, there seemed to be a commotion on the other side of Little Yingzhou. In the shadows of the trees, some people looked over there, and then some people rushed over there. Something big seemed to be happening in the distance, and there were many people watching. The four women looked at the pavilion for a while, and then they also rushed over there while talking and laughing.
Not long after, they vaguely saw what was happening in the crowd over there …
*****
Back to a moment ago, Lou Shuheng's punch was firmly imprinted on Ning Yi's face.
No matter what, this was a relatively peaceful period. Even though Ning Yi trained his body and persisted in practicing the inner force that Lu Hongti had left behind, when it came to on-the-spot reactions, if he was not mentally prepared, he would not be much better than ordinary people. He naturally couldn't dodge Lou Shuheng's sudden punch.
This punch caused his face to tilt a little, and Lou Shuheng's figure came into view, causing him to frown in confusion.
If the other party was holding a knife, he would probably react immediately, but because he wasn't, the first thought that came to his mind wasn't something like an eye for an eye or something like that. Instead, he wanted to figure out what was going on. Based on his personality, he would think that he had done something outrageous again.
The first punch was too accurate, and this might be the starting point of all the tragedies.
Lou Shuheng's personality was unrestrained, but he was a scholar after all, and his family had a strong background. It was rare for him to fight with others and personally take action. His punch, to be honest, did not have much lethality to Ning Yi, but Lou Shuheng naturally didn't think so. He punched with all his strength, and it hit the side of Ning Yi's face. This punch was very smooth, and it felt so good that he didn't even think about his next move. He pulled his hand back and punched again, trying to continue experiencing that wild feeling that was like a legacy of the Tang Dynasty.
Ning Yi raised his hand to block, and at the same time, Xiaochan suddenly pounced on him from the side. "What are you doing?"
Xiaochan, who usually looked weak, was like a she-wolf who suddenly came to her senses. Perhaps the three maidservants in the family would have this kind of imposing manner when they were scolding and managing their servants. Xiaochan waved her hands, trying to block Lou Shuheng's attack. Of course, she was just a girl with imposing manner but no strength, and Lou Shuheng didn't like her either. He changed the direction of his punch and held back a little, hitting Xiaochan's shoulder. "Go away!"
Xiaochan fell backward with an "Ah", and Ning Yi grabbed her arm with one hand.
"I should have yelled * sshole to go away …" This thought flashed through Lou Shuheng's mind. This punch wasn't very smooth, but he was still imposing. He raised his leg and kicked towards Ning Yi, but at the moment when he looked up, he saw the change in Ning Yi's eyes. Ning Yi's eyes turned back from Xiaochan's direction. At that moment, his mind went blank.
It was as if he had seen his father's darkest eyes when he was about to lose his temper.
He had only seen this kind of eyes once since he was young. A few years ago, his family fought with the Chen family in Suzhou, and it was almost a fight to the death. At that time, his mother also died of illness. That evening, when he went to his father's place, there was no light in the courtyard. His father sat alone in the armchair in the room, almost as if he was one with the surrounding darkness. Not long after, almost all of the Chen family died. Thinking back, he felt that his father was like a lion entrenched in the darkness.
At that time, he was at a high-spirited age, and he was deeply loved by his father, so he wasn't afraid, but he looked forward to it. Later on, he slightly restrained himself and did some household chores, because he hoped that one day, he could have that kind of imposing manner. That feeling was very good. But now it wasn't evening, and it wasn't dark anywhere. The scorching sun shone down from the sky, and at that moment, he seemed to see that kind of darkness again.
This kick landed on Ning Yi's chest with a bang.
Then there was a crisp "pa" sound, startling the sunlight and leaves.
Both of their figures and auras were similar. Lou Shuheng wasn't as sturdy as a martial artist, but he didn't seem weak either. Ning Yi was also tall and scholarly. Lou Shuheng's kick landed on Ning Yi's chest. On the other hand, Ning Yi's body didn't move at all, and then he gave a shocking backhand slap on the face.
Lou Shuheng's body spun in the air, and it looked like he jumped up by stepping on Ning Yi's chest. Then, with a bang, he fell into the pool at the side.
*****
After a moment of shock, everyone who had roughly figured out what had happened gathered around. Ning Yi pulled Xiaochan to his side and asked about her condition. In the pool, Lou Shuheng, who was probably dazed for a while, still knew how to swim. He flopped a few times in the water, coughed, and blood flowed out of his mouth and nose. He pointed upwards, his arms, mouth, and even his entire face were twisted and trembling. "You, you, you, you, you …"
"Brother Lou, are you mistaken about something?"
Ning Yi looked down and asked word by word. A shoe print was still clearly imprinted on his chest.
Then, some people squeezed over from the shore, and someone shouted, "Brother Lou! What's wrong! "
"Brother Lou, is this kid causing trouble?"
"Brother Lou …"
The shouts instantly drowned the area. Ning Yi took a deep breath, and then exhaled out of boredom. He actually had a rough idea of what was going to happen next. Of course, Lou Shuheng's next reaction surprised him, but it also answered the doubts in his heart.
After all, most people knew Lou Shuheng's identity. Coupled with his status in his family, in an instant, his good friends had already rushed over. Lou Shuheng also reacted at this moment. He pointed at Ning Yi and shouted, "Catch him! Catch them! Adulterer * * * *! This Ning Yi is someone's husband who married into someone else's family, and now he's fooling around with a servant! Catch them! Corrupt public morals! Catch them and drown them in a pig cage — "
"Such a thing actually happened!"
"Shameful!"
"Catch them!"
A few scholars rushed over. Ning Yi glanced at them, then looked at Lou Shuheng, and said in a low voice, "Aren't you going to talk?" He was calm, and his words were dignified. But at this moment, an old man in the crowd shouted, "Nephew Lou, such a thing actually happened! Don't worry! Come on, arrest this adulterous couple for me! "
Xiaochan curled up beside Ning Yi, her hands tugging at his clothes. She was on the verge of tears. A scholar reached out to grab Xiaochan. Ning Yi's gaze sharpened, and with a bang, the first person fell to the ground. The second scholar punched at Ning Yi, but Ning Yi grabbed him and threw him into the pond.
The commotion began to spread …
*****
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