When the woman walked out of the door of the courtyard to pour some water, the lights in front of her reflected the bustling night of the Upper Yuan Dynasty. The courtyard behind the Golden Wind Brothel was not big, but it was considered exquisite. If it were not for the few leading ladies of the Golden Wind Brothel, they would not be able to live in such a courtyard. Today was the Upper Yuan Dynasty festival, but such a courtyard was not brightly lit, which was actually quite rare.
In fact, most of the lights in the courtyard had been extinguished not long ago. It was already close to midnight, and there were not many people who came to visit. Nie Yunzhu looked around and turned back to the room. The owner of the small courtyard, Yuan Jin'er, was lying on the bed staring at the oil lamp in a daze. She then smiled at her. Nie Yunzhu also smiled, adjusted her face, and sat back on the bed.
Logically speaking, Nie Yunzhu should not have come tonight. Although she would come to teach the guqin every few days, she had already left the Golden Wind Brothel. Especially at night and during the festival, she should not come near here. But this time could be considered an exception. Tonight, she went to the street with Hu Tao to admire the lanterns, and then met a lady from the Golden Wind Brothel who had come out to buy medicine for Yuan Jin'er, who had caught a cold. When Nie Yunzhu heard this, she asked Hu Tao to come and visit. Knowing that Yuan Jin'er wanted to see her, and that it was getting late, she came in through the back door of the Golden Wind Brothel.
Yuan Jin'er was now the leading lady of the Golden Wind Brothel. Although she had coincidentally caught a cold, it was still difficult for her to close her door to visitors on such a day. Previously, there had been people who came to visit, and after confirming that Yuan Jin'er was really sick, they chatted for a while before leaving. Cao Guan, who was now known as the number one scholar of Jiangning, also came to visit twice. At this time, he was outside drinking and composing poems with a group of scholars. When Nie Yunzhu came in, she asked Yuan Jin'er's maid, Kou Er, to deliver a poem about the beauty in sickness. Yuan Jin'er could only accept it with a smile, and let Kou Er go out to thank him.
"Speaking of which, this Cao Guan can indeed be considered as a literary talent … What do you think, sister?"
After sending Hu Tao away, Yuan Jin'er showed the poem to Nie Yunzhu. Nie Yunzhu read it once before putting it down. Be it Yuan Jin'er or Nie Yunzhu, they had seen many talented people. Although this kind of poem that was casually written could be seen, it was difficult to be stunning. What they cared about was Yuan Jin'er's illness. Yuan Jin'er smiled and shook her head.
"Actually, it's not a serious illness. I'll probably be fine after taking one or two doses of medicine. It's just that because of this cold and coincidentally the arrival of the letter of the month, my whole body is sore and weak. It's even more difficult for me to open my mouth to sing. Fortunately, Mother also agreed to block some guests for me today. I'm afraid she'll be in a terrible situation. "
"Mother's heart is still good." Nie Yunzhu nodded. As long as there was order and abundance, people would more or less have a conscience. If it was somewhere else, she would not have been able to redeem herself in the past. She then smiled and said something else, "How is sister and Cao Guan?" She more or less knew that Yuan Jin'er had been close to Cao Guan recently.
"What else can he do? It's just a reputation of being a talented and beautiful man. Didn't Sister say that he is talented and learned? To Yuan Jin'er, what's the difference between Cao Guan and Li Pin? To Cao Guan, it doesn't matter whether it's Yuan Jin'er or Lu Caicai. "
Yuan Jin'er was younger than Nie Yunzhu. Usually, she was full of energy. Her cheerfulness mixed with playfulness was the biggest reason why others liked her. However, today, she seemed lazy and discouraged. Nie Yunzhu took a towel and wiped her face. "Don't say that. Since he chose you over Lu Caicai, he naturally has a better impression of you."
"Jin'er said that she wants to find someone with a good family background who can raise Jin'er like a pig. Hehe, Cao Guan doesn't have money, so he doesn't like it very much."
"If he really raises you like a pig, I'm afraid you'll be kicked out of the house immediately." Nie Yunzhu patted her face. "Since Cao Guan is talented, it won't be a problem for him to get into high school in the future. At that time, won't he really be able to raise Jin'er like a pig?"
"There are many talented people in the world. Is it so easy to get into high school as the number one talented person in Jiangning? What's more, if there's no money in the family and he only becomes a Jinshi, he has to wait and wait if he wants to fill the vacancy … "Yuan Jin'er said while lying there. Then she pursed her lips and thought for a while." Sister Yunzhu, what do you think if Jin'er redeems herself and sells century eggs with you? "
Nie Yunzhu laughed. "Are you stupid because of illness?" She came over occasionally and had some conversations with Yuan Jin'er. Therefore, Yuan Jin'er also knew that she had made a sesame cake cart and had recently been playing with century eggs, but she hadn't seen it yet.
Yuan Jin'er thought for a while and giggled. "No, it's just that Hu Tao is also getting married. After she gets married, Sister Yunzhu, you will also feel lonely. It just so happens that Jin'er can come and accompany you. Sister Yunzhu, you said that century eggs are so good, so it must be a stable business. Jin'er will have someone to rely on."
"You always think about being raised like a pig, but now you say you want to do something. I think you're confused because of illness." Nie Yunzhu just laughed. She naturally understood that Yuan Jin'er's words at this time didn't count. It was just a sudden whim. "How can there be a stable business? I'm just trying to figure it out all day, and I've been losing money every day. Besides, I'm afraid it's not easy to get married. I'll become an old lady. Jin'er should find a great talent who can raise you like a pig and love you … "
"It's quite impressive to be a female shopkeeper …" Yuan Jin 'er said. After that, the two of them started to talk about Cao Guan, Li Pin, and the other talents. Actually, there were many talents every year, and the two of them knew quite a few of them. Yuan Jin'er was sick at this time and had her period, so her mouth was a little more vicious. Nie Yunzhu was also happy to hear it, and they also talked about Ning Yi during this period.
"That shuidiao song is really good. It's a pity that such a person married into a merchant's family, and the lyrics were bought …"
Nie Yunzhu said softly, "You don't even know Ning Liheng, how do you know that it was bought?"
Yuan Jin'er pursed her lips and smiled. "If Sister Yunzhu is interested, you can go to the front and listen to the corner. Today is the Shangyuan Dynasty, those talents will definitely talk about it again, and suspect that the lyrics were bought."
There were only a few words about Ning Yi. Nie Yunzhu did not express her own views, and Yuan Jin'er only commented casually. After a while, when she was a little tired from talking, Nie Yunzhu brought a cup over and let her drink some water. "Take a rest, it's best if you can sleep."
Yuan Jin'er hugged the quilt, but did not sleep. The sounds of a lively banquet came faintly from outside. Nie Yunzhu sat on the bed with her, and then she took the zither beside her and put it on her lap. She played a few notes, and after a while, she opened her mouth and sang in a low voice, "Outside the long pavilion, beside the ancient road, the fragrant grass and green sky …" Her voice was light and soft, and she sang it casually, but it gave the whole space an ethereal atmosphere, as if covering the noise outside. Yuan Jin'er looked over, and Nie Yunzhu looked at her and smiled. "The night wind blows the willow flute, the setting sun outside the mountain."
"Sister Yunzhu, what kind of music is this?"
The zither sounded slowly, and Nie Yunzhu smiled without answering. Not long after, she sang again, "At the end of the sky, at the corner of the earth, half of my friends are gone …"
This farewell song was the second song that Ning Yi gave her before the New Year. Recently, Nie Yunzhu had been thinking about it. When the song was finished, the sound of the zither continued for a long time before it stopped.
Yuan Jin'er was puzzled. "It sounds like 'Ruan Lang Gui', but the first sentence of the first verse should be seven words, and the second verse is a little different. The rhythm is flat, but how can it be like this … But Sister Yunzhu's singing is really nice …" She thought for a while, and her eyes widened. "Could it be that Sister Yunzhu is researching a new singing method? But … this is a little … uh, I guess it's just a game … "
Most of the people that Yuan Jin'er came into contact with were just singers and sound craftsmen. Only Nie Yunzhu had reached a higher level, and could even be called a teacher. If she wanted to change some singing methods, she was qualified. Of course, it would be very difficult for people to accept it, but it was not a public announcement anyway. However, even though Yuan Jin 'er found the song to be pleasant to the ears, the way it was sung was indeed too extraordinary. She was shocked for a moment and thought that it was just a game. Then, she began to ponder over the artistic conception behind the lyrics.
"Although it is simple, the meaning of the sentence is really good. Unfortunately, it is not a poem, so it can only be called a short sentence. Jin'er is really envious of Sister Yunzhu's talent. "
"It's not my work … Jin'er, don't move around so much. Have a good rest."
"Did Sister Yunzhu meet her sweetheart?"
"Don't let your imagination run wild, you won't be able to marry him."
"Oh, it must be a girl from a family … Hmm, this kind of short sentence game, it is also like …"
This farewell song also paid attention to the rhyme, but it was not a poem, nor was it a poem. Although the mood was good, it could only be called a game. Thinking like this, Nie Yunzhu did not explain much, and only smiled and tucked her into the quilt. At this time, footsteps came from outside. It was Kou'er and Hu Tao. Kou'er's expression was a little nervous, and she held a poem in her hand, "Miss, Miss, there's an accident, there's an accident. This time Master Cao is going to lose again …"
Before Nie Yunzhu came, Kou'er was serving Yuan Jin'er at the bedside, and the master and servant had talked about the many poems tonight. In terms of quantity, Lichuan's side naturally had the most good works. But personally, Cao Guan performed very well tonight, and several of his works were praised. Li Pin, who went to the Pu Garden's banquet, only had a mediocre performance. Therefore, in Kou'er's view, Cao Guan's reputation would once again be confirmed at tonight's poetry meetings. But this time, he came in without any rhyme or reason. Obviously, there was another problem. Yuan Jin'er was puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"There's another poem coming from the Pu Garden. This time everyone was shocked, and the atmosphere outside is so strange …" Although this time it was not six boats linked together, the Pu Yang family's poetry meeting was still called the Pu Garden Poetry Meeting on the night of the Upper Lantern Festival.
"What's wrong with the Pu Yang family?" Although her future goal was to be raised like a pig, after all they had been in contact for so long, Yuan Jin'er still hoped that Cao Guan's reputation would be high. At this time, she took the paper in puzzlement.
Next to her, Nie Yunzhu laughed, "It seems that Master Li Pin couldn't help it after all …" Five months ago, the Pu Yang family became a dark horse, which was already very shocking. This time, Li Pin, who had been mediocre the whole night, went crazy and took out a good work to shock everyone. This was not surprising. Li Pin's style had always been somewhat unconventional, but sometimes it was very amazing.
Hearing the Miss say this, Hu Tao's expression was somewhat complicated, as if there was something she did not know whether she should say or not. Kou'er shook her head desperately, "No, no, it's not Master Li, it's that Ning Yi and Ning Liheng, he made another Upper Lantern Festival poem …"
"Ah?"
Nie Yunzhu was stunned and hurriedly looked at the paper. Kou Er, who was at the side, had already begun to narrate the story vividly. "The rumors outside are very interesting. I heard that Ning Yi originally did not intend to attend the poetry meet today. He was only seen shopping and was invited up. A large group of people even made things difficult for him …"
At this time, Nie Yunzhu was looking at the poem on the paper. When she read half of it, she could no longer hear the noise.
She and Ning Yi had been in contact for some time. They did not get along because of their talent, but Nie Yunzhu had always heard about Ning Yi's talent. The two of them had never mentioned anything about talent or poetry, and only interacted as ordinary friends. However, it was impossible to say that Nie Yunzhu did not have any expectations or doubts in her heart.
For her, in front of her was a side of Ning Yi that she had never seen before.
"The east wind blooms on a thousand trees in the night. The wind blows down, stars like rain … "
Yuan Jin'er read it out in a low voice until the last signature:
Su mansion.
Ning Yi.
Ning Liheng.
*****
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