On June 19th, Yu Shu went to Taishi Library for classes. As soon as she arrived, she heard a piece of news —
Jing Chen, who had been teaching Astrology for less than three months, became an academician of Taishi Library. He was also temporarily appointed as the Right Magistrate of the Celestial Commissioner and a third-rank official in the imperial court.
The imperial edict was read by Junior Supervisor Ren in person at Taishi Library during the day.
Jing Chen's promotion was sudden, and a portion of the female students in Taishi Library felt that it was a pity. It had to be known that most of the 18 academicians were old. It was not easy for such a handsome and pleasing gentleman to come, and they had not seen enough of him, but he was about to leave.
Of course, there were some rumors. It was said that when Mrs. Lu left, the position of the Right Magistrate was prepared for Jing Chen. It was said that it was temporary, but no one knew how long it would be. This made many male students feel indignant for their charming Academician Lu.
"It's better to have a good mother than to work so hard."
Yu Shu heard some people's sarcastic remarks in class, but she just laughed it off.
After Jing Chen left, there was one less academician teaching Astrology. The students who had been Jing Chen's apprentices were divided equally between Sima Kui and another academician, Cui.
Therefore, the observatory was very lively today.
.....
After class, Yu Shu was stopped by Academician Sima.
"Yu Suanzi, stay here for a while. I have something to tell you."
Xin Liu makes a gesture to Yu Shu, signaling her to wait for her outside.
Sima Kui walked to the sundial under the roof, and Yu Shu followed him.
"Starting from next month, from the first day to the fifteenth day of the month, I will observe and record on the observatory every night. I need a student to help me temporarily. What do you think?"
This was a rare learning opportunity. Sima Kui obviously intended to give her some advice, which was equivalent to giving her special treatment.
Yu Shu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Academician, I've only been studying astrology for a few days. I'm afraid I might cause you trouble."
Daoist Qing Zheng had taught her some tricks to observe the stars, but they were not systematic. The books in the Taishi Library were much more comprehensive. She was now like a cook who only knew how to make soup. If someone wanted to take her to cook a table of dishes, she would not have the confidence.
Sima Kui smiled good-naturedly and looked at her with satisfaction. He liked this kind of self-aware student. It was troublesome to pretend to know something when one didn't.
"You don't have to do anything else. Just follow me and take notes."
Being obedient, what else could Yu Shu not agree to? She bowed and said, "I will definitely be there on time."
Sima Kui didn't say anything else to her. As for the Death Severance Strange Art, he didn't even mention it and let her go.
.....
When Yu Shu left the lawn courtyard, she saw Xin Liu being surrounded by a few people under a screen wall not far away. She didn't know what they were talking about.
Xin Liu turned her head to look from time to time. When she saw Yu Shu coming out of the door, she hurriedly shook off the people in front of her and trotted towards her.
"What's wrong?" Yu Shu asked her.
Xin Liu curled her lips and said, "They're asking me about you. These people didn't go to the Gentlemen's Hibiscus Banquet. They only heard that you know the Death Severance Strange Art, so they actually came to ask me if it's true. They're all eagerly waiting to make friends with you. I know you're impatient with these people. Let's go, we still have business to attend to."
As she said this, she pulled Yu Shu and rushed to the other side of the garden path before the people came over.
On the way, Xin Liu talked about her "business".
"It's grandfather's birthday banquet at the end of the month. I previously bought an eight-treasure happiness long-necked bottle to celebrate his birthday, but who knew that a wild cat outside would sneak in and break it. It's really infuriating. Let's go shopping on Qianyuan Street today. Help me come up with some ideas to see if there's anything new to buy. "
Four generations of the Xin family lived under one roof. The head of the family was the current Celestial Commissioner Left Magistrate Xin Ya. He had five sons and four daughters. His daughters were already married. Other than Xin Laowu who was expelled from the family, there were still four branches of the family in the family. Xin Liu was the daughter of the second branch. Although she had always been favored by Xin Ya, there were still many brothers and sisters who coveted her.
For Xin Ya's birthday banquet, the four branches of the family were trying their best to please him. How could Xin Liu be left behind? If she was not careful, one of the sisters might lose to her. Her father would be the first to not forgive her.
Therefore, she anxiously dragged Yu Shu to the street to help her pick out a gift to make up for it.
The huge Anling city was twenty-five miles from the east to the west, and twenty miles from the south to the north. There were millions of people in the city.
The common people often had a mantra: A Qianyuan Street divides the south and the north. The three religions and nine schools gather in the south of the city, and the wealth and glory gather in the north.
This Qianyuan Street was about three thousand feet long. The central street was the most lively. People and carriages came and went, and shops stood in great numbers. The business was very prosperous.
Yu Shu asked Xin Liu why she didn't go to the Great Exchange Hall first. It would be good to buy a Fengshui pendant. Xin Liu smiled and said proudly,
"Which Great Exchange Hall in Anling City has a collection of Fengshui pendants? It's better than our Xin family's Treasure Pavilion. If I buy one for my grandfather as a birthday gift, it would be strange if he didn't hit my palm with a ruler."
She was right. There was no shortage of things.
Yu Shu and Xin Liu got off the carriage and walked to the east. They didn't choose a gift along the way, but they ate all kinds of snacks and were half full.
There were chestnut mutton soup, donkey skewers, snowflake cakes, and persimmon honey powder. Each was more fragrant than the other, and the price was very affordable. The most expensive one was only ten taels of silver. Ordinary people could afford it.
They chatted and ate half a bowl of mung bean oil skin. Xin Liu finally remembered the business. She took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and pulled Yu Shu into a paper and ink shop on the left.
.....
After an hour, she found nothing. It was not that Xin Liu was picky, but she was really unlucky. Several custom-made things she liked were just for decoration and they were not willing to give up.
People who opened their shops to do business at this time were also interesting. They obviously had one or two fine products to attract customers outside, but they didn't sell them. They just put them there to make people curious.
"Hey, what happened in front of us? There are so many people."
Xin Liu stood on her tiptoes to look ahead. Yu Shu followed her finger and saw that not far away, there was a pavilion shop. The shop was painted brown and the walls were yellow. It was neat and tidy. There were many people gathered outside the shop, peeking their heads into the shop to see what was inside.
"Let's go and have a look." Yu Shu said.
As soon as they got closer, they saw the red and white flag outside the shop fluttering in the wind, revealing two big embroidered words "Tehen".
Then they looked up at the sign — Jubao House.
Yu Shu suddenly slowed down. Wasn't this the boutique shop Pei Jing told her about?
"Auntie, what's wrong with this shop? Why are people blocking outside and not going in?" Xin Liu asked a woman who was watching the bustle.
The woman looked back at her and kindly told her: "This Jubao House doesn't accept customers since the day before yesterday. It made a name of treasure appraisal. I heard that only people with an invitation can go in and have a look. I stood here for a long time before I saw two people go in. I really don't know what good treasures are inside. They are afraid of people looking at them."
Yu Shu was sure that this shop was the place where Pei Jing put her set of crystal head masks.
Xin Liu was a busybody. When she heard this, she immediately couldn't stand still.
"Lotus Room, let's go in and have a look. Maybe there is a suitable birthday gift."
"You have an invitation?"
"I still need that thing. Just you wait." Xin Liu threw her a "leave it to me" look and swaggered towards the door.
But when she just went up the steps, she was stopped by the door guard.
"Miss, please wait."
"What are you doing?" Xin Liu looked dissatisfied. "You open the door in broad daylight. Are you not letting people in?"
The door guard was a young man of seventeen or eighteen years old. He was thin and tall like a willow branch. His face was a little tanned. He had a smiling face and looked very energetic.
"Miss, you don't know. Our Jubao House doesn't do business these days. We only invite some regular customers to come and have tea. Do you have an invitation?"
"You mean an invitation? Oh, there is an invitation." Xin Liu pretended to recall. She touched the left cuff and the right cuff and then spread out her hand —
"I forgot to take it."
Seeing that she was fooling around, the young man's attitude was still good. "Why don't you go back and get it? I will wait here."
"You want me to go back on such a hot day? Do you know how far away my house is? If I faint from heatstroke on the way, who will blame it on you or me? "Xin Liu stared at him and insisted on pestering him to the end.
The young man still smiled. "How about this? Miss, tell me your address. I will send someone to your house to get it so that you don't have to walk around. I will also bring a chair for you. Sit in a cool place and wait. You can go in when the invitation is here. "
"…" Xin Liu was speechless.
Yu Shu held back her laughter for a long time. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore. She walked up and patted Xin Liu's shoulders. She said to the dutiful gatekeeper,
"Little brother, may I ask if Manager Pei is inside?"
"Manager Pei is inside. Miss, you are?"
"My surname is Yu. Please go in and inform him."
Seeing that Yu Shu and the young girl were together, the young man hesitated for a moment and then nodded. He waved his hand and called a servant to guard the door for him. Then he went in.
After a while, he trotted out and said to Yu Shu, "Our Manager Pei asked you two to go in."
Xin Liu didn't expect that she would be less useful than Yu Shu's words. She was immediately depressed and stared at the annoying gatekeeper.
Yu Shu gently pushed her shoulder. "Okay, go in. I know you have big eyes. Don't stare."
The gatekeeper lowered his head and snickered.
Xin Liu reluctantly entered the door. When she turned her head, she found that the gatekeeper was behind them. She couldn't help but say,
"Why are you following us?"
The gatekeeper looked innocent. "I am afraid that you don't know the way since it is your first time back. I will send you upstairs."
Xin Liu said impatiently, "You don't need to send me. Go and guard the door. Be careful that your manager catches you slacking off. He will deduct your monthly salary."
"Miss, you don't have to worry about me. My monthly salary will be deducted."
Xin Liu was angry. Who was worried about him? She obviously didn't like him.
Yu Shu facepalmed at the side. Did Xin Liuer run into an enemy?
At this time, Pei Jing came downstairs to pick them up.
"Uncle Pei." The young man who was guarding the door stopped joking when he saw him. He pointed at Yu Shu and said, "I've brought them in."
Pei Jing nodded to him and said pleasantly, "This is my niece. I will take them up to see what is rare. You should go and do your work. The boss will check the accounts tomorrow."
He didn't specify Yu Shu's identity.
"Okay." He turned to look at Xin Liu again. The thin and energetic young man nodded and went to the inner hall with his hands behind his back.
When he left, Pei Jing called Yu Shu upstairs.
Yu Shu introduced him to Xin Liu. "This is my uncle from my godmother's family. He is the manager of the Tehen Commercial Association."
"Uncle Pei," Xin Liu called out sweetly. Then, he rolled his eyes and said, "That kid who was guarding the door just now was very rude. He said that we didn't have an invitation, so he wouldn't let us in. Uncle Pei, why did you hire such a person to guard the door? Aren't you afraid of driving away the customers?"
"Gatekeeper?" Pei Jing's expression turned strange. "Are you talking about that person just now?"
"Yes, that's him."
"Haha." Pei Jing laughed. "That is the young master of our Dong family. He is not a gatekeeper."
"Ah?"
.....
"Achoo!"
As soon as Gu Qi walked into the backyard, he sneezed. He rubbed his nose and whispered:
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