The addition of an old soldier was not to guard against anyone, but it was a rule passed down from Lou Province. In the past, whenever Major Lou went out, there would be an old soldier accompanying him, especially for gatherings with many people. On the other hand, Lou Xiaoyi did not need to accompany Qi Er and the rest because Qi Er and the rest had considerable martial strength. Although they could not be compared to real cultivators, they still had an advantage in front of ordinary people.
"Ping 'an, have you informed the things I asked you to do?"
Ping 'an stammered, "I've informed them, but the second son of the Qi family is not at home. Wang Tiezhu went to the countryside to collect rent. Fatty Qian is bedridden due to typhoid. Monkey Sun is grounded by his father for having an affair with a widow next door. Madam Feng accompanied her fiancee cousin to the Reclining Buddha Temple to burn incense. The youngest son of the Han family is burdened with gambling debts and doesn't dare to go out for a while …"
These were the so-called mutants? How strange … Life was always so helpless, even for a teenager who had not fully taken responsibility.
"Actually, there's only one reason. They all have wives. The well-fed don't know the suffering of the starving! If they're all single, there's no need to rush them. They'll all come earlier than anyone else! "
Lou Xiaoyi said resentfully. Which young people who came to a place like the Lake Spring Festival were not the sons and daughters of reputable families in Pu City? It was not a place to flirt casually. Pu City was not big and everyone knew each other well. What was the meaning of coming to this place when you already had a wife or were engaged?
This was the fundamental reason why Qi Er and the rest were unwilling to come. There was no benefit at all and they were destined to not gain anything. If they had the time, they might as well go to the Chao Feng Brothel and live a carefree life instead of putting on a fake face here.
With no other choice, Lou Xiaoyi and the other two rode their horses all the way and soon arrived at the entrance of the garden party. In fact, the location of the Lou Mansion was not far from the Little Night Lake, so they could walk leisurely. However, they were the children of a noble family, so they had to control the scene and have a sense of ceremony. Moreover, for a spring party like this, all kinds of arrangements were very complete, including food, wine, musicians, servants, and so on. The expenses were not small, and every participating young master and young lady had to pledge at the entrance, and the amount was uncertain. You came in from the Little Night Lake through other paths, were you trying to escape your ticket? They had no choice but to lose face.
Master and servant, three people dismounted from their horses at the entrance of the lake. Ping An will take care of the donation, there was no need for the master to worry about it.
At the entrance, there were a lot of people. There were precious horses, fragrant carriages, and a stream of people weaving in and out. Most of them were elegant and distinguished young masters, and their eyes were filled with gorgeously dressed beauties. Between the red and green, there was a subtle fragrance floating, and when one inhaled, it was intoxicating.
Once Lou Xiaoyi got off the horse, he immediately became the focus of everyone. Aunt Caihong, who once had a place in the fashion industry of the Country of Darkness, had an extraordinary foresight. Although almost twenty years had passed, her foresight was still there. Compared to the country bumpkins in Pu City who still thought that bright colors were beautiful and that gold and jade were dazzling, the difference was obvious!
In addition, Lou Xiaoyi was an outstanding person. He was handsome and sunny. After months of training, although he was not strong, his body was straight like a pine tree. Naturally, the aura of a fine young master spread out.
Wealth could be produced in one generation, but temperament needed several generations to accumulate. In this regard, Lou Province was unique in Pu City!
The surrounding people were basically all young people, and there were very few elders participating. Countless gazes were directed at them, and there were basically two kinds of gazes: the male guests were envious and disdainful, while the female guests were constantly staring at them.
Lou Xiaoyi controlled his irritation and tried to make himself look natural. The situation was a little beyond his expectations. Aunt Caihong's taste was recognized, but he was the one who felt uncomfortable!
How was this a spring outing? It was simply an annual blind date for Pu City's upper class! Lou Xiaoyi, on the other hand, instantly became the focus of everyone's attention. This was not what he wanted. In order to live a low-key life, he had not completely gained a foothold in this world!
In his heart, Lou Province's position was very unreliable. It was full of uncertainty to rely on the reputation of his late father from twenty years ago to survive! Now, everyone's respect for Lou Province was just a continuation of the fixed mindset. No one had the motivation to break this balance, but if someone really did break it, could they count on Pu City's upper class to help them?
Impossible!
Being the target of public criticism like he was now was a kind of hidden danger. When people started to envy and hate him behind his back, it would be the beginning of a disaster!
There were only two ways to get out of this dangerous situation. The first was to cultivate, and the second was to become an official!
Unfortunately, he had neither at the moment!
The spring sun was very hot, making Lou Xiaoyi feel as if he was in summer. It was as if he was about to melt. It was not just the heat that was evaporating his body, but also the smell!
It was nothing for one person to use incense, but if a group of people were to use incense and combine it with their own body odors, there would be fragrances and smells. They would release the air to expel last night's meal, which included meat and vegetables. The unique fishy smell of the lake would waft over … He did not know how others felt about such a hodgepodge, but to him, the soul of two lifetimes, he could not bear this kind of torture …
Hence, he quickened his pace and walked inside, wanting to find a relatively quiet place. The commotion at the entrance had nothing to do with him. He did not know these people, and he did not need to know them. He always believed that his future would not be in Pu City for long.
When he walked into the pavilions of Little Night Lake, a gentle breeze blew over. The irritating smell in his nose and the irritation in his heart were finally blown away.
It was still very crowded, because the so-called Lake Tour Spring Festival was not a traditional decorated boat. Little Night Lake was not big, and its circumference was only a few miles. It was just a slightly bigger pond. Usually, there were no boats on the lake, so there was no need to use them.
The beauty of this place was that there were pavilions connected by long corridors on the lake. There were big and small pavilions, and there were gatherings and dispersal. The small ones only allowed a few people to sit together and chat, while the big ones could gather dozens of people to drink and have fun. The main venue of the Lake Tour Spring Festival was the Pavilion of the Four Seasons, the Pavilion of Spring Rain, the Pavilion of Summer Lotus, the Pavilion of Autumn Breeze, and the Pavilion of Warm Winter.
These four big pavilions were the places where handsome men and beautiful women would talk and get to know each other. As for how to differentiate them, of course, there were unfathomable unspoken rules.
Generally speaking, this was a scene where the women were the main guests. There were young ladies and young daughters-in-law from rich and powerful families, and there were also a very small number of concubines who were the legal wives. Each of them lived in different pavilions. Based on their family's wealth, their husband's status, relatives and estrangement, merchants, landlords, officials, and so on, they formed four big circles. To them, once they settled down in the Four Seasons Pavilion, they would not leave easily.
The ones swimming around were the male guests. If you took a fancy to a young lady and wanted to propose marriage, you would go to that pavilion. After that, you would have to rely on your own abilities. Whether it was a poem or a beautiful essay, whether it was a witty speech or a silent speech, in short, even if you had to act like a clown, it was fine as long as you could win the girl's appreciation!
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