Once the meal was over, there was no stain on his lips, and he wiped his mouth with a silk handkerchief. He stood up and placed the plates in the bamboo basket. Then, he walked to the entrance of the pavilion, turned around, and floated away.
From beginning to end, he didn't say a word. It was as if the only use of his mouth was to stuff food into his mouth.
The entire meal took less than fifteen minutes. It was a very short time, but those who paid attention noticed that a considerable portion of the most expensive dishes had disappeared. It was a pity that there were so many people eating now. They didn't know if it was someone else who had taken it, or the seemingly refined but actually gluttonous young man.
After the young man disappeared into the winding corridor, the Warm Winter Pavilion began to slowly regain its vitality. After the young man left, a few people who wanted to learn how to satisfy their appetite felt a little embarrassed. They didn't have good table manners, nor did they have thick skin. They were particularly eye-catching among the dozens of young ladies, madams, and male guests who came with them.
When there were dozens of people watching, it was difficult for ordinary people to eat with satisfaction. None of them had the rich experience and mental fortitude of a certain person who could eat with a clear conscience under the watchful eyes of the lady boss in the buffet restaurant. Therefore, the more they ate, the more nervous they became. The more nervous they were, the more ashamed they became.
"Which family's young man is he? This kind of talent is unrestrained and unrestrained! He probably came in a hurry this morning and didn't eat, right? "
Of course, the young ladies wouldn't take the initiative to ask, but there were naturally sensible people who spoke for them.
Everyone looked at each other. Obviously, they weren't familiar with this unfamiliar young man. Lou Xiaoyi usually lived in seclusion and buried himself in his sea of books. He rarely made friends outside. It was only in the past few months that his personality improved. He only mingled in the so-called marketplace.
The people in the Warm Winter Pavilion belonged to the circle of officials. Most of the guests were the family members of the various government offices in Pu City. They were more introverted and found Lou Xiaoyi, who was a foodie, to be a novelty. If this were in another place, such as the Summer Pavilion where merchants gathered, he would have been mocked and ridiculed in every possible way. Different circles had different styles. Relatively speaking, the family members of officials were more sensible and would not easily cause trouble for their families. This was also the way of being an official.
In the end, it was an old woman who served him. She was probably the matchmaker, Sister Ran. She said hesitantly.
"I think this Langjun is a young master from Lou Province. I've heard that this young Langjun is inarticulate and clumsy in external affairs. He spends his days cooped up in his residence, studying. He's already seventeen or eighteen years old, but he still hasn't taken the scholarly examination … Seeing him today, I can see that his style and actions are very similar. But, what's surprising is that under such a good-looking skin, there's a good appetite! "
When he mentioned the young master of Lou Province, everyone immediately understood. Although Lou Xiaoyi rarely appeared in public in Pu City, with his famous father, he was still a figure that could not be ignored in Pu City. It was just that his reputation was a little crooked. It was said that his father was a hero while his son was an idiot. He was a typical example of a good-for-nothing who relied on his parents. However, looking at it today, it could be said that the proverb of donkey dung shining on the surface was true.
The Old Madam of Lou Province was really good at managing the household. With his appetite, ordinary people would not be able to withstand his gnawing!
It was just a joke during a blind date. To men, appearance was important, but ability was even more important. Ten points of appearance would definitely lose to ten points of ability. On this point, the young ladies who came from official families understood very well. Perhaps they would be a little stunned at first sight, but after being stunned, they would be indifferent. How could you count on such a person?
Dragons gave birth to dragons, phoenixes gave birth to phoenixes. Officials and ministers would slip and fall … The young master was so weak, so the mother-in-law must be very strong. If she were to marry into the family, it would not be easy for her to survive!
People in the officialdom were very sensitive to whether the person in power was still in power or not. A has-been Grand Sima Manor could be praised as an image, but that was it. It had no practical significance.
The Warm Winter Pavilion returned to its usual rhythm. Everyone continued to probe, search, and measure. Which family's children had better prospects, and which family's father-in-law could give them a push on their official career … Strictly speaking, the Warm Winter Pavilion was just like the merchants' Summer Pavilion. It was just a place to exchange benefits.
Lou Xiaoyi walked along the winding corridor with a slightly protruding belly. No matter what, he had finally earned back a portion of his ticket. It was a pity that Ping An and Old Jun were not willing to go down. He could understand. This was not a place where servants could mess around. He could eat and stuff himself, but if the servants did the same, they would definitely be criticized for not following the rules of Lou Province.
Ping An quickened her pace and corrected his direction. "Young Master, you've already eaten and drunk. Shouldn't we be getting down to business now?
The spring outing is actually mainly in the morning. In the afternoon, the sun is strong, and the young ladies' bodies are weak, so they won't be able to hold out for long.
There's only two hours left before it ends. You don't have much time left. If you don't go now, you'll miss the important task that Mistress has assigned you. You may be fine, but Old Jun and I will be in trouble! "
Hearing Ping An use him as an example, Lou Xiaoyi knew that there was no way he could avoid it. He would be stabbed regardless of whether he stuck his head out or retracted it. There was no reason for him to let the two servants take the blame for his own matters. Thus, he didn't argue and went straight to the Spring Rain Pavilion.
From Ping An's nagging, he finally understood the differences between the small groups in this spring outing. The Warm Winter Pavilion was purely a circle of officials. Those who didn't have enough status as officials didn't dare to enter. Even the wealthiest family in Pu City, the Li family, didn't dare to squeeze into this circle.
The Summer Pavilion was the headquarters of the merchant aristocratic families. In terms of colorful and luxurious clothing, none of the other four pavilions could compare.
The Autumn Breeze Pavilion was a hodgepodge. There wasn't a fixed circle. The descendants of the aristocratic families who felt that they couldn't go to the other three circles gathered here for warmth. They were also a relatively small group with the lowest social status.
The Spring Rain Pavilion that Lou Xiaoyi wanted to go to was an elegant pavilion. You could be a descendant of an official, a merchant, or something else, but there was a prerequisite — you had to be a scholar. Regardless of whether it was a young lady or a handsome young man, they had to have some ability, such as the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, or the status of a literary scholar.
This was a circle with a lot of potential, because future officials could be born from them. Thus, this was the only place where commoners could participate. Of course, you had to have the status of a literary scholar, outstanding poetry talent, and be recognized by the scholars of Pu City.
With Lou Xiaoyi's appearance, he could stand out from the crowd of officials in the Warm Winter Pavilion who worked hard to climb up the social ladder. He could also stand out from the crowd of merchants in the Summer Pavilion who stank of money, but in the Spring Rain Pavilion, he wasn't as conspicuous.
His simplicity was outstanding, but there were many people who were even more simple than him. He was pretending to be frugal, but they were really frugal. Commoners were talented, proud, and had a bright future ahead of them. They didn't care much about the riches in front of them. Many people's eyes showed disdain, and they looked like they could replace him.
Unfortunately, those young ladies who knew a little about poetry and literature were attracted to this kind of attitude.
A rich young lady and a poor scholar — they were a perfect match!
This was a story that had been written too many times in novels, but it had been passed down from generation to generation without fading away.
Which young lady didn't have a poor scholar in her heart who would pass the imperial examination in the future and become a legend that everyone talked about?
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