Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 671 Ivory Folding Fan [Thank you! Goodbye! I owe you 36k more]

Xu Zaijing smiled with an ambiguous meaning, looked at Qi Heng and said, "Don't worry, Yuanruo, I will definitely be there that day."

Gu Tingye frowned in confusion: "Brother Heng, why do I see you are so concerned about coming to the Sheng family?"

Qi Heng was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Respect your teacher! I might even ask my second uncle for advice later."

Hearing this, Gu Tingye smiled and patted Qi Heng's shoulder.

The people got on the carriages and horses.

Like Xu Zaijing, Gu Tingye also rode on horseback.

When they walked out of the Sheng family's gate, they saw a well-dressed young servant who was about to leave the Sheng family.

Seeing the people going out, the servant hurriedly stood aside and bowed.

Qingyun, who was riding a horse behind Xu Zaijing, looked at the servant and said, "Hey, you look familiar. Are you a servant of the Qiao family?"

The servant smiled and nodded: "Brother, I am from the Qiao family, and I am here today to deliver the invitation on behalf of my son Jiulang."

Looking at the BMWs and carved carriages of Xu Zaijing and the others, the servant's eyes turned and he continued, "I think the invitations to the residences of the young masters have arrived by now. On the second day of the New Year, after the horse race outside the city is over, my Jiulang will hold a banquet in Wulou."

Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded: "I see!"

After glancing up and down at the servant, Xu Zaijing said again, "Qingyun."

Qingyun nodded in tacit understanding, then reached into his sleeve, took out a string of copper coins, handed it to the Qiao family servant, and said, "It's cold in the evening, so you can hire a bullock cart or horse carriage to go back."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Xu! Thank you, brother." The servant holding the copper coins said while panting.

Qi Heng, who was sitting in the carriage at the back, smiled and nodded when he passed by the servant of the Qiao family, then lowered the curtains of the carriage.

The sound of cars
On the way back to Xingguofang,
Qi Heng sat in the car, holding the heater on his legs with one hand and looking outside through the car curtain with the other hand.

The hand holding the heater was still tapping on it with the index finger.

"Young master, the north wind outside the car is a bit cold, be careful not to get bitten by it." Buwei advised from the side.

Qi Heng nodded gently, lowered the curtain and said, "Well! I see we are about to pass by Zhuangyuan Building, you can go and get a portion of the Boxia offering to take back later."

"Yes, sir." Buwei nodded, turned around, lifted the carriage curtain and said, "Wang Huzi, stop in front of the Zhuangyuan Building."

"okay!"

Buwei lowered the curtain, turned around and looked at Qi Heng who was sitting in the middle of the carriage and opened the curtain again, and said, "Master, what are you thinking about?"

"Hmm?" Qi Heng looked at Bu Wei, lowered the curtains, and said slowly, "Nothing! You still have to go to Sibaozhai in two days and buy a few of the best brushes for future use."

Bu Wei was stunned for a moment, and asked in confusion: "Sir, the stationery has always been purchased by our Duke's Mansion, why are you still..."

"Too much talk." Qi Heng frowned and said lightly.

Bu Wei hurriedly lowered his head: "Yes, sir."

Walked for a while.

"Hey! Buwei brother, we have arrived at the Zhuangyuan Building."

"Sir, I'm going downstairs." Buwei said.

Qi Heng nodded silently.

A cool breeze blew in, and Buwei got out of the carriage.

Qi Heng opened the curtain again and stared blankly at the bright lanterns hanging in front of Zhuangyuan Building outside the car.

Somehow, Minglan's beautiful face slowly emerged on the lantern.

"Brother Yuanruo." The imaginary Minglan shyly called out to Qi Heng.

A smile appeared unconsciously on Qi Heng's lips.

From childhood to adulthood, Qi Heng has been very well protected by his parents, even a little too well.

Under the control of his mother, Princess Pingning, he rarely had the opportunity to interact with girls.

In the past ten years since he was old enough to understand things, the only girl that Princess Pingning had taken the initiative to bring him to meet was his cousin Chai Zhengzheng from the Chai family.

Princess Pingning treated girls from other families as if they were thieves. If they could talk and chat with Qi Heng, it must be because their parents or elders were watching them.

The people Qi Heng saw the most in recent years were the three girls from the Sheng family.

In fact, the first person Qi Heng noticed was the fourth girl, Molan.

Molan is the oldest of the three girls, and the first to develop in figure and appearance. She is proud and well-versed in poetry and literature.

When her classmates in school were talking, Molan could also say a few words.

The only bad thing about Molan is that she gradually became too flattering and always said the nicest things when she was with Qi Heng.

Qi Heng had seen so many noble ladies since he was a child, and he had seen countless girls with smart minds. As they came and went, he naturally understood Molan's thoughts.

Qi Heng was not surprised at all, nor did he care. After all, he had been used to it since he was a child.

The fifth girl, Rulan, is innocent and naive by nature, and is dignified and taciturn. Qi Heng can understand the look in Rulan's eyes when she looks at him. There is no love between men and women in her eyes, and it is more of a competition with Molan.

The sixth sister Minglan.
Thinking of Minglan, Qi Heng smiled again.

At first, Minglan could only practice calligraphy with her head down. She was a nobody in the school and in front of Qi Heng.

Qi Heng first noticed Minglan when the fifth brother of the Xu family was always "bullying" Minglan.

When the fifth brother of the Xu family messed up his hair, Minglan would always cover her head with both hands to protect her "hairstyle" while glaring at the fifth brother of the Xu family.

And maybe because she was young, the way Minglan looked at her was different from that of her two sisters.

According to the information Buwei got for him, Qi Heng knew that his sixth sister's biological mother was not favored in the Sheng family.

do not know when,
The fifth brother of the Xu family gradually stopped quarreling with the sixth sister.

one day,
When Qi Heng turned around to talk to Chang Feng, he inadvertently glanced at Minglan again.

Just one glance,
Qi Heng felt his heart skip a beat.

later,

Every time Qi Heng turned his head and pretended to glance at his sixth sister unintentionally, he would find that Minglan seemed to be more beautiful than the last time he saw her.

What’s interesting is that this beautiful sixth sister only calls him “Young Master” and doesn’t call him “Brother Yuanruo” like her two older sisters do.

She would never take the initiative to talk to me like Fourth Miss Sheng.

"It's a pity that I don't have a brother as good as Brother Xu San, otherwise I would be able to visit Old Madam Sheng's courtyard often."

Thinking of this, Qi Heng sighed softly.

Somehow,
Another figure dressed in maid's clothes flashed through Qi Heng's mind.

Qi Heng shook his head.

At this time,

The carriage moved slightly.
The curtain was opened, and Buwei walked into the car with a cold look on his face: "Sir, I've bought it."

"Go home."

The Duke's Mansion of Qi State,

At the second gate,
As Qi Heng and Bu Wei got off the carriage, the housekeeper beside them bowed and said, "Young Master, the princess asked us to go straight over when we got back."

Looking down at his clothes, Qi Heng nodded: "Okay, I'll be right there."

On the way,

The housekeeper who was accompanying Qi Heng asked, "Why did mother call me over so anxiously? What's the matter?"

The housekeeper holding the lantern shook her head and said, "My Lord, I don't know."

Qi Heng nodded and continued walking.

In the backyard,
Following the maid's instructions, Qi Heng lowered his head, walked through the cotton curtain, and entered the house with Buwei.

The room was very warm with the heating on.

Qi Heng untied his cloak and handed it to the maid, then bowed and said, "Father, Mother! I brought some Boxia offerings from Zhuangyuanlou today, please have a taste."

Duke Qi nodded, smiled and glanced at Princess Pingning, and said, "I told you that today was a holiday and Yuan Ruo would bring something back, but you still didn't believe me."

Princess Pingning glanced at Qi Heng with a smile and said, "Boxia will serve the servants! Heng'er, come and sit down."

Qi Heng nodded, walked to the chair below the Duke of Qi and his wife and sat down, and said with a smile: "Mother, your son was called here without even changing his clothes, what's the matter?"

Princess Pingning nodded with a slightly less smile: "Heng'er, drink some hot soup to warm yourself up first."

After Qi Heng took a sip, Princess Pingning and Duke Qi looked at each other and said slowly, "In two days, the Xue family's son will get married, and our Qi family will need someone! Heng'er, you have to go there then."

Qi Heng was surprised when he heard this and frowned, "Mother, is it the Xue family, the maiden family of the eldest aunt?"

Princess Pingning nodded.

"Mother, I have never heard that my cousin from the Xue family has been engaged. How come he is getting married in the twelfth lunar month?"

Princess Pingning sighed and shook her head, "This matter."

Seeing that Princess Pingning didn't continue, Duke Qi said softly, "Yuan Ruo, you must behave yourself when you are out there in the future, and don't let others take advantage of you."

Qi Heng was confused: "Ah? Father, why do you say that?" Duke Qi said: "I heard from your aunt that Xue's son had a marriage partner, and the family is very good! But two days ago, a girl suddenly came with the ivory folding fan that Xue's son often used, saying that it was a token of love for her."

Qi Heng was stunned and exclaimed in surprise: "Ah? This..."

Duke Qi nodded affirmatively and continued, "I heard that the folding fan is something that Xue's son loves and often uses. Many people recognize it."

"But Xue's brother said that the folding fan and the fan cover had been lost for three or four months."

Princess Pingning beside her shook her head and said, "This child is too careless. When something was lost, he neither looked for it in a big way nor told his family! Alas!"

Duke Qi said, "That girl's family background is not bad. After this entanglement, the matter of Xue's brother's marriage proposal has come to nothing."

Qi Heng nodded slowly after hearing this and said, "Then, father, is Xue's cousin going to marry the girl holding the folding fan?"

Duke Qi waved his hand and said, "Not really. The Xue family also had a general in their ancestry. They will not swallow this humiliation! So they directly found a military officer's daughter whose family background is much lower than the Xue family to marry into the family."

After listening to this, Qi Heng said with some emotion: "The Xue family is really decisive in doing things."

Princess Pingning nodded, looked at Qi Heng, and said earnestly: "Heng'er, your father is a first-rank duke, and I have some face in front of my father, the emperor, and my mother, the queen. In terms of His Highness, I am considered His Highness's adopted sister."

"Your maternal grandfather was the Marquis of Xiangyang, and your maternal grandmother was born into the wealthy Chai family."

"In terms of status, you are higher than the Xue family's child. There are countless daughters of wealthy families who want to have something to do with you."

"You know, once I become your wife, Heng'er, I will be the Duke's wife forever."

"So, Heng'er, after listening to this, you must take it as a warning! If you are not careful, it may affect your whole life."

As Princess Pingning spoke, Duke Qi nodded repeatedly.

After listening to this, Qi Heng stood up and bowed, saying, "Don't worry, mother. I will keep your words in mind."

Princess Pingning nodded with satisfaction and said, "Okay, Heng'er, sit down!"

Looking at her son who was sitting down in deep thought, Princess Pingning continued, "Although your father's title was due to your cousin's frailty, it was your uncle who gave it up for the sake of family inheritance. We should be grateful."

"The Xue family's brother's marriage is a bit hasty, but our family must give the Xue family enough face."

"When the time comes, Heng'er, you can just treat the happy event as our own and help as much as you can with a smile on your face."

"I understand, son." Qi Heng bowed.

Early this morning,
Panlou Main Street,

In Sibaozhai,

There was no floor heating in the shop and the heater was not lit, so it was very cold.

The servant was not wearing ear protection and took off his gloves as he got off the carriage.

"Hey, brother Buwei, how come you have time to come here?" the guy at the store door said with a smile.

Bu Wei smiled: "My son will attend a wedding banquet in two days, and asked me to buy some good things as gifts to show his appreciation."

"Oh, please come in." The waiter said with a smile.

Inside the store, the manager who heard the conversation also came out with a smile.

Enter the store,

Not only did he nod constantly under the steward's introduction, but he would also smell and listen.

Soon, Buwei pointed to six of the brushes and said, "Father, let's take these!"

"Okay! Please sit down for a moment, young man. I'll have someone pack it for you." The shop manager said with a smile.

Buwei smiled and nodded: "Thank you, father-in-law, please pack two in one, don't pack them together."

"Don't worry, young man." The manager said with a smile.

Afterwards, Buwei thanked the guy who brought the stool over, sat down on it and started putting on gloves.

Soon, the shop manager came with his men carrying three wooden boxes.

Buwei stood up and opened the wooden box. He looked at the long wooden box with brushes neatly placed inside it, and then glanced at the silk cover folded inside it. He nodded with satisfaction and said, "Very good, very good."

As they talked, they all walked to the counter. When Buwei was about to pay, the shop manager said, "Brother Buwei, thank you for the two hundred and forty taels."

Bu Wei, who was taking out the small gold ingot, was stunned and said, "Old man, you didn't count wrong, did you? These are more than 240 taels?"

The steward smiled and said, "Young man, this is the rule set by the boss. This is the price for relatives to buy from."

Buwei nodded helplessly, handed over the gold ingot and said with a smile: "Then you can cut it as you see fit, old man."

After the payment and goods were settled, Buwei walked out carrying the three wooden boxes.

As I walked out of the store, I saw three carriages parked at the door and the maids and mothers were getting off.

Buwei took a quick glance and was about to get on his own carriage, but when his eyes passed by, Buwei's gaze paused.

The reason was that on one of the carriages, there was a wooden sign with the word "Sheng" hung on it.

See here,

Buwei waited for a moment and saw his familiar maid Xi Que looking at him. After they exchanged a glance, Buwei smiled and bowed slightly.

Xi Que hurriedly returned the gift, and then said to Rulan, who was wearing earmuffs and holding a hand warmer, "Fifth Miss, that's Brother Buwei who is beside the young master."

"Ah?" Rulan looked over in surprise, and just in time saw Buwei nodding towards her.

Rulan smiled and waved her hand.

Buwei, who wanted to get on the carriage, did not hesitate for a moment and stood aside.

After waiting for a while, six or seven girls dressed similarly to Rulan got off the carriage.

In his sight, Rulan and Pinlan were walking towards him with a few girls he didn't know, but Minglan was not among them.

See here,

Buwei lowered his head slightly, lowered his eyelids and stood still looking at the ground.

After Rulan, Pinlan and others entered Sibaozhai, they turned around and got on the carriage.

In Sibaozhai,

Looking back at the Qi family carriage that was leaving, Pinlan said, "Hiss, the servants of the Duke's Mansion are different. They are so polite!"

Rulan nodded in agreement.

The girls who followed were all surprised.

"Duke's Mansion? Which Duke's Mansion?"

"The Mansion of Duke Qi!" After Pinlan finished speaking, her friends all looked outside, following the Qi family's carriage, chattering a few words.

The old store manager glanced at the girls, said nothing, and just stood quietly by with a smile.

The old steward had a good eye. She could see that the girls were centered around Rulan who nodded. If they wanted to buy something, she would ask.

Although Rulan's status is not prominent in the gatherings of Chai Zhengzheng, Gu Tingyi and others, in the circle where most of Pinlan's friends are daughters of wealthy merchants, Rulan's family background is still very high.

If we take a look at the identities of Rulan's elders, it makes sense!
After all, his ancestors were either top three scholars in the imperial examination or daughters of marquisates, his maternal grandfather was enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, his biological father was a Jinshi and worked in the Ministry of Personnel, and his elder sister was the eldest lady of a marquisate.

"Just now, was it the servant from the Duke's Mansion? What did he buy?" Rulan asked softly.

The old steward smiled and said, "This girl has good eyesight, and that boy bought a few brushes."

"Are there any more in stock? Let's take a look."

"This way, please."

When we arrived at the place where the brushes were displayed, the old manager smiled and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the green silk red sandalwood brush that we have been selling for a few years."

"The material of this pen head is the pen holder."

As he spoke, the old steward took the brush and knocked it twice on the inkstone with the brush handle: "Ding Ding"

"Listen to this sound, it's so crisp and beautiful."

As the old steward spoke, six or seven girls nodded.

"How much does this pen cost?" Pinlan asked.

"Thank you for the favor, ninety-nine taels." The old steward said with a smile.

"Jiu" Pinlan smacked her lips and looked at Rulan.

Rulan was also shocked by the price.

"Is it so expensive?" Several girls from wealthy families around sighed.

The old steward smiled and nodded.

Rulan and Pinlan looked at each other and said, "Well, let's look at something else!"

The girls around nodded one after another. They had money, but they were not willing to spend nearly a hundred taels of silver to buy a brush.