Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 684: Keep Your Distance [Thank You! Goodbye! 36k More to Come]

In a blink of an eye,

The first month has passed and it is February.

Not only did the weather in Bianjing not show any signs of warming up, but it has been getting colder since the late first lunar month.

This kind of weather also caused a sharp increase in the city's coal consumption, and the price of coal continued to rise. It was not until the government opened a large warehouse that the price of coal was stabilized.

Looking from the city walls or tall buildings at this time, the green smoke from burning charcoal for heating coming out of the chimneys on the roofs of houses in the city seems to be even thicker than before the beginning of spring.

The lantern festival ended on the 19th day of the first lunar month. After the lights were put out, many young girls in Beijing followed their families out of the city to visit the spring festival.

But on the afternoon of the second day when Tanchun came, everyone was blown back by the cold north wind.

A few days later, the doctors in Bianjing city also started to get busy because many people who went out of the city to visit spring were caught colds by the wind.

"Ah!"

"Ah - my head hurts so much!"

Hearing the wailing of her girl behind the beaded curtain, Fu Yi hurriedly stepped sideways through the beaded curtain and walked in carrying the tray.

"Girl, maybe the pain will go away after drinking this bowl of medicine!" Fu Yi said as she walked.

"Ah? Still drinking? Fuyi, please forgive me!" Chai Zhengzheng, who was sitting behind the table, said with a nasal tone and a frown.

Fu Yi advised: "Miss, if you don't take the medicine, if the cold gets worse, you may have to lie back in bed."

"This medicine is bitter, but it will go away if you eat some candied fruit! If your headache comes back, you will have a hard time!"

Chai Zhengzheng sighed, put his cheek on the table, and muttered: "After so many days, my room is about to be filled with the smell of medicine! When will it end?"

Zi Teng, who was standing by, curled her lips and said angrily, "Girl, when you go out of town to visit your parents, you won't have to suffer this if you take a car!"

"Shut up!" Chai Zhengzheng said weakly.

"Girl, I'm back." Yunmu's voice came from outside.

Chai Zhengzheng's eyes widened, and he sat up straight with joy. After relieving the headache caused by getting up too suddenly, he looked outside and said, "Have you bought the honey-floating puffed naihua?"

"I bought it! Please wait!"

As he was talking, the aroma of pastries wafted over, probably because the lid of the food box had been opened.

quickly,

The beaded curtain sways,

Amid the sound of pearls colliding, Yunmu walked in holding an exquisite porcelain plate.

Looking at the medicine bowl in front of Chai Zhengzheng, Yunmu stopped and said, "Miss, when we entered the courtyard, Madam told me that if you don't take the medicine obediently, you won't be able to eat this snack!"

Chai Zhengzheng stretched out his hand and said, "Stop talking nonsense, bring it over quickly, I'll take the medicine after you finish it!"

After exchanging a glance with the other two maids, Yunmu walked over helplessly.

"I'll go heat up the medicine on the charcoal stove." Fu Yi shook her head and walked out through the bead curtain.

In less than a quarter of an hour,

Chai Zhengzheng wiped his hands with a handkerchief, stood up and said, "Ha! It's time for a nap."

Fu Yi, who was about to step outside the beaded curtain to get the medicine, turned back and said helplessly: "Miss, you can't be like this! If you don't drink the medicine, the lady will definitely not forgive us if she finds out!"

"It's not too late to drink after I wake up!" Chai Zhengzheng waved his hand.

"Miss! When I went out, I heard some news on the street!" Yunmu shouted.

Chai Zhengzheng, who was standing next to the couch, asked in confusion, "What's the news? Zi Teng, come here and make the couch for me."

"Oh." Zi Teng responded with a pout.

"It's about that young master." Yunmu said, and winked at Fuyi, who hurried to get the medicine.

"Ah? Which young master?" Chai Zhengzheng asked, his eyes turned as if he had thought of something, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said: "Tell me."

Yunmu looked down at the ground, not meeting Chai Zhengzheng's gaze, and said, "Then I have to wait until you finish drinking this bowl of medicine."

Fu Yi came back with the tray and secretly gave Yun Mu a thumbs up.

Chai Zhengzheng, who was standing beside the couch, took a deep breath and wanted to "glare" at his maid, but Yunmu didn't even look at her.

After thinking about it, Chai Zhengzheng walked towards Fu Yi.

After drinking the medicine with a bitter grimacing and groaning, Chai Zhengzheng hurriedly rinsed his mouth with the help of the maid, and then ate a few pieces of candied fruit.

"Go ahead." Chai Zhengzheng wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

Yunmu pursed her lips and nodded: "I am outside the mansion. I heard that the young master left the city this morning."

"Yes!" Chai Zhengzheng nodded: "Go on."

Yunmu pursed her lips tightly, lowered her head and whispered: "The next sentence can only be said after you have finished drinking the medicine in the evening!"

"You!" Chai Zhengzheng pointed at Yunmu, and after thinking for a moment, he pretended to be angry and said, "If you don't tell me, don't serve me anymore! I can ask others about it!"

"It was Madam who told me to do this. Even though the young lady threatened me, I still refused to tell anyone!" Yunmu said with his head down.

Chai Zhengzheng rolled his eyes, sat on the couch, closed his eyes and fell down. After a moment, he groaned, "Ouch, my head hurts!"

"Ah? Why does it hurt again?" Zi Teng on the side hurried forward and helped Chai Zhengzheng massage his temples.

Yunmu, who didn't know whether it was true or not, also walked over.

Seeing his daughter's eyes narrowed into slits and peeking at him, Yunmu said helplessly: "I'll go wash the dishes."

Seeing that this trick didn't work, Chai Zhengzheng was too embarrassed to stop. After closing her eyes and lamenting for a while, she, who had already been sleep deprived due to a cold and headache, actually fell asleep.

at night,

Chai Zhengzheng closed his eyes and drank the warm herbal medicine. His facial features wrinkled in bitterness. After rinsing his mouth and eating the candied fruit, he looked at Yunmu and said, "Go ahead."

Yunmu handed over a handkerchief to wipe his mouth and said, "He said he left from Ansu Gate in the northwest, with..."

Chai Zhengzheng closed his eyes, calmed down, and said, "Yunmu, I will drink two bowls of medicine tomorrow. Can you say a few words?"

Yunmu felt a little embarrassed and said, "I have to ask Madam for permission."

Hearing this, Chai Zhengzheng said helplessly: "Go and ask mother if this is okay."

"Yes."

the next day,
Looking at Chai Zhengzheng, whose face was twisted with bitterness after drinking two bowls of medicine, Yunmu lowered her head and said, "Miss, Madam said that no matter how many bowls of medicine you drink, I can only say one thing."

"You! Why didn't you say it earlier!" Chai Zhengzheng suddenly felt even more bitter in his mouth.

that's it,
Yunmu's words earned Chai Zhengzheng a bowl of medicine.

After three or four days, Chai Zhengzheng finally realized that Xu Zaijing had left the city through Ansu Gate, taking with him the eldest grandson of the Xu family and several fine horses.

In addition to the good horse, there was also a woman.

Chai Zhengzheng knew this woman, and her home was on Panlou Main Street.

It was Madam Zhou who taught Chai Zhengzheng the archery skills, and why he brought Madam Zhou along, etc.

this day,

In the morning, the weather was gloomy and cloudy.

Outside the house, the chilly north wind made my face hurt a little.

The room was very warm. Chai Zhengzheng, who had been taking medicine continuously and was in good health, rinsed his mouth after taking the medicine and asked with full energy, "Who is the father of that boy? Can you tell me?"

"He was a trusted lieutenant commander under Lord Xu, and he died in battle last year!" Yunmu said.

The smile on Chai Zhengzheng's face disappeared, and he nodded solemnly, "Oh! So that's how it is."

"Miss, the female doctor from the Imperial Hospital is here." Fu Yi said crisply outside.

"Got it. Please come in." Yunmu replied.

Looking at Chai Zhengzheng, Yunmu continued, "Madam said that if the female doctor says you have recovered after checking your pulse, I won't have to tell everyone everything."

"Really?"

"Ok!"

While the master and servant were talking, Zi Teng came in, put her hand close to the incense burner and said, "Miss, it smells like it's going to snow outside."

The two people in the room nodded.

In less than half an hour, the female medical officer had taken Chai Zhengzheng's pulse and prescribed a dietary supplement.

After sending the female medical officer away, Yunmu looked at Chai Zhengzheng and said, "Madam, I heard that the young man named Yue Fei has moved into the Yongyi Marquis's residence and usually gets up early to exercise like Master Xu Wu."

"The two brothers of the next generation of the Xu family often get up early as well."

"After training, Mr. Xu Wu went to school, and the brother from the Yue family went to the Zhou family to learn skills."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded and said, "Why don't you just live in Zhou's house?"

Yunmu said, "It is said that the Xu family's horse farm is large, so it can accommodate the Yue family's brother's riding practice."

Thinking about the scene he saw when he went to Xu's house before, Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said, "That's right, the capital is different from other places, there are not many spacious places."

"Girl, girl!" Zi Teng's somewhat excited voice came from outside the house.

Yunmu frowned and asked, "What's wrong? What are you yelling about?"

Zi Teng walked quickly into the inner room and pointed outside, saying, "It's snowing!"

at noon,

The snow was falling heavily.

The prosperous family in Jiying Lane,
Wei Ruixuan,
Mother Liu put her hands in her sleeves and walked to the door holding an oil-paper umbrella. She closed the umbrella and shook off the snow on it, then handed it to the maid in the corridor, lifted the cotton curtain and walked into the house.

Blowing a breath towards her frozen hands, Madam Liu bowed to Wang Ruofu and said, "Madam, I am back."

Wang Ruofu, who was sitting by the incense burner and drinking tea, nodded and said, "Has the convoy set off?"

"Let's set off! The driver said that although the weather is bad and we can only stay at an inn outside the city today, we have plenty of time and won't miss the trip." Mother Liu said.

Hearing this, Wang Ruofu smiled and said, "That's fine! I think when my mother receives my birthday gift and sees that it's better than my sister's, she will definitely be very happy for a while."

Although Mother Liu did not agree with her daughter's statement, she still forced a smile and nodded.

In fact, after staying in the Wang family for so many years, Mother Liu had long realized that the one Old Lady Wang loved the most was Wang Ruoyu, who was most like her in appearance, personality and behavior.

Wang Ruofu waved to Mother Liu and said, "Come and warm up by the stove. Have you recovered from the frostbite on your hands?"

Madam Liu smiled and shook her head: "After using the ointment that the eldest lady brought from the Marquis' Mansion, my hand is much better now."

As she spoke, Mother Liu stretched out her hands.

After reading it, Wang Ruofu nodded and said with emotion: "There are so many good things in this mansion. After Bai'er used the ointment, his hands finally don't freeze like radishes anymore."

"By the way, I wonder if it's cold in the school in this weather!" Wang Ruofu said as she was about to stand up.

Madam Liu said quickly, "Don't worry, Madam. On the way back to the courtyard, I took a look and found that the fire in the ground heater in the school courtyard was very strong. It's not cold at all."

"That's fine! Is it still snowing outside?" Wang Ruofu said, putting the teacup in her hand aside, standing up and walking towards the door.

"It's not small yet!" Mother Liu said behind him.

Walking to the door, she opened the cotton curtain, and faced the cold wind as she looked at the snow-covered courtyard. Wang Ruofu said:

"Fortunately, this is not the imperial examination this year! Otherwise, in this weather, Bai'er would have to endure a lot more suffering."

"Madam, you're right. If we take the exam in such cold weather, we might not be able to hold the brush, and the water in the inkstone will freeze!" said Mother Liu.

Wang Ruofu nodded, looking at the snow outside and said, "What you said is secondary. The most worrying thing is that the soles of shoes and clothes will be stained with snow and then melt into snow water. Not only will it be painful, but it will also be easy to catch a cold!"

"Like when we went out of the city to visit the spring before, many children in the capital were frozen and caught a cold."

As she spoke, snowflakes fell on Wang Ruofu. Madam Liu reached out to sweep them away and said, "Yes! I also heard that someone's child..."

Wang Ruofu sighed when she heard this, closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and muttered a few words of "Buddha bless you."

Mother Liu standing by also clasped her hands together.

After she finished speaking, Wang Ruofu opened her eyes and just in time saw Caihuan walking towards them at the gate of the yard, holding an umbrella and lifting her skirt.

"Didn't I tell you to wait for the master? Why did you come back by yourself?" Wang Ruofu asked with a frown.

Cai Huan looked embarrassed and said, "Madam, after the master paid his respects to the old lady, he told me when he left the courtyard that he had official business to attend to and would go to the study first, so you don't have to wait for him in the evening."

Wang Ruofu's chest rose and fell a few times when she heard this, and she said angrily, "Humph! She must be going to that vixen Lin Qinshuang!"

Having said that, Wang Ruofu flicked her sleeves and walked towards the house.

Mother Liu waved to Caihuan and hurried to catch up with Wang Ruofu.

Enter the inner room.

Looking at Wang Ruofu, who was sitting at the table holding her handkerchief angrily, Madam Liu whispered, "Madam, I don't think it's that serious!"

"Apart from being seduced by Lin Qinshuang, what else is there?" Wang Ruofu glared.

Mother Liu sighed: "Madam, have you forgotten what the eldest girl said when she came back?"

"Hua'er? What did she say?" Wang Ruofu looked at Mother Liu blankly, thought for a moment, and said, "You mean?"

Madam Liu nodded and said, "Madam, it's about the Kang family! I heard the servants talking below, and it seems that everyone in Bianjing knows that the Kang family sent their daughter to the Prince's Mansion in the past two days."

"Who knows? This matter has already reached the master's ears. The master has always prided himself on being a pure man, and often said that poetry and etiquette are passed down from generation to generation. His brother-in-law's family has such a joke of 'selling his daughter for fame', so he must be in a bad mood."

Hearing this, Wang Ruofu's face turned a little unhappy, and she complained: "My sister said that this matter must have been kept secret, how come it became known to everyone!"

Mother Liu said, "Most of the servants in the Kang family have been replaced before. I think someone leaked the news! The Kang family is a high-ranking official family. Some people like to watch the fun, so naturally, news like this spreads quickly!!"

"If you act this way, you are also disregarding the reputation of your relatives! Look at the wedding of the eldest house and the Kang family, which was delayed for a year last year. What do you think, will this matter..."

Wang Ruofu shook her head and said angrily: "My sister didn't discuss this with me, so I don't care about these things anymore!"

"Madam, please don't say such angry words! Whether the marriage between the Kang and Sheng families will continue, Madam Li will have to consider your face!" After saying this, Madam Liu looked at Wang Ruofu's face and said, "How about you go to Shou'an Hall and ask?"

Wang Ruofu's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she stood up and said, "Let's go! Go find the old lady!"

The next afternoon,

The snowflakes that had been falling intermittently finally stopped completely.

After the clouds dissipated,
The golden sunlight shone from the west, turning the school partitions yellow.

Zhuang Xuejiu sat on the Luohan chair, looked sideways at the window and said, "Everyone, the roads are slippery after the snow, let's go early while the weather is still good."

"Yes, pedant!"

Everyone in the school stood up and saluted.

The servants and maids on the wooden platform at the back came forward one after another to tidy up the desk or hand over cloaks.

Changqiu, who was sitting in front of Zai Zhang, stood up and walked towards the scholar with a book in his hand, asking for advice in a low voice.

Qi Heng glanced at Chang Zhang, then turned back to look at Ming Lan who had tied her cloak, and said with a smile: "Sixth sister, it seems that Qi Lang is really eager to learn. I wonder what question he is asking!"

Minglan, who had already stood up, bowed slightly and said, "Young Master is right."

Chang Feng on the side stroked his chin and said, "Look at my seventh brother, he might be smarter than me! I don't know why Master Zhuang didn't let him continue to take the exam."

"The scholar has his own considerations." Qi Heng smiled politely.

Xu Zaijing stood on the other side, put on the gloves and earmuffs that Hua Xiang handed over, and said with a smile: "Everyone, I'm leaving first."

After hearing this, Minglan glanced at Xu Zaijing and said with her head down, "Walk slowly, Brother Xu Wu."

Rulan, who was wearing ear protection, also bowed to Xu Zaijing and said with a smile, "Brother Xu Wu, see you tomorrow."

When Xu Zaijing opened the cotton curtain and was about to go out, he happened to hear Changbai talking to the scholar.

"Changbai, do you need to take a leave of absence the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes, pedant."

"it is good."

After listening to the conversation, Xu Zaijing looked back at Changbai with some curiosity.

Over the next two days,
The snow began to melt.
When Xu Zaijing was teaching, every warm noon, the sound of snow dripping from the eaves outside was like rain.

This morning,

Quyuan Street,
Yong Yi Hou Mansion,

The weather is still cold and you can see your breath when walking in the yard.

Seeing Xu Zaijing approaching with his maid, Yue Fei, who was reading by the iron lamp outside the main room, bowed and saluted to Xu Zaijing: "Greetings, Wulang."

Alan, who was leading the horse out, called out "Young Master".

Xu Zaijing nodded towards Alan, looked at Yue Fei with a smile and asked, "Why don't you go inside and take a look?"

Yue Fei looked a little embarrassed and said, "It's too warm in the room. My eyelids are drooping after a while, so I'll just stand outside."

Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "You are much more studious than those fighting men I know! Okay, let's turn off the lights and watch again in the morning!"

"You seemed a little unwilling to accept your defeat to Alan on horseback yesterday morning. Why don't you win back a game today?!"

"Yes!" Yue Fei replied somewhat unconvinced.

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Well, saddle the horses and continue the fight."

When Qingyun was putting armor on Xu Zaijing, he listened to the sound of horse hooves and said, "Sir, this guy is so young but he fought back and forth with Alan. It seems that he has a bright future."

Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded, saying, "When Lu Junyi and the others around Big Brother come back and see this little Junior Brother, they will also be surprised."

The end of Mao time (7:00 a.m.)

Xu Zaijing yawned in his seat and looked at the classroom where only three people were.

The reason was simple. Today, all the classmates of the Sheng family, including Zai Zhang, went to the main house of the Sheng family to attend the wedding.

During the morning break,
Gu Tingye leaned against the wall, looked at Qi Heng and Xu Zaijing and said, "This brother Changwu looks like a real man! He actually went against the rumors in the city and insisted on marrying Miss Kang."

Xu Zaijing glanced at Qi Heng, who was nodding his head in approval, and said with a smile, "They are attracted to each other. You didn't see the look Changwu gave Miss Kang on the Lantern Festival."

Qi Heng smiled upon hearing this and said, "Brother Jing is right."

Suddenly, without knowing what he was thinking of, Qi Heng said, "I'm going to change my clothes. Uncle, Brother Jing, do you want to come with me?"

Gu Tingye shook his head, patted his waist, and said, "It's still early!"

Xu Zaijing looked at Qi Heng with a meaningful look, and was slightly stunned. He immediately nodded and said, "Let's go."

Putting on their cloaks, the two men left the school.

Feeling the chill outside, Xu Zaijing said softly, "Yuanruo, what's wrong? Tell me something?"

Qi Heng nodded: "Brother Jing, before coming to the Sheng family, my mother specifically told me to tell you that Prince Tan and Prince Jing will arrive in Beijing soon."

"I believe you know the character of the King of Jing, Brother Jing! But where are the royal family identities of the two princes?"

Xu Zaijing nodded and said with a smile: "Yuan Ruo, thank the princess for me! I will naturally stay away from you then."

Qi Heng breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good!"

(End of this chapter)