Annual Ceremony

Chapter 13: Spring Equinox (Part )

As it turned out, Wang Yuan’s “calculation” was not effective.

Before Wang Xipu came back, the Zhan father and son left Jinling and returned to worship their ancestors.

Before leaving, Zhan's father said goodbye to the Wang family and thanked Wang Zhefu again and again. He brought his son to Jinling for study, and Wang Zhefu taught him about learning. He also stayed at Wang's house for more than a month. He felt very disturbed and repeatedly invited Wang's family to visit his home in Xuancheng in the future.

In addition, Zhan's father asked Wang Xichen and his brother to apologize to Wang Xipu on his behalf. His brother was about to return home, but he was leaving at this time. It was rude and wrong on his part. However, the Qingming Festival was approaching, and he received a letter urging him to leave, so he could not delay any longer.

On this side, Mr. Zhan said goodbye to the father and son of the Wang family. On the other side, after getting permission, Zhan Mei ran to Jifang Book House.

Inside the study, Wang Yuan was reading with his chin in his hand, and Wang Jie was practicing calligraphy. Zhan Mei knocked on the open door. Wang Jie looked up and called out, and then Zhan Mei went in.

When Zhan Mei got closer, she discovered that Wang Yuan, who seemed to be reading with his eyes open and his chin resting on his hand, was actually dreaming and had drawn a pair of eyes on his eyelids with a pen.

Wang Yuan used this to fool the supervisory servant standing guard outside the study, but Zhan Mei thought it was unnecessary. Before he came in just now, he saw the servant dozing off against the pillar. It was true that like master, like servant.

Upon hearing that Zhan Mei had come to say goodbye, Wang Jie woke up his eldest brother.

Zhan Mei is two years younger than Wang Jie, but Wang Yuan likes this little friend. In Wang Yuan's opinion, Zhan Mei is calmer and smarter than ordinary children, and he works hard, but he is not rigid in his personality. Maybe it's because he followed his father to study around, so he never feels restrained or nervous. Wang Yuan often jokes about Zhan Mei's 18 godfathers in front of his friends, and every time everyone laughs, Zhan Mei never feels embarrassed or embarrassed.

Wang Jie is even more so. He is a bookworm in the eyes of his elder brother, but a child of his age is still a child no matter how hard he studies. After Zhan Mei came, it was a very happy thing to have someone of the same age to go to school with him. Moreover, although Zhan Mei was young, he had traveled to many places and always had something new to say. After getting along with him, Wang Jie got along very well with him.

Compared to his elder brother's carefree attitude of not worrying about anything, Wang Jie felt reluctant and tears welled up in his eyes.

Zhan Mei comforted him for a long time and promised to come again in the future. The two of them seriously made a pinky promise.

At this time, Zhan Mei asked, "Why don't you see my second sister?"

In the past, at times like this, Zhenyi usually stayed in the study.

Today, Zhenyi went to the Qian family next door early in the morning.

Qian Yuling sent an invitation to invite Shuyi and Zhenyi to come home to talk, and of course, Juzi was also invited.

In Qian Yuling's boudoir, three girls were sitting around a moon-shaped table drinking tea and chatting. Shuyi came with an embroidery frame. Qian Yuling leaned over to take a look and asked her with a smile, "Are you embroidering your dowry?"

Shuyi blushed immediately and said angrily, "... You, didn't you ask me to come to your house to teach you needlework? I came here sincerely to be your master, but you ridiculed me like this... Let's see who dares to teach you next time."

Qian Yuling exclaimed, "If I hadn't said that, how could I have invited a lady from a wealthy family like you to come?"

Shuyi glared at her again and pinched the needle again: "You can learn it if you want or not..."

"I called you here to tell you something." Qian Yuling pretended to be nonchalant and said, "That Wen Yiheng, I have asked my brothers at home about him, and I heard that he is a..."

Shuyi unconsciously stopped what she was doing, but couldn't hear what was going on. She turned her head and saw Qian Yuling feeding a snack to Zhenyi: "Zhenyi, try this."

Then he bent down and scooped the orange into his arms, praising the orange for becoming stronger.

Shuyi was annoyed that she was deliberately teasing her with questions, but she was too embarrassed to ask further questions. It was not until she met Qian Yuling's eyes, who were trying not to smile, that Shuyi finally raised her hand to pat her friend's shoulder: "...then they said you were a bad person!"

The two laughed and joked for a while. Shuyi tickled Qian Yuling's waist. Qian Yuling laughed so hard that tears were about to come out. He begged for mercy, "Alright, alright... I've said it. I won't tease you anymore!"

Only then did Shuyi stop and pick up the embroidery frame and needle and thread again.

The marriage between the Wang and Wen families was no longer a secret among the familiar families. The old lady of the Wen family praised Shuyi highly, and most people had tacitly agreed that the marriage would be settled after Wang Xipu returned.

"You must know all about his family situation. His mother is not in good health, so his eldest mother is still in charge of all matters..." Qian Yuling: "They say he is a sincere person, works hard at studying, and is very good at painting. My second brother showed me his calligraphy, and it is indeed not vulgar."

The Qian family is a true family of painters. To receive such praise from Qian Yuling, it is clear that they are indeed outstanding.

Shuyi raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and said, "It's true that I'm sincere..." Qian Yuling blinked, moved closer and asked, "How do you mean sincere?"

Shuyi ignored her, so she went to ask Zhenyi.

Just as Zhenyi was about to speak, her elder sister suddenly stuffed some snacks into her mouth: "Second sister, don't talk nonsense with her!"

"Then let Orange tell the story!" Qian Yuling put Orange on his lap and pulled up Orange's two front paws: "Quick, Orange, come and tell me..."

The three of them and the cat were laughing and joking until almost noon, when the Third Wife sent someone to urge them to go back, and only then did Shuyi take her sister back.

When I returned home and walked to a moon gate, I happened to meet the Wang Xichen brothers seeing off the Zhan father and son.

Seeing Zhenyi, Zhan Mei's eyes lit up: "Second sister."

After Shuyi bowed to Mr. Zhan, she left first. Zhan Mei and Zhenyi formally said goodbye.

He told Zhenyi that if Zhenyi went to Xuancheng in the future, he would take Zhenyi to certain places and take her to certain foods... He also talked about Zhenyi's mathematics, praised her highly, and said that he would also study mathematics seriously.

This inexplicably aroused Zhenyi's competitive spirit. She said, "Then let Grandfather give us a question, and we'll see who can calculate faster and better!"

Zhan Mei smiled and nodded.

Finally, Zhan Mei asked Zhenyi seriously: "Second sister, will you remember me when we meet next time?"

Sometimes the wind blows, and next to the Moon Gate, two apricot trees shake off their snow-white flowers, all over the ground. The young boy has clear and open eyes, his childish face is gentle and clean, and his whole body shows the upright demeanor of a little gentleman.

"Of course." Zhenyi nodded and answered very straightforwardly: "Grandfather said that my memory is first-rate."

Zhan Mei then smiled with relief.

He then squatted down and said goodbye to Orange, and asked Orange seriously: "Orange, will you remember me next time we meet?"

In the apricot blossom snow, Orange leaned his head closer and sniffed the little boy.

Zhan Mei quickly lifted his sleeves and moved closer so that Juzi could smell him carefully and remember him more clearly.

On the third day after the Zhan father and son left Jinling, Wang Xipu returned home.

Wang Xipu is a very calm person who speaks very little. He always looks tired, as if he has a lot on his mind. Orange thinks this is normal and fits his stereotype of experienced workers.

Even when Shuyi's marriage was mentioned, Wang Xipu remained silent, which made Juzi feel that he, the county magistrate, seemed a little pretentious.

But soon after, Orange discovered that Wang Xipu really had something on his mind, and it was a big deal.

On this day, the old man and his three sons were discussing matters in the study, and no one came out until lunch time. Seeing this, Juzi was shocked. They couldn't even take care of such an important matter as eating. What kind of big thing could have happened?
In addition, Orange also noticed that Wang Xichen, a blogger on health preservation during solar terms, even put aside his daily health-preserving soup.

To Orange, this meant the sky was falling - you know, even on the day of failing the imperial examination, Wang Xichen, who was always sighing, would walk into the tea room professionally, boil a pot of soup, add two herbs that soothe the liver and relieve depression, and drink three bowls of soup while sitting in the yard.

One day, when the Wang father and son were discussing matters behind closed doors again, the worried Orange quietly jumped onto the windowsill and eavesdropped on their conversation.

But Orange misjudged his own weight, and accidentally leaned open the window that could not bear the weight. With a long "creak" sound, the four people of the Wang family looked over. Orange tried his best to sit upright and decent, accepting the gaze of eight eyes without moving. After a moment, he silently jumped off the windowsill.

It was not until three days later that Wang Zhefu summoned his children and grandchildren to talk to him. Juzi finally had the opportunity to follow Zhenyi and go to listen in openly.

　Cough cough cough, I stayed up all night the day before yesterday and forgot to update yesterday. Hehe, good afternoon.

　　Today is the beginning of summer heat, everyone should beware of the autumn heat~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)