Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 181 Gifting a Dress

The county magistrate, holding his black hat, hurried to the backyard.

What caught my eye was a woman with an ethereal aura in the distance, sitting elegantly at the table eating, with a maid as beautiful as a fairy standing next to her.

The woman was dressed in white and exuded an aura of nobility and inviolability.

But the county magistrate still steeled himself, knelt tremblingly and stepped forward, saying, "Your Highness, Princess, is greeted by your humble servant Zhang Zhiwei."

He didn't dare to look up, for fear of offending the eldest princess, who was a female devil who killed people without blinking an eye.

However, as soon as he approached, he smelled a strange odor, and was immediately startled. He thought to himself, "Oh no, it's over. Why is there such a strange smell here?"
If I make the princess unhappy because of this, I'll be finished.

Zhang Zhiwei knelt on the ground, feeling uneasy. He didn't dare to look directly at the princess. He could only stare at the ground, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

"Get up." The eldest princess said lightly, with majesty in her tone.

Zhang Zhiwei quickly stood up, still with his head lowered, standing respectfully aside, looking extremely reserved.

He secretly glanced at the eldest princess out of the corner of his eye and saw that her eyebrows and eyes were picturesque. Although she was wearing a veil, her temperament was as cold as ice, as if she was not of this world.

The princess took a sip of tea and slowly said, "Master Zhang, I passed through Qingshi Town this time and saw that the people there lived in peace and contentment. Thank you for your hard work."

Zhang Zhiwei was delighted and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Highness, thank you for the compliment. This is simply my duty."

The princess smiled slightly, but her eyes held a hint of meaning. "Master Zhang is too modest. However, while I was strolling around town today, I saw a delicacy in Qingshi Town that I had never seen before."

Zhang Zhiwei's heart tightened, and he felt something was wrong. Could it be that the delicious food was "boiled shit"? Could it be that this smell came from "boiled shit"?
He glanced over and his heart sank, but he still forced himself to remain calm and asked, "I wonder what Your Highness is referring to?"

The princess put down her teacup, looked directly at Zhang Zhiwei, and said slowly, "I smelled a unique odor on the street. Out of curiosity, I went to investigate. I didn't expect to encounter a delicacy on earth - stinky tofu. This makes me very happy."

When Zhang Zhiwei heard this, his heart sank and more cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

I just arrested Ye Ah Niu for "cooking shit," and now the princess is so impressed by his stinky tofu. What should I do? It's over, it's over. I have to release him immediately. Otherwise, if the princess wants to eat stinky tofu, I'll be in trouble.

"Master Zhang, you can try some too. I happened to have brought some with me today." The princess didn't seem to notice Zhang Zhiwei's annoyance and continued, "Hanmei, give this stinky tofu to Master Zhang."

The maid didn't waste any words, but picked up the stinky tofu on the table and said jokingly: "Master Zhang, this is a reward from the princess. You have to watch Master Zhang eat it!"

Zhang Zhiwei looked embarrassed. Why did this female devil ask me to eat shit as soon as I came? Was it because the food was smelly and angered her, so she said it in a sarcastic way on purpose?

This female devil kills without blinking an eye and has a changeable temper. I'd better eat this shit before making a decision.

He stretched out his slightly trembling hand tremblingly and took the stinky tofu.

He took a deep breath, held his breath, moved slowly, closed his eyes, and tightened his facial muscles as he slowly stuffed the stinky tofu into his mouth.

Instantly, the unique aroma of stinky tofu exploded in my mouth. My originally furrowed brows instantly relaxed, my eyes widened, and my face was filled with disbelief. It was so delicious.
Zhang Zhiwei seemed to have his soul leaving his body and his whole body began to float.

"Such a delicious dish, if promoted, will surely become a major feature of Qingshi Town. Lord Zhang, what do you think?" Just as Zhang Zhiwei's soul was floating, a light and ethereal voice with a hint of teasing brought him back to reality.

Zhang Zhiwei was panicked and quickly knelt down. He replied with a stiff upper lip, "Your Highness is absolutely right. I will definitely live up to your expectations and promote this work vigorously."

The princess nodded, and her tone suddenly changed, with a hint of meaning: "It's good that Master Zhang knows. I'm tired too, you can go down!"

Zhang Zhiwei suddenly felt his whole body relax and his legs felt weak. It was finally over.

He quickly said, "I have already prepared the mansion. Princess, please follow me."

The princess gently waved her hand, interrupting him. "No need. I will go on my own. Master Zhang has worked hard for the people and is busy with official duties. He must also complete the important matters at hand."

Zhang Zhiwei nodded quickly in agreement, but he felt extremely regretful in his heart. He was afraid that the princess already knew that he had arrested Ye Aniu, the man selling boiled shit, and this was a warning to him!

He originally thought that catching a vendor was a harmless matter, but he never expected that it would alarm the princess. Ye Aniu didn't know how lucky he was to be appreciated by the princess.

The princess stood up, took slow steps, and turned to leave. Just as Zhang Zhiwei breathed a sigh of relief, she tilted her head slightly and said, "Master Zhang, don't lose sight of the big picture because of small things. Think more about the people."

Zhang Zhiwei had just breathed a sigh of relief when his heart suddenly jumped into his throat again. "You, a female devil, can't play tricks on me like this." But he still hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Highness has taught me a lesson. I will definitely remember it."

The eldest princess nodded, then stood up and said, "Okay, I'm leaving."

Zhang Zhiwei quickly bowed and said, "Farewell, Princess."

The eldest princess smiled slightly, turned around and left with her maid.

Zhang Zhiwei stood there with his head bowed, watching the two women's gradually disappearing backs, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. It's a good thing that Ye Aniu already has a wife, otherwise I would have thought that Her Royal Highness the Princess had taken a fancy to him. But this boy is indeed extraordinarily handsome.

"Come here." Not daring to delay, he quickly called the yamen runners and ordered them in an urgent tone: "Quickly release Ye Aniu, comfort him, and persuade him with kind words."

The bailiff took the order and left. Zhang Zhiwei suddenly slumped in his chair, with a thousand thoughts in his mind. He almost made a big mistake this time and almost lost his job.

It seems that I must be more cautious in my actions in the future and must never accept gifts to do things during extraordinary times.

"No, I want to go myself."

Thinking of this, he stood up, straightened his clothes, and decided to go and appease Ye Aniu in person. After appeasement, even if the princess went to buy stinky tofu, he would say good things about him.

In prison.

Dim light shone in through the narrow window, and the air was filled with a damp and moldy smell mixed with the smell of sweat and various complex smells, which was nauseating.

The stains on the wall are particularly conspicuous, and inside the wooden cage doors are lifeless prisoners, some of whom are truly guilty, while others are wrongly accused of guilt.

A few huge rats were chirping in the corner, occasionally making some teeth grinding sounds.

Ye Aniu sat in the corner of the cell, brows furrowed, thinking about how to escape.

How could he be accused of "disturbing the city appearance" when the tofu he was selling was innocent? This was probably not a simple matter, perhaps it had something to do with the Zhou family.

As he was thinking, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the prison door, followed by the "click" sound of the iron lock being opened, and then the sound of the bailiff opening the door.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" The bailiff gestured, the key chain in his hand jingling, and said arrogantly.

Ye Aniu raised his head, his eyes full of doubt: "Let me go?"

The bailiff waved his hand impatiently, his tone tinged with sarcasm: "Get out of here now, do you still want to stay here? Don't waste my time."

Ye Aniu stood up and dusted himself off. Although he was puzzled, he didn't bother to argue with the yamen runners. Just letting him go like that? That was too hasty! But it didn't matter. It was all right anyway.

Just as he was about to step out of the prison, he heard a stern rebuke: "How dare you! How dare you be so disrespectful to the people? I'll fine you three months' salary. Get out!"

Ye Aniu was stunned and looked up, only to see the county magistrate Zhang Zhiwei standing not far away, glaring at the yamen runners.

The yamen runner was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he quickly bowed his head to admit his mistake: "Yes, yes, I know I am wrong.

Ye Aniu became even more confused and couldn't help but look at the county magistrate a few more times.

This county magistrate usually orders the people around, so why has he suddenly changed his temper today? Or has he taken the wrong medicine? Why is he suddenly so considerate of the people?

After the bailiff left, the county magistrate Zhang Zhiwei looked at Ye Aniu. When their eyes met, he forced a smile, and the muscles on his face were so stiff as if they had been torn apart by someone.

He walked up to Ye Aniu and said in a gentle tone, "Brother Ye...this is all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! I didn't check before, but I didn't expect the tofu you sell is so delicious..."

As he spoke, he patted his chest in a pretentious manner and said, "To make it up to Brother Ye, I promise that I will personally come to your stall tomorrow to promote it for you. How about that?"

Ye Aniu was surprised. Is there such a good thing? If he didn't take it, it would be a waste. If he took it, it would be a waste.

So he nodded and said, "Thank you, sir. Can I go now?"

The county magistrate nodded quickly, his smile growing even brighter: "Please, please..."

Looking at Ye Aniu's departing back, he put away his smile and murmured to himself: "I don't know what kind of shit luck you have..."

After saying that, he turned and left, performing a real-life scene of what Sichuan face-changing is.

the other side.

Ren Youlan was sitting in front of the stall, head lowered, tears silently streaming down her face.

Ever since Ye Aniu was taken away by the yamen runners, her heart felt like it was being pressed by a huge rock, making it hard for her to breathe.

I don’t know if Brother Niu is suffering in there, and when he will come back.

At this moment, a familiar voice came from behind her: "Madam, what's wrong with you?"

Ren Youlan suddenly raised her head and looked for a long time with tearful eyes. She could hardly believe her eyes. After a moment of stunned silence, she suddenly stood up and threw herself into Ye Aniu's arms.

"Brother Aniu! Are you okay? Are you really okay?" Ren Youlan hugged Ye Aniu tightly, her voice trembling and tears flowing uncontrollably.

Ye Aniu patted her back gently and comforted her softly, "It's okay, it's okay, I'm back!"

Ren Youlan raised her head, held Ye Aniu's face with both hands, stood on tiptoe, and gently kissed Ye Aniu's lips.

Ye Aniu was also stunned. Feeling Ren Youlan's enthusiasm, he responded to her kiss.

Although it was Ren Youlan who took the initiative, she was still a virgin after all. On the contrary, Ye Aniu seemed to be born with the skill and was very skilled. In no time, he kissed Ren Youlan until she trembled all over and became weak.

however.

At this warm moment, a figure stood quietly in a shadow in the distance. She was dressed in white, with a veil covering her face, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes.

Those eyes were now fixed on Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan, and her fists were clenched tightly, although her expression remained calm.

But the maid Hanmei standing beside her noticed her abnormality and also felt the cold aura emanating from her.

So she couldn't help but whispered, "Princess, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"

The princess didn't answer, merely staring coldly at Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan in the distance, a hint of barely perceptible anger and bitterness in her eyes. Hanmei followed her gaze and instantly understood. She was startled. What had happened to the princess? Could it be... that she had truly fallen for that peasant boy? But how could that be possible? How could a princess of such noble status be tempted by a commoner?
Hanmei didn't dare to say much, but just carefully observed the eldest princess's expression.

She found that whenever Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan were intimate, the eldest princess's breathing would become rapid.

"Princess, can I help you go back and rest?" Hanmei asked tentatively.

The eldest princess still did not answer, but turned around coldly and walked away.

Hanmei followed closely behind. She had never seen the princess lose her composure like this before. Why would the princess have feelings for a peasant boy? This was impossible. They had never seen this before.

at the same time.

Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan were so happy that they didn't notice an angry figure walking away.

"Brother Niu, why did the county magistrate suddenly let you go?" Ren Youlan asked curiously with a red face.

Ye Aniu smiled, patted her head, and said, "This, in short, is just a misunderstanding. The county magistrate even said that he would come in person to help me promote tofu."

Ren Youlan's eyes widened, and he said in disbelief, "Really? The county magistrate is coming?"

Ye Aniu shrugged and said with a smile: "Who knows? Anyway, that's what the county magistrate said, so we just listen."

Ren Youlan nodded. No matter whether the county magistrate comes or not, as long as Brother Aniu comes back, I will be satisfied.

"Let's go home." Ren Youlan said, holding Ye Aniu's arm.

Ye Aniu nodded, pushed the stall, and walked towards home with Ren Youlan.

The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the two of them, as if blessing this couple who work from sunrise to sunset.

dinner.

The taciturn Master Ren said calmly, "Let's get ready. Seven days from now is an auspicious day. Let's hold the wedding!"

"Yes!" Aunt Ren said happily, "Thanks to Ah Niu this time, the bad tofu not only sold for the same amount of money, but also sold for a lot more!"

"Aniu, you are really our family's lucky star."

Ren Youlan blushed and glanced at Ye Aniu who was eating, her eyes full of love.

Three days later.

Ren Youlan was walking into the bookstore excitedly, holding Ye Aniu's hand. She said with a smile as they walked, "Brother Aniu, let's buy some books. You have to study hard, get a good degree, and make a name for yourself."

Ye Aniu nodded, with a gentle smile on his face, and said, "Listen to my wife."

The two walked into the bookstore, and the shelves were filled with all kinds of books.

The two walked to the bookshelf with ease and began to choose books.

Just then, there was a sound of footsteps at the door of the bookstore, followed by a sarcastic voice: "Hey! Two poor guys are here to buy books."

Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan turned around at the same time and saw a young man in gorgeous clothes standing at the door. It was Zhou Xiancai.

Ren Youlan frowned and said coldly, "None of your business."

Zhou Xiancai sneered and walked slowly into the bookstore. He glanced at Ye Aniu and said sarcastically, "Looking at your poor appearance, I'm afraid you can't afford to buy books. You're just here for fun. If you damage a book, you can't afford to pay for it."

"Oh?" Ye Aniu said calmly, "So, you bought so many books and passed the exam to become a scholar?"

Zhou Xiancai's face suddenly darkened after being ridiculed like this.

He snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "So what if you didn't pass the exam? How can you afford a nice wedding dress and groom's suit when you look so poor? I don't think you can even afford a wedding!"

Ren Youlan's face flushed with anger. Just as he was about to retort, he heard a hollow voice: "Who is making such a noise and disturbing me while I'm reading?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman in white, wearing a light veil, slowly walking into the bookstore. She was followed by a maid, both of whom had extraordinary temperaments. They were the eldest princess and her maid Hanmei.

This was really an accidental encounter. The eldest princess was stumped by the absolute difficulties posed by the grassland tribe, and happened to see a bookstore to see if she could find some inspiration.

Hanmei, the maid, still couldn't understand. What was a princess's status? She could have any man she wanted. Why was she so interested in a married man?

Zhou Xiancai was stunned for a moment, then sneered: "Who are you? How dare you meddle in my business?"

The eldest princess frowned and said, "Stop making noise, Hanmei, slap me in the face."

The maid Hanmei dodged and it was obvious that she was a martial arts master. Before Zhou Xiancai could react, there were five-finger palm marks symmetrically on both sides of his face.

Zhou Xiancai was just an ordinary person, who had never seen a martial arts master, let alone a delicate little beauty. He immediately realized that the trick was difficult to use, so he rolled over and crawled away, saying a few harsh words and ran away.

After Zhou Xiancai left, the princess turned to look at Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan, and said gently, "Are you buying books too?"

Ren Youlan nodded and said stiffly, "Yes, we want to buy some books. My brother Aniu wants to pass the imperial examination."

The princess smiled slightly, her eyes lingered on Ye Aniu for a moment, and then she said, "In that case, I wish you success in high school."

As she spoke, she walked to the desk, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and stared at the couplet on the paper: The eight kings of zither, se, and pipa are all above the king, but she still had no clue.

Sighing, she put down her pen irritably, but saw Ye Aniu staring at the couplet in silence.

The princess' heart trembled, and a thought came to her mind: Could he possibly match him? No one in the court, civil or military, had ever matched him.

So, out of curiosity, he asked, "Sir, do you have a question in mind?"

"Ah?" Ye Aniu said awkwardly, his tone rather uncomfortable: "I don't know if it's right or not, so I won't say anything."

Why does this couplet seem so familiar? Why does the second line automatically come to my mind?

"No problem." The princess whispered softly, "If you answer correctly, I can give you the most gorgeous wedding dress."

"Really?" Ye Aniu's face lit up with joy, and he said, "Then I'll show you how ugly I am."

"My second line is, ghosts and monsters, four little ghosts are invading the border."

Hiss. The princess took a deep breath. With just one glance, she made a guess that no one in the court could guess. It was absolutely right, absolutely right.

Did he just say he was going to take the imperial examination? It seems there's still a chance we'll meet again.
"Cold plum."

"The servant is here."

"Go to the town immediately and buy the best wedding dress as a gift for this young man." The eldest princess sighed and spoke.

Looking at Hanmei's stunned expression, she paused and continued, "Forget it, I'll choose it myself!"

The eldest princess stood in the town's silk shop, gently stroking the gorgeous bridal gown embroidered with a golden phoenix.

"Would I look good in this dress?" the eldest princess murmured in a low voice, with a hint of sadness in her tone.

Hanmei stood aside, frowning slightly, her heart full of doubts. Why did the princess care so much about a commoner?
So she couldn't help but ask, "Princess, why do you care so much about Ye Aniu?"

The princess didn't answer immediately. She just sighed softly and said in a low and gentle voice, "I don't know. It's a feeling. It's as if I feel that he and I are somehow connected."

Hanmei frowned and said cautiously: "Princess, you are of noble status, why bother about a commoner? Besides, he already has a wife, you..."

After a pause, Hanmei lowered her voice and said, "Princess, if you are really interested in him, why not..."

She made a killing gesture, meaning to kill Ren Youlan.

The eldest princess's eyes suddenly flashed with a cold light, and she said sternly, "How dare you!"

Hanmei's hair stood on end. The princess really had murderous intentions just now.

You know, the princess is usually very indulgent to him, but it is true that just a moment ago the princess wanted to kill him.

The princess realized she had lost her composure and whispered, "Go and give them the wedding dresses as a gift from me."

Hanmei didn't dare to say anything more, but just responded respectfully: "Yes, Princess."

at the same time.

Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan were happily holding the gorgeous wedding dress and walking on the way home.

Ren Youlan's face was filled with a happy smile. She held Ye Aniu's arm tightly and whispered, "Brother Aniu, this wedding dress must be very expensive!"

Ye Aniu smiled, patted her head, and said, "Yes, we have been selling tofu for several days and still can't buy clothes."

Ren Youlan nodded, her eyes full of longing: "On the day we get married, I will wear the most beautiful wedding dress and be your most beautiful bride!"

Ye Aniu looked at her gently, his eyes full of doting: "You will always be the most beautiful in my heart."

The two smiled at each other, like a warm picture.

Zhou family.

In the Zhou family hall.

"Ouch...be gentle, damn it." Zhou Xiancai covered his swollen face and gritted his teeth at the maid, "It's all the fault of that girl from the Ren family. I got beaten up. This time, I definitely won't let you get married so easily!"

The maid was so frightened that she stood aside with a look of fear on her face.

"Just wait for me."

"Ouch! It hurts so much."

(End of this chapter)