Taohuaxi

Chapter 80
I don't know how many times the drum beat outside, but I fell on the bed and fell asleep.

The smell of alcohol filling the room seemed to engulf me.

Green mound.

There are souls in the green tombs who still know the way, but there is nowhere to call the souls in the flat sand.That's how I originally named it.

The intensity of the green tomb burns the heart.

Easily and unstoppable.

In my daze, it seemed like there was a hand untying my clothes.

That hand was full of desire.

I tried to brush it away, but I didn't have any strength, and I couldn't open my eyes.

On the other side of the dreamland, the valley is deep and secluded, hazy in the smoke, with peach blossoms, flowing water, and light fishing boats.With my body full of travel dust and fatigue, I consulted fishermen and looked for peach blossoms.

Isn't this exactly the scene depicted in my painting "Peach Blossom Creek"?

The fisherman on the boat told me that if you go east, keep going east, and you will find the Peach Blossom Spring.

Go east, where is the east?

When I woke up, the night had already departed like a distant goose, lightly raising its wings.The sky breaks, and the sky is white, filled with mist.

My coat and skirt were all taken off, and I was only wearing obscene clothes.

I realized what happened last night.

Footsteps were heard outside.

I dressed rustlingly and stood up.

The people outside heard the noise, stopped, and said through the door: "Sang Yu, I made jujube porridge, can you eat some?"

I didn't make a sound.

He came in with the porridge, carefully filled a bowl for me, blew it on, and handed it to me after it was no longer hot.

"I'm sorry, I also drank too much last night. I just wanted to get drunk with you. Who knew..."

There was a look of shame on his face.

We have been married for several days, but he has no intention of consummating the marriage with me.At night, he and I were lying on the same couch, and I heard his passionate heartbeat and breathing.He is restraining himself.I know that he is waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity that will come naturally.He is waiting for me to fully open myself to Him.The so-called joy of fish in water means that fish swim in water and water ripples in fish, which brings joy.

However, last night's drunkenness made us become husband and wife by accident.

This was not my intention, nor his.

I took the porridge he handed me.

After a while, I said: "Mingxu, you can also take a bowl and eat with me."

He was stunned for a moment, smiled, and nodded quickly: "Okay."

He and I sat silently in the hut in the dim light of morning and ate porridge together.Just like countless ordinary couples in the world.

I don't blame him.

It's not his fault either.

By the river embankment, I agreed to his proposal.I am his wife, the relationship between bed and bed, sooner or later.

The appearance of the old man with three hunchbacks made me know many truths, which made me feel heartbroken and sad.But the feast has ended, and things are unpredictable.

There is a saying that mountains and mountains will never meet, but people will always meet again.Cheng Huai and I became invisible mountains.

It still hurts when I think about it.

I still feel regretful when I think about it.

The trees in the courtyard are like canopies.

The old dreamer, the soul is scattered on the spring platform.

All thoughts are just buried deep in my heart.

Thanks to last night's kindness, Qin Mingxu was even more close and gentle to me than before.Xiaoyin came in with a copper basin. He tested the temperature and coolness, twisted the handkerchief, and handed it to me.

"Sangyu, someone from the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau came to discuss with me the purchase of royal silk. I'm going. I'll come back after my work and accompany you to the Mulberry Garden to watch a play. There will be your favorite "Xiu Ru Ji" tonight."

I nodded.

He left with a warm smile on his face.

Xiaoyin said: "Miss, I have never seen my uncle so happy."

The guys got up and started working one after another. Hua Lian opened the door of the wine shop and took stock of yesterday's income and expenditure.

I sat in the hut and looked through the storybook of "Xiu Ru Ji".

Feng Gao walked in quietly.

"The sky is dark behind the balcony, and King Xiang's dream breaks through Wushan. Although the clouds and rain are scattered, the feathers change and the merchants turn against the acacia..." He read softly behind me.

I turned my head: "When did you come? I didn't notice it."

"I've been here for a while. My sister took her seriously, so I didn't bother her. I'm done with official business in Jiangnan, and I'm going back to Beijing in the next two days. I can't bear to leave my sister. Come and have a look."

He smiled and stood at the desk.

Suddenly, the smile froze.

He saw the portrait of Cheng Huaishi I painted yesterday.

The ink on it is just drying, so it's obviously not an old work.

During Yan'er's wedding, when I was painting Cheng Huai, he was so sensitive that he suddenly became worried.

"Sister...understand?" he blurted out.

I stare at him.

He didn't dare to look into my eyes and lowered his head.

Many things that were hazy and incomprehensible in the past have become clear.

"Bean sprouts, you've always known that, right?"

That day, Cheng Huaishi was seriously injured. How could he escape Dongchang's search?
Qingyue Pavilion, a dark shadow flashed across the bamboo forest, Feng Gao looked as if nothing had happened.

I got it.

I guessed everything.His voice was as cool as the cold moon.

"Sister, when you were happy with Cheng Huai, I tried to find a way to rescue him from death row. When you accepted Qin Mingxu, I protected the Qin family and supported Tianshenglou. I never care who is around you. Yes. It doesn't matter who the thief is, whether he is an official or a citizen. That night, Cheng Huaishi was covered in burns, and he begged me to let him go. He said he didn't want to drag you down anymore in this life. I..."

He slowly raised his head and choked up.

"Sister, don't blame me. No one in this world wants you to be happy more than me."

I held his hand and cried silently with him.

my brother.

My little bean sprouts.

What's wrong with him.

He is just protecting his shortcomings.His shortcoming is his sister.There is no right or wrong in his eyes, no principles, nothing.He just wants me to be happy.

After Douya left, I sat in the hut for a long time and then walked to the cabinet.

Hua Lian reported to me: "My boss, just now, I saw a black box outside the shop door."

"What black box?"

"The black box we took to Shenju Mountain. The 3000 taels of silver notes and fire guns we gave to Cyclops were sent back intact."

"Oh?"

"By the way, in addition to returning our things, we also sent bowls of lotus flowers."

I followed her line of sight and saw the bowl of lotus flowers.The flowers are large and bright in color, their fragrance spreads far and wide, and they are covered with green waves.

I said: "This one-eyed dragon is indeed a vigilante."

Hua Lian said: "You are really loyal. You won't accept the money in vain until the matter is completed. The bandit leader probably knew that his employer was getting married and was unwilling to give him robbed items. Sending pots and bowls of lotus flowers is clean and sincere."

There are still villains in the temple.

There are still heroes in the green forest.

I suddenly remembered that the fisherman on the boat told me that if you go east, keep going east, you will find the Peach Blossom Land.

Isn't Shenju Mountain heading east?

The peach blossoms follow the flowing water all day long. Where is the hole beside the clear stream?Perhaps it was because of this momentary thought that when I was cornered and had no retreat, I carried bean sprouts, peas and cherries on my back and fled eastward with all my might.

At dusk, Qin Mingxu came back.

Sang Yuan's "Xiu Ru Ji" started, but we didn't bother to watch it.

Because the Yangzhou government issued an order to ask all merchants in the city to collect donations to compensate the Zheng family for their flooded private land and to rebuild the Zheng family's family temple.

Although the Lord Magistrate did not say it explicitly, it was clear inside and outside his words that this was the meaning of the superiors.The people in the government office are just trying to cater to their superiors.In the high-sounding mandarin, the Zheng family seems to have become the biggest contributors to the Yangzhou flood discharge, claiming the greatest credit.

The prefect summoned all the merchants to the court to discuss fundraising matters.

Qin Mingxu and I are among them.

Uncle Zheng Guo also came.However, he didn't say anything. He just met each other and left, leaving a steward under him to watch and order him to write down in detail how much each family donated.

All the merchants were reluctant to donate. However, at this moment, if they did not contribute, they might offend Concubine Zheng and cause trouble.So, a number was shouted out one after another.

"Zhao Ji Rice Store 5000 taels——"

"Shen's Restaurant 8000 taels——"

The steward remembered everything.

I whispered to Qin Mingxu: "Mingxu, we can just be like everyone else. We just need to deal with the situation."

Qin Mingxu remained silent.

Only then did I notice that his expression was very unnatural.

There was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, and his palms were clenched tightly.

"Mingxu, what's wrong with you?" I asked.

He came back to his senses, pretended that nothing happened, and said with a smile: "Nothing, nothing."

All other merchants have reported their numbers.

The steward looked at Qin Mingxu with a half-smile but said, "Boss Qin, it's your turn."

Qin Mingxu seemed to be avoiding the steward, without raising his head, feeling uneasy.

He pondered for a while and said: "Tian Sheng Tower, 10 taels -"

There was an uproar.

I pushed him in surprise.

The Zheng family has always "plundered from the people", but now that their private fields have been flooded, they "plunder from the merchants". This is really unkind, and everyone else is just trying to make up for the situation. Why does he do so much?
Last time, Uncle Zheng Guo accused him of robbing his bride, and he no longer had any friendship with the Zheng family.

What's more, the summer in the south of the Yangtze River is getting thicker, and the season for making thin shirts has come, and a lot of money has to be spent on raw silk.Having such a large amount of money suddenly appear on the books will have some impact on the business.

The steward raised his palms with satisfaction and said with a smile: "Okay, Thousand Miles Grand Canal, Wanjia Tiansheng Building, Boss Qin is worthy of it, grand and grand."

I felt something was wrong and looked at the steward.

When I walked in, I didn't pay attention.Now that I have taken a closer look, I am secretly surprised.

I've always had a strong memory for people's faces.Anyone who has had a chance encounter will have an impression in their mind.

I remember that I once met this person in Zhang Mansion.His name is Zou Cheng.They are Master Zhang's men.In the past, Mr. Zhang imprisoned the acrobatic class leader in Zhang Mansion and sent this person to guard him.The acrobatic class leader died mysteriously.Mr. Zhang suspected that Zou Cheng was a spy placed in his house by others, and kicked him out of Zhang's house on the grounds of "incompetence in handling affairs."I haven't seen him since.

Unexpectedly, he is now the steward of Zheng Mansion.

Qin Mingxu nodded scribbledly to Zou Cheng, stood up, and was about to leave.

"Boss Qin, stay. Everyone else, please disperse." Zou Cheng said meaningfully.

"Other merchants, go back and think carefully about what to do."

The merchants walked out of the court, cursing and complaining that Qin Mingxu should not be the first to raise the threshold for fundraising.

I was outside the court and looked back.

Zou Cheng looked at Qin Mingxu uncertainly.

Qin Mingxu became more and more nervous...

(End of this chapter)