In the early morning of the next day, a thin layer of skylight shone on the steps.

There seemed to be some small movements in the house.

The knife, zither and sword book had already been prepared by someone for washing, and they waited outside, but they didn't dare to go in when they heard it, because they didn't know if Xie Wei had woken up.

Until I heard a sudden question from inside: "What time is it?"

Jianshu replied: "Chen Zheng is at a moment."

There was silence for a while, and then said: "Come in."

When Xie Wei opened his eyes early in the morning, he only felt that the light came in through the window paper, and his eyes were blurred. He raised his hand and sat up on his forehead, only to realize that he had slept until dawn.

The cold candles are gone, and there is some residual warmth in the room.

Looking into the corner, the Emei is quietly placed on the piano table, as if no one has touched it.

When Jianshu and Daoqin came in, he had already got up and asked, "When did Ning Er leave last night?"

Jianshu said: "About Haishi."

Xie Wei was silent for a while, but in the end he didn't say anything, just changed his clothes, washed his hands, and ate some porridge and rice.

Now that the Tianjiao Rebellion has subsided, they will stay in Tongzhou for two days, and after taking care of the follow-up matters, it is time to leave for Beijing. However, there was a heavy snow at dusk yesterday, and the ground was covered with piles. The people below reported that the official road from Tongzhou to the capital was buried by heavy snow and falling rocks, and it was still being cleared. In addition, Zhang Zhe, Xiao Ye and most of the surviving soldiers were all wounded. After hearing the report, Xie Wei ordered to go down and stay in Tongzhou for two days.

All the officials, big and small, heard that there were people coming from Beijing early yesterday, and they all took the opportunity to pay respects today.

Originally a clean entrance of the Shangqing Temple, the traffic is like flowing water and the horses are like a dragon, so it is very lively.

After Jiang Xuening slipped out of Xie Wei's room last night, she intended to drop by to see Zhang Zhe, but when she passed by his door, she saw that the lights and candles were extinguished, and it was pitch black. After a good night's sleep, I put up with it and didn't bother.

As soon as she woke up the next day, she went to look for it.

Zhang Zhe's complexion is naturally better than yesterday, but he is used to being taciturn, and the two of them are out of danger, and they are no longer in a situation where they can engage in rights and interests and depend on each other on the road, so Ren Jiang Xuening is eloquent, and he doesn't know What to say to this boring gourd. Zhang Zhe strictly abides by the etiquette, not to mention the doctor's order to let him rest well, and Jiang Xuening can't be too disturbing, so he had to watch it once in the morning and once in the evening.

Zhang Zhe didn't know what to think.

She herself only feels very satisfied, but she doesn't look homesick at all, she is happy all day long, smiling all the time, and everyone in the Shangqing Temple feels comfortable seeing her.

It's just that the sky is not beautiful.

Officials from Tongzhou came to pay homage for two days, Xie Wei also started to take care of the mess after the battle to wipe out the Tianjiao, and discussed the matter with Xiao Yuan several times, and was about to leave.

The end of the year is approaching.

If the footsteps are faster, everyone should be able to go home before the festival.

Unexpectedly, it snowed heavily again on the morning of the third day, and news came from the post station that the mountain road that had collapsed a few days ago had collapsed again. .

Jiang Xuening was sitting in front of the window, supporting her stomach with her hands, and after listening to what Xiaobao conveyed, she couldn't help saying: "Could it be that you stay in Tongzhou during the Chinese New Year?"

Xiao Bao changed the hot tea for her, and said: "According to Mr., it's probably true."

Jiang Xuening frowned.

Xiaobao said: "Duke Xiao and the others can't leave either. I discussed with my husband a few days ago, and said that on New Year's Eve, we will hold a banquet in a restaurant to reward the sergeants, so as to comfort everyone's homesickness. If you feel homesick, go to Can you join in the fun sometime?"

homesick?

Jiang Xuening snorted lightly.

She doesn't miss home.

Others celebrate the New Year, so they naturally want to go home.

The whole family sat together and had a happy reunion. Even if there were some entanglements and fights in normal times, they were all let go on such a good day. Saying some auspicious words to each other, setting off firecrackers, eating rice cakes, and watching the new year, I only hope that the coming year will be better. It is a rare and warm day in the world.

But for her, it became more and more deserted.

When I was with Wanniang in the countryside, most of the rough farmers in the mountains despised Wanniang's background. Although they all asked for something from Wanniang because they came from rich families, they secretly gave it to them. Less eyes.

Wanniang also disdains dealing with rough people.

Every Chinese New Year, every household is bustling with activity, but Wanniang took her with her as usual, eating whatever she wanted, not even keeping her year old, and went to sleep on the couch whole.

She didn't know this when she was young, and she didn't think there was anything wrong.

When I was a little older and started to play and talk with the children in the village, I found out that other people's homes were celebrating the New Year.

One year she went back to ask Wanniang.

Wanniang ignored her at all.

Another year of Chinese New Year, she couldn't help but go to other people's homes with other children, had dinner, set off firecrackers, and when she was about to sneak home at night, she opened the door and found that Wan Niang, who should have gone to sleep, was sitting on the bed. In the room, he looked at her coldly, and actually took her and shut the door.

It was dark and cold outside, and she was terrified.

He raised his hand and patted on the door vigorously, crying and asking Wanniang why she wouldn't let him in.

Wanniang still ignored her.

Tired of crying, she leaned against the door and fell asleep in a daze. The next morning she had a fever, and Wanniang took her to see a doctor.

From then on, Jiang Xuening never dared to mention the New Year again.

She was too scared.

Later, when she returned to Jiang's Mansion, she had to have reunion dinner every New Year's day, but it seemed that it had nothing to do with her. Looking at flowers in the fog and looking at the moon in the water is like looking at the moon, which is unreal after a layer of separation.

After all, she doesn't like Jiang Xuehui, nor Meng Shi.

We don't see each other on weekdays, but we have to cause trouble for each other during the New Year, can we be happy?

As for going to the palace later...

That would be even more boring.

The New Year's Eve banquet, the government and the public are concerned about the etiquette of the monarch and his ministers, and the concubines are competing for splendor. Even if it is a happy day, everyone is calculating each other. What's the point?

What's more, not everyone from the ruling and opposition parties came to the New Year's Eve banquet.

Some are too low in official status to come.

There are also some who can come but do not come by themselves.

For example, Xie Wei, who was already the grand master at that time, complained of illness almost every year, but never came;

For example, Zhang Zhe, who didn't eat oil and salt, always regarded the emperor's grace as nothing, and wrote an apology saying that he wanted to serve his mother at home.

Therefore, Jiang Xuening has never seen Zhang Zhe on a day like New Year's Eve...

Putting her finger on the cold window sill, Jiang Xuening's heart skipped a beat suddenly, she turned to Xiaobao and asked, "Where is Mr. Zhang?"

Xiao Bao froze for a moment: "What?"

Jiang Xuening suddenly became a little nervous: "Master Zhang, won't you go back to the capital during the Chinese New Year?"

Only then did Xiao Bao realize what she was asking, and replied: "The day before yesterday, Mr. Zhang was asked about the snow accumulation and landslides in the corridor, and he mentioned that he would go back in the snow, but the road is not cleared. Injury, the doctor said that he would take care of it for a few more days. Mr. Xie didn't agree, but said that if Mr. Zhang had an accident, no one would be able to take care of it."

Zhang Zhe also wants to go to Tongzhou to celebrate the new year.

A gust of hot air slowly gushed out from the bottom of his heart, and Jiang Xuening's fingers trembled.

Xiaobao wondered: "Do you want to go back too?"

Unexpectedly, Jiang Xuening acted as if she didn't hear it, she didn't move, and after a while, she turned around and walked outside without even taking an umbrella.

Xiaobao was startled: "What are you doing?"

Jiang Xuening wanted to go out, but after walking a few steps, she realized that she didn't know the way in Tongzhou city, and turned her head, "Is there any good wine shop and restaurant in Tongzhou? How can I get there? Where is it?"

Xiaobao: "..."

Jiang Xuening's face, which was originally depressed, seemed to be lit up. With this radiant brilliance, she smiled and said, "Take me there."

Xiao Bao didn't understand what she wanted to do.

But Mr. Jianshu had told him to take good care of Miss Jiang and take good care of her, so as not to make the same mistakes as before.

He didn't dare to let Jiang Xuening go shopping in the city alone.

Although he was full of suspicion at the moment, he had no choice but to take the umbrella and go with her.

The big restaurants in the city are still open at this time, and there are some good cooks who go to help some rich families make banquets during the Chinese New Year. Jiang's mansion will invite the chef from Deyuelou to cook a table in the mansion every year and festival.

Jiang Xuening knew about this, so she asked Xiaobao to lead the way.

I saw some shops still open on the road, and most of them sold New Year's goods. When I saw it a few days ago, she wasn't very interested, but this time she stopped to take a closer look, and even bought a few red lanterns and a small brocade with the word "Fu" embroidered on it. The pouch, one of the best seals, went to the silver bank and exchanged a handful of gold and silver walnuts cast into auspicious shapes such as lucky melons and longevity fruits.

Xiao Bao watched from the side, wondering who she seemed to be celebrating the New Year with.

The two delayed on the road for a while before arriving at Sihailou, which has the best food in the city.

When I asked the shopkeeper, I really could invite the cook.

It's just that the price is not low.

It doesn't cost a lot to buy a lantern lucky bag, but there are a lot of seals and gold and silver lockets. Jiang Xuening picked up the remaining silver taels in her hand and frowned: "One hundred taels, where is it so expensive?"

The shopkeeper was kind, and explained to her: "To be honest, the sweet-scented osmanthus wine in this building is famous, and the usual price is not cheap. There are not a few pots left this year. Other cooks have long been invited by other houses. , the one left behind is Master Xu, the chef in our building. He was planning to go back to his wife and children to warm up the kang. But the business came to the front door, so of course the price was not refused. If you can afford the price, I will help you Say it, say it."

One hundred taels is really not a lot of money to Jiang Xuening.

In the past, flowers did not blink.

She could tell at a glance that the shopkeeper took the opportunity to raise the price and kill the customers, but for such a small amount of money, there was no need to haggle with him.

Rolling her eyeballs, she said, "That's fine. But I don't have so much silver with me. You see, I have the twenty taels left in my hand, and I will pay you as a deposit. You will send the rest later. I come to Shangqing by myself, I live there, and I also do the New Year’s Eve banquet there.”

The shopkeeper gave her a surprised look.

It was spread in the city that a major incident happened at the Shangqing Temple, and these days I watched the official sedan chairs come and go in and out of the temple. Those who live in Shangqing Temple today are by no means ordinary people.

He immediately became respectful to Jiang Xuening, and quickly agreed.

Xiaobao looked at him, hesitant to speak.

After leaving the restaurant, Jiang Xuening asked him, "Why do you have such a face?"

Xiaobao said: "It's too expensive, besides, where do you have so much money?"

You know, the money Jiang Xuening has now is the one hundred taels he gave him earlier, which was given by her husband, and he doesn't have much. Just now Jiang Xuening accepted the price in one gulp, it's just...

In short, Xiaobao feels unreliable.

Jiang Xuening raised her eyebrows and smiled when she heard this, and she was a little embarrassed: "No money? This lady has a lot of money!"

She put away the seal, and put all the gold and silver lockets into the lucky bag, and put them heavily into the sleeves to hide them, so that no one else could see them, and walked briskly back to Shangqing Temple.

These days, Xie Wei didn't ask her to learn piano.

I heard it was busy.

After all, there are too many officials in Tongzhou to visit, so they must not spare time to train her. And two days ago, the young teacher claimed that he was sick, caught a cold, and did not see outsiders.

Jiang Xuening knew it was an excuse as soon as she thought about it.

The power of an arrow can pass through a person's shoulder, how can he be a weak scholar who gets sick every winter?

I thought it was just too lazy to socialize with the officials in Tongzhou.

As soon as she returned to Shangqing Temple, she went to Xie Wei's courtyard for an unprecedented time.

Just as Jian Shu came out with the cold tea that had been removed, he saw her as if he had seen a ghost: "Why is Second Miss here?"

Jiang Xuening coughed, looked at the closed door behind him, and asked in a low voice, "Is sir asleep?"

It looked a little furtive.

Jianshu hesitated for a moment, and said, "I'm asleep, do you want to see me?"

"No no no no…"

What a joke, Jiang Xuening doesn't want to take the initiative to seek death!

She raised her hand and pulled Jianshu aside.

"I'll just tell you that."

Seeing her Bai Shengsheng's hand pulling his sleeve, Jian Shu's eyelids twitched, his heart felt a little cold, and he said, "Speak, don't move."

The big man is so stingy!

Jiang Xuening didn't think too deeply, put down her hands, put on a very kind expression, and said, "You must have brought money with you when you came out with your husband? Just give me a thousand taels of envoy."

Just give me a thousand taels of envoy...

The corner of Jianshu's mouth twitched: "You—"

Jiang Xuening said in time: "You know it!"

Jian Shu said: "What do I know?"

Jiang Xue would rather know that Xie Wei's confidants are both swords, books, knives, and pianos. They both know about Xie Wei's affairs, so they put their hands on their hips: "Your husband still owes me tens of thousands of silver, and I want a thousand dollars." A hundred taels isn’t too much, right? I think your husband is suffering from a cold and is not in good health, so it’s not easy to bother you. So you gave it to me and told him later.”

"..."

Jianshu was afraid that he would be beaten to death by his husband if he agreed, but the master in front of him was really special, so he really didn't dare to refuse, which really made him hesitate.

Jiang Xuening urged him: "Otherwise I will disturb your husband!"

Judging from their usual posture, they don't seem to dare to disturb Xie Wei casually.

She felt that she could get a sum of money that belonged to her smoothly.

Unexpectedly, Jianshu stared at her for a long time, and said: "Then you go."

Jiang Xuening: "..."

Is this still the sword book I know? There seems to be something wrong!

She froze.

But Jianshu turned around to knock on the door, and said: "I will pass it on for you."

Jiang Xuening was startled, startled, and hurried to pull him: "Don't what are you doing!"

Right at this moment, the door that had been closed just now creaked open.

Xie Wei stood behind the door, wearing a light robe, with a slender figure, with his hands still resting on the edge of the door, as if he just got up, a few strands of loose hair fell on the white skirt, and there was something unusual and unusual in his posture lazy.

However, there was a clear coldness between his brows and eyes.

His eyes fell on the two people in front of the door, and then on Jiang Xuening's hand that was still holding Jianshu's arm.

Jiang Xuening didn't think so.

The sword book was seen by this eye, but the hairs on the back stood on end, as if walking in front of the palace of the king of hell, he hurriedly pulled his hand back, bowed and said: "Sir, the second girl Ning just now..."

Xie Wei said indifferently: "I heard it."

The back of Jiang Xuening's neck suddenly felt cold.

Raising his eyes to look at Xie Wei, although his complexion was a bit pale, he really didn't look like he had contracted a cold and couldn't come out to socialize, so he suddenly deserted and muttered in his heart: Sure enough, it was just pretending.

Xie Wei looked at her: "Want money?"

Jiang Xuening originally wanted to ask for Jianshu directly, anyway, it was a fact that their husband owed him money, there was no reason not to give it up, so let them go back and tell Xie Wei that Xie Wei couldn't be stingy to ask for it.

Who would have thought that he would come out...

She murmured: "Yes, I heard that my husband was sleeping, so I didn't dare to disturb him."

I heard he was sleeping?

Xie Wei knew that this little liar was not telling the truth, and he didn't bother to expose her little trick of putting gold on his face, so he asked her with a smile: "You really miss that little money, after all, what's the use?"

Jiang Xuening opened her mouth to speak, but before she could speak, her cheeks turned slightly red.

Xie Weiyuan was smiling. Seeing her expression, the temperature in his eyes gradually disappeared. Although the smile on his lips was still there, it didn't have the spring breeze. He actually saw through her: "Why Zhang?" cover?"

She likes Zhang Zhe, it's not a secret to Xie Wei.

Jiang Xuening couldn't say it just now, she was just embarrassed.

But now that Xie Wei had figured it all out, she calmed down, thinking that Xie Wei knew anyway, so she raised her head and said with a smile on her face, "I still can't hide it from Mr. Zhang. I think Master Zhang wanted to go home, but the road was blocked by heavy snow." If I want to stay in Tongzhou for the New Year, I want to make a good plan and make it lively. Otherwise, I won’t go out at night on the New Year’s Eve, and I will be alone..."

"..."

Xie Wei saw her standing pretty under the eaves, the corners of her eyes and brows were like delicate flowers in buds, and she had a kind of joy. Looking behind her, the snow in the courtyard that would not be cleaned up in the future was dazzlingly white.

There was a cold sneer in his heart.

But the words are still gentle: "You are thoughtful"

Jiang Xuening thought he was praising herself, and said happily: "Then you agree?"

Xie Wei smiled softly: "It's your money, I want to give it to you."