Southerners

Chapter 14 Wind and Rain 6

In a blink of an eye, winter began and October entered.

In time for the first day of October, Song Zhi asked Meng Huan for a day off to go back to visit Xiuniang, and Meng Huan agreed.

The first day of October is the Cold Clothes Festival, and every family has to go out of the city to sweep graves and worship their ancestors.

The first night when Song Zhi arrived at the house, the light was dim, and Xiu Niang couldn't see clearly. It was not until the next morning that she discovered the wound on Song Zhi's forehead.The wound was a little deep, and the scab had formed, but it hadn't fallen off.

Xiu Niang was taken aback, and was about to question her, but Song Zhi quickly lied and said that she accidentally fell and hit the threshold to get hurt.

Xiu Niang felt very distressed, and said, "This won't leave a scar, will it?"

Song Zhi: "..."

Why do you care so much about leaving scars?

"No," Song Zhi said, "The customer rewarded the medicine and said that after using it, there would be no scars."

Only then did Xiu Niang feel relieved.

"Let's offer incense to the old lady, and I'll light the stove. We'll have some wine together when Ah Zhu and Man'er come back from sweeping the grave."

Song Zhi nodded in agreement.

Song Zhi's father, Song Xiuwen, died while guarding the city. Not only did he not have any bones, he didn't even have a tomb.His mother, Li Hansu, died at the hands of the Mongols on the way into exile. When Zhang Hui picked up Song Zhi, Li Hansu had just died. At Song Zhi's request, Li Hansu's bones were taken back and buried nearby. I live in Dadu with Xiuniang, and I have never visited her.

Xiu Niang found a place that was airtight and rain-proof in this broken house that was leaky in winter, set up a memorial tablet for the couple, and worshiped them from time to time.

While the two were worshiping, Xiu Niang spoke to Li Hansu in a low voice, nothing more than talking about the recent situation of the two, and then asked the master and wife to rest assured: "Ma'am, the young master has been promising recently, and he found a client with a good salary. Now that she is young, and now that she has a way out, Xiuniang plans to marry the young master a young wife."

Hearing this, Song Zhi reflexively wanted to speak, but she was afraid of being in front of her parents, so she did not dare to act presumptuously.

After the worship was over, Xiu Niang lit the stove and warmed up the wine, and Song Zhicai said to her, "Xiuniang... don't worry about getting married."

Xiu Niang said: "Master is talking nonsense again." Xiu Niang thought he was shy, and said, "Even if we don't get married now, we will get married in two years, Xiu Niang will help you pay attention first."

Around noon, Bai Man'er, mother and daughter came back from worship.

During the Winter Clothes Festival, according to the customs of the Han people, wine should be bought and a stove meeting should be held to prepare for the winter.

Xiu Niang cooked a few side dishes, called Bai Man'er and Bai Azhu to the house, and ate hot wine around the stove.

Bai Man'er is now thirteen, and she's not a young girl either.Man'er had a lively personality before, but after her father passed away, she became quieter. Song Zhi watched her grow up, and seeing the little girl's temperament change, she couldn't help feeling a little distressed.

But Bai Man'er treated him as usual, and he was very obedient with each mouthful of "Brother Lang". Bai A'Zhu also asked Man'er to take a purse embroidered by herself, and gave it to Song Zhi.

The meaning of this is a bit subtle. Xiu Niang glanced at Song Zhi, but said nothing, planning to see how he chooses.

Song Zhi didn't think too much, touched Bai Man'er's hair, and immediately drew a portrait of Bai Man'er with a brush, and gave it to her in return.

"Man'er, be good, winter is coming, Brother Lan will buy you another jacket for the winter, okay?"

It was clearly a tone of coaxing children.

Both Xiuniang and Bai Azhu noticed it, and were a little dumbfounded for a moment.

The next day, Song Zhi returned to the Meng Mansion early in the morning.

Meng Huan was shooting an arrow, and the small target was a hundred meters away. Meng Huan drew his bow and released the arrow without much aim.The sharp iron arrow with its tail feathers pierced through the air with a "swish", and the next moment, it hit the bull's-eye.

Meng Huan curled up the corners of his lips. He was injured in Japan in August, and his right arm has been unable to use his strength. Now it is finally healed, and he will be able to go to the battlefield again in the spring of next year.

Song Zhi saw that he hit the bull's-eye with ease, and she had a new understanding of Meng Huan's force value in her heart. She knew that Meng Huan's sword skills were powerful and extremely powerful, but she didn't expect that her archery skills were also so good.

Meng Huan seemed to sense that someone was watching, and he turned around and asked, "Are you back?"

Song Zhi nodded, and then boasted very well and sincerely: "Young master is very skilled!"

Meng Huan smiled and said: "What is this? In a few days, there will be shooting activities in the palace. Do you want to go?"

Meng Huan originally intended for him to watch, but Song Zhi said in surprise, "I don't know how to shoot."

Meng Huan paused for a moment, then his temper came up again: "Even Chuoman knows it, you're a man, can't you?"

Song Zhidao: "The family is poor and has no horses."

Meng Huan: "..."

Meng Huan suddenly lost interest: "I won't forget it. You stay in the mansion and don't run around."

Song Zhi: "Oh."

The soft sunlight in the early winter morning, and the cool wind blowing gently, Song Zhi's thin figure looked very thin, Meng Huan frowned: "Did the family give you food?"

Song Zhi: "Give it!"

Meng Huan pointed to his arm: "Your arm is even thinner than Saran's."

Sa Lan is Meng Huan's concubine who helped Song Zhi that day, and Aqila's master.

Song Zhi was compared with his concubine by Meng Huan, she didn't know what to say for a while, her face was a little angry: "Miss Sa Lan is pampered and pampered, how can she compare with us servants."

Meng Huan pointed at Qino: "It's even thinner than Qino."

Zeno was actually being compared with a Han man, and said unhappily, "Master!"

Meng Huan smiled, handed the bow to Qinuo, and said to Song Zhi, "Go and write!"

Zeno reluctantly went to set the bow, while Song Zhi followed Meng Huan to the study.

Because of the martial arts practice, Meng Huan sweated a little thinly, and there was a faint sense of sweat on his body. After practicing martial arts in the morning, Meng Huan always had to take a bath and change clothes before going to write, but today he forgot for some reason.

Until Azila came to remind Meng Huan: "Master hasn't bathed yet!"

Meng Huan suddenly remembered, and said to Song Zhi: "Go to the study and wait first, I will be there later."

As a result, Meng Huan did not arrive later.

Song Zhibai stayed in Meng Huan's study for an hour bored, and Meng Huan didn't come until it was almost Si time.At that time Song Zhi was reading a book that Meng Huan had read.

A Mongolian-Chinese bilingual book with Meng Huan's annotations and notes on it.Song Zhi could only understand a little bit of Mongolian, and hadn't learned it carefully. Meng Huan's Mongolian writing was beautiful, but Chinese was lackluster.

"What are you looking at?" Meng Huan's voice suddenly sounded in his ear, and Meng Huan's aura suddenly overwhelmed him.

Song Zhi was startled, she dropped the book in her hand, Meng Huan caught it, picked it up and flipped through it: "I haven't read any prohibited books... What are you so afraid of, am I so scared?"

Recently, many high officials have written letters denouncing the Taoist apocryphal scriptures. There are rumors that soon His Majesty will issue an order to burn down the Taoist apocryphal scriptures.

Meng Huan's eyebrows were sharp, his nose was straight, and his appearance was extremely aggressive. The incense after bathing could not conceal the shocking aggression on his body.

Song Zhi couldn't help taking a step back, and was about to speak when she suddenly noticed a red mark on Meng Huan's neck.

Song Zhi has had few desires in recent years, and has never entered the Qinlou Chu Pavilion. Because her family is poor, she has no concubine Mei Ji, but this does not mean that he is ignorant of such things. Seeing the red on Meng Huan's neck Looking at the trace, smelling the breath on his body, and thinking of Meng Huan who hadn't returned after bathing for a long time, he immediately understood what happened, and immediately blushed.

"No, no...not scary." Song Zhi said against her will.

Meng Huan didn't notice Song Zhi's abnormality, and said to himself: "His Royal Highness said earlier that I can't bury you. If I have a book you want to read, you can take it and read it. If not, you can read it." Go and buy the books you want by yourself, or you can ask someone in the mansion to go for you."

"Don't worry about money, if you don't have enough money, ask the butler for it."

Song Zhi stumbled and said, "Thank you, thank you young master."

Meng Huan looked up at him and said, "Why are you blushing?"

Song Zhi immediately looked away: "No!"

Meng Huan seemed to think it was funny, so he didn't care about it, he spread the paper and said, "I came a little late today." Having said that, Meng Huan paused, and suddenly realized why Song Zhi blushed.

He touched the red mark on his neck bitten by Sa Lan, turned his gaze, and asked narrowly, "Is Mr. Song so innocent?"

Song Zhi was embarrassed.

Meng Huan made a joke, and continued what he said just now: "I'll copy over the posts I've practiced in the past few days, and you can see the effect."

Meng Huan practiced solemn and strong facial features, and the post was given to him by Song Zhi.

Seeing Meng Huan concentrating on writing, Song Zhicai breathed a sigh of relief.

When Meng Huan was writing, Song Zhi didn't disturb him. After Meng Huan finished writing, Song Zhi pointed to the copybook one by one and pointed out what was good and what was not good. Meng Huan listened and nodded from time to time, just like a book school A babbling child.But Meng Huan's calm and composed expression was quite different from those children.

And at this moment, Meng Huan's aggression subsided, it was the time when he looked the most gentle and harmless, and it was also the time when Song Zhi felt the closest to him.

On the day of court shooting, Meng Huan went out early in the morning, and stopped today's calligraphy practice, so Song Zhi could rest for a day.Song Zhi was free, so she took the painting she said she would give to Qi Luqian last month and went to Lihua Hutong in Sichengfang.

Qi Luqian worked as a Xingli student in the Taishi Bureau, and he didn't know how to ride and shoot, so he didn't go to the palace shooting garden, he took a bath and changed clothes early and waited at home, waiting for Song Zhi to go.

Qi Luqian's father, Qi Yi, went to visit friends, and only his mother, Sun Shi, was at home. Sun Shi had a bright personality, so she asked the servants to serve Song Zhi some tea, and said she would not disturb the two brothers talking, and went back to the house by herself.

As soon as Mrs. Sun left, Qi Luqian couldn't wait to lean over: "Hurry up, open the painting and let me have a look!"

Song Zhi couldn't help laughing: "What's the hurry, the painting is here, can it still fly away? Here," Song Zhi handed him the scroll, "You can see for yourself."

Qi Luqian immediately unfolded the painting, and saw that the painting was a field, with mountains in the distance, and there seemed to be a few people in the distance, and there were clusters of golden chrysanthemums nearby. In the corner where people arrive, the petals are dense and dense, uniform in thickness, layered on top of each other, and the stamens in the center are lightly touched with the tip of the pen. The petals, stamens and flower stems are fully visible. Not one stroke is out of order.

The whole painting is elegant and elegant, light and strong. Qi Luqian was stunned for a while, holding the painting scroll and looked at it again and again, over and over again, amazed, and praised: "Good! Excellent!"

"Zi Lan, your painting skills have improved again!"

Qi Luqian laughed, put his arms around Song Zilan's shoulders and said, "You are indeed my friend of Qi Boheng! Mr. Song is well-deserved!"

Song Zilan smiled, and said modestly: "Brother Boheng is overrated."

"Hey," Qi Boheng patted him on the shoulder, "What kind of praise is it, you deserve it!"

Qi Luqian studied astrology, so he would naturally make pictures, but his pictures were not as exquisite and interesting as Song Zilan's.

Qi Luqian immediately pulled Song Zhi to sit down, looked at the painting again and again, praised it again and again, and suddenly asked: "Why did Zi Lan think of painting chrysanthemums, now that it's winter, most of the chrysanthemums have withered long ago. "

It was clearly a very common question, but Song Zhi stuttered all of a sudden.

The author has something to say:

Note: ⑴October [-]st is the Festival of Giving Cold Clothes, where ancestors are worshiped, tombs and yellow leaves are swept away, and it is customary for the Han people to buy wine for a stove-warming party.

([-]) In October every year, the palace will hold a grand Shepu event.

(18) Regarding the Taoist apocryphal scriptures, "New Yuan History" records, "In the [-]th year of the Yuan Dynasty, in the winter of October, Renzi gathered hundreds of officials at the Minzhong Temple to burn the "Taoist Canon" and apocryphal scriptures. Those who have hidden crimes."