Chapter 52 The road is narrow

The ninth day of the first month is Mrs. Li's birthday, Li Xiaonuan was sick as usual, and the night before she sent Mama Wei to Ruixuan Hall to kowtow and send a pair of shoes over, which was considered a birthday.

On the ninth day of the first month, the ancient mansion was lively for a day, only the Songfeng Courtyard closed the courtyard gate, quietly away from the excitement outside the courtyard gate.

In the afternoon of the next day, Gu Xiao was free to visit Li Xiaonuan in Songfeng Courtyard.

Li Xiaonuan and Gu Xiao were gossiping, and they inquired about Zhou Gongzi and Cheng Ke's itinerary in circles.

Gu Xiao explained carefully:

“…… Originally, Cousin Ke was planning to go back after paying homage to the ancestor, but he said that he would leave early this morning, but first, the ancestor and mother had to bring a lot of things, and secondly, Brother Zhou went to our library the day before yesterday to look around, and today I want to find a few more books to take with me, and I can only set off tomorrow at the earliest."

Gu Xiao sighed reluctantly, put his hands behind his head, leaned back on the pillow, and became sad,

"Cousin Ke said that he and Brother Zhou may go to the border next year to join the army, and it will take two or three years to go, alas, this time Cousin Ke and Brother Zhou are gone, and I don't know when I will see them again next time."

Li Xiaonuan narrowed her eyes, her eyes were full of smiles, she was really lucky and blessed to live two or three years, even if that little bastard saw her again, at most she would only dare to wonder and doubt, as long as she Li Xiaonuan's expression was calm and stable, it would be fine

Li Xiaonuan's mood was flying and happy, talking happily with Gu Xiao, and reading the book together for most of the hour, watching the sunset in the distance, Gu Xiao hurriedly quit Li Xiaonuan,

"Nuan Nuan, tonight the ancestor wants to give Cousin Ke and Brother Zhou a feast, I have to go early, you can rest early in the evening, I won't come, it must be very late to disperse, and tomorrow I will come to see you later, the ancestor said, early tomorrow morning, let me send Cousin Ke and Brother Zhou to the Ten Mile Pavilion and come back."

Li Xiaonuan nodded with a smile, this day of self-seclusion can finally come to an end

Early the next morning, Li Xiaonuan had breakfast, walked twice along the verandah in the courtyard, and became restless in his heart, and nested in the courtyard for more than ten days, those books have been read for several days, or go to the outer study?

Li Xiaonuan stood under the verandah and pondered for a while, called Lan Chu over, and commanded in a low voice:

"You go out and go around Ruixuan Hall to see if the guests at home have left."

Lan Chu nodded in agreement, and went out of the courtyard to Ruixuan Hall.

After two quarters of an hour, Lan Chu returned to the courtyard, and reported to Li Xiaonuan a little strangely:

"Ruixuantang is very quiet, I turned around for most of the circle, only to see a little girl, and a few words to her, listen to her, the family has gone to the front yard, and they have already gone."

Li Xiaonuan breathed a sigh of relief and burst into a smile on her face,

"That is, you go to the front yard to see you off, you go to the house and take the books and the two volumes, let's go to the outer study."

Lan Chu laughed, bent his knees and agreed, and after a while, he came out with a small bag, walked out of the courtyard with Li Xiaonuan, and went to the front study.

The two of them lingered in the study for a long time, Li Xiaonuan picked out more than a dozen books, and tied two volumes of Di copy to Lan Chu's calf, the two of them came out of the outer study slowly, followed the bluestone path wrapped in the thick shade, entered the Hanging Flower Gate, and Shi Shiran walked in the direction of Songfeng Courtyard.

Li Xiaonuan took Lan Chu and admired the verdant flowers and trees in the garden while walking, and sighed,

"Lan Chu, I've only been sick for more than ten days, and when I come out again, how do I feel that this garden seems to have changed?"

Lan Chu pursed his lips and laughed:

"Girl, this spring and summer, flowers and trees grow the fastest, a few days can not be seen to change, the lotus in the lake has bloomed all over the lake, didn't the girl say to wait for the lotus to bloom when the tea? The lotus flowers are blooming just right now."

Li Xiaonuan's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands lightly and sighed:

"Almost let ...... This disease has delayed the tea, but what about the lotus pod? At this time, has the lotus pod grown? ”

"It's grown, it's just a little tender, and it's best in a few days"

Lan Chu replied with a smile, Li Xiaonuan paused, turned his head to look at Lan Chu and commanded with a smile:

"It's best if you're tender, you send these books back quickly, and then go to the lakeside water pavilion to find me, I'll go see the lotus, it's suffocated these days."

Lan Chu agreed, carrying his burden and running towards Songfeng Courtyard, Li Xiaonuan turned the corner and walked leisurely to the lake in the back garden.

The ancient mansion building is a courtyard by itself, built on the other side of the lake, and separated from the back garden by a female wall.

Cheng Ke was wearing a white lake silk gown, and Zhou Jingran, who was wearing a goose yellow gown, was sitting side by side on the armchair on the second floor, drinking tea, and slowly looking at the rare books in his hand.

Cheng Ke closed the book in his hand, threw it on a few, "brushed" the fan, fanned indiscriminately, and became impatient.

"This Father-in-law Wen is really a bastard, obviously he can go to Shangli Town the day before yesterday, but it will be delayed until today, Mrs. Li's birthday has passed, and the emperor's reward is so that he wants to slap the face of the ancient family or lose the emperor's face?"

Zhou Jingran slowly put down the book in his hand, turned his head, looked at Cheng Ke with a smile, and said helplessly:

"Look at you, what are you doing with this tantrum? It's too late, if you follow me, it's better without this reward, you don't know the temper of the eldest brother, you don't know it, you have always regarded yourself very highly, you have never made a mistake, it's all someone else's fault, your heart is small, you have always been retribution, the ancient family has to endure more in the future, you are too, you have to be restrained in the future, provoke the eldest brother, there will be a lot of trouble. ”

Cheng Ke snorted sullenly, closed the folding fan with a "clap", stood up and walked to the window, held his hands behind his back, and looked at the lotus flowers blooming all over the lake.

Zhou Jingran got up leisurely, paced to Cheng Ke's side, stood side by side with him, looked at the pink and turquoise of the lake, sighed and sighed:

"The townspeople here are kind, the hearts are simple, and the scenery is good, so it's a good place to retreat."

Cheng Ke turned his head to look at Zhou Jingran, wrinkled his brows and smiled bitterly,

"Retirement? If you can retreat, you don't need to retreat to this Shangli Town, where is it not a good place? Don't think about these useless things, I'll go back tomorrow, no matter how much we travel along the way, we will also go to the capital in July, your second brother, maybe he will run outside the city to meet you, and the third prince, although he doesn't hum or ha, it's hard to say that he doesn't have any thoughts."

Zhou Jingran sighed heavily, spread his hands and said:

"I don't mix anywhere anyway, whoever succeeds to the throne is indispensable, I am a rich and noble prince, there is only a disadvantage, I am an understanding person, no one is afraid, no one cares, who can do anything to me?"

"That being the case, what are you doing with me and hiding in this Shangli Town? You didn't stop complaining along the way, either that the car was bumpy or that you ate poorly, so why didn't you stay in the capital and enjoy your blessings? ”

Zhou Jingran covered his mouth and coughed a few times, looked at Cheng Ke with raised eyebrows and said:

"Look at you, you have to say it thoroughly, although we are not afraid, don't you can't afford to offend me, don't you say the same? Is your father trying to send you to the southern borderlands? Why don't we go after the New Year? ”

"It's me who goes to war, what are you going to do? What can you do? ”

Zhou Jingran clenched his fist angrily and swung it out, Cheng Ke quickly dodged away, reached out and grabbed Zhou Jingran's hand, and twisted it neatly to Zhou Jingran's back, Zhou Jingran bent over and screamed and begged for mercy,

"Okay, I was wrong, let go and my hand is going to break"

Cheng Ke twisted it hard again before letting go of Zhou Jingran's hand, Zhou Jingran shook his hand with cold air,

"You Warrior"

Cheng Ke proudly put his hands behind his back and turned his head to look outside.

On the other side of the lake, Li Xiaonuan jumped on the Jiuqu Bridge with joy, lay on the railing, leaned over and looked at the lotus flowers and lotus canopies swaying in the wind in the lake.

Cheng Ke leaned out of the window of the study building, his eyes narrowed slightly, staring at Li Xiaonuan on the Jiuqu Bridge and looking carefully, Zhou Jingran was stunned, and hurriedly squeezed around Cheng Ke and poked his head out, following Cheng Ke's line of sight, looking at Li Xiaonuan on the Jiuqu Bridge across the lake,

"A little girl, do you know? How do you know the little girl in someone's inner yard? ”

Zhou Jingran asked slightly excitedly, Cheng Ke let out a sullen "hum", pushed Zhou Jingran away, turned around, and ran downstairs with his robe.

Zhou Jingran's eyes widened in astonishment, and then his face was full of excitement, and he hurriedly carried his long shirt and ran out after Cheng Ke.

The two ran downstairs, and a few little guys hurriedly came up, Cheng Ke had a cold face, and raised his hand to stop the little guys,

"Don't follow me"

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the mother-in-law who was on an errand in the ancient mansion and asked:

"Which door is closest to the garden?"

The mother-in-law looked at Cheng Ke with a cold face, and hurriedly pointed to the corner door not far away and said:

"That, door, just go in."

Cheng Ke didn't wait for the mother-in-law to finish speaking, turned around and rushed to the corner door, the corner door was locked with a big copper lock, Cheng Ke raised his eyebrows and was about to raise his foot to kick it open, the mother-in-law had already run over, while hurriedly untying the key from his waist, while shouting:

"Master Watch, Master Watch, Key, Key"

Cheng Ke took half a step back, waited for his mother-in-law to open the door, and rushed into the garden in a hurry.

Zhou Jingran followed behind, the expression on his face changed from excitement to inexplicable, this Cheng Ke looked angry and ruined, but it didn't seem like he had taken a fancy to someone else's girl.

Cheng Ke pursed his lips tightly, and along the edge of the lake, all the way to the flowers and trees, dodged and ran quietly towards the Jiuqu Bridge on the other side of the lake.

Zhou Jingran hurriedly followed behind Cheng Ke, and laughed a little dumbly, he and him seemed to be going to catch thieves

After Cheng Ke ran to the rockery, which was only a dozen steps away from the Jiuqu Bridge, he stopped, took advantage of the rockery to hide his figure, looked at Li Xiaonuan, who was lying on the railing, trying to reach out to a big lotus canopy, gritted his teeth, and his eyes gradually narrowed. Zhou Jingran was next to him, looked at Cheng Ke, and then at Li Xiaonuan, and became strange at a loss.

Zhou Jingran was about to ask, Cheng Ke jumped out of the rockery and rushed to the Jiuqu Bridge in a few steps.