He Ning smiled embarrassedly, "Sister Cheng." ”

He Ning is similar in age to Shen Jing, she is born with a delicate and delicate life, with a little shyness, very cute, and people like it at first sight.

Ji Cheng hurriedly asked the two of them to sit down, and Liu Ye'er hurriedly served the refreshments, because of Shen Ying's self-cooking, He Ning and Ji Cheng soon became familiar with each other.

After continuing, Ji Cheng learned that He Ning had also studied painting with Mr. Ziyu as a teacher when he was in the south.

"I see that Sister Cheng's painting has a bit of Mr. Sanhe's artistic conception, I wonder if Sister Cheng knows Mr. Sanhe?" He Ning asked.

Ji Cheng didn't answer, and asked rhetorically: "It seems that Ah Ning is very familiar with Mr. Sanhe's painting style, so do you know who Mr. Sanhe is?" ”

He Ning nodded when he heard this, "This time I followed my mother back to Beijing, Mr. Ziyu instructed me to greet Mr. Sanhe, and Mr. also specially mentioned a disciple. ”

Ji Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "I'm sorry, Ah Ning, Mrs. has been quiet in the past few years and doesn't like to socialize, so I didn't get her permission, and I didn't dare to reveal her identity, because I was tempted just now." I'm not going to pay you here. ”

Ji Cheng stood up and gave He Ning a look, causing He Ning to cover her mouth and smile, "Sister Cheng, don't be like this, I understand." He Ning winked at Ji Cheng.

For them, naturally they don't need to rely on the name of the master to add a halo to themselves, He Ning really likes to paint when he learns to paint. He Ning likes Ji Cheng's style of not taking Mrs. Yu's name to invite her name, she heard that the Ji family is a merchant before she came, and she still had some doubts that the dusty and chic note paper like Qing Cheng was not made by Ji Cheng, and when she saw me at this time, all her doubts disappeared.

He Ning can be regarded as familiar with Ji Cheng at first sight, several little girls chatted for a long time, and when they left, He Ning took Ji Cheng's hand and repeatedly told her to let her go to Zhou's house as a guest.

Although the Zhou family is only He Ning's foreign family, looking at her appearance, she is afraid that there is no difference between her in the Zhou family and the He family, they are all generally favored.

Ji Chengyuan only regarded it as a polite remark, but he didn't know that He Ning gave Ji Cheng a post a few days later. Ji Cheng and Shen Wei went to the Zhou family together, and when He Ning's mother, Mrs. Zhou, saw Ji Cheng, she held hands and asked questions very enthusiastically.

Ji Cheng had never received such treatment among the noble ladies of Jingshi, and he actually felt a little flattered. It turned out that Mrs. Zhou also liked to paint, otherwise she would not have sent He Ning to Hangzhou to live for three months every spring, just to learn painting with Mr. Ziyu.

Since then, He Ning has often come to look for Ji Cheng to play, and often invited Ji Cheng to Zhou's house as a guest. Shen Wei naturally accompanied him every time, and Ji Cheng quickly learned about the He family from Shen Wei's mouth.

He Ning has two elder brothers, the eldest son is a son inheriting his father's business, and he has found a deputy position under his father, and now he is married, and the second son is eighteen this year, and he has not yet decided on a family matter.

Shen Wei always looked at Ji Cheng when she talked about the second son of the He family, she was so careful, how could Ji Cheng not see it, this was thinking that she could break Chu Zhen if she said goodbye? This thought is too simple and straightforward, and Ji Cheng will not break it.

At the end, when Shen Wei mentioned it to Su Yun, he said with some puzzlement: "I see that Sister Cheng doesn't seem to be in a hurry at all. ”

Su Yun said: "She is a girl's family, how can she put her anxiety on her face, she is the same age as me, and she must be anxious when she has not decided on a marriage at this time." Now that we sisters are engaged, I don't know where the future is, and I don't feel good about her. ”

Shen Jing said: "Actually, I think Second Brother He is very good, and Mrs. Zhou is kind, but I don't know if Sister Cheng is willing." ”

"What could she not want?" Su Yun snorted, "If Mrs. Zhou can really take a fancy to her, look at it, Sister Cheng is willing to marry like this." ”

Ji Cheng didn't know what Shen Wei and Su Yun were muttering, because this day would soon reach the winter solstice, and the winter solstice was big this year, the Shen family wanted to worship their ancestors and pray to the gods, and as soon as the winter solstice passed, it was on the edge of the year, and the accounts of shops everywhere had to be counted.

Ji Cheng often goes to Orchid Lane these days, and the people in the house have never stopped coming in and out, and the sound of popping beads can be heard for twelve hours a day.

Ji Cheng has specially trained girls to settle accounts, they rushed to Beijing from Jindi before the winter solstice, and they calculated the accounts again, and checked the mistakes by comparing them with the accounts room.

Because half of the silver money was transferred to the Western Regions to pave the road this year, the profit was not as good as in previous years, but it was quite passable.

By the time Ji Cheng was busy with this paragraph, it was already the end of November. Before she could catch her breath, she encountered another tricky matter that she didn't want to get involved in at all.

When Shen Cui appeared in front of Ji Cheng with a pale face, she thought she had seen a ghost, although Ji Cheng was a little busy during this time, but she didn't say hello to Ji Lan in the morning or evening, and she only saw Shen Cui in the morning, why did she seem to be a different person at this time? Fine droplets of sweat can be seen on the forehead in winter.

"What's wrong?" Ji Cheng took Shen Cui's hand and sat down, and found that her hands were as cold as ice cubes, Ji Cheng stuffed the old silver hand warmer in his hand into Shen Cui's palm, and asked again, "What happened?" ”

But Shen Cui was good, after coming in, he was like a gourd with a sawed mouth, he refused to make a sound, and his eyes were red and he didn't know what he was thinking.

In fact, with a person like Ji Cheng, he has already guessed the matter, so he doesn't take the initiative to speak, and Shen Cui can't ask for value, don't tell her.

Shen Cui lowered her head and hugged the stove in her hand, in fact, she didn't know why she came here, but when she found out that something was wrong, she was so frightened that her hands and feet were cold and she felt that it was over, her mother would definitely be angry and kill her, and then she went straight to Ji Cheng.

Even Shen Cui herself didn't know, in fact, she subconsciously wanted to find Ji Cheng whenever she encountered difficulties, as if Ji Cheng could do anything for her.

But at this moment, Shen Cui's mind was able to turn a little, and she remembered what Ji Cheng reminded her at the beginning, and what did she say at that time? There must be embarrassment and ugliness for a while, but these are nothing compared to the piece of meat on her body.

"Sister Cheng, I, I may be pregnant." Although Shen Cui swallowed, he still said the words in the end.

Although Ji Cheng did expect that Shen Cui and Qi Zheng might not be affectionate and polite, he never expected that Shen Cui would be pregnant.

"What should I do, Sister Cheng?" Shen Cui let go of the hand stove and grabbed Ji Cheng's hand with both hands. The strength was so great that Ji Cheng's brows wrinkled.

"Why are you so stupid?" Ji Cheng said angrily, if he really has a child, he can't hide it, not to mention that Shen Cui's whole life will be ruined, and even the reputation of the Shen family girl will be affected by her.

"I ......" Shen Cui's eyes were sour, and tears rolled out, "What's the use of you scolding me again, hurry up and help me think of something." Shen Cui was also so anxious that he couldn't do anything.

"Don't worry, don't worry, let me think." Ji Cheng withdrew his hand, and in turn patted the back of Shen Cui's hand to comfort her, "You sit down, I'll go outside and have a look." ”

Ji Cheng stood up and walked to the door, glanced at Liu Ye'er, who was waiting outside, and told her to guard the door and not let anyone approach.

After these arrangements were made, Ji Cheng returned to Shen Cui's side. This matter was deliberate according to Ji Cheng, and it was likely that Qi Zheng did it deliberately. Shen Cui is everyone's daughter, no matter how frivolous she is, she will never do such a reluctance before she gets married.

Ji Cheng actually expected it to be not bad, but this male and female relationship, things are the * thing, from ancient times to the present, no matter how strict the etiquette is, but as long as people are moved by love and have joy in their hearts, where can they manage those people, and it is easy to act as soon as the brain is hot.

Last time in Nanyuan, although Shen Cui and Qi Zheng kissed me and me, at most, they were holding hands and kissing incense. One day, Shen Cui mentioned that he saw Chu De and them doing that inappropriate thing on the day of the night chrysanthemum banquet in the Nanjun Palace, and he was disdainful, and pulled Qi Zheng's clothes, telling him that when he went out to socialize with others, he was not allowed to go to the place of fireworks, otherwise she would not spare him.

When a man hears this kind of thing, his reaction is naturally different from that of the girl's family. Qi Zheng followed Shen Cui's words and began to laugh.

came and went, Qi Zheng had the intention to use that means, and Shen Cui was not as strong as Qi Zheng after half pushing and half-pushing, so he was able to do things outside. That kind of thing, since he has already been called, it is extremely natural for it to happen again, the girl's family always inevitably follows her sweetheart, she feels sorry for him and is thirsty, but her sweetheart may not feel sorry for her.

"Are you sure you're pregnant?" Ji Cheng is also inexperienced, and Shen Cui is naturally even more inexperienced, "How do you know?" ”

Shen Cui choked and said: "I've been feeling uncomfortable for the past half a month, my stomach has been bubbling, I don't know what the reason is, but tonight when I eat, I smell the smell of meat and feel uncomfortable, my mother thinks I hurt my spleen and stomach, and I want to ask a doctor, but I'm afraid, Sister Cheng, what if I'm pregnant?" ”

Ji Cheng comforted Shen Cui and said, "Don't scare yourself first, maybe it's really hurting your spleen and stomach?" You have to find a doctor to check the pulse of this matter first. ”

"No, absolutely not." Shen Cui screamed.

Ji Cheng grabbed Shen Cui, "Can you be quiet?" I have a Changchun Hall in my house, and I can make him keep his mouth shut tightly, and if you go with me tomorrow, wearing a hood, he won't know it's you. Wouldn't it be nice to let him take the pulse for you, if it's not a happy pulse? ”

Shen Cui is also a master of the six gods at this moment, and when he heard Ji Cheng say this, he nodded.

"What if you are really pregnant?" Shen Cui asked Ji Cheng.

Ji Cheng said: "Then you can only take medicine to knock it out." ”

Shen Cui shook his head again and again, "No." The Qi family only has one son, Brother Qi, and if I can give birth to a son, he doesn't know how happy he should be. ”

Ji Cheng said: "Then you have thought about it, you haven't thought about it." Even if your aunt immediately agrees to your marriage, it will take more than half a year for the three books and six ceremonies to come down, and your stomach can still cover it at that time? If someone finds out, let alone marrying into the Qi family, there is only a dead end waiting for you. ”

"What's the matter, Sister Cheng, do you think my mother will agree to my relationship with Brother Qi?" Shen Cui asked Ji Cheng.

Ji Cheng thought about it, and decided to tell the truth, "Originally, with my aunt's temperament, I would definitely not marry into the Qi family with you, but now that you are pregnant and the wood is ready, she will not agree to it, but my aunt will definitely be very sad." ”

"You mean that if my mother knew that I had a body, she would agree to my relationship with Brother Qi?" Shen Cui stopped crying at this time, but his eyes lit up. She was just scared of the six gods and lost room to think just now, and when she heard Ji Cheng analyze with her at this moment, she still didn't know anything.

Ji Cheng looked at Shen Cui's eyes, and didn't know whether to worry about her or not. Maybe Shen Cui's pregnancy was simply calculated by Qi Zheng, if not, he also knew that he would definitely not be able to marry Shen Cui.

"Sister Cheng, then how do you say I should sue my mother?" Shen Cui looked at Ji Cheng pleadingly, obviously wanting Ji Cheng to accompany her.

But where did Ji Cheng dare to admit it, Ji Lan wouldn't blame her daughter for being indecent, maybe she still felt that Ji Cheng instigated it.

"This matter should be sooner rather than later, I don't really understand, but you are your aunt's daughter, she will definitely not harm you, and now only she can protect you." Ji Cheng said.

Shen Cui nodded, but he still couldn't muster up the courage to go to Ji Lan's house to speak, "Sister Cheng, I'd better wait for tomorrow to take the pulse and then tell my mother." ”

Ji Cheng let out a "hmm".

Shen Cui begged again: "Sister Cheng, I don't know about this big brother Qi, I haven't seen him for a few days, and my mother takes care of me tightly." Sister Cheng, can you ask the girl to send a message to Brother Qi and ask him to see me in Changchun Hall tomorrow? ”

Ji Cheng didn't answer.

In Ji Cheng's opinion, there was no benefit in seeing Qi Zheng at this time. Because Ji Cheng didn't think that Qi Zheng really liked Shen Cui, if he really liked it, how could he seduce the little girl to do such a thing before she got married, once the incident happened, it must be Shen Cui who was scolded to death.

Ji Cheng changed places, if she was Qi Zheng and knew that Shen Cui was pregnant, she would definitely use this matter to control the third room of the Shen family and even the Shen family, and the benefits were numerous. Only Shen Cui, an idiot, thought that Qi Zheng would be her lifesaver.

"Sister Cheng!" Shen Cui shook Ji Cheng's arm with both hands.

"I don't think it's appropriate to see him at this time, in case he is seen by others, he can't tell if he has a mouth. Besides, if you don't tell him that you are pregnant, he won't marry you? Now is the time for you to make it clear to him that if he doesn't want to marry you, stop pestering you. Ji Cheng said.

"Of course he has the heart to marry me." Shen Cui raised his voice again for a while, "He's just afraid that my mother won't agree." ”

Ji Cheng said: "If you don't even want to overcome this little difficulty, can you believe that he is sincere to you?" ”

Shen Cui let go of the hand holding Ji Cheng's arm, "Sister Cheng, you don't have to sow discord here. Is Brother Qi sincere to me, do I not know? You don't want to help me, don't you think I'm frivolous, afraid that I'll ruin your reputation, right? ”

Shen Cui has always been this virtue when she asks for help, as if it is a great thing if others don't help her, and it is natural to help her.

Ji Cheng was silent.

Shen Cui said, "What's the big deal? Every year during the Lantern Festival, you look behind the tree and under the bridge, and there are many of those things and customs that have existed since ancient times. ”

The custom of men and women drilling bridges and holes during the Lantern Festival has indeed been followed to this day, but there are not many ladies who do this, not to mention that no one has ever heard of the scandal of pregnancy.

Ji Cheng said: "I didn't look down on you. ”

Ji Cheng's idea is also extremely strange. She was in Jindi, she had seen the Hu people's curtain and advocating nature, and she was interested in learning about the belt to cover it with a horse, and the people above her were messy enough when she read history, so she didn't see such a thing as unusual, it was the instinct of passing on the lineage, but the etiquette and religion bound people, and taught people to do things that they could do after they got married, but before they got married, they regarded it as unchaste, isn't it the difference between worshipping heaven and earth or not?

But why can worshipping heaven and earth be so reversed? Ji Cheng didn't figure it out. She didn't even understand it herself, so how could she judge it?

So Ji Cheng really didn't look down on Shen Cui, but he just felt that she was so stupid that she didn't know the consequences, hadn't she heard of Shunzi Tang?

Don't say it, Shen Cui has heard at most one or two sentences about the avoidance soup, and may not even have heard of it. The private matters in the elders' house, how could Ji Lan tell Shen Cui that these little girls were all extremely well protected, but all the dirty things did not enter their ears.

As for Ji Cheng, she is a worrying life, her mother Yun Niang is a person who can't stand, and Yun Niang is not stingy in telling Ji Cheng about the things in her father's room, just asking her to have an idea. So Ji Cheng knows a lot about the Tao here.

"It's just that I still think this is not the time to see Qi Zheng, if he knows and lets you give birth to a child, will you really give birth? What should I do if someone sees me when I have a big belly? If you don't give birth, he will have a grudge against you in the future. Ji Cheng said.

Ji Cheng's words made a lot of sense, Shen Cui thought about it, and understood her kindness, "Sister Cheng, I lost my words just now, don't forget to take it to heart." ”

Ji Cheng nodded, "You go back and rest first, I see that you are in a very bad spirit, tomorrow we will go out together, and we will go to the calligraphy and painting shop." ”

Shen Cui said, "Sister Cheng, I'm afraid, can I sleep with you tonight?" ”

Ji Cheng raised his eyelids, and Shen Cui didn't dare to look at her with a little weakness. Ji Cheng sneered in his heart, is this because he is afraid that he will leak the news?

Ji Cheng didn't break it, but only asked Shen Cui's girl to move her pillow and futon to the small courtyard, and the two rested together.

The next day, Ji Cheng went out with Shen Cui, first went to the calligraphy and painting shop, and then went to Changchun Hall, Ji Cheng didn't let Shen Cui get off the horse, and asked Liu Ye'er to invite Dr. Deng to come over and check Shen Cui's pulse.

Shen Cui stretched his wrist out of the curtain of the carriage, and Dr. Deng couldn't see anyone, so he only lowered his head and carefully cut the pulse, and after receiving the pulse pillow, he only whispered, "It should be a happy pulse." ”

Shen Cui, who was sitting in the carriage, couldn't stop rolling out of her tears immediately, and fell crooked into Ji Cheng's arms, "Sister Cheng, what should I do?" ”

What to do? According to Ji Cheng's meaning, he should go down with a bowl of medicine at this time, and then when nothing has happened, he should get married in the future, and he should marry someone.

But apparently, Shen Cui is unlikely to accept such a clean and neat way. Ji Cheng thought in his heart that he would have to tell Ji Lan about this matter today no matter what, but he was afraid that Ji Lan would blame her again.

In fact, what Ji Cheng should have done was to inform Ji Lan of Shen Cui's matter yesterday, instead of taking Shen Cui to Changchun Hall to check her pulse, but Shen Cui guarded her too tightly.

"Now I can only sue Aunt Sù, she will definitely be able to help you. You don't have to be afraid, your aunt loves you like that, even if she is angry with you temporarily, it's over. Ji Cheng said.

Of course, Ji Cheng didn't have a backache when she stood and talked, but Shen Cui knew that her mother must be so disappointed that she wanted to kill her, but Shen Cui also knew that it was impossible to hide this matter from her mother.

"Sister Cheng, will you come with me to talk to my mother when the time comes?" Shen Cui asked.

Can Ji Cheng still say no? If she didn't go, wouldn't Shen Cui confess to her? At that time, I am afraid that Shen Cui will blame her for everything in order to avoid responsibility, then she will be wronged.

"I'll be with you." Ji Cheng said.

Ji Cheng was about to tell the coachman to drive back, but he saw Liu Ye'er glaring at him, and heard her say again: "Girl, Shopkeeper Li said that there are some problems in the account this year, and I want to talk to the girl." ”

Changchuntang's accounts have been experienced this year, where is the problem? Apparently there is something else going on. Before Ji Cheng turned his head to look at Shen Cui's meaning, Shen Cui had already answered: "Sister Cheng, since you have something, I will go back first." There was a smell of medicine here, and I smelled strangely uncomfortable. ”

Ji Cheng was a little worried about Shen Cui, so he was in a hurry to put aside himself for fear that he had other plans.

But Liu Ye'er looked straight at Ji Cheng, and Ji Cheng weighed it for a moment and turned his head to Shen Cui and said, "Okay, you go back and rest early." ”

said that after Shen Cui left, Ji Cheng followed Liu Ye'er to the inner room of Changchun Hall. When she saw the man in the dark robe in the room, she was shocked and shocked.

Liu Ye'er looked at Ji Cheng just now, she knew that there must be something urgent or tricky, but she didn't expect that it would be Ling Ziyun coming.

"Brother Ziyun." Somehow, as soon as he saw Ling Ziyun Jicheng, he felt that his eyes were sour, and his eye circles immediately turned red.

Ji Cheng actually never liked to call people brother, just like when she heard Shen Jing call Chu Zhen "really eldest brother", she was too intimate and too weak, it was her eldest brother and second brother, and she just brought the word "brother", only here in Ling Ziyun, she was like a little girl who was five or six years old again, innocent and without any sense of disobedience, shouting "brother".