Chapter 136: Goodbye coincides with the return of spring

Kou Xiang said goodbye to Xiao Mansion on the fourth day of the moon and returned to his home in Xiabang County. On the evening of the third day of the Lunar New Year, Xiao Mansion held a very grand thank-you banquet for Kou Xiang. Xiao Yiran did not just give Kou Xiang a blessing as before, but knelt on the ground respectfully and bowed to Kou Xiang. In Xiao Yiran's heart, he is very grateful to this gentleman, whether it is talent in his chest or personal character, he is a rare figure.

Kou Xiang did not break his promise, since the day after Xiao Guoliang received the official text, he no longer taught Xiao Yiran to learn qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, but concentrated on teaching Xiao Yiran's family the Qingjian learning.

Parting is always sad, Xiao Yiran understands that Kou Xiang, who is now close to old age, if nothing else, this farewell is afraid that it will be goodbye forever. Even if Kou Zhun is admitted to the Jinshi exam in the spring of next year, he will not stay in the capital as an official, so Kou Xiang has almost no chance to go to the capital again.

Attentively sent Kou Xiang to the road outside the mansion, Xiao Yiran said to Kou Xiang with a little choked up:

"Sir, cherish."

"Haha, you don't have to be like this, life is just gathering and scattering, separating and separating. When the old man is in his old age, being able to accept a disciple like you can be regarded as God's special favor. In the future, although my son Kou Zhun's career is quite smooth, but in the Huan Sea, it is inevitable that there will be some stumbles, and I hope that the apprentice will take more care of your senior brother in the master-apprentice relationship. ”

"Sir's words are serious, if you can help my brother, I will do my best. I'm afraid that my senior brother will be in a high position in the future, and he may not need the help of my junior sister. ”

"If you don't use the best, there is an apprentice, and you can rest assured as a teacher."

After speaking, Kou Xiang urged the coachman to set off.

"Husband, the text requires you to report to the Ministry of Officials before the tenth day of the first month, and now it is the fourth day of the first lunar month, when does the husband plan to leave?"

"You have to wait for the successor to come and take over the errand before you can leave. Presumably, the successor will arrive soon, so let's clean it up. ”

"Is Daddy planning to go to the capital for the holidays?"

"That's the only way, otherwise when the new official arrives, we won't have a place to live."

This is the inconvenience of living in a government office. There was no way, Xiao Guoliang had to arrange for the housekeeper Cai Xu to lead Zhao Qiansun and Li to go to Bianliang to buy a mansion first, so that he could wait for the New Year after the handover of the errand here, and he waited for the new official to take over in Huayin's Zhizhou Mansion.

The next governor arrived on the sixth day of the lunar month, and after handing over the errand in one day, Xiao Guoliang's family hurriedly went on the road. The road from Huayin to Bianliang City is long, especially when there is snow on the road, and the carriage takes five days to travel. As the year draws to a close, there is much to do. Not to mention that the new residence has to be cleaned up, this time the promotion is not as usual, this time it is to the capital, and there are many things that need to be taken care of. In addition, next year's Spring Wai has always been presided over by the ministry, and the officials who handle this matter are often the servants of the ministry. Then, there will inevitably be many officials who will come to visit, especially those who are about to participate in the Spring Wai, and they will definitely go through various connections.

Although Xiao Guoliang was already mentally prepared, when he came to Bianliang City and lived in the newly bought mansion, the endless stream of guests still made the Xiao Mansion a little overwhelmed.

Xiao Yiran's family entered Bianliang City on the evening of the thirteenth day of the lunar month, and there were guests early the next morning, and since then, until the twenty-ninth of the lunar month, it has not been interrupted. In the entire Xiao Mansion, Xiao Yiran, the daughter, is the only person who can stay out of the matter. However, it was only the twenty or so days before the New Year, and Xiao Yiran was still an idle person. After the New Year, it's a different story.

Those who came to visit before the New Year did not bring their families. After the New Year, many officials came to visit Xiao Mansion with their families. Especially Xiao Guoliang's next colleagues in the ministry, all of them brought their families. Therefore, after the New Year, Xiao Yiran also had to accompany his mother Sun every day and talk to a female family member in the backyard.

What Xiao Yiran didn't expect was that on the fourth day of the first lunar month, Wang Fuchun's family, who was originally the prefect of Jiangning Mansion and later transferred to Cangzhou Mansion, also came. Not only Wang Fuchun and his wife came, but Lin Chen's mother and son were also impressively listed.

In the backyard, from Mrs. Wang's mouth, Xiao Yiran knew what was going on.

"My lord also received the paperwork and was transferred to the Ministry of Rites as a waiter, and he only hurriedly entered Beijing on the sixth day of the lunar month last year."

"It's really unexpected, as the saying goes, the mountains don't turn the water, and the water doesn't turn the people, it's true. I first met in Taicang that year, and later Mr. Wang became the boss of my lord, and a few years later, he entered Beijing at the same time. It can be seen that the fate of our two families is not shallow, Mrs. Wang. ”

Sun said with a smile.

"The sister of the Lin family looks much better now than when she was in Jiangning Mansion. Lin Xiaogongzi should be twelve years old, right? ”

"Yes, Mrs. Xiao, my Chen'er is three years older than Miss, and she is just twelve years old after the New Year."

Xiao Yiran wanted to ask about Lin Chen's situation, but he didn't know how to call Lin Chen's mother, and it seemed that the Sun family had also neglected this matter.

"Ran'er, Lin Gongzi's mother, you can call Aunt Lin."

Sun, who has always been careful, saw that his daughter wanted to speak and stopped, and knew that his daughter didn't know how to call Lin, so he said to Xiao Yiran.

"Yes, mother.

Aunt Lin, Brother Lin Chen is afraid that he is already a talent, right? ”

"My aunt and grandfather said that Lin Chen was too young to leave too early, so he didn't get the fame of Xiucai."

"That's the case, most of the young people's temperament is not calm enough, my lord wants to hone Chen'er's temperament more."

Mrs. Wang continued.

"Mrs. Wang, sister of the Lin family, it's not that I'm too talkative, I really haven't seen a child so calm at the age of Lin Xiaogongzi."

"Hehe, Chen'er is calmer than ordinary children."

Mrs. Wang said with a proud smile.

"Brother Lin Chen should have grown taller, right?"

"It's almost time to catch up with the."

After Mrs. Wang answered Xiao Yiran's question, she turned her head and said to the girl who was waiting beside her:

"Go to the front yard and call Lin Gongzi over,

On the way here, Chen'er was still muttering, saying that she hadn't seen Sister Yiran for six or seven years. While the two of them are still young, they can not avoid the suspicion of men and women, so let them meet. ”

The second half of the sentence is naturally said to Sun.

Soon, Lin Chen came over under the leadership of the maid.

"Hello Mrs. Xiao, hello Sister Yiran."

Lin Chen gave a salute to the Sun family when he entered the door, and greeted the Sun family mother and daughter.

"I haven't seen you for six or seven years, Lin Gongzi has really grown into an adult. Sit down and talk. ”

Xiao Yiran walked up to Lin Chen, stood still, and said:

"Why does Brother Lin Chen grow so much? It's a head taller than me. If you see it outside, I'm afraid you won't dare to recognize each other. ”

Xiao Yiran said so, his eyes were aimed at Lin Chen's face, which was still the eyebrows and eyes of a few years ago, but he was a little older. Especially those jet-black eyes, they are still so deep.

"What is my sister reading now? Are you still reading the Four Books and the Five Classics? ”

"Read some poems and songs, boudoir training or something. The Four Books and Five Classics have long been stopped reading, and girls do not go to the imperial examinations. ”

"Also, I wonder if my sister has ever learned skills such as piano, chess, calligraphy and painting?"

"When I was in Huayin, my father invited a gentleman, and he also learned some from him, but he only learned some fur."

"There is a Mr. Di next to my aunt, who is good at piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and is especially good at piano and chess. If my sister likes to learn, when she has free time, she might as well go to my aunt's house and ask Mr. Di for advice. ”

"Chen'er's words are true, Mr. Di's piano skills have nothing to say, that is, I, a person who doesn't understand the rhythm, will be fascinated every time I listen to Mr. Di stroked the piano."

Lin also nodded in agreement.

was aroused by the curiosity in his heart by the words of the two, Xiao Yiran really wanted to meet this Mr. Di and see who was more proficient with his husband Kou Xiang.

"After the first month, if Mrs. Wang is not annoyed, Yiran also wants to meet Mr. Di."

"How could Xiao Yiran say such an outrageous thing? Where is the annoyance? Not to mention going to meet Mr. Di, it is just that people are willing to live in our house, which makes people happy. ”

Lin echoed Mrs. Wang's words and said to Xiao Yiran:

"Yes, Miss Xiao."

"When is my sister free, send someone to send me a letter, and I will pick up my sister."

Xiao Yiran could feel the other party's liking for him from Mrs. Wang and Lin's words, and even from Lin Chen's eyes, Xiao Yiran could see something else. Although he is only less than nine years old, after all, Xiao Yiran is a person who has two lifetimes.

"Okay, then I'll trouble Brother Lin Chen."

To be honest, Xiao Yiran also liked Lin Chen in front of him a little in his heart. Not to mention the clear eyebrows, that rare calmness is what Xiao Yiran cares about the most. She didn't want to deal with young boys and girls who had no life experience, and she always felt that she was not the same age as them, because Xiao Yiran never regarded herself as a child, although sometimes she had to pretend to be a child's tone and expression.

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, Xiao Guoliang went to the ministry to report for duty. After returning home, he told Sun's mother and daughter that they were transferred to the Ministry of Officials, really asking Xiao Guoliang to preside over this year's Spring Wai. So, Xiao Guoliang went out early and returned late to get busy.

Whenever Xiao Yiran thought of going to the palace, by the end of the first month, Lin Chen had already ordered someone to ask twice. On the third day of the second lunar month, Xiao Yiran sent Xiao Qing to send a message to Lin Chen, saying that he would go to the palace to meet Mr. Di on the fourth day of the new year.

After breakfast on the fourth day of the new year, Xiao Yiran was personally taken to the palace by Lin Chen. I first went to the backyard to meet Mrs. Wang, and talked with her, and then came to Lin Chen's study in the front yard. Mr. Di was already waiting there.

"Xiao Yiran meets Mr."

"Get up, I heard Childe say you want to learn the piano? Who have you studied with before? ”

From Mr. Di's words, Xiao Yiran heard that Lin Chen did not worship him as a teacher, otherwise he would not have called Lin Chen a son.

"Mr. Hui's words, I once studied more than Mr. Kou Xiang for a year."

"Who, who do you say?!"

"Kou Xiang, Mr. Kou."

"But Mr. Kou Xiangkou of the former dynasty? Where did the gentleman teach you? ”

"Exactly. In Huayin. ”

"Since Miss Xiao has learned piano skills from Mr. Kou, no one will dare to teach you piano skills today."

Xiao Yiran looked at Mr. Di a little dazed, not knowing how to answer.

"Why didn't Childe tell the old man beforehand?"

"Sir, don't be surprised, the students don't know who Miss Xiao learned the piano from beforehand."