According to custom, the morning of the first wedding day is the day when the new daughter-in-law cooks and demonstrates her cooking skills. Because the Kou and Song families are both scholarly families, they don't attach much importance to girls' female popularity and cooking skills, and the little lady's cooking is just in response to the occasion.

It's just that to everyone's surprise, the bride's cooking skills are extraordinary. At breakfast time, Kou Xiang, the old lady, Kou Zhun, and Kou Zhun's brother and sister-in-law, Xiao Yiran and others all sat quietly in the dining room, waiting for the bride's breakfast. After a while, the maid brought four side dishes and four plates of stir-fried vegetables from the kitchen, not only the meat and vegetable combinations were reasonable, although the chopsticks had not yet been moved, Xiao Yiran could see from the appearance that the eight dishes were very exquisite.

"Senior brother, is my sister-in-law good-looking?"

"Beautiful."

Kou Zhun replied honestly, much to Xiao Yiran's surprise. When I looked back at Mr. Kou Xiang and his wife, I saw that the two elders were smiling. couldn't help but make Xiao Yiran feel narrow-minded again.

"How to look good? Who is it compared to, saltless girl? ”

"Then don't squeeze your senior brother, look at the one that embarrasses your senior brother. Your sister-in-law will come out in a while, don't you know if you see it? ”

Seeing that Xiao Yiran was deliberately embarrassing Kou Zhun, the master said that she would relieve her son.

After the staple food was also delivered, with a sound of ringing, Xiao Yiran finally saw the true face of his sister-in-law. Dressed in a bright red wedding dress, black hair is coiled high on the top of his head, and a crested golden hairpin is inserted in it. Slender figure, goose-egg-shaped face, thin grease powder, picturesque eyebrows. The lotus step moved slightly, and the skirt shook slightly. In the wide sleeves, the slender jade hands are slightly exposed. came to Mr. Kou Xiang first, and after curtsimming, he picked up the teacup on the coffee table, held it high with both hands and handed it over. After Mr. Kou Xiang took it, he bowed slightly sideways to his wife, picked up the teacup and handed it over again. Next is my brother and sister-in-law, Xiao Yiran.

"Senior sister-in-law, can my senior brother be mighty?"

Xiao Yiran took the teacup and didn't drink it immediately, but leaned his face over and asked in a low voice. Seeing that Song was just smiling and silent, Xiao Yiran took a symbolic sip of tea. Put down the teacup and don't forget to ask again:

"Sister-in-law, who played the piano and who played the flute yesterday?"

Song tilted his head slightly shyly, glanced at Kou Zhun out of the corner of his eye, and still did not answer Xiao Yiran's question.

"Haha, Ran'er, it wasn't your senior brother who played the piano yesterday. Your brother's piano skills are from the same gentleman as yours, and your master can still hear it. ”

"I didn't expect my sister-in-law to have such piano skills, so I have to ask my sister-in-law for advice another day."

"Senior sister is serious, I really don't dare to ask for advice."

This was the first thing Xiao Yiran heard Song say, although his voice was low, but the words were clear.

After breakfast, Xiao Yiran came to the new house and chatted with Song for a while. At this time, I learned that the Song family was named Xia.

"Sister-in-law, will I call sister-in-law or Sister Xia in the future?"

"As my sister wants, you can call it whatever you want."

I have to say that my sister-in-law Song Xia is a very gentle and skillful woman, two years older than my brother Kou Zhunxiao, and she just turned seventeen this year. In terms of temperament, it is compared with his mother Sun. As for the talent in the chest, from the sound of the piano last night, Xiao Yiran knew that it was definitely not much worse.

Because Lin Chen was anxious to study in the capital, the group also said goodbye to the people of Kou Mansion on the day of Song's return and embarked on the return journey. The last time they parted in Huayin, Xiao Yiran was rarely reluctant, feeling that his husband was old, and he was always worried that a separation would become a farewell. This time we met again after only a few months, but the worries in my heart were diluted, and there was no sadness from the last time when we parted.

There were still two carriages, Xiao Yiran and Xiaoxi in front, and Lin Chen's mother and son in the back, all the way to Luoyang. After a night of rest, he entered the west gate of Luoyang City at the end of the afternoon of April 20. I stayed in Luoyang City that night, and planned to rush to Xinzheng tomorrow to stay overnight, and I could arrive in Bianliang City the day after tomorrow.

Last time, because I wanted to send Xiaoxi home, I went around Dengfeng and didn't pass through Luoyang, so this time I returned to Luoyang City, which was Xiao Yiran's second visit. The last time was when his father Xiao Guoliang came to participate in the township exam, and he also met Sishu's mother and son. At that time, Xiao Yiran was only more than three months old, less than four months old.

After staying in the inn, I freshened up a little and rested for half an hour, because the summer days are long, and the sun is still high at the beginning of the unitary time.

"Brother Lin Chen, I have heard of Luoyang peony for a long time, and there is a famous White Horse Temple, do you want to take this opportunity to take a look."

"Sister, the peony is in the east of the city, but the White Horse Temple is in the southwest of the city, you can only see one of the two places, I don't know which one my sister chooses?"

"Now I don't know if the peony flowers are gone?"

"It should be the time to bloom."

"Then let's go see the peony."

Luoyang Peony Garden, during the Northern Song Dynasty, was also called Dong's West Garden. Lin Chen and Xiao Yiran shared a carriage, driven by Xiao Qing and accompanied by Xiao Xi, and gradually drove out of the East City Gate and came to the Dong West Garden. Usually, Dong's West Garden is closed, and only the peony is open to visitors. Leaving Xiao Qing outside to guard the carriage, Xiao Yiran, Lin Chen, and Xiao Xi came to the garden. At this time, it is the season when the peony is in full bloom, and it is ten in the evening, and the whole Dong garden can be described as full of tourists.

The two bathed in the afterglow of summer, wandering in the sea of peonies.

"Brother Lin Chen, legend has it that when Empress Wu Zetian wanted to ascend the throne, she once ordered the flowers in the imperial garden to bloom on the second day on a winter evening. The next morning, the empress came to the garden, and saw that except for the peony, the remaining flowers were all blooming at her command, so in a fit of anger, she demoted the peony flowers to Caozhou. I don't know if it's true or not? ”

"I don't know if it's true or not, but there is such a record in the field history notes, but there is no such record in the official history. However, looking at the current peony garden, I am afraid that there has been zài for countless years, if the story is true, I am afraid that the peony garden in front of me will not exist zài. ”

"Yes, it is estimated that the world should have come to follow."

"Brother Lin Chen, what flower do you like more among the hundred flowers? Love peonies? ”

"There is no one who doesn't like the grace and luxury of peony flowers, but I prefer Qinglian to the beauty and elegance of Qinglian."

Xiao Yiran listened, nodded, and continued to admire the various flowers in front of him. No, Lin Chen continued to say again.

"My sister is like a green lotus."

Xiao Yiran subconsciously turned his head to look at Lin Chen beside him, just in time to meet Lin Chen's deep gaze. At this time, Xiao Yiran reacted, Lin Chen's words were unmistakably saying that he liked himself.

For a while, Xiao Yiran only felt that his chest was thumping, and his face was a little hot, and he hurriedly turned his head to look away, and didn't dare to look at Lin Chen's eyes again.

Suddenly, Xiao Yiran remembered that in his college life, he had read a few poems written by Xu Zhimo:

The most is the gentleness of the bowed head

Like a water lotus

It's not enough to be shy