The autumn breeze is gradually rising, and the Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived. All the shops and restaurants in Jinling City have been redecorated with facades, the archways are tied with silk and hung colors, selling fresh fruits and delicate snacks, the Qinhuai River flows slowly, the boats floating on the water are lit up, and a little fire is projected on the river surface. Both sides of the river bank are planted with fragrant osmanthus flowers, which are in full swing. In the courtyard of the General's Palace, silver candles are burning, incense smoke is filled, and the table is full of melons, fruits and delicacies for sacrifice.

This is a day of joy, Chu Tao was picked up by the Liu family two days ago, and the princes were all taken back to the palace for the holiday. Liu saw Chu Tao round several times, and was so angry that he scolded the two maids, Chu Tao smiled and listened to his mother teach him, and went to meet the other elders with a grimace. Although I haven't seen my family for some days, Hatsu Peach doesn't look unaccustomed to it at all, and she talks to Hatsu Sakura for a long time, and even Hatsu Ju, who has been having a temper with her, took the initiative to talk to Hatsu Peach.

Just after lunch, Chu Tao was called by Liu to have a long talk with a full burp. Liu first asked in detail about some daily trivial matters and studying on the island, and suddenly the topic changed and asked, "Do you know that proton from Xiyi?" ”

Chu Tao said casually: "Mother, people have names, why do you have to call him a proton." ”

Liu deepened his tone: "How is your friendship with that surnamed Xue?" ”

Chu Tao's two index fingers went back and forth, and whispered, "It's okay." ”

Since he saw Xue Congjia in Mr. Zhu's study, he felt more and more that he and Xue Congjia were the same person. The princes who study on the island are only Xue Ziyong, Xue Ziwen, and Xue Zicheng, all three of whom are half-brothers, although they are peaceful on the face, they secretly look down on anyone.

Take Xue Zicheng as an example, he is the youngest of all the princes, although he can't see any Wen Taowu strategy, but he is very popular with the emperor This is a well-known thing, so his eyes are on the Tianling cover. Because the crown prince has been decided, Xue Ziyong and Xue Ziwen have some common hatred, but their younger sisters Shang Jia and Xile look like they don't get along with each other, which makes the two brothers in a very embarrassing situation.

The first peach is lively and cute, but it has won the favor of a lot of people, and they want to win the first peach into their camp. But Chu Tao felt uncomfortable when she thought of the arrogant Xue Zicheng and Xue Ziyong who stared at her all day, compared to them, she preferred to be with Xue Congjia.

The Qizhu Pavilion where Xue Congjia lived was relatively quiet and remote, and few people stepped into it. The yard is full of slender and soft bamboo, evergreen and undefeated, and the whole bamboo forest is shrouded in a faint mist, like a layer of white veil, and the wind blows through to bring a refreshing breath. A round wooden window is open to the bamboo forest, and Xue Congjia can often be seen reading with his eyes down outside.

The reason why Hatsumomo is so familiar with this place is because she often comes to this courtyard to swing. The swing in the courtyard was a few years old, and the vermilion paint was mottled to reveal the brown wood inside, and the rope that tied the plank was as thick as a child's fist, but it was also very strong.

Chu Tao didn't know why there was such a swing in this yard, and she didn't want to ask. Sometimes she takes Xiaohong's drama sketches that she found for herself out to hide here to read, sometimes she takes a book and babbles and sits on the swing seriously, and more often she sits on the swing, facing the bamboo forest in a daze, and when the swing swings, her green skirt blends with the green bamboo forest.

Xue Congjia didn't bother to pay attention to her, Jiang Chutao was like a cat living here, entertaining himself, appearing and disappearing. Sometimes Xue Congjia stayed at Mr. Zhu's for a few more moments, and when she came back, she found that she was asleep lying on her desk, and her face was marked with Taoist book marks.

Sometimes when I look up, I can see her sitting on the swing quietly back, sometimes the swing is still swaying slightly in the wind, and she has disappeared. Later, Xue Congjia always put a few pieces of sweet snacks on his table, Xue Congjia didn't like to eat these, so he threw them all away, and then Jiang Chutao didn't share his snacks with him, and picked a bunch of unknown wildflowers from outside and put them in front of his table, and he didn't clean them up, letting these flowers dry up until Chu Tao replaced them with new ones.

Sometimes the first peach doesn't know which tendon is broken to cook in person, and he happily gives many nice names to the dishes he makes, such as fried lotus root and fungus called lotus pond moonlight, shrimp scrambled eggs are called flower good moon, cucumber mixed with white sugar is called Qinglong Woxue. She also asked Xue Congjia to help her try the dish, and Xue Congjia almost threw up, wondering if Jiang Chutao had poisoned it, and since then she has righteously refused anything that Chu Tao cooked.

The two spent the entire autumn together in such a strange way.

Xile once clamored to send Chu Tao back to the General's Mansion, but Xue Congjia just said lightly "whatever you want", which made Xile lose his temper, and the way the two of them get along "as light as a gentleman" also made Xile feel a lot more at ease.

Chu Tao's thoughts came back, she didn't know how her relationship with Xue Congjia was, she couldn't tell her mother, hey, I was quite familiar with him, there was a swing in his yard, I often went there to play, and I had a good time. In this way, Liu is afraid that he will faint with the same anger as Mr. Zhu.

Liu touched Chu Tao's face and said, "Sun Shaomin will come to see you in a while, you can take a nap, recuperate, get up and dress up." ”

Chu Tao happily spun around and said with a smile: "Great! I haven't seen Shao Min for a long time. ”

Sure enough, Sun Shaomin came to the General's Mansion in the afternoon, but not only she came alone, but also Sun Shaomin's mother, Mrs. Sun, and Sun Shaomin's brother Sun Yihao. The elders were all there, and Chu Tao had no choice but to press the words of his stomach and listen to the elders beside him in a regular manner. Mrs. Sun took her fleshy little hand and asked east and west, asking her what books she had read, and asking if the food in Jichang Garden was good.

Jichang Garden is a royal garden, and there are princesses and princes in it, can the food be bad? Chu Tao felt that Mrs. Sun's words were inexplicable, she wanted to say something considerate to Shao Min, but in the hindrance of Mrs. Sun, who was extremely enthusiastic, she could only wait anxiously for Liu to relieve herself.

Chu Tao tried to perfunctory Mrs. Sun while secretly looking at Liu's expression. But Liu didn't mean to let the two children play by themselves, Chu Tao felt that something was wrong, Sun Yihao was looking at her with a smile, and the smile was so sweet. Finally, Liu spoke, but what he said was: "Tao'er, your grandson hasn't come to our house for a long time, you take him around the garden." ”

Mrs. Sun also spoke: "Shao Min, didn't you say last time that there is a flower that you can't embroider?" You go to the second lady and ask them, and ask them to teach you well. ”

Chu Tao took Sun Yihao into her big garden in a daze, Xiaohong and Xiaozi did not follow closely behind the two, Chu Tao said to Sun Yihao embarrassedly: "Brother Sun, the garden in our house is nothing to look at, the mountains are fake, the water is also attracted, and the leaves of the trees are almost finished in autumn." ”

"Why, Sister Peach loves nature's magic more?" Sun Yihao looked at Chu Tao dotingly, and inadvertently wanted to shorten the distance between the two people.

Chu Tao took a step back almost reflexively, and said: "I just feel that these landscapes are a little deliberate, I am suddenly anxious, you wait for me here, I will come back later, you are free." ”

Chu Tao hurriedly pulled Xiaohong, folded several turns, and asked Xiaohong after making sure that there was no one around: "What's going on?" ”

Xiaohong Idiot laughed a few times: "Miss, haven't you seen it yet?" Mrs. Sun is here to propose! ”

The word "propose" exploded in Chu Tao's mind like firecrackers, no wonder she felt that something was wrong, it turned out that her mother meant this! Xiaohong looked at Chu Tao's unbelievable appearance, and said: "Miss and the son of the Sun family are also a good match, childhood sweethearts, and Young Master Sun is also a talent, this is a good fate." ”

Chu Tao bit her lip and said slowly: "Sun Yihao is very good, but I don't like it." ”

Xiaohong hurriedly stomped her feet: "Miss, the marriage is all arranged by the parents, what are you talking nonsense here!" ”

Chu Tao stuck his waist and said, "Didn't you say that Xile and Xue Congjia were in love?" also said that the love between the two is firmer than gold and can move the heavens, let me ask you, why is it different when you come to me? Can't I just pick someone I like? ”

Xiaohong was dumbfounded by Chu Tao's words, she scratched her head and said, "Then what should I do......"

Chu Tao shook his head and said, "I'm going to make it clear to Brother Sun, I don't like him, I don't want to marry him, I can't delay him, and I don't want to be delayed by him." ”

Chu Tao has disappeared for a long time, Sun Yihao was worried about what was going on, and came out to see the situation, who knew that when he heard Chu Tao's remarks, he suddenly felt shaky.

Because of the close relationship between the Jiang family and the Sun family, Sun Yihao almost grew up watching Chu Tao, and because of his sister Sun Shaomin, he knows a lot about Chu Tao. This cute and petite girl is the person he longs for, her smile is deep in his heart, he always thinks that she is still young and does not know love, it doesn't matter, when Chu Tao marries herself, she will do her best to pamper her, she will understand her own heart, and she will definitely invest in the same hot feelings for herself. But today, I suddenly heard Chu Tao categorically find out that she didn't like him at all, and even made up her mind that she was unwilling to marry her, and suddenly felt that ten thousand arrows pierced her heart and she couldn't help it.

Sun Yihao also saw Chu Tao muttering something to Xiaohong, but he didn't have the courage to listen to it anymore, he staggered, didn't even dare to look at Chu Tao again, and turned back to the garden dejectedly, as if falling into a cold ice cave.