It's still very cold in March in Beijing, but it's very warm in the room, and it's a good time to sleep at three o'clock in the morning.

Tan Yin woke up, stunned for a while, turned her head to look out the window, it was pitch black outside, there was silence all around, and she only heard the wind blowing.

He continued to close his eyes and wanted to continue to sleep for a while, but his head was getting more and more awake, and he suddenly felt thirsty, so he got up and lit a candle, poured water from the thermos and drank it, and after drinking, he continued to go back to bed and sit up.

On the dim candle flame, Tan Yin looked at the Qiangong stepping bed, the splendid Luo tent and the hibiscus warm quilt, simple and atmospheric, different from the delicate and meticulous in the south, and was already in Beijing.

Yesterday, I received a letter from Li Zheng, saying that he was coming over today, but he couldn't see him with a haggard face, so he lay down and slept for a while. Tossing and turning, I forced myself to be half-squinted and half-awake for a while, and when the morning light first appeared outside, I couldn't lie down anymore, so I got up and put on my clothes.

After washing, I walked to a corner of the wardrobe in the room, picked out clothes for a long time, this one is too bright, this is old, this color is not good-looking, and finally picked a green embroidered green bamboo silk robe, covering the fox and crane given by my grandmother.

Sitting in front of the dresser, I looked at the person in the bronze mirror, with black hair, fair complexion, and beautiful beauty. I don't know what hairstyle is trendy in the capital, so I combed a double-ring bun like Lu Qing, inserted the rose silver hairpin given by Li Zheng, thinly applied vermilion powder, and lightly painted willow eyebrows.

When he was dressed and half-bright, he picked up the book again, read a few pages and put it down, watching the more leaky sand leak down little by little, and I couldn't wait to shake it a few more times to make it faster.

……

Mrs. Tan and Tan Yin waited in the hall after breakfast, and Yan Ting was also with them as male guests. Tan Yin's heart kept ringing, and Honeysuckle knew the girl's thoughts, so she kept running to the front to investigate.

Mrs. Tan saw that Tan Yin's cheeks were crimson, her lips were delicate, and her black hair was full of roses and silver hairpins, and she saw her restless and eagerly looking forward to it, and she was also happy for her daughter in her heart. The mother and daughter came to Beijing for Tan Yin's lifelong event, the couple only had this one daughter, from the immature baby girl who fell to the ground to the slim cardamom girl now, I can't wait to give her the best things in the world, Li Zheng is Tan Jun's proud protégé, the two are in love, talented and beautiful, if this marriage can be successful, it will be really good.

When it was about Mochen, I saw Honeysuckle trotting all the way from the moon gate with a smile on his face, entering the hall, panting and saying, "Madam, girl, the two sons have arrived." ”

Tan Yin stood up awkwardly and was about to go out to greet her, Mrs. Tan glanced at her, her face showed disapproval, Tan Yin reacted and sat back again. Seeing her aunt and cousin like this, Yan Ting touched her nose with her hand to hide her smile.

Tan Yin stretched her neck, only to see the two of them enter the moon gate and come to the courtyard, the first person walked from the courtyard wearing a green shirt, his posture was as tall as a green bamboo, Tan Yin's heart was like a drum for a while, and she stood up suddenly, tears overflowed her eyes, and she suddenly felt that the world was empty, and suddenly realized that she seemed to be out of shape, and she turned around and wiped her tears with her hand.

In an instant, the two of them entered the hall and greeted everyone. Everyone was around, Li Zheng didn't dare to look at Tan Yin more, but when he saw the rose silver hairpin, the eyes of the two met, but they were already silent. Tan Yin's heart suddenly calmed down, and joy was like the tide that was pressed by the bluestone slab, slowly crossing the slate and surging up.

Li Zheng is longer and more handsome than a year ago. He was dressed in a azure cotton gauze robe, and his hair was tied up with a green hosta, thinking that he had not done farm work for a long time, and his skin was much fairer.

Several people sat down, Li Zheng and Zhang Ziqing greeted their wife and others, and asked about the journey and the first time they came to the capital, Mrs. Tan replied with a smile on her face.

Li Zheng and Mrs. Tan have always corresponded, and Mrs. Tan knows that the two of them arrived in Beijing at the end of October last year.

"Rucheng, Ziqing, how did you two do in the exam?" Mrs. Tan couldn't help but ask about the Beijing test that had just ended, and Tan Yin pricked up her ears.

"Master, you don't know yet! I'm sure I'll be able to go to high school, so I don't expect it. Zhang Ziqing said with a smile: There was no sadness on his face, he didn't have much hope for the Beijing test, and he was selected for it.

"Master, don't listen to Ziqing's nonsense: my knowledge is still good in Wujiang, but I have barely arrived in Jinling, and now I am far behind in Shangjing." Li Zheng hurriedly retorted.

"You see, you see, you're being humble again, every time you say it's far worse, every time it's high school." Zhang Ziqing pointed his finger at Li Zheng and said to Mrs. Tan with a smile.

Everyone laughed, and Tan Yin's heart was even sweeter. Li Zheng is calm, pragmatic and cautious, and Tan Jun and his wife have always admired him.

Li Zheng looked at everyone and wanted to explain again, but finally gave up, so he had to smile helplessly.

"Master, I just arrived, and I didn't bring anything, the dim sum in Beijing Sufangzhai tasted special, we bought two boxes here, and I don't know if it suits our appetite." Li Zheng pointed to the dim sum he brought.

"Master, Su Fang Zhai Xue E-Niang is very famous, I can't get up in the morning, Li Zheng got up in the third watch and rushed to the northwest gate for more than an hour to queue up to buy, but I can't buy it later." Zhang Ziqing added.

Li Zheng frowned slightly, "Why do you have so many mouths, just buy a snack!" ”

"You two children, and your wife are so polite!" Mrs. Tan smiled like a flower.

"Now that the Beijing test has passed, the next thing is to choose, how are the two brothers prepared?" Hikoting asked.

Li Zheng replied: "If you are lucky enough to go to high school, you will naturally have to wait for the arrangement of the ministry." If you can't, you will be selected in two months, so you will naturally have to go all out. For example, if there are many scholars gathered today, it is a rare opportunity to learn. Ziqing and I have been in Beijing since the end of last year, and we have made friends while studying. The selection requires the recommendation of two officials above the fourth grade, and there are many officials in Jinling, and they also went to visit several adults with the scholars. ”

Since ancient times, it is a political tradition for hometown scholars to visit officials, officials to promote hometown scholars, to have the friendship between teachers and students, or even to form party alliances, which has advantages and disadvantages for the imperial court, and the emperor can't help it, so he turns a blind eye. The fact that two officials are now required to nominate them creates an opportunity for party alliances, but also hopes to disperse the teacher-student friendship between individuals through the recommendation of two officials.

"Exactly, we have to visit more adults and scholars this month." Zhang Ziqing responded and said.

There is still a month before the Beijing trial unveiling list, and the next thing is to choose, and it is essential to make friends with current and potential officials on the official path, and everyone has seized the time to visit around, participate in various gatherings, and inquire about all kinds of news.

A few people chatted again, and learned that Li Zheng and Zhang Ziqing settled in Liujia Hutong, which is a civilian area in the east of the city, because the price is cheap, it is the place where many poor scholars enter Beijing to take the exam.

Yan Ting saw that Li Zheng was talented but not arrogant, steady but not pedantic, and he was quite satisfied, and several people talked about the affairs of the capital while drinking tea. Mrs. Tan asked Tan Yin to prepare lunch first.

Tan Yin was a little puzzled, why did the two of them need to prepare their own meals, they had already arranged it, but it was inconvenient to leave the house without asking more.

Tan Yin asked Honeysuckle to take care of it in the kitchen, and prepared some things, and came back when it was handled, just after passing the moon gate, he was pulled down by a person to the shade, and turned his head to see that it was Li Zheng.

"Huh? How did you get out! Tan Yin was taken aback, and quickly looked around, fortunately, the old apricot tree was densely shaded, and it was by the moon gate, forming a narrow space with the houses next to it, and it was really unnoticeable at first glance.

"I finally found a vacancy, and I haven't had a chance to talk to you alone." Li Zheng said eagerly.

Tan Yin was looked at by him, her face became hotter and hotter, and she lowered her head embarrassedly.

"How are you doing in Hangzhou this year?" Li Zheng looked at her greedily, a group of people were there just now, embarrassed to stare at her all the time, and now he can finally get his wish and feast his eyes.

The girl in front of me is more beautiful than last year, but there is a little more indescribable taste: or she has grown, a little more steady, a little sad, or something else.

Of course, something happened in Hangzhou, but it's a long story, now is a good time to speak, Tan Yin didn't want him to worry, raised his head and looked at those sincere eyes and said, "I'm okay, what about you?" ”。

"That's good, I see that you are more reduced than before today, and I'm worried about whether you're not having a good year!" Li Zheng was relieved.

When Tan Yin heard this, tears were about to fall, but she suppressed herself and said, "Don't worry, I eat, drink and sleep well at my grandfather's house, everyone is very good to me, Hangzhou has beautiful mountains and waters, there are too many delicious and fun things, it's too late for me to be happy!" ”

Li Zheng nodded, looked at her and said, "You can talk to me slowly in the future." Ayin, I still remember that we were still putting lanterns by the river this time last year, but a year has passed, and time flies so fast,"

Tan Yin remembered that the two of them complained to each other by the river at the spring equinox last year, and thought that he studied hard, and he copied books day and night, and he didn't know how many books he copied in exchange for the silver hairpin. Thinking of this, he touched the silver hairpin on his head and said, "You're okay this year!" ”

"I'm fine, I just miss you, the two of us have never been apart for so long, I just hope we won't be separated for so long in the future." Li Zheng looked at her and said.

Tan Yin heard Li Zheng's love words, her heart beat like a drum, looked into his eyes and said, "My mother and I came to Beijing this time, one is to play and relax, and the other is to be for you." ”

Li Zheng heard this, looked at her bright eyes, held her shoulders with both hands, smiled in his eyes, and said happily: "You are here for me!" ”

Seeing his expression like this, Tan Yin turned her head away shyly, leaving only half of the peach blossoms.

"Ayin, you just asked me how good this year is. Ten years of hard work, this year first Jinling, then Beijing, leaving Wujiang, I know the world's big, talent show. I used to think I was outstanding, but now I know that I used to be a frog at the bottom of a well. Seeing these things about these people, let me know that I am still far from the way of learning, and I said before that I must let you wear the phoenix crown and xia veil, but now it seems that it is really arrogant. Li Zheng turned her head and said.

"Before, I always wanted to wait until high school to think about you and me, otherwise I wouldn't have the face to propose to my master and mother. Now that the Beijing test has passed, I naturally hope to succeed, but I have been promoted, and I must not insult you, and when the Beijing test is passed, I will let my mother come to ask for marriage, are you willing. ”

Tan Yin looked at his eyes full of anticipation, no longer reserved, and nodded solemnly: "Okay, I'll wait for you." ”

Before the words fell, Li Zheng immediately hugged her into his arms, put his chin on her hair, and gently stroked her back, the two were speechless, and only Li Zheng's heavy breathing was heard in the silence. This is not a place to stay for a long time, Li Zheng finally let go of her after a while, saw her red lips and white teeth, and knew her affection for herself, so he couldn't help but lower his head and step forward for a while.

Suddenly, something seemed to fall to the ground in the east wing room opposite, and there was a "bang", waking up the two people who were deeply in love.

"Rucheng, I've been out for a long time, I'll go back first." Tan Yin's face was full of shame, and she didn't dare to look at him anymore, so she walked quickly towards the hall without looking back.

Li Zheng watched with a smile on the corner of his mouth as she ran back in a panic, and then looked at the east wing opposite. The apricot blossoms were full of branches, falling with the wind, and Li Zheng picked up one in his mouth, which was sweet and silky.

……

After the two finished their Chinese food, they sat down for a while and said goodbye, and as soon as they left with their front feet, the two Yanya sisters arrived with their back feet.

Yan Min smiled and said, "Auntie, there are many rules for reading, and we can't see male guests yet." ”

"Aren't you arranging the elders, this is Shangjing, my uncle-in-law is a scholar, and he pays the most attention to the rules, not Hangzhou's own family, you have to be attentive." Yan Ting frowned and said.

"Got it, big brother." Yan Min replied with a pout. The Gao family is a businessman's family, and there are not so many rules.

Mrs. Tan looked at the two boxes of Xue'e Niang on the table and beckoned a few to try them.

"Su Fangzhai's dim sum, I heard Aqing say that it is difficult to buy, every day at a fixed time, and it will not wait for it to expire." Yan Min tasted one.

"Jujube paste? Ayin, don't you like to eat jujube paste stuffing the most! Yan Min squeezed her eyes at Tan Yin, Tan Yin was embarrassed and turned her head to ignore her jokes. Everyone looked at them and laughed.