"Oh brother, you're back. Missed me. Li Yong stepped forward a few steps and gave Lu Seventeen a bear hug.

Lu Qiqi ruthlessly pushed him away, dusted off the felt coat that was scratched and wrinkled by Li Yong's bear claws, and before he could speak, Li Yong had already ignored his existence, turned to Banniang and grinned: "Oh, Eighth Sister, why are you here too?" Want to ......"

Before the sentence "I miss my brother to death" was spoken, Lu Qiqi slapped him hard from behind, and scolded with a smile: "You are also a person with status now, why are you still so unproductive." Speak well. ”

Li Yong thought about it, and also felt that it seemed a little inappropriate to say to Banniang that he wanted to kill you, so he smiled, that straightforward and cute look, and he really looked like a profiteer.

I saw Banniang who was riding on a tall horse behind her, and two people jumped out of the carriage, one looked like a maid, and was curiously looking at him with a smile covering her mouth, I didn't know her, but the other was familiar, just to Cang'er, he secretly shuddered, why did such a female Yama also come? But he also hugged his fists and smiled: "Miss Cang'er, you are here too." ”

Cang Er looked at this thing, and somehow, his heart was on fire, and he had the urge to come forward and beat his unreliable fat face, so he only gave a cold "um" and stopped paying attention to him.

In fact, the Li family's frog is really not fat now, but just strong.

But Banniang smiled and said, "Brother Li, what kind of wind blew you to the capital?" ”

Speaking of this, Li Yong's face was bitter, and before he could speak, he was dragged away by Lu Shixiyi and said, "I have something to say back to the house." ”

The porter, who had been standing by the door, stepped forward to respectfully salute everyone and welcomed them in.

Banniang looked at Lu Seventeen's yard, there were some strange pines and cypresses planted in the front yard, a wide bluestone road straight flower hall in the middle, wings on both sides, the flower hall was high and wide, and there was no doubt that it was something in Banniang's woodware shop. I don't know where he got it.

There are several calligraphy and calligraphy paintings hanging on the front, and some pots are carried on the flower racks on both sides, and the arrangement is very simple. However, in this cold winter, looking at this lush greenery makes people rejoice.

A few people sat down, and two maids of fifteen or sixteen years old served tea.

Because it was noon, several people didn't eat, so Lu Qiqi asked the maid, "Is there a ready-made meal in the kitchen?" ”

Even if there is, it is just some people's meals, and one of them has a bewitching figure, so he replied with a light smile: "If you go back to Gongzi, if you eat at home, you need to cook it freshly, I'm afraid it will take some time." Why don't you have some snacks first? It is also good to ask the guests to cushion their stomachs first. ”

Li Yong waved his hand and said, "What kind of snacks to eat, the little eighth sister is here, let's just go to Fanlou for a meal, what?" Don't talk about it, my brother just invites the little eighth sister to Fanlou every day, and he can afford it. ”

When the maid heard this, she glanced at Cang'er without a trace, and said in her heart, Could this be the future lady of the son? is still a person like Gongzi, how beautiful the daughter-in-law who has not passed through the door is, in the end, she comes from a small place, but her appearance is nothing more than that, even if she is dressed, she really can't compare with the famous and noble people in Beijing.

But he didn't want Cang'er to listen to Li Yong's words, so he only glanced at Li Yong with disdain, but the little boy who looked extremely handsome smiled when he heard this, and said very sweetly: "Although I also want to see how magnificent the first restaurant in the world is, the eldest brother of the Li family is now rich, and it is okay to invite us to eat and drink in that Fan Building." But the eighth sister has been in the dust all the way, and she wants to rest for a day. It's better to go another day. ”

Lu Qiqi scolded with a smile: "Don't listen to him, when that Fan Lou can eat whenever you want?" Then he turned his head to the maid and said, "Go and clean up the main room in the backyard and give it to Miss Eight and Miss Cang'er to live, and this Thirteen Master Xu will clean up a guest room in the front yard, and turn around and ask someone to pack up the luggage for them." ”

When the maid heard it, these are the two young ladies? Could it be that she is dressed like a maid, what kind of Miss Cang'er is? And Lu Qiqi asked him to clean up the main room in the backyard instead of the guest room, could it be that these people still want to live at home for a long time? Thinking about it like this, I was already a little uncomfortable in my heart, but they came to comfort Lu Gongzi, could it be that these rural buns should also make them comfortable?

was puzzled, and saw Lu Qiqi say to Banniang: "Eighth sister, the food cooked by my mother-in-law in the kitchen here may not enter your mouth, why don't I ask someone to go to the restaurant to order a table of noodles, and eat it first?" ”

Banniang said with a smile: "I will call it now, I have to wait, and in more than an hour, it will be time for dinner, just eat some snacks and deal with it first." ”

"It's all home, how can you make the eighth sister wronged." Before Lu Seventeen could speak, Li Yong had already rushed to say, "There is a restaurant not far ahead, and the southern dishes are very good, maybe it can meet the taste of the eighth sister, I will call my little maid to call, the evening is the evening, let's go out at night to eat a good meal, and also wash the dust for the eighth sister." ”

Only then did the maid understand that the handsome young man in this men's costume was the future lady of the son? I couldn't help but pout secretly in my heart, feeling that people from small places really couldn't get on the stage and had no rules.

Lu Qiyi thought about it, it was indeed not a big deal to only eat dim sum, in the end, it was also the first meal in the capital, and besides, he didn't eat too well along the way, so he responded to Li Yong's words. I sent someone to the restaurant to order a banquet.

May, who had been standing on the side, spoke: "Childe and the young ladies are talking, the slave maid should go and clean up the house first, and when lunch is served, Miss Eight and Miss Cang'er can rest for a while." ”

Only then did Lu Qiqi order the distracted maid who had been standing beside him and said, "Ruyi, you lead May to settle down first." It's cold at this time, so remember to put more carbon fires in the house. Miss Eight is not used to the climate in the north and can't stand the cold. ”

Ruyi was busy with the blessing of the body, and said softly: "Yes, the slave and maid will go." ”

As he spoke, he smiled at May: "This sister, please come with me." ”

Seeing Ruyi leading May out of the house, Cang Er frowned and said to Lu Seventeen: "Where did you buy this maid?" The weak willow supports the wind, how can there be a way to do things? ”

Lu Qiqi joked: "There are mothers-in-law to do things, and the maids who are close to them, what can they do?" It's pleasing to the eye. But I didn't buy it, it was rewarded by King Yijun. ”

Cang'er snorted, sat impatiently, and said, "You talk, I'll go to the backyard to have a look." ”

As he spoke, he threw up his sleeves and walked out of the house, and Xu Shisan saw that she was gone, and it was not easy to sit, so he said, "The villain also went to see the luggage." ”

Lu Qiqi sent away the maid who had been standing with her head hanging down: "You also go to the backyard to help Ruyi." ”

When he heard the words, he blessed his body and left the house without saying a word.

Lu Qiqi asked Li Yong at this time: "When did you arrive?" ”

Li Yong said: "You walk on the front foot, and I will arrive on the back foot." If my brother doesn't come back, I'm planning to leave Beijing and go back to Nanfeng. But now that my brother is back, I'm rushing back, slower, I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up with the New Year, it's better to spend it here with my brother, and now the little eighth sister is also here, we haven't played anywhere for many years, so it's good that this year's New Year, let's be together, have a good time. ”

"I didn't let you come here to play. Besides, when you are the eighth sister, you are not doing your job properly? But if you don't go back, I'll have to go to the office in two days, you have been around these days, I want to be familiar with the capital, and you will lead the eighth sister to take a good turn. ”

Li Yong was born to eat, drink and have fun, and in the past two or three months, Lu Qiqi was not there, didn't he just go all over the capital? If he talks about where to have a good time, where to eat well, where the scenery is beautiful, and where to buy and sell, he is afraid that he knows better than Lu Qiqi, a person who has lived in the capital for two or three years.

Hearing Lu Qiqi's words, Li Yong hurriedly promised: "Brother don't worry, just hand over the little eighth sister to me, and make sure that the little eighth sister has a good time." As he spoke, he turned to Banniang and said, "Brother Ming'er will lead you to the four royal gardens first." ”

The so-called four royal gardens, one is the Yujin Garden outside the Nanxun Gate, the other is the Yichun Garden outside the Guzi Gate in the west of the city, and the two places are the Jinming Pond in the north of the road outside the Shuntian Gate in the west of the city, and the Qionglin Garden in the south of the road.

Banniang is the other three who have never heard of it, and this Qionglin Yuan is always like thunder. Joke, that's the place where the emperor and his old man entertained the new champions and feasted the new scholars, who doesn't know that the Qionglin banquet that everyone in the world flocks to?

"But," Banniang pretended to be innocent and asked, "But the eldest brother of the Li family, can we really go in and visit the four major gardens?" That's great, I'm just trying to see how the royal garden is decorated, and I can learn it, maybe I can still paint a few sets of household items in the same way, and if I do a good job because of this, I will definitely return to Brother Xie Li again. ”

Li Yong was blown up for a while, and was asked on the spot, but he didn't see embarrassment, he only laughed: "You can't get in, but we can go around the wall." ”

Isn't it neurotic that the cold weather revolves around the walls of people's courtyards, blowing cold air and drinking cold wind? Lu Qiqi glared at him helplessly, and got down to business: "Tell me, what have you been doing these days?" ”

When it comes to business, Li Yong accepted the unreliable look and said: "I only wandered around the city to see where there were suitable shops to open a shop, but I looked at a few places, but because my brother is not there, I am not familiar with Jingli after all, and I am not in a hurry about this matter after all, so I want to wait for my brother to come back and ask you for an idea." Later, I had a drink with someone in a teahouse, and I met King Yijun and called me over to say a few words. Later, I called someone to come over and invite me to go to the Yijun Palace. ”

"How could King Yijun recognize you? What did I say to you? What do you say? ”

Li Yong smiled and said: "How did you recognize me, I don't know, but I didn't say anything, I just said that I knew that you were good friends with me, and I heard that I opened a soybean oil mill and a soy sauce mill, so I asked a few words, and then the king of Yijun sent me, and after a few days, he invited me to have a meal in the county king's mansion." But he didn't show up in person, and he didn't look for me again. ”

Lu Qiqi nodded and said: "This is the capital, no more than other places, you should pay more attention to what you say and act in the future, at the feet of the Son of Heaven, if you cause trouble, no one can help you." I'm just a petty official of the Si Nong Division, not to mention officials in Bianjing City, but those who guard the door of the prince's house, I'm afraid they all have more face than you and me. ”

"Do you have to explain this to my brother?" Li Yong smiled, "Don't worry, I know in my heart, in the past few years, have I ever caused a trouble?" I take my brother's words to heart. By the way, speaking of which, a few days ago, I met someone from the allergy county prince's mansion, and then looked for me to talk, I went once, and then looked for it again, I excused the business matter, I couldn't do it, and I had to go back to invite the grandfather of my family, and said that I was busy returning to my hometown, so I pushed it. ”

"Minjun Palace?" Lu Qiqi frowned, "The people of their family are looking for you?" What was said? How did I meet you? ”

Li Yong smiled: "As long as you want to meet, can you still find a chance?" It's just about my two workshops, and the people from Minjun Wangfu seem to be very interested. So if my brother doesn't come back, I'll really have to take refuge outside the capital. ”

"You have grown and know to avoid it, let me ask you, from the Minjun Palace, do you know that you have been to the Yijun Palace?"

Seeing that although Lu Qiqi had a smile on his face, there was no smile in his eyes, Li Yong hurriedly said: "I don't know, the people from the Minjun Royal Mansion have asked me, but my younger brother is stupid, and he also knows that this kind of thing can't be said nonsense, so he resolutely denied it at that time." I said at the time that at the beginning of the establishment of the workshop, the rules were set, and eighty percent of the profits were donated to the government and court, and these accounts can be checked, so although the workshop made a lot of money, it fell into my hands, but it was really not much. ”

When Banniang heard this, she couldn't help frowning: "Brother Seventeen, how did you get mixed up ......?"

"Childe, the house has been cleaned up." Before Banniang finished speaking, she heard the maid called Ruyi say outside.

Lu Qiqi asked Banniang: "Why don't you go and rest for a while?" When the meal arrives, then call someone to the backyard to invite you? ”

Banniang also felt a little tired, although she was worried about whether Lu Seventeen and Li Yong were involved in the battle between King Minjun and Chai Nineteen, but she also knew that the flower hall was really not the place to talk, and the two maids Ruyi and Hexin were the people sent by Chai Nineteen, the king of Yijun, and it was difficult to guarantee that the others were not. Even if Chai Nineteen gave someone to Lu Seventeen, it was just a matter of sending a few subordinates, but if there were some sensitive words, it was not something that could be said casually.

Banniang nodded, smiled and confessed to Li Yong, and was led to the backyard by Ruyi.

Ruyi's attitude seems to be respectful, but in fact it is contemptuous, Banniang is not without feelings, but thinking that even if people are maids, they are also maids raised by the royal family, it is inevitable that her heart will be higher, and she doesn't plan to live here for long, but she doesn't care.

After entering the backyard, I found that Lu Seventeen's backyard was very different from the front yard, although the yard was not big, it was very exquisite, although it was winter. But it is also lush and very quiet.

Because Lu Qiqi asked Lu Qiqi to clean up the main house, Banniang asked: "There is no one living in this backyard on weekdays?" ”

Ruyi replied: "If Miss Hui Ba is concerned, Gongzi lives in the front yard, and he is the only master in the family, the population is simple, and there are usually no visitors, so the backyard has been empty. Because there is usually no one living in it, it is very simple, and please don't be surprised. ”

Banniang smiled and nodded, not to mention the beauty of this girl, and her voice was as tactful as a nightingale, and she was good.

When I got to the porch, May inside probably heard the voice, and greeted her, and asked with a smile: "Eighth Miss, the room has been cleaned up, the slave will go and bring you some water, wash up first, and the dresses you have changed are also ready, and they will be placed at the head of the bed in the inner room." ”

As he spoke, he stepped out of the house and asked Ruyi: "Sister Ruyi, where is the hot water available?" ”

Ruyi said politely: "Miss Eight is a guest, how can there be a reason to ask the guest to do it, please wait for Miss Eight, and the slave will let Hexin prepare some washing things for Miss Eight." ”

May was still about to speak, and when she saw Banniang glancing at her, she smiled at Ruyi and said, "Then there is Sister Lao." ”

Ruyi smiled faintly, bowed to Banniang Fu, and then went out of the backyard.

Banniang walked into the house and looked around, the room was not furnished, simple and tidy, the noon sun shone into the room, the room was bright, which was exactly what she wanted.

May was afraid that she would feel cold, so she hurriedly lifted the curtain and invited Banniang to the inner room.

The inner room was really warmer, Banniang moved her hands and feet, May stepped forward, helped her untie the felt, and said with a smile: "Just add a carbon fire, it will be warmer after a while, and the bed is also made, why don't you lie down for a while, and wait for Sister Hexin to send hot water, and then call Miss?" ”

Banniang smiled: "I'm not sleepy, let's sit down first, what about Sister Cang'er?" ”

"Miss Cang'er didn't talk to the sons in the front yard with you? Didn't you see Miss Cang'er? "May Wonder.

After all, Cang'er is like this, and she can't sit still, so Banniang simply doesn't care where she goes. Because the temperature in the house was getting higher, the cold hands and feet that were still frozen gradually became hot, so Banniang walked a few steps in the house.

At first glance, it was clear that the house was uninhabited all the time, and although a bed and curtain were added temporarily, it was also cold.

May helped Banniang hang up the felt clothes, and found a new set of cotton jackets and hairpins from the cage, planning to let Banniang wash up and put it on, while saying: "Wait a while and then put the cage away." By the way, Miss, this room is very empty, and after a while, the slave maid will ask the two sisters Ruyi and Hexin to see if they can ask for some pots to be cut over. ”

She knew that Banniang liked the green in the house.

Banniang thought for a while and said, "Let's just stay for a few days, don't put the cage away for the time being, just take out some things that you usually use, add things or something, and don't need to be so troublesome." That's it. By the way, you still find me a few sets of men's clothes, I still wear men's clothes cheaply on weekdays. ”

"Miss, mean, we'll go home sooner?" May Joy Road.

Although the capital is good, she prefers the warmth of the south, and the sisters she knows well at home, along the way, she has always been thinking about Miss Ten, Miss Eleven and Miss Jianglai.

Banniang said: "Are you homesick? I mean, let's not live in Brother Seventeen's house all the time, I was thinking, after all, the brothers will also go to Beijing to take the exam in the future, is it difficult for them to settle in the inn in the future? Since we are back, it is not that we have no money, so it is better to buy our own house in the capital. Wouldn't it be more comfortable to have your own home than to live in someone else's home? ”

May smiled, but she didn't think so.

Just looking at the age of the seventeenth prince and the eighth miss, it is almost time to get married, and the eighth miss will be the mistress of the seventeenth son's house in the future, how can it be said that it is someone else's family?