"That...... I'm going to clean up. ”

After Chu Cheng finished speaking with a red face, she opened the door as if she was running away, and called Xi Dusk to wash up.

Lin Boqin was tidying up his clothes on his back, and the two of them did their own thing, but they didn't speak.

Twilight and Maunbi glanced at each other, feeling the strange atmosphere in the room, so they even handled the washbasin with care.

Lin Boqin didn't even eat breakfast, so he asked Mrs. Lin for peace, so he went to the yamen under the pretext of saying that he was there.

Chu Cheng looked at his hurried back, thinking to himself, it is almost the Chinese New Year's Eve, and many people in Yamen have taken leave to return to their hometowns, what can they do? But thinking of the embarrassment of the two not long ago, her cheeks were slightly hot, and she tacitly knew it.

Since then, Lin Boqin has been going out early and returning late.

Basically, when he came back, Chu Cheng had already slept; And when Chu Cheng woke up, the floor was put into the cabinet, and Lin Boqin was nowhere to be seen.

Chu Cheng is thick-skinned, she has long forgotten those things, and she is both funny and angry when she sees Lin Boqin hiding from her like a plague god every day.

Unknowingly, in an inexplicably paradoxical atmosphere, Chu Cheng ushered in her first big year outside the palace.

Usually, the palace will start preparing for the palace banquet more than half a month in advance. On the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, the imperial family sat together in the main hall and presented 360 imperial dishes, and if the emperor tasted delicious, he would order the people of the inner chamberlain to send them to the mansions of favored ministers and state relatives. The palace banquet was basically celebrated until the second half of the night, and Chu Cheng was sleepy every time she fought, feeling that the hall was full of gold and splendor, and the vocal music of the singers was noisy and gave people a headache.

But in Lin Boqin's home, it's different.

Mrs. Lin led the two of them to incense the spiritual seat of Mr. Lin first, and then said a few auspicious words, and then pulled everyone to have a New Year's dinner together. A few maids and house slaves can also start another stove, set a table next to them, drink and sing, and have no restraints.

The Lin family is frugal, but there are fish and meat on the New Year's dinner table, which is very hearty and can't be eaten at all.

Chu Cheng and Lin Boqin smirked, pretending to be very affectionate and amiable in front of Old Madam Lin. Sandwich vegetables with each other, and glance at each other from time to time, as if glue and paint.

At the end, Chu Cheng smiled and raised the sweet wine in the cup, and casually wished: "I wish my husband a smooth career in the future, and he will rise to the top." ”

Lin Boqin hesitated for a moment, picked up the porcelain cup in front of him, bumped lightly with her, and said, "I also wish Mrs. all her wishes come true, and she will always smile." ”

"Very good, very good." Old Madam Lin looked at the two of them with a kind smile, "Then I, an old woman, also wish your children a pair and a hundred years of happiness." ”

Lin Boqin's expression flashed and he didn't speak.

"Thank you, mother." Chu Ji answered in a generous and sweet voice.

It was cold in winter, and the New Year's dinner did not last long, and when the New Year was over, Mrs. Lin couldn't stand the sleepiness and let Xidui and Mabi help them into the house.

Chu Cheng and Lin Boqin said goodbye to the old lady and went back to the house together.

But when the door was closed, he laid the floor, burned the stove, and went about his own business.

Chu Cheng broke her hair in a bun, blew out the candles, and jumped on the bed with the stove in her arms, and the sound of "bang" was particularly clear in the dark night.

Lin Boqin hadn't slept yet, he frowned, but didn't say anything.

The snow reflected very brightly tonight, but Chu Cheng inadvertently saw his expression. The sound of fireworks and firecrackers sounded from time to time outside, and it was difficult to sleep for a while.

She moistened her throat with saliva, and simply chatted with Lin Boqin: "Did Gu Jingtong go back to his hometown for the New Year?" ”

Since the last embarrassment, Chu Cheng hadn't chatted with him properly, but he didn't expect that when he opened his mouth tonight, it was Gu Jingtong who asked.

Lin Boqin suppressed the faint unhappiness in his heart, and said in a deep voice: "I went back the day before yesterday." ”

"Oh."

Chu Cheng didn't know what to say, and asked after a while, "Then when will he come to the county office?" ”

"After the third year of junior high school."

After answering, there was silence for a long time.

Chu Cheng thought that Lin Boqin would say something, but he waited for a long time and didn't follow, so he had to continue to pull the topic on Gu Jingtong: "Ah yes, Gu Jingtong and you have been classmates since childhood?" Where did you study, in Wangzhou or ......?"

"You care about Gu Jingtong very much?"

Lin Boqin couldn't help but blurt out a question, and his tone didn't notice a trace of impatience in his tone.

Chu Cheng found out.

She played with the stove in her hand and muttered, "I don't care about him, I just want to talk to you, but you're good, and you don't have the slightest desire to talk to me...... Forget it, I wish you all the best for the New Year, I slept there. ”

After speaking, Chu Cheng turned over and faced the wall in displeasure and closed her eyes.

Lin Boqin lifted his eyelids lightly, borrowed the light of the snow, looked at the faintly graceful figure in the gauze tent, and did not say anything more.

***

The next day, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, Chu Ji got up early in the morning because she wanted to go to Bishui Temple in Xixia Mountain with Mrs. Lin to offer incense.

The sky was dark blue, and fine snow was falling. Chu Cheng was wrapped in three layers inside and three layers outside, wearing a rabbit fur cloak, like a moving hairball. A delicate little face is inlaid in the furry, which makes Yuxue even more cute.

Lin Boqin didn't go to the temple to offer incense all the years, so Mrs. Lin didn't call him, and followed her new daughter-in-law to talk and laugh and get into the carriage.

Chu Cheng lifted the curtain to breathe, and saw Lin Boqin standing under the steps of the back door, dressed in an indigo robe, clear and sassy, like pine and bamboo.

Lin Boqin hesitated for a moment, and was about to step forward and say that he would also go to incense together, but unexpectedly, Chu Cheng put down the curtain "brush", but ignored him.

The carriage sparkled, crushing the snow and slowly drove towards the West Gorge Mountain.

It was almost time to reach the foot of the mountain, the morning fog cleared, and the snow began to clear, which was a rare sunny day.

Old Madam Lin didn't look at the old Longzhong, but her body was very tough, and when she walked up to the Bishui Temple halfway up the mountain, she only gasped, her face was ruddy, not much worse than Chu Cheng.

In front of the temple, Mrs. Lin held Chu Cheng's hand and praised her vigorously: "Siniang, seeing that you are thin and weak, I didn't expect you to be quite strong!" You have also come to such a long mountain road. ”

Chu Cheng smiled slightly, thinking, what is this? She once competed with Huo Ying, and climbed to the top of Mount Tai in one day!

"Mother, this mountain road is paved with stone slabs, so it is not difficult to walk."

Old Madam Lin didn't think much about it, but still praised her a few words.

At this time, a novice came to him, Chu Cheng saw it familiarly, and remembered that it was the little master who came to Xixia Mountain with Lin Boqin, Xie Luoying, Xiao Qi and others last time.

Shami clasped his hands together at Chu Cheng and Mrs. Lin and said, "Amitabha, the two donors have come from afar to pray for the Bodhisattva's blessing for a smooth and safe year. When Chu Cheng saw that he was holding a copper bowl in his hand, he would come to his senses, and directly took out one or two pieces of silver from his sleeve, and said, "Little master, this is sesame oil money, please accept it." ”

Shami did not refuse, took the sesame oil money, said some blessings to Chu Cheng and Mrs. Lin, and led the two of them in to offer incense. Mrs. Lin was worshipping the Buddha on incense, Chu Cheng was not very interested, and when she saw that there was a monk standing next to her, she went to shake one by hand.

She handed the bamboo stick to the white-bearded old monk and said with a smile: "Please ask the master to solve your doubts." ”

The old monk took the bamboo stick, looked at it carefully for a long time with empty eyes, and asked, "Is it seeking talent or luck?" ”

Chu Ji didn't think much about it, thinking of Lin Boqin in her mind, and blurted out: "I want to ask for marriage." As soon as these words came out, she herself was stunned.

Immediately, he looked left and right with a weak heart, but fortunately, except for the old monk in front of him, no one saw it.

The old monk stroked his beard and recited the signature: "Get what you want, get what you want, decide to take it." At the end, the head of the jaw said, "Sign up!" ”

Chu Cheng was stunned for a moment, held back her heartbeat, suppressed her joy, and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean?" ”

"Jun's marriage is as it should be, and Jun is at this extraordinary time. You can make a decision without hesitation, and you can't hesitate, otherwise you will lose the east corner, and you will not be able to receive the mulberry elm. After the old monk finished speaking, he handed the signed document to Chu Cheng and smiled slightly, "Madame, take it well, don't hesitate, otherwise you won't regret it." ”

Chu Cheng took a breath, looked at the word "Shangshang" on the bamboo stick, and muttered to herself: "Otherwise, I won't regret it......"

If she leaves Lin Boqin, will she regret it?

It's ridiculous!

She didn't like the stinky stone on the coffin face!

"Siniang?"

Chu Cheng heard the call of the old lady Lin behind her, hurriedly put the signature into her sleeve, and turned around and said, "Mother, what's the matter?" ”

Old Madam Lin twisted her eyebrows, held her arm, and asked, "Have you ever seen a smell of mush?" ”

Chu Cheng was stunned for a moment, and then sniffed hard, mixed with the unique sandalwood smell in the temple, and sure enough, there was a smell of something being burned by the fire, as if it was......

"Dangdang, dang!"

A hurried gong sounded suddenly, and a novice rushed out from behind the main hall with the gong in his hand, shouting hoarsely: "The water is gone!" Walk the water! Come on, hurry up and put out the fire! ”

"It's on fire! Mother, leave quickly. Chu Cheng pulled Mrs. Lin out of the hall quickly, walked into the courtyard, and looked back, the hall was full of black smoke, and the fire reflected the heaven and earth, red and hot.

The monks all carried buckets and wooden basins, and went to the back of the main hall to rush in, and after a while, the pilgrims who came to offer incense also helped to extinguish the fire together, and the voices were noisy.

Chu Cheng was afraid that the dust and smoke raised by the fire would choke Old Madam Lin, so she hurriedly went down the mountain first.

When I arrived at the foot of the mountain, I saw that the fire of the temple had been extinguished, and there was only a small amount of smoke.

Mrs. Lin clasped her hands and asked worriedly, "I don't know if this fire is big or not, and whether anyone is injured." Chu Cheng didn't know, but she patted the back of Mrs. Lin's hand comfortingly: "Don't worry, mother, the temple is a good place, and the Buddha will definitely bless it." ”

Because the Bishui Temple caught fire, I put on incense and went back to Lin Mansion.

At this time, it was just late to twilight, and Mrs. Lin was bored in Qingshui County, and was anxious to go back to Fengshui to get together with her old friends, so that Lin Boqin hired a carriage to send her away.

In the past, Lin Boqin would keep his mother for a few days, but this time it was different.

Under the supervision of the old lady, he had to live in the same room with Chu Cheng, his thoughts were chaotic, but he hoped that the old lady would return to Fengshui soon.

Old Madam Lin didn't think much about it, explained that Lin Boqin treated Chu Cheng well, and said gently: "I hope that next time I come over, I can hear your good news." ”

Lin Boqin's expression stiffened slightly.

Chu Cheng nodded with a smile: "Got it, mother." ”

The two stood side by side, watching the old lady Lin's carriage drive away, the wheels rolling, blending with the dark night.

A cold wind blew after the snow, and Chu Cheng couldn't help but shiver.

Seeing this, Lin Boqin was about to say go back, when he heard a rapid sound of horses' hooves galloping towards him. He and Chu Cheng looked up at the same time, and saw that the person who came was Hu Yu, who was on night duty at the county office.

"My lord! Someone beat the drum to report the crime-"

Hu Yu turned over and dismounted, almost falling down, but Chu Cheng kindly helped him.

Hu Yu's heart was moved, and he nodded at Chu Cheng: "Thank you, madam." ”

Chu Cheng smiled: "It's okay, what happened?" ”

Hu Yu glanced at Lin Boqin, and then hugged his fists and said: "My lord, the host of Bishui Temple in Xixia Mountain has come to report the case, saying that there is a fire in Bishui Temple and there is a heavy loss!" ”

Lin Boqin frowned slightly, Chu Cheng and Old Lady Lin had told him about it, but he didn't take it to heart as an ordinary unintentional fire. At this time, I listened to the host's report, and I realized that things were extraordinary.

"Why did Bishui Temple suffer such a loss?"

Hu Yu replied: "Master Xuanming, the presiding officer, said that someone deliberately set fire to the temple, and when he set it on fire, he took advantage of the chaos to snatch the merit box containing the silver money!" When he said this, his tone trembled a little, "The novice in the temple saw the bandits who set fire to the box, and Lord Lin must not have guessed who it was. ”

Lin Boqin's expression was solemn and he asked, "Who is it?" ”

Hu Yu pointed in the direction of the city gate, swallowed his saliva, and said word for word: "It's the Jiangyang thief who was wanted everywhere by the imperial court, Yu Xuanji!" ”

Chu Hui: "......"

Is this novice who witnessed Jade Xuanji a fool?