Time is slow

   Chapter 29 Retirement

  The delicate mint leaves give off a faint cool smell, so that the clump can repel mosquitoes in summer.

   He moved again, and saw a hanging honeysuckle hanging on the flower stand. At this time, it was already blooming, golden and snow-white, with a single stalk and two flowers, inseparable.

   Honeysuckle, also known as mandarin duck vine.

   Shao Mingyuan seemed to see the woman who looked like a hibiscus.

  She has lived in this quiet yard for two years, with slender hands, she has planted mint for cooling and repelling mosquitoes, and mandarin duck vines for clearing heat and detoxifying.

   When she stopped and stared at the hanging mandarin duck vine, was she lonely?

   What kind of person is she?

   Shao Mingyuan raised his hand and brushed the petals with his fingers lightly.

  His hands have been holding swords and spears all the year round. The calluses are thick and hard, very rough, and the white petals have fallen.

   Shao Mingyuan hurriedly retracted his hand, looked down at the fallen petals, and held a wry smile at the corner of his mouth.

   A person like him should never marry a wife.

   Shao Mingyuan leaned against the flower stand and looked up at the sky.

   At that time, the sunset had just set, and the splendid sunset was bleak, silently saying goodbye to the world.

  The surroundings were silent except for the low chirping of larvae, and the wind blew, bringing the fragrance of mint.

  Shao Mingyuan stood up straight, raised his hand to brush off the petals that fell from his shoulders, and walked out with his feet raised.

   At this time, several girls in the West Mansion had left school. The first thing they did when they returned to the mansion was to go to Qingsongtang to greet Mrs. Deng, and the Qingsongtang suddenly became lively.

   "Today is a calligraphy class, right?" Mrs. Deng looked at her three granddaughters with a smile.

  The oldest of the three girls is the eldest girl Li Jiao, who has just turned sixteen years old. She has a duck-oval face and willow-yehmei. She is very dignified and delicate, and she is also Mrs. Deng's favorite granddaughter.

  The other two girls are from the second wife Liu. The one in yellow is Li Yan, the fourth girl, who is the same age as Li Zhao, and the one in pink is only in her early ten years.

   As soon as Mrs. Deng asked, the youngest Li Chan said: "Yes, the calligrapher who just changed, but he is strict, and he hit me today."

   She stretched out her white and tender hand to show Mrs. Deng, and there was indeed a red mark on the palm of her hand.

   Mrs. Deng said with a smile: "Prove that the six girls are not working hard enough. The new calligrapher was invited back by Xiangjun himself. You should follow along and try to show your face on this year's Buddha's birthday."

   Today, the son is a believer, but the queen mother believes in Buddhism. Therefore, both Taoist temples and temples are very prosperous in Beijing.

  Every year on the birthday of the Buddha, the female relatives of each prefecture will bring enough sesame oil money and copied Buddhist scriptures to Dafu Temple to participate in activities such as bathing the Buddha.

   Most of those Buddhist scriptures were copied by the female relatives themselves. I don’t know since when, it became an opportunity for each family to display the calligraphy of the girl’s family.

  There is no other reason. There is a Shuying Nunnery on the same hill as Dafu Temple. There lives a eldest princess who has become a mortal. In terms of seniority, it is still called an aunt in today's world. Every year on the birthday of the Buddha, the monks of Dafu Temple will select Buddhist scriptures with outstanding calligraphy and send them to Shuying Temple.

   Every year, the Buddhist scriptures copied by which girl entered the eyes of the monks of Dafu Temple and were sent to the eldest princess, who had a big long face.

   "Buddha's birthday is coming soon, it's too late to crawl." Li Chan pouted.

   Fourth girl Li Yan stretched out her hand and twisted her cheek: "Who made you lazy at ordinary times!"

  Li Chan smiled and hid to the side: "Anyway, it's not much more than me, and there's not a lot of less than me. Isn't there a big sister and a second sister."

  The "eldest sister" in Li Chan's mouth refers to Li Jiao, and the "second sister" refers to Li Jiao, a girl from the Dongfu.

  There are two girls in Dongfu. The second girl, Li Jiao, is a direct descendant, and she is most loved by Mrs. Jiang. It can be said that the girls from the Western residence go to the girls' school opened in the Dongfu to accompany the prince to study.

   As for the fifth girl, Li Shu, she was born from a concubine, so there is no need to mention it.

   "Sixth sister made fun of me again." Li Jiao smiled warmly.

   Mrs. Deng said in a happy atmosphere: "Three girls are back."

  The room was quiet, and the needles could be heard falling.

   Fourth girl Li Yan and sixth girl Li Chan couldn't help but go to see Li Jiao.

   After the initial shock, Li Jiao looked surprised: "Sanmei is back?"

  Her hands were tucked into the lavender sleeves and clenched tightly.

   "It was sent back today."

   "Great, I thought—" Li Jiao bit his lip halfway through, his voice choked.

  Li Yan and Li Chan looked at each other, and both remained silent.

   "Okay, all three of you go back and rest."

   After leaving the Qingsongtang, Li Jiao asked sister Li Yan, "Will the fourth sister and the sixth sister come with me to see the third sister?"

  Li Yan's chin tensed: "Let's go back to Jinrong Garden first to say goodbye to mother."

   "Yeah, who wants to see her, she was kidnapped and came back, it's a shame—"

   "Sixth sister!" Li Yan gave Li Chan a warning glance.

The    sisters walked to the intersection and said goodbye to Li Jiao.

  Looking at the backs of them leaving, Li Jiao raised the corner of his mouth, returned to Yahe Garden, went to greet the He family first, and offered to see Li Zhao.

   Mr. He naturally stopped the person: "No need, Zhaozhao has already stopped."

   "The daughter will see her again tomorrow."

  Li Jiao returned to the East Cross Courtyard, and his face darkened only after entering the house.

   "My girl, why are you unhappy?" A woman in her thirties hugged Li Jiao.

  The woman combed her hair in a smooth bun and pinned it with a jasper hairpin, which was refreshing and neat.

   "Nanny, I just came over from my grandmother, and I heard from her that the three girls are back. You tell me what happened today in detail."

   The nanny naturally paid attention to such a big event, and immediately told Li Jiao everything in detail.

  Li Jiao lowered his eyes and said nothing after listening.

  The nanny gritted her teeth: "Why didn't that murderer die outside! When she came back like this, it wasn't the girl who harmed her!"

  Li Jiao suddenly smiled: "Nanny, it's alright, she can come back."

   The next morning dawned slightly, and Shao Mingyuan led a team of personal guards out of the city quietly.

  When the warm sun swayed for the entire capital, a terrible thing spread.

  The family of the former Censor Qiao, who returned to his hometown to keep filial piety, was caught in a fire. Only Mr. Qiao, who went out to visit friends, survived. He was disfigured in order to save his younger sister, and now he is living in the house of Kou Shangshu.

   Although Mr. Qiao had temporarily bid farewell to the circle of Kyoto because of Ding You, he was after all a dignified second-rank official, not to mention the son of Mr. Qiao, who was famous all over the world. How many people in Beijing sighed that the family ended up like this.

   What is even more embarrassing is that the coffin of Lord Qiao's only daughter, the wife of the champion Hou, is still on the way to Beijing along with the coffins of the soldiers who died for the country.

  The Qiao family is really unlucky enough.

   Countless people thought so.

  The Minister of Punishment, Kou, requested an order to thoroughly investigate the fire in Qiao's house. Emperor Kangdi promised to order the imperial messenger to go to Jiafeng to investigate.

   Just when the affairs of Qiao's family attracted everyone's attention, the people from Changchun Uncle's Mansion quietly entered the door of Li's house and retired from the marriage between Changchun Uncle's young son and Li's eldest girl.

   Thanks to the spirit beast eggs who don't give a reward, become the second leader of this book. Thanks to Ink Snow for the reward of the God of Wealth jar, the peach blossom fan from the Palace of Maple, Yuan Xiaoqin, the watermelon of Yan Xia, the blue sea, the book friend 161128110850645, the sachet of Feiyue Unlimited reward, the wandering ♂ world, Changyou Shuhai 2016, jll521_1028, boxmove, Fengsemu, Yuyi Baby, Book Friends 161128110850645, Light Light Sauce 0508, Diligent Plum, Ink Mercury Retrograde, Hua Xia Mian. . . , I am the peace talisman given by Daluo Jinxian and Bucherren. Thank you to the book friends who voted for the recommendation.

   (end of this chapter)