108 and the gift

Two days later, Cheng Junhe left.

With 10,000 taels of silver to sacrifice to the ancestors...

"Big brother is busy with official business, so let's leave the ancestral sacrifice to his younger brother. You don't have to go back. The affairs of the court are more important than your own affairs. The eldest brother works for the court, and the younger brother also has light on his face, haha..."

With 50,000 taels of business capital...

"My brother is an official, and my brother can't be flattered! I used your chicken and egg this time, and I will definitely return it! When I come next time... I see who dares to winp me! Humph!"

Cheng Xueyan wanted to remind Lord Shang Shu to remember to write an IOU, but Cheng Zhunhe came over with concern...

"Big niece, you are a retired person, don't dress fancyly and let others gossip. Our Cheng family can't fall behind and earn some anger!"

Chengfu crowded at the door to see him off except Du Mizhen, and watched Cheng Zhunhe's thick short coat suddenly go away.

It seems that they are all relieved.

Cheng Xueyan has never understood the attitude of Chengfu towards this second master, and her own feelings are also very vague.

He said that he was righteous, but he was reckless. She listened harshly to Du Mizhen's words that day.

He said that he had ulterior motives, and his eyes when he advised him were also very sincere.

Anyway, we don't see each other often. There is no need to think about it. If you have time, it's better to think about Cheng Xueyao's and congratulatory gifts. Although people don't care about her insignificant intentions and even dislike her, she always has to do her face. At least you can't let others say she's rude.

July 22 arrived in a blink of an eye. Early in the morning, Cheng Xueyan asked Bitong to send a gift. It's very impolite to do so, but Bitong will pass.

"Madam, this is the gift from the eldest girl to the third girl. The girl had been prepared for a long time, but last night she suddenly felt uncomfortable and tossed around all night, so that she couldn't send a congratulatory gift in person. She could only send a maidservant to come. I hope your wife will forgive me. The girl also said, please don't wait for her. She will go to Huayuetang later..."

"Since you are not feeling well, just rest..."

Du Mizhen's face did not look unhappy at all.

Du Yingzi curled her lips: "It's better not to come. People like her are ominous. Don't give your bad luck to Xue Yao in such a critical ceremony..."

With that, he took the satin box with the grape pattern of the golden sea beast in Bitong's hand and opened it, and his eyes suddenly lit up...

It is a **-like palm-sized golden headdress. The overlapping petals are extremely fine, as if they were blown by the wind. The end is slightly hooked, holding the star diamond, each with a different color to avoid deadness. Each petal is carved with auspicious fine patterns, shining in the light. There are no stamens, because there are still two petals that will not bloom, which is very suitable for Cheng Xueyao's age to be budding.

This is the pattern designed by Cheng Xueyan, which let the gold shopkeeper be made of gold and copper plating, which greatly saves silver. Even if someone is dissatisfied with it, she can cover it with gold that is too soft to be inlaid with diamonds. Anyway, she has done her best, and it's someone else's business to be dissatisfied.

Du Yingzi withdrew her envious eyes, changed into her usual pickiness, and said, "The eldest girl is really thoughtful. Is this worth a lot of money than my purple jade?"

Bitong looked calm: "The eldest girl said that the three girls were loved by heaven to give to the whole family. If they were sent vulgar things, they were afraid that they would humiliate the three girls, so they specially invited someone to play this unique chrysanthemum fragrance, congratulated the three girls and the joy of the three girls, and also wished the three girls to be more beautiful. , such as chrysanthemum Qingfen..."

Du Mizhen nodded slightly, but Du Yingzi's face was not good, but because the time had come, it was difficult to say anything more.

Bitong originally planned to retreat, but was stopped by her: "I know that today is a big day, but I'm sick. I really know when to find the time. Don't go back. Huayuetang is short of manpower. You won't just pretend to be sick and don't work like your master, will you?

Three hours later, Cheng Xueyan tilted on the water-patterned lotus mahogany couch and listened to Bitong's description of this rare and indignation.

"This participant sent an invitation as early as a month ago..."

She signed up a lot of official names or banned accounts, but Cheng Xueyan didn't remember any of them.

"It's too much. I'm going to invite people with a little status in the whole capital." Bitong curled her lips and said, "Girl, guess which is the guest invited by the master and wife in person?"

Cheng Xueyan really can't guess.

"It's the wife of Qu Jing, the minister of the Ministry of Public Affairs!" Bitong looked happy: "Actually, the lady wants to invite Wang Yushi's wife, but because of the young master's affairs... She just wanted to overwhelm the girl, but the girl's guest at that time was Captain Gu's wife, Yipin... Alas, I'm afraid this will be a pity in her life..."

She shook her head repeatedly: "Although Madam is not satisfied, it is not easy to show it, but the third girl can't do it. She thinks that the cloth of the clothes is grinding painfully, and the scarlet brocade edge is too rustic... But this must be worn. Which one of the girl or the second girl is not like this? However, she has a lot of things to do! Then she thought that the initial skirt was too plain, there was no decoration, and the ordinary fine cloth belt was like a hanging rope... The girl didn't know that Mrs. Qu, who combed her hair and added, was about to wrinkle her eyebrows. It's better to add time. Quju's deep clothes are the most rare Shu brocade, but she thinks that the white jade hairpin is not valuable enough. When Sanjia put on a crown, wore a formal long-sleeved dress and a dress with a ribbon, she was satisfied. Mrs. Qu also seems to be a straightforward person. She doesn't look good when she sees the third girl, but Miss Qu... By the way, it's really a pity that the girl didn't see Miss Qu today. That's really a beauty. She stood aside without saying a word and took the limelight of the three well-dressed girls. Even the master couldn't help praising her. I think..."

Bitong peeked at the girl, and Cheng Xueyan immediately knew that Cheng Cangyi had already reached the marriageable age. The Cheng family has now invited Mrs. Qu as the guest. I'm afraid it's not just for Cheng Xueyao and the gift?

"Did my brother go today, too?"

"Girl, don't you understand the temper of the eldest son? Although Miss Qu's face was smiling, her eyes were full of disappointment..."

"What if my father really responds to this marriage?"

Bitong couldn't adapt to the master's jumping thinking. After a long time, Fang said, "I'm also thinking about it, but it seems that the eldest son may not agree to this matter, and the girl also knows... But even if she doesn't agree with the Qu family, there will always be other families. As for Qi Tong... How can a girl deserve the prince? "

The voice gradually sank, and in the end it seemed to be talking to himself.

Cheng Xueyan is also very thoughtful. Not to mention ancient times, even in modern times, the disparity is also a big obstacle. Bitong pushes others and herself, and it is inevitable that she will be unhappy, but she will be happy again for a while.

"Recently, there have been a series of big events. As soon as the three girls' gifts have passed, Guanju Hall is about to open the screen selection..."

"Screen-opening finch selection?"

Bitong has become accustomed to her master's amnesia, and naturally introduced: "Screen opening sparrow selection is the annual event of Guanju Hall, that is, the most virtuous and talented person in the hall exercises piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry and red boudoir. First, it can expand the reputation of Guanju Hall and attract more people to send their daughters here; the other is..."

Bitong smiled mysteriously: "The girls in Guanjuguan are required to study for three years, but often after the selection, many people will no longer come. Do you know what's going on?"

Cheng Xueyan turned her mind twice and suddenly realized.

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If this time enters the second half of the year, it will feel that it has passed quickly. It seems that it is just a blink of an eye, and it will be the first day of August.

In late summer and early autumn, it is the day when girls who have been trained for three years have learned to leave the museum and recruit new people to enter the museum.

On the first day of August, the screen opens the selection.

The time was set at the beginning, but Chengfu began to be busy early in the morning.

All gentlemen should dress up to show their grandeur.

Cheng Xueyan knew that the pink color was hopeless for her, and she was a little depressed, so she let Bitong pick up a dark night blue coat that had already been prepared.

In fact, except that the colors are not bright enough, the rest are very ingenious.

The material is made of fine silk. When choosing it, Bitong only said that the color was too stuffy and not as noble as black. She just smiled at it.

Bitong cut it according to her mind and felt that the style was not special. Then she took the crochet and made a net like bee stamens. It was irregularly decorated with various broken crystals and surrounded it under her waist. Mr. Tuodai drew a few light blue strokes at the cuff of the neckline, and then inlaid a few broken crystals.

So, the girl seemed to wear the moonless starry sky on her body, which was extremely deep and vast. It's not outstanding, but as long as you take a look, it's difficult to look away.

The girl picked the jewelry sample sent by the gold shopkeeper this time... plain silver pearls. Only a hollow crescent hairpin, the pattern is a osmanthus flower, with less than an inch long rice beads of the same color, inserted on the bun, swaying flexibly between movements, like dragonflies. On the other side of the bun, there are a few newly picked osmanthus flowers, which are full of fragrance.

The earrings are also designed by girls. A long and thin silver thread wears a white jade osmanthus flower the size of a small nail. As soon as you pull it back, it tightens the earlobe, and the silver thread shakes behind the ear, looming...

"Girl, it's best to wear this for the Mid-Autumn Festival..."

She was a little worried that the girl would not wear new clothes on the Mid-Autumn Festival and would be compared with the rest of the people. You know, on the Mid-Autumn Festival night, the family would take a boat to Xihu...

She was tying Ruyi silk for the girl. When she heard that she thought of another funny thing, but when she made a lot of money, there was a sudden sound of footsteps on the stairs.

With a fine bamboo curtain, Cheng Xueyao appeared at the door.

Both the master and servant were stunned. Cheng Xueyan came to this time and space or saw Cheng Xueyao come to Yanran Pavilion for the first time. For a moment, she wanted to know if the sun came out to the west this morning.

Bitong was also stunned and forgot to come forward for a moment.

When the master and servant looked at each other and looked away again, they happened to be jealous of Cheng Xueyao who had not had time to take back, but she was also clever and immediately changed into a smile, which made people feel that the expression just now was just pure envy.