Chapter Six: Rouge Powder

  The next two days, Wei Xiao stayed in the house, first to prepare for the imperial examination, and secondly, there was nowhere else to go. Originally, he could have gone to a teahouse to listen to storytelling, but now it was not possible.

  Xiangqiang, who was originally very active, encouraged Weizao to go out and play, but as a result, she was punished by Yuanner to help in the kitchen.

  Wei Xiao's brain has always been quick-witted, and although he couldn't recite the Four Books and Five Classics from memory, he could understand them. After two days of contemplation, he had also figured out some principles. However, with no one around to ask for guidance, he couldn't get a clear understanding.

  "Master, master."

  Wei Zhuo was originally watching with rapt attention, but when he turned his head to look, he found Xiang Qiang sneaking around the bedside, calling out in a sly and hushed tone.

  Wei Xiao lightly laughed and gently tapped her little head with his book, saying: "How come, you sneaked out again?"

  Xiangliang's face turned sour as she pitifully said: "Young master, I don't know how to cook, look, my hand is shaking and I cut myself..."

  He knew it in his heart and understood it clearly, smiling without saying a word.

  "Really, don't believe me, take a look." Xiangqiang saw Wei Zhao smile but not speak, and directly stretched out her pale white fingers in front of Wei Zhao's eyes, her smooth little face still had a bit of ash hanging on it.

  Wei Zhao raised his head and took a look, on Xiangxiang's white and tender index finger, there was an extremely small piece of skin that had split open, obviously caused by the blade.

  Wei Zhao glared at her with a bad temper, sat up and said: "If you want to cut, cut a bit bigger. You can't even fool me, let alone Yuanyuan. She will never let us out."

  "Young master, you're already very big, others have tried for a long time." Xiangxiang stretched out her finger again, her small face full of grievance. She thought the young master was too cruel, playing some trick to cut off her fingers.

  Wei Zhao looked at Xiang Qiang's pitiful appearance and couldn't help but smile, saying: "Alright, then this afternoon we'll go out and have some fun, no need to cut off your finger."

  As soon as Wei Xiao answered, Xianglian's big eyes lit up and sparkled, speaking rapidly like a machine gun: "Young master, let's go tomorrow! Tomorrow is the Fragrant Orchid Festival, there will definitely be many people, it'll be very lively. Today is too late, it won't be fun going out now. Moreover, the abbot of Yunfo Temple is said to be an enlightened monk who can calculate a person's past and present lives. And there's also the Buddhist Dharma Assembly..."

  Wei Zhao's face turned dark, and he thought to himself that the little girl was just pretending to be pitiful. He didn't expect her true nature to be revealed so quickly. However, Wei Zhao still felt a bit moved, and in a low voice asked: "Is the abbot really accurate?"

  The little girl's eyes sparkled, and her mind had already wandered to tomorrow. Her face flushed as she said: "Of course! Two years ago, the aunt from Wang Village was pregnant and asked Master Zhi for a son. After five months, it indeed turned out to be a boy. Last year, Li Erjia's house in Li Village was haunted by ghosts every day, but Master Zhi just needed to write one talisman to suppress all the evil spirits. And this year, Zhao Village..."

  Wei Zhao couldn't help but shake his head, and before she finished speaking, he said: "Hurry up and leave, otherwise you'll be caught by your sister Wan'er tomorrow." Although he said so with his mouth, in fact, he knew in his heart that Xiang Qiang would probably be caught by Wan'er as soon as she left the door.

  "Ah, I forgot." Xiangqiang's face changed color as soon as she heard it, and she hastily looked around with her head shrunk in, seeing no shadow of Yu'er, she stuck out her small tongue at Weizao, twisted her waist, arched her body and slipped away from under the eaves.

  Feudal people must have grown up in cages, and incredible things must have happened on superstitious people.

  Although Xiangliang's words were irrelevant, they still stirred up a glimmer of hope in Weizao's heart.

  "Whether it's true or false, just give some comfort."

  Wei Zhuo's eyes sparkled as he picked up his book again. After a month of tempering, he was already able to face all this with ease.

  Xianglian escaped and hid in the woodshed, thinking that tomorrow she could go out and play with Young Master. Her small face was flushed red, her big eyes narrowed into a line, and she lay on the firewood, giggling away. After laughing for a while, her pretty face still burning hot, she sat up again, reached into her pocket, pulled out a piece of paper, looked at the poem on it, and read it out in a soft voice, her big eyes shining brightly.

  After a long while, she nodded her small face firmly again, carefully folded it up and put it in her bosom. Her big eyes curved like crescent moons, and her small mouth hung with a sweet smile as she lay on the firewood. Before long, she fell asleep.

  "This was given to me by Young Master." The little girl murmured softly before falling asleep.

  August 14th is the annual Orchid Festival in Daqi. The Orchid Festival is a day to commemorate the birth of the Buddha and spread Buddhist teachings. Especially on this day, the discussion of Buddhism is even more grand than usual, with officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Hanlin Academy, and even the Prime Minister attending in person. This is an unmissable grand event for both scholars pursuing a career and beauties in their boudoirs.

  Wei Zhao and Xiang Qiang walked side by side on the road, Wei Zhao holding a folding fan that had been exchanged for by Wan Er, wearing all white clothes, with a slender figure and a handsome face. Xiao Ya Tou's mouth was stuffed with various snacks, her small mouth moving constantly, her face covered in grease, she was excited beyond measure.

  This strange pair of master and servant was extremely charming among the well-dressed talents, with men and women staring at them from time to time, coming and going, and never-ending.

  Weizao doesn't matter, seeing the little girl finish eating and hurry to buy other things. The little girl sees the young master buying her food, even more excited, with a round belly, still vigorous and unrestrained.

  Two people walked slowly and leisurely, occasionally buying various Buddhist objects, planning to give them to others when they returned.

  The whole way was crowded with people, from seventy-year-old seniors to three-year-old children, all the way laughing and chatting, rushing straight to Yunfo Temple.

  Wei Zhao was extremely interested in the ancient grand gathering, and as he watched everyone's enthusiasm soar, his own interest was piqued. He pulled Xiao Yu'er, who was walking slower and slower, to quicken her pace.

  A few yards behind the two, three young men in magnificent attire walked slowly through the crowd with big smiles on their faces, occasionally commenting on and admiring the beautiful women passing by, and bursting into loud laughter from time to time.

  "Hey, isn't that the bookworm from the Wei family? What's he doing out at this hour?" The young man walking on the left suddenly pointed at Wei Zhao's back and exclaimed in surprise.

  "Hmm?" The young man in the middle raised his head proudly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and also smiled: "Indeed, it's that woodcutter from the Wei family."

  The young man on the right, however, had a slight change in expression and immediately smiled obsequiously: "Hehe, it's Wei Linyuan."

  The young man on the left looked at the young man on the right with a playful smile and said, "Jiang You, seeing an old friend, why not go say hello?"

  "Hehe," the young man in the middle glanced at the young man on his left, then said to Jiang You on his right, "Don't mind him, Brother Chiang, Chu Qiao is always like this."

  "Brother Chen, where are you from?" Jiang You's face was slightly awkward as he clasped his fists in greeting to the young man with the surname Chen. Neither of the other two noticed, but for an instant, a cold glint flashed in Jiang You's eyes as he lowered his head.

  The three were Chen Zuo, the second son of the Chen family, Chu Yu, the second son of the Chu family, and Jiang You, the eldest young master of the Jiang family who was also in the fabric business. The other two had no connection with him, but Jiang You was a close friend of Wei Zao's just a year ago.

  Chen Zhuo didn't put Jiang You's embarrassment in his heart, looking at the leisurely appearance of Wei Zao and Xianglian, thinking that the president of the Chamber of Commerce would change hands in November, from the Wei family to their Chen family, his eyes suddenly flashed with excitement.

  "Now that we've met, shouldn't we do something about it?" Chu Ke looked at Jiang You's awkward appearance and turned to Chen Zhuo, with a smile on his face that seemed to say they shared a secret understanding.

  …………

  New book, passing by, collecting one along the way~~~