in2ebook Chapter 389 'Cheat'
Chapter 389 'Cheat'
There were a lot of fruits that needed to be picked, and Zhou Mingzhi couldn't handle it all by himself, so he went back and called his brother-in-law Shen Yang and Qi Xu to come over.
I went back and forth and picked several fruit baskets before I stopped.
Old Mrs. Zhou hurriedly divided the fruits into several portions, ensuring that each variety of fruit was evenly distributed.
Zhou Mingqi stroked her braids shyly, standing beside Old Lady Zhou to see off the guests.
The Zhou family slowly sent these guests away, and the laughter and joy in the house faded a lot.
Qi Rui was the last one to leave. In addition to the common fruits, the fruit basket also contained a bunch of crystal clear grapes.
"My Lord, you are the only one who has it~"
Zhou Mingshu told him quietly.
Qi Rui raised the corner of his lips. No wonder his fruit basket was covered with a layer of cloth. It turned out there was something fishy going on.
"Okay, I understand. I won't let anyone else know."
Following the breeze, the Zhou family saw off the last guest.
As soon as the guests left, Zhou Mingqi finally didn't have to be so polite anymore and he breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Ah~ It's finally over, Sanya, help me loosen the straps on my back. They're too tight today. I feel like I can't breathe much."
"Okay, let me wash my hands, I'll be right there."
After all, Zhou Mingshu had just sorted the fruits, and his hands were covered with a lot of dust.
But before she could wipe her hands, her aunt Liu had already helped her second sister relax.
"Look how tightly it's tied. No wonder it's uncomfortable."
"Hehe, tie it tighter to make your waist look thinner, mother, the county magistrate's wife praised me for my good looks today."
Liu pointed at her daughter's nose and flattered her with a smile, "Would the county magistrate's wife say you are ugly in front of so many people? Of course she would praise you. Sigh~ my little girl, you are finally growing up today. Your father and I wanted to keep you for a few more years, but I think it will be difficult."
"Ah? What's so difficult about that? If you want to stay, then stay. Besides, I don't have anyone I like right now, and it's impossible for me to get married so soon."
Liu smiled with her mouth crooked. The child's thoughts were too simple.
But it was good to see the child so carefree, and Liu looked at her daughter without saying anything more.
After working all morning, no one was in a hurry to clean up now that the guests had left.
The food on the table was almost finished, so they sent it back to the kitchen first, and the other tables, chairs and benches were left in their original places.
It’s still early today, so let’s take a rest before cleaning up.
Old Madam Zhou, Mrs. Liu and others went to the main hall to count the gifts received today.
Seeing that there was nothing for Zhou Mingshu to do, he took a fruit plate and went back to the house.
I got up early today and my eyes are a little sore from holding on until now.
She ate fruit with one hand and picked up fish food to feed the fish with the other hand.
It was a rare opportunity to have such leisurely time, so after eating and drinking, she took off her hairpins and rings, rolled onto the bed, and dreamed of Zhou Gong.
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When they arrived at the military defense camp, Qi Xu followed Qi Rui back to the main tent.
Qi Rui asked Rufeng to wash the grapes so that the two brothers could taste them carefully.
"Sana is really biased. She gave you the food but not me. In terms of the time we have spent together, I am obviously the one who has spent the longest time together."
Qi Xu pursed his lips, looking unhappy, and was still being jealous.
Qi Rui sneered and pinched a grape to him, "In terms of how long we've known each other, it's naturally you, but in terms of importance, it has to be me. In terms of official position, I'm the General of the Central Army, and in terms of gratitude, I'm Ming Shu's lifesaver. Tsk tsk, it's easy to tell which is more important now, right?"
Qi Xu didn't want to respond. He took a grape and his mood immediately became better.
"Second brother, this fruit is delicious."
It is different from the fruits we eat today. The most interesting thing is actually its appearance. Each fruit is squeezed on a short stem, which looks very lively.
"Of course what Mingshu gave you is delicious. I called you in because I knew you didn't have any. If it weren't for you being my brother, it wouldn't be your turn to eat."
Qi Rui glanced at Qi Xu provocatively and crossed his legs.
"Tsk~ You're so arrogant, don't forget that you still have cousin Ning An in the capital!"
Qi Xu didn't want to mention his cousin Ning An, but he really couldn't think of anything else that could put his second brother above him.
Moreover, he felt that this was quite unfair to San Ya.
Sure enough, when Qi Rui heard Ning An's name, his whole face turned pale.
It’s really hard to pick up any pot!
"Go, go, go, go. I took you to eat something delicious, but you're still looking for trouble with me, right?!"
Seeing that his second brother was angry, Qi Xu grabbed a handful of grapes and ran away.
He wasn't looking for trouble with his second brother for no reason; this was just a kind reminder.
Cousin Ning An was born and raised in the imperial palace. She has a spoiled and eccentric personality and is the legitimate princess of Daliang.
She wanted stars so much that her uncle, the emperor, wanted to pick them for her.
But she just liked to follow her second brother and be his follower.
Ever since his second brother and father went to the border to fight, his cousin has not followed them, but she must be waiting for him in the capital at this moment!
Alas~ I don’t know what my second brother is thinking, how to balance San Ya and cousin Ning An.
Qi Xu ran away, while Qi Rui was eating the grapes in his hand but they were no longer sweet.
He hadn't thought about the little girl Ning An for a long time. Although they exchanged letters from time to time, it had been two years since they last saw each other. The little girl must have grown into a big girl.
Ah Xu, this brat, is really a strange guy who will make him unhappy.
But on the other hand, it also served as a reminder to him.
The emperor had suggested many times, both explicitly and implicitly, that he become Ning An's consort, but he had never agreed.
Now that the world is at peace and Ning An has reached adulthood, I'm afraid we can't delay returning to Beijing any longer.
He needs to prepare early...
Qi Rui felt upset whenever he thought about these things, so he simply stopped thinking about them.
He collected the grape seeds he spat out and dried them in the sun.
These grapes are rare. I wonder if these grape seeds can sprout new buds.
It’s not difficult to plant it, so I thought I could give it a try.
If it can be grown, it would be a good thing; if it cannot be grown, it is not a big deal.
"Master, there is a letter from the capital. It is the general's wax."
When Qi Rui heard that the letter was from his father, he immediately dropped the work in his hands and came over to check.
When I saw that the sealing wax was done with a private seal, I knew it was not official business.
Qi Rui first glanced through it, and when he realized it was nothing serious, he began to study it carefully.
Although the wax seal was from my father, half of the letter was written by my mother, all of which expressed her longing for her son and her wish that he would return to the capital as soon as possible.
There were only a few words written by my father, talking about some matters of the court.
The emperor had already drafted an imperial edict, asking him to escort the second batch of fine iron back to the capital to report on his work as soon as possible, without having to wait until winter.
It seems that the itinerary has changed. I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing…
But it’s better to go back early. The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back. Maybe you can spend your old age here.