Chapter 54 Go out for a walk
In the evening, everyone knew the names of the people who would accompany the fourth young lady to the mountain. Madam Liu was too old to go, but Jiaohong and Jiaolian had to go, as well as Yuandong and Su Qing.
Everyone was very surprised that Su Qing could go, especially Wanxiang, who looked incredulous. Mother Liu's original words were that she was afraid that the fourth young lady would be bored in the mountains, so she asked Su Qing to tell her a story to pass the time.
Just like that, under the envious gazes of everyone, Su Qing walked out of the gate of Huainan Marquis Mansion for the first time.
There was no wind on the day of the incense burning, and the sky was overcast as if it was going to snow. When they arrived at the second gate, the carriage was already waiting there. Su Qing looked up and saw that Liu was with Meng Xiu, Liu was with Meng Juan, Wang was not with her due to poor health, and Jiang helped Song get on the carriage first.
Meng Shao and Meng Ji from the second house rode on horseback to escort the female members of the family, and the group headed out of the city.
Because the servants were sent to clean the road in advance, the road to the mountain was very clean. Song and others got off the carriage and took the warm sedan chair instead, which was carried up the mountain by the servants.
Su Qing and the others were not so lucky, they could only climb up step by step. Jiaohong and Yuandong left first, and each master had two servants who left first to clean up the master's resting place and replace the incense and heaters that the master usually used.
Su Qing was not close to Jiaolian, so naturally he had nothing to say. He followed the group of girls and walked up the mountain slowly. When they reached the middle of the mountain, everyone could not walk anymore, so they stopped to rest for a while. Su Qing pounded his waist while looking at the scenery on the mountain.
White snow fell on the branches of the green pine trees, and the thick snow bent the waist of the pine trees. The forest was so quiet! So quiet that you could hear the rustling sound of falling snow after the wind blew. The shadows of the trees were reflected on the snow. Suddenly, a bird emerged from the snow, flapped its wings and flew away. The flapping sound of its wings echoed in the forest.
Su Qing was indescribably happy. She stood there for a long time until someone called her. Then she turned around and continued walking with the group.
By the time they reached the mountain, the masters were already sitting in the warm meditation room, drinking tea and eating fruit.
Because Song believed in Buddhism, he often dealt with the abbot of Hongluo Temple, Taoist Wuyou. So when Song entered the temple, he was invited by the Taoist to the main hall, where he knelt on the cushion with great piety and clasped his hands together.
Song was meditating in the main hall, so the daughters-in-law naturally couldn't drink tea or eat fruit. Wang didn't come, so Liu was the eldest, and she led her generation to kneel in the main hall to listen to the wooden fish sound. However, a few young ladies got Song's permission to be led around by the little monk.
It was Meng Juan's first time to come to Hongluo Temple. She was extremely curious about everything and seemed to want to go everywhere, which made Meng Qi disdainfully call her a country bumpkin.
Meng Xiu was so frightened when she heard her say that that she quickly turned around and said, "Fourth sister, please stop saying such things. Have you forgotten what grandfather told you?"
Meng Qi said nonchalantly, "I'm not wrong. Didn't you see that after Third Aunt and her family moved in, they wanted everything, whether it was our first room or your second room. As long as we have it, she wants it. She said she's never seen this before and never used that before. Well, she looks like she has never seen the world."
"Third aunt raised my elder sister in the northwest, so it's normal that she hasn't seen some things." Meng Xiu said in a low voice. She regretted it after she advised Meng Qi just now. There were only three girls in the Meng family. The other two were legitimate daughters, and she was the only concubine's daughter. Liu was of such a personality that she lived cautiously and usually didn't say a word.
But sometimes she couldn't help but say it. Many times when the three of them went out together, Meng Qi and Meng Juan would always argue over something and neither of them would give in. When they came back, she was often the one who was scolded because she did not persuade them well and made the daughter of the Meng family lose face outside.
Meng Qi said unhappily, "You are such a good person. Don't think I don't know that you have been going to her place frequently these days. Why? Do you think Meng Juan will take you with her when she sees you?"
After hearing these words, Meng Xiu's eyes turned red. She clasped her hands tightly together in the hand warmer. She took two quick steps and said with a smile, "Fourth Miss, didn't you say you wanted to go to the stone tablet to make a wish for the Crown Prince's wife? We have to hurry up and get there first."
Around the pine forest in the temple, there is a stone stele with an inscription by Emperor Taizu. It is a must-see for everyone who comes to the temple, and everyone likes to make a wish there.
After hearing this, Meng Qi hurried forward.
Meng Xiu watched Meng Qi walk away and tears still fell. She was anxious. Meng Qi's marriage was arranged since birth and it would not be changed unless there was a big accident. The one she was going to marry was one of the richest families in the capital.
Since Meng Juan came to the Huainan Marquis's mansion, Song Shi would definitely bring her along to any banquet. She had more opportunities than herself, and she also had a biological mother who took care of her. Even if Liu Shi wasn't there, Song Shi wouldn't dare to be careless, because her father was capable.
He didn't have a concubine, so what use would it be even if he had one? If he didn't step forward, he would probably not even get a share of what Meng Juan had left.
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When Su Qing and Yuan Dong finished cleaning up the Zen room and walked towards the back mountain, everyone had already walked far away. At this time, light snow began to fall from the sky. The snowflakes were very large. Su Qing stretched out his hand to catch them and could feel the itchy feeling of the snowflakes falling on his palm.
The two chatted as they walked. Yuandong was more talkative than Yuanyue. Although she was a second-class maid, she never put on airs, which was very similar to Jiaohong's personality. Su Qing thought that according to Yuanyue's age, there was a great chance that she would be a first-class maid and go to the Shenjunwang Mansion with her dowry in the future.
Su Qing was happy to be friends with her. In fact, Su Qing had always been on good terms with everyone in Qinyuan. Even if Jiaolian had a cold face all night, Su Qing would always smile.
Speaking of Jiaolian, Su Qing actually admired Wanxiang's ability. She was always in the front when Jiaolian arranged a good job. The two of them also talked and laughed when they chatted together.
Look, the ancient people were wiser, weren’t they? As a modern person, I still have a lot to learn from them.
After passing through a pine forest, I saw a huge stone about two stories high standing in an open field. It was black in color and looked like a small mountain. The surface was polished very smooth, with an entire wall of inscriptions in gold. There was also a wooden fence around the stone tablet.
Yuan Dong rubbed his hands and said, "I heard from Mother Liu that the words on this stone tablet were all drawn with gold foam."
When Su Qing heard that it was drawn with gold foam, he had an urge to step in and scratch it with his fingers.
"Oh." Yuan Dong said suddenly.
"What's wrong?" Su Qing turned around and asked.
"My pearl flower is gone. I touched it when I came out just now!"
"Then look for it quickly. There are only two of us here, no one else." Su Qing said as she started looking for it with Yuan Dong. Su Qing knew that the pearl flower was given to her by the Crown Prince's wife when she was promoted to the second rank. It was white with some pink pearls on it and was very beautiful.
"Oh, no, what should I do?" Yuan Dong was so anxious that she was about to cry.
"Don't worry, maybe you accidentally dropped it when you were putting on your hood when you came out?" Su Qing helped her recall.
"Yes, I was wearing a hat when I left the yard. Maybe it fell off at that time. Su Qing, let's go back quickly."
Su Qing looked back at the stone tablet, and hadn't scratched the gold powder to see if it was real. "I haven't seen enough, why don't you go back by yourself, I'll be back soon."
Su Qing saw her turn around the forest, looked around and saw that there was no one around, so she lifted her skirt and tiptoed across the fence to reach the stone tablet, but the fence was built a little far from the stone tablet, so she couldn't touch it. Su Qing changed her posture and continued to touch it, but it still didn't work.
She looked around again to make sure there was no one there, took a deep breath, and raised her foot to try to climb over the fence and go inside.