The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

It's really weird, the day of the Pan ceremony turned out to be a sunny day. You know, starting from late March, it rained for seven or eight days until June.

Such rare good weather happened to coincide with the Pan Pan ceremony. Chen Heng was surprised when he woke up. He tidied up the room briefly, washed himself and put on scholar's clothes. This is a blue fir slit robe with wide sleeves and darker blue edges on the cuffs, collar, and corners.

With your hair tied in a crown, yes, once you become a scholar, you can wear a Confucian crown regardless of your age. The Confucian crown is low in front and high in back, with a pair of soft belts hanging from the top of the back. If it's a windy day and your sleeves are full, it'll be so cool when your hairband is fluttering.

After finally adjusting his blue belt, Chen Heng took Xinda downstairs to meet his family. Maybe it's because people feel refreshed when happy events happen, or maybe it's because people rely on clothes and horses rely on saddles. Chen Heng's new look makes his already outstanding temperament even more extraordinary. The whole family couldn't help but rub their eyes. They couldn't believe for a moment that the handsome and handsome child in front of them was their own clay monkey.

Hahahaha. Chen Gaishan started laughing again. Anyway, he hadn't stopped smiling in the past two days, and Chen Heng was used to it.

Mrs. Zhou knew that the child was going to the Gongyuan Youyuan for a banquet today, so she just made some random things at home, put Chen Heng's belly on them, and pushed him out.

After Chen Heng left for a while, the family packed up their things in a panic. It's rare to have good weather today, so how can we ignore the great things that happen to our children and not go and watch.

They quietly changed their clothes, took a small portable bench, and took a detour to the Gongyuan in the west of the city.

Prepare to give Chen Heng a small surprise.

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Over here, Chen Heng is still wandering around in the street. The ceremony of entering the Pan has only just begun, and it is still early to go there. His mentality was even less anxious. He lowered his hands and looked around at the scenery while accepting the attention from passers-by around him.

Scholar's uniform is not something you wear casually. If you don't have the reputation of being a scholar, wear it. If the government finds out, he will definitely be punished. Passersby looked at Chen Heng's brand-new clothes and knew that he was a scholar who had just been selected this month. After he walked away, everyone started discussing whose child this boy was.

Chen Heng was a thick-skinned person, and it was still a bit awkward to be looked at like this all the time, so he couldn't help but speed up his pace a little. When they arrived at the agreed-upon location in the city, a servant jumped out of the Xue family's carriage that had been waiting for them.

Master Chen, please come quickly. Our uncle is waiting for you inside. The servant moved a wooden stool and couldn't stop talking, Congratulations, Master Chen, for taking the lead in high school.

Thank you, thank you so much. Chen Heng nodded with a smile, lifted his robe, and walked up the steps step by step. After lifting the curtain and getting in, he saw a smiling face that didn't deserve a beating, shaking his head at him.

Greetings to the head of the case. Xue Biao stopped shaking the fan and said with a smile, No wonder there is a poem that goes: When you meet a gentleman, you won't be happy. When you see Chen Lang today, you will know that what you said is true.

Go, go, stop making noise. Chen Heng scolded his friend with a smile, then turned around and got off the car, saying, If you keep doing this, I'm going to get off the car.

No, no, no, good brother. Xue Biao hurriedly grabbed the person and said with a smile, If you want to leave, take the gift with you before you leave.

Are there any gifts? Chen Heng was overjoyed when he heard this. He didn't have to refuse his friendship with Xue Biao and sat down directly. But the gift that my uncle and aunt prepared for me? Bring it quickly and let me see what kind of treasure it is. .”

When Xue Ai has nothing to do, he likes to give pens, inks, paper and inkstones to Xue Biao's classmates. He also likes to give books, and is very popular with Chen Heng and others.

Xue Biao smiled elegantly. His appearance was already outstanding, and his clothes were even more luxurious in the past. The same scholar uniform looked elegant when worn by Chen Heng. When it comes to him...ah.

All I can say is: Why did the young master end up in such trouble? I still have some dirty silver in my body. Please take it to change your clothes. Oops, how could you dirty your master’s hands and let me put you in your arms?

Chen Heng's addiction to writing storybooks broke out, and he made up one or two friends in his mind. Xue Biao didn't know it at all, so he stood up on his own and leaned down towards the seat opposite.

He pulled up his sleeves and took out a brocade box from the drawer under the seat. When he handed it to Chen Heng, he said, This is the gift my parents asked my sister to choose. See if you like it.

Before Chen Heng opened it, he already said with certainty: Sister Xue's vision, of course, there is nothing to say.

Xue Biao couldn't help but snicker when he got an advantage.

When he opened the box, there was indeed a white jade lumbar spine lying inside, woven and wrapped with a red rope. String knots on the top and tassels on the bottom. Between the tassel and the jade pendant, there are three small green beads.

Chen Heng has little knowledge and cannot recognize this thing. Just looking at the crystal clear white jade and the picture of a fish leaping over the dragon gate carved on it, you can tell that it was expensive to build.

This is too expensive. Chen Heng was very surprised. He thought there were only brushes and other items in the box.

Xue Biao laughed immediately and came up mysteriously. When he helped his friend take out the waist pendant, he explained to Chen Heng, You don't know, my father is also a scholar.

Ah? Chen Heng was shocked. He didn't expect this to happen.

Xue Biao signaled his friend to get up first, put it on for him, and continued: No, I only found out about it last night when my mother told me.

He is very skilled at how to wear valuables. With a tap of two fingers, the jade pendant hangs firmly, So you know, compared with the scholar's reputation on my head, a jade pendant is nothing. .”

Xue Biao returned to his original position and let Chen Heng straighten his clothes before nodding with satisfaction. Baoqin's vision is really unparalleled. The blue fir style was originally a bit monotonous, but with this piece of jade, it gave it an artistic conception of blue sky and white clouds.

Jade originally symbolizes a gentleman. The combination of people and things is really suitable. After Chen Heng sat down, Xue Biao laughed loudly and said: If my father makes me angry in the future, I can call him Senior to make him angry.

In fact, Xue Ai only had a reputation as a scholar, and it was not entirely due to his lack of knowledge or poor luck in exams. The Xue family's grandfather died in the early years, and Xue Ai went out to do business with the Xue family's eldest family early on, which was the main reason.

Chen Heng smiled, cupped his hands and said, Then thank my uncle and aunt for my kindness.

Xue Biao looked him up and down, and said regretfully: What a pity. It would be nice if I had a fan.

Seeing that he was going to rummage in the drawer, Chen Heng quickly persuaded Xue Biao, Don't say goodbye!! Good brother, please let me go. I have to offer this jade when I get back. Otherwise, it will be damaged. I feel really bad. .”

He is a wild boar who can't eat fine chaff. From now on, when he goes out with this thing, he will have to be careful when eating and walking. Chen Heng didn't have a servant around him to take care of him every day.

Everything has been given away, what to do with it is other people’s business. Xue Biao was not surprised and turned the question to the Chen family's banquet.

This must be shown, not only for the Chen family, which is in a tight situation due to Chen Qing's marriage. The Xue family, Qian family, and even the Jiang family who are staying in Yangzhou will definitely have to deal with it. Don't think that being a scholar is just the first step in passing the exam. If you really pass the exam, you will be very proud.

The county government can no longer spank Tong Sheng's butt. When it comes to scholars, you can't even touch them. If you want to use punishment, you have to ask Xuezheng to come over and remove your honor first. Before that, the most you can do is stretch out your palm and let the magistrate personally take a few pats of meaning.

If you are appreciated by the superiors, you can also become a staff member, providing guidance and broadening your knowledge. No matter how bad things get, you can still work as an official in a county government office, government office, or other places. The steward of Qiupu Street is now an old scholar. My little life was very comfortable.

If they are more awesome, Chen Heng and others will be admitted as Gongsheng students among the scholars in the future. That would be even more serious. Go back quickly and have your name recorded in the local county annals and genealogy.

The fun of it cannot be described in detail at this time.

Chen Heng pondered for a moment and then asked about the Xue family's plans. He wanted to stagger the dates with his friends as much as possible so that they could attend each other's banquets.

Xue Biao rolled his eyes when he heard this. Forget it about others. Among our few friends, if you don't settle this case first, how can we take action easily?

Hey. Chen Heng smiled obediently. Only then did he realize that they had such scruples, so he picked an early date among the dates he had chosen.

By chance, the carriage stopped. The two of them chatted and laughed as they got off the horse bench and saw two people, Jiang Yuanbai and Qian Da, standing under the tree outside the Gongyuan in the distance.

The four of them met under the shade of a tree, all dressed as scholars, and the atmosphere was very warm and lively. After chatting for a while, we saw that it was almost time. Scholars hurried past from time to time, and Chen Heng suggested that he go to Gongyuan to meet Li Xuezheng first.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped forward, Jiang Yuanbai grabbed his sleeve. Chen Hengzheng was puzzled, and Jiang Yuanbai smiled mysteriously, Wait a little longer, wait about half a quarter of an hour, and we'll go there again.

Although he was a little confused about the reason, Chen Heng could only accompany everyone to continue the conversation. With much to talk about, the four of them finally made the trip. Not far from the door, I saw the rookies who had hurried over earlier, standing neatly around them. It wasn't as exaggerated as lining up in two lines. Everyone was standing in twos and threes, just a little crowded, and they were all looking at Chen Heng and others who were coming.

Chen Heng didn't understand the reason yet. Seeing that the case had arrived, all the scholars raised their hands and congratulated: I have met Sanyuan Gong.

I've met Sanyuan Gong. His friends who were following Chen Heng also started to cheer. Among them, Jiang Yuanbai smiled the most happily. I wonder if it was his idea.

Chen Heng suddenly realized. He said, why all the scholars were in a hurry before, and they couldn't wait to put on their wings and fly forward. He did not hesitate, and immediately bowed to everyone, returned the bow deeply, and also thanked: Thank you all, sir.

Scholars can also be called Xianggong. In fact, the more formal name is Xiao Xianggong. It means storing seedlings for future prime ministers and chief ministers. But who of you likes to add a small character in front of it?

The Ming Dynasty established the regulations of the country. Over the past few hundred years, these rules have become the same as the path of literary heroes. If there are too many abnormal people, it will become normal.

Everyone got together happily, no matter whether they were really convinced in their hearts or not, they all gave Chen Heng face. After all, in their subject, there was a Xiao Sanyuan who ranked first in the county, prefecture, and hospital examinations, and everyone was proud of it.

In the future, if you discuss it with others and say that you were a talented scholar in which subject that year, others may not take it seriously. But if the scholars say that they have produced Xiao Sanyuan in this department, hey, then they can make a show of themselves.

After a brief reminiscence of old times, the group gathered around the top three and walked into the Gongyuan according to their rankings in this academy examination. Li Xuezheng had been waiting for a long time and heard the noise outside.

At this time, Li Bian had the bearing of a great man. How could a Jinshi know a scholar? He just smiled and concealed the matter without mentioning it. After receiving the ceremony in front of everyone, he began to comment on the examination papers of the scholars.

Starting from Chen Heng in order, all he said were words of encouragement. Everyone thanked them one by one and finished the matter. Li Bian could take the scholars out for a small parade.

They needed to go to the Minglun Hall of the Academy to meet Confucius, which was an unusual matter. Compared with the previous rules, there is no difference, so there is no need to elaborate.

Along the way, the crowds of people who came from all over the city to watch were a lively scene worth talking about. The narrow bridge leading to the academy is surrounded by willows planted along the river bank.

The sky is blue and the clouds are white, and the breeze is just right. The onlookers stood in the shade of the trees and watched sixty new talents, dressed in uniform blue fir robes, striding past in front of them.

Which girl doesn't get pregnant after seeing her, and which girl doesn't look twice at her?

As the saying goes, if your clothes are wide and your sleeves are full, you will be proud of yourself for a few times in your life. The opposite sex is always the best catalyst. All the talented people hold their heads high and wish that the wind would be stronger and blow the hairbands on the back of their heads into the blue clouds.

A scholar is like this, he really wants to be a Jinshi or the top scholar in high school. With such a grand scene, you can imagine how lively it will be.

Among them, the Chen family is the most proud, with Chen Heng being the first. Behind the examiner and room examiner was him, which was too conspicuous.

Hearing that Chen Qingyue kept calling his brother in the crowd, Chen Heng turned his head in surprise, and then couldn't help but his pupils trembled. His entire family and relatives were all dancing in front of him.

Ha, can't laugh, can't laugh. These are all close relatives, and it is such a solemn and solemn occasion. Don't let your laughter slip.

Fortunately, Chen Heng had a good attitude and managed to hold back his laughter. He subconsciously stretched out his hand and waved to them. It immediately attracted even more enthusiastic cheers from the Chen family, who were also enjoying the feeling of being watched by others.

Ouch, head of the case, you don’t follow the rules. But this unruly thing is good, very good. The scholars were also very courageous. When they saw the leader of the case taking the lead, they immediately followed Chen Heng and waved to the crowds on both sides.

There's no way, it's just so popular, so high-profile.

Don't use it as a scholar, it's not due to fame.

After paying homage to Confucius in Minglun Hall, Li Bian took the scholars back to the Gongyuan Hall and began to hold a banquet and drink. The situation of this banquet was very similar to that of Juren's Deer Ming Banquet, but the standards were much lower.

During the banquet, the top three students, led by Chen Heng, had to sit with Li Bian and the other room examiners, while the remaining students divided their tables to eat the banquet.

A table of people ate for more than half an hour. Some people got very drunk and acted wildly, while others drank as little as possible and stayed true to their duties. Naturally, poetry reciting was indispensable during the banquet, and Chen Heng was also invited to start the case.

Chen Heng has already attracted enough limelight today. He is the first in the queue to come and go, and he feels that there is no need to continue to compete for the limelight with everyone else. He stood up and said that he was not prepared and asked for your forgiveness. He also punished himself with three glasses of wine to show his sincerity.

Many people secretly breathed a sigh of relief when they saw this. When everyone is feeling proud today, it would be great if there are fewer opponents to steal Li Bian's attention. They had a drink with him, thanked Chen Heng for his compliments, and then they each took out their elaborate works that they had worked hard on last night.

The atmosphere reached a climax for a while. It could be said that people drank from the east and came from the west, singing one song after another. If you come across a good poem or sentence, it can also arouse the applause of the whole house. Li Bian was also very happy to see it. He once again experienced the joy of being an official. Sit by yourself, don't have to do anything, there will be a bunch of people smiling at you and farting wildly.

Mr. Xiang, is this how you come here every day?

After a long time, the banquet is over. Everyone left reluctantly, but they had to be reluctant to leave. If they are lucky, only some of them will continue to enjoy the glory after winning the lottery in the future. I wonder who has this luck and ability.

When Chen Heng returned home, he was naturally teased by his family. It doesn't matter to him as a son, as long as his family is happy. People who are honest in nature may as well be happy when they are happy without having to look forward or backward.

Because, maybe, I will be happier in the future? Holding it in for a long time will also hurt your body.

That night, the family gathered together and discussed who to invite to Chen Heng's flowing banquet in half a month. After discussing it, they were a little dumbfounded. The old Chen family knew too few people in Yangzhou and couldn't find any relatives or friends.

I originally wanted to invite some folks from Shanxi Village, but the journey was far. Instead of letting them go back and forth, it is better to take time to go back home and go to the ancestral hall to worship the ancestors. Chen Gaishan and Chen Qi were both at a loss.

In the end, Chen Heng was so proud that he took the pen and paper and began to write down the list of invited guests.

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The next day, it rained as usual.

A specially built official ship arrived at Yangzhou Pier from Jinling. This ship is larger and has a deeper draft than the one Jia Min took to Beijing. It can be called a giant on the water. Nowadays, Shandong, Anhui and other places are also experiencing constant heavy rains, and internal refugees are fleeing, making it very unstable. On the rivers in various places, the water level is sometimes high and sometimes low. Official ships without this shape are not enough for safe passage.

It came this time to take away the papers from the Yangzhou Academy Examination and transport them to the imperial court in the capital. Although it is an official ship, its specifications are several grades higher than those of ordinary official ships.

However, its appearance has aroused Yangzhou people's desire to communicate with the outside world. People with connections used their connections and money to ask the officers and soldiers on the ship to take their letters and things out and bring them to their relatives far away in the capital.

Due to this long-lasting heavy rain, all state capitals in the south of the Yangtze River have become isolated cities. Not only are there fewer business trips, but Yangzhou people themselves are also less likely to go out.

But God's will is hard to disobey, and everyone has no choice but to do what the Dragon King does. I can only cover my head with a quilt and sleep for one day at a time.

Although it is still raining, it cannot stop the Chen family from having a feast. In the afternoon of early July, the neighbors who came to help helped the Chen family set up a shelter from the rain on the street and led the guests in to sit down.

The people invited include Wang Xianming, the masters of the academy and several classmates, as well as the Xue family, Qian family, Jiang family, etc. The Hu family are already in-laws, so needless to say. On the other hand, the Wang family, another owner of the newspaper shop, actually sent someone to deliver the gift.

Wang Siyi also has a banquet elsewhere today, so he can only come here to express his feelings. Chen Heng didn't care. The gap between their two families was too big and he couldn't blame him for coming or not. It was good to have this intention.

The Zhen family also had the same worries. Chen Heng had already asked Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Gu to pass invitations to Mrs. Feng and her daughter. But in the end, Feng came alone, in the name of helping neighbors.

There is no way, Zhen Yinglian will be sixteen soon. At this age, it is no longer a matter of avoiding suspicion or not. This is the age when college girls get married.

Before the Zhen family fell into disgrace, it was still a scholarly family. Mrs. Feng still hopes that her daughter can know more about etiquette, which is better than having her marry in the future ignorantly, knowing nothing, and causing trouble to others.

Uncle Lin, who was unable to travel, also asked Lin Jue to step in for him and pointed out a steward to accompany him. This was an unexpected surprise for Chen Heng, and he immediately asked Chen Qingyue to play with him. The men greeted the guests at the front, and the women received the distinguished guests at the back.

Among the female relatives here, Chen Heng, who has grown up, has no chance to see and thank her in person, so his mother and sister can do it for him. He only heard Xue Biao mention it once, and Aunt Xue and Sister Xue were both here. It's a way to prepare for the Xue family's flowing banquet at the end of the month, and invite the Chen family to come with them in person.

It's a happy event, it's about coming and going.

It was so lively until late at night that the guests braved the rain and left in the carriage arranged by the Hu family. The wedding of Hu Xiangheng and Chen Qing is scheduled for an auspicious day in early September. Their good days are not far away.

As soon as the Chen family's affairs were over, the Qian family's flowing banquet immediately followed. The format was similar, but the dishes were much more exquisite.

The most lively one is the Xue family. Only the size of their family can be called a banquet. When the Chen family held a banquet in early July, the Xue family's servants began to purchase delicacies from all over the world. So far, it hasn’t stopped. I really look forward to what I can eat then.

It's just that their store's date is at the end of the month, so you have to wait eight or nine days to get it.

Looking forward to the stars, looking forward to the moon, and finally looking forward to the Xue family’s banquet. Several friends hurriedly had breakfast and were all going to go to Xue's house to eat Haisai. When they were preparing for the exam, they often lived in the Xue family and were very familiar with the Xue family.

Almost when Chen Heng and Dayou arrived at the Xue family, people from the capital also received things shipped from Yangzhou.

Lin Daiyu and Jia Min, who were sitting in the room, felt much relieved after reading Lin Ruhai's letter. The content of the letter briefly talked about the situation in Yangzhou, and also mentioned some trivial matters at home.

Although she didn't mention her body at all, Lin Daiyu immediately noticed her father's writing, which was thick and powerful, penetrating the back of the paper. You know that this is not handwriting that can be written by someone who is seriously ill or recovering from a serious illness.

She turned her head and looked at Jia Min's expression. Seeing that she didn't look worried, she suddenly asked curiously: Mom, you already knew this, didn't you?

Jia Min showed a strange expression. She had indeed known it for a long time, but it wasn't that she didn't mean to tell her daughter. But the source of her news was that Wei Yinghong asked his wife to convey it secretly to ease her heart.

Since it was hard to talk about this before, there is no need to talk about it now. After all, there are many secrets involved. Jia Min smiled and said: Wait a little longer until we are done playing. When I can go back, my mother will take you back to Yangzhou immediately.

Ah? We still have to wait. Lin Daiyu pursed her lips slightly. She really didn't expect that the originally scheduled one-month trip would be delayed again and again due to twists and turns. He even missed his elder brother's college examination, which is really annoying.

But when he thinks about his father pretending to be ill, he must have his own considerations. Hey, what could it be? Lin Daiyu sighed in distress.

It's coming, it's coming. Seeing this, Jia Min couldn't help but comfort her daughter. I am deeply afraid that after this experience, she will not want to come all the way to see her grandmother in the future.

There are many mistakes in the Jia family, but Jia's mother is very good to them and her mother. I was deeply afraid that their treatment would not go well, and I thought of them and made considerations for them all the time inside and outside.

The mother and daughter were talking when a servant suddenly came outside and said, The Xue family is hosting a banquet. Please come over and meet all the cousins.

This was a matter for the girl's family. Jia Min was happy to send her daughter out to change her mood. She quickly ordered Xueyan and Zijuan to accompany Lin Daiyu out.

When Lin Daiyu arrived, Baochai had already gone out to greet her. In fact, Daiyu's mood has almost cleared up along the way. When he saw Sister Bao, he immediately congratulated her and said, Sister Bao, did you know that your cousin has passed the examination to become a scholar?

The two of them were opening the curtain and walking into the house. Baochai was shocked when she heard this. Xue Biao's naive appearance as a child vaguely appeared in his mind. She immediately smiled and said: What a great thing, Sister Lin, how did you know about it?

Lin Daiyu smiled at her, winked, and said half-heartedly, I just have a way to know. After saying that, she turned to look into the room and saw Sanchun and Shi Xiangyun sitting here. There was also Baoyu with bright eyebrows, who seemed to be sitting or standing, looking like he couldn't hold himself back. And Wang Xifeng, who had already come up to her, was about to pull her to a seat.

Seeing that everyone was there, Lin Daiyu suppressed her smile and saluted and greeted everyone. Only halfway through, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but pull her up and asked with a smile: Seeing that you are so happy, it's not like you are in high school. Why, do you know this cousin of the Xue family too?

Before Lin Daiyu had time to explain, Tanchun and Xiangyun had already made trouble and said: My dear sister-in-law, she missed. I can't stand my good brother and he got hit.

Lin Daiyu, who was only eleven years old, had a thin skin and a slightly red complexion. As soon as he sat down, he pulled the chair out and said, Sister Bao's house is really fun. Not only did two starlings fly over, there was also an extra parrot.

When she wanted to run away, Shi Xiangyun chased her. He followed the chair and swam towards Lin Daiyu, and kept asking: Tell me, tell me. Who did you get in the exam?

Lin Daiyu behaved like a good girl, she smiled and raised her hand to make a three. When Tanchun and Shi Xiangyun saw it, they immediately clapped their hands and congratulated, Third place, that's really great. Recently, they often ran into Lin Daiyu, and sometimes they had fun reading together. Therefore, I gradually understood some of the ways of the imperial examination.

Unexpectedly, Lin Daiyu shook her head. When the two saw each other, they asked for the people who were looking around, That's thirty? That's not bad.

That's right, it's great if you can be selected as a scholar.

When Baoyu heard this, his originally gloomy mood was illuminated by a beam of light again.

Sister Lin still shook her head, and only then did Shi Xiangyun and Tan Chun realize that she was causing trouble again. He grabbed her from left to right and asked her where she got in the exam. Two fists were hard to beat with four hands. Lin Daiyu couldn't resist, and she begged for mercy with a smile. When the two stopped, Lin Daiyu coughed lightly and said, It's Xiao Sanyuan.

Tan Chun and Shi Xiangyun were shocked and couldn't say a word. Although Jia Baoyu studied on weekdays, that was before entering the palace in Yuanchun. When Yuanchun leaves, no one in the family can control him. Before entering the hall this year, I still read the Book of Songs and other books endlessly. No wonder Jia Zheng criticized him and said: I have learned some exquisite naughtiness.

At this time, Jia Baoyu blinked and saw that Tanchun and Xiangyun were silent. The other sisters were all confused, except Xue Baochai who looked thoughtful. I couldn't help but ask for everyone: What is Xiao Sanyuan?

Hey, Lin Daiyu sighed deeply in her heart. My cousin is really worthless.

Brothers, there is no way. Xiangling is already fifteen or sixteen years old. Daiyu is only eleven years old. What will happen five years from now? Xiangling is twenty or twenty-one. No matter how much she likes Heng Zai, if she doesn't get married at this age, she can only hide in a nunnery.

Don't worry, the plot is all arranged. Please take it easy. Today it’s still 7,000 words. Asking for votes Asking for votes