Chapter 157: Today is different from the past. What went wrong?

Yang Wenyuan turned around and looked.

But he discovered that Hualan had a pair of white and delicate bare feet without any shoes, and her round, pink, pearly toes were all exposed.

His frown deepened.

But before he could say anything, Yang Wenyuan's cheeks were held by jade hands from both sides and "forced" to turn back.

There was no other way, Yang Wenyuan could only helplessly say:

"Isn't it just snowing? We've seen it before in previous years. Do you have to rush out to see it? Why are you wearing so little?"

"Didn't you put on the quilt?"

Hua Lan explained with her rosy lips pouting, and then she tiptoed slightly and leaned close to Yang Wenyuan's ear. Immediately, a warm and sweet breath lingered in Yang Wenyuan's ear:
“Besides, this year is different from previous years!”

The tone was gentle but firm.

Yang Wenyuan understood what Hualan meant.

This was the couple's first snow after their marriage, and for the thoughtful Hualan, it represented extraordinary significance.

"Then you can't go barefoot, right? What if you get frozen?" Yang Wenyuan said with concern.

After being married for so long, Yang Wenyuan discovered that Hualan had a major characteristic, which was that she was particularly grumpy when she woke up.

But she wasn't losing her temper, but she liked to cling to people. She liked to hold Yang Wenyuan tightly when she was half asleep and half awake.

If you really try to pull it hard, you will have to wait for your pearly teeth to nibble on it gently.

It's just that he has been using it in the wrong place, which makes Yang Wenyuan both painful and happy.

In other words, you don't need to get up early and greet each other every day. Otherwise, how could I, Yang Wenyuan, indulge your bad habits?
"That's none of my business!"

Hua Lan's pretty face suddenly turned red, her cheeks were stained with a bright blush, and her white toes could not help but curl up, as if she recalled some bad memories, and hugged Yang Wenyuan tighter:
"You can't do anything bad if you're frozen~!"

Hearing Hua Lan's silly threat, Yang Wenyuan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

joke!

If your feet are frozen, aren't there other places to go?

A living person can’t be suffocated to death by urine!

But since Hualan still wanted to take another look, Yang Wenyuan didn't refuse.

Yang Wenyuan took the quilt with both hands, then squatted at the door with Hualan, then hugged Hualan's two slender and well-proportioned thighs, placed them safely in his arms, and wrapped them tightly with thick quilt.

Although the shape is a bit ugly, there are warm floor heating underneath and behind me, and the quilt is blocking me, so I don't feel cold for a short period of time.

The couple just huddled together in front of the door, watching the white snow falling from the blue sky and merging into the snow on the ground.

"Yang Wenyuan."

"Ok?"

"Am I being too hypocritical?"

"Pretentious? Where did you learn this word? Did that girl Yang Rujin teach you again? But if you really feel you owe it and want to make up for it, it's not impossible..."

"Hmm~"

"My lady, your feet are a little cold, let me warm them up for you!"

"..."

The first snow in Bianjing this year was unusually heavy.

It rained for two full days before it gradually stopped.

With such a sign, the whole Bianjing knew that this year's snow might be more severe than in previous years.

Therefore, while the wealthy families were chanting "auspicious snow heralds a good harvest" in their mansions with ground heating, the poor people had a premonition that the firewood they had prepared this year might not be enough, and began to rush to the suburbs in groups to chop firewood when the snow stopped for a while, so as to survive the cold winter.

They did not dare to touch the timber from the gardens and royal villas around Bianjing, so they could only look for suitable mountains and forests farther away.

Looking down from the sky, one could see that from the entire area of ​​Bianjing City to the suburbs, four or five miles away, countless black streams of people began to spread out, shoulder to shoulder, in an endless stream.

Especially at times like this, the dark side of society is bound to exist.

On the way back to Bianjing from the suburban forests, some people relied on their powerful backgrounds or their strong bodies to form gangs, bully the market, set up checkpoints and collect "road maintenance fees" and "forest protection fees"

They did not have the courage to cut wood in the mountains where wild beasts were lurking, but they not only had the courage to set up checkpoints outside the city in the cold winter, but they had great courage too.

There are checkpoints throughout the road.

By the time they arrived at the city gate, half of the firewood they had originally loaded down with had been used up.

The remaining ones had to be kicked down by the gatekeepers under the pretext of inspection, so that they could enter the city safely.

Therefore, during the few short days of sunny days after the first snow, these people were busy but still could not gather enough firewood for the winter. They could only buy the firewood that was blocked at a high price.

After a short break of a few days, the wind and snow started again.

The poor have their own way of living, and the rich have their own leisure.

Pingyang Houfu.

Back house.

Next to the Grand Flower Hall, there is a specially dug viewing lake inside the mansion.

In the freezing cold, the originally wide lake surface was quietly covered with a layer of crystal clear ice, thick and vast. Under a little light, it looked like a huge piece of emerald inlaid between the mansions.

At this moment, a circle of curtains surrounds the viewing lake.

The area behind the curtains was propped up with wooden boards to block out the cold wind, leaving only a path leading from the waterside pavilion in the lake to the large flower hall.

On the lake ice.

Several girls dressed in jackets, skirts and snow hats were each holding a polo stick, competing for a specially polished spherical stone on the ice, vying to push the ice stone into the opponent's "goal".

The so-called goal is a football goal on a simple wooden frame.

Perhaps it was because the toy that Yang Wenyuan made was so novel that the girls were so delighted that clear and pleasant laughter could be heard from time to time, echoing on the lake, adding a bit of vitality and happiness to this quiet winter day.

There were a lot of people on the scene.

There are the girl from the Sheng family, the girl from the Yu family, Yang Rujin and so on.

And in the large flower hall by the lake.

There was also a bustling scene inside.

When the girls come, the ladies from each family are naturally indispensable.

The fire is burning brightly and the steam is rising.

Snowy days are naturally the perfect time to burn dragon balls and play mahjong.

Wang Ruofu, Hualan, Madam Chen and Madam Yu were playing mahjong in the hall at this moment.

As for why the eldest lady of the Yu family is here.

Apart from Yu Yanran, the second reason was because of Gu Tingye.

Why is it related to Gu Tingye?
Naturally, Gu Tingye envied Yang Wenyuan's successful life with a wife and a warm bed, and he also had some thoughts of getting married as soon as possible.

However, Gu Tingye did not make the decision on impulse. He just slapped his forehead.

He also has his considerations.

Although the eldest brother Gu Tingyu in the family was in poor health, Gu Tingye didn't know exactly when he would die. What if he kept delaying and finally gave birth to a son? In addition, Xiao Qinshi had always been eyeing the title, and his father Gu Yankai didn't understand, so Gu Tingye also wanted to achieve something in the civil service.

To put it simply, Gu Tingye wants to marry the daughter of an upright family.

In this case, based on Gu Tingye's conditions and the other party's requirement that his family has a girl of the right age who is unmarried, there are really not many choices.

After much deliberation, they finally chose the girl from Yu Ge Lao's family.

Actually, there is some truth to it.

After all, although Lord Yu has retired, he is still in good health, and his students and former officials are spread throughout the court and the country.

If Gu Tingye married the girl from the Yu family and passed the imperial examination next year, his official career would benefit greatly.

Necessity in chance.

But Gu Tingye doesn't have parents to help him.

Xiao Qin was not that kind, so she finally asked Yang Wenyuan for help.

Yang Wenyuan didn't expect that after going around in circles, Gu Tingye actually ended up with the girl from the Yu family.

However, there are only two girls of the right age in the Yu family.

I just don’t know if it’s Yu Yanran or Yu Yanhong this time.

Yu Yanran is fine.

If it was Yu Yanhong, in order to avoid his brother being cheated on, Yang Wenyuan could only act according to circumstances...

So seeing that Gu Tingye's words were sincere, Yang Wenyuan agreed.

Then the task was subcontracted to Hualan.

When Hua Lan received the task, she was also happy to see Gu Tingye settle down and start a family. After all, she had been favored by him in the past, so she actively made arrangements.

This is how the practice of “making friends through mahjong” came into being.

The heroines of the Yu family have arrived, but where are the heroes?
The waterside pavilion in the middle of the lake at this moment.

The terrace that originally had a wide view had been surrounded at some point.

It was also wrapped thickly with a layer of curtains.

It was also covered tightly with wooden boards.

Yang Wenyuan and Changbai sat down at this time.

The two men were dressed in exquisite brocade robes, a warm white fox fur coat, and thick fur-wrapped boots. They were sitting on low stools, holding a fishing rod carefully carved by a craftsman in one hand and a cup of hot tea made from a small stove on the table between them in the other hand from time to time. They looked very comfortable.

The two men held fishing rods with thin threads hanging on them, and the connected fish hooks passed through circular holes that the servants had chiseled in the ice in advance for fishing.

The surrounding area is separated by wooden boards, which not only blocks the female family members' sight, but also serves as a shelter from the wind.

Chang Qing stood behind him, and there was also a cup of hot tea for him on the small table.

"It's almost noon, why hasn't that kid Gu Tingye come yet?" Yang Wenyuan complained.

As he turned around to drink tea, he also secretly glanced at the fish basket in front of Changbai and his own.

Speechless...

He is truly unworthy of a man!
Today's gathering was specially arranged for Gu Tingye, but when the time came, who would have thought that the real host had not shown up yet.

My kindness is in vain!
Chang Bai, who was standing by, had no change in expression, his face was as calm as an ancient well, and he just said calmly:

"Brother-in-law, don't change the subject. Whether Zhong Huai comes today or not has nothing to do with the fact that you are about to lose."

When Changbai heard Yang Wenyuan's suggestion to go fishing, he actually refused instinctively.

Based on preconceived notions, I think fishing is a fun activity for older people to kill time.

But when he really started to bait and cast the line himself, and watched the bamboo float rise and fall on the water, and especially the moment when he finally sank his hands and put the lively fish into the fish basket with his own hands, Changbai gained a different kind of pleasure from it!
Fishing is so interesting!
"You..." Yang Wenyuan looked embarrassed.

Earlier, the two of them saw that Gu Tingye had not come for a long time and were bored, so Yang Wenyuan suggested going here to fish.

All the holes in this water pavilion were made by Yang Wenyuan during this period of time, and the circular holes everywhere on the ice in front of him are proof of this.

And Yang Wenyuan’s current location is the best fishing spot chosen by Yang Wenyuan during this period!
Two fish can be caught in one morning!
Who knew today would be a bad time...

Seeing that there was no movement from his fishing rod for a long time, Yang Wenyuan looked back at the fish basket in front of Changbai, which already had several fish in it. He couldn't help but lower his eyebrows and raised the fishing rod as if he didn't believe it.

what happened?

It’s almost the whole morning, how come I haven’t seen a single fish?

Could it be that his holes were blocked by ice?
Or is it that the fishing hole is relatively closer to the ice hockey side, and the fish originally caught were attracted to Changbai's side?

Yang Wenyuan silently lowered his head to look at the still empty fish basket in front of him.

what's the situation? !

……

at the same time.

In the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion.

Gu Tingye was standing in the hall of the marquis's mansion, confronting Xiao Qin and the two ladies from the fourth and fifth rooms.

"Madam, my father is coming home tonight. The letter arrived almost ten days in advance. Why didn't you tell me earlier? I have an appointment with a friend to attend a banquet today. Why are you stopping me now?"

Gu Tingye frowned and said impatiently to the three "elders" at home:

"Besides, my father won't be here until tonight, so he might have to wait until tomorrow morning. I'll just go back earlier today!"

Ningyuan Hou Gu Yankai has been stationed in Lingzhou for more than three years. This time, it happened that the Duke of Yingguo went to Lingzhou to take charge of the situation, so he had some free time.

The emperor sympathized with Gu Yankai's family because he had a son who was taking the imperial examination, so he allowed Gu Yankai to return to Beijing for the New Year. However, he would have to go back again after the imperial examination was over the next year.

“Erlang, it’s not that your mother doesn’t want to tell you, it’s just that you are busy with your studies every day, and I also have to take care of various matters in the mansion in advance, and I really don’t have the time…” At the top of the hall, sat a middle-aged noblewoman with a peaceful face and covered in jewels. Although she was a little old, she still had the beauty of the past, and her charm was still there!

At this moment she was stammering, her face full of embarrassment.

Seeing that Gu Tingye remained calm, Xiao Qin turned to the sickly man with pale lips sitting next to her and said:

"Tingyu, Erlang has always listened to you the most. Please help your mother persuade him."

Although the weather is extremely cold now, the hall is still as warm as spring because of the floor heating. Everyone in the house is only wearing slightly thicker clothes, except Gu Tingyu, who is wrapped in a fur coat and occasionally takes out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose to cough.

When he felt a little better, he hid the handkerchief back into his sleeve.

After hearing Xiao Qin's question, Gu Tingyu glanced at her indifferently, and then turned his gaze back to Gu Tingye.

When he saw his young and strong body wearing only thin clothes, there was a flash of envy and jealousy in his eyes.

"Erlang, mother has a lot of things to do every day, and there are always one or two things she forgets. You..."

"So what big brother is saying is that mother didn't take father's return home seriously, so she forgot to inform me?" Gu Tingye replied bluntly.

"Cough~cough!"

When Mrs. Shao saw Gu Tingyu start coughing again, she immediately took out another handkerchief and handed it to him. While soothing his back, she spoke to Gu Tingye with a slightly choked voice:

"Uncle! Your elder brother is already so sick, please stop saying those angry words to him!"

Seeing that his sister-in-law, a woman, said this, Gu Tingye didn't want to continue to argue with her, otherwise it would seem that he was ignorant of etiquette, so he simply kept silent.

(End of this chapter)