Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 35 Two men, is this right?
A few days later, at the Lin family.

"Cousin, hurry up. Why are you dawdling?" Lin Zhiqing lifted her skirt and got on the carriage first.

Lin Shian's face was very grim, but he still followed Lin Zhiqing's steps without saying a word.

"After today, don't mention the matter of taking back the ginseng." He spoke stiffly after sitting down.

"No problem." Lin Zhiqing agreed readily.

It turns out that there is nothing that cannot be negotiated. If there is, it is because the bargaining chips are not enough.

Lin Zhiqing wanted to laugh when he thought of the surprised expression on Lin Shian's face when he saw him trying to recover the ginseng that day.

This cousin cares about my cousin more than I thought.

Lin Zhiqing felt that this ginseng was very worthwhile to use.

Previously, she did want to choose between Lu Huai and Jiang Liuyun to attend today's Spring Banquet, but no matter who she chose, she would offend the other, which was really inappropriate.

It would not be appropriate for her to find a new partner, after all, she has a fiancé.

But Lin Shian is different.

Partnering with his cousin would not only avoid misunderstandings, but would also indirectly help him build good relationships with Lin Yangyang and Lin Shian. It would be a win-win situation.

The more Lin Zhiqing thought about it, the more he felt that this was a very safe choice.

Unlike her who was resting with her eyes closed, Lin Shian was sitting at the edge of the carriage, looking very restrained.

He had never gone out alone with Lin Zhiqing and always felt something was wrong.

This strange atmosphere continued until the carriage stopped in front of the bachelor's mansion.

Lin Zhiqing couldn't wait to get off the carriage, and the first thing he saw was the big words "Bachelor's Mansion".

Compared with the Lin family's, the gate of this scholar's mansion is slightly smaller, but the stone lions at the door exude a sense of "heroic and high-spirited" state, which is very eye-catching.

The front door of the Lin family is quite spacious, but for some reason, it always exudes a sense of desolation.

In just a short while, the carriages coming and going had blocked the entrance.

Lin Zhiqing recognized a few familiar faces based on the portraits Aunt Mu had given him.

As soon as she and Lin Shi'an stepped into the gate of the Bachelor's Mansion, they heard a commotion.

"What kind of combination is this?"

"What brings these two here? I don't remember them coming to the banquet in the past few years."

"It's fine to attend the banquet, but didn't we agree that it would be a man and a woman?"

"Prince Jiang would rather come with the same man than that three-no daughter, it's really funny."

"Only ladies from noble families can accept invitations. Don't you think that Lin Zhiqing, that scoundrel, has anything to do with ladies from noble families?"

When Lin Zhiqing was mentioned, the ladies present burst into laughter as if they had a tacit understanding.

Oh my god, he ended up eating the melon himself. Lin Zhiqing stopped.

Lin Shian frowned. Although he knew that Lin Zhiqing had a bad reputation, he had no idea that these noble ladies could speak so harshly.

But Lin Zhiqing just stretched his neck to watch the fun as if nothing had happened.

But what he didn't know was that Lin Zhiqing was not just watching the fun.

She couldn't help rubbing her eyes. Oh my god, why are Jiang Liuyun and Lu Huai here?

Or did you come together?
Is this right?
At this moment, the two protagonists at the center of the gossip looked at each other, and both saw disgust in each other's eyes.

If it weren’t for… Their eyes fell on Lin Zhiqing not far away, and then quickly moved away.

As expected, the two were quickly stopped outside the door by the servant.

"Prince Jiang, Young Master Lu, this...this is against the rules." The servant had never seen two men approaching with a single invitation, and these two were both difficult to offend. A fine layer of sweat formed on his forehead. "Rules? Let me ask you, does the Grand Secretary's rule stipulate that two people must attend the Spring Banquet?" Lu Huai raised an eyebrow.

"Master Lu, that's indeed the case." The servant nodded.

"Then let me ask you again, does the rule say that men and women must partner up?" Lu Huai's mouth curled up in a bright smile.

"This..." The servant had a hard time expressing his feelings. Although it was not stated in the rules, it was an unspoken secret that the Spring Banquet was a gathering for young masters and young ladies from various families to meet each other.

Having said this, Lu Huai stopped talking.

Lin Zhiqing, who was not far away, shook his head. Lu Huai’s mouth was really powerful.

Jiang Liuyun coughed lightly and took over the conversation: "Brother Lu is right, there is indeed no such rule. I will explain it to the scholar personally."

He bowed, then put down the note, walked through the door, and headed straight for Lin Zhiqing.

Lu Huai followed his pace slowly.

Seeing this, Lin Zhiqing hurriedly pulled Lin Shian's sleeve and signaled him to leave quickly.

If this isn’t a Shura field, what is it?
Fortunately, she was fast enough, and the banquet had separate seats for men and women, so she went to the women's side and avoided confronting the two men.

Lin Zhiqing breathed a sigh of relief and then began to observe the surrounding environment.

Although this scholar's residence is small, the scenery inside is quite unique.

Just the "separate seats for men and women" is a very clever design.

Although they are said to be separate seats, there is actually a large viewing lake in the middle.

Lin Zhiqing actually had some doubts sometimes, because the whole Shengjing attached great importance to etiquette.

They are particularly harsh on women and attach great importance to the separation of men and women.

However, the setting and seating arrangement of this Spring Banquet were not as strict as Lin Zhiqing had imagined, which gave off a strange feeling of incongruity.

She shook her head, unable to figure it out.

The women's seat was set up in the pavilion, with a screen next to it to block the wind and separate the line of sight.

The closer Lin Zhiqing got, the more distinct the faint floral scent became.

Perhaps to fit the theme of "Spring Banquet", various flowers and plants were placed on the corridor, and Lin Zhiqing would occasionally disturb the butterflies hiding in the flowers when he walked.

The men's seats were set up in an octagonal pavilion on the other side of the lake.

The pavilion was as big as Lin Zhiqing's yard and could accommodate many people.

Although it is not as colorful as the women's section at first glance, the rockery and green bamboos interwoven with each other have a unique charm.

Civil officials are civil officials. Lin Zhiqing still likes this kind of scenery. The Lin family's garden is not so exquisite. Various elements are piled together and it is unremarkable.

After observing the terrain, Lin Zhiqing took Aunt Mu to a corner and started "class".

"The one sitting in the middle wearing red is Princess Pingning, and the woman in white next to her is the Prime Minister's biological daughter..." Aunt Mu pointed out all the ladies she had seen.

Lin Zhiqing listened very carefully. After all, these people might become her potential customers in the future.

Lu Nanyue was right. Invitations to this spring banquet were indeed rare, and there were only about twenty people at the table.

When flower-like women stand together, they are always vying for beauty and pleasing to the eye.

Lin Zhiqing didn't want to stand out too much today, so she just wore a standard green silk dress with a few jasmine silk flowers pinned in her hair. She looked simple but decent.

After she had recognized most of the people, she went to find a less conspicuous seat and sat down.

When she got closer, she could easily hear the conversation of the ladies in the center.

But... the more Lin Zhiqing listened, the more interesting his expression became. It seemed like this group of people were talking about him?
"If my father had done something like this, he would have been too ashamed to live on. If she had stabbed herself in the neck with a knife, I would still respect her integrity..."

Wait, Lin Zhiqing was stunned, this voice... is really familiar!
(End of this chapter)