Enter Chang Xiangsi and help Jingzhai fight

Just as he was enjoying his meal, a familiar voice came from behind him: "Sir, the old lady saw that you didn't go for lunch, so she asked me to bring you food. She said that we have your favorite lotus leaf chicken today."

I turned around and saw a woman in indigo brocade, also carrying a small food box, with her right foot already stepping into the threshold. Our eyes met, and although she had put on heavy makeup, I still recognized her as Lan Mei, the subordinate of Tianrui's second wife.

When Lan Mei saw me sitting opposite Tu Shanjing, she frowned and rolled her eyes.

Tu Shanjing said to her coldly: "Leave the food box here, and thank grandma for me when you go back."

Lan Mei wanted to say something, but Tu Shanjing interrupted her: "I said, back off."

I quickly stepped forward to take the lunch box, and Lan Mei took advantage of me blocking Jing's sight and glared at me fiercely. I reflexively remembered the pain in my fingers, and my hand trembled and I almost lost the lunch box, so I grabbed it with all my strength and put it on the table in front of Jing.

Lan Mei bowed and said, "Lan Mei, I came at an inopportune time. I will leave first."

Jing just lowered his head and opened the lid without even raising his eyelids. Lan Mei walked away angrily.

There was a fragrant aroma coming from the box, which smelled fresh and had a hint of fragrance. Although I tried a few small pieces of mooncakes in the morning, after all, I had run around and had almost digested them. My stomach growled loudly.

Jing laughed out loud and looked up at me: "What? You didn't have lunch either?"

Seeing that he seemed to be in a good mood, I replied thoughtfully: "Yes, not only lunch, but also breakfast is useless for making mooncakes!"

Jing took out the dishes and spread them out, saying, "Let's eat together. I can't eat so much."

I was smiling happily. Although there were meals and vegetables these two days, the servants and the masters had different food after all. What's more, the old lady's precious grandson must have eaten the best food.

"Thank you, young master! Well, you're welcome, then?" I took out chopsticks from the food box, picked up a piece of pork with preserved vegetables and started eating: "It's delicious, fatty but not greasy, melts in your mouth, and has the salty fragrance of preserved vegetables, the best in the world~"

Jing's slender white hands tore open the withered green lotus leaves, and the aroma of chicken spread. He put a large piece on my plate, and I was busy chewing, nodding my head to express my gratitude.

When we had almost finished eating, Jing spoke up, "Chunming said that you introduced two operas that were very fresh. How come I never heard you say that you had watched an opera recently?"

I wiped my mouth and replied casually, "Well, to be honest, it was actually my dream, but it's not easy to tell Master Chunming directly, so why don't I say it was written by someone I know in my hometown, what do you think?"

Jing nodded: "Yes, although many people heard about the Taixu Illusionary Realm that day, it is estimated that it has spread secretly. But we don't know whether it was once or multiple times. The fewer people know, the less gossip there is. If you are busy, you can write two plays according to what you said."

I nodded yes repeatedly and looked up at him. Maybe he was too hot from eating, so there was a little sweat on his forehead, and his face was white with a rosy glow, which looked very handsome.

However, he had not been taking care of his eyes for long when Jingye came to report that someone in the front hall wanted to see him. He quickly folded the half-written paper and put it in his arms, then hurried away with Jingye.

I cleaned up the dishes, took the food box that the old lady asked me to send to the servant in the courtyard and asked him to take it back to the big kitchen, and then I went back to the small kitchen with the food box I brought. I heard from the cooks that the maids who tasted the food praised it highly, and I felt relieved. I told them that if anyone in the mansion made a mistake or wanted a mooncake gift box, they should all be sent to the kitchen to help peel the taro. I also took two more boxes of mooncakes to Xiaowei and Xiaohui under the pretext of letting the sisters taste them.

Xiao Wei and Xiao Hui praised the food highly. Seeing them enjoying their meal, I couldn't help but feel a surge of maternal love. While eating, Xiao Hui blinked and looked at me: "Sister, do you have anything else to do later?"

I thought for a moment and answered, "Except for writing the play, there is probably... nothing else? If there is no more work for the Mid-Autumn Festival that needs to be done at short notice. What's the matter?"

Xiao Hui said embarrassedly: "Well... Xiao Wei and I both want to continue listening to the story of Sun Wukong."

I laughed, "Great! However, listening to stories requires labor. I think you should stay here for a while and be my book boy, reading letters and writing for me until the Mid-Autumn Festival is over. What do you think?"

Xiao Hui was overjoyed and bowed to me repeatedly: "That's great! Thank you, young lady!"

Xiaowei's mouth was bulging with the lava custard mooncake. She didn't dare to open her mouth wide, so she just made a circle and raised her hands to say "OK!" to show her agreement.

I took the pen, ink, paper and inkstone and laid them out, and asked Xiao Hui to write Havoc in Heaven and Night Visit to the East Wing first, and then briefly explained in the letter that the previous events would be written into a booklet and given away on the ship, and asked Jingui to send it to Master Chunming to find a reliable troupe to practice with first. Then I hugged Xiao Wei, squeezed Xiao Hui's hand, and continued to tell the story of the great hero in their eyes.

So, I was busy arranging various affairs in the morning, secretly asked Xiao Hui to write for me, went to Jing to report the progress in the afternoon and see if there were any ideas, and went back to tell them the story of the Monkey King in the evening. Maybe my ability was gradually spread in the mansion, no one forced me to do the work of a maid, and no one came to trouble me. In this way, the days passed quickly, and in a blink of an eye it was the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The cruise was held at Yingshui near Qingqiu. Both banks were decorated with lanterns and crowded with people watching the excitement. Ten large ships were parked at the widest part of the water. The tallest and most luxurious one was adorned with pearls, inlaid with gold gilt edges, with flying tulle and bright candlelight. There was a golden plaque on the bow with three large black characters on it: Lan Gui Fang.

It was just getting dark when the sound of stringed instruments could be heard, attracting onlookers to ask questions. They learned that the most luxurious tickets to board the ship had already been sold out. They could not help but sigh and spend money to buy the remaining tickets for the last-class boat, hoping that the boat would approach Lan Kwai Fong so that they could catch a glimpse of her.

I was busy from morning till night, with many things to do, so busy that I didn't even have time to drink water. At this moment, seeing tourists boarding the ship one after another and the opera starting, I went through the process in my mind and felt that there would be nothing for me to do later. The remaining work that would be exposed could be left to Master Chunming and Master Jin Er. So I went to the servants' waiting room at the stern to pour myself a glass of water, lifted the white veil and drank it.

"Lanxiang." A low voice suddenly came from behind.

"Cough cough cough!" I was startled and turned back while coughing.

A man dressed in black and wearing a black mask stood sideways at the door.

"Who are you?" I saw that he looked suspicious and couldn't help but reach out and grab the teapot, which was the only weapon I could reach.

"…I am You." He seemed helpless.

You... Oh, the fragrance of orchids in the quiet night. I always forget that the "You" in the middle is not used to compose a poem, but is the name of Jing's shadow guard.

"Oh, Brother You, Shu Lanxiang's mind hasn't recovered yet, she's still confused." I accompanied her carefully.

"No problem. We have distinguished guests at the banquet, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to serve them. Jingye is afraid something might go wrong, so he wants you to go and help."

"Okay, I'll go and help too." I wiped my mouth, put down my veil, and followed You obediently. It seemed like there would be no peace tonight.