In the Northern Song Dynasty, he started by marrying the eighth daughter of the Su family.

Shen Kuo and Wang Qian were both sitting in their seats, unaware of the five pairs of eyes watching them from a distance.

Wang Qian and Shen Kuo were in a pretty good spot, as the entrance was directly below them. If someone came, they wouldn't be the first to be seen; instead, they would be the first to be spotted.

Although Wang Qian was sitting there, she was still looking down at the people watching her with some nervousness, completely ignoring the people who were watching her.

Shen Kuo was flipping through a book when, as if sensing something, he looked up and saw Wang Qian's movements. He asked, "What's wrong, Madam Wang? Are you in a hurry to leave?"

"No, it's just that..." Wang Qian wanted to find an explanation, but couldn't, so she could only say, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just afraid that I wouldn't be able to finish listening to this new song."

After saying that, she coughed twice, seemingly feeling unwell. Shen Kuo quickly poured her a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Wang Qian.

The latter took the tea and drank a sip to moisten her throat. Shen Kuo then asked, "What's wrong, Madam Wang? Are you feeling unwell?"

Wang Qian smiled, cleared her throat with a light cough, and shook her head, saying, "It's nothing, just some lung problems."

She had barely finished speaking when she coughed again, even covering her mouth with her handkerchief. After coughing, she felt something was off, so she looked at her handkerchief, and her pupils immediately contracted...

But Shen Kuo was looking at her at that moment, so she quickly adjusted her emotions and pretended nothing was wrong, hiding the handkerchief in her sleeve.

Seeing that the other person was still looking at her, she could only give a normal smile and say, "I'm fine. Is there anything you'd like to eat, Mr. Shen? It's my treat today."

Seeing this, Shen Kuo was slightly relieved and said, "I don't care, Lady Wang can take care of it."

Wang Qian smiled, called over a maid, and ordered some side dishes.

......

As a woman, Su Zhen was naturally more perceptive than the three...four boys around her. She noticed a change in Wang Qian's expression and, sensing something amiss, whispered:

"Is Madam Wang feeling unwell? I noticed her complexion looked a bit strange just now."

Han Zhi glanced at Su Zhen, then narrowed his eyes to examine her closely. However, Wang Qian had already returned to her normal expression and naturally did not see the abnormality Su Zhen had mentioned.

He shook his head and asked, "Did you see something, Eighth Sister?"

Su Zhen frowned slightly, then said, "Lady Wang's complexion looked rather unwell just now, but I didn't know it myself. Perhaps I was mistaken."

......

After ordering lunch for the two of them, Wang Qian took out a silver ingot from her pocket, gently squeezed it, and asked, "Master Shen, I have never left home before. I wonder if this silver is enough to pay for the meal at Pingluan Tower?"

Shen Kuo glanced at it and was immediately stunned, asking incredulously, "How much is this?"

"This piece seems to be worth twenty taels."

Now it was Shen Kuo's turn to be choked. He quickly said, "Madam Wang, don't worry. The music is from their invitation. If it's just a meal, there's no need for so much."

He took a sip of tea to calm himself down, and then said, "Alright, alright, Madam Wang, I'll pay for the meal this time."

But Wang Qian shook her head and said, "I promised to treat you to dinner today, how can I go back on my word?"

"but......"

"Sir Shen, please don't say 'but.' It was I who invited you, so the money will naturally be paid by me."

Left with no other choice, Shen Kuo had to agree.

Not far away, Lü Huiqing and Zhang Huaimin wore expressions resembling "auntie smiles," clearly thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. Seeing their smiles, Han Zhi also chuckled:

“Brother Huiqing, Brother Huaimin, why do you look at it like that? You can go to the temple and pray for good fortune in love, just like Brother Shen did.”

“Brother Han, you are mistaken. How can watching others enjoy the same scenery as my wife and I?” Lü Huiqing said at this moment.

At that moment, Han Zhi suddenly heard a woman's clear voice calling out, "Master Han?"

Han Zhi and the others were startled, then quickly looked behind them and gestured for silence. It was Chen Shishi and her two companions who had arrived; seeing Han Zhi's gesture, they instinctively stopped making a sound as well.

The three young men quickly looked in the original direction, and only after confirming that Shen Kuo and Wang Qian were alright did they breathe a sigh of relief. Su Zhen also waved to them and said, "Ladies, please have a seat for a while."

Chen Shishi and the others sat down and put down their instruments. Then Xu Dongdong asked, "What is Master Han looking at?"

“Look at our friends,” Han Zhi replied simply.

The three ladies all looked over, and suddenly Chen Shishi frowned and said, "Isn't that the wife of Doctor Wang? What's she doing here?"

At this point, Lü Huiqing became puzzled and asked, "Do you know each other?"

“We don’t know her, we’ve only heard of her,” Zhao Xiangxiang said. “The wife of Doctor Wang has always been kept at home by her family and never goes out. We don’t know how we could see her today.”

"And who is that gentleman beside her? He looks somewhat familiar," Chen Shishi asked again.

Han Zhi said, "That is Brother Shen Kuo. The three ladies saw him at my house before."

The three ladies nodded in agreement. Then, as if understanding something, Chen Shishi asked, "Could it be that Master Shen and that Lady Wang...?"

She didn't say anything more, but looked at Han Zhi. The three young men nodded slowly at her, seemingly confirming her statement.

Her eyes crinkled into a smile as she said, "Then let's congratulate Mr. Shen and Mrs. Wang."

Zhao Xiangxiang then said, "The three of us spent nearly a month composing this piece. Today, Master Han, would you like to listen to it carefully?"

"I will."

The three nodded, and then Xu Dongdong said, "We are about to go down to perform. Please wait a moment, Mr. Han."

......

After Chen Shishi, Zhao Xiangxiang, and Xu Dongdong all went on stage, the madam stood directly in front of the stage and said with a smile:

"Distinguished guests, thank you for your patronage. Today, our humble establishment presents a new song, sung by our three head chefs."

"This piece was meticulously prepared by the three masters over a month, and they devoted a great deal of effort to it. Everyone in the music academy who heard it said that this piece should only exist in heaven. You are all fortunate to hear it today."

The madam, all smiles and with her eyes narrowed to slits, surveyed the crowd below: "Gentlemen, please savor this moment today and do not disappoint the beauty's kindness. If you are willing to give some tips after you have enjoyed the performance, that would be wonderful."

"Please be quiet for a moment, everyone. The three leaders are about to start singing!"

After she finished speaking, she struck the gong on the stage, and the entire audience fell silent, all looking at the stage.

As the sound of the gong faded, Zhao Xiangxiang plucked the strings of her zither and began to sing:

"Half a lifetime adrift amidst mountains and seas, a lone boat adrift..."