Looking for plums under the moon

Ling Guyue walked back, and when she passed a bridge, she stopped in the midst of a burst of hawking.

He walked to a pastry shop with the sign of "Bridgehead Pastry" hanging on it, and his eyes lingered on the counter which was about a foot wide.

Seeing someone coming, the shopkeeper hurriedly stopped to yell, and introduced with a smile on his face: "Master, my family has sold cakes at this bridge for generations, and it is already a time-honored brand in Jinling. If the guests want to eat, I can make any pastry!"

Ling Guyue saw a pastry in the shape of a plum blossom in the shop, the petals were dyed bright red, it looked very delicate, so she asked, "What is this?"

The shopkeeper said: "This is plum blossom cake. It has a soft and delicate taste. After eating it, it leaves a lingering fragrance. Many girls like to eat this."

Ling Guyue coughed, her eyes fell on another kind of golden pastry, and she asked, "What about this one?"

The shopkeeper proudly said: "This is the living sign of our shop - Jinzi Cake. Look at it, it is golden in color and has a horseshoe shape. Does it look like a gold ingot?"

Ling Guyue nodded, "It's kind of like that."

The shopkeeper said again: "Speaking of this golden cake, there is another story. At the time of my great-grandfather, a poor scholar who was going to Beijing for an exam came to rest at my door. My great-grandfather saw that he looked tired, so he kindly brought it to him. After drinking a pot of water, he gave him a few cakes. The scholar ate a gold cake on the spot, and said as he ate, "If you don't earn some fame and come back, you are ashamed of the gold cake from the shopkeeper!" Thinking of winning the first prize in one fell swoop, shining brilliantly at the Qionglin Banquet, and winning the emperor's appreciation. So this gold cake, there is also a special name called Zhuangyuan cake." After speaking, the shopkeeper looked at Ling Guyue, "I Seeing that you are young and very unfamiliar, is it possible that you are also a scholar who is rushing for the exam?"

Ling Guyue quickly shook her head and said, "I just came to Jinling for a few days."

The shopkeeper laughed and said, "Have you ever been engaged?"

Ling Guyue said: "Not yet."

The shopkeeper said with a clear face: "I guess you have someone you like too?" Before Ling Guyue could deny it, he said, "Then buy some plum cakes and take them home. Girls like sweet and bright colors, so I'm sure you won't give this as a gift." It's going to go wrong."

Ling Guyue hurriedly waved her hands and said, "No, no, I'll just buy some sweet-scented osmanthus."

The shopkeeper suddenly realized: "Isn't it? It's already autumn, it's time to eat sweet-scented osmanthus... OK, sir, wait for a while, I will decorate for you." After saying that, he turned and went to the counter to take two pieces of oiled paper, Wrapped a few pieces of sweet-scented osmanthus and handed it to Ling Guyue.

Ling Guyue took out money from her purse to pay the bill, and seeing that the shopkeeper wrapped a few pieces of plum cakes in another piece of oiled paper, she winked at him and said, "My lord, I'll give you some more plum cakes, take them back and give them to your sweetheart to taste." .”

Seeing that the shopkeeper couldn't help but stuff two packs of pastries into her hands, Ling Guyue was pushed out the door before saying thanks, and shouted enthusiastically, "Come again next time!"

Ling Guyue had no choice but to nod, "Definitely!" Then she took two packs of pastries and walked towards Shuyinglou.

"Have you seen Miss Xianhua?" As soon as Ling Guyue returned to Shuying Building, she asked everyone about the girl who put things for him.

"I don't know..." Everyone looked at me and I looked at you, shaking their heads.

Ling Guyue had no choice but to go back to her room and put down the two packs of pastries.

Seeing the sweet-scented osmanthus flowers brought from Pingchuan on the table, Ling Guyue's heart moved, and she opened the package of plum cakes. Suddenly, the aroma was tangy, and a sweet plum fragrance hit her. She just wanted to pick up a piece and taste it. There was a knock on the door.

"Young Master Feiyi, I heard that you are looking for Xianhua?" Qing Chan asked at the door.

Ling Guyue had no choice but to get up, opened the door and said, "Yes, the things promised to Miss Xianhua have not been given to her, and I am going to find her, does Miss Qingchan know where she is?"

Qingchan said: "I saw her go to the back garden just now, young master can go and see."

Ling Guyue nodded and said, "Thank you, I'll go find her right away."

Back to the room, carrying the bag of sweet-scented osmanthus, Ling Guyue walked towards the back garden.

From a distance, I saw a woman standing by the lake, holding a small wooden box, slightly raising her slender hand, and sprinkled fish food into the water, and a group of golden and white koi was clustered around her feet.

Ling Guyue approached and said, "Miss Xianhua, I brought you sweet-scented osmanthus."

Xianhua turned her head and saw that he really was carrying a bag of pastries, she smiled and said: "Thank you, sir." She put down the fish food, wiped her hands with the handkerchief in her sleeve, took the oiled paper bag and said: "Young master, don't worry."

Ling Guyue said: "It's nothing," looking past her to the lake, and asked, "Miss feed the fish here?"

Xianhua nodded, "In the past, Lu Yuan fed her. Today she has something to do, so she didn't come. I'll feed her for once."

Ling Guyue walked to the water's edge, and saw that the group of koi were fat and bright, and they were not afraid of people, and saw them huddling together happily, wagging their tails.

Seeing that he was very interested, Xianhua handed him the fish food box, "Young Master, come and try?"

Ling Guyue didn't refuse, took the box and sprinkled a lot.

Xianhua hurriedly stopped him, "Young Master Feiyi, fish food needs to be fed little by little. Fish are not like people who know when they are hungry and full. They will rush to eat if they have food. If they are fed too much, they will be stuffed to death."

Ling Guyue looked at her apologetically, "Sorry..."

Xianhua blushed and said, "It's okay, young master, try again."

Ling Guyue bit her lip, forcibly suppressed the urge to catch fish with her bare hands, and sprinkled fish food into the fish school little by little, and soon the box bottomed out.

Xianhua said: "Young master bought me sugar osmanthus and helped me feed the fish. Xianhua really doesn't know how to thank you."

Ling Guyue smiled and said: "You're welcome, it's just a trivial matter."

Xianhua put away the fish box, and asked softly, "Is the young master busy now?"

Ling Guyue thought for a while and said: "Not busy, what's the matter?"

Xianhua lowered her head, "If you're not busy, can you come with me to Lvyuan's place to return the fish box? By the way, I'll ask you a few more things."

Ling Guyue nodded, "I happen to have nothing to do, so it's okay to go with you, just ask Miss Xianhua if you have anything to do."

The two walked towards the depths of the back garden.

"Young Master, have you ever been to Lingnan?"

Ling Guyue said: "I have never been there."

"Young master, do you know the current situation in Lingnan?"

Ling Guyue said: "I heard that it is still the land where the vassal kings ruled, and there are constant wars."

Xianhua smiled wryly and said: "I have been living in a foreign country since I was 13 years old. Both my parents died of illness on the way. The most impressive thing is the sweet-scented osmanthus made by my mother when I was a child. The osmanthus in Lingnan is plump and sweet, and the pastries are also very delicious. Today, I saw that the son received the sweet osmanthus from home, and thought of the dead parents for a moment, and made an abrupt request, and asked the son not to blame Xianhua."

Ling Guyue said: "Where, I am a little unreasonable."

Xianhua held the bag of sweet-scented osmanthus, opened it and tasted it: "I didn't expect the sweet-scented osmanthus in Jinling to be so sweet. It turns out that all the sweet-scented osmanthus in the world have the same taste..." She sighed.

Ling Guyue said: "That's not necessarily the case. Otherwise, why do people always say that the moon in my hometown is very round? If you try it carefully, the sweet-scented osmanthus in Lingnan must be better."

Xianhua took another bite, then smiled and said: "Young master, when it comes to sweet-scented osmanthus, it's the same everywhere. As for the way of making pastries, there are only the same types over and over again. It's just that the people who make pastries are different. Jinling The shopkeeper of the pastry shop has no relationship with us. We use money to buy his things, and what we eat is the same taste. But the ones made by relatives contain thousands of care and love, and what we eat is their heart. There's really a big difference between the two."

Ling Guyue heard her say a lot, and only nodded when her sadness dissipated.

The two came to Luyuan's yard, Ling Guyue knew that she loved red medicine, but she didn't expect that her yard was full of red medicine, except for a path in the middle that was only for one person, there was almost no place to stand.

Xianhua said: "Lvyuan is like this. She always only likes this kind of flower. I used to think that she had a special liking for this flower because of Baishi Taoist's saying, "When you read the red medicine by the bridge, you will know who gave birth every year." Later, she accidentally mentioned that this flower was planted all over her home, so I realized that she is also a family-minded person."

When mentioning Luyuan, Ling Guyue thought of the alias of the red medicine she once said, and asked, "Why did she come to Shuyinglou?"

Xianhua shook her head and said: "I don't know about that... She has always been reticent, and she doesn't have many friends to talk to in the building. Only when I visit her sometimes, she just smiles and doesn't gossip. "

Ling Guyue looked around the small courtyard, and saw that apart from the huge bright red flowers, the courtyard was also very neat and tidy. The door of the green kite's room was closed, and there were tools for planting flowers and plants on the wooden shelf at the door.

Xianhua put the fish food box on the wooden shelf, turned around and said, "Young Master Feiyi, let's go."

Ling Guyue nodded, walked out of the Hongyao courtyard with her, and asked as she walked, "In this back garden is only Miss Luyuan living alone?"

Xianhua said: "There are three people in the back garden, the landlord lives in Qingyuxuan, Lu Yuan lives here, and the third master, the third master lives in the small courtyard to the east."

Ling Guyue's eyes moved slightly, and she pretended to be puzzled and said: "I heard you call San Ye every day, who is San Ye?"

Xianhua said: "The third master is the housekeeper of the old landlord, and he raised the landlord after the old landlord passed away."

"Oh..." Ling Guyue nodded, "No wonder you respect him so much."

Xianhua smiled and said: "It's not just because of this relationship. It is said that when the third master and the old landlord walked in the rivers and lakes, the two were as close as brothers. People in the rivers and lakes are called 'Hongying Twin Heroes', and the establishment of Shuying Building is also a result of the third master. It's a credit. Speaking of it, the third master is also qualified to be regarded as the half owner of Shuyinglou."

Ling Guyue suddenly stopped in her tracks, and asked blankly: "The third master is going to the rivers and lakes with your old landlord?"

Xianhua looked at him suspiciously, and said: "Yes, that happened more than 20 years ago. I also heard from others that the third master was here when I came."

Ling Guyue said: "Then... the third master has been staying in Shuyinglou for more than 20 years?"

Xianhua smiled and said: "The third master left for five or six years, and no one knew what he did in those years. It's just that when he came back, his voice suddenly broke down. The landlord looked for famous doctors everywhere, and found Fang Yuchou, the genius doctor. He healed."

Ling Guyue pursed her lips, with mixed feelings in her heart, "Ah... that's right."

Seeing that he was a little distracted, Xianhua felt that she had said something wrong, and she didn't dare to continue the conversation, she lowered her head and walked in a muffled voice.

Ling Guyue felt that her steps were heavy, and she said in a deep voice: "I want to walk in the back garden, girl, let's do it first."

Xianhua responded, looked at him uneasy before turning back and leaving.

Ling Guyue sat down on the stone bench among the flowers, thinking about what Uncle Ge Sanshu said to herself a few days ago, she thought to herself: Could it be that he is lying to me again?Uncle Ge Sanshu has always been a member of Shuyinglou, why did he hide his identity and go to Pingchuan?So it was because someone saw through his identity that he left?So... he's been lying all along.

Ling Guyue looked not far away, her eyes were full of frustration, she shook her head and said: "Whatever you say is for my own good is all false."

At this moment, a black shadow walked through the red medicine bushes.

Ling Guyue frowned, almost suspecting that she was wrong, she got up and looked closely, the figure was tall and straight, with black hair in a high bunch, face as cold as snow, thin lips tightly pursed, holding the cold light sword in her hand, it was indeed Shen fall.

What is he doing here?Are you here to find Uncle Ge?

"Oops," Ling Guyue said secretly, "I still don't know what Ge Sanshu's purpose is, he wants me to invite my junior brother here, is there some kind of conspiracy?" After thinking about it, she chased after him, but Shen Luo walked in a hurry, Unable to stop him, he could only be seen walking through the shadows of flowers from afar.

Ling Guyue pursued closely, and finally saw the black shadow flash past, and disappeared on the water the next moment.

Ling Guyue paused, and looked up, the water in front of her was rippling, and a small building stood in the water like an island, casting a clear reflection.Immediately, doubts arose in my heart, why did my junior brother come to Qingyuxuan?Could it be that Uncle Ge asked him to meet here?Doesn't this mean that there is no need to shy away from Lin Jue?If these two join forces to plot against Junior Brother, I don't know if he will be able to escape unscathed...

Ling Guyue was full of doubts in her heart, and she stepped on the waves, climbed up the beams and pillars after a while, and entered Qingyuxuan like last time.

Looking down from the roof, it was strange that only Shen Luo and Lin Jue were in the room, but Uncle Ge was nowhere to be seen.

"I don't know how many days my senior brother has been here, how is your hospitality?" Shen Luo asked coldly as he stood in the middle of the room with his sword in his arms.

Lin Jue half-lyed on the couch with a haggard face, "There is nothing wrong with Lin treating her sincerely."

Shen Luo sneered and said: "In front of my senior brother, you also pretend to be like this?"

Lin Jue smiled weakly and said, "Brother Shen was joking, I have been weak since I was a child, so why pretend?"

Shen Luo said: "There are some things that you and I both know very well, Mr. Lin, I don't care how you put on your face at ordinary times, as long as you don't set your mind on senior brother, I will naturally not embarrass you."

Lin Jue coughed twice and said, "I have an appointment with Young Master Fei Yi, it's fair, brother Shen is serious."

Shen Luo said: "I know you won't tell me if I ask you, but if you still want Tianshucao, you'd better be honest."

"Of course, Lin doesn't dare to forget what he promised Brother Shen." Lin Jue smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, "I wonder when Brother Chen can bring the Tianshu Grass?"

Shen Luo looked contemptuously, and the cold light sword reflected a faint cold light in his arms, "What do you think?"

"That's right." Lin Jue's eyebrows and eyes curled into crescent moons, "Of course we have to wait for Mr. Scarlet Clothes to return to Pingchuan intact."

Shen Luo glanced at him, "I hope you can move faster." After saying that, he walked out.

Lin Jue lay on the couch and lazily said, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience of sending you away."

When Shen Luo walked away, Lin Jue sat up leisurely, propped his hands on the table and supported his chin, stared at the direction of his departure with a gloomy expression, and suddenly laughed at himself, "You people, relying on how much you have If you divide your talents, you will be arrogant, and sooner or later I will ask you to recognize my status..."

Ling Guyue had a panoramic view of all this, saw Lin Jue picked up the exquisite glass cup from the coffee table beside the bed and looked at it carefully, then got up and left.

I didn't see Shen Luo again on the road, and I don't know where he went.

Ling Guyue returned to the room with doubts, probably because she was too engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't notice the movement in the room for a while, when he opened the door, she looked up and saw Shen Luo sitting at the table, frowning and eating The plum cake he brought back from Qiaotou.

The two looked at each other, Shen Luo said: "Brother, so you like to eat this."

Ling Guyue walked up to him and sat down, wondering: "Why are you here?"

Shen Luo's face remained unchanged and he said, "I came over after I received the letter from senior brother to deal with some matters."

Ling Guyue tentatively asked, "Just arrived in Jinling today?"

Shen Luo hummed, and said again: "I haven't had time to see Uncle Ge in the future, when will we go together?"

Ling Guyue was full of preoccupations, wondering why Shen Luo wanted to meet Lin Jue without telling her, and what happened to the Tianshu grass they were talking about.

Seeing Ling Guyue's silence, Shen Luo picked up a piece of plum cake and put it near his mouth, "I heard that Jinling's plum cake is a must. I tried it today, and it really lives up to its reputation."

Ling Guyue came back to her senses, and obediently opened her mouth and bit it.

Shen Luo stared at the cinnabar mole at the end of his eyes, like a red plum in full bloom, she shook her hand inadvertently, and accidentally touched his lips, which were soft and moist...

Ling Guyue shrank back, only feeling the sweetness in her mouth, which melted in her mouth, and suddenly remembered what the pastry shop owner said, and said with a narrow smile: "The shopkeeper said that girls would like this, but I didn't expect my younger brother to like it too. If you know, buy more."

Shen Luo didn't mind, took a bite of Ling Guyue's remaining piece, and asked, "What else did he say?"

Ling Guyue thought for a while, then said with a smile: "He told me to bring back the plum blossom cake and give it to the person I like. I've been in Pingchuan for almost 20 years, but I haven't seen many girls. Where is the person I like?"

"Really?" Shen Luo stared straight at him, "There are a lot of girls here, brother, are you excited?"

"How come?" Ling Guyue glanced at him, "Don't talk nonsense."

Shen Luo stopped talking, picked up the plum cake and ate one piece after another.

Seeing him eating non-stop, Ling Guyue was afraid that he would choke, so she poured a glass of water and handed it to him, "Junior Brother, do you have any clues about Master?"

Shen Luo shook his head, "Not yet."

"Do the three elders have other actions?"

Shen Luo swallowed the last mouthful of plum cake and said, "Not yet, it's just that the murderer who killed those disciples has been found."