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Chapter 105: Another March Third

  It's another March 3rd, kites fill the sky.

  The Queen Mother of the Heavens is going to hold a Peach Party, and the young ladies on earth will also put on beautiful and bold clothes, with exquisite hairpins inserted at their temples, and delicate small flowers pasted on their smooth foreheads.

  The era moved to the Song Dynasty, and women's dress was simple and elegant. However, on March 3rd, young ladies would adorn themselves with the most gorgeous makeup, and even reveal their white and tender arms and necks with perfect lines, because this day is Girls' Day, when girls go on outings, have dates with their lovers.

  Young men and women of this era may not be as passionate and unrestrained as those in the Tang Dynasty, but they can still enjoy the sweet fragrance of free love.

  From early morning, there were numerous sedan chairs and even more young men and women walking from the various city gates of Meizhou City, surging towards the outskirts with boundless spring scenery. At this time, it was the peak of spring, strolling among the mountains and waters, one could only feel that the mountain colors were like a butterfly's wings, the flower lights were like cheeks, and the warm breeze was like wine, making people drunk.

  Young boys and girls wear green hairpins and red flowers, searching for fragrant scents and beautiful scenery, finding a place to appreciate the beauty of nature, flying kites, throwing embroidered balls, chasing and playing... There are also those young couples, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, strolling through the forest, by the water's edge, amidst the blooming flowers, whispering softly, exchanging loving glances, when their emotions reach a peak, they can't help but find a secluded spot, hidden from view, where they do what lovers do, and there are tender cries and endless laughter... It's not something that shocks or astonishes the world.

  When tired, they would sit under the weeping willows, beside the lush gardens, and arrange cups and plates for a hearty drink and meal. The vendors of snacks followed closely behind the excited crowd, selling all sorts of exquisite pastries, wine, cold dishes... There were also peddlers hawking jewelry, hair ornaments, powder, and rouge; these clever merchants knew that on a day like today, men would inevitably try to show off in front of the beautiful women.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  On a flat area with lush flowers and gurgling green water, surrounded by a super-large tablecloth filled with food, seven or eight pairs of young men and women sat scattered.

  Girls sat in twos and threes, some giggling as they accepted the fresh flowers picked by their boyfriends, others using handkerchiefs to wipe away their boyfriends' sweat, while still others sat together in pairs, whispering sweet nothings to each other.

  But in general, compared to those passionate and unrestrained peers, this group of men and women are much more reserved. Especially with two outstanding women, who just sit together talking, ignoring the flattering butterflies around them.

  Those two women were seventeen or eighteen years old, one dressed as a new bride, born with elegant appearance and dignified demeanor. The other was Yunying, unmarried, with black bangs, born with beautiful eyebrows and eyes like a painting, smiling cleverly and elegantly, with an indescribable spirit and elegance.

  She was beautiful, with eyes that sparkled like flowing water. Every frown and every smile seemed to captivate the young nobleman sitting beside her, who was dressed in luxurious attire. His heart was stirred and his soul was turned upside down. Unfortunately, the beauty treated everyone with kindness, but she was cold and distant towards him.

  Seeing his dispirited appearance, a man in his twenties with thick eyebrows and big eyes, who was standing beside him, used the fan in his hand to pat him and said: "Brother Lei, why do you have to look for it at my house? There are beautiful things everywhere."

  "Zi Zhan, since I met your little sister two years ago," the rich young master turned his head back, with a lovesick expression, "I feel that all the women in this world are mediocre and ordinary, even if there is a beautiful scenery, what does it have to do with me?"

  "It's also a kind of foolish love." The one being called Zi Zhan was naturally Su Shi, who was twenty years old this year. After the Spring Festival this year, he was given the courtesy name "Zi Zhan" by his teacher and father-in-law Wang Fang.

  The woman in the new dress was his new wife, Wang Fu, whom Su Shi had secretly loved for many years.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "It's just as I said earlier," Su Shi sighed and said: "My sister's heart was taken away by someone else long ago, you can't get it."

  "Yes, you said that two years ago." This young master with the surname Lei was called Lei Fang. He was the son of Lei Jian, the governor of Mei Prefecture. In those days when Governor Lei was serving as a prefect in another county, he had been very close to Su Xun. Two years ago, after his transfer to Mei Prefecture, they became even closer friends. Lei Fang had also seen Miss Su back then and had been infatuated with her ever since: "But I've made inquiries and found out that the engagement between the young man from the Chancellor's office and the daughter of the Liu family has not been annulled..."

  Su Shi's smile on his face suddenly froze.

  "What's more, he is now the young hero who cleverly took Kunlun Pass, Ouyang Gong's proud disciple, and also has a close friendship with Di Shuai, even the current officials write prefaces for his books. He is a man in his prime! Lei Fang anxiously said on your behalf: "People can change, you still think he is that silly kid from Meishan County?!

  "No," Su Shi shook his head and said, "You don't understand him."

  "Why didn't you come back for three years after leaving Chu?" Lei Fang's one sentence made Su Shi speechless.

  "Is Le Gongzi going out for a trip to the suburbs?" Su Xiaomei had been listening all along, and this time she finally couldn't help but say with a thin face: "It's hard to get out even once, who told you that he would come back last year?"

  "I heard you say... " Lei Fang had a proud temper, but immediately softened and said: "Little sister, didn't you just say he would be back after finishing his business?"

  "If Ouyang Gong wants to take you as his apprentice, will you hurry back?"

  "I..."

  "If an official writes a preface for your book and it's going to be published by the imperial court, can you hurry back?"

  "I..."

  "Wherever you go, there's always a gentleman waiting to receive you with courtesy and hospitality, take you on tours of the mountains and rivers. Can you bear to hurry back?"

  "Lei Fang finally gathered his strength and said: 'For the one I love...I will.'"

  "You..." The little sister lightly bit her lower lip, her expression clearly darkening as she coldly laughed and said: "It's easy to talk when you don't have to take responsibility..."

  "What I said is true..." Feeling the atmosphere getting more and more tense, Su Shi quickly pulled Lei Fang away: "Let's go drink over there."

  "Zi Zhan, can you believe me?" "Updated quickly, no ads, Ba Yi Chinese."

  "I believe it's useless anyway, you don't like me..."

  Dai Lei was dragged away, and his little sister angrily spat out two words: "Boring!"

  Wang Fu lightly grasped Xiaogu's hand and asked: "Are you okay?"

  "It doesn't matter what he says." Little sister said angrily: "But if he says one more thing about Third Brother, I'll never speak to him again." The two were not only sisters-in-law but also old classmates, so they naturally didn't need to hide their true feelings.

  "What good fortune Chen Sanlang has accumulated in his past life!" Wang Fu sighed to herself: "He actually values my beautiful and talented younger sister more than myself." Thinking of this, she softly said: "Next month is your 18th birthday..."

  "Hmm..." The little sister heard this, lowered her long neck, and her face was a bit dull. She touched the pearl hairpin on her head, an action that had been repeated for three years, already becoming a habit.

  It's been three whole years since that person left...

  "On your father's side, we will naturally help persuade him," Wang said softly: "But you, can't just wait like this either?" Her meaning was, isn't it time for you to give in a bit too?

  As for Chen's delay in settling the matter, wasting his daughter's youth, Su Xun was naturally extremely angry, and almost erected a monument to let Chen's father and son become infamous.

  But because of the lesson from Ba Niang, he didn't want to force his daughter again, so it dragged on until now. But Su Xun was also furious, at the latest, when Little Sister turned 18 years old. Even if she's one day past 18, Chen Sanlang will never see Little Sister again!

  In this case, the relationship between father and daughter is naturally not going to be good. The former best friend became a sister-in-law, reluctantly shouldering the unpleasant role of a mediator, Wang Fu has been advising his younger sister lately not to put her heart entirely on someone else's body, she must leave some for herself.

  "Uh, sister-in-law is right." Then she saw her little sister nodding and saying: "If he doesn't come back..."

  "What's wrong with you?"

  "I'll go find him right now!" Little sister said with determination on her face.

  "Why must you humiliate yourself?" Wang Fu sighed and said: "We women have to take responsibility for ourselves!"

  "Sister, this is exactly being responsible to oneself!" The little sister looked up with a pair of sparkling eyes and said: "For us women, isn't there anything more important than grasping the one who has our heart?"

  Wang Fu was speechless for a long time, and finally said in a low voice: "Aren't you afraid that once you see him, he will have changed his mind."

  "It won't happen," Little Sister smiled and said dazedly, "He told me personally to 'rest assured', so I'll rest assured, unless..."

  "What if?"

  "Unless he says something to me in person..." Little sister's nose turned sour, and tears came down. She lightly hit Wang Fu and said: "Hateful, just thinking about it is like being stabbed by a knife."

  "Alas..." Wang Fu gently wrapped his arm around hers, saying nothing more.

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  When the sunset's afterglow shines on the treetops, young men and women who have been playing all day finally return to the city in a drunken and staggering manner. In the mountains and fields, on the grasslands, and in the dense forests, everywhere is littered with fallen hairpins and scattered pearls and jade, echoing with the thick atmosphere of spring.

  The younger sister and her group arrived by carriage, but many of them had drunk too much, so they suggested taking a walk to sober up. Watching Brother Zizhan, with the support of his wife Wang Fu, he loudly recited poetry while dancing with abandon. Brother Ziyu, on the other hand, was walking hand in hand with Second Aunt Shi, laughing together... Su Xun's temperament was such that he couldn't bear to hold two weddings, so he had his two sons get married at the same time.

  The one arranged for Su Zhe to marry was the daughter of his uncle's family, who was also his cousin. She was warm and gentle, knowledgeable and reasonable. Although they rarely spoke to each other, their relationship was harmonious.

  When looking at others, they are always in pairs, but only herself is alone. Little sister couldn't help but let out a soft sigh, gazing at the colorful clouds in the sky, as if conjuring up that detestable face, and she couldn't help but want to take a big bite out of it.

  "Little sister." Lei Fang again came over with a thick skin, and said with a straight face: "You must be tired from walking, why not get in the car and rest for a bit?"

  "Too weak to withstand the wind..." The little sister gave him a cold shoulder and turned her back on him.

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