Chapter 56: Refreshing as Spring Breeze

  Whether it was Shen Muqing or Liang Youhui, neither of them expected that the person sent by the Liang family to pick them up would be Liang Jimin. I'll tell you, the fastest update is in front of your eyes. Is it fast?

  He wore a 70% new navy blue satin straight skirt, his black hair was combed neatly, with a rhinoceros hornpin inserted, and a humble smile hung on his white face, half sitting on the brocade stool in front of Li's kang and talking to Li.

  Shen Muqing's mind immediately conjured up the phrase "A humble gentleman, warm and refined like jade", while Liang Youhui let out a surprised cry of "Third Brother" on the spot, opening her eyes wide to ask: "How is it you who came to pick me up? Aren't you supposed to be studying in the temple?"

  Liang Jiemin glanced at Li and softly scolded Liang Youhui: "Foolish!"

  It was a scolding, but his voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, making people feel warmth rather than severity.

  Li Ruohong's face turned red as she made a bowing gesture with her hands together in respect, and then gave Li a salute.

  Li Qiming explained on the side: "Shen Furen Haihan! This younger sister of mine, with a heart as pure as an infant's, is extremely sincere to others, and sometimes can't help but be a bit childish..." The tone was full of protection.

  Mr. Li's face was full of smiles, with a hint of concealment in his expression. He couldn't help but praise: "The second young lady is very good, our whole family likes her very much. Especially Mu Qing, the two have been like close sisters for some time, eating and living together, able to talk and play together." As he spoke, he glanced at Shen Muqing.

  Li Qiming smiled and said: "This is also Mrs. wide tolerance, my sister can be as free and easy as if she were in her own home."

  Li listened, and the smile on his face grew deeper.

  Shen Muqing felt that Li's smile was a bit strange.

  Also thought of myself seemingly not having paid respects to Liang Jiemin yet.

  Is it implying itself?

  Shen Muqing quickly bowed to Liang Jieming.

  Liáng Jìmǐn hastily stood up and returned a bow.

  "Alright, alright," said Mr. Li with a chuckle. "I heard you all met at the old lady's house last time, so let's not be formal and sit down to talk."

  Three people responded in unison with a "yes", Liang Ji Min re-seated herself, Liang You Hui sat on the small stool opposite Liang Ji Min, and Shen Mu Qing stood beside Li Shi. This way, she was also standing between Liang Ji Min and Li Shi.

  Li looked in the direction she was standing and smiled again.

  Shen Mu Qing's heart skipped a beat.

  But also feel that it is impossible.

  Two people were separated by five or six years... Moreover, she was not yet of age, and in the eyes of the world, she was just a child. And Liang Ji Min had already passed the imperial examination, and could be considered a young man with a bright future. This difference was also too great... But looking at the thin powder on Li's face and the cyan stone-colored carved silk jacket she wore, she thought again of some of the actions of the Liang family recently... She felt that she was not thinking wildly.

  Just as Shen Muqing was hesitating, Li and Liang Jimin had already started chatting.

  "I heard you're going to take the imperial examination next year?"

  "Yes!" Liang Jimin's smile was warm and gentle, making people feel like they were basking in the warmth of spring, which was quite similar to Shen Zhen's elegance.

  "Will picking up your sister delay your studies?"

  Li Qiming looked at Li Youhui with a tolerant gaze: "Reading is not something that can be accomplished overnight, and even if you want to put it off, you can't delay this little bit of time."

  Mr. Li smiled and nodded: "In daily life at home, apart from reading books, what other pastimes are there?"

  "It's all just ordinary things," said Liang Jiemin with a smile. "Playing the piano, painting sometimes, practicing calligraphy and so on."

  Mr. Li smiled and looked at Shen Muqing: "Our family's Muqing also likes to paint, peony painting is particularly good, calligraphy also has some foundation."

  Shen Mu Qing's heart had already understood seven or eight tenths.

  She couldn't help but carefully examine Liang Jimin's expression.

  He saw a flash of surprise in his eyes, but soon he regained his composure and smiled at Liang Youhui: "I heard my mother scolding my sister say that Shen's painting skills are superb, and her needlework is also extremely good, the embroidered things are vivid and lifelike, unmatched by others..."

  Shen Zhen didn't care about the inner courtyard, and Li was bedridden with illness. Chen Niang wasn't even considered a senior member of the family, so Shen Muqing was the most respected in the backyard. As Shen Muqing's close friend, Liang Youhui not only received unusual respect but also enjoyed the freedom that came with Li's indulgence. Unconsciously, she relaxed as well. Seeing Li's pleasant expression, she no longer felt constrained as she did in front of her own mother and grandmother. So when she saw Li chatting and laughing with Liang Jimin, she smiled and covered her sleeve: "Mother has been looking at me disapprovingly since seeing Shen sister!"

  Li said with a loud laugh: "Your mother is actually praising you, Shen sister!"

  "Third Brother said so too!" Liang Youhui chimed in from the side, clearly not taking her mother's scolding to heart.

  Li Jieming smiled somewhat awkwardly, clearly very unaccustomed to discussing his family affairs with others.

  Leung Yau-wai, however, did not care about Leung Kwai-hing's feelings at all. She glanced at Leung Kwai-hing and said to Mrs. Li, "Madam, my third brother just deceived you! He is at home, but he didn't behave as honestly as he claimed!"

  As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the room changed their expressions.

  Li's expression was somewhat solemn, while Liang Jiemin's face showed a rare sternness, looking at Liang Youhui wanting to speak but hesitating.

  Shen Mu Qing's expression turned solemn and he furrowed his brow slightly.

  Does this Liang Youhui know what she is doing at all!

  The air in the room was also suffocating, as if it had congealed.

  Leung Yau-wai seemed to be very satisfied with the effect of her words. She smiled complacently and said, "My third brother usually likes to do carpentry, collect stones, plant flowers..."

  Li's expression gradually relaxed in Liang Youhui's description. She smiled at Liang Jimin: "What are you going to do?"

  Li Qiming's expression was slightly uneasy, he bowed his head and smiled as he explained: "Sometimes when I'm tired of reading, I go out for a walk, pick up stones or wooden sticks and come back to do some carving, or carve seals to give to friends... they're just some trivial things that aren't worth mentioning."

  Liang Youhui chuckled on the side: "Still make me a swing, turn the grapes into wine, and pickle osmanthus flowers to eat as sweet sauce!"

  "Ah!" Mr. Li looked at Liang Youhui with a very encouraging gaze, "It seems that your brother is quite capable?"

  Liang Youhui nodded repeatedly in Li's gaze, boasting: "Not just these. The famous Rongji Garden of the Jin King was built with my brother's help. The goose egg stones in the 'Nine Bends and Winding Streams' of the back garden were all picked up by my third brother from Xiangshan River in the suburbs of Beijing."

  Rongzhizhuang Garden is only about 4 or 5 mu in size, located beside the Taiye River. It is famous for its exquisite layout and elegant furnishings. As soon as it was completed, it was rated by Kyoto's aristocratic families as the number one elegant garden in Kyoto. Even the emperor was impressed and spent a day touring Rongzhizhuang Garden... Who would have thought that this garden was actually built by Liang Qiming?

  Not just Li, but also Shen Muqing, looked at the young man in front of them with a new gaze.

  Liang Jimin was like sitting on pins and needles, his face red as he said: "A trivial skill, not worth mentioning. Please don't laugh, madam."

  "How can it be said to be a small skill!" Li smiled all over his face, "I heard that in Rongzhi Garden, every grass and tree, every brick and tile, are very particular, all decorated with ancient objects, is this really true?"

  Perhaps he had talked about something that pleased him very much, Liang Jìmǐn's expression changed slightly, without the calmness and composure of just now, but with bright eyes, a strong self-confidence between his eyebrows, making him look even more spirited and elegant: "Antiques are hard to come by, so we can only use stone, bamboo and other things to decorate, in order to show simplicity and thickness, and seek elegance and purity."

  Liang Youhui joked on the side: "It's just fake!"

  Li Qiming's face turned red and he smiled awkwardly.

  Li smiled and glanced at Shen Muqing, who was full of surprise, saying: "Tell me."

  Liang Jiemin looked at Li with a somewhat embarrassed expression.

  "Never mind! Never mind! I know many people think that gardening is a trivial matter, and they don't take it seriously. But I myself really enjoy it. When I was young, I liked to move things around in the house. Now my body isn't well, and I sit at home every day, not going out much. You tell me about it, let me broaden my horizons."

  Li Jiemin let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "To be honest, there's nothing particularly clever about it. For example, this door ring, nowadays people often use brass or white copper, which looks shiny but adds a bit of noise, so it's best to choose ancient bronze with a greenish tint, made into the shape of a butterfly or a phoenix, to show its simplicity. As for the window screens, people often use plum blossom blinds to show elegance, but they don't think that using red and black lacquer or carved flower lacquer, colored glaze, or plain glazed tiles or paper pasted on the lattice would be even fresher; also, this canopy, in the palace, Empress Zhou liked to paint on the canopy, so everyone followed suit and painted things on the canopy..." As he spoke, his eyes involuntarily looked up at the roof.

  Blue-green paint, delicately painted with pink honeysuckle and green wisteria leaves.

  Liáng Jìmǐn yǔ gěng.

  English Translation: Liang Jimin was speechless.

  Shen Muqing couldn't help but cover her mouth and turn away, while Liang Youhui burst out laughing without caring about her image.

  "...in the stone steps crevices, sprinkle some along-steps grass or wildflower grass, by spring, branches and leaves will be hanging on the stone steps, very rustic...". Liang Jimin's face was already flushed, speechless, "And in front of the study, a small pool is best built with Taihu stone, surrounded by wild wisteria, fine bamboo, raising goldfish, water plants, perfect..."

  Mr. Li was taken aback at first, but seeing that Liang Jimin's face had already turned bright red, he immediately came to his rescue: "Come on, have some tea, have some tea..."

  Liang Jimin felt a weight lift off his shoulders, bowed slightly, picked up the tea cup from the small table beside him and took several big gulps.

  Li smiled and looked at Liang Jichun, waiting for him to put down his teacup before speaking slowly: "This canopy was made by your sister Shen. She said that I'm not in good health and the beams of our house are too high, making it feel cold inside. With this canopy, the room feels warmer."

  Liang Jimin nodded repeatedly: "Shen sister is virtuous and filial, it's known throughout the whole city of Kyoto."

  Although this statement is somewhat exaggerated, it has been a well-known fact that Li's health has not been good in recent years and Shen Muqing has been taking care of him by his bedside.

  Mr. Li smiled and asked softly, "What do you think? Is there anything else that needs to be changed in this house? After your imperial examination is over, come back and take a look."

  Liang Jimin was taken aback. Liang Youhui had already exclaimed happily, "Great, great! When Third Brother comes, don't forget to bring me along. Didn't I help you out big time when you built the bathhouse last time?"

  "What's with the bathhouse?" Li was shocked.

  Liang Youhui always thought that her third brother had incredible abilities, but unfortunately he was humble and many people didn't know. Now that the elders were interested, she naturally kept it to herself, no matter how much Liang Jimin tried to signal to her with his eyes, she remained completely unaware, leaving Liang Jimin sweating anxiously.

  Shen Muqing found the two siblings really amusing and couldn't help but burst into another fit of stifled laughter.

  Li looked at Shen Muqing, who was trembling with rage, and smiled at Liang Jimin: "You're just like our family's Muqing, even in a small space, you have to think of ways to make yourself more comfortable."

  Here is the translation:

  "Second update sent (*^__^*) Hehe... Tomorrow will continue with double updates, first update around 12 o'clock! Sisters don't forget to vote for XiXi with pink tickets!"