Chapter 96: Rowing on a Spring Day

  The fish swam out of Mrs. Tai's house.

  Liáng Shūxìn walked in the front, followed by Wáng Wēnqiān with three children, then Liáng Jìmǐn and Shěn Mùqīng. Féng Dànqīng held tightly to Liáng Yòuhuì's arm walking at the end.

  Arriving at the courtyard, Wang Wenchao still had to send the children to school, so he bid farewell and hastily left the Xianhe Hall with his servants. Liang Shuxin, on the other hand, seemed very leisurely, strolling to the corner of the courtyard where a tall yulan tree stood, admiring it.

  Liang Youhui smiled and greeted Liang Shuixin: "Second brother isn't leaving? Then we'll go first?"

  Liang Shu nodded and Liang Youhui pulled Feng Wanqing out.

  Liang Jimin saw and followed closely behind them, step by step.

  Shen Muqing's eyebrows were almost invisible, furrowed slightly.

  Has it come to this, that in front of his wife he doesn't even want to make a superficial pretence?

  She was lost in thought when she suddenly heard Shu Xin shouting: "Third Brother and Sister"

  Mu Qing was taken aback.

  "Third sister... Mother was just talking nonsense. She didn't mean to say that about you. Don't take it to heart."

  Shen Qing was momentarily stunned. It wasn't until later that he came to his senses. It turned out that Liang Shu had been apologizing for the Feng family's distrust of him.

  "Be gentle, be gentle. Treat her like a child... um... treat her with tender loving care." Liang Shu saw that Shen Muqing was silent and thought she still had complaints in her heart, so he softly consoled her.

  Looking at Liang Shu's rare smile, Shen Muqing smiled: "Second uncle misunderstood me, I didn't mean to blame my mother. Mother stays in the house all day, how would she know about these things and put the blame on her?"

  Liang Shu listened, smiled and nodded. Then he furrowed his brow slightly. He spoke carefully: "And then there's Ji Min...he's the youngest of us brothers...and has been spoiled rotten. He doesn't know how tough life is. Many things are still a blur to him...if something goes wrong, don't treat him like an equal. I'll talk to him myself."

  "What's wrong" refers to what?

  Is it the indulgence of this period of time? Or is it the relationship with Feng Wanqing?

  Shen Muqing smiled but didn't speak, bowed her knees towards Liang Shu and made a gesture of farewell, then quickly walked out of Xianhe Hall.

  So she didn't hear Liang Shu's soft sigh of pity.

  All along the way, only heard Liang Youhui chattering with Feng Wanqing like a little bird.

  "......Want to go to the backyard first, sister? The pomegranate tree you planted two years ago when you came bore fruit last autumn, unfortunately you couldn't come, and I and Pingge and Ange ate them all."

  "It's for eating, isn't it?" Feng Wanqing warmly linked arms with Liang Youhui and smiled, "I wonder how that peach tree is doing. It's already spring, should be blooming by now."

  "I didn't notice," said Liang Youhui with a very embarrassed expression, "During this time I've been staying in the house doing needlework with San Shu," she said, glancing at Shen Muqing who was quietly following behind them. "We rarely go for walks in the garden, but since the weather is good today, let's go take a look at that peach tree."

  Feng Wanqing also turned back following Liang Youhui's movement.

  Her gaze swept over Shen Muqing's face and stayed on Liang Jimin who was following them with a distracted expression.

  "Third Sister, do you want to go take a look?" Her bright eyes shone like jewels, her subtle smile as clear and transparent as the dew on a spring morning.

  Shen Mu Qing did not respond and instead looked at Liang Ji Min.

  Feeling the gaze cast upon herself, Liang Jitian came back to her senses.

  He let out a soft "ah" and looked up at Feng Wanqing, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. After a moment, he nodded slightly and replied softly, "Okay."

  Shen Muqing saw Feng Wanqing glance back and smile, the hand that had been clenched into a fist beside her white hundred-flower skirt slowly relaxed, and the expression on her face also became softer and more gentle.

  "What's wrong with you, Third Brother?" Liang Youhui complained in puzzlement, "You're so distracted, what took you half a day to respond?"

  "I was thinking about taking the imperial examination... " Liang Jiemin said with a somewhat flustered expression, "I didn't hear what you were saying?" His eyes quickly glanced at Shen Muqing, "Aren't we going to the garden to row a boat? We still need to go to our mother's place to get the token and have the servant woman release the small boat from the Flowing Fragrance Lock..."

  Liáng Yòu Huì stared at him with wide eyes.

  Liáng Jìmǐn was just startled by this inappropriateness.

  "What's wrong?" He looked at Shen Muqing with some unease, but only saw a smiling face.

  He went to see Feng Wanqing again.

  Feng Wanqing lowered her eyelids and covered her sleeves with a smile, her expression revealing an uncontrollable joy.

  "We said we were going to see the peach blossoms, but Third Brother said he wanted to go boating..." Liang Youhui said unhappily, "Did Third Brother hear me speaking or not?"

  "Yes, yes, yes." A flash of regret crossed Liang Jimei's eyes. "I mean, we'll look at the trees and then go boating. How about that?"

  "Alright, alright!" Liang Youhui's face immediately lit up with a smile. She grabbed Shen Muqing's hand: "Third Aunt, you haven't been to our backyard to row a boat yet, have you? It's really fun... Usually Mother doesn't allow us to go, and Third Brother also says it's dangerous. Today must be because Eldest Sister has arrived, so Third Brother suggested going boating. Eldest Sister loves boating in our backyard the most..."

  Go boating early in the morning

  Very interesting

  Mu Qing smiled slightly.

  That peach blossom did not grow as expected by Liang Youhui, with its withered brown trunk and twisted branches.

  "How could this be?" Liang Youhui said in disappointment. "The pear blossoms next to it have already bloomed, why hasn't it opened yet."

  Feng Wanqing was also surprised: "Didn't the young servants water it in time?"

  Liáng Yòu Huì knew this and called out to the rough-looking servant girl who was watching the garden.

  "In winter, I tied her up with a rope..." The old woman weakly defended herself.

  "Didn't you water this peach tree? Didn't you tie a straw rope around it in winter?" Liang Youhui was puzzled.

  Feng Wanqing smiled and said that the old woman had left: "Growing in the garden, it's not something precious or valuable. Who would still miss it? Born to die."

  Liáng Yòu Huì pouted, wanting to say more, but a maid came to invite them: "Third Master is at Liú Xiāng Zhá. Please ask Third Madam, Second Miss and Fifth Miss to go over."

  Youhui listened and became happy again, throwing away the peach blossom tree. Shen Muqing and Liang Wanqing went to Liu Xiang Zha.

  Xiangzhai is located in the Liangyuan Garden Lake, it's a stone-arched seven-hole bridge, with a boat dock on the side. Under the arches of the bridge, 7 or 8 small boats are tied up with ropes to block wind and rain, when needed, just pull the rope to take out the boats.

  Liáng left to ask Fēng's family for the token, but Fēng was taken aback: "So early in the morning, how did you think of going boating?"

  "The kid has been indulging in wine and meat every day, it's time to restrain himself." Liang Jimin didn't dare mention anyone's name, could only say he wanted to have some fun, "The air was good this morning, so I thought of going for a boat ride."

  Mrs. Feng had been feeling sorry for her youngest son lately, and now she was listening to her second son's words, thinking that this matter of Ji Shi was very important. She was thinking about finding an opportunity to mention Ji Min without leaving any traces... Now that Ji Min knew the truth, what could make her happier than this?

  She had only joy in her heart and naturally didn't go to call Qinglian to bring the token to Liang Jimin: "It's just that. What's inside doesn't matter, why bother running outside."

  Liáng Jìmǐn nodded repeatedly, afraid that his mother would scold him again, and hastily left the Guì Huā Hall. He then thought of going to row a boat, but realized he couldn't do it without the help of a coarse servant woman to pull the boat. After thinking for a moment, he went to Wáng Wēn's place.

  "I want to go boating at Liu Xiang Lock, sister-in-law, can you send a few rough-handed women to help me?"

  Wang Wenxiang had just sent his son out the door when he heard Liang Jimin say this, and smiled: "With San Di's wife together"

  Liáng Jìmǐn felt that his sister-in-law's smile was somewhat meaningful, and he hastily explained: "There are also Fifth Sister and Second Sister"

  Wang Wen smiled slightly and called out to those beside him, "Go, go to the outer courtyard and get someone to help Third Young Master pull that small boat out. Then tell Liu Mama, who is in charge of the garden, to come here and get the key. Take out the sunshade canopy and the oars from the storage room. Also, send someone to inform the people in Third Young Mistress's quarters to serve some refreshments on the side."

  He left at once.

  Liáng Jìmǐn's face turned slightly red: "Thank you, sister-in-law"

  "You're my younger uncle, why be so polite?" Wang Wenxiang laughed and said, "You just go sit in the waterside pavilion by the Flowing Fragrance Lock, these trivial matters will be taken care of by the maids and servant girls. Now that you're a scholar, you should have some scholarly bearing."

  Liáng Jìmǐn smiled and bowed goodbye.

  Went to Liu Xiang Lock, and indeed everything was arranged.

  He let out a sigh of relief.

  Wang Wen gazed in the direction of Xin Xiu Yuan, lost in thought for a long time.

  When Shen Muqing married over, it was winter, and naturally she wouldn't venture out into the wind and snow to stroll in the garden. Later, when the weather improved, Liang Jìmǐn had just finished attending the imperial examination and was preparing for the palace examination, and with one thing after another at home, there wasn't any mood to go wandering around the flower garden either. This was still her first time coming to the back garden of the Liangs'.

  She gazed at the deep lake water, and beside her several rough-looking women, although tall and sturdy but plump in build, couldn't help but feel a few points of concern: "I think it's not entirely safe... how about we just walk along the shore instead?"

  Liang Youhui had already boarded the small boat with the help of her mother-in-law, and upon hearing Shen Muqing's words, she couldn't help but smile: "Don't worry, we used to row boats all the time."

  And Third Brother is very good at swimming," he said, pointing to the long pole beside the stone railing. "If anything happens, just shout and the women will stretch out the bamboo pole, nothing will happen."

  Shen Muqing was still hesitating there, while Feng Wanjing had already smiled and boarded the small boat.

  Everyone around looked at Shen Muqing.

  Liang Jimin said in a low voice: "It's hard to get a good hand, don't spoil the fun."

  Shen Mu Qing's eyes lightly rose at the corners as she boarded a small boat.

  Feng Wanqing and Liang Youhui sat shoulder to shoulder at the stern of the boat, paddling with their oars on either side, as the small boat slowly headed towards the center of the lake.

  The warm and bright sunlight gently sprinkled on the lake surface, with golden ripples spreading out. People sat in small boats, inhaling the fresh and clean air above the lake, feeling as if their lungs had been washed clean and were relaxed.

  "Third sister, it's especially enjoyable to go boating on a clear spring morning." Feng Wanqing rowed the oars and smiled at Shen Muqing, saying softly, "That's why I love going boating, especially in this kind of weather."

  It's started, the competition has begun...

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  Chapter Ninety-Six: Rowing on a Spring Day