Chapter 5
Sui Yuan (The name of the courtyard)
“Where did you go last night?” At down, Pei Che teasingly asked Xuanyuan Yi who was reclining at the side of the window, gazing at the pine forest.
“Releasing a burden!” (I think this has a connotation as if he is saying that he’s enjoying himself aka the “M” word).
“Pu ~~” (sound). Pei Che sprayed out the tea all over the place, fortunately, Xuanyuan Yi had an exceptional skill, so he gracefully got out of the way, and was able to dodge a fate of getting bathed by the tea. ‘Releasing a burden? ~~ So it turned out that you still have this type of refined and elegant att.i.tudes in mind ah!” Putting down the teacup that was on his hand, Pei Che’s mischievous eyes were staring at Xuanyuan Yi, as he wanted to see something from within him. Unfortunately, apart from when he was avoiding the spurting tea and knitting his eyebrows, that Xuanyuan Yi’s ruthless face did not have any expressions anymore.
“Good morning, Xuanyuan dage, good morning Pei dage.” When Murong Xing Hun entered Ting Feng pavilion, he actually saw the scene that these two big men were staring at each.
“Good morning ah! Very beautiful orchid. Xing Hun, what are you doing holding a pot of orchid first thing in the morning?” Pei Che turned his head around. Seeing his purple clothing, his hand was clasping a pot of orchid, and Murong Xing Hun was standing at the side of the door.
“Very nice-looking, right, I planted it!” Murong Xing Hun put the flower down on the table, his hand was barely brushing the orchid off, and he said it with a proud face.
“You plant flowers on your own ah, en, it is blooming well.” Pei Che looked at Murong Xing Hun’s proud appearance, so he continued along with his words. Even though he accomplished a lot while he was young, but he was still a child after all.
“Yes ah, I have planted green vegetables also in the past, corn, fruits, and many things!” Hearing Pei Che’s compliment, Murong Xing Hun was even more excited, and said the things that he had planted again.
Xuanyuan Yi looked at him putting energy out to talk, and could not help but be amused also: “So, it turns out that you like to be a farmer even more ah!”
“Hehe ~~ (chucking).” Hearing Xuanyuan Yi’s mocking, Murong Xing Hun’s face was embarra.s.sed, and said mockingly: “It is not like that, at first, elder sister has asked me to plant things, later on, I feel that it is very interesting, so I always plant something.”
“Miss Murong wants you to plant things?” Why was it again? Pei Che’s curiosity was stirred up, he looked at Xuanyuan Yi who was also full of interest looking at Murong Xing Hun.
“At the beginning, elder sister let me to plant corn, our Murong family’s biggest business is in grain, oil, tea and silk, all of these are related to planting. Elder sister says that I can not be a parasite, so she makes me learn how to plant crops. At the beginning, I was not used to it, and it was very exhausting, but when I could eat the things that I planted, I felt a sense of accomplishments. I seem to like planting these things now. Moreover, elder sister still gives me a reward, such as this, if I can plant and produce an orchid, elder sister agrees to give me a pair of ponies, and let Master Feng to teach me how to ride a horse!” Murong Xing Hun finished speaking, held the orchid and prepared to go out. “I am planning to go to elder sister’s place first, and just come over to see if you guys have already woken up. Then I will come and look for you guys, I will take you guys to watch the Zi Yun Feng today.” (A place with mountain-like peak).
“Hold on, anyway, we do not have anything to do, and let us go together, ok, and we can also thank Miss Murong for last night’s hospitality.” Once Pei Che said this, he followed Murong Xing Hun to go out of Ting Feng pavilion together. Behind him, Xuanyuan Yi was looking pensively, then he was slowly following the two people afterwards.
Soon, the three people arrived in front of a bamboo gate, the door was half opened, and one could vaguely see the gate that was expanded from a strong verdant bamboo inside. The lintel of the bamboo gate used a rough blueish paint with two words __ Sui Yuan. Unlike Ting Feng pavilion’s calligraphy that used a huge rock with a bold calligraphy style, this Sui Yuan, two words were simply casual and graceful.
“Is Qing-er not staying at Feng (phoenix) Xi (light) Yuan (park)?” After last night, he found out that calling her Qing-er did not seem to be too uncomfortable.
“Elder sister has not lived there for a long time ago, elder sister has rebuilt many courtyards three years ago, and changed the names also. The former Feng Xi Yuan has already been changed to Cang (conceal) Xue (snow) pavilion now, and it is dedicated to the females in the family’s residence.” While speaking this, Murong Xing Hun pushed opened the bamboo gate, a nice looking scenery made Pei Che and Xuanyuan Yi’s eyes looked bright. When one could pry to see from outside the door, the bluish bamboo was only a small portion, as far as the eyes could see, there was no end to the greenish-blue color. Layer upon layers made people feel that they were among the bamboo sea. The bamboo forest was surrounded by a small lake, the water in the lake was clear, there was a three floors’ bamboo house in the middle of the lake. Because of the swirling of the white muslin that cut off one’s line of sights, one could not clearly see the arrangements inside of the small building.
Again with the three years ago, could it be that a different soul entered and lived in that body? Otherwise, how could one explain her action? This kind of ingenious arrangements, it was such an impressive design. Xuanyuan Yi’s train of thoughts were perplexed again. Pei Che was sighing in his heart, entering this kind of courtyard, made people to want to look whether or not the Master was as lucid and elegant as this scenery.
Following behind Murong Xing Hun, after they walked pa.s.s the bamboo bridge, they arrived in front of the small platform of the bamboo house. Lu Yi was standing at the door, looking at the three people, she stepped forward to salute: “Master Xing Hun, Xuanyuan Gongzi, Pei Gongzi.”
“Lu Yi jiejie, did elder sister wake up yet!” Murong Xing Hun was holding the orchid, and asking with a favor.
Looking at Murong Xing Hun’s smiling mischievously, Lu Yi lightly smiled: “Already woke up, Miss Xing Yue came here first thing in the morning, she is inside now, you guys can follow me, ok.”
“Miss, Master Xing Hun and the two Gongzi are here.” Lu Yi lightly lifted the white muslin, a soft voice echoed from inside the room.
“Come in, ok!” A clear and bright voice of a woman came through from the inside room.
Inside the room, the decorations were not luxurious at all, by pa.s.sing a thin green jade bamboo screen, there was a round table, chairs, and a countertop. The one special thing in the room was the bookshelves that surrounded the whole study room, books were spreading all over the top shelves, this study room was filled with books and the smell of ink slab. Directly facing the countertop was a huge window, it was almost as big as the wall, as far as the eyes could see, the bamboo ocean and bluish green lake took in the whole scene. Behind the countertop was a very big word, it was written very carelessly, one almost could not see anything, it vaguely made out one word ‘Sui.” But this word Sui made people to feel aggressiveness and gracefulness which were completely inconsistent with the scenery, but it made people unable to shift their eyes.
Several morning rays went through the white muslin inside the bamboo room, it was a hazy ring of light, Murong Shu Qing did not put her hair up in a braid today, she only casually bound it together into one small bun, and with a jasper hairpin. She had an indolent bearing. Holding Xing Yue in her bosom, her other hand was holding a piece of osmanthus flower cake, feeding a young girl whose small hands were busy playing with her hair. Her face was carrying an indulgent pampering smile. After Xuanyuan Yi entered the room, he just saw this type of warm and beautiful scenery, in a split second, he stared blankly right where she was.
“Elder sister, look here, the orchid that I have planted, is blooming!” Murong Xing Hun’s words were smashing the (magical) spell, Xuanyuan Yi just recovered.
“I have seen it, not bad, this breed is very difficult to survive, it seems that you have spent a lot of thoughts, I already help you to prepare a good pony. You can just find Xian tomorrow and let him to teach you!” While Murong Shu Qing was feeding Xing Yue and talking to him at the same time.
“Very good, thank you elder sister!” He could finally learn how to ride a horse, Murong Xing Hun was incessantly excited.
“Yue-er also wants a pony!” A childish voice took part in the conversation at the same time. Her mouth was filled with the osmanthus cake, but did not forget to talk her complaint.
“You are still young, when you grow up, elder sister will also give Yue-er a pony, alright?” Murong Shu Qing did not know whether to laugh or cry.
“Really!” Xing Yue opened her eyes with her eyes that were like a small deer’s eyes and they were looking at her. Murong Shu Qing felt that besides nodding her head, there was nothing she could do anymore.
“You ah, can only act like a spoiled child with elder sister!” Xing Hun scratched the nose of her darling younger sister, and provoked a grimace from the young girl.
Pei Che and Xuanyuan Yi were just standing there, looking at the joyous and harmonious scenes, they could sense a warm feeling. Xuanyuan Yi knew it now, why Xing Hun worshiped Murong Shu Qing so much, also knew why the gloominess and coldness surrounded him, gradually disseminated. That was because Murong Shu Qing, not only gave him plenty of livelihoods, well educations, but also a mother’s feeling. Even though this one word, mother, was not appropriate for someone like Murong Shu Qing who was only 19 years old. But her words, actions and bearings, should not be knowledgeable for a girl who was only 19 years old.
“These two Gongzi, sit down ah, have you eaten breakfast yet?” Looking at the two handsome men who were just standing by the door as if some door’s G.o.ds, Murong Shu Qing could not help to laugh. This was indeed unprecedented that it was so lively at her place first thing in the morning ah.
“Not yet, we see Xing Hun come over, and just follow him to come here, we have disturbed you these days.” Pei Che exchanged a conventional greeting with a smile on his face, but his eyes did not leave to see the undercurrents between the two people, Xuanyuan Yi and Murong Shu Qing.
“Lu Yi, ask the kitchen to prepare some breakfast and deliver it here.” Being subjected at these two handsome men’s ‘heated’ line of sights, Murong Shu Qing was somewhat unable to deal with it. One pair of eyes were gazing mischievously as if he was watching a good show, the other pair of eyes looked like he wanted to make a hole with a ‘deep’ investigation. Was she really an attractive person? Her heart was secretly complaining, but her mouth was still saying some boring and petty talks: “These two Gongzi are too courteous, the two of you are seldom coming to Huadu, we should entertain you properly, you regard me as an outsider if you say that you are disturbing.”
“Since it is like this, then, do not call me Gongzi, just call me Pei dage, or you can call me Pei Che.” He actually was not the type of person who liked polite greetings, calling Gongzi, Gongzi all day long was very awkward. But looking at Xuanyuan who suddenly knitted his eyebrows, his mood was better, furthermore, he sat next to Murong Shu Qing, waiting for her to call his name.
Murong Shu Qing was smiling as before, she saw Pei Che’s teasing eyes and Xuanyuan Yi’s sudden solemn expression, but she absolutely could not call him elder brother, she should have similar ages as them, right. Moreover, calling him elder brother would give her goose b.u.mps. Then, she could only call his name reluctantly.
“Alright, Pei Che.”
“Then, can I call you Qing-er?” Someone clearly did not know how to stop before going too far.
Qing-er? When did it start that this name could be used by any person, not waiting until Murong Shu Qing’s refusal, a cold’s man voice answered: “You are not that familiar!”
Pei Che raised his eyebrows: “What is your concern, are we not familiar now? Moreover, we will still be staying at this manor for a few more days, is calling Miss Murong not be regarded as an outsider!” For a long time, he had not seen Xuanyuan’s sudden hostile face, he should put more efforts to tease him.
“It is alright to call my name.” A name was just a name anyway, one could be called whatever name one wanted. Pei Che was clearly teasing Xuanyuan Yi, and Murong Shu Qing was not a narcissist to think that she was the reason why Xuanyuan Yi was not happy. But because she felt that she could actually be cla.s.sified as someone’s ‘toy’ and being shared by the other people, because of that she was unhappy in her heart. Since they liked to play, she would just play along with them.
“Miss, breakfast is here!” Lu Yi came in to see Xuanyuan Gongzi’s expressionless face, Pei Che’s proud face, and Miss’ helpless and strange sights.
All kinds of cakes, and snacks were placed on the table, all the delicate and meticulous cakes, the people’s mouths would be watering even if they only saw them. The servant girl put down the cakes and left afterwards, one woman quietly walked to the inside of the bamboo room. This woman was wearing a light purple skirt, her face was beautiful, her figure was tall, even though she had a smiling expression, but her eyes showed through a stubborn and uncompromising eyes. Her gestures had much manners.
“Miss, Manager Feng asks to see you, it is concerning the flooding in the eastern river region, the matter about the refuges within the Zi city who are looting the rice stores.” Zi Yuan was standing behind Murong Shu Qing and saying it in a whisper.
Looking at the young girl who was sleepy in her bosom, she would certainly wake up if she moved, let it be, it was not any major event either, just let him say it here, ok. So she turned her head towards Zi Yuan and said: “Let him come in, ok!”