Poor Lady

After saying goodbye to Xu Chen, Qi Surong first changed clothes at Zhuangzi next door, and returned home just in time for dinner.

At the dinner table, Qi Surong sat in a dignified posture, refraining from speaking, without losing her manners.

Father Qi glanced at her and suddenly asked, "Where have you been today?"

Qi Surong was secretly startled and replied, "Just went out for a walk."

"Going out for a walk?" Qi's father stared at her, "You didn't even bring Ping'er, and you didn't even sit in the carriage, where are you going alone?"

Qi Surong lowered her head, looking like she was ready to listen.

"Don't think I don't know?" Qi's father scolded, "During this time, you were always running out, your whereabouts were mysterious, and you were becoming more and more unseemly!"

Qi Surong continued to be silent.

"Tell me honestly, where have you been? What have you done? Who have you seen?"

Qi Surong thought for a while, and said cautiously, "Father, do you remember the Miss Zhang we met at the Lakeside Pavilion?"

"Remember, how?"

"Since that time, Miss Zhang and I have become good friends. I went out to find her recently."

"Really? Then why don't you even bring a girl? What should you do if you are alone in danger?"

"Father, I don't bring Ping'er, because I try to avoid attracting attention as much as possible. After all, it is not suitable for us to be too close with people now, so as not to cause them trouble."

Qi's father's face sank, and he said displeasedly, "Then you should stop interacting with others!"

Qi Surong wisely did not refute.

"Although we're down, we're not out of style. You used to go out in good order. Let's see what it looks like now? If you lose your reputation in the future, how will you please your husband after getting married?"

Qi Surong slandered silently, Father, you don't know yet, a guy who claims to be her fiancé has sneaked into your daughter's boudoir uninvited many times. . You don't have to worry about this at all!

"Listen to me, stay at home from now on, do embroidery, practice the piano, and don't go out for me." Father Qi put down the tableware and got up to go back to the room. When he walked to the door, he turned back and said, "Now The weather is getting colder, be careful to catch the cold."

"Well, my daughter saves it, thank you dad for worrying about it."

After Qi's father left, Qi's mother said: "your father is right, it is cold and windy outside, it is better to go out less, lest you get sick."

"Listen to you." It's almost winter, and Xiuzhuang's business is also in the off-season. You can slow down other chores first, or stay at home to spend more time with your parents.

In the days that followed, Qi Surong really stayed at home and did not go out again, but occasionally he would secretly visit Zhuangzi next door. Yuan Xi was responsible for helping her collect intelligence, gradually mastered some ways, and became more and more handy.

However, he was still young after all. Qi Surong hoped that he could learn more, so he asked someone to buy back many books for him to read.

After getting along with her during this period of time, she can clearly feel that Yuan Xi's attitude towards her has changed. Even if she fails to avenge him in the future, she may not be abandoned by him, but since she agreed, she does not want to lose her trust. . However, Zheng Shida is not an easy generation, and dealing with him has to be a long-term plan.

Not long after, she received another letter from Xu Chen, which mentioned that she was officially accepted as a disciple, and she could arrange her own time for studying. Along with the letter, there is also a document of identity.

Zhuo Fan, born in the third year of Zhenyou, is a descendant of the mausoleum. In the thirteen years of Zhenyou, her parents died, and two years later, she entered Beijing and studied with Xu Chen, a scholar...

With this status, you can avoid a lot of trouble when you travel in the future. As more and more people come into contact, she needs to be more careful.

The cold winter came quietly and quietly. The first heavy snow fell for two days. The land in the north was covered with a thick layer of snow fur, and the frost was pressing.

Some people are happily preparing for the New Year, while others are suffering from hunger and cold.

In the original Qi Mansion, each room had a heater, so there was no need to worry about being frozen in winter. Now in this humble house, heating has become a problem.

Most of the rich burn charcoal, but the price of charcoal is expensive, but ordinary people cannot afford it.

Although the Qi family has some spare money now, they still have to save money. What's more, the sales of charcoal are basically monopolized by the rich, and it is difficult for ordinary people to buy it even if they have money.

The Gu family sent a few bags of charcoal over, but Qi Surong didn't want to rely on the Gu family all winter. Of course, it was impossible for her to watch her family get cold. Soon, she thought of a good way to keep warm, and that was pan kang.

The pan kang is simple to make, just use adobe to build a square table with a chimney, which is practical, convenient and saves money.

When she had an idea, she immediately called for a few craftsmen, and after explaining it, she let them have a pan kang in each room.

After hearing this, several craftsmen were very surprised and admired Qi Surong's ingenuity.

Qi Surong hurriedly said, "This is not what I created."

But she didn't know who created Pankang, but she was sure that it came from the life wisdom of the common people. When she was down in her last life, she relied on this to survive several cold winters. She is very grateful to the old man who took her in back then, and now the promotion of Pankang in advance can be regarded as a benefit to the people.

With the kang head, the Qi family really felt much more comfortable, even warmer than the stove they used before.

Gu Jinyun was originally a little depressed about Qi Surong's rejection of his help, but after Qi's family saw the kangtou, he immediately found the craftsmen and put some for himself.

"Big brother, the prospective sister-in-law is really amazing." Gu Yufeng exclaimed, "How could she have thought of such a wonderful way to keep warm?"

"She said it wasn't her creation."

"But before that, who has seen it before?" Gu Yufeng said eloquently, "I guess my sister-in-law just doesn't want to be famous. Her family is in a place of suspicion and needs to keep a low profile."

After these days of contact, Gu Yufeng's attitude towards Qi Surong has changed from resistance to admiration. Whether it is her character or ability to do things, no one can fault her. Especially the song "Death with Fragrance", can't be more aura, can you?

"Yeah." Gu Jinyun replied noncommittally, looking at the white snow outside the window, his thoughts had drifted to Wangu Lane, East Street...

The pankang is simple to build and will soon be popularized in the surrounding area. Although Qi Surong said that Pan Kang was not created by her, the craftsmen still put the name on her.

The common people may not care which official is promoted to the nobility, nor which poet has written a peerless poem, but they will remember the person who brought them benefits.

Qi Surong gradually gained a good reputation among the commoners.

In addition, Qi Surong allocated another sum of money to buy two sets of thick clothes for the group of beggars, and bought some rice grains for them to spend the winter.

On New Year's Eve, the family put up door couplets, hung lanterns, and cooked a sumptuous meal. The Qi family sat around and ate the reunion dinner peacefully and warmly.

Although simple, it made Qi Surong very satisfied. In the last life, the first year when the Qi family was kicked out of the Qi residence was even more miserable than that of ordinary people. My father was relieved from drinking and worried, my mother was seriously ill with typhoid fever, and my younger brother had no one to take care of.

Today, there is wine and meat on the table, and smiles on the faces of the family members. If there was no threat from the dark, Qi Surong felt that it would be good to live such an ordinary life.

New Year's Eve vigil, the parents went to bed after the children. Su Bao was young, and no one played with him, and he fell asleep before he was a child.

Qi Surong sat alone at the door of the room, looking at the white snow in the courtyard, reflecting the light of the lantern, bringing a bit of warmth.

At this moment, there was a gust of wind in her ears, Qi Surong looked back, and saw Gu Jinyun fluttering beside her in white clothes, which looked like a ghost at first glance.

"In the middle of the night, do you want to scare people to death?" Qi Surong reprimanded in a low voice.

Gu Jinyun sat beside her and handed her something: "New Year's gift."

Qi Surong took it over and saw that it was a box of delicate pastries, still steaming and smelling very sweet.

Her gaze stopped for a moment on Gu Jinyun's wet clothes and snow-stained shoes, and then looked up at him.

"Eat it while it's hot," he said.

"Well." Qi Surong picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, then handed the food box to him: "Eat together."

"Okay."

The two sat on the steps like this, enjoying the snow while eating pastries quietly.

Qi Surong suddenly felt the corner of her mouth icy, and a snowflake fell on the cake, which she ate together.

When he raised his head, a little snow floated in the sky, fluttering lightly like a feather, and fell silently into the embrace of the earth.

"Jin Yun..." Qi Surong turned to look at Gu Jinyun, and was about to say something, but was interrupted by his approaching face.

The dragonfly kissed, as if with endless tenderness. He stared at her quietly, and reflected her clearly in his eyes.

"I'll spend the New Year with you next year."

"Okay."

"I will accompany you every year from now on."

"…Okay."

Gu Jinyun kissed her again, lingering emotionally, and promised a future on this snowy night.

She couldn't resist this kind of tenderness, even if she was afraid of losing, she couldn't help but want to sink...