Grandma Qin drank two pots of tea and finished four plates of sunflower seeds. After making Qin Junyao dizzy with her stories, she was reminded by someone from the Flower Pavilion to take Qin Junyao back to the inn.
After all, it was nearing midnight, and those who came to the Flower Pavilion to drink and discuss matters had already left. Only those who would spend the night in the pavilion remained.
This was not something Qin Junyao could hear or see.
As Grandma Qin was leaving, she found Hua Niang and told her the name and room number of their inn, urging Hua Niang to inform them about the most handsome man in the pavilion.
When Hua Niang understood who Grandma Qin was referring to, she burst into laughter, her body shaking like a flower in the wind.
There was a curfew in the western part of the city at night. Hua Niang sent people to carry a sedan chair to send Qin Junyao and the others back, while she herself wrote down the inn's address on paper for fear of forgetting.
It was Qin Junyao's first time riding in a sedan chair, and she found it novel, talking more than usual.
She playfully remarked that if Grandma Qin were a man, she would surely be a good constable.
Grandma Qin, however, said that if she were a man, she wouldn't be a constable but a third-rank official in the Dali Temple.
The two chatted and laughed in the sedan chair.
Upon returning to the inn, Grandma Qin couldn't smile anymore. She had eaten too many sunflower seeds and drunk two pots of tea, resulting in diarrhea that required a doctor. She didn't fall asleep until late into the night.
.
The next morning.
"Hiss," Grandma Qin's tongue had a blister from eating sunflower seeds, causing her to gasp in pain as she ate noodles. "Where are you going today?"
Qin Junyao, drinking noodle soup, thought for a moment. "Aren't we going home the day after tomorrow? I'm going to buy some fabric, some pearl hairpins for Xiao Yu, and some toys for San Niu, and also buy some books."
"Let's go tomorrow. We can also pawn all our clothes then," Grandma Qin thought that Zhao Liangcai should come today, given the address she had given yesterday.
Qin Junyao remembered her appointment with Bai Qing and the ginseng she hadn't sold yet, and insisted, "I'll be bored staying at the inn. It's fine to buy books in this attire. Besides, we have to buy grain tomorrow."
Grandma Qin yawned and looked at the sky, which had just brightened. "Then come back after you've bought your things. Don't wander around. After I finish eating, I need to go back and get some sleep and won't accompany you."
"Okay, I'll tell the innkeeper to not disturb you," Qin Junyao's heart leaped with joy; she didn't need to find an excuse for acting alone.
Although it was a bit unconscionable, she still had to thank the Flower Pavilion for the sunflower seeds and tea.
Grandma Qin waved her hand, "No need. I'll tell them myself."
It wouldn't do not to disturb. If she missed Zhao Liangcai, it would be bad.
Even though she didn't know if the clean-shaven appearance of "Little Hammer" had a special identity, his appearance at the Flower Pavilion at that time confirmed he wasn't a guest there.
Hmm~~ Not bad.
Qin Junyao had no idea that her grandmother was almost selling her off.
On the way, she and Grandma Qin had discussed her marriage. Grandma Qin's stance was that parents decided the marriage of their children, and she wouldn't interfere.
Grandma Qin herself didn't believe this, and she shirked responsibility, refusing to discuss it with Qin Junyao.
What was there to discuss?
Zhao Liangcai was a handsome general who could protect Qin Junyao. With a way to deal with the Qian family and the others, it would be foolish not to seize the opportunity.
If Zhao Liangcai showed more initiative, and her granddaughter agreed, would a handsome great-grandson be far behind?
Grandma Qin was so confident that Zhao Liangcai wouldn't go back on his word.
If her granddaughter truly refused, then they would directly arrange an engagement.
.
After breakfast, Qin Junyao first bought a cloth for a bundle and then sold two hundred-year-old ginseng roots.
It totaled eleven hundred taels of silver, which was lower than the price offered by Doctor Sheng.
However, Qin Junyao had planted ten more in her space. Four months later, there would be more hundred-year-old ginseng. What else could be said?
Next was Qin Junyao's shopping spree.
After indulging in the experience of being rich in ancient times, she went to the Ting Yin Pavilion.
"Hello, is Mr. Bai Qing here?" Qin Junyao stood at the entrance of Ting Yin Pavilion and asked the proprietress who was wiping musical instruments.
Ling Manshuang put down the bamboo flute in her hand and turned to see a woman with a gentle appearance. She smiled slightly, "Are you Miss Qin Junyao?"
Qin Junyao looked at the proprietress, whose skin was as white as snow and who was clearly a woman from Jiangnan, and nodded, "Yes, I am. How did you know it was me?"
"Bai Qing specifically came over this morning to greet me, saying that a master of qin artistry would be visiting. Also, my place is secluded, and new customers are usually brought by regulars."
"Please come in," Ling Manshuang walked to the door and invited Qin Junyao inside.
Qin Junyao followed Ling Manshuang into the shop. She couldn't see clearly from the entrance, but upon entering, she realized that all the musical instruments in the shop were high-end.
They were not for beginners to practice with.
Walking further inside, Qin Junyao saw another musical instrument she was familiar with, the Guzheng.
Here, like the Guqin, it was referred to by a single character: 筝 (Zheng).
However, this Zheng was the earliest sixteen-string instrument. Modern Guzheng, after improvements, mostly has twenty-one strings, and there are also custom-made Guzheng with eighteen or twenty-three strings.
"Miss Qin, would you like to try this Zheng? This one has horsehair strings, and there's another one over there with silk strings," Ling Manshuang pointed to another Zheng for Qin Junyao to see.
Qin Junyao looked at her hands, which had no fingernails, and then at Ling Manshuang, "I don't have fingerpicks."
"I have them here. Use this one made of tortoise shell. I'll help you put it on," Ling Manshuang found fingerpicks and used cloth strips to tie them on Qin Junyao.
"Do you have fingerpicks made of other materials here?" Qin Junyao sat behind the horsehair-stringed Zheng, testing the sound and the angle of the fingerpicks on her hands, and asked the proprietress.
Ling Manshuang nodded, "My name is Ling Manshuang. You can call me by my name. I also have fingerpicks made of ox horn, pangolin scales, and silver. Do they fit you?"
"They fit."
After Qin Junyao was ready, she began to play the horsehair-stringed Zheng. Since it had sixteen strings, many modern Guzheng pieces couldn't be performed. Therefore, she played the gradual school of qin music, "High Mountains and Flowing Water."
The qin music also has pieces called "High Mountains" and "Flowing Water," but these two pieces are not the same as the Zheng piece "High Mountains and Flowing Water."
After listening to Qin Junyao's performance, Ling Manshuang excitedly stood up and held Qin Junyao's playing hands, losing her previous gentle and elegant demeanor.
"Bai Qing said you were a master of qin artistry, and I didn't believe it at first. I thought how could there be such a young master? Now I believe it, I truly believe it."
"Don't call me by my name anymore. Call me sister, okay? Stay for lunch today, and we can drink together."
"Manshuang," Bai Qing walked into Ting Yin Pavilion at this moment and interrupted Ling Manshuang, "Don't scare her."
"Miss Qin, Manshuang is a passionate person and a bit straightforward."
Qin Junyao stood up and smiled, "This is good. I'm a bit reserved and wanted to be more lively."
Ling Manshuang released Qin Junyao's hand and turned to ask Bai Qing, "Qingzi, where did you meet someone as amazing as Sister Junyao? I've lived in this city for two years and haven't heard of her."
"Heh heh, Miss Qin, may I say something?" Bai Qing asked Qin Junyao. Sudan Novel Network
"Mr. Bai, please feel free."
"Manshuang, Miss Qin and I met at the Flower Pavilion."
"Don't misunderstand. She's not a courtesan there; she's a guest of Hua Niang."
Ling Manshuang felt regret when she first heard that Qin Junyao met at the Flower Pavilion. Hearing that she was Hua Niang's guest, her eyes widened.
"Is Sister Junyao friends with Hua Niang? That's amazing."
"Can you take me to see the Flower Pavilion?"
Qin Junyao ???