Half in the river wind, half in the clouds

Jiang's mother was not surprised by the Shen family's invitation, and she packed the things she needed to bring slowly. Shen Guxing was dismissed from his post, and he only went to the Jiang family when he had nothing to do. He visited the Jiang family two or three times a day, with all kinds of excuses, such as delivering cakes to his aunt and delivering messages for Jiang Zuo.

Although he didn't feel embarrassed at all, the Jiang family was very annoyed. Jiang's mother acted like a future mother-in-law and didn't treat him very well, only letting him see Jiang Feng once every two or three days.

Originally they were going to set off after the Mid-Autumn Festival, but Shen Guxing said that Mount Zhongnan was an excellent place to watch the moon, and he described a beautiful picture of watching the moon in Zhongnan to Jiang's mother. With Jiang Feng's help, the two families decided to set off early and spend the Mid-Autumn Festival on the mountain.

The two families each brought along two aunts, Shen and Jiang. Aunt Shen lost her husband at an early age, and the little property she had was taken away by her brothers. She could only live with her two daughters and depend on the Shen family.

The two elders took a carriage each, Chu Yan and Jiang Feng in one, and Ru Ye and Ruo Jin in another. Ruo Jin insisted on squeezing in with Jiang Feng, so the four girls simply rode in one carriage.

Shen Guxing was riding a horse. The young man in brocade clothes on the tall horse had a face as white as jade and a smile on the corners of his lips. He was very eye-catching!

Inside the carriage, Ruo Jin stared at Jiang Feng with a smile. Jiang Feng bent his index and middle fingers, making an eye-digging gesture with a threatening expression.

Ruojin stuck out her tongue and made a face, saying unconvincedly, "What a fierce sister."

Chu Yan also laughed and said, "It's all thanks to Ah Feng. Who else could stand your staring at them like that? If it was made of paper, it would have been seen through long ago."

Ruojin said mischievously, "Last time Sister Afeng came home, she only said a few words before being hurriedly called away by brother. I held on to Sister and wouldn't let her go, but brother said, 'If you keep on doing this, there's still a long way to go'! Now that I think about it, brother's words have a lot of meaning."

Jiang Feng smiled and said nothing. She had no intention of being a lady who would blush easily in front of Ruo Jin.

Ruye sneered: "What nonsense are you talking about! My cousin is a gentleman, well-read since childhood, how could he have the dirty thoughts of those thieves and whores."

After Ruye finished speaking, the air suddenly turned cold. Jiang Feng kept silent with a calm face. She really didn't need to flatter a cousin whose identity was unclear.

To Miss Ruye, Jiang Feng was just pretty, how could she be worthy of her unique cousin! Moreover, she had a lot of scandalous history! So until this moment, she still looked down on her from the bottom of her heart, and did not believe that Shen Guxing would really marry Jiang Feng.

Chu Yan said nothing, just looking at Jiang Feng worriedly. Ruo Jin ignored Ru Ye, holding Jiang Feng's hand, blinking her eyes: "Don't listen to your sister! What is a dirty mind? Where did the thief and the prostitute come from? She always wants to think of people's hearts in the dark! Brother loves you deeply, you didn't see the situation in those days! I saw brother's determination and courage with my own eyes, for you, he really didn't care about anything."

During the worst of the storm, she was confined in the house by her mother and did nothing. Of course, she could not do anything.

But Shen Guxing was already fighting. He bravely fought against his mother, the imperial power, and the whole world.

Jiang Fengqing couldn't help but lift the curtain of the car, and Shen Guxing seemed to sense it and looked back. When their eyes met, they were filled with earth-shaking emotions. The streets were noisy and people were shouting, but the two of them understood everything the other wanted to say through their eyes.

Inside the carriage, Ruye's face gradually became more sinister, and the nails in her wide sleeves had pierced her skin!

She snorted coldly, "My cousin is very careful about his reputation and reputation, and he is very cautious in his conduct. Now, because of Miss Jiang's past love affair, it has become a topic of conversation in the streets and alleys of Chang'an."

Ruojin didn't say anything, she knew that the rumors were ugly, and what's worse, some people even said that Jiang Feng gave birth to a child in Qiu Shan.

Facing the "murderous" Ruye, Jiang Feng was not angry, and only said: "I was touring Qujiang a few days ago and came across Princess Taiping's boat shop. On the boat, Princess Cheng'an also said something like this, and Yi Ye defended me indignantly. I was grateful in my heart, but I felt very strange, just like..."

Jiang Feng thought for a moment, then raised his head and said, "It's like 'an ant trying to shake a tree'! Yi Ye and I are ants, and those rumors are the trees. They don't care about the truth, and only believe what they want to believe. I am innocent and have no past affairs, but I don't have the ability to stop the rumors! But I can't feel inferior to others just because of this! Yi Ye is an upright gentleman with flawless morals. I believe that the slander of a man is like a cloud covering the sun, and it will soon become clear!"

Jiang Feng spoke with confidence, but she had doubts in her heart: Can those dark clouds ever dissipate?

Chu Yan said: "The flying arrows stop at Ou Yu, and the rumors stop at the wise. Miss Ruye is one of us, she should see more clearly, why did she just go with the flow?"

Ruye showed disdain and snorted coldly, "I know what kind of person my cousin is better than you, so I feel that he is a burden to others. No wonder people are talking about Miss Jiang. I remember that last time at the mansion, the girl kept saying that she was not familiar with my cousin, but before she finished speaking, she got entangled with my cousin. This behavior makes me believe those words a little more."

Chu Yan also snorted coldly: "I know exactly what kind of person Ah Feng is. If this is true, it takes two hands to clap. You might as well ask Master Shen and see what he says instead of talking about others!"

"You!" Ruye looked at him coldly.

"It takes only one mouth to spread rumors, but it takes a lot of effort to refute them! I have explained the past very clearly. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. It's just..." Jiang Feng paused, took Ruye's hand, and smiled but spoke in a very cold voice: "I am never afraid of slander. If you want to cherish Yi Ye's reputation, why don't you keep silent?"

An attack from someone you know is more deadly. I don't ask her to be on the same side as me, I just ask her to attack indiscriminately.

What do you mean? Don't damage the jade by killing mice. Jiang Feng thought sadly.

Ruye's eyes seemed to be pierced by arrows. He pulled his hand away and stopped talking.

Shen's villa is located at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, built in a naturally formed canyon of more than 10 kilometers. There are continuous mountains on both sides of the valley, and the Wangshui River flows through the valley. There are very few traces of human intervention in the villa. Several places were built according to the natural scenery in the valley. The entrance is a wooden arch bridge. After crossing the bridge, there are groups of pine trees covering the sky. There is a pavilion built by the lake, or a thatched cottage built on the bamboo ridge. It has both natural interest and poetic and picturesque. After crossing a gentle hill, the group arrived at the relatively wide and flat canyon hinterland. There are houses under the hill, titled "North House". There is another house separated from the North House by the Qishui River, titled "South House". There is no bridge built on the Qishui River, only a small boat parked on the shore for travel between the north and the south.

The female family members were all arranged to stay in the south house. The Shen family had already arranged for someone to come and clean, so everything was clean and tidy, and everyone settled down.

Perhaps it was because of the long journey, perhaps it was because of the pleasant scenery, or perhaps it was because he was in such a good mood, Jiang Feng’s afternoon nap was really too long.

When she woke up, Ruojin was amused and used a foxtail grass to sweep her nose. She hurriedly got up and explained, "But you got up late?"

Ruojin threw away the foxtail grass and pouted, "It's already three quarters past three in the afternoon. We agreed to go to Xinyiwu to enjoy the flowers, but my cousin won't let me disturb you!"

Jiang Feng quickly called You Ran to wash up, and apologized: "Good sister, I am lazy."

Ruojin said with a smile: "This is my first time in Qingchuan. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep at all. I just wanted to look around. But my cousin said the sun was too hot and the mountain road was difficult to travel, so he just refused to leave."

She spread her hands and said with a sly smile: "But if I go, I'll see what my brother will say!"

Jiang Feng listened, sat back on the bed in his slippers, and tilted his head: "I just remembered that my aunt said she had a backache, and I promised to give her a massage. I dare not interfere in your brother and sister's affairs."

Ruo Jin took it seriously, so she went forward and called her "good sister" and rubbed her. Jiang Feng took advantage of the situation, and the two of them came out happily holding hands.

Shen Guxing was talking to Ruye when he saw Jiang Feng coming out. He hurried over with concern for him, "Did you rest?"

Jiang Feng smiled and said, "I'm not that tired. But I failed to appreciate the autumn mountain scenery."

She didn't see Chu Yan, so she asked casually, "Where's Miss Chu?"

"It's only been a cup of tea, and you're awake." Chu Yan came over from the bamboo forest. She was originally outside, but seeing Ruye pestering Shen Guxing, she found an excuse to avoid him. She came out again when she heard Jiang Feng's voice.

Seeing that everyone was finally there, Ruojin urged them to go into the mountains. The whole road was a winding gravel road, with dense forests covering it, which made it look like a winding path leading to a secluded place. Xinyiwu was built by the mountain and the water, surrounded by a field of bright red magnolia flowers. There was an ancient zither placed in the pavilion by the water, and music scores were placed on the bookshelf behind it.

Ruojin thought about it and took Ruye to the waterside to watch the fish. Ruye didn't want to leave, but Ruojin was young but strong. Chu Yan was so smart that she also followed to the shore, leaving Shen Jiang and the other two alone in the pavilion.

The two looked at the fiery red all over the mountains for a long time without saying a word. A magnolia flower swayed gracefully in front of the pavilion. Shen Guxing stretched out his arm and picked it, then pinned it on the girl's hair, saying infatuatedly: "If there really is a flower demon in the world, the color is no more than this."

Jiang Feng tilted his head and stroked the magnolia flower: "You really have good taste."

Shen Guxing held the girl's hand and said, "Not only do I have good vision, I am also very lucky."

Jiang Feng pretended to think about it, then nodded seriously: "Indeed."

Shen Guxing laughed out loud, pulled Jiang Feng to sit in front of the Huanghuali piano table, and asked: "Shall I teach you to play the piano?"

Jiang Feng heard this and shook his head like a rattle, waving his hands and said, "Please forgive me, I really don't understand this."

"Is it really not possible? Li Guinian didn't say that." Shen Guxing just didn't believe it.

If you tell a lie, you have to use countless lies to cover it up. Jiang Feng was too lazy to bother with it. He held his chin with one hand and said cunningly: "I said I dreamed about it. Do you believe it?"

No one would believe that! Shen Guxing laughed and said, "Little liar!"

The "liar" did not speak, but looked at him with a smile, raised his chin and pointed to the zither. Shen Guxing's heart was throbbing, stirring him in circles. He raised his arm, plucked the strings with his slender fingertips, and the ethereal and wonderful music leaked out. The sound of the zither was like spring breeze, summer flowers, autumn moon, winter snow... Jiang Feng was intoxicated by it, and the three girls by the water were also infected by his zither sound, listening quietly.

The next day was August 15th. Jiang Zuo and Shen Guwei arrived on horseback early in the morning. They wanted a family reunion atmosphere, right?

Qingchuan Villa became lively, and Ruojin arranged to go to the nearby market to buy lanterns. The two elders did not restrict everyone and readily agreed.

The market at the foot of the mountain was much simpler than the East and West Markets in Chang'an City. Most of the goods sold were simple daily necessities. Because it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, there were also a few shops selling lanterns, but the workmanship was not very good.

After many twists and turns, Shen Guxing and Jiang Feng lost contact with the others. They wandered aimlessly and saw a silversmith shop so they went in to take a look. An old craftsman was making silverware. Jiang Feng was overjoyed and whispered something in Shen Guxing's ear.

It took more than an hour for the two of them to come out holding hands, each with a silver pinky ring on their ring finger. Jiang Feng's was thinner, while Shen Guxing's was wider. On the inside was "Shen & Jiang" engraved by Shen Guxing himself.

The market at the foot of the mountain was not big. The two of them looked around but did not run into Jiang Zuo and his group. They guessed that they might have gone back first, so they also planned to go back to the mountain.

The two were not in a hurry, and walked slowly with the horses. They talked and laughed along the way, and stopped to hide in the shade when they came across a big tree. The two horses were eating grass leisurely not far away. Shen Guxing turned sideways to face Jiang Feng, bent his right knee and sat on the ground, with the other leg stretched out casually.

Jiang Feng sighed: What long legs!

Looking up again, her face was as white as jade, and she couldn't help but say, "It's so beautiful!"

Shen Guxing was stunned, then he applied what he learned and said, "You really have good vision."

Jiang Feng smiled and threw a freshly picked wild flower over, then teased, "You are so shameless."

Shen Guxing caught the flower with one hand and sniffed it: "It smells so good."

The voice was low and ambiguous, and it was unclear whether it was referring to the fragrance of flowers or the fragrance of people. Jiang Fengteng's face flushed red, and he turned his back and said in a feigned anger: "This is also what a gentleman would say!"

Shen Guxing stood up and stepped forward, stuffing the flower into the girl's hand again, clapping his hands and saying, "'If you are sincere, don't deceive yourself. If you hate stench, you like beauty.' It can be seen that the saint also believes that it is human nature for a gentleman to like beautiful girls. What's wrong with that?"

Jiang Feng raised his hand and slapped Shen Guxing hard, "You are saying these nonsense again. If Master Gu knew that his favorite student was so abrupt in advocating the word 'be cautious and self-disciplined', he would definitely retire from now on."

Shen Guxing smiled and said, "Although the teacher is very knowledgeable, he is not pedantic. He spends the whole day around his wife and is not shy in front of us students."

Jiang Feng joked, "You two are of the same lineage."

Shen Guxing came closer, stretched out his right arm, circled the girl, and said excitedly: "When we get married, how about opening a school in Qingchuan? We only need to accept six or seven students, and the schoolwork doesn't have to be too heavy. In the remaining time, we can have a drink under the moon, go into the mountains to pick mushrooms, or take a boat along the Wangshui River, wherever it takes us. If you feel bored, invite your friends to come and have a small gathering. I also want to build a few houses on the beach of the Qishui River, with thatched eaves and earthen walls, hibiscus fences and bamboo windows, so that you can fish by pushing the windows, and cover them with reeds on all sides. Plant a few red plum trees on the side close to the mountain. Although it may seem a bit patchwork, it would be very interesting to boil a pot of hot wine under the white snow and red plums in winter when it snows heavily..."

Shen Guxing's eyes were shining, and he kept describing the beautiful and peaceful new life, which was what Jiang Feng wanted. Shen Guxing looked towards the Qingchuan Villa, looking forward to the future, and turned around to find that the girl had tears in her eyes.

He smiled and wiped away his tears, "I'm fine, why are you crying?"

Jiang Feng wiped his face carelessly: "I want to roast venison in the snow!"

Shen Guxing said lovingly: "How difficult is this? Even if you roast me, it doesn't matter!"

Jiang Feng extended his index finger, tapped Shen Guxing's solid chest, pinched his biceps, and said seriously: "It needs to be marinated for a while longer so that it can be flavored."

They really treated him as a lamb to be slaughtered, so Shen Guxing was not willing to give in, and the two of them started to laugh and play. As they were chasing, they heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance, and dozens of people were riding horses and galloping towards them.

Smoke and dust rolled in, and the two men hurriedly tried to get out of the way. The man was wearing bright armor, his face was covered in dust, and his body was covered in blood.

The group of people disappeared in the blink of an eye, and only the dust raised by the horses' hooves was still flying. Shen Guxing looked solemn: "Why does he look like the prince?"

Jiang Feng was shocked: "You must have seen it wrong? These people are in such a mess, covered in filth, and they seem to be fleeing in panic. How could they be the prince?"

Shen Guxing frowned and said nothing.

If that group of people were really the prince and his staff, it could only mean: the prince has finally rebelled!