Jin Yu Dynasty

The next day, it was officially the Lotus Appreciation Party held in the Bai Mansion.

Early in the morning, Yi Huaifeng got up and heard some commotion outside, and went out to have a look. Almost all the servants in the mansion were busy, turning inside and outside, watering and cleaning, moving tables, changing gauze curtains, carrying Teacups and porcelain... Turning around, the housekeeper is leading in a dozen people dressed like farmers, each holding a jar of peonies in bloom, and seems to be directing them to various places in the garden display.

Seeing Yi Huaifeng, the housekeeper hurriedly stopped, and called out with a smile: "Adjutant Yi."

Yi Huaifeng asked, "Where did these flowers come from?"

The housekeeper said: "I asked the flower club outside to bring them over. The chief said that he specially invited them to come here. There is only one pond of lotus, which is not enough to see. The back garden of the mansion is so big, we should add some more. Look, these peonies are not bad, right?" A dozen mule carts have been pulled outside."

Yi Huaifeng glanced at it and said, "It's very good. Peonies are flowers in May, and now it's July, and they can still bloom objectively and beautifully. The people in the flower club are really capable."

The first few people holding the flower pots, their hands are muddy, they probably took care of the flowers in the flower club on weekdays, and they also became porters by the way today. Hearing what Yi Huaifeng said, they all grinned naively.

Yi Huaifeng said to the steward, "I won't delay you, you go ahead."

The housekeeper agreed and led those people to arrange flowers.

Yi Huaifeng had no business and couldn't go out, so he walked around the mansion for a while, remembering the few invitations sent yesterday, and Fu San didn't come to reply later, did they deliver them, did the guests agree to come today?

Looking left and right, the servants seemed to have been instructed, and today they were all dressed up very brightly and beautifully. They all wore brand-new blue cloth double-breasted long gowns, but Fu San was not seen.

Yi Huaifeng originally wanted to ask someone and called Fu San over, but later he thought about it, most of the four posts were for the sake of returning favors, and there was no one he had to see.Now that you have already invited him, it is his business whether he will come or not, so why be obsessed with it?

That's it.

On this day, Bai Xuelan also had to go to work.

Yi Huaifeng watched the people in the whole Bai mansion busy, and it was more interesting than before. Unexpectedly, after asking, he found out that Bai Xuelan didn't want him to worry about it at all. The housekeeper did it. In addition to buying fresh flowers to add fun, he also prepared a variety of high-end snacks, either Chinese or Western. Fearing that the servants would not be enough, he temporarily invited a group of handsome waiters to treat the guests attentively; it is said that he specially called A foreign performance troupe came to add to the fun.

Flowers, food, waiters, singing and dancing...all of these?

Xuan Huaifeng secretly calculated in his heart, there are so many things, even if he calculates to the most economical place, 1000 yuan may be indispensable.

I can't help but regret it, if I knew this, I wouldn't propose to hold any lotus appreciation party.

It's extravagant.

At about five o'clock, Bai Xuelan came back from the General Administration of Customs. She saw Xuan Huaifeng recently, and asked with a smile, "Did anyone send flowers? Did you see them? Do you like them? The doctor said, people who are sick In addition to taking care of your body, you also need to refresh your mind. You are bored in the company all day, and I have to do things. I can’t accompany you every day. You should see more beautiful flowers and plants to make yourself happier. I asked, those The peony is raised by the flower society with a secret recipe, and it will not thank you for a while."

Only then did Xuan Huaifeng know that Bai Xuelan bought these flowers for herself.

It's hard to say that he wasted such a heart.

She smiled shyly and said, "Thank you, thank you."

Bai Xuelan said, "Why are you so polite?"

He also said: "I still have English muffins prepared by someone. They are not the kind that are sold by people as famous outside. They are specially made by an English chef in a restaurant. Didn't you say last time that you loved them when you were studying abroad? Do you want muffins?"

Xuan Huaifeng said, "I'm ashamed of you. I don't do anything all day, I only know how to eat. In a few days, I will become a pig."

Bai Xuelan said, "Let me see."

Reaching out his hand, he caressed his stomach ambiguously, with a slight smile on his lips, "I haven't gotten fat at all after raising him for so many days. I'd rather be fatter and be soft when hugged."

Xuan Huaifeng blushed and pushed his hand away.

After dinner, the clock pointed to between six and seven, and the invitation said it would start at seven o’clock. At this hour, guests have already arrived one after another—the invitation from the chief of customs, ordinary people would never dare to be late, and would rather go early to that point.

In terms of politeness, the host should change clothes and go out to entertain guests.

Bai Xuelan said: "Admiring flowers is such an elegant thing, you should wear long cedars."

Xuan Huaifeng also agreed. After thinking about it, he smiled and said, "You either wear a suit or the military uniform of the General Administration of Customs all day long. In fact, if you wear a long gown, you will have a fresh bookish look on your body."

Bai Xuelan asked: "Do you remember how I looked in long gown?"

Xuan Huaifeng said, "Why not? The first time we met in the capital, you went to my brother-in-law's house, didn't you just wear a long gown?"

Bai Xuelan showed a meaningful smile, and teased him: "Oh, so I had a very refreshing bookishness that day, so why did you avoid me like a mouse seeing a cat when you saw me?"

Xuan Huaifeng was at a loss for words for a while, and said awkwardly: "Okay, suddenly an old account has come up. Go and change your clothes, don't keep the guests waiting, it's impolite."

So he and Bai Xuelan changed into long gowns and went out to the front hall to entertain guests.

Several guests in the hall, as soon as they arrived, a servant brought hot tea and snacks. They were all sitting and chatting with melon seeds. When they saw the owner came out, they all stood up and greeted each other. Naturally, Bai Xuelan was a well-deserved protagonist. .

Because Xuan Huaifeng is so handsome and beautiful, he can't help attracting attention, but he seldom speaks. He stands behind Bai Xuelan with his hands down, only smiling quietly, occasionally saying a word of kindness, very much like an adjutant.But most of these guests are unfamiliar, and he is not used to this kind of meaningless communication, so he is really bored.

After a while, a familiar person finally came.

Seeing it from a distance, Xuan Huaifeng was already happy, greeted Bai Xuelan in a low voice, went up to meet him, and raised his hand and called, "Mr. Xie, here."

Xie Caifu shuttled from the cars that crowded the street outside the door, climbed the high steps, and stepped into the gate. He was already shocked by the prosperity of the Bai mansion, and he was at a loss when he heard Xuan Huaifeng calling him, so he hurried away Come over, calm down a little, forced a smile and said: "Mr. Xuan, I am not used to this kind of occasion. Look at my old gown. I knew that there are so many high-ranking officials, it shouldn't come and embarrass you .”

Xuan Huaifeng persuaded with a smile: "Flowers are natural things, everyone has the right to appreciate, why shouldn't you come? If you don't come, I will be even more boring. Come, please sit inside, have a little snack first, later Just go and see the lotus.”

Xie Caifu has never been in such a luxurious and rich place in his life. Turning his head to look, it is full of rare decorations, fragrant clothes and shadows on the temples, and the thick fragrance of makeup and powder crowded his nose. Still frightened, I tentatively asked, "Is there anyone I know here?"

Xuan Huaifeng said: "Why not? I used to join you and I joined the Science Progress Society, and there were several young people who could talk to me, and I invited them. I miss the conversations that pointed out the current problems. That's it. I don't know when it will fall."

Coincidentally, when I heard someone calling behind me, I looked back and was very happy.

It turned out that several friends from the Science Progress Society also arrived.

Like Xie Caifu, they are not very rich. Although they are not in shabby clothes, they are dressed in simple and ordinary clothes. They are inevitably out of place among a group of very bright and beautiful government officials.

Xuan Huaifeng was very considerate, and immediately invited them all to the small flower hall, sat around a table, asked the servants to bring fruit, snacks and tea, and sat and chatted with him.

As far as he is concerned, compared to the bureaucrats outside who are not familiar with good skills, it is better to have a few acquaintances chatting freely.

Xie Caifu asked, "Don't you need to entertain outside?"

Xuan Huaifeng said: "No, the chief is entertaining outside. I just cleared you and the others, they haven't arrived yet. Let's talk while we have free time. I'm recuperating at home these days, and I don't know What's new out there recently?"

A friend laughed, pointed to the people around him and said, "If you want something new, you have to ask Wan Shan. You don't know, he changed his career recently and went to work as a reporter for a newspaper office. He knows the current affairs best. "

Everyone wanted that person to speak.

The man named Huang Wanshan was a passionate scholar when he was in the Science Progress Society, and he often called for science to save the country, so Xuan Huaifeng was quite happy to associate with him.Now I don't know how to report to the newspaper. He heard his friends urging him to talk, so he squeezed a peanut, chewed it in his mouth and said, "What is there to say? When you become a reporter, you will know what the newspaper said. It’s all bullshit. Although I know something, it will only make everyone feel bad if I say it, so it’s better not to say it, so as not to let down the lotus and moonlight.”

The people around him urged him, "Stop putting on airs, just talk."

Huang Wanshan said: "Recently, I originally wrote a press release, saying that a son of a rich businessman was learning to drive a car on the main road, and hit and killed a female student who was leaving school. He abandoned her body and walked away. .”

Xuan Huaifeng was surprised: "There is such a thing? It should be condemned by the society. Why didn't the police department pursue it?"

Huang Wanshan sneered and said, "Don't mention it, this manuscript was cut off by the editor-in-chief. When the newspaper was printed that day, I found out that the place where my manuscript was supposed to be published was replaced by an article about a famous actor singing a new play." Bullshit article, it made me so angry. I went to ask the editor-in-chief, but I was scolded bloody. It turned out that the son of the Zhou family who killed someone was not only rich in his family, but also had a very strong backer .”

According to the original words of the editor-in-chief, the person surnamed Zhou recognizes his godfather as the head of education, how can he afford to offend him?So that female student lost her life in vain. "

Everyone was very angry and cursed: "What is this? It's unreasonable?"

Bai Xuelan didn't see Xuan Huaifeng outside, so she happened to come looking for her, and she couldn't help asking, "Why do you look so unhappy?"

Xuan Huaifeng briefly talked about the matter, and said to Bai Xuelan: "Look, should you be angry about such a thing? You should take care of it."

Bai Xuelan said: "This kind of thing is happening everywhere, can you manage it? To be honest, these days, there are countless refugees and beggars who die innocently inside and outside the city every day. If it wasn't for a female student who died this time, I'm afraid your friend who is a reporter will not notice it and treat it as a piece of news."

Huang Wanshan refused, and stared: "According to what your husband said, this kind of thing happens everywhere, so we should just let it go?"

Bai Xuelan said: "I didn't say that. It's just that if you meddle in your own business, you should first look at your own weight. If you don't have the ability to take good care of the world, you might as well protect the important people around you first, and then do it again." other."

When those people came in, it happened that Bai Xuelan was not there, so Xuan Huaifeng didn't introduce them to them.

Xie Caifu knew Bai Xuelan, so he hurriedly intervened and said to Huang Wanshan, "Wanshan, you should get rid of your short-tempered quarrel. This Chief Bai is the owner of this place."

Bai Xuelan turned her head and nodded slightly to Xie Caifu.

Huang Wanshan was startled, and muttered: "It turns out to be another chief, no wonder..." His friend tugged at his sleeves before he shut up.

These words of his could not escape Bai Xuelan's sensitive ears.

Originally, with Bai Xuelan's status and eloquence, a few words could make him feel ashamed, but Bai Xuelan saw in a blink of an eye that Xuan Huaifeng was sitting at the table, hurting his friend's face, wouldn't it embarrass Xuan Huaifeng .

Bai Xuelan smiled lightly and turned away.

Xuan Huaifeng was worried that he would get angry, so he felt very sorry to see him go out, so he rushed out and said to him: "My friend is straightforward, don't worry about it."

Bai Xuelan smiled and asked: "Then you think he or I, which side is right?"

Xuan Huaifeng answered wisely, saying, "He is an idealist, and you are a pragmatist. Both are correct. However, as far as my own opinion is concerned, of course I hope that evildoers will be rewarded with evil." "

Bai Xuelan said: "Although you are also idealistic, you are much cuter than your friend."

Lean forward.

Seeing that he was planning to kiss him here, Yi Huaifeng hurriedly said: "There are people coming and going here, don't act rashly."

Bai Xuelan smiled again, stepped back in a mannered manner, and said, "Okay, then, I don't look at anything indecent, and don't do anything wrong with me."

Yi Huaifeng said: "Thank you for your hard work, first go outside to entertain the guests, then I will accompany these friends, and then I will come to find you."

The two separated, and Yi Huaifeng returned to the small flower hall, just in time to hear Huang Wanshan still talking about those sad and outrageous current events that cannot be published publicly.

"...But a small patrolman in the patrol house, in terms of salary, how much is it a month? I don't know how he got the dirty money. He bought five or six houses in a few years. Although it is not a good house, it is rented to For those poor people, the monthly rent is enough.

Forget it, there was a tenant who owed him two months' money and couldn't pay it. He came to ask for it, and he took a fancy to the girl of the family. He closed the door in front of his mother and tied it inside. , and did something like a beast.This matter was reported to the patrol room, and it was said that this was a legal demand for rent, and the insulted woman should be punished as private prostitution, but the rent was paid with the proceeds of prostitution..."

Every time he said one thing, everyone scolded him for a round.

In the end, it was really like what Huang Wanshan said, the more he said it, the worse he felt, everyone shook their heads and sighed.

Huang Wanshan concluded: "In this world, all officials are black-hearted, and if they don't have a good thing, they will all be struck by lightning."

He spoke too bluntly, and for a moment he didn't expect that Yi Huaifeng who was present could be regarded as a moderate official.

Seeing Yi Huaifeng's embarrassment, Xie Caifu hurriedly said, "It's completely unreasonable for you to kill a boatload of people with a stick of bamboo like this. There are many unscrupulous officials, but there are also officials who serve the country and the people. Why don't you think about it, Mr. Yi Why did you get shot a while ago?"

Everyone's attention was immediately attracted.

Most of them have no news, and the General Administration of Customs is not suitable for publicizing, so the fact that Yi Huaifeng was shot was actually only known after he was discharged from the hospital.Now when Xie Caifu brought it up, they all asked, "It is said that he was beaten by tobacco and soil dealers, and the Jinghua Building was almost demolished. Is it true?"

Yi Huaifeng received everyone's attention, as if he had done a great thing, and was even more embarrassed. He nodded and said, "It's in the Jinghua Building, but I just happened to pass by and was accidentally shot. The real thing is our chief, It was the one who was taken away by Wan Shan just now. He held a banquet in Jinghua Tower and ambushed a tobacco dealer named Zhou Huo."

Huang Wanshan paused and said, "I've heard of this Zhou Huo before. He is a very vicious underworld gangster. He commits crimes, commits all kinds of crimes, and has committed many murders on him. Why did the outside newspaper say that it was the police department?" How about setting up an ambush and killing him?"

In front of the reporter, he already knew the means of the newspaper and the media. As soon as he said the words, he understood without waiting for Xuan Huaifeng to answer, and sighed: "So, your boss is really a daring person." Man. If all the officials are like him... Hey, he was reckless just now, and he bumped into him." His face turned red.

Xuan Huaifeng laughed and said, "He is very generous."

The friends at the same table were afraid that Huang Wanshan would be embarrassed, so they changed the subject, smiled at Xie Cai and said, "Your name is also strange. Speaking of which, you and Xuan Huaifeng once taught together, and you are more familiar with us than our community members. No matter how you call us, we are all Wan Shan and Tai Ping called him by the same first name, Mr. Xuan who kept talking to him?"

Xie Caifu was taken aback for a moment, as if he knew he couldn't explain it, he said slowly: "This is a habit..."

After this little embarrassment, Huang Wanshan recovered quickly, and he still had the unruly appearance, and said to the man: "What's so strange? Don't blame me for speaking in plain language. Although people should not be classified according to money, wealth and official position, their natural temperament is still the same. There is a difference between high and low. You look at Huaifeng, at first glance, it is upright, elegant and elegant. If you put it in ancient times, it must be the like of Pan Anlanling. It makes people admire. This elegant title of Mr. It couldn't be better for him."

Although they didn't meet each other often, a group of nerds were reckless. Because they were about the same age, they all liked to joke and make fun of each other, so they nodded and said, "Yes, yes, he is Pan An Lanling, of course he is worthy of the word "Mr." Call him Huaifeng, just call him Mr.

Xuan Huaifeng didn't know why, but he easily became the subject of conversation wherever he went. His cheeks flushed when he was teased, he shook his head and said, "You all know nonsense."

Xie Caifu was more stable because of the ups and downs he had experienced. The upairs hand beat him to teach liberal arts, so naturally he read more history books and wild notes than they did. I thought to myself, Pan An Lanling, although he was a famous talented and handsome man in ancient times, was born in troubled times and ended badly, Pan An The three clans were exterminated because of treason. Didn't the Lanling King die unjustly?It happens to be a troubled time right now, so it's really not good to use this as a metaphor for friends.

It's hard to say clearly, and it's even more taboo.

Xie Caifu asked Xuan Huaifeng, "Is President Bai entertaining guests outside? Do you want to help?"

Xuan Huaifeng was also embarrassed by the laughter of his friends, and he said knowingly: "Yes, he has worked too hard alone. Everyone, sit down for a while. If you want food and drink, just ask the servants. If you are tired, please look around. , besides the lotus, there are many peonies in the garden, which bloom just right."

He pleaded guilty and went outside.

◎

Looking outside, the entire front hall is full of people, talking, talking and laughing, and the Russian performance team invited on the mezzanine, performing cheerful tunes with violins and other Western instruments, mixing with human voices, Make people's ears buzzing.

Xuan Huaifeng looked around and soon found Bai Xuelan.

The long gown he wore tonight was also moon white, whether it was intentional or not, it was the same color as the one he wore when he first appeared in the Nian Zhai.

Although there were many people here, he stood out like a chicken, and Xuan Huaifeng found him at a glance.

Xuan Huaifeng walked towards him happily, and when he got closer, he realized that something was wrong. Although Bai Xuelan was smiling, her eyes were dark, obviously she was not happy.

Xuan Huaifeng was slightly startled, and his steps faltered.

Unexpectedly, Bai Xuelan had already found him, she apologized to the guest who was speaking and walked away, came over and grabbed his wrist, suppressed her anger, and said coldly: "You sent the invitation to Ouyang Qian?"

Only then did Xuan Huaifeng realize that he had committed the old habit of being jealous again, nodded, and said in a low voice, "I hired you, let go first."

Bai Xuelan grasped his hand even tighter, and asked again: "Lin Qijun, you invited me too?"

Xuan Huaifeng asked, "Have they arrived yet?"

Bai Xuelan snorted coldly, and said, "When I came here, I asked where you were. I said you were looking at the lotus, and they all went to the back garden. Let them blow the cold wind by the pond, so it's good to wake up."

Xuan Huaifeng asked dumbfoundedly: "You are the host, how can you lie to the guests?"

Bai Xuelan said: "I didn't drive them out, I already saved face for you, let's see how I settle accounts with you tonight."

Suddenly he asked again: "When did you invite them? Why don't I know? Did you call them yourself? You really care about them."

Xuan Huaifeng looked at him holding back his anger, if he broke out at night when he was "settlement", it would be really bad, he couldn't help explaining: "I didn't call, I still treat them like other friends, I wrote invitations to them Just because they came to visit me when I was in the hospital, so I’m sorry not to invite you.”

Bai Xuelan said: "Lie, you didn't include them in those invitations, didn't I know?"

Xuan Huaifeng looked at him in surprise.

I thought to myself, how do you know who was invited by the invitation I wrote?

Just turning around in my mind, I suddenly realized that Bai Xuelan had been secretly reviewing his invitations all along!

On the contrary, the four supplementary sheets were written later, and they were probably sent directly to Fu San to send out, but they escaped surveillance.

Thinking of Bai Xuelan's unreasonable and domineering style, Xuan Huaifeng glared at him angrily, and because there were guests, he could only curse in a low voice: "Bai Xuelan, after all, you have studied in a foreign country, so you don't have any concept of human rights." No? Even with the autocratic concept of old China, until now, you have never restricted other people's freedom like you. Let me go."

Earn hard in secret.

Bai Xuelan was afraid that it would really hurt him if she grabbed him, so she had no choice but to let go when she saw him struggling.

Seeing Xuan Huaifeng lowering his head, and resting his other hand on this wrist, stroking silently, knowing that he had grasped too hard just now, he felt annoyed for a while.

Today's Lotus Appreciation Party was originally organized to make him happy, and he said that he is a half-master and can entertain guests at will, but now he is angry because of Ouyang Qian and Huai Feng?

Huaifeng's single-minded personality, Bai Xuelan knows best, since he and Bai Xuelan are getting along now, even if Ouyang Qian is ten times more beautiful and capable, she can't steal Huaifeng's attention.

As for Lin Qijun, the opponent who has already been eliminated is worthless, and for him to destroy the current honeymoon relationship between himself and Huaifeng, wouldn't he look down on him?

After thinking about it, he regretted doubly, so he put on a cautious look, and quietly approached Xuan Huaifeng, just about to apologize softly, when suddenly his eyes swept outside the front hall, his face changed, his eyes suddenly became sharp, and he asked in a deep voice : "Apart from those two, who else did you invite?"