"What are you looking at?"
"Ah no," Jie Qi, who was like a dumb bird, shook his head and asked Jack, "How can you play this kind of piano?"
"I don't know." Jack plucked the strings a few more times, and the five tunes of Gong Shang Jiao and Zheng Yu came out accurately. Sima Xiao, who was considered a semi-expert, couldn't help but cheer. "Jack, you are too modest. This skill is not something you can just say you know how to do."
"How is that possible?" Jie Qi looked at Jack sitting on the ground in disbelief. "You are good at martial arts, you can recite poems, play the piano, and maybe there are others that we don't know about. Have you really never practiced these? Could it be that you brought it out of your mother's womb."
"That's right. Actually──" he looked down at his two hands and ten fingers moving wildly, "─I really haven't learned this. But as soon as I pick up the Yueqin and touch something, I feel like It's just knowing how to play it and use it. It's a natural thing."
Is there anything more annoying than those great geniuses who claim to be able to practice anything in three days? If there is, it must be this damn guy in front of me! The group of people who were just listening took these words as Jack's boasting, but they didn't know that these memories did come from his father's "settings". Jack is not a "person", but not many people realize this.
"By the way," the attentive Yan Yan remembered another thing, "Jack, do you still remember the whistle you heard in Heluo San Town?"
The man playing the piano nodded and turned his gaze to Yan Yan's position. I saw this little beauty, one of the few in the southeast, pointing behind me and lying on her stomach like a dead weasel. "Don't you think it sounds similar to theirs?"
"Ah!" With this reminder, Jack also remembered several previous clues. He looked at the flying knife weasel lying on the bow of the boat. "Hey, did you hear that? I seem to have heard the cry of your companion where we went before?" However, the lazy big weasel in front of him just tilted his head towards Jack, then raised his head and shouted again. Huda sleep.
"It's such a bad sleep condition..." The man playing the piano simply commented and didn't care about the Throwing Sword Weasel. "Is it useful to keep you here?"
"You seem to understand what the animals are saying. Don't you, Jack?"
Jack, who was playing the piano in his hand, nodded slightly, regardless of whether he was modest or not. Sitting next to it were the two most attentive listeners, Matchmaker and Ping'er. The little girl sat in the arms of the big beauty, intoxicated by the simple but very attractive tune.
"Then can you teach me how to listen to animals?" Yan Yan squatted down next to Jack excitedly and looked at the man who was also intoxicated by the sound of her piano.
The sword master opened his eyes but shook his head helplessly, which hurt Yan Yan's heart. "It's a pity, it's a pity, I can't teach you. I don't know what the sounds animals make mean, but I just know what they want to express. After all, what my father wants is not just for us to witness the world with our own eyes, but also more Listen; not only listen to human voices, but also listen to the voices of other animals. Maybe that's why I understand what they say."
"Really?" Yan Yan showed a skeptical attitude. Because what Jack said was so incredible, as if he was the proud man of heaven. Although this idea was partially correct, she didn't know it herself. Yan Yan just wanted to verify once again whether Jack really understood the thoughts of animals as he said.
At a glance, I saw a birdcage hung on the cabin, with canaries pecking and jumping inside. After Yan Yan asked Sima Xiao for instructions, she took down the birdcage and raised it in front of Jack. "Jack, do you know what the birds are saying inside?"
The music of the harp continued uninterrupted, and Jack whistled a few times towards the birds, echoing the music of the lyre. "It said," everyone swallowed, waiting for Jack's answer. "It's okay. Don't chant "Lotus seed, how much I love you" to me all day long. It's annoying to death."
As soon as his thoughts changed, Jack looked around and asked, "Who is Lianrong?" Sima Xiao grabbed the birdcage and wanted to strangle the canary inside on the spot. Seeing the strange looks from other people, he could only smile awkwardly a few times. "Ah! Ah! He just said lotus paste and bean paste buns. I love the taste. The mute servant is good at it, so I asked him to make a cage. Hello~"
"But..." Zhao Yong, who was waiting nearby, said puzzledly: "Isn't Lianrong the nickname of Er Ye, your unmarried daughter-in-law? Yesterday was supposed to be your big day, but she slipped out three days ago. . You are not..." Zhao Kelian next to him reminded the talkative guy with three elbow strikes. When they saw the expression on their second master's face, some people knew that the trouble was serious.
The culprit who was shocked to reveal the inside story was still playing the piano, but with a big smile on his face. It's always fun to watch other people get into trouble.
"It's so good." Lu Zhong took out some wine from somewhere and drank. "Why is your cooking so messed up? Boy."
"Zheng! Zheng!" Two of the three strings of the yueqin in Jack's hand were broken on the spot. The sword master who was defeated by his army was speechless for a long time. He turned his head stiffly and looked at Lu Zhong who was smiling evilly. "Woo~woo~" The grown man shrank aside and plucked the remaining strings of the yueqin in his hand. The music was chaotic and very harsh. "No matter how good your work is, there will always be some minor flaws, so please stop talking about it."
The first night on the big ship. The narrow cabin blocks a lot of the cold river wind, which is a blessing for boating families. Jack and others had nothing to worry about. They were crowded into the same narrow cabin with a group of sailors. The only better cabin is where Jiu Niangniang and the two beauties rest. Zhao Yong and Zhao Ke took turns guarding the hatch.
There were only two sailors left on the deck to watch, one to watch the rudder and the stern of the ship, and the other to watch the ship and the front. The big sail has been furled long ago, and we are heading eastward with the current. Occasionally, a small boat will show a faint light, but it will disappear in the blink of an eye. The sky is full of stars and the moon is waxing and waning. It's early autumn. The scenery of mountains, forests and water at night also shows its unique beauty.
Next to the birdcage suspended above the cabin, there is a figure dressed in rich clothes. Sometimes I look at the resting birds, sometimes I look at the surrounding forest scenery. The sound of footsteps came quietly from behind, but in fact it was more deliberately heard.
"Are you thinking about your lotus seed again? Stop annoying that poor bird."
Among the top ten beauties rumored in the world, the little beauty ranked third walked slowly, wearing a water-color floral dress and a Sudong batik shawl. The tone of blue is auspicious to the hundreds of magpies. This is an old shop under the Qinglong banner - Su Dongfang's famous high-end goods. It was also a meeting gift given by Sima Xiao to Yan Yan.
Seeing the little beauty, the seventh eldest grandson of the Sima family didn't say much, just smiled lightly. Yan Yan swayed her waist lightly and walked to her side. "I heard it was your big day yesterday, so why did you leave the girl alone and sneak out of the house? Now you only care about the poor bird?"
"Are you girls so interested in exploring people's privacy?" Staring at the caged bird, Sima Xiao just smiled and whispered. Yan Yan smiled shyly. "It depends on who the target is."
Sima Xiao couldn't help but look up and think about everything at home. The unmarried daughter-in-law fell in love with someone else; the uncles, uncles, grandparents and grandparents kept arguing all day long just to discuss the future of the family. Everyone thought that their own way was the most correct. This wave of disputes has spread to his own generation; events outside the Qinglong Banner have also disrupted everyone's lives; brothers and sisters can turn against each other and become enemies over the ranking of the Warrior Order... Sima Xiao can't say these words. Unable to speak. He just shook his head, indulged himself, and became what everyone said was a prodigal son.
"Do you always keep your mouth shut and don't answer like this?" Yan Yan interrupted Sima Xiao's lengthy thoughts impatiently. It's interesting to watch someone else's face change thousands of times in a short period of time, but the answer to the question is what attracts me more.
"It depends on who the target is."
The smiling beauty was stunned for a moment, then half-covered her mouth and started laughing again. "I'm just talking nonsense. Okay," he shook his head and straightened his frosty temples, "I won't ask you if you don't want to talk about it. Let's talk about other things. Like..." Two slender fingers pressed against the tender Lips, the way Yan Yan was thinking about things made Sima Xiao have to admit that this beauty that the world admired did have her own merits. "Ah! How do you feel about your aunt?"
This time it was Sima Xiao's turn to be stupid. What's there to ask? Just listen to Yan Yan continue to say: "I have lived in the valley with my father and mother since I was a child, and the family of three is quite happy. I spend the whole day either practicing kung fu or doing some crops, accompanying my mother to embroider and wash yarn, or helping my father to practice. Sword, pottery, carpentry, book copying, arithmetic, flower planting. I don't know what brothers and sisters will be like. Is it fun and interesting? Could it be that you have an extra aunt who is younger than you? Do you feel awkward?"
"Awkward? No way. It's going to rain and my mother wants to get married, so let him do it. You can't stop my grandpa's concubine's belly and say you can't give birth. I don't have that little courage." Looking at it. Yan's big watery eyes stared straight at her, "Besides, my aunt has a sweet mouth, a sweet smile, and her coquettish behavior is also sweet. The whole family loves her very much. Even a few foreign wives with different surnames, who doesn't like my aunt?" Mother. Accompanying her is like accompanying a cute little nephew. If I don't remind myself all the time, I will really forget that my aunt is a generation older than me."
"Ah! Won't your family chase her out?" Yan Yan remembered that the Sima family really loved Ping'er so much, so why didn't they think of ways to chase her out? But Sima Xiao just laughed a few times in relief. "I sneaked out, and I took my aunt with me. It's a lie to say that the elders in the family didn't know anything. Even if they were with me, the elders knew that I didn't have the guts to hurt my aunt. , it's not that they have been taken care of properly. The only problem is that they don't know the exact location. If they knew, they might have a large team of people to chase them out. "
Feeling strange, Yan Yan looked up at the green dragon flag floating in the dark night. "Isn't it very conspicuous? How could you not know where the person is?"
Following his line of sight, Sima Xiao looked at his Qinglong Banner and laughed. "There is only one kind of Qinglong flag. From the big grandfather patrolling the water array to the fishermen fishing under his banner, everyone hangs the same flag. In order to treat everyone equally, the Qinglong flag is erected to show the prestige of the Qinglong flag. Let everyone from top to bottom I don't dare to mess around with this flag; I don't want people outside to dodge when they see Zhongli and Sima, or bully others when they see them. And if my family makes a big mistake and it is found out, the family law is strict. So be careful. Look at the Qinglong flag hanging outside. I really don't know who is on the ship until I get on the ship to take stock. Besides, they probably can't determine what kind of ship we are on. It's not that easy to find people."
"Hmm~" thinking about what Sima Xiao said. If what is said is true, then finding someone under the Qinglong banner is like looking for a needle under the sea. But they will always have other ways to find people. It is impossible to gather all the ships under our banner and count them one by one every time we need to find someone. As soon as her thoughts changed, Yan Yan thought of another question. "If your family finds out that you are with the blond maniac, won't they be annoyed with you?"
"Is Jack really a blond maniac?" Sima Xiao confirmed with a surprised look. Seeing Yan Yan nodding, he just turned his head and thought. "It's so easy to get along with, how could he kill so many people?"
"It's a long story." Yan Yan stared ahead, slowly recalling some of the things the Jie brothers had said. Sima Xiao did not ask further questions and answered the previous question. "It doesn't matter if I'm just a servant of the family, I can't wish for me to be kicked out of the house. The seventh brother, Atit, is still supporting me, so he won't fight against me, a prodigal. Being his friend is much more interesting than being his enemy. Don't say anything. That's all. The moon girl is shining brightly today, and the river breeze is freezing to the bone. If you want to drink alone, it will be tasteless. Miss Yan, will you be interested in drinking a few glasses?"
"I don't drink well, so don't bully me." Yan Yan looked at the man in front of her with a smile. His face is thin and his eyes are lively, and he has an indescribable charm in his heart. Sima Xiao laughed. "This ship is so big. It's really difficult to do something without letting people know about it. How can I dare to take a step forward if Miss Yan says no?"
Yan Yan made a face as she stuck out her tongue. "You know how to talk about these gossips." He turned around and went into the cabin, "I'll go in and sift some wine." After walking half a step, he saw the mute servant walking out with two cups, a pot of wine, and a plate of roasted fish. "It's night, so I had no choice but to fry the fish and go to the bar." He put it next to the two of them and left, returning to the cabin.
Seeing that the mute servant had already prepared scalding wine and cooking fish, Yan Yan looked at Sima Xiao angrily. "Tell me, how many girls have you fooled with this trick?" The other person just smiled dryly.
Relying on the protection of the Qinglong Banner, a group of people came to Sakai smoothly. As Sima Xiao said, the blue dragon flag has the same color and there are over a hundred sloops. Who has the courage to stop them one by one? Even if the Sima family, who were far away in the water stronghold, got the news, they only told the pursuers that they would find a way to find out the news. They were spending all their energy, eager to find another one among the more than a thousand ships under the Qinglong flag. Batch people. But I didn't expect that the two groups of people were on the same boat...
As soon as the ship landed, many coolies had gathered on the dock. Seeing the big ship under Qinglong, there is always some errands to do. Rewards are according to the rules, neither draw nor reduce, who wouldn't be happy to ask for a small difference. After receiving the cables thrown by the sailors on the ship, the coolies happily pulled the ship into position and tied the cables. After crossing the ship plank, Sima Xiao led the way down. He ordered the mute servant who was following him: "Let a few people replenish the food and water on the boat, and the rest is at your convenience. I will accompany them to the street to have a look."
A group of ten people plus a child, followed by a big golden weasel, headed towards the lively place.
Sakai, which is also a large town, controls the vast hinterland of the East. The number of vendors and people is no less than that of the three towns of Heluo. There are occasionally a few large houses with gorgeous buildings and deep courtyards, and they also look like the work of famous artists. Looking at the luxurious folk customs, everyone enjoys it with admiration. There are handsome men and pretty women, old smiles and young ones. If we want to talk about a peaceful and prosperous age, it must be like this.
Seeing that it was still early, a group of people found a large teahouse. Go straight to the third floor and sit down at a seat with a good view. Of course, when the waiter came up, he didn't need to say much, and he brought him whatever he wanted. While drinking tea leisurely, enjoy the beautiful scenery. Not to mention the tall mountains rising from the ground in the distance, there are also big sails stacked on small sails, big boats and small boats on the river nearby, which is very lively.
The sky was covered with white clouds, and the sleepiness in Jack's bones crept out again. He clapped his head and scratched the flying knife weasel who was lying on his lap, occupying a seat next to him. The matchmaker next to her was envious of the golden weasel, and Jack's eyes were filled with trepidation. I had just fallen asleep and wanted to think about whether I could have a sweet dream with someone, but I was woken up by the sound of laughter. I saw an elegant Confucian scholar wearing a blue cloth Tang suit, holding a folding fan, standing behind Yan Yan, chatting and laughing with the beauty. Behind him were three Confucian scholars dressed in the same colors, black, green, and yellow.
As soon as Jack woke up, the scholar folded his fan and handed him over. "I am Li Youyin, a weak scholar. Do you know the name of this foreign hero?"
Seeing that the other party has a calm, carefree and unrestrained air, he is unusual. Then I saw a silver dog tag on my waist, with the number thirteen inscribed on it, and I couldn't help but laugh in my heart at his modesty for calling him weak. Although the remaining people do not have the appearance of leading Confucian scholars, they are also talented people. They have one silver and two bronze dog tags on their bodies. Seeing that it was polite, Jack simply responded with a little sarcasm. "Jack." He never hit the smiling person with his hand.
Sima Xiao stood up with his hands raised and asked in surprise. "Are you all Li Youyin, Chen Zhiji, Mo Shaoqing, Hua Nanfeng, the four Confucian heroes of the Eastern Four?" The four people in front of them bowed in unison. "Exactly down there."
"I'm Sima Xiao. I've heard a lot about the chivalrous deeds and the six arts of these four men in the world, and I'm very admirable. I'm going to meet you today, and I'll let my little brother be my host and entertain you all."
"It turns out to be the Sima family under Qinglong, whose name I have admired for a long time." Mo Shaoqing, who was standing behind Li Youyin, bowed his hands and saluted. Seeing that he was smiling but not smiling, there was a hint of ridicule in his tone. Perhaps Sima Xiao's own name is even more famous. No wonder he is "admired for a long time". However, the second master of the Sima family is generous by nature. Even though he sees it, he doesn't care about these small things. He usually greets him attentively.
Both sides came and went, making Jack's ears itch and goosebumps all over his body. He didn't pay much attention to the nonsense, turned a deaf ear to them, and went to sleep. Sima Xiao still warmly invited the four of them to sit down. Li Youyin pushed Lu Zhong away without saying a word and sat next to Yan Yan. The other three people also took their seats next to the beauty, as if they were the only ones worthy of the two beauties at the table.
Seeing the host's greeting, he also ate a lot of Sima Xiao. Lu Zhong didn't say much and moved his seat to the side. However, Hua Nanfeng planned to squeeze in between Jack and the matchmaker, but the Flying Sword Weasel lying there was not polite, bared his teeth and cracked his mouth, making a scary sound.
After being frightened, Huanan Feng calmed down and flicked his sleeves. "Hmph! How can any beast sit on a human chair!" Flying Knife Weasel said in his throat, but Jack beside him suddenly said: "Then you really shouldn't sit on it."
After understanding the meaning of the words, Hua Nanfeng stepped forward angrily. "you..."
"What me? I was just translating what she said." Jack pointed innocently at the flying knife weasel that fell on his lap. The big golden weasel still looked uncomprehending and angry.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How can any beast understand human language and speak human language?"
"Don't you speak eloquently?"
"you..."
"What me! Or her~" Jack still pointed at the Flying Sword Weasel.
"You..." "Fourth Brother Hua!" Hua Nanfeng still wanted to argue, but was stopped by Li Youyin and signaled with his eyes. But he could only sit next to his companion, separated from the beauty, and earned Mo Shaoqing's eyes.
There were only a few people talking and laughing at the table, and the others seemed like nothing. In the eyes of Mo Shaoqing and Hua Nan Feng, who were dressed in green and yellow clothes, you could clearly see the contempt. It seemed that only Sima Xiao and the two beauties at the banquet were worthy of being respected by them, and the rest of them were even talking. No one paid attention. This makes others happy to take it easy.
The fragrant tea here is brewed with clear springs, and is as delicious as the tongue of a bird. It is more fragrant than ambergris. It is nothing but the finest tea from Sakai, a shopping town in the great city. It was also Sima Xiaoliang who came up with Duoer, and the store deliberately found it and put it on sale. Even a greedy person like Lu Zhong knew how to taste it carefully when he drank this tea. Taoist Qiao thought generally, and the Jie family brothers slowly tasted the taste, whether it was good or not. How can we fight for the attention of a few people with high ambitions and low abilities? Not to mention Jack, I don't know who he would dream of meeting with. Ping'er jumped off the matchmaker's lap and was caught by the Flying Sword Weasel's tail. They rubbed her against each other carefully, making the little girl giggle. She was so happy that she forgot about the world. As slaves, Zhao Yong and Zhao Ke naturally did not dare to say anything when they sat at the same table as their masters.
At the banquet, Li Youyin was chatting and laughing with everyone, responding to songs and poems, when he suddenly stopped and stared at Yan Yan for a long time. Without a good speaker who could speak and sing, the others also stopped talking. Stuck in a strange atmosphere. Suddenly Li Youyin smiled chicly. "Miss Yan, it's time for you to consider our marriage."
Frightened by this sudden sentence, everyone at the table barely spit out the fragrant tea from their mouths, everyone was so surprised. Even Jack, who was dozing off, hit his head on the table with a "Kang!" Of course, his head fell off because of a bad sleeping posture. Yan Yan, one of the victims, unexpectedly asked Li Youyin to raise this issue in public, but she was also stunned on the spot.
"It's okay for me to marry into the Yan family. There are still two eldest brothers at home to support me. If you agree, I will go back to the family to prepare. Otherwise, I can go directly to meet my father-in-law and mother-in-law."
Speaking these words in front of everyone, it seems that Li Youyin has also come to a certain realization. Looking at his serious look, it would be unreasonable for both of them not to give a clear explanation. Besides, this is the third time this issue has been raised since they first met. Yan Yan looked around, secretly watching everyone's reactions. Everyone was hemming and hawing, and the remaining three Confucians from the East and the Four Confucian Schools all had strange expressions of indignation and dissatisfaction, as if they were protesting against Li Youyin's sneaking away. With a smile in her heart, she made up her mind, and Yan Yan spoke quietly.
"Brother Li needs to know the situation at my little sister's family. When a martial arts family chooses a son-in-law, my father will not allow his daughter to choose randomly. Today, I am lucky enough to get my father's consent to travel among the rivers and lakes to choose a lover, but in the end I still have to rely on my father's nod. A daughter cannot bear to go against her father's considerations. The younger sister can only propose a few candidates, and her father will hand-pick them. When it comes to talent and strength, there is no standard. Brother Li is well-spoken, and his literary skills and martial arts are also extraordinary. , but I have never seen your skills. If you can beat me, Brother Jack,──" a pair of beautiful eyes glanced at the man with drool, "──my little sister may give it serious consideration."
Li Youyin stood up confidently and clapped his folding fan away. "What's the difficulty?" But on the other side, Jie Qi spit out a mouthful of tea and stared at Yan Yan blankly. "You don't want to get married?" He said it too late to stop him. His elder brother took a step too late to teach his younger brother a lesson for talking nonsense.
This time Jack's head hit the table with a "Kuang!" sound again. Just when he was about to readjust his position to sleep, he saw everyone at the table staring at him. Li Youyin stood beside him and bowed his hands. "I would like to ask Sir Jack to agree to compete with me. In a battle between gentlemen, I hope you will show mercy."
Asking everyone inexplicably, Lu Zhong told the reason with a smile. Jack looked at Yan Yan angrily. "Nizi, you are playing with me!"