As the New Year approached, the commoners were busy earning money to support their families. They also began to buy new year goods to welcome the new year. Fiery red lanterns and chili skewers symbolized good weather and good luck in the coming year. Bright red Fu characters were pasted on the doors and windows. Fish and meat were bought home. Good wine and good dishes were placed on the table. Lively firecrackers were prepared in advance. Children wore new clothes made by their mothers. Husbands held the clothes made by their wives and smiled. The meticulous stitches and threads warmed their hearts.
Of course, there was more to the rich families. Red silk hung high in the sky for the celebration, and new clothes were made from high-quality materials and handcrafted. The mother carefully selected jewelry for her daughter, and the head of the family carefully arranged the food for the whole family. However, all they needed to do was to move their lips and let the butler and servants carry it out. The dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner were much more than those of ordinary families, and the fireworks and firecrackers were also more high-end than those of ordinary families.
It was even more so for the commoners and the officials. The New Year celebration after the New Year's Eve dinner became a time for them to interact with each other. As they walked around, it was inevitable that a few good stories would come out. To them, they were naturally happy to see it happen. If the marriage was right, there would be many benefits. This showed how much these officials cared about their future.
The magnificent Heavenly Saints Imperial Palace in the north of the city was even busier than outside the red walls. From the Internal Affairs Office, which was responsible for managing the decorations of the various palaces and halls, to the four departments that were responsible for the clothes and jewelry of the Emperor's concubines, to the imperial kitchen prepared for the New Year's Eve dinner, and finally to the eunuchs and palace maids in each palace, every place was bustling with people.
It was the new year, and every palace and imperial garden had to be cleaned inside and out. Then, red lanterns and red silk had to be hung up. The Emperor's personal eunuch and Head Chief, Little Yuanzi, was so busy that his feet couldn't even touch the ground. One moment, he was called in by Gu Moran, and the next moment, he was pulled by the young eunuch to deal with affairs. No matter how capable he was to win the favor of his master, he wished he could grow a few more pairs of hands at this time. Fortunately, Gu Moran was considerate that the servants wouldn't use him if they could.
In fact, Gu Moran had mentioned to the Empress whether she should recruit more palace maids and eunuchs into the palace so that they would not be too busy during the New Year. However, the Empress was thrifty in managing the household and said that it was orderly. He could only give up and hand over the full responsibility of the harem to the Empress. When a concubine complained that there were not enough subordinates, she clearly said that he did not care about the affairs of the harem.
The entire Shengyang City was bustling with activity in order to welcome the new year. However, there was one place that was the complete opposite. That was Gu Moxi's King Jing's Mansion. Now that everyone knew that King Jing lived in the Lan Mansion in the west of the city, the King Jing's Mansion became much more spacious. Other than the necessary servants who were left to guard the door, everyone else had moved to the west of the city with their master.
At this time, the Lan Mansion was already decorated with lanterns and streamers. The New Year's goods had almost been prepared. The people in the mansion were divided into two groups. One group was called servants but was actually a killer. The other group was naturally brought by Gu Mo Xi from the mansion. These two groups of people were working for their respective masters. No matter how big or small the matter was, they were competing. The result was self-evident. How could ordinary servants compare with killers? In terms of the speed of purchasing New Year's goods, if you were still rushing here, the killers would have already flown off. In addition to Shangguan Yibing, who was a sly fox in the business world, how could the things on his purchase list be bad?
However, even though they were making a fuss, they did not miss out on any important matters. As a result, they were almost all ready when other families were still preparing for the new year. The most idle person in the residence was Lan Xi. She ate and slept all day and did not care about the new year. Anyway, with the five ghosts around, she was happy to be idle. Then there was Gu Moxi. As long as she finished her work in the morning, she would only be left with Lan Xi to cultivate her relationship, serve tea and feed her, and accompany her to bask in the sun. Not to mention that she had some achievements. At least now, he didn't have to put in all his effort to let her eat. In fact, he couldn't even feed anyone else successfully. This made Tao Yao very dissatisfied. Every time she glared at Gu Mo Xi, the anger in her peach blossom eyes was about to materialize.
The Yiran Residence was the name Gu Moxi had given to the courtyard of the Lan residence. During this period of time, Housekeeper Zhu had taken care of it and it was exactly the same as the Yiran Residence in the King Jing Residence. At this time, Gu Moxi was painting in the room. Housekeeper Zhu's daughter, Ya 'er, was standing by the table and grinding. Her eyes fell on the woman on the paper, and a ruthless look flashed across her face.
The woman in the painting had her seaweed-like hair in a flowing cloud bun. There were a few white flower red hairpins in her hair. A bird-shaped hairpin was inserted into her temples. Exquisite earrings fell from her small earlobes. She was wearing a light green dress that covered her exquisite body. The hem of the dress was embroidered with plum blossoms, which were known as the Four Gentlemen. She looked fresh and natural, and it was lovable.
However, Ya-er was most jealous of the woman's appearance. Her curved eyebrows were dark without any makeup, her nose bridge was just right, and her lips were red and luscious. A pair of cat eyes that seemed as pure as the depths of the sea seduced one's soul. Under the gaze of this pair of eyes, it was as if all your secrets would no longer be secrets. She was undoubtedly beautiful and moving, and this kind of beauty could not be described with words.
Ya-er knew that the woman was the master of this mansion. She had seen her once from afar, and just one glance was enough to make her feel ashamed. Compared to the woman, she was like the soil that everyone stepped on. When she saw the meticulous care that the prince, who had loved her since she was young, had for her, and the deep affection and indulgence that could not be hidden between his brows, she was jealous. This kind of emotion almost made her go crazy, and she could only run far away.
Her gaze unconsciously fell on the man beside her. His gentle expression when he was focused on painting was so charming. She was grinding his painting. This scene seemed to be no different from the scene in her imagination, but it made her heart ache. Her hand trembled and the entire inkstone fell to the ground, almost hitting her toe. It also disturbed Gu Moxi who was focused on painting.
Seeing Ya 'er's helpless look, Gu Mo Xi did not scold her further and just let her leave. As the door closed, she muttered," Fortunately, the painting is not dirty. En, Xi' er must look good dressed like this."”As he said this, a dark light flashed across his seductive phoenix eyes, making people feel that he was not as simple as painting.
During lunch, Lan Xi gathered everyone in the dining room on a whim. Usually, the kitchen would send food to everyone's courtyard. Of course, Mei Sheng and Yuan Yuan's food would be sent to Xi Garden together with Lan Xi's. Moreover, Tao Yao and the others were working outside during the day and did not need to prepare. However, since it was almost the new year, she gave them annual leave. Unless there was something important, they would not go to their respective fields.
In the dining room, the seven of them happened to occupy a round table, which was filled with delicious food. Naturally, there was Lan Xi's favorite fish, and it happened to be in front of her. It was rare that Gu Moxi did not feed it, so the prince was a little disappointed.
The fish looked different from what she usually ate. Lan Xi picked up a piece and did not find any fish bones. Unexpectedly, the inverted triangular ears on the top of her head that belonged to a cat stood up as soon as she ate it. Her deep black cat eyes sparkled." It's delicious, meow."”After saying that, he brought the entire plate of fish to the front. His meaning was very clear: This is mine, no one can snatch it from me.
The act of protecting her food made Gu Moxi laugh. The furry inverted triangular cat ears on her head stunned Tao Yao. She threw away the bowl and chopsticks and leaned forward. Her peach blossom eyes turned into red hearts as she stared at the cute Lan Xi in front of her. The " meow " really hit his heart and almost flew down three thousand feet.
Lan Xi caught a glimpse of the peach blossom from the corner of her eye. She turned around so that he wouldn't see the fish. Mei Sheng and Yuanyuan couldn't help but laugh out loud at her act of protecting the fish. Soul Eater's cold expression seemed to have softened a little. Shangguan Yibing could tell from his expression that this fox was watching the show.
Gu Moxi looked at the extremely cute cat ears in front of her and couldn't help but reach out to touch them, only to get three bloody marks. Although she was very happy that Lan Xi liked the Golden-scaled Phoenix Fish that arrived today, wasn't it too unkind to use claw marks as a thank you gift?
"Miss, the New Year's goods are almost ready. How does Miss plan to spend it?”Shangguan Yibing, who had assumed the position of the chief steward of the residence, asked with a hint of anticipation and joy in his eyes.
"You guys decide, meow. As long as you're happy.”Lan Xi ate the fish head and answered without raising her head. Her words unconsciously brought out a cat's meow.
" Xiao Xi Xi is so cute!" The one who said this was naturally Tao Yao, who was still smitten.
After lunch, Lan Xi watched as the empty plate was taken away. She let Gu Mo Xi wipe her hands. He wiped very carefully and seriously, wiping off the stains with every finger. He then took another wet cloth to wipe her mouth. He used a gentle force as if he was worried that he would hurt her. Seeing the endless aftertaste in her eyes, he told her the origin of the fish.
"That's a Golden-scaled Phoenix Fish unique to the Heavenly Saints Kingdom. Jiang City only produces 100 of them every year, and they'll be sent to the Imperial Palace when the year is approaching. Usually, only half of them will be left by the time they arrive, so they're very precious. I've specially asked my Imperial Brother for help regarding the matter in Liao City last time, and they've just arrived today.”
Blinking, Lan Xi suddenly felt pity for the loss of the other half. How good would it be if all 100 of them were sent to the residence? Looking at Gu Mo Xi who was washing her hands, her pink lips slightly opened but she didn't say anything. Her heart was once again covered with a strange warmth. According to what he said just now, that fish was a tribute to the palace, but he asked for it for her. How could she not understand this kind of intention?
Gu Moxi wiped her hands dry and naturally walked past Lan Xi's slender waist, holding her as they walked towards the Maple Pavilion in the garden. As if he knew her mood, his magnetic and pleasant voice fell from above her head." Xi 'er, I want to be good to you and love you. These are all my business. Xi' er, you don't have to feel burdened or resist. Transvestites may have different paths, but I believe that man can conquer nature, so stay by my side."”
His footsteps became a little flustered. Lan Xi turned her head so that he could not see her face.
After entering Maple Pavilion, the two of them sat down. It had become a habit to sit here after lunch and listen to Gu Mo Xi playing the zither. He was undoubtedly a talented man. No wonder he was so popular among the opposite sex. Even the zither was made by a famous master.
After playing the song, the servant of the Prince's mansion came with Gu Moyan. Lan Xi frowned slightly because she didn't like to see this kind of situation. For some reason, she felt that her territory was being invaded. Gu Moxi saw her frown and glanced at the servant with a bit of coldness. Seeing that he had fled in a hurry, her temperature rose again.
Gu Moyan smiled at Lan Xi as soon as he sat down." Second Sister-in-law's mansion is as beautiful as Jiangnan. No wonder Second Brother abandoned the mansion and came here.”
Gu Mo Xi curled her lips when she heard the word " Second Sister-in-law ", but Lan Xi was shocked. She looked at the two brothers opposite her and left without saying a word.
"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?”Gu Moyan asked curiously.
Gu Mo Xi looked at her back as she left and had a bad feeling in her heart. When she heard her third brother's question, she glared at him angrily. The distance between them that she had painstakingly closed during this period of time was probably gone because he called her second sister-in-law. Couldn't he change his character of not being able to hide his words?
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