All Hail Cousin Brother

After re-planning the entire yard, Yu Youyao turned to look at Zhou Linghuai: "Cousin, is there anything you are not satisfied with?"

Zhou Linghuai smiled, and she picked out many places that even he himself didn't think were too much of a hindrance, and asked people to rearrange them: "Very good!"

After getting the affirmation, Yu Youyao was very happy: "As long as my cousin likes it."

"I've been busy all afternoon, cousin, let's go back to rest early." The sun was already setting, and the little girl must be tired from busy work all afternoon.

Yu Youyao was indeed a little tired, so she nodded: "Cousin, see you at dinner."

Zhou Linghuai nodded.

For dinner, the two houses of the Yu family gathered together, and the men and women set up a table for each of the eight major cuisines, as well as drinks, snacks, desserts, and fruits, which were very rich.

Zhou Linghuai was not in good health and could not drink, so he used tea instead of wine, and offered "wine" to the elders in the mansion one by one to show respect.

When the whole family gathers together, it is very lively!

Taking advantage of her grandmother not noticing her, Yu Youyao secretly poured herself another glass of green plum wine. After pouring the wine, she sat up straight again like a guilty conscience. She had a well-behaved and upright appearance, but her big eyes were surprisingly bright. She squinted and stretched her neck to look around in the bright light, and when she was sure that no one noticed her, she suddenly smiled and curled her lips, like a cat stealing fish.

She thought she was doing it without anyone noticing, but she didn't know that every move she made made her fall into the man's table, and Zhou Linghuai, who happened to be sitting across from her, saw it.

Zhou Linghuai couldn't help laughing, and held a teacup to cover the faint smile on his lips.

I actually feel that even the noisy and noisy banquets have become more interesting, and it is not so unbearable.

Yu Youyao didn't know her little actions, she had already been seen by others, she held a small cup in both hands, squinted her eyes and secretly drank.

Green plum wine tastes sour and sweet, and Yu Youyao has always liked it.

But my grandmother was very strict, except that she was only allowed to drink a small cup during the holidays for auspiciousness, and she was usually not allowed to drink alcohol, saying that it was too unruly for a girl to drink alcohol.

Zhou Linghuai, who had just taken a mouthful of food, raised his head and couldn't help but stare.

The little girl's lips were stained with wine, and she looked delicate and moist, her immature little face was stained with a thin layer of halo, and even her bright black eyes were dazzlingly bright, probably due to her low drinking capacity, she drank two small glasses of green plum wine , a little drunk, this will sit obediently in the seat, like a Yufu doll, not moving, not noisy, looking soft and cute.

Old Madam Yu didn't listen to her granddaughter's voice, she turned her head to look at her, and suddenly became angry and funny, and slapped her on the head with one hand: "You gluttonous girl, why are you like a cat!"

"Grandmother?" Yu Youyao called softly, blinked, and looked at Mrs. Yu, her eyes were soaked in a moist socket, black and bright, just like agate, completely dazed.

Old Madam Yu couldn't get angry anymore, so she turned her head and asked Nanny Liu to pour a cup of sober tea.

There was a banquet at home, and the hangover tea was prepared early in the morning.

Smiling, Grandma Liu took the hangover tea and fed it to Yu Youyao.

Yu Youyao drank bitter and fishy, ​​wrinkling her little nose: "It's not good, it stinks."

Old Madam Yu laughed: "Let's see if you dare to drink secretly in the future."

Green plum wine is fruit wine, very light in strength, usually three to five cups will not hinder anything, Yu Youyao will not be drunk, but the feeling of drunkenness hits her head for a while, and she feels a little drunk. After drinking the hangover soup, she will be fine after a while.

After the feast was over, the maid brought mouthwash, and the women took the table away and replaced it with exquisite pastries, dried fruits, snacks, etc., and everyone chatted.

Yu Zongzheng asked Zhou Linghuai about his life in Youzhou.

Zhou Linghuai lowered his eyes and said in a hoarse voice: "After the family accident, my father and mother passed away one after another, my grandmother's health is not good, and my relatives and friends are not in touch. The clan found a reason to excommunicate our branch.

It's a clean break with us, and fortunately I have learned the art of making ink, and I can barely make ends meet, but I have suffered from my grandmother..."

Yu Zongzheng was furious when he heard this, and he couldn't hold back: "The Zhou clan is too shameful!"

Being a commander is a hereditary official position, and it has a bit of glory. If you want to come to the Zhou clan, you have benefited from Zhou Linghuai's branch in the past.

After the accident in Youzhou, officials, big and small, were killed, exiled, and imprisoned. The reason why the Yu family had the courage to mediate on behalf of the Zhou family was because the Zhou family had generations of budding shadows.

But the emperor was extraordinarily merciful, but the Zhou clan bullied even orphans and widows.

Yu Zong is an outsider, so he couldn't say anything more, so he just patted Zhou Linghuai on the shoulder: "In the past few years, you and your aunt have suffered, so you can live in the mansion with peace of mind from now on."

Then he said some words of concern and encouragement.

Yu Zongshen asked about Zhou Linghuai's homework, and even asked a few questions on the spot.

Zhou Linghuai answered fluently.

Yu Zongshen came up with a few more questions for this year's imperial examination, Zhou Linghuai was concise and to the point, and his answers were even more sophisticated than this year's Enke No. 1 Scholar.

After finding out Zhou Linghuai's level, Yu Zongshen was secretly surprised, turned his head to Yu Shanyan and Yu Shanxin and said, "Although Linghuai is not as old as you are, his career is already promising, and you can ask him for lessons in the future."

After speaking, he couldn't help but look at Zhou Linghuai's legs.

If Zhou Linghuai's legs were in good condition, he would definitely be among the top three in this year's imperial list, and he is astonishingly talented, but he is no less than Song Mingzhao.

You must know that Zhou Linghuai is only a little over fourteen years old, and one year younger than Song Mingzhao.

Hearing that his father had such a high opinion of this cousin Zhou, Yu Shanyan and Yu Shanxin found an opportunity to talk to Zhou Linghuai.

Yu Youyao listened with her head tilted, her eyes sparkling.

Yu Qingning on the left stretched out her arms, and brought a plate of honey fruit to Yu Youyao: "Big sister, eat honey fruit."

Yu Youyao thanked her and took a candied fruit to eat.

Yu Qingning is also more than eight years old, and Yu Jianjia is two months younger than Yu Jianjia. He has a pleasing temperament. His father cares more about this concubine than her, at least he has never heard of scolding.

Yu Youyao didn't deal with her very much.

"Big Sister, you and Third Sister were both sick before. Why did Big Sister lose so much weight? Third Sister doesn't seem to have changed much." Yu Qingning turned her head and glanced at Yu Jianjia several times.

Yu Jianjia was ill for most of the year, and when he got well he was no different from being sick, neither thin nor fat, coughing and coughing, wheezing and wheezing.

When she was a child, she said that Yu Jianjia pretended to be sick on purpose, so that her aunt knew about it and gave her a scolding.

Yu Jianjia felt aggrieved by her look, and bit her lip lightly: "I've also lost some weight, probably already thin, so I can't really tell."