The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 431

After Xu Wan finished speaking, she went to other stalls to choose, but she kept holding his hand without letting go. Her action was very natural.

She picked up a hairpin and asked, "Zong Zhao, do you think this hairpin looks better in green or blue?"

Zong Zhao never hesitated when choosing things. "The green one looks better."

Xu Wan said hesitantly, "But I think this green is a bit too dark. It makes one look older when worn."

"Then choose the blue one."

"Blue... I already have a hairpin of the same color."

Zong Zhao clearly pointed out the difference, "The pattern of this hairpin is different from the one at home. Buy another one."

Xu Wan was shocked by his generosity. "Isn't it too wasteful?"

"I can't spend it all." As Zong Zhao said, he took out his money - bag from his waist and handed it to her. "Buy whatever you like."

Xu Wan took it with a smile and asked curiously, "Your money - bag looks a bit old, but the bamboo pattern on it is quite nice. Did your mother embroider it for you?"

Zong Zhao was stunned when he looked at the money - bag and recalled some distant memories. He said calmly, "I left it at home before I went to war and only started using it again after I came back."

While taking out the silver from the money - bag to buy the hairpin, Xu Wan replied, "Then you have to use it carefully. I'm not good at embroidery. After learning for a while, I can only embroider an ugly duckling. When you need a new money - bag, I won't be able to help at all."

The corner of Zong Zhao's mouth twitched slightly. "Okay, then I'll be more careful."

After they got home, when Zong Jincheng heard that he had two pairs of couplets, he immediately let out a wild laugh and started showing off to everyone: Mother loves him the most in the world!

The level of jealousy he aroused... even Zong Zhao wanted to beat him up.

Early on the day of Chinese New Year's Eve.

The three boys sprang out of bed full of energy and began to busily paste Spring Festival couplets and Fu characters all over the yard. By the way, they also pasted them in the courtyard of Wei and Shen who had returned home.

Shunzi ran in cheerfully from outside and shouted, "Young master, these are the small characters sent by the madam. She said we should paste them in the big study."

"Small characters? What kind of small characters?" Zong Jincheng was sitting on Buyan's shoulders, stretching out his arms to paste the couplets.

As soon as Shunzi looked up and saw Buyan's reluctant face, he couldn't help laughing. "They are the characters written by the madam herself, one for each person. She said they could be pasted next to the desks."

"What characters are they?" Zong Jincheng patted Buyan's shoulder, signaling him to put him down.

Buyan was relieved as if he had been pardoned.

He finally changed from the role of a human - ladder back to a bodyguard.

Zong Wenxiu and He Zheng also ran over to have a look. On five small square pieces of paper, there was a single black character written on each: "Zhong" (the Chinese character for "passing the imperial examination").

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍meaning was simple and straightforward.

"Wow! This character is great. Mother is so good at writing. I'm going to paste it on my desk and look at it every day. Then when it's time for the spring imperial examination, I'm sure to become the top scorer in the provincial examination!"

Seeing that Wei and Shen were not around, He Zheng began to boast quietly, "Then I'll set a small goal and aim for the second place!"

Zong Jincheng laughed heartily and said, "Good brother, great ambition. Let's defeat Qin Ye together!"

He Zheng laughed and continued their class motto, "We must be ranked in the top three of the imperial examination!"

"Hahaha..."

The three of them excitedly went to make paste and then went to paste the small red papers.

Although the servants usually helped with pasting Spring Festival couplets, Xu Wan was used to doing it herself. Every New Year's Eve after she married into the Marquis's Mansion, she would help paste the Spring Festival couplets because it made her feel the strong flavor of the New Year.

This year, since Zong Zhao was around, all the servants who usually helped were dismissed. The two of them cooperated to find the right positions and paste the Spring Festival couplets, and they finished it in a short while.

There was one last character "Chun" (spring) left. Xu Wan turned around on the spot and decided to put it on the window. That position was right next to the desk in the room. She hoped that the books could also feel the breath of spring.

Xu Wan held the character "Chun" and tried to paste it up. When she put it halfway, she felt the position was a bit low. She turned her head and said, "Zong Zhao, you paste it. I can't reach it."

Zong Zhao was standing far away, helping her check the position. He strode over, picked her up, and looked up and asked, "Should you be able to reach it like this?"

Xu Wan was a bit stunned.

In order to hold her higher, Zong Zhao was holding her legs with one hand. Her body was in a strange and intimate position, half - leaning and half - sitting in his arm.

Seeing her in a daze, Zong Zhao asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Xu Wan came to her senses and said, "Oh, nothing. I'm just surprised. Your arm strength is so strong that you can pick me up with one hand."

Zong Zhao didn't think it was difficult to do. He asked, "Are you worried that it's not safe for me to hold you with one hand?" As he said, he stretched out his other hand, holding her more firmly.

Xu Wan turned her head away like a quail and silently pasted the character "Chun" on the window. Zong Zhao put her down after she finished pasting, without noticing anything unusual at all.

Zong Zhao tidied up the things in the yard one by one. Xu Wan stared at his back and thought. Since they kissed a few months ago, they often kissed each other for no reason, but there were no more intimate actions. However, a few times when they were too noisy at night, Zong Zhao would go to the bathroom. Later, he tried to kiss her during the day.

Xu Wan also remembered that earlier she asked Zong Zhao if he wanted to consummate the marriage, and he said no, but his behavior didn't seem to match that answer.

Did he want to or not?

Xu Wan couldn't help but want to ask this question again, but she was afraid that Zong Zhao would say no again, which would be like being rejected by him. It would be too embarrassing.

She thought for a while and asked, "Zong Zhao, will you stay up for the New Year's Eve?"

Zong Zhao looked up and asked, "Staying up for the New Year's Eve? Do you mean staying up all night on New Year's Eve?"

"Cough, not exactly." Xu Wan knew the meaning of staying up all night on New Year's Eve. She said guiltily, "I can't stay up all night, but I can stay up for the New Year. That is, staying up until the beginning of the Zi hour to cross from this year to the next."

"Is there any special meaning to this?" Zong Zhao didn't quite understand.

Xu Wan said happily, "Of course it's to welcome the new year. I love staying up for the New Year, but it seems that others don't care about this. I'm too embarrassed to ask Cui Zhi to stay up with me. She also needs to sleep. And Jincheng is too young. I'm afraid it will affect his rest."

Zong Zhao asked with a smile, "Why aren't you worried about me?"

Xu Wan blinked her eyes and tried to be familiar with him. "Adults don't have to worry about not growing tall, and surely they're not afraid of staying up late, right, General Zong?"

He understood the expectation in her eyes.

Zong Zhao nodded and said softly, "Okay, I'll stay up with you for the New Year."

"Great!" Xu Wan was visibly happy.

For the rest of the day, she asked Cui Zhi to prepare a lot of snacks and also selected several books. In order not to fall asleep during the New Year's Eve stay - up, she specifically chose light - hearted books, all of which were the most popular storybooks in the capital.

Reading these books would surely keep her awake.

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