From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 173 Poetry Party
Meng Yuan and Xiang Ling chatted nonsense and went home together. They saw someone guarding the door, and it was Tie Niu.

"Brother!" Tie Niu walked forward happily, picked up Meng Yuan's waist and lifted him up, then put him down and quickly bowed to Xiang Ling, "Hello, auntie."

"You are quite polite!" Xiangling met an impolite person today, so she couldn't help but praise the polite ones, but then she sighed, "It's a pity that you can't write poetry, otherwise Lao Bie Keng Poetry Club would definitely invite you to come!"

"What are you doing outside?" Meng Yuan asked Tie Niu with a smile.

"That's right!" Xiangling also asked with her eyes wide open.

"Master Nie is chatting inside and asked me to guard the door outside." Tie Niu felt a little embarrassed.

This is probably about things that cannot be heard by the younger generation.

"Have you had nothing to do lately?" Meng Yuan asked again.

"Everything is fine." Tie Niu replied.

Meng Yuan patted Tie Niu on the shoulder and they went into the yard together.

I saw the light on in the kitchen. Nie Qingqing and Hu Qian were helping Jiang Tang cook.

"Senior Brother!" Hu Qian had the sharpest eyes, but in fact she didn't do any work.

Meng Yuan passed Hu Qian and looked at Nie Qingqing.

Sister Qingqing was dressed casually with her sleeves rolled up and an apron tied around her waist, adding a touch of feminine charm to her seductive look.

After not seeing each other for more than a month, Meng Yuan couldn't help but feel moved.

When Nie Qingqing saw Meng Yuan, she just smiled slightly and didn't say much.

"Brother, Uncle Nie and Uncle Big Head are here, you go and entertain the guests first." Jiang Tang looked upright and serious.

Meng Yuan nodded, but Xiang Ling stared at Nie Qingqing with wide eyes, "What did you eat?"

"Mr. Meng, come here!" Nie Yannian had heard the noise and shouted in the room.

When I entered the main hall, I saw Nie Yannian, Old Man Jiang and Zhao Datou sitting opposite each other, drinking tea and chatting.

"Oh! You've brought your lover!" Nie Yannian said without restraint. He waved his hand for Meng Yuan to sit down, and wanted to touch Xiangling's small bag.

Xiangling immediately protected the bag. When she saw Hu Qian following her, she jumped on Hu Qian's head.

"Did this trip go smoothly?" Nie Yannian asked with a smile.

"Everything went well." Meng Yuan smiled. "I came back with Miss Mingyue first. Uncle Zhang and the others will have to wait for a few more days."

Nie Yannian nodded without asking for details.

Everyone was waiting for Meng Yuan. Now that he had returned, the food and wine were placed on the table.

Meng Yuan drank a few glasses with Nie Yannian, chatted for a while, and then they dispersed.

This is not the place to discuss serious matters, so Meng Yuan and Nie Yannian did not talk about their business trips.

Seeing that Master Nie and his daughter were not going to stay overnight, Meng Yuan took Tie Niu and Hu Qian to see Master Nie and Nie Qingqing off.

"How many people were killed this time?" It was late at night. Nie Yannian and Meng Yuan walked side by side in front, while Nie Qingqing and the other two followed behind.

"A lot of people died." Meng Yuan experienced everything except the decisive battle. "The Western Buddhist Kingdom sent people here, and the four great generals of Prince Xin also got involved. More than a dozen people from our Demon Suppression Division died, and the highest-ranking officer who died was Captain Li Jinyun."

"God has finally opened his eyes." Nie Yannian smiled and did not ask for details. He only asked, "No one stopped you from getting promoted this time?"

"No." Meng Yuan said whatever he wanted to say, but suddenly he remembered the red cloak and said, "Maybe there is more."

"It doesn't matter whether you get promoted or not." Nie Yannian patted Meng Yuan on the shoulder and said, "You are still young. With the Third Miss and Miss Mingyue, you will definitely be able to go higher in the future!"

Nie Yannian saw it clearly, but still warned: "I can tell you, Qingqing and Jiang girl are both without any background, no one will care if you marry them home. But you have to be careful, there are some people you can't afford to offend."

"Master Nie, I remember you said that if your realm is high enough, you can even sleep with the Queen Mother." Meng Yuan said.

"..." Nie Yannian opened his mouth, "You are really ambitious!"

The two chatted nonsense and returned to Nie Mansion in a blink of an eye.

Nie Yannian did not invite Meng Yuan and others to come in and sit down. He just waved his hand and asked Meng Yuan to come back tomorrow.

Meng Yuan didn't find a chance to talk to Nie Qingqing alone, so he could only nod to her three times.

But Nie Qingqing shook her head and just pointed to the sky.

"Let's go!" There was no other way, Meng Yuan could only take Tie Niu and Hu Qian back to the palace honestly.

When they got home, Jiang Tang and Xiang Ling were in their bedroom, reading a book together under an oil lamp.

Meng Yuan walked up to Jiang Tang and talked to her for a while, then rejected her idea of ​​staying overnight.

"Sleeping before getting married, you should know the etiquette!" Xiangling was like a Confucian defender of morality, but she changed the subject and said, "But if you don't stick your butt out, then it's okay."

"..." Jiang Tang rubbed his forehead and returned to his room.

Clean changes of clothes, both inside and outside, were placed by the bed.

Meng Yuan touched the fabric and the seams on it, then sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Little gelder, come quickly!" Xiangling took off her bag, looked capable, and waved to Meng Yuan vigorously, "Do you want to do your nails?"

"What kind of nail polish do you want?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

"Hands and feet!" Xiangling said confidently, as if it was a matter of course, "I made all of Third Grandma's!"

She took out a small bottle. "It's bright red and looks really good!"

Well! You should treat my young wife as a nun and Xiangling as a silly child!

"I won't do mine." Meng Yuan couldn't imagine what he would look like after dyeing his nails, so he refused and asked, "How did you do it then?"

“I’ll do it for money!”

Xiangling spoke in a capable business tone, "I asked the Third Miss while she was taking a bath, and the Third Mistress agreed! I saw that she was happy to pay, and I even massaged her ankle afterwards!"

She stared with big eyes in pride, and did not forget to teach seriously, "Little gelder, you have to be prudent when you work outside! You have to watch more and think more, so that you can make money!"

"I learned it." Meng Yuan really learned it, but he hasn't learned how to do manicures yet.

"Teach me how to dye it." Meng Yuan planned to dye Sister Qingqing's nails tomorrow.

It will be fun to hold the feet, look at them carefully, and then color them.

"That's easy!" Xiangling had had a good nap and was now full of energy. She immediately packed up her things and started working on her little paws. "Godmother said that more skills are better than less! If you learn one more thing, you won't starve when you travel far away!"

She was a person who liked to teach others, and she was very strict in teaching. If Meng Yuan did well in his studies, she would praise him, and if he did not do well in his studies, she would give him some life lessons.

The two of them talked endlessly and didn't fall asleep until midnight.

The next morning, Xiangling got up before dawn. After washing up, she cooked with Jiang Tang.

After the family had dinner, Jiang Tang went to Jingyuan, while Old Man Jiang went to find Zhao Datou.

Meng Yuan took Xiangling with him and went to find Dugu Kang.

As the three founding members of the Laobiekeng Poetry Society, they are going to gather together again for another poetry reading.

When I went out, I saw Mr. Wang waiting for me. "Mr. Xiao Meng, I am here to inspect the incense." Mr. Wang was very polite and bowed first.

Xiangling is now quite famous in the palace. Everyone knows that the princess has recruited a little elf in Jingyuan and dotes on her quite a bit, even to the point of promoting her seven times a month. Now she has become the Jingyuan Inspector, able to enter the garden with a sword and shoes, and receive praise and respect without being named, with ten taels of silver a month.

"Thank you, Mr. Wang!" Xiangling returned the greeting, "Is Mr. Dugu here?"

In the past, Xiangling always called Dugu Kang "Teacher Du". Now that she has grown more capable and knows about the concept of double surnames, she has changed her way of addressing him.

"The prince knew that Teacher Meng had returned, so he asked me to invite him, saying that it was a sunny day today and it was a good time to discuss poetry." Mr. Wang said with a smile.

"Oh, classmate Dugu is also in the mood for poetry!" Xiangling was very excited, "Sir, please lead the way!"

"Please!" Mr. Wang led the way immediately. Not long after they walked, he said casually, "Teacher Meng will be away on business for quite a while."

"Just doing things for the country." Meng Yuan sighed.

"Teacher Xiao Meng has such a broad mind, I'm sure things will go smoothly and smoothly." Mr. Wang said with a smile.

"It went quite smoothly." Meng Yuan nodded.

The two chatted about nothing interesting and went to Dugu Kang's yard together.

"Please come in. I won't bother you any more." Mr. Wang was very tactful.

When I entered the yard, I saw Dugu Kang waiting under the grape trellis. He had prepared a table and chairs, lit incense, and was brewing new tea.

"President! Vice President!" Dugu Kang, wearing a plain white gown, stood up and saluted, looking like a scholar.

"Student Dugu, do you have any new work?" Xiangling jumped onto the table, untied her small bundle, and took out the piece of paper that Meng Yuan had given her yesterday. "This is an essay that the vice president wrote while he was away on business! Take a look!"

Xiangling was very serious and advised the members, "You can't be lazy at home!"

"What the president said is right." Dugu Kang took the paper and saw the quality of it after taking a look at it. "Excellent! Excellent!"

But after praising them for a few sentences, Dugu Kang noticed that the words "bright moon" appeared in all the poems. Dugu Kang immediately realized that something was wrong, so he threw away the manuscript, clasped his hands together, and said, "Amitabha, donor Meng has been deeply possessed by the devil."

Just after hearing him say this and looking like he was about to recite some verses to persuade the world, Meng Yuan quickly took out a letter.

"Taoist Master Li Wujiu of Qingyang Palace asked me to pass it on." Meng Yuan said.

"Eh? Taoist Li?" Dugu Kang was stunned for a moment, then his eyes turned red. He stretched out his hands, took the letter respectfully, and said, "Little gelder, you are quite good!"

"Don't talk like the president." Meng Yuan held his forehead with his hand.

"You've learned it quite well!" Xiangling's eyes lit up and she jumped up happily to praise.

“Traveling with a great man is like entering a room full of orchids, where one is naturally scented with fragrance.” Dugu Kang spoke modestly, but his eyes were fixed on the piece of letter paper.

"Is your lover also a Taoist priest?" Xiangling asked curiously.

"..." Dugu Kang was stunned for a moment, and explained: "He is my mother's senior brother, so he is my uncle."

Xiangling nodded in understanding.

Dugu Kang took a deep breath, tore open the envelope, took out the letter and read it.

After watching for a full cup of tea, he finally sighed helplessly.

"What's wrong?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Uncle Li forbad me to teach Qingyang Palace Tianji martial arts anymore." Dugu Kang handed the letter to Meng Yuan, and said, "He also asked me if I was happy here. If I wanted to leave, he would find a way to take me away."

Meng Yuan took the letter and read it carefully. It was indeed as Dugu Kang said.

"Where are you going?" Xiangling asked with her eyes wide open.

"Let's go to Qingyang Palace." Dugu Kang pointed to the south. "Qingyang Palace is in the southwest, not far from the Demon Country. Most of the Taoists there are strong and skilled in fighting."

"It's better not to go then!" Xiangling was a coward, "Some monsters are very evil and want to eat people!"

"I know." Dugu Kang shook his head slightly, took the letter again, and lit it on the fire. "I am not me, and people are not me. I don't need to delve into the past, the present, and the future."

What nonsense are you talking about? Meng Yuan didn't say anything.

"Student Dugu, you've made great progress!" Xiangling was a bumpkin. Even though she had been in the city for some time, she was still a bumpkin. After hearing some difficult words, she began to praise him, "You sound better than Dawei brother singing opera!"

"Life is like a big dream. You finish your performance and I take the stage. What the president said is indeed right." Dugu Kang poured tea diligently and with respect, pouring tea for the president first and then for the vice president.

"It's too late to prepare tea for the guests!" Dugu Kang smiled happily, "I have asked the kitchen to prepare a tofu feast. Let's recite poems first, and then have a feast!"

"Very good!" Xiangling touched her moist nose. She was thinking about Dugu Kang's tofu feast when she was sleeping with Meng Yuan last night.

"Then please..." Dugu Kang was just about to ask Xiangling to ask a question when he saw the president and vice president of the Laobiekeng Poetry Society exchanging glances!

There were only three people who founded the club, and you two are still creating factions? The vice president doesn't go home, and the president at most writes me a letter to ask about the weather, but he has never come to see me in person!
Dugu Kang quickly extended his hand and said, "You two have come to my humble place today. I can barely be considered the host here, so I will set the questions!"

Without waiting for Meng Yuan to respond, he said hurriedly: "This is a humble room, but my virtue is fragrant! Although my yard is small, it is peaceful and harmonious. Today, let's talk about the theme of the comfortable home!"

Although Xiangling was immoral for missing the topic with Meng Yuan last night, she is a master of poetry after all, so this is not a problem for her.

"Sure!" Xiangling said happily, "You're thinking really well!"

She jumped up and down. "I have built a cozy home in Jingyuan. Let's start with building a cozy home!"

"The president decided on the opening line, introduced the theme, and set the tone of the entire poem! Wonderful!" Dugu Kang actually knows how to flatter.

He looked at Meng Yuan again and asked, "What does Vice President Meng think?"

"Very good." Meng Yuan also came through the ranks and naturally was not afraid of these things.

"I'll come first!"

As the president, Xiangling took the lead and said in a rhythmic manner: "Build a comfortable nest, sing poems and laugh together. You cook eggs and I catch geese, and we can sleep after eating. How happy it is!"

"Wonderful! Natural and peaceful, it is truly a top-notch work!" Meng Yuan praised.

"You are worthy of being the president!" Dugu Kang also praised.

Xiangling was not able to display her talent in Jingyuan, and the Third Miss and Mingyue rarely praised her poetry. Moreover, she was not someone who could stand being praised. After being praised by Meng Yuan and Dugu Kang, she jumped for joy several times, but still held back, "Oh, you can't say that. If there is anything wrong, you two should point it out."

Meng Yuan and Dugu Kang naturally couldn't bring it up.

"Student Dugu, it's your turn!" Xiangling was extremely satisfied and asked Meng Yuan to write it down in the draft of the poem before asking Dugu Kang to write a poem.

"Build a comfortable nest and realize my true self under the Bodhi tree. Jump out of the evil storms of the world and never think about the past." Dugu Kang put his hands behind his back and chanted one step at a time on the grape trellis.

"Wow! You're making rapid progress!" Xiangling's eyes lit up and she praised him enthusiastically.

After praising for a while, Dugu Kang and Xiangling looked at Meng Yuan together.

"Build a cozy nest," Meng Yuan pointed at Xiangling and Dugu Kang, and said with a smile: "The great scholar and the great monk are reciting poems in leisure. The sun and the moon are long, the world is vast, and we watch the wind and clouds pass by freely with a smile."

"Little gelder, you're really good at what you do!" Xiangling jumped onto Meng Yuan's shoulder, poked her head out, rubbed Meng Yuan with her wet nose, and looked at him with her big round eyes. "When did you become so good at what you do?"

"Thank you so much." Meng Yuan was very humble.

The three poor poets sincerely flattered each other and recorded their poems on manuscripts. It was truly a peaceful scene.

(End of this chapter)