The summer in Jinling is almost like a child with an erhu egg, it always comes early, leaves very late, and has to kill a few horses from time to time.

Jinling, the most indispensable thing in summer is the blue sky and white clouds.

From the Mochou Lake in the west of the Qinhuai River to the Confucius Temple in the south of the city, from the east of the old gate to the Yuejiang Tower, Jinling is big, no matter where it is, walking on the road, you only need to raise your head slightly, you can see the blue sky.

Because Nanxing was going back to his parents' house, Su Jingmo decided to simply go to Nie Xiaoyang's gluttonous cat to stay for a few days.

At noon, the sun shines in the middle of the street, as hot as a stove. The yellow and clear sandstone street roasted moxibustion like a soldering iron. The sedan chair drivers were barefoot, struggling for their lives in the scorching sun. Although the soles of their feet were calloused, and the nerves seemed to be relatively dull, they were not completely numb after all.

Just looking at their feet desperately rising and falling on the iron-like road, not daring to pause for a moment, one can imagine that if their feet had been changed late, they might have to have a hot pain on their faces. But the faster their feet change, the thicker the beads of sweat on their vests, and the easier it is to roll down!

The carriage that Jing Mo was riding was still a little windy, but it couldn't stop the heat at all, and it was already about three o'clock in the afternoon. Su Jingmo stepped out of the car, saw the coachman's breathless state, and then looked at the horse with blinking eyes and listlessness.

Su Jingmo couldn't help but sigh in his heart, all living beings are bitter.

Then, Jing Mo took out a piece of broken silver, stuffed it into his hand, and then turned around and walked into the gluttonous cat zhai, as if he really couldn't bear to see the shape of the coachman's sweaty placket.

"I wonder if there will be a day when there will be a ride that can be used at the cost of animal power and human labor? If there were such a day, what a great blessing would it be for all beings in the world? ”

Jing Mo couldn't help but think in his mind as he walked.

Jing Mo walked in the door, went to the bamboo hat, and removed the black-colored gauze collared shirt. Jing Mo felt that his Songjiang cloth jacket and vest were also glued to a piece of sweat. Jing Mo immediately took it off together, and asked Wei Pu to wash his face and wash his body.

Jing Mo was shirtless, and asked Wei Pu while rinsing, "Is your master back?" ”

Wei Pu said strangely: "No." Didn't he go out with you? ”

Jing Mo responded: "Yes." But though we go out together, we go to different places. ”

That morning, Jingmo went to the school to see the Furlong machine rear-loading cannon cast with the technology of the Hongmao Yiguo Kingdom, with flower bombs; Nie Xiaoman went to see his old friend Chang Feng Yaolang from a medical center, and it seemed that something was delayed, but Xiaoman did not say that he would not come back for lunch. At this moment, noon was approaching, and Jing Mo didn't know why Xiaoman hadn't come back yet.

Jing Mo wiped his body and asked again, "Did he ask someone to bring a message back?" ”

Wei Pu shook his head and said, "No." ”

Wei Pu was feeding the cat with a grasshopper at this time, and Jing Hei shook his head again and again, thinking that he didn't know what strange books Xiaoman had read again. How do you always feed cats with these weird things.

Usually, every time Nie Xiaoman goes out, he always says when he will come back, so as not to wait for each other with Jingmo during dinner.

Today, Xiaoman didn't explain in advance, and when it was time to eat, he still didn't see him, which slightly made Jingmo a little panicked. Could it be that Xiaoman will encounter any accidents, so he can't be separated? Wei Pu walked back to Jing Mo's seat, holding a light red envelope in his hand.

Jingmo asked, "Is it a letter?" ”

Wei Pu said: "No. It seems to be an invitation. ”

This Wei Pu has long regarded Jing Mo as the second owner of the gluttonous cat Zhai, although Xiao Man is not there, but there are letters and other things that are directly handed over to Jing Mo. Jing Mo took it and took a look, and the words Nie Gong Xiaoman and Su Gong Jing Mo were written on the face of the cover, and they were really two big red invitations when they were opened.

The post had a few lines of gold written on it:

I respectfully invite the two masters Nie Gong and Su Gong to be happy

Please hold a wedding ceremony in Ronghua Garden, Bailing Street, after July 24, 37 years of Jiajing, and respectfully observe the ceremony.

Gao Fei and Qiu Jingru worshiped the two big masters and knocked on Chongqi.

Jing Mo read the invitation, and couldn't remember for a while what friendship he had with the surname Gao and the surname Qiu. Nie Xiaoman also didn't say that he had anyone he knew who was going to get married recently. So who gave this invitation to himself and Xiaoman? Could the person who posted it have ulterior motives?

Could it be that because of Xiaoman's reputation, there are many people who know it on Jinling Street, so if someone wants to invite Nie Xiaoman, it can be regarded as a celebrity to participate? Or does someone admire Xiaoman's fame and want to use this as an excuse to make friends with Xiaoman? But it's not quite the same, and neither of these ideas feels very reasonable.

So, Jingmo assumed that someone had indirectly or directly received the benefits of Xiaoman and himself, and remembered the old friendship at the moment, so he sent an invitation to his side to express that he would not forget the old favor. However, he and Xiaoman have had too many experiences over the years, and they have come into contact with a lot of people, so Jing Mo naturally can't remember much.

Jing Mo asked again while getting dressed, "Wei Pu, when did this invitation come?" ”

Wei Pu said: "After you went out, about two o'clock, a small servant specially sent it. ”

"Did he say anything?"

"He said, 'My young lady said, please two masters must appreciate the light.'" Nothing else. Wei Pu squinted the corner of his eye and glanced secretly at my face.

Odd! The invitation is a young lady for herself and Xiaoman! So who is this young lady? Could it be Qiu Jingru who got married today?

Or is there some other lady? But Jing Mo didn't know any women except for the contact on the case, and he couldn't remember who the woman surnamed Qiu was.

Nie Xiaoman's acquaintance, Jing Mo also knew most of it. Have you ever heard of any female friends Xiaoman has made recently, so who is this young lady?

It's a small puzzle, and it's not easy to guess at the moment. Jing Mo stood up, threw the post on the desk, and found a puff fan to fan the wind.

Jing Mo said while fanning: "Wei Pu, you go and ask Su Ma to prepare a meal." It's not too early, and your lord won't necessarily come back for lunch. I'm hungry, I'm going to eat first. ”

Wei Pu promised to go out, but when Wei Pu went out of the door, the corners of his eyes seemed to be still peeking into Jing Mo's thoughts.

Jing Mo speculated again about the reason why Nie Xiaoman didn't come back. Could it be that he went to the house of his relatives? Or did he happen to know about the wedding ceremony in Ronghua Garden today, but for the sake of some kind of relationship, he hid himself so that he could go quietly alone?

… No... Not like. Watching the ceremony is a high-sounding happy event, why should Xiaoman keep it secret? If you want to keep it secret, why are the names of two people written on the invitation? So the reason why he didn't come back was just a coincidence, and it shouldn't have anything to do with the invitation. If he guesses like this, he will inevitably be said by Xiaoman that he is nervous again.

Su's mother came in to say that the meal had been prepared. The weather was too hot, and I really couldn't eat anything at noon, so I only prepared a little mixed tofu waterlogged from outside, a plate of champion beans, and a plate of salted duck. Tofu waterlogging is also called tofu brain or tofu flower.

Tofu brain this thing in the Ming Dynasty south seven north six, two capitals and thirteen provinces all over the place, but Jinling's tofu waterlogging is not quite the same as other places, Jinling's tofu waterlogging is more condiments, generally there are shrimp, mustard, fungus, green onions, chili oil, sesame oil and other more than ten kinds of condiments, not only the color is better than other places usually eat, the taste is concentrated fragrant, fresh, salty, etc., it tastes delicious.

When the weather is hot, eating a bowl of this is also fresh and refreshing, so Jingmo went into the dining room alone to chew. Lonely and unaccompanied while eating, Jing Mo took the opportunity to think of the question of this invitation. I don't know whose lady it is, since she came to invite herself and Xiaoman, do you want to go or not?

Nie Xiaoman is the most afraid of boring entertainment, eighty percent is reluctant to go, besides, he hasn't come back yet, looking at the time on the invitation, he will salute soon, so naturally it is too late to go.

As for myself, in this hot weather, I really don't bother to act. And what day did the couple choose to get married, they couldn't wait for the cool autumn, and hurriedly got married in the fire in July, so there is still something to say. I can't even figure out who the other party is, so why brave the scorching heat and rush to the center of the city to watch the ceremony? Jing Mo made up his mind in his heart, so he completely put aside the issue of the invitation, thinking that it was irrelevant.

Jing Mo finished sucking a bowl of assorted tofu, and when the chopsticks were stretched out to the salted duck, suddenly there was an urgent sound of slamming the door outside the yard. Could it be that Nie Xiaoman is back, why is he still knocking on the door? Jing Mo put down the rice bowl to pick it up, but outside the door was a woman dressed as a servant, her voice was quick and sharp, as if there was something extraordinary.

The woman knelt down and asked, "Dare to ask you are Lord Nie, Master Nie?" ”

Jing Mo was a little puzzled for a while, and replied vaguely: "Well, okay." Which one are you? ”

"Sir, can you be merciful for the sake of a woman's life and reputation, please save my master?"

Jing Mo was still confused when he heard this, what kind of life is reputation, so he asked, "Well, what's the matter with you?" Can you make that clearer? ”

The woman replied, "Sir, it is inconvenient for me to make it clear here now, so I will ask my uncle for forgiveness!" If the lord is not afraid of danger and is willing to help a woman, please agree to the slave's request first. My master has already gone to find a car to pick up the master, but I was just ordered to take the first step and inform the master, and the master can naturally understand after meeting. ”

Jing Mo hesitated and didn't answer, thinking to himself how I should answer? But the woman made another voice of sorrow and earnestness.

She urged: "Master, please lord, be merciful, right?" ”

Jing Mo estimated what she meant, and it seemed that the matter was very urgent. Since Nie Xiaoman was not there, he didn't know where to look for it for a while, so he didn't have the right to say yes.

Jingmo then replied, "Okay, I promise you." Where do you live? What's the last name? ……”

The woman kowtowed and said, "Ouch! Sir, thank you for your mercy! The car will be ready to arrive at your house soon. Please leave immediately. The matter is already twelve points critical, let's talk after meeting and talking, the slave and maid retired first. ”

She raised her head, Jing Mo saw the burning forehead on the servant's forehead, and she couldn't bear to speak for a while, only to see the servant woman coming and going in a hurry. Jing Mo then went to Gluttonous Cat Zhai again, and had just sat down when he entered the study, when he suddenly saw Wei Pu walking in with a letter.

Wei Pu said: "Master Su, this letter is going to be answered. There's also a big car waiting outside. ”

Jing Mo took it apart and took a look, there were only two lines, and there was no signature.

The letter said: "Nie Gong and Su Gong are respected by the two masters. Please show some mercy to the two great masters and save a weak girl in danger! The big car is in front of the door, and the two masters are invited to drive there immediately. Thank you very much, earnestly. ”