《Futuristic Chef Transmigrated As Mother》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°Xiaoguo, Xiaoguo, one helping of braised pork for table two.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± A crisp and pleasant voice sounded from the room within. The thin woman in the room seemed to have three heads and six arms1. She juggled various tasks in the kitchen-cutting the vegetables, lighting the fire, seasoning the dishes and serving customers-with quick and swift movements.


    After sending off the last group of diners for the day, Qin Xiaoguo could finally sit down and have a good rest. Although she possessed self-healing superpowers and could replenish her energy at any time, she was still completely worn out after a hectic day at work.


    With hands rubbing at her waist, Xiaoguo stood up and looked at the dishes that were piled up around her like a small hill. ¡°I will wash them tomorrow.¡± She thought to herself as she turned around to switch off the lights. In her state of exhaustion, Xiaoguo had failed to notice a flickering of lights within the darkness.


    Xiaoguo returned to her room and washed up before going to bed. Moments before dozing off, she tilted her head and glanced out of the window. The fog was dense and Xiaoguo sighed in desolation. ¡°It has been three years¡­ .¡±


    Three years ago, Qin Xiaoguo was a fourth year senior who was about to graduate. During her graduation trip with a group of classmates from the agricultural science and technology faculty, there was a zombie virus outbreak. For this reason, she got separated from her group of friends.


    Xiaoguo was alone when she was accidentally discovered by the soldiers in the national camp. A few days after she was brought back to the camp, a few people around her suddenly developed superpowers. Xiaoguo secretly hoped that she would eventually join their ranks and be able to defend herself. But contrary to her wishes, that did not happen. Out of the dozen or so who were rescued and brought to camp, she was the only one who had no superpowers.


    Xiaoguo was secretly anxious. This was after all the end of the world. Before she was rescued, she had seen the dark side of humans outside of the camp. When there was no food, those with no superpowers would be preyed on. Some of those who were attractive would be controlled and bullied by those with powers. It was a state of anarchy. No one could predict what would happen in the next moment.


    Fortunately, with her agricultural knowledge and the culinary skills she had picked up from her father, she was able to set up a small restaurant. As there was a shortage of food, Xiaoguo cultivated all kinds of vegetables using her professional expertise. In an era where compressed biscuits were the common staple food, Xiaoguo¡¯s restaurant was able to thrive with its offering of fresh green vegetables and flavorful food.


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    Xiaoguo had been looking for her parents for the past three years. Even though there had been no news of their whereabouts, she didn¡¯t stop searching. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to imagine what could have happened to them. In the second year after the apocalypse broke out, Xiaoguo developed her superpower. It was her initial plan to go on a search for her parents with the soldiers from camp, using her new-found ability. But to her dismay, what she had was only a beginner, self-healing power which was pretty much useless. If she were to come face-to-face with any zombies, it would be as good as meeting death.


    Xiaoguo was bent on leveling up her powers subsequently, but as fate would have it, she was still stuck at the beginner level after two years.


    Time flew by swiftly. It had been almost three years since Xiaoguo arrived at this camp. Being the biggest camp in the world, it had the widest range of weapons and the largest group of superpower beings. In such a safe environment, Xiaoguo was able to live without worries during her three years there.


    A while ago, one of the residents from the camp brought back some unfortunate news. They had found their parents-but had later beat them to death-as their parents had turned into zombies. Thereafter, they found a quiet place and buried the bodies.


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    Although she was upset by what she heard, Xiaoguo took the news in her stride. There wasn¡¯t much that could be done under such circumstances.


    Xiaoguo continued living her life in a daze. There seemed to be no end, being in such a situation. All she could do was devote her energy to cooking and growing vegetables. Every day, she would spend her time cultivating new varieties of vegetables and researching the flavors of the produce. Beyond that, she also helped rear the chickens, ducks, and pigs which she found when she went out of camp. She went about this routine day after day and year after year.


    One day, Xiaoguo had just fallen asleep when she was roused out of her slumber by a series of violent shakes. In her daze, she heard a tender voice in her ear crying, ¡°Mother, mother, mother¡­ .¡±


    Filled with exhaustion, Xiaoguo could not open her eyes. She wanted to see where this voice was coming from. Xiaoguo wondered to herself. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem right. I am really tired but why can¡¯t I open my eyes.¡± Xiaoguo felt like her body was floating and that her eyelids had been glued shut.


    In her state of discomfort, something was still tugging on her arm. She could still hear persistent crying in her ears. On the brink of losing her consciousness, Xiaoguo heard a voice calling, ¡°Mother.¡± Using the last of her strength, she asked, ¡°Who¡¯s your mother?¡±

 Chapter 2

    Still in a daze, Xiaoguo felt like she had a very long dream.


    In her dream, she was born 3,000 years ago in the State of Shao (42 BC) within the Peach Blossom Village. Her name was also Qin Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo was famed for her beauty in this village. She had been married for 3 years to Jiang Danhe, a well-known burly man in the Peach Blossom Village. Jiang Danhe was handsome and tall. Many matchmakers were eager to find him a bride once he came of age.


    It was a time when food was scarce. Therefore, with a bag of grains as her bride price, Xiaoguo was married off to Jiang Danhe, a total stranger. On the day of her wedding, Xiaoguo went through the rites wearing a veil. After which, she sat in the bridal chamber and waited for the groom to enter and lift her bridal veil.


    After the wedding night, the sound of gongs and drums could be heard at dawn. Before Qin Xiaoguo could get up, two men in military uniforms suddenly rushed in and grabbed her husband who had just woken up.


    Still in shock, she heard her mother-in-law shouting from outside, ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t, you can¡¯t. My son has just gotten married and has no descendants yet. Please show us some mercy and let him go!¡±


    ¡°Madam, all men from each and every household have to serve the army. Since he is the only man in your house, we have to bring him along.¡±


    Hearing her mother-in-law¡¯s heart-wrenching cries, Xiaoguo knew that these men were gathering male commoners to join the army.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo threw on a coat and ran out. She wrapped her arms around her mother-in-law, who was kneeling in the courtyard. She could only see the back of her husband as he was being grabbed by the officials. He was held down and could not turn his head. Without looking at them, Jiang Danhe told the two women to take care of themselves and wait for him to return.


    Thereafter, officials came on a periodic basis to fetch able, young men to the army. Constant cries could be heard from the old and the young within the village. The villagers were devastated to part with their loved ones. Seeing this, the officials felt a bit sorry for them, and consoled them. ¡°Hey, hey! This is a good opportunity for everyone. If they survive the war and secure a good post in the future, it will make your ancestors proud.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he commanded the army to leave the village. There were no more men left in the village except for a handful of those who were weak and old. From then on, only women, children and weak elderly men were left in Peach Blossom Village.


    Xiaoguo helped her mother-in-law into the house. ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, all hope is on you now.¡± Her mother-in-law sobbed as she pointed at Xiaoguo¡¯s abdomen. She had been crying so hard that she was panting as she spoke. Even as she said that, she felt unsure. After all, it was only one night¡­


    Her mother-in-law¡¯s words gave her great pressure and fear. Deep in her heart, she knew that there were very few people who could survive and return from the battlefield. Being a newly-wed and having her husband taken away, all she has now is her mother-in-law. Besides¡­ Her mind was filled with thoughts, Xiaoguo looked at her stomach. What are the chances¡­ after just one night.


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    After the men were taken to join the army, their families would be paid a tael of silver every month as compensation. This was also evidence that they were still alive and fighting on the battlefields. Qin Xiaoguo took this monthly payment as a form of consolation. As long as there was money each month, it meant that her husband was still alive. This provided everyone in the village with hope and comfort, knowing that their loved ones were safe.


    By a stroke of luck and her mother-in-law¡¯s prayers, Xiaoguo got pregnant after her wedding night. Her mother-in-law, who was full of sorrow, had at least something to look forward to. Throughout her pregnancy, Xiaoguo was free to rest and did not have to do any household chores.


    Very soon, it was time to deliver the baby. Xiaoguo gave birth to a healthy and chubby boy. The arrival of the baby made her mother-in-law so happy that she could not stop smiling for three days. The child grew day by day, and payments from the army came in continually each month. Their lives gradually got better as the days went by.


    Then one day, the money did not come in. Knowing the implications, her mother-in-law fell ill. As much as she was mentally prepared that such a day would come, she could not accept the bad news and became really sick. As the village was stricken by famine during that time, she didn¡¯t manage to overcome her illness and died shortly after.


    Qin Xiaoguo held back her grief and made arrangements for her mother-in-law¡¯s funeral. Before she could start grieving, she had to pull herself together and start gathering food. Due to a major drought, all the crops had wilted and there was no harvest. Those with some money would travel to town to get their supply of food. At a time like this, food prices in the city had already skyrocketed.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have any money left. She had to take care of her son, who was just three years old. They lived from hand to mouth and soon her child became thin and malnourished. In order to let her child eat more, Xiaoguo often went without eating for three to four days in a row. This quickly led to health problems in Xiaoguo over some time.


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    Some time passed and the drought finally ended. Rain fell and filled up the rivers. The soil became moist again and life slowly got better for everyone in the village.


    One morning, when Xiaoguo was about to leave the house and look for food, she fell and died on the spot.


    At the next moment, Xiaoguo ¡®s eyebrows twitched. The child sitting by the bed shouted excitedly, ¡°Mother! Boohoo, wake up! Mother¡­ Boohoo.¡±


    Unable to bear the sound of crying, Xiaoguo opened her tired eyes and slowly turned to look at the child who was hugging her. What she saw jolted her into consciousness. ¡°Where did this little black monkey come from?¡±


    The little boy pouted and sobbed in indignation. ¡°Mother¡­ .¡±

 Chapter 3

    Qin Xiaoguo looked at the dark-skinned little boy in disbelief. She couldn¡¯t believe that everything in her dream was real. Those memories from her dream had been experienced by this body, and this body had just passed away. Even though she had left the end of the previous era, her soul has entered this new body. She was still a married woman with a child.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    The boy called out to her in a cautious tone. He looked at his mother¡¯s strange expression and felt even more uneasy. ¡°Could she have injured her head?¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­ Are you alright? What am I to do if something happens to you?¡± The little boy spoke in a childlike voice. ¡°Mom¡­ I won¡¯t eat so much in the future. I can go out and find food.¡±


    The young child blamed himself, thinking that he had eaten too much and caused his mum to collapse from hunger.


    Xiaoguo snapped back to reality and looked at the boy, who was suddenly crying. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cry¡­¡± She really didn¡¯t know how to get along with a child. She looked at the crying child and wondered what his name was. ¡°Jiang? Jiang? ¡°Jiang¡­ Qingwen.¡±


    Xiaoguo uttered his name carefully. The boy, who had been crying uncontrollably, stopped instantly when he heard his name. His mother would only call his name when he got into trouble.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Hearing the boy call her mother in such a soft voice, Xiaoguo felt like her heart had melted into a mess. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Mother will be fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± She consoled the child.


    XIaoguo had just recalled that when the boy was born, her mother-in-law had called him by this nickname, Zhuang Zhuang1. She had hoped that he would grow up to be fit and strong.


    Looking at him now, he was so skinny and dirty-looking. ¡°How did I manage to have a son this age when I am still a maiden?¡±


    ¡°Gurgle, gurgle¡­ .¡±


    Xiaoguo could hear her stomach growling in protest. She was feeling very hungry. This body had not eaten in three days. Xiaoguo pressed on her stomach, and tried to get out of bed to find food. Before her feet could touch the floor, she felt her head spinning and almost fell off the bed. Xiaoguo desperately tried to reach for the bed to avoid falling. Zhuang Zhuang¡ªwho had his eyes on her¡ªquickly leapt to her side and grabbed onto her clothes tightly with both hands.


    He had been so affected by Xiaoguo¡¯s previous fall and was worried that she would have another accident.


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    Don¡¯t worry, Zhuang Zhuang. I just lost my balance. It¡¯s fine.¡± Xiaoguo gently stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you, Mother,¡± the child said solemnly.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo walked with Zhuang Zhuang to the kitchen. She looked at the empty grain bags and thought long and hard trying to recall what she had eaten before the famine. There had been rice before the drought, but when the rice ran out, she had to dig wild vegetables for survival. There was no more food left in the house.


    Xiaoguo searched high and low in the kitchen, and she finally found a grain bag containing a handful of rice. It was a very small amount of rice, but every grain of rice now was so rare and precious. Xiaoguo was delighted. She poured some water and the rice grains into a pot and lit the stove.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was following Xiaoguo closely, asked in a hesitant tone. ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you say that this bit of food is saved for emergencies?¡±


    The previous owner of this body had said that this bag of food was set aside for Zhuang Zhuang. But in the current situation, Xiaoguo felt that if this were to go on, both of them would definitely starve to death. Since she was here in the present, she would not let Zhuang Zhuang starve. That would be the priority for now.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. This is an emergency. Shall we have porridge?¡±


    Upon hearing the word porridge, Zhuang Zhuang began to crave it. It had been a long time since he had tasted any porridge. He could still remember its aroma. He smacked his lips and nodded slowly in agreement.


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    XIaoguo ruffled his hair¡ªit was a sticky mess. She decided to prepare some water for him to wash up afterwards.


    As they were speaking, the water started to boil. The fragrance of cooked congee wafted out from the sides of the pot lid. The both of them sighed in contentment simultaneously, taking in the aroma of the boiling porridge. ¡°Ah¡­ ¡±


    Upon hearing each other, they exchanged glances and laughed sheepishly.


    Xiaoguo stood up and looked around the kitchen for some oil and vegetables to make a vegetable porridge. She managed to find a stalk of vegetables and a cube of lard in the oil can.


    She started to rinse and chop the vegetables. When it was done, she threw the greens and lard into a pot and started stir-frying with a spoon. The delightful aroma of freshly cooked food filled the kitchen in an instant. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang could hear their stomachs growling in anticipation.

 Chapter 4

    Not bothering to use any bowls, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang stood around the stove and started eating the porridge.


    Having taken the first sip, Xiaoguo felt warmth creeping back into her body. With some congee in her stomach, she could feel strength and energy creeping back into her limbs. It was the same for Zhuang Zhuang. After taking mouthfuls of the vegetable porridge, he was filled with so much happiness that he didn¡¯t know what to say. He could only look at Xiaoguo with his big round eyes to express his joy.


    Xiaoguo put down her spoon and burped loudly, rubbing her stomach in contentment. ¡°That felt so good.¡±


    After eating the porridge, her weak and frail body felt much more energetic in an instant.


    Zhuang Zhuang watched as his mother put down her spoon. He shakily filled Xiaoguo¡¯s spoon with porridge, and put down his own spoon. ¡°Mother, eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo was very touched. The child was only three years old but yet so sensible. Even though he wasn¡¯t completely full, he knew to offer the remaining porridge for his mother. Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang lovingly. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy, Zhuang Zhuang. I¡¯m full. I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang thought for a moment and said, ¡°Mother, I can¡¯t eat anymore either.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded at him, pretending to be angry. ¡°Why? Is my cooking terrible?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. Your cooking is the best. It¡¯s even better than Grandma¡¯s,¡± Zhuang Zhuang said anxiously to his mother, afraid that she wouldn¡¯t believe him.


    Xiaoguo laughed and rubbed his head. ¡°Then go ahead and eat your porridge,¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and deliberately made loud slurping sounds to show that he was enjoying the food. Previously, it had always been his grandmother who cooked for him. He had never tasted his mum¡¯s cooking. During the drought, what they could eat was mostly vegetable soup, which was mostly tasteless. Little did he know that his mum could cook so well.


    Zhuang Zhuang licked the spoon clean and burped. He smiled shyly at his mother and called out to her. ¡°Mom¡­ .¡±


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    Xiaoguo felt like her heart was going to melt. ¡°He¡¯s so cute!¡± She thought to herself as he called her with his chubby cheeks and baby-ish voice. ¡°Are you full?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo saw that there was still a lot of water in the water tank. Seeing that there was also ample firewood, she began to boil water for the both of them to take a bath. As Xiaoguo had been too busy foraging for food outside, she had completely neglected the house. Everything was in disarray. Walls were covered in cobwebs, and there were piles of blankets and clothes waiting to be washed. A thick layer of dust had also settled on the floor and furniture. Xiaoguo was looking like a mess herself as well. Her hair was tangled and she had not washed up for days.


    Xiaoguo kept on going¡ªher hands didn¡¯t stop for a minute. The water began to boil. She added some hot water into a basin of water and summoned Zhuang Zhuang to undress and bathe. The boy sat down in the basin and Xiaoguo began to rub the dirt off his body with a towel. As she rubbed, the grime was quickly washed off. Worried about Zhuang Zhuang catching a cold, Xiaoguo hastily got him out of the bath, dried his body and dressed him in clean clothes.


    After carrying him to the bed, Xiaoguo saw that Zhuang Zhuang had almost fallen asleep. Without a watch, she couldn¡¯t tell what the time was. Seeing that the sky had turned dark, she gently covered Zhuang Zhuang with a blanket.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who had just laid down, stirred in his sleep. He called out to his mother uneasily, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


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    Xiaoguo was still by his side. She patted Zhuang Zhuang and comforted him in a low voice.


    When Zhuang Zhuang finally fell into deep sleep, Xiaoguo closed the door and went back into the kitchen. The water was still hot in the pot, so she emptied the basin and refilled it with hot water. As she was getting undressed, something fell out from the inner pocket of her jacket. It landed with a clink on the kitchen floor. Xiaoguo crouched down by the light of the candle and picked it up. It was a ring.


    Xiaoguo started to recall where this ring came from. Jiang Danhe had put it on her after their wedding night. At that time, he mentioned that it was an ancestral ring that had been passed down for generations. He told her to take good care of the ring.


    Afraid of losing it, Xiaoguo had sewn a hidden pocket close to her body and kept the ring there. When Xiaoguo picked up the ring and tried it on, she felt dizzy instantly and passed out.


    When she regained consciousness, she was shocked by the scene in front of her. Had she transmigrated back?

 Chapter 5

    What appeared in front of Xiaoguo was clearly her house before the drought. The stove, kitchenware, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar were neatly placed by the stove.


    Xiaoguo wandered around the house. ¡°Is this a dream?¡± It felt so real. She remembered that she was just about to take a shower when the ring fell out. Once she put it on, she reappeared at this place.


    Before Xiaoguo could make sense of the situation, she had already transmigrated.


    Xiaoguo was lying on the kitchen floor when she reopened her eyes. She could hear Zhuang Zhuang crying. Xiaoguo quickly got up and ran towards the room. When she opened the door, she saw that the boy had woken up in bed and was crying.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m here. Is there anything wrong?¡± Xiaoguo asked as she hugged Zhuang Zhuang tenderly, feeling sorry for him.


    ¡°Mother, wait for me to find food. Don¡¯t go alone, okay?¡± Zhuang Zhuang was still traumatized by his mother¡¯s fall in the morning.


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t go alone. You are such a dear. Let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    Listening to Xiaoguo¡¯s gentle voice, Zhuang Zhuang gradually fell asleep in her arms.


    After Zhuang Zhuang was sound asleep, Xiaoguo quietly lay him down and sat by the bed to watch him. She began to think about the unusual incident that happened earlier. It was clearly related to the ring. Xiaoguo felt all over her body for the ring. She was wearing it on her hand earlier. But after waking up, she was in such a hurry to tend to Zhuang Zhuang that she did not pay attention to it. As she looked down, she realized that the ring she had on her finger was now resting within her palm.


    Feeling curious, Xiaoguo put the ring on her finger again. As soon as she put it on, she was dragged into another space within the ring. It turned out that the ring acted as a switch to enter another realm.


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    Xiaoguo was overjoyed by this new discovery. She didn¡¯t have to worry about food anymore. There was still a lot of rice and noodles in her kitchen and the fridge was well-stocked with meat. During the apocalypse, money had zero value. The only thing that was valuable were the crystals in zombies¡¯ heads. These crystals could be used to cultivate superpowers. The diners who ate at Xiaoguo¡¯s place knew that she didn¡¯t need these crystals. Therefore, they paid for their meals by giving Xiaoguo pigs, ducks, chickens, and fish they found in the wild. As time passed, Xiaoguo managed to stockpile a good amount of meat.


    After looking around the kitchen, Xiaoguo realized that she didn¡¯t have a chance to explore the rest of the house. She wondered if she had crossed over together with the kitchen.


    Observing the small space that she was in, Xiaoguo tried to walk out of the kitchen. She realized shortly that she was only walking around in circles. Unable to find any doors to exit the room, Xiaoguo got a better grasp of the situation. The kitchen was the only place where she could move about.


    Xiaoguo was getting more curious. She wondered if she could bring the meat out of the kitchen. WIth that thought, she carved out a piece of pork, grabbed a small bag of flour, and prepared to exit the room. ¡°W.. Wait. How? How can I get out?¡± She thought to herself.


    Curiosity was getting the better of her now. Based on what she had watched before on TV, people could usually get out after chanting a spell. She cleared her throat and said,¡± Ahem, open sesame!¡±


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    Nothing happened. All she could hear was an eerie silence.


    ¡°Did I get the spell wrong? Xiaoguo thought. She shouted another two spells. Nothing worked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s something as straight-forward as ¡®get out¡¯?¡±


    Before she could finish, Xiaoguo had exited the kitchen with the pork and flour. She could see Zhuang Zhuang fast asleep beside her. She was speechless. It was really that simple.


    Xiaoguo slowly stood up and brought the pork and flour back to the kitchen. She added a handful of firewood to the stove and washed up quickly after the water boiled. She placed the pork and the flour into a pot, and covered it. When morning comes, she will make these into wontons and have them for breakfast.


    After cleaning up the kitchen, Xiaoguo felt a little tired. She returned to the bedroom and gently laid down beside Zhuang Zhuang. The child felt his mother¡¯s weight sink into the bed, he rolled over in his slumber and wrapped his arms around her. Xiaoguo lowered her head and kissed him on his forehead before dozing off.

 Chapter 6

    The next day, right after dawn, Xiaoguo was woken by the crowing of chickens outside the house. She opened her eyes and saw Zhuang Zhuang still fast asleep. She got out of bed softly, closed the door, and walked to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.


    She took out the pork from last night and started to mince it. She searched the kitchen but was not able to find any spring onions or condiments for the wonton filling. Xiaoguo used the ring to transmigrate again and fetched the ingredients she needed from the other kitchen. When she got what she needed, she returned to the current kitchen using the ring again. Xiaoguo sorted the condiments into small containers and she began to chop the ginger and spring onions. She placed them into a basin and added various ingredients like salt, MSG, soy sauce and flavored spices. She also made a separate paste out of the chopped ginger and green onions and added it in parts to the minced meat. Xiaoguo began stirring the mixture vigorously before heating up some pepper oil and drizzling it on the filling. By doing this, the fragrance of the meat would be locked in and the wontons would turn out juicy and firm.


    After the filling was done, Xiaoguo went on to make the dough. When the flour had been kneaded into a smooth dough, the sun had risen higher up into the sky. She added water into a pot and lit the fire.


    In the other room, Zhuang Zhuang had woken and did not see his mother. He panicked and rushed out looking for his mother. Guided by the sounds coming from the kitchen, Zhuang Zhuang ran in and shouted, ¡°Mother!¡±


    Xiaoguo heard him and turned around. She saw that Zhuang Zhuang had woken up. ¡°You¡¯re up early. I thought that I would wake you up when the food was ready.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang thought that his mother had gone out to look for food again. When he saw that his mother was making breakfast, he was instantly relieved. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll go out with you after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Go out?¡± Xiaoguo asked. She then remembered that they used to leave the house to look for food on a daily basis in the past. ¡°No, Mother has already found something to eat. We don¡¯t have to go looking for food all the time anymore.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo with sparkling eyes, and she smiled at him.


    ¡°Of course it is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I¡¯ll help Mother with the fire.¡± With that, he moved the little stool to sit in front of the stove.


    Xiaoguo nodded and said, ¡°In that case, you help to boil the water. When it is ready, we¡¯ll cook the wontons.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked up to see what was on the table. ¡°Wontons? It¡¯s really wontons!¡±


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    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the small wontons on the table with sparkling eyes. It had been a long time since he had eaten that. He picked up the firewood in small bundles and energetically fed them to the fire.


    Xiaoguo was almost done with wrapping the wontons. She told Zhuang Zhuang to move away from the stove so that he would not get scalded. Xiaoguo then started adding wontons to the pot, stirring continuously to prevent them from sticking.


    As the contents in the pot began to boil, the rich aroma of wontons filled the entire kitchen. Zhuang Zhuang was dying from anticipation¡ª he couldn¡¯t stop asking Xiaoguo if she was done cooking. Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang could wait no longer, she said to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Help me bring out the bowls and chopsticks.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang turned around instantly. ¡°Mother, is it cooked?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°Go fill the bowls with rice.¡±


    There were two bowls¡ªone big and one small. Xiaoguo placed some seaweed and dried shrimps at the bottom of the bowls and added a few drops of sesame oil. Zhuang Zhuang looked at the bottles of condiments curiously. They looked completely foreign to him. Before he could ask about them, he was distracted by Xiaoguo scooping wontons out of the pot. The fragrance was delectable. Once Xiaoguo had filled the bowls, Zhuang Zhuang fought to help his mother carry the bowls. Not wanting to fight with him, Xiaoguo let him hold the chopsticks instead. They quickly walked to the dining table and sat down. While the wonton soup was still piping hot, Zhuang Zhuang hastily scooped a spoonful and gulped it down.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly said to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Eat slowly, don¡¯t burn yourself.¡±


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    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and continued munching on his food. He was thoroughly enjoying his meal.


    Xiaoguo was very happy to see Zhuang Zhuang eating with so much joy. As she watched him eat, she felt her appetite building up. She filled two large bowls of wonton soup and ate them all up. In no time, they had finished the whole pot of soup.


    Feeling completely stuffed, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang collapsed into their chairs. Their stomachs were round and taut from the abundant meal. Xiaoguo began rubbing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s stomach to help with digestion. After burping three or four times, Zhuang Zhuang felt much better.


    The young boy would not have his mother wash the dishes, so he cleared the table and walked to the kitchen. Xiaoguo followed closely behind him. The stove was too high for Zhuang Zhuang to reach, so Xiaoguo had to take over the washing instead. Zhuang Zhuang told Xiaoguo, ¡°Mother, I promise to grow up quickly and take good care of you in the future.¡±


    A wave of emotions washed over Xiaoguo. She had been single and never had a boyfriend before. Her life plan was to remain single and to go for IVF when she was of the right age. To think that out of nowhere, she managed to get such a thoughtful son¡ªwithout the need for a husband at that. She felt a great sense of gratitude towards the dead previous owner and her dead husband.

 Chapter 7

    The mother and son, who had eaten their fill, prepared to clean up the house. As the old saying goes, a new life begets new appearances.


    In that era, bricks were not commonly used in constructing walls and houses. Peach Blossom Village was the only place with such a feature. This was all thanks to Jiang Danhe¡¯s father, who had passed away a long time ago. Before the Jiang family fell, they were the richest family in the area. But they were later framed by traitors and lost all their wealth. WIth the remaining money they had left, the Jiang family came to Peach Blossom Village. Most of that money was used to buy land and build houses.


    Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang around the house. The sky was already dark when she got here. There was barely time to look at the interior as she had to cook and eat. Now that there¡¯s time, she got a good look around the whole place.


    The three main rooms were facing south, and in the middle of the house was the dining room. The room on the east side of the house was Mrs. Jiang¡¯s room before she died. Xiaoguo¡¯s room sat on the west side. The kitchen was situated about three meters away from Mrs. Jiang¡¯s room. The courtyard was huge, and there was a small plot for planting. However, the soil has completely dried up as it had not been tended to for a long time. The water well in the courtyard was Xiaoguo¡¯s favorite feature in the house. Jiang Danhe had dug the well all by himself, as he couldn¡¯t bear for his mother to walk across half the village to fetch water.


    After they had oriented themselves around the house, Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang along with her to begin cleaning. The two of them moved the furniture out of the house first. The furniture all had a damp musty odor as It had been a long time since they had been put under the sun. The blankets, mattresses and upholstery also gave off a strong moldy stench.


    Since there was a well at home, water supply was not an issue for them. Xiaoguo did not use it sparingly. She asked Zhuang Zhuang to bring out a brush. While he was doing that, Xiaoguo used her ring to ¡®transport¡¯ dish detergent from the other kitchen. She was planning to use dish detergent for the laundry as she couldn¡¯t find any cleaning agent around the house.


    As Zhuang Zhuang came out with the brush in hand, Xiaoguo had just come out from the ring too. The boy obediently handed the brush to his mother and asked crisply, ¡°Mom, what else do I need to do?¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to say that there was no need, but as she saw Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes sparkling in anticipation, she hesitated and looked around to see if there was any work that Zhuang Zhuang could help with. ¡°Can you help to get a laundry basin and a washing stick?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang agreed and ran happily into the house. Xiaoguo went on to draw two buckets of water from the well. When Zhuang Zhuang returned with a wash basin , Xiaoguo quickly poured the water in. Since the basin was huge, Xiaoguo went back into the rooms to bring out more clothes¡ªsome from the wardrobe and those that they were wearing the day before. As she entered the courtyard, she saw that Zhuang Zhuang had brought out a stool and he was standing beside it. He was wearing a goofy smile and seemed really proud of himself. At that moment he looked like a puppy that was waiting to be rewarded. Xiaoguo burst out laughing at this sight in front of her.


    ¡°Mother?¡± Zhuang Zhuang did not know why his mother was smiling again. She seemed like a changed person from the moment she woke up the day before. In the past, his mother was always frowning and sighing. How he wished that she could always be smiling from now on.


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    Xiaoguo did not know what Zhuang Zhuang was thinking. She walked over and pinched his cheeks. His face has not regained its chubbiness yet. Xiaoguo said to Zhuang Zhuang in an encouraging tone, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you¡¯re so awesome. I am so glad that you are helping me with the housework and now, you have even brought me a stool!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang blushed shyly at his mother¡¯s praise. ¡°That¡¯s nothing. I still want to help you with many things. When I¡¯m a little older, I¡¯ll do your laundry and cook for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo was delighted upon hearing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s manly offer. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait for Zhuang Zhuang to grow up,¡± she said to him.


    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ll grow up fast,¡± Zhuang Zhuang promised Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo sat on the folding stool and started washing the clothes. Zhuang Zhuang looked on and suddenly ran towards the kitchen. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know where he was going, so she continued with her work. Zhuang Zhuang returned a moment later. He had brought another stool from inside the house. He sat himself down behind her and started massaging her waist with his little hands.


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    Xiaoguo turned back and watched Zhuang Zhuang in surprise. ¡°This child is¡­ just too sensible.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang continued kneading and massaging Xiaoguo¡¯s back. His face was scrunched up in all seriousness, looking like he was carrying out an important task.


    With him accompanying her, Xiaoguo was filled with zest as she quickly finished up the washing. After she was done with the clothes, she removed the blanket from its cover and went on to wash all the bedlinen. The furniture also got a round of cleaning under her hands. It was May weather, and the temperature was just nice for cleaning. Sunlight was ample in the day. Everything she has washed should be dry when the evening comes.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked at the amount of clothes and bed linen hanging on the rope.


    ¡°Of course! With your help and massage, I am not feeling tired at all.¡± Xiaoguo stretched her limbs and told Zhuang Zhuang. She wasn¡¯t just comforting Zhuang Zhuang, she was really not tired from the day¡¯s work.

 Chapter 8

    When Zhuang Zhuang heard those words, he jumped up happily. He was very happy that he could be of help to his mother.


    Xiaoguo raised her head to look at the sky. She wasn¡¯t sure what time it was, but the sun had risen high up into the sky. Xiaoguo turned to look at Zhuang Zhuang and asked, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, do you know what time it is now?¡±


    Xiaoguo was just casually asking and had not expected him to reply. However, Zhuang Zhuang immediately looked at the sun and said, ¡°It¡¯s 9.30am.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang in surprise. ¡°How do you know so precisely?¡±


    ¡°Whenever Mother went out, I was really afraid, being alone at home. So, I watched the sun to see how long it would take for you to return,¡± Zhuang Zhuang answered simply, but it sounded a little unbelievable to Xiaoguo. Previously, in the old ¡®body¡¯, she would go out while the others were still sleeping. That was usually before dawn, because the chances of finding something was higher when one was very early. To think that the young boy started counting the hours whenever he woke up alone in bed.


    Xiaoguo squatted down and looked into Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes. ¡°Son, I¡¯ll bring you with me wherever I go in the future!¡± She promised him.


    Indeed, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Really!¡±


    ¡°Mother! I love you the most, the most!¡± Zhuang Zhuang hugged Xiaoguo and joyfully swayed his body in excitement.


    Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang in her arms. Her guess was right. Zhuang Zhuang had been too insecure before. He was still so young. She could imagine him waking up without his mother at his side, and being alone at home most of the time. He must have been really scared. She recalled that he was constantly saying that he would help with the chores. That must be an indirect way of telling his mother to bring him along with her wherever she goes, and also to tell her that he can share her burden.


    It was still early in the day. As Xiaoguo looked at the barren vegetable plot, she thought about planting some vegetables. She couldn¡¯t possibly keep relying on the things in the other space to survive. Although there were a lot of condiments and seasonings on the other side, there were limited food items that could be consumed.


    As she thought about the current situation, Xiaoguo felt that she should have some money on hand. All the money she had saved up before had been used on Mrs. Jiang¡¯s funeral. She was left without a single cent. Xiaoguo wondered if there were any seeds in this house¡ªshe was thinking about the possibility of planting vegetables.


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    Still deep in her thoughts, Xiaoguo heard a knock on the door. ¡°Is the daughter-in-law of the Jiang family at home?¡± a voice called out from outside the house.


    Wondering who it was, Xiaoguo opened the front door


    ¡°Mrs. Yang?¡± It was the daughter-in-law of the Yang family next door.


    ¡°You¡¯re at home? I didn¡¯t see you go out yesterday. I just came to check if something had happened.¡± Mrs. Yang looked at Xiaoguo with concern. Now that there were no men in the village, all the women would keep a look out for each other. Mrs. Yang had not seen Xiaoguo leave the house the day before, so she was a little worried that something might have happened to her.


    Xiaoguo was so touched by the gesture. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t feel well yesterday and was resting the whole day. I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± As Mrs. Yang heaved a sigh of relief, she suddenly remembered something and tapped her head in recollection. She said happily, ¡°Just to let you know, every family in the village was given a bag of wheat seeds yesterday. I brought them over for you.¡±


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    As she spoke, Mrs. Yang took out a cloth bag from the basket. ¡°This was sent by the county. The old village chief said that the Ministry of Finance had distributed disaster relief to commoners all over the country. Now that the natural disaster has passed, everyone needs to continue with their lives. With these seeds, you don¡¯t have to worry about your food supply anymore.¡±


    Mrs. Yang took out another bag from the basket. ¡°Take this. I bought it from the county yesterday. And also these which I harvested from home. Although it¡¯s not much, it¡¯s enough for at least two meals.¡±


    Xiaoguo took the bag. It contained a small bag of rice, cucumbers, tomatoes, and two eggs. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s too much. I can¡¯t take it, Mrs. Yang. Please keep it for yourselves. You still have Xiaohua and Xiaohu to feed. I can¡¯t take these!¡±


    Xiaoguo stuffed the bag of produce back into Mrs. Yang¡¯s basket as she spoke. Food items were really precious now. Food shortage was widespread. Mrs. Yang still had her mother and two children living under the same roof. She has more mouths to feed than Xiaoguo.


    Mrs. Yang stopped Xiaoguo from returning the bag. ¡°Our family has two men, so we get two taels of silver a month. In terms of money, we are in a slightly better situation. Besides, we get more seeds and can start farming now. Things are a little easier for us. Just take it.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Before Xiaoguo could reject her again, Mrs. Yang swiftly dropped the bag into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and ran off with the basket. As she ran, she waved at Xiaoguo. ¡°Go back into the house.¡±


    Xiaoguo put away the things and looked at Mrs. Yang¡¯s departing figure. She was extremely touched. She promised herself that she would repay Mrs. Yang in the future. Xiaoguo turned around and had just closed the door when Zhuang Zhuang ran to her. ¡°Mom, is it Auntie Yang? Did she bring us food again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she got us a lot of stuff.¡±


    A long time ago, Mrs. Yang¡¯s family were very poor and could not even afford their meals. It was the Jiang family¡¯s elders who supported them with their living needs. The Yang family were indebted to them for their kindness. After Jiang Danhe¡¯s mother had passed away, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were the only members left of the Jiang family. The Yang family conscientiously looked out for the pair, even though they themselves were not very well-off either. Xiaoguo was filled with gratitude for the help she received from the Yangs. She vowed to remember this favor and would definitely repay them when she has the means.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang brought the items to the kitchen. Zhuang Zhuang was putting the bags down when he felt a hard object sitting among the contents of the bag. ¡°Mother, what is this?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang handed over the small bag to Xiaoguo. She opened it and saw that there were copper coins inside. It was a total of 30 copper coins. Xiaoguo realized it must have been Mrs. Yang who had hid this money among the food.


    Xiaoguo looked at the copper coins in her hands¡ªshe was touched beyond words. Ever since Jiang Danhe died on the battlefield, they had stopped receiving money from the army. Their remaining savings were completely used up after Mrs. Jiang¡¯s death. Mrs. Yang must have known about their situation, that was why she decided to hide money among the food to help them out.


    Xiaoguo had intended to send the money back, but on second thoughts, she did not have a single cent with her. In order to make more money, she had to have some capital. Xiaoguo decided to keep the 30 copper coins. She would return double the amount to Mrs. Yang in future.


    After putting away the money, Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang out of the house. She wanted to see if there was anyone planting seeds yet.


    When they reached the fields, they saw that there were already people sowing seeds. Xiaoguo greeted each one of them as she made her way towards her assigned plot of land. The family working on the adjacent plot told Xiaoguo that it might rain two days later. They urged Xiaoguo to plant the seeds quickly before the rain came. The soil would be soaked through after the rain, making it perfect for the seeds to germinate.


    Xiaoguo thought that made perfect sense. She only had two portions of seeds at home, so it would be quick and easy to sow them. It was still early in the day, so she sorted out with Zhuang Zhuang to see if they should start planting the seeds right away. Zhuang Zhuang quickly told her that he would help her with the planting.


    The two of them hurried home to get the hoe. Once they returned to the fields, Xiaoguo took charge and started loosening the soil. Zhuang Zhuang followed closely behind her, helping to scatter the seeds.


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    Xiaoguo gathered speed as she continued tilling on the plot. She let Zhuang Zhuang sow the seeds at his own pace. Once she was done, Xiaoguo took the seeds from Zhuang Zhuang and told him to sit nearby and not to run far.


    She began scattering the seeds and watched over Zhuang Zhuang at the same time. Seeing the child sitting obediently on the ground waiting for her, Xiaoguo was relieved and hastened her speed.


    Even though she had been working continuously, Xiaoguo did not feel tired at all. Perhaps, the healing power she possessed before the apocalypse was still attached to her soul. When she was done scattering all the seeds, she saw that the area she had covered was the exact size of a single plot of land.


    As the Jiangs were considered as immigrants, they were allocated with just a small plot of land. In comparison with the other families, the land size they got was considerably small. But in Xiaoguo¡¯s opinion, this size was just right. The harvest from this plot would be adequate for the two of them.


    Xiaoguo rubbed her waist and stood up. She picked up the hoe and walked towards Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± she said to him.


    Zhuang Zhuang stood up and took his mother¡¯s hand. Xiaoguo glanced at the sun and lowered her head to ask Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was so engrossed working in the fields. He didn¡¯t notice that the sun had almost reached its highest point in the sky. It must be midday now. He saw that everyone in the fields had left. They must have gone back for lunch.


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    Zhuang Zhuang shook his head sensibly. ¡°No, I am not hungry, Mother. You¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯ll massage your back when we reach home.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sweet words made Xiaoguo¡¯s heart burst with joy. This little man is filled with so much love and understanding. ¡°When I hear your words, I feel so empowered. Even if I¡¯m really tired, I won¡¯t feel so.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang blushed upon hearing those words and thought happily. ¡°Mother is so nice.¡±


    At that moment, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s stomach rumbled. Zhuang Zhuang immediately put his hands on his stomach and smiled shyly at Xiaoguo. His face, which was already red, turned even redder. Xiaoguo gently pinched Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s nose. What Zhuang Zhuang did not tell her was that his stomach had been growling for some time.


    Both mother and son made their way home. Xiaoguo fetched a basin of water from the well and washed her hands. She then called Zhuang Zhuang to come and wash his hands too. Xiaoguo entered the kitchen again, as she wondered what to have for lunch.

 Chapter 10

    Looking at the table, there were tomatoes, eggs, yellow flowers and some leftover dough from this morning. Xiaoguo decided to make tomato braised noodles.


    Without further ado, Xiaoguo rolled up her sleeves and began to wash the vegetables. When Zhuangzhuang came over, the vegetables had been cut. He asked Xiaoguo if he could help. After thinking for a bit, Xiaoguo picked up a bowl, cracked an egg, and said to Zhuangzhuang, ¡°Help me beat the eggs. Just beat in one direction.¡±


    Zhuangzhuang paid serious attention to what he was being taught. He carried a small stool to the front of the pot, and started beating the eggs earnestly.


    Xiaoguo heated up the pot and threw the lard in. Once the oil was released from the lard, she added spring onions and tomatoes into the pot. The tomatoes were stir-fried until they were soft and swimming in their own juices. Once the mixture was boiling, Xiaoguo added the beaten eggs prepared by Zhuangzhuang. The wonderful aroma released from the pot made Zhuangzhuang drool in anticipation.


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuangzhuang in amusement. She scooped out a piece of egg from the pot and blew on it before feeding it to him. Zhuangzhuang ate it in one bite. ¡°It¡¯s so good!¡±


    Zhuangzhuang was chewing on that spoonful of eggs, mumbling as he spoke. Xiaoguo looked at him with amusement. ¡°Eat slowly,¡± she told him.


    Xiaoguo scooped the contents out of the pot and placed them aside to cool. Then, she washed the pot and filled it with water. Zhuangzhuang sat by the side and watched the fire. Xiaoguo sprinkled flour on the cutting board and began to roll out the dough. She first divided the dough and rolled them into flat pieces. These were then stacked together, and cut into wide strips of noodles.


    Just as the water was boiling, Xiaoguo reminded Zhuangzhuang to stand a distance away so that he would not get scalded. She started boiling the noodles. While waiting for the noodles to cook, Xiaoguo took a cucumber and cut it into shreds. Zhuangzhuang watched from the side in amazement, ¡°Wow¡­ ¡±


    Once the water started to boil again, Xiaoguo scooped out the freshly cooked noodles and rinsed them in a basin of cold water which she had just filled.


    Upon seeing that the noodles were ready, Zhuangzhuang grabbed the cutlery and ran to the dining room. He could not wait any longer. Xiaoguo followed behind him with the pot in her hands, reminding him to slow down.


    At the table, Xiaoguo scooped out a bowl of noodles for Zhuangzhuang. He anxiously took the bowl from Xiaoguo and began to dig in. He could barely speak as the food was too delicious. ¡°How do you make such wonderful noodles?¡± Zhuangzhuang exclaimed in between mouthfuls of soup.


    Xiaoguo thought about what she should say to Zhuangzhuang. She could not possibly tell him that she was a chef. ¡°Is it because I made it?¡± Xiaoguo jokingly asked Zhuangzhuang.


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    Zhuangzhuang thought for a moment and nodded earnestly. ¡°Definitely!¡±


    Xiaoguo gently pinched his lips, which was stuffed with food. ¡°Eat slowly. Don¡¯t choke.¡±


    After they finished their meal, Xiaoguo saw that Zhuangzhuang was dozing off. Even though he could barely keep his eyes open, Zhuangzhuang insisted on washing the dishes. Xiaoguo then promised him that she would not touch the dishes until he woke up. She would only wash them when he finished his nap. ¡°So can you take a nap now?¡± Xiaoguo asked him in amusement.


    After coaxing Zhuangzhuang to sleep, Xiaoguo left the room and washed the dishes. She also gave the kitchen a thorough cleaning. After finishing the chores, she did not feel tired at all. Xiaoguo returned to the room and covered Zhuangzhuang with a blanket. She then walked to the room in the east that used to be Mrs. Jiang¡¯s room. The room was clean and bare. According to the customs in Peach Blossom Village, after a person died, the clothes they owned would all be burnt. Beds and cabinets would also be incinerated.


    Xiaoguo was planning to save this room for Zhuangzhuang. Once she had saved enough money, she would convert this into his room. Zhuangzhuang was already three years old this year. It would not be appropriate for him to sleep in the same room with her when he grew older. Xiaoguo added this to her increasing list of must-do things.


    After Xiaoguo had cleaned up all the rooms, Zhuangzhuang woke up calling for her. ¡°Mom¡­ ¡±


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    Xiaoguo watched the adorable Zhuangzhuang walk out of the room, still rubbing his eyes. Even though the child in front of her was dark and scrawny, he still seemed so cute in her eyes. She wondered if it was due to her motherly bias.


    After the few consecutive hearty meals they had, Zhuangzhuang appeared to be a changed person. It wasn¡¯t a dramatic change, but he had become more energetic and was not as listless as before.


    Xiaoguo reached out to hold Zhuangzhuang in her arms and patted him. When he was fully awake, Xiaoguo asked him, ¡°Do you want to follow me for a walk around the village?¡±


    Zhuangzhuang looked at Xiaoguo with sparkling eyes and said, ¡°Okay!¡±


    It had been a while since he went on an outing with his mother.

 Chapter 11

    As it had been some time since Zhuang Zhuang hung out with Xiaoguo, he excitedly held on to her as he skipped and ran around.


    It was Shen Shi1 when the two of them came out of the house. In modern day terms, it was slightly past three o¡¯clock, and people were mostly in the fields at this time. The village distributed seeds according to the number of people in each family. Each person was allocated a bag of seeds. With the exception of Xiaoguo¡¯s household, most families in the village had at least four members living under the same roof. It was a time when there wasn¡¯t much to do and people turned in once the sky turned dark. This resulted in a baby boom. The poorer the family, the more babies they had.


    The village was quiet at this time of the day. Xiaoguo walked with Zhuang Zhuang along the sides of the fields and looked at the people who were still working. All households were mostly made up of women, young children and the elderly. Having no men to help in the fields, coupled with bad weather, the harvest had gotten worse with each passing year. If not for these contributing factors, the fertile land of Peach Blossom Village wouldn¡¯t have turned into a complete wasteland.


    As Xiaoguo admired the natural environment around her, she noticed a mountain peak not far from where she was standing. Wasn¡¯t it a common plot in transmigratory novels where the female protagonist would discover some cool stuff on the mountains, and then sell those for money? Xiaoguo wondered if she should go up there to take a look.


    Just as she was pondering, someone called her name from behind. ¡°Daughter-in-law Jiang, Daughter-in-law Jiang.¡±


    Curious about who it was, Xiaoguo turned around. ¡°Mrs. Yang,¡± she greeted Mrs. Yang as she saw her.


    ¡°Have you planted the seeds?¡± It turned out that Mrs. Yang had brought her two children out to do the planting. She was just finishing up her work in the fields when she saw Xiaoguo. She stopped to ask if she needed help.


    Xiaoguo expressed her gratitude at Mrs. Yang¡¯s offer and said with a smile, ¡°The portion we received was less than yours. We finished sowing the seeds within half a day. We were just dropping by to take a look. Do you need any help?¡±


    Mrs. Yang said candidly, ¡°With so many of us, It hasn¡¯t even been a day.¡±


    Xiaoguo was almost done strolling around the fields, chatting all this while with Mrs. Yang. Moments earlier, when Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaohu and Xiaohua tagging along with their mother, he ran over quickly to join them. The three children ran in front of the adults and played among themselves.


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    Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang followed behind them. ¡°Thank you for the money, Mrs. Yang,¡± Xiaoguo said. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that we¡¯re still alive.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what are you talking about!¡± Mrs. Yang pretended to be upset when she heard that. ¡°I see you as family. Please don¡¯t regard me as an outsider.¡±


    Xiaoguo was feeling all warm and fuzzy upon hearing Mrs. Yang¡¯s words. Xiaoguo looked at her and hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I won¡¯t say that again.¡±


    The two women looked at each other and smiled. Mrs. Yang had a pair of big round eyes, framed by thick eyebrows. She was constantly wearing a warm smile on her lips. Her tanned complexion and plump figure made her look kind and gentle.


    Xiaoguo recalled that Mrs. Yang had mentioned going to the county, so she asked, ¡°Mrs. Yang, how do we travel to the county? I want to get some vegetables from there.¡±


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    ¡°There is a horse carriage traveling to the county every month on double dates day. It coincides with the double date festival occurring in the county. Just wait at the village entrance. The carriage arrives at dawn and it costs one copper coin per trip¡± Mrs. Yang said to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo nodded in acknowledgment and went on to ask about the situation on the mountain. ¡°By the way, Mrs. Yang, is there anything edible on the mountain near our village?¡±


    Mrs. Yang thought for a moment and said, ¡°There was before. When the men were still around, they would go hunting in the mountains. However, now that there are no men in the village, the women didn¡¯t dare to venture up. They would at most hang around the base of the mountain. You know, there are wolves living up there.¡±


    As she mentioned the wolves, she shuddered with fear and turned to Xiaoguo, ¡°Don¡¯t go up the mountains! It¡¯s dangerous there. You might run into wild beasts like wolves and tigers.¡±


    Mrs. Yang was so afraid that Xiaoguo would go up there. She made Xiaoguo promise several times before she was assured. Just before she went home, she asked Xiaoguo to ensure that she would not try to venture into the mountains. Xiaoguo watched in amusement as she gave Mrs. Yang her promise.

 Chapter 12

    After Mrs. Yang left, Xiaoguo walked home with Zhuang Zhuang. The sun was about to set. The two of them brought in the clothes, bed linen, and furniture that had been put out to dry under the sun. As Zhuang Zhuang placed the last chair back in the house, he said to Xiaoguo, ¡°Mom, our house is so clean.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t manage to look around the house when he woke up earlier on. Taking a closer look now, he saw that there was no more dust on the floor. The cobwebs had been removed from the walls too. Xiaoguo was extremely pleased with the results of her cleaning. It was a blessing that the Jiang family had laid bricks for the walls and floor when they built this house. Most houses around the village were built using soil. The brick walls really saved Xiaoguo a lot of trouble when cleaning the house.


    Zhuang Zhuang jumped around with his eyes wide open, as if he was looking at his home for the first time. Xiaoguo stopped Zhuang Zhuang and asked him what he wanted for dinner. After a long thought, Zhuang Zhuang said tentatively, ¡°I want to eat rice.¡± It had been a long time since he had eaten rice. He was craving for warm and fragrant rice that was freshly cooked. But he suddenly remembered that they had no rice at home, so he swiftly said again, ¡°I want to have vegetable soup.¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to say yes to having rice, but Zhuang Zhuang had changed his mind in an instant, asking for vegetable porridge instead. She didn¡¯t understand why at first, but she quickly knew the reason. They were still in a situation where they had nothing much at home. It was still a necessity to leave the house and forage for food on a daily basis.


    Xiaoguo squatted down and looked at this endearing child. He was only three years old, but he was so sensible. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, listen to me. We are not lacking food at the moment. I shall let you have meat for every meal. A while back, I managed to set aside a substantial amount of food. Moreover, the fields are now planted with seeds, we will not have to worry about our meals anymore .¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded his head, feeling slightly confused. They had been drinking vegetable soup all this while. He could not understand why his mother said that there was no lack of food. However, this was his mother¡ªthe person who loved him the most in this world. No matter what she said, it must be right.


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled brightly at his mother. ¡°I want rice, Mom.¡±


    Xiaoguo patted his little face and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s eat rice!¡±


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    Walking into the kitchen. Zhuang Zhuang took his position at the small stool to light the fire. Xiaoguo moved out of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s view, and zipped into the other space using the ring. She took a bag of rice, a plate of ribs, some white sugar, and a few potatoes from the fridge. Recalling that there were some vermicelli¡ªwhich she forgot to take¡ªXiaoguo returned again with the ring and opened the dining cabinet. Sure enough, she found a handful of vermicelli inside. This was given to her by one of the mutants who went out to find supplies. Before leaving the space, Xiaoguo checked again to see if anything was left out.


    As soon as she came out of the space, she heard Zhuang Zhuang calling her from the kitchen. Xiaoguo left the things outside the kitchen door and walked in. When Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaoguo coming in, he asked curiously, ¡°Mom, where did you go? I just called you a few times.¡±


    Xiaoguo chuckled and came up with an excuse. ¡°Mother just went to the toilet. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


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    ¡°I have lit the fire.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought about how to get Zhuang Zhuang out of the kitchen so that she could bring in the things outside the kitchen door. Coincidentally, there was no more firewood and the firewood was placed by the main entrance of the house. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, there¡¯s no more firewood. Go and bring some here.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang answered with a yes and ran out. Xiaoguo took the opportunity to bring in the items from outside the kitchen door. She quickly poured the rice into the rice jar and threw the rice bag into the fire. At that moment, Zhuang Zhuang returned. The young child staggered in with a bundle of firewood that was taller than him. Xiaoguo was shocked and quickly took it from his hands. She looked at him in astonishment and thought, ¡°From whom did this child inherit his strength from?¡±


    Xiaoguo added water to the pot, and brought the pork ribs to the chopping board. Zhuang Zhuang ran over and leaned on the table. He asked his mother curiously, ¡°Mother, what is this?¡±


    ¡°This is a pork rib bone.¡± Then, worried that he wouldn¡¯t understand what a rib bone was, she reached out and pointed to her own ribcage. ¡°It¡¯s also called a pork rib. The meat here is especially fragrant. I¡¯ll make you a potato and pork rib stew later.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Zhuang Zhuang exclaimed in delight. Although he wasn¡¯t sure what a potato pork rib stew tasted like, it sounded wonderful based on his mother¡¯s description.


    Xiaoguo chopped the ribs into smaller pieces and blanched them with ginger slices in the pot. When the water boiled, she removed the pork ribs and rinsed them with water. She then washed the pot clean and added oil. While the oil was cool, she put in some rock sugar to caramelize it. Xiaoguo told Zhuang Zhuang to stand back so that hot oil would not splatter on him. When Zhuang Zhuang was far enough from the stove, Xiaoguo poured the pork ribs in. As the meat dropped into the hot oil with a splash, Zhuang Zhuang breathed in the aroma with his tiny nose. What a wonderful fragrance it was.


    Once the ribs were colored by the caramelized mixture, Xiaoguo poured in hot water and added seasoning. She then placed a steamer rack above the pot and scooped two spoonfuls of rice into a basin. Before putting the lid over the steamer, she added water into the basin with rice, and let it cook. Zhuang Zhuang was then asked to add more firewood.


    All this while, Zhuang Zhuang had been hanging around beside Xiaoguo. Upon hearing what she had assigned him to do, he quickly added a big bundle of firewood to the fire. Taking in the fragrance around him, he asked his mother, ¡°When will it be cooked?¡±


    Xiaoguo thought to herself. ¡°Add the potato and noodles in three quarters of an hour and wait another quarter hour for cooking time.¡± With the numbers sorted out in her head, she told Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Ok, so we wait 45 minutes before adding the potato and noodles, then let it cook for 15 minutes.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tried to count with his small fingers. ¡°How would a three-year-old be able to figure this out?¡± Xiaoguo thought to herself. Without a word, she went back to the house and came back with a small candle. ¡°When this little candle burns out, the food will be ready.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded vaguely in acknowledgment. He insisted on staying in the kitchen to feed the fire. Xiaoguo knew there was no use trying to stop him. Zhuang Zhuang was now trying to blow out the candles as hard as he could. If the candle could burn faster, the food would be done sooner. Xiaoguo looked at him with amusement and left the kitchen without a word.


    The sky was turning dark, and clouds of white smoke were floating out of every chimney. Feeling that it was about time, Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen just as Zhuang Zhuang was running out. ¡°Mother, the candles are almost burnt out.¡± Zhuang Zhuang called out to Xiaoguo, his cheeks flushed with excitement.


    ¡°All right,¡± said Xiaoguo as Zhuang Zhuang led her towards the stove and lifted the lid. A blast of hot steam, accompanied by a wonderful aroma, hit them both in the face. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s stomach started gurgling. Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t feeling hungry before she came into the kitchen, but enticed by the rich fragrance, she could hear her stomach growling in response.


    The rice was almost cooked. In this warm weather, they could leave the rice out in the open without it turning cold too quickly. Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was very hungry, Xiaoguo quickly served him two pieces of meat. Then, she scooped some sliced potatoes and vermicelli and placed them into his bowl.


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    Little Zhuang Zhuang sat on the bench. The flickering flame from the stove lit up his face. He picked up a piece of pork rib with his small hands and blew on it. Xiaoguo sat beside him and looked at him lovingly. When the pork rib had cooled down, Zhuang handed it to Xiaoguo. ¡°Mother, please have it.¡±


    ¡°You can have it. I will eat later.¡± Xiaoguo told him.


    After making sure that his mother was not going to eat, Zhuang Zhuang started digging in.


    The mother and son pair sat in front of the warm stove and relaxed for a while. Coincidentally, the rice was done. The two of them brought the dishes and rice into the dining room and started eating. Influenced by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hearty appetite, Xiaoguo finished two big bowls of noodles. Zhuang Zhuang also had one big bowl.


    After eating and washing the dishes, the two of them went to bed on the brick bed. During the olden times, there was little entertainment. After eating, people usually went to bed. Even when they couldn¡¯t fall asleep, they would lay there till sleep came.


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    Because he was so stuffed, Zhuang Zhuang tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. He said in a pitiful voice to Xiaoguo, ¡°Mother, I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Xiaoguo got up and let Zhuang Zhuang lean into her arms, rubbing his tummy gently with one hand as she said to him, ¡°Mother will tell you a story.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Zhuang Zhuang nodded eagerly.


    Xiaoguo thought carefully about what story to tell. She decided on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. ¡°Once upon a time, there was a young lady whose grandmother gave her a red cape¡­¡±


    With the lull of her gentle voice, Zhuang Zhuang slowly closed his eyes as he listened to the story. By the time Xiaoguo finished the story, Zhuang Zhuang was sound asleep. She put Zhuang Zhuang down and slowly got up to leave.

 Chapter 14

    Xiaoguo walked into the kitchen, and thought about using the ring to bring back all the vegetables that they consume frequently. It was inconvenient to go in and out each time she needed something. Apart from the meat and vegetables, she could bring out various commonly used items and organize them according to her needs.


    After doing some packing, Xiaoguo was about to go back to the room when she accidentally kicked a hidden compartment beside the stove. Out of curiosity, she squatted down and removed the brick sitting above it. Underneath the brick, she found a little bundle wrapped in red cloth. She was surprised and shocked. Xiaoguo took the bundle and unwrapped it. Hidden inside was a tael of silver. This must have been money that the previous owner had stashed away and forgotten after some time.


    Xiaoguo happily put away the substantial sum of money and returned to the bedroom to rest.


    Xiaoguo woke up before dawn the next day. Zhuang Zhuang was still sleeping soundly. She left the house quietly without waking him up. Xiaoguo was planning to make a trip up the mountains. When she stepped out, she saw that the skies were dark and gloomy. Hesitating, she wondered if she should go ahead with her plans. After deliberating for a while, Xiaoguo decided to go up the mountains and take a look. The sooner she set off, the sooner she would be able to return.


    Xiaoguo took along a small hoe and headed for the mountains. She got to the base not long after. At this moment, the first rays of sunlight were gradually lighting up the sky. Checking to see that there was no one around, she quickly hiked up the mountains.


    Xiaoguo was halfway through when she decided to stop venturing ahead. She was about to reach the deepest part of the mountains and there were just too many unknowns. Xiaoguo was not prepared to take the risk.


    Xiaoguo started walking towards the east. As she stepped on the ground, she could feel that the soil here was very different. She squatted down and looked at the earth beneath her feet. The ground was obviously filled with lots of moisture. Xiaoguo grabbed a handful of soil and squeezed with her hand. Water droplets slid through her fingers in an instant. The plants in this area were also lush and green unlike those growing on the other side.


    She continued along the east and came to a river not long after. She was delighted by the sight. She had guessed right that there was a water source here. Looking around warily, she checked for signs of danger before moving forward. To her surprise, there was a big fish swimming in the river. It looked almost half a meter in length. She approached it carefully and waited for the right moment to strike. With a single swing of the hoe, she managed to catch the fish and brought it up the river bank. She had not expected herself to be so accurate¡ªthis was her first time catching a fish after all.


    Keeping her happiness in check, Xiaoguo quickly threw her catch into the pail that she had brought with her. She recalled seeing some animal feces by the river. Xiaoguo went up to take a closer look. She deduced that it looked like the feces of pheasants and wild rabbits. They could have come here frequently to drink water. Xiaoguo quickly set up a few traps and continued to walk. Guessing that there could be larger wild animals coming here to drink water, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to stop there for too long.


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    At the same time, she was thinking about Zhuang Zhuang. Worried that he would start looking for her when he woke up, she did not stop and quickly walked down the mountains.


    As she entered the village, smoke could be seen rising from the chimneys of every house. The roosters in the village were beginning to crow. Xiaoguo was quite sure then that she didn¡¯t come home too late. When she reached home, Xiaoguo saw Zhuang Zhuang still sleeping with his back facing the room door. Xiaoguo smiled and went to the kitchen. She transferred the fish into a big basin of water. She would surprise Zhuang Zhuang when he was awake.


    Although the day had broken, it was still a little dark in the house. Xiaoguo lit up a candle for light. She reminded herself that she will knock out this wall and install a large window to let the light in.


    Xiaoguo started preparing breakfast. She will make porridge, shredded potato salad and a spinach pancake.


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    Xiaoguo found a small charcoal stove. She lit the charcoal and heated the claypot. The rice was rinsed and put to boil over a strong flame in the covered pot. Once the rice was boiling, she adjusted the fire and let the rice simmer over low heat. The potatoes were julienned and blanched. She then seasoned the potato strips with salt, sugar, vinegar and hot chili oil. Xiaoguo was light-handed with the chili as it was better for young children to avoid spicy food. Done with the potato salad, she washed the spinach and cut them into thin strips. Next, she mixed flour and water to make the pancake batter. In the pot, lard was added and heated up. In no time, a stack of golden spinach pancakes was ready to be served.


    When Xiaoguo brought the food into the house, Zhuang Zhuang was woken up by the fragrance. Xiaoguo asked him to wash his hands before eating. When Zhuang Zhuang was done, the both of them started having their breakfast at the table. The food portions were just right for the two of them¡ªexactly enough to fill their bellies.


    ¡°Mother, this pancake smells so good. It¡¯s as good as eating meat.¡± The spinach cake was fried in lard, and the pancake was soaked with the aroma of the lard.


    Xiaoguo smiled and said, ¡°Eat more if it¡¯s good.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded happily.

 Chapter 15

    After the meal, Zhuang Zhuang cleared the dishes and brought them to the kitchen. Xiaoguo followed behind him, waiting for his reaction as he went in.


    Just as she had expected, when Zhuang Zhuang saw the big fish in the basin, he exclaimed excitedly, ¡°Mom, big fish! Big fish!¡±


    Xiaoguo was delighted to see Zhuang Zhuang so happy. Zhuang Zhuang asked his mother, ¡°Did you catch this fish?¡± Xiaoguo nodded.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at his mother in admiration. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt a tinge of pride. It was quite a wonderful feeling to be admired by her son, but she still replied calmly. ¡°Ahem, I¡¯ll take you there the next time I go.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded repeatedly, his small hands stirring the water to tease the fish. Xiaoguo then started to wash the dishes.


    As Xiaoguo had nothing much to do, she got ready to bring Zhuang Zhuang out after eating. Just as she was locking the door, she saw Mrs. Yang hurriedly walking towards the entrance of the village. Xiaoguo thought that something had happened. She hurriedly ran after Mrs. Yang to ask what the matter was.


    When Mrs. Yang saw that it was Xiaoguo, she stopped and panted. ¡°Ha¡­ it¡¯s you. Ha¡­ I¡¯m in a hurry to board the carriage at the village entrance. We¡¯re rushing to the county fair today. Everything is selling for half price.¡± Before Xiaoguo could speak, Mrs.. Yang slapped her forehead and said, ¡°My brain must be failing me! Didn¡¯t you want to buy seeds? There are bound to be bargains. Hurry up, get ready and follow us there.¡±


    Hearing this, Xiaoguo wanted to run home immediately to get her things. ¡°But what about Zhuang Zhuang? She wondered. Mrs. Yang said to Xiaoguo, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll go to the village entrance and reserve seats for us on the carriage. You can go back home to get your money, and also send Zhuang Zhuang over to my house.¡±


    Xiaoguo agreed without another thought. Mrs. Yang urged her to hurry. She picked up Zhuang Zhuang in her arms and started running home. As she ran, she told Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Mother is going to the county to buy something. Wait for me at Mrs. Yang¡¯s house. I¡¯ll pick you up as soon as I get back.¡±


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    Zhuang Zhuang nodded obediently. Xiaoguo dropped him off at the Yang family before going home to get the money. She took all the money she had and got to the gate just in time to board the carriage. She heaved a sigh of relief once she managed to sit down.


    The carriage was full. Fortunately, Mrs. Yang had come early and saved a good seat for her. Xiaoguo finally had a chance to ask Mrs. Yang, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that it was county fair day today?¡±


    ¡°I heard that they won the war. Most of those who contributed greatly in the battle came from our county.¡± As she spoke, Mrs. Yang pointed to a distant place without mentioning a name, ¡°¡­ handed out the reward. It was fifty taels of silver for the county. The county redistributed the money to the merchants. That was why they organized this sale to repay that person¡¯s generosity.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in understanding. She knew who Mrs. Yang was referring to. The only person that the commoners could not casually talk about was the one sitting in the palace¡¯s Hall of Supreme Harmony.


    The ride brought them to the county. This was the first time Xiaoguo had seen such a lively scene. Neither the original host nor Xiaoguo had been in an ancient market.


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    Xiaoguo looked at the crowds strolling on the street, and the shouting vendors behind their stalls. ¡°It looked exactly like the scenes depicted in TV dramas. Our ancestors were telling it like it was.¡± Xiaoguo made a mental note of what she was seeing in front of her.


    The carriage stopped at the entrance of the market and couldn¡¯t go any further. Xiaoguo handed over a copper coin and alighted with Mrs. Yang. As soon as they got out of the carriage, Mrs. Yang cautioned Xiaoguo to keep her money carefully. Xiaoguo nodded and acknowledged her advice. Xiaoguo looked around curiously and saw that Mrs. Yang was constantly looking out for her. She felt embarrassed and told Mrs. Yang, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Go and get what you need.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s your first time here. It¡¯s better for me to bring you around.¡± Mrs. Yang shook her head and said.


    ¡°You need to get more things than I do.¡± Xiaoguo continued to persuade her. ¡°I¡¯m just going to walk around. Besides, I can find my way around here. I¡¯ll wait for you at the market entrance when it¡¯s time.¡± Xiaoguo added.


    Mrs. Yang was still hesitant about leaving Xiaoguo alone. She did have a lot of things to buy. Seeing that Mrs. Yang was still reluctant to go ahead by herself, Xiaoguo told her, ¡°There are so many people here. The good stuff will be gone in no time.¡±

 Chapter 16

    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she couldn¡¯t wait to start shopping immediately. She paused to consider for a split second and finally said, ¡°Let¡¯s gather at the entrance of the market when time is up. Watch your money closely. Don¡¯t go too far and take note of the time.¡±


    Xiaoguo promised Mrs. Yang that she would do exactly what she said. Mrs. Yang felt more assured and left.


    Xiaoguo strolled around and followed a big group to the smaller stalls. There were some shops near the main entrance, and some had seeds for sale, but Xiaoguo felt that they would be expensive. She ventured further along and found a cluster of smaller stalls within the marketplace.


    Xiaoguo shopped leisurely, going through each stall with care. She made sure to check the quality of the seeds, and also listened in on the conversations between stall owners and their potential customers. After gathering a ton of information, Xiaoguo eventually squatted down in front of an old lady¡¯s stall.


    Xiaoguo pointed at the bag of seeds in front of her. ¡°Madam, how much are these eggplant seeds?¡±


    ¡°Young lady, you really know your stuff. These seeds are of excellent quality. They are different from the common eggplant types. Look, the seeds are firm and round¡­ ¡±


    Xiaoguo listened as she searched for the seeds she wanted. Finally she picked out six bags of seeds, all for the same price¡ªfifty seeds for one copper coin. The seeds she selected were for leeks, eggplant, potatoes, cabbage, beans, and loofah.


    After paying for her purchase, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t leave immediately. She had inadvertently seen a sealed bag sitting in a corner, she asked curiously, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s in that bag?¡±


    The old lady boss looked in the direction Xiaoguo was pointing to and sighed. ¡°This is a new variety of corn that I just got. I bought it from the foreigners. It was for the novelty of the corn variant when I placed the order, but now it seems like I will be taking a loss.¡±


    Xiaoguo pretended to be interested. ¡°Why did you say that?¡±


    ¡°I had sold them previously to my customers, but when they planted the seeds, the corn harvested was too small. They tried cooking it, but the corn all became dregs in the pot after boiling.¡± Then, she gave another sigh. ¡°Those who bought the seeds told me that these are not edible. It¡¯s useless to plant them.¡±


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    After saying that, the old lady turned to look at Xiaoguo. ¡°How about this, Miss? I¡¯ll sell it to you cheaply. You just have to pay me the cost price of these seeds¡±


    Xiaoguo pretended to look troubled, but she was overjoyed in her heart. She had been eying this bag of seeds. While walking around just now, she saw the old lady trying to sell the contents from this bag. The seeds inside were flint corn, which could be used to make popcorn.


    Seeing no response from Xiaoguo, the lady boss slapped her thigh and made up her mind. She spoke with a pained expression, ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯ll give you a copper coin for everything.¡± A copper coin was better off than a bag of rotten seeds.


    Xiaoguo tried to suppress her excitement. She hesitated for a short while before finally handing over a copper coin. The old lady felt relieved upon seeing Xiaoguo fish out the money. She happily accepted the coin and handed the seeds over. Xiaoguo took the bag of seeds and left.


    After carefully putting away the seeds, Xiaoguo continued to shop around. Once this corn was harvested, she would make popcorn in various flavors to sell.


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    Xiaoguo was done with her shopping. Seeing that it was still early, and she had nowhere else to go, she headed back to the main entrance intending to walk around the market again.


    She had almost reached the market entrance when she heard someone speaking Mandarin in an odd accent.


    Xiaoguo looked in the direction of the voice and saw a foreign man in tattered clothes being chased out of a shop. The shop owner shooed him away and said, ¡°Go away, go away. Who wants your cows? They are so fancy. What¡¯s the point of keeping them if they can¡¯t work in the fields?¡±


    The foreigner squatted down and protected the calves in his arms as he said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Trust me, they can produce milk. You can drink its milk.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the onlookers who were gathered around, burst into laughter.

 Chapter 17

    The foreigner looked around helplessly. ¡°What are you laughing at? What are you laughing at?¡± He asked the crowd.


    He didn¡¯t understand why they were laughing at him. Milk was so good. ¡°We¡¯ve all been drinking this since we were kids. It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone laughed out loud again. An intrusive woman from the crowd shouted with her arms crossed, ¡°Yo, is this cow your mother? You drink cow¡¯s milk and not your mother¡¯s milk?¡±


    Hearing her words, loud laughter sounded from the crowd again. One of the onlookers said, ¡°Drinking milk really makes you different. Did it give you your yellow hair? Hahahaha¡­ ¡±


    Although he couldn¡¯t quite understand what they were saying¡ªthe foreigner could tell that those were unkind words¡ªjudging by the mocking looks among the onlookers. He began to look annoyed. Before he could speak again, the person who had just chased him out said impatiently, ¡°Leave. We do not like drinking cow¡¯s milk here.¡±


    The foreigner¡¯s face was ashen. He desperately needed money to find his family. Feeling despondent, the foreigner walked away resignedly among the sound of laughter from the crowd. Xiaoguo waited a while before hurrying after him when he was far from all the commotion.


    Xiaoguo called out to him, ¡°Hey, wait a minute.¡±


    The foreigner stopped and looked at the skinny woman running towards him, he felt puzzled.


    ¡°How much are you selling the cows for?¡± Xiaoguo asked directly.


    The foreigner¡¯s surprise turned to joy in that split second. ¡°Are you going to buy my calves?¡±


    The words were spoken in fragments. He didn¡¯t know how to pronounce the words. They all sounded funny.


    Xiaoguo suppressed a smile and nodded.


    ¡°Only a silver tael for the cows,¡± the foreigner said hesitantly. He watched Xiaoguo¡¯s face, worried that she would find the price too high. He added, ¡°Cow¡¯s milk is really good and nutritious.¡±


    Xiaoguo could only hear a babble of words, spoken with a strong foreign accent. She nodded and agreed to the price. One silver tael was a real bargain. It would cost two taels of silver to buy a cow for farming now, let alone a milking cow. She had struck gold. Although the cows were still young, Xiaoguo could make a lot of dairy products when the cows were older. She could also sell them for money. That would be another source of income.


    Although the foreigner in front of her was very tall, he seemed to be quite young. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was very young. He must have encountered some difficulties. Xiaoguo felt pity for him. She felt like a cheat, getting the cows for such a low price from this lad.


    Unaware of the hurricane of thoughts in Xiaoguo¡¯s head, the boy was ecstatic. He could finally use this money to find his family.


    The both of them exchanged cash and cows to complete the transaction. Xiaoguo felt guilty for taking advantage of him and passed him the last two copper coins she had, so he could buy some buns to eat. The boy was crying in gratitude and kept saying words of thanks in broken mandarin.


    Xiaoguo felt even more guilty. Without daring to look back, she hurriedly pulled the cows along with her and left.


    When she arrived at the entrance to the market, the carriage driver almost refused to let her get on. Two cows would occupy so much space and he had never heard of a carriage transporting cows.


    While they were still bargaining and negotiating, Mrs. Yang returned. Upon hearing what the two had to say, she handed the driver some cash. It was enough to pay for two more people on the carriage, but in this case they were cows.


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    The driver then reluctantly let Xiaoguo bring the calves up the carriage. He instructed her to keep a close eye on the calves so that they don¡¯t dirty themselves on the car. Xiaoguo gritted her teeth and acknowledged with a grunt.


    Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang sat themselves down in the carriage and told each other what they had bought.


    Mrs. Yang had bought a lot of stuff including clothes and food, while on the other hand, Xiaoguo had only two little cows and some seeds.


    ¡°Do you need me to help you with one?¡±


    Mrs. Yang looked at Xiaoguo, who was holding on to the cows and offered her help.


    ¡°I¡¯m strong enough to handle it.¡±


    Xiaoguo flexed her biceps at Mrs. Yang, to show her there was no problem.


    Mrs. Yang had also bought a lot of things. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to inconvenience her.


    Although the calves were milking cows, they were malnourished and had just been weaned. Their bone structure was big but they looked very skinny. Xiaoguo vowed to fatten up the calves. She would not be fit to call herself a chef if she failed to do so.


    The two of them chatted and laughed as they returned to the village. After getting out of the carriage, the two of them walked home together. To be very precise, Mrs. Yang was walking, while Xiaoguo was inching along like a turtle.


    The two cows did not want to move forward because of the unfamiliar environment. After much coaxing with grass and physically pushing them, Xiaoguo managed to get them moving.


    Before arriving at Mrs. Yang¡¯s house, Xiaoguo could see Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaohua, and Xiaohu from a distance, playing at the front door of the house.


    The moment Zhuang Zhuang heard them arriving, he threw down the stick in his hand and ran towards Xiaoguo. The boy was going to jump onto her, but Mrs. Yang and herself quickly stopped him. It had not been easy for Xiaoguo to calm the cows down. If Zhuang Zhuang were to jump forward and frighten them, they could respond in shock and injure Xiaoguo.


    Xiaohua and Xiaohu fan over and said to Mrs. Yang, ¡°We were playing in the house, but Zhuang Zhuang insisted on coming out to wait for his mother.¡±


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    Xiaohu continued, ¡°That¡¯s right. Zhuang Zhuang had asked dozens of times why his mother wasn¡¯t back yet.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the bashful Zhuang Zhuang with amusement. This boy was still a mommy¡¯s boy. He really needed his mother by his side.


    ¡°Ey¡­ What¡¯s this? A big dog?¡±


    Xiaohu¡¯s voice drew everyone¡¯s attention to the cows. The three children crowded around the calves curiously, discussing quietly among themselves.


    Xiaohu even reached out to touch one of them. The gesture frightened the little cow and it darted away from Xiaohu with a kick.

 Chapter 18

    Xiaohu was also taken aback by their response. He frowned and jumped a few steps back. This made Xiaohua burst into unstoppable laughter.


    ¡°Haha, this is a cow, a little flower cow.¡±


    Mrs. Yang explained to her children what the creature was called. The three children nodded in confusion. No one in the village had ever raised cows, so they never knew what the animal looked like.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she didn¡¯t correct Mrs. Yang. So be it. Flower cow it is, she¡¯d explain next time.


    When Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang returned home, she allowed him to play with the calves while she took the seeds out of the basket. She planned to start planting them right after eating.


    There were only so little seeds within a large basket. So much effort was required just to get this small amount of seeds.


    Even with her self-healing powers, Xiaoguo was feeling a little tired from the bumpy ride on the carriage. The shabby carriage was made up of wooden planks, and there were no cushions on the seats. With each bump that they rode over, Xiaoguo felt like all the bones in her body were going to shatter.


    Xiaoguo came to the kitchen again, wondering what to cook. She searched through the vegetable basket and brought out two eggplants and a cucumber. ¡°Let¡¯s just have some noodles.¡± She thought to herself and started cooking.


    After his meal, Zhuang Zhuang did not go to sleep. He was worried about the calves in the courtyard. Looking at the slightly gray sky, he asked worriedly, ¡°Mom, where will cows live?¡±


    There was no shed in the courtyard. But since the cows were still small, it should be fine to let them stay in the courtyard. ¡°Shall we build a shed for the calves soon?¡± Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhuang Zhuang replied and went to play with the cows again.


    Xiaoguo remembered that there could be heavy rain. Judging by the look of the clouds, the rain should be torrential. She needed to prepare fodder for the cows in advance before the rain came. There were also some traps that she had set on the mountains. She wondered if there were any animals caught.


    As she thought about what was in the mountains, Xiaoguo sped up what she was doing. Immediately after eating, she took out the seeds she bought. Based on the size of her plot, she decided that 20 seeds from each type of vegetable should be a good quantity to plant. The lady boss had told that these were catalyzed seeds and that they could be planted directly. This saved Xiaoguo the time of soaking them.


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    Xiaoguo picked up the hoe and started to loosen the soil. As the small plot had been neglected over the years, the soil had completely hardened. Vegetables would not grow under such conditions. She began to till the soil, turning out the moist layer below the white hardened surface. Once the tilling was done, she could start planting.


    After the soil was all turned over, Xiaoguo began digging small holes within the plot. At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang stopped playing with the calves and came over to help. WIth each hole that Xiaoguo made in the soil, he would throw a seed in. ¡°Mother, what kind of seeds are we planting?¡±


    ¡°These are eggplants. We¡¯ll also plant beans, potatoes, cabbages, loofahs, and leeks,¡± said Xiaoguo, pointing to the ground at her feet. She showed him where each type of vegetables will be planted on the small plot.


    With Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s help, Xiaoguo managed to sow the seeds for eggplant, beans, potatoes and cabbage.


    Loofah was planted on the side of the plot¡ª next to a wall. When it grew taller, it would climb up the wall for support.


    The remaining leek seeds were to be scattered . They could not be planted one by one.


    Xiaoguo chose a patch within the plot and dug out five small ditches, each was two centimeters deep and five centimeters apart. The seeds were sprinkled evenly into the ditches.


    After planting the seeds, she had to water the soil. She needed a lot of water to soak the soil completely. She didn¡¯t ask Zhuang Zhuang to help as he was too small to carry the water. Xiaoguo fetched seven or eight buckets of water from the well all by herself and poured the water onto the plot. The water was quickly absorbed into the ground. It didn¡¯t seem very possible to flood the soil at all.


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    She watered the soil another five or six times. After the last bucket of water was poured in, she began to see water pooling on the surface of the soil. She was finally done.


    Xiaoguo glanced at the plot and was deeply gratified to see the fruits of her labor. It wouldn¡¯t be long before vegetables started growing.


    The weather was a little humid now, so Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stop to rest. She asked Zhuang Zhuang to wait for her at home while she went out to gather grass for the calves.


    Zhuang Zhuang wanted to follow at first, but Xiaoguo persuaded him to wait at home.


    If she were just cutting grass, she would have let him follow her. However, she still had to go up the mountains. Xiaoguo repeatedly reminded Zhuang Zhuang not to go out and wait for her at home. She then set off, carrying the basket on her back with a machete in hand.

 Chapter 19

    Because of the gloomy weather, everyone in the village stayed at home and did not go out. This turned out to be a convenience for Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo followed the markings she had made in the morning and arrived at the traps. From afar, she saw something moving inside. Xiaoguo was overjoyed and quickly ran over.


    A big pheasant was in the trap. At this moment, it was breathing heavily. Judging from the chicken feathers scattered on the ground, the bird must have been trapped for some time.


    Xiaoguo observed a moment of silence for it. ¡°Have a good journey, lovely little pheasant. I will make you into a delicacy. Rest in peace.¡± After the moment of silence, she killed it with one sweep of the machete.


    Xiaoguo placed the dead pheasant in the basket and moved towards another trap. When she arrived, she saw that the trap was intact. She was not disappointed that there wasn¡¯t any prey inside. It was already a great surprise for her to catch a pheasant.


    Xiaoguo restored the traps and headed down the mountain. She stopped and walked along the way, cutting grass as she wandered around to familiarize herself around the mountains. Unknowingly, she had reached the other end of the mountain base.


    She stopped and looked around at the towering trees. These trees looked so familiar. Based on her observations, she was sure that these were coconut trees. She was shocked. Was Peach Blossom Village located next to the sea? With such a large coconut forest, it was definitely the sea if she went any further.


    Xiaoguo looked up to see if there were coconuts growing on the trees. After looking at several trees in a row, she found one with two small coconuts growing on it. She wondered how she could get the fruits off the tree. Now that she has a pheasant, she can make coconut chicken soup.


    Xiaoguo started looking for a thick branch to knock the coconuts off the tree. But she could not find anything satisfactory. After walking for a while, she saw a small tree, its trunk was about the thickness of a person¡¯s wrist.


    Without another thought, Xiaoguo chopped it down and returned to the coconut tree. Fortunately, the small tree which she had just chopped down was quite tall, and the coconut tree was rather short. She placed a basket at the bottom of the tree and took swings at the coconuts on top. After trying for a long time, she finally knocked the two coconuts down.


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    Xiaoguo carried everything home happily, not forgetting to leave marks along the way. She would come back another time to find coconuts.


    Although it took a while to get the coconuts, Xiaoguo did not feel tired. By the time she arrived home, it was already dark. As she approached the main door, she saw a tiny figure sitting in front of the house. Other houses were already illuminated with candles with the exception of Xiaoguo¡¯s house. The lights streaming through the neighbors¡¯ windows shone on the little man sitting at the door¡ªmaking him seem so lonely.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was looking into the distance, did not blink until he saw a figure walking over from afar. He quickly ran over and hugged Xiaoguo tightly. He buried himself in Xiaoguo¡¯s lap like an abandoned little animal.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect Zhuang Zhuang to be so emotional. The boy¡¯s eyes were turning red. It was all her fault. If she hadn¡¯t been trying to get to the coconuts, she wouldn¡¯t have been so late. She squatted down and picked up Zhuang Zhuang. The three-year-old child was still light and small, it didn¡¯t take much effort to pick up the little boy.


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    Zhuang Zhuang, who was now in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms, buried his face into her neck. He wrapped his arms tightly around Xiaoguo¡¯s neck to prevent her from looking at his swollen red eyes.


    Xiaoguo carried Zhuang Zhuang home and lit the candles as soon as she entered. A warm yellow light instantly lit up the whole house.


    With Xiaoguo comforting him, Zhuang Zhuang had also stopped crying. In between sobs, he told her intermittently why he was crying so hard.


    It turned out that he had started to cry when the sky turned dark. He remembered Xiaoguo saying that she would return soon, but she didn¡¯t return after quite some time.


    As it was already dark, Zhuang Zhuang was afraid that something had happened to his mother. So he sat at the door and waited for her, but when she still didn¡¯t come home, he cried again. ¡°Didn¡¯t she promise that she wouldn¡¯t leave me anywhere? Mother¡­ boo hoo¡­ ¡±

 Chapter 20

    Xiaoguo managed to figure out what he was saying. Zhuang Zhuang was feeling insecure. Xiaoguo hated herself for forgetting the time as soon as she saw the coconuts. She was no longer alone and had a young child at home. How could she do this?


    Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang and put him on her lap. He looked at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s swollen eyes and said sincerely, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m sorry. This is my first time being a mother, so there are many things I need to learn. Can you forgive me?¡±


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang had completely calmed down. He was touched and nodded repeatedly. ¡°I forgive you, Mother, but you can¡¯t leave me behind no matter where you go in the future. We have to go everywhere together.¡±


    Xiaoguo had to promise him multiple times before he broke into a smile. Right then, his stomach rumbled loudly. Xiaoguo pinched Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face and said, ¡°Okay, I will go cook for us.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang happily followed his mother to the kitchen.


    Xiaoguo carried the basket to the kitchen and decided that it was too dark, so she lit another three candles. Once the candles were lit, the room instantly brightened up. When Xiaoguo entered the kitchen, she didn¡¯t see the little cows, so she asked Zhuang Zhuang where they were. Worried that they would be cold, Zhuang Zhuang had brought them to his granny¡¯s room. Xiaoguo nodded her head and asked Zhuang Zhuang to feed them some grass. She promised to show him something cool when he was back. As she spoke, she handed the grass-filled basket to Zhuang Zhuang. Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t wait to see the surprise, hence he dashed out of the kitchen to bring the feed to the cows.


    When he returned, Xiaoguo took out the coconuts and pheasant from the bottom of a basket. Zhuang Zhuang had never seen anything like this before, so he squatted down and pointed at the round fruits. ¡°Mother, what is this?¡±


    Xiaoguo squatted beside Zhuang Zhuang and said happily to him, ¡°This is a coconut. It came from a type of tree that usually grows by the sea. It is called a coconut tree. The fruit that the tree bears is the coconut.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang did not understand why his mother was so happy. This fruit was so hard. Xiaoguo explained to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°The water in this fruit is fragrant and sweet. You can¡¯t eat the shell though. I¡¯ll make coconut chicken for you tomorrow.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was happy to know that it was edible. Everything his mother made was delicious.


    As it was too late, Xiaoguo made a few simple dishes for dinner. She stir-fried some shredded potatoes and cooked a pot of porridge. She also made some pancakes to accompany the meal. After dinner, Zhuang Zhuang was so sleepy that he could barely open his eyes. He did not even have the chance to wash the dishes. Xiaoguo also felt a little tired¡ªwhich was rare. It had been a real hectic day for her. She brought Zhuang Zhuang to wash up and put him to bed. Shortly after, she fell asleep.


    Peach Blossom Village slowly turned dark as the light went out. The villagers were asleep, but the fishing village nearby was still well-lit and bright.


    A soldier dressed in armor paced anxiously outside a house, glancing into it from time to time. Finally, under his vigil, an old man with gray hair came out from behind the main door. The man rushed forward and asked, ¡°How is it?¡±


    The old man nodded calmly. ¡°He¡¯s fine. The bleeding has stopped. If he doesn¡¯t get a fever tonight, he¡¯ll be completely fine.¡±


    After saying that, the old man turned towards the girl who came out with him. He instructed her to prepare boiling the medicine. The girl, with her rosy cheeks, turned to leave with a pack of herbs in her hands. The man thanked the old man and walked into the house hurriedly. He lifted the curtain and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the man sleeping on the bed. Luckily he didn¡¯t lose his life.


    The injured man was sound asleep. His body was covered with wounds of various sizes. They were scattered across the man¡¯s fair and powerful chest. It was quite a sight, enough to make one¡¯s scalp tingle. One could just imagine how much blood the man had shed to become like this.


    In the middle of the night, for some inexplicable reason, Xiaoguo felt irritable and restless. A loud clap of thunder woke her up. She sat up and saw that the winds were gusty outside. She quickly got up to check if the windows were closed.


    After checking around the house, Xiaoguo had just sat down on the bed when lightning began flashing across the skies simultaneously. That lit up the whole night sky in an instant. After a while, the storm came. Xiaoguo felt extremely unsettled as she listened to the loud drumming sounds of torrential rain hitting the ground.


    Xiaoguo felt strange. During the apocalypse, rainfall was sometimes even heavier than this. Before she could think further, Zhuang Zhuang began stirring in his sleep. He shuddered with each rumble of thunder. Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly comforted him and he fell into deep sleep again. Even though she was still feeling uneasy, Xiaoguo dozed off shortly after.

 Chapter 21

    The storm raged all night. By dawn, the rain had slowed to a drizzle, and the temperature dropped instantly.


    Xiaoguo woke up early in the morning and found some thicker clothes for Zhuang Zhuang. Adults have stronger constitutions and wouldn¡¯t be affected by the change in temperature. Children are weaker in comparison, so it was better to wear warmer clothes.


    No matter how hard she tried to look through the wardrobe, there were only a few pieces of clothes in there. After rummaging harder, she finally found some thicker clothes. Zhuang Zhuang could dress himself, so she laid down the clothes and went out to prepare breakfast.


    In this rainy weather, it was best to have some porridge in the morning. Xiaoguo started cooking porridge in the casserole and kneaded some dough in a basin. She let the dough sit above some hot water to speed up the proofing process. Then, she used the ring to transmigrate and pick up some pork belly from the other space. Back in her current kitchen, she minced the meat and added spring onions. This would be the filling for her spring onion pork buns. When the dough had risen to twice its size, Xiaoguo started kneading it. The dough was then cut into small equal pieces and flattened into the size of a palm. In a short while, a row of identical buns were ready and placed neatly on the steamer. After covering the pot, Xiaoguo allowed the buns to proof for 15 minutes. Once that was done, she lit the stove and steamed the buns for another 15 minutes.


    As soon as the steamer lid was lifted, steam gushed out immediately. Xiaoguo gathered the fat white buns onto a rack and set the table for dinner.


    Xiaoguo called out to Zhuang Zhuang, asking him to wake up and have his breakfast. The first thing that came to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mind when he woke up were the little cows. He got dressed and ran to the kitchen to feed the cows. When he was done, he dashed to the dining room and was going to reach for the buns when Xiaoguo stopped him. ¡°Go wash your hands.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was disappointed, but he still did what he was told by his mother. He suppressed his desire to eat the buns and ran outside to wash his hands. When he returned a few seconds later, Xiaoguo handed him the buns. ¡°Be careful, they¡¯re hot. Eat slowly.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang acknowledged Xiaoguo¡¯s words and asked her curiously while chewing on a bun, ¡°Mom, that fish is still swimming. How are we going to eat it?¡± When he was washing his hands earlier on, the fish had jumped and given him a fright.


    ¡°How about we have a hot pot for lunch today? We can make a soup base with the coconuts and pheasant. The fish can be made into fish balls, and we can scald them in the soup.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was already drooling at the thought of it, although he did not understand how a hard coconut could be made into soup and the fish into fish balls.


    Zhuang Zhuang rushed to wash the dishes after breakfast. The rain was still pouring outside. The weather was perfect for making fish balls. During the process of making fish balls, ice cubes were usually added while stirring the fish paste. This was to keep the paste cool. If the temperature rises during the stirring process, the paste would get cooked. Now, under such weather conditions, they could just add water without any ice as room temperature water was cool enough.


    Pheasant meat takes some time to cook, so Xiaoguo had to start stewing it earlier. When she came to the kitchen, Zhuang Zhuang had already washed the dishes. He saw that Xiaoguo was getting ready to prepare the pheasant, so he walked to her side and was about to sit down when he was stopped by her. Xiaoguo did not want Zhuang Zhuang to see the gory process of her plucking the feathers and draining blood from the carcass. She sent him away, asking him to see if the cows were eating properly. She went out with a basin and the pheasant, trying to get out of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sight.


    The water boiled quickly, and Xiaoguo began to clean up the pheasant. She carefully checked that the feathers were plucked clean. When that was done, she took it back to the kitchen. There wasn¡¯t a lot of blood left in the carcass. Xiaoguo stored the blood in a basin and placed it in the fridge at the ¡®other space¡¯. When the blood was frozen, they could cook it in the soup later. It was a pity that she couldn¡¯t take out the refrigerator and generator from the ¡®other space¡¯. It would be completely out of place here. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have the courage to do that. There would be no way to explain herself if someone found out.


    Xiaoguo washed the pheasant a few more times and chopped it into pieces with a chopper. Then, she put the meat into a bigger casserole without blanching them first. It was now time to prepare the coconuts. Xiaoguo called Zhuang Zhuang to come to the kitchen. The boy had been curious about how to eat the coconuts before. With the machete in her hand, Xiaoguo was going to show him how it was done.


    Zhuang Zhuang stood beside the table excitedly. Coconuts cannot be cut randomly with brute strength, or the coconut juice inside would spill out. Xiaoguo slowly carved a slit around the top, then she slowly shaved off the husk. Zhuang Zhuang watched as his mother shaved off the layers, until the green coconut became a white one. ¡°Mother, is this the coconut that can be eaten?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. There¡¯s still a shell on the outside. What¡¯s edible is inside.¡± With that, Xiaoguo chopped at the top with controlled strength. There is a visible gap on the shell now.She chopped again on the other side and the top came off. Xiaoguo poured some coconut juice into a spoon for Zhuang Zhuang.

 Chapter 22

    Zhuang Zhuang drank from the spoon and relished the taste of the liquid. ¡°Mmm.. It¡¯s sweet and fragrant. Yummy.¡± He couldn¡¯t describe it exactly, but it was delicious.


    Xiaoguo poured the coconut juice into the casserole. With a swift heavy stroke, she cut open the coconut with the machete, revealing the coconut meat inside. Xiaoguo pointed to the pulp. ¡°This is coconut pulp.¡±


    Xiaoguo cut out a piece of the pulp for Zhuang Zhuang. He tried it and said, ¡°Mmm¡­ crunchy and sweet.¡±


    Xiaoguo watched the boy in amusement. ¡°You only know how to say sweet.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at his mother sheepishly and smiled. Xiaoguo cut another piece for him to nibble on, and quickly went on to remove all the pulp and placed it in the clay pot. She did the same for the other coconut and was done in a flash. Only water and a pinch of salt was added to the coconut pulp in the claypot. The mixture was then left to simmer on the stove.


    With the stew put on boil, Xiaoguo began to make the fish balls. Fish Balls were simple and difficult at the same time. The hardest part was the stirring process¡ªas the fish paste had to be stirred vigorously.


    The fish she had caught was a grass carp. There weren¡¯t too many fish bones to remove. After deboning, she skinned the fish and sliced the filet into thick slices. Then, she started mincing the sliced fish with the back of the chopper. When the fish meat had been mashed, it was placed in a basin and mixed with cold water. The water was added in small parts at different intervals. She kept stirring continuously in the same direction while adding water. After adding water for the third time, the fish paste had become slightly springy. Xiaoguo then added the egg whites and some salt for taste.


    At the same time, Xiaoguo had a pot of water being heated up. While the water was still lukewarm, Xiaoguo scooped out globs of fish paste with a spoon and dropped them one by one into the pot. While the white fish balls were left in the water to cook, Xiaoguo still had half a portion of the fish paste left. She began stuffing the fish balls¡ªwith the leftover meat filling she made in the morning¡ªturning them into stuffed fish balls.


    The fish balls had to be taken out of the pot before the water started to boil. As they began to float to the surface, Xiaoguo set aside a basin of cold water and dropped the freshly cooked fish balls into the basin. This will make them more springy and bouncy. Xiaoguo picked up a fish ball and threw it on the table. As she watched it bounce off the table, Xiaoguo knew the fish balls were a success.


    Xiaoguo went through the vegetable basket to check if there were any greens that they could use for the hotpot. She remembered that there were some baby cabbages. After rummaging around, she found two heads of the baby cabbages, a bunch of lettuce and a handful of endives.


    Xiaoguo washed the vegetables and placed them on a plate. At that moment, the fragrance of coconut chicken started wafting out. Xiaoguo lifted the pot lid. The pheasant was quite fat, and the oil from its skin was floating on the surface of the milky white soup. This resulted in a wonderful juxtaposition of flavors from the pheasant meat and the coconut.


    The soup had been stewing for almost four hours. Xiaoguo brought the casserole and a small stove to the dining table. Zhuang Zhuang had already sat down by the table. Guided by the fragrance from the coconut chicken, he had gotten himself busy getting the bowls and chopsticks. By the time Xiaoguo had placed the fish balls and vegetables on the table, Zhuang Zhuang was almost falling into the casserole.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s eat,¡± said Xiaoguo. She didn¡¯t waste time teasing Zhuang Zhuang and signaled him to start eating.


    Xiaoguo was afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would be scalded, so she scooped out a bowl of soup and set it aside to let it cool down. She took out a drumstick and placed it on a small plate for Zhuang Zhuang. Looking at the drumstick in front of him, Zhuang Zhuang was so anxious to eat it immediately, but he remembered his mother¡¯s instructions to blow on it first and chew slowly. So Zhuang Zhuang rose to his feet and started blowing on the drumstick.


    Xiaoguo took a sip of the soup. She could not help but sigh in contentment. On a cold day like this, it is a must to drink some hot soup to warm the body. She felt completely gratified.


    The pheasant meat was not easy to cook. If it was stewed for too long, the meat would be too dry, but If the cooking time was too short, it would be difficult to chew. Xiaoguo has gotten the timing just right. As soon as the meat entered her mouth, it almost melted. It was extremely tender.


    Xiaoguo gave Zhuang Zhuang more meat and dropped some fish balls into the hotpot. As the fish balls were already cooked, they just had to be scalded for another three to four minutes. When time was up, Xiaoguo scooped one fish ball out for Zhuang Zhuang. The boy had long been curious about the taste of this. The texture of the fishball was chewy and bouncy. He could taste the rich aroma of fish with every bite. It was so delicious. Zhuang Zhuang asked for more. Xiaoguo then served him another bowl. When he took a bite of the fishball, meat juices gushed out from within. Zhuang Zhuang was surprised. ¡°There¡¯s something in this.¡±


    Xiaoguo glanced at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°It¡¯s a fish ball with pork filling.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tucked in with joy. He had never eaten anything so delicious. Or rather, everything his mother cooked was so novel and delicious.


    Xiaoguo felt a great sense of accomplishment when she saw Zhuang Zhuang eating happily. She could not help but eat a lot with the boy. Xiaoguo reminded Zhuang Zhuang to not just eat the meat, but to also eat some greens. As she spoke, she passed him a bowl of vegetables. Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t pick his food either, and ate whatever his mother gave him. In the end, they finished the big pot of chicken and fish balls and let out an extremely long burp.

 Chapter 23

    After having his fill, Zhuang Zhuang was so full that his stomach was bulging. Xiaoguo was a little worried, so she made Zhuang Zhuang stroll around the house to help with digestion.


    The two cows have been growing well and strong. At this time, they were feeding on the grass. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang played with the calves in the room for a while. When they came out, they saw that it was still raining. Looking at the vegetable fields in the distance, they were glad that the seeds were planted deep in the ground, otherwise, the rain would have washed them away by now.


    After playing for a while, the food in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s stomach had already been digested. He was beginning to feel sleepy after his full meal. Zhuang Zhuang was now leaning on Xiaoguo and almost dozing off. But he resisted his drowsiness because he wanted to listen to his mother tell him a story. The more he listened, the more sleepy he became. In the end, his eyes slowly closed and he finally fell asleep.


    Xiaoguo stopped her storytelling and slowly carried Zhuang Zhuang back to his bed. She turned on her side and snuggled beside Zhuang Zhuang. After a while, she fell asleep too. Xiaoguo did not rest well the night before and had been working non-stop since morning. Listening to the sound of rain while lying in bed made sleep all the more easier.


    Outside the window, the rain was still falling. In one of the houses in the fishing village, the man stood watching over a sleeping man in bed. A knock on the door sounded and the standing man froze, his eyes darted warily toward the door.


    ¡°Brother Li, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m here to change the dressing.¡± A girl¡¯s voice sounded outside the door.


    Li Shouji put down the knife in his hand and opened the door. ¡°Thank you, Miss Yu.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi smiled shyly and walked past Li into the house. She looked at the man on the bed and her heart began pounding once again. She couldn¡¯t control her emotions. The passion in her eyes were plain and clear, as she greedily took in the view of the man lying in bed.


    Li Shouji coughed. ¡°Ahem.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi returned to her senses and gripped the tray tightly in her hands. She walked towards the bed and gently removed the gauze. After removing the blood-soaked gauze, she replaced it with a new one that was laced with medicine. The dressing was then tightly secured. Yu Zhizhi went through each of the steps in a deliberate and slow manner, just so that she could spend more time staying close to the man in front of her.


    Possibly due to the intensity of Yu Zhizhi¡¯s gaze, the unconscious man moved his hand and shouted something in his stupor. Li Shouji heard the man¡¯s murmur and quickly walked forward, listening attentively to the muttering.


    ¡°Mother¡­ Xiaoguo¡­ Mother¡­¡± The man did not wake up. He seemed to be having a nightmare. He went back into a slumber again after muttering a few words.


    Although Yu Zhizhi was close to him, she did not understand what he was saying. However, Li Shouji, who was beside her, heard everything. He sighed. ¡°It was always these two people¡­ what¡¯s up? Old Jiang¡­ ¡± Li Shouji thought to himself.


    Xiaoguo slept with Zhuang Zhuang until the afternoon. Once awake, they stretched out their bodies at the exact same time¡ªtheir expressions and actions identical even in the direction they rolled. Xiaoguo yawned and sighed inwardly at this extravagant life. Every day, all they did was eat and sleep.


    Having just woken up, Xiaoguo got ready to prepare dinner. Xiaoguo felt that this life of repeated eating and sleeping was really intoxicating.


    Getting off the bed, Xiaoguo went to the kitchen. She made some noodles using the chicken stock leftover from lunch. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang each had a large bowl of the noodles. When they went to bed that night, Zhuang Zhuang pestered Xiaoguo to tell him a story. After some thought, Xiaoguo decided to tell him some philosophical stories. Zhuang Zhuang was three years old. It would be just the right age to begin enlightening him if he were in the modern world. ¡°Let Mother tell you a story about three people and a spider after the rain.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang immediately rolled over on top of Xiaoguo and looked at her with his big eyes blinking. Xiaoguo smiled and began narrating, ¡°After the rain, a spider crawled with difficulty towards the web that was already torn and tattered on the wall. As the wall was damp, when the spider reached a certain height, it would slide and fall off. The spider tried again and again. The first man saw it. He sighed and said to himself, ¡°Wasn¡¯t my life the same as this spider¡¯s? Busy and fruitless.¡± He became increasingly depressed. The second man saw it and said, ¡°This spider is so stupid. Why didn¡¯t it make a detour and climb along the dry portion of the wall? I can¡¯t be as foolish in the future.¡± So he became wiser. The third man saw it and was immediately moved by the spider¡¯s spirit of determination. So he became stronger.¡±


    Xiaoguo had told the story in such a vivid manner that Zhuang Zhuang was wildly entertained. Xiaoguo would speak in a rough voice one moment and raise her voice the next. It was too fun listening to her.


    After Zhuang Zhuang was done laughing, Xiaoguo asked him, ¡°Do you understand what I am trying to tell you through the story?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was very confused. What is there to understand? He only felt that his mother¡¯s narration was really amusing. But after giving it some thought for a long while, he said apprehensively, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be like the first man¡ªlooking at things in such an unhappy way.¡± Zhuang Zhuang had never gone to school, so he could only explain in simple terms. He was unable to summarize his thoughts.


    Xiaoguo was happy that Zhuang Zhuang understood a little of what she was trying to say. She lowered her head to kiss his cheeks encouragingly. ¡°That¡¯s very well said. Different people have different opinions about the same thing. The pessimistic ones will only see the pessimistic aspects, but the optimistic ones will often figure out a different viewpoint.¡±


    Seeing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s confused look, Xiaoguo explained simply, ¡°This story tells us that we have to learn to live a positive life and know how to resolve some of the not-so-good things in our lives. This way, not only will we be happier, but we will also be more successful¡­ ¡±

 Chapter 24

    Zhuang Zhuang nodded seriously this time. ¡°Mother, I understand now.¡±


    The heavy rain lasted for three days. Fortunately, Xiaoguo had cut quite a lot of grass the last time. Otherwise, the little cows would not have finished all the grass by now.


    The morning came. After three days of heavy rain, the crisp air now smelled of wet earth. Breathing now felt like a spa session. The cool, clean air was refreshing for one¡¯s state of mind. The sky was indeed clear after the storm.


    The villagers, who had been kept indoors by the weather, gathered at the entrance of the village to chat. The children could now come out and run about. After Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang finished their breakfast, they left the house. Each of them had a small cow in their hands. Zhuang Zhuang, who was idling the whole day before, even thought of names for the cows. The male cow being led by Zhuang Zhuang was called Big Black, and the female cow with Xiaoguo was called Little White. In fact, Zhuang Zhuang had initially named them as Xiaohu and Xiaohua. But it wouldn¡¯t be nice if Mrs. Yang were to hear of this. Therefore Zhuang Zhuang had the names changed to Big Black and Little White. It couldn¡¯t be more apt as Big Black had more black spots on its body while Little White had more white spots.


    The two of them did not walk up the mountains. Instead, they went to the river on the other side. When they passed the village entrance, someone in the village saw Xiaoguo and called out to her, ¡°Mrs. Jiang! Mrs Jiang!¡±


    Xiaoguo heard someone calling out to her. She stopped to see where the voice was coming from. It was a woman with flushed cheeks, dressed in a patched tunic. She had a thin face with a jutting mouth. Even though her face looked rather gaunt, her physique was rotund.


    Xiaoguo recalled her name. She was Li Zhaodi. She had married into Peach Blossom Village in the same year as Xiaoguo. When the women at the village entrance heard Li Zhaodi¡¯s shout, they looked up towards the direction of Xiaoguo and started gesticulating and whispering among themselves.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t walk in that direction. She stopped at where she was and said hello before walking on. She wasn¡¯t going over there. If she went over towards that group of women, she didn¡¯t know what they would say to her. Moreover, Li Zhaodi was the arch enemy of the previous host of this body. Li Zhaodi had wanted to marry Jiang Danhe back then, but he had taken a fancy to Qin Xiaoguo. So Li Zhaodi had no choice but to accept another family¡¯s marriage proposal. As they were both married in Peach Blossom Village, Li Zhaodi knew that Jiang Danhe had died in battle. Ever since, she never missed any opportunity she had to taunt Xiaoguo.


    As Li Zhaodi watched Xiaoguo turn to leave, her expression changed and she spat. ¡°How shameless! Your man is not around anymore, and you still have the face to wear such fancy clothes.¡±


    Li Zhaodi looked at the slim waist in the distance. They had both given birth before, but Qin Xiaoguo was becoming more and more beautiful. Her face was still fair and tender. Even though her long black hair was worn in a random bun, she still looked really good. Whereas for her own hair, all the strands were sticky and had stuck together like a patch of dried grass. Both of them were dressed in patched garments, but somehow Xiaoguo looked like those people in town while she herself looked like she came out from a soil pit.


    The woman beside Li Zhaodi quickly tried to fawn on her. ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to her. What¡¯s the use of being fancy? Her husband is dead¡ªshe¡¯s an orphan and a widow. I heard that she relies on picking tree bark for food. She¡¯s not as blessed as you. Your man has made a name for himself and has been promoted. You get to receive five taels of silver every month. When the war is over and your man returns, you¡¯ll be the wife of an official. Why are you wasting your time on a widow like her?¡±


    Li Zhaodi was feeling indignant at first, but then she thought of her husband, and that brought her an immense sense of pride. That¡¯s right, why was she obsessing about her? Qin Xiaoguo was a widow, and her own husband had already been promoted. In the future, he would bring her to live in the county. So what if Qin Xiaoguo was good-looking? Even the good-looking man that Xiaoguo was married to had died young. She had become a widow at such a young age. Fortunately, she had not married Jiang Danhe. Li Zhaodi comforted herself. Otherwise, she would have become a widow.


    As the thoughts ran through her mind, Li Zhaodi let out a smug smile on her face. While she listened to the flattery of the woman beside her, Li Zhaodi joined in and gossiped about Qin Xiaoguo with the others. One moment, she referred to Xiaoguo as a widow, and the next, she called her flirtatious. Some men from a family standing nearby were so angry with what they had overheard. How they wished they could slap her. The few women beside Li Zhaodi stopped her from going on, and advised, ¡°After all, her man had made a contribution and saved the general¡¯s life. He took the bullet for the general. Even when seeds were distributed in the village, her family got twice as much. You should bear with it.¡±


    Li Zhaodi snorted and got up to leave. Many people left right after, leaving only the group of people who were fawning over Li Zhaodi. They stayed around the same spot, continuing with their bootlicking.


    When they arrived at the river, Xiaoguo loosened the rope around the cows¡¯ necks so that Zhuang Zhuang could watch the calves graze on the grass. Meanwhile, Xiaoguo sat on a rock by the river to rest¡ªshe laughed at the sight of Zhuang Zhuang teasing the cows and playing with them. Zhuang Zhuang made flower wreaths for the cow and himself, and then came to Xiaoguo with one in his hand. He put it on Xiaoguo¡¯s head. ¡°Mother, you look beautiful.¡±

 Chapter 25

    ¡°How good do I look?¡± Xiaoguo was curious about what she looked like in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes.


    Zhuang Zhuang thought for a moment. ¡°Well¡­ just good-looking. Your eyes are big and round, and your skin is so fair. You look different from the others. When you smile you have the same holes on your face like me.¡± Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t know what dimples were called. He only knew that his mother, like him, had exactly the same dimples when she smiled.


    Listening to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words, Xiaoguo was amused. She leaned forward and looked into the river. She could see her own reflection. To be honest, she was shocked when she saw what she looked like now.


    There was a striking resemblance between Zhuang Zhuang and herself¡ªeven their height and weight were the same. As Xiaoguo had not been eating well for a long time, she was a little thin¡ªthough she wasn¡¯t aware of that in the beginning. After she came, she had gained some weight after eating well for some days. With her weight gain, they both looked really alike now.


    Even when she was showering, Xiaoguo checked out the mole below her chest. Zhuang Zhuang had the same mole, even the positions of the moles were the same!


    After a while, Zhuang Zhuang went to look for the cows again. When Xiaoguo was done resting, she stood up and began cutting the grass. When she was done, she had a big basket on her back. This time, she cut more grass than the last time. Although these two little cows were small, they really ate a lot.


    Once the basket was filled, Xiaoguo estimated that she should have enough for today and tomorrow morning. It was getting late, so she shouted for Zhuang Zhuang to go back for lunch.


    Zhuang Zhuang happily put a rope around the calves and sang nursery rhymes as he went along. When they passed by the village entrance, everyone had already gone home.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had just reached the entrance of the village when a fat lady in the distance stopped Xiaoguo. She looked at the woman who was trying to catch her breath, and asked, ¡°Auntie, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    She was the village chief¡¯s wife. They rarely spoke to each other. Xiaoguo wondered what she wanted.


    The village chief¡¯s wife walked up to Xiaoguo. ¡°It¡¯s so lucky for me to have bumped into you. This really saved me the trip of going to your house. Not that I want to say this, but your house is really too remote. One trip is¡­¡±


    As she went on, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. ¡°Auntie, did you need me for something?¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife let out a laugh. ¡°Well, your father-in-law bought a piece of land from the village when he was alive. There was never any empty space all this while until now. There is finally a plot available.¡±


    It turned out that when the late Mr. Jiang was alive, he had taken out his remaining savings to buy a piece of land. It was because one plot of land was not sufficient for the family of three. There was no available land at that time, and after so long, there was an empty plot now.


    Xiaoguo took the title deed and looked at it. It was a piece of land not far from where they were now. Xiaoguo said goodbye to the chief¡¯s wife and went home with Zhuang Zhuang. On the way, she happily put away the title deed. This piece of land had come at the right time. She was still worrying about having no space to plant the corn. She could now plant it at noon.


    She hurried home with Zhuang Zhuang and quickly made lunch. After eating, she began to change into the dirty clothes that she hadn¡¯t had time to wash. She wanted Zhuang Zhuang to wait at home, but when she saw that pitiful look in his eyes, she changed her mind and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang happily changed into some soiled clothes like Xiaoguo and went out carrying a small hoe. But before going out, he gave the little cows a bunch of grass so that they wouldn¡¯t starve if he came back late.


    Following the location written on the title deed, they came to the plot of land. Good. It was just as Xiaoguo had imagined. Two acres of land. The soil was fertile and moist. It was perfect for planting crops.


    Just like how they had done before, Xiaoguo stood in front, tilling the soil while Zhuang Zhuang scattered seeds at the back. They worked from noon until evening. The sun was almost setting as they finished planting the last seed. Xiaoguo covered the seeds with soil and straightened her creaking back.


    Fortunately, the sun rays were not so harsh now. The two of them sat on the ground and were not in a hurry to leave. Zhuang Zhuang was so tired that he could not walk another step. After recovering her strength, Xiaoguo carried Zhuang Zhuang on her back and walked home.


    They didn¡¯t see anyone on their way home. As they walked to their other plot of land, Xiaoguo looked hard at the soil. There was still some daylight coming from the setting sun. The wheat was already beginning to sprout. It would mature in a hundred days or so, and the corn would also be ready by then. This was good news. Xiaoguo carried Zhuang Zhuang happily and headed home.

 Chapter 26

    Zhuang Zhuang was still young. Having worked in the fields with Xiaoguo all afternoon, he was so tired that he had closed his eyes. Xiaoguo talked to Zhuang Zhuang while looking up at the moon in the sky. By now, the moon had appeared and the sun had already set. The moon in ancient times was really big and bright. Xiaoguo, who came from the modern times, had never seen such a beautiful moon before. The moon had long been covered by skyscrapers, and after the apocalypse, there was no moon that could be seen anymore. The sky was always gray and heavy, and it was impossible to tell day from night.


    Thinking of the apocalypse, Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes dimmed. It was good to leave that place. At least by coming here, it proved that she was still alive and could do many things. She had to live well here. At this moment, Xiaoguo felt a weight on her shoulders. She turned her head and saw that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little head was resting on her. His little mouth was making smacking sounds and his eyes were closed. Xiaoguo turned to look at the main door of her house in the distance, smiling in amusement. She still had Zhuang Zhuang to live for.


    When they reached the house, Xiaoguo put Zhuang Zhuang down, covered him with a blanket, and lit a candle. She brought another candle to the kitchen to prepare dinner. She was tired, and her stomach was already rumbling. Xiaoguo was ready to eat something hard. After working for the whole day, she wanted to have a good meal.


    Xiaoguo traveled to the ¡®other space¡¯ to look for pork bones in the fridge. She managed to find a bag of big bones after searching. Xiaoguo happily took them out from the other space to prepare stewed big bones. She also cooked steamed rice and a creamy cabbage soup.


    First, she blanched the big bones and kept aside two pieces for the cabbage broth. She stir-fried the rest of the bones in caramelized sugar. After the bones had taken the color of the caramel, she added the spice mix that she had packed. Then, a spoonful of dark sauce was added into the pot. The lid was placed over the pot and the stew was left to simmer on the stove. The other two pieces of bones set aside earlier were added into a claypot with hot water and put to boil.


    The smell of the stew wafted out. Due to the addition of spices, the smell was very strong. Zhuang Zhuang was woken by the rich aroma even though he was fast asleep. Xiaoguo was not concerned that the food smells would attract people. Her house was far away from the main village. Even the nearest neighbor, Mrs. Yang, was quite a distance away from her house.


    Zhuang Zhuang followed the smells of food and entered the kitchen in a daze. He stood at the door and looked in, still calling out for his mother. Xiaoguo carried Zhuang Zhuang to the stove and the boy leaned comfortably in her arms.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start eating in a while. Zhuang Zhuang, wake up.¡± Xiaoguo rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face and said gently.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded. He rubbed his eyes and asked sleepily, ¡°Mom, what are we eating?¡±


    ¡°We are eating big bones and rice.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he was instantly awake. We are having big bones rice.


    Mother and son sat in front of the stove and chatted. After a while, the meal was ready. Zhuang Zhuang was already wide awake. He carried the bowl of rice and walked into the house. Xiaoguo walked behind with the big bone stew and reminded the boy not to fall.


    Xiaoguo picked up a large bone for Zhuang Zhuang, and he started blowing on it, trying to cool it down. When the pork bone had cooled down, he took a tentative bite. The meat was drenched with gravy and had separated from the bone. As Zhuang Zhuang sank his teeth into the meat, he felt a rush of gravy and juices enter his mouth. Zhuang Zhuang dug into his meal heartily. ¡°Mother, you cook so well,¡± Zhuang Zhuang mumbled in between mouthfuls of food.


    Xiaoguo was both amused and happy. Her heart was bursting with joy. She scooped a bowl of soup with a spoon and placed it beside Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Eat more if it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Mother and son finished up every drop of the meat stew. After which, they each had a bowl of cabbage soup to end off the meal. Taking in the last mouthful of soup, they could not help but sigh in satisfaction.


    The hot soup warmed their bodies. Feeling energized, the two of them washed up the dishes and fed the cows. After feeding, they played with the calves for a while until Zhuang Zhuang began yawning. Xiaoguo then brought him back to the house. Zhuang Zhuang had requested a bedtime story at first but Xiaoguo was halfway through when he fell asleep. Xiaoguo tucked him in and laid beside him for a while. Very soon, she was also fast asleep.

 Chapter 27

    The next day, Zhuang Zhuang woke up first. He looked at his mother, who was still asleep¡ªit was a novel situation to him.


    Zhuang Zhuang leaned over the pillow to observe Xiaoguo¡¯s face while she was sleeping. He had studied his own appearance before. His mouth was identical to his mother¡¯s¡ªthey both had mouths with upturned corners and rosy red lips. Their eyes were big with double eyelids.


    One feature that wasn¡¯t the same were their eyelashes. Zhuang Zhuang touched his eyelashes. They were thick and long. Could he have taken after his father? As Zhuang Zhuang thought about this unfamiliar person, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little confused and disappointed. His grandmother always said that he looked exactly like his father when he was still a child.


    When Xiaoguo opened her eyes, she saw Zhuang Zhuang watching her with his chin on his hands and sighing to himself. ¡°What was this kid thinking? Sighing at such a young age.¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s call jolted Zhuang Zhuang from his thoughts. ¡°Mother,¡± he said in reply.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s go up the mountain with me today.¡± It was a nice day. Xiaoguo thought about the traps on the mountain and wondered if there was any prey. If any animals were caught in the traps, would they have drowned? After all, it had been raining heavily for days.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhuang Zhuang replied and got up happily as he prepared to get dressed. Xiaoguo got off the bed and went to make breakfast in the kitchen. At first, Xiaoguo was going to help Zhuang Zhuang get dressed, but Zhuang Zhuang insisted on doing it himself. He put on his clothes one by one in front of Xiaoguo. Although his actions were a little clumsy, his hands did not stop.


    When Zhuang Zhuang was dressed, he went to the kitchen. Xiaoguo had cooked some porridge and was now making pancakes. Zhuang Zhuang looked around and saw that there was nothing he could help with, so he went out to feed the cows.


    Xiaoguo brought the rice to the table and called Zhuang Zhuang to wash his hands and eat. Zhuang Zhuang acknowledged with a holler and ran out to wash his hands. When he arrived at the table, Xiaoguo had already filled the bowls with porridge. The simple breakfast was very nutritious.They each had a bowl of millet porridge. There was also a basin of shredded potatoes with a few carrot pancakes to be shared between the two of them. All that was eaten clean by the end of breakfast.


    Xiaoguo waited for Zhuang Zhuang to finish his food before setting off. Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaoguo carrying a basket on her back and shouted that he wanted to carry one too. Having no other choice, Xiaoguo found a small basket for him too. The mother and son then began their walk up the mountains. Xiaoguo was now familiar with the route, and knew which way to take so that she wouldn¡¯t bump into anyone. She walked with Zhuang Zhuang by the back of their house and arrived at their destination not long after.


    It was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s first time on the mountains, so he was a little scared. He held onto Xiaoguo tightly and did not dare to let go. When he accidentally stepped on a branch, he was so startled that he crawled into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. Xiaoguo held his hands tightly and guided him on the path where it was easier to walk. She also warned him to avoid muddy spots. From time to time, she would talk to Zhuang Zhuang to distract him from being scared.


    Once he began chatting with his mother, Zhuang Zhuang was no longer afraid. He started to look around the dense forest curiously. Every little thing in the forest did not escape Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s inquisitive gaze.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s so beautiful here.¡±


    Gripping his hand tightly, Xiaoguo said to him, ¡°Then feel free to look around. Mother will hold on tight. I won¡¯t let you fall.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded trustingly and put his hand into his mother¡¯s palm. His eyes were fixed on the surrounding forest.


    Meanwhile, in the small fishing village nearby¡­


    A knock on the door interrupted the two men talking in the house.


    ¡°Brother Li, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m here to change the dressing.¡± Yu Zhizhi¡¯s timid voice came from outside the door.


    Jiang Danhe raised his hand¡ªsignaling Li Shouji to open the door. After opening the door, Yu Zhizhi, who was wearing a pink traditional Chinese attire, walked in with a tray. Her eyes furtively glanced at the man sitting on the bed. Although his face was still a little pale, his facial features were achingly handsome. His manly eyebrows were tightly furrowed at that moment. Below those brows were almond shaped eyes which were slightly upturned and lined with thick eyelashes. His nose bridge was high and slim. Though his thin lips had lost their color due to his injuries, he still looked very attractive. Yu Zhizhi could not help but feel rather bashful while these thoughts ran through her mind. Her face turned red in an instant.

 Chapter 28

    Jiang Danhe felt a burning gaze on him and could not help but frown. He turned to look in Yu Zhizhi¡¯s direction.


    At that very instant, Yu Zhizhi lowered her head as if she had been scalded. Jiang Danhe did not see anything amiss and turned back, not taking heed of her. Yu Zhizhi blushed and felt a tinge of happiness. ¡°Did he look at me just now? Luckily I am wearing this dress that Father had bought for me from the capital.¡± She thought to herself.


    She skillfully walked behind Jiang Danhe and started to bandage his wounds. Previously, he was always unconscious when she was changing his dressing. But this time, he was awake. Yu Zhizhi couldn¡¯t put her hands down no matter how hard she tried. Each time when her fingers brushed against Jiang Danhe¡¯s body, her face would turn red. With much difficulty, she managed to change the herbs on the dressing. When her job was done, she grabbed the tray and ran out in a flash, not daring to look back.


    The insensitive Jiang Danhe did not notice any of this, but the perceptive Li Shouji did. He could not help but feel sorry for Yu Zhizhi. Jiang Danhe already had someone.


    Jiang Danhe urged Li Shouji to continue with what he was saying.


    Yu Zhizhi, who had just ran out, bumped into her father. He was the doctor looking after Jiang Danhe. Yu Wangui rubbed his beard and looked at his daughter. He could tell that she had taken a fancy to the man inside.


    Yu Zhizhi saw her father¡¯s expression and could tell that he knew. Feeling embarrassed, she stomped her feet and said, ¡°I¡¯m ignoring you!¡± Then she ran off.


    Yu Wangui sighed as he watched his daughter leave. ¡°My little girl has grown up¡­ ¡± After saying that, he walked into the house. Yu Wangui still did not know anything about this man¡ªwho he was or what his background was. Judging by his dashing good looks and the metal plated armor that he had worn ¡ªhe was definitely not a commoner. Yu Wangui thought that he had better find out more about this man for the sake of his daughter.


    On the other side, Xiaoguo followed the markings and came to the location of a trap. She uncovered it, but there was nothing inside. It seemed that small animals did not come out during the heavy rain. Xiaoguo went to another trap and once again, she didn¡¯t find anything inside.


    Zhuang Zhuang followed his mother curiously. When he saw the meticulous trap, he looked at it in wonder. ¡°Is this where you caught the pheasant?¡±


    Xiaoguo said,¡± Yes, but this time round there¡¯s nothing in the traps. Mother will bring you to catch some fish. Let¡¯s go.¡± Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t discouraged. Before she came, she had a hunch that there would be nothing in the traps. She had another important mission¡ªto catch fish, make fish balls and sell the fish balls.


    When Xiaoguo was at the marketplace, she had seen very few fish related products that were sold there. There was no novelty among the products that could be found in the marketplace. Fish balls were definitely something new. She could make some money out of selling hand-made fish balls. What she needed most now was money. It would take some time before the corn matured, and there were too many things that she needed to buy and prepare. Moreover, she still owed money to Mrs. Yang. After careful consideration, she realized that she needed money for almost everything. Also, it was necessary to build a cow shed¡ªshe could not let the cows stay in the room forever. She would need money for this too.


    When Xiaoguo reached the river, she looked carefully and saw that there were seven or eight big fish swimming inside. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t catch them all at the same time. At the slightest movement, the fish would all swim away. It was also the first time that Zhuang Zhuang had seen so many big fish. He was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t close his little mouth. However, when he saw how Xiaoguo moved, he knew to approach the river with light movements.


    Xiaoguo told Zhuang Zhuang to wait for her by the river while she quietly took the basket and set it on one side. The river was narrower on this side, so she could block the fish with the basket. Xiaoguo coaxed the fish to swim into the basket while standing across in the opposite direction. She managed to chase six big fish into the basket successfully. Unfortunately, one of them got away, but what she caught was enough to make a lot of fish balls. This time, the fish were even fatter than the one she caught previously.


    Zhuang Zhuang watched his mother with her catch and shouted happily, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re so awesome!¡± As he spoke, he ran to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and tiptoed to look into the basket.


    Xiaoguo lowered the basket so that Zhuang Zhuang could take a good look. She put on her shoes and began to lead Zhuang Zhuang home. ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± she said to him.


    Zhuang Zhuang was no longer afraid, he didn¡¯t hold on to Xiaoguo anymore as he could now walk alone. On the way down the mountains, the two of them cut grass as they walked. Very soon, the basket was full. The pair happily walked in the direction of home. Midway through the hike home, Xiaoguo was attracted by a plant vine. Xiaoguo leaned forward to take a look and was overjoyed. This was¡­

 Chapter 29

    Xiaoguo was overjoyed and pulled on the vine. With a strong pull, the plant was revealed. Several potatoes of different sizes hung from the vine. These were mountain potatoes.


    These potatoes were growing under this fertile and moist soil¡ªXiaoguo looked around¡ªthe hillside was covered in vines. She was delighted and began to make markings so that she could find her way here again. This place was located on the opposite end of her usual route, so she had never been here before. Fortunately, she happened to chance upon it this time.


    Xiaoguo wanted to do some harvesting now, but her basket was full. She had no choice but to return home first.


    After making up her mind, Xiaoguo quickly brought Zhuang Zhuang home. Zhuang Zhuang did not know why his mother was so excited all of a sudden, but he was happy to see her that way. He reminded himself not to be a burden to his mother. Rejecting his mother¡¯s offer to help, Zhuang Zhuang carried the small basket on his back and followed her home.


    After returning home, Xiaoguo put the fish in water to keep them alive. Then, she emptied all the grass from the baskets. Zhuang Zhuang was appointed to guard the fish¡ªto prevent them from jumping out. With all that in place, Xiaoguo left for the mountains to pick those potatoes.


    Zhuang Zhuang sat obediently in front of the basin and watched the fish. He was zealously carrying out the task that his mother had assigned him.


    Xiaoguo quickened her pace as she reached the top of the mountains. She took out her rake and began to dig up the potatoes. With the help of the rake, she managed to fill the basket very quickly. Xiaoguo wiped her sweat in satisfaction. This must be what it means to be tired and happy at the same time. With these potatoes, she had a new recipe for the fish balls.


    Xiaoguo covered the remaining potatoes with some soil, and headed down the hill.


    She had just reached her doorstep when a mean female voice sounded behind her. ¡°Oh my, so you really eat grass. You should have said so earlier. I would definitely have helped you since we were from the same village. Aiyo, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo recognized the voice immediately.¡±Li Zhaodi¡­ ¡±


    Xiaoguo did not leave. Instead, she stopped and turned to look at the woman. ¡°Aiyo, Zhaodi, I was wondering who it was. I didn¡¯t know that I would see ghosts in broad daylight.¡± After saying that, she covered her mouth and laughed.


    Li Zhaodi was so angry that her face turned green. She did look a little like someone from hell. Xiaoguo laughed mockingly. Li Zhaodi snorted heavily and said, ¡°My old man Liu has been promoted. What¡¯s his title again? Oh I had forgotten. He gets five taels of silver every month. Our Old Liu¡­ Our Old Liu¡­¡±


    Li Zhaodi kept talking about her Old Liu. Xiaoguo listened calmly and clapped her hands as she listened. Watching Xiaoguo¡¯s reaction to her words, Li Zhaodi didn¡¯t know how to continue anymore. She cursed Xiaoguo in her heart and felt snubbed. No matter what she said, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t seem to care. In the end, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and left dejectedly. As she walked away, she continued mumbling to herself. Xiaoguo looked around and found a medium-sized stone. She aimed at a beehive not far from Li Zhaodi and counted down silently. ¡°In three, two, one¡­ ¡± On the last count, she aimed and hit the beehive. It fell on Li Zhaodi¡¯s head. Li Zhaodi reached out to feel what had fallen on her and the bees instantly flew out with loud buzzing sounds. The woman hugged her head and fled.


    Xiaoguo took a moment to relish in Li Zhaodi¡¯s misery. Then she began to make her way home at a leisurely pace. The beehive was small, so the stings wouldn¡¯t kill Li Zhaodi, but it was enough to put her out for a while.


    Zhuang Zhuang had run out of the house when he heard the commotion. He happened to see Li Zhaodi running away in her sorry state. He laughed in amusement at the sight.


    ¡°This bad person always came to provoke his mother, and she would always be very affected after Li Zhaodi had left. What a bad person she was.¡± Zhuang Zhuang thought to himself.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect Zhuang Zhuang to see it, but nevertheless, she laughed and brought Zhuang Zhuang back into the house.

 Chapter 30

    When Xiaoguo returned home, the first thing she did was to put down the potatoes. The weight of the basket gave her shoulders a lot of pain along the way. To add to that, Li Zhaodi delayed the time that she could get home. Zhuang Zhuang watched Xiaoguo rub her shoulders and walked over to blow air on her shoulder. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt anymore after I blow on them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it really doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. In fact, it feels so nice. My son is really my little comfort blanket.¡± Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang affectionately and leaned on his little shoulder. ¡°You are Mother¡¯s little man.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang happily straightened his back to make his shoulders more comfortable to lean on. Xiaoguo watched Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s movements in amusement and patted his cheek affectionately.


    It was still too early for lunch. Xiaoguo remembered that there was a millstone at home, but she couldn¡¯t remember where she had seen it. She rummaged around and found it in one corner of the kitchen. It had not been taken out for a long time, and was hidden below a stack of firewood.


    Having found the millstone, Xiaoguo wondered how she could move it onto the table when it was so heavy. Looking around, she found a long wooden plank and placed a large stone under it. Using these as leverage, she tried to haul the millstone onto the table. Xiaoguo stepped down hard on one end of the plank, and the millstone rolled smoothly onto the table.


    After getting the millstone ready, the next step was to peel the potatoes. This was a tedious job, so Xiaoguo had to speed up. Zhuang Zhuang wanted to help, but Xiaoguo was worried that he would cut himself. The boy sat beside Xiaoguo and asked her curiously, ¡°Mother, why do we need so many potatoes?¡±


    ¡°Mother will make them into potato starch, and use them to make noodles. Together with our fish balls, they can become a delicious dish of potato starch noodles in spicy mushroom soup. I will bring these to the market to sell.¡± Xiaoguo explained to Zhuang Zhuang. Her favorite food in the past was potato starch noodles. She especially liked it when it was paired with sliced noodles and cooked in a spicy soup base. All of that with a topping of fish balls¡ªthat taste was really the best ever. As Xiaoguo was describing the dish, she could almost feel herself drooling.


    Zhuang Zhuang was salivating as he listened to his mother¡¯s explanation. Xiaoguo said to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°I¡¯ll make you some when I¡¯m done.¡± Zhuang Zhuang nodded vigorously and helped his mother wash the potatoes.


    Xiaoguo cut the washed potatoes into small pieces and mashed them in the millstone. Then she added water and filtered the mixture. The potato dregs were then discarded and the filtered starchy water was set aside.


    After Xiaoguo was done with the potatoes, it was already noon. There were three large basins of starch water. Xiaoguo left them in the shade to settle before washing her hands. It was time to cook.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the basin curiously. How could there be dry powder in such turbid water? Zhuang Zhuang thought about the powder that his mother had stored in the kitchen within a small bag. No matter how hard he thought about it, he just couldn¡¯t figure out how it was possible.


    Filled with doubt, Zhuang Zhuang went to ask Xiaoguo about where the powder could come from. She answered him, ¡°It¡¯s because the starch had been rinsed out from the potatoes into the water. If you leave the water alone for some time, the starch will slowly settle in the basin. After the water has evaporated, what is left will be starch.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded thoughtfully. He found it amazing. He couldn¡¯t wait to see what it looked like when it was dry.


    Xiaoguo dropped the noodles she¡¯d been preparing into a pot. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, bring the dishes to the table.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Be careful not to burn yourself,¡± Xiaoguo reminded him worriedly.


    Xiaoguo scooped the cooked noodles into some cold water and brought the bowls and chopsticks into the house. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. Mother has been a little busy these past two days. Let¡¯s make do with a simple meal for now.¡± As she spoke, she scooped a spoonful of minced meat with eggplant and put it in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°This is good enough. Mom makes the best noodles.¡± Zhuang Zhuang felt really blessed to be able to eat noodles every day. He even had the chance to taste all the various dishes and meat. This was something he didn¡¯t dare to dream of.


    Xiaoguo smiled. She knew that they were truly having a spread. There were plenty of people who didn¡¯t have enough to eat during this time. But she was from the future, after all. In the past, her mother had always ensured a minimum of three dishes and a soup for every meal. This comparison made Xiaoguo feel like she wasn¡¯t doing enough for her child.

 Chapter 31

    After dinner, Zhuang Zhuang wouldn¡¯t let his mother wash the dishes. He brought the bowls and chopsticks back to the kitchen all by himself. Xiaoguo was truly enjoying this moment. Although she had never been a mother, she had seen many online videos about educating children. It was said that children should not be spoiled. They should be allowed to participate in the household chores and pick up some basic life skills. Moreover Zhuang Zhuang was a boy and shouldn¡¯t be coddled.


    Xiaoguo went out to check on the potato starch. It seemed that the water looked much clearer now. She just had to wait a little longer before she could pour out the water.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang was done with the dishes. He came out and stood beside Xiaoguo, checking in on the potato starch with her. The water was indeed clearer now. Before they went in for their meal, the potato starch was still looking cloudy. Right then, Zhuang Zhuang noticed some white sediment at the bottom of the basin. He pointed it out to Xiaoguo and asked, ¡°Mother, is this potato starch?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the starch. But it has not completely settled to the bottom yet. It will take a while more. Once the water is crystal clear, the starch should be done.¡±


    The weather was bright and sunny. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang basked in the sun. Xiaoguo was resting on a stool, enjoying the nice weather. Having seen enough of the starch, Zhuang Zhuang imitated his mother and sat on a stool which he had brought out. He placed his arms behind his head, and crossed his leg¡ªwith his eyes closed. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the scene. This kid¡­


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang thought of something. ¡°Mom, can I bring out Big Black and Little White?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Xiaoguo had almost forgotten. It would be good for the calves to get some sunlight. Once the shed is up, it will be much better.


    Zhuang Zhuang ran with loud, pounding steps into the house and let the calves out. The cows seemed to have been kept indoors for too long. As soon as the door opened, they scrambled out of the room in a flash. Xiaoguo got up and bolted the main door. She then scattered a bundle of grass for the calves to graze on.


    Xiaoguo suddenly recalled that she hadn¡¯t shoveled the manure in the room. She picked up the hoe and went into the house. Fortunately, the two calves were still young and didn¡¯t have too much excrement. As Xiaoguo cleared the manure, she noticed that the droppings were neither wet nor hard. The cows were growing well and strong.


    Zhuang Zhuang watched his mother shovel the manure into the vegetable field and asked curiously, ¡°Mother, why don¡¯t you throw that away?¡±


    Xiaoguo put down the shovel to wash her hands. ¡°Because Mother can use it to help grow the vegetables. Using this to fertilize the soil, the vegetables will be well-nourished and strong.¡±


    After washing her hands, Xiaoguo sat down beside Zhuang Zhuang and said, ¡°Feces are food residue that humans or animals digest through their bodies. After being digested through their bodies, it will produce a nutrient that is very good for plants and also the soil. Therefore, humans use feces as fertilizers to keep the land fertile. Vegetables that grow on fertile soil will also be strong.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was amazed. Even the most useless feces had its uses.


    Xiaoguo looked into Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sparkling eyes and thought about bringing him a few books if she were to visit the market again. Suddenly, she thought of something else. ¡°Can you read, Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that she had asked a very stupid question. How could he know how to read? Moreover, the previous owner of this body had never gone to school, let alone read to Zhuang Zhuang.


    As expected, Zhuang Zhuang shook his head in confusion. ¡°Brother Xiaohu and Sister Xiaohua don¡¯t know how to read either.¡±


    During this time, basic necessities were already a problem for the people. Studying and attending school would require quite a large sum of money. How could ordinary folks afford to send their children to school? They would rather have their children work in the fields and help with planting more crops. When the children were older, they could get married. Studying was purely a waste of time and energy in their eyes.


    Those who could afford to go to school were the children from rich and powerful families. It was difficult for ordinary folks to enter school. The schools would not admit just any commoners. Only those who had money and status would be accepted by the schools. Therefore, under such a policy, most people would give up on sending their children to school. Most would keep the children at home and have them help with farming.


    But Xiaoguo didn¡¯t feel the same way. She wouldn¡¯t want Zhuang Zhuang to lead his life in chaos and mediocrity. Once he is old enough, she would get him into a school no matter what. So now, she had to spend her time making more money and save up for the sake of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s future.

 Chapter 32

    After an afternoon of waiting, the water in the basin had turned crystal clear. Xiaoguo drained out the water to reveal a layer of starch that was a finger deep at the base of the basin. She went on to pour out the water in the other two pots. The sediments were then transferred onto bamboo trays and left to air dry.


    Zhuang Zhuang poked at the starch curiously¡ªit was soft and firm at the same time. He continued to poke at it in wonder. Xiaoguo found his actions extremely cute. She followed what he did but quickly retracted her hand after poking at it one time.


    Based on the current weather conditions, the starch should be completely dry by the next day. Xiaoguo will start preparing the soup base tomorrow. She still had a few catties of pig bones. When the bone broth was done, she would go pick some mushrooms in the mountains and make some mushroom soup. Just thinking about it made Xiaoguo crave for it badly.


    Xiaoguo went to bed after dinner that night. She thought about how she had to leave early tomorrow, as there was a lot to find on the mountains. In addition to mushrooms, she wanted to try her luck at finding some spices. The condiments in the ¡®other space¡¯ were almost used up, and she planned to make fried chili sauce. Since she didn¡¯t have the spices required, she had to find them in the mountains.


    Before falling asleep, she told Zhuang Zhuang that she was going up the mountains the next day and could not bring him along. This time, she was going to try venturing further. She was also not familiar with the area and could encounter danger along the way. If she were alone, it would be easy to keep herself safe, but she could not guarantee his safety if he was with her. She didn¡¯t want Zhuang Zhuang to risk any danger with her.


    Zhuang Zhuang did not agree at first. He only reluctantly agreed to the plan after Xiaoguo repeatedly assured and comforted him. In the end, he fell asleep unwillingly with his arms wrapped around Xiaoguo.


    Before dawn the next day, Xiaoguo woke up. She quietly got out of bed and walked out the door. She put a sickle and a kitchen knife into the basket and went out. This time, she brought an extra knife. She could use it in case of danger. Even if the kitchen knife was useless, she could still escape using the ring. Xiaoguo locked the door before leaving for the mountains.


    When she arrived at the mountains, Xiaoguo first checked the traps for any prey. To her surprise, as soon as she approached, she saw that there were traces of damage in one of the traps. She walked over and saw that there was actually a pheasant inside. Xiaoguo was overjoyed and was about to swing her knife down when her hand paused. Were those eggs?


    There seemed to be a few eggs under the pheasant. Xiaoguo wanted to pick them up to see if they were eggs. But before her hand could touch them, the pheasant pecked at her hands frantically. Xiaoguo quickly moved away, feeling that these could be hatched into little chicks. In this case those eggs cannot be eaten and she could not kill the hen either.


    Xiaoguo found a thick wooden stick and moved the pheasant to the side of the trap. She held it with one hand and carefully took out the eggs. After she removed all the eggs out of the trap, she brought the pheasant to a quiet place and put it down. The pheasant had stopped making a fuss by now. When Xiaoguo loosened her grip on the pheasant, it quickly pounced onto the eggs and sat on them. The pheasant¡¯s eyes remained fixed on Xiaoguo¡ªit continued staring warily at her. Xiaoguo laid down everything and left.


    She moved deeper into the mountains. The further she went, the more trees there were. The vegetation around her also seemed much denser. Xiaoguo made markings at every step and proceeded slowly. She did not dare to be careless. Because of the rain two days ago, many mushrooms had sprouted. Xiaoguo carefully tried to distinguish between the edible and poisonous mushrooms. Within a short while, she managed to pick out a lot of termite mushrooms and wild pine mushrooms. Xiaoguo tried to gather as many as she could as these would taste great in a stir-fry.


    As she walked, Xiaoguo had almost reached the center of the forest. Uncertain if she was seeing things, she felt that the fog in the forest was getting heavier the further she walked. Her instincts told her not to proceed anymore and she headed sideways instead. Fortunately, she found pepper plants a short distance away and she quickly harvested them. She also found some star anise around the pepper plants. On the way back, she came across a bay laurel tree. She picked a lot of the bay leaves, so that she could dry and preserve them.


    The sun shone down through the thick foliage, creating a dance of light and shadows below the canopy. Warm sunlight poured down like a golden veil over the land. Xiaoguo lucked out and saw a magical phenomenon appear before her¡ªa ray of sunlight peeking through the luscious leaves had formed a beautiful halo around a tree. It looked like a group of elves were dancing around it.


    Xiaoguo stopped and sighed. If only she had a camera now to capture such beautiful light.

 Chapter 33

    At that moment, there was a rustling sound nearby. Thinking that an animal was approaching, Xiaoguo quickly hid herself. She was afraid that it could be a large animal. After a while, she could still hear the rustling sound, but there was no sign of anything approaching. Xiaoguo listened harder, and she could hear a faint cry for help among the rustling noises.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but relate to a scene from Journey to the West1. It was a scene in the forest where the character Red Boy transformed himself into a woman to deceive Tripitaka2. Thinking of that as a parallel to her current circumstances, Xiaoguo gave a fearful shudder. She was beginning to feel that she could be overreacting. Her imagination was becoming a little too wild.


    Xiaoguo made sure that there was no danger and she slowly approached the direction of the sound. It came from a hole in the ground. Xiaoguo guessed that it was an abandoned trap. She could tell by the rotting wooden picks around the hole. Usually, traps were set up with sharpened wood to injure their prey. Big wooden picks were usually used for big traps. By Xiaoguo¡¯s estimation, these must have been here for at least five or six years. Once she stepped on the wood, it disintegrated into dust. It would usually take years for the wood to rot to this extent.


    Xiaoguo asked in a low, rough voice, ¡°Ahem, is there someone inside?¡±


    The voice which sounded earlier on, was initially low and lifeless. But when the person heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice, he replied in a loud and energetic tone. ¡°Yes, yes, I am here. Big Brother, help me.¡± The man had almost given up all hope, but he was still holding on to a glimmer of hope and didn¡¯t stop throwing wooden picks out of the trap. To think that now there was really someone here.


    After saying those words, he was afraid that the person would leave. He began to explain his situation. ¡°Brother, my surname is Li and I¡¯m from a small fishing village. Someone in my family was injured and I came here to hunt for wild chickens and rabbits. These can be made into tonics that help with recuperation. I didn¡¯t expect to fall in here. Help me, brother.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t answer him. She was too busy with the task at hand. The man was afraid that Xiaoguo would leave, so he kept calling out to her. After a while, a rope made of vines was thrown down. The man was overjoyed and quickly climbed up the rope. When he reached the ground, the man¡ªwho had just escaped from disaster¡ªquickly thanked his benefactor. But when he looked up, there was no one. There was only a rope tied to a big tree. The man looked around for his benefactor, but he couldn¡¯t find him. He could only shout, ¡°Benefactor! I, Li Shouji, owe you a favor!¡±


    The voice echoed through the jungle, replaying itself over and over again. Walking away, Xiaoguo heard it, and a smile appeared on her lips. What favor? It was just a convenient thing to do.


    When she got home, Zhuang Zhuang was sitting obediently at the door, waiting for her. When he saw her, he rushed over excitedly to give her a hug.


    ¡°Hungry, aren¡¯t you?¡± Xiaoguo kissed his little face.


    Zhuang Zhuang pressed himself against Xiaoguo and shook his head. The boy seemed unhappy. Xiaoguo guessed that he must have been worried about her, and kissed him again. She was right. Zhuang Zhuang had been sitting at the door waiting for Xiaoguo since he woke up. All this time, he was looking anxiously in the direction from which Xiaoguo had come, and only smiled when he saw her.


    Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang and told him about the wonderful things she had picked from the mountains. Zhuang Zhuang listened attentively, insisting that he would follow the next time.


    Xiaoguo agreed and showed him what she got. He looked at them one by one. Zhuang Zhuang held a wild pine mushroom in his left hand and a termite mushroom in his right. He even looked at the pile of leaves in the basket and asked Xiaoguo, ¡°Mother, what is this?¡±


    Xiaoguo explained that those were spices for cooking. The food would taste really good when you use these spices. Zhuang Zhuang nodded knowingly. Then his stomach rumbled. Xiaoguo lifted the basket and told him, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Mother will cook for you.¡±


    She went to the kitchen. Although it was a little late for breakfast, it still wasn¡¯t time for lunch. Hence she decided they would have breakfast first.


    Xiaoguo began washing the termite mushrooms. Then she took out a small piece of meat and cut everything into small cubes. She placed the diced meat in a heated pot and stir-fried them until the oil was released into the pot. The termite mushrooms were then added in. The moment the mushrooms slid into the pot, the combined fragrance of the ingredients rushed through her nose. After stir-frying for a bit, Xiaguo added some seasoning, rice and water. She let everything simmer for 30 minutes.


    In the meantime, Xiaoguo made a plate of shredded potatoes. When the porridge was cooked and uncovered, the fragrance filled the whole kitchen. It was an enticing aroma that would whet anyone¡¯s appetite.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang finished everything in their bowl, embracing the spirit of never wasting food. The shredded potatoes were wiped clean from their plates too.

 Chapter 34

    After breakfast, Xiaoguo began sunning the spices and mushrooms that she had picked. She set aside half of the mushrooms and got Zhuang Zhuang to soak them in a basin so that she can make a soup with them later.


    She had two large pots in the house. After filling them with water, Xiaoguo threw in all the remaining bones she had left into one of the pots. She then added a small pack of spices and some salt into the same pot. It was then left to simmer on the stove. Next, she rinsed the mushrooms and put them into the other pot. This time, she didn¡¯t add the spices. Termite mushrooms had a distinctive aroma. When cooked, they release a unique flavor not unlike the umami of chicken. The pine mushrooms were even more flavorful, so all she needed to add was a little salt.


    After Xiaoguo had prepared the soup base, she thought about how to get everything to the market the next day. She remembered that there was a family in the village with a donkey cart. Xiaoguo took twenty copper coins with her, intending to head over to borrow the cart. When she arrived at the door of that family, Xiaoguo cleared her throat and called out, ¡°Mrs. Li, is Mrs. Li around?¡±


    After a while, a woman came out of the house. She was skinny and had a sallow complexion. Her cheeks were sunken and wrinkled. Peeking out from behind the door were a pair of squinting eyes, trying to see who was calling out for her. ¡°Are you from the Jiang¡¯s family?¡± Having gotten a good look at who was at the door, she quickly walked forward to open it and almost tripped along the way.


    Seeing that Mrs. Li was walking unsteadily, Xiaoguo was worried that she would trip over herself. She hurriedly said, ¡°Mrs. Li, I want to borrow your donkey cart.¡±


    Mrs. Li looked at Xiaoguo and wondered why she was visiting out of the blue as they were not well acquainted. Just as the thought crossed her mind, Xiaoguo had already blurted out the reason. Mrs. Li then brought Xiaoguo to the shed where they kept the donkey. ¡°Here it is.¡± After saying that, she looked a little embarrassed. She rubbed her arms and said awkwardly, ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to gather grass for the donkey, so it is a little¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the donkey in front of her. It was so thin that its bones were sticking out. She couldn¡¯t help but worry if the donkey was able to transport the pots. After thinking for a while, she eventually decided to borrow it. There was no other way to get to the market, and the village carriage would definitely refuse to move those pots for her. ¡°How about this, Mrs. Li, I¡¯ll borrow your donkey cart and give you twenty copper coins for it.¡±


    Mrs. Li looked at Xiaoguo in disbelief. Twenty coins? Really? ¡°Is that true?¡± The Li family had long since run out of money. They had nothing left to eat. Twenty coins could last their family of three for a couple of months.


    Xiaoguo nodded and handed the money to her. As Mrs. Li accepted the coins with trembling hands, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mrs. Li, since there isn¡¯t any food left in the house, why didn¡¯t you slaughter the donkey?¡±


    ¡°We cannot slaughter the animals that we had raised at home. They¡¯re intelligent beings. Besides, this donkey was left behind by my husband. For whatever reasons, we really shouldn¡¯t eat it.¡± After saying that, she sighed and looked at the donkey guiltily. ¡°It¡¯ll suffer if it follows me.¡± Mrs. Li had been busy taking care of her two children at home. She had no money and food. Besides taking care of the children, she had to go out and look for food. What she could find was barely enough for them. Mrs. Li had no choice but to drink lots of water to suppress her hunger. She has little energy left for anything else, not to mention cutting grass for the donkey.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything. She understood Mrs. Li¡¯s situation and nodded. Our forefathers always said that farm animals like horses, cows, donkeys, and dogs should never be slaughtered as they seem to be tuned in to human nature. Mrs. Li¡¯s husband was captured and sent for enlistment in the army. He died in battle not long after joining the army. The money has stopped coming in for a long time. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take the donkey home and send it over tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    Mrs. Li quickly said that there was no hurry. Xiaoguo could borrow it for a while more. There was no hurry to return it.


    Xiaoguo bid farewell and led the donkey home. Mrs. Li looked gratefully at her while she turned and left. When Xiaoguo was out of sight, Mrs. Li ran back into the house excitedly and shouted for her children. She told them that they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food anymore and that she wouldn¡¯t let them starve. Holding her scrawny children in her arms, Mrs. Li sobbed with guilt.


    As Xiaoguo reached home and tied up the donkey, Zhuang Zhuang heard noises at the door and came out to check. He looked at the donkey in surprise. ¡°Mom, what is this?¡±


    ¡°This is a donkey.¡± She said as she offered it a big bunch of grass. ¡°But it¡¯s a bit skinny.¡±


    After washing her hands, Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen to check on the pot. She could smell the soup when she reached the main door of the house earlier on. Now that she had opened the kitchen door, the smell was even more fragrant.

 Chapter 35

    The bone broth had turned milky white. Xiaoguo took out a spoon and tried a sip of the broth. ¡°Mmm¡­ sweet.¡± She turned to try the mushroom soup¡ªit was delicious too. Xiaoguo put down the spoon in satisfaction. She was not in a hurry to prepare lunch, so she went outside to check on the starch to see if the drying process was complete.


    As soon as she was outside, she saw Zhuang Zhuang touching the donkey. Xiaoguo quickly reminded him, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, don¡¯t go behind it. It may kick you.¡±


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang had shifted himself to stand beside the donkey¡¯s head, she felt more relieved. Xiaoguo came to the potato starch and squatted down to observe them carefully. It looked like there was no water left, but she still reached out and picked up a small piece. The minute she pressed on the starch, it disintegrated into smaller pieces. Xiaoguo got up happily and brought the starch to the millstone. She had to grind all of it into powder before she could make potato starch noodles.


    Xiaoguo took her time grinding the starch. Zhuang Zhuang had stopped playing with the donkey when he saw Xiaoguo move the starch towards the millstone. His eyes were glued to what she was doing. Xiaoguo saw him looking and placed a piece of starch in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand. She carried him up so that he was at eye-level to the millstone and began to teach him how to grind the starch. Zhuang Zhuang tossed the starch into the hole of the millstone and tried with all his strength to work it, but it didn¡¯t move an inch. Xiaoguo watched him turn red in the face from straining so hard. Her eyes narrowed into curved slits as she broke into a smile. ¡°He¡¯s so cute.¡± She thought as she helped Zhuang Zhuang push the heavy stone. The millstone began to spin. The pieces of starch slowly got grounded into powder. At Xiaoguo¡¯s signal, Zhuang Zhuang picked up a small broom and swept the powder into the basin below the millstone. He had gotten the hang of grinding and wanted to keep going on. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop him¡ªshe let him work to his heart¡¯s content¡ªonly helping him when he was in trouble.


    When the grinding was done, the soup was almost ready too. Zhuang Zhuang leaned over the counter and watched as Xiaoguo lifted the lid. The rich fragrance of soup wafted out, and Zhuang Zhuang took a deep breath greedily. Xiaoguo smiled and said, ¡°You little glutton.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hands did not stop moving. She extracted half of the firewood and placed it in the empty fireplace below the stove. Only a piece of firewood was left burning below each pot, allowing the soup to boil on low heat. By now, the soup had already turned into a milky white broth. Xiaoguo scooped out a spoonful of bone soup and stir-fried a plate of baby cabbage in golden broth. She then put in a couple of buns and let them steam in a pot. Next, Xiaoguo scooped out a few soft and mushy bones from the soup and made a dip out of it for the buns. With another two bowls of bone broth placed on the dining table, lunch was served.


    Zhuang Zhuang ate heartily. His little mouth was covered in oil, and there were meat scraps stuck to the corners of his mouth. He drank the meat soup anxiously. The boy could really eat. He dipped the meat-filled buns with sauce and reached for the baby cabbage with his other hand, and devoured everything simultaneously.


    Xiaoguo now understood why mothers were always posting videos of their children on their WeChat moments. Mothers would never get tired of looking at their own children. If she had a phone now, Xiaoguo would definitely take a lot of photos of Zhuang Zhuang.


    After dinner, Zhuang Zhuang burped and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Xiaoguo, on the other hand, was preparing to make fish balls. There was quite a lot of preparation work required. She had to finish everything while the sun was up.


    Xiaoguo was going to fry the chili oil first. She had to keep an eye on this at all times, as it could burn easily.


    She chopped the mountain peppers and poured oil into the pot with some peppercorns and onions. After deep frying those, she scooped them out and poured in the chili. The pungent smell of the chili instantly filled the kitchen. Xiaoguo moved away from the stove for a while and waited for the smell to subside a little before stirring the mixture slowly to prevent the chili oil from getting burnt.


    After the chili oil has been heated into a bright red paste, Xiaoguo scooped everything out and let it cool down on the side. After the chili paste had completely cooled, she added some yellow wine and sesame seeds. The secret chili sauce was now done.


    Next, it was time to prepare the fish balls. Xiaoguo took out five fish and kept one so that she could cook it for Zhuang Zhuang.


    By the time Xiaoguo was done, the sky had turned dark. Xiaoguo still had to make noodles. There was not much flour left, so Xiaoguo decided to use it all up. She will buy more flour tomorrow.


    She made noodles out of the dough she had prepared, and dusted them with flour to prevent them from sticking. When Zhuang Zhuang arrived in the kitchen, Xiaoguo asked him without pausing what was on hand. ¡°Have you finished feeding the cows and donkeys?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had already taken on the job of feeding the cows at home. Earlier on, she had seen the boy running around. She knew that he was fetching grass to feed the cows. To see him come into the kitchen at this time, Xiaoguo¡¯s guess was the boy must be hungry.


    Zhuang Zhuang touched his stomach and smiled shyly at Xiaoguo. He had been smelling the food aromas for the whole day. He was also thinking of the fish balls that his mother had just made. Recalling the texture and taste of the fish paste in his mouth, he couldn¡¯t stop his mouth from watering. He had to pop into the kitchen to check out the food.


    Xiaoguo arranged the plain noodles and the potato starch noodles together and covered them with a cloth to prevent them from drying out. She gathered all the ingredients needed for tomorrow and set them aside. With the remaining portions she had left, Xiaoguo began making potato starch noodles for dinner.

 Chapter 36

    Zhuang Zhuang enthusiastically went to prepare the fire. Xiaoguo poured the soup into a pot, and added all the noodles and fish balls when the soup started boiling. She also rinsed two stalks of baby bok choy and put them into the boiling soup. The greens were taken out shortly and served in a bowl. Zhuang Zhuang ran into the dining room with chopsticks in his hands.


    At the dining table, Zhuang Zhuang blew hard at his food. Without waiting for the food to cool completely, he started wolfing down his meal. The potato starch noodles were smooth and springy. Every single strand of noodles had fully absorbed the rich flavor of the bone soup. Zhuang Zhuang picked up a fish ball and stuffed it whole into his mouth. It was absolutely delicious.


    Xiaoguo added a large spoonful of chili oil into her bowl of soup, and took a sip of the broth. The flavors in her mouth were delightful. This was the taste she had been thinking about. Xiaoguo eagerly took a few more mouthfuls of soup. When they had finished eating, they were both drenched in sweat. Xiaoguo stopped Zhuang Zhuang from washing the dishes and told him to cool himself down before leaving the dining room. He could catch a cold if he were to go out while perspiring.


    Zhuang Zhuang climbed into bed and thought about asking his mother for a story. However, he stopped himself when he was reminded of the fact that she had to wake up early the next day. He sat obediently beside Xiaoguo, leaning against her. Very soon, he fell asleep.


    Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang till he fell asleep completely. Shortly after, she dozed off too.


    It was still dark when Xiaoguo got up the next morning. She went straight to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Zhuang Zhuang. When breakfast was made, she kept the food warm by leaving it on the stove over a small flame. Judging from the amount of food she had made, there should be enough for lunch as well. Before leaving the house, Xiaoguo fed the donkey, loaded all the food onto the cart, and locked the door. It was still dark when she set off.


    She had initially wanted to send Zhuang Zhuang to Mrs. Yang¡¯s house, but Zhuang Zhuang insisted on waiting for her at home. Xiaoguo had no choice but to let him be. Although she was a little worried, she knew that Zhuang Zhuang was a sensible little boy. He had promised to stay home, eat on time, and wait for her return. Hearing his words of assurances, she left the house feeling more at ease. She did think of bringing Zhuang Zhuang with her, but if she got too busy, she might not have time to look out for him at all. She didn¡¯t want anything to happen to him.


    Xiaoguo rode the donkey cart to the market. There were not many people around at this time, and there were only a few stalls. The last time she was here, she had found out that anyone could set up a stall here. One just had to come early to reserve a spot. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop the cart and continued cruising around the marketplace.


    Before Xiaoguo left her house for the marketplace, she had gathered everything she needed with the exception of cutlery. There weren¡¯t that many bowls at home, and even if there were, she didn¡¯t want to bring those for everyone to use. It wasn¡¯t realistic to buy them either. After paying for the donkey cart, she had no money left for anything else.


    After thinking for some time, Xiaoguo recalled a place that she had passed by the last time. Mrs. Yang had said that it was the most populated area other than the market place. The families there were quite well-off. Xiaoguo decided to give it a try. If she were to sell the noodles there, the villagers could just bring their own cutlery to her stall then bring the noodles back home to eat. This would solve the problem of having no cutlery and seating for her customers. It was killing two birds with one stone.


    She arrived at the place after a while. The villagers were still asleep and the street was quiet. Xiaoguo stopped the cart and carried down the big pot and stove. She lit a fire and began heating up the soup. In a short time, the aroma of the soup started wafting out. Xiaoguo lifted the pot lid to allow the inviting smell to travel through the alley ways. Then she took her time to prepare the other ingredients. She was confident of her soup base. She had added her secret mix of spices and the taste was absolutely divine.


    Xiaoguo waited patiently for her customers to arrive. She took out the noodles and loosened the bundles methodically. Even though they were made the night before, the noodles strands were not clumpy at all.


    After a short while, the dark row of houses were lit up with flickering candles simultaneously. Standing by the donkey cart, Xiaoguo could hear some sounds from around the corner of the street. A small smile tugged at her lips. Here we go. She thought to herself.


    After a moment of silence, a woman appeared from around the corner. She walked purposefully towards the donkey cart¡ªher eyes sizing up everything in front of her. She looked at Xiaoguo and the pot, but her eyes finally settled on the latter. ¡°Oh my,¡± she exclaimed to herself. She could smell this from her home. Now that she was up close, it smelled even better.


    ¡°Ahem, little woman, what are you selling?¡±

 Chapter 37

    ¡°It¡¯s fish balls and potato starch noodles,¡± Xiaoguo said warmly to the woman. ¡°Have one, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Fish balls and potato starch noodles?¡± The woman was curious. This was new to her¡ªshe had never heard of such a thing before. ¡°What¡¯s fishball potato starch noodles?¡±


    Xiaoguo opened the lid on the basin and pointed it out to her. ¡°These are fish balls. It¡¯s a type of meatballs made from grass carp. It¡¯s made out of fish meat only.¡± With that, she took out two fish balls and cut them into four equal pieces. She then threw them into a strainer sitting in the pot. She lifted the cloth covering the noodles and continued with her introduction. ¡°These whilte cylindrical strands are potato starch noodles. It¡¯s made from potatoes. On this side, I have white noodles made from flour. The soup base is made from pig bones and mushrooms¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo spoke loudly. She knew that there were people listening nearby. These villagers had never seen anyone come to sell food, so they were a bit reticent about leaving their houses. They sent this lady as a representative to check out the situation. Once Xiaoguo was finished with her introduction, a flurry of discussions could be heard coming from the near distance. The woman was confused when she heard what Xiaoguo said. She could understand the words but she didn¡¯t understand exactly what she was hearing. She knew what potatoes were, but what was potato starch? She knew about grass carp, but how could it be made into balls? Do they taste good? And how much did it cost? It sounded quite expensive. And there was white flour. A series of thoughts raced through her head.


    The woman looked conflicted. Xiaoguo continued saying, ¡°Madam, have a bowl. It¡¯s ten copper coins for one serving. You just need to go home and bring an empty bowl.¡±


    The words rolled off her tongue, but in actual fact, Xiaoguo was unsure about the price of the noodles. The stall on the main street was selling a bowl of noodles for only five copper coins, whereas she was asking for double the price. Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t sure if these people could accept it. But when she saw the expression on the woman¡¯s face, she knew that it wasn¡¯t a problem at all. This made her even more certain that the people in this area were relatively rich. She didn¡¯t give a second thought about her selling price anymore.


    The woman was relieved after hearing the price. She said generously to Xiaoguo, ¡°Give me three bowls. One mushroom soup and two big bone soups. I would like some chili in the mushroom soup. Let me pay you first and I will run home for the bowls.¡± With that, she dropped the money and ran home. Xiaoguo happily kept the money and started adding the noodles and fish balls into the pot. When the noodles were almost ready, the woman had returned with three bowls in her hand. There were many people following behind her. All of them had a few bowls in their hands, and they were headed in Xiaoguo¡¯s direction.


    Xiaoguo served the woman first. After she left with her bowls, the people that were lined up behind her came forward and placed their orders in a flurry. ¡°I want two bowls. I want four bowls. I want two bowls too. I want the mushroom soup with chili. I want three bowls of bone broth¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was overjoyed. She was going to make a fortune. She quickly collected money as she took the orders from the villagers. The commotion attracted some people from the next street. They had come to check out what was going on. When they saw that there was food for sale, everybody each bought a bowl to try¡ªpartly for the sake of novelty and also for the fact that it was affordable. The villagers were captivated by the food in their bowls as soon as they tasted it. The bouncy fish balls, springy noodles, and fresh vegetables¡ªall these combined with the rich broth turned into an explosion of flavors when the food entered their mouths. The indescribable taste made everyone order one bowl after another.


    Xiaoguo took the orders as they came in, trying to work as quickly as she possibly could. When she was going to make another bowl for the next customer, Xiaoguo saw that the ingredients had run out, so she announced to everyone loudly. ¡°My fellow villagers, I¡¯m so sorry. The last bowl had been sold out. The stall will be closed for today.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, chaos ensued among the people who were still waiting in line.


    ¡°Why is that? I haven¡¯t ordered yet.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I was thinking of buying the noodles.¡±


    ¡°Little woman, I¡¯m here again. I would like to buy two more bowls.¡±


    ¡°I just got here. I have not even seen the soup after smelling the wonderful fragrance. Isn¡¯t that a torture?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I came from the next street, I haven¡¯t got to my turn yet. Sigh.¡±


    ¡°When are you setting up the stall again? Are you coming back here?¡±


    Trying to reassure the crowd, Xiaoguo smiled and addressed each and everyone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s really nothing left today. I apologize. I¡¯m really sorry if you have specially made your way here. I¡¯ll still be setting up my stall here next time. For the next round, I will make sure to prepare more portions. If you have not gotten a chance to taste the food today, please come early the next time round.¡±

 Chapter 38

    Wearing a smile on her face, Xiaoguo apologized continuously until everyone had dispersed. When they were gone, Xiaoguo breathed a sigh of relief. What a morning it was.


    Initially, she was prepared to sell her noodles till noon, but they were all sold out by the morning. Now, she could do some shopping and go home early. Zhuang Zhuang must be missing her by now.


    Feeling happy, Xiaoguo picked up speed and loaded everything onto the cart. Then she rode the cart and steered it into a small quiet lane. After ensuring that there was no one around, she stopped and opened her pouch to count the money she had made for the day. The coins had completely filled up her pouch. Xiaoguo counted them one by one. There were five taels and six coins in total. She took out another coin pouch she had prepared earlier and put six coins into it. The rest of the money was carefully kept in the original pouch and tied to the pockets of her undergarments. The pouch with six coins was then stuffed into her coat. She would use it to buy things later.


    After hiding the silver, she drove the donkey cart towards the direction of the market. On the way, she was still thinking about Zhuang Zhuang and wondering if he had taken his meal.


    The donkey cart clattered towards the entrance of the market and could go no further beyond it. Xiaoguo got off the cart and tied the donkey to a tree before entering the marketplace. It was still early and Xiaoguo walked from stall to stall, thinking about the things she needed to buy. She had to get books, paper, and writing materials for Zhuang Zhuang as these were necessities. They had run out of rice and noodles at home and there was also no meat left in the house. She needed to buy fabrics to make clothes for Zhuang Zhuang and also get new shoes for him. Then there were vegetable seeds, fresh vegetables, and the list went on¡­ .


    Xiaoguo, who was shopping in the olden times for the first time, was in high spirits. The last time she came, she was too shy to buy anything. This time, she had money in her pocket, so she is going to buy a lot of things.


    The dazzling array of vegetables and steaming hot food made Xiaoguo feel right at home.


    In this era, the prices of goods were ridiculously low. One could buy a lot of things with just a few copper coins. The last time Xiaoguo wandered around, she came across a stall selling fabrics. A meter of cloth only costs five copper coins. This time, she had to buy more things no matter what.


    Xiaoguo first arrived at a bookstore. As soon as she entered the stall, someone greeted her. Even though Xiaoguo was dressed like a village woman, the shop owner did not look down on her. He patiently asked what Xiaoguo wanted to buy¡ªXiaoguo was very satisfied by his service.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with these three books.¡± Xiaoguo pointed to the three books the man had picked out for her. He had recommended them when Xiaoguo had asked him about some introductory books. The book titles were a hundred family names, a thousand classic characters, and three-character scriptures.


    The man nimbly packed the three books and continued to ask Xiaoguo if there was anything else that she needed. Xiaoguo looked around and asked for a roll of rice paper, calligraphy pen and ink. Buying paper in a roll was cheaper. She could just go home and cut it into smaller pieces herself. It served the same purpose.


    The man wrapped up everything and handed it to Xiaoguo. ¡°That¡¯ll be sixty wen,¡± he said.


    Xiaoguo paid for the items and left. She put the package in the basket she had brought with her and continued walking along the row of shops. Soon she arrived at the cloth shop. As soon as Xiaoguo entered the shop, one of the shop assistants lazily opened his eyes and looked at Xiaoguo with intense disdain. Xiaoguo frowned but didn¡¯t take it to heart. Now she knows that such people exist in any era.


    While Xiaoguo was looking around, the shop assistant did not go over to serve her right from the beginning. Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t affected by it and continued shopping. This shop was the largest in the marketplace, and had the most affordable things. This was what Mrs. Yang had told her.


    After a while, a woman came out from behind the store. When she saw Xiaoguo, she quickly walked up and asked her what she needed with a smile. Xiaoguo looked at the person in front of her and told her what she was looking for.


    ¡°I need fabrics to make some clothes for a little boy.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the woman brought Xiaoguo to another corner of the store and said warmly, ¡°This section is filled with fabrics that are suitable for boys. The colors are not too bright, and the material is very durable.¡±


    Xiaoguo spotted a bolt of cloth. ¡°How much is this?¡± Xiaoguo asked, pointing at a bolt of navy blue cloth.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the latest batch of fabrics we¡¯ve brought in. We¡¯re the only store in this marketplace that carries this fabric. It costs five wen a foot.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought it was affordable and said, ¡°In that case, give me three feet of it. And I would like three feet of this and this too¡­ ¡±


    Xiaoguo asked for three pieces of fabrics in one go. ¡°By the way, do you have any fabrics for making underwear?¡± Xiaoguo thought that since she was buying the materials for outwear, she would have to prepare some for Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s underwear too.


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± the woman said enthusiastically as she led the way to another section of fabrics. ¡°The fabrics here are meant for making underwear.¡±

 Chapter 39

    ¡°Please cut two feet of this for me,¡± said Xiaoguo, who had picked a white fabric with green stripes.


    The woman happily instructed someone to cut the cloth. Seeing that Xiaoguo had purchased only fabrics for children, she couldn¡¯t help but tell her, ¡°Our floral fabrics are pretty too. Do you want to see them?¡±


    Since she had to wait anyway, Xiaoguo thought there was no harm in taking a look. She nodded and said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    The woman led Xiaoguo to the counter and pointed to several bolts of cloth hanging above. ¡°These are the new range of dyed fabrics from our mill,¡± she said. ¡°Every design comes in vibrant hues and the materials are of good quality. The yarns do not fray easily.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought that the fabrics were really nice, and she really did need some new clothes. There were only a few pieces of garments in the cupboard, and they were all quite worn. She should make a few for herself too. Xiaoguo nodded and asked her to cut out two pieces of cloth¡ª ordering five feet of each design. When she left the store, the basket was almost half full. Xiaoguo felt a little guilty. There were still many things that she needed to buy. How has the basket become almost full?


    Without further delay, Xiaoguo proceeded to buy some vegetable seeds from a shop and went to a pork stall next. ¡°How much are you selling the pork for?¡±


    ¡°Pork meat is five wen a catty, pork shoulder, seven wen a catty. Pork bone is five wen a catty and pork fat, two wen a catty.¡±


    ¡°I will have half a pig¡¯s worth of meat, two pork shoulders, three pig¡¯s trotters, five pounds of bone and ten pounds of lard.¡± Xiaoguo ordered a bit of everything.


    The butcher began cutting the meat. While waiting for the meat, Xiaoguo looked around the stall. Under the chopping board, she noticed that there was a basin containing a pile of pig intestines. Her eyes lit up and she asked, ¡°How much are you selling this for?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sell those. The smell is terrible. I¡¯m going to throw it away.¡± The butcher looked at the pig intestines with disgust.


    Xiaoguo was delighted to hear that. In that era, washing techniques had not been developed yet, so innards would stink no matter how much they were washed with plain water. Therefore, no one would buy intestines to eat during that time.


    She was going to get a great bargain. Pig intestines were delicious. ¡°Tell you what. Why don¡¯t you sell it to me?¡±


    The butcher looked at her as if she were insane. ¡°If you want it, you can have it.¡±


    At this moment, the meat that Xiaoguo had ordered was ready. The butcher helped Xiaoguo pack and load everything into her basket. Xiaoguo emptied the basket first before putting in the meat and intestines. With the dry stuff on top, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about getting the books and fabrics dirty.


    Xiaoguo continued walking along the row of stalls and bought a few pairs of shoes.She also went to the grain store and bought a large bag of rice and noodles. She was almost done with her shopping. As she walked towards the entrance of the marketplace, she bumped into someone selling live poultry. Xiaoguo immediately decided to buy a few. It would be good to have meat and eggs everyday. Xiaoguo bought five chickens and two ducks right on the spot.


    By now, Xiaoguo was not only carrying a full basket. She was holding on to a bunch of chickens and ducks with their legs tied up, and clutching a large grass cage that she had requested from the seller. She was going to use that to make a nest for the chickens and ducks, so they can lay eggs.


    Xiaoguo walked happily towards the donkey cart. She had wanted to buy more groceries, but she realized that she couldn¡¯t carry them all. Even with the donkey, she might have difficulty moving everything home. Xiaoguo gave up the thought. She would get more groceries the next time. She then headed home as she hummed to herself along the way.


    Xiaoguo continued humming as she headed for home. She had clearly forgotten all about the ¡®other space¡¯.


    Just as the sun was at its highest point in the sky, the approaching figures of Xiaoguo and the donkey cart appeared in Peach Blossom Village.


    At this hour, there was no one walking around in the village, as it was almost noon and everyone was cooking at home. Xiaoguo happily drove the donkey cart home. When she got off the cart and opened the door, she saw Zhuang Zhuang and the two cows sunbathing in the courtyard. Zhuang Zhuang heard a noise and he quickly looked towards the door. ¡°Mother!¡±


    With a yelp, Xiaoguo caught Zhuang Zhuang in her arms as he raced towards her. ¡°Did you eat anything this morning?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang replied apprehensively but truthfully, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat. I wanted to wait for Mom to come back and eat with me.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xiaoguo was a little upset. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to eat first? I don¡¯t even know when I¡¯ll be back. If I don¡¯t come back until tonight, are you going to wait for me till then?¡±


    Although she knew that Zhuang Zhuang was very sensible, Xiaoguo still felt her heart ache for the boy. Fortunately, she came back early. If she had really come back in the evening, Zhuang Zhuang would have gone hungry until night time. This child¡­


    ¡°Mother, Mother, please don¡¯t be angry. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Zhuang Zhuang saw that his mother was a little angry and his voice broke into a helpless cry.


    Xiaoguo squatted down and hugged Zhuang Zhuang. She explained patiently, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m not angry. I can only put my heart at ease if you can take care of yourself. When I think about how you went hungry while waiting for me to eat, do you know how terrible I feel?¡±


    With that, Zhuang Zhuang rubbed his head against Xiaoguo. ¡°I understand, Mother. I¡¯ll take care of myself.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you Zhuang Zhuang, for thinking of me and waiting for me to eat.¡±

 Chapter 40

    Zhuang Zhuang broke into a smile. Seeing this, Xiaoguo pulled Zhuang Zhuang to look at the things she had bought. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Zhuang Zhuang. Let¡¯s see what good stuff I bought.¡±


    The first thing Zhuang Zhuang saw was the empty bucket. He looked at Xiaoguo happily. ¡°Mother, have you sold them all?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded happily. ¡°Yes, it was sold for a lot of money. Mother even bought you a lot of things.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang ran excitedly to Xiaoguo¡¯s side to help her unload the cart. Xiaoguo released the chickens and ducks first. As soon as they were untied, the birds ran around the courtyard and started flapping their wings. Even the cows were startled and began running. The donkeys also cried out, adding to the commotion. The courtyard was instantly bustling with activity. Zhuang Zhuang had never witnessed a racket like this before. He ran behind Xiaoguo and hid himself in fright.


    Once Xiaoguo had calmed Zhuang Zhuang down, she returned to the house and brought out the remaining grass they had. The flock of animals quieted down and they slowly gathered around to eat the grass¡ªall was finally peaceful again. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang both let out a sigh of relief.


    Xiaoguo moved the things she had bought into the house and handed the books to Zhuang Zhuang first. ¡°Look at the books I bought for you. There¡¯s also rice paper, pen and ink.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was overjoyed. He hadn¡¯t expected his mother to buy these for him. ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡±


    Xiaoguo rubbed his head in gratification. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯ll teach you to read sometime.¡±


    The books in this era were basically all written in the clerical script1. Xiaoguo was still able to read the characters and teach them to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang went back to the room and carefully put down the books. He touched the paper with his small hands. Although he did not understand the words that were written on it, he was still so happy. He could not stop looking at the books.


    Xiaoguo had to call out to Zhuang Zhuang, asking him to come out. The boy said that he was going to keep the books, but he had not come out yet. She had bought so many things and wanted to show them to him. Zhuang Zhuang finally ran out and he saw the fabric that Xiaoguo had taken out. He touched it happily. ¡°Mother, is that for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I will make some clothes for you.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded his head repeatedly, and Xiaoguo showed him the meat she bought. Zhuang Zhuang exclaimed multiple times as he had never seen so much meat before. Mother was just too amazing.


    Xiaoguo told Zhuang Zhuang to take the cloth shoes back to the house and she headed to the kitchen with the remaining items. The rice in the pot was still warm. Xiaoguo intended to eat this for lunch and would whip up something delicious for dinner.


    While Zhuang Zhuang was still putting the shoes away, Xiaoguo quickly used the ring and stored the meat in the refrigerator on the ¡®other side¡¯, leaving only the lard behind. She will use it for cooking in the afternoon. Just as she was done, Zhuang Zhuang had come back into the kitchen. He helped to pour the rice into the vat. Xiaoguo was afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would be hungry by now, so she stopped unpacking and got ready for lunch.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo finished all the rice in the pot. Xiaoguo let Zhuang Zhuang take a short break after lunch while she went out to return the donkey cart to Mrs. Li. She led the donkey out the door and walked towards Mrs. Li¡¯s house. In fact, there was another reason for visiting Mrs¡¯ Li. Xiaoguo grasped the three taels of silver in her pocket¡ªshe was going to make an offer for the donkey. Firstly, she would need to go to the market often, and secondly, it would also help to relieve the financial burden on Mrs. Li.


    After Xiaoguo voiced out her intention, Mrs. Li agreed without hesitation. Three taels of silver was enough for her family to tide through several years.


    Xiaoguo went home with the donkey, and gathered another cart-full of grass on the way. There were more animals to feed now, so she had to stock up more grass. When Xiaoguo got home, Zhuang Zhuang was still sound asleep. She took out the vegetable seeds she had bought and planted them. The seeds she bought were all for seasonal vegetables, and it was just the right time to plant them now. There wasn¡¯t enough plot space, so Xiaoguo extended the perimeter of the plot.


    Xiaoguo was quick with her hands and finished planting in a short while. Zhuang Zhuang had woken up as well. Xiaoguo called out to Zhuang Zhuang to go up the mountains with her. She was going to cut a few trees so that she could make a fence to enclose the chickens and ducks.


    Zhuang Zhuang sat himself on the donkey cart with a basket and sickle in his small hands¡ª looking like he was ready to cut some trees. However, Xiaoguo saw it and took it from him. She was worried that he might hurt himself, so she gave him a stick instead. Even so, Zhuang Zhuang was still happy.


    Xiaoguo walked beside the cart and held the rope, leading the donkey to the foot of the mountain. There was no need to enter the mountain after all as there were many short trees with branches that were just the right thickness for making a fence.

 Chapter 41 - Rendering Lard

    Xiaoguo urged Zhuang Zhuang to bring the donkey to graze on the side. She then harnessed all her strength to cut the trees. As it was her first time felling trees, it took her a lot of effort since she still wasn¡¯t familiar with the process. Having tried a few more times, Xiaoguo eventually got the hang of it and it became much easier. After a while, she had managed to chop enough of the trees. Worried that there may not be enough wood, Xiaoguo cut down a dozen more branches to keep as spare. She then tied up all the wood with a rope and called Zhuang Zhuang to bring the donkey over. With all the bundles loaded onto the donkey cart, they headed for home.


    Xiaoguo thought about building the fence this afternoon. She wouldn¡¯t have time tomorrow. She still had to prepare the ingredients for the potato starch noodles.


    Xiaoguo drove the cart home and quickly unloaded everything. Using a shovel, she dug out a trench starting from one corner of the wall, creating a slight arch as she went along. She stopped digging when she reached the latrine. The trench was quite deep. Zhuang Zhuang was following closely behind Xiaoguo and sticking tree branches into the trench. After Xiaoguo was done digging, she began to fill the soil back into the ground. WIth Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s help, the work was quickly done.


    The tree branches were just long enough to reach Xiaoguo¡¯s thighs. She could cross over the branches easily. Zhuang Zhuang had to stand on tiptoes to look over the fence. With the fence at this height, the chickens and ducks wouldn¡¯t be able to get out. Zhuang Zhuang placed one basket into a corner, and laid some hay at the bottom. With that, the nest for laying eggs was completed. There was ample space inside¡ªthe ducks and chickens could all lay eggs at the same time. Even if the ducks and chickens came in all together at night, there would be enough space for them to sleep.


    Zhuang Zhuang took out a spare, large basin and used it as their water basin. Xiaoguo threw a pile of fresh grass into the enclosure and moved the chickens and ducks individually into their new home.


    Next, Xiaoguo got ready to make lard. It was about time for dinner.


    Xiaoguo quickly cut the lard into smaller pieces. She filled a large pot with water and blanched the lard after the water began to boil. Then, she refilled the pot with fresh water and put in the lard that was blanched earlier. The pot was put on high heat. When the water had completely evaporated, the lard would turn into oil. At this moment, Xiaoguo threw in a few star anise and salt to add some fragrance. She removed a few pieces of wood and let the mixture simmer over a small flame.<Zhuang Zhuang did not leave the kitchen when he smelled the fragrance. He would ask his mother what this was, how to eat it, and how to start a fire for her.Xiaoguo knew that he wanted to eat it. She told him that it would take a while more and got him to play outside while waiting. Once she saw that Zhuang Zhuang was busy feeding the cows, Xiaoguo turned around and transmigrated through the ring. She took out a pork trotter from the fridge so that she could make a pork trotter stew. This pork trotter was big enough to feed two people. In a while, she would stir-fry a plate of vegetables in lard to go with steam rice.After deciding on the dishes for dinner, Xiaoguo began to remove the pig¡¯s hair. She used a flame and burnt off the hair on the pig¡¯s trotters. She then rinsed them and chopped them into smaller pieces before placing them in a claypot. Water and other condiments were added and everything was put over a small flame to cook. When the lard had been completely rendered, Xiaoguo scooped everything out and poured the oil into a ceramic jar. The jar was then set aside and left to cool. She added some salt so that the oil would last longer. She scooped out some cracklings and summoned Zhuang Zhuang to come and eat.As soon as he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice, Zhuang Zhuang threw down the grass in his hands and ran into the kitchen. He had wanted to come in for a long time. The smell was too fragrant. Xiaoguo took out an empty bowl and filled it with the fried lard. She then went to her room to get two taels of silver before heading out to Mrs. Yang¡¯s house. It was dark when she came out and no one would see her. She went to the door and knocked. After a while, the door opened.¡°Come in quickly.¡±When Mrs. Yang saw that it was Xiaoguo, she quickly invited her in. Xiaoguo pushed her aside and said, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is still waiting at home. I¡¯m here to bring you some cracklings.¡±After hearing that, Mrs. Yang saw what was in Xiaoguo¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh my, I was still wondering why there was such a fragrant smell.¡±Xiaoguo laughed. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? Hurry up and bring this in.¡±With that, Xiaoguo handed her the bowl and turned to leave. Speaking of which, Mrs. Yang had used this bowl when she brought them food the last time. It was a good opportunity to return it.Mrs. Yang called out to Xiaoguo, but she did not turn back and ran back home in a flash.Mrs. Yang had no choice but to carry the bowl back into the house. As soon as she entered the house, she saw a glint from the bowl of cracklings. By the light of the fire, she could see that it was a silver coin. Mrs. Yang was shocked. ¡°This, this¡­ ¡± She couldn¡¯t see it when she was outside. She saw the money clearly only when she entered the house. Mrs. Yang sighed, ¡°This girl¡­ shouldn¡¯t she keep this for herself?¡±Hearing the sound, Grandma Yang came out of the back room. She was curious about what the matter was. ¡°Daughter-in-law, what¡¯s wrong?¡±Mrs. Yang explained the situation to her. Grandma Yang was touched and said, ¡°This child is so considerate. We are so grateful for this.¡±¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Mrs. Yang and her mother-in-law were full of praise for Xiaoguo. Over at Xiaoguo¡¯s house, when she got home, the rice was almost cooked. All she had to do was to stir-fry the vegetables. She scooped a small amount of lard into the pot. Once the oil was heated up, she began to cook the vegetables. When the greens began to soften, she added the cracklings and a pinch of salt. It was now time for dinner.

 Chapter 42 - Reading

    The pork trotters had been simmered to perfection¡ªthe meat was wonderfully tender and the broth was rich and flavorful. On the side, the plate of greens glazed in oil was crisp and fresh. Zhuang Zhuang inhaled the aroma wafting from the dishes on the table. ¡°It smells so good.¡±


    Xiaoguo placed a piece of pork trotter into his bowl. ¡°Eat more if it smells good.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded. ¡°I love Mother¡¯s cooking. I will definitely eat more.¡±


    As the mother and son talked, the candlelight shone on their faces. The scene was warm and cozy.


    After the meal, Zhuang Zhuang got up to wash the dishes. Xiaoguo wiped the table clean and lit up another candle before placing it on the table. The room was even brighter now. Xiaoguo took out the books she had bought in the morning and prepared to start with the Thousand-character script. She took out a pair of scissors and cut out ten sheets of rice paper. The paper was then set aside and the inkstone was brought out so that she could grind the ink. Following the instructions given by the shop assistant, she opened the brush and placed it aside. Now she just had to wait for Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang knew that he had to study tonight, so he washed the dishes quickly. When he entered the house, he saw his mother sitting at the table waiting for him.


    Xiaoguo wrote Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s name on a piece of paper. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll teach you how to write your name first.¡±


    ¡°Jiang, Qingwen.¡± Xiaoguo pointed out the words individually to show Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang recited after her and began writing stroke by stroke with the brush. Xiaoguo opened the Thousand-character script and patiently taught him, starting from the first word. Xiaoguo understood the meaning of biting off more than you can chew. Therefore, she planned to teach Zhuang Zhuang only five words a day. The boy was also very smart. He could remember every word that Xiaoguo taught him. The characters that he wrote with the brush were regular and neat¡ªthey looked better than Xiaoguo¡¯s handwriting.


    Zhuang Zhuang was enjoying his learning session immensely. In the end, he only stopped reluctantly when Xiaoguo asked him to rest. He carefully put away his books and even carefully pressed on the book to flatten it. Then, he went to bed and lay beside Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo tucked him in and told him a bedtime story as usual. As Zhuang Zhuang listened to the story, he fell asleep. Xiaoguo blew out the candle and dozed off too.


    The next morning, the chickens began to crow. Xiaoguo got out of bed and prepared breakfast. After eating, she had to start preparing the ingredients and soup base for the potato starch noodles. After all, tomorrow was the day of the fair. She would be going there to sell noodles again.


    She got up and went to the kitchen. First, by using the ring, she traveled to the kitchen in the other space and took out a piece of lean meat. Then she returned and cut the meat into shreds before stir-frying it in lard. Next, she added boiling water with a bowl of rice into the pot. With a pinch of salt, she gave a quick stir to everything in the pot before covering with a lid. The pot was left to simmer above a small fire.


    While waiting for the porridge to cook, Xiaoguo took out some bok choy, chopped them into bits and rinsed them. They were then placed in a basin and mixed with white flour and a moderate amount of water. Then, she heated up a large pot and drizzled some oil into it. When the oil was hot, she poured the pancake batter into the pot and waited for them to cook. She made a total of three pancakes, which were all plated and served on the dining table.


    At this moment, the porridge was ready. She cut some chopped green onions and threw them into the porridge. After scooping the porridge out, it was time to eat.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang had also finished feeding the cows, donkeys, chickens, and ducks. He remembered his mother¡¯s words and went to wash his hands without having to be reminded. When he returned, Xiaoguo had already filled the bowls with porridge. He had come in at the right time.


    After breakfast, Xiaoguo took the opportunity to teach Zhuang Zhuang some new words. Before starting on the new words, she revised some of the old words that she taught him the night before. Xiaoguo took the book and handed Zhuang Zhuang a fresh sheet of paper. With each word that she recited, Zhuang Zhuang would write it down silently. After all five words were written down, Xiaoguo was surprised to see that he had not made a single mistake. Her eyes widened as she looked at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Son, are you the legendary genius?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tilted his head and said in confusion, ¡°Genius?¡± His eyes were filled with doubt. What did genius mean?


    Xiaoguo kissed Zhuang Zhuang on the cheek and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Study hard. I¡¯ll wait for you to support me when I grow old.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang understood what she meant and nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Then, he quickly got Xiaoguo to teach him new words. Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang could already remember the five words from yesterday, Xiaoguo went on to teach him five more.


    While Zhuang Zhuang was practicing his writing, Xiaoguo went to the kitchen to prepare the soup base. Just like the previous time, she used pig bones and mushrooms to make two different soup bases. She took out the pig bones that she had bought and the mushrooms that had been sun-dried previously. The ingredients were then subsequently placed into the pot to simmer over a small flame.


    There was still some starch left from the last time she made potato starch. This time, she would just use it to make the noodles. Xiaoguo kept aside a portion of starch so that she could use it for the fish balls. The rest were poured into a basin. While doing that, she thought of getting more potatoes later when she was done.


    After making the potato starch and noodles, she set them aside and proceeded to head up the mountains with a basket on her back.

 Chapter 43 - Acacia Tree

    Before leaving the house, she reminded Zhuang Zhuang to study hard. Initially, Zhuang Zhuang had wanted to follow her, but Xiaoguo would not let him. After leaving the house, she went up the mountains and followed the markings she had made to the lake. There were a lot of fish in the lake, but less than the last time. In the trap, there were only two or three of them. Repeating what she had done the last time, she forced the fish into a corner and slowly drove them into the basket.


    Xiaoguo went ashore and carried the basket on her back. She came to the trap which she had set among the woods. There was no prey inside. As she turned to leave, she bumped into the nest of pheasants that she had seen before. One of the big pheasants was staring with suspicion at Xiaoguo, thinking that she was going to steal its eggs. Xiaoguo was speechless. She snickered to herself and left the bird alone.


    She began walking towards the location of the potatoes. Unexpectedly, she found a Chinese honey locust tree on the way.


    At first, she did not notice it. However, after so many trips up the mountains, she had never noticed the tree. It turned out that it was hidden among a cluster of big red fir trees¡ªmaking it especially inconspicuous. This time, she only noticed it because she felt that something was amiss.


    Xiaoguo quickly ran over and was shocked when she arrived in front of it. The tree looked short in contrast to the towering trees around it. However, when she got nearer to it, she realized that it was exceptionally lush. The leaves hanging from the branches were abundant and dense. The tree also had a good height.


    She guessed that it might be because no one had cut its leaves in a long time.


    Although the tree was short, it was still a lot taller than a person. Unable to reach the leaves, Xiaoguo had no choice but to remove the basket on her back and swing the sickle towards the branches. With some strength, she managed to catch a hanging branch using the sickle. The height was just right. By tip-toeing, she managed to remove quite a number of fruit pods from the branch easily.


    Knowing that she had to leave some space for the potatoes, Xiaoguo could not fill the basket with too many pods. She let go of the branch when she felt that she had gathered enough. This time, she did not mark the spot as she could identify the tree¡¯s location.


    Xiaoguo carried the basket to where the potatoes were. She put down the basket and squatted down to pull out the potatoes. This time, she put the seedlings aside. She would bring them back to feed the animals at home.


    Afraid of crushing the fish to death, she placed the potatoes at the bottom of the basket before putting in the soap pods. The fish was put in next. Xiaoguo then placed the seedlings above everything and covered the basket. It was perfect.


    Because of the seedlings, the basket with its lid on, had already reached half her height. Xiaoguo gathered her strength and slowly stood up with the basket on her back. After steadying herself, she walked down the mountains in the direction of home. On the way, she picked some mushrooms and stuffed them into the basket. She would stir-fry them for lunch.


    When she got home, the fragrance of food was lingering in the air. Zhuang Zhuang had already learned five new words and was anxiously waiting for Xiaoguo to come home and check on his work.


    At this moment, he saw her approaching the house and immediately ran over. He was not in a hurry to let her see his writing. Instead, he helped her carry the basket.


    ¡°Aiyo,¡± Xiaoguo let out a cry and stretched her aching body. With the aid of her superpower, she recovered from her tiredness almost instantly.


    She washed her hands first before going through Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s handwriting. The words written were as neat as ever, each stroke was precise and clear.


    Xiaoguo praised Zhuang Zhuang and sat down at the table with him. Zhuang Zhuang closed the book and obediently held the brush, waiting for her to recite the words so he could write them down accordingly.


    The fishing village on the other side¡­


    Jiang Danhe warned Li Shouji, who was about to leave, ¡°Don¡¯t go to the mountains. I don¡¯t eat wild chickens.¡±


    Li Shouji reluctantly retracted his left foot and looked back at the man who was eating porridge. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Although he said that, he was feeling unsettled.


    Jiang Danhe knew what he was thinking with a glance. He put down the bowl in his hand and looked at him solemnly. ¡°This is a critical moment. We can¡¯t let anything happen to ourselves.¡±


    Seeing the tense expression on Li Shouji¡¯s face, Jiang Danhe softened his tone and said, ¡°I¡¯m almost recovered. I don¡¯t need to nourish my body. Please don¡¯t go again. If no one had saved you the last time, you would have most likely died on the mountains.¡±


    Li Shouji sighed softly. ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s all thanks to that man.¡±


    Knowing that he had given up, Jiang Danhe heaved a sigh of relief. At this juncture, they must not allow anything to go wrong. After this was over, he would be able to go home.


    ¡°When will the troops arrive?¡± Jiang Danhe asked Li Shouji in a lowered voice.


    When Li Shouji talked about serious matters, he couldn¡¯t help but put on a respectful expression. He stood up straight and said, ¡°General, three days at the latest.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded thoughtfully. ¡®Soon. Very soon.¡¯


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go take a look?¡± Jiang Danhe said after a while. This matter had to be foolproof.


    Li Shouji nodded. ¡°I will leave first thing in the morning.¡±

 Chapter 44 - Dont Blame Him

    Jiang Danhe nodded. At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Li Shouji asked who it was. Yu Zhizhi¡¯s shy and sweet voice sounded ¡°Brother Li, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Li Shouji had no choice but to open the door. When he saw Yu Zhizhi¡¯s face, his face immediately turned into a polite smile. ¡°Miss Yu.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi lowered her head shyly and walked past Li Shouji to Jiang Danhe¡¯s side. She scanned his face and thought to herself happily. ¡°He still looked as handsome as ever.¡±


    Afraid that Jiang Danhe would notice her looking at him, Yu Zhizhi quickly diverted her gaze towards the empty bowl on the table. What she saw excited her tremendously. ¡°He finished all the porridge I made. He must think that I¡¯m a virtuous woman!¡±


    ¡°Brother Jiang, is the food good?¡±


    As she spoke, she could not hide the emotions in her eyes. Her face was flushed with excitement.


    Jiang Danhe said insensitively, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    To be precise, it was not exactly delicious. However, she was the daughter of their savior after all. He could not be too straightforward. He still knew his manners.


    Yu Zhizhi glanced at Jiang Danhe shyly. ¡°What is this? If it¡¯s good, just say it¡¯s good. To think he is embarrassed to say that.¡± With those thoughts running through her mind, Yu Zhizhi had a coy look on her face and her eyes couldn¡¯t stop blinking.


    Seeing that Yu Zhizhi still had no intentions of leaving the room. Jiang Danhe could not help but look in her direction with a frown. However, what he saw was her incessant blinking. Jiang Danhe thought that she was experiencing discomfort in her eyes, so he advised her to get some medicine for her ailment. This elicited a snort from the girl in front of him.


    If Jiang Danhe knew what Yu Zhizhi was thinking, he would be speechless. He was just following his principle of not wasting food, that was why he had finished up all the porridge in his bowl.


    Li Shouji, who was observing all this on the side, couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. Jiang Danhe was such a straight thinking person¡ªit seemed like he needed some help from him. Li Shouji coughed to attract the attention of Yu Zhizhi, who was still immersed in her own fantasy.


    ¡°I say, we¡¯re not far from home. Don¡¯t you wish to see your wife and mother?¡±


    He emphasized the word ¡°wife¡± deliberately so that Yu Zhizhi could hear him clearly.


    As expected, Yu Zhizhi¡¯s face turned pale. Her slender hands tugged at the corner of her clothes. Li Shouji sighed in his heart. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know why Li Shouji was asking him this when there were outsiders around, but he was instantly distracted by those words.


    How could he not want to go back? He had wanted to go back even in his dreams. But he had a mission to complete and he did not want to implicate them. Moreover, he could not make an appearance now. Otherwise, it would be meaningless for him to fake his death. He thought about his mother and his newly-wedded wife at home. He wondered if she was still waiting for him or whether she had left. After all, he was officially a dead person now.


    Completely immersed in his thoughts, Jiang Danhe did not notice Yu Zhizhi leaving. Li Shouji, who was closely observing the two of them, heaved a sigh of relief after sending the dejected Yu Zhizhi off. ¡°This is for your own good, please don¡¯t blame me.¡±


    ¨C


    Zhuang Zhuang silently wrote down the last word and handed the paper to Xiaoguo. His eyes flickered with anticipation.


    Xiaoguo took it and looked through the words. She was dumbfounded. Zhuang Zhuang got them all correct again!


    In order to increase the level of difficulty, she had mixed up some new words and old words while testing him. She didn¡¯t expect that Zhuang Zhuang would get everything right. Could this child really be a little genius?


    Zhuang Zhuang wanted to continue learning new words, but Xiaoguo felt that since he was still a child, there should be a balance between work and leisure. She called Zhuang Zhuang to help her cook in the kitchen.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard that, he laid down his brush and put away the books. He then followed her to the kitchen.


    ¡°Shall I make you sweet and sour fish for lunch today?¡± Xiaoguo thought about the remaining fish she had caught the last time. Since she was free today, she could cook for him.


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Zhuang Zhuang nodded vigorously. Although he didn¡¯t know what sweet and sour fish was, he was still excited.


    After steaming the rice, Xiaoguo removed the last fish from the water and put in the newly caught ones. Fortunately, they were still alive. She had almost forgotten to mention them to Zhuang Zhuang.


    After knocking the fish out, Xiaoguo cut open the fish and scraped off its scales. She then washed it with fresh water. After shaking off the excess water on the fish, Xiaoguo made a few cuts on both sides of the fish and coated it with flour.

 Chapter 45 - Sweet and Sour Fish

    She poured oil into the pot. After the oil started to warm up¡ªwith each hand grabbing the head and tail of the fish¡ªXiaoguo lowered it into the oil. She slowly fried the fish on low heat. After a while, the fish was flipped over and left to cook. When it had turned golden and crisp, Xiaoguo removed it from the pot.


    The fire was lit again, and the fish was dipped into the oil for another round of frying. When time was up, Xiaoguo took the fish out. The oil in the pot was also removed and set aside to cool. She was not in a hurry to make the sweet and sour sauce. The fish would not turn soggy so quickly since it was just fried. She could work on the sauce when the rice was almost cooked.


    Then, she brought Zhuang Zhuang out of the house, and started washing the newly picked mushrooms in water.


    Zhuang Zhuang sat beside Xiaoguo and followed what she was doing. Soon, they were done with washing the mushrooms.


    Next, Zhuang Zhuang went into the kitchen, he placed the mushrooms on a cutting board and cut them into thick slices. He then cut some spring onions and added lard into the pot. When the lard was heated up, Zhuang Zhuang sauteed the spring onions in the oil. Shortly after, the mushrooms were then added in for a quick stir-fry. Once the mushrooms turned soft, Zhuang Zhaung added a pinch of salt and gave them a few final stirs before serving.


    While Zhuang Zhuang was bringing the stir-fry mushrooms into the house, Xiaoguo gave the pot a good scrub before working on the sauce. She added some lard, a handful of white sugar and half a spoonful of vinegar into the pot. This mixture was continuously stirred and cooked over high heat until it had thickened into a syrup.


    Now that the sweet and sour sauce was done, Xiaoguo placed the fried fish on a plate and drizzled the sauce over it.


    When Zhuang Zhuang returned to the kitchen, he saw that the fried fish was coated with a layer of glistening gravy. He carefully brought it into the house. His nostrils were filled with the endless fragrance of the sweet sour sauce.


    Zhuang Zhuang inhaled deeply through his nose. He didn¡¯t stop until Xiaoguo scolded him for being silly.


    After bringing the cooked rice to the table, both mother and son went outside to wash their hands. Then, they returned to the house and started eating.


    The first thing Zhuang Zhuang wanted to do was to take a bite of the fish. The fish was very crispy, and he was able to remove the meat easily with his chopsticks. It was deliciously sweet and sour. The skin had been fried to a crisp and the flesh was tender on the inside. He couldn¡¯t stop after taking the first bite.


    Xiaoguo wanted him to have a balanced intake of meat and vegetables. She watched as he ate the fish and added some mushrooms into his bowl for him.


    The two of them finished all the dishes and the rice. Xiaoguo was good at estimating the portions whenever she cooked. There was usually zero wastage and the amount was always sufficient for them to eat their fill.


    As usual, Zhuang Zhuang brought the dishes into the kitchen for washing. Xiaoguo followed behind him to check on the soup base.


    She lifted the lids of the pots. The pork bone soup had been boiled into a white and viscous broth, and the pork trotters had been cooked to perfection. With a light touch, the tender meat easily came off from the bones. The mushroom soup was even more fragrant. Xiaoguo removed some wood from the fire, leaving only a small flame to keep the soup warm.


    She then asked Zhuang Zhuang to feed the animals and take his afternoon nap when he was done.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and left the kitchen. Xiaoguo started to clean up the fish and went on to make fish balls out of them.


    She skillfully placed the fish balls on one side and covered them with a thin layer of gauze. After which, she rolled out the rested dough and potato starch noodles into long strips. These were then left aside and covered up.


    Then, Xiaoguo rummaged through the vegetable basket and realized there was not much vegetables left. After taking out what she needed, the basket was practically empty. The vegetables that she had planted were just beginning to sprout. It would take some time for them to mature.


    Xiaoguo washed the vegetables and placed them in the basket. There was still enough chili sauce so she didn¡¯t need to make more. Xiaoguo checked through the ingredients to make sure that she didn¡¯t miss out on anything. The preparations were finally complete.


    It was still early, so she had time to make more potato starch. Xiaoguo poured out the potatoes and soap pods from the basket and separated them. She placed the potatoes in the basin and set the soap pods aside. There was not enough time to make soap now. She would come back to it when she had some free time.


    After washing the potatoes, the skins were peeled. Then they were mashed, washed and precipitated. When everything was done, Xiaoguo had two large pots of starch water. She placed them aside and waited for them to settle.


    After the sedimentation was complete, she poured away the excess water and spread out the starch onto some rafters to dry.


    After finishing everything, Xiaoguo was feeling a little tired, so she sat by the stone mill and took a break.


    After a while, she felt much better. Thanks to her superpower, her waist and arms were no longer sore. Xiaoguo thought to herself that this superpower seemed to be quite useful after all.

 Chapter 46 - Going to the Market

    Zhuang Zhuang had just woken up at this moment. Xiaoguo got him to help with letting the cows and donkey out.


    Zhuang Zhuang happily took the ropes and skillfully put them around the cows¡¯ neck. After keeping them for so long, the little cows had grown much taller. Zhuang Zhuang had to stand on tiptoes to secure the ropes around their necks.


    Xiaoguo led the donkey out the door and walked together with Zhuang Zhuang to the river where they had been the last time. She untied the ropes and let the animals graze freely.


    The mother and son pair sat on the rock and quietly admired the scenery. It was undeniable that the air quality here was really good. Every breath inhaled was like a purification process for the heart and lungs. Right in front of them was a panoramic view of the emerald green mountains. Birds were chirping in the background and the river water was clear and bright. Clusters of fluffy white clouds floated in the sky, moving quietly in tandem with the wind.


    Xiaoguo was paying close attention to the animals in case they ventured too far away. Zhuang Zhuang sat in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and watched the sky. After a while, he pointed at a white cloud and called out to Xiaoguo, ¡°Mother, look. What does that look like?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked in the direction Zhuang Zhuang was pointing. It was an odd-shaped cloud. Xiaoguo studied it but could not figure out what it looked like.


    ¡°Mother can¡¯t tell.¡± Xiaoguo said truthfully.


    Zhuang Zhuang wasn¡¯t disappointed. He narrowed his eyes and smiled happily. ¡°That looks like Mother.¡±


    Xiaoguo was very surprised. How could the cloud look like her? She couldn¡¯t tell even if she looked closely. Zhuang Zhuang pointed at Xiaoguo and explained, ¡°Look, this is Mother¡¯s head. There¡¯s your hair and¡­ ¡±


    Xiaoguo was shocked by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s imagination. Through his explanation, it truly sounded like he was describing her.


    ¡°I think I can see it.¡±


    Xiaoguo was pleasantly surprised. She realized that the child was highly imaginative. She couldn¡¯t tell from the shape of the clouds initially, but Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s description was really vivid.


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled. Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to talk about what the other clouds looked like. Zhuang Zhuang thought for a moment and pointed at them. ¡°This is a horse. This is a puppy¡¯s head¡­ ¡±


    Listening to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s descriptions, Xiaoguo truly agreed with his interpretation of the clouds. They played happily for a long time. When the sun had set and the cows and donkey were full, they headed home.


    Before dawn the next day, Xiaoguo set off with the donkey cart. It was the same time as before and the location was unchanged. As she slowly approached the village, Xiaoguo saw that there were people already lining up in a row.


    Xiaoguo frowned. Could there be another person selling things there? Then she thought to herself that it was not impossible. If she had been able to set up a stall here the last time, others would definitely come too.


    Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and decided to look for another location. Just as the donkey cart was turning around, the woman at the front of the line spotted Xiaoguo. Seeing that she was about to leave, she quickly stopped her. ¡°Young lady! Young lady!¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know that the woman was calling her, but she turned instinctively when she heard a voice. She recognized some familiar faces among the crowd.


    The woman ran a few steps and stopped before Xiaoguo¡¯s donkey cart. She said breathlessly, ¡°Young lady, why are you leaving? We¡¯ve been waiting here for a long time.¡±


    When she got closer, Xiaoguo recognized the woman. She was the first person to buy from Xiaoguo the last time she was here.


    ¡°Waiting for me?¡± Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Come on, I was here first. Give me three bowls. As usual, one bowl of mushroom soup with chili and two bowls of bone soup.¡± With that, she took out her money and stuffed it into Xiaoguo¡¯s purse.


    When this auntie brought back the noodles for her family the last time, they were full of praise for the food. They finished all the soup to the very last drop. Knowing that Xiaoguo would be coming back on the day of the fair, she came early in the morning to line up.


    Xiaoguo accepted the 30 copper coins in a daze. The kind auntie even helped her unload the items from the donkey cart.


    Xiaoguo stood rooted to the ground as the middle-aged woman helped her with everything. With that, she just went with the flow and started selling right there at the corner of the street.


    Everyone rushed forward. Some of them ordered the same soup that they found delicious. There were also many who had smelled the food but failed to buy anything previously. This time, they woke up early and came over to stand guard. Once the stall was set up, they hurriedly placed their orders in case the noodles ran out again.


    ¡°Two bowls of spicy mushroom.¡±


    ¡°Four bowls of bone soup, two bowls with added chili sauce.¡±


    ¡°I want¡­ I want¡­ ¡±


    1

 Chapter 47 - Prince Zhan

    Fearing that they wouldn¡¯t have a chance to eat the noodles, everyone rushed forward. Xiaoguo felt a headache coming on from all the shouting. ¡°Everyone, please take your time. I¡¯ve prepared quite a lot of ingredients this time. I guarantee that everyone will get a chance to eat it. Do take your time and wait for your turn.¡±


    Under Xiaoguo¡¯s coaxing, the crowd slowly calmed down. Xiaoguo did not take the money from their hands. Instead, she made three bowls of noodles for the auntie first. After handing over the bowls to her, she accepted the money from the next person in line, and cooked the noodles accordingly. When she was done, she handed the food to her. ¡°Here, two bowls of mushroom soup noodles with extra chili.¡±


    The woman took the bowls and said to Xiaoguo with a smile, ¡°Your chili sauce is especially fragrant. My family loves it.¡±


    Hearing this, Xiaoguo gave her another spoonful of the chili sauce. The woman was caught by surprise and thanked her repeatedly.


    After the woman left, Xiaoguo accepted payment from the third person and started working based on his order.


    She worked swiftly and added seasoning to the fish balls and noodles. Soon, six bowls of fragrant potato noodles were handed to the man.


    Xiaoguo was even worried that he couldn¡¯t handle the food all by himself, so she paid extra attention to check on how he was coping. To her surprise, he had come on a sedan chair. As soon as the bowls were loaded up, two men hoisted the sedan chair and marched off with steady steps.


    Xiaoguo was speechless for a split second. The potato noodles actually had the chance to sit in a sedan chair. To think that she was still traveling on a donkey cart. She promised herself that she would definitely install a carriage to the donkey cart in the future.


    After retracting her gaze, Xiaoguo calmly continued with her cooking¡ªaccepting money with one hand and cooking noodles with the other. Very soon, only half of the queue was left. But every now and then, a few passers-by would join the queue as they had been attracted by the fragrance.


    Xiaoguo was glad that she had prepared a lot of ingredients. Otherwise, it would have been hard to fulfill the orders.


    ¨C


    In the study of Prince Zhan¡¯s residence, a handsome man in a green robe was brewing tea in a methodical manner. Li Shouji lowered his head and stood quietly across from him, waiting for the man to speak.


    The man poured the tea and placed it across the table. His lips parted slightly. ¡°Sit.¡±


    The tone of his voice was as cool as white tea.


    Li Shouji sat down respectfully and waited for the man to speak.


    The man took a sip of tea. After a while, he put down the teacup and looked at Li Shouji. ¡°How is Danhe¡¯s health?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, the general has almost recovered. The general asked me to come here to check on the time,¡± Li Shouji said truthfully.


    Prince Zhan nodded in understanding. He knew Jiang Danhe¡¯s personality. He was extremely cautious. He said helplessly, ¡°This man¡­ he is injured. He should be more focused on recuperating.¡±


    Li Shouji smiled. ¡°That¡¯s how the general is.¡±


    Prince Zhan smiled knowingly. He fell into deep thought. He and Jiang Danhe had known each other for three years, and they had a deep trusted friendship. Jiang Danhe had been keeping busy carrying out the plans of the Prince. Now that it was almost time to reel in the net, it was only right for him to be cautious.


    Prince Zhan then handed a letter to Li Shouji and instructed him to pass it to Jiang Danhe. Li Shouji took the letter and carefully placed it in his chest pocket. He then got ready to leave.


    At this moment, the voice of a servant calling for breakfast came from outside. Prince Zhan generously invited him to stay for breakfast. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    Li Shouji looked hesitant. ¡°This¡­ ¡±


    Prince Zhan came to his side unhurriedly and patted him on his back. Without a word, he turned and walked out. Li Shouji had no choice but to follow behind.


    Sitting at the table, the princess consort asked the servants to bring in the food. The servants brought in three bowls and placed one bowl in front of each person. Li Shouji looked at the bowl in front of him in a daze. What were the transparent things inside? And what were the round white balls?


    Li Shouji¡¯s question was answered by the princess consort. ¡°I bought these from the streets. They¡¯re called fish balls and potato starch noodles. See, the transparent noodles inside here are made from potatoes. And these balls are made from fish meat.¡±


    Li Shouji was shocked. To think that potatoes could become transparent, and fish meat could be made into meatballs. It was magical. After the prince and the princess started eating, Li Shouji hurriedly picked up the fishball with his chopsticks and took a bite.


    Hmm¡­


    It was such a smooth and tender texture, this chewy meatball¡­ Li Shouji took a sip of the soup. As soon as the soup went down his throat, the domineering fragrance traversed through his entire body.


    Li Shouji took one sip after another.


    When Prince Zhan put down his chopsticks, Li Shouji put down the empty bowl in his hand. He asked, ¡°Your Highness, where can I buy these fish balls and potato noodles? I want to bring some back for the general. He has been sick recently and must have gotten sick of drinking tasteless porridge.¡±


    Prince Zhan laughed. ¡°You are always looking out for him.¡±


    Li Shouji smiled shyly. ¡°That¡¯s right! I think about him all the time. I¡¯ll go eat at the place, and buy a bowl for the general. That¡¯s what I am going to do!¡±


    Prince Zhan didn¡¯t know about Li Shouji¡¯s tricks. He told him the address and gave him a lunch box before leaving.


    Li Shouji took the container in confusion and thanked the Prince. He rode his horse to the given address where the potato noodles were sold.

 Chapter 48 - Negotiating a Deal

    Li Shouji followed the address and arrived at the entrance of the street. He didn¡¯t know the exact location, but when he walked towards the direction of the crowd, he found the stall.


    Li Shouji dismounted and tied his horse to a corner. Then, he carried the food container to the stall.


    It took him a long time to squeeze through the crowd. Li Shouji stood still and saw that it was a beautiful young lady who was selling the noodles. He was a little surprised. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Two bowls.¡±


    Xiaoguo was busy cooking the noodles when she heard someone saying out his incomplete order. She looked up curiously at the man. He had dark skin and a square shaped face. Sitting above his big, clear eyes were a pair of thick bristly eyebrows. He exuded an aura of righteousness. After taking a good look, Xiaoguo lowered her head and said, ¡°You will need to wait a while.¡±


    Li Shouji coughed in embarrassment and snapped out of his daze. This young lady looked even prettier when she looked up.


    Soon, realizing what was actually running through his mind, Li Shouji despised himself for judging the appearances of others.


    Xiaoguo picked up the pace and cooked the noodles bowl by bowl. When her soup had almost run out, it was Li Shouji¡¯s turn.


    Seeing that there was not much ingredients left, Xiaoguo apologized to the people who had just joined the queue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The noodles are sold out today. Please come back here the day after tomorrow. I¡¯ll be here early. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    When the crowd dispersed unhappily, Li Shouji was also about to leave. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. Seeing that Li Shouji was getting ready to leave, Xiaoguo hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t you want your order anymore?¡±


    Li Shouji stopped in shock. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there were no more?¡±


    Xiaoguo said helplessly, ¡°The last two bowls are for you.¡±


    Li Shouji immediately knew what she meant. He happily opened the food containers and handed it to Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo asked him what soup base he wanted.


    Li Shouji thought for a moment and felt that the bone soup he had this morning was delicious. He asked for two bowls of bone soup.


    Xiaoguo was delighted. There was just enough bone soup left. The mushroom soup had run out earlier. She uncovered the basket and took out all the remaining ingredients. Then she put them all into the pot. There were just enough for two bowls.


    Xiaoguo put the potato noodles into a bowl and felt that the ingredients were slightly lacking. Not wanting to shortchange her customer, Xiaoguo added two large pieces of the pork bones from the soup and explained the situation to him.


    Li Shouji nodded to acknowledge her words. Xiaoguo charged him the original price of twenty copper coins. She did not ask for more money just because two pork bones were added. Li Shouji took the food containers in satisfaction and rode his horse towards the fishing village.


    Xiaoguo carried the empty pot back to the cart, and packed up everything. Holding on to her heavy money bag, she happily headed for home.


    Xiaoguo was so happy that she couldn¡¯t stop smiling. This time round, the total amount she made was half times more than what she made the last time. She kept the money carefully in a pocket under her coat. Just as Xiaoguo walked out of the alley, she heard shouts behind her.


    Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and looked back at the person approaching her.


    A man in a gray robe, who was about forty years of age, grabbed onto Xiaoguo¡¯s donkey cart and leaned against it. He was panting heavily. ¡°Wait a moment. Our¡­ our boss wants to talk to you about a deal.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the man, who was panting heavily. She looked in the direction he was pointing. Not far behind her, there was a noodle shop filled with antique decorations, and not a single customer was in sight.


    Xiaoguo squinted hard to see the dusty words on the plaque¡ªRuyi Noodle Restaurant.


    ¡°Business with her? What kind of business?¡±


    The street was bustling with people, hence Xiaoguo was not worried about them trying any tricks. She parked the donkey cart and followed the shop assistant into the eatery. A woman in the noodle shop was pacing around anxiously. When she saw Xiaoguo enter, she walked towards her happily.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the owner of Ruyi Noodle Restaurant, Xu Ruyi.¡±


    Xiaoguo was feeling a little puzzled as she watched the woman eagerly introduced herself. ¡°Hello.¡±


    The waiter, who had just invited Xiaoguo over, brought out two cups of tea from the back of the restaurant. He gave a cough to remind Xu Ruyi, who was standing there in a daze. Xu Ruyi heard him and patted her head. She said distractedly, ¡°Quick, quick, please sit.¡±


    Xiaoguo sat down and looked at the woman, who seemed to be in a hurry. She sat down quietly and waited for the woman to speak.

 Chapter 49 - Signing the Contract

    ¡°Uh, I want to buy your recipe.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Xiaoguo spluttered. What was wrong with this person? Why was she so straightforward?


    ¡°It¡¯s like this. Don¡¯t get too excited. Listen to me¡­ ¡± Xu Ruyi slowly recounted her experience.


    Though she found it absurd, Xiaoguo listened to what the woman had to say. When she finished, Xiaoguo nodded. She understood now.


    The situation was like this. The noodle shop was named after Xu Ruyi by her father. When Xu Ruyi was born, her mother passed away. Ever since, the father and daughter only had each other to rely on. They made a living by running the noodle shop. Business was good but about half a year ago, Father Xu passed away. After which, the family business began to decline.


    Even until today, when people passed by the place, they would not stop to take a look. Xu Ruyi tried her best to replicate the noodle making process using her father¡¯s techniques, But the noodles just didn¡¯t turn out well. If she were to continue the business in this manner, she was afraid that they would close down very soon.


    However, Xu Ruyi didn¡¯t want to wind up the business that her father had worked so hard to build. Without money in her account, she couldn¡¯t pay the employees. All the employees in the shop had left, with the exception of one who had been around since the shop was set up. However, the two of them now have problems filling their stomachs.


    One day, when Xu Ruyi was feeling disheartened, she saw Xiaoguo selling potato starch noodles. Attracted by the aroma, Xu Ruyi spent all the ten copper coins she had left to buy a bowl. Once she started eating, she could not stop. Hence, she toyed with the idea of buying the recipe from Xiaoguo, in order to revive the Ruyi Noodle Restaurant.


    Xu Ruyi had secretly observed her stall operations from the side. Xiaoguo charged ten copper coins for a bowl of noodles. Every customer ordered at least two bowls each time. She should have made at least a few taels of silver from that one trip.


    After listening to her story, Xiaoguo¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but she was quietly thinking it through. Then, she asked a question unhurriedly, ¡°If you don¡¯t have any money left, how are you going to buy my recipe?¡± As she spoke, Xiaoguo looked straight into Xu Ruyi¡¯s eyes.


    When Xu Ruyi heard this, her eyes flickered. Then, she suddenly had a decided look on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the deed!¡±


    She took out the deed and handed it to Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo took it and looked at it before putting it down on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t need your deed.¡±


    Xu Ruyi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and her face was filled with disappointment. This was the most valuable thing she could offer, but¡­ was it still not enough?


    Xiaoguo spoke again. ¡°I can give you the recipe.¡± Xu Ruyi was instantly revived when she heard this. She looked at Xiaoguo with hope in her eyes. After a while, Xiaoguo said again, ¡°But I want to be a shareholder.¡±


    ¡°A shareholder?¡± Xu Ruyi didn¡¯t understand and looked at Xiaoguo in confusion.


    Xiaoguo put down the cup and said to her, ¡°To put it simply, I¡¯ll give you the recipe. You can give me a share of the money you make from the potato noodles each month.¡±


    Xu Ruyi understood what she was saying. She swallowed and asked cautiously, ¡°How much do you want for the shares?¡±


    Xiaoguo was silent. After a while, she said, ¡°Forty percent.¡± After all, she didn¡¯t have to come up with anything. The other party had more liabilities. Forty percent is just about right.


    Xu Ruyi did not speak and worked the sums with an abacus for a while. In the end, she put down the abacus and said, ¡°Deal!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let¡¯s sign the contract first.¡± Xiaoguo stopped Xu Ruyi, who was eager to learn the recipe. One had to be careful when doing business.


    Xiaoguo finished writing two contracts and handed them to the other party to check. Xu Ruyi looked over them carefully and signed her name. Seeing that Xu Ruyi was about to hand over the signed contracts, Xiaoguo reminded her. ¡°Your personal stamp hasn¡¯t been stamped yet.¡±


    Xu Ruyi blushed and remembered that she still had a personal seal. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I forgot about it. I only need to stamp with the seal for the monthly accounts. But I haven¡¯t had any accounts to clear yet¡­¡± With that, she quickly went to the cashier and took out her seal. She stamped firmly on the two contracts.


    Xiaoguo assured her that it was okay. She took the contracts from Xu Ruyi and gave them a final check. When she was sure that there were no problems, she signed her name and used Xu Ruyi¡¯s ink pad to make a handprint.


    One contract for each of them. Xiaoguo kept hers away, and borrowed a brush and paper to write out every step of the recipe in detail. She wrote down the preparation of the potato starch and the fish balls. The things to take note of were also written down clearly. On a separate piece of paper, she wrote down the recipes for the soup bases. Just by listing out the spices and the quantity required for each of them, she had already filled up half a piece of paper.


    She handed the few pieces of paper to Xu Ruyi. ¡°Study them first and prepare the ingredients needed. I¡¯ll come over tomorrow morning to teach you how to make fish balls and potato starch.¡±


    Xu Ruyi held the paper carefully as if she was holding a gold bar. She nodded repeatedly at Xiaoguo¡¯s words. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll prepare it immediately. When you come tomorrow, I promise that everything will be ready.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and turned to leave. Zhuang Zhuang must have been waiting anxiously for her. As she thought about her son, Xiaoguo hurried towards Peach Blossom Village without further delay.

 Chapter 50 - The Common Enemy Qin Xiaoguo

    With a great sense of satisfaction, Xiaoguo headed home with two pieces of paper in her hands. Why were there two pieces of paper? One was a contract, and the other was a guarantee from Xu Ruyi.


    The guarantee was as follows: If Xu Ruyi breaks the contract, the Ruyi Noodle Restaurant will be transferred to Qin Xiaoguo as compensation.


    Signed: Xu Ruyi, stamped.


    Xiaoguo had her own considerations. Firstly, it took a lot of effort to make the potato starch noodles. Secondly, there was no way to guarantee that the ingredients would always be available in the long run. After all, the supply of potatoes in the mountains was limited. It was the same for the fish. If she were to purchase these on her own, she would not be able to make much money.


    The third reason was that it was very time-consuming for her to make potato starch noodles alone. An entire day was needed to prepare the ingredients. Therefore, she could only set up the stall once every two days. While she was selling potato noodles today, she heard someone complaining about her stall returning only after two days.


    Of course, the most important reason was Zhuang Zhuang.


    She still felt that accompanying Zhuang Zhuang was the most important thing to her now. Therefore, investing in the noodle restaurant was the best solution. She didn¡¯t have to put in so much time and effort, and could even get a share of the eatery¡¯s earnings every month. Therefore, she should totally do it.


    She drove the donkey cart back to the village. When she passed by the village entrance, she bumped into Li Zhaodi with a few other women. They were sitting around and chatting.


    Xiaoguo could not be bothered to greet them. She drove the donkey cart right past them, but the group of women would not let her off so easily.


    One of the women spoke first and said in a mocking tone, ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ look at this person. She¡¯s still so fancy even though her husband is dead. Fortunately, all the men in our village have joined the army. Otherwise, hmph¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I wonder who she¡¯s dressing up for every day,¡± another woman said sourly. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t look like she had given birth at all. She still looked fresh and youthful.


    ¡°Who said that no one is watching? Don¡¯t you have an old man at home? Although he can¡¯t get out of bed, he¡¯s still a man.¡± Li Zhaodi joined in the chatter. After those words, the group of women laughed out loud.


    Li Zhaodi wiped away her tears of laughter and turned to pat the woman beside her. ¡°In my opinion, you should take her to your house when you have time. Anyway, your mother-in-law is gone. Who knows, something good could come out of it. Hahaha.¡±


    Not bothered about their image, the group of women sitting under the tree burst out in laughter. Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t angry when she heard their insinuating words. Since they didn¡¯t mention any names, she wasn¡¯t going to take it personally. That was just a series of their monologues.


    However, Xiaoguo was not going to let this go without retaliating. She pulled out her belt and whipped the donkey¡¯s butt gently. ¡°Ptui, you lazy donkey. You only eat and don¡¯t work. You¡¯re already so old, and yet you don¡¯t have any offspring. What a good-for-nothing. To think that I even found you a male donkey. In the end, you¡¯re just a hen that can¡¯t lay eggs. Ptui!¡±


    After saying that, Xiaoguo glanced sideways at the women under the tree. Their faces have all turned dark. Xiaoguo was happy to see them upset. She knew that the group of women were always fawning over Li Zhaodi because her man had become an official. Another reason was that all of them had a common enemy, Qin Xiaoguo!


    Why did they hate her so much? Firstly, it was because of her looks. Secondly, it was because she was married to Jiang Danhe, who had outstanding good looks. Lastly and most importantly, it was due to what Xiaoguo had mentioned earlier while scolding the donkey.


    The group of women and Li Zhaodi were all childless. Some of them had been married for three to four years but had never gotten pregnant. Therefore, they were extremely envious and jealous of Xiaoguo, who got pregnant after just one night of wedded bliss. It was obvious how much Xiaoguo¡¯s words had hurt them. Their mothers-in-law would often bring up Xiaoguo. ¡°Look at how hardworking and capable she is. And look at you¡­¡± These kinds of comments were repeated a couple of times a day. After long periods of listening to such criticisms, those who were ambivalent about Xiaoguo also began to hate her. Therefore, even if there was no Li Zhaodi, everyone would have gathered together to form a hate-group for Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo watched their suffering faces happily as she drove the donkey cart home. She even started humming in order to spite them.


    Xiaoguo was still humming when she reached home. Zhuang Zhuang was sitting in the courtyard with a book in his hands. As soon as Xiaoguo entered the house, he ran over to help her unload the cart. Xiaoguo happily praised him for helping. As there was no need for her to set up the noodle store anymore, Xiaoguo moved all the pots and baskets to the side of the well. She would wash them and put them away later.

 Chapter 51 - No More detergent

    Xiaoguo was in no hurry to wash the receptacles. In any case, she didn¡¯t have to prepare and make the potato starch noodles anymore. She had plenty of time on her hands. After dinner last night, she taught Zhuang Zhuang some new words. She had promised that she would come back to check on him today. Xiaoguo sat beside Zhuang Zhuang and recited while he wrote down the words silently. Worried that Zhuang Zhuang would forget the words he had learnt previously, Xiaoguo would bring up those words while teaching Zhuang Zhuang the new words.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t disappoint Xiaoguo. He still managed to get everything right. Xiaoguo rewarded him with a kiss. Zhuang Zhuang was delighted. She promised to give him a reward the next time. Feeling amused, Xiaoguo gave him a pat and asked him to put away his books. She then proceeded to the kitchen to cook. There was already white smoke billowing from the chimneys of the neighboring houses.


    Xiaoguo went to the kitchen. There was not much food left in the vegetable basket, and the vegetables in the plot had just sprouted. It seemed that she would have to buy some when she goes to the market tomorrow. While she was busy planning in her head, her hands did not stop moving. In the basket, there were still some potatoes, tomatoes and a bundle of chives. Xiaoguo decided to make some tomato braised noodles.


    She scooped out half a bowl of flour and placed it in a basin. This was just the right amount for Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang. She added water and began mixing the dough. After kneading the dough, it was set aside to rest. The tomatoes were then rinsed and cut. As she needed pork belly, Xiaoguo traveled to the other space and carved out a piece of meat from the fridge. When she returned, she cut the meat into cubes. At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang had finished feeding the animals and came into the kitchen. He sat on a stool and started to light the stove.


    Zhuang Zhuang heated the pot and added lard. He added some chopped spring onions and ginger to the pot and stir-fried them until they were fragrant. Then, he poured in spices and vinegar to stir-fry with the tomatoes. When the tomatoes had released their juices, a pinch of salt was added and the dish was plated. Zhuang Zhuang brought into the house. Xiaoguo then rinsed the pot and added water. While waiting for the water to boil, she began to cut the noodles. The rested dough was kneaded again before it was rolled into thin flat pieces. They were then stacked into layers and evenly cut into strips that were about three centimeters wide. Xiaoguo had cut out the noodles according to their eating preferences, because they both liked noodles that were wider.


    When the water was boiling, the noodles were thrown into the pot. Within a short while, the noodles were cooked. Xiaoguo brought the noodles back into the house. Zhuang Zhuang followed behind with bowls and chopsticks in his hands. They washed their hands and started eating.


    After dinner, Zhuang Zhuang washed the dishes. Xiaoguo wiped the table clean and returned to the kitchen. She took the dishwashing liquid that Zhuang Zhuang had put down and went to the well. Now that she has some time, she would wash up the receptacles that were used for her noodle stall.


    After he was done with the dishes, Zhuang Zhuang came out to help Xiaoguo with the washing. After squeezing out the last drop of detergent, Zhuang Zhuang said to Xiaoguo, ¡°Mother, there¡¯s no more of this.¡± Although he didn¡¯t know what it was, he found it very useful. It could remove all the oil stains on the dishes and chopsticks, and it also smelled good. He really enjoyed using it.


    Xiaoguo took the bottle and opened it. It had been used to the last drop. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll make some soap this afternoon. It¡¯s actually the same thing. Look at how many soap pods I¡¯ve picked.¡± Xiaoguo pointed it out to Zhuang Zhuang. He looked at it and realized that those were called soap pods. He nodded obediently.


    Xiaoguo brought the clean basins back to the kitchen. After putting them away one by one, she glanced at the kitchen cabinet and saw that there were some leftover cracklings. She had almost forgotten about it. Xiaoguo brought it out and looked at the cabbage in the basket. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make some pork lard cabbage buns for dinner?¡±


    After receiving Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s nod of approval, Xiaoguo got down to work! The sun would set soon. Xiaoguo prepared the dough and placed it under the sun. The weather was warm, so the dough should proof rather quickly. She turned around and went to the place where the potato starch was drying. She brought the starch cubes to the millstone and prepared to grind them into powder.


    Zhuang Zhuang wanted to help, and of course, Xiaoguo could not refuse. She knew that he enjoyed helping her in the kitchen. And based on her previous experience, Zhuang Zhuang really liked the feel of starch on his hands. Hence, Xiaoguo was not going to stop him.

 Chapter 52 - Bringing Zhuang Zhuang to Town

    Xiaoguo kept the starch that Zhuang Zhuang had ground into a jar and stored it in the kitchen. Then, she washed her hands with Zhuang Zhuang and went into the house to rest. Xiaoguo lay comfortably in bed and let out a long sigh. It had been a long time since she had taken an afternoon nap. She turned around and hugged Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Son, go to sleep.¡±


    Then, she patted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s back gently. After all, he was still young. In the past, he would usually take a nap after washing the dishes. Having been kept busy for the whole morning, he was so tired that he could barely open his eyes. He dozed off very quickly.


    When the two of them woke up, the sun was almost setting. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect to sleep until so late. She got up from the bed with Zhuang Zhuang and looked at the soap pods helplessly. It seemed that she wouldn¡¯t be able to make anything today.


    Xiaoguo went outside and brought in the dough. She opened it and saw that it had risen to double its size. Xiaoguo gave it a few kneads and put it aside. She took out the cabbage and chopped it into shreds for the bun filling. She squeezed out the excess water from the vegetables and mixed it with the cracklings. Salt and seasonings were added for taste. In the same time that Zhuang Zhuang took to boil the water, Xiaoguo had finished making the buns. They were then placed on the steamer rack and left to steam in the covered pot. Xiaoguo instructed Zhuang Zhuang to add a handful of firewood and waited for the buns to cook.


    Xiaoguo made some porridge for herself. She preferred to have a mix of wet and dry dishes. Once the buns were cooked, they could start eating.


    Zhuang Zhuang ate a total of three buns. Although Xiaoguo did not make them too big, they were still a considerable size for Zhuang Zhuang. Xiaoguo was afraid that he might be eating too much, so she made him stop. Zhuang Zhuang acted all pitiful and looked at Xiaoguo with his big sad eyes. Xiaoguo was almost convinced by his act but she realized what he was doing and said firmly, ¡°No!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang then dropped his act, and did as he was told to eat the porridge in his bowl . His eyes were still yearning for the buns on the table. Xiaoguo saw him looking, but she feigned ignorance and finished up her porridge while hiding a smile.


    After washing the dishes, Zhuang Zhuang was about to study when Xiaoguo stopped him and asked, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m going to town tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was delighted. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Of course.¡±


    After receiving Xiaoguo¡¯s affirmation, Zhuang Zhuang was very happy. He wasn¡¯t happy for the reason of going to town, but rather, he was happy because he could follow his mother. To him, being by his mother¡¯s side all the time was the best.


    1


    Zhuang Zhuang was so excited that he didn¡¯t sleep well the entire night, causing him to be in a daze the next day. Even while he was eating, Xiaoguo had to hold him and feed him. Xiaoguo teased Zhuang Zhuang in amusement and he hid in her arms shyly. Seeing this, Xiaoguo stopped her teasing and carried him onto the donkey cart. They then headed for town.


    When they arrived in town, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s big eyes never stopped moving. He looked all around him. When Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and got off, Zhuang Zhuang held onto her hand and alighted from the cart too. On their way here, Xiaoguo had told Zhuang Zhuang that she was not going to sell potato noodles anymore. She had found someone to sell the noodles and she just had to collect the money. From her words, Zhuang Zhuang concluded that his mother would have more time to spend with him.


    As soon as Xiaoguo got out of the donkey cart, Xu Ruyi came over to welcome her. She had been waiting for a long time. Before she could speak to Xiaoguo, she was attracted by the little bean beside her. ¡°Is this your child? He¡¯s really too cute.¡±


    Xu Ruyi felt like she was going to melt looking at the cuteness in front of her. How could a child be so good-looking? Xu Ruyi thought of Xiaoguo¡¯s looks and understood. The kids looked just like his mother¡­


    Xiaoguo nodded happily. Who wouldn¡¯t enjoy hearing praises of their son? ¡°His name is Zhuang Zhuang. Come, Zhuang Zhuang, come and greet Auntie.¡± Then she thought that it didn¡¯t sound quite right. Xu Ruyi wasn¡¯t married, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to call her Auntie. She quickly corrected herself and said, ¡°Call her Sister.¡±


    Xu Ruyi waved her hand, indicating that she was fine with anything. Zhuang Zhuang greeted her obediently, ¡°Hello, Sister.¡±


    Xu Ruyi was so happy to hear the word sister that wanted to laugh out loud. It is always nice to be addressed as a younger person. ¡°Okay, okay!¡±


    The three of them went into the house. Xu Ruyi brought them around to familiarize them with the environment.


    After the tour, Xiaoguo got to know the place better. Located in the front hall of Ruyi Noodle Restaurant was a cashier¡¯s desk, dining hall, and the kitchen. The backyard was connected to a residence. The old employee¡¯s surname was also Xu. Xu Ruyi and Uncle Xu both lived in the backyard. The two of them usually moved freely between the front hall and the backyard. Zhuang Zhuang followed Uncle Xu to play in the front lobby while Xiaoguo followed Xu Ruyi to the kitchen to work on the recipes.

 Chapter 53 - Sister Xiaoguo

    After preparing two sets of ingredients, Xiaoguo carefully went through every step of the recipe with Xu Ruyi, who was listening attentively at the side. They started working on the soup base first.


    After putting the lid on the pot, Xiaoguo lit the fire and instructed, ¡°If you want the soup to taste good, there¡¯s only one word for it. Simmer!¡± Xu Ruyi nodded in all seriousness.


    Xiaoguo continued, ¡°Usually, the base soup used in restaurants is always kept simmering above a flame. That¡¯s why their soups are always so rich.¡±


    Xiaoguo taught her how to make starch next. ¡°This step is very simple, but it requires patience.¡± As she spoke, she patiently taught her each and every step. ¡°It needs to be washed, peeled, crushed, rubbed, and precipitated.¡±


    Xu Ruyi followed her demonstration carefully, and went through every step seriously. In the end, the two of them came up with six basins of starch water.


    ¡°Alright, just put it aside and let it settle. The water is turbid now because the starch is floating in the water. It will sink to the bottom of the basin in a while. When the water turns clear, you can pour it away. Then, you can sun dry the starch at the bottom of the basin and grind it into starch powder.¡± After explaining, Xiaoguo moved on to the next step.


    ¡°The fish balls look simple, but it takes a lot of effort.¡± Xu Ruyi watched Xiaoguo¡¯s every move without blinking. She was intending to follow every step as closely as possible.


    When Xu Ruyi saw the freshly made fish balls floating in the water, she was overjoyed. She held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand excitedly. Her excitement rubbed off on Xiaoguo too.


    After teaching her everything, Xiaoguo was ready to leave. Xu Ruyi invited her to stay for dinner, but by her earlier chat with Xu Ruyi, Xiaoguo was well aware of her situation. In order to pay for the ingredients needed today, she had pawned the jade pendant that she had been wearing since birth. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed. Xu Ruyi was really a good girl.


    Xu Ruyi watched Xiaoguo leave the house. After spending half a day together, she felt that Xiaoguo was really a kind person. She was patient, meticulous, and gentle. She was just like the sister she had always wanted. Xu Ruyi watched Xiaoguo get into the donkey cart and hesitated before calling out to her. ¡°Uh, can I call you Sister Xiaoguo?¡± After saying that, she felt rather embarrassed. She had a carefree personality and was not used to hanging out with those dainty and gentle girls from humble families. That was why she never had many friends since she was young. However, just within the span of half a day, she could feel that Xiaoguo was a very warm person and it was easy to get along with her.


    Xiaoguo was shocked, but she quickly said, ¡°Of course, Ruyi.¡± Throughout the morning, Xiaoguo had noticed that Xu Ruyi¡¯s eyes were filled with sincerity and seriousness. Xiaoguo was rather moved. She admired the girl¡¯s perseverance in trying to protect the business that her father had built up.


    Hearing Xiaoguo call her Ruyi, Xu Ruyi felt warm all over. Tears welled up in her eyes. It had been a long time since she felt such warmth.


    After bidding farewell to the two of them, Xiaoguo agreed to come back the next morning. She had to be there as it was Fair day and also the opening day for Ruyi Noodle Restaurant. Xiaoguo¡¯s mission tomorrow was to divert all those who were waiting to buy her noodles, over to the eatery.


    The eatery was not far away from the location of her stall, so it should be quite convenient for the people. After all, it was around the corner. From where Xiaoguo had previously set up her stall, Ruyi Noodle Restaurant was just a couple of steps away.


    Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart around town. Since there weren¡¯t any pressing things to do today, Xiaoguo decided to bring Zhuang Zhuang around as he had never been to town before. It also happened that there were many shops and stalls that were open for business.


    ¡°Son, I¡¯ll buy you anything you want,¡± Xiaoguo said generously. She had brought enough money with her when she went out. It was too late to go home now. It was almost noon. Although it was close to Peach Blossom Village, it would take some time to get back. They might as well buy food from here.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked around in a daze and pointed to a stall not far ahead. ¡°Mother, what is that?¡±


    Xiaoguo drove over. ¡°Sugar figurines, can I have one?¡± she said to the stall owner.


    Zhuang Zhuang chose a tiger-shaped one and looked at it in surprise. ¡°Mother, this looks like a real tiger¡±


    Xiaoguo saw that it was true. The drawing was really intricate.


    They took the sugar figurine and drove the donkey cart along the road. She bought vegetables when they passed by the stall and bought a few snacks for Zhuang Zhuang along the way.


    Just before the two of them left the stall, a man in front of the stall selling masks stared at their departing figures¡­ That child just now seemed to be¡­

 Chapter 54 - Could It Be Her?

    Li Shouji looked at the donkey cart in the distance and fell into deep thought. That child really resembled the General. Thinking of this, he retorted, ¡°No way.¡± Li Shouji slapped his thigh and felt that his thoughts were ridiculous. It might just be a coincidence.


    Li Shouji did not take this matter to heart. He looked around and did not find the potato flour noodles he was looking for. He returned to the fishing village in disappointment.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Li Shouji, who was standing in the room looking a little depressed. He found it funny. ¡°You didn¡¯t find the stall?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Yesterday, Li Shouji brought back two servings of potato noodles from town. The taste was good and the ingredients were novel. This morning, he went to town again, intending to buy more. But he couldn¡¯t find the stall where it used to be, nor could he find it at surrounding markets. He didn¡¯t know that Qin Xiaoguo only set up her stall when it was fair day. So he had no choice but to come back.


    Jiang Danhe smacked his lips. He was actually a little disappointed. The potato noodles were really delicious. He wondered if he would be able to eat them again in the future. After all, he was about to leave this place.


    ¡°Pack up. We¡¯ll leave first thing in the morning.¡±


    Li Shouji became serious. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Jiang Danhe took out the letter from Prince Zhan and clutched it in his hands. His eyes were filled with intense longing. He thought to himself, ¡°Soon, soon. I can go home soon¡­¡±


    1


    He took out a match and placed the letter on it. There was a quick burst of flames and all that was left was a pile of dust.


    Before dawn the next day, while the whole village was still asleep¡ªJiang Danhe and Li Shouji, both dressed in their armor¡ªwalked out of the door and mounted their horses.


    ¡°Have you left the money there?¡± Jiang Danhe turned around and asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, General. It¡¯s there!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Jiang Danhe got on the brown horse. With a click of his heel, he galloped off on the horse without looking back. Li Shouji followed closely behind.


    Half a month ago, during a mission, Jiang Danhe was chased off the cliff and fell to his death. In order to save him, Li Shouji jumped down the cliff where he had fallen. He had known that the cliff was not deep and there was water flowing below. Even if they fell, it wouldn¡¯t cost them their lives. All of this was part of their premeditated plan.


    They were both washed to the shore of a small fishing village, and were saved by Old Master Yu, who was fishing. Old Master Yu happened to be the village doctor. Li Shouji was not seriously injured, but Jiang Danhe¡¯s wounds were caused by real swords. If not for Old Master Yu, who had brought him home, his life would have been in danger.


    Before leaving, Jiang Danhe asked Li Shouji to leave behind ten taels of silver as a thank-you gift and also as a form of repayment for his care during this period of time.


    1


    While the sky was still dark, they made it to Prince Zhan¡¯s residence. When they entered the study, Prince Zhan was already waiting inside. When he saw Jiang Danhe, he immediately stood up to welcome him. He asked with concern, ¡°Are you feeling well?¡±


    Jiang Danhe cupped his fists. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Prince Zhan. I¡¯ve recovered.¡±


    Prince Zhan heaved a sigh of relief. Jiang Danhe was like his right-hand man. He also regarded him like a brother. This mission was very risky. It was extremely fortunate that he was still alive.


    1


    Li Shouji remained in the study while Prince Zhan led Jiang Danhe to another room at the back. He walked to a vase by the bookshelf and turned it. A secret door on the floor opened up. Prince Zhan walked in front with a candlestick and Jiang Danhe followed closely behind.


    A long staircase stretched into the darkness. The sound of their footsteps and breathing echoed with the enclosed space. With the candlelight, one could one see the layout of the space. When they reached the end of the staircase and had their feet on flat ground, Prince Zhan put down the candlestick. Then, Jiang Danhe skillfully lit up the surrounding candlesticks. In an instant, the room was fully illuminated.


    The space was thirty square meters big. In the middle was a sand map about five meters long. A blue flag on the map represented a certain place. In the middle was the palace. At this spot, there was a conspicuous red flag.


    Prince Zhan stared at the red flag with a burning gaze. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He could finally leave this place!


    Jiang Danhe understood why he was so excited.


    Prince Zhan¡¯s original name was Shao Zhan. He was supposed to be Emperor Zhan of the Shao Kingdom in the year 42 BC. However, the kingdom was invaded by the army of its neighboring country. Not only did they seize the throne of the palace, they also killed the emperor at that time, who was Prince Zhan¡¯s father. In the entire palace, other than Prince Zhan, everyone was killed. They took the lives of the emperor and empress, and all who were living and working within the palace. Not a single person was spared.


    In order to show his benevolence, the new emperor spared the life of the five-year-old Crown Prince, Shao Zhan. He was then given the title of Prince and was stationed in a small county, Yonghai County.


    1


    Without the emperor¡¯s personal approval, no one could enter the capital even if they were dead. Anyone who dared to go against the decree would be killed without mercy!


    The five-year-old Shao Zhan is now 30 years old. He had not left the county for 25 years. The emperor even sent many people to take care of him¡ªclaiming that this was done to take care of the young Prince Zhan. In actual fact, this was just a form of surveillance. Even the princess consort was personally selected by the emperor for the Prince.


    Shao Zhan had been enduring all this while. Under the new emperor¡¯s oppression and violence, the people were filled with discontent. However, when he got to know Jiang Danhe, he knew that the chance had come!


    First, he instigated the princess consort¡¯s family to become his own people. Then, he secretly nurtured an army that was loyal to him. Jiang Danhe was the leader of his army. In the past three years, under Jiang Danhe¡¯s leadership, his army had expanded to 300,000 troops. In addition to the army that he had instigated to defect, there were a total of 500,000 troops!


    1


    The small Yonghai County had long been unable to contain Shao Zhan. Just a while ago, Jiang Danhe killed a large central force of soldiers belonging to the emperor. This was like adding wings to a tiger. Even if Shao Zhan swaggered out of the county city now, the emperor would not know.


    Even the officials in the emperor¡¯s court were mostly planted by him. The emperor was still in the dark. With Shao Zhan¡¯s men covering for him, the emperor did not know his movements at all. This made things easier for him. He could take them down in one fell swoop! It was only a matter of time before he returned to the palace!


    A towering tree that had been hollowed out would collapse with a gentle shove, no matter how tall it was.


    After walking out of the secret chamber, Jiang Danhe was about to bid farewell. He and Li Shouji still had to bring the army to the capital quietly. In order not to alert the enemy, they could only set off in small groups. As time was tight, they had to make preparations now.


    Prince Zhan sent the two of them off with a smile on his face. This time, it was a sure bet!


    When they left the prince¡¯s mansion, they had changed out of their armor and put on civilian clothes. There were more people on the streets now. The two of them were dressed very plainly. As it was market day, there were many people out to buy goods with their horse carts, so even though the two of them were holding on their horses, they still managed to look inconspicuous. The street was too packed for them to ride on their horses, so they had to walk and lead their horses to the county gate.


    On the other side, Xiaoguo was walking towards the county with Zhuang Zhuang in her arms. Zhuang Zhuang was yawning sleepily in her arms.


    Seeing the words ¡°Yonghai County¡± in the distance, Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang gently to wake him up. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, we¡¯re almost there. Wake up.¡±


    They were about to reach the county gate and Zhuang Zhuang was still in a daze.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhuang Zhuang rubbed his eyes and looked around. He slowly sat up and yawned on Xiaoguo¡¯s shoulder.


    Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang on the back and saw someone riding a horse in front of them. She then guided the donkey cart to the side so as to make way for them.


    The person riding the horse was Jiang Danhe. When he saw that there were fewer people at the entrance of the county, he got on his horse. When he passed the donkey cart, Jiang Danhe took a glance from the corner of his eyes and saw a familiar blurry profile. His heart skipped a beat. She was¡­


    Then, he quickly turned around and only saw her back view. However, he saw a small head resting on her shoulder. The kid was yawning with his mouth wide open. His heart skipped a beat. The horse was galloping very fast. In the blink of an eye, the distance between them had widened by a lot. Jiang Danhe could only see a blurry shadow. He gave up trying when they got too far for him to see anything.


    He retracted his gaze and looked into the distance. Could she be his wife? Then he denied it and suppressed his racing heartbeat. No, no. How could she be in the county? It could be a coincidence¡­ But what if it was her? Could the child beside her be his¡­


    1

 Chapter 55 - Making Soap

    Xiaoguo did not notice the two people that were leaving the county. She took them for passers-by.


    When they arrived at the noodle shop, she carried Zhuang Zhuang out of the donkey cart and walked into the noodle shop. Xu Ruyi was already waiting for Xiaoguo in the noodle shop. Xiaoguo put Zhuang Zhuang down and asked Uncle Xu to look after him while she went to the street entrance to divert potential customers to the restaurant.


    Before going out, she asked Ruyi to boil the soup base. This will allow the fragrance to waft out to the streets. Then, she walked to the place where she used to set up the stall. Before she got close, she saw a group of people queuing up. Someone with sharp eyes spotted Xiaoguo. ¡°Hey, young lady, why are you so late today?¡±


    The rest of the crowd were attracted by her voice and looked towards Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo jogged over and explained, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Shall we walk to the corner of the street? I¡¯ve opened a shop with someone. Now, everyone can eat potato noodles at any time.¡±


    As soon as she said that, everyone was glad to do so. It was much more convenient this way. They followed Xiaoguo to the Ruyi Noodle Restaurant. It seemed to be everyone¡¯s first time seeing the restaurant, so they kept looking around the place.


    Ruyi brought out the pot of soup base according to Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions and let the fragrance be carried away by the wind to the streets. This brought in another group of people who were attracted by the fragrance This was In addition to the customers Xiaoguo had brought.


    Xiaoguo helped to bring out the ingredients from the kitchen and watched Xu Ruyi cook the fish balls. She helped her when she got too busy. The potato noodles were still ten copper coins a bowl. This was what Xiaoguo and Ruyi had discussed before.


    As it was a trial operation today, they didn¡¯t prepare a lot of ingredients. They would close the shop when everything was sold out. Tomorrow would be the actual run. With Xiaoguo¡¯s help, Uncle Xu and Zhuang Zhuang collected money at the side. All the food was sold out before noon.


    Among the customers who came, some of them brought bowls to take away their orders, and some of them dined in at the restaurant. After sending off all the customers, Xiaoguo helped Ruyi clear the bowls and chopsticks from the tables and brought them to the kitchen. When she came out, Uncle Xu was settling the accounts for the day. When she sat down beside him, Uncle Xu had finished doing the accounts. After he put down the abacus, Xu Ruyi asked nervously, ¡°How much did we make?¡±


    Uncle Xu pushed up his glasses and kept Xu Ruyi in suspense. He watched as Xu Ruyi stared at him nervously with her unblinking eyes. Finally, he couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°Haha, after deducting the money for the ingredients, we have ten taels and two taels of silver!¡±


    ¡°What!!¡± Xu Ruyi exclaimed in surprise. It was really an unexpected number.


    Xiaoguo was also shocked, but this wasn¡¯t entirely a surprise for her. First of all, they had prepared more ingredients than she did before, and had sold many bowls today. This amount of earnings is about right.


    Xu Ruyi held Xiaoguo¡¯s hands excitedly and shook them vigorously. ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, this is really great!¡±


    Xiaoguo was delighted. ¡°Yes it is!¡±


    There was nothing left for Xiaoguo to do. After all, it was their first day doing a trial run. It seemed that the results were pretty good. The customers who were waiting for Xiaoguo knew now that they could buy potato noodles at Ruyi Noodle Restaurant. There was no need for Xiaoguo to bring them around anymore. Moreover, Ruyi seemed to be getting the hang of things. Although she was slightly unfamiliar with the routine at the beginning of the day, she got over it as the day passed. Xiaoguo was quite relieved to see that.


    Before leaving, Ruyi thought about buying a few servants. If she had to do everything herself, she wouldn¡¯t be able to prepare more ingredients. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t offer her own opinions. Although she was the expert when it came to making potato noodles, it was better for Xu Ruyi to make business decisions for the shop. With regards to running a shop, Xu Ruyi would definitely know more than her.


    After sending Xiaoguo off, Xu Ruyi went to a shop that specializes in buying and selling maids and servants. If she bought a maid, the contract would be kept by her. She felt more at ease with this arrangement. After all, with the contract in hand, the maid could not be as fickle-minded as an employee. A maid would not be able to leave anytime like her previous employees.


    1


    Xu Ruyi spent six taels of silver on two girls who were about twelve years old. She found out about their background from the seller. They were servant girls who had grown up in a rich family. Their family had fallen on hard times and they were sold off for money. Xu Ruyi saw that the two of them appeared neat and tidy, so she paid the price for both of them and took with her their sale contracts.


    1


    She brought the two of them to the noodle shop and arranged accommodations for them in the backyard. She then briefly introduced the environment and gave them a quick lesson. After seeing that they understood what she was saying, she went out to buy ingredients. After all, they were opening for business tomorrow and there was still a lot to prepare.


    By the time Xiaoguo left the noodle shop, it was time for dinner again. Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang to a stall selling wantons. The two of them ordered two bowls of wantons and started eating while it was still hot.


    ¡°Mother, are we going home after eating?¡± Zhuang Zhuang asked vaguely as he chewed on the dumplings.


    Xiaoguo heard him. ¡°I need to buy some things after dinner. We will go back and make soap this afternoon.¡±


    There was plenty of time. The two of them finished their dumplings in a leisurely manner. After paying for the food, they walked towards the street with the donkey cart. Xiaoguo had read about the ancient method of making soap. She had two of the ingredients, wood ash and lard, at home. The ancient method also required alcohol. She didn¡¯t have alcohol at home, so they had to buy some. Xiaoguo also wanted to make some sulfuric soap for bathing and washing their faces. Sulfuric soap was good for its anti-bacterial and grease-removing properties. Lastly she needed to buy knotweed from the medicinal shop. This was for washing their hair.


    After buying everything she needed, Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang home. The donkey cart did not enter the house when it arrived at the house. There was not much grass left at home, so Xiaoguo took the opportunity to gather more grass.


    Zhuang Zhuang went home and brought the cows out to graze. Xiaoguo let him be. She entered the house, took the sickle, and brought the donkey cart to the river bank.


    The grass here was rather lush. Xiaoguo worked quickly and cut the grass. In no time, the entire cart was filled with cut grass. The cows had eaten their fill, and so did the donkey. Seeing that it was about time, they went home.


    When Zhuang Zhuang returned home, he took on the task of unloading the grass. Zhuang Zhuang hugged the grass in his arms and threw it down by the wall. He even remembered to feed the chickens and ducks. Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang could handle everything by himself, Xiaoguo went back to the house to get a pot and started boiling the soap pods.


    First, he washed the pods with clean water and placed them into a pot. She then added water to the pot and allowed it to boil. When the water was boiling, she added wood ash and wine. When the water began to boil again, Xiaoguo filtered the liquid from the pot with a piece of gauze cloth. She poured out one third of this mixture into a clay jar ¡ªthis would be used as a cleaning liquid to wash the dishes.


    1


    Another half of the soap pod mixture was taken out and placed in another pot, where lard and sulfur were added. This mixture was boiled and poured into a rectangular container after being filtered. It was then left in the shade to cool down. When this liquid had solidified, it could be cut into blocks and used to wash the face and body. With the remaining portion of the soap pod water, lard and knotweed were added. This was also filtered, and left to solidify. This soap will be used for washing their hair. Knotweed is a herb that helps with the growth of healthy hair.


    After making the soap, she gathered the soap residue that was left behind after the filtering process, and rolled them into balls. This could be used for washing clothes. She had enough residue to make a total of five balls and they were left on the windowsill to dry.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo, who had just finished washing her hands, heard a rousing chatter from the chicken coop. Curious, she went outside to check. Before she could step out, she saw Zhuang Zhuang running excitedly towards her with something in his hands. Xiaoguo held him and saw that his face was flushed with excitement. Feeling puzzled, she asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± As she spoke, she reached out and removed the chicken feathers stuck to his head.


    ¡°Mother, Mother, look!¡± He opened his palms and moved them towards Xiaoguo.


    There were two chicken eggs and one duck egg. Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang happily, ¡°Did they lay these?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Zhuang Zhuang nodded. ¡°When I went to feed them grass just now, I saw that there were two chickens and ducks still in the coop. So I went in to take a look. When I lifted the nest, they were startled and ran out. I then found three big eggs at the bottom!¡±


    As he spoke, Zhuang Zhuang handed the eggs over to Xiaoguo like they were treasures. Xiaoguo lifted her brows and said, ¡°See! Didn¡¯t I tell you that they would lay eggs in two days?¡±

 Chapter 56 - Beauty and the Beast

    ¡°Yes, yes! Mother is amazing!¡±


    When she first bought them, Zhuang Zhuang was always wondering if they had laid any eggs. However, after observing for three consecutive days, he was very disappointed.


    Hence, he went to Xiaoguo and asked her why they didn¡¯t lay eggs like the chickens in Xiaohua and Xiaohu¡¯s house. Xiaoguo smiled when she heard this and told Zhuang Zhuang that this was very normal. Chickens wouldn¡¯t lay eggs in unfamiliar places. After a couple of days, when they get used to the place, they would start laying eggs.


    After hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words that day, Zhuang Zhuang had been watching them closely. In the past two days, he had been kept busy¡ªgoing to the county and spending time studying. He had forgotten to check on the eggs. Just when he remembered and checked on them today, he saw that they had indeed laid eggs!


    ¡°Mother, I admire you so much!¡± At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang felt that his mother was the most powerful person in the country of Shao. She must be the most knowledgeable person here.


    Xiaoguo was a little shy when she heard this. Her eyes narrowed into as slit as she smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll know a lot too when you¡¯re older. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±


    ¡°And will I be a powerful person?¡± Then he added, ¡°Like Mother?¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is already a powerful person in my eyes!¡± Xiaoguo said seriously to Zhuang Zhuang, her eyes rested on him, and looked at him with sincerity.


    Zhuang Zhuang was very moved and nodded earnestly. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry! I will definitely become a powerful person!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded the same way as he did!


    It was nightfall and every house was lit up with candles. After dinner, Xiaoguo was sitting at the table and sewing some clothes by the light of the fire. Zhuang Zhuang was sitting at the side and working on his writing. Xiaoguo would look at Zhuang Zhuang every now and then as she did her sewing.


    After dinner, Xiaoguo took down Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s body measurements. The fabric she had bought last time was just enough to make two sets of clothes. Xiaoguo did not know how to make fancy clothes. She could only make simple styles like the modern wide-legged pants. The tops she could make were boxy loose types with three-quarter sleeves. It was a good thing¡ªnot only did the clothes look good, they were easier to make too.


    Zhuang Zhuang wrote the words stroke by stroke. Whenever he made a mistake, Xiaoguo would remind him. Zhuang Zhuang was very smart. He could understand everything she said, and she only had to teach him once. He was a very intelligent kid.


    Xiaoguo finished the last stitch and broke the thread with her teeth. Zhuang Zhuang saw what Xiaoguo was doing and asked excitedly, ¡°Mother, is it done?¡±


    Amused, Xiaoguo flicked his head. ¡°Not so fast. I just completed the top.¡±


    ¡°Then can I try?¡± Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes were sparkling.


    ¡°Of course. But have you finished writing?¡± Xiaoguo reminded Zhuang Zhuang. In order to enhance his memory, she made him write every word twenty times in addition to memorizing them. This had to be done every night. Zhuang Zhuang gladly accepted the homework that Xiaoguo assigned to him.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m done!¡± He continued to use his starry-eyes approach on her.


    Xiaoguo covered her eyes helplessly and sighed with a smile. Zhuang Zhuang was becoming better at getting his way. She really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Come on, put away the book and give it a try!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang quickly put away the book and stood beside Xiaoguo in a split second. He quickly took off his shirt and looked at Xiaoguo expectantly with his big eyes. Xiaoguo held the top in her hands and helped Zhuang Zhuang put it on. Zhuang Zhuang cooperated by maneuvering his body into the top. Very soon, he was wearing it.


    Zhuang Zhuang lowered his head and twisted his body left and right. ¡°Mother, do I look good?¡±


    ¡°It looked great!¡± Xiaoguo praised.


    To be honest, the more Zhuang Zhuang grew, the better he looked. When she first arrived at this place, he was dark and thin. Now, he had gotten fair and chubby. Of course, that was just relatively speaking. Now, his weight was actually just right.


    He seemed to have grown much taller and his facial features had become more defined. Initially, it was true that Zhuang Zhuang looked a lot like her. But as time passed, his facial features had changed a little. The bridge of his nose had grown higher and his nose had become straighter. It was different from her small and perky nose. From the side, his nose looked like a small slide, it was high and long from the bridge to the tip.


    Previously, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes and mouth looked exactly like hers. But now, it seemed that his dimples were the only feature resembling her the most. They both had deep dimples when they smiled.


    Xiaoguo loved to see Zhuang Zhuang smile at her. Just like now, he was smiling at her with his eyes narrowed and dimples showing. It was impossible to say how happy she was. With this thought in mind, Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang and raised her eyebrows. She said proudly, ¡°My son is handsome no matter what!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled shyly and wrapped his arms around Xiaoguo¡¯s neck. ¡°Mother, are you still going to tell me stories tonight?¡±


    Realizing that it had been a long time since she had told Zhuang Zhuang a story, Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you one tonight!¡±


    She took off Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s shirt and placed it aside. It was better to wash his new clothes before he started wearing them. Once she was done with a complete set, she would wash them together.


    Xiaoguo got into bed with Zhuang Zhuang and patted him. ¡°Let me think about what story to tell you tonight¡­¡± Xiaoguo thought to herself¡­ previously, she had only told him stories about enlightenment. This time, she would tell him a fairy tale. It would be educational too. ¡°Let me tell you a tale about Beauty and the Beast.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang got up immediately. ¡°Beauty and the Beast?¡± Zhuang Zhuang started to think of a beauty like his mother and a beast with a green face and fangs. He shivered. How could these two be connected?


    Xiaoguo smiled mysteriously and slowly opened her mouth. ¡°A long, long time ago, a prince lived in a golden and magnificent castle. He was arrogant and selfish. An old beggar lady came to the castle on a cold winter night and offered the prince a bouquet of red roses in exchange for a place to rest. Seeing that she was ugly and strange, the prince asked her to leave. The old lady told the prince,¡±


    Xiaoguo cleared her throat and switched to an old woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Don¡¯t just look at one¡¯s appearance.¡± Then she changed back to her original voice. ¡°But the prince still refused to let her stay. At that instant, the beggar old woman suddenly became an extremely beautiful witch. In order to punish the prince, she cast a spell on the prince and turned him into an ugly beast. She also turned his servants into various utensils. From then on, the prince locked himself in the castle and could only see the outside world through a magic mirror. The witch left him the bunch of roses. If the prince could find a girl who didn¡¯t care about his appearance before all the roses withered, he could return to his original appearance. Otherwise, he would remain a beast forever¡­¡±


    ¡°In a village not far from the castle lived a kind and beautiful girl. Her name is Belle¡­¡± Xiaoguo¡¯s voice rose and fell¡ªbringing the story to life. ¡°There¡¯s a warrior called Hugh who adores Belle, but Belle doesn¡¯t like him. While looking for her father one day, Belle mistakenly entered the castle. She volunteered to stay in the castle to save him¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was touched by Belle¡¯s kindness. Xiaoguo continued to tell the story. ¡°After getting along with each other, although there were still differences between the two of them, they slowly got used to each other without realizing it¡­¡± Although Zhuang Zhuang was young, he still blushed.


    ¡°In order to save Belle, the beast was bitten by a wolf and got injured. Belle was extremely touched. From then on, the two of them slowly developed a friendship¡­ Hughes knew that the beast lived in the castle and called on everyone to attack him. He came to the castle to challenge him with a fight to the death¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was also worried about the Beast. He wondered if he could win the fight. ¡°Belle rushed to the castle to give Beast the courage to defeat Hughes. But at that moment, the last petal of the rose wilted and the Beast fell to the ground, injured.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked sad. ¡°Prince, you have to hold on.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s voice continued, ¡°Belle ran to him and knelt beside him, crying and begging for him to come back to life. Most people would cry when they could not be a normal person. But at that moment, Belle¡¯s love and sincerity defeated the witch¡¯s spell. Golden light exploded and formed a ring around the beast on the ground. As the golden light faded, the prince had regained his true appearance. He was handsome again and the castle returned to its golden glory. The servants were also turned back into their original state. From then on, the prince and Belle lived a happy and beautiful life.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but cheer for them. Xiaoguo kissed Zhuang Zhuang dotingly and said gently, ¡°Alright, go to sleep.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang fell asleep with a smile on his face. Before he fell asleep, he was still thinking about the story that Xiaoguo had told him.

 Chapter 57 - Going to the County with Mrs. Yang

    Xiaoguo could now get her share of the profits at the end of every month, so she was very free. She didn¡¯t need to go to the market to sell potato starch noodles. Now, she cut grass at home every day, cooked, strolled around, and made clothes for Zhuang Zhuang, and studied with him. Xiaoguo liked this kind of life very much. It was a dull life, but it wasn¡¯t boring.


    During this time, Xiaoguo made a trip up the mountains and checked out the trap that she had set up in the woods. There was no prey inside, and there were no animal feathers or feces around. Xiaoguo guessed that the trap was of no use, so she threw a lot of branches and leaves to fill up the hole.


    One afternoon, Xiaoguo was putting away the dry clothes that she had taken off the clothesline, and bringing them into the house, when she realized that she had not seen Zhuang Zhuang around. She wondered where he had gone. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang! Zhuang Zhuang!¡± She came to the courtyard with the clothes in her hand and shouted for the boy.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice came from the kitchen. The door was closed, Xiaoguo did not try to go in either. She stood at the door and asked, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, what are you doing in the afternoon? Why is the door closed?¡±


    The sound of Zhuang Zhuang laughing came from behind the door, accompanied by the sound of water. He said in embarrassment, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m taking a shower. I¡¯m going to be wearing new clothes today.¡± In the morning, when Xiaoguo was hanging up the set of freshly washed and newly sewn clothes, Zhuang Zhuang was busy thinking about washing himself thoroughly before putting on the new clothes.


    Amused, Xiaoguo covered her mouth and giggled for a while. After calming down, she said, ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll bring them into the house for you. You can put them on later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Zhuang Zhuang replied.


    When she returned to the house, she took out the undergarments that she had made earlier and placed them on the bed. Zhuang Zhuang could come in later to put them on.


    Soon, Zhuang Zhuang ran in, butt naked. He rolled into bed and hid under the covers. From the bed, he looked at Xiaoguo and started laughing softly.


    Xiaoguo looked at him and burst into laughter. Just now, when she wasn¡¯t paying attention, she saw a bundle of white light rush under the covers. When she took a closer look, she realized that it was Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°The kid still knew to cover his private parts. Hahahaha.¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, why didn¡¯t you put on some clothes?¡± After laughing, Xiaoguo sat on the bed and wiped Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s dripping hair with a handkerchief.


    ¡°I cleaned up really well. I¡¯m afraid that I will get dirty again if I wear my old clothes,¡± Zhuang Zhuang explained.


    Hearing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sincere words, Xiaoguo was overjoyed. She dried his hair and set aside the handkerchief. ¡°Okay, you can get dressed now.¡±


    Xiaoguo handed the undergarments to Zhuang Zhuang. When he put them on and got out of bed, Xiaoguo helped him put on the clothes. Zhuang Zhuang obediently raised his hands and feet.


    ¡°Mother, these pants are so special.¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked at his clothes curiously. There was no big robe or belt. The outfit consists of only a simple top and wide pants. Although they were simple, they were so beautiful!


    Xiaoguo knew that people nowadays wore long-sleeved undergarments with long pants on the inside. They wore a robe on the outside and used a long belt to adjust the tightness on the waist. For Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s new clothes, Xiaoguo had instead sewn the straps directly to the waistline of the pants so that it could be loosened and tightened accordingly.


    ¡°This is the new set of clothes that I made for you. How is it?¡± As she spoke, she taught Zhuang Zhuang to secure the belt on his pants. After Zhuang Zhuang tied it himself, he asked Xiaoguo if it was done right. Xiaoguo praised Zhuang Zhuang for his efforts. She had always been encouraging towards him.


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo helped Zhuang Zhuang put on his socks and shoes. She had bought these shoes at the market the last time and had kept them aside till now. When she asked Zhuang Zhuang to wear them previously, he always said that he would wear them together with the new clothes. Xiaoguo eventually gave up and put them away.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. Mother, I¡¯ve never seen anybody wearing such a style before.¡± Zhuang Zhuang walked around in circles. He had tried on the top before, but he had never tried on the pants. Now that he was wearing them, Zhuang Zhuang felt so comfortable. He felt awesome when strutting in those pants.


    After changing, Zhuang Zhuang called Xiaoguo to go play with him outside. Xiaoguo knew that he wanted to show off his new clothes. Since she had nothing to do, she locked the door and went out with him.


    Although Peach Blossom Village was not small, there were not many places to play. There were some people at the entrance of the village, gathered together and chatting. They didn¡¯t really bump into anyone along the way. Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang to the fields and saw that the corn and wheat that had been planted a month ago had already sprouted. Xiaoguo went in and to see how tall they had grown. They were about a leg¡¯s length. In another two months, or even sooner than that, they might be able to harvest the crops.


    When the time came, she would turn the corn into popcorn and bring it to the county to sell. She would then be able to make more money. Xiaoguo happily led Zhuang Zhuang around the fields. After looking at both plots of land, she walked along the road and came to the river. At this moment, a breeze was blowing. Swaying in the light wind, the willow trees by the river looked like they were dancing.


    Xiaoguo sat by the river with Zhuang Zhuang and admired the scenery. In the clear water, she could see small fish swimming. There weren¡¯t many children in the village. Up until now, Zhuang Zhuang had only played with Xiaohua and Xiaohu from Mrs. Yang¡¯s house. They sat by the river for a while and didn¡¯t see anyone. Zhuang Zhuang then started pulling Xiaoguo and walked towards the Yang residence.


    Xiaoguo followed Zhuang Zhuang to the entrance of the Yang residence. Zhuang Zhuang pushed open the door and shouted, ¡°Sister Xiaohua, Brother Xiaohu!¡±


    Xiaohu poked his head out of the window and saw Zhuang Zhuang. He immediately grinned, revealing his big white teeth. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    When Xiaohua heard that it was Zhuang Zhuang, she put down what she was doing and ran out. She greeted Xiaoguo warmly and led Zhuang Zhuang into the house. Mrs. Yang was seated on the brick bed. She called out to Xiaoguo, ¡°Quick, come and sit! You haven¡¯t been here for a while.¡± As she spoke, she made space for Xiaoguo to sit.


    Xiaoguo walked over and sat down. Looking at the needlework in Mrs. Yang¡¯s hands, she asked, ¡°Mrs. Yang, why are you sewing so many handkerchiefs?¡±


    Mrs. Yang was sitting on the brick bed and there were many embroidered handkerchiefs scattered around her. She was holding on to a half-embroidered piece in her hand. Xiaoguo picked one up and took a look. Embroidered on the handkerchiefs were an assortment of flowers. Some of them had peony flowers, and some had lettuces. The handkerchiefs all came in varying designs.


    Mrs. Yang put down the needlework in her hands. ¡°I will sell them at Qingxi Street for two copper coins each.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. There were two famous brothels on Qingxi Street. The girls there loved to buy these handkerchiefs. ¡°When are you going?¡±


    Mrs. Yang looked at the handkerchiefs around her and thought that it was about the right time. ¡°Tomorrow is fair day. Let¡¯s go tomorrow.¡±


    It just so happened that Xiaoguo had to go to the county too. As it was the end of the month, the accounts for Ruyi Noodle Shop had to be cleared. She had also arranged to meet with Ruyi on this day. ¡°Then come with me. I have a donkey cart at home. You can save two copper coins.¡±


    Mrs. Yang was overjoyed. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± However, she couldn¡¯t recall that Xiaoguo had a donkey cart, so she asked her about it.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t hide anything and told Mrs. Yang about how she came to have the donkey cart. She did have a lot of trust in Mrs. Yang.


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she didn¡¯t look jealous. Instead, she looked very happy. ¡°This is great. You and your son would not have to worry about starving! This is great!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled happily. At that moment, Xiaohu led Zhuang Zhuang out from inside the house. Xiaohua ran in front of them and came to the brick bed. ¡°Mother, look at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s clothes. They¡¯re so beautiful!¡±


    Mrs. Yang only noticed Zhuang Zhuang when she heard that. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. ¡°Oh my, really. Why haven¡¯t I seen such a style before?¡± As she spoke, she called Zhuang Zhuang over and asked him to turn around, so that she could take a look. Zhuang Zhuang obediently turned around for her.


    ¡°I went to the county previously and saw someone wearing this. It looked pretty good to me. I came back and tried making it for Zhuang Zhuang.¡± Mrs. Yang believed what Xiaoguo said.


    Mrs. Yang studied Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s clothes as she said to Xiaoguo, ¡°Teach me tomorrow. I¡¯ll make one for Xiaohua and Xiaohu too. This will save me a lot of trouble as they were always dirtying their robes and sleeves.¡±


    Xiaoguo agreed and set a time with her to go to the county the next day. She then brought Zhuang Zhuang home.

 Chapter 58 - New Soup

    Before dawn the next day, Mrs. Yang knocked on Xiaoguo¡¯s door with a bag of handkerchiefs. ¡°Coming!¡± Xiaoguo replied as she turned around and urged Zhuang Zhuang to brush his teeth. She walked to the door and opened it. ¡°Mrs. Yang, come in and wait for a while. I¡¯ll fix up the donkey cart.¡±


    ¡°Hey, sure. Let¡¯s do it together.¡±


    With Mrs. Yang¡¯s help, the donkey cart was quickly set up. Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart to the door and called out to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m coming!¡± Zhuang Zhuang replied from inside the house.


    Mrs. Yang stopped Xiaoguo. ¡°Xiaoguo, are you bringing Zhuang Zhuang along?¡± Mrs. Yang felt that it was dangerous to bring the child along. After all, there were many people in the market.


    Xiaoguo knew what Mrs. Yang was worried about, so she turned around and comforted her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I brought him there the last time. It¡¯s fine. I will carry him along the way.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Mrs. Yang thought for a moment and was still a little worried. She reminded Xiaoguo. ¡°Watch him closely and don¡¯t let go!¡±


    ¡°Okay! I understand. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Xiaoguo turned around and smiled at Mrs. Yang, giving her a comforting smile.


    Zhuang Zhuang also ran out. He locked the door skillfully and handed the key to Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo took the key and put it in her pocket. She bent down and picked up Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Sister-in-law, sit tight! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Mrs. Yang held onto the board and laughed. ¡°Here we go!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang laughed when he heard that. He raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled when she heard that. ¡°Giddy up!¡±


    At Xiaoguo¡¯s command, the donkey cart rattled forward, heading for the county city.


    The donkey cart arrived at Qingxi Road first. Mrs. Yang got out of the cart at the intersection. Xiaoguo handed the bag of handkerchiefs to Mrs. Yang. ¡°Mrs. Yang, when can I pick you up?¡±


    Mrs. Yang thought for a moment and looked up at the sky. The sun had just risen, which was still before 7 am. ¡°I guess I will be here until a quarter past noon, at the latest. I¡¯ll wait for you here at noon.¡±


    Xiaoguo did a rough calculation of the time. It was about right. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll wait for you here at noon!¡±


    Xiaoguo left Qingxi Road and crossed three roads before arriving at the Ruyi Noodle Restaurant. From afar, she could see a lot of people queuing up. Xiaoguo avoided the crowd and secured the donkey cart on the other side. She could see the donkey cart from inside, so she was not worried about losing it.


    Seeing that there were so many people, Xiaoguo did not put Zhuang Zhuang down. She carried him into the noodle shop. As soon as she entered, she was stopped by someone.


    ¡°Hello, do you want to take-away or eat in the shop?¡± As she spoke, she pointed to a big sign at the door. She was a little girl of about ten years old. Her hair was tied up into two round buns with a red ribbon attached to each bun. There was a sweet smile on her young and tender face.


    Xiaoguo looked in the direction she was pointing. She had been so focused on looking at the crowd in the queue that she didn¡¯t see the big sign at the door. Xiaoguo slowly read the words on the sign: ¡°Special recommendation by Ruyi Noodle Restaurant, Fish Balls with Potato Starch Noodles, Mushroom soup or Pork Bone Soup, 10 copper coins per bowl. Please bring your own bowls for takeaways!¡±


    Good, good. Xiaoguo smiled at the girl in front of her. ¡°Give me two bowls of mushroom soup! Dine in here!¡±


    When the young girl heard that, she led Xiaoguo in. At this moment, Uncle Xu saw Xiaoguo and quickly greeted her, ¡°Shopkeeper Qin!¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know that he was calling her, but she didn¡¯t turn around when she heard him. Instead, Zhuang Zhuang saw Uncle Xu. ¡°Mother, Grandpa Xu!¡± Zhuang Zhuang pointed at the cashier table and asked Xiaoguo to look.


    The young girl heard it too. When she heard Uncle Xu calling her Shopkeeper Qin, she stood rooted to the ground in confusion.


    Xiaoguo heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s reminder and realized that Uncle Xu was calling her. ¡°What was he calling her? Shopkeeper Qin?¡± Xiaoguo looked amused. She turned around and said to the young lady beside her, ¡°I won¡¯t tease you anymore. I don¡¯t want the two bowls of soup anymore. Thank you!¡±


    With that, she carried Zhuang Zhuang and walked towards the cashier table. The young girl understood what was going on. She smiled at Xiaoguo and turned to serve the other customers at the door.


    ¡°Uncle Xu, stop calling me Shopkeeper Qin. Ruyi is the shopkeeper!¡± Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to call herself a boss. At most, she was just a small shareholder who came up with the recipe.


    ¡°Our Shopkeeper Xu specially instructed us to do so.¡± In front of others, Uncle Xu addressed Ruyi as Shopkeeper Xu, but still called her Ruyi in private.


    At this moment, Xu Ruyi came out of the kitchen with a tray with three big bowls on it. Seeing that she was unsteady, Xiaoguo quickly went to the cashier counter and put Zhuang Zhuang down. She instructed him not to go out and to stay there obediently. Zhuang Zhuang nodded and Xiaoguo said to Uncle Xu, ¡°Please help me with him, Uncle Xu.¡±


    After Uncle Xu nodded to show his acknowledgement, Xiaoguo took over the tray from Xu Ruyi with relief. Xu Ruyi suddenly felt the load in her hands lighten. Just as she was feeling puzzled, she saw that it was Xiaoguo. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± she said in surprise. It had been a long time since they last met. From the previous time when they saw each other, it had been more than ten days.


    ¡°Yes, yes! Which table is this?¡± Xu Ruyi knew that this was not the time to chat. Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s question, she quickly gave her the table number.


    Xiaoguo knew which table it was and brought it over. Xu Ruyi returned to the kitchen and continued with her work.


    When she wasn¡¯t around, there was nothing Xiaoguo could do to help. But since she was already here, she couldn¡¯t just stand by the side and watch. Hence, Xiaoguo tried her best to help whenever possible.


    When she was done, it was almost noon. Xu Ruyi finally had time to talk to Xiaoguo. She even introduced the two girls in the shop to Xiaoguo. The girl who greeted Xiaoguo earlier was called Ling Long. The girl who had been busy making noodles in the kitchen was called Fu¡¯er.


    Xu Ruyi even told Xiaoguo about their backgrounds. Xiaoguo listened attentively and felt that Xu Ruyi was really good at doing business. ¡°Ruyi, you¡¯re amazing. Your division of labor is clear and orderly! You¡¯re amazing!¡±


    Xu Ruyi said embarrassedly, ¡°No¡­¡± Her face turned red.


    Xiaoguo praised her sincerely. Xu Ruyi said, ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t say anymore. I¡¯m so embarrassed.¡±


    Xu Ruyi interrupted Xiaoguo¡¯s praise and turned to ask Uncle Xu if the accounts had been tabulated. Uncle Xu took out the accounts book and opened it. Xiaoguo could see the daily tally right in front of her. Xiaoguo did not bother to look in detail as she said, ¡°I believe you. Just give me the total amount.¡±


    Xu Ruyi did not treat her as an outsider. Seeing that she was so straightforward, there was no reason for her to hide anything. She let Uncle Xu tell Xiaoguo the final amount.


    Uncle Xu picked up the abacus, gave it a few sweeps and handed it to Xiaoguo. ¡°The grand total is 30 taels of silver and 60 copper coins!¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and was very surprised. She didn¡¯t expect to earn so much. Xu Ruyi laughed and said proudly, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Xiaoguo played along and said, ¡°I¡¯m very impressed!¡±


    Xu Ruyi laughed out loud. Xiaoguo also smiled. Seeing that there wasn¡¯t much time left, and that she still had to pick up Mrs. Yang, she told Xu Ruyi that she had another matter to settle besides coming to clear the accounts.


    Xiaoguo took out a piece of paper and handed it to Xu Ruyi.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Xu Ruyi took it curiously and opened it¡­ Then, her eyes widened. ¡°This¡­ This is¡­ the new soup base!¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°You treat me like one of your own. I won¡¯t be hesitant to share either. It¡¯s all written in detail. You can¡¯t go wrong by following the steps!¡±


    Last night, she used Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s brush and paper to write a new recipe for the soup base. It was a sweet and sour tomato soup base.


    Xu Ruyi was about to cry. ¡°Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°If you treat me like family and call me sister, I can¡¯t possibly let you down.¡± She took her hand.


    Xiaoguo explained the details to her. Seeing that there wasn¡¯t enough time, Xiaoguo politely declined her offer to stay for dinner. She kept the money and drove Zhuang Zhuang to Qingxi Road.


    At about the same time when Xiaoguo arrived, Mrs. Yang had also just come out to the street. Seeing that Mrs. Yang was all smiles and looking at her empty bag, she knew that everything must have been sold out. Mrs. Yang chatted with Xiaoguo along the way and they soon arrived home.

 Chapter 59 - Returning to the Qin Manor

    On the way back, Xiaoguo asked Mrs. Yang if there were any carpenters nearby. ¡°Mrs. Yang, do you know anyone who can build livestock sheds?¡±


    Mrs. Yang found it very strange. ¡°The livestock shed is very easy to construct. No workers would take on this job because there isn¡¯t much they can make from a single job, and the construction duration is short. Profits are low for them. When there were still men around in the village, the sheds were all built by them.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded, but this was a problem for Xiaoguo. What could she do if she couldn¡¯t find someone? Seeing Xiaoguo frown, Mrs. Yang seemed to remember something. ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t your brother still living at your maternal home?¡± From Mrs. Yang¡¯s past conversations with, she remembered that Xiaoguo had mentioned about her brother. He didn¡¯t go anywhere for conscription since there weren¡¯t many men within the household.


    Hearing this from Mrs. Yang, Xiaoguo recalled that she had not contacted her family since she married into Peach Blossom Village. The only time she met them was when the two elders of the Qin family had passed away. Xiaoguo could vaguely remember that she had an older brother.


    Xiaoguo was deep in thought as she chatted casually with Mrs. Yang. Soon, they arrived at the village. Mrs. Yang entered her house and Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart home.


    Zhuang Zhuang nestled in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. He was so hungry that he didn¡¯t want to move. Xiaoguo comforted him in a low voice, ¡°Open the door. I¡¯ll make you something delicious once we get in, okay?¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, his eyebrows shot up. ¡°Okay!¡± He took the key from Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and jumped down. He ran to the door and unlocked it with the key.


    Xiaoguo got off the donkey cart and pulled it through the door. She first removed the plates from its body and then tied it to the chicken coop. Xiaoguo stroked the donkey and whispered in its ear, ¡°When the shed is set up, you won¡¯t have to sleep in the open anymore.¡±


    The donkey seemed to understand. It looked up at the sky and grunted.


    Xiaoguo found it amusing and went straight to wash her hands and start cooking. She still had a little hungry kid waiting for her!


    While Xiaoguo was cooking, Zhuang Zhuang fed grass to the animals in the house. He first grabbed a bundle of grass to feed the chickens and ducks, then he ran to the corner of the wall to grab another bundle for the donkey. He didn¡¯t forget to feed the cows which were still kept in the house. As the vegetables in the courtyard had sprouted¡ªthe cows couldn¡¯t be let out to roam. However, this cannot be a long-term solution. It seems that Xiaoguo will have to hurry to Qin Village tomorrow to seek her brother¡¯s help to build a shed.


    Xiaoguo quickly stir-fried some pork belly. When the oil was released from the meat, she added the chives. When the chives had turned a darker shade of green, salt was added. The last thing to go into the pot was the pancake strips. These were leftovers from the pancakes that she had made the day before. As there were still three pieces left, she cut them into strips and cooked them with the meat.


    Covering up the pot with a lid, XIaoguo went on to make another pot of spinach soup. When the soup was done, the pancake strips were completely cooked too. Zhuang Zhuang helped to bring them into the house.


    After dinner, Xiaoguo told Zhuang Zhuang to take his afternoon nap. She would wash the dirty clothes that Zhuang Zhuang had worn earlier. She had to wash and sun them before the sky turned dark.


    Using the soap that she had made, Xiaoguo rubbed the soap on the clothes and a lot of foam bubbled up. Xiaoguo checked the laundry she had just washed and saw that it was relatively clean. If only there was a fragrance to the soap.


    With this thought in mind, Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes lit up. She would go and pick some flowers the next time. With those flowers, she could make soap with a floral fragrance. Xiaoguo decided to keep this idea in mind.


    Xiaoguo washed all their dirty clothes and hung them on the rope to dry. She gave her body a long stretch. Xiaoguo saw that there was still a lot of grass in the house, so there was no need to cut more. Since there was nothing much to do, she decided to go back to the house and take a nap with Zhuang Zhuang.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo traveled to the other space and carved out a piece of pork and also took two pork ribs from there. She would bring them to Brother Qin.


    She put the meat in the basket and went back to the house to check on Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang would be tagging along. He got up early in the morning and laid out the two sets of clothes that Xiaoguo had made for him on the bed. He looked at them, unable to decide which outfit to pick. It was his first time seeing his uncle, so he felt a little nervous.


    Xiaoguo knew that Zhuang Zhuang was feeling uneasy. Xiaoguo had been married for more than three years¡ªother than contacting Brother Qin once when her parents passed away¡ª they have never gotten in touch ever since.


    During New Year celebrations, it was customary for a woman¡¯s maternal family to pick up their daughter who had been married off, and bring her back to her maternal home. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know why, but her parents had never come to pick her up even once.


    Thinking of this, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel a little upset.


    ¡°Mother! Mother! Which outfit looks better?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice roused Xiaoguo who was deep in her thoughts. Upon hearing his words, Xiaoguo went over to the bed¡ªtwo outfits were neatly placed on the bed. ¡°Yes, pick this!¡±


    Xiaoguo replied to his question and pointed to the light blue set.


    Zhuang Zhuang had always listened to Xiaoguo. Upon hearing her words, Zhuang Zhuang obediently changed into the selected outfit. Even his shoes were picked out by Xiaoguo.


    This was the first time Zhuang Zhuang was going to meet his uncle, and he regarded this very seriously. He had heard his mother mention his uncle before, but they had never met. He wondered if his uncle was easy to get along with.


    Along the way, Zhuang Zhuang excitedly asked Xiaoguo questions about his uncle. Xiaoguo answered them patiently. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried. The impression she had of her brother was a little blurry.. She hadn¡¯t seen him in a long time. She wondered how he was doing and if he was doing well.


    Based on the memories she had of the previous owner, Xiaoguo felt a little worried. If she were to meet with her brother, she really would like to ask on behalf of the previous owner, why had the family stopped contacting her. Did they not want her anymore?


    However, the love that she could remember was definitely real. There was no food at home, and the last mouthful of food would always be given to the previous owner. Everyone in the family would rather not eat a single bite than have Xiaoguo go hungry.


    Xiaoguo frowned at the thought.


    Zhuang Zhuang noticed a change in Xiaoguo. ¡°Mother?¡±


    Hearing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s wary voice, Xiaoguo sighed and relaxed her eyebrows. She said softly, ¡°Mother is fine. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t seen Uncle for too long.¡±


    The mother and son duo moved forward on the wobbly donkey cart. Xiaoguo saw a familiar bridge in the distance. At the end of the bridge was the entrance to the village where Qin Manor was situated.


    Xiaoguo looked at the familiar road from her memory and felt an inexplicable feeling in her heart. Perhaps this is what it feels like to be homesick.


    As they approached the village, they bumped into a group of men and women. Each of them was carrying a hoe on their shoulders. It seemed that they were going to work in the fields.


    One of the women saw Xiaoguo and looked shocked. She pointed at Xiaoguo and whispered something to the man beside her. The man then looked up at Xiaoguo before turning to say something to the people around him.


    Upon hearing the man¡¯s words, the group looked towards Xiaoguo and started whispering among themselves.


    Xiaoguo saw everything but paid no attention to them. She headed for the door which she remembered.


    Before long, someone called out to Xiaoguo from behind.


    ¡°Xiaoguo? Is that you?¡±


    There was an uncertainty in the voice. Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and turned around.


    A woman who was dressed in a robe with a baffling color, was calling out to Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo looked at the person and said with uncertainty, ¡°Second Aunt?¡± It turned out that she was a neighbor living across from the Qin family.


    The woman came up to Xiaoguo and looked at her from head to toe. She then looked at Zhuang Zhuang, whom she had in her arms. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Why are you back today?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I came back today for a visit.¡±


    Second Aunt said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if your brother is at home now. If he isn¡¯t, he should be in the fields.¡± Second Aunt informed her warmly.


    Xiaoguo responded accordingly. Seeing that she was about to continue chatting, Xiaoguo quickly took her leave.


    Second Aunt didn¡¯t say anything else and let Xiaoguo go.


    After Xiaoguo left, the Second Aunt remained where she was and watched as Xiaoguo left. Within a short while, everyone had gathered around her.


    ¡°Auntie, why is Xiaoguo back?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. How long has it been since she came? Why is she back today?¡±


    ¡°Did she hear about her brother?¡± one of the men asked.


    The others looked hesitant. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. How could she know?¡±


    ¡°Who knows.¡±


    ¡°Qin Anming is really pitiful. He¡¯s sick and living alone, and has no one to take care of him.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Everyone was trying to guess why Xiaoguo was here.

 Chapter 60 - Brother Qin

    Xiaoguo slowed the donkey cart so she could hear the conversations going on behind her.


    ¡°What did they mean by her brother being hurt?¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned, feeling a little anxious. She increased the speed of her whip.


    The donkey cart soon arrived at the entrance of the Qin residence. Xiaoguo tied up the donkey and opened the two dilapidated doors, holding on to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand.


    Before she had gotten through the door, she heard a cough coming from inside the house.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart tightened. She took two quick steps and pushed the door open. ¡°Brother!¡± she called out nervously.


    Qin Anming suddenly heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice and was in a daze. He thought that he was hearing things.


    Qin Anming came back to his senses and continued to reach for the glass of water on the table. He was seated on the bed and stretched bit by bit, in order to reach for the glass. He was almost going to touch it!


    This was the scene that unfolded in front of Xiaoguo when she entered the room. Brother QIn¡¯s face, which looked very similar to Xiaoguo, was pale and sickly. His once rosy lips had become dry and peeling. He was slumped on the bed, and was trying to reach for a glass of water nearby.


    Xiaoguo stepped forward with a sigh and picked up the glass of water. She handed it to him.


    Qin Anming was stunned. He saw the slender fingers wrapped around the glass, handing the glass over to him. His eyes were filled with shock as he looked up at the person standing against the light.


    ¡°Xiaoguo?¡± His voice was shaky, as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. Immediately he started coughing.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything. She just looked at him and patted his back when he coughed. Qin Anming didn¡¯t dare to look into her eyes. He avoided eye contact and took the glass of water from her hand when he stopped coughing.


    After taking a sip, Qin An wanted to put down the cup, but he didn¡¯t have much strength left in his body. When he tried to sit up earlier on, he had exerted most of his strength. Now his hand was frozen in mid-air.


    Xiaoguo did not realize his predicament. She watched as he finished the water and took the glass from him. After putting down the glass, she sat beside him and looked at him.


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t know what to say. He looked at his sister, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. She seemed to be living a better life than he had imagined. He and his parents could now put their hearts at ease.


    Xiaoguo looked at the man in front of her and saw how he suddenly looked very relieved. She felt angry and amused all at the same time!


    ¡°How many days have you been sick? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± She asked with a sobbing voice.


    When Qin Anming heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t know what to say. He opened and closed his mouth but didn¡¯t utter a word. In the end, he saw Zhuang Zhuang hiding behind Xiaoguo.


    ¡°This is Zhuang Zhuang, right?¡±


    As Qin Anming spoke, he stretched out his hands, beckoning Zhuang Zhuang to come to him.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo first and saw that she didn¡¯t seem to object. He obediently walked up to Qin Anming and grabbed his hand.


    Qin Anming looked at Zhuang Zhuang happily and excitedly. He carefully squeezed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s chubby hands.


    ¡°Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°Father, Mother, did you see that? Zhuang Zhuang called me uncle!¡± Qin Anming thought excitedly to himself.


    Xiaoguo did not interrupt the two of them. After they got to know each other better, Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to come back to her side.


    Zhuang Zhuang reluctantly let go of Qin Anming¡¯s hand and came into her arms.


    Xiaoguo gently patted his back a few times. When Zhuang Zhuang seemed comforted, she suddenly looked up at Qin Anming.


    Qin Anming was shocked by Xiaoguo¡¯s sudden action and his throat started feeling scratchy again. He was about to cough when Xiaoguo¡¯s question stopped him.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Xiaoguo asked calmly.


    ¡°It was a while ago when I was harvesting the crops. It suddenly poured and I was caught in the rain. I didn¡¯t take care of myself and caught a cold.¡±


    Qin Anming summarized everything in a few words.


    Xiaoguo knew it couldn¡¯t be that simple. Although he made it sound so simple, she knew there must be more to it.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell the truth, I¡¯ll ask someone else!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s tone was a little threatening. As expected, Qin Anming panicked when he heard this. However, he still stammered and did not speak. His eyes darted around, avoiding eye contact with Xiaoguo.


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo sighed. What could she do if he refused to tell her? ¡°Have you eaten? If not, I¡¯ll cook for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew that if she continued asking him like this, he would never tell her. She would take her time to find out.


    Qin Anming heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Xiaoguo had stopped her questioning. But what she said next shocked him.


    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡±


    Qin Anming hurriedly said, worried that Xiaoguo would cook for him.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong at first, but seeing how anxious he was, she found it strange.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know why, but her instincts told her that something was not right. He was definitely hiding something from her. With that in mind, she followed her instincts and went to the kitchen.


    Ignoring Qin Anming¡¯s attempts to stop her, she went straight to the kitchen and opened the rice jar. It was empty. Xiaoguo held back her tears and opened the noodle jar. It was the same. There was nothing inside.


    Xiaoguo looked around again. The bottles and jars on the table were empty. There was not even a speck of dust to be seen.


    The vegetable basket looked like it had been left empty for a long time. When she just entered the house, she had not noticed it. Now that she was outside the house, she saw that the vegetable field that used to be filled with vegetable crops, looked like it had been deserted for a long time. The soil was so dry that it had cracked.


    At this moment, Qin Anming had used his entire strength to come out the door, with hands grabbing onto the door frame. Leaning against the door, he was still trying to put on a brave front, ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to buy anything. I had just finished eating those things just a while ago.¡±


    Xiaoguo turned around and looked at him. She realized that the clothes he was wearing had also been mended multiple times. There were many uneven patches and uneven threads. The fabric had been so washed out that it was impossible to tell the original colors. The shoes on his feet were also mended and patched¡­


    Seeing all that, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. Her tears began to flow.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, stop crying.¡±


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t know how to comfort Xiaoguo. He stood rooted to the ground helplessly. As Xiaoguo cried harder and harder, he dragged his weak body to Xiaoguo¡¯s side. Then with much effort, he raised his hand and placed it on Xiaoguo¡¯s shoulder. He was using all of his strength to comfort her.


    Zhuang Zhuang felt terrible when he saw Xiaoguo crying. He started crying too.


    Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang. Both of their tears were like a broken pearl necklace¡ª they just couldn¡¯t stop.


    Qin Anming stood at the side. A man, 1.8 meters tall. His eyes were also welling up with tears.


    Xiaoguo cried for a long time. When her emotions eventually subsided, she carried Zhuang Zhuang to Qin Anming¡¯s bed. The boy was tired from crying. She came out from the room,and helped Qin Anming back to his bed to lie down.


    After coaxing Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoguo wiped her tears and looked at Qin Anming.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me the truth now?¡±


    Looking at his sister¡¯s red eyes, he felt very uncomfortable. A conflicted look appeared in his eyes.


    After a while, he exhaled heavily and told her the truth.


    There was no more food at home. In order to ensure that their daughter would not suffer, Mr. and Mrs. Qin married her off to Jiang Danhe from Peach Blossom Village. This was because they had heard that the Jiang family used to be wealthy. Although they had fallen into decline, a scrawny camel was still bigger than a horse1. No matter what, she would never starve. She would be better off with the Jiang family than staying with them. Therefore, they did not seek Qin Xiaoguo¡¯s opinion about the marriage and just married her off to Jiang Danhe.

 Chapter 61 - Important Decision

    After marrying their daughter off, the Qin family was also very sad. They also heard that Jiang Danhe had been taken away to join the army as soon as they got married. His life and death had landed in the hands of destiny. And their daughter had almost become a widow.


    The elderly couple hated and regretted their decision. They were afraid that their daughter would blame them, so they didn¡¯t dare to appear in front of her.


    When they missed Xiaoguo, they would secretly visit her in Peach Blossom Village.


    Not long after Xiaoguo got married, the old couple started to miss their daughter. As they did not have a donkey cart or carriage, they could only walk to Peach Blossom Village in order to visit Xiaoguo. When they arrived and saw her growing belly, they realized that their daughter was going to be a mother. The old couple was overjoyed. They quickly returned to Qin Manor to buy food and clothes for their daughter. Although what they could provide were not expensive items, they were the best they could afford.


    At this point, Xiaoguo remembered something. In the previous owner¡¯s memory, there was one particular thing she could recall.


    At that time, she was in the early stage of her pregnancy and always craved for something sour. Before Mrs. Jiang could buy anything for her craving, she found a bag outside the door. When Mrs. Jiang brought it in, she was curious about who had sent it. When the previous owner realized that it was filled with her favorite food, she guessed that it was prepared by her parents. However, she reminded herself that they didn¡¯t even come to see her, so why would they prepare these for her?


    So in actual fact, they had really sent it to her. When Xiaoguo heard this, her tears flowed uncontrollably again.


    Qin Anming went on talking¡­


    From then on, the Qin couple would visit Xiaoguo from time to time until she was due to deliver the baby. On the day that she gave birth, her parents were so anxious that they couldn¡¯t eat or sleep. They only stopped worrying when the baby was safely delivered and Xiaoguo was safe and sound.


    However, with the arrival of the famine, the old couple suffered from ill health due to malnutrition and overwork. They passed away soon after¡­


    After that, in order to give his parents a decent burial, Qin Anming sold the land they owned and used the money to buy coffins and burial clothes. The old couple was then buried in the back of the mountain. As they liked peace and quiet, the location was a good choice for their burial spot. Even before they died, they were still thinking about Xiaoguo and her child¡­


    After hearing Qin Anming¡¯s words, Xiaoguo was sobbing uncontrollably and she was almost hyperventilating.


    So that was the truth. Her parents do love her, but it was her fault. She had gotten carried away by her thoughts and missed the chance to see her parents for the last time. She shouldn¡¯t have taken things so hard!


    1


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was filled with grief, anger, and regret.


    Tears streamed down Xiaoguo¡¯s face. She could not be bothered to wipe them away. She could only clutch at her aching heart.


    Qin Anming was crying at the side. He was missing his parents too.


    Xiaoguo slowly calmed herself down. Looking at Qin Anming¡¯s current state, she asked him what had happened to him.


    Qin Anming sighed and slowly explained the reason.


    It turned out that after dealing with his parents¡¯ funeral, the famine was still going on and the family land was gone. Qin Anming had to go up the mountains to dig for wild vegetables in order to survive. Occasionally, he would come across wild chickens and they would become his meal. However, those were extremely rare situations.


    Sometimes, he would help people to plant and harvest crops. And in exchange for his labor, they would give him a meal. But these were also rare occasions.


    This particular time, he was helping a family harvest some grains. However, the rain came too suddenly and he didn¡¯t get out of the downpour in time. Having been drenched in the rain and due to his ill health from constant hunger, he finally collapsed.


    As Xiaoguo listened, her heart ached. ¡°Did you see the doctor?¡±


    Qin Anming was a little embarrassed. ¡°No¡­¡±


    How could one see a doctor with no money?


    Xiaoguo nodded to show that she understood. Looking at the surroundings, she made a decision in her heart. She wondered if Qin Anming would agree.


    With this thought in mind, Xiaoguo looked at him with a hint of determination in her eyes. She decided not to bring it up for now. He would probably not agree to it anyway. She had to think of a way.


    Qin Anming felt that his sister was looking at him strangely, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it. Thinking of Xiaoguo¡¯s sudden visit today, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried. ¡°By the way, why are you here today? Did something happen?¡±


    Tears welled up in Xiaoguo¡¯s heart when she heard this. He is really her family. All he could think about was her. Xiaoguo almost cried again. ¡°I missed you guys so much, but you didn¡¯t come to get me. I thought you didn¡¯t want me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you come to me after our parents died?¡±


    Qin Anming was eager to explain, but in his anxiety to speak, he started coughing instead.


    Xiaoguo quickly got up and patted his back to calm him down. When he was feeling better, she sat down and listened to him continue.


    ¡°After you got married, Father and Mother have been thinking about you all the time. After they died, I was alone, so I couldn¡¯t add to your burden. You can still get one tael of silver a month. Although you can¡¯t enjoy a life of luxury with your mother-in-law and Zhuang Zhuang, it was still enough for you to get by.¡±


    What Qin Anming meant was, this was a time of disaster, so how could he become Xiaoguo¡¯s burden? He just had to hold on and try to survive.


    Xiaoguo frowned. It seemed like he didn¡¯t know about Mrs. Jiang¡¯s death and Jiang Danhe¡¯s death in battle.


    That made sense. If Qin Anming knew about Qin Xiaoguo¡¯s situation, he wouldn¡¯t have let her and her child live on tree bark. He would have brought her back to the Qin family long ago. Although he couldn¡¯t ensure that they have three full meals a day, he wouldn¡¯t let them starve.


    Xiaoguo had seen Qin Anming coughing and had wanted to pour him a glass of water all this while. However, she saw that the bucket was empty. She walked around the courtyard but did not see any wells.


    ¡°Where do you get water from?¡± Xiaoguo asked as she reached for a bucket.


    Qin Anming quickly stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t go. It¡¯s too far. There¡¯s only one well in the village. It¡¯s too far from here.¡±


    He looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s skinny arms and legs. The thought of her carrying a bucket that was half her height scared him. He was afraid that she would stumble and fall.


    Xiaoguo sat down helplessly. Qin Anming¡¯s living environment was even worse than when she first arrived!


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    Xiaoguo called out to Qin Anming loudly, giving him a fright.


    He was still immersed in his embarrassment just now. If his sister knew that he was living such a hard life, he would really feel ashamed.


    When Xiaoguo called out to him, he was startled. He listened to her serious tone and looked lost.


    ¡°Why¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Seeing that she had frightened her brother, Xiaoguo softened her tone and said, ¡°Come with me to Peach Blossom Village!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Qin Anming thought he had heard wrongly and asked her again.


    ¡°Only Zhuang Zhuang and I are left in my house. My mother-in-law passed away not long after our parents passed away.¡±


    Xiaoguo explained everything to Qin Anming.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t expect the healthy old lady to die so suddenly.


    Xiaoguo explained to him, ¡°It was because she heard about Jiang Danhe¡¯s death. In addition, there was a famine at that time. She fell and didn¡¯t get up. She passed away shortly after.¡±


    Qin Anming looked incredulous. His eyebrows were raised, and his eyes and mouth were wide open. ¡°This! This!¡±


    Qin Anming was stunned. He didn¡¯t know all these. Why didn¡¯t he go and see Xiaoguo back then?¡±


    ¡°How have you been doing lately?¡±


    Qin Anming asked the question with difficulty. His lips were trembling, and his words were also spoken with a tremor.

 Chapter 62 - Bringing Brother Home

    Xiaoguo answered truthfully, trying her best to keep the details of the previous owner¡¯s experiences to a minimum. But just like that, Qin Anming¡¯s eyes slowly turned red. His face, which was already pale, turned even paler. The blood had completely drained from his face.


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo could not bear to see him like this. She looked at the man in front of her, who looked even more fragile because of his sadness.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes darted around as an idea came to her.


    Now that she is saying all this, Qin Anming would definitely not agree to go back with her. It seemed that she had to make it sound even worse. In that case, Qin Anming would feel bad about letting her go back alone.


    When Qin Anming turned to look at her, tears began to well up in Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes. She looked up and told him about her experiences, such as eating tree bark and eating wild grass.


    Looking at Qin Anming¡¯s uncomfortable gaze, Xiaoguo delivered the final blow.


    ¡°My poor Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo stole a glance at Qin Anming. As expected, at the mention of Zhuang Zhuang, she could tell that he felt even worse. Qin Anming looked affectionately at Zhuang Zhuang, who had fallen asleep after crying.


    ¡°I¡¯m living with Zhuang Zhuang alone and I have to take care of him. The vegetable plot at home needs to be weeded too. After which there are crops to be harvested, my hands are really full¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo sobbed as she related her situation. Looking at the change in Qin Anming¡¯s expression, she knew that this matter had been settled!


    Being on the verge of breaking into laughter, Xiaoguo quickly turned away and stopped her crying.


    For some reason, she felt like he was deceiving an honest man.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Xiaoguo, don¡¯t cry anymore. I¡­ I¡¯ll go back with you. I¡¯ll help you take care of Zhuang Zhuang. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Qin Anming said firmly as he wiped his tears and looked at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s expression immediately changed and she stood up with a smile.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get moving!¡±


    With those words, she immediately started packing Qin Anming¡¯s clothes. Qin Anming was stunned. She was still crying a while ago, how did her mood change in a split second?


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t notice the expression on Qin Anming¡¯s face. She took out all the clothes from the cabinet¡ªactually, there wasn¡¯t much to take. Then, she took out a large piece of cloth from the corner of the cabinet and placed the clothes on top. Picking up the four corners of the cloth, she twisted the ends and secured them into a knot.


    Putting the bundle of clothes aside, she walked past Qin Anming and came to Zhuang Zhuang, who was sleeping beside him. She gently shook him to wake him up.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, wake up. We¡¯re going back.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang slowly woke from his sleep, and rubbed his eyes with his hands. Xiaoguo gently took his hands away and massaged his eyes with her own hands instead.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Uncle is going back with us. Shall we help to move his things?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was fully awake now and heard what Xiaoguo had said. His eyes widened in surprise as he asked her again to check if it was true.


    ¡°Mother! Are you serious?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang really liked his uncle. Although it was their first time meeting, he liked him from the bottom of his heart. It would be great if his uncle could come!


    ¡°Really! Quick, put this bundle on the donkey cart.¡±


    Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang on the head. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang sighed and happily carried the bag out.


    Only then did Qin Anming realize what was going on. Seeing Xiaoguo rushing in and out, he was touched and started to feel hesitant.


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped and looked back at Qin Anming on the bed.


    ¡°I think I¡¯d better not go¡­¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was about to get angry, Qin Anming quickly said, ¡°I just feel that I will cause you too much trouble if I go¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo knew immediately what he was hesitating about. It made sense now that she thought about it. She hadn¡¯t told him that she had money.


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry and go back with me. I¡¯m working with a noodle shop in the county now. I provide them with my recipes and they¡¯ll pay me accordingly every month. So don¡¯t worry, I have money!¡±


    When Qin Anming heard this, he felt much more at ease. At least he would not be too much of a burden to them. He wanted to ask her more, but he knew that there wasn¡¯t time now. He would ask again on the way.


    Qin Anming felt bad watching Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang do all the moving. Although he didn¡¯t have much energy, he couldn¡¯t just watch and do nothing. Hence he just helped with the smaller items.


    The three of them quickly finished moving everything. They didn¡¯t take too many things¡ªmost of them were stuff that he needed on a daily basis. The remaining big items couldn¡¯t be moved anyway, so those were left behind.


    Qin Anming sat in the cart with Zhuang Zhuang beside him. Xiaoguo locked the house door and put away the key. She returned to the donkey cart and took out the pork from the basket on her back.


    ¡°Mother, what are you doing with the meat?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was curious as to why his mother had taken the meat out. Wasn¡¯t this meat for his uncle? But his uncle had already left with them. What was his mother doing with the meat?


    ¡°Wait for me a moment. I¡¯ll bring the meat to the neighbor living opposite.¡±


    With that, she went to knock on the neighbor¡¯s door. When the neighbor came out, Xiaoguo spoke to her and handed over the meat before leaving.


    Zhuang Zhuang sat on the donkey cart and leaned over to look in Xiaoguo¡¯s direction. He was not seated close to where she was, so he could not hear what she was saying. He could only see the back of his mother¡¯s head and the mouth of the person talking to her.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t understand what was going on, so he asked Qin Anming,


    ¡°Uncle, do you know why Mother brought the meat to the neighbor?¡±


    When Qin Anming saw Xiaoguo walking to the opposite door with the meat, he couldn¡¯t help but feel gratified. Xiaoguo had really grown up!


    Qin Anming smiled and lowered his head. He rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head and explained, ¡°Your mother gave her the meat because she needed her help to watch over the house. Since Uncle is going to Peach Blossom Village with you, no one is living in the house anymore. She asked her to help Uncle watch out for intruders.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was a smart child. He understood what Qin Anming meant.


    She said proudly to Qin Anming, ¡°Isn¡¯t my mother awesome?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tilted his head, his eyes filled with admiration for Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Yes, your mother is the best!¡±


    Qin Anming concurred with Zhuang Zhuang and said sincerely.


    As expected, Zhuang Zhuang was overjoyed when he heard that. He giggled.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo returned. Seeing Zhuang Zhuang smiling, she asked curiously what they were talking about.


    Zhuang Zhuang did not speak. Qin Anming looked at Xiaoguo dotingly.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t say much. But our little girl has really grown up.¡±


    Qin Anming¡¯s voice was filled with nostalgia and relief. He looked at Xiaoguo with affection.


    Xiaoguo smiled shyly. ¡°No matter how old I am, I¡¯m still your little sister.¡±


    As she spoke, she started steering the donkey cart. Qin Anming looked at the house as they moved further and further away. His heart was filled with reluctance and anticipation for the future.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo told Qin Anming about her life, including how she signed the contract with the county noodle restaurant and her life with Zhuang Zhuang.


    The two of them had countless things to talk about. Due to their blood relationship, although they had not seen each other for a long time, they were not estranged. Instead, they really cherished the time they had now.


    Soon, the donkey cart drove into Peach Blossom Village. Halfway through the village, they bumped into a group of villagers who had just come out of the fields.


    They saw Xiaoguo too. And when the cart got closer, they also spotted Qin Anming, who was seated behind her.


    In that instant, everyone started speculating on the man¡¯s identity.


    Xiaoguo ignored them and drove straight past them. At this moment, Mrs. Yang came out of the fields not far away. She was holding a hoe in her hand and breaking up the soil by the roadside.


    Xiaoguo saw her first and shouted a greeting.


    ¡°Sister-in-law!¡±


    Mrs. Yang heard the voice and looked at Xiaoguo. ¡°Hey! Xiaoguo!¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and chatted with Mrs. Yang. At this moment, Mrs. Yang noticed Qin Anming behind her.


    Puzzled, she asked Xiaoguo, ¡°Xiaoguo, who is this?¡±


    Xiaoguo shifted her body to reveal Qin Anming. ¡°This is my brother from my maiden family. He can¡¯t take care of himself because he¡¯s sick, so I brought him here.¡±

 Chapter 63 - Returning Home

    Xiaoguo spoke loudly so that the people behind her could hear her clearly.


    As expected, everyone stopped talking and left for home.


    On their way back, Qin Anming heard from Xiaoguo that Mrs. Yang had helped her a lot. He was very grateful to her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, thank you so much. Thank you for taking care of Xiaoguo.¡±


    Qin Anming thanked her sincerely.


    After Mrs. Yang knew who the other party was, she laughed heartily. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a small matter. Besides, Xiaoguo has helped me too! I¡¯m just doing my part!¡±


    They exchanged a few more pleasantries at the intersection. In the end, Qin Anming couldn¡¯t hold up anymore and coughed a few more times. Xiaoguo then hurriedly bid farewell to Mrs. Yang and rushed home.


    Xiaoguo handed the keys to Zhuang Zhuang and asked him to open the door. Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart in and Zhuang Zhuang followed behind to close the door.


    As soon as they entered, the animals at home began to cry out, seemingly asking for food from Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.


    As soon as Qin Anming entered the courtyard, he was shocked by the scene in front of him. What he heard from Xiaoguo paled in comparison to what he was seeing with his own eyes.


    The chickens and ducks in the courtyard, the green seedlings in the wide vegetable plot, and the strange-colored cows that could be seen through the window. It seemed that his sister was really living well after the disaster. At this moment, he was truly relieved!


    After parking the donkey cart in the courtyard and unloading it, Xiaoguo carefully helped Qin Anming into the house.


    Xiaoguo was intending to tidy up Mrs. Jiang¡¯s room for him. However, this was a bit last minute, so Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have time to tidy up. She could only arrange for Qin Anming to stay in her room first and tidy up the other room in the afternoon.


    After settling Qin Anming down, Zhuang Zhuang ¡®s first thought was to feed the chickens, ducks, cows, and donkeys.


    Xiaoguo walked to the courtyard and came to the donkey cart. She took out the pork ribs that she had packed for Qin Anming in the morning. She would make a pot of pork rib soup for his lunch.


    Since Qin Anming was sick, he should stick to a light diet, and avoid heavy meals.


    Xiaoguo first blanched the pork ribs and dropped them into a clay pot with boiling water. She added a little salt and brought them to the stove to stew.


    Immediately after, she began to prepare the main course. A bowl of flour was kneaded into a smooth dough¡ªthen she took out a sharp knife and opened the lid of the pot, revealing the soup that she had just made with shredded meat and cabbage. Holding the dough in her left hand and a knife in her right, XIaoguo began slicing pieces of dough into the boiling soup.


    In a short while, Xiaoguo was done with the slicing.


    Zhuang Zhuang sniffed the air and came to the kitchen. ¡°Mother, what are you making?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked down at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°I am making shaved noodles for lunch today.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked curiously what shaved noodles were. Xiaoguo explained to him the origins of shaved noodles and how they were made. After hearing this, Zhuang Zhuang looked regretful.


    If he had known earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have fed the animals first. That way, he would be able to see his mother slicing the dough.


    Seeing his regret, Xiaoguo patted the remaining flour with both hands. She squatted down and pinched Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s round face. ¡°I¡¯ll make more for you in the future.¡±


    Only then did Zhuang Zhuang look happy again. Seeing that he was fine, Xiaoguo asked him to play with his uncle in the house. When the food was ready, she would bring it into the house.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and trotted into the house.


    Xiaoguo lifted the lid of the clay pot and turned her body to avoid the hot air. When the heat had dissipated, she stirred the soup and scooped out a spoonful to check its color. The protein and fats in the bones had been fully released into the milky white soup. Xiaoguo poked at the ribs and saw that the meat had become soft and tender.


    Xiaoguo put out the fire. Using two wipe clothes, she held up the pot and brought it into the house before removing the lid.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, bring Uncle out for dinner!¡±


    Xiaoguo rushed into the house and called out to Zhuang Zhuang. She had wanted to bring the food to Qin Anming as he was not well and it would be difficult for him to walk out. However, there was no table in the room¡ªthe only table in the house was in the dining room. As it was too big, it couldn¡¯t be moved into the inner room either.


    While Xiaoguo was going to the kitchen to get the noodles, Zhuang Zhuang helped Qin Anming out. Qin Anming took a look at the food on the table and his stomach began to growl.


    Qin Anming quickly lowered his head to look at Zhuang Zhuang to see if he had heard anything.


    He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Zhuang Zhuang was still holding on to him and had not noticed it.


    In actual fact, when Xiaoguo was cooking earlier, Qin Anming could already smell the fragrance from inside the room. Even though It had been a long time since he had eaten meat, he could tell from the smell that it was meat stew. The fragrance seemed to be calling out to him and enticing him while he was resting on his bed.


    His body¡ªwhich had been filled with water to suppress the waves of hunger¡ªsubconsciously cried out. His internal organs seemed to be protesting in unison and wailing in agony.


    Qin Anming finally walked to the table and sat down. At the same time, Xiaoguo came back in with the noodles and set them down on the table. She first scooped a bowl of soup, which was half-filled with pork ribs and gave it to Qin Anming.


    ¡°Brother, have some soup first to fill your stomach.¡±


    Qin Anming took the bowl from Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and picked up the spoon with great effort. He swallowed the soup in one gulp. As soon as the broth slid down his throat, it instantly warmed his internal organs. The growling instantly calmed down.


    Qin Anming couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak. He tried his best to suppress the urge to wolf down the food, as he was worried about scaring Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang. He kept reminding himself to eat slowly and not be too anxious.


    After Xiaoguo handed Qin Anming a bowl, she went on to give Zhuang Zhuang his food. She filled a bowl of sliced noodles with shredded meat and cabbage and placed it in front of him.


    ¡°Eat slowly. It¡¯s a little hot.¡±


    Xiaoguo reminded Zhuang Zhuang, afraid that he would burn his tongue.


    Zhuang Zhuang first picked up a strand of noodles and blew on it. He counted down to ten in his heart. This was what his mother had taught him the last time.


    Xiaoguo was relieved to see that everyone was doing fine. She was used to taking care of Zhuang Zhuang by herself, but now that she had an older brother, she was really afraid that she would be flustered. But from the looks of it, it was not bad at all!


    After Qin Anming finished his soup and pork ribs, Xiaoguo scooped a bowl of noodles for him.


    Qin Anming finished the last strand of noodles and put down the bowl. He couldn¡¯t help but give out a loud burp.


    Zhuang Zhuang finished the soup in his bowl and spat out the last piece of bone. He also burped loudly.


    ¡°Uncle, your burp isn¡¯t louder than mine¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang seemed proud as he compared the volume of his burps with Qin Anming.


    Upon hearing that¡ªQin Anming, who was feeling a little embarrassed at first¡ªstarted laughing along with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo slowly drank the soup and watched the two of them banter. Her gaze on Zhuang Zhuang was filled with tenderness. ¡°That is my precious Zhuang Zhuang. What a considerate boy.¡±


    Recently, Xiaoguo realized that Zhuang Zhuang seemed to be very sensitive to changes in people¡¯s emotions. Just like the other day, when her period came suddenly and she had cramps¡ªeven though she did not behave or speak differently¡ªZhuang Zhuang could still tell that something was wrong by the occasional frown on her face. He asked her if she was feeling unwell.


    Zhuang Zhuang must have seen Qin Anming¡¯s embarrassed expression just now, so he burped to ease the awkward atmosphere.


    Xiaoguo really felt that Zhuang Zhuang was such a considerate boy. He had a high IQ and good EQ. To think that such an outstanding son was actually hers. It must be the blessings she had earned from her previous lifetimes.


    1

 Chapter 64 - Going to the County to Buy Wood

    After lunch, Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to bring her uncle back to the house to rest while she went to wash the dishes.


    Zhuang Zhuang obediently stood up and helped Qin Anming back into his room.


    Xiaoguo did not rest. There was so much to do that afternoon.


    First, she had to tie the cows to the courtyard to free up that room.


    Then, she had to make a trip to the county. Qin Anming was still sick, so she had to go and get medicine for him. She also had to buy a couple of bed boards to make a bed. On top of that, she had to get a wardrobe and some other daily necessities.


    Additionally, she needed to get fabric. He couldn¡¯t wear his clothes anymore. The patches were almost worn out. He needed new shoes too.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo felt that time was very tight. She wished that she could split herself into two. At this moment, she was extremely envious of Sun Wukong1. He could create a monkey out of thin air just by plucking a strand of hair and blowing at it. If only she had this ability!


    Withdrawing her thoughts, Xiaoguo continued to work. After tying the cows and donkeys together, Xiaoguo brought the shovel into the house. Fortunately, she and Zhuang Zhuang were diligent in cleaning up the cow dung, so the room didn¡¯t smell too bad. Apart from the fact that they cleaned the room frequently and always left the windows open, the cows did not really poop much in the house.


    During the day, Zhuang Zhuang would sometimes bring the cows out to eat grass. Sometimes, he would let them sunbathe in the courtyard. By the time the cows got back, it was night time.


    Xiaoguo used the shovel to clear the ground and piled the feces in the corner. The feces from before had been planted in the soil by Xiaoguo¡¯s second attempt at planting vegetables. Now that she has another pile, it could be kept aside for planting potatoes and cabbage in winter.


    Soon, the floor had been cleared by Xiaoguo. She fetched a bucket of water from the well and poured it on the ground. She continued to sweep the floor with a broom. After she was done, she scooped up the water with a shovel and threw it out.


    When there was no more water, Xiaoguo poured more water onto the floor and repeated the process three more times. When there was no more smell in the room, Xiaoguo stopped the washing.


    Xiaoguo then used a broom to sweep away the cobwebs and dust in the corners of the room. When the room was completely clean, Xiaoguo went out to wash her hands and clean the dust off her body.


    She wanted to tell Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming that she was going out. But when she returned to the house, she saw that the two of them were sleeping soundly. She then quietly opened the door and went out with the donkey cart. Before she left, she closed the door tightly in case anyone sneaked in.


    Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart to the county. She was already very familiar with the place. Very soon, she arrived at a medicinal shop selling a wide range of good quality stuff.


    As soon as Xiaoguo entered, the shop staff called out to her.


    ¡°Do you need a consultation or just medicine?¡±


    Hearing the other party¡¯s polite tone, Xiaoguo felt a little relieved.


    ¡°I am buying medicine.¡±


    After hearing the purpose of Xiaoguo¡¯s visit, the shop assistant led her to the counter. An old man with a white beard asked Xiaoguo about her needs.


    ¡°My brother caught a cold from the rain and has been coughing. Due to malnutrition, his body is relatively weak, so I would like to get some medicine that I can boil for him.¡±


    As he listened, he took notes with the brush in his hand. After writing down the last ingredient, he took the piece of paper to the medicine cabinet. The old man skillfully grabbed the herbs and weighed them. Finally, he wrapped them up and handed them to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°There are five packs of medicine in total. One pack per day. Boil them slowly for two hours. Consume them before bed.¡±


    Xiaoguo made a note and handed over the money. She also asked for some medicinal herbs that could be used to make soup. There were wolfberries, lilies, Chinese ginseng, lotus seeds, and jade bamboo shells.


    Xiaoguo saw that there was a medicine stove in the corner of the shop. When she asked, the shop assistant said that it was for sale. Xiaoguo thought about it and bought one so that she wouldn¡¯t have to use the casserole at home to boil the medicine.


    Xiaoguo carried the packs of Chinese medicine out of the shop and went to the pork stall. She bought a lot of pork bones for making soup.


    As she drove the donkey cart to the borders of the county, Xiaoguo knew there was a family that made wooden furniture.


    Xiaoguo came to the door and knocked. A boy of about five opened the door and looked at her from head to toe.


    ¡°Are you here to buy wood?¡±


    Xiaoguo was reminded of Zhuang Zhuang when she saw him. She said gently, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    The boy led Xiaoguo to the courtyard. It was hard to tell from the outside, but when they entered, she saw that the courtyard was filled with cut wood. Even the corners were filled with small pieces of wood.


    Xiaoguo really didn¡¯t know where to walk. The boy walked in front of her, nimbly stepping through the gaps between the logs. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t maneuver through the piles of wood, so she stopped at the entrance of the courtyard and watched the boy leave.


    ¡°Father! Father! Someone is buying wood! Father!¡±


    Xiaoguo remained where she was, waiting for someone to emerge.


    With the boy¡¯s announcement, the shop owner came out after a while.


    ¡°What do you need to buy?¡±


    A beautiful woman came out of the house. She looked at Xiaoguo and asked.


    ¡°I need a bed, a closet, a study desk and stool.¡±


    Xiaoguo told her the furniture that she needed. The bed and wardrobe were for Qin Anming, while the desk and stool were for Zhuang Zhuang.


    After hearing this, the woman asked Xiaoguo to wait a moment while she went into the house to call for someone. Xiaoguo guessed that it must be her husband.


    Sure enough, a well-built man came out of the house. His hair and body were covered in sawdust. After hearing from his wife that someone needed furniture, he came out and brought Xiaoguo to look at the furniture.


    He introduced a lot of items, but Xiaoguo was a little conflicted. This was because the furniture he made was all so exquisite. Xiaoguo felt that every single one of them was suitable!


    ¡°I can¡¯t pull anything that¡¯s too heavy. All¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t decide. Feeling helpless, she could only throw the question to him and let him make the recommendations.


    When the man heard this, he thought for a moment and recommended a set of furniture that was practical and not too heavy.


    Xiaoguo handed over the money readily. The man called for his wife¡¯s help to carry the items onto the donkey cart. There were a total of four pieces of furniture, and they cost a total of six taels of silver. After paying for the furniture, Xiaoguo pulled the donkey cart towards the center of the county. She still had to buy fabric for Qin Anming¡¯s clothes.


    Sitting on the donkey cart, Xiaoguo looked happily at the furniture she had bought. It was indeed worth it. The price was also very affordable. On top of that, Xiaoguo felt that the workmanship and material were definitely of top quality!


    Xiaoguo arrived at the market. It was not market day, so there were not many people around. Only the shops were open. Xiaoguo went to the same fabric place that she went to previously.


    As soon as Xiaoguo entered the room, she was greeted by the same woman from before. She recognized Xiaoguo too, so she brought her to look at the latest batch of fabrics. As usual, Xiaoguo picked out two pieces of fabric with a dirt-resistant color. She didn¡¯t know how much fabric was required for making Qin Anming¡¯s clothes, so she asked the shop assistant to help calculate the yardage needed by telling her Qin Anming¡¯s height and weight.


    The woman skillfully estimated the quantity. Xiaoguo then paid the bill and left. Like the last time, the woman gifted Xiaoguo with a set of needles and a few colored balls of threads.


    Xiaoguo thanked her and got into the donkey cart. She went to the shop that specializes in shoes and picked out three pairs for Qin Anming. When she was packing some clothes in the morning, Xiaoguo saw Qin Anming¡¯s shoe size, so she told the shop owner the shoe size she was looking for.


    Finally, under the shop owner¡¯s persuasion, she also bought herself two pairs of shoes. Seeing that Xiaoguo was so agreeable, the shop owner gave her two pairs of insoles. Xiaoguo then paid the bill and left with the shoes.


    After Xiaoguo was done with her shopping, she didn¡¯t dare to stop. She still had to piece together the furniture when she got back. She drove the donkey cart home.


    When she reached the house, Xiaoguo saw Zhuang Zhuang squatting at the door with his head lowered, scratching the soil on the ground.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, why aren¡¯t you playing with Uncle in the house?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice and raised his head abruptly. The joy in his eyes was almost overflowing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I check on Uncle every now and then. I didn¡¯t neglect him.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang puffed out his chest and smiled at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo took the hint and immediately understood. ¡°Wow, how did my Zhuang Zhuang become so sensible! I¡¯m so happy. With Zhuang Zhuang around, I can put my mind at ease!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled. Mother was the best!

 Chapter 65 - Installing Furniture

    Xiaoguo tied up the donkey and let Zhuang Zhuang close the door. She then returned to the house.


    ¡°Brother, how is it? Are you feeling better?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming, who was leaning against the bed. He looked better than he did in the morning.


    ¡°Yes! I feel almost better now. My body seemed to have regained its strength!¡±


    After saying that, Qin Anming wanted to prove that he was fine. He was about to get up when he started coughing.


    Feeling amused, Xiaoguo got up and walked to his side to pat his back and soothe his breathing.


    ¡°Brother, have a good rest. I just went to the county to get some medicine. I¡¯ll brew it for you later.¡±


    Qin Anming nodded and leaned against the bed obediently.


    Xiaoguo chatted with him for a while. When Zhuang Zhuang entered the house, Xiaoguo went out. She still had to tidy up the furniture in the courtyard.


    When she reached the courtyard, she took the pork bones and cloth shoes, and brought them into the house.


    ¡°Brother, do you think this fabric looks good?¡±


    Xiaoguo unfolded the fabric for Qin Anming to see.


    ¡°Nice!¡±


    Qin Anming was full of praise for the material. Xiaoguo had really good taste.


    ¡°I bought this for you. I¡¯ll make clothes for you when I¡¯m free.¡±


    Qin Anming was very relieved. So his sister knew how to make clothes!


    ¡°Yes! Okay!¡±


    Xiaoguo turned and placed the fabric in a sewing basket. She brought the pork bones to the kitchen and placed them there.


    She had bought a lot of food. After setting aside a portion for dinner, she kept the rest in the other space.


    Then, she came to the donkey cart and started moving the wood.


    Among the items that she bought, only the bed planks were separate and had to be assembled. The rest were finished products.


    Xiaoguo went into the house to see if the floor was dry. After stepping in, she saw that the floor was completely dry.


    She then returned to the courtyard and moved the bed boards piece by piece into the room before assembling them.


    Zhuang Zhuang heard the commotion and came to Xiaoguo¡¯s side, wanting to help her.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you won¡¯t be able to move it.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang in amusement. He was using his skinny arms to help Xiaoguo lift the other end of the board. His face was flushed from exertion, but the board did not move an inch.


    Xiaoguo laughed so hard that she almost cried.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, stop moving. I can move it myself. Don¡¯t hurt your arm again!¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly put down the board and chased Zhuang Zhuang outside. ¡°Stop moving the boards. Go and accompany Uncle.¡±


    She was really afraid that he would hurt his arm. She knew that Zhuang Zhuang was trying to help her, but she still coaxed him to go outside.


    Zhuang Zhuang pouted and reluctantly let Xiaoguo bring him out. When he passed the door frame, he grabbed it with his small hands.


    ¡°Mother¡­ don¡¯t hurt your hands¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart warmed and she kissed his little face. ¡°Go ahead¡­¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang left, Xiaoguo continued with her work.


    The board was heavy for Zhuang Zhuang, but for Xiaoguo, it was just slightly heavy. She could lift it just by exerting some strength.


    With a heave, Xiaoguo lifted the board and placed it in the slot of the frame that she had fixed earlier.


    Xiaoguo adjusted the board before letting go. With a snap, the board fell neatly into the groove. She stood up and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Xiaoguo felt that she had become much stronger after coming here.


    Qin Anming listened to the noise from the room and asked Zhuang Zhuang to walk him to Xiaoguo¡¯s side.


    ¡°Brother, why are you here? Why aren¡¯t you lying in bed?¡±


    Hearing some sounds behind her, Xiaoguo turned around and saw Qin Anming leaning against the door frame.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just trying to see how I can help you.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she let out a sigh. If Qin Anming were to lift a board for her, he would have coughed and vomited.


    ¡°What help? I¡¯ll be done in a while. Go back and lie down.¡±


    Qin Anming stood at the door and saw that Xiaoguo was indeed fine. Since he couldn¡¯t help much, he returned to his room. He didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Xiaoguo here. He had better get well soon. When he was fully recovered, he would take care of everything.


    Xiaoguo got the hang of things quickly and within a short time, she had finished fixing up a bed with bed posts and a bed rail.


    After installing the bed curtains that were given for free, the bed would be completely installed.


    Xiaoguo shifted the foot stool from under the bed and moved the wardrobe into the room. Although the wardrobe was large, Xiaoguo was able to balance and carry it on her back. She pushed it to the corner against a wall.


    Seeing that the room was ready now, Xiaoguo laid out the mattress, blanket, and pillow on the bed.


    When Xiaoguo was packing up Qin Anming¡¯s clothes in the morning, she had brought along all the covers for the bed.


    While thinking about that, Xiaoguo found the bundle and opened the largest one. Inside were some blankets and bedsheets.


    Xiaoguo took them out and gave them a good shake. She was about to lay them on the bed when she realized that there was plenty of sunlight today. She decided to sun the bedlinen so that they would be warm at night time.


    Xiaoguo went back into the house to get a washing bat and went to the clothesline. She aimed it at the blanket and hammered on it.


    As she batted on it, the air entered the cotton filling and the blanket was puffy again.


    Xiaoguo batted each of the bed covers and left them hanging outside.


    While Xiaoguo was busy doing the chores, Zhuang Zhuang had already come out several times. Every time he came out, his big eyes would blink as he looked around to see if there was anything he could help with.


    Xiaoguo felt helpless about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s actions. In the end, she got Zhuang Zhuang to move the book stool into their room while she followed behind with the desk.


    ¡°Mother, where should we put it?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stood in the house and turned around to ask Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Where should I put it!¡±


    Xiaoguo pointed to the empty space beside the closet. She put the desk in first and adjusted its position. Zhuang Zhuang followed suit and put down the stool.


    Qin Anming saw the desk and bookstool and asked Xiaoguo curiously.


    ¡°You bought the desk for Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Right now, Zhuang Zhuang can only study at the table in the dining room. It seems more appropriate to use a study desk,¡±


    Xiaoguo said to Qin Anming.


    Qin Anming nodded. Then he wondered, if Xiaoguo doesn¡¯t know how to read, how did Zhuang Zhuang learn to read?


    The question rolled off his tongue at the same time he was thinking about it. Xiaoguo paused to think. That¡¯s true, the previous owner of this body could not read.


    Xiaoguo panicked, but she did not show it on her face. She calmly diverted the issue to Mrs. Jiang.


    ¡°Oh, My mother-in-law taught me to read.¡±


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t suspect anything when he heard her words. After all, the Jiang family was the richest family before they fell. Since they lived in the city, they must be literate.


    When Xiaoguo saw that Qin Anming looked convinced, she was relieved.


    Seeing that it was almost time, Xiaoguo began to prepare dinner.


    In every meal that Xiaoguo prepared for Qin Anming¡ªapart from breakfast¡ªshe would always make a pot of bone soup.


    Before cooking, Xiaoguo brought in the bed linen that she had been sunning in the courtyard. With the current weather, she only had to sun the bed covers for a while. They would still be warm when it was time for bed.


    Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen. This time round, she had bought pork bones. She was still going to make a pot of clear soup stew.


    However, this time, lilies and wolfberries were added to the soup. They would help to clear the lungs and improve the spleen functions.


    Xiaoguo looked at the vegetable basket and wondered what to prepare for dinner.


    Seeing that there were still a lot of carrots inside, Xiaoguo prepared to make some carrot pancakes. In addition, she will stir-fry some celery pork.


    Dinner was simple. As the saying goes, have a good breakfast, a full lunch, and a small dinner.


    Xiaoguo still respected those words. After all, if she were to eat too much at night, she wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep.


    This was not like the modern world. After dinner, the streets were still lit. People could go out for walks. In this era, when everyone had finished their dinner, the streets would be engulfed in darkness. People just went straight to bed.


    When Xiaoguo first arrived, she and Zhuang Zhuang had heavy and greasy meals every night. After some time, it became really unbearable for them.

 Chapter 66 - Drinking Medicine

    When the ingredients were cut, Xiaoguo did not stir-fry the vegetables immediately. After all, the bone broth would take a while. She could make use of this time to boil the Chinese medicine.


    It would take two hours to brew the Chinese medicine. After dinner and a short break, the food would have been digested. Her brother could then drink the medicine and go to bed.


    Xiaoguo brought the medicine stove to the courtyard, and lit the fire to start boiling the medicine. She kept watch over the heat. The fire could not be too strong or too low¡ªthe temperature had to be just right. At the same time, she had to make sure that it didn¡¯t get burnt.


    Xiaoguo left the medicine to brew and returned to the kitchen to start making the batter for the carrot pancakes.


    The carrots were chopped into shreds and mixed with white flour and salt. The mixture was evenly stirred to become a thick and gooey batter.


    A moderate amount of lard was poured into the pot. Then, a spoonful of batter was put into the hot oil. When one side had turned golden brown, the pancake was flipped over and cooked until the other side had turned the same color.


    Halfway through the pancakes, Xiaoguo went to check on the medicine stove. When she returned, the pancakes were cooked. Xiaoguo scooped them onto a plate. The hot lard had imbued a nice golden hue to the pancakes and every piece was a wonderful mix of crisp and fragrant goodness.


    Xiaoguo scooped all the pancakes onto a plate. At that moment, Zhuang Zhuang came over.


    ¡°Mother, the chickens and ducks laid five more eggs today.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang skillfully placed the eggs and duck eggs into the basket. Xiaoguo turned her body and looked over. During this period of time, the chickens and ducks had laid a lot of eggs. The two baskets were almost full.


    Xiaoguo handed the pancakes to Zhuang Zhuang and asked him to bring it into the house. Zhuang Zhuang washed his hands and returned to the house with some chopsticks and a couple of bowls.


    One piece of pork belly, sliced into pieces. A stalk of celery, cut into sections and blanched. In a heated pot, the pork belly was stir-fried until the oil was released. Some onions and ginger were added in to add fragrance. The celery was thrown in and stir-fried with everything in the pot. Salt was added before serving.


    Zhuang Zhuang came over and brought the dishes into the house. Xiaoguo carried the bone soup herself as it was too heavy for Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen. Since she had so many eggs stashed away, she might as well add another egg dish for dinner. With that in mind, Xiaoguo took three eggs and two duck eggs, scrambled them together, and stir-fried them in the pot.


    Zhuang Zhuang carried the plate of scrambled eggs back into the house and helped Qin Anming out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo scooped a bowl of soup for Qin Anming. ¡°Brother, a bowl of soup before the meal!¡±


    Qin Anming took it and blew on it gently. When it was cooler, he had a mouthful. Qin Anming¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°This soup smells so good!¡±


    Qin Anming gave a thumbs up for the soup. How should he describe it? It was fragrant, savory and smooth! These three words summarized the soup perfectly.


    Zhuang Zhuang was also holding the soup that Xiaoguo had scooped for him. He blew on the soup and took a sip. Like his uncle, his eyes lit up and he was full of praise.


    ¡°You can¡¯t drink too much even if it¡¯s good. You shouldn¡¯t eat too much for dinner.¡±


    Xiaoguo instructed the two of them, and they nodded in acknowledgment. However, they did not look up at Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo smiled helplessly¡ªshe would just let them be.


    After dinner, Zhuang Zhuang went to wash the dishes. Xiaoguo went to check on the medicine stove. When she was done, she returned to the house and looked at Qin Anming, who was still sitting in the dining room.


    ¡°Brother, wait a moment. I¡¯ll make the bed for you.¡±


    Qin Anming nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped him and pulled him back to sit. ¡°Sit down. It¡¯ll be ready in no time.¡±


    Feeling helpless, Qin Anming sat back down and watched Xiaoguo make the bed for him. He was filled with mixed emotions. In the blink of an eye, Xiaoguo had really grown up. He still remembered how he used to wash her hands and wipe her face. To think that the little baby at that time had grown up to be so awesome. Today, he had been observing Xiaoguo all day long. He saw how busy she had been the whole day, and how she took care of everything in an orderly manner. She had raised a good kid too. It turned out that the little child back then was able to support a family now¡­


    ¡°Brother! Brother!¡±


    After Xiaoguo finished making the bed, she came out and saw Qin Anming sitting on the stool in a daze. She reached out and waved her hand in front of his eyes.


    Qin Anming came back to his senses and looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s puzzled gaze. He lowered his head and laughed.


    ¡°I think I am really getting old. I¡¯m starting to reminisce about the past.¡±


    ¡°What! Brother, you¡¯re only 23! You¡¯re still young!¡±


    Xiaoguo snorted, her tone full of indifference. But then she remembered that in ancient times, when girls were between 13 to 15 years of age, their parents would seek out potential husbands for them. Once they turned 15, they were considered to be adults and most girls would be married by then.


    It was the same for the men. At Qin Anming¡¯s age, most men would have had children that were around six or seven years old.


    It was the same for Xiaoguo. She married Jiang Danhe when she just reached adulthood. When she was pregnant, she was only 16 years old.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what to say. She stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.


    When Qin Anming heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he chuckled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m in my prime!¡±


    Xiaoguo chimed in, ¡°Yes! You¡¯re in your prime!¡±


    The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Xiaoguo helped Qin Anming back into his room.


    Sitting on the warm bed sheets, Qin Anming felt as if he was sitting in the sun. It had been a long time since he had smelled this scent. He was busy worrying about his meals everyday and had no time to care for the house. The bedding in his house hadn¡¯t been sunned for a long time and they smelled of dampness.


    Qin Anming lowered his head and covered his eyes which were brimming with tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check on your medicine.¡±


    Xiaoguo said to him and walked out, unaware of the change in Qin Anming¡¯s expressions.


    Qin Anming wiped his tears and lay on the bed. He thought that he would grow old alone. No! He might not even live for that long.


    He really didn¡¯t expect to be reunited with his family. It felt so good!


    After a while, Xiaoguo brought the medicine into the house. Afraid that he would find it bitter, she asked Zhuang Zhuang to get some white sugar from the kitchen.


    At first, Qin Anming thought that Xiaoguo was looking down on him. As a man, he was not afraid of hardship!


    With this thought in mind, Qin Anming raised his hand and drank the medicine in a gulp. He put down the bowl and looked at Xiaoguo with obstinance. One second, two seconds, three seconds later¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang stood by his side. Seeing that something was happening, he seized the right moment and popped the sugar into Qin Anming¡¯s mouth.


    Xiaoguo was watching from the side. In the beginning, Qin Anming didn¡¯t seem affected. But three seconds later, tears streamed down his face as the medicine was too bitter. But when he saw Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s bold actions, he burst out in laughter.


    This little kid! How very cute!


    Perhaps due to the effects of the medicine, Qin Anming started to feel drowsy after a while. Xiaoguo covered him with a blanket and gently closed the windows, leaving only a small gap for air. To recover from a cold, one had to sweat it out. She closed the windows a little more to prevent him from catching a cold while perspiring.


    Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang back to the house and poured out a bowl of water. She got Zhuang Zhuang to place it in front of his uncle¡¯s bed. Before she left the room, Xiaoguo had placed a stool in front of the bed. If Qin Anming got thirsty in the middle of the night, he could reach for water from the stool.


    Zhuang Zhuang obediently brought the water over. Xiaoguo tidied up the bed and spread out the blankets.


    When Zhuang Zhuang returned, Xiaoguo took out a book and asked him if he still wanted to study. Xiaoguo had no time today, and Zhuang Zhuang was following her around the whole day. He didn¡¯t have time to rest, nor read.


    Seeing Zhuang Zhuang nod, Xiaoguo was secretly delighted. ¡°This child is quite studious. Yes! Unlike me!¡±


    ¡°Then we won¡¯t be learning new words tonight as there isn¡¯t enough time. We¡¯ll just do revision starting from the first word!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang carefully took out a brush and paper. Xiaoguo flipped through the book, from the bookmarked page back to the first chapter. Xiaoguo was very surprised. She didn¡¯t realize that Zhuang Zhuang had already learned so much!


    The thickness of the pages in her hands were pretty substantial. Time really passed quickly!


    Xiaoguo sighed. She looked into Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s serious eyes and started asking questions¡­

 Chapter 67 - Jiang Danhes Worries

    ¡°General!¡±


    Jiang Danhe let go of the burning letter in his hand. It fell to the ground and turned into ashes. He rubbed the burnt marks on his fingers and looked up at the person who had entered.


    ¡°Have all the men set off?¡±


    It was Li Shouji. The two of them had set off from Yonghai County and traveled for three weeks before arriving at the capital.


    Li Shouji took a bow and stood up, his face filled with joy.


    ¡°The men had set off safely. They were split into five groups and are quietly moving towards the capital from various locations!¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded and heaved a sigh of relief. Being able to set off safely was equivalent to completing one third of the plan.


    The most important thing on this trip was not to attract the attention of the emperor. Although there were people in the royal court who would give him signals, as long as the emperor was still in the throne, there would always be loyal officials protecting him.


    Therefore, they could not let their guard down.


    ¡°Tell the people in the imperial court to be careful. Also, instruct the various troops to keep a low profile!¡±


    Jiang Danhe reminded Li Shouji again. Li Shouji understood and expressed that he would remind the troops again.


    The arrow was now drawn. There was no turning back.


    If they succeeded, it would mean a happy ending.


    If they failed, it would mean death.


    Li Shouji nodded cautiously. He looked at Jiang Danhe¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but feel worried.


    ¡°General, you have to rest!¡±


    Li Shouji was a little hesitant, but he couldn¡¯t resist reminding Jiang Danhe. He could see the dark circles under Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes.


    Jiang Danhe knew what Li Shouji was worried about. He chuckled helplessly and rubbed between his eyebrows.


    ¡°My body is fine. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not continue. His eyes were blank as his thoughts drifted off.


    Li Shouji looked at him and couldn¡¯t help but think to himself. ¡°Here we go again¡­¡±


    Ever since he left Yonghai County, Jiang Danhe had been acting strangely. When he spoke, he always seemed spaced out. He had never been like this before.


    At first, Li Shouji thought that he was worried about the operation not going smoothly. But later on, he realized that it was not the case.


    As a subordinate, Li Shouji did not dare speculate about the General¡¯s affairs. But as a brother, that was another matter.


    Li Shouji took his leave. When night fell, he changed into civilian clothes and came to Jiang Danhe¡¯s door with a pot of wine in his hand. After knocking on the door, he entered the house.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the other party and understood the purpose of his visit.


    As the two of them were highly skilled, within a split second, they had reached the rooftop. Both of them sat down cross-legged on a selected spot of the roof.


    Jiang Danhe took out two wine glasses and placed them in the middle. Li Shouji poured the wine and handed one glass to him.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s troubling you lately?¡±


    Li Shouji asked him directly. Jiang Danhe¡¯s body froze for a moment. Then, he raised his head, downed the glass of wine in his hand and sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Just¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped mid-sentence. Li Shouji was extremely anxious to hear what he had to say. It was most annoying when someone stopped halfway while speaking!


    ¡°What exactly is it?¡±


    Jiang Danhe hesitated. He didn¡¯t know what to say. If he told him the truth, would Li Shouji think that he was crazy?


    In the end, Jiang Danhe told him everything.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    After listening to him, Li Shouji found out the reason.


    The cause of his behavior was due to something he had seen. He had seen the side profile of a familiar looking person when he was leaving the county. There was also a child¡­


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Li Shouji really didn¡¯t understand what was going on. Was this the reason why he had been troubled for so long¡­?


    Jiang Danhe sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not me. You don¡¯t understand.¡±


    After saying that, he took a sip of wine and continued.


    ¡°At that time, I was of marriageable age. My mother asked a matchmaker to arrange my marriage. There were two girls who were suitable and were also of marriageable age. I secretly went to check out what they looked like. With just one look, I fell in love with one of them.¡±


    After saying that, Jiang Danhe laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Is she very pretty?¡±


    Li Shouji raised an eyebrow, seeing through his laugh.


    ¡°She¡¯s indeed very beautiful. I spotted her immediately among a group of people. When I got back, I told my mother about her. We found out that her family was not doing well so my mother gave an additional half bag of grains as a betrothal gift. Actually, our family is not very well off either, but my mother still fixed the marriage for me. On the night of the wedding, when I lifted her veil. I can still remember her face until now.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was caught up in his memories. That night, if she could be described by a poem, it would go like this: In the springtime across ten miles of Yangzhou, among the beauties behind the beaded curtains, no one could surpass you.


    As Li Shouji listened to his description, he felt a tinge of envy. After all, he was a bachelor.


    ¡°But I was captured and sent to the army the next day. It¡¯s been nearly four years since we last met. I wonder if she¡¯s still waiting for me¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe was filled with worry. In fact, he had only said a few words to Xiaoguo on the night of their wedding.


    He lifted the veil, and they drank wine from each other¡¯s glasses, shared a room, and he was arrested the next day.


    Before leaving, he did not even look back at her. If she did not wait for him, it would be understandable.


    But if she was waiting for him, what had he done to deserve it?


    1


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s waiting for you at home. The child is all grown up!¡±


    As Li Shouji said those words, Jiang Danhe was perturbed. He thought of the side profile and the child¡­


    After saying that, Li Shouji downed a glass of wine. After a while, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, ¡°Why did I just remember!¡±


    ¡°By the way! When I went to the county fair the other day, I saw a child who looked just like you. Could it be the same person?¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. No way!


    ¡°Should I get someone to look into it? It¡¯s almost time to halt the operations anyway.¡±


    Li Shouji suggested.


    As the most important person in Shao Zhan¡¯s plan, Jiang Danhe had faked his death so that it would be convenient for him to gather troops in private. Therefore, he could not appear in public or contact his family.


    In order not to be distracted, he focused on carrying out King Zhan¡¯s mission. He endured the pain of missing his family.


    At this point, Li Shouji¡¯s suggestion was tempting, but¡­


    Jiang Danhe finally shook his head and sighed.


    If the mission was successful, he could go home and accompany them.


    But if he managed to contact them, they would be filled with hope. Should anything happen to him halfway through the mission, wouldn¡¯t they have to suffer another round of pain? Forget it. He would wait until the mission was successfully completed.


    Although Li Shouji had no family, he could still understand Jiang Danhe¡¯s dilemma.


    They didn¡¯t speak again. They drank glass after glass of wine as the sky darkened.


    Both of them could hold their liquor well, so a pot of wine was nothing to them.


    Jiang Danhe looked up at the moon with an unreadable expression. ¡°The moon has been getting rounder lately.¡±


    His voice was so soft that it seemed to be drifting with the wind.


    Although his voice was soft, Li Shouji still heard him.


    ¡°A letter came?¡±


    Jiang Danhe grunted and continued to look at the moon.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost mid-autumn.¡±


    He spat out a sentence that didn¡¯t make any sense and jumped to the ground. He turned around and walked into the house, leaving Li Shouji alone.


    Li Shouji was resigned to his fate and jumped down with the wine glass and wine pot in his hand.


    The moon in the sky shone down with its cold and silvery glow. Li Shouji took one last look at the moon and suddenly shivered. He rubbed on both his arms and jogged back to his room.


    It seemed that temperatures would drop after the Mid-Autumn Festival.

 Chapter 68 - Mother and Son Think alike

    ¡°Mother, are you cold?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaoguo shivering and thought that she was cold. He rubbed her arms vigorously with his small hands.


    ¡°Have an early night. You can sew tomorrow.¡±


    Qin Anming also saw Xiaoguo shivering and got worried.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not cold.¡±


    Xiaoguo was indeed fine, but she suddenly shivered for no reason. Perhaps someone was talking about her.


    Rubbing her eyes, Xiaoguo put down the needle and thread in her hands and spread out the half-sewn garments on the table. She looked closely to see where the threads were asymmetrical.


    Qin Anming took a look, and saw that the clothes were made for him. He was overjoyed. They looked really good.


    ¡°Hurry up and get some rest,¡±


    Qin Anming said to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Then you guys should stop studying too. It¡¯s getting late. Rest early.¡±


    Xiaoguo watched as the two of them continued reading in high spirits. She could not help but remind them as well.


    It was really getting late, so the three of them packed up their things and returned to their rooms with a candle each.


    While Qin Anming was recuperating, he saw Zhuang Zhuang studying every day. He could not help but watch him from the side. As he watched, his interest was piqued. Hence, Zhuang Zhuang became his teacher and taught him what he had learned.


    1


    By now, Qin Anming had learned a lot of words. Zhuang Zhuang, on the other hand, had finished learning the Thousand Character Classic, and was starting on the Disciple Rules.


    After more than a month under the care of Xiaoguo, Qin Anming¡¯s body was much stronger than before. He did not feel tired even after working for an entire day.


    After his body recovered, he quickly went to work in the fields. He said that he had gotten tired of lying down for so long.


    When he reached the fields, he seemed to have an endless supply of energy. He worked with his back bent, weeding the fields. Soon, the weeds in the two fields were cleared. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have to do much.


    When the two of them were walking home with their hoes, they became the envy of other women, who were still working hard in the fields.


    Li Zhaodi gritted her teeth in hatred. When Xiaoguo walked past her, she even gave her a sarcastic look.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t angry. She let Qin Anming leave first and followed behind him. She said something to Li Zhaodi slowly. When Li Zhaodi heard it, she was so angry that her skull almost split open.


    Qin Anming asked Xiaoguo curiously what she had said to make that woman so angry.


    Xiaoguo chuckled and didn¡¯t tell him the truth. She told him that she didn¡¯t say much. It was just that Li Zhaodi was always getting angry over nothing.


    Actually, she really didn¡¯t say anything. She had just touched a raw nerve.


    So what if her man was an official now? He still couldn¡¯t come back. No matter how rich she was, she still had to go to the fields to weed. And there were endless weeds to clear. She would never finish clearing them.


    Remembering her expression, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stop herself from laughing again.


    After hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, Qin Anming nodded in agreement.


    He also knew Li Zhaodi. When he was in Qin Manor, before Xiaoguo and Li Zhaodi got married, Li Zhaodi would always come to their house to look for him. Every time she came, she would apply heavy makeup. It was a scary sight. Every time he saw her, she would behave oddly too.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know about that. If she did, she would definitely laugh to death. Li Zhaodi¡¯s shy expressions and actions were weird behavior in Qin Anming¡¯s eyes. Hahahaha.


    On the way home, they passed by Mrs. Yang¡¯s house. Xiaoguo and Qin Anming stopped in their tracks when they saw Mrs. Yang, who was still busy clearing weeds in the fields.


    ¡°Brother, are you tired?¡±


    Qin Anming knew what Xiaoguo meant when he saw her expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Xiaoguo chuckled and walked towards Mrs. Yang with her hoe.


    ¡°Sister-in-law! How is your progress?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked from afar. Mrs. Yang turned around when she heard them. When she saw that it was the two of them, she quickly shouted, ¡°No need, no need! It¡¯s almost done! Go back and rest early when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t listen to her. She and Qin Anming followed the traces of the hoe and came to two rows of seedlings. They started working from that spot.


    When Mrs. Yang saw this, she stopped protesting against their help and picked up her speed. She wanted to do more so that Xiaoguo and Qin Anming could do less.


    With their help, Mrs. Yang¡¯s plot was done very quickly. The three of them were sweating profusely as they carried their hoes and walked home happily.


    Li Zhaodi was so tired that she was drenched in sweat. She wiped her sweat with her sleeve and narrowed her eyes at the three of them. She spat in their direction. What was so great about that?!


    There was no more work to be done in the fields. Xiaoguo planned to go with Qin Anming to the mountains the next day. They would cut trees and come back to build a cowshed.


    When she got home, Zhuang Zhuang was still playing outside with the cows. There was no one at home, so Xiaoguo went to prepare lunch.


    Qin Anming brought three big duck eggs into the house and placed them in the basket that was already full.


    ¡°There are a lot of duck eggs.¡±


    Xiaoguo saw that it was true. She had been cooking eggs every morning. To think that they couldn¡¯t consume the eggs fast enough to keep up with the speed that the eggs were being laid.


    Xiaoguo asked Qin Anming to pass her two duck eggs. For lunch, she would be making noodles, stir-fried tomatoes with eggs, and eggplant with diced pork.


    When lunch was ready, Qin Anming laid the table. Xiaoguo went to wash her hands. Upon seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was not back yet, she prepared to go out and look for him.


    As soon as she reached the door, she saw Zhuang Zhuang walking towards the house with two cows.


    Xiaoguo called out to Zhuang Zhuang loudly. When Zhuang Zhuang heard her, he quickened his pace and Xiaoguo went forward to welcome him.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    ¡°Why are you back so late today?¡±


    Xiaoguo reached out for the cows and saw that Zhuang Zhuang was holding something in his arms.


    Xiaoguo looked at it curiously. Suddenly, the fabric moved and there were howling sounds coming from it.


    Xiaoguo was shocked. Zhuang Zhuang quickly covered it up and looked up at her with an innocent smile.


    Xiaoguo did not buy it. She called out Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s name threateningly, ¡°Jiang Qingwen?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang quickly stopped smiling and revealed what was in his arms.


    Xiaoguo snorted and looked down. It was two puppy dogs.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°In the pit by the river, with a big dog, but it was dead.¡±


    Listening to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s description, Xiaoguo realized that the big dog was the puppies¡¯ mother, but she was dead. From Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s description, she guessed that the mother dog had starved to death. It made sense. In today¡¯s world, people don¡¯t even have enough to eat, let alone dogs.


    Zhuang Zhuang was confused when he saw that Xiaoguo didn¡¯t seem angry.


    ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t you going to scold me?¡±


    Xiaoguo was amused by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words. ¡°Why should I scold you?¡±


    ¡°At that time, Xiaohu was also there. He said that if he were to bring the puppies back, his mother would definitely scold him.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang imitated the voice of Xiaohu, and it made Xiaoguo laugh.


    ¡°I won¡¯t scold you, I am even going to praise you!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was curious why Xiaoguo said that.


    ¡°Because I think Zhuang Zhuang is kind. You must have brought them back because you were afraid that they would starve to death outside, right?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded vigorously in agreement.


    Xiaoguo added, ¡°If my son is so kind, why would I scold him?¡±


    ¡°But Brother Xiaohu said¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because some people have to take care of their families¡¯ living needs. They can¡¯t afford to take care of other animals. This is the reason why Xiaohu¡¯s mother won¡¯t let him bring them back.¡±


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang understood her words, Xiaoguo continued, ¡°Another reason why I didn¡¯t scold you was because I can afford to feed them. That¡¯s why I let them stay.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded, indicating that he understood.


    ¡°Thank you, Mother!¡±


    Xiaoguo tapped his little nose and looked down at the two puppies. They were fat and chubby and their little teeth had grown out. They should be about a month old. She wouldn¡¯t have to worry about what to feed them.


    Seeing that it was a little difficult for Zhuang Zhuang to carry the two of them, she squatted down and took a puppy from his arms. When the puppy was transferred into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms, it even called out to her with a few barks.


    Seeing that the puppies were still quite energetic, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad for the dead female dog that had given birth to them.


    She wanted to ask Zhuang Zhuang where the dead dog was. She was intending to bury it herself later. But when Zhuang Zhuang heard that, he stretched out his hands for Xiaoguo to see.


    Every fingernail on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s chubby hands was covered in black mud.


    ¡°Mother, I just buried it.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked. It was true.


    ¡°Mother and son truly think alike!¡±

 Chapter 69 - Spruce Trees

    With that, Xiaoguo and her son burst out laughing.


    Qin Anming¡¯s voice came from the front.


    ¡°What are you talking about that¡¯s so funny?¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang saw him, he immediately hugged the puppy in his arms and told him about what happened.


    Qin Anming took the rope that was attached to the donkeys and listened attentively. When Zhuang Zhuang came to the part where he was trying to keep his uncle in suspense, Qin Anming pretended not to know and kept asking him questions.


    As soon as Zhuang Zhuang entered the courtyard, he carried the puppy and introduced all the animals to the two puppies.


    On his way home, Zhuang Zhuang had already named the two puppies.


    The yellow one in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s arms was called Ben Ben because it ran fast.


    The white one in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms was called Fei Fei because it was fat.


    When he was done with the introductions, Xiaoguo fetched some water and urged him to wash his hands and have his dinner.


    The next day, Xiaoguo got on the donkey cart and went up the mountains with Qin Anming.


    The wood they needed for building the shed had to be thicker, straighter, and longer. Xiaoguo and Qin Anming discussed it, and it seems that only spruce trees satisfy those criteria.


    Coincidentally, Xiaoguo had seen a clump of spruce trees when she went up the mountains previously.


    Just as they were about to leave, Zhuang Zhuang ran out of the house. He wanted to follow them. Xiaoguo agreed, and the three of them set off after locking the door.


    Along the way, Zhuang Zhuang asked Xiaoguo curiously about the spruce tree. This was Xiaoguo¡¯s expertise, so she had lots to share with Zhuang Zhuang and told him everything she knew.


    Spruce trees prefer cool and moist climates. They thrive on fertile, well-drained and slightly acidic sandy soil. It is a slow growing tree and is a shallow-rooted species.


    Qin Anming was stunned when he heard all this coming from Xiaoguo. He wondered how his sister knew so much.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s explanation to him was that she had read a book about tree species.


    Qin Anming nodded with admiration. Books were indeed wonderful. There was everything inside. He had to learn how to read properly and become like his sister!


    The three of them headed towards the direction of the spruce trees. As they ventured deeper and deeper into the forest, Qin Anming began to feel a little uneasy.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, could there be any danger in here? I should have come myself.¡±


    Qin Anming really regretted bringing Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang along. If he came alone, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid even if there was danger. However, nothing must happen to Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, brother.¡±


    Sensing his uneasiness, Xiaoguo comforted him. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang and I have been up here several times. There¡¯s no danger at all.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Qin Anming exploded when he heard that. Xiaoguo had actually come by herself and brought Zhuang Zhuang along.


    Seeing that the two of them did not sense any danger, he felt an intense fear in his heart. He began to scold Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo listened to the incessant nagging behind her. She was really embarrassed. Who would have thought that Qin Anming was so good at nagging? He¡¯s been going at it for so long. She wondered if he was thirsty.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t refute him. After all, in her eyes, Qin Anming was not only her elder brother, but also a father to her. These days, other than cooking, Xiaoguo doesn¡¯t have to do anything else at home. Qin Anming didn¡¯t allow her to do any other chores. He seemed to have taken on the role of a father.


    Xiaoguo continued listening to the nagging. She didn¡¯t feel annoyed at all. All she could feel was warmth in her heart¡ªafter all, nagging was also an expression of love.


    However, for the sake of Qin Anming¡¯s voice, Xiaoguo interrupted him.


    ¡°Look! Spruce trees!¡±


    Qin Anming cleared his throat and looked in the direction Xiaoguo was pointing.


    The straight and thick spruce stood upright in the forest. It had an eternal quiet temperament. Under the contrast of the odd-shaped branches around it, it looked even more green and magnificent.


    Zhuang Zhuang uttered instantly. ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°Mother, look at how straight they are!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang circled the spruce tree in surprise. Xiaoguo came down from the cart with the ax and walked to the tree. She touched it with her hand and could not bear to cut it down.


    The tree trunk was truly thick and sturdy. It might not be easy to cut it down.


    Qin Anming took the ax and walked around the trees. When he had seen enough, he said to Xiaoguo, ¡°This area is filled with spruce trees. All of them look very healthy!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment, but in the end, she made up her mind. ¡°Cut it down!¡±


    Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to stay further away from the tree. When she was certain that he was out of the range of any falling trees, Xiaoguo then swung her ax with Qin Anming. Taking turns to chop with their axes, one tree quickly fell to the ground.


    The two of them continued to cut down the trees. They had thought about it before coming here. In order to build the shed, they would need about eight spruce trunks for the frame. For the rooftop, they just need a few thinner tree trunks. That would be about all they need.


    Cutting down trees was a strenuous task. The two of them spent the whole morning cutting the trees and taking breaks in between. By noon, they were able to load all the felled trees onto the donkey cart.


    Each time Xiaoguo chopped down a tree, she would trim away the excess leaves and branches. The length of one spruce was as good as having two logs, so they ended up only cutting four.


    As the trees were loaded onto the donkey cart, the three of them had no choice but to walk down the mountains. Fortunately, the pathway leading towards their home was not difficult to walk on. After descending the mountain safely, they led the donkey cart straight home.


    After unloading the trees, Xiaoguo patted the donkey. It worked really hard. She gave the donkey a bunch of fresh grass as a reward.


    As they still had to do manual labor in the afternoon, Xiaoguo decided to make some lunch.


    She went to the space and took out the pig intestines she had bought earlier.


    Qin Anming went to the kitchen and saw that Xiaoguo was washing a basin of unknown items. The water was murky white and the contents looked disgusting.


    Qin Anming wanted to ask what it was, but as soon as he got close, he was assaulted by a stench.


    Pinching his nose, he jumped far away. ¡°Xiaoguo, what are you washing?! It stinks!¡±


    Xiaoguo was immune to the smell. Seeing his reaction, she laughed.


    ¡°These are pig¡¯s intestines. They smell bad but the taste is delicious.¡±


    Xiaoguo almost drooled thinking about it. Seeing that Qin Anming still had a look of resistance and disbelief on his face, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything else. She would make the dish in a while.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cook the rice first.¡±


    Xiaoguo got Qin Anming to steam the rice and she moved the intestines outside to wash.


    She washed it several times with salt and flour. When the smell was completely gone, she washed it one last time with clean water.


    The pig intestines were put into the pot and boiled until they were partially cooked. Afterwards, they were scooped out and cut into triangular pieces. Xiaoguo then went on to prepare the other ingredients.


    There were still three green peppers that she had bought previously. She took them out and cut them into triangular pieces for later use.


    Xiaoguo was going to stir-fry some vegetables and make a bowl of loofah soup to help cut the greasiness of their meal.


    Seeing that the rice was almost ready, and the ingredients were also ready, she started cooking.


    She poured oil into the pot and stir-fried the green peppers in the hot oil. Then, she put in the pig intestines, added some seasoning, and stir-fried everything.


    Zhuang Zhuang was serving the dishes today. He tried to smell the intestines. It didn¡¯t smell bad at all. It was really fragrant and not smelly like his uncle had described.


    Zhuang Zhuang happily brought the dishes into the house. The remaining vegetables were easy to stir-fry. They were done quickly in hot lard, and the remaining loofah soup was cooked with two scattered eggs and a little salt.


    The rice was cooked by now. Qin Anming brought the rice back to the house. Xiaoguo followed behind with the loofah egg soup.


    Qin Anming looked at the large intestines on the plate hesitantly. Although they smelled good, they came from the rear end of the pig. It felt odd to put them in his mouth.


    Just as Qin Anming was hesitating, Xiaoguo laughed and placed the pig intestines into Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s bowl. Zhuang Zhuang ate it together with some rice.


    This stopped the words that were about to come out of Qin Anming¡¯s throat.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was eating happily, he gave up struggling in the end. Qin Anming picked up a piece of the pig intestines and ate it with a crumpled face.


    When he took the first mouthful, his eyes lit up. He ended up finishing most of the pig intestines on the plate.

 Chapter 70 - Zhuang Zhuang Gives Flowers to Xiaoguo

    After eating and drinking her fill, Xiaoguo left Zhuang Zhuang to wash the dishes and followed Qin Anming to the courtyard.


    ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t you rest for a while? You just finished eating.¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to stop Qin Anming from digging the hole, but he waved his hand and ignored her. He could do it himself.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t tired. She couldn¡¯t sleep. She might as well help him with the digging.


    The livestock shed will be built across from the enclosure for the chickens and ducks. In this corner, the shed gets the morning sun, and is shaded from the afternoon sun. It was well-suited for the cows and their living habits.


    Xiaoguo took the shovel and went to the spot where Qin Anming had marked. She then started digging.


    After digging to a depth of about half a meter, Qin Anming asked Xiaoguo to stop. It was about right.


    The two of them carried one tree and placed it vertically into the pit. Xiaoguo held onto the tree while Qin Anming filled in the soil with a shovel.


    When he was almost done, Xiaoguo let go and pushed at the trunk. It didn¡¯t move at all.


    After stepping on the soft soil, they began to work on the remaining pits.


    With the two of them working together, the four pits were quickly done with the spruce erected. The next step was to build the beams above.


    On top of the four pieces of wood, a log was set up in pairs facing each other. The logs were secured tightly with twine and the thinner pieces of wood were evenly spread out on top.


    Xiaoguo thought about going to the county tomorrow. She would buy some oil paper and tiles ¡ªthese could be placed on top of the shed to keep out the rain.


    She would also need to buy some brick lime to build a stone trough.


    After Zhuang Zhuang woke up, he led the cows outside to play.


    As cows need to have an adequate amount of exercise every day, Zhuang Zhuang had to take on the duty of bringing them out everyday.


    Xiaoguo washed her hands and cleaned her body. There was nothing much to do now. Thinking that it was still early, Xiaoguo turned around and went out to look for Zhuang Zhuang.


    Qin Anming stayed at home and continued to work on the livestock shed.


    Ben Ben and Fei Fei followed at Xiaoguo¡¯s feet, yelping as they went along. Xiaoguo thought that they might want to go out too, so she brought the puppies along to look for Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo knew where he went with the cows. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to walk too fast with the two little ones following behind her. As they were still young, one step she made was equivalent to five or six steps of theirs.


    Xiaoguo walked slowly in front leading the way, while the two puppy dogs tagged along behind, chasing after her.


    Along the way, she didn¡¯t see anyone. However, she saw Li Zhaodi walking out from the fields. As she walked, she had one hand on her waist and a hoe in her other hand. It seemed like she had just finished farming.


    Xiaoguo wanted to spite her again, so she rolled her eyes and yawned. As she stretched her body, she said, ¡°Oh my, I slept so well!¡±


    1


    Xiaoguo¡¯s lazy look was a stark contrast to Li Zhaodi¡¯s disheveled appearance.


    Li Zhaodi heard and saw it.


    Glaring at Xiaoguo with both eyes, she mumbled incoherently.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have to hear it to know that she was scolding her again. But she wasn¡¯t angry. Li Zhaodi didn¡¯t utter any words and Xiaoguo had no reason to pick a fight. Anyway, she wasn¡¯t the one who was angry.


    The two puppies at Xiaoguo¡¯s feet barked at Li Zhaodi.


    Li Zhaodi took a few steps back. It was obvious that she was afraid of dogs. Xiaoguo looked at Li Zhaodi smugly and didn¡¯t stop them¡ªshe even slowed down deliberately. Li Zhaodi was filled with hatred and fear, but she didn¡¯t dare to move.


    Having had enough fun, Xiaoguo walked on with the two puppies.


    Don¡¯t ask her why she did this. In the past, whenever Li Zhaodi caught a glimpse of Xiaoguo, she would definitely scold her for several hours. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t really care at that time. Being bothered by flies once or twice was fine, but if it were to continue over a long period of time, it would eventually become an annoyance.


    When they reached the river, Zhuang Zhuang could be seen sitting on a rock beside the river. The two cows were grazing on the grass nearby. They were eating and enjoying themselves.


    Zhuang Zhuang had his head lowered and was preoccupied with the things in his hands. He did not notice Xiaoguo quietly approaching from behind.


    Curious about what Zhuang Zhuang was doing, Xiaoguo quietly walked behind him and peeked over his shoulders.


    He was holding a bouquet of flowers in one small hand and trying to tie it up with the other hand. He was having problems securing the vine¡ªunable to grab either ends to make a knot using only one free hand.


    Xiaoguo smiled mischievously and didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. She reached out from behind and helped him hold down one end of the vine that was difficult to tie.


    Seeing that someone was helping him hold the vine, Zhuang Zhuang said his thanks and continued to tie the flowers with a smile.


    Xiaoguo was amused to see that he was almost done tying the knot, but had yet to discover her presence. She continued holding her breath to see when he would realize she was behind him.


    With his back towards her, Xiaoguo could not see Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes.


    Zhuang Zhuang was actually glancing behind and secretly smiling to himself. Why hasn¡¯t his mother noticed it?


    In actual fact, as soon as Xiaoguo approached him, he had already noticed her. Just as he was about to turn around, he saw Xiaoguo¡¯s face reflected in the river in front of him.


    Hence, Zhuang Zhuang sat back down and pretended not to notice Xiaoguo.


    Mother and son hid it from each other until Zhuang Zhuang handed the flowers to Xiaoguo. ¡°Mother, this is for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo was shocked. She stared at Zhuang Zhuang in disbelief. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s me?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled and pointed at Xiaoguo¡¯s reflection in the river.


    Xiaoguo looked at where he was pointing, and saw her reflection in the river. She was still wearing a puzzled expression.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. She had wanted to tease Zhuang Zhuang, but he ended up teasing her instead.


    ¡°Alright, you bad boy. How dare you tease your mother. Watch how I am going to deal with you!¡±


    Xiaoguo reached out her evil hands and reached for Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s armpits. Zhuang Zhuang was ticklish.


    Zhuang Zhuang tried to hide from Xiaoguo¡¯s hands, but he didn¡¯t manage to escape from her advances. Just when he wasn¡¯t noticing, Xiaoguo got the opportunity to tickle him.


    ¡°Mother¡­ Mother, hahahaha¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang did not last long under Xiaoguo¡¯s continuous attacks. He surrendered shortly after.


    Xiaoguo let Zhuang Zhuang go and brought the bouquet to her nose. The fragrance was lovely.


    ¡°Is this made specially for me?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang panted and nodded at Xiaoguo. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s for Mother. I found beautiful flowers across the river today, so I made a bouquet for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo reached out and hugged Zhuang Zhuang. Her eyes were red,


    ¡°Thank you, Zhuang Zhuang. Mother is so grateful! Mother is so happy! I love it!¡±


    Xiaoguo expressed her appreciation in three different forms of exclamations.


    Zhuang Zhuang leaned on Xiaoguo¡¯s shoulder and patted her like she usually did to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy if Mother is happy.¡±


    ¡°If Zhuang Zhuang is happy, I¡¯m happy.¡±


    Xiaoguo rubbed the boy¡¯s face and said.


    When they returned in the evening, Qin Anming had already finished doing up the livestock shed. It looked much more refined than before she went out.


    Once Xiaoguo got home, she started to prepare dinner. After their meal, Zhuang Zhuang sat at the desk and taught Qin Anming how to write. Qin Anming paid close attention to his teacher.


    Xiaoguo was sitting a short distance away from them. By her side were the flowers that Zhuang Zhuang had given her today. When she got home earlier, she had arranged the flowers and placed them inside the jar.


    Using the light from the desk, Xiaoguo stitched up the clothes in her hands. During this period of time, Xiaoguo had almost finished making the clothes.


    She had made two outfits for herself and two for Qin Anming. The designs were similar to what she had made for Zhuang Zhuang. Xiaoguo did not know how to make anything that was more complicated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be done sewing by tonight. Tomorrow¡¯s weather will be a good day for washing.¡±

 Chapter 71 - Renovation of the Ruyi Noodle Restaurant

    The next day, after breakfast, Xiaoguo was planning to drive the donkey cart to the county by herself. However, Qin Anming was worried. He felt that it was not safe for a powerless woman to go to the county alone.


    There were all kinds of people there. Xiaoguo was so skinny and pretty. Although she was already a mother, it was impossible to tell from her appearance.


    How could he feel at ease letting her go out alone? Even though Xiaoguo had said that she had gone there several times before, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel worried.


    Xiaoguo had no choice but to bring Qin Anming along with her. Of course, she had to bring Zhuang Zhuang as well.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, didn¡¯t you say that you had to study this morning?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked helplessly at Zhuang Zhuang, who was curled up in her arms.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked up and said in an aggrieved tone, ¡°If both of you go, I¡¯ll be the only one left at home. Besides, I was intending to teach Uncle some words in the morning, but he is going to follow you. What am I going to do alone at home?¡±


    Xiaoguo could not outtalk him. Recently, Zhuang Zhuang has become more and more eloquent. He was no longer a child that Xiaoguo could fool easily.


    She lowered her head and kissed him hard on the forehead. Zhuang Zhuang basked in Xiaoguo¡¯s kiss and chuckled in her arms.


    Qin Anming was quite happy on the way to the county city. This was the first time he was going there.


    As soon as Xiaoguo arrived at the entrance of the county, she realized that there were many people queuing up to enter. She then realized that it was the big market day, which only happens once every three months.


    On this day, the number of stalls in the market would be three times more than usual. The crowded streets were even more packed on this day¡ªeveryone was huddled together, with little room to move about.


    On this day, people from all over the world would come to the market to peddle rare goods. There were all kinds of vegetables, fruits, clothes, appliances, and so on. Other than those who were selling goods, there were also visitors from the surrounding villages and counties, who were there to seek out rare items.


    Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart forward carefully. The small stalls extended from the entrance of the county to the county center. Small vendors were lined along both sides of the road. There were people dressed in strange clothes and shouting in accented Chinese, introducing their wares. There were also dark-skinned people playing with fire sticks, busking for money¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes were wide open. He was shouting and writhing with excitement in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. His eyes could not take in enough of the sights around him. Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang tightly with her left hand and felt a little frustrated. If she had known that it was the big market today, she wouldn¡¯t have come no matter what. There were just too many people!


    Seeing that it was difficult for Xiaoguo to carry Zhuang Zhuang and drive the donkey cart at the same time, Qin Anming took the boy from her and let Xiaoguo drive in peace.


    Xiaoguo felt lighter instantly¡ªshe could now steer the cart with both hands. They drove quickly through the city. Xiaoguo had heard that there were several shops selling tiles and bricks on the east side of the county.


    She drove towards the place where tiles and bricks were sold. Along the way, she happened to pass by the Ruyi Noodle Restaurant.


    Xiaoguo stopped the cart. It had been a while since she had been here, so she explained to Qin Anming that she would stop for a while and go in to take a look.


    Zhuang Zhuang was very familiar with the place. He held Qin Anming¡¯s hand and followed Xiaoguo past the queue outside. The three of them entered the noodle shop.


    As soon as Xiaoguo entered, she saw the same girl whom she had met the last time. Seeing that it was Xiaoguo, the girl invited her directly to the backyard. She asked her to wait there while she called for the boss.


    Not long after, Xu Ruyi came in and greeted Xiaoguo from afar, while taking off her apron.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, are you here for the big fair today?¡±


    She also knew that it was the big market today. There were more than half of the usual crowd lining up to buy potato noodles. She was so busy that she did not have time to take a breather. When she heard that Xiaoguo was coming over, she quickly took the time to come out.


    Xiaoguo could tell that she was really busy. Since she had nothing much to do this morning, she could help Xu Ruyi at the restaurant. The tiles could wait¡ªshe could check them out later in the afternoon.


    Xiaoguo told Zhuang Zhuang to follow Qin Anming and not wander about. After which, she followed Ruyi into the kitchen.


    The two of them got busy in the kitchen for a long time. The people lining up outside seemed to be growing in numbers. Qin Anming brought Zhuang Zhuang to the backyard and watched the busy scene in front of them. It didn¡¯t feel right for him to stay and do nothing. He saw Zhuang Zhuang chatting in a familiar manner with the cashier.


    Knowing that Zhuang Zhuang was with someone familiar, he felt more at ease. Qin Anming then chipped in to help clear the tables and serve the noodles.


    All of them were kept busy the whole morning. They were constantly shuttling in and out of the kitchen. When they finally sent off the last customer, the ingredients in the kitchen had all been used up. Not even a single leaf of vegetables was left.


    By noon, everyone was hungry after a whole morning of hard work.


    Xiaoguo wanted to take her leave, but Ruyi refused to let them go. After all the work, they had to stay for lunch.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t turn down her kind offer. She asked Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang if they wanted to stay and they both asked her to decide. Xiaoguo then agreed to stay.


    Ruyi had to go buy some ingredients as there was nothing left in the noodle shop. Xiaoguo went along with her, leaving the others to clean up the noodle shop.


    The two of them chatted along the way to the market. Much of the crowd in the market had dispersed, leaving only some groups of people behind. Fortunately, the vegetable stall was still open. The two of them bought some vegetables and meat for lunch. Xiaoguo paid for the ingredients as the three of them were staying for lunch. It was more appropriate for them to pay for the food.


    Ruyi had no choice but to let her. On the way back, Xu Ruyi and Xiaoguo shared some interesting things that had happened over the past two days.


    As they chatted, Xu Ruyi and Xiaoguo started talking about the noodle shop.


    Ruyi felt that the business at the shop was doing well, but it seemed rather monotonous. She wanted to discuss with Xiaoguo if they could change the way the shop was operated.


    Although Ruyi didn¡¯t go into details, Xiaoguo understood what she was saying and thinking. The potato noodles would be sold in the morning until noon. In the afternoon, they would prepare the ingredients for the next day. During those few hours, it was quite a waste to keep the restaurant closed. She was hoping to extend the operating hours.


    Xiaoguo thought about it and came up with a good idea. They could do Malatang1 instead. It would work for both lunch and dinner. The ingredients were diverse, so customers could pick whatever they wanted to eat. The items selected could be weighed in a basin and be charged by weight.


    After telling Ruyi what she was thinking, Xu Ruyi¡¯s eyes lit up. She exclaimed with joy. Xiaoguo really knew her too well!


    The two of them exchanged ideas about their plans in lowered tones as they walked towards the noodle shop.


    Xiaoguo took on the role of master chef that afternoon. She was going to let everyone have a taste of her culinary skills.


    A total of ten dishes and a soup were prepared. When the last plate of soup was served at the table, lunch was ready.


    The seven of them gathered around and waited for Xiaoguo to sit down before picking up their chopsticks.


    Praises rang out around the table. Xiaoguo felt a little embarrassed and quickly got everyone to eat more.


    Xu Ruyi was still thinking about what Xiaoguo had said about Malatang. Once Xiaoguo put down her chopsticks, she eagerly pulled her back to her room to discuss it.


    Xiaoguo explained what she had in mind in detail and Ruyi took note of everything. Xiaoguo told Ruyi about the small meatballs she had to prepare, and wrote down the recipe. The making process for the meatballs was easy and was basically the same as the fish balls.


    Ruyi found it simple too and after asking in detail about how to make them, she had a pretty good understanding of the entire process.


    Xiaoguo wrote down a list of vegetables that could be included in the menu on a piece of paper. There were also condiments like sesame sauce, vinegar, chili oil, peanuts, crushed coriander, and so on.


    Seeing that she had filled up seven or eight pieces of paper, Xiaoguo carefully checked if she had missed out anything. After she was done, she handed them to Ruyi.


    Ruyi held the sheets of paper like they were precious treasures. She was filled with confidence!


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, should I buy a few more girls?¡±


    Ruyi felt that it would be easier for her if there were more helpers.


    Xiaoguo agreed. With more people, more ingredients could be prepared. It would be easier for everyone ultimately.

 Chapter 72 - Qin Anming Invests in a Noodle Restaurant

    Ruyi was going to close the noodle shop for a few days. She asked Uncle Xu to write a notice saying that Ruyi Noodle Restaurant would be temporarily closed and would reopen in seven days.


    She was planning to give everyone a break when the shop was closed. She had been so busy these days that she had no time to rest. She could take this opportunity to find new maids and prepare the ingredients for Malatang.


    Xiaoguo chatted with her for a while longer. Remembering that she still had to buy something, she got ready to leave.


    Ruyi happened to be free in the afternoon, so she asked what Xiaoguo wanted to buy. When she heard that she was going to buy bricks and tiles, she laughed and patted her chest, saying that she would take care of it.


    She had grown up in the county. She knew the shops around here at the back of her hand and knew where to get the best bargains.


    Xiaoguo thought about it. That would be great. It would save her the trouble of having to go from shop to shop to compare prices.


    With Qin Anming¡¯s help, Ruyi got on the donkey cart and sat firmly beside Xiaoguo. Zhuang Zhuang stayed by Qin Anming¡¯s side.


    Ruyi and Xiaoguo talked about the place they were going to and how their products were well-made and durable.


    Xiaoguo steered the cart and drove it towards the location as directed by Ruyi.


    On the way, since Ruyi was free from work, she was all smiles and chatted with Xiaoguo about her plans and the things she had to prepare.


    Xiaoguo kept her eyes on the road and her ears tuned to what Ruyi was saying. As she chatted with her, she gave some ideas whenever something came to her mind.


    Midway through their conversations, Ruyi suddenly stopped talking. Sensing that something was amiss, she turned around to see what was wrong.


    She saw Ruyi staring blankly towards the direction behind her. Xiaoguo wondered what she was looking at and followed her gaze. She was staring at Qin Anming, who was talking to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo called out to Ruyi twice more before she was jolted from her daze.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking about something. Hehe.¡±


    Feeling a little embarrassed, Ruyi blushed and looked away from Xiaoguo.


    Afraid that Xiaoguo would continue to question her, Ruyi quickly changed the subject. Xiaoguo realized that Ruyi must have been looking at her brother.


    Indeed! Her brother was really good-looking and tall. He was not the skinny and weak type!


    As those thoughts raced through her mind, she gave Ruyi a nudge.


    ¡°Oh right, Ruyi, I haven¡¯t had the chance to introduce you. This is my biological brother, Qin Anming. He¡¯s 23 years old this year and hasn¡¯t been betrothed yet.¡±


    At the mention of his name, Qin Anming looked up at Xiaoguo in confusion. What were they talking about?


    After receiving a strange look from Xiaoguo, Qin Anming was even more confused. He could only turn to look at Ruyi, imploring her to explain.


    Unexpectedly, Ruyi¡¯s face turned even redder. She didn¡¯t even dare to look at him. When she saw him looking at her, she immediately turned her head to Xiaoguo. Her heart was thumping furiously.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s brother was really good-looking. She had only taken a glance at him as she was busy in the morning. At that time, her first thought was that he looked good. During lunch, she was preoccupied thinking about the Malatang that Xiaoguo had mentioned, so she hadn¡¯t given him much notice. Now that she had time, she couldn¡¯t help herself. Her eyes kept wandering towards his direction. Was she going crazy?


    Xiaoguo looked at Ruyi and could tell what she was thinking. But when she looked back at her silly brother, she felt a little exasperated. The girl was already blushing so hard, but he was completely unaware and still joking around with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo thought about her brother. He was already past the age of marriage, but there were still no plans in place for his future.


    With that thought in mind, Xiaoguo turned to look at Ruyi. This girl was kind-hearted and pretty. She was old enough to be married. Maybe she should help them?


    However, on second thought, this relationship was still between the two of them. She could not get involved. She could only try to create a start.


    ¡°By the way, Ruyi, you wanted me to help you, right?¡±


    Ruyi suddenly came back to her senses and thought about what Xiaoguo had said.


    Because of Malatang, Ruyi wanted Xiaoguo to help keep an eye on the shop. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t feel confident if she was alone.


    ¡°Yes, are you agreeable?¡±


    Ruyi instantly put aside her thoughts and focused on what Xiaoguo had said. It would be great if Xiaoguo was willing to help her!


    Xiaoguo shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t be there. I still have Zhuang Zhuang. After the new year, Zhuang Zhuang will have to go to school. I still have to help him with some preparation work before school starts.¡±


    Ruyi nodded in disappointment. Xiaoguo had mentioned before that Zhuang Zhuang was her priority.


    ¡°However, I can let my brother go. I¡¯ll give him half of my shares. We¡¯ll each take twenty percent.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo looked at Ruyi. ¡°How is it?¡±


    Ruyi was stunned. She turned to look at Qin Anming and saw his confused expression. How did he get involved in their discussion?


    Ruyi naturally felt that it was a good arrangement, but it would depend on whether Qin Anming was agreeable.


    Qin Anming already knew what Xiaoguo and Xu Ruyi were planning to do for the restaurant. He had heard everything clearly along the way.


    To be honest, he was very tempted. He wanted to have his own things to do. Although it was good to be with Xiaoguo, there was not much for him to do everyday. Since he had time on his hands, it would be best if he could come to the noodle restaurant to help.


    Ruyi had expressed her agreement. The rest was up to Qin Anming.


    Qin Anming glanced at Xiaoguo and received an encouraging look from her. He looked at Xu Ruyi and said, ¡°Sure!¡±


    Ruyi was more excited than Xiaoguo. She gave a loud cheer, startling everyone on the cart.


    Then, she covered her mouth in embarrassment. ¡°I apologize, sorry, sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, if Brother Anming can come over and help, you don¡¯t have to take 20%. You can continue to take 40%. I¡¯ll give Brother Anming a separate 10%. In addition, I¡¯ll pay him a salary every month.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head repeatedly, her expression was dead serious. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. I will just give him half of my shares.


    Business and personal matters should be clearly divided. Ruyi was already not making much. She couldn¡¯t take advantage of her.


    ¡°Yes! Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    Ruyi interrupted Xiaoguo. ¡°Brother An Ming isn¡¯t here to work. He¡¯s here as a shareholder too. It¡¯s right for him to get a cut!¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Ruyi and saw that she wasn¡¯t joking. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that there was truth to what she said!


    When Qin Anming was at the noodle shop, he was actually taking on the duties of Xiaoguo. Since he had to take on the same tasks, it was right for him to get a share of the profits.


    However, she could not let Ruyi pay for his share!


    Xiaoguo and Ruyi talked for a long time, but Ruyi refused to back down. She said that she would give Qin Anming 10% of the profits. There was no need for Xiaoguo to split with him!


    Ruyi was quite stubborn about this matter. Xiaoguo and Qin Anming tried their best to persuade her, but to no avail. Helpless, they could only give up. It seemed that they would have to make it up to her in other ways in the future!


    Qin Anming was also filled with motivation. He arranged a time with Ruyi for him to familiarize himself with work and the ingredients on the following day.


    Seeing that the two of them were chatting happily, Xiaoguo gestured for Zhuang Zhuang to come over to her. Zhuang Zhuang rolled into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms.


    The donkey cart stopped at the place that Ruyi had recommended. When they entered, they could tell that the workmanship was indeed very meticulous and the materials used were very solid.


    Xiaoguo ordered five hundred tiles and a hundred bricks, as well as a sack of lime. Coincidentally, the shop carried oil paper too, so Xiaoguo bought a large piece.


    It was getting late by the time they were done with the shopping. Xiaoguo dropped Ruyi off and drove home as soon as she saw Ruyi entering the house.


    As they rushed back to Peach Blossom Village, Zhuang Zhuang was so tired that he couldn¡¯t open his eyes. Qin Anming hugged Zhuang Zhuang and kept talking to him to keep him awake. If he slept now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to have his dinner and will have problems falling asleep at bedtime.

 Chapter 73 - Lime

    ¡°Brother, are you going to the noodle shop after breakfast?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming, who was eating his porridge hurriedly. He had woken up early and gone out to cut grass in the morning. He only returned when Xiaoguo asked him to come in for his breakfast.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll be back early this afternoon. I¡¯ll lay the tiles when I return.¡±


    Qin Anming informed Xiaoguo that he would go early in the morning so that he could come back earlier in the afternoon.


    Xiaoguo nodded. She was intending to tell him that there would be nothing much to do at the noodle shop today. He could just familiarize himself with the operations at the shop and help to prepare the ingredients. It would be fine even if he turned up a bit later. However, seeing how enthusiastic he was, she didn¡¯t say anything. She picked up another piece of fried egg for him.


    After Qin Anming finished his meal, he put down his bowl and headed out with the donkey cart. Xiaoguo looked at his back view, which was exuding with enthusiasm, and reminded him to come back early. Qin Anming gave a wave of his hand and left.


    Xiaoguo went back to continue eating with Zhuang Zhuang. When he finished the porridge in his bowl, there was still a little left in the pot, so she scooped out the remaining portion for him.


    ¡°Mother, I can¡¯t eat anymore¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the half-filled bowl of porridge and looked at Xiaoguo with tears in his eyes.


    Xiaoguo had prepared a little too much food today. Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was not quite full yet, she decided to negotiate with him.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s share this porridge, okay?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiaoguo gave Zhuang Zhuang the omelet and let him eat it with the porridge.


    After the meal, Zhuang Zhuang went to wash the dishes as usual. Xiaoguo had nothing to do at home, so she decided to lay the tiles on the shed. It wasn¡¯t difficult anyway. She could handle it herself.


    Knowing that Zhuang Zhuang wanted to follow and help, Xiaoguo gave him an easy job. She asked him to help pass the tiles to her while she was on the ladder.


    Zhuang Zhuang was very eager to move the tiles. While Xiaoguo was laying out the oil paper, he had already placed six or seven pieces of tiles below the ladder.


    Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to pass the tiles one by one while she tried to figure out their arrangement on the roof. With Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s help, Xiaoguo saved a lot of time and finished covering up the entire roof within a short time.


    Xiaoguo slowly descended the ladder and looked at the results. Not bad!


    This time, she didn¡¯t use up all the tiles she had bought. There were five or six unused tiles. Zhuang Zhuang moved them to the corner of the wall. The next thing she was going to do was to construct the food trough.


    Zhuang Zhuang wanted to help with the lime mix, but Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to let him touch that. She told him to keep moving the bricks while she went to the well to get water. Then she began to work on the lime.


    She didn¡¯t need a whole bag of lime. Pouring out half a bag of the powder, she made a hole in the middle and slowly added water.


    Zhuang Zhuang had already placed the bricks in the shed. Xiaoguo used an unwanted basin to contain the lime mixture she just made, and brought it to the shed.


    First, she spread a thick layer of the lime mixture on the ground. Then, she arranged the bricks on top of it. Layer by layer, she stacked the bricks on top of a layer of the lime mixture, until she had created a rectangular-shaped structure. Then, she applied a layer of the lime mixture on the internal and external surfaces. This way, both the inner and outer walls would be symmetrical.


    She used the remaining bricks to build a smaller rectangular sink. By the same method, when she had laid the final brick for the structure, she covered up everything with a layer of lime.


    Zhuang Zhuang was curious and reached out to touch the lime. At first, he felt nothing. But gradually, he felt the lime on his fingers getting warmer. Zhuang Zhuang cried out in surprise. Xiaoguo was applying the lime mixture and did not notice what the boy was doing. When she heard his cry, she turned around instinctively and saw Zhuang Zhuang holding his hand and scrutinizing the lime on his fingers with his big eyes.


    When Xiaoguo saw this, she was relieved. The lime would become hot when it is mixed with water, but that small amount on his hands was too little to cause any burns.


    ¡°Mother, why is it hot?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had just learnt from his mother that this was called lime, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be hot.


    ¡°Because when lime powder meets water, it will turn into cooked lime. It¡¯s the same principle as when you boil water.¡±


    Xiaoguo tried to explain to Zhuang Zhuang by referring to her past classroom knowledge. At the same time, she wiped the last of the lime mixture from the basin.


    Zhuang Zhuang seemed to vaguely understand. He came up behind Xiaoguo and leaned on her back. ¡°Then why does the lime heat up when it touches water?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was full of questions. He had the habit of getting to the bottom of everything.


    Xiaoguo knew that Zhuang Zhuang was at the age where he was curious about everything. At such a time, she would answer whatever he was curious about. Even if she encountered something she didn¡¯t know¡ª as a parent, she would answer honestly that she didn¡¯t know¡ªinstead of getting impatient or telling lies to the child.


    Xiaoguo knew the answer to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s question. At this moment, she was thinking about how to explain in simple terms so that Zhuang Zhuang would understand.


    ¡°Before this lime was added to water, it was quicklime. And quicklime is made up of a substance called calcium oxide. This substance will boil as soon as it comes into contact with water. Once that happens, it will turn into hydrated lime. Just like when you boil water. Cold water, when heated, will turn into hot water.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo in admiration. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re really amazing!¡±


    Xiaoguo felt guilty upon hearing that, but she smiled and basked in the kisses that Zhuang Zhuang was planting on her face. Fortunately, Zhuang Zhuang did not ask her what calcium oxide was. If he had asked, the chemical composition would be a problem for her.


    The newly-built troughs were left to dry. The lime mixture in the basin had been used up, but there was still some left in the courtyard. Putting the remaining lime mixture into the basin, Xiaoguo used it to patch the chipped cement in various corners around the house. She did not let any part of the lime mixture go to waste.


    Seeing that there was still half of the lime powder left, Xiaoguo carefully tied up the bag. Once this thing gets exposed to moisture, it would become hard. Hence, she had to seal up the bag tightly.


    Xiaoguo carried the bag of lime to the kitchen and looked around, trying to find a place to put it. Finally, she carried it to a hidden corner in the kitchen.


    After she was done in the kitchen, she went to the well to draw a basin of water and called Zhuang Zhuang over to wash his hands.


    Zhuang Zhuang put his hands into the basin. Worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to clean his hands thoroughly, Xiaoguo bent down and washed them for him. She carefully cleaned every finger and nail.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    Xiaoguo checked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hands once again to ensure that they were clean, she then asked him to dry his hands. She poured away the dirty water and replaced it with a basin of clean water. She proceeded to wash her hands carefully with some soap. Lime could be harmful if left on the skin for a long time. It is essential to wash up thoroughly after coming into contact with any lime mixture.


    After washing her hands, Xiaoguo returned to the house and thought of the clothes she had made two days ago. It was supposed to be washed yesterday when the weather was good. However, she didn¡¯t have time so she had to wash them today. The weather seemed good and the sun was shining brightly.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was going to wash the clothes, Zhuang Zhuang quickly moved the basin and soap to the well when Xiaoguo stepped away to bring the clothes for washing. Once she came out, she saw Zhuang Zhuang moving those items towards the well.


    Xiaoguo really didn¡¯t know who Zhuang Zhuang took after. Every day, she would ask herself this question. The boy was always carrying things that were more than twice his size on a daily basis. Every time when he was feeding the chickens and ducks, he would carry one large pile of grass. She couldn¡¯t even see his head when he was moving the grass. Even so, he could still reach his destination safely. It was too amazing.


    Xiaoguo sat on the stool and began to wash the clothes. Zhuang Zhuang sat behind her and massaged her back with all his might¡ªhis little fists constantly moving rhythmically across her back. Xiaoguo enjoyed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s massage very much. With Zhuang Zhuang massaging her back, Xiaoguo felt like she had more strength to wash the clothes.


    In the afternoon, Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang out to let the cows graze. When it was almost time to go home, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sharp eyes immediately spotted Qin Anming coming back on the donkey cart.


    ¡°Uncle! Uncle!¡±


    From afar, Qin Anming heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s shouts. He raised his arms and waved at him.


    When he arrived in front of them, he stopped the donkey cart and got out. He picked up Zhuang Zhuang¡ªhis face was filled with boundless joy.


    Zhuang Zhuang lay happily in Qin Anming¡¯s arms. ¡°Uncle, why are you back so late?¡±


    He missed his uncle so much after not seeing him for a day.


    ¡°Haha, Zhuang Zhuang, do you miss me?¡±


    Qin Anming¡¯s cheerful laughter rang out, his voice filled with vitality.


    Xiaoguo could tell from his expression that he had had a good day. It must have been a fruitful day for him!

 Chapter 74 - Sending Qin Anming Off

    The three of them led the cows and donkeys home. Along the way, Zhuang Zhuang chatted with Qin Anming. Zhuang Zhuang asked him what he had done today and where he had gone to play.


    Xiaoguo listened quietly as Qin Anming responded to Zhuang Zhuang. Looking at Qin Anming, who was in high spirits, Xiaoguo felt that she had made the right decision. Her brother must also enjoy doing business!


    After they got home, Xiaoguo went ahead to prepare dinner, while Zhuang Zhuang followed her and started burning firewood. As Qin Anming had worked hard for the day, Xiaoguo decided to make braised pork knuckles, stir-fried vegetables, and spinach egg drop soup. The staple food would be steamed buns. Xiaoguo had prepared some dough after lunch earlier.


    At the dining table, Qin Anming told Xiaoguo in detail what he had done for the day. Xiaoguo listened attentively to his chatter. When he seemed to be done talking, Qin Anming paused and hesitated. Xiaoguo could hear the hesitation in his voice, so she spoke first.


    ¡°Brother, do you have something to tell me?¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo had spoken, Qin Anming stopped beating around the bush and prepared to speak. ¡°Actually, I have something to discuss with you. This is also what Ruyi had intended for me to discuss with you.¡±


    Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows. ¡°Ruyi? Not Miss Xu¡­¡±


    Qin Anming was stunned at first. He didn¡¯t understand what Xiaoguo meant at first, but when he saw her teasing gaze, he understood. His face turned red and his mouth trembled, but he couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    ¡°No, no¡­ Xiaoguo!¡±


    Seeing Xiaoguo¡¯s meaningful smile, Qin Anming flew into a rage out of embarrassment and called out her name in exasperation.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t bothered at all, because she knew that he was a paper tiger with no temper towards his family. No matter how Xiaoguo provoked him, he wouldn¡¯t get angry. There was no limit to his tolerance and indulgence for her.


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Xiaoguo stopped when she saw how red Qin Anming¡¯s face was. He looked like his blood vessels were going to burst.


    Qin Anming heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to speak, Zhuang Zhuang said something which caused his face to start burning again.


    ¡°Uncle, why is your face so hot?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang touched Qin Anming¡¯s face innocently. Did Uncle apply lime on his face too?


    Xiaoguo looked at the innocent look on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face and looked over at Qin Anming, who looked ready to crawl into the ground. She laughed in jest and decided to help her brother out of his predicament.


    ¡°Come, my dear Zhuang Zhuang, have this big piece of pig skin. It provides you with collagen. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face will become even more bouncy after eating it. Mother will love your face more than ever!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t understand the part about collagen, but he heard the last sentence. He let Qin Anming go and picked up the bowl to eat the pig skin that Xiaoguo had given to him. He ate it in big mouthfuls. Mother would like him even more!


    Qin Anming raised his head again, not daring to look into Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes. He covered his mouth with the bowl.


    ¡°The noodle shop is going to start operating in the evening soon. Only the two of us are going to prepare the ingredients, to prevent anyone from stealing our recipes. It will be inconvenient for me to travel back and forth every day. Therefore Ruyi suggested that I stay in the noodle shop. She said that there are many rooms in the backyard. Firstly, it¡¯s convenient and saves time. Secondly, it will be good to have a man watching the shop. I can protect everyone if I were there.¡±


    After saying that in one breath, Qin Anming¡¯s mouth was now filled with steamed buns. Xiaoguo watched helplessly as the man in front of her ate only the buns and nothing else. She picked up a piece of pig skin and placed it in his bowl.


    ¡°Have some meat.¡±


    Qin Anming slowly chewed on the bun in his mouth, not daring to look up at Xiaoguo. He had come here to help Xiaoguo take care of the house and do farm work. If he were to go to the county, what would happen to Xiaoguo?


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t go?¡±


    As these thoughts ran through his mind, he felt a little sad. In his eyes, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were more important than his dreams!


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Before Qin Anming could speak, Xiaoguo interrupted him. ¡°When are you leaving? I¡¯ll send you off!¡±


    Qin Anming opened his mouth and looked at Xiaoguo in disbelief.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you silly?¡±


    Xiaoguo was amused. Why? Did he think that she would disagree? He thought too little of her!


    ¡°But if I go to the county, what will happen to you and Zhuang Zhuang. How about the household chores?¡±


    ¡°I can do it! I didn¡¯t bring you here to work. I just couldn¡¯t bear to see you live on your own. I brought you here to enjoy life!¡±


    Xiaoguo paused for a moment and looked into Qin Anming¡¯s eyes. She said seriously, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve found your goal, I¡¯m so happy for you. I wouldn¡¯t have asked you to be a shareholder of the restaurant if I am not agreeable to this.¡±


    Qin Anming felt like crying. The moment his tears flowed out, he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve.


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like you won¡¯t come back if you go, Brother. We¡¯re so close to the county city. If we miss you, we can drive the donkey cart to find you. You can also hire a car and come back if you miss us.¡±


    Xiaoguo continued speaking. Qin Anming nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll definitely be back!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang heard their conversation. ¡°Uncle is leaving¡­¡±


    The pork knuckles in his hand fell into the bowl. Tears immediately welled up in his eyes as he looked at Qin Anming.


    Xiaoguo noticed the change in Zhuang Zhuang immediately and looked at him worriedly.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Qin Anming picked Zhuang Zhuang up and placed him on his lap. He wiped the tears off Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face affectionately. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why is our Zhuang Zhuang crying?¡±


    ¡°Are you leaving, Uncle? Why?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was crying very hard now, choking in between his sobs. Why did his uncle have to leave? Wasn¡¯t it good for them to live together? Why did he have to leave?


    ¡°Be good, Zhuang Zhuang. I¡¯m not leaving for good.¡±


    Qin Anming comforted Zhuang Zhuang. The boy looked up at Qin Anming and then looked at Xiaoguo in confusion, seeking for confirmation.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Zhuang Zhuang. I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯m just going to the county to help Sister Ruyi look after the noodle shop.¡±


    Xiaoguo gently wiped Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s tears and explained patiently, ¡°If we miss Uncle, we¡¯ll go to the county to look for him. When he is free, he¡¯ll come back to look for Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Qin Anming nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Zhuang Zhuang, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not coming back. How can I bear to leave you? I promise that once I have spare time, I¡¯ll come back immediately. How about that?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang slowly calmed down after being comforted by the two of them.


    ¡°Then¡­ pinky swear?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stretched out his last finger and waited for Qin Anming to hook it.


    Qin Anming smiled and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. He extended his finger.


    ¡°Pinky swear and hang yourself. Don¡¯t change for a hundred years!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang put down his hand and smiled. Xiaoguo felt a little reluctant to part with her brother too. By now her emotions have subsided and she was smiling again. ¡°Alright, come on, let¡¯s eat!¡±


    The three of them were filled with reluctance, but they still held back their tears and carried on with their meal.


    After the meal, Zhuang Zhuang went to wash the dishes. Xiaoguo followed Qin Anming into the house.


    ¡°Are you leaving tomorrow?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked Qin Anming, and saw him nodding.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive you there tomorrow,¡± said Xiaoguo.


    Qin Anming sat on the bed and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±


    After determining the time, Xiaoguo returned to the house and took out a cloth wrap. She unfolded it and placed it on Qin Anming¡¯s bed.


    ¡°These two tops were just washed today. I¡¯ll place them at the bottom for you. And these shoes, I¡¯ll stuff them in here for you too. I¡¯ll buy you new ones when we go to the county tomorrow. And¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo held back her tears and wrapped up the bundle. Then, she reminded him to put on more clothes when it was cold and to remove layers when it was hot¡­


    ¡°Okay, I should just stop, it¡¯s not like we won¡¯t see each other again. Zhuang Zhuang and I will visit you the next day.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t say another word. If she did, they were both going to cry. That was it for now!


    Zhuang Zhuang walked in and said to Xiaoguo, ¡°Mother, can I sleep with Uncle tonight?¡±


    Xiaoguo knew that Zhuang Zhuang was reluctant for his Uncle to leave, so she nodded. She brought Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s pillow and blanket over to Qin Anming¡¯s room, and went back to her own room.

 Chapter 75 - Tang Yi

    The next morning, Xiaoguo woke up early and got out of bed to prepare breakfast in the kitchen.


    Xiaoguo put in extra effort into making breakfast this morning.


    The main course was millet porridge, accompanied by lean meat pancakes, fried eggs, seasoned spinach salad, and sour and spicy shredded potatoes.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming were woken by the smells from the kitchen. The two of them got out of bed and greeted Xiaoguo in the kitchen. Xiaoguo responded by asking them to wash their hands and eat!


    Xiaoguo knew that the two of them had a late night. She could hear them whispering to each other till late into the night, so she let them sleep in.


    Qin Anming came in first. He sat at the table and helped Xiaoguo serve the porridge.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, your shed is really well-built!¡±


    When he was washing his hands, he noticed that the food trough and the roof of the livestock shed were done. He took a good look at them. They were really not bad!


    Xiaoguo smiled. ¡°I had nothing to do yesterday, so I did it with Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang came in and hopped onto a stool. ¡°Mother was amazing yesterday!¡±


    Xiaoguo handed him a bowl and smiled. Qin Anming smiled too. He looked at Zhuang Zhuang and said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Your mother is amazing!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled.


    The three of them ate breakfast happily, as if their separation was still a long way off¡­


    Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart while Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming sat on it. It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the county. It wasn¡¯t market day today, but there were some shops selling bedding. Xiaoguo went inside and bought a complete set of pillows, blankets, and mattresses.


    When they arrived at the noodle shop, Ruyi was already waiting at the door with a frown on her face. When she saw Xiaoguo¡¯s donkey cart, she relaxed and broke into a smile.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo! Brother An Ming! Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoguo greeted her in return and Zhuang Zhuang greeted her obediently. Qin Anming also nodded in response.


    After tying up the donkey cart, Ruyi took Qin Anming¡¯s bag and led the three of them to the backyard. Along the way, she chatted with Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, look. I spent the whole night cleaning this up.. What do you think?¡±


    Ruyi opened the door and revealed what she had done.


    The room was spacious and bright. It was well-furnished, and there was a brand-new mattress on the bed. Xiaoguo was touched by Ruyi¡¯s thoughtfulness and praised her endlessly.


    Looking embarrassed, Ruyi put down the bundle in her hands. ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    Xiaoguo removed the bedding from the bundle and placed them in the cupboard. Then she placed the clothes on the bed so that Qin Anming could pack them himself.


    Xiaoguo chatted with Ruyi for a while more. She knew that they had work to do today, so she didn¡¯t want to hold them up. After bidding farewell to the two of them, Xiaoguo went back on the donkey cart.


    As he watched the donkey cart leave, Qin Anming¡¯s eyes were filled with reluctance and he was on the verge of tears. Seeing that he was sad, Ruyi made an excuse and left. She told him to pack his things and go outside later.


    Qin Anming accepted her kindness and returned to the room. He saw the bundle on the bed and walked over to open it. He was about to tidy up when a red little bag caught his eye.


    Qin Anming opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was fifty taels of silver that Xiaoguo had left for him.


    Qin Anming¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, and he burst out crying.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was nestled in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms, looked back at his uncle¡¯s receding figure and felt a little sad. He looked up at Xiaoguo¡¯s side profile as she drove the carriage seriously. He called out to her softly,


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo lowered her head and looked at Zhuang Zhuang. She kissed his cheek and comforted him. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Zhuang Zhuang. We¡¯ll come over when the noodle shop opens in two days.¡±


    Only then did Zhuang Zhuang smile and nod earnestly!


    Seeing that they were not driving out of the county, Zhuang Zhuang asked Xiaoguo curiously, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Xiaoguo told him that she was going to buy some things. They would go home after she was done.


    Zhuang Zhuang followed Xiaoguo to their destination. ¡°Mother, what are we buying here?¡±


    Xiaoguo tied up the donkey cart and carried Zhuang Zhuang off the cart. She led him into the house and said to him as they walked, ¡°I am here to buy some sawdust.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked puzzled. Why do they need sawdust?


    Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows at him but did not elaborate. She would tell him in detail when they are home!


    She reached the door and knocked. A moment later, a small head poked out. Seeing that It was Xiaoguo, the boy seemed to remember her.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s you again. Are you here to buy wood again?¡±


    This was the same place that Xiaoguo had come to buy wood the last time. It was the owner¡¯s son who had opened the door for her.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked curiously at the boy in front of him. He was about the same age as him. How did he know his mother?


    The boy opened the door and let Xiaoguo in. Zhuang Zhuang followed closely behind.


    The little boy had wanted to close the door after Xiaoguo entered, but he did not expect to see a little boy following behind her!


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at him, and he looked back at Zhuang Zhuang. Their eyes met, and they looked at each other curiously.


    Xiaoguo took a glance at the two of them and called out to Zhuang Zhuang. Zhuang Zhuang came back to his senses and followed Xiaoguo to the courtyard.


    The little boy ran into the house and called for his parents. When Xiaoguo saw them, she greeted them and told them what she needed. The man heard her and filled a bag before stuffing it into her arms. Xiaoguo was about to reach for her money bag when the man¡¯s wife stopped her.


    ¡°Sawdust doesn¡¯t cost anything. This stuff is useless. We usually throw it out. Just take it!¡±


    How could Xiaoguo take it for free? She had to pay no matter what, but the woman refused to accept her money.


    ¡°There¡¯s really no charge! This is just garbage. How can I take your money!¡±


    The woman spoke with a serious expression as she stuffed the money back into Xiaoguo¡¯s hands.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo gave up. These two were as stubborn as mules. They really meant it when they refused payment from her. Helpless, Xiaoguo put away the money and thanked them profusely.


    At first, Zhuang Zhuang was standing with Xiaoguo. While she was talking to the shop owner, the little boy whom he just met, slowly moved closer to him and asked carefully, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    His tone was a little shy¡ªit sounded like it was his first time talking to someone his age.


    Zhuang Zhuang was shocked to hear a voice all of a sudden. He turned around and saw that it was the boy. He introduced himself unabashedly. ¡°My name is Jiang Qingwen. My nickname is Zhuang Zhuang. What about you?¡±


    After knowing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s name, the boy introduced himself too. ¡°My name is Tang Yi! My nickname is Xiaoyi!¡±


    After introducing themselves, the two kids quickly got acquainted. While Xiaoguo was still talking, Xiaoyi ran to the side with Zhuang Zhuang and introduced him to his first friend, a yellow pastoral dog.


    ¡°Look, his name is Xiaohu!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this name, he looked at the puppy lying on the ground with its tongue hanging out. What was its name? Xiaohu as in Brother Xiaohu?!


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s puzzled face, Xiaoyi thought he had not made himself clear, so he repeated the name. Zhuang Zhuang heard the name again. When Xiaoyi was about to say it a third time, there was finally a reaction from Zhuang Zhuang, and it completely blocked out his voice.


    ¡°Alright, I heard you clearly. I have a lot of friends at home too. Their names are Big Black and Little White, Ben Ben and Fei Fei. There are also chickens, ducks, and donkeys!¡±


    Xiaoyi listened to him count the names on his fingers as if he was counting his family treasures. A hint of envy slowly appeared in his eyes. He had so many friends¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang could clearly sense his emotions, so he made an agreement with him. ¡°When I have time, I¡¯ll invite you to my house to play and introduce you to them! How about that?¡±


    Xiaoyi was overjoyed. He nodded repeatedly and agreed!

 Chapter 76 - Preserved Eggs

    The two of them agreed on a date. Xiaoguo picked up the bag of sawdust. The bag looked big but it was pretty light. She called out to Zhuang Zhuang¡ªit was getting late¡ªthey should go home.


    The woman looked at Wen Xiaoyi, who was walking over from a distance away. The boy¡¯s eyes were filled with happiness and deep reluctance. She could not help but feel a little sad. It was a pity that Wen Xiaoyi had ended up with them¡­


    ¡°Is this your child?¡±


    Startled, Xiaoguo looked at the woman and nodded. ¡°This is my son, Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    The woman nodded and pointed at Xiaoyi. ¡°This is my son, Xiaoyi.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and turned to look at Xiaoyi. From the looks of it, the boy did not resemble the couple. The woman looked like a typical southern beauty. Her looks were gentle and charming. The man, who was hard at work in the house, had a strong and masculine look about him.


    But this child, Xiaoyi, was too beautiful. Yes, he could only be described as beautiful. At such a young age, he was already so good-looking.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t think much of it. After all, there were many children who didn¡¯t look like their parents at a young age, but when they grew up, the resemblances would surface. Children¡¯s appearances change very quickly.


    The woman looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was about the same height as Xiaoyi. She guessed that they were about the same age. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, how old are you?¡±


    Xiaoguo did not answer and let Zhuang Zhuang speak for himself. Zhuang Zhuang replied in a crisp voice, ¡°I¡¯m three years old this year!¡±


    The woman nodded, looking shocked. ¡°He¡¯s the same age as my Xiaoyi.¡±


    Xiaoguo was also surprised. ¡°Was he also born in the year of the Tiger?¡±


    The woman nodded, her face lighting up. ¡°That¡¯s right, he was born at the beginning of the year. What about your son?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a year-end baby.¡±


    Xiaoguo said, ¡°So Xiaoyi is older than Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    The woman deemed it as fate and chatted with Xiaoguo a little while more. Xiaoyi pulled Zhuang Zhuang back to where Xiaohu was tied up and talked to him in whispers.


    During their conversation, XIaoguo learnt that the woman¡¯s name was Su Hui and her husband was Tang Zhu.


    Xiaoguo almost laughed out loud when she heard the man¡¯s name. Who would have thought that a man with rippling muscles would have such an artistic name?


    The couple had just arrived in Yonghai County. Xiaoyi had been leading a nomadic life with the two of them before they decided to settle in the County.


    Xiaoguo listened quietly. Something that Su Hui mentioned caught the attention of Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Sigh, look at Xiaoyi. He¡¯s good with animals, playing with cats and dogs, but he doesn¡¯t enjoy studying. How can he take the admission test next year?¡±


    Su Hui looked at Xiaoyi, who was playing with the dog. Her face was filled with worry.


    Xiaoguo followed her gaze and saw that Xiaoyi was holding the dog and gesturing at Zhuang Zhuang at a corner. He was pretending to bark like a dog. Looking over towards Zhuang Zhuang, he did seem much quieter in comparison. He was standing obediently at the side¡ªgiggling with his hand over his mouth¡ªwatching Xiaoyi bark like a dog.


    Xiaoguo smiled and turned to look at Su Hui. She asked the question that piqued her interest earlier. ¡°Which school is Xiaoyi going to next year?¡±


    Xiaoguo was prepared to let Zhuang Zhuang go to school the next year, but she was feeling a bit hesitant. It was said that all the better academies were run by teachers in their homes, and Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know where to go. Now that Su Hui had mentioned it, she had to ask her about it.


    As soon as Su Hui started talking about the schools, she became energetic. She had been finding out about the different schools recently. Now that Xiaoguo was asking about it, she told her everything she knew.


    ¡°I heard that Mr. Kong is going to open an academy here next year. It¡¯s said that he has retired from the capital. Yonghai County is his hometown, and there are many parents watching out for news of his academy.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in understanding. Mr. Kong was the most famous teacher in the capital. She had heard that he used to be the private tutor of someone in the royal family. If this was true, she would have to pay more attention.


    After chatting with Su Hui for a while more, it was really getting late. Xiaoguo called out to Zhuang Zhuang, asking him to go home. Before they left, Su Hui brought Xiaoyi to see them off. The boy reluctantly waved goodbye to Zhuang Zhuang and promised to meet with him again.


    Zhuang Zhuang waved goodbye to Wen Xiaoyi enthusiastically.


    On the way home, Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang about his thoughts on going to the academy. He only knew a little about it, but from Xiaoguo¡¯s explanation, going to a school would mean picking up more knowledge. Zhuang Zhuang was very tempted by the idea and was keen to go.


    On the other hand, if he had to attend school for an entire day, it also meant that he would not see his mother for one whole day. This was not good! Thinking of this, he buried himself in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang suddenly seemed disinterested, Xiaoguo was puzzled. Zhuang Zhuang clearly liked to study. What was it that made him not want to go? She couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how hard she tried. Hence, Xiaoguo could only give up. It seemed that she would have to slowly convince him in the future.


    When he returned home, Zhuang Zhuang hurriedly fed his friends. When the animals saw Zhuang Zhuang, they all cried out loudly. Even the two little puppies huddled around his feet to ask for food.


    Xiaoguo tied up the donkey cart and reminded Zhuang Zhuang to feed the donkey. After hearing his reply, she went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.


    After lunch, Zhuang Zhuang wanted to go to bed. However, he saw Xiaoguo coming to the courtyard with the sawdust and a basin. She had also brought out the lime. He was curious. ¡°Mother hasn¡¯t told me why she needed sawdust.¡±


    With this thought in mind, he ran to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and asked what she was thinking.


    ¡°Mother is going to make century eggs out of duck eggs!¡±


    ¡°Century eggs?¡± Zhuang Zhuang repeated what Xiaoguo had said, chewing on the unfamiliar words. What was a century egg?


    Xiaoguo patiently explained to Zhuang Zhuang about the origins of century eggs and how they were made.


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo sat down with the work in her hands and explained each step as she went along.


    First of all, she had to mix the lime with water. Upon adding water, the lime mixture would heat up. Xiaoguo reminded Zhuang Zhuang to stand further away. Once she was done with the mixture, she allowed it to cool down a little before adding yellow mud, wood ash, salt, and pure alkali. After stirring everything thoroughly, the mixture was left to cool down. The duck eggs would be added as the final step.


    Zhuang Zhuang brought out the duck eggs and followed Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions to put the eggs individually into the mixture. Using two wooden sticks, Xiaoguo rolled the eggs around to ensure that they were coated evenly before picking them up and throwing them into the sawdust. She covered the eggs evenly with a layer of sawdust by using her hands.


    After being coated with sawdust, the eggs would be stored in a clean vat. When Xiaoguo was done with putting one egg into the vat, Zhuang Zhuang would place another one in the basin for Xiaoguo to repeat the steps. There were nearly fifty duck eggs in total. Soon, almost half the vat was filled. Xiaoguo carefully sealed the lid. She had to ensure that the vat was sealed tight. In this weather, it would take about a week if it was placed in the shade.


    Zhuang Zhuang stared curiously at the vat in the corner. Seven days¡­ He hoped that when he woke up tomorrow, it would be seven days later. This way, he could see if it would turn transparent and black like his mother had said.


    Zhuang Zhuang was supposed to take an afternoon nap, but he was very energetic and did not feel sleepy at all. After informing Xiaoguo that he was going out, he ran off to herd the cows.


    Seven days later¡­


    The minute Zhuang Zhuang woke up, he was already looking forward to Xiaoguo opening the jar to look at the century eggs.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say much. She let Zhuang Zhuang feed the animals and have him wash his hands after. When he was back, she would take out the century eggs.


    Zhuang Zhuang quickly got dressed and rolled off the bed. Xiaoguo followed him out of the house and went to the kitchen to cook porridge. She took out some lean meat to make some pork and century egg congee.


    She started off by stir-frying the shredded pork, then water was added to make the porridge. The century eggs would be added last.


    There were also some steamed buns from the day before. They could be heated up later. She just had to add one more side dish, which is pickled century eggs.


    When she reached the house, Zhuang Zhuang was fetching water from the well. When he saw Xiaoguo, he eagerly asked her to wait for him. As he spoke, he scooped a basin of water and added it to the cows¡¯ trough. Seven days ago, the cows had taken up residence in the shed.


    Xiaoguo told him to take his time. Zhuang Zhuang quickly washed his hands and followed Xiaoguo to the vat.

 Chapter 77 - Yi Guo Ming Malatang Part 1

    Xiaoguo took a deep breath and teased Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± Zhuang Zhuang followed her and took a deep breath. His heart was about to jump out of his chest.


    As soon as Xiaoguo opened the vat, Zhuang Zhuang quickly looked inside. His face was filled with disappointment. The eggs hadn¡¯t changed at all. They were still the same color.


    Xiaoguo could tell what Zhuang Zhuang was thinking at a glance. ¡°The change can only be seen inside. The exterior remains the same.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was full of anticipation again when he heard this. Xiaoguo brought five century eggs to the kitchen. Under Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s expectant gaze, she slowly removed the layer of mud on the outside, revealing the surface of the duck eggs. Then, she rolled them on the table. Zhuang Zhuang could already see some black portions along the cracks.


    Zhuang Zhuang cheered loudly. Xiaoguo was also very happy. She quickly pried open the eggshell, revealing a beautiful transparent black egg. Zhuang Zhuang jumped in excitement, requesting to take a look. Xiaoguo handed the egg to him and told him to have a good look. She then took the remaining century eggs and went to cook.


    First, she chopped two century eggs into small pieces and threw them into the porridge before giving it a good stir. Then, she cut the remaining two eggs together with the one that Zhuang Zhuang had just finished observing, and added them into a garlic and ginger paste. After adding some vinegar, the pickled eggs were ready.


    1


    The food was ready and moved to the dining table. Zhuang Zhuang tried a piece of century egg first. He picked up a piece and dipped it in the sauce. As soon as it entered his mouth, a strange fragrance diffused in his mouth. It was refreshing, fragrant and tender. Zhuang Zhuang was full of praise for the dish.


    Xiaoguo reminded him not to eat too much even if it was delicious. After all, the eggs contained lead. Although she had marinated it herself, it was better to eat less.


    3


    Zhuang Zhuang was very obedient. After eating a few pieces, he stopped and started eating porridge and buns.


    When Zhuang Zhuang was done eating, Xiaoguo got him to wash up and change his clothes.


    The two of them were going to the county today because Ruyi Noodle Restaurant would be reopening.


    The last time before she left the restaurant, Ruyi had specially invited Xiaoguo to bring Zhuang Zhuang to the opening ceremony.


    Zhuang Zhuang returned to the house to change into the clothes that Xiaoguo had prepared for him. Xiaoguo was in the house with a basket. She went to the vat, opened the lid, and scooped out twenty century eggs.


    Back in the house, she took out a piece of greaseproof paper and divided it into two portions. She packed the eggs in two separate packs, one with six eggs, and the other with fourteen eggs.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Xiaoguo attached the cart to the donkey and walked out. When she reached the door, she called out to Zhuang Zhuang. The little guy had been inside for a long time. She wondered what he was doing.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming! I¡¯m coming!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang ran out as he spoke. Xiaoguo turned around and almost sprained her back.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Mother! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang climbed onto the donkey cart and looked at Xiaoguo happily, urging her to set off.


    Xiaoguo locked the door and smiled helplessly. ¡°What was this child doing? Why was he dressed like this?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was wearing the new clothes that Xiaoguo had made for him. He was also wearing new shoes. Even his hair was all slicked back. Xiaoguo had made a headband out of some fabric scraps, and Zhuang Zhuang had used it to tie up all his hair.


    He had also washed his face, and was looking clean and neat.


    Zhuang Zhuang was very satisfied with his outfit. After Xiaoguo got up the cart and sat down, he snuggled into her arms.


    Xiaoguo could tell that Zhuang Zhuang was taking this opening ceremony very seriously. She then looked at herself. She was still wearing her old clothes from before. Was it appropriate?


    After much consideration, she stopped the donkey cart. Fortunately, she had only traveled a short distance¡ªshe got off and asked Zhuang Zhuang to wait for her with the donkey cart.


    Xiaoguo ran a few steps, unlocked the door, and hurried back into the house to change into her new clothes and shoes.


    There was a bronze mirror in the house. Xiaoguo walked over and checked out her reflection. After confirming that she looked okay, she quickly left the house.


    An auspicious date and time had been selected for the opening of the noodle shop. Xiaoguo deliberately went out early to avoid any delays.


    Along the way, Zhuang Zhuang kept praising Xiaoguo. This made Xiaoguo blush in embarrassment. She covered Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mouth and drove on towards the county.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, stop it. Do you hear me?¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem appropriate to cover Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mouth. Everyone they met along the way looked at Xiaoguo strangely. They all thought that Xiaoguo was a child trafficker.


    Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking. He thought that Xiaoguo was playing with him and continued talking even more enthusiastically.


    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t stop him anymore, Xiaoguo let go of him. ¡°Whatever.¡±


    As soon as Zhuang Zhuang regained his freedom, he spoke even faster. How and where he had learnt to speak so fluently.


    The people on the streets listened to Zhuang Zhuang blabbering away. One moment, they were looking at Zhuang Zhuang, the next moment, they were pointing at Xiaoguo and smiling knowingly.


    ¡°Jiang Qingwen.¡±


    Xiaoguo was completely embarrassed. She stared straight ahead, not daring to look at the people on both sides of the street. She really didn¡¯t want this stupid child anymore.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang could read more and more words, and that he was getting really good at talking and reasoning, Xiaoguo could no longer fool him.


    Fortunately, the three words ¡°Jiang Qingwen¡± were still enough to scare him.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaoguo call him by his full name, he instantly stopped. He didn¡¯t utter another word. His eyes flickered as he blinked at Xiaoguo.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in acting cute, little brat.¡±


    Xiaoguo tried not to look into his eyes. It was too risky. She had almost surrendered. This child knew very well what her weak spot was. He knew that she would not be able to resist his little face.


    1


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had a puzzled look on his face. Why wasn¡¯t his mother kissing him today?


    ¡°Eh what? It¡¯s useless. Behave yourself. We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang grunted and sat up straight, looking indignant.


    When she arrived at the door of the noodle shop, Xiaoguo almost thought she had come to the wrong place.


    The usual signboard of Ruyi Noodle Restaurant was gone. The old plaque had been replaced by a new one. It was even covered by a red cloth.


    Xiaoguo found this interesting. Did they change the restaurant¡¯s name?


    Xiaoguo got out of the car with Zhuang Zhuang. Qin Anming was standing by the door when he spotted Xiaoguo. He quickly walked to her side.


    ¡°Xiaoguo!¡±


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the man in front of her happily. She had not seen him for a week. She missed him so much!


    ¡°Uncle!¡±


    Qin Anming picked up Zhuang Zhuang and felt his weight in his arms. ¡°Yo, our Zhuang Zhuang has gained weight again!¡±


    ¡°Mother said that I look best when I am round and chubby!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was wearing a proud expression on his face. He did not detect the teasing tone in Qin Anming¡¯s voice.


    Qin Anming laughed when he heard that. He couldn¡¯t help but pinch Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s round face. Indeed, it was soft and nice to pinch.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo! Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Ruyi came out with a bunch of firecrackers in her hands. When she saw Xiaoguo, she ran over happily to greet her.


    Zhuang Zhuang greeted her by calling her sister, and Xiaoguo also greeted her warmly.


    Ruyi brought Xiaoguo into the house so that she could admire the results of the renovation.


    Xiaoguo was shocked. How much had they done in such a short time?


    From the moment they entered the restaurant, there was a table with a large bowl on it. On top of the bowl, there was a wooden rod with many tongs hanging from it.


    Beside the table was a large wooden counter. It had many compartments. In each compartment, there was a wooden basin filled with ingredients. The top rows were for meatballs and meat. And the bottom rows were for vegetables and noodles.


    They walked ahead and arrived at another counter. This area was for weighing. According to the price of 20 copper coins per catty, an ordinary person would only need to spend about ten copper coins for a normal meal.


    After weighing the plates, and paying the bill, a number plate would be given to the customer. When the dishes are cooked, the number will be called and the customer can collect their orders.


    When the kitchen receives the ingredients that the customers had picked, they would be cooked and served with the selected soup base. The customer can then collect their orders from the serving area and add their desired condiments.


    The condiments were stored in small jars with labels so that people would know what each condiment was.


    The ingredients area, weighing area, and dining area were connected to one another. There was a space marked out for people to walk around.


    The remaining space was allocated for tables. The number of tables were one third more than the previous setup, allowing for more customers to dine in at the restaurant.

 Chapter 78 - Yi Guo Ming Malatang Part 2

    From the moment Xiaoguo stepped through the door, she could not stop exclaiming. They were amazing!


    Xiaoguo had only drawn out a rough sketch on paper, but Ruyi and Qin Anming were able to replicate it completely!


    ¡°You guys are amazing!!¡±


    Xiaoguo turned around and held Ruyi¡¯s hand excitedly.


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s nothing. It was all done by Brother An Ming. I was just helping out.¡±


    Ruyi said humbly, not forgetting to pull Qin Anming along to take credit for the work.


    After Xiaoguo left the last time, the two of them did not rest. They took the sketches and went to order the furniture, cabinets, wooden basins, tables and chairs. Then, they prepared the ingredients. In order to ensure that the ingredients were plentiful, the two of them added a variety of vegetables and meat on top of Xiaoguo¡¯s initial order.


    Before preparing the ingredients, they went to buy another maid. This time, the girl was a little older and they did a thorough check on her background.


    The girl¡¯s name was Xiao Cui. She was 17 years old this year. There were many girls in her family, and they had only one precious son. For the sake of their son, Xiao Cui¡¯s parents sold off their eldest daughter.


    As Xiao Cui seemed like a good person, Ruyi made the decision to buy her as a maid. Over the past two days, she could tell that Xiao Cui was a fast worker and she was pretty good.


    Ruyi and Xiaoguo talked about what went on over the past few days and almost lost track of the time. It was only when Uncle Xu reminded them about the auspicious hour that they went out with the firecrackers.


    Xiaoguo took Zhuang Zhuang from Qin Anming¡¯s arms and carried him to the door. Qin Anming tugged at the red cloth on the plaque while Ruyi held on to a string of firecrackers on a long stick.


    Xiaoguo covered Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s ears, afraid that the firecrackers would scare him.


    Zhuang Zhuang placed his hands over Xiaoguo¡¯s and looked at the firecrackers excitedly.


    Ruyi and Qin Anming looked at each other and counted down. When the time was up, the two of them acted at the same time. Ruyi lit the firecrackers and Qin Anming pulled off the red cloth to reveal the plaque underneath.


    The sound of firecrackers rang out. People who were passing by stopped to watch. Xiaoguo followed the smoke of the firecrackers and saw the words on the plaque.


    Yi Guo Ming Malatang.


    Six bold and powerful words appeared in front of them. People pointed at the plaque and tried to guess what was for sale.


    At this moment, Ruyi took the opportunity to stand at the door and introduced Malatang to everyone.


    As everyone listened to Ruyi¡¯s introduction, they were tempted.


    For those who had not eaten, they came in to try the food. It was not expensive anyway.


    There were also regular customers among them. They came to show their support and entered in an orderly manner.


    At this moment, the soup in the kitchen was already boiling. The fragrance wafted out into the streets, tempting the people outside the door.


    The people who had already eaten also entered the shop because of the fragrance. If they couldn¡¯t eat much, they would just order less food.


    Everyone was standing by in their respective positions. Ruyi, Ling Long and Fu¡¯er were stationed in the kitchen. They were responsible for cooking the ingredients. Uncle Xu was in charge of collecting money at the cashier. Xiao Cui¡¯s role was to clean the tables and wash the dishes. Qin Anming was in-charge of preparing the ingredients. If anything has run out, he would have to replenish it.


    The division of labor was clear. From the minute the restaurant opened its doors, everyone got into their positions and started working.


    Seeing that there was quite a crowd in the morning, Xiaoguo chipped in to help as well. She told Zhuang Zhuang to follow Uncle Xu closely and reminded him not to come out from behind the counter.


    She helped Xiao Cui to clear the tables and wash the dishes. She also helped out anyone who couldn¡¯t cope.


    The first day of the Malatang business was a good start. The morning operations were smooth and there were no hiccups. Their customers were quite receptive towards the new mode of business and everyone adapted well.


    After a busy morning, most of the customers had left. Everyone could now stretch and relax.


    Qin Anming checked on the ingredients and realized that quite a lot of it had been used up. However, this was to be expected. and they had prepared a lot of ingredients beforehand. They still had enough food to last for another three to four days.


    Xiaoguo knew that even though the busy morning was over, there would be another rush of activities at noon and at night . Xiaoguo was really afraid that the staff in the shop would not be able to take it.


    But from the looks of them now, it seemed like there would be no problem. Each of their faces was filled with positive energy and there was no sign of fatigue.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t in a hurry to leave. She packed up the shop with them and prepared to welcome the afternoon crowd.


    Soon, it was lunchtime. People entered the restaurant one after another. Some were attracted by the food. Some were introduced by their friends. Some passed by and found the restaurant interesting. There were also some who came for the first time¡­


    The group of them perked up and continued working.


    Xiaoguo was just getting ready to put away some dishes and bring them to the kitchen when a probing voice sounded.


    ¡°Xiaoguo?¡±


    Xiaoguo turned around and saw who it was. ¡°Su Hui!¡±


    It was Su Hui. She was surprised to see Xiaoguo here.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t go into detail. She just said that she knew the shopkeeper and was helping out since it was opening day.


    Su Hui nodded. At this moment, Xiaoyi asked, ¡°Auntie, is Zhuang Zhuang here?¡±


    When Xiaoguo saw that it was him, she told him where Zhuang Zhuang was. As soon as Xiaoyi left, Xiaoguo realized that Tang Zhu was also there. She hadn¡¯t noticed him because he didn¡¯t say a word. Although he was strong, he didn¡¯t have a strong presence. If she didn¡¯t look carefully, she wouldn¡¯t have noticed him.


    Xiaoguo greeted him as well. It was not a good time to chat, and at that moment, Su Hui¡¯s meal was just served from the kitchen. Xiaoguo took the opportunity to leave and bring the dishes back to the kitchen.


    It was the peak hour at noon, and there were clearly more people than in the morning. Xiaoguo was so busy that she didn¡¯t have time to rest. However, she still paid attention to Su Hui¡¯s family because she intended to give them the century eggs before they left.


    Xiaoguo wanted to give them the century eggs for two reasons. Firstly, it was because of the sawdust that they had given her for free. Although it was a worthless item that they were going to throw away, it was still something of value to Xiaoguo. She was not willing to take it for nothing.


    On the other hand, she was thinking about what Su Hui had said about Teacher Kong starting an academy. She wanted to build a good relationship with her so that she could inform her if there were any developments in the future.


    With that thought in mind, she came out of the kitchen and saw them putting down their chopsticks at that moment.


    Xiaoguo hurriedly called out to them and went to the cashier. She asked Zhuang Zhuang to pass her the smaller packet of century eggs. Six pieces was just enough for one meal.


    Zhuang Zhuang followed behind Xiaoguo as she walked out. Xiaoyi quickly held on to Zhuang Zhuang and started talking to him.


    Su Hui took the package from Xiaoguo. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Xiaoguo said, ¡°I marinated these century eggs a few days ago.¡±


    When Su Hui heard this new term, she opened the package and said in surprise, ¡°Thisa€| this is sawdust?¡±


    The outside of this egg was actually wrapped in sawdust!


    Hearing this, Tang Zhu leaned over to take a look. He was also surprised.


    ¡°Yes, these are actually duck eggs. After marination, the duck eggs inside are transparent and black. After peeling them, you can cut them into cloves. Then, you can add garlic paste and ginger paste. You can also add vinegar.¡±


    Su Hui looked down at the duck eggs in surprise. She didn¡¯t know that duck eggs could be prepared like this.


    After thanking Xiaoguo, she called out to Xiaoyi, who was with Zhuang Zhuang, asking him to leave. When Xiaoyi heard this, he reluctantly held onto Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand.


    Seeing this, Su Hui sadly explained to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Our Xiaoyi has been spending a wandering life with us. He doesn¡¯t have many friends, so¡­ when he¡¯s at home, he thinks about Zhuang Zhuang every day.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in understanding. So that was the reason. She didn¡¯t rush the two children and left them alone to talk.


    Zhuang Zhuang led Xiaoguo to the door and watched as Xiaoyi and family returned to the carriage. After watching them leave, they went back into the house.


    After ensuring that Zhuang Zhuang had returned to the counter, Xiaoguo went back into the kitchen to get busy.


    After the afternoon crowd left, the restaurant returned to a state of peace. The group of them tried their best to clean up. After that, everyone ate a portion of Malatang. This was their lunch.


    It was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s first time having it. He ate a big bowl of it.


    Xiaoguo and Ruyi were chatting away.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be so many people around at night.¡±


    After hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, Xiao Ruyi nodded in agreement. Nowadays, there are more people going to bars at night. After a busy day, they would drink some wine and relax at night. Most of them would not come to eat noodles.


    Xiaoguo got ready to go back. She still had a lot to do.


    Before leaving, Xiaoguo handed the century eggs to Qin Anming and turned to say to Ruyi, ¡°I made these duck eggs myself. Just add some minced garlic, ginger, and vinegar.¡±


    The two of them nodded. Qin Anming looked at Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang reluctantly and promised, ¡°I¡¯ll go back when I¡¯m free.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, you must come back!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was speaking at the side. Afraid that he would go back on his word, he even extended his finger to pinky swear.


    Qin Anming smiled dotingly and reached out to hook the boy¡¯s finger.


    Xiaoguo waved goodbye to the two of them and left with Zhuang Zhuang in her arms.

 Chapter 79 - Harvesting Crops Part 1

    Before leaving the house, Xiaoguo had purposely put a sickle on the donkey cart. There wasn¡¯t much grass left at home, she could use it to cut some grass on the way back.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll go back first and bring Big Black and Little White out.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang saw that they were not far from home. Since his mother would not let him touch the sickle, he decided to go back and bring the cows out himself.


    Xiaoguo agreed and allowed Zhuang Zhuang to go back. The place where she was cutting the grass was not too far from the house. It was fine for him to go bring the cows by himself.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was walking home, Xiaoguo continued cutting the grass. Some people called out greetings to Xiaoguo when they passed her by. Xiaoguo could not remember everyone¡¯s names¡ªshe could only recognize some of those whom she had interacted with before.


    The previous owner didn¡¯t go out much in the past, so she didn¡¯t know many people. This was even more so with Xiaoguo. The only person she usually came into contact with was Mrs. Yang.


    As long as someone greeted Xiaoguo, she would stop and respond.


    ¡°Xiaoguo!¡±


    Xiaoguo, who was bending down to cut the grass, knew who it was without looking up.


    ¡°Sister-in-law!¡±


    Mrs. Yang walked to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and looked at the cart full of grass. She asked, ¡°I went to your house to look for you today. But you weren¡¯t at home?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°Exactly. I just got back.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say where they went, and Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t ask further. She just told Xiaoguo about the meeting in the village.


    ¡°A meeting in the village?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked Mrs. Yang curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter in the village?¡±


    Xiaoguo then found out from Mrs. Yang that Peach Blossom Village was different from other villages. Other villages would have a small meeting every few days, but in Peach Blossom Village, there were hardly any meetings.


    ¡°Exactly. I was only informed this afternoon. I went to look for you, but I saw that you weren¡¯t home, so I went on my own.¡±


    As Mrs. Yang spoke, Zhuang Zhuang came over with the cows and he greeted her. Xiaoguo reminded him not to wander too far. After she was done cutting the grass, they would go back together.


    Zhuang Zhuang responded to her and led the cows away.


    ¡°Your cows have grown a lot.¡±


    Mrs. Yang stood at the side and watched as Zhuang Zhuang led the cows away.


    ¡°Indeed, they¡¯re growing quite fast.¡±


    Xiaoguo also admitted that the cows were growing pretty fast. They were eating and growing well. It was a good thing!


    The two of them chatted for a while more before Xiaoguo remembered the issue they were talking about. She quickly stopped and asked about what had happened. ¡°The meeting in the village. What meeting was it?¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she continued, ¡°They were talking about harvesting grains. Aren¡¯t the crops in the fields ready for harvest? Our village is unique in the sense that most of the men are not around, and most households consist of only women. If anyone needs help, they can hire someone from other villages to do the harvesting. It¡¯s chargeable at 10 copper coins per acre of land. The purpose of the meeting is to calculate the number of people who wish to hire help.¡±


    Xiaoguo listened and nodded. She wouldn¡¯t need the help. Her plot was so small, she could take her time harvesting the crops.


    ¡°Hey, Sister-in-law, is your family hiring anyone?¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s question, she shook her head and said, ¡°No, we are not. We have a lot of land, but we don¡¯t plant a lot of crops. With Xiaohu, Xiaohua, and my mother-in-law, the four of us can easily do the job.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought about it and felt that it made sense. Each family would usually plant enough for themselves. Those with more members in the house could harvest the crops themselves, who would still spend money to hire help?


    Each family had at least four to five acres of land, which would add up to dozens of copper coins. To the people in the city, this was not a lot of money. However, for the poorer villagers in Peach Blossom Village, money was barely enough. How could they afford to spend dozens of copper coins to hire help?


    ¡°Then no one is actually hiring, right?¡±


    Xiaoguo guessed that no one had signed up. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Yang¡¯s mouth twitched and she pointed in a direction.


    ¡°Yes, there is. There¡¯s only one such person.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked in that direction and saw Li Zhaodi, who was surrounded by a group of people.


    A group of women were crowding around her and chattering non-stop. One could vaguely hear that they were praising her.


    Mrs. Yang looked at Li Zhaodi with disdain. Xiaoguo was very curious. As far as she knew, there hadn¡¯t been any conflicts between Li Zhaodi and Mrs. Yang.


    Li Zhaodi proudly enjoyed the flattery of the people around her.


    ¡°Zhaodi, you¡¯re so generous. You¡¯re the only one in the village who signed up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Our Zhaodi doesn¡¯t lack money. 30 copper coins is nothing!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone knows that our Zhaodi is the wife of an official!¡±


    When Li Zhaodi heard this, her eyebrows almost shot up to her hairline. She covered her mouth and laughed.


    As the group walked over towards Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang, Li Zhaodi glanced around and spotted Xiaoguo immediately. She wanted to tease her, but before she could speak, she saw the clothes that Xiaoguo was wearing. Her face darkened instantly, looking like ink could drip from it.


    Damn Qin Xiaoguo. Why was she wearing new clothes? The design looked so interesting! How could a poor widow like her have the money to buy new clothes?


    Seeing that Li Zhaodi had stopped talking, the others curiously followed her gaze and saw Qin Xiaoguo leaning on the donkey cart and looking at them.


    In that instant they also saw her new clothes. The style was quite unique and beautiful.


    ¡°Those clothes look good.¡±


    Someone uttered what they were all thinking. Everyone nodded silently in agreement.


    Li Zhaodi widened her eyes and glared at the woman who had spoken. She would remember this!


    No one dared to speak anymore. They didn¡¯t even dare to look at Xiaoguo although they were dying to take a look at the design so that they could make one set for themselves. But looking at Li Zhaodi¡¯s expression, it probably wasn¡¯t worth it. It was more important to curry favor with her!


    The group of people quickly came to their senses. With one person taking the lead, the bustling atmosphere instantly returned.


    However, as Li Zhaodi listened to the commotion, she felt even more uncomfortable. These voices seemed to be mocking her.


    Xiaoguo looked at Li Zhaodi, whose facial expression was changing with each passing second. She was amused, but at the same time, she was no longer interested in looking at her. She pulled Mrs. Yang along and started chatting with her again. She didn¡¯t seem affected by Li Zhaodi¡¯s voice at all.


    Li Zhaodi left with a sulk on her face. The people behind her followed her and left. The narrow path instantly became wide and unblocked.


    Mrs. Yang glanced sideways at the people leaving. Xiaoguo was amused and smiled. She wondered how Li Zhaodi had provoked her. Mrs. Yang was usually cheerful and rarely rolled her eyes at others.


    ¡°Alright, alright, stop laughing!¡±


    Mrs. Yang nudged Xiaoguo and looked at her in exasperation.


    ¡°How did she provoke you?¡±


    Xiaoguo was done laughing. She looked at Mrs. Yang and asked seriously.


    ¡°Nothing much. It¡¯s just this afternoon¡­¡±


    During the meeting this afternoon, Li Zhaodi had made up stories about Xiaoguo, who was not present at the meeting. Mrs. Yang could not endure her behavior and stood up for Xiaoguo. In the end, the group left with Li Zhaodi after receiving a dressing down from Mrs. Yang.


    Xiaoguo was very touched when she heard what had happened. Mrs. Yang had actually told off Li Zhaodi for her sake.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister-in-law.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew that this true love was beyond words.


    ¡°Sigh! You¡¯re treating me like an outsider again!¡±


    Mrs. Yang wasn¡¯t telling Xiaoguo this to get her gratitude. She was just angry at Li Zhaodi.


    Xiaoguo smiled sweetly. No matter what, she had to thank her!


    ¡°Sister-in-law, don¡¯t bother with her in the future. Li Zhaodi is that kind of person. When I was still at Qin Manor, she had always been at odds with me. In the future, just pretend that she doesn¡¯t exist when you see her. In any case, she only has a sharp tongue and has no guts to do anything.¡±


    Xiaoguo comforted the irate Mrs. Yang. Li Zhaodi was really such a person. Based on what Xiaoguo could remember, she really only knew how to talk. She had not dared to do anything out of line, so Xiaoguo had never taken her seriously.

 Chapter 80 - Harvesting Crops Part 2

    Mrs. Yang felt much more relieved after hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words. She said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Treat her like a fart. Just ignore her.¡±


    Seeing Zhuang Zhuang walking towards her with the cows, Xiaoguo quickly covered Mrs. Yang¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, Zhuang Zhuang has been learning to speak recently. Don¡¯t let him hear these words.¡±


    Mrs. Yang quickly nodded to show that she understood. When Xiaoguo let go of her hand, she swallowed the vulgarities down her throat.


    The three of them walked home together and parted ways when they reached their respective houses.


    Xiaoguo led the donkey cart and walked beside Zhuang Zhuang. Zhuang Zhuang looked up at Xiaoguo, his eyes filled with curiosity.


    ¡°Mother, what were you talking about just now?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was a distance away. He could only see Mrs. Yang¡¯s mouth moving, but he couldn¡¯t hear what she was saying. As Mrs. Yang was around just now, he was too embarrassed to ask. Now that there were only two of them on the road, Zhuang Zhuang quickly asked the question that he had been dying to ask since earlier.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s expression was calm, but she was shouting in her heart, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, please let me off!¡±


    In the past, she had taught Zhuang Zhuang not to lie. If she were to lie to Zhuang Zhuang, it wouldn¡¯t feel right. Therefore she just tried to skim over the subject.


    Seeing this, Zhuang Zhuang wanted to ask more questions. Xiaoguo quickly requested that he open the door as he still had the key in his pocket.


    With the key in hand, Zhuang Zhuang had to open the door first. He was intending to ask Xiaoguo again what she and Mrs. Yang were talking about.


    But as soon as she got home, Xiaoguo got Zhuang Zhuang to feed the chickens, ducks, puppies, cows, donkeys, and gather the eggs. He was kept so busy that he had no time to take a breather.


    As soon as he was done, it was time for dinner. Once Zhuang Zhuang finished eating, he quickly washed the dishes.


    After washing the dishes, Xiaoguo returned to the house and prepared a book, brush, and paper for Zhuang Zhuang so that he could do his revision and dictation.


    After studying, Xiaoguo put Zhuang Zhuang to bed. The boy, who had no chance to rest since arriving home, quickly fell asleep.


    After a good night¡¯s sleep, he had long forgotten the questions he wanted to ask. He opened his books and started studying the new chapter.


    Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief. Children were indeed forgetful. She hummed to herself and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.


    After Xiaoguo left, Zhuang Zhuang looked up helplessly and glanced towards the direction in which she left. ¡°Forget it. Since Mother doesn¡¯t want me to continue asking, I¡¯ll pretend to forget about it¡­¡±


    It was another morning of motherly love and filial piety. After eating, she left Zhuang Zhuang at home to study and went to Mrs. Yang¡¯s house herself.


    They had agreed beforehand for Xiaoguo to go over and teach Mrs. Yang how to make clothes.


    Xiaoguo knocked on the door. It was Xiaohua. She greeted her and looked behind Xiaoguo expectantly.


    At first, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what she was doing. She was halfway into the house when it dawned upon her.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is studying at home.¡±


    Hearing this, Xiaohua nodded and stopped holding on to the door. She closed the door and followed Xiaoguo into the house.


    ¡°Mrs. Yang, I¡¯m here!¡±


    Xiaoguo shouted so that the occupants in the house could hear her before she opened the door.


    Mrs. Yang had already prepared the fabric and laid it flat on the bed. She was waiting for Xiaoguo to arrive.


    Xiaoguo was holding one of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s shirts in her hands. If Mrs. Yang was not sure about the sewing, she could refer to the garment.


    Mrs. Yang was indeed an experienced sewer. She was able to understand quickly and draw out the lines after Xiaoguo briefly explained the steps to her.


    This time, there was nothing much for Xiaoguo to do. Mrs. Yang quickly finished cutting the fabric and all that was left to do was to sew up the pieces. Xiaoguo was in no hurry to go back, so she helped Mrs. Yang with the sewing. Time flew passed quickly as the two of them sat together sewing and chatting.


    When the top was sewn up. Xiaoguo put down the needle and thread. Zhuang Zhuang must have done quite a bit of work. She bade farewell to Mrs. Yang and headed home.


    In the following days, the two of them gathered together to sew clothes when they had time. Xiaoguo managed to pick up a lot of techniques from Mrs. Yang as well.


    Time passed quickly. Many people in the village have started working in the fields. People were carrying bags and bags of grains. Everyone was smiling. With this harvest, they would not have to worry for a whole year.


    Xiaoguo went to take a look at the fields. The area around her plot had been emptied out. Now, the only plot left untouched belonged to her.


    Xiaoguo thought that she would start harvesting tomorrow.


    With that in mind, she would have to get up early the next day. There were a couple of sacks at home, but they had not been used for a long time.


    Xiaoguo thought to herself that they must have been used for planting the crops previously. But they had not been used for so long, she wondered if they were damaged.


    She tugged at the sacks with all her might. Fortunately, they seemed to be in good condition and could still be used. That will save her the trouble of buying new ones.


    She brought out the sacks and put them on the cart before going to the cupboard to look for old clothes and shoes. She will wear them to work in the fields tomorrow.


    After everything was packed, Xiaoguo returned to the house and prepared to rest. She had to rest early and go to the fields early in the morning.


    The next morning, Zhuang Zhuang wanted to go with her, but Xiaoguo didn¡¯t let him. Zhuang Zhuang pleaded with her for a long time, but Xiaoguo didn¡¯t give in. In the end, Zhuang Zhuang stayed at home to look after the house while Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart to the fields.


    Wheat was the first crop to be harvested. Xiaoguo went to the fields and rolled down the hem of her trousers until they covered her ankles. After ensuring that no part of her skin was exposed, she felt more assured.


    If her ankles were exposed, she would definitely get cut by the wheat leaves.


    When she got to the end of the plot, Xiaoguo raised her scythe and swung it at the wheat stalks. The wheat stalks fell one after another. Xiaoguo followed a pattern as she went along and piled the wheat stalks into a small pile.


    There was a pile every few meters. This way, it would be easier to find and gather them later.


    Xiaoguo was barely midway through her harvesting when she heard someone calling out to her. She raised her head to wipe her sweat and squinted. She couldn¡¯t see much. The sun was too bright.


    Xiaoguo raised her hand to shield her eyes. With the sun glare out of the way, she could clearly see who it was.


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    Qin Anming drove the carriage over from afar. Xiaoguo called out to him happily, wondering why he had suddenly returned.


    Qin Anming tightened the rope.


    The carriage stopped steadily beside the donkey cart. Qin Anming got out of the carriage and came to Xiaoguo¡¯s side with a sickle.


    ¡°Why did you start harvesting the crops yourself! You should have told me!¡±


    Although he sounded like he was reprimanding her, his eyes were filled with worry.


    ¡°Sigh, I felt that it wasn¡¯t much work. I can do it myself. You must be so tired working in the noodle shop every day!¡±


    The more she spoke, the more guilty she felt. Seeing Qin Anming¡¯s disapproving expression, Xiaoguo stopped talking. She was afraid that Qin Anming would start nagging at her again.


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t say anything. He just stared at Xiaoguo with eyes that looked exactly like hers.


    The more Xiaoguo waited, the more guilty she felt. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll just admit my mistake!¡±


    ¡°Brother, I was wrong. I¡¯ll look for you no matter what happens in the future! I promise!¡±


    Qin Anming snorted. Seeing that Qin Anming¡¯s attitude had softened, Xiaoguo immediately made use of the change in his attitude and kept saying more promises and good words, until Qin Anming stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s start work.¡±


    Qin Anming had been thinking about the crops in the fields. Seeing that it was about time for harvesting, he got a day off from Ruyi and came back to take a look.


    Early in the morning, he rode the cart used for buying goods from the restaurant and arrived at the village entrance. He saw someone sifting the grains in front of their house and there were bundles of harvested grains everywhere. Hence, he quickly drove the carriage home.


    As soon as he entered the house, he saw Zhuang Zhuang sitting in the courtyard reading a book.


    Hearing the door open, Zhuang Zhuang thought that Xiaoguo had returned. He quickly looked up and was about to call for his mother when he saw that it was his uncle. He immediately put down his book and ran to his side.


    After asking Zhuang Zhuang, he found out that Xiaoguo was in the fields. He picked up a sickle from the courtyard and hurried over.

 Chapter 81 - Harvesting Crops Part 3

    Xiaoguo felt a little guilty when she heard her brother¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t want her brother to be kept so busy. He was already tired from working at the restaurant. It would be nice if he could take this opportunity to rest.


    Xiaoguo saw that Qin Anming had already started cutting the wheat. If she were to stop him, he definitely would not listen.


    Forget it. She had better get to work. If she worked harder and did more of the cutting, her brother would have less to do. He could then go home and get some rest.


    Xiaoguo waved her scythe with all her might. Qin Anming was not lagging behind either. He had the same thoughts as Xiaoguo, it was just a matter of who thought of it first.


    If he cut more wheat, Xiaoguo would have less work to do.


    The two of them worked continuously. Fortunately, the plot was not too big. Xiaoguo and Qin Anming finished harvesting the wheat in less than two hours.


    Without taking a break, they went on to pack the wheat ears into sacks and loaded them onto the cart. They had to make two trips to finish moving everything back to the house.


    When they got home, they didn¡¯t stop working. They emptied the wheat ears from the sacks and kept them in the courtyard. Then, they drove to the plot where the corn was planted.


    Xiaoguo and Qin Anming took positions at opposite ends of the plot, and began to break the corn ears, each of them taking two rows at a time. The corn ears were harvested and gathered in a pile as they worked through each section of the plot¡ªthe same way they had harvested the wheat.


    Soon, the two of them had disappeared into the cornfield. The corn stalks were as tall as a person. Qin Anming¡¯s head couldn¡¯t even be seen above the corn stalks, let alone Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo carefully avoided the leaves, which were just at her face level.


    For the sake of her pretty face, it was better to be careful.


    After breaking off the corn, the corn stalks were broken off in order to distinguish them.


    Xiaoguo harvested the corn and broke off the stalks simultaneously until she reached the end of the plot. She looked towards the other end of the field and saw that the first two rows of corn that Qin Anming was working on had all their stalks broken. He was already working on the next two rows.


    Not to be outdone, Xiaoguo eagerly started working on a new row of corn stalks.


    Xiaoguo continued to prattle on and on, her ears were filled with the sound of rustling leaves. It was some time before they bumped into each other in the middle.


    After the two of them were done, they had to fill the sacks with corn. When they finally filled up all the sacks, there were still a few piles left. The two of them stuffed them onto the donkey cart.


    ¡°Let¡¯s come back later to take the cornstalks.¡±


    Qin Anming looked at the corn stalks on the ground. These would be great for feeding the cows and donkeys.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    In any case, the cornstalks could just be left out in the fields. The next time when the cows were brought out for grazing, they could be brought here to the cornfields.


    The two of them drove in the direction of home. Along the way, they bumped into a few families who were harvesting crops too.


    When the two of them returned home, Zhuang Zhuang was already waiting for them at the front door.


    Once he saw them, he quickly moved aside so that they could drive the cart in.


    It was getting late. They unloaded the corn from the cart the minute they reached home.


    Xiaoguo went to cook while Qin Anming brought Zhuang Zhuang to empty the corn from the sacks.


    Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen and took a large piece of pork belly from the other space. The vegetables in the courtyard had matured. They hadn¡¯t borne fruit before, but after the recent rain, some of the vegetables had grown overnight as if their growth had been catalyzed.


    Xiaoguo went to the vegetable field and picked some chili peppers. She would stir-fry some meat with chili for Qin Anming later. She remembered that Qin Anming liked spicy food.


    Then, she picked some cucumbers so that she can stir-fry some cucumber eggs for Zhuang Zhuang. This was his favorite dish.


    She also picked a big eggplant which she would fry with some shredded meat and chili.


    When she returned to the house, she was intending to make steamed rice. However, after a busy morning, everyone was feeling quite thirsty. Xiaoguo decided to make porridge and hot buns for lunch.


    Back in the kitchen, she began to prepare the vegetables she had picked. After washing and peeling them, she proceeded to cut and dice them.


    While the porridge was cooking, Xiaoguo heated up a pot and added some oil. When the oil was hot, she added the egg mixture which consisted of 5 eggs, and stir fried it. The cooked eggs were removed, and the cucumbers were fried with the remaining oil in the pot. Once the cucumbers were cooked, she added the eggs and a pinch of salt. After stir-frying a few times, the dish was served.


    Xiaoguo brought the plates into the house. Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming were still emptying corn from the sacks. Xiaoguo put down the plates and returned to the kitchen. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes were immediately filled with joy when he smelled the fragrance coming from the kitchen.


    ¡°Uncle, do you believe that Mother is making stir-fried cucumbers and eggs!¡±


    Qin Anming could also smell the fragrance of cucumber and eggs. He nodded at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°I believe you!¡±


    After a while, a pungent fragrance wafted over. It was Qin Anming¡¯s turn to laugh.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, believe it or not, your mother is frying chili and meat!¡±


    Qin Anming imitated Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s tone and said to him.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s nose twitched at the spicy smell. ¡°I believe you!¡±


    The two of them were in the courtyard, laughing and joking. Xiaoguo sneezed a few times and brought the spicy stir-fry meat into the house.


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡±


    As soon as she arrived at the courtyard, she saw the two of them laughing. Xiaoguo was curious about what they were talking about.


    ¡°We were guessing the name of the dishes!¡±


    They answered in unison. Xiaoguo smiled and went back into the house. One is a small child and the other is a grown child.


    Next, it was time to stir-fry the eggplant. The shredded meat was first stir-fried in the pot. Then, she added the chili and eggplant and stir-fried them together. When the eggplant had turned soft, she added salt for taste and plated the dish.


    After cooking, the porridge was served on the dining table. Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang entered the house after washing their hands.


    Xiaoguo served them individual portions of the porridge and side dishes. Everyone picked up a big white steamed bun and started eating.


    The three of them ate their fill. None of the food was wasted at all.


    There was some vegetable soup left in the bowl. Zhuang Zhuang dipped a steamed bun into the soup and fed it to the puppies hanging around his feet.


    The two puppies had been sniffing around Xiaoguo¡¯s feet from the moment she was cooking.


    While eating, they kept calling out to beg for food.


    When Zhuang Zhuang was done feeding them the steamed buns, the two puppies¡¯ stomachs were bulging like small balls.


    Zhuang Zhuang brought the dishes to the kitchen for washing. Xiaoguo went outside to dry some corn kernels while the weather was still fine. When Qin Anming leaves tomorrow, she will make popcorn for him.


    With this thought in mind, Xiaoguo went to the courtyard and peeled out the kernels from three pieces of corn. Qin Anming also came out and started to peel the corn. Xiaoguo quickly stopped him.


    ¡°Brother! Stop peeling it. I¡¯m just drying some kernels for you. When you leave tomorrow, I will make something delicious for you to take away.¡±


    Qin Anming looked curious. He had heard from Xiaoguo that this was not ordinary corn¡ªit could be made into a snack. He had long been curious about how a little corn kernel can be turned into something called popcorn after it was heated up.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to remove the kernels from the corn, Xiaoguo had to use so much strength that her thumbs turned red. In the end, it was Qin Anming, who helped to remove the kernels since he had stronger hands.


    The corn kernels were then spread out on the rafters and left to dry in the sun.


    During noon time, Xiaoguo lay down in bed and prepared to take her nap. After washing the dishes, Zhuang Zhuang followed Qin Anming and ran to his side to nap with him.


    Xiaoguo lay in bed and rolled around several times, unable to fall asleep.


    She got out of bed and worked on her half-completed sewing.


    Recently, Xiaoguo had been making clothes with Mrs. Yang. She had also learnt how to make the styles from this era.


    There was one time when she went to the county market with Mrs. Yang, and ended up buying a lot of fabric. When they returned, they got together to make new clothes. During this period of time, they had managed to make a lot of clothes.


    In the afternoon within the courtyard, Qin Anming led the donkey with a millstone tied to its back, crushing the wheat ears as it walked along.


    Under the weight of the millstone, the wheat kernels came out of their shells one by one. Xiaoguo held a winnower and tossed the grains, sifting the shells out in the process. The remaining wheat kernels were then spread out on the ground to sun.

 Chapter 82 - Popcorn

    Zhuang Zhuang pestered Qin Anming and followed him wherever he went.


    While Qin Anming was steering the donkey cart, Zhuang Zhuang imitated what he was doing. He raised his small whip which was actually made of grass and whipped at the air.


    The three of them took breaks in between their work. They managed to finish milling all the wheat by the time the sky turned dark.


    The wheat kernels were set aside to air dry. When the weather was good, the grains would be turned over to ensure they were dried evenly. After a few days of drying, the kernels could be stored for future use. When needed, they would be ground into flour.


    Xiaoguo rummaged through the corn kernels and felt that there was not much moisture left. After shifting them to a different spot, she returned to the house to make dinner.


    After dinner, Zhuang Zhuang carried his books and went to look for Qin Anming.


    He said that he was going to check on his uncle¡ªto see if he had forgotten the words he had learnt before, and he was also going to teach him some new ones.


    Xiaoguo waved her hands, signaling him to go. She then placed a candle on the study desk so that she could sew some socks for Qin Anming.


    She had learnt to make many things from Mrs. Yang. Underwear, outerwear, headgear and footwear¡ªMrs. Yang taught Xiaoguo everything she knew.


    Xiaoguo put in the last stitch, bit off the thread, and unfolded the finished item to take a good look at it.


    Not bad! It was no different from what was sold outside!


    Xiaoguo set it down happily beside the other sock on the bed. She got up and went to the cupboard to take out a cloth bag.


    She came to the bed and sat down before opening the cloth bag to reveal two sets of ready-made clothes and a pair of socks.


    Xiaoguo put in the socks she had just made together with the rest of the garments, and tied up the cloth bag. Placing the bag on the desk, she would let Qin Anming bring it with him tomorrow.


    ¡°I will just put it in a conspicuous place in case I forget about it tomorrow.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang told Xiaoguo that he would sleep with his uncle for the night.


    Xiaoguo had already guessed it. When she woke up from her afternoon nap, Zhuang Zhuang had not brought back his pillow and blanket from Qin Anming¡¯s house.


    Knowing that Zhuang Zhuang wanted to hang around his uncle, how could Xiaoguo get in the way?


    Maybe because she was sleeping alone, Xiaoguo tossed and turned on the bed that seemed especially spacious today.


    Listening to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s laughter in the other room, Xiaoguo felt a little upset.


    From the minute Zhuang Zhuang laid his eyes on Qin Anming today, he had been sticking to him as if he had endless things to tell him.


    He would share everything about what he had done, what he had learnt and even how many bowls of rice he had eaten, with his uncle.


    As long as Qin Anming was around, Zhuang Zhuang would never stick to her.


    Although Zhuang Zhuang was also very clingy to Xiaoguo, it was not the same as when he was around Qin Anming.


    Xiaoguo looked at the flickering candle and thought to herself, So the experts did have a point. Motherly love is different from paternal love.


    Zhuang Zhuang was looking for maternal love from her and seeking paternal love from Qin Anming.


    Ever since he was born, Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t have any male figures around him. He only heard about his father from Mrs. Jiang a few times.


    In his living environment, he was surrounded by women and young children. There was not a single male figure who could set a positive example for Zhuang Zhuang.


    Now that he had Qin Anming, Zhuang Zhuang directed all his longing for paternal love to his uncle.


    Looking at the flickering candlelight on the table, Xiaoguo felt annoyed. She got up and blew out the candle.


    She could give him motherly love, but there was no way she could provide him with paternal love. It seemed that she could only bring Zhuang Zhuang to visit Qin Anming more frequently in the future.


    She slept in a daze until dawn the next day.


    Xiaoguo woke up when the chickens in the courtyard crowed.


    Listening to the noises coming from their room yesterday, Xiaoguo knew that Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang must have slept late.


    Xiaoguo did not wake the two of them. She went to the courtyard first and fed the animals with grass. She also fed Qin Anming¡¯s horse. After all, the animal had to drive the cart back later.


    When the two puppies saw Xiaoguo, they got up and followed her with their short legs.


    When morning came, Xiaoguo made pork congee with century eggs. She also picked three tomatoes and tossed them with white sugar and three century eggs.


    A few flower buns were steaming in the pot and smoke rose continuously from the chimney.


    Xiaoguo went to the courtyard and checked on the corn kernels. They were thoroughly dry. There was no dew at night, so the grains did not absorb any moisture.


    Xiaoguo brought the kernels back to the kitchen. Fortunately, she saw Mrs. Yang bought some rapeseed oil when they were at the market. She also bought some for herself as she had gotten tired of eating lard.


    Otherwise, the popcorn she was going to make would taste like lard.


    Xiaoguo brought the heated flower rolls into the house. The porridge was ready and left to cool down.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming had just gotten out of bed. Xiaoguo called for them to wash up and eat.


    Xiaoguo finished her meal first. She put down her bowl and returned to the kitchen to prepare popcorn for Qin Anming.


    Xiaoguo washed the pot clean, poured in the oil, and added white sugar. After the mixture had caramelized, she added the corn kernels and stirred them with a shovel. When the corn kernels started popping, Xiaoguo quickly called Zhuang Zhuang over to watch. Yesterday, when Zhuang Zhuang found out that Xiaoguo was going to make the popcorn, he kept reminding Xiaoguo to wake him up. He wanted to see it for himself!


    Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming had also finished eating. When they heard Xiaoguo call out, they quickly put down their bowls and ran to the kitchen to witness this magical phenomenon.


    A corn kernel exploded in front of the three of them. With a stir of the shovel, several more kernels exploded.


    At this moment, a piece of corn flew onto Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s body. The child was quick to react. He immediately caught it and stuffed it into his mouth. Mmm¡­ It was delicious!


    The kitchen was filled with the aroma of popcorn coupled by a hint of sweetness.


    At this moment, more kernels had popped open. Xiaoguo quickly covered the pot with a lid. She could hear crackling sounds coming from underneath the lid.


    Qin Anming moved further away. It was magical and a little funny. ¡°This sound is comparable to a small firecracker.¡±


    Xiaoguo listened carefully. That was true!


    When there were no more sounds coming from the pot, Xiaoguo turned down the fire and lifted the lid. She stirred the popcorn to prevent it from burning.


    A whole pot of popcorn appeared in front of them. Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.


    Xiaoguo had prepared two clean jars in advance to store the popcorn. They were prone to dampness and had to be kept tightly sealed in jars. They are easily accessible when kept in the jars, and she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them being exposed to moisture.


    Qin Anming held the jar and watched Xiaoguo shovel in the popcorn. To think that so much popcorn could be made from such a small amount of kernels!


    Xiaoguo put the popcorn into the jars while it was still hot. There were two big jars in total. Xiaoguo handed one to Qin Anming and let him put it in the carriage to bring back. The remaining jar was left for Zhuang Zhuang.


    It was time for Qin Anming to go back. Xiaoguo handed him the cloth bundle containing the clothes and socks she had made.


    Qin Anming took it and looked at Xiaoguo. He said solemnly again, ¡°In the future, if you have any work at home, call me. Do you understand?¡±


    Qin Anming only felt assured after seeing Xiaoguo nod and promise him several times. He hugged Zhuang Zhuang and agreed to meet him soon.


    The two of them spent quite some time whispering to each other before Zhuang Zhuang finally smiled and nodded at his uncle.


    Qin Anming drove off on the carriage. Xiaoguo felt a sense of loneliness in her heart. This always happens. Even though it was only a temporary separation and they would meet again, the sense of loneliness and loss would surface whenever they had to part.


    Worried that Zhuang Zhuang would be unhappy, Xiaoguo picked him up and teased him to make him laugh.


    Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang to the kitchen and asked him to get five century eggs. Then, she turned around and found a slightly larger piece of oil paper. She poured out half of the popcorn from the jar and carefully wrapped it up before asking Zhuang Zhuang to bring it to Mrs. Yang.


    She had been thinking about giving Mrs. Yang some century eggs, but she had forgotten about it. Now that she remembered, she quickly got Zhuang Zhuang to send some over.

 Chapter 83 - Osmanthus Wine

    Xiaoguo was sweeping the kitchen floor when she heard the door open. She looked out the window and saw Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s happy little figure. This child had returned quite quickly.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Before he entered the house, she could already hear his voice calling out to her.


    When he was standing in front of Xiaoguo, Zhuang Zhuang said ingratiatingly, ¡°I even told Mrs. Yang that the popcorn can¡¯t come into moisture. It has to be stored properly!¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, how is our Zhuang Zhuang so smart? Mother has forgotten to remind you, but you still remember!¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to tell Zhuang Zhuang about it. She didn¡¯t expect him to remember. His brain was really in better shape than hers!


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled sheepishly. He told Xiaoguo shyly that he was going to read and returned to his room.


    Xiaoguo continued to clean the kitchen. She hadn¡¯t cleaned the kitchen in days. Xiaoguo picked up a rag and began cleaning the kitchen.


    When Xiaoguo finally put down the broom, the kitchen had become spick and span. With such a clean kitchen, one really has a greater desire to cook.


    Now that Xiaoguo had free time on her hands, she went back into the house to help Zhuang Zhuang with his studying.


    Recently, Xiaoguo had been accompanying Zhuang Zhuang with his studies every day. Other times, she would discuss sewing methods with Mrs. Yang while chatting with her. Life was pretty good.


    One afternoon, when Xiaoguo was tutoring Zhuang Zhuang, Mrs. Yang knocked on the door and called out to her. Xiaoguo put down the book curiously and left Zhuang Zhuang to learn by himself. She walked to the door and opened it.


    ¡°Sister-in-law? Come in.¡±


    Mrs. Yang stood outside the door happily. When she saw Xiaoguo, she waved her hands to indicate that she was not going in. She asked Xiaoguo, ¡°Are you going to the county tomorrow?¡±


    Xiaoguo often went to the county with her, but seeing how happy she was today, she was a little curious. ¡°Sure. What day is it tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost the mid-autumn festival.¡± Mrs. Yang said with a smile. ¡°I heard from the Li family¡¯s daughter-in-law that they went to the county today. During this time, the county market is selling all kinds of food. Let¡¯s go and check things out tomorrow!¡±


    It¡¯s the Mid-Autumn Festival¡­ Xiaoguo had almost forgotten about it. She wouldn¡¯t mind going tomorrow. Coincidentally, there was no more meat at home. She could take the opportunity to window shop and stock up on groceries.


    After deciding on a time with Mrs. Yang, Xiaoguo returned to the house and asked Zhuang Zhuang if he wanted to follow her. Zhuang Zhuang was overjoyed when he heard that and quickly agreed.


    After breakfast the next morning, Xiaoguo set up the donkey cart and asked Zhuang Zhuang, to bring Mrs. Yang out after he was done packing. After the boy ran out, Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart out of the house. As the puppies had come out with her while she was leaving the house, Xiaoguo chased them back and locked the door.


    When she arrived at Mrs. Yang¡¯s house, Zhuang Zhuang was just bringing her out. Seeing that Mrs. Yang was alone, Xiaoguo said, ¡°Mrs. Yang, it¡¯s going to be a day of fun. Let¡¯s bring Xiaohua and Xiaohu along!¡±


    Mrs. Yang stopped to think. ¡°Yes, why not.¡± She gave Xiaoguo a heads up and ran home, urging her two kids to get changed and go to the market together.


    After a while, the three of them came out and got on the donkey cart. Xiaoguo told them to sit tight as they were going to set off.


    The three children were obviously very excited. There was endless chatter between the three of them. Mrs. Yang sat beside them to look after them, while Xiaoguo sat at the front to drive the donkey cart.


    When they arrived at the market, Xiaoguo took the suggestion of Mrs. Yang, and came to another street. Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, Xiaoguo felt a bit lost as she had never been to this place before.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, what do they have here?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the ordinary street and felt that it was a little strange for Mrs. Yang to lead them here.


    ¡°Just go forward and turn down that alley. Can you smell anything?¡±


    Mrs. Yang gave Xiaoguo a mysterious look.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she tried to smell the air. Yes, now that Mrs. Yang had mentioned it, she could detect the smell of pastries. And it was getting stronger as she walked towards the alley!


    Xiaoguo followed Mrs. Yang¡¯s instructions and drove the donkey cart forward.


    When they reached the turn, Xiaoguo followed Mrs. Yang¡¯s instructions and steered the cart into the alley.


    This time, what came into view was a spacious road. There were pastry shops on both sides of the road. This was Shangque Road.


    It turned out that the fragrance of pastries came from this street.


    The shops were already open for business at this time of the day. Every store had its doors wide open. All kinds of pastries were displayed on the counter. Batches of freshly baked pastries were brought out and placed on bamboo trays. There were also packs of pastries wrapped in waxed paper with their names labeled on the packaging.


    The beautifully glazed pastries attracted the attention of passers-by. They couldn¡¯t help but walk into the shop and buy something.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I didn¡¯t know there was such a street here?¡±


    Xiaoguo thought that she had seen most of the county. To think that there was actually a hidden treasure here within this small alley.


    ¡°Of course! This is a famous pastry street. The pastries here are delicious. Most importantly, the range of products here are very comprehensive. Whether they are expensive or cheap, they all have their own unique flavors!¡±


    Mrs. Yang told Xiaoguo all about her favorite shop.


    As the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, there were already shops making mooncakes. The purpose of her bringing Xiaoguo along was to buy some mooncakes.


    Xiaoguo was a little surprised to hear Mrs. Yang¡¯s words. Wasn¡¯t the Mid-Autumn Festival more than 20 days away? Why was she in such a hurry to buy mooncakes? She could just buy them when it was nearer to the festival.


    The question popped out of her mouth as she was thinking it. When Mrs. Yang heard this, she sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not an issue. I am going to buy more and keep them for the festival. Anyway, these mooncakes do not spoil easily. Actually the more important thing is¡­

 Chapter 84 - Parenting Methods

    Based on Mrs. Yang¡¯s recommendations, Xiaoguo bought 500 grams of osmanthus cakes and sesame cookies. Seeing that there were osmanthus mooncakes, she decided to buy a few.


    She also bought some snacks that Zhuang Zhuang wanted to eat.


    ¡°What else do you want?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang. He shook his head and said that it was enough. The few items he had picked would do.


    The shop assistant wrapped the snacks for them. Xiaoguo came to the osmanthus wine and said to Mrs. Yang, ¡°Is the wine very strong?¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to buy it and give it a try, but she was worried that the alcohol content would be too high. Besides, she couldn¡¯t drink much.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they can customize the alcohol content of the wine,¡±


    Mrs. Yang said. When Xiaoguo heard this, she felt happy. ¡°This is great. I will have a small jar.¡±


    Mrs. Yang and Xiaoguo each took a jar of osmanthus wine with low alcohol content. The waiter strongly recommended it. He guaranteed that the wine comes with a strong fragrance, but one would not get drunk easily from drinking it.


    When they settled the bill, Xiaoguo had spent a total of 56 copper coins, including the osmanthus wine.


    As Mrs. Yang had more members in her family and she had gotten more items, her bill came up to 62 copper coins.


    Xiaoguo felt that the price of the pastries cost almost the same as the meat.


    She carried a big bag and a small wine jar out of the shop and placed them on the donkey cart. Then, they came to another mooncake shop that Mrs. Yang recommended.


    Xiaoguo got out of the cart as well. She wanted to buy more so that when it was Mid-Autumn Festival, she wouldn¡¯t have to shop again.


    The children also got out of the car. Xiaoguo let Zhuang Zhuang see if there was anything he liked to eat. She told him to take whatever he wanted. She would pay for it later.


    Zhuang Zhuang began shopping happily starting from the entrance of the shop. He told Xiaoguo whenever he saw something that looked delicious.


    Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang went different ways and started selecting mooncakes for themselves.


    The shop assistant followed at the side and wrapped up whatever Zhuang Zhuang had chosen.


    Xiaoguo looked around. The mooncakes were all labeled. Bean paste mooncakes, five kernel mooncakes, black sesame mooncakes, rose mooncakes, walnut mooncakes¡­


    After walking around the shop, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t find any mooncakes with egg yolks. Her favorite was the yolk filling, but they didn¡¯t sell it here.


    Having no other choice, she could only buy a few pieces of bean paste and walnut mooncakes. She also bought two pieces of every other flavor except for the mixed-nuts mooncakes. Xiaoguo had never liked mixed-nuts, but she was willing to try the rest.


    Just as Xiaoguo was about to exclude the mixed-nuts mooncake from her order, she thought of Zhuang Zhuang, who had never eaten it before. Eventually, she decided to buy a piece.


    Xiaoguo was the first to settle the bill. She had bought quite a lot this time. There were a few packets in total. Xiaoguo estimated that everything would cost about twenty yuan in total. In the end, the final bill was sixty copper coins.


    After paying, Xiaoguo waited at the side for Mrs. Yang. Mrs. Yang had also bought a lot. After settling the bill, the group returned to the donkey cart and sat down. Since they were done buying the pastries, they drove out of Shangque Road and arrived at the market that they often visited.


    Perhaps because it was almost the Mid-Autumn Festival, there were many more small merchants on the road, offering a wider variety of food items.


    As there were too many people, it was difficult for Xiaoguo to drive the donkey cart forward. Hence, she discussed with Mrs. Yang to park the donkey cart at the entrance of the market and walk in.


    Mrs. Yang agreed readily. Fortunately, the two of them had brought a big basket from home before coming out. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have a carrier for their purchases.


    They put the pastries in the basket and slung it over their backs.


    The two of them led their children to the market. As they both had different things to buy, they separated as soon as they entered and arranged a time to meet when they were done.


    Xiaoguo said goodbye to Mrs. Yang. She held Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand and looked at the things sold around the market. As they walked, she looked for what she needed.


    There were many people shopping because of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Xiaoguo reminded Zhuang Zhuang not to let go of her hand and to hold on to her tightly.


    Zhuang Zhuang was very obedient. He held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand tightly at all times.


    Xiaoguo bought what she had been thinking about since she arrived¡ªpork.


    Now that the vegetables at home had sprouted, she didn¡¯t need to buy any. However, she still had to buy some meat.


    She went to the stall she had visited previously and bought five kilograms of pork. Seeing that the pork ribs were quite fresh, she bought another five kilograms of pork ribs.


    While waiting for the stall owner to chop the pork ribs, Xiaoguo saw that there was an additional stall beside him selling a different kind of meat.


    ¡°Boss, is this your new stall? Is this mutton?¡±


    The boss looked up and explained with a smile, ¡°Yes! This is mutton that was just slaughtered this morning.¡±


    Xiaoguo leaned closer to take a look. It was indeed quite fresh. ¡°Give me five catties of mutton.¡±


    Xiaoguo chose a piece of mutton that had equal parts of fats and lean meat. She was intending to make lamb skewers for Qin Anming when he returned.


    The boss quickly wrapped up everything for Xiaoguo and she placed them in a basket. As the boss had used waxed paper, she wasn¡¯t afraid that the meat would contaminate the snacks.


    Xiaoguo carried the basket on her back and continued walking with Zhuang Zhuang. Along the way, she bumped into someone selling soybeans. Xiaoguo walked over and saw that it was dried yellow beans. She thought of making soy milk. It had been a long time since she had drunk soy milk. She decided to grind some when she got home.


    Xiaoguo asked for five catties of beans¡ªit was priced at two copper coins for one catty.


    While the stall owner was filling up the beans, Xiaoguo did not forget to test Zhuang Zhuang on his counting skills, she had to see if her teaching was effective.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, one catty for two copper coins. I bought five catties. How much should I pay for it?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang frowned and raised his other hand that was not holding onto her. He did the sums one by one. Using the simple calculations that Xiaoguo had taught him, he finally came to a conclusion.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s ten copper coins!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang confidently told Xiaoguo the final answer.


    Before Xiaoguo could respond, the shop owner spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite smart, kid! You¡¯re so young, but you can calculate everything.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled until her eyes narrowed. She proudly got Zhuang Zhuang to thank the boss and handed him ten copper coins. She took the soybeans and placed them in the basket before leaving with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Along the way, she did not see anything she needed, so she prepared to go home.


    Xiaoguo waited for Mrs. Yang on the donkey cart. Afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would be hungry, she opened a snack and handed it to him so that he could eat first.


    Zhuang Zhuang licked his lips and eagerly stuffed it into his mouth. Before taking a bite, he stopped.


    ¡°Mother, you eat!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang handed the snack to Xiaoguo. No matter how much he wanted to eat it, he had to let his mother eat it first!


    Xiaoguo could tell what Zhuang Zhuang was thinking. Her heart was warmed by his gesture. She bent down and took a tiny bite¡ªonly the edge was bitten off.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ whatever Zhuang Zhuang offers me is really delicious!¡±


    Xiaoguo was not stingy with her praise for Zhuang Zhuang. The boy was also pleased with himself for giving his mother the first bite.


    Zhuang Zhuang still wanted to give more to Xiaoguo, but Xiaoguo refused and asked him to eat it. Zhuang Zhuang smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes narrowed into crescents as he sat beside Xiaoguo and ate the delicious osmanthus cake.


    Xiaoguo rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head lovingly. This little cutie was so adorable!


    Xiaoguo seemed to have read about this before. When a child offers something to his parents , it is not right for his parents to say, ¡°Daddy and Mommy don¡¯t want to eat. You go ahead and eat it.¡± The child¡¯s desire to share was manifesting at this moment. If the child¡¯s offer keeps getting rejected, he would think that as long as it was food, no one else would eat it. He would start keeping everything for himself. The child¡¯s desire to share would be transformed into selfishness.


    Although Xiaoguo had seen videos with experts explaining the theory, she didn¡¯t take them to heart at all. She also could not remember their exact words. But ever since she became Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mother, the strange thing was that she can recall all the parenting strategies that the experts had mentioned.

 Chapter 85 - Ancient Oven Part 1

    Xiaoguo sent Mrs. Yang and her family to their doorstep first. Then, she headed home and took out her keys for Zhuang Zhuang to open the door.


    After Zhuang Zhuang opened the door and brought the puppies out of the way, Xiaoguo entered with the donkey cart.


    She brought down the basket and started unpacking. The snacks and wine were kept in the house while the meat and soybeans were brought into the kitchen. Xiaoguo cut out a piece of pork and set it aside for lunch. The remaining meat was then stored in the other space with the pork ribs and mutton.


    When Xiaoguo came out of the house, Zhuang Zhuang was washing his hands by the well. The child had been thinking about feeding the animals since he came back. He only went back to the house to look for Xiaoguo after he had finished feeding them. Xiaoguo had gone into the house earlier and brought out a clean piece of waxed paper. She took out one piece of every snack and mooncake, and wrapped everything up. They could eat from this pack when they wished to. The rest of the snacks were wrapped up and kept in the cabinet.


    Xiaoguo wanted to place the pack of pastries which she had picked out, in a conspicuous spot. She looked around and felt that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s desk was just the right place for it. By putting them there, Zhuang Zhuang could access the snacks easily too.


    As soon as she put down those pastries, Zhuang Zhuang came into the house. Xiaoguo unwrapped the waxed paper and offered him a snack. She instructed him not to eat too much because it would be lunch time soon. If he eats too much, he will have no appetite for his lunch.


    Zhuang Zhuang obediently took only one piece and wrapped up the rest of the pastries.


    Xiaoguo was getting ready to cook. Zhuang Zhuang followed behind her with the snack in his hand. He took the initiative to stop Xiaoguo and offered her a bite. Xiaoguo smiled and didn¡¯t accept his offer this time.


    ¡°Mother is not eating it. You can have it.¡±


    Now that Zhuang Zhuang knew to share his food with Xiaoguo, she was very relieved. She didn¡¯t have to remind him repeatedly anymore. He already knew to ask others whenever he had something to eat.


    Zhuang Zhuang followed Xiaoguo to the kitchen. He held the pastry in his hands and nibbled on it. He remembered his mother¡¯s words to not wolf down his food, in case he choked. One must always chew and swallow slowly!


    Xiaoguo went to the stove and looked at the piece of pork belly that she had just cut out. She thought to herself, ¡°Maybe we should have braised pork?¡± Xiaoguo had to stop herself from drooling. It had been a long time since she had any braised pork. She was beginning to crave it.


    After checking with Zhuang Zhuang on the menu, Xiaoguo got his approval. She steamed some rice and started cutting the piece of pork belly into chunks that were about five centimeters in thickness.


    When Xiaoguo was pouring oil into the pot, Zhuang Zhuang had finished his snack. He sat obediently in front of the stove and shoved the firewood in.


    When the oil was hot enough, Xiaoguo added the pork and stir-fried it. After the oil was released from the pork, she added spices to enhance the aroma. Then she added soybean paste, rock sugar, and boiling water.


    The braised pork had to be stewed over strong heat. Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to add more firewood. Zhuang Zhuang nodded and added two thick pieces of wood.


    Xiaoguo covered the pot and brought the vegetable basket to the plot. She picked out some vegetables. Just eating meat alone was too greasy.


    Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang what he wanted to eat so that she could prepare the dish.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he ran out and followed Xiaoguo around the vegetable plot.


    His eyes roved over the crops, looking for what he wanted to eat. In the end, he selected a section with spots of crimson. ¡°Mother! I want to eat tomatoes and eggs. They¡¯re sweet!¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard his selection, she did not hesitate. She asked Zhuang Zhuang to go over and pick the tomatoes. Upon her instructions, Zhuang Zhuang ran over and picked two tomatoes.


    Xiaoguo continued to look for more vegetables. She had green vegetables in mind initially. Seeing that the leafy greens were not bad, she picked a few.


    In the end, their lunch consisted of braised pork, tomatoes and eggs, and stir-fried vegetables.


    After waking up from his afternoon nap, Zhuang Zhuang snacked on the pastries. Seeing that he was enjoying his snack, Xiaoguo also picked up a small piece and tasted it. The soft fragrance of the pastry filled her mouth. It was indeed delicious.


    ¡°Mother, why aren¡¯t you eating more?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked curiously. When he saw that Xiaoguo had only eaten a little, he put down what he had in his hands.


    Xiaoguo shook her head. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t like it. The snacks were delicious, but Xiaoguo was craving for something with salted egg yolk filling.


    ¡°Mother would like some pastries with a savory egg yolk filling.¡±


    Salted egg yolk? Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t know that snacks had such a strange filling. Would it taste nice?


    ¡°What¡¯s salted egg yolk?¡±


    Xiaoguo explained, ¡°It¡¯s duck eggs pickled in wine and salt water.¡±


    Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s explanation, didn¡¯t they have duck eggs at home?


    ¡°Mother, there are still many duck eggs at home. Let¡¯s make them ourselves!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang said innocently. He didn¡¯t know how difficult it was to make pastries with a savory egg yolk filling. He just wanted his mother to eat what she liked.


    Xiaoguo laughed at that. ¡°That was true! Why didn¡¯t she think of doing it herself?¡±


    But she didn¡¯t stay happy for long, Xiaoguo had a real problem. The salted egg yolk was easy to make, but to stuff it into dough and bake it, she would need an oven¡­


    Xiaoguo¡¯s mood instantly plummeted. Her happiness was swept away. Where could she get an oven? There was no such thing in the other space! It was impossible for her to make one¡­


    ¡°Make one???¡±


    ¡°Yes, she could make one!¡±


    Xiaoguo clapped her hands. She could just make one herself! She had seen a documentary about ancient cooking methods. One of the episodes was about making an ancient oven.


    Xiaoguo thought carefully about the steps to make the oven and realized that the process was not too difficult. All she needed were bricks, lime, and iron mesh!


    These materials could be bought in the county. There was no time today. She will go tomorrow morning!


    ¡°I¡¯ll also buy some white wine to pickle the duck eggs!¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s inquisitive gaze. His eyes were as dark as two grapes as he looked at her. Xiaoguo then realized that she had been so engrossed in her own joy that she had forgotten to explain things to the boy.


    Xiaoguo shared her thoughts with Zhuang Zhuang. Zhuang Zhuang said that he wanted to help too. As he spoke, he wrapped up the snacks and clapped his hands. He stood up and got ready to leave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mother!¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped him. ¡°Go? Go where?¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was still sitting on the bed, Zhuang Zhuang anxiously took her hand and pulled her up.


    ¡°To the county to buy things and make an oven.¡±


    The child was pulling her so hard that his veins were bulging. Afraid that he would get hurt, Xiaoguo quickly pulled him back. ¡°Who said we¡¯re going today? We can go tomorrow.¡±


    Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang helplessly. He finally calmed down and hugged Xiaoguo¡¯s neck. ¡°Then what are we doing this afternoon?¡±


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s cute little eyes, Xiaoguo spat out two words mercilessly.


    ¡°Cows grazing.¡±


    The next morning, after breakfast, the mother and son set off for the county.


    Because they had a shopping list, the two of them did not dawdle and went straight to get what they needed.


    First of all, they needed to get bricks and lime. Since there was still half a bag of lime at home, they just had to get a small bag this time. Otherwise, there would be a lot of wastage.


    They went to the same shop. Xiaoguo told the boss about what she was making and also the size of the oven. The boss gave her an estimated number of bricks that was required for the structure. Xiaoguo bought more than the estimated amount in case the bricks ran out. It was better to have extra than to have less.


    The boss helped Xiaoguo to load everything onto the donkey cart. The lime was put in last.


    After paying the bill, Xiaoguo left with Zhuang Zhuang in the donkey cart. She still had to make a trip to the wood shop. During this time, the wood shops should have ready-made mooncake molds. Although these were usually custom-made, there should still be some ready-made ones for sale.


    One must definitely have molds when making mooncakes. Since she was in the vicinity of Su Hui and Tang Zhu¡¯s house, she decided to buy the molds from them.


    When they arrived, Zhuang Zhuang went to knock on the door. Xiaoguo tied up the donkey cart and walked to the door, waiting for someone to open it.

 Chapter 86 - Ancient Oven Part 2

    Oddly, no one came to the door, even after knocking for a long time.


    Xiaoguo wondered if the whole family had gone out. She told Zhuang Zhuang to stop knocking and they drove off on the donkey cart.


    At this hour, their family might have gone to the market.


    Zhuang Zhuang felt a little disappointed that he could not see Wen Xiaoyi.


    Xiaoguo had no choice but to drive to another shop. When Xiaoguo asked if there were any mooncake molds, the boss brought her to a section filled with molds.


    ¡°This is it. Would you like to browse through them yourself?¡±


    Xiaoguo walked over and slowly picked out the patterns and words she liked from the pile.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, come and pick something too.¡± Xiaoguo called out to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang imitated Xiaoguo and picked the molds up individually. From the looks of it, the molds here had very exquisite designs.


    Xiaoguo chose a mold with the wordings Hua Hao Yue Yuan1 and Hua Kai Fu Gui2 printed on it. She also picked out a few molds with floral design. Zhuang Zhuang selected a few designs that he thought were nice.


    They handed the molds to the owner so that he could wrap them up. He took the molds from them. There were sixteen molds in total, each one costing two copper coins. Xiaoguo paid thirty-two copper coins in total.


    After putting them on the donkey cart, Xiaoguo drove to the most bustling part of the county. There were several metal smiths here. Xiaoguo went to one at random and asked for four iron plates in the sizes that she needed.


    After paying, she headed to the next shop.


    The ingredients for making the oven were ready. The last item she had to get was the white wine for the pickled duck eggs.


    She bought a jar of wine from a wine shop and carefully placed it on the donkey cart. She reminded Zhuang Zhuang not to let the jar topple. Zhuang Zhuang sat beside the wine jar and wrapped his arms around it. He nodded and told Xiaoguo not to worry. He would definitely take good care of it!


    Xiaoguo told him that he had all her trust.


    It was still early when they got back. However, Xiaoguo was not in a hurry to make the oven, even though Zhuang Zhuang was getting impatient.


    The more important thing now was to pickle the duck eggs, because they had to be cured for at least 20 days.


    There were still 23 days until the Mid-Autumn Festival. Xiaoguo had to quickly marinate the duck eggs. If the time was too short, the duck eggs would not have an oily yolk.


    Xiaoguo carried the bottle of white wine to the kitchen. Zhuang Zhuang followed behind her. ¡°Bring me the duck eggs.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he gave a shout to reply and turned to bring the basket of duck eggs to the table. Xiaoguo placed the white wine aside.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, boil the water!¡±


    Xiaoguo prepared everything she needed. After Zhuang Zhuang boiled the water, Xiaoguo added salt in the ratio of three parts water to one part salt. When all the salt had dissolved, she asked Zhuang Zhuang to remove the firewood.


    Zhuang Zhuang followed Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions and moved the firewood to the side. Xiaoguo stirred the salt water in the pot with a spoon to make sure that all the salt had dissolved. She put the spoon aside and waited for the salt water to cool down.


    While waiting for it to cool, Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang with her to check the surface of the duck eggs. If there were any particles on the eggs, she would dip a cloth in water and wipe the egg shells clean.


    There were probably more than forty duck eggs in the basket, but Xiaoguo was not going to marinate all of them. She was only going to marinate twenty-five eggs.


    The most delicious part of salted duck eggs has always been the egg yolks. Xiaoguo really couldn¡¯t eat the egg whites because they were too salty.


    Xiaoguo found a clean jar and wiped it with a cloth. After making sure that it was clean, Zhuang Zhuang placed the duck eggs individually into the jar.


    Zhuang Zhuang pursed his lips in concentration, afraid that he would break the duck eggs. After placing one egg safely in the jar, he continued to put the next one down.


    Handing over the task of transferring the duck eggs to Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoguo went to check on the salt water to make sure that it had cooled down. Then, she opened the bottle of white wine that she had bought.


    According to the amount of salt that had just been added, the ratio of salt to wine had to be 1 to 1.5. After pouring the white wine, Xiaoguo saw that Zhuang Zhuang was done with the duck eggs. She walked over and picked up the jar.


    Zhuang Zhuang wanted to help Xiaoguo carry it, but Xiaoguo did not allow it. As there were no smaller jars at home, Xiaoguo had found a slightly larger one.


    The jar was quite heavy for Xiaoguo. If Zhuang Zhuang were to carry it with his small arms and legs, he could drop it. It was a small matter if the jar were to fall, but if he were to hurt his arms and legs, it would be a big problem. So she¡¯d better forget about letting him carry the jar.


    After patiently explaining everything to Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoguo carried the jar to the stove and started transferring the salt water to the jar by using a spoon.


    After pouring all the water in, it was just enough to submerge the duck eggs. Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to pass her the two pieces of waxed paper and red cloth on the table.


    The waxed paper and red cloth were placed over the mouth of the vat. With a firm press, the lid was sealed tightly over the vat. The extra layers of oil paper and cloth help to ensure an airtight seal.


    Zhuang Zhuang still wanted to help Xiaoguo move the vat. Xiaoguo smiled and allowed him to try. Anyway he would not be able to move it. Even if there were only duck eggs in the vat, it was impossible. Now that so much water had been added to it, it would be even harder to move the vat.


    Zhuang Zhuang was eager to give it a try. He squatted down and wrapped his arms around the vat. He took a deep breath and counted to three. Then, he pushed himself up using the strength in his thighs.


    Xiaoguo watched Zhuang Zhuang preparing to lift the vat and did not take it seriously. Could such a young child carry such a heavy jar?


    To Xiaoguo¡¯s amusement, the jar really left the ground.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes slowly widened in surprise. Zhuang Zhuang finally managed to stand up straight!


    Although Zhuang Zhuang could straighten his legs, they were trembling beneath the weight.


    Xiaoguo came to her senses and quickly took it from him. Zhuang Zhuang heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the vat had left his arms.


    ¡°Mother, how is it?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled and looked up at Xiaoguo, his eyes begging for praise.


    Xiaoguo hugged the jar, which was obviously as heavy as Zhuang Zhuang, and felt a little lost.


    Zhuang Zhuang actually managed to lift up the heavy jar.


    ¡°Not bad!¡± Xiaoguo said. ¡°But in the future, you¡¯re not allowed to move anything heavier than your body weight. Nothing at all. You¡¯ll get hurt!¡±


    Xiaoguo warned Zhuang Zhuang sternly, and he nodded seriously. He had tried too hard just now.


    ¡°Are your limbs feeling weak now?¡±


    Seeing that he had admitted his mistake, Xiaoguo¡¯s heart softened.


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang rubbed his arms. They really felt weak. He looked up at Xiaoguo, wanting to know why this was happening.


    Xiaoguo smiled and brought the jar to a shaded area. She then explained to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°It¡¯s because when a person is doing something very tiring or moving something very heavy, they may sometimes pull a ligament on their arm. As a result, their arm will feel weak and soreness may set in the next day.¡±


    Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, Zhuang Zhuang was a little afraid. He had used so much strength just now that his legs were trembling.


    ¡°But the symptoms will go away in a day or two. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Xiaoguo added, and Zhuang Zhuang heaved a sigh of relief. He really shouldn¡¯t show off anymore.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded seriously at Xiaoguo, promising that he would not do it again.


    After lunch, Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to take an afternoon nap. However, the little guy was really energetic and said that he wanted to make the oven with Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo tried to persuade him otherwise but Zhuang Zhuang refused to budge. He was bent on making an oven with Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo had no choice but to agree.


    Zhuang Zhuang turned around and started moving the bricks happily.


    Xiaoguo looked at the boy. This child was really stubborn¡­

 Chapter 87 - Ancient Oven Part 3

    Xiaoguo first took out the remaining half bag of lime. She wanted to pour it into the courtyard, but there were still some grains drying in the courtyard. She was afraid that the lime would contaminate them.


    Xiaoguo had no choice but to put away the grains. After so many days in the sun, the corn and wheat had mostly dried up. She was not afraid that they would spoil.


    Zhuang Zhuang helped to hold up the sacks. Xiaoguo shoveled the dried grains into the bags, tied the ropes, and moved them to one side of the kitchen. She stacked up the bags one by one. Fortunately, Xiaoguo did not fill the sacks completely, otherwise, she would not have been able to lift the bags at all.


    Zhuang Zhuang had no strength to move the bags, so he could only follow beside Xiaoguo worriedly. He went back and forth with her. Although he couldn¡¯t move it, he still tried to provide some support from behind.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t allow Zhuang Zhuang to exert much strength. Although he wasn¡¯t of much help, Xiaoguo pretended otherwise and put on a relaxed expression so that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s feelings wouldn¡¯t be hurt.


    After putting away the dried grains, there was still some wheat and corn left behind on the ground.


    Xiaoguo spread them out so that the sunlight could reach every grain.


    She brought the lime over again and poured it on the ground, at a spot away from the grains. Using a shovel, she created a hole in the pile of lime and poured water into it. She slowly stirred it evenly until she had a cement mixture.


    While Xiaoguo was mixing the lime, Zhuang Zhuang had already gone to move the bricks by himself. As the bricks were very heavy, Zhuang Zhuang had to move them one by one.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, take a break.¡±


    Xiaoguo filled a basin with the cement and turned to look at Zhuang Zhuang who was working tirelessly. She was a little worried. Looking at him, he seemed to be getting more and more energetic.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mother. If I¡¯m tired, I¡¯ll rest.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang did not even turn his head as he answered Xiaoguo. His feet and hands did not stop moving.


    Xiaoguo carried the lime mixture to the spot where the oven was going to be constructed. She was going to build the oven against the wall next to the kitchen. Xiaoguo put down the cement and picked up a piece of clay. She squatted on the ground and drew out the shape of the oven¡¯s base. This time, Xiaoguo was going to make a larger squarish structure. Only three walls will be constructed, with the front left open. The open side would be used for adding firewood.


    After drawing the lines, she first laid a layer of lime mixture on the ground along the drawn out shape. Then, she laid the bricks neatly above the lime mixture. She was going to arrange a layer of bricks to form a square shape first.


    Then, she continued layering the cement and bricks, checking every now and then for any deviations. If there were, she quickly made adjustments.


    After creating about ten layers, Xiaoguo placed one of the iron plates she had bought onto the brick structure.


    The size was just right. Xiaoguo sealed all sides of the iron plate with lime and placed the remaining three iron plates on the left, right, and top part of the structure.


    She then sealed all surfaces with lime and added an additional layer of bricks. The empty spots and crevices were then filled with lime and bricks.


    After that was done, another two layers of lime and brick were added again to the existing structure.


    Xiaoguo checked all corners to ensure that every part of the oven had been sealed, with the exception of the smoke vent that was specially created for airflow. The oven was finally complete.


    Seeing that there was still a little lime left at the bottom of the basin, Xiaoguo used a small shovel to scoop out everything. She smeared it on the oven and tried to make sure that the lime did not go to waste.


    ¡°Mother, can we bake mooncakes now?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang squatted down curiously and looked at Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Not yet, because we still have to wait for the oven to dry.¡±


    Xiaoguo spoke slowly, her hands still spreading out the lime.


    It was done! Xiaoguo exhaled and looked at the oven with a smile. It was finally done! Though it looked simple, it was really tedious to make!


    She wiped the sweat from her forehead. Zhuang Zhuang had already gone to fetch water for Xiaoguo. Then she heard Zhuang Zhuang calling out to her to wash her hands.


    Xiaoguo replied, ¡°Right away!¡±


    With that, she turned around and began to pack up the remaining bricks and cement basin.


    Zhuang Zhuang was calling out to Xiaoguo again to wash her hands. Xiaoguo felt extremely helpless.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang was obviously imitating Xiaoguo¡¯s actions¡ªthe way she used to remind him about washing his hands. He was mimicking her to a tee.


    Xiaoguo placed the basin down and smiled helplessly. There was really nothing she could do about him!


    ¡°Mother, mother, mother¡­ Hurry up and wash your hands¡­ Are you done? Hurry up¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Since there was no lethality in her tone, Zhuang Zhuang was not afraid at all. However, he still knew when to stop. He bared his white teeth and giggled.


    Xiaoguo rapped him on the head, though not with much force.


    But Zhuang Zhuang still pretended to cry out in pain. Xiaoguo calmly washed her hands as he wailed.


    It was obvious that Zhuang Zhuang had tried this trick several times. Xiaoguo got fooled by him initially, but now, she was able to face it calmly.


    When Xiaoguo¡¯s patience was reaching its limit, Zhuang Zhuang could sense it. He stopped wailing and pretended that nothing had happened. He obediently handed Xiaoguo a towel, wiped her hands, and poured away the water.


    Xiaoguo was so angry that she laughed. She raised her eyebrows and looked at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Jiang Qingwen.¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s body trembled. His eyes were instantly filled with tears. He pursed his lips and looked like he would cry if she scolded him.


    Xiaoguo felt helpless. She had no idea what was going through his head.


    This time, she wasn¡¯t going to let Zhuang Zhuang muddle through. Even though her heart had softened, she didn¡¯t show it on her face. She looked at Zhuang Zhuang solemnly.


    Seeing that his usual tactics were useless, Zhuang Zhuang spoke softly in the face of Xiaoguo¡¯s 200,000-volt attack.


    ¡°Mother, I miss Uncle¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had not seen his uncle for some time. He felt terrible. He had a lot to tell his uncle.


    Xiaoguo froze. No wonder¡­


    That was true. She had promised Zhuang Zhuang that she would bring him to see Qin Anming when she had nothing to do, but she had actually forgotten about it¡­


    This really shouldn¡¯t have happened. Xiaoguo snapped back to reality and looked at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Shall we go visit Uncle tomorrow?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s dejection was swept away. The joy on his face was almost blinding her¡ªbut in that moment she felt a tinge of jealousy. Is she inferior to his uncle¡­?


    Xiaoguo knew Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s feelings for Qin Anming. She wasn¡¯t too hung up about it and didn¡¯t wish to harp over such a small matter.


    Instead, it was more important to bring Zhuang Zhuang to see his uncle tomorrow!


    She wondered if Qin Anming had finished the popcorn or whether he liked it. Maybe she should make more and bring them tomorrow.


    Xiaoguo patted her head. ¡°Sigh! I¡¯ll just bring the corn kernels with me. I¡¯ll make the popcorn when I get there!¡±


    At night, Zhuang Zhuang knew that he would be seeing his uncle tomorrow. Before he went to bed, he was still deciding on what to wear.


    Xiaoguo lay on the bed and looked at Zhuang Zhuang. She teased him, ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought that you were going to see a young lady.¡±


    Although Zhuang Zhuang was young, he knew that Xiaoguo was teasing him. He put down his clothes and threw himself on the bed shyly, burrowing into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Seeing that he was going to pounce on her, Xiaoguo took the opportunity to lift the blanket so that he would fall into it. She then wrapped him up as he landed into the blanket.


    Zhuang Zhuang laughed as he rolled around under the blanket. Xiaoguo was laughing so hard that she almost couldn¡¯t breathe.

 Chapter 88 - Looking for Uncle

    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, get up quickly. After breakfast, we will go find Uncle.¡±


    Still deep in slumbers, Zhuang Zhuang groaned and refused to get out of bed. But when he heard the word uncle, he sat up abruptly. That¡¯s right, he was going to see his uncle today!


    He jumped off the bed and rummaged through the clothes he was planning to wear.


    Zhuang Zhuang mumbled to himself as he searched through the clothes, ¡°This one doesn¡¯t look good. This one is too fancy. This one¡­¡±


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang who had not taken a peep at her the moment since he woke up, Xiaoguo snorted and walked out alone to serve breakfast.


    In any case, Zhuang Zhuang was already awake. She would serve the rice and leave it to cool so that he wouldn¡¯t feel hot and anxious when he comes in to eat.


    However, when Xiaoguo had finished her meal, Zhuang Zhuang was still nowhere to be seen. She put down her bowl and chopsticks and got up to check out what he was doing!


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang! Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoguo opened the door to see what was taking him so long.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m almost done!¡±


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang was combing his hair in front of the mirror. He was tying his hair with the headband that Xiaoguo had made.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo let out a long sigh. ¡°Why are you dressed so¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo thought for a long time but could not come up with the right word. In the end, she used a more appropriate term.


    Coquettish¡­


    It was possible that every mother who has a son would have the idea of dressing their child like a girl. At least Xiaoguo did.


    Some time ago, when Xiaoguo went to the market with Mrs. Yang, and saw her buying a piece of pink fabric to make clothes for Xiaohua. Xiaoguo followed suit and bought a piece in the same color.


    When she returned, she made a set of clothes for Zhuang Zhuang using the pink fabric. However, Zhuang Zhuang ran away the moment he saw the clothes. He refused to wear them no matter what. Xiaoguo tried to persuade, coax, and threaten him, but she just couldn¡¯t convince him to wear the outfit.


    Helpless, Xiaoguo could only give up. She reluctantly stuffed the clothes to the bottom of the cabinet. She had planned to keep them in the cabinet forever, but who would have thought that Zhuang Zhuang would actually take them out and wear them! He was wearing them!!


    ¡°Son¡­ you¡¯re¡­ so cute¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s current appearance was poking at Xiaoguo¡¯s heart. He looked totally like a pretty little girl.


    He was fair, chubby, and soft. One look and she wanted to take a bite.


    This instantly satisfied Xiaoguo¡¯s desire for a daughter.


    Just as she was about to hug Zhuang Zhuang and take a few bites, Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s greedy eyes and asked in confusion, ¡°Mother?¡±


    1


    That was it. Xiaoguo¡¯s thoughts were instantly put to rest. A girl¡¯s appearance and a boy¡¯s voice.


    It was so obvious that the kid had the voice of a little boy.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t get into character anymore. She said, ¡°Hurry up and come out for breakfast!¡± Then she left the room.


    ¡°Did Mother just come in to show me how fast she could change her face?¡± Zhuang Zhuang thought to himself, but his hands did not stop moving. He was plaiting his hair methodically. To secure the plait, he used the headband that was made from the same piece of pink cloth.


    Zhuang Zhuang checked his appearance in satisfaction and finally went out for breakfast.


    When he came out, Xiaoguo was already sitting back in her chair with a bowl in her hand. She stirred the contents in the bowl slowly and blew on the steam.


    Looking at the lump of pink that walked out, Xiaoguo really couldn¡¯t bear to look directly at it. It was indeed beautiful and cute.


    But why did he resist when she asked him to wear the outfit? It was like she wanted his life.


    Why did he put it on when he was going to visit Qin Anming?


    That¡¯s right. She was being jealous!


    Zhuang Zhuang was so focused on seeing his uncle that his usual sensitivity was completely gone. He did not notice Xiaoguo¡¯s occasional glances.


    Usually, if there was something wrong with Xiaoguo, Zhuang Zhuang would be the first to notice it.


    This was great. With Qin Anming around, she was now second place¡­


    She glanced at Zhuang Zhuang a few more times, but the boy just didn¡¯t sense anything!


    Xiaoguo was now driving the donkey cart to look for Qin Anming.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo was so busy looking at Zhuang Zhuang that she didn¡¯t notice the few suspicious characters who instantly hid themselves when she came out of the house.


    After she left, one of them took the lead and came out from behind the grass. He looked at the donkey cart that was leaving and silently tried to remember something¡­


    ¡°Alright, come out!¡±


    The man who came out first could not see much of the donkey cart. He retracted his gaze and reached out his leg in disdain to kick the rest of the men still crouching behind the grass.


    ¡°How is it, boss? Did you get a good look?¡±


    The men who got kicked stepped out first. He was dressed in woman¡¯s clothes and had a thick male voice. He brushed away the weeds on his body and asked the other man.


    ¡°Yes I did!¡±


    The man who was addressed as boss looked away from his companion in disgust, as if looking at him would hurt his eyes.


    He replied firmly. ¡°It¡¯s no joke! I have eyes like a hawk.¡±


    His subordinate smiled shyly, the rouge he was wearing left smudges on his chin.


    The rest of the men came out one after another and surrounded the man.


    ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t see the old lady.¡±


    Another person asked, ¡°We¡¯ve received a mission. What do we do now that we¡¯re missing one person?¡±


    Seeing that there was no time, the leader hesitated for a moment before deciding.


    ¡°We¡¯re going back! There¡¯s not enough time! We¡¯ve got more urgent matters on our hands!¡±


    The boss had made a decision. They were a small unit hidden in the neighboring county. They had to set off for the capital today!


    However, before setting off, he received a secret order to visit someone in secret. There was no need to disturb that particular person. He just had to check out how the person was doing.


    After receiving the secret order, he rushed to Peach Blossom Village in Yonghai County overnight with a few trusted aides and found the place after asking for directions.


    When they found the house, the men hid at the side and waited.


    Finally, someone came out. Although he didn¡¯t get a clear view, time was tight. He just had to report based on the little information he had gathered!


    The few men disappeared without a trace just like how they arrived. Everything returned to normal.


    Xiaoguo rushed to the county city with the donkey cart. She arrived just after the restaurant¡¯s peak period in the morning.


    At this moment, Qin Anming and the others were taking a short break.


    As soon as he sat down, he saw a little girl running into the restaurant. As Qin Anming was behind someone, he couldn¡¯t see the girl¡¯s face clearly.


    He thought that it was a child left behind by a guest. Just as he was about to go over and bring her to look for her family¡­


    Uncle Xu touched his eyes and mumbled hesitantly. He squinted at the child and called out with uncertainty.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    As soon as Uncle Xu spoke, everyone exclaimed.


    Everyone gathered around and began to chatter about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s outfit.


    Ruyi laughed and ran out of the kitchen. She rubbed and pinched Zhuang Zhuang, who was dressed like a little girl.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t feel that there was anything wrong with his attire. He smiled and let everyone surround him. One moment, they were rubbing his head, the next moment, someone was patting his buttocks. The next moment, another person was pinching his face.


    The boy was so good-tempered that he let everyone pinch and hug him. He widened his eyes and looked around for the person he wanted to see.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Qin Anming¡¯s uncertain voice sounded from behind.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard the voice, he turned around and saw Qin Anming.


    ¡°Uncle!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang left the group and ran towards Qin Anming.


    Qin Anming picked Zhuang Zhuang up. It was really Zhuang Zhuang!


    As usual, he weighed Zhuang Zhuang in his arms to see if he had gained weight.


    Xiaoguo arrived slightly later. While she was parking the cart outside and tying up the donkey, Zhuang Zhuang had abandoned her and ran into the restaurant by himself.


    She dawdled at the back, thinking sourly that she wasn¡¯t the one he wanted to see anyway.


    After tying up the donkey, she carried the jar of corn kernels that she had peeled early in the morning, and slowly entered the restaurant.


    1

 Chapter 89 - Daily revenue

    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    Ruyi spotted Xiaoguo first. Xiaoguo greeted her happily in return.


    ¡°Ruyi!¡±


    The others said their greetings as well, and Xiaoguo chatted with them enthusiastically.


    At this moment, Qin Anming was being pestered by Zhuang Zhuang. Although he saw Xiaoguo, he wasn¡¯t able to greet her. This was because Zhuang Zhuang kept chattering non-stop about his recent situation, what he had eaten and done. How much Big Black and Little White had grown, and Ben Ben and Fei Fei were starting to eat more. They have collected a lot of duck eggs and chicken eggs. His mother had also made an oven to prepare mooncakes with salted egg yolk filling¡­


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t feel impatient. He listened to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words patiently. Although these were all trivial matters, Qin Anming was still very interested. His eyes were filled with love as he looked at Zhuang Zhuang.


    Ruyi walked over and wrapped her arms around Xiaoguo¡¯s arm. She led her to the side and pointed her finger in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s direction.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why did you dress Zhuang Zhuang up like this?¡±


    As she spoke, Ruyi covered her mouth and giggled. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s outfit was really too cute.


    Hearing this, Xiaoguo resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Zhuang Zhuang. She turned around and looked at Ruyi helplessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t do that. He dressed up like that just to see his Uncle.¡±


    When Ruyi heard this, she laughed out loud. Qin Anming heard the commotion and turned to look at the two of them curiously, wondering what was going on. The two of them shook their heads at the same time, indicating that it was nothing!


    Ruyi and Xiaoguo spoke very softly, so no one else heard their conversation.


    Seeing that his uncle was not paying attention, Zhuang Zhuang raised his hand and moved Qin Anming¡¯s head back, so that his uncle was looking at him.


    Satisfied, he continued to chatter. ¡°Uncle, have you been practicing your calligraphy recently? Have you forgotten? You have to be diligent¡­¡±


    Qin Anming sat down with Zhuang Zhuang in his arms. He carried on listening attentively to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s chatter. Needless to say, Zhuang Zhuang had gained a lot of weight during this period of time. His arms would give way if he remained standing and continued to hold him!


    Xiaoguo glanced at the two of them, then turned back and chatted with Ruyi.


    ¡°How are you? Are you tired?¡±


    Xiaoguo carefully observed each of their faces. She wondered if they could take it.


    When Ruyi heard this, her face lit up with joy. She said to Xiaoguo happily, ¡°It¡¯s actually not so bad. Everyone is sharing the burden so we don¡¯t feel so tired!¡±


    Xiaoguo saw the joy on Ruyi¡¯s face and believed that they had adapted well.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, do you know what our daily revenue is?¡±


    Ruyi secretly leaned over to Xiaoguo¡¯s ear and asked. Her tone was filled with joy.


    Xiaoguo could tell from Ruyi¡¯s expression that it was a considerable sum of money. However, she still put on a thoughtful expression and hesitantly spat out a conservative figure.


    ¡°Twenty taels?¡±


    Xiaoguo made a conservative guess. To her surprise, Ruyi snickered and said mysteriously that Xiaoguo should double the amount.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. No way. Forty taels?!


    Ruyi nodded frantically. ¡°This is after deducting the costs of ingredients and taxes. It¡¯s our net profit!¡±


    When Ruyi found out about this from Uncle Xu, she was so excited that she couldn¡¯t sleep well the entire night. At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be long before she could expand her business. When the time comes, she can buy the shop next door and expand the current shop. This way, more customers can dine in! She will be able to make a lot of money!


    At the thought of this, Ruyi wanted to grab Xiaoguo and dance with her. She felt even more grateful to Xiaoguo. If it weren¡¯t for her, she might have to sell off the noodle shop that her father had left behind for survival. She wouldn¡¯t be thinking about making more money now.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what Ruyi was thinking. If she did, she definitely wouldn¡¯t take the credit. After all, Malatang was not Xiaoguo¡¯s original creation. Besides, they were the ones who were busy working in the shop. She didn¡¯t even do much work. If someone had to claim the credit, it wouldn¡¯t be her.


    Everyone got on with their work. Those who needed to replenish the ingredients continued to do so, and those who had to clear the tables continued to clean up. Uncle Xu was calculating the earnings from the morning.


    Xiaoguo suddenly remembered the jar in her arms. ¡°Ruyi, have you eaten the popcorn my brother brought back the last time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s fragrant and sweet. I ate a lot of it!¡±


    As soon as Ruyi heard Xiaoguo mention popcorn, she had a lot of things to tell her. She wanted to tell Xiaoguo that it was fragrant, sweet, and that she wanted to eat it all the time.


    Xiaoguo laughed out loud. Ruyi was too cute. She loved snacks just like Zhuang Zhuang.


    Beside her, Fu¡¯er said, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, I ate some too. The popcorn was really delicious!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡±


    Ling Long and Xiao Cui joined in the conversation and agreed. Even Uncle Xu looked up from his abacus and said, ¡°Even at this age, I quite like it too.¡±


    Uncle Xu didn¡¯t like eating snacks at first, but after eating some of the popcorn that day, he got quite addicted to them. The more he chewed, the more fragrant they were.


    Xiaoguo nodded and placed the jar on the table. With a smile on her face, she said, ¡°I brought you the raw kernels. You can eat as much as you want.¡±


    Seeing that they liked it so much, Xiaoguo was very happy. She had brought a lot this time. It was enough to last them for quite a while.


    Ruyi asked Fu¡¯er to move the jar to the kitchen and keep it. When they are free, they can make some.


    Fuer sighed and happily carried the jar back to the kitchen. She really liked popcorn!


    Xiaoguo briefly told her how to make it. It was very simple.


    Ruyi listened and memorized the steps. She really hadn¡¯t expected it to be so simple. She will make some tonight.


    Zhuang Zhuang finally let go of Qin Anming and stopped clinging on to him. Instead, he held Qin Anming¡¯s hand and came to Xiaoguo¡¯s side.


    ¡°Mother, Mother, Mother, tell Uncle, did you make an oven?¡±


    The little guy looked at his mother anxiously. He had just told his uncle about his mother building an oven at home, but his uncle clearly did not believe him.


    Hence, he hurriedly brought Qin Anming over to verify his words.


    Before Xiaoguo could speak, Ruyi exploded. She shouted, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, did you really make your own oven?!¡±


    Xiaoguo was dumbfounded. Why were they reacting so strongly? It was just building an oven, it wasn¡¯t that difficult.


    She nodded in confusion and admitted that she had made an oven. But now, it was the others who were confused.


    Ruyi held her chin and looked at Xiaoguo in shock. ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, is there anything you don¡¯t know how to do?¡±


    Qin Anming was also shocked. Xiaoguo was getting more and more capable. She could even make an oven.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not difficult!¡±


    Once again, Xiaoguo had unknowingly humblebragged. She really didn¡¯t know why they were so surprised. Ovens are so commonplace. The pastry shop that they went to also had one. What was so special about that?


    ¡°Where did you learn to make an oven, Xiaoguo?¡±


    Hearing Qin Anming¡¯s question, Xiaoguo gave an ambiguous answer. She said that she had seen someone constructing one and she figured it out after a while.


    The others did not suspect anything. Later on, she found out from them that all ovens in the county were made by professional builders who specialized in constructing ovens.


    Realization dawned on Xiaoguo. So that was how it was. The ovens were not made by the villagers themselves. Instead, there were workers who specialized in making them. Perhaps most people were concerned about the quality of the ovens¡ªif the ovens were not sealed properly, the baking outcomes would be affected.


    Xiaoguo was also a little worried that the oven she had made would run into such issues. Maybe she should go back and bake some bread to try out, in case the oven didn¡¯t work when she was going to make the mooncakes.

 Chapter 90 - Invitation to spend the Mid

    Xiaoguo recalled something else that had brought her here. It was almost the mid-autumn festival. She wondered if Ruyi and the others were working on that day.


    ¡°Ruyi, it¡¯s almost the mid-autumn festival. Are you guys taking a break?¡±


    Hearing this, Ruyi nodded. They had agreed long ago that they would take a break during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and use that time to relax.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she looked at Qin Anming happily. ¡°Brother, let¡¯s have lamb skewers when you come back for the mid-autumn festival!¡±


    Qin Anming, who was in the midst of teasing Zhuang Zhuang, nodded repeatedly. ¡°Sure!¡±


    With Qin Anming¡¯s approval, Xiaoguo was overjoyed. She had been craving lamb skewers for a long time. She could finally eat it!


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t understand. He saw Xiaoguo and Qin Anming smiling so he also smiled foolishly along with them. In any case, he knew that his uncle would be coming home!


    Ruyi looked at the three of them with envy.


    It would be so nice for them. The Mid-Autumn Festival would bring their family together for the holidays. What about her? What would she do then?


    The atmosphere between Xiaoguo, Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang affected the rest of the group. There was a strong contrast between the two groups¡ªliveliness on one side and silence on the other.


    Everyone listened to Xiaoguo¡¯s plans and felt a tinge of sadness in their hearts. Everyone quietly continued with the work in their hands. Uncle Xu was also swiping noisily on the abacus.


    After Xiaoguo spoke with Qin Anming about the arrangements for the holiday, she got ready to leave with Zhuang Zhuang as she still had to buy some spices along the way.


    She turned around and was about to say goodbye to Ruyi when she saw her gloomy face.


    Xiaoguo was quite sensitive. She understood what had come over everyone. She looked around at the people in the shop.


    Ling Long and Fu¡¯er had no family. They would definitely stay in the shop during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Although Xiao Cui had a family, she had been sold to the restaurant so she wouldn¡¯t go back. As for Uncle Xu, he was also a lonely old man. Ruyi had no one else either. Everyone had no plans, so maybe¡­


    Deep down, Xiaoguo had already made up her mind. However, she still had to ask Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang for their opinions.


    Xiaoguo called Zhuang Zhuang over. Although Zhuang Zhuang had been sticking to Qin Anming from the minute he got here, Xiaoguo was still ranked first in his heart. He always has been looking out for Xiaoguo.


    When he saw Xiaoguo waving at him, Zhuang Zhuang went over immediately.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Xiaoguo leaned over and whispered in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s ear, ¡°Shall we invite Sister Ruyi and the others to our house during the Mid-Autumn Festival?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang immediately understood what Xiaoguo meant. He leaned over and covered his mouth with his hands. He said softly, ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    After settling with Zhuang Zhuang, she looked at Qin Anming. With the tacit understanding between siblings, Qin Anming understood what she meant the moment she looked up. He nodded and gave Xiaoguo an affirmative look.


    ¡°Ruyi, if you guys have nothing to do during the mid-autumn festival, please come to our house. We¡¯ll celebrate the mid-autumn festival together. The more the merrier!¡±


    After getting approval from Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoguo asked the latter to go play with his uncle. She turned around and directed the question at Ruyi.


    At first, Ruyi thought she had heard wrong. She blinked in confusion. ¡°Huh?¡±


    The others also stopped what they were doing and stared at Xiaoguo with unblinking eyes. They could not believe what they had just heard!


    ¡°Really? Are you serious?¡±


    Ruyi¡¯s mouth moved many times, but she could only say those few words. The others looked at Xiaoguo with sparkling eyes. Was this for real?


    Xiaoguo nodded firmly again. ¡°Of course it is!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang chimed in, ¡°Sister Ruyi, please bring Grandpa and all the sisters along!¡±


    His eyes were blinking¡ªhe was trying to convince them with his cuteness.


    1


    Ruyi couldn¡¯t resist his tactics and nodded eagerly at Zhuang Zhuang. She looked like her head was going to come off.


    Seeing her nod in agreement, Xiaoguo looked up and gestured to the others. Everyone nodded excitedly. They really wanted to go!


    After deciding on a time, Xiaoguo officially invited them to stay at her house for two days and one night during the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    Everyone said happily that they would definitely arrive on time. With new plans in place for the Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone seemed invigorated!


    While working, everyone felt much more energized. Even the sound of Uncle Xu¡¯s abacus became vibrant and louder.


    Xiaoguo decided to buy more mutton. The piece of meat at home was not enough for so many people. She also had to buy some spices for seasoning the meat.


    After saying goodbye to everyone, Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart to buy mutton.


    Zhuang Zhuang was in high spirits along the way. He was no longer as upset as he had been when he bade farewell to his uncle.


    Zhuang Zhuang knew that his uncle would be back soon. He couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. He wished that day would come in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Boss, another ten catties of mutton!¡±


    Xiaoguo drove the cart to the stall that she frequented. When the owner saw that it was Xiaoguo, he reminded her, ¡°Can you eat ten catties? Although the weather is not too hot now, it¡¯s still not the cold season yet. Be careful that the meat could spoil.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded to reassure the stall owner. ¡°We¡¯ll eat in two days¡¯ time. There will be a lot of people to help finish it.¡±


    Even if Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t eat it, she wasn¡¯t worried. She would just put it in the fridge in the other space and take it out when she needed it.


    Ten catties of mutton was quite a lot. The stall owner was afraid that Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t carry it, so he helped her put it on the donkey cart. Xiaoguo thanked him and gave him the money.


    As she didn¡¯t have any small change, Xiaoguo gave the stall owner a silver coin. While the stall owner was looking for change in his shop, Xiaoguo remained where she was. As she looked around, she happened to see a basin of intestines under the stall table.


    At this moment, the boss came out from inside the shop. Before Xiaoguo could say anything, he handed the change to her and pulled out the basin skillfully. ¡°Miss, do you still want this?¡±


    The shopkeeper asked Xiaoguo as he showed her the intestines.


    Xiaoguo looked inside. Besides pig intestines, there were also sheep intestines.


    Xiaoguo saw that it was a load of good stuff and thought about the dishes that she could make.


    ¡°Yes! Boss, I¡¯ll also buy some more pork.¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of a delicious dish. To make sausages with intestinal casings!


    In winter, she could make dried Chinese sausages. If they were having a barbeque, she could make some grilled sausages. Chinese sausages would also be delicious when they are fried or steamed.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was so happy, the boss wrapped up all the intestines and chose a piece of hind hock for her.


    After wrapping them, he helped her to load everything on the donkey cart.


    The boss came to the donkey cart and looked at the child sitting in it. He looked at the child and was puzzled.


    ¡°Hey, Miss, is this your daughter? Why didn¡¯t you bring your son today?¡±


    Xiaoguo was taken aback, not understanding what he meant. ¡®What daughter?¡¯


    She walked up to Zhuang Zhuang and saw him staring at the boss. She immediately understood!


    ¡°Pfft!!¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo, who was laughing so hard that she couldn¡¯t stand up straight. He called out to her aggrievedly.


    He had just understood. What daughter? So the stall owner thought of himself as a girl!!


    The boss was confused. He scratched his head and looked at the two of them. What was wrong?


    Xiaoguo laughed even harder at their embarrassed faces.


    Everyone had been holding it in and hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about Zhuang Zhuang looking like a little girl today. She didn¡¯t expect the stall owner to be so direct! ¡°Hahahaha! I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯m dying of laughter!!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang looked like he was about to cry, Xiaoguo then stopped laughing and explained to the boss earnestly.


    When the boss heard her explanation, he realized that he had made a fool of himself. His dark face instantly turned red in embarrassment.


    When Zhuang Zhuang saw that Xiaoguo had clarified the matter, he sniffled and wiped away his snot and tears.


    After bidding farewell to the boss, Xiaoguo did not dare to look back at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s aggrieved gaze.


    She secretly wiped away the tears on her face. What should she do? She still wanted to laugh so badly!

 Chapter 91 - Li Shouji the Warm

    Zhuang Zhuang lowered his head sadly and looked at his attire. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Uncle also said that I¡¯m very cute.¡±


    Xiaoguo was trying so hard to hold back her laughter that her back was shaking. But Zhuang Zhuang was still behind her. She couldn¡¯t laugh!


    Xiaoguo summoned all her strength to suppress her urge to laugh. Fortunately, they had arrived at the spice shop. Xiaoguo exhaled and calmed herself down until she could look at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face calmly.


    She turned around and saw that Zhuang Zhuang was indeed looking at her. Xiaoguo tried her best to remain calm. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, pfft, cough cough!¡±


    Apologies, she did her best!


    After telling Zhuang Zhuang to wait for her, she quickly ran into the shop.


    Xiaoguo stood in the lobby and watched Zhuang Zhuang. He was sitting on the donkey cart which was parked by the door. She told the shop assistant about the spices she needed.


    She listed more than a dozen spices in one go. After seeing that the shop assistant had noted them down, she mentioned the last spice¡ªfor mutton, cumin is a must-have!


    The shop assistant wrote down everything and went to pack the items.


    As Xiaoguo waited, she did not forget to keep tabs on Zhuang Zhuang. She only felt assured when she saw that he was still sitting obediently in the donkey cart, waiting for her.


    Xiaoguo had wanted to bring Zhuang Zhuang along with her, but she couldn¡¯t bring down the meat from the donkey cart. Furthermore, if Zhuang Zhuang was following her, Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t sure if she could hold back her laughter. She didn¡¯t want to make him cry again.


    After the waiter brought the bags over, Xiaoguo took them from him. After handing him the money, she quickly returned to the donkey cart.


    With nothing else to buy, Xiaoguo drove home.


    Zhuang Zhuang did not speak to Xiaoguo along the way. Xiaoguo coaxed and teased him, but the young master did not utter a word.


    Xiaoguo scratched her head. She has a problem at hand. What should she do? What should she do?!


    Gugugu¡­ Gugugu¡­


    A gray pigeon landed on the windowsill. There was something white attached to its feet.


    After a while, a muscular arm reached out. The pigeon jumped onto the arm and stood firmly on it. It seemed like the pigeon had been waiting for the man.


    The man removed the object from the pigeon¡¯s leg and unfolded it. It was a letter.


    The man¡¯s lips parted slightly, before curving into an ambiguous smile.


    He released the pigeon, hid the letter in his chest, and left the house in the night.


    Tap, tap, tap.


    A series of soft knocks sounded from the door.


    Jiang Danhe had just finished washing up and was taking a nap on his bed.


    Even though the knocks were soft, Jiang Danhe¡¯s ears were sharper. He put on his clothes, lit a candle, and went to open the door.


    Apart from that tactless person, there was no one else who could knock on his door at this time.


    Sure enough, when the door opened, a familiar face appeared.


    ¡°Li Shouji!¡±


    ¡°Hey, brother, good news!¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not even look at him. After opening the door, he walked back into the house and sat down on a chair.


    Li Shouji stood at the door with a big grin. His enthusiasm was not affected by the other party¡¯s coldness. He entered the house and closed the door behind him before sitting down across from Jiang Danhe.


    Having known Jiang Danhe for so long, he had long figured out his personality, so he was not afraid of him.


    ¡°Guess what news I¡¯ve got?¡±


    After a while, Jiang Danhe still didn¡¯t look at him. Li Shouji couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and opened his mouth. It was really difficult to pique Jiang Danhe¡¯s interest!


    ¡°I really admire your good luck¡­¡±


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t even batting an eyelid, Li Shouji muttered to himself and tried to attract his attention.


    Jiang Danhe was listening quietly. Although he was getting curious by Li Shouji¡¯s monologue, he didn¡¯t want to show it on his face. He knew that if he showed any interest, Li Shouji would definitely go overboard. He would start talking in circles to say something that could be explained in one sentence.


    Li Shouji sighed helplessly. ¡°How calm you are. Let me show you my ultimate move!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already a father¡­¡±


    Li Shouji stopped strategically at the last sentence and drank his water unhurriedly. His eyes glanced around the room in a leisurely manner.


    As soon as he said that, Jiang Danhe froze. The cup in his hand was pressed against his lips. The tea was sloshing in it, looking like it would spill out in the next second.


    Li Shouji was looking relaxed and confident now. Now it was Jiang Danhe¡¯s turn to be anxious. Li Shouji knew that no matter how calm Jiang Danhe seemed, he would be uneasy once he heard those words.


    ¡°Make yourself clear!¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s recent afflictions seemed to have erupted at this moment. He stared at Li Shouji, waiting for him to continue.


    Li Shouji stopped his teasing since he was done putting on a show. He knew that Jiang Danhe had been feeling uneasy these past few days. That was why he had taken the risk to send someone to find out about the Jiang family. His aim was to help Jiang Danhe get over his worries. This would not only help Jiang Danhe, but also the mission¡­


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re a father!¡±


    Li Shouji stopped teasing him and became serious. He told him in detail about how he had sent his men to Peach Blossom Village.


    Li Shouji had noticed that Jiang Danhe was constantly out of sorts. The latter¡¯s main worry was about his mother and wife. Li Shouji was not as cautious as he was. Therefore, for his sake, Li Shouji sent the unit that was closest to the county city to help investigate. Coincidentally, they were supposed to be the last unit to set off, therefore they could spare some time to check things out.


    An envelope was sent over. After receiving the mission, the men on the receiving end immediately checked out the situation and sent all the acquired information back to Li Shouji.


    When he received the news, Li Shouji was overjoyed for Jiang Danhe. Although the men did not see his mother, they saw his wife. The thing worth mentioning was that his wife had been waiting for him and had even given birth to his child.


    Jiang Danhe was smiling at this moment. The corners of his mouth were upturned. His cold and stern face was now filled with happiness and excitement like he was welcoming the spring breeze.

 Chapter 92 - I Have a Daughter

    The Jiang family used to be one of the richest families in the capital. After the current emperor ascended the throne, the national reserve was in deficit. A random reason was given and the top five richest families in the capital had their assets confiscated. The Jiang family was the first to bear the brunt.


    1


    All the money that was in their possession was handed over involuntarily. Even their house was confiscated after they were given a random excuse. They were ordered to leave the city immediately and not return to the capital.


    Helpless, Father Jiang led a wandering life with his family using the money he had secretly stashed away. In the end, they settled down in Peach Blossom Village.


    However, he suffered from depression and passed away not long after. Before he died, he was still worrying about not being buried in the ancestral grave. He was filled with regrets when he died.


    The Jiang family had lived in the capital for generations. Even their ancestral graves were in the capital. Now, they could only die in a foreign land. Even until his death, Mr. Jiang couldn¡¯t step out of his depression.


    For generations, the Jiang family had maintained an untainted reputation, but the current emperor had accused them of something they did not commit. As a result they could not return to their hometown even if they died.


    Although Jiang Danhe was still young at that time, he remembered Mr. Jiang¡¯s last wish. He could still remember his father¡¯s last words. Before breathing his last, Mr. Jiang told his son that he must restore the reputation of the Jiang family and let him return to his hometown. After saying that, he passed away.


    This was also why Jiang Danhe had decided to help Shao Zhan ascend the throne. Once Shao Zhan became the emperor, he could petition and use his achievements to restore the Jiang family¡¯s reputation. By then, he could move his father¡¯s grave back to the capital and let him rest in peace.


    Jiang Danhe retracted his thoughts and carefully opened the letter. He took a deep breath and read the contents without blinking. Slowly, joy spread across his face and his brows relaxed in joy. His red lips were covered in a dazzling smile.


    At this moment, his tense face looked like it had been kissed by the spring breeze. His handsome face was now enhanced by a look of warmth, making him look even more attractive.


    When he came to the end of the letter, Jiang Danhe put it down and heaved a sigh of relief. There seemed to be tears in his eyes. He was relieved that they were doing well.


    Li Shouji thought he was seeing things. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and looked at Jiang Danhe blankly for a long time.


    ¡°I have a daughter!¡±


    2


    Jiang Danhe repeated this sentence several times. Li Shouji came back to his senses and looked at him speechlessly. ¡°Do you want me to go out and publicize it for you?¡±


    After reading the letter, Jiang Danhe kept muttering this sentence. He had a daughter. He had a daughter. Li Shouji was excited and happy for him at first, but later on, he only wished that he could shut him up!


    He was just bullying a lonely man like him.


    After Jiang Danhe said the words for another time, Li Shouji couldn¡¯t help but reply, ¡°Yes, yes, yes! A fair and chubby daughter in pink!¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not continue. Looking satisfied, he carefully folded the letter and placed it in front of his chest. He gently patted the paper which was placed at the same level as his heart.


    This note was his connection to his family. He felt like he had infinite power when he put it here. He had to live well and go back to accompany his mother, his wife and his daughter as soon as possible.


    With this in mind, Jiang Danhe was no longer distracted all the time. Every day, there was an endless amount of power accumulating in his chest. He checked the route to the palace and the personnel list over and over again.


    This was hard on Li Shouji, who had to follow Jiang Danhe around. Li Shouji had been going everywhere with him on a daily basis. The more Jiang Danhe walked, the more energetic he became. The one who was suffering was Li Shouji.


    During the day, he had to keep following him. At night, he had to drink and chat with him about the daughter he had yet to meet.


    Li Shouji finished his work for the day and returned to the house. He threw himself onto the bed and raised his hand to rub his swollen legs. Every day, Jiang Danhe had his daughter to give him strength, but he did not.


    Just as he was about to get up and wash up, there was a knock on the door. Li Shouji¡¯s muscles tensed up and he looked warily at the figure outside the door.


    ¡°Li Shouji!¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s voice came from outside the door with a bottle of wine in his hand. Li Shouji let out a long sigh. Here we go again¡­


    1


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, light the fire!¡±


    Xiaoguo was in the kitchen, wrapping a pie. She was almost done. When Zhuang Zhuang put the fire on, she should be done with the pie.


    Zhuang Zhuang had been waiting for a while. He was just waiting for Xiaoguo¡¯s order to start the fire.


    When he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice, he lit the fire excitedly at the spot where Xiaoguo had told him earlier.


    Xiaoguo saw that the oven was dry this morning, so she wanted to test if it would work. When it was time for lunch, Xiaoguo told Zhuang Zhuang that they would have baked pies for lunch. She even taught Zhuang Zhuang how to light a fire within the oven.


    When Zhuang Zhuang had successfully lit the fire, Xiaoguo¡¯s pies were ready. She placed them on a bamboo board, and would put them into the oven later.

 Chapter 93 - Baked Pies

    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    XIaoguo only stopped when her stomach was hurting. She moved away her hand that was covering her mouth. Both her mouth and hand were sore. It was too difficult trying to hold back her laughter.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo heard a sound coming from inside the house. It sounded like Zhuang Zhuang was walking out. Xiaoguo quickly stood up and ran to the donkey cart. She pretended to be busy and did not enter the house.


    Zhuang Zhuang had already changed into a new set of clothes. Xiaoguo looked at the kid in front of her who had transformed from a little girl back into her son. She wanted to laugh, but she couldn¡¯t. She could only pretend that nothing had happened and tried to talk to him normally. She didn¡¯t mention anything about him suddenly changing his clothes.


    Zhuang Zhuang had been feeling uneasy. When Xiaoguo did not continue asking him about the pink outfit, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Ever since that day, Xiaoguo had not seen that pink outfit.


    It was only today that Xiaoguo saw it again. Looking back at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s guilty expression, she knew that he didn¡¯t wish to talk about this matter. Xiaoguo took the hint and did not mention the outfit.


    Xiaoguo continued to wash the clothes with her head lowered. She seemed to have heard Zhuang Zhuang exhale behind her. She smiled and rubbed the clothes harder to hide the fact that her shoulders were trembling with laughter.


    ¡°Forget it, forget it. For the sake of the little man¡¯s pride, I¡¯ll put this dress back in the bottom of the cabinet after I¡¯m done washing it¡­¡±


    After drying the clothes, Zhuang Zhuang called out to Xiaoguo, saying that the fire was ready.


    Xiaoguo quickly hung up the last piece of clothing and returned to the house to bring out the pies on the bamboo tray.


    After putting the pies aside, she told Zhuang Zhuang to stand further away. This was because she had to take out the firewood that had been burnt into coal. She used a pair of tongs that was used during winter to pick coal, and took out all the hot burnt wood from the oven. Reaching for another wooden stick that was wrapped with old clothes, Xiaoguo shoved it into the oven and swept around the flat base to remove the ashes left behind by the burning firewood.


    As soon as Xiaoguo bent down and went near the opening, a gust of hot air hit her face. Xiaoguo endured the scorching heat and swept the stick around. After it was done, she picked up the tray of pies and gave it a hard shake. The pies slid smoothly off the tray into the oven.


    Xiaoguo used a self-made lid to cover up the opening of the oven to prevent any hot air from leaking out.


    The firewood that she had just taken out was still warm. Xiaoguo placed them in a pit, which she had deliberately created below the oven, so that the interior could be fed with constant heat.


    Without a watch, Xiaoguo could only estimate the time. After playing with Zhuang Zhuang for a while in the house, she felt that it was about time. Hence, Xiaoguo called the boy to check out the pies with her.


    Zhuang Zhuang ran in front. He had his mind on the oven all this while. He kept wondering if the pies would turn out the way his mother had described.


    Xiaoguo was equally anxious. This was her first time making an oven by herself. She didn¡¯t know if it would work. It mustn¡¯t fail!


    Xiaoguo prayed fervently. Perhaps the heavens had sensed her intense emotions, so the oven didn¡¯t fail her. The pies all turned out golden and crispy.


    When Xiaoguo tried to reach for the pies, she was scalded by the heat. She hadn¡¯t expected the oven¡¯s interior to be so hot. This oven was too awesome.


    Zhuang Zhuang did not stop exclaiming in wonder. He watched as Xiaoguo took out a pie and broke it open with both hands. A stream of oil trickled out of the pie. When the pie was pulled apart, the crispy crust broke into crumbs. The pies were made to perfection¡ª they were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s saliva was at the edge of his lips. Xiaoguo looked up in amusement and saw a trace of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth.


    Xiaoguo suppressed a smile and put down the pie. She reached out to wipe away the drool that was on the verge of dripping down.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go eat!¡±


    Xiaoguo picked up the pies. When Zhuang Zhuang heard what she said, he shouted and ran back into the house.


    Zhuang Zhuang took the pie that Xiaoguo handed to him, and was about to take a bite when he suddenly remembered that he hadn¡¯t blown on it yet. He had to, if not he could get scalded.


    With that thought in mind, he moved the pie out of his mouth and blew on it.


    After counting down from ten, Zhuang Zhuang took a bite. The pie exploded in his mouth, and the gravy flowed into his mouth instantly. The crunchy sounds coming from his mouth did not sound like he was eating pie.


    Xiaoguo had added lard in the dough when making the flaky pie crust. Therefore with every bite, the crust was fragrant, crispy and crumbly.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re too good! You¡¯re too fat!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was too busy stuffing his mouth to speak, but he didn¡¯t stop praising Xiaoguo.


    Although what Xiaoguo heard was not exactly what Zhuang Zhuang meant, she knew what he was trying to say.


    She reached out and tapped his little nose. ¡°Eat more if it¡¯s good.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang lovingly. Her voice was unbelievably gentle.


    As a mother, she just wanted her child to eat and drink well.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded at the gentle Xiaoguo. ¡°Mother¡¯s cooking is the best!¡±


    Xiaoguo loved watching Zhuang Zhuang eat. His eyes were round and his mouth was stuffed. Because the food was delicious, his face was filled with satisfaction.


    Xiaoguo felt that if she just watched Zhuang Zhuang eat every day, she would be full and satisfied! She wouldn¡¯t have to eat anything at all.


    Zhuang Zhuang ate quite a lot. After taking a final bite, he rubbed his stomach in satisfaction. It was so delicious that he had unconsciously eaten too much.


    Xiaoguo had finished eating first. She sat at the side and watched Zhuang Zhuang eat. Xiaoguo had a small appetite and was already full after eating a small portion. Previously, her mother had mentioned before that she ate like a cat and was full after one bite.


    When she saw Zhuang Zhuang taking his last bite and rubbing his stomach, she guessed that he must have eaten too much.


    Before Xiaoguo could say anything, Zhuang Zhuang walked slowly into her arms, hoping that she would rub his stomach.


    Zhuang Zhuang snuggled into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. Whenever he ate too much, it was his mother who would rub his tummy for him. He always feels better after getting a rub.


    The boy, who was feeling a little bloated, whined as he leaned against Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo was unmoved as she watched Zhuang Zhuang lean against her. Although she was on the verge of succumbing to his request, she still had to teach him a lesson. He should not overeat even when it is something he likes.


    Zhuang Zhuang knew that he did wrong. He did think of his mother¡¯s words, but this time, he really couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. Without realizing it, he had already eaten too much.


    After apologizing and pretending to be pitiful, Zhuang Zhuang finally won Xiaoguo¡¯s hug.


    Xiaoguo hugged him and rubbed his stomach with one hand. Zhuang Zhuang hummed comfortably in her arms. His mother¡¯s hands were indeed the most magical hands in the world!


    After waking up from his afternoon nap, Zhuang Zhuang went out with the cows as usual. Xiaoguo would follow him when she had nothing to do. Since there wasn¡¯t much grass left, Xiaoguo led the donkey cart out with Zhuang Zhuang.


    During this period of time, Zhuang Zhuang had been grazing the cows in the fields. Xiaoguo had mentioned that the cows and donkeys liked to eat the grain stalks.


    The mother and son proceeded to the fields. Zhuang Zhuang untied the cows and let them play freely. Xiaoguo also untied the donkeys, leaving only the cart behind. She could load the corn stalks later and the donkeys could roam freely for a while.


    Xiaoguo quickly finished cutting the stalks she needed. When she was done, she sat on the cart with Zhuang Zhuang.


    As the mother and son talked, they looked at the cows and donkeys in the near distance. At this moment, the animals were happily feeding on the corn stalks. Zhuang Zhuang asked Xiaoguo curiously, ¡°Mother, do you think Big Black and Little White have grown bigger again?¡±

 Chapter 94 - Marinating Meat

    Xiaoguo followed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s gaze. Indeed!


    The two cows, who were originally thin and small, were now much sturdier and taller. They looked like they could carry the weight of the donkey beside them.


    ¡°We should be able to drink milk next year.¡±


    2


    After dinner that night, Xiaoguo helped Zhuang Zhuang with his studies. After learning a portion of the chapter, Xiaoguo tried testing him to see how much he had memorized.


    Unexpectedly, Zhuang Zhuang could already memorize several paragraphs. Xiaoguo put down the Three Character Classics that she had bought previously. Zhuang Zhuang had already memorized the first few books that she bought, so Xiaoguo had gone to the bookstore to buy more books.


    The new books were much more advanced than the previous introductory books. According to the shop assistant, the contents in these books were all taught in school.


    From the looks of it, Zhuang Zhuang was going to finish all the books before he starts school.


    ¡°How is it, Mother? Is there anything wrong?¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang finished reciting the last part, he looked at Xiaoguo with sparkling eyes. He wanted to ask her if he had memorized everything correctly.


    Xiaoguo gave Zhuang Zhuang a thumbs-up. Curious, Zhuang Zhuang followed Xiaoguo¡¯s gesture and gave a thumbs-up. ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    Xiaoguo gave him a thumbs-up with both hands. ¡°That¡¯s a compliment. Two means you¡¯re twice as good!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang followed suit. He raised both thumbs up and said to Xiaoguo, ¡°Mother is also twice as awesome!¡±


    Xiaoguo was instantly touched and rewarded him with a big kiss.


    The next day, after Xiaoguo finished her lunch, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Zhuang Zhuang, on the other hand, was sleeping soundly in his room. Children did sleep a lot. Didn¡¯t the elderly say that children grow in their sleep?


    When she came out from the room, Xiaoguo looked up at the sky. It was late August, so it wasn¡¯t too hot. Looking at the climate in the village, she wondered if it was because of the abundance of trees. It wasn¡¯t very hot even in the hottest months of June and July.


    In any case, she couldn¡¯t bear to sit around and do nothing. So she thought of making sausages. In this weather, the sausages wouldn¡¯t go bad even if they were left outside.


    Xiaoguo got to work immediately. She went into the space and took out half of the intestines from the fridge.


    Xiaoguo was not going to cook everything. The remaining intestines could be grilled during the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    At the same time, she brought out the pork she had bought.


    As soon as she came out of the space, Xiaoguo was shocked to see Zhuang Zhuang leaving.


    Xiaoguo quickly squatted down and secretly observed if Zhuang Zhuang had gone far. When she saw him return to the house, Xiaoguo quickly put down the meat and intestines and ran into the house.


    When she stepped into the house, she bumped into Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Mother? Where have you been?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked in between sobs. He had just woken up and called for his mother, but no one answered. He then came out to look for her, but when he reached the kitchen, he didn¡¯t see her. That was when he got anxious.


    Xiaoguo picked him up and patted him gently to comfort him. ¡°Mother went to look for Mrs. Yang.¡±


    Xiaoguo remained calm and told the lie. In fact, she wasn¡¯t exactly very calm. After all, she was under immense pressure to lie to such an innocent and cute little boy!


    Zhuang Zhuang lay on Xiaoguo¡¯s shoulder, rubbing his eyes with his little hands. His little nose was sniffling¡ªit sounded like he was whimpering after a bout of crying.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart ached for Zhuang Zhuang. How did he end up like this after a short nap?


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang slowly raised his head, revealing his slightly red eyes. He looked at Xiaoguo pitifully.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I slept too much¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo only found out later why Zhuang Zhuang was acting so strangely.


    It turned out that Zhuang Zhuang had a dream. When he woke up and didn¡¯t see Xiaoguo, he thought that he had returned to that period of time when Xiaoguo had to forage for food. He got scared and started to cry.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart ached as she hugged Zhuang Zhuang. This child was really too insecure. It seemed like she had to spend more time by his side.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Zhuang Zhuang. I won¡¯t leave you. I¡¯ll bring you wherever I go in the future, okay?¡±


    Xiaoguo comforted Zhuang Zhuang gently. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at Xiaoguo. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang will follow you closely in the future. You can go anywhere you want.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was afraid that Xiaoguo would find him too clingy and dislike him.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you¡¯re my son. Of course I¡¯ll bring you along at all times. I¡¯ll bring you wherever I go¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo suppressed the sadness in her heart and repeated over and over again how much Zhuang Zhuang meant to her!


    Zhuang Zhuang slowly stopped feeling sad. Then, he began to feel a little embarrassed. He had previously said that he would be a man for his mother¡¯s sake, but now, his mother had to carry him and he was even crying. It was too embarrassing.


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s red face, Xiaoguo knew that he was fine. She hugged him and teased him for a while. When he finally opened his mouth and laughed, she put him down and led him to the kitchen.


    There was no time to make the sausages now. It was better to cut and marinate the meat first. The rest could wait until tomorrow.


    Zhuang Zhuang knew that Xiaoguo was going to make sausages, and he knew that he had caused some delay. He hugged Xiaoguo¡¯s leg and stood by the side obediently. Although he seemed to be in the way, Zhuang Zhuang agreed with his mother¡¯s words. He was her baby. Even if he hung around her, she would not be angry.


    Although he was thinking that, Zhuang Zhuang let go of Xiaoguo after a while. He decided to let his mother focus on cutting the meat. He was still a little sad, that¡¯s why he wanted to hug his mother more. Now that everything was fine, he shouldn¡¯t trouble his mother anymore.


    As Xiaoguo cut the meat, she didn¡¯t forget to talk to Zhuang Zhuang. During this time, she also made him help her out. She got him to get the spices so that he would stop thinking about his dreams and feel involved in the sausage making process.


    Zhuang Zhuang had completely forgotten about his dream. He nodded happily and ran to get the spices for Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo removed the fats from the piece of hind hock. This cut of pork was 30 percent fats and 70 percent lean meat. It was perfect for making sausages.


    After removing the fatty portion, Xiaoguo cut the lean meat into thin slices. After all the lean meat was cut and placed in a basin, she began to chop the fats. She wanted to mince it up completely.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang came over with the spices. Xiaoguo took them and placed them on the table. She turned around and placed the minced meat into a basin.


    Zhuang Zhuang carried the stool to the side of the table and stepped on it.


    Due to the height of the table, Zhuang Zhuang could not see anything. Now that he was standing on the stool, he could see everything.


    The spices that Xiaoguo had bought were in their raw form and not the powdered type. She had to grind them herself.


    Xiaoguo did not use a millstone for these. She just used the garlic mortar for mincing garlic. She put all the spices into the mortar and pounded them. Although they were not grounded into fine bits, Xiaoguo felt that it was okay. THe coarse bits would add some texture to the marinated meat.


    Zhuang Zhuang became a curious baby again. Everytime Xiaoguo added something, he would ask her something. ¡°What was this?¡± and ¡°What was that¡­?¡±


    Xiaoguo answered him patiently. She knew that he was just curious. She even let him smell the individual spices. Zhuang Zhuang used his little nose to explore the scents.


    When he smelled the chili, he sneezed several times. Xiaoguo quickly rinsed his nose with cold water and stopped sneezing.


    ¡°I know that. This is chili!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang leaned on the table, keeping a distance from the red chili.

 Chapter 95 - Making Sausages

    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who did not dare to go near her, and felt a little amused. She divided the seasoned meat into two portions. One portion was left as it is. The other portion was added with chili to make it spicy.


    Coincidentally, there was still half a jar of white wine at home. This was just the right time to use it. She drizzled the white wine onto the meat and mixed everything evenly.


    Using two pieces of clean cloth, she covered up the meat and left them to marinate overnight.


    Xiaoguo washed her hands using the water that Zhuang Zhuang had fetched early in the morning. Xiaoguo praised Zhuang Zhuang for his efforts and he carried the basin out when she was done.


    Xiaoguo poured the intestines into a basin. She had bought them because she saw that there were small intestines inside. They were perfect as casing for the sausages.


    Xiaoguo soaked the intestines in water and planned to clean them up the next day.


    When Zhuang Zhuang returned, he wanted to help Xiaoguo with her work, but she told him that she would do it tomorrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We can do it tomorrow.¡±


    Xiaoguo washed her hands thoroughly as she had just touched the intestines. They definitely didn¡¯t smell very good.


    After washing her hands, it was time to prepare dinner. Zhuang Zhuang was already sitting obediently at the stove, waiting for Xiaoguo¡¯s order to light the stove.


    Zhuang Zhuang had planned to continue studying at night, but Xiaoguo stopped him. This child seemed to have fallen into a study trap. It was good enough for him to study in the morning. To think that he still wanted to study at night.


    There were no lights in ancient times, and the light emitted by candles was very dim. Xiaoguo discussed with Zhuang Zhuang to refrain from studying at night because she wanted to protect his eyes.


    Zhuang Zhuang was a sensible child. He would listen to whatever Xiaoguo said. Hence, he obediently put away his books and took off his shoes to get into bed.


    But it was still early, so he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Xiaoguo then proceeded to tell him a bedtime story.


    It wasn¡¯t a problem for Xiaoguo to tell him stories every day. She had always liked to read fairy tales and had many fairy tales books in her possession.


    Moreover, she had a good memory and could basically remember all the stories. Even when she had to tell Zhuang Zhuang a story every day she never had to repeat any one of them so far.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s tell the story of the Frog Prince this time.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang found this novel. How could a frog become a prince?


    His attention was drawn into the storyline bit by bit. Xiaoguo was telling the story animatedly and Zhuang Zhuang gave her his full attention.


    The more Xiaoguo spoke, the softer her voice became. Zhuang Zhuang could not help but close his eyes.


    At the end of the story, Zhuang Zhuang was completely asleep.


    Xiaoguo covered him with the blanket and kissed him gently on the cheek.


    ¡°Good night, baby¡­¡±


    The next day, Xiaoguo slept in for once and stayed in bed with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang tossed and turned on the bed. His antics brought out the child in Xiaoguo and she started rolling around on the bed with him.


    Their laughter filled each and every corner of the house.


    After waking up and having a simple meal, Xiaoguo brought out the basin of intestines and sat down with Zhuang Zhuang.


    While Zhuang Zhuang was reading, Xiaoguo took care of the small intestines.


    Fortunately, the intestines had been soaking in the water for the entire night, so the pungent smell was almost gone. Otherwise, Xiaoguo was worried about Zhuang Zhuang vomiting from the smell.


    Listening to Zhuang Zhuang reading aloud, Xiaoguo was filled with joy. This was better than listening to a song. ¡°Listen to my son¡¯s crisp voice! Listen to my son¡¯s tender but powerful voice! Ah! Listen!!¡±


    Xiaoguo really felt that her son was the best. ¡°Perfect!¡±


    Xiaoguo happily cleaned up the intestines. Accompanied by the sound of Zhuang Zhuang reading, she quickly finished washing the intestines.


    Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen and washed the intestines with water and flour a few more times. After making sure that the smell was gone, she poured away the water and drained the intestines.


    Then, she took out the marinated pork. Xiaoguo did not have a sausage stuffing tool, so she could only use chopsticks to do the job.


    Before getting ready to stuff the sausages, Xiaoguo sighed. She wasn¡¯t blind.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang! Stop reading. Let¡¯s stuff the sausages together!¡±


    Sure enough, Zhuang Zhuang arrived in front of Xiaoguo in less than a second.


    Judging by his speed, he must have packed up long ago and was just waiting for her to call him.


    Zhuang Zhuang had a small habit of putting back whatever he had taken out.


    It was impossible for Zhuang Zhuang to leave the books without packing them. He definitely would have packed up before coming over. However, judging from the speed he got there, Zhuang Zhuang must have packed up the books long ago and was waiting for her to call him.


    The most important thing was,right from the beginning, he had been peeking out from the kitchen door frequently.


    How could Xiaoguo not see that? How could a curious cat like him miss the sausage stuffing process?


    Zhuang Zhuang did not know that his little trick had been seen through by Xiaoguo. At this moment, he was happily carrying a small stool over to stand on.


    Xiaoguo was not going to harp on such a small matter. After all, Zhuang Zhuang was only three years old. Studying was not a top priority now. As long as a good foundation had been laid, he would be able to catch up with his studies when he entered school.


    The books that he was reading now were considered as extracurricular reading. There was no need to overdo it. He could just read a portion every day. In any case, when he goes to school later on, the teacher would be teaching those subjects again.


    Xiaoguo took out a piece of intestinal casing and handed it to Zhuang Zhuang. Zhuang Zhuang nodded and watched her hands closely.


    She also picked up a piece and leaned sideways so that Zhuang Zhuang could see what she was doing.


    First, tie a knot at one end of the intestines.

 Chapter 96 - Zhuang Zhuangs Singing Voice

    Xiaoguo took down three lengths of intestines from the clothes line. It was better not to make everything into Chinese sausages. She would boil half of the sausages and keep them in the fridge. They could be brought out later on when she intends to eat them.


    Xiaoguo turned around and took the sausages back to the kitchen. Zhuang Zhuang was putting back the stool that he had been using. He was about to go out and watch Xiaoguo hang the sausages.


    ¡°Mother, why did you bring these in?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked curious. Xiaoguo explained to him, ¡°Mother will boil these sausages. I left some to air dry outside. I am splitting them into two portions.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded to indicate that he understood.


    ¡°Come, Zhuang Zhuang, light the fire!¡±


    Xiaoguo put the intestines into a pot and added water. She told Zhuang Zhuang to reduce the firewood and keep the fire low.


    Zhuang Zhuang took out more than half of the bundle of firewood that he had just put in. ¡°Mother, why are you using a small fire?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we can¡¯t let the water boil. Once it boils, the intestines will break and the meat stuffing will leak out.¡±


    Xiaoguo explained to Zhuang Zhuang. She held a pair of chopsticks in her hand and stirred the contents in the pot. This was to prevent the sausages from sticking to the pot. ¡°You have to cook it over low heat. They should be done in an hour¡¯s time.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded. After lighting the fire, Xiaoguo sat in front of the stove with Zhuang Zhuang.


    She felt that it was better to keep an eye on things. They were not using an electric cooker, so the fire and temperature were not easy to control. If she stood guard here, she could keep an eye on the fire. If the fire got too hot, the sausage casing could split and she would end up with a pot of meat porridge. If the fire was too weak, the sausages would not be cooked.


    Both of them were just sitting there and chatting when a swallow suddenly landed on the roof. Zhuang Zhuang suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°Mother, let me sing you a song that Brother Xiaohu taught me!¡±


    Hearing this, Xiaoguo was thrilled. ¡°Go on and sing!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled happily. She was looking forward to it. It was wonderful that she could hear Zhuang Zhuang sing.


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang cleared his throat. ¡°Little swallow, chirp chirp chirp, singing to the house owner, I won¡¯t eat your grains or your corn, I¡¯ll have a nest of babies under your eaves.¡±


    ¡°How is it, Mother?¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo expectantly, waiting to hear her praises.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and rubbed her frozen face. How was she going to answer that?


    She had clearly heard Xiaohu singing this nursery rhyme before, but something was not quite right.


    As soon as Zhuang Zhuang opened his mouth, Xiaoguo was so shocked that her jaw dropped. ¡°How did he manage to sing so out of tune?¡±


    ¡°Mother?¡± Zhuang Zhuang urged Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Your interpretation of the song is quite original and innovative!¡±


    ¡°I think you did well, but maybe don¡¯t sing it the next time.¡±


    Xiaoguo did not finish her sentence. For the sake of his self-esteem and confidence, she could not say that his singing was bad!


    Just a pink outfit was enough to make him ignore her. If she were to laugh at his singing now, she cannot imagine the consequences.


    For the sake of their mother-son relationship, Xiaoguo decided to act like a fan. Since her son was so cute, being out of pitch was not a big deal!


    1


    Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s praise, Zhuang Zhuang was so happy that he wanted to sing another song for her.


    ¡°Mother, let me sing another song!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was about to stand up and sing. Xiaoguo could sense that he was about to use his ultimate move. For the sake of motherly love and filial piety, she decided to interrupt him.


    ¡°Sigh, Zhuang Zhuang, the fire is going out.¡±


    Xiaoguo did not even look at Zhuang Zhuang, who was posing at the side. She quickly got up and squatted down with her back facing him. She started adding firewood to the fire.


    As Xiaoguo added more firewood, she was glad that the fire had gone out. Otherwise, there would be no reason to interrupt Zhuang Zhuang.


    After Zhuang Zhuang got distracted by Xiaoguo, he forgot about singing the song.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t talking about singing anymore, Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief. If she had to go through it again, she could not guarantee that she could hold back.


    After adding the firewood, Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang with her and opened the lid of the pot to look at how the sausages were doing.


    As soon as she lifted the lid, a blast of hot air hit her in the face. Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Oh no! Don¡¯t tell me the water is boiling!¡±


    When the fog cleared, she could see the contents in the pot. Everything looked very good. The water was almost boiling, but it wasn¡¯t bubbling. It was perfect.


    Xiaoguo picked up the chopsticks again and sifted through the intestines. After turning each intestine over, Xiaoguo put down the chopsticks and removed the pot lid. It would be fine if she could maintain the water at this state. Xiaoguo was afraid that the water would boil if the heat was increased.


    Fortunately, when the sausages were done, Zhuang Zhuang did not mention anything about singing for Xiaoguo.


    Zhuang Zhuang was still so cute and handsome, if he were to just speak quietly!


    During lunch, Xiaoguo pan-fried some sausages¡ªthree that were non-spicy and one that was spicy. She kept the remainder in the fridge from the other space.


    Although Zhuang Zhuang was very sensitive, it was fortunate that he wasn¡¯t so when he was in the kitchen. He never asked Xiaoguo where she kept the food. Hence, Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t worried about storing the sausages in the other space.


    As Zhuang Zhuang was still too young to eat spicy food, Xiaoguo ate the spicy sausage while Zhuang Zhuang ate the three non-spicy ones.


    During this time, Zhuang Zhuang was very curious about how spicy the sausage was. Even though he could smell the chili, and sneezed from the smell, he was still curious. It was just like us wanting to see a celebrity in the flesh.


    In order to satisfy his curiosity, Xiaoguo broke off a fingernail-sized piece for him to try.


    Zhuang Zhuang smacked his lips and ate it curiously. As soon as it entered his stomach, the taste hit him. He stuck out his tongue and drank a few mouthfuls of porridge to wash away the spiciness.


    Until now, he had never mentioned anything about wanting to eat spicy food.


    After a few days, Xiaoguo got up in the morning and thought about how the sausages had been drying outside for more than a week. She had not paid much attention to them during this period of time. She wondered how they were doing.


    With that in mind, she headed to the spot where they were hanging.


    Compared to when they were first made, the color had turned much darker, and the surface had become dry.


    Everything looked pretty good. Xiaoguo raised her hand and pinched them. The insides were still a little soft. She would leave them to dry for a few more days. The sausages were still not ready.

 Chapter 97 - Mid

    Children in ancient times were indeed precocious.


    Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang about what he played when he was with Brother Xiaohu.


    Zhuang Zhuang thought about it seriously and said, ¡°Brother Xiaohu would bring me to the threshing ground to watch people fly kites.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Xiaoguo knew where it was. It turned out that people used to go there to thresh and dry their harvested crops. But later on, when many families ran out of food, the place was abandoned.


    It was a wide and flat space, so some children in the village would go there to play. They would ride bamboo horses or knead mud. They would also fly kites.


    Xiaoguo had passed by the place before and had seen mostly girls playing there. In fact, there were more little girls than little boys in the entire village.


    Out of ten children, there were eight girls and two boys.


    ¡°Who was flying the kite? Was it a little boy or a little girl?¡±


    Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows. Although it was a question, she knew in her heart that it was most likely a girl.


    ¡°A girl!¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Xiaoguo looked as if she had expected this.


    Zhuang Zhuang was young and ignorant. He followed Xiaohu around as it was fun. Basically, wherever Xiaohu brought him, he would follow.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect that at such a young age, Xiaohu would know how to sneak into a group of girls.


    She lowered her head and looked at Zhuang Zhuang. Comparing the two boys, Zhuang Zhuang still seemed like a child.


    Time passed quickly. The Mid-Autumn Festival was quickly approaching.


    Xiaoguo had invited everyone from the Malatang Restaurant to her house for the holidays.


    As the plan was for two days and one night, the guests will have to spend the night at her place.


    Xiaoguo carefully counted the number of people. Including herself and Zhuang Zhuang, there were a total of eight people.


    However, there were only two rooms in the house that could be slept in. She had to share a room with Ruyi, Ling Long, Fu¡¯er and Xiao Cui.


    Zhuang Zhuang, Qin Anming, and Uncle Xu would share a room.


    Xiaoguo looked at the bed in her room. It was pretty big and could actually fit five people, but it could get a little cramped.


    Xiaoguo laid on the bed herself and tried to imagine what it would be like with five people lying together. The rest of the girls were all petite, so the bed should fit all of them. It would feel a bit crowded, but it was warmer in a crowded bed.


    There was no problem with the bed in Qin Anming¡¯s room. Two adults with a child was a great arrangement.


    Once the sleeping arrangement was solved, there wasn¡¯t much to worry about.


    ¡°Mother, Mother, did you mention about making mooncakes today?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. When she was chatting with Zhuang Zhuang last night, she had told him that she was going to make mooncakes today. She hadn¡¯t even started doing anything yet, but Zhuang Zhuang was so excited that he couldn¡¯t sleep well the entire night.


    Zhuang Zhuang had never seen how mooncakes were made, so when he heard that Xiaoguo was going to make them, he was afraid that he would wake up late in the morning and miss out on seeing the entire process.


    Xiaoguo came out and transferred the sausages into the kitchen. After air-drying them for more than ten days, the sausages were finally ready.


    Xiaoguo hung the sausages on the kitchen wall. She was not afraid that they would spoil.


    From the moment Xiaoguo took down the sausages, the two puppies started following her everywhere. When Xiaoguo entered the house, they followed behind. While Xiaoguo was hanging the sausages, they stood guard at the wall and barked loudly.


    As the two puppies usually ate with Xiaoguo and the others, they dined on the same things that were served on the table. After such a long time, the two puppies had grown rapidly and were almost at their calves.


    Xiaoguo looked at their height and deliberately hung the sausages higher to make sure they were out of reach. Then she left.


    As there were more ingredients needed to make mooncakes, Xiaoguo specially took out some useful ingredients from the other space. She found a bag of bean paste in the fridge and brought it out to make the mooncakes.


    Xiaoguo was going to make her own bean paste filling.


    The cooking method was very simple. The red beans were first soaked in water and then cooked. After they were cooked, they would be scooped out and stir-fried with white sugar. After the water had evaporated, it was done.


    At first, Xiaoguo found a bag of dried red beans in her space, but it was too late to soak the beans. Coincidentally, there was a bag of ready-made bean paste in the fridge. She could just use it.


    She took it out and squeezed it into a bowl when Zhuang Zhuang wasn¡¯t paying attention. Then, she threw the packaging below the stove so that it would be burnt when the fire was lit.


    Xiaoguo had all the ingredients on the table. Apart from the bean paste, there¡¯s a lemon. She will make the invert syrup later.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang had entered the house with a handful of firewood in his arms. Watching him light the fire, Xiaoguo prepared to start the first step, which is making the invert syrup.


    ¡°Mother, why are you cooking sugar?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked curiously at Xiaoguo, who was holding a jar of white sugar in her arms. He only knew that she was making invert syrup after asking her. But what was it for?


    ¡°Invert syrup is the most important ingredient in making mooncakes.¡±


    As Xiaoguo explained, she added water to the pot and poured half a jar of white sugar into the pot.


    After Zhuang Zhuang started the fire, the white sugar in the pot dissolved and became part of the water.


    Xiaoguo took out a lemon and Zhuang Zhuang approached it curiously. What was this yellow ball?


    ¡°This is a lemon.¡±


    Xiaoguo used the knife to cut it in half and walked over to the curious Zhuang Zhuang with half a lemon.


    With a smirk on her face, she got Zhuang Zhuang to open his mouth. The boy did as he was told.


    ¡°Ah¡­ ¡±


    When Xiaoguo was cutting it, she could not help but feel her mouth salivating. Since Zhuang Zhuang was so curious, she decided to let him try it. However, she did not dare to squeeze too much.


    Seeing Zhuang Zhuang open his mouth obediently, Xiaoguo squeezed the lemon and rubbed it against his tongue.


    Zhuang Zhuang covered his mouth and cried out. Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but start salivating.


    Zhuang Zhuang smacked his lips curiously. This thing was so strange. It tasted so sour, but it also had the fragrance of fruits.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was fine, Xiaoguo asked him if he wanted more. Zhuang Zhuang shook his head vigorously, indicating that he had enough.


    Xiaoguo squeezed all the lemon juice into the sugar water.


    2


    The solution was boiled over strong heat. After it began to boil, the heat was turned down to a medium flame. Xiaoguo estimated that it had been about an hour and the color of the syrup had turned amber. This means that the invert syrup was ready.


    She poured it into a jar and set it aside for later use.


    Next, she had to prepare the alkaline water. She added baking soda to some water and mixed it to give alkaline water. She placed it aside again.


    After the syrup had cooled completely, half of it was poured out and placed in a basin. The rest was covered and sealed. It could be blanched or be used for making cakes.


    In the basin filled with syrup, Xiaoguo added alkali water and cooking oil, and mixed everything together.


    After it was mixed well, she poured in the flour and kneaded the dough until it was smooth and fine. The dough was set aside to relax for an hour to increase its elasticity.


    Next, she prepared the bean paste. She added a suitable amount of flour into a bowl of bean paste and kneaded it into a bean paste mixture that was not sticky to the hand. She then set it aside for later use.


    The next step was to prepare the salted egg yolk.


    Zhuang Zhuang volunteered to move the jars. Xiaoguo glanced at him. ¡°He was still thinking about moving them?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled. He was reminded of the consequences when he tried to move the jar previously. He immediately changed his mind and brought Xiaoguo over to move it.


    Xiaoguo told him that he was a smart boy and moved the jar to the table.


    It had been twenty days. She wondered if the salted duck eggs were a success.


    Zhuang Zhuang stepped on the stool and looked inside. He was also very curious about the salted egg yolk that his mother wanted to eat.


    As soon as she opened the lid, the strong smell of alcohol filled the air. Xiaoguo scooped out all the duck eggs and boiled them in water.


    In about ten minutes, the duck eggs were cooked and ready to be scooped out.


    Xiaoguo placed them in cold water and then scooped one out. Under Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s curious and excited gaze, she quickly peeled it open. With a twist of her hand, the egg yolk glistening with oil was revealed.

 Chapter 98 - Bean Paste Mooncakes with Salted Yolks

    Xiaoguo gave it to Zhuang Zhuang so that he could have a taste.


    Zhuang Zhuang obediently opened his mouth and took a bite of the egg yolk.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so delicious. It is so fragrant and the texture feels grainy in the mouth.¡±


    Xiaoguo took a bite and narrowed her eyes. It was indeed a success. Delicious!


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang finished the entire salted duck egg, except for the egg white.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to throw it away either. She kept it aside in a bowl¡ªit would be perfect for eating with steamed buns.


    Together with Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoguo extracted the yolks from the eggs. There were a total of twenty eggs. She left four of the eggs untouched and stored them for future use.


    She did the same for the egg whites. They were separated from the yolks and stored for future consumption.


    After all the ingredients were prepared, the next step was to shape the mooncakes.


    Zhuang Zhuang returned to the house and took out the mooncake molds they had bought the last time. He returned to the kitchen and placed them on the table.


    ¡°Mother, can I try my hands at it?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo expectantly. He had picked out a few molds personally and he wished to make some mooncakes in those designs.


    ¡°Of course you can!¡±


    Xiaoguo had already planned to let Zhuang Zhuang join in. It was also a form of bonding activity for parent and child.


    Xiaoguo first prepared the filling. She took a small piece of bean paste and kneaded it into a ball before flattening it. She then took an egg yolk and placed it in the middle of the bean paste. She slowly molded the bean paste using her palm and the base of her thumb. She rolled and pushed up the edges of the bean paste until the egg yolk was fully encased within the bean paste filling.


    Then, she took a piece of freshly made dough and kneaded it into a ball. Using the same method as before, she flattened the ball of dough, and placed the filling on it. Using her palm, she slowly molded the dough to wrap around the filling. As the dough was not so stretchy, she had to be careful during the process. Otherwise, she may get cracks on the skin layer.


    After the filling was wrapped, she sprinkled some flour on the surface. It would be easier to remove the mooncake from the mold later on.


    She handed the completed mooncake balls to Zhuang Zhuang, since he was in charge of molding them.


    Zhuang Zhuang picked out his favorite from the pile of molds and pressed the mooncake down hard following Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions.


    Zhuang Zhuang used all his strength to press down on the mold. When he felt that it was enough, he slowly separated the mooncake from the mold.


    A mooncake with the words Blissful Harmony imprinted on the surface, appeared on the table.


    ¡°Mother! Look!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t wait to share it with Xiaoguo. He wanted her to see if the molded mooncake looked good.


    ¡°Yes! Very good!¡±


    Xiaoguo praised him and gave him the credit he deserved. Seeing how Zhuang Zhuang was beaming with joy, she felt that it was totally worth the trouble to do anything for him.


    As the shaping process was not easy, Xiaoguo decided to shape the mooncakes by herself and let Zhuang Zhuang do the pressing.


    That was her initial plan, but looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eager expression, she decided to involve Zhuang Zhuang in the shaping process. She taught Zhuang Zhuang step by step, telling him how much dough to take, and how to wrap everything up.


    Zhuang Zhuang was also very attentive. Although it was his first time shaping a mooncake, he was quite skilled and succeeded on his first try.


    With such a promising start, Zhuang Zhuang challenged Xiaoguo to a race, to see who could make the most mooncakes. Xiaoguo readily agreed. After the countdown began, both of them gave it their all and started working on the mooncakes.


    Xiaoguo was, after all, an adult. Her hands were more agile than Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s. So unsurprisingly, Xiaoguo won the race by a huge margin.


    Not to be outdone, Zhuang Zhuang did not panic when he saw that Xiaoguo was done. He continued working fastidiously on his mooncakes.


    Xiaoguo was quite impressed by the boy. He was so calm and collected for his age.


    Xiaoguo did not rush Zhuang Zhuang as she did not want to put too much pressure on him, Xiaoguo busied herself with the work at hand. She placed the mooncakes on the bamboo trays and prepared for the remaining steps.


    Xiaoguo went out to heat up the oven first. This time, she added a few more thick logs. This was because it would take a longer time to bake the mooncakes. The stronger the flame was, the higher the temperature would be.


    Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen to get a bowl of water. Zhuang Zhuang had also finished making the last piece of mooncake in the meanwhile.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is so awesome!¡±


    Xiaoguo was not stingy with her praise¡ªshe has always practiced positive parenting. She stopped her praises when Zhuang Zhuang started to blush.


    Zhuang Zhuang carefully placed the mooncakes he had made on the trays. He saw Xiaoguo holding a bowl of water and got curious.


    ¡°Mother, why are you bringing water?¡±


    ¡°Watering is done so that the surface of the mooncake would not crack during the backing process.¡±


    Xiaoguo placed the water on the table. After watching Zhuang Zhuang put away the last piece, she wet her hands and sprinkled water on the surface of the mooncakes. It would be easier if there was a watering can, but she didn¡¯t have one at home so she had to use her hands. Although it was not as uniform as using a watering can, it was good enough.


    The fire was still burning in the oven. Xiaoguo rummaged through the kitchen, looking for a tray that could be put in the oven together with the mooncakes.


    The mooncakes had to be taken out during the baking process, so as to brush them with a layer of egg wash. It would be easier for Xiaoguo to take them out using a tray.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he joined her in the search and found an iron mesh in the cupboard.


    ¡°Mother, do you think this will work?¡±


    Xiaoguo took a look at it and thought that it would work. Although it was netted, the mesh structure was dense. She could definitely use it!


    The two of them transferred the mooncakes onto the wire mesh and waited for the right time to put them in the oven.


    ¡°Mother, the fire is so strong!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang bent down and looked into the oven. The flames were so strong that his face hurt.


    Xiaoguo told him to stay away and teased him. She said that his face could get roasted if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he quickly ran to Xiaoguo¡¯s side. His mother loved kissing his little face the most. If he got burnt, his mother wouldn¡¯t kiss him anymore.


    After waiting for a long time, the flames in the oven gradually subsided. Xiaoguo quickly removed the charcoal and put in the mooncakes.


    After sealing the oven with a lid, Zhuang Zhuang asked Xiaoguo how long it would take for the baking to be done.


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment. This would take at least an hour. She still had to brush egg wash on the mooncakes halfway through.


    Zhuang Zhuang was waiting eagerly to eat the mooncakes, so he thought of staying watch beside the oven.


    Xiaoguo could tell what he was thinking and told him the brutal truth. Even after the mooncakes were baked, they had to be sealed for the entire night, so that the skin could soften while resting. The mooncakes were only considered done after this entire process.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang let out a long sigh of disappointment. Why does it take so long!


    It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to eat any mooncakes today. He had planned to eat less during lunch so that he can have some mooncakes. It appeared that this was not possible after all.


    Listening to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words, Xiaoguo broke into a smile and suggested to him earnestly, ¡°You can also eat less for lunch and dinner. Save some space in your tummy for the mooncakes tomorrow.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang snorted and said nothing.


    Xiaoguo pretended to feel sorry for him and said, ¡°It seems that I have to eat an extra portion of claypot rice for lunch.¡±


    She headed for the kitchen.


    Xiaoguo had her eyes on Zhuang Zhuang all this while. When she saw him glaring at her and coming after her, she giggled.


    ¡°Mother, mother, mother¡­ I¡¯ll eat, eat, eat!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang changed his mind and wrapped himself around Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t move an inch in his arms, but she didn¡¯t look down at him. She continued to say regretfully, ¡°I¡¯m going to add more sausages. Someone will miss out on a delicious meal¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang panicked when he heard that. He jumped up and pounced on Xiaoguo, calling out ¡®Mother¡¯ continuously.


    Xiaoguo was amused by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s behavior. This brat!


    She hugged Zhuang Zhuang and carried him back to the kitchen. Zhuang Zhuang was giggling in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Go and get the rice.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo put Zhuang Zhuang down.


    Zhuang Zhuang was a fast worker. As soon as he landed, he slipped away and disappeared. In a flash, he was already standing in front of the rice vat, preparing to scoop rice out.


    Xiaoguo stopped teasing him and took the basin from him.


    Zhuang Zhuang wouldn¡¯t know how much rice to take. If too much rice was cooked, they wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it. Xiaoguo also didn¡¯t like leftovers. She usually uses fresh ingredients whenever she cooks. She decided to prepare the rice herself.

 Chapter 99 - The Eve of the Mid

    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll get the sausages!¡±


    Since Xiaoguo was going to take the rice herself, Zhuang Zhuang had nothing on his hands now. He spotted the sausages hanging on the wall and wanted to get them down.


    But Xiaoguo had placed them too high¡ªZhuang Zhuang could not reach the sausages even when he was standing on a stool.


    He looked helplessly at Xiaoguo, requesting for help.


    ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    Upon receiving Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s call for help, Xiaoguo walked to the wall with a knife and cut off two pieces of the non-spicy sausages.


    When Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaoguo walking over, he jumped down and brought the stool back to the stove.


    Xiaoguo knew that Zhuang Zhuang liked to watch her cook, so she let him hang around her. Zhuang Zhuang carried the stool and stood in front of the table to watch Xiaoguo wash and cut the sausages.


    There were two sausages in total. Xiaoguo sliced them diagonally and filled a large basin with the sliced sausages. She arranged the sausages neatly on top of the rice, leaving an empty space in the middle for her to put in eggs.


    Xiaoguo took the two eggs that Zhuang Zhuang had passed to her and cracked them above the rice.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just have to add a sauce!¡±


    With Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s help, Xiaoguo quickly mixed a savory and sweet sauce and poured it evenly over the sausages.


    ¡°Okay, we can start cooking!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang helped to light up the stove. Xiaoguo placed the clay pot on top of the stove. It should be done in an hour.


    While waiting for the rice to cook, it was time for the mooncakes to be brushed with the egg mixture. The task of beating the eggs was left to Zhuang Zhuang. Xiaoguo went to the oven to take out the mooncakes.


    Because it was very hot, Xiaoguo used a wipe cloth and wrapped it around her hand. Then she pulled the metal mesh swiftly out of the oven.


    The surface of the mooncakes had started to color and there was fragrance wafting out.


    Zhuang Zhuang happened to come over with the egg mixture. As Xiaoguo was afraid that the heat would scald Zhuang Zhuang, she did not let him brush on the egg wash.


    The purpose of the egg wash was to enhance the color of the mooncakes. It just so happened that one egg was enough to use on all the mooncakes. Xiaoguo handed the bowl back to Zhuang Zhuang and pushed the tray of mooncakes back into the oven with her cloth-covered hands.


    She placed the lid back. The heat in the oven could last for another hour, so there was no need to add more firewood.


    The fragrance of the claypot rice had wafted out from the kitchen. Zhuang Zhuang paced around the courtyard. Tempted by the two different food smells, he shuttled in and out of the house restlessly.


    Xiaoguo reached out and grabbed Zhuang Zhuang, who was running towards the courtyard. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    It just so happened that the food was ready. Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hungry face, Xiaoguo felt that she should let him eat something first. It would keep his restlessness in check.


    While Zhuang Zhuang was setting the table in the house, Xiaoguo went to the vegetable plot to pick some vegetables. She returned to the house and blanched the greens in hot water. After they had softened, she placed them in the claypot.


    The claypot rice was now ready. Xiaoguo brought it into the house. Zhuang Zhuang was already sitting at the table, waiting for Xiaoguo to feed him.


    Xiaoguo was amused by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s greedy look. She put down the clay pot and said to him,


    ¡°Dinner is served.¡±


    After dinner, Zhuang Zhuang went to wash the dishes. Xiaoguo came to the oven. It was about time to take out the mooncakes.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, the mooncakes are ready.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew that Zhuang Zhuang was waiting for this moment, so she didn¡¯t go ahead and open the oven. Instead, she summoned Zhuang Zhuang to come and check out the mooncakes with her.


    Zhuang Zhuang gave a shout from the room. Xiaoguo wrapped her hands with the wipe cloth and waited for Zhuang Zhuang to come out.


    Zhuang Zhuang quickly ran over, he was so afraid of missing out.


    As Xiaoguo lifted the lid, hot steam and the fragrance of mooncakes invaded her nostrils.


    ¡°It smells so good¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang could not help but exclaim.


    The mooncakes were all dressed in a layer of golden pastry skin. Xiaoguo saw that every single mooncake was evenly colored. There wasn¡¯t a single mooncake that was not golden brown.


    Zhuang Zhuang really wanted to eat them, but he couldn¡¯t eat them now. He could only watch Xiaoguo put the mooncakes into a jar and place it on the kitchen cabinet.


    It would take another night for the oils in the filling to be released into the mooncake skin.


    The next morning.


    After breakfast, Zhuang Zhuang was studying conscientiously. Xiaoguo sat beside him and counted the days. In two days¡¯ time, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival. Maybe she should cut the mutton and marinate it?


    With that thought in mind, Xiaoguo left Zhuang Zhuang to study and went to the kitchen. While Zhuang Zhuang was not around, Xiaoguo flashed into the other space.


    After taking all the mutton out of the fridge, Xiaoguo looked at the meat that had taken up half the table space. She had bought five catties of mutton previously and another ten after. There were fifteen catties of mutton in total. The eight of them would not be able to finish everything.


    Xiaoguo was calculating how many skewers she should prepare. According to her experience, she could make about 30 skewers out of one catty of mutton.


    Zhuang Zhuang was still young and couldn¡¯t eat much. Moreover, there were more girls. Each girl can eat about twenty skewers. Qin Anming and Uncle Xu were men, so they should be able to eat forty skewers each.


    In addition to the lamb skewers, Xiaoguo was also preparing to grill some other items like sausages and vegetables, since she had so much vegetables at home. There would be a good mix of meat and vegetables on that day.


    After doing some calculations, Xiaoguo decided to marinate eight catties of mutton. She would marinate slightly more just in case there was not enough meat to go around. Any leftovers could still be stored in the fridge.


    She placed the five catties of mutton she had first bought on the table, and then cut out three catties from the piece of ten-catty meat.


    She placed the remaining mutton in the fridge and left the space with the cut meat.


    Xiaoguo set the meat on the table and started sharpening the knife at a corner of the wall. It would be easier to cut the meat with a sharpened knife.


    Xiaoguo returned to the table with the knife and began cutting the meat.


    Xiaoguo was just cutting the mutton into the required size when she stopped midway.


    Her hands were getting tired¡ªshe had held the knife so tightly in the same position that her fingers hurt.


    Xiaoguo rubbed her hands. When the pain had subsided a little, she continued cutting the mutton.


    When all the mutton was cut, the meat was enough to fill a large basin to its brim.


    Xiaoguo added the spices she had bought and tried to mix them evenly. It was not easy to stir a large basin of mutton. Xiaoguo could not move the meat with her chopsticks, so she had to put down her chopsticks, wash her hands, and mix things up using her hands.


    After everything was mixed evenly, she carried the basin back to the other space. The basin was too big to be stored in the fridge, so Xiaoguo found two smaller basins and divided the meat into two portions. These were then successfully placed in the fridge.


    When she came out, she brought the big basin with her. The longer the mutton was marinated, the more flavorful it would be. After two days, the meat would have completely absorbed the flavors of the spices. By then, it would definitely be delicious.


    With the meat done, it was time to make the skewers.


    Xiaoguo was preparing to go up the mountains to cut branches for the skewers. She would shave them down when she returned.


    Actually, why did she have to go up the mountains? Xiaoguo was thinking about getting a fish. Grilled fish would taste good. She wondered if she would be lucky enough to catch a fish on the mountains.


    Leaving Zhuang Zhuang to study at home, she carried the basket and headed for the mountains.


    Zhuang Zhuang wanted to go with her, but Xiaoguo decided to go by herself. The sooner she went, the earlier she could get back. Zhuang Zhuang could wait for her at home obediently.


    Zhuang Zhuang reluctantly agreed to it.


    Xiaoguo carried the basket on her back and soon arrived on the mountains. She arrived at the river based on the route that she remembered. It had been a long time since she last came here. She wondered if she could still find fish here.


    She carefully approached the river. After looking for a long time, she did not see any fish.


    Xiaoguo was a little disappointed. Just as she was about to leave, a fat fish swam into her line of sight.


    Xiaoguo really wanted to laugh out loud. This fat fish had walked right into her trap. Now that it had bumped into her, it could forget about leaving.


    Xiaoguo quickly caught the fish and put away the basket. The fish was jumping about in the basket vigorously. It was still filled with vitality.


    1


    Satisfied, Xiaoguo carried the basket and left. The next thing she had to do was to collect some branches.


    Xiaoguo cut down branches as she walked. Very soon, she had filled up the basket. With a basket full of branches, she quickly headed for home.

 Chapter 100 - Sour Plum Soup Part 1

    On the way home, Xiaoguo bumped into Zhuang Zhuang, who was tending to the cows outside.


    Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaoguo from afar and led the cows home with her.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo had gone up the mountains and he had also just finished his reading, Zhuang Zhuang had decided to bring the cows out for grazing after Xiaoguo left the house.


    The mother and son walked home together. When they got home, Zhuang Zhuang went to tie up the cows. Xiaoguo carried the basket to the well and fetched a large basin of water. She poured out the branches from the basket to reveal the fish at the bottom. She then grabbed the fish and placed it in the water. Although the fish had been taken out of water for some time, it was still full of vitality when they got home.


    ¡°Mother, are we having fish for lunch?¡±


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang had just finished tying up the cows. When he saw the big fish in the basin, he thought that Xiaoguo was going to make sweet and sour fish. He could not help but lick his lips as he could still remember the taste.


    ¡°We¡¯ll grill it the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang on the head. ¡°Wash your hands. I¡¯ll go cook.¡±


    After lunch, Xiaoguo still had to shave the skewers. She wondered if she could finish it in half a day. She had other plans for tomorrow.


    After dinner, Xiaoguo sat in the courtyard with a knife. Beside her was a handful of sharpened skewers.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll help you with the shaving.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop what she was doing. She continued to shave the skewers quickly. ¡°No, the knife is very dangerous. Besides, the wood is covered in thorns. You can get pricked if you were not careful. I can do this myself.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he did not insist on helping. He sat obediently beside Xiaoguo and chatted with her.


    Xiaoguo told him to go to bed, but he refused. He insisted on staying by her side.


    In his words, even if he couldn¡¯t help his mother, he couldn¡¯t leave her alone to work.


    Xiaoguo was happy to hear that and she let him be.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hands were a little tired from trimming the branches, so she took breaks intermittently. Eventually, she finished shaving all the branches before the sky turned dark.


    Xiaoguo found a large basin and threw all the skewers into it. She washed them with water and asked Zhuang Zhuang to boil water in the kitchen. She still had to boil the skewers.


    Xiaoguo scooped out the sticks and moved them to the kitchen. She lifted the pot lid and threw in the sticks.


    They just had to be boiled for a short while. After Zhuang Zhuang removed the fire, Xiaoguo used a large bamboo tray to scoop out all the skewers and drained away the excess water. She then left them to air-dry for the night. When tomorrow comes, she will start preparing the meat skewers.


    Before going to bed, Xiaoguo took out all the pillows and blankets from the cabinet. She will sun them tomorrow.


    Fortunately, there were plenty of pillows and blankets at home. Otherwise, the guests would have to go without blankets when they arrive.


    Early the next morning, the sun was high in the sky. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang hung up the blankets and pillows on the clothesline. Using a washing bat, she pounded on the blankets so that the cotton filling could get some sun too.


    Xiaoguo brought the marinated mutton and sausages to the kitchen. There were two large basins of mutton. Xiaoguo estimated that she would have to spend most of the day threading meat onto the skewers.


    Early in the morning, Zhuang Zhuang had asked Xiaoguo for three days off. He said that he would not be studying today, tomorrow, and the day after.


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment and agreed. He would have no time over the next three days. Today, she needed Zhuang Zhuang to help her with the skewers. When Qin Anming and the others arrive tomorrow, he will not be in the mood to learn. The day after tomorrow, Qin Anming and the others would be leaving. Zhuang Zhuang would pester him all day long. How would he be in the mood to study?


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯ll teach you how to thread the meat onto the skewers. Be careful not to prick your hand, you understand?¡±


    After seeing Zhuang Zhuang mod his head, Xiaoguo picked up a skewer and started working. She would be skewering the mutton and Zhuang Zhuang was taught to skewer the vegetables and sausages.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to skewer the mutton. If Zhuang Zhuang wasn¡¯t careful, he could prick his hands. Vegetables and sausages were easier to skewer. Therefore, she felt more at ease letting Zhuang Zhuang work on those. It would save her a lot of time.


    When she woke up in the morning, Xiaoguo had gone to the vegetable field to pick some eggplant, leeks, and chili peppers. Xiaoguo picked a portion of everything that could be grilled.


    Xiaoguo first cut the vegetables into thick slices for Zhuang Zhuang, and lined up the chives which would be skewered as a base piece. For the chilis, Xiaoguo thought of skewering some as a whole piece and some as cut pieces. The cut pieces would be threaded alternately with the mutton. They would look good and taste good.


    The meat sausages would be cut into halves, as one whole piece was long to be placed onto the grill.


    When it was time to cut the sausages, Xiaoguo hesitated for a moment. In the end, she packed the sausages and put them aside. She decided not to grill them. She would boil or fry them instead.


    Mother and son sat together, each taking charge of a basin of ingredients. They each picked up a stick and began skewering. Xiaoguo worked on the mutton and Zhuang Zhuang worked on the eggplant.


    After going through a few skewers, there was a knock on the door. The puppies began barking.


    Xiaoguo put down the stick in her hand curiously and let Zhuang Zhuang continue threading the skewers. She went out to take a look.


    When she opened the door, she saw that it was Mrs. Yang.


    ¡°Are you going to the market today, Xiaoguo?¡±


    Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mrs. Yang wanted to go to the market to buy some good food and come home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    ¡°Not today. I have nothing to buy.¡±


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll make my way to the village entrance.¡±


    Mrs. Yang was not affected. When she heard that Xiaoguo was not going, she was prepared to take the carriage at the village entrance.


    Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang¡¯s back and suddenly remembered something. ¡°Sister-in-law!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mrs. Yang turned around in confusion when she heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, do you know how to drive a donkey cart? If you do, you can use it.¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of something which would require the help of Mrs. Yang. Since she was busy, she would have to trouble Mrs. Yang to help her out.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll just take the carriage.¡±


    Mrs. Yang would feel ashamed to use Xiaoguo¡¯s donkey cart. She usually tags along with Xiaoguo when she goes to the market. Xiaoguo would drive the donkey cart. She had taken so many rides and Xiaoguo had never taken her money. How could Mrs. Yang bear to trouble her again?


    ¡°No, Sister-in-law. Do me a favor and help me buy some things. I can¡¯t get away.¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she didn¡¯t ask why Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t go. She waved her hand to indicate that there was no problem. She had thought that it was something important, instead, it was just helping her to buy some things.


    ¡°No, just tell me what to buy. I¡¯ll bring it back for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. ¡°Sister-in-law, you can just drive the donkey cart there. I have a long list of things to buy. I have to go back to the house and write them down for you. If there were any delay, you wouldn¡¯t reach the county entrance in time to catch the carriage back. Hurry, hurry.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she pulled Mrs. Yang into her home. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh in wonder. Mrs. Yang had come at the right time!


    There was only a jar of osmanthus wine at home and she had no other drinks. Mutton meat is heaty, so she could make a pot of sour plum soup. It would be just nice for cooling down the body.


    However, she needed medicinal herbs to make the sour plum soup. She didn¡¯t have time to make a trip to the county as the traveling time was pretty long. Coincidentally, Mrs. Yang was going to the market, so she could ask her to help buy some back.


    Mrs. Yang thought about it and agreed. There might be a car now but If she were to wait a while longer, it would be hard to tell. Anyway, Xiaoguo was not an outsider. She would drive the donkey cart there.


    Xiaoguo returned to her room and used Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s brush and paper to write down the medicinal herbs needed for the sour plum soup. Most medicinal shops would sell them.


    Mrs. Yang took it and looked at it carefully. There were mulberries, black plums, tangerine peel, licorice, rhododendrons, hawthorns, and rock sugar.


    ¡°Just these seven herbs, right?¡±


    Mrs. Yang went through the list with Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°Just these seven types. They¡¯re available in most medicinal shops. For the rock sugar, just buy any quantity that it is packed in, it¡¯s okay to get slightly more. For the other items on the list, I will need 50 grams each.¡±


    In any case, she wouldn¡¯t use all of them at once. If she bought more, she could keep them and make the soup whenever she wanted some.


    After Mrs. Yang noted what she said, she kept the list carefully and set off. Xiaoguo wanted to give her the money first, but Mrs. Yang waved her hand and told her to wait until she was back.

 Chapter 101 - Sour Plum Soup Part 2

    After Mrs. Yang left, Xiaoguo closed the door and returned to the kitchen to work on the mutton skewers.


    ¡°Mother, why did Aunt come over?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang thought that it was odd when he saw Mrs. Yang take the donkey.


    Xiaoguo explained, ¡°Aunt is driving to the county. She is helping me to buy some things.¡±


    ¡°Buy what?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked curiously.


    ¡°Buy the herbs for making sour plum soup. When we eat mutton tomorrow, we can drink this soup. It¡¯s sour and sweet.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had never heard of sour plum soup, but he nodded happily. He was looking forward to the sweet and sour taste.


    Just as Xiaoguo had expected, the two of them couldn¡¯t finish threading all the skewers even when Mrs. Yang returned at noon.


    Xiaoguo washed away the oil on her hands before taking the herbs from Mrs. Yang.


    Mrs. Yang wanted Xiaoguo to check if everything was there. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t even look at the herbs and went in to get the money.


    The herbs didn¡¯t cost a lot. The only expensive thing was the rock sugar. Xiaoguo returned to her room and took out a silver coin for Mrs. Yang.


    Mrs. Yang did not stand on ceremony with her. She took the money and said goodbye before carrying the bags home.


    She had to go back and get things ready, so that when tomorrow comes, her family can enjoy a good Mid-Autumn Festival together.


    Xiaoguo walked Mrs. Yang to the door. She returned to the house and brought the herbs to the kitchen.


    Zhuang Zhuang put down the skewer in his hand and came to Xiaoguo¡¯s side. He stared at the waxed paper package, seemingly able to see the contents inside.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t tease him. She quickly untied the rope to reveal the contents.


    Zhuang Zhuang exclaimed in surprise and picked up something black.


    ¡°Mother, what is this?¡±


    As he spoke, he leaned over and sniffed it. The smell was sweet!


    His eyes lit up. ¡°These herbs are sweet?¡±


    Xiaoguo could tell at a glance that he was holding a smoked plum, so she asked him to try it.


    Zhuang Zhuang only dared to taste the plum when he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s so sour¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang scrunched up his face and looked like an old man at that instant.


    Xiaoguo laughed out loud at his expression.


    Even though it was very sour, Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t want to let the plum go to waste. He ate it up albeit with some difficulty.


    He then stuck out his tongue and sought comfort from Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo hugged him and patted his butt gently. She felt curious. Although she had the impression that smoked plums are sour, they shouldn¡¯t be that sour.


    Xiaoguo reached out for one in order to find out.


    As soon as it entered her mouth, the sour taste shot through her head.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s heroic behavior and was a little dumbfounded. His mother was so amazing!


    It was Xiaoguo¡¯s turn to look wrinkly like an old lady. But looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s admiring gaze, she tried to tolerate the sour taste and tried her best to show a nonchalant expression. ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Without even chewing, she swallowed the plum.


    With tears in her eyes, Xiaoguo made a decision. She will add more rock sugar in the soup later on.


    ¡°Mother, when are we making the sour plum soup?¡±


    Xiaoguo cleared her throat. ¡°We¡¯ll do it in the afternoon.¡±


    After the sour plum soup was done, Xiaoguo let it cool down before putting it in the fridge. After chilling it overnight, it will be cold and nice when they drink it tomorrow.


    After a simple lunch, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang continued threading the skewers.


    Xiaoguo also went out to slaughter the fish. Then, she returned to the house and marinated the fish with wine and ginger to remove the fishy smell.


    Xiaoguo remembered that the cumin had not been ground yet. She will sprinkle cumin onto the mutton when grilling it.


    Moreover, she had to prepare some garlic sauce for brushing onto the vegetables and fish, so as to enhance their flavors.


    Thinking about all the things she had to do, she sped up the pace at which she was working. She had better finish threading the skewers first.


    In less than two hours, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had finished skewering all the ingredients.


    Xiaoguo put all the skewers into the fridge. The next step was to prepare the sauce and cumin powder.


    Zhuang Zhuang went to peel the garlic while Xiaoguo started preparing the other ingredients.


    When Zhuang Zhuang was done with the garlic, Xiaoguo minced them up using the mortar.


    Then, she added some oil into the pot. The ratio of oil to garlic was about 1 to 2. When the oil was hot enough, she put in the garlic and started frying.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, go pick some millet peppers for me.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang ran out happily. Soon, he came in with a handful of millet peppers.


    Xiaoguo took the chilis from him and rinsed them with water. Then she minced them and threw them into the pot after the garlic was ready.


    Before removing the chili paste from the pot, she added some salt. Then she poured everything into the big bowl that Zhuang Zhuang had prepared for her.


    With the garlic sauce done, there was only cumin powder left.


    Using the mortar, she crushed the cumin seeds into a grainy mixture. She felt that the coarseness of the cumin would add texture to the food and make them more flavorful.


    After preparing all the food, Xiaoguo stood in the kitchen, thinking about what else she had to do.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo had stopped moving, Zhuang Zhuang asked Xiaoguo curiously, ¡°Mother, when are we going to make sour plum soup?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s make it now!¡±


    Xiaoguo was still thinking about what to do when Zhuang Zhuang reminded her. She suddenly remembered that there was still sour plum soup!


    Rolling up her sleeves, Xiaoguo was full of energy. Even Zhuang Zhuang was inexplicably excited.


    After cleaning the big pot, Xiaoguo added the herbs accordingly. As the plums were much more sour than she had thought, Xiaoguo added additional rock sugar to the mixture in the pot.


    After all the ingredients were added, she got Zhuang Zhuang to light the fire.


    This soup was easy to prepare. She still remembered that her mother would make it for her every day during her summer vacations.


    Thinking of her mother, Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes were immediately filled with sadness.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had just lit the fire when he looked up at Xiaoguo. He realized that she was not moving and looked preoccupied. He wondered what was on her mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Xiaoguo came back to her senses and looked at Zhuang Zhuang. She suppressed her emotions and smiled. She still had Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang could sense that something was on Xiaoguo¡¯s mind, but he did not continue asking.


    He was afraid that his mother would be sad.


    He lowered his head and continued stuffing firewood into the stove.


    Xiaoguo perked up. She recalled that Zhuang Zhuang had been busy all day and he had not eaten yet. She was feeling a little hungry. He must be hungry too.


    Xiaoguo thought of the mooncakes. She had yet to open the mooncakes that she had made that day. Zhuang Zhuang had not tried them either.


    With this thought in mind, she turned around and opened the jar, revealing the glossy mooncakes inside.


    Xiaoguo took out two pieces. She handed one to Zhuang Zhuang and took one for herself.


    Zhuang Zhuang wiped his hands and took the mooncake. He looked at it curiously. ¡°So this is the bean paste salted egg yolk mooncake?¡±


    Licking his lips, he raised his head, intending to offer it to Xiaoguo. However, when he looked up, he saw Xiaoguo waving a piece at him.


    Xiaoguo knew that Zhuang Zhuang would offer his mooncake to her. When he looked up, she waved the mooncake at him to show that she also had one.


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled and lowered his head to take a bite.


    Xiaoguo took a bite as well. Yes, this was the taste that she was craving!


    Xiaoguo wondered if it was because she was hungry. ¡°Why does it taste so good?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had the same thought. ¡°Why is this bean paste salted egg yolk so delicious!¡±


    Mother and son didn¡¯t have time to talk. They finished their mooncake in a few bites.


    At this moment, a fragrance was wafting out of the pot. Xiaoguo stood up and lifted the lid. The dark reddish soup was bubbling. Xiaoguo picked up a spoon and stirred it.


    Zhuang Zhuang stood up and looked inside. He couldn¡¯t believe that the soup could be taken just like medicine.


    Seeing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s doubtful expression, Xiaoguo scooped a bowl for him using a spoon.


    She blew on the soup and handed the bowl to Zhuang Zhuang when it had cooled down.


    Zhuang Zhuang brought it to his mouth and pursed his lips tentatively. Then, he gulped it down.


    He put down the bowl and burped.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s so delicious!¡±


    ¡°It will taste better when it¡¯s cold.¡±


    After transferring the soup out from the pot and letting it cool, she would store it in the fridge. It will taste even better tomorrow!

 Chapter 102 - I Wont Break My Promise

    Xiaoguo took a broom and a rag and cleaned up the entire house.


    Actually, there wasn¡¯t much cleaning that had to be done. It was all thanks to Xiaoguo¡¯s diligent cleaning on most days.


    She moved Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s study desk and placed it against the dining table. The two tables were the same height so this would create more seating space for everyone.


    Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen and pulled out the chairs that she hadn¡¯t used in a long time.


    As the chairs had not been utilized for some time and were kept in the kitchen, there was a lot of grime and dust gathered on them. Xiaoguo managed to clean them up after scrubbing them with a lot of soap.


    She moved the chairs outdoors to sun them. Without taking a break, she brought out the stove and wiped away the dust gathered on it. This would be used for grilling the mutton kebabs. Xiaoguo placed it outside together with the chairs.


    Xiaoguo liked to prepare everything in advance so that she would not be so flustered when tomorrow comes.


    Before the sun set, Xiaoguo carried the blanket and pillows into the room.


    The blanket was made by Mrs. Qin when Xiaoguo got married. It was a very thick and big blanket.


    Mrs. Qin had stitched it up bit by bit. She used the little money she had left to buy the fabric needed for the blanket. The cotton filling was given as payment to Mr. Qin and Qin Anming for their labor on the farms.


    The previous owner had never used it. It was kept in the cabinet.


    Fortunately, she had this blanket. Otherwise, she would have to buy one. Cotton is so expensive these days.


    She folded the blanket and placed it in Qin Anming¡¯s room. She will move it into her own room tomorrow. Otherwise, Zhuang Zhuang and herself would have no bed space tonight.


    After the sour plum soup had cooled down, Xiaoguo tasted it. It had just the right amount of sweet and sour flavors. She poured the soup into a jar and traveled to the other space. She opened the fridge and tried to put it in.


    However, the fridge was basically filled with skewers. Xiaoguo had no choice but to rearrange the contents of the fridge to make room for the jar.


    After storing it in the fridge, Xiaoguo came out of the space and bumped into Zhuang Zhuang, who was looking for her.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang appeared pitifully in the kitchen, waiting eagerly for Xiaoguo to feed him.


    There was nothing left for Xiaoguo to clean up. It was time to make dinner.


    It had been a long day. She should make some soup to replenish her energy.


    There might be some bones in the fridge, Xiaoguo thought to herself.


    Xiaoguo loved soup, Zhuang Zhuang had picked up his love for soup from her. She had bought a lot of bones to make soup the last time she was in the county, but she hadn¡¯t bought any recently. She wondered if there were any left in the fridge.


    After coaxing Zhuang Zhuang to leave the kitchen, Xiaoguo went into the space and rummaged through the fridge and managed to find a few leg bones.


    Xiaoguo took them out and placed them in some water to defrost. Zhuang Zhuang just returned from outside, so Xiaoguo called him over.


    Zhuang Zhuang put down the firewood and sat on the stool to start the fire. Xiaoguo poured the bones into the pot with water and blanched them.


    Another small stove was set up, and a claypot of water was placed on top. The pork bones in the pot were starting to boil. Xiaoguo washed off the scum from the bones and placed the bones into the claypot. Some dang shen and goji berries1 were added, and after adding a pinch of salt, the lid was covered and the soup was left to stew for an hour.


    On the other corner of the kitchen, Xiaoguo kneaded some dough to make steamed buns. She would be making more so that they could toast some of the buns when everyone was here tomorrow.


    She stir-fried another plate of vegetables. One dish and one soup were just enough for the two of them.


    After dinner, Zhuang Zhuang washed the dishes. Xiaoguo added firewood to the stove and boiled a large pot of hot water.


    Tomorrow will be a festive event after all. Besides, there will be guests tomorrow. They should definitely wash up.


    She dragged Zhuang Zhuang to wash up first and rubbed his body vigorously to get the dirt off.


    ¡°Mother, it hurts.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s back was facing Xiaoguo. Her slender hands were rubbing his back forcefully.


    Zhuang Zhuang was almost in tears. With her thin arms and small hands, he wondered where she got her strength from.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t feel like she was exerting much strength but she still tried to be gentle with her movements.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t feel any pain after that. To be honest, just a while ago, it felt like the skin on his back was tearing. All the things falling off his back must be his skin, and not dirt.


    Xiaoguo proceeded to wash Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s body gently. She also washed his hair with soap.


    She wrapped him up with a towel and carried him to the bed.


    Xiaoguo carefully dried Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s damp hair with a clean towel. When his hair was completely dry, she got up and told the boy to lie down and wait for her. She would find him some clothes to wear when she returns.


    Zhuang Zhuang acknowledged her words. Then, he wrapped himself tightly in the blanket, revealing only his little head as he nodded at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo grabbed her clothes from the cupboard and went to the kitchen.


    She could only wash up from a big basin in the kitchen. And this was after she had boiled some water and transferred it into the large basin.


    Xiaoguo rubbed her body and thought about buying a big bathtub in future. How wonderful it would be to soak inside a tub.


    However, it was not convenient to take a bath in the kitchen. It seemed that she should first build a small bathroom before she buys a bathtub.


    Xiaoguo made a mental note to look for someone to build a bathroom.


    Afraid of catching a cold, Xiaoguo quickly washed up and put on her clothes. After drying her hair in the kitchen, she returned to the house.


    She could fall sick if there was a draft.


    When she returned to the house, she saw that Zhuang Zhuang was still lying obediently under the blanket. Xiaoguo opened the cupboard door and searched for a set of underwear that she had made for him.


    Zhuang Zhuang climbed out of bed and got dressed with Xiaguo¡¯s help.


    After Xiaoguo was done tidying up, she got up and blew out the candles. It was a busy day¡ªshe had better get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    The next morning.


    Xiaoguo got out of bed and left Zhuang Zhuang to sleep in while she went to prepare breakfast.


    As she didn¡¯t know what time Qin Anming and the others would arrive in the afternoon, Xiaoguo began to tidy up the house after breakfast. She arranged the blankets in every room according to the number of people who are going to stay over.


    Ruyi and the others had to prepare some ingredients for the shop in the morning. These are preparations in advance for the days after the festival. They mentioned that they would arrive in the afternoon, but they did not specify the exact time.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had a light lunch. They will save their appetite for dinner.


    The sun was high and bright in the afternoon, but the weather was cool. Xiaoguo brought out the skewers and sour plum soup from the fridge in advance, to prepare for the guests¡¯ arrival.


    She came to the door and looked in the direction of the village entrance. She thought that it was odd.


    ¡°They should be here by now, but why haven¡¯t they arrived yet? Could there have been an accident?¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned, and her heart was pounding. Qin Anming and Ruyi were not people who would stand her up. They would definitely come if they agreed. If they did not come, it must be for some reason.


    The worst-case scenario was an accident on the road.


    Xiaoguo could only wait anxiously. Zhuang Zhuang came out of the house and looked at his mother, who was pacing at the door.


    ¡°Mother? When are Uncle and the others coming?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know either, but she didn¡¯t want to dampen his spirits, so she lied and said that they would arrive soon.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he was very happy. He wanted to wait at the door with Xiaoguo, but she wouldn¡¯t let him.


    After thinking for a while, she decided to drive out to take a look. She told Zhuang Zhuang that she was going to welcome them and asked him to wait at home.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he wanted to tag along. Xiaoguo did not agree and let him guard the door. She turned around and went back to the courtyard to fetch the donkey.


    ¡°Mother! Mother! Uncle and the others are here!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s excited voice came from the door.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hands stopped moving. Her face lit up and she ran to the door.

 Chapter 103 - Mid

    Xiaoguo ran to the door and looked into the distance. Sure enough, she saw a carriage approaching.


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes to see if it was the same carriage that Qin Anming had driven back the last time. When it got closer, Xiaoguo was overjoyed. It was indeed the same burgundy-hair horse. Qin Anming and Uncle Xu were steering the carriage.


    Xiaoguo quickly opened the front door and let them in.


    She brought Zhuang Zhuang further away so that he wouldn¡¯t block their way.


    Although Qin Anming looked a little anxious, he also seemed very happy. He got out of the carriage and walked towards Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo went over happily, and Zhuang Zhuang pounced on Qin Anming.


    Qin Anming picked up Zhuang Zhuang and weighed him in his arms skillfully. Yes, he had indeed grown bigger.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    Xiaoguo called out to Qin Anming and walked to the carriage. She greeted Uncle Xu, Ruyi, Ling Long, Fu¡¯er and Xiao Cui.


    Everyone said their greetings. When Ruyi got out of the car, she couldn¡¯t stop looking around the courtyard. From time to time, she would exclaim in surprise.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, your house is amazing!¡±


    Ruyi looked at the spacious courtyard, the well-organized vegetable plot, and the newly-built livestock shed.


    Although there were many animals, the courtyard was very clean. There weren¡¯t any strange smells.


    Ruyi took a deep breath. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was her imagination, but not only were there no strange smells, there was a herbaceous fragrance in the air.


    Uncle Xu got out of the car and looked around. He looked up at the sky and nodded in agreement when he heard Ruyi¡¯s words. The scenery here was pleasant, the air was fresh, and the courtyard was very well-kept. It was really a nice living environment. When he retires in the future, he hopes to live in a place like this.


    Ling Long and Fu¡¯er were young. As soon as they got off the bus, they could not help but explore the surroundings. They were especially interested in the two cows and the puppies that had been barking at everyone from the moment they entered the house.


    Xiao Cui was a little older. Although she didn¡¯t utter a word, her eyes were filled with love and yearning for this place. It would be great if she could have such a courtyard in the future.


    Xiaoguo led the group into the house. Qin Anming was already seated in the hall with Zhuang Zhuang in his arms. Ling Long and Fu¡¯er brought out some food and snacks from the carriage. They had bought them from the county.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s my first time here, this is just a token of my gratitude.¡±


    Ruyi took the packages from the girls with a smile and placed the items on the table.


    ¡°You just had to bring yourself. Why did you still bring these?¡±


    Those cliche words came out of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°They are for Zhuang Zhuang. These snacks for kids don¡¯t cost much.¡±


    Smiling, Xiaoguo took the packages and put them away in the house.


    ¡°By the way, why are you so late today?¡±


    Xiaoguo put away everything and returned to the hall. She looked at the group and asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We set off before noon today. Who knew that we would be stopped at the county gate!¡±


    Ruyi said with exasperation. They had set off happily but when they reached the entrance of the county, they were stopped from going forward.


    There was a big group gathered at the entrance and they were protesting. A large group of soldiers was guarding the entrance of the county. Those who resisted would be beaten up.


    Everyone was forced to get out of their carts to go through checks and registration. It took them almost two hours to get out of the county gate.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she was a little curious. What was the commotion about?


    ¡°On the way, there were several groups of soldiers and horses traveling on the road. They didn¡¯t stop even when they bumped into people. They looked very hostile. It seemed like something big had happened.¡±


    Ling Long continued the conversation with a look of fear on her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Mid-Autumn. I wonder what they¡¯re up to.¡±


    Xiao Cui spoke hesitantly on the side.


    ¡°In any case, whatever happens at the top won¡¯t affect us commoners. As long as we get to eat and drink to our content.¡±


    Uncle Xu said casually.


    The others nodded in agreement. It was fine as long as the commoners could eat, drink, and have fun. Anything beyond that had nothing to do with them.


    After chatting for a while, Ruyi¡¯s stomach started to growl.


    Before she could blush, the others¡¯ stomachs began to rumble too.


    Even Qin Anming felt hungry. He looked at Xiaoguo with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.


    In order to set off earlier, they had started preparing the ingredients early in the morning without having any breakfast. Then they ran into delays at the county gate during noon. After much difficulty, they finally managed to leave the county and arrived at Xiaoguo¡¯s place. By now, they could no longer bear the hunger. Thinking about it, they had not eaten anything all day. It was quite a feat for them to last till now.


    Xiaoguo felt a little amused by the anticipation of everyone in the room. She got ready to serve the food. Anyway they have to eat sooner or later!


    ¡°Let¡¯s get ready to eat!¡±


    Xiaoguo waved her hand and everyone cheered. It was time to eat!


    Ruyi led the way and followed Xiaoguo to the kitchen. Qin Anming put Zhuang Zhuang down and let him play with Uncle Xu while he tried to start the fire.


    Within a short time, Qin Anming had managed to get the fire going. Xiaoguo handed a handful of lamb skewers to Qin Anming.


    With Qin Anming grilling the skewers outside and Ruyi helping out in the kitchen with the other girls, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have much to do.


    She took out eight bowls and poured some cold plum soup into the bowls.


    Since the plum soup was freshly poured, it was still nice and cold. Ruyi entered the house from the kitchen and took one sip from a bowl.


    ¡°Delicious!¡±


    Ruyi¡¯s eyes lit up. She loved sweet and sour drinks.


    Xiaoguo put down the jar and suddenly thought of the osmanthus wine. It had been more than 20 days. It was just the right time to open it.


    Xiaoguo returned to the house and brought out the pastries she had bought and the mooncakes she had made. She placed everything on the table and went outside again. She took out ten century eggs and went to the kitchen to place them on a plate. The eggs were then brought to the dining table.


    She also picked some tomatoes and tossed them with white sugar.


    When the dishes were served, Qin Anming had just finished grilling half of the lamb skewers. Ruyi was busy bringing out more skewers from the kitchen. Ling Long and Fu¡¯er were also helping out in and around the house. Xiaocui and Uncle Xu helped to grill the skewers and brush on the marinade.


    As the stove was quite long, there was enough space for three people to sit around it.


    Xiaoguo finally understood what strength in numbers meant.


    Half of all the kebabs were served on the table. Xiaoguo called out to everyone to start eating. Qin Anming told her to wait till all the skewers were done.


    Xiaoguo nodded in agreement. Once all the skewers are done, they can all eat together. There was no need for anyone to keep watch over the skewers thereafter.


    If the food got cold, they could heat them up again.


    Xiaoguo joined the grilling team and in no time, they finished grilling all the kebabs. The sky had turned dark and the courtyard was lit up by the flames. Inside the house, the candlelight provided a warm cozy glow to the interior.


    The group gathered around the table. The mooncakes, snacks and cold dishes were placed in the middle of the table. The skewers were arranged around them.


    Xiaoguo took out the osmanthus wine. ¡°Please pay attention! The osmanthus wine will be served soon!¡±


    Upon uttering those words, Xiaoguo exerted force with her hand and opened the lid of the jar. A refreshing floral fragrance escaped into the air.


    Everyone could not help but squint and take a deep whiff.


    The fragrance of the flowers was mixed with the fragrance of wine. The scent was intoxicating enough without having to drink the wine.


    Xiaoguo poured a cup for everyone except Zhuang Zhuang. He was very curious about the taste. When Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t paying attention, he reached out to her bowl with a skewer and tried to reach for a taste.


    In the end, Xiaoguo saw through his little trick and fed him a bowl of sour plum soup.


    The group chatted and laughed. When the skewers turned cold, they were heated up. The meal lasted late into the night. Halfway through, in order to admire the moon, the group helped to move the tables to the courtyard.


    They drank wine and admired the moon.


    The moon, round and big, hung desolately in the sky.

 Chapter 104 - Kill or Leave

    ¡°The moon is so big and round today!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked up at the bright moon in the sky.


    When everyone heard this, they looked up.


    Indeed, it was so bright!


    ¡°The moon is always rounded on the day after the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    Ruyi said this with a smile as she looked at the moon. Her father had told her this. Last year, he was still spending the Mid-Autumn Festival with her¡­


    Everyone agreed. Only Zhuang Zhuang looked confused. How did she know that the moon would be rounder tomorrow?


    Qin Anming also looked up at the moon, his eyes flickering.


    ¡°How did I live last year? Oh, I think I fell asleep after drinking two mouthfuls of water at home.¡±


    Qin Anming lowered his head and looked at the fish and vegetables on the table in a daze.


    Uncle Xu looked up at the moon. He wondered what year it was in the celestial universe.


    ¡°Sigh, I wonder if I can find a place to settle when I retire.¡±


    Xiao Cui took a bite of fish and looked at the moon. She didn¡¯t know where she would be in the near future.


    Linglong and Fu¡¯er smiled at each other and held hands as they looked at the moon. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that we get to spend every year together. We have each other¡¯s company no matter how difficult or tiring it is.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked up at the moon, her eyes harboring its reflection. It had been a long time since she had seen such a big and beautiful moon¡­


    Seeing that everyone had stopped eating and were just staring at the sky, Zhuang Zhuang looked up curiously. Yes, the moon was indeed quite beautiful, but¡­


    ¡°Mother, I still want to eat fish.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s kiddish voice stirred everyone from their thoughts. Everyone looked at each other and smiled, temporarily putting their worries aside.


    Qin Anming reacted to the boy¡¯s request and laughed. He picked up a piece of fish meat and picked out the bones. He then fed Zhuang Zhuang with the fish.


    Zhuang Zhuang ate it in one bite and asked Xiaoguo for a sausage.


    With the distraction from Zhuang Zhuang, everyone had forgotten what they were thinking about. They continued to chat and laugh as they ate the skewers¡­


    In the county.


    The hall that was once dazzling and magnificent was now filled with corpses.


    Under the moonlight, the Sacrificial Moon Altar seemed exceptionally silent.


    From the blood puddles on the palace floor, the reflection of a yellow figure can be seen seated on the throne. It was trembling like a leaf.


    All around him were the corpses of his trusted aides. Blood from the corpses flowed in a stream to his feet. Mu Tuo looked at the man in the distance, his eyes were filled with fear and despair.


    ¡°You, you, you¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t seem to control his speech and was unable to say anything other than those few words.


    Shao Zhan approached from afar, stepping over the pile of dead bodies. He walked up to the emperor and scrutinized the old man from head to toe. His lips moved slightly and he said,


    ¡°You¡¯re such a failure.¡±


    Both then and now.


    Mu Tuo looked at the figure who had stopped two meters away and stared at him fiercely. How he wished to pounce on him so that he could eat his flesh and drink his blood.


    But he was also afraid of the man who was always standing guard by his side.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s armor was covered in blood. As the blood trickled down his armor to the ground, every step he took left a bloody footprint.


    Even so, his eyes were still determined as he stood guard beside Shao Zhan. He pointed his blood-stained sword at Mu Tuo.


    Mu Tuo tried to stall for time, waiting for the army that he had secretly trained to come and save him. He really didn¡¯t expect that his well-laid plans were unable to guard against this man. If he had known earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have kept him around!


    Shao Zhan could tell what he was thinking and felt that he was really ridiculous. He wondered how such a naive person was able to destroy a palace.


    ¡°All right, don¡¯t wait. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    The words were directed at Jiang Danhe.


    Shao Zhan¡¯s eyes were filled with disappointment. He felt that this was getting boring. He no longer wanted to waste his time on this unworthy man. He should just send him on his way.


    Jiang Danhe accepted the order and stepped forward, intending to end the man¡¯s life with a slash of his sword. At this moment, Mu Tuo knew that all was lost. He couldn¡¯t care less about his pride and knelt on the ground to beg for mercy. The dragon robe on his body was in disarray and stained with blood. His entire body exuded a lifeless aura.


    The trembling man had long lost his usual arrogance.


    Shao Zhan couldn¡¯t help but frown when he saw him like this. He was really disappointed. He had thought that this was someone worthy of his revenge. He didn¡¯t expect the man to be so incompetent. Shao Zhan was filled with disappointment!


    He couldn¡¯t be bothered to wait any longer and gave Jiang Danhe a look. Jiang Danhe got the cue and slit the man¡¯s throat.


    After Mu Tuo fell, his eyes were still fixed on the dragon throne that he yearned for. After a short struggle, he finally stopped breathing. His eyes were filled with regret. If only he had killed Shao Zhan back then¡­


    The corpses in the hall emitted a pungent smell of blood. Jiang Danhe exhaled and retracted the sword. He followed Shao Zhan out of the hall.


    The ministers outside were all lying on their stomachs. Everyone has a blood-covered sword pointing at them.


    They were surrounded by corpses. Among the dead bodies were palace maids, eunuchs, concubines, ministers, and Mu Tuo¡¯s reinforcements soldiers.


    Everyone had a look of horror on their faces. They were definitely filled with fear before their death.


    The ministers trembled as they lay on the ground, not daring to look up. Who knew that they would lose their lives on this trip? Everyone had received news of the court meeting and had rushed over from home in their official robes. As soon as they entered the palace, they were captured and brought here.


    Countless people died in front of their eyes. If any one struggled, they would be killed.


    Eventually, the remaining people calmed down. They did not dare to struggle or speak. Some of the timid civil officials had long lost control of their bladders. But even so, they did not dare to make any small movements. They let their urine flow onto the ground through their clothes.


    At this moment, they were all lying on the ground lifelessly. If not for the occasional trembling of their bodies, it would have been difficult to tell the difference between them and a corpse.


    Shao Zhan looked at the group of people and thought about how to deal with them.


    These people were all ministers who had yet to submit to him. Should he kill them? Should he keep them alive?


    Jiang Danhe stood at the side and looked down with a darkened expression. Even though he was used to killing, he still felt uncomfortable. Fortunately, the killing was about to end.


    As long as he could get through tonight, he could go home and stay away from this place forever.


    Shao Zhan remained silent. The ministers crouching on the ground could not tell what he was thinking. They were suffering with each passing hour. They did not want to die. If they had known, they would have submitted to him long ago.


    Just beside them, the silver sword was as fierce as a tiger¡ªseemingly going to split them in half at any moment.


    At this moment, Li Shouji, who was also covered in blood, came to Jiang Danhe¡¯s side and said something to him.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and walked to Shao Zhan¡¯s side. He whispered into his ear, ¡°Your Highness, all the soldiers outside the city have been killed and replaced with our own people. Only these ministers are left.¡±


    Shao Zhan nodded to show that he understood. He looked at the ministers below indifferently and made up his mind in that instant.


    Jiang Danhe looked into his eyes and understood the fate of these ministers. His heart sank. It seemed that they would not be spared.


    Immediately, screams filled the entire palace. Without any exception, all of them were killed.


    After one night, the entire palace was bathed in blood. The corpses were pulled into the pit by cart loads. At the top of the pile was Mu Tuo¡¯s body. Oil was spilled over the bodies and the fire was lit. Instantly, black smoke billowed from the pile of corpses.


    The fire burned for three days.


    Over the next three days, the palace quickly returned to its original state. Sitting on the dragon throne was Shao Zhan, dressed in a dragon robe.


    ¡°Long live the emperor.¡±


    Shao Zhan smiled and looked at everyone with an oppressive gaze. Then, he said calmly.


    ¡°My ministers, please rise.¡±

 Chapter 105 - Notice

    At noon the next day, after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Qin Anming, Ruyi, and the others went back after dinner. They wanted to stay for a while longer, but they were afraid that there would be checks at the entrance of the county. The queue could last through the night, so they had better go back early.


    Xiaoguo expressed her understanding and made them promise to visit again the next time. She then sent them off along with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo rubbed her eyes. How she hated farewells. It wasn¡¯t that they wouldn¡¯t meet again, but she still hated parting ways.


    If Xiaoguo was feeling this way, it was even worse for Zhuang Zhuang. He hugged Qin Anming¡¯s neck and refused to let go.


    Qin Anming was filled with reluctance to leave. He hugged Zhuang Zhuang and kept whispering to him. Xiaoguo saw that it was getting late. If they delayed any longer, it would definitely be dark when they got back to the restaurant.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, since you¡¯re so reluctant, why don¡¯t you leave with Uncle. Mother will visit you once every two days.¡±


    Xiaoguo told Zhuang Zhuang from the side. When the boy heard this, he sniffed and let go of Qin Anming. ¡°Uncle, take care.¡±


    Although his uncle was important, his mother was even more so.


    Qin Anming held back his words of comfort. Zhuang Zhuang¡­


    Xiaoguo took Zhuang Zhuang from him and waved goodbye to everyone. When they were out of sight, she brought the boy home.


    On the way home. Zhuang Zhuang appeared upset. Xiaoguo promised to bring him to Qin Anming two days later. Under Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s doubtful gaze, Xiaoguo made endless promises until he eventually broke into laughter.


    Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the imaginary sweat off her face. Children these days are too difficult to fool. No! Too difficult to please.


    At the end of the month, Xiaoguo was getting ready to drive to the county. It was time to settle the accounts and it was in her plan to bring Zhuang Zhuang to visit his Uncle. Just a few days ago, Zhuang Zhuang had been clamoring to look for his uncle.


    Xiaoguo kept hurrying Zhuang Zhuang to leave the house. She stood outside the door and waited to lock up. As soon as Zhuang Zhuang came out, she locked the door.


    Xiaoguo drove to the county with the boy. As soon as she arrived at the market, she saw a group of people hanging around the bulletin board. Although Xiaoguo was curious, she did not join in the crowd and walked around them instead.


    As soon as she arrived at the entrance of the restaurant, she saw that it was not as crowded as usual. Xiaoguo thought it was strange and got out of the car with Zhuang Zhuang. As soon as she entered, she saw everyone seated in the shop.


    Qin Anming saw Xiaoguo first and took Zhuang Zhuang from her arms so that she could sit down. When she saw that everyone seemed calm and collected, she felt relieved.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t the shop open today?¡±


    Ruyi answered Xiaoguo, ¡°It¡¯s the new emperor¡¯s coronation day today. All the shops will be closed for a day as a blessing for the new emperor.¡±


    Xiaoguo was shocked. A new emperor? As expected, the small village was isolated from all the latest news. Even if the world changed hands, she would not have found out.


    ¡°We only found out when we saw the notice yesterday.¡±


    Qin Anming said from the side. Xiaoguo remembered that she saw something earlier. Was it at the place where she saw people crowding around?


    ¡°A day off is perfect. Everyone can relax.¡±


    Ruyi stretched lazily at the side. Everyone had been busy for so many days and had not had a good rest.


    Uncle Xu began to fiddle with his abacus. Then he handed over the money jar and account book to Ruyi. Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t the only one getting paid today, everyone was also collecting their salary at the end of the month.


    Ruyi gave the others their money first. The salary that Ruyi gave them was double that of the current market rate. Since the shop was doing well, Ruyi felt that she should not treat her staff poorly. She was happy to give them a bonus every month on top of their basic salary. This was a form of reward for everyone¡¯s consistent hard work.


    After handing out the money, the girls were asked to take a break. After they left, Ruyi settled the accounts with Xiaoguo and Qin Anming.


    ¡°This is for you, Sister Xiaoguo. It¡¯s seventy-six taels and fifty coins.¡±


    Ruyi handed over a heavy money bag. Xiaoguo did not open it. She took it and held it in her arms.


    ¡°This is for you, Brother Anming. It¡¯s thirty-eight taels of silver and two coins, plus a month¡¯s salary of two taels of silver. So the total is forty taels of silver and two coins.¡±


    Qin Anming took it and put it away. At first, he wanted to let Xiaoguo keep it for him, but she refused. She said that he was old enough and it was high time for him to get married. Qin Anming blushed and stole a glance at Ruyi. Coincidentally, their eyes met in that instant. Both of them blushed and looked away at the same time.


    Xiaoguo saw them exchanging glances and hid a smile. It seemed that her silly brother had been enlightened.


    In order to let them have a good day¡¯s rest, Xiaoguo did not stay too long at the shop even though Zhuang Zhuang was keen to hang around. After saying goodbye, she took Zhuang Zhuang and left.


    It¡¯s no joke. If Zhuang Zhuang was to stay, he would definitely pester Qin Anming for the entire day. If Qin Anming wanted to spend time with Ruyi, he wouldn¡¯t have the chance to do so, let alone taking a break. ¡°So, my dear son, for the sake of your uncle¡¯s happiness, you should go home with me.¡±


    Xiaoguo lowered her head and kissed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s cheeks, but the boy turned his head away.


    Amused, Xiaoguo continued to kiss him. Seeing that he was not angry even though he was shaking his head vigorously, she kissed him again when he wasn¡¯t looking.


    Now that he could still endure her teasing, she should make the most of it. In another two years, there wouldn¡¯t be much fun teasing him anymore.


    When she reached the noticeboard, Xiaoguo reminded herself to check it out. She hugged Zhuang Zhuang tightly and walked over. The crowd had already dispersed.


    Xiaoguo stepped forward and looked at the notice that was written on rice paper. There were three lines of words written in bold calligraphy. Xiaoguo read each and every word carefully. Zhuang Zhuang was able to read most of the words and he read them silently in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms.


    Among the jargon within the notice, Xiaoguo was roughly able to decipher that the late emperor had died, and Shao Zhan, the former crown prince, had been appointed as the new emperor.


    In the distance, there was the sound of horse hooves. Xiaoguo saw a man in a soldier¡¯s uniform in the distance. He had arrived on a horse. Xiaoguo stood a distance away with Zhuang Zhuang in her arms. The man pushed aside the onlookers and came to the notice board. He pasted a new notice on the side. While he was doing so, Xiaoguo leaned over to take a look.


    Xiaoguo followed closely behind the soldier and left.


    As soon as they stepped away, a large crowd rushed forward and gathered around the noticeboard. Due to the presence of the officers and soldiers earlier, they did not dare to take a close look. Now that soldiers had left, everyone suddenly rushed out from nowhere just to read the notice.


    Xiaoguo carried Zhuang Zhuang to the donkey cart. Looking at the large crowd, she heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had left with that soldier. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave the place with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang was unusually silent along the way. Xiaoguo was deep in thought about the news she had just read and did not notice anything unusual about Zhuang Zhuang.


    As they drove into the village, it appeared that the legendary meeting was taking place at that instant. Everyone in the village was gathered together. In front of them stood an old man whose tummy was almost touching the ground. From afar, they could see smiles on the women¡¯s faces.


    They must have found out about the news, thought Xiaoguo.


    It was written on the notice she saw earlier. The new emperor had ascended to the throne and had ordered a royal amnesty. All the ordinary people who had been captured by the army would be released and sent home.


    As many of the men from Peach Blossom Village had been recruited by the military, the whole village now was bustling with activity.


    When Xiaoguo passed by the crowd, everyone was immersed in joy. No one paid attention to her at all. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to join in, so she drove through the crowd leisurely.

 Chapter 106 - : Shrew Li Zhaodi

    But someone was not going to let Xiaoguo leave.


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang called out to Xiaoguo happily, wanting to follow her back.


    When Xiaoguo saw that it was her, she stopped the donkey cart and waited for her.


    Mrs. Yang¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it wasn¡¯t soft either. Those who were standing nearby could hear her.


    Li Zhaodi was one of them. When she heard Xiaoguo¡¯s name, she instinctively wanted to start cursing. ¡°Tsk, why are you calling out to a widow?!¡±


    Li Zhaodi was famous for her loud voice. She did not deliberately lower her voice. Everyone heard her, including Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s expression darkened. She subconsciously covered Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s ears and glared at Li Zhaodi. At other times when Li Zhaodi called her names, she usually couldn¡¯t be bothered about it. But today, she was doing it in front of Zhuang Zhuang. This was unforgivable!


    Before Xiaoguo could flare up, Mrs. Yang, who was in front of her, got worked up. She didn¡¯t expect that calling out to Xiaoguo would cause her to get a scolding.


    A slap landed on Li Zhaodi¡¯s face. Before she could react, she fell to the ground. She reached out to cover her face and looked at Mrs. Yang in confusion. What had just happened?


    Everyone was shocked. Time seemed to have stopped as they watched the situation in front of them.


    Li Zhaodi reacted and let out a furious roar. She jumped up and cursed without caring about her image. She spewed all the vulgarities she knew. Most of what she said was related to widows. Li Zhaodi didn¡¯t dare to do that in the face of Mrs. Yang, so she directed all her anger at Xiaoguo.


    When she jumped up, the people around her tried to hold on to her, making it difficult for her to move. Mrs. Yang stood where she was and did not dodge. After all, Li Zhaodi was unable to reach her.


    Mrs. Yang gloated at Li Zhaodi and kept making faces to provoke her. If Li Zhaodi were an anime character, her hair would definitely be standing on end.


    As Li Zhaodi was constantly harping about widows, some of those who were kind enough to hold on to her, became furious, as their husbands were no longer around. Hidden among the crowd, they attacked Li Zhaodi from behind her back.


    Li Zhaodi, who was in the midst of cursing, suddenly felt someone pinching her on the back of her waist. She let out a cry and clutched her waist as she threw curses in that direction. Suddenly, her arm was pinched again. Li Zhaodi was furious and she exploded in anger. She flung her arms around to hit the people around her, not caring who she had hurt.


    Immediately, there were shouts of abuse. Those who were kind enough to hold her up became angry as they got hit by her. Even those who always fawned on her, started attacking her secretly to vent their unhappiness with her.


    The situation had progressed from Li Zhaodi attacking a group of people, to a group of people attacking her. The scene was spectacular. There were people scratching faces, pulling hair, rolling on the floor and kicking at others. Xiaoguo was utterly shocked. She had never seen anything like this before. Xiaoguo had been covering Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s ears since Li Zhaodi started cursing. Later on, when the group started fighting, she covered his eyes. It was too painful to look at, she had to shield him from the commotion.


    While everyone was still fighting, Xiaoguo asked Mrs. Yang to leave with her. The rest of the crowd can continue fighting for all they want.


    When they were a distance away, there was finally no more noise. Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang heaved a sigh of relief at the same time. Then, they looked at each other and laughed out loud.


    Zhuang Zhuang did not speak. He lay listlessly in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. As Xiaoguo was talking to Mrs. Yang, she did not notice anything unusual about Zhuang Zhuang.


    On the way, Mrs. Yang rubbed her sore cheeks. ¡°The men in the village are coming back.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked calm and nodded. ¡°I saw the announcement when I was in the county.¡±


    Mrs. Yang¡¯s eyes were filled with longing and anticipation as she looked into the distance. Xiaoguo did not interrupt her thoughts and quietly drove the donkey cart.


    Neither of them took notice of Zhuang Zhuang, who was in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. He pursed his lips and hugged his mother tightly.


    When Mrs. Yang said goodbye to Xiaoguo at the door, she looked at the mother and son pair, and hesitated before finally shaking her head without saying anything.


    After saying goodbye, Xiaoguo drove to their house. Zhuang Zhuang got out of the car and opened the door for Xiaoguo to drive in. He then fed the animals, collected the eggs, and started a fire.


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang who seemed rather out of sorts. She wondered what was wrong with him. Had he heard Li Zhaodi¡¯s words?


    Perhaps he had been frightened by Li Zhaodi¡¯s actions.


    Thinking about how Li Zhaodi had bared her fangs and brandished her claws in the morning, it did look like she had gone crazy. She looked like the witch in the story that Xiaoguo had told Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Was he frightened by what he saw?¡±


    The more she watched Zhuang Zhuang, the stranger she felt. Although he was still doing his usual work, he did not speak much.


    Xiaoguo gritted her teeth. The horrible Li Zhaodi had actually frightened Zhuang Zhuang! She would definitely not let her off so easily!


    At night, after Zhuang Zhuang had washed up, he climbed into bed and hugged Xiaoguo tightly. Xiaoguo held Zhuang Zhuang in her arms and wondered what to say.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Xiaoguo called Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s name tentatively.


    Zhuang Zhuang heard her but didn¡¯t move. He buried his face in Xiaoguo¡¯s neck and said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sleepy.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she knew that Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t want to talk about it. She sighed in her heart and patted Zhuang Zhuang on the back. ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Go to sleep. You might feel better tomorrow.¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang had fallen asleep, Xiaoguo got up gently and made sure that he was sound asleep.


    After confirming that Zhuang Zhuang was deep in slumber, Xiaoguo got out of bed. She had not changed out of her clothes yet. The more Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, the angrier she became. Of course, this anger was directed at that shrew, Li Zhaodi.


    ¡°How dare you scare our Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoguo gently closed the door. When the dogs in the courtyard were about to bark, she knelt down to comfort them. She had to make sure that Zhuang Zhuang would be woken by any sounds. She walked out of the front door quietly. It wasn¡¯t safe enough to just close the door tightly¡ªshe decided to lock it as well. She was really worried about leaving Zhuang Zhuang alone at home.


    She would make it quick. Xiaoguo quickened her pace and walked towards Li Zhaodi¡¯s house.


    The two houses were quite a distance away from each other. The roads in the village were dark and there were no street lamps. Xiaoguo had just come out of the village and was feeling quite brave. However, the more she walked, the more frightened she felt. She could not help but hum to the tune of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s march.


    As she hummed the tune, she really felt bolder. If there were really three fires on a person¡¯s body, Xiaoguo felt that her three fires were burning vigorously now.


    Xiaoguo hummed as she walked quickly to Li Zhaodi¡¯s house. Before she reached the door, she saw a sneaky figure tinkering with something at the door.


    Xiaoguo lightened her footsteps and hid among a cluster of grass by the road. As she watched the man¡¯s every move, she wondered who it could be?


    ¡°Why did a man appear at Li Zhaodi¡¯s house so late at night? Does she have another man?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. That was impossible.¡±


    Xiaoguo eliminated this thought first. Firstly, there were no men in the village. Secondly, if he was from another village, why would he come so far and knock on Li Zhaodi¡¯s door so late at night?


    ¡°That¡¯s not right either. People would usually do sneaky things in the middle of the night.¡±


    Thinking along this line, XIaoguo felt the man was most likely a secret lover.


    She held her breath and tried to get closer. It was too far and too dark. Xiaoguo could not tell if it was a man or a woman. She had to get closer.


    After taking a few more steps beyond the grass patch, she saw the figure paused as if he had discovered something. Xiaoguo was alarmed and quickly ran back into the grass.


    Sure enough, the second Xiaoguo hid herself, the person turned around. Xiaoguo held her breath and stayed in her hiding place. She squinted hard at the man.


    With the help of the moonlight, Xiaoguo finally got a good look! The person was actually¡­

 Chapter 107 - Teach Her a Lesson

    Xiaoguo saw who it was under the moonlight. It was Mrs. Yang!


    ¡°What was she doing here?¡± Xiaoguo stared at her in surprise.


    Mrs. Yang looked behind her and saw no one. She continued with what she was doing.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I open this broken door?¡± Mrs. Yang tried hard to unpick the lock.


    Li Zhaodi¡¯s house had a wooden door. It wasn¡¯t a single-paneled door. It was a two-way door that opened both ways. Mrs. Yang pushed the door inwards and reached in with one hand to grab at the big lock.


    What a miscalculation!!


    Mrs. Yang resisted the urge to kick the door open. Why was it so difficult to teach Li Zhaodi a lesson?


    Mrs. Yang walked to the side of the house and looked at the height of the wall. She then used her height as a gauge and made a decision.


    ¡°Let me try!¡±


    She took a few steps back and was about to count down to three when a faint voice sounded behind her.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡±


    Mrs. Yang was shocked. She quickly covered her mouth and turned around, thinking that she had been discovered.


    Little did she expect to see Xiaoguo¡¯s smiling face.


    Mrs. Yang recovered from her shock after a while. She patted her heart and punched Xiaoguo. ¡°You scared me to death!¡±


    Xiaoguo could tell from Mrs. Yang¡¯s reaction that she got a bad fright just by looking at her breathing.


    Xiaoguo rubbed her arm, which didn¡¯t hurt at all, and walked over to soothe Mrs. Yang.


    ¡°What are you doing here in the middle of the night?¡±


    Mrs. Yang rolled her eyes at Xiaoguo. ¡°Li Zhaodi has to be taught a lesson!¡±


    Xiaoguo wondered why Mrs. Yang was so annoyed with her. However, Mrs. Yang¡¯s intentions for coming today coincided with hers.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing here?¡±


    Mrs. Yang looked at Xiaoguo and asked her with a smile. She looked like she was also up to no good.


    Xiaoguo added fuel to the fire and told Mrs. Yang about Zhuang Zhuang. When Mrs. Yang heard about it, she was furious. Zhuang Zhuang actually got frightened!


    Mrs. Yang felt terrible as she imagined Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s pitiful appearance. The two of them chatted softly for a while. In the end, they decided on a plan to teach Li Zhaodi a lesson!


    Fortunately, Li Zhaodi¡¯s family was not so wealthy. The walls of her house were low so it would be easy for them to climb over.


    Xiaoguo climbed up the wall first and sat on top. She grabbed Mrs. Yang¡¯s hand and pulled her up to sit on the wall.


    Xiaoguo looked around the courtyard to see if there were any animals that could possibly make any noise. Just as Mrs. Yang was about to jump down, Xiaoguo stopped her. She hadn¡¯t got a clear view of the surroundings yet. They shouldn¡¯t be so rash. What if there were animals that could make noises. Li Zhaodi would be alerted.


    Mrs. Yang waved her hand and whispered into Xiaoguo¡¯s ear, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They don¡¯t keep any animals. With her laziness, she finds it troublesome just to settle her own meals. Why would she bother to keep animals that she had to take care of?¡±


    Xiaoguo thought it sounded logical. She jumped down from the wall with Mrs. Yang. Both of them were used to manual labor, so they were quite agile. At this height, it was a piece of cake for them.


    Xiaoguo tried her best to make as little noise as possible. When she reached the courtyard, she carefully walked to the window. Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang looked inside. Under the moonlight, they saw Li Zhaodi sleeping with her big belly exposed. Her snores were very loud.


    Xiaoguo quietly opened the door. Mrs. Yang happened to find a bucket of water in the courtyard. The two of them placed the bucket on top of the open door.


    After finding a good angle and making sure that everything was set, they got ready to leave. When Li Zhaodi gets up early in the morning and opens the door, the bucket of water will give her a good drench.


    Just as the two of them were about to leave, Li Zhaodi suddenly shouted angrily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death! Stinking widows!¡±


    The two of them were shocked. They thought that she had woken up. They squatted down and waited for a while, but there were no other movements. It seemed that Li Zhaodi was talking in her sleep.


    The two of them looked at each other and nodded. They went to the foot of the wall and got out.


    On the way back, the two of them smiled knowingly at each other. Mrs. Yang felt a little regretful. ¡°If I had known, I would have brought a bucket of feces.¡±


    As she spoke, she kept shaking her head, looking very regretful.


    Xiaoguo was fine. As long as she could teach her a lesson, anything was fine.


    When the two of them arrived at their respective houses, Mrs. Yang hesitantly said what she wanted to tell her during the day.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, don¡¯t take to heart what that shrew said.¡±


    At first, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t remember what the words were. She tried to think if it was these two words. ¡°A shrew?¡±


    Mrs. Yang scolded Li Zhaodi a few more times and comforted Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo smiled gently. So that was the reason. She had wondered why Mrs. Yang, who was always nice to everyone, would find Li Zhaodi irksome? So it was because she had called her a widow.


    So Mrs. Yang had gone to teach Li Zhaodi a lesson in the middle of the night just because she had called her a widow today?


    The question popped out of her mouth. Mrs. Yang nodded and said, ¡°The more I think about it when I get home, the angrier I get. Since I couldn¡¯t fall asleep, I thought of beating her up again.¡±


    Looking at Mrs. Yang¡¯s angry expression and her chattering mouth, Xiaoguo felt very warm at this moment. It was so good to have someone standing up for her at all times!


    ¡°If Li Zhaodi creates trouble again, I¡¯ll beat her up¡­¡±


    Before Mrs. Yang could finish her words, Xiaoguo gave her a big hug.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s trembling voice thanked her again. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Mrs. Yang came back to her senses and patted Xiaoguo on the back. She smiled and said, ¡°Do you think I address you as a sister for nothing?¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled through her tears. As their children were still at home, the two of them said goodbye and went home.


    Xiaoguo washed her hands first and tiptoed back into the house. The candle on the table was flickering. Xiaoguo used a pair of tweezers to remove the excess wick on the candle. The candle immediately regained its steady glow.


    Xiaoguo put down the tweezers and sat on the bed. She looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. She couldn¡¯t help but feel satisfied. She took off her coat and crawled under the blanket in her underclothes. Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have sensed her presence and rolled into her arms. Xiaoguo patted him and waited for him to fall into deep sleep again. Then she got out of bed and blew out the candle.


    The next day, before dawn.


    Xiaoguo was woken up by the faint sound of cursing coming from outside. When she opened her eyes, Zhuang Zhuang was still sound asleep. Afraid that she would wake him up, Xiaoguo covered him with a blanket and got out of the house.


    Standing in the courtyard, she carefully identified the direction of the voice. It sounded vaguely like Li Zhaodi¡¯s voice. As it was far away, she could only hear a faint voice.


    However, if one listened carefully, they would recognize her voice. After all, there was no one in the village who could speak louder than her.


    She didn¡¯t listen for long before returning to the house. It seemed that their plan had worked.


    When she returned to the room, Zhuang Zhuang was rolling over. Xiaoguo quickly got back to bed and continued with her sleep.


    On the other side, Li Zhaodi was ranting with fervor. ¡°You b*tch, you had better admit it! You black-hearted b*tch! Come out!¡±


    What happened was, Li Zhaodi, had woken up from her sleep before dawn, as her stomach was in pain. She was in a hurry to get to the lavatory, and didn¡¯t notice why the door was left open. When she pushed it, a bucket of cold and smelly swill fell from above and she was drenched from head to toe.


    A light breeze came through the door and she started shivering. Above the neck, she was sneezing, and below the neck, she was having the runs.


    1


    After being tormented for the entire morning, her sharp face became even more prominent.


    Once her stomach got better, she started cursing and screaming in the courtyard. It was a noisy scene.

 Chapter 108 - Cursing Battle

    As Xiaoguo continued to hug Zhuang Zhuang to sleep, Li Zhaodi¡¯s scolding escalated.


    In the beginning, she was ranting in the courtyard. The more she scolded, the louder her voice became. It got so loud that the surrounding families were affected. Some with bad tempers came out of their houses to scold her.


    Halfway through her ranting, Li Zhaodi heard curses coming from next door and her face turned green.


    ¡°Damn you, Widow Song! You must be the one who pulled the prank on me! You deserve to be a widow. No one wants you! Ptui!¡±


    1


    As soon as Widow Song spoke, Li Zhaodi was certain that she was the one who did it. It was because she had pinched Widow Song yesterday. She must be taking revenge on her now. The more Li Zhaodi thought about it, the more she felt that it made sense. Hence, she turned her hostility towards her.


    When Widow Song heard her groundless accusation, she was furious. She had only asked her to keep her voice down. Why is she accusing her now?


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m someone to be trifled with. If I don¡¯t teach her a lesson today, she will really think that Peach Blossom Village is hers!¡±


    The two of them were initially cursing each other in the courtyard. But it wasn¡¯t enough for them to vent their anger, so they came to the wall between their houses and carried on cursing with all their might.


    Widow Song was no pushover. Although her voice was not as loud as Li Zhaodi. her words were much more vicious.


    The two of them went on and on, from dawn to sunrise. Throwing expletives regarding their parents and their ancestors.


    1


    Xiaoguo was washing up and straining to hear what was going on in the distance. The voices were growing fainter. Xiaoguo wondered if they were tired from cursing.


    These two people were really good at throwing insults at each other. From what Xiaoguo had heard, not a single sentence was repeated during the row.


    1


    If Xiaoguo had to do it, she didn¡¯t think she could pull it off.


    On the other side, where the two women were fighting, the more they scolded each other, the more tired they became. Widow Song had been woken up from her sleep and wasn¡¯t in the best shape, let alone Li Zhaodi. For the past few hours, the latter had been wearing the same set of wet clothes. On top of that, her stomach was rumbling, and she was sneezing and farting intermittently.


    1


    Even under such conditions, the two of them did not stop. At a time like this, how could they stop? Whoever stopped would be the loser.


    Even though they were running low on energy, they still carried on with all their might.


    ¡°Widow Song, why are you so upset? Just carry on with your life as a widow!¡±


    ¡°Li Zhaodi! You¡¯re just a hen that doesn¡¯t lay eggs! So what if your man is an official? What can he do when he comes back? No man will want someone like you! Just wait to get divorced!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, you bitch. You¡¯re just jealous that I have a man. That¡¯s true! You childless widow!¡±


    Widow Song¡¯s face darkened. She looked around for a suitable rock to get back at Li Zhaodi. While doing that, her mouth didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Aiyo, what a joke. Hopefully your husband will not come back with a second wife. After all, he¡¯s an official who has money now. Why would he still want someone like you?¡±


    These words had obviously hit Li Zhaodi¡¯s sore spot. Her face turned pale and her body trembled in anger.


    After saying that, Widow Song got hold of a bucket. Using stones and soil would inevitably hurt Li Zhaodi. If she got hurt, she could use her injury to blackmail Widow Song. After much consideration, this was the best plan.


    Widow Song came to one corner of the wall and climbed up the ladder. She held the bucket tightly in her hand and poured out all the contents over the wall.


    Hearing a scream from the other side, Widow Song covered her mouth and giggled. She quickly went down the ladder and ran back into the house.


    ¡°Li Zhaodi, I¡¯ll let you have a taste of my urine!¡±


    Li Zhaodi realized what had just happened. Smelling the stench on her body, she shouted with all her might, ¡°Widow Song!¡±


    1


    Her eyes were wide and bloodshot. The veins on her neck bulged as she stared in the direction of Widow Sung¡¯s house.


    Those words really hit Li Zhaodi¡¯s sore spot. She was always showing off to hide her insecurities. Li Dahai had never liked her in the first place. Now that he had become an official and had all the money, he would look down on her even more!


    ¡°No! I won¡¯t let that happen!¡±


    Li Zhaodi shivered as she felt a light breeze drifting by. Without further delay, she quickly went back to the house to boil water so that she could take a shower. Li Dahai would probably be back in two days. She must not fall sick!


    ¡°Widow Song, I won¡¯t let you off so easily. I¡¯ll keep score for today and will make you pay back three times for what you have done!¡±


    The cursing battle had ended for the time being. The entire village heaved a sigh of relief. Everyone had gotten tired listening to their fight.


    Even though they had heard enough, everyone avoided getting involved with the two of them.


    One had to know that the two women were the best-known shrews in the village. If anyone provoked them, there would be no peace.


    Therefore, anyone would rather bear with them than to get involved. It was better to let them continue with their scolding match.


    There was nothing much to do after Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang finished their breakfast. Xiaoguo worked on stitching up a shoe while watching Zhuang Zhuang study.


    Xiaoguo had asked Mrs. Yang on the steps for making a shoe. Since she had nothing to do, she decided to try making a pair herself.


    As Zhuang Zhuang was reading aloud just beside Xiaoguo, any commotion outside was drowned out by his voice.


    Xiaoguo listened carefully for any noise outside the house. ¡°It seemed quiet now. Have the two of them stopped arguing?¡±


    ¡°It was really amazing that they lasted so long. Wouldn¡¯t their mouths feel dry?¡±


    Because of Li Zhaodi¡¯s misfortune, Xiaoguo was in a good mood the entire day. Even Zhuang Zhuang noticed Xiaoguo¡¯s good mood.


    ¡°Mother, why are you so happy?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang put down the book in his hand and looked at Xiaoguo, who was humming a song. He wondered what had come over his mother. She had been very happy since she woke up this morning.


    ¡°Mother is happy whenever she sees Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Xiaoguo teased Zhuang Zhuang. As expected, Zhuang Zhuang blushed when he heard that. ¡°I¡¯m also happy to see you, Mother. I¡¯m very happy.¡±


    Xiaoguo was touched and gave him a kiss. Looking at her sensible son, she felt emotional. She was so lucky to have such an obedient, warm, handsome, and cute son.


    ¡°Go on a read for a while more.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and picked up his book to continue reading.


    On the other side, Li Zhaodi had taken a hot bath and had put on a set of clean clothes. That wasn¡¯t all. Even though the weather wasn¡¯t too cold now, she actually started heating up the brick bed.


    As the bed heated up, she quickly crawled under the covers and covered herself tightly. In her hand was a glass of ginger water.


    She wondered if her luck was down, or if her physique was too weak. Even though she was keeping warm like this, she seemed to have caught a cold.


    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have a fever. There was just some coughing and sneezing.


    Even so, Li Zhaodi acted as if she was facing a great enemy. She took all kinds of medicinal herbs and medicinal soups. The brick bed was also kept heated all day long.


    One should never take things to the extreme, as it will always backfire. Although Li Zhaodi had recovered from her cold, she ended up with a heaty constitution.


    Her throat was so sore that she couldn¡¯t speak. Her mouth was full of blisters and her lips were peeling and bleeding. Pimples were popping out all over her face. She was in a worse state than before.


    Li Zhaodi paced around anxiously. Her husband was almost back. How could she see him in this state?


    Being sick and anxious, her symptoms did not improve. Instead, they became worse.

 Chapter 109 - Zhuang Zhuangs Odd Behavior Part 1

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen Li Zhaodi recently?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? I heard that Widow Song splashed urine all over her that day.¡±


    The woman covered her mouth when she heard this. Her face was filled with glee. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I heard it from Widow Song!¡±


    The other woman was also snickering and gloating, as if Li Zhaodi¡¯s misfortune was their joy.


    As the two women spoke, they walked into the distance. They were always hanging around Li Zhaodi and fawning over her. Would Li Zhaodi know that these two were talking about her behind her back?


    Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang were nearby when they overheard the conversation. They looked at each other and shook their heads. Li Zhaodi was quite pitiful, but she had brought this upon herself. She didn¡¯t deserve any sympathy.


    Xiaoguo continued to bend over and cut the grass. Mrs. Yang sat on the donkey cart and chatted idly. After the two women had walked away, Mrs. Yang said, ¡°Mrs. Song has done what I wanted to do. It¡¯s perfect. Haha.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked around helplessly. Fortunately, no one was nearby. Otherwise, there could be dire consequences.


    Mrs. Yang looked around. There were quite a number of people spending their time outdoors. Li Zhaodi was no longer among the group gathered under the trees. It seemed that she was behaving herself now.


    ¡°Do you think Li Zhaodi got scared? That shouldn¡¯t be the case. With her personality, how could she succumb to Widow Song?¡±


    Mrs. Yang had not seen her for the past few days. It seemed rather strange.


    Xiaoguo nodded. Li Zhaodi didn¡¯t seem like the type to hold back. Besides, wouldn¡¯t she be thinking of ways to get back at Widow Song for treating her like this?


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s planning revenge secretly at home.¡±


    After Xiaoguo finished saying those words, Mrs. Yang thought it was probably true and continued with their conversation.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, since Brother Yang and your brother-in-law are coming back, shouldn¡¯t you prepare some good food?¡±


    Xiaoguo put down her scythe. The basket was already filled with grass. It was time to go back.


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she blushed. She was obviously looking forward to her man¡¯s return. ¡°I had already made preparations!¡±


    Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Mrs. Yang had bought a lot of things from the market. As they didn¡¯t eat much during the festival, there was enough food at home to last for another ten days.


    Mrs. Yang had been looking forward to her husband¡¯s return. When her mother-in-law heard about the news, she was overjoyed and looked forward to the return of her two sons.


    Xiaoguo continued to talk to Mrs. Yang. She couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for her. She had two men in her family, and they had both returned safely. This was a joyous occasion. Other men had lost their lives, but Mrs. Yang¡¯s husband, Yang Feng, and his brother, Yang Jia, were still alive.


    Xiaoguo turned the donkey cart around and looked for Zhuang Zhuang. They had come out together just now. She went to cut some grass while Zhuang Zhuang herded the cows on the other side. Now that she has finished cutting the grass, Zhuang Zhuang should be done too. It was time to pack up and go home.


    Mrs. Yang¡¯s eyes were sharp. She saw Zhuang Zhuang walking back slowly at a glance. She pointed him out to Xiaoguo. When Xiaoguo saw him, she called out to him loudly.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard her, he led the two cows and quickened his pace towards Xiaoguo.


    Mrs. Yang exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent. ¡°Xiaoguo, your cows are growing too fast!¡±


    Xiaoguo was curious about what Mrs. Yang was exclaiming about. When she heard what Mrs. Yang was saying, she looked at the cows. Usually, Zhuang Zhuang was in charge of herding the cows. She had not paid much attention to them. Now that she was looking at them, it really seemed the case. Zhuang Zhuang was walking in the middle with two cows on either side. They were becoming twice as tall as Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was chubby, looked much smaller in contrast beside the cows. It seemed that Zhuang Zhuang had to stop herding the cows soon. The cows were getting bigger and bigger, but Zhuang Zhuang definitely could not grow as fast. Xiaoguo was afraid that if the cows got much stronger, Zhuang Zhuang would not be able to hold on to them. He could fall badly if the cows charged forward.


    Since she had time, she would take over the herding herself. After the new year, it was also time for Zhuang Zhuang to enter school.


    Speaking of going to school, Xiaoguo suddenly remembered something. She didn¡¯t know if Su Hui and Tang Zhu were home. She had tried visiting them twice, but no one was there. She wanted to ask them about Teacher Kong.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I make another trip to the county in the next two days and pay her a visit?¡± Xiaoguo made up her mind and Zhuang Zhuang had just walked to her side.


    The three of them went back together. Mrs. Yang was extremely happy along the way. She chatted non-stop with Xiaoguo. Nowadays, she looks like a young girl in love with her constantly rosy cheeks.


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t just Mrs. Yang. Recently, all the other women in Peach Blossom Village seemed to be glowing with happiness. Xiaoguo thought that it made sense. It had been more than three years since anyone saw their husbands. It was definitely something that they should look forward to.


    However, there were a group of women who were sad. About half of the female population in the village were widows. At the beginning, things were fine. Knowing that the men were all on the battlefield with their fates unknown, all the women were able to find comfort in each other. But now that all the surviving men were coming back, the dynamics in the village was completely broken. The widows were all upset. Even friends who were usually close to each other have stopped hanging out because of this reason.


    There was almost no one who shared a relationship like Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang.


    Along the way home, they could tell that those who were sitting under the trees were definitely widows. This was because those with returning husbands should be busy packing up to welcome their men home.


    Mrs. Yang, who was looking all glowy, walked alongside Xiaoguo. As expected, the women seated on either side of the pavement looked in their direction with hatred in their eyes. However, their gazes were directed at Mrs. Yang.


    When Xiaoguo noticed this, she slowed down and tried to block Mrs. Yang, who was behind her. When the other women saw Xiaoguo, they rolled their eyes and looked away. Qin Xiaoguo was also a widow like them.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t care. So what if she was a widow? She had a son. Why would she need a man?


    When they got home, Xiaoguo had just tied up the donkey cart when Zhuang Zhuang followed her and asked the question he had been wanting to ask. ¡°Mother, why does Aunt look so happy today?¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and continued walking towards the kitchen. Her mouth was slightly open as she thought about how to explain to Zhuang Zhuang that Mrs. Yang was happy because her husband was coming back.


    ¡°Because¡­ because Aunt is just happy.¡±


    This was as good as saying nothing¡­


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s gaze, Xiaoguo said again, ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not the only reason. There¡¯s also the fact that Xiaohua and Xiaohu¡¯s father is coming back.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he only responded coldly and returned to the house.


    Xiaoguo was already prepared and waiting for Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s question. But what was that?


    She stopped cutting the chives and looked at the boy¡¯s departing figure. She was puzzled. What was up with him?


    Xiaoguo rubbed her head hard and lowered her hands softly. She had been thinking about the same question for the past two days. What was wrong with Zhuang Zhuang?


    This kid hasn¡¯t even reached puberty yet. Why is he so difficult to understand¡­


    She opened her mouth, wanting to call Zhuang Zhuang back, but in the end, she didn¡¯t. Even if she asked him, he definitely wouldn¡¯t tell her the reason. This kid¡¯s mouth was tight. If he didn¡¯t want to say it, she wouldn¡¯t be able to pry it out even with a crowbar.


    As Xiaoguo cut the leeks, she thought about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s abnormal behavior. When did he start being like this¡­

 Chapter 110 - Zhuang Zhuangs Odd Behavior Part 2

    Right! It started from that day¡­


    Xiaoguo suddenly remembered that Zhuang Zhuang started behaving like this when he returned from the county that day.


    ¡°What did they do again on that day?¡±


    Oh, right. Xiaoguo remembered. Was Zhuang Zhuang unhappy that he didn¡¯t get to stay with Qin Anming and had to come back early?


    That was impossible. Zhuang Zhuang was definitely not like that.


    Xiaoguo immediately dismissed the idea. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s love for her was real. Although he liked his uncle very much, she was definitely number one on his list. She was very sure of that.


    ¡°Then what could it be?¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped cutting the leeks and stared blankly at the knife in her hand. At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang came over. As soon as he entered, he said to Xiaoguo, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Xiaoguo was startled and her hands jerked. The knife nearly cut her hands. Seeing this, Zhuang Zhuang quickly ran over and grabbed Xiaoguo¡¯s hand to check. He felt even more regretful. Why did he suddenly make a sound and scare his mother?


    Xiaoguo comforted Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Zhuang Zhuang, look at my hands. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang checked carefully to make sure that there was no blood before he felt assured.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s earlier thoughts were suddenly interrupted. Now all she could think about was cooking. Zhuang Zhuang was hungry.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, beat the eggs. We¡¯ll have chives, eggs, and dumplings.¡±


    Xiaoguo hurriedly chopped the chives and instructed Zhuang Zhuang to beat the eggs. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s expression remained the same as he nodded obediently.


    Night came. Xiaoguo, who was preparing to sleep, had just put Zhuang Zhuang to bed. She had just blown out the candles and was laying on the pillow when her mind suddenly cleared up. She remembered something!


    Xiaoguo turned to look at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sleeping face and felt a little upset. So that was what had happened.


    When Zhuang Zhuang stopped in the county to look at the notice board, he could recognize the words on it. From then on, Zhuang Zhuang looked like he had a lot on his mind.


    Xiaoguo thought carefully about the details. During the first notice, Zhuang Zhuang was still fine. He even joked with Xiaoguo. When the second notice was posted, Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have stopped talking.


    The second letter was about the ordinary people in the military camp being allowed to return to their hometown. Did Zhuang Zhuang remember his father, whom he had never met?


    This explains why he was so depressed.


    But what should she do? Xiaoguo really didn¡¯t know how to resolve this matter. Zhuang Zhuang missed his father. Where is she going to find a father for him?


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s fair and tender face, Xiaoguo had a sleepless night for once. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. She only managed to close her eyes at dawn.


    But she was soon woken up by a commotion outside. Xiaoguo sat up abruptly. Her mind was in a daze and her vision was a patch of black. Startled, she quickly lay down and closed her eyes to rest.


    ¡°Oh my, this is bad.¡± The bout of dizziness almost made her pass out.She really shouldn¡¯t get abruptly out of bed.


    As Xiaoguo closed her eyes to rest, the noise outside seemed to have grown louder again. Xiaoguo listened carefully, but she couldn¡¯t hear much. She could only hear the occasional faint cries.


    Xiaoguo got out of bed and put on her clothes. Without waking Zhuang Zhuang up, she went out alone to see what was going on.


    When she opened the door of the room, she could hear weeping sounds coming from outside the courtyard even more clearly now. It was accompanied by muffled voices. Frowning, Xiaoguo walked towards the front door. What was happening?


    She had just opened the door and was walking towards the source of the voice, when she bumped into Mrs. Yang, who was just coming out of her door. It was obvious that Mrs. Yang had also been woken up by the noise.


    ¡°Sister-in-law.¡±


    Mrs. Yang sighed and followed Xiaoguo.


    Along the way, the two of them speculated about the reason. When they arrived, they saw a few men who had returned together standing in front of their respective houses. The women who had been waiting for their return were crying at the door.


    Finally seeing the person they had been thinking about day and night, the women had tears on their faces, but they were also smiling. Even the children were happily nestled in their fathers¡¯ arms.


    Xiaoguo knew the reason at a glance. It turned out that a few men had come back together. Xiaoguo had thought that the men would all come back in a large group but it turned out that they were coming back in individual groups.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t feel anything. When Mrs. Yang saw this scene, she was so excited that she was almost in tears. She tried her best to look into the crowd to see if her husband was among them.


    Xiaoguo was worried about Zhuang Zhuang. Seeing that Mrs. Yang was still standing there with no intention of leaving, Xiaoguo had no choice but to let her know that she was leaving.


    On the way back, she saw some women in the village running out of their houses towards the entrance of the village. Since there were already men coming back, their men should definitely be back soon.


    Everyone was dressed up and were rushing to the village entrance to wait for their husbands.


    Among them was Li Zhaodi, who had not appeared for a long time. Her anger had only subsided recently. Fortunately, she managed to recover before the men returned.


    At this moment, she was wearing a set of new clothes. Her hair was styled and her face was powdered.


    When she passed by Xiaoguo, she glared at her, but didn¡¯t stop to say anything else. She was in a hurry to get to the village entrance, so she didn¡¯t have time to spend on Qin Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo looked at her in confusion. Why did Li Zhaodi¡¯s clothes look so familiar?


    She looked down at herself. ¡°Those look just like my clothes.¡±


    In ancient times, there were also copycats¡­


    Xiaoguo shook her head helplessly and walked home.


    When she got home, Zhuang Zhuang had just woken up. His big eyes were rolling around, and he happened to meet Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Mother, why is it so noisy outside?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang got up and leaned against the bedpost. Xiaoguo walked over, thinking about what to say.


    ¡°Some of the men have returned from the army.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, Zhuang Zhuang nodded without any surprise in his eyes.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes darkened. As expected, Zhuang Zhuang had recognized the words on the notice. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be so calm.


    What happened in the morning did not affect Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang at all. The two of them continued with their daily routine.


    Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have forgotten about this matter. He returned to his normal state and continued joking around with Xiaoguo.


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t appear worried, but she was actually worried sick.


    Zhuang Zhuang was definitely not as calm as he looked on the surface, and she was helpless because she had no way to resolve it.


    If Zhuang Zhuang was tired, she could give him a massage. If he was hungry, she could cook. But he was missing his father now. Xiaoguo really had no solution.


    She didn¡¯t know why Zhuang Zhuang was so hung up about his father. He must be yearning for fatherly love in his heart. And fatherly love was something that couldn¡¯t be replaced by her maternal love.


    Xiaoguo really had no choice at this moment. Zhuang Zhuang would definitely not take the initiative to tell her, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything out of him.


    But looking at Zhuang Zhuang, who has something bothering him at such a young age, she really didn¡¯t feel good.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll see if there are any eggs.¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could say anything, Zhuang Zhuang interrupted her.


    With that, Zhuang Zhuang ran out. Xiaoguo sat alone on the bed and looked at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s small figure. ¡°Sigh, what an unsolvable problem¡­¡±

 Chapter 111 - Zhuang Zhuangs Odd Behavior Part 3

    Xiaoguo happened to bump into Mrs. Yang when she was on her way back from herding the cows. She was about to call out to her but then she swallowed her words.


    Walking beside Mrs. Yang was a dark-skinned man. Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and could sense romance in the air. Xiaoguo nodded knowingly. This must be her husband, Yang Feng. So he¡¯s back. No wonder she hadn¡¯t seen Mrs. Yang in a while.


    It was better not to call her and let the couple enjoy their time together.


    Zhuang Zhuang walked beside Xiaoguo and tugged at her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiaoguo grabbed his little hand and led the cows home.


    Along the way, they noticed that the originally quiet Peach Blossom Village was bustling with activity. This was probably due to the fact that the men in the village were returning one after another.


    Xiaoguo was not used to seeing the presence of men in the village but there was nothing she could do about it.


    A few days later, while Xiaoguo was bending over and sweeping the floor, she saw Zhuang Zhuang sighing to himself. The boy had not gone out of the house for a few days.


    This could not go on. Xiaoguo decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with Zhuang Zhuang. Although he was young, his thinking was mature. She had to talk to him.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, why don¡¯t you go play with Brother Xiaohu?¡±


    Xiaoguo poured a glass of water for Zhuang Zhuang and sat down beside him.


    Zhuang Zhuang had been writing for the entire morning. There was now a thick stack of rice paper on the desk. On normal days, when he had nothing to do in the morning, he would go and play with Xiaohu. However, he had not gone out for the past few days. To be precise, he had only gone out with Xiaoguo, but not by himself.


    ¡°I am going to finish copying the whole book, so I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t believe him at all. ¡°Oh,¡± she said and nodded casually.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, do you miss Daddy?¡±


    Xiaoguo did not beat around the bush. She preferred to throw straight balls.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand paused, leaving an abrupt ink dot among the neatly written verse.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was silent, Xiaoguo did some self-reflection for the first time. Was she being too direct? She was thinking about how to rephrase the question.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother, what kind of person is Daddy?¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned. Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s serious gaze, she was at a loss for words. What kind of person was Jiang Danhe?


    ¡°He¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo tried to remember the man in her memory, but she only had a vague impression. She could barely remember his appearance.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was silent, Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious. He really wanted to know what his father was like.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ a very filial person. A responsible man.¡±


    From memory, Xiaoguo recalled that he had dug a well in the courtyard for his mother¡¯s sake. He was a filial man.


    When he was captured, he didn¡¯t beg for mercy like the others. He kept mentioning things about his wife and mother, so he was a responsible person.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe should be a good man,¡± Xiaoguo thought.


    Zhuang Zhuang listened to Xiaoguo¡¯s description and tried to imagine his father¡¯s image.


    ¡°What else? What does he look like?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked Xiaoguo anxiously.


    Xiaoguo frowned slightly. What did he look like? In her memory, the previous owner had only seen him on the night of their wedding. That night, the bride¡¯s veil was lifted under the dim candlelight. The previous owner was too embarrassed to look at his face. After one night of conjugal union, she had only taken one look when she woke up in the morning. But before she could take a closer look, Jiang Danhe was taken away.


    So when Zhuang Zhuang asked her about his appearance, Xiaoguo was really a little unsure.


    ¡°He¡­ Zhuang Zhuang has his eyes, his nose, and his mouth,¡±


    Xiaoguo said ambiguously. Zhuang Zhuang was clearly not satisfied with this explanation¡­


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Xiaoguo sighed. She had really tried her best¡­ This was too hard for her.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang continued to urge Xiaoguo to say more. He looked at Xiaoguo with his big watery eyes¡ªit was making her flustered.


    ¡°How about we go visit Uncle?¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of Qin Anming. He definitely remembered Jiang Danhe¡¯s appearance. This was because Qin Anming was the one who talked to Jiang Danhe during the matchmaking session.


    So he must still remember what Jiang Danhe looked like! That¡¯s right! He should, right?


    Xiaoguo was still full of confidence just now, but it had been a long time since they last met. What if Qin Anming had forgotten¡­


    Forget it. It should be better than her memory anyway. After all, he had met Jiang Danhe many times. He should do better than her.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard that Xiaoguo was looking for his uncle, he was not happy as he usually would. Why did his mother suddenly decide to go look for his uncle? Was she trying to change the topic?


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m serious. Don¡¯t change the subject.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang frowned. His eyes were wide open. He was serious!


    Xiaoguo burst out laughing. ¡°You actually know what changing the subject means. Haha.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, no, I¡¯m not changing the subject. I just want Uncle to tell you what your father looks like. After all, your uncle is better with words,¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped smiling and explained seriously when she saw Zhuang Zhuang glaring at her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang put down the book and was intending to set off with Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo grabbed the bedpost with all her might. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, it¡¯s already noon. It¡¯s time to eat. We¡¯ll go tomorrow. Tomorrow, tomorrow.¡±


    Why was this little rascal so strong?! She almost tripped from all that tugging.


    With Xiaoguo¡¯s repeated assurances, Zhuang Zhuang finally calmed down and took deep breaths to calm down.


    Zhuang Zhuang finally realized that his mother was good in every way, but she never kept her word, especially when it involved bringing him to visit his uncle. She always said that she would do it in two days¡¯ time.


    Xiaoguo sat on the bed and looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was panting heavily. What a rascal! What an impulsive child! He¡¯s a true blue Tiger baby!


    She rubbed her arms that were tugged by Zhuang Zhuang. He was really quite strong. He had not grown in vain.


    Mother and son stared at each other.


    Before dawn the next day, Xiaoguo was woken up by Zhuang Zhuang.


    When she opened her eyes, she saw that the sky was still dark. What was going on?


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Mother, Mother, it¡¯s time to set off!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang did not sleep much the entire night. All he could think about was what his father looked like.


    ¡°It¡¯s still dark, baby. Sleep a little longer.¡±


    Xiaoguo coaxed Zhuang Zhuang and finally managed to get him under the covers. She reached out and patted his back, wanting to coax him to sleep again.


    However, Zhuang Zhuang was wide awake and as agile as a loach. His entire body was wriggling.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t sleep anymore. She had completely woken up.


    ¡°Mother, shall we go?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pleaded with Xiaoguo in a pitiful voice. Xiaoguo was unmoved. It was useless to say anything. It was impossible for her to go so early. When she gets there, it will be rush hour at the restaurant. There would definitely be a lot of customers and Qin Anming would be too distracted.


    Xiaoguo remained lying on the bed, begging and kissing Zhuang Zhuang.


    She told him that she would start making breakfast when the sun was up. Zhuang Zhuang was very anxious. He looked at Xiaoguo accusingly and said, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re treating me worse by the day.¡±


    Xiaoguo did not even look up as she proceeded to say something shocking.


    ¡°We¡¯re already on familiar terms, why should we be so polite to each other?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t hear her and asked her to repeat her words. Xiaoguo smiled and shook her head. ¡°Nothing, nothing. Hehe.¡±


    Xiaoguo was acting like a rogue. She stopped talking and refused to get out of bed.


    When Zhuang Zhuang was tested to his limits, Xiaoguo finally got up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    If she continued teasing him, Zhuang Zhuang would cry. ¡°Let¡¯s take our time on the way there. I shall not make breakfast anymore. We¡¯ll just eat in the county.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was the first to get out of bed. He had already gotten dressed.


    As Xiaoguo watched Zhuang Zhuang leave the room, she let out a sigh.


    She hoped that Qin Anming still remembered Jiang Danhe¡¯s face¡­

 Chapter 112 - Hurry to the County

    ¡°Mother, why are you so slow?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang anxiously urged Xiaoguo to quickly place her order.


    From the minute Xiaoguo left the house, she had been driving the donkey cart at a leisurely pace. Occasionally, she would come down to walk the donkey. No matter how Zhuang Zhuang urged her, she remained unmoved.


    The little boy got up anxiously from Xiaoguo¡¯s arms.


    As soon as he left her arms, Xiaoguo got down and walked with the donkey again.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, don¡¯t be anxious. Look at the time. It¡¯s still dark. We can take our time.¡±


    It was still early. If they headed to the county at normal speed, they would probably arrive at dawn.


    No matter how Zhuang Zhuang hurried her, Xiaoguo continued to take her time. She drove the donkey cart slowly towards the county.


    After dawn broke, it took a while more before they saw the county gate. When they entered the county, Xiaoguo did not follow Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s request to visit Qin Anming first. Instead, she found a wonton stall and ordered two bowls of wontons.


    Xiaoguo had woken up before dawn and had traveled quite a distance. Now that the warm wontons were in her stomach, it felt really wonderful.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was eating the wonton that Xiaoguo had handed to him. Afraid that he would be scalded by the dumpling, she blew on it before giving it to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat. We¡¯ll go after we are done.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew what Zhuang Zhuang was going to say. She promised to bring him to Qin Anming after their meal.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and ate the wontons that Xiaoguo had managed to cool down.


    Although Xiaoguo had already cooled the wontons, they had been taken fresh out of the hot soup. As much as Xiaoguo had tried to cool them, they were still rather hot. No matter how anxious Zhuang Zhuang was, he still had to blow on the wontons before eating.


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was blowing hard at his food, and secretly laughed. This was the reason why she brought him to eat wontons. The wontons came with hot soup, so naturally it would take some time to finish them.


    By the time they reach the restaurant, Qin Anming would be free to talk to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo put down her bowl and gulped down the last bit of soup. She sighed. It felt so good. Her body was feeling warm all over. The morning chill had been chased away by the hot wonton soup.


    After Zhuang Zhuang was done eating, Xiaoguo called for the boss to settle the bill. She put down the six copper coins and left. She should eat more of such delicious food in future.


    Now it was time to get going.


    Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t wait to get on the donkey cart. Xiaoguo told him to sit tight and started driving.


    Xiaoguo had barely come to a stop at the entrance of the restaurant when Zhuang Zhuang jumped off the donkey cart. Xiaoguo was shocked and wanted to give him a piece of her mind. However, when she turned around, she saw him running away.


    Sigh¡­


    Xiaoguo tied up the donkey cart before walking in.


    As soon as she entered, he saw Zhuang Zhuang holding Qin Anming¡¯s hand and walking towards the backyard.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s timing was just right. Ruyi and the others were resting.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo.¡±


    Ruyi waved for Xiaoguo to sit down. Xiaoguo nodded and sat down.


    ¡°What is up with Zhuang Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Ruyi asked Xiaoguo curiously. As soon as Zhuang Zhuang entered the house, he pulled Qin Anming into the house anxiously.


    When Xiaoguo heard Ruyi¡¯s question, she shook her head helplessly and told her what had happened.


    Ruyi knew that Xiaoguo¡¯s man had died on the battlefield. Zhuang Zhuang had never seen his father since he was born. Upon hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, she felt empathy for the boy and her heart ached for him.


    ¡°Hey, what do you think we should do?¡±


    It was rare for Xiaoguo to be troubled. She really did not know how to untie the knot in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s heart.


    When Ruyi heard this, she felt a little down as well. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is in the same situation as me when I was young. Back then, I would always ask to see my mother.¡±


    Ruyi held her face in her left hand and traveled back to her memories.


    ¡°At that time, I was still young and often played with the children from the surrounding shops until the sky turned dark. At that time, the kids¡¯ mothers would come and call them home for dinner. Unlike them, I only had my father. At that time, I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. I felt very aggrieved, so I kept asking my father to bring my mother back. Every time I said that, my father would cry. At that time, I didn¡¯t understand. When I grew up and knew what was going on, I stopped looking for my mother. I felt that having a father was enough for me.¡±


    Xiaoguo listened to her quietly. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, don¡¯t worry too much. The boy is still young. Of course he will want his parents. Now that the men from your village are back, Zhuang Zhuang will feel uncomfortable when he sees them. Things will get better when he grows up.¡±


    After hearing what Ruyi had said, Xiaoguo just nodded and said nothing.


    People would always put things off and let time take its course. But was this really the right thing to do?


    Xiaoguo looked at the silence in Ruyi¡¯s eyes and realized something. Things had only faded when she grew up, they were not forgotten.


    Feeling that the atmosphere was a little gloomy, Xiaoguo changed the subject. ¡°By the way, how have you been? Are you tired?¡±


    Ruyi was woken up by Xiaoguo¡¯s voice and quickly regained her senses.


    ¡°Not bad. I go through the same routine every day.¡±


    Ruyi was the happiest when it came to business. She immediately pushed aside her feelings of melancholy.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, do you know which meatball is sold the most?¡±


    Ruyi looked at Xiaoguo mysteriously.


    The most? Xiaoguo shook her head, indicating that she had no idea.


    ¡°It¡¯s pork balls with gravy!¡±


    Once she mentioned it, Xiaoguo nodded in understanding. ¡°So that was it.¡±


    ¡°The diners responded by saying that it was delicious and that there was soup oozing into their mouths.¡±


    Ruyi rattled on happily while Xiaoguo listened attentively. Feedback from customers is very important.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Ruyi and the others could make very good meatballs, but it would be wonderful if there were cuttlefish sausages. Thinking about the crisp texture made her mouth water. She wondered if there were any cuttlefish or seafood available here.


    Seeing Xiaoguo sigh, Ruyi thought that something was up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It would be great if there were cuttlefish.¡±


    Xiaoguo told Ruyi what was on her mind. Perhaps Ruyi would know what she was thinking about.


    Xiaoguo looked at Ruyi expectantly, hoping she would say that she knew.


    ¡°Cuttlefish? What is it?¡±


    ¡°A fish with ink? That is so strange.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. They don¡¯t know what cuttlefish is¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Ruyi helplessly. But, she went on. ¡°It¡¯s seafood. Something from the sea.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t people ever go to sea here? It shouldn¡¯t be the case.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Ruyi shook her head.


    ¡°There are people who go out to sea in small fishing villages. They go fishing in the sea and will bring back their catch to eat or sell,¡±


    Qin Anming suddenly said from behind them.


    Xiaoguo turned around in surprise. Zhuang Zhuang was happily hugging Qin Anming¡¯s neck and waving at her. Qin Anming looked like he had settled the problem.


    Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows. No way. Qin Anming really remembered what Jiang Danhe looked like. That was great!


    When Ruyi heard this, she tilted her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that they were sold in the county.¡±


    Qin Anming put Zhuang Zhuang down and got him to look for Xiaoguo.


    ¡°It should be sold directly to the capital. Not many people from the county would eat this. I heard that it¡¯s quite expensive.¡±


    Qin Anming was just guessing. He wasn¡¯t too sure about the main reason. He had only heard that the food from the sea was more expensive, so most people in Yonghai County couldn¡¯t afford it. Seafood was usually transported directly to the capital or to a larger city. There were more rich people there, and they enjoyed trying interesting food since they had more money.


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°I see.¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t surprised. Yonghai County was indeed a small place. Its population was less than half of its neighboring county, so the consumption rate was low. Seafood was also sold at several times the price of pork, so people would rather eat pork. Pork was more affordable and delicious. Therefore, who would want to eat seafood that was not as substantial?

 Chapter 113 - Hurry Home

    ¡°The food in the sea is basically only eaten by rich families or high-ranking officials. It is also sometimes given as a tribute to the emperor.¡±


    Ling Long explained that when she was working in the capital, the master of the house had specially bought seafood for other bureaucrats. He would also send people to look for novel delicacies from the sea and give them as tribute to the emperor. Sometimes, the servants even get to try some of the seafood.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know that seafood was so difficult to get here. If she wanted to eat it, wouldn¡¯t she have to go fishing?


    When Ruyi heard this, her interest was piqued. She didn¡¯t know anything about seafood. Once she found out that Ling Long knew about it, she quickly got her to tell her more.


    Zhuang Zhuang shook Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and gestured for her to lower her head.


    Xiaoguo lowered her head and put her ear beside his mouth to hear what he had to say.


    ¡°Mother, when are we going back?¡±


    ???


    Xiaoguo was dumbfounded. Did she hear wrongly? Zhuang Zhuang was actually urging her to leave?


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang closely. He is still the same person. They were in the ancient period and not in the era of demons. Could he be a demon disguised as a human?


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang urged Xiaoguo softly.


    What was going on? Was Zhuang Zhuang still the same person? Was he still the same Zhuang Zhuang who would complain once he was taken from Qin Anming?


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang urged again with a childish and trembling voice.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t the only one who got distracted. The others in the restaurant also heard something.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Ruyi gave the pouting boy a teasing look.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard his name, he was stunned. He looked at Ruyi and saw her raising her eyebrows at him. In an instant, his face turned red. Did she just see him wheedling to his mother? Oh no, he was too ashamed to face anyone¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang looked around and realized that everyone was looking at him. He turned his face in embarrassment and hid in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. His small hands were clutching onto Xiaoguo¡¯s clothes tightly.


    Everyone laughed out loud at his actions.


    Zhuang Zhuang grabbed Xiaoguo¡¯s clothes even harder and hid himself.


    Feeling amused, Xiaoguo stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s back. He looked like a kitten with its fur standing on end.


    Zhuang Zhuang was whispering in her arms. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t hear him clearly, so she leaned over and listened carefully.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was amused. ¡°This child is so cute. Hahahaha.¡±


    Seeing that it was getting late, Xiaoguo decided to leave. She should let everyone rest for a while longer. They would start to get busy again at noon.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was refusing to look up, Xiaoguo could only pick him up and bid everyone farewell.


    Qin Anming followed her out. After Xiaoguo put Zhuang Zhuang down, she was intending to ask Qin Anming what he had discussed with Zhuang Zhuang. Why was the boy urging her to go home after he came out?


    But before Xiaoguo could walk over, Zhuang Zhuang held her back and refused to let her leave. Xiaoguo had no choice but to look at Qin Anming, hoping that he would help her out. Unexpectedly, Qin Anming only gave Xiaoguo a look and waved goodbye to them. It seemed like he was asking her to figure it out herself.


    Xiaoguo rolled her eyes at him. Why was he being so mysterious¡­?


    She gave a snort and drove off.


    Qin Anming looked affectionately at Xiaoguo¡¯s childish actions and laughed. She was already a mother, yet she was still so childish.


    Along the way, Zhuang Zhuang was in a hurry to go home. He kept urging Xiaoguo to hurry up.


    Xiaoguo snorted. ¡°Why do I have to listen to you? Besides, who said that we are going home now? I have other things to do.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang knew the way home. This route didn¡¯t look like the one they usually took. This is odd, where are they going?


    ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t we going home?¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head. ¡°No. Let¡¯s go and visit someone first.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked Xiaoguo who she was visiting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Tang Yi¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Yi?!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang suddenly thought of his friend who was the same age. That¡¯s right, they had even agreed for him to come over to see Big Black and Little White!


    Children are forgetful. Zhuang Zhuang was so distracted thinking about his father that he had forgotten about Xiaoyi.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and looked at the wooden door in front of her. The big lock was still hanging on it. It looked as if it had never been opened since the last time.


    Xiaoguo thought that it was a little strange. Had they not returned home after so long?


    Xiaoguo walked over and pushed the door. She felt dust beneath her hands. Xiaoguo looked at the thick layer of dust and touched the lock tentatively. As expected, it was also covered in dust. Xiaoguo guessed right.


    They had not returned during this period.


    According to Su Hui, their family often drifted around and had no fixed residence. Could it be that they had left again?


    Xiaoguo tried to ask around the neighborhood to see if anyone knew their whereabouts. She knocked on a few doors in a row, but no one knew where they had gone.


    Xiaoguo had no choice but to give up. She looked at the closed door and tried to guess where they could be. Perhaps they had really left.


    Zhuang Zhuang was very excited as he thought that he would be able to see Wen Xiaoyi. To his surprise, the door was locked.


    He could not help but feel a little depressed. However, when Xiaoguo said that they were going home, his mood turned for the better.


    That¡¯s right, he had to hurry home. He still had something to do.


    Zhuang Zhuang started hurrying Xiaoguo again to pick up the pace. Xiaoguo watched as the boy changed his facial expressions so quickly as if he was performing the mask-changing opera.


    She gave him a hard knock on the head and waited for him to quieten down before she started steering the cart.


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang, who was sitting obediently and looking straight ahead, she felt a little more satisfied. It seemed that coaxing was useless. She had to convince him using brute force!


    The donkey cart moved in the direction of home. Along the way, when Xiaoguo stopped to buy something, Zhuang Zhuang did not rush her. Satisfied with his behavior, Xiaoguo sped up her journey.


    Despite her teasing, Xiaoguo still tried to hurry back home.


    She wondered what the child was planning to do at home.


    As soon as the donkey cart stopped, Zhuang Zhuang went to open the door with the key. He didn¡¯t wait for Xiaoguo to enter the house like he usually would. After the door was unlocked, he rushed into the house and left the key hanging on the door.


    Xiaoguo desperately wanted to follow him into his room, but she held back. Her son needed privacy too.


    Xiaoguo picked up behind the boy. When she entered the house, she first pulled out the key and kept it. Then, she fed the chickens, ducks, puppies, cows, donkeys, and gathered the eggs.


    When she was done, she headed to the room.


    She did say that she was going to give him some privacy, but well, oh well¡­


    Xiaoguo could not help but lighten her footsteps. She tiptoed towards the room and gently opened the door. She looked inside and did not see Zhuang Zhuang anywhere.


    Hey? Where is he? Isn¡¯t he in the room?


    Xiaoguo was going to open the door wider and look for Zhuang Zhaung.


    At that moment, a voice sounded from behind.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Xiaoguo stiffened and slowly turned around. Zhuang Zhuang had better not ask her why she was squatting there suspiciously and not getting up. If he were to ask, it was because her legs were numb.


    ¡°Hey, Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Xiaoguo pretended that nothing was wrong and smiled as she spoke to Zhuang Zhuang. Who knew that he would be in another room?


    ¡°Mother, why are you squatting?¡±


    Even though Xiaoguo was trying to evade the question, Zhuang Zhuang still asked it. That¡¯s right. Why?


    ¡°Because Mother suddenly had cramps in her leg.¡±


    Xiaoguo had found a perfect excuse, and when Zhuang Zhuang heard it, he immediately came over to help her up. He held her arm and turned his body. Xiaoguo¡¯s entire foot was already numb, but now her lower body had turned completely numb.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo felt like there were countless ants crawling on her lower body. That feeling¡­

 Chapter 114 - Nurturing Motherly Love

    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m fine. Mother is fine.¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted Zhuang Zhuang to let go of her, but he misunderstood. He thought that Xiaoguo was feeling unwell and said those words just to assure him. Hence, he pulled her even harder.


    Xiaoguo said, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, please let me go. I won¡¯t hit your head again.¡±


    Xiaoguo was eventually pulled up by Zhuang Zhuang and ended up sitting down on a stool.


    ¡°Thank you, son¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled at Zhuang Zhuang and thanked him.


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled shyly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Fine, take it as encouragement¡­


    Xiaoguo opened and closed her mouth, but no words came. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to say it. But no one can know why her legs had gone numb.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t speak either while looking at Xiaoguo. His eyes flickered as he looked at her. It looked like he had something to tell her.


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang curiously. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang took out a neatly folded piece of paper and handed it to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo unfolded it. A handsome man¡¯s face appeared on the paper.


    Xiaoguo did not recognize him at first glance. She just thought that he was quite handsome, and looked like an actor.


    She wanted to ask Zhuang Zhuang who this was, but when she looked up, she saw Zhuang Zhuang looking at her excitedly. ¡°Mother, is this Father?¡±


    The word ¡°father¡± was too unfamiliar to him. It took him a while to spit out the word.


    Xiaoguo was stunned. ¡°Was this Jiang Danhe?¡±


    Then, she lowered her head and looked at the person in the painting carefully. It seemed to be the case¡­ those eyes? Xiaoguo looked up at Zhuang Zhuang, they looked so alike¡­


    Xiaoguo had always felt that Zhuang Zhuang took after her, but now, it seems that he resembled Jiang Danhe more.


    ¡°Mother, is this really Father?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tried to get confirmation again.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t too sure. After all, she really couldn¡¯t remember what Jiang Danhe looked like.


    ¡°Did Uncle give you this?¡±


    In the end, Xiaoguo decided to ask about the origin of the painting after much hesitation.


    ¡°Uncle gave it to me. He said an old lady brought it over.¡±


    As Xiaoguo listened to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s narration, she thought to herself, ¡°From the old lady? A matchmaker?¡±


    It was possible that the matchmaker had brought Jiang Danhe¡¯s portrait to propose marriage on his behalf.


    Xiaoguo saw that the paper was old and tattered. It was even a little yellowed and looked quite worn out. She couldn¡¯t be sure if it was used for matchmaking.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s expression and guessed that this was really his father.


    Carefully taking the portrait from Xiaoguo¡¯s hand, he ran back into the house.


    This time, Zhuang Zhuang ran into their bedroom. Curious about what he was going to do, Xiaoguo kicked her feet and realized that they were no longer numb. She got up and walked to the room.


    With her hand on the closed door, she hesitated. In the end, she chose not to enter the house. She pushed the door slightly ajar and looked in.


    She saw Zhuang Zhuang in front of the mirror. He was holding the portrait in one hand and pinching his face with the other. As he compared the two similar faces in the mirror, he kept smiling to himself.


    1


    He seemed to be very satisfied with both faces.


    Xiaoguo closed the door gently and went to the kitchen to cook. She didn¡¯t want to disturb Zhuang Zhuang. Since she couldn¡¯t find a father for him, she would let him compare himself against the portrait. This would count as bonding time with his father.


    With an indescribable feeling in her heart, Xiaoguo went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. When she was done, Zhuang Zhuang had yet to come out of the house. Xiaoguo put down her chopsticks and walked to the door. She pushed the door slightly and looked inside.


    It had been a while, and Zhuang Zhuang was still seated in front of the mirror. He was checking out his reflection and gesturing at the portrait intermittently.


    Xiaoguo closed the door, raised her hand, and lowered it again. Finally, she raised her hand again. Thump, thump, thump.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, come out and eat.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Coming right up!¡±


    Xiaoguo was surprised to hear such a lively voice. What magical powers did Jiang Danhe¡¯s portrait have?


    Xiaoguo returned to the table and scooped out the noodles before setting them on the table.


    When Zhuang Zhuang came out, he couldn¡¯t stop smiling. His cheekbones were about to fly out of his face, Xiaoguo felt a tinge of jealousy.


    ¡°Mother, the food today is so delicious!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had just eaten a mouthful of noodles when he praised Xiaoguo. His facial muscles were so exaggerated that Xiaoguo burst out laughing.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat!¡±


    Xiaoguo picked up a piece of meat for Zhuang Zhuang and placed it in his bowl.


    Zhuang Zhuang was eating very well. He would eat anything that was given to him. He was not picky at all and was extremely easy to feed.


    At night, Xiaoguo went to take a shower first. She gave Zhuang Zhuang a bath only after she was done.


    After carrying him and placing him under the covers, she dried his hair before letting him lie down. She had to use two towels to completely dry his hair.


    Before Zhuang Zhuang got into bed, he ran to look in the mirror. After taking a serious look at his face, he smiled in satisfaction.


    He lay back in bed and pestered Xiaoguo to tell him a story. Xiaoguo thought for a while and decided to tell him a short story about motherly love.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was listening attentively, Xiaoguo felt very happy.


    That¡¯s right. It seemed like she had to tell Zhuang Zhuang more stories about motherly love in the future to consolidate her status as a mother.


    Poor Zhuang Zhuang was still in his sleep and did not know what Xiaoguo was planning. He lay beside her and slept soundly. From time to time, he would even smile.


    Xiaoguo laughed as she watched him. The little fool was quite cute, if one were to ignore the drool dripping from his mouth.


    The next day, a woman¡¯s tragic cries could be heard coming from the village. Xiaoguo was startled awake. Her first reaction was to check if Zhuang Zhuang was alarmed.


    As expected, Zhuang Zhuang was also spooked. Xiaoguo quickly hugged him and patted his back. When he fell asleep again, Xiaoguo let go of him and listened carefully to the sounds outside.


    After a while, Xiaoguo lay down again. She didn¡¯t hear anything again. If Zhuang Zhuang hadn¡¯t been alarmed as well, Xiaoguo would have thought that she was hallucinating.


    She continued lying down and fell asleep next to Zhuang Zhuang. She didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday, so she needs a good sleep this morning.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know if it was because of the cold weather, but recently she was finding it hard to get out of bed. It was always nice and warm under the covers.


    When she opened her eyes again, it was bright outside. The sun was already shining on her butt.


    Xiaoguo got up and looked at Zhuang Zhuang. As expected, he was still asleep. Nowadays, all they do all day is eat and sleep.


    Zhuang Zhuang had obviously grown rounder on his cheeks and stomach. His arms and legs were much thicker than before. He had also grown taller.


    Her current body seemed to be the same as her original body. Once she gained weight, the fats would grow at all the right places.


    After coming here, she was eating well and was always in a good mood, so she had gained a lot of weight. Her waist was fine, but she had grown at two specific parts of her body. Her figure had become more rounded and perky.


    Xiaoguo was rather helpless about this. As long as she gained weight, she would grow at those parts. She had no choice.


    When Xiaoguo was in university, she was really stressed out during the exams, so she relied on eating to relieve her stress. During that period of time, she gained a lot of weight. There was one time when she bumped into a few old ladies while she was passing by the entrance of her neighborhood.


    They didn¡¯t speak when Xiaoguo walked by. Once she was further away, they began chattering about her.


    Xiaoguo had overheard once. Out of all the things they said, everything was about her chest and her butt.

 Chapter 115 - One Versus Two

    Everything they said revolved around her fertility, her hourglass figure, and how she had the perfect body for having baby boys.


    There were too many of such incidents. Each time, Xiaoguo would run away in embarrassment.


    Xiaoguo reached under her clothes and tightened her undergarment, which loosened during her sleep. The string was getting too short for her to secure the garment. After putting on her outer clothes, the chest area felt tight.


    She had to either lose weight or make some new clothes.


    Xiaoguo made a decision!


    Make new clothes¡­


    1


    She could not even get out of bed in the morning. So she should forget about trying to lose weight. How could she give up fish and meat just for that bit of extra weight? It would be such a loss!


    She would rather make more clothes, than go jogging to lose weight.


    Besides, her weight gain was quite obedient. She had gained weight in all the right places. Hers was the type of figure that many would die for. Why should she make things difficult for herself?


    1


    When Xiaoguo got out of bed, there was no sign of Zhuang Zhuang waking up. Since there wasn¡¯t much to do, Xiaoguo covered him with a blanket and let him continue sleeping.


    She went to wash up.


    She had just emptied the basin when there was a knock on the door.


    Xiaoguo went to open the door.


    ¡°Sister-in-law?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang, who was outside the door, and felt a little curious. Ever since her husband, Yang Feng, returned, Mrs. Yang had not visited her for a long time. Not wanting to be intrusive, Xiaoguo did not visit Mrs. Yang either. She wondered why Mrs. Yang was free to come over today.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, I heard that something is happening at Li Zhaodi¡¯s place!¡±


    Mrs. Yang was gloating and asking Xiaoguo to go check out the commotion.


    Ever since Li Zhaodi insulted Xiaoguo with the word widow, Mrs. Yang had regarded her as an enemy. She would mock Li Zhaodi whenever she had the chance. This morning, regardless of who she bumped into, she would tell them about what was happening at Li Zhaodi¡¯s house.


    She went straight to Xiaoguo without even going home.


    ¡°Hey, Sister-in-law¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang dragged Xiaoguo towards Li Zhaodi¡¯s house, seemingly afraid of missing the show.


    Xiaoguo was dragged out of the house. Fortunately, she managed to close the door when she left. Judging from Mrs. Yang¡¯s enthusiasm, she wouldn¡¯t be back anytime soon.


    As they approached Li Zhaodi¡¯s house, they saw that her door was surrounded by people watching the commotion. They were whispering to each other and looking into the house.


    As the door was surrounded by people, Mrs. Yang had to bring Xiaoguo to a higher spot so that she could see the situation in the courtyard.


    As soon as Xiaoguo got on an elevated spot, the first thing she saw was a dark mass of heads.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s lips twisted into a mirthless smile. It turned out that there were quite a number of residents in Peach Blossom Village. She had not seen all these people before. As soon as there was a commotion, everyone came to check things out.


    ¡°Hey, Auntie, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Mrs. Yang stopped a woman who was walking out from the crowd. She looked like she knew what was going on in the house, so Mrs. Yang grabbed her arm and asked.


    ¡°Hey, Li Zhaodi¡¯s man is back!¡± When the woman saw that it was her, she quickly stopped and told her everything she had heard.


    It turned out that Li Zhaodi¡¯s man had returned. However, he had brought back a woman. She was quite beautiful and people have heard that she was a prostitute from a brothel. The three people had been fighting since dawn.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, her eyes almost popped out of their sockets. They were fighting? Li Zhaodi must be quite capable. To think that she could handle two people on her own!


    So those screams that sounded earlier had come from her house?


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she wanted to ask more questions. However, before she could say anything, another loud shout came from the courtyard, followed by curses.


    It was Li Zhaodi¡¯s voice. She still sounded so energetic!


    When the lady saw that something was happening again, she immediately ran into the crowd


    Mrs. Yang was also very curious. Looking at Xiaoguo¡¯s thin arms and legs, Mrs. Yang decided to squeeze in and take a look herself. She was strong and had a strong physique, so she would have no problems squeezing through the crowd. Xiaoguo would probably get stuck once she entered.


    She instructed Xiaoguo to wait for her while she went in first. She would come out and tell her more when she had taken a good look.


    Xiaoguo nodded and watched as Mrs. Yang disappeared.


    Xiaoguo admired her spirit. She definitely could not do this. It was better for her to stand around and listen to the sounds.


    ¡°Li Dahai! You bastard, how can you let me down!¡±


    Li Zhaodi grabbed the woman in Li Dahai¡¯s arms and slapped her. The woman screamed and cursed.


    The woman was released from Li Dahai¡¯s arms and her face was revealed. Her face was covered in scratches. Li Zhaodi had left bloody scratch marks all over her face.


    At first, the woman seemed submissive. She allowed Li Zhaodi to hit and scold her, it seemed like she was powerless to fight back.


    Initially, this was her strategy to stir up Li Dahai¡¯s desire to protect her. However, she slowly realized that Li Dahai was so afraid that he did not even dare to make a sound. He could only hide and tremble in a corner.


    Sensing the woman¡¯s gaze, Li Dahai lowered his head in shame. He is fearful of Li Zhaodi when she gets into a state of frenzy, he can forget about saving the damsel in distress. The red marks on his face were still burning.


    The woman spat at him. How did such a useless thing become an official? He must have gotten lucky. If not for the fact that he still had some money, she would have left him long ago. To think that she even followed him back to this lousy village.


    The woman sneered and grabbed Li Zhaodi¡¯s hand off her hair with all her might. She pushed Li Zhaodi hard and the latter fell to the ground.


    ¡°You!¡±


    Li Zhaodi looked at the woman in surprise. What was going on? She wasn¡¯t fighting back just now. Why was she suddenly so strong?


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to react. She got back on her feet in an instant, and lunged at the woman. She then grabbed her hair with one hand and punched her chest with the other.


    The woman also grabbed and hit her. However, how could she compare to Li Zhaodi, who often worked in the fields?


    In a few moments, she was pressed to the ground. Li Zhaodi sat on top of her and beat her repeatedly.


    She could only try her best to protect her face. There was nothing else she could do.


    When Li Dahai saw his lover being beaten up by his vicious wife, he was driven by a rare stroke of courage. He took three steps forward and pulled Li Zhaodi up.


    Li Dahai had been in the military camp for three years and had some strength. Li Zhaodi was a woman after all. No matter how strong she was, she couldn¡¯t compare against a man.


    ¡°Juan¡¯er, are you alright?¡±


    Li Dahai didn¡¯t even look at Li Zhaodi, who had been thrown to the ground by him. His eyes were filled with pity as he helped the crying woman up on her feet.


    ¡°Brother Dahai¡­ it hurts.¡±


    The woman named Juan¡¯er knew the way to arouse a man¡¯s pity.


    As soon as Li Dahai helped her up, her expression changed. She looked at Li Dahai with tears streaming down her face. Although she still despised his cowardly appearance, this was not the time to talk about it. The most important thing now was to pull Li Dahai into her camp and fight against Li Zhaodi with him.


    Her mind raced as she thought about what to do next.


    When Li Dahai saw that she was crying so pitifully, his heart ached. His masculinity instantly manifested.


    He glared at Li Zhaodi and panted heavily. ¡°Don¡¯t f*cking embarrass yourself. Juan¡¯er is mine. If you accept it, you can stay. If not, just get lost!¡±


    With that, he carried the crying woman back into the house.

 Chapter 116 - Preparing to Build a Bathroom

    ¡°Li Dahai! Li Dahai!¡±


    Li Zhaodi looked at the departing figure with hatred. ¡°Li Dahai, to think that you are capable of this!¡±


    Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little aggrieved. She had been waiting for him at the village entrance since six days ago. After waiting for him day and night, she never would have thought of him coming back with another person.


    It turned out that Li Dahai had arrived in Yonghai County for some time. However, he did not return home. Instead, he went to a brothel and used the fifty taels of silver that the military had given him to buy a prostitute¡¯s freedom. He even brought her back with him. He was prepared to marry her. But what did that make of Li Zhaodi? She had been looking forward happily to Li Dahai¡¯s return, but this was how he treated her!


    Li Zhaodi was filled with hatred!


    ¡°Li Dahai! How can you let me down!¡±


    When she heard the villagers chattering outside, she got angry.


    With bloodshot eyes, she got up without another word and splashed a basin of swill out of her door.


    At first, no one knew what she was going to do. When they saw her carrying the basin, they thought that she was using new tactics for the fight. Hence, everyone continued looking into the courtyard to get a view of the commotion.


    Only Mrs. Yang could tell that something was wrong. Li Zhaodi didn¡¯t look like she was going to settle scores with the two people in the house. Instead, she looked like she was going to settle scores with the people outside her door.


    1


    With this thought in mind, Mrs. Yang made her move and tried to squeeze through the crowd. When she finally walked out of the crowd, the people who were still crowding around the house suddenly fled in all directions and started cursing.


    At that moment, Xiaoguo managed to grab hold of Mrs. Yang in time. Otherwise, she would have been trampled by the crowd.


    Mrs. Yang stood at a safe spot and patted her chest. She looked at the people who were running around and cursing like headless flies. She was glad that Xiaoguo managed to grab her.


    The two of them moved in the same direction as the crowd and walked towards their home together. However, only the two of them were clean. Xiaoguo pulled Mrs. Yang further away from the others in case they accidentally bumped into them.


    The onlookers had been splashed with swill and feces by Li Zhaodi. Fortunately, both of them had dodged in time. Otherwise, they would have ended up wet and smelly like everyone else.


    Along the way, Mrs. Yang told Xiaoguo about the situation inside. Xiaoguo felt a little sorry for Li Zhaodi. She was really unlucky to have met such a man.


    ¡°Sigh, you can¡¯t pity her. You reap what you sow.¡±


    When Mrs. Yang saw Xiaoguo¡¯s expression of pity, she quickly reminded her.


    Xiaoguo was speechless. She wasn¡¯t that much of a saint actually. Then, she pretended to roll her eyes at Mrs. Yang. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not stupid.¡±


    Mrs. Yang patted Xiaoguo¡¯s arm in amusement.


    The two of them parted ways and went home separately. Just before going off, Xiaoguo saw Mrs. Yang¡¯s expression and guessed that she would be sharing the gossip with her family.


    Xiaoguo laughed. Mrs. Yang was really a gossip.


    When she got home, Zhuang Zhuang had already woken up and was getting dressed. When he saw Xiaoguo, he quickly said aggrievedly, ¡°Mother, where have you been¡­?¡±


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s pouting mouth, it seemed long enough for her to hang some sausages. ¡°Mother went to look for Mrs. Yang for a walk.¡±


    Xiaoguo sat on the bed and helped Zhuang Zhuang get dressed.


    Zhuang Zhuang obediently raised his arms so that Xiaoguo could dress him. He enjoyed his mother¡¯s show of affection towards him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you when I opened my eyes¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was actually okay, he was just seeking her affections.


    Xiaoguo kissed him softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. I won¡¯t do it again¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang accepted Xiaoguo¡¯s kiss happily. He was rather speechless at Xiaoguo¡¯s assurances, because she was always saying next time. The last time she had said next time, and this time round, she also said next time.


    Xiaoguo kept grinning at Zhuang Zhuang in an attempt to please him. Only then did he magnanimously ¡°forgive¡± her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and cook.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded happily and got out of bed to put on his shoes. He held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and wandered to the kitchen.


    At noon, Xiaoguo finally managed to coax Zhuang Zhuang to take his nap. She had read an article before that children need sleep to grow. In order for Zhuang Zhuang to grow taller, Xiaoguo always tried to make him take a nap.


    Just as she covered Zhuang Zhuang with a blanket, there was a knock on the door.


    Xiaoguo hurried out, afraid that the puppy¡¯s barking would wake Zhuang Zhuang up.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked as she opened the door.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, me.¡±


    Mrs. Yang? Xiaoguo recognized the voice.


    ¡°Sister-in-law? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, didn¡¯t you say something about building a bathroom at home?¡±


    Mrs. Yang thought about what Xiaoguo had told her some time ago. She was thinking about building a bathroom in the courtyard. At first, she didn¡¯t know what it was. After listening to Xiaoguo¡¯s explanation, she realized that it was a wooden hut where one could take a bath.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Xiaoguo said happily. Some time ago, she had asked Mrs. Yang to help her find someone who knew how to build houses. It would save her the trouble of looking for someone in the county. If the builders were from the county, she would have to take care of their food and accommodation. Moreover she was a widow living alone, others would gossip if they saw any strangers living in her house. Therefore, she should just look for someone in the village. That way, she could just pay for the labor and the workers can settle their own food and lodging. Wouldn¡¯t that be perfect?


    ¡°Well, my brother-in-law could do it. What do you think?¡±


    Mrs. Yang was actually a little embarrassed. She felt like she was volunteering her own services.


    ¡°Your brother-in-law?¡±


    Xiaoguo was puzzled. Yang Jia?


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mrs. Yang was a little awkward at first, but as she spoke, she felt more comfortable about it. There was no need to beat around the bush. She wasn¡¯t lying¡ªYang Jia was an expert at setting up tents in the military camp.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard Mrs. Yang¡¯s explanation, she was overjoyed. This was great. She was still worried about working with strangers. Yang Jia was from Mrs. Yang¡¯s family, so at least it was someone familiar. This would save her the trouble of interacting with people she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll talk to Yang Jia now!¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she ran home anxiously to inform him of the good news.


    When she got home, she saw Yang Jia holding a book. Mrs. Yang quickly told him about it.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    Yang Jia put down the book and spoke excitedly.


    Now that the men from the village had returned¡ªalthough they had some compensation money in their hands¡ªthey could not just sit around and do nothing all day. They still had to think of ways to make money.


    Some of them had already returned to their old jobs which they did before joining the army. There were some others who had no jobs, and Yang Jia was one of them.


    He was only 17 years old this year. Before he was enlisted, he was still preparing for his exams to enter the academy. In the blink of an eye, more than three years had passed. He did not expect to be able to return home safely. This was already a great blessing. He could not let his mother, brother, and sister-in-law support him. But apart from studying, he didn¡¯t know much about anything else.


    1


    Previously, when he heard his sister-in-law mention something about building a small hut, he did not even think about it and wanted to take on the job. If he could help to share the burden of the family, he would. Moreover, he believed in his own skills. He was so familiar with setting up tents in the military camp that he could do it with his eyes closed, let alone a simple wooden hut.

 Chapter 117 - Zhuang Zhuang is a Man

    The next morning, seeing that it was getting late, Yang Jia asked Mrs. Yang to bring him to Xiaoguo¡¯s house. It was not appropriate for a man to go alone and knock on the door.


    Mrs. Yang knew the reason for his request, so she didn¡¯t refuse. Even if he didn¡¯t mention it, Mrs. Yang was intending to bring him over.


    They came to Xiaoguo¡¯s house and knocked on the door.


    After a while, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice sounded, asking them to wait for a while.


    They could hear the sound of running feet approaching. Soon, someone was behind the door.


    ¡°Aunt!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang opened the door and greeted Mrs. Yang. He looked at the person beside Mrs. Yang and blinked. ¡°Hello, Brother!¡±


    Those who were not married had to be addressed as brother or sister. ¡°Mother is always right!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang thought to himself.


    His greeting made Mrs. Yang and Yang Jia so happy that they couldn¡¯t stop smiling. Zhuang Zhuang was really good with his words.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mother?¡±


    When Mrs. Yang was done laughing., she looked at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face and asked.


    Zhuang Zhuang opened the other door beside him to reveal Xiaoguo, who was cleaning up in one corner of the courtyard.


    She was cleaning up the spot where the hut will be built. Although it was called a hut, it was actually a shed that could be locked. At first, she wanted to do it herself, but she was afraid that she couldn¡¯t build a proper one. It wasn¡¯t appropriate to call Qin Anming back to build it, so she thought it was better to find someone in the village to help her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, come in!¡±


    Xiaoguo heard the sounds behind her. So she turned around and told them to come in quickly.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he moved aside and let them in.


    Mrs. Yang rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head and led Yang Jia into the house.


    Zhuang Zhuang remembered his mother¡¯s words and left the door wide open. He kept an eye on the puppies so that they wouldn¡¯t run out.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, this is Yang Jia. Yang Jia, you can call her sister-in-law.¡±


    Mrs. Yang introduced them to each other. Xiaoguo nodded at Yang Jia and greeted him. Yang Jia also greeted her as Mrs. Jiang. He knew that she was Brother Danhe¡¯s wife, so he called her Mrs. Jiang.


    Xiaoguo acknowledged his greeting and looked at the obviously young boy in front of her. A boy?


    He was a boy. It was obvious that he was young. At this age, he should be a high school child.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t wish to judge a book by its cover. But could such a young child move a wooden plank?


    Before Xiaoguo could suspect anything, Yang Jia had already displayed his abilities. Indeed, he had not spent three years in the military camp for nothing.


    As soon as he entered the house, he got to work. He first took measurements and calculated the number of wooden planks needed before heading out to buy them.


    There were plank shops in the village. One of the shops used to be in the timber business. Now that the man had returned, it was open for business again.


    Yang Jia went to the wood seller¡¯s house alone and moved four large planks and a small board back to Xiaoguo¡¯s house. He put the items on credit so that Xiaoguo could settle the payment.


    Xiaoguo nodded in agreement. She didn¡¯t expect Yang Jia to be so reliable. It was better to keep the accounts separate so that things are clear cut, and confusion could be avoided.


    Xiaoguo made a mental note to get the money settled in the afternoon.


    The hut was easy to build. In fact, it was even easier than Xiaoguo had imagined. Within a day, it was all done.


    Xiaoguo returned to the house and took out five taels of silver. After Yang Jia was done washing his hands, Xiaoguo handed him the money.


    ¡°See if it¡¯s enough. I¡¯m just following the market rate in the county. Check if the amount is correct.¡±


    Yang Jia took it and was shocked. Why was there so much?


    ¡°No need, no need! Two taels of silver is enough.¡±


    He took the two taels of silver and handed the remaining three taels back.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Five taels is just right! Keep it!¡±


    Yang Jia wouldn¡¯t accept it. No matter what, he didn¡¯t want it. He insisted on stuffing it back into Xiaoguo¡¯s hands.


    Although money was good to have, he could not go against his conscience. At most, he should be paid two taels. He would not take a single cent more.


    Just as the two of them were arguing, Zhuang Zhuang happened to come across a verse that he did not understand. He came out with his book and was going to ask Xiaoguo about it.


    As soon as he came out, he saw the two of them pulling and pushing each other. Zhuang Zhuang thought that his mother was being bullied. He instantly exploded and rushed over to push Yang Jia away. He shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t bully my mother!¡±


    Xiaoguo and Yang Jia were both stunned by the imposing voice.


    Xiaoguo hugged the angry Zhuang Zhuang and apologized to Yang Jia apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Zhuang Zhuang doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Yang Jia reacted and laughed out loud. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Zhuang Zhuang is quite protective of you. Haha!¡±


    Xiaoguo felt warm inside, but she still smiled apologetically.


    Zhuang Zhuang realized that he had misunderstood Yang Jia, so he quickly apologized to Yang Jia.


    A true man should own up to his mistakes.


    Yang Jia expressed that it was fine and accepted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s apology. In fact, he didn¡¯t think much of it at all. It was Xiaoguo who told him to accept the boy¡¯s apology. Being young was not an excuse for making mistakes.


    Yang Jia instantly understood Xiaoguo¡¯s intentions, so he accepted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s apology and let bygones be bygones.


    After which, Xiaoguo insisted on giving him the remaining three taels of silver. Yang Jia was still not prepared to accept it. Xiaoguo rolled her eyes and handed the money to Zhuang Zhuang. She asked him to act cute and give the money to Yang Jia. This way, he wouldn¡¯t be able to reject her.


    Zhuang Zhuang immediately understood what Xiaoguo meant. He took the silver and stuffed it into Yang Jia¡¯s hands. He kept looking at Yang Jia with his big round eyes, making it difficult for him to refuse.


    Yang Jia paused and sighed as he took the silver.


    When he saw the poetry collection that Zhuang Zhuang was holding, his eyes lit up.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, is this poetry book yours?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked down and nodded. It was his.


    Xiaoguo also looked at the poetry collection. She blinked twice and looked at Yang Jia in confusion. What about the poetry collection?


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I like reading too. I¡¯ve always liked all kinds of poetry, so I couldn¡¯t help myself when I saw it.¡±


    Yang Jia scratched his head and said embarrassedly.


    Xiaoguo nodded in understanding. ¡°I see.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes blinked as he looked at Yang Jia. ¡°I still have many others, I can lend them to you, but you must take care not to wrinkle the books. How about that?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang also liked poetry very much. He was very happy to meet someone who also liked to read. Since Yang Jia had similar interests as him, he was willing to share his poetry books.


    Yang Jia was also very happy. He could not help but feel a little excited. However, he knew that he should not agree impulsively. He had to get Xiaoguo¡¯s permission first. Hence, he looked up at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo looked at Yang Jia and guessed what he was thinking. She nodded. ¡°The books belong to Zhuang Zhuang, so he has the right to decide.¡±


    This meant that Zhuang Zhuang had full authority.


    Yang Jia thanked her profusely and Zhuang Zhuang dragged him into the house. They went to the bookshelf that Xiaoguo had gotten for Zhuang Zhuang, and Yang Jia was asked to choose the books he wanted to read.


    Yang Jia was stunned as soon as he entered the room. His jaw dropped in shock. The wall was filled with books. From left to right, they were arranged in a neat and organized manner.


    There were all kinds of books in different genres. Yang Jia¡¯s eyes were almost unable to keep up. Wasn¡¯t this a small library! It was amazing!

 Chapter 118 - He Still Wants to Go Home

    Zhuang Zhuang was very proud of his book collection and he was very satisfied with Yang Jia¡¯s reply. Once again, he was filled with gratitude for what Xiaoguo had set up for him.


    The wall was filled with books that Xiaoguo had bought. The bookshelves were fixed onto the walls with nails and wooden planks. In the room where Qin Anming used to live, a built-in bookshelf occupied the space of one complete wall.


    This would be Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s house in the future, so Xiaoguo had decided to fix up the room earlier for him.


    Yang Jia wanted to read every single one of the books, but he knew that it was impossible to read every book in a short period of time. With much difficulty, he picked out three books from the pile and said that he would return them soon. As he had to hurry back to read the books, he quickly said his farewell and left happily.


    After Yang Jia left, Xiaoguo was filled with joy as she stood in front of the new bathroom. The more she looked at it, the more satisfied she was. It was really awesome!


    The floor space was planned beforehand. She didn¡¯t need a large area¡ªas long as there was some extra space left after placing the bathtub.


    There was a hinged door with a wooden latch. After entering, one just had to push to unlock the door and pull to unlock it.


    Xiaoguo opened and closed the door several times before she felt satisfied.


    She knew that she still had outstanding payment due for the wooden planks. With her purse in her pocket, she asked Zhuang Zhuang to guard the door while she headed out to the shop.


    Xiaoguo walked halfway across the village before she found the shop. The front door was wide open. Xiaoguo called out a few times from the doorway. She only entered the house when someone came out.


    When Xiaoguo told the boss about the purpose of her visit, the man paused to think for a while before telling her that the money had been paid. It was three taels of silver. Yang Jia had just paid for it.


    This time, Xiaoguo was stunned. Yang Jia paid for it?


    This Yang Jia! Xiaoguo was amused. What an honest man. In the end, he only got two taels of silver. He really didn¡¯t take a single cent more.


    After bidding farewell, Xiaoguo left the place.


    Along the way, she thought to herself that Yang Jia was really a good child.


    That¡¯s right, a child. Although he was old enough to be a father in this era, in Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes, he was similar to Zhuang Zhuang. They were both children. Yang Jia was also a little boy.


    ¡°Mother, I just cleaned the bookshelves and books for the second time!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang raised his eyebrows, looking like he was asking Xiaoguo for another kiss.


    Xiaoguo was never stingy with her praise. She complimented the boy and leaned over to give him a kiss.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and cook!¡±


    Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang into the kitchen.


    In the capital¡­


    ¡°Danhe, why are you here today?¡±


    The current emperor, Shao Zhan, sat calmly on the dragon throne. He had a brush in one hand and was writing unhurriedly on the memorials.


    Under the dim candlelight, Jiang Danhe was seated across from him and feeling a little melancholic. He looked at the man in front of him who was feigning ignorance. Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Left with no other choice, he could only repeat what he had submitted countless times in the memorial.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the palace is now secure. All the survivors of the previous dynasty have been killed and I have completed the mission. The injustice that my family went through also has been settled. I really miss my mother, my wife, and my young daughter, so¡­¡±


    The emperor put down his brush and looked at Jiang Danhe. He sighed. ¡°Speak human language!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I want to go home.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was actually not used to speaking formally. However, his status was different now. He should take care not to offend his superior.


    The emperor looked into the distance, deep in thought. It had not been easy for him to get to where he is now. Most of the credit belonged to Jiang Danhe. Without him, how would he be able to sit in this position? As a subordinate, Jiang Danhe was his indispensable right-hand man and also his secret weapon.


    As a friend, he was his closest friend. It was inevitable that he would feel a little lonely being in this position. The only person he could trust was Jiang Danhe. The only person he could talk to was also him.


    It was his promise to him. As long as Jiang Danhe could help him become the emperor, the mission would be considered complete. He had also promised to seek justice for the Jiang family. It was now time for Jiang Danhe to return to his hometown and his family.


    But¡­ he really didn¡¯t want to let the man go¡­


    ¡°Danhe, a bright future is right in front of you. Stay here. Everything else will come to you in the future.¡±


    What he meant was for Jiang Danhe to let go of everything in Peach Blossom Village and continue his position in the palace. When he has the money and status, whatever he wants will come to him, be it women or children.


    Jiang Danhe understood what the emperor was trying to say. He did not waver at the emperor¡¯s slightly beguiling voice. He looked at him firmly and shook his head. He still wished to return to them.


    The two of them stared at each other¡ªneither had any intention of giving in. They didn¡¯t speak for a long time. Eventually, Shao Zhan let out a sigh. ¡°Forget it, forget it. What a mule!¡±


    ¡°Go back next spring. Help me on my last journey.¡±


    The emperor looked at Jiang Danhe seriously and sincerely stated his last request.


    Jiang Danhe was intending to refuse. The thought of returning home had been tormenting him for a long time. He missed his family day and night. How he wished he could grow wings at that instant and fly immediately to Peach Blossom Village. Without thinking, he rejected Shao Zhan¡¯s request.


    Shao Zhan could tell that he was going to reject him, so he spoke before Jiang Danhe opened his mouth, ¡°You have to think about your brothers too.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s body froze. That was true. What would happen to the soldiers who had risked their lives with him? On one side was his family, and on the other side were his brothers who had risked their lives. Jiang Danhe was in a dilemma.


    Thoughts and responsibilities tugged at Jiang Danhe. After a while, he exhaled and said, ¡°Alright, next spring!¡±


    In the end, his current responsibility was still a priority. Even though he missed his family very much, he could not abandon his brothers who had gone through thick and thin with him. He had to settle all unfinished business with them before he could go home in peace.


    1


    Feeling melancholic, Jiang Danhe walked out of the palace and rode his horse back to his temporary residence. He did not get off the horse immediately. Li Shouji had been waiting for him.


    With a kick, Jiang Danhe got off his horse. Li Shouji held the reins and followed beside him. Li Shouji could tell that something was wrong. Why did he look like he had aged a few years after returning from the palace?


    Faced with Li Shouji¡¯s question, Jiang Danhe gave him a look, implying that he wouldn¡¯t understand. Li Shouji rolled his eyes.


    Li Shouji really didn¡¯t understand. He had been an orphan since he was young and had grown up alone. If he hadn¡¯t met Jiang Danhe, he would probably still be stealing at the city entrance.


    Jiang Danhe was not an indecisive person, this was why he chose the army. He would definitely put all his attention and energy to settle the ownership of his army before going home. However, he would still feel sad occasionally and feel sorry for his family.


    The thought of Xiaoguo alone at home, taking care of his mother and child, made him feel sad.


    Jiang Danhe was pining for home so badly¡ªevery passing day was like an ordeal for him. If only he could be split in two, then he could deal with the troops and also go home.


    One day, Jiang Danhe was on his way home after leaving the palace. He was seated in the carriage with Li Shouji steering the horses. It was a rare chance for him to sit back and do nothing. He lifted the curtain with one hand to look at the bustling city outside.


    As he looked around, he suddenly saw a small stall. Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes lit up and he stopped Li Shouji.


    Li Shouji didn¡¯t understand, but he still found a place to stop.

 Chapter 119 - : Li Shouji Is Alone

    Before the carriage had come to a complete stop, Jiang Danhe anxiously lifted the drapes and jumped down. He walked towards the stall.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Li Shouji watched as Jiang Danhe walked aggressively to the side. Wondering what he had seen, Li Shouji followed him curiously.


    Jiang Danhe stopped in front of a stall selling hair ornaments.


    As the boss lowered her head to tie up her hair, she suddenly felt her surroundings turning dark. At first, she thought that the sky had turned cloudy. When she looked up and was getting ready to close the stall, she suddenly realized that it was a man dressed in an official uniform.


    The woman had never seen anything like this before. She thought that the man had come with ill intentions. She was so shocked that she froze on the spot. The flower in her hand fell to the ground.


    Jiang Danhe did not notice her odd behavior. His eyes were sparkling as he looked at the various hair ornaments on display at the stall.


    Just as he was wondering which one to pick, he was suddenly attracted by a colorful flower with an interesting design.


    ¡°What flower is this?¡±


    The woman snapped out of her daze and looked in the direction of the man¡¯s large hand. Only then did she realize that he had come to buy hair ornaments. She heaved a sigh of relief. When she saw that it was business, she instantly perked up.


    ¡°This is a bluebell. The pale white petals have a beautiful blue ring on the edges. It¡¯s the best gift for your wife at home!¡±


    The woman had a glib tongue. Jiang Danhe picked it up and took a closer look. He thought that it was pretty. The color was nice, and the workmanship was very intricate.


    ¡°And this. This is a red rose. It¡¯s everyone¡¯s favorite. And this is a lily. It means to be together forever. And this is a little pink flower. If you have a child, you can buy this. And this is a tulip. Smell it. It is scented¡­¡±


    Li Shouji arrived at the stall a few moments later. As soon as he got closer, he saw Jiang Danhe being cajoled into buying a bunch of hair ornaments. The boss and Jiang Danhe were still not done. One kept pushing and the other kept buying.


    Li Shouji quietly stood behind Jiang Danhe and gave the woman a look, hinting that she should stop.


    The woman was already satisfied with her earnings, so she stopped her sales tactics. She took Jiang Danhe¡¯s money and sent the two of them off with a smile. She wished for more generous customers like this man in the future, so that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money anymore!


    The woman happily put the silver into her chest pocket and packed up to close the stall. This time, she had made the same amount that she usually makes in a month. She could go home early and rest.


    Li Shouji looked at Jiang Danhe, who was carrying a pile of hair ornaments, and was a little speechless. If it weren¡¯t for him, he would probably have bought the entire stall.


    Jiang Danhe did not see Li Shouji¡¯s disdainful gaze. He placed the pile of hair ornaments on the table carefully.


    The entire table was covered with hair accessories. At first, he didn¡¯t think much of it, but now he realized that he had indeed bought a lot. Of course, this was what Li Shouji was thinking.


    Jiang Danhe felt that this was nothing. When he thought about Xiaoguo and their child wearing the ornaments, he could not help but feel happy and satisfied.


    He laid two cloth bags flat on the table and sorted the ornaments one by one. Those for Xiaoguo were placed on the left, and those for his daughter were placed on the right.


    Jiang Danhe happily picked up a small peach blossom-shaped hair tie and showed it to Li Shouji. ¡°Do you think my daughter will look good in it?¡±


    Although Li Shouji despised his actions, he did not dampen his spirits. He nodded and was about to say that it was good when Jiang Danhe continued to say, ¡°Sigh, what¡¯s the point of asking you? You¡¯re a bachelor.¡±


    Li Shouji was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    He snorted at him and got up to leave. As a bachelor, he should go back to his room and rest. The non-bachelor can enjoy his sorting alone!


    Jiang Danhe did not notice Li Shouji¡¯s departure. His eyes were filled with all kinds of hair ornaments. In his mind, he was picturing Xiaoguo and his daughter, each wearing these hair ornaments.


    The satisfaction and happiness in his heart were about to explode. Life was wonderful. It wouldn¡¯t be long until next spring. There were another six months to go. Time would pass very quickly! He had to prepare all the gifts within these few months and bring them back when the time comes!


    2


    Jiang Danhe distributed the hair ornaments, wrapped them up, and carefully kept them in the deepest part of his wardrobe.


    Jiang Danhe had a distinct goal for the future and he was filled with motivation. He was planning to go out and buy more things, but it was getting late. Moreover, he had something to do tonight, he could only get the remaining things tomorrow.


    Jiang Danhe was dispirited. He turned around and went out to look for Li Shouji. He grumbled to himself, ¡°This person always leaves without a word!¡±


    In Peach Blossom Village.


    The sun had just risen when Xiaoguo woke up. Since the bathroom was constructed, it was time to buy a bathtub. Xiaoguo had woken up early so that she could make a trip to the county to buy a bathtub. Zhuang Zhuang woke up at the same time and insisted on tagging along.


    It was in Xiaoguo¡¯s plan to bring Zhuang Zhuang along with her. She had promised him that she wouldn¡¯t leave him alone at home. Besides, he was still young, so she should bring him along whenever she could. Once he goes to school next year, she wouldn¡¯t have much time to bring him out anymore.


    Thinking of this, Xiaoguo felt a little sad. When kids grow up, they don¡¯t stick to their mother anymore. This made her heart feel cold and sad.


    ¡°Mother, Mother, Mother!¡±


    Xiaoguo was brought back to reality by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s loud voice. She wiped away her imaginary tears and locked the door before getting into the car.


    This brat would not even give her a chance to feel melancholic.


    But that was true. How could she be sad when she was with Zhuang Zhuang? She was filled with happiness every day.


    Xiaoguo turned her head and smiled at Zhuang Zhuang. He showed her his white teeth in response. Mother and son were living such a wonderful life¡­


    When she arrived at the county city, Xiaoguo was in a dilemma. Should she buy a wooden tub or an iron pot?


    With a wooden bucket, she had to boil water before pouring it in to take a bath.


    For the iron pot, she could just boil water and bathe at the same time. It was more convenient.


    But if it was an iron pot, wouldn¡¯t it seem like she was cooking herself? That doesn¡¯t feel right.


    1


    Xiaoguo decided on the wooden bucket. She felt that it was better to lead an ordinary life. The iron pot was convenient, but once the fire got bigger, wouldn¡¯t they get cooked?


    When they arrived at the shop, they bought a bathtub in the size that they wanted. The shop owner and his staff saw that Xiaoguo was alone with a child, so they helped her load the tub onto her cart. Xiaoguo paid for the tub and thanked them. Zhuang Zhuang followed suit and thanked the boss and his staff. They found Zhuang Zhuang so adorable that they generously gifted Xiaoguo a stool.


    Xiaoguo thanked them profusely, and Zhuang Zhuang also showed off his cute smile.


    After leaving with Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoguo looked at the smiling boy and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Indeed, good-looking people get to enjoy special privileges in any era.


    Zhuang Zhuang, on the other hand, was in a good mood. He hummed a tune and did not insist on visiting his uncle when they arrived at the county. Xiaoguo was worried about hurting Qin Anming¡¯s heart, so she dragged Zhuang Zhuang to go visit his uncle and play with him for a while before they headed home.


    Xiaoguo drove the car while Zhuang Zhuang sat at the side, humming and laughing. Although every single word was out of tune, he still insisted on singing.


    Xiaoguo had no choice but to listen. Maybe her self-comforting was helping because after a while, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s singing didn¡¯t sound that bad anymore. In fact, it was even a little pleasant to listen to.


    However, when she saw how the passers-by looked at Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoguo knew the truth.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s singing was still unbearably bad, it was just that her ears have gotten used to it.

 Chapter 120 - Addiction to Making Shoes

    When she got home, she bumped into Yang Jia, who was at the door and preparing to leave.


    ¡°Brother Jia!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang saw him first and waved at him from afar.


    Yang Jia stopped in his tracks. He recognized Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice and waved back at him.


    ¡°Sister-in-law.¡±


    Yang Jia saw Xiaoguo and greeted her.


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. She looked at him, holding the books so preciously in his arms. She could roughly guess the reason for his visit.


    ¡°Have you finished reading the books?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked Yang Jia while she handed the key to Zhuang Zhuang so that he could open the door.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ve finished reading. I was thinking of borrowing a few more¡­¡±


    Yang Jia¡¯s voice trailed off as he nodded in embarrassment. He sounded like he had made an unreasonable request.


    Xiaoguo laughed when she saw his expression. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang won¡¯t be able to finish reading everything anyway. Don¡¯t worry, you can borrow more books.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s words touched Yang Jia. He didn¡¯t know what to say and could only keep thanking her.


    Xiaoguo stopped him from thanking her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    As Zhuang Zhuang spoke, he led Yang Jia inside.


    Yang Jia could not resist Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s enthusiasm. He nodded politely at Xiaoguo and followed Zhuang Zhuang into the house.


    Xiaoguo herded the cart into the yard and tried to move the bathtub herself.


    After trying for a long time, she only managed to move it slightly. Helpless, Xiaoguo had no choice but to leave it and take a break.


    Xiaoguo stood up straight and leaned against the wooden tub. It was much heavier than she had imagined. She almost broke her tiny waist earlier.


    At this moment, Yang Jia came out of the house and said to Xiaoguo, ¡°I¡¯ll help you move it.¡±


    Actually, he had seen the tub just now. He had guessed that Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t be able to move it by herself, so he came out again after putting the books down.


    Xiaoguo nodded. Fortunately, Yang Jia was here. Otherwise, it would be really difficult for her.


    Yang Jia rolled up his sleeves and tried to move the tub with Xiaoguo. They each held on to one side and on the count of three, the two of them managed to lift up the tub.


    Although Xiaoguo was rather unsteady, with Yang Jia supporting the tub from the other side, she didn¡¯t have to exert so much strength.


    With Yang Jia¡¯s help, Xiaoguo successfully moved the wooden tub to the newly built bathroom. After putting it down in the right spot, Xiaoguo took a good look at the interior. The tub was just right, and the measurements were perfect.


    Xiaoguo took out the small footstool from the cart and placed it beside the bathtub. Then she took off her shoes and stepped on it to test the height.


    Xiaoguo came down and put on her shoes. She was very happy. The height of the footstool was just right. Even Zhuang Zhuang could easily get into the bathtub by stepping on it.


    It seemed like she should bring Zhuang Zhuang with her when she goes shopping in the future. Hahahaha¡­


    Yang Jia helped Xiaoguo put down the bathtub and returned to the house. He was really anxious to see the books that Zhuang Zhuang was going to show him. As he was in a hurry to come out just now, he had only taken a glance at the books.


    Xiaoguo unloaded the donkey cart and handed a handful of grass to the donkey before returning to the house.


    Xiaoguo did not disturb the two boys and returned to her room alone. She used a small duster that she had specially made for cleaning the bed, to sweep the dust and grass off her body.


    When she was stepping out of the room, Zhuang Zhuang, who had just sent Yang Jia off, bumped into her leg and almost knocked her over.


    ¡°Ouch, baby, slow down.¡±


    Xiaoguo grabbed hold of Zhuang Zhuang. How could this child be so rash?


    Zhuang Zhuang stood up straight and stuck out his tongue at Xiaoguo in embarrassment. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay but be careful next time, okay?¡±


    Xiaoguo ruffled Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hair. He was at a mischievous age now. She should pay more attention to him.


    ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was not unhappy at all. When he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s lecture, he took it in stride and expressed his agreement. He promised that it would not happen again.


    Xiaoguo was very happy with Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s response, so she dragged him to the kitchen and started cooking.


    ¡°Mother, do you know? Brother Jia has the same hobby as me. He even said that he had made preparations to go to school some time back.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Xiaoguo was a little surprised. She didn¡¯t know that Yang Jia was making preparations to enter school.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded. After that, he kept telling Xiaoguo about Yang Jia. It was not often that he got to meet someone who loved to read as much as he did. How he wished he could read together with Yang Jia.


    Although Xiaoguo was cooking, she was also listening attentively to Zhuang Zhuang. She knew the reason for his excitement.


    In the village, there wasn¡¯t anyone of his age who liked to read. Zhuang Zhuang himself said that he found it hard to play with the other children. Now that he had met someone who was just as interested in reading, even though there was a huge age gap, Zhuang Zhuang still enjoyed talking to Yang Jia.


    Xiaoguo conversed with Zhuang Zhuang patiently. She didn¡¯t brush him off just because she was cooking.


    Fortunately, she had mastered multitasking during the apocalypse. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to listen to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s incessant chatter.


    During the apocalypse, although Xiaoguo was in a safe camp, there were zombies surrounding the camp at all times. No matter how safe it was, she couldn¡¯t let her guard down. She had to stay alert and pay attention to her surroundings.


    Otherwise, she would be bitten to death if the zombies attacked while she was cooking.


    ¡°Okay, time to eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo grabbed Zhuang Zhuang, who was still talking, and stuffed the bowls and chopsticks into his hands. She brought the food back into the house first, with Zhuang Zhuang following closely behind.


    The next afternoon.


    Xiaoguo placed the two pairs of shoes she had sewn on the table. The smaller pair belonged to Zhuang Zhuang. The larger pair was hers.


    Xiaoguo called out to Zhuang Zhuang and asked him to test the fit of the shoes. She wanted to try on her shoes too. After all, this was her first time making cloth shoes, so Xiaoguo was not sure about the fit.


    Zhuang Zhuang took the shoes and sat beside Xiaoguo. He took off the shoes on his feet and changed into the new pair.


    ¡°Mother, how is it?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stood up in his new shoes and stamped his feet to show her how they looked.


    Xiaoguo bent down and pressed her fingers against Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s big toe to see if the shoe was cramping his feet.


    ¡°Not bad! Not bad!¡±


    Xiaoguo was relieved. To think that she can even make shoes now! What a genius!


    ¡°Mother? Mother!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang continued to walk in circles so that Xiaoguo could admire his feet. But she was just laughing on the side and didn¡¯t say anything. Hence, Zhuang Zhuang raised his voice and called out to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Yes, yes, they look good!¡±


    Xiaoguo was jolted back to her senses by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice. She praised him repeatedly. She didn¡¯t know if she was imagining things, but the shoes she made look much better than those in the stores. Hehe.


    Xiaoguo also put on her shoes and took a few steps. She didn¡¯t feel any discomfort from the shoes. She could proceed to make new shoes for Qin Anming.


    After all, Qin Anming was on his feet all day. If she could not make a pair of well-fitting shoes, Qin Anming¡¯s feet would have to suffer.


    But now that she had made two pairs, it would be so much easier to make another pair.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s confidence was very much boosted. After taking off her new shoes, she rummaged through the needlework basket for some fabric. She had made up her mind and would send over a pair of new shoes for Qin Anming the day after tomorrow.

 Chapter 121 - From the Capital?

    Xiaoguo spent so much time and effort in making shoes for Qin Anming that Zhuang Zhuang was starting to feel jealous.


    ¡°Mother has not been spending time with me for the past two days!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s small eyes darted around¡ªlooking like he was up to something.


    Xiaoguo was completely engrossed in her sewing. She had just learnt how to make shoes. How she wished to make shoes for all the animals in the house.


    1


    Zhuang Zhuang tried his best to attract Xiaoguo¡¯s attention but to no avail. However, it wouldn¡¯t be right to say that she was not paying attention at all. Occasionally, she would lower her head and give Zhuang Zhuang a kiss, and before Zhuang Zhuang could kiss her back, Xiaoguo had already buried her head in her sewing.


    It took her three days to finish making a pair of shoes. She had taken a day longer than expected. In the middle portion of the shoe, there was a spot that had been sewn wrongly, so Xiaoguo had to unpick that portion and stitch it up again.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, shall we send the shoes to Uncle tomorrow?¡±


    Xiaoguo said to Zhuang Zhuang as she cut off the remaining thread after she made the final stitch. She placed the completed pair of shoes on the table and looked at the boy who was sitting by her side.


    ¡°Yes, yes, sure!¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was finally putting down the shoes, Zhuang Zhuang jumped up in joy. His mother had finally finished making the shoes!


    With Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s approval, Xiaoguo happily got ready for bed.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo did not set off right after eating. The weather was getting colder now. Xiaoguo was more averse to cold weather, so she chose to go at noon, when the temperature was higher. At that hour, the sun rays would provide her with some warmth, and she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Zhuang Zhuang catching a cold.


    Xiaoguo prepared lunch in advance. The sooner they finished eating, the earlier they could set off. She was planning to get home before the sun sets.


    Zhuang Zhuang stood guard by Xiaoguo¡¯s side as she started the fire. Xiaoguo was chopping vegetables on the chopping board and the clanging sounds drowned out the knocking on the door. At first, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t hear it. Zhuang Zhuang was standing near the kitchen door, so he heard the knocking out at the front.


    Zhuang Zhuang reached out and tugged at Xiaoguo¡¯s clothes, urging her to stop.


    Xiaoguo felt Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s tugging, so she put down the kitchen knife and looked at Zhuang Zhuang, motioning for him to speak.


    ¡°Mother, there¡¯s someone here.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pointed to the front door. At that moment, another knock sounded on the door.


    With Xiaoguo¡¯s consent, Zhuang Zhuang quickly ran out to open the door. Xiaoguo followed closely behind.


    Zhuang Zhuang was quite cautious. He opened the door slightly and looked out. Seeing that it was someone he didn¡¯t know, Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t open the door. He moved aside to make way for Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s expression and found it a little strange. This kid was not shy. Was it a stranger at the door? Who could it be?


    With those thoughts in mind, Xiaoguo walked over and opened the front door.


    ¡°Ey?¡± Xiaoguo looked at the visitor behind the door. It wasn¡¯t a stranger¡ªshe had met her once before. It was the village chief¡¯s wife who had come previously to give her the title deed.


    ¡°Auntie?¡±


    Curious as to why she was here, Xiaoguo pushed the doors open to let her in.


    The village chief¡¯s wife waved her hand to indicate that she wasn¡¯t going in. ¡°Xiaoguo, are you free now? I have something to tell you.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°I¡¯m free.¡±


    The chief¡¯s wife asked Xiaoguo to make a trip to her house.


    ¡°Why am I going to your house?¡±


    Xiaoguo was a little puzzled by how anxious she seemed. The two families didn¡¯t usually keep in touch. Why was she being so mysterious today?


    ¡°There¡¯s no time for details. Someone is coming from the capital. Come with me quickly. I¡¯ll tell you more on the way.¡±


    The chief¡¯s wife attempted to drag Xiaoguo out of the house. She was worried about the few officials in her house. They might get impatient after waiting for too long.


    Of course, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t go with her. The stove was still lit with fire.


    ¡°No, Auntie. I still have something cooking in the pot. I can¡¯t leave. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The chief¡¯s wife saw the look on her face that was saying, ¡°If you don¡¯t explain yourself clearly, I won¡¯t leave with you.¡± Left with no choice, the chief¡¯s wife had to give her a brief explanation. It was also her fault for being too anxious.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this. Your parents-in-law used to live in the capital when they were alive. At some point in time, they were wronged and ended up settling in the village. They were banned from entering the capital. After the new emperor ascended the throne, he overturned the case for the Jiang family and restored their reputation. They are allowed to enter the capital now. The emperor has sent someone to bring your parents-in-law¡¯s graves back to the capital for burial.¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife explained the whole story in one breath. Xiaoguo was stunned when she heard it. She seemed to have heard Mrs. Jiang mention this before. At that time, Xiaoguo had just given birth to Zhuang Zhuang. Mrs. Jiang looked at the child in bed and sighed. ¡°If we were still in the capital, you would have been born with a golden spoon in your mouth.¡± That seemed to be what Mrs. Jiang said.


    At that time, Xiaoguo was still in confinement and did not pay much attention to it. Now that the chief¡¯s wife had mentioned it, she could recall some of it.


    ¡°What was the background of the Jiang family? To think that the emperor would get involved in this?¡±


    Xiaoguo thought that it was odd. She only knew that the Jiang family used to be quite rich, but she wasn¡¯t sure about their exact occupation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Xiaoguo. The officials have been waiting for a long time.¡±


    The chief¡¯s wife was a little anxious. Seeing that Xiaoguo was still not moving, she was on the verge of dragging her.


    ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll let Zhuang Zhuang know.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t plan to bring Zhuang Zhuang along. She could tell that the chief¡¯s wife was very anxious and she kept mentioning about some officials. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t quite understand the situation, so she decided to go and check things out first.


    ¡°Alright, hurry up.¡±


    Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang to the kitchen. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m going out for a while. Stay at home, stop the fire and leave the water alone. Lock the door from the inside and don¡¯t open the door for anyone other than me. Do you understand?¡±


    Xiaoguo really didn¡¯t know what was going on. There hadn¡¯t been any news during this whole time. To think that this matter had just suddenly come out of nowhere.


    After getting Zhuang Zhuang to acknowledge her instructions, and seeing him lock the door with her own eyes, she followed the village chief¡¯s wife to her house.


    Along the way, the chief¡¯s wife provided Xiaoguo with more details. Xiaoguo listened attentively and finally understood the whole story.


    After the new emperor ascended the throne, he had rectified the injustice that had been done to the Jiang family. The person who received the order was the Minister of Revenue from the capital. Together with the county magistrate of Yonghai County, they were waiting for Xiaoguo at the village chief¡¯s house.


    Xiaoguo completely understood after hearing it. She was still wondering why the chief¡¯s wife was in such a hurry. So that was the reason. Indeed, how could she not be anxious? In the eyes of a small village chief from a small county, the other two officials were dozens of times more powerful than him. How could he not be afraid?


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo felt a little conflicted. Would she have to kneel down and pay her respects if she went over? Would she have to do it on one leg or on both legs? Would she have to lower her head or crouch on the ground? What words would she have to say? She only remembered that in the imperial palace, there were concubines and servants. How did ordinary villagers pay their respects? She felt so lost.


    Xiaoguo followed the village chief¡¯s wife to her house.


    Before they went in, Xiaoguo was shocked by the sheer number of carriages and soldiers guarding the door.


    This was the first time she had seen a real soldier. She had only seen such a scene on television.


    As the village chief was staying near the entrance of the village, the large entourage was lined up from his door all the way to the river outside the village.


    Xiaoguo took a closer look at the carriage parked at the entrance. If there were any brands for ancient carriages, this must be a modern BMW. She thought of her own little donkey cart in comparison.


    Forget it¡­ Comparisons are odious¡­

 Chapter 122 - Shifting the Grave to the Capital

    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and looked at the soldiers lined up in a row. They were actually real soldiers. This was the only thought that popped into Xiaoguo¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Eh? Are they wearing armor? Wow, they really are!¡±


    It was a real eye-opener for Xiaoguo. However, after entering the front door, she restrained herself. No one must see her like this.


    Xiaoguo followed behind the village chief¡¯s wife steadily. She did not look around anymore and just stared ahead calmly.


    The atmosphere in the house was so still that everyone¡¯s breathing could be heard clearly. The two high-ranking officials were seated in the lobby and sipping their tea in a leisurely manner.


    The old village chief was standing and looking so anxious that his already bent back looked even more crooked.


    He was just a small village chief. With two high-ranking officials sitting in front of him, he didn¡¯t even dare to blink.


    He kept looking anxiously at the door, hoping that his wife would quickly bring Xiaoguo to save him.


    He was not the only one who was suffering. The county magistrate of Yonghai County, Lord Liu, was also suffering. Although he was considered a big shot in Yonghai County, he was now seated beside this particular person. Putting aside the fact that this man was from the capital, even if he was just an assistant minister, he would completely reign over Lord Liu, who is just a mere magistrate in the village.


    In the eyes of outsiders, Lord Liu was drinking tea quite calmly. However, only he knew that his legs were numb. He maintained his posture and did not dare to move at all. The teacup that he was holding to his mouth had long run out of water. However, he did not dare to ask for water. The mighty official was still around. How could he, a small county magistrate, dare to open his mouth? He could only look at the old village chief tentatively, hoping that he would see him and pour water for him. However, the chief just kept looking outside and did not even glance at him.


    Out of the three men, the one who looked the calmest was the Minister of Revenue. He gently put down the cup that had long been empty.


    The other two men shifted in their seats almost imperceptibly.


    The Minister of Revenue started to look towards the door anxiously. Beneath his calm demeanor, he was thinking, ¡°Come quickly, come quickly. The sooner she comes, the sooner I can complete the mission. My wife is still waiting for me to go back for dinner!¡±


    Although the three of them were thinking different thoughts, they were all looking at the same place¡ªthe door.


    ¡°Here they are!¡±


    The old village chief was closer to the courtyard. He first saw his wife, then Xiaoguo, who was following behind her. He was overjoyed.


    Upon hearing this, the other two sat up straight and straightened their official uniforms at the same time. They looked towards the door.


    The village chief¡¯s wife stood at the door and did not enter. It was not that she did not want to enter, but her legs were trembling. If she were to enter, her knees would buckle.


    She gave Xiaoguo a look and signaled her to go in herself. Xiaoguo was in a dilemma. Should she kneel when she enters?


    Feeling conflicted, she entered the house and stood beside the old village chief. Eventually, she knelt down.


    Once Xiaoguo entered the room, the Minister of Revenue suddenly stood up and took out an imperial edict.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw the bright yellow scroll. She knew what to do. That was what they always did on TV.


    Just as she expected, as soon as the Minister of Revenue took out the imperial edict, everyone, regardless of whether they were inside or outside the house, knelt down.


    ¡°Long live the emperor.¡±


    Xiaoguo chanted the words together with the rest of the group. For some reason, she felt a little shy.


    Seeing that everyone was still, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to move and looked down at the ground.


    Even though she couldn¡¯t see what was going on, her sense of hearing suddenly became sensitive.


    Xiaoguo pricked up her ears to listen to the imperial edict.


    The Minister of Revenue cleared his throat. He had drunk too much water just now.


    ¡°By the grace of the heavens, the Emperor has decreed that the Jiang family, from the east of the capital, who were previously framed and expelled from the capital, have now been vindicated. Therefore, on the selected auspicious day, Jiang Kunming and his wife will be moved to the ancestral grave of the Jiang family in the capital. The daughter-in-law, by surname Jiang-Qin, will receive the decree.¡±


    Xiaoguo imitated what she saw on television. She kowtowed and raised her hands. ¡°I, humble subject by the surname of Jiang-Qin, accept the decree.¡±


    The Minister of Revenue saw that she had good etiquette and did not make things difficult for her. He swiftly handed the decree to her.


    ¡°You may get up!¡±


    The Minister of Revenue put down the imperial edict and called for everyone to get up.


    He remembered what the emperor had instructed and looked at Qin Xiaoguo curiously. Who was this Qin Xiaoguo?


    Before setting off, the emperor had specially instructed him to arrange everything for her and ensure that she arrives at the capital safely.


    After thinking for a while, the Minister of Revenue continued to speak. His tone was filled with¡­ affinity?


    ¡°Madam Qin, the day after tomorrow is an auspicious day. Pick an early hour to move the coffins. The village chief and County Magistrate Liu will prepare everything for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought of the words ¡°affinity¡± and felt her liver tremble. How could such a powerful Minister of Revenue show affinity to a small village woman like her?


    Upon hearing his words, Xiaoguo nodded in acknowledgment.


    After seeing her nod, the Minister of Revenue looked at the other two men before getting up to leave.


    The Minister of Revenue left with more than half of the carriages and soldiers.


    Xiaoguo made a point to check if the ¡°BMW¡± was his.


    Apart from Xiaoguo, the rest of the group heaved a sigh of relief. They had finally sent off a huge mountain.


    The old village chief did not dare to relax. He looked at County Magistrate Liu cautiously and waited for further instructions.


    Xiaoguo remained standing where she was, beside the old village chief, and looked at County Magistrate Liu, who was sitting on a chair.


    Magistrate Liu recalled the look in the Minister¡¯s eyes just now and got the gist of the situation. To get to his current position as a magistrate, he was definitely not a clueless man. His mind was spinning rapidly as he looked at Xiaoguo with extra kindness.


    ¡°Have a seat. Don¡¯t just stand there. It¡¯s time for us to discuss the details.¡±


    Xiaoguo was already a little tired from standing, so she took the opportunity to sit down. The old village chief also sat down on a chair nervously.


    ¡°Just now, the minister said that the day after tomorrow is an auspicious day. In that case, we¡¯ll start the burial at nine in the morning during the Si hour. Old Village Chief, you will take care of this matter and set off to the county together. I¡¯ll wait for you in the county and escort the two elders of the Jiang family to the capital.¡±


    Magistrate Liu explained the plan, and Xiaoguo had no objections. Mrs. Jiang had treated the previous owner very well when she was alive. She had regarded Xiaoguo as her biological daughter. This was the last wish of the two elderly Jiangs and they had no other descendants besides Zhuang Zhuang. Zhuang Zhuang was still too young, so as a daughter-in-law, Xiaoguo naturally had the obligation to accompany the two elders all the way to the capital for their burial. It was a duty and a responsibility that she could not turn down.


    After confirming the time, Xiaoguo quickly bade farewell and walked home. She had been out for quite some time, and she didn¡¯t know how Zhuang Zhuang was doing at home. Based on his usual behavior, he must be worried sick after not seeing her for so long.


    The two houses were not close to each other. Xiaoguo quickly jogged back to her house. As soon as she knocked on the door, she could hear some noises coming from inside the house. Xiaoguo guessed that Zhuang Zhuang might be behind the door.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    As soon as Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice, he quickly opened the door. ¡°Mother!¡±


    ¡°Where did Mother go? I was so worried.¡±


    Xiaoguo rubbed his head and comforted him. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll cook for you first. I¡¯ll tell you more later.¡±


    In some ways, Zhuang Zhuang was different from other children his age.


    Similar to other three-year-old children, he was innocent, cute, kind, and lively. However, he was more mature than other children his age and was much more perceptive.


    Hence, Xiaoguo was prepared to explain everything to him. She was sure that Zhuang Zhuang would understand.

 Chapter 123 - Looking for Qin Anming

    Zhuang Zhuang nodded obediently and helped Xiaoguo to start the fire and bring out the bowls.


    Xiaoguo still had a lot of preparation work to do, so she made a simple meal.


    After Zhuang Zhuang was done eating, Xiaoguo took out the imperial edict.


    Zhuang Zhuang had never seen an imperial edict before, so he didn¡¯t know what it was. However, he didn¡¯t ask. He knew that his mother would tell him everything. All he had to do was wait and listen.


    Xiaoguo explained everything in simple terms. Although Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t understand completely, he roughly got the idea.


    His grandparents would be sent back to the capital to rest in peace.


    ¡°Mother, will I be going with you?¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she nodded. ¡°Yes, Zhuang Zhuang has to go too.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had to go. He was the only descendant of the Jiang family. When he gets there, he will have to kowtow and remember the burial spot. In the future, during festivals and on memorial day, Xiaoguo would have to bring Zhuang Zhuang to visit his grandparents¡¯ graves in the capital.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded in understanding. The capital? He still remembered that his grandmother often mentioned two things. One was his father, and the other was the capital. However, he was still young and it had been too long. He had long forgotten what his grandmother had said.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded earnestly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I will escort Grandpa and Grandma safely to the capital for burial.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang lovingly and held his head in her hands. ¡°What a good boy you are, Zhuang Zhuang, you have really lived up to my expectations!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pouted and smiled, revealing his little teeth.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have much time since they were setting off the day after tomorrow. Although the village chief and the county magistrate were responsible for most of the work, she still had to prepare some items like joss paper and incense sticks for the burial. In addition, there was still the issue of the animals at home. Before Xiaoguo left the village chief¡¯s house, she asked him how long it would take to get from the county to the capital.


    The old village chief had been to the capital before, so when he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s question, he stroked his beard and said, ¡°A smooth trip will take at least seven days without stopping. If you stop to rest, it will take at least ten days.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she frowned. Based on a ten-day schedule, it would take at least twenty days to travel back and forth. If there was bad weather in between, it would take at least a month. She was quite concerned that the house would be left empty for so long.


    Xiaoguo was planning to leave Zhuang Zhuang at home and go to the county city to bring her brother back if things couldn¡¯t be sorted out. However, it was too late now. If she were to go now, she would not make it back home before dark. If she brings Zhuang Zhuang along, she would be worried. If she leaves him behind, she wouldn¡¯t feel at ease either. Eventually, she decided to go the next morning instead.


    After dinner, Xiaoguo went to bed early. She would set off before dawn the next day. She had to make sure that the preparations were done properly. She could not afford to miss out on any single item that was required for the ceremony.


    Xiaoguo fell asleep amidst all her thoughts. Zhuang Zhuang knew that Xiaoguo had a lot on her mind, and didn¡¯t disturb her. He lay quietly beside her and fell asleep too.


    Before dawn the next day, Xiaoguo got up and set off. She had told Zhuang Zhuang the day before that she was going to the county. As there were a lot of things that she had to settle, she could not bring him along. Zhuang Zhuang understood as well.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t sure when she would be back, so she prepared extra food. At least, if she didn¡¯t reach home by noon, Zhuang Zhuang would have something to eat.


    After ensuring that everything was in order, Xiaoguo set off.


    When she arrived in the county, Xiaoguo knocked on the door of the restaurant. Although it was a little intrusive, Xiaoguo had no choice. She was worried that she might miss something out since she didn¡¯t have any experience in this area. However, Qin Anming was different. He had single-handedly arranged the funeral of their parents, so he would know better what to prepare.


    In addition, she would probably need someone to help with the burial tomorrow. Xiaoguo had never brought Zhuang Zhuang on a trip like this before. If Qin Anming was around, she would feel more at ease.


    Xiaoguo waited for a while before knocking again three more times.


    In the restaurant, Ling Long, who was cleaning the hall, heard a knock on the door. She was a little surprised. It was still very early.


    ¡°We¡¯re not open yet,¡±


    Linglong spoke as she rushed out through the door.


    ¡°Linglong, it¡¯s me, Xiaoguo.¡±


    Xiaoguo recognized Linglong¡¯s voice.


    When Ling Long heard that it was Xiaoguo, she quickly put down the broom and unlatched the door.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo? Why are you so early today?¡±


    Linglong asked Xiaoguo curiously.


    ¡°Is my brother here? I need to talk to him about something.¡±


    When Ling Long heard this, she could tell how anxious Xiaoguo was and quickly went to the backyard to look for Qin Anming.


    ¡°Xiaoguo!¡±


    Within a short while, Qin Anming ran over anxiously from the backyard. His clothes were in disarray. It was obvious that he had just woken up.


    ¡°Brother! It¡¯s nothing serious! Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly said, afraid that he would trip and fall.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Qin Anming heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that Xiaoguo was fine. He had just woken up when he heard Ling Long knocking on the door hurriedly. She said that something had happened to Xiaoguo. Qin Anming ran out before he could properly put on his clothes.


    Xiaoguo felt a little guilty. It was her fault for not making things clear. She had caused Linglong to misunderstand and had indirectly given Qin Anming a fright.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Brother! I just need to move my in-laws¡¯ graves to the capital for burial.¡±


    Xiaoguo tried her best to summarize everything for Qin Anming.


    ¡°How can you go alone with Zhuang Zhuang? No! I have to go with you! I would be worried sick if you go by yourself!¡±


    They would be gone for at least a month. He wouldn¡¯t feel at ease to let them go without him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Brother¡­ County Magistrate Liu is going with us. There are also troops escorting us. I¡¯ll be traveling in the carriage with Zhuang Zhuang. It¡¯s really fine!¡±


    Xiaoguo comforted Qin Anming. Seeing that his hair was standing on ends, she quickly comforted him.


    Even though Xiaoguo kept assuring him, Qin Anming was still worried. He wanted to say more, but Xiaoguo quickly told him the purpose of her visit.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m here today because I want you to come with me to buy some joss paper and other things that I will need tomorrow. I¡¯m worried about missing out on certain items. Also, there will be no one at home for a month to take care of the small animals at home. I need you to come back and stay for a while. I¡¯m really worried about leaving the house empty.¡±


    Qin Anming agreed immediately. That was true! There was still a pile of things at home! What if there were troublemakers who broke into the house while Xiaoguo was gone?


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll talk to Ruyi about it later.¡±


    Seeing that Qin Anming had agreed, Xiaoguo was prepared to tell Ruyi about it.


    At this moment, Ruyi came out of the bathroom. Ling Long had woken her up and was frantically telling her about Xiaoguo. She slipped on her shoes and came out of her room. Once Ruyi came out, everyone also came out from their rooms. They all looked flustered and asked Xiaoguo what had happened.


    When Xiaoguo saw how worried and concerned everyone looked, her eyes turned red and her heart was filled with warmth.


    ¡°Thank you everyone. I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Xiaoguo calmed them down and told them everything, including her plan for Qin Anming to come home and stay for a while.


    When everyone heard this, they heaved a sigh of relief. Ling Long stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. She had been too impulsive.


    ¡°No problem! Of course.¡±


    After hearing this, Ruyi immediately told Qin Anming that he could go back with Xiaoguo today.


    As Xiaoguo had a lot to prepare, she couldn¡¯t stay any longer and quickly left with Qin Anming.

 Chapter 124 - Preparations

    When Qin Anming was packing his luggage, Ruyi and the others sat around the table and asked Xiaoguo what else she needed to prepare. Did she need money? They reminded her to wear more clothes on the way and to let Zhuang Zhuang do the same. They were overwhelming Xiaoguo with all their concern.


    Xiaoguo was deeply touched and nodded as she responded accordingly to everyone.


    Once Qin Anming came out, Xiaoguo quickly walked to the door with him.


    After bidding farewell to everyone, Xiaoguo and Qin Anming sat on the donkey cart and listed out the things they had to prepare.


    If Xiaoguo missed anything, Qin Anming would add it to her list.


    The two of them started shopping from the first item on the list. By the time they completed everything on the list, it was afternoon. As there were a few items that were not available in the county, the two of them had to buy them in another village after getting tips from the shop owner. As they were not familiar with the place, they took a few wrong turns.


    After going back and forth, it was afternoon when they returned home.


    Xiaoguo still had to prepare the luggages for herself and Zhuang Zhuang. Xiaoguo took out all the money from the cupboard. She didn¡¯t know if anything would happen along the way, so she felt more at ease with more money in her pocket.


    But there was so much money. Xiaoguo counted and found that there were probably a few hundred taels of silver. If she were to carry all the money with her, wouldn¡¯t she be a walking money bag?


    Xiaoguo took out the silver from her bag. It seemed that it was more suitable to keep it in a hidden place.


    In a flash, she arrived in the space. It was safer to leave the silver there.


    Xiaoguo put most of the money into the space, leaving only some loose silver behind. Then, she continued packing.


    She still had to prepare Qin Anming¡¯s food later.


    Qin Anming wasn¡¯t good at cooking. Xiaoguo placed the sausages on the table and took out some intestines from the fridge. She washed them and placed them in a basin. They would last a day or two without spoiling in this weather.


    Xiaoguo knew that he loved intestines, but she didn¡¯t put too much in. She was afraid that they would spoil if he couldn¡¯t finish them.


    She filled up the rice and flour in their respective jars. Fortunately, Xiaoguo had milled two bags of wheat and ground them into flour. Otherwise, Qin Anming would not have replenished the empty jars.


    Xiaoguo filled up all the grain jars in the house. Seeing that there was nothing else to prepare, she left the kitchen.


    Before the sky turned dark, Xiaoguo knocked on Mrs. Yang¡¯s door with two sausages.


    ¡°Sister-in-law!¡±


    Xiaoguo called out to Mrs. Yang. After a while, Mrs. Yang opened the door and came out. Seeing that it was Xiaoguo, she tried to pull her into the house.


    Xiaoguo did not go in. ¡°Sister-in-law, I still have to go back and cook. I am not going in.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she handed the sausages to Mrs. Yang. ¡°Mrs. Yang, I have a favor to ask of you today.¡±


    Mrs. Yang took the sausages and was curiously studying it when she heard Xiaoguo¡¯s request. She looked up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Do you know that we are shifting the graves to the capital tomorrow? My brother will be at home, but he¡¯s a man. I¡¯m worried about him cooking for himself, so I hope that you could take the time to visit him. You don¡¯t have to go every day, just occasionally. I¡¯ve prepared a lot of easy meals for him, so you don¡¯t have to go every day.¡±


    Mrs. Yang handed the sausages to Xiaoguo. ¡°Is that all? It¡¯s a small matter. Take this back. Our friendship doesn¡¯t work this way.¡±


    Xiaoguo pushed it back happily. ¡°These are sausages. I made them myself. One is spicy and the other is not. I specially brought it over for your family to eat. I didn¡¯t come here just for this!¡±


    Xiaoguo pushed the sausages back and took two steps back. As she ran off, she said, ¡°You can steam or stir-fry them.¡±


    Before Mrs. Yang could chase after her, Xiaoguo had already run home.


    Mrs. Yang looked at the receding figure and laughed helplessly. This child!


    Earlier on, the village chief had called for a meeting with some men from a few families. Yang Feng was one of them. When he entered the house and told Mrs. Yang, she immediately thought of Xiaoguo. She wanted to ask Xiaoguo if she could handle Zhuang Zhuang by herself. Otherwise, she would ask Yang Feng and Yang Jia to go with her. And her house would be empty, so what would become of the animals? Would she need help?


    Just as she was about to leave the house to look for Xiaoguo, Xiaoguo was already knocking on the door. Before Mrs. Yang could pull her into the house to talk, she had run off.


    Forget it, Xiaoguo had arranged it well! She had really grown up!


    Mrs. Yang smiled and shook her head before going back into the house.


    In Mrs. Yang¡¯s eyes, Xiaoguo was still the helpless, pregnant little girl who had just married into the Jiang family. Time passed so quickly¡­


    The little girl whose eyes turned red whenever she was in trouble had become a capable mother.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo woke up early and went to the kitchen to cook.


    The Si hour means nine o¡¯clock in the morning. Xiaoguo leaned out of the window and looked up at the sky. It was probably around seven o¡¯clock. There was still time.


    This was Xiaoguo¡¯s first time doing this. She was really a little nervous, but according to the county magistrate, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t need to take care of anything. He would be taking care of everything along the way, and there would be someone to pick her up when she arrives in the capital.


    She was a little curious. Why were there so many people involved in the relocation of a grave? What status did the Jiang family have in the capital?


    Xiaoguo brought the porridge to the table and placed the bowls and chopsticks down. She then went to the kitchen to bring over the side dishes and eggs.


    When breakfast was served, there was some movement in Qin Anming¡¯s room. Xiaoguo knew that he had woken up. The only person still sleeping was Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo went into the room and looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was wrapped under the covers. His head was hidden under the blanket, and the shape of his little body looked like a bulge from her view.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang? Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Xiaoguo reached under the blanket and found his head. She rubbed it gently, trying to wake him.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    A kiddish voice sounded. Then, he rolled around under the blanket and twisted the blanket into a ball before slowly sticking his head out.


    1


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the food is ready. Get up and have your breakfast.¡±


    Xiaoguo gently held onto Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s arm and tugged on it. Before you wake someone up, you have to first wake their body.


    After tugging on his arms a few times, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sleepy look had long disappeared. He was chuckling at Xiaoguo¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Alright, get up!¡±


    Xiaoguo lifted the blanket and got Zhuang Zhuang to get dressed. She then left the room.


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    When Xiaoguo came out, she thought that she would see Qin Anming at the table. To her surprise, he was nowhere to be seen. The door to his room was also open. Where did he go?


    ¡°Brother? It¡¯s time to eat!¡±


    Xiaoguo shouted at Qin Anming in the courtyard. As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Anming¡¯s voice was heard.


    ¡°Right away!¡±


    Hearing where Qin Anming¡¯s voice was coming from, Xiaoguo guessed that he was washing up.


    Knowing what Qin Anming was doing, Xiaoguo felt relieved and continued filling the bowl with porridge. Once Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang were done washing up, the porridge would be just nice for eating.


    Zhuang Zhuang sat down with Qin Anming. After peeling the eggs, Xiaoguo gave Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming an egg each. An egg a day would keep their health in good shape.


    After breakfast, Xiaoguo put on the mourning clothes on Zhuang Zhuang. According to traditions, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had to be dressed in mourning attire during the journey to the capital.


    Luckily Qin Anming had reminded her about this. Otherwise, Xiaoguo would have forgotten to buy the mourning clothes yesterday.

 Chapter 125 - The Auspicious Hour

    The mourning attire was just an outer robe and Xiaoguo helped Zhuang Zhuang to put it on. The size was just right on him.


    After dressing Zhuang Zhuang, she told him to go out and look for his uncle. Xiaoguo picked up another piece of mourning robe from the bed and put it on herself.


    Qin Anming opened the main door after he was done eating. Someone should arrive in the village soon. They had to gather at Xiaoguo¡¯s place first, then bring the firecrackers and joss paper to the grave.


    Xiaoguo took out their baggage and Qin Anming brought out the firecrackers and joss paper.


    At this moment, the old village chief walked over with a group of people.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, it¡¯s almost time to set off.¡±


    The old village chief stood outside the door and shouted into the house. He was followed by a group of men, who were all holding shovels in their hands.


    Among them was Mrs. Yang¡¯s man, Yang Feng. There were also a few other burly men from the same village.


    When Qin Anming heard the chief¡¯s voice, he came out and handed the joss paper and firecrackers to some of the men. At this moment, Xiaoguo came out with Zhuang Zhuang in their mourning clothes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After ensuring that she had not missed out anything, Xiaoguo left with the rest of the group. Qin Anming followed behind after locking up.


    The group of them walked along the road and headed for their destination, which was on a high slope in front of the mountains. Along the way, there were some onlookers standing on their tiptoes and looking out from above the walls. There were also some villagers who were tagging along just to check things out.


    As the Jiang family did not originate from Peach Blossom Village, they could not be buried in the village cemetery after their deaths. Therefore, when Mr. Jiang died, Jiang Danhe and Mrs. Jiang chose a quiet burial spot for him. After Mrs. Jiang¡¯s death, the previous owner buried her at the same spot with Mr. Jiang.


    In the distance, there was only one big grave on the hillside. The surrounding scenery was beautiful. There were mountains, rivers, and big trees, hence, the grave did not look too desolate.


    Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang to the front of the group. She was carrying a bundle of joss paper and a torch. When they arrived at the grave, there were already a few carriages parked there. There was also a group of soldiers with swords standing guard at the side. They were sent by the county magistrate to fetch Xiaoguo and transport the coffin.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    The village chief looked up at the sun and said to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo nodded and knelt in front of the grave with Zhuang Zhuang. The boy stuck closely by Xiaoguo¡¯s side and followed whatever she did.


    ¡°It is the auspicious hour now! It¡¯s time to exhume the grave!¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang kowtowed three times before making way for the villagers behind them to start digging.


    The villagers did not start digging immediately. Instead, they lit three incense sticks beside the grave and then lit a string of firecrackers on a nearby tree.


    Xiaoguo covered Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s ears to protect him from the loud noise.


    Zhuang Zhuang also huddled in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and waited quietly for the firecrackers to stop.


    At this moment, Qin Anming walked over and said softly to Xiaoguo, ¡°When the coffin is out, burn the joss paper with Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in acknowledgment.


    After saying that, Qin Anming stood behind Xiaoguo. This was a good position for him to remind her if she were to miss out anything. If Xiaoguo had any questions, it was also convenient for her to ask him.


    Knowing that Qin Anming was by her side, Xiaoguo felt a little more at ease.


    When the noise finally stopped, the group of men started digging with their shovels. While they were digging, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang knelt down beside the spot and waited. They had the fire torch and joss paper in hand. Once the coffin was dug up from the grave, they would start burning the offerings.


    The weather was good today. The sky was clear and there was no wind. They should have no problems lighting the incense later.


    As it was a manual excavation, it took about three quarters of an hour before the surface of the coffin was revealed. Qin Anming was standing and saw it immediately. Xiaoguo was kneeling and could not see anything. So Qin Anming quickly leaned closer to Xiaoguo and informed her to start burning.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she quickly picked up the torch, blew on it, and started burning the joss paper.


    As soon as the torch touched the paper, it started burning immediately. Xiaoguo picked up a small wooden stick and poked at the paper to encourage the flames. Zhuang Zhuang also took the joss paper and threw them into the flames piece by piece according to Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions.


    The old village chief was keeping watch by Xiaoguo¡¯s side. Just as the joss paper had finished burning, the coffin was successfully hoisted up.


    It was a large coffin for two. Several years had passed, but the coffin was still in good shape. It had not rotted away in the soil over the years.


    When Mrs. Jiang buried Mr. Jiang, she had specially bought a top-end quality coffin. Even though he couldn¡¯t be buried in the ancestral grave, he should be sent off properly on his last journey. Therefore, Mrs. Jiang spent all the money she had on the coffin.


    The old village chief instructed the men to move the coffin to the carriage.


    Qin Anming helped Xiaoguo up and instructed her to scatter some joss paper along the way. There was no need to overdo it. She just had to toss the paper at regular intervals during the journey.


    Xiaoguo took his words to heart and nodded at him. She then got into the carriage together with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Qin Anming reluctantly, he was feeling a little uneasy.


    Qin Anming looked at the boy and comforted him. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, follow your mother closely. Don¡¯t run around, you understand?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Zhuang Zhuang nodded at Qin Anming.


    Qin Anming nodded in relief and stepped aside. Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and looked at Qin Anming.


    ¡°Brother, we¡¯ll be leaving now. Take care of yourself at home. Eat whatever you want. There¡¯s a lot of grains, vegetables and meat. The shoes and clothes I made for you are on the bed in my house. Remember to wear them.¡±


    Xiaoguo finished speaking in one breath. Qin Anming gave her a reassuring look. ¡°Okay! Take good care of yourself and Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath, held back her tears, and nodded. When she heard the village chief say that they were ready to set off, she lowered the curtain.


    Qin Anming watched as the curtain was lowered. He quietly rubbed the corners of his eyes. It was said that a mother would constantly worry when her child is not by her side. Now that Xiaoguo had left, he really empathized with those words.


    Xiaoguo had always been staying in Peach Blossom Village. It felt a little strange to be away from home for a month.


    The carriage began to move steadily. Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and looked out. The soldiers around them had been sent by the county magistrate to escort them. When they arrived at the county city, County Magistrate Liu would travel along with them.


    Xiaoguo was surprised by the scale of this burial. For most ordinary people, they would move graves by finding their own vehicles and transporting the coffins themselves. Who would be entitled to such privileges like the Jiang family? Everything was planned to a tee for them. Xiaoguo¡¯s imagination was running wild. She wondered what these people were up to.


    Xiaoguo sat in the carriage, feeling the seat beneath her buttocks. She couldn¡¯t help but think that a carriage was indeed more comfortable than a donkey cart.


    When she couldn¡¯t see Qin Anming and the rest of the crowd anymore, Xiaoguo lifted the curtain for Zhuang Zhuang to scatter the joss paper.


    The joss papers were taken from her house. Qin Anming had helped to place them on the carriage.


    Zhuang Zhuang obediently picked up two pieces of joss paper and threw them outside.


    The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes twitched. The boy had really heard Qin Anming¡¯s words about rationing the paper. Zhuang Zhuang was really pinching two pieces of paper at a time and tossing them out.


    ¡°Son, not to this extent please¡­¡±


    But Xiaoguo swallowed her words. Forget it. I¡¯ll just throw more from my side.


    Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and threw some paper out.


    The carriage traveled slowly as it was difficult to move too quickly with the weight of the coffin at the back. It was close to noon when they reached the county gate.


    County Magistrate Liu was already waiting at the entrance. When he saw Xiaoguo¡¯s convoy, he quickly greeted her and joined the entourage.

 Chapter 126 - Too Lonely

    Magistrate Liu sat in the carriage at the front of the convoy, followed by Xiaoguo¡¯s carriage. The carriage pulling the coffin was at the back. There were two rows of soldiers lined up on both sides, and there were more than ten people following behind.


    Xiaoguo was shocked by this scene. To think that she was able to enjoy such privileged treatment in her lifetime, Xiaoguo had benefited greatly from her association with the Jiang family.


    Keeping Qin Anming¡¯s advice in mind, Xiaoguo scattered the joss paper every once in a while. According to his estimation, Xiaoguo only had to control the amount of joss paper she scattered each time. These joss paper would definitely last till they reached the capital. She didn¡¯t have to stop to buy more.


    Magistrate Liu sat steadily in the carriage and thought happily. He wondered how he would be rewarded after escorting her to the capital. Would he be promoted? Even if he wasn¡¯t promoted, there should be other benefits.


    Thinking of this, Magistrate Liu almost laughed out loud. He looked at Xiaoguo in the carriage behind him as if he was looking at the God of Fortune. He had to take good care of her along the way. His future depended on her!


    ¡°Go and ask Madam Jiang how she is. Is she feeling comfortable? Does she need to stop and rest?¡±


    Magistrate Liu instructed the soldiers outside happily. His main job was to take good care of Qin Xiaoguo. Everything else was secondary.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    When the official heard this, he immediately ran to the back and came to Xiaoguo¡¯s carriage. He knocked softly on the sedan chair. When Xiaoguo heard this, she lifted the curtain.


    ¡°Our county magistrate asked if you need to stop and rest.¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    Although Xiaoguo found it strange, she did not say anything else. It was better to hurry on with their journey. The sooner they arrived, the better.


    They had set off from Yonghai County at noon. They did not stop along the way and headed straight for Yongxiu County. When they reached the place, it was already dark and everyone was a little tired from the journey, so they entered the county and found an inn to stay for the night.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had only had breakfast since the morning. They were starving by now.


    Magistrate Liu assigned a room for Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang and ordered some food for them.


    The others had also gone to eat and rest. It wasn¡¯t so bad for Xiaoguo and the others who were sitting in the carriages, but it was hard on the officers and horses who were traveling on foot. Fortunately, Magistrate Liu was a considerate official and did not continue to grind the officers. He got them to do their duties by shift so that they could take turns to rest.


    After dinner, Xiaoguo helped Zhuang Zhuang to wash up and carried him to bed.


    The child was feeling sleepy even before they reached the county. He had not taken a nap in the afternoon. When they were having dinner, she had to feed him to stop him from dozing off.


    In a daze, Zhuang Zhuang let Xiaoguo wipe his face and clean his mouth. As soon as he touched the bed, he slipped under the blanket without Xiaoguo having to remind him. He fell asleep shortly after he found a comfortable position in the bed.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t even need her to pat him to sleep, Xiaoguo rubbed his nose in amusement.


    She blew out the candle beside the bed so that Zhuang Zhuang could sleep more soundly. Only one candle was left burning on the table in the room.


    Xiaoguo strolled to the table and sat down. Then, she took out the simple hand-drawn map that the old village chief had given her before she left. According to him, if she were to go to the capital, she would probably be taking this route. He had drawn this based on what he could remember. It had been so many years, so it should not have changed much.


    Xiaoguo was grateful to him. With this map, she could observe where she was in real time and figure out how close she was to the capital.


    Take today for example. Xiaoguo used her fingers to trace the route from Yonghai County. After traveling for the whole afternoon, they arrived at Yongxiu County.


    Xiaoguo pointed to the current location, Yongxiu County. The next place they had to go was¡­


    Her finger slid to the next place, the Zhao family¡¯s shop.


    This name was really strange. Xiaoguo looked at the names of the county cities she passed by on the way. There were really all kinds of names. There was actually one called Goulou County.


    Xiaoguo held back her laughter. These people from ancient times were really random and casual when it came to naming county cities.


    Xiaoguo did some calculations. If she followed the route on the map, she would have to pass through 13 county cities before reaching the capital.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo could not help but yawn. She patted her mouth and wiped away her tears.


    Since they had to leave early in the morning, Xiaoguo decided to go to bed early. She got up and put the map away. After blowing out the candles, she climbed into bed amid the darkness. She found Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s position and held him gently in her arms. Very soon after, she fell asleep.


    In the county.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Lord Li requests an audience.¡±


    ¡°Bring him in.¡±


    The eunuch lowered his head and acknowledged the order. Then, he went outside to summon Lord Li.


    After a while, the sound of light footsteps approached. Shao Zhan put down his brush and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.


    ¡°I, Li Rudao, hereby pay my respects to the Emperor.¡±


    Lord Li Rudao was the Minister of Revenue who had called on Xiaoguo. At this moment, he was kneeling in the middle of the hall. He had just returned to the capital today after traveling day and night without stopping in between. The first thing he did when he returned to the capital was to report the situation. He had not returned home yet. His wife was still waiting for him to return home for dinner.


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    Shao Zhan put down his teacup and looked at the person who had come to see him. ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have already settled the matter of the Jiang family¡¯s ancestral grave in the capital. I also learned that Madam Qin has already set off safely from Yonghai County. I believe that it will take less than seven days for them to reach the capital.¡±


    The Minister of Revenue stood up and said.


    Shao Zhan¡¯s lips curled into an imperceptible smile. ¡°Very good.¡±


    ¡°You have to ensure that Madam Qin can reach the capital safely. You have to provide her with assistance to bury the two elders of the Jiang family in their ancestral grave.¡±


    2


    Shao Zhan¡¯s voice sounded with a hint of satisfaction. When the Ministry of Revenue heard this, he straightened his back proudly. With Old Li on the job, he could take on the duties of two men.


    ¡°I accept the Emperor¡¯s order!¡±


    Shao Zhan waved him away.


    Apart from Shao Zhan, there was no one else in the hall. At this moment, he was very happy. As long as he could get Qin Xiaoguo to stay, he didn¡¯t believe that Jiang Danhe would still want to go home.


    Thinking of this, Shao Zhan chuckled. Then, he stopped smiling and looked around. After confirming that there was no one around, he quickly wore a serious expression on his face again.


    Shao Zhan¡¯s mind was filled with a set of advice. When he was young, his mother had reminded him never to forget these words.


    A ruler should not express joy and sadness overtly. He must always maintain his dignity and seriousness.


    Shao Zhan laid his eyes on the book in front of him, but his life before and after becoming an emperor surfaced in his memories. Slowly, an inexplicable coldness appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s so lonely being emperor¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Empress requests an audience.¡±


    Shao Zhan came back to his senses and slowly closed the book. A trace of disgust flashed across his eyes. He looked up at the door with a slight smile on his face.


    ¡°Bring her in.¡±


    At Jiang Danhe¡¯s residence.


    ¡°Li Shouji! Li Shouji!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was knocking on the door of Li Shouji¡¯s house. Every time he knocked, it felt like he was going to smash the door.


    Li Shouji hugged his blanket and curled up on the bed. Two dark circles that looked like panda¡¯s eyes hung on his tired face. He looked out the door angrily, as if this could hurt the person standing outside.


    ¡°Is there no end to this?!¡±


    Li Shouji covered his ears with the blanket, trying not to hear anything outside the door. Jiang Danhe was the devil.


    In the end, the door could not withstand the pressure and collapsed under Jiang Danhe¡¯s pounding.


    After an awkward silence¡­


    Jiang Danhe retracted his hand and rubbed his nose awkwardly. ¡°If only you had opened the door earlier.¡±


    ¡°?!¡±


    Li Shouji glared at Jiang Danhe. ¡°What are you talking about?!¡±

 Chapter 127 - Feng City

    Okay! It¡¯s fine if he couldn¡¯t get any sleep! It¡¯s also fine that he had to shop with Jiang Danhe every day! Even if he had to pick out the best hue of pink every day, it¡¯s also fine! But now this man had torn down the door, and he was still blaming him for not opening the door earlier?!


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, if you weren¡¯t my boss, I would have given you a taste of my sandbag-sized fists.¡±


    It seemed that Li Shouji¡¯s gaze was too intense, Jiang Danhe coughed twice and said, ¡°Forget it, forget it. I¡¯ll look for someone else.¡±


    His eyes were filled with dissatisfaction as he left while mumbling to himself.


    How Li Shouji wished to catch up with him and give him a big punch. That way, he could never ever torture him again.


    But eventually, Li Shouji grabbed his blanket and walked grudgingly towards Jiang Danhe¡¯s house.


    If one were to ask him why¡­


    Needless to say! It was late and cold, how could he sleep without a door in the house?


    Li Shouji looked like he had been forced to compromise. Armed with his blanket and pillow, he knocked on Jiang Danhe¡¯s door.


    Jiang Danhe did not seem surprised by his arrival. He opened the door and pulled him in.


    The door closed slowly and Li Shouji looked towards the doorway with teary eyes. He looked like he was sending out a distress signal. Once the door was completely shut, Li Shouji could no longer be seen.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Look at these two pieces of fabric. Is the pink one better for my daughter?¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s bed and table were all covered with pieces of colorful fabrics. When Li Shouji entered, he felt like he was inside a fabric shop.


    Li Shouji yawned loudly and tears trickled from the corners of his eyes.


    The dark circles under his eyes seemed to have grown bigger. He had already helped to pick out more than a dozen pieces of cloth since he entered the house. At this moment, he felt that he could no longer distinguish colors anymore. Everything looked gray in his eyes.


    Noticing that the bed was just inches away from him, Li Shouji slowly moved towards it. When he was about to get on the bed, a smile appeared on his face.


    Jiang Danhe pulled him back instantly.


    ¡°Let me ask you, which of these prints look better?¡±


    Li Shouji broke down. F*ck! He didn¡¯t care if the wind came into his house. At most, he would just catch a cold. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t have to go through with this torture!


    Jiang Danhe saw that Li Shouji was obviously out of sorts, so he mercifully let him off so that he could sleep.


    Li Shouji was delighted and quickly got into bed. Before he could lie down, Jiang Danhe said softly,


    ¡°Sleep early. We will check out the shoe shop first thing in the morning.¡±


    Li Shouji spat out a mouthful of blood! ¡°I quit!¡±


    Jiang Danhe put away the fabrics and carried his blanket to the other bed. There were two beds in his room.


    Ignoring Li Shouji¡¯s murderous gaze, he thought about his family and fell asleep happily.


    Li Shouji, on the other hand, had tears in his eyes. He bit the corner of his blanket and looked at the back of Jiang Danhe¡¯s head. It will be another sleepless night¡­


    ¡°Mother, where are we now?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang lifted the curtain and threw out the joss paper. Then, he turned around and pouted at Xiaoguo. His two small hands were rubbing his buttocks. He seemed to be feeling very uncomfortable.


    ¡°We have reached¡­ Feng City.¡±


    Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and looked out. She could just make out the words carved high above the county gate, Feng City.


    Xiaoguo was in discomfort too. They had spent the entire day in the carriage. According to the route, they should have stopped at the Zhao family¡¯s shop. However, when they passed by the county, the convoy took a detour instead.


    Apart from stopping for lunch, they just kept moving forward.


    Xiaoguo wondered if they would stop traveling at night. She really hoped that they would stop in one of the counties. At the very least, they could stay in an inn. If they were en route when night falls, they would have to set up camp on the spot. Xiaoguo did not wish to spend the night in the wilderness, and in a carriage at that.


    ¡°Come, Mother will give you a massage.¡±


    Xiaoguo saw that Zhuang Zhuang was feeling uncomfortable, so she pulled him over and placed him on her lap. Then, she gave him a gentle massage.


    With Xiaoguo¡¯s massage, Zhuang Zhuang felt much better and stopped complaining about his pain.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s my turn to massage Mother.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stood up and stretched out his little hands towards Xiaoguo.


    ¡°No need!¡±


    Xiaoguo was so nervous that her voice cracked. ¡°Thank you, son. I accept your filial piety, but you can forget about massaging me¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang widened his eyes and looked at Xiaoguo innocently. He didn¡¯t understand why his offer was rejected.


    Xiaoguo changed the subject, so as to redirect Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s curiosity. He finally stopped pestering her about why he couldn¡¯t massage her.


    As she answered his questions, Xiaoguo threw joss paper out of the sedan.


    Before the sky turned dark, the carriage finally came to a stop, just as Xiaoguo had hoped for.


    The moment the carriage stopped, Xiaoguo got out of the car with Zhuang Zhuang and quickly breathed in the fresh air. At first, Xiaoguo thought that they had arrived at the county city. But she saw that they were still outside. To be precise, they were at the entrance of the county city.


    This county city seemed different from the other counties they had seen.


    This was because the gates of the previous county cities were kept open. However, the gates to this place were tightly shut. There were even soldiers standing guard at the entrance of the county. Everyone who was going in or out of the city had to register and wait for inspection.


    Xiaoguo took two steps forward to check things out. What was going on up ahead?


    When the leading soldier saw Xiaoguo, he quickly walked over. ¡°Please get in the car first. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Xiaoguo sighed and nodded. She saw a group of people in front of the convoy, waiting to enter the county city.


    She didn¡¯t know when it would be their turn in the queue. Xiaoguo rubbed her stomach. If she had known, she would have brought some snacks. At least the snacks could alleviate their hunger while they were on the road.


    ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, I still have some dried food. You can take this If you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    The leading officer was very observant. When he saw Xiaoguo¡¯s actions, he took out a bag of food and offered it to her.


    ¡°Oh, no, no, thank you. We¡¯ll be entering the city soon. We¡¯ll see how it goes.¡±


    Feeling a little embarrassed, Xiaoguo shook her head repeatedly. After thanking the officer, she picked up Zhuang Zhuang and walked towards the carriage.


    Magistrate Liu did not care much about the situation outside. He sat firmly in his sedan chair and looked like he didn¡¯t have a care in the world. In any case, there was no need for him to worry. Everyone had their own official duties.


    When Xiaoguo passed by County Magistrate Liu¡¯s carriage, she happened to catch a glimpse of his face through the gap in the curtain. She also saw the interior of his carriage and its decorations.


    Woah!


    With just one look, Xiaoguo was thunderstruck. After getting over her shock, all that she could feel was envy.


    She was still wondering why County Magistrate Liu never got off his carriage along the way. It turned out that the interior was so well-decorated. There were even beauties accompanying him.


    When she returned to her carriage, she sat on the hard board and leaned against the hard walls. She was sick with envy. The only soft thing in the carriage was Zhuang Zhuang, who was in her arms.


    In comparison, County Magistrate Liu was sitting on a soft cotton cushion, accompanied by beautiful women and fruits.


    How was this a mission? This was practically a spring outing for him.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m a little hungry¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang said pitifully as he sat in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and wrapped his arms around her neck.


    ¡°Hang in there. When we enter the county city, Mother will buy more food. We keep them for the remaining journey too.¡±


    Xiaoguo comforted Zhuang Zhuang, hoping that they could enter the county as soon as possible. She would then be able to go out and buy some snacks for him.


    How careless of her to have not thought of this. She was still not fully prepared.


    Zhuang Zhuang was rubbing his eyes and looking a little sleepy. Xiaoguo held him in her arms and gently patted his back. Since they couldn¡¯t get in for the time being, it would be good for Zhuang Zhuang to take a nap.


    ¡°Eh? Right!¡±

 Chapter 128 - Bringing Zhuang Zhuang Into the Space

    ¡°How silly of me not to remember something so important.¡±


    Who said that there was nothing to eat? Weren¡¯t there sausages in the fridge? They have not finished the sausages that she made the last time. She still had a lot left in the fridge.


    Moreover, there was meat in the fridge and a stove in the kitchen. The condiments were also ready-to-eat. She could just cook for Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo wanted to slap herself on the head. How could she have forgotten about the things in the space? She was really a fool!


    With this thought in mind, Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang a little faster and started humming a lullaby.


    Zhuang Zhuang fell asleep quickly. Xiaoguo patted him gently, and made sure that he was fast asleep. She got ready to put him down gently.


    Xiaoguo had some hesitation. It wasn¡¯t completely safe here. She was really worried about leaving him out here.


    Xiaoguo stuck her head out and looked outside. There was still no movement from the group of people at the county gate. No one had entered the gates this whole time. She took a good look around and found nothing unusual. Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the county gate, so no one was paying attention towards her direction.


    Hence, Xiaoguo had a bold idea. She was going to bring Zhuang Zhuang into the space.


    Anyway, Zhuang Zhuang was sleeping soundly. She just had to be quiet.


    Hugging Zhuang Zhuang tightly in her arms, she entered the space in a flash. She placed Zhuang Zhuang on a clean table and covered his head with a box of kitchen towels.


    Xiaoguo carefully walked away from him. After making sure that he had not woken up, Xiaoguo quickly opened the refrigerator and dug out a few sausages. She lit a fire, poured oil into the pot, and fried the sausages in one go.


    Zhuang Zhuang moved a little when he caught a whiff of the fragrance. But he did not look like he was waking up. Xiaoguo felt at ease when she saw that, and resumed her cooking.


    After finding a few skewers to thread through the sausages, Xiaoguo gently picked up Zhuang Zhuang and returned to the carriage.


    Xiaoguo gently patted Zhuang Zhuang in an attempt to wake him up. However, Zhuang Zhuang was sound asleep. After a long while, he didn¡¯t wake, but only turned over in his sleep.


    Xiaoguo shifted her position and held a sausage under Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s nose, trying to tempt him with the smell.


    As expected, this method was very effective. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little nose first twitched a few times, and then his little mouth moved. Very soon, saliva trickled from the corner of his mouth.


    Xiaoguo burst out laughing.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard the sound, he woke up and saw the sausage.


    As Xiaoguo had placed the sausage near Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s nose, his eyes were crossed as he focused his attention on it.


    Zhuang Zhuang wiped away his saliva and realized that the sausage was real. He thought that he was dreaming. The sausages that his mother had fried in his dream were real.


    The hungry Zhuang Zhuang did not eat first even though he was feeling anxious. Xiaoguo stopped teasing him and handed him three sausages. ¡°Go ahead and eat.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled and took the sausages. He nestled in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and started eating.


    While eating, Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and looked out. Half a day had passed, but the crowd had yet to move and the carriage was still parked at the same spot. The sun was setting and the sky was gradually turning dark.


    After Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had finished eating and thrown out the sticks, an official knocked on their sedan chair.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get through the city gates. We¡¯ve decided to set up camp here.¡±


    Xiaoguo recognized the voice. It was the officer who had kindly offered her the grain bag today.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡±


    Xiaoguo spoke from across within the carriage. Whatever that she had thought about was coming true. They were going to spend the night out here. But it was okay, they will be leaving early in the morning and it would be just a night¡¯s rest. But why couldn¡¯t they enter the city after queuing for so long?


    Not long after the official left, the carriage started moving.


    Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and saw that they had moved away from the city gate. They stopped some distance away to set up camp and light the fire.


    After a while, an official brought Xiaoguo an oil lamp to light up the sedan. He told her that he would bring food to her when it was ready and told her to wait patiently.


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. After the official left, she got out of the carriage and walked in the direction of the city gate. The fire was still burning brightly on her side of the road. In comparison, the city gate looked rather sad.


    Xiaoguo walked a little closer to the gate. In the darkness, some people were still huddled together, waiting to enter the city. All of them were wearing normal expressions on their faces, they didn¡¯t seem affected by the shuttered gates. It was as if they were used to it.


    Xiaoguo found this strange. How could a normal person not show any signs of frustration after waiting in line for so long? These people looked so calm that it was a little scary.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice distracted her from her thoughts. Xiaoguo turned around and took another look in that direction before returning to the carriage. She will be leaving tomorrow. She should just mind her own business.


    ¡°Mother, the food is here.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was holding onto his plate. On it was some porridge and a piece of roasted meat.


    It seemed that the officials had just brought this over. She was too focused on the city gate and did not notice anything on this side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo weren¡¯t quite hungry, but they still finished the food that was given to them. It is a virtue to not waste food.


    At night, everything was quiet. Other than the guards on night watch, everyone else fell asleep.


    In order to let Zhuang Zhuang sleep more comfortably, Xiaoguo took out a few garments from her bag and laid them under his body. She then rolled some clothes into a small pillow and placed the bundle under Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head.


    1


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s back gently. The boy¡¯s eyes fluttered and as the movements of his eyes slowed down, he finally fell asleep.


    It was a little cold at night and even more so since they were outdoors. The sedan chair could not block out the coldness of the night.


    Xiaoguo took out a piece of clothing from her bag and draped it over Zhuang Zhuang. She wrapped her arms around him and eventually felt sleepy herself.


    In the middle of the night, Xiaoguo suddenly woke up. She shielded Zhuang Zhuang and listened quietly to the surroundings.


    Xiaoguo breathed a sigh of relief when she didn¡¯t hear any odd sounds. She must have been dreaming.


    Xiaoguo got up gently and stretched her waist and shoulders. The carriage was really a bad place to sleep. Her entire body was aching all over after just a short nap.


    As she listened to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s breathing, Xiaoguo decided to get off the carriage.


    She wouldn¡¯t be able to get back to sleep anyway. She might as well come out and stretch those muscles.


    It was very quiet outside, except for the occasional sound of the officials talking and also from the burning wood. Xiaoguo looked around and didn¡¯t dare to go far. She just stayed within a three-meters perimeter of the carriage and gave her arms and legs a good stretch.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was still curious about the situation at the city gate.


    Hence, she took a few steps towards that direction. It was so dark that she could not see anything clearly. There was only a faint glow from the fire.


    Xiaoguo could only squint her eyes to see what was going on. She could vaguely see that the city gates were wide open. A group of people draped in cloth came out from inside. There were also some officials carrying something out. The entire thing was wrapped in a sack, so it was impossible to see what it was.


    The people who had been waiting indifferently at the city gate began to stir when they saw the gates open. Those who were draped in cloth slowly walked towards the people waiting at the gate and they left in groups of two or three. One man who was waiting at the gate began shouting when he saw what was being carried out, but it was too far away for Xiaoguo to hear. She could only tell that the person was in a state of hysteria.


    1

 Chapter 129 - None of My Business

    ¡°What were they doing in the middle of the night?¡± Xiaoguo wondered as she looked at the strange scene. Many questions were running through her mind. ¡°Were those people waiting for someone instead of waiting to enter the city? Were they waiting for those who were draped in cloth? But what were those things that were carried out?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t see very well, so she took a few more steps forward and hid in the darkness. She attempted to take a closer look in the direction of the gates.


    The man, who was shouting in hysteria earlier on, was being kicked by the soldiers guarding the city gate. He seemed to be cursing at someone. He got up from where he had fallen, but was quickly kicked to the ground again. The people around him looked very calm and carried on with their own business. It seemed like this was a scene that happens quite often.


    As the man fell back on the ground, the contents of the bundle within the sack revealed itself during the man¡¯s struggle with the soldier.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes widened as if her acupoints had been tapped. Her heart almost stopped¡ªit was a corpse!


    It was obviously a naked corpse that was covered in blood!


    1


    Xiaoguo did not even dare to breathe normally. She tried her best to minimize her presence. Those that were carried out earlier¡ªwere they all corpses?


    Even from this distance, Xiaoguo could see blood-stained flogging marks on the corpse. Xiaoguo looked away immediately. It had been a long time since she had seen a dead body. She was really not used to seeing one again.


    Slowly, the people at the city gate dispersed, and there were only soldiers left at the spot, who were talking to each other. One of the soldiers, who seemed to be the leader, glanced in Xiaoguo¡¯s direction.


    For a moment, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare move, although she was sure that she was well-hidden. It was dark and she didn¡¯t have a torch like they did. He was definitely not looking at her. There was only one possibility¡ªhe was looking at the convoy behind her.


    The leader among the group of soldiers said something and everyone nodded in unison. They all returned to the county city, leaving only two men standing guard at the gate.


    After making sure that all was quiet, Xiaoguo got up slowly and hurried back to her carriage. She finally breathed a sigh of relief when she got inside. Her legs were trembling.


    But it wasn¡¯t because she was frightened. Previously, zombies and corpses were a common sight to her. Just that one corpse wasn¡¯t enough to scare her at all. Her legs were trembling because they had gone numb from squatting.


    After returning to the car, Xiaoguo could finally think about what she had just seen. Feng City seemed to be hiding some secrets.


    Xiaoguo could tell from the shape that it was a dead woman. But why was she naked?


    Moreover, the people waiting at the city gate seemed to be all men!


    Xiaoguo suddenly remembered what she had seen today. She hadn¡¯t noticed it at that time, but now that she thought about it, it was true. All the people waiting at the gate were men.


    ¡°But why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Forget it, forget it.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head. It was none of her business. She will be leaving tomorrow anyway.


    1


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t be blamed for being cold. So what if she knew? She was just a little woman with no money or power. In this city, there was no punishment for murder. Who was she to go up against a city?


    Besides, she wasn¡¯t alone. She still had Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo lowered her head and stroked Zhuang Zhuang. She slowly leaned against the wall. Although she couldn¡¯t sleep, it was good to close her eyes and rest.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo was woken by someone shaking her. She wasn¡¯t completely asleep so she woke up as soon as she felt some movements.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Xiaoguo opened her eyes and saw Zhuang Zhuang holding his stomach and looking at her shyly.


    ¡°Mother, I want to poop.¡±


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo suspected that he must be having an upset tummy due to the cold. She quickly took out some paper from her bag and carried him out of the carriage. At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang could no longer walk on his own. He had to rely on Xiaoguo to carry him.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t go far. She chose a secluded spot for Zhuang Zhuang, then put him down and walked a little further away to keep watch.


    Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have gotten a tummy upset because of the cold air. She could hear the sound of him pooping continuously. Xiaoguo had no other thoughts. It was strange. If it were anyone else, Xiaoguo would have found it disgusting. But when it comes to Zhuang Zhuang, even now when he was taking a dump with a lot of accompanying sounds, it sounded so cute. Xiaoguo was not sure why she was feeling this way.


    Xiaoguo attributed everything to the bias she had for Zhuang Zhuang. No matter what her son did, she can only see the goodness in it.


    When all was quiet, Xiaoguo guessed that Zhuang Zhuang must be done. She stood where she was and waited for him to come over.


    While on their way back to the carriage, they bumped into an official who was bringing them food. It was the same official who offered Xiaoguo some dried food the last time.


    After taking the plates from him, Xiaoguo suddenly stopped him and asked, ¡°Hey, why didn¡¯t we enter the city yesterday?¡±

 Chapter 130 - A Hot Bath

    They did not stop along the way. Perhaps Xiaoguo was oversensitive, but she felt like they were rushing to reach the capital.


    At noon, they only took breaks on the spot. They only entered the counties during nighttime. Xiaoguo was sure that the magistrate was worried about her not being able to take it, otherwise he might not even enter the counties at night and would just rest wherever they were.


    She was guessing this because the magistrate would regularly send someone to ask her how she was taking it, and whether she needed to stop and rest. He would do this at least four or five times a day.


    Xiaoguo felt that there was no harm in arriving earlier and returning home sooner.


    Beijing.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was summoned to Shao Zhan¡¯s bedroom early in the morning. Shao Zhan looked at the man who had arrived late and was taking his seat unhurriedly.


    ¡°Sit down and eat.¡±


    Shao Zhan also knew that it was early morning, and since neither of them had eaten yet, they might as well eat together. In any case, it had been a long time since the two of them ate at the same table.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and walked over to sit down.


    The palace maid quickly served the dishes. Jiang Danhe waited for Shao Zhan to start eating before he tucked in.


    Shao Zhan also noticed Jiang Danhe¡¯s actions and felt rather frustrated. ¡°In the past, there was no need for the two of them to be so particular about this. But now¡­ sigh¡­¡±


    Both of them maintained the good habit of eating without speaking.


    After dinner, the two of them moved to the main hall. There was no need for morning court assembly as it was a rest day today.


    It was also a rare day off for Shao Zhan. He sat on the dragon throne and said helplessly to Jiang Danhe, who was still standing, ¡°Why are you becoming more and more estranged?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was stunned. He knew that Shao Zhan was referring to him. ¡°Well, there are obvious distinctions between an emperor and his subjects¡­¡±


    A long sigh sounded. Jiang Danhe looked up at the man who had his back to the light. A sense of loneliness was emanating from him. Jiang Danhe was puzzled. ¡°Why had the emperor become much more tired than before he ascended the throne?¡±


    The words popped out of his mouth while they ran through his mind. Shao Zhan shook his head with a confused look in his eyes. ¡°Prior to this, all I wanted was revenge. Now that I¡¯ve succeeded and am sitting on the throne, I do not feel any joy.¡±


    It¡¯s always lonely at the top.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know how to comfort him, or provide suggestions to resolve the problem. This was the way emperors had lived since ancient times. What was he to do?


    Seeing Jiang Danhe standing there like a block of wood and not continuing the conversation, how was he going to continue with his act? How was he going to deliver the words that he had prepared?


    Helpless, he could only continue talking and slowly get to the point.


    ¡°What do you think will happen to me if you go home?¡±


    Shao Zhan pretended to be pitiful and referred to himself as ¡°me¡±, instead of using honorifics, but Jiang Danhe was furious when he heard those words. So that was what he was getting at. After saying so much, he was just asking him to stay.


    He looked at Shao Zhan, who was still putting on an act. Over this period of time, he had used all sorts of threats and promises, and this time, he was using pity to persuade him?


    Too bad, this would not work on him.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Jiang Danhe cupped his fists and knelt on one knee. He looked at Shao Zhan seriously. He did not speak, but Shao Zhan knew his decision.


    It seemed that there was only one last move left. He could only wait for Qin Xiaoguo to come. Shao Zhan narrowed his eyes and thought to himself.


    After Jiang Danhe left the palace, he headed to the training ground first. It seemed that he had to quickly prepare everything. If he could settle everything early, he would be able to get home sooner. If he delayed any longer, who knew what would happen?


    Thanks to the Emperor¡¯s probing, Jiang Danhe had been able to speed up his plans. He spent every day and night at the training ground. He did not have time to look for Li Shouji either, and that gave the man time to rest for a few days.


    ¨C


    Time passed quickly. Together with the convoy, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang arrived at a small town not far from the capital. As it was too late, everyone including the horses were exhausted from the past few days of traveling. Therefore, County Magistrate Liu ordered them to stop for the night.


    After traveling for several days, Xiaoguo could finally lie down on a bed with a mattress. Zhuang Zhuang followed Xiaoguo and rolled around comfortably on the bed. He really couldn¡¯t sleep on the hard wooden planks anymore. A bed was indeed more comfortable.

 Chapter 131 - I Want to Go Home With You

    Xiaoguo only left an oil lamp beside the bed in the room. Since they couldn¡¯t fall asleep, Zhuang Zhuang nestled in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and requested her to tell him a story.


    ¡°Mother, I want to hear a story.¡±


    Xiaoguo had not told a story ever since they left home.


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment. ¡°I will tell you the story of Little Red Riding Hood.¡±


    After finishing the story, Zhuang Zhuang was still not sleepy. Instead, he felt even more energetic.


    ¡°Mother, when can we go home?¡±


    Having been out over the past few days, he was starting to miss the animals at home, and his uncle too.


    ¡°Soon.¡± Xiaoguo stroked his head and comforted him. ¡°We¡¯ll reach the capital tomorrow and settle the burial of your grandparents. After which we¡¯ll go straight home without taking any breaks. Okay?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and said happily, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang suddenly thought of something and sounded a little sad.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked down at Zhuang Zhuang, wondering what was wrong with him.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang called out again. ¡°Will Father be buried with Grandpa and Grandma?¡±


    Actually, what Zhuang Zhuang wanted to ask was why he didn¡¯t see his father¡¯s coffin.


    Xiaoguo froze. That was a valid question. As Jiang Danhe had died on the battlefield, there should have been a cenotaph. However, the previous owner had been too flustered at that time. She was busy with Mrs. Jiang¡¯s burial and had neglected this part about Jiang Danhe. Later on, she had to worry about food shortage, so the matter was completely forgotten. After that, the previous owner had left and Xiaoguo had also forgotten about it. She was only reminded of it now that Zhuang Zhuang had mentioned it.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s body was not around, so only a cenotaph could be set up. However, she did not bring anything related to Jiang Danhe on this trip, and there was no way to bury him. What should she do?


    Xiaoguo sighed helplessly. It was useless even if she had not forgotten. There was nothing left of Jiang Danhe¡¯s belongings. When the news of his death came, Mrs. Jiang got out of bed and burned all his clothes with her last breath, saying that she couldn¡¯t let him freeze.


    Xiaoguo had no way of answering Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s question. As Zhuang Zhuang waited for Xiaoguo¡¯s answer, he quickly fell asleep in the quiet surroundings. Xiaoguo covered him with a blanket and got up to blow out the candles.


    However, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Jiang Danhe¡¯s grave could have been buried tomorrow. But she didn¡¯t prepare anything for his grave. This was entirely due to her negligence, that she had forgotten about his grave.


    Xiaoguo did not sleep well the entire night. She could only close her eyes and wait for dawn.


    ¨C


    On the other side, Jiang Danhe returned to his residence. Li Shouji took the initiative to wait for him to return.


    As soon as he entered the door, he saw Li Shouji sitting on a chair, waiting for Jiang Danhe with his legs crossed.


    He had come prepared today. Since he had slept well these past few days and was full of energy, he had come to see Jiang Danhe.


    However, Jiang Danhe was too worried to pay attention to the annoying Li Shouji. He ignored him and sat on the other side.


    Li Shouji, who had gotten into position, almost fell off his chair. He looked back at Jiang Danhe, who was deep in thought. ¡°Just like that¡­?¡±


    He was already prepared to stay up all night to look at the fabrics. Why was he not enthusiastic anymore?


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Li Shouji put away his b*tchy face and sat opposite Jiang Danhe with a serious expression. Has something happened to the army? Or was it about the emperor?


    Jiang Danhe frowned and looked up at Li Shouji solemnly. The latter could not help but lean closer to him, his heart was tense.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Li Shouji and sneezed three times.


    Li Shouji wiped his face without any emotions and looked at Jiang Danhe with a poker face.


    Jiang Danhe was a little embarrassed. He didn¡¯t do it on purpose. He didn¡¯t know why he would suddenly sneeze three times.


    Besides, there was no way to control human reflexes. It wasn¡¯t his fault.


    Even if there were a few of Li Shouji, he was no match for the thick-skinned Jiang Danhe. He was well aware of this, so he snorted at Jiang Danhe and turned to sit down. He didn¡¯t want to argue with him.


    ¡°What would you think if I asked you to manage the army in my place?¡±


    Jiang Danhe murmured.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Li Shouji looked at him in disbelief. What was he talking about?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take on the position of a general. I am confident of your capabilities. You would be a perfect fit for the role.¡±


    Jiang Danhe had been thinking about this problem for the past few days. Wasn¡¯t Shao Zhan bothered by the fact that there was no one to take over his position? He was worried that if Jiang Danhe left, he wouldn¡¯t have any trusted aides by his side. Besides¡­


    Jiang Danhe looked at Li Shouji, who was rolling his eyes. Although he didn¡¯t look reliable, he was a trustworthy man. He was never a hindrance and had a lot of drive. If he were to become a general, he would make a good one.


    With a plan in mind, Jiang Danhe was no longer depressed. As soon as he could get him to the general position, Shao Zhan would definitely let him go.


    The more Jiang Danhe thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He looked at Li Shouji with a caring gaze that he had never shown before.


    Li Shouji shivered. ¡°Hey, stop. I didn¡¯t say anything about wanting to be a general.¡±


    ¡°One step up from a deputy general is a general. Don¡¯t be shy. You can do it.¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt that he might be shy. ¡°Yes! He must be feeling shy.¡±


    The shadow that had been haunting him for the past few days had finally disappeared. ¡°Oh my, why does Li Shouji seem more and more adorable?¡±


    Li Shouji rolled his eyes. What did he mean by being a general? What about being shy? Did he say that he wanted to be a general?


    ¡°Stop. I won¡¯t be the commander. Are you leaving me here by myself?¡±


    Li Shouji did not want to stay behind alone. He was used to following Jiang Danhe. If the man were to go home, he would not stay behind alone.


    ¡°Then what are you going to do? Are you coming home with me?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Li Shouji from the corner of his eye, as if he had just raised a ridiculous question.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Li Shouji¡¯s answer was very straightforward. He had been following Jiang Danhe since he entered the army. Li Shouji had no family, so in his heart, Jiang Danhe was his only family. If Jiang Danhe were to go home, he didn¡¯t care if he was labeled as thick-skinned or shameless, he would follow the man wherever he goes.


    In any case, after being in the army for so many years, he had saved up quite a lot. If it really came down to it, he would buy a plot of land opposite Jiang Danhe¡¯s house and set up home there.


    Looking at Li Shouji, who was acting quite shamelessly, Jiang Danhe chuckled. He is going to stick with him forever.


    Li Shouji kept maintaining his stance of not listening to Jiang Danhe and allowed him to say whatever he wanted.


    Jiang Danhe had never known that he could be so shameless. It seemed that Li Shouji was intending to stick with him.


    The two of them stared at each other in silence. In the end, Li Shouji surrendered first and turned his head away from him.


    He didn¡¯t care if he was shameless or not, he really regarded Jiang Danhe as family, and he was the only one at that¡­


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Jiang Danhe¡¯s hopeless sigh could be heard¡­


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Xiaoguo woke up at dawn. It was rare for her to have a good night¡¯s sleep. She was feeling much better. After washing up, the waiter brought breakfast over. It was a simple meal of porridge, buns, and eggs.


    Xiaoguo put down the tray and looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was still half asleep. Amused, she walked over and reached out to tickle him. His armpits were his ticklish spot, so she shouldn¡¯t touch them. This was something Xiaoguo had discovered when she was bathing him.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang? Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    As his mother, Xiaoguo gave him one last chance. Looking at Zhuang Zhuang, who was not responding at all, she stretched out her demonic hands. ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t blame me¡­¡±

 Chapter 132 - The Capital

    ¡°Hahahahahahahahaha¡­¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo touched him, Zhuang Zhuang woke up. But her hands were already on him. How could she stop midway?


    And so¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s laughter startled the sparrows outside the window.


    ¡°Mother, Mother, I¡¯m up. Haha, spare me, haha¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was laughing so hard that he was out of breath. Xiaoguo counted down from three, two, and one before letting him off the hook. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can still pretend to be asleep, kid.¡±


    That¡¯s right. Zhuang Zhuang was pretending to be asleep earlier. Xiaoguo had noticed it when she called out to him the first time. At that time, his eyeballs were rolling and he pursed his lips tightly. His breathing had quickened as Xiaoguo approached. It was obvious that he was pretending to be asleep.


    ¡°You¡¯re still too young to pit against me.¡±


    After scratching Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little nose, Xiaoguo sat back down at the table, leaving him to get dressed.


    Zhuang Zhuang snorted. His mother was really amazing¡­


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    There was a knock on the door. Xiaoguo guessed that it was to inform them to move out.


    Sure enough, Guanxi was standing at the door when it opened.


    ¡°We should set off.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded to show that she was ready. Guanxi was the official who had given Xiaoguo the grain bags. Along the way, he was the one who communicated with Xiaoguo. Not long ago, when they were chatting, she had asked for his name. Otherwise, Xiaoguo would have to call him ¡°Hey¡± during the whole journey.


    With the preparations done, Xiaoguo carried her baggage and Zhuang Zhuang back to the carriage that had been parked at the entrance.


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s it like in the capital?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang recalled that Xiaoguo had mentioned about arriving in the capital today. Would the capital be like their village?


    Xiaoguo shook her head. ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t know either, but the capital should be very prosperous and there are more people living there.¡±


    Neither Xiaoguo nor the previous owner of the body had any memories of the capital. Xiaoguo had never seen the real capital before. However, based on what she had seen on television, the capital should be bustling with activity and heavy with traffic. This was the impression that Xiaoguo had of the capital.


    Zhuang Zhuang was looking forward to coming to the capital. Many authors of the books he owned were living in the capital. Would he bump into them? If he did, he would ask for an autograph!


    Zhuang Zhuang kept looking outside. Seeing that his heart was about to fly out of his chest, Xiaoguo took the joss paper from him and scattered it along the way.


    Just as Qin Anming had predicted, Xiaoguo was almost out of joss paper. The only portion left was a stack that she had kept aside to burn on the new grave. She still had a small stack on hand now which could be scattered on the remaining journey. If she used them sparingly, she should have enough to last her till she reached the ancestral grave.


    The carriage traveled very quickly. Zhuang Zhuang kept looking out along the road and immediately discovered the city gate tower of the capital.


    ¡°Mother, Mother, do you think that¡¯s the capital?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tugged at Xiaoguo excitedly, asking her to look outside.


    Xiaoguo looked out beyond the curtains. The first thing she saw was a tall and majestic gate tower. Rows of soldiers with spears and shields stood within the tower. They were wearing grim expressions as they watched the crowd pass by.


    At the entrance below the city tower, the vermilion gates were wide open¡ªlooking like a smiling face as they welcomed visitors from all places. At the entrance, there were officials in armor standing guard. Like the soldiers upstairs, their expressions were solemn. They looked at the commoners entering the city with eagle-like sharp eyes.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang gave out a sigh at the same time. The capital was indeed different from the city towers and county gates they had passed by previously. It was awe-inspiring at first sight.


    Xiaoguo was filled with anticipation. Just the city tower alone was already so impressive. What would it be like once they were inside?


    The carriage continued to move forward. From afar, it looked majestic and magnificent. Up close, it looked even more impressive. At this moment, Xiaoguo was looking up at the city gate. She had a feeling that there was no end to it.


    ¡°Mother, is this the capital?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was clearly very excited. Capital city! The capital city in the books!


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Once we enter the gates, we have reached the capital.¡±


    Xiaoguo was talking to Zhuang Zhuang when the carriage suddenly stopped.


    Xiaoguo poked her head out curiously to see what was going on outside. ¡°Why had they stopped at the city gate? Did they need to register? But didn¡¯t everyone in front of them go straight in?¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned slightly. At this moment, the man outside the sedan chair seemed to have sensed Xiaoguo¡¯s confusion. He approached the sedan chair and explained to her.


    ¡°The soldiers guarding the gate thought our convoy was big, so they stopped us to ask why. When they are done asking, we can enter the city.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded when she heard Guanxi¡¯s words. Indeed, there was a sedan chair, a coffin, and soldiers. They certainly had to check out what the situation was.


    As soon as Guan Xi finished speaking, the carriage started moving. Zhuang Zhuang lifted the curtain and looked out. They moved past the officials and arrived at the capital.


    Xiaoguo saw that it was tedious for Zhuang Zhuang to hold on to the curtain, so she took over and held up the drapes with her hands. Zhuang Zhuang smiled sweetly at Xiaoguo and then immersed himself in the outside world again.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t think much of it when they just entered the capital. She started to notice that the roads seemed wider, flatter, and cleaner than other counties. Other than this, she really didn¡¯t think there were much differences.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. It couldn¡¯t be. This was the capital.


    Zhuang Zhuang had no other thoughts. From the moment they entered, he had been looking around happily with his eyes wide open, as if he was looking for someone. The things running through his mind were completely different from Xiaoguo¡¯s train of thoughts.


    The two of them did not disturb each other and looked around.


    As the carriage continued further into the capital, the streets slowly became more crowded. Even though the road was wide, it could not contain the crowd.


    Xiaoguo discovered another difference. There were indeed many people in the capital.


    At this moment, she could distinctly feel that the carriage had slowed down. Zhuang Zhuang had also been attracted by the crowd.


    In the end, the carriage managed to get out of that area smoothly. As it continued forward, there were more buildings along the road.


    For a smoother route, the convoy took the road in the west precinct. There were fewer people here during the day and it was only lively at night because this was the gambling district.


    There were many sign boards along the road. All the gambling dens and brothels were closed. Not many people would travel along this route during the day.


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and looked down at Zhuang Zhuang, who seemed to be looking at the signboards. She quickly held him back. When did this child start looking at the scenery with her?


    ¡°Mother, what is that place?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang did not understand why Xiaoguo was drawing him back into her arms. But at this moment, he was curious about what kind of place the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion was.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wine shop.¡±


    Xiaoguo said calmly, looking at Zhuang Zhuang with a righteous expression.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded in realization. ¡°You only get drunk when you drink wine. So it¡¯s a shop selling wine.¡±


    ¡°What about the Eternal Joy Place?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pointed to another shop with a white banner hanging outside. There were a few big black dots on it. He looked at Xiaoguo curiously.


    Xiaoguo pretended to take a look and said seriously, ¡°They sell ointments. Once the sick recover, they will find joy.¡±


    1


    Zhuang Zhuang looked like he was enlightened. Xiaoguo apologized in her heart.


    After that, Zhuang Zhuang asked about all the signboards that he could see. Xiaoguo was also making up all kinds of stories. She was wearing a smile, but in her heart, she was wishing for the carriage to move faster.


    ¡°Mother, what is the Ruyan Pavilion? What is Red Dust Court? What is a brothel¡­?¡±


    ¡°They¡­ sell firewood, sell red clay, sell¡­ chickens¡­¡±


    Tears were almost streaming down Xiaoguo¡¯s face. ¡°How bold of people to label it so blatantly in ancient times. A brothel? At least they should make an effort to name it more subtly like other places!¡±


    This was indeed the capital. People from a larger city really have a wider range of needs.

 Chapter 133 - What is This Place?

    Chapter 133: What is This Place?


    When they finally left the West District, Zhuang Zhuang had stopped asking questions. Xiaoguo had also run out of ideas.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes?!¡±


    Xiaoguo was slumped in the carriage. When she heard Zhuang Zhuang call her ¡°Mother¡±, her heart trembled. What was he going to ask again?


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked worriedly. Hearing this, Xiaoguo¡¯s heart softened. She had misunderstood her son.


    ¡°Mother is fine.¡±


    Xiaoguo said gently. It wasn¡¯t very elegant for her to be seated slumped in her seat like that. She decided to sit up straight.


    Xiaoguo had just sat up when she heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s childlike voice.


    ¡°Mother, what is the Lu something academy for?¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard the word academy, she was relieved. What Lu something academy? The name sounded really strange.


    Xiaoguo poked her head out and looked in the direction Zhuang Zhuang was pointing at. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what it was.¡±


    ¡°Son, that word is pronounced as ¡®da¡¯.¡±


    Xiaoguo happened to know this uncommon word.


    Zhuang Zhuang tried to read it out loud. ¡°Lu Da Academy? Are they selling books?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was clearly interested in the academy.


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s a place where they teach. There are professional teachers teaching there.¡±


    The academy slowly disappeared into the distance. Zhuang Zhuang felt a little regretful.


    ¡°Next year, you¡¯ll be able to enroll at an academy.¡±


    Xiaoguo stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head and comforted him.


    Zhuang Zhuang was also very happy after hearing this. Yes! He will be going to an academy next year, but¡­


    After feeling happy for a while, Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have thought of something else. If he went to the academy, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay with his mother every day. No way!


    Seeing that the carriage was slowing down, Xiaoguo guessed that they were almost there. She packed her bags and got ready to alight.


    Xiaoguo did not notice anything amiss with Zhuang Zhuang. When the carriage stopped, she led him out of the carriage.


    Guan Xi wanted to ask Xiaoguo to get out of the car, but seeing that the mother and son had already gotten out, he returned to the front of the convoy.


    Xiaoguo got out of the car and observed her surroundings. There were no commoners living around here, nor were there any houses. There was only a large residence with seals stuck on the walls. The surroundings were overgrown with weeds and trees.


    Xiaoguo wondered if this was the Jiang family¡¯s old residence, but she immediately rebutted herself. That was impossible. Who would build a main residence here? This location would be more suited for an ancestral hall.


    The more Xiaoguo thought about it, the more certain she became. Wasn¡¯t this environment and house like an ancestral hall? Since the ancestral hall of the Jiang family was here, the ancestral grave should be nearby.


    Xiaoguo held Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand and walked forward. At this moment, Magistrate Liu got out of the car. Xiaoguo glanced at him. It was rare to see him step out during the day.


    Magistrate Liu¡¯s face was flushed¡ªhe seemed to have benefited from the trip. He stretched his arms. Even though his seat was lined with cotton filling, it was still very uncomfortable.


    At this moment, an official beside him was reporting something to him. Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t paying attention and was only focused on bringing Zhuang Zhuang around to observe the terrain.


    As soon as they reached the back of the ancestral hall, she recognized a pile of bulging mounds among the weeds. This should be the ancestral grave.


    Xiaoguo was going to bring Zhuang Zhuang back to the carriage. She was satisfied that they had found the grave. She wasn¡¯t intending to go into the hall. Although it was daytime, she still felt rather uneasy.


    ¡°Hey, Madam Jiang.¡±


    Magistrate Liu called out to Xiaoguo, who was walking back.


    Xiaoguo stopped and walked towards him. ¡°County Magistrate, what is it?¡±


    Magistrate Liu rolled his eyes and thought about how to say the words. In the end, he coughed twice.


    ¡°According to the feng shui master that the Minister of Revenue had found for me, it¡¯s not auspicious to carry out the burial rites today. Tomorrow morning is an auspicious time, so we have to stay for the night. We will do the preparations tomorrow.¡±


    Magistrate Liu finished speaking without taking a breath. In order to increase credibility, he had even brought the Minister of Revenue and the feng shui master into his story. The part about the Minister of Revenue was indeed real. He was not lying about this. It was true that the Minister who informed him. No matter how, he had to keep Madam Qin around. Everything could be discussed the next day.


    Although Xiaoguo found it strange, she didn¡¯t say anything else. Such events had to be done on the right day. There was no other choice. She could stay for today and bring Zhuang Zhuang around the capital. At the same time, she could bring some things back for Qin Anming, Ruyi, and Mrs. Yang. After all, this was the capital. People in that era might not get a chance to go to the capital in their lifetime. Transportation was not developed and it would take more than half a month to travel back and forth. How many people would have the chance to come here?


    It was by chance that she was able to come here this time. Otherwise, she might not get the opportunity to visit the capital in her lifetime as well. Firstly, she had no business here. Secondly, there was no reason for her to be here.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo did not ask for the reason, Magistrate Liu heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that his idea worked. ¡°Hahahaha.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, there¡¯s nothing much to do today. The coffin can be placed in the ancestral hall. There are officials guarding this place.¡±


    Magistrate Liu explained his plans. The soldiers immediately brought the carriage to the entrance of the ancestral hall. Then, a group of people began to carry the coffin, and another man went to open the door of the ancestral hall.


    Seeing that everyone was working so efficiently, Magistrate Liu could not help but nod in satisfaction. Not bad, they were all very discerning!


    Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang out of the way. Then, she looked at the doors of the ancestral hall and remembered what Qin Anming had instructed her.


    She opened her bag and prepared the incense sticks and fire torch. After the coffin was set in place, she would go in and light the incense for each memorial tablet.


    Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang to the ancestral hall. The officers parked the coffin and went out.


    Xiaoguo lit all the incense sticks and handed them to Zhuang Zhuang. He had also received his mother¡¯s instructions in advance. First, he placed the incense sticks in front of his grandparents¡¯ coffins. Next, he placed a few incense sticks in front of each memorial tablet on the hall table. If there was any spot that he could not reach, Xiaoguo would lift him and let him place the joss sticks.


    As it had been a long time since anyone came to pay their respects, the ancestral hall was overgrown with weeds. The memorial tablets and tables were covered in cobwebs and dust.


    Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang to the last memorial tablet. There were still a few incense sticks left in her hand. Xiaoguo quickly extinguished them.


    Xiaoguo counted the incense sticks in her hand. There were a total of 32 memorial tablets. After placing a joss stick at each memorial tablet, there were still more than half of the joss sticks left in her hand. Xiaoguo placed the remaining sticks aside. She could light them during the burial tomorrow.


    Xiaoguo was initially planning to make a memorial tablet for the two elders of the Jiang family when she arrived in the capital. She didn¡¯t know that she would need a memorial tablet prior to arriving.


    In the village, most people did not have memorial tablets. When someone died, they would bury them and make tombstones. They did not place any memorial tablets at home.


    After Mr. Jiang passed away, they didn¡¯t have one at home. After Mrs. Jiang passed away, the previous owner didn¡¯t make one either.


    But now, it was inappropriate not to do so. After all, they had already entered the ancestral hall. How could there be no memorial tablets to worship?


    It was better to find a wooden shop and make two later.


    After checking that she had not missed out on anything, Xiaoguo came out with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Magistrate Liu was waiting at the door. When he saw Xiaoguo, he went up to her.


    ¡°Madam Qin, you can return to your accommodation after you get on the carriage. I have other matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t be traveling with you. They will bring you over tomorrow morning.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she nodded. Magistrate Liu was an official after all. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to get to the capital. He had to get on the good side of the local officials and try to get himself transferred to the capital.


    This time, Guanxi traveled with Xiaoguo along the way. Xiaoguo sat in the carriage with Zhuang Zhuang and waited for the car to move.


    ¡°Mother, where are we going next?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked Xiaoguo curiously.


    ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t know the exact location, but they are bringing us to a place to rest. When we¡¯ve rested enough, I¡¯ll bring you shopping in the afternoon.¡±


    At the thought of being able to shop, Xiaoguo was overjoyed. Even Zhuang Zhuang was delighted. He was intending to buy more books!


    The carriage shook and swayed along the way. Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and looked out curiously. The further they traveled. the more she felt that something was amiss. Although she had never been to the capital, she knew this building, this color-combination, and this place¡­


    This place is¡­!

 Chapter 134 - Staying in the Palace

    Chapter 134: Staying in the Palace


    The red and yellow colors, the armed guards, the eunuchs and palace maids. Every single detail in this place was telling Xiaoguo that this was the palace!


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Xiaoguo inhaled deeply. The palace?


    ¡°Mother? Mother?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang did not know what was wrong with Xiaoguo. Didn¡¯t she just lift the curtain? Why did she appear paralyzed?


    Outside the sedan, Guanxi seemed to have heard Xiaoguo¡¯s exclamation. A smile tugged at his lips.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was beating wildly. Her ears were filled with a ringing sound¡ªshe could not hear what Zhuang Zhuang was saying at all.


    All she could think about was what to do, what was going on, and why they had come to the palace.


    Good lord, she must be the first person to get to stay in the palace.


    ¡°Mother, Mother?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang leaned on Xiaoguo¡¯s shoulder and called out to her.


    ¡°Good boy, I heard you.¡±


    Xiaoguo was still in her soul-dissociating state. Why had she come to the palace? Could it be an illusion? Perhaps it was just a place of interest? Yes, a tourist spot like in modern times!


    No way. This was ancient times. Only the palace could look like this.


    Xiaoguo calmed Zhuang Zhuang down and quietly lifted the curtain to reveal a small gap. She looked around carefully. She had to be careful. Wasn¡¯t it a taboo to look around the palace on television?


    The carriage traveled on the cobblestone road. The high walls were blocking out the sunlight. Along the way, the palace maids and eunuchs who saw the sedan chair rushed to either side of the carriage to pay their respects.


    No, it wasn¡¯t because of the sedan exactly. It was at the sight of Guanxi..


    ¡°What was Guanxi¡¯s status? Wasn¡¯t he just a lowly official beside Magistrate Liu.¡±


    ¡°Guanxi.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t even dare to speak loudly. She could only call his name in a breathy voice.


    At first, Guanxi thought he was hearing things, until he glanced sideways and saw half of a small hand reaching out from the sedan chair. It was shaking quickly, as if trying to attract his attention.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Guanxi slowed down to walk beside the sedan.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the palace, is it?¡±


    Xiaoguo hoped that Guanxi would tell her what she wanted to hear.


    Guanxi shook his head and Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes lit up. Before she could smile, she heard Guanxi say the next line.


    ¡°This is the palace.¡±


    After shaking his head, Guanxi revealed the brutal truth, shattering Xiaoguo¡¯s only hope.


    Xiaoguo jumped back into the carriage and hugged Zhuang Zhuang in her arms. She looked helplessly at the top of the sedan. What was going on? They were looking for accommodation and now they have arrived at the emperor¡¯s lair.


    Then, Xiaoguo suddenly stuck her head out and looked at Guanxi closely. Zhuang Zhuang was rocked about in her arms as a result.


    ¡°Guanxi, why did we come to the palace?¡±


    What kind of backing did the Jiang family have? To think that she had the opportunity to come to the palace. She was so scared that her legs and stomach were feeling weak. It was no joke.


    Guanxi looked at Xiaoguo and gave her an intriguing smile. Without a word, he strode to the front, leaving Xiaoguo with a view of his back.


    ¡°Hey, hey, Guanxi!¡±


    Seeing that he was ignoring her, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious. However, she didn¡¯t dare to raise her voice. She could only continue to call out to him in a whispering voice.


    But this damn Guanxi actually ignored her when he heard her. He was actually keeping her in suspense and making her feel fearful.


    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t get anything out of him, Xiaoguo let go of the curtain and returned to her seat.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked up and down with his round eyes, not understanding what was wrong with Xiaoguo.


    ¡°The palace? What about the palace?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo and did not disturb her. At this moment, Xiaoguo was absorbed in her own thoughts. Zhuang Zhuang remained sitting obediently in her arms.


    The sedan chair kept moving forward. At this moment, Xiaoguo felt as if every second was like a year. She could not sit still. It felt like there were nails growing under her butt. She lifted the curtain and looked outside.


    The palace was bigger than she had imagined. Xiaoguo estimated that the size of the palace was enough to contain three Peach Blossom villages.


    Under Xiaoguo¡¯s longing and resistance, the carriage finally stopped.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to move, but her ears were perked up as she listened to the commotion outside. At the same time, she didn¡¯t forget to remind Zhuang Zhuang to remain silent. He had to hold off speaking until tomorrow.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded like he understood. He pursed his lips tightly and nodded at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo pressed her ear against the sedan and listened quietly to the sounds outside.


    ¡°How are you Commander Guan?¡±


    A feminine voice was speaking.


    ¡°Eunuch Su, sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    Guanxi¡¯s voice sounded in reply.


    Xiaoguo leaned on the sedan and listened intently to the sounds outside. Commander Guan? So Guanxi was one the imperial guards and not a low ranking guard? But why would an Imperial guard be involved in such trivial matters?


    ¡°I was ordered to wait here for you. Is she inside?¡±


    Eunuch Su¡¯s voice was getting closer and closer to the sedan chair.


    Xiaoguo quickly sat up straight and pretended to be calm.


    After a while, Guanxi¡¯s voice rang out from outside, accompanied by a knock on the sedan chair, signaling Xiaoguo to get out of the car.


    Xiaoguo whispered into Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything. Save it for tomorrow.¡±


    After ensuring that Zhuang Zhuang got her instructions, Xiaoguo carried Zhuang Zhuang out of the carriage.


    It wasn¡¯t as scary as Xiaoguo had imagined. There weren¡¯t many people outside. There was the eunuch, Guan Xi, a few guards, and no one else. She heaved a sigh of relief.


    Xiaoguo took a quick look around and lowered her head. She didn¡¯t know what was going on yet. She had to be careful.


    ¡°This must be Madam Qin.¡±


    Although it was a question, it was spoken with an affirmative tone. Eunuch Su was sizing her up and he seemed happy with what he saw. He was very satisfied with her tact. When she came out, she did not gawk at her surroundings. Instead, she kept her head lowered obediently. He was very pleased by her behavior.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xiaoguo first took a glance at Guan Xi and nodded, acknowledging that she was Madam Qin.


    At this moment, Eunuch Su realized that there was a little black head wrapped in her arms. He exclaimed, ¡°This is?¡±


    Xiaoguo was startled by his cry and quickly said, ¡°This is my son, Jiang Qingwen.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard his name, he raised his head and took a look. Then, he lowered his head and returned to Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. He followed Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions and did not look around or say anything.


    Eunuch Su was obviously charmed by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s cute appearance. Looking at this familiar-looking face, he said, ¡°How alike! How alike!¡±


    Xiaoguo was confused by his comments. What was he saying?


    Guan Xi coughed when he heard this. Eunuch Su came back to his senses and knew that he had almost said something that he shouldn¡¯t have. He quickly patted his mouth and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing. You must be hungry from the journey. It¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo entered the house in a daze. Then, she sat in an extremely large and opulent room and watched as the little palace maids served the dishes and set the chopsticks on the table. On the table, there was a wide assortment of food. There were vegetarian and meat dishes. Some of the meat came from animals living on land, and some from those living in the sea.


    Xiaoguo was stunned. Why does this feel like a trap?


    Zhuang Zhuang was also shocked by the scene. What was going on? He looked up at Xiaoguo¡ªhis eyes were beckoning for answers.


    Xiaoguo happened to look down and made eye contact with him, she gave him a look indicating she had no idea.


    The mother and son stared at each other in confusion. However, in the face of this sumptuous spread, they made a decision together.


    Eat first, and talk later.

 Chapter 135 - Notifying Jiang Danhe

    Chapter 135: Notifying Jiang Danhe


    What a joke. If they don¡¯t eat now, when will they get another chance? These are all imperial cuisines! How great is this honor.


    The mother and son pair started eating and they were trying to stick to their principles of not wasting food, but there were still a lot of leftovers when they were done. There were just too many dishes. It was impossible for the two of them to finish them all. Helpless, they could only watch with regrets as the palace maids brought out the leftovers.


    If not for the fact that she was afraid of embarrassing herself, Xiaoguo really wanted to take-out the food. After all, not only did the palace dishes look good, the names were nice, and they were delicious. Moreover, this actually happened in her lifetime. It was enough for her to brag about for a long time to come.


    Qin Xiaoguo had eaten authentic imperial cuisine before!


    Eunuch Su appeared in the hall right on time. At this moment, the palace maids had just taken away the plates.


    ¡°Madam Qin, did you eat well?¡±


    Eunuch Su¡¯s smile was warm and kind, but in Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes, it had a deeper meaning.


    Did she eat well? Was she going to be killed after she had eaten her fill? Didn¡¯t the death row prisoners usually get good food during their last meal?


    Xiaoguo was shocked by her own imagination. She had no feud with the royal family, so there was no reason for them to take her life. She shouldn¡¯t worry too much.


    Xiaoguo had been mentally preparing herself for a long time, and she was trying her best to hide her emotions. She just continued to chat as normally as she could.


    Xiaoguo was fawning over Eunuch Su and Eunuch Su also had the intention of getting on her good side, so the conversation went on quite cordially between them.


    After a while, Xiaoguo tried sounding out Eunuch Su to clarify her doubts.


    ¡°Eunuch Su, may I ask why we are here?¡±


    ¡°Well, someone will explain it to you later. Please be patient.¡±


    Eunuch Su was wearing a mysterious look on his face and that made Xiaoguo unable to refute him. Along the way, it seemed like everyone was hiding something from her. What secrets were they harboring?


    Xiaoguo tried her best to look like she was not freaking out, and gently patted Zhuang Zhuang, who was in her arms. The boy had just finished his meal and was feeling sleepy. He was oblivious to his surroundings and fell asleep quickly in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms.


    Xiaoguo tried to adjust Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s position in her lap. Eunuch Su was a discerning person. From the moment Zhuang Zhuang appeared sleepy, he had been directing the other servants to prepare their room for resting.


    ¡°You can bring the child this way to rest.¡±


    When Eunuch Su was saying the word ¡°child¡±, he paused for a moment. He had almost referred to the boy as ¡°Young Master¡±. Before the words could come out of his mouth, he managed to use the word ¡°child¡± instead. Luckily that did not attract Xiaoguo¡¯s attention.


    Xiaoguo accepted his kind offer and thanked him before following him to an adjacent room.


    The bed had been made. Xiaoguo gently placed Zhuang Zhuang on it, then took off his shoes and pulled the blanket over him.


    Seeing this, Eunuch Su quietly excused himself and told them to rest well. He told her that someone would come and summon her tonight.


    Xiaoguo nodded. She knew what he meant. She would probably find out the real purpose behind her trip tonight.


    That¡¯s right. The purpose of her coming here to escort the two elders of the Jiang family back to the capital was secondary. The main purpose should be related to Zhuang Zhuang and herself.


    Xiaoguo closed the door and sat down in a chair. She tried to remember what involvement she had with the royal family. She tried recalling many times to ensure that neither she nor the previous owner had any business with the royal family. It was strange. What was the real purpose of this trip? Maybe someone is using her to achieve something?


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s cries woke Xiaoguo up. She immediately got up and went to check on him. She realized that he was feeling uncomfortable from lying on his back because he was too stuffed.


    Amused, Xiaoguo turned him on his side and rubbed his stomach.


    No wonder he was feeling uncomfortable. His stomach was bulging from eating too much. Had she been starving this child?


    Xiaoguo pinched Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little face in amusement and anger, causing him to whimper and fall asleep again.


    Yangxin Palace


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Eunuch Su left Xiaoguo¡¯s place and returned to the adjacent Yangxin Hall to make his report.


    Xiaoguo was assigned to the side hall of Yangxin Hall. The two halls were separated only by a wall.


    ¡°Madam Qin has already finished her lunch. She is with the young master, who is taking his afternoon nap.¡±


    Shao Zhan nodded in satisfaction and put down the chopsticks in his hand. Eunuch Su paused and turned around to get someone to clear the table.


    Shao Zhan got up and walked towards his resting place. Eunuch Su followed closely behind.


    ¡°Inform Jiang Danhe that his family is with me. There¡¯s no need to say anything else.¡±


    Shao Zhan sat on the couch and instructed Eunuch Su, ¡°Also, dinner will be held at Yangxin Hall.¡±


    ¡°As you command.¡±


    Eunuch Su was about to leave, but he looked at Shao Zhan and hesitated.


    ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, forgive me for being nosy. You should eat more. I really can¡¯t stand to see you eat so little. Every portion that you fail to eat is like a cut on my flesh.¡±


    Eunuch Su said in a sobbing tone. He was telling the absolute truth. He would be 56 years old this year. He had been serving the late emperor, Shao Zhan¡¯s father, since he was young. Later on, he was lucky enough to survive and followed the young Shao Zhan to Yonghai County. He had been serving him for almost 30 years. It could be said that he had been by the emperor¡¯s side since he was young. When he saw how poorly Shao Zhan¡¯s had been eating, he truly felt terrible.


    ¡°Well, well, well. I¡¯m getting old and naggy.¡±


    Shao Zhan was not upset at him. He knew how Eunuch Su had taken care of him, and he respected him very much.


    ¡°Aye, aye. Blame this mere servant for talking too much.¡±


    Eunuch Su slapped himself a few times in jest, making Shao Zhan laugh out loud.


    ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re old, you should rest more. Leave the chores to others. I¡¯ll take care of my health.¡±


    Eunuch Su sighed gladly and bowed before taking his leave.


    Shao Zhan put down the teacup in his hand and stopped smiling. He suddenly remembered that Madam Qin had brought her son along. That was great.


    ¡°Anyone there?¡±


    Before Shao Zhan could finish speaking, someone came in.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Inform Zhixia from Kunning Palace to bring the prince, so that he can play with the young master of the Jiang-Qin family.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    After the guard received the order and left, Shao Zhan smiled to himself. That little son of his was probably bored to death. At least now there was someone his age to play with him. At the same time, it was a good opportunity to win over Jiang Danhe¡¯s son. Just keeping Qin Xiaoguo here was not enough. Everything still depends on the child. When the time comes, he could persuade the child to stay. No parents would ignore their child¡¯s wishes and forcefully take him away.


    ¡°What a brilliant move!¡± Shao Zhan sipped his tea happily. Three birds with one stone. The young prince would no longer be bored. If the son of the Jiang family was willing to stay, his parents would definitely stay too.


    Outside the capital


    ¡°Oh my God! Jiang Danhe, you¡¯re too much!¡±


    Li Shouji pulled the door open and looked at Jiang Danhe accusingly. How could this be? He didn¡¯t want to be a general and yet Jiang Danhe was forcing it upon him. Was this still the upright Jiang Danhe?


    Li Shouji didn¡¯t care about his dignity anymore. If Jiang Danhe were to forcefully drag him to the military camp, he would create a terrible scene. What was it about his pride? He didn¡¯t care for it anymore.


    At first, Jiang Danhe was pulling on Li Shouji¡¯s arm with all his might. When he saw the latter rolling around on the ground, the veins on his forehead popped out.


    Initially, he did not notice his surroundings. When he turned around and saw a group of commoners gathered at the door, watching the commotion and pointing fingers, his face darkened. He gritted his teeth and gave an ultimatum.


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    Just hearing these two words made Li Shouji¡¯s hair stand on end. He got up quickly and reached out to wipe the dirt off his clothes.


    Before the two of them could speak, a horse galloped over like a gust of wind. With a whoosh, it dispersed the gathered crowd and stopped at the doorway.


    ¡°There is a letter from the palace, General.¡±


    Jiang Danhe turned around and narrowed his eyes at the person approaching him. Suddenly, he had a bad feeling.

 Chapter 136 - Acquaintance

    Chapter 136: Acquaintance


    At this moment, the guard who was delivering the letter saw Li Shouji and bowed to him.


    Li Shouji straightened his body and nodded coldly. Although he was making a fuss earlier, he shouldn¡¯t put his position on the line.


    Jiang Danhe took the letter and tore open the envelope. He took out the note inside.


    His eyes swept up and down the piece of paper, and his heart stopped with a clang. What followed immediately after was a racing heartbeat.


    This¡­ is this real?


    Looking at Jiang Danhe, who looked like he had been struck by lightning, Li Shouji brazenly went closer to take a look. The letter was very short. In one single line, it said that the Jiang family had been settled in the palace.


    ¡°What family? Jiang Danhe¡¯s family?¡±


    Li Shouji looked up at Jiang Danhe. He was still wearing the look of shock on his face. What was this? He was missing his family day and night, but now that they were here, he was chickening out.


    ¡°Hey, hey, are you still with me?¡±


    Li Shouji patted Jiang Danhe¡¯s shoulder. The man was still in a daze.


    The guard who delivered the letter left after completing his mission. Li Shouji didn¡¯t wish to remain standing at the door with Jiang Danhe. After trying to drag him away but to no avail, Li Shouji turned around and returned to his room. Anyway, Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t in the mood now to force him to go to the military camp. He had better go back and have a good sleep.


    Jiang Danhe did not know what to feel at this moment, but he was definitely not calm. He looked around, wishing to discuss things with Li Shouji, but there was no sign of him. He knew that he had run away again.


    Gritting his teeth, he ran back into the house to find him.


    Li Shouji had anticipated that Jiang Danhe would come and get him, so he had scaled the wall and left the residence while Jiang Danhe was still in a daze. What a joke. If he didn¡¯t escape now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get away later.


    Jiang Danhe was very emotional and couldn¡¯t suppress his excitement. He got on his horse and made his way to the palace. But, he turned back in the midst of his journey.


    The reason for him turning back was that he wasn¡¯t suitably dressed. He was suited up in his armor as he was at the barracks earlier. It didn¡¯t seem quite appropriate to meet his family in this outfit.


    Jiang Danhe quickly returned home and changed into a new set of clothes. He even took a shower. He picked out a light blue robe and tied his hair with a headband of the same color. Jiang Danhe was good-looking to begin with, but on normal days, he always looked very solemn and unapproachable as he was usually dressed in armor and dark-colored outfits.


    Now that he had changed into a light-colored robe, Jiang Danhe¡¯s every frown, smile, and movement looked exceptionally charming and dashing.


    Jiang Danhe carefully smoothed the folds on his robe. He had bought it a long time ago at the market. He never had the chance to wear it since he bought it and it had been kept at the bottom of his storage chest for a long time. At this moment, he felt a little uneasy. He did not know if this outfit would do. Why did it look strange?


    After putting on the light-colored clothes, he really felt rather awkward and was not sure where to place his arms and legs. Should he change out of this?


    Jiang Danhe looked back at the clothes on the bed. There was nothing else that caught his eye. Other than the outfit he was wearing, the rest of his clothes were all dark-colored. Would he look too solemn in those dark colors? He wondered if his whole family had come or if only two of them were here.


    Feeling anxious, Jiang Danhe rode his horse towards the palace. He didn¡¯t think about why they had suddenly come to the capital, nor did he think about how he could meet them as he was supposedly dead. He only had one thought in his mind. ¡°I have to see them.¡±


    In the palace¡­


    ¡°Where are we going now, Aunt Zhixia?¡±


    The young prince followed behind a woman unwillingly.


    The woman was wearing a navy blue robe with red patterns. She was holding the little prince¡¯s hand. When she heard the question, she lowered her head and said softly, ¡°Your Highness, we are going to the side hall of Yangxin Hall now.¡±


    ¡°To do what?¡±


    The crown prince¡¯s eyes widened in confusion. Wasn¡¯t Yangxin Hall where that person was? He didn¡¯t really want to go there.


    Seeing that the little prince was reticent about going, Zhixia held his hand tightly and refused to let him retreat. ¡°We are going to meet a child who is your age. You two can hang out and play.¡±


    The crown prince, who was initially reluctant, immediately stopped struggling when he heard this. He even had a faint anticipation in his heart. ¡°Could it be a little girl?¡±


    Thump thump thump¡­


    Xiaoguo was coaxing Zhuang Zhuang to wake up when she heard a knock on the door. Xiaoguo put the boy down and went to open the door.


    When she opened it, she was shocked and happy to see a familiar face.


    ¡°Eh? Su Hui?!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that Su Hui, who had disappeared for a long time?


    ¡°Xiaoguo?¡±


    Su Hui was also very surprised. It was Xiaoguo!


    Xiaoguo nodded excitedly. It isn¡¯t easy to bump into someone familiar when one is away from home. She was absolutely delighted! ¡°If Su Hui was here, was Tang Yi here as well?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked down at the little boy outside the door. It was indeed Tang Yi.


    Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at Xiaoguo in disbelief. He had not expected to see them here.


    After her initial excitement, Xiaoguo looked at the two of them, and their attire, and wondered what was going on.


    Knowing that this was not the place to talk, the few of them entered the room. Tang Yi was very smart. When he saw Xiaoguo, he deduced that the child that Zhixia mentioned must be Zhuang Zhuang!


    Tang Yi let go of Zhixia¡¯s hand and ran into the house. He saw Zhuang Zhuang who was still half-asleep. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was shocked. He rubbed his eyes and when he saw who it was, his face lit up and his eyebrows raised. ¡°Xiaoyi!¡±


    The two children held each other¡¯s hands tightly and jumped around in circles. Their laughter instantly rang across the room.


    Su Hui was also very happy. She held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and sat down. At this moment, Tang Yi walked over with Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Aunt Zhixia, can I bring Zhuang Zhuang out to play?¡±


    Tang Yi looked at the two of them with pitiful anticipation. Su Hui didn¡¯t say anything. She just gave Xiaoguo a look.


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment. Judging from Tang Yi¡¯s attire, he must be of some status. With him bringing Zhuang Zhuang around, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them getting into trouble. So she nodded and agreed.


    After the two children left, Su Hui explained to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Tang Yi is the son of the current emperor. His name is Shao Yi. Back then, because it was inconvenient to keep him by the emperor¡¯s side, my husband and I took care of him on his Majesty¡¯s behalf. He hid his identity and stayed by our side. We took care of him like he was our son. Now that the dust has settled in the palace, he has regained his identity.¡±


    Su Hui¡ªoh, no¡ªZhixia was being vague, but Xiaoguo understood the gist of it.


    As the two of them continued to chat, Xiaoguo got a better understanding of everything. It was love at first sight for the current emperor, Shao Zhan, and Zhixia¡¯s sister. However, because of the difference in status between the two of them, they could only hide their relationship. When Shao Yi was born, his mother passed away after a difficult birth. At that time, it was not appropriate for Shao Zhan to raise the child himself. Therefore he entrusted the child to Zhixia and Tang Zhu, who were his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, to take care of the boy. Now that Shao Yi had returned to the palace and become the crown prince, Zhixia and Tang Zhu came along with him to the palace as they were worried about him. Zhixia was appointed as an attendant and Tang Zhu was deployed to the Ministry of Labor to oversee construction matters.


    From their conversation, Xiaoguo found out that Zhuang Zhuang and her were currently living in the side hall of Yangxin Palace Hall. When they arrived, they were brought directly to the main entrance of this place in the sedan chair. Therefore Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know where she was at all. Now that she had spoken to Zhixia, Xiaoguo knew who had asked for her to come.

 Chapter 137 - Father in his Imagination

    Chapter 137: Father in his Imagination


    In the Imperial Study.


    ¡°Aiyo, my eyes are about to go blind. Is this the general?¡±


    Eunuch Su clapped his hands and praised Jiang Danhe as he approached.


    ¡°Eunuch Su.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was actually blushing, but luckily it wasn¡¯t obvious on his tanned complexion.


    ¡°Is the emperor here? Could I trouble you to inform him?¡±


    ¡°Why, General, the Emperor is not here at the moment. Would you like to come in and wait for a moment?¡±


    Eunuch Su clapped his hands and said regretfully.


    How could Jiang Danhe enter when the Emperor was not around?


    ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ll wait outside.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe arrived, he had regained his composure. Therefore, as soon as he entered the palace gate, he checked with the guards and found out where his family was staying. He only went to the Imperial Study to report after he knew where his family was.


    After knowing that the emperor was not around, Jiang Danhe was a little worried. After all, Yangxin Hall was in the inner palace. It was not appropriate for a man like him to enter the place alone. Although the emperor was the only master here, it still wasn¡¯t right for him to go in alone.


    Jiang Danhe had no choice but to hang around elsewhere.


    As soon as he came out of the outer door of the Imperial Study, he saw two small figures disappearing in a distant corner. Coincidentally, Jiang Danhe had nothing to do, so he followed them.


    Jiang Danhe had big strides and caught up with them in just a few steps. A little boy dressed in black was running with a chubby boy dressed in green. The two of them were laughing wherever they went.


    Jiang Danhe knitted his brows and continued to follow them at a distance. He knew the little boy dressed in black. It was the crown prince who had been brought back not long ago. He looked around and saw that there was no one escorting the crown prince. This was too dangerous!


    Jiang Danhe had nothing to do anyway, so he stayed by their side as a guard to protect them.


    Jiang Danhe narrowed his eyes at the little green boy. Who was that little chubby boy?


    No matter how hard he racked his brains, he could not think of who this boy was. Jiang Danhe decided not to think about it anymore. In any case, he was just bored and was just following behind them.


    He continued to follow at a distance. The two little kids did not notice his presence and continued playing. Eventually they decided to play hide-and-seek.


    Xiao Yi hid while Zhuang Zhuang searched.


    Zhuang Zhuang was left behind to count with his eyes closed. Wen Xiaoyi quietly ran away and hid himself.


    ¡°Ten, nine¡­ six, five¡­ two, one, here I come!¡±


    After counting down, Zhuang Zhuang shouted and started his search.


    He still remembered the area where they had agreed to hide, so he didn¡¯t run far. He just obediently looked for Xiaoyi in the designated vicinity.


    ¡°Found you!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang finally found the squatting Xiaoyi in a cave among the rockery. He laughed out loud.


    Xiaoyi was also very happy and smiled. Next, it was Xiaoyi¡¯s turn to count and Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s turn to hide.


    As they were still in the designated circle, Zhuang Zhuang tried his best to think of a place to hide. Seeing that Xiaoyi¡¯s countdown was getting closer and closer, Zhuang Zhuang still could not find a place to hide. He could not help but feel a little anxious.


    ¡°¡­ three, two, one!¡±


    At the end of the countdown, Zhuang Zhuang finally found a place. This place was very hidden.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the figure of Wen Xiaoyi looking for him and smiled to himself. Although it was stated that they were not allowed to leave the circle, there was no rule stating that part of one¡¯s body was not allowed to go beyond. Hence, Zhuang Zhuang took advantage of this loophole in the rules. He held on to the rockery on the outermost edge of the circle with his hands and feet, and arched his body beyond the perimeter.


    Just as he was secretly delighted that Wen Xiaoyi couldn¡¯t find him, he felt a strange sensation on his butt.


    Zhuang Zhuang stopped laughing and moved his butt again. ¡°Huh? This feels so strange.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang slowly turned around to see what it was.


    Behind him was Jiang Danhe, who was trying to hold back his laughter. At this moment, his entire body was trembling from trying to suppress his laughter. This kid was too funny, his hips were shaking so rhythmically.


    Jiang Danhe had been watching the two children play hide-and-seek in the pavilion behind the rockery. Unexpectedly, when it was time for the little fatty to hide, he suddenly chose to hide here. Just as Jiang Danhe was hesitating whether to leave, he realized that the little fatty had not seen him.


    He sat down again and watched the two of them play. Just as he was watching the little fatty¡¯s back with a smile, he was suddenly attracted by his little butt shaking. He couldn¡¯t help but walk closer, and accidentally bumped into it.


    He swore to god that he wasn¡¯t a pervert, but he had an inexplicable affinity for this child. He attributed this to himself missing his daughter. It was just fatherly love.


    Jiang Danhe had wanted to tease him, but who knew that this child was so insensitive and cute? He actually continued to explore with his butt.


    Jiang Danhe brought his fist to his mouth and coughed lightly. He suppressed his laughter and attempted to catch the attention of the child.


    Zhuang Zhuang heard the voice and turned around abruptly. As the person was standing with his back facing the light, Zhuang Zhuang could not see his face clearly. He could only see a tall figure.


    Jiang Danhe had a clear view. When he saw the child¡¯s face, his heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Why does this child look so much like Xiaoguo?¡±


    The thought ran through Jiang Danhe¡¯s mind immediately.


    He looked at the kid carefully. The more he looked at him, the more he saw the resemblance. But then he remembered that he had a daughter and not a son.


    The excitement in his heart eventually subsided. The information could not be wrong. Even if this child looked very similar, he wasn¡¯t his child.


    For some reason, Jiang Danhe thought that it was a pity. He shook his head to get rid of the unsettling feeling in his heart.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Wen Xiaoyi, who was attracted by the commotion in the distance, and then at the child lying on the ground. He decided to leave quickly.


    ¡°Aha! Found you!¡±


    Xiaoyi jumped to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s side and said loudly, his voice was filled with excitement.


    Zhuang Zhuang was still staring blankly at the departing figure.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang? Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Wen Xiaoyi tugged on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s arm and called out to him.


    Zhuang Zhuang came back to his senses and replied perfunctorily. That man just now seemed to be the father in his imagination¡­


    He also looked tall and mighty, but his clothes were different. This man was too elegant. He didn¡¯t look as domineering as he had imagined.


    At this moment, a palace maid came to look for the two of them. Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi followed her back reluctantly. They made an agreement to eat and sleep together tonight.


    After leaving, Jiang Danhe returned to the door of the Imperial Study and waited for the emperor.


    As soon as he arrived, he was informed that the emperor was already inside. He went in after announcing that he was entering.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    As Shao Zhan had excused Jiang Danhe from kowtowing, he only had to lower his head to pay his respects.


    ¡°Come and sit down.¡±


    Shao Zhan knew that Jiang Danhe had many questions, but he was not in a hurry. He will tease him a bit.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Dan He, you said that the granary¡­¡±


    Shao Zhan interrupted him and changed the topic.


    Jiang Danhe calmed down and replied, ¡°I think¡­¡±


    Shao Zhan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a good move.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, Danhe. Recently, the Minister of Rites¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I think we can¡­¡±


    ¡°Not bad, not bad. That will work.¡±


    Jiang Danhe spoke again. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Danhe, the Huns have been causing quite a ruckus recently¡­¡±


    Shao Zhan changed the topic again.


    Jiang Danhe held it in. He had to hold it in! He exhaled and said again, ¡°Your Majesty, they are not a threat. We just have to¡­¡±


    Shao Zhan nodded as he listened and praised Jiang Danhe repeatedly. This man was so talented¡ªwell-versed in literacy and skilled in martial arts. He would be a fool to let such a brilliant man go.


    Jiang Danhe did not know what Shao Zhan was thinking. He was only concerned about dispelling the doubts of the emperor and offering the solutions to his questions.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Huh? Jiang Danhe was confused. Why wasn¡¯t he changing the topic now? He was anticipating his interruption.


    Shao Zhan gave a look like he was waiting for Jiang Danhe to speak. Jiang Danhe was on the verge of vomiting blood.


    ¡°Please go ahead.¡±


    Jiang Danhe, ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 138 - Twins?

    Chapter 138: Twins?


    ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. Why did my family come and where are they now?¡±


    Even though Jiang Danhe knew where they were, he could not say that he knew. After all, this was the emperor¡¯s territory. How could he reveal that he already knew? He still had to ask symbolically.


    ¡°They are here for the exhumation of the graves. They are now resting in the hall adjacent to Yangxin Hall.¡±


    ¡°Just look at you, I don¡¯t believe you don¡¯t know where they are.¡±


    Shao Zhan looked at Jiang Danhe with a smile.


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he understood. So this was the reason why they had come to the capital. So this was part of the emperor¡¯s plan¡­


    Jiang Danhe looked at Shao Zhan with an obscure look on his face. So the emperor¡¯s plan was to keep them here so that he would be obliged to stay.


    So that explains why¡­


    Jiang Danhe shook his head. He knew that this was not the time to talk about this. It was more important to reunite with his family first.


    It was almost time. Shao Zhan did not continue to tease Jiang Danhe. Instead, he asked Eunuch Su to call for dinner.


    Eunuch Su took his leave to announce dinner. Shao Zhan brought Jiang Danhe, who could no longer sit still, to Yangxin Hall.


    ¡°Oh, look at you. You¡¯re sweating.¡±


    Xiaoguo was sitting in a chair and talking to Zhixia when Zhuang Zhuang ran over and pounced on her.


    The weather was a little cold now, but the two children were perspiring after playing.


    Xiaoguo pushed Zhuang Zhuang away and wiped his sweat with a handkerchief she had brought with her. If she didn¡¯t dry his sweat in time in this weather, he would definitely catch a cold.


    Wen Xiaoyi was following right behind him. He was also drenched in sweat from running. When Zhixia saw him, she also wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.


    Wen Xiaoyi raised his head and let Zhixia wipe his sweat. Although they both have someone to dry their sweat, there were slight differences.


    Looking at the atmosphere on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s side, Xiaoyi was a little envious. He was envious that Zhuang Zhuang could act cute and kiss his mother, while for him¡­


    Wen Xiaoyi looked up at Zhixia, who was wiping his sweat with her head lowered. He couldn¡¯t help but think to himself, ¡°If only my mother was still here. She will be like Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mother.¡±


    After a while, Eunuch Su¡¯s voice sounded from the door.


    ¡°Madam Qin, please move to the main hall for dinner.¡±


    Zhixia stood up first, promising to meet up again. After which, she left the room with Wen Xiaoyi.


    Xiaoguo came out of the room with Zhuang Zhuang. When Eunuch Su saw that Zhixia was leaving, he quickly stopped her. ¡°Aunt Zhixia, please wait. The emperor wants you to bring the little crown prince along.¡±


    Wen Xiaoyi had the biggest reaction when he heard that. He squeezed Zhixia¡¯s hand tightly and looked up at her pitifully, hoping that she understood his thoughts. He did not want to eat with that person at all.


    Zhixia sighed. How could she not know? No matter what, he was still Wen Xiaoyi¡¯s biological father. The two of them were already estranged, but they could not continue like this. They had to get closer.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, my husband is about to reach home. It¡¯s not convenient for me to bring the Crown Prince over. Why don¡¯t you do me a favor and bring the Crown Prince over for dinner?¡±


    If they went together, Xiaoyi would definitely hide by her side. In order to let him get closer to the emperor, she decided not to go.


    Xiaoguo hesitated. The truth was, she didn¡¯t wish to see the emperor either.


    He was the ruler of the world. How could she be at ease around him? If she were to say something wrong, it would be catastrophic.


    ¡°¡­ Sure.¡±


    Eventually, Xiaoguo agreed to her request. It seemed like she didn¡¯t have a choice. She had to go no matter what. Later on, she had to stay alert and figure out why she had come to the capital. After that, she should be able to go home the next day.


    On her left was Xiaoyi, and on her right was Zhuang Zhuang. The three of them followed Eunuch Su to the main hall.


    Xiaoguo thought to herself, ¡°How am I going to kneel down later? What am I going to say? Long live the emperor, just like on TV?¡± But she was afraid that she would laugh. Should she kneel or kowtow first?


    Xiaoguo thought through the entire process. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. If she could escape, she would have done so long ago.


    For the sake of her dignity, Xiaoguo tried to look very calm. Even Eunuch Su was deceived by her appearance. In his heart, he was feeling impressed by her calm and composure.


    But who would have thought that this calm-looking woman¡¯s heart was already in turmoil?


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi followed quietly beside Xiaoguo. Neither of them spoke. Xiaoyi did not speak because he did not wish to meet that person. Zhuang Zhuang did not speak because he could sense Xiaoguo¡¯s uneasiness. Her hands were usually not sweaty, but Zhuang Zhuang could feel dampness in her warm palms now.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked up at Xiaoguo. Was his mother nervous because she was going to see the emperor? Zhuang Zhuang held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand a little bit tighter, hoping to give her some courage.


    Sensing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s concern, Xiaoguo looked down at his worried eyes and gave him a reassuring smile. She then held his hand tightly.


    Just as Xiaoguo was wondering how to kneel, Eunuch Su had already brought the three of them to the entrance of the hall.


    On the blue plaque with golden words, the words ¡°Yangxin Hall¡± were written horizontally.


    Xiaoguo quickly scanned her surroundings. It was indeed the center of the inner palace. Even the number of guards around had doubled in numbers.


    After Eunuch Su finished his announcement, he received approval from inside the hall. He then stepped aside and bowed to usher the three of them in.


    Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi into the hall. She had mentally prepared herself countless times. Just as she was about to kneel down and pay her respects, Zhuang Zhuang exclaimed loudly before she could move.


    Xiaoguo quickly looked at Zhuang Zhuang, wondering what was wrong with him.


    Zhuang Zhuang was looking in a certain direction with his mouth agape. His eyes were wide open in disbelief.


    Xiaoyi was also curious about what Zhuang Zhuang had seen. He looked up and saw that there was only a big table in the room. There was also that man and General Jiang. There was nothing strange about them. What was up with Zhuang Zhuang?


    Wen Xiaoyi scratched his head and looked at Zhuang Zhuang curiously.


    As Xiaoguo had her head lowered from the moment she entered the hall, she did not have a clear view of the situation inside. At first, when she saw Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s surprised expression, she thought that he had seen something inappropriate in the room. After all, this was part of the inner palace. It was possible that the emperor would be in the company of women here.


    Could Zhuang Zhuang have seen something? Xiaoguo could not think of another reason.


    When Jiang Danhe heard the announcement by Eunuch Su, he started to feel uneasy and kept staring at the door anxiously. Shao Zhan even took the chance to tease him.


    It was already funny enough to see Jiang Danhe wearing this color today. Now that he saw him in this state, he felt even more amused. Was this still the bold and courageous Jiang Danhe that he knew?


    Then, he saw an adult and two children walking in. He felt relieved when he saw that one of them was his son. Jiang Danhe¡¯s current mood should be exactly like his when he first saw Wen Xiaoyi. It was a sense of excitement, nervousness and fear¡ªa bunch of mixed emotions deep in the heart.


    Jiang Danhe stood up immediately when he saw them. The woman had her head lowered, so he couldn¡¯t see her face. But wasn¡¯t the boy beside her the little fatty he saw at the rockery?


    ¡°Was this boy his son?!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was extremely excited, but there was also a hint of hesitation. Could there be a mistake in the information? Maybe he didn¡¯t have a daughter, or perhaps there was a twin?


    Jiang Danhe suddenly thought of another possibility. He started to believe that it was real. Perhaps they were twins!


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious. Don¡¯t ask him why he didn¡¯t hurry over. It was because his legs were numb from excitement¡­

 Chapter 139 - Awkward

    Chapter 139: Awkward


    Eventually the numbness went away, so he walked over to them at once.


    As he walked, he was shouting in his heart, ¡°Xiaoguo, my son, your husband and father is here!


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang saw him coming, he let out a sudden cry of fear. He crawled into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and covered his head.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t be bothered to lower her head this time. She hugged Zhuang Zhuang and looked up to see what had frightened him so much.


    Xiaoguo was already prepared to have styes on her eyes. She was afraid that she would look up and witness a pornographic scene.


    However, she was disappointed. All she saw was a light blue robe that looked like a man¡¯s attire.


    But the man had gotten too close. Xiaoguo frowned and took a few steps back before looking up at his face.


    !!!


    Xiaoguo was just as shocked as Zhuang Zhuang. Because of the shock, she almost choked on her breath.


    ¡°Are you a human or a ghost¡­¡±


    The words came out of Xiaoguo¡¯s trembling mouth.


    Jiang Danhe did not get to witness the touching scene that he was anticipating. He could not help but feel a little aggrieved. Why was it completely different from what he had imagined?


    It had been four years since he last heard her sweet voice. It felt like a lifetime had passed. But what did she mean by that? What did she mean by human or ghost?


    Jiang Danhe looked puzzled. He had really forgotten that he was already dead.


    Xiaoguo could not help but take a few steps back again. She felt a little uncomfortable as she looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face in front of her.


    Zhuang Zhuang was always looking at Jiang Danhe¡¯s portrait and she had seen it before too. It was very similar to the face in front of her, but it was not as young as in the painting. The man in front of her looked much tougher and the lines on his face were more angular. When he stared at her, it was a little intimidating.


    Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang tightly in her arms and looked at the man warily.


    Shao Zhan secretly watched from behind. Then, he waved his hand and beckoned to Xiaoyi, who was not far away. After all, it was better to sit and watch the show.


    Xiaoyi wanted to ignore him when he saw the signal, but he was indeed a little tired from standing. So he decided to go over and sit down. However, he wasn¡¯t obeying his orders. It was just that he really wanted to sit down. Xiaoyi sat beside him in an aloof manner and turned his head away from Shao Zhan.


    ¡°Stay away!¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped Jiang Danhe, who was still trying to get closer.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt aggrieved. He stood there helplessly and looked at the mother and son who were standing far away from him. He did not know what he had done wrong. Shouldn¡¯t they be crying and hugging each other now?


    Xiaoguo shuddered. ¡°He knows my name is Xiaoguo. So is he really Jiang Danhe? The dead Jiang Danhe?¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked. When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he quietly raised his head and looked at the man, waiting for his answer. A look of anticipation appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jiang Danhe.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was quick-thinking. After his excitement, he tried to calm himself down and think about what was wrong. Within a short while, he realized that he was still a dead person in their eyes.


    In that case, he could not blame them for being scared.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m not dead.¡±


    Jiang Danhe softened his voice. His eyes were filled with warmth and longing.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what to say. Her mind was in a mess now. Her thoughts and emotions were in a mess. In any case, everything was in a mess!


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang was also looking at Jiang Danhe boldly. He scrutinized him closely. Looking at the outfit, he figured that the person he saw at the rockery should be him.


    But why didn¡¯t he acknowledge him? Everyone said that he looked like his father, but why didn¡¯t he acknowledge him when they met?


    Jiang Danhe felt Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s gaze on him, so he lowered his head to look at him. The more he looked at the face that was a combination of their best features, the more he liked it.


    From the looks of it, Zhuang Zhuang really took after the two of them. At first, he only felt that he looked a little like Xiaoguo. Now that he had taken a closer look, he looked very much like himself too.


    The more Jiang Danhe looked at his son, the happier he became. His son was so handsome, so his daughter must be even cuter.


    Seeing how resistant Xiaoguo looked, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know what to say. Besides, this wasn¡¯t a good place to talk.


    Shao Zhan had seen enough. He felt that it was time for him to speak. He put down the dried fruits in his hand and dusted off the crumbs on his hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Come and sit down for dinner.¡±


    Shao Zhan said in a dignified voice. Xiaoguo looked up at Jiang Danhe and walked around him with Zhuang Zhuang in her arms.


    Jiang Danhe paused for a moment before following closely behind. The three of them sat in a row.


    Xiaoguo placed Zhuang Zhuang beside her. Jiang Danhe rubbed his nose and reluctantly moved to sit beside Zhuang Zhuang. The three of them sat down accordingly in their seats, with Zhuang Zhuang seated between his parents.


    Fortunately, with this interlude, Xiaoguo did not have to go through the greetings.


    At the dining table, only Wen Xiaoyi was eating seriously. Everyone else was checking out the situation.


    Shao Zhan was just a bystander. He had been secretly observing Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe as if he was watching a show.


    Jiang Danhe had been secretly paying attention to Xiaoguo. Seeing that she didn¡¯t eat much, he picked up some food for her.


    Xiaoguo, on the other hand, was thinking about other things. For example, how could Jiang Danhe be alive? Why was he here? Why didn¡¯t he send a letter home when he was alive? What should she do in the future? She smiled awkwardly and politely at the food that Jiang Danhe had picked for her. However, she didn¡¯t eat them.


    Zhuang Zhuang quietly observed Jiang Danhe from the side, but when he looked over, he quickly lowered his head and looked away.


    Under the strange atmosphere on the table, only Xiaoyi was eating seriously. ¡°The fish meat was delicious, the radishes were delicious, the meatballs were so fragrant, and the pastries were delicious. The chicken meat was so tender, and the soup was so fresh¡­ ¡± Words like these were running through Xiaoyi¡¯s mind, so he wasn¡¯t tuned in to the atmosphere around him and was completely engrossed in his food.


    When Shao Zhan finally put down his chopsticks, Xiaoguo also put down her chopsticks in relief.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes darkened. He was a little disappointed when he saw that the dishes on her plate were untouched.


    Zhuang Zhuang also put down his chopsticks. Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was not eating anymore, Xiaoyi clapped his hands happily. ¡°That¡¯s great! Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s go back and sleep!¡±


    He had already eaten his fill and was waiting for Zhuang Zhuang at the side. Earlier on, they had agreed to sleep together at night. He was very anxious to bring Zhuang Zhuang to see his animal friends.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi urged Zhuang Zhuang to leave. But Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo and hesitated. ¡°Mother?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and was about to follow him when Shao Zhan spoke.


    ¡°Let them sleep together. You two haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. I¡¯m sure you have a lot of questions and things to ask each other. You can go back with Danhe to his residence.¡±


    Shao Zhan had given his instructions very specifically. Deep down, Xiaoguo did not really wish to communicate with Jiang Danhe. To her, Jiang Danhe was like a stranger. Besides, she was worried about leaving Zhuang Zhuang by himself.


    However, Xiaoguo did not know how to refuse tactfully. After all, the person in front of her was the emperor.


    Just as Xiaoguo was hesitating, Jiang Danhe agreed to the order.


    Xiaoguo turned to look at Jiang Danhe. After struggling for a long time, she told Zhuang Zhuang to behave himself with Xiaoyi, and she would pick him up the next day.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo reluctantly, then quickly glanced at Jiang Danhe. Eventually, he nodded. His mother must have a lot to say to the man. He decided not to disturb them for now.


    Seeing Zhuang Zhuang obediently leave with Xiaoyi, Jiang Danhe hurriedly said goodbye to Shao Zhan and left with Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo returned to the adjacent hall to get her bag and got into the carriage.


    Jiang Danhe abandoned his horse and followed behind Xiaoguo.


    In the sedan, the two of them looked at each other, speechless. The air was filled with a suffocating sense of awkwardness.

 Chapter 140 - Crying

    Chapter 140: Crying


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    They both spoke and stopped at the same time.


    There was another bout of silence.


    Just as the two of them were hesitating over what to say, the coachman stopped the carriage. They had arrived at Jiang Danhe¡¯s residence.


    Jiang Danhe got out of the carriage first. Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief. Then she took her bag and prepared to get out.


    Just as she got up, she saw that the curtain had been lifted. Xiaoguo bent down and alighted. She saw a large hand waiting quietly for her.


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and hesitantly placed her hand on his.


    Jiang Danhe was delighted. He quietly tightened his grip and helped her down safely.


    Xiaoguo was about to take her hand back, but Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t let her. He held her hand even harder so that she couldn¡¯t draw it back.


    Xiaoguo felt like her hand was going to be crippled. Why was this person so strong?!


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore and looked up at the blushing Jiang Danhe. ¡°My hand hurts.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t understand, so he asked her in a daze. Under her gaze, Jiang Danhe realized that he had exerted too much strength. He quickly let go of her hand. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Xiaoguo finally retrieved her left hand and looked down at it. Good grief, the blood has stopped flowing through her veins.


    Jiang Danhe also realized it. At this moment, he was so embarrassed that he could only chuckle foolishly.


    After the two of them alighted, the coachman drove the carriage into the courtyard. Xiaoguo did not know the way, so she could only wait for Jiang Danhe to lead the way.


    However, she did not know what Jiang Danhe was thinking. After he got out of the car, he remained rooted to the spot where he was standing.


    So the two of them stood like fools, enjoying the breeze at the front door.


    Another gust of wind swept past and Xiaoguo wrapped her clothes tightly around herself in resignation. Was she going to spend the night at the front door?


    Jiang Danhe was woken up from his daze by the wind. When he saw Xiaoguo pulling on her clothes, his embarrassment returned. His face was even redder than before.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in quickly.¡±


    As soon as Jiang Danhe said that, Xiaoguo almost rolled her eyes. It sounded like she didn¡¯t want to go in.


    Jiang Danhe also realized that he had said something wrong. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo gave him a friendly smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Hurry up and go in.¡±


    The wind was cold at night.


    Jiang Danhe was overjoyed. ¡°She smiled. She smiled at me!¡±


    ¡°She looks so pretty when she smiles. Hehe.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe who was grinning from ear to ear. She was speechless. What is this?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Jiang Danhe happily brought Xiaoguo in.


    The soldiers at the door saluted Jiang Danhe when they saw him. However, they were a little curious when they saw Xiaoguo. After the two of them had left, the two soldiers gathered together and whispered to each other. Looking at the general¡¯s yearning expression, they could roughly guess Xiaoguo¡¯s identity.


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe, who was smiling foolishly along the way. She couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s high IQ was not inherited from him.


    When they returned to the house, Li Shouji, who had just come back from getting food, saw their backs.


    When Li Shouji first saw the beauty, his heart skipped a beat. When did such a beauty arrive at the residence?


    He did not go over to say hello. Seeing Jiang Danhe bring her back to his house, he could guess the woman¡¯s identity.


    This must be Jiang Danhe¡¯s wife.


    Li Shouji did not disturb the two of them. He burped and returned to his own house. He was still carrying the food that he had packed for Jiang Danhe. It seemed that he could only eat tomorrow.


    Li Shouji turned around with the meal box and returned to his room while humming a tune.


    Xiaoguo followed Jiang Danhe into the house. Jiang Danhe lit a few candles with familiarity. In an instant, the room was lit up.


    Jiang Danhe took Xiaoguo¡¯s bag and placed it on the bed. At first, Xiaoguo was a little unused to it, but she had no reason to refute. After all, they were still husband and wife.


    Xiaoguo sat on a stool, and Jiang Danhe sat down as well. They were seated across from each other.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was wondering how to start the conversation, but Jiang Danhe thoughtfully told her everything.


    Xiaoguo listened quietly. Jiang Danhe explained all that had happened to Xiaoguo. From the moment he was taken away as a soldier to meeting Shao Zhan, who was still a prince at that time, to his fake death and implementing the plan.


    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you contact home?¡±


    Xiaoguo was more concerned about this. ¡°Since he wasn¡¯t dead, why didn¡¯t he contact his family? Besides, if he had contacted them, Mrs. Jiang might not have died¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh, we faked our deaths to hide our identities. The situation was a little complicated at that time. If I had contacted you, I¡¯m afraid that our enemies could have followed the clues and found you. Although the previous emperor was muddle-headed, he still had a few elite troops under his command. They were trying hard to find our troops then. All of us didn¡¯t dare to go out or contact our families. Once we are found, all of us, including our family will be exterminated.¡±


    Jiang Danhe heaved a sigh of relief upon finishing what he had to say. He had wanted to explain these things to his family for a long time. Now that he had finally said them, he could not help but feel relieved. He continued speaking again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t contact you guys after that because the emperor wasn¡¯t prepared to let me return home. Although it¡¯s very safe now, there are still some surviving enemies. You guys are unarmed. What if they seek you out and harm you? I don¡¯t dare to take the risk. Moreover, as long as I tie up the ends here, I can retire and return home, and be reunited with you all.¡±


    Xiaoguo listened quietly. So that was the reason¡­


    ¡°By the way, wife, where¡¯s mother and my daughter?¡±


    Jiang Danhe, addressing her as wife, took Xiaoguo by surprise. ¡°Wife?¡±


    ¡°Oh right, he didn¡¯t know that Mrs. Jiang had already¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother died a year and a half after you left.¡±


    Xiaoguo spoke softly and looked at Jiang Danhe sympathetically.


    The smile on Jiang Danhe¡¯s face immediately disappeared. He looked at Xiaoguo in disbelief. She had passed away? Impossible. He must have heard wrongly. He asked again, shakily.


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe, who was trembling all over. She couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this. However, that was the truth. Xiaoguo repeated herself, ¡°During that time, there was a famine and we were starving. At the same time, we were informed of your¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly stopped talking. She couldn¡¯t bear to continue because this was too cruel to Jiang Danhe. His mother had died after hearing about his death. How brutal was that?


    ¡°Was it because she heard about my death¡­?¡±


    Jiang Danhe understood the last sentence. He couldn¡¯t stop trembling and he felt like he was blacking out. ¡°How could this be? How could this be!¡±


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not the only reason. There was also a famine at that time, and many people in the village had died¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s voice became softer and softer because Jiang Danhe was crying in front of her.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what to do. She looked at the man with tears streaming down his face. She didn¡¯t know how to comfort him, or whether she should comfort him at all. Eventually she decided to let him vent it all out.


    Xiaoguo was getting ready to leave so that Jiang Danhe could sort out his emotions. However, before she could move, a large hand grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.


    Jiang Danhe buried his head in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and cried quietly.


    At first, Xiaoguo was a little stiff. She wanted to struggle as she was feeling uncomfortable, but when she saw the face that looked so much like Zhuang Zhuang, she couldn¡¯t bear to push him away. Instinctively, she started to pat his head and comfort him like how she usually did for Zhuang Zhuang.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s body froze for a moment before he started sobbing quietly. He held on tightly to the woman who gave him warmth.


    He held her soft waist, and breathed in the refreshing scent of her skin. He vented the sorrow that he had been keeping to himself all this while¡­


    Xiaoguo gave out a soft sigh. After all, he was just a child who was in his twenties.

 Chapter 141 - Big Secret

    Chapter 141: Big Secret


    After a long time, Jiang Danhe regained his composure. When his tears finally stopped flowing, he slowly let go of Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s legs had become numb, let alone her waist.


    She held onto the table and sat down. Jiang Danhe felt a little embarrassed when he saw this.


    He wiped the tears off his face. ¡°Wife, why didn¡¯t you use the money you received to buy food during the disaster?¡±


    Jiang Danhe knew about the difficulties during that period. According to what he knew, although there was no food in some areas, there were still people selling food in certain county towns and cities. However, the prices were usually doubled. It might not be enough to fill their stomachs, but they could at least survive.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have any silver at that time.¡±


    ¡°Did no one continue to send silver after my fake death?¡±


    Jiang Danhe frowned. That shouldn¡¯t be the case. At that time, Shao Zhan had assigned someone to send the money every month, he had also personally requested for the military to send two-thirds of his monthly salary to his family. Did something go wrong somewhere?


    Jiang Danhe did not doubt Xiaoguo¡¯s words. If the money had not been delivered on time, there must have been a mistake. Most importantly, he could just check with the military department. After all, the money that was distributed to the soldiers¡¯ families was handled by them. There must be someone behind this¡­


    Jiang Danhe was not going to trouble Xiaoguo with these bothersome matters. It was better for him to settle this himself.


    Because of this little episode, Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo were distracted from the topic about their daughter.


    The two of them chatted for a while more. Jiang Danhe spoke most of the time while Xiaoguo listened. However, Xiaoguo also briefly told him about the situation at home.


    In the end, she understood why she was here.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay here? Why do you have to go home? Are you really willing to part with life here? You have money and status here. Are you really willing to go home and work in the fields as a farmer?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked tentatively. If Jiang Danhe really thought so, then his spiritual realm must be really high. It was truly admirable.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and looked outside. There was an indescribable look in his eyes.


    Xiaoguo nodded, showing that she really admired him. He must have a lot of conviction in order not to be enticed by the lure of power and riches.


    But! If he really went back, wouldn¡¯t he be living with her?!


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of this. This was not good¡­


    ¡°Wife.¡±


    Xiaoguo answered automatically, ¡°Aha?¡±


    Seeing Jiang Danhe¡¯s puzzled expression, Xiaoguo realized what she had said. If there was a crack in the ground, she would definitely crawl into it immediately. It was too embarrassing. Was she singing just now?


    ¡°Wife, it¡¯s getting late. Rest early.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said with a flushing face. It was obvious that he was a little shy about sleeping with his wife again after so many years.


    ¡°Huh? What! You want to sleep with me?!¡±


    Xiaoguo almost choked on her saliva. No, no!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe was a little hurt. Why did his wife have such a big reaction? They are a married couple. It was only right for them to sleep together.


    But he did feel a little shy.


    In the end, Xiaoguo pushed him out of the room. ¡°Are you kidding me? Not even with that soft-hearted face of yours. No, no, no, you¡¯re acting like a hooligan in broad daylight¡­..oh no I mean, in the middle of the night. Get out!¡±


    Xiaoguo slammed the door shut and quickly locked it.


    Ignoring the pitiful Jiang Danhe standing outside the door, she enjoyed his house and bed with a clear conscience.


    Xiaoguo lay comfortably on the bed. She had to say that Jiang Danhe was quite a neat man. His blanket and pillow did not smell at all.


    At first, she thought that she might have difficulty falling asleep. But as she thought about Zhuang Zhuang and took in the smell of the blanket and pillow, she gradually fell asleep¡­


    Jiang Danhe watched as the candles in the room went out. Eventually, he sighed and accepted reality while tightening his belt, he had loosened it for nothing¡­


    He started walking in the other direction.


    ¡°Li Shouji, open the door!¡±


    Inside the palace


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, is General Jiang your father?¡±


    Xiaoyi lay on the bed and kicked his legs as he asked Zhuang Zhuang, who had just showered.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded silently. He pulled back the blanket that Wen Xiaoyi had kicked away and covered him with it.


    ¡°My mother said we should cover ourselves with blankets at night, or we¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±


    Xiaoyi lay down obediently and let Zhuang Zhuang cover him with a blanket. ¡°Your mother is so nice¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was lying beside Wen Xiaoyi. When he heard those words, he turned around and looked at him. ¡°My mother is good. Your mother is also good.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang spoke warmly, but when Xiaoyi heard his words, his expression changed. The boy stammered as he looked at Zhuang Zhuang, his face was all scrunched up.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I have a secret to tell you, but you must not tell anyone!¡±


    Xiaoyi trusted Zhuang Zhuang very much, and he felt that there should be no secrets between friends.


    Looking at Wen Xiaoyi¡¯s solemn expression, Zhuang Zhuang became serious. He promised his friend, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone!¡±


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have a mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t close his mouth once he heard Xiaoyi¡¯s words. That was an amazing secret.


    After Xiaoyi finished speaking, he looked at Zhuang Zhuang nervously. He had kept such a big secret from him. He wondered if Zhuang Zhuang would forgive him.


    Unexpectedly, as he was just looking up, he received a hug from his friend.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Xiaoyi looked confused. He was a little happy and excited about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hug, but he was also a little confused.


    ¡°Xiao Yi, I¡¯m really happy that you¡¯re sharing this big secret with me. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut. And you don¡¯t have to be unhappy. You can treat my mother like she is your own. We¡¯ll both call her Mother, okay?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang let go of Wen Xiaoyi. He felt that he was a little pitiful. If he were in his shoes, he surely could not survive without his mother. When he thought about one day, if Xiaoguo was no longer around, Zhuang Zhuang felt that he would not be able to carry on living.


    When Xiaoyi heard this, he nodded excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s great! Zhuang Zhuang, you¡¯re the best!¡±


    Ever since he was young, he knew that his parents were not his biological parents. His father could not take care of him because of some personal reason and his mother had also passed away. Therefore, he could only acknowledge his aunt and uncle as his parents. He knew all these since he was young.


    Now that Zhuang Zhuang was willing to share such a good mother with him, he simply adores his friend so much!


    Zhuang Zhuang was also very happy that he could bring joy to Wen Xiaoyi. However, when he thought about the secret, he quietly leaned over and whispered in Xiaoyi¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Xiaoyi, if you have any more secrets in the future, don¡¯t tell anyone. My mother said that it¡¯s best to keep secrets to yourself.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang felt that Xiaoyi was a little silly and naive. If anyone were to get close to him in the future and steal his secrets, they would be able to get everything they wanted.


    Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t a bad person. Otherwise, Xiaoyi would have been sold off long ago.


    Zhuang Zhuang thought of the words that his mother often taught him. It was perfect advice for Xiaoyi.


    When Zhuang Zhuang said those words, Xiaoyi nodded seriously, to acknowledge that Zhuang Zhuang was right.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re my best friend, I¡¯ll only share secrets with you. I won¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    Xiaoyi was also very smart. He knew that Zhuang Zhuang was not a bad person. Besides, he really liked him and was willing to tell him all his secrets.


    The two children continued chatting and laughing until midnight. In the end, they succumbed to their tiredness and slowly fell asleep under the same blanket.

 Chapter 142 - The Occasional Body Contact

    Chapter 142: The Occasional Body Contact


    The next day.


    Xiaoguo opened her eyes early in the morning. She had just tidied up the bed when there was a knock on the door.


    Xiaoguo could guess who it was. Apart from Jiang Danhe, there was no one else.


    As soon as she opened the door, Jiang Danhe came in with some warm water.


    ¡°Wash your face first. The water is just right.¡±


    Jiang Danhe put down the basin in a customary manner and placed a clean towel on the basin.


    ¡°Wash up first, then we can have breakfast.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. She wasn¡¯t quite used to this, but she walked over towards him.


    She thought that Jiang Danhe would leave, but to her surprise, he sat down by her side, and waited for her.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t care less about being awkward. She still had to pick up Zhuang Zhuang after breakfast. After which, she would go to the Jiang family¡¯s ancestral hall to bury the two elders.


    Now that Jiang Danhe was around, Xiaoguo could put her heart at ease. She followed him to the hall.


    There were millet porridge, eggs and pickles on the table, and a man was already seated there.


    As soon as he saw the two of them, he stood up and smiled at Xiaoguo.


    Jiang Danhe took Xiaoguo¡¯s hand, then walked around the man and sat down.


    ¡°Hey, Sister-in-law. I¡¯m Li Shouji.¡±


    Li Shouji was thick-skinned and did not mind. He turned around and sat down on the other side of Jiang Danhe.


    Initially, he was intending to sit beside his sister-in-law and get acquainted with her. In the future when he returns home with Jiang Danhe, she would feel more at ease when she sees him. However, when he thought about maintaining a clear divide between genders, he gave up and sat down beside Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe rolled his eyes at Li Shouji and turned to say to Xiaoguo, ¡°This is Li Shouji. He¡¯s only 20 years old this year. He¡¯s now a deputy general. This is my wife, Xiaoguo. My ¡®son¡¯ is playing with the little crown prince in the palace. Go and fetch him back later.¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not say anything else. He only explained the general situation so that the two of them could get acquainted. At the same time, he emphasized the word ¡®son¡¯ to Li Shouji.


    He glanced at Li Shouji, who did not respond to what he said. This man was unreliable. The information he had obtained was not comprehensive.


    Li Shouji was rather insensitive and did not reply to Jiang Danhe. Obviously, he did not get what the man was trying to imply. At this moment, he was only focused on building a good relationship with Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, eat an egg. It¡¯s nutritious.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, did you sleep well last night? Is it a cold at night in the capital? You have to cover yourself with more blankets.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, the porridge is hot. Come, eat it with a spoon.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, eat more. These dishes are delicious. They go well with porridge and are not salty. You can have more of them.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law¡­ Sister-in-law¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo found it hard to turn down his kindness. She really could not understand why this man was so talkative.


    She was talking to him with a smile on her face, but she was a little curious. The name Li Shouji sounded quite familiar¡­


    Jiang Danhe, who was seated by the side, got annoyed. He slapped his chopsticks on the table and said, ¡°Hurry up and finish your food! Go and fetch my son after dinner!¡±


    ¡°Surely I could take care of his own wife. There was no need for a bachelor like you to worry.¡±


    With that, not only was Li Shouji shocked, Xiaoguo got a fright too. His voice was pretty loud.


    Jiang Danhe did not expect to scare Xiaoguo. He was used to speaking with a loud voice when he was training in the military. He had yet to correct his habit and accidentally exposed his shortcomings.


    ¡°What should I do? Will she think that I¡¯m being rude?¡±


    After Jiang Danhe¡¯s outburst, there was a temporary silence in the room.


    Everyone continued eating the porridge in silence. Jiang Danhe secretly sized up Xiaoguo and helped her refill her bowl.


    During this time, he didn¡¯t forget to glare at Li Shouji. It was all his fault. If it weren¡¯t for him, he wouldn¡¯t have raised his voice and frightened Xiaoguo. If she were to distance herself from him because of this incident, Li Shouji would get it from him.


    Li Shouji detected Jiang Danhe¡¯s oppressive aura, and quickly retreated when he saw that things were not looking good.


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    With that, he put down his chopsticks and ran out.


    Jiang Danhe followed closely behind. ¡°Eat first. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. Seeing Jiang Danhe like this, she observed three minutes of silence for Li Shouji.


    ¡­ .


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Li Shouji stopped in his tracks and smiled sheepishly as he slowly turned around. ¡°What can I do for you, General?¡±


    Jiang Danhe grabbed his collar and brought him to a distance from the door. ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡±


    Looking at Jiang Danhe¡¯s dark and ambiguous smile, Li Shouji swallowed hard. ¡°I am going¡­ going to pick her up.¡±


    ¡°Pick up who?¡±


    ¡°You, your son.¡± Li Shouji was stunned by himself after uttering the word. ¡°Your son?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Jiang Danhe was referring to his son just now. Where did this son come from?¡±


    Li Shouji blinked hard to show his innocence. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, and please don¡¯t ask him what was going on. He had to check with his subordinates regarding this matter.


    ¡°Those brats! I had bought them drinks for nothing. They actually gave me the wrong information. Let¡¯s see how I will deal with them later.¡±


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be angry. I¡­¡±


    In the past few days, Jiang Danhe¡¯s enthusiasm to buy things for his daughter had frightened Li Shouji. Now that it had turned out to be a son, he might be planning Li Shouji¡¯s punishment in his heart.


    Just as Li Shouji was racking his brains to think of a good apology, Jiang Danhe¡¯s words stunned him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you guys do things. You don¡¯t even know about the twins. Because of that, I only bought things for Xiaoguo and my daughter. My son was completely left out!¡±


    Jiang Danhe frowned, he was clearly displeased.


    ¡°¡­?? Twins?¡±


    Li blinked. ¡®Twins? Where did he get that information?¡¯


    ¡°Forget it, forget it. Look at how stupid you are. Hurry up and bring my son to the Jiang family ancestral hall. Don¡¯t miss the auspicious hour.¡±


    Li Shouji knew the priorities. The rest could be discussed later. His priority now was to pick up the young master.


    With a nod, he got someone to prepare the carriage.


    Jiang Danhe watched him leave in satisfaction. He could have gone himself, but there was still a pile of things to prepare for the burial. He couldn¡¯t spare the time.


    Jiang Danhe had prepared a set of joss paper for his parents. He had wanted to buy more, but when he found out that Xiaoguo still had some left, he decided to buy only one set.


    Xiaoguo did not say much to him as they sat in the carriage. From the moment they got onto the carriage, he didn¡¯t keep a distance and sat very close to her. He had completely invaded Xiaoguo¡¯s personal space.


    Being so close, she could hear his strong breathing and feel his chest muscles that would occasionally bump against her back due to the bumpy car ride. This made Xiaoguo very uncomfortable.


    ¡°By the way, you don¡¯t have your mourning clothes yet. Also, you need to make two memorial tablets for Father and Mother.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stand the awkward atmosphere, so she tried to start a conversation.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and reassured her. He said that he had gotten someone to prepare it after he left the house last night. Now, he just had to go pick it up on the way.


    Seeing that he was well-prepared, Xiaoguo had no choice but to end the conversation.


    When the carriage stopped, Jiang Danhe reluctantly left Xiaoguo and got out of the carriage.


    Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief the moment he went out. She did not dare to move just now as she was afraid of bumping into him.


    ¡°Why was Jiang Danhe sitting so close?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but blush. In fact, she had never been in close contact with a man before. When she was in school, she never liked hanging in a group because she enjoyed being alone. As a result, her peers thought that she was a little antisocial and no one wanted to get close to her. Earlier on, she was really a little embarrassed by the occasional body contact with Jiang Danhe.


    Hearing footsteps outside, Xiaoguo quickly composed herself and pretended to be calm as she waited for him to come in.

 Chapter 143 - Escape

    Chapter 143: Escape


    ¡°Wife, is there anything else you need?¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not ask the coachman to drive the carriage immediately. He came to check with Xiaoguo if she had left anything out.


    Xiaoguo thought carefully and made sure that she had everything she needed. She shook her head, indicating that there was nothing else.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and put the things away. Then he instructed the coachman outside, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the ancestral hall.¡±


    Xiaoguo deliberately kept a distance from Jiang Danhe along the way. Whenever he was about to bump into her, she would duck.


    Being the sharp man that he was, how could Jiang Danhe not see what she was trying to do? But he wasn¡¯t going to stop.


    He knew very well that one of them had to take the initiative. This was because he could clearly feel the estrangement between them. To be precise, they had never spent much time together before their marriage. The time when they had spoken the most was on the night of the wedding, but that was a mere few sentences. This was the first time they had a chance to communicate face-to-face.


    Seeing that the ancestral hall was getting closer, Jiang Danhe stopped fooling around. His heart started to feel heavy.


    He had not expected to see his parents again under such circumstances.


    Xiaoguo could also sense the change in his mood. She sat carefully beside him and kept quiet. She wasn¡¯t good at comforting people, so the most she could do was not disturb him.


    When they arrived at the ancestral hall, they saw a carriage parked in the distance. Zhuang Zhuang and Li Shouji were standing beside the carriage. Since Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe had stopped to get some things, they naturally arrived later. Li Shouji had brought Zhuang Zhuang straight from the palace to the ancestral hall, so they got there earlier.


    When Xiaoguo saw Zhuang Zhuang, she couldn¡¯t sit still. As soon as the carriage stopped, she jumped out immediately.


    Zhuang Zhuang also saw Xiaoguo. When she alighted, he shook off Li Shouji and ran towards her.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo grabbed hold of Zhuang Zhuang, who had pounced on her. ¡°How is it? Do you miss me?¡±


    The two of them had never been separated before, so they were not quite used to it.


    Zhuang Zhuang hugged Xiaoguo and smelled the scent on his mother. He said with an enraptured face, ¡°I miss you so much!¡±


    Xiaoguo patted his head and rewarded him with a pinch on his cheek. Zhuang Zhuang acted like he was in pain and made Xiaoguo laugh.


    While Zhuang Zhuang was up with his antics, he spotted Jiang Danhe standing behind Xiaoguo and made eye contact with him. Seeing the love in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes, Zhuang Zhuang jumped into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and refused to look at him.


    Li Shouji happened to see this from behind and he burst out laughing. He was happy to see Jiang Danhe suffer.


    Jiang Danhe wiped the smile off his face stiffly. It is a fact that they had never met before. Therefore, it was inevitable that they were unfamiliar with each other.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Xiaoguo called out to Zhuang Zhuang, who refused to look up. ¡°He¡¯s not usually like this. He¡¯s not wary of strangers at all.¡±


    Xiaoguo explained to the two of them, afraid that they would think of him as a petty child.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I can vouch that Zhuang Zhuang isn¡¯t a shy kid. He has been chatting with me along the way here.¡±


    Li Shouji looked at the dark-faced Jiang Danhe and said fearlessly. He just loved to see him get mad.


    Jiang Danhe was having trouble controlling his facial expression. ¡°So Zhuang Zhuang was actually ignoring me?¡±


    He could not get angry at his wife and child. So he could only vent his anger on Li Shouji.


    Striding over, he grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him away. It was a bloody scene and wasn¡¯t suitable for viewing by women and children.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Xiaoguo put Zhuang Zhuang down. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, tell me, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Xiaoguo squatted down and looked at Zhuang Zhuang. He looked like he was at a loss for words, but he said slowly, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I just find him so unfamiliar.¡±


    Xiaoguo could more or less guess what Zhuang Zhuang was thinking. Someone whom he had never seen before just suddenly appeared and claimed to be his father. No one would be able to accept it readily. Just like her, she had picked up a chubby son for free and didn¡¯t have to face the child¡¯s father from day one. It was so wonderful, but now that the child¡¯s father was still around, there was nothing she could do.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I understand how you feel, but he¡¯s your father after all. Even if you can¡¯t accept him yet, you can¡¯t just avoid him and refuse to look at him. That¡¯s impolite and hurtful.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded. ¡°¡­Yes I got it.¡±


    Xiaoguo ruffled his hair. ¡°Good boy!¡±


    Xiaoguo might be trying to persuade Zhuang Zhuang, but her heart was still in a mess. To be honest, she was not ready to accept Jiang Danhe yet.


    She was enjoying her time with Zhuang Zhuang all this while. She was not prepared to change any of that at all. Jiang Danhe had come too suddenly and had not given her any time to react. He had suddenly appeared in front of her and told her that he wanted to be a part of her world. At this moment, she was confused and resistant to the idea.


    But then again, the fatherly love that Zhuang Zhuang had been longing for was something that Xiaoguo could not replace. If he were to leave Zhuang Zhuang, that would be something that she would not wish for either.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was extremely flustered. She was uncertain about their future and yet she was unable to deny the fact that Jiang Danhe was now here with them.


    Xiaoguo shook off her thoughts and pushed them aside for the moment. What mattered now was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s thoughts. This man was his father. He had to face it and not run away from it.


    After Xiaoguo¡¯s persuasion, Zhuang Zhuang also felt that he had done wrong. It was indeed rather impolite. ¡°In that case, when I see him later, I will not deliberately avoid him.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang knew when to face up to his mistakes. Xiaoguo was delighted and patted his head encouragingly. ¡°What a good boy.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe came back with Li Shouji, who was covered in dirt, County Magistrate Liu had also brought over his own convoy.


    ¡°Aiyo, how are you Madam Qin?¡±


    Magistrate Liu¡¯s fawning voice came from behind. Xiaoguo had just turned around when she saw the magistrate¡¯s eyes light up. He walked right past Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Oh, General Jiang, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you!¡±


    Xiaoguo felt a gust of wind blow past her. She took a closer look and saw that County Magistrate Liu was nowhere to be seen. Only Master Xing Ming was smiling and looking behind her.


    ¡°Fine, anyway, I¡¯m not involved.¡±


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and returned to the carriage that she had come in. She took out the things Jiang Danhe had bought and prepared to bring them into the hall.


    Jiang Danhe let go of Li Shouji and heard someone calling him. He took a closer look and saw a fat man that he did not know.


    ¡°Oh, General Jiang, I¡¯m so lucky to see you in person.¡±


    Magistrate Liu was a small official. How could he ever have the chance to meet with a general? Now that he was here, he had to get on his good side. If things turned out well, he might be able to send him to the capital. When he looked at Jiang Danhe, the man was glowing with a golden light.


    Jiang Danhe frowned and did not speak. His gaze was searching for Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.


    Magistrate Liu chattered for a long time. He did not care if the other party spoke or not. In any case, it was only right for a high-ranking official to appear a little cold.


    Jiang Danhe finally spotted Xiaoguo. He smiled and pushed the panting Li Shouji in front of the fat man before leaving.


    Magistrate Liu gave a sigh and did not dare to stop him. He could only feel sorry as he watched him leave. However, in the blink of an eye, he saw Li Shouji appear in front of him. ¡°Hey, what kind of an official are you?¡±


    Li Shouji couldn¡¯t run even if he wanted to. This Magistrate Liu was too clingy. As he spoke, his hands were all over him.


    Xiaoguo was taking out a few bags from the carriage. Zhuang Zhuang wanted to help, and Xiaoguo could not dissuade him. So, she picked out a smaller bag from the pile and handed it to him. Just as Zhuang Zhuang was about to take it, a large hand took it from him.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t know who it was, but he looked at the bag with regret. He pouted and turned around to see who was messing around.

 Chapter 144 - Burial

    Chapter 144: Burial


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe took Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s small bag with one hand and picked up those in Xiaoguo¡¯s hands as well. He turned around and entered the ancestral hall.


    All that was left behind was his cool and dashing back view.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang looked at each other in silence.


    ???


    ¡°Go on in.¡±


    Xiaoguo held back her laughter and followed Zhuang Zhuang into the hall.


    Before she left yesterday, Xiaoguo had placed the mourning clothes, incense sticks, and other items in the ancestral hall so that she wouldn¡¯t have to go back and forth to get them. In any case, there were guards keeping watch at the hall over the past two days. Even if no one was guarding the place, no one would steal such items from here.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, lift your head.¡±


    Xiaoguo put on her robe first before helping Zhuang Zhuang with his.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked up so that Xiaoguo could button up the robe below his neck.


    ¡°Mother, are we going home this afternoon?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang still remembered what Xiaoguo had told him. After the funeral for his grandparents, they would go straight home. However, he had yet to say goodbye to Xiaoyi. His friend was still waiting for him in the palace.


    ¡°Not today. We¡¯ll talk in a couple of days.¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could speak, Jiang Danhe, who had already put on his mourning clothes, spoke up. At this moment, he was a little envious of Zhuang Zhuang. He wondered when Xiaoguo would help him with his clothes.


    Jiang Danhe had his reasons for saying this. No matter what, Shao Zhan would not let Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang go. He had not achieved his goal yet. How could he let them go? This could be seen not long after Magistrate Liu arrived, when Guanxi from the Imperial guards kept following closely behind their carriage.


    On the other hand, he didn¡¯t want the two of them to leave today as well. He hadn¡¯t made any progress with Xiaoguo yet, and he hadn¡¯t had time to speak with Zhuang Zhuang and work on their relationship. He would have to make them stay for at least a few more days before making further plans.


    Xiaoguo frowned. She had seen Guanxi earlier and knew that he was one of the emperor¡¯s trusted aides. It was obvious why he was here. No matter what, they would not be leaving today.


    It was just as well. She could take this opportunity to buy some gifts for her friends at home. She could also let Zhuang Zhuang spend some time with Jiang Danhe for a few more days.


    As for her relationship with Jiang Danhe, she would think about it at a later time. It was more important for Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe to get better acquainted. It was a good opportunity for Zhuang Zhuang to interact more with his father.


    Xiaoguo had no objections. She said to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll talk about it in a few more days.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was delighted to hear that. ¡°That was great!¡±


    Jiang Danhe placed two lighted incense sticks at each memorial tablet.


    An announcement came from outside. The auspicious time had arrived. It was time for the burial.


    Jiang Danhe had arranged for someone to pick a spot for him last night and then dug a hole beforehand so that the ceremony could be held within the auspicious hour.


    Jiang Danhe stood at the front with Xiaoguo while Zhuang Zhuang followed behind them. After the coffin was lowered into the pit, Jiang Danhe took the lead, with Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang behind, to fill the grave with soil. Each of them grabbed a handful of soil and threw it into the grave.


    When it was over, the others began to fill up the grave.


    After the burial, Jiang Danhe offered incense to the other graves. Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to follow him.


    She turned around and returned to the ancestral hall. She placed the memorial tablets for the two elders of the Jiang family in the hall and lit two more incense sticks.


    When she came out, Magistrate Liu seemed to be waiting for her. When he saw her coming out, he immediately walked over and looked behind her.


    Xiaoguo knew who he was looking for. Unfortunately, the man was not around. She said calmly, ¡°Jiang Danhe is at the burial spot.¡±


    When Magistrate Liu heard this, he almost blushed. Was his motive so obvious? ¡°Ahem, hahahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, It¡¯s like this, we¡¯ve decided to rest for a few days before setting off. Are you okay with it?¡±


    This was what she had expected, Xiaoguo nodded, expressing her agreement.


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    Magistrate Liu was going to continue dawdling until Jiang Danhe came over. He had yet to speak to him. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that it was inconvenient for outsiders to enter the cemetery, he would have entered long ago¡­


    After a long conversation, Xiaoguo had to interrupt him. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the joss paper over first.¡±


    When she came out earlier, she was planning to bring the joss paper over after placing the memorial tablets. Who would have thought that Magistrate Liu would suddenly come over?


    ¡°Sure, sure. Go on, go on.¡±


    Magistrate Liu smiled awkwardly. ¡°Was that an excuse?¡±


    Xiaoguo bade him farewell and carried the joss paper to the cemetery. Jiang Danhe had already returned to the burial spot with Zhuang Zhuang after lighting the incense. There was no one around now. The people who had just buried the coffin had left, leaving the three of them alone in the cemetery.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe stood in front of the grave in silence. To be precise, they were too embarrassed to speak.


    They would look at each other occasionally, exchange looks and not speak to each other.


    It was only when Xiaoguo arrived that the strange atmosphere between them slowly warmed up.


    Jiang Danhe also had a light torch with him. Xiaoguo handed him half the amount of joss paper and left the other half for herself and Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo lit the joss paper first. After she was done burning the paper and the mourning attire, she left the burial spot with Zhuang Zhuang. Seeing that Jiang Danhe was standing still, she knew that he must have something to say to his parents. She had better leave first so that he could do what he had to do.


    Jiang Danhe stood quietly on the spot. He looked at the grave covered in fresh soil and was filled with mixed feelings.


    After Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang left, he slowly knelt down. The tears that he had been holding back instantly flowed out of his eyes.


    Men only weep when deeply grieved.


    ¡°Father, Mother¡­¡±


    ¨C


    When Xiaoguo came out with Zhuang Zhuang, she realized that almost all the carriages and soldiers outside the ancestral hall had left, leaving only Guanxi and Li Shouji.


    ¡°Sister-in-law.¡±


    When Li Shouji saw Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang coming over, he stepped forward and brought Xiaoguo to the side. He turned his back towards Guanxi and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, Guanxi is going to bring you and Zhuang Zhuang to the palace. The emperor probably wants to speak with you. You¡­¡±


    Li Shouji reminded Xiaoguo kindly.


    Knowing what he meant, Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Please proceed.¡±


    Just as Xiaoguo finished speaking, Guanxi¡¯s voice came from behind.


    Xiaoguo carried Zhuang Zhuang into the carriage. Along the way, Zhuang Zhuang sat quietly beside Xiaoguo.


    When they arrived at the palace, Eunuch Su was there to receive them just like before. After Zhuang Zhuang got out of the car, he was taken away by Zhixia to play with Xiaoyi.


    She followed Eunuch Su to the Imperial study.


    The place was heavily guarded and surrounded by soldiers. From the moment Xiaoguo ascended the steps, her heart started racing uncontrollably. This scene was too overwhelming.


    Xiaoguo wished she could stop breathing. Eunuch Su made the announcement first and only let her go after receiving permission.


    As she stepped through the front door and across the threshold, the first thing that hit her was the smell of ink.


    Xiaoguo lowered her head and looked around quietly. There were bookshelves all around, and they were filled with books. If Zhuang Zhuang saw the books, he would definitely go crazy. He would love this place to death.


    Xiaoguo walked to the middle of the room. In front of her was the table. She could hear the rustling sound of someone flipping through a book.


    The noise stopped the moment Xiaoguo appeared.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could pay her respects, Shao Zhan had asked her to sit down.


    Xiaoguo took things as they came. Although she was a little nervous facing the Supreme Ruler, she was quick to keep her emotions in check.

 Chapter 145 - Respect His Decision

    Chapter 145: Respect His Decision


    For a moment no one spoke.


    Xiaoguo did not speak as she was waiting for Shao Zhan to speak.


    Shao Zhan did not speak as he was thinking about what to say.


    At first, he had thought of coercing and bribing her. After all, he knew that she was from the countryside. She was not educated and illiterate. Since she had never left the village before, she must be quite ignorant. As long as he told her about Jiang Danhe¡¯s current position and his monthly salary, it should be enough to influence her.


    But at this moment, he hesitated to do so.


    Judging from her dressing, her appearance and the way she carried herself, Shao Zhan had no choice but to reevaluate his opinion of her.


    What he had thought of her before, didn¡¯t quite match up to what he was seeing right now.


    Xiaoguo mustered up her courage and quickly looked up at Shao Zhan. She had thought that the emperor must be someone who was consumed by sex and alcohol all the time, so she had expected him to look quite wasted.


    However, he looked rather tough and handsome in person. Previously, she had thought that Xiaoyi was quite good-looking. It turned out that the boy had inherited his father¡¯s looks.


    ¡°I heard that you were acquainted with Xiaoyi before this?¡±


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment. She didn¡¯t understand why he was bringing this up. She said cautiously, ¡°We met a few times in Yonghai County. Xiaoyi¡­ the Crown Prince and Zhuang Zhuang are the same age and they get along pretty well. We got to know each other after a while.¡±


    Xiaoguo was going to call the boy his name, but then she realized that he was the crown prince. How could she call him by his first name?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can continue to call him Xiaoyi. Danhe and I are good friends. You can call him by his name.¡±


    Shao Zhan noticed Xiaoguo¡¯s hesitation when she spoke about the boy. Logically speaking, the Crown Prince¡¯s name should not be mentioned casually. However, based on his relationship with Jiang Danhe, there was no need for them to behave like strangers.


    Xiaoguo just nodded and said nothing else.


    ¡°Danhe is preparing to return to his hometown next year. What do you think about this?¡±


    Shao Zhan didn¡¯t know why, but he felt that if he used the carrot and stick approach, it wouldn¡¯t work on her. Therefore, it would be good to try a different approach and listen to her thoughts.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She couldn¡¯t figure out what he meant. The scene that had appeared in her mind didn¡¯t happen. Was the emperor really so approachable?


    After much consideration, Xiaoguo said, ¡°I respect Jiang Danhe¡¯s choice.¡±


    Jiang Danhe must have made a decision. No matter what, she would not decide for him or affect his decision.


    Shao Zhan was stunned. He did not expect her to say that. After recovering from his surprise, he chuckled.


    Xiaoguo frowned, not understanding why he was suddenly smiling. However, even if she were so bold, she would not dare to question the emperor.


    ¡°You two are really united. One insists on becoming a farmer in the fields, and the other is so supportive. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Shao Zhan stopped laughing and sized up the woman in front of him. How was she a common villager? She was an intelligent and eloquent woman.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know how to respond to his words, so she decided to keep quiet.


    Shao Zhan closed the book and sighed. ¡°Forget it¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, General Jiang requests an audience.¡±


    Shao Zhan chuckled. ¡°Is Jiang Danhe worried about me eating up his wife?¡±


    ¡°¡±Bring him in.¡±


    Hearing that Jiang Danhe had arrived, Xiaoguo looked up at the door.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo as soon as he entered. After confirming that she was safe, he retracted his gaze and greeted Shao Zhan.


    Shao Zhan waved his hand and gestured for Jiang Danhe to sit down. ¡°Stop pretending. Did you think I was going to eat up your wife.¡±


    He had his eyes locked on Qin Xiaoguo the minute he entered. ¡°This Jiang Danhe!¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned when she heard that. She looked awkwardly at Jiang Danhe, who was seated beside her after he came in.


    Jiang Danhe ignored Shao Zhan¡¯s teasing. Sensing Xiaoguo¡¯s gaze, he turned around and looked at her affectionately.


    He was indeed afraid that something would happen to Xiaoguo. As soon as he came out of the cemetery, he heard from Li Shouji that Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had been summoned by the emperor. Immediately, he got Li Shouji to send him to the palace. He only felt at ease after ensuring Xiaoguo was fine with his own eyes.


    Xiaoguo looked away from him immediately, as if she had been scalded by his gaze.


    Jiang Danhe was disappointed for a moment, but he immediately perked up. He would use his passionate love to win her over. He believed that she would accept him one day.


    Even without looking at him, Xiaoguo could feel the spark in his eyes as he watched her. Feeling uneasy, she moved away from him. All Xiaoguo wanted to do was run away from the passionate Jiang Danhe. It was too overwhelming for her.


    In the end, it was Shao Zhan who could not stand to watch Jiang Danhe. He saved Xiaoguo from the awkward situation by asking her to look for Zhixia.


    Xiaoguo thanked him profusely and smiled gratefully at him. Then, ignoring Jiang Danhe¡¯s expectant gaze, she quickly left.


    Xiaoguo was certain that she had never run so fast before in her life.


    Outside, Eunuch Su casually assigned a young eunuch to bring her to Kunning Palace.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo admired the beautiful scenery. Seeing was believing. The scene that she had only seen in books was right in front of her now. Could this be the legendary Imperial garden?


    The rock garden, the pond, the lotus flowers, the goldfish, and the colorful flowers.


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath. Various scents filled her mind and lingered within her.


    Along the way, the eunuch introduced Xiaoguo to the various palaces they passed by. The inner palace was huge, but it was rather empty. After all, the women who were previously residing in the harem had mostly been killed. The rest have either fled, or were exiled long ago. The current emperor did not indulge himself with a large harem, so the empress was the only one residing in the inner palace now.


    When they arrived at the main entrance of Kunning Palace, the young eunuch invited Xiaoguo in first before entering himself.


    ¡°This is the main hall of Kunning Palace. The crown prince lives here. Yongshou Hall is located behind and that is where our current empress lives.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked behind her. It was strange that the empress was living in the back hall.


    ¡°Watch the steps.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Thank you.¡±


    Xiaoguo hadn¡¯t been paying attention to where she was standing. She only took notice when she heard the reminder and managed to avoid getting hurt.


    ¡°This servant does not deserve¡­¡±


    Who knew that he would react so strongly to a simple thank you? Xiaoguo opened her mouth but did not speak.


    The eunuch watched as Xiaoguo went through the door and left.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was reading to Xiaoyi in the main hall. Zhixia was seated beside them.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes were sharp. He saw Xiaoguo immediately.


    When Zhixia saw Xiaoguo, she smiled and praised Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Xiaoguo, your Zhuang Zhuang is really amazing. He can read so many words at such a young age. He must be a genius.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang put down the book in his hand and ran to Xiaoguo¡¯s side, shyly listening to the compliments that Zhixia was giving him.


    Xiaoguo was delighted. Who doesn¡¯t like to hear praises about their children?


    ¡°Not at all. What genius? He just likes to read.¡±


    As usual, Xiaoguo had to be polite. However, she also felt that Zhuang Zhuang was just suited for studying. He could remember everything after reading them once.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Zhuang Zhuang is a genius. He memorized this poem after reading it once. If only I could be as good as him, then, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being scolded by my teacher. I wouldn¡¯t have to copy so many books either.¡±


    Xiaoyi looked at Zhuang Zhuang with admiration in his eyes. His voice was filled with obvious adulation for his friend.


    Zhuang Zhuang scratched his head shyly. ¡°No, my mother said that interest is the best teacher.¡±


    Zhixia and Xiaoyi looked at Xiaoguo curiously and asked in unison, ¡°What is the best teacher?¡±


    ¡°It means that once a person has a strong interest in something, they will take the initiative to seek knowledge, to explore and to practice the subject. The learning process will bring about joy and a positive experience for the person.


    Xiaoguo was very impressed by those famous words of Einstein. This had been Xiaoguo¡¯s motto since she was young, so she had shared it with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang had interpreted this sentence perfectly. It was because of his initial interest in literacy that led him to develop a thirst for knowledge. It was his interest that propelled him to move forward.

 Chapter 146 - 146 Nine Yin White Bone and An itchy Claw

    146 Nine Yin White Bone and An itchy Claw


    ¡°Follow your interests.¡±


    This was how Xiaoguo had educated Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoyi was stunned. He felt that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mother was really amazing.


    Zhixia nodded vigorously, feeling that Xiaoguo had spoken very well. Interest was indeed important.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at everyone¡¯s eyes and couldn¡¯t help but feel excited for Xiaoguo. This feeling was even better than when others praised him.


    Outside the door, the two figures who had just stepped into the main hall heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words.


    The group of kneeling palace maids and eunuchs lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly.


    Shao Zhan waved his hands for them to get on their feet.


    Then, the two of them exchanged glances and walked out of Kunning Palace.


    ¡°Not bad. Your wife is really a talented woman.¡±


    When they came out of the door, Shao Zhan elbowed Jiang Danhe and teased him.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s face was filled with joy and he gladly accepted Shao Zhan¡¯s praise for his wife. He looked so happy that it seemed as though Shao Zhan was praising him.


    The two of them came and left without a trace. However, after hearing what Xiaoguo had said, they had a much better impression of her.


    Jiang Danhe liked Xiaoguo even more now. If it weren¡¯t for the man beside him, he would have entered the house long ago.


    As for Shao Zhan, he just felt that these two were really outstanding. One of them was good at literature and the other was good at martial arts. It would be best if they could both stay in the capital.


    Xiaoguo declined Xiaoyi¡¯s offer to have Zhuang Zhuang stay in the palace. She left with Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe in a carriage.


    Along the way, only Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voices could be heard. There seemed to be an invisible circle surrounding the two of them that no one else could enter. The mother and son chatted happily while Jiang Danhe sat by the side feeling upset.


    When they returned to the mansion, the food was ready, so the three of them went straight to the lobby.


    Li Shouji happened to be sitting in a chair waiting for everyone to be seated. When he saw the family of three walking over from afar, he let out a sigh of envy.


    The dishes on the dining table were very sumptuous. Xiaoguo helped Zhuang Zhuang with some of his favorite dishes. Jiang Danhe, who was watching from the side, was envious. He couldn¡¯t help but knock on his bowl, signaling Xiaoguo to help him with the food too.


    Li Shouji said, ¡°It¡¯s rude to knock on the bowl.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t respond but Zhuang Zhuang burst out laughing.


    Li Shouji felt like he had found a soulmate, and gave Zhuang Zhuang a big drumstick.


    Even though Jiang Danhe was feeling angry, he did not dare to slam the table again. He had already frightened Xiaoguo by banging the table in the morning. If he were to do it again, not only would he scare Zhuang Zhuang, he would also create the impression that he was a violent man. ¡°No, no, Jiang Danhe, calm down!¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s face was contorted with anger, it was as exciting to watch as the face-changing opera.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t sure if he was going to act out. Feeling worried that he would get angry at Zhuang Zhuang, she tried to pacify him by giving him a piece of chicken.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s mood immediately turned sunny, one could almost see rainbows around him.


    Li Shouji gave Xiaoguo a thumbs-up. ¡°You¡¯re awesome! You¡¯ve tamed a lion! I¡¯m impressed, sister-in-law!¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t understand the looks that Li Shouji was sending her way, so she smiled politely and focused on eating.


    Jiang Danhe was still nibbling on the diced chicken, it was as if he was tasting a delicacy.


    Li Shouji was disgusted. He couldn¡¯t bear to look at the man.


    After the meal, they went back to their rooms. Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang back to Jiang Danhe¡¯s room and locked the door.


    Jiang Danhe was locked out. He rubbed his nose and turned to knock on Li Shouji¡¯s door.


    The next day.


    After Xiaoguo was done washing up, she brought a basin of warm water back to the house and placed it on a shelf. She then went to the bed and called out to Zhuang Zhuang, who was still sleeping.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, get up.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he only muttered to himself before turning his head to the side and continued to sleep.


    Amused, Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little butt. ¡°This kid is forcing me to become a grumpy mother.¡±


    She rolled up her sleeves and stretched out her slightly cold hands. She rubbed them together so that her fingers were a bit warmer. This was Xiaoguo¡¯s last bit of mercy towards Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Three¡­ two¡­ one¡­¡±


    When the countdown ended, Zhuang Zhuang was still lying in bed. Seeing the corners of his mouth curl up, she knew that he was doing it on purpose.


    Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m going to do it, my son!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have sensed something and instantly clamped his arms tightly. He knew how powerful his mother¡¯s Nine Yin White Bone Claw was.


    ¡°Take that!¡±


    Xiaoguo took aim and went straight for his armpits.


    Zhuang Zhuang laughed out loud the moment she touched him. There was laughter and shouting. It was a lively scene.


    ¡°Mother¡­ Mother¡­ Stop it, haha, stop it¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang twisted and turned on the bed, but Xiaoguo¡¯s hands were stuck to him like glue. He could only keep dodging. After a short while, the attacks subsided. Before Zhuang Zhuang could react, a new round of tickling had started again.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t have time to think. He continued to laugh, but he detected a slight difference. His mother¡¯s hands weren¡¯t so stiff and big.


    Holding back his laughter, Zhuang Zhuang turned around and saw Xiaoguo standing at the side, covering her mouth and laughing.


    ¡°Hmm? Mother¡¯s hands are still with her. So who was tickling me?¡±¡®


    Zhuang Zhuang looked to the side and saw the owner of the big hands standing against the light.


    Zhuang Zhuang widened his eyes. How was it him?


    Upon realizing who it was, there was a hint of embarrassment in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s smile. Seeing this, Xiaoguo felt that it was time to stop.


    ¡°Okay, okay, stop fooling around. Zhuang Zhuang, get up quickly. The water is turning cold.¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped what he was doing and straightened up with a smile on his face. He seemed very satisfied.


    When he woke up this morning, he wasted no time in fetching water for Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang. To his surprise, he heard laughter before he could enter the room.


    Out of curiosity, he carefully walked in to take a look. When he saw Xiaoguo tickling Zhuang Zhuang, he really wanted to join in. This rare scene was really heartwarming and he was afraid of interrupting them, so he gently put down the basin and approached them.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hearing was relatively sharp. Even though Jiang Danhe had set down the basin very gently, Xiaoguo still heard the sound. She turned around and saw that it was him.


    Xiaoguo could see the eagerness in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes, so she stepped aside. This was a little game that could improve their father-son relationship. According to experts, the act of tickling could quickly reduce the psychological distance between two people.


    Jiang Danhe was delighted to see Xiaoguo step aside. Afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would detect the difference, Jiang Danhe quickly took Xiaoguo¡¯s place.


    This was the first time Jiang Danhe was touching his son. He had mixed feelings. This small and soft body was his son?


    He tried to keep his movements gentle as he was worried about hurting Zhuang Zhuang. Although it was such a simple action, Jiang Danhe¡¯s face started perspiring after tickling the boy. Part of it was from his nervousness, and part of it was from restraining his strength. When Zhuang Zhuang turned to look at him, his heart stopped for a moment. He was afraid that his son would turn his head away from him. However, the boy only paused for a moment and did not resist. This made Jiang Danhe very excited. It seemed that Zhuang Zhuang was starting to accept him.


    After Xiaoguo called for a stop, Zhuang Zhuang took two deep breaths and got out of bed obediently to get dressed. His little eyes were still secretly sizing up Jiang Danhe, who had a strong presence in the room.


    When Xiaoguo saw this, she laughed. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s awkward face was really too cute.


    Xiaoguo stopped looking at him, and turned around to check the water in the basin. After sitting there for some time, the water had cooled a little. She could still use it if the weather was hot, but since the temperature in the morning was a little chilly, it was better to use warm water.


    Just as Xiaoguo was about to go out and add some hot water, Jiang Danhe stood up and called out to her, passing her a basin of water.

 Chapter 147 - 147 Jiang Danhe the Mangy Dog

    147 Jiang Danhe the Mangy Dog


    ¡°This water is warm. Use this instead.¡±


    Xiaoguo tested the temperature and found that it was just right. She took it and thanked Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, come and wash your face.¡±


    Xiaoguo set the towel aside so that Zhuang Zhuang could wipe his face.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand paused when he heard Xiaoguo thanking him. Considering that Xiaoguo was still quite estranged from him, he swallowed his words. Then, he smiled mysteriously and said nothing.


    But he muttered the words in his heart, ¡°Between us, there¡¯s no need for such formalities.¡±


    He had spent the previous night thinking about how to improve the relationship between him, Xiaoguo and his son.


    Based on his aggressive approach towards Xiaoguo during the day, it was obvious that she felt uncomfortable. Therefore, he had to take it slow and not be radical. He had to take things one step at a time.


    As for his son, he would be using direct contact to create a sense of familiarity.


    Based on what he had observed during the day, Zhuang Zhuang was actually keen to get close to him. It was just that they were still not very well-acquainted. Therefore he had decided to make bold contact to eliminate any sense of unfamiliarity.


    If he was as hesitant as his son was, it would take a long time for them to become closer. However, there was not much time left for him. They would be returning in a few days, and he could not leave the capital yet. Therefore, he had to get closer to the two of them as soon as possible.


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang putting on his clothes and washing his face, Jiang Danhe was very happy. His son was so smart and independent. He must have been well-taught by his wife. What a blessed man he was.


    Zhuang Zhuang was wiping his face and secretly sizing up Jiang Danhe, who was wearing a look of gratification on his face.


    The three of them went to the main hall together. Li Shouji had just arrived. He was usually the first to arrive, but he was slightly late today.


    As soon as Li Shouji arrived, he sat down listlessly in a chair with two huge dark circles under his eyes.


    ¡°Did you not sleep well last night, Uncle?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was very familiar with Li Shouji, so when he saw him like this, he asked curiously.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words attracted the attention of the other two in the room.


    Xiaoguo was amused by Li Shouji¡¯s appearance. ¡°He looks just like a panda. Haha.¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang laughed out loud.


    Only the two men couldn¡¯t laugh.


    When Li Shouji heard this, he looked sadly at Jiang Danhe, who had his head lowered as he added food in Xiaoguo¡¯s bowl. ¡°This man is the culprit!¡±


    Li Shouji gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Uncle was bothered by a mangy dog last night, so I didn¡¯t sleep well.¡±


    If Jiang Danhe had not been discussing with him about his wife and son the entire night, Li Shouji would have been able to sleep well. Moreover, why did a bachelor like him have to listen to him talk about how good his wife was and how outstanding his son was? ¡°Please, your son and wife don¡¯t really care about you!¡±


    The mangy dog, however, didn¡¯t seem to care. He continued helping Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang with the food.


    Seeing this, Li Shouji could only grit his teeth and imagine that he was chewing Danhe, who had become food in his mouth.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he looked puzzled. He looked at Li Shouji and then at Jiang Danhe. Why did Uncle Shouji look at his father when he mentioned the mangy dog? He just couldn¡¯t understand.


    While Zhuang Zhuang was in a daze, Jiang Danhe had already piled up his bowl with food and meat.


    Although he was shocked by what he saw, this amount of food was nothing to him.


    Jiang Danhe was glad to see Zhuang Zhuang eating so happily. It seemed that his son still liked him as a father. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be eating so happily.


    Thinking of this gave Jiang Danhe confidence. He turned around and added more food to Xiaoguo¡¯s bowl.


    Xiaoguo frowned. She really couldn¡¯t eat anymore. She was trying her best not to waste food. Just as she was about to see the light, another pile of food suddenly appeared. This was the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t eat anymore, so she put down her bowl and chopsticks.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating? You¡¯re too thin.¡±


    Jiang Danhe noticed her actions and expressed his worry for her.


    Xiaoguo held back the rice in her throat and swallowed hard. ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore,¡± she said softly.


    She, who had a cat¡¯s appetite, could only eat so much. She could not take another bite.


    ¡°My mother doesn¡¯t eat much to begin with.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang saw Jiang Danhe urging Xiaoguo to eat more, he quickly spoke out for her. He didn¡¯t want his mother to feel uncomfortable.


    Jiang Danhe blushed. His wife didn¡¯t eat much in the first place. How could he force her?


    Hence, he poured the food into his own bowl.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s vision blurred, and her half-filled bowl of food disappeared in an instant. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it had been transferred into the bowl beside her.


    ¡°Hey, this is my¡­¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could finish speaking, Jiang Danhe had already started eating. He even said something meaningfully, and made Xiaoguo feel all bashful.


    ¡°I love eating this.¡±


    As he spoke, he glanced at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo choked on his somewhat ambiguous words. What was he talking about? Could it be what she was thinking? The more she thought about it, the more her face flushed.


    When Jiang Danhe saw this, he knew that he had achieved his goal, so he continued to eat the food in his bowl happily. It was really delicious. The food was delicious, and the person was also¡­


    At the dining table, Zhuang Zhuang was eating seriously. Li Shouji was also chewing ¡°Jiang Danhe¡± seriously.


    Jiang Danhe kept looking at Xiaoguo with a cryptic expression. Xiaoguo¡¯s face turned redder and redder.


    When Zhuang Zhuang was finally done eating, Xiaoguo immediately led him back into the house.


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was strolling around. He had eaten too much earlier.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xiaoguo got out of bed, her face was looking much more natural now. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, how about we go shopping later when you feel less bloated?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang laughed when he heard that. He wanted to go out so badly. In order to quickly digest his food, he ran and jumped about.


    Xiaoguo was terrified that he would fall. She shouldn¡¯t have told him first.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s voice came from outside. As soon as he finished speaking, he appeared in the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m more familiar with the capital, so I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy?¡±


    Xiaoguo thought for a long time before asking.


    This was also what Zhuang Zhuang wanted to ask. He can forget about any bonding time with his mother.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not busy. You guys are the most important.¡±


    Xiaoguo did not know if Jiang Danhe was playing dumb on purpose. She did not believe that he couldn¡¯t tell what she was trying to say.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the two of them who were not saying a word. The smile on his face widened.


    In the end, the four of them left the house.


    Wait a minute, why were there four people?


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, get in the carriage!¡±


    ¡°Okay Xiaoyi, I¡¯m coming!¡±


    Xiaoguo was all smiles as she looked at the two little boys running in front of her. Beside her was Jiang Danhe, who was wearing a dark expression on his face.


    This was supposed to be a family trip for the three of them, a heartwarming trip for bonding and interaction.


    But who could tell him what was going on with Shao Yi?


    Jiang Danhe looked at the little boy jumping around in front of him. This brat¡­


    Li Shouji, who was working hard in the palace, sneezed.


    He rubbed his nose and wondered who was talking about him.


    What was going on?


    This started after Li Shouji finished his breakfast.


    He was changing in his room after his meal when Jiang Danhe pushed the door open and came in. Jiang Danhe told him directly that he was going shopping and asked him to run some errands in his place. He mentioned something about going somewhere to pick up some stamps. He also requested for him to go to the military department and ask for a list of names¡­


    After a series of instructions, he ignored Li Shouji¡¯s murderous gaze and walked out of the door calmly, before returning to his room to change into a set of bright-colored clothes.


    He was thinking to himself that this was the first time he was going shopping with his family, so he had to dress up for the occasion.

 Chapter 148 - 148 Hes Very Strange

    148 He¡¯s Very Strange


    Poor Li Shouji. He had to work so hard for Jiang Danhe.


    Just like that, before Li Shouji left the house, he prepared a big gift for Jiang Danhe. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to go shopping in a warm moment? In that case, I¡¯ll send more warmth your way.¡±


    Li Shouji rode quickly to the palace and picked up Crown Prince Shao Yi.


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t that difficult. As soon as he spoke to the emperor, the latter agreed. In any case, the crown prince had been kept indoors for too long. It would be good for him to go out and play. Moreover, he was following Jiang Danhe, so it was very safe.


    It was even simpler to persuade the Crown Prince. Li Shouji only said the words, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, out of the palace¡±, and Shao Yi immediately stopped eating. He threw down his chopsticks and got someone to dress him and prepare the carriage.


    Back to the other side.


    Li Shouji, who had just sneezed, chuckled slyly. ¡°Jiang Danhe must have received his big gift from me. Enjoy it while I let you torture and exploit me.¡±


    The two adults and two kids sat on the carriage and arrived at the busiest street in the capital.


    Xiaoguo had just lifted the curtain when she realized that she had been wrong. She had been terribly wrong.


    When she first arrived, she had said that the capital was no different from other places. But now, Xiaoguo had to admit that she was ridiculously wrong.


    What was the difference? There was a huge difference. This line kept appearing in her mind, ¡°The capital was indeed the capital!¡±


    On both sides of the street, there were quite a number of hawkers selling things that were not limited to food and drinks. There were also rare leather goods, quirky clothes and accessories.


    The street extends to the east and west. There was a constant stream of pedestrians on the street. Some were carrying baskets and doing their marketing, some people were out for a stroll, some were rushing along with goods on their carrying poles, some were driving carriages to deliver goods, some were hauling goods with the help of donkeys, some were sitting around the stalls and eating, and some were sitting in tall teahouses while admiring the scenery and chatting with friends.


    With the tall gate tower as the center, there were houses lined up on both sides.


    There were countless shops selling tea, wine, meat, cosmetics, garments and so on.


    Xiaoguo was overwhelmed by the sight. She couldn¡¯t stop looking around.


    When she was there the other day, the convoy had traveled along the edge of the city with the coffin in tow. The streets were deserted then, so Xiaoguo had thought that there was nothing much in the capital.


    Now that they were in the center of the capital, Xiaoguo was extremely excited. Her eyes were completely overwhelmed by the sights. Together with Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi, the three of them kept looking around and exclaiming in surprise whenever they saw something interesting.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s childish behavior lovingly and couldn¡¯t help but smile. She was really too cute.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had never seen such a lively and exciting street. It was the same for Xiaoyi. When he was in the other counties, he rarely stepped out of his residence. After he came to the capital, he never had the chance to come out. He was cooped up in the palace day and night.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly pointed to a place and exclaimed loudly. He asked Xiaoguo and Xiaoyi to take a look. Immediately after, the three of them exclaimed at the same time.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect to see a street performer. She watched as the young lady did a series of stunts and somersaults. She couldn¡¯t help but exclaim again.


    A burst of laughter suddenly came from behind.


    Xiaoguo subconsciously turned around and saw Jiang Danhe looking at her with adoration in his eyes.


    Her heart skipped a beat, then it started thumping loudly. Xiaoguo was afraid that Jiang Danhe would hear her heartbeat, so she immediately moved to the side until she was right beside the carriage.


    Xiaoguo did not dare to look up at Jiang Danhe. At that moment, Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi discovered something interesting. They called out to Xiaoguo to take a look. Xiaoguo felt relieved and immediately looked outside.


    However, for some reason, when she was faced with the exciting performance outside again, Jiang Danhe¡¯s gaze kept appearing in her mind.


    Xiaoguo felt like she had really gone crazy. She looked at the scene outside distractedly and deliberately avoided looking at Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe was delighted to see Xiaoguo¡¯s reaction. It seemed that his wife was not a hard nut to crack, he just had to be more proactive.


    The four of them decided to come down and take a stroll. After all, sitting in the carriage could not compare to coming down in person to experience the vibes on the street.


    Jiang Danhe got out of the carriage first.


    When Xiaoguo came out, the first thing she saw was Jiang Danhe¡¯s big hand. It was as reassuring as ever.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What was she thinking just now? Reassured? She actually felt at ease when she saw Jiang Danhe?!


    ¡°Crazy, crazy. I must be crazy.¡±


    Xiaoguo decided to stop thinking about it and alighted by holding on to his hand.


    Jiang Danhe did not know what she was thinking. After seeing that she was safe, he carried the two little fellows out of the car.


    Because of his yearning for the street market, Zhuang Zhuang happily nestled in Jiang Danhe¡¯s arms in order to get out of the carriage. After alighting, he ran to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and held her hand. He remembered his mother telling him to hold her hand tightly when it was crowded or when they were outside.


    Zhuang Zhuang held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand tightly and called out to Xiaoyi, who had just gotten out of the car.


    ¡°Quick, hold my mother¡¯s hand.¡±


    Hearing this, Xiaoyi took Xiaoguo¡¯s other hand.


    When Zhuang Zhuang saw that Xiaoyi was holding hands with Xiaoguo, he said to his friend, ¡°Xiaoyi, Mother said that when you are in a crowded place or when you are outside, you must hold the hands of the adults around you. Do you understand?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang knew that Xiaoyi did not have a mother, so he rephrased what Xiaoguo had taught him and replaced the word ¡°mother¡± with ¡°adults¡±.


    When Xiaoyi heard this, he nodded seriously. Then, he imitated Zhuang Zhuang and held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand tightly.


    This time, Xiaoguo¡¯s hands were held by both children. Jiang Danhe looked at them with a depressed expression. He wished he could get rid of one child and make room for himself.


    However, they were in a public place after all, and there was a lot of traffic. It was safer for the two adults to walk with the two little children in the middle. Therefore it was better to have one adult holding on to one kid.


    Zhuang Zhuang wanted to hold his mother¡¯s hand, but considering that it was Xiaoyi, he gave in.


    Xiaoyi carefully took Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and looked happily at Zhuang Zhuang, expressing his joy towards him.


    Zhuang Zhuang responded with a happy expression. Then, he turned around and glanced at Jiang Danhe bitterly. He was unhappy that he could only hold hands with him.


    Although Jiang Danhe had objections to not being able to hold his wife¡¯s hand, it was not bad holding his son¡¯s hand.


    Moreover, he felt that Zhuang Zhuang was also looking forward to holding his hand.


    ¡°Why else would he have arranged for Xiaoguo to hold Xiaoyi¡¯s hands? If this wasn¡¯t intentional, what was? This kid was quite thoughtful. If he wanted to hold his father¡¯s hand, he could just say so. Why was he so shy? Sigh! As a father, he should take the initiative.¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled, looking like he had just gotten a bargain. He grabbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s small hand and squeezed it hard to express his love for him. When Zhuang Zhuang looked up at him, Jiang Danhe winked at him, trying to imply that he could express his love for his father without worry.


    Zhuang Zhuang frowned and lowered his head. ¡°Why was he blinking? Strange.¡±


    Also, why did he suddenly squeeze his hands just now? It hurt a little. He looked up to see what Jiang Danhe was doing, but he didn¡¯t expect him to blink at him. He was really strange.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the two figures walking happily in front of him and thought to himself, ¡°Xiaoyi, I have suffered because of you¡­¡±

 Chapter 149 - 149 No Way Out

    149 No Way Out


    Xiaoguo walked in front of them with Xiaoyi, hoping that Zhuang Zhuang and his father could get some bonding time.


    If she was walking behind them, they definitely would feel uneasy. Only if she came into their line of sight would they be able to communicate freely behind her.


    Xiaoyi held Xiaoguo¡¯s warm and strong hand, he was trembling from within. He held on to her hand even more tightly.


    Xiaoguo felt the movement in her hand, so she looked down and met Xiaoyi¡¯s gaze.


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips in a smile and Xiaoyi¡¯s smiled widely back at her with his twinkling eyes.


    Her smile earlier was like his mother¡¯s smile in his imagination.


    Xiaoyi was especially clingy to Xiaoguo throughout the journey. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to let go of his hand either. On one hand she was fond of the boy, on the other hand, he was the crown prince. There were so many people here and there was barely any space for walking. She had to keep a close eye on him.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo did not forget to look behind her to make sure that the two people behind her were still there. After making sure, she felt more at ease and carried on walking.


    Compared to the duo in front of them, the atmosphere between Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe was completely different.


    If the mood in front was positive, then the mood behind was definitely lackluster.


    Jiang Danhe was actually not a chatty person. He only spoke more when he was with family. He basically did not talk much when he was outside.


    In order to improve his relationship with Zhuang Zhuang, he tried his best to talk about everything along the way.


    However, Zhuang Zhuang was cold and aloof. He only nodded and did not say anything else.


    Jiang Danhe thought he was embarrassed and shy.


    Therefore, Jiang Danhe spoke even more softly and gently, trying to coax him to speak.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face remained sullen. Actually, he was not annoyed by him. Could he just hold his hand a little more gently? His hand was hurting right now.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo bought a lot of things that she thought were interesting. She also bought gifts for her family, but Jiang Danhe was the one paying for them.


    Xiaoguo wanted to stop him and pay for it herself, but Jiang Danhe said that his money was hers. Hence, Xiaoguo was actually spending her own money.


    He managed to convince Xiaoguo with those words.


    It was hard to find fault with what he said. They were husband and wife after all. ¡°Your money is my money, and my money is still my money.¡±


    Along the way, whenever Xiaoguo stopped to take a look at anything or if she just seemed interested in something, Jiang Danhe would pay for the item.


    She also bought a lot of things for Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang.


    The four of them returned to the carriage exhausted. Apart from Jiang Danhe, the other three passengers were completely wasted.


    Xiaoguo did not expect shopping to be so tiring. She was really curious how other women could spend their time shopping for the entire day. She really admired them.


    Jiang Danhe arranged all the shopping bags neatly before instructing the coachman to drive the carriage.


    Initially, they had planned to have lunch at a restaurant outside. However, since they were all a little tired, they decided to eat when they reached home.


    After returning to the residence, they had a simple meal and went back to their rooms.


    Xiaoguo wanted to sort out the things she had bought. Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were so sleepy that they could barely keep their eyes open. Children tend to get sleepy easily.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe each carried one child back into the room.


    Xiaoguo removed their shoes and covered them with a blanket.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe came in with all the things they had bought. Seeing this, Xiaoguo pointed to a corner and asked Jiang Danhe to place the things there.


    While Xiaoguo was tidying up her things. Jiang Danhe did not leave. He watched her attentively from the side.


    Xiaoguo tried her best to ignore those hot and sticky eyes and turn all her attention to the things she had bought.


    First, she separated the things that Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi had bought and placed them aside. Next, she wrapped up the things that she had bought for everyone.


    She had bought Qin Anming a thick leather robe as he had fallen ill some time ago, and was not completely well yet. When the weather gets colder, it would be better for him to keep warm. That way, he would not fall sick again so easily.


    She bought an embroidery sewing kit for Mrs. Yang, since she loved making clothes and embroidering handkerchiefs. The set has everything she needs, it should last her for quite a while. She also bought a headband and a funny mask for Xiaohua and Xiaohu.


    The dress she bought for Ruyi was an exotic dress. She had heard from Ruyi that when she was young, she had seen foreign ladies on the streets wearing beautiful clothes. However, those clothes were not sold in the county. Coincidentally, she saw this dress for sale in the capital. This will help to fulfill Ruyi¡¯s dream.


    For Xiaocui, she bought a set of winter clothes. It was getting cold, so she could wear them.


    Ling Long and Fu¡¯er were still young, and they usually liked to wear hair ornaments. Hence, she bought two pairs of identical and exquisite hair ornaments for them.


    She had picked out a pair of glasses for Uncle Xu. She had noticed that one arm of his spectacles was broken and the lens was cracked in one spot. However, it was not easy to get a prescribed pair of glasses in a small county. Since she had come to the capital, and knew his prescription, Xiaoguo got him a new pair of glasses.


    She wrapped up each of the gifts carefully.


    Xiaoguo looked at all the packages and smiled in satisfaction.


    Jiang Danhe had been watching Xiaoguo quietly. When he saw her smile, he couldn¡¯t help but smile with her.


    Xiaoguo turned around and saw him smiling at her. Jiang Danhe¡¯s smile was so beautiful. She thought to herself at that very moment.


    Jiang Danhe saw Xiaoguo staring blankly at him and did not move. He could not help but laugh. He gently flicked her forehead with his finger. ¡°Wake up.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt a thud and instinctively covered her forehead.


    Jiang Danhe was shocked to see her like this. He stood up abruptly and touched her head. His heart ached as he said, ¡°Is it painful?¡±


    Jiang Danhe really wanted to chop off his own hand. Why was he so clumsy?


    Seeing the heartache in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes, Xiaoguo shook her head blankly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Even so, Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart was still aching for her. He gently rubbed the spot where he had flicked.


    Xiaoguo felt her heart beating faster and faster, and her face started to feel hot.


    Jiang Danhe was rubbing her head with regret when he saw that the spot had turned red. He couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry. Why did he do that just now? He felt like getting rid of his hand.


    While Jiang Danhe was thinking those thoughts, he noticed something odd. Not only was Xiaoguo¡¯s forehead red, her cheeks were also flushed. ¡°No, why was her whole face red?¡±


    Under Jiang Danhe¡¯s serious gaze, Xiaoguo¡¯s face turned red speedily and obviously. Just as she was feeling flustered and worried about him noticing, Jiang Danhe paused.


    Gradually, Jiang Danhe realized the reason. His worry and heartache instantly turned into happiness and excitement.


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe evasively. Jiang Danhe, in turn, looked at Xiaoguo affectionately.


    The atmosphere was heating up. Jiang Danhe was getting closer and closer. With his arms around Xiaoguo¡¯s waist, she had nowhere to go. Slowly, their breathing was intertwined and they could feel each other¡¯s breath on their faces.


    Xiaoguo was getting closer and closer to Jiang Danhe. She was trying to pull back from him at first, but now she seemed almost mesmerized and was gazing at his lips in a daze.


    Jiang Danhe was getting very close to Xiaoguo. He took a gulp nervously and his Adam¡¯s apple trembled charmingly.


    Eventually, they got so close that their lips were about to touch¡­

 Chapter 150 - 150 Male Nanny Li Shouji

    150 Male Nanny Li Shouji


    Their lips were just a millimeter apart when a voice spoke.


    Xiaoguo suddenly regained her senses and pushed Jiang Danhe away.


    Jiang Danhe almost broke down in frustration. He was so close, so close!!!


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was in turmoil. She did not dare to look at Jiang Danhe at all as she frantically wondered what she had just done.


    If there was a hole in the ground, Xiaoguo really wanted to crawl into it and hide.


    At that moment, she heard the same sound coming from beside the bed.


    Xiaoguo ran to the bed and realized that Zhuang Zhuang had accidentally knocked over the pillow in his sleep. Now, he had kicked off the blanket.


    Helpless, Xiaoguo picked up the pillow and covered him with the blanket.


    Jiang Danhe also came over to see what had interrupted them. It was actually the pillow and blanket that Zhuang Zhuang had kicked off the bed. ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe thought to himself that having a son was not as good as having a daughter.


    At this moment, he suddenly thought of his daughter. He wanted to ask Xiaoguo about her. It was also a little strange that neither Xiaoguo nor Zhuang Zhuang had said anything about his daughter.


    After Xiaoguo covered the two children with a blanket, she sat on the bed. When she turned around, she saw Jiang Danhe and did something which she regretted for a long time.


    It was also something which Jiang Danhe teased her for until she was seventy years old.


    The moment Xiaoguo saw Jiang Danhe, she hid behind the bed curtains.


    Xiaoguo was behaving like an ostrich in front of Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes. By hiding herself, she thought that Jiang Danhe could no longer see her.


    When Jiang Danhe saw this, he held back his laughter. If he were to laugh now, he would never be able to get close to Xiaoguo again.


    Even if he wanted to ask about his daughter now, Jiang Danhe knew that it was not the right time. It would be better to ask Xiaoguo at a later date.


    Jiang Danhe left the room with heavy footsteps to let Xiaoguo know that he had left.


    Before leaving, Jiang Danhe looked back at Xiaoguo. The corners of his mouth curled up as he shook his head gently. She was really too cute.


    Xiaoguo hid behind the bed curtains and waited until there was no movement outside before she slowly came out.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Xiaoguo covered her face and cried out silently. How embarrassing. She had really embarrassed herself today.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    A voice sounded.


    Xiaoguo immediately sat up straight and looked straight ahead, pretending that nothing had happened.


    She was relieved when she didn¡¯t hear anything else after a while. She turned to look for the source of the voice.


    Eventually, she found the source of the sound. It was the sound of Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi rolling over.


    Xiaoguo breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought the two children had seen them but it was just them gurgling in their sleep. She was so relieved.


    ¨C


    Xiaoguo was packing her clothes in the house when Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi ran in from outside, holding hands. Each of them was holding a stick of candied hawthorn.


    ¡°Mother, Mother, are we going to the night market tonight?¡±


    Xiaoguo folded the clothes and found Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words strange. ¡°To the night market?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded. Xiaoyi continued, ¡°General Jiang said that we will set off for the night market after dinner tonight.¡±


    For this reason, Xiaoyi even chased away the servants who were supposed to bring him back to the palace. He was planning to go to the night market with them and stay the night with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Seeing how happy the two children were, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel happy too. A night market, an ancient night market¡­


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to the night market tonight.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi nodded. ¡°Yes!¡±


    As dusk fell, the group set off for the night market in a carriage.


    It was a different scene in the capital at night.


    In the ancient night market, although there were no colorful electric lights, the beautiful lanterns hanging from the stalls lit up the streets very brightly. Moreover, the lanterns came in all sorts of designs and shapes.


    The men and women here were not very guarded, and there was no curfew at night. Many young ladies were also out and about in the night market.


    The girls traveled in groups of two or three. There were also talented scholars reciting poems and painting in front of various stalls.


    Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and looked out. The streets were already very lively during the day. She did not expect it to be still so crowded at night.


    The group got out of the carriage together. Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were about to hold Xiaoguo¡¯s hand when Jiang Danhe kicked Li Shouji, who was stretching beside him, to the side of the two children. That separated the two children from Xiaoguo.


    Li Shouji stared at Jiang Danhe with wide eyes. He suddenly had a bad feeling¡­


    ¡°Ahem, wife, let Li Shouji bring the two children over there. The two of us will walk this way, and all of us will gather here later. How about that?¡±


    Jiang Danhe pointed out two directions and looked at Xiaoguo expectantly.


    Xiaoguo looked at him and hesitated. She couldn¡¯t make a decision herself. She decided to ask Zhuang Zhuang and the others. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoyi, what do you think?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi were naturally unhappy. They would rather hold their mother¡¯s soft and smooth hands and walk around the night market happily. Why would they choose to hold his rough and dark hand?


    Before the two kids could shake their heads. Jiang Danhe beat them to it. ¡°There are a lot of snacks sold along this road.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi looked at Jiang Danhe at the same time and swallowed their saliva. ¡°Snacks¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at the two children sincerely, trying to tell them that he was not spouting nonsense. There were indeed a lot of snacks¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi looked at each other and nodded. They have decided.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. Xiaoyi and I will definitely hold on to Uncle Shouji¡¯s hands tightly!¡±


    Xiaoyi nodded in agreement, trying to reassure Xiaoguo.


    Without waiting for Xiaoguo to speak, the two children walked to either side of Li Shouji, whose face was filled with question marks. Then, they raised their hands and grabbed him tightly, pulling him forward with all their might.


    ¡°Desserts, snacks, here we come!¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to stop the three of them when Jiang Danhe stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Li Shouji is very reliable. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll go this way.¡±


    Jiang Danhe took Xiaoguo¡¯s hand first and walked towards the brightly lit area on the other side.


    Xiaoguo tried to pull her hand away but to no avail. Jiang Danhe felt her struggling and subconsciously tightened his grip on her hand.


    Xiaoguo knew that he would not let go, so she gave up struggling. ¡°So be it.¡±


    After Jiang Danhe had succeeded, he smiled and slowed down his pace to match that of Xiaoguo. The two of them kept a close distance, walking in sync.


    On the other side, Li Shouji glared at Jiang Danhe. When he could no longer see him, he gave up struggling and let the two little children drag him forward.


    So that was why. He was wondering why Jiang Danhe was so kind as to bring him to the night market. It turned out that he was harboring ill intentions.


    After a busy day, he was about to go back to his room to pack up and go to bed after dinner. Unexpectedly, Jiang Danhe suddenly invited him to go to the night market with him. He didn¡¯t think too much about it and followed him. However, he didn¡¯t expect that Jiang Danhe had brought him here to babysit!


    At this moment, he finally understood why Jiang Danhe had looked at him with such an ambiguous gaze. It was actually guilt in his eyes!


    At this moment, Li Shouji was like a numb money machine. As soon as the two little ancestors stopped, he knew that he had to pay.


    Now he knew why Jiang Danhe had asked him to bring more money before leaving¡­

 Chapter 151 - 151 What Daughter?

    151 What Daughter?


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, you tricked me again!¡±


    Li Shouji was very sure that if Jiang Danhe was in front of him, he would definitely pinch, scratch, punch, kick, slap, and spit on him.


    ¡°Why am I the one suffering while you¡¯re having a date!¡±


    Li Shouji roared at the sky. Just as he was fantasizing about how he was going to punish the man, he was pulled back to reality by a voice.


    ¡°Uncle, can you hand over the money?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Coming.¡±


    Damn this skillful gesture of pulling out silver¡­


    Xiaoguo stole a glance at Jiang Danhe beside her. At this moment, he looked especially hazy under the lights from the lanterns and the moon.


    Since the purpose of this trip was for leisure, he had specially dressed up. His hair was combed neatly and he was wearing a wide green and blue robe with a pair of black patterned boots.


    The two of them slowly walked out of the night market and walked leisurely along the river beside it.


    No one broke the silence.


    ¡°Wife, is there anything you like?¡±


    Jiang Danhe suddenly remembered that he had bought a bunch of things for her, but he wasn¡¯t sure if there was anything she liked among them. It would be best if she fancied something, but it didn¡¯t matter if there wasn¡¯t. He could buy anything for her immediately.


    Xiaoguo thought about it carefully and realized there was nothing she really liked. She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything I really like.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he was in a dilemma. If she didn¡¯t like anything, how could he give¡­


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe was frowning, Xiaoguo took the opportunity to tell him about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hobbies. She felt that this was a good time to tell him about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hobbies and interests so that it would be easier for them to communicate in the future.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang likes to read. He likes all kinds of books. He is highly inquisitive¡­¡±


    When Xiaoguo was talking about Zhuang Zhuang, she seemed to have endless topics to talk about. Jiang Danhe listened quietly and memorized everything.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang likes to help me with my work. He was the one in-charge of washing the bowls and chopsticks after every meal at home. He also lights the fire for me when I am cooking. The animals that we keep at home were all fed by Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    The more Xiaoguo spoke, the happier she became. She took the initiative to tell Jiang Danhe about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s many strengths and habits.


    Jiang Danhe listened and made mental notes, at the same time, he was gazing at Xiaoguo who was absolutely glowing.


    The more Xiaoguo spoke, the more animated her eyebrows were. She was also gesturing a lot with her free hand. She looked so lively.


    The more Jiang Danhe looked at her, the more he liked her. At this moment, he felt that Xiaoguo was the real deal. She said whatever she wanted. All her thoughts were expressed on her face. When she got excited, she would even pat the person next to her.


    Jiang Danhe liked everything that he was seeing. At the thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but lower his head and chuckled. Is this considered as ¡°beauty in the eye of the beholder¡±?


    Hearing his laughter, Xiaoguo snapped out of her reverie and fell silent. Her face was slightly flushed. She had been talking so excitedly and had gotten too absorbed in it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Xiaoguo bit her lip shyly, her face was filled with embarrassment.


    Jiang Danhe shook his head and pointed mysteriously ahead.


    Xiaoguo followed his gaze and saw a small arched bridge spanning across the river. The exceptionally bright moon was hanging in the sky with the cold moonlight shining on the river. Reflected in the water was the dazzling moon itself. For a moment, it was difficult to tell which one was real. The breeze blew across the river and created sparkling silver ripples. It was a beautiful sight.


    Everything was silent except for the occasional whisper of the wind through the leaves.


    Only then did Xiaoguo realize that the two of them had unknowingly walked so far. There was a faint light behind them. It seemed that they had walked out of the night market.


    After looking around, she was about to turn around and ask Jiang Danhe to walk back when she almost bumped into his face.


    Although Xiaoguo had dodged in time, their lips still managed to brush against each other.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s body stiffened as if he had been electrocuted. Xiaoguo also felt uncomfortable all over. Her face was flushed red, and her eyes darted around. She looked at the sky and the ground, but she did not dare to look into his burning eyes.


    Xiaoguo was the first to react. She gently pushed Jiang Danhe away as he was still hugging her with his arms.


    Jiang Danhe could feel the small hands on his chest pushing him away and he subconsciously grabbed those hands.


    At this moment, both of Xiaoguo¡¯s hands were held towards his chest. With her hands, she could feel his thumping heartbeat. The vigorous heartbeat felt like it was about to break through his chest in the next second.


    Xiaoguo did not dare to move. She could only look down at her toes.


    Jiang Danhe felt that he had to stop. He had achieved a lot today. He shouldn¡¯t tease her anymore, as things may backfire.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded quickly and struggled to pull back her hands.


    Jiang Danhe let go of one hand. Xiaoguo¡¯s other hand was still firmly clasped in his hand, her fingers intertwined with his.


    Along the way, there was only the faint sound of the wind. The two of them remained silent for the rest of the journey.


    Midway through their journey, Jiang Danhe suddenly thought of something. ¡°Wife?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Xiaoguo replied subconsciously. After hearing him call her ¡°wife¡± so many times, she had gotten used to it.


    Jiang Danhe smiled secretly and immediately put on his normal face. ¡°Where¡¯s our daughter?¡±


    ¡°What? Our daughter?¡±


    Xiaoguo seemed to have misheard. ¡°What daughter?¡±


    ¡°I am asking about our daughter,¡± Jiang Danhe said matter-of-factly. Even now, he was still unsure about whether he had a daughter.


    ¡°We only have one child, Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Hearing Jiang Danhe¡¯s words, Xiaoguo was stunned.


    Jiang Danhe frowned when he heard this. He had a bad feeling about this and tried to probe for more information about his daughter.


    ¡°Some time ago, Li Shouji sent someone to¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, what did you say?¡±


    Xiaoguo found the key words among what he said.


    ¡°A daughter in pink?¡±


    Jiang Danhe paused for a moment before he repeated what Xiaoguo wanted to know.


    ¡°Pfft, hahahahahaha¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, Xiaoguo laughed out loud when she heard that. Jiang Danhe was bewildered.


    ¡°Pfft, haha, don¡¯t ask Zhuang Zhuang about the pink clothes. Hahaha, it¡¯s best not to mention it. Haha¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo clutched her stomach. If Zhuang Zhuang were to hear about the pink clothes, Jiang Danhe would probably be finished. Their flimsy father-son love would be gone in an instant.


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked lost. He didn¡¯t understand why Xiaoguo was laughing like this, nor did he understand why he couldn¡¯t mention this matter.


    Xiaoguo laughed so hard that she was leaning against Jiang Danhe. After slowly calming herself down, she told him the reason.


    After hearing the reason, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Haha, so that¡¯s how it is¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo, who had already calmed down, was reminded of the incident again when Jiang Danhe said those words. The two of them looked at each other and started laughing together .


    When the two of them arrived late at the predetermined spot, they saw Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi standing by the carriage.


    Xiaoguo was some distance away and did not see Li Shouji. Curious, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Uncle Shouji?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were each holding two sesame candy sticks. When they heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, they pointed behind them.


    At first, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t see him. When she got closer, she saw him.


    ¡°¡­ Sister-in-law.¡±


    Li Shouji was holding many waxed paper bags. There were all kinds of snacks inside. The paper bags in various sizes made him look fat and big.


    Xiaoguo burst out laughing. When Jiang Danhe saw Xiaoguo laughing, he also laughed dotingly along with her.


    When Li Shouji heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s laughter, he instantly exploded and pounced towards him.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t panic. He grabbed the man¡¯s collar and pushed him into the carriage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±

 Chapter 152 - 152 I Want To Eat Potato Noodles

    152 I Want To Eat Potato Noodles


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±


    After pushing the man up the carriage, Jiang Danhe turned to Xiaoguo and said gently.


    After their exchange earlier on, their relationship had unknowingly gotten much closer.


    ¡°Yes, yes, okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded.


    Jiang Danhe carried the two children up into the carriage first before helping Xiaoguo up. Finally, he kicked Li Shouji, who was lying on the ground, and asked him to move aside.


    Jiang Danhe waited for him to move, and when there was an empty space, Jiang Danhe hopped on.


    The group rushed home with their shopping haul.


    It was getting late. On the way back, Zhuang Zhuang leaned against Wen Xiaoyi and dozed off.


    Xiaoguo hugged them both in case they bumped into each other.


    When they arrived at the residence, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe each carried a child into the house.


    Jiang Danhe left quickly and headed to Li Shouji¡¯s house like clockwork.


    He grabbed Li Shouji, who had just laid down.


    ¡°Time to settle the score.¡±


    When Li Shouji heard this, he instantly perked up. He was here to reimburse him. ¡°Haha.¡±


    Just as he was getting up happily and taking out his wallet to count the money¡­


    Jiang Danhe said sinisterly, ¡°How did your men do their jobs¡­¡±


    Li Shouji was dumbfounded. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s the matter? Aren¡¯t they settling the payment? What does it have to do with my subordinates?¡±


    Jiang Danhe saw that he didn¡¯t understand, so he told him that he did not have a daughter.


    Li Shouji was stunned. ¡°Those sons of b*tches!!!¡±


    In the end, Li Shouji had to shoulder everything alone.


    Jiang Danhe rambled on until midnight. When he was finally done, he let Li Shouji off and turned around to sleep.


    Only the pitiful Li Shouji was left biting the corner of his blanket. He looked at the ceiling beam weakly with two big dark circles under his eyes¡­


    The next morning.


    Zhuang Zhuang scooped up the porridge in his bowl and sighed slightly.


    Jiang Danhe heard him and glanced at him. Then he gave Xiaoguo a look to ask her why.


    Xiaoguo shook her head, indicating that she didn¡¯t know. The boy was still fine when he woke up.


    Li Shouji was a straightforward person. When he heard Zhuang Zhuang sigh, he felt that it was very interesting. The child was sighing like an adult. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, why are you sighing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I had gotten sick of porridge.¡± Zhuang Zhuang took the last mouthful of porridge. Then, he said hopefully, ¡°If only I could eat Mother¡¯s potato noodles.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had not eaten that for some time and was missing the taste. He smacked his lips and savored the taste of the porridge in his mouth. He looked at Xiaoguo expectantly. ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi put down the second bowl of porridge in his hand. He was still craving for more. Why did he feel that the food here was more delectable than the food in the palace?


    Hearing Zhuang Zhuang mention potato noodles, Xiaoyi was immediately attracted to the conversation. Potato noodles sounded familiar. He racked his brains to recall where he had heard of the dish before. Suddenly, he thought of something!


    ¡°Potato noodles. I¡¯ve eaten them before! I love fish balls and pork balls with gravy!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard what Xiaoyi said, he grabbed him and said excitedly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Me too! Xiaoyi and I really like the same things!¡±


    The conversation between the two children was confusing for Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji. Why didn¡¯t they know about such novel foods?


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi¡¯s craving was aroused by Zhuang Zhuang. He immediately looked at Xiaoguo with stars in his eyes.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stand the look in his eyes, so she immediately agreed. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll cook for you tonight!¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang clapped their hands. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    Although Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji didn¡¯t understand what was going on, they laughed along. As they listened to the description, they were filled with anticipation for the potato noodles, fish balls and pork balls that would be ready in the evening.


    After eating, Xiaoguo got to work immediately. There was a kitchen in the general¡¯s residence, so Jiang Danhe brought Xiaoguo there. The kitchen was huge, but only two chefs were in charge of cooking. This was because there weren¡¯t many people to cook for within the residence.


    Jiang Danhe introduced Xiaoguo to the chefs and asked them to assist her.


    Just as he was about to continue interacting with Xiaoguo, Li Shouji came over and called him away.


    Xiaoguo waved at him and turned to see the chefs standing a short distance away. They had their arms in front of them and were nervously rubbing their aprons together. They were smiling obsequiously.


    ¡°Relax. I¡¯m just going to prepare the ingredients for tonight. Just continue with your work.¡±


    Xiaoguo walked past the two of them, then went to the ingredients section and rummaged for the potatoes she needed.


    The two chefs were at the back. They looked at each other, not knowing what to do. The general had just introduced her as his wife. How could the two of them neglect her?


    ¡°Madam, let us do it.¡±


    One of the female chefs, who was slightly fatter, gathered her courage and took the bucket from Xiaoguo. She looked at the large number of potatoes in the bucket and felt a little troubled. ¡°Madam, what should we do with these potatoes?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the female cook, who looked a little like Mrs. Yang, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight affinity for her. ¡°Peel and wash all of them, then mash them.¡±


    ¡°Mash?¡± It was the first time she had heard of such a strange cooking method. How does one eat mashed potatoes?


    ¡°That¡¯s right. After the potatoes are mashed, wrap everything in gauze and wash it a few times in clear water.¡±


    Xiaoguo could not explain in detail. She decided to let them see for themselves later.


    Although the fat chef thought that it was a little strange, she didn¡¯t say anything and went on to do as she was told.


    When the older cook saw Xiaoguo pick up the pork, she immediately took it with a smile. According to her observations, the General¡¯s wife was not that difficult to serve, so she mustered up her courage and approached her.


    ¡°Madam, let me do that.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hands were left empty, she then told the chef how to handle the meat. ¡°This has to be minced properly. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be chewy.¡±


    The cook nodded confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam. Although I¡¯m thin, my hands are very strong!¡±


    Xiaoguo saw that the ingredients in the kitchen were quite comprehensive. There were all kinds of vegetables and meat. There were also a few large grass carp in the basin. They were very energetic and looked very fat. She could use them to make fish balls later!


    Xiaoguo was now in a good mood. She picked up a basin of large bone sticks beside her and prepared to make soup.


    ¡°By the way, how many people are there in the residence?¡±


    Xiaoguo was trying to decide how much water to use for cooking. It was impossible to make just a few bowls. Since she was going to cook, she should make enough for everyone. There were lots of ingredients anyway.


    ¡°Twenty-eight in total, Madam.¡±


    The cook was quick to answer Xiaoguo¡¯s question. The two chefs were very confident in managing the food portions within the residence. They never wasted food or prepared insufficient portions.


    Xiaoguo estimated the number of people and added the right proportion of water to the pot. She then went to the condiments area and selected a few spices. After tying a piece of gauze around the spices and making sure that it would not unravel, she threw the spice bag into the pot.


    The handling of the potatoes was not difficult, and the quantity to prepare was not a lot. It was just that the meatballs would require more effort.


    Xiaoguo watched as the fatter cook handled the potatoes with ease. She didn¡¯t need her help, so she went to the other cook.


    Seeing that she was making pork balls, Xiaoguo decided to make fish balls out of grass carp since she had nothing much to do.. It would help to save time.

 Chapter 153 - 153 Forgiveness For The Last Time

    153 Forgiveness For The Last Time


    When it was almost noon, all the ingredients were nearly ready. Xiaoguo covered up the freshly made dough.


    It was really difficult to cook for 28 people. Xiaoguo rubbed her waist. Just preparing the dough alone was hard enough. The portion for 28 people was a basin full of dough. Xiaoguo had to use all her strength to knead it.


    ¡°Good work everyone!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled at the two equally exhausted chefs.


    After their interaction just now, the two chefs were much more relaxed. They were no longer nervous and afraid of Xiaoguo. They could even joke around with her.


    ¡°Not at all!¡±


    The two chefs spoke in unison and smiled widely. They had not expected the general¡¯s wife to be so easy-going. However, the general had never put on airs and was very tolerant towards the servants in the house. It seemed that the couple was a perfect match. They were both tolerant, sincere, and kind. What have they done to deserve the two wonderful masters?


    Xiaoguo smiled happily. As it was time for lunch and the chefs had to start preparing the meals, Xiaoguo did not disturb them. She glanced at the soup in the large pot and left the kitchen after making sure that everything was in order.


    After returning to the house, Xiaoguo rubbed her waist. She wasn¡¯t that exhausted, but she had sprained her back while kneading the dough.


    Xiaoguo looked around and didn¡¯t see the two children. She wasn¡¯t worried as she knew that the residence was safe, and that nothing would happen to them. They were probably just wandering around.


    Xiaoguo walked to the bed and lay on it, massaging her lower back with her eyes closed.


    In the room, Jiang Danhe¡¯s figure slowly approached. Perhaps his movements were too light, or perhaps Xiaoguo was too sleepy to hear him. It was only when a pair of warm burning hands touched her waist that Xiaoguo suddenly woke up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    As soon as she heard the voice, Xiaoguo immediately knew who it was. Her entire body went limp and she lay back down on the bed.


    Jiang Danhe massaged her back carefully. His tightly furrowed brows made it seem like he was handling some precious and rare treasure instead of Xiaoguo¡¯s waist.


    Slowly, Xiaoguo¡¯s breathing became lighter and softer. Jiang Danhe also softened his movements.


    ¡°Mother! Mother!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside. Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the instant that Zhuang Zhuang appeared, the man reached out, picked up the boy and exited the room in a flash.


    Xiaoguo heard some slight movements, but it was soft and negligible, so she didn¡¯t wake up and drifted off to sleep.


    Zhuang Zhuang was carried out of the house by Jiang Danhe. He looked confused. What had just happened?


    His big eyes flickered as he looked at Jiang Danhe, as if asking the man why he was here. However, Jiang Danhe did not respond.


    Jiang Danhe quietly listened for any sounds coming from the room. After making sure that Xiaoguo had not woken up, he took the time to look at Zhuang Zhuang, who was held under his arm.


    Jiang Danhe walked further away before explaining to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Your mother fell asleep just now. Let¡¯s not wake her up.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang finally understood why, but he continued to stare at him with wide, unblinking eyes.


    Jiang Danhe frowned. It was odd that the boy didn¡¯t hear what he said. Zhuang Zhuang pouted in Jiang Danhe¡¯s arms and tried to point out something to him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jiang Danhe still did not know what he meant.


    Seeing this, Zhuang Zhuang could only try to exaggerate his movements and used his lips to nudge at Jiang Danhe¡¯s palm.


    Jiang Danhe only understood what he meant after a while and his face was filled with embarrassment. He slowly placed Zhuang Zhuang on the ground and reached out to smooth the wrinkles on his clothes.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked helpless. Was he going to suffocate him just now?


    ¡°By the way, why are you looking for your mother?¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t withstand Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s accusing gaze anymore, so when he saw the paper in his hand, he quickly changed the topic.


    As expected, Zhuang Zhuang forgot about the little episode earlier and immediately told him the good news. ¡°This is the poem I just copied. It¡¯s all written in clerical script!¡±


    He could not hide the pride in his voice. He looked at Jiang Danhe with his flickering eyes, beneath the look was a bunch of hidden emotions.


    ¡°Hmph, I am not fishing for his praise. No! I¡¯m not!¡± Zhuang Zhuang was feeling contradictory and proud at the same time.


    Although Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking, he took the paper from him and looked at it seriously. He nodded as he read. ¡°Not bad at all.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, his tense nerves instantly relaxed. What followed was joy and a trace of satisfaction.


    ¡°The words are well-written with firm strokes, and the characters are balanced and neat. Not bad, not bad¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at the boy¡¯s writing with joy. The more he looked through his writing, the more pleased and proud he became. This was his son!


    ¡°Son, give this to me. I¡¯ll find a scroll and mount this up.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was a little hesitant at this moment. He was thinking about giving it to his mother¡­


    However, Zhuang Zhuang looked up at Jiang Danhe, who appeared happier than him. He has made up his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    In the end, Zhuang Zhuang said proudly and gifted it to Jiang Danhe. He would write two copies for his mother later.


    Jiang Danhe happily picked up Zhuang Zhuang. Ignoring his struggles, he imitated Xiaoguo¡¯s actions and kissed his little face. Although he was feeling a little shy and uncomfortable, thinking that it was awkward to do this between father and son, the touch of the kiss on his son¡¯s face and the joy in his heart made Jiang Danhe unable to stop. Once again, he had experienced the bond between father and son.


    Zhuang Zhuang covered his face in disbelief. It was a completely different feeling from his mother¡¯s kisses¡­


    This was the first time Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe were facing each other directly. They looked at each other¡¯s faces¡ªit was like looking into a mirror. An indescribable feeling surged in their hearts.


    This feeling made Zhuang Zhuang want to reach out and hug the man, and so he did.


    Jiang Danhe felt Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hug and his eyes started to tear up. He hugged Zhuang Zhuang back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you and your mother had to wait such a long time for me.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he buried his head in his father¡¯s neck and wiped his tears vigorously. Then he looked up at Jiang Danhe seriously. ¡°I forgive you this time, and this will also be the last time.¡±


    ¡°For the last time!¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s words were like a promise, an oath.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s conflicted emotions from day one were instantly swept away. There was no barrier between them anymore. The father and son became much closer.


    ¡°Father will find the scroll and mount this up now.¡±


    Jiang Danhe carried Zhuang Zhuang in one hand and held the rice paper in the other. He carefully unrolled it, afraid that it would get wrinkled or crushed.


    Zhuang Zhuang nestled in Xiaoguo¡¯s strong and stable arms. He could feel that his chest was clearly different from Xiaoguo, but he felt extremely safe and happy. So this was his father¡¯s chest¡­


    Seeing how carefully Jiang Danhe was handling his writing, Zhuang Zhuang felt a little embarrassed and his cheeks turned red. ¡°I¡¯ll write you another one later.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice was very soft, but Jiang Danhe could hear him. He kissed the boy¡¯s face happily.


    Even so, Jiang Danhe still mounted that piece of writing and hung it in his study room. He had to look at it every day. He also decided that if Zhuang Zhuang were to give him a few more, he would keep one with him at all times, one for his sleeping place and one in the dining hall. This way, he could see his writing every day and night.


    Although Zhuang Zhuang thought that it was a little exaggerated, he couldn¡¯t help but feel exhilarated.

 Chapter 154 - 154 Impatience

    154 Impatience


    Xiaoguo was woken up by Jiang Danhe because it was lunchtime.


    She got up and stretched her back. She felt like she had a very comfortable sleep. ¡°By the way, how did I fall asleep just now?¡±


    It seemed that her waist was feeling uncomfortable earlier. She laid on the bed and massaged her waist. Then Jiang Danhe came in immediately after. He was massaging her and she fell asleep because it was too comfortable¡­


    Xiaoguo felt a little awkward. She was really quite thick skinned.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    Jiang Danhe came in from outside. He felt that it was about time and Xiaoguo should be awake by now. Lunch was almost ready, so he came over to inform her.


    Xiaoguo nodded, feeling rather embarrassed.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t say anything. The two of them went to the dining hall together. On the way, they bumped into Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi, who had just finished writing. The two of them were being brought to the dining hall by Li Shouji.


    The five of them headed to the dining hall together. Along the way, Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. He kept telling Xiaoguo how many poems he had just copied and that he had learnt new scriptures.


    ¡°Oh? Have you been reading and writing in the study all morning?¡±


    Xiaoguo was wondering why she had not seen the two children all morning. It turned out that they were studying in the study.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Wen Xiaoyi and I have written a lot of words,¡± Zhuang Zhuang said. He even tried to get an affirmation from Wen Xiaoyi, ¡°You can ask him.¡±


    When Xiaoyi heard his name, he nodded happily. Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo and said proudly, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll give you two poems which I had copied out later.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she was overjoyed. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll find a scroll and hang it up when I receive it.¡±


    Before Zhuang Zhuang could say anything, Xiaoyi carefully said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one too. Oh, no, how about I give you two?¡±


    Xiaoyi was actually feeling very uneasy. Zhuang Zhuang was Xiaoguo¡¯s son. It was only right for her to ask for his handwriting. Then what was he to her? Why would she want his handwriting? Forget it¡­


    ¡°Or maybe¡­¡± Forget it¡­


    ¡°Okay! That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll hang it up too.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and immediately said. When the time comes, she will get a few more scrolls and hang their writings at home.


    Xiaoyi looked at Xiaoguo, who was smiling, and felt like crying. It was really awesome¡­


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang reached out to hold Xiaoyi¡¯s hand and raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°How is it? Mother is very good, right?¡±


    Xiaoyi understood what Zhuang Zhuang was trying to say, so he nodded his head slightly. He was afraid of attracting the attention of others, so he blinked at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Yes, yes! Mother is so nice!¡±


    Li Shouji narrowed his eyes and strode to the front. He deliberately bumped into Jiang Danhe¡¯s shoulder. When the man looked at him, he immediately started winking.


    Their exchange read as follows:


    Li Shouji: Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to teach the children to read and write this morning? Why did you run away halfway?


    Jiang Danhe: ¡­


    Li Shouji: ¡°Why did you go out? Why did Zhuang Zhuang go out too? In the end, you guys came back together.¡±


    Jiang Danhe: ¡­


    Li Shouji: Say something. I know you can read my thoughts¡­


    Jiang Danhe: ¡°¡­¡±


    Li Shouji: Okay! Okay! As long as you don¡¯t say anything, it¡¯s fine. Why do you let me babysit every time you have plans up your sleeve? Have I really become a nanny? (Sticking chest out)


    Jiang Danhe: (Scanning up and down and finally his eyes landed on the other person¡¯s chest)


    Li Shouji: (Surprised and panicked)?? What are you looking at? I have warned you about your roaming eyes!


    Jiang Danhe: The other party has blocked your messages¡­


    ¨C


    Jiang Danhe retracted his gaze and turned to look in Xiaoguo¡¯s direction. His eyes had seen something terrible, and now he was cleansing them.


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe, who was smiling at her, and felt strange. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Xiaoguo glanced at him strangely and did not look at him again. Instead, she lowered her head and continued listening to Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi fighting to recite poems for her.


    Li Shouji was furious, but he had no choice, and he came to the dining table with resentment.


    As soon as he sat down, he started sniffing the food on the table like a puppy.


    ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re disgusting.¡±


    Jiang Danhe slapped his forehead gently and said in disdain.


    Li Shouji rubbed his forehead and didn¡¯t mind. He asked everyone with a curious expression, ¡°Do you smell something in the air? It¡¯s a very wonderful fragrance.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they started sniffing and tried to detect the fragrance he was describing.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There is indeed a fragrance. The food smells good.¡±


    Jiang Danhe glanced at Li Shouji from the corner of his eye and pointed at the food on the table. This man was acting up again. There were so many dishes on the table. How could they not smell good?


    When everyone heard this, they couldn¡¯t help but roll their eyes at the serious-looking Li Shouji. To think that everyone was actually trying to figure out the source of the fragrance.


    ¡°No, no,¡± Li Shouji hurriedly explained. ¡°At first, I thought it was the dishes on the table, but I am sure now that it didn¡¯t come from the table. Take a closer sniff.¡±


    Li Shouji was already mesmerized by the smell when he was in the study earlier. At first, he thought that it was lunch. As soon as he arrived at the hall, he could not wait to see what the smell was. But then, he could not find the source after sniffing around, even though the fragrance was still in the air.


    When everyone heard this, they sniffed the air again suspiciously. Jiang Danhe frowned. There was indeed a special fragrance.


    The more Zhuang Zhuang smelled it, the more familiar it became. A thought flashed across his mind. ¡°Ah! I know! Isn¡¯t this the bone soup that my mother always makes!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang often drank Xiaoguo¡¯s soup, so he recognized the smell.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Li Shouji was surprised. ¡°How does bone soup smell so good!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was also very surprised. He didn¡¯t expect his wife to be so good at cooking. To think that an ordinary bone soup could actually produce such a rich fragrance. It smells really appetizing.


    Xiaoguo understood what it was about when Zhuang Zhuang mentioned it. ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯m making bone soup in the kitchen. This is for the potato noodles which we will be having for dinner.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was already describing the taste of the potato noodles to Xiaoyi. The two children were so hungry that they were almost drooling. They just couldn¡¯t wait to taste the noodles.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll go make it after lunch.¡±


    Xiaoguo spoke dotingly as she tried to quickly finish her food.


    The group ate the food on the table as if they were chewing wax. It wasn¡¯t because the food was bad, in fact, the spread was sumptuous. However, after they had smelled the fragrance in the air and heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s description, everyone was dying to taste the noodles.


    Xiaoguo had just finished eating when Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi rushed her to the kitchen. Although the other two adults did not say anything, their eyes revealed their true thoughts. They were wishing for her to hurry to the kitchen.


    Xiaoguo had no choice but to go straight to the kitchen. ¡°These brats!¡±


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re finally here. Just now, the others were asking us what delicious food we were making. When they heard that it was for dinner, their faces turned green. Haha¡­¡±


    When the fat chef saw Xiaoguo, she quickly described to her how the soldiers had behaved when they came to get food. She was smiling as she spoke.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They were so impatient. When they came over to pick up their lunch at noon, their eyes were glued to the pot!¡±


    The older female cook chimed in and even imitated the soldiers in front of Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo was so amused by the two of them that she couldn¡¯t stop smiling. These people were so fun.

 Chapter 155 - 155 Little Genius

    155 Little Genius


    Xiaoguo looked at the expressions of the two chefs and laughed. ¡°That¡¯s too exaggerated.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Madam, it¡¯s not an exaggeration at all.¡± The fat chef shook her head. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my strong willpower, I would have finished the soup long ago.¡±


    The old cook nodded in agreement. This was not a lie at all. She did not know what kind of spices were added to the pot. It was clearly bone soup, but she had never made anything that smells like that.


    ¡°All right. We¡¯ll prepare the noodles and balls now.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The two chefs spoke loudly. In fact, they could not wait to participate in the process of creating novel food.


    Xiaoguo handed the meatballs and noodles to the two chefs while she prepared the potato noodles. As the potato noodles were not easy to process, it was more convenient for her to make them herself.


    The two chefs worked quickly and divided the work clearly between themselves. The three of them chatted while working with their hands. Soon, all the ingredients were ready. All that they had to do was cook.


    In order to ensure the taste of the soup, Xiaoguo had the two chefs bring out a clean pot and pour in water to boil. After a while, she would cook the noodles and meatballs in this pot, then, she would add the pork bone soup to these ingredients in serving bowls.


    It was still too early to start dinner. Hence, Xiaoguo let the two chefs rest for a while.


    She returned to the front of the house and went to the room first. She did not find Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi inside.


    Xiaoguo then went to the study room. She found out in the morning that the two of them had been studying there. They must be in that room now.


    Before Xiaoguo entered the room, she could hear voices reading out loud from the books. She pursed her lips and smiled, thinking to herself that the voices of the two children sounded really nice.


    Then the childish voices stopped and a deep voice spoke,


    ¡°To cut and grind, to carve and polish.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi recited after the voice, ¡°To cut and grind, to carve and polish.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought that Jiang Danhe¡¯s voice reciting those words sounded so good.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo bent down and sneaked to the window. She tiptoed to peep through the open window.


    ¡°So do you know what that means?¡±


    Jiang Danhe sat at the table. Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi sat on either side of him like primary school students. Their backs were straight. In front of each of them was a stack of rice paper and an ink brush.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi wrote down the line that Jiang Danhe had read on paper. They had just put down their brushes when they heard his question.


    The two children looked at each other and then at Jiang Danhe.


    Xiaoyi shook his head in embarrassment and looked at Zhuang Zhuang. He must know the answer again.


    As expected, Zhuang Zhuang immediately raised his hand to show that he knew.


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang immediately coughed happily when he was called out. ¡°This means that a gentleman¡¯s cultivation is like the stone carving process. After cutting the stone, you have to keep grinding it. It¡¯s also like how a piece of jade is cut, carved and polished.¡±


    After saying that, Zhuang Zhuang looked at Jiang Danhe with sparkling eyes. ¡°How was it?¡±


    ¡°Good! Very good!¡± Jiang Danhe wanted to clap loudly. It was simply too awesome.


    Xiaoyi was very happy for him. Zhuang Zhuang was indeed very good. There was nothing he didn¡¯t know, unlike him, who didn¡¯t know anything¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang took in their gazes and felt a little embarrassed. ¡°No, no. I just happened to have read it.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Zhuang Zhuang and was a little curious. How much knowledge did Zhuang Zhuang have? ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, do you know the original text?¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he scratched his head and nodded with uncertainty. ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    Jiang Danhe raised his eyebrows in interest. ¡°Let me hear it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang sat up straight and spoke slowly.


    ¡°It¡¯s from a book on linguistics.¡± Zhuang Zhuang first explained the origin of the poem. Then, his little head immediately got into high gear. He swayed like a primary school student. ¡°Zigong said, ¡®Poverty without flattery, wealth without arrogance. What is it like? Confucius said, ¡®It¡¯s possible. If one is not poor but happy, wealth and courtesy are possible.¡¯ Zigong said, ¡®Poetry is like cutting and grinding! It¡¯s like carving and polishing! Does it mean that?¡¯ Confucius said, ¡®You and I are able to discuss poetries from now on, since you are able to draw inferences effortlessly.¡¯ ¡±


    As Zhuang Zhuang said the last word, Xiaoyi was even happier than him. ¡°Wow¡­ Zhuang Zhuang is awesome!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. Then, he stole a glance at Jiang Danhe to observe his reaction.


    Without hesitation, Jiang Danhe clapped his hands. His applause was loud and powerful.


    ¡°Awesome, Zhuang Zhuang!¡± Jiang Danhe stood up excitedly. He was only three years old, but he could memorize the original text perfectly and recite it on the spot. He was a rare find! His son was really a genius!


    Jiang Danhe hugged Zhuang Zhuang and threw him up high before catching him steadily.


    Zhuang Zhuang was frightened at first, but out of trust in his father, he started to enjoy the fun of being lifted up high.


    ¡°Hahahahahahaha, again!¡±


    Jiang Danhe kept on tossing and lifting Zhuang Zhuang until he shouted for him to stop.


    Xiaoyi watched their interaction enviously from the side. She was tempted. Would that person do this to her¡­


    Xiaoguo looked at the scene in the room with relief and left quietly.


    After a short rest, Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen. It was almost time for dinner. The two chefs were already waiting inside.


    ¡°Shall we start now, Madam?¡±


    The chefs asked the moment they saw Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it!¡±


    Xiaoguo estimated that it was about time. Now that they were asking, she was sure that it was time for dinner.


    With Xiaoguo¡¯s permission, the two chefs immediately lit the fire.


    They had been waiting for this moment for a long time. They were really curious about the taste of potato noodles. Upon hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words to start cooking, they quickly boiled the water.


    Xiaoguo put all the meatballs into the pot and waited for the contents to boil again.


    As there was a lot of water, the water did not boil too quickly. At this time, the sky was getting dark. The two chefs had lit the candles early, so there was plenty of light in the kitchen.


    Xiaoguo had added enough ingredients for everyone in the residence. The potato noodles and noodles were cooked in a ratio of one to one. When they were cooked, she scooped everything into a large basin that she had just found. Then, she added a finger-high amount of bone soup into the basin. Following that, she scooped up a lot of fish balls and pork balls and added them to the noodles. Finally, a handful of scalded vegetables was added as garnish on top.


    As the basin was a little heavy, the fatter chef took the initiative to hold it for Xiaoguo.


    The two chefs were usually the ones to prepare and serve every meal. Therefore, they naturally took it upon themselves to bring out the bowls, chopsticks, and the basin of food.


    Xiaoguo could not out-talk them, so she could only follow behind and walk into the dining hall empty-handed.


    When she arrived at the door, she realized that the house had been lit with candles. As soon as she entered, she saw that everyone was gathered around the table, waiting to dig in.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang called out to Xiaoguo. She nodded and walked over.


    The others were attracted by the fragrance and stared unblinkingly at the basin in the chef¡¯s hand.


    The chef left after putting down the dishes. Seeing that everyone was still not moving, Xiaoguo took the initiative to start serving the food.


    There were three big bowls and two small bowls. Xiaoguo placed a lot of meatballs in every bowl.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo sat down with a bowl in her hands. She was touched when she saw the rest waiting for her to start, without moving their chopsticks.


    When everyone heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, they picked up their chopsticks and hurriedly opened their mouths.

 Chapter 156 - 156 Eating

    156 Eating


    What happened after was inevitable. They were scalded, of course.


    Li Shouji and Xiaoyi put down their chopsticks at the same time and began to hiss and stick out their tongues. It was obvious that they had been scalded quite badly. They really should have thought better since the food was fresh out of the pot.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Li Shouji in disdain. Then, his gaze was attracted by the transparent strips in the bowl.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this transparent strip? The appearance is rather interesting.¡±


    Jiang Danhe picked up the potato noodles and studied them curiously.


    Xiaoguo looked helplessly at the few seated at the table. Two were screaming from the heat, while one was observing the noodles without tasting them.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang looked at each other helplessly, then rushed forward to help them.


    Zhuang Zhuang poured water for Xiaoyi and Li Shouji while Xiaoguo explained to Jiang Danhe about how the noodles were made.


    Finally, everyone quietened down.


    Li Shouji and Xiaoyi were no longer eating hurriedly and Jiang Danhe had a better understanding of how everything was made. He ate the potato noodles in astonishment.


    ¡°Silence at last¡­¡±


    That was what Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo thought at the same time.


    Then suddenly!


    ¡°Hey, the taste is so familiar!¡±


    Li Shouji spoke again. When he first saw the dish earlier, he thought that it looked somewhat familiar. Now that he had eaten it, he found it even more familiar. But when had he ever eaten such delicious food? He shouldn¡¯t have forgotten¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Very familiar!¡±


    Xiaoyi said the exact same thing.


    However, before he could recall where he had eaten it, Zhuang Zhuang mercilessly answered his doubts.


    ¡°You had this at the noodle shop before.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s right¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi nodded, looking enlightened. Then he stopped thinking about it and dug into the meatballs.


    Jiang Danhe took the first bite and was struck by the same sense of familiarity as Li Shouji.


    Jiang Danhe frowned and took another bite. The more he ate, the more familiar he found the taste. Jiang Danhe had a better memory than Li Shouji¡ªhis mind whirled quickly and he thought of the small fishing village.


    ¡°Where did you buy this from when we were in the fishing village?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked up and asked Li Shouji, who was chewing on two meatballs and was going to stuff in a third one.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Li Shouji¡¯s memory was not very good. When he heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s question, the dots in his mind suddenly connected and he instantly recalled.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! This is the taste!!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this the noodles that he had eaten in the prince¡¯s residence when they were recuperating in the fishing village? Didn¡¯t the emperor, who was still the prince at that time, give him a lunch box and gave him an address so that he could go buy it?


    ¡°My stupid brain! I just remembered!¡±


    Li Shouji swallowed the pork balls in his mouth and asked Xiaoguo, ¡°Did you sell this at the intersection of Fumin Road in Yonghai County?¡±


    He remembered the address as he often went there. Now that Jiang Danhe mentioned it, he immediately recalled the scene.


    Xiaoguo had heard the road name before. She looked surprised and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    At the beginning, the intersection she went to was Fumin Road.


    Li Shouji clapped his hands and shouted that it was fate, ¡°Sister-in-law made the potato noodles that I bought for you previously!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was stunned when he heard this. However, after hearing what Li Shouji said, he understood. The food that he thought was delicious was made by Xiaoguo. If this wasn¡¯t fate, then what was?


    Xiaoguo looked at Li Shouji and Jiang Danhe¡¯s excited gazes and tried her best to piece together the whole story.


    She knew that the two of them had stayed in the fishing village before. Li Shouji had bought potato noodles from her by chance and brought them back for Jiang Danhe to eat.


    After thinking it through, Xiaoguo was rather emotional too. This was indeed fate.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve tasted your cooking before.¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt even more touched as he looked at Xiaoguo. He had never expected this. Back then, he had thought that the noodles were delicious. It turned out that it was the taste of his wife¡¯s cooking¡­


    Li Shouji glanced at him speechlessly¡­


    Xiaoyi was also praising Xiaoguo¡¯s culinary skills on the side. Zhuang Zhuang was overjoyed when he heard this, and he began to praise Xiaoguo for all her abilities.


    ¡°Not only does my mother cook well, she¡¯s also very good at making clothes and shoes. My clothes and shoes were all made by my mother. Also, my uncle¡¯s shoes and clothes were also made by her.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked proud as he recounted the things that Xiaoguo knew how to do individually. After his fingers were used up for counting, he attempted to count with his toes, but Xiaoguo stopped him.


    ¡°Hurry up and eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s skin was not thick to begin with, and no matter how thick it was, she could not withstand Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s bragging about her.


    Xiaoyi looked at Xiaoguo with admiration. Not only was Zhuang Zhuang amazing, his mother was the same too¡­


    Li Shouji quickly finished the noodles in his bowl. After eating, he asked for a second serving, and then a third¡­


    In between eating, he still took the time to give Xiaoguo a thumbs up. He was impressed that Xiaoguo could cook so well!


    At first, Jiang Danhe listened attentively to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s narration of Xiaoguo¡¯s merits. However, when he heard that she made shoes and clothes, he suddenly felt a trace of jealousy in his heart. It turned out that his brother-in-law had those things, but he did not¡­


    Jiang Danhe quietly approached Xiaoguo. Seeing that everyone else was busy eating, he leaned in and whispered in her ear, ¡°I haven¡¯t worn any clothes that you¡¯ve made.¡±


    Xiaoguo coughed and patted her chest. She looked up at the others and saw that no one had noticed anything amiss. Then, she turned to look at Jiang Danhe. Why did she detect a hint of resentment just now?


    Jiang Danhe sat up straight after saying that. When Xiaoguo turned to look at him, his ears turned red uncontrollably.


    Jiang Danhe really wanted to cover his ears, but by doing that, it would draw attention to himself. Therefore, he tried his best to stop his ears from turning red. However, this was something beyond his control. The only thing he could do was to stop himself from reaching for his ears.


    Xiaoguo could see his red ears at a glance¡ªit was hard to miss them. She watched as the ears of the tanned-skin man suddenly turned red, and she saw them become redder and redder.


    Xiaoguo did not dare to laugh out loud. She lowered her head and used the bowl to block her smile.


    Everyone finished all the potato noodles in the basin and returned to their rooms with bloated bellies.


    This was especially so for Li Shouji and Xiaoyi. They were so stuffed that they could barely stand.


    Jiang Danhe rubbed his stomach. He still wanted to eat more, but he felt a little shy under Xiaoguo¡¯s gaze. In just a short while, Li Shouji had already refilled two bowls.


    Jiang Danhe helped Li Shouji back into the house as the latter was groaning from having eaten too much.


    Jiang Danhe really wished that the man could fall to his death. ¡°How useless he is.¡±


    Xiaoguo was the same as everyone else. She was so stuffed that she couldn¡¯t lie down. When Zhuang Zhuang saw her like this, he thought of the eating exercises that Xiaoguo had taught him before.


    In the past, Zhuang Zhuang did not restrain himself when eating. He would keep eating until he was very full, so Xiaoguo had taught him some exercise.


    From then on, fitness exercises became digestive exercises.


    ¡°Xiao Yi, come here. I¡¯ll teach you some exercises for digestion.¡±


    Xiaoyi was pulled up by Zhuang Zhuang. Then, with a dazed expression, he followed Zhuang Zhuang and moved his limbs and hips.


    Slowly, he started to feel better and his tummy was less bloated. Hence, Xiaoyi paid more attention as he worked on the moves with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo watched as the two little children twisted and shook from side to side, with their buttocks swaying in front of her.


    ¡°They are so cute¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo felt like her heart was melting. She really felt like biting them¡­

 Chapter 157 - 157 Making Boots for Jiang Danhe

    157 Making Boots for Jiang Danhe


    The next day, Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji were not around. They said that they had something on, and left in a hurry early in the morning. Neither of them mentioned what the matter was.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi went to the study room again. During the last time, Jiang Danhe had bought a lot of books for Zhuang Zhuang. Thereafter, the studious boy would hang out in the study room every day with Xiaoyi.


    Xiaoguo was the only one left with nothing to do, so she wandered around the mansion.


    Unknowingly, she arrived at the kitchen.


    The kitchen was very quiet now, except for the soft conversation between the two chefs.


    Xiaoguo made a sound to let them know that she was here, in case her sudden arrival startled them.


    ¡°There you are, Madam!¡±


    The fatter cook greeted Xiaoguo happily.


    ¡°Yes I¡¯m here. What are you guys doing?¡±


    Xiaoguo was uninhibited around them. She grabbed a stool and sat down beside them.


    ¡°I¡¯m embroidering. I¡¯ll sew it onto my shoes later.¡±


    The fat cook pointed to a pair of half-finished shoes in the basket.


    Intrigued, Xiaoguo took the embroidered piece from her. The stitches were very fine. ¡°They are so well made.¡±


    The fat chef smiled shyly. ¡°Auntie Xu taught me this.¡±


    As she spoke, she pointed to the older chef..


    When Mrs. Xu heard this, she said humbly, ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t listen to her. I am just an amateur, my skills are so-so.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be modest.¡±


    The two of them laughed after speaking.


    Xiaoguo put down the half-finished shoes and thought of something.


    ¡°Do you want to make something too, Madam?¡±


    Mrs. Xu was a discerning person. She could tell at a glance that Xiaoguo was thinking about something.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiaoguo was taken aback. Then she felt embarrassed. ¡°I want to make a pair.¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of Jiang Danhe. He had whispered in her ear during dinner yesterday. SInce he had been nice to her, should she make him a pair to express her gratitude?


    Seeing the look on Xiaoguo¡¯s face, the fat chef said teasingly, ¡°Madam, you¡¯re making this for our general, right?¡±


    Xiaoguo blushed at that. It felt like someone had stepped on her tail and her hair was now standing on ends. ¡°Who said that? I was just asking. Just asking.¡±


    She was beginning to sound incoherent. Her eyes were unfocused and her cheeks were flushed. It was obvious that the fat chef¡¯s words had hit the spot.


    The two chefs had been through this before. Seeing Xiaoguo behave like this, they knew that she was being shy. Hence, they did not say anything even though they knew what it was about and quickly changed the topic.


    The three of them chatted casually. Xiaoguo watched the chefs carefully as they worked on their sewing. She even tried to find out where they had bought the shoe soles.


    After getting the answer she wanted, Xiaoguo took her leave.


    She had already been in the capital for a few days. She wasn¡¯t sure when she would return home, so she had better get the boots done and give them to Jiang Danhe before she leaves.


    Following the recommendations of the chefs, Xiaoguo arrived at the shop. The carriage stopped and Xiaoguo got out.


    She walked into the shop and looked around. The shop was not big, but there was a wide range of merchandise inside.


    The shop assistant came out to greet her. Xiaoguo had chosen a larger sole based on Jiang Danhe¡¯s shoe size. She was going to sew a layer of fur into the boots to keep the feet warm.


    The shop had just about anything, so Xiaoguo was able to get all the materials she needed from there.


    After handing over the silver, Xiaoguo returned to the carriage. She held the soles in her hands and measured them against her small hands. They should be about the right size.


    Initially, she didn¡¯t know the size of Jiang Danhe¡¯s feet. But before she came out, Xiaoguo managed to find his shoes in the room she was sleeping in. And this room was actually his bedroom. After she arrived in the capital, she had been occupying his room.


    Xiaoguo placed the soles in her hands to gauge the length and felt that it should be the right size. It was a fingernail bigger than his shoe, but it didn¡¯t matter. After sewing on the thick fur and lining, the shoes would fit perfectly.


    The carriage returned to the mansion.


    When Xiaoguo returned to the house, she began to work on the shoes hurriedly. She could go back anytime, so she had to speed up.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi came to look for Xiaoguo while she was sewing. Both of them gave Xiaoguo a piece of rice paper with a poem neatly written on it. When she compared the two pieces of paper, she realized that they had copied the same poem.


    Xiaoguo studied it carefully and found that it was a poem praising motherly love.


    Xiaoguo was touched. She put down the boots in her hands and looked carefully at the two pieces of rice paper in her hands. The more she looked, the happier she got.


    When she was teaching Zhuang Zhuang how to write in the beginning, his handwriting wasn¡¯t so neat. This was the first time she saw his proper handwriting. She couldn¡¯t get enough of looking at it.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s handwriting was sharp. The last stroke of every character was lifted at the end.


    Compared to Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoyi¡¯s handwriting was rounder. The entire font was round and full. One could easily tell that the person who wrote it was a cute little brat.


    As expected, handwriting is a good gauge of a person. Just by handwriting alone, Xiaoguo could tell the character of the writer.


    Zhuang Zhuang was a little calmer, while Xiaoyi was more playful.


    Xiaoguo kept the two pieces of rice paper and intended to mount them up when she got home. She will place them beside Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s bookshelf.


    After putting the paper away, Xiaoguo continued sewing the boots in her hands.


    At noon, Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji, who were supposed to be at home, had not come back. Xiaoguo was feeling a little curious. Ever since she arrived, the two of them had been at home most of the time. She was still a little unaccustomed to their sudden absence today.


    Before lunch was served, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly brought Xiaoyi along with him. They were clamoring to eat Xiaoguo¡¯s cooking.


    Xiaoguo asked them why they suddenly wanted to eat the food she made. Zhuang Zhuang replied, ¡°Xiaoyi has never eaten your cooking before, so he¡¯s a little curious.¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang finished speaking, Xiaoyi nodded. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang said that your cooking is very delicious, so I¡¯m a little hungry¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the two of them and slapped her thigh. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    With that, she threw down the boots in her hand and brought the two children to the kitchen.


    When the two chefs heard Xiaoguo¡¯s intentions, they generously offered the stove so that she could cook first.


    After thanking them, Xiaoguo got to work quickly in order not to delay their cooking.


    She cooked a few simple dishes, made a pot of porridge, and heated a plate of steamed buns. Then, she placed the porridge and steamed buns on a tray and left. The rest of the dishes were left for Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi to bring out.


    It had been a long time since Zhuang Zhuang had carried a plate for Xiaoguo. When he saw Xiaoguo pick up the porridge and steamed buns, he excitedly brought Xiaoyi with him and they each picked up a dish. Then, Zhuang Zhuang led the way and followed behind Xiaoguo like a big brother. Xiaoyi was also very happy. He exclaimed in surprise and followed behind Zhuang Zhuang.


    Mrs. Xu sniffed at the air and was intoxicated by the fragrance of the dishes. ¡°Oh my, Madam¡¯s cooking is so fragrant¡­¡±


    The fat chef stood at the side and watched Xiaoguo and the others leave. ¡°That¡¯s right. I couldn¡¯t help but sneak a bite. Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Mrs. Xu patted the fat chef gently as she wiped away her own drool. They were waiting by the side and the fragrance kept wafting into their noses. The food was really calling out to them. ¡°Stop talking about it, I feel like eating too. Haha.¡±


    The two chefs leaned against each other and sighed.


    ¡°Auntie, what are we eating today? I could smell the fragrance from outside.¡±


    At this moment, a soldier who had just finished his shift came over with his bowl and chopsticks. Although it was not time for lunch yet, the smell was too enticing. He could not help but come to the kitchen after his shift.


    Seeing that he was looking into the pot, the two chefs looked at each other and said helplessly, ¡°We haven¡¯t cooked yet.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, stop kidding around. It smells so good¡­¡±

 Chapter 158 - 158 Dining Situation

    158 Dining Situation


    The officer felt that they were teasing him. How could there be such a wonderful fragrance when they haven¡¯t cooked? ¡°Stop fooling around and serve the food quickly. I¡¯m not the only one. The others can smell it and will be here soon.¡±


    The soldier was a little anxious. When the others arrive later, he might not be able to grab his share of the food.


    Auntie Xu sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not just you, I am craving it too.¡±


    As she spoke, she lifted the lid of the pot so that he could see for himself. ¡°Madam did the cooking herself just now.¡±


    The officer retracted his gaze in disappointment and his eyes lit up. ¡°Weren¡¯t you guys watching from the side? You must have seen all the condiments. Just try to make some for me¡­¡±


    Hearing his words, the fat chef¡¯s eyes lit up. She looked at Auntie Xu and said, ¡°Auntie, give it a try.¡±


    Between the two of them, Mrs. Xu¡¯s culinary skills were relatively better. When Madam was cooking just now, she was watching carefully from the side and should have remembered most of the steps.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Mrs. Xu was a little hesitant. Although she could remember most of the details from watching Xiaoguo cook, she noticed that Xiaoguo was very particular about the heat when cooking. Even if she could get the seasonings right, if the heat was not right, the taste would turn out different.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it.¡±


    The fat cook was craving the dishes and kept encouraging her to cook.


    Seeing that Mrs. Xu was still hesitating, the soldier rolled his eyes and thought of a countermeasure. ¡°If we don¡¯t do it now, it will be too late. The others who have smelled the food will come over soon. When they reach here and realize that there¡¯s no food, they are not going to be happy.¡±


    As soon as the officer finished speaking, Mrs. Xu made up her mind. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give it a try!¡±


    The fat chef and the soldier were very happy. Mrs. Xu wiped her sweat. After hearing what he said earlier, she thought of the soldiers who were young and impetuous. If they were to kick up a fuss, she would be in trouble.


    The fat chef stood happily by the side as she prepared the ingredients for Mrs. Xu. Mrs. Xu, on the other hand, was carefully preparing the seasonings.


    Xiaoguo, who had just left, had no idea that a few random dishes she made would create a problem for the people in the kitchen.


    She brought the food to the hall and placed it on the table. Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi arrived safely in the hall as well.


    Xiaoguo took the dishes from them and arranged them on the table. There were four dishes and a basin of porridge.


    She usually liked to cook more dishes. Although there were just three of them, she still prepared a couple more dishes.


    On the table were pork strips, green pepper and pig liver, stir-fried vegetables with mushrooms, and stir-fried choy sum. They were all simple home-cooked dishes.


    Xiaoguo scooped some porridge for the two children and broke off half a steamed bun for each kid. The steamed buns from the kitchen were almost as big as Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face.


    Xiaoguo scooped a bowl of porridge and was about to drink it when she heard voices outside.


    After a while, Li Shouji appeared in front of them.


    ¡°Haha, I knew it. This smell is definitely not from our kitchen.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was a step behind, coming in a little later than Li Shouji. He walked past the latter and sat down beside Xiaoguo.


    Li Shouji was unwilling to fall behind, so he quickly sat down and sniffed the food on the table.


    As she did not know that they would suddenly return, she did not prepare any cutlery for them.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was about to answer Xiaoguo, but Li Shouji beat him to it. ¡°No, I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Jiang Danhe shut his mouth and glanced at Li Shouji.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she immediately got up to get them bowls and chopsticks.


    Jiang Danhe stopped her. ¡°Let Shouji go.¡±


    Li Shouji was just reaching out with his fingers to pick up the pork strips when he heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s words. He whined and reluctantly got up to go to the kitchen.


    As Xiaoguo could see the fatigue on the two men¡¯s faces, she wanted to stop Li Shouji and get the cutlery herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. Just let him go.¡±


    Jiang Danhe pulled Xiaoguo back and asked her to sit down. He had been out for most of the day and had not had a single drop of water. His mouth was parched.


    He looked around, then picked up the bowl in front of Xiaoguo and finished the porridge in one gulp.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my bowl¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe, who had finished everything in her bowl, and swallowed the words before they came out of her mouth.


    Jiang Danhe put down the bowl and wiped his mouth. Then, he calmly placed it back in front of Xiaoguo. Of course, he knew that this was her bowl.


    Xiaoguo scooped another bowl of porridge for herself with a calm expression on her face. ¡®Forget it. Let him drink it. It¡¯s not the first time anyway.¡¯


    Jiang Danhe secretly observed Xiaoguo¡¯s expression. When he didn¡¯t find any signs of dislike or rejection, he smiled to himself.


    Li Shouji was thinking about the dishes on the table. He was worried about getting to the table late and missing out on eating.


    He arrived at the kitchen and did not notice anything unusual around him. Instead, he hastily avoided the crowd and grabbed two sets of cutlery before taking two large steamed buns from the pot. He had to eat more later.


    Just as he was about to go back, he paused for a moment. He turned around and took another steamed bun. ¡°I have to eat more, more, more¡­¡±


    When he returned to the dining hall, he immediately picked up a large steamed bun and picked up some pork strips with his chopsticks. As expected, this was the taste he had imagined.


    ¡°Mmm, yummy, yummy, yummy.¡±


    Li Shouji was shoving down the pork strips, and green pepper pork liver into his mouth. He was eating very heartily.


    Jiang Danhe took the porridge that Xiaoguo had handed to him, and with a steamed bun in his other hand, he wolfed down his food in a slightly more refined manner than Li Shouji.


    He did not have time to eat anything in the morning. When he smelled the delightful fragrance of food after returning from a busy day at work, his internal organs started protesting loudly.


    ¡°This is delicious!¡±


    Jiang Danhe had just taken a bite when his eyes lit up and he started praising Xiaoguo. He was not bragging. This was the best cooking he had ever tasted. He took one bite after another. At this moment, Jiang Danhe really hoped that time would pass quickly so that he could go home and enjoy Xiaoguo¡¯s cooking.


    ¡°Eat more if It¡¯s good.¡±


    Xiaoguo watched them eat. Although they looked quite exaggerated, she was very happy.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious at this moment. The food that Xiaoguo had made for them was almost gone.


    The two children looked at each other and nodded. They were not going to chew slowly anymore so they started to reach for the dishes excitedly.


    Li Shouji dipped his steam bun in the vegetable soup and finished every last drop of it.


    ¡°Burp¡­¡±


    Li Shouji swallowed the bun and let out an extremely long burp.


    Jiang Danhe put down his bowl and chopsticks. The meal was indeed delicious and filling.


    Xiaoguo had already finished eating. She sat at the side and watched them eat. She wondered where Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji had gone earlier. Why were they so hungry?


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi had finished eating a long time ago. After all, they were kids, so they couldn¡¯t eat much. After stuffing themselves, they left the hall to play.


    Someone came to collect the dishes. Xiaoguo had the boots on her mind, so she waited for everyone to stop eating before returning to the room.


    Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji hung around a bit for the food to settle in their bellies, then they headed out and got back to work.


    After returning to the room, Xiaoguo lifted the blanket and revealed the half-finished shoes under it.


    She came back before dinner to cover the boots with a blanket. She was feeling rather shy about making the boots, so it was better to cover them up.


    Xiaoguo took out a needle and thread and continued to stitch up the sides of the shoes. Very soon, she would be able to sew up the top of the boots with the fur she had bought. The last step would be to attach the soles, then the boots will be done.


    Ever since Jiang Danhe found out that Zhuang Zhuang loved to read, he had bought various genres of books for him.


    Therefore, whenever Zhuang Zhuang had time, he would bring Xiaoyi to the study room. That gave Xiaoguo more time to make the boots.

 Chapter 159 - 159 Menu

    159 Menu


    In the afternoon, Xiaoguo had just put down her needle and thread and was stretching her neck.


    At that moment, Jiang Danhe entered the room. Xiaoguo quickly covered the boots with the blanket.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe nervously, unsure if he had seen her just now.


    ¡°Nothing much. Someone¡¯s coming over tonight. Do you think you can make a few dishes?¡±


    The first thing Jiang Danhe did when he returned was to ask Xiaoguo if she could prepare dinner. At first, he did not agree to it. However, that person somehow knew about Xiaoguo¡¯s good culinary skills, so he specifically requested to try it. Jiang Danhe could not refuse and therefore agreed to it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just let the kitchen prepare it?¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt that it was a little too much to ask from Xiaoguo, so he thought for a moment and decided to let the chefs prepare the food instead.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I love cooking. I can handle the cooking tonight.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped Jiang Danhe, who was about to leave. She had wondered what was going on, so it was just this. From his expression, she had thought that he had seen the boots she was sewing.


    ¡°Is there anything that should not be on the menu? Or is there anything that the person does not eat?¡±


    Upon hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s question, Jiang Danhe tried to recall and realized that there was nothing. He shook his head and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing he doesn¡¯t eat, but he especially likes fish.¡±


    Jiang Danhe remembered that when they ate together, there would usually be fish at the dining table. And there were hardly any leftovers, so he guessed that the guest might prefer fish meat.


    After Xiaoguo made a mental note, she immediately started to think about the menu for the night. Jiang Danhe usually would not trouble her. The person who was coming this time must be quite important. Otherwise, Jiang Danhe would not let her work so hard.


    Just as Xiaoguo was thinking about the menu, Jiang Danhe suddenly hesitated.


    ¡°Will it be too much work?¡±


    Jiang Danhe asked tentatively.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you think it¡¯s going to be hard, then you can help me.¡±


    Xiaoguo said jokingly.


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he replied without hesitation, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. She obviously didn¡¯t take Jiang Danhe¡¯s words seriously. Weren¡¯t men supposed to stay away from the kitchens during ancient times? Xiaoguo took Jiang Danhe¡¯s words with a pinch of salt.


    When Xiaoguo was in the kitchen preparing the ingredients, Jiang Danhe appeared at her side.


    Xiaoguo sized up the serious-looking man. She didn¡¯t expect him to keep to his word.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Xiaoguo came back to her senses and looked at Jiang Danhe, who was also wearing an apron.


    ¡°Are you really going to do it?¡±


    Jiang Danhe heard the doubt in Xiaoguo¡¯s voice, so he nodded seriously to show her how serious he was.


    Xiaoguo understood Jiang Danhe¡¯s determination. But immediately after, she had another doubt. ¡°Can he cook?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t cook, but I can help to prepare the ingredients.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said confidently, but under Xiaoguo¡¯s puzzled gaze, his confidence began to waver. ¡°¡­I think so.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. ¡°It is not important whether he could cook or not. As long as he doesn¡¯t make things worse.¡±


    But would things really turn out as Xiaoguo expected?


    ¨C


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t pick the leaves like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t cut things this way¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You threw away the part that is edible and kept the non-edible part¡­¡±


    ¡°I will pick it up¡­¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t removed the scales.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it now¡­¡±


    ¡°This dish can¡¯t¡­ this meat is too thick¡­ you haven¡¯t washed these¡­ the meat isn¡¯t minced properly¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    From time to time, Xiaoguo¡¯s voice could be heard from the kitchen, accompanied by Jiang Danhe¡¯s endless apologies.


    Fortunately, when the two of them came into the kitchen earlier, the chefs had deliberately vacated the kitchen. Otherwise, their eyes would probably pop out of their sockets if they saw the usually awe-inspiring general being criticized like a primary school student.


    ¡°This pork should be cut into shreds.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was standing in front of the chopping board with a knife in his hand. He looked at the meat that he had cut into chunks and was at a loss.


    Xiaoguo had no choice but to put down her knife and take over the knife in his hand to demonstrate.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do this first. Then we¡¯ll cut them into thinner pieces and arrange them neatly. Then we¡¯ll cut them into thin shreds.¡±


    Xiaoguo took a small piece of meat and cut it into shreds. She placed the shredded meat on a plate and left the rest to him.


    Although Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know how to cook, he was quick at learning. Whatever that Xiaoguo had demonstrated, he was able to follow and execute the exact steps. He was indeed a little clumsy, but Xiaoguo felt that it was quite a feat for him to do this.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. It¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    Jiang Danhe cut the shredded meat a little clumsily. To be honest, this was his first time cooking, so the cutting was inconsistent. However, when he thought of the promises he had made to Xiaoguo, he kept telling himself to carry on and that he could do it.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. That¡¯s it. That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    Seeing that he was managing the cutting quite well, Xiaoguo turned around and worked on what she had to do.


    Jiang Danhe heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Xiaoguo leave. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like having her by his side. In fact, he really liked having her with him, but he wasn¡¯t used to hearing her compliments and was feeling a little shy about it.


    Xiaoguo was cutting carrots and she had no idea what Jiang Danhe was thinking. She praised him because he had really done a good job. Furthermore, she was managing him like she usually did with Zhuang Zhuang. She had always given Zhuang Zhuang lots of encouragement while parenting him.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was applying her positive parenting techniques on Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe was cutting the vegetables clumsily. From time to time, he would receive Xiaoguo¡¯s encouragement. He was really not used to it and felt a little shy. In addition, he was also a little happy.


    As Jiang Danhe had said, the visitor has a preference for fish. Hence, Xiaoguo planned to make three dishes from one fish. The fish head would be steamed with diced hot red peppers. The middle part of the fish would be made into West Lake Vinegar Fish. The tail portion of the fish would be cut into thick slices and be made into Crispy Fish with Gravy.


    Xiaoguo guessed that the visitor must be someone of high status, so she designed a menu which consisted of ten dishes, one soup and one dessert.


    There were three dishes for one fish. One fish was very big, so it was enough to split into three large plates.


    Next, there were green pepper shredded pork, sour and spicy shredded potatoes, assorted cold dishes, steamed chicken in spicy sauce, blood curd in sauce, crispy stuffed lotus root and braised meatballs.


    The soup would be chicken and radish soup. For dessert, she would be making brown sugar glutinous rice cake.


    After all the ingredients were prepared, the next step was to wait for the food to be stir-fried. As it was still early, Xiaoguo did not have to rush.


    Jiang Danhe wiped his sweat and put down the knife. Who would have thought that cutting vegetables would be so troublesome? To him, a piece was the same as a strip, and a strip was the same as a shred. Who would distinguish them so distinctly like Xiaoguo?


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo found it a little funny. Although he was not very good at cutting, he was very thoughtful, and helped her with cleaning up. With his help, Xiaoguo really saved a lot of time and effort.


    ¡°Okay, done and dusted.¡±


    Xiaoguo placed all the cut ingredients in a bowl and placed them in the order that they would go into the pot later. This way, things wouldn¡¯t get too messy later.


    ¡°By the way, when is that man coming?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked for clarification so that she could estimate the time it would take to cook.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be here at dinner time.¡±


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t think about it and blurted out. In fact, the guest had wanted to come back with them at noon, but he had rejected him.


    Xiaoguo nodded in acknowledgment.

 Chapter 160 - 160 Learning from the Master

    160 Learning from the Master


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, are you going to help me start the fire?¡±


    Xiaoguo went to the study and found Zhuang Zhuang practicing his calligraphy.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang immediately put down his brush and got ready to leave the room. However, he stopped and turned to remind Xiaoyi, who was planning to leave with him. ¡°You haven¡¯t finished writing a chapter.¡±


    When Xiaoyi heard this, he quickly sat back down. It was obvious that he could not sneak out with them.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded in satisfaction, then he took Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and left.


    Xiaoyi watched enviously as they left. He pouted as he thought to himself, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is even stricter than the teachers in the palace¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh, forget it. Hurry up and write.¡± Zhuang Zhuang was right. He had to finish what he was doing. Once he was done, he could join them right after.


    After Xiaoyi made his decision, he immediately went back to writing.


    ¡°Wow, why are there so many dishes?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the table filled with side dishes and was very surprised. There was so much delicious food!


    He ran around the table to take a good look at the food.


    Xiaoguo pressed his head down. ¡°Alright, stop running. Help me start the fire later.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang leaned against Xiaoguo¡¯s leg. When he heard her words, he nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s plan was to prepare the cold dishes first. Some of the items on the menu like the assorted plates, steamed chicken with sauce, and shredded potato salad were usually served cold, so it would be better to make them earlier and place them on the table first.


    Zhuang Zhuang was lighting up the fire when the two chefs came over.


    ¡°Madam, we¡¯re free now. We came to help you and pick up a few techniques from you¡­¡±


    The two chefs came over with a smile¡ªbut they were looking a little embarrassed.


    Mrs. Xu was also a little shy. She didn¡¯t feel good about going over so brazenly to pick up cooking techniques from XIaoguo. Although the food she made for the soldiers tasted pretty good, the fragrance was still lacking somehow. Thereafter, she tried making the dishes on her own a few times but she still couldn¡¯t get it.


    This time round, Xiaoguo was preparing dinner, so the two chefs did not have much to do. However, the two of them were really curious, so they came over to check things out.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Things will be easier with your help.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t think much of it. She had no intention of hiding anything. What was the point of doing that? These were not recipes that she would use for opening a restaurant or anything like that. Besides, the dishes she was making today were just ordinary home-cooked food, and only a few condiments were being used. What was more important was getting the temperature right.


    Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, the two of them heaved a sigh of relief. They were feeling a little uneasy before that.


    ¡°So what do we do first?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked around. Actually, there was nothing much to do. She and Jiang Danhe had washed and cut all the ingredients. All that was left was to cook them.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much else to do. Why don¡¯t you help to pass the ingredients?¡±


    Mrs. Xu was a little older than the fat chef and was more experienced. When she heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, she looked around and saw that everything had been prepared. All the dishes were placed neatly beside the stove. Xiaoguo could just take them when she was cooking. There was no need for anyone to hand them over. This was just an excuse for the two of them to stay.


    Auntie Xu smiled from the bottom of her heart. ¡°Oh, okay!¡±


    The fat chef was still a little young, so she was not as perceptive as Mrs. Xu. She took Xiaoguo¡¯s words seriously and tried to help out.


    Xiaoguo tried her best to explain each step clearly. The main point was the heat control. Xiaoguo could tell that the fat chef was just waiting to taste the food. Mrs. Xu, on the other hand, really wanted to learn. Hence, Xiaoguo told her about the heat control and the sequence of adding various seasonings.


    Mrs. Xu was very serious. She took note of the sequence of Xiaoguo¡¯s cooking from beginning to end. She also memorized when to put in which ingredients when the oil was at varying temperatures.


    Xiaoguo slowed down so that Mrs. Xu could get a better look. There was still time.


    Zhuang Zhuang had been pushed to one side when the two chefs arrived. The fat chef realized that there was no need for her to pass the ingredients, so she took over Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s job and watched the fire.


    Seeing that there was nothing else for him to do, Zhuang Zhuang got Xiaoguo¡¯s permission to return to the study.


    Xiaoyi had just finished writing a chapter and ran out happily. Before he could step out of the room, he saw Zhuang Zhuang walking over.


    ¡°Let¡¯s learn another chapter.¡±


    As soon as Zhuang Zhuang finished speaking, Xiaoyi was petrified. ¡°Help¡­¡±


    ¨C


    Each time Xiaoguo scooped out a completed dish, the fat chef would bring it to the hall and place it on the table.


    Xiaoguo set aside a small portion of each dish for the two chefs to taste.


    Mrs. Xu hurriedly picked up the food with her chopsticks and put it into her mouth. It was indeed delicious, and there was an indescribable fragrance. Every condiment was added so precisely that every ingredient still retained its own unique fragrance. The food was unlike the dishes prepared by other chefs, where there is always a dominant flavor that overshadows the other accompanying ingredients.


    Xiaoguo continued to stir-fry the vegetables. Now that the cold dishes had been served, she heard from the fat chef that Li Shouji was already sitting in the hall, waiting. Xiaoguo guessed that the guest would be arriving soon.


    ¡°Auntie, turn up the heat.¡±


    Hot dishes should be stir-fried to taste good.


    Mrs. Xu acknowledged Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions and added more firewood to increase the temperature.


    Xiaoguo took the opportunity to add more cooking oil and stir-fried the vegetables.


    After a while, the fragrance wafted out.


    The two chefs were momentarily intoxicated by the overpowering fragrance.


    ¡°What¡¯s this dish? It smells so good¡­¡±


    The fat cook couldn¡¯t help it and commented first. This fragrance was unfamiliar to her. It was fragrant and spicy at the same time.


    Mrs. Xu had to stand up and move closer to take a closer look. ¡°Beansprouts, duck blood, fish balls, pork balls.¡±


    Mrs. Xu read out all the ingredients in the pot and smelled them carefully. ¡°It¡¯s really fragrant. What dish is this?¡±


    ¡°This is blood curd in spicy sauce.¡± Xiaoguo scooped out the completed dish from the pot after it was cooked ¡°First, stir-fry the chili sauce to bring out the fragrance. Then, add all the ingredients together with some water. After you¡¯re done, add some salt to season the food. I should have added tripe and pig intestines to the dish. However, tripe is not easy to get in the markets and pig intestines have to be washed and cooked beforehand. It will take too much time, so I didn¡¯t put them in.¡±


    Xiaoguo found that the chili sauce they made themselves was very fragrant, so she dug out a large spoonful and used it for stir-frying.


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo¡¯s hands did not stop moving. She filled the pot with oil and heated it until it was smoking. After all the ingredients in the blood curd dish were cooked, she placed some dried chili flakes and peppercorns on top before pouring the bubbling hot oil to complete the dish.


    When the hot oil was poured onto the ingredients, there was a crackling sound and a delightful fragrance filled the air.


    The two chefs surrounded the dish curiously and studied it. They had never seen such a dish before.


    Xiaoguo did not stop for long. She quickly washed the pot and began to stir-fry the next dish.


    Before the sky turned dark, all the hot dishes and the chicken radish soup were served. There was only the fish left.


    Mrs. Xu knew how to make brown sugar glutinous rice cakes, so Xiaoguo left the cooking to her while she carefully processed the fish.


    First, she worked on the steamed fish head with diced hot red peppers. Mrs. Xu had made some diced hot red peppers and kept them in the kitchen. Xiaoguo was used to stir-frying the peppers and adding them to the fish head before steaming. This way, the taste would be better.


    After the fish head was put into a pot to steam, it was time to make the crispy fish with gravy. The West Lake Vinegar Fish would be cooked last.


    The lower half of the fish was cut into thick slices, wrapped in flour, and deep fried in a pot until golden yellow. Then, all the fish slices were placed into the heated oil and fried again.


    After 30 seconds, Xiaoguo fished everything out. She then prepared a sauce with a couple of condiments, and soaked the fish slices in it.


    While soaking the sliced fish, Xiaoguo began to prepare the West Lake vinegar fish.


    She split the fish meat on both sides and made a few cuts. By doing so, the shape would look good and it would be cooked more evenly.


    She covered it in flour, lifted it up, and patted off the excess flour from the fish. Then, she placed it in the same pot that she had just used for deep-frying.


    While waiting, she went on to prepare the vinegar sauce. Compared to the sweet and sour fish, the West Lake Vinegar Fish was slightly more sour and had less sugar. Everything else was the same for the two dishes.


    Xiaoguo added a little more vinegar in proportion to the fish. Then, she added the scallions into the pot and began to stir-fry until the sauce became thick.


    The fried fish was placed on a plate and drizzled with the vinegar sauce.


    Finally, it was garnished with a pinch of chopped green onions.

 Chapter 161 - 161 The Honorable Guest Arrives

    161 The Honorable Guest Arrives


    Xiaoguo picked up the pickled crispy fish with chopsticks and plated it. Every piece of the crispy fish was coated with the fragrant sweet sauce. On top of the aroma from the soybean paste, the sauce derives its fragrance from fruit juice that Xiaoguo had added. That was why there was a refreshing sweetness to its taste.


    Xiaoguo and the chefs brought all the dishes to the hall. Jiang Danhe was already seated in the hall with Li Shouji, Zhuang Zhuang, and Xiaoyi, but they were not at the dining table.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo guessed that the person who was coming might not be here yet.


    As soon as Xiaoguo placed the dishes on the table, the two adults remained pretty calm. However, Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were not like them. The two kids followed Xiaoguo closely and kept sniffing at the food.


    From the minute she brought the food in, the two children could not take their eyes off the plate in her hands.


    Xiaoguo put down all the dishes and touched the plates. She was relieved to find that they were still warm.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, your culinary skills are really top-notch!¡±


    Jiang Danhe glanced at Li Shouji proudly. ¡°That goes without saying.¡±


    Li Shouji looked eagerly at the hot dishes on the table. How he wished that he could eat with his eyes first.


    After ensuring that everything was in order, Xiaoguo got ready to leave with Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi. After all, Jiang Danhe was expecting guests, it would be better for her to stay out of the way.


    ¡°Hey, Sister-in-law, where are you going?¡±


    Li Shouji saw Xiaoguo turning to leave with the two children and immediately called out to her.


    Jiang Danhe also saw her and knew what she was thinking at a glance. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. It seemed that she was still treating him like an outsider¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave. You¡¯re the hostess.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said each word firmly. Xiaoguo was stunned when she heard him. It was as if something had struck her heart, and she was stunned for a moment.


    After a moment, Xiaoguo avoided his eyes. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bring them to wash their faces first.¡±


    She pulled the two children back into the house. Time was of the essence. They couldn¡¯t let the guest wait for them.


    Xiaoguo wiped the boys¡¯ faces first. She wondered if the two children had been fooling around in the study. Why were their faces stained with ink?


    Using a towel, Xiaoguo tried to clean their faces as gently as possible. However, time was running short, so she had to exert a bit of strength while cleaning them up.


    When she was done with the kids, she sent them to the hall.


    She had to wash up too. It would be impolite for her to meet the guest when she was smelling like grease and smoke.


    Xiaoguo quickly washed up and combed her hair. Then she quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes.


    After confirming that she looked okay, she quickly went to the hall. When she got there,she was glad that the guest had not arrived yet.


    Jiang Danhe had been waiting for Xiaoguo for a long time. He was afraid that she would not come over. When he saw her at the door, he was relieved.


    ¡°Come and sit down.¡±


    Jiang Danhe let Xiaoguo sit beside him and massaged her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt a little uncomfortable as Li Shouji and the two children were there. Xiaoguo blushed when she saw the look in their eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Stop it.¡±


    Xiaoguo dodged left and right, but she could not get away from Jiang Danhe¡¯s big hands. His hands seemed to be glued to her shoulders.


    Jiang Danhe held Xiaoguo¡¯s shoulders and gently pulled her into his arms. ¡°Stop fooling around.¡±


    Xiaoguo was startled by his actions. Before she knew it, the sound of Jiang Danhe¡¯s breathing and his voice sounded in her ear.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s ears turned red. Her heart was thumping non-stop. She could feel his strong and powerful heartbeat with his chest pressed against her back. The rhythm of his thumping heart was engulfing her heartbeat gradually. Slowly she could feel their hearts beating at the same frequency.


    Xiaoguo felt a little strange. She had no intention of getting up, although reason told her that there were people around and she had to get up quickly. But she wasn¡¯t responding to the rational reminders in her heart. ¡°This is nice¡­¡±


    ¡°General.¡±


    The soldiers at the door came in and interrupted Xiaoguo¡¯s thoughts. She immediately stood up and avoided eye contact with Jiang Danhe.


    Actually, she was secretly looking at him¡­


    As Jiang Danhe felt the little body leave his arms, he looked resentfully at the soldier who just came in and vented his anger on him.


    Xiaoguo saw his expression and blushed¡­


    Jiang Danhe took a deep breath. ¡°You may leave.¡±


    ¡°The guest is here,¡±


    Jiang Danhe said gently to Xiaoguo. Then he looked at Li Shouji and said, ¡°Go and get him.¡±


    Since he couldn¡¯t vent his anger on the soldier, he could only vent it on Li Shouji. Who would have thought that the soldier would barge in to smell the food?


    Jiang Danhe had said four words to both Xiaoguo and Li Shouji, but Li Shouji could clearly hear the difference in his tone. He was so gentle to her, but when he spoke to him, it was just, ¡°Go and pick him up.¡± Would it kill him to say another word?


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    Li Shouji followed behind Jiang Danhe with a melancholic expression. However, he turned around midway, and looked at the dishes on the dining table. ¡°Little dishes, I¡¯ll come and eat you later¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo stood at the door with Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi, waiting for the guest to arrive.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi looked at each other in confusion.


    ¡°Mother, why are your ears red?¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she looked down at the two of them. Unexpectedly, Xiaoyi nodded in agreement and looked at her with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°I, I, I¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t answer for a long time.


    Just then, a figure walked over from afar. Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief as if she had been saved. ¡°Someone¡¯s here.¡±


    As expected, when they heard this, the two children were distracted by the person approaching.


    Xiaoguo took the opportunity to rub her ears. ¡°Stop blushing, you little things!¡±


    ¡°Aye?¡±


    Xiaoyi was familiar with the figure of the guest. ¡°Why was he here? Feeling unhappy¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang also recognized the man. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this Xiaoyi¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tugged at Xiaoguo, urging her to look.


    Xiaoguo looked up and saw a familiar face. It was the emperor!


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know that the emperor was coming. When she saw that it was him, she felt nervous. She wasn¡¯t nervous about him coming for dinner. Instead, it was because of her cooking. Were the home-cooked dishes too simple for the emperor? She should have made a few more dishes.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    Seeing that he was approaching, Wen Xiaoyi snorted and returned to the hall. He sat himself down at the dining table first. If he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have told him about the delicious food here.


    ¡°Oh my, I can smell the fragrance all the way from the main entrance. I didn¡¯t expect it to smell even better here at the door!¡±


    Once Shao Zhan was out of the palace, he did not put on any airs. From the minute he arrived, he did not stop smiling. Xiaoguo was quite puzzled.


    ¡°So the Emperor is a chatterbox?¡±


    Shao Zhan had seen the look on Xiaoyi¡¯s face just now. He snorted. ¡°This brat was really a brat!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go into the house.¡±


    Xiaoguo was afraid that the food would turn cold, so she invited them in to chat.


    Shao Zhan strode into the house and sniffed at the fragrance in the air. ¡°Not bad, not bad. It smells really good. I must eat more tonight.¡±


    Jiang Danhe led Xiaoguo to sit beside him. Zhuang Zhuang followed Xiaoguo and sat beside her and Xiaoyi.


    Li Shouji also found a seat and got ready to eat.


    Shao Zhan started eating first. He had been skeptical when he heard from Xiaoyi that the food here was delicious. Now that he had tasted it, he really couldn¡¯t blame Xiaoyi for not wanting to go back. If only Xiaoguo was the one preparing food in the palace.


    Shao Zhan couldn¡¯t stop eating. Seeing him like this, Xiaoyi couldn¡¯t help but feel indignant. Everytime his father took one bite, Xiaoyi would take two. He could not lose out to him.


    Seeing that the emperor was eating well, Xiaoguo was relieved. She picked up some fish meat with her chopsticks and picked out the bones. She then divided the meat into two portions for Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi.


    The two children ate the fish without any fuss. It was obvious that they were used to Xiaoguo helping them with the food.


    Li Shouji did not stop eating. Even though the emperor was beside him, he did not care anymore. Food was the most important thing now.

 Chapter 162 - 162 Xiaoyis Heartache

    162 Xiaoyi¡¯s Heartache


    While Jiang Danhe was eating, he did not forget to help Xiaoguo with the food. Seeing that she was busy adding food to the kids¡¯ bowls, and was not eating much herself, he was rather concerned.


    He heaped her bowl with lots of fish and meat. There was not a shred of vegetables at all.


    Xiaoguo sighed and looked at Jiang Danhe helplessly. She really couldn¡¯t eat anymore.


    ¡°This fish is amazing!!¡±


    Shao Zhan had tasted fish prepared in various ways in the palace, but they were mostly stewed or deep fried. He didn¡¯t expect fish to taste so good when vinegar sauce was added to it. And the fish head made by XIaoguo also tasted so fragrant and tender.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, your mind is really full of strange ideas.¡±


    To think that a fish could be made into three different dishes. If only those old fogeys in the place could be more creative with their recipes, then at least he would not get sick of eating the same things all the time.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she smiled shyly. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Isn¡¯t eating and drinking the most important thing for humans? I enjoy thinking about food when I have the time.¡±


    Jiang Danhe admitted proudly, ¡°My wife is simply smart.¡±


    Xiaoguo was trying hard to be humble but Jiang Danhe had indirectly accepted the compliment on her behalf.


    As soon as he uttered those words, the people at the table laughed.


    Xiaoguo ignored their teasing looks and secretly pinched Jiang Danhe under the table. When he looked over, she signaled him with her eyes to stop talking nonsense.


    Jiang Danhe was not affected by her weak pinches at all. While her hands were grabbing at his waist, he reached out and wrapped her small hand in his.


    The embarrassed Xiaoguo immediately pushed Jiang Danhe away and glared at him. After which she turned her head away from him and avoided eye contact.


    However, her gaze, which was not intimidating at all, had zero effects on Jiang Danhe. Instead, it caused him to chuckle.


    Xiaoguo pinched him a few more times. After venting her anger, she ignored him and carried on eating.


    The people at the dining table exchanged looks and smiled.


    By the end of the meal, there was not much food left on the plates. There was basically no wastage.


    The chefs quickly came out from the backyard to clear the table. Xiaoguo helped to stack the plates to make things easier for them.


    Shao Zhan, Jiang Danhe, and Li Shouji headed to the study after dinner.


    Xiaoguo stopped the two children, who were about to follow the three men to the study. After which, she brought them back to the bedroom.


    The three of them probably had things to discuss, so Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi should not go in and disturb them.


    When the kids returned to the room with Xiaoguo, Xiaoyi lay on the bed and vented his anger. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t understand what was going on, so Zhuang Zhuang explained to her from the side.


    ¡°Someone wanted to bring Xiaoyi back yesterday, but Xiaoyi said that the food here is too good, and he refused to go back. That¡¯s why his father came today.¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang explained, Xiaoguo finally understood.


    ¡°Xiaoyi?¡± Xiaoguo sighed and walked to the bed where the boy was lying down. She sat down beside him and reached out to nudge him.


    ¡°Xiao Yi?¡±


    After calling out a few times, Xiaoyi still didn¡¯t answer. She picked him up and placed him in her arms.


    ¡°Xiao Yi, can you tell me why you don¡¯t like your father?¡±


    Xiaoguo pulled away Xiaoyi¡¯s hands that were covering his face. She directed the question at the boy, who was frowning.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Still Xiaoyi said nothing.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo could only sigh helplessly. She pretended to be sad and said, ¡°Alright then. It¡¯s fine if Xiaoyi doesn¡¯t say anything. I thought that we were friends. I thought that you liked me as much as I liked you. It turns out that it was just my wishful thinking.¡±


    Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes were still closed. When he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he immediately opened his eyes and said anxiously, ¡°No, no! I like you, I really like you! You¡¯re my friend too!¡±


    Seeing how anxious he was, Xiaoguo smiled gently to herself.


    ¡°Then when I was talking to you just now, you ignored me¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo said with a miserable look.


    Xiaoyi immediately turned around and looked at Xiaoguo. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to see that person.¡±


    ¡°That person?¡± Xiaoguo was stunned. ¡°Was it Shao Zhan?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you like him?¡±


    Xiaoguo struck while the iron was hot.


    ¡°Because¡­ because¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi was furious at first. He wanted to point out his father¡¯s flaws, but he was unable to say anything after a long pause.


    Slowly, Xiaoyi became calmer. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why do I hate him?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t treat me well? No, he treated me well.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t love me? No, he loved me very much. He said I was his heart. He couldn¡¯t live without me.¡±


    ¡°Then why do I hate him¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion. Why did he hate him? Does he really hate his father?


    Xiaoguo stroked the top of Xiaoyi¡¯s head and looked into his confused eyes. She slowly said, ¡°Why does Xiaoyi hate him? Is it because he wasn¡¯t with you before you were three?¡±


    Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang were very similar. They regarded the absence of their fathers as a form of exclusion. In fact, as long as they had the chance to spend time together, they still had a lot of admiration for their fathers.


    Xiaoyi nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. Actually, I don¡¯t hate him. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    ¡°You were just subconsciously avoiding him.¡±


    Xiaoguo finished his sentence for him and looked at the boy with certainty.


    Xiaoyi nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was listening to their conversation and quickly stepped forward. ¡°Just like me.¡±


    Xiaoyi¡¯s interest was piqued. He picked up from there and started exchanging his thoughts with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t disturb the two of them and slipped outside. She would let the two children have the room. Perhaps it would be easier for them to communicate with each other.


    ¨C


    When Xiaoguo was heading back to the room, she bumped into a few people coming out of the study. Shao Zhan looked like he was about to leave, so Xiaoguo quickly went back into the house and called Xiaoyi out.


    ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    Shao Zhan waved at the few men around him. Then, he appeared to be looking for something. In the end, he saw a small figure standing at a corner.


    ¡°I thought he wouldn¡¯t come out¡­¡±


    Shao Zhan suddenly laughed out loud.


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoyi couldn¡¯t help but laugh with him.


    When Shao Zhan saw this, he smiled happily. Then, his eyes immediately teared up.


    Before the tear could trickle out, Shao Zhan turned around and quickly got into the carriage. Then, he tried to control his trembling voice and said, ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    The carriage and the group of soldiers quickly departed.


    Xiaoyi looked at the departing carriage, but his mind was replaying what he had just seen earlier. He remained rooted to the ground. ¡°I saw that quite clearly, was that a tear¡­?¡±


    Xiaoguo watched the carriage disappear and was about to bring the two children back when she looked down and saw that Xiaoyi was rooted to the spot. She thought that he was suddenly reluctant to part with Shao Zhan and rubbed his head comfortingly.


    Jiang Danhe turned around and saw that Xiaoguo was wearing so little. He was worried about her. ¡°Hurry up and go back.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew what he meant, so she nodded and pulled the kids back into the house.


    ¨C


    The next morning, Xiaoguo spent her time sewing boots in the house. After a day and a night of hard work, the boots were almost finished.


    ¡°Mother, Mother.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang ran to Xiaoguo¡¯s side.


    Xiaoguo set the boots down and patted his back, where he was panting from running. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tried to catch his breath and said, ¡°I saw Magistrate Liu just now. He told me that we will be going back tomorrow.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice was filled with happiness and reluctance. ¡°Once I go home, I won¡¯t be able to see Xiaoyi, and Father.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s stomach lurched at those words. ¡°Where is he now?¡±

 Chapter 163 - 163 Jiang Danhes Gift

    163 Jiang Danhe¡¯s Gift


    ¡°He went to see Father.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in acknowledgment.


    After informing Xiaoguo, Zhuang Zhuang left. Xiaoyi was still crying. Since he was leaving tomorrow, he had to say goodbye to his friend.


    Xiaoguo watched Zhuang Zhuang leave and felt a little lost. They are leaving tomorrow¡­


    ¨C


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s voice interrupted Xiaoguo¡¯s packing.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked back at Jiang Danhe.


    There was reluctance in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes. It looked like Xiaoguo had found out. ¡°County Magistrate Liu came over today¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded when she heard him and waited for him to continue. But he didn¡¯t speak again for a long time.


    ¡°County Magistrate Liu was here to inform us to return tomorrow.¡±


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t going to say anything, Xiaoguo spoke first.


    Jiang Danhe nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine actually. I think it¡¯s been too long. My brother should be quite worried at home. Haha¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that the atmosphere was a little gloomy at the moment, so she deliberately spoke in a relaxed tone, hoping to dispel some of the gloominess.


    Jiang Danhe understood Xiaoguo¡¯s intentions, so he put aside his emotions and said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you pack up.¡±


    Neither of them wanted to spend the rest of the day moping.


    Even if today was the last day for the time being, then it should be one that was filled with good memories and joy.


    Xiaoguo nodded and continued to pack. In fact, there weren¡¯t too many things to pack. She and Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s clothes could be packed into a single bag. She just had to gather the gifts that she had bought.


    After Xiaoguo was done checking that she had left nothing behind, she placed all the items together with her baggage.


    When everything was in order, Xiaoguo did a final check again.


    She looked around the room and saw that everything had been tidied up.


    Then, she noticed that the person who had offered his help earlier, was fiddling with something in front of the closet.


    Xiaoguo snorted. ¡°He had offered to help her, but instead, he was busy doing something else.¡±


    With those thoughts, Xiaoguo quietly tiptoed towards him.


    Jiang Danhe was carefully sorting out the gifts he had bought for Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhaung, so he did not hear Xiaoguo approaching.


    Xiaoguo was right behind Jiang Danhe, but he still did not notice her. He was focused on what he had in his hands.


    Xiaoguo was furious, so she extended her neck to see what he was so preoccupied with,


    After trying for a long time, she couldn¡¯t see anything. It was mainly because Jiang Danhe was too tall and the closet wasn¡¯t wide enough for her to take a peek. The man was completely blocking her view.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s toes were sore from standing on tiptoe for so long, but all she could see was a patch of pink cloth.


    ¡°What was this?¡± Xiaoguo put down her foot. ¡°Did Jiang Danhe have a fetish for pink?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±. The more she thought about it, the more terrified she felt.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Xiaoguo patted Jiang Danhe on the shoulder. She had been standing behind him for a long time, but he still did not notice her. He just kept fiddling with the things in his hands. What was he trying to take? She couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Jiang Danhe was shocked. He turned around and smiled when he saw that it was Xiaoguo.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re asking me what¡¯s wrong? Weren¡¯t you going to help me pack? I¡¯m already done packing. What exactly are you doing?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hair stood on end when she heard him ask her what was wrong. She should be the one asking him since he had offered to help her pack up. However, he had completely ignored her and only kept fiddling with his own stuff.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Do you think I¡¯m ignoring you?¡± Jiang Danhe smiled teasingly and threw down the things in his hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pay attention to you now. What do you want me to do?¡±


    As he spoke, he moved closer to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Stop dreaming, you.¡±


    Feeling amused, Xiaoguo pushed Jiang Danhe away. This person was really good at changing subjects. She wasn¡¯t complaining about him ignoring her. Seriously¡­


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo in disbelief. The look on her face was saying otherwise.


    ¡°Do you still want to be pinched?¡±


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe was getting closer, Xiaoguo spoke in a threatening voice.


    Jiang Danhe paused for a moment, but it was not because he was afraid that Xiaoguo would pinch him. To be honest, Xiaoguo¡¯s pinching feels more like tickling. To him, it could be considered as intimate contact.


    He stopped because he had a lot of things that he had not sorted out for her. They were the gifts that he had bought for her and Zhuang Zhuang some time ago.


    Jiang Danhe took her hand and led her to sit on the bed. Then, he turned around and took out everything from the cupboard and placed them on the bed. ¡°These are the things I bought for you previously. However, I thought that our child was a daughter, so I bought all these hair ornaments and fabrics.¡±


    After saying that, Jiang Danhe felt a little embarrassed. This was because the hair ornaments he had bought were all cute little accessories. Imagine a grown burly man like him going out to buy such cute accessories, he was worried about what Xiaoguo would think.


    ¡°Of course not. This is super cool, okay!¡±


    Although Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t understand what ¡°Cool¡± meant, he guessed that it was a compliment. He couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. ¡°Since she praised me, I¡¯ll buy more in the future. I¡¯ll continue to be cool!¡±


    After saying those words, Xiaoguo did not take another look at him. Naturally, she did not see the dreamy look on his face.


    Xiaoguo turned to look at the colorful ornaments that were almost covering the entire bed. She could barely close her mouth. How much had he spent¡­


    She flipped through the items curiously. There were a lot of hair ties. She also saw a lot of folded fabrics. Most of them were pink. There were also some fabrics in pastel yellows and greens. He had also bought a lot of ready-made clothes. Although the clothes were small, the workmanship was exquisite.


    ¡°Are these all for Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. How long did it take for him to buy so much clothes and jewelry?


    Jiang Danhe felt a little embarrassed when he heard her question. He nodded and said, ¡°Whenever I had time, I would buy some. Unknowingly, I ended up with this whole pile.¡±


    Xiaoguo arranged the items individually and placed the hair ornaments together. ¡°There are so many of them. We can¡¯t possibly return them either. But Zhuang Zhuang wouldn¡¯t be able to wear these at all.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that it was a pity. All these items definitely cost a lot of money. She had touched the cloth and garments earlier and they were definitely high-quality stuff. But there was nothing she could do about it. Zhuang Zhuang was a boy and could not wear these. At this moment, Xiaoguo was wishing that her son was a little girl instead.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Jiang Danhe said as he watched Xiaoguo¡¯s expression. ¡°We¡¯ll leave it for our girl if we have one.¡±


    For a moment, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t wrap her head around what she was hearing. She thought that he literally meant a girl. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s give it to the girl.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was overjoyed when he heard this. It seemed that there was hope for him to have a daughter. He had to work out more and go home to make a baby girl after the New Year!


    Xiaoguo glanced at Jiang Danhe, who suddenly seemed invigorated. She was a little confused. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking about.


    ¡°Who cares?¡±


    Xiaoguo turned around and continued to pack up the accessories on the bed. She was a little worried about where these things would go. From the looks of it, Jiang Danhe was definitely expecting her to take them with her. But how was she going to bring them back? It is going to be a huge bundle when everything is wrapped up.


    Xiaoguo was holding a light yellow dress in her hand. She lifted it up and looked at it. It was really super cute and tiny.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was feeling a little depressed. Looking at these clothes, she really wished to put them on a little girl. But she only had one brat. She couldn¡¯t possibly dress him up.


    ¡°Aye? Who says I can¡¯t?¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of something. These dresses could be worn by Zhuang Zhuang. Although he couldn¡¯t wear them out, at least he could satisfy her little fetish.

 Chapter 164 - 164 Catching Two Dirty Cats

    164 Catching Two Dirty Cats


    ¡°Eh? I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. So you¡¯re taking a shower here.¡±


    Li Shouji looked at Jiang Danhe who was looking damp but healthy. He heaved a sigh of relief. He was fine, thankfully.


    ¡°Quick, let¡¯s have the physician take a look.¡±


    With that, Li Shouji pulled the two men into the room.


    Jiang Danhe stepped inside the room first. After hiding the underwear that he had changed out of, he pretended to sit casually at the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡±


    Jiang Danhe explained to Li Shouji ten thousand times, but the latter refused to listen and kept urging the doctor to take his pulse.


    The doctor had just managed to catch his breath when Li Shouji started urging him again. He was on the verge of vomiting blood. Was this a house call or a death call? The ride earlier was so bumpy that he almost vomited.


    Looking at the extremely well-built man in front of him, the doctor felt a little helpless. This person¡¯s face was rosy and healthy. Why did he have to take his pulse?


    However, out of his obligation as a doctor, he still had to take Jiang Danhe¡¯s pulse.


    Li Shouji scratched his head anxiously as he looked at the motionless Jiang Danhe. He helped to lift Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand and placed it on the pulse pillow.


    Jiang Danhe could only sit still as he was unable to dissuade Li Shouji.


    The doctor stroked his little beard and carefully felt the man¡¯s pulse.


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡±


    The doctor roared twice in absurdity before withdrawing the pillow. He was clearly very angry.


    His actions puzzled the two men.


    Li Shouji hurriedly asked the doctor who was about to leave, ¡°Doctor, don¡¯t leave. How is his health?¡±


    Why was the doctor leaving without saying anything?


    ¡°Sigh, there¡¯s nothing wrong with you, General. It¡¯s just that your kidney-fire is too hyperactive and your heart-fire is exuberant. However, this is not a big issue. You just need to relieve them in moderation.¡± After saying that, he got ready to leave. However, he turned around and said, ¡°I see that you¡¯ve already relieved the fires. There¡¯s no need to take any medicine.¡±


    With that, the doctor left without even asking for the consultation fee. Just before he left, he sighed to himself, ¡°Ay, this trip¡­¡±


    Li Shouji didn¡¯t understand, but Jiang Danhe did. He couldn¡¯t hide the embarrassment on his face. When he heard the doctor¡¯s sigh at the door, Jiang Danhe really wanted to disappear.


    Li Shouji didn¡¯t get it, but he had to get to the bottom of this matter, so he quickly chased after the doctor.


    Jiang Danhe stood up and wanted to call Li Shouji back, but when he walked to the door, he saw that there was no sign of the man.


    He slammed the door shut. ¡°What the hell is this!¡±


    He was already an adult, but he still had to face the embarrassment of being exposed over such matters. He angrily dug out his hidden underwear and threw it back on the bed.


    During lunch, only Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang were eating at the table in the hall. The two children stared at each other in confusion.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, why are we the only ones eating?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Mother said she wasn¡¯t hungry and Father said he had something to do.¡± Zhuang Zhuang told him everything he knew.


    ¡°What about Uncle Shouji?¡±


    Wen Xiaoyi nodded, but they were missing one person.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s not at the residence.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook his head to show that he was not sure. When he was looking for Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe, he bumped into Li Shouji on the way and saw him leaving with a white-bearded man. In any case, he had not returned ever since then.


    Xiaoyi shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands, indicating that adults were really difficult to understand. There was food, but none of them wanted to eat.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s eat. We can eat more.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    When the cat¡¯s away, the mice will play.


    It took two hours for the two kids to finish their meal. The table was in a mess. Even their bodies were covered in vegetable soup and rice. Their hands were dripping with soup while their fingernails had rice grains stuck to them.


    Although Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi were making a mess, they didn¡¯t waste any food. It just happened that some rice had spilled out from their bowls and soup had dripped from the vegetables.


    When the kitchen maids came over to clear the table, they almost fainted when they saw the scene. ¡°Was there a war at the table? It was so messy.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi wanted to continue playing in the study, but when they touched the rice paper, their grimy hands left marks all over it. Only then did they remember to wash their hands.


    After washing their hands, the two children looked at each other and finally saw each other¡¯s faces. They both moved away from each other in disgust.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, should we take a shower?¡±


    Xiaoyi spoke hesitantly. They had been having so much fun just now. He did not expect to end up looking like this and was starting to feel uncomfortable all over.


    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go into the house and get our clothes.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s idea was great. Although Xiaoyi was older than him and was more playful, he was the one who took the lead in everything. Moreover, Xiaoyi always listened to him.


    The two children took a step away from each other and went back to the house to get their clothes. In fact, they were quite disgusted by each other at this very moment¡­


    When they returned to the room, they did not even look at Xiaoguo, who was sitting on the bed. Both of them opened up their own bags.


    ¡°Here, Xiaoyi.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang quickly found a clean set of clothes and handed it to Xiaoyi. Then, he found himself another set of clothes before going out to find a bathing spot.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey,¡± Xiaoguo called out to them.


    Just now, she was deep in thought when she heard the door open. She looked up and saw the two dirty kids.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was no longer thinking. All that she had was anger. Were these two children causing trouble in the kitchen?


    When she saw the two children enter the room without a sound, rummaging through their clothes and turning to leave, Xiaoguo was not about to let them go. She had yet to ask them how they had ended up in this state.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi¡¯s backs trembled as they gulped and exchanged looks. ¡°Run!¡± The two children ran out instantly.


    Xiaoguo could see the guilt on their faces, it was like they were already confessing to their deeds. She had only wanted to ask what was going on, but the two children had run away in fear. Now Xiaoguo had to get to the bottom of this. Earlier on, she was still wondering why the kids were so quiet today, and thought that something must be up.


    First, she called out to the two of them. When they didn¡¯t respond, Xiaoguo chased after them.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang! Xiaoyi! Go ahead and run. See what I¡¯ll do if I catch you.¡±


    Although Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi had short legs, they were pretty fast. Xiaoguo had to jog quickly to keep up with them, but by the time she turned the corner, she could no longer see them.


    Xiaoguo guessed that they couldn¡¯t have gone far¡ªthey were probably hiding nearby. Hence, she decided to take it easy. She briefly looked around and pretended to leave, but in actual fact, she was hiding in a dark corner and looking out for them.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, is it safe now?¡±


    Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t long before Xiaoyi spoke.


    Xiaoguo listened carefully and zoomed in on the location. ¡°Oh, so this was the place.¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang quickly covered Xiaoyi¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t speak.¡±


    Xiaoyi nodded and Zhuang Zhuang let go of him.


    After a while, Zhuang Zhuang raised his head and looked around.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo immediately hid, afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would see her.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but snicker at his actions. The boy was quite cautious. He even knew how to scout.


    When she heard voices again, Xiaoguo slowly poked her head out.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, how is it? Can we speak now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded, reassuring Xiaoyi that he could speak freely.

 Chapter 165 - 165 Find You a Doctor

    165 Find You a Doctor


    The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.


    Didn¡¯t many parents joke in those videos that the purpose of having children was so that the adults have someone to play with? Xiaoguo felt that she could think about this.


    Zhuang Zhuang was definitely willing to make some sacrifices for his mother¡¯s sake.


    The more Xiaoguo thought about it, the more excited she became. She folded the clothes one by one. Soon, there were only two pieces of colorful cloth left on the bed. At first, Xiaoguo thought that they were meant to be used as bundle wraps. When she picked them up, she saw that they were a set of adult-sized traditional attire.


    Jiang Danhe, who was standing at the side, saw that Xiaoguo had finally gotten the most important piece of clothing. He immediately said, ¡°This is for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked back at him in surprise. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Who didn¡¯t like new clothes? Women loved receiving gifts, let alone a very beautiful dress.


    Xiaoguo picked up the dress and went to the bronze mirror in the room. She held it in front of her and admired it.


    Just now, when she spotted it, she had thought that the colors were very beautiful. Now that she was draping it on her body, the dress looked even more beautiful.


    ¡°How beautiful!¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the clothes in the mirror, her heart was beating wildly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at the smiling and lively face in the mirror. His heart was also beating wildly. He had always known that Xiaoguo was good-looking, but she seemed even prettier than he had imagined.


    Jiang Danhe was stunned and stared at Xiaoguo without blinking.


    Xiaoguo called out to Jiang Danhe a few times, but he did not reply. She found it strange. He was clearly looking at her in the mirror. Why did he not respond when she called out to him?


    ¡°Jiang Danhe?¡±


    Xiaoguo turned and hugged the clothes to her chest. Then she approached the stunned man.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes followed Xiaoguo¡¯s reflection in the mirror. When he regained his senses, he realized that Xiaoguo¡¯s face was almost right in front of him.


    Startled, he tilted his head back and was going to fall into the pile of clothes and accessories that Xiaoguo had stacked together.


    Xiaoguo did not expect to scare him. Seeing that he was about to fall into the pile, she reached out to pull him back. But he was much heavier than she¡¯d imagined¡ªnot only did she fail to stop him, she was dragged down together with him.


    Xiaoguo fell right onto Jiang Danhe¡¯s chest and ended up laying face-to-face against him. The stack of hair accessories and clothes had also collapsed.


    Xiaoguo sighed. It looked like she would have to refold everything¡­


    Just as Xiaoguo was thinking about folding the clothes, she suddenly felt an itch on her face.


    Hence, Xiaoguo raised her hand to scratch it. Just as she was about to see what it was, her eyes met Jiang Danhe¡¯s gaze.


    His eyes were glittering with a strange light. They were as dazzling and charming as the brightest stars in the night sky.


    His breath was so close and a strange feeling instantly spread through XIaoguo¡¯s body, making her heart flutter.


    At this moment, she realized where she was. Just as Xiaoguo was about to get up, Jiang Danhe pressed his hand down and brought Xiaoguo back towards him.


    In that instant, the air seemed to have frozen.


    A cool breeze blew through the bed curtains, making them flutter.


    In her daze, Xiaoguo could not tell what was going on. Her mind was blank and she submissively indulged in the excitement that Jiang Danhe was bringing her.


    At this critical moment, Xiaoguo snapped back to reality and pushed away Jiang Danhe, who was overcome by his feelings.


    The two of them tried to calm themselves down. In order not to embarrass Xiaoguo and to avoid making a fool of himself, Jiang Danhe left the house thoughtfully, leaving Xiaoguo alone to sort out her emotions.


    After he left, Xiaoguo covered herself with the blanket.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart palpitated with shyness and confusion. She wanted nothing more than to retreat and hide in her protective cover.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe.¡±


    Li Shouji searched for a long time but could not find him. Then, as he was about to go to Xiaoguo¡¯s residence to look for him, he found him in the vicinity.


    Jiang Danhe was trying to calm down. When he heard Li Shouji¡¯s voice, he quickly tidied his attire.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Li Shouji looked at Jiang Danhe and found him very interesting. ¡°What kind of styling is this? Hahahaha¡­¡±


    The man was still looking at him senselessly. Jiang Danhe was dying to slap him. When it comes to insensitivity, no one could compare to Li Shouji.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Jiang Danhe shifted his legs with difficulty and glared at the heedless Li Shouji. He had asked him again, but his voice was clearly more impatient than the first time.


    Although Li Shouji wasn¡¯t sensitive, his ears were sharp and quick to pick up any signs of danger. Hence, he put on a serious face and asked, ¡°I heard that Sister-in-law and Zhuang Zhuang are going back tomorrow?¡±


    Li Shouji remembered why he was in such a hurry. He had just entered the residence when he saw County Magistrate Liu leaving. He only found out what was going on after asking the man. He quickly came to look for Jiang Danhe after hearing the news.


    Jiang Danhe stood rooted to the ground and nodded gently to acknowledge that he was right.


    Li Shouji sighed in disappointment. ¡°Then I won¡¯t be able to enjoy the food prepared by my Sister-in-law anymore.¡±


    After spending some time together, he felt a little reluctant to see them leave.


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s a letter from the palace.¡±


    Li Shouji thought of something and took out a letter he had just received.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s face was now dark as charcoal, but he took the envelope anyway.


    ¡°Why are you bending over to read the letter?¡±


    Li Shouji really couldn¡¯t understand why he was behaving this way.


    ¡°¡­None of your business.¡±


    Jiang Danhe spoke stiffly, the veins on his forehead were bulging.


    Li Shouji had never seen him like this before. He thought that he was feeling unwell and was putting on a brave front.


    He tugged at Jiang Danhe anxiously, wanting him to sit down so that he could get him a doctor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Jiang Danhe shouted at Li Shouji. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. Go to the palace.¡±


    As he spoke, he turned his back towards Li Shouji and handed him the letter.


    Li Shouji took the letter worriedly. He was even more certain that Jiang Danhe was feeling unwell.


    ¡°Then are you okay to be by yourself?¡±


    Jiang Danhe saw that he was still dawdling, so he waved his hand vigorously, signaling him to get lost.


    Li Shouji finally left, but he thought of getting a doctor to come visit after he was done with the errand.


    Jiang Danhe was finally free. After Li Shouji left, he immediately went to find a secluded room in the house. He locked the door and revealed the awkward situation he was in.


    Jiang Danhe looked down at himself helplessly. ¡°It seems like this is not going to subside for a while, so I will just have to¡­¡± Jiang Danhe looked at his hands and fell into deep thoughts¡­


    Noon. In the study.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, where¡¯s your father?¡±


    Li Shouji had just returned with the doctor. He looked around for Jiang Danhe but could not find him. He was afraid that the man might have fainted somewhere from his pain, so he was a little anxious.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see him.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook his head. His parents were not around when he was eating earlier.


    Li Shouji anxiously grabbed the old doctor, who was panting hard from running, and rushed to another corner of the house.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe!¡±


    Jiang Danhe had just finished showering and was putting on his clothes when he heard Li Shouji calling him.


    He quickly put on his robe. When he walked out, he saw Li Shouji hurriedly pulling an old man who was extremely out of breath.

 Chapter 166 - 166 Washing Up

    166 Washing Up


    ¡°You scared me to death.¡±


    Xiaoyi sat on the ground with a look of relief on his face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Mother wouldn¡¯t probe?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked shocked. ¡°When I went to look for her at noon, she wouldn¡¯t look at me or talk to me. She didn¡¯t pay much attention to me when I spoke to her then. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on now.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang felt very aggrieved. Xiaoguo had clearly ignored him at noon. Who knew that she would suddenly check on them?


    The two of them, who had been hoping to get lucky, were now squatting and trembling in the bushes.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s go out.¡±


    Xiaoyi could not take it anymore. His legs were numb from squatting.


    Zhuang Zhuang hesitated when he heard that. He looked outside and said, ¡°Okay then. We have to hurry.¡±


    Xiaoyi nodded and pulled Zhuang Zhuang closer. The two children jumped out of their hiding place with their backs hunched over.


    ¡°Xiaoyi, let¡¯s run back to the room quickly. Mother is probably still looking for us. She might not be back for a while.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang took the lead. When he came out, he let go of Xiaoyi¡¯s hand and went forward to check out the situation. Along the way, he did not forget to provide Xiaoyi with updates.


    When Xiaoyi did not respond after some time, Zhuang Zhuang felt strange and turned around to check what was wrong.


    The first thing he saw when he turned around was a pair of long legs. Zhuang Zhuang raised his head and looked up.


    Xiaoguo was holding a pouting Xiaoyi under her arm. With a smiling face, she looked at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can still run.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Mother¡­¡±


    After seeing his mother and the pleading look on Xiaoyi¡¯s face, he decided that he had to let his friend down. There was nothing much he could do, as he could barely save himself.


    ¡°Hehe, Mother¡­¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was only smiling and ignoring him, Zhuang Zhuang opened his mouth and tried to act cute so that he could try to get out of this.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hence, the following scene appeared in the residence.


    Xiaoguo was aggressively holding two grimy kids under her arms. They were dressed in colorful garb and had leaves on their heads. At the moment, the two children were grabbing Xiaguo¡¯s clothes and begging for mercy.


    ¨C


    ¡°Take off your clothes.¡±


    Xiaoguo sat on the stool and draped a towel over the tub. She looked at the two boys, who were looking dispirited.


    She held back her laughter, she must not laugh. If she laughed, the two brats would definitely start to act cute again.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi looked at each other and then at Xiaoguo. Then, they turned around and slowly undressed.


    ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the two little ones, who had their backs to her, and smiled secretly to herself. However, she still urged them on with a stern tone in her voice. ¡°What a capable pair. They had gotten busy while the adults were not around to watch them.¡±


    The two children knew that they were in the wrong, so they quickly sped up and got undressed.


    They stood unabashedly, butt naked, and lined up for Xiaoguo to carry them into the bathtub.


    In actual fact, both kids were really quite fair.


    Xiaoguo put Xiaoyi into the tub first, then she slapped Zhuang Zhuang on his fair buttocks before putting him in as well.


    After holding back for the longest time, she still couldn¡¯t help it. His butt was just too bouncy¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang covered his butt and looked nervous. He thought to himself, ¡°It¡¯s finally starting¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi saw it too, so he covered his eyes and left a small slit to peek through. He really couldn¡¯t bear to see Zhuang Zhuang get beaten up¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s body was tense as he waited for Xiaoguo¡¯s next barrage of punches.


    But after a long wait, there were only splashes of hot water landing on him.


    Zhuang Zhuang boldly opened his eyes and saw that Xiaoguo was bathing the two of them attentively. There was no storm, only a gentle drizzle.


    Xiaoyi did not hear anything for a long time. He mustered his courage and opened his eyes. Through the gap, he saw that everything was calm¡­


    ¡°No beating?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi both had the same question.


    Xiaoguo had no time to deal with the two of them. She had no idea how they got themselves so dirty. Not only were their clothes dirty, their bodies were all grimy too. She had always cleaned them very diligently.


    ¡°Raise your hands¡­ look up¡­ turn around¡­¡±


    The two children cooperated with Xiaoguo and twisted around, enjoying the moment.


    Just when she had finished scrubbing the kids and was about to lather the soap, Jiang Danhe arrived.


    He had heard a sound in his room just now, so he came out to take a look out of curiosity. However, it was quiet when he stepped outside.


    Earlier on, he had missed lunch as he was cooped up somewhere. He was now feeling hungry, so he came out to look for food.


    When he reached the kitchen, he heard the servants discussing what had happened. He pieced together what he heard from them and got a rough idea.


    That was how he ended up here by following the voices.


    When Xiaoguo saw him, her hands trembled and she dropped the soap.


    Jiang Danhe walked towards Xiaoguo. She immediately bent down and picked up the soap.


    ¡°How about you wash them? You just have to soap them down. I¡¯ll go wash their clothes.¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped and nodded. He knew that Xiaoguo was avoiding him at this moment. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wash them white and clean.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and went out. He actually knew the term ¡®white and clean¡¯.


    After Xiaoguo left, Jiang Danhe walked to the side of the bathtub. The two children were feeling a little shy about his appearance. They were clearly not shy when facing Xiaoguo, who was the opposite gender, why would they be so awkward when facing the same gender?


    Jiang Danhe was at a loss at this moment. He looked at the two children in the bathtub, who were naked and huddled together. He didn¡¯t know where to start.


    ¡°Hurry up and wash them. The water will get cold in a while.¡±


    Xiaoguo had returned to pick up a piece of clothing that she left behind. Seeing that Jiang Danhe was still in a daze, she urged him to start.


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the three of them hesitantly as she held the clothes in her hands. ¡°Forget it. I will leave it to them.¡±


    Upon hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s urging, Jiang Danhe quickly picked up the soap beside him and gestured for one of them to step forward first.


    The two little ones were still standing in the bucket looking at each other, but no one was moving forward to let Jiang Danhe do his job.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, come here.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at the two boys and thought for a while before calling Zhuang Zhuang over.


    Xiaoyi nudged Zhuang Zhuang, who was holding on to him. He looked at Zhuang Zhuang and said, ¡°He¡¯s calling you.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang reluctantly came to the bathtub. IIt was a little awkward for men to bathe together¡­


    Seeing how reluctant they were, Jiang Danhe had to suppress his urge to roar. ¡°Do you think I want to wash you?¡±


    With his big hand, he picked up the soap and dipped it in the bathtub. Then he started to scrub Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s back.


    After a while, a lather began to form. Jiang Danhe put down the soap and started soaping Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s body. His movements were neither heavy nor light.


    Zhuang Zhuang gritted his teeth and thought to himself that his father¡¯s hands were really different from his mother¡¯s. Finally, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Father, be gentle.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Got it.¡±


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe was feeling quite distressed and he tried to tone down his actions. He had forgotten that this was not his own thick skin. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s tender skin had turned red from his rubbing.


    When Zhuang Zhuang was done with his bath, it was XIaoyi¡¯s turn. Standing by the side, Xiaoyi had already started moistening his skin with water. He was rather shocked to see Jiang Danhe rubbing soap on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s dry skin. It would be better for him to wet himself first so that it would not hurt too much later.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    Jiang Danhe landed a slap on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s fair butt and told him to move aside. It was time for Xiaoyi to take his bath.


    Zhuang Zhuang wailed. ¡°This slap was a tight one!¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s tiny white butt was shaking in his face earlier. It was extremely cute. His hands were dying to reach out all this while, and eventually he couldn¡¯t help himself, and had to slap it.


    As expected, it was firm and bouncy.


    Hearing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s wail, Xiaoyi trembled in fear. He turned around and grabbed the bucket tightly while holding his breath and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±

 Chapter 167 - 167 Not Much to Eat

    167 Not Much to Eat


    Xiaoyi was ready. Let the storm come at full speed!


    ¡°Ah!!! ¡­Eh??¡±


    Xiaoyi gritted his teeth. Before he could cry out in pain, he felt a different sensation on his back. It didn¡¯t hurt at all.


    Jiang Danhe had already practiced the intensity of his strength on Zhuang Zhuang, so he was able to do it with ease now. He is now better at gauging the amount of strength to apply when scrubbing Xiaoyi¡¯s back.


    ¡°It feels good. So good.¡±


    Xiaoyi looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoyi in disbelief. Is it good? How was that possible? His back was still burning with pain.


    As the water was turning cold, Jiang Danhe rinsed them quickly and put on clean clothes for them.


    It was Jiang Danhe¡¯s first time putting on clothes for a child, so he was a little flustered. He got the pants inside out and tied the belt of the robes wrongly. It took him a long time to get the boys dressed.


    Once they were dressed, the two children left for the study.


    Jiang Danhe returned to the kitchen as he was feeling extremely hungry. He was preparing to eat earlier, but then he was tasked to bathe the kids before he had a chance to eat. Now he was so hungry that his stomach was almost in spasms.


    ¡°General.¡±


    Auntie Xu was putting food on a tray when she looked up and saw Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Danhe nodded. He smelled the fragrance in the air and felt even hungrier. ¡°How fragrant. What did you make?¡±


    ¡°Madam came over to make this just now. She took one set away and left this for you.¡±


    As Mrs. Xu spoke, she placed the tray in front of Jiang Danhe.


    The fragrance of the food wafted into his nose, making his stomach cry out for it.


    ¡°She prepared this for me? ¡°Jiang Danhe¡¯s lips curled up. Looking at the bowl of ordinary-looking braised noodles, his heart felt like it had been hit by a deer.


    All he could think about was, ¡°She made this for me, she made this for me¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe carried the noodles back into the room happily. He didn¡¯t hear what Mrs. Xu said after that.


    Xiaoguo was wolfing down the noodles in her room. To be honest, she was very hungry. In order to avoid bumping into Jiang Danhe at noon, she did not leave the room to eat. She had quite a workout earlier chasing after Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi. She also took a long time to wash the clothes as the oil stains on them were extremely difficult to remove.


    After washing the clothes, she headed to the kitchen. Because she was so hungry, she wanted to find something to eat. However, it was not mealtime yet, so she had to whip up something herself. While she was cooking, she learnt from Mrs. Xu that Jiang Danhe had not eaten either. He had come in a while back to look for food, so Xiaoguo made an extra portion for him without thinking.


    She was still eating her noodles when there was a knock on the door.


    Xiaoguo put down her chopsticks and opened the door with noodles still in her mouth. Jiang Danhe¡¯s handsome face appeared at the door with a tray in his hands.


    Although he was very handsome and his dressing looked impeccable, Xiaoguo really wanted to say, ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t need room service.¡±


    ¡°Shall we eat together?¡±


    Since neither of them had eaten lunch, Jiang Danhe came out of the kitchen to look for Xiaoguo, thinking that they could have some alone time together.


    ¡°¡­ Come in.¡±


    Xiaoguo let him in and wiped her face frantically behind him. She had been eating quite heartily just now, so her face must have been splattered with vegetable soup.


    The moment Jiang Danhe turned around, Xiaoguo acted normally again.


    The two of them sat opposite each other. There were a lot of noodles in Jiang Danhe¡¯s bowl, but in Xiaoguo¡¯s bowl, there was only half a portion left.


    ¡°This is¡­ What¡¯s that? There¡¯s less noodles in my bowl¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo stammered. She didn¡¯t know if Jiang Danhe believed her, but she was convinced by her own words.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and didn¡¯t say anything. From the moment he entered, he had been smiling non-stop. Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, Jiang Danhe¡¯s gaze turned to look at the side of her mouth.


    ¡°Your¡­¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t have much noodles¡­¡±


    The two of them spoke at the same time. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t hear Jiang Danhe¡¯s words and was only focused on explaining. She couldn¡¯t let Jiang Danhe think that she was a glutton.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo had forgotten that if she can really eat a lot one day, Jiang Danhe will definitely be happy. How will he complain that she is eating too much?


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Jiang Danhe was overjoyed when he heard that. ¡°It¡¯s here¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned as Jiang Danhe leaned forward and reached to touch her mouth. While she was still in a daze, Jiang Danhe had already finished what he was doing and there were some green onions on his fingers.


    Xiaoguo was as red as a tomato now.


    ¡°This, this, this¡­ this isn¡¯t¡­ I¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was furious. She snatched the green onions from him and threw them away, pretending that nothing had happened.


    ¡°Oh¡­ These noodles are really good. I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded to indicate that he understood. He immediately changed the topic and started eating the noodles.


    ¡°Mmm, delicious¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe lowered his head and ate his noodles with a smile on his face. She was too cute. Since she didn¡¯t want to mention it, so be it.


    Xiaoguo looked angrily at Jiang Danhe, who was smiling. Did he think that she couldn¡¯t see?


    The two of them ate their noodles facing each other. Because Jiang Danhe was around, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to eat very quickly. She ate in small bites, trying to look as refined as possible.


    Jiang Danhe might have sensed Xiaoguo¡¯s thoughts, so he ate the noodles as heartily as he could, hoping that his behavior would help her relax.


    Xiaoguo gradually became less reserved. This time, it was different from having a meal with a large group of people.


    As this was the first time the two of them were eating alone, Xiaoguo felt a little shy. After watching how Jiang Danhe was eating his noodles, Xiaoguo felt less inhibited.


    Occasionally, she would laugh at his exaggerated slurping.


    ¡°Pfft, haha¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo immediately covered her mouth.


    Jiang Danhe looked over and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. It was indeed a little too exaggerated just now. ¡°Haha.¡±


    The two of them looked at each other and smiled. The atmosphere became more harmonious.


    ¨C


    As they were leaving tomorrow, everyone was gathered in the hall during dinner.


    Chef Xu and the fat chef each offered a toast to Xiaoguo.


    The fat chef was a sentimental person and almost couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stand emotional scenes, so she quickly took out the recipes that she had written earlier in the afternoon.


    ¡°Auntie, these are the home-cooked recipes I wrote today. Although it¡¯s not complete, you can try them out. They should last you for quite some time.¡±


    Xiaoguo handed the stack of paper to the two chefs. Although there weren¡¯t many dishes inside, many recipes were actually worth exploring. They could learn a lot from studying those recipes. Also, what she had written were mostly home-cooked dishes, so it should be quite useful for the chefs.


    ¡°This¡­ thank you so much, Madam!¡±


    Auntie Xu took the recipes, as her hands trembled in excitement.


    Xiaoguo hurriedly told her that it was nothing. She was bad at handling emotional scenes like this.


    At the side, Li Shouji was overjoyed. ¡°In that case, we will get to enjoy Sister-in-law¡¯s special dishes in the future. The two of you have to study them well. Haha.¡±


    Auntie Xu and the fat chef nodded heavily. ¡°Of course, we will definitely study the recipes carefully!¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not say anything else. He just kept putting food into Xiaoguo¡¯s bowl.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi were also saying their goodbyes. They really didn¡¯t know when they would meet again, and they just couldn¡¯t accept it.


    This was especially so for Xiaoyi. He felt like crying at the thought of it. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they were in the hall, Xiaoyi would have hugged Zhuang Zhuang and cried.


    At the table, Li Shouji was chatting and laughing, so the atmosphere was not too depressing.


    After everyone had dispersed from the dining table, Li Shouji brought away the two little ones who wanted to follow Xiaoguo. He gave Jiang Danhe a knowing look and left.


    No matter how much the two children struggled, Li Shouji did not care. He grabbed them under his arms and walked out.


    ¡°Shall we walk?¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled and said to Xiaoguo, who was beside him.

 Chapter 168 - 168 Temporary Parting

    168 Temporary Parting


    Jiang Danhe was hoping to spend more time with Xiaoguo. Even if it means not doing anything, he wanted to be with her. Even if they were to sit around dazing all day, it was fine, as long as they were together.


    Xiaoguo nodded. Jiang Danhe boldly took her hand and walked with her.


    The two of them strolled around the mansion grounds. The general¡¯s residence was not very big.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t live here initially. The emperor had previously given him a mansion with a small park. However, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t like such a big place, and there weren¡¯t that many people living in his residence. That was why he moved to this newly built mansion. It wasn¡¯t too big, and it was sufficient for him.


    Although the mansion was not very big, it had all the necessary facilities. There was a man-made river view in the backyard. It was pretty to look at even though it is lacking in size. There was also a good spot in the pavilion where one could sit and enjoy the passing breeze.


    The moon was looking huge in the sky. Xiaoguo raised her head and took a look at it. The moon from the ancient era was really big and bright. It was at least five times the size of the modern moon.


    With the illumination of the moonlight, the surroundings were not dark at all, even though there were no lights around them.


    Xiaoguo could see Jiang Danhe very clearly. He was holding her hand at this moment and there was a look of satisfaction and gentleness on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Danhe felt Xiaoguo¡¯s gaze on him and turned to look at her.


    Xiaoguo was so startled by him suddenly turning his head that she tripped over a pebble.


    ¡°Ah!¡± exclaimed Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Look out!¡±


    Jiang Danhe quickly grabbed hold of Xiaoguo, who was falling backwards. With a strong pull, Xiaoguo fell right into his arms.


    Perhaps due to the fault of the moon, the hearts of Xiaoguo and Jiang Shanhe were now pounding rapidly.


    As they drew closer and closer towards each other, Xiaoguo suddenly yelled, ¡°Calm down!¡±


    After that, there was a moment of silence and they looked at each other awkwardly.


    ¡°¡­ My back hurts.¡±


    At this moment, Xiaoguo¡¯s waist was still in Jiang Danhe¡¯s arms. Her upper body was suspended in the air.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s face turned red as he straightened Xiaoguo¡¯s back. The romantic atmosphere instantly disappeared.


    Xiaoguo quickly stood up straight. There was a hint of awkwardness in the air.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo in exasperation. Just as he was about to take another step, she stopped him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit there.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was afraid that Xiaoguo would sprain her ankle again, so he held her arm and led her to the pavilion.


    ¡°The air here is pretty good.¡±


    The two of them were feeling rather uneasy looking at each other, so Xiaoguo tried to find something to talk about.


    ¡°Indeed,¡±


    Jiang Danhe said calmly. He was still thinking about how Xiaoguo had interrupted him and made him miss a good opportunity just a few moments ago.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The air fell silent again.


    Xiaoguo took advantage of the darkness to glare at Jiang Danhe. ¡°Is that how you conduct a conversation?¡±


    Neither of them spoke for a long time. Jiang Danhe only looked up at the moon, his eyes filled with contemplation.


    ¡°I liked looking at the moon when I was in the barracks,¡±


    Jiang Danhe suddenly said. His eyes were filled with memories as he looked up at the moon.


    Xiaoguo looked at him with a puzzled gaze and listened quietly as he explained.


    ¡°After I was captured, I followed the troops to Qiang City. During the day, I had to kill enemies non-stop. At night, I had to take shifts. Everyday we were living in hunger and cold. During that time, the nights were freezing and the surroundings were barren. All that we could see was the big, bright moon¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo listened attentively¡ªher heart was beating along with his. To think that he had been through so much¡­


    ¡°¡­ At that time, I wrapped myself tightly in my thin clothes and looked at the moon, which was the only thing that made me feel warm. It was so close and bright¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes flickered. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but lean closer to him and pat his shoulder gently to comfort him.


    The man was stunned. He shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to retract her hand when Jiang Danhe held it tightly and pulled her into his arms.


    ¡°Do you know? I feel really crushed at this moment.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo with a smile on his face. Xiaoguo saw the expression in his eyes and was a little moved. She nodded and said, ¡°I know.¡±


    The eyes never lie. There was a distinctive look in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes whenever he looked at Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang. Xiaoguo had realized this for a long time, but she had always been avoiding him, avoiding his feelings and her own feelings too¡­


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo suddenly felt a trace of courage. She smiled widely and said with a nod of her head, ¡°I know!¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡±


    After a pause, Jiang Danhe laughed out loud. His laughter was so bright and pleasant. This was the happiest line he had heard since he was born. Although it was just two simple words, it was enough to make his heart pound wildly.


    At first, Xiaoguo was a little embarrassed. She blushed and pushed Jiang Danhe shyly to stop him from laughing. From time to time, she would look around to see if there was anyone around.


    After a while, seeing that he was not going to stop, she didn¡¯t care anymore. ¡°Go ahead and laugh, silly!¡±


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and looked at Jiang Danhe¡¯s silly smile in amusement. ¡°He was really silly. Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop laughing, Jiang Danhe, stop laughing¡­¡±


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help herself too.


    When Jiang Danhe saw her laughing, he laughed even harder. He leaned over to hug Xiaoguo and the two of them fell onto the bench, laughing like two lunatics¡­


    ¨C


    The next day, Xiaoguo woke up early. She helped Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi get dressed while they were still sleeping.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang weren¡¯t the only ones leaving today. Xiaoyi was also going back to the palace since he had been out for quite a long time. Now that Zhuang Zhuang was leaving, there was no reason for him to stay on either.


    Xiaoguo put down the two children who were still sleeping. She tidied up her bags and put them aside. She also tidied up Xiaoyi¡¯s small bags and put them beside her bags.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoyi, wake up.¡±


    Xiaoguo opened the door and called out softly to the two children who were still sleeping.


    Zhuang Zhuang was starting to wake up. He rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up. ¡°Mother, is it time to set off?¡±


    When Xiaoyi heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice, he got up too. He held Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand nervously, not wanting to be separated from him.


    ¡°Not yet. We will leave after breakfast.¡±


    Xiaoguo re-tied the two children¡¯s hair, which had gotten messy during their sleep.


    Jiang Danhe came over to call them for breakfast. Xiaoguo nodded and picked up the bags.


    With Jiang Danhe around, he would not let Xiaoguo carry anything. He skillfully took the bags from Xiaoguo and headed to the hall with them.


    Along the way, Xiaoyi held on to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand and refused to let go.


    When they reached the hall, Li Shouji was waiting at the table for them.


    When he saw Xiaoguo, he walked forward and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, the carriage is waiting outside. I¡¯ll bring the bags up first. Take your time to eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo acknowledged his words and looked at Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and handed the bags to Li Shouji.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    ¨C


    All good things must come to an end.


    Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang to the door and looked at the group behind them. ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    Xiaoguo deliberately avoided Jiang Danhe because he looked like he was about to cry. It was really not an exaggeration¡ªthere were tears in his eyes.


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t feel good either. Pretending to be unaffected, she said, ¡°Everyone, please go back. We¡¯ll take our leave now. See you again if fate allows it.


    Li Shouji scratched his head and blinked, then he waved his hands at Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.


    Jiang Danhe quickly approached the two of them. He looked at them and hesitated.

 Chapter 169 - 169 Shun Teng State

    169 Shun Teng State


    Xiaoyi was picked up by someone from the palace first. As he lifted the curtain and looked back at Zhuang Zhuang, he was already crying. He kept looking at his friend as the carriage traveled further and further away.


    Zhuang Zhuang held back his tears and waved goodbye to Wen Xiaoyi.


    After Xiaoyi left, Magistrate Liu started urging them to leave.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Jiang Danhe in front of him and couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He pounced on Jiang Danhe¡¯s lap, and the latter picked him up and comforted him.


    As Jiang Danhe comforted Zhuang Zhuang, he kept glancing at Xiaoguo, looking like he had something to say.


    Xiaoguo saw him and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be back again next year.¡±


    What she meant was, they had a long time ahead of them.


    Feeling a little shy, Xiaoguo quickly got on the carriage.


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he was enlightened. Yes, they still had many years ahead of them.


    After a while, Jiang Danhe carried Zhuang Zhuang up the carriage. Due to time constraints, the group left quickly.


    Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and saw Jiang Danhe standing there. She couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this, so she started waving at him.


    Jiang Danhe was overjoyed. He was a little disappointed at first, but when he saw Xiaoguo waving her hand, his disappointment disappeared instantly. He raised his hands up high to ensure that Xiaoguo could see him. Then he began to wave his arm so vigorously, that it looked like his arm was going to fall off.


    Xiaoguo saw it and laughed. ¡°How silly¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji returned to the residence. The house, which had been filled with laughter earlier, was exceptionally quiet now. The two of them exchanged glances.


    Li Shouji raised his hand and placed it behind his head. He said faintly, ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s really too quiet¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt the same way. He was starting to miss them.


    The two of them parted ways. Jiang Danhe went to the room where Xiaoguo used to sleep and quietly enjoyed the lingering fragrance in the air.


    Shortly after, an eye-catching item came into view. Jiang Danhe walked over curiously and picked up the note. The words ¡°Jiang Danhe¡± were written on it.


    ¡°This is for me?¡± Jiang Danhe said happily, his heart was thumping.


    When he opened the bundle, a pair of fur-lined black boots was revealed.


    Jiang Danhe was overjoyed. He picked it up and tried it on eagerly. It was a perfect fit!


    Feeling the lush thick soles on his feet and the warmth in his heart, no word could describe what he was thinking right now. At this moment, he wished he could run to Xiaoguo and hug her tightly.


    Jiang Danhe paced back and forth in his boots smugly, wearing a constant smile on his face.


    Then, he carefully took it off and hugged it in his arms as if he had found a treasure.


    ¨C


    ¡°I remember now! I remember now!!¡±


    Li Shouji called out to Jiang Danhe loudly, saying repeatedly that he had remembered something.


    Jiang Danhe frowned and carefully put down his boots before opening the door.


    ¡°I just remembered something.¡±


    Li Shouji looked like he had done something wrong. He was looking at Jiang Danhe nervously.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyebrows started twitching. He had a bad feeling about this.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±


    Li Shouji smiled guiltily. As the saying goes, one should never hit a smiling man.


    ¨C


    ¡°Mother, where are we?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had asked her this question for the 38th time. Whenever they passed by a tree, he would ask her the same question.


    ¡°My dear son, we just left the capital.¡±


    Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head helplessly.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he instantly wilted. He suddenly thought of something and his eyes lit up. ¡°Then we¡­¡±


    ¡°We are still far from home.¡±


    Xiaoguo interrupted Zhuang Zhuang and repeated what she had said many times.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang laid listlessly on his mother¡¯s legs and began counting the trees outside.


    Xiaoguo stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s back. Since setting off, this kid had been asking non-stop about where they were and when they would get home. Xiaoguo gave her replies patiently. She knew that Zhuang Zhuang was just feeling upset and was looking for something to distract himself.


    The carriage kept moving. When it was almost noon, they found a random place to rest.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang ate the simple food that the officials delivered to them. After a short break, they set off again.


    ¡°Mother, where are we?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked again. Xiaoguo glanced outside casually. ¡°We¡¯re getting closer and closer to home.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was a little speechless when he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s reply. It sounded like she had already answered his question, but she actually didn¡¯t. ¡°Oh well¡­¡±


    The journey went smoothly and they arrived at Shun Teng State, 70 miles away from the capital. The sky was turning dark. County Magistrate Liu ordered the convoy to rest for the night. They will set off the next morning.


    Hence, the convoy entered Shun Teng State.


    It was a beautiful island surrounded by mountains and rivers. As this place was close to the capital, the people¡¯s dressing style and the buildings on the streets were similar to those in the capital. Therefore, Shun Teng State was also referred to as the ¡°mini capital¡±.


    Although the state was not very big, the temples located there were very famous. There were a total of 15 temples of various sizes. The most famous one was Lingqing Temple, where the Three Buddhas, the Second Heavenly General, and the Eighteen Arhats were enshrined.


    It was said that every November, a large-scale sacrificial ceremony would be held there for a month. During that period, worshipers from all over the country would gather here to pay their respects.


    Shun Teng State had another nickname, Nocturnal City, which was known for its sacrificial rituals.


    It was not an exaggeration to say that the Nocturnal City was lit with candles and lanterns all day long. It was said that the immortals and deities did not like the dark.


    Relatively speaking, Xiaoguo thought that another reason was more believable¡ªShun Teng State is the largest producing state of candles and oil lamps in the country.


    After entering the mainland, there were officials waiting outside the carriage to provide Xiaoguo with information about this place. Xiaoguo listened and looked outside.


    As the name of the city implies, the thick wooden doors of the city gates were not enough to block the glowing lights emanating from the state.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she would be blinded by the lights when she entered the city.


    Although she felt that her thoughts were a little exaggerated, Xiaoguo still woke Zhuang Zhuang up.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang? Zhuang Zhuang, time to wake up.¡±


    Xiaoguo pushed the boy gently.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Are we home?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang rubbed his eyes and spoke in a nasal voice.


    Xiaoguo sighed and shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    Xiaoguo could feel calluses growing on her ears. Zhuang Zhuang just couldn¡¯t stop asking if they had reached home.


    When he was about to say something again, Xiaoguo quickly picked him up and lifted the curtain for him. ¡°Look outside.¡±


    The convoy had been registered and the soldiers were opening the city gates.


    The light appeared brighter and brighter, emanating slowly through the gap in the door until it completely illuminated the surroundings of the carriage.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo exclaimed in unison.


    It was clearly a different world behind the gates. Outside the gates, it was dark. But once they stepped in, it was bright and glorious. It didn¡¯t look like nighttime at all.


    At this time, people were still hanging out on the streets. The atmosphere here was even more bustling than that of the capital.


    They passed through the crowd and soon arrived at the inn where they were residing for the night.


    Xiaoguo carried the bag and led Zhuang Zhuang out of the carriage. She looked up at the inn where they were going to stay. The building looked nice and new.


    ¡°Rujia Inn??¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but read out the name of the inn. It turned out that Rujia had been a chain store since ancient times!


    Xiaoguo thought it was quite funny, so she laughed softly to herself.


    Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s laughter and looked up at her curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Feeling Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s gaze on her, Xiaoguo shook her head to show that it was nothing.


    ¡°Madam General, let¡¯s rest here for the night. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning. The food here is not bad, and the accommodation is good.¡± When County Magistrate Liu saw Xiaoguo getting out of the car, he quickly came over to speak to her. The more he spoke, the more he went off topic. ¡°Why do I know about this? This has to do with the last time I was here. I was very honored to have attended the Su family¡¯s son¡¯s full-month banquet, so I have tasted the dishes cooked by the chef here. The food was really delicious¡­¡±

 Chapter 170 - 170 Lantern

    170 Lantern


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Oh, is that so¡­ Yes, yes¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo pretended to listen attentively. ¡°Please, can the magistrate see that my legs are trembling? Why is he still going on?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ve had a good working relationship with Magistrate Su for many years. He¡¯s been keeping watch over me all this while¡­¡±


    Magistrate Liu¡¯s speech was getting more and more far-fetched. He was talking about the chef¡¯s culinary skills earlier on, but now he was talking about his relationship with the bureaucrats. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t carry on listening any longer. ¡°What if he gets so excited that he blurts out some secret?¡±


    ¡°Liu¡­¡±


    ¡°The room is ready, my lord.¡±


    Xiaoguo had just opened her mouth when Master Xing Ming, who was in the inn, came out to inform Magistrate Liu.


    Xiaoguo could not thank him enough for coming at the right time.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Magistrate Liu stopped talking and turned to Xiaoguo. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded with a smile and brought Zhuang Zhuang, who was already hungry, along with her.


    ¡°Aye, be careful of the steps, Madam.¡±


    Magistrate Liu had been taking care of Xiaoguo along the way. He was addressing her as ¡®Madam¡¯ now and he even reminded her to watch out for the tiny curb just now. Xiaoguo was not quite used to being treated this way. She was beginning to miss the cold and aloof Magistrate Liu before she went to the capital.


    ¡°¡­Okay, thank you.¡±


    Xiaoguo raised her foot and walked over a teeny weeny step that was almost negligible. Once she crossed it, she said her thanks to Magistrate Liu.


    Xiaoguo returned to her room with the key. Just as she was opening the door and about to enter, Magistrate Liu said from across the room, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s a hot spring just in front of the inn. If you¡¯re interested, you can check it out.¡±


    Magistrate Liu spoke sincerely to Xiaoguo. He really enjoyed talking to the General¡¯s wife, so he shared with her his favorite spot in this state. Whenever he had the chance to come here, he would definitely make a trip to the hot spring.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued when she heard that. The hot spring. She could go and relax.


    ¡°Alright, thank you!¡±


    Xiaoguo thanked Magistrate Liu and got ready to step out.


    However, their meal was delivered very shortly after. Therefore, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had to eat before going out.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, get your clothes.¡±


    Xiaoguo wrapped two sets of clothes in a small bundle and left for the hot spring with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Before leaving, she told the guard at the door in case someone needed to find her. After relaying the message, she left the inn.


    Xiaoguo held Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand tightly, and Zhuang Zhuang also leaned close to her.


    There was a lot of traffic here. It could be due to the sacrificial ceremony that was just round the corner. The people on the streets had already started to make preparations for it.


    They strolled along leisurely to admire the scenery and also to walk off the meal they had just eaten.


    ¡°Mother, look at the lanterns!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pointed to a lotus-shaped lantern hanging at the stall, and asked Xiaoguo to look.


    Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang over and admired the various lanterns. All of them were intricate and beautiful.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, which one do you like? I¡¯ll buy one for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and started choosing seriously.


    In order to let him see clearly, Xiaoguo picked him up so that he could get a better look at all the lanterns.


    ¡°Your son is so good-looking.¡±


    The stall owner was a kind-looking middle-aged woman. She looked at Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang with admiration. ¡°Your son is already so old, but you¡¯re still so young and beautiful.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was a little shy when he heard people praise him, but he still thanked the lady graciously. Seeing this, the stall owner sent more compliments his way.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t think much of it at first, but the more she listened, the more familiar this sales pitch sounded.


    All those things the stall owner said were identical to the words of the auntie who sold stuffed animals at the night market? She still remembered that time when she was intending to buy only one doll. But in the end, she spent all her living expenses for the month and carried a bunch of stuffed dolls back to school. Because of this, her photo was published on the school¡¯s website. The title written by the wicked headliners read as follows: Careful! Furry Pervert! (In bold red font.) Recently, a bunch of walking stuffed animals appeared in school¡­


    Xiaoguo came back to her senses and saw that Zhuang Zhuang had been coaxed by the stall owner to look at the more premium lanterns hanging above. Xiaoguo could sense that something was up.


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s really beautiful!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang said happily.


    Seeing that she had a good chance, the stall owner said to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°This looks good, right? Ask your mother to buy one for you. Not only does it look good, it also comes with a fragrance.¡±


    The stall owner was strategizing. Most children would beg their parents to buy them the lantern when they hear her say that. It was a fail-proof trick.


    As expected, Zhuang Zhuang turned to look at Xiaoguo when he heard that. The stall owner raised her eyebrows and thought to herself, ¡°Perfect!¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    It¡¯s coming, it¡¯s coming. The stall owner suppressed the excitement in her heart and looked like victory was in her grasp.


    ¡°Mother, let¡¯s buy this lotus lantern.¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up the lotus flower lantern that he liked initially. He did not choose the expensive one that was suggested by the stall owner.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo was also surprised. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang was actually so strong-willed?!¡±


    Although the stall owner felt a little regretful, it was still better than nothing. Although lotus lanterns were cheap, it was still income for her.


    ¡°Here you go. Five copper coins for this.¡±


    Xiaoguo took the lantern and passed it to Zhuang Zhuang. Then, she took out five copper coins from her purse and handed it to the stall owner.


    After leaving the stall, Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was happily holding the lotus lamp. She asked him curiously, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, don¡¯t you like that big lantern?¡±


    ¡°Big lantern?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tilted his head, then he seemed to remember. ¡°That big lantern is very beautiful. I like it very much!¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you choose it?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang held the lotus lantern carefully and admired it. ¡°Although it is very beautiful, what I want is the lotus lantern.¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned and touched by Zhuang Zhuang, who was looking all serious. He understood something that many adults did not understand.


    He wasn¡¯t tempted by the stall owner¡¯s sweet words, nor was he charmed by the colorful lanterns. He stood firmly by what his heart wanted. Although Zhuang Zhuang was young, his will was strong.


    Xiaoguo was a little moved. She lowered her head and kissed Zhuang Zhuang before laughing out loud. Zhuang Zhuang was more opinionated than her. It was really something to be happy about.


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was very happy to be kissed by Xiaoguo, but he didn¡¯t understand why she did it so suddenly.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Mother is just happy. Very happy.¡±


    ¡°Are you happy to see Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he asked her playfully.


    Without thinking, Xiaoguo said, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was embarrassed when he heard that. He held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and rubbed his face against her hand.


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo picked up Zhuang Zhuang and walked forward happily.


    ¡°Hot spring, hot spring, here we come!¡±


    Xiaoguo was very excited, but she still had some awareness for her surroundings. Hence, she whispered softly instead.


    Zhuang Zhuang did not care about that. When he heard what Xiaoguo said, he immediately repeated it loudly.


    ¡°We¡¯re coming for the hot spring!¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly covered his mouth and looked around furtively.


    The people around them heard Zhuang Zhuang. They covered their mouths and giggled. Someone even said enthusiastically, ¡°Hey little boy¡¯s mother, the hot spring is right ahead. Don¡¯t miss it!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    As soon as the stranger finished speaking, everyone laughed.


    Xiaoguo had thinner skin than Zhuang Zhuang, so she picked up Zhuang Zhuang, who was giggling away, and ran quickly into the hot spring in front of her.

 Chapter 171 - 171 Children Dont Need Massages

    171 Children Don¡¯t Need Massages


    ¡°Welcome.¡±


    As soon as they entered, a group of women in bathrobes surrounded them. For a moment, Xiaoguo thought she had arrived at a seedy place.


    After double-checking that they were in the right place, she felt more at ease.


    ¡°Aiyo, little handsome boy, you¡¯re so good looking. Let me hug you¡­¡±


    ¡°You can go to the side. Come, baby, let me kiss you¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, how shameless of you.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    The women¡¯s laughter instantly sounded through the air.


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was surrounded by the women. Although he was feeling flustered, he still maintained a serious and grown-up expression on his face. It was quite amusing to watch.


    In the end, Zhuang Zhuang could not stand the women¡¯s ardor and looked towards Xiaoguo for help.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Sisters, stop fooling around. It¡¯s time to welcome our guests.¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could speak, one of the women spoke up, shooing away many of the women who had joined in the fun.


    When the crowd had dispersed, Zhuang Zhuang heaved a sigh of relief. He hurried to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and grabbed her tightly.


    ¡°Madam, which pool would you like for your soak today?¡±


    The woman was good at business and had sharp eyes. It was obvious that Xiaoguo was a new customer, so she gave her a detailed introduction. She even guided Xiaoguo to the menu wall, where the various pool selections were carved into wooden planks for people to choose from.


    After much deliberation, Xiaoguo picked out a rose flavored pool from the pile.


    Why was it so difficult to make a selection? Although the different types of flavored pools here were enough to fill up a whole wall, less than half of the selection were floral pools. The rest were mainly Chinese medicinal ones.


    Xiaoguo was actually leaning towards the traditional Chinese medicinal pool. However, considering that Zhuang Zhuang was still young, such pools are not quite suitable for him. Therefore, she ended up choosing the floral scented pool.


    The entrance fee for children and adults were the same¡ªit was ten copper coins per person. It was quite reasonably priced. Xiaoguo paid twenty copper coins for herself and Zhuang Zhuang.


    The male and female pools were separated here. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang followed the shop staff to the female section and went through the door. There were private rooms inside, just like an inn.


    The lady brought Xiaoguo to one of the rooms and thoughtfully gave her a thin robe which she could wear to soak in the hot spring.


    Xiaoguo was very grateful for this. Zhuang Zhuang was still young, so she wasn¡¯t quite comfortable letting him go to the male section by himself. However, it was not exactly convenient for him to bathe with her. Now that she has this robe, she could at least cover up a little.


    There was a curtain in the room. Xiaoguo took off Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s clothes and put him into the pool before she got behind the curtain again. She undressed herself and changed into the robe.


    As soon as she entered the water, her body was instantly engulfed by the warm water. The sensation made her sigh in relief.


    Zhuang Zhuang lay leisurely in the water, his neck leaning against the side of the pool. His little feet kicked back and forth, causing the water to splash in the air along with the petals.


    Xiaoguo immersed herself in the water as well, leaving only her head exposed.


    The water here was constantly heated. The bottom of the pool has pipes connected to the outside. There was someone keeping guard outside, adding firewood to keep the water warm.


    There were also massage services here. Xiaoguo hesitated for a moment and decided to get a massage for herself.


    The thought of spending the next few days in a carriage made Xiaoguo feel uncomfortable instantly.


    There was a bell in the room that was connected to the main hall. If someone pulled the rope in the room, the bell outside would ring.


    Xiaoguo got up and pulled on the rope, Xiaoguo rang the bell a few more times in case someone didn¡¯t hear it.


    Soon there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°May I ask what service you require?¡±


    Forgive Xiaoguo for thinking out of line as soon as she heard this, how could the lady¡¯s voice sound so charming?


    ¡°Ahem, I need a massage.¡±


    Xiaoguo cleared her throat. Because of the high temperature in the house, her voice sounded a little hoarse.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Ten copper coins for a massage. When payment is made, the masseuse will come.¡±


    The motto of this shop was to render services upon immediate payment.


    Xiaoguo placed the money in a small wooden box hanging on the door. The person outside the door pulled the box out once the money was put in.


    After the payment was done, Xiaoguo was quickly assigned with a masseuse.


    After the person left, Xiaoguo suddenly felt a little uneasy. She had forgotten to ask whether the masseuse was a man or woman.


    Zhuang Zhuang was playing happily in the water. One moment, he was holding the petals above his head, and the next moment, he was sticking the petals to his face. Xiaoguo was laughing out loud at his antics.


    ¡°Thump, thump, thump. Massage service.¡±


    There was a knock on the door and Xiaoguo breathed a sigh of relief. It was a woman¡¯s voice.


    She walked over and unbolted the door. A woman came in with a tray. To be exact, it was a woman, dressed in a thin outfit, holding a tray.


    Following her instructions, Xiaoguo undressed and lay on the bed by the side.


    The woman took the initiative to draw the curtains in the room so as to create an enclosed space around the massage area.


    The curtain was made of gauze, so the massage area wasn¡¯t completely concealed. It was also convenient for Xiaoguo to observe Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s movements to prevent any accidents from happening. After all, the pool wasn¡¯t exactly shallow. Although she had placed him near the steps, accidents could still happen. It was better for her to watch him closely.


    ¡®Now we are going to begin. Please relax.¡¯


    Xiaoguo felt that massages were magical. She always feel sleepy during massages.


    ¡°Is this strength alright?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ sure¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know why she answered her in such a tone. Perhaps it was because the massage was really comfortable, or perhaps it was because of the masseuse¡¯s voice. Even as a girl, Xiaoguo felt that it sounded a little light and breezy. It made her feel very comfortable.


    Xiaoguo forced herself to stay awake. She did not dare to close her eyes and kept an eye on Zhuang Zhuang constantly.


    During the massage, the masseuse also used a fragrant essential oil. Xiaoguo was very much attracted by the smell. The scent somehow made her heart beat faster.


    ¡°What kind of essential oil is this?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help herself. The fragrance was so tempting.


    ¡°This is a refined oil that we have developed ourselves. It is extracted from twenty spices, including orange flowers, pears, jasmine, almonds, vanilla, patchouli, and cedar. It is sold exclusively at our shop.¡±


    When the woman heard Xiaoguo¡¯s question, she immediately introduced the essential oil to her. She also told Xiaoguo that the oil was available for sale.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s nice.¡± It couldn¡¯t be cheap.


    Xiaoguo felt that this essential oil sounded very expensive.


    ¡°We sell it exclusively in our store so you can¡¯t buy it anywhere else. And it¡¯s not expensive either. In fact, it¡¯s very affordable.¡±


    Xiaoguo was tempted. ¡®Not expensive?¡¯


    After holding it in for a long time, she could not help but ask, ¡°¡­ How much is it?¡±


    ¡°Twenty copper coins a bottle.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow, this is not expensive? It¡¯s extremely expensive. Just think about how much meat can I buy with this?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t decide whether to get it or not, so she looked at the size of the jar and tried to estimate if it was worth twenty coins.


    ¡°¡­ Okay I will get a bottle.¡±


    In the end, Xiaoguo bought a bottle. The container looked quite big so it should last her for a long time.


    ¡°Okay, you can go to the front to collect it later¡­¡±


    Hearing that Xiaoguo was going to buy a bottle, the woman worked even harder. She started massaging Xiaoguo¡¯s back and even her legs.


    ¡­


    Xiaoguo put on her clothes, then she wiped dry Zhuang Zhuang before dressing him.


    ¡°Mother, why didn¡¯t I get a massage?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had been watching Xiaoguo alll this while and was curious about why he didn¡¯t need a massage.


    ¡°Because¡­ you¡¯re still a child.¡±


    Xiaoguo said the most commonly used line among all parents.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s because I¡¯m a child. I¡¯ll go for a massage when I grow up then,¡± Zhuang Zhuang thought to himself.

 Chapter 172 - 172 Caught Up

    172 Caught Up


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    Xiaoguo stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head. She was glad that he didn¡¯t continue asking as she had run out of excuses.


    ¡°Grab your clothes and let¡¯s go out.¡±


    Xiaoguo walked out with Zhuang Zhuang. At this hour, the situation outside was different from when they first arrived.


    When they arrived at this place, it was still early and there weren¡¯t many people around. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had been soaking in the hot spring for quite a while, so it seemed like they had come out during the peak hour.


    There were many men and women crowding within the shop. All of them were choosing the hot spring they wanted to soak in. The women who were teasing Zhuang Zhuang earlier on, were so busy now that they must be wishing for extra help.


    Xiaoguo held Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand tightly and made their way to the front desk by avoiding the crowd. Coincidentally, she bumped into the woman who had just given her a massage.


    One look at her and the woman knew what she wanted. She quickly brought her a bottle of the essential oil.


    Xiaoguo took it from her, lifted the lid, and sniffed the contents. After making sure she had the correct item, she handed over the money.


    After putting away the essential oil in their bag, the two of them quickly left the shop.


    Xiaoguo estimated that it was just past midnight. It should have been dark at this hour, but at the moment, the streets were looking even more dazzling and bright than it did at noon.


    This also explains why the people here were as active at night as they were during the day. At this hour, most people from other places would have been sleeping by now. They wouldn¡¯t be so energetic like the people here.


    ¡°Speaking of which, could their minds and bodies really take it? Wouldn¡¯t their body clocks be all messed up?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the street, which was still bustling with activity. She was a little curious about the people here. Their bodies must be in superb condition.


    ¡°Yawn¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang yawned. He held the lotus lantern in one hand and held on to Xiaoguo with his other hand. With two hands occupied, he was unable to wipe his tears.


    Xiaoguo shifted her bag to the front of her body and took the lotus lantern from Zhuang Zhuang. Then, she lifted him up.


    As soon as Zhuang Zhuang landed in her arms, he immediately adjusted himself into a comfortable position and fell asleep.


    Xiaoguo quickly returned to the inn. At the moment, everyone was still busy. Xiaoguo greeted the officer on duty and returned to their room.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo brought breakfast into the room when Zhuang Zhuang was still asleep.


    Xiaoguo knew that if she were to wake him by calling him, he would create a fuss as he usually did. It would be better to settle this the hard way.


    Xiaoguo picked up Zhuang Zhuang and helped him put on his clothes and comb his hair.


    Then, she quickly rinsed his mouth and washed his face.


    Zhuang Zhuang was still in a daze as he ate the pickled vegetables that Xiaoguo was feeding him. He didn¡¯t know how he could be eating when he was still fast asleep.


    Xiaoguo got into the carriage on time and they began their journey home again.


    At this moment, the streets were still bustling with activity. These people seemed to have no idea what fatigue was. They ate and drank every day as if they did not require any sleep.


    Xiaoguo was about to lower the curtain when she was attracted by a figure.


    A ten-meter-tall Buddha statue was standing halfway up the mountains and was facing towards their carriage. Xiaoguo was a little surprised. The carriage had been moving all this time, but no matter where they were, she felt like the statue was watching her.


    Xiaoguo felt a tinge of regret. She really wanted to visit the temple. It was such a famous landmark here, but she was unable to pay her respects. It was such a pity.


    Although Xiaoguo did not believe in gods, she could feel the spirituality in this place.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was setting a small goal in her heart. When she had the chance in the future, she would definitely bring Zhuang Zhuang to travel around the country.


    Not long after leaving the city gates, the carriage suddenly stopped and Xiaoguo jerked forward. Her first reaction was to hug Zhuang Zhuang tightly.


    Zhuang Zhuang also held on to Xiaoguo tightly in that instant. When there were no further movements, Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and looked outside.


    To be honest, Xiaoguo¡¯s first thought was that they had encountered bandits.


    But looking at the quiet surroundings outside, it didn¡¯t seem like what she had thought. There should be sounds of fighting if that was the case.


    Xiaoguo lowered the curtain on one side and lifted the other.


    Before her hand could touch the curtain, it was forcefully lifted.


    Xiaoguo was shocked and instinctively blocked Zhuang Zhuang.


    Outside the carriage, Jiang Danhe looked at the scene in front of him in a daze. At this moment, the smile on his face had stiffened.


    He really did not expect to scare them.


    ¡°Xiaoguo? Xiaoguo? Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo, whose eyes were closed, and called out to them innocently.


    Xiaoguo thought she was hearing things. Why was she hearing Jiang Danhe¡¯s voice?


    Xiaoguo carefully opened her eyes and saw a zoomed-in view of a handsome face.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe!¡±


    Xiaoguo was a little excited. Why was he here?!


    Zhuang Zhuang had also heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s name. He instantly came out from behind Xiaoguo and said in surprise, ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Jiang Danhe got off the horse and walked excitedly to the carriage. Xiaoguo made way for Jiang Danhe to sit down.


    ¡°I have some work to do and will be going the same way, so I¡¯ll travel with you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe hugged Zhuang Zhuang and said to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were very happy. Zhuang Zhuang hugged Jiang Danhe and asked apprehensively, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m going to Feng City. It¡¯s on the way.¡±


    ¡°Feng City? Why does that sound so familiar?¡±


    Upon hearing Jiang Danhe¡¯s words, Xiaoguo felt a little strange.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he had a huge reaction. ¡°Really?! That¡¯s great!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang happily pounced on Jiang Danhe and kept rubbing himself against him.


    Jiang Danhe was amused by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s cuteness, so he laughed and played along.


    Earlier on, Jiang Danhe¡¯s horse had been led away by his men. In the meanwhile, Zhuang Zhuang had had enough fun and was resting on his father.


    Jiang Danhe finally had the time to speak with Xiaoguo.


    ¡°To Feng City, you say?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded and said.


    Xiaoguo fell into deep thought. She just recalled where she had seen Feng City. Wasn¡¯t Feng City the strange town that she had encountered during their journey to the capital? There were many people waiting at the entrance and she saw a woman coming out from that strange place at night.


    ¡°On my way to the capital, I passed by Feng City¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo told Jiang Danhe about the unusual sight that she witnessed. When Jiang Danhe heard this, there was an indescribable look in his eyes. ¡°There must be something wrong with that place.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m going there to handle this matter.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she found it a little strange. How could a general like him be running errands?


    ¡°In order for us to spend more time together, the emperor sent me to Feng City to handle some matters. At the same time, I can accompany you along the way.¡±


    Jiang Danhe immediately added as he was afraid that Xiaoguo would think of him as an idle person. He was a general after all. How could he be involved in such trivial matters?


    After hearing him out, Xiaoguo understood. ¡°So that was the reason¡­¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you set off with us?¡±


    Xiaoguo was a little puzzled. Why did he only catch up with them halfway through their journey?


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of Li Shouji.¡± When Jiang Danhe started explaining, he was at a loss for words. ¡°Li Shouji is too unreliable. The emperor told him about this the day before yesterday, but Li Shouji had forgotten about it. He only recalled the matter and informed me after you left yesterday.¡±


    Xiaoguo snickered. He must have rushed over to catch up with them.


    Along the way, Jiang Danhe kept stretching out and crossing his legs in order to attract Xiaoguo¡¯s attention.


    However, Xiaoguo did not notice it. After some time, she realized that he was trying to show her something, so she gave him her full attention.

 Chapter 173 - 173 Ill Make You Another Pair

    173 I¡¯ll Make You Another Pair


    After Jiang Danhe¡¯s countless reminders, Xiaoguo finally saw his shoes.


    Once she spotted the shoes, Xiaoguo felt a little shy. It was one thing to give someone a gift, but it was another thing to see him wearing it in person. That was the reason why she didn¡¯t give it to him personally. Now that she was facing him directly, she was filled with embarrassment.


    Jiang Danhe could tell that she had seen it.


    Before setting off, Jiang Danhe specially put on the boots that Xiaoguo had made for him. Because they were very precious, he tried his best not to step on the ground while he was on his way. He did not want to put too much pressure on the boots for fear that they would crease.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find them hot!¡±


    Seeing him dressed like this, Xiaoguo was a little amused despite her shyness. The boots she had made were meant to be worn during the coldest period in winter. The weather was not even that cold yet, and he was already wearing them. Doesn¡¯t he feel hot right now?


    ¡°It¡¯s hot. I can feel the heat in my feet and also in my heart,¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded and replied honestly. How could it not be hot? The shoes that Xiaoguo had made for him would keep him hot even when the weather was at its coldest, not to mention now when the temperatures had started to dip a little, and winter had yet to arrive. In his last sentence, he didn¡¯t forget to flirt with Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Stop kidding around.¡±


    Xiaoguo rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°Hurry up and take it off. Didn¡¯t you bring any luggage? Hurry up and change.¡±


    Xiaoguo was afraid that he would get overheated in the shoes.


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he shook his head vigorously. ¡°No, no. I like it.¡±


    He simply refused to change no matter what Xiaoguo said. She did not expect him to be so stubborn.


    ¡°Aiya, how about I make you another pair?¡±


    Xiaoguo said in exasperation when she saw that Jiang Danhe was adamant about keeping his shoes on.


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo and asked happily. If Xiaoguo were to make a few more pairs for him, he could take turns wearing them. In the future, he would only wear the shoes that she made.


    Xiaoguo nodded helplessly. She was too hasty earlier on and had blurted out those words unknowingly. But looking at Jiang Danhe¡¯s expression now, she couldn¡¯t bear to say no. ¡°So be it. It wouldn¡¯t take long anyway.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he immediately lifted the curtain and looked outside. He called out, ¡°Is there someone who can tell me where we are now?¡±


    ¡°General, we have departed from Shun Teng State by about twenty miles.¡±


    A group of soldiers who had come with Jiang Danhe were following alongside the carriage. When one of them heard the general¡¯s question, he immediately came over to answer him.


    ¡°How long until the next county?¡±


    ¡°General, the next district is Luoyang City. It will probably be evening time when we reach there.¡±


    Jiang Danhe waved him away and turned to sit back in the carriage. He looked disappointed that it would take so long.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t understand what he was up to. She noticed that he was constantly looking outside.


    _


    Soon, it was time for lunch. Xiaoguo was prepared to eat with Magistrate Liu and his men, but Jiang Danhe waved his hand and asked his subordinates to prepare a sumptuous meal instead.


    Xiaoguo did not expect Jiang Danhe to be so well-prepared for this trip. She sat down with Zhuang Zhuang and did not join the magistrate for lunch.


    Magistrate Liu came over halfway during lunch. He was so busy in the morning that he didn¡¯t have time to chat with Jiang Danhe properly. As soon as the car stopped, he immediately got out.


    ¡°General, is the carriage comfortable? Is it too hard? I have a very soft cotton cushion. Shall I bring it to you first?¡±


    ¡°General, do you have enough food and water? I have a lot of good food here. Since I¡¯ve brought extra, why don¡¯t we eat together?¡±


    ¡°General, do you want some fruit? I happened to have a few apples here. I¡¯ll bring them to you now.¡±


    County Magistrate Liu said a lot, and Jiang Danhe did not ignore him. After all, he still needed the magistrate¡¯s help to escort Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang home.


    Jiang Danhe exchanged pleasantries with him nonchalantly, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s embarrassment was about to overflow from the screen. Even with Jiang Danhe¡¯s indifferent attitude, Magistrate Liu was still able to carry on talking excitedly, as if it was his honor to be able to talk to Jiang Danhe. Xiaoguo could feel chills down her spine.


    While Jiang Danhe was speaking with Magistrate Liu, he kept observing Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang. Whenever the rice in their bowls got lesser, he would top them up.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t interested in their small talk, so she focused on eating the rice in her bowl. But after eating for a long time, she realized that her bowl was still full. Jiang Danhe was filling the bowl faster than she could eat.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m not eating anymore.¡±


    After Magistrate Liu left, Xiaoguo put down her bowl and stopped Jiang Danhe from filling her bowl with rice. If she continued eating, she would vomit.


    Jiang Danhe shrugged. Then he picked up Xiaoguo¡¯s bowl and started eating with the chopsticks she was using. One should not waste food.


    After dinner, they rested for a while before setting off. Initially, the plan was to set off after lunch. Magistrate Liu had heard that Jiang Danhe was traveling with them because he was on a business trip. Out of consideration that he might be rushing for time, the magistrate was prepared to push on with the journey.


    Unexpectedly, when Jiang Danhe heard the plan, he waved his hand, indicating that he was not in a hurry. They could take their time.


    Magistrate Liu was overjoyed when he heard that. Apparently, he would prefer to rest a little longer. He was just saying that to show that he was accommodating to Jiang Danhe¡¯s needs, in order to score points with the man. However, when he heard that there was no need to rush, he heaved a sigh of relief. He was glad to take a longer break. If they were to travel continuously, his body would not be able to take it.


    After the group had rested enough, they continued with their journey.


    Jiang Danhe had given up riding on his horse earlier on. He was now traveling in the carriage with his baggage, seated closely beside Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo looked around the spacious carriage. Jiang Danhe refused to sit anywhere else and insisted on squeezing next to the two of them. It felt so crowded that Zhuang Zhuang, the little meatball, could barely breathe.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo picked the boy up and threw him onto Jiang Danhe¡¯s lap. Since he enjoyed crowding beside them, she should let him hug Zhuang Zhuang all he wanted.


    Zhuang Zhuang was obviously very happy with his position. Although Jiang Danhe¡¯s thighs were muscular, it was still much more comfortable than a hard carriage.


    ¡°Mother, we¡¯ll take turns to sit here.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang said happily to Xiaoguo. He could not enjoy this comfortable seat all by himself. His mother must be very tired too.


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, his eyes instantly lit up. He quickly turned to look at Xiaoguo with anticipation. If she wished to sit on him, he would welcome her with open arms.


    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s no need.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she turned her head uncomfortably and even secretly glared at Jiang Danhe. Being an adult, how could he fool around like a kid.


    Zhuang Zhuang shrugged. ¡°Fine, this position is really comfortable.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was pretty disappointed, and he adjusted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s position in his lap. ¡°Speaking of which, why is this kid so heavy¡­¡±


    ¨C


    The sky gradually turned dark. Magistrate Liu was already preparing to enter the town. With Jiang Danhe here, It would be better for him to find a place for everyone to rest.


    The convoy arrived at Luoyang City. Although Jiang Danhe had been teasing Xiaoguo throughout the journey, he was constantly observing their surroundings carefully. When he saw the city gate tower, Jiang Danhe felt slightly relieved.


    Luoyang City was currently being guarded by an old acquaintance of his. Since he was here now, it was a good opportunity for them to catch up.


    The convoy was stopped at the gates by the guards due to the size of their congregation, which consisted of soldiers, cavalry, and carriages.

 Chapter 174 - 174 Ulterior Motives

    174 Ulterior Motives


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Magistrate Liu was sitting in the first carriage. With one look, he gestured for his men outside to register while he sat firmly within the carriage.


    Jiang Danhe felt the carriage stop, so he lifted the curtain and looked ahead. He realized that it was just the usual registration process, so he sat back down in relief.


    Soon, the convoy was let through. The moment the soldiers at the gates saw them, they sent someone to bring the letter back to the military camp. After all, with such a large group entering the city, it was standard procedure to inform the governor.


    When they arrived at the inn where they were going to stay, Magistrate Liu kindly handed Jiang Danhe a key. Xiaoguo waited for the magistrate to pass one to her. To her surprise, there was only one key. After handing it to Jiang Danhe, the magistrate left happily, as if he had done something good.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at each other. One was dumbfounded while the other was overjoyed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±


    Jiang Danhe carried his bag and led Zhuang Zhuang up the stairs.


    He did not forget to steal a few glances at Xiaoguo, who was right behind him. He guessed that Xiaoguo would not want to share a room with him. That was why he was bringing her bag and Zhuang Zhuang with him. By doing so, he was sure that she would follow behind them. Jiang Danhe was so proud of his idea that he gave himself a thumbs up.


    Xiaoguo really didn¡¯t want to share a room with him and was thinking of getting her own room, but he had taken the bag away and her purse was in there. Therefore, she could only follow him reluctantly.


    Jiang Danhe slowed down when he saw her approaching. A smug smile appeared on his face.


    Magistrate Liu had done a good job. The bed in the room was pretty big so Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have to sleep so close to Jiang Danhe. With the adults taking either sides of the bed and Zhuang Zhuang sleeping in the middle, there was still some room left.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s mood returned to normal. She smiled and happily made the bed.


    Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t feeling as good as her. One room was great, but why was this bed so big? It wasn¡¯t the narrow bed he had imagined.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while,¡±


    Jiang Danhe said to Xiaoguo with a troubled expression.


    Xiaoguo nodded to show that she understood. Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t here for leisure. He must have some business to attend to.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t going to ask him any questions, Jiang Danhe was rather dismayed. In the end, he vented his frustration on Zhuang Zhuang, who was watching from the side.


    ¡°Muack!¡±


    Jiang Danhe kissed Zhuang Zhuang so hard that his face was scrunched together. ¡°Son, I¡¯m going out.¡±


    With that, he glanced at Xiaoguo again before leaving hastily. ¡°Seriously, why isn¡¯t she asking me where I was going?!¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang was released from Jiang Danhe¡¯s arms, he groaned and moaned as he ran to Xiaoguo¡¯s side. His eyes were filled with tears as he begged for her comfort. Those kisses hurt so much.


    Xiaoguo was also dumbfounded. She rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little face with her hands. Earlier on, Jiang Danhe looked like he was going to flatten Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face with all his kisses.


    After leaving the inn, Jiang Danhe arrived at Zhu Yang¡¯s residence at dawn. Zhu Yang was the governor of Luoyang City. The two of them had known each other for a long time. When Jiang Danhe was still a soldier, Zhu Yang had taken good care of him.


    When Jiang Danhe arrived at the mansion, he explained his purpose for visiting. The guard at the door was about to kneel down when Jiang Danhe stopped him. ¡°Could you help to inform the governor that I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll go right now.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded and waited on the spot to admire the surrounding scenery. He did not expect the governor to appreciate all these. The environment around the mansion was quite beautiful and poetic.


    However, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but laugh when he thought of Zhu Yang. It wasn¡¯t surprising that he could live in such a poetic and cultured setting.


    ¡°Old Jiang, long time no see!¡±


    A refined voice came from behind.


    Jiang Danhe, who had his back turned, heard the familiar voice. He smiled from the bottom of his heart and slowly turned around. ¡°Long time no see, top scholar!¡±


    Zhu Yang strode forward quickly when he heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s familiar quip, with a stretch of his arms, he elbowed the latter and hugged him.


    Jiang Danhe also placed his hand on the other party¡¯s shoulder excitedly and patted him.


    The two men hugged each other with red teary eyes. Although the scene was a little strange, it was very pleasing to the eyes.


    Zhu Yang was extraordinarily beautiful. He was a man, but he had snow-white skin, rosy lips and sparkling teeth. Just by looking at his face, one would definitely mistake him for a young lady.


    Being beautiful has its advantages. If the scene was replaced by two ugly men hugging each other, disgusted bystanders might be tempted to bury them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in!¡±


    Zhu Yang pulled Jiang Danhe along excitedly.


    As soon as they entered the house, Zhu Yang pulled Jiang Danhe along to admire the scenery around the mansion. He kept talking along the way. Jiang Danhe could not help but feel a little awkward. Zhu Yang had not changed a bit, he was still so chatty.


    ¡°By the way, why are you here today? You were part of the convoy at the city gate just now, right?¡±


    Zhu Yang had spoken a lot before he remembered to ask Jiang Danhe about his visit.


    Jiang Danhe gave him a brief update of the situation.


    Zhu Yang nodded and suddenly realized, ¡°You have a child too!¡±


    He had always known that Jiang Danhe had a wife, but he didn¡¯t know that he had a child!


    ¡°Yes, yes. I only found out when I was reunited with them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. We both have kids now!¡±


    Zhu Yang had gotten married to a child bride a long time ago. The couple enjoyed a good relationship and became parents to a son and daughter when they were very young.


    ¡°By the way, my wife has just given birth to a little girl. We are having a full month celebration tonight. Bring your wife and son over.¡±


    Zhu Yang clapped his hands. It was perfect timing.


    ¡°You have another child?¡± Jiang Danhe looked shocked. So now, he had a son and two daughters?


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhu Yang looked proud. ¡°Three children, one son and two daughters!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was speechless. Zhu Yang was younger than him and wasn¡¯t as fit as him. Why is he so productive? He was feeling so jealous of his friend.


    Zhu Yang patted Jiang Danhe¡¯s shoulder with a proud look on his face. ¡°I am talented!¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I am pretty mighty myself!¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡±


    ¨C


    Jiang Danhe only returned to the inn when it was almost dark. The first thing he did was to look for Xiaoguo.


    ¡°What? You want us to attend the full month celebration?¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped pouring the water in her hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded like he was looking forward to the three of them going together.


    Xiaoguo looked at the clothes she was wearing. She couldn¡¯t wear these to someone else¡¯s full month celebration. For convenience sake, Xiaoguo had brought mostly loose and comfortable clothing for this trip. These garments were suitable for traveling, but they were not appropriate for visiting someone¡¯s residence.


    Xiaoguo was intending to turn Jiang Danhe down, but she couldn¡¯t bear to dampen his spirits. She gave it a thought while watching Jiang Danhe attempt to change Zhuang Zhuang into a new set of clothes.


    Oh right! Didn¡¯t Jiang Danhe give her a set of clothes?


    Jiang Danhe had already dressed Zhuang Zhuang and was about to grab Xiaoguo out of the house.


    Xiaoguo pushed them out of the room.


    ¡°Guo, there¡¯s no need to change. Although it¡¯s called a full month banquet, there¡¯s only a few of us and no one else.¡±


    Xiaoguo did not expect a straight man like Jiang Danhe to understand. Hence, she chased him away and told him to wait for her. She will be ready soon.


    Jiang Danhe stopped knocking on the door when he realized that it was futile. He was thinking to himself that Xiaoguo was so beautiful even on normal days. If she were to dress up, she would definitely look like a fairy. But in any case, the main point of letting Xiaoguo attend the full month banquet was to let her see the newborn girl. Along the way, she might get motivated and pester him to make a baby with her¡­

 Chapter 175 - 175 Is Mother a Fairy?

    175 Is Mother a Fairy?


    ¡°Father, what are you laughing at?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Jiang Danhe, who was smiling foolishly. ¡°Was there something wrong with his brain?¡±


    ¡°I am thinking about your sister¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe blurted out. Zhuang Zhuang was confused. ¡°Sister from where?¡±


    Jiang Danhe came back to his senses. He knew that he had said something he shouldn¡¯t have, so he rephrased his words. ¡°The little girl we are going to see today.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t doubt him and nodded.


    Jiang Danhe heaved a sigh of relief. This kid had sharp ears.


    Father and son stood idly in the doorway, waiting for Xiaoguo.


    Jiang Danhe knocked on the door from time to time, afraid that Xiaoguo would look too pretty. He was truly worried.


    At first, Xiaoguo answered Jiang Danhe patiently. But in the end, she became so annoyed that she shouted, ¡°Just wait!¡±


    Jiang Danhe thought that the lion¡¯s roar, in comparison to what he had just heard, was just a meow. He instantly wilted and squatted in the corner with Zhuang Zhuang, waiting for Xiaoguo in silence.


    ¡°¡­ Has your mother always been like this?¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but ask the quiet Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang glanced at Jiang He and said faintly, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t disturb her, she¡¯s okay.¡±


    What he meant was that Jiang Danhe had been too naggy just now.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe understood and shut his mouth.


    His legs were numb from squatting and he was thinking of rushing Xiaoguo again. Why was she taking so long? He walked towards the door, lifted his hand and was about to knock when he froze. Jiang Danhe swallowed hard and turned to look at Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, can you ask your mother to hurry up?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was terrified. He thought of Xiaoguo¡¯s roar just now and decided to let Zhuang Zhuang do it.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t comply. He saw through Jiang Danhe¡¯s thoughts and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°If you are in a hurry, you talk to her yourself.¡±


    Jiang Danhe glared at the sly little boy. He was so angry that his lungs hurt. If he dared to do it, why would he still ask him?


    ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s wait a little longer. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    Jiang Danhe pretended that nothing had happened and returned to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s side. He squatted down and started drawing circles.


    ¨C


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After much anticipation, there was finally movement at the door.


    Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang looked up at the same time with a hint of joy. She was finally done!


    The two of them were still squatting down when they saw the hem of a light blue dress appear in front of them. The two of them looked up at the same time.


    When Jiang Danhe saw Xiaoguo, he could no longer remain calm and stood up abruptly. His legs were no longer numb. In three steps, he jumped to her side and pushed her back into the room, muttering, ¡°Change your clothes, change your clothes.¡±


    Xiaoguo pushed Jiang Danhe away. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m not changing.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy for her to get dressed. Why should she get changed?


    ¡°Mother, are you a fairy?¡±


    Xiaoguo shook off Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand impatiently. When she heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words, she felt happy. ¡°Really?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded frantically. When Xiaoguo saw this, she spun around happily. After spending so much effort to dress up, there is no woman who does not want to hear compliments.


    In Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes, Xiaoguo was like a fairy in a book, and in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes, it was another kind of scenery.


    It was not without results that Xiaoguo had spent so much time dressing up in the room. When she first transmigrated here, the host¡¯s skin was dry and yellow from overworking and malnutrition. When Xiaoguo arrived, her diet and nutrition improved significantly. As a result, her skin had become fairer and fresher as the days went by.


    At this moment, she was wearing a light blue dress with an inner pink blouse. The blouse was made of gauze, so Xiaoguo¡¯s snow-white skin was subtly revealed through the translucent material. Xiaoguo had the right curves in all the right places, so, even though the outer dress was wrapped tightly, it still revealed her beautiful curves. This was also why Jiang Danhe kept pushing Xiaoguo back to the room to change.


    As for Xiaoguo¡¯s face, she happened to have the set of cosmetics that Jiang Danhe gave her. The set was very complete with rouge, powder and eyebrow ink, so Xiaoguo simply applied some light makeup to look more lively.


    Xiaoguo initially planned to style her hair into a bun, which was currently the most popular hairstyle here. However, after trying, she realized that she couldn¡¯t do it. This was also why half of her time spent in the house was wasted on trying to bun up her hair. In the end, she decided to give up.


    Eventually, she only tied her hair up and tidied up the stray ends. After which, she found a matching hairpin from the pile of accessories she had, and pinned it on her hair. It was simple but beautiful.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo could be described as stunningly beautiful, with fair skin, pretty eyes and rosy lips. Although she was not drop-dead gorgeous, she was beautiful enough.


    ¡°Go back to the room and change. Go back, go back.¡±


    Jiang Danhe came back to his senses and grabbed Xiaoguo, who was trying to bring Zhuang Zhuang out.


    Xiaoguo had tolerated him for a long time earlier when he kept urging her to go back to her room and change.


    ¡°It¡¯ll¡­ It¡¯ll be cold. In this weather¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe thought for a long time and found a reason. He couldn¡¯t say that he was jealous, right? However, under Xiaoguo¡¯s gaze, he felt less confident.


    Xiaoguo looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the temperature. I only care about looking appropriate. Besides, I have a cape with me. I¡¯ll put it on in a while and take it off when we get there.¡±


    After saying that, she pulled Zhuang Zhuang with one hand and pushed Jiang Danhe away. She urged him to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll be late. Hurry up¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo knew that she caused some delay just now, so she could only urge Jiang Danhe to hurry up.


    This was the first time Jiang Danhe had heard Xiaoguo speak to him like this. He felt lost, and a little conflicted. He was very happy to see her wearing this dress for him, but the thought of her wearing it out made him feel less happy.


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe was not moving and wearing a constipated look on his face, Xiaoguo could roughly tell what he was hung up about. He was really quite cute. ¡°I¡¯ll put it on. Okay?¡±


    He was conflicted because her clothes were a little revealing. Although most of the people here were dressed like this, it was still a lot less than what she usually wore.


    As expected, Jiang Danhe was overjoyed when Xiaoguo put on the cape. His face lit up with joy. His brows were no longer furrowed and his mouth was no longer pursed.


    But he still said, ¡°Don¡¯t take it off when you get there.¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t going to argue with him, so she nodded.


    ¡°Sure¡­ as if¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo added on without him hearing.


    Feeling more at ease, Jiang Danhe went to prepare the carriage. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang followed behind him. They looked at each other and shrugged helplessly.


    Zhuang Zhuang: Dad is so petty. What¡¯s that word again? He¡¯s being unreasonable.


    Xiaoguo: I think he¡¯s a little cute¡­


    The carriage had been set up early in the morning. Jiang Danhe carried Zhuang Zhuang up first. After settling him down, he turned around and reached out to help Xiaoguo.


    Jiang Danhe was standing on the carriage and Xiaoguo was on ground level. When he bent down to help her up, Xiaoguo had to bend down to lift the hem of her dress.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s gaze was constantly and involuntarily attracted by the undulating scenery along the neckline of her dress. It was like he had been possessed. The more he stared, the more dizzy he felt. In the end, he heard the sound of something dripping.


    Xiaoguo noticed a drop of dark-colored fluid land on the carriage floor. She looked up curiously and saw Jiang Danhe bleeding from his nose.


    ¡°Look up quickly!¡±


    Xiaoguo was shocked. Why was his nose suddenly bleeding?


    Jiang Danhe had a guilty conscience. When he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he immediately trembled in fear and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking!¡±

 Chapter 176 - 176 Going to the Banquet

    176 Going to the Banquet


    ¡°What?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t hear him clearly, so she asked him again.


    Jiang Danhe looked down at Xiaoguo, his eyes filled with doubt. Was she referring to something else? Did he just confess?


    ¡°Look up quickly!¡±


    Xiaoguo saw that he had lowered his head again. Blood was slowly flowing out of his nostrils. She couldn¡¯t help but shout at him to look up.


    Jiang Danhe subconsciously stood in a military posture and raised his head. It was only then that he felt something. He reached out to wipe his nose and was shocked when he saw what it was. Blood?!


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, Jiang Danhe, you¡¯re an embarrassment!¡±


    Looking at his dumbfounded expression, Xiaoguo knew that she couldn¡¯t count on him to handle it himself. She had to deal with it instead.


    Holding on to the handkerchief that she had brought with her, she grabbed Jiang Danhe¡¯s clothes and pulled herself onto the carriage.


    Before Jiang Danhe realized what was happening, Xiaoguo was already in front of him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Jiang Danhe subconsciously wanted to move, but Xiaoguo¡¯s voice stopped him in his tracks, and he really stopped moving. He let Xiaoguo pull him to sit down and raise his head.


    After a while, a pleasant feminine scent wafted over. Then, something touched his nose and gently wiped at it.


    Jiang Danhe swallowed nervously and basically swallowed the blood down his throat.


    Xiaoguo wiped his nose and thought that he seemed better, so she let him lower his head. It must be uncomfortable to keep looking up. She was afraid that he would twist his neck, so she placed her hand on his neck to help him slowly straighten his neck.


    ¡°Is everything okay now?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s worried voice sounded. Zhuang Zhuang was also looking at Jiang Danhe worriedly. Just now, as the adults were preoccupied, Zhuang Zhuang was obedient and tried not to disturb them. Now that everything was fine, he came over.


    ¡°¡­Yes I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Jiang Danhe took the handkerchief that smelled like Xiaoguo. Seeing that she had no intention of taking it back, he carefully hid it in his arms. He would be keeping it as his treasured possession.


    Xiaoguo was relieved to see that he was fine although he still appeared to be in a daze. It must be because he was wearing these thick boots. She had better make a new pair of thinner boots for him soon.


    Jiang Danhe clutched at his heart. What a disappointment he was. To think that he had a nose bleed right in front of Xiaoguo. This should have happened in private, but the scene just now was¡­


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but feel excited as the beautiful scene replayed in his mind. He felt like his nose was going to bleed again. Hence, he started to chant the Heart Sutra in his heart. ¡°The sensory world is an illusion, and illusion is the sensory world¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang looked at Jiang Danhe, who was acting all weird. They were a little puzzled. What was he mumbling about again?


    Zhuang Zhuang shrugged. He didn¡¯t understand¡­


    ¡°By the way, stop at the shop that sells jewelry.¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of something. She couldn¡¯t turn up empty-handed for a full month banquet.


    Jiang Danhe was dumbfounded. Was Xiaoguo going to buy something? That made sense. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t seem to have any jewelry on her. All she had was the ring he gave her on their wedding day.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Jiang Danhe had brought a lot of money with him when he came out. He thought of spending all of it to get some jewelry for Xiaoguo.


    The carriage stopped at the largest jewelry store in the area. Just as Xiaoguo was about to get out of the carriage, Jiang Danhe jumped out. When she peeked out of the carriage, she saw him waiting below to help her out.


    She chuckled and placed her hand on his. She turned around and instructed Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Wait for us in the car.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded, indicating that he would stay put.


    Xiaoguo then got out of the carriage.


    From the moment Jiang Danhe touched Xiaoguo¡¯s hand, his heart started racing. How smooth and tender her skin was¡­


    Once Xiaoguo had alighted, she let go of his hand and walked inside. Jiang Danhe was filled with disappointment. How wonderful it would be if she could hold on to his hand for a while longer.


    After entering the shop, Xiaoguo asked the shop assistant if he had any jewelry for a month-old baby girl. Xiaoguo took her time choosing from the selection recommended by the shop assistant.


    Jiang Danhe was rather surprised. So she wasn¡¯t buying for herself, but for Zhu Yang¡¯s daughter. He had not thought of that. ¡°Guo¡¯er is really thoughtful¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe was touched. Seeing how hard Xiaoguo was trying to select the gift, he started to look around the shop since he couldn¡¯t help her with the selection. Since Xiaoguo was not going to pick something for herself, he would get one for her.


    Xiaoguo finally picked out a longevity lock with jade beads from the pile. Just as she was about to pay for it, Jiang Danhe handed her the money.


    He had passed her a large banknote. The longevity lock that Xiaoguo had chosen was not expensive. The amount of money that Jiang Danhe had given her was enough to buy ten longevity locks.


    After a while, the shop assistant came over with the change. The bank note had been reduced to only a few taels of silver.


    Xiaoguo was shocked. ¡°Why is the change so little?¡±


    Jiang Danhe calmly put the silver back into his pouch and showed Xiaoguo the bag in his hand. ¡°I bought you something.¡±


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was aching. How much money did this ¡°little thing¡± cost?


    The two of them left the shop and returned to the carriage. Zhuang Zhuang was already starting to miss them.


    As soon as he saw them, he was eager to see what they had bought.


    Xiaoguo handed the longevity lock to Zhuang Zhuang for him to take a look. He held it carefully, afraid that he would break it. After looking at it once, he handed it back to Xiaoguo.


    Then, he looked at the bag in Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand.


    Jiang Danhe smiled and kept them in suspense. He clutched at the bag in his hand and told them he¡¯d show them when they got back to the inn. Then, he put it in his chest pocket.


    Zhuang Zhuang was so tantalized that he was dying to see it. However, Jiang Danhe kept teasing him and refused to show him. As a result, Zhuang Zhuang kept whining about it throughout the journey.


    ¨C


    The carriage arrived at Zhu Yang¡¯s residence. Someone had been waiting at the door to receive them.


    Jiang Danhe got off the carriage first so that he could help Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang out.


    Zhuang Zhuang was next in line to get off the carriage. When Jiang Danhe saw that it was him getting off next, he held the boy with one arm and brought him down. Jiang Danhe was more focused on helping Xiaoguo out of the carriage. When it came to Zhuang Zhuang, he just did whatever that worked.


    Zhuang Zhuang snorted and took a glance at Jiang Danhe before moving away.


    A pair of fair and slender hands reached out from behind the curtain. Seeing this, Jiang Danhe immediately stepped forward in a servile manner and extended his hand to support her.


    Seeing his behavior, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Jiang Danhe looked up when he heard her laughter and was immediately stunned.


    Her smile was truly beautiful.


    ¡°Hey fool, come to your senses.¡±


    Xiaoguo held on to his hand and alighted the carriage. She gave him a tug when she saw that he was in a daze. ¡°Why was he in such a daze today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Jiang Danhe grabbed Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and walked towards the mansion.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo struggled. ¡°Hey, hey, hey. Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°He had forgotten about Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was so focused on pulling Xiaoguo away that he had forgotten about Zhuang Zhuang, who was waiting for them at the side.


    ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to hold Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand when Jiang Danhe pulled her back. He turned around and spat out the two words mercilessly at Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang pouted and stood rooted to the ground with his hands still in an outstretched position. If he had to walk by himself, so be it. ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    The butler immediately ran over when he saw them. He smiled and looked at the three of them. ¡°Hello, General. You must be Madam and Young Master.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe came to visit earlier, the butler had already met him. He knew that Jiang Danhe would bring his wife and son over, so he had been waiting outside for their arrival.

 Chapter 177 - 177 How Stinky...

    177 How Stinky¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is my wife, this is my son, and this is Zhu Yang¡¯s old butler.¡±


    Jiang Danhe stood beside Xiaoguo and briefly introduced everyone.


    Xiaoguo nodded at the butler in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Please come in. The food is ready.¡±


    The old butler greeted them warmly and led them to the dining area.


    Xiaoguo did end up holding Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand. He was small and walked with small steps. How could he possibly keep up with the adults?


    Zhuang Zhuang held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and secretly gave Jiang Danhe a smug look. ¡°See, Mother still loves me the most.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s face darkened again. Zhuang Zhuang held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and swaggered in.


    Jiang Danhe stood rooted to the ground. Xiaoguo turned around and said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    When he heard this, he grinned happily. In that instant, it seemed as if he was wagging his tail. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡±


    ¡°My wife loves me too¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo hid a smile. ¡°How childish.¡±


    Although the old butler was old, his legs were still strong. He walked rather quickly and entered the house first.


    Soon, Zhu Yang strode out and immediately spotted Jiang Danhe¡¯s¡­ companion Xiaoguo, who was standing right beside him.


    ¡°This must be¡­ Sister-in-law!¡±


    Zhu Yang looked incredulous¡ªhis mouth was gaping. ¡°Those who don¡¯t know better would think that she¡¯s your daughter.¡±


    Zhu Yang circled around Xiaoguo in an exaggerated manner, making her feel a little embarrassed. He was a bit over the top.


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, Old Jiang, you look so old standing beside your wife.¡±


    Zhu Yang pursed his lips and looked at Jiang Danhe with pity.


    Xiaoguo covered her mouth and giggled. Jiang Danhe¡¯s face turned red and he threw a kick at his friend.


    Zhu Yang was already prepared and dodged to the side. Seeing that Zhu Yang was getting more and more excited and was raring to fight Jiang Danhe, Xiaoguo quickly spoke up.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, greet Uncle.¡±


    Zhu Yang and Jiang Danhe both snorted. Zhu Yang lowered his head and looked at Zhuang Zhuang with a loving expression. ¡°Aiyo, my good nephew¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello, Uncle. My name is Jiang Qingwen. My nickname is Zhuang Zhuang. I¡¯m three years old this year.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang straightened his clothes and spoke loudly.


    ¡°Hey, your son is much more chatty than you,¡±


    Zhu Yang patted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head and said to Jiang Danhe.


    Then, he imitated Zhuang Zhuang and smoothed out his clothes while speaking in a serious tone, ¡°Hello Zhuang Zhuang, my name is Zhu Yang. My nickname is Zhu Zhu. I¡¯m 21 years old this year.¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡± Zhu Yang¡¯s words made Zhuang Zhuang laugh out loud. He had never seen an adult behaving like this before.


    Zhu Yang looked at Zhuang Zhuang and laughed along heartily, revealing his sparkly white teeth.


    Xiaoguo was amused. Jiang Danhe¡¯s buddy was such a joker. It was hard to imagine that he had three children. When Jiang Danhe was telling her about Zhu Yang in the carriage just now, she had thought that he was a mature man. After all, he already had three children. She had never expected him to be so young.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the three people who were getting along so well and felt a tinge of jealousy in his heart. He had spent a lot of effort back then. Why was it so easy for them?


    ¡°Alright, alright. Are you going to let us in?¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s begrudging voice did not attract their attention.


    Zhu Yang clapped his hands and said happily, ¡°Let¡¯s go into the house. My wife and children are all inside.¡±


    As he spoke, he led Zhuang Zhuang into the house first. He didn¡¯t forget to shout, ¡°Sister-in-law, come quickly. Old Jiang, just make yourself at home.¡±


    With that, he walked into the house without looking back. Xiaoguo glanced at Jiang Danhe and snickered when he looked over. Then she followed behind Zhu Yang and Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo did not see Jiang Danhe¡¯s aggrieved expression. His brows were twitching uncontrollably. After a while, he had no choice but to follow everyone into the house.


    Zhu Yang¡¯s wife was five years older than him. Zhu Yang called her Xiaoyang. The two of them had been married for twelve years. In the past four years, they had given birth to three children¡ªthe oldest was three years old and the youngest was just a month old. Xiaoyang, who was still in her confinement period, was holding a baby girl who had just finished feeding and was playing with her eyes wide open. The baby¡¯s eyes were big and beautiful. Her cheeks were rosy and she looked extremely adorable. At this moment, she was reaching out her small hands, and grabbing at things.


    Xiaoguo entered the room and chatted happily with Xiaoyang. The two of them were playing with the little baby while Zhuang Zhuang stood by their side. He looked at the child who was wrinkly all over. ¡°You call this cute¡­?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, come and carry her.¡±


    Xiaoyang handed the baby in her arms to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiaoguo was nervous. She didn¡¯t know where to put her hands. How does one carry such a small and soft child¡­


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart softened when she saw the small child. She did her best to pick up the child from Xiao Yang¡¯s arms. She was feeling awkward as this was her first time carrying a child. Her arms had become stiff and she did not dare to move her hands at all. She could only try to support the child¡¯s neck and buttocks while keeping her hands steady.


    Watching Xiaoguo from the side, Xiaoyang started to laugh softly.


    Xiaoguo knew what she was laughing at. She had no choice but to summon Zhuang Zhuang over. ¡°Come, Zhuang Zhuang. Come take a look at the baby.¡±


    Since he was called out, Zhuang Zhuang walked over reluctantly and looked carefully at the child in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. ¡°Okay, it doesn¡¯t look so bad¡­¡±


    He took a closer look at the baby, and she smiled at him with her eyes wide open. Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°Alright, she is indeed a little cute.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was reluctant at first, but in his heart, he was starting to like the baby. She looked up and smiled, while exchanging glances with Xiaoyang.


    Just as the atmosphere was getting better, the little girl in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms suddenly scrunched up her face and trembled. Her face had also turned red from exertion.


    Xiaoguo did not understand what was going on. Zhuang Zhuang leaned closer to look at her curiously. Only Xiaoyang, who was on the bed, understood those facial expressions on the baby¡¯s face. Her heart skipped a beat, but before she could say anything to them, it was already too late.


    ¡°Urgh¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was the closest, so he smelled it immediately. ¡°It stinks!¡±


    He jumped three steps back and looked at the small poisonous gas bomb. It smelled so bad!


    At first, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what was going on. Then she smelled something pungent. ¡± What is this smell??¡±


    ¡°Give her to me. She must have pooped¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo stiffly handed the baby to her. She didn¡¯t know that a child¡¯s feces could be so impressive¡­


    Xiaoyang was also a little embarrassed. She didn¡¯t expect her child to poop such a big one¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo inadvertently moved further away¡­


    Xiaoguo was fine, but Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face was filled with resistance from that moment on. He no longer dared to go near the child and kept hiding behind Xiaoguo. No matter how Xiaoguo called out to him, he simply refused to budge.


    This time, it was Xiaoguo¡¯s turn to be embarrassed. Although the child¡¯s feces was indeed smelly, he shouldn¡¯t behave like this. ¡°Oh my little Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    At that moment, they heard some commotion coming from outside the room.


    ¡°It must be Zhu Yang and the others coming over.¡±


    Xiao Yang recognized her husband¡¯s voice. Other than her husband, there were not many people who had such a hearty voice.


    Xiaoguo nodded in agreement as she detected Jiang Danhe¡¯s deep voice.


    After hanging around in the house for a while, Zhu Yang had gotten Jiang Danhe to bring out his other two children. They were being taken care of by the nanny in another room. Since it was almost time for dinner, the children should also be brought out now.

 Chapter 178 - 178 Little Casanova

    178 Little Casanova


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Before anybody entered the room, a lively voice could be heard from outside the door.


    ¡°That is my eldest son. You have to be prepared.¡±


    Hearing the voice, Xiaoyang knew whose voice it belonged to. She mentioned her eldest son fondly to Xiaoguo, but there was a hint of helplessness in her tone.


    Xiaoguo nodded quizzically and reached out to pull Zhuang Zhuang from behind her. She was going to let him greet his new friend. Zhuang Zhuang was very obedient. As long as he didn¡¯t have to go near the baby, he would do anything.


    ¡°I heard from Dad that I have a new friend?!¡±


    The boy lifted the curtain with a cheerful expression and poked his head in to look. The child¡¯s hair was in a mess, and his fair face was covered in black and gray streaks.


    The only visible feature on his face was his pair of big round eyes. At this moment, he was looking around the house. Xiaoguo found him very interesting¡ªhe was just as lively as Zhu Yang.


    The boy suddenly made eye contact with Xiaoguo and he retreated with a cry.


    Xiaoguo was confused and she looked at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Did I scare him?¡±


    Xiao Yang knew her son¡¯s personality, so she shook her head helplessly. She wasn¡¯t scaring him, instead¡­


    With a bang, the door was pushed open together with the curtain. Xiaoyang covered the baby girl¡¯s ears in anticipation of the noise¡ªshe knew that the boy was going to do that.


    ¡°Ahem, beautiful lady, can I bring you to the lake for tea and snacks?¡±


    The child, who had retreated from the room earlier, reappeared in the room with his hair neatly coiffed. His face had also been wiped clean. He walked elegantly towards Xiaoguo and shook his small hands¡ªacting like he was holding a fan.


    The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s lips twitched as she smiled. She turned around stiffly and looked at the helpless Xiaoyang. She now knew what she meant earlier on. ¡°This little casanova¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang wasn¡¯t smiling anymore. ¡°I can¡¯t believe my eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhu Ming, call her Aunt.¡±


    As soon as Xiaoyang finished speaking, Zhu Yang, who had just arrived, threw a kick at his son. ¡°Rascal, how old are you to be making moves on girls!¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Zhu Ming landed on the bed. Just before he could land on Xiaoguo, Zhuang Zhuang had pulled her away. He scrutinized the boy with his big and critical eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I cannot see it. You were aiming to land in my mother¡¯s arms.¡±


    Zhu Ming, who was still acting, felt a different sensation when he landed. It was not the soft embrace he had imagined. Instead, he had landed on something hard. He took a peek and found himself sitting by the bed. The embrace he was anticipating was standing so far away from him. How sad!


    Zhu Yang carried his two-year-old child to the bed. When Zhuang Zhuang saw a bigger version of the smelly baby, he immediately ran away and hid behind Xiaoguo.


    Jiang Danhe sat beside Xiaoguo and asked her what was wrong with Zhuang Zhuang, using his eyes. Xiaoguo responded with an indescribable expression on her face, implying that they would talk about it when they go back.


    ¡°Come, baby. Come to me.¡±


    Xiaoyang took her second child from Zhu Yang and gave a kick to Zhu Ming, who was still trying to look cool. She said gently, ¡°Xiaoguo, come and see my older daughter, Ruolan.¡±


    ¡°Ruolan. That¡¯s a pretty name.¡±


    ¡°How adorable!¡±


    Xiaoguo praised the child, saying that the two-year-old Ruolan was really cute. Her facial features were similar to her baby sister, but they were more prominent and sharp.


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s praise made Zhu Yang extremely happy. As long as his daughter received praise, he was happy.


    Xiao Yang rolled her eyes at him. ¡°What a daughter slave.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was very keen for Xiaoguo to interact more with the little girls. What if she was tempted to have another child? Wouldn¡¯t that be what he wished for?


    With this thought in mind, Jiang Danhe was also prepared to let Zhuang Zhuang interact with the girls. In the future, he would become a big brother and would have to play with his little sisters.


    That¡¯s right. Jiang Danhe felt that it would be great if he could have a few more daughters with Xiaoguo. It would be even better if all his daughters were as cute as Xiaoguo. He was now thinking about how he would have a bunch of little girls with buns in their hair, calling him father in their babyish voices. Just by imagining, he could feel his bones going soft.


    Unexpectedly, Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t want to join in the fun at all. Seeing that Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t near the baby, he stood beside Jiang Danhe again. No matter what, he wouldn¡¯t go over there. Little babies were too smelly! Not to mention that the one who had just arrived was big. She must smell even worse.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who had a look of resistance on his face, and felt a little helpless. If Zhuang Zhuang would not follow his plan, how is he going to have a daughter?


    The father and son were secretly competing. One kept pushing, while the other kept moving backwards. Neither of them were willing to admit defeat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    As Xiaoyang couldn¡¯t leave her room during the confinement period, dinner was sent into the room. Zhu Yang didn¡¯t care about Xiaoyang¡¯s bashful protests as he bent down and carried her to a chair.


    At the same time, he gestured for Xiaoguo and the others to take their seats.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. What are you waiting for?¡±


    Xiaoguo stood up and looked at the two of them, who were still motionless. She felt a little tired as she had been worried sick all day about Jiang Danhe. He had been in a daze since they arrived at the inn. Now, even Zhuang Zhuang was being like him.


    When they heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, they ended their silent confrontation indignantly.


    Zhuang Zhuang snorted silently. Without looking at Jiang Danhe, he went to hold Xiaoguo¡¯s hand. Unexpectedly, another small hand beat him to it.


    ¡°Aunt Guoguo, I¡¯ll bring you to the dining table. Be careful. There¡¯s a screen here. Be careful. This is a vase. Don¡¯t bump into it¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was a little amused by his words, so she nodded happily. Although Zhu Ming was small, he was strong. Little Zhu Ming was able to drag her along even though she was an adult.


    Zhuang Zhuang retracted his awkward hand and looked sadly at the two people who were leaving. He gave out a small sigh. ¡°Mother, your baby is still here.¡±


    At this moment, a cold laugh sounded behind him. Zhuang Zhuang turned around abruptly and saw Jiang Danhe shaking his head with a smirk on his face. Then, he gave Zhuang Zhuang a meaningful look before sitting down beside Xiaoguo. He had taken up Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s seat.


    The boy gritted his teeth in hatred. From this moment on, he announced that his ties with Jiang Danhe would be temporarily cut off for 15 minutes!


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, come here.¡±


    Although Xiaoguo had been taken away by Zhu Ming, she was still paying attention to the father and son pair. When she saw Jiang Danhe coming over, she pushed him away and called out to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face lit up. ¡°I¡¯m coming¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe slowly shifted himself and sat down on the next chair. He was not affected by the awkward situation just now. He still looked suave.


    Of course, this was how Jiang Danhe saw himself. The others may not be thinking the same way.


    When Zhu Yang and Xiaoyang saw this, they looked at each other with smiles in their eyes.


    The little protagonist of the full month banquet was sleeping soundly with her sister. Zhu Yang called the nanny in to watch the sleeping kids and pulled out a screen to segregate the room. This way, the sound of them eating would not disturb the two children.


    At the dining table, the group was chatting and laughing. It was very lively, but the chatter mostly came from Zhu Yang and Zhu Ming. The two of them were talking incessantly and Xiao Yang was obviously used to the two of them being like this. She looked completely nonchalant and carried on eating calmly, but Xiaoguo was amused by them and laughed out loud. These two could totally crosstalk. One could be the main lead while the other would play the supporting role.

 Chapter 179 - 179 Diamond Hairpin

    179 Diamond Hairpin


    The meal was a joyous one.


    Zhu Yang and Jiang Danhe went off to have a chat after dinner.


    Xiaoyang and Xiaoguo stayed beside the two sleeping children.


    Zhuang Zhuang could not stand Zhu Ming pestering Xiaoguo, so he took the initiative to talk to the boy and invited him to play.


    Xiaoguo saw the smile on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face before he left. She was a little worried for the innocent Zhu Ming. Although Little Zhu Ming was playful, in Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes, he was a carefree, innocent, and kind person. On the other hand, Zhuang Zhuang was not as innocent as he looked. She reckoned that three of Zhu Ming placed together would be no match for her son.


    Earlier on when they were in the carriage and Xiaoguo had just finished buying the longevity lock, Jiang Danhe told her belatedly that Zhu Yang had three kids who were about the same age. It is not very polite to prepare a gift for only one child. However, they were almost reaching Zhu Yang¡¯s place when Xiaoguo found out about this. It would be unrealistic for them to turn back. Therefore Xiaoguo could only wait for a suitable opportunity to hand over the gift.


    Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Xiaoguo took out the longevity lock she had bought. When they first arrived, she didn¡¯t get the chance to give it to Xiaoyang. Later on, with the children around, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for Xiaoguo to bring out the gift either.


    ¡°This is for the baby.¡± Xiaoguo took out the wrapped gift and handed it to Xiaoyang. ¡°It¡¯s a longevity lock, for good luck. I hope she lives to a ripe old age as this lock implies.¡±


    Xiaoguo was not very good with words, so she gave her most sincere blessings.


    Xiao Yang happily took the longevity lock and looked at it carefully. She liked it very much. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s really beautiful!¡±


    As she spoke, she put on the longevity lock for the sleeping girl.


    The little girl seemed to have sensed her mother¡¯s touch in her sleep. She moved her head and as a result, Xiaoyang was able to put it on easily.


    This small gesture made the two adults chuckle.


    ¨C


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Jiang Danhe waved his hand and got into the carriage.


    Xiaoyang didn¡¯t come out because she could not be exposed to the elements during her confinement. Zhu Yang and Zhu Ming stood at the door and watched the carriage leave.


    Zhu Ming was all teared up. He really couldn¡¯t bear to part with this beautiful aunt.


    Zhu Yang waved at the carriage again. He did not know when they would meet again. As he was stationed in Luoyang City, he could hardly leave the place. Therefore, there were not many chances for him to meet Jiang Danhe.


    Zhu Yang gave out a sigh, causing Zhu Ming to look at him in confusion. Zhu Yang shook his head and did not speak. He rubbed the boy¡¯s head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Zhu Ming was still young. He wouldn¡¯t understand even if he told him the reason.


    Zhu Ming shrugged and followed Zhu Yang back to the mansion. ¡°Father, can I go to Miss Xiaohua¡¯s place tomorrow?¡±


    Zhu Yang¡¯s legs went weak and he almost fell to his knees. The veins on his forehead were bulging. He gathered energy towards his feet and a miracle happened.


    ¡°Ah!!!!¡±


    A shrill cry sounded in the air, startling the birds from their resting place in the darkness.


    ¡°Call Aunt Hua!¡±


    Zhu Yang exhaled and said calmly.


    ¨C


    Zhuang Zhuang was still young, and his energy had run out by nighttime. When he got on the carriage, he leaned against Xiaoguo and fell asleep.


    When it was time to get off the carriage, Jiang Danhe picked up Zhuang Zhuang while Xiaoguo headed to the room first. She laid out the blankets so that the boy could be transferred to the bed.


    Once his body touched the bed, Zhuang Zhuang rolled over and snuggled into the blanket. Jiang Danhe deftly brought some water and dampened a clean towel before handing it to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo took the towel from him and gave Zhuang Zhuang a simple wipe-down. At first, Zhuang Zhuang refused to cooperate because he was sleepy. Xiaoguo tried comforting him in a low voice, but he was still unwilling. Seeing this, Jiang Danhe held on to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s swaying head with his big hands so that Xiaoguo could wipe his face.


    Xiaoguo took the opportunity to quickly clean the boy¡¯s face.


    After she was done, the two of them let go of Zhuang Zhuang and held their breaths.


    Now that he was released, Zhuang Zhuang snorted unhappily and rolled on his side, showing his back view to the two of them.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe smiled secretly, but they kept their voices down in fear that they would wake Zhuang Zhuang up. However, they accidentally made a slight sound that made Zhuang Zhuang snort in dissatisfaction.


    At this moment, the bond between the three of them was getting stronger.


    ¡°Guo¡¯er, come here.¡±


    Jiang Danhe put down the towel in his hand and called Xiaoguo over to the table.


    Xiaoguo put down the bed curtains for Zhuang Zhuang and walked over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jiang Danhe patted the stool beside him and asked her to sit down.


    Xiaoguo looked at the secretive Jiang Danhe in confusion. ¡°What was he up to?¡±


    Despite her thoughts, Xiaoguo walked over. She was a little curious.


    Jiang Danhe waited for her to sit down before taking out the bag of jewelry he had bought.


    ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Jiang Danhe handed it to her.


    Xiaoguo remembered the bag when she saw it. She had completely forgotten about it. She took it from him and loosened the string.


    As soon as she peeked through the bag opening, she was blinded by what was inside.


    Xiaoguo shut her eyes in discomfort.


    ¡°WOW!!¡±


    ¡°Diamonds?!¡±


    Xiaoguo cried out, then instinctively covered her mouth and looked around.


    ¡°Diamonds? That¡¯s a rather apt name.¡±


    Jiang Danhe thought that it sounded like a good name. ¡°I saw this in that shop. But I heard from the shop assistant that it¡¯s some kind of stone. It¡¯s a new product.¡±


    Xiaoguo finally understood why it was so expensive.


    Jiang Danhe had bought a hairpin that was densely embedded with small diamonds. It was this hairpin that had almost blinded her.


    ¡°It has no name?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes widened with curiosity. She didn¡¯t know that diamonds did not have a name in this era.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put it on for you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe picked up the hairpin and walked behind her.


    Xiaoguo straightened her back nervously and waited for Jiang Danhe to put it on her.


    Since she couldn¡¯t see what was happening behind her, her other senses became much more sensitive.


    Xiaoguo felt Jiang Danhe come up behind her. Immediately after, a pair of big warm hands slid over her shoulders. Xiaoguo shrank from his touch uncomfortably.


    Jiang Danhe knew that he shouldn¡¯t push it. In fact, he had been eyeing her shoulders for a long time. He gently took off the hair accessory on her head and tried to replace it with the hairpin.


    The attempt did not go well. This was the first time he was doing this for a woman, so his hands were trembling uncontrollably.


    It was fine for him to tremble, but it was hard on Xiaoguo because his movements were hurting her.


    No matter how charming the atmosphere was just now, there was only awkwardness and pain now.


    Jiang Danhe was feeling embarrassed now. The more anxious he was, the more he could not put it on.


    Jiang Danhe was tugging hard on Xiaoguo¡¯s head, and it was quite hair-consuming.


    ¡°¡­ are you done?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. It was taking so long. Was he building a house?


    ¡°¡­Okay, okay, it¡¯s done!¡±


    Jiang Danhe let out a breath. Finally he got it in.


    Jiang Danhe raised his hand to wipe his sweat, but as soon as he did so, he was stunned.


    Xiaoguo rubbed her head¡ªthe pain was killing her. She started to get up to see if it looked good.


    ¡°¡­ Wait a minute!¡±


    Jiang Danhe suddenly stopped Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo had just lifted her butt from her chair when Jiang Danhe pressed her down hard and she fell heavily onto the stool.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    The pain in Xiaoguo¡¯s head had yet to subside and now her butt was seriously injured.


    ¡°Hush, hush.¡±


    Jiang Danhe knew that he had made a big mistake and coaxed Xiaoguo in a low voice.


    Xiaoguo slapped him angrily, right on his hand.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo saw a few strands of black hair wrapped around his big hand.


    ¡°¡­Jiang! Dan! He!!¡±


    In consideration of Zhuang Zhuang, who was still sleeping, Xiaoguo tried to suppress her anger.


    Xiaoguo was sure that she didn¡¯t have a temper, but when it comes to Jiang Danhe, she was like a firecracker.


    In the end, anger still took over.

 Chapter 180 - 180 Failed at Playing Cool

    180 Failed at Playing Cool


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong!¡±


    Jiang Danhe covered Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth just a second before she exploded. He stared into her eyes with his bright eyes, trying to express his apologies.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s rage had barely erupted when it was quickly extinguished by Jiang Danhe¡¯s actions.


    Actually, Xiaoguo was no longer angry when Jiang Danhe covered her mouth. Seeing how pitiful he looked while apologizing, she felt her anger subsiding.


    She signaled for him to let go with her eyes. But Jiang Danhe mistakenly thought that Xiaoguo was still angry, so he thought for a moment and said, ¡°Don¡¯t wake the child.¡±


    After hearing his words, Xiaoguo was so angry that she started to laugh. Her body trembled uncontrollably.


    Jiang Danhe mistakenly thought that Xiaoguo was still mad at him. He suddenly remembered one of the rules in the wife-management book that Zhu Yang had shared with him. ¡°If you can¡¯t win, run!¡±


    At first, he thought that it was ridiculous. Now, it really made sense.


    Hence, the next thing Xiaoguo saw was Jiang Danhe running away like the wind. In the next instant, Xiaoguo was the only one left in the house. She was staring with her big eyes, and her anger was slowly rising again because of the wind that just blew past.


    Xiaoguo stood up and closed the door. She blew out the candle in one breath and lay on the bed angrily. Staring at the ceiling, she thought to herself, ¡°Jiang Danhe, don¡¯t come back if you can help it.¡±


    In the middle of the night, Xiaoguo, who was half asleep, heard the door creak. Just moments ago, she was still tossing and turning in bed. Upon hearing the sound, she immediately turned around and froze.


    Jiang Danhe sneaked closer to the bed and looked at the two persons with the help of the moonlight. Zhuang Zhuang was fast asleep, and Xiaoguo seemed to be asleep too. Jiang Danhe heaved a sigh of relief. He gently took off his shoes and got into bed. He lay down beside Zhuang Zhuang and sighed as he looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s back. If only he could shift Zhuang Zhuang inside and let Xiaoguo lean against him.


    Of course, that was just a thought. Looking at the back view that was so close to him, Danhe was dying to reach out.


    Xiaoguo was listening to Jiang Danhe¡¯s movements and she smiled to herself. She had deliberately left the door unlocked because she was waiting for him.


    As the moon rose higher in the sky, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe slowly closed their eyes.


    This was the first time the three of them were sleeping in the same bed. Xiaoguo had thought that she would not sleep well. Unexpectedly, she slept very soundly.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo woke up late. When she opened her eyes, Zhuang Zhuang was already getting dressed. Jiang Danhe had brought breakfast to the table, but there was no sign of him in the room.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re a little late today¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had a smirk on his face. It was rare to see Xiaoguo wake up so late. This was new to him.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang looked a little charming, but only without the sleep crusts at the corners of his eyes.


    As she was sleeping with her usual clothes on, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t need to get dressed. She just tidied things up and got out of bed. Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t affected by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words. She just rubbed at the corners of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes. ¡°Wipe away the eye crusts first, handsome.¡±


    After saying that, she flicked the eye crusts away. Zhuang Zhuang let out a cry and pounced on the blanket while rubbing his face against it, ¡°That¡¯s so embarrassing!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and stood by the bed to watch Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s antics.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was just coming up the stairs when he heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice. He thought that something had happened, so he quickly entered the room. When he saw that Xiaoguo was awake, he was relieved. With Xiaoguo around, Zhuang Zhuang should be in safe hands.


    ¡°The young master failed to act cool with eye boogers on his face,¡±


    Xiaoguo explained succinctly. Zhuang Zhuang was deeply buried under the blanket and was not going to look up.


    Jiang Danhe assumed his role of a loving father and coaxed Zhuang Zhuang to wash up and eat.


    Xiaoguo got into her usual routine. She washed up and wiped her face, paying no attention to the commotion by the bed. When she saw that Jiang Danhe could not settle the matter, she brought a bowl of porridge, with a braised pork bun to the bed and handed it to him.


    Jiang Danhe caught on to Xiaoguo¡¯s hint and nodded. He pried open the bun and moved it towards Zhuang Zhuang.


    The bun was just taken out of the pot. When it was pried open, steam and gravy gushed out instantly. Within seconds, the golden juices from the filling were soaked up by the soft bun.


    Zhuang Zhuang suddenly stopped moving under the blanket and Jiang Danhe could hear him inhaling loudly. Jiang Danhe glanced at Xiaoguo while she brought the porridge over to entice the boy.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s voice sounded, ¡°There are red dates added to this fragrant porridge. It smells so good, doesn¡¯t it, Xiaoguo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. A mouthful of porridge and a mouthful of meat buns, with some pickled vegetables.¡±


    Xiaoguo added on to Jiang Danhe¡¯s words.


    The two of them looked at each other and sniggered. They had thrown enough bait. All they had to do was wait for the small fish to come ashore.


    They sat back down at the table and waited for Zhuang Zhuang to come and join them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo handed the porridge to Jiang Danhe and told him not to worry about Zhuang Zhuang. He will be here in a while. As soon as she finished speaking, the boy got out of bed and walked over loudly with his shoes on.


    Xiaoguo placed the bowl of cooled porridge by the empty seat beside her. Jiang Danhe was about to turn around to look at Zhuang Zhuang when Xiaoguo grabbed his hand and shook her head at him. If he turned around now, Zhuang Zhuang would definitely be too embarrassed to come over. The stomping sound just now was a reminder to the two of them that he was coming.


    Although Zhuang Zhuang was thick-skinned and wasn¡¯t afraid of strangers, that was his behavior in front of outsiders. When he was with family, he was still relatively shy.


    Zhuang Zhuang saw that the two of them did not turn around to look at him and felt much happier. He took the empty seat at the side and ate his porridge in small mouthfuls. His eyes were still looking at the two of them.


    Xiaoguo unwrapped a bun and handed it to Zhuang Zhuang. Jiang Danhe picked up some pickled vegetables and placed them in his bowl.


    Both of them deliberately avoided looking at his face.


    Zhuang Zhuang slowly ate the buns and laughed silently. By accident, he let out a chuckle. ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe glanced at Xiaoguo, who shrugged at him. ¡°See? It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s laughter became even louder, causing Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe to laugh together with him.


    ¨C


    ¡°Madam, we should be setting off.¡±


    Magistrate Liu appeared at the door but he did not enter. He reminded Xiaoguo while standing outside the room.


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°Okay, we are coming out now.¡±


    With that, County Magistrate Liu left. Xiaoguo packed her bag and asked Zhuang Zhuang, who was holding Jiang Danhe¡¯s bag, ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhuang Zhuang shook his head. ¡°He just gave me the baggage after eating and went out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± Xiaoguo nodded and looked around the house to check that she didn¡¯t forget anything. Then she brought Zhuang Zhuang outside to wait for Jiang Danhe.


    Xiaoguo explained the situation to Magistrate Liu first. When he heard this, he immediately instructed everyone to wait. Then, he smiled at Xiaoguo and said that they would set off when Jiang Danhe returned.


    ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. Was this the same Magistrate Liu who didn¡¯t allow anyone to be late? After thanking him politely, she brought Zhuang Zhuang to the carriage. She carried him up and loaded the bags. Then, she stood outside the car to wait for Jiang Danhe.


    Shortly after, Jiang Danhe came back. From afar, she could see a man in a blue robe carrying a floral red bag.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe, who was walking towards her with a smile.


    Jiang Danhe was delighted when he heard that. ¡°She is finally asking about me!¡±


    ¡°I bought this.¡± Jiang Danhe held up the bag in his hand and showed it to Xiaoguo. She couldn¡¯t see what was inside and was going to ask him.


    In the next instant, Jiang Danhe stuffed the bag into the carriage and lifted Xiaoguo effortlessly onto the carriage too.


    Startled, Xiaoguo gave Jiang Danhe a punch.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t take her weak punches seriously and followed her into the carriage. Xiaoguo picked up the floral bundle and opened it. She didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°So you went to buy this?¡±

 Chapter 181 - 181 Separation

    181 Separation


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he came over and sat on Jiang Danhe¡¯s lap to take a look.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    Jiang Danhe went to buy them this morning. It was his first time buying such stuff, so he was quite clueless. Based on the recommendations of the stop staff, he bought a bit of everything.


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°They are not bad, but you didn¡¯t have to buy so much.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out a bundle of shoe soles, together with a large pile of fabrics, thread and needles.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only wear the shoes you make from now on.¡±


    Jiang Danhe had not planned to get so much materials, but after hearing the shop staff¡¯s recommendation, he couldn¡¯t control himself and ended up buying so much.


    Hearing Jiang Danhe¡¯s words, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know if she should thank him or not. Was he intending to work her to death? There were so many pairs of soles. How long would it take for her to finish all these if she were to sew continuously?


    Seeing the dumbfounded expression on Xiaoguo¡¯s face, Jiang Danhe forced himself to pull out half the number of soles from the stack. Looking at Xiaoguo¡¯s face again, he reluctantly pulled out a few more from the bundle. ¡°Why don¡¯t you make me a few pairs for a start?¡±


    Although it was much less than he had planned, he could wear them sparingly. They should last him till next year. ¡°All these remaining ones, I¡¯ll keep them for next year.¡±


    ¡°How thoughtful of you.¡±


    Xiaoguo said sarcastically. So he really meant it when he said that he will only wear the shoes she made. He wasn¡¯t just being polite!


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. It¡¯s my pleasure.¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t detect Xiaoguo¡¯s sarcasm. He scratched his head shyly. ¡°Guo¡¯er just praised me. How nice.¡±


    ¡°She said that I was considerate just because I asked her to make shoes for me. Would she love me more if I asked her to sew all my clothes for me?¡±


    Xiaoguo had Jiang Danhe to thank for this. From then on, she started to sew shoes wherever she went¡ªin the carriage, during her breaks, after dinner and before bed.


    Since Xiaoguo was spending so much time sewing the shoes, Jiang Danhe had to take care of Zhuang Zhuang to ensure that he was clothed and fed.


    Jiang Danhe finally understood what Xiaoguo was saying when she talked about how curious Zhuang Zhuang was and how he had to get to the bottom of things¡­


    For example, it was another sunny day in the morning. The carriage had just left the inn and was making its way out of the city. On the way, it passed by a brothel. Some men who had stayed overnight were coming out of the brothel with downcast looks. When Zhuang Zhuang saw them, he pointed at the men who had lipstick stains on their faces and asked Jiang Danhe why they were leaving the place looking like this. What was that place? What were those red stains on their faces and necks? Why weren¡¯t they dressed properly¡­


    Jiang Danhe was dumbfounded by these questions. In the end, he forced a reply out of himself. ¡°Go ask your mother.¡±


    Xiaoguo, who was eavesdropping, was speechless. Zhuang Zhuang did not continue asking. Neither he nor his father would dare to provoke Xiaoguo when she was preoccupied with her work.


    From then on, whenever Zhuang Zhuang asked any awkward questions, Jiang Danhe would say, ¡°Ask your mother.¡±


    These words were fail-proof. Zhuang Zhuang would stop asking more questions and Jiang Danhe did not have to think of tactful replies anymore.


    Just like that, Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo thought that the boy had forgotten about his questions and the matter had come to a close. No one expected that Zhuang Zhuang would give Xiaoguo a sudden blow to the head soon after.


    Zhuang Zhuang was young, but he had a good memory. He memorized all the questions which no one gave him any answers to. When Xiaoguo has the time, he will ask her everything.


    The little Zhuang Zhuang looked at his father, then at his mother, and then at his tall father again. At this moment, he understood another truth. His father is ignorant, and his mother knows everything.


    ¨C


    Time passed by quickly. After five days of bumpy travels, the group arrived at Feng City.


    This meant that Jiang Danhe had to part with the two of them for the time being.


    ¡°Father, are you leaving right now?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang lowered the curtain and looked at Jiang Danhe, who had his eyes on Xiaoguo.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jiang Danhe retracted his gaze and pretended to be cool about it. ¡°When Zhuang Zhuang goes to school next year, Father will be back.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was a little excited when he heard the timeline, but he still asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Jiang Danhe rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head in amusement. ¡°Would I lie to you?¡±


    ¡°No, You won¡¯t.¡± Zhuang Zhuang shook his head. Jiang Danhe really wouldn¡¯t lie to him.


    ¡°There you have it.¡±


    Jiang Danhe patted Zhuang Zhuang on the head and turned to look at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo had not spoken much after finding out that their next destination was Feng City.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be getting off at the intersection in a while.¡±


    Jiang Danhe pretended to be calm. Even though he was trembling with dread in his heart, he could not show it.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hands paused for a moment, and she continued wrapping up Jiang Danhe¡¯s shoes. Putting on a brave front, she nodded. ¡°How time flies. Be careful when you¡¯re there.¡±


    Xiaoguo was trying to speak as little as possible. She was afraid that he would hear her trembling voice.


    She really hated farewells.


    ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡±


    After a while, Jiang Danhe nodded.


    There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn¡¯t know where to start.


    Although he didn¡¯t wish to part with them, time does not stop for anyone.


    ¡°Have you packed?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe, who had picked up his bag.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I have everything.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was carrying quite a heavy bag on his shoulder. Now, the bag has become heavier because of Xiaoguo.


    Over the past few days, Xiaoguo had made six pairs of shoes¡ªthree pairs for cold weather, and three pairs for warm weather.


    To Jiang Danhe, the shoes were a token of Xiaoguo¡¯s love. A bag filled with love is bound to be heavy.


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, do you remember our agreement? You have to carry it out properly when you go back. I will go back when you have done everything.¡±


    Jiang Danhe spoke in a secretive manner to Zhuang Zhuang, leaving Xiaoguo all confused.


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go! When that person arrives, I will be delayed again.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew who Jiang Danhe was talking about and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She nodded and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded and looked at Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang seriously, as if he was trying to etch them into his heart.


    He mounted his horse and looked at the two of them again. The emotions surging in his eyes almost moved Xiaoguo to tears.


    Jiang Danhe took one last serious look at Xiaoguo and nodded at her. Then he nudged his horse¡¯s belly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The group of horses galloped away, leaving behind a cloud of dust.


    Xiaoguo blushed slightly. ¡°Indeed, men on horses look so suave.¡±


    ¡°Why, General, General!¡±


    Magistrate Liu had missed running into Jiang Danhe. He was panting heavily.


    Every inch of his body was trembling with each breath, Xiaoguo was worried about him falling dead in front of her.


    ¡°Has the general left already? I was intending to send him to the entrance of Feng City.¡± County Magistrate Liu slapped his thigh and said regretfully, ¡°I still have a lot to say to him. Sigh¡­¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she almost laughed out loud. He had many things to say to him? Fortunately, Jiang Danhe had the foresight to part with them at the intersection. Otherwise, he would have problems leaving on time.


    But Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t say that to him. Hence, she changed the topic and said, ¡°He didn¡¯t want to trouble you, Magistrate Liu. It¡¯ll save you the hassle of making a detour to Feng city and traveling back here again. We can just set off directly from here. It¡¯ll save us a lot of time.¡±


    Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, Magistrate Liu shook his head and looked very touched. ¡°General, you are really wise. You have such foresight and are so kind to me!¡±


    Although what he said was far from the truth, Xiaoguo still nodded and agreed with him.


    The two groups of people parted at the intersection¡ªwith one headed for the west and the other for the east.


    Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and looked worriedly in the direction where Jiang Danhe had disappeared into the distance. She prayed that everything would go smoothly for him and wished for him to be safe and sound.

 Chapter 182 - 182 Home

    182 Home


    Passing through Feng City, they were getting closer and closer to home.


    Xiaoguo looked at the increasingly familiar streets and felt a sense of nostalgia.


    They had not been gone for long, but it felt like a long time since they were here.


    Thinking about her friends, Xiaoguo felt a little excited. She hugged the gifts that she had prepared for them and felt very happy.


    Even Zhuang Zhuang was affected by Xiaoguo¡¯s mood and started exclaiming in excitement.


    After the carriage stopped, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang alighted from the carriage eagerly. She stood outside and looked at the familiar street market. She knew that they had reached Yonghai County.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll see you off here. I¡¯ve been away for too long, so there is a lot of unfinished work at the government office. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Magistrate Liu left behind a carriage and a coachman for Xiaoguo. After bidding farewell, he left with his men.


    Standing in front of the familiar shop, Xiaoguo finally felt at home.


    ¡°Ruyi!¡±


    Xiaoguo ran into the shop with Zhuang Zhuang and called out excitedly to the busy bunch.


    Her voice was so loud and excited.


    As soon as her voice sounded, the noisy shop instantly quietened down.


    A shrill voice followed.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    The voice came from the kitchen. At this moment, the person was running out of the kitchen with a big spoon in hand. Her voice was hoarse from the rush of emotions.


    Uncle Xu raised his head from the counter when he heard the commotion. He held onto his glasses, which only had a small piece of lens left hanging on its frame. He narrowed his eyes and recognized the two figures at the door. The beard on his mouth immediately curled up in joy. ¡°Xiaoguo, Zhuang Zhuang, you¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, you¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo!¡±


    Ling Long, Fu¡¯er and Xiao Cui stopped what they were doing when they saw Xiaoguo, and rushed towards her happily.


    One moment, they were pinching Zhuang Zhuang, and the next, they were tugging at Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo was overwhelmed by all their questions.


    ¡°Alright, alright. One by one please.¡±


    Xiaoguo steadied herself. She was dumbfounded by their endless questions.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, are you still doing business?¡±


    It was quite lively on Xiaoguo¡¯s end, but the people who came to eat were bewildered. No matter how excited these people were, they should still tend to their business.


    ¡°No! We are not!¡±


    Ruyi continued saying, ¡°Everyone, I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯ll be closed for the rest of the day. Today¡¯s noodles are on me. I¡¯m sorry, please forgive us.¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to stop her from doing this. Running the shop was more important, but Ruyi had already asked someone to process the refunds and usher the customers out.


    The customers were dissatisfied, but they did not say anything. After all, it was a great bargain to get a free bowl of noodles.


    Xiao Cui sent off the last guest and closed the door.


    After returning to Xiaoguo¡¯s side, Ruyi pulled Xiaoguo to the backyard. There was a large table in the courtyard, and Xiaoguo placed all the gifts on it.


    Before she could sit down properly, Ruyi started asking her questions. Ling Long and Fu¡¯er poured sour plum soup for Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang. Ever since the Mid-Autumn Festival, the restaurant had been selling sour plum soup. It was a popular drink and the sales were good. Almost everyone had to have a cup.


    As Xiaoguo answered everyone¡¯s questions, she took the time to drink the sour plum soup. After taking a sip, her burning throat instantly felt much better.


    The villagers here had never left the county city, so they yearned for the outside world, especially the capital.


    Xiaoguo told them what she had seen truthfully without embellishing the details. It was quite lively and exciting.


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Seeing that it was almost time, Xiaoguo shifted the most important gift-giving event up the agenda.


    ¡°Here, this is Ruyi¡¯s present.¡±


    Xiaoguo opened the bag and took out the gifts before distributing them individually. ¡°This is for Linglong and Fu¡¯er. This is for Xiao Cui.¡±


    Xiaoguo took out the pair of glasses and handed them to Uncle Xu, who was holding up his own glasses. ¡°Also, this is for Uncle Xu.¡±


    When Uncle Xu saw the glasses, his eyes turned red. He didn¡¯t expect to own a new pair of glasses in his lifetime. He had thought that he would wear his old glasses to his deathbed. ¡°Thank you, Xiaoguo.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to see the old man crying.


    Everyone looked at their gifts and were overwhelmed with emotions.


    Uncle Xu took off the worn out glasses that he had been wearing for decades and carefully put on the new pair. When he opened his eyes, the scenery in front of him was so bright and clear¡ªthe sky was blue and the clouds were white.


    Ruyi looked at the exotic dress and was delighted. She couldn¡¯t wait to put it on and admire herself in it.


    Ling Long and Fu¡¯er also held onto their hair ornaments lovingly. The designs on them were exquisite and they were in love with the gift.


    Xiao Cui took her gift and rubbed her eyes. She wiped her hands vigorously on her apron and gently stroked the winter dress that had been given to her. She never thought that she would have the chance to wear such a beautiful and warm winter dress.


    Xiaoguo looked at how happy everyone was and felt very satisfied. It was good that everyone liked the gifts.


    It was getting late, so Xiaoguo politely declined their invitation to stay for dinner. She brought Zhuang Zhuang with her in a carriage and hurried towards Peach Blossom Village.


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t know that she and Zhuang Zhuang were returning home. If they were to go back now, he would definitely be shocked.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s give Uncle a big surprise. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°What is a big, big surprise. How big is it?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked innocently.


    ¡°When we get back later, Uncle will be very surprised to see us. That would be the big surprise.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll carefully observe Uncle¡¯s expression later on!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang frowned and said seriously. He wanted to see what a big surprise looked like.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were both wearing mischievous smiles on their faces. Xiaoguo was prepared to suddenly appear in front of Qin Anming and scare him. The thought of his expression made Xiaoguo feel amused.


    When they arrived at Peach Blossom Village, it was lunch time. The chimneys of each household were emitting white smoke. There was no one outside¡ªmost of the villagers were holed up at home getting ready for lunch.


    Xiaoguo did not lower the curtain after leaving the county city. She kept looking around at the familiar streets.


    From the moment they entered the village, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were inexplicably excited. When they stopped at the entrance of the house, the door was closed. It was a nice coincidence, otherwise, Qin Anming would be alerted to their arrival.


    After thanking the coachman and bidding him farewell, Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to knock on the door. When she heard movements behind the door, she quickly hid.


    She was carrying a lot of baggage, so it was inconvenient for her to run. She had to let Zhuang Zhuang carry out the mission instead.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was standing in front of the door, Xiaoguo quickly found a place to hide. After searching for a long time, she finally hid behind a big tree in front of the house.


    After getting herself in a good spot, she gestured for Zhuang Zhuang to start knocking on the door.


    Zhuang Zhuang received the signal and immediately banged on the door. The dogs in the courtyard heard the commotion and started barking.


    He knocked on the door a few times. Following Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions, he ran off after knocking.


    Xiaoguo took a peek and snickered at Zhuang Zhuang.


    She was shocked to see Zhuang Zhuang running towards her after he knocked on the door. She shook her head vigorously, indicating that he should not hide here.


    But this was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s first time playing a prank, so he was very nervous. After knocking on the door, he only thought about running away and he did not know where to hide. In the end, he decided to run towards his mother.


    Xiaoguo had no choice but to hold Zhuang Zhuang in her arms and lean close to the tree, in hope that Qin Anming wouldn¡¯t see them.


    Perhaps the Heavens had heard XIaoguo¡¯s thoughts.


    The door creaked open from the inside. Then, she heard Qin Anming¡¯s voice asking who it was.


    After asking a few times, there was silence. Then, the front door closed.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang chuckled to themselves. They got ready to do it again. Zhuang Zhuang would knock on the door and hide himself.


    Just as Xiaoguo was about to turn around and put Zhuang Zhuang down, she suddenly heard a loud shout. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you still dare to come!¡±


    In the next second, a hoe flew towards them. Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang and froze on the spot. She couldn¡¯t dodge in time¡­

 Chapter 183 - 183 The Hoe Scare

    183 The Hoe Scare


    ¡°¡­ Brother!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s pupils reflected the scene of the hoe falling beside her.


    In the end, it landed with a cloud of dust at her feet. The sharp edge of the hoe had gotten embedded in the ground just inches away from her feet.


    Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang, who was buried in her arms, and was completely shocked. She stared blankly at Qin Anming.


    She really thought that she was going to die. Her heart almost stopped beating in that instant.


    ¡°Ahem, Xiaoguo? Zhuang Zhuang! You¡¯re back!!¡±


    A look of joy appeared on Qin Anming¡¯s pale face. He sized up Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang with concern in his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Cough, cough. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming, who was sweating profusely. He was swaying as he walked¡ªit seemed like he had used all his strength to throw the hoe earlier.


    Xiaoguo put down Zhuang Zhuang, who had recovered from his shock, so that he could walk on his own. She quickly went forward to help Qin Anming who was walking unsteadily.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Cough, cough, cough.¡±


    ¡°You are fine?¡± Xiaoguo held on to Qin Anming with all her might. Feeling his unusually warm body temperature, she frowned and said, ¡°You are coughing non-stop. What is going on?¡±


    Hearing the heartache in Xiaoguo¡¯s voice, Qin Anming pretended to be fine and comforted her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I am just too excited to see you guys!¡±


    As he spoke, he deliberately puffed up his chest to show Xiaoguo how healthy he was.


    But after a few seconds, he immediately bent down and coughed again.


    ¡°Hey, stop putting on a brave front. I can¡¯t move you if you collapse outside the house.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel a little angry. She wasn¡¯t angry at him for not taking care of himself. She was angry because her heart ached for him. Why was he sick again?


    Zhuang Zhuang opened the door first and waved away the puppies who jumped at the sight of him. He didn¡¯t have time to play with them now, he would play with them later.


    ¡°Haha, cough, cough¡­ Zhuang Zhuang has grown quite a bit.¡± Qin Anming couldn¡¯t stand Xiaoguo¡¯s aggressive gaze, so he deliberately tried to talk about something so that Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t harp on his health again.


    There was no way Xiaoguo was going to let him get his way, but on second thought, this wasn¡¯t the time to talk about it. ¡°¡­I have only been gone for less than a month.¡±


    Qin Anming wanted to say something after hearing her words, but when he opened his mouth, he started coughing again. Xiaoguo sighed and patted his back to calm him down.


    After Qin Anming stopped coughing, he felt a little embarrassed. Just moments ago, he was claiming to be fine, but the truth is now revealed.


    ¡°Stop talking and come into the house.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming, who was about to speak, and stopped him.


    Qin Anming nodded and followed Xiaoguo into the house. It had taken him a lot of effort to get out of the house earlier. If Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t around, he would have to walk and take many breaks in between to return to the house.


    Xiaoguo put the hoe aside and reminded Zhuang Zhuang, who was following behind them, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, close the door.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang turned around to close the door while Xiaoguo led Qin Anming into the house. As soon as they entered the house, she put down her bag and carefully helped him sit on the bed. Then, she lifted the blanket so that he could lie down.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. I¡¯ll be fine in a while.¡±


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t want Xiaoguo to get all busy when she had just come back. ¡°You guys have just returned. Hurry up and get some rest.¡±


    Although riding in a carriage was easier than walking, it was a tiring affair to sit in a bumpy carriage for a long time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. You haven¡¯t told us about yourself.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming, who was trying to chase her away. In a fit of anger, she sat by the bed and stared at him.


    Qin Anming¡¯s eyes darted left and right, and he refused to look at Xiaoguo. He got so anxious that he was on the verge of coughing again. Seeing this, Xiaoguo hurriedly stood up and helped him calm down. ¡°Have you gotten yourself any medicine?¡±


    Xiaoguo was concerned about him trying to bear with the illness and refusing to get any medicine for himself.


    Fortunately, Qin Anming did get some medicine. He nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I asked Mrs. Yang¡¯s brother-in-law to help me get some.¡±


    ¡°Luckily he did.¡± When Xiaoguo heard this, she felt relieved. At least he knew to have someone buy medicine for him.


    ¡°Have you taken your medicine today?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked around the room and spotted a bundle of medicine on the table.


    ¡°Cough, cough, I did. Three times a day. I take them after each meal.¡±


    ¡°Drink it after his meals?¡± Xiaoguo looked at the bowl beside the bundle of medicine. There were still some dregs in it. That must have been taken in the morning.


    ¡°Have you had lunch?¡±


    Qin Anming shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Lie down. I¡¯ll go cook.¡±


    It was just about time for lunch. Xiaoguo planned to get lunch ready before she boiled the medicine. She had just asked Qin Anming about the doctor¡¯s instructions. For each dosage, she only had to take out the required portion from the main package and each portion had to be freshly boiled.


    She reminded Zhuang Zhuang to take care of Qin Anming and also to make sure that he rests well. Then she went ahead to prepare lunch.


    Zhuang Zhuang imitated Jiang Danhe and saluted. He promised Xiaoguo, ¡°I will complete the mission!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. ¡°His imitation was quite good. Hahahaha.¡±


    She patted Zhuang Zhuang encouragingly and left with the medicine.


    As soon as she stepped out of the room, the two puppies, who had grown a lot, pounced on Xiaoguo and circled her, as if welcoming her return.


    Xiaoguo squatted down and scratched the two adorable heads. ¡°My dear, why have you become so fat?¡±


    The dogs barked at Xiaoguo in response.


    The other animals had also been creating a ruckus from the moment they saw Xiaoguo. They kept making noises as if they were welcoming her.


    Although she was a little touched, it was a tad noisy. Xiaoguo quickly gave them something to eat in order to shut their mouths. She would have been deafened if she had to endure the noise for another minute.


    After the courtyard had quietened down, Xiaoguo went to the kitchen and started thinking about what to cook.


    There were still a lot of crops in the vegetable plot, but they had to be picked. It was cold at night, so the crops would probably freeze over the next few days.


    The kitchen was still well-stocked with grains. There was also meat in the fridge. ¡°How about I cook some dishes and make some porridge?¡± Qin Anming was sick, so greasy foods should not be in his diet now.


    After making up her mind, Xiaoguo began to get busy. It had been a long time since she last cooked, so she was a little rusty.


    There were still sausages on the wall. Xiaoguo took one down and cut it into slices for later use.


    Just as she was about to go out to pick the vegetables, there was a knock on the front door.


    Xiaoguo was curious about who it was. She wiped her hands and went to open the door.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Mrs. Yang and Yang Jia were standing at the door. When they looked up and saw Xiaoguo, they were surprised.


    ¡°Yes, yes, Sister-in-law. We just got home.¡±


    Xiaoguo let both of them in.


    Yang Jia and Qin Anming were quite familiar with each other. When Qin Anming was sick, Yang Jia was the one who bought him medicine and helped to feed all the animals in the house.


    After getting Xiaoguo¡¯s permission, he went into the room to look for Qin Anming. Xiaoguo watched him leave and smiled. How polite¡­ he even needed her permission to enter the room.


    Xiaoguo brought Mrs. Yang to the kitchen. While chatting with her, Xiaoguo learned that Mrs. Yang was the one who cooked for Qin Anming when he was sick. She did not miss a single meal.


    She had just finished cooking at her own house and had come over to cook without taking a break for herself.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I don¡¯t know how to thank you¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was really grateful to Mrs. Yang. She felt a little embarrassed for causing her so much trouble.


    ¡°We¡¯re family.¡± Mrs. Yang waved her hand and said generously, ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities.¡±


    Mrs. Yang felt that it was just a small matter and something that she didn¡¯t mind doing.


    Xiaoguo smiled and sat closer to her. She looked outside and quietly leaned closer to ask, ¡°Sister-in-law, why did my brother suddenly fall sick?¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that Qin Anming had fallen sick due to some reason. When she had just returned, he had raised the hoe and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see if you still dare to come.¡±


    What exactly happened during this period of time? Why did Qin Anming say this the moment he opened the door?


    Xiaoguo had been concerned about Qin Anming¡¯s health and didn¡¯t ask him the details. Now Mrs. Yang was here, she had to find out properly.


    When Mrs. Yang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, she sighed and put on a disgusted expression. ¡°It¡¯s all because of Li Zhaodi!¡±

 Chapter 184 - 184 Li Zhaodi Is Crazy

    184 Li Zhaodi Is Crazy


    ¡°Li Zhaodi?!¡±


    Xiaoguo looked surprised. If Mrs. Yang hadn¡¯t mentioned it, she would have completely forgotten about Li Zhaodi.


    Mrs. Yang let out a long sigh. ¡°To be honest, I heard a bit of commotion earlier when I was home. I thought that Li Zhaodi was here again, so I quickly rushed over.¡±


    ¡°I see. So Li Zhaodi comes here often?¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Xiaoguo was getting frustrated. Why was Li Zhaodi still in the mood to cause trouble? She remembered the incident at Li Zhaodi¡¯s house. Didn¡¯t her man bring back a prostitute the last time? Why was she still in the mood to disturb others?


    Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t beat around the bush. She slapped her thigh and said, ¡°To put it simply, Li Zhaodi is crazy.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. What had happened? She had only gone for a short trip to the capital. How did things end up like this?


    ¡°Li Zhaodi¡¯s man took all the money and was going to run away with that prostitute. He had planned to leave Li Zhaodi behind by herself. Do you think Li Zhaodi would take it lying down? She immediately grabbed the couple who were about to run away. After beating and scolding them, they still ran away with the money.¡±


    Although Mrs. Yang hated Li Zhaodi, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°¡­She doesn¡¯t seem like such a fragile person at heart.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that something was amiss. Li Zhaodi was a tough character. How could she possibly go crazy over this?


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± After Mrs. Yang finished speaking, she looked around carefully. Xiaoguo was amused by her actions. This was her house, and not anywhere else. Why was she being so cautious?


    Mrs. Yang patted Xiaoguo on the head. ¡°Stop laughing. Do you still want to hear what I have to say next?¡±


    Xiaoguo immediately shut up and gently slapped her mouth with her palm, indicating that she would stop talking.


    Mrs. Yang snorted and continued.


    ¡°At first, everyone thought that was the case, but it turned out otherwise. Li Zhaodi¡¯s odd behavior started from the day when her man returned¡­¡±


    After Mrs. Yang finished speaking, Xiaoguo felt a chill run down her spine. It sounded really terrifying.


    After Li Zhaodi¡¯s husband brought back the prostitute, the three of them lived together harmoniously on the surface. However, people heard that the main house was occupied by Li Dahai and the prostitute, while Li Zhaodi was made to live in the livestock shed. Li Dahai regained control over all the finances in the house. It seemed like the prostitute had some control over Li Dahai, and he was always at her bidding. If she told him to go east, he wouldn¡¯t dare to go west. Before that, Li Dahai was afraid of Li Zhaodi, but after listening to the prostitute, he drugged Li Zhaodi with something that made her weak all over. From then on, Li Zhaodi could only move her mouth. In the end, Li Dahai was bewitched by that woman and sold their house to the village. He took all the money and valuables that belonged to Li Zhaodi and ran away.


    On the day they ran away, Li Zhaodi kept yelling at them. The two of them had a guilty conscience and accidentally pushed her into a bucket. Seeing that she didn¡¯t struggle, they ran away. Since Li Zhaodi had no strength in her body, she almost suffocated as she was stuffed head down in the bucket. The widow next door heard the commotion and ran over to help her up.


    After that, without the influence of any drugs, Li Zhaodi would sit at the entrance of the village or at her doorstep all day long. Whenever she saw someone, she would scold them. She didn¡¯t comb her hair or change her clothes, and she even relieved herself in public. In the end, the village took pity on her and allowed her to stay temporarily in the Li family¡¯s house. Everyday, the villagers would take turns to give her some food so that she wouldn¡¯t starve to death.


    In the next few days, Li Zhaodi seemed to have gone crazy. She suddenly put on thick makeup and appeared in front of unmarried men in colorful clothes. Without fail, the first thing she said to them was to ask them to marry her. If they didn¡¯t agree, she would take off her clothes and throw a tantrum.


    The unmarried men in the village were so frightened by her that they did not dare to go out alone. They were afraid that she would pester them and claim that they had taken advantage of her.


    Qin Anming was very unlucky. He didn¡¯t manage to avoid Li Zhaodi even though he tried his best. As soon as he left the house, he bumped into her.


    Qin Anming was bringing the cows out to graze. When he was about to reach the river, he spotted Li Zhaodi standing there. He quickly turned and tried to leave, but unfortunately, Li Zhaodi saw him and rushed over to hug him. At the same time, she kept calling him husband. Luckily, there were many villagers around and they went up to help Qin Anming. However, Li Zhaodi was completely out of control. As soon as she saw any men approaching, she would pounce on them and take advantage of them. The men kept trying to dodge her and as a result, this gave Li Zhaodi an opportunity. She got away from the people around her and hugged Qin Anming tightly, claiming that she was going to die with him.


    Fortunately, the villagers who were present at the scene were quick to pull them out of the water. As the river water was quite cold due to the weather conditions, Qin Anming fell ill after this episode.


    On the other hand, Li Zhaodi was completely fine, perhaps due to her thick skin. During the period when Qin Anming was lying in bed, she even tried to climb over the wall and harass him on multiple occasions. Qin Anming was extremely bothered by this and as a result, he couldn¡¯t get enough rest and his cold became even more serious.


    When Xiaoguo heard everything, she felt extremely conflicted. She didn¡¯t know if she should hate Li Zhaodi or pity her. This woman¡­


    Mrs. Yang had to go home for dinner, so she was in a hurry to get back. Xiaoguo sent the two of them off at the door and returned to the kitchen to cook.


    After lunch, Xiaoguo watched as Qin Anming finished his medicine. Then she returned to the room. As soon as she went into the room, she saw the bag that she had brought back and realized that she had yet to give Mrs. Yang her gift.


    Xiaoguo patted her head. She had been so focused asking about Li Zhaodi that she had forgotten about the gift.


    She will have to send it to her later.


    Xiaoguo took out what was meant for the Yang family and set it aside. She still had to pack the rest.


    She hung up the clothes that needed to be hung, sorted out the remaining garments, and carried out the laundry. After being away from home for so long, all the bedsheets and pillowcases in the house had to be replaced with new ones. The old ones were taken out to be washed.


    The house was cleaned and ventilated by Qin Anming everyday, so other than the bedsheets, there was nothing else to tidy up.


    ¡°Mother, are you going to do the laundry?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had just come out of Qin Anming¡¯s room when he bumped into Xiaoguo, who was carrying a pile of clothes and bedsheets.


    ¡°Yes. Is your uncle asleep?¡±


    Xiaoguo saw Zhuang Zhuang closing the door quietly, so she guessed that Qin Anming might have fallen asleep.


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and was about to get a basin for Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo quickly stopped him. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Zhuang Zhuang, go take your nap. I can do it myself.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook his head. How could he let his mother wash all the clothes by herself?


    ¡°There¡¯s really no need.¡± Xiaoguo stopped him again. She could wash the clothes herself. There wasn¡¯t that much laundry.


    In the end, Zhuang Zhuang was carried back into the house by Xiaoguo. Since she couldn¡¯t chase him away, she could only use force!


    Xiaoguo covered him with a blanket. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Go to sleep.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tried to get up but in the next instant, he fell back into the bed with his big dreamy eyes staring at Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Be good¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo pinched his cheeks and got up to leave.


    Zhuang Zhuang was already feeling sleepy while eating earlier. He almost poked his own eyes with the chopsticks during the meal. Even so, he still forced himself to wash the dishes and chat with Qin Anming. And just now he even wanted to help Xiaoguo wash the clothes.


    Xiaoguo closed the door and did not leave immediately. After waiting for a while, she quietly pushed open the door to check on Zhuang Zhuang, who had already closed his eyes and was sleeping soundly. She smiled to herself. ¡°Let our little man have a good sleep.¡±

 Chapter 185 - 185 Fear

    185 Fear


    The few pieces of clothes were quick and easy to wash. Only one line was needed to hang up all the clothes and bedsheets.


    After doing the laundry, Xiaoguo went out to herd the cows and cut the grass. She also fed the donkeys and collected the eggs. In any case, she did not stop to take any breaks.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but no matter how much work she did at home, she never got tired.


    When Xiaoguo looked around and saw that there was nothing left to do, she went back into the house.


    Once inside, she went to check on Qin Anming first. He was finally able to sleep soundly now that Xiaoguo was back. She could even hear him snoring occasionally in his sleep.


    Xiaoguo went to the other room to check on Zhuang Zhuang. The little guy was sleeping under the blanket and was almost drooling.


    She tiptoed over and gently closed his mouth.


    It was getting late. Mrs. Yang and her family should be done with their afternoon nap. She wouldn¡¯t be interrupting their rest time if she were to go now.


    Whenever something came to mind, Xiaoguo always had the urge to get it done immediately. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t feel at ease. She was worried about forgetting things when she got busy, so it would be better for her to bring the gifts over now.


    After checking that she had not left anything behind, she left the house with the bag of gifts.


    She walked to the front door and couldn¡¯t decide if she should lock it. Eventually the door was left unlocked since she would be back shortly. She also found it troublesome to lock up.


    Since she had decided to stay only for a short while at Mrs. Yang¡¯s house, Xiaoguo pulled the door and gently closed it.


    When she arrived at Mrs. Yang¡¯s house, she happened to see Yang Jia leaving.


    ¡°Sister-in-law.¡±


    Yang Jia had just opened the door when he saw Xiaoguo knocking.


    ¡°Aye, is Sister-in-law at home?¡±


    Xiaoguo stepped back and asked.


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Yang Jia opened the door and invited Xiaoguo in.


    Xiaoguo followed him into the house. Thinking about how he looked when he opened the door earlier, she asked, ¡°Were you planning to go out just now?¡±


    When Yang Jia heard this, he nodded in embarrassment. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang told me this morning that he brought back a lot of new books, so I wanted to take a look¡­¡±


    Yang Jia¡¯s face turned red as he rubbed his ears. It was too embarrassing to go to someone else¡¯s house to browse their books. However, according to Zhuang Zhuang, many of those books were not available at the stores, so Yang Jia had to muster all his courage to borrow those books from Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo smiled when she heard that. Yang Jia liked reading so much that he would only step out of his house for books. ¡°Let¡¯s go over later. Zhuang Zhuang and his uncle are still sleeping.¡±


    Yang Jia nodded when he heard this. He lifted the curtain in the room and let Xiaoguo enter first.


    ¡°I heard from my brother that you¡¯ve been helping him while he was sick. I haven¡¯t thanked you properly yet.¡± Xiaoguo tilted her body slightly and went in. As she did so, she said, ¡°This time, Zhuang Zhuang brought back a lot of books, ink, paper, and inkstones. Go and see if there is anything you need. If you see anything you like, feel free to take them.¡±


    Just before they left the palace for home, Jiang Danhe had specially prepared a lot of books for Zhuang Zhuang. There were all kinds of books. Jiang Danhe had also asked the emperor for some limited edition books. In other words, the books that Jiang Danhe had given Zhuang Zhuang came mostly from the emperor. There were also a lot of new brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.


    From Jiang Danhe¡¯s point of view, it was a good thing that his son liked to read. Therefore as a father, he would do his best to support him.


    It was all thanks to Jiang Danhe¡¯s support that Xiaoguo¡¯s bag was so heavy when she came back¡­


    Yang Jia was stunned when he heard this. His face turned even redder and he said incoherently, ¡°Alright, thank you, thank you.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head in amusement. She had said something similar to him before, but Yang Jia was very well-mannered and knew his limits. He would make a really good friend.


    When they entered the room, Mrs. Yang was sitting on the bed trying to thread a needle. When she saw Xiaoguo, she quickly invited her to sit down.


    Yangjia left after ushering Xiaoguo into the room.


    Seeing that Brother Yang was not in the house, Xiaoguo asked Mrs. Yang about him.


    ¡°Sigh, he left the house early this morning. There¡¯s someone building a new house in our village and he has gone to help.¡±


    Mrs. Yang continued to thread the needle in her hand but she just couldn¡¯t get the thread through the hole after many tries. ¡°Sigh! This thread is impossible.¡±


    As she spoke, she threw the fraying thread into the sewing basket.


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Her gift had come at the right time.


    ¡°How dare you laugh!¡±


    Mrs. Yang was still fuming when she heard Xiaoguo laugh, so she exclaimed loudly.


    ¡°Okay, okay, Sister-in-law.¡± Xiaoguo stopped laughing and picked up the bundle that she had brought. She rummaged through the bag and found the gift. ¡°Here, Sister-in-law. This is for you. I was laughing because of this.¡±


    Mrs. Yang looked curiously at what Xiaoguo was holding. It was a large wooden box.


    ¡°Oh my, this box is so exquisite. But it¡¯s too big. I will never be able to fill it up with enough jewelry for the rest of my life.¡±


    Mrs. Yang took the box and carefully touched the carvings on it. She had guessed that this was a jewelry box since only jewelry boxes would look so exquisite.


    She had seen the girls in the brothel use boxes like this before. Other than that, she had never seen anyone else use containers that look like that. Usually, the girls in the brothels would use such boxes to store their jewelry.


    Xiaoguo suppressed her laughter and raised her head. ¡°Sister-in-law, check out what is inside.¡±


    Mrs. Yang was confused. What was there to see inside? It cannot be as exquisite as the carvings on the exterior. What else could there be in the box?


    Mrs. Yang opened the box doubtfully. The moment she opened it, her eyes darted around quickly, wanting to scan through everything in the box. After a while, Mrs. Yang¡¯s face turned red with excitement and she said loudly, ¡°To me, the things inside here are more attractive than a box of gold, silver, or jewelry!¡±


    Xiaoguo covered her mouth and giggled. She knew that Mrs. Yang liked this. She had chosen the right gift for her.


    ¡°You like it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows at Mrs. Yang, looking like she was asking for praise.


    Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t disappoint Xiaoguo. She hugged the box like it was a treasure and touched it lovingly. She said excitedly to Xiaoguo, ¡°If I didn¡¯t have to hold on to this treasure, I would have kissed you!¡±


    Amused by her words, Xiaoguo teased, ¡°Would Mr. Yang be jealous if you kiss me?¡±


    ¡°Shoo, shoo, shoo. You have no manners¡­¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard those words, her face instantly turned red. She glanced sideways at Xiaoguo. ¡°How dare you tease me¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo found it amusing to see her like this. She was usually such a forthright woman, but with just a few words of teasing, she instantly turned into a shy little woman.


    Shortly after, Xiaoguo took out the gifts for Xiaohua and Xiaohu, and asked Mrs. Yang to pass it to them.


    The two children had followed their father to the site of the new house. The builders were erecting the beams today, so candies would be given out. The kids had rushed there to grab some candies.


    Mrs. Yang nodded and thanked Xiaoguo on behalf of Xiaohua and Xiaohu.


    As she was worried about the house, Xiaoguo quickly said goodbye to Mrs. Yang, and made plans to chat with her again at a later date. Xiaoguo had yet to tell anyone that Jiang Danhe was still alive. On the way back, she reminded Zhuang Zhuang not to mention this in case he frightened anyone again.


    Mrs. Yang wanted to send her off but Xiaoguo waved her hand and left. She was just two-steps from the door so there was no need to send her off.


    Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with Xiaoguo. Upon hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, she returned to the house and continued to study her new treasure.


    Xiaoguo smiled again when she saw Mrs. Yang¡¯s reaction. She liked the way they interacted. There was no need for formalities so it was comfortable to hang out with someone like that.


    As soon as she stepped out of the room, she saw Yang Jia standing in the courtyard. When he saw Xiaoguo, his eyes lit up.


    Xiaoguo smiled. He must be getting impatient. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Hearing this, Yang Jia immediately followed Xiaoguo out.


    Mrs. Yang looked out of the window and saw their backs. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. Those two looked just like siblings.


    Shortly after leaving the house, Xiaoguo saw a sneaky figure leaning against her house door from afar.


    Yang Jia had seen this scene many times. When he saw it, he couldn¡¯t help but feel frightened. Subconsciously, he wanted to turn around and run, but Xiaoguo was here. He would be such a weakling if he were to run away like that. Therefore, he forced himself to buck up and stand behind Xiaoguo.

 Chapter 186 - 186 True Madness and False Madness

    186 True Madness and False Madness


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and looked at the person with her flowery butt sticking out. She could vaguely tell that it was a woman. Judging from her appearance, there was no one else who looked like that in the village. Xiaoguo gritted her teeth and guessed the person¡¯s identity.


    She had yet to settle the score with this woman. To think that she had turned up herself!


    Xiaoguo quickened her pace and came to a stop not far behind the woman. She was still unaware that there was someone behind her. Xiaoguo could feel anger rising within herself.


    She lowered her head to look for a lump of soil. Yang Jia could tell what she was doing, so he also helped to look. In the end, he found a piece that was just the right size for Xiaoguo and he immediately pointed it out to her.


    Xiaoguo nodded and bent down to pick it up. Then she aimed and fired.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    A powerful female voice broke the silence.


    Xiaoguo and Yang Jia covered their ears and looked at the woman who was squatting on the ground and cursing in pain.


    ¡°Who was it? Who hit me?!¡±


    Xiaoguo had used all her strength. That was how she used to fight zombies in the past. It had to be painful for Li Zhaodi.


    To her surprise, her reaction was quite normal. Xiaoguo thought that she only knew how to scream after being hit.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Li Zhaodi, who was squatting on the ground and covering her head as she screamed. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but remind her that with her screams, those who didn¡¯t know better would think that someone was killing pigs.


    As soon as Xiaoguo spoke, Li Zhaodi froze. A bad feeling welled up in her heart and she slowly turned around.


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but take a step back. Yang Jia quickly held her from behind. He had guessed that Xiaoguo would be shocked. All villagers all had this reaction when they first saw Li Zhaodi. Even the timid children were almost frightened to tears by her appearance.


    After Xiaoguo regained her balance, she looked at the creature that she could barely recognize. It was really too scary. Even a monkey¡¯s butt was not as scary as her face. Xiaoguo struggled to find her eyes among the colorful mess on her face.


    ¡°Li Zhaodi?¡±


    Li Zhaodi trembled subconsciously when she heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice. A look of embarrassment flashed across her eyes.


    Xiaoguo, who was constantly paying attention to her, had noticed that strange fleeting look. How could a lunatic have such an expression?


    ¡°Li Zhaodi?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at her suspiciously. To confirm what she was thinking, she walked towards the woman who was huddled in the corner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Yang Jia grabbed Xiaoguo from behind and looked at her worriedly.


    Xiaoguo had just returned to the village. She didn¡¯t know that apart from hugging and kissing men, women were also not spared by Li Zhaodi. This was especially true for young and beautiful women. Once she saw them, she would rush forward like a mad cow and assault them by scratching, pulling and biting. Three grown men were no match for her¡ªif Li Zhaodi were to throw a fit after being provoked by Xiaoguo, the consequences would be dire.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Although Xiaoguo was wary of lunatics, Li Zhaodi seemed to be putting up an act. Based on her behavior earlier, she looked like she wanted to escape the moment she saw Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo was pretty sure that Li Zhaodi was pretending to be crazy. And she looked like she didn¡¯t wish to see Xiaoguo.


    In order to prove that her guess was right, Xiaoguo decided to approach her and test her reaction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡±


    Yang Jia looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s suicidal behavior and felt extremely anxious.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We have to go over anyway. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to enter the house.¡±


    Xiaoguo gave Yang Jia a reassuring look before shaking off his hand. She then walked forward alone.


    Seeing that he could not persuade her, Yang Jia emboldened himself and followed closely behind her. If something really happened, although he could not help her, he could at least try to stall for time so that XIaoguo could call for help or run for her life.


    Xiaoguo smiled when she saw Yang Jia following her. This kid was both timid and brave.


    Although Li Zhaodi was squatting in a corner with her head lowered, she was still able to see her surroundings quite clearly. With her disheveled hair and dramatic makeup covering most of her face, even if she were looking at someone, no one could tell.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was approaching her, Li Zhaodi gritted her teeth. She didn¡¯t want to embarrass herself in front of her¡­


    At such a close distance, Li Zhaodi had nowhere to retreat. In those few seconds, she was thinking to herself repeatedly, ¡°Should I throw a fit or not?¡±


    Maybe she should just do it. Anyway Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know if she was really crazy or not. However, if she were to behave like that in front of XIaoguo, wouldn¡¯t Xiaoguo despise her even more? She would become a laughing stock in her eyes.


    Previously, she had no choice but to act crazy. And during that time, Qin Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t in the village. Now that Xiaoguo was back, there was no way she was going to humiliate herself in front of her.


    But then again, if she were to act sane, the hard work she put in and humiliation she suffered would all go down the drain. Li Zhaodi was so conflicted that her black eyebrows were knitted together.


    In Li Zhaodi¡¯s mind, there were two people fighting. One was telling her to act crazy, and the other was telling her the opposite!


    Her head was about to explode. At this moment, she really wished that she was crazy. That way, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her dignity.


    Just as Xiaoguo was getting closer and closer to her, there was a sudden buzz in her head and her mind went blank. She instinctively stood up.


    Yang Jia was constantly paying attention to Li Zhaodi¡¯s movements. When he saw her stand up suddenly, he was shocked and subconsciously took a few steps while pulling Xiaoguo with him.


    Li Zhaodi saw his actions and gritted her teeth. Then, she gave Xiaoguo an obscure look and ran off.


    Yang Jia stared blankly from the side. He was just getting ready for battle and the enemy ran away just like that?


    Xiaoguo swept away the dust in the air and smiled secretly as she watched Li Zhaodi run into the distance. So she was really putting on an act.


    As she was still thinking about Qin Xiaoguo, Li Zhaodi did not notice any of the men she passed by along the way. She didn¡¯t even look at them. The men who saw her were dumbfounded. What was going on? Has Li Zhaodi recovered?


    Within a day, the news of Li Zhaodi¡¯s recovery spread throughout the village. All the women, elderly, and children heaved a sigh of relief. They could finally set their heart at rest.


    After Li Zhaodi left, Xiaoguo and Yang Jia went back home.


    ¡°Go find Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Xiaoguo asked Yang Jia to look for Zhuang Zhuang in his room while she went to look for Qin Anming. As soon as she entered, she heard him coughing.


    Yang Jia was gone in a flash after acknowledging her words. Xiaoguo picked up a pot of warm water from the table in the hall. She had boiled some water before leaving the house earlier. The water was still warm, and just right for Qin Anming.


    ¡°Brother, have some water.¡±


    Qin Anming was woken up by his cough. He had just sat up when Xiaoguo came in with the water. It was really timely.


    ¡°Slow down.¡±


    Qin Anming took the water and gulped it down. Afraid that he would choke, Xiaoguo kept telling him to drink slowly.


    Putting down his cup, he caught his breath and seemed to feel much better. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was about to pour more water, he quickly stopped her. He would vomit if he drank more.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll drink it.¡±


    Xiaoguo rolled her eyes at him.


    Qin Anming chuckled and stopped talking. He waited for Xiaoguo to finish her drink.


    ¡°I just bumped into Li Zhaodi.¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo said that, Qin Anming¡¯s face froze.


    ¡°But she has run away.¡±


    When Qin Anming heard the rest of her words, his heart rate returned to normal. It was good that she had run away.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t hurt you, did she?¡±


    Qin Anming¡¯s heart started racing again. He hurriedly held on to Xiaoguo to check if she was hurt.


    Xiaoguo quickly assured him that she was okay. But Qin Anming didn¡¯t believe her. He was convinced that Xiaoguo was saying this so that he wouldn¡¯t worry. It was a known fact that whoever bumped into Li Zhaodi would end up either dead or injured.


    Xiaoguo looked at his solemn face that was on the verge of tears. She quickly stood up and spun around to show him. ¡°Look, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    After seeing it for himself, Qin Anming was relieved. However, he was still puzzled. ¡°What happened to Li Zhaodi? Why did she suddenly recover?¡±


    Xiaoguo shrugged. ¡°She wasn¡¯t crazy in the first place.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Qin Anming was shocked and raised his voice uncontrollably. ¡°You mean¡­ she was pretending to be crazy?!¡±

 Chapter 187 - 187 Let Me Tell You Something

    187 Let Me Tell You Something


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded affirmatively.


    Qin Anming shook his head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. How can she not be crazy?¡±


    ¡°Really!¡± Seeing that Qin Anming still didn¡¯t believe her, Xiaoguo sat down on the bed. ¡°When I came back just now, I saw her crouching in front of our house. When I called her, she hid in a corner. And when I walked towards her, she ran away.¡±


    Qin Anming¡¯s mouth was wide open when he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words. Li Zhaodi had run away. How was that possible? How could such a miracle happen just because she saw Xiaoguo?


    He simply couldn¡¯t believe it. He had seen Li Zhaodi¡¯s behavior over the past few days. How could a normal person do those things?


    Although Li Zhaodi wasn¡¯t pretty, she was still a woman who paid a lot of attention to her appearance. He really couldn¡¯t believe that she would smear her own face with feces and urine just to act crazy.


    But Xiaoguo was very sure that Li Zhaodi was just pretending. Qin Anming hesitated again. Xiaoguo had sharp eyes, but then¡­


    ¡°Why would she do that?¡±


    Qin Anming already believed what Xiaoguo said, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why Li Zhaodi was pretending to be crazy.


    Xiaoguo smiled at Qin Anming. ¡°Of course it¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t want to become homeless.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    Qin Anming still didn¡¯t understand. Didn¡¯t she have a place to stay now?


    Xiaoguo was stunned. It seemed like he didn¡¯t know that Li Dahai had sold the house.


    She briefly explained to Qin Anming what Li Dahai had done. Qin Anming was mystified. He didn¡¯t know that the man was so wicked.


    ¡°¡­Do you now understand?¡± Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth was dry from talking. She picked up the glass of water and took a sip. Then she said, ¡°Because of this, Li Zhaodi acted crazy to gain everyone¡¯s sympathy. Being in this state, how could the village chief take back her house and leave her homeless?¡±


    Qin Anming shut his mouth and nodded. This was shocking. Li Dahai was actually so shameless. What a scum!


    However, if that was the case, Li Zhaodi was pretending to be crazy just so that the village wouldn¡¯t take back her house. So the part where she kept pestering any man she met was also part of her crazy act?


    Qin Anming couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he directed his question to Xiaoguo.


    As soon as the question was asked, Xiaoguo hesitated. If she had pounced on men to make people think that she was crazy, why did she only pounce on unmarried men?


    Xiaoguo thought of something, but she wasn¡¯t too sure about it. She had to make sure she was right before telling Qin Anming about it. Li Zhaodi¡¯s ultimate goal should be revealed soon.


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t go out alone for the time being.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought about it and said to Qin Anming.


    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t Li Zhaodi pretending to be crazy?¡±


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t quite understand what Xiaoguo was saying. Since she was pretending to be crazy, everything should be fine.


    ¡°¡­ because¡­ I¡¯ll tell you in a few days.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know how to tell him. She was worried about scaring him again. Based on her initial guess, Li Zhaodi¡¯s target was Qin Anming.


    However, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t tell Qin Anming this. His hatred for Li Zhaodi was indescribable. Whenever he heard her name, he looked completely repulsed. If he knew that Li Zhaodi was eyeing him, he might faint immediately.


    ¡°You¡¯re being so mysterious.¡±


    Qin Anming glanced at Xiaoguo who was acting all secretive. However, it was fine for him to stay home. In any case, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the house for the next few days.


    Seeing that he had no objections, Xiaoguo got up to leave. But after taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Qin Anming hesitantly. ¡°Brother, do you have a weak heart?¡±


    ¡°????¡±


    Qin Anming was puzzled. What was she talking about? What about his heart?


    ¡°I want to tell you something.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought of Jiang Danhe. If she didn¡¯t tell her brother now, she would probably forget about it later.


    She realized that she had been quite forgetful recently, so once she had something in mind, she had to do it quickly before it slipped her mind.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Qin Anming took a gulp and looked at Xiaoguo. His heart was trembling and he straightened his back. ¡°Did something big happen¡­?¡±


    Xiaoguo slowly walked to the bed and sat down. She was thinking about how to explain the matter so that Qin Anming wouldn¡¯t think of her as crazy.


    ¡°The thing is¡­ when we went to the capital, we saw¡­ Jiang Danhe¡­¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she kept a close watch on Qin Anming¡¯s reaction. She was worried about scaring him.


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, Qin Anming nodded in understanding. He had only thought of this not long after Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang left. ¡°You mean Jiang Danhe¡¯s cenotaph, right? I thought of it too not long after you left. I wanted to inform you at that time, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother, brother, stop!¡±


    Xiaoguo listened as Qin Anming veered further and further away from the topic. She was getting more puzzled as he went on. She decided to tell him directly to prevent his imagination from getting out of hand. Besides, she didn¡¯t believe that a man¡¯s heart could be so weak.


    ¡°Brother, Jiang Danhe is still alive, he¡¯s now in the capital.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    Xiaoguo nudged Qin Anming, who had not reacted to her words. She felt a little uneasy. Has his heart stopped beating?


    ¡°Are you serious?!¡±


    Qin Anming finally reacted. In the next instant, he was completely overjoyed. His expression and tone made it seem like Jiang Danhe was his husband.


    Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming, who was clapping and cheering. She was worried for nothing. Jiang Danhe would be happy to see such a reaction because this was the scene he was hoping for during the reunion with Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°¡­ I think that¡¯s quite enough¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming, who was so happy that he was about to stand up. This was a little too much. Even as Jiang Danhe¡¯s wife, she was not as excited as Qin Anming.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, you don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m happy for you, I¡¯m happy for Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m happy for your family!¡±


    Qin Anming coughed excitedly. He suddenly looked less sickly and a rosy tinge had appeared on his face.


    ¡°Alright, alright, Brother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly stood up and calmed him down.


    ¡°Ahem, Xiaoguo.¡± Qin Anming held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and pulled her to sit down. ¡°You have no idea. When I was dragged down into the river by Li Zhaodi that day, all I could think about was you. How are you going to live on by yourself if I die? You¡¯ll really be alone as a widow and as an orphan. I¡¯m anxious and afraid. Although I am not super capable, at least with me around, you won¡¯t be alone or be bullied by anyone. But¡­ if something really happens to me, at least Danhe is around. This way, when I die, I¡¯ll feel more at ease. When I meet our parents, I¡¯ll have a clear conscience too.¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­ What are you talking about!¡±


    Xiaoguo started to cry when she heard that. She couldn¡¯t help but interrupt him. ¡°Why are you saying such inauspicious things? You¡¯re well and alive! Why talk about all these?¡±


    Qin Anming¡¯s heart ached as he wiped her tears. ¡°Xiaoguo, don¡¯t cry. I am just saying what if¡­¡±


    ¡°No what if¡¯s!¡±


    Xiaoguo refused to let him continue. Wiping away her tears, she shook off his hand and turned away from him.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll stop talking. I have to live to be a hundred years old.¡±


    Qin Anming couldn¡¯t bear to see Xiaoguo cry. Those words were at the tip of his tongue and he just had to let it all out.


    To be honest, after the last time he fell into the water, he was really afraid. In that instant, he thought about many things. He basically regretted not taking good care of Xiaoguo. After escaping death, he wanted to have a good talk with her and do his best to pave the way for her future. Even if an accident really happened one day, he would be able to leave in peace.

 Chapter 188 - 188 Uncle Is So Handsome

    188 Uncle Is So Handsome


    Xiaoguo felt terrible when she heard this. Qin Anming¡¯s words were like a heavy hammer hitting her heart. It hurt so much that she couldn¡¯t breathe.


    In fact, Qin Anming had never thought about what would happen to Xiaoguo and the others if he died. However, when he fell into the water and looked at the dark river bed, his ears suddenly went deaf. At first, he couldn¡¯t hear anything. Then, he could only hear an erratic and ear-piercing heartbeat. It was so loud that it made him feel uneasy.


    For a moment, no one spoke. Talking about life and death was serious stuff. No one could leave this earth alive. So everyone should make the most of each day while they are still alive and live without regrets.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. You haven¡¯t told me what happened to Danhe.¡±


    Qin Anming composed himself and went on to ask Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo composed herself and turned around to tell him everything.


    ¨C


    ¡°I see.¡±


    As Qin Anming listened to the twists and turns, he was extremely shocked. However, the first thing he thought of was, things must have been hard for Jiang Danhe to come this far. He must have suffered a lot.


    Xiaoguo was puzzled by Qin Anming¡¯s sigh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Qin Anming shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s really not easy for Danhe to reach this position all by himself. It¡¯s really admirable.¡±


    Perhaps it was due to the mutual understanding between men, Qin Anming immediately understood why Jiang Danhe had decided to give up his power and money to return to the countryside.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, you must cherish Jiang Danhe.¡± Qin Anming looked at Xiaoguo seriously and said to her, ¡°This man is someone you can rely on for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in a daze. At this moment, her mind was thinking about something else. If it weren¡¯t for her identity, she really would be a strong supporter of this couple.


    ¡°Xiaoguo? Xiaoguo?¡±


    Qin Anming shook Xiaoguo¡¯s shoulder helplessly. He didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her. She looked so distracted.


    ¡°Sigh, sigh, sigh.¡±


    Xiaoguo came back to her senses and tried to get away from Qin Anming. ¡°He¡¯s sick and yet his grip is so strong. He¡¯s totally killing me.¡±


    Looking at Xiaoguo pouting unhappily and rubbing her shoulders, Qin Anming sighed. ¡°She¡¯s still behaving like a child. Even though she has become a mother, she still looked like she had not grown up.¡±


    ¡°Oh right! Brother!¡± Xiaoguo called out to Qin Anming and ran back to her room.


    Qin Anming was stunned. Where did she go all of a sudden?


    At the thought of giving Qin Anming his gift, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. Although Jiang Danhe was paying for it, it was still considered a gift from her.


    Zhuang Zhuang was sitting at the table with Yang Jia, reading a book. When he saw Xiaoguo, he greeted her. Xiaoguo sighed and floated past the two of them without looking back at them.


    They looked and shrugged at each other, then they went back to their reading.


    Xiaoguo returned to the house and rummaged through her bag. She took out one heavy bundle and headed back to Qin Anming¡¯s room.


    She passed by Zhuang Zhuang and Yang Jia again, but this time, her footsteps were much heavier than before.


    ¡°Brother, look!¡±


    Xiaoguo put the bundle on the bed. She hadn¡¯t had time to give it to him when she got back that morning. Now that he was awake, she couldn¡¯t wait to show him the gift.


    Qin Anming opened the bag curiously, wondering what it was. It felt so thick.


    As soon as he opened it, the thickness felt completely different.


    Xiaoguo helped Qin Anming spread out the garment.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Qin Anming couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. ¡°Leather?!¡±


    This was good stuff. With this coat in the winter, one wouldn¡¯t feel cold even if they were naked.


    Qin Anming hugged it lovingly in his arms, feeling the thickness of the leather. With this, winter would be much warmer.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    Xiaoguo was asking the obvious. She could tell from Qin Anming¡¯s expression that he liked it a lot but she still had to ask.


    That¡¯s how gift-giving works. Even though she knew that the other party liked it, she still couldn¡¯t help but ask again to derive satisfaction from it.


    Qin Anming nodded vigorously, his tone was filled with fondness for the gift. ¡°I like it so much!¡±


    He had never seen anyone wear this before, but he had heard that rich people in big cities always wore leather to keep themselves warm in winter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard about it in the past, but I¡¯ve never seen it before. Now, thanks to my sister, I¡¯m actually wearing leather.¡±


    Qin Anming was overjoyed. He looked at Xiaoguo and laughed.


    Xiaoguo was also happy. She told Qin Anming to try it out first. If it didn¡¯t fit him, she would alter it. After saying that, she saw her brother nod and left.


    Outside the room, Yang Jia was getting ready to leave with two books in his hands. When he saw Xiaoguo, he stood up and said goodbye.


    ¡°Brother Jia was waiting for you. He said that he couldn¡¯t leave without informing you. I told him that I knew he was leaving. In the end, do you know what he said, Mother?¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang sent Yang Jia off, he skipped over to Xiaoguo and asked, trying to make her guess.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head in response to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words.


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled. He knew that his mother wouldn¡¯t be able to guess it. ¡°Brother Jia said that he wants to say goodbye to the house owner. It¡¯s not polite to leave the house without bidding farewell.¡±


    Xiaoguo was amused by his imitation of Yang Jia. This kid was quite good at imitating. He did sound like Yang Jia when he spoke.


    ¡°Mother, do you think Brother Jia is the old master that Xiaoyi always talked about?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang knelt on a stool and asked Xiaoguo curiously with his face resting on his hands.


    ¡°Huh? Why do you say that?¡± Xiaoguo tilted her head and looked at Zhuang Zhuang curiously.


    ¡°Because, when Xiaoyi and I followed the way his old master talked, we also talked like this¡­ umm, like this¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had forgotten that word and was racking his brain for an answer. Xiaoguo thought for a moment and said, ¡°Old-fashioned?¡±


    Yang Jia was young, but he spoke like an old gentleman.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Old-fashioned!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang clapped his hands and nodded in confirmation.


    Xiaoguo also felt that it was quite appropriate. He was indeed old-fashioned. She could not help but laugh.


    Zhuang Zhuang laughed along when he saw Xiaoguo laugh.


    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Qin Anming appeared from his room. While changing in his room earlier, he heard the two of them laughing.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo looked up at the same time.


    ¡°Wow! Uncle!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes lit up. He felt that his uncle was so handsome!


    ¡°Cough, cough.¡±


    Qin Anming placed his fist by his mouth and coughed lightly. He was a little embarrassed by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s stare.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    Qin Anming asked Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo came back to her senses and didn¡¯t say anything. She got up and pushed open the door to her room. ¡°Brother, go look in the mirror.¡±


    Qin Anming was stunned. ¡°What kind of response is this? Does it mean that I am looking good?¡±


    That¡¯s right. He didn¡¯t think that he would look bad. Based on the style of the coat and from Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s response earlier, Qin Anming was confident about how he looked.


    Looking in the mirror was no big deal. He was quite sure that he would look good.


    Qin Anming walked over confidently. Although his footsteps were a little slow because of his health, he was filled with confidence.


    Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He followed Qin Anming into the room to look at him in the mirror.


    Xiaoguo looked at the energetic Qin Anming and chuckled. It seemed that women were not the only ones who were vain. Men were the same.


    After dinner, Xiaoguo handed the medicine to Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Take this to Uncle. Be careful not to spill it on yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang carefully took the bowl and looked at the black medicinal soup. He exclaimed in disgust, ¡°It looks so bitter.¡±


    ¡°Then can you give Uncle a piece of candy?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked tentatively. Before they returned, Jiang Danhe had bought a lot of candies for Zhuang Zhuang. Whenever she asked him for the candies, he always refused. It was a good opportunity for him to take some out now. In that way, he wouldn¡¯t be eating the candies all by himself. It would lower his chances of getting tooth decay.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get it now.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he remembered that he had those candies.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded happily and walked into the house with the medicine.


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes as she watched the little figure leave. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re still so young and gullible.¡±

 Chapter 189 - 189 Village Information Network

    189 Village Information Network


    ¡°Mother, Uncle is sleepy.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang handed the bowl to Xiaoguo. She washed it with warm water and put it away. ¡°There¡¯s a herb with calming properties in this medicinal soup. One will feel sleepy after taking it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. I was wondering about it as Uncle is usually not so sleepy.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang followed behind Xiaoguo, going wherever she went.


    ¡°Mother, why are you still boiling water?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked Xiaoguo curiously. There was nothing left to wash or scrub.


    Xiaoguo pushed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head away from the stove and threw a handful of firewood into the fire pit. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to take a shower? Go back to the house and get your clothes. Then go wait in the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked reluctant. ¡°I just bathed the day before yesterday. I don¡¯t want to bathe again¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay then. You just had tomato scrambled eggs the day before yesterday. You won¡¯t be having it again tomorrow.¡±


    Xiaoguo ignored Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words and continued adding firewood.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s plaintive voice echoed across the room. Xiaoguo glanced at Zhuang Zhuang, who was trying to cop out.


    With just one look from her, Zhuang Zhuang shivered and immediately stood up. ¡°Mother! I¡¯ll execute it immediately!¡±


    With that, he stomped his feet and left.


    Xiaoguo looked at the little boy¡¯s back and found it amusing. She didn¡¯t know when Jiang Danhe had brought him to the military camp, but he seemed to be pretty well-trained.


    The water was heated up to a moderate temperature before buckets of warm water were brought to the side of the bathtub.


    Zhuang Zhuang had already taken off his clothes and was sitting inside the tub.


    Xiaoguo poured a bucket of water in and asked Zhuang Zhuang if it was hot.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hot.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang liked this temperature very much. He splashed in the tub as Xiaoguo added more water into the bucket. He looked like he was enjoying himself tremendously.


    She added water until it reached Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s chest. As for the remaining water in the pot, Xiaoguo added some cold water in before adding more firewood to heat it up.


    ¡°Come on. It¡¯s bath time.¡±


    Xiaoguo climbed onto a small stool. This made it easier for her to bend over and bathe Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang sat on a small stool inside the tub and enjoyed Xiaoguo¡¯s gentle scrubbing. Since Xiaoguo bathed him quite frequently, Zhuang Zhuang was not very dirty. In fact he was still pretty clean.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but pinch Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s round buttocks¡ªthis made him feel shy.


    ¡°Lift your head.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang obediently raised his head so that Xiaoguo could rinse his hair.


    Although Zhuang Zhuang was young, he had a good amount of hair. When he was born, his baby hair was not shaved and left to grow. That was the reason why he has so much hair now.


    With a ladle, Xiaoguo filled up a basin of water and watered Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hair from top to bottom.


    As soon as the water touched his hair, Zhuang Zhuang immediately closed his eyes and waited for the water to stop flowing before he opened his eyes again.


    Xiaoguo was about to soap him down when Zhuang Zhuang suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t we buy some soap from the capital?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang thought about the fragrant soap and looked at Xiaoguo expectantly.


    Hearing his words, Xiaoguo remembered that she had kept them in the closet while cleaning up earlier.


    ¡°Then you have to wait a while. I¡¯ll go get it.¡±


    Xiaoguo got up and went to get the soap. Before leaving, she didn¡¯t forget to close the door for Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo quickly went to pick out a piece of soap from the closet. There were still about five or six pieces left. During the time when she was shopping in the capital, she came across some soap for sale. She could detect a fragrance when she smelled them. Coincidentally, there was no more soap at home, so she decided to buy some to keep at home. It would save her the trouble of making them herself as they were time consuming to make. On top of that, those that she made at home were not scented. In the end, Jiang Danhe was the one who paid for them.


    She had managed to bring back a lot of useful things during her trip to the capital.


    Xiaoguo returned to the bathroom and was relieved to see that Zhuang Zhuang was sitting obediently in the water. She opened up the wrapper to reveal the yellow square inside.


    ¡°Mother, it smells so good¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang sniffed and took in the fragrance in the air.


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Xiaoguo smiled at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°How can you smell it from there?¡±


    ¡°Really, I can smell it!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded vigorously. This smell was so fragrant that he could smell it from afar.


    Xiaoguo wet the soap before rubbing it on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hair. There was quite a lot of foam created.


    Perhaps it was a psychological effect, but Xiaoguo felt that when there was more foam, the cleaning would be more thorough.


    Afraid that the water would get cold and Zhuang Zhuang would catch a cold, Xiaoguo quickened her pace and finished washing the boy in no time. When she carried him out of the hot water, he shivered when he came into contact with the cold air. Xiaoguo quickly took a towel and dried his body and hair. Then, she dressed him and held him tightly in her arms before heading into the room.


    Before taking a bath herself, Xiaoguo made the bed and placed Zhuang Zhuang under the covers.


    ¡°Keep yourself bundled up. I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡±


    Xiaoguo tucked him in tightly so that only his head was visible. When she saw him nod, she took the clothes and left.


    Xiaoguo liked to take baths, especially hot ones. She enjoyed soaking in a slightly higher temperature than what most people could accept, so she heated up the water according to her preference.


    After pouring in the last bucket of water, Xiaoguo put down the bucket and tested the water temperature with her hands. When she felt that it was hot enough, she locked the door and undressed before entering the bathtub.


    As soon as she stepped in, a wave of scorching heat engulfed her. Xiaoguo felt wonderful. Her entire body was immersed in the water, and she felt as if every pore of her body was greedily absorbing the hot water.


    ¡°It feels so good¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo could not help but sigh.


    When she was soaking in the tub, she did not forget to pay attention to the water temperature. Once water started to cool down, she began washing her hair.


    Xiaoguo took baths frequently, so her hair was not dirty. She was done after a few quick rinses.


    She took the candle and returned to the house. The candles in Qin Anming¡¯s room had been blown out, so he was probably asleep. Xiaoguo tiptoed to her room.


    When she entered the room, Zhuang Zhuang was almost asleep. He only opened his eyes slightly before closing them again completely.


    Xiaoguo placed the candle on the table and tidied up the clothes she had changed out of. She set them aside for tomorrow¡¯s laundry and got ready for bed.


    _


    The next morning, after Xiaoguo had fed all the animals, Mrs. Yang came by looking for her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    The moment Mrs. Yang saw Xiaoguo, she dragged her out. Xiaoguo quickly put down the dustpan and followed behind her.


    ¡°Li Zhaodi has gone crazy again!¡±


    Mrs. Yang looked around before whispering into Xiaoguo¡¯s ear mysteriously.


    ¡°What do you mean, again?¡±


    Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows, curious about what this ¡°again¡± was about.


    ¡°Yesterday afternoon, my mother-in-law heard from others that Li Zhaodi had recovered. But this morning, when the village chief brought a few people to visit her, she went crazy again. Now, she¡¯s shouting and tearing her clothes.¡±


    Mrs. Yang told Xiaoguo about the gossip. Li Zhaodi¡¯s misfortune had become her fortune.


    After Mrs. Yang finished speaking, Xiaoguo laughed. However, she wasn¡¯t laughing at Li Zhaodi. She was laughing at Mrs. Yang¡¯s information network. How did Mrs. Yang know about everything in the village? Xiaoguo was really curious. She was only able to keep up with the gossip in the village because of Mrs. Yang.


    The news spread by word of mouth was even faster than the modern internet. As soon as something happened, everyone knew about it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to find a good spot.¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was still taking her time, Mrs. Yang felt a little anxious. She wished that she could carry her and run.

 Chapter 190 - 190 Psychological discomfort

    190 Psychological discomfort


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    Seeing that Mrs. Yang was really anxious, Xiaoguo quickened her pace.


    Ever since Li Zhaodi scolded Xiaoguo, Mrs. Yang had been at odds with her. Whenever Li Zhaodi ran into anything bad or made a fool of herself, Mrs. Yang would rejoice over it.


    That¡¯s right, she was gloating over her misfortune. Although it was bad to do so, it was satisfying to use it on Li Zhaodi.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t feel as happy as Mrs. Yang. But she didn¡¯t feel sorry for Li Zhaodi either. She just didn¡¯t feel anything. It didn¡¯t matter to her whether Li Zhaodi was doing well or not.


    When the two of them came out, they bumped into many people who were walking in the same direction.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed. This was too scary. The entire village was out to watch the show.


    But that made sense. In ancient times, there weren¡¯t many avenues for entertainment. The only entertainment people had was to gossip about others.


    ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Xiaoguo almost sprained her ankle from Mrs. Yang¡¯s pulling. She didn¡¯t dare to let her mind wander anymore and hurried after Mrs. Yang.


    Li Zhaodi¡¯s house was surrounded by people. Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang squeezed their way through the crowd with difficulty. Mrs. Yang pulled Xiaoguo along with her and there was a lot of cursing and swearing as they weaved through the crowd.


    ¡°Why are you squeezing? How annoying. Oh my feet!¡±


    Xiaoguo carefully avoided bumping into the crowd and tried her best to not listen to the people around her. She followed Mrs. Yang closely. It was no joke. She had to try hard to keep up, otherwise she would get lost in the crowd.


    Just when she felt like she was going to suffocate, Mrs. Yang gave her a pull and she appeared at the front row of the crowd.


    Xiaoguo let out a long sigh of relief. It was really not easy. She was amazed by the sheer number of enthusiastic villagers in Peach Blossom Village. On most days, she hardly bumped into anyone on the streets, but whenever something happened, the crowd would instantly appear. At this moment, Xiaoguo finally realized that there were actually many villagers residing in Peach Blossom Village.


    In the courtyard, Li Zhaodi ignored the pointing fingers of the crowd and continued playing with the feces. She grabbed a handful of it and smeared it all over herself until she was almost unrecognizable.


    On top of that, she appeared to be muttering something under her breath. She would curse and sing at times. But it was mostly done in an inaudible tone.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. Look at this. Although Li Zhaodi isn¡¯t a good person, it¡¯s really quite pitiful that she has come to this state.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to pity? She usually has a foul mouth. In my opinion, this is retribution.¡±


    A woman interrupted the old lady and spat on Li Zhaodi. Her eyes were filled with anger. It was obvious that she had a grudge against Li Zhaodi.


    ¡°Yes, even so, she¡¯s really in a sorry state now¡­¡±


    The old woman who had spoken earlier reiterated her words again. As a woman, she could not bear to see another woman like this.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Since you pity her so much, bring her home. Anyway, your son¡¯s legs are crippled now and he can¡¯t get out of bed. Although Li Zhaodi is like this, she¡¯s still a woman. If you bring her home, she might be able to give your family a descendant.¡±


    The woman rolled her eyes. She obviously thought that the old woman was being a hypocrite.


    As soon as she said that, the old lady got angry.


    The surrounding people immediately burst into laughter. Some of them even started cheering. ¡°Auntie, just bring her back. It¡¯s not a bad idea for her to become Brother Dachun¡¯s wife. Hahaha.¡±


    The old lady was so angry that her face turned green. She did not dare to vent her anger on the woman beside her, so she took it out on the few people who started the commotion. She turned her head and shouted angrily, ¡°Bullsh*t! Why don¡¯t you bring her back instead!¡±


    After shouting, she glanced sideways at the few people who had been making a fuss. Then she turned to glare at Li Zhaodi and spat. ¡°How can such a thing be worthy of my son? It¡¯s better to raise a donkey than her. Pfft!¡±


    The old woman spat a few times and left, cursing under her breath. The other woman who spoke earlier rolled her eyes at the old woman. Hypocrisy is revolting.


    Li Zhaodi, who was squatting on the ground, had also heard their conversation. No one could tell from the surface, but her nails had dug deep into her flesh. With the feces covering her body, the blood oozing from beneath her fingers was hidden from sight.


    ¡°Li Zhaodi, bear with it. Everything will be fine after a while.¡±


    Listening to the mocking and humiliating words around her, Xiaoguo felt a little uncomfortable.


    She tugged at Mrs. Yang. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Mrs. Yang was also feeling unwell. She nodded and left with Xiaoguo.


    On the way back, their minds were still filled with the voices from the crowd.


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law¡­¡±


    They spoke at the same time and fell silent together.


    Mrs. Yang, who had rushed over in high spirits to watch the show, was now as listless as a frosted eggplant. Li Zhaodi was hateful, but it was really quite sad to see her in this state.


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and continued walking home. The scene just now had seriously made her feel uncomfortable. There were a lot of people in the crowd who used to hang out with Li Zhaodi before, but now, they were all adding insult to injury. How terrible these people are!


    How could any human speak so harshly to a woman who had not committed any heinous crime?


    Xiaoguo parted ways with Mrs. Yang. When she reached the door, she shook her head. Forget it. She didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore. It was fine as long as Li Zhaodi stopped pestering Qin Anming.


    WIth that, Xiaoguo stopped thinking about her. After all, they don¡¯t usually interact much with each other.


    ¨C


    Three days later.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, I have found out what you asked me to find out.¡±


    Ruyi said as soon as she entered.


    ¡°Really? That was quick.¡±


    Xiaoguo pulled her to a seat and offered her water.


    ¡°There you go. Drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡±


    The weather had turned cold recently. Xiaoguo gave Ruyi a cup of hot water to warm up her body and drive away the chill.


    Ruyi took it and blew on the steam before drinking it. As the cup of hot water entered her stomach, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh.


    When she was done, she stole a glance at Xiaoguo, feeling a little embarrassed. Xiaoguo found her action rather cute, so she smiled back at her.


    ¡°By the way, that shop wishes to order from us?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t wait to get down to business.


    ¡°Hehe, Sister Xiaoguo, how are you going to thank me? I had to make many trips to touch base with them.¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was anxious, Ruyi refused to say anything.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Xiaoguo could tell that Ruyi was deliberately keeping her in suspense, but she was not in a hurry. She said deliberately to Ruyi, ¡°My brother is taking so long to come back.¡±


    ¡°Where did Brother Anming go?¡±


    Sure enough, when Ruyi heard those words, she immediately asked Xiaoguo. She had been here for a long time, but she had not seen Brother Anming.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Xiaoguo mimicked her, taking her time to drink, and keeping silent.


    ¡°Just tell me, good sister.¡±


    Ruyi grabbed Xiaoguo¡¯s arm and shook her. She had not seen Brother Anming for a month. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she had been looking out for him, but he didn¡¯t seem to be around.


    ¡°You tell me first.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t buy it. Zhuang Zhuang always liked to wheedle too¡­ she was already immune to it.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Ruyi let go of Xiaoguo and placed her hands on her cheeks. She said proudly, ¡°It¡¯s the Su Family¡¯s Goods Store, Su Changsheng, Manager Su.¡±


    As soon as Ruyi said that, Xiaoguo almost shouted out loud. It was indeed this shop that she had been eyeing.


    The popcorn kernels at home were almost completely dried. Xiaoguo had been thinking of finding a buyer to buy them, but before she could work on this matter, she had to go to the capital. Now that she was back, she could arrange to sell all the corn.


    The day before yesterday, when she went to get medicine for Qin Anming, she took the opportunity to look out for shops in the county that sold roasted snacks. After making several comparisons, she shortlisted three shops. Unfortunately, the shopkeepers of the three shops were not around. Xiaoguo had no choice but to ask Ruyi for help.


    Xiaoguo had planned to make a few more trips herself, but because of Li Zhaodi¡¯s matter over the past two days, she didn¡¯t dare to leave Qin Anming¡¯s side. Today, her brother had gone out with Zhuang Zhuang and Yang Jia because he couldn¡¯t stand being at home anymore. And Xiaoguo had instructed them not to go far.

 Chapter 191 - 191 Uncle, Are You All Right?

    191 Uncle, Are You All Right?


    For some reason, Xiaoguo had not seen Li Zhaodi over the past two days. This made her feel even more uneasy. She had always thought that Li Zhaodi was pretending to be crazy and that her target was Qin Anming. Although she seemed to be very quiet these two days hanging at the county gates, Xiaoguo still felt inexplicably uneasy.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, do you know that the three shops you gave me are all managed by one person? Su Changsheng.¡±


    Ruyi threw out a big bomb, which almost made Xiaoguo faint.


    ¡°One person?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ruyi took out a letter and handed it to Xiaoguo. ¡°When he heard that I was just conveying the message, he asked me to bring you this letter. He didn¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything?¡±


    Xiaoguo took the letter but she was in no hurry to open it. She then looked at Ruyi in amusement. ¡°If he didn¡¯t say anything. How do you know that it is a done deal?¡±


    To think that she was getting excited over nothing. So the boss had not said anything.


    ¡°I made him popcorn according to the recipe you gave me. He only wrote the letter after eating it.¡± Ruyi scratched her head, but her tone was very certain. ¡°He must have had such intentions. Otherwise, why would he write you a letter?¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that her words made sense, so she started to open the letter.


    Ruyi was also curious about what was in the letter. However, just as she was going to lean over, she heard dogs barking in the courtyard. She looked up and saw Qin Anming who just came back.


    ¡°Brother Anming!¡±


    Like a little bird, Ruyi ran to Qin Anming¡¯s side with her arms open. She naturally ignored Zhuang Zhuang and Yang Jia.


    ¡°Ruyi!¡±


    Qin Anming was curious about who was at home. When he saw the familiar carriage, he guessed that it was her. As expected, he saw Ruyi as soon as he entered.


    When Yang Jia saw that it was a stranger, and a female at that, he subconsciously took a few steps back and lowered his head.


    ¡°Hey, Sister Ruyi.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang greeted her happily. Ruyi rubbed his head as a form of greeting.


    The few of them returned to the house and sat down. Zhuang Zhuang and Yang Jia went to the back room to read.


    The three adults were seated around the table. Ruyi leaned against Qin Anming and looked at him from head to toe. Her heart couldn¡¯t help but ache for him. Why had he become so thin¡­


    She had only just found out that he was ill. Prior to this, she was still wondering why Brother Anming had not returned after so long. Now she knows that he has gotten ill.


    Xiaoguo sipped her water and watched the two of them and their little interactions. Wasn¡¯t this more interesting than watching television?


    Ruyi moved closer to Qin Anming and touched him lovingly.


    Qin Anming looked uncomfortable and moved to the side to avoid her. Seeing that the two of them were about to fall to the ground, Xiaoguo spoke to get their attention.


    ¡°Ahem, the manager of Su Family¡¯s Goods Store asked to meet me for a chat.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    Ruyi and Qin Anming were very happy, but Ruyi had an exceptionally big reaction.


    ¡°Ruyi, didn¡¯t you already know that this would happen? Why are you getting all excited now?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the happy Ruyi speechlessly.


    ¡°No, Sister Xiaoguo, Brother Anming, do you know? Shopkeeper Su¡¯s face is too beautiful!¡± Ruyi gave a thumbs up. She still remembered what that person looked like. How could there be such a beautiful man?


    Xiaoguo and Qin Anming looked at each other. Seeing that Ruyi was completely immersed in her memories, they didn¡¯t say anything but in the end, they still disrupted her fantasy.


    ¡°Calm down, Ruyi.¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, it¡¯s true. Shopkeeper Su is too beautiful. To think that a man could look so exquisite. After I saw his face, I didn¡¯t dare to look up. I really feel inferior standing beside him.¡±


    Ruyi touched her face and felt a little disappointed at herself. If she could own such a face for a day, she would definitely use it to seduce Qin Anming and stop him from avoiding her!


    As she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t help but glare at Qin Anming.


    Qin Anming was dumbfounded. What had he done? Why was he being despised for doing nothing?


    ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s get back to the main topic.¡± Seeing that she was digressing, Xiaoguo quickly pulled her back to the main topic. ¡°How should I set the price?¡±


    Xiaoguo was a little hesitant. There was no popcorn available here yet, and she didn¡¯t know how much to sell it for since there was nothing for her to refer to. She could only gather suggestions from the group.


    When Ruyi and Qin Anming heard this, they started to ponder over it. To be honest, this thing was delicious, but a small handful of seeds could produce a large basin of popcorn. It was not appropriate to set the price too high. On the other hand, it would not make economical sense to set the price too low either.


    ¡°Are you selling by weight or is there any other way you wish to sell it?¡±


    Qin Anming thought for a moment before speaking.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s sell it by weight.¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t sure about it either. Maybe she could just set a price now and when they meet later on, the details could be worked out.


    The few of them discussed the price together. In the end, they chose a mid-range price and worked out two base prices. At the very least, they had to leave some room for negotiation.


    At noon, Ruyi stayed for lunch. After eating, she reluctantly said her goodbyes.


    ¡°Brother Anming, rest well.¡±


    To be precise, she was reluctant to part with Qin Anming.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s nothing wrong with my body. When Xiaoguo goes to the county, she¡¯ll bring me along.¡±


    Qin Anming assured Ruyi. His body had almost recovered under Xiaoguo¡¯s care. He would have gone back to work with Ruyi if not for the fact that Xiaoguo was not ready to have him go back.


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Ruyi laughed. It was good that he was planning to go back. She would wait for him then.


    ¡°Time for me to go!¡±


    Ruyi waved at them and left with the carriage.


    When the carriage was out of sight, Xiaoguo and the rest went back.


    Xiaoguo was last in line within the group. When she turned around and was about to enter the house, something flashed past behind the tree. Xiaoguo took a closer look and didn¡¯t see anything. She thought that she had seen wrongly, so she didn¡¯t pay further attention to it and closed the door.


    _


    Two days later, it was time for Xiaoguo to look for Manager Su. According to the letter, Xiaoguo was to meet him in two days, which was today. The location was at the Su Family¡¯s Goods Store. She could meet him at any time in the morning.


    Xiaoguo was planning to head over as early as she could. After eating and resting for a while, she got ready to set off.


    Qin Anming was well now. He could no longer stay idle. Yesterday, he had chopped up all the firewood in the house and cut down a lot of grass. At least, Xiaoguo would not have to worry about these chores for a while.


    On the day of departure, Zhuang Zhuang sat in Qin Anming¡¯s lap while Xiaoguo steered the donkey cart. Once they locked the door, they went on their way.


    Beside Qin Anming was a big bag. Inside were the thick boots and the leather coat that Xiaoguo had gotten for him.


    ¡°Uncle, are you sure you¡¯re fine?¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked up at Qin Anming.


    ¡°Yes I am fine. Is Zhuang Zhuang concerned about me?¡±


    Qin Anming was quite gratified. Zhuang Zhuang knew how to show care for him. His heart was burning with emotions.


    ¡°No.¡± Zhuang Zhuang shook his head. He didn¡¯t see Qin Anming¡¯s frozen expression. ¡°My mother didn¡¯t sleep last night. She kept wondering if you were feeling well enough and if you could withstand traveling in the carriage.¡±


    When Qin Anming heard this, he looked at Xiaoguo with heartache. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He was still wondering why the corners of her eyes were so red today. So, in actual fact, she didn¡¯t sleep well last night.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what happened.¡± Xiaoguo was a little embarrassed. Afraid that Qin Anming would feel uncomfortable, she immediately said, ¡°I did sleep last night. In fact I had a good sleep.¡±


    ¡°Mother, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Be good and be quiet.¡±


    Xiaoguo covered Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mouth with her hand. As she had used too much force, Zhuang Zhuang almost suffocated.


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t wish to pursue the matter anymore. He slapped Xiaoguo¡¯s hand away and hugged Zhuang Zhuang lovingly while rubbing his neck.


    Xiaoguo felt very awkward too. She had almost forgotten that this was her youngest son.


    Zhuang Zhuang lay on Qin Anming¡¯s shoulder aggrievedly. He couldn¡¯t understand why his mother was lying. She had clearly tossed and turned the whole of last night. She had told him herself when he asked.

 Chapter 192 - 192 Profiteer

    192 Profiteer


    Xiaoguo felt guilty and couldn¡¯t look into Qin Anming¡¯s accusing eyes. She sat back down awkwardly. She didn¡¯t expect Zhuang Zhuang to hear what she said in her sleep last night.


    If Qin Anming knew that she had not slept well because she was worried about his health, it would be hard on him. If he started crying now while they were out, it would be quite an awkward situation.


    However, Xiaoguo secretly turned to look at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s aggrieved back. She felt terrible. ¡°Son, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll comfort you later. Just shut up for now¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart and dropped off Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang at the noodle shop. She would return to pick up Zhuang Zhuang after she was done with her business.


    After greeting everyone at the restaurant, Xiaoguo walked towards her destination.


    As the Su Family¡¯s Goods Store was in the downtown area, it was not easy to drive the cart along the busy streets. Xiaoguo had no choice but to walk there. It was quite near, so she could leisurely stroll there. Before she had a chance to get tired from walking, she had arrived at the store.


    Su Family¡¯s Goods Store. What a good brand name!


    Xiaoguo looked at the sign hanging on the pillar. She could tell at a glance that it was made of good material. Even the words engraved on it had a different charm.


    The last time she was here, she was so distracted by the fragrance in the store that she did not pay attention to the sign. As the saying goes, a signboard is equivalent to a store¡¯s reputation. The traffic in a store is closely associated with the number of people that the signboard could draw in.


    Before she entered the shop, she could already smell the strong fragrance of roasted snacks. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to draw herself away from the smell. Many passers-by would be tempted to go in and take a look. Even if they had no intention of buying anything, it was also nice to window shop and look at the snacks on display.


    This shop had all the makings of a reputed brand, so it would make a perfect business partner.


    Xiaoguo crossed the steps and entered the shop. The minute she stepped in, a shop assistant came to greet her.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for your shopkeeper. I made an appointment to come this morning. My surname is Qin.¡±


    When Ruyi met Manager Su that day, she had mentioned Xiaoguo¡¯s surname. In order to make things easier, Xiaoguo introduced herself to the shop assistant so that he could relay the message clearly.


    When the shop assistant heard that her surname was Qin, he brought her to the innermost room on the second floor without another word.


    Xiaoguo stood behind him and watched as he knocked on the door to announce her arrival. Soon, a cold voice came from inside.


    ¡°Please come in.¡±


    The words were spoken in perfect cadence.


    Listening to the voice, Xiaoguo had a better impression of the person she had yet to meet. Someone with such a voice was unlikely to be a profiteer.


    The clerk opened the door and motioned for Xiaoguo to go in. Once she was inside, he closed the door.


    In a clean and tidy place that looked like a study, there were only books and tea sets. At this moment, a man in a moon-white robe was fiddling with the tea set. Every motion of his actions emanates an air of elegance and poise.


    ¡°Please sit down.¡±


    Su Changsheng placed a cup of brewed tea opposite her and stood up, inviting Xiaoguo to take a seat.


    When he got up, Xiaoguo could see his face clearly. She inhaled sharply¡ªit was no wonder that Ruyi had been thinking about him all this while. When they met earlier, she was still telling her about Su Changsheng¡¯s appearance. It turned out that Ruyi¡¯s words were true.


    Xiaoguo was glad that she had good self-control. Otherwise, her legs would have gone weak. This man was too beautiful.


    Xiaoguo sat opposite him. Su Changsheng gestured for her to drink the tea. Xiaoguo subconsciously picked up her cup and took a sip.


    The fragrance of the tea lingered in her mouth. Suddenly, these words appeared in her mind, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that tea could taste so good.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Madam Qin has corn kernels that can be made into popcorn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right,¡± said Xiaoguo, pulling herself together just in case she was befuddled by his beauty. She tried to avoid looking at him.


    Su Changsheng looked at Xiaoguo, who had not looked at him since she sat down. He raised his eyebrows in interest. Madam Qin seemed to be quite cold.


    ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush. I want to take all the corn and seeds that you have.¡±


    The difference between Su Changsheng and his appearance was that he preferred to play straight balls. The simpler the game, the better.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything. While she was drinking her tea, she thought carefully about what he had said. She understood that he wished to buy all the corn, but what did he mean about the seeds¡­?


    ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m a man of my word. If you sell all the corn to me and promise that you¡¯ll never sell popcorn, raw corn, or do any large scale farming of popcorn, I¡¯m willing to pay you a very high price.¡±


    As soon as Su Changsheng finished speaking, Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and sized up the seemingly refined man. She decided to take back what she had just said. He was definitely a profiteer, a complete profiteer. Just as she¡¯d thought, all businessmen are unscrupulous.


    With a sum of money, he wanted to buy out all the products related to popcorn. He is trying to run a monopoly. She wondered if he could keep up with such a large appetite.


    Su Changsheng seemed to have guessed her thoughts. He picked up his teacup and spoke considerately.


    ¡°My family has always been based in the capital. The Su Family¡¯s Goods Shop has businesses across the entire country, so I¡¯m confident that I have the capacity to make and sell all the popcorn. Moreover¡­¡± Su Changsheng took a sip of tea unhurriedly.¡± I heard from Miss Xu that Madam Qin only has two plots of land. Even if you farm the corn, it will take a lot of time and effort. You probably won¡¯t be able to meet our order requirements, so handing over everything to us is the most appropriate and efficient method. What do you think? ¡±


    In the end, Su Changsheng even gave Xiaoguo a professional fake smile.


    His words were met with silence. ¡®What¡¯s my opinion? May I ask what else I can say?¡¯


    This was like placing a dish on the table, adding seasoning, and bringing it to one¡¯s mouth, only to be asked if you wanted to eat it.


    ¡°If you have no objections, please sign.¡±


    Su Changsheng was determined to get this batch of corn, so he took out the contract and handed it to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo swallowed her saliva. So this was what it meant to negotiate a contract. With Su Changsheng as a comparison, she was just a tiny fleck of dust. Only Ruyi could be fooled by her¡­


    However, what he suggested was actually what she wanted.


    Xiaoguo had no intention of planting the crops anymore. She might as well sell everything to Su Changsheng and make some money out of it. There was no reason not to do it.


    After making up her mind, Xiaoguo picked up the contract and looked at it carefully. If Su Changsheng had not revealed his true self, Xiaoguo would not have bothered to scrutinize the contract. However, his image now was that of a profiteer to Xiaoguo. She had to look at it carefully and ponder over every word.


    As soon as Su Changsheng saw Xiaoguo pick up the contract, a victorious smile appeared on his face. He believed that Qin Xiaoguo would definitely sign it, because what he had offered her was very reasonable. She wouldn¡¯t be able to find a better deal elsewhere.


    Just as he had expected, Xiaoguo finally put down the contract. Su Changsheng quickly handed her a brush.


    Xiaoguo paused for a moment before taking the brush and signing her name. Before she could put down the brush, Su Changsheng handed her a red clay.


    Xiaoguo resisted the urge to flip the table. Instead, she pressed her thumb into the red clay and imprinted her fingerprints on the contract.


    ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡±


    Su Changsheng also signed one copy of the contract. He kept one for himself and gave the other one to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo put on a fake smile and said to Su Changsheng, ¡°Happy cooperation.¡±


    Happy? How could she be happy? Although there was no problem with the collaboration and the money was very good, why does it feel off? It felt like she had been schemed against.


    Xiaoguo finally left the shop with 150 taels of silver and a bag of roasted snacks. Under Su Changsheng¡¯s friendly gaze, she walked out of the downtown area in a daze and returned to the noodle shop with a listless expression.


    When she regained her senses, she saw a group of zoomed-in faces surrounding her. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. ¡°Oh my god, what are you guys doing?¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo finished speaking, the group of heads instantly dispersed, leaving only Qin Anming, Ruyi, and Zhuang Zhuang around her.

 Chapter 193 - 193 Herbal Cuisine

    193 Herbal Cuisine


    ¡°You finally came back to your senses!¡±


    Qin Anming was shocked. When Xiaoguo came in earlier, she didn¡¯t speak and ignored everyone. As soon as she came in, she sat down looking like she had lost her soul. He was really frightened and now his heart was still pounding.


    Ruyi and Zhuang Zhuang sat on the chairs and patted their chests. ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, you looked so scary just now!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mother. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang approached Xiaoguo and asked worriedly.


    Ruyi leaned over and asked softly, ¡°Did it not work out?¡±


    Xiaoguo stuttered, ¡°¡­ It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s done, why are you looking so listless?!¡±


    Xiaoguo snapped out of her daze as Ruyi fussed over her. She sighed helplessly. The deal was indeed done, but why was there an inexplicable feeling in her gut?


    ¡°Is it because of Manager Su¡¯s beauty that you can¡¯t come back to your senses?¡±


    Ruyi teased and reached out to pull at Xiaoguo.


    ¡°No way.¡± Xiaoguo slapped her hand away and said fiercely, ¡°Businessmen are all unscrupulous!¡±


    Xiaoguo has recovered from her daze. She felt that his appearance was too deceiving. If it weren¡¯t for his face, she wouldn¡¯t have walked right into his plan and did whatever he asked. She had made a fool of herself!


    ¡°Why? Were you shortchanged?¡±


    Qin Anming frowned and asked.


    ¡°¡­ No.¡± She wasn¡¯t shortchanged, in fact what she got was a big sum.


    ¡°You were taken advantage of?!¡± As soon as Ruyi said that, she denied it. ¡°No, no, no. Although Sister Xiaoguo is beautiful, Shopkeeper Su is still a virgin. He won¡¯t¡­ Hehe.¡±


    Ruyi covered her mouth and smiled ingratiatingly.


    Xiaoguo rolled her eyes at her.


    ¡­ .


    ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Two voices sounded at the same time. Their guesses were all wrong. What was up with her?


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that she was a complete embarrassment. She didn¡¯t manage to say a word of what she had prepared beforehand. She just did whatever she was told by Manager Su. How could she tell the three of them that?


    In Ruyi¡¯s eyes, she was a capable and opinionated elder sister. In Qin Anming¡¯s eyes, she was a younger sister who was full of ideas. In Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes, she was a great and omnipotent mother.


    Being so highly regarded by the three of them, how could Xiaoguo bear to say that she had been manipulated?


    She simply leaned on the table and wallowed in her unspeakable embarrassment.


    The three of them looked at each other and sighed. What was going on?


    ¨C


    ¡°And you bought so many roasted snacks?¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was still silent, Ruyi could only point to the big bag of things she had brought back. The words ¡°Su¡¯s Family Goods Store¡± were printed on it. The last time she went there, she had wanted to buy something. However, she had left her house in a hurry and had forgotten to bring any money with her. She was intending to go back there when she had more time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give some to you.¡± Xiaoguo looked up to see Ruyi smacking her lips. She opened the waxed paper bag and let her grab whatever she wanted.


    ¡°That must have cost a lot of money.¡±


    Ruyi looked at the full bag of snacks and swallowed her saliva. Should she take a bit of everything?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t spend any money.¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo finished speaking, Ruyi, who was holding onto the candied plums, paused. She slowly came up with a bold guess. Based on how Xiaoguo had looked when she just returned, Ruyi said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me these are what he compensated you for¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Xiaoguo almost burst out laughing at her words. Did she look like such a silly person? How could she be tricked into handing over the corn kernels with just a bunch of snacks?


    ¡°When they heard that I have a son, they specially asked me to bring some snacks back for him to try.¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly explained. She did not expect them to come up with so many assumptions just because of her single regret.


    The three of them heaved a sigh of relief when they heard that.


    Zhuang Zhuang reached for the candied plums with his small hands. Unfortunately, his hands were too short. Xiaoguo grabbed a handful for him and placed it in front of him.


    Zhuang Zhuang narrowed his eyes and smiled happily at Xiaoguo while he stuffed the candied plums into his mouth.


    Seeing that it was noon, Xiaoguo knew that they were going to be busy, so she got ready to go back.


    Before leaving, she reminded Qin Anming to take good care of himself. After receiving his repeated assurances, she brought Zhuang Zhuang home.


    On the way back, Xiaoguo thought of the dream she had last night. She could feel goosebumps emerging from under her skin.


    In her dream, Qin Anming was still living in Qin Manor. He had fallen sick due to starvation and lack of warm clothes. He remained sick for a long time and didn¡¯t get any treatment. Eventually his health deteriorated and with the various illnesses accumulated over time, he died alone in his bed at home. As he hardly kept in touch with anyone in the village, his corpse was only discovered after it had turned into a pile of bones.


    Xiaoguo shuddered at the thought.


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t let that happen!¡±


    ¡°Mother, where are we going?¡±


    When the carriage was about to leave the county, the donkey cart was suddenly steered back in the opposite direction. Zhuang Zhuang wondered what was going on.


    ¡°We are going back to the market. Mother has something to buy.¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of a solution. Since Qin Anming didn¡¯t like to drink medicine, she would make herbal cuisine for him. Supplementing with nutritious food could help to replenish his vitality. She wouldn¡¯t stop until he had regained his health.


    She planned to go to the medicinal herbs store to buy some herbs that could be used to make soup. She will also need to buy some chickens, ducks, and pig bones for making herbal dishes.


    ¡°Mother, why are you buying chickens?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was a little confused when he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s plan. Why are they buying chickens when there are chickens at home?


    ¡°Mother wants to buy slaughtered chickens. The chickens we keep at home are for laying eggs. We don¡¯t eat them for their meat.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she handed the money to the boss and took the processed chickens and ducks from him before loading them onto the donkey cart.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the pile of chicken, duck, and pig bones in surprise. How long will it take for them to finish all these?


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll make you delicious food out of them.¡±


    Xiaoguo had been eating pork since she came here. She was starting to crave chicken and duck meat. She took this chance to buy more and keep them in the fridge. Whenever she wished to cook a certain dish, she could grab them from the fridge.


    Besides the herbal cuisine she had planned, Xiaoguo¡¯s mind was filled with all kinds of delicacies¡ªroasted chicken, roasted duck, fried chicken, wine duck, braised duck and spicy chicken¡­


    ¡°Oh dear, I have to stop thinking about it. I¡¯m drooling.¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, look after the meat. Mother will go buy the herbs.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Don¡¯t worry, Mother!¡±


    Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, Zhuang Zhuang sat down beside the meat like a little guard.


    When she arrived at the medicinal herbs store, Xiaoguo asked for all the herbs she knew that could be used to make soup. While the shop assistant was wrapping the herbs, Xiaoguo went out to check on Zhuang Zhuang. Having made sure that he was still around, she went back into the shop.


    After taking the herbs and paying for them, she walked out. The waiter even helped to bring Xiaoguo¡¯s purchases to the donkey cart.


    Zhuang Zhuang moved aside as the big bag of herbs forced him into the corner.


    ¡°Mother, would the herbal dishes taste good?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was nestled in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. He looked up and asked Xiaoguo about the combination of Chinese medicine with meat. It was a taste that he could not imagine. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried. What if the dishes turn out tasting horrid?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Zhuang Zhuang. You have to trust me. Do you have no confidence in my cooking?¡±


    Although Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t that confident, she couldn¡¯t show it.


    As the saying goes, if one had not eaten pork before, they should have seen pigs run1. When she was at home, her father would always make herbal dishes for her mother. Although she had never made it herself, she had watched how it was done from the side. She did not believe that with her perceptiveness, the dishes she made would turn out bad.


    ¡°Of course I believe in you!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t wait to taste the food. It was true that his mother had great culinary skills, so he had nothing to worry about. Even if the dishes weren¡¯t delicious, he would still finish them all.


    ¡°Good son, muacks.¡±


    ¡°Muacks¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang quickly moved his face closer to Xiaoguo. After she was done kissing him, he returned her kisses.


    The mother and son chatted and laughed as they walked home. Little did they know that a huge surprise was waiting for them.

 Chapter 194 - 194 Unexpected Visitor

    194 Unexpected Visitor


    As soon as Xiaoguo entered the village, she saw groups of villagers walking towards a certain direction.


    Xiaoguo frowned and avoided them. What had happened this time? Could it be Li Zhaodi again?


    The villagers did not notice Xiaoguo at first. They were all rushing to watch the show. But later on, someone spotted Xiaoguo, and then everyone eventually saw her.


    They all stopped and made way for her donkey cart.


    Xiaoguo looked at their strange expressions and was a little confused. However, seeing that they were making way for her, she did not hesitate and continued moving ahead.


    Some people in the crowd were pointing at Xiaoguo and whispering to each other. Xiaoguo could hear them murmuring, but their voices were too soft so she couldn¡¯t hear them no matter how hard she tried. In the end, she gave up trying. She didn¡¯t do anything in the first place, so she wasn¡¯t concerned about people pointing fingers at her.


    But gradually, Xiaoguo began to feel uneasy. Why were those people still following behind her donkey cart at a leisurely pace? Xiaoguo stole a glance. Was the meat on her cart too conspicuous?


    But Xiaoguo immediately refuted that thought. If that was the reason, they wouldn¡¯t be pointing at her and Zhuang Zhuang.


    Feeling a little uncomfortable, she silently sped up.


    But when the people behind realized that Xiaoguo had picked up speed, they also sped up, as if they were trying to catch up with her.


    Xiaoguo was even more puzzled. This was the direction of her house. Why were these people still following her? She couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy.


    Hence, she hugged Zhuang Zhuang tightly and continued to speed up. Since two legs were no match against four legs, Xiaoguo managed to throw some distance between them.


    But soon, she frowned again. Why was there still a bunch of people waiting at the front of her house door?


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and looked harder. There were horses among them. She wondered if Su Changsheng had come to collect the goods. But that shouldn¡¯t be the case. He said that he would come the day after tomorrow.


    ¡°Who could that be?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on, so she could only continue moving forward. No matter what it was, she wouldn¡¯t go looking for trouble, but if trouble comes, she wouldn¡¯t be too bothered by it either. She would take things as they come


    ¡°She¡¯s coming, she¡¯s coming.¡±


    A small voice sounded from the crowd. Those who were crowding around the door immediately dispersed.


    Wearing a frown on her face, Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart as the villagers watched.


    A tall figure in the crowd was standing with his back to Xiaoguo. His hands were still fiddling with the door lock. When Xiaoguo saw this, she got angry. It turned out that the crowd was watching a thief pick her door lock. Shouldn¡¯t they be helping to chase away the thief instead of watching from the side. And it was the entire village looking on at that!


    The dogs in the courtyard were barking. At this moment, everyone was looking curiously at Xiaoguo and the man. At the same time, they were busy whispering to one another.


    Xiaoguo got out of the car and got Zhuang Zhuang to watch over the stuff on the cart. Then, she walked aggressively towards the man and stopped about three meters behind him. However, the closer she got, the more familiar the figure looked. She did not think too much about it as she was filled with rage at the moment. She harnessed all the energy within her body and shouted, ¡°Hey!¡±


    The man was startled by the sudden loud voice. The person he had been longing for had come up behind him. He slowly turned around and said pitifully, ¡°Guo, the door is locked. I can¡¯t get in.¡±


    !!!


    ¡°Why are you back?!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes widened. The anger she had felt earlier was instantly replaced by joy. She was wondering why he looked so familiar. So it was actually Jiang Danhe.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was on the donkey cart, stood up when he heard the voice. He looked past the crowd and saw a familiar person. ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoguo went to open the door while Jiang Danhe drove. The three of them ignored the curious villagers gathered around them.


    At this moment, the three of them were very happy. However, they did not wish to be watched like monkeys. So they went home first and closed the door.


    Jiang Danhe parked the donkey cart and took his time to look around the courtyard.


    If not for the fact that the house had not changed, he would have wondered if this was his previous home.


    The green vegetables in the vegetable plot, the cows in the livestock shed, the chickens and ducks, and the puppies at home. These were all new additions in his house. How should he put it? He felt tempted to stay in this place forever..


    ¡°Why did you suddenly come back?¡±


    Xiaoguo closed the door behind her, shutting out the gazes of the curious onlookers. She reached out and pulled Jiang Danhe into the house. Zhuang Zhuang skipped along behind her and asked excitedly, ¡°That¡¯s right. Why is Father back today?¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped looking around the house as he held Xiaoguo¡¯s hands tightly and glanced at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°The matter in Feng City has been resolved. Since I still have time, I decided to come back to see you. I missed you both.¡±


    The words were directed at both of them, but his eyes were on Xiaoguo. There was clearly a deeper meaning behind his words.


    ¡°¡­Nonsense. We¡¯ve only been apart for a few days.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt a little embarrassed and blushed. What was he talking about in front of Zhuang Zhuang? ¡°Let go. I¡¯ll get you some water.¡±


    She gestured at his hands that were still holding on to her. Feeling embarrassed, Jiang Danhe secretly squeezed her hand before letting go.


    Xiaoguo quickly went to get him a glass of water. After letting go of Xiaoguo, he now had time to pick up Zhuang Zhuang, who had been begging for a hug.


    ¡°Oh my dear son. You¡¯ve gained a lot of weight.¡±


    Jiang Danhe hugged his fair, chubby, clean, and sweet-smelling son. He was content. Whoever was carrying this baby would love him to bits.


    ¡°Haha, Father¡¯s beard is so prickly.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang laughed and avoided Jiang Danhe¡¯s kiss on his face. It was itchy and prickly.


    When Jiang Danhe heard his words, he touched his own face. As he was in a rush to get back, he had neglected to groom himself. He hesitated slightly in his heart. I must be grimy and dirty. Would Xiaoguo be appalled by his appearance?


    ¡°Have some water.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Danhe picked up the cup and gulped down the water. He was extremely thirsty. He did not have much water along the way, and his body was already dehydrated.


    Xiaoguo looked at his lips, which were peeling from the lack of water. Her heart ached for him. He must have not taken much rest during the journey.


    Jiang Danhe put down his glass happily and Xiaoguo helped to refill it. ¡°Don¡¯t drink so much water. We¡¯ll be eating soon.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded and touched his stomach. He was indeed hungry. After rushing all the way here, he had arrived earlier than intended. But he didn¡¯t expect to find the door locked.


    ¡°Have you been waiting long outside the door?¡±


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe had quenched his thirst, Xiaoguo finally had the chance to ask him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t wait long.¡± Jiang Danhe lied a little so that Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t worry. ¡°I just arrived not long ago. You came back shortly after I arrived.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Xiaoguo, instantly recognizing the lie.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe scratched his head helplessly. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been waiting for a while.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to Mrs. Yang¡¯s house and ask? Or you could have rested at her place.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was aching for him. ¡°Has Jiang Danhe¡¯s brain stopped working?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe was a little hesitant, he looked like had done something bad. ¡°Actually, I went, but Auntie Yang fainted when she saw me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Mrs. Yang¡¯s mother-in-law?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t told them that you¡¯re still alive.¡± But she can¡¯t possibly faint. Did she think that she would see a ghost in broad daylight?


    Jiang Danhe touched his cheek and said in embarrassment, ¡°It was too awkward for me to stay, so I came out to see if I could pry open the door myself, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be able to pry it open. I got a blacksmith to make the lock specially for me. There¡¯s only one in the whole wide world. It would be very difficult to break it.¡± Xiaoguo was feeling a little smug. She was a woman with a child at home, so she had to be safe.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯re amazing.¡±


    The two of them chatted for a while more. Xiaoguo briefly explained to Jiang Danhe why she was not at home and what she had done.


    ¡°Guo, you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but praise her. She had actually made 150 taels of silver so easily. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to depend on you in future.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said shamelessly. Xiaoguo nodded and pretended to speak like a man. ¡°Yes, you can depend on me.¡±


    With that, the three of them burst out laughing.

 Chapter 195 - 195 Apology

    195 Apology


    When Jiang Danhe saw Xiaoguo getting up, he stood up with Zhuang Zhuang in his arms.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the two little tails following behind her and felt a little helpless. Previously, she only had one little tail. Now, there is an additional big tail. They are really father and son.


    ¡°We¡¯ll follow you and do whatever you do.¡±


    The two of them spoke at the same time, in identical tones.


    Xiaoguo shrugged and said, ¡°As you wish.¡± Since she¡¯s going to cook, they can help out.


    ¡°Bring the meat to the kitchen first.¡±


    As she passed by the courtyard, Xiaoguo directed the two tails behind her effortlessly.


    They seemed very happy too. After acknowledging her instructions, they went ahead to grab the meat.


    In the end, Jiang Danhe managed to pick up a lot more meat than Zhuang Zhuang since he had longer limbs.


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe had had an arduous journey. Xiaoguo decided to whip up some herbal soup for lunch.


    She started by blanching the chickens she had bought. When the water was boiling, the scum in the pot was scooped out. Then Xiaoguo added the herbal packs that she had prepared earlier into the pot. Without adding any other condiments, she left the soup to simmer in the claypot.


    During this time, Jiang Danhe walked with Zhuang Zhuang around the house to familiarize himself with the environment. It had been many years since he had returned, so he was really not familiar with the place. It was good to take a walk around.


    Zhuang Zhuang happily introduced all the animals in the courtyard to Jiang Danhe.


    At first, Xiaoguo was following the two of them, but when they passed by the vegetable plot, she stopped to pick some vegetables. When Jiang Danhe saw her squatting down, he secretly glanced at Zhuang Zhuang and squatted down as well.


    Zhuang Zhuang continued walking ahead by himself. He was still introducing the animals to Jiang Danhe. However, when he turned around, there was no one behind him.


    Looking at the two black heads in the vegetable field, Zhuang Zhuang snorted loudly to express his dissatisfaction.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she nudged Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe sighed helplessly and handed the picked vegetables to Xiaoguo. He then continued to follow Zhuang Zhuang to get to know his animal friends.


    Xiaoguo snickered behind him. These two are hilarious.


    After the herbal soup was cooked, Xiaoguo brought all the dishes and rice to the table. She scooped a big bowl of chicken soup and asked Jiang Danhe to follow her to Mrs. Yang¡¯s house.


    Since it was time for lunch, everyone was gathered around the dining table. Only Mrs. Yang¡¯s mother-in-law was still resting in the room.


    Everyone from the Yang family was watching Jiang Danhe curiously. Xiaoguo was giving Mrs Yang a quick summary of what happened when the latter patted XIaoguo angrily. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us about this earlier?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to tell you. Who knew that he would suddenly come back and end up scaring your mother-in-law.¡±


    Knowing that she was in the wrong, Xiaoguo apologized earnestly.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart ached for Xiaoguo. Mrs. Yang¡¯s physique was double that of XIaoguo. How painful it must feel for her to be patted like this? He was about to step forward to apologize and block the blows for Xiaoguo when Brother Yang pulled him aside to talk to him.


    After they were done catching up, there was some movement in the room. Xiaoguo quickly brought Jiang Danhe to the side as she was worried about him scaring the old Mrs. Yang again. Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang went into the room first and let Jiang Danhe wait by the door. He could keep watch outside and enter later.


    Xiaoguo brought the chicken soup to the older Mrs. Yang and sat on the bed. She called out softly, ¡°Auntie?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Xiaoguo.¡±


    When the senior Mrs. Yang saw that it was Xiaoguo, she immediately sat up.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly helped her up. ¡°Auntie, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Mrs. Yang said, ¡°Mother, look. This is the chicken soup that Xiaoguo brought over. She said it was brewed with herbs. Smell it. It is so fragrant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does smell good.¡±


    The elder Mrs. Yang sniffed at the fragrance in the air. Earlier on, she was woken up by this smell. She didn¡¯t expect it to smell even better up close.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s still a little hot. You can drink it later.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yang nodded. Mrs. Yang then placed the chicken soup on the table and gave Xiaoguo a look.


    ¡°Auntie, did Danhe scare you just now? I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Xiaoguo received Mrs. Yang¡¯s hint and brought up the subject immediately.


    ¡°What?¡± When Mrs. Yang heard this, her face turned pale again. ¡°Is Danhe really not dead?¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡±


    Xiaoguo continued to speak and tried to calm her down. When she was calmer, Xiaoguo explained everything to her.


    Only then did the older Mrs. Yang become more composed. When the time was right, Xiaoguo called Jiang Danhe in.


    It wasn¡¯t until she saw him in person that the old Mrs. Yang really believed it. She was overjoyed. ¡°That¡¯s great! That¡¯s great!¡±


    It was obvious that she was really excited.


    After chatting for a while more, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe excused themselves under the pretext of allowing the elder Mrs. Yang to drink the chicken soup.


    Back at home, Zhuang Zhuang was already waiting anxiously. The food on the table was too tempting. He really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. When would his parents be back?


    Just as Zhuang Zhuang was about to call for the two of them, they finally returned.


    Jiang Danhe was already starving. The first thing he did when he returned was to wash his hands and eat.


    Xiaoguo scooped a bowl of soup for him. A bowl of soup before a meal was better than a good prescription.


    After the meal, Jiang Danhe looked a little tired. Xiaoguo asked him to go back to his room to rest. She had intended for him to go to another room, but he went straight to XIaoguo¡¯s room and dived into the bed.


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo was too embarrassed to pull him up again. She had no choice but to cover him with a blanket. ¡°Go to sleep, and sleep well.¡±


    Jiang Danhe, who had his back to her, smiled to himself. He had gotten his way.


    After Xiaoguo covered him with a blanket, she left quietly. When she reached the door, she bumped into Zhuang Zhuang, who was about to enter. Xiaoguo quickly stopped him.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang.¡± Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang further away from the door before saying, ¡°Your father is sleeping. Go and sleep in that room.¡±


    The boy rubbed his eyes to show that he understood. He turned around and returned to another room.


    When Jiang Danhe woke up, the sun was almost setting.


    He sat up in bed and stretched. It was rare for him to have a good sleep. His entire body felt much more relaxed.


    As soon as he woke up, he looked around for Xiaoguo and finally found her and Zhuang Zhuang in the kitchen.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Xiaoguo was teaching Zhuang Zhuang how to identify the Chinese herbs that would be used to make soup for dinner when she looked up and saw Jiang Danhe leaning against the kitchen door frame.


    Perhaps it was because he was at home, Jiang Danhe¡¯s expression was exceptionally relaxed at this moment. He had been standing at the door for a long time, quietly watching the mother and son playing in the house.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡± Jiang Danhe nodded and walked towards the two of them. ¡°Do you know Chinese medicine?¡±


    He suddenly felt that his wife was more capable than he had imagined.


    ¡°A little bit, I can remember all the herbs that can be used for cooking. But I am not well-versed with herbs that are used for medicinal purposes.¡±


    Xiaoguo fiddled with the herbs using one hand while explaining the names and uses of each herb to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo, who seemed to be glowing. Listening to her clear and moving voice, even he, a layman who knew nothing about herbs, could easily remember her words.


    Xiaoguo tied up the bag of herbs and threw it into the casserole. Inside was a big, meaty duck that had been blanched a while ago.


    It was a habit of Xiaoguo to prepare soup for every meal. However, the soup dishes would be replaced by herbal soups from today onwards. If there was any difference between normal soups and herbal soups, the biggest difference was that the medicinal properties were stronger in the latter.


    Of course, the herbal smell was also stronger. Fortunately, Xiaoguo was very precise with the portions she used, so the herbal taste wouldn¡¯t be too overpowering. In fact, it was all thanks to the perfect combination of the herbs and meat that the soup could taste so good and yet possess medicinal effects at the same time.


    Xiaoguo looked at the plates that were always licked clean after each meal, and felt very proud of herself.


    As she was in a good mood, Xiaoguo even started humming a tune. This was perplexing for the father and son who were washing the dishes.

 Chapter 196 - 196 Fright in the Middle of the Night

    196 Fright in the Middle of the Night


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t agree with the saying that gentlemen should stay away from the kitchen. To him, these words were bullsh*t. Why should a man stay away while the woman has to stay in? To him, he couldn¡¯t bear to let Xiaoguo cook and wash the dishes alone.


    He didn¡¯t know how to cook, but he could wash the dishes. The only thing was, Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t seem quite happy about it.


    After Jiang Danhe washed his hands, he made way for Zhuang Zhuang to wash his hands. However, Zhuang Zhuang snorted at himself after he was done. Jiang Danhe was a little confused. He didn¡¯t know what was wrong with the boy.


    Zhuang Zhuang shook off the water in his hands and felt a little aggrieved. His work had been snatched away by his father. Moreover, his mother had looked at his father and smiled a few times at him. Usually, his mother would praise him. But today, he had barely touched a few bowls. It was his father who had washed the bulk of it. Zhuang Zhuang was not happy about this.


    But it didn¡¯t take long for father and son to start laughing together again. Xiaoguo smiled at them and went on to make the bed.


    When it was time to sleep, Xiaoguo was in a dilemma. Zhuang Zhuang wanted to sleep with Jiang Danhe, but Jiang Danhe wanted to sleep alone with her.


    Of course, Xiaoguo did not agree. She turned Jiang Danhe down as soon as she heard that. She clearly saw the evil look in his eyes.


    ¡°All right, all right. That¡¯s easy.¡± Xiaoguo got up and pushed them both into another room. ¡°You two can sleep here. I¡¯ll sleep alone.¡±


    After resolving this problem, Xiaoguo clapped her hands and went back into her room. She was very pleased with herself. She was going to have the bed to herself and sleep soundly tonight.


    Jiang Danhe stood in the house bitterly and looked at the ruthless figure leaving. He felt extremely miserable. This was not the outcome he was wishing for.


    He looked down at Zhuang Zhuang. The boy happened to look up and even smiled at him.


    Jiang Danhe had no choice but to pretend to be happy and held the boy high in his arms, making him laugh.


    ¨C


    As Xiaoguo had been addicted to herbal cuisine recently, Zhuang Zhuang also began to take a liking to Chinese herbs under her influence. Just as Xiaoguo was preparing to put some herbs into a cloth bag, Zhuang Zhuang appeared and insisted that he would do it.


    Xiaoguo also felt that Zhuang Zhuang had a good memory, so she wasn¡¯t worried about having him help with the herbs. She watched from the side as he went ahead to load the herbal packs.


    Zhuang Zhuang was good at remembering things. He took the cloth bag and carefully packed the herbs according to Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Guo, what¡¯s the use of keeping the cows?¡±


    Jiang Danhe came back from outside and asked Xiaoguo as he swept grass off his body.


    ¡°Cows can produce milk which is very nutritious. It¡¯s good for the body. Milk can also be made into a lot of snacks.¡±


    Xiaoguo reached out and removed a blade of grass from his head. Jiang Danhe lowered his head cooperatively. ¡°I see. The milk of a cow sounds strange.¡±


    Jiang Danhe frowned. The thought of drinking cow¡¯s milk made him feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°Milk is very precious and nutritious. It¡¯s very beneficial for children, adults, and old people.¡±


    As Xiaoguo chatted with Jiang Danhe, she did not forget to watch Zhuang Zhuang pack the herbs.


    Jiang Danhe nodded as if he understood. Although it felt strange, Xiaoguo was definitely right. He just had to believe her.


    Zhuang Zhuang was focused on the Chinese herbs in his hand. At first, he was confident, but he suddenly found himself in a dilemma looking at two similar herbs in his hands. Which one was it?


    He wanted to look up and ask Xiaoguo, but seeing that she was talking to his father, he decided to figure it out himself.


    After hesitating for a moment, Zhuang Zhuang picked up the herbs on his left. He pinched a small handful and placed it in a cloth bag. This had to be it!


    Just as Zhuang Zhuang was putting in the next herb, Xiaoguo happened to turn around and saw him taking it. She took a closer look and confirmed that it was the right one. Once again, she marveled at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s brain.


    For dinner, Xiaoguo made some soup using the herbal pack that was prepared by Zhuang Zhuang. Jiang Danhe loved the soup so much that almost the entire pot of soup went into his stomach. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang only ate a small amount of meat.


    As usual, Xiaoguo slept alone while Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang slept in the other room. In the middle of the night, Xiaoguo suddenly felt some movement beside her.


    She opened her eyes instinctively and saw a dark figure sitting by the bed. Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she instinctively wanted to scream.


    But just as she opened her mouth, a gust of warm air blew towards her face. Within the next second, a large hand had covered her mouth. When the owner of the hand touched Xiaoguo, he shuddered.


    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s me, Guo.¡±


    His voice sounded breathy.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe?


    As Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth was still covered by his hand, she couldn¡¯t make a sound. All she could do was move a little and signal for him to let go of her.


    Jiang Danhe swallowed and slowly let go. He quietly sat down at a spot further away from Xiaoguo.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    Xiaoguo could tell that his body temperature was abnormally warm, so she got up worriedly and lit a candle.


    The room was instantly lit up, and the two of them could see each other clearly.


    As she was sleeping earlier, Xiaoguo¡¯s clothes were a little disheveled. The underclothes she was wearing had a few buttons undone, revealing her collarbone and the strap of her camisole.


    Her hair was messy like silk strands flowing against her back, and the red camisole was strikingly obvious beneath her white underclothes. Jiang Danhe¡¯s breathing quickened again. His eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing was heavy and rapid. He looked like he was going to explode at any moment.


    Unaware that she was being watched, Xiaoguo was a little anxious. She asked again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Seeing Jiang Danhe like this, Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had asked him a question, but he wasn¡¯t answering her. Feeling worried, she leaned closer to him and held his hand.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo had just moved closer to him when Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. He grabbed her and pressed her down on the bed with all his might, groping around eagerly.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe! Jiang Danhe!!¡±


    Considering that Zhuang Zhuang was still there, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t shout. With all her might, she tried to push him away.


    However, how could Jiang Danhe, who was gradually losing consciousness, be stopped by her meager strength? He pressed her hands to the side and carried on with his assault.


    Perhaps it was because of Xiaoguo¡¯s violent struggle that Jiang Danhe slowly calmed down. His senses returned gradually. When his eyes regained clarity, he saw the scene in front of him.


    ¡°¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    Xiaoguo sounded very calm. Jiang Danhe got up in a panic and pulled a blanket over her.


    He wanted to explain, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. He could only turn his back and apologize profusely. His entire body was flushed and his forehead was covered in sweat.


    Xiaoguo calmed down and got dressed under the blanket. She sniffed and looked at Jiang Danhe with trembling eyes.


    Jiang Danhe avoided making eye contact with her. He felt extremely guilty and wished he could slap himself. He was really crazy to attempt something like that!


    ¡°Xiaoguo, I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Jiang Danhe¡¯s mind went blank and he passed out.


    Xiaoguo was shocked when she saw him faint. She quickly grabbed him so that he could fall onto the bed.


    Before Xiaoguo could sort out her thoughts, she was shocked by Jiang Danhe¡¯s bleeding nose.


    For the entire night, Xiaoguo tended to his nosebleeds and tried to bring down his temperature. She stayed up all night and was worried sick about him the whole time.


    Fortunately, Jiang Danhe¡¯s body temperature was only slightly elevated. Other than a little nosebleed, he was fine. This made Xiaoguo feel a little more at ease.


    When she was wiping him down in the middle of the night, Jiang Danhe suddenly woke up. Afraid that he would be aroused again, Xiaoguo slapped him.


    It wasn¡¯t until dawn, when the exhausted Xiaoguo went looking for water in the kitchen, that she found out the reason for Jiang Danhe¡¯s behavior.

 Chapter 197 - 197 Call Her Mrs. Jiang

    197 Call Her Mrs. Jiang


    She knew it. Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t a disrespectful person. In her daily interactions with him, he was always very considerate towards her thoughts. Therefore, what happened tonight was a little unusual.


    Xiaoguo carried the basin to the kitchen and refilled it with cold water. As her gaze swept past the trash can, she suddenly thought of something. Could there be something wrong with the herbs?


    Xiaoguo put down the basin and went to the trash can to look for the herbs that were thrown out.


    As the cloth bag was normally reused, whenever she threw out the herbs, she would remove the dregs from the bag.


    The trash can was also cleared once a day. Coincidentally, it had just been cleared the day before, so the trash can was quite empty. Xiaoguo found most of the herbal dregs inside and laid them on the ground. With the help of the light, she scrutinized each of them carefully.


    As expected, after going through them, she realized that something was wrong. There was actually an additional herb inside¡ªimmortal grass.


    Xiaoguo finally understood the reason. Zhuang Zhuang might have mistaken it for the other herb earlier and added the immortal grass into the herbal pack. This herb was supposed to nourish the kidneys and yang energy. If used singularly, this medicine shouldn¡¯t have such a strong effect. The unfortunate thing was that there was deer antler in the soup. When these two herbs were combined, their effects were doubled. To make the matter worse, the soup was drunk by Jiang Danhe¡ªsomething bad was bound to happen.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, oh Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    It was not a problem to use these herbs in small quantities or mix them with other ingredients to make soup. But it would not be advisable to combine them with other herbs that have similar properties. No wonder Jiang Danhe felt so terrible. Fortunately, the amount used was not much so the effects should wear off during his sleep.


    She threw the herbs back into the trash can and returned to the house with the basin of cold water. Now that she knew the reason, she didn¡¯t have to worry too much. Since the amount of herbs used was quite small, she could just sponge him down and let his body metabolize the herbs. He should be fine when he wakes up.


    Fortunately, he had fainted. If he was still conscious, Xiaoguo would not have known what to do.


    If she really had to be with him¡­


    Xiaoguo¡¯s face turned red. She quickly shook her head to get rid of the thoughts in her head and cursed herself silently. What was she thinking?


    Looking at the handsome face of the sleeping man, Xiaoguo went into a daze again. What would she do If she really had to do it¡­


    Even if they didn¡¯t do it, the two of them were still husband and wife. It was only natural and reasonable for that to happen between them.


    If they were to do it, she didn¡¯t feel quite ready yet. She had a feeling that there was something missing but she couldn¡¯t tell what it was. Somehow it just felt like things were too rushed. She wasn¡¯t mentally prepared for it.


    Xiaoguo was extremely conflicted. She rubbed her hair hard until it looked like a chicken nest. To do it or not? That was a big problem.


    ¡­


    The next day, Jiang Danhe sat up slowly, holding his head. What was going on? Why did his head hurt so much?


    He rubbed his head and analyzed the situation. He looked around and realized that this was Xiaoguo¡¯s room. Why did he wake up here?


    Everything seemed to be a mystery. Jiang Danhe tried his best to think, but in the end, he could not remember anything. No matter how hard he tried, his head was still empty.


    Jiang Danhe got out of bed, put on his shoes, and stepped outside. As soon as he opened the door, he was blinded by the dazzling sunlight. Jiang Danhe took a few steps back and rubbed his eyes in discomfort. What time had he slept until?


    ¡°Father, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s excited voice sounded. His father could really sleep. He had already gone out to play a few times before his father woke up.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang.¡± When Jiang Danhe saw who it was, he continued to rub his forehead. For some reason, his head hurt so much. ¡°Where¡¯s your mother?¡±


    ¡°Mother is outside. Someone is here to pick up stuff.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang spoke as he chewed on the sesame stick in his hand.


    ¡°Pick up stuff?¡± Jiang Danhe suddenly realized that they must be here to collect the corn. ¡°That¡¯s right. Today is the day.¡±


    Jiang Danhe patted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head and left. He wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help.


    He went to the courtyard and saw that there was no one there. Seeing that the door was open, he walked out.


    Before he reached the door, he heard the voices of Xiaoguo and a man.


    Hearing the laughter outside, Jiang Danhe felt a little uncomfortable, so he quickened his pace.


    ¡°Madam Qin, the environment here is really nice. The crops are growing so well. I have not made a wasted trip here.¡±


    Su Changsheng placed his hands behind his back and looked around. With mountains and rivers surrounding the place, it was pretty idyllic.


    Xiaoguo looked at Su Changsheng with a fake smile. Although she was agreeing with his words on the surface, she felt like rolling her eyes at him in her heart.


    He made it sound so nice, saying that he was free today, so he had tagged along and that it was his chance to take a break. In actual fact, he just wanted to see if she had hidden any corn. He had to make sure by seeing it with his own eyes.


    Just a moment ago, he was being all sentimental, and the next second, he kept urging his men to watch and move the corn carefully. Xiaoguo could totally see through the man.


    Although Xiaoguo was complaining about him in her heart, she still bantered with him on the surface. Isn¡¯t this all about putting on an act? She could do it too.


    ¡°Ahem, wife.¡±


    Just as Xiaoguo was seriously pitting her acting skills against Su Changsheng, Jiang Danhe¡¯s extremely mushy voice sounded.


    Xiaoguo almost dislocated her jaw. She turned around with an annoyed expression and looked at Jiang Danhe in disgust. She had told him not to address her like this. What was wrong with him again?


    However, with outsiders around, Xiaoguo could not embarrass him. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Under Xiaoguo¡¯s piercing gaze, he stood beside her and said ambiguously, ¡°Sorry, I woke up late¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo shuddered. It was one thing to call her ¡°wife¡± and to cling to her arm in such a flashy manner, but what did he mean with those ambiguous words? Did she damage his head when she slapped him yesterday?


    She looked at Jiang Danhe. He looked fine, maybe except for his red forehead. Every other part of him looked okay.


    Jiang Danhe was thick-skinned and did not care about the gazes of the people around him. He slowly looked up at Su Changsheng and scanned the man with his eyes. ¡°This is?¡±


    Xiaoguo nudged Jiang Danhe, secretly urging him to behave himself. ¡°This is Shopkeeper Su whom I told you about. This is my¡­ husband.¡±


    Xiaoguo really couldn¡¯t stand addressing him in such a cheesy manner. She was so used to calling him Jiang Danhe that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to call him ¡°husband¡± all of a sudden.


    Jiang Danhe was secretly satisfied. He immediately assumed his role as the host of the house, and nodded casually at Su Changsheng.


    Su Changsheng was not a fool. Looking at Jiang Danhe¡¯s expression, he understood the reason. He smiled and quietly moved closer to Xiaoguo, deliberately trying to provoke Jiang Danhe. Imitating his behavior, he sized him up and finally, Su Changsheng¡¯s gaze landed on Jiang Danhe¡¯s forehead. ¡°Mrs. Qin¡¯s husband is really charming and handsome.¡±


    Jiang Danhe could not read between the lines. But Xiaoguo could tell that Su Changsheng was mocking him. She coughed awkwardly and secretly glanced at Jiang Danhe¡¯s forehead. She had used too much strength earlier¡­


    Jiang Danhe pulled Xiaoguo away in dissatisfaction. He looked at Su Changsheng fiercely and said word by word, ¡°Please call her Mrs. Jiang.¡±


    As soon as he said those words, Xiaoguo instantly felt the hairs on her back stand up and a chill ran down her spine.


    The smile on Su Changsheng¡¯s face froze for a second. Then, he stood a little further away and smiled even more brightly. The two of them stared at each other without saying anything.


    Su Changsheng didn¡¯t like the way Jiang Danhe looked at him earlier, and Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t like the man at all. He looked so flashy¡ªhow could a man look so much like a woman.


    The tense atmosphere between the two men gradually became strange. Xiaoguo was sandwiched between the two of them, and she could feel the mood interchanging between cold and hot. There were several times when she wanted to shout in frustration. What a bothersome pair.


    ¡°Young Master, the car is ready.¡±

 Chapter 198 - 198 What Agreement

    198 What Agreement


    Just as the atmosphere was getting too tense between them, Xiaoguo was saved by the words of the man loading the cart. She heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Su Changsheng pretended to look at Xiaoguo regretfully. ¡°Happy times are destined to be short.¡±


    Xiaoguo gave him a fake smile. She kept claiming that it was a pity, but in her heart, she was thanking the heavens. ¡°Hurry up and leave, you profiteer.¡±


    As Su Changsheng was getting on the carriage, he added a line that got Jiang Danhe all riled up. ¡°Then, Mrs¡­ Madam Qin, it¡¯s settled. We¡¯ll meet again in the future.¡±


    He deliberately didn¡¯t call her Mrs. Jiang. There was no reason for that¡ªhe simply did it on purpose.


    Xiaoguo nodded at his words. She knew what he was talking about. ¡°Okay,¡± she said. ¡°See you next time.¡±


    Su Changsheng deliberately waved his sleeve and gave Xiaoguo a meaningful look before bending down to get into the carriage.


    The sullen-faced Jiang Danhe watched the carriage leave while Xiaoguo stood by his side, wearing a fake smile on her face.


    Once the carriage left, Xiaoguo immediately wiped the fake smile off her face and retracted her arm with all her might from Jiang Danhe¡¯s big hand.


    ¡°It hurts!¡±


    Xiaoguo rubbed her arm and complained to Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe felt a little guilty. He had exerted too much strength just now so he hurriedly apologized to her.


    Xiaoguo looked at his forehead. She knew that she was also at fault, so she simply brushed the matter aside.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was fine, Jiang Danhe asked the question that had been bothering him from just now.


    ¡°What did you agree on?¡±


    Xiaoguo rolled her eyes clumsily at him. Without answering him, she turned and walked home.


    Jiang Danhe blinked with his big eyes and followed behind Xiaoguo. He kept asking the same question as if his life depended on it. ¡°What did you guys agree on?¡±


    Su Changsheng, who was sitting in the carriage, had just lowered the curtain. Just as he was exclaiming about the geographical environment, the horseman spoke.


    ¡°Young Master, Old Master wrote to you yesterday urging you to go back. It¡¯s been a while since you left home. It¡¯s time to go back.¡±


    ¡°Got it. We¡¯ll set off the day after tomorrow.¡± Su Changsheng sighed. ¡°We have to come again next year. Jiabao, remember this location well. We should keep in touch with this family after the new year.¡±


    Jiabao lifted the curtain and looked at Su Changsheng who was wearing a solemn look on his face. ¡°Young Master, are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Su Changsheng glanced at him. ¡°Milk is good stuff.¡±


    Jia Bao wrinkled his nose. Cow¡¯s milk had a weird taste. He couldn¡¯t stand it.


    ¡°Look at you.¡± Su Changsheng patted his head gently. ¡°We don¡¯t have milk in our country yet. Only foreigners have it. However, they don¡¯t export cows, so I don¡¯t know where she got her cows from. In any case, remember to make more trips and visit her after the new year.¡±


    ¡°Oh, got it!¡±


    Su Changsheng sat up straight and thought about the time when he went to Great Britain. The foreigners there could not do without milk. Their snacks were all made of milk and they tasted pretty unique. If those snacks could be sold in Shao Country, it would definitely be popular among the people here. Unfortunately, the foreigners did not sell cows or milk to other countries. He could just look on helplessly.


    However, who would have known that this little village woman has two cows here? Fortunately, he had made this trip. Otherwise, he would have missed out on this big surprise. Moreover, based on what she said just now, it seemed like she knew how to make those milk snacks.


    If it was the case, he had run into another money-making opportunity again. He could open a new specialty store. The possibilities of milk products were more than he could ever imagine.


    Su Changsheng was feeling so tempted by his ideas. However, this matter could not be rushed. It takes a lot of time for a cow to reach adulthood and it only produces milk when it is pregnant. There was no way to rush this. The more precious it was, the more valuable it would be.


    Su Changsheng¡¯s mind was racing as he did his calculations. The sums he deduced were exhilarating.


    He couldn¡¯t stop himself from laughing out loud.


    When Jia Bao heard the laughter, he sighed helplessly. His young master was good in every way. He was handsome and had a good family background. He also had money and looks, but there was one bad thing about him. He was obsessed with money.


    ¡­


    ¡°Are you done¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo stood in front of the chopping board with a kitchen knife raised. She looked at Jiang Danhe, who was standing beside her, and nudged him helplessly.


    Unexpectedly, with just a light push, Jiang Danhe looked like he was about to fall over.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly threw down the kitchen knife and went to grab him.


    Jiang Danhe took advantage of the situation and hugged her in his arms. He nestled his head against her and said aggrievedly, ¡°What did you guys agree on?¡±


    Xiaoguo chuckled. It had only been a few days since she last saw Jiang Danhe. Where did he learn to wheedle like this?


    Somehow his tactics seemed to work. She started to blush. ¡°Go away.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Alright, was he pretending not to hear her?¡± Xiaoguo nudged Jiang Danhe again.


    ¡°What on earth were you¡­¡±


    Not again¡­


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Xiaoguo was speechless when she saw that Jiang Danhe was about to ask the same thing again. Although It had only been a few days since she last saw him, it felt like three years had passed. If not for the fact that he still looked the same, Xiaoguo would have thought that the real Jiang Danhe had been replaced by another person.


    Jiang Danhe blinked his eyes and looked at Xiaoguo as if he was trying to figure out something.


    Xiaoguo nodded and said patiently, ¡°Let go. I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe slowly loosened his arms. Xiaoguo seized the opportunity as he loosened his grip to do a 180-degree turn. She raised her arms and slapped Jiang Danhe heavily on his back.


    Immediately, the sound of flesh hitting flesh rang out.


    The air seemed to freeze. Three seconds later, Xiaoguo cried out and clutched her right hand, wailing in pain.


    It was too painful. Is his flesh made of iron?


    ¡°G¡­ Guo, hush hush.¡±


    Jiang Danhe could feel Xiaoguo patting him on his back. After which, she immediately started wailing. He held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and gently blew on it. ¡°Be good. It will stop hurting soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in pain!¡± Xiaoguo was not impressed. ¡°Is your flesh made of iron? It hurts so much.¡±


    This was the first time Jiang Danhe had seen Xiaoguo behaving like this. He found it a little refreshing and looked at her lovingly. ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°I want¡­ I want¡­¡± Xiaoguo thought carefully about what she wanted. But after a long time, nothing came to mind. She then continued to repeat the same words,¡±I want, I want¡­.¡±


    Jiang Danhe blushed and looked around. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it tonight.¡±


    ¡­ Emoji black man with a face full of question marks¡­


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe in a daze. What did she say? Why did he bring up the night?


    There was a moment of silence in the air. Jiang Danhe began to realize that he had misunderstood her words. For the sake of his pride, he continued to ask the question that he was asking earlier.


    ¡°What did you agree on?¡±


    Xiaoguo sighed and turned to pick up the kitchen knife once again to cut the vegetables. When he continued to ask, she quickly told him everything that she and Su Changsheng had agreed upon.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Jiang Danhe smiled when he heard that. So that was what happened.


    ¡°Wash the vegetables? Is there anything else to wash?¡± Jiang Danhe asked and answered himself. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was quite perceptive. Before Xiaoguo could flare up, he had already brought the basin to the well to start washing the vegetables.


    Thanks to this small episode, Jiang Danhe had forgotten to ask about last night. Therefore he did not realize that his forehead had been slapped. By the time he had a chance to look in the mirror, the slap mark had completely faded.

 Chapter 199 - 199 Meeting His Wifes Brother

    199 Meeting His Wife¡¯s Brother


    Before Xiaoguo went to bed, she stewed some chicken soup. As she was going to visit Qin Anming the next day, Xiaoguo had specially picked out a few types of Chinese herbs to nourish his Qi and blood. She would boil the soup on low heat for the entire night to bring out the essence from the meat and herbs. When she brings it for him tomorrow, it would taste superb!


    After cleaning up, she closed the kitchen door.


    When she returned to the house, she saw that Jiang Danhe¡¯s room was still lit. She guessed that they might not have rested yet, so she stood at the door and knocked softly. ¡°Rest early.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was shocked. He subconsciously hid the book he was holding under his pillow.


    ¡°Okay, you rest early too.¡±


    As Zhuang Zhuang was sleeping by his side, Jiang Danhe¡¯s voice sounded a little reserved.


    Xiaoguo tilted her head, but she didn¡¯t think much about it. She walked back to her room with a candle in hand.


    Jiang Danhe waited for the light at the door to disappear before taking out the book again.


    He looked at the title of the book and felt a little shy. It was called the Beloved Wife Guide.


    This was what he had found when he was working in Feng City. He had glanced at the cover a few times during his free time. Initially, he thought that it was a book that teaches men ways to communicate with their wives. However, the more he read, the more he realized that the book was something else. In fact, it is teaching men various ways to please women, covering both orthodox and unorthodox methods.


    However, Jiang Danhe had only started reading officially today, so he did not know that yet. The wheedling that he used today was found in the first few pages of the book. It seemed that it was quite effective. As he went on reading, he realized that something was amiss.


    After the first few pages, the book suddenly went on a different trajectory and started to go on about getting onto the bed and taking off one¡¯s clothes. As Jiang Danhe looked at the writing and illustrations, a hint of disgust flashed through his head.


    Jiang Danhe frowned and was about to throw the book away when he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice. For some reason, he felt like he had a guilty conscience.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe threw the book back into his bag. It seemed that he had to think of a way to get rid of it tomorrow. If Xiaoguo or Zhuang Zhuang found the book, it would be hard to explain himself.


    ¡­


    The next day, after breakfast, Xiaoguo set off for the county city.


    With Jiang Danhe around, there was no need for Xiaoguo to drive. She just had to sit in the back with Zhuang Zhuang.


    It was a rare chance for Xiaoguo since she had always been the driver. She could finally sit in the cart as a passenger today.


    Looking at the broad shoulders in front of her, Xiaoguo felt at ease again.


    Come to think of it, every time she felt at ease, it was always because of Jiang Danhe.


    At this thought, Xiaoguo could not help but feel a little stunned.


    Jiang Danhe could feel someone looking at him from behind. When he turned around and saw Xiaoguo in a daze, he smiled dotingly and reached out to tuck her hair back behind her ears.


    Xiaoguo came back to her senses and realized that a pair of hands with irresistible warmth was fiddling with something near her face.


    She didn¡¯t dodge and allowed him to continue with what he was doing.


    After Jiang Danhe tucked her hair behind her ears, he retracted his hand and turned back to look ahead.


    At that moment, his heart was racing. He could not get tired of looking at Xiaoguo every day. Every time he looked at her, his heart would start pounding like a drum.


    Even though she was dressed simply with no accessories in her hair, and her hair was tied up in a bun at the back, with no special adornments, Jiang Danhe just liked her so much. He really liked everything about her.


    As he thought about this, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but laugh. There was a silly look on his face that didn¡¯t match his handsome appearance. But so what? He just wanted to laugh and continue liking Xiaoguo.


    Jiang Danhe was laughing in the front, while Xiaoguo was doing the same at the back.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked around. Were they being lovey-dovey in front of him?


    ¡­


    Jiang Danhe followed Xiaoguo¡¯s directions and arrived at the door of the noodle shop.


    He looked at the plaque and read out the name a few times.


    ¡°Alright, stop studying it. It¡¯s just a random name. We had picked a character from each of our names.¡±


    Seeing how puzzled he was, Xiaoguo was amused. She explained to him how the name came about in Ruyi¡¯s exact words. She even said that the three of them would stay together forever and never be separated.


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he nodded in understanding. It sounded pretty good with the three words symbolizing them being together forever. As long as they were happy, it didn¡¯t matter if the shop name meant something or not.


    Jiang Danhe got Zhuang Zhuang out of the car and carried Xiaoguo down shortly after.


    Xiaoguo felt a little shy. How could he hug her like this in the middle of the street, it was so embarrassing. Wouldn¡¯t it invite the gossip of others?


    Zhuang Zhuang, who had just been casually picked up and put down, felt a little confused when he saw how carefully Jiang Danhe was carrying Xiaoguo. Shouldn¡¯t his father be more careful with him instead?


    At the door, Jiang Danhe suddenly hesitated. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to see that person¡ª he was just feeling a little nervous.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xiaoguo watched as he held on to the casserole but did not move. She reached out and dragged him forward. ¡°The ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws eventually. Besides, it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t met him before.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Danhe, who had just mustered his courage, suddenly felt deflated again. He repeatedly asked for Xiaoguo¡¯s confirmation. ¡°Are you sure that you have told him that I¡¯m still alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Xiaoguo dragged Jiang Danhe into the house. ¡°It seems like I have to take the initiative.¡±


    Xiaoguo pulled Jiang Danhe up the stairs. When Zhuang Zhuang reached the top of the staircase, he ran in alone.


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    Xiaoguo pulled Jiang Danhe into the restaurant. They had come at a time when the peak hour had just ended for the morning. It was break time for everyone at the moment and they were all sitting down. They had left two seats empty between them.


    Xiaoguo felt that those seats were reserved for herself and Jiang Danhe, so she led him to those seats and sat down with him.


    Jiang Danhe was feeling a little awkward at this moment. He could remain calm and collected under the gazes of his enemy and the soldiers, but why did he feel so uncomfortable under the gazes of these people? The pot in his hand felt a little heavy, so he carefully placed it on the table.


    Xiaoguo looked around but did not see Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming. She asked the girls curiously, ¡°Where are my brother and Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    After being budged a few times by Uncle Xu, Ruyi came back to her senses. She rubbed her eyes and said in disbelief, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, I didn¡¯t expect my Brother-in-law to be so handsome!¡±


    As soon as she said that, the four people, including Uncle Xu, raised their voices in agreement. ¡°Yes! Yes! He is so handsome!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiaoguo smiled. ¡°So you¡¯re looking at him.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was also stunned. He had been nervous for nothing.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said politely. As soon as he said that, everyone, except for Uncle Xu, started screaming softly. ¡°Ah, his voice is so nice¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother-in-law is a general, right?¡±


    ¡°Wow, Brother-in-law is really amazing!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a general all right. I can tell by the look of him!¡±


    ¡°Not only is he handsome, his voice sounded so nice too. Sister Xiaoguo, you¡¯re really amazing!¡±


    Once again, the others agreed with Ruyi.


    The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth twitched. So that was it. These girls kept talking about the general. The military camp. They must really like this military man. It seemed that Qin Anming had told them about it.


    Indeed, deep in their hearts, women had always liked military men. Regardless of which era they came from, women shared the same aesthetics in this case.


    Jiang Danhe sat down beside Xiaoguo to show his loyalty to her.


    His action made the girls gasp again.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo innocently. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Xiaoguo sighed at his innocent expression. ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything. It¡¯s just because of your status that you look handsome even when you are just breathing.¡±

 Chapter 200 - 200 I Wont Move If You Dont

    200 I Won¡¯t Move If You Don¡¯t


    Just as the atmosphere in the front of the restaurant was getting better, Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang were stuck in a dilemma.


    It started when Zhuang Zhuang ran in and told Qin Anming that his father was here. The latter immediately carried Zhuang Zhuang to the backyard when he heard this.


    He had thought that he would be fine after changing into a fresh set of clothes. Unexpectedly, Zhuang Zhuang said that Jiang Danhe had woken up early in the morning and had dressed up specially to see him. He had even taken a shower before going to bed yesterday.


    Hearing this, Qin Anming immediately sniffed himself. Fortunately, he had washed himself yesterday and still smelled good. But then he couldn¡¯t just change into a clean set of clothes. At the very least, he had to comb his hair, wash his face, and change into a decent-looking outfit.


    That was why he took quite a while to get ready.


    When he brought Zhuang Zhuang out, Ruyi was closing the main door.


    ¡°Xiaoguo and the others have left?!¡±


    Qin Anming asked a silly question. If Xiaoguo and the others had left, why didn¡¯t they bring Zhuang Zhuang along?


    Zhuang Zhuang looked up at his uncle. What was wrong with him?


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo called out to him helplessly. What was he asking?


    Qin Anming looked in the direction of the voice and saw Jiang Danhe immediately.


    Jiang Danhe also noticed him. Their gazes met in the air. For a while, both of them were very nervous.


    Jiang Danhe was nervous to see his brother-in-law whom he had not seen for a long time. He was desperate to leave a good impression on him.


    Due to his nervousness and excitement, he bounced up from his seat.


    Qin Anming was also very nervous. He had heard that Jiang Danhe had become a general. He was worried about his own image and how it could affect Xiaoguo as a result. That was the reason why he paid so much attention to his dressing.


    Seeing Jiang Danhe stand up, he did not know where to place his hands. So he could only stand up straight like him.


    The two of them looked at each other from afar without saying anything. Both of them were wearing solemn looks on their faces.


    Xiaoguo took out the dried fruits and melon seeds she had brought and placed them on the table. She invited everyone to eat the snacks while she looked on at the two men.


    Unexpectedly, after a long time, they still remained standing at the same spot, even after Zhuang Zhuang had finished eating a dried plum. It looked as if they were trying to outdo each other.


    Xiaoguo could not stand it anymore. She threw away the melon seeds in her hand and led Jiang Danhe towards Qin Anming.


    ¡°Brother, what are you doing? This is Jiang Danhe.¡± As she spoke, he pulled Jiang Danhe in front of Qin Anming. ¡°Jiang Danhe, what are you doing? This is our brother.¡±


    With those words, the reserved atmosphere between the two men was instantly shattered.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    Jiang Danhe spoke first. There was indeed nothing to be reserved about. This man was his wife¡¯s brother, not an outsider. Moreover, the two of them had interacted many times before he married Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Ah, Danhe.¡±


    Qin Anming greeted him happily. Indeed, they were family and not strangers.


    ¡°Ruyi just closed the door as she wants us to stay for lunch. That¡¯s why she has temporarily closed the shop.¡±


    Xiaoguo pulled the giggling pair back to the table and they instantly joined the group chat.


    When Qin Anming heard this, he knew how stupid he had been to ask that question.


    The few of them started chatting while munching on melon seeds. When it was time for lunch, everyone got busy together.


    Xiaoguo liked this atmosphere very much. Just as she was sitting with Ruyi picking vegetables, Ruyi leaned over and asked her a question.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at her in confusion and motioned for her to speak.


    ¡°Should we sell your herbal cuisine too?¡±


    When Ruyi first saw the casserole, she started thinking about a lot of things. Although the noodle shop was making money now, she wanted to do things more comprehensively. Nowadays, people are paying more attention to their health. So she was thinking about seizing this opportunity to open another shop.


    ¡°Of course we should!¡±


    After hearing about her future plans, Xiaoguo was very impressed. Sure enough, Ruyi had really bold ideas. However, she was a little worried. ¡°That¡¯s a good plan, but are you able to handle it?¡±


    ¡°I just thought about it. When the time comes, I¡¯ll buy the shop next door since it¡¯s about to close down. I¡¯ll remove the wall between the shops and merge them into a single restaurant. When the time comes, I will just hire more people.¡±


    Ruyi had made a lot of money over this period of time. If she could easily buy the shop next door, she could definitely afford to hire more people. That was why she slowly came up with such a bold idea.


    Xiaoguo thought about it carefully and decided it would work.


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯m with you. Just tell me what you need help with.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Sister Xiaoguo! I love you!¡±


    Ruyi threw down the vegetables and hugged Xiaoguo. She did think that her idea was too bold, but the feeling of having someone support her plans was awesome!!


    The two of them thought about their plans while cooking and put no time to waste. The herbal soup that Xiaoguo brought was also heated up and brought to the table. Since it had nourishing properties, it was fine for everyone to drink it together.


    While they were eating, Ruyi briefly explained her plan to everyone. The details still had to be worked out, but she gave them a general outline of what she intended to do.


    Everyone was also a part of this place and Ruyi treated them like family, so she had to get their approval first.


    In the end, she got everyone¡¯s consensus.


    Jiang Danhe nodded silently. This was indeed a good idea. When he was in the capital, most of the people he knew paid a lot of attention to their health. They stuffed large amounts of herbal cuisine and beverages into their stomachs. Although Yonghai County was not big, there were many rich people here. There were also many officials who had settled with their families within the county. Therefore, if they opened a shop that specializes in herbal cuisine, it should work out pretty well.


    After lunch, Ling Long and Fu¡¯er cleared the table. The others gathered around the table and discussed the plan together.


    Everyone contributed their ideas and thoughts. After some time, a perfect and rigorous business framework was neatly laid out on the table. From hiring at the shop to the prices of the dishes, it was a thorough and comprehensive business plan.


    Ruyi carefully put away the stack of rice paper. With the plan in hand, she had to implement it quickly. After all, time was money.


    Xiaoguo let out a few coughs. Her throat was feeling a little dry. She had already given Ruyi all the recipes she could think of. Ruyi was in charge of taking notes. There were five large sheets of paper with the ingredients and herbs listed out in detail. It was clear and easy to understand.


    Just as Xiaoguo was looking for water, Jiang Danhe, who had been watching her, immediately handed her a cup of warm water.


    She didn¡¯t thank him. Since they were already on such familiar terms, there was no need for formalities.


    She took the cup and finished it in one gulp. Jiang Danhe then handed her another cup. Xiaoguo glanced at him before drinking up the water.


    Immediately after, she burped. She had gotten quite full from too much water.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We¡¯ll head back now.¡±


    The group hung around until the afternoon when Xiaoguo got up and prepared to say her goodbyes.


    Qin Anming picked up Zhuang Zhuang and said to the two of them, ¡°Xiaoguo, Danhe, how about letting Zhuang Zhuang stay here with me for the next two days?¡±


    He had thought about this for some time. Since Jiang Danhe had returned, it would be good for the two to enjoy some couple-time.


    As he thought about it, he felt a little embarrassed. It wasn¡¯t easy for Qin Anming to voice this out since he was still a little big kid.


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was the first to ask.


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want to be with Uncle?¡±


    In order to help his brother-in-law, Qin Anming had to wheedle Zhuang Zhuang into staying with him.


    ¡°¡­ not exactly.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang turned his face away awkwardly. It was hard to watch his uncle doing that.


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    The corner of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth twitched. What kind of expression was that? She couldn¡¯t bear to look at him.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t quite understand what Qin Anming¡¯s intentions were. He thought that Qin Anming wanted to spend more time with Zhuang Zhuang, so he agreed readily, ¡°Sure.¡±


    With that, he looked at Xiaoguo again and asked carefully, ¡°Will that be okay?¡±


    Although he was fine with it, the decision-maker in the house was still XIaoguo.


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe had agreed, Qin Anming wept tears of relief in his heart. It seemed that his brother-in-law understood his intentions.

 Chapter 201 - 201 Couple Time

    201 Couple Time


    ¡°¡­ All right.¡±


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe had agreed, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything else. She was thinking the same thing as him. Qin Anming probably wanted to spend time with Zhuang Zhuang, so the boy should just stay. However¡­


    ¡°Will you guys be free in the next two days?¡±


    The shop would be open for business in the next two days. Wouldn¡¯t Zhuang Zhuang be getting in the way? Although Xiaoguo didn¡¯t think that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s presence would be much of an issue.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We are taking a break for a few days, so the shop will be closed for the time being. While the shop next door is being renovated, we could use this time to take a nice break.¡±


    Ruyi said at the side. Things will get even busier when the shop reopens in two days, so everyone should take a break to recuperate and prepare for the battle in the coming days.


    Xiaoguo was relieved to hear that. ¡°But Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s clothes and shoes are¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Go back quickly. Don¡¯t worry about Zhuang Zhuang. I¡¯ll buy new clothes and shoes for him. Just go.¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was not done speaking, Qin Anming hurriedly pushed the two of them out.


    Xiaoguo turned around like she was going to say something, but Qin Anming refused to let her speak. He only let go of them when they got into the donkey cart.


    ¡°I was going to say that I haven¡¯t taken my claypot.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming helplessly. She was trying to voice out about the claypot, but he kept asking her not to worry.


    ¡°Why is he asking me not to be worried? I didn¡¯t take my claypot and he told me not to worry. What is he trying to do?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming in confusion, wanting to find out what he was up to.


    Qin Anming blushed. The others couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get it.¡±


    Ling Long raised her hand and ran into the shop to get the pot. She had just washed it, so she knew where it was.


    Faced with Xiaoguo¡¯s suspicious gaze, Qin Anming¡¯s skin turned red and then pink. It just would not return to its normal skin tone.


    ¡°Alright, alright, you¡¯d better go. Go back while the sun is still up.¡±


    After seeing Jiang Danhe take the pot, Qin Anming urged the two of them to leave.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at each other and shook their heads. Helpless, they drove away in the carriage.


    Go back by dawn? Please, the sun is still up. Even if they were to walk back, it would still be early.


    Qin Anming heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Finally they¡¯ve gone back. Don¡¯t let me down and give me a baby niece soon.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the donkey cart in the distance and was on the verge of breaking down. Why didn¡¯t anyone ask him how he felt before leaving?


    Along the way, Xiaoguo looked at the scenery but refused to meet Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t know why, but she was feeling uneasy without Zhuang Zhuang by her side.


    On top of that, just before reaching home, she realized that with Zhuang Zhuang gone, she and Jiang Danhe would be the only ones left at home.


    No way! No wonder Jiang Danhe had been looking at her strangely along the way.


    He was clearly up to no good!


    Xiaoguo silently fastened her clothes and made sure that they wouldn¡¯t be ripped apart easily, That wasn¡¯t right! Why would she think that Jiang Danhe would rip her clothes? Oh my god, her head was filled with a lot of useless junk.


    Jiang Danhe had also realized the same thing. As soon as he got home, he couldn¡¯t wait to return to his room. He flipped through the book hidden under his pile of clothes. According to the illustrations, should he go out and take a shower at night before trying to seduce Xiaoguo?


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe was a little hesitant. Although it seemed like a good idea, it may not be wise to do that under such weather conditions. If he did this, he would probably fall sick the next day. How would he be able to seduce anyone if he was sick?


    ¡°No, no, no. I should forget about it and try it in the summer instead.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, my muscles were still there, right?¡± At the thought of this, Jiang Danhe reached out and lifted his shirt to touch his abdominal muscles. After confirming that his muscles were still there, he felt relieved.


    However, it had been a long time since he worked out. Has he become flabby? Jiang Danhe pinched hard and realized that he was still pretty ripped. He was completely relieved.


    Just as Jiang Danhe was checking on his muscles, Xiaoguo was in another room, fastening her clothes with all her might.


    In the evening, the two of them went back to their respective rooms after dinner. Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief. It had been so awkward during dinner that she hadn¡¯t eaten much.


    Just when Xiaoguo thought that everything was safe, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Guo, are you asleep?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After saying that, Xiaoguo realized her mistake. How could she talk if she was asleep?


    Jiang Danhe smiled and opened the door with a blanket and pillow.


    Startled, Xiaoguo shrank back into her bed as much as she could, then she looked down to make sure she was dressed.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I want to sleep with you. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll just sleep.¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt her resistance, but he really wasn¡¯t thinking about anything other than sleeping. If he did, he would have done so the last time. Now, he knew it was impossible, so he was not going to try. In any case, they still have a long time ahead of them so he could take his time. Besides, he was still young. He could endure it for another few years.


    Xiaoguo swallowed her saliva and tugged her pillow further to the side.


    Jiang Danhe was delighted. She had agreed!


    He quickly placed his pillow on the bed, in case she changed her mind.


    The two of them lay flat on their backs with a fist¡¯s width between them. With each breath they took, they drew closer and closer to each other.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s body was as stiff as a rock. Xiaoguo¡¯s scent was very tempting. He was beginning to think that he might have made a wrong decision.


    Xiaoguo was also feeling a little uncomfortable. It wasn¡¯t that she was resisting. It was just an inexplicable feeling. She had slept on the same bed with Jiang Danhe before, but at that time, Zhuang Zhuang was lying between them, and they were both fully clothed. But now, both of them were in their undergarments, and Zhuang Zhuang wasn¡¯t around¡­


    To be honest, it would be a pity if nothing happened tonight.


    But in the end, the two of them did sleep through an uneventful night.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo felt like she was surrounded by a ball of hot fire the moment she opened her eyes. It was very comfortable and her entire body felt warm. Xiaoguo subconsciously rubbed against the object that was keeping her warm, but a muffled groan woke her up.


    As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw his jawline. Xiaoguo swallowed and suddenly realized that his Adam¡¯s apple was also moving. She suddenly had a bad feeling.


    As expected, when she looked up, she saw a pair of soulful eyes staring straight at her.


    Startled, Xiaoguo sat up instinctively. She could feel her face burning.


    Based on her guess, she had clung onto him the entire night just like an octopus. Moreover, her legs were on his¡­


    Ah¡­!!!


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo did not dare to look at him again. She covered her head with the blanket and hid under it like an ostrich.


    Jiang Danhe smiled helplessly when he saw her like this. The moment she woke up, he had covered himself with the blanket.


    Men were hot-blooded in the morning, especially after being tortured by her for the entire night. It was good enough that he had not lost control.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, oh Xiaoguo, you¡¯re so cute. It¡¯s so unbearable.¡±


    Xiaoguo continued to hide like an ostrich. When she heard the sound of Jiang Danhe getting out of bed, she tensed up and did not dare to move until she couldn¡¯t hear him anymore.


    After a while, she tried to come out from her hiding place. She took a peek and didn¡¯t see Jiang Danhe. Feeling relieved, she lifted the blanket and took in a deep breath of fresh air. She had almost suffocated under the blanket.


    Xiaoguo glanced over and saw Jiang Danhe¡¯s pillow and blanket. Could he be sleeping with her again tonight? Xiaoguo blushed again. At this moment, she suddenly remembered something. Earlier on, what was the thing that her leg brushed against¡­?

 Chapter 202 - 202 Secret Base

    202 Secret Base


    No matter how shy Xiaoguo was feeling, she still had to get up and make breakfast.


    Before leaving the room, she cracked open the door and saw that Jiang Danhe was not around. Only then did she dare to go out. She ran to the kitchen and filled a pot with water to cook porridge.


    Although she did not wish to know where he went, it was quite strange that he was not around when she came out.


    Xiaoguo looked out of the window as she cooked. He was neither inside nor outside the house. Where had he gone?


    When Xiaoguo had finished cooking and was bringing out the dishes, Jiang Danhe came out of the other room. His body was still damp.


    Xiaoguo was surprised to see him. So he was actually in the house. She thought that he had gone out. But with his damp hair, she wondered if he¡¯d just showered.


    ¡°It was a little warm, so I took a shower.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at her puzzled gaze and explained. He avoided eye contact and sat on a chair while waiting for his meal.


    She nodded and didn¡¯t ask more. If he said it was hot, then so be it, even though the weather is pretty cold.


    Xiaoguo had cooked plain porridge. She had gone into the other space to take out a few sausages from the refrigerator. After frying the sausages, she went on to prepare some pickled radish slices.


    It was just the two of them eating. Without Zhuang Zhuang around, Xiaoguo was still not used to it. She kept thinking about cooking for three.


    The two of them were feeling a little awkward because of the small episode in the morning. Neither of them took the initiative to speak, but they still showed concern for each other at the dining table. Jiang Danhe kept adding food to Xiaoguo¡¯s bowl, and Xiaoguo also refilled porridge for Jiang Danhe when his bowl became empty.


    After dinner, Jiang Danhe went to wash the dishes. Xiaoguo took a broom and began to sweep the floor. At this moment, Xiaohu from Mrs. Yang¡¯s house came over.


    ¡°Auntie, is Zhuang Zhuang here?¡±


    As he spoke, he tiptoed and peeked inside, looking for Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang isn¡¯t here. He is in the county with his uncle.¡±


    Xiaoguo stroked Xiaohu¡¯s head and said regretfully,


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± When Xiaohu heard this, he wailed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to Doudou¡¯s house first.¡±


    With that, he ran off. Xiaoguo looked at the anxious Xiaohu and smiled. ¡°He is so energetic.¡±


    The two of them had nothing to do at home, so Jiang Danhe invited Xiaoguo out for a walk.


    She agreed and strolled with him along the river. The atmosphere was cordial.


    ¡°It¡¯s really getting cold.¡±


    Xiaoguo inhaled deeply. Previously, the air still smelled warm, but now it felt a little cold. When she breathed in, she could feel a cooling sensation in her lungs.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s almost December. It¡¯s getting cold.¡± When Jiang Danhe heard this, he walked nearer to Xiaoguo and tried to shield her from the cold air.


    ¡°That was quick.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she looked at the yellowing leaves. She still remembered that it was hot when she first arrived. To think that winter is coming soon.


    ¡°By the way, is Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday coming up?¡±


    Jiang Danhe thought of December and suddenly thought of the boy¡¯s birthday. He had calculated the dates before. They got married in February, and with ten months of gestation, Zhuang Zhuang should have been born around mid to late December.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she thought about it carefully and realized that it was true. ¡°Twenty-sixth.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang was born, he wasn¡¯t a full term baby. He had arrived slightly earlier. Xiaoguo remembered that it was night time. After a long night of labor, Zhuang Zhuang was delivered during sunrise.


    Jiang Danhe looked like he was deep in thought with his head lowered.


    ¡°What is it?¡± When she didn¡¯t hear his reply, Xiaoguo turned to look at him curiously.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Jiang Danhe shook his head and said regretfully, ¡°I might not be able to stay till then.¡±


    Time did not allow him to stay for so long, so he would not be around during Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she nodded. In the past, Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t know that his father was still alive, so he didn¡¯t have much to look forward to on his birthday. But now that Jiang Danhe was still alive, Zhuang Zhuang most probably would wish to spend his birthday with his father.


    But the current circumstances did not allow it, and there was nothing they could do.


    The two of them walked around the village along the river. The villagers rarely came here, so the road was very quiet. No one was around to disturb them.


    Jiang Danhe stopped when they reached an intersection.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe curiously, not understanding why he had suddenly stopped walking.


    Jiang Danhe glanced at Xiaoguo and suddenly smiled. Then, he pulled her and walked towards one direction.


    ¡°Aye, where are we going?¡±


    Xiaoguo thought that it was strange when she was dragged towards that direction. This seemed to be a path leading to the mountains. Were they going up there?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just follow me. I¡¯ll bring you somewhere.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said mysteriously as he held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand tightly.


    Xiaoguo was amused by his secretive behavior. ¡°Is he taking me to his secret base?¡±


    She was guessing curiously in her heart while trying to keep up with his pace.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the familiar path despite the overgrown weeds. The more he walked, the more memories he had.


    When he followed his family from the capital to Peach Blossom Village, he saw for the first time what a poor countryside looked like. For Little Jiang Danhe, who had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, it was a lot for him to take in. At that time, he was not used to eating plain green vegetables, so he often went on hunger strikes. In order to educate him, Mr. Jiang would stop giving him food to let him have a taste of hunger.


    There was once when he ran out in a fit of pique and got lost because he wasn¡¯t familiar with the roads in the village. He wandered around and accidentally found a place. There were many big trees there that had pears growing on them. Some were bearing fruits that he couldn¡¯t name. He gorged on the fruits right there and then. When his family found him, he was holding on to a bundle of fruits wrapped up with his shirt.


    From then on, he would often go there to eat the fruits. Although it was not meat, those fruits were much more appetizing to him at that time.


    Coming out of his memories, Jiang Danhe brought Xiaoguo to a steep slope that they had to pass through to get to their destination.


    ¡°Hold on tight to my hand.¡±


    Jiang Danhe brought Xiaoguo to his side and held her hand tightly. When Xiaoguo heard this, she grabbed hold of him. Although she didn¡¯t know why they were here, Xiaoguo felt safe with him.


    The roads here were a little strange and winding. They were also lined with spiky branches. On top of that, they have to go up a steep slope. Even so, Xiaoguo still held on tightly to Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand. With him around, she can go anywhere.


    Jiang Danhe was tall and strong. With him carrying Xiaoguo, she didn¡¯t even need to put in much effort. He pulled and lifted her safely onto the flat plains.


    Xiaoguo stood on the ground and took in the scene in front of her. This place was too awesome.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    Jiang Danhe patted the dust off behind himself, then he walked around to Xiaoguo¡¯s side. Taking her hand, he led her forward.


    ¡°It looks wonderful.¡±


    Xiaoguo took a few steps forward and admired the scenery in front of her¡ªPeach Blossom Village was just a short distance away.


    ¡°Is this the top of the mountains?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked curiously. She could see the blue sky, the rising sun, and a bird¡¯s eye view of the entire Peach Blossom Village.


    ¡°Of course not. The top is higher than you think. This is only a third of the way up.¡±


    Jiang Danhe scratched her nose in amusement. He found her words very innocent and cute.


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips in embarrassment. Indeed, this height was a little too low for a mountaintop.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Seeing that she was still looking at the village, Jiang Danhe took the initiative to lead her towards the back.


    Xiaoguo looked away reluctantly. She was trying to locate their house in the distance, and was wondering if she could see through the windows.


    Jiang Danhe stood in front of Xiaoguo and blocked her from the branches. With a few quick moves, he managed to clear the branches in front of him.


    At his signal, Xiaoguo bent down and walked through the gap between the branches. As soon as she entered, she was shocked by the rotten pulp spread across the ground.

 Chapter 203 - 203 Chestnuts

    203 Chestnuts


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked up at the lush fruit trees and the ripened fruits. She was extremely tempted.


    Jiang Danhe was right behind her. He jumped onto a tree with familiarity and picked two big pears right off it. He wiped them against his clothes and handed one to Xiaoguo.


    Before Xiaoguo could retract her surprised gaze, Jiang Danhe had already come down. She took the delicious-looking white pear and swallowed her saliva before taking a bite. The pear was super juicy and sweet.


    ¡°Delicious.¡±


    Xiaoguo widened her eyes and nodded. It had been a long time since she had eaten fruits. She had almost forgotten the taste of pears. Now that she was tasting it, she really missed it so much.


    Jiang Danhe took a bite too. It was indeed delicious.


    The two of them finished the entire pear hurriedly. Xiaoguo licked the juice at the corner of her lips and said anxiously to Jiang Danhe, ¡°More!¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s mind was in a daze and he couldn¡¯t hear anything else. He could only hear his own heartbeat. All he could see were Xiaoguo¡¯s moist lips and her pinkish tongue. Every time she licked her lips, it felt like something was slashing his heart.


    She wasn¡¯t asking for a pear, she was asking for his life!


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s mind was in a daze. He was pushed up the tree by Xiaoguo again. He picked out more pears and wrapped them up with his shirt.


    By the time he got down, his face was blushing and his heart was still racing. He was hoping for a nosebleed to extinguish his fire.


    Although Xiaoguo was eating the pears, she did not forget to observe the surrounding fruit trees. Upon closer inspection, she found many other types of fruit trees, but there was one that particularly caught her attention.


    ¡°You want this?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at the strange fruits on the tree with lingering fear. He asked Xiaoguo again and again with uncertainty.


    With his shirt in her hands, Xiaoguo was getting sick of his questions. She handed him the shirt and prepared to climb the tree herself.


    Jiang Danhe was shocked and quickly stopped Xiaoguo. ¡°Guo, you can¡¯t eat this. That prickly shell would hurt you.¡±


    He had seen that fruit before when he was young. Out of curiosity, he had picked one, but he got pricked when he touched it. At that time, he was still quite young. He was so frightened that he didn¡¯t dare to touch that fruit again.


    ¡°Just pry it open and eat the fruit inside.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the chestnuts in front of her longingly. If she had to list out the things she likes to eat, chestnuts would be at the top of the list.


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe was still hesitating, Xiaoguo decided to climb the tree herself.


    Jiang Danhe had to call her ¡°little ancestor¡± several times before he managed to stop her. Xiaoguo started to sulk as Jiang Danhe wouldn¡¯t climb up the tree himself, and yet he refused to let her do it. She stood at the side looking unhappy. She shot him a look and signaled to him to climb up that tree.


    Jiang Danhe had no choice but to stuff the robe into his belt. Then, he got on a branch in a few moves. At Xiaoguo¡¯s urging, he broke off a tree branch and aimed at the green and thorny shells. ¡°Guo, stand further away.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was worried about the chestnuts falling on her. After she moved away, he hit hard at the fruits.


    Xiaoguo kept her mouth closed, afraid that she would salivate. As she watched the green fruits fall from the tree, she couldn¡¯t wait to cook and eat them.


    Seeing that a lot of chestnuts had dropped off the tree, Jiang Danhe came down. Xiaoguo took off her jacket and spread it on the ground before picking up the chestnuts one by one. She was feeling regretful now. Had she known that there were so many fruits here, she would have brought the big basket that was as tall as Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe really didn¡¯t know what Xiaoguo was rejoicing about. ¡°This thing is inedible.¡±


    However, he still bent down to pick them up with her. To Jiang Danhe, he was willing to do anything that made Xiaoguo happy.


    Xiaoguo picked up the fruits happily and bundled up a lot of other fruits using their clothes. However, most of them were apples and pears. Xiaoguo had wanted to bring back more chestnuts, but she didn¡¯t have any clothes left.


    When the two of them came down from the mountains, they were dressed in only one layer of clothes. The rest of their garments were used for holding the fruits.


    On the way down, Xiaoguo tried to remember the route. She planned to bring more baskets the next time she comes, so that she can collect more fruits.


    Jiang Danhe could tell what she was thinking at a glance. He said solemnly, ¡°You can¡¯t come here alone.¡±


    The roads here were not easy to navigate, and there were also steep slopes. Jiang Danhe could not imagine if Xiaoguo came up alone and fell off the mountains.


    Just thinking about it made him perspire in fright. .


    When she saw his serious expression, Xiaoguo had second thoughts about it. But it was such a pity to ignore the presence of these fruits.


    ¡°Okay, I promise you. I won¡¯t come without you.¡±


    In the end, Xiaoguo agreed. The emotions in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes looked so complicated. Xiaoguo felt terrible seeing him like this. In order to reassure him, she promised not to come here alone.


    Jiang Danhe heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this. He smiled and wanted to reach out to rub Xiaoguo¡¯s head. But before he could do that, Xiaoguo immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t raise your hand. The fruits will fall.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand, which had stopped in midair, looked extremely awkward. Xiaoguo wished that she hadn¡¯t spoken. She was such a spoilsport.


    Eventually Jiang Danhe still managed to rub her head. He said helplessly, ¡°They won¡¯t fall.¡±


    He proved with his actions that the fruits would not fall when he raised his hand.


    Xiaoguo smiled awkwardly. It was really embarrassing. Those words just now made her sound like a fool who only cared about those fruits and not for the person in front of her.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t mind. He continued to stand in front of Xiaoguo with his tall body blocking her. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know if it was her imagination or reality, but she felt that the air around her had become much warmer.


    Looking at the figure in front of her, Xiaoguo felt an indescribable sense of security. She quietly reached out and grabbed the corner of his shirt.


    The man was stunned. Then he strode forward again, adjusting his strides to accommodate Xiaoguo¡¯s speed.


    She secretly pursed her lips and smiled. Ever since Jiang Danhe felt the subtle movement behind him, his ears had turned red.


    The two of them picked a route with fewer people because of their current appearance. There were leaves on their heads and hay hanging from their clothes. Looking the way they did, strangers might think that they had done something shameful.


    They were very lucky. They didn¡¯t bump into anyone along the way. However, when they reached the house and Xiaoguo opened the door, Jiang Danhe detected some movements around the house.


    He quickly looked in that direction, but he didn¡¯t see anything. Jiang Danhe frowned and wanted to take a closer look, but he was stopped by Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Xiaoguo opened the door and urged Jiang Danhe to go in. But the man was still standing at the door and looking outside. Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t as sensitive as him and didn¡¯t notice anything unusual.


    The two of them stood at the door for a while. A gust of wind blew past, and Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. She forcefully dragged Jiang Danhe into the house.


    Jiang Danhe was puzzled. What he saw just now was very disturbing. He began to feel a niggling sense of worry.


    As he was naturally sensitive, he was quite sure about his instincts. There must have been something there just now.


    However, he did not tell Xiaoguo about this. He just had to be careful since he had yet to figure out the situation. If he were to tell her about it, it would only make her worry. It was better to figure it out first.


    After Xiaoguo was done washing up, she saw that Jiang Danhe was still sitting on a chair with a frown. ¡°Seriously, does this person neglect his health just because he has a big body? He¡¯s wearing so little, yet he doesn¡¯t know to hurry back to his room to change.¡±


    Xiaoguo pushed Jiang Danhe into the house. Just as she was about to wash the fruits she had brought back, there was a knock on the door.


    She checked her attire to check that she was dressed appropriately before walking over to open the door.


    ¡°Sister-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    Yang Jia lowered his head and waited for Xiaoguo to answer before looking up. ¡°I¡¯m here to return the book.¡±


    After hearing the purpose of his visit, Xiaoguo let him go into the house to exchange some books while she continued to sort out the fruits.


    Yang Jia didn¡¯t think it was a good idea, but seeing how serious Xiaoguo was, he couldn¡¯t say anything else. He entered the house and quickly returned the books before picking out new ones. He didn¡¯t linger a second more.

 Chapter 204 - 204 He’s a Real Man

    204 He¡¯s a Real Man


    Xiaoguo watched Yang Jia leave and shook her head. This child was really polite. He wasn¡¯t being polite for polite¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Who was here?¡±


    Just as Yang Jia left, Jiang Danhe came out of the bathroom and saw the door closing.


    ¡°Yang Jia, he was here to exchange books.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t even look up. She was too busy with the fruits in her hands.


    Jiang Danhe deliberately stood beside Xiaoguo for a while, but she still had no intention of looking up. In the end, he pursed his lips and entered the house.


    As he returned to the house to get dressed, he thought to himself, ¡°It seems that seducing her with these abs is not really working out.¡±


    That¡¯s right. Jiang Danhe did not put on his clothes immediately after washing up. Instead, he only wore his pants. He did think about coming out without his pants at first, but he was afraid of scaring Xiaoguo. So he still put them on shyly, leaving only his upper body bare.


    Unfortunately, in Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes, his perfect body was nothing compared to those thorny fruits.


    Jiang Danhe put on his shirt regrettably and tidied up the clothes he had changed out of. However, he suddenly felt jittery. ¡°Where is the book?¡±


    Jiang Danhe rummaged around. Where had he left it yesterday?


    After rummaging around without success, Jiang Danhe calmed down and thought carefully. He had seen it while changing in the morning, but it was gone now. He had gone out with Xiaoguo earlier and when they returned, only one person had dropped by the house¡ªYang Jia!!


    Jiang Danhe pushed open the door and ran out. Xiaoguo called out to him, and he gave her a random excuse. Before Xiaoguo could ask further, he ran off.


    He was still hoping that he could get there in time.


    Before he could knock, Yang Jia had opened the door. He was holding a book in his hand and his face was flushed. When he saw Jiang Danhe, he realized who the book belonged to.


    Jiang Danhe was embarrassed and wanted to explain, but Yang Jia was too shy to listen. As soon as he saw Jiang Danhe, he immediately handed over the book. After hesitating for a long time, he said, ¡°Brother is a real man!¡±


    ¡°Yang Jia, listen to me¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, the only response Jiang Danhe received was a door shutting in his face. ¡°Let me explain¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, from today onwards, I won¡¯t be seeing Yang Jia anymore.¡±


    Jiang Danhe gloomily returned to the house with the book and hid it in the deepest corner of his bag. He had to find a chance to get rid of everything!


    On the other side, Yang Jia returned to the house and patted his burning face. He didn¡¯t expect to see a flower encyclopedia when he was picking out the books. He thought that it was a book about the different types of flowers. To think that it was that kind of book. Thinking of the illustrations on it, Yang Jia immediately recited the Heart Sutra to calm himself down.


    However, he sighed again in his heart. ¡°Brother Jiang was indeed a real man!¡±


    _


    When Jiang Danhe returned home, he felt uneasy as he thought about it. It was better to discard these books as soon as possible, in case they caused more misunderstandings..


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while.¡±


    Jiang Danhe covered his stomach nervously and said goodbye to Xiaoguo without looking back.


    Xiaoguo was peeling the chestnuts in her hand. She tossed a strange look in the direction he had left, but she didn¡¯t pay further attention to it. At this moment, all she could think about was the chestnuts at her feet.


    Jiang Danhe held the books in his arms and carefully avoided the crowd along the way. He arrived at the river outside the village. He was thinking of throwing the books into the water, but on second thought, he felt that it was inappropriate. Firstly, it would pollute the river. Secondly, it would be terrible if the books drifted back to the village and got picked up by someone.


    Then, he came to the foot of the mountains. There was a broken cliff there. He came across it when he was out earlier in the day. It had not been there before this.


    Jiang Danhe stood at the top and looked down. It was bottomless. Very good. He was very satisfied with the height. If he threw everything over, no one would discover them.


    Just as he was about to throw the books off the cliff, someone suddenly called his name from behind.


    ¡°Danhe?¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s body stiffened. He quickly retracted his hand and put the books back into his arms. He turned around calmly. ¡°Brother Yang.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Brother Yang nodded and carefully walked towards Jiang Danhe. He grabbed him and pulled him away from the edge.


    When they reached leveled ground, he asked him curiously.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe realized that Brother Yang was accompanied by many men behind him. There were also a few familiar faces in the crowd. Jiang Danhe nodded at them before answering Brother Yang, ¡°I just discovered a cliff here. I was worried that someone could fall from here, so I came over to take a look.¡±


    Jiang Danhe lied calmly. When Brother Yang and the others heard this, they nodded in agreement.


    ¡°We just realized it too. It wasn¡¯t here before. I don¡¯t know why the ground suddenly collapsed. We have come here to fence the place up with rocks.¡±


    After Brother Yang finished speaking, Jiang Danhe realized that each of them was holding a hemp rope. Were they going to use the rope to drag the rocks?


    Since he had bumped into them, how could Jiang Danhe leave just like that? He had to join in and help.


    Seeing that Jiang Dange was about to get down to work, Brother Yang quickly stopped him. The others didn¡¯t know that he was a general, but Brother Yang did. He couldn¡¯t possibly let a general do such menial work. ¡°Danhe, Xiaoguo is alone at home. You should go back first.¡±


    As he spoke, he winked at Jiang Danhe, signaling him to hurry back.


    Jiang Danhe was about to refuse Brother Yang, but before he could speak, a dissatisfied voice sounded from the crowd. ¡°Brother, what are you saying? Who doesn¡¯t have a wife who is alone at home?¡±


    When Brother Yang heard this, his expression turned cold. Brother Yang had a say in this group, so everyone was used to listening to him. Wearing a frown on his face, he turned around and was prepared to lash out at the man who spoke out.


    When Jiang Danhe saw that, he quickly stopped Brother Yang and shook his head at him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s work together.¡± The sooner he was done, the sooner he could get rid of the books.


    Brother Yang didn¡¯t know what Jiang Danhe was thinking, but he was inexplicably touched by his words. It was a great honor to have such a high-ranking official do laborious work with them. No wonder he could get to his position as a general. He was definitely not someone who lazed around and did nothing.


    With that thought in mind, Brother Yang stopped smiling and rolled his eyes at the young man behind him. Lazy people make the most noise.


    Just like that, the group worked together to find a big rock and secured it with a rope. They dragged it to a spot about five meters in front of the cliff and adjusted it to stand on the ground. In fact, they didn¡¯t need a tall structure. As long as it serves its warning purpose, it was enough.


    Jiang Danhe had put in a lot of effort. As he was thinking about throwing the books, he worked especially hard.


    Because of that, Brother Yang kept looking at him with an admiring gaze while they were working. Jiang Danhe was feeling anxious, but Brother Yang kept talking to him. He tried to find an opportunity to leave alone, but he didn¡¯t manage to do it. Eventually he had to walk with everyone to their respective houses.


    When he finally found the perfect excuse to leave, Jiang Danhe was already physically and mentally exhausted. Whenever there was an emergency, all sorts of things would come knocking on his door.


    Forget it. The further he went, the more trouble there would be. Jiang Danhe decided to throw the books nearby. He randomly found a pit and threw them in. Looking at the books that were camouflaged under the weeds, Jiang Danhe finally smiled in relief.


    He clapped his hands and walked back. On the way, he bumped into Xiaohu who was playing with his friends. Since he was in a good mood, he played with the children for a while before going home.


    Of course, although it was called playing, it was just him standing at the side and letting the children climb on him. Whoever got onto his shoulder would be the winner.


    It was inevitable. It was very difficult to find a person who had the same physique as Jiang Danhe in the village. He was tall and strong. The other men were either short or scrawny. Therefore, it was rare for the children to encounter a human wall like Jiang Danhe. They were quite happy with their playmate.


    Xiaohu reluctantly bade farewell to Jiang Danhe. Seeing how unhappy his friends were, Xiaohu suggested going to the grass pit to play. When the children heard this, they were overjoyed. The group walked towards the grass pit where Jiang Danhe had disposed of the books.

 Chapter 205 - 205 Twists and Turns

    205 Twists and Turns


    Jiang Danhe was oblivious to it all. He happily helped Xiaoguo start the fire.


    ¡°Why are you so happy?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe, who looked extremely happy. She found it strange. He was hardly so cheerful on normal days.


    When Jiang Danhe heard her words, he nodded in acknowledgment. How could he not be happy? The episode with Yang Jia served as a reminder to him. What if Zhuang Zhuang was the one who picked up the book instead? His image as a father would crumble to bits. It would be even worse if Xiaoguo finds out about it. When he thought of the scenario, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver. What a frightening thought.


    Xiaoguo looked at him and smiled. His facial expressions looked exactly like Zhuang Zhuang.


    Soon, Jiang Danhe¡¯s good mood disappeared.


    Just as Jiang Danhe was helping Xiaoguo to cut the chestnuts, Xiaohu and the other children started knocking on the door.


    When he heard the group of children chattering outside, Jiang Danhe suddenly had a bad feeling. He stopped Xiaoguo and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get the door.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she slowly sat down and narrowed her eyes at Jiang Danhe suspiciously. Something is not right.


    Jiang Danhe coughed and pretended to be calm as he got up to open the door.


    Then, he saw the books in Xiaohu¡¯s hands. In an instant, Jiang Danhe¡¯s calmness disappeared. He closed the door behind him guiltily to block Xiaoguo¡¯s view.


    ¡°Uncle, is this yours?¡±


    Xiaohu handed over the books to Jiang Danhe as if he was asking for credit. The little boy behind him also looked at Jiang Danhe expectantly.


    Faced with so many pure and innocent eyes, Jiang Danhe¡¯s face turned red. There could be nothing more embarrassing than this.


    Feeling hopeful, he took the books. ¡°Have you seen the contents?¡±


    ¡°No, Brother Xiaohu said that the books were private property. So we can¡¯t read them.¡±


    On the other side, Jiang Danhe¡¯s favorite kid chimed in. As soon as the boy finished speaking, they both laughed. However, one was laughing with relief, while the other one was looking for praise.


    Jiang Danhe put away the books with relief and stroked the children¡¯s heads one by one. These children are so lovable, especially Xiaohu. He had really saved his life.


    ¡°You are awesome, you are awesome.¡±


    Jiang Danhe praised them one by one. Then, he turned around and returned to the courtyard. He found the big pears that Xiaoguo had washed. After getting her permission, he handed the fruits to the children.


    The children had wanted to climb on Jiang Danhe¡¯s back, but when they saw the pears, they held them like treasures and ran home.


    Jiang Danhe pretended like nothing had happened and was about to return to the house with the books.


    Xiaoguo was not about to let him off. She sized him up and finally landed her gaze on his abdomen.


    ¡°Stop right there.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he subconsciously stopped, but when he regained his senses, he quickly ran away. Xiaoguo was only trying to tease him, but he actually ran away in fear. Seeing his abnormal behavior, Xiaoguo blinked and thought, ¡°He must be up to something.¡±


    Jiang Danhe returned to the house and closed the door tightly. He took out the books and threw them on the bed. He looked at them hatefully. ¡°You¡¯re still clinging to me. Why can¡¯t I get rid of you? I just don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    In the following period of time, Jiang Danhe attempted to dispose of the books on multiple occasions. But each time, Xiaohu and the kids managed to find the books and return them. It was as if they had radar installed on them. Jiang Danhe was so frightened that he stopped trying to discard the books.


    This time, it was the same. He had already buried the books, but Xiaohu still came back to return them.


    Jiang Danhe was already numb. He took the books and returned home. Xiaoguo was cooking dinner in the kitchen. Looking at the distracted man, she wondered what he was up to, having been out the whole day.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, come and start the fire.¡±


    Xiaoguo called out to the man who just set foot in the house.


    Jiang Danhe responded and turned to walk towards the kitchen. Halfway through, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He felt like slapping himself. How stupid of him to not have thought of such a simple solution!


    ¡°Coming!¡±


    Feeling happy, Jiang Danhe raised his voice and yelled in response.


    Xiaoguo looked at him strangely. Why was he responding again when he had just said yes?


    Jiang Danhe tried to find an opportunity to throw the books in, but Xiaoguo kept circling around the stove. He waited for an opportunity and when he finally found the chance, he was suddenly startled by Xiaoguo¡¯s voice behind him. He turned around and realized that it was the sound of himself kicking a basin.


    Just like that, Jiang Danhe did not burn the books eventually. He wondered if Xiaoguo had discovered something. In order to err on the side of caution, he decided to terminate his plan to discard the books.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the books that were still there after so many twists and turns. In the end, he thought of a good place for it.


    Since he couldn¡¯t get rid of them, he would bring them back to the capital to give to Li Shouji. In any case, didn¡¯t he always say that he was a lonely bachelor? The books could help him out with his loneliness.


    _


    Time passed quickly. It was almost time to pick up Zhuang Zhuang. It was also the opening day of the new noodle shop.


    Xiaoguo took out the chestnut pancakes that she had made with Jiang Danhe a few days ago. She would share the pancakes with everyone at the shop


    The taste and shapes of the chestnut pancakes were of the best quality¡ªbut this only applied to those that were made by Xiaoguo. The funny-looking ones that were made by Jiang Danhe would be saved for consumption at home.


    Xiaoguo was in charge of taking the pancakes out and wrapping them in waxed paper. Jiang Danhe was in charge of tying the ropes.


    ¡°You have to tie a bow.¡±


    Xiaoguo folded the waxed paper in her hand and did not forget to remind Jiang Danhe. Xiaoguo was afraid that if she didn¡¯t remind him, he would tie the packages carelessly.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As expected, when Jiang Danhe heard this, he untied the rope he was tying and tried his best to tie a bow.


    Although he didn¡¯t know how to tie it, he had to pretend that he did. Otherwise, he was afraid that Xiaoguo would sigh at him again. He had already heard her sigh countless times at him when they were making chestnut pancakes.


    He was worried about Xiaoguo trying her best to praise him when he wasn¡¯t doing very well.


    Xiaoguo looked up and could tell that he didn¡¯t know how to tie a bow. She got up and held his hand, carefully teaching him the steps.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    After Xiaoguo let go of the string, she picked up the wrapped bundle and set it aside. She then continued to fold the paper.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe did not dare to speak. He could only say that he knew vaguely because he had been too busy feeling flustered. Xiaoguo was standing so close to him just now¡­


    ¡°Did you not look?¡±


    Seeing his expression, Xiaoguo realized that he wasn¡¯t watching just now.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°For the last time, watch closely.¡±


    Xiaoguo got up helplessly. He was already a grown man. Why was he acting like a child?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes widened. He tried his best to ignore the fact that Xiaoguo was pressing tightly against his back to show him the steps. He tried to focus on what was in front of him rather than what he was feeling at the back.


    A simple bow was not a problem for Jiang Danhe. As long as he drew his attention away from Xiaoguo, he could understand the simple task at a glance.


    The two of them locked the main door and drove to the county city.


    Not long after they left, a figure suddenly appeared at the door. He was holding the lock and fiddling with it seriously.


    After a while, he gave up and kicked the door angrily. He was obviously angry that he failed to open the lock.


    At this moment, Mrs. Yang happened to come out of her house. She looked over and noticed the black figure. When she saw his suspicious actions, she shouted and successfully scared him away.


    Mrs. Yang felt a lingering fear in her heart. She didn¡¯t know who it was, but when the person was gone, she walked over and looked at the door. She was relieved to see that the lock was still intact. It seemed that there was no one at home and the lock had not been broken.


    She had to tell Xiaoguo to be careful. This was no joke.


    Mrs. Yang looked regretfully at the path where not a single soul was in sight. If she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have called out to that person. She would have quietly walked closer to check out who it was.

 Chapter 206 - 206 Magistrate Liu Arrives

    206 Magistrate Liu Arrives


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were still unaware of what had happened at home.


    When they arrived at the county city, Jiang Danhe did not go to the noodle shop. Instead, he went to a wine shop and instructed Xiaoguo to wait for him before he went in by himself.


    Xiaoguo nodded. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, she could guess his intentions.


    Jiang Danhe came out with a jar of Nu¡¯erhong1. According to the customs here, wine was usually given during the opening of a restaurant. It signifies that the restaurant would enjoy a long and lasting business.


    Xiaoguo held onto the wine jar while Jiang Danhe drove the donkey cart steadily to the noodle shop.


    This was the first time the two of them had seen the noodle shop after its renovations. The shop entrance had become wider. Looking inside, they realized that the interior had more than doubled in size.


    The two of them looked at each other, exchanging looks of interest. Jiang Danhe quickly tied up the donkey cart and helped Xiaoguo out. Holding the jar in one hand, he held Xiaoguo with his other hand and walked together into the shop.


    Ruyi was wearing new clothes and was beaming with joy. She was hanging up calligraphy and paintings in the hall. Everyone else was also wearing joyful expressions on their faces.


    Even Zhuang Zhuang was dressed in red and seated in Qin Anming¡¯s lap. The boy was writing something with a brush.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, Brother-in-law, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Ruyi saw the two of them first. She put down the calligraphy painting in her hand and skipped to their side.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Ruyi. The renovations looked pretty good.¡±


    Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows in admiration. Ruyi was really amazing at managing renovation works.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard the voices, he immediately raised his head and looked around for the two of them. His big eyes were filled with longing. When he saw them, he immediately threw down his brush and pounced on them.


    Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang happily. It had been a few days since they last met. She missed him very much.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang with difficulty. ¡°Was this kid becoming overweight?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, everyone came up with ideas for the renovations.¡±


    When Ruyi heard Xiaoguo¡¯s praise, she rubbed her head in embarrassment.


    As soon as she entered, Xiaoguo looked curiously at the renovation of the shop. There was a large circular partition on the wall between the two shops. One side was for serving Malatang, and the other side was for serving herbal cuisine. The overall renovation style was elegant and exquisite. When XIaoguo entered the place, it didn¡¯t feel like a noodle shop. It looked more like a bookstore or teahouse.


    Jiang Danhe looked around with admiration and handed the opening gift to Ruyi. ¡°Congratulations on the opening.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother-in-law, Sister Xiaoguo.¡±


    Ruyi took the gift. Ling Long tactfully took it from her and put it away.


    At this moment, Qin Anming was hanging some poems on the wall. He said to Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe, ¡°Take a look. How is it?¡±


    Jiang Danhe thought that it was written by Qin Anming, so he admired it carefully and fawned over it. ¡°Brother, your handwriting is very good. Every stroke, every lift, and every tick is so charming. Your handwriting is a true reflection of your character¡ªneat, clean and upright.¡±


    Xiaoguo stole a glance at him. How did he manage to say all those things without batting an eyelid? It was almost admirable. But then again, ¡°Brother, your handwriting has improved.¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t lying. She had seen Qin Anming¡¯s handwriting before, and it wasn¡¯t as beautiful as it was now. He had improved significantly.


    Qin Anming was confused. He was not the one who did those writings. ¡°I didn¡¯t write this.¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were stunned when they heard this. He didn¡¯t write it?


    ¡°Father, Mother, I¡¯m not your brother. I¡¯m your son.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was still in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms, looked at the two of them in horror.


    To think that Zhuang Zhuang had written these words.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at each other and sighed. It turned out that they had made a big mistake. However, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s handwriting had indeed improved a lot recently. Compared to his previous works which were a tad immature, his writing now had become visibly more skillful.


    ¡°Hahahahahaha.¡±


    When the others heard this, they immediately burst into laughter.


    This small episode passed quickly. Only then did Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe realize that the calligraphy and paintings hanging in the shop were all done by Zhuang Zhuang.


    At first glance, it looked exactly like the work of a certain master painter. Ruyi also felt that they were nicely done, so she chose to hang them on the wall of the restaurant.


    When it was almost the auspicious hour, the county magistrate found out from some sources that Jiang Danhe was here. Hence, he rushed over with his private advisor and soldiers.


    The convoy stopped at the entrance and attracted the attention of the crowd. They gathered curiously to see what was going on.


    When Xiaoguo saw the dramatic arrival of the convoy, she had a bad feeling. No way¡­


    Jiang Danhe was also feeling a little strange at that moment. He looked down at Xiaoguo and when he saw the look on her face, his suspicions were confirmed.


    ¡°Oh, General, Madam, how are you?¡±


    His voice could be heard even before he arrived.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at each other and sighed. It was really him.


    Just as expected, immediately following his voice, Magistrate Liu entered the house with his big belly. His private advisor followed behind him with a smile, carrying a gift box in his hand.


    ¡°¡­ County Magistrate Liu.¡±


    ¡°You still remember me?!¡± Magistrate Liu gave a look of disbelief as he covered his heart in excitement. ¡°General, I¡¯m really touched. It¡¯s my honor to be able to be acquainted with you¡­¡±


    Magistrate Liu went on and on. At first, Ruyi and the others were shocked to see Magistrate Liu. They didn¡¯t know what was going on. However, when they saw how familiar he was with Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe, they heaved a sigh of relief.


    By the time Magistrate Liu finished speaking, everyone¡¯s thoughts had already run through their brains countless times.


    ¡°County Magistrate Liu.¡± Seeing that he was about to start talking again, Xiaoguo quickly stopped him with a smile. ¡°We are greatly honored by your presence.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s my honor to have you, General and Madam. I wouldn¡¯t dare to accept such a big compliment.¡±


    Magistrate Liu said with a terrified expression.


    Xiaoguo laughed pretentiously. She didn¡¯t expect Magistrate Liu to become even more skillful with his words after not seeing him for so long. How did he manage to remain calm and composed while spouting all that flattery?


    Although Magistrate Liu was flattering Jiang Danhe all this while, he had come prepared. He had long found out the reason why Jiang Danhe was here. How could he have come empty-handed?


    ¡°Give me the gift.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the smiling private advisor behind him immediately handed the gift box to Ruyi. They had done their homework and he could recognize everyone here.


    Ruyi carefully took the gift box. She didn¡¯t know what to do. She didn¡¯t know if she should take it or not. Holding the gift box was like holding a hot potato. She could neither throw it away nor accept it.


    After handing over the gift to Ruyi, the advisor smiled at Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe, who had been acting dumb at first, was helpless. He knew why Magistrate Liu was doing this. He had mobilized so many people just to get in his good books.


    Forget it. In any case, it would be a good thing if this shop had the blessing of the county magistrate.


    ¡°Thank you, County Magistrate. If you need anything in the future, I will offer help to the best of my capabilities.¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not say anything absolute. He emphasized the words ¡°within my capabilities¡±. He was sure that Magistrate Liu would understand.


    Magistrate Liu was overjoyed to receive Jiang Danhe¡¯s assurance. He naturally understood what Jiang Danhe meant. In any case, this was the guarantee he needed. He would not do anything out of line anyway.


    He thanked Jiang Danhe profusely and happily told him that he would stay behind for good luck.


    Xiaoguo did not speak. When she heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s words, she turned around and looked at Ruyi who was looking awkward. Coincidentally, their eyes met. Xiaoguo nodded at her, indicating for her to take the gift without worries.


    When Ruyi saw this, she was relieved. It was good that she could keep the gift.

 Chapter 207 - 207 Theres Only One Truth

    207 There¡¯s Only One Truth


    Xiaoguo turned around and looked at Jiang Danhe. She was thinking the same thing as what he was thinking. The purpose of Magistrate Liu putting in so much effort was to get into Jiang Danhe¡¯s good books. But from the looks of it, the magistrate was probably eyeing for a promotion.


    However, Xiaoguo wondered if it would cause Jiang Danhe trouble.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo was a little hesitant. Since Magistrate Liu was the county magistrate and the head of Yonghai County, his act of coming personally to offer a congratulatory gift during the opening ceremony is very beneficial for the small noodle shop. When the commoners saw that the magistrate was here, they would definitely follow suit and come to eat. This way, it would help to elevate the status of the noodle shop in the hearts of the commoners. In the future, when the commoners bring this up, the first thing they think of would be the noodle shop that the magistrate had come to visit.


    However, she didn¡¯t know if this would put Jiang Danhe in a difficult position. After all, from what Xiaoguo knew, he wasn¡¯t the type who would abuse his powers to secure advantages for others


    Magistrate Liu really stayed on to wait with them. He hung around after lighting the firecrackers, and only left when the official opening ceremony was over.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t want to leave at all. He wanted to get closer to Jiang Danhe. After all, he would have to rely on him in the future. In the end, it was his private advisor who couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, and took the initiative to drag him away.


    The private advisor was also under a lot of pressure. Couldn¡¯t the magistrate tell that the general¡¯s face had turned dark? However, he could only blame his master for not being sensitive enough. He was trying so hard to get close to the general that he had pushed the general¡¯s wife to the side. No one would want to have a man hovering around by his side all the time.


    Just like that, Magistrate Liu did not appreciate his private advisor¡¯s good intentions and even blamed him for interrupting his interactions with his beloved general.


    Having no other choice, the private advisor kept apologizing until the magistrate was willing to let it go.


    ¨C


    After the opening ceremony, it was not convenient for Xiaoguo and the others to stay. After all, the restaurant had just opened and the guests were coming in and getting seated.


    Initially, Xiaoguo wanted to help out. She was afraid that the shop would get too busy. However, under Qin Anming¡¯s repeated urging, and Ruyi¡¯s assurance about the new shop assistant¡¯s capability, Xiaoguo finally followed Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang home.


    Along the way, Zhuang Zhuang kept kissing Xiaoguo. He hung on to her neck, refusing to let go. He also kept talking about what he had eaten and done over the past few days. Along the way, he was afraid that Jiang Danhe would be jealous, so he hugged and kissed him too. After that, he continued to tell them about his experiences.


    Jiang Danhe wiped the saliva stains on his face helplessly. He wasn¡¯t jealous of the boy not giving him hugs and kisses. He was more jealous of the fact that Zhuang Zhuang had kissed his wife so many times. He was green with envy. Why wasn¡¯t he the one kissing Xiaoguo instead?


    It had only been a few days since Zhuang Zhuang left them, but he was already missing them so much. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know if she should be happy or not.


    ¡ª-


    When she got home and opened the door, Mrs. Yang was just leaving the house. When she saw Xiaoguo, she opened her mouth with the intention of telling her something, but she stopped when she saw Zhuang Zhuang beside her.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you¡¯re back.¡±


    Mrs. Yang stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head and said, ¡°Your Brother Xiaohu misses you so much. When he was sleeping, he kept talking about you coming back.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Zhuang Zhuang smiled shyly. ¡°Auntie, I miss Brother Xiaohu and Sister Xiaohua too.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang knew about being fair. If he missed Xiaohu, he should think about Xiaohua as well.


    ¡°Yo, this kid is good. He didn¡¯t miss out on anyone.¡± Mrs. Yang covered her mouth and smiled.


    Zhuang Zhuang felt embarrassed and quickly ran back into the house.


    Xiaoguo glanced at Jiang Danhe, who nodded and followed closely behind the boy, leaving Xiaoguo alone with Mrs. Yang.


    Seeing that there was no one around, Xiaoguo asked what was going on. Although Mrs. Yang was quick to change the topic just now, she still noticed it.


    ¡°I was looking for you this morning, but I had just barely stepped out of the house when I saw someone behaving sneakily outside your house. He looked like he was trying to break into your house. I shouted and chased him away but I didn¡¯t see who it was.¡±


    When she spoke of this, Mrs. Yang felt that it was a pity. She was still upset with herself for yelling at the person too soon. Otherwise, she would have been able to see the face.


    After Mrs. Yang finished speaking, Xiaoguo broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Why did you shout? What if the person turned around to attack you!¡±


    Xiaoguo was a little afraid. Mrs. Yang was sometimes too bold and impulsive.


    Mrs. Yang was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect Xiaoguo to get worried about her instead of thinking about her own house. She was touched and she said gently, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Old Yang is at home. Besides, it¡¯s only a few steps. I would have reached home before the person could catch up with me.¡±


    Seeing that Mrs. Yang really didn¡¯t care, Xiaoguo really had to nag at her. She shouldn¡¯t be careless about such things. She had to be extra careful.


    After listening to Xiaoguo¡¯s nagging, Mrs. Yang felt a lingering fear in her heart. ¡°Yes, yes. I won¡¯t do it again. It¡¯s really scary now that I think about it.¡±


    Just as Xiaoguo had said, if she had seen the person¡¯s face, he or she might have killed her in order to shut her mouth. And her entire family could have been killed at the doorstep of her house. Now that she thought about it, she really had been too impulsive.


    Seeing that Mrs. Yang was aware of the dangers, Xiaoguo started to ask about the person trying to break in.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, do you remember what that person looked like?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Mrs. Yang nodded and tried to recall. ¡°That person was wearing a black outfit. I don¡¯t know what style it was, but the hair looked messy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing else?¡± Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang who was nodding. She was stunned. That was it??


    According to Mrs. Yang¡¯s description, there was a person prying open the door. Based on his attire, she could only tell that it was a person. There was no other information that she could provide her with.


    ¡°It was such a pity.¡± Mrs. Yang nodded. If she had called out a little later, she would have been able to tell if it was a man or woman.


    This was a little difficult. Xiaoguo thought to herself. There was no way to check since they didn¡¯t even know the person¡¯s gender.


    ¡°By the way!¡± Mrs. Yang clapped her hands and suddenly thought of something. ¡°The person did turn around at that time, but I couldn¡¯t tell the skin color from the face. In those few seconds, I couldn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    As soon as Mrs. Yang finished speaking, Xiaoguo was even more confused. She could only tell that it was a human being.


    After bidding farewell to Mrs. Yang, Xiaoguo returned to the house. She didn¡¯t expect Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang to be waiting for her.


    As soon as he saw Xiaoguo, Jiang Danhe asked, ¡°What did Mrs. Yang say to you?¡±


    Xiaoguo sat opposite him and told Jiang Danhe everything that Mrs. Yang had told her.


    As expected, his response was the same as Xiaoguo, he was speechless after hearing everything. How could they possibly find out who it was?


    They were both wondering who it could be. Zhuang Zhuang was lying on the bed and he fell into deep thoughts while watching his parents.


    ¡°Dressed in black, with messy hair and a face of indistinguishable color, it sounded just like that person!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand. Jiang Danhe, who was deep in thought, did not respond. He just patted his head. Zhuang Zhuang got up helplessly and got out of bed to look for Xiaoguo. He also shook her arm.


    Xiaoguo thought that Zhuang Zhuang was looking for comfort, so she patted his head and ask him to play on the bed.


    Seeing that both of them were ignoring him, Zhuang Zhuang snorted unhappily and jumped onto the bed. With his hands on his hips, he stuck out his round stomach and shouted at them, ¡°I know who it is!¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang came back to their senses when they heard the commotion. They saw what Zhuang Zhuang was doing and said, ¡°Take off your shoes!¡±


    Xiaoguo was only concerned about the boy getting into bed with his shoes on. She scolded him sternly. Jiang Danhe helped to take off Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s shoes.


    Zhuang Zhuang stood up unhappily from the bed and glared at the two of them. ¡°There¡¯s only one truth!¡±


    His words successfully brought the two of them back to their senses. They looked at each other before turning to look at Zhuang Zhuang together. Jiang Danhe gave him a look, signaling him to tell.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth was agape. Looking at the smug Zhuang Zhuang, she thought of a character.


    ¡­Mr. Conan??

 Chapter 208 - 208 Visiting Li Zhaodi at Night

    208 Visiting Li Zhaodi at Night


    Xiaoguo shook off her wandering thoughts and looked at Zhuang Zhuang again. ¡°Do you know who it is?¡±


    Jiang Danhe also looked at him with interest, wanting to hear who it was.


    Zhuang Zhuang pretended to move like an adult. With his hands behind his back, he paced slowly on the bed. ¡°This person is¡­ Li! Zhao! Di!¡±


    Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows and looked at Zhuang Zhuang curiously. ¡°How can you be sure that it¡¯s her?¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard her words, he looked at Zhuang Zhuang again. He was also curious. Why was it her? He had just remembered who Li Zhaodi was.


    ¡°Because Li Zhaodi is dressed in rags and has a strange expression on her face,¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang sat on the bed and said innocently.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. Zhuang Zhuang had actually affirmed the suspect just because of this. She thought that the boy had seen Li Zhaodi trying to break in.


    Jiang Danhe shook his head. This alone was not very convincing.


    Seeing that neither of them believed him, Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious. ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe comforted him and quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang snorted in annoyance when he heard those obviously perfunctory words. He turned his back and played with his feet, ignoring the two of them.


    Xiaoguo smiled, then she paused as she thought of something.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. How could she have forgotten? Li Zhaodi was a likely suspect!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Jiang Danhe asked in confusion as he was suddenly dragged out of the house by Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Shh.¡± Xiaoguo told him to stop talking. Then, she turned to look at Zhuang Zhuang. She was relieved to see that he was still sulking. She continued to pull Jiang Danhe further away from the house.


    Just a moment ago, the two of them were still laughing at the name that Zhuang Zhuang had mentioned. Now that they are talking about Li Zhaodi again, their son would be furious to hear them. Therefore, it was best to discuss it behind his back.


    ¡°Are you serious?!¡±


    Jiang Danhe asked in surprise after hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s analysis.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Xiaoguo was eighty percent sure that it was Li Zhaodi. ¡°She had broken into our house before and harassed my brother. She doesn¡¯t know that my brother is not living here anymore.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she know?¡± Jiang Danhe frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that she was pretending to be crazy?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. If she wasn¡¯t pretending to be crazy, she wouldn¡¯t have run away in fear when Mrs. Yang yelled at her.


    ¡°Since she¡¯s pretending to be crazy, she must know that Brother has left.¡± Seeing that Xiaoguo still didn¡¯t understand, Jiang Danhe continued, ¡°With her pretending to be crazy, it must be easy for her to eavesdrop on others. After all, no one would be wary when speaking in front of a lunatic.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem likely. When my brother left, no one saw him.¡±


    ¡°What if she saw it herself?¡± Jiang Danhe asked again. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t speak this time because she suddenly thought of what she had noticed at the door when she sent Qin Anming off the other day. Now that she heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s words, she remembered.


    Seeing Xiaoguo like this, Jiang Danhe knew that this was possible. He did not disturb her thoughts and picked up the water beside him.


    ¡°That¡¯s possible¡­¡± Xiaoguo told Jiang Danhe about what she had noticed the other day. Jiang Danhe nodded to show that he was right.


    ¡°Since she knows that our brother has left, why is she here again?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t understand this. If the target wasn¡¯t Qin Anming, could it be her¡­?


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo shivered and suddenly felt her hair stand on end. What was Li Zhaodi up to?!


    It was obvious that Jiang Danhe was thinking the same thing as Xiaoguo. He frowned and a glint flashed across his eyes. If her target was Xiaoguo, Li Zhaodi could not be spared.


    He couldn¡¯t stay by their side at all times. If Li Zhaodi really threatened Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s lives, he had to get rid of her.


    Jiang Danhe hid the emotions in his eyes and looked at Xiaoguo again. ¡°Then we¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s check out the situation first. How about that?¡±


    After much consideration, Xiaoguo decided to clarify things first. As long as she could figure out what Li Zhaodi was up to, she could make preparations in advance.


    ¡°How do we find out?¡± Jiang Danhe suppressed what he was intending to say. Seeing that Xiaoguo had an idea, he asked.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo blinked and said innocently, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She just wanted to find out, but she wasn¡¯t sure about how. After all, only Li Zhaodi knew about this, so she still had to think about it.


    After a while, Jiang Danhe sighed and rubbed the top of her head. It would be better for him to do this.


    Xiaoguo blushed. After all, she had said that she was going to find out, but there was no plan at all. How embarrassing.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo, who was getting up, and was a little confused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some water!¡±


    Xiaoguo turned to look at Jiang Danhe and asked him to look at the empty glass of water in his hand. She wondered where the water had gone!


    Looking at Xiaoguo¡¯s meaningful expression, Jiang Danhe rubbed his nose awkwardly and nodded. ¡°Go ahead¡­¡±


    ¡ª-


    In the middle of the night. Jiang Danhe was a light sleeper. When he heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s steady breathing, he quietly got out of bed and left the house.


    In the afternoon, he went out for a walk and paid special attention to where Li Zhaodi lived. He was planning to come out in the middle of the night to find out more about the situation. The plan was to look for more clues and guess her motive. If he still didn¡¯t know, he could only send her to the afterlife.


    With regards to killing, Jiang Danhe used to think a lot about it, and was reticent about doing it. However, ever since he entered the military, he felt that killing was actually the simplest solution.


    Besides, his departure was imminent. How could he feel at ease leaving such a scourge like Li Zhaodi behind? Hence, he decided to make things easier.


    Jiang Danhe left the house quietly with a sharp dagger at his waist. He comforted the two puppies in the courtyard and looked in the direction of Xiaoguo¡¯s room. When he saw that it was dark, he opened the door and walked towards Li Zhaodi¡¯s house.


    As soon as he stepped out of the door, Xiaoguo appeared at the doorway too. She was dressed like Jiang Danhe, in a set of dark-coloured attire.


    Xiaoguo opened the front door and stuck her head out. She looked around to make sure it was safe before closing the door and walking out.


    Her goal was very clear. She was also headed for Li Zhaodi¡¯s house. The last time she went with Mrs. Yang, it was quite easy. Therefore, she felt that there would be no problem this time. She would go and find out more about the situation first. Once she had a better idea, she would tell Jiang Danhe when she returned, so as to regain her dignity.


    The two of them walked towards Li Zhaodi¡¯s house, unaware of each other.


    Jiang Danhe arrived first, but before he could reach the house, he quickly hid himself because there seemed to be someone outside Li Zhaodi¡¯s house.


    After hiding, Jiang Danhe finally had the chance to look in that direction.


    Because it was dark, he couldn¡¯t see very clearly, but he could hear everything.


    There was a short man at Li Zhaodi¡¯s door. He first looked around cautiously and knocked when he didn¡¯t see anything unusual.


    When Jiang Danhe saw the man looking in his direction, he immediately hid himself and waited for the man to retract his gaze before he looked out again.


    The man knocked three times and meowed a few times. Then the door opened from the inside. The man smiled and immediately entered before closing the door.


    Jiang Danhe listened attentively. When there was no more movement, he got ready to come out from his hiding place.


    But before he could move, he heard a sound behind him and immediately hid again.


    After a while, a familiar little figure walked over carefully from behind.


    Jiang Danhe almost laughed when he saw this. He knew who this figure was at a glance. This little woman had chosen not to sleep at night, and she actually dared to leave the house and wander around. She was simply too bold!

 Chapter 209 - 209 Conspiracy

    209 Conspiracy


    Jiang Danhe stared at Xiaoguo in anger and amusement.


    He watched as she jogged to the wall of Li Zhaodi¡¯s house and took a few steps back. It seemed like she was going to jump and scale the wall in one go.


    Jiang Danhe slowly approached her.


    Xiaoguo was counting down from three to one.


    As soon as she finished counting, Xiaoguo immediately ran with all her might. But before she could jump, she was intercepted.


    Xiaoguo was so frightened that she cried out instinctively. However, a big hand covered her mouth.


    Leaning against his familiar chest, Xiaoguo suddenly relaxed. Her tense nerves were instantly relieved.


    She heard a low laugh. ¡°Young lady, why are you not sleeping at this hour?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s ears turned red. That bassy voice was too sexy!


    She turned around and glared at him. She sized him up with her eyes. Her mouth was still covered by him, so she could only signal with her eyes.


    ¡°How dare you ask me? What about you!¡±


    Jiang Danhe shushed her before letting go. ¡°Just like you.¡±


    With that, he carried her up the wall.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t have to ask. As soon as he saw her, he could guess her motive. This was the mutual understanding between husband and wife.


    Xiaoguo was shocked by his actions, but she tried to keep her voice down. After all, the two of them were up to no good.


    Jiang Danhe glanced around the courtyard. After confirming that it was safe, he carried her down.


    All this while, Xiaoguo was carried by Jiang Danhe without putting up any protest. In fact, any resistance would be futile.


    After landing on the ground, she was finally upright again. She rubbed at her head which was experiencing a blood rush, and rolled her eyes at him. Then, she gently walked to the window and squatted down.


    Xiaoguo looked at the light in Li Zhaodi¡¯s room and was a little curious. Why was she still awake in the middle of the night?


    Xiaoguo leaned closer and could hear the sounds coming from the house.


    There were odd noises coming from within the house. Even though Xiaoguo had never experienced it before, she knew what was going on. Her face turned red and she quickly tried to move further away.


    But before she could move, Jiang Danhe came from behind and squatted down, trapping Xiaoguo between him and the wall. She became immobilized at the spot.


    Jiang Danhe came slightly later but he could hear the sounds coming from the house too. Filled with embarrassment, he listened to the noises with a red face with Xiaoguo, who was also blushing.


    Soon, normal speaking voices could be heard from inside.


    Jiang Danhe pursed his lips and secretly despised that man. ¡°It had only been a short while since he entered. The time he lasted wasn¡¯t even enough to stir-fry vegetables or heat up a pot. Hehe.¡±


    Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief. She didn¡¯t have to listen to the original soundtrack of the show anymore.


    They leaned quietly against the window, listening for any sign of activity.


    In the room, Li Zhaodi was getting dressed. For once, she was not covered in colorful paint. The skin on her entire body was flushed. It was obvious what had taken place earlier.


    The man, who was short and ugly, hugged the half-naked Li Zhaodi, and said proudly, ¡°How is it?¡±


    When Li Zhaodi heard this, she was extremely disgusted. However, she still pretended to be shy and hid in his arms, looking embarrassed.


    A primal fire burned in the man when he saw her. Although Li Zhaodi was not beautiful, she was still a woman. He had lived for more than forty years and seldom came into contact with women, so in his eyes, any woman will do.


    ¡°Aiya.¡± Li Zhaodi pushed the man away and turned around to suppress her disgust. Then, she pretended to be shy and said, ¡°Alright, why are you behaving like you have never touched a woman? When you lay your hands on Qin Xiaoguo in the future, how are you going to take it?¡±


    At the mention of Qin Xiaoguo, Li Zhaodi¡¯s eyes flickered with malice. In the dark night, those eyes were especially terrifying.


    The two of them, who were outside the window watching everything, suddenly heard Xiaoguo¡¯s name being mentioned. Xiaoguo felt nauseous at that instant. ¡°How disgusting. How horribly disgusting!¡±


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe was infuriated and his breathing had gotten much heavier. Li Zhaodi and that man could forget about living.


    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± When the man in the room heard Qin Xiaoguo¡¯s name, he threw his head back and laughed. ¡°When I think of that little girl, I feel so excited!¡±


    Li Zhaodi snorted in her heart.


    Outside the window, Xiaoguo was about to vomit, but she couldn¡¯t afford to do so as Jiang Danhe¡¯s veins were already bulging as he prepared to charge in.


    Xiaoguo could only calm him down first.


    ¡°Get me Jiang Danhe first. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about it if he¡¯s still around.¡±


    Li Zhaodi couldn¡¯t hide the disdain in her eyes. If it weren¡¯t for her plan, she wouldn¡¯t have hooked up with this man.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe?!¡± The man paused when he heard his name. He was a little afraid. ¡°Is he really a general?¡±


    ¡°Coward.¡± Li Zhaodi snorted.


    The man was clearly furious. He slammed the bed and said angrily, ¡°Li Zhaodi, Li Zhaodi, you¡¯re really thick-skinned. One moment, you¡¯re targeting Qin Anming, and the next moment, you¡¯re targeting Jiang Danhe. Your appetite is really big!¡±


    Li Zhaodi¡¯s face turned red and she tried to hold it in. After all, she needed his help. ¡°Brother Louzi¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I was too hasty.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, at least you know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Chou Louzi was instantly satisfied. He was clearly enjoying her submissiveness and let out a breath through his nose.


    Li Zhaodi leaned into his arms expressionlessly and endured his groping.


    ¡°By the way, are you really sure that Jiang Danhe is a general?¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡± Li Zhaodi remembered what she had heard the other day. ¡°Xiaohu from the Yang family told the other children that day. He didn¡¯t hide it from me. It was exactly what I had heard. Jiang Danhe is a general.¡±


    When Chou Louzi heard this, there was no more hesitation.


    Initially, when Li Zhaodi found him, she was planning to cooperate with him, and have him play out the scene of catching her and Qin Anming in the act. Once the deed was done, Chou Louzi would bring the villagers to catch them in the act. Unexpectedly, she couldn¡¯t find a chance where Qin Anming was alone, so she gave up.


    However, every cloud has a silver lining. After Qin Anming left, Jiang Danhe came into the scene. She was also surprised to hear that he was now a general.


    ¡°General! He was a general!!¡±


    Li Zhaodi immediately went to look for Chou Louzi again. The two of them joined hands again and prepared to use the same trick on Jiang Danhe.


    By that time, Jiang Danhe would belong to Li Zhaodi and Qin Xiaoguo would end up with Chou Louzi. This would be the perfect ending for them.


    ¡°Brother Louzi, you can¡¯t back down.¡± Li Zhaodi was suddenly afraid that he would quit because of Jiang Danhe¡¯s identity. If that were to happen, all her compromises during this time would be in vain!


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Chou Louzi grabbed Li Zhaodi¡¯s butt. ¡°Am I such a timid person? But you have to remember that when you become the General¡¯s wife, you can¡¯t treat me badly. After all, I still have to support that b*tch, Qin Xiaoguo. Hahahahahaha!¡±


    Li Zhaodi rolled her eyes. Initially, their plan had nothing to do with Qin Xiaoguo. However, she happened to bump into Qin Xiaoguo that day and she started to harbor evil thoughts. In the end, Xiaoguo also became part of her plan.


    There was a murderous look in Li Zhaodi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Qin Xiaoguo, don¡¯t blame me. If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for being blessed with everything. You¡¯re good-looking, you married well and you have a good husband. Since you¡¯re so good, you wouldn¡¯t mind us exchanging places. You definitely don¡¯t mind!¡±


    At this moment, Li Zhaodi was completely deluded. She blamed all her difficulties on Qin Xiaoguo.


    Chou Louzi pinched Li Zhaodi¡¯s butt and said with an evil smile, ¡°Based on our agreement, I want Qin Xiaoguo and the money!¡±


    Li Zhaodi put away her thoughts and laughed with him sinisterly.


    The two of them revised their plan and worked out all the details.


    ¡°By the way, what about the kid?¡±


    Li Zhaodi suddenly thought of Zhuang Zhuang. There was no way she would take on the extra burden.

 Chapter 210 - 210 A Life Worse Than Death

    210 A Life Worse Than Death


    At this moment, the two of them felt that their plan would definitely work. So when they assumed the roles of Jiang Danhe and Qin Xiaoguo, neither of them were willing to take on the extra baggage, which was Zhuang Zhuang. So they worked out a vicious plan to get rid of him.


    ¡°Aiya, when this is done, we can just find a pit and bury the kid.¡±


    When Chou Louzi heard Li Zhaodi¡¯s concern, he waved his hand in frustration and replied heartlessly.


    Li Zhaodi immediately nodded in agreement. The viciousness in her eyes was surging. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s existence was evidence of Qin Xiaoguo¡¯s fertility. To her, that was like a fishbone stuck in her throat. She couldn¡¯t let him live. It would be better if she could deal with him as soon as possible.


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Chou Louzi didn¡¯t want to discuss further about the things that were about to come true. It was better to do something meaningful now. ¡°Let¡¯s do it before dawn¡­¡±


    He was lusting for Li Zhaodi again and he gestured to her.


    Li Zhaodi gave him a shy look and lay down pretentiously, but in her heart, she was dying to cut him up.


    Looking at his anxious and lusty expression, Li Zhaodi gritted her teeth and thought to herself that when she became the general¡¯s wife, she would chop him into minced meat and feed him to the centipedes!


    Halfway through their conversation, Xiaoguo could no longer hold back her emotions. She lowered her head and searched for a suitable tool. She was dying to kill these two bastards with a slash of the knife!


    When she heard them talking about Zhuang Zhuang later on, the anger in her heart was erupting. It was Jiang Danhe who hugged her tightly to calm her down. Otherwise, she would have crashed into the house.


    The storm in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes could no longer be suppressed, but now was not the time. As he listened to each step of their plan, his desire to kill them grew stronger.


    In the end, before they could hear any more disturbing noises from the house, Jiang Danhe jumped over the wall with Xiaoguo in his arms.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo clenched her teeth tightly, afraid that she would roar to vent her anger if her mouth was open.


    Jiang Danhe was the first to calm down. When he saw that Xiaoguo¡¯s lips were bleeding from biting herself, his heart ached for her. He got her to unclench her teeth and gently stroked her bleeding lips. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely make them pay the price.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was exceptionally calm. She looked into Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t kill them directly. Make them wish that they were dead.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was stunned. How did she know that he was going to kill them?


    Xiaoguo gently pushed the dagger at Jiang Danhe¡¯s waist. She had seen it just now and could guess his intentions.


    ¡°¡­Okay, I will make them wish that they were dead.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded and touched Xiaoguo¡¯s emotionless face. It would be more thrilling to do it that way.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t think of herself as a good person, but she had never taken the initiative to provoke Li Zhaodi. She didn¡¯t expect her to collude with someone to deal with herself. Most importantly, she was plotting against her only weakness in life, Zhuang Zhuang.


    In that case, she would not be soft-hearted. Letting them die would be too easy on them. It would be better to let them live in a way that they would rather be dead.


    ¡ª-


    After that day, Xiaoguo hardly saw Jiang Danhe around. Zhuang Zhuang was very puzzled by this and kept asking Xiaoguo where his father had gone.


    Xiaoguo knew what he was busy with, but she couldn¡¯t tell Zhuang Zhuang the truth, so she only gave him an ambiguous reply. Although Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t understand, he didn¡¯t ask further.


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was writing conscientiously, and felt a chill run down her spine again. How could those two people be so vicious to think about harming an innocent child?


    As for Li Zhaodi, neither the previous owner nor herself had ever antagonized her in any way. To think that she was planning such vicious methods to deal with her and even colluded with that person to commit evil.


    Recalling what she had heard last night, Xiaoguo felt disgusted, especially when the two of them were fantasizing about her and Jiang Danhe. She was on the verge of throwing up her dinner from the previous night.


    She didn¡¯t even know that there was a person called something Louzi in Peach Blossom Village? It was really disgusting. Only now did Xiaoguo understand this saying.


    There is a bottom to the abyss, but the human heart is unpredictable.


    ¡ª-


    At night, Jiang Danhe only returned after Xiaoguo had put Zhuang Zhuang to bed.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    Xiaoguo put on her clothes and shoes, and got out of bed. She left the room and looked at the man sitting at the table.


    Jiang Danhe shook his head, indicating that he had not eaten.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you something.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she took the candle and prepared to go to the kitchen to cook.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe grabbed her. ¡°Don¡¯t trouble yourself. We¡¯ll talk about it in the morning.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned when she heard that. She waved his hand away and went to cook.


    What was this person talking about? That they will talk about it tomorrow. It would feel terrible to go hungry through the night.


    When Xiaoguo waved her hand, Jiang Danhe suddenly gasped, as if someone had caused pain to his wound.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    Hearing the sound he made, Xiaoguo nervously put down the candle and leaned over to check.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Jiang Danhe grabbed Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and assured her.


    Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t listen to him. She did hear something just now. How could he be fine?


    As expected, using the light of the candle, she saw that his knuckles were wounded. It seemed that she had accidentally brushed against him when she waved her hand.


    ¡°See? It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was content to receive Xiaoguo¡¯s concern. Although he really felt that this small injury was nothing, he was satisfied that Xiaoguo was worried about him.


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s nothing?¡± Xiaoguo carefully stroked his bruised knuckles. ¡°There¡¯s no ointment at home. What should I do¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel a little regretful. Why didn¡¯t she keep some ointment at home? Now that his hands were injured, what if they got infected later on?


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine,¡± Jiang Danhe said gently. His heart was melting into a soft mess. ¡°This blood belongs to someone else. I just hit him too hard and bruised my knuckles.¡±


    Jiang Danhe saw that Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes were a little red, so he quickly explained.


    ¡°¡­Really?¡±


    Xiaoguo sniffed and looked up at Jiang Danhe suspiciously.


    ¡°Really.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart was melting. Why was Xiaoguo so cute? Her big eyes were red and watery as she looked at him. He was totally melting. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was still not convinced, Jiang Danhe quickly dabbed some water over the wounds and cleaned away the blood stains. He revealed a patch of bruised peeling skin and showed it to Xiaoguo so that she could take a closer look.


    ¡°See? It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Xiaoguo held his hand and checked carefully. She realized that it was indeed not that serious. Speechless, she dropped his hand. ¡°Then why were you hissing just now?¡±


    ¡°Sheesh¡­¡± Jiang Danhe rubbed his shoulder and elbow. ¡°My hand is fine, but my elbow was injured.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯re really something.¡±


    Jiang Danhe pursed his lips and did not say anything. He was too worked up at that time.


    ¡°Tell me what happened.¡±


    Xiaoguo poured him a glass of warm water and looked at him with her face in her hands. After a busy day, it was time for him to share his accomplishments.


    Jiang Danhe took a sip of water and looked at Xiaoguo. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything. Just wait and see.¡±


    Xiaoguo was immediately dissatisfied. What kind of sharing was this? ¡°I want to hear the details.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ can¡­ tell¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe said mischievously. He liked it when Xiaoguo was anxious.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Xiaoguo pouted and looked at his smug expression. She really wanted to knock him on the head.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Jiang Danhe stroked Xiaoguo¡¯s hair and stroked it. ¡°Put simply, it¡¯s giving them a taste of their own medicine.¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s thoughtful expression and tapped her little nose dotingly. ¡°Just wait for the show.¡±


    There were some things that should be left to him. He didn¡¯t want to tell her about the details of all the evil deeds in case they dirtied her ears.

 Chapter 211 - 211 An Actor

    211 An Actor


    Xiaoguo was a little dissatisfied when she heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s words. It was as good as saying nothing. However, she also understood that if Jiang Danhe decided to keep his mouth shut, she wouldn¡¯t be able to pry anything out of his mouth. Zhuang Zhuang was exactly the same as him.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo, who was rolling her eyes and getting up to leave. He called out to her nervously. Was his teasing too much for her to bear?


    ¡°To cook for someone.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo walked towards the kitchen without looking back.


    Jiang Danhe chuckled and looked at her departing figure. He stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°What are you coming with me?¡±


    ¡°To start a fire.¡±


    ¡°How silly¡­¡±


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, Xiaoguo was still sleeping when she was suddenly woken up by a scream outside. She subconsciously looked around for Zhuang Zhuang. When she was more awake, she remembered that Zhuang Zhuang was sleeping in another room with Jiang Danhe.


    By now, Xiaoguo was wide awake. She tried to remain calm and put on her clothes and shoes. After tidying up the bed, she left the house to check things out.


    Judging from the commotion outside, it should be what Jiang Danhe had mentioned to her.


    Xiaoguo was secretly curious about how Jiang Danhe would expose Li Zhaodi and Chou Louzi. She pretended to be calm in case anyone saw through her unusual expression.


    Jiang Danhe stood by the window in the house and looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s excited back view. He smiled helplessly. She was really cute. He finally understood now. When he was in the capital, the emperor had told him that Xiaoguo didn¡¯t look like a woman at all. She moved more like a little girl.


    She looked totally just like a little girl. Jiang Danhe retracted his gaze and shook his head with a smile. While rushing out to watch the commotion, she had forgotten to roll down her collar.


    Jiang Danhe returned to the bed and gently adjusted the earmuffs on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s ears. He looked kindly at the boy¡¯s rosy face as he slept. ¡°Carry on sleeping, my child.¡±


    This was the first time Xiaoguo had taken the initiative to check out a commotion. Afraid that Mrs. Yang was still unaware, the first thing Xiaoguo did when she went out was to knock on Mrs. Yang¡¯s door.


    As soon as Mrs. Yang appeared at the door, Xiaoguo excitedly dragged her towards the bustling place.


    Mrs. Yang was dumbfounded. This was quite unusual. Why was Xiaoguo more anxious than her this time?


    Along the way, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t act like she knew. She could only pretend and say that there was something interesting to watch.


    Mrs. Yang loved to rubber-neck. When she heard this, she ran faster than Xiaoguo. It was her turn to drag Xiaoguo with her.


    As she ran, she asked, ¡°Where? Where? Where?¡±


    Xiaoguo vaguely mentioned a place. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but from the sounds of it, it should be at the village chief¡¯s door.¡±


    The night before, Xiaoguo had begged Jiang Danhe for a long time before he gave her a clue. He just said the words¡ªvillage chief¡¯s house.


    With a specific destination in mind, Mrs. Yang ran like the wind. Xiaoguo was dragged along so quickly that she was on the verge of screaming. They were running at lightning speed!


    As they approached the place, they could see a fair-skinned couple wrapped in each other¡¯s arms, engaging in an indecent act.


    The village chief¡¯s wife was screaming. There were a few unidentified characters among the crowd who were also screaming, seemingly trying to attract attention. When they saw more people starting to crowd around, they immediately retreated and fled.


    The two of them were the first few to arrive. Since there were not many people crowding around yet, they easily found a good spot. Slowly, the crowd became larger and some even came with melon seeds and peanuts.


    When Mrs. Yang and Xiaoguo got close enough and saw what the couple was doing, they couldn¡¯t help but exclaim at the same time. Fortunately, they hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast, or they would have thrown everything up.


    ¡°How shameless they are to do this in broad daylight.¡±


    Someone who came later to the scene couldn¡¯t help but spit at the two of them. However, his eyes were still glued to the rolling couple on the ground.


    When Xiaoguo saw this, she pulled Mrs. Yang away from the man. Such a character was quite disgusting. He claimed that the couple was disgusting, but who knows, he could be as repugnant as the two of them.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡±


    Mrs. Yang covered her mouth and felt like throwing up. ¡°What was Li Zhaodi doing with that man?¡±


    Xiaoguo also covered her mouth, but she was smiling. If she hadn¡¯t overheard their plan, she would have been the one putting on the show today.


    With this thought in mind, a dark glint flashed across Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Have a taste of your own medicine, Li Zhaodi.¡±


    Finally, the voices from the crowd woke the intoxicated couple. They hurriedly broke away from each other and looked for cover. However, the setup was intentional, so the surroundings had been cleared out. With not even a soil mound in sight, the two of them could only squat down in a panic and wrap their arms around themselves. However, it was clearly useless. Whatever they tried to shield was still exposed.


    Xiaoguo looked away for a moment. If she had to look at them for another second, her eyes would go blind.


    However, looking at their faces, there were no wounds on them. Who had Jiang Danhe hit?


    The village chief¡¯s wife had fainted from anger earlier and was slowly waking up now. No one could possibly be in a good mood if they saw such a scene at their doorstep first thing in the morning.


    The village chief also clutched at his heart and tried to hit Chou Louzi with a stick, but he was stopped by someone.


    Xiaoguo thought that it was a pity. If only no one had stopped him¡­ he could then give the man a good beating.


    As soon as the thought flashed past her mind, for some reason, the hand that reached out to stop the village chief slipped, and the stick landed hard on the back of Chou Louzi. His back instantly became red and swollen. He cried out in pain while Xiaoguo exclaimed in satisfaction.


    Having vented his anger, the old village chief stopped trembling. He pointed at the despicable couple and cursed at them.


    Before he had finished ranting at them, a man suddenly appeared from among the crowd. He pointed at Li Zhaodi, who was on the ground, and started cursing. All kinds of unpleasant words were spat at Li Zhaodi, forcing her to move backwards.


    Out of nowhere, somebody kicked Li Zhaodi¡¯s butt, which was getting closer and closer to the crowd. When the man who was scolding her saw her falling towards him, he subconsciously pushed her away. That sent Li Zhaodi sprawling to the ground, with her bare body completely exposed.


    There were all kinds of marks on her skin, and everyone looking on was cursing at her. All kinds of insults were thrown at her and Chou Louzi.


    Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, the old village chief quickly called out to the man, who had come out to scold Li Zhaodi. ¡°Which village are you from? You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re from Peach Blossom Village.¡±


    When the man heard the old village chief¡¯s words, his disdainful expression instantly disappeared. He immediately cried and hugged the old village chief¡¯s leg, crying out for justice. ¡°Village chief, you have to help me. Some time ago, Li Zhaodi asked me to help her knock out a man in exchange for five taels of silver. But later on, she suddenly changed her mind. Not only did she back out from paying me, she even got someone to beat me up. What an injustice¡­¡±


    As soon as he said that, there were gasps around him. Everyone was trying to guess if he was telling the truth.


    Even Mrs. Yang asked Xiaoguo curiously, ¡°Isn¡¯t Li Zhaodi crazy? Why would she do such things?¡±


    Xiaoguo sneered. ¡°Who knows if she¡¯s really crazy?¡±


    The old village chief rubbed his chest again. He forced himself to stand up and looked at Li Zhaodi. ¡°Li Zhaodi, are you really crazy or are you faking it?¡±


    Li Zhaodi was always creating trouble in the village. The village chief wondered if his body could take all this drama.


    After the effects of the medicine wore off, Li Zhaodi finally came back to her senses and took a good look at her surroundings. With a scream, she got everyone¡¯s eyes on her again. When the onlookers heard the old village chief¡¯s question, everyone immediately suspected if she was really crazy.


    Seeing that she was not talking, the man spoke again. ¡°Of course she¡¯s pretending to be crazy. She¡¯s doing this so that you wouldn¡¯t chase her out, and continue to provide her with shelter and food.¡±


    Afraid that no one would believe him, the man added, ¡°She told me this herself.¡±


    As soon as the man finished speaking, the old village chief and everyone around him looked at Li Zhaodi. ¡°Is that true, Li Zhaodi?¡±


    Using someone¡¯s sympathy was the worst thing to do. The old village chief was completely furious. Over the past few days, he spent so much effort going from door to door, begging fellow villagers for food to give to Li Zhaodi. To think that everything was just an act. It was completely unforgivable.

 Chapter 212 - 212 Its Great That Youre Here

    212 It¡¯s Great That You¡¯re Here


    ¡°It is¡­¡± When Li Zhaodi heard his words, she subconsciously wanted to refute him, but she was unable to say anything. The words were rolling within her her mouth and finally, she blurted out, ¡°¡­It¡¯s true!¡±


    No, no, no. There was fear in Li Zhaodi¡¯s eyes. This was not what she wanted to say, but she seemed to have lost control over her mouth.


    Li Zhaodi panicked. Chou Louzi turned over to look at her in disbelief. ¡°This woman has to be insane!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, alright¡­¡± The old village chief said the same word repeatedly. It was obvious that he had been driven to his limit. ¡°Then did you really ask¡­¡±


    The old village chief tried to catch his breath and paused for a moment. However, the man at his feet thought that he had forgotten his words, so he reminded him kindly, ¡°Li Zhaodi asked me to cooperate with her and drug a man so that she can marry him.¡±


    As soon as he said that, there was an uproar from the crowd. Li Zhaodi must be really bold to come up with such a disgusting idea!


    ¡°Li Zhaodi, is that true?¡±


    The old village chief looked at her angrily.


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    The old village chief heaved a sigh of relief, but then he asked her again.


    This time, Li Zhaodi spitted out the truth because it was indeed not the same man. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask him for help. I asked Chou Louzi to help me!¡±


    After saying that, she covered her mouth in horror and shook her head vigorously. ¡°No, no!¡±


    The old village chief was at a loss for words. He could only point at Chou Louzi with his wrinkly finger. ¡°Are her words true?¡±


    At this moment, Chou Louzi was dying to slap this b*tch for spouting nonsense. When he heard the old village chief¡¯s words, he shook his head and was going to deny it. However, what he said turned out otherwise. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. I helped her. I didn¡¯t ask for money at first. I just wanted her to sleep with me.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd spat at the two of them. The curses thrown from the crowd were almost enough to crush the couple.


    Xiaoguo quietly pulled Mrs. Yang away from the crowd. Firstly, she was afraid that they would get trampled by those behind them. Secondly, it would make things easier for the people behind to scold the couple.


    When the old village chief heard this, his face turned ashen, but he still heard the keynote of his words. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®at first¡¯?!¡±


    The villagers who were watching the commotion immediately fell silent.


    Only then did Chou Louzi realize that he was behaving like a possessed person. When posed with any questions, he would spit the truth. At this moment, he was so anxious that he was breaking out in cold sweat. When he heard the old village chief¡¯s question, his mouth moved faster than his brain and he blurted out, ¡°That¡¯s right. Because we changed our plan later on. I will help her to get Jiang Danhe and she will get Qin Xiaoguo for me. When the time comes, we will kill that brat, Zhuang Zhuang. That will be the perfect ending!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was a buzz in the crowd again. Xiaoguo listened to Chou Louzi¡¯s confession with a cold expression, an oppressive aura was exuding from every pore of her body.


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she looked angrily at the two people on the ground. She turned to look at Xiaoguo carefully and held on to her worriedly. Xiaoguo turned to look at her and smiled. She shook her head to show that she was fine.


    The villagers were furious. They didn¡¯t expect this adulterous couple to harbor such evil intentions on a child.


    The old village chief was even more disappointed. ¡°Wow, how dare you think of doing such evil deeds!¡±


    Li Zhaodi and Chou Louzi were trembling all over. This should not be happening to them. No, no, it wasn¡¯t right from the beginning. From the moment they opened their eyes, to doing the deed in front of everyone, that wasn¡¯t right. The things that were said and asked were all wrong!


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be like this!¡±


    Li Zhaodi grabbed her hair tightly to prevent herself from saying anything else.


    ¡°What else is there?¡±


    The old village chief continued to ask.


    Li Zhaodi covered her mouth and bit her tongue hard. She must not say anything else!


    Xiaoguo also understood the seriousness of the matter, so she followed Li Zhaodi and held on to her tongue. But eventually she couldn¡¯t help but blurt out the details and motives behind her plans and Li Zhaodi¡¯s plans.


    Li Zhaodi¡¯s blood vessels were bulging from holding it in. Chou Louzi was also spilling all the beans. In the end, she suddenly seemed deflated as she panted heavily and broke out in cold sweat.


    A riot was breaking out in the crowd¡ªespecially when they heard about the couple¡¯s plans to get rid of the kid. Everyone was raging.


    The villagers of Peach Blossom Village cherished and cared for children very much. Therefore, when they heard the evil plans of these two vicious people, they started to throw bricks at them.


    With one person taking the lead, a few others immediately followed suit.


    As the two of them were unclothed, when the big rocks hit them, they quickly drew blood.


    The two of them covered their heads and dodged, but the rocks seemed to have eyes as they landed accurately on the couple every time.


    Mrs. Yang took the opportunity to bash them with a rock. Worried that Mrs Yang was getting too worked up, Xiaoguo grabbed her and comforted her.


    At first, the old village chief deliberately closed one eye and did not stop them. These two completely deserved it. However, in the end, he still got everyone to stop. After all, it would be terrible if anyone died.


    The crowd slowly stopped their attacks. Apart from their heads, the rest of the couple¡¯s bodies were covered in blood.


    Hearing the shout to stop, they heaved a sigh of relief.


    The old village chief looked at the two of them for a long time. In the end, he said slowly, ¡°The heavens have eyes and nothing can escape its eyes. What goes around comes around.¡±


    The plan that they had just confessed was fully reenacted by themselves.


    Li Zhaodi and Chou Louzi looked at each other. The fear and confusion in their eyes were obvious. Their bodies went limp. It was over, it was really over¡­


    Xiaoguo no longer paid special attention to what happened after that. As she pulled Mrs. Yang away, she kept thinking about what the old village chief had said. It was just the right description to use on Li Zhaodi and Chou Louzi.


    Along the way, Mrs. Yang was hesitant to speak, as she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Fortunately, the heavens have eyes.¡± After hesitating for a long time, she only said this, ¡°Retribution was good!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. Fortunately, she had found out about their plan. And fortunately, Jiang Danhe was around¡­


    She said goodbye to Mrs. Yang and ran home eagerly. There was an inexplicable excitement in her heart. She wanted to see that man immediately.


    ¡°Why are you running so fast?¡±


    A laughing voice entered Xiaoguo¡¯s ears.


    Xiaoguo paused and looked up blankly at the door. The figure at the door had been waiting there for a long time.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Seeing that she was standing still, Jiang Danhe could tell that something was wrong. He walked towards her worriedly. But before he could get close, he was shaken by her suddenly rushing into his arms.


    Xiaoguo hugged Jiang Danhe tightly and listened to his strong heartbeat. Her eyes slowly turned red. If she hadn¡¯t discovered those schemes, if Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t by her side, if she was the one in trouble today, what would have become of her¡­?


    At this moment, Xiaoguo felt lonely for once. In the past, she felt that she could do anything and nothing could defeat her. But at this moment, she really felt a little lonely. Fortunately, Jiang Danhe was by her side.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her, but he felt that she might have been frightened. He hugged her tightly and tried to transfer some of his body warmth to her. He was feeling regretful once again. If he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have let her go and watch the commotion.


    ¡°Guo?¡±


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, it¡¯s so good to have you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was stunned. His pupils dilated and trembled as he looked into the distance in disbelief. ¡°What did Xiaoguo say¡­ Did I hear wrongly¡­?¡±


    Their hearts started to beat at the same frequency.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe smiled and hugged Xiaoguo tightly. He rested his chin on the top of her head and said slowly, ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so good that we¡¯re with each other.¡±

 Chapter 213 - 213 Prelude to Separation

    213 Prelude to Separation


    Xiaoguo heard a lot about Li Zhaodi from Mrs. Yang after the incident. To summarize, Li Zhaodi and Chou Louzi had been chased out of Peach Blossom Village by the village chief. They were thrown out of the village without being given a chance to return home. Their household registration had also been erased. The village chief had even announced that if the two of them were to enter the village secretly, they would be reported to the officials.


    The villagers were supportive of the chief¡¯s decision and said that they would watch out for the two of them. If the couple was ever spotted in the village, they would be beaten up!


    Regarding this outcome, Xiaoguo could only say that they had brought this upon themselves.


    ¡ª-


    Li Zhaodi¡¯s matter had come to an end, but Xiaoguo still had a question that she had no answer to.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me?¡±


    For the fifth time, Xiaoguo pestered Jiang Danhe for an answer, but he deliberately refused to tell her.


    Jiang Danhe slowly ground the bean flour. He shook his head and refused to say anything.


    Xiaoguo looked at the man grinding the beans and gritted her teeth. In a fit of anger, she threw the dried soybeans in her hand into the pile of black beans.


    ¡°Take your time grinding. I need the black bean flour and soybean flour to be packed separately.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo gave all the beans a good stir. At first, the soybeans were just resting on the top of the pile. After some stirring, they were completely mixed with the black beans below.


    Having succeeded in her prank, Xiaoguo snickered and stood at the side with her hands on her hips. She was waiting to see Jiang Danhe¡¯s helpless expression.


    However, the outcome was disappointing for her. Jiang Danhe smiled at her and sat down patiently to distribute the soybeans. He seemed to be mocking Xiaoguo for being childish.


    Jiang Danhe sat on a small stool and carefully rummaged through the soybeans. Xiaoguo suddenly felt that he looked a little pitiful and a strong sense of guilt instantly welled up in her heart.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe was wearing an expression that looked like he was accusing Xiaoguo of bullying him. This made Xiaoguo feel like apologizing to him and then sort the beans with him.


    Just as guilt was about to overcome Xiaoguo, there was a sudden knock on the door. Xiaoguo came back to her senses and put down the soybeans she had picked up. Without looking at Jiang Danhe, she went to open the door.


    Jiang Danhe hid a smile. Xiaoguo was so cute.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang?¡± Zhuang Zhuang had gone out to play with Xiaohu after breakfast in the morning. It was about time for him to come back.


    As Xiaoguo opened the door, she called out his name. ¡°Why was this child knocking? He could have just come in.¡±


    ¡°You little boy¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello, Madam.¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could finish speaking, she realized that there was a stranger behind the door. He was calling her Madam.


    ¡°And you are?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the man carefully. She couldn¡¯t say that he was a complete stranger because she had just seen him two days ago. This was the man who had confronted Li Zhaodi.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± The visitor looked completely different from the other day. At this moment, his mouth was wide open, revealing two rows of white teeth. He pointed behind Xiaoguo. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the general.¡±


    As soon as he addressed Jiang Danhe, Xiaoguo could guess his identity. Apart from his subordinates, there was no one else who knew Jiang Danhe¡¯s identity around here.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, someone is looking for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo moved aside and let the man in. ¡°Since this man was related to Jiang Danhe, he must have been acting on that day?¡±


    Jiang Danhe heard the movements and looked up at the person. He did not speak and continued to distribute the soybeans.


    Xiaoguo walked over and pulled him to his feet. ¡°Stop sorting them. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    As she spoke, she gestured to the man standing at the side. She blinked at him without a word, seemingly telling him to explain himself later.


    Jiang Danhe pursed his lips and smiled. He knew that Xiaoguo was quick-witted. She could guess what was going on at a glance. He gave the man a look and led the way into the house. The man nodded at Xiaoguo before following behind Jiang Danhe.


    Looking at the beans in the basin, Xiaoguo let out a long sigh. She had no choice. She had to sort through the beans that she had messed up.


    Jiang Danhe went into the room and stood by the window, looking at Xiaoguo, who was picking up the beans. ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°After the two of them left the village, Li Zhaodi wanted to go to Qin Manor to seek refuge with her maternal family, but our men went there early to spread the news. Before they could enter the village, Li Zhaodi was chased out. After leaving the village, Chou Louzi latched onto Li Zhaodi. He followed her wherever she went and they got into a fight over this. Yesterday, Li Zhaodi suddenly headed for the county like she had been possessed. As she didn¡¯t have any money, she walked on foot. As soon as she arrived at the county, she was arrested by the officials, and was thrown into prison on a random charge of being dressed indecently.¡±


    The man finished speaking in one breath and lowered his head, waiting for Jiang Danhe¡¯s next order.


    Jiang Danhe did not react at all. He just looked at the person behind him in boredom. ¡°Just do as you deem fit.¡±


    The man¡¯s body trembled. He understood what that look meant. The general was dissatisfied¡­


    ¡°What do you think it means by living a life worse than death?¡±


    Jiang Danhe said these words slowly after a while. When the man heard this, he immediately wanted to kneel down. It seemed that his actions had not achieved the outcome that the general wanted. ¡°General¡­¡±


    ¡°You worked hard that day. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to follow-up on this matter.¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not seem to notice the man¡¯s emotions and continued to speak.


    The man nodded and said firmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, General!¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not make things difficult for him. Seeing that he was still kneeling, he said, ¡°Get up.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The man stood up and bowed to Jiang Danhe, preparing to leave. However, just as he turned around, he remembered something and looked at him hesitantly. ¡°General, there¡¯s a letter from the capital. We¡¯ve spent too much time here.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo in the courtyard with reluctance in his eyes. ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    The man could not guess what the general was thinking. He could only wait quietly for Jiang Danhe¡¯s order.


    ¡°Get ready. The day after tomorrow.¡±


    No matter how reluctant Jiang Danhe was, he was helpless. It had been a while, and that person had turned a blind eye for long enough. He had no excuse to delay any longer.


    Xiaoguo seemed to have sensed something and turned around. She happened to see the moment when Jiang Danhe¡¯s thoughts were flashing through his head. Before she could take a closer look, he had put on a smile.


    She snorted at him and turned back to sort out the beans. It was useless to smile at her. She will make him explain himself later.


    Jiang Danhe looked at her angry back and couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. When the man behind him heard this, he quietly raised his head and looked at Jiang Danhe¡¯s smiling profile. He was shocked and shuddered before lowering his head hurriedly.


    After the man left, Jiang Danhe took the beans and began to separate them and work the mill. Xiaoguo was beside him, tirelessly asking about the inside story. He finally told her when he couldn¡¯t take her pestering anymore.


    That day, Jiang Danhe found his subordinates and asked them to look for the man who was hired by Li Zhaodi to slander Xiaoguo. After finding the man, his subordinates beat him up. When Jiang Danhe heard the things that the man was going to say about Xiaoguo, he couldn¡¯t control himself and beat him up again. As a result, the man was badly injured. That was why his subordinate had to stand in and use all the intended slander for Xiaoguo on Li Zhaodi. As for why Li Zhaodi and Chou Louzi confessed so easily, Jiang Danhe explained that the two of them had been drugged with knockout powder and truth powder. These were specialty drugs commonly used by the penal department.


    When Xiaoguo heard the names of the powerful drugs, she was a little tempted. Although she only encountered such troubling matters once in a while, it would be more assuring if she had such powerful drugs kept on standby.


    Hence, Xiaoguo tried to find out if he had any more of those drugs. However, Jiang Danhe refused to respond to her and just feigned ignorance. Xiaoguo was so angry that she gave up. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll rely on myself.¡±

 Chapter 214 - 214 Escort Home

    214 Escort Home


    After Jiang Danhe determined the date of departure, he was unusually busy the entire day. However, he had yet to tell Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang about it.


    Jiang Danhe spent the entire day cutting grass and firewood. He also did not have time to eat and was kept busy with the miscellaneous matters at home.


    In fact, Xiaoguo had more or less guessed it, but she still couldn¡¯t quite accept it. From the moment they met, she knew that they would eventually part ways. She was just in denial.


    Just like that, with one party not knowing how to broach the subject, he decided to drag it out. The other party had also guessed it, but she subconsciously avoided the subject. Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo could sense each other¡¯s emotions, but they just didn¡¯t want to say it out loud.


    Among the three of them, only Zhuang Zhuang was still in the dark. He kept pestering Jiang Danhe and followed him wherever he went.


    At night, Xiaoguo tacitly agreed that Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang would sleep on the same bed.


    ¡°When are you leaving?¡±


    After Xiaoguo coaxed Zhuang Zhuang to sleep, she turned to face Jiang Danhe. She knew that they would part eventually. Running away was not an option. One of them had to break the ice first.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe also faced her and said softly, ¡°The day after tomorrow morning.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped breathing. ¡°The day after tomorrow? That was fast¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, neither of them spoke.


    ¡°Tomorrow. I have some business to attend to.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t ask what it was. She just replied okay softly. Then, she stroked the sleeping Zhuang Zhuang and said, ¡°You have to tell Zhuang Zhuang about it.¡±


    If Zhuang Zhuang knew that Jiang Danhe would be leaving the day after tomorrow, he would be so sad.


    Jiang Danhe had thought of this too, so he nodded. ¡°I will.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything and sighed softly in her heart. Farewells always come after reunions. Didn¡¯t she understand that long ago? But why was she still feeling so terrible?


    ¡°Why did you come back? You made me feel terrible again.¡±


    After saying that in a fit of pique, Xiaoguo turned around and rushed towards the wall. She immediately regretted saying such hurtful words. This was not what she meant to say.


    Jiang Danhe was stunned when he heard this. He quietly got up and prepared to transfer Zhuang Zhuang to Xiaoguo¡¯s room.


    With her back facing him, Xiaoguo felt a little uncomfortable. Just as she was feeling vexed about what she had said, she heard a commotion behind her and was startled. Could Jiang Danhe be leaving because he was upset by those words?


    Hence, Xiaoguo hurriedly got up and wanted to explain to him. However, just as she raised her arm, she saw a dark figure beside her. In the next instant, she was pulled back by an unknown force and was pressed tightly with her back against Jiang Danhe¡¯s chest.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s entire chest was wrapped firmly around Xiaoguo. He was holding her with so much strength that her breathing became rapid. Her face was flushed and her heart started racing.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, I just said¡­.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s a lie.¡± Before Xiaoguo could finish speaking, Jiang Danhe stopped her.


    Xiaoguo was touched. ¡°So you know that I didn¡¯t mean those words¡­¡±


    Leaning tightly in his arms, Xiaoguo slowly fell asleep. She didn¡¯t want to sleep at first as she wanted to talk to him, but her drowsiness got the better of her.


    As soon as her head landed on the bed, Jiang Danhe felt it. He immediately relaxed his muscles so that she could sleep comfortably.


    ¡ª-


    The next day, when Xiaoguo woke up, she did not see Jiang Danhe. When she turned around, she did not see Zhuang Zhuang either. Just as she was feeling puzzled, she saw the note by the pillow.


    ¡°Wifey Guo, you must have just woken up. Your husband has gone out with his son. They might not be back until noon. Don¡¯t miss them too much. P.S I wanted to bring you along, but I didn¡¯t expect you to sleep like a log, so I gave up eventually.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the note and almost laughed out loud. What did he mean by wifey Guo? Hahahaha. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that she was a fruit.


    But it was true that she slept very soundly. Xiaoguo touched her face and thought sheepishly. The weather had been chilly recently, and her hands and feet were always cold at night. But last night, she slept really well. Hugging him was like hugging a big furnace. It was so warm that the sheets were still warm when she woke up.


    He had mentioned that they would not be back before noon, and they really did not come back. Xiaoguo ate alone and found the food tasteless. She casually took a few bites and was done with her lunch.


    In the afternoon, Jiang Danhe brought Zhuang Zhuang back on a horse.


    As soon as Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaoguo, he excitedly told her what he had done with Jiang Danhe throughout the day. He also told her how it felt like to ride a big horse.


    As Xiaoguo listened, she looked at Jiang Danhe behind her and said enviously, ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s a pity I didn¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°Father tried waking you up in the morning, but you didn¡¯t move. You even slapped his forehead.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang placed the things they bought on the table and complained to Xiaoguo. He even pointed at Jiang Danhe¡¯s forehead pitifully to show her.


    ¡°Really?¡± Xiaoguo didn¡¯t believe that she was so irritable in the morning. She turned to look at Jiang Danhe¡¯s forehead and didn¡¯t find anything unusual. It looked pretty normal to her.


    Jiang Danhe sighed helplessly. Zhuang Zhuang was right. When he was waking her in the morning, she suddenly turned around and slapped him on the forehead. He could disregard the pain, but in any case, he was quite shocked by her reaction.


    ¡°Why did you buy so many things?¡±


    Seeing Jiang Danhe¡¯s expression, Xiaoguo thought that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words might be true. Embarrassed, she rummaged through the things on the table and changed the subject.


    But when she had a good look at the items, she was really shocked. Why had they bought so much food, drinks, household items, and bed covers?


    Did they rob the grocery store?


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled and looked at Jiang Danhe mischievously. He knew that his mother would think it was too much.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t think much of it and said nonchalantly, ¡°I just bought these things randomly.¡±


    He didn¡¯t think it was too much. If Zhuang Zhuang hadn¡¯t stopped him, he would have bought more.


    Xiaoguo nodded slowly and looked at the mountains of items. This was too awesome. After sorting everything, she could probably start a grocery store¡­


    Just as Xiaoguo was putting the things away, Jiang Danhe disappeared again in the blink of an eye. She only found out from Zhuang Zhuang that he had gone out again with a basket on his back. Xiaoguo looked around the house and realized that he had brought with him the largest basket in the house.


    There was no lack of firewood or grass at home. What was he up to?


    Although Xiaoguo found it strange, she still had to finish what she was doing. After packing up, she was about to make dinner when Jiang Danhe returned.


    Xiaoguo took a closer look and saw that he wasn¡¯t the only one who had returned. There was a small figure following behind him.


    When she saw who it was, she didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°Why did the two of you come back together?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Auntie.¡± Xiaohu scratched his head in embarrassment. He was holding a big white pear in his hand.


    Xiaoguo greeted him back and was about to invite him into the house. Unexpectedly, Xiaohu shook his head and said, ¡°Aunt, I won¡¯t go in. It¡¯s good enough that I¡¯ve escorted Uncle back safely. I should go back. My mother is waiting for me to start dinner.¡±


    Hearing this, Xiaoguo smiled. She looked at the helpless Jiang Danhe and asked Xiaohu, ¡°Why are you escorting Uncle back?¡±


    ¡°Because Uncle always loses things. The last time¡­¡±


    Before Xiaohu could finish speaking, a big pear was stuffed into his mouth.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked suspiciously at Jiang Danhe, who had a strange expression on his face.


    Jiang Danhe smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. He carried the confused Xiaohu to the door and put him down. He stroked his head and said gently, ¡°Go back. Your mother is still waiting for you to start dinner.¡±


    Xiaohu nodded blankly and left. On the way back, he wondered what he was intending to say earlier. What was it again?


    As he watched the boy leave, Jiang Danhe finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    Fortunately, he had good crisis awareness. Otherwise, if Xiaohu had told Xiaoguo about him throwing the books the other day, he would have had a hard time explaining himself.

 Chapter 215 - 215 Entering Winter

    215 Entering Winter


    ¡°Has he left?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he has left,¡± Jiang Danhe replied with a relaxed nod.


    But in the next instant, he felt a chill on his back. He turned around slowly and saw Xiaoguo¡¯s smiling face, which was only a fist away. She looked beautiful and scary at the same time.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Jiang Danhe slowly stood up and lowered his head to dust himself off. Without looking at Xiaoguo, he walked straight into the house.


    As long as they didn¡¯t make eye contact, she wouldn¡¯t ask him about it.


    Seeing him tripping over himself, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. How silly! To think that he was such a scaredy cat. Xiaoguo shook her head and got up to close the door.


    Then, she walked to the big basket that he had carried back. Only then did Xiaoguo realize what he had brought back.


    There was a pile of green chestnuts in the basket. Xiaoguo rummaged around and realized that there were also white pears below the pile.


    Looking at the basket of chestnuts and white pears, Xiaoguo felt a lump in her throat. So he had gone out to do this¡­


    After dinner, the three of them lay on the bed. Everyone had taken their shower and were huddled together, enjoying each other¡¯s company. Zhuang Zhuang was the one having the most fun.


    Knowing that they were going to part ways the next day, the three of them did not feel sleepy. Even Zhuang Zhuang, who usually fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, stayed up until midnight.


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, Xiaoguo woke up and made a hot meal. She made use of whatever ingredients she could find in the house and made them into various dishes for breakfast.


    The plain porridge and vegetable porridge were cooked with the remaining meat broth from the night before. Other than the sour and spicy shredded potatoes, there were also a few plates of cold dishes. The boiled eggs were made from duck eggs. There were also mini buns and steamed meat dumplings. Xiaoguo had cooked a little of everything she could.


    ¡°Whoa, Mother! Our breakfast is too sumptuous.¡±


    After washing his hands, Zhuang Zhuang eagerly sat down and waited for dinner. His big eyes darted around as he tried to scan through the food with his eyes.


    ¡°When your father gets here, we¡¯ll start eating.¡±


    Xiaoguo helped Zhuang Zhuang to roll up his sleeves. At this moment, Jiang Danhe had finished packing and arrived at the dining table with his bag in hand.


    ¡°Mmm, how fragrant.¡±


    Jiang Danhe sat on a chair and took in the visual feast, just like Zhuang Zhuang. Then, he started eating.


    ¡°Here.¡± Xiaoguo handed the porridge to Jiang Danhe. ¡°Eat to your heart¡¯s content so you won¡¯t miss home.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she pushed all the dishes towards him.


    She still remembered attending boarding school since she was in junior high. At first, she went home once every two weeks. Later on, she went back once a month. After she entered university, due to her studies and the distance from home, she went back once every two or three months. At that time, her mother and father always prepared a table full of delicious food for her when she returned home and when she had to go back to campus. In her mother¡¯s words, ¡°Eat to your heart¡¯s content so you won¡¯t miss home.¡±


    Now that Xiaoguo had prepared a table full of food, she was also feeling the same way.


    While they were eating, Xiaoguo could vaguely hear the sound of footsteps and horses¡¯ hooves at the door. She looked at Jiang Danhe, who was still eating, and more or less guessed that it was one of his men.


    After dinner, Xiaoguo reluctantly sent Jiang Danhe off with Zhuang Zhuang. She didn¡¯t know how he had conveyed the news to Zhuang Zhuang, but the boy was very calm when he bade goodbye to Jiang Danhe.


    Looking at how Jiang Danhe was looking back repeatedly at them, Xiaoguo¡¯s reluctance to part with him was mounting. However, in order not to embarrass herself, and not to let Jiang Danhe worry, Xiaoguo forced herself to smile and wave at him. She signaled to him with her eyes. ¡°Remember to miss me.¡±


    She knew that Jiang Danhe would definitely understand.


    As expected, as soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Danhe grabbed the rope with one hand and gripped the horse¡¯s belly. He waved at her vigorously, as if telling her that he would.


    Xiaoguo smiled widely when she saw this. She wanted Jiang Danhe to remember her smile.


    She had done it. When Jiang Danhe thought of that smile again in the future, it would still send ripples through his heart.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Mother, the river in the village has frozen.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang ran in with a flushed face. He was wearing a simple cotton outfit that Xiaoguo had made for him.


    As soon as he entered the house, he stomped his feet because of the cold air outside.


    Xiaoguo closed the door tightly. When she saw Zhuang Zhuang, she quickly handed him the hand stove in her hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to go to the river?¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiaohu wanted to go skating, so he brought us to see if there was any ice. I didn¡¯t go down. When they saw that the river was frozen, they went ahead to play. I watched from the shore for a while before coming back.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang explained. He was a good child who listened to his mother. He definitely wouldn¡¯t do the things that his mother didn¡¯t allow him to do.


    ¡°Good son!¡±


    Xiaoguo was overjoyed and rewarded Zhuang Zhuang with a head smack.


    ¡°Huh, Mother?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang covered his head and looked at her aggrievedly. He didn¡¯t understand why he was getting smacked when he had been good.


    ¡°Acting?¡± Xiaoguo didn¡¯t even look at him. She hadn¡¯t used much strength. How could it hurt?


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Seeing that his little trick had been exposed, Zhuang Zhuang immediately hugged Xiaoguo and acted cute in front of her.


    Amused, Xiaoguo hugged him back and looked at the bare scenery outside the window. It was already December. Unknowingly, Jiang Danhe had been away for more than a month. She wondered if the capital looked the same.


    As expected, there were different sceneries in every season. In spring and summer, everything looked green and lively. In autumn, it would be yellow and glowy. In winter, everything looked bare. The trees would be bare, and the ground would be bare. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know if it was because of these two factors, but when she looked at the air, she thought that it felt bare too.


    It hadn¡¯t been too cold last month. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect that in the blink of an eye, it was December. It was as if a switch had been turned on. Overnight, the temperatures had dropped drastically, completely catching her off guard.


    For Xiaoguo, who was very reliant on the air conditioner and heater, the current conditions were hard for her to bear. It was pretty unexpected for her. She didn¡¯t freeze to death during the apocalypse but in the ancient period, she was so cold that she didn¡¯t want to leave her bed. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Zhuang Zhuang was still young, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to get over the cold. In fact, she would have put him in charge of preparing all three meals each day.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo wrapped herself tightly in her ultra-thick cotton clothes. Due to the cold weather, the last time Xiaoguo went to the county city was two weeks after Jiang Danhe left.


    More than once, she was glad that she had stocked up on grains early for the winter. When she went to the county previously, she bought a lot of vegetables and meat. When she returned, she deliberately vacated the donkey cart and made another trip to the county to buy an entire carriage of cotton. When she was about to travel back to buy some coal, she was informed by Mrs. Yang that the village will order coal in bulk and distribute it to the individual households.


    At that time, Xiaoguo thought to herself that it was good. It would save her the trouble of hauling coal back by herself. But who would have thought that each family was given only such a small amount of coal. Although the distribution occurs once every seven days, for Xiaoguo, the amount she received for seven days was not even enough to last her for three days.


    She had no choice. Although she did try to ration the coal, she was really freezing.


    In order to keep warm, she stayed up all night to make hats, jackets, pants, and socks that were all padded with cotton wadding. From whatever that could be worn from head to toe, she made them as thick as she could.


    At Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s suggestion, Xiaoguo also sewed cotton coats for the puppies, the cows, and the donkey. Although she knew that they were not afraid of the cold, she still sewed them under Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s pleading. She also made coats for all the chickens and ducks. After all, everyone should be treated fairly.


    In addition to this, she and Zhuang Zhuang also spread a thick layer of hay over their nests. This way, their bodies and nests would be kept warm. That made Zhuang Zhuang very happy.


    There was still a lot of cotton and fabric left. The fabrics were mostly cheap ones that she had bought together with the cotton wadding. Xiaoguo had bought a lot of them, but they were not meant for making garments. Instead, she was going to make curtains out of them.


    She cut the fabric into pieces that were slightly larger than the door and window respectively. Then, she stuffed the springy cotton in and sewed everything up. After which, she secured them on all the doors and windows with nails. The kitchen and bathroom were not left out. Just like that, the house was completely airtight. Once the stove was lit up, the temperature in the house would be more comfortable.

 Chapter 216 - 216 Unique Furnace

    216 Unique Furnace


    ¡°By the way, Mother, I bumped into Auntie Yang just now. She said that the charcoal would be delivered this afternoon.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang took off his coat. He could feel the heat in the room.


    Xiaoguo was delighted to hear that. She took his coat and hung it on a hanger she had made herself. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    There was almost no more charcoal left at home. The charcoal at the shops was not sold to individuals. They could only rely on the village to distribute it to them. On top of that, the portion given out each time was barely enough. What they received for seven days was just a small basket of coal, and they had to pay a high price for it.


    However, she knew that it was a blessing that they could afford to use charcoal. There were many families in Peach Blossom Village who could not afford it. They could only burn firewood to keep warm, but firewood was not as warm as charcoal.


    Therefore, although Xiaoguo had complaints, she was content. At least she could afford to keep herself from starving and freezing. That was good enough for her.


    Coincidentally, there was only a little charcoal left that was enough for today. There was finally a new batch of coal arriving.


    ¡°Did Auntie Yang say when?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang thought about it carefully and shook his head. ¡°No, but she said that she will go with you.¡±


    Xiaoguo understood when she heard that. Brother Yang was in charge of transporting the charcoal for the village. Mrs. Yang would definitely be the first to know when it arrived. Hence, she decided to stay at home and wait for her to come and collect the charcoal with her.


    Xiaoguo felt the pinch as she prepared the money for the charcoal. She thought sadly to herself, ¡°How many catties of pork can I eat with a small basket of charcoal¡­¡±


    After lunch, Xiaoguo saw that Zhuang Zhuang had fallen asleep, so she added the rest of the charcoal to the stove. Since there would be new charcoal today, she could free up the basket.


    After a while, she heard the door open. Xiaoguo guessed that it was most likely Mrs. Yang, so she quickly put on her equipment. Cotton hat, cotton gloves, and cotton scarf. These were Xiaoguo¡¯s full set of gear.


    When she opened the door, Mrs. Yang saw Xiaoguo with only her eyes exposed. She couldn¡¯t help but stand further away and shake her head. Even if she were to see her again, she would still be shocked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sister-in-law.¡±


    As the scarf was wrapped tightly around the lower half of her face, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t speak clearly. Mrs. Yang could only hear a few buzzing sounds, but based on her previous experience, she could roughly guess what she was saying.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±


    Mrs. Yang carried the basket and slowly walked towards the village chief¡¯s house with Xiaoguo. With Brother Yang¡¯s insider information, Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang were the first to arrive at the village chief¡¯s house.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes lit up as she looked at the baskets of charcoal neatly arranged in the village chief¡¯s courtyard. This was the benefit of being the first to arrive. Every piece was intact¡ªunlike those small, broken pieces that were usually left for picking if they were to come late.


    The old village chief was holding a pair of tongs in his hands. His wife was in charge of registering the accounts.


    When the old village chief saw Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang, he quickly prepared to load the charcoal.


    After putting down their baskets, the two of them went to register and pay with the chief¡¯s wife.


    After making payment, the charcoal was packed. The two of them carried the baskets on their backs and walked home.


    On the way back, they bumped into some villagers who were making their way there. When those people saw that someone had picked up the charcoal, they became very anxious.


    Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang looked at each other with joy in their eyes. Fortunately, they had Brother Yang¡¯s help. Otherwise, they would have to follow the majority and fight for the charcoal. It was great that they could go first and collect whole pieces of charcoal.


    Although the size and weight of the whole piece was the same as the broken pieces, it still felt different. Moreover, Xiaoguo felt that the more intact the charcoal was, the longer time it would take to burn. It could be just a psychological effect or it could be due to some unknown reasons.


    Mrs. Yang brought the charcoal home before bringing her sewing basket to Xiaoguo¡¯s house to chat.


    Not long after Mrs. Yang entered the room, she couldn¡¯t help but put down her needle and thread. She took off her thick coat and pointed to the unique stove beside her. ¡°Hey, this is really good. My face feels so hot when I enter the room. I¡¯m feeling so warm after sitting here for a short while.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and put down the needle and thread. Coincidentally, the water on the stove was boiling. She walked over and picked it up. She hooked up the lid with an iron hook and covered the kettle. Then, she placed it by the side of the stove again. She could just pour the water out when she needed some.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time this year. You can make a set for next year.¡± Xiaoguo picked up the needle and thread again and said to Mrs. Yang, who was still studying the stove.


    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Mrs. Yang looked at Xiaoguo again and said in amazement, ¡°I don¡¯t know where your brilliant ideas come from for you to think of such a thing.¡±


    Mrs. Yang said enviously. She felt that Xiaoguo was really smart. When she went to the county metal shop with Xiaoguo the other day, she didn¡¯t quite believe that such a thing was useful. Now that she was looking at it, she really regretted not ordering the same set back then.


    ¡°If you like, you can come over every day and stay with me. As long as Brother Yang agrees.¡± Xiaoguo blinked at her and teased her.


    ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me now.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha.¡± Seeing how shy she was, Xiaoguo was amused. Mrs. Yang and Brother Yang were really close. Once she mentioned Brother Yang, Mrs. Yang just couldn¡¯t stop blushing.


    ¡°Go away. I¡¯m not talking to you anymore. I¡¯d better continue studying the stove.¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she covered her face and sat closer to the unique stove.


    ¡°Don¡¯t burn yourself.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang, who was really scrutinizing the stove. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    This stove was the same stove with a chimney that her grandmother used to have. The reason for the high temperature in the house was because the stove had been designed with a chimney. In addition, the house was sealed off entirely. Although the stove was small, its temperature was very high. As it was burning all day, the temperature in the house was always warm.


    On the day Xiaoguo left the county to stock up on food, Mrs. Yang also had to buy some things. Hence, she brought Mrs. Yang along with her to the metal shop and collected the stove, chimney, and kettle that she had ordered earlier. There were a total of three sets in total. One for each of the two bedrooms and one for the kitchen.


    This way, she wouldn¡¯t feel cold while cooking and they could have their meals in the kitchen as well. This was a perfect arrangement as they could eat right after cooking. While the kitchen was still warm, they could wash the dishes then go straight to bed


    Before winter, Xiaoguo had made a lot of preparations. At first, when she thought of hanging cotton curtains on all the doors and windows, she thought of the stove.


    If the house was sealed off, a bare stove would not be suitable. It would definitely cause carbon monoxide poisoning, so she thought of the stove at her grandmother¡¯s house.


    The structure of the small stove was simple. Xiaoguo drew it on paper based on her memory, and took it to the metal shop when the weather still wasn¡¯t too cold. The stove was completed when the weather became very cold. Although it was a little expensive, with the warmth in the room and looking at Mrs. Yang¡¯s envious expression, she felt that it was a worthwhile investment.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo had nothing to do, so she tidied up the house with Zhuang Zhuang. She didn¡¯t like to go out in recent days, and Zhuang Zhuang was also reluctant to go out. The two of them spent all day eating and sleeping. Before they turned into bums, Xiaoguo decided that they couldn¡¯t go on like this. Hence, she set a goal of completing ten tasks a day with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Today was the first day. The two of them put down the broom and dustpan at the same time. Without saying a word, they both took out the paper and drew a check mark on the first square.


    Each square represented a task. Xiaoguo had drawn out a grid with squares of equal size. Every time they completed something, a check mark would be made in one of the squares.


    There was only one pitiful little tick on the entire piece of paper. Xiaoguo told herself that everything was difficult at the beginning. Now that they had started with success, the rest of the work would get easier.


    Her dreams were great, but reality was harsh.

 Chapter 217 - 217 A Letter From Home Becomes a Love Letter

    217 A Letter From Home Becomes a Love Letter


    Soon, there was no more work left to do in the house. After all, there was limited space in the house. Moreover, the two of them had been cooped up indoors all morning. Only Zhuang Zhuang went out to feed the chickens, ducks, dogs, cows, and donkeys. He had easily completed a day¡¯s worth of work.


    Xiaoguo was still stuck at five ticks. At this moment, she was slumped on the bed. She started thinking, ¡°It will be wonderful if waking up and breathing can be considered as tasks¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang came back from washing his hands. He looked at Xiaoguo, who was still lying on the bed, and said, ¡°Mother, you haven¡¯t been visiting Uncle recently.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Xiaoguo replied lazily with her eyes closed. ¡°It¡¯s too cold.¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly remembered her mother saying that she must have been a bear in her previous life. Otherwise, why would she hibernate in winter?


    At first, she had said that she would send medicinal cuisine to Qin Anming. However, after a few attempts, the weather turned cold. It had been almost a month since she went to visit them. Fortunately, Xiaoguo had informed them in advance when she went the last time. Otherwise, Qin Anming would definitely be worried if he didn¡¯t see her for a long time. She didn¡¯t even go on payday at the end of the month. She had asked Ruyi to either save it for her or pass it to Qin Anming.


    Whenever the weather turned cold, Xiaoguo would become listless. This had never changed from the past till now.


    ¡°Mother, someone¡¯s at the door.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was standing by the window. When he heard the commotion, he lifted the curtain.


    Xiaoguo sat up, put on her coat, and went to open the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked as she unlocked the door.


    ¡°Is this Mrs. Jiang¡¯s house?¡±


    As soon as the door opened, a man dressed in an official uniform took a few steps back. After receiving Xiaoguo¡¯s confirmation, he introduced himself. ¡°I was sent by County Magistrate Liu to deliver something to you.¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed to the charcoal on the carriage behind him.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes widened when she saw the cart of charcoal. Magistrate Liu gave it to her?!


    ¡°There¡¯s one more bundle that I have to hand over to you.¡±


    After looking at the charcoal, the official handed a bundle to Xiaoguo. ¡°Look, where can I unload it for you?¡±


    ¡°Did County Magistrate Liu say anything?¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she didn¡¯t let him unload the cart first. She asked curiously as she couldn¡¯t accept the charcoal for no reason.


    ¡°County Magistrate Liu didn¡¯t say anything. He just asked me to tell you to accept it without any worries. If you still don¡¯t understand, just open the bag and you¡¯ll know.¡±


    The official spoke respectfully. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to let anyone stand in the cold, so she quickly made way and pointed to the kitchen for them to unload.


    The few of them led the carriage into the courtyard. Then, they got busy and unloaded the charcoal from the carriage at the spot Xiaoguo had pointed out.


    After completing the mission, they took their leave.


    After Xiaoguo sent them off, she closed the door tightly and ran back into the house. She was too curious about what was in the bundle. It was inconvenient for her to open it when the man was around. Now that he was gone, she couldn¡¯t wait.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who had been looking out of the window, quickly came over when he saw Xiaoguo enter. He was also very curious.


    As the bag was opened, the first thing that came into view were two leather cloaks, one big and one small.


    For some reason, Xiaoguo suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. She tried her best to suppress her excitement and continued flipping through the contents. Immediately after, she found a banknote.


    This was the first time she had seen a banknote since she arrived.


    Xiaoguo unfolded the banknote and realized that the value was 100 taels of silver. She took a deep breath and continued rummaging through the bottom. She immediately found a letter.


    Xiaoguo opened the envelope nervously. She had a sudden thought. She seemed to know who the letter came from.


    As soon as she opened it, the bold and powerful words indicated who wrote the letter. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was really him.


    ¡°Letter for my wife¡­¡±


    Looking at the first few words, Xiaoguo pursed her lips in disdain. Why was he being so scholarly?


    ¡°It should be December when you see this letter. I arrived in the capital safely on the 18th of last month. How have you been? Although I haven¡¯t been away for long, I miss you already¡­¡±


    The 18th of last month? He had arrived later than she had imagined. As she continued reading, she realized that Zhuang Zhuang was inching closer and closer to her. Xiaoguo got up and sat by the bed. Her face was slightly red as she thought shyly, ¡°I missed you too¡­¡±


    ¡°This time, I have gotten someone to bring back most of the charcoal that was allocated to me for the winter. Don¡¯t worry, there aren¡¯t that many people at my residence. The Imperial Court has allocated the coal according to one¡¯s official position. I¡¯ve already kept what¡¯s needed here. There¡¯s more than enough here¡­¡±


    ¡°How silly of him to explain himself,¡± Xiaoguo thought sweetly. ¡°He must know that I¡¯m afraid of the cold¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the money that should have been distributed to my family during my time in the army and during my fake death while on mission. Due to some officials, there was some hiccup with the money distribution, so it wasn¡¯t sent to my family in time. Now that the matter has been settled, I¡¯ve converted all the money into banknotes. Please keep it well¡­¡±


    So there was a mole that disrupted the money transfer? Xiaoguo thought in shock. So that was the reason. She pushed Zhuang Zhuang away and sat down at the table. She continued reading the letter¡­


    ¡°There are also two leather cloaks that I had carefully selected. The newest designs for winter have been released in the capital. Li Shouji was the one who told me about it, so I went to take a look and carefully picked out three pieces. One for you, one for me, and one for Zhuang Zhuang. The three pieces are all of the same color and style. Is this the parent-child outfit you were talking about?¡±


    When Xiaoguo saw this, she suddenly thought of her days in the capital. At that time, the three of them were going out to play together. On the way, they bumped into a family dressed in the same color scheme. She just casually commented about the parent-child outfit at that time. She didn¡¯t expect him to remember it after so long. Xiaoguo snickered and continued reading.


    ¡°The most important thing is the letter you¡¯re reading. It contains my longing for you, my fatherly love for Zhuang Zhuang, and my true love for you. I think of you every day and night¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and smiled shyly. How mushy. This wilted bun didn¡¯t say all these when they were together, but in the letter, he was so mushy¡­


    ¡°When the spring breeze starts blowing from ten miles away, that¡¯s when we will be reunited.¡±


    Xiaoguo read the last line several times in silence. ¡°Spring, please come early. I can¡¯t wait¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was pushed away by Xiaoguo countless times. By the last time, he had gotten very unhappy. He snorted and sat down on a stool. ¡°If Mother doesn¡¯t let me read, I won¡¯t read. Even if she begs me, I won¡¯t read!¡±


    He turned his head away angrily. It was impossible not to see it. Xiaoguo took her time and slowly folded the letter. She pretended to feel sorry. ¡°Jiang Danhe¡¯s letter¡­¡±


    ¡°Father¡¯s?!¡± Zhuang Zhuang perked up when he heard that. It was a letter from his father. ¡°Mother, I want to see it. I want to see it!¡±


    Since she was in a good mood, Xiaoguo imitated Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s series of actions from moments ago. She turned her head and snorted. She deliberately acted like she was very angry and could not be pacified.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Mother¡­¡± After a while, Zhuang Zhuang blushed and felt embarrassed.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    Xiaoguo handed the letter to Zhuang Zhuang. Although there were many words of love from Jiang Danhe, it didn¡¯t matter if Zhuang Zhuang saw them.


    As expected, when Zhuang Zhuang saw the mushy words in the letter, he looked at Xiaoguo in embarrassment. ¡°Father is really¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly realized that his mother seemed to enjoy his father¡¯s tone in the letter.


    If she didn¡¯t like it, why did his mother look like she was going to faint from joy? The corners of her mouth were almost reaching her cheekbones¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang noted that the adult world was too complicated for him to understand.


    After reading the letter, Zhuang Zhuang was really unhappy. Why did his father mention so little about him? In every ten sentences, he had to include a confession to his mother. So this was not a family letter, instead it was a love letter from his father to his mother¡­

 Chapter 218 - 218 Storing Grains in Two Parts

    218 Storing Grains in Two Parts


    Zhuang Zhuang was telling the truth.


    In fact, when Jiang Danhe was writing the letters, he couldn¡¯t help but write two long pages of confessions to Xiaoguo. However, he was worried about what Xiaoguo would think of him. She might think that he was being too impulsive, so he decided to delete a portion of it, and kept the more reserved lines.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have time to care about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s emotions earlier on because she was immersed in the love lines within the letter. She didn¡¯t expect Jiang Danhe to be so good with his words. He should have been more reserved.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Xiaoguo, are you going to the market tomorrow?¡±


    Mrs. Yang and Xiaoguo gathered around the stove, eating melon seeds and chatting.


    Hearing her words, Xiaoguo hesitated and looked at the weather outside. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about time¡­¡±


    There were no more green vegetables at home. For the past two days, they had been eating all kinds of meat and Zhuang Zhuang was starting to complain. It was indeed time to make a trip.


    ¡°Shall we go together?¡± Mrs. Yang gestured to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Mrs. Yang smiled and suddenly thought of something. ¡°By the way, is Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday coming soon?¡±


    She still remembered the day when Xiaoguo delivered Zhuang Zhuang, she and the midwife were kept busy the entire night. Zhuang Zhuang was delivered only at dawn. At that time, there was a rare snowstorm. Miraculously, the sky cleared immediately after Zhuang Zhuang was born, so she had a deep impression of that day.


    ¡°Yes, twenty-sixth.¡± Xiaoguo was delighted to hear that. ¡°That¡¯s right. I have to hurry to the county to buy some stuff.¡±


    As soon as Mrs. Yang mentioned it, Xiaoguo got excited. She wasn¡¯t so concerned about the cold anymore. Since Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday was coming, she had to do the necessary preparations.


    She had to prepare food, beverages and also a birthday gift for Zhuang Zhuang¡­


    Xiaoguo listed out all the items, afraid that she would miss out on any items. This was the first time she was organizing a birthday celebration for Zhuang Zhuang. She had to prepare well.


    Mrs. Yang looked at her excited face and didn¡¯t say much. She just laughed at her. ¡°We usually just have noodles for our birthday. What else do you need to plan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head. She knew that most people here would only have noodles for their birthdays, unlike rich families who would hold banquets. She didn¡¯t want to celebrate Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday in such a simple manner.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t think much of it. Wasn¡¯t it just a birthday? It wasn¡¯t some significant birthday date either. It was just a child¡¯s birthday. Just a simple celebration would suffice.


    Xiaoguo shook her head and did not answer.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo got up and prepared breakfast for Zhuang Zhuang. She brought the food into the house and heated up the stove. When everything was ready, she put on her traveling clothes and the leather cloak that Jiang Danhe had sent back.


    After she was fully dressed, Xiaoguo became three times her original size. She wouldn¡¯t get hurt even if she fell off the donkey cart.


    She walked to the bed and gently bent down to inform Zhuang Zhuang, who was still sleeping, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m going to the county. Be good and stay at home. I¡¯ll lock the door for you and will be back shortly. Remember to eat the food on the table when you wake up.¡±


    After a rambling explanation and seeing him nod in acknowledgment, she left the house without any worries.


    With her attire, it was quite difficult to move freely. She also had difficulty bending over and lifting her arms.


    When she arrived at the door, she saw Mrs. Yang waiting for her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, why didn¡¯t you knock?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I just came out not long ago.¡±


    Mrs. Yang waved her hand to show that it was nothing. She was also well-insulated and was wearing a fur hat on her head.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued by the unique design of the hat. ¡°Your hat looks pretty good.¡±


    Mrs. Yang swiftly got on the donkey cart. She didn¡¯t move as clumsily as Xiaoguo. After sitting down, she looked speechless when she heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words. ¡°Brother Yang took three years to get this for me.¡±


    Xiaoguo was confused. Three years? She understood within the next instant. ¡°Oh¡­ Did he bring it back from the military camp?¡±


    ¡°You got it right.¡± Mrs. Yang took out a vegetable dumpling. ¡°This is your prize for guessing right.¡±


    ¡°Haha, a vegetable dumpling as a reward?¡±


    Xiaoguo happily took the dumpling from her hand. To be honest, Mrs. Yang¡¯s culinary skills were really superb. At the thought of this, Xiaoguo was salivating. With the dumpling in hand, she couldn¡¯t wait to eat it.


    Seeing that she liked it, Mrs. Yang was overjoyed. She started eating as well. She had made them in the morning. When they were done, she held them in her arms to retain the temperature, so the dumplings were still warm.


    ¡°Look at you, you even put on clothes for the donkey.¡± As Mrs. Yang ate, she looked at the donkey in front of her and shook her head in amusement.


    ¡°This is what fashionable looks like.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she finished the last bite of the dumpling. Then, she quickly put on her scarf gloves. The later she put on the gloves, the more heat she would lose with each passing second.


    Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t understand the word ¡°fashionable¡±, but she could guess that it was similar to what she was saying. She smiled at the thought.


    The two of them went straight to the center of the market. As the weather was cold, there were not many people on the streets. Compared to before, it was a world of difference.


    The commoners were all staying at home to keep warm. There were not many vendors selling vegetables and meat on the streets.


    The two of them did not park the donkey cart at the entrance of the market like they usually did. Instead, they drove straight in. In any case, the streets were quiet so it was fine to drive in.


    The donkey¡¯s appearance attracted a lot of attention. It was obvious that they had never seen anything like it. During times like this, some people don¡¯t even have warm clothes to wear. To think that someone would dress a donkey in clothes.


    Although there were not many stalls selling vegetables, Xiaoguo still bought a lot.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect to see green vegetables in winter during ancient times. At first, she thought that only cabbages and potatoes would be available in winter. She didn¡¯t expect to see other vegetables like leeks, rapeseed and carrots. In addition to these, there were also green onions, ginger, and garlic. She bought more of everything that she could keep and store.


    ¡°Are you stocking up on food again?¡±


    Mrs. Yang was dumbfounded as she watched Xiaoguo move the items into the cart. She bought almost everything she saw. She couldn¡¯t help but think of the time when winter was just approaching. She had seen it before. The carts of groceries looked like wholesale goods.


    ¡°This young lady is doing the right thing. Who could possibly come out in this terrible weather? It is good to stock up more food. I heard this winter will be the coldest we¡¯ve ever had. There will be heavy snow soon.¡±


    The old lady who was selling vegetables happily helped Xiaoguo load the cart. As soon as this girl arrived, her goods were sold out in an instant. It seemed that she could go home early today.


    Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t think much of it. Every year was always the coldest year. She didn¡¯t believe in those words.


    ¡°Auntie, is that true?¡±


    Xiaoguo became serious when she heard that. So it is the coldest year. She knew it. The weather over the past two days has been really mysterious. One moment it was overcast, and the next moment it was sunny.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. I¡¯m not lying to you, child. Just watch. There will definitely be snow in two days.¡±


    When the vegetable seller heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, she immediately assured her. What was her occupation? She relied on the weather to grow vegetables. Her old man had said that there would be heavy snowfall soon. He had also asked her to bring more vegetables out to sell when the weather was clear. Otherwise, once the heavy snow comes, the vegetables would freeze.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she was more or less convinced. When it came to the weather, who could possibly know better than the farmers who relied on the heavens for a living?


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you should buy more too.¡±


    Seeing that Mrs. Yang was only buying in small quantities, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious. What if the snow storm came and there were no more vegetables at home?


    ¡°No need. We still have a cellar full of potatoes and cabbages. My mother-in-law had a full plot of those vegetables and had recently harvested them.¡±


    Mrs. Yang patted Xiaoguo¡¯s shoulder and told her not to worry. She had a lot of vegetables at home. She was just buying a little more for variety.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she was relieved. It was good that Mrs. Yang had enough vegetables. At least she was not like her, who had run out of vegetables at home. Besides, she didn¡¯t grow any crops in the fields like other families. How could her small little plot compare to theirs?

 Chapter 219 - 219 Snow Storm

    219 Snow Storm


    Xiaoguo was really resistant to winter here, so by making this trip, she was prepared to survive on what she has until the new year.


    Xiaoguo bought more cabbages that could be stored. They were delicious when stir-fried and stewed. She also bought a lot of other types of vegetables.


    There was a lot of chicken and duck meat in the fridge. Xiaoguo was intending to buy some pork bones and pork meat during this trip.


    Mrs. Yang had also planned to buy some meat. Perhaps because she had seen Xiaoguo stocking up on food, Mrs Yang subconsciously bought a lot of meat eventually. Looking at the large piece of pork, she said helplessly, ¡°How can we finish this?¡±


    ¡°In any case, the meat would not spoil under such weather conditions. We can bring it back and take our time to finish the food.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she tied up the pile of pork. There were no more sausages at home, so she was going to make some more. This was the reason why she had bought a lot of pork this time. She will bring the meat back and consume it slowly.


    After buying the food, Xiaoguo bought a jar of white wine. She could use it for cooking and marinating.


    Next, she rushed to the medicinal shop.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, who¡¯s feeling unwell?¡± Mrs. Yang asked worriedly as she watched the donkey cart stop at the medicine shop.


    ¡°No one is sick. I wanted to get some medicine for colds, just in case.¡± With that, Xiaoguo asked Mrs. Yang to look after the cart before entering the shop. After all, she had heard from the vegetable seller that there would be heavy snow. She was afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would fall sick, so she had to prepare some medicine just in case. It would be best if she had no use for it. But if there was a need, at least there was medicine on stand-by.


    After hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, Mrs. Yang felt that it made sense. She called out to Xiaoguo to get a few packs for her. She wanted to buy some back too.


    Xiaoguo nodded and went in.


    Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t have to wait long before Xiaoguo came out with many bags. She got on the donkey cart and handed Mrs. Yang her items before putting the rest behind.


    ¡°Why did you buy so much?¡± Mrs. Yang looked at the pile of things she had bought and asked curiously.


    ¡°These are not just for colds. There are also some commonly used Chinese medicines here. Just in case.¡±


    Xiaoguo steered the donkey cart towards their next destination.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, come in with me.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped at the entrance of the noodle shop and invited Mrs. Yang in.


    Mrs. Yang shook her head. She did wish to follow Xiaoguo, but what about the things they had bought? In the end, she shook her head and looked after the cart while Xiaoguo went in.


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment and nodded. She would be back shortly.


    In any case, she had come here to tell Qin Anming about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday. It was better to have more people around on his birthday.


    As expected, in winter, nothing could compare to a bowl of hot noodles in herbal soup.


    The noodle shop was already bustling with activity. Due to the herbal cuisine, there were even more diners. At this moment, everyone in the shop was busy. Xiaoguo avoided the crowd and found the busy Qin Anming. She patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Xiaoguo?¡± Qin Anming turned around and called out in disbelief when he saw that it was her.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± Xiaoguo pouted unhappily. She had said that she was going to hibernate, but she wasn¡¯t a real animal. She will come out when there is a need to.


    Seeing that the shop was so busy, Xiaoguo did not disturb the others. She briefly told Qin Anming about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday and left.


    Seeing that it was getting late, Xiaoguo did not delay and drove the donkey cart home. She wondered if Zhuang Zhuang had woken up. Recently, under her influence, he had become unwilling to leave his bed.


    When she got home, Zhuang Zhuang had already woken up. He even showed her his task sheet for the day. It turned out that he had already completed everything.


    ¡°You are good, I can¡¯t fall behind.¡± After looking at his list carefully, Xiaoguo returned it to Zhuang Zhuang and cheered him on confidently. She was the one who suggested this. Even he was more enthusiastic than her. She couldn¡¯t be the weaker link.


    ¡°Mother, you have bought too much meat.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang curiously poked at the pork on the table with his finger. There should be at least half a pig here. How long would it take for them to finish it?


    ¡°It¡¯s not too much. We can take our time to finish it. It won¡¯t spoil in winter.¡±


    Xiaoguo took a kitchen knife from the kitchen and divided the pork into smaller pieces. This way, it would be easier to eat.


    She set aside a few pieces of pork to make cured meat.


    After lunch, Xiaoguo got ready to make the cured meat. When Zhuang Zhuang heard her plans, he decided to miss his nap and stuck by her side to help.


    The cured meat was easy to make. Before lunch, Xiaoguo had marinated the pork in soy sauce in the other space. She preferred cured meat that was marinated this way. When Zhuang Zhuang was washing the dishes, she took the opportunity to bring it out and left it to air-dry.


    Seeing that there was nothing else to be done, Zhuang Zhuang eagerly rushed to hang up the cured meat. Xiaoguo followed behind him. The rope was so high that Zhuang Zhuang was unable to reach it, so he still needed her help.


    ¡ª-


    The landscape now looked like an overnight spring breeze had made the pear blossoms bloom all together.


    When she woke up in the morning, everything outside the house was covered in snow. Xiaoguo had just lifted the curtain when her eyes caught the glare of the glistening snow. She had to rub her eyes a few times to ease the discomfort. She shook her head helplessly. Just one look at the snow was enough to freeze her over. She quickly put on a few more layers of clothes. She shall forget about completing any tasks and focus on keeping warm instead.


    ¡°It was almost Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday, but the weather was really strange. Before Zhuang Zhuang was born, it also snowed heavily for several days before it stopped. Would it be the same this time round?¡±


    Xiaoguo thought to herself. If it happened again, then it would be too much of a coincidence.


    Looking at the heavy snow outside, the snow at her feet was as thick as the soles of her shoes. Judging from this, the snow should have started falling before dawn.


    Xiaoguo wrapped her clothes tightly around herself and walked out carefully, afraid that she would slip. She was traumatized by the snow. Previously, during snowy weather, she would always slip and fall on her butt whereas the people around her were usually unaffected. Therefore, she always tried to stay indoors whenever it was snowing.


    But she had a small child to feed at home, so Xiaoguo had no choice but to get out of the house. She took a few steps and arrived shortly after.


    It was a cold day, so she wanted to eat something warm. Coincidentally, Mrs. Yang had received a bag of cornmeal two days ago. She heard that her family had planted it. After milling the corn, Mrs. Yang gave her a bag. After cooking with the cornmeal, she realized that they tasted pretty good, so this time, she would take more cornmeal from Mrs. Yang.


    Xiaoguo looked at the stove and thought about making some corn porridge and cooking some eggs. Now that she had a soupy dish, she should think about what to eat for the main course.


    Xiaoguo looked around and lifted the gauze on the basket. There were still a few steamed buns inside. She would heat them up above the corn porridge later.


    ¡°Done!¡± Xiaoguo put on the steamer and covered the pot. This would be their breakfast.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s snowing heavily outside¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you up?¡±


    Xiaoguo was curious. Zhuang Zhuang had actually woken up.


    Zhuang Zhuang shook the snowflakes off his body. ¡°Mother is already up. How can I continue sleeping?¡±


    Smelling the unfamiliar fragrance in the air, he looked curiously at the pot. He leaned over to her and asked with a smile, ¡°Mother, what are we eating?¡±


    ¡°Porridge.¡±


    ¡°No, porridge doesn¡¯t smell like this¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Smart boy.¡± Xiaoguo pinched his little nose and explained, ¡°It¡¯s corn porridge. It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Only then did Xiaoguo realize that Zhuang Zhuang had never tasted corn porridge before, so he didn¡¯t know the taste.


    ¡°Corn porridge?¡± Zhuang Zhuang tilted his head and asked with a smile. ¡°Does it taste good?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Xiaoguo teased him and deliberately dragged out her voice. Just as Zhuang Zhuang was holding his breath, she finished her sentence. ¡°It¡¯s quite delicious!¡±


    ¡°Hahahahahaha.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was amused by Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Done.¡± Xiaoguo stroked his head. ¡°Wash your hands and eat.¡±


    ¡°Yes Madam!¡±

 Chapter 220 - 220 Building a Snowman

    220 Building a Snowman


    ¡°Mother, what are you looking at?¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang woke up from his afternoon nap, he saw Xiaoguo standing by the window with a glass of hot water in her hand. He couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking.


    Xiaoguo turned around when she heard the voice and saw Zhuang Zhuang rubbing his eyes in a daze. Her maternal instincts were triggered instantly. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is so cute.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± When Zhuang Zhuang woke up and heard Xiaoguo praise him like this, he really felt shy. ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang, who was squirming and blushing, Xiaoguo shook her head. He was usually quite thick-skinned outside, but when she praised him at home, he would become shy like a little girl. Sigh, she didn¡¯t know what to do with him. What a shy little man.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Xiaoguo looked back at him, wondering what was wrong.


    Zhuang Zhuang got out of bed and ran to her side. He stood by the window with her and looked out through the gap. There was nothing there. Everything looked white and glaring. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    His eyes had turned blurry from looking at the snow, but he couldn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s the poetic atmosphere, my son.¡± Xiaoguo put down her teacup and nodded at him. Zhuang Zhuang was still young, so he definitely couldn¡¯t appreciate this quiet atmosphere.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhuang Zhuang shrugged. He really didn¡¯t understand.


    Xiaoguo looked at the snow, which was getting heavier. It was rare for her to feel worried. At this rate, if she were to go out tomorrow morning, would the snow block the doorway?


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, shall we build a snowman?¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly had an idea. In this heavy snow, it would be a waste not to build a snowman.


    ¡°What¡¯s a snowman?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook his head, indicating that he didn¡¯t understand


    ¡°Uh, a snowman is a person made of snow.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled to herself after explaining. That was what it means literally, so her explanation made sense.


    ¡°Wow, people made from snow are amazing! I will make a snow father!¡±


    Hearing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words, Xiaoguo¡¯s legs went weak. A snow father?


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s excited back, Xiaoguo sighed for Jiang Danhe. She hoped that he would be happy to hear it.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Put on your quilted coat.¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly stopped Zhuang Zhuang, who was about to leave without a coat. After ensuring that he had put on an additional layer, she brought him out to build a snowman.


    Xiaoguo was a professional at this. As a northerner, it snowed heavily in her hometown every year. She had never missed out on any single year. As long as it snowed, she would build a gigantic snowman. Xiaoguo would gather all the surrounding snow and make a super big one.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t like smaller snowmen, but they were just a little too cute. They don¡¯t look as impressive as a big snowman in the courtyard.


    ¡°Is this how I do it, Mother?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang followed Xiaoguo¡¯s demonstration step by step, and it turned out looking quite decent.


    ¡°Yes, sure. But it would be even better if it were rounder!¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s snowman, which was already looking good. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It was only his first time making a snowman and he was doing it so well. It was really infuriating. Even now, she could still remember the first time she made a snowman. It was all lopsided and looked nothing like a snowman at all. It looked more like something from a horror movie.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo quickly shook her arms. She was getting goosebumps. When she had finished reminiscing, she heard Zhuang Zhuang calling her.


    ¡°Mother, how is it this time?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang filled in the uneven spots with snow again. After seeing that there were no other problems, he asked Xiaoguo to look.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect this time. All that¡¯s missing are the facial features and arms.¡± At this point, Xiaoguo suddenly thought of something. ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    Under Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s puzzled gaze, Xiaoguo walked into the kitchen taking small steps. After a while, she came out with a few things in her hand.


    ¡°Mother, what is this?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s heart ached when he saw Xiaoguo sticking a carrot into the snowman that he had painstakingly made.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she didn¡¯t answer him immediately. She just sped up what she was doing. When she was done, she pulled him to take a closer look. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, look.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang walked closer reluctantly and instantly felt that the snowman was complete. He couldn¡¯t help but cry out, ¡°Wow, wow, wow!¡±


    ¡°Haha, how is it?¡±


    Xiaoguo was also admiring her work. The white snowman looked lively with its coal eyebrows, eyes, mouth, and carrot nose.


    ¡°Eh? Mother, what are you doing again?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo, who was walking towards the door this time, and was a little puzzled. Her facial features were already there. Why was his mother still going?


    ¡°Wait here.¡±


    Without looking back, Xiaoguo told him to wait and walked out of the house in small steps.


    Xiaoguo opened the door and carefully walked to the big tree at the door. Fortunately, there were some low branches, so she could easily break off a few branches.


    She quickly returned to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s side and handed him two. She held two in her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s fix arms for them.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± As soon as Xiaoguo said that, Zhuang Zhuang understood. He imitated her and gently inserted them on both sides of the snowman. Two perfect snowmen appeared in the courtyard.


    ¡°Mother, should we make a few more?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was raring to make another one. He asked Xiaoguo for permission to continue.


    Xiaoguo did not want to be a spoilsport. When it comes to making snowmen, one could either make none or make countless ones. How could it be enough for each person to make only one? Of course, there had to be more.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang raised his arms into the air and gave Xiaoguo a hug. Then, he found an empty spot and focused on building the snowman.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, snowmen don¡¯t always have to look like this. Just do whatever you want.¡±


    Children had vivid imaginations. They shouldn¡¯t be too restrained. Instead, they should be guided to let their imaginations run wild.


    ¡°Okay!¡± As expected, when Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he immediately destroyed the small ball he had made and reconstructed his snowman.


    Xiaoguo smiled at him. Alright, Zhuang Zhuang had gone to make his own snowman. It was time for her to think about what a snowman should look like.


    She seemed to have done everything that was round and flat. What other shapes could she make?


    Xiaoguo thought carefully about what to do, whereas Zhuang Zhuang had already started working.


    Zhuang Zhuang rolled the snowballs seriously. He had decided to make a father-snow-general.


    Although the name was a little long, he had thought about it for a long time.


    Just like that, mother and son worked on their own individual snowmen in the heavy snow. After a long time, the two of them had come to the last stages of their work.


    Xiaoguo was the first to put on facial features and arms. Zhuang Zhuang was a step behind.


    After the two of them were done, they explained the names of the snowmen to each other. On one side was the father-snow-general, and on the other side was the zombie snowman.


    The two of them admired each other¡¯s snowman. Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s rather interesting snowman and felt that it did have some resemblance to Jiang Danhe.


    His snowman had the same characteristics as Jiang Danhe. They were both tall and strong. Their shoulders and backs were straight. It was obvious that they were very well-built. Zhuang Zhuang had done a good job.


    Just as Xiaoguo was praising him non-stop, Zhuang Zhuang had some questions. What was a zombie snowman?


    ¡°Mother? What are zombies?¡±


    He knew what a snowman was, but zombies were indeed beyond his understanding.


    After admiring Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s work, Xiaoguo heard his question and came to his side. She looked at the zombie snowman she had made and explained to him.


    ¡°Zombies are depressed people.¡± Xiaoguo¡¯s explanation was far-fetched and not quite the correct answer.


    However, as soon as Zhuang Zhuang heard her words, he looked at the snowman again and realized that it did look a little like it. Depressed people usually walked with hunched backs and with their heads lowered. They would also move with shaky legs as if something was bearing weight on them. Looking at it this way, his mother had managed to make it look pretty realistic.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re amazing!¡±

 Chapter 221 - 221 Looking at a Bunch of Lunatics

    221 Looking at a Bunch of Lunatics


    ¡°Not bad, I guess.¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t humble at all. When she heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s praise, she immediately agreed with his words, and that made him laugh.


    With that, the two of them continued to look for a spot to make snowmen. During this time, strange-looking snowmen were born in the hands of the mother and son.


    Actually, it was not exactly accurate to call them snowmen¡ªthose that were normally round in shape. Out of the entire courtyard of snowmen they had made, only the first two were the conventional type. The subsequent ones they created were based entirely on their imaginations.


    As the day went by, they were not making snowmen anymore¡ªinstead, they seemed to be creating snow sculptures.


    During this time, Xiaoguo even recreated the main characters from SpongeBob SquarePants. The Plankton was also one of her creations.


    The more snow sculptures they made, the more excited they became. At first, they only made the snowmen in the courtyard, but gradually, they started to work on the snow outside the house.


    The two of them created a set of snow lions on either side of the door to guard the house.


    The space outside was huge. The two of them played to their heart¡¯s content.


    Just as the two of them were getting serious, Mrs. Yang happened to see this unusual scene when she came out of her house to discard charcoal ash.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, what are you doing?¡±


    Mrs. Yang wrapped her clothes tightly and slowly walked towards the two of them. She took her time to look at the strange objects around her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law.¡± Xiaoguo came back to her senses and looked at Mrs. Yang¡¯s probing gaze. She smiled in embarrassment. It was quite awkward for an adult to be seen playing like this in the snow.


    ¡°Aiyo, aren¡¯t you afraid of the cold?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s nose and face were red from the cold. Most importantly, her hands which were grabbing onto the snow, were so red that they looked like they were cooked. She was not the same person who had to bundle herself up whenever she was out.


    ¡°It¡¯s not cold. You can touch me, I feel hot.¡± As Xiaoguo spoke, she wiped the snow off her body and reached out to touch the back of Mrs. Yang¡¯s hand. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. They feel quite warm.¡±


    Mrs. Yang held her hand and squeezed it hard. She looked puzzled. Xiaoguo had been playing in the snow for so long, but her hands were so warm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Zhuang Zhuang and I are actually feeling a little hot.¡±


    Xiaoguo raised her head in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s direction. Mrs. Yang looked over and Zhuang Zhuang nodded to show that he was feeling hot.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Seeing that they were not cold, Mrs. Yang did not say anything else. She changed the topic and started asking them about the sculptures.


    Before Xiaoguo could speak, Zhuang Zhuang spoke first. ¡°Mother is building snowmen with me. There are many more in our courtyard.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang put down the snow in his hand and gestured for Mrs. Yang to look at their courtyard. The excitement on his face was hard to conceal.


    ¡°Wow, indeed.¡± Mrs. Yang looked into the courtyard from the front door. Snowmen of various sizes and shapes were erected in every corner of the courtyard. Although it was a strange sight, she thought that they looked interesting.


    ¡°Mother, what are you doing?¡± Before Mrs. Yang could enter XIaoguo¡¯s house to take a closer look, Xiaohu called out to her. When Brother Yang did not see Mrs. Yang return to the house after a long time, he was worried that she might have slipped and fallen. He was planning to go out to take a look, but Xiaohu volunteered to go look for her.


    ¡°Brother Xiaohu, come and see the snowmen.¡± Zhuang Zhuang was delighted to see Xiaohu. He grabbed him and walked into the courtyard. He gave his friend a complete tour around the sculptures and introduced the names of every snowman to him. He even explained the origins of their names.


    ¡°Sigh.¡± Mrs. Yang came out of the courtyard and elbowed Xiaoguo. When she turned around, she said, ¡°Your son has a good memory.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Xiaoguo patted the snow off her hands and looked confused. As she had not followed them in, she did not understand what Mrs. Yang was saying.


    ¡°Look, he¡¯s explaining to Xiaohu about the snowmen. He can remember all their names so clearly.¡±


    Mrs. Yang looked at her enviously. ¡°Your son is really amazing. If only he were my son.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she smiled and replied humbly, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you don¡¯t think so¡­?¡± Mrs. Yang imitated Xiaoguo¡¯s tone and said jokingly, ¡°Then let¡¯s exchange our sons.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Xiaoguo smiled sincerely. ¡°I would be happy to have such a big boy for my son.¡±


    Mrs. Yang was amused by Xiaoguo¡¯s words. The two of them looked at each other and laughed for a long time.


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang in the courtyard and thought to herself, ¡°This is my baby, I wouldn¡¯t change him for anything in the world.¡±


    In the end, Mrs. Yang and Xiaohu began to get interested in the snowmen. As they listened to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s vivid explanation, they were tempted to try things out. In the end, not only did Mrs. Yang not return to the house, Xiaohu, who had come out to look for her, was also nowhere to be seen at the Yang¡¯s residence.


    Hence, Xiaohua insisted on going out to take a look. Of course, in the end, Xiaohua did not return. Even Yang Jia, who had gone out with her to exchange books, went missing as well.


    Brother Yang was getting restless. None of them had returned. Could there be a big bad wolf outside?


    Hence, he left the house too. And what he saw was a pile of unknown objects at the door. There were rows of snow objects in various sizes¡ªthey looked pretty cool.


    He followed the footprints in the snow and arrived at Xiaoguo¡¯s house.


    ¡°Why are you all gathered here?¡±


    Brother Yang didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. He was wondering why everyone had disappeared. So they were all playing here.


    Each of them were standing by a snowman and were adding their own ideas to their creations. When they heard the voice, they all looked up at the same time.


    Brother Yang was startled. Being stared at by six red faces was quite a visual impact.


    ¡°Old Yang, hurry up and build the snowman.¡± Mrs. Yang wiped her snot and quickly invited him to join in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m too old for this.¡± Brother Yang waved his hand with an embarrassed expression. ¡°Although this thing was indeed quite interesting, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Aiya.¡± Mrs. Yang clapped her hands and walked straight towards him. She reached out and tugged at him. ¡°Alright, alright. Hurry up and come with me. Don¡¯t be embarrassed.¡±


    As soon as she said that, everyone laughed out loud. Although this activity seemed a little childish, they quickly realized that it was extremely addictive.


    ¡°Come with me, Brother,¡± Yang Jia said helpfully when he saw that Brother Yang was still hesitating. Yang Jia didn¡¯t think it was appropriate at first, but after a while, he realized that it was really fun.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything and continued to work on the snow in her hand. Occasionally, she would look up at Brother Yang.


    Brother Yang was still hesitant at first. He only squatted down after Mrs. Yang pulled him twice. He took the snowball that was handed to him and rolled it half-heartedly in the snow.


    Very soon, Brother Yang had become part of the group. However, he was no longer satisfied to make a snowman together with Mrs. Yang. As he spoke, he found an empty spot and started making his own.


    Within a short time, the few of them had unknowingly built many snowmen. At first, they were only working at the entrances of the two houses, but later on, one of them started to move further away from the house. The rest subsequently followed and unknowingly crossed over to the street. Fortunately, the two families lived at the edge of the village, so there were few villagers who would pass by this way. Since they were not really obstructing the way of anyone, they just continued building their snowmen without worry.


    In the meantime, a few villagers noticed the commotion at this corner of the village. After spotting what the group was doing, someone went home and brought his family out to watch the spectacle.


    Basically they were just busybodies. This started when a child who had come out to play in the snow, saw that there were ghosts outside. Hence, he quickly went home to look for his mother. In the end, when the family came out to take a look, they realized that it was just some snow structures. Those were no ghosts, instead there were only a few lunatics who had come out to play in the snow. Rather than staying at home, they had come out to play even when they had snot flowing out of their noses. If they¡¯re not lunatics, then what are they?


    Some of the villagers started to spread the word and gathered more people to watch the lunatics in action.


    The few people who were still building the snowmen were abruptly startled when they looked up. They stood rooted to the ground and looked at the crowd that had unknowingly gathered around them. Looking at each other awkwardly, they did not know what to do.

 Chapter 222 - 222 Leading the Trend

    222 Leading the Trend


    Xiaoguo was the first to react. She patted the snow off her hands awkwardly and looked up at the sky. Realizing that it was getting late, she looked at her companions and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Shall we leave?¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home,¡± Mrs. Yang quickly echoed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Mrs. Yang pulled Xiaohu and Xiaohua along, before giving Mr. Yang a nudge. He was still unable to tear himself away from his snowman. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Brother Yang reluctantly followed Yang Jia home. He hadn¡¯t had enough¡­


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s go back too.¡±


    Xiaoguo patted the snow off Zhuang Zhuang and dragged him home.


    In the next instant, the people who were crowding around them, quickly rushed forward and began to scrutinize the erected structures.


    ¡°How novel¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Look how funny this looks.¡±


    ¡°This one looks even more amusing. Hahahaha.¡±


    ¡°Mother, look at this. What is this? Hahahaha.¡±


    ¡°Look at this. Look at this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cute, it¡¯s cute. Mother, let¡¯s go back and try.¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make one when we get back.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home and do it. We will build one just like this.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home and make one.¡±


    ¡°I have to make one when I get back.¡±


    ¡°Me too. I¡¯m going to make one of these. This one looks so good!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pick one too. We¡¯ll build an identical one when we get back.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    For a moment, everyone was looking for a reference and was studying the structures seriously. They were planning to build their own snowmen when they got back.


    ¡ª-


    Overnight, many snowmen suddenly appeared in Peach Blossom Village. They were of all shapes and sizes. When Xiaoguo came out and saw them, it was already the next afternoon.


    ¡°Mother, look at the snowman at this house.¡± Zhuang Zhuang tugged at Xiaoguo, gesturing for her to look in that direction. Then he leaned over and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s not as good-looking as ours.¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Xiaoguo covered Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mouth and looked at the person on the other side. When she realized that he didn¡¯t hear them, she let go of the boy. Zhuang Zhuang had just regained his freedom when he stuck out his tongue mischievously at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo smiled and turned to look at Mrs. Yang. She asked curiously, ¡°Why are there suddenly so many snowmen in the village?¡±


    ¡°It must be because we had done a good job yesterday and they are just following us,¡± Mrs. Yang replied. She didn¡¯t believe Xiaohu when he ran home to inform her just now. When she came out, she realized that it was true. The villagers had indeed started building snowmen.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t called me out, I wouldn¡¯t have known.¡± Xiaoguo laughed. She had been staying at home with Zhuang Zhuang and had not set foot outside the house. How could she have known that there was a snowman building craze in the village? They were unknowingly leading the trend.


    ¡°Haha, I wouldn¡¯t know if Xiaohu hadn¡¯t told me.¡± Mrs. Yang stroked Xiaohu¡¯s head, making him feel shy.


    ¡°Your Xiaohu is indeed strong.¡± Even though it had been snowing heavily, Xiaohu was still out playing all the time. His physique was definitely better than Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°With the heavy snow, I have run out of places to go. The others don¡¯t want to leave their houses at all.¡±


    Xiaohu said with a hint of melancholy. If the heavy snow continued, he would have to stay at home indefinitely.


    ¡°That¡¯s better. You should take a break anyway.¡±


    Mrs. Yang couldn¡¯t ask for more. Every day, it was as if the boy had wings. He kept wandering around the village and couldn¡¯t stay still. She liked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s personality better. When he had nothing to do, he would study and play in moderation¡ªunlike her wild child.


    Xiaohu snorted indignantly. ¡°It¡¯s boys¡¯ nature to play. My father said that men should keep moving. That¡¯s how they keep their bodies strong¡±


    It would have been better if he hadn¡¯t mentioned it. Once he mentioned his father, Mrs. Yang exploded. ¡°You¡¯re still talking about your father! He only knows this. Why don¡¯t you learn from Zhuang Zhuang? Look at him. He¡¯s either studying all day long or helping his mother with work. Look at you, living your days like this¡­¡±


    ¡°You keep talking about me. Why don¡¯t you look at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mother? Auntie Xiaoguo is beautiful and cooks well. What about you? You keep nagging at me every day. Auntie Xiaoguo is gentle and kind, and she always talks softly. If she were my mother, I would stay by her side every day¡­¡±


    ¡°You brat, are you looking for a beating? I have become like this because of you all! None of you are obedient and you still want to acknowledge someone else as your mother. Go ahead. From now on, my son is Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    Xiaohu¡¯s eyes turned red when he heard that. ¡°Okay! I¡¯m glad. I¡¯ll go and be their son!¡±


    ¡°Quickly go, hurry up and go¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go!¡±


    Seeing that their exchange was getting more heated, Zhuang Zhuang held on to Xiaoguo tightly.


    Xiaoguo gave him a comforting look and pulled the two of them back. She whispered to Mrs. Yang, ¡°Mrs. Yang, we¡¯re still outside.¡±


    While reminding her, she comforted her.


    When Mrs. Yang heard her words, she panted heavily and looked up at her surroundings. The villagers, who had been engrossed in snowman-making, were looking in her direction. It was obvious that watching the commotion was more important than building a snowman.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sister-in-law. We¡¯ll take a walk around the village and look at the other snowmen.¡± Xiaoguo took the opportunity and held on to Mrs. Yang, with Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaohu in tow. The two pairs walked together with the adults leading in front.


    Mrs. Yang snorted at Xiaohu before leaving with Xiaoguo.


    Not to be outdone, Xiaohu replied with a heavy snort.


    Seeing that the two of them were about to start fighting again, Xiaoguo quickly got Zhuang Zhuang to lead Xiaohu forward. She dragged Mrs. Yang along, and followed behind the two boys unhurriedly.


    After the few of them left, there were still some curious gazes watching them. It was only when they had walked further away, that the onlookers looked away. Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief. As expected, rubber-necking runs in the blood of the villagers.


    ¡°Come on, Sister-in-law, are you really angry?¡±


    Xiaoguo nudged her gently and said in a joking tone.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law?¡± Seeing that she was just sighing and not saying anything, Xiaoguo nudged her again.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Mrs. Yang chuckled. ¡°As the words rolled off my tongue, I just started saying all those things¡­¡±


    Looking at the little figure in front of her, she actually regretted it a little.


    ¡°Why? Are you regretting it?¡± Xiaoguo looked at the look in Mrs. Yang¡¯s eyes and guessed what she was thinking. Every mother would feel regretful and upset after shouting at their children. This is what all mothers have in common.


    ¡°Stop mocking me¡­¡± Mrs. Yang looked at Xiaoguo helplessly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Xiaoguo patted Mrs. Yang¡¯s shoulder a few times. ¡°But to be honest, Xiaohu was really quite upset just now.¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, her heart tightened. Xiaohu wasn¡¯t usually so sensitive. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t you see that his eyes were red just now?¡± Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang and continued, ¡°He would have cried if I didn¡¯t stop you guys.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Mrs. Yang was filled with regret. The more she thought about it, the more upset she felt.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang helplessly. Her original intention was to let Mrs. Yang know that children were very emotional and sensitive, so sometimes they had to be careful with their words. But who would have thought that Mrs. Yang was so vulnerable that she would cry just like that?


    Xiaoguo wiped her tears. ¡°Sister-in-law, please don¡¯t cry anymore. Xiaohu will see you if he turns around.¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard Xiaohu¡¯s name, she immediately stopped crying and hurriedly wiped her eyes. ¡°Tell me, why can¡¯t I control my temper?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know how to comfort her, because looking at Mrs.Yang reminded her of her mother. At that time, she was young and insensible. She had talked back to her mother and they started arguing. After it was over, her father told her that her mother was crying in the room alone, and blaming herself.


    ¡°No one can control their temper when they are worked up. No one is to blame. Xiaohu wouldn¡¯t feel good to see you like this. Look, he¡¯s even stealing glances at you.¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she looked up and saw Xiaohu looking back at her. The remorse in his eyes was almost flowing out with his tears.


    The thought made her want to cry even more.

 Chapter 223 - 223 Birthday Preparations

    223 Birthday Preparations


    ¡°Sigh, Sister-in-law, hold it in. Take a deep breath¡­¡±


    Seeing that she had calmed down, Xiaoguo was relieved. If she were to continue crying along the way, who knew what others would say? With these gossipy women, they were best at making a mountain out of a molehill.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, is Mother crying because of me?¡±


    Xiaohu turned around and asked Zhuang Zhuang with red eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for making my mother cry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°Then who is to blame?¡± Xiaohu looked at Zhuang Zhuang expectantly, hoping that he could say a name so that he could blame the person.


    ¡°Blame, blame¡­¡± After thinking about it for a long time, he still couldn¡¯t come up with a name. Zhuang Zhuang reached out his chubby hand and scratched his head. That was true. Who could he blame?


    ¡°Forget it. Little children don¡¯t know anything.¡± Xiaohu sniffled hard and blinked as he looked ahead. He was a child after all. He didn¡¯t know anything.


    Zhuang Zhuang pouted unhappily and looked at Xiaohu. ¡°You¡¯re a child too, okay?¡±


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Alright, Xiaoguo, I¡¯ll remember everything you said. Thank you.¡±


    Mrs. Yang wiped her eyes and smiled at Xiaoguo. After chatting with her for a while, she felt much better.


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xiaoguo nudged her. Was there a need for formalities between them?


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, go home.¡± Xiaoguo nodded and looked up in the direction of her house. ¡°Hurry and go.¡±


    Mrs. Yang looked towards the door and saw Xiaohu¡¯s back. She turned around and blinked at Xiaoguo. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Mrs. Yang turned around and left. Xiaoguo held Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded happily. His unhappiness from being despised by Xiaohu had dissipated instantly. He skipped and followed Xiaoguo home.


    The snow fell heavily for three consecutive days, followed by two days of light snow. Today was the sixth day of snowfall.


    In the morning, Zhuang Zhuang was eating corn porridge from the bowl in his hand. He had been enjoying this recently, and had requested his mother to make the same porridge over a few consecutive meals.


    ¡°Mother, what are we doing today?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang put down the bowl and wiped his mouth. He looked at Xiaoguo expectantly.


    ¡°Today, I have to prepare everything I need for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s confidential.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang scratched his head. ¡°Then what am I going to do?¡±


    Over the past two days, Xiaoguo had been training Zhuang Zhuang. He read, drew, did handicrafts, and cleaned up the house. He was already used to following Xiaoguo around every day.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let me ask you. Do you remember what day tomorrow is?¡±


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo knew that he must have forgotten about it.


    ¡°What day is it?¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he stood up and ran back into the house. He took the calendar off the wall and ran back into the kitchen. He had made the calendar with Xiaoguo the day before yesterday. As he sat back down beside Xiaoguo, he pointed to a page that was made of red paper. ¡°Tomorrow is Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xiaoguo pointed to the conspicuous red paper and said, ¡°Tomorrow is Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday. Mother has decided to hold a small banquet for you. How about that?¡±


    ¡°A banquet?¡± Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice cracked with excitement. His birthday banquet?!


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why Mother is going to prepare everything for tomorrow. Food, drinks, and decorations.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll help Mother.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± At first, Xiaoguo thought that it wouldn¡¯t be good to let Zhuang Zhuang help out since he was a birthday boy. But on second thought, the official day would only start tomorrow. It was fine for him to do some work today. ¡°Ok then, let¡¯s do it together!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang went to wash the dishes while Xiaoguo returned to the house with the calendar and hung it back to its original position.


    The calendar was something that she thought of making on a whim, while they were working on some crafts the day before yesterday. After all, there was no item here that could help to keep track of the days. She had been passing the days in a daze and was unable to keep track of the dates. It would be nice to have a calendar around. Although it was very basic, she didn¡¯t mind as long as it could tell her the dates.


    What should she do first? Xiaoguo looked around and decided to cut out the decorations for tomorrow. She could prepare food and drinks in the afternoon. She liked to prepare everything in advance so that she wouldn¡¯t be flustered on the actual day.


    Xiaoguo went to the other room and brought the colored paper into her room. She had bought them some time ago. She placed the paper on the table and took a pair of scissors from the sewing basket. Now, she had all the required materials to make the colored flowers.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m here!¡±


    After washing the dishes, Zhuang Zhuang quickly ran in. He was afraid that Xiaoguo would start making things without him.


    Xiaoguo first made the flowers according to what she could recall from her handicraft class. She used a pair of scissors to make a few cuts and then folded the paper in a few steps. Soon, a flower with three colorful strips at the bottom came to life in her hands.


    ¡°Wow, Mother is so awesome!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang exclaimed. Not only were his mother¡¯s hands slender and fair, they were also very nimble. He was stunned by how easily she managed to fold such a complicated-looking flower.


    Xiaoguo smiled and handed the flower to Zhuang Zhuang. After he took it, he held it lovingly in his hands and scrutinized it.


    She did not disturb him. When he was done looking at it, she said, ¡°Come, Zhuang Zhuang. I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, look. First, you cut the paper with scissors. Here and here. But you are still too young to use the scissors. Mother will cut it for you. Do you understand?¡±


    Xiaoguo held the scissors and moved it away from Zhuang Zhuang. After all, he was still young. It was not safe for him to use the scissors. What if he accidentally cut himself?


    ¡°Yes, yes. I understand, Mother. I won¡¯t touch anything sharp on my own.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded seriously, looking like an obedient boy. Xiaoguo felt completely warm inside.


    Xiaoguo stroked his head in satisfaction. Then, she used a pair of scissors to cut the paper he was holding. She positioned the scissors such that the sharp edges were pointing at herself. Then, she taught him the next step. ¡°Okay, now you fold it. You have to fold it on both sides. Then, open it up and fold it inwards.¡±


    ¡°Mother, is this correct?¡± Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s small hands were clenched tightly. When he was finally done, he quickly checked with Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Let me see.¡± Xiaoguo leaned closer to take a look. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s perfect!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he flashed his teeth again as he giggled at Xiaoguo. He looked like he had accomplished something great.


    ¡°Alright, do this again¡­ and again¡­ and then turn it out. That¡¯s a complete flower.¡±


    Xiaoguo showed him the big pink flower that she had just made.


    She then looked at Zhuang Zhuang. At this moment, he was working hard to create a round flower shape. Seeing that Xiaoguo was already done, and was waiting for him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. However, he was still working hard to make the flower look neat.


    Xiaoguo leaned closer to take a closer look. This flower wasn¡¯t difficult to make. Why couldn¡¯t Zhuang Zhuang turn it out? After studying it for a while, she realized the reason. It was because he had missed out on one step, so the flower couldn¡¯t be fully formed.


    Seeing how anxious Zhuang Zhuang was, Xiaoguo quickly took the flower. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, this will do.¡±


    ¡°Mother, no!¡± Zhuang Zhuang reached out for it and tried again.


    Seeing that the paper was about to tear from the repeated folding and unfolding, Xiaoguo quickly stopped him. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I think this is enough.¡±


    ¡°But Mother, this looked nothing like the round flower you had made.¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked at the limp flower with dissatisfaction. He was having mixed feelings. This was his first flower, but he didn¡¯t expect it to turn out so imperfect.


    ¡°Who said that flowers have to look the same?¡± Xiaoguo gently rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face. Under his puzzled gaze, she continued, ¡°Flowers that are not round or blooming are still called flowers. Look at this.¡±


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo placed the flower that Zhuang Zhuang had made on the table and compared it with hers. ¡°Don¡¯t they all look like flowers?¡±

 Chapter 224 - 224 Unexpected Surprise

    224 Unexpected Surprise


    Zhuang Zhuang studied it carefully. Other than a small part that was not standing up, the flower he made didn¡¯t look all that different from the other one. It actually looked pretty good, but¡­


    ¡°Flowers don¡¯t have a specific shape. On the contrary, they all have their unique sense of beauty because each one looks different from the others.¡±


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was still looking puzzled, Xiaoguo asked again, ¡°You were playing outside for a long time when we were building the snowmen. Did you notice anything different about the snow?¡±


    ¡°Snow?¡± Zhuang Zhuang racked his brains and finally shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s so different about snow? Isn¡¯t it always cold and white?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head. With that, she got up and went to the wardrobe. She opened it and rummaged for a piece of black cloth. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, come here.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang walked towards her in confusion. He took the black cloth from Xiaoguo and looked up at her in confusion.


    ¡°Bring this out and spread the cloth to catch the snowflakes. Observe and see what is special about it.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang always followed Xiaoguo¡¯s advice. After hearing her words, he immediately went to the courtyard with a cloth and spread it out.


    Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and looked at him through the gap.


    At first, Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t think that there was anything different about the snow. When the snowflakes landed on the black cloth, he followed Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions and leaned in to take a closer look. He quickly noticed that there was something different about the snow. He ran anxiously to Xiaoguo¡¯s side to show her. However, as soon as he entered the house, the snowflakes immediately melted from the heat in the house. All that was left was a small wet patch.


    ¡°Mother, they all looked different from each other.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have discovered a whole new world. Previously, he didn¡¯t know that snowflakes were uniquely different from each other. Now that he had seen it for himself, it instantly aroused his desire to explore further.


    ¡°There are no identical snowflakes in the world. Every snowflake is unique, but look at how beautiful they are when they are gathered in a vast expanse of white.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! They are very beautiful!¡± Zhuang Zhuang agreed with Xiaoguo. Indeed, they didn¡¯t have to look exactly the same. Their differences make them unique.


    Xiaoguo stroked his head and praised him.


    When Zhuang Zhuang went on to fold the remaining flowers, he did not insist on making them look the same. Instead, he let nature take its course. Even if there was a slight depression, he didn¡¯t let it bother him.


    Xiaoguo was quite satisfied with this outcome. Some time ago, she had noticed that Zhuang Zhuang was a little perfectionist. She took this opportunity to have a good talk with him. After all, a flower without a petal was still called a flower.


    The colored paper that Xiaoguo had bought was not pre-cut. Instead, it was cut out from a larger piece of paper. As she had intended to make the flowers bigger, she needed bigger pieces of paper. When all the flowers were joined together, she would have a garland. It would look pretty and eye-catching when she hangs it up in the room.


    Xiaoguo did a count and stopped when she realized that there were enough flowers.


    ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t you going to continue making the flowers?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pointed at the remaining few pieces of red paper.


    ¡°No, I am not. I will need those to write something.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the red paper on the table and asked Zhuang Zhuang to count how many pieces were left.


    ¡°There are eight left.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. There were eight of them. After she used six for writing, there will be two pieces left¡­


    ¡°Mother, what are we going to do next?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hands were itching to do more. He wanted to do more.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Xiaoguo thought for a moment and decided not to do anything else. ¡°Shall we eat? There will be more work in the afternoon.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded. ¡°Eating is good!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and cook!¡± Xiaoguo called Zhuang Zhuang to the kitchen, and watched him as he washed his hands.


    After lunch, Xiaoguo wanted Zhuang Zhuang to take an afternoon nap. The older folks used to say that children would grow taller if they slept more. She wished for Zhuang Zhuang to grow taller, but he refused to sleep no matter what. Xiaoguo had no choice.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, why don¡¯t you take a short nap?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping. When I sleep, Mother will have to work alone.¡± Zhuang Zhuang placed his hands on his hips and straightened his back.


    ¡°No, Mother is not going to work.¡± Xiaoguo smiled, trying to fool the boy.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you sleep with me?¡± Zhuang Zhuang wasn¡¯t going to be fooled so easily.


    ¡°Mother still has a lot of work to do¡­¡± Xiaoguo subconsciously told the truth, but it was too late to take back her words.


    Zhuang Zhuang gave her a knowing look.


    Knowing that she was in the wrong, Xiaoguo sighed. ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want to sleep, so be it.¡±


    In any case, with Jiang Danhe¡¯s genes, Zhuang Zhuang wouldn¡¯t grow up to be too short. Besides, Xiaoguo¡¯s height was also above average. Therefore, based on genetics, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s potential height should not be a cause for worry. If he didn¡¯t wish to sleep, so be it. He can make up for the lost sleep when tomorrow comes.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo felt relieved. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s take a break. After the food has been digested, we¡¯ll go to the kitchen to prepare the food.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    In any case, Zhuang Zhuang wasn¡¯t trying to be difficult¡ªhe just wanted to stay by his mother¡¯s side.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Mother, what should we do first?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stood beside Xiaoguo, wearing a special apron. He looked like he was going to show off his culinary skills


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you going to do it?¡± Xiaoguo glanced at Zhuang Zhuang from head to toe. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that he was the assisting chef.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he came down in embarrassment and moved his stool further away to make room for her. ¡°Please go ahead.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head. This silly boy was behaving more and more like Jiang Danhe. Based on her observation, they were definitely biologically related.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s cut the vegetables first.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the vegetables that were laid out neatly on the table. Not only did they look good, they also brought her joy when she was cooking. Although she was now living in the olden times, she still made sure to appreciate the finer things in life. This was something that she did not abandon during the apocalypse, and she was even more adamant about it now, living in this period.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wash the vegetables!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang volunteered to help. His mother would not let him hold the knife, so he couldn¡¯t cut the vegetables. In any case, he didn¡¯t know how to do it either. Hence, the job of washing vegetables had to go to him since he was very good at it.


    Xiaoguo took a large basin and placed all the vegetables she needed in it. Then, she poured hot water into the basin and mixed it with some cold water. She tested the water temperature before handing it over to Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stood obediently at the side and watched Xiaoguo. After getting her approval, he started washing the vegetables.


    He was still young. His mother was right¡ªthere were many things that he could not do just by putting on a brave front. If it were in the past, he would definitely try to show off in spite of his ability. But now, he understood. He could only help his mother to the best of his abilities. When he gets older, he could take on all the responsibilities, and his mother would not have to work so hard anymore.


    If Xiaoguo knew about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s grand wish, she would definitely be touched.


    While Zhuang Zhuang was washing the vegetables, Xiaoguo sharpened the knife and prepared to cut the meat. She cut a large piece of pork based on the estimation she had in mind.


    According to her invitation, Qin Anming should be back at noon. She wondered if Ruyi and the others would follow him. After all, the shop was very busy. It was likely that they couldn¡¯t come.


    Xiaoguo hesitated for a while and decided to include their portions too. Even if they couldn¡¯t make it for the party, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have some extra food.


    For lunch, they would be having noodles, stir-fried chives with eggs, and cabbage shredded pork. In addition, she would prepare meatballs, braised pork and stir-fried mushrooms with bok choy. There will also be spicy chicken cubes.


    As she counted the items on her list, there were a total of six dishes. It should be just nice.


    Xiaoguo put down the kitchen knife and placed all the cut ingredients on a plate. She covered them with pieces of gauze. In this weather, they wouldn¡¯t spoil overnight. She could just stir-fry them tomorrow. It was very convenient.


    ¡°Mother, what else should we do?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was massaging Xiaoguo¡¯s back. When his mother straightened her back just now, there was a cracking sound at her waist. She must be feeling tired.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for the dishes, but I still have one more dish to prepare.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stopped and hugged Xiaoguo. He blinked his big eyes and asked curiously, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled mysteriously and touched Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little face. It was still the same bouncy face, but she was not going to tell him about the little surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡±

 Chapter 225 - 225 Decorations

    225 Decorations


    ¡°Mother¡­ tell me.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang refused to let her go. He hugged Xiaoguo tightly, looking like he would not let go until she told him.


    Seeing that he was going to do it the hard way, Xiaoguo tried her best to lift him up. She thought to herself, ¡°Don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t carry you, little meatball. I¡¯ll show you how strong I am.¡±


    But in the end, it was a slap in the face. Before she could even lift him, she almost broke her back.


    A miserable cry sounded. Zhuang Zhuang was so shocked that he immediately let go of her. He looked at her and asked nervously, ¡°Mother, are you alright?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo held on to the table and stood up straight. Although her legs were trembling, she comforted Zhuang Zhuang and said, ¡°Mother is really fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Zhuang Zhuang heaved a sigh of relief. He was so frightened just now. He thought that his mother had broken her back. It turned out that it was just a false alarm. It was great!


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled stiffly and said yes three times, but her hands secretly reached behind to rub her waist.


    It was no joke. Zhuang Zhuang has been gaining weight rapidly recently. When Jiang Danhe was still around some time back, she had picked up the boy before. However, even though she had exerted all her strength just now, Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t move an inch off the ground. Her back almost went on strike after the attempt.


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang, whose face was trembling, Xiaoguo made a decision. ¡°Jiang Qingwen, it¡¯s time to lose weight¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo tried to relax her back before bringing Zhuang Zhuang back to the house to rest. Before that, she was planning to make the glue for the flowers and also prepare noodles for lunch the next day. But she wasn¡¯t sure if her back could take it. If she broke her back now, everything would be ruined. Although she still had her healing power, she had to be careful. She had better rest first and see how it goes.


    Zhuang Zhuang carefully helped Xiaoguo up and opened the door for her. He was very considerate.


    Xiaoguo followed behind him without any worries. When she saw that Zhuang Zhuang was busy taking care of her, and had forgotten about his question earlier, she heaved a sigh of relief. She had already told him that it was a secret surprise. It would be no fun if he knew what the surprise was.


    ¡°Mother, sit down for a while. I¡¯ll get some books for you to read.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had thought of everything. In order for Xiaoguo to have a good rest, he prepared water and snacks, and placed them in front of her before leaving to get the books.


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who looked like a little adult, and felt very emotional. He could now take care of others. The days go by so quickly.


    Soon, Zhuang Zhuang returned with half a stack of books. He read them one by one for Xiaoguo. While laying on the bed, she listened until she was on the verge of dozing off. Fortunately, she kept thinking about her unfinished work, so she didn¡¯t fall asleep.


    ¡°Alright, Zhuang Zhuang, Mother is going to work.¡±


    Xiaoguo sat up and stretched. She was overjoyed to find that her back was fine. It was an important part of her body and she had always cherished it. Now that she knew that it was still healthy, Xiaoguo wished she could hug it. She cannot live without her back!


    Filled with energy, Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang straight to the kitchen again and began to make the glue paste, knead the dough, and cut the noodles.


    With Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s help, all the preparation work was quickly done. All that was left was to cook everything tomorrow.


    Just as Xiaoguo was looking at the ingredients in satisfaction, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly thought of a question. ¡°Mother, what are we eating tonight?¡±


    So, the work is not done yet¡­


    Xiaoguo instantly wilted. She had all the food for tomorrow, but what about tonight? She had thought that she could rest. ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    Mrs. Yang might have heard Xiaoguo¡¯s silent wail. She braved the snow and brought over a few buns. She said that they were stuffed with alfalfa and asked Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang to try them.


    Xiaoguo thanked her profusely. After sending her off, she turned to Zhuang Zhuang and said, ¡°Let¡¯s make porridge tonight and have alfalfa buns.¡±


    Although she had never eaten alfalfa, it sounded healthy and green.


    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s eat porridge!¡± All Zhuang Zhuang could think of was that he would eat porridge tonight. The alfalfa buns were quickly forgotten.


    At night, Xiaoguo boiled water and gave Zhuang Zhuang a hot bath. He was the little birthday boy tomorrow. Xiaoguo prepared everything like she usually did for the new year. There were new clothes, new shoes, and everything else. Everything that could be worn were all brand new.


    ¡°Have a good night¡¯s sleep. When you wake up tomorrow, you¡¯ll be a birthday boy.¡±


    Xiaoguo spoke as she dried his hair.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Zhuang Zhuang was delighted to hear that. He was looking forward to tomorrow. It would be best if tomorrow came in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°By the way, Mother.¡±


    Xiaoguo had just put down the towel when she heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice. She asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Can I invite Brother Xiaohu and Sister Xiaohua over tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Xiaoguo agreed without thinking.


    In fact, she had wanted to invite their entire family over at first. However, she knew them too well. If they were invited, they would definitely come with gifts. Xiaoguo was quite sure of that.


    She had wanted to invite them to join in the fun, but she would indirectly trouble them to spend money on gifts. It was really not appropriate to do so for a child¡¯s birthday, so she extinguished the thought as soon as it surfaced.


    However, inviting Xiaohu and Xiaohua was different. The two of them were just children, and they were invited by Zhuang Zhuang. Hence, Xiaoguo was extremely agreeable with this idea.


    ¡°Yay, that¡¯s great! I love Mother the most¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was spouting sugar-coated words incessantly. He threw so many loves and likes at Xiaoguo that she was overwhelmed. She completely gave up resisting and immersed herself in the warm honey that was called Zhuang Zhuang. She was unwilling to wake up from her daze.


    Mother and son played and laughed. Zhuang Zhuang was still young, so sleepiness quickly overwhelmed him. Xiaoguo gently coaxed him to sleep and tiptoed to the kitchen. Zhuang Zhuang was asleep, but she still had work to do.


    She was going to give Zhuang Zhuang a birthday cake tomorrow. Although there was no milk or cream, she could make a naked cake for him.


    As it was very difficult to fluff up the egg whites, she was going to use whole eggs instead. The cake would not turn out as soft if she were to do that, but she had made something like that before and it tasted pretty good.


    Xiaoguo stirred the oil, eggs, flour, and white sugar together and placed them in a large ceramic basin. As she didn¡¯t know if the cake would turn out okay, Xiaoguo was prepared to stay up all night to get it done.


    Xiaoguo placed the basin in the preheated oven and closed the small door tightly, leaving no gaps. She tried to keep track of the time. Whether the cake turned out successful or not depends completely on the oven.


    She still had a second plan. If it didn¡¯t work, she would change it to steamed cake. Although it wasn¡¯t as tasty as a baked one, at least one wouldn¡¯t get heaty from consuming a steamed cake.


    With a plan in mind, Xiaoguo felt more at ease and went to paste the flowers.


    While the paste was still sticky, Xiaoguo placed all the flowers on the table and glued the dangling strips together. She blew air on them to make the glue dry faster.


    While the flowers were drying, Xiaoguo took out the remaining red paper, brush, and ink.


    Out of the eight pieces of paper, six were taken out. One word was written on each piece. Placed together, they read, ¡°Happy birthday, Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Xiaoguo held the brush carefully, not daring to move unnecessarily. If there were any ink spots, the writing would be ruined.


    When she was done, she carefully picked the pieces up and placed them by the side. After putting everything away neatly, Xiaoguo admired the words she had written. Although they weren¡¯t perfect, they were still written carefully stroke by stroke. The words were the same size and looked pretty decent.


    While she was writing, the flowers had become stuck together. Xiaoguo carefully picked one up, and the other flowers were pulled up as a result. She picked up the entire garland and shook it. After making sure that it was sturdy, she prepared to put it up on the wall.


    She stood on a chair and carefully hung it on the exterior wall of the first room. Anyone who enters the house will see it.


    After hanging the garland, she picked up the writing that had become completely dry, and pasted the words on the wall in sequence under the flowers.

 Chapter 226 - 226 Wondrous Scene

    226 Wondrous Scene


    First, it was ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡±. Then, it was ¡°Happy Birthday¡±.


    After Xiaoguo was done, she got off the stool and walked further away to take a look.


    After she was done looking, she felt so satisfied that she only had one word for it. ¡°Awesome!¡±


    Looking at the remaining two pieces of red paper, Xiaoguo came up with a plan.


    Since there was a cake tomorrow, there would definitely be a segment for wish-making. Other than candles, the only thing she was missing for this segment was a birthday hat. The remaining red paper could be used to make one.


    Xiaoguo got to work immediately. The birthday hat was easy to make. Xiaoguo picked up the square piece of red paper and folded two opposing corners towards the same direction . This created the shape of a pointy hat.


    Xiaoguo then joined the two ends of the paper and formed a ring that had the same circumference as Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head. She glued the two ends together so that it would not fall apart when she let go.


    She tried it on herself. Other than the fact that it was a little small for her head, there was nothing wrong with it. It was no different from a real birthday hat.


    But there was still a piece of red paper left. Xiaoguo wanted to put it away, but then she thought of something else. She had everything except for a portrait of the little birthday boy.


    Xiaoguo held the brush and tried to settle down. She then carefully sketched out Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s cute face.


    She couldn¡¯t draw realistically, but she was able to come up with a cute version of his face.


    When the final drawing was done, Xiaoguo blew on the ink. Looking at the cute version of Zhuang Zhuang that she had just drawn, she realized that she had completely captured his demeanor and facial expressions on paper. Satisfied, she got up and stuck herself to ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡±, who was now on the wall.


    Looking at it up close made it look even more perfect. She returned to the kitchen to wash her hands. She calculated the time and realized that it was time to bring out the cake. Hence, she walked uneasily to the oven. Before she reached the oven, she could smell the fragrance.


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath and thought that the smell seemed okay. She felt a little more at ease.


    If it smells good, the cake shouldn¡¯t look too bad either.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was beating like a drum, but she still opened the oven. As it was dark, she couldn¡¯t see anything clearly. She could only rely on the light of the candles to take out the cake before she quickly ran into the kitchen. She didn¡¯t even have time to take the candles, as the cake was very hot. Although she was using a thick cloth to hold on to it, the temperature was high enough to make Xiaoguo jump.


    When she reached the kitchen, she threw the cake uncontrollably onto the table. Fortunately, it landed safely and Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief.


    She was secretly happy to see that the cake looked quite authentic.


    Fortunately, she had beaten the eggs for a long time just now. Otherwise, the cake mixture would not have risen.


    She quickly placed the basin upside down on the shelf and waited for it to cool down before taking it out. However, that would have to wait until tomorrow.


    Xiaoguo yawned and stretched. After blowing out the candles, she went to the courtyard in the dark.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo realized that the snow seemed to have become lighter. She was extremely surprised. ¡°Could it be so coincidental? Would it stop completely tomorrow morning? If it really happened, it would be too unbelievable.¡±


    She went to the oven and took out the candle that she had not picked up earlier. With the help of the candlelight, she returned to the house. At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang had fallen into a deep sleep.


    Even so, Xiaoguo subconsciously softened her movements. After undressing, she blew out the candle and got into bed. Lying on the soft bed, she gave out a sigh. It was really too comfortable.


    After a tiring day, Xiaoguo, who had not moved so much since a long time ago, was very tired. The tiredness was not physical, but spiritual. As soon as she touched the pillow and inhaled the fragrance of the blanket, she fell asleep very quickly.


    ¡ª-


    The next day, Xiaoguo woke up before Zhuang Zhuang could open his eyes. As she was thinking about the cake in the kitchen, she quietly put on her clothes and walked out of the house.


    As soon as she stepped out of the door, her eyes, which were still sleepy, were immediately irritated by the radiant white scene. She couldn¡¯t open her eyes anymore. She retreated to the back of the house and rubbed her eyes a few times before she felt more comfortable.


    After her eyes felt more adjusted, she lifted the curtain again. As soon as she entered the courtyard, her eyes widened and she completely woke up.


    She looked up at the sky in a daze and reached out to grab at the air. She realized that it was not an illusion. It had really stopped snowing!


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo muttered to herself. This was too magical. Could Zhuang Zhuang be a child from the snow? A child that was welcomed by heavy snow?


    Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew past. Xiaoguo shivered and quickly ran to the kitchen. As expected, it becomes even colder when the snow melts. The wind that had just blown past her made her bones hurt.


    When she returned to the kitchen, the first thing she did was not to light the stove, but to check on the cake.


    After a night of cooling, it was as cold as it could get. Xiaoguo brought it over and put it down. She fiddled with it a few times before giving it a good shake. The cake left the basin within the next instant. It was super springy.


    Xiaoguo ate the cake crumbs stuck to the bottom of the basin. They tasted good and she felt very relieved.


    She set the cake aside. Although there was no cream, it was still delicious. She took a look at the sizable cows outside. If she wished to make a cream cake, she could probably make one by next year.


    After making breakfast, Xiaoguo went to wake Zhuang Zhuang up.


    He still remembered what Xiaoguo had said yesterday. From the minute he opened his eyes, he did not stop smiling. He kept thinking to himself that he was the little birthday boy today.


    He put on the new clothes and shoes that Xiaoguo had prepared for him. As soon as he arrived at the outer room, he was attracted by the wall. When he took a closer look, he almost jumped up in joy. After taking a good look at the wall, he ran to look for Xiaoguo. When he saw her, he hugged her and told her how much he liked the decorations.


    Seeing Zhuang Zhuang so happy, Xiaoguo was overjoyed. She hugged him and kissed him a few times. Looking at his smiling face, it was worth it no matter how tired she was.


    Zhuang Zhuang was extremely excited. He had not stopped eating since he opened his eyes. As soon as he finished eating, he wanted to invite Xiaohu and Xiaohua over.


    Xiaoguo looked at the time and felt that the timing was right, so she agreed.


    After Zhuang Zhuang left, Xiaoguo took the big broom and prepared to sweep away the snow. At the very least, she had to sweep away the snow covering the main entrance.


    Xiaoguo scanned the house and soon got to the main entrance. She did not see Zhuang Zhuang around. She began to wonder why he was taking so long.


    When he did not return, Xiaoguo continued with her sweeping. She swept the snow from the front door to the trees across from her house. She didn¡¯t stop until she had cleared out an empty space in front of the main door.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang came over with Xiaohu and Xiaohua.


    Now she knew why he had taken so long. It turned out that he didn¡¯t go over to invite them. Instead, he had brought them over personally.


    ¡°Auntie.¡±


    Xiaohua and Xiaohu greeted Xiaoguo politely.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Xiaoguo smiled and invited them in. She followed behind them and opened the door completely. Afraid that the two dogs would run out to play, Xiaoguo specially brought them indoors and reminded Zhuang Zhuang to keep an eye on them.


    After receiving the boy¡¯s answer, Xiaoguo went to the kitchen. She cleaned up the kitchen and washed up everything that had to be washed. As it was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday today, Xiaoguo did not let him wash the dishes earlier. Now, she had to wash them herself.


    Qin Anming returned quite early, earlier than Xiaoguo had expected. However, Ruyi was the only one who came along with him. This was also within Xiaoguo¡¯s expectations. The shop must be so busy, it was already quite incredible that Ruyi could come.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo.¡± Ruyi got out of the car and explained to Xiaoguo immediately, ¡°The shop is a little busy today. The rest had wanted to come, but they got so busy that they were unable to leave. In the end, I was sent here instead.¡±


    Ruyi wasn¡¯t lying. The shop was really busy today. When she woke up early in the morning, she was planning to close for the day so that everyone could celebrate Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday with him. Unexpectedly, when she opened the door, there was a large group of people waiting outside. They said that they had come after hearing about the shop¡¯s reputation. Before she could say anything, they had entered and gotten themselves seated. Almost all the seats in the shop were filled up. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to chase them away, so some of the staff had to stay behind to watch over the shop.

 Chapter 227 - 227 Zhuang Zhuang Is the Most Sensible

    227 Zhuang Zhuang Is the Most Sensible


    ¡°Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Qin Anming tied up the carriage and came to their side.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Xiaoguo took Ruyi¡¯s hand and patted it happily. ¡°Of course I understand. I¡¯m overjoyed that you could come.¡±


    Ruyi¡¯s arrival really took Xiaoguo by surprise. After all, the more people there were, the happier Zhuang Zhuang would be.


    ¡°We should stop chatting. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Xiaoguo took Ruyi¡¯s cold hands and urged her to keep warm inside the house.


    Qin Anming walked behind them. When Xiaoguo was just about to enter the house, he immediately stopped her.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xiaoguo lowered the curtain and looked at Qin Anming, who was behaving strangely.


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t speak. He shook his cloak and looked at her with a faint smile.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xiaoguo stared at him, speechless. What was he trying to do?


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Qin Anming took two steps back and looked like he was trying to show her something.


    Seeing that she was still in a daze, Qin Anming sighed. Why was the usually discerning Xiaoguo so dense today?


    Seeing that he still looked dissatisfied, Xiaoguo was even more confused. Was he trying to perform right now, in this cold weather?


    Qin Anming stood a little further away. With his hands on his hips, he signaled her with his eyes to look at him.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Qin Anming was already making it so obvious. It would be quite far-fetched if Xiaoguo still didn¡¯t get it. ¡°You look so refreshing in these clothes!¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± Qin Anming waved his cloak happily. ¡°I think so too.¡±


    He was wearing the new clothes that Xiaoguo had given him. This was the first time he was wearing them out today, as he couldn¡¯t bear to put them on ever since he received them.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Xiaoguo pulled Qin Anming into the house. She didn¡¯t want to chat with him outside in the cold.


    Ruyi, who had entered the house first, was stunned by the decorations. Although they were not elaborate, they were very novel. She had never seen such cute decorations for a birthday celebration.


    After she was done looking around, she saw Xiaoguo and Qin Anming entering the house. When she saw Qin Anming following right behind Xiaoguo, she knew what had caused the delay.


    ¡°Brother Anming must be asking you about his clothes again.¡±


    Ruyi said with certainty.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xiaoguo raised an eyebrow and nodded. ¡°Did he do that at the shop too?¡±


    Ruyi nodded silently, looking resigned. ¡°He basically asked everyone about it.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt embarrassed for him when she heard this. Qin Anming was being so childish. Indeed, men will remain childish throughout their lives.


    While the two of them were talking, Qin Anming had already gone into the room to look for Zhuang Zhuang, so he didn¡¯t know that the two women were talking about him.


    During lunch, Xiaoguo brought out the cake and lit the candles. After Zhuang Zhuang made a wish and blew out the candles, everyone handed over their gifts for him. Even Xiaohua and Xiaohu had prepared gifts for him.


    Zhuang Zhuang happily put away the presents. After thanking everyone politely, he looked at Xiaoguo. ¡°Mother, where¡¯s your gift?¡±


    When everyone heard this, they all looked at Xiaoguo.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you tonight.¡±


    Xiaoguo was not going to bring it out now. She would give it to him tonight.


    It sounded very mysterious. Zhuang Zhuang was very happy¡ªhe loved mysterious things.


    The food on the table was piping hot and fragrant. The few of them cleaned out almost everything, leaving only some noodles. Xiaoguo scooped the remaining noodles out of the pot and placed them in a basin. There wasn¡¯t much left, so Xiaoguo poured it out for the puppies.


    After dinner, Xiaohua and Xiaohu played for a while more before returning home. Zhuang Zhuang sent them off while Xiaoguo, Ruyi, and Qin Anming stayed by the stove and chatted.


    Ruyi looked curiously at the unique stove in the corner. She had never seen something like that before. After asking, she found out what it was. Her eyes were filled with curiosity.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, your stove is really convenient. Besides, the room is still hot from the heat. I was almost sweating when I entered.¡±


    Ruyi¡¯s hands and feet always felt cold during winter. She could not keep her hands off the hand stove. Moreover, the brazier she had placed in her room did not give out much heat, and she had to keep a window open to ventilate the room. Before the heat from the brazier could warm up the room, it had already gone out of the window. This is a problem whenever winter comes.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± Xiaoguo went to the wardrobe and rummaged through it. Soon, she returned with a piece of paper. ¡°This is a detailed plan of the stove. You can just take it to the metal shop and have them make one.¡±


    Ruyi was touched. She took the plan from Xiaoguo before saying happily, ¡°Thank you in advance, Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    Qin Anming took the paper and looked at it carefully. This was the first time he had seen something called a stove. He didn¡¯t expect that a small gadget like this could produce so much heat.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Xiaoguo waved her hand nonchalantly. In fact, when the weather turned cold, she was a little worried about Qin Anming¡¯s health. She didn¡¯t know if it was just as cold in the county. If his old ailments were to recur, and if Ruyi were to order a stove at the metal shop, Qin Anming could get one for himself too. It would be best for everyone.


    When Zhuang Zhuang returned, the few of them sat and played for a while more before Qin Anming and Ruyi got ready to go back. There was still a lot to do in the shop, so Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t keep them. Moreover, when the sun sets and the roads become frozen, it would be impossible to drive the carriage. They had better go back early so that Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t feel so worried about their return journey.


    Zhuang Zhuang was in a good mood the entire day and his face was still flushed. Looking at his face against his fair body, he looked very funny and cute. Seeing that the two of them were about to leave, he followed them to the door and waved goodbye.


    ¡°Uncle, goodbye, Sister Ruyi! Be careful on the way!¡±


    ¡°Okay, goodbye¡­¡±


    Ruyi lifted the curtain and waved at Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo.


    Qin Anming got out of the car and kissed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little face. He really couldn¡¯t bear to part with the little fat ball, but no matter how reluctant he was, he had to leave. ¡°Be good. Uncle will come and visit you in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! Okay!¡± Zhuang Zhuang narrowed his eyes, his face filled with joy.


    Qin Anming nodded and got up. He looked at Xiaoguo and said gently, ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°Go on. Be careful on your way back.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded.


    After watching the carriage leave their sight, the mother and son went home.


    On the way, Ruyi nestled comfortably in the carriage. She wrapped her robe tightly around herself and said to Qin Anming, who was seated outside, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is so sensible. The little guy even reminded us to be careful on the way.¡±


    Qin Anming smiled when he heard that. He said dotingly, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang had always been a sensible child, but he¡¯s become even more sensible now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡± Ruyi lifted the curtain and looked at his infatuated expression. She said disdainfully, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang will be very sensible in the past, now, and in the future. Is that enough?¡±


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t even turn around. He shrugged and said, ¡°It¡¯s just the truth.¡±


    ¡°Haha, come on, you¡¯re really unbearable.¡±


    Ruyi laughed out loud. Brother Anming was really insufferable.


    Qin Anming smiled happily.


    The carriage drove out of the village entrance as usual, but they happened to pass by a group of carriages at the gates.


    Ruyi happened to spot them. After their carriage was a distance away, she asked Qin Anming, ¡°Brother Anming, do you think those carriages look familiar?¡±


    Qin Anming looked in the direction she had pointed and only saw the back of the carriages. He couldn¡¯t see the entire carriage clearly, so he could only shake his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, all the people who came to our shop for breakfast this morning, arrived in carriages that looked like this.¡±


    ¡°The streets are filled with similar-looking carriages. It¡¯s not unusual.¡± Qin Anming didn¡¯t think much of it. After all, most carriages looked pretty much the same. He couldn¡¯t tell the differences.


    ¡°They¡¯re different.¡± Ruyi was very sure. ¡°There¡¯s a special symbol on the carriages of those people who came for breakfast. I don¡¯t see it on ordinary carriages, but I spotted them on the carriages that just passed by.¡±


    ¡°Did you see wrongly?¡± Qin Anming muttered. ¡°After all, she had only taken a glance. Could she be seeing things?¡±


    ¡°Definitely! Those were the same carriages!¡±

 Chapter 228 - 228 Little VIP

    228 Little VIP


    Ruyi was sure that she saw it right. Moreover, she had grown up in the county and had seen countless carriages. Whether it was her own carriage or those passing by, she could identify them clearly. The carriages she saw this morning looked quite different in terms of their designs and decorations. That was why she could remember them so clearly.


    ¡°What are they doing in Peach Blossom Village?¡±


    Ruyi asked curiously as she watched the carriages enter the village.


    Qin Anming shook his head. How would he know?


    ¡°Such carriages usually belonged to those who were either rich or noble. Every horse is tall and strong. Moreover, they are either made of rosewood or sandalwood. Most commoners could not afford to use such materials.¡±


    Ruyi was still looking in the direction that the convoy had left.


    ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, I can tell that you have a strong desire for this type of carriages,¡± Qin Anming said with a smile.


    Hearing the man¡¯s smile, Ruyi came back to her senses and snorted. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want it? Yellow rosewood is my dream. If I could own such a carriage, I would laugh even in my dreams.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t afford it. We¡¯ll go and get a rosewood carriage later.¡±


    Qin Anming sounded like he was going to help fulfill her wish immediately.


    Knowing that he was teasing her, Ruyi patted Qin Anming. ¡°Unless I¡¯m crazy. How can I use rosewood on an entire carriage?¡±


    Qin Anming laughed when he heard this. He knew that Ruyi was a penny-pincher. Once money comes to her, it will be hard to separate her from it.


    ¡°Go ahead and laugh. Be careful, you could get cramps.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Anming suddenly inhaled a mouthful of cold air and started coughing.


    Ruyi lowered the curtain and returned to the carriage, laughing.


    ¡ª-


    After the luxurious convoy entered Peach Blossom Village, they arrived at Xiaoguo¡¯s house.


    One of them got out of the car and knocked on the door.


    Xiaoguo was tidying up the house when she heard someone knocking on the door. She was puzzled. She had just closed the door. Who could it be?


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll get it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go out. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Xiaoguo called out to Zhuang Zhuang, who had just finished speaking and was running out. He was going out without putting on any clothes. Was he looking to fall sick?


    She put down the broom, wrapped herself up tightly, and walked out.


    ¡°Coming!¡±


    As soon as she reached the courtyard, there was another knock on the door. Xiaoguo quickly yelled out and walked swiftly to the door.


    ¡°You are?¡± Xiaoguo opened the front door and saw a man dressed in commoner¡¯s garb.


    The man took a few steps back and didn¡¯t speak. He just smiled at Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Eh? Guanxi?!¡±


    Xiaoguo saw who it was and searched through her memories. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this the commander of the Imperial Guards, Guanxi? The same person who had escorted her to the capital¡¯s palace?¡±


    ¡°Madam, you still remember me.¡±


    ¡°Of course I remember!¡± Xiaoguo smiled and looked at the convoy outside. She was puzzled.


    Guanxi could tell that the person in front of him was puzzled, so he explained, ¡°Sorry to disturb you, but I¡¯m actually here because I am escorting someone.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him. Who could it be? This person who needed an escort, and was acquainted with her? In any case, it wasn¡¯t Jiang Danhe. If it was him, he would have come on horseback. He wouldn¡¯t need anyone to escort him here.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s me!¡±


    Before Guanxi could speak, a young and lively voice came from a carriage not far away.


    As soon as she heard the voice, Xiaoguo¡¯s eyelids twitched and she looked in the direction of the voice.


    A rounded figure which looked indistinguishable, lifted the curtain and stood boldly outside the carriage. His hands were on his hips and he looked at Xiaoguo with his big round eyes. He had a big bulging bag on his back. From time to time, laughter could be heard coming from his covered mouth.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and moved closer. No way, no way. ¡°Xiaoyi?!¡±


    She called out his name tentatively. As expected, the little furball laughed. ¡°That¡¯s me!¡±


    With that, he jumped down. The people around him were so frightened that they quickly rushed towards him to check if he was injured. Xiaoyi impatiently pushed them away and pounced on Xiaoguo, hugging her.


    Xiaoguo squatted down and hugged him back. ¡°Long time no see, Xiaoyi¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi hugged Xiaoguo and breathed hard, afraid that he would cry in the next second. He missed her so much.


    Xiaoguo tried to pick him up, and managed to lift him up quite easily.


    In fact, when she first saw him, she noticed that Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang were both as round as balls. However, when she picked him up, she realized that Xiaoyi was not as heavy as expected. He looked fat because he was wearing thick clothes, but Zhuang Zhuang was a solid round ball.


    ¡°Xiaoyi, why are you here?!¡±


    Xiaoguo was very excited. It had been a long time since she had seen this child. She really missed him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday today? I actually set off from the palace a long time ago. It took me a long time to get here,¡± Xiaoyi whined to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart ached for him. How could such a young child be let out alone?


    In her eyes, she was disregarding the luxurious carriage and the large number of guards. She was only thinking about Xiaoyi. He had actually traveled all the way here just to celebrate Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday. Other than being surprised, she was touched and her heart ached for him.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang will be very happy to see you!¡±


    Xiaoyi nodded and suddenly thought of the star of the day. ¡°Where¡¯s Zhuang Zhuang?!¡±


    As he asked, he looked around for his friend.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the house. Go in!¡±


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo pushed open the door and let Xiaoyi in. Zhuang Zhuang, who was observing the door through the window, finally saw who had just come. He rubbed his eyes excitedly to make sure that he was not hallucinating. Then, he shouted excitedly, ¡°Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi!!¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang! Zhuang Zhuang! Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoyi called out Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s name as he ran. When the two children met, their screams shook the house. The cries of all the animals sounded through the courtyard.


    Xiaoguo was happy to see this, but since she wanted to find out more from Guanxi, she could only close the door first to reduce the noise.


    ¡°Guanxi, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked the man standing quietly beside her.


    ¡°A few days ago, the crown prince kept making a fuss about leaving the palace to look for Zhuang Zhuang to celebrate his birthday. He begged the emperor for a long time before the emperor reluctantly agreed to let us escort the crown prince over.¡±


    After Guanxi explained, Xiaoguo hesitated. ¡°When are you guys going back?¡±


    She asked this purely to find out more. There was no other meaning to her words.


    ¡°My preliminary estimate is three days later.¡±


    At this moment, Guanxi took out a large bag from somewhere and handed it to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo subconsciously reached out to receive it, but before she could get a firm hold, it slipped off. She had to use both hands to catch it. When she saw Guanxi lifting it up with one hand, she thought that she could do the same. However, she had underestimated the weight and almost made a fool of herself.


    ¡°Be careful, Madam.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Seeing that he was concerned about her, Xiaoguo felt even more embarrassed.


    ¡°Madam, this belongs to the Crown Prince. It contains his clothes and other necessities. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of him in the next few days!¡±


    After Guanxi explained everything, Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°What about you guys?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we won¡¯t disturb you anymore, Madam. I¡¯ve already asked the village chief to arrange a place for us.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded when she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s good. My house can¡¯t accommodate so many people.¡±


    After Guanxi finished conveying everything to XIaoguo, the village chief came over. The convoy then left with the chief.


    After watching the convoy leave, Xiaoguo sighed. Should she be happy about this?


    Did the emperor trust her so much?! What if something happened to XIaoyi here? Even if she had three heads and six arms, she might not be able to withstand the pressure¡­


    No matter how worried Xiaoguo was, she was still quite happy. Since Xiaoyi had come so readily, she would definitely take good care of him.


    She lifted the bundle with all her might and carried it on her shoulders. She closed the door tightly and hummed a tune as she walked into the house. Since she already had to take care of Zhuang Zhuang, one more child wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference. It was not like she had never done it before.


    In the capital, when she was at Jiang Danhe¡¯s mansion, she had done a pretty good job taking care of the two kids. So there was no pressure at all. Easy peasy¡­

 Chapter 229 - 229 I Almost Forgot

    229 I Almost Forgot


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pulled Xiaoyi to sit on the bed. When he heard XIaoyi¡¯s voice, he tilted his head and looked at him.


    ¡°Have you become¡­¡± Xiaoyi thought for a moment and used a nicer term to describe it. ¡°Swollen?¡±


    ¡°Huh??¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang bit his lower lip and looked at him in confusion. ¡°Swollen?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not swollen.¡± Zhuang Zhuang shook his head vigorously to show that he was not swollen.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t seem to understand what he was saying, Xiaoyi pursed his lips. Zhuang Zhuang might not be happy to hear that he had gained weight. After all, most people didn¡¯t seem to like being called fat.


    ¡°Xiaoyi means that you¡¯ve gained weight.¡±


    As soon as she entered the house, Xiaoguo heard Xiaoyi¡¯s tactful words. With her son being so clueless, she had no choice but to get straight to the point.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little heart was hurt by XIaoguo¡¯s direct and cruel words. He looked at her with a hurt expression.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t even look at him. She put down the bag with difficulty. The weight was manageable, but she wondered what was inside to have filled up such a big bag!


    Zhuang Zhuang bit his lip and looked at her aggrievedly, but he did not get the attention of the one who hurt him.


    Xiaoyi looked at Zhuang Zhuang and hugged him tenderly. He looked accusingly at the woman who was only focused on drinking water.


    ¡°¡Ñ?¡Ñ?¡± Xiaoguo had just taken a sip of water when she suddenly felt a chill. She turned around and saw an aggrieved gaze accompanied by another accusing look. What had she done?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to cook.¡±


    Xiaoguo found a random reason and ran away. As for telling Zhuang Zhuang that he was fat, she felt that it was better to tell the truth. The boy had to accept reality.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo had disappeared, Xiaoyi raised his hand and stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hair. ¡°Good boy, Zhuang Zhuang, you¡¯re still very cute. You¡¯re round, smooth, fair, and tender.¡±


    ¡°Round? Xiaoyi, you are laughing at my weight too¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no. I was praising you for being cute!¡±


    Xiaoyi quickly denied it. He really thought that Zhuang Zhuang was chubby and cute. The word ¡°round¡± was just a modifier, it does not replace the key words.


    ¡°Cute? Really?¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he stopped his whiny voice and looked at Xiaoyi with his wide eyes.


    ¡°Haha, so you¡¯re not really crying. Stinky Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    There was no trace of moisture in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s widened eyes. As soon as he saw that he had been exposed, he immediately regained his composure. He hugged Xiaoyi and reached out to tickle him. This was something he had discovered when they were resting in the same bed. Xiaoyi¡¯s entire body was his ticklish spot.


    ¡°Hahahaha, stop fooling around¡­¡±


    The moment Zhuang Zhuang pounced on him, Xiaoyi surrendered. He had no choice. Zhuang Zhuang knew his weakness too well. He could find his ticklish spot every time. He had to surrender.


    ¡°Do you know, Zhuang Zhuang? I haven¡¯t been so happy in a long time!¡±


    Xiaoyi wiped his tears and leaned closer to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang tilted his head and asked curiously, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because no one can be like you. There¡¯s only one Zhuang Zhuang. I only like Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoyi sincerely expressed his love for Zhuang Zhuang. Ever since Zhuang Zhuang left, it had taken him a long time to get used to life without him. The few days he spent with Zhuang Zhuang were his happiest days.


    ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t your father find you a new friend?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was very touched, but what did Xiaoyi do usually? Who did he hang out with? Didn¡¯t he have any friends who were like Brother Xiaohu and Sister Xiaohua?


    ¡°He did, but I don¡¯t like them because they¡¯re too¡­ too¡­¡± Xiaoyi racked his brains and thought of a term that his father always used. ¡°What was it called again? Oh right!!¡±


    ¡°Hypocrite!¡±


    Xiaoyi said those two words forcefully, startling Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Hypocrite?¡±


    Xiaoyi nodded vigorously. The playmates that his father had found for him would lower their heads and bend their backs when they saw him. They would not dare to speak ill of him. If he were to point at something black and say that it was white, they would not refute him. They went along with him unconditionally. At first, he felt that it was fun and interesting, but gradually, he got tired of it. Those friends were no different from a puppet who could only nod and smile.


    Therefore, during that time, he missed Zhuang Zhuang especially. He missed how he treated him as an equal. He missed how Zhuang Zhuang would scold him when he made a mistake. He missed how strict he was. He really missed Zhuang Zhuang too much!


    With this thought in mind, Xiaoyi pounced on Zhuang Zhuang again. He hugged his friend, who was still in a daze, and rolled around on the bed. He was so happy!


    ¡ª-


    In the kitchen, Xiaoguo was cutting the vegetables. No matter what, Xiaoyi was an important guest. Moreover, he was here to celebrate Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday. She should make a few more dishes. Besides, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday was not over yet. It would not be appropriate to put up a shabby dinner.


    Although Xiaoyi had come in a carriage, he had been traveling for a few days after all. He must not have gotten much rest. In addition, the weather was cold, so XIaoguo decided to make a pot of soup for him to warm his body and calm his mind.


    After covering the soup pot with a lid, Xiaoguo continued to prepare the other dishes. With one adult and two little ones, it would be a waste to prepare too many dishes. Therefore, in addition to the soup, she prepared stir-fried meat in sauce, a plate of scrambled eggs, and stir-fried bok choy. She also heated up five large steamed buns.


    It was a simple meal with meat, vegetables, and soup. That should be enough for them.


    As Xiaoguo cooked, she could hear the laughter of the two children in the house. With this special background music, Xiaoguo was especially motivated. After a while, the food was ready.


    The two of them arrived at the same time when the food was ready. Just as Xiaoguo was scooping out the dishes, the two kids arrived at the kitchen together.


    ¡°Mother, we¡¯re here to serve the dishes!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pulled Xiaoyi to stand beside Xiaoguo and aimed at the steaming dishes beside the stove.


    ¡°How fragrant¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi took a deep breath like Zhuang Zhuang and sighed.


    The series of actions made Xiaoguo laugh. This child was still so genuine. She liked it¡­


    ¡°Alright, bring the dishes over.¡±


    Xiaoguo handed the scrambled eggs to Xiaoyi and the meat to Zhuang Zhuang. The scrambled eggs were cooler, and the meat dish was slightly hot since it was fresh out of the pot.


    As Zhuang Zhuang was used to serving the dishes at home, even though he was small, his hands were steady and he could handle the heat. However, the same could not be said for Xiaoyi. If he got scalded or hurt, it would be hard for her to explain herself. In addition if she was charged with insubordination, she could not imagine the consequences.


    The boy¡¯s father had given her so much trust by sending the child over. If she didn¡¯t take good care of him, his father may vent his anger on Zhuang Zhuang or Jiang Danhe. If that happened, she would be done for.


    Seeing that the two children had successfully reached the table, Xiaoguo felt relieved and brought the remaining dishes over.


    They had dinner in the kitchen and did not return to the main hall. Although the stove was only two steps away from the table, she let the children do their jobs without interfering, so long as they were able to achieve a sense of accomplishment from the little tasks.


    After putting down the casserole, Xiaoguo left the task of setting the table to the two kids. Having the children help with some manageable chores would also help to improve the family atmosphere.


    The few of them finished their meal happily. Xiaoguo chased away the two kids who wanted to stay and help. She decided to clear up by herself and asked the children to go back to the room to play.


    She quickly cleaned up the dishes and sealed the stove. After all, she wouldn¡¯t be coming back to this room after dinner. It would be useless and wasteful if she stayed here any longer. She only turned on the stove when she was cooking and when she leaves the kitchen, she will seal the stove. This will keep the stove hot and help to save on charcoal. She was killing two birds with one stone.


    When he returned to the house, Xiaoyi felt like there was something he had not done yet. However, perhaps because he had just eaten, his mind was in a daze and he could not remember anything. Since he was small, his brain capacity was limited. After thinking for a while, he decided to stop and focused on playing with Zhuang Zhuang instead.


    When Xiaoguo entered the house to make the bed, Xiaoyi saw the bag that he was carrying on his back earlier and suddenly remembered what he had forgotten!

 Chapter 230 - 230 Mission Accomplished

    230 Mission Accomplished


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    Xiaoyi slapped his head. His memory completely failed him. He had almost forgotten about such an important matter!


    Hearing the commotion, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang looked at each other. Neither of them understood what was wrong with him, so they turned to look at Xiaoyi.


    Xiaoyi ran to the bed and took the bundle. After opening it, he found a letter from the pile of toys and handed it to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo looked confused. She took it and gave Xiaoyi a look. ¡°For me?¡±


    Xiaoyi nodded and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw her take it. The mission was complete!


    After receiving a nod from Xiaoyi, Xiaoguo opened the unsigned envelope in confusion. As soon as she opened it and saw the handwriting, she knew who had written it.


    Other than that person, no one else could make her feel like this. His good-looking handwriting had sent her heart beating like a wild horse.


    As expected, the beginning was the same. ¡°My dear wife, how are you¡­¡±


    Feeling shy, Xiaoguo tried to get away from the two little heads that were approaching her.


    She got up and went to a corner, keeping a distance from the two kids. Then, she looked at the letter again.


    Xiaoyi blinked and looked at Zhuang Zhuang in confusion. ¡°What did those words mean?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked disgusted when he heard that. ¡°Did you not study again?¡±


    Xiaoyi avoided Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s gaze and retorted weakly, ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang acted all mature and held his forehead. Seeing Xiaoyi like this, he couldn¡¯t bear to reprimand him. He could only explain to him, ¡°The first two words refer to my wife. The remaining three words mean, hope you are reading the letter. All the words put together, it¡¯s just a greeting.¡±


    His voice was childlike, but every word he uttered was concise and to the point. This made Xiaoyi, his fanboy, respect him even more.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± So that was the meaning. Xiaoyi looked enlightened.


    Zhuang Zhuang tried to hold it in, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Xiaoyi, you can¡¯t go on like this. You have to study hard. You have to study during your free time. My mother said¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, I understand. I promise that I will study hard when I get back!¡±


    Seeing that he was going to start again, Xiaoyi quickly admitted his mistake. If he did not stop Zhuang Zhuang from nagging, it would probably be dawn by the time he finished. He could not afford to let that happen.


    ¡°Yes, yes. You¡¯re a promising child.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang felt a sense of accomplishment for giving advice to a child who had gone astray, and leading him towards the right path.


    Xiaoyi smiled. Zhuang Zhuang was good in every way, except for one thing. He was so young, but he loved to nag¡­


    However, he still liked Zhuang Zhuang the most!


    Xiaoguo nestled in a corner and read the letter. She didn¡¯t know why Jiang Danhe was being so mushy. It would be better if he could speak normally. He even had to write in such a genteel manner. She felt so uncomfortable reading them¡ªhow could Zhuang Zhuang possibly read those words? To think that he could endure writing the letter.


    ¡°The letter will probably be delivered on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday. Help me congratulate him on his special day. Although I cannot be by his side, I miss you guys day and night¡­¡±


    It was a letter that consisted of two pieces of paper. Thirty percent of the content was spent on talking about Zhuang Zhuang. The rest of the letter was telling Xiaoguo how he had been, how he was feeling, and how much he missed her. The more Xiaoguo continued reading, the more embarrassed she felt. Although the words were conveyed through the letter, she felt that Jiang Danhe was whispering them into her ears. The fervent emotions in his words were about to erupt from the letter and fly to her side.


    From the minute she started reading, Xiaoguo¡¯s toes had been digging into the soles of her shoes.


    To be honest, Jiang Danhe seemed to have become a smooth-talker. Previously, she would feel shy and touched when reading his letters, but this time, it was a bit too much for her. Before she read the letter, she had never thought that love could sound so fancy. The more she read, the more she felt that it was completely unlike Jiang Danhe¡¯s style of writing.


    Just by reading the letter, no one would have imagined the writer to look like Jiang Danhe. They might imagine the writer to be a poor scholar who lived aimlessly every day.


    When she saw the next sentence, all her emotions exploded.


    ¡°When I hold your sleeve and your hands, my life will be yours. We will live and die together¡­¡±


    ¡°Urgh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was unable to control her physiological reaction¡ªshe truly felt nauseous.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, what do you think the letter says?¡±


    Xiaoyi was constantly observing the situation over at Xiaoguo¡¯s side. From the beginning, he felt that Xiaoguo¡¯s expression seemed strange. What was in the letter that could make someone reveal such an indescribable expression? He was in a dilemma. How was he going to describe this expression to General Jiang? It wasn¡¯t a happy face, but it wasn¡¯t a look of dislike either.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something we can read.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook his head. Although he didn¡¯t know what was written, from his mother¡¯s expression, it was probably inappropriate for children.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    Xiaoyi didn¡¯t understand what Zhuang Zhuang meant. Why couldn¡¯t he tell anything from her face?


    Zhuang Zhuang did not speak. He looked up and gestured for him to look at Xiaoguo. Xiaoyi looked seriously at the person in the corner.


    As the contents of the letter were more or less hidden, Xiaoguo felt inexplicably guilty. From time to time, she would look up and steal glances at the two children. In addition, she was feeling mentally and physically stressed by those words, so she looked a little sneaky during the whole process.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Xiaoyi had the same feeling as Zhuang Zhuang. Although he didn¡¯t know the content, it was definitely inappropriate for children. This was undeniable.


    ¡°Are we still going to read it?¡±


    Xiaoyi was curious. At first, he wanted to ask Zhuang Zhuang to take a peek with him. But now that they had guessed the contents, were they still going to take a look?


    ¡°Silly¡­ Of course not!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pulled Xiaoyi back to the bed. Since they already knew that it was inappropriate for children, they shouldn¡¯t be reading it. Children should not meddle with the affairs of adults.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not going to!¡±


    Xiaoyi sat obediently beside Zhuang Zhuang. Since they were not going to read the contents, he had to observe Xiaoguo¡¯s expression carefully. When he returned to the palace, he had to report to General Jiang word for word. He had to keep his promise!


    The two little kids looked at Xiaoguo without blinking. Xiaoguo finally endured her discomfort and finished reading the letter. Although the words were very vivid, but¡­


    Painfully, she put the letter away and put it back in the envelope. At this moment, she only had one thought. The letter was well written, but he should not write something like this again.


    Xiaoyi heaved a sigh of relief when he saw her put away the letter. Fortunately, she had finished reading it. If her expressions had been any more complicated, he would have problems remembering them. He still had to memorize these few expressions for a while. If he forgot them in two days, he would be finished.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Oh! Right!¡± Wen Xiaoyi was lying on the bed in his undershirt. He suddenly sat up. He had forgotten something else!


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoyi, who had run out of bed and was rummaging through his bag. He got up curiously.


    Clang, clang, clang¡­


    With his hands behind his back, Xiaoyi ran to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s side and took out two small boxes from behind him.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°This is your father¡¯s birthday gift to you.¡± Xiaoyi handed him the one on his left hand and showed him the one on his right. ¡°This is my gift to you!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang took the boxes from him happily. ¡°Thank you, Xiaoyi!¡±


    ¡°Open them and take a look!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and eagerly opened Xiaoyi¡¯s gift first. Although he wanted to open his father¡¯s first, it was not appropriate. After all, Xiaoyi was right in front of him, so he should unwrap his gift first.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Zhuang Zhuang opened the exquisite box, revealing a long tube with a strange design. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°This is a kaleidoscope.¡± Xiaoyi happily watched Zhuang Zhuang unwrap his gift to him. The kaleidoscope was also something he liked very much. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to play!¡±


    Xiaoyi picked it up and placed it on one of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes. ¡°Close your other eye.¡±

 Chapter 231 - 231 Generation Gap

    231 Generation Gap


    Zhuang Zhuang did as he was told and slowly closed his other eye. As Xiaoyi spun the kaleidoscope, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face slowly turned red with excitement.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful! It¡¯s so beautiful!¡±


    Xiaoyi handed the kaleidoscope to Zhuang Zhuang and let him spin it himself. As it spun, the colorful flowers in the kaleidoscope kept spinning. As a result, Zhuang Zhuang got so dizzy and happy looking at it, but he simply couldn¡¯t bear to put it down.


    ¡°This is awesome! Thank you, Xiaoyi!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, hehe.¡±


    Xiaoyi rubbed his head. It was a gift that he had spent many days preparing. He was glad that Zhuang Zhuang liked it.


    Zhuang Zhuang had not forgotten Jiang Danhe¡¯s gift, so he reluctantly put down the kaleidoscope and opened the equally exquisite gift box to reveal a black-colored block. ¡°Wow¡­ this is¡­ plum ink!¡±


    Xiaoyi didn¡¯t know what plum ink was. Zhuang Zhuang explained to him thoughtfully, ¡°Plum ink is a kind of rare ink block. Not only is the ink color superb, it also has a faint medicinal and floral fragrance. Smell it.¡±


    Hearing the excitement in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice, Xiaoyi leaned closer and took a whiff. His eyes lit up. ¡°Yes! There¡¯s really the fragrance of medicinal herbs and I also detected the smell of plum blossoms!¡±


    ¡°This is awesome! It¡¯s really awesome!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang carefully put away the plum ink. He had to keep it well and not grind it unless it was absolutely necessary.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you¡¯re amazing. You know everything.¡± Xiaoyi was in awe of Zhuang Zhuang. He actually knew what plum ink was, unlike him, who knew nothing except for playing.


    ¡°You¡¯d know if you read more.¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Xiaoyi lay beside him unhappily. ¡°How can everything be related to studying?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled. He announced that today was his happiest day. Not only had he eaten the cake, but he had also received many favorite gifts. It was really the best day of his life!


    In the darkness, Xiaoguo rolled over and smiled at the sounds of laughter coming from the other room.


    The next day, Zhuang Zhuang woke up and saw that Xiaoyi was still sound asleep. He got out of bed quietly, put on his shoes, and went to look for Xiaoguo. He did not forget to take the kaleidoscope that Xiaoyi had given him.


    He had wanted to look for her as soon as he received it yesterday, but it was a little late. She was probably asleep, so he waited until dawn. When he woke up, he couldn¡¯t wait to show it to her.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang ran to her room first. Seeing that she was nowhere to be seen on the bed, he ran to the kitchen. Sure enough, he saw Xiaoguo busy at the stove.


    ¡°Mother, I knew you were here!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang ran happily to her side. He was about to show her the kaleidoscope when Xiaoguo interrupted him.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get dressed before coming out?¡±


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not cold. I¡¯ll go back to the house and change in a while.¡± Zhuang Zhuang took out the kaleidoscope in his hand and handed it to her. ¡°Look at this!¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± Xiaoguo put down the knife in her hand and wiped her hands on her apron. She took it and looked at it carefully. It looked so familiar. ¡°A telescope?¡±


    ¡°Let me teach you. Squint your eyes¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo followed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words and peeped through the hole. ¡°Oh¡­¡± So it was a kaleidoscope and not a telescope.


    ¡°How is it? How is it?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t wait to hear her thoughts.


    Seeing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s expression, Xiaoguo pretended to look surprised, as if she didn¡¯t know what it was. ¡°How magical. What is this?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, this is a gift from Xiaoyi. It¡¯s a kaleidoscope.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s slightly exaggerated acting skills had made Zhuang Zhuang very happy.


    ¡°Alright, hurry back to the house. You¡¯ll catch a cold later.¡±


    Xiaoguo played with it for a while longer, pretending to be curious. Then, she quickly got Zhuang Zhuang to return to the house.


    Having achieved his goal, Zhuang Zhuang obediently returned to his room. Only then did Xiaoguo start cutting vegetables and cooking again. She watched Zhuang Zhuang hop away and laughed quietly to herself.


    ¡°Time to eat!¡±


    After Xiaoguo was done cooking, she returned to the house and called out to the two children, who were still lazing in bed.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m getting up, but Xiaoyi is still in bed.¡±


    As soon as Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaoguo enter the house, he immediately complained to her. He had tried to wake Xiaoyi a few times just now, but he just wouldn¡¯t get up. There was nothing more he could do.


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xiaoguo knew the best tricks for tackling those who refuse to get out of bed. She shushed Zhuang Zhuang and rubbed her cold hands together as she walked towards the little guy whose eyes were still shut.


    When her hands had warmed up a little, she reached out to Xiaoyi¡¯s exposed neck. His warm neck was instantly enveloped by the coldness of Xiaoguo¡¯s hands. That woke him immediately.


    Xiaoyi sat up and covered his neck with both hands while rubbing it vigorously. He kept saying, ¡°It¡¯s so cold. It¡¯s so cold.¡±


    This scene made Zhuang Zhuang laugh out loud. He gloated, ¡°Did you have a good taste of my mother¡¯s ultimate move? Haha!¡±


    ¡°Get up and eat.¡± Xiaoguo placed Xiaoyi¡¯s clothes beside him and pinched the laughing Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°You too.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang knew only to laugh at Xiaoyi, but he was still sitting under the covers himself.


    When Xiaoyi heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he stopped rubbing his neck. He turned around and bared his teeth at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°You too¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s smile instantly disappeared. He looked at Xiaoguo and wailed, ¡°Right away¡­¡±


    ¨C


    After breakfast, Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was excitedly talking about building a snowman. Xiaoyi was also wearing a look of yearning on his face. To be honest, she really wanted to ask Xiaoyi about Jiang Danhe. Like how Jiang Danhe had handed him the letter and how he had asked him to bring it over.


    Pretending to chat casually at first, XIaoguo slowly steered the conversation towards the main topic. Xiaoyi laughed as he answered her question.


    ¡°Speaking of this, I have to thank the general. If it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave the palace so easily, let alone come out for so many days.¡± Xiaoyi¡¯s face was filled with gratitude. If the general hadn¡¯t gone to plead with his father, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to come out at all.


    ¡°Tell me more?¡± Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued. It turned out that Jiang Danhe played an important role here.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s was starting to get interested too. As the two of them turned to look at Xiaoyi at the same time, he felt almost embarrassed. He said shyly, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that complicated. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. So that was the reason. Because the letter had to be delivered, Xiaoyi was brought along with it.


    This whole thing started when XIaoyi, who frequently visited Li Shouji¡¯s place to play with him, overheard Jiang Danhe mentioning that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday was coming up. As Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s best friend, how could he not do anything about it?


    Hence, he ran back to beg the emperor. He wanted to leave the palace to look for Zhuang Zhuang. At first, the emperor did not agree. So Xiaoyi cried, threw a tantrum, and went on a hunger strike. Even when he was on the verge of collapsing, it didn¡¯t hold as much weight as one word from Jiang Danhe.


    He didn¡¯t know what Jiang Danhe and the emperor had exchanged in secret, but the next day, the emperor sent someone to pack his bag and sent him out of the palace. Before he knew it, he was already in the carriage.


    ¡°Xiaoyi, you¡¯re so good to me. You actually went through so much just to see me¡­¡±


    While Xiaoguo was in a daze, Zhuang Zhuang gave Xiaoyi a hug. His eyes were red as he spoke of how touched he was. Xiaoyi did the same.


    Xiaoguo was dumbfounded by their inexplicable tears. What was this? She couldn¡¯t bear to look at them and turned to look outside. This must be a generation gap¡ªthere might be a chasm between her and the kids¡­


    ¡°Alright, will these two young masters continue with your moving scene? I¡¯m going out.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head and stood up to leave. When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he immediately calmed down and pulled Xiaoyi up happily. ¡°Mother, are you going to look for Auntie Yang?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xiaoguo nodded and waited for Zhuang Zhuang to continue.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡± Then, he pulled Xiaoyi along and dried his eyes. Zhuang Zhuang said to him gently, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to Brother Xiaohu and Sister Xiaohua.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Seeing that the two children had left her behind, Xiaoguo followed them gloomily and locked up the house.

 Chapter 232 - 232 Chaperone

    232 Chaperone


    Because of Xiaoyi¡¯s arrival, Zhuang Zhuang became much happier. He usually had nothing to do at home with Xiaoguo, but now, he was running around the village with Xiaoyi and Xiaohu.


    At first, Xiaoguo felt that it was a little dangerous. After all, Xiaoyi was the crown prince, so she followed him around the village initially. However, she quickly stopped thinking this way.


    Although the Imperial Guards could not be seen hanging around the village, they were, in fact, everywhere.


    This time, Xiaohu was bringing Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi up a tree. Although the tree was not high, it was quite difficult for the two boys, who had never climbed a tree before. Xiaoyi lost his footing and almost fell. Xiaoguo reacted quickly and reached forward to grab him, but she was still one step behind.


    Two men appeared out of nowhere and caught Xiaoyi steadily from both sides. Before he could react, he had already been placed onto a tree branch.


    Once that was done, the two men left.


    Xiaoguo tried hard to close her gaping mouth and retracted her right foot. She was shocked¡­


    ¡°Aye?¡±


    If Xiaohu and Zhuang Zhuang had not seen it with their own eyes, they would have thought that they were seeing things.


    Apparently, other than Xiaoyi, everyone else was shocked.


    Xiaoguo rubbed her calves. It seemed that there was nothing much for her to do. She could just go back. If she had known that there were guards watching over XIaoyi, she wouldn¡¯t have spent so much effort walking around with them every day.


    She waved at Zhuang Zhuang and left after seeing that he understood her.


    Xiaohu sat on a thick tree branch and watched the mother and son signaling to each other. After Xiaoguo left, he asked Zhuang Zhuang curiously, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, where did your mother go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Zhuang Zhuang smiled and shook his head. ¡°She should be going home.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± After saying that, Xiaohu turned to look at Xiaoyi, who had settled nicely on the branch, and asked, ¡°Xiaoyi, who are those people?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xiaoyi did not know how to answer him. His father had instructed him not to reveal his identity casually when he was out. However, Xiaohu was considered his friend. It would not be nice to keep it from him¡­


    Just as Xiaoyi was feeling conflicted, Zhuang Zhuang remembered Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions. He turned to Xiaohu and said, ¡°Those are the people sent by Xiaoyi¡¯s father to take care of him.¡±


    When Xiaoyi heard this, he looked up at Zhuang Zhuang in confusion. The other party only smiled back at him. Xiaoyi was stunned for a moment before he returned the smile.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Then Xiaoyi¡¯s family must be very concerned about him. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have sent someone to take care of him.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiaoyi nodded. Although his father was very strict with him, he was very concerned and worried about him. Therefore, Xiaohu was right.


    ¡°Those two men are very skilled!¡±


    It was Xiaohu¡¯s dream to become a hero. He always fantasized about being like the two men just now¡ªthey were agile and omnipotent.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Those two are the most highly skilled.¡±


    Xiaoyi nodded in agreement. The two guards were usually by his father¡¯s side. This time round, they had come out to take care of him.


    ¡°Did they escort you all the way here?¡±


    Seeing Xiaoyi nod, Xiaohu rubbed his chin. ¡°If that is the case, that would make them the legendary ¡®flower guardians¡¯. And Xiaoyi is that flower!¡±


    As soon as he said that, Xiaoyi didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with it, so he nodded.


    As the only one who understood what ¡°flower guardians¡± meant, Zhuang Zhuang almost fell off the tree. He stopped himself from wobbling and looked at the two boys who were unaware of what was wrong. He opened his mouth but didn¡¯t say anything. Forget it, it wasn¡¯t necessary to correct them.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± After thinking it through, Zhuang Zhuang shook his head at Xiaoyi and comforted him.


    Xiaoyi had thought that he was playful enough, but Xiaohu was even more playful. He dragged him and Zhuang Zhuang around the entire village. One moment, they were climbing trees, and the next moment, they were having a snowball fight.


    Although most of the snow had melted, there were still many places still covered in thick snow where the sun didn¡¯t shine.


    Curious, Xiaoyi grabbed a handful of snow and placed it in his palm. He carefully felt the snow melt from in his palm and eventually turn into a puddle of water.


    There was also snow in the palace, but before he could play, the snow was already swept away by the palace maids and eunuchs. This was the first time Xiaoyi had the chance to enjoy playing in the snow.


    The three of them climbed trees one moment, and had a snowball fight the next. Eventually, they all ended up looking terribly filthy.


    When it was time for dinner, the three of them went home separately. When Xiaoguo came out of the kitchen after cooking, she saw two clay dolls standing in the courtyard, smiling at her with their gleaming, white teeth.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t get angry after looking at their silly and cute appearances. She had no choice. The food was already cooked, so she could only let the two boys wash their hands and eat first.


    After dinner, Xiaoguo boiled some water. When the water was boiling, she returned to the house and stripped the two children, revealing their fair bodies. Then, she wrapped them in a thick blanket and carried them individually to the bathroom before placing them in hot water.


    She brought Xiaoyi into the bathroom first. Then, she wrapped Zhuang Zhuang tightly in the thick blanket and dragged him into the bathroom.


    The two children sat together in the hot water, feeling extremely comfortable.


    XIaoguo took turns to rub the dirt from their bodies. She wondered what these wild monkeys had been up to. To think that they had gotten themselves coated with so much dirt. The amount of dirt on them was over-the-top. She had to rub very hard to get rid of all the mud.


    She used a lot of soap to wash them. After rinsing their bodies and drying them up, she carried them into the house and placed them under the warm blanket.


    It seemed that the two children were tired from playing all day. When she returned to the room after emptying the bathtub, she saw that the two of them had fallen asleep with their heads against each other.


    She gently blew out the candle and left.


    ¡ª-


    Initially, Xiaoyi was planning to stay here for three days, but when the time came, he postponed it for another two days. He stayed for a whole week before leaving.


    On the day he had to leave, Xiaoyi was extremely reluctant. From the moment he woke up, he had been looking listless. When he saw Guanxi, who had come to pick him, he kept blinking at the man.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s been too long. The emperor is already urging us to return.¡±


    Seeing Xiaoyi open his mouth, Guanxi knew what he was going to say. The last time when he was supposed to leave, he used the same tactic. Guanxi took pity on him after seeing his sorry looks. After making a request to the emperor, he was able to stay for a few more days. But now that he was trying the same trick again, Guanxi had no way to push back their departure anymore.


    Xiaoguo looked at Xiaoyi and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Was her place better than the palace?


    Xiaoyi hugged Zhuang Zhuang tightly and refused to let go. Zhuang Zhuang also hugged him back. The two of them looked at Guanxi eagerly. The latter looked like an evil character who was going to break them up.


    No matter how reluctant he was, he ultimately had to leave. Xiaoyi got into the carriage and refused to lower the curtain. Guanxi had no choice but to look at Xiaoguo for help.


    Xiaoguo walked forward and stroked Xiaoyi¡¯s head, soothing him.


    ¡°Xiaoyi, you¡¯re not leaving.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Xiaoyi looked at Xiaoguo in confusion, not understanding what she meant.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to the capital to complete the mission. After the mission is accomplished, you can come back to us when there is a chance.¡±


    As she spoke, she patted the small bag on Xiaoyi¡¯s back and blinked mischievously.


    When Xiaoyi heard this, he instantly regained his spirits. He held his sling bag and nodded heavily. That¡¯s right, he had a mission!


    ¡°I will definitely complete it well!¡±


    Xiaoyi nodded at Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang. The look of heroic dedication on his face was very amusing to Xiaoguo.


    The carriage slowly left their sight. Xiaoguo sighed and looked down at Zhuang Zhuang beside her.


    The boy was feeling very melancholic at this moment. He looked in the direction of the carriage and sighed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Xiaoguo grabbed Zhuang Zhuang and walked home. She looked at the unhappy boy and comforted him. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother, I know. All good things must come to an end. Besides, it¡¯s not like we won¡¯t see each other again. If he misses me, he can come and find me. If I miss him, you¡¯ll bring me to him too, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± After thinking for a while, she realized that he was right. In any case, she had nothing much to do. If Zhuang Zhuang really wanted to look for Xiaoyi, she could just rent a carriage and leave.


    She had time and money, so this was not a big deal.

 Chapter 233 - 233 Xiaoyi is Exhausted

    233 Xiaoyi is Exhausted


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve already promised you. Why are you still feeling melancholic?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was still sulking, and felt a little depressed. ¡°Why does this child have so many worries?¡±


    ¡°I think that the letter I wrote to Father was not good enough.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang rested his chin on his hands and pouted at Xiaoguo. He really regretted it. If he had known, he would have written more.


    After hearing his words, Xiaoguo thought about what she had written. Her letter seemed to be quite complete. She was relieved that she had included everything.


    She smiled and patted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head. ¡°Take your time to worry.¡±


    With that, she returned to the house.


    The cause of this incident happened on the night before Xiaoyi returned to the capital¡­


    After dinner, the three of them were snuggling in bed to keep warm. Xiaoguo happened to think of something. Jiang Danhe had sent two letters recently, but it wouldn¡¯t be nice if she wrote him only one. When she turned around and saw Xiaoyi drinking the autumn pear syrup, wasn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity? Xiaoyi could help bring some to Jiang Danhe when he returned to the capital.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t the only one writing a letter. When Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaoguo writing, he immediately picked up a brush and paper to start writing too. He even used the plum ink that Jiang Danhe had given him.


    Halfway through, Xiaoguo detected the fragrance and wanted to use some of the ink too. However, Zhuang Zhuang refused to let her use it no matter what. Since she couldn¡¯t use the ink openly, she had to resort to underhanded means. When Zhuang Zhuang wasn¡¯t paying attention, she secretly tried to dip her brush into the ink. But Zhuang Zhuang was guarding it so closely that she couldn¡¯t find a chance to do it.


    Xiaoguo continued with her childish ways and secretly created trouble for Zhuang Zhuang. That made him unable to focus and ended up writing very little words. Eventually, the emotions that he had been building up were all ruined by Xiaoguo. Hence, he could only write the letter hastily. Before he could do a final check of the letter, it was stuffed into an envelope by Xiaoguo.


    In the end, she added that letters should not be rewritten after they were done. This way, the feelings expressed in the letter would be the most heartfelt. Once the words were changed, it would not be the truest version of one¡¯s feelings.


    After hearing those words, it was difficult for Zhuang Zhuang to change anything even if he wanted to. He decided to give up on the idea. Besides, with his writing skills, the letter shouldn¡¯t be that bad.


    Xiaoguo stuffed the two letters into Xiaoyi¡¯s bag, but looking at the flimsy design of the bag, she had some thoughts. Then, with Xiaoyi¡¯s permission, she reconfigured his bag into a satchel. This way, things wouldn¡¯t fall out easily and it would be easier for him to carry the bag.


    ¡ª-


    During Xiaoyi¡¯s return trip to the city, the journey was much faster. Before he had even seen enough of the scenery along the way, they had arrived at the capital.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not go back to the palace first. Let¡¯s go find General Jiang.¡±


    When Guanxi heard this, he turned to look at Xiaoyi. ¡°Your Highness, if you¡¯re looking for the general, you can just go back to the palace. He is in the palace now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Xiaoyi pursed his lips. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back to the palace first. If the general is not around, you have to send me out of the palace immediately to look for him!¡±


    Xiaoyi suspected that Guanxi was trying to trick him into returning to the palace, so he asked cautiously.


    ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Guanxi was silent for a moment before replying helplessly.


    With his assurance, Xiaoyi was much more relieved. He snorted and sat back in the carriage. ¡°Look at how wise I am!¡±


    ¡°Back to the palace.¡± Guanxi glanced helplessly at the crown prince in the carriage. The prince was really overthinking. He wasn¡¯t lying at all. The general was really in the palace, with the emperor.


    ¡°Is he really here?¡±


    Xiaoyi followed Guanxi suspiciously and stared at him with his big eyes to see if he was lying to him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you really lying to me? Did my father ask you to trick me into coming back?¡±


    Xiaoyi looked like he had expected this. Guanxi was so tired from the prince staring at him. ¡°Do I have to lie to you?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, the general is really in the palace.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way then.¡± After some thought, Xiaoyi decided to believe him. In any case, Guanxi had promised to bring him to the general if he wasn¡¯t around in the palace.


    Guanxi had no words for him. He silently led the way in front. The sooner he brought the crown prince home, the sooner he could return home. It was too tiring to handle the prince¡­


    Xiaoyi tightened his grip on his small satchel as he tensed up his calves and kept pace behind Guanxi, trying hard not to miss a step.


    When they arrived at the Imperial Study, Guanxi stopped. Xiaoyi went up the steps alone. As he watched the crown prince disappear from sight, he heaved a sigh of relief. He had finally done his job!


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    Shao Zhan was not surprised with Xiaoyi¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know everything?¡±


    Xiaoyi did not even look at Shao Zhan. His eyes were scanning through the entire room, looking for something. When he didn¡¯t find what he was looking for, he ran out anxiously and dejectedly.


    ¡°Aye, wait.¡±


    How could Shao Zhan let him leave just like that? It had been a long time since he had seen the boy. As soon as they met, he didn¡¯t say anything to his father. Instead, he just kept looking for something. When he couldn¡¯t find it, he wanted to leave again. How could he behave like this? It seemed that this kid wished to be grounded again!


    ¡°Aiya, I¡¯m busy!¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and was about to leave. Xiaoyi was not afraid of his threats now. In any case, the emperor would never get mad at him.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Seeing that he could not stop the crown prince, Shao Zhan let out a long sigh. ¡°This boy had no respect for his elders. In a while, I will ground him for seven days!¡±


    Xiaoyi, who had not gone far, heard his sigh. He felt sorry to hear his father sigh, and he quickly ran back. He placed his hands on the door frame and looked at the man inside. He said mischievously, ¡°I¡¯ll come and eat with you later.¡±


    With that, he ran off in a hurry.


    Shao Zhan was jolted from his thoughts and he chuckled. ¡°Forget it, forget it. I shouldn¡¯t ground him. If he¡¯s grounded, how can he come and eat with me?¡±


    ¡°Guanxi, Guanxi!¡±


    As soon as Xiaoyi left the house, he called out Guanxi¡¯s name loudly. He looked at the steps and did not see the man, so he ran and shouted for him.


    ¡°Aiyo, what¡¯s wrong, Your Highness?¡± Eunuch Su stopped Xiaoyi and wiped his sweat.


    ¡°Eunuch Su, where¡¯s Guanxi?¡±


    ¡°Commander Guan? I saw him over there just now, but he should be long gone now.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Xiaoyi looked disappointed. ¡°He had already left. What should I do¡­¡±


    ¡°Should I send someone to find him?¡± Eunuch Su couldn¡¯t bear to see the disappointed look on the prince¡¯s face, so he immediately thought of sending someone to look for Guanxi.


    Xiaoyi¡¯s mind raced, and he was enlightened within the next minute. Why was he looking for Guanxi? He could just get someone to find the general.


    ¡°Eunuch Su! We¡¯re not looking for Guanxi.¡± Xiaoyi immediately stopped feeling anxious now that he had an idea. ¡°I¡¯m looking for General Jiang!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Eunuch Su smiled when he heard that. ¡°I just saw him earlier. He said that he was going to the Imperial Study. He should have reached there by now.¡±


    Xiaoyi¡¯s legs went weak when he heard that. Had the general gone in right after he left? ¡°Oh my¡­¡±


    ¡°Crown Prince? Crown Prince? Don¡¯t scare Eunuch Su¡­¡±


    Eunuch Su¡¯s heart could not take this. Xiaoyi immediately shook his head to show that he was fine. He looked at the extremely long flight of stairs and encouraged himself. He could do it!


    After bidding farewell to Eunuch Su, Xiaoyi grabbed his small satchel tightly and ran up the stairs with his fists tightly clenched.


    When he arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Study, he leaned against the pillar, panting. He wondered what the person was thinking when he built the steps. Was he trying to tire everyone out by building such a long staircase?


    He shook his head at the guard who came to help him. He was fine. There was no need to hold him.


    After catching his breath, he staggered inside. The moment he spotted the tall man, Xiaoyi felt like a spring breeze was blowing across Lugu Lake. At this moment, Jiang Danhe looked even more adorable than Xiaoguo in his eyes.


    He pounced on him eagerly and hugged his legs tightly, refusing to let go.


    When Shao Zhan saw Xiaoyi behave in this manner, his heart was filled with jealousy. Why did Jiang Danhe seem more like his biological father? He had never enjoyed such treatment before¡­


    Unable to make sense of the situation, Jiang Danhe put down his teacup and looked down at his legs. He saw Xiaoyi, who was sweating profusely. His eyes were sparkling as he looked at him with unblinking eyes. Jiang Danhe was immediately stunned by the dazzling starlight in the boy¡¯s eyes. He rubbed his eyes and looked at Xiaoyi again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run away from me! The stairs are too difficult to climb!¡±

 Chapter 234 - 234 The Dried Pears are Missing

    234 The Dried Pears are Missing


    Xiaoyi cried out. If he had to make another trip, his legs would fail him.


    Jiang Danhe was confused. He picked up Xiaoyi and wiped his sweat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    When Xiaoyi heard this, a bunch of sorrow welled up within him. He had so much to tell Jiang Danhe, but now was not the time. He lowered his head and rummaged through his bag. ¡°That¡¯s not important. This is more important.¡±


    As he spoke, he handed the envelope to Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the envelope and had a hunch that it was a letter from Xiaoguo. However, another feeling quickly replaced this thought. ¡°Could Xiaoyi have forgotten to send the letter out?¡±


    Overall, the latter scenario was more likely.


    Xiaoyi stared at Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand. The moment he took the letter, Xiaoyi exclaimed in joy. He had completed the mission perfectly and successfully again!


    ¡°Mission accomplished! I¡¯ve delivered the letter.¡±


    As he spoke, he got up and sat on a chair, drinking water by himself.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Did Xiaoguo really write these two letters to him?


    At the thought of this, he could no longer sit still. He quickly got up to bid farewell. After getting Shao Zhan¡¯s approval, he got up and left. However, he returned halfway. There was something that Xiaoyi had not told him yet.


    When he returned to the Imperial Study, he realized that Xiaoyi had already left and returned to his residence. Jiang Danhe quickly took his leave and went to look for Xiaoyi again.


    Shao Zhan put down his book and looked at the door. He shook his head. ¡°What were they doing?¡±


    Jiang Danhe quickly found Xiaoyi¡¯s residence and realized that the little guy had changed out of his clothes and was eating leisurely in the house.


    The little guy was a little puzzled when he saw Jiang Danhe. He didn¡¯t understand why he was here. Hadn¡¯t his mission been completed?


    ¡°Your Highness, can you remember her expression when she received the letter?¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt a little embarrassed when he said this. He felt like his little secret had been exposed.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Yes, yes, yes. I remember, I remember!¡± Xiaoyi picked up the pear slices in his hand and pretended like they were letters. He recreated what he had seen that day.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the prince seriously, but he couldn¡¯t tell what the emotions were. However, since he was happy, he categorized those expressions as looks of joy.


    After seeing everything, he heaved a sigh of relief. He had been on tenterhooks for the past few days because of the letter he had written to Xiaoguo. It seemed that the book that Li Shouji had given him was quite helpful.


    In the past, he was always troubled because he didn¡¯t know how to express his feelings to Xiaoguo. As a self-proclaimed considerate subordinate, Li Shouji was more concerned about Jiang Danhe¡¯s troubles than he was about his own. Therefore, he skipped his meal and made use of the time to find this book in his library¡ª¡±300 Lines of Love¡±.


    At first, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t think it was dubious. After reading a few lines, he threw it aside. The main reason was that the content was too disgusting. He deeply suspected that the person who wrote this book was mentally unstable. He felt disgusted writing those words. He couldn¡¯t imagine if someone had to read it.


    However, on second thought, Li Shouji mentioned that all women liked this kind of words. The young women and young ladies in the capital were so affected by those words that they lost sleep over it. His heart skipped a beat when he heard this. What if Xiaoguo liked them too? He decided to choose a few lines that weren¡¯t too disgusting to him and copy them down. In that way, if Xiaoguo were to lose sleep at night, she would only have to suffer 15 minutes of insomnia over him.


    Thinking of this, Jiang Danhe smiled. It seemed that the book really helped.


    Xiaoyi ate the dried pear in his hand and looked at the man in front of him, who was smiling and immersed in his memories. ¡°Why was he so happy to be despised?¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe narrowed his eyes at the bag of dried fruits on the table.


    Xiaoyi looked at the dried pears in his hand and looked at Jiang Danhe. What was wrong with dried pears?


    The corners of Jiang Danhe¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°Dried pears? Nice.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± (¡Ño¡Ñ) Xiaoyi??


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Boohoohoo¡­¡±


    ¡°Crown Prince, Crown Prince, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi lay on the bed, his legs kicking against the bed as he cried. Before Zhixia tried to console him, he was still okay. After she did, he started to feel even more sorry for himself. His cries were earth-shattering.


    ¡°Crown Prince? Xiaoyi, stop crying. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhixia was confused. He was quite happy just now. How did he end up like this after she stepped out for a short while?


    ¡°My dried pears¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi pointed at the table and cried so hard that he was gasping for air.


    ¡°Dried pears?¡± Zhixia frowned and looked at the table. ¡°Oh, dried pears. Aren¡¯t they here?¡±


    Zhixia quickly picked up the dried pears on the table. After searching for a long time, she only found a few pieces. Xiaoyi had gone through the pack so quickly. When she saw it earlier, there was still a full bag. Even if it was delicious, he shouldn¡¯t eat them so quickly. However, she was upset to see him crying like this, so she quickly brought the dried pears to his mouth. ¡°Come and eat.¡±


    ¡°No, no, there are only a few pieces left!¡±


    Xiaoyi snatched the dried pear from her hands and held it in his arms like a baby. ¡°No, no! Boohoo¡­¡±


    Zhixia didn¡¯t understand. Who could he blame for eating so much?


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Hey, why are you back?¡±


    Li Shouji was holding a chicken thigh in his hand and his lips were glistening with oil. He was surprised to see Jiang Danhe return so suddenly. The man had gone to the palace to protect the emperor and had not returned for a long time. Why was he suddenly back today? Was he not needed anymore?


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Danhe was thinking about the letter, so he had no time to pay attention to Li Shouji. He only gave a simple reply and returned to his room.


    Li Shouji watched him leave. His eyes were sharp and he immediately saw a small bag in his hand. ¡°Hey, what is that?¡±


    ¡°Stay out of it.¡±


    With that, the door closed.


    ¡°Something is up.¡±


    Li Shouji said three words calmly. He looked carefully at the closed door and did not forget to eat the drumstick in his hand.


    Jiang Danhe put down the bag in his hand and sat down on a chair. He carefully opened the envelope and took out the letter. He was worried about damaging the envelope or letter. After reading it, he had to preserve it. This was Xiaoguo¡¯s first letter to him.


    Before unfolding the letter with anticipation, he took a deep breath. When he was ready, he unfolded the paper.


    ¡°¡­Jiang Danhe.¡±


    To be honest, he had fantasized about how Xiaoguo would start her letters¡ªmaybe in those sappy or elegant tones. He didn¡¯t expect her to be so direct. She started with three boring words¡ªJiang Danhe.


    For some reason, he suddenly had a bad feeling¡­


    ¡°I received your letter. After much consideration, I decided to write back to you. We¡¯ve been well. We¡¯ve also received the charcoal you gave us. Thanks to you, Zhuang Zhuang and I had a bountiful and warm winter¡­¡±


    When he came to this part of the letter, Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart calmed down. How could he have a bad feeling about those warm words? Hence, he continued reading with this warm feeling in his heart. As he read, he reached out and picked up a piece of dried pear. He ate it in one bite. It was really delicious.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received the money too. I¡¯ve already put it away. Don¡¯t worry. And Zhuang Zhuang received your gift on his birthday. He was so happy¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe read every word carefully, it felt as if Xiaoguo was whispering those words in his ears.


    ¡°How have you been? How¡¯s your health? How do you feel?¡±


    As the last three questions concluded the letter, Jiang Danhe followed his usual train of thoughts and felt very touched. He thought to himself that Xiaoguo must be worried about him! She was definitely worried about him!


    After finishing the dried pear in his hand, he reached out for another piece. Although Xiaoguo¡¯s letter consisted only of greetings and the descriptions of the situation at home, Jiang Danhe could feel her indescribable love and longing for him.


    Jiang Danhe was filled with emotions. Just as he was about to put down the letter, he realized that there was another piece of paper in the envelope. Jiang Danhe was delighted. Does it contain other words that were too intimate to be read openly?


    He blushed and looked around. After making sure that the surroundings were safe, he took out the letter and unfolded it.

 Chapter 235 - 235 Dual Personality

    235 Dual Personality


    He didn¡¯t see the words that he was expecting. When he took a closer look, he realized that it was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s handwriting.


    After reading it carefully, Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. He didn¡¯t know that Zhuang Zhuang missed him so much. He really wanted to go back and spend time with them.


    Jiang Danhe read the two letters carefully over and over again until he could recite them from memory. Then, he reluctantly put them back into the envelope. However, he suddenly realized that there was another letter inside. Something immediately crossed his mind. ¡°There is more?¡±


    Jiang Danhe took out the small piece of paper. It was no wonder that he didn¡¯t notice it at first. It was so small and was tucked in the corner of the envelope. If he hadn¡¯t looked closer, he would have missed it.


    He unfolded the letter and could tell from the handwriting that it was written by Xiaoguo without reading the contents. He chuckled and read the letter carefully from the beginning to the end.


    After reading the contents, Jiang Danhe¡¯s face turned completely red.


    The contents of the letter were very straightforward. Xiaoguo was basically asking him why he had written those strange words. Coupled with the last three questions in the previous letter, she asked if there was anything that he didn¡¯t understand. Xiaoguo must think that he is a fool¡­


    Jiang Danhe covered his face with his hand. He was filled with regret. The look of embarrassment lingered on his face for a long time.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Jiang Danhe suddenly raised his head because he suddenly thought of the expression that Xiaoyi had described. In that case, the look on her face was not due to joy. It was a look of disgust¡­


    ¡°Li! Shou! Ji!¡±


    Li Shouji, who was eating a drumstick in the hall, suddenly shivered. He had an inexplicable bad feeling. Sure enough, not long after, he saw an angry-looking Jiang Danhe walking over.


    Sensing that something was amiss, he picked up the drumstick and ran in the other direction. Although he had been pretty well-behaved recently and had done nothing to provoke Jiang Danhe, he somehow felt that the man was here for him. Therefore, he had better get out of his way.


    Later that night, after teaching Li Shouji a lesson, Jiang Danhe tossed and turned in bed. As soon as he closed his eyes, he would think of Xiaoguo¡¯s face when she was reading his sappy letter. If the heavens were to give him another chance, he would definitely beat Li Shouji to death.


    Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t the only one who couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Xiaoguo, who was far away in Peach Blossom Village, was also suffering.


    Xiaoguo turned to look at the sleeping Zhuang Zhuang and fell into deep thoughts. She wondered if Jiang Danhe had received the letter. According to the dates, he should be receiving it soon.


    Had she been too direct in her reply? However, the contents of his letter were really a little scary. It seemed as if he had a dual personality.


    Personality dissociation? That didn¡¯t seem unlikely. After all, he should be under a lot of pressure. What if he had suddenly developed a split personality? He would destroy his enemies heroically during the day and turn into an affected person at night?


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was extremely conflicted. Did she not know him well enough? Perhaps that was who he really was.


    But she really didn¡¯t like men of this type¡­


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, what kind of person are you really?¡±


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, Jiang Danhe opened his tired eyes. After thinking through the night, he decided to give Xiaoguo an explanation. If she misunderstood him, he would be finished. He had to explain to her that Li Shouji was the one at fault, and not him.


    With dark circles under his eyes, he sat at the desk and picked up a brush. He smoothed out the rice paper and began to write.


    He was done after writing three large sheets of paper. When the ink was dry, he picked the letter up and checked through it carefully. When he was sure that nothing had been left out, he placed it neatly into the envelope.


    When he left the house, he bumped into Li Shouji, who was also going out. Both of them saw the dark circles under each other¡¯s eyes. The corners of Li Shouji¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°If I remember correctly, I was the one who was beaten up¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not speak and only raised his hand. Li Shouji got ready to run when he saw that. Jiang Danhe aimed at his arm and grabbed him. ¡°An errand please.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to hit me?¡± Li Shouji asked annoyingly.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Li Shouji and did not speak. After the latter lowered his head, he handed the letter over.


    Li Shouji took the letter and took a step back. Seeing that there were no further instructions, he got ready to leave. Before leaving, he asked, ¡°Is it still the same routine?¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded.


    ¡°By the way, that book of love poems¡­ I¡¯m leaving!¡±


    Li Shouji had brought up the book again with the intention of apologizing. However, when he saw the look in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes, he instantly fled. Running for his life was more important.


    ¡°Please wait, my dear Minister.¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped in his tracks and stood rooted to the ground with his head lowered. He only looked up after all the ministers had left the room.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look up at me?¡±


    Shao Zhan found it very strange. What was Jiang Danhe doing today? From the start of the court meeting, he had his head lowered. Now that the meeting had ended, he still did not look up.


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he hesitated. In the end, he looked straight ahead without completely lifting his head.


    From this angle, Shao Zhan could see his eyes clearly. His gaze landed on the area around Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes and he instantly burst out laughing.


    ¡°You? Hahaha.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was frowning so hard that his knitted brows could be used to catch a fly. He knew that if Shao Zhan saw him, he would definitely mock him endlessly. That was why he lowered his head and did not look at him. But eventually, Shao Zhan still managed to see his eyes.


    When he was done laughing, Shao Zhan cleared his throat and said slowly, ¡°Is this caused by you eating too much of the dried pears that you had snatched from Xiaoyi? Did you have problems sleeping because you had eaten too much?¡±


    Last night, Shao Zhan had been waiting for Xiaoyi to eat together, but the boy did not come. After sending someone to check on Xiaoyi, he found out that the little guy had been crying for a long time. He cried so hard that he fell asleep in a daze.


    When he heard this, he felt sorry for the boy. He quickly asked someone to find out what happened, and was told that the culprit was Jiang Danhe!


    ¡°Tell me, why did you fight with a child for food?¡±


    Shao Zhan was in a dilemma. One was his son, and the other was his brother. His brother had made his son cry. He could not say much to either of them. It was a difficult situation.


    When he woke up today, he heard that Xiaoyi was starting to feel sad again. The palace had been kept busy since the previous afternoon until this morning, making dried pears for him. After making batches of the dried pears, Xiaoyi did not even touch a single piece. He just kept asking for the original ones. But where were they going to find that for him?


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t feel guilty at all when he heard this. He said with self-righteousness ¡°It is not a crime to take something that belongs to my wife.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shao Zhan was so angry that he laughed. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that given to Xiaoyi by your wife?¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you think that my wife had asked Xiaoyi to bring the dried pears to me?¡±


    ¡°Aye? Where¡¯s my knife?¡±


    Shao Zhan rummaged angrily for the knife that he always carried with him.


    ¡°It¡¯s at your waist.¡±


    Jiang Danhe calmly told him where it was.


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled and was about to leave when he heard a voice behind him.


    ¡°Do you have any more dried pears?¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s ears twitched. He quickly walked out of the door after saying that the dried pears were in his belly. Then, he swiftly walked down the steps.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a memorial was thrown at the spot where he had left. If he had stepped out a second later, it would have hit him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down.¡±


    Eunuch Su tried to calm Shao Zhan down. Although he knew that the emperor wasn¡¯t really angry at the general, he still had to soothe him to make him feel better.


    As soon as Eunuch Su said that, Shao Zhan immediately calmed down and asked worriedly, ¡°How is Xiaoyi?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s tired from crying. He is having his breakfast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. His throat would be painful after crying for so long. Please urge the imperial kitchen to quickly find a way. They have to make the dried pears such that they are dried and fleshy at the same time.¡±


    Shao Zhan heaved a sigh of relief. Although his silly son loved to cry, it was fine as long as it did not affect his appetite.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Eunuch Su excused himself, he went straight to the imperial kitchen. He was still worried about the matter and went over personally to take a look.


    ¡°Eunuch Su.¡±


    ¡°Yes, how is it?¡±


    Eunuch Su looked at the head chef and asked anxiously.


    ¡°Take a look. This batch and this batch have been returned.¡±

 Chapter 236 - 236 Ultimate Motive

    236 Ultimate Motive


    The head chef of the imperial kitchen was under immense pressure. He still couldn¡¯t find a way to make the dried pears after racking his brains. While studying the recipe, he broke a piece of the original dried pear. This caused the crown prince to cry over it for some time. The head chef was really at his wits¡¯ end.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t these pretty good?¡±


    Eunuch Su looked at the plates of dried fruits regretfully. He couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong with them.


    ¡°These are either too dry or too soggy. The taste was not right either. It¡¯s too difficult to get things just right.¡±


    The head chef was on the verge of tears. He had been working in the imperial kitchen with his master since he was young. He had been working in the palace for more than forty years and had never encountered any problems. To think that he was now stumped by this little dried pear. It was really embarrassing.


    ¡°Young man, don¡¯t be anxious. Continue with your hard work.¡±


    Eunuch Su could tell that the chef was on the verge of giving up, so he tried his best to encourage him. He must not leave. If he left, there would be no one left to make the dried pears.


    ¡°¡­¡± The head chef looked completely dejected. What young man was Eunuch Su talking about? His grandson is old enough to date girls.


    Eunuch Su was indeed the chief steward. By deploying kindness and authority, he was able to convince the chef to get on with his work obediently without any complaints.


    ¡°Alright, keep working hard. I¡¯ll go visit the little crown prince.¡±


    Seeing that he had been successfully brainwashed, Eunuch Su smiled and left with his men.


    The head chef of the imperial kitchen watched Eunuch Su leave and immediately immersed himself in the making of the dried pears again. He felt that Eunuch Su was right. If he could get this done properly, he would have achieved great merits.


    That¡¯s right! He didn¡¯t believe that a small dried pear could stump an old master like him!


    ¡°Aunt Zhixia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Eunuch Su.¡±


    Zhixia stopped and smiled at the man.


    ¡°How is the Crown Prince? Is he still crying?¡±


    Zhixia smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, he¡¯s not crying anymore. He¡¯s gotten tired from crying. We have run out of hot water in the house. He is asking me to make this for him using hot water.¡± As she spoke, she showed Eunuch Su the small jar in her hand.


    ¡°Oh? What is this?¡± Eunuch Su looked at the black substance and asked curiously.


    ¡°I heard from the Crown Prince that it¡¯s called Autumn Pear Syrup. He brought it back from there.¡±


    ¡°Autumn Pear Syrup? What exactly is it?¡±


    Eunuch Su took it and sniffed it. The smell of pears and medicine was really strange.


    ¡°The Crown Prince can¡¯t explain it clearly either. He just said that the pears were brewed with medicinal herbs. He also said that the General¡¯s wife specially brewed it for him to bring back.¡± Zhixia closed the lid. ¡°Since his voice had gotten hoarse from crying, he asked me to make a glass of this for him.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You drink this when your voice is hoarse?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what he said. This works for coughs too. He also reminded me of the exact amount. Just a spoonful would do.¡±


    ¡°How novel.¡± Eunuch Su looked at the thing called Autumn Pear Syrup. Would drinking this help with sore throats?


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. You don¡¯t have to do this. Someone, come and help.¡±


    As Eunuch Su ended his sentence, he immediately tried to call someone over.


    ¡°Sigh, no, no. The Crown Prince doesn¡¯t want anyone else to touch it. It¡¯s very precious to him.¡± Zhixia smiled and got ready to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. I have to get back to work.¡±


    Eunuch Su nodded and quickly made way for her. After she left, he knocked on the door to visit the crown prince.


    ¡°Eunuch Su? I thought it was Aunt Zhixia.¡±


    When Xiaoyi saw who it was, he sat down in disappointment.


    ¡°Aiyo, Your Highness, don¡¯t sit there. Come, sit here. It¡¯s warm by the fire.¡±


    Eunuch Su¡¯s heart ached as he helped Xiaoyi up. He handed him the stove and adjusted the fur scarf around his neck.


    Xiaoyi sniffled and said aggrievedly in a hoarse voice, ¡°It¡¯s no fun in the palace at all!¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Eunuch Su quickly covered his mouth and said fearfully, ¡°Baby, you can¡¯t say that casually. The walls have ears.¡±


    Eunuch Su was referring to the current empress of the side palace. The crown prince wasn¡¯t her biological son after all. What if she targeted the little crown prince?


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Xiaoyi turned his head to the side and said unhappily, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. It¡¯s not warm at all in the palace. Besides, this thing is not hot at all. It¡¯s cold here in the house, unlike Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s place. I don¡¯t even have to wear a coat there. It¡¯s so hot even though I was just dressed in my underwear. And¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi told Eunuch Su about the benefits there and compared it with the palace.


    ¡°Then what do you want, little ancestor?¡± Eunuch Su was already old. Hearing these words made his head hurt.


    When Xiaoyi heard what he wanted to hear, he secretly revealed a smile, this means that his plan had succeeded. Then, he pretended like nothing had happened and said word by word firmly.


    ¡°I! Want! To! Go! To! The! Peach! Flower! Village! To! Find! Zhuang! Zhuang!¡±


    He secretly added in his heart, ¡°And Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mother.¡± As the crown prince, he can¡¯t just acknowledge anyone as his closest kin. But in his heart, Xiaoguo was his mother. Zhuang Zhuang had agreed to this.


    ¡°Ancestor¡­¡±


    Eunuch Su let out a long sigh. So the purpose of this commotion was to return to Peach Blossom Village.


    ¡°About this¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, I don;t want to hear this. No, no, no.¡± Xiaoyi covered his ears. He could guess what Eunuch Su was going to say. He definitely wouldn¡¯t agree to it.


    Just as Eunuch Su was about to give in and help him beg the emperor, Zhixia happened to enter the house with the autumn pear syrup.


    Xiaoyi stared at the floor in dissatisfaction. If only Aunt Zhixia had come in a little later. His plan had fallen into the drain.


    Eunuch Su heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Zhixia had come in. Otherwise, he would have fallen into his trap.


    ¡°Come, drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡±


    Zhixia handed him the glass. Xiaoyi held it in his hands and drank in small sips. He was such a good boy. He still remembered what Xiaoguo had said. Drinking one glass a day was good for the respiratory tract. Although he didn¡¯t know which path the respiratory tract was, he remembered that it was good for the throat.


    He couldn¡¯t think about it anymore. The more he thought about them, the more he wanted to go back. Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes were red as he sipped on the autumn pear syrup drink.


    His pitiful look made the two adults in the room feel sorry for him. When had he ever made a fuss about anything? It was really heartbreaking to see him like this.


    Eunuch Su stayed for a while more before leaving. Before he stepped out, he could not help but steal a glance at Xiaoyi. At the same time, Xiaoyi was putting up his most pitiful look to show Eunuch Su. Eunuch Su was feeling bad for the boy¡ªhe was planning to seek the emperor¡¯s permission to let Xiaoyi spend a few more days at Peach Blossom Village.


    When he returned to the emperor¡¯s side, Eunuch Su was hesitant and didn¡¯t know how to broach the subject. It was hard for Shao Zhan to ignore Eunuch Su¡¯s actions. After all, it was quite disconcerting to see such an old person twisting and turning right beside him.


    After countless attempts from Eunuch Su to bring up the matter, Shao Zhan couldn¡¯t help but slam down his brush.


    ¡°Eunuch Su, if you have something to say, just say it.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ then I¡¯ll be so bold.¡± As he spoke, tears welled up in the corners of Eunuch Su¡¯s eyes. He sniffed twice and said, ¡°Your humble servant had just come from visiting the crown prince. Don¡¯t even mention to me about his pitiful face. It¡¯s only been a day since I last saw him, and his face has turned so sallow¡­¡±


    If Shao Zhan hadn¡¯t known better, he would have believed it. The corners of his eyes twitched. Eunuch Su was too good at making things up.


    ¡°So, your humble servant suggests that the crown prince be allowed to return to the general¡¯s house to play for a few more days, since he likes it so much.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, you have been completely fooled by Xiaoyi.¡± Shao Zhan shook his head helplessly.


    Eunuch Su did not understand what he meant. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop talking. Xiaoyi can¡¯t go out anymore. He¡¯s not getting any younger. It¡¯s time for him to settle down and study.¡±


    As soon as Shao Zhan said that, Eunuch Su shut up. He understood what the emperor meant. Sigh, such was the fate of a crown prince. He was destined to be bound within the palace.


    Eunuch Su looked melancholic. He wanted to help the crown prince make the request, but he was powerless.


    ¡°You may leave.¡± Shao Zhan rubbed his eyebrows and waved at him to leave.


    Seeing this, Eunuch Su bowed and left. Before leaving, he suddenly heard the emperor cough. He looked at him worriedly. The weather had turned cold recently. Was the emperor feeling unwell?

 Chapter 237 - 237 Eunuch Sus Letter

    237 Eunuch Su¡¯s Letter


    Eunuch Su sighed. The emperor had never liked to take Chinese medicine since he was young, so he always took good care of his body and didn¡¯t fall sick easily. However, the recent weather had turned cold too abruptly and he might have fallen sick unknowingly.


    Hearing the coughs coming from the room, Eunuch Su¡¯s eyes lit up. He suddenly thought of something. Since the emperor didn¡¯t like medicine, he would definitely be receptive to that thing!


    ¡°You wish to borrow my autumn pear syrup? For my father?¡±


    Eunuch Su thought for a moment. He couldn¡¯t recall mentioning the word ¡°borrow¡±¡ªin fact, he was asking for a bottle¡­


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have much to begin with¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi held his cheeks in distress, his small eyes kept fleeting around.


    Eunuch Su looked at Xiaoyi, who was putting on a show. He didn¡¯t have a lot of the syrup? Why had he heard from Aunt Zhixia that there were many bottles in the boy¡¯s bag when he came back?


    As he thought about the childlike nature of the emperor, Eunuch Su tried all ways to coax the prince. He had no choice, as the autumn pear syrup was sweet and easy to consume. The crown prince eventually relented.


    Xiaoyi held a small jar of autumn pear syrup in his arms. He was reluctant to give it away. ¡°Then what about me leaving the palace to look for Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    At this moment, Xiaoyi was actually trying to negotiate terms. Eunuch Su was stunned when he heard this. Then, he said without batting an eyelid, ¡°I will definitely plead on your behalf when I see the emperor.¡±


    If one were to read between the lines, one could tell that Eunuch Su would be just interceding on his behalf. There was no guarantee that it would work. Only the smart-looking but naive Xiaoyi believed his words.


    As expected, Xiaoyi was delighted when he heard Eunuch Su¡¯s promise. With mixed feelings,he handed over the syrup reluctantly and reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t forget about your promise.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Crown Prince.¡±


    Eunuch Su took the syrup and coaxed Xiaoyi for a while before leaving.


    Before leaving, he apologized to Wen Xiaoyi in his heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little crown prince. I don¡¯t think you can go out and play as you wish anymore.¡±


    Unaware of all this, Xiaoyi jumped up happily after Eunuch Su left. It seemed that his day of leaving the palace was just around the corner!


    He couldn¡¯t wait to pack his bags and leave. However, he didn¡¯t manage to leave the palace after waiting for a long time. Instead, the grandmaster came after many days of waiting. And so begins his journey of hard and bitter learning.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Xiaoguo, you¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back¡­¡± Xiaoguo nodded in confusion. She didn¡¯t usually talk much to the villagers. This was the first time someone had taken the initiative to talk to her. This was completely new to her.


    After Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart away, the women at the village entrance started chattering.


    ¡°Why do you think she keeps going to the county?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I heard from my girl that her husband, Jiang Danhe, is a general.¡±


    At the mention of the general, she deliberately lowered her voice, as if she was afraid of being overheard.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?!¡±


    Her words frightened the other two women.


    ¡°Yes! My girl heard from Xiaohu. Their families are close.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! Then why didn¡¯t he bring them with him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. In any case, Jiang Danhe is a general. My intel is definitely correct!¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, I was still wondering why her situation had gotten so much better. I passed by their house before and I could smell the meat cooking in their house.¡±


    ¡°Were you just passing by? Or were you going past on purpose to smell the meat?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the two women looked at each other and laughed.


    ¡°Oh please! Is there any family that could not afford meat these days?¡±


    The woman¡¯s face darkened at the joke and she retorted.


    ¡°Yours!¡±


    One of the women was not on good terms with her, said it out loud deliberately. The woman was about to rebut her words when she was stopped by another woman.


    ¡°Alright, alright. You two are really becoming quite an embarrassment. We¡¯re talking about someone else. Why are you two getting yourselves involved?¡±


    The two women who had been lectured were feeling indignant, but they didn¡¯t say anything else. They snorted at each other to express their dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Speaking of which, don¡¯t you think that Li Zhaodi¡¯s matter is too much of a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Think about what happened to her. Two days ago, when I went to the county to look for my brother, I happened to see Li Zhaodi and Chou Louzi in prison. When I saw what they looked like, it was so frightening. There were wounds all over their bodies!¡±


    The woman who spoke had a younger brother who was working in the county office. When she went to visit him that day, she happened to see the couple in the dungeon. She was scared out of her wits.


    As soon as Li Zhaodi¡¯s name was mentioned, the other two women were stunned. They seemed to have forgotten about this person. After a while, they recalled who it was and sighed.


    The few of them did not speak for a moment. Everyone in the village knew about Li Zhaodi¡¯s matter at that time. The two of them totally deserved it.


    They couldn¡¯t help but think about what had happened back then. Why was everything so coincidental?


    It was impossible for Xiaoguo to do all of that alone, but there was still Jiang Danhe. Besides, he was a general. He could do whatever he wanted to anyone.


    The three women pursed their lips and did not speak. They were all thinking about the scene that day. As they recalled the details, it was indeed a little scary.


    ¡°Hey, look! Another carriage is coming!¡±


    One of the women, who was standing at the entrance of the village, saw the carriage immediately. It was rare to see any carriages in their village, and this was the second one today.


    ¡°Who do you think they are looking for?¡±


    None of the three of them spoke until the carriage had moved away from them. One of the women said, ¡°Who else could it be? It must be going the same way as the last carriage.¡±


    ¡­


    On the other side, Xiaoguo was driving the donkey cart. Before she reached the house, she saw the carriage parked outside.


    The driver was someone she had met once before. Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and the man spotted her too.


    ¡°Another letter?¡±


    Xiaoguo saw him taking out something from his arms and asked subconsciously, It was the same man who delivered the letter and charcoal the last time.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man smiled at that, then he took out the letter and handed it to her. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute,¡± Xiaoguo called out to him. In fact, she had been curious about something for a long time. ¡°How did you get the letter? Is there a messenger who is solely in-charge of handling this?¡±


    It seemed a bit much if someone had to make a trip just to deliver one letter in this cold weather.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the courier.¡±


    Courier? Xiaoguo nodded and looked down at the thick envelope. If she was not mistaken, Jiang Danhe must have written this letter.


    ¡°What if I want to write a letter and send it to the capital?¡±


    Xiaoguo had been curious about this for a long time. Whenever she received Jiang Danhe¡¯s letters, it seemed inappropriate for her not to reply. But even if she wished to reply, she didn¡¯t know where to post the letters. She was wondering if she had to make a trip to the capital herself.


    When the courier heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s a post station in the county city that specializes in delivering letters. You can go there. I can¡¯t say for others, but if you go, you will definitely not be charged. Moreover, you can be assured of the privacy of the letters and that they will be delivered safely!¡±


    After the courier finished speaking, Xiaoguo shook her head and laughed. So everyone knew that she was Jiang Danhe¡¯s wife? So she was entitled to such privileges?


    After getting the address, Xiaoguo carefully memorized it. After the courier was done speaking with her, he got ready to leave for his next stop.


    Xiaoguo was about to enter the house when she was stopped by a voice behind her.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the stranger and was a little puzzled.


    ¡°I was sent by Eunuch Su from the capital. Are you Mrs. Jiang?¡±


    Mrs. Jiang? Xiaoguo nodded. She had almost forgotten the title. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a letter for you.¡±


    Eunuch Su¡¯s letter? Xiaoguo subconsciously stuffed the previous letter into her pocket before reaching out to take Eunuch Su¡¯s letter.


    Seeing that the man had no intention of leaving, Xiaoguo knew that he might need her to do something. She opened the letter in front of him.


    She read the letter quickly and realized what was going on.

 Chapter 238 - 238 Bananas

    238 Bananas


    ¡°Please wait here for a while.¡±


    After Xiaoguo saw the man nod, she led the donkey cart into the house.


    After the donkey cart was parked, Zhuang Zhuang ran out of the house. He had heard someone knocking on the door earlier, but he didn¡¯t dare move because his mother had told him not to open the door for strangers.


    Xiaoguo rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head and said, ¡°Xiaoyi misses you. Shall we write him a letter?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was happy to hear that. He quickly nodded and returned to the house to pick up a brush and paper. The two of them sat together and started writing their own letters.


    Zhuang Zhuang wrote down the latest news and developments with his brush. Xiaoguo wrote down the detailed recipe for making dried pears and also the description of the stove.


    After writing down the two items, she changed to a new piece of paper. This time, it was a greeting to Xiaoyi.


    According to Eunuch Su¡¯s letter, Xiaoyi was crying non-stop because Jiang Danhe had eaten his dried pears. He also missed the warmth he enjoyed in her house. Eunuch Su begged her to write him the recipe for the dried pears and the structure of the stove if it was convenient for her. He also asked for their help to write a letter to Xiaoyi.


    Eunuch Su¡¯s letter was filled with sincerity. The stove design and dried pears were not some top secret that could not be leaked. Moreover, it was Jiang Danhe¡¯s fault. There was no reason for her not to help, so she wrote everything down.


    Xiaoguo was not too surprised that Xiaoyi missed them so much. It was not difficult to tell that Xiaoyi was more suited to a life outside of the palace. However, freedom was inevitably too extravagant for the crown prince.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo sighed. That seat was not meant for ordinary people.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m done.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang folded the letter and handed it to Xiaoguo. After taking it, she separated the prescription and letters into two envelopes. Fortunately, she had some spare envelopes at home because she had been writing letters recently. Otherwise, she would have to send the letters to the capital without any envelopes.


    As the messenger was still waiting outside, Xiaoguo did not dare to take her time. She quickly went out and handed the letters to him. However, before doing that, she had asked Zhuang Zhuang to bring out a small bag of roasted chestnuts from the house. At that time, Jiang Danhe had stocked up a lot of chestnuts for her. As she still had quite a lot left in her pantry, she decided to make some stir-fried chestnuts the day before yesterday. This was a good opportunity to pass some to Xiaoyi to try.


    ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡±


    Xiaoguo handed him the letter and the bag with a smile.


    ¡°Mrs. Jiang, Eunuch Su asked me to bring this for you. He even said that it was a small token of appreciation. Please accept it.¡±


    After putting everything away, the man turned around and moved a basket out of the carriage.


    At first, when Xiaogo heard what he said, she subconsciously thought that it was money and was starting to feel a little embarrassed. She couldn¡¯t accept money. However, when she saw the basket, her thoughts flew out of the window.


    ¡°And this is?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the cloth-covered basket and looked at the man curiously.


    She didn¡¯t have to wait too long. The man swiftly removed the cloth to reveal some bright yellow¡­ bananas?


    ¡°This year, the palace has harvested a lot of sweet bananas. I specially chose some that are not ripe yet. After the bumpy journey, they should have just ripened.¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang gasped. So many bananas?! This was too much. She had just finished eating the pears and chestnuts. And now, she was given so many bananas. They are highly perishable¡ªwhen the temperature goes up, they rot very easily.


    After putting away the pile of bananas and the basket, Xiaoguo watched the person leave until the carriage disappeared from sight.


    Xiaoguo got Zhuang Zhuang to open the door and moved the bananas into the house. She was panting from exhaustion. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, bring this to Auntie Yang.¡±


    Xiaoguo took out two large bunches of bananas. Mrs. Yang¡¯s household had more family members, so she gave them more. Bananas don¡¯t keep well. They would turn dark after one night in the house. It was just nice to eat them now.


    At first, she was afraid that Zhuang Zhuang wouldn¡¯t be able to move it. However, she had nothing to worry about. The boy had not grown so chubby for nothing. He ran away with the bananas steadily.


    After Zhuang Zhuang left, Xiaoguo looked at the remaining bananas. She picked out the unripe ones and placed them outside. She also took out three bunches and placed them aside, with the intention of bringing them to Qin Anming in the afternoon. Lastly, she brought the remaining ripened bananas to the kitchen.


    There was no way they could eat all of it. The only solution was to turn them into dried bananas. Those are delicious and easy to store.


    When Zhuang Zhuang returned from his delivery, Xiaoguo had already cut up two trays of bananas. Zhuang Zhuang was a little puzzled when he saw that. Shouldn¡¯t they be eating the bananas instead of cutting them into pieces?


    Xiaoguo explained to him, then gave him the remaining half of a banana.


    She took a plate and filled it with white sugar. She cut the bananas into oval thin slices and spread them flat on the plate before pouring another layer of white sugar all over. Then, she added some oil to the pot. When the oil was hot, she started frying the banana slices over low heat. Once the slices turned brown, she turned them over and continued frying them. It took about 15 minutes to complete one batch.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let me do it.¡±


    Xiaoguo put down her chopsticks and sat beside Zhuang Zhuang. She took out more than half of the firewood with a pair of tongs. With only a few sparks left, she slowly fried the bananas.


    ¡°Mother, is it delicious?¡±


    Although Zhuang Zhuang was full of admiration for his mother¡¯s culinary skills, he thought that it sounded strange when he heard that she was going to make fried bananas.


    ¡°Little brat, don¡¯t worry. If it doesn¡¯t taste good, I¡¯ll eat it all. I won¡¯t waste anything.¡±


    This brat was actually doubting her. She would wait and see how he would beg for the bananas once they were ready.


    The fifteen minutes were almost up by Xiaoguo¡¯s estimation. This meant that the banana slices should be almost done.


    She took out banana slices and placed them on the bamboo tray, setting them aside to cool. Then, she went on to fry another batch. Repeating the same steps, she dipped the slices in white sugar and fried them over low heat.


    During this time, Zhuang Zhuang had been hanging around the banana slices that had been taken out of the pot. His small hands were like fans as he tried to fan away the hot air so that he could eat them sooner. The smell was so enticing that he was on the verge of salivating.


    When all the banana slices were finally ready, Xiaoguo filled a plate for the impatient Zhuang Zhuang and let him return to his room to eat. The rest of the banana slices were left to cool down. Once they had completely cooled down, she would store and seal them in a jar. They could take them from the jar whenever they wished.


    One fine day.


    After dinner that night, Xiaoguo walked towards Zhuang Zhuang with her hands behind her back. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s have some fruits.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡± When Zhuang Zhuang heard her words, he immediately thought of that thing. ¡°Bananas?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I will reward you with a banana!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Mother, can I change the reward?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at her aggrievedly, trying to get by with his cuteness.


    Xiaoguo shook her head firmly and said with a smile, ¡°No, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo was the first to bear the brunt. She quickly finished a banana and lay comfortably on the bed, looking at Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang was still eating in small bites. It would be inaccurate to say that he was eating. In actual fact, he was just touching it with his lips. Nothing much was going into his mouth.


    Xiaoguo was overjoyed to see this. Zhuang Zhaung had been eating bananas fervently some time ago and she couldn¡¯t persuade him to stop. Then one fine day, he finally got sick from having too many bananas. From then on, he would feel nauseous whenever he smelled the fruit. Recently, things seemed to have gotten better, so Xiaoguo started to tease him again.


    However, teasing was one thing. She definitely wouldn¡¯t let him eat the bananas if he felt sick eating them. Hence, when he looked at her pitifully for the umpteenth time, she happily took the almost untouched banana and finished it in three to four bites. She had to admit that she really liked bananas. They were delicious and good for her bowels.


    ¡°Mother is the best¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang hugged Xiaoguo innocently. He had clearly forgotten who was teasing him with the bananas.


    After teasing the boy, Xiaoguo was still given a ¡°good person¡± card by him. She stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head helplessly. He was really quite a silly boy.


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment and smiled evilly. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll show you what it means to be beaten up by society.¡±


    Under Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s innocent gaze, a devilish smile gradually appeared on her face. She said the cruelest words in her gentlest tone, ¡°You should sleep early. Tomorrow, for our breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper, the after-meal fruits will be¡­ bananas.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­ boohoohoo¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang rolled on the bed while Xiaoguo blocked him from the edges of the bed, keeping him safe while he rolled around. She laughed out loud at his actions.


    When she had nothing to do, she would always tease Zhuang Zhuang. It was so much fun.

 Chapter 239 - 239 Post Station

    239 Post Station


    ¡°Mother? Are we still eating bananas tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo smiled helplessly and stroked his head in the darkness. ¡°No, we¡¯re not having bananas anymore. Mother was just teasing you.¡±


    ¡°Mother is so mean¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang snorted unhappily and said, ¡°But I like it.¡±


    Xiaoguo burst out laughing and turned to face Zhuang Zhuang. She patted him and said, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    After a while, Zhuang Zhuang fell asleep, but Xiaoguo was getting more and more energetic.


    In the past two days, she felt like she had done almost nothing. There was something at the back of her mind, but she just couldn¡¯t remember what it was.


    As she tossed and turned, she suddenly heard a male voice. Xiaoguo sat up immediately.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was suddenly woken up. Xiaoguo quickly comforted him. After he fell asleep, she got out of bed hurriedly. She lit a candle and found the envelope in the pocket of the clothes she had changed out of.


    At this moment, she really felt like giving herself a slap on the head. How could she have forgotten such an important thing? Fortunately, she had not washed her clothes!


    Looking at the letter that had been delivered five days ago, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but kiss it. She felt so upset with herself.


    On the day she received the letter, she was suddenly distracted by Eunuch Su¡¯s letter. Later on, her mind was filled with bananas because she was busy processing them. It was only today that she thought of the letter. What a terrible memory she had!


    Afraid of disturbing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sleep, Xiaoguo draped her clothes over her shoulders and went outside with the candle.


    As soon as she closed the door, she quickly tore open the envelope. She couldn¡¯t wait to read the contents.


    Finally, the letter did not start with the same cliche words. Instead, it was very normal.


    Xiaoguo was relieved. She was not used to the genteel Jiang Danhe. She still liked him to be straightforward.


    ¡°Thump, thump, thump¡­¡±


    The familiar sound of her heartbeat was starting to stir over the opening words of the letter.


    The three pages were filled with words. The regret and shyness in them were conveyed to Xiaoguo. After reading, she put down the letter. The more she thought about it, the more amused she felt. The reason behind it was actually so funny. ¡°Jiang Danhe, oh Jiang Danhe, what can I say about you?¡±


    When she returned to the house, she stuffed the letters into the closet and covered them with clothes. She put away all the letters that Jiang Danhe had written to her.


    Lying on the bed, Xiaoguo rolled over and looked at the sleeping Zhuang Zhuang. Under her gaze, the child seemed to have dreamt of something and suddenly smacked his lips.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. One was Jiang Danhe, and the other was Zhuang Zhuang. Father and son both looked very shrewd, but in fact, they were so dorky and cute.


    Since she had received Jiang Danhe¡¯s letter and had almost missed it because of her carelessness, Xiaoguo decided to reply to him as compensation.


    She had asked for the post station¡¯s address that day. Fortunately, her memory was not bad, so she could still remember it. She just had to find her way to the place.


    Although she wasn¡¯t very familiar with the surroundings of the county, she should be able to find the exact location of the place. However, could someone tell her why she had ended up at such a secluded spot when this was clearly the correct route to her destination? There was barely anyone around this place, let alone the post station.


    If there were a couple of graves erected here, it would totally look like an unmarked burial site.


    ¡°What a miscalculation! It feels like we are getting further away from civilization.¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned and pulled the donkey cart back towards the direction where they had come from. She had better go back to the starting point first. If she continued moving forward, she might deviate too far from the correct route.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was behind her, was quite bold. He ignored his surroundings and hugged Xiaoguo¡¯s neck happily, looking left and right the whole time.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, sit down. You could fall off the cart.¡±


    Xiaoguo said helplessly to Zhuang Zhuang, who was wriggling around. Actually, she didn¡¯t plan on bringing him along. After all, the weather was quite cold now. The back of the donkey cart was unsheltered, unlike the car behind a horse carriage. If he were to travel with her, he could catch a cold.


    However, after Xiaoguo said that, Zhuang Zhuang was displeased. He was not a clay doll. Besides, he could take the chance to build up his immunity by coming out in this cold weather.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t out-talk him, so she had to bring him along.


    ¡°Mother, why are we turning back?¡±


    ¡°Mother seems to have taken the wrong path.¡±


    Xiaoguo was also a little hesitant. That shouldn¡¯t be the case. She couldn¡¯t have remembered the address wrongly. Besides, the address given to her by the courier was easy to remember.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a river about fifty meters east of the county entrance. There¡¯s a bridge over the river. After crossing the bridge, we will reach our destination.¡±


    Xiaoguo repeated what the courier had said to Zhuang Zhuang. She had not noticed any rivers along the way. Now, she could only place her hopes on Zhuang Zhuang, who had been observing the route while they were on the road.


    ¡°East?¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked up at the sun. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t cloudy today. He could still see the sun. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. ¡°Mother, this isn¡¯t the east. We should have gone the other way at the fork just now.¡±


    As soon as Zhuang Zhuang said that, Xiaoguo tried to recall where the fork in the road was. She really didn¡¯t notice it.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s that way.¡± Zhuang Zhuang pointed ahead to show Xiaoguo where it was.


    Xiaoguo poked her head out and saw it for herself. There was actually a road that had appeared out of nowhere. Why didn¡¯t she see it earlier?


    ¡°Mother, how could you have seen it? You¡¯ve been lecturing me since we left the house. You kept telling me to sit down and behave. How could you possibly pay attention to where we were going?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang complained about Xiaoguo¡¯s behavior in a calm and unhurried manner. She was so embarrassed that she almost flew into a rage. She was on the verge of giving him a hard knock on the head.


    ¡°If you had behaved properly, I wouldn¡¯t have taken the wrong path.¡± Since she couldn¡¯t defend herself, she had to find an excuse to push away the blame. In order to maintain her dignity as an adult, Xiaoguo refused to admit that she was in the wrong.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. How could Mother make any mistakes?¡± It was true that she hardly made any big mistakes, but with regards to smaller matters, it was hard to say.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t dare to finish his sentence. He was confident that if he said that, it would be the end of their mother-son relationship.


    After a long and eerie silence, Xiaoguo silently drove the donkey cart towards the true east. She was filled with regret. Even though she was an adult, she still had to rely on Zhuang Zhuang. It was all her fault for being overconfident. As soon as she left the county city, she subconsciously took the main road and did not notice the relatively narrow road beside her.


    Fortunately, she realized that something was wrong and returned in time. Otherwise, she would have brought Zhuang Zhuang and the donkey to another county.


    ¡°Mother, I can see the bridge.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re finally on the right track!¡± When Xiaoguo saw the bridge, she felt relieved. In fact, halfway through the journey, she had suspected that she remembered wrongly.


    However, the outcome was proof that her memory was still good¡­


    It had been so many days, but she could still remember the address word for word. This was not something an ordinary person could do. She was really quite good¡­


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. Zhuang Zhuang was confused. He couldn¡¯t figure out what his mother was up to.


    After crossing the bridge, there was indeed a post station not far away.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes widened. This was the first time they had seen a post station. Although they had been to the palace and the general¡¯s residence, this was the first time they had seen an actual post station.


    Xiaoguo, in particular, couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the place.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh in her heart. ¡°How was this a post station? This was clearly a small-scale fortress!¡±


    The relay station that she had in mind was just like an ordinary inn. There would be horses and rooms and it was a small place, but the relay station in front of her was really an eye-opener!


    As soon as they entered the courtyard, they were surrounded by countless rooms. It was a two-storey building. Looking at the rooms, they looked like guest rooms. There were nearly a hundred horses and stables in the backyard. There was also a large warehouse, and a cell with heavy shackles hanging on the walls.


    In addition to these, she saw countless carriages in the corner of the courtyard. There were even boats placed neatly together.


    With Zhuang Zhuang by her side, Xiaoguo looked exceptionally small with a donkey beside her. Looking at this scene, she inexplicably felt the urge to retreat.

 Chapter 240 - 240 Jiang Danhes Considerations

    240 Jiang Danhe¡¯s Considerations


    She had thought that it was a kitten, but it turned out to be a big tiger¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang carefully tugged at Xiaoguo¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Mother, are we going in?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already in¡­¡± Xiaoguo swallowed. The pressure was overwhelming. She felt inexplicably nervous. It didn¡¯t feel right, coming to this place to deliver personal letters¡­


    This was the first time she had encountered something like this. She might have been influenced by the appearance of the building. If it had been a run-down building or a small inn, she would have just posted the letter and gone home.


    But it was too late to leave, because someone had discovered her and was walking towards her¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    The voice sounded a little familiar. Xiaoguo looked at the person. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    The person who walked over was the courier who often delivered letters to Xiaoguo. He had nothing to do today, so he stayed at the courier station to help. Coincidentally, he saw a familiar figure in the courtyard. When he walked closer, he saw that he was right.


    Xiaoguo was relieved to see someone she knew. Being in an unfamiliar place, she felt more at ease to see someone that she was acquainted with.


    ¡°Are you here to post a letter?¡±


    The courier was guessing why Xiaoguo was here. In fact, he could tell from the day she asked for his address, that she might have a letter to deliver.


    After Xiaoguo nodded, the courier led her into the hall.


    ¡°Will my donkey cart be in the way?¡±


    Just in case, she still parked the donkey cart in a corner. However, she was still afraid that her cart would block the way of the carriages.


    The courier took a look and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can leave it there.¡±


    Xiaoguo was relieved. The oppressiveness of the place made her become overly cautious.


    Zhuang Zhuang was not as reserved as Xiaoguo. When he just entered, he was a little nervous. But gradually, he became more relaxed. If Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t holding his hand, he would have started exploring the place.


    Xiaoguo pulled Zhuang Zhuang closer. It was better not to run around blindly in this place. It would be terrible if he bumped into something. He should just stay by her side obediently. They would leave right after delivering the letter.


    The person-in-charge of registration was not in the lobby, so they could only wait inside.


    She started to feel less reserved after a while. At least she was able to start gathering information from the courier.


    ¡°Madam, is this your first time here?¡± The courier was sharp-eyed. He could tell at a glance that she had never visited the place before.


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. ¡°This place is much bigger than I imagined.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Although we can¡¯t compare to those post stations in Suzhou, we¡¯re the only one of this scale within a hundred-mile radius in this region.¡± The pride in the courier¡¯s tone was obvious.


    Xiaoguo listened attentively and analyzed what he meant. There was one post station every 30 miles. So in actual fact, there were actually many other post stations around here. The size of this relay station was medium-sized, and those around here were mainly small ones.


    If a medium-sized station already looked like this, then what does a large one look like?


    Xiaoguo was a little curious. Since there was a post station, why didn¡¯t they stay at one the last time they went to the capital? Why did they have to stay in an inn within the county?


    Were they trying to save the country¡¯s resources¡­


    The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Xiaoguo shook her head and pulled herself back from her thoughts. Just as she was about to ask something, she was attracted by the sounds of horses neighing outside. The courier rushed out the moment he heard the commotion.


    Startled, Xiaoguo pulled Zhuang Zhuang closer and put away the letter for Jiang Danhe.


    Zhuang Zhuang was very curious. When he heard the commotion, he wanted to pull her out to watch the commotion.


    Xiaoguo was actually a little curious as well, so she followed his lead and went out.


    As soon as she went out, she saw the main entrance. The gatekeeper, who wasn¡¯t there earlier, was now standing at the door and controlling the traffic at the entrance. It was too far to tell the exact number of people standing there. In any case, there were about three to four visible faces.


    The few men led the horses and handed the gatekeeper something that looked like a token. Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and continued to watch. The gatekeeper glanced at the token before letting them in.


    Xiaoguo was a little surprised. She did not go through this check when she came in earlier. Would she have problems going out later¡­?


    Zhuang Zhuang was not as worried as Xiaoguo. When he saw the big horses rushing towards the backyard, he was itching to follow them so that he could check out the stables.


    Xiaoguo tightened her grip on Zhuang Zhuang. Seeing that he was about to go out again, she pulled him back.


    At this moment, the courier came in. He was accompanied by the officer-in-charge of registration.


    When this person saw Xiaoguo, he immediately wanted to bow. This gave her a fright and she quickly pulled Zhuang Zhuang away. She didn¡¯t like these formalities.


    ¡°Please forgive me for not coming out to welcome you, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Xiaoguo paused. How did he know that she was the general¡¯s wife? She changed the subject. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Since he had already called her Madam, she could not embarrass Jiang Danhe. She could only acknowledge him.


    ¡°I must have startled you just now, Madam. I really deserve to die!¡±


    Xiaoguo sized up the unattractive little old man and nodded at his introduction. So he was the supervisor here. She had thought that he was a courier in charge of registration.


    ¡°This is our postmaster.¡±


    The courier behind the old man introduced Xiaoguo again.


    ¡°Hello, hello.¡± Xiaoguo smiled and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t startled.¡±


    Hearing her words, the two of them were relieved. It was good that they had not frightened the mother and child. The general had instructed them specifically¡­


    The postmaster then explained the commotion earlier. There was an urgent letter that had to be sent to the capital. The few men had come in to change horses midway. As it was an urgent matter, it was inevitable that there would be a commotion.


    Xiaoguo nodded in understanding. ¡°I see.¡±


    Then, she handed the letter and a small package to them. She also gave them the address in detail. To the people in the courier station, this was just going through the motions. After all, everyone in the post station knew the general¡¯s wife. Naturally, the posting address would be the general¡¯s residence.


    Xiaoguo prepared to make the payment. After all, her letter was not some official correspondence. They shouldn¡¯t exploit public resources, so she would feel better if she paid for the service.


    Unexpectedly, when they saw the money, they exaggeratedly said that it was their honor to send letters for her. If they were to collect money, it would be as good as committing a crime.


    They said that it was alright, but Xiaoguo had goosebumps when she heard that. This was the first time she had truly felt the weight of Jiang Danhe¡¯s identity. There were really special privileges¡­


    In fact, the privileges could be seen from the moment she entered the post station. For example, she didn¡¯t need a token to enter or leave the place. She was also the first commoner to enter this place to send out family correspondence. The postmaster even attended to her personally.


    During this time, because Zhuang Zhuang had accidentally revealed his curiosity about this place, the sharp-eyed postmaster saw him and quickly called for someone to show him around.


    When Xiaoguo was leaving the courier station with the donkey cart, she received a personal farewell from the courier. He was so enthusiastic that Xiaoguo would think twice about coming back the next time.


    Even after Xiaoguo had walked far away, she still couldn¡¯t figure out how they knew that she was Jiang Danhe¡¯s wife.


    At the courier station, not long after Xiaoguo left, the postmaster had already assigned someone to quickly send the letter to Jiang Danhe.


    As for why they knew the general¡¯s wife, it was because Jiang Danhe had sent someone to introduce her some time back.


    He had even visited the station personally two months ago. At first, they did not believe that it was Jiang Danhe that they were seeing. The general should be in the capital at this moment. How could he possibly appear at this place? It was only when he showed them the token that they were convinced.


    What Jiang Danhe meant was for them to pay attention. He even showed them Xiaoguo¡¯s portrait and told them to grant her access if she came. If she wished to send a letter to him, then they should make arrangements and send someone to deliver it.


    Ever since that day, everyone has had a portrait of Xiaoguo. What they did every day was to look at her portrait to remember her face. By now, everyone could not forget her face even if they wanted to.

 Chapter 241 - 241 Absent from Court

    241 Absent from Court


    Beijing.


    Jiang Danhe tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. It had been many days since he sent the letter to Xiaoguo. Enough time should have passed for the reply letter to reach him. Why was there still no sign of it?


    Were the hints in his letter too subtle that Xiaoguo did not manage to catch them?


    The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Jiang Danhe was losing sleep. If he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have dropped hints. He would have directly told her that he was hoping for her reply. He also wished for them to write more frequently in the future¡­


    He should have known better. From now until next spring, he would have nothing to look forward to.


    After falling asleep in a daze, he woke up again not long after. The reason was that Li Shouji, who was simply looking for trouble, had been creating a commotion outside again. He could hear him even if he was a hundred miles away.


    Jiang Danhe sat up abruptly and was about to go out. Then, he listened carefully and did not hear anything. For a moment, he thought that he was hallucinating and lay back down.


    However, the noise started again. Jiang Danhe could hear it clearly this time. He put on his clothes, opened the door, and walked out.


    ¡°Li Shouji!¡±


    Jiang Danhe came to the courtyard and realized that there was no one around. He started looking around for him.


    When Li Shouji heard someone call his name, he thought that he was hearing things. How could Jiang Danhe be at home? He should be at court during this hour.


    Hence, he frowned and continued working on the object in his hands. He didn¡¯t expect it to be so difficult to fix. How was he going to open this?


    Jiang Danhe was wondering where Li Shouji was, but after hearing the sounds, he figured out his location. It turned out that he was hiding in the backyard.


    When Jiang Danhe arrived at the backyard, he was blocked by a pile of metal plates. He looked at Li Shouji, who had his back facing him. Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t tell what he was doing, but there were many metal plates scattered around him.


    He held back the anger in his heart. So this was why he had not gone to the military camp for so long!


    ¡°Li Shouji.¡± Jiang Danhe was furious and was on the verge of flaring up. However, he tried his best to calm down and called out to him in a gentle voice.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Li Shouji¡¯s hands paused for a moment before he threw the things in his hands aside. ¡°Impossible. Impossible.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe had no choice but to reach out and pat his shoulder.


    ¡°Stop fooling around!¡± Li Shouji was a little upset to be suddenly disturbed. It wasn¡¯t easy to find time to fiddle with these things without Jiang Danhe knowing.


    Jiang Danhe knew that this insensitive fellow would definitely not turn around to look, not to mention that his mind was now filled with this pile of precious copper and iron.


    He sighed helplessly and walked around to stand in front of him.


    Li Shouji finally noticed the additional pair of legs in front of him.


    ¡°Hmm? The boots looked good. The robe was fine too. This person looks very familiar.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go to court?!¡±


    Li Shouji suddenly looked up at Jiang Danhe. At the same time, his heart turned cold. ¡°Goodbye, precious metals¡­¡±


    ¡°Court?!¡±


    ¡°What time is it?!¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he forgot about questioning Li Shouji. For once, he looked panic-stricken. ¡°Damn it, I dozed off and forgot to attend court!¡±


    Li Shouji snickered. So he had forgotten about the court meeting. He said calmly, ¡°In any case, it¡¯s not the time for you to be at home.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Danhe flew into the house at lightning speed. He changed into his official uniform and washed up as quickly as he could.


    Li Shouji looked at his afterimage and laughed happily. Then, he stroked the copper and iron pieces in front of him lovingly. It seemed that he could spend the entire day with them after all. He was so happy¡­


    The coachman, who had gotten quite bored waiting at the door, was already sitting in the carriage. He was wondering why the general was so late today.


    Just as he was about to pack up and bring the horses back to the residence, Jiang Danhe arrived.


    He quickly stood up and welcomed the general into the carriage.


    ¡°You¡¯re not needed today. Go back.¡±


    As he spoke, he ignored the coachman and got on the horse that his soldiers had prepared for him. He sped towards the palace like a gust of wind.


    The people on the street hurriedly got out of the way. The horses kicked up a cloud of dust and disappeared into the distance.


    The coachman and the soldiers on guard looked at each other with strange looks in their eyes. It was rare for the general to be so anxious.


    When Jiang Danhe arrived at the throne room, the civil and military officials had just been dismissed from the meeting. They were surprised to see Jiang Danhe, who had arrived late.


    Before they could exchange pleasantries with him, Jiang Danhe quietly avoided the crowd and walked towards the royal court.


    The high-ranking officials who had missed the chance to speak with him, looked at each other in dismay. Looking at Jiang Danhe¡¯s back view, they started to praise him in admiration.


    ¡°It¡¯s really amazing that the general has achieved so much at such a young age.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He has won so many victories on the battlefield at such a young age. He¡¯s really the pillar of our country. What an exceptional talent.¡±


    ¡°He is here to attend court despite being unwell. In my opinion, such loyalty and patriotism is truly hard to come by.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± another military attach¨¦ said loudly. ¡°The General is really admirable!¡±


    The skinny, old official stroked his beard and did not hide the look of calculation in his eyes. ¡°I wonder if the general is single or married?¡±


    As soon as he said that, everyone who had a daughter of marriageable age started harboring the same thoughts. ¡°The General is so outstanding and is much favored by the emperor. If my daughter could catch his eye, wouldn¡¯t that be¡­¡±


    All of them were watching Jiang Danhe¡¯s back with scheming looks. If Jiang Danhe were to turn around, he would see the ministers looking at him with eerie green lights in their eyes.


    Jiang Danhe finally got to the door after trying to make his way through the group of officials. He turned around and looked in bafflement at the ministers behind him. For some reason, they kept asking him if he was well. Did he look very weak?


    After making his way past the ministers, Jiang Danhe felt a rare sense of nervousness. This seemed to be the first time he was late for court.


    ¡°No, strictly speaking, he was absent from court.¡±


    He cautiously arrived at the hall. Fortunately, the emperor had not left yet. He was on the throne, giving instructions to Eunuch Su. Seeing that neither of them was paying attention to him, he quietly moved to the center and stood still.


    Eunuch Su was nodding respectfully at the emperor when he glanced over and spotted Jiang Danhe standing there with his head lowered.


    Shao Zhan was saying something. After a long time, when Eunuch Su did not respond, he looked up strangely and saw him smiling at something in front of him.


    As he looked towards that direction, he saw Jiang Danhe. With a wave of his hand, he signaled at Eunuch Su. Eunuch Su bowed and left with everyone else. The hall was now left with the two men staring at each other.


    ¡°How awkward. Say something. If you don¡¯t start, how am I going to admit my mistake?¡±


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not going to speak, are you? You have missed the court session for no reason, and you are still not apologizing?¡± Fortunately, Shao Zhan reacted quickly. When he saw that Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t around this morning, he immediately made up an excuse for him, saying that he was unwell. That at least helped to explain his absence to the ministers. Otherwise, who knows what could have happened?


    There was another silence. They just signaled each other with their eyes, urging the other party to speak.


    After a while, Shao Zhan spoke first, but he didn¡¯t talk about Jiang Danhe¡¯s absence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll punish you. Do you admit your mistake?¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyelids twitched as he stole a glance at the person on the throne. As soon as he said ¡°I¡±, the uncomfortable feeling of being dominated came back to him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I admit it.¡± How could he not admit it?


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Shao Zhan smiled. ¡°Jiang Danhe, oh Jiang Danhe, you¡¯re at my mercy today. Get ready for the storm!¡±


    Jiang Danhe lowered his head and bowed. The goosebumps were emerging¡­


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go and have breakfast.¡±


    Shao Zhan took the lead and walked in front with Jiang Danhe following behind. When they reached a quiet spot, the two of them started walking side by side. During this time, Shao Zhan would occasionally poke Jiang Danhe with his arm. It was obvious that he was very happy. Even if he did not get a response from the other party, he was still happy.


    How could Shao Zhan not be happy? Jiang Danhe was not afraid of anything, so Shao Zhan tried all sorts of ways to find his weakness. Finally, there was one time when he found what Jiang Danhe was afraid of¡ªto stay with him in the palace all day.

 Chapter 242 - 242 Transforming into Eunuch Jiang

    242 Transforming into Eunuch Jiang


    Staying with him for a day¡ªit was easy to understand. As the words suggested, it meant that Jiang Danhe had to work with him. Whatever Shao Zhan did, Jiang Danhe had to follow exactly.


    Just thinking about Jiang Danhe¡¯s impatient expression made Shao Zhan want to laugh.


    Jiang Danhe sighed helplessly. How unlucky. He was trying this same trick again. Just thinking about it annoyed him.


    Hence, the two of them happily started the day¡¯s work.


    After breakfast, Jiang Danhe accompanied Shao Zhan to Qianqing Palace to read the holy teachings. After that, the emperor returned to Yangxin Hall to change his clothes. He also gathered the Grand Secretary of the Inner Court, Hanlin, and a few others to get together for a tea banquet. Just as Jiang Danhe was about to fall asleep from sitting, the tea banquet finally ended. Then, he returned to Yangxin Hall with Shao Zhan to review the memorials.


    Jiang Danhe followed behind the energetic Shao Zhan bitterly. Compare and despair. Shao Zhan was as energetic as Jiang Danhe was listless.


    Shao Zhan turned around and looked at Jiang Danhe. He snickered. ¡°Are you feeling tired already? I have barely started.¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not expect that the emperor would take so long to review the memorials. He spent the day doing the job of Eunuch Su. It had become his job to grind ink and hand over the memorials. Shao Zhan even gave Eunuch Su the day off for this reason.


    Therefore, Jiang Danhe had to take over all of Eunuch Su¡¯s duties for the day. He was also supposed to help Shao Zhan get changed, but when he declared that he wouldn¡¯t do it, Shao Zhan reluctantly dropped him from the task.


    Jiang Danhe frowned as he ground the ink. He had never done this before. It was so annoying and boring.


    As the day passed, he felt like shutting himself out from the world.


    Just as Shao Zhan put down his brush and closed the last memorial, Jiang Danhe revealed a rare smile. He put down the millstone and looked at the person opposite him expectantly. Was it about to end?


    Shao Zhan smiled. ¡°My dear minister, Prime Minister Su is here to see you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s face darkened as he resigned himself to his fate and walked outside. There were so many ministers entering and leaving Yangxin Hall. When the last minister left, he was dying to leave with him. Who cares about the punishment? He just wanted to go home!


    But how was that possible? They had agreed on a day. Every second counted.


    Jiang Danhe touched his hungry stomach. Shao Zhan had requested for him to follow him wherever he went, but why did he have to follow his lunch timing as well?


    ¡°Danhe, let¡¯s call for lunch.¡±


    Shao Zhan touched his stomach. He had no choice.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe walked outside with heavy footsteps. When he reached the door, he looked in the direction of the palace gates in the distance. He really wished he could grow wings and fly out. It was too boring here. Not only was the place boring, even the daily chores were boring.


    After lunch, Jiang Danhe went through the memorials with Shao Zhan and met with the minister. Then, he admired some antiques with the emperor and returned to Yangxin Hall with him to write poems and practice his calligraphy. Jiang Danhe was also forced to write many doggerel poems during the period of time. In Shao Zhan¡¯s words, those were pure nonsense.


    Everything just didn¡¯t make sense. Today was the worst day he had ever had.


    Jiang Danhe sat in a chair. The veins on his forehead were bulging. If he stayed any longer, he really couldn¡¯t be sure what he would do.


    At this moment, candles had been lit in the palace. Shao Zhan knew very well that he had reached the limit, and he knew that it was time to stop. Since there was nothing much left to do, he let Jiang Danhe go.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. Dear minister, you may leave.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard his words, he got up immediately. After bowing, he walked out, seemingly unable to withstand another second longer in the room.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, don¡¯t be late tomorrow. Of course, if you like to stay with me, I will be quite happy to have your company.¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped in his tracks and held it in¡­


    After taking a deep breath and calming down, he turned around and smiled at Shao Zhan.


    Shao Zhan laughed out loud at Jiang Danhe¡¯s reaction. In fact, he really hoped that Jiang Danhe would make more mistakes. This way, he wouldn¡¯t be bored anymore. During the day, whenever he encountered any problems, he would instantly feel joy when he looked up at Jiang Danhe¡¯s dark face. Therefore, he would welcome Jiang Danhe to make more mistakes.


    When Jiang Danhe left the palace, the sky had turned dark. There were many lights in the palace, so the surrounding was not entirely dark.


    Jiang Danhe walked to the entrance of the palace. At this moment, the Imperial Secret Service guard saw him coming out and quickly brought the horse over.


    He mounted his horse and hurried towards the mansion along the dark and dimly lit road.


    When he returned to his residence, he handed the horse to the soldier at the door and walked back to the house alone. He was still feeling full from lunch, so he planned to wash up and go directly to bed. Although he didn¡¯t do much manual work, the exhaustion he felt was psychological.


    He couldn¡¯t take it even for a day. One can imagine that Shao Zhan¡¯s lamentations were all real. They both loved freedom, but there was someone who was trapped behind the high walls.


    He thought that he would doze off instantly, but to his surprise, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep no matter what. This was because he was thinking about Xiaoguo again. Did she really not understand what he was trying to say? He really wished to hear from her¡­


    He dozed off intermittently until the next morning and eventually woke up in a daze.


    Fortunately, he woke up just in time. Although he didn¡¯t sleep well, at least he didn¡¯t wake up late. After washing up, he put on his robe and headed to the palace.


    When he passed by the backyard, he kept a look out for Li Shouji. When he didn¡¯t see him around, he was relieved.


    Li Shouji had probably gone to the military camp. If he were to see him messing around with the metal parts again, he would definitely not let him off.


    The coachman yawned as he waited outside the door. Just when he finished yawning, his teary eyes vaguely saw a muscular figure appear at the door.


    With a shudder, he got ready to set off.


    After the general got into the car, he scratched his head in confusion. Why was the general so early today?


    When Jiang Danhe arrived at the throne room, he was the first to reach. He stood alone in the empty hall. After a while, ministers entered one after another.


    At first glance, they were a little surprised to see Jiang Danhe. Slowly, a few ministers gathered in a group and started speculating softly.


    ¡°I heard that the general was sick yesterday and spent the entire day in the palace with the emperor. It seems that the rumors were true. At first, I didn¡¯t believe it, but when I got here very early today, the general had arrived even before me.¡±


    ¡°It must be true. I saw the general at the Qianqing Palace yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I have to say that the general is really loyal. He insisted on coming to court despite being sick. I¡¯m really impressed.¡±


    ¡°It would be great if I could become in-laws with the general.¡±


    ¡°Haha, Minister Liu, forget about your unruly young lady.¡±


    ¡°My eldest daughter is one of the four most talented ladies in the capital. If she can meet the general, I am sure that something good will come out of it.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Although my girl is unruly and willful, her looks are top-notch.¡±


    ¡°Looks are second-place to talent.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s stop arguing. Can¡¯t you see that someone has already made his move?¡±


    As soon as the minister finished speaking, the group of men looked ahead. The Prime Minister had arrived at some point and was standing beside the general. The two of them were talking in low voices. From time to time, the Prime Minister¡¯s hearty laughter could be heard. The few men standing behind could not hear any part of the conversation even if they pricked up their ears. Eventually they gave up trying.


    After everyone arrived, it was time for the court session. Shao Zhan arrived on time and sat on the throne. He looked around and finally landed his gaze on Jiang Danhe¡¯s head. He couldn¡¯t help but purse his lips and smile. ¡°Rise.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Everyone got to their feet in unison.


    After that, it was time to go through the daily agenda. The ministers would present their memorials and offer suggestions. The emperor would then consider their plans and choose the best one.

 Chapter 243 - 243 Cannon

    243 Cannon


    After the court session, Jiang Danhe ignored the group of people chasing after him and pretended like he couldn¡¯t hear them. With the help of his youth and long legs, he got out of the palace first.


    The ministers who were lagging behind only saw the back of the carriage when they came out. They sighed regretfully.


    As soon as Jiang Danhe returned to the residence, he was informed by the guards that Li Shouji would not be coming back today¡ªhe would rest in the military camp for the night.


    Jiang Danhe nodded to show that he understood. Then, he turned around and walked towards Li Shouji¡¯s house.


    His instincts told him that something wasn¡¯t right.


    Most of the time, Li Shouji hardly kept him informed of his whereabouts. Why was he acting differently today? His intuition told him that the more abnormal Li Shouji¡¯s behavior was, the more suspicious it seemed.


    Along the way, he checked the surroundings and did not find anything unusual. He then went to the backyard and found nothing there. So, there was only one place left.


    When Jiang Danhe arrived at the entrance of Li Shouji¡¯s house, he pricked up his ears to listen. Sure enough, there was the faint sound of objects colliding against each other.


    Jiang Danhe rolled up his sleeves and pushed the door open. After a while, a man¡¯s woeful screams sounded through the residence.


    The sound alarmed the two chefs who were cooking in the kitchen. As a result, they accidentally added too much salt to their cooking, and they had to add sugar to remedy the situation.


    ¡°It hurts, it hurts¡­¡±


    Li Shouji first tried to shield the treasure with his body before turning to look at Jiang Danhe, while begging for mercy.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you feel pain,¡± Jiang Danhe said faintly as he sat on a chair. ¡°Show it to me.¡±


    He wanted to see what this treasure was that could make Li Shouji neglect his duties.


    Li Shouji looked at him reluctantly. ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll handle it with care. I have yet to complete the last step of its construction, so it¡¯s still relatively fragile.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking. Give it to me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe pointed to the table and gestured for him to put it there.


    Unexpectedly, Li Shouji shook his head.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Danhe thought that he was still asking for a beating, so he got up and prepared to grant him his wish.


    ¡°No, no!¡± Li Shouji quickly got up and revealed what was behind him. He explained, ¡°This is too heavy. I can¡¯t move it to the table. You can look at it here.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at the unidentified object. No matter how hard he tried, he could not tell what it was.


    ¡°And this is?¡±


    ¡°My dear,¡± Li Shou replied quickly. Then, he saw the look in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes, and he coughed. ¡°This is¡­ I don¡¯t have a name for it yet, but I can show you how to use it.¡±


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe¡¯s face was turning dark, he couldn¡¯t care less about the fact that his creation was still half-finished. He got down onto the ground and explained to him enthusiastically. He wanted to prove that he wasn¡¯t fooling around, that he was in fact, making something really useful!


    ¡°This item is made mostly from copper, with some parts supplemented by iron. You can think of it as a firearm that is many times larger than a hand cannon. However, don¡¯t underestimate it. It is a hundred times more powerful than a hand cannon. Once the explosives are fired, it could result in a lot of casualties.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s interest was instantly piqued, perhaps due to Li Shouji¡¯s vivid explanation.


    Seeing that he was interested, Li Shouji introduced it to him in detail. If this thing could be brought to the battlefield, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. They would have no reason to be afraid of the foreigners¡¯ firearms. His invention was a hundred times stronger than their little hand cannons.


    After hearing what he said, Jiang Danhe nodded to himself. It was indeed promising. He wondered what medicine Li Shouji had taken recently to make him behave like a normal person.


    Li Shouji was overjoyed to receive Jiang Danhe¡¯s praise. The rare praise made him feel like he was walking on air.


    However, he quickly pulled himself back to reality.


    ¡°I know about rock bullets, lead bullets, and iron bullets, but what is this explosive that you are talking about?¡±


    ¡°An explosive is a bullet that can explode.¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mainly made up of sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal. The reaction between them produces an explosion. The heat and impact produced by the explosion will injure the target.¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t fully comprehend his words, but he could roughly tell that it was a good thing. ¡°When can we try it out?¡±


    If this thing was placed on the battlefield, it would really be invincible. It could protect many soldiers and prevent more casualties.


    ¡°¡­¡± Li Shouji¡¯s smile froze and he hesitated. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I haven¡¯t made the explosives yet.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Why are you talking so much when you haven¡¯t made it?¡±


    ¡°This thing needs to be carefully formulated. If any of the ingredients comes short, it won¡¯t give us the desired results. So there¡¯s no hurry. This will take time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if it works, you¡¯ll have unlocked a great achievement. I¡¯ll request a reward for you when the time comes.¡±


    Jiang Danhe patted Li Shouji on the back. He didn¡¯t expect this kid to come up with something so useful despite him mucking around and reading strange books every day. It was totally unexpected to know that what he was reading could finally be put to good use.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I can definitely make it by next spring.¡± Li Shouji said ambiguously while looking at Jiang Danhe with a smirk.


    ¡°Why did it have to be next spring?¡± A trace of doubt flashed across Jiang Danhe¡¯s mind, but he quickly put it aside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have breakfast.¡±


    Jiang Danhe brought Li Shouji to the hall. The chefs had already brought the dishes to the table. The two of them washed their hands and started eating.


    Li Shouji picked up some shredded potatoes with his chopsticks. ¡°You don¡¯t say, this really tastes like Sister-in-law¡¯s cooking.¡±


    Jiang Danhe also took a bite. Li Shouji was right. Ever since Xiaoguo gave them the recipes, the two chefs had been spending a lot of time studying the dishes. The dishes they made were getting as good as those that were made by Xiaoguo. As the food became more tasty, everyone started eating more. Recently, everyone in the residence had gained quite a lot of weight.


    After the two of them finished eating, Jiang Danhe had to go to the military camp to train. Li Shouji, who was supposed to go with him, was granted permission to work on the explosives. If he could figure it out sooner, it would become a great weapon for the Shao Kingdom.


    ¨C


    In the end, after countless failures, Li Shouji found the exact formula. It was much faster than he had expected.


    Today was the official launch of the new weapon. The emperor, with all the civil and military officials, were gathered at the Imperial Drill Ground to witness this moment. If it was successful, it would be a great boost of morale and confidence for the Shao Kingdom.


    Li Shouji¡¯s legs were feeling weak. Although he had tried out the weapon with Jiang Danhe without any problems, this was his first time presenting his creation. It was inevitable that he would feel nervous.


    Jiang Danhe held his shoulder and cheered him on silently before retreating to the safe area behind him.


    Li Shouji felt more confident and nodded at Jiang Danhe. He blew on the torch in his hand and lit the rope on the cannonball. Then, he held onto the firing strip of the cannon and pulled with all his might. With a bang, the cannonball was fired into the distance. When it landed on the ground, the ignition rope of the cannonball had also burned out. The explosives within were then lit by the fire on the rope, and there was an instant explosion.


    Bang! A mushroom cloud appeared.


    From the spot where everyone was standing, tremors could be felt through the soles of their feet. Thick black smoke was rising from afar. After inspection by the soldiers, they realized that many trees were destroyed, and raging flames were still burning around the explosion site.


    If their enemy was at the receiving end, the lethality of the cannon should be quite substantial.


    ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡±


    When Shao Zhan heard the results, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh and exclaim in joy.


    The other ministers congratulated and praised Li Shouji. When he heard the results, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    After composing himself, Li Shouji was oblivious to the praises of the others. He immediately looked at Jiang Danhe and realized that the general was also looking at him. He could not help but smile foolishly. Although Jiang Danhe was always hitting him, which elder brother would not hit his younger brother? As the saying goes, hitting is a show of affection, and scolding is a show of love. Jiang Danhe definitely had a lot of love and affection for him.

 Chapter 244 - 244 Yearning For Love

    244 Yearning For Love


    As soon as the cannons were launched, the Shao Nation quickly built hundreds of them and produced large numbers of cannonballs.


    Most of them were safely stored in the military camp which was heavily guarded by soldiers. A small portion was distributed to the various border troops.


    Within a short period of time, countless carriages equipped with cannons and bombs set off from the capital. As soon as they crossed the capital gates, they dispersed towards their destinations.


    Jiang Danhe stood on the city wall with Li Shouji and looked at the spectacular scene in the distance. He was filled with emotions.


    ¡°Brother! Good job!¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s face was filled with joy. He patted Li Shouji¡¯s shoulder firmly. He had almost gotten in the way of his success.


    ¡°Hmph, do you see it now? I wonder who said¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll buy you a drink.¡±


    Li Shouji snickered. ¡°That¡¯s what I was waiting for.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jiang Danhe led the way and the two of them left the city tower.


    ¡°By the way, why didn¡¯t you talk to the emperor about your reward?¡±


    Jiang Danhe had been curious about this matter. During the official launch some time ago, the emperor was overjoyed and wanted to reward Li Shouji on the spot. However, when the emperor asked him what he wanted, he hesitated for a long time but did not say anything. Therefore, the emperor told him to think about it carefully and bring it up when he¡¯s ready.


    ¡°I¡­ haven¡¯t thought about it yet. I need more time.¡±


    Li Shouji was reluctant to talk about this matter. Jiang Danhe was not completely insensitive, so he quickly changed the topic.


    Li Shouji looked at Jiang Danhe with a vague expression. ¡°I really have to think carefully about it¡­¡±


    As soon as they returned to the residence, they were stopped at the entrance. The two of them turned around and saw Eunuch Su.


    Jiang Danhe looked at what he was holding and quickly understood the reason for his visit.


    ¡°Eunuch Su.¡±


    ¡°Hello, General.¡± Eunuch Su smiled at Jiang Danhe, then looked at Li Shouji. ¡°I¡¯m here to bring good news¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he gestured to the imperial edict in his hand.


    The two of them did not hesitate and immediately bowed to receive the decree.


    ¡°By the grace of the heavens, the emperor has decreed that Li Shouji has created an extremely lethal weapon for the country and has contributed to the strength and wealth of the Shao Kingdom. Therefore, he is specially rewarded with a hundred taels of gold. Please receive the decree.¡±


    Li Shouji stepped forward and accepted the imperial edict with both hands. ¡°Thank you, my Lord.¡±


    After the two of them got up, Eunuch Su said to Li Shouji, ¡°Since you haven¡¯t thought of what you wanted, the emperor said that he will reward you with something practical first. You can take your time to think about your reward. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the reward, Your Majesty.¡± Li Shouji smiled and nodded. It was fine as long as the request was still valid. Earlier on, he thought that the request had been converted into gold.


    After chatting for a while more, Eunuch Su left.


    Just as the two of them were about to enter the house, they bumped into a courier who had just arrived. Jiang Danhe was delighted when he saw the familiar uniform. He could not help but look up. The courier was a handsome young man.


    Li Shouji, who was instructing someone to bring in the box, glanced at Jiang Danhe and turned his head away. He pursed his lips. ¡°Tsk, tsk, look at that pining look on his face.¡±


    If he continued looking at his face, he would go blind. Hence, he urged the soldiers carrying the boxes to hurry up and get away from this disgusting man.


    Jiang Danhe was only focused on the courier who had arrived. As he watched him take out the envelope and package from the carriage, his heart started beating faster and faster. He seemed to have lost his hearing. All he could hear was his own thumping heartbeat.


    The courier asked for verification as usual. He had to ensure that everything was correct before handing over the delivery.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you Jiang Danhe, General Jiang?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± How could Jiang Danhe hear him? He was completely deaf now. All he could see was the envelope and package in the courier¡¯s hands. His eyeballs were glued to the items.


    ¡°¡­Hello, you are¡­?¡±


    ¡°He is.¡± The soldier beside Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so he spoke up for the general.


    ¡°Okay.¡± The courier exhaled. ¡°Then do you know Qin Xiaoguo from Peach Blossom Village, Madam Qin?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Jiang.¡± This time, there was no need for the soldier to answer on his behalf. When he heard the courier call her Madam Qin, he subconsciously came back to his senses. She was the one and only Mrs. Jiang.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Your letter and package.¡±


    The courier handed the things to him with a smile. ¡°Whatever. Madam Qin or Mrs. Jiang. Either is fine as long as it¡¯s the right person.¡±


    The moment Jiang Danhe received the letter, he ran back to his room. That¡¯s right, he ran with all his might.


    On the way, he bumped into Li Shouji, who was looking for him. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Never mind¡­¡±


    Woah, his voice was almost drifting.


    Li Shouji sneered. ¡°Where else could he be going? He is just going to hide and read his letter.¡±


    He shook his head and returned to his room. He had wanted Jiang Danhe to help him think about where to hide the gold, but seeing that he wasn¡¯t free, he decided to think of a way himself.


    Jiang Danhe returned to the house and closed the door and windows tightly. He sat alone at the table and nervously put down the two items in his hands.


    After much deliberation, he opened the envelope first. Although he wanted to open the package, reading the letter was more important.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, you have become quite outrageous. You actually stole Xiaoyi¡¯s dried pears¡­¡±


    When he saw the opening, Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°How, how did Xiaoguo know?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother thinking about how I know. There¡¯s no such thing as an impenetrable wall¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh?!¡± Jiang Danhe was stunned. ¡°How did she guess?¡±


    ¡°As Mrs. Jiang, I have magical powers, so there¡¯s nothing I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Seeing this, he smiled dotingly. ¡°So it was because of her magical powers¡­¡±


    ¡°Has the letter arrived late? Hehe, that¡¯s because I almost forgot about you¡­¡±


    How could Jiang Danhe sit still when he came to this part? How could she forget about him? He wouldn¡¯t allow it¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯m just teasing you. Hahahahaha¡­¡±


    There were countless ¡°Hahaha¡±. Don¡¯t be puzzled. This was because Xiaoguo was trying to make up for the word count. She felt that it was a little inappropriate to write a letter that was too short. After all, Jiang Danhe had written three full pages to her.


    From the moment Jiang Danhe started reading the letter, the smile on his face had never subsided. It was only when he came to the end that he opened the package beside him.


    Wrapped in the package were the dried bananas and roasted chestnuts that Xiaoguo had mentioned. She had made two pairs of fuzzy socks and a fitted woolen vest that came with wide straps. Xiaoguo made one for each of them¡ªthe black one was for Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe happily counted the things in the bag as he went through everything inside. He also touched the items and tasted the snacks. Then, he picked up the envelope again and read it over and over again¡­


    He took out the remaining dried pears and stored them with the roasted chestnuts and dried bananas. Storing the snacks this way made the amount of snacks look more substantial. Looking at them made him very happy.


    Over the past few days, he had been rationing the remaining dried pears. Fortunately, he had hidden it well and did not let Li Shouji find it. Otherwise, there would be nothing left by now.


    He also rubbed and kissed the fur socks and vest. After kissing and hugging them repeatedly, he kept them in the cabinet. He was planning to wash them tonight and put them on first thing in the morning.


    After packing up everything, he sat back down at the table and gazed at Xiaoguo¡¯s handwriting. Unable to take it anymore, he picked the letter up and started reading it again.


    After reading it, he thought of the other letter in the envelope.


    He reluctantly put down Xiaoguo¡¯s letter and started reading Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s letter.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s tone was also mischievous. His words were filled with accusations against Jiang Danhe. He said that his father was biased and only wrote for his mother, not him.


    He didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°This little jealous boy, okay, okay. Next time, I¡¯ll make sure to write the same number of pages to them.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ no, two letters for Zhuang Zhuang and three for Xiaoguo.¡±


    He read the letter over and over again until the sky turned dark. Then, he tidied up and kept the letter neatly in the closet before heading out to look for Li Shouji.


    He had heard about Li Shouji¡¯s collection of soaps. He was intending to borrow one for his bath.

 Chapter 245 - 245 What Smell is That?

    245 What Smell is That?


    ¡°Wash up and wear new clothes tomorrow.¡±


    The next day, Jiang Danhe woke up early because he was so excited that he couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    He felt a little amused. Imagine him, a grown man losing sleep over something like this. He would become a laughing stock if word got out.


    Jiang Danhe got out of bed and put on the woolen socks that he had put aside earlier. Then, he put on the wool vest and took out the new set of clothes that Xiaoguo had made for him some time back.


    Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered that he had to attend the morning court assembly.


    Hence, he put on his official uniform over his outfit. In any case, he couldn¡¯t bear to take off his new clothes. It was winter anyway, so the additional layers should be fine.


    He then got into the carriage wearing two layers of thick clothing.


    The coachman was also wondering about his appearance. ¡°The general seemed to look rounder today. Had he gained weight overnight? Is that even possible?¡­¡±


    The carriage stopped at the entrance of the palace. Jiang Danhe got out of the carriage as usual. However, before his feet even touched the ground, a group of ministers quickly surrounded him.


    ¡°Greetings to you, General.¡±


    The ministers greeted Jiang Danhe all at the same time. Those who didn¡¯t know better would have thought that the meeting venue was shifted outdoors.


    Although Jiang Danhe¡¯s official position was higher than the other officials, he was considerably younger than most of them. Therefore, as a junior, he cupped his fists and greeted them in return.


    What followed was a flurry of praise. Jiang Danhe felt embarrassed just listening to it. Not to mention the fact that he was the person in question. If he had not led the way and started walking, these people would not have let him go.


    Even though he was walking in front, the group of ministers followed behind him. They were fawning over him, talking about how good of a person he was. Everything they said seemed to imply something more. Jang Danhe was not interested to find out what they were trying to say, so he relied on his youth to shake them off.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ the general walks so fast.¡±


    A minister said breathlessly. He could barely keep up.


    ¡°Walking fast is good. This means that the general is in his prime and in high spirits. Good for him!¡±


    The other minister looked at Jiang Danhe like he was looking at his son-in-law. The more he looked at him, the more satisfied he became.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the other ministers nodded in agreement. ¡°Look at his vigorous footsteps. He walks with such firm and stable strides. And that arm swing is so powerful. He is not even panting while walking around at that speed. He is truly in his prime!¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s ears were twitching. Although the ministers were not too close to him, he could still hear them if he tried hard enough. He had wanted to hear what their scheme was, but he did not expect to hear all those words instead. Were they trying to destroy him by lavishing him with praise?


    First, they would send him to the sky with their flattery. Then, they would find an opportunity to deal with him.


    With those speculations in mind, Jiang Danhe decided to take precautions in the near future. He would try to avoid interacting with them as much as possible.


    He walked quickly to the throne room and found his seat.


    The ministers behind him walked in one after another. They wanted to get close to Jiang Danhe, but before they could speak, the emperor arrived. They were so frightened that they immediately stood still and looked straight ahead.


    Jiang Danhe heaved a sigh of relief. He just wished for them to leave him alone.


    Halfway through the morning court assembly, Jiang Danhe felt a little uncomfortable¡ª perhaps due to too many layers of clothing. He quietly tugged at his clothes to let in some air to ease the discomfort.


    The ministers standing near to him suddenly detected a fragrance. They couldn¡¯t figure out what it was, but it definitely didn¡¯t smell like a man¡¯s fragrance.


    Some of the bolder ministers twitched their noses and sniffed vigorously when the emperor was not looking at them.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe happened to stop tugging at his clothes because the emperor had called upon him to ask him some questions.


    In an instant, the fragrance disappeared. That surprised the ministers around him. The fragrance came and disappeared so quickly that the small episode was over in a flash.


    When the morning court assembly was almost over, Jiang Danhe was already sweating from the heat. His clothes were thick to begin with, not to mention that he was wearing two layers. Moreover, the stove in the hall was especially hot today. With the three layers of heat surrounding him, it was difficult not to sweat.


    He sensed the increasing sweat on his body, so he quietly lifted his clothes to let in some air.


    The ministers behind him detected the fragrance again.


    This time, even the officials in the main hall could smell the fragrance. The fragrance had also reached Shao Zhan, who was sitting on the throne.


    Shao Zhan, who was listening attentively to a minister, suddenly detected a whiff of the scent. He frowned subconsciously and sized up the group of people below with his eagle eyes. He did not find anything unusual, but the fragrance was getting stronger.


    The protagonist seemed to have just noticed the fragrance too.


    Jiang Danhe stopped tugging at his clothes after taking a breather. However, the fragrance that suddenly entered his nose frightened him. Then, he became a little irritated. This smells like a girl¡¯s scent. He wondered who was so shameless as to use a girl¡¯s fragrance!


    The ministers were tempted by the fragrance and wanted to find the source. Everyone in the hall, including the emperor, became restless. They were having difficulties focusing on the meeting.


    Those who were listening could not hear a word, and those who were talking could not continue. Everyone was trying to find where the fragrance came from.


    However, the fragrance suddenly disappeared again. Everyone was immediately jolted back to their senses.


    Shao Zhan cleared his throat and hurriedly ended the morning court assembly before leaving the hall.


    After Jiang Danhe bowed, he quickly left, leaving no chance for the ministers to stop him.


    He had intentions to stay away from them, and he felt even more determined when he smelled the fragrance. He had subconsciously decided that the fragrance came from the civil officials.


    He wasn¡¯t biased against the civil officials. Neither was he looking down on them. The reason was because military officials were with the troops and horses every day, so they wouldn¡¯t have the time to put on powder and incense. Even if they did, they would sweat and stink after a while. It was unnecessary for them to do something like that.


    After the meeting ended, the ministers did not leave. Instead, they gathered together and discussed the source of the strange fragrance.


    Civil and military officials were at odds with each other. The civil officials felt that the military officials were sweating every day, so they must have applied fragrance to cover their odors. The military officials, on the other hand, felt that the civil officials were mostly in the office, and only knew how to dress up every day. Therefore, it was not surprising that they were wearing fragrances.


    Just as things were getting heated up between the opposing ministers, Jiang Danhe arrived at the military camp in a carriage.


    The temperature was lower outdoors and there were no stoves around, so he finally stopped perspiring.


    As soon as he arrived at the military camp, he was just in time for the training inspection. Jiang Danhe stood on the high platform and looked at the outcome of the recent training. He was quite touched.


    These people were new recruits. It was commendable that they were able to achieve so much after a few days of training.


    Seeing that the general was in a good mood, some of the bolder recruits asked the general to spar with them so that they could see for themselves how highly-skilled he was.


    Jiang Danhe was indeed in a good mood today. In order not to disappoint these recruits, he readily agreed.


    ¡°Prepare some clothes for me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was not going to fight them in his uniform or his new clothes. He took off his official uniform and put on the outfit that his subordinates had found. He carefully put aside the new clothes that Xiaoguo had made for him before getting on the sparring grounds.


    The subordinate took the general¡¯s official uniform and suddenly smelled the fragrance. While he was surprised, he secretly leaned closer to the official uniform in his hand and took another whiff. Immediately, his eyes widened as if he had discovered a new continent. Disbelief was written all over his face. He felt like he had stumbled upon an unspeakable secret.


    As soon as Jiang Danhe went on stage, the recruits instantly let out rioting cries. He smiled and said in high spirits, ¡°Come on.¡±


    ¡°General, I¡¯ll go first!¡±


    Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. The recruits came up quickly, but they went down quickly too.


    Looking at the man who was grabbing his butt and leaving the ring, Jiang Danhe smiled even more widely. ¡°Next person!¡±


    ¡°General! I¡¯ll go!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Next one!¡±


    ¡°Let me do it!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Next one!¡±

 Chapter 246 - 246 Fragrance Pearl

    246 Fragrance Pearl


    ¡°Next one!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    No one answered. Jiang Danhe glanced around. ¡°Anyone?¡±


    ¡°No! General, we¡¯re convinced!¡±


    This time, the recruits did not keep quiet. When they heard his question, they immediately expressed their admiration. How could they not be impressed? Most of them had gone forward and challenged him, but everyone was defeated before they could get near the general. They were either grabbing their buttocks or clutching their stomachs when they exited from the ring.


    Jiang Danhe laughed and wiped the sweat off his neck. He was already used to this. Almost every recruit would make the same request when they have newly joined the camp. He never turned down any of their requests. Anyone that was not convinced in the beginning would end up convinced after every challenge. In this place, brutality was the solution to everything!


    Jiang Danhe stood on the field for a while longer and said a bunch of words to boost the soldiers¡¯ morale before exiting the ring to the cheers of the soldiers.


    The subordinate who had been holding Jiang Danhe¡¯s official uniform approached him with an indescribable expression. Then, he looked at him with an ambiguous gaze. He sniffed hard at the strong scent emanating from the general¡¯s body and was hesitant about speaking.


    Jiang Danhe did not notice this. After taking the official uniform, he took off his clothes and handed them to his subordinate. After giving the man a few simple instructions, Jiang Danhe left.


    However, he did not leave immediately. Instead, he walked to every corner of the military camp to show off the new clothes that Xiaoguo had made for him. Only then did he leave in satisfaction.


    After Jiang Danhe left, everyone was looking puzzled. The same thought was going through their minds. ¡°Did that fragrance come from the general?¡±


    When the recruits were cleaning up at night, they started talking about this matter.


    ¡°Look at the general, he¡¯s definitely different from us!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Look at us. We totally stink after being drenched in sweat the whole day. But our general smelled so good even though he was sweaty like us.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I was intoxicated by the fragrance today¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahahahahahaha, look at the perverted look on your face¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s quickly clean ourselves up. We shouldn¡¯t take our time in this weather. We might catch a cold again!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¨C


    Back to Jiang Danhe. He had just left the military camp contentedly in his new clothes. As soon as he got on the carriage, he noticed that something was amiss.


    He didn¡¯t notice it when he was in the open just now, but now that he was in an enclosed space, he wondered what was that fragrance lingering in the air.


    The smell was getting stronger, and it seemed familiar. Jiang Danhe had a bad feeling about this. He eagerly lifted the curtain and asked the coachman, ¡°Do you smell anything?¡±


    As soon as the curtain was pulled open, a strong fragrance wafted out of the carriage. The coachman took a deep breath. He wasn¡¯t quite sure whether to tell the truth, so he could only ask vaguely, ¡°What smell is that?¡±


    ¡°A fragrance?¡±


    The coachman pursed his lips nervously and said honestly, ¡°I can smell something.¡±


    With a loud bang, the curtain was slammed down by the person inside, cutting off his view. The coachman wiped the sweat off his face and sniffed himself.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I do smell a little bad¡­¡±


    The coachman rubbed his nose in disdain and wondered if he should apply some incense. Since the general was particular about his image, as a coachman, he could not embarrass the general. He must take action immediately. When he reaches home later, he will apply some powder that his wife had to cover up the smell.


    In the carriage, Jiang Danhe¡¯s head was buzzing non-stop. ¡°That¡¯s the end of my image¡­¡±


    In that case, he was the one in court with the scent¡­ Just now, he was sparring with the recruits¡­ and he even walked around the military camp. The smell must have filled the entire camp¡­


    Damn it, he actually despised the fact that someone else had applied powder to smell good. So he was actually the real culprit. But he had not applied any powder.


    Jiang Danhe sniffed his body in confusion and realized that the fragrance was not coming from his clothes, but from his skin.


    With this thought in mind, he was revolted. Being a man, how could he face others, smelling like this?


    Jiang Danhe was frustrated. He rubbed his skin vigorously until his arm was red.


    Then, he leaned over and smelled his arm carefully. He realized that the smell had intensified. However, the other parts of his body only had a faint scent. It only smells stronger at the spot where he had just rubbed.


    The carriage stopped at the entrance of the mansion. Jiang Danhe got out of the carriage and went straight to Li Shouji¡¯s house.


    He racked his brains, trying to recall if he had applied any weird stuff on himself. He only remembered using Li Shouji¡¯s soap last night.


    It seemed that only he could explain this situation.


    Jiang Danhe arrived at his door and pushed it open. ¡°Li Shouji.¡±


    Li Shouji, who was still sleeping, was startled from his dreams. He turned around and saw that it was Jiang Danhe. He sat up helplessly. ¡°Brother, is it appropriate for you to disturb my sweet dreams?¡±


    ¡°What sweet dreams? Look at the time.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what hour it is. I had spent so much time studying the cannon that I haven¡¯t had enough sleep.¡± As he spoke, he yawned. ¡°Even the emperor has granted me permission to rest well during this period of time. So why are you bothering me?¡±


    After saying that, he was about to lie down again in a daze. Seeing him like this, Jiang Danhe was furious. He walked towards the bed and lifted him up.


    As he approached, Li Shouji¡¯s nose twitched and his eyes widened. ¡°Which soap did you take from me yesterday?¡±


    It would have been better if he hadn¡¯t mentioned it. Once he did, Jiang Danhe¡¯s face darkened. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    He had embarrassed himself all because of that soap.


    ¡°No way!¡± Li Shouji got up and put on his shoes. He went to his closet and opened the box that contained his collection of soaps. After rummaging around, he realized that his most precious piece was missing.


    ¡°Argh!!!¡±


    Jiang Danhe covered his ears and stood a little further away. When Li Shouji stopped yelling, he asked, ¡°What is wrong with you again?¡±


    ¡°You, you, you¡­¡± Li Shouji clutched his heart and fell back onto the bed. He looked at the ceiling beam with a hopeless expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Li Shouji jumped to his feet and glared at the innocent man. ¡°You took my Fragrance Pearl!¡±


    ¡°Fragrance Pearl?¡± Jiang Danhe looked puzzled. He had actually come up with such a feminine name.


    ¡°The Fragrance Pearl is one of its kind. I used countless precious herbs, flowers, and top-grade honey to make this. I had to brew it by simmering it over low heat for more than a month. Do you know that this is my blood and sweat?¡±


    Jiang Danhe glanced sideways at Li Shouji, who was crying. ¡°Since it¡¯s so hard to make, why didn¡¯t you make more?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± That was true¡­


    Li Shouji blinked. He had already forgotten what he was whining about, but he continued to argue, ¡°None of your business!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I am not interested in your business, I just want to know why there is a fragrance coming from my skin.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Li Shouji was speechless. He glared at Jiang Danhe and gloated. ¡°How much did you use?¡±


    As the name suggested, the Fragrance Pearl was made by condensing fragrances. He had heard this recipe from a storyteller in the street market. However, no one had ever seen something like that before.


    Success comes to those who work hard. Li Shouji flipped through many ancient books and searched for information everywhere. Eventually, he managed to list out the required ingredients. Among them, there was one that was very rare. He sent someone to look for it for a year before it was found. After countless failures, he finally completed the Fragrance Pearl before the ingredients were exhausted.


    On the surface, it looked ordinary and the smell was not that intense. However, the magical thing about it was that, once it was applied on the body, the smell would instantly adhere to the skin of the person using it. When the person perspires or feels warm, they would start emitting an extremely tempting and exotic fragrance.

 Chapter 247 - 247 Heat Up the Stoves

    247 Heat Up the Stoves


    ¡°Speak human language.¡±


    ¡°You smell good!¡±


    When Li Shouji finished saying those words, Jiang Danhe was just about to flare up. However, before he could do so, the smell wafted from his skin.


    ¡°Pfft, haha.¡±


    Li Shouji quickly covered his mouth and looked at Jiang Danhe innocently.


    Jiang Danhe looked like he had taken a dip in hot water¡ªhis entire body was flushed and the fragrance became more enticing.


    Li Shouji quickly covered his nose and took a step back. ¡°Calm down! I forgot to tell you that this fragrance has that kind of effect when it becomes intense. You have to calm down to stop it from diffusing.¡±


    As he spoke, he opened the windows to ventilate the room. The cold was not a concern now. The worrying thing now was that he was about to faint. If he did anything out of line later, it would be embarrassing.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Jiang Danhe stood alone by the window, enjoying the cold wind. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for this soap of yours, I wouldn¡¯t end up like this!¡±


    ¡°Hey, stop. Why are you blaming me? You took the soap yourself. I didn¡¯t force you. Besides, I haven¡¯t settled the score with you for taking my precious treasure!¡±


    When Li Shouji thought about how Jiang Danhe had used his Fragrance Pearl, his heart bled. If he had known, he would have stopped him yesterday. He shouldn¡¯t have continued sleeping at all. It was truly his fault.


    Jiang Danhe was finding it hard to defend himself too. Yesterday, he had intended to take just one lightly scented soap, but who knew that every piece was so fragrant? After rummaging for a long time, he found a small piece of soap in a box. He opened it and thought that the scent was to his liking. It was faint and suited his taste, so he just took it after informing Li Shouji.


    However, Li Shouji should still bear responsibility. If he hadn¡¯t been so preoccupied with sleeping yesterday, he wouldn¡¯t have let Jiang Danhe pick out the soap himself. If Jiang Danhe hadn¡¯t taken it himself, he wouldn¡¯t have taken the wrong piece. If he hadn¡¯t taken the wrong soap, he wouldn¡¯t have embarrassed himself in the palace and the military camp.


    ¡°Did you just get off court?¡±


    Li Shouji rubbed his head and looked at the remorseful man. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing to smell good? Is there a need for him to feel so bitter about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Jiang Danhe did not look at him.


    Li Shouji held back his laughter. ¡°In that case, you must have left the court and gone straight to the military camp.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. And don¡¯t be angry.¡± Li Shouji covered his nose. If this guy got worked up and his body temperature goes up, Li Shouji would have to get out of the house.


    ¡°How do I make the scent disappear?¡±


    Jiang Danhe clenched his fists. If this continued for the rest of his life, how was he going to face anyone?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure at the moment, because no one has used it. Congratulations. You¡¯re the first.¡±


    Li Shouji was prepared to follow Jiang Danhe for the next two days. Since the soap could not be restored, he could only observe its effects and longevity. This could be considered a blessing in disguise. He had gotten a test subject for free, there was nothing to lose.


    Jiang Danhe wished he could tear Li Shouji apart. Products with unknown effects should be destroyed as soon as they are produced. Isn¡¯t this hazardous to human kind?


    No matter how angry he was, there was nothing he could do. Jiang Danhe was careful not to move unnecessarily. He even slowed down his usual walking speed.


    Jiang Danhe was moving at a snail¡¯s pace. Li Shouji was wearing his clothes unhurriedly behind him. After putting on his clothes, he slowly walked out of the door. As expected, Jiang Danhe had not even moved beyond ten meters.


    ¡°Brother, you are overdoing it.¡± Li Shouji caught up with Jiang Danhe. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t sweat or get too heated up.¡±


    Jiang Danhe ignored him and continued walking in small steps. He wasn¡¯t deliberately walking slowly. He was just trying to cool down in the courtyard.


    After the heat in his body subsided, he quickly returned to the house. Li Shouji wanted to follow the man, but before he could enter, the door was slammed in his face.


    Li Shouji patted his chest with lingering fear. He was glad that he had dodged in time. Otherwise, his fine-looking nose would have been flattened.


    ¡°Boss, open the door. I need you under such special circumstances.¡± Suddenly realizing that he had blurted out his actual thoughts, he quickly tried to salvage the situation. ¡°You¡¯re the one who needs me!¡±


    Moments after he started wailing, two words floated out of the room.


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    ¨C


    After he found out that he had used the Fragrance Pearl by mistake, Jiang Danhe stayed in the house and took seven or eight baths in warm water.


    Initially, he was going to use hot water, but he remembered that high temperatures were a no-no, so he decided to use cold water instead. However, for the sake of his health, he took the middle path and ended up using warm water.


    But the more he washed, the more fragrant he smelled. He almost rubbed his skin off during the process.


    Before dawn the next day, Jiang Danhe woke up. The first thing he did when he woke up was to check if the fragrance was still there. In the end, he was disappointed. the scent was still on his skin!


    Jiang Danhe remained feeling listless all morning. In order to keep his body temperature low, he was dressed only in a single layer of undergarments in the middle of winter. Over the base layer, he put on his summer official uniform. He did whatever he could to cool himself down.


    Li Shouji was already waiting at his door. When he saw Jiang Danhe come out, he immediately followed closely behind.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jiang Danhe was going to ignore him at first, but Li Shouji was shameless. He followed him wherever he went.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the military camp today!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Li Shouji¡¯s lips twitched with laughter. ¡°Oh? Is that all he can say?¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey. You¡¯re being too indifferent.¡±


    Li Shouji complained unhappily. He was going to the military camp today. Shouldn¡¯t Jiang Danhe give him some words of encouragement?


    ¡°You should have gone long ago.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said without looking back. He exited the house and got into the carriage, stopping the man who was about to follow him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The words were directed at the coachman.


    Li Shouji was so angry that he jumped up and down. ¡°How mean. You can¡¯t even give me a lift. I hope you will sweat all day today.¡±


    ¡°Deputy General, do you need me to get you a horse?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    Li Shouji could actually rest for a few more days, but he had nothing much to do. It was good to start work early.


    ¡°Your Majesty, three border troops have already received the cannons. Moreover, they all tried firing shots yesterday. The weapon was very effective.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shao Zhan retracted his gaze and looked at the old minister who had spoken. ¡°Very good!¡±


    However, he was a little distracted. He kept thinking about the lunatic who was standing with his head lowered.


    He wondered what Jiang Danhe was up to. Why was he wearing a thin official uniform in the middle of winter?


    While the minister was discussing the matter, he called out to Eunuch Su and whispered in his ear, ¡°Heat up the stove.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Eunuch Su quietly left and instructed the other eunuchs to carry out the task. After that was done, he returned to stand behind the emperor.


    Below, Jiang Danhe was secretly delighted by his choice of attire. He was indeed thoughtful. It was just right to wear a thin official uniform in the hall so he wouldn¡¯t get too hot. There would be no chance for the fragrance to evaporate.


    But gradually, he felt his body temperature rise. He glanced around uneasily and saw a eunuch adding charcoal to the stove in front of him. He was alarmed!


    As he looked around, he realized that there was a stove in the hall. Upon closer inspection, he saw that there were many stoves of this design in the throne room. It was a novel sight.


    Seeing the eunuch throw in handfuls of charcoal, his heart started racing before the temperature in the hall rose.


    With so much charcoal burning, things will surely get out of control.


    Seeing that there was no other way, Jiang Danhe calmed himself down and recited the Heart Sutra silently. He kept reminding himself at all times that he would cool down if he remained calm.


    Even so, a hint of fragrance still wafted out. The minister behind him had a sharp nose and instantly detected it. His heart started palpitating inexplicably.


    At the thought of this, the minister blushed. At this ripe old age, he was still so easily affected by a fragrance. It just felt wrong. If his wife found out about this, she would definitely give him a piece of her mind.


    When the court session finally came to an end, Jiang Danhe immediately got ready to leave when Shao Zhan stopped him.


    Helpless, he could only wait there in torment. When all the ministers finally left the hall, he heaved a sigh of relief. With less people around, he could at least relax a little.

 Chapter 248 - 248 Going Back on Your Words

    248 Going Back on Your Words


    Noticing Jiang Danhe¡¯s uneasiness, Shao Zhan frowned and got up and went to his side. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jiang Danhe resisted the urge to retreat. If he were to do that, it would be as good as announcing that something was up.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± Shao Zhan said to him. Then, he turned around and walked past him. ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast together.¡±


    Jiang Danhe held his breath. He waited for the man to move away before walking out the door. Once Shao Zhan was outside, he heaved a sigh of relief and followed behind the emperor hesitantly. He hoped that his dignity would still be intact later.


    As he walked, he chanted in his heart, ¡°If my heart is calm, I will naturally feel cool¡­¡±


    ¡°Something on your mind recently?¡±


    Shao Zhan asked him as they walked.


    ¡°No.¡± Jiang Danhe shook his head. ¡°What could be on his mind, other than this damn body fragrance?¡±


    Shao Zhan glanced back at him. Who would believe those words? ¡°Your dark circles are more honest than your mouth.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe touched his eyes. Really? He really didn¡¯t notice any dark circles.


    Shao Zhan laughed and shook his head. Jiang Danhe was really something. Running around with dark circles under his eyes.


    ¡°By the way, did you see the stoves in the hall?¡±


    ¡°I did. They weren¡¯t there yesterday.¡±


    Jiang Danhe thought of the different stove that he saw in court the day before.


    ¡°Are they much warmer than the old ones?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Jiang Danhe did not expect to sweat from the heat even though he was wearing so little today. Although the stove looked small, it was quite powerful.


    Shao Zhan smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your wife.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was stunned for a moment and felt inexplicably shy. ¡°Xiaoguo?¡±


    Shao Zhan glanced sideways at the man who smiled at the mention of Xiaoguo. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    The last two words were said in a mimic of Jiang Danhe¡¯s tone, and he responded in annoyance, ¡°I can call her that, but you can¡¯t.¡±


    Shao Zhan laughed. He understood what Jiang Danhe meant and he said helplessly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Mrs. Jiang, right?¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not feel awkward when he heard this. He nodded firmly. She has always been Mrs. Jiang. ¡®Xiaoguo¡¯ was a more personal form of address. Outsiders were banned from calling her name directly.


    At the dining table, when the eunuchs had finished tasting the dishes, Shao Zhan dismissed everyone, leaving Jiang Danhe and himself in the room.


    Seeing this, Jiang Danhe¡¯s mind raced.


    ¡°The Xiongnu might be making a big move soon.¡±


    Jiang Danhe listened attentively. He was also very concerned about the Xiongnu. Ever since Shao Zhan ascended the throne, they had been up to no good and were constantly provoking the Shao Kingdom. However, when the Shao Kingdom sent troops, the Xiongnu would immediately retreat. Their ways and actions were very despicable.


    However, it didn¡¯t seem right to directly crusade against the Xiongnu, after all, they did not cause any harm to the Shao Kingdom. If the Shao Kingdom were to send troops because of trivial conflicts, it could attract criticism from other countries. If that happened, the consequences could be dire, as it might lead to the surrounding countries starting a war against them.


    The current Shao Kingdom has quite a powerful presence, and could well afford to disregard the smaller nations. But the Xiongnu was behaving like a fly¡ªit did not not cause them harm, but its presence was quite revolting.


    Imagine living a good life, but having to face a group of annoying flies that would fly past from time to time. It was disgusting, and annoying. Therefore, the Shao Kingdom had to think of a foolproof plan that would not require them to mobilize their troops, and yet was effective enough to debilitate the Xiongnu.


    Shao Zhan looked at Jiang Danhe, who was deep in thoughts, and subconsciously softened his actions. He was very confident about Jiang Danhe¡¯s intelligence. With him thinking of a way to resolve this matter, he could rest assured that Jiang Danhe would come up with something good.


    ¨C


    In Peach Blossom Village.


    ¡°Mother, why is the weather getting colder?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice sounded weak. He curled up under the blanket and refused to get out of bed.


    Xiaoguo crossed her arms and leaned against the bed, looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s dramatic behavior with interest.


    Zhuang Zhuang secretly opened one eye from under the blanket. Why wasn¡¯t his mother saying anything?


    ¡°Hi¡­¡±


    Seeing the beautiful face right in front of him, Zhuang Zhuang was shocked. He exclaimed in fright and did not look as weak as before.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Xiaoguo touched Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s butt and patted it a few times with controlled strength. Ignoring the exaggerated screams, she said, ¡°Hurry up and get off the bed. It¡¯s time to eat!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cold¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you cold? It¡¯s no longer last night when you ran around buck-naked.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll get up immediately.¡± Zhuang Zhuang knew that there was no way he could get out of this, so he quickly got out of bed, revealing his upper body.


    The red undergarment he was wearing made him look like he just stepped out of a Chinese new year poster. He looked just as chubby as the kids in those drawings.


    ¡°Jiang Qingwen, you really should lose weight.¡±


    Xiaoguo said those hurtful words mercilessly. He was cute, but he was also fat. His belly was round and bulging.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he pursed his lips and looked like he was about to cry. However, Xiaoguo did not like this habit of his. Whenever she commented about him being fat, he would get upset. However, he still continued stuffing himself at every meal.


    ¡°Hurry up and get up. If you don¡¯t get up soon, you can say goodbye to the roast duck for dinner¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo said in a tempting manner.


    Alright, it wasn¡¯t completely Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s fault that he was fat. She was partly to blame. She always enjoyed watching Zhuang Zhuang eat. The more he ate, the happier she was.


    ¡°You always talk about making roast duck.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang did not show his usual excitement. Instead, he continued putting on his clothes calmly. He was sick of hearing about the roast duck, but his mother could not stop talking about it.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo was a little embarrassed. She remembered that she had said it many times before, but because of various unknown reasons, she kept procrastinating. She didn¡¯t expect Zhuang Zhuang to remember what she had said.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s true this time¡­¡± Xiaoguo said again. She was serious. Why didn¡¯t Zhuang Zhuang believe her?


    ¡°Yes¡­ you¡¯re serious.¡± Zhuang Zhuang lowered his head and put on his socks.


    This time, it was real. The last time was also real. Even the last last time was real too.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo pursed her lips. Did she have such little credibility now¡­?


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang wasn¡¯t taking her seriously, Xiaoguo pretended to feel sorry for him. ¡°Sigh¡­ It seems that I have to put away the duck hanging in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Really?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stopped what he was doing and straightened up. He looked at her suspiciously, trying to determine if she was telling the truth.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore and gave him a hard knock on the head. This brat still didn¡¯t believe her.


    ¡°Time to eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo pointed at Zhuang Zhuang with her chin and led him out of the room.


    Zhuang Zhuang rubbed his head and followed behind her silently. He was wrong. He shouldn¡¯t have suspected his mother.


    In fact, Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t lying to him. Some time ago, she kept mentioning that she would make roasted duck, but she never did. There were indeed some unknown forces at play. However, when she woke up this morning, the first thing she did was to get the duck out of the fridge and defrost it in warm water.


    Zhuang Zhuang arrived at the kitchen and he immediately saw the duck soaking in the water.


    ¡°Mother?!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the duck in disbelief.


    Xiaoguo held her cheek with one hand and looked at Zhuang Zhuang with a teasing smile. ¡°Are you calling me or the duck?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Mother is the best!¡± Zhuang Zhuang jumped to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and hugged her arm adoringly.


    He had long been drooling over the roast duck that his mother had described, but he never had a chance to taste it. To think that he will be eating it tonight. ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother, are we having the duck for lunch today?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t wait until dinner time.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt sorry for Zhuang Zhuang. He must be feeling very disappointed now¡­


    As soon as she said that, Zhuang Zhuang immediately looked listless and dispirited.


    It wasn¡¯t until he saw Xiaoguo cleaning the ducks that he perked up.


    He quickly went to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and started chattering like a little sparrow, and hovering by her side to help out.


    Actually, there wasn¡¯t much for him to do. It was just difficult for him to sit around and do nothing. He kept himself busy running around the kitchen, as if Xiaoguo would start roasting the duck earlier if he did that.

 Chapter 249 - 249 Roast Duck

    249 Roast Duck


    After breakfast in the morning, Xiaoguo began to prepare the ducks. She marinated the ducks with salt, five-spiced pepper and ginger slices.


    After lunch, she placed the marinated ducks in hot water and blanched them for about 20 seconds. Then, the ducks were pat dry. Xiaoguo poured honey and rice vinegar into a bowl and stirred the mixture before brushing it onto the ducks. After that, the ducks were hung up to dry in a ventilated place. This process was repeated five times.


    Her father had taught her this method of making roast duck. It was a taste that their entire family approved of.


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang, who had been jumping around her, Xiaoguo could feel a headache coming on. ¡°Baby, can you promise me something?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stopped and looked up at her. ¡°Go on, Mother.¡±


    ¡°Can you stop for a while?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to say that, but who could stop the overexcited Zhuang Zhuang?


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it either.¡± Zhuang Zhuang gave an innocent look. He really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He didn¡¯t eat much during lunch because he was saving belly space for the roast duck tonight.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. This child was becoming more and more like a foodie. But then again, with such a supportive fan at home, cooking has become more fun!


    ¡°Come on, little glutton. Go and bring me a rack with a hanging hook.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s current source of joy was to run errands for Xiaoguo. As long as he ran fast enough, the ducks would be ready sooner!


    Xiaoguo hung up the completely dried ducks using the special hooks that Zhuang Zhuang had brought over. The two ducks were placed neatly side by side.


    She opened the door to the hot oven and pushed the charcoal aside. She put the ducks in and added a large plate below to prevent the duck fat from dripping into the oven.


    Then, she quickly covered the oven up so that the heat would not dissipate.


    After putting in the ducks, Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen to clean up the war zone. She washed up and arranged everything neatly.


    Xiaoguo then kneaded a large piece of dough in a basin so that she can make some dough skin later. After the preparations were done, Xiaoguo returned to the house and waited for the roast duck to cook.


    However, Zhuang Zhuang was reluctant to leave the oven. Xiaoguo called out to him a few times, but to no avail. She had no choice but to drag him back into the house.


    It was such a cold day. He should be keeping warm in the house instead of staying out in the cold.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll go in later.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    Xiaoguo tried her best to pull him into the house, but Zhuang Zhuang kept backing away. She had to use all her strength to get him into the house, and she ended up with her whole back covered in sweat.


    They played in the house for a while until the sky gradually turned dark. The duck was almost cooked by then. Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen and divided the dough into smaller pieces. She then rolled them into regular dumpling skin sizes. Oil was rubbed in the middle of each piece before they were stacked up. Every layer of flattened dough was brushed with a layer of oil before they were stacked over the previous piece. After stacking everything up, she rolled them out with a rolling pin and steamed them in the pot.


    Then, she took the spring onions that Zhuang Zhuang had wrapped up. She cut the white portion of the stems into thin strips and laid them on a plate. These would be eaten with the roast duck later.


    ¡°Mother, is the roast duck ready?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was already waiting at the side with a plate.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiaoguo arranged the last handful of spring onions and brought Zhuang Zhuang to get the roast duck.


    As soon as the oven lid was lifted, the fragrance of the roasted duck wafted into their faces along with the hot steam. The two of them hid from the heat as they took in the unique fragrance of the roasted duck.


    ¡°Wow, Mother, this smells too good!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was jumping around happily. Xiaoguo was also very happy. It seemed that the oven was very powerful.


    Xiaoguo was wearing the oven gloves that she had made herself. She reached into the oven and carefully pulled out the iron rack that was used to hang the ducks. Two roasted ducks were glistening with oil as they were brought out of the oven. The skin was still sizzling from the heat. Zhuang Zhuang was dying to get a hand on the meat so that he could take a bite.


    Xiaoguo brought out the ducks on the rack while Zhuang Zhuang ran in front to lift the curtain.


    When she returned to the kitchen, Xiaoguo removed the ducks from the hooks and placed one roast duck on a plate that had been prepared beforehand. She then went to the steamer to get a stack of dough skin and placed them beside the duck.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, can you make a trip?¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mother, you have to wait for me. You promised.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. ¡°No problem!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he brought the roast duck out.


    When he arrived at Mrs. Yang¡¯s house, Zhuang Zhuang could only knock on the door with his feet and head since his hands were full.


    Fortunately, Mrs. Yang was watering in the courtyard, so she could hear the commotion. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have heard the knocking on the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming.¡±


    Mrs. Yang put down the basin and went to open the door. As soon as she opened the door, she could smell the fragrance. ¡°Whoa!¡±


    She quickly took the roasted duck that was about to fall from Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hands. The boy shook his arms and felt much more relaxed.


    ¡°Auntie, the roast duck has been delivered. I¡¯ll make a move first.¡±


    With that, Zhuang Zhuang ignored Mrs. Yang¡¯s shouts and ran home quickly. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the roast duck at home.


    Mrs. Yang looked helplessly at the little guy who was leaving. Then, she lowered her head and smelled the fragrant roast duck.


    She was wondering why Xiaoguo requested her to start dinner a little later tonight. Xiaoguo also instructed her to cut some onions beforehand. So it was for this reason.


    Mrs. Yang couldn¡¯t wait to bring the roast duck back to the house. She didn¡¯t forget to call for her family to come out and eat.


    When Zhuang Zhuang saw that Xiaoguo and the entire roast duck were waiting for him, he was overjoyed. He had run all the way back so that he could get back in time to watch his mother cut the duck.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to start!¡±


    With a knife in her hand, Xiaoguo cut off the duck¡¯s head and neck and placed them on a plate under Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s expectant gaze. Then, with her skillful cutting technique, she separated the meat from the bones and placed them on two different plates.


    Zhuang Zhuang brought the plates individually to the table. Xiaoguo poured some broad bean paste from a jar into a small bowl. This will be the dipping sauce for the roast duck.


    The bean paste was made by Mrs. Yang¡¯s mother-in-law. She had made a vat of it and gave a jar of it to Xiaoguo. Mrs. Yang¡¯s bean paste was really amazing. It was salty, and fragrant. It was good as a dipping sauce and also as a condiment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    Xiaoguo placed the bean paste on the table and sat down. Before Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mouth started watering, she announced for dinner to start.


    There were two plates of duck meat and bones on the table¡ªthe portion was quite substantial. Xiaoguo felt pressurized just by looking at them, but Zhuang Zhuang said that there was no pressure at all. Once he took off his coat, he would start digging in.


    As the roast duck was fresh from the oven, the skin was crispy and oil was still dripping from it. They ate the meat by wrapping it in dough skin, together with some shredded onions and sauce. It was very satisfying to eat it in one mouthful.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have a big appetite. After eating a few pieces, she stopped and lowered her head to eat her corn porridge. Zhuang Zhuang continued eating and his small mouth was glistening with oil. Xiaoguo was terrified as she watched him eat. Could his little belly take in so much food?


    As she thought of that, she quickly stopped Zhuang Zhuang from carrying on. At first, he protested, saying that he was okay, but Xiaoguo¡¯s firm attitude eventually stopped him.


    ¡°So be it. I¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡±


    Even so, Xiaoguo was still worried. When she returned to the house and saw his round belly, she felt terrible for him. How much had he eaten?


    It was natural that one would feel sleepy after eating. It was the same for Zhuang Zhuang. After returning to the house for a while, he tried to climb into bed. Xiaoguo refused to let him sleep. He shouldn¡¯t go to bed with such a full belly. He had better get up and exercise!


    Zhuang Zhuang reluctantly did his exercises on the floor. Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo also got out of bed to exercise with him. With Xiaoguo accompanying him, Zhuang Zhuang was no longer reluctant. Instead, he became very enthusiastic.


    Even so, before going to bed, Xiaoguo found a small handful of dried hawthorns and got Zhuang Zhuang to eat them.


    Hawthorns are good for digestion. If he eats more of it, he would sleep better at night.


    Zhuang Zhuang knew that Xiaoguo was doing this for his own good. Even though he didn¡¯t like hawthorns very much, he still ate them.


    After watching him finish the fruits, Xiaoguo felt much more relieved. When Zhuang Zhuang was completely asleep, she carefully tucked him in. Shortly after, she dozed off as well.

 Chapter 250 - 250 New Year After the Laba Festival

    250 New Year After the Laba Festival


    Time passed quickly.


    Chinese New Year was a festival that was celebrated annually in Shao Nation. Every family was looking forward to this day. In order to welcome this day, people would make many preparations. For example, shopping for new year goods, pasting couplets in the house, hanging lanterns, buying firecrackers, and making dumplings. Also there were new clothes that all children looked forward to the most. Of course, for the new year, there had to be a reunion dinner.


    There was a folk saying that goes like this, ¡°Children, children, don¡¯t be greedy. After the Laba Festival1, it will be the New Year.¡±


    After the Laba Festival, the villagers in Peach Blossom Village slowly got busy. Even those who hardly stepped out of their houses, were headed out to the county city to shop for New Year goods.


    Xiaoguo was no exception. But before she went to the county, she had to go somewhere else first.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, are you coming with me, or are you going to play with Xiaohu?¡± Xiaoguo asked as she got dressed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang answered without thinking. Xiaoguo got dressed and turned to look behind her. ¡°Then you have to get dressed quickly.¡±


    As soon as she turned around, she realized that Zhuang Zhuang had already put on his clothes and was waiting for her.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was looking at him, Zhuang Zhuang immediately picked up the sling bag on the bed and nimbly carried it on his back. Then, he looked at her and said, ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    With that, he led the way out.


    Xiaoguo was stunned on the spot. While she was still asking him to hurry up, Zhuang Zhuang had already gotten ready. Turned out that she was the one who was slow.


    Xiaoguo looked outside and saw that Zhuang Zhuang had already climbed onto the donkey cart. She immediately shouted, ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    Xiaoguo ran out and locked the door. Then, she set off for the post station with Zhuang Zhuang.


    She had gone there at least four or five times. Once she entered the courtyard, she knew exactly where to go.


    She had already communicated with Jiang Danhe by letter a few times. Although the wait was quite long each time, it was at least something that she could look forward to every day. Every morning when she woke up, she would wonder if his letter would come. If there weren¡¯t any letters, she wouldn¡¯t feel disappointed either. She knew that she would eventually receive a reply. He never missed out on writing back to her.


    Since she had to get stuff for the New Year, Xiaoguo made sure to go out early so that she would arrive early at the station. As soon as she entered the building, she did not see anyone manning the counter. Zhuang Zhuang volunteered to go and look for someone. Xiaoguo nodded and let him go.


    After getting her permission, Zhuang Zhuang went straight to the backyard. From his experience, most of the people in the hall would be feeding the horses at this hour.


    As expected, as soon as he entered the backyard, he saw the man standing in front of the horses.


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled and ran forward happily to greet him.


    ¡°Hello!¡±


    The man jumped at the sudden voice and turned. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the boy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The person in charge of registration was an old man. The people here called him Uncle.


    When Uncle saw Zhuang Zhuang, he narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll get you registered.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and followed him with a smile. He chatted with the man along the way.


    Xiaoguo was getting bored in the lobby. Not long after, she heard laughter coming from afar.


    The old man and the boy seemed to have a lot in common. Even when they were about to leave the station, the pair kept discussing something. If not for the fact that the mother and son were leaving, Uncle would have chatted with the boy for a longer time.


    This made Xiaoguo admire Zhuang Zhuang very much. It was always easy for him to strike up a conversation with people of different ages and backgrounds¡ªhe gets along well with everybody.


    When they returned to the county city, Xiaoguo stroked Zhuang Zhuang affectionately. He was clearly very excited. She uttered the words, ¡°Little social butterfly.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was watching the crowd, looked at Xiaoguo in confusion. ¡°A social butterfly? What is that?¡±


    Hearing his innocent words, Xiaoguo covered her mouth and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s an omnipotent flower.¡±


    Omnipotent? How strange. He had never heard of such a flower. Looks like he should spend some time studying the flower species from various countries.


    ¡°Mother, can I go to the bookstore later?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Xiaoguo nodded without thinking. As long as Zhuang Zhuang wanted a book, she would pay for it no matter how expensive it was.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Thank you, Mother! Muacks¡­¡± As he spoke, Zhuang Zhuang held Xiaoguo¡¯s face and kissed her hard on the cheek.


    Xiaoguo enjoyed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s acts of affection very much. For now, she should enjoy it while she can. When he gets older, she wouldn¡¯t be able to kiss him whenever she liked anymore.


    As it was the new year¡¯s market, the roads in the county city were very crowded. The marketplace and the roads were filled with people, making it difficult for the donkey cart to move. Xiaoguo had no choice. For the sake of others and herself, it was better to walk.


    She parked the donkey cart at the entrance of the noodle shop. Feeling worried about the crowds, Xiaoguo wanted to leave Zhuang Zhuang at the shop. However, Zhuang Zhuang refused and said that he wanted to witness the glory of the new year market. Xiaoguo had no choice but to bring him along.


    ¡°You have to hold on to me tightly. Do you understand? If you encounter anything interesting, you have to remember to call me. Even if I can¡¯t hear you, you have to think of a way to call me. You can¡¯t leave me to check things out. Can you remember my words?¡±


    Xiaoguo was still worried, so she reminded him again and again.


    She had heard from her mother since she was young about her childhood. In her mother¡¯s era, Chinese New Year fairs and temple fairs were places where children got lost easily. This was because people came from all over the world to visit these places. If anyone lost sight of their children, it would be hard to find them again.


    It was the same for the new year fair here. Mrs. Yang had told her that many of the merchants and visitors here were foreigners. Mrs. Yang reminded her to keep a close eye on her money bag and Zhuang Zhuang.


    That was why she reminded Zhuang Zhuang again and again. She even told him about the hypothetical scenarios repeatedly. Zhuang Zhuang was a very sensible boy. Every time Xiaoguo said something, he would remember the words carefully. No matter how many times she repeated it, Zhuang Zhuang would memorize her words and nod while she spoke.


    Feeling assured that he understood her words, Xiaoguo led Zhuang Zhuang into the crowd.


    Amidst the crowd, Xiaoguo grabbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand tightly. The two of them walked along the entrance and ventured into the market.


    According to Mrs. Yang, there should be less people going to the market in the coming two days. Most people were done with their new year shopping. That was why Xiaoguo had specially chosen to come today.


    But who could tell her what was going on with the crowd in front of her? If this wasn¡¯t crowded enough, what was the crowd like two days ago¡­?


    It was most likely that she would be spending the new year alone with Zhuang Zhuang. This was because Qin Anming might not be joining them. With Ruyi and the others, he could be spending the New Year with them. It seemed that she should ask him about it later.


    Xiaoguo tightened her grip on Zhuang Zhuang and felt the weight of the basket on her back. She had specially brought out a medium-sized basket today. In any case, she still had a lot of meat at home. The purpose of her coming out today was to buy some vegetables and decorations for the new year. So the weight in the basket was still quite manageable.


    Xiaoguo drifted along with the crowd, stopping every now and then. When she saw fresh vegetables, she would buy some. When she passed by one particular stall, Xiaoguo suddenly stopped. The person behind her did not react in time and almost bumped into her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    After apologizing with a smile, Xiaoguo grabbed Zhuang Zhuang and walked back towards the stall.


    She had thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her. She didn¡¯t expect to see it, really. What she thought about had really appeared in front of her!


    Xiaoguo swallowed and looked at the items displayed at the stall. She had been craving seafood recently. She didn¡¯t expect to find them here.


    The idle girl at the stall was pretending to be busy tidying up the seafood. Although no one was buying, she had to act busy. Her father had told her that this was the way of running a business.


    When she suddenly saw someone patronizing her stall, she was stunned and forgot about doing business.

 Chapter 251 - 251 New Year Market

    251 New Year Market


    ¡°How much is this?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked around and realized that although the space was small, there was quite a variety of seafood. Everything looked quite fresh, so she planned to buy more.


    It had been a long time since she had gone near any seafood. Seeing seafood for the first time in this place, she wished she could buy everything. However, her rationality was still intact. For items that were cheap, she would buy more. For those that were expensive, she would buy less.


    ¡°Hello, how much is this?¡±


    Xiaoguo pointed to the squid in the basin. When she didn¡¯t hear anything after asking, she looked up curiously and asked her again.


    ¡°Oh, hello, hello.¡± The girl looked up and saw a very beautiful woman. ¡°This is squid. It costs thirty copper coins a catty.¡±


    When she mentioned the price, the girl¡¯s voice gradually faded and she looked a little listless. This was because whenever she mentioned the price, people would leave most of the time. She knew that the seafood was expensive and people thought that pork was more affordable.


    However, the fishermen had risked their lives to catch these seafood.


    At the thought of this, the girl felt that the woman in front of her would leave. Unexpectedly, she did not leave and even said something in reply.


    ¡°What?¡± The girl was too distracted to hear her.


    ¡°Give me three catties.¡± Xiaoguo smiled. Why did she feel like this girl was constantly in a daze? She could only repeat herself.


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    The girl excitedly helped to pack the squid for Xiaoguo. She was overjoyed. She had finally sold her first piece of seafood.


    While Xiaoguo was watching the girl pack the squid, she looked around at the other seafood and spotted live prawns. Her interest was piqued. ¡°How much are those?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-five copper coins a catty.¡±


    The girl was still weighing the squid when she heard Xiaoguo asking about other items. In order to get her to buy more, she was prepared to give her a discount.


    ¡°If you are keen to buy, I will just charge you twenty-three coins.¡±


    Although the discount wasn¡¯t much, it at least showed her sincerity.


    Xiaoguo nodded, obviously appreciative of the discount. ¡°I¡¯ll take five catties.¡±


    Prawns were delicious, so she should buy more of them.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The girl was not big, but she was quick with her hands. She quickly packed the prawns for Xiaoguo, seemingly worried that Xiaoguo would go back on her word.


    ¡°Do you only set up a stall here during the new year?¡±


    So far she had never seen anyone selling seafood in the market. From what Ruyi and the others said, the people here basically didn¡¯t eat much seafood.


    ¡°Actually, this is my first time setting up a stall here. The fish we harvested were mostly transported to the capital and sold there.¡±


    The girl explained to Xiaoguo as she packed the prawns.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sell the seafood here?¡±


    Hearing her question, the girl sighed. She did want to sell it nearby, but the people here didn¡¯t buy much seafood.


    ¡°Actually, logically speaking, it¡¯s best to sell it here. My family lives in the small fishing village nearby, so the sea is our source of livelihood. Once we bring in our catch, they could be sold as live seafood if we set up a stall nearby. However, the people here don¡¯t like to eat this. Besides, the prices are high and it¡¯s so much more expensive than pork. Who would want to eat seafood that doesn¡¯t have much meat?¡±


    The girl¡¯s tone was filled with helplessness. Fishermen were also unwilling to go through the trouble of transporting seafood beyond the county. They had to bear the costs of dead seafood after transportation.


    ¡°Does seafood cost the same in the capital?¡±


    The girl shook her head and said truthfully, ¡°If it¡¯s shipped to the capital, the price will be several times higher. After all, we have to ensure that the seafood is transported alive. That brings up our costs.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you lower the price and let the commoners have a taste? Who knows, they might grow a liking to it and start buying?¡±


    If that was the case, they would not have to go through the hassle of shipping everything to the capital.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, but with the tools of ordinary fishermen, we can¡¯t catch much seafood at all. The fishermen risk their lives and go to sea before dawn. However, there¡¯s only so much fish they can catch, so it¡¯s very reasonable to sell it at this price. If we lower the price, we¡¯ll make a huge loss.¡±


    At this point, the girl felt a lingering fear in her heart. She still remembered the time when her father went out to sea and his boat capsized in the middle of a storm. Fortunately, he was a good swimmer and he managed to swim to another fishing boat before being rescued.


    ¡°I see.¡± Xiaoguo nodded thoughtfully. It turns out that seafood was expensive both in ancient and modern times.


    ¡°Sister, this is yours. Take a look and see if you want anything else?¡±


    The girl handed the packed seafood to Xiaoguo with a smile, hoping that she would buy something more.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, what else do you want to eat?¡±


    Actually, there was nothing else that Xiaoguo wanted to eat, but she still asked Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had been looking curiously at something strange in the basin. From his gaze, it looked like he was disgusted.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The girl reached out and took out an octopus from the basin. She held it up so that Zhuang Zhuang could take a closer look. ¡°This is an octopus.¡±


    ¡°Eww¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang avoided the creature¡¯s tentacles and hid behind Xiaoguo in disgust.


    ¡°Hahahaha.¡±


    Xiaoguo laughed when she saw his reaction. But this thing was truly quite disgusting, especially when its tentacles reached to touch you. A chill instantly ran down her spine.


    ¡°How much are you selling this for?¡±


    When she was done laughing, Xiaoguo asked.


    ¡°Same price as the squid.¡±


    ¡°Then I will take some.¡±


    Xiaoguo hesitated for a moment before she cleared out the stall. She saw that the girl only had a few fish left, so she asked for the price and bought everything from her.


    The girl danced excitedly. If she weren¡¯t outside, she would have jumped up in joy.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo had bought so much from her, the little girl rounded down the total price for her and gave her a wooden basin so that she could use it to contain the seafood.


    Just like that, Xiaoguo gave her the payment and continued shopping with a large pile of seafood.


    ¡°Mother, can we finish all these?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the half-filled basket of seafood and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried.


    ¡°No problem. Mother will make delicious food out of them for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo could now eat seafood to her heart¡¯s content.


    The market was bustling with activity. Seeing that there was nothing else to buy, she went straight to the place where red paper was sold. She was intending to buy ready-made couplets, but since Zhuang Zhuang was at home, she could just let him write them.


    Xiaoguo bought a large piece of red paper and planned to cut it herself when she got home. After which, she went straight to the bookstore with her pile of shopping. It was inconvenient for Xiaoguo to enter the shop with so many things, so she let Zhuang Zhuang go in and pick out what he needed. She could just make the payment outside the store.


    Zhuang Zhuang did not dawdle. As soon as he entered the shop, he went straight to the section of books and picked out the two books that he had in mind.


    Xiaoguo handed over the money and left the store with Zhuang Zhuang.


    After leaving the bookstore, XIaoguo bought some peanuts and melon seeds as snacks for the new year. Along the way, she came across a stall selling oranges, so she bought some as well.


    As they walked along, Xiaoguo bought whatever she needed. The new year was just round the corner, so she wouldn¡¯t be visiting the market on new year¡¯s eve. There were too many people and she did not like crowded places.


    She went on to buy two big red lanterns and a lot of candle wicks. In any case, she could hang them at the entrance during and after new year. It would be nice to have light at the main entrance at all times.


    Then, they arrived at the fabric store along the street.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Madam.¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo entered with Zhuang Zhuang, someone recognized her and walked over.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m here to collect the clothes.¡±


    Some time ago, Xiaoguo had brought Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming to the cloth shop to get tailored clothes for the new year. The new year brings new hopes and new things. Since she was not intending to make the new clothes herself, it would be better to buy them from the store. Today was the day to collect the clothes.


    ¡°One moment.¡±


    With that, the lady left to look for their records and bring out the clothes.


    Xiaoguo followed behind her. She had only paid a deposit the last time. The remaining payment must be made today.


    The shop staff quickly found the records and picked out their order among the rack of hanging clothes. She brought them to the counter and let Xiaoguo check the items before packing them up.

 Chapter 252 - 252 Heartache

    252 Heartache


    Xiaoguo took a closer look and realized that the workmanship was better than hers. It was truly the work of a professional!


    After making sure that there were no problems, she paid the bill.


    When they came out, there was nothing else to buy. The two of them were prepared to go back.


    They returned to the noodle shop with their numerous shopping bags. Ruyi had recently hired more staff, so she was now taking a back seat at the restaurant. When she looked up from where she was at the counter, she saw Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Woah.¡± Ruyi quickly went forward to help them with their shopping bags. ¡°Without taking a closer look, I would have thought that the bags have legs¡±


    The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth curled up. She smiled and said, ¡°I made sure to buy everything I need this trip, so I won¡¯t have to go shopping again on the eve.¡±


    As she spoke, she sat down at a table with no customers and gestured to Qin Anming who was at the other corner of the shop.


    ¡°How¡¯s business these days?¡±


    ¡°Not bad, I guess.¡±


    Xiaoguo saw the answer on Ruyi¡¯s face and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Seems like business is good.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Ruyi smiled and nudged Xiaoguo. ¡°By the way, did you buy any firecrackers?¡±


    Lighting firecrackers was what she loved most about the new year.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiaoguo looked like she was just reminded of this. She knew that she had forgotten something, so it was actually the firecrackers.


    ¡°I really forgot about that. I was thinking about it when I set off, but it completely slipped my mind.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Her brain was really failing her.


    ¡°Did you not see them at the stalls? Was that why you forgot about them?¡±


    Ruyi looked at Xiaoguo with an empathetic look.


    Hearing her words, Xiaoguo realized that Ruyi was right. ¡°Indeed. When I was at the market, I didn¡¯t see a single firecracker shop.¡±


    How strange. It was unlikely that there was a ban on fireworks and firecrackers during ancient times. How could there be no one selling them?


    ¡°I knew it. You didn¡¯t know where the shops were!¡±


    Ruyi could tell from Xiaoguo¡¯s puzzled expression that she had no idea.


    ¡°Fireworks and firecrackers aren¡¯t sold in the city. They¡¯re all sold in open spaces in case there were any accidents. You can see the stalls when you leave the county gate and turn west.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in confusion. So that was the reason. If Ruyi hadn¡¯t mentioned the firecrackers, she would have completely forgotten about them.


    After a while, Qin Anming came over with Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Brother, I have something to ask you.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming, who looked lost, and smiled helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s almost the new year. I want to ask you if you¡¯re coming home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going back.¡± Qin Anming replied without thinking, ¡°Where can I go if I don¡¯t go back for the new year?¡±


    A hint of dismal appeared in Ruyi¡¯s eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.


    Xiaoguo was paying close attention to Ruyi¡¯s expression, so she saw the flash of disappointment in her eyes. She turned to look at Qin Anming speechlessly. What a blockhead. When would he ever be enlightened?


    Xiaoguo had no intention of getting involved in their relationship. Fate plays a very important part. Once fate arrived, people would be attracted to each other like magnets.


    ¡°Of course we have to spend the new year together. It¡¯s so nice to have the family gathered for the festive season.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°In that case, Brother An Ming, rest early in the next two days. You should go home and help out.¡±


    Xiaoguo could tell that Ruyi was trying to sound light-hearted, and she smiled gently. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Ruyi was confused. What about her?


    ¡°What are your plans? Aren¡¯t you coming with my brother?¡± Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop smiling. It would be better to have more company for the new year.


    ¡°I can go too?!¡±


    Ruyi looked incredulous. Was it appropriate for her to go during the new year?


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang answered first. Then, he smiled at Xiaoguo, hoping to receive praise for answering correctly.


    Xiaoguo looked down at him and ruffled his hair. ¡°He¡¯s absolutely right!¡±


    ¡°What about us?!¡±


    Ling Long and Fu¡¯er overheard their conversation while passing by. Since the lady boss was going, she couldn¡¯t possibly leave them here.


    The two of them looked at Xiaoguo with sparkling eyes, sending their silent hopes towards her.


    Xiaoguo did a facepalm and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m talking about you guys, of course. Ruyi, Linglong Fu¡¯er, Uncle Xu and Xiaocui.¡±


    Everyone was included.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯ll tell Sister Xiaocui and Uncle Xu.¡±


    Ling Long ran happily to the kitchen to look for Xiao Cui. Fu¡¯er ran to the cashier to tell Uncle Xu about the joyous news.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Xiaoguo.¡±


    Ruyi said seriously. For the bunch of them who had no family, there was nothing more heartwarming than an invitation to spend the new year together.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything as she patted Ruyi¡¯s hand gently.


    As for Zhuang Zhuang, he sat in Qin Anming¡¯s arms and kept looking at everyone with his big eyes. He enjoyed being around people, so he was glad that his family could spend the new year together.


    Ruyi was planning to give Qin Anming a few more rest days so that he could go back earlier. The rest of them would continue working at the shop for a few more days before leaving on new year¡¯s eve.


    No one had any objections, so the decision was made.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang bade farewell to everyone. After loading their stuff onto the donkey cart, they drove hurriedly towards the firecracker shop.


    There would be many people spending the new year together this year, so she had to buy more firecrackers. Fortunately, she had enough meat and vegetables, so she didn¡¯t have to make another trip to buy more food.


    She brought Zhuang Zhuang to the place where firecrackers were sold. Ruyi was right. The address was easy to find. There were a lot of firecrackers and the place was very crowded.


    Looking at the crowded scene in front of her, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    Fortunately, the road was wide enough for the donkey cart to cruise through. This saved her the trouble of getting off the cart with Zhuang Zhuang and the shopping bags.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, just tell me if you see something you fancy.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang went their separate ways to check out the firecrackers. To be honest, her idea of firecrackers was confined to sparklers and bang snaps. These were the only two things she dared to play with. Everything else brought back traumatic memories for her.


    When she was young, her father had bought a firework called Baby¡¯s Stars. On a whim, he asked her to light it. At that time, she was only in the fifth grade. She was young and bold, so she went ahead and lit it with a lighter. Unexpectedly, she got nervous after lighting up the fireworks. At that very moment, her legs went weak and she fell to the ground.


    Everything happened so suddenly that the adults could not react in time. Even she was stunned as she watched the rope in front of her slowly burn to its end. What followed next was a deafening bang and fireworks were launched into the sky. Under her shocked and frightened gaze, they exploded in the sky. It was really as beautiful as the name Baby¡¯s Stars.


    After that episode, she couldn¡¯t hear anything for more than half a month. It was caused by the loud bang of the fireworks shooting into the sky. The moment the fireworks exploded, she, who was lying on the ground, was thinking to herself that she had never seen a firework so beautiful. It was also great that it was silent.


    It was only later on that she realized that she was just one firecracker away from losing her hearing.


    As her recollection came to an end, Xiaoguo shuddered in silence. It was so scary just thinking about it.


    However, at the thought that Qin Anming would be around, Xiaoguo felt more assured and bought a huge set of fireworks.


    Xiaoguo heard from the boss that the colors of the fireworks were very beautiful. Xiaoguo listened to his promises several times before she decided to buy them.


    Although the fireworks were beautiful, they were short-lived.


    Xiaoguo clutched at her chest. She didn¡¯t expect this short-lived thing to cost so much. The price was almost as much as half a pig. Her heart ached so much that she couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Zhuang Zhuang comforted Xiaoguo silently. He had seen it just now. His mother was on the verge of tears when she handed over the money.


    Xiaoguo hugged the sensible and obedient Zhuang Zhuang and said with a trembling voice, ¡°My good son, quickly say a few more words about how much you like to watch fireworks. Just to make me feel better.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I love watching fireworks. I love watching fireworks. I love watching fireworks. I love¡­¡±


    It was all thanks to Zhuang Zhuang that Xiaoguo¡¯s heart stopped aching so much. For the sake of her son, so what if she had to bite the bullet?


    It was just one big firework. So what if he wanted two or three?


    Well, she couldn¡¯t afford it then¡­

 Chapter 253 - 253 Something That Shouldn’t Have Happened

    253 Something That Shouldn¡¯t Have Happened


    When Jiang Danhe received Xiaoguo¡¯s letter, he had just returned from court. He bumped into the courier before he could enter the house.


    He took the letter excitedly and was about to return to his residence when he was stopped by the courier.


    ¡°Please wait, General.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Danhe turned around. Could there be something else? At this moment, all he could think about was what delicious food Xiaoguo had made for him.


    Under his quiet anticipation, the courier handed him a letter.


    Feeling curious, Jiang Danhe took the letter. There were only three words on the envelope¡ªLi Shouji.


    The courier left happily after he was done with his job of handing over the letter. He didn¡¯t know that the letters were meant for two different recipients as he didn¡¯t check carefully. He subconsciously thought that they were written by Mrs. Jiang to the general, so he gave both letters to the man.


    Jiang Danhe held the envelope and studied it. It was a letter to Li Shouji, but the handwriting looked like it belonged to Xiaoguo. Should he read it? Should he?


    On the other side, Li Shouji got off his horse and nodded at the guard with a smile. He was humming a tune while walking into the house.


    He walked to his door and saw that it was wide open.


    Li Shouji instantly tensed up. With a straight face, he tiptoed to the window, wanting to see who was so bold as to barge into his house. Was there a conspiracy?


    ¡°Li Shouji, come in.¡±


    Just as he was about to open the window and look in, someone spoke first.


    Li Shouji¡¯s anxiety instantly disappeared, and he reverted to his slovenly attitude again. So it was Jiang Danhe. He knew it. Other than himself, Jiang Danhe was the only one who enjoyed coming to his room.


    ¡°Why are you in my room?¡±


    ¡°Your room? This entire mansion is mine.¡±


    Jiang Danhe sneered and leaned lazily against the back of a chair. He said softly, ¡°Have you contacted my wife recently?¡±


    As he spoke, he took out an open envelope and placed it on the table. He stared at Li Shouji without blinking.


    As expected, when Li Shouji saw the letter, he straightened his back immediately. A guilty expression appeared on his face, and his eyes darted around. It was obvious that he had a guilty conscience.


    Seeing him like this, Jiang Danhe was even more certain of his guess. He narrowed his eyes and sized up every expression on Li Shouji¡¯s face. What had this kid been doing behind his back recently?


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you read the letter? Why are you asking me?¡±


    Li Shouji was not stupid. After his initial moments of panic, he quickly calmed down and looked straight at Jiang Danhe. If he had read the letter, he would not be asking him these questions now. It was more likely that he had not read the letter and was trying to fool him.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes lit up with satisfaction. ¡°Seems like he isn¡¯t such a fool after all.¡±


    It was a pity though. He only allowed himself to be easily read by a selected few.


    If he wanted to play mysterious, he wouldn¡¯t leave any traces behind.


    On one side, Li Shouji was feeling flustered. On the other hand, Jiang Danhe was handling the situation with ease. It was very obvious who had the upper hand.


    After a while, Li Shouji lowered his head helplessly. He¡¯s totally done for. Did Jiang Danhe know the contents of the letter? If the answer is yes, he would get beaten up by him, if the answer is no, he would still get beaten up once he told him the contents.


    ¡°Do you know the difference between being proactive and being passive?¡±


    Just as he was hesitating, Jiang Danhe gave him an ultimatum.


    He was going to get beaten up either way. In any case, it was a dead end. So be it!


    Although he was mentally prepared, it still took a certain amount of courage to read the letter out loud under Jiang Danhe¡¯s threats.


    In the end, he made up his mind. Since he was going to die anyway, his death should be a glorious one!


    Hence, Li Shouji read out the letter word for word. The more he read, the calmer he became. There was no way out. So, whatever.


    However, Jiang Danhe¡¯s face was turning darker by the minute. If Li Shouji was looking at him now, he would be able to see his changing expressions.


    After reading the last word, Li Shouji carefully raised his head. However, he did not look Jiang Danhe in the eye. Instead, he looked at the ground and quietly waited for his fate.


    There was nothing much in the letter. It was just that a few days ago, when Li Shouji was delivering the letter for Jiang Danhe, he had attached his own letter of complaint and handed it over to the courier. Xiaoguo was just replying to his letter.


    ¡°Give me the letter.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said after a while.


    Li Shouji walked towards him with tentative steps. He was trying to read Jiang Danhe¡¯s mind. Was he trying to trick him into going over so that he could hold him down and spank him? He had long passed the age of receiving spanking as a punishment. Could Jiang Danhe really be so brutal?


    He handed the letter to him tentatively. Jiang Danhe suppressed his anger and carefully folded the letter before putting it aside.


    Then, with lightning speed, he threw Li Shouji over his shoulder.


    What followed was a storm of abuse and beating. Of course, this was only based on Deputy General Li Shouji¡¯s description.


    According to General Jiang Danhe¡¯s description, he simply lifted Deputy General Li Shouji up and threw him down.


    After it was over, Jiang Danhe shrugged his shoulders and returned to his room with the letter that Xiaoguo had written to Li Shouji.


    When Jiang Danhe returned to the house, he was no longer as calm as before. He was pacing back and forth anxiously like an angry lion.


    He had let Li Shouji off lightly. He should have given him a few more punches.


    Li Shouji had actually told Xiaoguo about how he had mistakenly used the Fragrance Bead. He even described him as a walking aphrodisiac in the letter¡ªthe kind that managed to charm dozens of old ministers!


    He was absolutely dying to beat up Li Shouji again!


    Jiang Danhe sat in a chair and tugged at his hair vigorously with his strong hands. His neat bun was instantly ruined.


    The last thing he wanted had finally happened¡­


    At this moment, he no longer had the courage to open the letter that Xiaoguo had written to him.


    She was so close, but yet so far.


    Would she laugh at him? What would she say? What if she did laugh at him?


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s mind was no longer working. His eyes were filled with melancholy. Although the fragrance had disappeared, he didn¡¯t want to bring it up again. He was hoping that Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t find out about this.


    Li Shouji was such a nosy parker. He¡¯s totally wasting his talent here.


    Jiang Danhe hesitated, but he still had to read it. He took the letter and slowly opened it, while taking deep breaths to calm himself down.


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    Countless words of laughter appeared in front of him. He was so frightened that he immediately folded the letter with a regretful expression on his face. As expected, she was mocking him.


    Jiang Danhe mustered his courage and continued reading. Only then did he realize that it was a misunderstanding. Xiaoguo was not laughing at him. Instead, she gently explained that Li Shouji had written to her about the Fragrance Bead. Towards the end, she even comforted him considerately.


    Jiang Danhe read the entire letter with flushed ears. The last sentence in particular made his heart beat faster.


    ¡°Actually, I think you must smell very sexy¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but imagine what tone Xiaoguo would use to say those words.


    After a while, he shook his head in shame, telling himself that he should not think about it anymore. Otherwise, he would lose control and use the Fragrance Bead to bathe again. After which, he would run to her side and show her how sexy he really was!


    Actually, this could be considered an accidental misunderstanding. The sexiness that Xiaoguo was thinking about was completely different from what he was thinking.


    Xiaoguo was actually referring to a grown man smelling like a seductive concubine. Since the letter had mentioned that he attracted many ministers, so¡­ hehe¡­


    If Jiang Danhe had known about Xiaoguo¡¯s evil thoughts when she was writing the letter, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have the same bashful thoughts. He would be showing benevolence if he didn¡¯t slash Li Shouji with his sword.

 Chapter 254 - 254 Tomb Sweeping

    254 Tomb Sweeping


    ¡°Mother, what do you think I should write?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to open your little head to take a look.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang held a brush in his hand and rested his head on the table. In front of him was the couplet paper that Xiaoguo had cut for him, but he just didn¡¯t know how to start. After all, this was his first time writing a couplet. After thinking for a long time, he still couldn¡¯t think of anything suitable.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had no choice but to ask Xiaoguo for help.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Xiaoguo put down the broom and sat opposite him. After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°You can write about spring, wealth, and peace.¡±


    Although she wasn¡¯t good at coming up with couplets, she could help Zhuang Zhuang come up with the themes. Spring represented the time when Jiang Danhe would return, and wealth was something close to her heart. She hoped that Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe would always be healthy and safe.


    With a theme in mind, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mind raced. In the end, his eyes lit up and he started writing swiftly on the red paper.


    Xiaoguo tilted her head and watched from the side. As Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s last stroke landed, the couplet was revealed.


    ¡°Welcoming joy and spring, welcoming and receiving wealth, receiving blessings and peace. May all our dreams come true.¡±


    After reading it out loud, Xiaoguo¡¯s face was flushed with emotions. She hugged Zhuang Zhuang and said, ¡°Good son, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, not at all¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled in embarrassment. Xiaoguo kissed him twice before letting go. She turned around and picked up the couplet to admire it. This was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s first couplet. She had to take her time to admire it.


    ¡°When your uncle comes back, we¡¯ll stick them on the wall!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded happily.


    Xiaoguo took out a few more square pieces of red paper and said to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Write a few more ¡®fortune¡¯ characters.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and wrote obediently.


    It was almost noon when Qin Anming returned. Xiaoguo had wanted to pick him up, but he told her there was no need. Instead, he paid for his ride in a horse-drawn carriage from the county and alighted at the gates of Peach Blossom Village.


    Qin Anming brought back a lot of things that he had bought for them. Xiaoguo took the shopping bags from him and looked at the wide variety of fruits and snacks he brought back. Although she was happy, she felt a tinge of heartache. How much did all these cost¡­?


    However, Xiaoguo did not say it out loud. After all, it was the new year and they only do this once a year.


    Just as she was sorting through the stuff, she found a bag of joss paper at the bottom. She was puzzled. Why did Qin Anming buy this during the new year?


    ¡°It¡¯s almost the new year. It¡¯s time to pay respects to our parents,¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could ask, Qin Anming came out of the back room and answered her question.


    Xiaoguo paused and nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about time.¡±


    Although they were not her biological parents, when she heard Qin Anming mention them, she could feel an indescribable feeling welling up in her heart.


    ¡°When are you going?¡±


    ¡°Maybe this afternoon.¡±


    Qin Anming said. The weather was good today. It was perfect for visiting graves.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything when she heard that. She just nodded in acknowledgment.


    After lunch, the three of them prepared to set off. Zhuang Zhuang would be going with them. After all, the two elders had yet to officially meet their grandson.


    After changing into plain-colored clothes, they set off for Qin Manor on the donkey cart.


    Along the way, they bumped into a lot of people. During this time, many people were still rushing to town to shop for new year goods.


    Xiaoguo was fine when they arrived at Qin Manor, but Qin Anming was in a daze. As the saying goes, a day of separation feels like years have passed. The surroundings looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.


    Things have turned out beyond his imagination. He was no longer starving and living his days in misery. All of these would not have happened if not for Xiaoguo. If she hadn¡¯t appeared like a savior that fateful day, he would have¡­


    At the thought of this, Qin Anming was in a daze. It was only when Xiaoguo noticed his abnormality that she nudged him from his thoughts.


    Only then did he realize that they had arrived at Qin Manor. Qin Anming was a little excited when he saw the familiar door.


    Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to follow her uncle while she went to the family who were holding on to the house keys. Holding the five catties of pork in her hand, she knocked on the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    After a while, a voice sounded. Xiaoguo took two steps back and waited for someone to open the door.


    ¡°Auntie.¡±


    When Xiaoguo saw the neighbor, she smiled.


    ¡°Yo, it¡¯s Xiaoguo!¡±


    The woman was very happy. She scrutinized Xiaoguo from head to toe. She didn¡¯t recognize her at first. To think that she was getting on so well now.


    Xiaoguo exchanged a few pleasantries with her and went straight to the point. After explaining her purpose for visiting, she handed the pork to the neighbor.


    When the woman saw the pork, her laughter became even more real. She attempted to refuse the gift a few times before reluctantly accepting it. Then, she happily picked up the pork and walked home. ¡°I¡¯ll get you the key.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded.


    Not long after, the woman ran out and handed the key to Xiaoguo. ¡°If you have time, come in and have a seat.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Xiaoguo quickly waved her hand. ¡°My brother and I have to go now.¡±


    The woman patted her head and nodded in agreement. Going to the grave was of utmost importance.


    Xiaoguo said a few more words before leaving. The woman stared at Xiaoguo¡¯s back with a smile, her heart filled with envy. They were both widows, but why did Xiaoguo look so charming? The clothes she was wearing were obviously good stuff. Her figure did not look like she had given birth at all. She was slender yet curvy in all the right places.


    Comparisons were really infuriating.


    After watching them return to their house, the woman closed the door and went back. She had to think about how to consume that piece of pork.


    Xiaoguo opened the dusty lock. With a tug, cobwebs and dust flew out when she opened the door.


    She immediately hugged Zhuang Zhuang and turned her body to block the dust. It would be bad if the dust got into his eyes.


    Qin Anming waved his sleeve to avoid the dust. He really didn¡¯t expect to see so much dust in the house when there was no one living here.


    The three of them waited for the dust to settle before entering the house. They had come back to visit the grave after all. It wouldn¡¯t make sense if they didn¡¯t go home to take a look.


    The house had not changed much, but it just looked slightly empty.


    Xiaoguo walked around the house and realized that the old folks were right. Houses need the energy of people to thrive. Those that were not inhabited for a long time would quickly decay and become lifeless. Houses that were constantly inhabited by people were often filled with vitality, even if they were old houses that had been in disrepair. They would not collapse easily after five or ten years.


    The few of them walked separately around the house for a while before leaving. After locking the door, Xiaoguo handed the key to Qin Anming for his safekeeping.


    In the future, Qin Anming¡¯s wedding would have to be held here. After all, this was the root of the Qin family. No matter how far one has drifted, their roots still remain in the same place.


    The three of them drove the cart to Qin Manor¡¯s cemetery. Anyone who passed away in the village would be buried here.


    All graves here were without tombstones. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know where to go at all. Qin Anming led Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang to the furthest corner of the cemetery.


    Xiaoguo grabbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand and followed closely behind Qin Anming. She didn¡¯t know how long she had been walking before they came to a stop.


    She really didn¡¯t expect the cemetery to be so big. The two elders of the Qin family were resting at the furthest end of the cemetery. On their left was a dense forest, and on their right was a small river.


    Their burial spot was backed by the mountains and overlooking the rivers. The feng shui was pretty good.


    Qin Anming was the first to kneel down. Xiaoguo did the same, with Zhuang Zhuang following closely behind her.


    ¡°Father, Mother¡­¡± Qin Anming called out twice and started kowtowing. Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang kowtowed together with him.


    Little Zhuang Zhuang was wearing a serious expression on his face. After all, he had experienced this previously. So, he just followed whatever Xiaoguo did.


    Qin Anming had a lot to say to the two elders, while Xiaoguo listened quietly at the side. Although they weren¡¯t her parents, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad.


    After he was done, Qin Anming exhaled heavily. He felt much more relaxed now.


    Next, it was Xiaoguo¡¯s turn. Before she could open her mouth, she suddenly saw something that shocked her.


    ¡°Brother, what is that!¡±

 Chapter 255 - 255 Could It Be a Coincidence?

    255 Could It Be a Coincidence?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Qin Anming looked in the direction she was pointing at in confusion. ¡°Oh¡­ sunflowers. Mother¡¯s favorite sunflowers. Although they look like hay now, they will magically grow again in spring.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she was shocked. Sunflowers¡­


    ¡°Mother¡­ likes sunflowers?¡±


    Xiaoguo spoke distractedly, staring unblinkingly at the sunflowers beside the grave.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When Qin Anming heard her question, he thought that it was odd. Xiaoguo knew best what their mother liked.


    ¡°¡­¡± Mrs. Qin also liked sunflowers, just like her mother. When she asked her mother for the reason, what did she say?


    ¡°Have you forgotten? Mother told you before that sunflowers are practical. They can be admired and eaten. Moreover, fried melon seeds are Father¡¯s specialty. That¡¯s why Mother likes sunflowers so much.¡±


    Seeing Xiaoguo¡¯s confused expression, Qin Anming explained to her.


    Tears immediately streamed down Xiaoguo¡¯s face. The reason was exactly the same¡­


    ¡°Xiaoguo? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Anming was shocked and quickly wiped her tears.


    Xiaoguo shook her head and tried her best to control her thoughts. Her mother did like sunflowers because they were edible and beautiful. Moreover, her father was the best at stir-frying raw melon seeds. But what could this mean? It must be just a coincidence¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Seeing Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s worried gazes, Xiaoguo shook her head gently.


    ¡°By the way, did you plant this?¡±


    The surroundings were extremely desolate. Only this patch of unique grass stalks was growing out of nowhere.


    ¡°No.¡± Qin Anming shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s strange. The flowers started growing here the year after Father and Mother passed away.¡±


    At this point, he found it very strange. When he came to visit the grave that time, he suddenly realized that sunflowers had grown out of nowhere. After winter, when spring came, the dead sunflowers regained their vitality miraculously.


    However, he did not tell Xiaoguo about this. After all, this was considered a strange phenomenon. If he told her, it could frighten her. Besides, Zhuang Zhuang was around. so It was inconvenient for him to talk about these strange matters.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t recover from her shock for a long time after listening to Qin Anming. It had been three years since Mr. and Mrs. Qin passed away. Her parents had also passed away three years ago.


    During the apocalypse, after she developed her healing power in the following year, she secretly went to the address that was given to her by the man who helped her bury her parents. She planted her mother¡¯s favorite sunflower beside the grave. In the following year, she planted another one¡­


    Everything was too coincidental. It was so coincidental that she couldn¡¯t help but attempt to connect the dots.


    Qin Anming took out the joss paper and lit it with a torch, while muttering to himself. Xiaoguo burned the joss paper mechanically. She also forgot about introducing Zhuang Zhuang to the two elders of the Qin family. Instead, it was Qin Anming who took on this mission.


    Xiaoguo only came back to her senses when she was done burning the joss paper in her hand, also when Qin Anming dragged her to leave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and followed behind him with a heavy heart. She silently looked back at the bouquet of sunflowers. It must be a coincidence.


    For some reason, the faces of the two elders of the Qin family were blurry in her mind at this moment. She could not recall their facial features at all. No matter how hard she searched through her memories, it was useless. The images in her mind became blurrier the more she tried.


    She found it strange, but even when she first met Qin Anming and heard him mention the two elders, her inexplicable heartache and sadness were real. However, the images in her mind were blurry.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t think straight and felt even more frustrated. Along the way, she was in a daze. She didn¡¯t even realize it when she got home. By the time she came back to her senses, she was already sitting on the bed in her room.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo let out a long sigh. Was she thinking too much or¡­


    ¡°Mother, come over quickly. Uncle is burning down the kitchen!¡±


    Xiaoguo was suddenly woken up by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s shrill roar. She ran out immediately. What did he mean by burning down the kitchen?!


    As soon as she lifted the kitchen curtain, her eyes were blinded by thick black smoke. Enduring the discomfort, she quickly lifted the curtain and hung it up. Then, she groped through the darkness and opened the windows.


    Xiaoguo stood in a ventilated area and tried her best to breathe. After a long time, the scene in the kitchen slowly became clear.


    The two of them, one adult and one kid, were standing in front of the stove with their heads lowered, looking like they had done something wrong. Their hands were still clasped in front of them, and they seemed too ashamed to face Xiaoguo.


    At this moment, black smoke was still billowing from the pot. Xiaoguo quietly walked to the side of the pot and scooped up some water before pouring it into the pot. As soon as it came into contact with the heat, sizzling sounds were heard and thick white smoke gushed out of the pot. After that, there was no more smoke.


    The sudden sizzling sounds startled the two of them, who were standing with their heads lowered. They trembled and looked up. Now Xiaoguo could see why they had their heads lowered.


    Their faces were covered in soot. It was almost impossible to recognize them.


    ¡°Were you playing with fire?¡±


    Xiaoguo crossed her arms and looked at the two of them, who had both retreated to a corner.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Uncle!¡±


    Qin Anming was about to deny it, but Zhuang Zhuang dropped the bomb first.


    The two of them tried to speak at the same time. Zhuang Zhuang quickly walked to Xiaoguo¡¯s side. ¡°I told Uncle not to boil it, but he refused to listen. He insisted on boiling it and even asked me to light the fire. In the end, the fire started.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Qin Anming was furious. He whispered, ¡°Little traitor.¡±


    ¡°Boil what?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked inside the pot. The contents were so black that she couldn¡¯t tell what was inside. Besides, it was still a long time before dinner.


    ¡°Make.¡±


    ¡°Make glue starch, for the couplets!¡±


    Qin Anming wanted to answer first, but Zhuang Zhuang was still one step ahead of him.


    Zhuang Zhuang stole a glance at Qin Anming. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle. Your nephew has to protect himself. My mother hates people messing around in her kitchen.¡±


    Receiving his gaze, Qin Anming immediately wanted to defend himself. Unexpectedly, Xiaoguo said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys time to clean up as quickly as possible. I¡¯ll go back to the house and change my clothes now. When I come out later and the pot is still not clean, I¡¯ll make glue out of the two of you.¡±


    After saying that, Xiaoguo imagined if Jiang Danhe dared to burn her kitchen, she would definitely strangle him to death. The kitchen was her territory. Anyone who set fire to her territory will not be let off easily.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    The two of them were shocked, especially Zhuang Zhuang. Did he not ask for forgiveness in the correct way just now?


    Xiaoguo snorted and walked out with her arms crossed. When she got out, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She really had to keep herself on her toes all the time.


    She had left the kitchen, but Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang were in trouble.


    At this moment, Qin Anming couldn¡¯t be bothered to settle scores with Zhuang Zhuang. He had never known that his sister was so cruel. She even thought of making paste out of them.


    The two of them worked in tandem. One helped to refill the water while the other washed the pot. One helped to lower the curtain, and the other helped to close the window.


    When they were just about done, Xiaoguo returned.


    Once she was in the kitchen, she checked everything carefully and touched all the surfaces with her hands.


    Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang looked at each other and wiped the sweat off their foreheads.


    It was only when Xiaoguo gave them the green light that they heaved a sigh of relief. They were really afraid of being boiled into paste.


    After chasing the two of them out of the kitchen, Xiaoguo lit the fire again and began to make the glue paste.


    Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang waited outside the door with the couplets in their hands.


    ¡°The two of you, come back in a while. The paste is not ready yet!¡±


    Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and saw the two of them standing there in a daze. All the blood in her body instantly rushed to her brain.


    The moment Qin Anming heard the roar, his legs went weak. When he heard what Xiaoguo was saying, he quickly ran back into the house with Zhuang Zhuang, afraid that he would be turned into paste and spread onto the wall.


    Seeing that the two of them had obediently returned to their rooms, Xiaoguo felt a little better. She went to the stove and added a handful of firewood.


    Thanks to the two of them, Xiaoguo temporarily forgot about the conflicted thoughts that were bothering her.

 Chapter 256 - 256 Cleanup

    256 Cleanup


    Qin Anming sent Zhuang Zhuang to secretly lift the curtain and look out for any movements in the kitchen. He sat on a chair and patted his heart.


    Xiaoguo was really too scary just now. Even he was so frightened that he did not dare to speak loudly.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, has your mother been so irritable recently?¡±


    Qin Anming asked Zhuang Zhuang hesitantly. In his impression, Xiaoguo was always gentle and soft. Why was she suddenly so¡­ aggressive today?


    ¡°Of course not!¡± When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he hurriedly tried to clear his mother¡¯s name. ¡°My mother is usually very gentle. She always speaks in a soft tone.¡±


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly thought of Xiaoguo¡¯s voice while waking him up in the mornings.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang! Get up!¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang! You can¡¯t sleep in!¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang!!!¡±


    He secretly swallowed a mouthful of saliva. His previous statement didn¡¯t seem to hold water. He corrected himself and said, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t provoke her, she¡¯s synonymous with tenderness.¡±


    When Qin Anming heard this, he swallowed hard. He would make sure to listen to her words. Xiaoguo in a furious state was really quite intimidating¡­


    ¡°Uncle, Mother has come out with the glue starch.¡±


    While Qin Anming was still in a daze, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s nervous voice pulled him back. He subconsciously picked up the couplets on the table, but for some reason, he only held onto them without doing anything else.


    As soon as Xiaoguo entered the house, she saw that Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang were looking ready with couplets in their hands.


    She looked satisfied. That was good. It saved her the trouble of calling out to them. ¡°Go and paste the couplets.¡±


    Xiaoguo walked in front with the glue. Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang followed behind with the couplets and stools.


    She had planned to post the couplets in two days¡¯ time, but she didn¡¯t expect the other families in the village to start putting up couplets so early. For that reason, she decided to follow suit. She didn¡¯t want to be different from everyone else.


    Qin Anming stood on a stool and Xiaoguo used a broom to sweep away the dust on the door. Although the door wasn¡¯t very dusty, the couplets should stick better to its surface after sweeping it.


    She put down the broom and handed the glue to Qin Anming.


    Qin Anming took the glue and dug out a large glob of it from the bowl. He brushed the paste on the door, spreading it to roughly the same size as the couplets. Then, he handed the paste to Xiaoguo and took one couplet from Zhuang Zhuang. He aimed it at the paste and stuck it onto the door seamlessly.


    ¡°How is it? Is it crooked?¡±


    Xiaoguo stood a little further away and thought that it looked fine. ¡°It¡¯s not crooked. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s answer, Qin Anming made sure the couplet was secure and smoothed it out from top to bottom. Then, he started to work on the next one.


    Xiaoguo continued to stand at the back of the room, helping to check on the position of the couplet. Every time Qin Anming made some adjustments, he would check with Xiaoguo if it was level. After receiving her affirmation, he stuck the couplets onto the wall.


    Qin Anming pasted the final horizontal couplet and jumped off the stool before walking to Xiaoguo¡¯s side. Zhuang Zhuang followed closely behind him. The three of them looked at the couplets that had just been pasted onto the wall. It was hard to hide the joy in their eyes.


    Once the couplets were up, the atmosphere of New Year seemed to have descended upon them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s put up the ¡®fortune¡¯ characters.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The three of them walked into the house together. They would just stick the ¡®fortune¡¯ characters on the windows in the house. The front door would be left bare.


    ¨C


    There were still two days until New Year¡¯s Eve.


    When she woke up in the morning, Xiaoguo began to make breakfast. There was a long day ahead of her. She planned to clean the house and courtyard thoroughly today. Please note that it was a thorough cleaning she was looking at.


    Therefore, Zhuang Zhuang, who was reluctant to get out of bed, and Qin Anming had just woken, but was still very lazy in her eyes, joined in to help with the cleaning.


    ¡°I say, we still have to eat even if we are doing spring cleaning.¡±


    Qin Anming sat in a chair and looked at the piping hot food on the table. He then looked at Xiaoguo, who was fully armed and raring to go.


    Although Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t say anything, he rubbed his eyes and nodded in agreement.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s enthusiasm was instantly dampened. Her shoulders slumped and she pursed her lips. She looked at them and sat back down helplessly.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    As she spoke, she took the lead and started eating.


    Why was she so excited? This was her first new year in ancient times!


    Speaking of which, the last time she celebrated Chinese New Year was four years ago. Over the span of three years during the apocalypse, no one had the time and mood to celebrate the new year.


    The Spring Festival that she had been looking forward to, had finally arrived. For this year, she had to have a lively new year and prepare a table full of food to make up for her previous regrets.


    ¡°OK! Let¡¯s begin!¡±


    Xiaoguo took the lead and rushed into the back room with a rag.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming were so frightened by her enthusiasm that they couldn¡¯t close their mouths. They stood rooted to the ground and looked at each other in confusion.


    What did ¡°OK¡± mean?


    While the two of them were still thinking about what Xiaoguo meant, Xiaoguo had already finished cleaning a table. When she turned around, she realized that the two of them were still not moving. She said unhappily, ¡°Can you guys hurry up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, We¡¯re coming, we¡¯re coming!¡±


    The two of them scrambled to get busy. Although they didn¡¯t understand what ¡°OK¡± meant, it should mean something like working quickly.


    They understood now!


    Zhuang Zhuang was wiping the table top seriously, while Qin Anming cleaned the table legs.


    ¡°Two people cleaning a table?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Zhuang Zhuang quickly went to wipe the chairs beside him. The two of them did not speak. They were trying hard to look busy.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The two of them looked pretty amusing. ¡°Haha.¡±


    Soon, the three of them had wiped all the furniture in the three rooms. Even the corners that had not been wiped for many years looked clean and bright.


    Xiaoguo put down the cloth and stood in the middle. She looked around the house in satisfaction. Then, she clapped her hands and said energetically, ¡°Let¡¯s start working on the next place, the kitchen!¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­ it¡¯s time for lunch.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang said listlessly as he leaned against Qin Anming, who was as exhausted as him.


    ¡°Nonsense. It¡¯s still early.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo sighed and went to the kitchen alone. She knew that men were unreliable. It looked like little boys were also the same.


    Qin Anming sat up straight with Zhuang Zhuang in his arms and stole a glance at the kitchen before saying to Zhuang Zhuang quietly, ¡°Take a break first. Uncle will help to divert your mother¡¯s attention. Rest well.¡±


    With that, he patted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s stomach and winked at him. Then, he dragged his aged body to the kitchen.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the departing figure in admiration and couldn¡¯t help but think to himself, ¡°Is this the prince that Mother had mentioned previously¡­¡±


    He lay back comfortably and leaned against the back of a chair. Since the prince had gone to fight, he would accept his kindness in peace and rest like a good princess.


    On the other side, Qin Anming glanced at the back view of Xiaoguo, who was cleaning diligently. Keeping his movements light, he quietly floated towards the stove and was about to squat down to clear the dust when Xiaoguo stopped him.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Qin Anming was suddenly shocked and looked at her in confusion.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Xiaoguo smiled in embarrassment.


    ¡°?¡± Qin Anming glanced at her in confusion. Something was up.


    With that, Xiaoguo turned around and continued with the work in her hands. She wiped left and right with a rag, but her mind was elsewhere.


    Seeing that she wasn¡¯t going to say anything, Qin Anming didn¡¯t probe. Although he was puzzled, he wasn¡¯t going to make her tell.


    After a long while, Xiaoguo slowed down and turned her back to him. She tried to ask him in a casual tone.


    ¡°Brother, do you still remember what Father and Mother looked like?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Qin Anming nodded vigorously. How could he forget what his parents looked like?


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Qin Anming walked over and squatted beside her. He asked gently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± After a while, Xiaoguo shook her head and smiled bitterly. ¡°Nothing.¡±

 Chapter 257 - 257 Locked on to You

    257 Locked on to You


    What could she say? Just say, ¡°I cannot remember. Can you describe their faces to me?¡± Doesn¡¯t that make her a pure ingrate?


    If the two elders of the Qin family were still alive, they would have given her a tight slap to reward her for her filial piety¡­


    She decided not to say anything as she could ask around later on.


    Looking at the strange Xiaoguo, Qin Anming was puzzled. What was she trying to say?


    Thinking about it carefully, Qin Anming realized that Xiaoguo had started behaving strangely since the day they visited their parents¡¯ graves. Was she missing them?


    At the thought of this, his heart softened. He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and patted her gently.


    Xiaoguo turned her head and smiled at him. Looking into his gentle eyes, her heart was in a mess.


    Then, she smiled wryly. Why was she thinking about all things impossible? If the two elders of the Qin family were her parents, then what was Qin Anming to her? She didn¡¯t have any siblings in her previous life¡ªher parents had only one child.


    She forced herself to stop thinking about these things. The most important thing now was to live well in the present!


    She looked around and saw that Zhuang Zhuang was nowhere to be seen. She looked at Qin Anming and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Qin Anming was stunned. He slowly left her side and hid on the side of the wall before telling her slowly, ¡°He¡¯s in the room.¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned and only heard Qin Anming¡¯s words after she leaned closer to him. She threw the rag to one side and walked quickly into the house with her hands on her hips. She was fuming as she walked. ¡°This little Zhuang Zhuang. he¡¯s so scheming at such a young age. While the two adults were working hard to clean the house, he had the guts to stay idle in the room. Let¡¯s see how I am going to deal with him.¡±


    Qin Anming pursed his lips and looked worriedly in the direction Xiaoguo had left. He hoped that Zhuang Zhuang could hold on and not push the blame on him. His uncle was just trying to protect himself.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoguo walked into the house angrily. Unexpectedly, her anger was extinguished in an instant. Her voice became gentle and soft. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang held the teapot in his hand and wore a look of shock on his face. He stared at Xiaoguo with eyes wide open. There were two teacups on the table and steam was wafting out of them. It was obvious that the tea was freshly poured. Before he could put down the teapot in his hand, Xiaoguo had entered and interrupted him.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo could roughly guess what was going on. She gently stroked the top of his head. ¡°Is this for Mother and Uncle?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang put down the teapot and nodded aggrievedly. He looked like he was startled by Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to see him like that, and her heart instantly softened. She wished to hug and kiss him right on the spot.


    In the end, Xiaoguo enjoyed the tea and brought the obedient Zhuang Zhuang back to the kitchen.


    Qin Anming, who was waiting for the storm to come, was stunned. How did it turn out like this?


    Why was it different from what he had imagined? Shouldn¡¯t he be the one rescuing Zhuang Zhuang? Why were they holding hands so happily? That shouldn¡¯t be the case¡­


    ¡°Uncle, have a cup of tea and take a break.¡±


    At Xiaoguo¡¯s signal, Zhuang Zhuang obediently handed the teacup to him. Seeing that Qin Anming was in a daze, he winked at him mischievously.


    ¡°See! I¡¯m that good!¡±


    Qin Anming took the teacup and nodded silently. ¡°My nephew is amazing.¡±


    Xiaoguo watched their interaction with relief. She didn¡¯t know if it was due to the new year, but she felt that Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have grown a lot. It could be seen from his physical build and appearance.


    There was one way to summarize this phenomenon. It was her maternal instincts at play.


    To her, Zhuang Zhuang was good at everything. He was liked by everyone. Even his fart sounded nice and loud.


    Qin Anming put down his teacup helplessly. It seemed that his capabilities couldn¡¯t compare with that of a child. If he was the one caught slacking off by Xiaoguo, he would definitely be admitting his mistake by now and making promises to not do it again.


    When Xiaoguo went out to get her things, Qin Anming couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he covered his mouth and giggled. He went to his side and whispered, ¡°My ears are the sharpest. I could hear Mother¡¯s footsteps from afar, especially when she was angry. When she¡¯s mad, her footsteps would involuntarily become heavier, so it was easier to tell.¡±


    With that, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s ears twitched. He quickly picked up a rag and started wiping the table.


    Just as Qin Anming was about to ask him how to tell from the footsteps, he saw the boy trying to get away. Qin Anming didn¡¯t give up and grabbed the boy¡¯s arm. ¡°Tell Uncle. How did you figure it out?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook his head, signaling to him to stop talking.


    However, Qin Anming thought that Zhuang Zhuang was refusing to tell him how. Hence, he pestered him for an answer. He looked like he would not stop until he got a reply from him.


    Xiaoguo, who was now holding a new rag, saw this scene when she entered. The grown man was leaning against the boy and muttering something in his ears.


    Curious, Xiaoguo asked, ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± They both froze and replied at the same time, while trying to get away from each other as quickly as possible.


    ¡°How strange.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t care about the two of them whispering to each other. She used the new rag to start cleaning again.


    The two of them heaved a sigh of relief at the same time. Using sign language that only the two of them understood, they told each other that they would talk about it later.


    The three of them took a shorter time to clean the kitchen than the rest of the house. It was all thanks to Xiaoguo¡¯s good cooking habits that there were no hard stains. Most items were also arranged neatly within the space, so it was quite an easy job.


    They were done packing before noon, but Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang were so tired that they didn¡¯t feel like moving anymore. Xiaoguo looked at them in disdain. This was not the end yet. There was still work to be done.


    The two of them could rest, but Xiaoguo still had to cook.


    When they saw her leave, Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming followed her at the same time. Xiaoguo was in-charge of cooking and the two of them went in to help. After all, they had been keeping busy the whole morning. Xiaoguo must feel even more tired than them since she did more work. Now that she was cooking, they definitely had to chip in and help.


    ¨C


    After lunch, Xiaoguo was in no hurry to let them clean the courtyard. After a tiring morning, it was time to rest. There was not much to do in the courtyard. She only had to sweep the ground, shovel the feces, and put away the hay. Besides that, there was nothing else to do.


    After Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang fell asleep, Xiaoguo got ready to lie down and take her nap.


    But as soon as she lay down, there was a knock on the door. Xiaoguo sat up and went out, wondering who was visiting her at noon.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Jiang, it¡¯s me.¡±


    As Xiaoguo unlocked the door, she was puzzled. The person who called her Mrs. Jiang sounded unfamiliar. It didn¡¯t sound like the courier.


    Once the door was opened, the man introduced himself before Xiaoguo opened her mouth.


    ¡°Mrs. Jiang, I¡¯m Jiabao from the Su Family¡¯s Goods Store. Our shopkeeper is Su Changsheng.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xiaoguo nodded. She had almost forgotten about the store. Now that he mentioned it, she was reminded of it. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The popcorn had already been given to them. What else did they need from her?


    ¡°It¡¯s almost the new year. Our shopkeeper specially instructed me to send you some new year snacks. They¡¯re all new products from the shop. Please try them.¡±


    Jiabao remembered his young master¡¯s instructions. His master had even written to him the day before and reminded him repeatedly about this matter. He had spent the whole morning preparing the gifts. Once the gifts were ready, he quickly sent them over.


    ¡°Then thank Shopkeeper Su on my behalf.¡± Xiaoguo did not refuse. She could guess Su Changsheng¡¯s intentions.


    To think that he was still thinking about the two cows. At first, she thought that it was just a casual mention. He was indeed a profiteer. Even though he was thousands of miles away, he still had his eyes on those cows.


    As she watched Jiabao unload the snacks from the carriage, Xiaoguo was overjoyed. It seemed that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her supply of snacks for the new year. In fact, this pile might be enough for the following year as well.

 Chapter 258 - 258 Wontons

    258 Wontons


    She had told him to leave everything at the door and she was planning to move the snacks in later. Unexpectedly, Jiabao insisted on moving them in for her.


    At first, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know the reason for his actions. She only felt that he was being polite. It wasn¡¯t until later on, when she couldn¡¯t dissuade him and saw him moving the snacks in, that she understood why he insisted on coming in.


    Jiabao looked at the big cows as he moved the snacks.


    ¡°Oh my, they¡¯ve grown a lot!¡±


    Jiabao looked at the two cows and stared at their stomachs.


    Xiaoguo saw what he was doing and smiled helplessly. ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve been growing very quickly recently.¡±


    He was looking so blatantly at the cows. Was he just looking at them or was he trying to see how much they have grown? Xiaoguo had no idea.


    However, there was one thing she was very sure of. Su Changsheng would find some excuse to get Jiabao to come over again. Once breeding was done, he would probably come over personally.


    The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth curled up. Her guess was most likely right. Just wait and see.


    Jiabao used other reasons to stall for time. During this time, he kept talking about the two cows. Xiaoguo had a plan in mind, so she followed suit and provided him with a lot of information. She only stopped when Jiabao appeared satisfied.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Feeling satisfied, Jiabao went back to report to his young master.


    Xiaoguo watched the carriage leave before closing the door.


    As soon as she entered the house, she realized that the two persons, who were taking their afternoon nap earlier, were now sitting in front of the pile of snacks, trying to guess the contents inside the bags.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just open them and take a look.¡±


    Xiaoguo walked forward and pushed their heads away. Since they were curious, she should open everything to take a look. What was the point of guessing?


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he couldn¡¯t wait anymore. With a tiny bit of strength, he managed to open a box at the top of the pile. Some strange-looking oval objects were sitting inside the box.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang uttered in confusion.


    When Qin Anming heard this, he came over and looked curiously at the contents of the box. He also made a sound to express his puzzlement.


    These things looked so strange.


    The two of them leaned over to study what it was. Xiaoguo saw them when she came out of the back room. ¡°Yo, what are you two looking at?¡±


    They stared at each other in silence, holding the oval object in their hands.


    ¡°Mother, what do you think this is?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang held it between his thumb and forefinger and held it up for Xiaoguo to see.


    Xiaoguo leaned closer to take a look. ¡°It¡¯s a pecan fruit?¡±


    Joy washed over her immediately. It was actually a pecan fruit! This Su Changsheng was really amazing. How did he get his hands on this?


    ¡°Pecan fruit?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming looked at each other in confusion. They had never heard of it before.


    ¡°The Hu people call them wild walnuts.¡±


    After saying that, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t care if they understood or not. She took the fruit and pressed hard with her hands to reveal a small crack. She sniffed through the crack and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°This is the smell!¡±


    Then, with a controlled bite, she cracked the shell with her teeth to reveal the nut inside. She peeled open a handful in the same way and placed them in her mouth. Instantly, satisfaction surged through her.


    Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang imitated her. From the looks of it, they knew that the fruit was edible, so they each took one and tried to open it.


    ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s so fragrant!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was young. After chewing for a bit, he let out a surprised cry. Qin Anming was feeling the same, but he couldn¡¯t behave in the same exaggerated manner as Zhuang Zhuang, so he only expressed his surprise by nodding continuously.


    After unboxing the pecan fruit as a start, Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued. She really felt like she was opening a blind box.


    Xiaoguo took out the pecan fruits and placed them aside before moving on to open the other boxes.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was thinking to herself. ¡°Since there were already pecan fruits, can the next one be almonds?¡±


    As expected, she found what she was thinking in the next box.


    ¡°Mother, what is this?¡±


    Xiaoguo happily took out the almonds and handed one to Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming. ¡°These are almonds. Try one.¡±


    With that, she took the lead and started eating.


    After eating, she eagerly opened the other boxes. Su Changsheng was really capable. He could even get his hands on nuts that could not be found in Shao Country. It seemed that Jiabao was right. Su Changsheng was really knowledgeable.


    In that case, it would be much easier to carry out her plan if she worked with him. She had to think about it carefully and formulate a detailed plan.


    ¡°This is delicious.¡±


    While Xiaoguo was deep in thought, Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming pointed at the contents of one box and praised it.


    Xiaoguo had not seen what was inside. After hearing them, her interest was piqued.


    She leaned closer and saw that it was hazelnuts.


    ¡°Do hazelnuts taste better than pecans?¡±


    Xiaoguo pinched a hazelnut. As all the nuts were properly processed, they were easy to peel and eat.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s question, the two of them remained silent for a long time. In the end, they decided that pecans were more delicious. It just had a unique fragrance.


    There was a wide variety of snacks. There were five types of nuts, and there were also new flavors of melon seeds and peanuts. What surprised Xiaoguo the most was that there were lollipops.


    It was really surprising that there were such products here.


    Apart from the malt sugar that she usually saw, she had never seen any other type of sweets. It seemed that Jiabao was right. Su Changsheng¡¯s favorite pastime was to travel around the world and import new dried fruits and technology from other countries. What¡¯s more, he was doing it very successfully. He was indeed a rare business talent.


    Xiaoguo packed some nuts and a few lollipops so that Zhuang Zhuang could bring them to Mrs. Yang.


    After Zhuang Zhuang left, Xiaoguo began to drag Qin Anming, who was still eating nuts, to clean the courtyard.


    They had been delayed for quite a while. The courtyard must be cleaned up today. After today¡¯s work was done, more work would be waiting for them the next day.


    Zhuang Zhuang knew that he had to tidy up the courtyard when he returned, so he didn¡¯t stop for a break. After handing over the nuts, he returned with an empty package.


    Seeing that his mother and uncle were cleaning the courtyard, he picked up a small broom that was custom-made for him, and joined in the cleaning.


    Xiaoguo and Qin Anming were cleaning up the cow dung. They had not gone out to herd cows recently, so there was more dung piled up than usual.


    Qin Anming did not let Xiaoguo clear the feces. Instead, he went in himself and shoveled them into the vegetable plot. Xiaoguo used the shovel and spread out the feces evenly across every inch of the plot. When spring arrives, they will start planting.


    The three of them worked together. There was not much work to do in the courtyard. When they were almost done, Xiaoguo went out alone to wash her hands.


    During noon, she had taken out a piece of pork, in preparation to make wontons for dinner.


    In addition to the pork, there was also a handful of chives and prawns. This time, she was going to make wontons with three fillings.


    First, she chopped the pork into a paste and placed it in a basin. She added salt, spring onions, ginger, peppercorns, and water in parts. After stirring everything, she added a few other condiments for flavor. The umami of the dish was the essence of the dish, so it was better not to add too many ingredients.


    After mixing the meat filling, Xiaoguo got ready to cut the chives.


    Xiaoguo only took a small handful of what she needed. After cutting the chives, she poured them in and stirred them evenly into the meat paste. The ratio of pork to chives was two to one.


    Then, she began to process the prawns.


    The peeled prawn heads were not thrown away. Instead, they were put aside. The peeled prawns were sliced into halves along their backs. They were then placed aside in a bowl for later use.


    Next, Xiaoguo took out the dough that she had made earlier in the afternoon. She divided it into small pieces and rolled them into thin slices. In order to make the skins in standard sizes, Xiaoguo put in extra effort since there was ample time. She stacked the rolled skins on top of each other and trimmed them into squares with a knife.


    All the ingredients were ready. She just had to wrap them into wontons.


    The three-filling wontons were very similar to regular wontons. They were just a little different in terms of their shapes and fillings.


    When Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang were almost done, Xiaoguo got ready to start wrapping the dumplings.

 Chapter 259 - 259 Menu

    259 Menu


    While waiting for the water to boil, Xiaoguo began to wrap the wontons.


    With a wonton skin in hand, she picked up some meat filling with her chopsticks, and placed a prawn on top. Then, she rolled and pinched the edges of the skin. A completed wonton in the shape of a small ear immediately appeared on the bamboo tray.


    Halfway through the wrapping, Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming happened to come in to wash their hands. They thought it looked fun, so they joined in to help with the wrapping.


    ¡°These are prawns? From the sea?¡±


    Qin Anming was wearing a dubious look on his face as he touched the almost transparent prawns in his bowl. Zhuang Zhuang and him had never seen any creatures from the sea. If they had seen a prawn without knowing what it was, they would have thought that it was something dirty, especially with its head and long feelers. Those big eyes looked especially terrifying.


    ¡°Yes, I peeled off its shell and head, leaving only its flesh.¡±


    Xiaoguo brought the prawns closer and showed them.


    Zhuang Zhuang carefully reached out and touched the prawns in the bowl. When he felt the slimy texture, he immediately retracted his hand in shock. He looked at Xiaoguo with his big frightened eyes, wondering why it felt so strange.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. ¡°How cute.¡±


    After the two of them were done studying the prawns, they got ready to wrap the wontons. Xiaoguo patiently showed them the steps. Qin Anming got the hang of it after some time, but Zhuang Zhuang was still trying to figure out the one in his hand.


    After a period of time.


    ¡°Can you take a look at my wonton?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang managed to make only one wonton after a long time. He couldn¡¯t wait to show it to the two adults.


    Xiaoguo chuckled. Qin Anming was the first to praise Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang was very excited. This was the first small wonton he had made. He carefully placed it on the small tray that Xiaoguo specially prepared for him. She also promised him that she would cook his wontons separately from the rest.


    As he thought about his little wontons, his hands started moving faster. Working on the wontons, one after another, he seemed to be working faster than the two adults.


    Xiaoguo glanced at the boy curiously. When she saw what he had done, she quickly stopped him. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, the wontons will turn into porridge when they go into the pot.¡±


    How are these wontons? They weren¡¯t completely sealed and the meat filling was exposed at the edges. Once they go into the pot, the filling will escape from the skin.


    Zhuang Zhuang listened to Xiaoguo and began to slow down. He started going through each step carefully. Although the shapes were still not round, at least the edges were tightly sealed.


    When they were almost done, Xiaoguo patted the flour off her hands. There wasn¡¯t much filling left. She would leave the wrapping to them while she started preparing the wonton soup.


    The water in the big pot had started boiling. Xiaoguo let it continue to boil while she went ahead to heat up oil in a pot with a bowl of shrimp heads in her hand. She added the shrimp heads into the pot and stir-fried them until the shrimp oil was released. After that, she scooped out the shrimp heads and threw them away. Hot water and salt was added to the pot for boiling the dumplings. Just like that, a simple pot of wonton soup was made. Before serving, she will add spring onions and sesame oil to the soup.


    Of course, it would be even better if there were seaweed and shrimp skins. She had forgotten to ask the seafood seller if she had those. If the seller had those items, she could buy some back. She wondered if she could possibly meet any seafood sellers in the future.


    On the other side, Qin Anming and Xiaoguo were done with the wontons. They asked Xiaoguo if she wanted to cook them.


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    Xiaoguo lifted the lid of the pot and let Qin Anming put the wontons in. She stirred the pot gently with a spatula to prevent the wontons from sticking to the pot.


    When the soup was almost ready, Xiaoguo took out three large bowls and scooped the wontons out with a skimmer. She dropped them into the bowls and added boiling soup to them. After which, she added a handful of spring onions and a few drops of sesame oil. Three bowls of piping hot wontons were ready to be served.


    The rest of the wontons were scooped onto a plate and placed on the table.


    Now that the pot was empty, Xiaoguo went on to cook the wontons that Zhuang Zhuang made. He was getting impatient. From the moment the wontons were dropped into the pot, he could barely keep still. He kept hanging around the stove to keep watch. When he saw Qin Anming carrying bowls of wontons out, he was furious. Why were his wontons taking so long to cook?


    Xiaoguo also prepared a big bowl for Zhuang Zhuang. Although he was small, his appetite was big. She scooped all the wontons into his bowl and added soup. However, there were more wontons than soup.


    The three of them sat at the table with a large bowl of wonton soup placed in front of each of them. Other than Xiaoguo, Qin Anming finished up three big bowls. Even Zhuang Zhuang ate up one and a half bowls of wontons.


    Looking at the table, Xiaoguo was quite satisfied. There was only a plate of wontons left. She could fry them for breakfast the next morning.


    There was nothing left of the soup that was made from prawn heads. Xiaoguo washed the bowls with hot water that was used to cook the dumplings. She rinsed them again with clean water and wiped the table.


    Although she was done cleaning up, she was not in a hurry to return to the house. Tomorrow is New Year¡¯s Eve¡ªso all the ingredients required for the reunion dinner must be taken out. Especially the frozen meat and seafood in the fridge must be defrosted in advance.


    After placing all the frozen meat and seafood in a basin, Xiaoguo returned to the house.


    Looking around the house, she took out a brush and a piece of rice paper. She sat at the desk and began to list out the menu for dinner the next day. Once the dishes were written down, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about missing anything out.


    First, she wrote down the hot dishes that were more time-consuming to make. These would be made the first thing tomorrow. Those dishes were braised pork shoulder, roasted chicken, steamed grouper, sweet and sour pork ribs, and plum pickled pork.


    Next were the stir-fry dishes. There was fried squid with green onions, braised prawns, shredded pork with Beijing sauce, stir-fried celery with nuts, and spicy stir-fried octopus.


    For the cold dishes, she would make some vegetable salad, sour and spicy shredded chicken, and century egg tofu.


    At this point, Xiaoguo counted the dishes. The total number of dishes should add up to an even number for New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, it would be inauspicious to have an odd number. There were a total of thirteen dishes here. But the number fourteen is inauspicious, so she could only make sixteen dishes. Sixteen is an auspicious number.


    After thinking for a while, she added three fried dishes to her list. They were sweet potato balls, bean paste pancakes, and brown sugar glutinous rice cakes.


    Fortunately, she had the glutinous rice cake that Mrs. Yang had given her some time ago.


    She counted a few more times and found that sixteen dishes were just right. After confirming that there were no mistakes, she placed the list on the table.


    Rubbing her stiff shoulders, Xiaoguo thought to herself that she would have to get up early tomorrow to pack.


    As soon as she stood up, she heard crackling sounds coming from outside. Xiaoguo felt a tinge of joy. ¡°Why are there people lighting firecrackers today?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming also heard the commotion and came out of the back room. They called out to Xiaoguo as they walked out of the room.


    The three of them walked to the courtyard and listened to the commotion outside. They were tempted to check things out.


    Zhuang Zhuang took the lead and looked at Xiaoguo. Qin Anming did the same.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth twitched. She felt extremely helpless. No matter the age, everyone likes fireworks. ¡°Let¡¯s light some.¡±


    Since she had bought a lot of firecrackers, they should just indulge themselves.


    As soon as Xiaoguo said that, Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang laughed out loud and immediately ran to the back room. When they came out, each of them was carrying a bunch of firecrackers.


    The trauma that Xiaoguo had encountered as a child resurfaced in her heart, so she subconsciously ran to the door. Once the firecrackers are lit, she will run back into the house.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, are you able to light it?¡±


    Qin Anming looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was eager to give it a try, and felt a little amused. ¡°Could that little person handle it?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang did not speak. He skillfully opened the torch and blew on it. When the torch started burning, he raised his eyebrows and looked at Qin Anming. ¡°Of course!¡±


    Though he had never lit one himself, he had seen others do it before!


    Qin Anming smiled and nodded. Then, he took a pile of firecrackers and moved them further away. He was going to let Zhuang Zhuang light them up first.


    After Zhuang Zhuang watched his uncle leave, he felt a little uncertain. After all, this was his first time lighting firecrackers. What if his legs went weak¡­?


    A mother knows her son best. Xiaoguo looked at the back view of the boy and knew what was up. It seemed that she had to do something about it.


    And so¡­


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t going to do it herself. She would let Qin Anming do it.


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t go far. He just moved the firecrackers to one side for safety reasons. Just in case the lighted firecrackers caused the rest to burn as well.


    Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s voice, Zhuang Zhuang was stunned and looked at her in embarrassment. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t show any signs of laughing at him. She just brushed it aside and asked Zhuang Zhuang to come over and watch his uncle.


    Qin Anming was always by his side. As soon as he was summoned, he immediately took the torch and said, ¡°Get ready!¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang raised their hands to cover their ears at the same time and grinned. They nodded at him to indicate that they were ready.


    As soon as he lit up the firecrackers, Qin Anming ran over to join them. He covered his ears and looked at the firecrackers with a nostalgic look in his eyes.


    It had been a long time since he had played with firecrackers. The last time he lit firecrackers was when Xiaoguo got married. Thinking about it, it had been a long time since then¡­

 Chapter 260 - 260 Preparations

    260 Preparations


    To Xiaoguo¡¯s surprise, everyone else in the village started lighting firecrackers too.


    Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang had a lot of fun lighting up the firecrackers. When they returned to the house, the other families started lighting firecrackers as well.


    The lively sounds lasted through the entire night.


    Until the next morning, there were still some families joining in the festivities.


    After making the bed, Xiaoguo went to the kitchen.


    The first thing she did was turn on the stove and throw in a few pieces of charcoal.


    Every day, after doing this, she will prepare to cook.


    Xiaoguo woke up early today, so candlelight was needed to light up the house. Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming were still asleep. Xiaoguo picked up the pork shoulder, chicken, and a piece of square meat from the basin and placed them in the pot to cook.


    After the meats were blanched, various condiments were added. Then, hot water was added to the pot until the meat was completely submerged. Firewood was added and the meat was left to simmer. Once the contents in the pot started boiling, the fire was reduced. The goal was to simmer the meat until noon.


    After leaving the meat to stew, Xiaoguo began to make breakfast. She made a pot of corn porridge, pan-fried the leftover wontons and also made some eggs. She then took out some pickled vegetables that Mrs. Yang had given her. This was breakfast.


    But there was no hurry. It was still early. She would cook the porridge and leave the rest for later.


    Now, she had to prepare the other dishes. Other than the meat that was being cooked, there were a few other side dishes.


    Xiaoguo took out the menu and stuck it on the wall so that she could refer to it when she looked up. It was more convenient this way.


    After cleaning up the cutting table, she cleared out a large space. Then, she took out all the plates from the cabinet and scalded them with hot water. After wiping them clean, she arranged them neatly on the table. The cut vegetables would be placed on these plates later.


    First, she started working on the groupers. This fish had a very strong fishy smell, so she coated them with a layer of salt. This made things easier for her to clean up the mucus on the fish. Moreover, the scales of groupers were very difficult to remove, so she took quite a while to remove all the scales.


    Xiaoguo threw away the fish guts after processing the fish. She rinsed the fish with clean water and made a few cuts on them. After that, she laid the fish on a plate and placed ginger shreds evenly over them. These would be steamed in the pot at dinnertime.


    She took out the pork ribs and chopped them into equal pieces with a machete. The sweet and sour pork ribs were easy to make. She could make them in the afternoon.


    Xiaoguo took out the dried plum vegetables that Mrs. Yang had given her, and washed them. Then, she dried them and placed them on a plate. In the afternoon, she would use them to make braised pork belly with plum vegetables.


    She turned around and brought the squid over. She carefully cut open its body with a knife and removed the ink bag inside before placing it in a bowl. The ink could be used for making dumplings.


    After making criss cross cuts on the squid¡¯s body, she cut it into smaller pieces and laid everything on a plate. She also cut up another two sprigs of green onions to go with the squid.


    Xiaoguo took out a piece of pork tenderloin, which was perfect for making shredded pork with Beijing sauce. She had deliberately saved this portion of meat for this dish. She first cut the tenderloin into slightly thicker slices. Then, she cut the slices into shreds. As she had not bought any bean skin, she would replace it with dough. Before serving, she would cut some vegetables, and add shredded carrots and green onions to the dish.


    There were still two handfuls of celery at home, and they were just right for the next dish. She sliced the celery into diagonal strips and divided them into two portions. One portion would be stir-fried with nuts, and the other portion would be mixed into the salad. She also had some carrot slices, peanuts and the fungus that she had soaked the night before. All these will be tossed into the salad.


    Halfway through her cooking, she returned to the house and brought out a bowl of nuts that she had peeled last night. She then placed it beside the other portion of celery.


    At this point, Xiaoguo halted her preparations. While getting the nuts, she heard some sounds coming from the back room, so she guessed that Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang must have woken up. The porridge was almost ready. She must start cooking the fried eggs and wontons.


    First, she removed the porridge from the fire and opened the lid to let it cool down. Then, she set aside a frying pan. This pan was custom-made for frying. After the frying pan was heated up, she added lard. Once the lard had melted, she placed the small wontons neatly on top.


    After putting the wontons on the pan, Xiaoguo turned around and filled a small plate with pickled vegetables, radish strips, and mustard greens. When she tasted them, Xiaoguo was sure that Mrs. Yang was not bragging. She claimed that she was the best at making pickled vegetables in Peach Blossom Village. It was absolutely true.


    The pickled vegetables were salty, fragrant, crunchy and refreshing. She couldn¡¯t get enough of them and could eat two full bowls of porridge with the pickled vegetables.


    Xiaoguo put down the pickled vegetables and went to the pot. She rummaged through the contents with her chopsticks. Then, after thinking for a while, she mixed some starch water and sprinkled it evenly into the pot. It was enough to make some fried dumplings.


    While the water was evaporating, Xiaoguo went to the egg basket and took out five duck eggs. Xiaoguo could only eat one egg, while Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming could have two each.


    Recently, perhaps because of the cold weather, the chickens and ducks didn¡¯t like to lay eggs anymore. They were clearly producing less eggs than when the weather was warm. However, there were only two people at home, so the supply was still sufficient for them.


    Xiaoguo brought the duck eggs back to the pot. The water in the pot had completely evaporated, and there was a rustling sound. Xiaoguo quickly scooped the wontons out. The bottom of the wontons had been fried to a golden color. The color looked pretty good.


    While the pot was still hot, she added a spoonful of lard and beat the duck eggs into it.


    She used chopsticks to prevent them from sticking together. When they were cooked, she scooped them onto a new plate.


    As soon as the food was served, Zhuang Zhuang ran over excitedly. ¡°Mother!¡±


    ¡°Yes? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo was washing her hands when she heard his voice. She looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°What did you make? It smells so good!¡± Zhuang Zhuang followed the fragrance and ran to the stove. He looked at the steaming pot lid, his eyes filled with joy.


    ¡°There¡¯s pork shoulder, chicken, and pork belly.¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo finished speaking, Zhuang Zhuang started exclaiming in excitement. He inhaled deeply to take in the fragrance.


    Qin Anming arrived later. He had also come to check out the fragrance.


    However, when he turned around, he saw a very eye-catching scene.


    Qin Anming¡¯s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Wow!¡±


    As he spoke, he moved closer to the table and looked closely at the dishes on the table. Zhuang Zhuang also leaned over. He did not notice the things on the table when he came in due to his height. Now that he was standing on a stool, he could see everything very clearly.


    ¡°Oh my! This must be the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast!¡±


    Qin Anming had never eaten so many dishes at the same time in his life. When times were good, he mostly had only one dish. During the festive seasons, it was considered a luxury to have two dishes on the table. However, this had completely exceeded his expectations. Looking at the feast in front of him, he simply couldn¡¯t get enough of it.


    This was even more so for Zhuang Zhuang. Although his mother had always excelled in her cooking, today¡¯s spread was truly exceptional. He simply could not wait for the night to arrive.


    Xiaoguo snickered at their reactions. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little proud, but she tried to make it sound trivial. ¡°This is nothing. There are more dishes coming up.¡±


    When Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang heard her words, they immediately let out a long sigh. Xiaoguo felt like holding their chins for them. They must be tired from letting their mouths hang open for such a long time.


    ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo sat in a chair and invited them to come to the table.


    ¡°Mother, you even made breakfast. When did you get up?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang jumped down from his seat and ran over to hug Xiaoguo.


    ¡°I could tell when I saw that the candle was lit up.¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could speak, Qin Anming blew out the candle and felt bad for her. ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to nag you, but why did you get up so early? We can clean up together when the sun comes up.¡±


    Xiaoguo scratched her head in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m not tired. Really. I just wanted to prepare the stuff in advance. It will save me a lot of trouble later.¡±


    After saying that, Xiaoguo smiled. To be honest, she was so excited that she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. It was New Year¡¯s Eve today. It would be the new year after midnight. This would be her first New Year¡¯s Eve here. She couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.


    The more she thought about it last night, the more energetic she became. She felt like getting out of bed immediately to work on the preparations. After tossing and turning for a long time, at the stroke of dawn, she quickly got to work.

 Chapter 261 - 261 Reunion Dinner

    261 Reunion Dinner


    However, she did not feel tired. Instead, she became more and more energetic. Fortunately, Ruyi and the others were not arriving at noon. They would probably arrive in the afternoon, so there was no need for her to prepare a large amount of food for lunch. She had plenty of time on her hands.


    After breakfast, she left the washing of the dishes to Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang, while she focused on preparing for the reunion dinner.


    She looked at the menu and counted the ingredients that she had cut. Looking through the list, she did a check to see which ingredients she had to finish up. She realized that there was only the octopus and prawns left.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming had just finished clearing the table. Xiaoguo placed a large basin of prawns in front of them. ¡°I¡¯ll give each of you a skewer so that you can devein the prawns.¡±


    Although the two of them were clueless, with Xiaoguo¡¯s patient explanation, they quickly got to work.


    They looked like they were coping well and they managed to devein the prawns very thoroughly. So Xiaoguo left them to work on it while she went ahead to work on the octopus.


    She cut the big octopus into small pieces. Some red and green chili peppers were also chopped. They will be added to the dish later on.


    The remaining century egg tofu was ready-to-eat. She will whip that up later in the afternoon.


    The bean paste pancakes and brown sugar glutinous rice cakes were ready¡ªto-cook. They could be fried in the afternoon, but the sweet potato balls had to be made from scratch.


    The cooking method was very simple. There was a large-sized sweet potato at home. After peeling it, it was steamed and mashed. Glutinous rice flour, sugar and some starch were then added before kneading the mash into a dough. The dough was kneaded into a long roll, and cut into smaller pieces. Xiaoguo then molded them into balls and coated them with a layer of starch. They would be deep-fried in the afternoon.


    At this moment, Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang had finished deveining the prawns. Xiaoguo looked at the table full of ingredients and counted them silently. All the ingredients were finally ready. There was only one thing left.


    That was to mix the sauces. In order not to get flustered when cooking, it was very important to mix the required sauces in advance.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming looked at each other and wandered around the house. They realized that there was really nothing else for them to do. They didn¡¯t know what time Xiaoguo had gotten up in the morning. To think that she had gotten all the ingredients ready by this hour.


    ¡°What else can we do?¡±


    The two of them slowly moved behind Xiaoguo and watched her while she fiddled with a spoon. It was extremely strange.


    Xiaoguo had no time to pay attention to them. The sauces were all rationed and she had to prepare them spoonful by spoonful. Hearing their words, she didn¡¯t even open her mouth and waved her hand casually in response.


    The two of them were telepathic. Even though she didn¡¯t say it, they understood. She was telling them to move aside and not cause trouble for her.


    They understood completely!


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s go back to the room.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    The two of them returned to the room together. Since there was nothing else to do now, they would go back to the room and read for a while. If they kept bothering her, she might explode again.


    All the condiments were finally ready. Xiaoguo double-checked to ensure that everything was in place. The only thing left for her to do was to cook in the afternoon. With her hands on her hips, she looked around in satisfaction and returned to her room to rest.


    ¨C


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, move the stool away.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo and Qin Anming moved the table carefully from the kitchen to the back room. Zhuang Zhuang moved the stool that was in the way and asked them to put the table down.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Xiaoguo aligned the kitchen table with Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s desk and measured the length.


    ¡°How is it? Are we able to fit in two tables?¡±


    Qin Anming looked at Xiaoguo and asked. They should be able to fit 16 dishes on two tables.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xiaoguo nodded. There was definitely no problem. There should be enough space for eight people and sixteen dishes.


    ¡°By the way, Zhuang Zhuang, bring out the peanuts, melon seeds, nuts, and all the other snacks.¡± After saying that, she turned to Qin Anming and said, ¡°Brother, go and open the door.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming accepted the order and split up. Xiaoguo nodded in satisfaction. Very good.


    But they suddenly turned around and asked curiously, ¡°What about you?¡±


    Since they both had a job, what was she going to do?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo blinked and said after a while, ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare dinner.¡±


    ¡°Quick, quick, quick, go! Go!¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo walked past the two of them and rushed to the kitchen with enthusiasm.


    The two of them were left alone and looked at each other. ¡°What was that about?¡±


    In the kitchen, Xiaoguo was taking out the meat from the pot. She took out the chicken, pork belly and tenderloin and placed them on a plate. The freshly cooked meat looked good and the fragrance was delightful. Xiaoguo swallowed her saliva. ¡°All these meat smelled so wonderful fresh out of the pot.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was in the back room, placed three full plates of dried nuts in the middle of the table. After putting them down, he ran out. His mother was probably going to start cooking soon. How could he possibly miss this big occasion?


    When he arrived at the kitchen door, he bumped into Qin Anming, who had just opened the door. The two of them walked towards the kitchen together.


    The two puppies were guarding the kitchen door. They were craving for the meat, but they were well-behaved and did not enter the house without permission.


    Zhuang Zhuang pushed the two puppies away and entered the kitchen. Otherwise, with them blocking the door, no one would be able to enter.


    As soon as he lifted the curtain, the rich fragrance of meat completely blew him away. Zhuang Zhuang took a deep breath and looked intoxicated. Qin Anming and Xiaoguo smiled when they saw his expression.


    ¡°Mother, when are Sister Ruyi and the others coming?¡±


    ¡°Sigh.¡± Xiaoguo sighed helplessly. ¡°Baby, this is the fifth time you are asking.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pouted and said pitifully, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat much for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Who told you not to eat?¡± Qin Anming said instinctively when he heard his words. He was sitting on a stool and chopping wood.


    At noon, Zhuang Zhuang insisted on saving his appetite for dinner, so he didn¡¯t eat much. He only ate a teeny bit of rice before putting down his chopsticks. Now that he was hungry, there was nothing the adults could do.


    ¡°Mother, listen to what Uncle is saying¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang complained to Xiaoguo and looked at Qin Anming accusingly. He did that just so that he could eat more during dinner. If not, he would be letting his mother down. She had spent the whole day preparing the feast after all.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was ignoring him, Zhuang Zhuang snorted loudly, trying to show Qin Anming that he was angry.


    Unexpectedly, Qin Anming didn¡¯t take him seriously at all. Seeing him like this, he laughed out loud.


    Even Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud.


    Zhuang Zhuang was small but strong. If his mother laughed at him, he couldn¡¯t do anything. But if his uncle laughed at him, he had to make a move!


    ¡°Take that!¡±


    With that, he pounced on Qin Anming¡¯s back. His weight was pretty substantial and Qin Anming had problems blocking his attack.


    With her back facing them, Xiaoguo only heard two loud bangs.


    Feeling curious, she put down the knife and turned around. She almost choked with laughter when she saw them.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Xiaoguo wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and held her tummy with her hands as she laughed. Could someone tell her how they managed to fall flat against the stove and end up with sooty faces?!


    ¡°We¡­¡±


    Before they could finish speaking, there was a commotion at the door. Xiaoguo smiled and clapped her hands before running out. She couldn¡¯t care less about the two of them. She would leave them to do whatever they wanted.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    ¡°Ruyi!¡±


    As soon as she lifted the curtain, Ruyi¡¯s carriage stopped in the courtyard. The five of them got out one after another, each of them carrying a pile of things.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly invited them into the house. ¡°Quick, quick. Go in and rest for a while. I¡¯ll go cook now.¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s cook together!¡±


    Ruyi and Xiaocui were a little older. They handed the bag to Ling Long and Fu¡¯er and followed Xiaoguo to the kitchen.


    Ling Long and Fu¡¯er swiftly carried the bundle to Xiaoguo¡¯s room. As expected, they saw five blankets and pillows neatly arranged on the bed. The two of them looked at each other and smiled. They loved squeezing on the bed and sleeping together!


    As soon as she entered the kitchen, Xiaoguo saw that the two black faces were no longer around. She guessed that they must have gone to wash up. Otherwise, how could they meet anyone with their dirty faces?


    After looking around, she saw Uncle Xu coming in from outside with a large basket that was filled to its brim. He stopped at the table and put the basket on it.

 Chapter 262 - 262 Kong Ming Lantern

    262 Kong Ming Lantern


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Curious, Xiaoguo walked over and lifted the cloth over the basket. To her surprise, there were meatballs and all kinds of leafy vegetables.


    ¡°Wow, are you guys going to eat hotpot with all this food?¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo said those words, Ruyi immediately chimed in. She seemed to have guessed it correctly. ¡°Yes, we were thinking of having hotpot. We¡¯re all craving for the original and spicy soup bases that you made, Sister Xiaoguo.¡±


    As she spoke, she blinked mischievously.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy! Let¡¯s have hotpot tomorrow night. Coincidentally, I still have a lot of mutton slices.¡±


    When she was feeling bored previously, she had specially sliced the remaining mutton in the fridge. At that time, she thought that she could take the sliced meat out when she wanted to eat hotpot in the future. It would be very convenient.


    As soon as Xiaoguo said this, the other three people in the room agreed unanimously. They had to eat until they were stuffed.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, where¡¯s Brother An Ming and Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Ruyi had not seen them since she entered. She was wondering about them and was missing them.


    At this point, Xiaoguo recalled their embarrassing behavior earlier on. She couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. Under everyone¡¯s puzzled gazes, she told them everything that had just happened.


    As soon as she finished speaking, there was a burst of laughter in the room. And that successfully stopped the two persons, who were standing outside, in their tracks. They quickly retracted their feet that were just about to step into the room.


    ¡°Are we still going in, Uncle?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked up and asked Qin Anming softly.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Qin Anming shook his head. Why would he go in at a time like this? He would just wait for a while longer before going in and pretending like nothing had happened.


    But before he could finish his sentence, a surprised voice sounded behind them.


    ¡°Brother An Ming, Zhuang Zhuang, why aren¡¯t you guys going in?¡±


    As soon as the voice sounded, they were not the only ones to hear it. Everyone in the room heard it too. After a moment of silence, Qin Anming was about to say something when the curtain was lifted from the inside, completely exposing them to everyone.


    Qin Anming smiled awkwardly. But Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t feel anything. Neither could he understand his uncle¡¯s feelings. He just opened his mouth and greeted everyone.


    Qin Anming had to go through one round of teasing by the group. But after thinking it through, he told himself that this was just a small matter. There was no harm done in the process after all.


    The sound of firecrackers sounded throughout the whole day. When dinner time was over, the sounds became even louder.


    As for Xiaoguo¡¯s kitchen, it was bustling with activity. Everyone was in-charge of something there. Every pot was filled with food, and not a single one was left idle. Since the ingredients and sauces were all pre-mixed, the cooking process went on smoothly.


    In the medium-sized kitchen, there were assistants, chefs, servers, errand runners, and a few who were secretly stealing bites with Zhuang Zhuang. The heat and fragrance of the food wafted out of the window and escaped into the air outside.


    At this moment, every house in Peach Blossom Village was lit up by candlelight. White smoke was rising from the chimneys. Standing in the courtyard, one could smell the fragrance of food everywhere. It reminds one of the saying that the little things in life provide the most comfort in people¡¯s hearts.


    The last hot dish was brought to the table. Everyone returned to the main hall one after another. Xiaoguo followed closely behind them. Zhuang Zhuang was about to blow out the candles in the kitchen when Xiaoguo quickly stopped him. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, don¡¯t extinguish the candles.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Zhuang Zhuang retracted his pouting lips and asked curiously.


    ¡°On New Year¡¯s Eve, every household has to be lit up to welcome the immortals who have descended from the sky¡­¡±


    At this point, Xiaoguo had to bring up the ancient customs again. She briefly told him about the legends of immortals and monsters. Although it wasn¡¯t very detailed due to time constraints, Zhuang Zhuang understood most of it.


    He nodded at her words. Just as he was about to ask something, a voice called out from the main room.


    Xiaoguo responded and gently took Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang swallowed the question in his throat and nodded obediently as he followed her into the main hall.


    When they entered the room, the rest of the group were already sitting around the table. Only the two of them were missing from their seats.


    Xiaoguo sat at the head of the table that they had reserved for her. She looked at the group and smiled happily. The few of them looked back at her. She summarized everything that she wanted to say in two words. ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    As soon as she said that, everyone immediately picked up their chopsticks. With more people around, everyone was in a good mood. So they all ate to their hearts¡¯ content.


    All the dishes on the table were very popular, but the most popular item was seafood. After all, this was their first time eating it, and the taste was excellent. All dishes with seafood in them were wiped out completely. But of course, the other dishes were also very well received. Apart from Zhuang Zhuang, everyone else at the dining table was intoxicated.


    The jar of wine that Ruyi and the others brought was really strong. Xiaoguo thought that she had quite a good tolerance for alcohol, but after taking a small sip, she felt a little tipsy.


    Everyone drank a lot since they were in a good mood, but they weren¡¯t drunk. They were just slightly tipsy.


    Outside, the sound of firecrackers was continuous. At this moment, all families were gathered together to celebrate the festival. They were tasting the fruits of their labor after a year of hard work. Everyone was getting ready to welcome the new year.


    After the reunion dinner, Zhuang Zhuang was so stuffed that he couldn¡¯t stand up. The others were also feeling stuffed. Their stomachs were round and their faces were flushed.


    After dinner, everyone helped to clean up. Then, it was time for fireworks, which was what everyone was waiting for.


    At this moment, Ling Long and Fu¡¯er ran back into the house. After a while, they came out with a pile of items in their arms.


    Xiaoguo waited for them to get closer so that she could take a closer look. They were holding Kong Ming Lanterns. Her eyes lit up. She had forgotten to buy them. She didn¡¯t expect that her little oversight would be resolved so quickly.


    Ruyi had bought enough lanterns for everyone. Even if everyone took two, there would still be enough lanterns to go around. There was an ample supply of fireworks, firecrackers and Kong Ming Lanterns.


    Qin Anming brought the firecrackers out of the house. He had to make a few trips before everything was brought out.


    The appearance of the biggest firework shocked everyone. They gathered around curiously and discussed what it would look like.


    ¡°Just see it for yourselves later.¡±


    Just as they were discussing fervently, Xiaoguo said this calmly. The others didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Indeed, they would find out later.


    Apart from Xiaoguo, everyone else was holding a torch in their hands and picking out firecrackers. The courtyard was big enough for everyone to stay out of each other¡¯s way. After lighting the fire, they gathered together and enjoyed the happy atmosphere.


    Even Zhuang Zhuang plucked up the courage to light the firecrackers.


    Xiaoguo squatted in a corner, trembling. She was really keen to watch the firecrackers, but she just didn¡¯t have the guts to light them.


    Ruyi looked at the others and stuck out her tongue mischievously at Xiaoguo. It was obvious that she was up to no good. Then, with lightning speed, she took the lead and lit the firecrackers in her hands. Covering her ears, she ran towards Xiaoguo. Seeing this, the others hurriedly lit up their firecrackers too. As they did so, they complained about Ruyi betraying them. They had agreed to light the firecrackers at the same time and retreat together, but she secretly lit the firecrackers ahead of everyone.


    The group rushed towards Xiaoguo¡¯s side as well. Zhuang Zhuang and the girls hugged her tightly, while Qin Anming and Uncle Xu stood at the side and laughed.


    Soon, the firecrackers sounded all at the same time.


    After some time, the noise gradually stopped.


    ¡ª-


    It was said that when a Kong Ming lantern was released into the sky with one¡¯s wishes written on it, the immortals would see them and help to grant those wishes.


    Right now, everyone was holding a brush and writing down their wishes secretively.


    Some of them were wishing for safety and peace, some were wishing for wealth. There were also wishes for love and health¡­


    Xiaoguo was also doing the same. Nestled in a corner, she was trying to write down her wish. Although the legend sounded a little too mythical, the meaning behind it was well-intended.


    After thinking for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t figure out what to write. She raised and lowered the brush until there was a blob on her lantern.

 Chapter 263 - 263 Presumptuous Request

    263 Presumptuous Request


    In the end, when she saw that everyone had put down their brushes, she started to write and a pair of poems appeared on the white Kong Ming Lantern.


    ¡°I only hope that you will return once a year.¡±


    As she wrote, her mind was filled with thoughts of Jiang Danhe. To be honest, she was thinking about him the whole day.


    She was constantly thinking about what he was doing. ¡°Was he wearing warm clothes? Did he eat anything delicious? Did he set off firecrackers? Did he have anyone to keep him company during the New Year¡­?¡±


    She put down the brush and gently blew on the ink. Looking at the two lines of poetry, she sighed silently. Their temporary separation was just for the sake of their relationship in the long run.


    When the ink was dry, she brought out her lantern together with everyone else.


    When the group arrived at the courtyard, they took turns to release the lanterns. Some helped to light the fire, while the others held up the lanterns. With a push, the Kong Ming Lanterns ascended into the sky, propelled by the hot steam. They watched as the lanterns transported their wishes and hopes into the sky.


    After some time, many lanterns had risen up into the sky. They were blinking beautifully in the night sky.


    The few of them helped each other to release all the Kong Ming Lanterns. The moment when all the lanterns were ascending towards the sky, it was a breathtaking and unforgettable scene for those who had the chance to witness it.


    The group raised their heads and looked at the unique scenery in the sky. It was only when the lanterns drifted far into the distance that they retracted their thoughts and rubbed their stiff necks.


    At this moment, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly sounded from within the village. It was extremely lively.


    Everyone looked at each other, clearly unsure about the situation. They started walking out together.


    At this moment, Peach Blossom Village was really bright. Every house was brightly lit, and there were lanterns hanging outside every door.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s house was one of them.


    The few of them went outside and realized that they were not the only ones who had come out. Some other families were also sticking their heads out to check out the commotion.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, is there any other celebration in your village?¡±


    Ruyi enjoyed such activities very much. Being the first to run outside, she looked towards the direction of the sound in the distance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head. She really had no idea.


    Before they could figure out the situation, the voices got closer and closer. There were cheers and applause. The group standing at the door became even more confused.


    After discussing for a while, they were about to go forward to check things out when a large group arrived.


    ¡°Mother! Lion dance! Lion dance!!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s excited screams sounded.


    When Xiaoguo and the others heard this, they let out excited cries. It turned out that there was a lion dance performance in the village.


    As the lion dance team approached Xiaoguo¡¯s house, the group realized that there was a whole village following behind the troupe. No wonder it sounded so lively.


    Just as they were focused on watching the show, the old village chief came to Xiaoguo and waved at her.


    Fortunately, Xiaoguo had good eyesight. She saw the old village chief among the lions and pointed at herself in confusion. ¡°Looking for me?¡±


    The old village chief smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes. You!¡±


    Xiaoguo dodged the crowd and walked towards him. At this moment, Qin Anming saw her and grabbed her. As the surroundings were noisy, they could only communicate with their eyes.


    When Xiaoguo saw Qin Anming looking at her, she gestured to where the old village chief was.


    Qin Anming looked over and nodded in understanding. He let go of her arm and signaled her to come back quickly with his eyes.


    Xiaoguo understood and nodded at him.


    She then walked towards the old village chief and they moved to a quieter place.


    ¡°Village chief, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Seeing him hesitate, Xiaoguo spoke first.


    The old village chief let out a shaky breath and looked like he was harnessing all his energy to speak. ¡°I heard that your family bought big fireworks this year, so I was wondering if¡­¡±


    Towards the end, he was too embarrassed to continue.


    Such freeloading behavior was really embarrassing, but the circumstances this year were quite unique. There was really no other way out.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t quite get what he was saying. What was he trying to say? She didn¡¯t quite understand. Besides, who had told him that there were big fireworks at her house?


    Seeing that Xiaoguo didn¡¯t quite understand, the old village chief went all out. Since he had already said it earlier, he wasn¡¯t afraid to say it again.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this. Every year, our village will organize a fireworks display for the villagers. However, the village is really facing difficulties this year, so we were wondering if we could borrow your fireworks to show everyone¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo chuckled and shook her head. She was wondering what the matter was. So this was it.


    When the old village chief saw her shake her head, his heart turned cold. It seems like the village is going to miss out on watching fireworks this year.


    ¡°Of course. No problem.¡±


    To survive a desperate situation¡ªfeeling sadness before experiencing joy. This was his current mood.


    Seeing his disbelief, Xiaoguo nodded in confirmation. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. In any case, the entire village would see it once the fireworks were lit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll release it at the stroke of midnight.¡±


    After saying that, she got ready to go back. However, when the old village chief heard this, he immediately stopped her and shook his head quickly. ¡°No, no, no.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t it customary here to celebrate the new year at midnight?¡±


    ¡°We have to bring the fireworks to the grain field. That¡¯s the center of the village. If we display it at your house, the location is too remote. The fireworks might not be visible in certain parts of the village, so it won¡¯t work.¡±


    The old village chief was wearing a troubled expression on his face. Xiaoguo felt sorry for him. At this ripe old age, he was still working hard for the villagers. It must be hard on him. There was no reason for her to refuse him.


    But she had one request.


    ¡°Tell me.¡± The old village chief swallowed his saliva. His heart was beating wildly. He looked at her nervously, wondering what request she would make.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Xiaoguo looked at the lively scene not far away and chuckled. ¡°We have to set off the big fireworks ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Okay! That goes without saying!¡±


    The old village chief heaved a sigh of relief. This was not an issue. It was only right that they do it themselves. He was already feeling grateful that Xiaoguo was willing to share her fireworks with the village.


    After confirming the time, Xiaoguo returned to her house and watched the lion dance for a while. When the lion dance troupe left, everyone except Xiaoguo followed the troupe. Even Zhuang Zhuang left with Qin Anming to join in the fun.


    Xiaoguo was not fond of such activities, so she didn¡¯t go with them.


    She returned to the courtyard and looked at the super-large firecracker. There was actually a reason why she made that request.


    From the moment Qin Anming saw the big fireworks, his heart was pining for it. He had been looking forward to the moment when he could light it himself. That was the reason why she made that request.


    If Qin Anming missed out on this opportunity, he would definitely feel upset.


    The lion dance took longer than expected. After Xiaoguo had finished making a fresh pot of tea, the group returned with excitement. As they walked, they couldn¡¯t stop discussing among themselves.


    Seeing how happy they were, Xiaoguo also felt happy. After they were seated, she told them what the old village chief had told her.


    At the beginning, when she mentioned about lending the fireworks to the village, Qin Anming¡¯s heart was stuck in his throat. However, when Xiaoguo said that he could light them, he immediately regained his composure. As long as he could light the fireworks himself, it was fine. If he didn¡¯t, he would definitely feel sorry about it for the entire year.


    He thanked Xiaoguo again for reserving the chance for him.


    Xiaoguo laughed at him. She really didn¡¯t understand his hobby. Was he addicted to lighting fireworks?


    The bunch of them ate and drank, and had a lot of fun. They were very happy. Even though there was no Spring Festival Gala, they didn¡¯t feel bored. Instead, it felt like they had become much closer to each other.


    Staying up on new year¡¯s eve is a symbolic act of driving away all the evil plagues and diseases. It represents wishes for an auspicious new year.


    In ancient times, there were two meanings to this.


    The older people stayed up during the new year to show that they cherished time. Young people stayed up so as to extend their parents¡¯ lifespan.

 Chapter 264 - 264 Invincible Fireworks

    264 Invincible Fireworks


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, regardless of gender, age, or status, everyone would gather together to celebrate the new year.


    While the few of them were having fun, they took some time to sit together, and wrap the dumplings that they would be eating the next morning.


    There were two types of filling. One was the squid and prawn stuffing, and the other was the pork and cabbage stuffing.


    The filling and noodles were made by the group when they were preparing new year¡¯s eve dinner.


    At this moment, the new year celebrations and dumpling-making session were going on at the same time.


    While they were at it, everyone was busy learning from Xiaoguo because the dumplings that she made looked just like gold ingots.


    While making the dumplings, they did not forget to insert the copper coin that Xiaoguo had washed in advance into the dumplings.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s big eyes stared at the dumpling with the copper coin. He secretly memorized its position. He will pick it out and eat it tomorrow.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, it¡¯s useless. It¡¯ll get mixed up in the pot.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and put down the dumplings. Seeing that the boy was spending so much effort to do something futile, she kindly reminded him.


    But Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t believe her, he insisted on remembering the position of that dumpling. Seeing that he didn¡¯t believe her, Xiaoguo let him be. He will find out for himself tomorrow.


    As soon as they were done making the dumplings, the old village chief sent someone over to move the fireworks.


    To be honest, the big firework was pretty heavy and had to be transported by two strong men. After all, it was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive firework that could be found among all the stalls. There were only five of these big fireworks that were available within the whole country. It was only right for them to treat it with the utmost care.


    On the way there, the old village chief secretly asked Xiaoguo about the cost of the fireworks.


    Xiaoguo gave him an approximate figure that was slightly below the actual price. When the old village chief heard the amount, he almost fell to his knees. Then, with a pale face, he chased after the carriage that was pulling the fireworks. He told the two men handling it to be extra careful. They must ensure that no damage could be done to the fireworks even if they have to risk breaking a leg to protect it.


    Xiaoguo saw the chief¡¯s actions from behind and found it funny. She held back her laughter along the way, thinking that the old village chief was exaggerating.


    The old village chief was on tenterhooks as he stood guard beside the firework. He only felt a little better when they finally stopped at the threshing fields.


    At this moment, not many villagers have arrived at the spot. Most of them were intending to watch from home. Only a small number of people were gathered at the fields to admire the fireworks at close range.


    Although it was close, it was still a distance away from the actual spot. After all, if such a big firework was really released into the sky, the explosion would definitely be powerful. It was definitely best to watch from afar.


    When Xiaoguo saw where the firework was placed, she made a rough estimation. Based on the distance they were standing now, it was probably not the most perfect viewing spot. They should retreat further.


    After getting permission from the others, Xiaoguo led the way and retreated to a perfect distance based on her estimation.


    There was no watch available during the ancient period. In order to keep track of the time, the old village chief specially took out an hourglass for the countdown.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, how much did this firework cost?¡±


    Ruyi held Xiaoguo¡¯s arm and asked quietly. Based on her experience, this definitely did not come cheap.


    When her father was still alive, he used to set off fireworks every year. At that time, the fireworks he set off were much smaller than this, but the money he spent on them was very considerable.


    In her memory, every time the fireworks were released, her father would say that he had to watch his spending thereafter. From this, she could tell that the price of such a large-sized firework must be high enough to make one regurgitate blood.


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips. If she didn¡¯t talk about the price, she could more or less comfort herself. But when she did, she couldn¡¯t help but think of the cost that was equivalent to the price of half a pig. Her heart ached so much that she had difficulty breathing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it again, or I¡¯ll faint.¡±


    Xiaoguo said jokingly. As long as the price was not mentioned, she could pretend that it was not costly.


    Ruyi covered her mouth and smiled secretly. However, she still nodded seriously and made a zipping gesture on her lips.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, it¡¯s about time. Who is going to ignite the fireworks?¡±


    At this moment, the old village chief walked over with an hourglass in his hand. He still remembered what Xiaoguo had said. They will light the fireworks themselves, so he came over to check with her.


    ¡°My brother will do it.¡±


    Xiaoguo pointed at Qin Anming. The old village chief brought the excited man to the fireworks.


    ¡°Get ready. On the count of seven, you can light up.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    It would take some time for the fireworks rope to ignite. Based on the old village chief¡¯s experience, if the fireworks were lit on the count of seven, by the count of one, the fireworks would explode in the sky.


    The fireworks explosion was also timed to happen exactly at midnight. In other words, they were ringing in the new year with the display of fireworks.


    Qin Anming squatted down and took a gulp. He held the torch nervously and listened to the countdown. When the countdown reached seven, he immediately leaned closer and lit the fuse. Then, he pulled the old village chief along with him and ran back towards the crowd.


    The old village chief was getting on in years. If Qin Anming had not pulled him along, he wouldn¡¯t be able to run on his own.


    As soon as the two of them ran to the side of the group, the old village chief immediately looked at the hourglass in his hand. The last grain of sand slowly slipped down and he looked up nervously at the sky.


    At the same time that the sand fell, fireworks erupted. With a whoosh, the fireworks slowly rose into the sky like a live dragon and exploded magnificently in the sky.


    At that moment, everyone in the fields exclaimed all at the same time.


    The beautiful fireworks rose into the air and stopped alongside the moon. Then, with a bang, they bloomed like a large bouquet of flowers.


    The beautiful flowers bloomed in succession, scattered across the sky. Everyone in Peach Blossom Village seemed bewitched as they stared blankly at the beautiful scenery. The entire village was immediately illuminated by the fireworks.


    The adults and children in the fields were jumping and cheering continually. At this moment, those who were staying at home had stepped out into their courtyards or ventured beyond the gates. They were all excitedly admiring the fireworks as a family. Some of them even reached out their hands, looking like they were trying to touch the fireworks.


    The red flames lit up everyone¡¯s faces. The moment the fireworks exploded, everyone¡¯s hopes for the new year also blossomed.


    At the same time, the neighboring villages and towns also began their annual fireworks display.


    ¡ª-


    The capital, in the palace.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shao Zhan sat in the hall and looked at Jiang Danhe, who was silent. He then looked at Xiaoyi, who was dozing off. He sighed helplessly. Xiaoyi was supposed to be staying up for the new year, but right now the boy was so bored that he was almost falling asleep on the spot.


    Hearing his sigh, Jiang Danhe turned his head away speechlessly. He should be the one feeling helpless instead. Over the past few days, Shao Zhan had stopped attending court. He was holding all kinds of banquets every day. He spent the days gathering and drinking with the royal family and high-ranking officials. But why did he have to stay by Shao Zhan¡¯s side for such matters?


    ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s a message from the Empress¡­¡±


    Before Eunuch Su could finish speaking, Shao Zhan waved his hand and gestured for him to leave.


    Eunuch Su nodded in understanding and bowed before leaving. He went outside to inform the palace maid who had come with the message. ¡°The emperor has not been feeling well recently, so he won¡¯t be going over.¡±


    When the palace maid heard this, she sighed silently in her heart. However, she had no choice but to bow and report to the Empress.


    Eunuch Su also let out a long sigh. This was the sixth time today¡­


    In the hall, after Eunuch Su left, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but look at the person sitting on the throne.


    ¡°The empress has already invited you six times. It doesn¡¯t seem reasonable that you are still refusing to go over.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and go to the empress. Just let me go!¡±


    Shao Zhan looked up lazily and glanced at him¡ªhe looked like he had just read Jiang Danhe¡¯s mind. ¡°I just pity you for being alone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness,¡± Jiang Danhe replied calmly.


    Because of Shao Zhan¡¯s kindness, he was trapped in the palace for five days. For five days, he was either accompanying him to the banquet or accompanying him to the sacrificial ceremony. He did not have any free time at all. Moreover, this should be the empress¡¯s job. He was now taking over her duties. What was this?!

 Chapter 265 - 265 Court Meeting

    265 Court Meeting


    Shao Zhan gave him a sidelong glance. He really didn¡¯t know how blessed he was. Didn¡¯t he know that many ministers were envious of him behind his back? It was a great honor to be able to get close to the emperor.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe turned his head. Thanks to this great honor, he had completely lost his freedom.


    He should be writing sweet letters to Xiaoguo instead. But these days, he was either feigning civility with other ministers or smiling at the fawning of some ministers. In comparison, one was heaven, and the other was hell. He had ended up in this state because of the man in front of him. If Shao Zhan hadn¡¯t insisted on him staying, he wouldn¡¯t have been living his life so passively.


    However, although he was complaining, he still had to get down to business. Ultimately, he still had to prepare for the annoying banquet.


    ¡°The empress has invited you so many times. Are you really not going?¡±


    Back to business. The emperor and the empress were supposed to stay up to celebrate the new year together. Shao Zhan¡¯s behavior now was quite inappropriate. After all, the empress¡¯s maiden family was still very powerful in the imperial court.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s almost time anyway,¡±


    Shao Zhan said those words calmly with a cold glint flickering in his eyes. When he turned and saw Xiaoyi, who was nodding off, the look in his eyes immediately softened.


    He was heartless and sentimental at the same time.


    Jiang Danhe retracted his gaze. It was inconvenient for him to probe, so he did not speak.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s midnight.¡±


    Shao Zhan nodded to show that he understood. He stood up and said to Jiang Danhe, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, fireworks were lit on time in the palace.


    Shao Zhan saw that Xiaoyi was still sleeping so he gently woke him up. He carried the boy in his arms and walked to the high platform.


    When Xiaoyi opened his eyes, he saw fireworks exploding across the city skyline. They looked like colorful chrysanthemums in the sky.


    The capital was a large city to begin with. Families that were wealthy were quite extravagant when it came to buying fireworks. Moreover, during this time of the year, the palace would procure a lot of fireworks. Therefore, one could imagine how vibrant the capital looked tonight.


    In the sky, other than fireworks, there were also Kong Ming Lanterns. Large clusters of Kong Ming Lanterns flew across the sky, shuttling between the exploding fireworks.


    Nestled in Shao Zhan¡¯s arms, Xiaoyi extended his small hand and grabbed at the air. He looked at his hand in confusion. Why did the fireworks look so close, but yet he was unable to grab them?


    When Shao Zhan saw this, he chuckled dotingly. How cute. If only she could see it¡­


    At the thought of this, Shao Zhan squinted his eyes and pursed his lips. The longing he inadvertently revealed seemed to be eating at his nerves.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the fireworks in the sky and felt very moved. He wondered if Xiaoguo had seen the fireworks. What did she eat for the reunion dinner? Was she missing him? If she was missing him, why wasn¡¯t he sneezing?


    At the thought of this, he looked down at himself. Was he dressed so thickly that he had blocked out Xiaoguo¡¯s thoughts?


    He was constantly reminded of her words. ¡°Wear more clothes and keep warm. Don¡¯t fall sick or catch a cold.¡±


    Since he had done everything she said, did Xiaoguo also eat more like he had told her to?


    The three of them quietly stared at the sky. For a moment, no one spoke. Although the fireworks were beautiful, they were short-lived. But this did not apply to the fireworks in the capital. This was because there was no lack of wealthy people here¡ªit was highly likely that many of them had a huge supply of fireworks at home.


    Since the commoners had the means to do that, the palace was even more extravagant than them.


    Fireworks of all sizes bloomed endlessly in the sky above the palace. The three of them only got off the tall building when they had seen enough.


    When they came down, the guard failed to notice them. He was too engrossed in admiring the fireworks. When Shao Zhan got near to him, he straightened his body in shock. Afraid of being punished, he started trembling in fear.


    Shao Zhan saw the guard¡¯s actions, but he did not reprimand him. He quickened his pace and walked past the man. After all, today was a special day so his behavior was understandable.


    Seeing that Shao Zhan did not punish the guard, Jiang Danhe deliberately stood still for a moment beside the man. He only left when the guard was shaking uncontrollably.


    Although his behavior was understandable on this day, he was still on duty after all.


    Safety must come first. If there were any intruders, and the guards failed in their duty because they were too distracted by the fireworks, it was something that should not be allowed to happen.


    The guard was on duty because the palace had placed its trust on him. He shouldn¡¯t betray this trust.


    Although there was no punishment, proper intimidation is still necessary.


    In the eyes of outsiders, Jiang Danhe only stood by his side for a while. However, only the person involved knew what was going on. His legs immediately turned weak and just before he completely stopped breathing, the intimidating presence left. Only then did he dare to breathe normally.


    From then on, the guard never got distracted again while on duty. Whenever his thoughts wandered, he would subconsciously think of Jiang Danhe. Then, his entire body would tremble and he would not dare to daydream again.


    Speaking of which, Jiang Danhe came to the entrance of the hall where he was temporarily resting. It was actually Shao Zhan¡¯s side hall. At this moment, Xiaoyi had already been carried away by Zhixia to rest.


    The two of them walked to the main entrance of the hall alone. Before parting ways, Shao Zhan did not forget to remind Jiang Danhe, who had turned around and was on his way out. ¡°Remember to wake up early tomorrow.¡±


    Jiang Danhe turned around and saw that Shao Zhan had already turned around and left. He rubbed his forehead in frustration. There was still a court meeting tomorrow!


    Just like the New Year visitations, the court meeting was held on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. On this day, the civil and military officials would come together to pay their respects to the emperor. There were also envoys who would travel from afar. On this day, they would pay tribute to the emperor.


    During the night, the most important segment of the court meeting would be the court banquet. It could be considered as the equivalent of the Spring Festival Gala being held in Shao Nation.


    Songs, dances, festivities, talents, drinks and merriment.


    The banquet could be summarized in those few words.


    Jiang Danhe walked towards the hall. At this moment, there were still sporadic fireworks in the sky. He looked up and chuckled. It seemed that tomorrow would be another busy day¡­


    ¨C


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, it was customary for everyone to take a shower. It was a symbolic act to wash away filth and bad luck, and welcome the new year with a fresh attitude.


    After watching the fireworks, the group returned to the house and boiled a few pots of hot water. Everyone took turns to take a hot shower.


    Then, they fell asleep comfortably under the warm blankets.


    On the first day of the new year, everyone was woken up by the sound of firecrackers instead of the rooster.


    As soon as the firecrackers sounded, everyone got out of bed. The first thing they did when they woke up was to set off the firecrackers, add firewood, and boil water.


    Dumplings just before dawn had the meaning of ¡°sending the old and welcoming the new¡±. The words had the same pronunciation as ¡°dumplings¡± and ¡°midnight¡±, which signifies ¡°festive reunion¡± and ¡°auspicious wish¡±.


    It was still dark outside. However, people would only wake up earlier and not later. This was because they believed that whoever woke up early to eat the dumplings would enjoy more blessings.


    At the table, a group of people was gathered in a circle, looking for the dumpling with a copper coin.


    In the end, under Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s expectant gaze, Ling Long was the one to get it. This 1% chance landed on her.


    You win some, you lose some. Of course, only Zhuang Zhuang was feeling defeated.


    He was looking forward to this moment for the entire night. To think that the dumpling was found just like that by someone else. He was so depressed that he was in no mood to do any visiting later.


    On this day, people were dressed in new clothes and shoes, from head to toe, in anticipation of the new year.


    As Xiaoguo and the others still had to boil water, they didn¡¯t put on their new clothes yet. They were afraid of getting their clothes dirty, so they planned to finish the dumplings before dressing up.


    After eating the dumplings, Xiaoguo put away the bowls and chopsticks since she couldn¡¯t do any housework this morning. Doing any form of cleaning was associated with sweeping wealth and prosperity away.


    Qin Anming was the only member in Xiaoguo¡¯s maternal family, and the Qin family did not have any immediate family members. The Jiang family was not a local family. All their immediate family members had already passed on, so there was no need for Xiaoguo to visit any relatives. This really saved her a lot of trouble.

 Chapter 266 - 266 Beauty of the Western Region

    266 Beauty of the Western Region


    However, Zhuang Zhuang was still young. After eating the dumplings, he ran out saying that he was going to pay Mrs. Yang a visit. In Xiaoguo¡¯s opinion, Zhuang Zhuang must have gone to ask for malt candy.


    During her new year shopping, Mrs. Yang bought and gave a lot of triangular maltose to Zhuang Zhuang. However, Xiaoguo was worried about his teeth, so she didn¡¯t buy any for him during the new year. She also didn¡¯t allow him to eat too many lollipops at home.


    It seemed that the little glutton was unable to resist his cravings anymore. Since it was the new year, Xiaoguo decided to turn a blind eye.


    In the morning, the adults in Peach Blossom Village went out for visitations. Some of them chose to hitch-hike to other villages to visit their friends and relatives. Children, on the other hand, would gather in groups to visit other families and greet them with auspicious words. If they happen to come across a generous family, they might get one or two sugar cubes. Those who did not have sugar cubes at home would reciprocate with their blessings.


    ¨C


    In the evening, the lights were dimmed within the village, but Xiaoguo¡¯s house was brightly lit and filled with laughter and frolicking.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, why are you chopping the chicken?¡±


    Xiao Cui held the copper pot in her hand and looked at Xiaoguo in confusion. ¡°Haven¡¯t we decided on having hot pot? Why do we need chicken meat?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat hotpot chicken. We¡¯ll stir-fry it with some other ingredients later. It¡¯s going to be very delicious.¡±


    Xiaoguo threw the chopped chicken pieces into the pot. She had prepared a total of three big chickens¡ªthey were the last three in the fridge. The usual original and spicy soup bases were delicious, but hotpot chicken had its own unique flavor.


    She had prepared two copper pots¡ªone for making the spicy version and one for making a sauce-based chicken.


    From blanching to stir-frying the chicken, Ruyi and the others stood around her to observe the steps. They followed closely behind Xiaoguo under the pretext of learning how to cook.


    The group of them were standing in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s usual spot, causing him to be pushed away from the center of activity. When he tried to squeeze past them, he was pushed out right after he secured a spot.


    He gave up and went straight to look for Qin Anming. He even thought to himself that a gentleman should not fight with women. He was not going to bother himself with a group of older girls.


    Xiaoguo added some charcoal to the stove and placed two pots of fragrant hotpot chicken on the table. Surrounding the pots were plates of meatballs and vegetables. There were also two large trays of mutton rolls.


    In addition, there was also Xiaoguo¡¯s specially concocted sesame sauce and her specialty dish, pickled garlic.


    When she went to the market previously, she found some young garlic, so she bought a bag of it. Half of it was kept for normal cooking, and the other half was made into pickled garlic.


    Mutton must be eaten with garlic, otherwise its flavor would be reduced by half.


    Raw garlic is spicy and not as delicious as pickled garlic. Xiaoguo preferred the taste of pickled garlic, so she ate quite a lot of it tonight.


    The hotpot chicken was tender and springy. The broth was filled with flavor, and the more they ate, the more flavorful it became. Everyone couldn¡¯t get enough of it. Even the bones smelled delicious.


    It felt nice and warm to enjoy this hot piping dish on a cold day. The hot pot chicken was well received by everyone.


    In the capital.


    The streets were bustling with activity all day.


    From all directions, carriages and sedans were headed towards the palace. Although they came from different places, their destinations were the same.


    Jiang Danhe was standing at the entrance of the hall of the Qianqing Palace in his official uniform. Although he was smiling as he welcomed the envoys from various countries, he was actually cursing Shao Zhan in his heart.


    The emperor knew very well that Jiang Danhe did not enjoy attending such events, but he still insisted on handing this responsibility to him. The crown prince was still young, and the only minister he valued was Jiang Danhe. Who else could he send other than him?


    And so, Jiang Danhe was tasked to take on the job.


    Looking at the group of idle civil officials behind him, Jiang Danhe was on the verge of flaring up again. If there was really no other way, he could have just picked a civil official to stand here. Why did Shao Zhan have to make him do it?


    However, even though he was thinking that, he still wore a smile on his face. He had to keep his manners in check being a representative of the country.


    The banquet could actually be called a banquet for the foreigners.


    The main purpose of the banquet was to invite the leaders of the border ethnic minorities or the envoys of the vassal states. On this day, the envoys or leaders would bring tributes from their countries to the capital to offer to the emperor.


    The security situation today was of utmost importance. Jiang Danhe had his hands tied. He was a little worried about having only the Imperial Guards patrol around the palace. Therefore, he arranged for Li Shouji to be present today as well.


    He assigned Li Shouji to lead a team to ensure security at every entrance and every corner that could reach the emperor. Even the tribute items were sent for security checks. The security was so tight that not a single fly could fly into the palace. Jiang Danhe had complete trust in Li Shouji¡¯s ability.


    The banquet began smoothly.


    The first step was for the emperor to greet everyone and say some words. Then, it was time for the various envoys to seek an audience with the emperor. The list of tributes that they had brought would be read out by Eunuch Su and the young eunuch behind him would record it on paper.


    The Shao Nation was a large country with a large population. There are countless small countries around it that are looking to depend on it.


    Although the surrounding countries were small, due to their geographical location, the generous tributes that were offered every year were mostly unique and rare. As a result, the national treasury of the Shao Kingdom had amassed quite a collection due to this reason.


    After the list of tributes was read out, Shao Zhan frowned slightly. He glanced at the leaders of the envoys sitting below. There should be twelve names on the list, but one was missing.


    After looking around, Shao Zhan locked his eyes on an envoy.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t the envoy from the Western Region on the list?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone¡¯s gazes were instantly focused on the Western Region envoy.


    That person seemed to have been waiting for this moment. He stood up excitedly and walked to the middle of the hall. He placed his right hand on his left shoulder and bowed.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s better to see the tributes of the Western Region with your own eyes.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, whispers could be heard across the hall. They were obviously trying to guess what he was talking about and discussing what the tribute might be.


    Shao Zhan narrowed his eyes and seemed a little interested. ¡°Bring it on.¡±


    The envoy from the Western Region was wearing a knowing look on his face. At first, he was a little hesitant about his gift. However, when he saw that the emperor was alone at the throne and there was no sign of the empress, he became more confident of what he was about to present.


    The envoy from the Western Region looked smug and gestured to the people outside.


    Everyone in the hall was craning their necks to look out for the tribute. It was obvious that they were highly anticipating the tribute from the Western Region.


    In the entire venue, only Jiang Danhe was expressionless. He was still sitting in the front seat and drinking his tea leisurely. He should have been drinking wine, but he thought better of it. At his age, he should take better care of himself. After all, when he returned home in spring, he was planning to try for a daughter. Drinking alcohol is detrimental to health after all.


    Shao Zhan was wearing a curious expression on his face, but his heart was calm.


    Looking at the Western Region envoy¡¯s expression, he sneered. ¡°What a fool.¡±


    Under everyone¡¯s anticipation, a graceful figure with an exotic fragrance appeared at the entrance.


    She was wearing a jade blue top and a pale green pleated skirt. Draped over her shoulders was a gauzy blue veil. Her figure was slim and slender, while her skin was fair and smooth.


    Her eyes were sparkling and clear like the river waters. There was a filigree golden hairpin on her head with purple jade studded on it. The tassels of the hair ornament rested against her jet black hair. Her delicate face was as beautiful as a flower. Every single expression on her face tugged at one¡¯s heart and soul. She was a real beauty.


    Some of the envoys could not help but swallow their saliva. As they watched the beautiful figure float past them, they inhaled deeply to take in the intoxicating fragrance.


    When the men came back to their senses, they looked regretfully at the figure who had stopped beside the envoy from the Western Region. The region was well-known for their beautiful ladies. Looking at this woman in front of them, they have to admit that the region truly deserved their reputation.


    From the moment the beauty appeared, the fake interest in Shao Zhan¡¯s eyes instantly disappeared. ¡°That was a new low.¡±


    The envoy of the Western Region didn¡¯t know what was going through the emperor¡¯s mind. He could only hear the gasps around him and became more conceited. The Western Region was well-known for their beautiful ladies. He was now offering the most beautiful woman in his country to the emperor of Shao Kingdom. If she was lucky enough to gain the favor of the emperor, it would be a great achievement. By then, the Western Region would be¡­


    Just thinking about it made the envoy very happy.


    The envoy from the Western Region smiled from the bottom of his heart. However, if he had taken a closer look at the expression on the emperor¡¯s face, he might not be smiling now.

 Chapter 267 - 267 Frustration

    267 Frustration


    Shao Zhan smiled mysteriously.


    His smile was silent, but under everyone¡¯s deliberate gaze, it was very conspicuous.


    When the Western Region envoy sensed this smile, he hesitated. ¡°Is he happy or unhappy?¡±


    He stole a glance at the person in front of him. What did that faint smile mean?


    Then, he turned to look at the empty seat beside the emperor and his heart gradually calmed down. It was said that the emperor and empress were loving. After giving birth to the crown prince, they promised to stay by each other¡¯s side for the rest of their lives. From the looks of it, the rumors were not completely true. Otherwise, why was there no sign of the empress at such a big banquet?


    Although the current emperor had only ascended the throne for less than a year, his methods were impressive. Having the famous General Jiang as his right-hand man, his strength was unfathomable, so other countries could only play up to him.


    As long as they were under the wings of the Shao Kingdom, they would not have to worry. This time, they had to ensure that the emperor was on their side.


    He glanced at the woman beside him. The woman had also received his signal. She nodded and smiled.


    Her eyes seemed to be sparkling as she stared at the man on the throne. It was a pity that Shao Zhan did not even look at her. He seemed to have completely lost interest in her.


    The beauty was displeased. As the number one beauty in the Western Region, she always received praises wherever she went. This man is really unappreciative. So what if he was the emperor? There were countless noble ministers who had fallen under her spell, let alone him, who was just a budding new emperor.


    Being used to flattery, the Western Region beauty subconsciously revealed a trace of arrogance on her face. Shao Zhan¡¯s gaze suddenly fell upon her and caught that expression.


    The beauty¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She quickly looked down at the ground, her heart pounding like a horse. Those eyes were really scary.


    Shao Zhan retracted his gaze and felt extremely disgusted. The Western Region really didn¡¯t know what was good for them. How dare they send something like this to the Shao Kingdom!


    The envoy from the Western Region was still unaware of Shao Zhan¡¯s thoughts. He was still thinking about how to help this woman successfully eliminate the empress and become the new head of the harem.


    Shao Zhan was well aware of his intentions. A trace of coldness flashed across his eyes. If she was a kind woman, he wouldn¡¯t mind putting on a show with her. However, the envoy had recklessly tried to stuff such a woman into his arms. This man must be tired of living.


    ¡°This woman¡¯s name is Saina. She¡¯s in her twenties. She¡¯s good at zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She can also dance very well. In order to see the emperor, she had spent a month preparing a dance to congratulate the Shao Kingdom on its prosperity and peace.¡±


    The envoy from the Western Region said the words that he had prepared beforehand. Then, he gently pushed the frozen woman beside him and glared at her in dissatisfaction. ¡°What a disappointment!¡±


    The woman came back to her senses and suppressed the fear in her heart. She bowed with trembling hands. Then, the envoy from the Western Region retreated, leaving an empty space for her.


    The Western Region beauty¡¯s hands were sore from keeping them raised, but there was still no music. However, she still remembered the look in the emperor¡¯s eyes just now, and so she did not dare to act rashly for the time being. She could only endure the soreness in her arms and wait for the music to start.


    At this moment, the musicians in the hall received the emperor¡¯s permission to start playing.


    As soon as the music sounded, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.


    The envoy from the Western Region was also feeling a little puzzled. He sat nervously in his seat.


    The reputation of the top beauty in the Western Region was not for nothing. She was beautiful and had a good figure. Her dance moves were very beautiful and alluring.


    Although she was afraid of Shao Zhan, once she started dancing, she became completely immersed in her dance moves.


    Her every move was in sync with the rhythm. As she jumped and spun, she easily got the attention of all the men in the hall. All of them couldn¡¯t move their eyes away from her. There were even some men from other tribes that were more liberal in their ways. From the Shao Kingdom¡¯s point of view, those men were from a barbaric country. At this moment, they were muttering indecent words in low voices. It was obvious that they were exchanging lewd remarks.


    The frustration that the Western beauty had felt from Shao Zhan was completely removed by the other men. She knew it. No man could resist her charms.


    The more happy she got, the more seductive her dance moves became. Some of the civil servants and ministers of the Shao Kingdom kept commenting that the dance was indecent, but the look in their eyes was very honest. They kept stealing glances at her with flushed faces.


    The beauty noticed their gazes and got more confident. Armed with her new-found confidence, she couldn¡¯t help but give an evil smile. She looked at the person on the throne with a charming gaze¡ªthe seductive look in her eyes was unmistakable.


    Now that all the men present were drawn by her dance moves, it was only a matter of time before she won over Shao Zhan. ¡°Which man doesn¡¯t like beauties? He is just pretending.¡±


    As she spun across the room, she got closer to Shao Zhan. If not for the other party¡¯s cold expression, she would have approached him long ago. If she couldn¡¯t get close, there were other ways.


    She spun and jumped, winked at him from time to time, and lifted her dress to reveal her thighs to him.


    Unfortunately, despite her efforts, the man on the throne ignored her. The men below the stage were all fired up, but the emperor did not look at her. It seemed like the wine on the table was more deserving of his attention.


    The beauty from the Western Region was passionately unleashing her charms. She was very sure that every single man, except Shao Zhan, was looking at her.


    At the thought of this, the beauty seemed to have noticed something. The mockery in her eyes was immediately replaced by shock. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, but she immediately covered it up with her exquisite dance steps.


    However, the frustration in her eyes deepened.


    Just now, she was still thinking confidently that there was only one person in the hall who did not look at her. Unexpectedly, the man sitting below the throne was not paying any attention to her either.


    At this moment, it felt like her worldview had been trampled on. Cracks have appeared in The conceit and arrogance in her heart. A rare thought popped into her mind. She wasn¡¯t as perfect as she thought she was.


    Jiang Danhe was sipping his tea attentively. He had no idea what was going on in the hall, nor did he know that his indifference could change a person.


    Jiang Danhe took a sip of tea and his eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Yes! This tea is delicious! I¡¯ll bring some with me later.¡±


    The Western Region beauty used her last bit of strength to complete the dance.


    It was just a dance, but she had never felt so tired before. Seduction was the last thing on her mind now. At this moment, she wished to escape from this place and return to that place where she was loved.


    The envoy from the Western Region had been observing Shao Zhan¡¯s expression. When he realized that the other party did not even look at the beauty, his heart sank. Had he miscalculated this time?


    While feeling uneasy, he was still thinking of a way out. When the beauty stopped, he immediately stood up. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Shao Zhan waved his hand and dismissed him.


    The envoy did not understand his intentions and could only follow the instructions in a daze. He returned to his seat with the beauty.


    In order to ease the atmosphere, Eunuch Su asked Shao Zhan for further instructions. After getting his approval, he announced the official start of the song and dance performance.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the musicians started playing. The palace maids lined up in a row and entered the hall, displaying the unique gentleness of the women of the Shao Nation.


    Everyone was intoxicated by the beautiful setting. Fine wine, delicious food, beautiful women, all of them were mesmerizing.


    However, only the two people from the Western Region waited in fear until the end of the banquet.


    It was only when they arrived at their residence that they gradually came back to their senses. At this moment, the two of them felt like they had survived a disaster.


    For some reason, they felt like they had plucked a tiger¡¯s beard but they managed to return safe and sound. In any case, it was a very strange experience.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that Shao Zhan didn¡¯t deal with them because they were insignificant in his eyes. However, it was unknown if the Western Region was included as part of the emperor¡¯s agenda.

 Chapter 268 - 268 Pitiful

    268 Pitiful


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Looking at the departing carriage, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang waved at everyone on the cart.


    Time passed quickly. Ruyi and the others worked in the food and beverage business. They couldn¡¯t afford too many rest days during the new year. This time round, they actually extended their break by another day before leaving.


    It was the third day of the new year. When they returned to the shop, they had to spend an entire day preparing the ingredients before the restaurant opened for business the next day.


    After the carriage moved out of sight, the two of them went back.


    Looking at the empty house, they felt a little uncomfortable.


    But life had to go on. New year, new life.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s clean up.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Mother¡­¡± When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he begged for mercy. ¡°It¡¯s not messy at all.¡±


    Xiaoguo took the broom and looked around. She realized that it was true. The house was very tidy. There was no need to clean up.


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to stay idle either. She looked around to see if there was anything she could pack.


    ¡°Take a break, Mother.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang took Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and pulled her into the back room. He pulled her onto the bed, took off her shoes, and poured a cup of water for her.


    Xiaoguo was surprised by his actions. How cute.


    ¡°Alright, you can stay in bed comfortably.¡±


    With a satisfied look on his face, Zhuang Zhuang turned to look at Xiaoguo. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a book to read.¡±


    With that, he ran off.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop him. She sat down helplessly and continued reading. She had nothing much to do anyway.


    After the Lunar New Year, those who had to work continued working, and those who had to visit friends and relatives, went on to do so. Even Mrs. Yang was kept busy these past few days. Xiaoguo was the only one who had nothing to do. She really felt uncomfortable having nothing to do.


    At the thought of this, she sighed. What should she do in the new year?


    Zhuang Zhuang quickly ran back with a stack of books in his hands.


    ¡°Good God!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth fell open as she looked at the books in surprise. How long would it take to finish reading them?


    ¡°Ahem, Mother, are you ready?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang straightened his clothes and looked at Xiaoguo solemnly.


    Xiaoguo nodded and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang instantly got into character. He picked up a book and started reading. Occasionally, he would ask Xiaoguo to recite after him. He looked like a little teacher.


    Xiaoguo had played with Zhuang Zhuang many times. Every time, he would act as the teacher while she acted as the student.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Zhuang Zhuang talking so confidently. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Yes? Mother, what¡¯s right?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was reading, was suddenly interrupted by Xiaoguo. He looked confused.


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and shook her head. After seeing Zhuang Zhuang readjust himself to study again, she thought to herself, ¡°Who said that I had nothing to do? Zhuang Zhuang should be going to school during the new year!¡±


    How could she have nothing to do? Going to school was a big deal. She had many things to do.


    Xiaoguo, who was in high spirits, interrupted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s reading. Under his puzzled gaze, she smiled.


    ¡°Son, prepare a brush, paper and an envelope for me.¡±


    ¡°??¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked puzzled. Was she going to write a letter to his father again?


    As he thought about it, he immediately put down his book and ran happily to get the items. How could he miss out on writing a letter to his father? He had a lot of joyful things to share with him.


    Xiaoguo got out of bed in high spirits. She sat at the table and stretched her hands before Zhuang Zhuang came over.


    She picked up a brush and ink and handed a few pieces of paper to Zhuang Zhuang so that he could write.


    ¡°Is it for Father?¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned when she heard that. Then she remembered that she had not explained it to him. She immediately nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he happily ran back to the other room with the rice paper. He secretly used the plum ink that he cherished very much and carefully ground it a little. He made sure to grind only the amount he needed. He didn¡¯t want to waste any of it.


    The two of them wrote their letters in separate rooms. Zhuang Zhuang was writing about the interesting things that had happened over the past few days, while Xiaoguo was writing about Zhuang Zhuang going to school.


    She still remembered hearing about Mr. Kong setting up an academy, but she didn¡¯t know if it was true. Since Mr. Kong was teaching for the emperor¡¯s relatives in the capital, Jiang Danhe could help to find out.


    Since Jiang Danhe had the access to this shortcut, she had to make use of it. As a father, it was only right for him to pave the way for his son. However, the rest of the journey would have to be paved by Zhuang Zhuang himself.


    Xiaoguo put in the final stroke and double-checked to make sure that she had written everything down. After making sure that nothing was missed out, she folded the letter and placed it in the envelope.


    ¡°Has Zhuang Zhuang finished writing?¡±


    If he was done writing, she would send it to the post station as soon as possible. Although it was just a difference of a few minutes, she was feeling anxious to get the letter posted.


    ¡°No, I still have a lot to tell Father.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang replied quickly. As much as Xiaoguo was anxious, she couldn¡¯t rush him.


    However, on second thoughts, in the letter that she wrote for Jiang Danhe, she only wrote him to ask about Mr. Kong. She didn¡¯t ask about how he was, and neither did she update him on the things at home. That was quite unbecoming of her. He was spending the New Year by himself away from home. Loneliness aside, he was quite pitiful.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but imagine a sad and lonely image in her mind. Although it was a little exaggerated, she just could not stop thinking about it.


    She could imagine him standing alone in the dark room, dressed in a thin layer of clothing and watching the fireworks from where he was. There were leftovers on the table, or maybe there was no food. At the thought of this, she instantly shivered and felt upset.


    Hence, she immediately took out another letter and started writing. She had to write more. She felt so sorry for Jiang Danhe.


    With that pitiful image in her mind, Xiaoguo was filled with thoughts. Even when Zhuang Zhuang handed his completed letter to her, Xiaoguo was still writing furiously. After putting down the brush, she suddenly realized that she had unknowingly written three full pages.


    She brought Zhuang Zhuang straight to the post station without delay. On the way back, she felt much more relieved.


    Poor Zhuang Zhuang was laughing non-stop along the way. If he had known that Xiaoguo was making plans to send him to school, he might not be laughing in the cart at all.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang was hoping that the letter would reach Jiang Danhe as soon as possible. If he knew the contents of Xiaoguo¡¯s letter, he might be wishing otherwise.


    ¨C


    On the other side, the pitiful Jiang Danhe was resting in his residence. Going through the new year was exhausting for him. Today was the first time he had the chance to return to his residence. Once again, he lay on his bed that still had Xiaoguo¡¯s scent on it.


    That¡¯s right. Ever since Xiaoguo had slept on this bed, he cherished it so much that he didn¡¯t change the bedsheets and the pillowcases.


    Although it sounded quite disgusting, Jiang Danhe was actually quite particular about his personal hygiene. In the past, he would take a shower once every two or three days. Ever since he was reunited with Xiaoguo, he made sure to take a bath everyday. This was because he realized that Xiaoguo loved to be clean. In order to be compatible with her, he had to do the same too.


    Although he had not changed his bedding for a long time, it was still clean and tidy. If one were to smell carefully, they could even detect a faint fragrance on the sheets.


    As soon as Jiang Danhe fell asleep, Li Shouji started tinkering with some stuff in his room.


    Jiang Danhe closed his eyes tightly. The veins on his forehead were bulging. He clenched and unclenched his fists.


    That guy had the emperor¡¯s special permission to excuse himself from the military camp. Therefore, Jiang Danhe could do nothing about it. He had already tried to turn a blind eye to his behavior a few times before this. But today, he simply could not take it anymore.


    When one had reached his limits, there was no need to endure anymore.


    He sat up, put on his shoes, pushed the door open, and went straight to Li Shouji¡¯s backyard.


    The deserving Li Shouji had once again pushed Jiang Shanhe¡¯s limits.Once again, he had proved with his body that he can still walk and eat after receiving three rounds of beatings.

 Chapter 269 - 269 Not On Purpose

    269 Not On Purpose


    When Jiang Danhe received the letter, he had just finished his work. It was a rare day off. Coincidentally, the letter arrived.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to run back into the house. Looking at the especially thick envelope, his heart was filled with joy. After such a long period of correspondence, he could easily tell who had written it without opening the envelope.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s letter was folded into a square, while Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s letter was folded into a rectangle. It was easy to tell after all this while.


    The first thing he did was to take out Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s letter and put it aside.


    Immediately after, he opened Xiaoguo¡¯s letter happily and read it carefully from beginning to end. He went through every word and sentence very carefully.


    Holding a stack of letters, he smiled and yearned for Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang. He felt so happy.


    After putting down the letter, he thought about Mr. Kong. He had heard Shao Zhan mention that Mr. Kong would retire soon, but at that time, he did not take it to heart. It turned out that Mr. Kong¡¯s hometown was in Yonghai County.


    He had to go and find out now.


    Jiang Danhe put away the letter and was about to leave when he took two steps back. He sat down and picked up the letter he had put aside. He had almost forgotten to read Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s letter.


    Jiang Danhe, who only had eyes for Xiaoguo, had to put his son in second place.


    He carefully put away the letter, closed the door, and prepared the horse to go straight to the palace.


    As Mr. Kong was already old and his health was failing, he was prepared to bring his wife back to his hometown to retire in peace.


    Jiang Danhe found Shao Zhan and spoke to him about the matter. Then, he found out where Mr. Kong was and went to look for him.


    In consideration for Teacher Kong¡¯s health and convenience, Shao Zhan had specially built a room for him in the prince¡¯s study so that he could take a short break after his lesson with the crown prince.


    Jiang Danhe arrived at the study just in time to see Xiaoyi running out.


    The first thing the little guy did after running out was to stretch himself. He yawned loudly and shook his head. Coincidentally, he made eye contact with Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Their eyes met. One was emotionless, and the other was filled with vigilance.


    Xiaoyi grabbed the pouch on his waist warily and secretly shifted it behind his back. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about snatching my things again.¡±


    If he had not moved, Jiang Danhe might not have noticed it. However, when he shifted the thing on his waist, it was apparent that he was hiding something.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    When Wen Xiaoyi heard this, he looked horrified and secretly swallowed a mouthful of saliva. ¡°How did he see it when I had hidden it so well?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    With that, he tried to walk around him and leave calmly. In any case, he had just finished his lesson. He didn¡¯t know why Aunt Zhixia wasn¡¯t here yet. It seemed that he should leave first.


    To his surprise, Jiang Danhe did not stop him, he even deliberately moved aside to let him pass.


    Xiaoyi looked at him suspiciously and slowly moved his feet. When he tried to walk past Jiang Danhe, he felt very tense. His small hands gripped the pouch tightly. After walking past him, he relaxed a little and subconsciously loosened his grip on the pouch.


    Jiang Danhe watched him and chuckled silently. He took the opportunity to quickly snatch the pouch from him.


    By the time Xiaoyi realized that something was amiss, the pouch was already in Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand. At this moment, he was playing with it and scrutinizing it.


    ¡°Give it back. Give it back.¡±


    Xiaoyi jumped anxiously and tried to snatch it back. As he did so, he punched Jiang Danhe¡¯s thigh.


    He had thought of Jiang Danhe as a good person back then. It was truly unexpected that he was someone who preyed on the weak. He was always robbing him of his things. It was one thing for him to steal his snacks, but now even the pouch had caught his fancy. How unlucky could he get?


    Feeling helpless, Xiaoyi tried to punch his stomach, but he couldn¡¯t reach it. He could only retreat and punch at his thigh.


    Jiang Danhe did not take his little strength seriously at all. His strength was not much stronger than Xiaoguo. It felt more like tickles instead.


    Looking at the design, although he didn¡¯t know much about embroidery, he was sure that this was made by Xiaoguo.


    With such a novel design and design, who else could sew it besides Xiaoguo? Jiang Danhe held it in his hand and admired it for a while. He had no choice. As long as it was made by Xiaoguo, he had to possess it.


    Xiaoyi was getting tired from throwing punches. He was bending over and panting heavily. He was mourning for the pouch in his heart. From the looks of it, it was unlikely that he could get it back. But it didn¡¯t make sense. At the thought of this, Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes turned red. This was a gift for him. Why did Jiang Danhe have to confiscate it? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He clenched his small hands tightly.


    Jiang Danhe had taken a good look at the pouch. Although he would like to take it away, it was still a gift from Xiaoguo to Xiaoyi. It would be unreasonable If he were to take this from him. Forget it, he should return it to him.


    Jiang Danhe handed the pouch to the dejected boy. Trying to be friendly, he deliberately bent down. ¡°Here¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi, with his clenched fists, stood rooted to the ground. He looked at the man who was in pain and felt extremely remorseful. He really didn¡¯t expect Jiang Danhe to suddenly bend down. If he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have punched him. If he hadn¡¯t punched him, he wouldn¡¯t have hit him there¡­


    Jiang Danhe squatted down in pain and grabbed at a certain part of his body with his hands. His face had turned so dark that it looked like ink. The veins on his forehead were bulging and cold sweat trickled down his temples.


    Knowing that he had done something wrong, Xiaoyi snatched the pouch from his frozen hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Then he fled.


    Jiang Danhe really couldn¡¯t describe his pain. He could only try his best to take in deep breaths to ease the intense pain. He was wrong. Xiaoyi¡¯s little strength when exerted on the right spot could still cause substantial pain.


    Xiaoyi ran as he looked back. He grabbed a passing eunuch in fear.


    ¡°Greetings to Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Let me ask you something. If I accidentally hit you there, would it hurt?¡±


    As he spoke, Xiaoyi pointed at his crotch.


    ¡°This¡­¡± The eunuch looked like he was at a loss for words. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the palace since I was young, and I don¡¯t have that¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi was stunned when he heard that. ¡°He didn¡¯t have that?¡± He glanced down and waved his hand to dismiss the eunuch.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t hurt. After all, I don¡¯t have much strength, and it should be no different from hitting flesh. I¡¯ve been punching his leg for so long, but I didn¡¯t see any reaction from him. Besides, General Jiang is so brave and strong. He must be quite resistant to beatings.¡±


    Xiaoyi, who was comforting himself, had subconsciously missed out on Jiang Danhe¡¯s painful expression.


    Jiang Danhe, who was left alone, took a long time to recover from the pain.


    He was about to get up when he heard someone calling him from behind.


    Jiang Danhe was stunned. He slowly turned around and tried to greet him in a calm tone. ¡°Teacher Kong.¡±


    An old man with gray hair and a beard gently cupped his fists in greeting. Seeing this, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t care less about his pain and quickly returned the greeting. After all, he was a teacher personally invited by the emperor to teach the crown prince. Even when he saw the emperor, he did not have to bow.


    Teacher Kong¡¯s original name was Kong Bang. He was already in his seventies and should have retired. It was the emperor, Shao Zhan, who invited him out of retirement to be the tutor of the crown prince. Now, due to health reasons, he had no choice but to retire.


    Shao Zhan had no choice but to agree to him going back to his hometown.


    However, Kong Ni, the son of Mr. Kong, was also a legend. In the future, the crown prince, Xiaoyi, would be handed over to him.


    This was also the reason why Shao Zhan agreed so readily to Teacher Kong¡¯s request.


    ¡°General, why are you looking for me?¡±


    Teacher Kong was old, but he had a keen eye. Someone whom he had no dealings with, was now waiting here for him. The general must have something in mind.


    However, due to his old age, he was walking with a stagger.


    ¡°Grand Tutor, you are so observant.¡± Jiang Danhe came to his side quietly and held his arm to support him.


    Mr. Kong said nothing and waited for the man to speak. They walked quietly towards the sedan chair.

 Chapter 270 - 270 Lantern Festival

    270 Lantern Festival


    As Mr. Kong¡¯s legs were weak, Shao Zhan specially allowed him to enter and exit the palace in a sedan chair. However, it was not convenient to park the sedan chair outside the hall of the upper study, so it could only be placed at another entrance.


    Jiang Danhe helped Teacher Kong along at a slow pace. ¡°Grand Tutor, I heard that you¡¯re returning to your hometown after spring. If you need any help, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. With the General¡¯s words, I feel very at ease.¡±


    Mr. Kong laughed out loud. Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart sank. Why did he feel that there was a hidden meaning behind his words?


    ¡°General, I¡¯m going to get into the sedan chair if you don¡¯t start talking.¡±


    Mr. Kong stopped and smiled at Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe did not feel awkward about being seen through. He just smiled. ¡°Actually, I do have a question that I want to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Go ahead.¡±


    Mr. Kong looked surprised. There was actually something the general needed him to explain. That was odd.


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re returning to Yonghai County. My family is also in Yonghai County.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what a coincidence.¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled. ¡°To be honest with you, Grand Tutor, I have a wife and a son at home. My son has just reached schooling age. My wife is worried about this matter and has not been able to find a suitable teacher.¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped when he was done. He didn¡¯t say anything more. When he got to this point, the rest should be obvious.


    Mr. Kong stroked his beard and lowered his eyes. ¡°On the first of next month, I will officially resign and leave the capital.¡±


    With that, before Jiang Danhe could react, he waved at the servant beside the sedan chair and helped himself into it.


    Watching the sedan chair leave, Jiang Danhe smiled. At this point, things are looking promising. But what did he mean by the date of departure?


    Jiang Danhe was confused and walked towards Shao Zhan¡¯s palace. Since he couldn¡¯t figure it out by himself, maybe two heads might help to solve the mystery.


    Unexpectedly, Shao Zhan laughed out loud.


    Jiang Danhe stood further away from him and rubbed his ears. He looked speechlessly at the man who was gloating.


    ¡°You, haha¡­¡± Shao Zhan slammed the table without caring about his image. ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at him in confusion. What did he mean?


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when the time comes.¡± Shao Zhan was trying to keep him in suspense. He suddenly thought of something. ¡°By the way, keep that day free. Put on some comfortable clothes and eat more on that day.¡±


    Shao Zhan¡¯s words kept echoing in Jiang Danhe¡¯s mind. He stopped in his tracks and looked back in the direction of the hall. The confusion in his eyes deepened. What did he mean?


    The first thing he did when he returned to the residence was to write a letter to Xiaoguo. In any case, he didn¡¯t understand what Mr. Kong and Shao Zhan were saying. However, he did know one thing. Xiaoguo had asked him to confirm if Mr. Kong was going back to Yonghai County. Now he had an answer.


    Moreover, he had brought up the matter about Zhuang Zhuang today. As smart as Mr. Kong was, it was impossible for him not to understand the meaning behind his words. Since Mr. Kong did not give a direct reply, there could be a chance that he was agreeable to it.


    However, they were indeed troubling Mr. Kong with this matter. He should be enjoying his retirement at this age, but they were now seeking his help to teach a child. Any normal person would not agree to this.


    ¡°Li Shouji.¡±


    In the backyard, Jiang Danhe found the man who had dark circles under his eyes, and he called out to him. Unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t budge at all.


    After a while, when he saw that Li Shouji was still not moving, Jiang Danhe lost his patience. He picked him up and only put him down after the other party begged for mercy.


    ¡°What were you doing earlier?¡±


    Jiang Danhe glanced at the cowardly man.


    Li Shouji patted his clothes and reached out his hand. ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe frowned and slapped his hand away. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Li Shouji covered his right hand and said aggrievedly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes! I¡¯ll help you send the letter!¡±


    As soon as he saw the letter, he knew that he had to run this errand for him. To think that he still got hit by Jiang Danhe. ¡°What an ingrate. How sad!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to do that. I can do it myself.¡± Jiang Danhe waved the letter and stuffed it into his arms. ¡°I came here for another reason.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a drill on the first of next month. Attend it on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°Then where are you going?¡±


    Li Shouji¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That is odd. When had he ever been absent from such a military exercise? To think that he was excusing himself from such an important event. This is really unusual.¡±


    ¡°Something came up.¡±


    Jiang Danhe patted him and turned to leave. On the way out, he said without looking back, ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a drink tonight.¡±


    With that, he strode away.


    Looking at the departing figure, Li Shouji smiled. ¡°Tsk, I¡¯ll make sure to drink my fill tonight!¡±


    ¡ª-


    Xiaoguo looked at the homemade calendar and turned to the page that was marked. She counted the days and realized that it was almost too late. She had to get it sent out by tomorrow.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, quick, we have to hurry up with our plans. Otherwise, we won¡¯t make it in time.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang poked his head out and looked at Xiaoguo. ¡°I thought we still had time?¡±


    ¡°That was three days ago.¡±


    Xiaoguo frantically packed up the needles and threads in her hands. She was still missing a seam. Earlier on she was still saying that there was no hurry. If she had not checked the calendar, they would have been late.


    Zhuang Zhuang panicked when he heard that. He ran over to look at the calendar and counted with his fingers. He realized that it was really too late.


    ¡°Can Xiaoyi celebrate his birthday two days later?¡±


    In his anxiety, Zhuang Zhuang started to cry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense.¡± Xiaoguo put down her needlework and comforted him. Then, she said jokingly, ¡°I thought you were not anxious earlier on? I heard you saying¡­ oh, there is still time.¡±


    Xiaoguo imitated Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s tone. Zhuang Zhuang felt embarrassed when he heard that. He said shyly, ¡°I must have counted wrongly, just like Mother.¡±


    In the end, Xiaoguo was implicated as well. She was speechless. Actually, he was right. She did make a mistake.


    The two of them chatted for a while more. Towards the end, they started rushing each other to finish up. Finally, the gift was completed the next morning. After wrapping it up, they brought it to the post station.


    On the way back.


    ¡°Mother, when are we eating glutinous rice balls?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still early. We¡¯ll eat in three days.¡±


    Xiaoguo flicked his forehead. This kid only thinks about eating every day. It was still early to think about the Lantern Festival.


    Zhuang Zhuang lowered his head. ¡°Come on, Lantern Festival, please arrive soon.¡± He was craving glutinous rice balls.


    Xiaoguo looked at him and smiled. If Zhuang Zhuang hadn¡¯t mentioned glutinous rice balls, she would have completely forgotten about it. Not to mention about eating glutinous rice balls, she hadn¡¯t even bought anything yet. They had run of glutinous rice flour at home.


    Xiaoguo made a trip to the market in her donkey cart. When she saw that there were people selling glutinous rice balls, she bought some ready-made ones. Although she could make them herself, it was much more convenient to cook ready-made balls. They taste almost the same.


    For convenience¡¯s sake, Xiaoguo bought a lot of them. She could eat them during the Lantern Festival and save the rest for next time.


    On the street, there were already many stalls selling lanterns. There were also lion and dragon dance troupes wandering on the streets, seemingly waiting for night to arrive.


    With such a bustling scene during the day, the night is bound to be awesome.


    Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart away from the bustling atmosphere of the market. Although it was lively and good, she didn¡¯t like unfamiliar crowds. It was the same when she was in school. She only turned up for compulsory activities and absent herself from other events that were not so important.


    Not to mention that time during the apocalypse. At that time, most people were in hiding. All crowded places were avoided by people like the plague. Furthermore, people at that time were not regarded as humans anymore¡ªtheir basic moral values and conscience were non-existent. They were just a group of living dead.


    Now that she was here, she felt a little better. Be it psychologically or in terms of the environment, this place had left a deep impact on her. She liked the simple people here. Everyone had a pure place in their hearts, unlike the place where she used to live. That place was filled with too much hostility.

 Chapter 271 - 271 The Joke Is On Her

    271 The Joke Is On Her


    After buying the glutinous rice balls, Xiaoguo kept them in the freezer. There were still a few days before the Lantern Festival. The glutinous balls would spoil if they were left outside. After all, the weather has become warmer recently. The nights were not as cold as that time during the new year.


    It was not until the night before the Lantern Festival that Mrs. Yang, who had disappeared for a long time, appeared.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had just finished dinner and were about to go to bed when there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°You can lie down.¡±


    Xiaoguo covered Zhuang Zhuang with a blanket and got dressed before walking out. Who could it be in the middle of the night?


    Xiaoguo did not open the door immediately. Instead, she asked warily, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Mrs. Yang¡¯s voice sounded. Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief and unlocked the door with help from the candlelight.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I haven¡¯t seen you in a while.¡±


    Xiaoguo opened the door as she spoke.


    Mrs. Yang walked in from outside. It was too dark to see her face clearly, but she could tell that she was dressed very thinly.


    Xiaoguo exclaimed in surprise. She quickly locked the door and pulled her into the house. As she walked, she nagged at Mrs. Yang, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of catching a cold? Why are you dressed like this?¡±


    After listening to Xiaoguo nag for a long time, Mrs. Yang remained silent and followed behind her.


    Xiaoguo pulled her into another room, lit a candle, and closed the door. When she turned around, she noticed Mrs. Yang¡¯s strange expression.


    ¡°Sister-in-law? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked worriedly. She had never seen Mrs. Yang looked like this during her time here. She looked listless, as if her soul had been taken away from her.


    Mrs. Yang bit her lip. Her pale face was filled with hesitation.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, I¡¯ll sleep over at your place tonight. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure, of course.¡± Xiaoguo¡¯s first reaction was to nod. It was definitely fine that she was staying over.


    Mrs. Yang smiled bitterly. Xiaoguo looked at her from head to toe and couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with her. She just looked a little pale and her eyes seemed red and swollen.


    Wait, her eyes were red and swollen? Xiaoguo¡¯s body trembled. Had she been crying? But why was she crying? Did she fight with Brother Yang?


    After taking a closer look, Xiaoguo nodded to herself. The possibility of a fight was higher. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be requesting to spend the night here in the middle of the night.


    Although she kept speculating in her heart, Xiaoguo did not ask anything. After comforting Mrs. Yang, she went into the inner room and told Zhuang Zhuang to sleep alone while she slept in the other room with Mrs. Yang.


    Although Mrs. Yang was not saying anything now, she might say it when she calmed down later. It was better not to talk about such matters in front of the child.


    The two of them lay on the same bed. At first, Mrs. Yang closed her eyes and didn¡¯t say anything. Xiaoguo waited quietly for a while and felt that something must be up. From the looks of it, she might not be able to get anything out of her tonight.


    In her mind, Xiaoguo was figuring out how to broach the subject. Then, she stole a glance at Mrs. Yang and realized that tears were flowing from her closed eyes.


    When she saw this, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She got up and patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Sister-in-law, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang also sat up and began to sob softly.


    She was crying because she was afraid that someone would ask. Once they did, she couldn¡¯t help but cry even harder.


    Xiaoguo looked at her helplessly. She was clumsy with words. How could she comfort her?


    She could only sit by Mrs. Yang¡¯s side silently while waiting for her to calm down.


    But before she could ask, Mrs. Yang said something that made Xiaoguo¡¯s jaw drop. ¡°I ran away from home.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Mrs. Yang held Xiaoguo¡¯s chin expressionlessly and slowly told her the reason.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, her jaw dropped again. She blinked at Mrs. Yang, who was glowing with motherly love and holding her stomach. She was shocked. Did she hear wrongly?


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?!¡±


    Mrs. Yang nodded. Xiaoguo got excited again.


    ¡°How long has it been?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been more than a month¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang was looking calm at this moment, but on the receiving end of the news, XIaoguo was filled with surprise.


    Xiaoguo touched her stomach, which was still not showing, and said happily, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°Sigh, why are you unhappy? This is good news.¡± After Xiaoguo calmed down, she became puzzled. Pregnancy was a joyous occasion. ¡°Why does she look so unhappy?¡±


    Mrs. Yang sighed and hesitated to speak.


    Xiaoguo suddenly shivered. A thought just flashed past her mind.


    ¡°Sister-in-law¡­¡± Xiaoguo leaned closer to Mrs.Yang and whispered in her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s not Brother Yang¡¯s baby.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± When Mrs. Yang heard this, she blushed and pushed Xiaoguo. ¡°Nonsense! If it¡¯s not his, whose is it?¡±


    ¡°There you go.¡± Xiaoguo sat up straight and smiled mischievously. ¡°This is a joyous occasion. Why are you crying?¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she shook her head. ¡°What good news? This child came at the wrong time.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t say that. The child will hear you.¡±


    Mrs. Yang was shocked by Xiaoguo¡¯s words. ¡°No way. It is not fully formed yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. It¡¯s in your body, so it should be able to sense what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    After saying that, Xiaoguo hid a smile. Looking at Mrs. Yang¡¯s regretful expression, she admitted that her initial intention was to frighten her.


    Seeing Mrs. Yang like this, it didn¡¯t seem like she didn¡¯t want this child. Instead, it seemed to be the opposite. When she heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, she subconsciously placed her hand on her stomach and patted it twice. It was obvious that she liked the baby very much.


    Looking at her behavior, Xiaoguo had a better understanding of the situation.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang sighed again. ¡°It would be better if the pregnancy occurred a few months later. It¡¯s going to be spring soon. And that¡¯s the time when we have to work.¡±


    ¡°Just because of this?!¡± Xiaoguo looked at her helplessly. It was still too early for spring.


    When Mrs. Yang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, she nodded and shook her head hesitantly.


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m crying.¡± After saying that, Mrs. Yang blushed and looked too embarrassed to continue.


    At first, Xiaoguo thought that Brother Yang didn¡¯t want this child. But looking at Mrs. Yang¡¯s happy face, it didn¡¯t seem like it. XIaoguo was starting to get really confused.


    ¡°¡­¡± So?


    Xiaoguo gestured for her to continue. Mrs. Yang snickered. ¡°Old Yang said that he would take care of all the work at home and in the fields. He told me to rest at home until I give birth.¡±


    When Mrs. Yang said this, her face was filled with bashfulness.


    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what to say. She had just witnessed a show of public affection. So the joke was on her.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Mrs. Yang put away her shyness. ¡°What¡¯s so good about it? You don¡¯t know what happened. When I came out of the house this afternoon to look for you, I saw Old Yang and Widow Liu sitting together just outside the house. They were muttering something to each other with their heads leaning so close to each other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Brother Yang doesn¡¯t look like such a person.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought of Yang Feng¡¯s honest looks and shook her head subconsciously. If it were anyone else, she would think that it was possible. But why did it seem so implausible when the subject was Yang Feng?


    Just looking at how Yang Feng behaves around Mrs. Yang every day, she really didn¡¯t believe that he would cheat on her during pregnancy.


    ¡°Of course! He wouldn¡¯t dare to.¡±


    Mrs. Yang¡¯s face was filled with confidence. Just based on Old Yang¡¯s love for her, it was impossible that he would fool around.

 Chapter 272 - 272 Little Rascal

    272 Little Rascal


    As soon as she said this, Xiaoguo was completely stunned. All her guesses were incorrect. What was the real reason?


    Mrs. Yang continued to defend Old Yang with a protective look on her face. ¡°He went to look for Widow Liu because he wanted to borrow her prescription which would help to protect the baby. Widow Liu¡¯s husband had studied medicine when he was alive, so he knew a lot of prescriptions for various ailments. I just received the prescription last night.¡±


    Xiaoguo was on the verge of swearing. ¡°So, why was she crying?!¡±


    ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t be anxious. Let me continue.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded stiffly. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Tell me. I don¡¯t believe that there¡¯s any more public display of affection.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, don¡¯t sleep. I haven¡¯t finished talking.¡±


    Mrs. Yang reached out to nudge Xiaoguo, as she continued narrating, ¡°I told Old Yang that I was coming here. But he didn¡¯t even bother to stop me. He even said that I wasn¡¯t calm and kept insisting that I calm down first¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to move too much for fear of hurting Mrs. Yang¡¯s stomach. However, she really couldn¡¯t continue listening to what Mrs. Yang was telling her.


    She really didn¡¯t expect her pregnant friend to be so melodramatic.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was like a piece of soft meat. She couldn¡¯t pull herself up. Her head felt like it was stuck to a pillow.


    ¡°Xiaoguo? Xiaoguo?¡±


    Mrs. Yang did not give up. She continued to tap on Xiaoguo¡¯s back. Seeing that she could not wake her up, she gave up reluctantly.


    The next morning, at dawn, Brother Yang came to bring Mrs. Yang back.


    Xiaoguo shook her head helplessly and waited for the two loving figures to leave before locking the door and returning to her room. She stretched and returned to her bed. Mrs. Yang had kept her up for the better half the night. She took the chance to catch up on her sleep while it was still early.


    ¨C


    In the capital.


    ¡°Your Highness, get up.¡±


    Zhixia gently called out to the little bundle under the blanket.


    The little bump made a few moves before it completely stopped moving again.


    Zhixia chuckled and said again, ¡°Your Highness? Xiaoyi?¡±


    This time, he wriggled a few times before stopping.


    Seeing that there was a chance, Zhixia tried again. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday today.¡±


    This time, there was a big commotion under the blanket. A small black head slowly appeared, and then there was no more movement.


    ¡°How many gifts will our birthday boy receive today?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    Xiaoyi got up and opened his eyes to look at her.


    Zhixia covered her mouth and giggled. She moved aside and the palace maids behind her immediately rushed forward. They dressed Xiaoyi, tied up his hair, and cleaned him up. Soon, a handsome boy who was elegant and cute appeared in front of her.


    If he hadn¡¯t yawned, he would have looked even more charming.


    Zhixia brought Xiaoyi to Yangxin Palace.


    It was his birthday today. He had to wake up very early to pay his respects to Shao Zhan.


    It was rare that Xiaoyi was being so cooperative. He did not make any noise along the way and did whatever he was told.


    Zhixia was extremely surprised. It was a miracle. If this was asked of him on normal days, he would have kicked up a fuss by now. He definitely would not be cooperating so obediently.


    Xiaoyi¡¯s big eyes were fixed on the entrance of the hall. He was not even in the mood to eat with Shao Zhan.


    Shao Zhan snorted a few times, but he did not attract Xiaoyi¡¯s attention.


    After breakfast, Xiaoyi got ready to leave. He walked out anxiously, thinking that the packages might have arrived at his residence by now.


    ¡°Sigh, stop right there.¡±


    Shao Zhan looked at the little bastard who was about to leave after wiping his mouth. ¡°How disrespectful.¡±


    Xiaoyi was in a good mood today, unlike Shao Zhan. He turned around and bowed to him. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    With that, he walked out steadily. Once he was outside, he started running anxiously.


    Shao Zhan blinked a few times and came back to his senses. He looked at Eunuch Su, who was also shocked. ¡°Did that just happen?¡±


    This was his first time seeing Xiaoyi behave so politely.


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Eunuch Su held onto his hat and nodded vigorously. It definitely did.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this¡­¡±


    Eunuch Su suddenly thought of the gift beside him. The emperor had spent a lot of effort to prepare this, but he didn¡¯t manage to pass it to Xiaoyi.


    ¡°¡­¡± Shao Zhan looked at the box beside him and thought for a moment. ¡°Forget it. This can be given to him at night.¡±


    Eunuch Su bent down and picked up the box. He carefully carried it out. The things inside were still swaying from the sudden shift.


    Holding the box carefully in his arms, Eunuch Su couldn¡¯t help but sigh at his fate. After waiting on the emperor, he still had to serve this little brat. This was really killing him.


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    Eunuch Su stopped and raised his head stiffly. Had the emperor just read his mind?


    ¡°Remember to give this to him as the last gift of the day.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Eunuch Su sighed and quickly walked out.


    Shao Zhan pursed his lips. He had forgotten who he had heard this from. The first and last birthday gifts were always the most meaningful ones. Since he could not be the first one to present him with his birthday gift, he should make sure that he was the last one.


    He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead. He spent so much of his time worrying about this little bastard.


    Xiaoyi quickly ran back to his residence. The first thing he did when he entered was to ask if there was anything for him.


    He was not disappointed. When he was making his way to Yangxin Hall earlier, the eunuch had already brought over the gifts that were sent to him by Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoyi was overjoyed. He hugged the bundle and jumped around happily. Whenever he saw someone, he would show off the bundle in his hand. ¡°Does this look good?¡±


    No matter who he asked, the answer was the same.


    ¡°Yes. It looks good!¡±


    Satisfied, Xiaoyi carried the package back to his room so that he could admire the gifts.


    The eunuchs and palace maids outside the door wiped the sweat off their foreheads, looking like they had just made a life-and-death decision.


    When the Crown Prince asked them earlier about the bundle, they didn¡¯t quite know what to say. After all, it was just an ordinary package. How could they tell if it looked good when it wasn¡¯t even opened yet?


    Fortunately, they had all chosen the correct answer¡ªwhich is to agree that it looked good.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to work.¡±


    At Zhixia¡¯s order, everyone dispersed and returned to their posts.


    Xiaoyi hugged the bundle and lay on the bed. He rubbed his face against the package. What should he do? He didn¡¯t want to ruin the knot that Xiaoguo had personally tied up.


    In the end, he reluctantly unwrapped the bundle. Although he couldn¡¯t bear to untie the knot on the outside, his yearning for the gift got the better of him.


    What came into view were two letters on the top. Under the letters was a pair of half-finished shoes, a strange cloth bag with an embroidered design, and a book.


    Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the book. ¡°There is even a book?!¡±


    Feeling curious, Xiaoyi eagerly opened the envelopes. In order to be fair, Xiaoyi made sure to open both envelopes at the same time.


    In addition to congratulating Xiaoyi on his birthday, the letter also contained a detailed introduction of the gifts and it successfully answered all his doubts.


    It told him that the half-finished shoes that exposed half of his feet were called slippers. They are meant to be worn in the house.


    The strange-looking bag with embroidery was called a school bag. It was meant for him to use it for school.


    The book that Zhuang Zhuang had given him was not an ordinary word book. It was a picture book that he had drawn himself. The contents were extracted from the stories that Xiaoguo had told him. He wrote those stories down and illustrated them himself.


    To Xiaoyi, everything in the bundle was very meaningful to him.


    These gifts that Xiaoyi had been looking forward to for a long time were enough to keep him happy until he met Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo again.


    After receiving Shao Zhan¡¯s gift at night, his good mood throughout the day came to a climax.


    At night, Zhixia brought the palace maids and left Xiaoyi¡¯s room. There was only one candle light left in his room. Under the dim lights, she could vaguely see a little boy sleeping soundly beside a yellow puppy with a bulging belly. Next to his pillow was a picture book that was left open. Under the bed was a pair of slippers in his size. She turned around and saw a bulging backpack on the table, waiting for its owner to bring it out tomorrow.

 Chapter 273 - 273 Hard Work Experience Card

    273 Hard Work Experience Card


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Jiang Danhe wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. Compared to Li Shouji, who was casually wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he seemed much more civilized.


    ¡°Why are you leaving so early?¡±


    Li Shouji looked at Jiang Danhe, who looked exceptionally energetic today, and felt a little puzzled.


    Jiang Danhe did not speak. He just stretched and left.


    Yesterday, he had deliberately gone to sleep two hours before his usual bedtime. This morning, he had an extra bowl of rice. He was also wearing the minimalist-style clothes that Xiaoguo made for him.


    Although he didn¡¯t know what minimalist style really was, the clothes were really comfortable.


    They arrived at Mr. Kong¡¯s residence based on the given address.


    When Jiang Danhe arrived, there were already many carriages parked at the entrance of the residence. There were even servants moving wooden boxes out.


    Jiang Danhe wanted to get someone to inform Mr. Kong of his arrival, but no one seemed to have noticed him. He ended up walking in himself.


    Weaving through the busy crowd, Jiang Danhe arrived at the hall. Coincidentally, he bumped into the servant who was always by Grand Tutor Kong¡¯s side.


    The servant also saw Jiang Danhe. In fact, he had specially gone to the door to wait for the general, but he bumped into him shortly after.


    Jiang Danhe followed the servant to Mr. Kong¡¯s room.


    At this moment, the Grand Tutor was packing his luggage with his wife. It was not appropriate for others to handle his personal items.


    Those belongings that had to be brought home were all packed into their luggages, while those that had to be left behind were placed in their rightful positions.


    ¡°Old woman, try not to miss out on anything. I don¡¯t think we will come back here. Make sure that you have everything packed.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I understand. Stop nagging.¡±


    At this moment, the old couple had already changed out of their palace clothes and were wearing commoner¡¯s clothes. No one would be able to guess their true identities looking at the way they were dressed now.


    After leaving the palace, they were unlikely to return again. At this age, they couldn¡¯t endure the long journey to and from the capital. After taking their last breath in their hometown, their bodies will be buried there.


    At this moment, the servant informed them of Jiang Danhe¡¯s arrival. Only then did the old couple see him at the door.


    ¡°Grand Tutor.¡±


    ¡°No, I am no longer the Grand Tutor. General, just call me Teacher.¡±


    Mr. Kong waved his hand. Yesterday was his last day as a grand tutor. This morning, after taking off his official uniform, he was no longer the grand tutor. He still preferred the title of teacher.


    Mrs. Kong glanced at him and muttered under her breath, ¡°You¡¯re so troublesome.¡±


    Mr. Kong was old, but his hearing was still fine, let alone after spending more than sixty years together as husband and wife. He could tell what the other party meant with a single look.


    Hearing this, Mr. Kong didn¡¯t seem to care. However, his mouth, which was hidden under his white beard, twitched slightly. He didn¡¯t dare to express his dissatisfaction blatantly, so he could only protest with small subtle actions.


    But his protest went unnoticed. Mrs. Kong did not even look at the old man beside her. Instead, she smiled brightly and nodded at Jiang Danhe before leaving the room reluctantly. Before leaving, she glared at Mr. Kong.


    She didn¡¯t know what the old man was thinking. Why did he make the general come over to do manual labor? Was he trying to bully the man by using his old age as an excuse? If she were the general, she would beat him up and teach him a lesson.


    Mr. Kong snorted loudly at the departing figure. ¡°You only know how to scold me.¡±


    The anger that he felt for his wife was all vented on Jiang Danhe.


    After instructing him, the old man left the room.


    Jiang Danhe was left alone in the huge room, staring at the boxes in front of him.


    If he didn¡¯t hear wrongly just now, Mr. Kong had asked him to move everything to the carriage outside.


    Jiang Danhe gulped. He finally understood what Shao Zhan meant.


    He must have known that he was going to do manual work today.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe let out a long sigh. ¡°Forget it. I will do it for my son¡¯s sake.¡±


    Jiang Danhe rolled up his sleeves and worked until the afternoon. Mr. Kong, who was supposed to set off today, had pushed back his departure until the next morning.


    Looking at Jiang Danhe, who had been busy all day, Mrs. Kong¡¯s heart ached for him. She brought him tea and poured drinking water for him. Mr. Kong rolled his eyes at her. Her liking for handsome men had not changed even in her old age. Why wasn¡¯t she as attentive when her husband was working?


    Mrs. Kong stood at the door and looked at the general¡¯s departing figure with heartache. She scolded Mr. Kong, ¡°Look at you, old man. You didn¡¯t have so many things to move initially. Why did you have to pack all the useless things into those boxes for him to move? Later on, the servants will have to move them down again.¡±


    At this point, she pinched him angrily. ¡°Are you trying to stir up trouble?¡±


    Mr. Kong retreated in pain. ¡°Who said that I was creating trouble? I did this for a purpose.¡±


    ¡°To what end?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand even if I told you.¡± As soon as Mr. Kong said that, he knew that he had said something wrong. He immediately tried to salvage the situation. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright! Kong Daniu! You are actually despising me for being uneducated!¡±


    ¡°Who is despising you? And we agreed not to mention each other¡¯s nicknames again!¡±


    ¡°Kong Daniu, Kong Daniu, Kong Daniu! You actually dare to despise me now. If I hadn¡¯t pulled you out of the cesspool back then, would you be what you are today?¡±


    Mrs. Kong disregarded Mr. Kong¡¯s words and carried on calling Mr. Kong by his nickname. She pushed him away and pointed at his nose as she started to nag at him. Although she was old, her lung capacity was pretty powerful.


    Every sentence was mentioned with the words Kong Daniu. Hearing this, Mr. Kong covered his ears and ran into the house. Mrs. Kong followed closely behind. As she chased after him, she did not stop calling him names.


    Hence, the following scene appeared in the residence.


    The two seniors started the chase at their fastest speed. One covered his ears and pretended not to hear, while the other picked up her skirt and chased after him, cursing non-stop.


    What the others saw was the old couple moving forward at turtle speed.


    Kong Ni, who was looking for the two elders, quietly covered his youngest son¡¯s ears. He only let go when the old couple had gone out of sight.


    ¡°Father, what are Grandfather and Grandmother doing?¡±


    The child looked at Kong Ni innocently, wondering why he was covering his ears and mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Your grandparents are taking a walk.¡±


    His youngest son nodded. ¡°I see. No wonder they were walking so slowly. So they are taking a walk.¡±


    ¡°But why did you cover my ears and mouth?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Kong Ni pulled his youngest son in the other direction. After a moment of silence, he said thoughtfully, ¡°It¡¯s just part of life¡¯s experiences.¡±


    His youngest son didn¡¯t seem like he fully understood what was going on. Kong Ni didn¡¯t say anything else. He just rubbed his head and looked ahead, completely absorbed in his thoughts.


    He still remembered hearing those beautiful words when he was young. Recalling the scene from back then, it was almost heart-breaking.


    From that day onwards, the gentle, generous, and understanding mother in his heart was gone forever.


    ¨C


    When Jiang Danhe returned to his residence, it was already late.


    The guard looked at the tired-looking general. The admiration in his heart was like a surging river. It looked like the general had worked hard in the military camp today.


    Jiang Danhe waved his hand casually. When there was no one around, he rubbed his arm tiredly. He had an old ailment in his arm previously, and he had been exerting weight on his arm the whole day. It seemed like it was going to hurt for the entire month.


    As soon as he reached the door, he was acutely aware of a presence that shouldn¡¯t be there.


    ¡°Who is it!¡±


    He subconsciously reached for his weapon at the waist, but there was nothing there. Only then did he remember that he was not wearing his usual clothes today. Therefore, he was not armed with the knife that he usually wore on his waist.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    As soon as he heard the voice, Jiang Danhe felt relieved. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you light the lamp?¡±


    As he spoke, he moved around easily in the darkness, as if it was no different from daytime.


    He took out a torch and lit the candles. The room was instantly lit up. He could see Shao Zhan sitting at the table and the table in front of him was filled with food.

 Chapter 274 - 274 Stay

    274 Stay


    Shao Zhan did not speak. He just straightened a pair of chopsticks for Jiang Danhe and gestured for him to sit down and eat.


    Jiang Danhe was really hungry. He rubbed at his water-filled stomach and walked over.


    For the entire day, all he had was water and tea. He had not taken a single bite of solid food. It had been a long time since he had missed any meals. After reuniting with Xiaoguo, he had been abiding by her teachings and had never missed a single meal.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Shao Zhan looked at him eating and couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Jiang Danhe glared at him and he shut up.


    When he spoke again, it was after Jiang Danhe put down his chopsticks.


    ¡°How was your day?¡±


    ¡°I thought you could guess.¡±


    Jiang Danhe wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, then folded it and placed it aside. He glanced at the pretentious man and picked up a glass of water to drink. ¡°Are you here to gloat?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± As if.


    Shao Zhan answered quickly, but the smile on his face made his words incredible.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Jiang Danhe put down his cup and snorted. ¡°How boring. Don¡¯t you have to go through the memorials today?¡±


    He actually had the time to come out and gloat at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m very busy. I¡¯m just worried about someone¡¯s arm.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out an ointment and threw it to Jiang Danhe. ¡°Take this and rest well. After all, I¡¯ll have to rely on this arm to protect this country in the future.¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not take his words to heart at all.


    Seeing that he was silent, Shao Zhan thought for a moment and said again, ¡°You should stay in the capital for the time being.¡±


    He had brought this up to Jiang Danhe many times, but he feigned ignorance every time. This made it impossible for him to continue chatting. He decided to cut to the chase today. He simply didn¡¯t want Jiang Danhe to leave.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve already talked about that.¡±


    ¡°You made that unilateral announcement. I didn¡¯t agree to it.¡±


    Shao Zhan waved his hand and denied Jiang Danhe¡¯s words. In any case, he wasn¡¯t completely wrong. He had never promised him that he could leave.


    Jiang Danhe was so angry that he almost laughed. So he was starting to play word games with him now. He crossed his arms and looked at him. ¡°It¡¯s useless to say anything.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can go back?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Shao Zhan stopped smiling. ¡°Calm down. I don¡¯t mean anything else.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s muscles tensed up and he started to frown. Looking at the other party¡¯s confident look, his heart palpitated with unease.


    ¡°We both know that you¡¯re not tempted by money and status, but can you give up your sword and army?¡±


    Jiang Danhe fell silent. This was also a question he had been avoiding. At some point in time, removing his armor and returning to the fields had become his obsession. But after putting aside his obsession, he had never thought about what would happen next.


    These past few years have been neither long nor short. During the intense training that he had been conducting everyday, his body and mind had gotten used to this kind of lifestyle. How could he bear to let go of the soldiers that he had personally selected and trained to fight on the battlefield?


    Although he hated killing, habits were scary¡­


    Seeing that he had stoked the burning embers, Shao Zhan took a step closer to him and said softly, ¡°Your wife is doing well now and your son is of schooling age. There¡¯s no point in you going back, so¡­¡±


    At this point, Shao Zhan put his hand on Jiang Danhe¡¯s shoulder and said in a bewitching voice, ¡°Stay. You can¡¯t bear to leave all these.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe remained silent and only glanced at him.


    Shao Zhan left after saying that. He knew that Jiang Danhe would not answer him right away. After all, he was just stating the facts and bringing up the things that he was deliberately avoiding.


    Eunuch Su appeared instantly when he saw Shao Zhan. Just now, they were all following his orders to hide themselves so that the general would not see them. They only dared to show themselves when the emperor came out.


    ¡°Your Majesty, are we going back to the palace?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Shao Zhan got into the carriage. With a wave of Eunuch Su¡¯s hand, the carriage moved away silently.


    Eunuch Su had always followed his principle of not prying into the affairs of the imperial court. At this moment, he was a little shaken. He was aware of the emperor¡¯s repeated beguiling of the general.


    One wanted to leave, and the other wanted him to stay. One had strong willpower, and the other had perseverance.


    They were conflicting to begin with. He wondered who would compromise first.


    As Eunuch Su thought about this, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly. Coincidentally, the person in the carriage heard him.


    ¡°What are you sighing about?¡±


    Eunuch Su was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweat. He shivered in the breeze. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hmph.¡±


    Before long, a cold snort sounded. Eunuch Su¡¯s legs went weak and he almost fell to his knees.


    Fortunately, nothing happened along the way and they successfully returned to the palace.


    After helping the emperor to bed, Eunuch Su finally had time to massage his sore calves. He had spent his day standing and hiding for a long time. ¡°It must have been hard on you, my dear legs.¡±


    ¨C


    The next morning, Jiang Danhe sat up in bed, washed up, and changed into a set of clean clothes. He didn¡¯t even have time to eat breakfast before going over to send Mr. Kong off.


    As soon as he arrived at the mansion, he realized that there were only two carriages parked at the entrance. One of them had a carriage, so it was obvious that it was used for transportation. The other carriage only had a carriage plate, and there were only a few wooden boxes placed on it.


    Jiang Danhe was a little puzzled. Didn¡¯t he move many boxes yesterday? Why were there so few boxes left today?


    ¡°Alright, alright. Stop sending us off. Just visit us when you have time.¡±


    Just as he was feeling puzzled, Mr. Kong¡¯s voice came from the door, followed by a babble of noisy voices.


    Jiang Danhe quickly walked to the door. As soon as he arrived, Mr. Kong¡¯s family walked out.


    ¡°The general is here.¡±


    Mr. Kong saw Jiang Danhe immediately and greeted him. However, Mrs. Kong stopped the latter enthusiastically and asked about his well-being. She was so enthusiastic that he almost didn¡¯t know what to do.


    After Mr. Kong pulled his wife away, Jiang Danhe took the opportunity to greet Kong Ni and his family.


    After exchanging greetings, he saw that the elderly couple had already walked to the carriage.


    ¡°Father, Mother, you have to take good care of yourselves. We¡¯ll visit you every month.¡±


    Kong Ni was already forty years old, but even so, his eyes were turning red while looking at his parents, who were about to leave.


    When the eyes of Kong Ni turned red, his wife and two children beside him started shedding tears of reluctance.


    ¡°Why are you crying!¡± Mr. Kong patted his son¡¯s shoulder firmly. Then, he looked at everyone and said, ¡°Your mother and I are leaving to enjoy our retirement. We¡¯ve spent most of our lives working hard. It¡¯s time for us to enjoy some leisure time.¡±


    With that, he took out a folded piece of paper and said to Jiang Danhe, ¡°General, my address is inside. There¡¯s also something I wrote for your wife and son. Please pass it to them.¡±


    Mr. Kong did not say anything else. There should be mutual understanding between them.


    After Jiang Danhe accepted it, he nodded at him gratefully. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Mr. Kong took his wife¡¯s hand and looked at his family seriously. Finally, he patted Kong Ni¡¯s shoulder twice. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this family to you.¡±


    Mrs. Kong also looked at the younger generation reluctantly. Patting her two grandsons¡¯ heads and touching her son¡¯s mature face, a heartfelt smile appeared on her face.


    Finally, she came to her daughter-in-law¡¯s side and patted her shoulder meaningfully. She was thinking the same things as Mr. Kong. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this family to you.¡±


    After bidding farewell reluctantly, the old couple was about to help each other into the carriage when a voice suddenly sounded.


    ¡°Please wait!¡±

 Chapter 275 - 275 Original Intentions

    275 Original Intentions


    The few of them looked at the approaching carriage in confusion. They saw Eunuch Su, who was dressed in his casual clothes, running over and bowing to them.


    Mr. Kong quickly led his wife off the carriage. With Eunuch Su here, it was obvious who was sitting in the carriage.


    ¡°Greeting to your Majesty.¡±


    The group was about to bow when Shao Zhan quickly got out of the car to stop them.


    ¡°Teacher Kong, you don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    Shao Zhan helped Mr. Kong up with both hands. ¡°I was the one who invited you here to teach. I should send you back personally now.¡±


    Teacher Kong was deeply touched as he looked at Shao Zhan. When he first saw the man, he was still an infant. When the Shao Nation was invaded, Mr. Kong had already retreated to live in the mountains. The reason he left the mountains was because Shao Zhan had repeatedly invited him to go to the capital. He didn¡¯t think that Shao Zhan would come personally to see him off.


    Mr. Kong was filled with emotions. He nodded and shook his head at times, looking completely immersed in his memories.


    Mrs. Kong couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and reached out to pinch him secretly.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The few of them were shocked by his sudden yelp and looked at him blankly.


    Mr. Kong rubbed his arms and pretended to look up at the sky. Then, he blurted out, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We should set off.¡±


    Shao Zhan assigned a few men to escort the two elders of the Kong family to Yonghai County. After gladly accepting the offer, the couple got into the carriage and bid farewell to everyone before leaving.


    After watching the carriage leave, Shao Zhan left first. If he did not leave first, no one would have dared to leave.


    Jiang Danhe was in a hurry to write a letter to Xiaoguo, so he did not stay long. He left for home after bidding farewell.


    As soon as he reached the door, he saw a carriage that was about to leave.


    Jiang Danhe sighed helplessly. He got off his horse and handed the reins to the guard beside him.


    When Eunuch Su saw Jiang Danhe, he knocked on the carriage to inform the emperor that the person he was waiting for had arrived.


    After doing all this, Eunuch Su led a group of people and moved aside, leaving an empty space for the two men to talk.


    ¡°How is it? Have you thought it through?¡±


    Hearing Shao Zhan¡¯s confident tone, Jiang Danhe suddenly laughed.


    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Shao Zhan tilted his head and looked at him curiously. ¡°Has he gone crazy?¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped laughing and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve indeed thought it through.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Zhan nodded. Everything was under his control.


    Jiang Danhe snickered at his confidence. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. The army is indeed very important to me.¡±


    Hearing this, Shao Zhan nodded in satisfaction, but what he said next almost made him choke.


    ¡°However, you underestimated my love for Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shao Zhan was confused and asked uneasily, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Jiang Danhe jumped and sat in the carriage. Then, he looked into the distance with longing. ¡°Everything I¡¯ve done is based on the premise that I can go home safely to accompany them. Even though I can¡¯t bear to part with my hard work over the past few years, it seems so insignificant compared to them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shao Zhan opened his mouth, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Jiang Danhe continued, ¡°I was feeling quite hesitant last night, but my doubts disappeared very quickly. I¡¯ve missed out on four years with them. When they were going through the most difficult period in their lives, I wasn¡¯t by their side. No matter what the reason was, I had already missed out on that period. Although their lives are in a better state now, I can¡¯t use this reason to excuse myself from the duties of a husband and father again.¡±


    ¡°Besides, this job is high risk. If I were a bachelor, it wouldn¡¯t matter. But I¡¯m not. I have a wife and a son. They all need me. I can¡¯t be too selfish and leave all the responsibilities to Xiaoguo. It¡¯s too unfair to her. And as for how to live in the future, that¡¯s for the future. I¡¯ll let nature take its course. I believe that being together as a family, nothing could come in our way. Even if I had to do farming with them in the future, we will be happy together.¡±


    At the thought of going home to reunite with them, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. No one could predict the future. He should just let nature take its course.


    ¡°Everything is open for negotiations. Don¡¯t be so absolute in your decision.¡±


    Shao Zhan understood how it felt to be a father. Although he had been trying to make up for the years where he had missed out on Xiaoyi¡¯s childhood, he always felt that something was lacking. Jiang Danhe was right. What was missing could never be recovered. But he had to ensure that the regrets did not pile up further.


    However, he couldn¡¯t let him leave. There has to be a middle ground. Everything was negotiable.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t be a general. I¡¯ll get you a position that isn¡¯t life-threatening. One which will give you plenty of time and holidays.¡±


    Shao Zhan¡¯s mind was spinning rapidly. Jiang Danhe was very good at training people. Even if he was no longer a general, there were other posts that he could fill. He just needed him to stay in the capital. It just didn¡¯t feel right without Jiang Danhe in the palace.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a civil official.¡±


    ¡°Who asked you to be a civil official? Wouldn¡¯t that be a waste of your talents?¡±


    Shao Zhan shook his head. ¡°There must be a more suitable position for you. It would be safe and allow you to display your talents. Let me think about it¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe let out a long sigh and did not take his words seriously.


    Although they had not known each other for a long time, their relationship was indeed very deep.


    He understood that Shao Zhan¡¯s uneasiness stemmed from the fact that his childhood was spent threading on thin ice. In adulthood, many years were spent living under various inhibitions. Being in his prime now, he hardly had any friends whom he can share his thoughts with. His position on the throne came with many temptations. It can be difficult to stay true to oneself. Perhaps with him around, Shao Zhan would find it easier to stay on the right path.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s thoughts were similar to Shao Zhan¡¯s. With Jiang Danhe around, he was constantly reminded of his initial goal of taking back the Shao Kingdom.


    Apart from taking revenge, he was determined to be a good emperor who cared about the country and the people since he was young.


    If Jiang Danhe were to leave now, he was really afraid that his original intention would be eroded and he would turn into a muddle-headed emperor. At that time, his heart and fate would get out of his control.


    In the end, Shao Zhan seemed to have thought of something. He pushed Jiang Danhe away and summoned Eunuch Su and the others back. ¡°Let¡¯s return to the palace immediately!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Eunuch Su immediately stood up from the ground and brushed the dust off his butt. He said to the other men, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    With that, he bowed to Jiang Danhe and left with the carriage.


    Jiang Danhe laughed helplessly. It was so sudden. He wondered what rotten idea he had come up with.


    ¡°Oh no!¡±


    Jiang Danhe suddenly exclaimed.


    ¡°General?¡±


    The guard immediately stepped forward and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jiang Danhe shook his head and ran back to the study. He had just remembered that he had not written back to Xiaoguo. She must have been waiting anxiously for the news.


    After writing, he asked the guard to post it out urgently. After hearing that it had been successfully sent out, he felt relieved.


    ¨C


    Xiaoguo was indeed getting anxious from waiting. Ever since she received Jiang Danhe¡¯s letter and confirmed that Mr. Kong would be coming to Yonghai County, She passed the days with her heart in her mouth. It had been a few days. She knew that she would not receive a reply so soon, but she was still hoping everyday that a courier would knock on the door.


    While waiting for the letter, she had sewn up Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s school bag and also made a lot of new clothes. She had also taken into account the attire of other scholars, but she felt that they looked a little sickly and listless, so she modified the designs of the clothes.


    Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have sensed something as well. He had been appearing listless and lethargic. Xiaoguo had to either carry him or piggy-back him. His limbs seemed to be malfunctioning. He was just short of letting her carry him to the toilet.


    Xiaoguo witnessed the change in his behavior with her own eyes, but there was nothing she could do. This might be the legendary school phobia.


    It was said that there was only one thing that could be used to treat such symptoms, and that was habit.


    After all, this was the first time a young bird had to leave the wings of a big bird. It was inevitable that he needed time to get used to the new world. Everyone has to go through their first steps in life.

 Chapter 276 - 276 Losing His Temper

    276 Losing His Temper


    Another week of waiting passed.


    Xiaoguo was completely done with her preparations. She had bought Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s school bag, clothes, shoes, and books that might be of use. She even bought new rice paper, brushes, and ink.


    Even though she didn¡¯t say anything, she could tell from Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face that he already knew what was going on.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, get up.¡±


    Xiaoguo made breakfast and returned to the house. When she saw Zhuang Zhuang still lazing in bed, she stuffed her cold hands under the covers without thinking.


    ¡°Ah¡­ ¡±


    In an instant, Zhuang Zhuang jumped out of bed, wailing.


    ¡°Get up!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and patted his exposed butt. With that, she got up and left.


    She returned to the kitchen and scooped out some porridge. As soon as she placed it on the table, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked instinctively in the kitchen, but within the next instant, she realized what she had done and chuckled to herself. How silly of her to ask from inside the house. No one could possibly hear her.


    The knocking on the door continued. Xiaoguo put down her chopsticks and shouted as she walked into the courtyard, ¡°Coming!¡±


    As soon as she opened the door, she saw a familiar face. It was the face that Xiaoguo had been looking forward to seeing.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh yes.¡±


    The courier was a little shocked by Xiaoguo¡¯s enthusiasm, so he took out the letter and handed it to her in a daze.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡±


    After thanking him, Xiaoguo was about to close the door eagerly when the courier suddenly reached out and stopped the door. ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    Xiaoguo was shocked and almost injured his hand. Fortunately, she reacted in time.


    The courier scratched his head in embarrassment. He had just been startled by her enthusiasm earlier so he only gave her one letter. He took out another letter from his pocket and handed it to her. ¡°There¡¯s one more.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± This time, it was Xiaoguo¡¯s turn to feel puzzled. Who else would write to her other than Jiang Danhe?


    Xiaoguo took the envelope and studied the unfamiliar handwriting. She wondered who it could be.


    Other than Jiang Danhe, Xiaoyi was the only person from the capital who would contact her!


    After guessing who it was, Xiaoguo accepted the letter with relief. Just to make sure, she checked with the courier to see if there were any more letters for her. After confirming that there were no more letters, she waved goodbye to him.


    She wanted to go straight back to the house to read the letter, but as she passed by the kitchen, she was stopped by the sharp-eyed Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ll be right there. You can eat first.¡±


    Xiaoguo did not stop. She responded casually to the boy and returned to the house. Nothing was more important than reading the letter now.


    Zhuang Zhuang rolled the eggs on the table and looked into his bowl with a pout. This was the first time he was wishing that his mother hadn¡¯t received a letter.


    When Xiaoguo returned to the house, she first opened Jiang Danhe¡¯s envelope. She realized that there were two letters inside. She opened one, and there were only two lines on it. The first line looked like an address. Xiaoguo read the second line for a while before putting down the letter and opening the other one.


    After reading Jiang Danhe¡¯s letter, Xiaoguo had a better idea of the situation. She picked up the other letter again and carefully studied the second line. Based on her thoughts and Jiang Danhe¡¯s guess, this sentence was probably meant for Zhuang Zhuang.


    At the thought of this, she was about to look for Zhuang Zhuang with the letter when she suddenly remembered that there was another letter.


    She opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside. The handwriting was mature and steady. It did not look like Xiaoyi¡¯s handwriting at all. Moreover, the first sentence was his self-introduction.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡±


    Xiaoguo exclaimed. It was actually a letter from the emperor, Shao Zhan. What could he be writing to her about? The two of them weren¡¯t on very close terms at all.


    The more Xiaoguo read, the more her brows furrowed. So this was a letter asking for help.


    In the letter, Shao Zhan told Xiaoguo the reason why Jiang Danhe was going home. He was asking Xiaoguo to help persuade Jiang Danhe from resigning. He emphasized that Jiang Danhe was actually unwilling to leave the military camp.


    Initially, Xiaoguo did not intend to get involved in Jiang Danhe¡¯s decision, but she was distracted by what he said next.


    In summary, he was saying that he would reappoint Jiang Danhe¡¯s position. Apart from not having to go to the battlefield, everything else would remain the same. Moreover, he would be entitled to many leave days. He could even return every month if he wished to.


    When Xiaoguo saw it, her first thought was that it was a bad idea. The proposal and the proposer were just as unbelievable.


    What was the purpose of doing this? How could such a bad idea come from the emperor?


    Xiaoguo shook her head. If Jiang Danhe were to agree to this, he would become an idle general.


    Shao Zhan had thought of all these too. He was not a brainless idiot. There must be a reason for him to propose such an idea.


    With the current situation, he could confidently say that there would not be any major battles for the next ten, twenty, or even thirty years. For small disputes and fights, he had many other generals on standby. There were also many experienced veterans stationed at each border.


    Jiang Danhe only had to stay on to be a general in the capital. In any case, the foreigners had been beaten numerous times by Jiang Danhe in the past few years. With his reputation, those people wouldn¡¯t dare to invade the Shao Kingdom so recklessly. For that reason, Jiang Danhe would only have to do his part to groom the existing troops and recruit more military talents.


    If there was no war, he could lead a stable and peaceful life until old age. In order to prevent Jiang Danhe from leaving, Shao Zhan had thought of many plans. Since Jiang Danhe said that he couldn¡¯t spend time with his family, he would give the man a lot of time off. It should be enough to ease his longing for his family.


    As soon as he thought of this perfect solution, he couldn¡¯t wait to write to Xiaoguo. It was better for her to persuade Jiang Danhe.


    However, he had miscalculated one thing. Xiaoguo would not impose her thoughts on Jiang Danhe.


    Xiaoguo did find this idea very attractive. After all, it sounded like an easy job, with good money and lesser duties. Moreover, he was right about one thing. It was inevitable for a family to step on each other¡¯s toes if everyone was stuck under one roof. It might be better to maintain a distance from each other. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.


    However, she decided to let Jiang Danhe make his own decisions. This was his business and his choice. No one should interfere. Even as his family, they had no rights to do so.


    She calmly put away the letter and returned to the kitchen with Teacher Kong¡¯s letter.


    When she went in, Zhuang Zhuang was holding a half-filled bowl of porridge and looking at her with resentment. ¡°I¡¯m almost done.¡±


    ¡°Does she know that during this time, I was feeling so tormented?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, this is just the right time.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and finished half of the porridge in one go. She had caught up with Zhuang Zhuang in an instant.


    Putting down the bowl, she wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and looked at Zhuang Zhuang quietly. She asked tentatively, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, do you want to learn from a teacher?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Zhuang Zhuang was exceptionally emotional.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang reacted in agitation. He had been suppressing his emotions for a long time.


    Xiaoguo was so startled that she stood rooted to the ground. She had never seen Zhuang Zhuang lose his temper like this.


    Zhuang Zhuang flung the chopsticks in his hands. They bounced off the wall before falling to the ground. Only then did he calm down.


    What followed was guilt. He immediately regretted losing his temper. With that thought in mind, he wilted. His head was hanging so low that it almost dropped under the table. His tears fell like beans pattering down from his eyes. His chubby hands were twisted together, every now and then he would lift them to wipe his tears.


    Xiaoguo held back her laughter. It was rare to see Zhuang Zhuang lose his temper. When he was provoked on other occasions, he would mostly whine or act dumb. Today was his first time throwing a tantrum. For some reason, she felt that it was worth commemorating. Should she mark today as the anniversary of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s first tantrum?


    At the thought of this ridiculous scene, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

 Chapter 277 - 277 Gomoku

    277 Gomoku


    Zhuang Zhuang heard her laughter and looked up in disbelief.


    ¡°Mother?¡± After hesitating for a moment, Zhuang Zhuang called out to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and suppressed a smile. She shook her head in mock calmness. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Today was a good day. Zhuang Zhuang had learnt to lose his temper¡­


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he lowered his head guiltily and wiped his snot. Just as he was about to speak, his snot flowed down uncontrollably.


    Xiaoguo picked up a handkerchief beside him and cleaned his nose vigorously. ¡°We can talk after dinner. Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and lowered his head to eat his porridge in silence.


    Xiaoguo put down her handkerchief and picked up the bowl with her hand to hide the smile on her face. ¡°He¡¯s so cute. He is so cute even when he loses his temper.¡±


    At the dining table, no one spoke. Xiaoguo did not speak because she was afraid that she would burst into laughter again and hurt Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s pride. Zhuang Zhuang did not speak because he felt ashamed.


    After dinner, Zhuang Zhuang washed the dishes quickly and retreated into his room.


    Xiaoguo followed behind slowly, looking confused. She didn¡¯t know why Zhuang Zhuang was running so fast.


    As soon as she stepped into the room, she saw Zhuang Zhuang sitting upright on the bed with a worried expression.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for her to hold back her laughter, but now it was surging again. Xiaoguo quickly stepped out of the room.


    Zhuang Zhuang was ready with a bunch of apologies. When he saw Xiaoguo, he was about to say something when he saw her quickly retreating. Luckily he was quite confident about his eyesight, otherwise, he would have thought that he was hallucinating.


    After a while, Xiaoguo walked in calmly.


    Zhuang Zhuang was quite serious at first, but when he saw the smile on her face, he found it hard to keep a straight face.


    Mother and son inadvertently looked at each other and burst out laughing.


    The little episode came and went quickly. After calming down, the two of them sat down across from each other.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have lost my temper.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was the first to lower his head and admit his mistake. He was really annoyed with himself. Why did he get angry and even threw his chopsticks?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I forgive you, but don¡¯t do it again. I don¡¯t advocate breaking things. You can vent your anger in other ways.¡±


    After all, Zhuang Zhuang was only four years old. There were many children at this age who threw tantrums. However, based on her recollection, Zhuang Zhuang had never thrown a tantrum before. Even when he was younger, he was obedient and hardly kicked up a fuss.


    Therefore, Xiaoguo was a little relieved to see Zhuang Zhuang venting his emotions now. It is unhealthy to suppress one¡¯s emotions over a long period of time. This applies to both adults and children. Just as she had mentioned, venting one¡¯s frustrations was fine, but if it goes overboard, then something must be done to keep it in check. In the long run, such behavior could become a bad habit where he would throw things whenever he got angry.


    However, she didn¡¯t harp on it for too long. She believed that Zhuang Zhuang knew what to do. Although he was young, he was very sensible.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo felt so emotional that she kissed him on the forehead. Who wouldn¡¯t love this precious baby? She was so in love with this baby of hers.


    Zhuang Zhuang started blushing from head to toe. He was fair-skinned to begin with, so the flush on his skin was pretty obvious. He looked like a white steamed bun that was on the verge of being cooked.


    ¡°Mother, I really won¡¯t throw things in the future. I know my mistake now. I¡¯ll find a suitable way to vent my anger in the future. Please forgive me this time, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Mother will forgive you this time!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he was overjoyed. The gloom on his face dissipated and he smiled brightly again.


    Xiaoguo did not immediately ask him about finding a teacher for him. Instead, she played with him for the entire day. After strolling through the entire village and eliminating all the worries in his heart, it was already night time.


    After dinner, the two of them sat opposite each other on the bed in their undergarments. There was a chessboard in front of them. Xiaoguo played the white stones, while Zhuang Zhuang played the black stones.


    Looking at the serious expressions on their faces, one would have thought that they were playing an exciting and serious game. But on closer look, the two of them were actually playing Gomoku instead of Go.


    To Xiaoguo, Go was too difficult as compared to Gomoku.


    It was Zhuang Zhuang who had read about Go in the books and became interested in the game. That was why he begged her to buy it. Unfortunately, this was Xiaoguo¡¯s first time playing the game tonight. Zhuang Zhuang had been studying Go books on his own and had slowly figured out some basic knowledge about the game. However, it was a pity that he didn¡¯t have a teacher and there was no one who could play with him. As a result, Zhuang Zhuang often had to play on his own.


    There was nothing much that Xiaoguo could do either. If the subject was about planting vegetables or cooking, she could still explain a few things to him. But if it was about anything else, she had nothing to share.


    This was especially so for chess games. Other than Gomoku, she knew nothing about Go, Chinese chess, or even checkers.


    Xiaoguo was delighted to see that Zhuang Zhuang had a wide range of hobbies. In particular, the activities that he enjoyed were mostly intellectual. He definitely had her full support.


    As long as Zhuang Zhuang did not practice martial arts like his father, she would support him in whatever field he was interested in.


    Within the short while that Xiaoguo was distracted, Zhuang Zhuang had successfully connected his stones into a line


    ¡°Haha, Mother, you lost again!¡±


    That¡¯s right, she had lost again!


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t know how to play Gomoku initially, so Xiaoguo taught him as they played. She didn¡¯t expect him to get the hang of it so soon once he started playing. Other than winning the first round, she failed miserably in the subsequent rounds.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Xiaoguo covered her face helplessly. She was too ashamed to face Zhuang Zhuang. If she had seen this coming, she wouldn¡¯t have bragged about being the best in Gomoku!


    If she hadn¡¯t blown her abilities out of proportion, she wouldn¡¯t have embarrassed herself so much.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, can you be gentler?¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and tried to negotiate with Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°No, you said so yourself. We have to take everything seriously.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook his head without thinking and continued, ¡°Hurry up and stick your head out.¡±


    Looking at the heartless kid in front of her, Xiaoguo wished she could go back to the first round and give him a good smack on the head.


    No matter what she was thinking now, it was a fact that she had lost the game. Xiaoguo let out a long sigh and resigned herself to her fate. She leaned forward and shut her eyes tightly. All her facial features were squeezed together in anticipation.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at her red forehead and hesitated for a moment. In the end, he only flicked it gently. Although it was called a flick, it was actually just a light tap.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she felt so touched that she opened her eyes. She was wrong. Zhuang Zhuang was not a brat. He was clearly a sweet boy.


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled at Xiaoguo. After all, she was his mother. He should give in to her whenever possible. It wouldn¡¯t be good if she started crying.


    Hence, in the next few rounds, Zhuang Zhuang continued winning. But Xiaoguo did not lose every game.


    After every two rounds, Zhuang Zhuang would deliberately lose one game to her. Xiaoguo definitely noticed it since it was so obvious, but she didn¡¯t say it out loud. She wasn¡¯t upright to that extent. Zhuang Zhuang was already giving in to her, whether intentionally or unintentionally. There was no need for her to say the obvious, she just played along with it.


    Moreover, she didn¡¯t think that losing to her son was embarrassing. What embarrassed her more was her bragging.


    When the Gomoku game ended, Xiaoguo¡¯s forehead had turned completely red. Zhuang Zhuang was no better.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t let him have his way just because he was a child. If he had not shown mercy and let her win a few games. she probably wouldn¡¯t get the chance to touch his forehead.


    Halfway through the games, the two of them started flicking each other¡¯s foreheads with increasing strength. In the end, their foreheads became as red as a monkey¡¯s butt.


    Zhuang Zhuang went to keep the chessboard while Xiaoguo made the bed.


    Laying on the bed,. Zhuang Zhuang wrapped his arms around Xiaoguo¡¯s neck and rested his head beside her face.


    ¡°Mother, about learning from a teacher¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was surprised that Zhuang Zhuang would bring it up first. She was planning to discuss this matter the next day.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, can you tell me why you¡¯re unwilling to learn from a teacher?¡±


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo rubbed his back with her hands.


    Zhuang Zhuang slowly relaxed because of Xiaoguo¡¯s actions and told her the reason for his resistance.

 Chapter 278 - 278 I Want to Become a Disciple

    278 I Want to Become a Disciple


    Today, his mother had gone along with him and brought him out to play. How could he not understand her intentions?


    ¡°¡­ Actually, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang rubbed his face against hers and continued in embarrassment, ¡°If I become a disciple, I won¡¯t be able to stay by your side all the time.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hand paused. Her pupils were trembling with surprise. She slowly turned to look at the little head beside her. So that was why.


    Now she knows. Recalling the times when she talked about sending him to school, he always always avoided the topic. Recently, he has become even more clingy. So this was the reason.


    ¡°Are you worried about me being alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhuang Zhuang nodded and continued aggrievedly, ¡°If I go to school in the county, you¡¯ll be left alone at home. You¡¯ll be sad if you have no one to talk to.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang thought about many things. If he goes to school, his mother would be left alone at home. Just thinking about it made him feel sad. What if she got injured accidentally? What if she got sick¡­?


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to school. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re never coming back. You will be out during the day. In the mornings and evenings, you can still enjoy your mother¡¯s cooking.¡±


    After saying that, she felt a little uneasy. In fact, she wasn¡¯t sure about the schooling hours here. Everything she said was based on her speculations. No matter what, the students should be allowed to go home to sleep at night.


    She had thought it through. If they were successful in getting a teacher for Zhuang Zhuang, she would send him to and from school every day. She was already prepared to overcome all difficulties.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t know the details, but the thought of leaving Xiaoguo was unbearable. He wished that he could be by her side at all times and never be separated from her.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I guess?


    Xiaoguo said without batting an eyelid. For now, she must assure Zhuang Zhuang. The other things could wait.


    Zhuang Zhuang seemed a little convinced.


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo continued. ¡°Think about it. After you have a teacher, that knowledge is no longer just one-sided. Don¡¯t you have many things that you could not figure out? The teacher can explain everything to you.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang felt satisfied knowing that he could continue to stay by Xiaoguo¡¯s side. After hearing what she had just said, he felt even more satisfied.


    To Zhuang Zhuang, the most important things in his life were none other than his mother and father. The second most important thing to him was knowledge¡ªendless knowledge!


    The person who could enlighten him had to be a god in his eyes. Therefore, Xiaoguo¡¯s last sentence hit him squarely in the heart.


    ¡°Mother! I want to learn from a teacher!!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes lit up. He sat up and grabbed Xiaoguo¡¯s hands, shaking them vigorously. He kept repeating that he wished to be a disciple.


    Xiaoguo was confused by his shaking and quickly stopped him. ¡°Alright, alright. If you keep shaking me, my brain will scatter¡­¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he quickly hugged Xiaoguo. ¡°No, no. Mother still has to bring me to my teacher.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes widened as she looked speechlessly at the fickle child in front of her. Just a moment ago, he was refusing to be a disciple. Now, he was shouting the opposite. Who said that women were the most fickle creatures? Zhuang Zhuang was clearly the most fickle-minded person ever.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang hugged Xiaoguo and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Mother, when are we going to see my teacher?¡±


    Xiaoguo snorted at him. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. We¡¯ll go in two days.¡±


    Seeing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s excitement, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to rain on his parade, but she told him truthfully, ¡°It¡¯s still unknown if the teacher will accept you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What does that mean?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t understand why.


    ¡°The teacher¡¯s surname is Kong. The book ¡®Wordless¡¯ you¡¯re reading is written by him¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo did not answer his question first. Instead, she explained Mr. Kong¡¯s background to Zhuang Zhuang. The teacher was someone with such an impressive background, so it would make sense that he wouldn¡¯t take in anyone to be his student.


    Unexpectedly, just as she was about to start, Zhuang Zhuang intercepted her.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard the name, he got extremely excited. Who was that?! Did he hear wrongly? Was it really Teacher Kong?!


    When he realized that the teacher was his idol, he subconsciously finished the introduction for Xiaoguo. ¡°Teacher Kong, surnamed Kong. His last name is Bang. He is the great thinker and educator of the Shao Nation. Other than ¡®Wordless¡¯, his representative works are ¡®Laws¡¯ and the ¡®Book of Rites¡¯.¡±


    Xiaoguo was also very excited. In fact, she had been feeling excited ever since finding out that Mr. Kong would be returning to Yonghai County.


    She often saw Mr. Kong¡¯s name in the bookstore here. In every five books that she saw, his name would definitely appear in one of them. At the thought that Zhuang Zhuang could be taught by the famed author of those books, her heart felt like it was going to pop out of her chest.


    If Zhuang Zhuang was really lucky enough to be accepted and taught by such an awesome teacher, he would definitely grow to be extraordinary in the future.


    Even if he could just stay by the side of the great thinker and educator for a few years, the process should be very rewarding.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were so excited that they did not close their eyes the entire night.


    As expected, when the sun was up and shining into their room the next morning, the two of them were still sound asleep in bed.


    There was nothing much to do. Jiang Danhe had also said in his letter that the two elders were old and they would take some time to arrive. After all, the long journey would be hard on them physically. During their travels, their comfort and rest should be of utmost importance. So, the estimated time of arrival should be double that of the normal traveling time.


    Xiaoguo did some calculations. Based on a normal trip of seven days, it should take them fourteen days to reach the county. After all, they had to stop every now and then. It shouldn¡¯t take longer than that.


    After deriving their estimated arrival date, Xiaoguo was no longer in a hurry. She got up and had her breakfast. Then she gave Teacher Kong¡¯s letter to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang took it solemnly. This was written by Mr. Kong, whom he admired. When he had time, he would get his mother to frame it up and put it away.


    He unfolded the letter and read out the following words. ¡°In the beginning, one must seek to enter. In the end, one must seek to get out.¡±


    Xiaoguo did not disturb him. She looked at Zhuang Zhuang quietly from the side. The more she looked at him, the happier she became. How could a four-year-old be so smart?


    Zhuang Zhuang understood what the words meant on the surface, but he didn¡¯t understand why Mr. Kong would write such a sentence to him.


    Xiaoguo did not disturb Zhuang Zhuang. She got up and left him alone to think. After all, this could be Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s entrance test.


    Mr. Kong never took in any students. It was only thanks to Jiang Danhe that he was willing to meet Zhuang Zhuang. The rope had been thrown down. It was now up to Zhuang Zhuang to grab it.


    No one could help him with that.


    As time passed, Xiaoguo got increasingly anxious. On the other hand, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s heart gradually calmed down.


    He should have understood what Teacher Kong meant by those words. In fact, what he meant by those words was not important. What was more important was the ideology that Teacher Kong wished to convey to him.


    ¨C


    Based on the estimated arrival date, Xiaoguo had a sleepless night the night before. On the contrary, Zhuang Zhuang was full of energy.


    Xiaoguo picked herself up and made a sumptuous breakfast. Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang had eaten a lot, she felt slightly relieved.


    It was really strange. This was supposed to be Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s entrance examination, but she was the one who had trouble sleeping the whole night.


    Looking at her haggard face in the mirror, Xiaoguo rubbed her hair in frustration. She suddenly thought of the pile of cosmetics Jiang Danhe had given her.


    She opened the cabinet and rummaged through everything before finding something. The bottle had Jade Skin Revitalizing Cream written on it.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and opened the container. The jar was filled with a white creamy paste. She leaned closer and smelled it. The smell of grass filled her nostrils. She picked at it with her fingers and dabbed it on her face. The cream was instantly absorbed into her skin.

 Chapter 279 - 279 Sense of Crisis

    279 Sense of Crisis


    Xiaoguo leaned closer to the mirror to take a closer look. If she hadn¡¯t applied the cream herself, she would have thought that she was hallucinating. Has her skin become so dry recently?


    With these thoughts in mind, Xiaoguo was finally paying attention to her skin. She leaned closer to the mirror and took a good look. She realized that her skin was indeed dry and rough.


    She seemed to have stopped using skincare since the apocalypse. However, as she spent a lot of time in the kitchen, her skin did not become too dry at that time because her face was often covered in oil. After she came here, she did not pay much attention to her skin. She hardly applied any skincare after washing her face. Now that she thought about it, her skin had become like this due to her neglect. She was lucky that her skin had not completely dried up.


    Previously, Jiang Danhe had given her a lot of bottles and jars, but she had never taken a close look at them. They were all kept in the cabinet and left unopened.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was going to see Mr. Kong today, she wouldn¡¯t have noticed her skin condition, or opened the bottles.


    She took out everything and placed them outside, reminding herself to take care of her skin. She stuffed the remaining cosmetics into the cabinet and thought for a moment before taking them out again.


    She felt like she was getting more lazy recently. She was only in her twenties. This is the age where she should be paying more attention to her appearance. Although she had become a mother, that shouldn¡¯t be the excuse for her laziness!


    ¡°No!¡±


    Xiaoguo shuddered at the thought of becoming an old hag. She couldn¡¯t let that happen!


    Therefore, she deliberately placed all the bottles and jars in front of the mirror. She had decided to apply skincare every day in the future. She must not become a slovenly old woman at this age.


    Moreover, the most important factor was Jiang Danhe. Since she had accepted Jiang Danhe as her husband, she should at least have some sort of crisis awareness.


    Jiang Danhe became a general at such a young age. He was handsome and well-built. Most importantly, he was very focused. If he was seduced by some other women, it would be devastating for her.


    ¡°Mother, are you almost done?¡±


    This was the third time Zhuang Zhuang was entering the house to rush Xiaoguo. Usually, she was the one urging him to leave the house. Today, it was the other way around.


    ¡°In a minute.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang snorted in dissatisfaction and turned to walk out. He had repeated himself three times. And each time the reply he got was the same. He was already seated on the donkey waiting for her now.


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and looked at her reflection in satisfaction. Putting on lipstick really helped to add color to her face.


    When she was done dressing up, Xiaoguo stood up and checked her clothes carefully. She was wearing a simple outfit that she made herself. It consisted of a top and wide-legged pants. There was no heavy make-up on her face. After all, she wasn¡¯t going to walk on the runway. The theme for her outfit today was one of simplicity and elegance.


    ¡°What are you doing on the donkey¡¯s back? Come down quickly!¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped breathing for a second. As soon as she stepped out of the door, she was shocked by Zhuang Zhuang. This little guy actually dared to get on the donkey¡¯s back. He was too bold.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally out!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang raised his upper body. His bold actions frightened Xiaoguo so much that she broke out in a cold sweat. She quickly carried him down and placed him safely on the ground. Only then did she heave a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Mother is so beautiful today.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t think much of it. He only felt that his mother was exceptionally beautiful today.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xiaoguo was angry at first, but she was immediately tickled after hearing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sincere tone. There was no way she could remain feeling upset with him.


    ¡°¡­¡± Looking at Zhuang Zhuang, who didn¡¯t seem to care at all, Xiaoguo calmed herself down and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t climb so high without my supervision, especially on a donkey¡¯s back, oh, and on the back of a cow.¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of the two cows in the courtyard. They were getting taller and bigger. Zhuang Zhuang was not even as tall as their legs.


    If Zhuang Zhuang was to go behind them and touch their butts or swing from their necks like how he did when he was young, he could fall or get injured by them. That must never happen!


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s confused expression, Xiaoguo once again felt that sending him to school was the best plan.


    As Zhuang Zhuang grew older, he was becoming more lively and active. What if an accident happened while she wasn¡¯t looking¡­


    Xiaoguo was shocked by her own imagination and couldn¡¯t help but shiver. Just thinking about it was frightening for her.


    ¡°Do you remember?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the little guy in front of her, who was laughing and taking her words lightly. She was being very serious right now. It was different from her usual seriousness. This time, she was much harsher with her words.


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang was shocked by Xiaoguo¡¯s tone. He looked at her with his big teary eyes and nodded obediently. He whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Xiaoguo also felt that her attitude was a little too extreme just now. But on second thought, if Zhuang Zhuang could be shocked into remembering her words, at least she wouldn¡¯t need to explain herself again.


    However, when Xiaoguo saw his frightened look, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him. The tall buildings that she had just built collapsed in the next instant.


    She squatted down and hugged him tightly in her arms. Now that she couldn¡¯t carry Zhuang Zhuang anymore, she could only squat down and hug him tightly to give him warmth.


    ¡°Mother? Are you angry?¡±


    After a while, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s trembling and careful voice sounded. His small hands stroked her back intermittently, just like how Xiaoguo always comforted him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯m just worried and concerned about you. I value you more than myself.¡±


    Ever since Xiaoguo accepted him as her son, she had invested all her heart and soul on him. Unknowingly, he had become more important than her own life. The thought of Zhuang Zhuang getting hurt made her feel suffocated.


    That was why she was frightened by her own thoughts. Unknowingly, she had become used to keeping him away from all dangers. She was highly resistant to potential dangers. Whenever something happened, it was always her first thought to bring Zhuang Zhuang away from all sources of danger.


    She had to admit that she seemed a little overprotective¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do anything dangerous again.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang felt that he could understand Xiaoguo. He thought that it was the same way that he liked his mother. He liked being with his mother very much. If she was just absent from his side for a moment, he would start feeling uneasy. Therefore, his mother must be feeling the same way about him.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, her heart was filled with tenderness. ¡°This boy is just like a pair of good cotton pants. They are warm and resistant to cold.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The mother and son locked the door and set off happily for the county.


    ¨C


    Following the address, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang arrived at an elegant house at the edge of the river. The surroundings were quiet and secluded. The place was warm in winter and cool in summer. It was a very suitable spot for retiring in comfort.


    ¡°Mother, there¡¯s no one.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang raised his hand and pointed at the iron lock on the wooden door for Xiaoguo to see.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and asked Zhuang Zhuang to wait in it while she went to take a look.


    She reached out to pull the lock, but it didn¡¯t budge. She looked through the gap in the door. The environment inside was very neat, but there was no one around. No one was living there yet.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go first.¡±


    Left with no choice, Xiaoguo turned around with the donkey cart. She was guessing that Mr. Kong had not arrived yet, so it was better that she leaves first. It didn¡¯t feel right to wait foolishly at their door.


    ¡°Mother, are we going home?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang tightened his grip on the cart and watched Xiaoguo turn it around.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going home. We¡¯re going to look for Uncle. We¡¯ll come back and take a look later.¡±


    Mr. Kong was expected to arrive today. Since they had arrived in the county, they shouldn¡¯t go back. It would be too tiring to travel back and forth. They could just wait at the noodle shop and make a few trips in between to check.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go find Uncle!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang raised his hands high and wriggled his little butt in joy.

 Chapter 280 - 280 Defective Goods

    280 Defective Goods


    Xiaoguo chuckled and said, ¡°Sit tight.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded with a smile and held on to the donkey cart obediently.


    It had been a long time since he had seen Qin Anming. Zhuang Zhuang looked very excited.


    When he saw Qin Anming, he didn¡¯t care if he was busy or not and pounced on him immediately. His little mouth kept chattering for a long time and no one could get a word in.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle, do you know? Mother made all the clothes that I¡¯m wearing today¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, Fatty and Ben Ben at home got into a fight with the black dog next door¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, Mother is making slippers. One pair for you, one for me, one for my father¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be a disciple.¡±


    ¡°Zhuang¡­ Hmm?!¡±


    Qin Anming¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Zhuang Zhuang in disbelief. After confirming that he was not spouting nonsense, he looked at Xiaoguo in surprise. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is going to be a disciple?!¡±


    As soon as he said that, everyone¡¯s attention turned towards him. Ruyi put down the teapot and sat beside the boy in disbelief. ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Xiaoguo nodded, wondering why they were reacting so strongly.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is too young.¡±


    Ruyi saw that most other kids were much older than Zhuang Zhuang when they went to school.


    Qin Anming nodded in agreement. Zhuang Zhuang was only four years old. There was no hurry.


    ¡°He¡¯s not young anymore. Kids should start learning from a young age.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t think that he was too young for school. The purpose of going to school was to gain knowledge. Besides, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s literacy skills and brain development were many times more advanced than his peers.


    ¡°After all, his age is obvious. Other kids start schooling at the age of eight. Zhuang Zhuang may have trouble mixing with the other kids.¡±


    Uncle Xu joined in the conversation from behind the counter. He knew about going to school although it was decades ago when he was last in school. He went to school when he was eight years old.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sister Xiaoguo. What if those older children bully Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Ruyi patted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head, feeling worried for him.


    ¡°Hi, it¡¯s fine. Haha, I didn¡¯t make myself clear.¡± Xiaoguo smiled. She was wondering why there was such a big reaction from everyone. They were thinking that Zhuang Zhuang was enrolling in a school. ¡°He¡¯s not joining an academy. It¡¯s a one-on-one apprenticeship.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    As soon as she said that, everyone finally understood. If that was the case, it was still acceptable. Age was not an important factor if the boy was going to learn directly from a teacher. They didn¡¯t have to worry about Zhuang Zhuang getting bullied.


    ¡°Who is his teacher?¡±


    Qin Anming carried Zhuang Zhuang to the side and sat down. He looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s mysterious expression and asked curiously.


    Xiaoguo held back her laughter. Looking at their curious gazes, she laughed in her heart. However, she did not take the initiative to say it. Instead, she kept them in suspense before saying, ¡°Kong¡­¡±


    ¡°Teacher Kong?!¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo said the word Kong, Uncle Xu almost jumped out of the counter in excitement.


    Upon hearing the surname, everyone gasped and looked at Xiaoguo for confirmation.


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and smiled. She pretended to be calm and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s Mr. Kong.¡±


    ¡°Wow!!¡±


    The few of them cried out in surprise. Xiaoguo, who was in front of them, could feel her ears ringing.


    Rubbing her ears, she looked at them helplessly. ¡°I was just given the chance to pay a visit to Teacher Kong. Whether he accepts Zhuang Zhuang will be up to him.¡±


    ¡°Of course he will accept the boy! Our Zhuang Zhuang is so smart!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard his name, he nodded in agreement. That¡¯s right, he was quite smart.


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. Don¡¯t flatter him, lest he gets complacent. It¡¯s better to be humble.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she pressed down on his straight little shoulders a few times before stopping.


    Although she enjoyed praising Zhuang Zhuang and also liked to hear people praise him, this kind of praise was a little too much for him at this age. In reality, there was always someone better. There were plenty of outstanding people in this world, so it was better to keep the praises in check.


    Xiaoguo also made sure to remind herself constantly. A lot of times, she was also heaping Zhuang Zhuang with endless compliments. This was not good. She¡¯d better learn to do it in moderation.


    ¡°By the way, Xiaoguo, is Teacher Kong living here? I¡¯ve never heard of this.¡±


    Qin Anming asked curiously. It was impossible that no one knew about Master Kong living here. Moreover, with his status, how could he live in this small county?


    Ruyi and the others nodded repeatedly, showing their curiosity.


    ¡°Teacher Kong¡¯s hometown is Yonghai County. Now that he is an emeritus, he has brought his wife back to enjoy their retirement.¡±


    After Xiaoguo finished speaking, they all understood. So that was the reason. They had never known that Mr. Kong¡¯s hometown was here.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore. I have to go with Zhuang Zhuang to check on Teacher Kong¡¯s arrival.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    Ruyi was a little puzzled. If Teacher Kong was not here yet, why was she here so early?


    ¡°They¡¯re an old couple on their own. I was thinking of checking with them to see if there¡¯s anything I can help with. After all, I feel so thankful that Mr. Kong was willing to give Zhuang Zhuang an interview.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, go ahead.¡±


    When they heard this, they agreed with Xiaoguo. They sighed to themselves that Xiaoguo was really capable. They urged her to go quickly and not miss the time.


    Xiaoguo held Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand and got into the donkey cart before driving towards Teacher Kong¡¯s residence.


    From afar, she realized that the house still looked quiet. The lock on the door was still hanging in place.


    Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and did not move forward. It seemed that they had not arrived yet. That was good. She would use this time to get a carriage for the donkey cart.


    She was planning to change it for some time now. The donkey cart she has does not shield one from the wind and rain. In summer, it was scorching hot under the sun. During winter when the wind blew, it was so cold that her bones hurt. The cart should have been replaced long ago.


    If Zhuang Zhuang was taken in as Mr. Kong¡¯s disciple, it would be better to have a carriage to ferry him to and fro.


    On the way to change the carriage, they happened to pass by the noodle shop. Xiaoguo put Zhuang Zhuang down and asked him to follow Qin Anming while she went to shop for the carriage.


    Xiaoguo went to a place which specialized in installing carriages. She had asked around for the price a long time ago and she had already selected a design that was to her liking. The price was in the medium-range and the carriage size was small. Otherwise, the donkey might have difficulty moving it.


    Xiaoguo had tried to feel the weight before. She could lift the carriage easily on her own, so the donkey should be able to withstand the weight of pulling it.


    ¡°Hi Madam, you are here.¡±


    The boss recognized Xiaoguo at a glance and greeted her.


    Xiaoguo nodded in shock. She didn¡¯t expect him to remember her.


    ¡°Are you intending to install the carriage today?¡±


    The boss greeted her with a smile. How could he not remember her? She had passed by this place so many times but she just refused to come in every time. Today, she finally stepped into the shop.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s change it to the one I like.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart. She thought that he didn¡¯t remember and wanted to point out the design to him. Unexpectedly, the boss quickly nodded and stopped Xiaoguo from entering the shop. He gestured to her that he knew which one it was.


    ¡°I¡¯ll change it for you now.¡±


    With that, the boss called out to his shop assistant to pull the carriage out. Without needing Xiaoguo to say anything, the carriage she wanted was pulled out.


    Seeing the speed at which they worked, Xiaoguo felt a little puzzled. Why were they moving so quickly? It was as if they were afraid that she would go back on her word.


    Xiaoguo watched as they did the replacement in a flurry. She was wary and leaned forward to check the carriage for any flaws.


    When the boss saw Xiaoguo approaching the carriage, his heart was in his throat. Cold sweat broke out on his face, seemingly afraid that she would notice something amiss.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo seemed to have sensed something and turned around to look in his direction. The shop owner was so shocked that he held his breath. Then, he acted like nothing had happened and looked around the shop nonchalantly. She couldn¡¯t figure out what he was hiding.


    Seeing his behavior, Xiaoguo was even more certain that there was something wrong with this carriage. He must have installed a defective product for her!

 Chapter 281 - 281 Little Server

    281 Little Server


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo had an idea.


    ¡°Aye, wait a minute.¡±


    The shop assistants stopped what they were doing and looked at the boss in panic.


    The boss was also shocked by her sudden voice, perhaps due to his guilty conscience. But judging from the sheepish look on his face, it was obvious that he had done something dishonest.


    Xiaoguo kept her expression neutral and smiled. ¡°I think I have changed my mind. This one feels a little big. My little donkey might have difficulty pulling it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh, sure, sure!¡±


    Without thinking, the boss nodded repeatedly in agreement.


    The shop assistants sighed helplessly and took down everything again. Fortunately, they hadn¡¯t done much so it was easy to dismantle everything.


    One of the shop assistants glanced in the boss¡¯ direction and whispered to his colleague.


    ¡°Tell me, what is the boss trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, stop talking. He¡¯ll hear you later.¡±


    ¡°Hmpff! He is trying to take advantage of her just because she¡¯s a woman. To think that he was planning to install a second-hand carriage for her and was even prepared to make her pay the price of a new one. How wicked!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Isn¡¯t it a good thing that she¡¯s requesting another carriage? Stop talking. If the boss hears you, your salary will be deducted again!¡±


    The shop assistant, who had spoken at first, was gloating at this moment. He nodded and shut his mouth. He was happy to see his boss suffer¡ªhe totally deserved it!


    Xiaoguo strolled in front with the boss following behind her. He kept wiping his sweat with a handkerchief and looked nervously at the woman in front of him. He wondered if she had noticed something amiss.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t planning to say it to his face. It didn¡¯t seem wise to embarrass the other party. After all, this was the only shop within a ten-mile radius that sold carriages. She was a lone woman, and all the shop staff were burly men. If they were up to any dirty tricks, she had no chance of winning. She shouldn¡¯t burn her bridges while she is still here.


    Xiaoguo walked around. She even asked carefully for the price when she saw something suitable. It really looked like she was going to pick another design.


    Although it looked like that on the surface, her ultimate goal was to find the one she saw previously. Regardless of the price or the size, it was the one she liked most.


    Just as expected, the carriage she had taken a fancy to was still in its original position.


    Xiaoguo looked around and pretended to look apologetic. She came to the carriage and pointed at it. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll take this one.¡±


    It was obvious what the boss was feeling at this moment, but there was nothing he could do. He could only instruct the shop assistants to get the carriage out and install it for Xiaoguo.


    He had gone through all that trouble for nothing. The carriage with the deformed wheels still remained unsold. It was returned to its corner to gather dust.


    Xiaoguo had also taught the boss a lesson. Don¡¯t underestimate women, especially their sixth sense and bargaining power.


    Xiaoguo handed the money to the boss and left happily in the new donkey cart.


    The depressed boss was left behind¡ªin his hand was a 30 per cent discounted price for the carriage. He was also left to endure the ridicule of the shop assistants behind him.


    Xiaoguo sat in the new carriage and enjoyed the comfortable ride. She sighed in satisfaction. Her donkey cart was just perfect!


    ¨C


    After being abandoned by Xiaoguo, Zhuang Zhuang followed Qin Anming around. Whatever his uncle did, he just followed.


    ¡°Good boy, Zhuang Zhuang. Go sit at the counter and play. You can work on the accounts with Uncle Xu.¡±


    Qin Anming stopped in his tracks helplessly and grabbed the little tail behind him. Ignoring his objections, he stuffed the boy behind the counter and instructed Uncle Xu to help keep an eye on him. With that, he turned around and got back to work.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Uncle Xu nodded and put down his abacus. He stopped Zhuang Zhuang, who was about to follow behind Qin Anming and sneak away. He lowered his head and said, ¡°The shop is very crowded now. Your uncle is worried about you bumping into things. Wait here obediently.¡±


    Although Zhuang Zhuang snorted indignantly, he sat down obediently. He crossed his arms and pursed his lips. It was obvious that he was feeling unhappy at this moment.


    It was peak hour in the restaurant, and there was an endless stream of people eating. After all, this was a noodle shop. Bowls of hot noodle soup were being served everywhere in the restaurant. If Zhuang Zhuang accidentally bumped into anyone and got scalded, how are they going to explain it to Xiaoguo?


    Zhuang Zhuang understood their intentions. Although it was hard to sit still, he didn¡¯t leave and caused trouble. He knew that it was for his own good.


    He placed his hands on his cheeks and looked at the dining crowd with his big eyes. He watched people come through the door, ordered their food, paid the bills, and then left the shop.


    One moment, he would prick up his ears to listen to their conversation. The next moment, he would observe their table manners.


    Qin Anming was so busy that he couldn¡¯t leave the shop floor. But he still took the time to look at Zhuang Zhuang every few seconds. He was relieved to see him remain behind the counter.


    Just as Zhuang Zhuang was getting bored and watching one group leave, his gaze was suddenly attracted by the old couple loitering at the door.


    There was no other reason. Zhuang Zhuang had sharp ears. Although they were a distance away, and the shop was noisy, he could guess their conversation just by reading their lips.


    After Zhuang Zhuang figured out what they were saying, he patted Uncle Xu who was beside him, and gestured for him to look at the door. However, there was someone queuing up to settle the bill, so Uncle Xu couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. Without looking back, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll play with you later.¡±


    Seeing that Uncle Xu was ignoring him, Zhuang Zhuang could only turn around and call out to Qin Anming. ¡°Uncle? Uncle?¡±


    However, there were too many people in the shop and it was noisy. As soon as Zhuang Zhuang spoke, his voice was drowned immediately by the surrounding voices. When he saw Qin Anming enter the kitchen, he had no choice but to ask the others for help. Unfortunately, no one responded.


    Seeing that the couple was about to leave, Zhuang Zhuang got anxious. He disregarded the fact that he was not supposed to leave the counter. Pushing open the small door at the counter, he ran towards the door.


    With much difficulty, he managed to maneuver through the crowd to reach the door. He was just in time to stop the old couple from leaving.


    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, are you intending to eat here?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    The couple, who was about to leave, thought that they were hearing things. They looked around but did not see anyone. Just as they were feeling puzzled, they suddenly felt someone tugging at their pants. They looked down curiously and saw the little man panting heavily.


    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, are you intending to eat here?¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were not answering him, Zhuang Zhuang asked them again patiently. After seeing them nod, he smiled. He took the initiative to introduce the noodles in the shop.


    ¡°There are two types of noodles in our noodle shop¡ªmalatang and herbal noodles.¡± Zhuang Zhuang held the hands of the two of them and pointed to the right. ¡°For Malatang, you can select the ingredients you want. Look, this wall is filled with Malatang ingredients. After choosing the items you want, they will be charged by weight. On this side, there are various types of noodle soups. You can go into the shop and take a look. The price and selections are all displayed on the wall.¡±


    The two seniors looked at each other with a hint of interest in their eyes. Apart from their interest in food, they were also interested in Zhuang Zhuang.


    The old man coughed and was about to say something.


    However, Zhuang Zhuang did not give them time to think. He helped the two elders into the health center and arranged for them to sit down. He took the initiative to say, ¡°I recommend grandpa to choose the almond pear soup noodles. It has medicinal properties that help with coughs and clearing phlegm. For granny, I recommend the Chinese ginseng black chicken soup noodles. It is nourishing for the body.¡±


    After getting the consent of the woman, the old man turned around and said lovingly to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Then we¡¯ll go with your recommendations.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was a little excited to receive an order. He ran happily to the counter and shouted, ¡°Sister Ruyi, Sister Ruyi!¡±


    The counter was very high. When Ruyi heard the commotion, she leaned out and saw Zhuang Zhuang. She asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°The two elders have made an order. One serving of almond pear soup noodles and one serving of Chinese ginseng black chicken noodle soup.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pointed to a corner near the wall. Ruyi looked over and saw the old couple with gray hair sitting in the shop. ¡°Okay!¡±

 Chapter 282 - 282 Fancy Him

    282 Fancy Him


    She was especially busy today and did not notice anyone entering the shop. It was lucky that she had the help of Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll reward you with a candy!¡±


    Ruyi took out a piece of sesame candy from the counter and handed it to Zhuang Zhuang as his reward.


    Zhuang Zhuang had just taken the candy when Qin Anming ran to his side nervously and grabbed him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to run about?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stuffed the candy into his mouth unhappily.


    ¡°Brother An Ming, Zhuang Zhuang helped to serve the customers. He just took two orders.¡±


    Seeing this, Ruyi immediately explained on his behalf.


    Qin Anming remained very serious. ¡°I said that you shouldn¡¯t come out if I didn¡¯t give you permission. I wouldn¡¯t even know if you got abducted.¡±


    Now that he was thinking about it, fear could be seen written on his face. Zhuang Zhuang is so cute. There could be people who were eyeing him. Besides, there are many diners today and these people came from everywhere. If he was really kidnapped, no one would know where to find him.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll go back to the counter now and stay there.¡±


    Seeing that his uncle meant every word he said, Zhuang Zhuang did not dare to joke around anymore.


    When Ruyi heard his words, she realized the danger of letting the boy roam around by himself. It was better to be safe than sorry.


    Zhuang Zhuang followed behind Qin Anming and walked towards Uncle Xu¡¯s counter. On his way there, he bumped into the elderly couple.


    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, please wait for your orders.¡±


    He was the one who invited them in. He couldn¡¯t leave his job undone. He should least inform them.


    With that, he ran away without hesitation. If he continued dawdling, his uncle would definitely complain about his behavior to his mother.


    The old man stared at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s departing figure with interest.


    It was the old woman who nudged him and woke him up.


    ¡°Stop looking. The noodles are here.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed him the chopsticks.


    The old man took the chopsticks and smiled. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see how good the kid¡¯s recommendations are.¡±


    The old woman took a sniff. ¡°You don¡¯t say. The fragrance is really inviting. It¡¯s comparable to the herbal cuisine at the dining hall.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s highly rated.¡±


    The old man lifted his beard and leaned closer to smell the soup. He nodded in admiration. ¡°It smells pretty good.¡±


    After smelling the fragrance, they both couldn¡¯t wait to eat it.


    The two of them had just arrived in the county and were starving. They had not returned to their hometown over the past few years. They did not expect the streets to change so much. The noodle shop was also a new addition to this part of town.


    ¡°This herbal cuisine tastes much better than brewed herbs.¡±


    The old man stroked his round stomach and said in satisfaction.


    The old woman put down her chopsticks and looked at him in disdain. ¡°Watch your manners.¡±


    The old man ignored her and looked thoughtfully in the other direction.


    Having slept in the same bed for decades, the old woman knew what he was thinking.


    ¡°Have you taken a fancy to the kid?¡±


    ¡°This kid is quite adorable.¡±


    The old man did not elaborate. He reached out and stroked his beard.


    ¡°Indeed, he¡¯s very cute, fair and chubby. Just looking at him brings joy. He speaks very methodically too.¡± After the old woman finished speaking, she suddenly thought of something. ¡°Sigh, how did he know which soups were suitable for us?¡±


    The soups they ordered just now were exactly what they needed. Due to the long journey, the both of them were feeling a little under the weather. Now that they had taken the herbal soups, although the symptoms were not completely alleviated, their bodies did feel much better.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s very interesting.¡±


    The old man was surprised to hear his wife say that. He wouldn¡¯t have thought of this if she hadn¡¯t mentioned it. This kid was really interesting.


    ¡°Stop smiling! Hurry up and settle the bill. We still have to walk back later. With our old arms and legs, it¡¯ll be night time by the time we get back.¡±


    The old woman had had enough rest, so she pulled the old man up. Although the two of them were always quarreling, there was love hidden in their actions.


    The couple helped each other up and tidied up each other¡¯s clothes. They also wiped the sweat off each other¡¯s forehead to avoid catching a cold when going out.


    Then, they came to the counter. There were still some people ahead in the queue. The old woman looked around and nudged the old man beside her curiously. She said, ¡°This shop¡¯s nicely done up. The food is good and there are lots of diners here. We can come by more often in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± The old woman looked like she had seen through him. ¡°I think you just want to come back here to see the kid.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. You are very clever.¡±


    The old man nodded and smiled. That kid was likable and eloquent. He looked very young too. What a rare gem.


    The old woman saw the look on the old man¡¯s face and snorted softly. She reminded him, ¡°Come on, we¡¯re here for our retirement. Don¡¯t forget about the general¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. I still have to check the boy out.¡±


    As soon as he said that, the identities of the couple became clear.


    They were Mr. and Mrs. Kong. Once they arrived in Yonghai County, they couldn¡¯t wait to feel the aura of their hometown. That was why they chose to alight at the entrance of the market and let the men bring back their luggage first.


    The two of them supported each other and walked slowly. Their eyes were looking around at the streets that had changed greatly in the past few years. They were discussing the shops they often visited. Some had disappeared and new shops had opened in their places. Although some of the older shops were still around, they were now run by different people.


    The couple was filled with emotions. As they reminisced along the way, they arrived at the entrance of the noodle shop. Based on what they could remember, there was a noodle shop here at the same spot. Although it was still a noodle shop now, the interior and the people running it looked unfamiliar to them. No matter what, it was lunchtime. The two of them were thinking of going in to take a look. But they didn¡¯t know what Malatang was, therefore they were hesitant about going in.


    Just by looking at the name, it sounded like the food would be numbing and spicy. Neither of them could eat it. Mr. Kong¡¯s throat was feeling uncomfortable during the journey. If he chose to eat this and add fire to fire, it would be very harmful for his health. The same goes for Mrs. Kong. Her blood vitality was insufficient to begin with. Even though the journey was slow and accommodating, it was still exhausting for her.


    Mrs. Kong had wanted to drag Mr. Kong to another shop to eat something light, but Mr. Kong was greedy and wouldn¡¯t budge because of the smell. Therefore, the two of them were tugging at the door when Zhuang Zhuang happened to notice them. Coincidentally, he had good eyesight and ears. He could roughly guess what they were discussing, so he took the initiative to welcome them to the health center.


    ¡°It¡¯s our turn. Pay up.¡±


    Seeing that there was someone else in front of him, Mr. Kong quickly stopped the other party¡¯s nagging and urged her to take out the money.


    Mrs. Kong touched the pocket where the silver was kept and then she grabbed at her waist. She could not find her purse. Her face suddenly stiffened and she looked at the other party in panic. ¡°I think I¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing that she was suddenly stunned, Mr. Kong had a bad feeling. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t bring the silver?¡±


    Mrs. Kong nodded silently. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mrs. Kong hardly went out. If she wanted something, she only had to ask someone to get it for her. Even when she goes shopping, the maidservant was the one who would pass her money. There was hardly any chance for her to bring money out herself. Especially In today¡¯s case where they had come to the noodle shop on a whim. How could she possibly remember to bring the money?


    ¡°And you?¡±


    Now, she could only place his hopes on Teacher Kong.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have money either.¡±


    Mr. Kong was feeling a little embarrassed at this moment. The feeling of shame that he had not experienced in decades surged through his body.


    The two big shots were very reserved at this moment. They looked at each other and blushed.


    Ruyi, who had just put down the silver, looked up and was about to settle the score at the next table. However, she saw that the two elderly persons were standing motionless with their backs facing her, so she could only gesture for them to come forward.


    ¡°Hello, you can move forward.¡±


    Teacher Kong and his wife fidgeted and stood rooted to the ground.


    The people waiting in line behind them were getting impatient. They started commenting about the elderly couple, causing them so much embarrassment that they couldn¡¯t raise their heads.

 Chapter 283 - 283 Spider Cave

    283 Spider Cave


    Ruyi frowned. ¡°This couple is really strange.¡±


    As the voices of dissatisfaction were getting louder, she thought of going forward to check with them. However, before she could move, she saw the couple return to their seats and waved their hands to order another bowl of noodles.


    Ruyi scratched her head, not quite understanding their actions.


    ¡°Can we have the bill?¡±


    ¡°Aye, okay!¡±


    Ruyi retracted her gaze and continued working on the abacus.


    ¡°Old man, why did you order another serving?¡±


    Mrs. Kong didn¡¯t quite understand. She thought that he was being crazy. They were unable to pay their bill now. How dare he order some more?


    ¡°I have no choice. We were standing there in a daze for so long. It would be embarrassing if people found out that we have no money.¡±


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t order another serving.¡±


    Mrs. Kong was so angry that she wanted to slap him. He couldn¡¯t even afford two bowls. Now with three bowls on the bill, how are they going to settle it?


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious.¡± Mr. Kong calmed Mrs. Kong down. ¡°Eat first. If we don¡¯t go back after a long time, the men who escorted us here will come looking for us.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What if they don¡¯t come?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mr. Kong didn¡¯t know what to say. He looked at the soup noodles that had just been served. He took a deep breath and swallowed. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    He would think about it later. Coincidentally, the bowl of noodles he finished earlier did not quite fill up his belly. So he ordered another item from the menu and went ahead to eat it.


    Mrs. Kong lowered her raised hand eventually. What else could she say when she has such a gluttonous and happy-go-lucky man as her husband?


    He ate the bowl of noodles very slowly until there were no more diners left in the restaurant.


    After the peak period, Ruyi and her staff had time on their hands now. It was supposed to be their lunch hour, but they looked at each other and did not mention anything. There was still a table of diners left.


    Other than some staff who had gone home to eat, there were only Ruyi and a few others staying back in the shop. They had cleaned up the place and the ingredients for the night had been prepared. Even though they were starving, they were too embarrassed to bring up the topic of lunch.


    With customers still in the shop, it didn¡¯t feel right to eat in their presence. It would seem like they were trying to chase the diners out of the shop. They would rather wait a little longer. No one took the initiative to mention lunch or chase the customers away.


    The few of them gathered together and exchanged looks, wondering what to do. But in the end, all they got was one word, wait.


    As the lunch crowd eventually dispersed, Zhuang Zhuang was finally able to come out from behind the counter. After getting approval from Qin Anming, the first thing he did was to stretch his limbs. He walked around the restaurant and greeted the old couple warmly when he bumped into them.


    After circling around four or five times, Zhuang Zhuang shook his head in confusion. In the end, he gathered among the crowd and asked crisply, ¡°Uncle, why isn¡¯t my mother back yet?¡±


    When Qin Anming heard this, he looked outside the door worriedly. ¡°She must have been delayed while buying something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been more than two hours. Why isn¡¯t she back yet?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stretched out his small hands and counted. He had been watching the time since she left. She had been gone for less than four hours.


    ¡°Yo, Zhuang Zhuang misses his mother¡­¡±


    Ruyi came out from behind the counter and squatted down beside him. She waved the sesame stick gently in front of him.


    Zhuang Zhuang blushed. Ruyi had guessed his thoughts. He chuckled and took the sesame stick before eating it in enjoyment.


    Seeing how cute he looked, Ling Long and Fu¡¯er joined in the teasing. Zhuang Zhuang smiled foolishly and accepted their teasing without retorting. He felt that there was nothing to hide about missing his mother. He simply enjoyed sticking around her.


    Seeing how proud he looked, everyone couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Xiaoguo had just stopped the donkey cart when she heard laughter coming from inside.


    When they heard the sound, they all turned to look at the door.


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Puzzled, Xiaoguo walked towards the confused group and sat down. She glanced at the two unfamiliar people in the corner and thought that they were just the usual diners so she didn¡¯t pay attention to them.


    Zhuang Zhuang quietly put down his arms that were about to reach out and hug her. He took a step back as he did so.


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired,¡± Xiaoguo said as she massaged her shoulders. It had been a long time since she had done any manual work. It was indeed exhausting.


    ¡°Did you do any hard labor?¡±


    Qin Anming came back to his senses and looked at her in disbelief. Ruyi and the others also surrounded her in shock. They were curious about what she had done. They thought that she had gone out to get the carriage installed. Why did it seem like she was constructing the carriage herself?


    ¡°Hard labor?¡± Xiaoguo seemed to have thought of something. She reached out and wiped her face, wiping away the dust on her hands. She showed it to them casually. ¡°Look at this.¡±


    ¡°Eeks¡­¡±


    The people around her dispersed. Even Zhuang Zhuang, who claimed to love her the most, took a step back.


    Xiaoguo glared at Zhuang Zhuang. She saw what he did. ¡°Is that necessary?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    After Ruyi said yes, everyone nodded in agreement.


    Xiaoguo gave them a curious look. They were exaggerating. It was just a little bit of dust.


    At this moment, Qin Anming walked to her side and reached out to remove the cobwebs from her head. ¡°You must have entered a spider cave.¡±


    Looking at the handful of cobwebs in his hand, Xiaoguo was stunned for a second. Then, she subconsciously grabbed at her head.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo looked quietly at the handful of cobwebs in her hand. She really didn¡¯t know that she had come back with a head-full of cobwebs. She was wondering why the people on the streets kept looking at her. So that was why¡­


    The commotion on this side of the shop successfully attracted the attention of Mr. and Mrs. Kong. They put down the bowls that were as clean as a mirror and listened attentively.


    ¡°I thought you went out to get the carriage installed?¡±


    Ruyi poured a glass of water for her. Xiaoguo took it and finished it in one gulp.


    ¡°I went to install the carriage. On the way back, I made a detour to Mr. Kong¡¯s house¡­¡±


    Hearing their names, Mr. and Mrs. Kong blinked in confusion. Not many people knew that they had returned home. How did that woman know?


    Mr. Kong gestured for her to keep quiet and continue listening.


    Xiaoguo took another sip of water and continued, ¡°When I got there, I realized that Mr. Kong and the others had already arrived. Coincidentally, they were moving their luggage at the door. At that time, there was only an old couple moving the heavy luggage. Since I had nothing to do, I helped them move the things.¡±


    ¡°Were they Mr. and Mrs. Kong?¡±


    ¡°No, I thought that it was them at first, but when I asked, I found out that they had come back from the capital with Teacher Kong to serve him and his wife. I heard from them that Teacher Kong and his wife got off the carriage when they reached the county gates to walk around the streets.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ If you were just moving luggage, why are there cobwebs?¡±


    As Qin Anming asked, he pulled out a cobweb that was trailing behind her.


    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t come into contact with the cobwebs while moving the luggage. You don¡¯t know the state of the house. The courtyard is quite clean, but who would have thought that there would be dust and cobwebs in the house? It looked like it hadn¡¯t been lived in for decades, so I helped them to clean up.¡±


    Xiaoguo patted the dust off her body and realized that she couldn¡¯t get everything off no matter how hard she tried. She didn¡¯t realize it when she was working. How could she meet Mr. Kong later in this state?


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, if Mr. Kong doesn¡¯t accept Zhuang Zhuang in the end, you would have done all this for nothing.¡±


    After Ling Long finished speaking, Fu¡¯er nodded in agreement. If Mr. Kong didn¡¯t accept Zhuang Zhuang in the end, wouldn¡¯t it be a complete waste of effort on her part?


    ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s not for me to decide. I¡¯m just doing this out of courtesy. I¡¯m grateful that Mr. Kong was willing to grant Zhuang Zhuang an interview. I can¡¯t plan my course of actions based on the outcome.¡±


    That was what Xiaoguo thought. Even though Mr. Kong had granted Zhuang Zhuang an interview because of Jiang Danhe, the reason she did this was to thank him for giving them the opportunity.


    On the other side, Teacher Kong pricked up his ears and heard this. He thought for a moment and chuckled. So it was them.

 Chapter 284 - 284 Die Here

    284 Die Here


    He already knew who they were.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mrs. Kong was puzzled to see him smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have found a way to settle the bill.¡±


    Mr. Kong was feeling playful so he decided to tease them. After making up his mind, he stroked his beard. Mrs. Kong was stunned. Did he have money with him?


    Mrs. Kong was about to ask in detail when the other party raised his hand to stop her.


    Helpless, she could only give up and watch quietly as he performed.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    Xiaoguo rubbed her hungry stomach and asked.


    Ruyi gestured for her to look towards the corner with her eyes and shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t turn around. Thinking of the two people she had just seen, she realized that they were diners who were refusing to leave.


    Although it was indeed not appropriate to eat while the customers were still around, they definitely had to eat since it was lunchtime. She was just helping to move house and was already feeling starved, let alone Ruyi, Qin Anming, and the others. They were kept busy all morning and would have to start working soon in the afternoon. They must be starving by now.


    Xiaoguo was about to say that she was going to cook when she heard a voice behind her.


    ¡°Bill, please.¡±


    When Ruyi heard this, her face lit up. She quickly put on a poker face in the next instant and walked forward.


    ¡°Yes¡­ a total of sixty-five copper coins.¡±


    Mr. Kong nodded and reached for money from his pocket. He touched his chest and sleeve at the same time. Mrs. Kong watched him perform from the side. To be honest, she didn¡¯t know what he was going to do. She felt that he was embarrassing himself.


    The corners of Ruyi¡¯s lips were turning stiff. Why did she have a bad feeling about this?


    Behind her, Xiaoguo also noticed something amiss. From the way he was fishing for money, it looked like he had no money.


    Everyone was eagerly watching his actions. When he saw that he had everyone¡¯s attention, Mr. Kong retracted his hand and placed it on the table. Using his mature acting skills, he looked at Mrs. Kong in embarrassment. ¡°Did you bring it?¡±


    When Mrs. Kong heard this, although she didn¡¯t understand what he was up to, she still touched her pocket and shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    It would be very far-fetched if Ruyi still could not tell. She had never encountered such a situation since she opened the shop. This was the first time, so she didn¡¯t quite know what to do.


    This was something new to her¡ª eating at a restaurant without bringing money.


    The others also understood now. The couple was here for a free meal.


    Xiaoguo took a serious look at the two of them. She looked at them from head to toe. The more she looked at them, the more familiar they looked.


    White hair, white beard. An old couple that was dressed in clean, simple clothes. Although the style of their clothes was plain, the fabric didn¡¯t look cheap. They looked neat and well-groomed. After eating, the table still remained clean. There wasn¡¯t a single drop of soup stain on the table. The chopsticks were neatly placed beside the bowl with the tips facing inwards.


    When she was helping to move at Mr. Kong¡¯s residence, she specially asked about Mr. and Mrs. Kong¡¯s attire. From the looks of it, the couple in front of her seemed to match the description. This was too much of a coincidence.


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    ¡°There are all kinds of strange things in the world,¡± Qin Anming said softly, although this was the first time he had seen such a thing.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything. She just nodded and didn¡¯t explain. She continued to observe the elderly couple.


    Suddenly, her eyes met Mr. Kong¡¯s. Then, he immediately looked away as if he had been scalded.


    When he avoided her gaze, Xiaoguo could tell that there was something wrong. She recalled the moment when she first entered the house. If the other party was Mr. Kong, he must have heard their conversation. Was he trying to test her?


    Was he trying to find out if she was really kind or pretending to be kind?


    Xiaoguo was a little hesitant and uncertain. She had to observe and see how the situation developed.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m really sorry. I came out in a hurry and didn¡¯t bring any money¡­¡±


    Mr. Kong¡¯s face was scrunched up suspiciously. He was squirming in embarrassment. Even the way he looked at Ruyi was a little¡­ disgusting. Did he think that he looked cute wearing that look on his face?


    Mrs. Kong was stunned by his actions. What was he trying to do? Was he trying to avoid paying for the meal by acting cute¡­?


    At the thought of this, she had goosebumps all over her body. Just thinking about it made her feel disgusted. How old is he now? How shameless.


    When Ruyi heard his words, she looked helpless and took a few steps back. What should she do?


    She subconsciously looked at Qin Anming, and Qin Anming looked at Xiaoguo.


    Mr. Kong followed their gaze and looked at Xiaoguo. He repeated his old trick and continued to look at her with his scrunched up face.


    Mrs. Kong clenched her fists tightly, afraid that she would slap him in the face. At this moment, she really wanted to wake him up. ¡°Your face might have been popular decades ago, but it really looks disgusting now!¡±


    Xiaoguo burst out laughing. The famous Sage Kong was now pretending to be cute and trying to escape from paying. Just thinking about it made her laugh.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Qin Anming worriedly helped the person who was about to collapse from laughter. He didn¡¯t know what had come over her suddenly. Has someone touched her funny bone?


    The others also looked confused. Everyone was wondering why she found the situation so funny.


    ¡°Ruyi, let¡¯s have lunch.¡±


    Xiaoguo held back her laughter. When Ruyi heard this, she secretly gestured to the couple beside her. She gave Xiaoguo a look. ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Mr. Kong, who was looking at her inquisitively. With a mischievous thought, she threw her head back and laughed evilly. Then she roared, ¡°Shut the door!¡±


    ¡°Recently, we are running short of meat. Although this meat is a little old, it¡¯s still good for making soup. Hahaha¡­¡±


    After her sudden schizophrenic act, not only did she frighten the two elderly persons, Ruyi and the others were also stunned on the spot.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo?¡±


    Ruyi called out to her hesitantly. She looked like she was about to say something, Xiaoguo was getting excited and was not done with teasing the couple. Naturally, she needed their cooperation. Hence, she winked at the others frantically.


    Qin Anming was the first to receive the signal. He came back to his senses immediately and cooperated.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Old meat makes the best soups¡­¡±


    Ruyi trembled when she heard this. She looked at them in disbelief. What was going on?


    Although Qin Anming didn¡¯t know Xiaoguo¡¯s intentions, he knew that she had her reasons. He just had to help her with it.


    Ling Long, Fu¡¯er, Uncle Xu, and Xiao Cui all cooperated in a daze. Ruyi was confused. What was wrong with them? When did they start being cannibals?


    Xiaoguo gave Ruyi a look and asked her to bring Zhuang Zhuang out first.


    Ruyi understood the look in Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes, so she brought Zhuang Zhuang back to the kitchen in a daze.


    When Mrs. Kong heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, her heart tightened and she broke out in a cold sweat. The first thing she did was to grab Mr. Kong and hide behind him, trembling. ¡°Old man¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Mr. Kong immediately comforted her. Although he was also a little afraid, he was an old man who had experienced many storms. He quickly got himself to calm down.


    ¡°It¡¯s broad daylight. Stop kidding around.¡±


    Mr. Kong watched Xiaoguo¡¯s every move with his sharp eyes. How could the general¡¯s wife be such a person? Could he have mistaken her for someone else¡­?


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Xiaoguo stood up and slowly walked up to them. ¡°Joking? Do you really think I¡¯m joking?¡±


    Mr. Kong¡¯s heart tightened. He was old and weak. It was impossible for him to fight them head-on, let alone with his wife. It would be even more impossible to reason with them¡ªthese people were probably regulars in this line of work. Was he really going to die here?


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have the money, then pay with your life!¡±


    Xiaoguo tried her best to scare them.


    ¡°We have the money, but you have to come with us to get it.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like a fool?¡±


    Xiaoguo walked behind Mrs. Kong with a look of disdain and placed her hand gently on her shoulder. Mr. Kong¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her!¡±

 Chapter 285 - 285 Zhuang Zhuang, Ill Take Him

    285 Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯ll Take Him


    Xiaoguo ignored his words. With a gentle tug, she pulled Mrs. Kong up.


    ¡°Old Kong!¡±


    Mrs. Kong cried out in shock. When Xiaoguo heard this, she was even more certain of their identities. She had guessed right.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid!¡± Teacher Kong was so startled that he stood up, but he quickly sat down as he had no other choice.


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and arranged for Mrs. Kong to sit on the other seat. She looked like she was using a lot of strength, but her movements were actually very light.


    Mrs. Kong could feel the change in her grip and looked at her strangely.


    Xiaoguo first winked at her mischievously. Then, with her back facing Mr. Kong, she whispered something in her ear. Mrs. Kong, who had been feeling uneasy just now, instantly calmed down. Her eyes kept blinking at Xiaoguo in disbelief.


    Xiaoguo snickered and apologized inwardly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. We just arrived in the county today. We came out in a hurry and didn¡¯t take the money. We really have money at home.¡± Mr. Kong, who had been observing them, saw his wife¡¯s stunned expression and subconsciously thought that she was in shock, so he said eagerly.


    Xiaoguo pretended to be impatient and interrupted him. ¡°Actually, I can treat you to a meal for free without charge, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Mr. Kong looked wary and did not forget to comfort Mrs. Kong behind her with his eyes.


    At this moment, Mrs. Kong was not afraid at all. However, because of Xiaoguo, she still pretended to look frightened.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Being led by her voice, Mr. Kong was anticipating nervously for what she was about to say.


    Xiaoguo chuckled and said sarcastically, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re Teacher Kong? If you are, I will not charge you for the meal!¡±


    ¡°I am Mr. Kong, Kong Bang!¡±


    Mr. Kong felt like he had taken a stabilizer. If he is Mr. Kong, she probably wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for them.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    The few people who were still watching the show could not sit still when they heard this. Even Ruyi and Zhuang Zhuang, who were cooking in the kitchen, poked their heads out and looked at him in surprise.


    Hearing him admit it, Xiaoguo¡¯s aura instantly softened. She smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve finally admitted it.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    The anger on Mr. Kong¡¯s face instantly disappeared. He watched in confusion at the change in Xiaoguo¡¯s attitude. After putting two and two together, he realized that he might have been tricked.


    ¡°This¡­ Hahahahaha¡­¡±


    Mr. Kong laughed out loud and stroked his beard. He had been teasing people all his life, to think that he is now at the receiving end of being teased.


    ¡°Old man, everyone makes mistakes.¡± Mrs. Kong stood up and walked to his side with a smile. She patted him and teased him.


    Ruyi and Zhuang Zhuang walked out of the kitchen. Qin Anming pulled Xiaoguo to the side and asked softly, ¡°Is it really Teacher Kong?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and said, ¡°I just found out too.¡±


    ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    Mr. Kong was quite sure that there were no loopholes in his plot, He couldn¡¯t understand how she found out and turned the tables on him.


    ¡°If you had looked at me less, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed.¡± Mr. Kong¡¯s acting skills were indeed not bad. Other than this particular flaw, there were no other flaws.


    As soon as she said that, Mr. Kong instantly laughed out loud. So that was the reason.


    Ruyi and the others looked like they had seen their idol. They looked at Mr. Kong with stars in their eyes and hid behind Xiaoguo. They wanted to go forward, but they were feeling shy.


    ¡°Hello, Teacher Kong and Mrs. Kong. I¡¯m Jiang Danhe¡¯s wife, Qin Xiaoguo. This is my son. His name is Jiang Qingwen, and his nickname is Zhuang Zhuang. He¡¯s four years old this year.¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly introduced the few people hiding behind her. ¡°This is my brother, Qin Anming. This is the lady boss of the noodle shop, Xu Ruyi. This is Uncle Xu, Ling Long, Fu¡¯er, and Xiao Cui.¡±


    After the introduction, she apologized sincerely to Mr. Kong again. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for pranking you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Xiaoguo. If you don¡¯t prank him, he will prank you.¡± Mrs. Kong took Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and sat down. She said lovingly, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen him suffer. Usually, he¡¯s the one who teases others. It¡¯s all thanks to you that I get to witness this.¡±


    Mr. Kong did not speak. He just laughed heartily at the side.


    Xiaoguo was secretly glad that she had made the right decision. She was feeling a little hesitant just now. Would it be too risky? But the outcome turned out to be surprisingly good.


    At that time, Mr. Kong was probably testing her to see if she would pay for his meal. However, she found out his real identity and caught him off guard. It worked out very well in the end.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Teacher Kong.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard Mr. Kong call his name, he stood obediently in front of him, feeling a little nervous.


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡±


    Mr. Kong was so happy that he couldn¡¯t stop smiling. The happiest thing about this was that he had met Zhuang Zhuang. At that time, he had deduced that Jiang Danhe¡¯s son must be a good boy judging from the general¡¯s steadfast character. That was why he agreed to meet the boy. He didn¡¯t expect Zhuang Zhuang to be such a treasure.


    However, he did not expect the wife of the steadfast Jiang Danhe to be so mischievous.


    Mr. Kong had already decided to take in Zhuang Zhuang, but there were still many things that they had not discussed in detail. Besides, this was not a good place to talk. Hence, he decided to return to his residence and discuss further.


    Xiaoguo nodded repeatedly at this decision.


    But before going back, there was one more thing.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t bring any money today. I¡¯ll go home immediately and when I get back, I¡¯ll get someone to send you the money. What do you think?¡±


    When Ruyi heard his words, she quickly waved her hand to indicate that there was no need.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to make a special trip. Just make the payment when you come back for noodles next time.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and spoke on behalf of Ruyi.


    Mr. Kong thought about it carefully and nodded. ¡°Sure!¡±


    He was not someone who would make use of his fame to take advantage of others. He was not a free-loader. He would settle the bill the next time he came back.


    He decided to come back for noodles at noon tomorrow. He would like to try out something else on the menu.


    Xiaoguo gestured to Qin Anming and the others. Then, she used the donkey cart to bring Zhuang Zhuang and the elderly couple towards their house.


    ¡°This is so nice. I thought we would have to walk back.¡± Mrs. Kong sat in the donkey cart and said happily, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Xiaoguo. Otherwise, our old arms and legs would have to suffer.¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s all thanks to fate.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. If it wasn¡¯t fate, how could they have bumped into each other by chance?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s fate.¡±


    Mr. Kong responded to Xiaguo¡¯s words and stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head. He looked at him lovingly and said, ¡°If Zhuang Zhuang hadn¡¯t pulled us in, we would have gone to another restaurant.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what he meant and asked curiously, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Mr. Kong told her about Zhuang Zhuang pulling them into the shop.


    Zhuang Zhuang quickly added how he figured out their conversation, making them laugh as a result.


    When they returned to their residence, Mr. Kong brought Zhuang Zhuang to his room to chat. Meanwhile, Xiaoguo chatted with Mrs. Kong in the house.


    The old couple that Xiaoguo saw moving the boxes in the earlier part of the day, turned out to be the servants of the Kong couple 30 years ago. Now, they have returned to Yonghai County to retire with the Kongs.


    Xiaoguo also found out that Mr. and Mrs. Kong had lived in Yonghai County since they were young. The house here was the one they used to live in before they shifted out. When they went to the capital, the house was left empty. Now that they were back, they would never leave this house again.


    The more Xiaoguo and Mrs. Kong chatted, the more they got along. Not long after, Zhuang Zhuang and Mr. Kong appeared. Both of them looked very happy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll accept Zhuang Zhuang as my student.¡±


    As soon as she said that, Xiaoguo clapped her hands happily. ¡°This is wonderful!¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow is a good day. Let¡¯s fix the apprenticeship banquet on that day.¡±

 Chapter 286 - 286 Accommodation

    286 Accommodation


    Knowing that Xiaoguo was inexperienced, Mr. and Mrs. Kong told her in detail about everything that had to be prepared for the apprenticeship banquet.


    Mr. Kong also confirmed some details with them. At first, he wanted Zhuang Zhuang to stay with him and return home once in a while. However, Zhuang Zhuang was not agreeable when he heard that¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to be separated from Xiaoguo.


    There was indeed a reason why Mr. Kong wanted him to stay at his place. Studying was not just about reading. Studying and character-building were two inseparable things. He must infiltrate Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s daily life and build up his character from scratch. When the roots are upright, the person will be upright too.


    At first, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t quite understand why, but after thinking about it carefully, she made a painful and shocking decision.


    ¡°Alright, I agree!¡±


    ¡°Mother?¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked at her in disbelief.


    ¡°Teacher Kong¡­¡± After saying that, Xiaoguo hesitated. ¡°Do you think his stay here can be shorter? After all, Zhuang Zhuang has never left me before. If he is suddenly separated from me for so many days, both of us will have a hard time getting used to it.¡±


    Mr. Kong didn¡¯t say anything. He lowered his head and thought for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s have a day off for every five days of school.¡±


    ¡°How about this¡­?¡± Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sad eyes and couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this. She mustered her courage and said again, ¡°We¡¯ll take two days off after 5 days of school. How about that?¡±


    Xiaoguo thought of the modern work week. Work days are from Mondays to Fridays. Saturdays and Sundays are off-days.


    ¡°This idea is quite novel,¡± Mr. Kong said with interest as he stroked his beard.


    After all, there was no such thing as ¡°a week¡± in ancient times. This concept of a ¡°week¡± had just been brought back by thousands of years. During this era, they operated on five days of work and one rest day. Even the morning court meetings in the palace followed this schedule. The meetings were held over five days. The sixth day was fixed as a rest day. There was no seventh day in their plan.


    Mr. Kong thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. No matter what, Zhuang Zhuang was still young. It was better to be considerate. ¡°Alright, It¡¯s settled then.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo in dissatisfaction and then at Mr. Kong. What right did the adults have to make decisions on his freedom so casually? What right did they have to separate him from his mother? He didn¡¯t want to be separated from her!


    Zhuang Zhuang was very upset at the moment, but he knew that they were outside, so he tried hard to hold back his emotions. On the way back, he ignored Xiaoguo and sat alone in the carriage. He even slammed the curtain down to cut off any communication with her.


    Xiaoguo knew why Zhuang Zhuang was unhappy, but she had her concerns too. She sighed softly at the curtain. ¡°Forget it. Let him calm down first.¡±


    While Zhuang Zhuang was waiting for Xiaoguo to comfort him, he felt the donkey cart starting to move off. He broke down and felt that his mother didn¡¯t love him anymore. He started sobbing softly at first, then it slowly escalated into a storm.


    Xiaoguo could hear everything clearly from outside the donkey cart. She was feeling terrible.


    At first, she planned to talk about it when they got home, but the more Zhuang Zhuang cried, the hoarser his voice became. Xiaoguo¡¯s heart felt like it was put in a pot of oil¡ªall fried and dry.


    Unable to take it anymore, she stopped the donkey cart by the road. She quickly lifted the curtain and hugged Zhuang Zhuang, whose eyes were swollen from crying.


    ¡°Good boy, Zhuang Zhuang, don¡¯t cry. I love you the most. I can¡¯t stand to see you crying like this.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡¯re talking nonsense.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang cried so hard that he was out of breath. He started to accuse her of being heartless.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, stop crying first, okay?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even care about me anymore. You are going to abandon me.¡±


    Xiaoguo took out a handkerchief and wiped his tears, but his tears were like a faucet that had been turned on. She couldn¡¯t wipe them dry however hard she tried.


    ¡°I¡¯m not abandoning you. It¡¯s very important that you learn by example. Teacher Kong just wants you to have an immersive learning process, and understand the principles of studying and learn the truth of life.¡±


    As she got back to the topic, Zhuang Zhuang slowly stopped sobbing.


    Xiaoguo continued. ¡°And it is not a permanent arrangement. It¡¯s just going to be like this for the first few months. If Zhuang Zhuang performs well, it might not be long before you can go home to see your mother every day.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhuang Zhuang was skeptical. Why didn¡¯t he hear about this just now?


    Xiaoguo pinched his little nose and smiled. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. You were so focused on being angry just now. How could you have heard the rest?¡±


    It was indeed what Mr. Kong had said just now, but Zhuang Zhuang must have been too immersed in his sorrow to hear it.


    ¡°That¡¯s still quite a long time.¡± Zhuang Zhuang suddenly felt sad again. He couldn¡¯t even bear to part from his mother for a few hours, let alone a few months.


    Xiaoguo let out a long sigh. This was why she had agreed to Mr. Kong letting him stay over.


    It was because Zhuang Zhuang was too clingy. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t like Zhuang Zhuang sticking around her. In fact, she enjoyed it very much.


    However, for the sake of his future, when Zhuang Zhuang became older, he would be labeled as a good-for-nothing if he still remained so clingy to her. Moreover, Zhuang Zhuang was extremely clingy now¡ªhe would keep asking for her even when they were just separated for a short while. She had heard Qin Anming and Mrs. Yang mentioned it many times. Whenever she wasn¡¯t by his side, Zhuang Zhuang would keep asking for her.


    She didn¡¯t want anyone to label him as a mummy¡¯s boy. It was a good time now to help him gain more independence. This was also the reason why she agreed to the arrangement.


    ¡°Then can you come and visit me every day, Mother? Can you stay for a few hours each time?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang quietly made one last request.


    ¡°Are you trying to tire me out, or are you trying to tire the little donkey out?¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head and laughed. If she really traveled there every day, the donkey wouldn¡¯t be able to take it.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was about to pout again, Xiaoguo quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll visit you once every two days.¡±


    Knowing that it was too late to reverse the arrangement, he compromised after getting a satisfactory promise from Xiaoguo


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang had calmed down, Xiaoguo turned around and headed towards the market. Initially, he was crying so hard that she planned to come back tomorrow to buy things for the apprenticeship banquet. But now that he was fine, she decided to buy everything now, so that she wouldn¡¯t have to make another trip tomorrow.


    For the apprenticeship ceremony, one had to prepare six ceremonial bundles. They were celery, lotus seeds, red beans, red dates, cinnamon balls, and dried lean pork strips.


    The celery symbolized diligence and eagerness to learn. The lotus seeds symbolized a painstaking education. The red beans symbolized good luck. The red dates symbolized early high school. The cinnabar balls symbolized perfect merit. The thin strips of meat symbolized disciples¡¯ sincerity.


    Every item carries with it a good symbolism. Xiaoguo also bought two red eggs for Zhuang Zhuang, which symbolizes that he would become the top scholar in the national exams. She would cook the eggs for him in two days¡¯ time.


    On the way back, Xiaoguo held on to Zhuang Zhuang throughout the journey. Afraid that the child would think that she didn¡¯t love him anymore, she didn¡¯t let go of him even though her legs were numb.


    When they got home, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t wait to pack Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s luggage for the day he started school. After all, he would come back only after five days, so she had to prepare more clothes for him. Since he would be taking his meals with the Kong¡¯s, Xiaoguo did not have to prepare any food for his stay.


    As she thought about it, there was no way she could find a better opportunity than this. To be able to learn from a famous scholar and stay by his side without having to pay tuition fees. There couldn¡¯t be a better deal than this on the surface of this earth.


    Initially, Xiaoguo had wanted to pay Mr. Kong the tuition fees monthly or yearly like how it was done at other schools. However, Mr. Kong refused. He said that he had accepted Zhuang Zhuang as his disciple unconditionally, and did not need any remuneration.


    Confucius lived a life of great virtue and left his name in history. He did not care about the secular world at all. All he pursued in his life was spiritual compatibility. He had an affinity for Zhuang Zhuang, so he was very willing to teach the boy without asking for any payment in return.


    At first, Xiaoguo felt that it was a little inappropriate, but Mr. and Mrs. Kong clearly liked Zhuang Zhuang a lot, so she didn¡¯t insist. Since they didn¡¯t treat Zhuang Zhuang and her as outsiders, she should try to do away with the formalities as well.


    Whenever she had time, she would go over and spend more time with Mrs. Kong, cook for them, take care of them, and contribute in her little ways.

 Chapter 287 - 287 Enrollment Ceremony

    287 Enrollment Ceremony


    Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was time for the enrollment ceremony, which was also the day of the apprenticeship ceremony.


    Early in the morning, Zhuang Zhuang reluctantly said goodbye to every animal in the house with his tears flowing non-stop.


    He sobbed as he ate the two red eggs. Mrs. Yang knew that Zhuang Zhuang was going to start school today, and that he would only be back in five days. She brought Xiaohu and Xiaohua over early in the morning to send him off.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you have to eat well.¡±


    Xiaohua held his small hand and patted his shoulder like a big sister. She was about to say something when she was suddenly startled by a loud tormented wail.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    The sudden wailing startled them. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s tears immediately stopped flowing. He looked at Xiaohu helplessly.


    ¡°Brother Xiaohu¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t know what to make of this. He should be the one crying.


    Mrs. Yang felt a little embarrassed. She nudged Xiaohu, who was crying uncontrollably. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Zhuang Zhuang isn¡¯t even crying now. What¡¯s up with you.¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to laugh, but since Xiaohu was crying so hard, it would be embarrassing for him if she laughed at him. Hence, she could only turn around and cover her mouth to laugh in secret.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you have to take care. I cannot be there to play with you. Don¡¯t feel lonely. When you come back, we can get together and play!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! Let¡¯s do that, Brother Xiaohu!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was very touched. He grabbed his small backpack tightly and reluctantly got on the donkey cart with Xiaoguo.


    Just as Xiaoguo was about to set off, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly tried to jump down. Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly grabbed him and lowered him to the ground. Before she could scold him, he started running away. As he ran, he told her, ¡°Mother, wait a moment.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop him. She could only watch him run towards Mrs. Yang.


    She didn¡¯t know what Zhuang Zhuang said to her, so she could only guess from Mrs. Yang¡¯s face. Mrs. Yang was stunned for a moment. Then, she smiled and nodded. She reached out to pat his head and said something to him. Zhuang Zhuang nodded when he heard her words and ended the conversation.


    Zhuang Zhuang got back on the donkey cart again. He was much calmer now. He just nestled in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and leaned against her quietly.


    Xiaoguo waved goodbye to Mrs. Yang and drove off.


    As they approached Mr. Kong¡¯s house, Xiaoguo touched Zhuang Zhuang reluctantly. Why did she suddenly feel like her son had grown up?


    She stopped the donkey cart and put Zhuang Zhuang down. Then, she took out everything and entered the house after checking through the items she had brought.


    Mr. Kong had gotten up early in the morning. It was an auspicious day. After waking up and having a simple breakfast, he began to prepare the apprenticeship gift.


    His face was glowing today. This was the first time he was taking in a student officially, so he was inevitably a little nervous.


    When Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang arrived, Mr. Kong was done with his preparations.


    In ancient times, there were four major ceremonies in a person¡¯s life. They are the enrollment ceremony, the coming-of-age ceremony, the wedding ceremony, and the funeral. On the day of enrollment, a grand ceremony was required.


    Although Mr. Kong was only taking in Zhuang Zhuang alone and did not run a school, he still ensured that everything was done in accordance with the customs.


    From Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s new clothes and red shoes, to Mr. Kong¡¯s elegant attire, every detail reflects the importance that teacher and student attach to today¡¯s enrollment ceremony.


    When the auspicious hour arrived, Mr. Kong brought Zhuang Zhuang to the main room. The required items had been laid out neatly in the room.


    ¡°Clothes.¡±


    Mrs. Kong was also dressed for the occasion. She was taking the lead in going through the ceremony. Xiaoguo stood quietly not far away and watched with relief.


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s erect posture, Xiaoguo covered her mouth. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a lump in her throat. If only she had a camera now. She could capture this moment of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s life as a memento.


    ¡°Greetings, Teacher.¡±


    Mr. Kong brought Zhuang Zhuang to the portrait of his late master. He knelt on both knees and kowtowed nine times. Whatever he did, Zhuang Zhuang followed suit.


    ¡°Kowtow to the teacher.¡±


    This time, it was Mr. Kong¡¯s turn to sit at the head of the table and accept Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s three kowtows.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face was solemn as he kowtowed three times. Mr. Kong was overjoyed. If not for the fact that he was bowing, he would have stood up and hugged Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°The ceremony is complete.¡±


    As soon as Mrs. Kong finished speaking, Xiaoguo walked in with a tray. On it were the six ceremonial bundles that she had bought the day before yesterday.


    Teacher Kong accepted it and placed it aside.


    The entrance ceremony was not over yet. There were still three steps to go.


    ¡°Wash your hands and clean your mind.¡±


    After saying that, Mrs. Kong walked over with a basin of clear water and stopped in front of Zhuang Zhuang. Teacher Kong guided him to wash his hands in the basin before wiping dry.


    The symbolism of washing one¡¯s hands was to clear the mind and heart of all impurities. With that, one can be focused and free of distractions.


    ¡°Cinnabar to awaken the mind.¡±


    Mrs. Kong brought over some cinnabar. Mr. Kong dipped a brush into the cinnabar and tapped it between Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyebrows. The mark it made was the size of a mole.


    The word ¡°mole¡± was a homonym for ¡°intelligence¡±. This was a symbolic act to awaken his intelligence. From now on, his eyes and heart would be clear.


    ¡°Write in red ink.¡±


    Under Teacher Kong¡¯s guidance, Zhuang Zhuang wrote down the first word in his official schooling life.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t wait to see the words that were written. However, as they were in the midst of the ceremony, she could only suppress her eagerness in silence.


    Soon, Zhuang Zhuang put down the brush and Mr. Kong raised his writing in satisfaction. The admiration in his eyes was about to surge out.


    Xiaoguo tiptoed quietly and finally saw the word.


    Benevolence.


    ¡°Strength, resolution, simplicity, caution with one¡¯s speech, will bring one closer to benevolence.¡±


    Mr. Kong¡¯s expectations for Zhuang Zhuang were all incorporated into this sentence.


    Xiaoguo made a mental note to write a letter to Jiang Danhe. Their son was officially enrolled in school today. She should share this exciting piece of news with him.


    Xiaoguo replayed every scene of today¡¯s event in her mind. Since she didn¡¯t have a camera, she would go back and draw it. Although her drawing skills weren¡¯t very good, she just needed a rough sketch to keep as a memento. This was definitely a day that she would remember for as long as she lived.


    Her shining son¡­


    The enrollment ceremony was officially over. Zhuang Zhuang followed behind Mr. Kong with a small bag and walked towards his residence. He looked back three times with every step and reminded Xiaoguo not to leave.


    Xiaoguo had to keep nodding to reassure him, but Zhuang Zhuang was still worried. He walked to the corner and looked at her with reluctance.


    Xiaoguo waved him away before he left.


    Mrs. Kong saw everything and smiled at Xiaoguo. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is really clingy.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded helplessly. ¡°Yes. He hasn¡¯t left me since he was born.¡±


    Mrs. Kong nodded in understanding. ¡°There will be such a day. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiaoguo wanted to leave, but thinking of Zhuang Zhuang, she hesitated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave yet. Stay here for lunch.¡± Mrs. Kong¡¯s eyes were bright. She could tell at a glance that Xiaoguo was hesitating. In consideration that Xiaoguo could be feeling reserved, she told her, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is still young. Stay and have a meal with him. Give him time to get used to it.¡±


    As expected, when Xiaoguo heard this, she didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. She nodded happily and smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°Dream on.¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned, not understanding what she meant by that.


    Mrs. Kong smiled mischievously. ¡°I heard that your culinary skills are not bad. Shouldn¡¯t you show off your skills?¡±


    ¡°Who did she hear this from?¡±


    Xiaoguo was feeling curious. Who leaked this information to her?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Mrs. Kong took the initiative to pull Xiaoguo into the kitchen. She was very hospitable and seemed especially close to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo had no chance to feel shy around Mrs. Kong. There was no room for awkwardness at all. Within those few hours in the morning, Xiaoguo had gotten to know Mrs. Kong better and promised to visit her often in the future.

 Chapter 288 - 288 Regrets

    288 Regrets


    Xiaoguo was very surprised to find out that Zhuang Zhuang was actually Teacher Kong¡¯s first disciple. Based on what Mrs. Kong told her, he should be his last disciple too.


    Having received such a great honor, Xiaoguo was elated the whole day. After leaving Mr. Kong¡¯s house, she went to the noodle shop and shared her joy with Qin Anming, Ruyi, and everyone else at the shop.


    Then, after asking for a few pieces of paper and an envelope, she went to Qin Anming¡¯s room and closed the door. She couldn¡¯t wait to share the good news with Jiang Danhe. There was no way she could wait until she got home to write the letter.


    Xiaoguo tried her best to reproduce the scene of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s enrollment ceremony on paper. She blew on the ink and admired her drawing happily. However, the more she looked at it, the more speechless she became. She seemed to have overestimated her drawing skills¡­


    ¡°Forget it, forget it.¡± Xiaoguo put it down and comforted herself. Although the drawing was bad, it was quite clear what she was trying to say. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take this one.¡±


    After stuffing the letter and the drawing paper into an envelope, she took her leave and went straight to the post station.


    After sending the letter, Xiaoguo returned home alone. At first, she didn¡¯t feel anything, but when she stood alone in the courtyard, it was an odd feeling that was unfamiliar to her.


    Just as she was in a daze and wondering what to do, Mrs. Yang arrived.


    ¡°Come sit down.¡±


    Mrs. Yang looked at the melancholic Xiaoguo and thought of Zhuang Zhuang. She suddenly laughed. ¡°Your Zhuang Zhuang really knows you well.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    Xiaoguo had just put down the glass of water in her hand when she heard Mrs. Yang say that.


    ¡°Do you know what Zhuang Zhuang said to me when he got out of the car?¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head.


    ¡°He asked me to come and spend more time with you. He was afraid that you would be bored and was also worried about you falling sick.¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned and her heart was filled with warmth. ¡°This kid¡­¡± He is just too sweet.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is so sensible. I¡¯m so envious of you¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang¡¯s face was filled with envy. If only Zhuang Zhuang was her son. At the thought of this, she suddenly joked again, ¡°We can swap kids. I will give you the baby in exchange for Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    After saying that, she burst out laughing.


    ¡°Haha, are you done? After trying to exchange Xiaohu, now you¡¯re trying to swap the baby.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang. The last time, the latter had said that she would swap Xiaohu for Zhuang Zhuang. Now, she is harboring ideas on the one in her stomach. She was already an adult, but she still loved making silly jokes.


    The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Mrs. Yang did like Zhuang Zhuang. He was smart, cute, and sensible. Who wouldn¡¯t like him?


    ¨C


    Xiaoguo missed Zhuang Zhuang even more than she had expected. After sending Mrs. Yang off that day, Xiaoguo turned down her invitation to eat at her house. When she returned home, she cleaned the house thoroughly. Then, she fed the animals and collected the eggs. It was sunset when she was done.


    As dusk fell, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t even have the motivation to cook anymore. She went to the kitchen and looked around.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Now that Zhuang Zhuang was not around, it was boring to eat alone. After circling around a few times, Xiaoguo picked up a cabbage and made it into soup. She also added some noodles into the hot soup before eating it up.


    When she got onto the bed, the bed felt much wider. Even after wrapping herself up with the blanket, she didn¡¯t feel warm at all.


    She couldn¡¯t help but imagine what Zhuang Zhuang was doing at this moment. ¡°Did he have a filling dinner? Was he wearing warm clothes? Was he asleep? How was he getting on in Mrs. Kong¡¯s house?¡±


    The more she thought about it, the more she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The next day, she drove to Mr. Kong¡¯s house with dark circles under her eyes.


    She had no choice. She missed Zhuang Zhuang more than she had imagined. It was her who had agreed to let Zhuang Zhuang stay at Mr. Kong¡¯s house, but now she was starting to regret it. She was really regretful about it.


    She had thought that Zhuang Zhuang would miss her very much, but after meeting him, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    Mrs. Kong was not surprised by Xiaoguo¡¯s arrival. When she saw Xiaoguo looking distracted, she understood immediately. Without further ado, she brought her to the study.


    ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Mrs. Kong quietly lifted the curtain and did not disturb the two people in the room. She gestured for Xiaoguo to walk over and watch.


    Xiaoguo looked inside excitedly and instantly spotted the little figure. When she saw Zhuang Zhuang, her heart felt like it was coming back to life.


    Looking at the scene in the room, Xiaoguo and Mrs. Kong did not disturb them anymore and reluctantly lowered the curtain.


    Xiaoguo only perked up when she was outside the house. ¡°Auntie Kong, is Zhuang Zhuang adjusting well?¡±


    ¡°After all, it was the first day. He was a little listless and didn¡¯t have much appetite. He only fell asleep late at night,¡± Mrs. Kong said truthfully. Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was in her mouth when she heard this. Then, the other party¡¯s tone changed. ¡°But he¡¯s feeling much better today. He woke up in the morning and ate quite a lot. He¡¯s much more energetic now. He took the initiative to ask Old Kong to teach him how to read.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was instantly relieved. She could finally rest her worries.


    Mr. Kong had planned to start lessons in two day¡¯s time, giving time for Zhuang Zhuang to get used to the new environment. However, he did not expect the boy to take the initiative to ask him this morning. The two elders were shocked. They did not expect him to be so adaptable.


    Hearing Mrs. Kong praise Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoguo felt a little happy. Zhuang Zhuang was indeed amazing. His charisma conquered people of all gender and age.


    After talking for a long time, Mrs. Kong invited Xiaoguo to stay for dinner.


    Xiaoguo shook her head and declined the invitation.


    Mrs. Kong looked a little surprised. Xiaoguo smiled and explained, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for Zhuang Zhuang to get to his current state of mind. If I stay, he might get distracted again.¡±


    Mrs. Kong thought for a moment and nodded. She felt that it was true, so she didn¡¯t insist on keeping her.


    On the way back, Xiaoguo was in a good mood. Zhuang Zhuang was indeed her vitamin. She regained all her energy just by looking at him.


    It turned out that Zhuang Zhuang had never needed her. It was her who needed him more.


    ¨C


    One day, Xiaoguo got up before dawn. It was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s day off from school.


    Although she had been visiting Zhuang Zhuang every day for the past five days, it was still different from having him at home.


    Before dawn, she had already packed up and was ready to go pick up Zhuang Zhuang.


    On the other side, Zhuang Zhuang did the same. Before dawn, he got out of bed on his own, got dressed, folded the blanket, fetched water, and washed up. After packing his bag, he carried it on his back and quietly went outside.


    Without waking anyone up, he tiptoed to the courtyard and casually moved a stool to sit at the door. He leaned his body against the door and eagerly looked out through the gap in the door, looking for any signs of Xiaoguo and the donkey cart.


    He sat down when he got tired. When he was done resting, he got up and continued looking out. This went on repeatedly.


    Mrs. Kong yawned and came out of her room. Just as she was about to make breakfast, she stopped in her tracks when she saw a small figure at the door.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Mrs. Kong called out to him softly.


    She knew that it was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s day to go home. She guessed that Xiaoguo would pick him up early in the morning, so she woke up early to cook for him. She didn¡¯t expect Zhuang Zhuang to wake up even earlier than her.


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang stood up and greeted her. Now that he was Teacher Kong¡¯s disciple, Mrs. Kong should naturally be addressed as Madam.


    ¡°Why are you up so early?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang weighed the heavy bag in his hand and replied, ¡°My mother will be here in a while.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be here so early.¡± Mrs. Kong smiled and wanted to bring him into the house to rest. It was just dawn. How could she reach here at this hour?


    Unexpectedly, Zhuang Zhuang shook his head and said with a smile, ¡°No, my mother will be here soon. I¡¯ll just wait here.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t be so early¡­¡± Mrs. Kong rubbed her head and was halfway through her sentence when there was a commotion outside. Upon closer inspection, it sounded very much like a donkey cart.


    Zhuang Zhuang was delighted. He immediately leaned over the door and looked out. Sure enough, he saw a familiar figure.


    As it was still early, Xiaoguo was about to wait when she suddenly heard Zhuang Zhuang calling her.


    ¡°Mother! Mother!¡±

 Chapter 289 - 289 Spring Is Here

    289 Spring Is Here


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoguo looked through the gap in the door and saw Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s big eyes. She immediately called out to him happily.


    Mrs. Kong didn¡¯t expect Xiaoguo to come so early. She was shocked. Seeing that mother and son were looking at each other through the door, she immediately opened it.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Mother and son hugged each other affectionately and laughed non-stop.


    After the two of them calmed down, Mrs. Kong stopped laughing and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast together.¡±


    ¡°No, we will go back for breakfast.¡± Xiaoguo had wanted to say hello to Mr. Kong, but when she heard from Mrs. Kong that he had not woken up, she decided to take her leave.


    Since it was still early, they had ample time to go back and eat.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Mrs. Kong nodded.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll go back first. Please inform Teacher Kong on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Madam, please help me inform Master.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he followed and said the same thing.


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Mrs. Kong nodded kindly. ¡°Make your way back now.¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang nodded with smiles across their faces. Then, they got into the donkey cart and headed home eagerly.


    Mrs. Kong watched the donkey cart leave before stretching and closing the door. ¡°I¡¯m going back to catch up on my sleep.¡±


    Along the way, Zhuang Zhuang kept sharing with Xiaoguo what had happened over the past few days. Xiaoguo listened attentively to the interesting things he shared. Occasionally, she would ask him some questions and Zhuang Zhuang was quick to clear up her doubts.


    When they got home, Zhuang Zhuang ran around the house excitedly and greeted every animal. When the two puppies saw him, they surrounded him excitedly and wagged their tails. Zhuang Zhuang was so happy to see them that he held both puppies in his arms.


    The first thing Xiaoguo did when she got home was to cook. She watched Zhuang Zhuang run around the house while she cooked the corn porridge.


    The smile she was wearing never left her face. It was indeed more lively with Zhuang Zhuang around.


    Breakfast consisted of corn porridge, boiled eggs and pickled vegetables. She had also pan-fried some dumplings that she made the night before.


    Although not considered sumptuous, it was still a nutritious meal. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s actions were evidence of Xiaoguo¡¯s culinary skills. Everything in the bowl and pot were wiped clean by him.


    Xiaoguo felt a great sense of accomplishment as she washed the empty plates. While doing the dishes, she started humming a tune.


    Zhuang Zhuang wanted to help her with the washing, but Xiaoguo chased him out. There were only a few items to wash, so she didn¡¯t need help. She could easily finish washing up within a minute.


    ¡°Mother, can I go look for Brother Xiaohu and Sister Xiaohua?¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang returned to his room, he ran out after a while and stood at the kitchen door to ask Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and Zhuang Zhuang ran out, clutching something in his hand.


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of something and called out to him, ¡°Come back soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Zhuang Zhuang ran out without looking back.


    Xiaoguo smiled and lowered her head to continue with the dishes. She had no particular reason for asking him to come back early. She just missed him a little and wanted to spend some time talking to him.


    Zhuang Zhuang ran to Mrs. Yang¡¯s door and knocked hard. Then, he lowered his hand and waited for someone to open the door for him.


    If he didn¡¯t exert enough strength, no one would hear him. With his small physique, there was a limit to his strength.


    ¡°Coming.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaohu¡¯s voice, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Brother Xiaohu!¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaohu, who was feeling a little sleepy, immediately perked up. He ran over and opened the door.


    When he saw Zhuang Zhuang, he hugged him and said excitedly, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you¡¯re finally back!¡±


    Having not seen him for a few days, Xiaohu seemed to have become much stronger. Being held in his arms, Zhuang Zhuang had no room to struggle.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Xiaohu¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang raised his arm with difficulty and patted Xiaohu. ¡°Brother Xiaohu, look at what I have!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xiaohu let go of Zhuang Zhuang and looked at his hand. ¡°Sesame candy stick?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I have two. One for you and one for Sister Xiaohua.¡±


    Those were candy sticks that Mr. Kong had given him. He did not eat them and specially brought them back.


    ¡°Thank you, Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaohu gratefully took one and licked it carefully. ¡°It¡¯s so sweet¡­¡±


    As Xiaoguo wanted Zhuang Zhuang to go back early, he did not follow Xiaohu into the house. After giving him the candy, he went home.


    In the two days that Zhuang Zhuang was at home, Xiaoguo whipped up a lot of delicious food for him. In just two days, his stomach became much rounder.


    The weight-loss plan that Xiaoguo had prepared for him had no chance of being implemented. Now, she could only hope for Zhuang Zhuang to grow taller, otherwise he would become fat and short.


    ¨C


    In the capital.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey!¡±


    Li Shouji had already walked in front of Jiang Danhe many times. He brazenly waved the things he was researching in front of him. Jiang Danhe did not stop him¡ªhe only lowered his head and revealed a perverted smile.


    Li Shouji threw down the metal piece in his hand expressionlessly and walked towards Jiang Danhe. He wanted to see what the man was looking at so seriously.


    With a push, he leaned his head forward.


    Jiang Danhe was looking at the drawing paper on the table seriously when his vision was suddenly blocked by a big black head.


    ¡°Li! Shou! Ji!¡±


    When Jiang Danhe saw him, he could feel a headache coming on.


    Li Shouji wasn¡¯t bothered. At the most, he would just get beaten up by Jiang Danhe. In any case, he had encountered this before and could handle it.


    As he spoke, he reached out and picked it up. The drawing style was so childish. He could draw better without using his hands. Jiang Danhe was actually so engrossed looking at this thing. What poor taste he had. If no one told him it was a painting, he would have thought that it was a piece of paper that had been used to clean up ink stains.


    ¡°Which kid drew this?¡±


    ¡°My wife.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Li Shouji put away his disdainful expression and looked at Jiang Danhe. He lowered his head to look at the painting in his hand and looked at Jiang Danhe again.


    Jiang Danhe crossed his arms and nodded silently.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Li Shouji was wearing a frozen smile on his face. He quickly nodded in response and praised the drawing, ¡°Although the lines look a little squiggly, it looked similar to the style of Elder Bai. Every stroke is so precise. It¡¯s really¡­ good¡­ haha.¡±


    Li Shouji swore that he had tried his best to come up with this awkward comment¡­


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe did not speak and just reached out his hand.


    Li Shouji¡¯s eyes were quick to spot Jiang Danhe¡¯s actions. When he saw him move, he immediately handed over the painting respectfully with both hands.


    Jiang Danhe took the letter and smoothed out the wrinkles that Li Shouji had accidentally made. He couldn¡¯t hide the smile in his eyes.


    Although the drawings looked a little strange, he could imagine the scene at the ceremony. The sense of satisfaction in his heart simply would not go away.


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Their Zhuang Zhuang had really grown up.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Seeing that the other party was about to leave without a word, Li Shouji hurriedly asked.


    ¡°Back to my room.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about tonight¡¯s appointment.¡±


    Jiang Danhe paused and nodded imperceptibly before leaving.


    Li Shouji watched him leave and was in a very good mood himself. He placed his hands comfortably behind his head and started whistling.


    He knew it. Jiang Danhe would find it hard to leave the capital.


    His whistle startled the birds on the branches. They chirped and flew into the sky. After some time, they eventually flew back and landed at the same spot again because they couldn¡¯t bear to leave the big tree.


    Seeing this, Li Shouji chuckled and retracted his gaze. He picked up his invention and slowly walked back to his room.


    On the way, he inhaled deeply. It was a wonderful feeling.


    It seemed that spring was really coming¡­

 Chapter 290 - 290 The Best Arrangement

    290 The Best Arrangement


    ¡°Do you need me to go with you?¡±


    Li Shouji stood at the side and said in an annoying tone.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe disregarded Li Shouji¡¯s manner and simply ignored him.


    Li Shouji knew his limits. He knew that the man was ignoring him, but he didn¡¯t care. He would just continue to give Jiang Danhe his attention.


    Jiang Danhe tidied up his clothes in front of the mirror before leaving.


    Li Shouji did not forget to blow out the candle and followed closely behind. He kept muttering to himself along the way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go with you. Why is the emperor looking for you? He¡¯s probably asking you for your reply to his suggestion. What is your decision on this? It is likely that you are agreeable to it. What else do you want from such a good deal? You should say yes. You will be getting a salary, lots of free time, and a low risk job. It¡¯s an opportunity that¡¯s hard to come by. You don¡¯t know how lucky you are. You can always spend more time with your family when it¡¯s retirement time. Now is the time to focus on your career. Why are you choosing to lead an easy life now when you should be striving hard at work? Sigh¡­¡±


    Li Shouji wanted to follow him into the carriage, but as soon as he took a step, a lean and strong hand reached out from behind the curtain and gave him a gentle push.


    Li Shouji fell from the carriage and onto the ground. He clutched his butt and screamed in pain. Before he could give Jiang Danhe a piece of his mind, he looked up and saw the carriage moving away. The culprit had already left.


    ¡°You¡¯re really something! Ouch¡­¡±


    Li Shouji threw a hostile look at the departing carriage before trying to get up. But when he attempted to move, his butt was burning with pain.


    ¡°Deputy General, do you need help?¡±


    Seeing this, the guard quickly stepped forward and prepared to help him up. However, by way of courtesy, he still asked him before touching him.


    ¡°Of course I need help!¡± Li Shouji was furious. How embarrassing!


    Li Shouji was helped back to his room by the guard, while limping along the way. If one didn¡¯t know better, they would have thought that something serious had happened to him.


    In the palace.


    Shao Zhan had already prepared dinner and was waiting for Jiang Danhe¡¯s arrival. There were many delicacies laid out on the table.


    Xiaoyi was going to have dinner with him today, but when he heard that Jiang Danhe was coming, he ran away before Shao Zhan could stop him.


    Shao Zhan sent someone to bring Xiaoyi over, but he refused to leave his room no matter what. He claimed that he was busy with his schoolwork and needed to focus on his reading. Therefore, he would not be going out for the time being. Before the servant left, Xiaoyi told him that he could just send him something good to eat.


    After hearing Eunuch Su¡¯s report, Shao Zhan chuckled. ¡°Interesting. He is busy with his studies and is working on his reading? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t know what the Crown Prince is up to either.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha, bring him some taro cake.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t know if Xiaoyi was serious about studying in seclusion, he was indeed gluttonous. Even though he wasn¡¯t planning to leave his room, he still asked for food to be delivered to him. What a little devil!


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Eunuch Su left, he sent someone to bring a plate of taro cakes to Xiaoyi. At this moment, the boy, who had just said that he was in seclusion, was playing with crickets with a group of eunuchs. When he heard that someone was coming, he immediately hid himself. When he heard that the person was here to bring him snacks, he came out with relief and happily brought the snacks back to his room to eat.


    Ever since he accidentally punched Jiang Danhe the last time, he had been avoiding him whenever possible. Initially he thought that it was nothing and that it wouldn¡¯t hurt much. However, there was one time when he accidentally bumped into something himself and he realized how painful it was.


    Putting himself in Jiang Danhe¡¯s shoes, he could empathize how painful it must have been for Jiang Danhe. He had felt so much pain just from a light bump.


    Just the thought of it was terrifying. Xiaoyi shivered as he nibbled on the taro cake. It was better to avoid Jiang Danhe for a longer period of time.


    On the other hand, Eunuch Su had just gotten someone to deliver taro cakes to Xiaoyi when Jiang Danhe arrived. He quickly went in to make the announcement.


    Shao Zhan was almost tired from waiting when Jiang Danhe finally arrived.


    He quickly sat up and looked at the person who had just walked in. He said sarcastically, ¡°I thought you would only arrive after taking your afternoon nap.¡±


    ¡°I got delayed by Li Shouji.¡±


    Jiang Danhe pushed the blame onto Li Shouji. In any case, it was not wrong to say that. It was indeed because of Li Shouji. If he had not taken the time to push him, he would have arrived long ago.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Shao Zhan snorted heavily and got up to walk to the dining table. When he walked past Jiang Danhe, he even glanced sideways at him. There was no way he would believe his words.


    Jiang Danhe frowned awkwardly. Alright, to tell the truth, he was late because he didn¡¯t want to come.


    Poor Li Shouji. He injured his butt and now, he was being falsely accused too. He had just become collateral damage.


    At the dining table, as there were only the two of them, they did not stick with the rule of keeping silent during mealtimes. The two of them chatted among themselves and Jiang Danhe quickly became the topic of the conversation.


    ¡°I wrote to your wife and she is agreeable with my idea. She is very supportive of you staying in the capital.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t say that.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he responded without hesitation. He trusted Xiaoguo and knew that she wouldn¡¯t make any decisions on his behalf. Although he really wished that she could do so, she was not that kind of person.


    Seeing that his plan had failed, Shao Zhan waved his hand in boredom. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    ¡°This couple sounded just like each other. What a difficult pair.¡±


    After dinner, the two of them returned to the study. After an unknown period of time, when Eunuch Su could barely open his eyes, the two of them finally came out.


    ¡°Stay and rest in the palace.¡±


    Shao Zhan realized that it was very late. The court session would start within a couple of hours. It would be too troublesome for Jiang Danhe to go back and forth. After saying that, he asked Eunuch Su to prepare the room for him.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll just go back to the residence. It¡¯s nearby so I can get home quickly.¡±


    Shao Zhan nodded. He wanted to yawn, but he was concerned that there were others around, so he elegantly covered his mouth and did a small one.


    The two of them parted ways and Jiang Danhe came to the entrance of the palace. The coachman had fallen asleep leaning against the carriage in a daze.


    Jiang Danhe gently patted him awake. ¡°You must have waited long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, General.¡± The coachman woke up from his sleep and was shocked to see Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Things ended late today and I didn¡¯t inform you. When we go back, you can get your rest.¡±


    With that, Jiang Danhe got into the carriage. After putting down the curtain, he relaxed and leaned against the carriage involuntarily. His eyes were staring blankly into space. He only came back to his senses when the carriage suddenly swayed uncontrollably.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, General. There¡¯s a kitten,¡± the coachman said apologetically and nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Jiang Danhe sat back and waited for the carriage to move again. He lowered his head and looked at the red stain on his thumb in confusion.


    After a while, he retracted his hand and looked outside with a determined gaze. Indeed, this was the best arrangement for now¡­


    This time, he compromised. He had accepted Shao Zhan¡¯s suggestion to stay in the capital.


    It was for no other reason. Shao Zhan was right. He had gotten used to living in the army and would feel uneasy if he just left everything behind. If he were to start living as a farmer, it didn¡¯t feel like it could be a long-term arrangement for him. Xiaoguo would not like to see him living a life without ambitions either.


    Since the opportunity had presented itself, there was no reason for him to turn it down. It was a job where he could apply his skills and provide income to support his family. Moreover, there were no dangers involved in the job, and there were many holidays. He should definitely take up the offer.


    However, he still remembered Xiaoguo¡¯s wish to travel around the Shao Kingdom. He had heard her mention it many times before, and he remembered her words clearly.


    Therefore, he made an agreement with Shao Zhan. He would remain in this post until he was 35 years old and then retire. He would use all the money he had to travel with Xiaoguo around the Shao Kingdom. If he was too advanced in age, he could not guarantee that he would be able to protect Xiaoguo. He would do it when he was 35 years old, while he was still in his prime.


    Shao Zhan thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. He even wrote a contract and stamped his thumbprint. Each of them got to keep a copy.

 Chapter 291 - 291 Terrible Weather

    291 Terrible Weather


    After returning to the residence, Jiang Danhe spent the night writing a letter and handed it over to the courier station.


    Actually, he didn¡¯t know if Xiaoguo would agree to his decision. He wrote everything down and asked for her honest opinion. It would be good if she agreed. If she didn¡¯t, he would make alternative plans.


    ¡ª-


    When Xiaoguo received the letter, it was time to send Zhuang Zhuang back to Teacher Kong.


    Xiaoguo had brought Zhuang Zhuang home yesterday. She was supposed to send him back the next morning, but it was a cloudy day today. There was a strong wind outside and the sky was filled with dark clouds. It looked like a storm was coming soon, and it could probably last for a few days. Therefore, Xiaoguo decided to send Zhuang Zhuang back earlier.


    After lunch, Xiaoguo sent Zhuang Zhuang off with much reluctance. Judging from the current weather conditions, if she were to send him off tomorrow, they wouldn¡¯t be able to make the trip. Once the heavy rain soaked through the dirt road, the muddy conditions would make traveling impossible. It would be worse if it kept on raining over a few days.


    On her way back, she bumped into a courier at the entrance of the village. He was just entering the village. Xiaoguo¡¯s donkey cart followed closely behind and called out to him. If there was a letter for her, she could just take it from him on the spot. Judging by the weather, it was probably going to rain soon. The courier could save some time and go back early.


    ¡°What a coincidence. Madam, I have a letter for you!¡±


    The courier was overjoyed to see Xiaoguo. No one was willing to come out in this terrible weather. He had no choice. At this moment, he just hoped that he could go back early and avoid the rain.


    ¡°Give it to me. You should go back early in this weather.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    Xiaoguo took the letter and quickly drove home.


    The sky was getting darker. It was just slightly after noon, but it looked like it was evening time.


    When Xiaoguo got home, she added another layer of roofing to the livestock shed. These were the reeds that she had skewered two days ago to reinforce the roof of the shed. When spring came, rainfall would increase. She had to add a few more layers to waterproof the shed.


    As the wind was strong, the minute Xiaoguo put down the ladder, it was immediately blown askew. After she put it back in place, it was blown askew again. This happened several times. In the end, she had to shift to a spot that was sheltered from the wind.


    Holding a large patch of reeds in one hand and holding onto the ladder with the other, she carefully stepped on the ladder. When the wind blew, the reeds would flutter. That caused her to sway on the ladder and her heart was beating like a drum while she was at it.


    She quickly finished building the livestock shed and tidied up the courtyard. Items that were not needed were stored away, and stuff that had to be brought in were taken into the house. She was getting ready for the storm.


    After making sure that there was nothing else to pack, Xiaoguo washed her hands and returned to the house.


    When Xiaoguo entered the house, she had to light a candle since it was too dark. Just as the flame lit up the room, a flash of lightning and a roar of thunder occurred at the same time. Xiaoguo was so startled that she accidentally placed her hand against the burning candle wick. While withdrawing her hand from the pain, she knocked over a glass on the table.


    The chain reaction didn¡¯t give Xiaoguo any time to react. When she came to her senses, it had started raining heavily. The candle was extinguished while the glass of water had landed on ground with water spilled all over the floor.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    No matter how strong the winds were, they could not compare to the complicated emotions going through Xiaoguo¡¯s mind.


    After a while, she slowly composed herself and lit the candle again. Then, she squatted down and picked up the glass of water. She placed it back in its original spot and returned to her room to put ointment on her fingers.


    When she was done, she sat down at the table, completely exhausted.


    Just as she was about to lie down and rest, she suddenly felt something on her chest. Puzzled, she took it out and remembered that she had received a letter from Jiang Danhe. Earlier on when she just received it, she had put it in her pocket and started cleaning the courtyard. After that, she completely forgot about it.


    By the candlelight, she finished reading the letter carefully. After putting it down, Xiaoguo rested her chin on her hands. At this moment, her thoughts were in a mess. Spring had arrived, but Jiang Danhe was not coming back.


    In the letter, Jiang Danhe told her everything and his thoughts. In principle, it was very good. There was every reason for him to stay in the capital. He could not find a better job elsewhere.


    However, Xiaoguo was feeling a little depressed. She didn¡¯t know what had happened all of a sudden. During the apocalypse, she was always alone and had experienced all kinds of difficulties and dangers by herself. She managed to survive all that. But what was wrong with her today¡­?


    ¡°It must be this damn weather!¡±


    After throwing a tantrum at the heavens, Xiaoguo felt much better. She could be feeling down because of the overcast weather, or it could be due to another reason.


    But no matter what, Jiang Danhe¡¯s decision was a good one. In the letter, he mentioned that he would try his best to come back once a month and stay for a longer period of time.


    Logically speaking, Xiaoguo was very satisfied with this arrangement. This was because it is good to maintain some distance between people. If she really had to spend time with Jiang Danhe every day, it would be inevitable that there would be friction between them. It was good that he could come back once a month. As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder.


    Some sort of distance should be maintained between people. It should be the same for married couples. This was the best way to ensure a lasting relationship.


    But from an emotional point of view¡­


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Without any expectation, one wouldn¡¯t have a chance to feel disappointment.


    Outside, there was a strong wind and torrential rain. Xiaoguo closed the doors and windows tightly. In this weather, she felt like she would be swept away by the winds if she stepped out. After closing the doors and windows, she felt more safe and secure.


    She returned to the table and put away Jiang Danhe¡¯s letter. In any case, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the house for the next two days. There was no hurry to reply to him.


    When it was time for dinner, Xiaoguo looked at the pouring rain and thought about what she would eat later.


    Hotpot was the best thing to have on a rainy day.


    Coincidentally, she had a lot of meatballs in the fridge. Qin Anming had brought them back for her some time ago, but she had never eaten them. Other than frying the meatballs with noodles for Zhuang Zhuang once, she had never eaten the rest.


    Xiaoguo gathered her courage and went out. As soon as she opened the door, the noisy sound of rain accompanied by muffled thunder hit her eardrums. She carefully walked along the eaves to the kitchen, but no matter how careful she was, her feet and shoulders were drenched.


    She went to the kitchen and glanced at the copper pot. After thinking for a moment, she decided to forget about it. She would just set up a ground stove.


    In this cold weather, it would be nice to enjoy a hotpot and keep warm by the stove.


    After setting up the stove and lighting the fire, Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen in the other space. She opened the fridge and took out the frozen mutton slices and meatballs. She couldn¡¯t finish too much food all by herself, so she put a little bit of everything on a plate.


    Xiaoguo found a bag of frozen mushrooms that had been hydrated beforehand. The last time she made fried rice for Zhuang Zhuang, she had prepared too many mushrooms and couldn¡¯t finish them. This time, she could add them to the hotpot.


    There were no other green vegetables left. She could only cut off the leaves from a cabbage and rinse them. The remaining rib portion could be kept for future use to be made into a stew


    When she returned to the kitchen, she found a few potatoes that were about to sprout in the vegetable basket. She peeled and cut them so that she could add them into the hotpot later.


    The ingredients were now ready. Xiaoguo just had to wait for the water to boil.


    While waiting, she made some noodles and prepared a bowl of sesame sauce. When she returned, the water had started to boil.


    As there was no soup base, she only used plain water and added some salt, spring onions and ginger. Although the fragrance was not fantastic, the good thing was that the authentic flavors of the ingredients would come through in the soup.


    She added some mushrooms and chicken oil. When the water started to boil again, the soup had become more flavorful. She scooped out a bowl to warm her stomach. Then, she added the small meatballs and potato slices. When the soup was boiling, she added the mutton and cabbage leaves.


    Since she was eating alone, she didn¡¯t put in the ingredients bit by bit. Instead, she added everything and scooped them out when they were cooked. It was more convenient this way.


    With the rain pouring outside. Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes and heart were filled with the steaming hotpot. Before she even started digging in, her body was warmed up by the wonderful sight in front of her.


    In the end, she finished an entire pot of meatballs and vegetables. She had wanted to add some noodles, but she was really too stuffed. Therefore she could only put them back into the fridge. In the end, she didn¡¯t even have the strength to wash the dishes. Instead, she hugged her stomach and retired to her room.

 Chapter 292 - 292 Worried

    292 Worried


    As expected, the heavy rain came in torrents and lasted for a week. The heavy rain that was going on continuously for the past few days had slowly turned into a light drizzle.


    Because of the weather, Xiaoguo did not pick up Zhuang Zhuang, who was supposed to return home. She would have to wait until next Sunday to pick him up.


    When the weather finally cleared up. Xiaoguo immediately set up the carriage and prepared to visit Zhuang Zhuang at Mr. Kong¡¯s house. She didn¡¯t pick him up for the past two days, and there was no way to send a message. She wondered how Zhuang Zhuang was doing.


    Xiaoguo had just led the donkey cart out when she saw Mrs. Yang in a hurry. The latter spotted Xiaoguo and quickly called out to her, ¡°Are you going to the county?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Mrs. Yang waved her hand and walked over. ¡°Because of the rain, the river has risen too high, so the roads are all flooded. There¡¯s no way to get out at all.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hand paused. She asked worriedly, ¡°Is there no other way? Can we make our way through the water?¡±


    She had not visited Zhuang Zhuang for the past few days and she didn¡¯t send him any messages. She was really afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would get worried sick.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. There¡¯s only one passable entrance in the village. The flood level is chest deep. Don¡¯t take the risk and venture out.¡± After saying that, Mrs. Yang was a little worried. ¡°Don¡¯t go out. There¡¯s no way out in the heavy rain. Stay at home for a few days.¡±


    She saw Xiaoguo looking around and knew that she would try something. She added, ¡°There are no alternative routes in our village. Don¡¯t go out. The roads are either flooded or have given way. It¡¯s no joke.¡±


    Xiaoguo was quite convinced by her words. The look in her eyes changed as she asked, ¡°Is it that bad?¡±


    Mrs. Yang wasn¡¯t scaring her on purpose. Seeing that she didn¡¯t believe her, she said, ¡°Is it that bad? Fortunately, our village is in the highlands. Otherwise, we would have been drowned like the other villages.¡±


    Compared to the other villages in the vicinity, Peach Blossom Village was lucky that only its entrance was affected by the flood. The other villages in the vicinity were not as fortunate. Most of their land had either caved in or become flooded.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she was shocked. Then she realized that Mrs. Yang was right. The village was situated close to the river. It was definitely susceptible to floods.


    ¡°I have to go back quickly. Brother Yang is still working in the floods. I¡¯ll make some ginger tea with brown sugar and bring it to him.¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo had given up, Mrs. Yang was relieved. She suddenly remembered what she was going to do earlier on. After saying that, she quickly walked home. She had almost forgotten about it.


    As soon as the village entrance was flooded, the old village chief called for a few men from a few households to repair the road. Brother Yang was one of them and he went out early in the morning. Having to work in such wet and cold conditions, Mrs. Yang¡¯s heart ached for him. She was rushing home to get him a thick set of clothes and make hot tea when she bumped into Xiaoguo. After talking with her, she almost forgot about the poor man who was still suffering in the cold.


    Xiaoguo watched Mrs. Yang leave and reluctantly brought the donkey cart back. She really didn¡¯t expect the floods to be so serious.


    Refusing to yield to the situation, Xiaoguo locked the door and walked towards the village entrance.


    Before she could walk far, her feet started sinking into the mud. Muddy grounds were hard to walk on. There was so much mud and footprints on the pathway that there was no way for her to walk without dirtying her feet. Xiaoguo gave up completely and trudged on in the mud.


    When she arrived at the entrance of the village, a group of men were working hard with shovels in their hands.


    Unexpectedly, in addition to the flood, there was also a landslide on the mountains that sealed off the entrance to the village. As the water in the river rose, it merged with the puddles to form a larger pool of water. Fortunately, the rain had stopped. Otherwise, the entire Peach Blossom Village could end up being submerged after a few more days of rain.


    Xiaoguo did not approach and looked at the village from afar. Once again, she was glad that Peach Blossom Village was located on higher grounds. Otherwise, it would have been completely flooded by now. The animals at home could have been wiped out too.


    Based on their progress, it would take them at least a day or two to finish the work. Even if they were done, based on the current weather conditions, the ground would not dry so quickly. This delay meant that she would not be able to see Zhuang Zhuang for another few days.


    Xiaoguo walked around worriedly and realized that there was really no way out. She gave up all thoughts of trying and started walking home. She wondered how Zhuang Zhuang was doing. She had not seen him for so many days. He must be missing her.


    Fortunately, based on its geographical location, the county was not low. Even if it was flooded, they should be safe.


    ¡ª-


    On the other side, Zhuang Zhuang was losing sleep and skipping his meals, just as Xiaoguo had expected. He was losing his focus in class.


    Mr. and Mrs. Kong¡¯s hearts ached when they saw this. This little boy was becoming more and more depressed. They were extremely worried about him.


    As soon as the rain stopped, Mr. Kong went out to inquire about the situation.


    Mrs. Kong paced anxiously in the courtyard. After a while, Mr. Kong returned.


    ¡°How is it, old man?¡±


    Mrs. Kong asked impatiently.


    Mr. Kong said nothing and waved his hand.


    ¡°Is there something wrong or not?¡±


    Mrs. Kong grabbed him anxiously. What did he mean? She was confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Mr. Kong had wanted to go back to the house and drink some water. His mouth had become dry from asking around for information, but seeing her anxious expression, he stopped and explained to her.


    ¡°Because of the rain, the surrounding villages near the mountains and river were flooded.¡±


    ¡°Ah?! The villages are flooded!!¡±


    Mrs. Kong had always been impatient since she was young. With age, she had become even more impatient. When she heard that the village was flooded, her voice was so loud that the entire county could hear her.


    Mr. Kong covered his ears skillfully. When Mrs. Kong had recovered from her shock, he continued helplessly, ¡°Calm down and let me continue¡­¡±


    The two of them, who were talking seriously, did not notice the small figure flashing past behind the door.


    ¡°Oh¡­ So that¡¯s what happened. Peach Blossom Village is on high grounds and didn¡¯t get flooded. You really gave me a fright.¡± Mrs. Kong rolled her eyes at the old man beside her in dissatisfaction. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me everything. You scared me so much that I broke out in cold sweat.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Mr. Kong ignored her. He was already used to this.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell Zhuang Zhuang quickly. Look at his face these days. He has lost a lot of weight¡­¡±


    Mrs. Kong felt more assured now. As she spoke happily, she walked towards Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s room, ready to share the good news with him.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Mr. Kong waved his hand at her departing figure. He was destined to be bullied by her for the rest of his life.


    On the other side, Zhuang Zhuang had overheard Teacher Kong and Madam Kong¡¯s conversation. When they mentioned that the village was flooded, he panicked and couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen anymore. He quickly ran back into the house and opened his sling bag. As he stuffed a change of clothes into his bag, he wiped away his tears.


    After packing up, he sniffled hard and picked up his bag, ready to go out. He must go home. His mother must be suffering. He had to go back and accompany her!


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, good news, good news. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mrs. Kong walked in happily from outside. As she walked, she called out to Zhuang Zhuang. When she reached the door, she bumped into Zhuang Zhuang, who was walking out with his bag on his back.


    Zhuang Zhuang sniffed and pushed Mrs. Kong¡¯s hand away. Then, he said firmly, ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t stop me. I¡¯m going to look for Mother.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mrs. Kong didn¡¯t understand. She stopped Zhuang Zhuang and said, ¡°Your mother will be here in a few days. It¡¯s just that the roads have been wrecked. It will take two more days.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hide it from me. I know it. The village is flooded!¡± Zhuang Zhuang pushed her hand away again and said stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯m going to find my mother and stay by her side.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. How are you going to find your mother?¡± Mrs. Kong almost laughed out loud looking at his crying face. How could a child like him go by himself?

 Chapter 293 - 293 Fat or Puffy

    293 Fat or Puffy


    ¡°I¡¯ll go look for Uncle first and ask him to bring me back.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had already thought of a way to go back. Although he remembered the way home, he was still a child and didn¡¯t have any money on him. It would be slow and unsafe to walk back alone. He could only go to his uncle first and ask him to bring him home to his mother. His uncle was an adult and he had money.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Mrs. Kong nodded in admiration. Although Zhuang Zhuang was young, he had a comprehensive plan in mind.


    Seeing that she had nothing else to say, Zhuang Zhuang was not in the mood to continue talking with her. He waved her hand away again and continued walking out.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey.¡± While Mrs. Kong was still in a daze, Zhuang Zhuang had already walked two meters away. She quickly stopped him. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t stop me. My mother must be suffering now. I¡¯m going to look for her!¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. Zhuang Zhuang, listen to me. It¡¯s not what you think!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang felt that she was deliberately hiding it from him, but he did not dare to shake off her hand again. Afraid that she would get hurt, he could only say anxiously, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Madam, let go of me!¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, Zhuang Zhuang, listen to me¡­¡±


    It was really difficult for the elderly Mrs. Kong to hold on to Zhuang Zhuang, who was as strong as a calf.


    It took a lot of effort for her to grab hold of Zhuang Zhuang. By the time she got a strong hold on him, the two of them were panting from exhaustion.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, the village is flooded, but Peach Blossom Village isn¡¯t. It¡¯s just that some roads are blocked, so your mother cannot travel out of the village. It¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at her in disbelief. His big eyes were fixed on her face, trying to tell if she was telling the truth.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really!¡±


    Mrs. Kong nodded. ¡°Your master went to ask around early in the morning. There were people who drove past the village on their carriages. They said it themselves.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he was relieved and finally stopped crying. He also stopped insisting on leaving to look for this mother.


    Mrs. Kong only left the room after watching the boy put down his bag and sit down obediently.


    ¡ª-


    In the next few days, the sun was a good sport. It was sunny every day, and the temperature was also the highest in history.


    The roads were completely dried up in less than a week. With the help from a group of villagers, the village entrance was cleaned up in three days. After another three days, all normal traffic was resumed.


    At the very least, after the heavy rain stopped, all villagers were able to travel normally in about six days. That was the case in Peach Blossom Village. It was said that the other villages were still under reconstruction.


    When Xiaoguo heard that the roads were open, she couldn¡¯t wait to drive to the county.


    The roads leading out of the village were still a little uneven. It was so bumpy that XIaoguo almost threw up her breakfast. She endured the discomfort and reached the main road to the county. After that stretch, the road conditions were a little better. Although it was still bumpy, the magnitude was much smaller.


    When she arrived at Mr. Kong¡¯s house, Xiaoguo thought for a moment. Her timing should be just right¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t be disturbed by her arriving at this hour. She went forward and knocked on the door.


    After a while, Mrs. Kong walked out of the house, followed by the anxious Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo saw Zhuang Zhuang through the crack in the door and immediately called out to him excitedly, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang! Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    ¡°Mother, Mother!¡± When Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice, he started running excitedly. He ran past Mrs. Kong and came to the door. He then tiptoed to reach for the door latch.


    The door latch was relatively high, so he couldn¡¯t reach it even on tiptoes. Looking anxiously at Xiaoguo through the gap in the door, he couldn¡¯t help but start to cry.


    Mrs. Kong was old and couldn¡¯t run. She could only walk over quickly and open the door for him so that the mother and son could meet.


    Zhuang Zhuang threw himself into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms. It had been a long time since she had seen him so sad.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t very good at comforting people. She could only say, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry.¡± Then she tried her best to stroke his back and calm him down.


    Mrs. Kong was old and couldn¡¯t stand people crying. She couldn¡¯t help but wipe her eyes as well.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart ached. All the tension that she was feeling over the past days had instantly disappeared the instant she saw Zhuang Zhuang again.


    Xiaoguo was happy, but at the same time, she was especially tired.


    Mr. Kong heard the commotion and came out of the house. At first, he thought that Zhuang Zhuang was being bullied. He was going to come out and settle scores with whoever was bullying him, but when he saw Xiaoguo, he understood. He put down his arms and stood beside Mrs. Kong.


    Zhuang Zhuang sobbed and lay on her shoulder. After a while, Xiaoguo gently touched him and realized that he had fallen asleep.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t been sleeping well the past few days because he was worried about you. He hasn¡¯t eaten much either.¡±


    Mrs. Kong explained from the side. Over the past few days, she had been staying by Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s side. Afraid that he would sneak back if she wasn¡¯t paying attention, she was well aware of his every movement.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she was touched and angry. She looked at the child in her arms with tears in her eyes. What can she say? She was already an adult. Why would she need a child to worry about her?


    ¡°Bring him home and let him rest for a few days. You can send him back in a few days.¡±


    Xiaoguo had the same thoughts. She looked at Mr. Kong and nodded gratefully. ¡°Then we¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t move Zhuang Zhuang on her own. In the end, the three of them worked together to carry him onto the donkey cart.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to wake Zhuang Zhuang up from his deep sleep. She gently pulled him into her arms and looked at his fair and tender face. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but kiss him and take a bite. She kissed Zhuang Zhuang until he subconsciously turned his head away.


    Xiaoguo snickered and slowly drove the donkey cart home.


    In front of the house, she bumped into Mrs. Yang, who was coming out to sunbathe. Xiaoguo greeted her silently.


    Mrs. Yang had good eyesight. She spotted Zhuang Zhuang in her arms at a glance and instantly swallowed her words.


    When Xiaoguo returned home, she stopped the donkey cart and thought about how to carry Zhuang Zhuang in. She was in a dilemma. Back then, she had carried two calves back on her own. Could Zhuang Zhuang be heavier than the two calves?


    Xiaoguo tried her best, but her efforts were in vain. In the end, she confirmed one thing. Zhuang Zhuang was heavier than the calves¡­


    Xiaoguo straightened up and wiped the sweat off the tip of her nose. The two cows from before were so starved that they were almost reduced to bones. In addition, they were newborns, unlike Zhuang Zhuang. Although he was only four years old, he had grown a lot recently. In addition, all the flesh on him was much more substantial than the two cows at that time.


    This was really not a joke, although it sounded a little exaggerated.


    Didn¡¯t Mrs. Kong say that he hadn¡¯t eaten well recently? Why was he still so heavy? It seemed that her Zhuang Zhuang was really fat, and not puffy¡­


    In the end, after much consideration, she had to wake Zhuang Zhuang up. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to carry him in at all. If he continues sleeping out in the cold, he will catch a cold. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, wake up. Let¡¯s go back to the house and sleep.¡±


    Xiaoguo called out to him softly, and Zhuang Zhuang followed her back into the house in a daze. When he lay on the familiar bed, he was overwhelmed by his drowsiness. He rolled over in relief and fell back into deep sleep.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo, who was in the outer room, heard Zhuang Zhuang calling out to her. She subconsciously responded and opened the door. She realized that he was still asleep. He was calling out to her in his sleep. She chuckled and closed the door again.


    ¡°Is he still asleep?¡±


    Mrs. Yang asked curiously when she saw Xiaoguo return.


    ¡°Yes. I guess he was calling out in a daze.¡± Xiaoguo smiled and nodded before sitting down opposite her again.


    Mrs. Yang looked at her enviously. ¡°Look at your son. He¡¯s still thinking about you even when he¡¯s sleeping. Unlike my Xiaohu. One day, in the middle of his sleep, he got up and cried out for sesame candy.¡±

 Chapter 294 - 294 Managing Your Husband

    294 Managing Your Husband


    ¡°Haha!¡± Xiaoguo laughed and quickly covered her mouth. Then, she laughed silently for a long time. ¡°He was still thinking about food in his sleep. It¡¯s so funny.¡±


    Mrs. Yang shook her head helplessly. It was her luck to have such a silly son, so she gladly accepted her fate.


    Now, she just hoped that the baby in her stomach could be more like Zhuang Zhuang. It was fine with her if it just took after half of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s strengths. She would be grateful as long as there was no junior Xiaohu in her belly.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, do you think it¡¯s a baby boy or girl?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang¡¯s bulging stomach and asked curiously. Didn¡¯t they say that ancient people had a way to tell the gender?


    ¡°It¡¯s probably another boy,¡± Mrs. Yang said happily. If she had a boy, he would be part of the family¡¯s labor force when he grew up.


    ¡°How did you guess?¡±


    ¡°If a woman craves for sourish foods during pregnancy, she will have a boy; if she craves spicy foods, she will have a girl. I drank a big bowl of vinegar when we had dumplings last night.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought that Mrs. Yang was going to share some secret methods of telling the gender, but it turned out to be this sour and spicy theory. She found it unbelievable. ¡°Did you like spicy food when you were pregnant with Xiaohua?¡±


    ¡°Yes. When I was pregnant with Xiaohua, I loved spicy food. I wish I could eat nothing but spicy food for every meal.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that this explanation was not totally groundless.


    Just as Xiaoguo was starting to think that it was believable, Mrs. Yang recalled again and said regretfully, ¡°But I also liked spicy food when I was pregnant with Xiaohu.¡±


    At that time, they thought that she was expecting a girl. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a boy. The entire family was so happy that they couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t like having a daughter. In this era, every family relied on farming for food. With a son in the family, it meant that they had an additional headcount in their workforce. On the other hand, once a girl grew up, she would be married off eventually. When a son grew up, he could still marry someone and bring back one more person into the family.


    ¡°¡­ Oh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo turned to look elsewhere. She picked up the glass of water beside her and took a sip. She was speechless. That was as good as saying nothing.


    Mrs. Yang looked at Xiaoguo and then at her stomach. A bold thought appeared in her mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are pregnant too?¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo wiped her mouth and put down the glass of water. She looked at her in shock. ¡°No, no.¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t hide it from me!¡±


    Mrs. Yang looked at her with certainty. If she wasn¡¯t pregnant, why was she asking her about this? She must be pregnant. That¡¯s why she was asking all these to determine if it was a boy or a girl she¡¯s having.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m not.¡± Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. She was still a virgin. Mrs. Yang was letting her imagination run wild.


    When Mrs. Yang heard her words, she looked her up and down suspiciously. Her gaze was focused on her stomach, looking like she was trying to see through her clothes.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s face turned redder and redder. Being looked at like this by another person, she really felt like she was pregnant. In for a penny, in for a pound, she lifted her clothes for Mrs. Yang to see. They were both women anyway. What was there to be shy about?


    ¡°Look, look, look, look!¡±


    Mrs. Yang really leaned forward to take a closer look. Her stomach was very fair and her waist was very slender. She concluded, ¡°You¡¯re not!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Xiaoguo let go of her clothes. Her face was burning.


    Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t look embarrassed. Instead, she asked curiously, ¡°Now that Danhe is back, and your Zhuang Zhuang is a big boy, don¡¯t you want another one?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo stammered for a long time, unable to say a word.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be shy about!¡±


    Mrs. Yang had been through this before, so she pulled the stool closer to Xiaoguo and nudged her with her elbow. She said with a smile, ¡°The last time he came back, did you¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xiaoguo didn¡¯t quite understand and asked innocently.


    Mrs. Yang smacked her lips and gestured to her with her eyes. ¡°Do the deed¡­¡±


    ¡°?!!¡±


    Xiaoguo stood up abruptly. At that moment, she felt like her entire body was boiling. At first, she didn¡¯t know what Mrs. Yang was talking about, but from the look in her eyes, she understood!


    But she was wishing that she hadn¡¯t got it instead. In that way, she could continue to play dumb.


    How could an unmarried young woman not be shy when it came to such topics? Although she was from the modern world and shouldn¡¯t feel awkward just because of this subject, she had never thought about this after all. Now that Mrs. Yang was bringing this up all of a sudden, Xiaoguo got flustered because she couldn¡¯t come up with a reason.


    ¡°No way, no way!¡± Mrs. Yang¡¯s reaction was even greater than hers. Her face was filled with disbelief. Judging from her reaction, they had not done anything during that time.


    ¡°Shh, Sister-in-law!¡± Xiaoguo called out to her. Zhuang Zhuang was going to hear her.


    Mrs. Yang covered her mouth in panic and nodded to show that she understood. Then, she continued to ask softly, ¡°You really didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, have some tea. I just bought this. It¡¯s very good.¡± Xiaoguo was a little flustered and immediately interrupted her.


    ¡°Ah, okay. You can leave it here. You should have some crisis awareness. Danhe is good-looking and is someone of status. Most importantly, he¡¯s residing in the capital all year round. How could you not worry? In my opinion, you should get pregnant quickly and lock him down¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, try this snack.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Leave it here. Are you paying attention to what I am saying? This man¡­¡±


    The more Mrs. Yang spoke, the more energetic she became. Xiaoguo played with the teacup in her hand, turning a deaf ear to Mrs. Yang¡¯s words. She wasn¡¯t interested in keeping her husband on a tight leash. She would just let nature take its course. If he didn¡¯t let her down, she would continue living with him. If he found another woman, she would let him go. All her time and energy were invested in Zhuang Zhuang. She didn¡¯t have time to think about Jiang Danhe.


    Xiaoguo was obviously avoiding the question and Mrs. Yang could see it. She gave a sigh and stopped harping on the subject. This couple was too abnormal. On the night that Old Yang returned, they both¡­ Ahem, she had digressed.


    Mrs. Yang seemed to have thought of something and blushed. She then quickly changed the subject.


    Seeing that Mrs. Yang was no longer harping on that matter, Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief. She held her face with one hand and looked at Mrs. Yang helplessly.


    This pregnant Mrs. Yang was getting more and more gossipy. It was getting out of hand earlier. If she continued probing, Xiaoguo would have to find a hole to hide from her.


    It was getting late. Brother Yang quickly came and brought Mrs. Yang back for lunch.


    After sending the two of them off, Xiaoguo returned to the house. Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was still asleep, she decided to wake him up so that his sleep would not be affected at night.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡± Xiaoguo shook him gently, but he refused to wake up. He mumbled a few times, turned over, and went back to sleep.


    Xiaoguo was not in a hurry. She shifted position and continued to call out to him gently. After a while, he slowly woke up.


    He stared blankly at the roof with his big eyes and blinked for a long time before coming back to his senses. He looked at the familiar surroundings and his gentle mother in a daze and blinked innocently.


    Only then did he remember that he was home. His mother had personally brought him home. In his excitement, he sat up and hugged Xiaoguo, rubbing her face and neck happily.


    Xiaoguo was feeling tickled by his hair, so she smiled and moved away from him. ¡°Alright, alright. Stop fooling around. Wake up quickly. I¡¯ll go cook now.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Zhuang Zhuang nodded with his hair looking like a chicken coop. Seeing Xiaoguo leave, he hurriedly put on his shoes. As he put them on, he asked Xiaoguo curiously, ¡°Mother, are you making lunch or dinner?¡±


    ¡°Lunch.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang did the math and looked pained. It was a pity that he had missed out on spending time with Xiaoguo in the morning.


    ¡°Forget it, forget it.¡± Zhuang Zhuang shook his head. Since he had wasted the entire morning, there was nothing he could do. From now on, he had to follow his mother at all times and not leave her side.

 Chapter 295 - 295 Warm Villagers

    295 Warm Villagers


    All day long, while Xiaoguo was cooking, Zhuang Zhuang would start the fire. When Xiaoguo was washing the dishes, Zhuang Zhuang would pass her the bowls and chopsticks. When Xiaoguo returned to the house, Zhuang Zhuang would lift the curtain and close the door for her. He was very attentive. Even when she got into bed and was about to take her afternoon nap, he lay on his tummy and watched her sleep.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that it was getting a little creepy.She couldn¡¯t take it anymore and turned over, ignoring Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s burning gaze behind her. She thought that she could sleep in peace, but she suddenly heard a slight noise behind her. Then, she spotted a shadow from the corner of her eyes and detected the sound of breathing right behind her.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s instincts told her that Zhuang Zhuang was up to something again.


    Driven by curiosity, Xiaoguo slowly opened her eyes. At that moment, her heart almost stopped. She was terribly shocked to see Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face right in front of her.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang!¡± Xiaoguo got up and looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was puzzled by her reaction. She was feeling angry and helpless.


    ¡°Mother? What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Good lord, you are turning the tables on me. You brat!¡±


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath and said helplessly, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, what exactly do you want?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. I just want to watch Mother.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo held back the words that were about to come out of her mouth. Instead, she exhaled and said in a negotiating tone, ¡°How about we sleep for a while?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Just like that, Xiaoguo did not take her afternoon nap. After all, with someone staring at her unblinkingly, there was no way she could fall asleep.


    After dinner that night, Zhuang Zhuang changed into his pajamas and got up to shake Xiaoguo. ¡°Mother, Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Xiaoguo was woken up by his shaking. ¡°Why isn¡¯t this little cutie sleepy yet?¡±


    ¡°How many days will I be staying at home?¡±


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly remembered to ask. He was so happy about getting to spend time at home that he had forgotten about going to school.


    ¡°When do you want to go back?¡±


    Xiaoguo turned around and asked instead of answering him.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang thought about it seriously. He was thinking of pushing back his return as much as possible, but looking at Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes, he hesitated. In the end, he said in a pitiful tone, ¡°Can I go back at a later date?¡±


    Within the next second, he shook his head. ¡°But I miss you so much. Can I go after I¡¯ve seen enough of you?¡±


    His careful words pierced straight into her heart, making her eyes turn red involuntarily. She immediately reached out her arms to Zhuang Zhuang, and he threw himself into her arms.


    Xiaoguo hugged Zhuang Zhuang tightly and said, ¡°Of course. Mr. Kong also said that you should rest at home for a few more days. In that case, you should take this time to enjoy a short vacation before going back to school feeling recharged!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was very happy. He leaned forward and rubbed his face gently against hers.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Mother¡­ I¡¯m going to look for Brother Xiaohu.¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang finished his breakfast and washed the dishes, he informed Xiaoguo who was in the room, and ran out.


    When Xiaoguo heard the commotion, she came out and saw Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaohu running off. She smiled helplessly. Didn¡¯t he mention something about spending more time with her?


    Having not been home for the past few days, Zhuang Zhuang was playing harder than Xiaohu. It was not just the two of them playing. Unknowingly, all the children in the village had joined them in their play.


    Along the way, he bumped into a lot of villagers. When they saw Zhuang Zhuang, they were very enthusiastic and he felt a little overwhelmed. Although they would also greet him at other times, it was a little different today. Everyone who saw him would stop to praise him. They were also touchy-feely and offered him a lot of snacks. From melon seeds to sugar, his pockets were quickly filled. The group of children walking behind him were looking on, their eyes filled with envy.


    At this moment, another old lady stopped him and stuffed a piece of candy into his hands. She even praised him for his capabilities. As she spoke, she didn¡¯t forget to pat his head. Zhuang Zhuang tried to endure the feelings of discomfort. He remembered his mother saying that he shouldn¡¯t accept gifts from strangers, so he shook his head and said no. However, like the others, she ignored him and stuffed the candy into his pocket.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    The other children were very envious.


    Xiaohu¡¯s mouth was wide open. He looked at Zhuang Zhuang in disbelief and then looked down at his pockets. ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Feeling baffled, Zhuang Zhuang accepted the praise and snacks along the way. In the end, he suggested going to a deserted place, mainly because he was worried that he might have to take off his pants to hold all the snacks if he continued walking around the village.


    The group of children had no objections to his suggestion. After all, he had a lot of snacks¡ª they should just go along with his suggestion.


    The group of children followed Zhuang Zhuang to the river. Each of them moved a small rock and sat around in a circle.


    Zhuang Zhuang took out the snacks from his pocket. ¡°Help yourselves, but please take in moderation.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the group of children looked at each other. No one dared to make the first move.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hands were sore from holding the snacks and no one was coming forward. There was only one person who wanted to get it, but Zhuang Zhuang stopped him. It was Xiaohu, who was now feeling sore with him.


    Xiaohu crossed his arms and pouted. He looked at the person beside him angrily and turned his head away, refusing to look at him. ¡°Stinky Zhuang Zhuang, we¡¯re so close, but you actually pushed away my hand. I¡¯m not going to be bothered with you, Hmpf, hmpf!¡±


    After holding the snacks up for a while more, Zhuang Zhuang sighed softly. He stood up and distributed them one by one. By the time he came to the last person, there was nothing left in his hands.


    Xiaohu was holding out his hands for a long time, but there was nothing left when it came to his turn. He swung his hand aggrievedly and turned around again, showing Zhuang Zhuang his fuming back view.


    Zhuang Zhuang glanced at Xiaohu and chuckled to himself.


    The other children looked at the snacks in their hands and ran back to their homes happily because they wanted to show off to their families.


    Only Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaohu were left standing at the same spot.


    Xiaohu was about to leave when Zhuang Zhuang stopped him. He only let go of his hand after everyone had left.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Xiaohu looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was looking down and searching for something. He was filled with anticipation.


    ¡°Here you go!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang handed Xiaohu the candies that he had specially set aside in his pocket.


    ¡°¡­Are these for me?¡± Xiaohu lowered his eyes and lowered his head, thinking about something.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. These sweets are delicious. I specially saved them for you. Hurry up and bring them back to share with Sister Xiaohua.¡±


    Seeing that he was still not taking it, Zhuang Zhuang stuffed it into his pocket and patted it. ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much even if it¡¯s delicious. You¡¯ll get a toothache.¡±


    Xiaohu suddenly hugged Zhuang Zhuang tightly and said in a nasal voice, ¡°Thank you, Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    ¡°No problem, Brother Xiaohu.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang hugged him back and patted his back to comfort him.


    After the two of them parted ways at the door of the house, Zhuang Zhuang ran home and clutched the last piece of candy in his pocket.


    ¡°Mother, Mother?¡±


    His voice reached Xiaoguo¡¯s ears before she could see him.


    ¡°Your baby is back.¡±


    Mrs. Yang put down her needle and thread and looked at Xiaoguo enviously again. She liked Zhuang Zhuang so much¡­


    When Xiaoguo heard the other party¡¯s words, she was so happy that she almost jumped up. She quickly responded to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Just as they were talking, Zhuang Zhuang entered the house. He saw Mrs. Yang and immediately put the candy back into his pocket. It wasn¡¯t that he was not willing to share it with Mrs. Yang, but he had only one piece left.


    ¡°Hello, Auntie Yang¡­¡±


    ¡°Good boy, Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡± Mrs. Yang quickly pulled Zhuang Zhuang over and let him touch her stomach. She said anxiously, ¡°Hurry up and impart some intelligence to this little brother.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang touched her stomach in confusion and looked at Xiaoguo helplessly. ¡°What little brother?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Auntie Yang has a little brother in her stomach.¡±


    Although Xiaoguo had never taught him about this before, he knew a little about it.

 Chapter 296 - 296 Engagement

    296 Engagement


    Zhuang Zhuang carefully leaned his ear against Mrs. Yang¡¯s stomach and held his breath, listening carefully for any movements.


    They both burst out laughing at his innocent gesture.


    Zhuang Zhuang was the only one who was still in a daze. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that there was a little brother? Why was there no movement? Wouldn¡¯t it be boring living in such a small space?¡±


    Although he more or less knew a little about this, he didn¡¯t fully understand it.


    After sending Mrs. Yang off, Zhuang Zhuang finally had time to take out the candy from his pocket.


    ¡°Mother, I kept this for you!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang eagerly wanted to stuff it into Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth. This piece was the most delicious piece because Mr. Kong had given him something similar before. It was sweet and yummy.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Before Xiaoguo could see what it was, Zhuang Zhuang had stuffed it into her mouth. As soon as it entered her mouth, the sweetness instantly diffused and she smacked her lips. The candy was fruity and delicious.


    ¡°How is it? Is it good?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked extremely eager to share. Xiaoguo was instantly amused by his behavior, so she made an exaggerated expression. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang lay on Xiaoguo¡¯s lap. ¡°That¡¯s too fake.¡±


    Of course, Zhuang Zhuang could tell from her pretentious expression.


    Xiaoguo chuckled. It was a little exaggerated, but the candy was indeed delicious.


    ¡°Who gave it to you?¡± She was halfway through the candy when she remembered to ask the question.


    ¡°Someone from the village gave it to me. I¡¯m not sure who it was.¡±


    ¡°A villager?¡± Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang seriously. ¡°Are you sure that person is from the village? Have you seen him in the village before?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhuang Zhuang said firmly. ¡°Many people in the village gave snacks to me. My pocket almost exploded. I only kept this piece of candy and gave the rest to the other children.¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo looked interested, Zhuang Zhuang told her everything.


    At first, Xiaoguo was thinking that someone from another village had come with the intention to abduct children. However, when she heard Zhuang Zhuang say that he knew the person, she heaved a sigh of relief. At least they were not strangers.


    But then again, why did the villagers give Zhuang Zhuang snacks? After all, according to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s description, he received a lot of candies, melon seeds, and peanuts. All these did not come cheap. Why did they only give them to him for no reason?


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t be blamed for her conspiracy theories. She believed that there was no free lunch in this world. There must be a reason for this abnormality.


    But before she could figure it out, another strange thing happened.


    ¡ª-


    Zhuang Zhuang stayed at home for a total of three days. In fact, Xiaoguo did not urge him to go back to school. He was the one who suggested it. He said that he missed Master Kong and his wife.


    Mrs. Kong and Mr. Kong really doted on Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo knew that. So when Zhuang Zhuang suggested going back, she sent him back on the same day.


    When Zhuang Zhuang returned to Teacher Kong¡¯s residence with his small bag, he was still in a daze. This speed is too astonishing¡­


    Actually, there was a reason why Xiaoguo had sent him back so quickly. It was mainly because of the strange things that had happened in the past two days.


    For some reason, from the first day of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s return, all the villagers had become inexplicably solicitous of Xiaoguo.


    Why did she use the word solicitous? It was because she really couldn¡¯t understand what had happened in the past two days. How did she become the most popular person in the village overnight? Not only did everyone greet her warmly when they met her, but even those whom she hardly met would come to her door, making up excuses to say hi to her.


    There was more. She didn¡¯t interact much with the other villagers to begin with. When they passed each other on normal days, they would nod to acknowledge each other. If they didn¡¯t make eye contact, they would just pass each other by. She couldn¡¯t even tell who was who in the village. But in the past two days, the threshold of her house was almost flattened by all these villagers.


    There were suddenly a lot of crops in her house. From corn and sweet potatoes for human consumption, to vegetable skins and stems for the animals¡¯ feed, they were all used by the villagers as an excuse to visit her. She still didn¡¯t know what their real motives were.


    They acted like they were just chatting casually. No matter what Xiaoguo said, they agreed with her readily. Even when she laughed, they were very eager to join in and laugh with her.


    And it wasn¡¯t just that. Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t sure if she was being too sensitive, but she had an indescribable feeling. It seemed as if their target was Zhuang Zhuang instead of her. Everything they said basically revolved around Zhuang Zhuang.


    Many thoughts were running through Xiaoguo¡¯s mind. After driving the donkey cart home, she had just entered the house when she heard a voice outside the door.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Xiaoguo sighed softly. ¡°Here we go again¡­¡±


    Even though she was extremely reluctant, she couldn¡¯t show it on her face. She could only put on a welcoming look and walked out towards the door.


    As soon as she opened the door, she saw that it was indeed one of the frequent visitors. She was a famous busybody in the village.


    ¡°Auntie Lin.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, Xiaoguo, I knew you were at home! Haha, I brought some vegetable stems for your chickens and ducks.¡±


    As she spoke, she walked past Xiaoguo and entered the house. She skillfully threw the vegetable stems into the stone sink. Even the chickens and ducks subconsciously surrounded her when they saw her. It was obvious that she had come here many times over the past few days.


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Xiaoguo said the same words that she had said countless times.


    The other party also gave the same reply that she had said many times. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We are all neighbors. There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Yes, yes. Living in the same village, the words they exchanged over the past five years were fewer than that in the past two days¡­¡±


    Auntie Lin chatted with Xiaoguo for a long time. She looked around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°Here we go¡­¡± Xiaoguo said to herself. She had been wondering why she hadn¡¯t gotten to the point after so long. Just as she was wondering, the woman started to ask about Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang isn¡¯t at home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did Zhuang Zhuang go back to school again?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xiaoguo nodded insincerely. Then she was stunned. ¡°How did you know that he was attending school?¡±


    She didn¡¯t usually talk to the villagers. How did they know that Zhuang Zhuang was enrolled in a school?


    ¡°I heard it from someone else,¡± Auntie Lin said vaguely. She couldn¡¯t tell Xiaoguo who she heard it from.


    Xiaoguo nodded. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t get anything out of Auntie Lin.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Auntie Lin laughed awkwardly. ¡°By the way, how old is your Zhuang Zhuang this year?¡±


    ¡°Four years old.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, what a coincidence!¡± Auntie Lin clapped her hands and exclaimed that it was fated.


    Xiaoguo was stunned by her reaction. Why did she feel like she had fallen into a trap?


    Xiaoguo let Auntie Lin continue with her act. Xiaoguo was wary and did not try to find out what she meant.


    ¡°¡­¡± Auntie Lin knew that she was almost there. Although she didn¡¯t arouse the other party¡¯s curiosity, she was one of the top matchmakers in the village. This posed no difficulty to her.


    ¡°Sister, listen to me.¡± Auntie Lin held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand as if they were close friends. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth curled up. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is already four years old. In a few years, he will become a big boy. You¡¯ve been kept busy for so many years. It¡¯s really not easy for you to take on the roles of a father and a mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo tried to endure the awkwardness. She was really not used to holding hands with a woman. Besides, who was she calling a sister? Auntie Lin was already fifty years old, while she was only in her early twenties. This was a little far-fetched!


    No matter how impatient she felt, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t show it. The other party talked for a long time, but Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what she was trying to get at. One moment, she was talking about Zhuang Zhuang, and the next moment, she was talking about her.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m here on a mission today. Brother Liu Hai¡¯s wife had passed away a long time ago and left a five-year-old girl behind. Although she is from a single-parent family, that little girl is beautiful and obedient. She is a year older than Zhuang Zhuang, but this is not an issue at all, so¡­¡±


    The more Xiaoguo listened, the wider her eyes became. In the end, she exclaimed in disbelief.


    ¡°Engagement?!¡±

 Chapter 297 - 297 A Fighting Rooster On Edge

    297 A Fighting Rooster On Edge


    ¡°Yes. You are right!¡±


    Auntie Lin smiled and said, ¡°That young lady¡¯s name is Ling. She¡¯s extremely cute. She is very compatible with Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Xiaoguo blinked a few times and found it hard to understand the woman¡¯s intentions. It was too early to get Zhuang Zhuang engaged. This is totally ridiculous.


    ¡°They can get engaged first and then get married in a few years. Soon, you¡¯ll become a grandmother¡­¡±


    Seeing that the other party was going to say more, Xiaoguo quickly stopped her. She was afraid that if she let her continue, the other party would be so excited that she would make a decision on the spot.


    ¡°No, no. Our Zhuang Zhuang is still young. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    Xiaoguo rejected her tactfully. If it was someone who could get her, she would have gotten the hint and stopped talking. However, Auntie Lin was the top matchmaker in the village. She was very persistent and would not give up until she achieved her goal. There was no way she would give up so easily.


    ¡°Aiyo, Sister! What do you mean by that? Time flies. Let¡¯s get them engaged first, they can get married later!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t agree to what she was proposing no matter how nicely she was trying to package it. What was wrong with her? Xiaoguo took a deep breath and tried her best to speak in a calm tone. ¡°Auntie, please stop. My Zhuang Zhuang is still young. Let¡¯s talk about this when he¡¯s older.¡±


    Auntie Lin rolled her eyes and guessed that Xiaoguo might be dissatisfied with Liu Hai¡¯s daughter. It didn¡¯t matter. She still had a bunch of other girls.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like the Liu family, there are also two girls from Zhang Quandan¡¯s family. The oldest is ten years old, and the youngest is three years old. Li Shuangshu¡¯s daughter is four years old this year. Widow Song¡¯s daughter is six years old. The twins from the Yanlong family are five years old this year. Sixth Brother¡¯s granddaughter is¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She was practically naming all the young ladies in the village. What was going on?


    ¡°Auntie! There¡¯s no need. Thank you so much. Our Zhuang Zhuang is not considering an arranged marriage. Have a safe journey and don¡¯t come again. If I need anything, I¡¯ll look for you. If I don¡¯t look for you, it means that I don¡¯t need your service. I won¡¯t see you off. Goodbye.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she pushed Mrs. Lin out of the house. At this moment, Mrs. Lin was still harping on about the little girls in the village.


    The minute Xiaoguo finished speaking, she closed the door. Still feeling unassured even though the door was closed, she put on the latch. After confirming that the door couldn¡¯t be opened, she was finally able to relax.


    Seeing that there was no hope of sealing the deal today, Auntie Lin stomped her feet helplessly and continued, ¡°Hey Xiaoguo, think about it. I¡¯ll come back tomorrow!¡±


    When she heard those words, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but shiver. This woman is really persistent.


    ¡°This is so absurd!¡± Xiaoguo said and got ready to go back into the house.


    She had only taken two steps when there was a knock on the door.


    Xiaoguo shuddered instinctively. ¡°No way, no way!¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Xiaoguo was relieved to hear Mrs. Yang¡¯s voice. ¡°Coming.¡±


    ¡°What happened just now?¡± Mrs. Yang had just stepped out of her house when she heard Mrs. Lin¡¯s words.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was just wondering who she could talk to¡ªso she told Mrs. Yang everything. ¡°Tell me, how did they know that Zhuang Zhuang was going to school?¡±


    This was something that Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t understand no matter how hard she tried. How did they find out about her family matters overnight? They usually didn¡¯t have much contact with each other. Mrs. Yang¡¯s family was the only one who knew about her family¡¯s situation. However, they weren¡¯t gossipy people. They definitely wouldn¡¯t share with the others about her family¡¯s matters.


    Xiaoguo was deep in thought and did not notice Mrs. Yang¡¯s awkward expression.


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± This was the first time Mrs. Yang felt apologetic towards Xiaoguo. She was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t raise her head. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡±


    After hearing Mrs. Yang¡¯s words, Xiaoguo shook her head and laughed. ¡°So you were the one who told them.¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It¡¯s all Widow Song¡¯s fault. She kept telling everyone how good her daughter was. Without thinking, I blurted to everyone about Zhuang Zhuang going to school. As you know, I have nothing to show for my two children, so in my haste to rebut her, I told everyone about Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang knew that she was in the wrong. Her voice became softer and softer until it was no louder than the sound of mosquitoes buzzing.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and asked her directly.


    ¡°!!¡± Mrs. Yang looked up at her and lowered her head again. She muttered, ¡°I also mentioned that Danhe is an official in the capital. But don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t mention his official position!¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she understood everything. So that was why everyone was suddenly so warm and polite to her. It turned out that the focus was on Jiang Danhe, who was an official in the capital.


    Mrs. Yang was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t raise her head. Xiaoguo had always kept a low profile, but she had caused her so much trouble just because she wanted to show off.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, don¡¯t be upset with me. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me either. I wasn¡¯t like this before. Recently, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of my pregnancy, but I¡¯ve been acting like a fighting chicken every day. Don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ve really let you down¡­¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t angry to begin with. It was rare for her to see Mrs. Yang admitting her mistake. She found it funny and was deliberately teasing her. However, when she heard Mrs. Yang describe herself like this, she couldn¡¯t keep a straight face anymore. The description was quite appropriate.


    Seeing her smile, Mrs. Yang knew that she was teasing her on purpose. She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled sheepishly. ¡°That¡¯s what your Brother Yang said. He said that I¡¯m a fighting rooster with my hair standing on end. Now that I think about it, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s quite an apt description.¡±


    Xiaoguo poured her a glass of water and placed it beside her. ¡°In that case, I understand everything. I knew it. I was finding it odd that everyone was giving Zhuang Zhuang snacks and trying to matchmake him just because he was enrolled in a school.¡±


    After Xiaoguo figured it out, she calmly took a sip of water. It turned out that Jiang Danhe was the cause of all this.


    ¡°Oh right, don¡¯t pay attention to the people in our village. They¡¯re all a bunch of sycophants. When they heard that your husband is a high-ranking official and that your son is a potential scholar with a bright future, they couldn¡¯t wait to become your in-laws.¡±


    It was not that Mrs. Yang looked down on the villagers. But when the parents are snobs, one should think twice even if the daughter is outstanding.


    Moreover, Zhuang Zhuang was still young. With such an accomplished master, he had a promising and bright future ahead of him. He should be careful in case he ruins his future.


    Although she didn¡¯t know who Teacher Kong was, based on the fact that her brother-in-law, Yang Jia, almost fainted from excitement when he heard his name, Teacher Kong and Zhuang Zhuang should be an amazing combination.


    He was already so talented at such a young age, he had a promising future ahead of him. Therefore, there was no hurry to get engaged now. No one could predict what could happen in the future.


    ¡°¡­ In the future, when Zhuang Zhuang becomes successful, he will have many options. There¡¯s no hurry now.¡±


    Mrs. Yang was anxious for Xiaoguo, afraid that she would agree after much hesitation. Hence, she explained all the pros and cons to her and told her to be careful.


    Xiaoguo knew that Zhuang Zhuang was only four years old now. Naturally, she would not agree to such a ridiculous arrangement. Moreover, it was marriage that they were talking about. It could not be rushed.


    Even when Zhuang Zhuang had become an adult, she would not get involved in his marriage. When the time comes, if he likes anyone, she could just act as the gatekeeper. She would not get involved with anything else.


    However, when she heard Mrs. Yang talk about how Zhuang Zhuang will be when he grew up, she found it very interesting, so she did not interrupt. She secretly imagined what Zhuang Zhuang would look like when he became an adult.


    Her Zhuang Zhuang would be a talented man. He would be elegant, polite, handsome, energetic, suave, dignified, calm, and poised!


    The remaining 10,000 adjectives will be omitted here¡­

 Chapter 298 - 298 Rich and Inhumane

    298 Rich and Inhumane


    Ever since she found out that the villagers had designs on her, Xiaoguo became much more direct.


    Previously, she didn¡¯t know what their motives were, so she didn¡¯t dare to do anything. Now that she knew, she was more straightforward and rejected them with ease.


    She wasn¡¯t afraid of offending the villagers. After all, she didn¡¯t have much to do with them. Besides, this thing was consensual. No one could force it on her.


    ¡°I am not taking it into consideration. Please go back.¡±


    Xiaoguo sent off another group of people who were here to talk about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s engagement and moved out the things they had brought. She didn¡¯t know if they took back the gifts or not. In any case, she didn¡¯t keep a single item.


    If she had known what they were scheming, she wouldn¡¯t have accepted the rotten vegetables stems from two days ago. If this matter wasn¡¯t handled properly, the consequences could be dire. If there was anyone with ill intentions and went out to spread rumors, it would be terrible if they claimed that she had accepted the gift and agreed to the engagement.


    ¡°Dong dong dong ~¡±


    Xiaoguo had just heaved a sigh of relief and was walking back into the house when there was another knock on the door behind her.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Jiang, I¡¯m Jia Bao from the Su Family¡¯s Goods Store. Shopkeeper Su asked me to send you something.¡±


    She heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that. As long as it wasn¡¯t someone who was here to propose a betrothal, it was fine. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡±


    Xiaoguo opened the front door and saw the smiling Jia Bao. ¡°Mrs. Jiang.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Xiaoguo greeted him with a rare sincere smile. Finally, it was not one of those people.


    ¡°There¡¯s a new type of dried fruit in the shop recently. Our shopkeeper asked me to bring it over for you to try.¡±


    Jia Bao went straight to the topic. He took out a huge gift box from the carriage and opened it in front of her. For a moment, she was dazzled by the object in front of her. She blinked a few times and looked inside again. Her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡±


    What season was this? Why were there mangoes?!


    ¡°This is called a Wangguo. We took great lengths to preserve the harvest we had from last year. After our Shopkeeper Su¡¯s tireless research, we finally came up with this sweet, fragrant, and chewy Wangguo slice.¡±


    Jia Bao introduced the dried fruits to Xiaoguo thoughtfully. His tone was filled with admiration for Su Changsheng. Their shopkeeper was really amazing!


    Xiaoguo was shocked. ¡°So mangoes are called Wangguo here. From what he said, they had planted these mangoes themselves?!¡±


    ¡°Did you plant the mang¡­ Wangguo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. All our raw materials are produced and sold by ourselves. The raw materials contracted by our shopkeeper come from various regions and countries. The plots cover a total area of 1.88 million square kilometers. We have more than 160 types of plants, excluding those that are under development¡­¡±


    Jia Bao spoke confidently. He seemed to be hinting to her that their store was rich and capable, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about working with them.


    Xiaoguo looked at the golden light that had risen at some point in time as the other party continued to speak. She felt like breaking down. ¡°Was he humble-bragging to her?¡±


    ¡°What does 1.88 million square kilometers look like?!¡±


    ¡°More than 160 types?!¡±


    ¡°And they were all Su Changsheng¡¯s?!¡±


    ¡°O! M! G!¡±


    Even though Xiaoguo was not greedy for money, her legs were feeling weak at this moment. How rich was that profiteer, Su Changsheng? Why did she feel that he had more money than the national treasury¡­


    To think that the snacks business was so profitable. Maybe she should start a sideline herself.


    Amidst Jia Bao¡¯s constant chatter, Xiaoguo gradually became distracted. She only came back to her senses after the other party was done showing off.


    Just like the last time, he insisted on bringing the snacks into the house for Xiaoguo. This time, she didn¡¯t bother to exchange any pleasantries. After all, she knew his true intentions. He just wanted to check on the cows.


    This time, he didn¡¯t have to ask. When he put down the gift box, Xiaoguo took the initiative to bring him to the cows and updated him on how the cows were doing.


    As Jia Bao listened, he observed the situation of the two cows. Xiaoguo still wanted to work with Su Changsheng in the future, so she was very generous with the details.


    The cows would produce milk after they have given birth. She and Zhuang Zhuang would not be able to finish so much milk, so she had to think of ways to not to waste it. Milk could be made into many delicious foods. However, Xiaoguo has been getting lazier and lazier these days. She did not want to torture herself. It was better to just send the cows to Su Changsheng and let him do the dirty work. If he needed any ideas, she could provide him with a few recipes.


    No matter what, it was a collaboration. She could just sit back and wait for the money to come in. The hard work could be passed on to someone else.


    After Jia Bao got what he wanted to hear, he went back happily. Their boss¡¯s instructions had been carried out perfectly. He could go home now!


    Yesterday, when Jia Bao received the letter, Shopkeeper Su asked him to quietly reveal his assets to Xiaoguo in order to reassure his business partner. She could rest any worries about working with someone as capable as him!


    Xiaoguo was already quite relieved. Now that she had heard Jia Bao¡¯s introduction, she felt even more at ease. She didn¡¯t know if she was besotted by money or if it was due to something else.


    His land area was so large, and it was available in many countries. This meant that he had a wide distribution network. Moreover, the fact that he was so confident about the product meant that he had already thought of a market. She was certain that he would not fight an unprepared battle. Milk was a sure win.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo was getting a little carried away. She could ride on his wings and make loads of money just like him.


    The first thing Xiaoguo saw when she returned to the house was the gift box. It looked good on the outside and had delicious snacks on the inside. Xiaoguo walked over and admired it carefully. The box that Su Changsheng had made was really beautiful. If one didn¡¯t know better, they would think that it was a jewelry box. It could really be used as a jewelry box.


    Xiaoguo lifted the lid and a refreshing fragrance wafted into her nose. She was intoxicated by it. It was a familiar, and yet unfamiliar smell. It was really intoxicating¡­


    Although the box was not big, it was quite deep. There was no way she could finish so much dried mangoes. Hence, she found a few pieces of waxed paper and divided them into four portions. She gave one pack to Mrs. Yang and brought the other three to the county.


    She made a trip to Mr. Kong¡¯s house on the way. She left a portion for the elderly couple and set aside a small portion for Zhuang Zhuang. She did not delay their work and left after playing for a while.


    The last portion was taken to the noodle shop.


    As she was about to leave, Qin Anming suddenly stopped Xiaoguo. ¡°I almost forgot. Qingming is on the sixth of next month. We have to pay our respects to Father and Mother.¡±


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment and suddenly remembered. After the spring equinox, it will be Qingming. Those with old folks living with them will burn the offerings in advance. Those households with zero old folks will burn the offerings on the actual day of Qingming.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll buy some joss paper. There isn¡¯t much left at home.¡±


    After the last time, the supply at home was running low, and Xiaoguo kept forgetting about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    After bidding farewell, Xiaoguo went to the marketplace. Everyone was selling joss paper. She checked with a few shops at the marketplace and bought a lot. She had heard from her mother that joss paper should be left at home for a period of time before burning, so she took the chance to buy more.


    ¡ª-


    Time flew by. Xiaoguo lifted the calendar and tore off number 31, revealing the brand new number 1 behind it. Another new moon had arrived.


    Zhuang Zhuang had just put down his sling bag when he said to Xiaoguo, ¡°Mother, Master told me to stay at home for a few more days.¡±


    ¡°For the Qingming holidays?¡±


    Xiaoguo could guess the reason, but it was quite strange. It turned out that ancient people had holidays during the Qingming Festival.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhuang Zhuang hugged Xiaoguo¡¯s leg happily. ¡°Mother is so smart¡­¡±


    He could sleep in the same room with his mother again. ¡°How nice. Hehe.¡±


    Xiaoguo laughed. ¡°Little rascal.¡±


    ¡°He always says what people like to hear. How could anyone not like him?¡±

 Chapter 299 - 299 Qingming

    299 Qingming


    On the day of the Qingming Festival, when Qin Anming returned, Xiaoguo began to pack her things and loaded them onto the donkey cart.


    In addition to joss paper, they were also bringing dumpling filling, kneaded dough, a knife, and a rolling pin. In any case, all the tools for making dumplings were brought along on the trip.


    When visiting the ancestors¡¯ graves, according to tradition, they had to cook and make dumplings in their hometown. However, no one had lived in the house for so long, so it was necessary for them to bring all the tools required so that they could make dumplings there.


    After packing up, the three of them set off together. Along the way, they bumped into many people carrying joss paper.


    When they arrived at Qin Manor, they brought the donkey cart back to the courtyard and put Zhuang Zhuang down. It was better for children to stay indoors in this weather.


    Soon, Xiaoguo and Qin Anming arrived at the two elders¡¯ graves. They could see burnt offerings by the surrounding graves, but there were none on their family¡¯s lot.


    The sunflowers in front of the grave were still fulfilling their promise of spring. At this moment, they were guarding the two elders of the Qin family with new tender green buds.


    The moment Xiaoguo saw the sunflowers, she stopped in her tracks. Then, she caught up with Qin Anming while wearing a puzzled expression on her face.


    It was a wonder that the flowers could still grow without anyone taking care of it.


    As the eldest son, Qin Anming had to talk to his parents. For some reason, Xiaoguo did not open her mouth for a long time. Seeing this, Qin Anming thought that she was too sad to open her mouth, so he thoughtfully said some words on her behalf.


    After burning the joss paper, the two of them went back.


    Xiaoguo walked behind him and couldn¡¯t help but look behind her. Coincidentally, she spotted one sunflower that was facing in her direction. She didn¡¯t know if it was psychological, but she felt that the sunflower looked familiar. It looked just like the one which she had planted herself.


    As her thoughts were getting bizarre, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to think further, so she stopped immediately with the wild speculations.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was staying at home, was cleaning the ground with a broom that he had found somewhere. Since his uncle and mother had gone to visit his grandparents¡¯ graves, he could not stay idle. He had to clean the house so that his mother could cook when she returned.


    After sweeping the floor, he wanted to wet the rag and wipe the table. In the end, he found the rag, but he couldn¡¯t find any water.


    Zhuang Zhuang stood helplessly in the courtyard, holding a rag covered in ashes and cobwebs. He looked around. With no water, he couldn¡¯t possibly wipe anything with the rag. Or should he just clean with the dry rag?


    At the thought of this, Zhuang Zhuang quietly shook the rag. In an instant, dust flew into the air. He couldn¡¯t dodge in time and started coughing.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo and Qin Anming returned.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, what are you doing?¡±


    Qin Anming walked in front. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Zhuang Zhuang standing in the courtyard, coughing.


    Hearing this, Xiaoguo turned around and looked into the courtyard. She was amused by what she saw.


    ¡°Haha, has Zhuang Zhuang gone hiding under the stove?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhuang Zhuang tried to recover from his coughs. He tilted his head and looked at Xiaoguo with a clueless expression. His silly appearance made Xiaoguo start laughing again.


    Qin Anming walked over with a smile and wiped his face gently, gesturing for him to see the dust on his hands. ¡°Look, there¡¯s dust on your face.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was shocked. ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re so mean. You actually smeared dust on my face!¡±


    He didn¡¯t do much. He just swept the floor. How could his face be so dark? His uncle and mother must have joined forces to tease him. He wouldn¡¯t fall for it. ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Qin Anming didn¡¯t expect Zhuang Zhuang to shift the blame on him. He quickly shook his head and waved his hands to clear his name.


    That was great. Now, there was only one suspect left. Zhuang Zhuang pouted, his eyes filled with evil thoughts. With his hands behind his back, he quietly approached Xiaoguo. Before she could react, he quickly pounced on her. He wanted to get some dust on his mother too!


    Xiaoguo had a bad feeling right from the beginning. She quietly took a step back. The moment he pounced on her, she quickly reached out to push him away. With his physique, she believed that she would definitely fall to the ground if he jumped on her.


    She didn¡¯t expect that Zhuang Zhuang had become stronger again. Xiaoguo really couldn¡¯t stop him. He really lived up to the nickname she had given him in private¡ªlittle cow pig.


    As the name suggested, it was a little pig with the strength of a cow.


    Watching the mother and son wrestle with each other, Qin Anming was quite free. He watched the show from the side. One moment, he was cheering for Zhuang Zhuang, and the next moment, he was cheering for Xiaoguo. He looked like he was enjoying the show.


    ¡°Brother, who are you cheering for!¡±


    ¡°For you, Xiaoguo, come on, Xiaoguo!¡± When Qin Anming heard Xiaoguo¡¯s reprimanding voice, he immediately directed his words of encouragement towards Xiaoguo instead of Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang was strong to begin with, and he was trying his best to transfer the dirt on his body to Xiaoguo, so there was no stopping him.


    At first, Xiaoguo was laughing so hard that she almost ran out of strength. Now, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. When she saw the man watching the commotion beside her, she had the urge to play a prank on him. She bent down with all her might and whispered something in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s ear. The child, who was exerting all his strength, was stunned for a moment. Then, he turned around and charged towards Qin Anming.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, come¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s arms were suddenly free, she immediately turned to look at the situation on the other side.


    Qin Anming couldn¡¯t react in time to this sudden turn of events. His mouth was wide open as Zhuang Zhuang pounced on him and sat on him. Before he could react, Zhuang Zhuang was already rubbing his little black face against his face and body.


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was gloating and laughing so hard that tears were coming out of her eyes. This scene was too amusing. It was a pity that she didn¡¯t have a camera. Otherwise, she would have captured everything on camera.


    When they had enough fun, and started to hear rumbling noises from their bellies, they realized that it was time to cook.


    Qin Anming went to fetch water. When he returned, the three of them split themselves up to clean the tables, clear the stove, and prepare the dough. Each of them had their own duties.


    Xiaoguo was in charge of cutting the dough, and Qin Anming was in charge of wrapping the dumplings. Zhuang Zhuang went to start the fire.


    With the three of them working together, the celery and pork dumplings were quickly cooked.


    When Xiaoguo was rummaging through the fridge last night, she came across a bag of celery. Some time back, she had blanched the celery and froze it because she was afraid that it would spoil if she didn¡¯t finish it in time.


    It was not good to keep the frozen celery in the fridge for too long. Initially, they were going to have dumplings stuffed with pork and green onions, but since she had celery, it was changed to celery and pork dumplings at the last minute.


    Xiaoguo took out some vinegar and garlic from the basket she had brought with her. Right after she placed them on the table, Qin Anming came over with the dumplings. Zhuang Zhuang was following closely behind him.


    The three of them finished all the dumplings.


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡¯s cooking is still the best.¡±


    Qin Anming sighed as he cleared the table.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Eat more if it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Xiaoguo said with a smile. She couldn¡¯t be happier.


    ¡°Of course. I was planning to eat these until I grow old.¡±


    Qin Anming¡¯s sudden words made Xiaoguo exclaim, ¡°How can you say that? Are you planning to stay single for the rest of your life?¡±


    ¡°Me too! I¡¯ll enjoy your cooking until I grow old!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard Qin Anming¡¯s words, he thought for a moment and added.


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she quickly begged for mercy. So an old bachelor and a young bachelor are planning to torture an old woman like her?


    Although they were joking, the three of them worked very quickly. After dinner, they got ready to go back. After all, there was no place to rest here.


    It was lunchtime when they made their way back. Xiaoguo sat in the donkey cart with Zhuang Zhuang while Qin Anming drove the cart.


    ¡°The weather has been getting warmer recently,¡± Xiaoguo said to Qin Anming as she wiped the sweat off Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s neck with a handkerchief.


    ¡°Exactly. Fortunately, it¡¯s windy today. It helps to relieve some of the heat.¡±


    Qin Anming tried his best to drive the carriage in the shade so that it wouldn¡¯t be exposed to the sunlight.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was looking outside, was suddenly attracted by something. He called out to the two of them excitedly.


    ¡°Look at what that is!¡±

 Chapter 300 - 300 Flying a Kite

    300 Flying a Kite


    Xiaoguo and Qin Anming heard the commotion and looked in the direction he was pointing.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Qingming custom to fly kites.¡± Qin Anming saw the kite in the sky from the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Kit¡­ What¡¯s a kite?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang muttered to himself and looked at the two of them in confusion.


    Xiaoguo looked down at Zhuang Zhuang in surprise. It seemed like this child had never seen a kite before¡­


    ¡°A kite is a frame that is constructed from bamboo fibers or wire. It is usually wrapped in paper or cloth. After tying it up, it can fly into the sky with the help of the wind.¡±


    Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s explanation, Zhuang Zhuang nodded in confusion.


    Looking at his expression, Xiaoguo thought for a moment and said to Qin Anming, ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go to the county first to buy a few kites.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Qin Anming did not seem surprised by her impromptu suggestion. Instead, as soon as she said that, he immediately turned around and headed for the main road.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know where to buy kites, so she could only look for them at the small stalls. In the end, she found a stall and each of them picked out something that they liked. After paying, they headed back.


    ¡°Where should we fly the kites?¡± Qin Anming asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the grain fields.¡± Xiaoguo led the way excitedly. Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang followed closely behind.


    After taking a few steps, Zhuang Zhuang got anxious. He felt that they were walking too slowly, so he walked past the two of them and ran towards the fields first.


    The three of them were very excited about flying a kite. It had been a long time since Xiaoguo had touched a kite. Zhuang Zhuang had never touched one before, and Qin Anming had not flown a kite since he was ten years old. Therefore, this was the first time he was flying a kite after such a long time.


    The three of them each held a kite in their hands. It was best to fly kites in an open space. This would reduce the chances of getting their kites stuck on trees. In ancient times, there was no need to consider tall buildings or electrical wires. There were many places like this so it was easy to find a big open space.


    Zhuang Zhuang arrived at the fields shortly after, but he just stood there with the kite in his hand as he didn¡¯t know how to fly it. He tried turning around to look out for Xiaoguo and Qin Anming, but he didn¡¯t see them. So he could only continue to stand there in a daze. After a while, he tried to raise the kite in his hand. When he felt the wind, he let go of the kite. The result was obvious. The kite fell to the ground with a thud.


    Zhuang Zhuang was no longer in a good mood. He picked up the kite feeling upset. Why couldn¡¯t he do it¡­?


    The two of them arrived after quite some time. As soon as they arrived at the grain fields, Xiaoguo looked up at the sky again and realized that there were no kites in sight. It was the same situation on the road just now and here at the grain field. There was not a single kite in the sky.


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze in confusion. That shouldn¡¯t be the case. Wasn¡¯t it a custom to fly kites during QIngming to ward off illnesses and disasters? Why wasn¡¯t there anyone flying them?


    ¡°Mother, I can¡¯t get it to fly¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang handed the kite to Xiaoguo sadly. He felt that the kite didn¡¯t like him.


    Xiaoguo took the kite and smiled at Zhuang Zhuang. Before she could speak, Qin Anming interrupted, ¡°Of course it¡¯s hard to do it by yourself.¡±


    With that, he handed the kite in his hand to Xiaoguo and picked up Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s kite. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Uncle will fly the kite with you.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he happily followed Qin Anming. Xiaoguo tagged along behind them unhurriedly.


    Zhuang Zhuang stood rooted to the ground with the spool in his hand and Qin Anming ran against the wind while holding the kite. Xiaoguo came to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s side and saw that he couldn¡¯t quite hold on to the string, so she helped him to fly it. After the kite successfully flew into the sky, Xiaoguo handed the spool back to Zhuang Zhuang and taught him when to pull and release the string. Then, she and Qin Anming went ahead to fly the remaining two kites.


    The two of them worked together to fly the three kites neatly into the sky. Xiaoguo chose a kite that looked like a goldfish and it had a few long tails floating behind it. As it floated in the wind, it looked extremely beautiful.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at their kites and then at his own. He was overjoyed. He thought to himself that when his father returned, he would fly a kite with him.


    Xiaoguo looked up at the kites flying in the sky. For some reason, she felt very relaxed. It was as if all her bad emotions had been swept away by the kites.


    She didn¡¯t know if a kite would help to bring one¡¯s illnesses and troubles into the sky, but one thing for sure, flying a kite was helpful for relieving one¡¯s mood. When she ran in the wind and watched the kites fly into the sky, she felt inexplicably relieved.


    ¡°Mother¡­ look at our kites. They fly higher than yours!¡±


    Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang gestured smugly for Xiaoguo to take a look.


    Xiaoguo came back to her senses and looked at their kites. It turned out that the two of them had already raised their kites to double their previous heights while she was in a daze. The kites were hovering just above hers, causing it to sway unsteadily.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was looking over, Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming showed her the kite spools in their hands smugly. There were only a few thin coils of rope left on the spools.


    Xiaoguo took her time to adjust the kite string. Soon, her kite was flying steadily again. She then reminded them kindly, ¡°Be careful. You¡¯ll break if you go too high.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s kites instantly shook unsteadily a few times before starting to swirl in the air. The two of them were so frightened that they lost all their smugness. They quickly held on to the kite spools and slowly descended the kites back to their original positions. Only then did they manage to regain their balance.


    Immediately, the two of them heaved a sigh of relief. They thought to themselves that Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth was really sharp.


    Xiaoguo laughed out loud at the two of them. They almost embarrassed themselves earlier.


    ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s better to do it steadily.¡±


    When Xiaoguo was done laughing, she even went on to say such an infuriating thing. Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming were speechless. They looked at each other and did not speak. After all, they really did embarrass themselves, so there¡¯s nothing they could do about it.


    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Mrs. Yang happily led her two children over. From afar, she could hear Xiaoguo¡¯s laughter, so she asked curiously.


    ¡°Sister-in-law.¡± Xiaoguo greeted them happily when she saw them. She looked at them and asked curiously, ¡°Are you guys here to fly kites too?¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she nodded helplessly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I wasn¡¯t keen on doing this, but they were very persistent.¡±


    Xiaohu and Xiaohua were holding kites in their hands. They said goodbye to Xiaoguo and ran off to look for Zhuang Zhuang.


    Mrs. Yang greeted Qin Anming with a smile. Then, she looked up at the kites in the sky and said in surprise, ¡°Hey, your kite looks good!¡±


    Xiaoguo handed her the kite in her hand. ¡°Try flying it for a while.¡±


    Mrs. Yang immediately took it and tried her hand at it.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, how come there is no one flying kites in our village?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang and asked.


    ¡°Sigh, there were a few families who did that this morning,¡± Mrs. Yang said as she tugged at the rope. ¡°Who will come in the afternoon under the sun? It¡¯s cooler in the morning.¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to ask why she didn¡¯t see anyone in the morning, but on second thought, she recalled that she was at Qin Manor during that time. She quickly nodded in understanding.


    With Xiaohua and Xiaohu joining in, there was a small group of kites flying in the sky at the same time. It was much more eye-catching and pretty to look at.


    After a while, the scene attracted a lot of children. They gathered around them and chattered excitedly.


    The kite in Xiaoguo¡¯s hand was given to one of the children. She and Mrs. Yang went to the shade to play, leaving Qin Anming alone with a group of children.


    Qin Anming had a good temper. While flying kites with the children, he was tripped accidentally by some of them. But he didn¡¯t get angry. He just picked himself up and patted the dirt off his body before continuing to play with the kids.


    Mrs. Yang looked at him with admiration and kept exclaiming from time to time. There were not many men with such a good temper.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, is your brother engaged?¡±

 Chapter 301 - 301 Uneasy

    301 Uneasy


    ¡°¡­ I guess not.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what to say. She wasn¡¯t sure if there was anything going between Ruyi and her brother, so she could only say this for now.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiaoguo looked at the woman, and she was suddenly confused.


    ¡°What a pity. If only I were a few years younger¡­¡±


    As soon as Mrs. Yang finished speaking, Xiaoguo looked like she had been struck by lightning. She stammered, ¡°Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law, put away your dangerous thoughts!¡±


    If she didn¡¯t stop her now, she was afraid that Mrs. Yang would say something immoral.


    ¡°It¡¯s really rare to see a man with such temperament¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, Mrs. Yang did not stop talking and continued to praise Qin Anming in an admiring and mushy tone. Xiaoguo¡¯s scalp turned numb when she heard this. She said in horror, ¡°Mrs. Yang, if Brother Yang finds out about your thoughts, he might kick you out of the house.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hahahahaha¡­¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she was extremely amused. Then, she snorted loudly. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±


    Xiaoguo thought that made sense. Although Brother Yang looked like a chauvinistic man, he was actually afraid of his wife.


    ¡°But then again, your brother is not young anymore. Other people his age had become fathers.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and teased, ¡°Why? Do you want to be a matchmaker like Auntie Lin?¡±


    ¡°No way. I don¡¯t have her talents.¡± Mrs. Yang smiled and nudged Xiaoguo. How dare she tease her like this? She was so mean¡­


    At this moment, Qin Anming, who was in the distance, was pounced on by the children again. He acted like he was fine and sat up with a smile. He patted his body and continued playing with the children. One of the children tripped and was about to fall when Qin Anming reacted quickly and grabbed him. He patiently comforted the frightened child until he regained his smile. Then, he continued playing with the children.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ I¡¯m just saying that your brother¡¯s personality is really enviable. If only I had half his patience.¡±


    To see a man so patient, it really made her feel a little ashamed. If she was put in the same situation as Qin Anming, she would have gotten irritable long ago. She wouldn¡¯t have comforted the child so gently. It would be considered a miracle if she didn¡¯t beat him up.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I should learn from my brother.¡± Xiaoguo looked at Qin Anming, who was laughing happily in the distance. As far as she could remember, he had a gentle personality since he was young and rarely got angry.


    ¡°It is most likely that he was born with such a personality. It must be quite hard to achieve that through training at the later stages of life. I should give up.¡± Mrs. Yang had been thinking about trying to change her temperament, but when she realized that she really couldn¡¯t, she immediately gave up.


    Xiaoguo smiled and did not say anything. She continued to look at the group of little people playing in the distance. It was just a group of children and a little adult.


    The temperatures were very unstable now. Sometimes, the weather would turn cold suddenly after a few days of warm weather. Sometimes, the temperature would drop sharply in the afternoon after a warm morning.


    The few of them played for quite some time, and only went home when they started to feel cold.


    ¡ª-


    In the capital.


    Jiang Danhe returned to the residence from the palace very late at night. Li Shouji thoughtfully prepared hot food for him.


    ¡°How is it? It¡¯s heartwarming to have me around, right?¡±


    Li Shouji said smugly. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare you despise me. Without me, you will just starve.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Even though Jiang Danhe was very hungry, he still ate in a careful manner. However, he did not pay attention to the other party.


    Li Shouji pursed his lips and pushed the side dishes closer to him. He tactfully shut his mouth in the meantime.


    Today was the Qingming Festival. Other than taking two hours off to pay respects to his ancestors, Jiang Danhe spent the rest of the day by Shao Zhan¡¯s side. He also took his meals with him. However, there were too many things to prepare at night, so he did not have time to take his dinner.


    After eating his fill, he put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief that was placed at the side. After which, he folded it neatly and put it away. After doing all this, he finally had time to look at Li Shouji.


    ¡°I have some matters to attend to tomorrow and will have to go out for a while. Keep an eye on the military camp. Send me a message if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    With that, he got up and walked into the house.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Li Shouji asked subconsciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Li Shouji was confused and followed closely behind him. ¡°How am I going to find you if you don¡¯t tell me!¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped in his tracks and glanced at him. ¡°Not bad, at least his brains are working quite well.¡±


    In the end, Li Shouji did not ask where he was going. He returned to his room gloomily. What was the meaning of asking him to look for him if anything was up, and yet he refused to give him the address?


    After thinking for a long time, he suddenly realized something. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that I shouldn¡¯t look for him no matter what?!¡±


    The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. This sounded like what Jiang Danhe would normally say.


    Li Shouji couldn¡¯t take this lying down. He held back his anger and wanted to ask Jiang Danhe the next morning. However, when he woke up and went to look for him the next day, Jiang Danhe was gone.


    The news he received was that Jiang Danhe had set off in the middle of the night. Helpless, he could only return to his room indignantly to catch up on his sleep. He would settle the score with the man when he returned.


    On the other side, Jiang Danhe was eating breakfast at the wonton stall after traveling in the middle of the night.


    His destination was Peach Blossom Village.


    Ever since he wrote to Xiaoguo to ask if he should stay in the capital, he had not received a reply. It had been some time since then, and he was starting to feel uneasy.


    During the period when he didn¡¯t get any reply from Xiaoguo, he had insomnia every day. He had many speculations in mind. ¡°Is Xiaoguo not agreeable to me staying in the capital? That¡¯s why she stopped contacting me in a fit of anger. Could she be sick¡­?¡±


    In short, he could not focus every day and had insomnia every night, so he applied for leave from Shao Zhan. However, the emperor definitely wouldn¡¯t let him leave so easily.


    With this hard-won vacation, Jiang Danhe had to get on quickly with his journey home.


    ¡ª-


    After the Qingming holidays, Zhuang Zhuang was sent back to Mr. Kong¡¯s house.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything. Aren¡¯t you being too cruel by saying no to me?¡± Zhuang Zhuang pouted and looked at Xiaoguo seriously.


    ¡°No matter what you say, at this moment, you only have one choice. Get in the carriage and go back to Mr. Kong.¡± Xiaoguo smiled and pointed at the carriage. Then, she lifted the curtain and gestured for him to enter.


    ¡°Is it non-negotiable?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s small hands were still tightly holding on to the door as he looked at her accusingly.


    Xiaoguo shook her head calmly and gave him a look, letting him take his time to figure out what she meant..


    Zhuang Zhuang pretended to be pitiful and swallowed his saliva. He looked at her with his big watery eyes and said in a childish voice, ¡°Okay, I got it.¡±


    If it were anyone else, that person would have given in to him. However, he was up against Xiaoguo, a woman who had developed an immune system towards him.


    Zhuang Zhuang dawdled as he got on the donkey cart. He grabbed his bag and stuck his head out. ¡°Mother, can you go to school with me?¡±


    He enjoyed school. If Xiaoguo could follow him, he would like it even more.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to speak anymore. She pushed his head in with a slap.


    ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go together¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang suddenly felt that this was a good idea. He could study and keep watch over his mother at all times. It was killing two birds with one stone. What a wonderful idea!


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo let out a long sigh as she listened to the pleas coming from the carriage from time to time. She was exhausted.


    Things were going well at the beginning. She thought that Zhuang Zhuang had stopped being a mummy¡¯s boy. She didn¡¯t expect him to get back to his old ways after these few days of leave.


    ¡°Mother¡­ Mother¡­ Mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo covered her ears, but she couldn¡¯t block out the chicken-like cries coming from the carriage. It wasn¡¯t a roar, but a wail.


    When passers-by heard this, they thought that she was kidnapping a child and looked at her suspiciously. Some parents even hugged the child in their arms tightly. Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth was almost blistered from explaining incessantly throughout the journey.

 Chapter 302 - 302 Overspending

    302 Overspending


    When they arrived at the county city, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. When she lifted the curtain suddenly, she gave Zhuang Zhuang a fright. His emotions were brewing, and he was trying to yell again when he saw Xiaoguo, and that caused his voice to be stuck in his throat.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang reluctantly shut his mouth.


    Xiaoguo looked around in satisfaction. When she saw that there were no officials around, she was relieved.


    There were usually officials in the county. If he attracted the attention of any officials, she would have difficulty explaining herself.


    After a peaceful journey, they arrived at Mr. Kong¡¯s house safely. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t wait to throw him in. She greeted the Kong¡¯s and quickly left without staying for too long.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was left at the door, looked at the heartless Xiaoguo with teary eyes. When Xiaoguo disappeared from sight, Mrs. Kong brought him back into the house.


    On the way home, Xiaoguo was in a very good mood. Without Zhuang Zhuang creating a ruckus, her ears were filled with the gentle sound of the wind and the chirping of birds. The breeze gently brushed past her face and lifted her hair. She couldn¡¯t help but inhale the refreshing air and sigh in joy. ¡°This is nice.¡±


    The weather was at its best at this time of year. It wasn¡¯t as cold as winter and there was an added element of vitality due to the spring season. The heat from summer was still some time away.


    If only the weather was like this all year round.


    It was rare that she had some time for herself today, so there was no hurry to go back. No one was waiting for her to get back home to cook, so Xiaoguo put down the donkey rope and leaned against the carriage frame, leisurely admiring the beautiful scenery.


    Previously, she had not noticed it, and did not know why Peach Blossom Village was called Peach Blossom Village. Now, she really understood.


    As soon as spring arrived, Peach Blossom Village looked like it was surrounded by peach blossoms. It was like a land of idyllic beauty. Peach trees filled the mountains and plains. At some point in time, green sprouts had quietly sprouted from the peach trees. After being ruffled by the warm spring breeze, the pink peach blossoms all bloomed overnight. All she could see was a sea of pink in different tones.


    Xiaoguo really hated herself for her poor painting skills. Otherwise, she could have drawn this beautiful scenery on paper.


    It was noon when she got home. Xiaoguo was in a daze as she cooked. She couldn¡¯t help but think about the beautiful scenery she had just seen. Then, she looked at the bare courtyard in disappointment. An idea slowly came to her.


    Nobody said that she could only plant vegetables at home. It would be wonderful to plant some flowers. Not only would they smell good, but the sight of them would make her happy.


    The courtyard at home was huge. Apart from where the livestock were, there were many empty spaces for planting.


    Xiaoguo quickly ate two mouthfuls of rice. She didn¡¯t even wash the bowls and chopsticks before coming out to see where she could plant some flowers.


    The vegetable plot was not suitable as she still had to plant vegetables in the coming months. Xiaoguo left the plot and came to the side of the chicken and duck pens. She looked around, then looked up at the sun. Finally, she nodded. ¡°This will do!¡±


    At this corner, there was plenty of sunlight but it wasn¡¯t too hot. Next to the vegetable plot, it was still some distance from the chickens and ducks. The geographical location was very good!


    Xiaoguo picked up the hoe and began to loosen the soil. As she had never planted anything here before, the soil was very hard. It took her a lot of effort to loosen the soil. She didn¡¯t need much space to plant flowers. All she needed was a small area. A flower plot would be pleasing to the eye and could add color to the courtyard.


    When she went to the county previously, she had come across vendors that sold seeds. However, she didn¡¯t know if those were flower seeds or vegetable seeds. Coincidentally, tomorrow was market day, so she would wake up early and make a trip there.


    The next day, before dawn, Xiaoguo had already woken up and finished her breakfast.


    After packing up, she drove off to the market.


    In addition to planting seeds, she was also going to buy some vegetables, meat, rice, oil, salt, and some miscellaneous stuff. Those items were running low on supply at home, so she would need to purchase them in bulk today.


    As Xiaoguo approached the county fair, she kept her money close to her. There were many people here, so it was better to be careful.


    As soon as she entered the market, there were people selling seeds. After getting out of the car and asking around, she found out that these were vegetable seeds.


    Xiaoguo looked around and couldn¡¯t tell what seeds they were. She asked, ¡°Uncle, do you have any flower seeds here?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The stall owner was old and could not hear clearly. He pricked up his ears and asked.


    ¡°Do you have any flower seeds?¡±


    Xiaoguo raised her voice and asked again.


    ¡°No.¡± The old man heard her this time and waved his hand.


    Xiaoguo nodded and prepared to move along and check out other stalls.


    There weren¡¯t many people in the market today, and it was easy to drive the donkey cart, so Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop. She looked around and came to a familiar stall to buy some pork. Now that the weather was slowly turning hot, fresh meat couldn¡¯t be stored for long anymore, so there wasn¡¯t much pork available at the stall.


    ¡°Boss, can I have some pork.¡±


    When the boss saw that Xiaoguo looked familiar, he immediately went up to her. He sharpened his knife and asked, ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°Five catties of pork belly and three catties of tenderloin. I want all the pork ribs. Do you have pork knuckles?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the meat displayed at the stall and methodically told him the amount she needed.


    ¡°There¡¯s pork knuckles and a whole set of pork trotters,¡± the boss replied as he cut the meat for Xiaoguo.


    ¡°How many are there?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s only one pair left.¡± The boss looked with uncertainty at the basket behind him and confirmed before saying.


    ¡°Then I want a pair.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± The shop owner was happy to see Xiaoguo. She didn¡¯t come often, but when she came, she always bought a lot.


    ¡°Sister, do you own a restaurant?¡±


    As she was just one of his regular customers, the boss had never asked her before. It was just his own guess. After all, other than those who were chefs in restaurants or those who had big families, who would buy so much meat? The weather was turning hot and the meat would not keep well for long.


    ¡°You must be running a restaurant or there are many people in your house.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and gave a random reason.


    When the boss heard this, he nodded in understanding. He was right. She must be running a restaurant or she must be a chef.


    ¡°By the way, Sister, I still have some pig offal. Do you want it?¡±


    After putting the meat into the donkey cart, he suddenly remembered that this girl liked to eat that, so he asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded eagerly and got out of the donkey cart happily. She walked back again. Pig offal is good!


    ¡°Here, that¡¯s all.¡± The boss brought the basket to Xiaoguo so that she could see for herself.


    Xiaoguo took a closer look and resisted the stench of feces. There were large intestines, two pieces of pig liver, a pair of pig lungs, and a pig¡¯s head.


    ¡°Brother, are you selling all these?¡±


    Xiaoguo had taken a fancy to these things. Pig lungs and pig liver as a cold dish. The fragrance of cooked pig head meat was running through her mind. These were all hard to come by.


    ¡°You want the pig head too?¡± The boss looked at Xiaoguo strangely. The Tomb Sweeping Festival had already passed. Why would she need this? It wasn¡¯t like she had to worship the heavens.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take them all.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. She was almost drooling. It had been a long time since she had eaten pig head meat.


    Feeling puzzled, the boss loaded everything into the car for her and charged Xiaoguo a very low price for everything.


    After making payment, Xiaoguo carried on shopping with her purse in hand.


    On the way, she came across other stalls selling other types of meat. She did not even look at them. It was mainly because she had overspent today. She had not planned to buy so much meat, but when she saw them, her mouth worked faster than her heart, so she ended up spending beyond her expectations.


    As expected, women couldn¡¯t stop when they were shopping.


    She also bought some vegetables, but she didn¡¯t buy too much. After some time, she would have to plant more vegetables. By then, she would have enough at home.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t bump into anyone selling flower seeds. However, there were quite a number of people selling vegetable seeds. There was no hurry to buy those now, so Xiaoguo didn¡¯t buy any. She continued walking along the road.


    She went to buy a lot of other things and filled the cart to its brim. When they left the market, the donkey cart could barely move forward.


    At this moment, the old man selling vegetables at the entrance of the market saw Xiaoguo and asked.


    ¡°Did you get the flower seeds?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head and spoke loudly.


    Unexpectedly, the old man smiled. ¡°They¡¯re not for sale now! They¡¯ll be available at the big fair!¡±


    After reminding Xiaoguo kindly, he packed up his stall and prepared to go home.

 Chapter 303 - 303 Looking Old

    303 Looking Old


    Xiaoguo was stunned. There were big and small fairs for this?


    No matter what, Xiaoguo thanked the old man.


    When she got home, Xiaoguo packed up everything. Those that should be kept in the fridge were kept in the fridge. Those that should be kept out of the light were placed in the shade.


    She only felt safe when the kitchen was well-stocked.


    The pig¡¯s head, lungs and liver that she had bought were not kept in the fridge. She deliberately made sure to soak them in a large basin.


    To be honest, looking at the pig head in the basin, Xiaoguo shivered inexplicably. She even had goosebumps all over her body.


    She didn¡¯t feel anything when she bought it. Now that she had brought it back and placed it at home, it looked really scary.


    The pig¡¯s head was too eye-catching. It was hard to ignore it. Every time she turned around, she would subconsciously think of the pig¡¯s head and every time she saw it, she felt very affected by it.


    Suppressing the discomfort in her heart, she used a machete to cut it. After much effort, she managed to cut it in half, not until her hands turned numb. At least now, the head wasn¡¯t positioned upright in the basin and she could at least soak it fully in water. Out of sight, out of mind.


    Without taking a second look, she carefully washed the machete and returned to the house.


    The pig¡¯s head, liver, and lungs were soaked in water to remove the blood. They would be cooked in the afternoon and smoked until they were beautifully browned.


    After lunch, Xiaoguo began to boil water. The pig head was not too big, and the big pot at home was just big enough to contain it. It would save her the trouble of finding another pot to boil the head separately.


    After blanching two halves of the head, she placed them in a large pot and added the spice bag. She covered the pot and let it simmer over high heat for half an hour. After that, it was left to simmer over low heat for two and a half hours.


    Making use of this time, Xiaoguo returned to the house to rest for a while.


    After estimating that it was about time, she returned to the kitchen and lifted the lid of the pot. When the hot steam had dissipated, she took out a pair of chopsticks and poked at the pig¡¯s face. The meat had turned soft and tender. The chopsticks penetrated the meat very easily.


    After the fire was extinguished, the soup in the pot was as thick as glue. The pig¡¯s head and lungs were placed on a bamboo rack.


    Then, she cleaned the big pot and lit the fire. She placed a handful of brown sugar and tea leaves in the pot. After which, she quickly placed the bamboo rack over the pot and put on the lid.


    After a while, white smoke came out of the pot lid, followed by yellow smoke. The room was filled with a smoky scent and Xiaoguo could barely open her eyes. In a daze, she opened the kitchen window and the door. The smoke instantly billowed out from the open vents.


    After standing outside for a while, Xiaoguo quickly returned to the house when her eyes felt better. Meat would taste bitter if it was smoked for too long. She went to the pot and listened carefully. If there were any sizzling sounds coming from the pot, it meant that the sugar had completely melted and the lid could be lifted. By then, the meat would be done to perfection.


    As she was too focused on listening to the pot, she subconsciously blocked out any sounds coming from outside.


    Someone was pounding on her door.


    The door, which was not thin to begin with, was on the verge of collapse under the exceptionally violent impact. Finally, with each heavier blow that landed on it, the door fell to the ground with a bang, raising a cloud of dust.


    Immediately, there was a commotion. Dogs barked and chickens and ducks crowed. The donkeys and cows also added to the chaos.


    Xiaoguo was about to lift the lid when she was startled by a sudden noise. She lost her grip on the lid and it fell to the ground.


    In her panic, Xiaoguo felt a gust of cold wind. In the next instant, a big hand covered her mouth and nose. Her body was lifted up by a strong hold on her waist, and the person ran out carrying her in that position.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She didn¡¯t know who it was. Was this person after money or her life? She forced herself to calm down and looked around quickly. In the end, at the moment her body exited the house, she picked up the sickle on the wall and held it tightly in her hand.


    When the person stopped moving, the grip on her waist and mouth loosened. Xiaoguo took the opportunity to break free. She closed her eyes, picked up the sickle, and slashed at the person behind her.


    The person subconsciously dodged the lethal scythe and grabbed the hand that was about to slash at him again. He shouted in shock, ¡°Xiaoguo?!¡±


    Hearing a familiar voice, Xiaoguo forced her eyes open and panted as she looked at the man.


    She was stunned for a few seconds before putting down her sickle. She called out hesitantly, ¡°Jiang Danhe?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡±


    Xiaoguo opened her mouth and was momentarily speechless. She sized up the man in front of her in disbelief. This travel-worn and unshaven man was actually Jiang Danhe?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Danhe suddenly touched his face. His cheeks, which were hidden under his beard, were a little flushed ¡°Do I look strange?¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head decisively. ¡°Not at all!¡±


    Not only was he handsome, he also looked very charming. He looked cool and mature! But¡­


    ¡°You look a little old.¡±


    After Xiaoguo gave her honest opinion, Jiang Danhe felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Just now, when he heard her say that he didn¡¯t look strange, a trace of joy rose in his heart. But when he heard her say that he looked old, his heart instantly turned cold. If not for the fact that he was afraid of scaring her, he would have plucked out his beard with his bare hands on the spot!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing that he was silent, Xiaoguo felt that she might have been a tad too truthful. She thought for a moment and was just about to comfort him when she saw what had happened to the door behind him.


    The door, which was supposed to be upright, was now lying flat on the ground. Xiaoguo blinked in disbelief. She thought that her eyesight had become blurry from the smoke. However, no matter how hard she rubbed her eyes, the door remained lying on the ground.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was not saying anything, Jiang Danhe followed her gaze and saw the door that was on strike. He felt guilt wash over him immediately.


    ¡°The door¡­ didn¡¯t I give you the key¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but I forgot because I was in a hurry¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe gently took Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and stroked it ingratiatingly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± Xiaoguo asked in confusion.


    ¡°I just got back when I saw the billowing smoke coming out of the house. I thought there was a fire.¡±


    Jiang Danhe explained everything in a few words. No one knew how afraid he was just now. It was great to see that she was fine!


    At this moment, the smoke in the room had completely dissipated to reveal the kitchen in its glory. Only then was Jiang Danhe able to see that the kitchen had not caught fire as he had imagined.


    Xiaoguo wanted to say something more, but looking at his worried bloodshot eyes, and his bleeding fist from smashing the door, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she said, ¡°Boil some water and wash up.¡±


    Seeing that she was not going to pursue the matter, Jiang Danhe felt relieved. He smiled happily and nodded. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo snickered and turned to walk towards the kitchen. She thought to herself how silly he looked just now¡­


    When she returned to the kitchen, she brought out the meat from the pot. Fortunately, she had lifted the lid. Otherwise, the meat would have become too bitter.


    Seeing her walk away, Jiang Danhe followed closely behind. When he saw that the culprit was actually a pot of black meat, he felt extremely puzzled. Smelling the unique fragrance, he quietly took a gulp.


    Xiaoguo, who had been paying attention to him, noticed his movement. ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat?¡±


    Jiang Danhe shook his head gently and looked at Xiaoguo shyly. In his heart, he was thinking to himself, ¡°I was too busy thinking about you to be in the mood to eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t hear what he was thinking, but she still blushed under his gaze.


    Feeling uncomfortable, she turned away from his gaze. ¡°Go back to the house and pack up. I¡¯ll boil water for you so that you can wash up first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, whatever you say.¡±


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips shyly and turned around. She waved casually at him, telling him to go quickly.


    Jiang Danhe chuckled and returned to his room happily.


    Xiaoguo put away her thoughts and quickly went to start the fire.


    After the water boiled, Jiang Danhe went to take a bath. Only then did Xiaoguo have the time to check on the situation at home. It was a tragic sight. Wood shavings were strewn all over the ground.

 Chapter 304 - 304 Where Are the Candles?

    304 Where Are the Candles?


    She wondered how strong Jiang Danhe was.


    Xiaoguo squatted beside the door and silently scrutinized the damaged portion which was shaped like a footprint. ¡°How strong must one be to break down a wooden door¡­?¡±


    She tried to lift it up and put it back, but it was a waste of her efforts. The door frame was already crooked. It was no use even if she managed to put the door back. She could only arrange to buy a new door.


    She went back to the kitchen to wash her hands and get ready to cook. It didn¡¯t matter if they ate early or late. After dinner, they would be going to bed anyway. There was nothing else to do.


    First, she made the millet porridge and heated up the pork buns that she had made.


    Coincidentally, she had a ready-made piece of smoked meat. She took two cucumbers and smashed them with a knife. Then, she cut them into medium-sized pieces and placed them in a basin. She also cut some pig liver, pig lungs and some meat from the pig¡¯s mouth. All these were also cut into medium sized pieces. Then, she mixed them with the cucumbers. and added some vinegar, garlic paste and sesame sauce. With that, a cold dish of cucumber and pig head meat was ready to be served.


    The remaining cooked meat had already cooled down, so she transferred it to the fridge.


    After coming out from the space, she thought about it and felt that there weren¡¯t enough dishes. When the millet porridge was almost cooked, she stir-fried another plate of spinach.


    As soon as the food was served, Jiang Danhe came over in a fresh set of clothes.


    The uncle, who looked disheveled just moments ago, had returned to looking like a well-dressed young man.


    Xiaoguo was very satisfied with this. She wasn¡¯t ready to face him in his forties or fifties yet. She hoped that the day would not come so soon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Xiaoguo put down a bowl of millet porridge in front of him and handed him a pair of chopsticks.


    ¡°How fragrant. I can¡¯t wait to taste your cooking.¡±


    Jiang Danhe took a deep breath. He could not bear to let the fragrance of food in the air go to waste.


    ¡°Come back more often if you wish to taste my cooking.¡±


    Xiaoguo said as she ate her porridge.


    Jiang Danhe nodded. At the mention of this, he suddenly thought of his letter to her. He wanted to ask her, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. What if she was really upset about it?


    ¡°Did you get the letter?¡± After much hesitation, he asked. He was extremely nervous. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to me?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Xiaoguo suddenly slapped her forehead and started apologizing. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ve been a little busy recently, so I¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo found it hard to explain herself. She had actually forgotten about it. Could he have come back because of this?!


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Jiang Danhe smiled and shook his head. He heaved a sigh of relief. It turned out that she had been too busy and had forgotten about replying to him. It was fine as long as she wasn¡¯t sick or angry with him.


    Jiang Danhe was fine with it, but Xiaoguo was feeling bad about it. She said guiltily, ¡°Did you come back because of this?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was stunned. He shook his head considerately and said with a smile, ¡°No, I came back because I missed you.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped breathing in that instant. Then she started to search frantically for something. ¡°I¡¯ll get the candles. It¡¯s a little dark.¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not say more. After watching her run away, he retracted his gaze and looked at the candles at the table. He laughed softly. She had become even cuter after months of not seeing her.


    Xiaoguo clutched her heart and wished that it would stop beating. ¡°Oh no, oh no, stop beating! What a let down. This heart will be hooked up by spring! Stop beating, stop beating!¡±


    This was the first time in her life that she had such feelings for a man. Xiaoguo was no longer avoiding him like she did before. All that was left now was sweetness and a hint of bashfulness.


    It had only been a few months since they last met. He had trained himself to say sweet nothings face-to-face without batting an eyelid. However, she was still the same and even ran away from him!


    Only then did Xiaoguo cover her face in embarrassment. What was the excuse that she gave? She actually said that she was getting a candle. What was that flame floating by the table?


    ¡°Calm down! Calm down!¡±


    Xiaoguo gently stroked her chest and tried to calm her heartbeat. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t matter if my heart is beating. In any case, I¡¯ve decided to spend the rest of my life with him. It would be abnormal if my heart wasn¡¯t beating for him!¡±


    After the self-hypnosis was over, Xiaoguo walked towards the kitchen with her head held high.


    Pretending like nothing had happened, Xiaoguo sat down in a chair and picked up the remaining half of the pork bun with sauce. She started eating again.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe pursed his lips mischievously and said, ¡°Where¡¯s the candle you were looking for?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem, ahem!¡± Xiaoguo suddenly choked on the meat buns and started coughing in pain.


    Seeing this, Jiang Danhe retracted his smile. He was worried for her and helped to pat her back. ¡°Have some porridge.¡±


    Xiaoguo took a sip of porridge that Jiang Danhe was holding up before swallowing the bun in her throat.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Xiaoguo, who had narrowly escaped death, heaved a sigh of relief. That was really her closest shave with death.


    Jiang Danhe felt even worse than Xiaoguo. He felt like he was the one who had choked earlier on. Xiaoguo was already fine, but he was still trying to soothe her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head. If Jiang Danhe continued, her back would catch fire.


    ¡°Be careful in the future,¡± Jiang Danhe retracted his hand and said reproachfully.


    Xiaoguo refused to listen. If he hadn¡¯t been teasing her, she wouldn¡¯t have choked. ¡°It¡¯s now my fault?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Jiang Danhe was quite discerning. After all, he had not read ¡°18 tricks to coax a woman¡± for nothing. It must be his fault that she was angry. He had to admit his mistake no matter whose fault it was.


    Xiaoguo felt better when she heard that. She had nowhere to vent her anger. She could only pretend to be dissatisfied and snort softly before starting to eat again.


    Jiang Danhe lowered his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. That was close.


    After dinner, it was still early and the two of them found it hard to lie down. While there was still light in the sky, the two of them went out for a walk.


    ¡°What do I do with the door?¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to lock the door, but as soon as she came out, she realized that she didn¡¯t have a door anymore.


    Jiang Danhe stopped in his tracks and looked at the door. ¡°Shall I go get a new one now?¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head immediately. ¡°Forget it. We¡¯ll go tomorrow. We¡¯ll just put it upright for tonight. Just make it look like it is closed. There are dogs at home too. If there are any intruders, they¡¯ll bark.¡±


    There were carpenters in the village, but the sky was turning dark. She might as well wait until tomorrow. In any case, it was only for one night. If Xiaoguo was alone at home, she would definitely get someone to install the door immediately. No matter how late it was, it had to be installed. But now that Jiang Danhe was at home, she was not afraid at all. She felt very safe.


    Jiang Danhe went with what Xiaoguo said. The two of them worked together and barely managed to put the door in place. From afar, it was impossible to tell that the door was broken.


    After that, the two of them did not go out for a walk. After all, they were really worried about leaving the house with no one at home.


    When she returned to the house, Xiaoguo wanted Jiang Danhe to rest in her room first while she made the bed for him in the other room.


    Jiang Danhe nodded with a meaningful expression. After Xiaoguo left, he took off his coat and lay on her bed in his underwear. He even crawled under her blanket.


    How could a couple sleep in separate rooms? Jiang Danhe had made up his mind when he returned this time. He wanted their relationship to go on to the next level.


    As he waited, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fell asleep.


    Over the past few days, he had been traveling day and night. In order to see Xiaoguo as soon as possible, he did not rest much after arriving in this region. When he really could not take it anymore, he would rest for two hours and continue on his way. It was already his limit to last until now.


    When Xiaoguo finished making the bed and came to the room, Jiang Danhe had already fallen asleep. Xiaoguo lightened her footsteps and came to his side. She pushed him gently. ¡°Jiang Danhe?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe did not move at all. She could only hear the faint sound of his breathing.


    Seeing the shadow beneath his eyes, Xiaoguo felt sorry for him. She placed her hand on his sunken cheeks and stroked it gently. ¡°Sleep well.¡±


    With that, she got ready to leave. She would leave this room to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡±

 Chapter 305 - 305 Meeting Teacher Kong

    305 Meeting Teacher Kong


    A large hand grabbed her hand, which was retracting from his cheek. Xiaoguo exclaimed in shock.


    Then, she saw a pair of eyes, wide and alert, looking back at her. Xiaoguo was shaken. ¡°You¡¯re still awake?¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not answer her. He lifted her and swiftly took off her shoes and coat. Then, he hugged her tightly, covered her with a blanket, and blew out the candles.


    Before Xiaoguo could react, she was already lying face-to-face with him under the covers.


    ¡°Did anything happen just now?¡±


    If the candle had not been extinguished, they would have realized that they were both just pretending to be calm. In actual fact, they were already blushing.


    Xiaoguo tried to struggle, but when she moved, Jiang Danhe wrapped himself tightly around her. With every movement she made, he hugged her even more tightly.


    Xiaoguo was almost sweating from the exertion. She gathered her strength and was prepared to struggle again. However, before she could move, she saw his greenish-purple eyebags under the moonlight. She couldn¡¯t bear to torture him anymore and therefore, she relaxed her body.


    Jiang Danhe finally succumbed to his sleepiness and eventually fell asleep. However, his arms were still subconsciously wrapped around Xiaoguo, preventing her from escaping.


    How could Xiaoguo sleep?They had slept in the same room before, but it was always with Zhuang Zhuang in the middle, so she didn¡¯t feel awkward or anything. But today, her heart was pounding. Her entire body felt like it was covered in thorns. She couldn¡¯t relax no matter how hard she tried.


    By midnight, Jiang Danhe had fallen into a deep sleep. Xiaoguo was also in a daze. Her eyes were fluttering and were on the verge of closing. In the end, she couldn¡¯t resist her drowsiness and fell asleep peacefully on his shoulder.


    Before she fell asleep, she was still thinking about the candles in the other room.


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, it was another good day.


    The birds were chirping outside. The sun shone through the window paper and onto the two persons cuddling on the bed. Xiaoguo was woken up by her biological clock. She closed her eyes and stretched comfortably. At this moment, her right hand seemed to have touched something warm.


    Xiaoguo had forgotten about Jiang Danhe¡¯s return. She touched the source of the heat curiously.


    It was hard, hot, and quite smooth. She could feel blocks of it. ¡°Oh, it moves¡­¡±


    Just as Xiaoguo was getting excited, a hoarse and low voice sounded.


    ¡°Stop touching.¡±


    ¡°!¡± Xiaoguo was so frightened that her eyes widened. She rolled over and immediately sat up, looking at the source of the voice.


    At some point in time, Jiang Danhe¡¯s undergarment straps had come undone, revealing his firm abdominal and chest muscles.


    Xiaoguo took a good look and couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva. Fortunately, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t see her. She stole a glance at him and saw that he was massaging his eyes. She took a few more lusty glances at his body. To wake up to such a view so early in the morning, it really energizes one¡¯s start to the day¡­


    Even without looking, Jiang Danhe could feel her burning gaze. Hence, his hand that was rubbing his eyes paused. Then, he inadvertently showed off his abs and twitched his chest muscles.


    Slowly, a flush appeared on his body. This was his first time seducing a woman, and he felt a little shy. If he had known that his wife enjoyed looking at his muscles, he would have shown them to her right from the beginning and charmed her using this tactic.


    His chest muscles had been moving vigorously for a long time and were about to go into spasms. He could no longer feel the burning gaze or hear the sound of her swallowing.


    Jiang Danhe brought his hands away from his eyes and looked around the empty room. There was no sign of the little woman. After sitting up, he suddenly laughed in exasperation. So the protagonist was long gone. To think that he had been twitching his muscles for so long?!


    Xiaoguo had indeed run away, in a most embarrassed state. Beauty was really a dangerous thing.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo, who was in the kitchen, put down her bloodstained hands. From the reflection in the basin, she could see her sorry state. She never thought that she would have a nosebleed over something that was so lame. To have a nosebleed after looking at a man. ¡°Unbelievable! Unbelievable!¡±


    Xiaoguo was speechless at herself. For a long time, she couldn¡¯t figure out why. On second thoughts, those were moving chest muscles. They could actually move. Moreover, his abs looked very inviting¡­


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Xiaoguo quickly patted her face with cold water. She couldn¡¯t think about it anymore. The more she thought about it, the more indecent her thoughts became. She wasn¡¯t a pervert, so she must not behave like this!


    She gathered her spirits and splashed away the blood. She then fetched a basin of fresh water to wash up. After that, it was time to prepare breakfast.


    Just as she was cooking the porridge, Jiang Danhe came to the kitchen fully dressed.


    Xiaoguo immediately turned around. She didn¡¯t know what she was busy with, but she refused to look him in the eye.


    Jiang Danhe knew what was going on. His gloominess about Xiaoguo not seeing his performance earlier was instantly swept away. Looking at her slightly red ears, he was overjoyed. ¡°She saw it! She saw it!¡±


    The two of them were on opposite ends of the spectrum. One was extremely shy, and the other was extremely proactive.


    Xiaoguo looked at the exceptionally solicitous Jiang Danhe and was a little worried. ¡°Did he see my nosebleed?¡±


    Jiang Danhe handed her the plate. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t even look at him. She grabbed it from him and turned her back towards him again. When Jiang Danhe saw her like this, he was overjoyed. He smiled silently. ¡°See, she was being shy!¡±


    While the two of them were eating, Jiang Danhe stopped teasing her. After peeling the eggs, he handed them to her. ¡°Shall we visit Mr. Kong later?¡±


    Without thinking, Xiaoguo nodded. Since he was back, it was only right that he should visit.


    After the two of them finished eating, Jiang Danhe brought out the gift he got for Mr. Kong. Xiaoguo cut half a piece of pig face from the fridge to bring it to them.


    Ever since Zhuang Zhuang started school, she would often make delicious food for them. In their house, there were only Mr. and Mrs. Kong with Zhuang Zhuang. At first, the old couple, who had helped them move, were chased away by Mr. and Mrs. Kong. But It was done out of goodwill. As they were already quite old, they should be enjoying life instead of working as servants.


    If she prepared too much food, they wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it all. Therefore, she frequently made small portions that were enough for the three of them. The elderly couple was already old and didn¡¯t eat much.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Jiang Danhe came to look for Xiaoguo with a gift box in his hand. Xiaoguo nodded at him and walked into the courtyard with the wrapped bundle of pork face.


    ¡°Sigh, no!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Danhe looked at her in confusion.


    ¡°Our door is still broken.¡± Xiaoguo had just come out when she thought of the damaged door.


    Jiang Danhe looked regretful. This door was too much of a hindrance.


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Jiang Danhe was about to say that he would go another day.


    ¡°I have an idea!¡± Xiaoguo spoke first and immediately ran out to knock on Mrs. Yang¡¯s door. Yang Jia, who had just finished eating, opened the door for her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, Yang Jia, can you do me a favor?¡±


    ¡°What favor?¡± Yang Jia looked at Xiaoguo in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small favor¡­¡± Xiaoguo smiled at him. Under his suspicious gaze, she smiled sincerely at him. ¡°It¡¯s a small favor.¡±


    The scene changed. Yang Jia stood in the courtyard of Xiaoguo¡¯s house in a daze and looked innocently at the master who was installing the door. He had just finished eating and opened the door for her, right? Then the next thing he knew, he was here to watch the door.


    On the other side, Jiang Danhe got on the big horse with Xiaoguo on a whim.


    ¡°Sit tight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t fall with you around.¡±


    Xiaoguo sat leisurely on the horse and leaned comfortably against Jiang Danhe¡¯s chest. Occasionally she would turn her head to look at the surroundings from the horse¡¯s back.


    Jiang Danhe had succumbed to her unintentional words again. He swore in his heart that even if she stood up now, he would make sure to protect her and not let her get hurt.


    ¡°By the way, how long will you be back this time?¡±

 Chapter 306 - 306 Sensible Reason

    306 Sensible Reason


    ¡°How long do you want me to stay?¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not answer her but asked her instead.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xiaoguo hummed for a long time but did not speak. ¡°You can stay as long as you possibly can.¡±


    In the end, she gave a reply, acting nonchalant about it.


    ¡°¡­ Xiaoguo.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiaoguo turned around and could only see half of Jiang Danhe¡¯s face.


    ¡°Do you prefer to have me at home or in the capital?¡±


    It seemed that the two of them had never discussed this matter openly face-to-face. Although this was brought up in the letter before, they did not see each other in person, so it was impossible to tell what the other person¡¯s expression was.


    Xiaoguo chuckled. ¡°The rational part of me wants you to stay in the capital while the emotional side wants you to stay at home.¡±


    She was being honest and said whatever was on her mind.


    ¡°What do you mean by rational and emotional?¡±


    Jiang Danhe wanted to hear her true thoughts.


    ¡°If you stay in the capital, you can do what you like and continue to shine. Moreover, absence makes the heart grow fonder, so it will also reduce minor conflicts between us. But if you come home, to be honest, I will feel very at ease. I will no longer be the only one holding up all the responsibilities at home. There is at least someone I can rely on.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard the last part, he felt that it was more important to stay by his family¡¯s side.


    ¡°However, the two options are not in conflict. Previously, you had to risk your life to stay in the capital. Under that situation, I would have let you come back without hesitation. But now you get to do the job you like and at the same time, your safety is ensured. There¡¯s no reason to hesitate at all.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo patted him gently. ¡°Besides, you can come back often and it¡¯s still too early to think about retirement. It¡¯s not like you cannot come back till you¡¯re very old.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Then I¡¯ll come back once a month and stay for seven days each time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Xiaoguo stopped him with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s too troublesome. You can just come back once every two to three months.¡±


    If he came back once a month, the traveling time would take five days. He would stay for seven days, and it would take another five days to travel back. That would be a total of seventeen days, which means that he would be away from work for at least half the month. Shao Zhan would definitely not agree to it. Besides, there was nothing much for him to do at home.


    Xiaoguo did not expect Jiang Danhe, who looked quite rational, to be so emotional.


    After talking for a long time, Xiaoguo finally persuaded him to give up on his plan to come back once a month. He reluctantly decided to return home once every two months.


    When they arrived at Teacher Kong¡¯s house, Jiang Danhe got off the horse first and carefully carried Xiaoguo down.


    After Xiaoguo came down, she quickly knocked on the door. If Zhuang Zhuang saw that Jiang Danhe had returned, he would probably scream.


    At the thought of this, she knocked another two times


    ¡°Coming.¡±


    Mrs. Kong walked out of the house. Without having to ask, she knew that it was Xiaoguo. This was mainly because they hardly had any visitors. The two of them mostly kept a low profile and no one knew their identities. The only people they kept in contact with were Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang was just talking about you,¡± Mrs. Kong said as she opened the door.


    ¡°Mrs. Kong.¡±


    As soon as she opened the door, Jiang Danhe greeted her.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Mrs. Kong was very excited to see Jiang Danhe. She enthusiastically held their hands and walked into the house. She even took the opportunity to touch Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand.


    Xiaoguo glanced at Jiang Danhe. ¡°So his face was well-liked by people of all ages? That was really quite amazing!¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt very helpless. Facing Xiaoguo¡¯s puzzled gaze, he shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll call them. Sigh, forget it. Come with me. Danhe hasn¡¯t seen Zhuang Zhuang in class yet, right?¡±


    Mrs. Kong led the two of them towards the study.


    Before they got close, they could hear Zhuang Zhuang reading aloud.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t hide the joy on their faces. They quickly walked to the window of the study and gently opened a crack to look in.


    In the study, Mr. Kong was sitting in an armchair, while Zhuang Zhuang was sitting in front of his custom-made desk. He was sitting with an erect posture, and was reciting poetry scriptures with a nodding head.


    Xiaoguo had basically seen this many times, but this was the first time Jiang Danhe was witnessing it. The joy in his heart could not be expressed in words. He could only look at Zhuang Zhuang carefully, trying to memorize this scene.


    If being a husband was the first joyous event in his life, then being a father for the first time was the second most joyous event that has happened to him. Then, the third most joyous event was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s admission to school.


    At this moment, he was extremely satisfied. He hugged Xiaoguo tightly and looked at Zhuang Zhuang happily.


    Mrs. Kong was about to knock on the door when Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe stopped her.


    ¡°Forget it, Auntie. Let them continue.¡±


    After Xiaoguo finished speaking, Jiang Danhe nodded in agreement and decided not to interrupt them.


    ¡°Alright. Stay here for lunch! Don¡¯t refuse me!¡±


    After saying that, Mrs. Kong looked at the two of them seriously.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at each other and laughed. ¡°We didn¡¯t intend to leave in the first place.¡±


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo revealed the pig head meat in her hand. ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ll cook for us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± When Mrs. Kong heard this, she was overjoyed. Xiaoguo¡¯s cooking was really superb. ¡°We¡¯re all in for a treat today!¡±


    With that, she smiled and brought Xiaoguo to the kitchen, leaving Jiang Danhe alone.


    Looking at the energetic Mrs. Kong, Jiang Danhe chuckled. Then, he secretly stood in front of the window and looked at Zhuang Zhuang through the gap in the window. The smile on his face could not be concealed.


    Xiaoguo followed Mrs. Kong to the kitchen and found a basin of noodles. ¡°Auntie, what are you planning to do with this?¡±


    ¡°We were going to have noodles. Both of them were clamoring for noodles, but I don¡¯t know what soup base to prepare yet.¡±


    There was enough dough. Xiaoguo looked around the house. There were a bunch of leeks, half a basin of soybeans, and a few cucumbers.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we stir-fry some chives and soybeans? Do we still have sauce at home?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s sauce!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. How about I stir-fry some chives and soybeans, mince some pork, and fry it in sauce? Then, I can cut some cucumbers and make a cold dish out of the pig¡¯s head meat?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Now that Mrs. Kong had Xiaoguo, she could just assist her on the side. It had been a long time since she had tasted Xiaoguo¡¯s cooking. She really missed it.


    The few of them were not people who enjoyed following formalities. Mr. and Mrs. Kong really treated Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang as family, so they did not treat them like guests and prepared a large feast for them. Instead, they prepared home-cooked dishes for them, like how they would do with their family.


    The two of them worked in full swing. Just as Mr. Kong was done with class, the food was served.


    Mr. Kong was walking in front, and Zhuang Zhuang was right behind him. Suddenly, Mr. Kong stopped without any warning. Zhuang Zhuang did not manage to stop in time and bumped right into him. Fortunately, the impact was not strong, otherwise, he would have knocked Mr. Kong over.


    ¡°The general is back?¡±


    ¡°Teacher, just call me Danhe.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang heard a familiar voice, so he ran to the front and saw Jiang Danhe. ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang!¡± Jiang Danhe bent down and picked him up. It had been a long time since he was carried by his father. Zhuang Zhuang was on the verge of tears.


    He hung around with Jiang Danhe for some time. Later on, he heard that his mother was also here and was cooking in the kitchen. Without another word, he jumped down and ran away to look for his mother.


    Jiang Danhe looked helplessly at Zhuang Zhuang, who had escaped his embrace and was running away faster than a rabbit. His true feelings just now had been misplaced.


    Jiang Danhe retracted his gaze and bowed solemnly to Mr. Kong.


    ¡°Hey, General, there¡¯s no need for you to do this.¡±


    Mr. Kong quickly grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up.


    However, Jiang Danhe still bowed seriously before getting up. ¡°Thank you for spending so much time on Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I like Zhuang Zhuang very much. I am so happy to have such a talented disciple.¡± Mr. Kong waved his hand while he spoke. Actually, he should be the one expressing his gratitude instead. To be given such a good seedling like Zhuang Zhuang, he was smiling even in his sleep.


    The two of them exchanged a few more pleasantries before Jiang Danhe handed over the gift in his hand.

 Chapter 307 - 307 Magnolia Sapling

    307 Magnolia Sapling


    ¡°Nan Mo?!¡±


    Mr. Kong took the ink strip lovingly and looked at Jiang Danhe in shock. ¡°This, this, this¡­¡±


    ¡°I got this by chance. I thought of you immediately, so I brought it to you. Don¡¯t mind that it¡¯s such a small piece.¡±


    Mr. Kong quickly shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind at all¡­¡±


    A fingernail-sized piece of Nan Mo could be exchanged for a whole house.


    This was not a joke. Nan Mo was equivalent to gold and silver in the eyes of scholars. Anyone who had a piece would want to show it off to everyone.


    A small piece was already so powerful. If there was a bigger piece or even a long strip, he would have fainted on the spot from excitement. Fortunately, he had strong willpower. Mr. Kong closed the box excitedly. ¡°This is great! This is great!¡±


    Nan Mo is truly worthy of its name. It was a rare ink that was hard to come by. It was almost impossible to produce a perfect ink stick in a hundred years. Mr. Kong was so excited that his entire body was trembling. He didn¡¯t expect to see Nan Mo again within his lifetime.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang ran over and called for them to eat.


    ¡°Danhe, go ahead. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    Mr. Kong tried to put on a calm demeanor as he spoke.


    Jiang Danhe nodded thoughtfully and walked out with Zhuang Zhuang. At this moment, Teacher Kong should be given some time to himself.


    After the two of them left, Mr. Kong stomped his feet hard. His legs had gone numb from excitement and he had almost embarrassed himself.


    After calming down, he carried the box like a baby and walked into the room where he sleeps at night. It was not safe to hide it in the cabinet or on the bed.


    Mr. Kong bent down and pouted. He held the treasure box in his hand and refused to put it down. He felt that it was not safe anywhere.


    In the end, Mrs. Kong had to drag him out after calling out to him several times.


    After dinner, Mr. Kong gave Zhuang Zhuang a few days off. He could come back after Jiang Danhe returned to the capital.


    The three of them were very happy. Xiaoguo had this plan in mind, but she was too shy to bring it up first. After all, the boy had just taken a long break. They didn¡¯t expect Mr. Kong to suggest this, and therefore, they agreed to it happily.


    Mrs. Kong was the only person who was unhappy. Before they left, she hugged and kissed Zhuang Zhuang¡ªshe was very reluctant to part with him. Of course, if one ignored the fact that she kept touching Jiang Danhe from time to time, it would be easier to believe that she was reluctant to part with Zhuang Zhuang only.


    Jiang Danhe helped Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang safely onto the horse¡¯s back before getting on himself.


    As he was not riding alone, Jiang Danhe did not dare to go too fast. He could only move forward slowly. Along the way, he even made a trip to the noodle shop. No matter what, he was back. He had to say hi to his brother-in-law.


    They played until the afternoon and left before the noodle shop got busy.


    After dinner, the three of them lay in bed. Xiaoguo suddenly thought of something and got up. She said to the two of them, ¡°Tomorrow is the big fair. Shall we go to the market?¡±


    She still had to buy some flower seeds.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe had never had any objections to her words. They basically listened to whatever she said.


    Before dawn the next day, the three of them set off on the donkey cart without even eating breakfast.


    When they arrived at the county later, they would go to the noodle shop to eat. After eating, they would go to the market.


    When the three of them arrived at the noodle shop, it was still early and there were no customers around. They ordered three bowls of noodles and rushed to the market after eating.


    Since it was the big fair, there was bound to be more traffic, Xiaoguo was afraid that if they didn¡¯t leave now, they would have problems getting to the fair.


    As usual, she parked the donkey cart at the entrance of the noodle shop and walked towards the entrance of the market.


    In any case, she was not going to buy anything heavy. She was only planning to buy some seeds .


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, hold your father¡¯s hand tightly, understand?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked around and saw that the crowds were starting to come in, so she reminded Zhuang Zhuang worriedly.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Zhuang Zhuang grabbed Jiang Danhe¡¯s big hand tightly and nodded at Xiaoguo to reassure her.


    It had been a long time since Jiang Danhe had attended the morning fair in Yonghai County. To his surprise, there were as many people at the fair as there were in the capital.


    At the thought of this, he picked up Zhuang Zhuang and let him sit on his shoulder. Then, he took Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and wrapped his arms around her to protect her from the oncoming crowd.


    Sensing his movements, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    With Jiang Danhe around, Xiaoguo felt much more comfortable shopping. Zhuang Zhuang was also very excited. What he saw at an elevated position was very different. He had a wide and unblocked view.


    ¡°Mother, Mother, there¡¯s a seed shop here.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had a good view and could definitely see further than Xiaoguo, so he was in charge of guiding the way. Jiang Danhe was the one leading the way, and Xiaoguo just had to follow.


    Xiaoguo arrived at the stall easily. As she looked around, she saw that the stall was selling seedlings instead of flower seeds.


    Flower seedlings were even better. The chances of survival were higher.


    ¡°Sir, what kind of flower is this?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned. What a familiar conversation. She had been so focused on looking down at the flower seedlings that she had not noticed the stall owner. Now that she looked at him, she realized that he was the one who had told her that flower seedlings were only sold at the big market!


    ¡°Sir, so you sell flower seedlings too!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t clear if the old man recognized Xiaoguo, but he did hear her question. He nodded and said, ¡°Yes. I sell seedlings too!¡±


    Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang did not understand their conversation at all. Zhuang Zhuang looked down at Jiang Danhe strangely and gave him a look that said, ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    Jiang Danhe shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What flower seedling is this?¡±


    Xiaoguo repeated herself, much louder this time.


    ¡°China rose. It¡¯s the right season to plant it.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and continued asking, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°This is a magnolia sapling. If you plant it now, it will grow into a big tree in a few years.¡±


    The old man had a lot of seedlings. Xiaoguo listened attentively and thought for a moment. She asked for two Chinese rose seedlings. After all, the plot at home was small. When the Chinese roses mature, there will be a lot of them.


    But¡­ she was also very tempted by the magnolia seedling. When it grows into a big tree, it will provide shade, but more importantly, magnolias smell good.


    There was a magnolia tree in university. During springtime, when the flowers bloomed, they would emit a faint fragrance. Every time she passed by the tree, she would make sure to take a few deep breaths.


    ¡°Should we take the magnolia saplings?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t make up her mind and asked Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°Get it if you like.¡±


    Jiang Danhe could tell that she was tempted. Although she said that she wanted the china roses, her eyes kept looking at the magnolia plants.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s thoughts were seen through by him. She turned her head in embarrassment and said to the old man, ¡°Give me a magnolia sapling.¡±


    Although the old man¡¯s ears were very bad, his hands and feet were very fast. He quickly wrapped it up for her. ¡°Plant it as soon as possible. Don¡¯t leave it out for too long.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Jiang Danhe handed over the money first. ¡°Is there anything else you want to buy?¡±


    Xiaoguo happily took the seedlings and shook her head.


    Jiang Danhe took the seedlings. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want him to take them. After all, Zhuang Zhuang was heavy enough. It was too tiring for him to carry everything.


    ¡°Put Zhuang Zhuang down. I¡¯ll hold on tightly to him.¡±


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe was not going to pass her the seedlings, Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to come down. It must be very tiring to have such a heavy load on his neck.


    Unexpectedly, Jiang Danhe shook his head and said, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, hold on tight.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Zhuang Zhuang received his order and wrapped his arms around Jiang Danhe¡¯s neck. ¡°Done!¡±


    After freeing his hands, Jiang Danhe held the seedlings in one hand and held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand in the other. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned for a long time. ¡°He¡¯s so capable!¡±


    On the way back, they came across a rabbit seller. Zhuang Zhuang was tempted and stopped moving forward.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you have to attend school everyday and you can¡¯t bring a rabbit with you. If you leave it at home, I will have to take care of one more animal. There are already a lot of small animals at home.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was playing with the little rabbit, and when he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he gave up on the idea of keeping it as a pet immediately.


    He could not tire his mother out!

 Chapter 308 - 308 Envy and Jealousy

    308 Envy and Jealousy


    When she returned to the noodle shop, she chatted with everyone for a while. It just so happened that they had some time on their hands.


    The sun was shining brightly today and it was a little hot. Xiaoguo was afraid that the flowers and seedlings would dry out, so she politely declined the offer to stay for dinner. After agreeing to have a meal together in the near future, the family of three went home.


    When they got home, Xiaoguo went to cook while Jiang Danhe brought Zhuang Zhuang to start planting.


    ¡°Mother, Father is asking you where to plant the magnolia saplings.¡± Zhuang Zhuang opened the door and poked his head in.


    ¡°Let me take a look first.¡± Xiaoguo put down the kitchen knife and walked out with Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we plant it in the corner?¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo came out, she heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s voice.


    Looking in the direction he was pointing, Xiaoguo thought for a moment. ¡°Sure!¡±


    It was fine to plant it in a corner. When it grew into a tree, it would provide shelter from the sun. When the time came, she would build a small pavilion under the tree. When the weather was hot, she could lie under the tree and take a nap while enjoying the fragrance of magnolias. It would be wonderful.


    After the three of them finished eating, they took their usual afternoon naps. There were too many benefits to taking an afternoon nap. It could enhance one¡¯s memory, restore one¡¯s stamina, and help with digestion. More importantly, it could ward off cardiovascular diseases.


    A long time ago, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t like taking afternoon naps either. However, her mother had sent her a link at that time. It was about the benefits of afternoon naps. She was bored and clicked on the link to take a look. At first, she didn¡¯t pay attention to it. But there was one time when she took a short nap after lunch. On that afternoon, she really felt different¡ª she was filled with energy and vitality. From then on, she developed the habit of taking afternoon naps. It wasn¡¯t necessary to nap for a long time¡ª a 30-minute nap was more than enough. Otherwise, it would be hard to fall asleep at night.


    When she woke up from her nap to wash her face, Zhuang Zhuang had just run out to use the toilet. Nowadays when she wakes up, she feels like the air is stuffy. Maybe it was due to the weather getting hot, it just didn¡¯t feel as refreshing as winter.


    ¡°Mother, should we bring the cows out to graze?¡±


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang ran over to wash his hands. When he saw Xiaoguo, he asked for her permission.


    Xiaoguo thought that it made sense. It had been a long time since she had brought them out. Now that green grass had appeared, it seemed that she would have to start herding cows again.


    ¡°Bring your father along.¡±


    Xiaoguo fetched water for Zhuang Zhuang to wash his hands before returning to the house to call Jiang Danhe.


    The three of them went out together.


    Ever since the two dogs came to the house, Xiaoguo had never let them run out for fear of losing them. Now that Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang were both around. She brought the cows, donkey, horse, and two puppies out.


    With Jiang Danhe around, Xiaoguo was confident. She didn¡¯t have to worry about losing the animals.


    The two cows and horses were walking side by side. The cows looked almost as tall as the big horse. The donkey beside them looked much more skinny in comparison.


    ¡°These cows are really big. When they get even bigger, don¡¯t bring them out on your own.¡±


    Jiang Danhe took the rope holding the cow and handed her the donkey¡¯s rope. In comparison, the donkey was less dangerous.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head. She had telepathy with the animals that she raised in her house. She was familiar with their tempers and personalities. There shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°Accidents do happen.¡±


    Jiang Danhe continued.


    Xiaoguo could only nod to reassure him.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang ran over with the two puppies. ¡°Father, Mother, the grass by the river is exceptionally lush. Let¡¯s go there!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After agreeing, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe led the cows and donkey over.


    Xiaoguo turned around and looked at the horse behind Jiang Danhe. She was extremely surprised.


    When they were leaving the house, Xiaoguo wanted to lead the horse, but Jiang Danhe said that there was no need. The horse was able to follow them without any help. When she heard this, she thought that he was lying. But after walking for a while, she saw for herself that the animal was really following behind them obediently. When they made any turns, the horse followed closely wherever they went. It was really obedient.


    Along the way, they did not bump into any villagers. Xiaoguo sat on a rock that Jiang Danhe had found for her. She first looked at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s figure, who was playing not far away. Then, she leaned closer to Jiang Danhe and told him about how the villagers had tried to arrange a marriage for Zhuang Zhuang some time ago.


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he was speechless. All these people were really capable of anything.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Zhuang Zhuang ran over and sat in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe shook their heads in unison.


    Even though their behavior was a little strange, Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with it. Eventually, he gave up.


    Not long after the three of them returned home, Mrs. Yang came to visit.


    She wasn¡¯t surprised to see Jiang Danhe around. She had heard about it from Yang Jia yesterday.


    Jiang Danhe had just found out that Mrs. Yang was pregnant. From the moment she entered the house, he kept staring at her stomach. Xiaoguo was so embarrassed by his behavior. Although Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t say anything, it didn¡¯t mean that she was blind. He was staring so blatantly at her stomach with his eyes wide open. What was he trying to do?


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo secretly pinched his waist. Although it didn¡¯t hurt, Jiang Danhe finally averted his gaze.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what was wrong with Jiang Danhe, but Mrs. Yang was experienced and could see right through him. Just now, he was looking at her stomach and then at Xiaoguo. Wasn¡¯t that obvious?


    She glanced at Jiang Danhe teasingly and met his gaze.


    Jiang Danhe blushed and almost lost his composure. He quickly found an excuse to leave.


    After he left, Mrs. Yang quickly leaned closer to Xiaoguo and asked secretly, ¡°When did he come back?¡±


    ¡°¡­ the afternoon before yesterday.¡±


    At first, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know why she was being so mysterious. When she heard her question, she was speechless. ¡°Why was she being so secretive?¡±


    ¡°When did Zhuang Zhuang come back?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Mrs. Yang sighed loudly. She looked at the disappointing woman in front of her and said regretfully, ¡°Why did you bring Zhuang Zhuang back so quickly?¡±


    ¡°?¡± Xiaoguo looked puzzled. ¡°Jiang Danhe is back. Of course he has to bring Zhuang Zhuang back. Zhuang Zhuang misses him too.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Mrs. Yang really wanted to knock her head open to see how such a smart person could be so insensitive about this matter.


    Mrs. Yang was so focused on being angry that she didn¡¯t notice Xiaoguo¡¯s ears turning red. How could she not know what Mrs. Yang was talking about? After all, they were both adults.


    However, she didn¡¯t dare to mention this to Mrs. Yang as the latter was driving too fast. If she dared to start the car, Mrs. Yang would immediately speed up. In order to protect her innocent heart, she had to feign ignorance.


    It was said that ancient people were conservative, but she felt that this matter was highly debatable.


    After Jiang Danhe came out of his house, he went to Brother Yang¡¯s house. In any case, he had nowhere to go. Other than his own place, Brother Yang¡¯s house was the only other place he could go.


    For some reason, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. He was filled with envy. While he was trying to get to the finishing line, the Yangs had already created a life. How could he feel good about this?


    Jiang Danhe stole a glance at the honest man and couldn¡¯t help but think to himself, ¡°If he can do it, I can do it too. I¡¯ll discuss it with Xiaoguo when I get back!¡±


    After bidding farewell, Jiang Danhe walked home. At this moment, Mrs. Yang happened to come out of his house. When she saw him, she smiled. Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know whether to stand nor run. He had clearly not done anything. Why was he feeling so shy?


    ¡°Best of luck!¡± Mrs. Yang patted him on the shoulder and leaned closer to whisper, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let Zhuang Zhuang sleep at my house tonight?¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Jiang Danhe suppressed his shocked expression and shook his head calmly. He pretended not to understand and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We are good.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang smiled meaningfully. ¡°You¡¯re good.¡±

 Chapter 309 - 309 Little Thoughts

    309 Little Thoughts


    Jiang Danhe ran home and almost bumped into Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Aiyo, what are you doing? Are you being chased by a dog?¡±


    Xiaoguo said with a smile as she regained her balance.


    ¡°No.¡± Jiang Danhe walked back into the house awkwardly. Although he didn¡¯t express it outwardly, it felt like something was wrong with him.


    Xiaoguo looked away and shook her head. What was going on?


    Jiang Danhe returned to the house, feeling a little flustered. It was only right for him and Xiaoguo to have children, but¡­


    If he were to brazenly say to Xiaoguo tonight, ¡°Let¡¯s have a baby,¡± he would probably die a horrible death.


    Therefore, he had to think of a foolproof plan and settle this matter!


    That night, Jiang Danhe carried out a series of small actions.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, it¡¯s time to sleep.¡±


    Xiaoguo was making the bed when she suddenly heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s words. She stopped and looked at Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not five yet.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was quick to react and disagreed immediately. He swiftly went to hug Xiaoguo and looked at her pitifully, trying to gain her sympathy. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep. I¡¯ll be scared, Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to cave in when Jiang Danhe spoke out and mercilessly exposed his pretense. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep well by yourself at Teacher Kong¡¯s house?¡±


    When he said that, Xiaoguo remembered that Zhuang Zhuang had always slept alone at Teacher Kong¡¯s house. What was there to be afraid of?


    ¡°Yes! You can sleep in the other room tonight.¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo finished speaking, Zhuang Zhuang started crying. Jiang Danhe smiled triumphantly and looked at him smugly. ¡°Little hindrance, you can sleep alone tonight.¡±


    He didn¡¯t stay smug for long. What Xiaoguo said next completely sealed their fates.


    ¡°Bring your father along and try to get used to it for a few more days.¡±


    ¡°!!¡± This time, it was Jiang Danhe who disagreed. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. With Father by my side, I can sleep more soundly,¡± Zhuang Zhuang said hypocritically as he secretly gave him a look. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about spending time alone with my mother!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make the bed for you.¡± Without another word, Xiaoguo immediately picked up the blanket and walked towards the other room.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe were secretly competing at the back. Just moments ago, the scene in the room was one of fatherly love and filial piety. But because of Xiaoguo, they were instantly estranged.


    Jiang Danhe still refused to give up. He stole a glance at Xiaoguo. It was unknown if it was intentional or not, but Xiaoguo did not see it. After making the bed, she returned to her room.


    She lay on the big bed and rolled around comfortably. How wonderful! She knew perfectly well what he was up to, so she had to put a stop to his tricks.


    On the other side, the two of them were experiencing something completely different. Zhuang Zhuang was a mischievous boy. He wrapped his arms and legs around Jiang Danhe and claimed that he was afraid. He insisted on hugging his father to sleep. This made Jiang Danhe, who wanted to sneak back to Xiaoguo¡¯s room in the middle of the night, give up his plans completely.


    The next day, Jiang Danhe still did not give up. He wanted to chase Zhuang Zhuang out, but the boy was very clingy. It was useless even when he was secretly locked outside.


    While Xiaoguo was not paying attention, Jiang Danhe locked Zhuang Zhuang outside the house. But he didn¡¯t expect the boy to start yelling. Left with no choice, Jiang Danhe secretly let him in again.


    The second plan failed again!


    Jiang Danhe did not give up. In any case, he would be staying at home for a few days. He did not believe that he could not find any loopholes!


    After a few days, he embarked on his third plan.


    Xiaohu had asked Zhuang Zhuang out to play. Only the two of them were left at home. Jiang Danhe secretly approached Xiaoguo and tried to hug her.


    Xiaoguo was startled by his actions. Her face turned red and she stammered, ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was also shy. He didn¡¯t have much experience, so he didn¡¯t dare to look at the other party directly. He told her his purpose shyly.


    ¡°Mrs. Yang is pregnant. They¡¯re already having their third child. Why don¡¯t we have one too?¡±


    ¡°!!¡± Xiaoguo¡¯s face was burning red. This guy was actually proclaiming that in broad daylight!


    ¡°Let go of me first.¡± Xiaoguo pushed him away forcefully. Putting aside the fact that it was daytime, Zhuang Zhuang was still around and could return at any time. Jiang Danhe was actually so brazen¡ªhe must be crazy.


    Jiang Danhe shook his head and was about to lower his head to kiss her when the door was suddenly pushed open. Xiaoguo quickly pushed him away and Jiang Danhe¡¯s kiss missed its target.


    Xiaoguo ran into her room and closed the door.


    Jiang Danhe retracted his gaze in disappointment. His life was so bitter¡­


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang ran back. After glancing at the strange Jiang Danhe, he ran straight to the table and poured a glass of water before gulping it down. When he was done, he burped comfortably and ran out again.


    He was just feeling thirsty and came back to drink water.


    Jiang Danhe looked helplessly at the little kid who had run out. He really wanted to beat him up, but he restrained himself. How could he beat his own child?


    At this moment, he really hoped that Li Shouji was by his side. He could help to look after the child and also take a beating. If he had known, he would have brought him along!


    Xiaoguo, who had run back to her room, locked the door immediately. She was afraid that something unexpected would happen if she didn¡¯t get away in time. She really wasn¡¯t ready yet.


    After listening to the movements outside for a while, Xiaoguo could guess who had come in. It turned out that Zhuang Zhuang had come back to drink water because he was thirsty. Xiaoguo was extremely glad. He was indeed his mother¡¯s big boy and had saved her from disaster. She had almost been blinded by a demon called Jiang Danhe. It was a beauty trap. She was so close to being trapped by him!


    Having preserved her innocence, Xiaoguo did not dare to step out of the room again. Even the cooking was done by Jiang Danhe himself. Of course, it was hard to say if the food was good or not. She could only say that it was not too bad.


    Jiang Danhe looked like he had completely given up. In any case, the other party knew what he was thinking, so he decided to go ahead with his plan and pester her until she agreed to it.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t that thick-skinned. She finally knew who Zhuang Zhuang took after.


    It turned out that Jiang Danhe was such a person in reality. As expected, one really couldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. A man who looked serious on the surface was actually a thick-skinned pervert at heart.


    After being locked in the room by Jiang Danhe for the umpteenth time, Xiaoguo was no longer as shy and flustered as before. By now, she could stop him with ease.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have another child?¡± Jiang Danhe said gloomily. If one listened carefully, there was a hint of grievance in his voice.


    Xiaoguo calmed herself down and tried not to look at his pitiful expression. ¡°Jiang Danhe, did you come back just to try for a child?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Jiang Danhe put away his aggrieved expression and put on a normal expression. ¡°I came back because I was worried about you.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Jiang Danhe interrupted her. He stood up and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. ¡°But my goal before I go back is¡­¡±


    At this point, Jiang Danhe paused for a moment before whispering into her ear.


    It was hard to tell what he said, but Xiaoguo¡¯s face immediately turned red. To put it more exaggeratedly, her entire body was starting to heat up.


    In the end, Xiaoguo managed to keep her chastity. However, she also promised him that she would have a child the next time he returned.


    In any case, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t really mean it. She was just trying to brush him off and get out of it this time. She would worry about the rest the next time.


    Xiaoguo had devised a good plan, but who was Jiang Danhe? He could tell at a glance that something was amiss. Hence, he took out a brush and started writing. After which, he handed the paper over for her to sign.


    What was going on? Xiaoguo took it and read it carefully. The more she read, the more her eyes widened.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±

 Chapter 310 - 310 Great Hoodwinker Jiang

    310 Great Hoodwinker Jiang


    ¡°Why do we need to have a written agreement on this?¡±


    Xiaoguo stared at Jiang Danhe with wide eyes. How insulting.


    ¡°Sign it or fingerprint it.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s smile turned into a sinister smile in Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes. It didn¡¯t feel good.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do that.¡±


    Jiang Danhe seemed to have expected her rejection. He put down his brush unhurriedly. ¡°Then it¡¯s invalid. There¡¯s no time like the present. Let¡¯s get on with it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± Xiaoguo grabbed her clothes tightly and thought for a few seconds. Then she nodded her head and signed the humiliating contract.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang was not at home and he did not return for a long time. Xiaoguo guessed that Jiang Danhe might dare to make a move on her, so she could only sign the contract first. She would find a chance to steal it back and destroy it when he fell asleep.


    Perfect!


    After thinking it through, Xiaoguo snorted. ¡°So be it.¡±


    Seeing that she had agreed so readily, Jiang Danhe was guessing that she must have something up her sleeves. However, he would deal with whatever came his way.


    Xiaoguo wrote her name in big letters and handed it to him boldly. ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you keep it for a while. I can secretly destroy it later.¡±


    Jiang Danhe ignored her little tricks and checked the contract in front of her. Then, he folded the paper and put it in his undergarments.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why did he put it there?!¡±


    After putting it away, Jiang Danhe patted it proudly. With this contract, he could try for a daughter the next time he was back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go look for Zhuang Zhuang.¡± Jiang Danhe had gotten what he wanted, so he went out to look for the boy.


    He knew that he wouldn¡¯t succeed this time. He could only set a trap and force her into it. With this signed contract, he felt much more at ease.


    When he arrived at the grain field, Jiang Danhe took out the sesame candy from his pocket and handed it to Xiaohu in front of Zhuang Zhuang. He even reached out and patted his head gently. ¡°Well done!¡±


    Xiaohu chuckled and took the sesame candy before going home. The mission was completed perfectly!


    Halfway through, he stopped and turned to look at Zhuang Zhuang guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother. For the sake of my future wife, I have to let you suffer for now.¡±


    After watching him jump away, Jiang Danhe stood up and came to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s rescue. He was tied to a tree.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes widened in anger. The moment Jiang Danhe let go of him, he ran off quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell my mother!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was feeling smug at first, but when he heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words, his smile froze on his face. ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­ Mother¡­ Mother¡­ Boohoo¡­ Mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was washing the pot when she suddenly heard Zhuang Zhuang crying. She was shocked and ran out with a spoon.


    She saw Zhuang Zhuang running towards home and wiping his tears at the same time. As he ran, he called out to his mother. When he saw Xiaoguo, he jumped on her.


    Xiaoguo put down her spoon and asked him anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Zhuang Zhuang? Tell me?¡±


    ¡°Father, Father found someone to tie me up!¡± Zhuang Zhuang wiped away his tears and took out the rope in his hand for Xiaoguo to see. ¡°Here it is!¡±


    Seeing that there were not many tears on his face, Xiaoguo was not anxious. How had Jiang Danhe provoked him this time?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the same rope that we use to tie up the cows?¡± Xiaoguo took the rope and looked at it carefully. Then, she looked at the livestock shed and realized that there was indeed a missing rope.


    ¡°It¡¯s this one. Mmph¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang was about to complain when he saw the man coming back from the corner of his eye. Then, he started wailing again.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo covered her ears and took a step back. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you are being too dramatic.¡±


    Jiang Danhe walked over quickly and waved his hand innocently. ¡°That¡¯s not what happened.¡±


    ¡°It is. It is!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang retorted loudly. Xiaoguo¡¯s heart ached for his voice. How uncomfortable it must feel to howl like this.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Zhuang Zhuang, stop crying. I¡¯ll ask your father what¡¯s going on now. Go back to the house and wash your face. Go drink some water, okay?¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were about to start glaring at each other again, Xiaoguo quickly separated them.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded. He had no power to resist such a gentle mother. He could only follow her instructions and go into the house.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang left, she looked at Jiang Danhe. ¡°Why did you provoke him?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. It was Xiaohu.¡± Jiang Danhe immediately betrayed Xiaohu.


    ¡°Say it again!¡±


    Xiaohu was so close to Zhuang Zhuang. Why would he tie him up?


    Jiang Danhe said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo took one last look at him and looked like she was about to turn around. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Jiang Danhe immediately stopped Xiaoguo. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    If Zhuang Zhuang was the one to tell her, he might take the chance to defame him. Although he was telling the truth, there was a difference between taking the initiative to confess and being made to confess.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°You actually tricked Xiaohu and convinced him to stall Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    ¡°If Xiaohu really can¡¯t do it, he can tie Zhuang Zhuang up?!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You even prepared a rope for Xiaohu. How considerate.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°DId Xiaohu listen to you just for a few sesame candies?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes narrowed. Jiang Danhe coughed dryly and said guiltily, ¡°Not entirely.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo was speechless. ¡°Why is this man so childish?¡±


    ¡°What else is there?¡±


    ¡°And our future daughter,¡± Jiang Danhe said slowly. Xiaoguo was so shocked that she almost fainted. ¡°What daughter? Whose daughter? Where did this daughter come from¡­?¡±


    ¡°I asked him to help me with this. Then, I will allow our future daughter to get engaged to him.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo felt that the word childish was not enough to describe Jiang Danhe at this moment. This fellow was simply ridiculous. He could even talk about something that didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°So you really want Xiaohu to become our son-in-law?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I can support our daughter¡ªshe won¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing until she¡¯s a hundred years old.¡±


    What he meant was that their daughter didn¡¯t have to get married. She just had to stay by their side forever.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s serious tone showed that he meant every word he said.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. This man had actually involved three children in his deception. She really couldn¡¯t tolerate this!


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t understand why the other party was looking for something while talking. He thought that she had lost something, so he lowered his head to help look for it.


    Xiaoguo remained silent. Her eyes were busy searching for something. In the end, she found the rope that was used to tie down Zhuang Zhuang. It turned out that she was still holding it as she had forgotten to put it down in her hurry just now.


    Seeing that something was wrong, Jiang Danhe immediately ran back into the room and slammed the door.


    Xiaoguo threw the rope down. Luckily he got away fast enough. Otherwise, she would have tied him up too!


    At the window, Zhuang Zhuang was afraid that his mother would vent her anger on him, so he quickly lowered the curtain. Gloat was written all over his face. Although he didn¡¯t hear what she was saying, it was really satisfying to watch his mother try to hit his father!


    ¡°Stinky Xiaohu, you¡¯re a bad brother. You¡¯re so disloyal! I won¡¯t give you any more candy in the future. I¡¯ll only give it to Sister Xiaohua.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang swore to himself. Suddenly, his ears twitched and he heard footsteps outside the house. He immediately sat back down on the stool and wiped his face seriously with a wet handkerchief.


    On the other side, Mrs. Yang watched as Xiaohu brought back two more sesame candies. The curiosity in her heart was bothering her like an itch that wouldn¡¯t go away.


    ¡°Xiaohu, who gave you the candy?¡±


    Just as Xiaohu was about to return to his room after giving one to Xiaohua, Mrs. Yang couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Xiaohu shook his head. He couldn¡¯t tell. He had promised to keep it a secret.


    He was about to walk into the house, but after taking two steps, he couldn¡¯t suppress his joy. He turned around and said to her, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going to have a wife!¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Mrs. Yang almost dislocated her jaw. After closing her mouth with her hands, she could tell that he wasn¡¯t joking, so she asked in amusement, ¡°Who is it? How old is she?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret!¡±

 Chapter 311 - 311 Going Back Early

    311 Going Back Early


    Xiaohu wouldn¡¯t tell her. It was a secret.


    Actually, the main reason was that he didn¡¯t know how old the girl was. According to what he heard, she was not born yet.


    ¡°But she must be as beautiful as a fairy!¡±


    Xiaohu thought for a moment and replied.


    ¡°Really?¡± Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t think much of it at first, but after hearing his description, she was quite sure that he was just making it up. How could a fairy like a country bumpkin?


    Xiaohu snorted smugly. ¡°Of course!¡±


    Uncle Jiang was so handsome, and Aunt Xiaoguo was so beautiful. Their daughter must be very cute.


    With this thought in mind, Xiaohu¡¯s face slowly turned red. If she could cook as well as Auntie Xiaoguo, he would like her even more!


    Mrs. Yang pursed her lips and looked at him. He looked like he meant every word he said and he was actually blushing¡­


    ¡°Silly boy, I don¡¯t need you to marry a fairy. I just want you to work harder and stop thinking about playing every day.¡±


    She did not say what she was thinking. After all, he was a little boy. It was natural for him to harbor a beautiful dream in his heart. She should just leave it that way.


    Xiaohu shook his head and returned to his room happily, leaving Mrs. Yang sighing to herself outside.


    ¡ª-


    At the dining table, Xiaoguo was quietly drinking the rice soup in her bowl. Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang sat on either side of her. Neither of them spoke or communicated. Other than the sound of chewing, there was no other sound at the dining table.


    After the incident where he was tied to a tree the day before, Zhuang Zhuang started opposing Jiang Danhe at every turn. At first, he took it to heart without taking any action, but later on, he started playing pranks. On the other hand, Jiang Danhe was a scheming man. Zhuang Zhuang always ended up crying because of him.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing now that her son was being bullied. Hence, she taught the two of them a lesson indiscriminately before they finally stopped their nonsense.


    After dinner, Xiaoguo did not even need to do anything. The two of them seemed to be able to read her mind. One of them cleared the dishes and the other cleaned the table. Xiaoguo only had to wash her hands and return to the room to rest.


    Satisfied with the current situation, Xiaoguo wiped her mouth and headed to her room.


    The two people in the kitchen watched Xiaoguo from the corner of their eyes. After she left, Zhuang Zhuang was the first to attack. He took the bowl of water that he had prepared and splashed it at Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe was not to be trifled with. When Zhuang Zhuang made a move, he quickly turned around and dodged.


    After Xiaoguo went out, she thought for a moment about the two. What if they started fighting while she was not around? No, she had to take a look!


    As soon as she lifted the curtain, a basin of water with the smell of food splashed onto her face. Not a single drop was wasted¡ªall the water landed on her face and clothes.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe were shocked. No one had expected this to happen.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± The culprit, Zhuang Zhuang, subconsciously stuffed the basin to Jiang Danhe and pretended to look pitiful.


    ¡°¡­¡± Before Jiang Danhe could gloat, he was stuffed with a basin. Now it was his turn to explain.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, listen to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you need to explain?¡± Xiaoguo wiped her face expressionlessly. She didn¡¯t know why there was so much water. She couldn¡¯t wipe it off no matter how hard she tried. The water was so greasy.


    Seeing this, Zhuang Zhuang immediately tried to please her. He picked up the cloth beside him and handed it to her. He smiled cutely and said, ¡°Mother, let me help you wipe it.¡±


    Xiaoguo was silent as he handed her the cloth. ¡°Do you think this is suitable?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t understand why it wasn¡¯t suitable. He was his mother¡¯s considerate little cotton pants, unlike that person who only knew to stand there in a daze. As he thought about it, he glanced sideways in disdain.


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled and handed the cloth to Xiaoguo again, but she refused to take it. Hence, he looked down curiously at the cloth in his hand. When he realized what was wrong, his face turned red. He threw it on the table with a whoosh and said with an embarrassed smile, ¡°Hehe, a rag is indeed not suitable.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe laughed out loud.


    Xiaoguo looked over at him and immediately regained her poker face.


    ¡°That¡¯s the end of this matter. If this continues, I¡¯m going to wash my hands off the both of you.¡±


    Although Xiaoguo¡¯s tone was not very serious, and the consequences did not sound that terrible, her words frightened the two of them. They repeatedly promised that they were wrong and would stop fooling around. They also made promises to restore their father-son relationship.


    Xiaoguo was furious, but she knew when to stop and didn¡¯t pursue the matter. She only said that she wanted to take a shower and quickly returned to her room.


    Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang were very discerning. Upon hearing that she was going to take a shower, they knew what to do.


    One went to fetch water, while the other went to start the fire. All of this was done to win Xiaoguo¡¯s forgiveness. However, the two of them, who had agreed not to fight, couldn¡¯t help but compete among themselves. ¡°If you work hard, I¡¯ll work even harder.¡±


    Hence, Xiaoguo took a bath in the bathtub that was almost overflowing with water. It was lucky that she didn¡¯t drown.


    When she came out of the shower, she saw Zhuang Zhuang alone by himself. Her hand that was drying her hair paused. ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡±


    She subconsciously thought that the two of them were fighting with each other again.


    ¡°He just went out to release the pigeon.¡±


    ¡°Release the pigeon?¡± Xiaoguo asked again in disbelief. She was puzzled when Zhuang Zhuang nodded again.


    While they were talking, Jiang Danhe returned with a serious expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiaoguo saw his expression. Why did he look so troubled after releasing a pigeon?


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jiang Danhe shook his head and came to her side hesitantly. ¡°Xiaoguo, I have to return to the capital earlier than expected.¡±


    ¡°So suddenly?¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were both a little shocked. This was too sudden.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Danhe took Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and explained, ¡°I just received a letter. There are some emergencies that require my hasty return to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Emergencies?¡± Xiaoguo swallowed the question she was about to ask. This must be a state secret that was not convenient for him to talk about. Then she thought of Zhuang Zhuang saying something about pigeons.


    ¡°A letter? A messenger pigeon?¡±


    It was a very old method of sending messages.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and took a towel to dry her hair. Xiaoguo felt uncomfortable and wanted to take it back from him, but Jiang Danhe placed it on her head and gently rubbed her hair.


    Now that he was already drying her hair, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t resist. She just sat there and enjoyed herself.


    Zhuang Zhuang covered his eyes shyly. It was a scene that was inappropriate for children.


    ¡°So when are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡±


    ¡°Right away?!¡±


    Xiaoguo was so surprised that she almost jumped up. ¡°That¡¯s too hasty!¡±


    Jiang Danhe could only calm her down and tried to get her to sit down. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mouth was hanging open in disbelief.


    Jiang Danhe continued to dry her hair unhurriedly, as if he was enjoying the last few heartwarming moments before parting.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t get up since he was holding her down. She was feeling anxious. It was such odd timing. Should he eat before leaving?


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook for you!¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to stand up when Jiang Danhe stopped her. ¡°No, I¡¯ll see how it goes on the way.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what to do for him. She was thinking anxiously about what she could do for him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave after I¡¯m done drying your hair.¡± Jiang Danhe dispelled Xiaoguo¡¯s thoughts. Then, he looked at Zhuang Zhuang and decided to trick his son one last time. ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Teacher Kong. I¡¯ll bring Zhuang Zhuang along with me so that you don¡¯t have to send him off.¡±


    As soon as she said that, Zhuang Zhuang immediately shivered. Before he could refuse, Xiaoguo nodded in agreement.


    Zhuang Zhuang had not returned to Mr. Kong¡¯s place for a long time. In addition, he was a mummy¡¯s boy that was homesick. If he stayed home for a few more days, things would get back to square one again.


    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe answered in unison. Zhuang Zhuang was stunned when he saw their reaction. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Why are they being so serious¡­¡±


    Just like that, no matter how reluctant he was, Zhuang Zhuang carried his bag and rode to the county with Jiang Danhe.

 Chapter 312 - 312 Vegetable Seedlings

    312 Vegetable Seedlings


    Xiaoguo looked reluctantly at the two of them as they departed. She sighed helplessly and walked back to the courtyard alone. Looking at the exceptionally quiet courtyard, she sighed again. It seemed that she had to get used to living alone in the house again.


    Just as she was about to turn around and close the door, she suddenly paused and widened her eyes. Had she forgotten something very important?!


    The image of Jiang Danhe turning around and patting his chest with a smile, appeared in her mind.


    ¡°The contract?!¡±


    The other day, Jiang Danhe tricked her into signing the contract that made her promise to have a baby with him the next time he came back. She had not taken it back yet!


    Xiaoguo scratched her head in frustration. Her hair, which was dark and smooth moments ago, had become a mess.


    Over the past two days, Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe had been causing so much trouble that she had forgotten about stealing the contract. This was really infuriating!


    No matter how frustrated Xiaoguo was, Jiang Danhe was feeling refreshed. After leaving Zhuang Zhuang at Teacher Kong¡¯s house, he sped up and went on his way.


    Along the way, he did not stop smiling. He gently stroked the contract in his arms, looking forward to returning home the next time.


    Jiang Danhe made a decision in his heart. When he was done, he would immediately apply to return to his hometown to visit his family!


    ¡ª-


    At this moment, the weather had completely stabilized. It stopped fluctuating between hot and cold. Spring was gradually making way for summer.


    Outside the window, the cuckoos kept chirping. To Xiaoguo, the sounds of cicadas and cuckoos were representative of summer.


    Peach Blossom Village was close to the mountains and the sea, so even though the temperature was high, it didn¡¯t feel too hot.


    On this day, Xiaoguo finally removed the curtains from the door and windows. She had already talked about removing them, but she kept procrastinating. As soon as she brought Zhuang Zhuang back, the first thing the mother and son did when they got home was to remove the thick curtains.


    ¡°Mother, where should I put this?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang dragged the thick curtains and tried to pick them up.


    Xiaoguo quickly took it from him. ¡°Hang them on the rope and sun them before we store them away.¡±


    Taking advantage of the fact that there was enough sunlight today, she let the curtains sit in the sun for an entire day. The ultraviolet rays would help to kill any bacteria on the curtains.


    As soon as she was done hanging them up on the line, Mrs. Yang arrived. With her bulging stomach and two sour apricots in hand, she went into the house and sat down on a stool. Along the way, she kept muttering, ¡°Aiyo, my waist and legs are so sore¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo took one look and turned her head away. Her teeth were aching for Mrs. Yang. ¡°Sister-in-law, can your teeth take so many sour apricots in a day?¡±


    ¡°They are not sour. They are very delicious.¡± Mrs. Yang looked at her as if she didn¡¯t know anything about delicious food. After saying that, she offered one apricot to her, but Xiaoguo refused repeatedly.


    Mrs. Yang turned around and gave it to Zhuang Zhuang. When he saw her, he quickly ran away.


    ¡°Why is he running?¡±


    ¡°Haha, that sour apricot you gave him the last time almost made his teeth drop out.¡±


    Xiaoguo sat down and explained with a smile. Mrs. Yang had given Zhuang Zhuang some sour apricots the last time. At first, Zhuang Zhuang thought that the fruits were sweet, so he stuffed a whole fruit into his mouth. As soon as he bit on it, he felt like his soul had left his body. Drool started dripping from his mouth and he immediately looked like a little old man with his features all scrunched up together.


    Xiaoguo still could not forget the scene back then. She would laugh out loud whenever she thought of it.


    ¡°Haha, I remember now¡­¡± Mrs. Yang laughed as she chewed on the sour apricot. Her brain had been acting up recently. She had difficulty remembering things that had happened not long ago. If no one mentioned it, she would never have recalled anything.


    Xiaoguo shook her head helplessly. It was said that pregnancy brings on stupidity for three years. It seemed that the saying was right.


    ¡°The weather has been getting hotter recently¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off her face impatiently. She wasn¡¯t thin to begin with. With her pregnancy and recent weight gain, she was almost turning into a ball.


    ¡°It¡¯s not officially summer yet.¡± Xiaoguo poured a glass of water and placed it beside her hand, gesturing for her to drink it.


    Mrs. Yang nodded and picked up the water. She finished it in one gulp and wiped the corners of her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s already so hot before summer. Who knows how hot it will be in summer? The weather this year is really abnormal. It¡¯s probably going to be another year of extreme weather.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. Although she didn¡¯t know what the temperatures were like in the village, based on the previous year¡¯s temperature alone, this place was unlikely to get hot enough to kill anyone.


    ¡°By the way, what vegetables are you planting this year?¡±


    Mrs. Yang recalled that her mother-in-law had already started looking for vegetables to plant, but Xiaoguo had yet to start.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It should be the same as last year.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head. She was really not in a hurry to plant vegetables.


    ¡°Two days ago, there was a vegetable shop at the village entrance. My mother-in-law bought a lot of eggplants and beans.¡±


    ¡°They sell it at the village entrance?¡±


    Mrs. Yang nodded. ¡°They¡¯ve been selling vegetable seedlings for the past two days. If you want to buy them, you can go and take a look. They¡¯re open at dawn, but they only stay open for about two hours.¡±


    Mrs. Yang had heard it from her mother-in-law.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and take a look first thing in the morning.¡± Xiaoguo nodded. The opening hours were quite short, but it was understandable. The main reason was that the seedlings would not survive in the sun. Once the sun shone on them, their roots would wilt.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo woke up early and did not wake Zhuang Zhuang up. She had wanted to go by herself, but Zhuang Zhuang quietly got out of bed.


    ¡°Mother, wait for me.¡±


    Although Zhuang Zhuang was speaking in a daze, his hands were nimbly putting on his clothes. It was for fear that if he was a second late, Xiaoguo would not bring him along.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Take your time.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard her words, he nodded. But he continued to put on his clothes quickly.


    When the mother and son were done packing, they picked up a small basket and walked towards the village entrance, armed with some silver.


    When they arrived at the village entrance, they bumped into a few stall owners unloading their carts.


    ¡°Are you selling seedlings?¡±


    Xiaoguo walked forward and asked. Then, she received an affirmative answer from the other party. She held Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand and looked around. Last year, she bought vegetable seeds. This year, she was going to buy vegetable seedlings and plant them directly.


    She still had some leeks in the vegetable plot. During this period of time, they had grown quite a bit. The first crop of leeks will be ready for harvesting soon. Apart from the leeks, her coriander plants had also sprouted. The other vegetables she planted were all consumed in the last season, so there were quite a number of seedlings that she had to buy.


    After strolling around, Xiaoguo stopped in front of an old woman with Zhuang Zhuang. Indeed, the vegetable seedlings from all the stalls were pretty good and there were many varieties for sale. However, after taking a look around, the old lady¡¯s seedlings were still the best. The prices were quite reasonable too.


    In the end, she bought a basket full of seedlings at a discount. The varieties included chili, cucumber, eggplant, beans, loofah, tomatoes, and some leafy green vegetables.


    With a basket full of ¡®treasures¡¯, the mother and son happily walked home.


    As soon as they got home, Zhuang Zhuang wanted to help with the planting, but Xiaoguo was not in a hurry. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. We¡¯ll do the planting after breakfast.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang put down the basin excitedly and ran back to her. ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up and eat!¡±


    ¡°Little brat!¡± Xiaoguo pinched his little nose and returned to the kitchen with a smile.


    Zhuang Zhuang followed closely behind her and skipped into the kitchen.


    After breakfast, Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to wash the dishes while she drew water from the well. Before planting the vegetables, she had to water the ground once. As she had already turned the soil during her free time, there was no need to do so again.


    After pouring more than ten buckets of water in a row, the ground was completely soaked. When there was water pooling on the surface, it was the right time to plant the seeds.


    Zhuang Zhuang helped to hand over the seedlings while Xiaoguo dug holes with a shovel to plant the seedlings. In one go, they managed to finish planting everything.


    Beside planting the seedlings, they also had to surround each seedling with a ring of soil so that it would be easier to water the plants.


    Xiaoguo held a shovel and piled up soil around the seedlings. Zhuang Zhuang followed behind, waiting to water the plants.


    ¡°Mother, do we need to water the plants?¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to say that there was no need, but when she looked up, she saw him with a gourd dipper in his hand. He looked very eager and so she nodded. ¡°Go ahead and water every pit. Just one scoop will do.¡±

 Chapter 313 - 313 Picking Sour Apricots

    313 Picking Sour Apricots


    Going beyond the limit is as bad as falling short. If the seedlings were given too much water, they would drown.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Zhuang Zhuang nodded and eagerly scooped water over the plants. He carried a small bucket and walked around like a busy bee.


    Xiaoguo had already washed her hands and was about to return to the house. To her surprise, Zhuang Zhuang was still working hard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go into the house after you¡¯re done watering the plants.¡± Xiaoguo called out to him. Although the temperature was not too high now, the sun was still not to be underestimated. After staying outdoors for a short period of time, one¡¯s exposed skin under the sun would feel like it was burning. At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little face was flushed and sweat was dripping from the tip of his nose.


    ¡°Right away!¡±


    After saying that, Zhuang Zhuang continued with his work.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything. She turned around and returned to the house. She was feeling too hot anyway. If she stayed outside for a while longer, she would spontaneously combust.


    Xiaoguo did not stay idle when she returned to the house. She gathered all the winter clothes and beddings from the house and replaced them with lighter and thinner ones.


    It was the same every year. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter. There were four seasons, and they could basically be planned into two seasons¡ªsummer and winter. Spring and autumn seemed to be just passers-by.


    All the clothings and beddings were placed in a corner. It was too late to wash them today. She could only wash them tomorrow.


    Not long after, Zhuang Zhuang finally entered the house. His face was flushed from the sun. Xiaoguo was shocked when she saw him. His face was red and sunburnt.


    But this kid didn¡¯t care. He gulped down a mouthful of water before collapsing on the bed.


    Xiaoguo found it strange. He was just doing some watering. Why was he so tired?


    Out of curiosity, she went outside and looked at the vegetable plot. Taking a good look at the plot, she was almost scared out of her wits.


    The plot of green vegetables was completely flooded. The water level of the entire vegetable field was the same as that of the seedling pit.


    Xiaoguo went to the water buckets and took a look. She realized that the two water buckets she prepared for him were now empty. This meant that Zhuang Zhuang had watered the plants four times more than what was required.


    Her seedlings had almost drowned. If she had come half a day later, they would have been soaked to death.


    Xiaoguo returned to the house and took a look at Zhuang Zhuang. She wanted to ask him to help save the situation, but the little boy had already fallen asleep and was snoring in his sleep. She had no choice but to get back to the plot with her old and achy back.


    The next day.


    Xiaoguo had just finished washing her clothes when Mrs. Yang called her out for a walk. She claimed that they were going to exercise but in actual fact, she just wanted Xiaoguo to go pick some sour apricots with her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, where can we find apricots at this time?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the right season for apricots. Even if they could find any, the apricots shouldn¡¯t be ripe yet.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Mrs. Yang nodded and said mysteriously, ¡°I heard from Old Yang that there¡¯s a wild apricot tree at the back of the mountain. The fruits are all unripe and sour now.¡±


    Mrs. Yang drooled as she spoke. Just thinking about it made her crave for more.


    Speechless, Xiaoguo followed behind her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Brother Yang come to pick them with you?¡±


    Brother Yang doted on her so much. If she wanted to eat it, he would have picked them for her long ago.


    ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to eat anymore.¡± Mrs. Yang spoke faster than she thought. As soon as she finished speaking, she covered her mouth. ¡°No, no. I just wanted to take a walk. I¡¯ve been too lazy recently. My legs are getting flabby.¡±


    How could Xiaoguo believe her? She immediately refused to go.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, Xiaoguo, don¡¯t go. We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Mrs. Yang anxiously grabbed Xiaoguo, who was about to leave, and shook her arm trying to stop her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, if Brother Yang says no, then you shouldn¡¯t eat anymore. It¡¯s not good to eat too much.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped helplessly and turned around.


    The sour apricots were sour to begin with. Eating too many apricots would affect her appetite. It made sense that Brother Yang did not allow her to eat them. Mrs. Yang¡¯s appetite for the apricots was alarming. She had no problems finishing one basket a day. Moreover, that was still not enough for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat less from today onwards. Really!¡±


    Mrs. Yang was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t believe her, so she quickly made a promise.


    Although Xiaoguo didn¡¯t believe it, the other party was a pregnant woman after all. She was worried about Mrs. Yang getting hurt while walking on the uneven slopes, so she nodded reluctantly and agreed to go with her.


    Mrs. Yang was overjoyed. Afraid that Xiaoguo would go back on her words again, she led the way and pulled her towards the spot where the tree was.


    Xiaoguo looked at the silly figure in front of her and felt a little hesitant. No, she had to follow her closely and make sure she didn¡¯t pick too many.


    When they arrived at the place Mrs. Yang had mentioned, there was indeed an apricot tree. There were other trees around, but there was only one fruit tree.


    It was filled with green apricots. It would take another month or so before the fruits would ripen. At this time, the apricots were in a half-ripe state. The sour taste was overwhelming. Normal people would find it hard to ingest. Only those who had pregnancy cravings or those who enjoy sourish food would be able to eat them now.


    Mrs. Yang¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the apricots. She let go of Xiaoguo and jogged over with her arms wrapped around her stomach. She was fine, but Xiaoguo was terrified.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, slow down¡­¡±


    ¡°¡Á & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and felt confused. Was there something wrong with her ears, or was there something wrong with Mrs. Yang¡¯s mouth?


    Mrs. Yang chewed on the sour apricot fruit in her mouth and spat out the core. With her mouth full, she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Xiaoguo, come and pick them. It¡¯s especially delicious¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo walked over with the basket and said worriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t eat randomly. I don¡¯t know if they are clean.¡±


    ¡°They are not dirty. You won¡¯t get sick after eating them.¡±


    Mrs. Yang said nonchalantly, not forgetting to urge Xiaoguo to pick the fruits quickly.


    Xiaoguo wanted to say something, but she swallowed her words. Forget it. This place was natural and pollution-free. No one would spray fertilizers here. There was nothing else on the fruits except soil.


    With that thought in mind, she put down the basket and rolled up her sleeves to pick them one by one.


    ¡°They are not so sour this time.¡± Mrs. Yang threw away the apricot core and said regretfully, ¡°They are a little sweet.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she was delighted. She wiped the apricot on her body and took a bite.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Mrs. Yang plucked another apricot and was about to take a bite when she saw that Xiaoguo was rolling her eyes. She was so shocked that she almost dropped the apricot in her hand.


    Xiaoguo took a long time to recover. She waved her hand gently and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Mrs. Yang stroked her back worriedly and calmed her down. After confirming that she was fine, she continued picking the apricots.


    Seeing that her attention was focused on the apricots, Xiaoguo secretly threw away the remaining half of the apricot in her hand. She didn¡¯t mean to waste it, but she really couldn¡¯t eat it.


    At this point, she had every reason to suspect that Mrs. Yang¡¯s taste buds were malfunctioning. How could she claim that such a sour apricot was a little sweet? Fortunately, she spat it out fast enough. Otherwise, her teeth would be ruined.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t even have the courage to look at the apricot now. Even sugar couldn¡¯t neutralize the acidity in these fruits.


    The two of them spoke as they picked the apricots. They didn¡¯t pick too many. After Mrs. Yang filled half a basket, she stopped. Xiaoguo only picked a few.


    ¡°Why do you only have so few apricots?¡± Mrs. Yang looked at her basket. It was looking quite empty.


    Xiaoguo swallowed a mouthful of sour water and said, ¡°Not true. I¡¯ll give everything to you.¡±


    As she spoke, she poured the few apricots into her basket.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Hehe.¡± Mrs. Yang was drooling just by looking at them.


    The two of them started walking home. When they were about to reach the door, Mrs. Yang¡¯s sharp eyes caught sight of Yang Feng, who was guarding the door.


    Without another word, she immediately pulled Xiaoguo to the side and hid.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t understand what was going on. She had almost thrown the basket out in fright when Mrs. Yang pulled her away so suddenly.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Mrs. Yang put her hand to her mouth, signaling her not to speak. Then, she poked her head out and looked outside. After confirming that Yang Feng had not noticed anything, she said, ¡°Your Brother Yang is waiting at the door. You take this first. I¡¯ll eat at your house when the time comes.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s basket was immediately switched. She was now carrying a full basket of sour apricots while Mrs. Yang walked with the empty basket.

 Chapter 314 - 314 Summer Farming

    314 Summer Farming


    ¡°Hey, Old Yang, why are you here?¡±


    Mrs. Yang was feigning ignorance. If she had bumped into someone who didn¡¯t know her well, the person would definitely not notice the guilt in her eyes.


    Xiaoguo followed beside her with a poker face and was pulled forward by her.


    Yang Feng looked at her from head to toe, then greeted Xiaoguo. ¡°I was waiting for you.¡±


    Mrs. Yang quickly pushed him home. ¡°Then let¡¯s go back quickly.¡±


    Before Yang Feng could ask anything, Mrs. Yang pushed him into the house. As she turned to close the door, she winked mischievously at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded gently before walking home.


    Pregnant women were indeed cute.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± As soon as Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaoguo enter, he immediately ran out of the house. He smiled and tried to look into the basket.


    Xiaoguo suppressed a smirk and lowered the basket to show him the contents.


    As expected, Zhuang Zhuang took a look and felt the acids in his stomach rising. He quickly pushed the basket away and took a few steps back in disdain. ¡°Why did you pick so many?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s for you. I¡¯ve decided to let you eat one every day to help with your digestion.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mouth fell open as if the sky was falling. ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Xiaoguo said with a smile. ¡°This is Auntie Yang¡¯s. We¡¯ll keep them for now.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved.¡± Zhuang Zhuang patted his chest. As long as it wasn¡¯t for him, it didn¡¯t matter who ate it.


    ¡°Shall we eat something?¡± Zhuang Zhuang touched his stomach. He was starving.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and cook!¡±


    Xiaoguo took the lead and walked towards the kitchen. Zhuang Zhuang skipped behind her. The two puppies were also hovering around her feet, making it difficult for her to move.


    The puppies might be hungry. Xiaoguo asked Zhuang Zhuang to feed them while she went back to the kitchen to make lunch.


    In the morning, she had taken out a bag of pork ribs from the fridge and soaked them in water. Now, they have completely thawed out.


    Before the pork ribs were frozen, they had already been chopped into pieces.


    She had previously promised to make sweet and sour pork ribs for Zhuang Zhuang, but she wanted him to lose weight, so she delayed making it. It had been a month since she made the promise, and Zhuang Zhuang had been pestering her all this while. Zhuang Zhuang was going to school tomorrow, so she would make him something he liked today.


    First, she steamed the rice that had been pre-soaked. Then, she prepared the dishes for lunch. In addition to the sweet and sour pork ribs, she would also make stir-fried spinach and a soup. Actually it was more appropriate to call it a beverage. The snow pear white fungus soup was refreshing and sweet. It was the right season to consume it now.


    By the time Zhuang Zhuang was done feeding the dogs, Xiaoguo was just about to serve the dishes.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°I have fed the cows, donkeys, chickens, and ducks. I also gave them some water.¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang finished feeding the dogs, he saw that the other animals¡¯ troughs were empty, so he fed them all again.


    Xiaoguo nodded and placed the dishes on a few plates. Recently, the little animals were eating a lot. They had just been fed this morning and the troughs were empty before noon.


    ¡°It smells so good¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang leaned forward and inhaled the fragrance of the pork ribs.


    ¡°Bring it to the room.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang responded and left steadily.


    Now that the weather is getting warmer, they have started taking their meals in the main room. After all, it was too hot to eat in the kitchen now. The heat from the stove and the hot air outside made the kitchen feel like an oven. One would be drenched in sweat after staying there for a short while.


    At this moment, the rice was cooked. Xiaoguo brought it back into the house and brought out the snow pear soup. While it was cooling down, Xiaoguo returned to the kitchen to stir-fry the spinach.


    Two dishes and a soup. This was their lunch.


    After lunch, Zhuang Zhuang had just fallen asleep when Mrs. Yang came over. She took two sour apricots and went back. She said that she had no appetite and wanted to have an appetizer.


    Not long after she left, in about ten seconds, Brother Yang came again.


    When the discerning two made eye contact, Xiaoguo understood. She passed him the basket of apricots.


    It wasn¡¯t her intention to betray Mrs. Yang, but at the rate she was going, it just didn¡¯t seem right. Besides, Brother Yang definitely wouldn¡¯t throw everything away. At most, he would just keep it aside and give some to Mrs. Yang when she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. It was good to have someone control her intake.


    At night, Xiaoguo made some fried rice for Zhuang Zhuang. She diced some carrots and cucumbers, beat two eggs, and stir-fried a plate of rice.


    Xiaoguo really didn¡¯t have much of an appetite. She made some porridge and ate it with pickled vegetables.


    Only Zhuang Zhuang could have such a good appetite when the weather was so hot.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo sent Zhuang Zhuang back before dawn. As Mr. Kong had added morning classes recently, Xiaoguo did not want Zhuang Zhuang to be late.


    Zhuang Zhuang was slowly getting used to this life. Even when he was about to leave Xiaoguo, he didn¡¯t kick up a fuss anymore. At most, he would feel unhappy initially and get over it after a while.


    Everything was back on track.


    ¡ª-


    The annual spring plowing had begun. Every family had started to plow the land and sow seeds again, but there was still no sign of Xiaoguo.


    At this moment, when she heard the voices coming from outside, she was not in a hurry. The main reason was because she did not know what to plant.


    This year, the village did not distribute any seeds. After all, it was not a special year. Now that everyone was back on track, most households were buying their own crops except for a few who still received seeds from the village.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo sighed again. She looked at the two types of grain seeds on the table with a troubled expression.


    ¡°Corn and wheat, should I plant one or both?¡±


    Mrs. Yang was counting on the other side. Xiaoguo had sighed countless times. Hearing her say this, Mrs. Yang replied, ¡°If you can¡¯t decide, you can plant them all. Anyway, you have two plots of land.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I still have last year¡¯s grains at home. How can I finish everything? It¡¯s just Zhuang Zhuang and me. Now that Zhuang Zhuang has gone to school, I can¡¯t consume all of these by myself. Besides, there¡¯s nowhere to store them.¡±


    Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that she was deliberately saying these words to anger them. After all, there were many people who were still starving. This would be the least of their worries. If they heard her words, they would definitely roll their eyes at her.


    ¡°¡­ Sister-in-law, help me think of a solution.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been thinking straight lately. Are you sure you want me to come up with ideas?¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Xiaoguo replied quickly without thinking.


    ¡°Hey you!¡± Mrs. Yang smiled and pushed her. Then, she thought of something.


    ¡°Your plot isn¡¯t big. You can see the entire plot at a glance. There¡¯s a limit to how many crops you can plant. Just go ahead and plant everything. If you really can¡¯t finish them, you can sell the rest.¡±


    Xiaoguo was speechless when she heard her description. But she was right. Compared to their land, her plot was smaller in comparison.


    ¡°Shall I continue planting corn and wheat in one plot?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Mrs. Yang nodded. Her family had finished planting the fields while having fun.


    Xiaoguo looked at the sun outside and made up her mind. So be it. She was going to give it her all!


    Now that she had money in her pocket, although food was expensive, it was not like she could not afford it. Therefore, she was a little lazy about planting food. In addition, the sun was hot, so she was even more unwilling to go out.


    Last year, she had no choice but to start planting. At that time, she had just arrived and didn¡¯t have a single copper coin in her pocket. Having Zhuang Zhuang with her, she had to plant the crops. Otherwise, they would have both starved to death.


    On second thoughts, she should really go ahead and plant everything. It was a waste to leave the land empty. These days, one should not complain about having too much food. Anything could happen overnight. She should not be lazy!


    After hammering herself, Xiaoguo set off for the fields energetically.

 Chapter 315 - 315 Broken Waist

    315 Broken Waist


    Xiaoguo had just arrived at the fields. She was filled with admiration when she saw that some families with a bigger household had already plowed an acre of land.


    It was true that her plot was really small. Even if those families had two plots of land that were the same size as hers, it would take less than a morning for them to finish their work.


    Other people¡¯s grains were stored in sacks, unlike her, who came with two pieces of rags. The people who sold seeds were unwilling to sell her anything because the quantity she wanted to buy was too little.


    She walked all the way to her plot and looked at the patch of grass in disbelief. If not for the fact that there were no other plots around, she definitely wouldn¡¯t think that this was her plot..


    ¡°This is over the top!¡± Xiaoguo walked closer to take a look with the hoe in her hand. Then, she stepped back. To be honest, she was afraid that there were snakes and rats hiding among the grass.


    ¡°Sigh, Jiang family, why are you going back?¡±


    When the Lin family saw Xiaoguo walking back, they asked.


    ¡°I am going back to bring out the donkey cart. There¡¯s too much grass.¡±


    Xiaoguo spoke as she walked without stopping.


    Since this piece of land was already in such a state, the other remote piece of land was probably not much better. The grass looked quite fresh. She would bring it back to feed the cows and donkeys.


    She went back and pulled the donkey cart out. There were a few large baskets on the cart. She had almost forgotten that she had changed to a carriage and that she didn¡¯t have a cart now. The grass could not be placed directly on the cart. She could only try to transport as many baskets as she could.


    When she reached the fields, she rolled up her sleeves and started working. Fortunately, the plot was small. As she worked, she looked up to look at the remaining plot and felt a trace of comfort.


    Some of the grass was very tenacious. Using a hoe, one could not remove the roots at all. She had to pull them out with her hands. Feeling that it was more efficient to use her hands, she gave up on the hoe and pulled with her bare hands. Other than some tiny weeds that she had to remove with the help of the hoe, all the remaining weeds were pulled out using her hands. Her speed had doubled but the work was back-breaking.


    Xiaoguo filled the baskets as she pulled the grass out. She had been working on this for almost half a day. She arrived late and wasn¡¯t very fast. At noon, everyone was packing up and preparing to go home for lunch. When they bumped into Xiaoguo and greeted her, she realized that it was noon.


    Having worked on the plot for a long time, in the instant when she stood up, everything within her view turned black. The world spun and she almost fell. She had to hold on to the basket beside her to avoid falling over.


    It took some time for her to recover from her dizziness. She carried the basket and slowly walked towards the donkey cart. During this time, the donkey had eaten its fill outside. It was still chewing and there were remnant pieces of grass around its mouth.


    Xiaoguo moved the baskets one by one onto the cart. She was so tired that her entire body was covered in sweat. Just when she was lifting the last basket, she exerted strength from her waist and with a cracking sound, she was instantly immobilized.


    ¡°Did I just break my back?!¡±


    Xiaoguo was panicking. She quickly forced herself to calm down. First, she threw away the basket in her hand. Then, she carefully tried to move her waist. Small movements were not an issue. Then, she tried a wider range of movements. She realized that it didn¡¯t feel like it was broken, it felt more like a twisted back. At the thought of this, she heaved a sigh of relief. As long as her waist wasn¡¯t broken, she was relieved.


    Not daring to make any big moves, she carefully picked up the basket and carried it to the donkey cart. Then, she drove home. The weeding work on this plot of land was considered done. She would remove the weeds from the other plot in the afternoon. Tomorrow morning, she would plow the two plots of land and start planting in the afternoon.


    ¡°Perfect!¡±


    Xiaoguo had a plan in mind. Her goal was very clear. She had regained her vitality, although her waist still hurt a little.


    When she returned home, she immediately unloaded the cart and placed a basket of grass in the cow shed. Then, she quickly made lunch. Time was tight. On the way back, she had already bumped into a few families who had returned to the fields after lunch.


    Although she always said that there was no hurry, she couldn¡¯t help but make comparisons. When she was the only one left in the fields, she felt a little lonely.


    Just as she was about to start cooking, the door suddenly opened. Curious about who it was, Xiaoguo walked out with her hands on her waist.


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    Qin Anming had returned with a bag on his back.


    ¡°Xiaoguo.¡± Qin Anming waved his hand anxiously and headed for the room while gulping down a whole pot of tea.


    Xiaoguo followed behind and looked at him curiously. What was he doing? ¡°Why are you so thirsty?¡±


    After quite a while, Qin Anming started explaining when his throat was not so dry, ¡°I rushed back this morning, but when I got to the county gate in the carriage, they were doing their routine checks. Everyone entering or leaving had to register and go through thorough searches. There was a long queue in front of me. It took quite a long time for me to get back.¡±


    ¡°Why did you need to register again?¡±


    Xiaoguo sat beside him and asked curiously. Previously, when they entered the county, no one was doing these checks.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Qin Anming shook his head. ¡°By the way, have you planted any crops in the fields?¡±


    ¡°No, I was planning to plant it today, but the fields are filled with grass. I was clearing the weeds in the morning, and I have to do the same for the other plot in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. I¡¯m taking two days off. I¡¯ll go back after I¡¯m done planting.¡±


    The two of them chatted for a while before going to the kitchen to cook. They were both starving. For lunch, they had noodles, tomatoes and egg braised soup. Xiaoguo had two bowls while Qin Anming had four.


    After resting for a while, Qin Anming picked up the hoe and got on the donkey cart. He was planning to walk initially, but when he heard that Xiaoguo was bringing back the grass, he helped her onto the donkey cart.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your waist?¡±


    Qin Anming had seen it when they were cooking just now, but she didn¡¯t say anything when he asked her. She kept saying that she was fine. As the day progressed, it looked like it was getting worse.


    ¡°Sigh, I strained my back when I was moving the basket in the morning,¡± Xiaoguo said in an indifferent tone. She was afraid that Qin Anming would be worried.


    Unexpectedly, even though she said that, Qin Anming still made a fuss and lectured her for a long time. He only stopped when he bumped into a fellow villager.


    ¡°Next time, don¡¯t do the farming yourself. Wait till I get back, or when Danhe is at home. This is no joke. What if something really happens to you?¡±


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was already numb. All she knew was to nod and say yes, yes and nothing else.


    Seeing that she was quite obedient, Qin Anming nodded in satisfaction and stopped nagging.


    Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief. She was sure that if she refuted him just now, Qin Anming would have continued nagging until the sky turned dark. He wouldn¡¯t care if there were any other villagers around.


    When they arrived at another plot of land, Xiaoguo was about to start hoeing when Qin Anming quickly stopped her.


    ¡°Then what should I do?¡±


    Qin Anming looked around and finally locked his gaze onto a spot.


    ¡­


    Xiaoguo sat on the donkey cart with a hoe in her hand. She looked helplessly at the man who was shoveling the ground not far away.


    She had just asked what she could do when Qin Anming arranged for her to sit on the donkey cart and not let her move. If she got out of the cart secretly, he would start his nagging again.


    Just like that, Xiaoguo sat on the donkey cart for the entire afternoon. It wasn¡¯t until Qin Anming was done with the weeds that she finally got permission to get out of the cart to pick up the grass and load the baskets.


    After resting for half a day, her back did not get better. Instead, it was becoming more painful. For twisted backs, the pain will last at least a few days before recovery. However, since Xiaoguo had healing powers, she should be fine after one night.


    Although it was still early, the two of them decided to go home. Qin Anming was so tired that he was sweating profusely. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want him to continue working. Tomorrow, the two of them will work together and finish their work in half a day.


    The next day, before dawn, the two of them prepared to go to the fields. They ate a sumptuous breakfast before setting off.


    They arrived early, but there were still some others who were earlier. When the two of them reached the fields, some families had been working with their hoes for a long time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Qin Anming stopped Xiaoguo, who was holding the seeds, and tried to push her back to the donkey cart to rest. Xiaoguo kept trying to explain to him that she was fine, but he refused to listen.

 Chapter 316 - 316 Summer Resort

    316 Summer Resort


    Xiaoguo refused to sit down. She swung her hips vigorously so that he could see. ¡°Look, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s really okay.¡±


    Although Qin Anming saw it, he still didn¡¯t agree to her request. After much persuasion from Xiaoguo, he reluctantly compromised and agreed to let her sow the seeds. However, she had to rest for a while after doing so. If she didn¡¯t agree, she could go back and sit down.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Xiaoguo said helplessly. She wasn¡¯t a delicate child. She was the goddess of luck with healing powers. She had recovered from her injury within one night. Her healing ability was no joke.


    Although she was feeling very stubborn, she still agreed obediently. She had no choice. Qin Anming¡¯s nagging was really giving her a headache.


    Qin Anming looked at Xiaoguo, who was wearing a normal expression, and felt relieved. He went back to plowing the grounds in full concentration.


    As planned, the two of them finished planting in less than half a day. When they were on their way back, they received envious looks from everyone.


    There was only one benefit to having less land. Planting could be done very quickly.


    After lunch, Qin Anming was ready to go back to the noodle shop. He was initially planning to leave the next day, but it was difficult to cross the county gates now. Everyone had to queue up to register so it would take him a long time to get everything done. If he were to go back tomorrow, it would take him half a day to clear the gates. It would be better for him to go back this afternoon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want him to walk to the village entrance and wait for the horse carriage that goes to the county. It would be too tiring for him.


    Qin Anming couldn¡¯t dissuade her, so he could only nod and agree. ¡°Is your waist really okay?¡±


    ¡°Really!¡± Xiaoguo was so exasperated that she almost laughed. He had asked her so many times that she was getting sick of hearing it.


    The two of them soon arrived at the county gates. Xiaoguo wanted to queue up to enter, but Qin Anming stopped her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine here. Don¡¯t bother to queue up. You¡¯ll have to queue again to get out later. It¡¯s too troublesome.¡±


    Xiaoguo sized up the crowd in front of her and nodded. In any case, the noodle shop was not far. After entering the county gates, he would reach the shop after a short walk.


    ¡°You can go back now.¡±


    Qin Anming came down with his bag and waved at her.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Xiaoguo nodded and turned around to leave.


    She had just reached the intersection in the road that led back to the village when she almost bumped into a carriage. Xiaoguo quickly tightened the rope and went around it.


    The other party pulled the rope and moved in the opposite direction. After avoiding the clash, he looked up and realized that it was someone he knew.


    ¡°Mrs. Jiang?!¡±


    The courier¡¯s surprised voice sounded. Xiaoguo looked up at the person. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    As soon as the other party saw Xiaoguo, he took out something from his arms.


    Xiaoguo knew at a glance that he must have a letter for her. Hence, when he took it out, she subconsciously reached out.


    The courier handed the letter to her tacitly. Then, he said shyly, ¡°Since I am handing you the letter here, I won¡¯t go to your house.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fate!¡±


    Xiaoguo said with a smile. What a coincidence.


    The courier smiled and nodded. Since there was nothing else, the two of them bade each other farewell.


    Seeing that she was almost home, Xiaoguo put away the letter and prepared to read it when she got back.


    Afraid that she would forget about it, the first thing Xiaoguo did when she got home was to open the envelope.


    As expected, it was written by Jiang Danhe. Thinking about it, it had been some time since he left. This was the first time the two of them had contacted each other.


    After reading it carefully, she was so excited that she almost tore the letter apart.


    ¡°Summer resort! Summer resort! Summer resort!¡± Xiaoguo was so happy that she was about to jump up. This was her first time traveling since she arrived!


    How does one spend the summer? Of course, they had to follow in the emperor¡¯s footsteps and go to the summer resort!


    In Jiang Danhe¡¯s letter, he said that the emperor, the crown prince, and the families of a few ministers would set off from the capital for the summer resort before the summer solstice. The summer resort was not too far from Peach Blossom Village, and it would take about a day¡¯s journey to get there. He would send someone to pick her and Zhuang Zhuang up for the vacation. He would pick her up about fifteen days after she received the letter. He asked her to pack her luggage and wait at home with Zhuang Zhuang.


    This was a golden opportunity that couldn¡¯t be missed. Not only would she avoid the heat, but she would also get to sightsee. The summer resort that the emperor goes to must be wonderful. She had to bring Zhuang Zhuang along to broaden his horizons!


    Xiaoguo took out the calendar and deliberately marked the date, afraid that it would slip her mind. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t wait to pack her bags. However, she had almost forgotten the important thing. What would happen to the animals at home while she was out?


    At this moment, a figure flashed across her mind. Xiaoguo was overjoyed. She put down the calendar and walked out.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, is Yang Jia at home?¡±


    ¡°No, he went out with Old Yang. Why? Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s face was filled with obvious joy. Hearing her question, she grabbed her hand and said excitedly, ¡°Sister-in-law, I¡¯m going to the summer resort!¡±


    ¡°A summer resort?! Are you serious?!¡± Mrs. Yang was even happier than Xiaoguo. She pulled her to sit down and eagerly asked her to tell her what was going on.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡±


    After Xiaoguo finished speaking to her, she saw that Mrs. Yang was so excited that she was about to collapse. She quickly held on to her. ¡°Sister-in-law, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! You¡¯re saved this summer!¡± His tone was filled with envy.


    Xiaoguo felt a little regretful. If only she could bring Mrs. Yang and the others along.


    ¡°If I were you, I would be feeling happy and nervous at the same time.¡±


    Hearing Mrs. Yang¡¯s words, Xiaoguo was a little puzzled. The happy part she understood, but why would she be nervous?


    With that thought in mind, she asked. When Mrs. Yang heard this, she gave her a look. ¡°Think about it. You are traveling with the emperor!¡±


    At the mention of the emperor, she did not even dare to raise her voice.


    Xiaoguo hesitated for a moment, but then it disappeared. She said with a sense of security, ¡°Jiang Danhe is by my side. It¡¯s fine!¡±


    ¡°Yo¡­¡± Mrs. Yang looked at her teasingly. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ Danhe is by my side¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang imitated her tone, making Xiaoguo cover her face shyly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. How annoying.¡±


    ¡°How annoying¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang was amused and continued to imitate her in an exaggerated tone. That made Xiaoguo laugh out loud.


    Not long after, the two Yang brothers returned from outside. Xiaoguo stopped Yang Jia and told him about her request. The other party agreed readily and without hesitation.


    Xiaoguo quickly thanked him and promised to find him a few good books when she returned.


    Now that the chores at home were done, she was relieved. She only had to pack her luggage and bring Zhuang Zhuang back. Then, she would wait for that day to come.


    Time passed quickly. When it was about twelve days later, she brought Zhuang Zhuang back. The letter said that it would take about fifteen days, but it was better to prepare early just in case.


    ¡°Have fun for a while, but don¡¯t forget to read. And remember to write a diary entry every day. I¡¯ll check it when you get back. There will be punishment for failing to complete the tasks. Do you understand?¡±


    Before Mr. Kong left, he reminded Zhuang Zhuang worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember it, Master!¡±


    Although Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s heart had long flown to the summer resort, he would still make sure to remember Teacher Kong¡¯s words.


    ¡°Alright, you may go now,¡± Teacher Kong nodded and said in relief.


    Xiaoguo nodded at Mr. and Mrs. Kong before driving the donkey cart away.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t forget to stick his head out and wave at them. ¡°Master, Madam, I¡¯ll bring you a gift!!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± When Mrs. Kong heard this, she replied loudly. Even Mr. Kong laughed with his mouth wide open.


    Xiaoguo smiled and looked back. ¡°Sit tight,¡± she said gently. ¡°Don¡¯t fall.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang retracted his body and sat beside Xiaoguo. ¡°Mother¡­ Is the summer resort fun?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Xiaoguo told him honestly. She had never been there before. ¡°But the summer resort should be nice and cool.¡±


    It was a resort for the summer holidays, so it should be a cool place.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted, but he wasn¡¯t discouraged. He thought about Xiaoyi and looked forward to the trip that was just a few days away.

 Chapter 317 - 317 Luxury Carriage

    317 Luxury Carriage


    As expected, the departure date was indefinite. It was supposed to be about 15 days, but it was not brought forward. Instead, it was delayed. They only arrived on the 17th day.


    Xiaoguo followed the description in Jiang Danhe¡¯s letter and carefully checked the man¡¯s face in front of her.


    She didn¡¯t look away until the man¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After leaving the spare key with Yang Jia, she brought Zhuang Zhuang into the carriage.


    As soon as they entered the car, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were shocked.


    Zhuang Zhuang was about to exclaim when Xiaoguo covered his mouth. He must not embarrass himself.


    After letting go of Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoguo sat on the super soft seat cushion with him and said to the handsome man outside the door, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After the carriage started moving, she could finally take a good look at the interior of the carriage.


    Jiang Danhe had actually sent a super luxurious carriage to pick them up. The carriage looked ordinary on the outside, but the interior was completely different.


    There was a bed, tea table, fruits, and a stack of scripts. It was very well-equipped and was several times more luxurious than the one she had seen the county magistrate sitting in.


    The cushions in the carriage were like a dream. No matter how bumpy the carriage was, they could not feel anything inside.


    Zhuang Zhuang sat on the cushion and pressed down hard. He said in surprise, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s so bouncy.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded happily in agreement.


    Being able to sit in a luxurious carriage in this lifetime was something that was enough to wake her from her dreams with laughter.


    The carriage traveled for the entire day, from dawn to dusk. When Xiaoguo felt that the carriage had slowed down, she gently put down Zhuang Zhuang, who was sleeping in her arms. Then, she lifted the curtain and looked out.


    Not far away, piles of exuberant bonfires lit up the sky. There were armored soldiers with sharp spears standing guard and patrolling in rows. The sound of neat and light footsteps rang out incessantly.


    In the center of the camp, there were tents of various sizes. From where she was, a strong fragrance of meat wafted towards them from the direction of the warm tents.


    The carriages and horses were parked neatly at the side. After a day of driving, everyone was taking a rest.


    As soon as they reached the entrance, she saw a figure walking out of the darkness.


    Xiaoguo took a closer look and realized that it was Jiang Danhe, who had been waiting for a long time. Her frown instantly relaxed.


    Jiang Danhe spotted her immediately. His face lit up and he quickly walked over.


    When the soldiers saw Jiang Danhe, they immediately bowed. He did not even have time to look at them and walked right past them towards Xiaoguo.


    ¡°General!¡±


    Jiang Danhe glanced at the young man who had escorted Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang here and nodded at him. ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡±


    The man blushed when he heard that. He replied excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s not hard work at all!¡±


    ¡°Go back and rest.¡±


    With that, the man bowed and left happily.


    In three steps, Jiang Danhe was in the carriage. He lifted the curtain and was about to call out to Xiaoguo when she stopped him.


    Xiaoguo gently pointed at Zhuang Zhuang, who was sleeping. Jiang Danhe immediately understood. He held back his laughter and carefully picked the boy up. At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly turned over. Jiang Danhe was so shocked that he immediately froze on the spot. He didn¡¯t move until Zhuang Zhuang fell asleep again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo, who had gotten out of the carriage, and said softly.


    Xiaoguo nodded and followed behind him with her bag.


    As he was carrying Zhuang Zhuang in his arms, Jiang Danhe looked like he was not used to it. He appeared rather stiff and awkward. If Zhuang Zhuang was not sleeping, Xiaoguo would have laughed out loud long ago. Jiang Danhe looked just like a living robot.


    After the three of them disappeared from their line of sight, the soldiers standing guard started whispering and laughing.


    Xiaoguo entered the tent with Jiang Danhe. She found a stool and put her bag down on it. Before she could take a good look at the interior, she saw Jiang Danhe put Zhuang Zhuang down clumsily. He didn¡¯t know where to put his head first. After putting him down, he couldn¡¯t pull out his arm, so he had to pick Zhuang Zhuang up and put him down again. His series of actions almost woke the boy up.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so she went forward to carry Zhuang Zhuang and skillfully placed him on the bed. Jiang Danhe stood on her side and covered the boy with a blanket. Xiaoguo lifted the blanket again, leaving only one corner to cover his stomach.


    It was a little hot to cover him up with an entire blanket in this weather. Besides, Zhuang Zhuang was still wearing his clothes¡ªjust covering his stomach would be good enough.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s familiar movements and pondered for a long time.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    After Xiaoguo was done, she saw a strange-looking Jiang Danhe. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, but his face was filled with guilt.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Jiang Danhe smiled helplessly. ¡°By the way, dinner is ready. Shall we wake Zhuang Zhuang up for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang with hesitance and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll wake him up now.¡±


    They had been traveling all day and had not eaten much. Zhuang Zhuang was feeling hungry earlier, but she had coaxed him to sleep.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and went out to bring the food in. He knew that Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had not eaten, so he did not eat either. He was waiting for them to eat with him.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang? Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    After Jiang Danhe left, Xiaoguo came to the bed and gently stroked Zhuang Zhuang. After calling out twice, it didn¡¯t work. She had to use her ultimate move.


    She exhaled a mouthful of hot air into her hands and burrowed into his clothes. When she touched his soft flesh, she started tickling him.


    ¡°Huh? Haha¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was sleeping, was woken up by tickles.


    Seeing that he had woken up, Xiaoguo stopped what she was doing and rubbed his sleepy face. ¡°We¡¯re here. Your father went out to bring food. Wake up and prepare to eat.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard her words, he looked around energetically. He realized that he was not within a carriage anymore. With this thought in mind, he jumped down enthusiastically and put on his shoes to look around.


    Seeing his sudden interest, Xiaoguo was a little puzzled. He was looking listless a moment ago, but now he was looking energetic again.


    ¡°Mother¡­ I don¡¯t want to sit in the carriage again. I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang was done jumping around, he stopped and said happily.


    ¡°We still have to sit in one tomorrow.¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could speak, Jiang Danhe¡¯s voice came from outside


    Zhuang Zhuang missed his father a lot. When he saw him enter, he immediately ran over and hugged his legs. Even though Jiang Danhe was holding a tray in his hand, he could still pick up Zhuang Zhuang with one hand.


    Although the father and son had a battle of wits and courage the last time, they were missing each other badly right now.


    Xiaoguo walked over and took the tray from him. She placed it on the table and looked at the scene of father and son reuniting. Feeling jealous, she said, ¡°Are you going to eat?¡±


    Even she couldn¡¯t hug Zhuang Zhuang like this. She was really envious and jealous of Jiang Danhe!


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Zhuang Zhuang was the first to answer.


    Jiang Danhe smiled and placed Zhuang Zhuang on a stool before taking a seat by his side.


    On the tray were rice porridge, a few steamed buns, three plates of stir-fried vegetables, and a plate of grilled lamb chops.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s appetite was still small. After barely eating a bowl of porridge and half a steamed bun, she was full.


    Jiang Danhe had wanted her to eat more, but he suddenly remembered how she had lost sleep once because of indigestion. His heart ached at the thought of it, so he gave up. He could only continue to eat up the remaining vegetables with Zhuang Zhuang.


    After Jiang Danhe brought out the plates, he brought back a basin of warm water. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient now. If you want to wash up, I¡¯ll prepare it for you when we get there tomorrow.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    She was not in a hurry to wash up. After all, there were still many people outside. Even if the conditions allowed it, she was too embarrassed to wash up here.


    She used the water to wipe down Zhuang Zhuang and herself.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang was already a little sleepy. He used up his last bit of willpower to finish his dinner. At this moment, he could barely keep his eyes open. He looked like he was going to pass out at any second.

 Chapter 318 - 318 Returning to the Fishing Village

    318 Returning to the Fishing Village


    Xiaoguo put down the towel and Jiang Danhe went out to discard the water.


    She gently coaxed Zhuang Zhuang. When his breathing was even, she pulled the blanket over him.


    When Jiang Danhe returned, Zhuang Zhuang had already fallen asleep.


    The two of them went to the table and sat down. Jiang Danhe poured her a glass of water and said softly, ¡°We¡¯ll be able to reach our destination tomorrow, so we¡¯ll take a break out here tonight and set off tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°We won¡¯t arrive till the day after tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. We¡¯ll reach in the evening.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°Where is the summer resort?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on an island. We need to cross the sea. It¡¯s a naturally formed island.¡±


    ¡°Cross the sea and take a boat?¡±


    When Xiaoguo thought of the sea, the first thing she thought of was seafood. She wanted to catch some seafood!


    Jiang Danhe nodded. Thinking that she liked to take the boat, he secretly made a mental note to bring her along often in the future.


    ¡°Do you have a fishing rod?¡±


    The other party¡¯s words changed so quickly that Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t keep up. His mind went blank for a moment. ¡°There should be.¡±


    Among the travelers, there were bound to be people who enjoyed fishing, so there should be fishing rods available on the boats.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Xiaoguo tried her best to suppress her joy.


    Jiang Danhe looked at her in confusion. So his wife was actually an angler. It seemed that he would have to fish with her more often in the future.


    ¡°By the way, does Brother-in-law know that you¡¯re out?¡±


    Jiang Danhe suddenly thought of Qin Anming. Xiaoguo was going away on a long trip. If Qin Anming didn¡¯t see her when he returned, he would be so worried.


    ¡°I told him. I told him on the way when I brought Zhuang Zhuang home.¡± Xiaoguo smiled. Jiang Danhe was quite meticulous.


    ¡°Have you planted the crops at home? I was planning to go back, but I got delayed by some matters.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was already prepared to return home, but something happened along the way.


    ¡°Yes. Brother planted the crops with me.¡± Xiaoguo glanced at him. Why was he being so wishy-washy all of a sudden?


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back when it¡¯s harvesting time. Don¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll do it when I get back.¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to say no, but seeing the sincerity in his eyes, she swallowed her words and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked happy when he heard this. Then, he laughed silently.


    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jiang Danhe shook his head. ¡°I just want to laugh.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him and shook her head strangely. How could he look so beautiful while thinking about work? Then she looked back at the bed and said, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    It was getting late. Zhuang Zhuang was already in lalaland.


    Jiang Danhe nodded. The two of them were still sleeping on either side of Zhuang Zhuang. Fortunately, the bed was big enough to fit the three of them.


    For some reason, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t sleep well the entire night. All she could hear was the sound of footsteps and a bonfire burning.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo was still in bed when she heard the sound of clothes being put on beside the bed. She opened her eyes and saw that Jiang Danhe was dressing Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± Jiang Danhe¡¯s ears were sharp. He heard Xiaoguo¡¯s movements immediately.


    ¡°No.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head and got up to look outside. There were no lights. It was still early. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is going to the toilet.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded in a daze.


    After dressing, the two of them went out. Once they were gone, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to lie down anymore, so she got out of bed too.


    The two of them returned not long after with breakfast and a basin of water.


    Xiaoguo quickly took the basin of water from Zhuang Zhuang and placed it on a stool.


    After washing up, the three of them started eating breakfast.


    Halfway through the meal, a greeting came from outside. A small figure lifted the curtain and entered. He shouted, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    His big eyes locked onto the figure who was stuffing steamed buns into his mouth. He ran over excitedly and hugged him. ¡°Hehe, my dear Zhuang Zhuang. I missed you so much!¡±


    ¡°Ahem, Xiaoyi, I miss you too!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang spat out the steamed bun that almost got stuck in his throat and hugged him back happily.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe ate by themselves, not forgetting to look at the two kids who were hugging each other. Children¡¯s feelings were pure. Whenever they met, they had to hug each other tightly for a long time.


    For breakfast, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe each fed one child. Neither of the children had eaten. As soon as Xiaoyi woke up, he heard that Zhuang Zhuang and the others had arrived. He put on his clothes and ran over. In fact, he had wanted to come over in his undergarments so that he could lay in the bed with Zhuang Zhuang. However, he was coaxed and begged by the servants until he gave up on the idea. He was only allowed to leave after he was fully dressed.


    After breakfast, everyone got ready to set off. After Jiang Danhe made arrangements for Xiaoguo, he returned to his post.


    When she got on the carriage, Xiaoguo put aside her bag. She was sitting alone in the big carriage. Jiang Danhe was working and needed to ride a horse. Zhuang Zhuang was brought away by Xiaoyi. Xiaoguo was invited too, but she turned him down. Not that she was unwilling, but there were many ministers and their families traveling together this time. So it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to get too close to the crown prince. When there were no others around, she didn¡¯t care about this. However, under such circumstances, she should really be mindful of her behavior.


    Just like Jiang Danhe, he was like a brother with Shao Zhan in private, but he could not act recklessly on the surface.


    The carriage quickly started moving. Xiaoguo lifted the curtain and looked out.


    Jiang Danhe rode in the lead, followed closely by Li Shouji. He was surrounded by armored soldiers and cavalrymen.


    The soldiers with sharp spears surrounded the entire group. It was impenetrable and they felt very safe.


    The emperor¡¯s carriage was in the center, followed closely by the crown prince¡¯s carriage.


    As Xiaoguo was the general¡¯s family, she was also in the center, right behind the crown prince¡¯s carriage. Behind her were the ministers and their families. They were lined up according to their ranks and were arranged in an orderly manner at the back.


    Xiaoguo glanced behind her and looked away. She lowered the curtain and sat back down.


    She was the first to board the carriage just now. She had taken a good look at the other ministers¡¯ families. Everyone was dressed in ordinary clothes and were very low-key but they all exuded a sense of nobility. Even their ages were a mystery. The ministers were so old, but their family members all looked so elegant and poised.


    Xiaoguo felt that her temperament and looks were alright. She was relatively confident in her figure. Hence, she was not afraid of embarrassing Jiang Danhe. This time, she had specially brought very expensive and beautiful clothes with her to add luster to Jiang Danhe¡¯s reputation.


    Although she was not worried about Jiang Danhe getting blinded by the flowers and butterflies outside, she had to keep up with the pace. She must not allow herself to become an old hag. She wanted to be a super beautiful wife!


    She made up her mind. When they arrived at their destination, the first thing she had to do was take a shower and dress up. It was not her goal to overwhelm everyone, but she hoped that she wouldn¡¯t embarrass herself!


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect the carriage to stop so quickly, but it suddenly stopped halfway through the journey. Xiaoguo looked outside curiously and saw that it was still dawn and it wasn¡¯t lunchtime yet. Why did it stop? Had they arrived so quickly?


    ¡°Xiaoguo.¡± Just as she was wondering, Jiang Danhe rushed over and said succinctly, ¡°We can¡¯t board the boats today. We have to wait until tomorrow morning, so we have to spend the night at the fishing village.¡±


    ¡°A small fishing village?¡± Xiaoguo repeated. It sounded familiar. Wasn¡¯t this the village she had heard of before, which was by the sea?


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll come to you later. Wait for me.¡±


    As Jiang Danhe still had something to do, he explained to her briefly and rode back to the front.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t have to pass the message to her himself. However, he was worried about Xiaoguo, so he came to tell her in person. After reminding her and seeing her nod, he felt less worried.


    Xiaoguo watched him leave and looked around. Didn¡¯t they say that the fishing village was near the sea? Why was there no sea here? There was no beach in sight either.

 Chapter 319 - 319 Overnight Stay

    319 Overnight Stay


    The doubts in her heart could only be answered by Jiang Danhe later.


    Not long after, Xiaoguo felt the carriage start moving again. Jiang Danhe had also returned. This time, he did not ride a horse. Instead, he rode the carriage with her.


    Seeing the sweat on his forehead, Xiaoguo automatically took out a handkerchief and wiped it off. ¡°Why are you sweating so much?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know if it was her imagination, but she thought he looked sick.


    Jiang Danhe could get used to her intimate behavior and he leaned towards her deliberately. When he heard her question, he said without thinking, ¡°It¡¯s a little hot outside.¡±


    Xiaoguo listened to the wind rustling the leaves and nodded in a daze. ¡°The winds are so strong and he is feeling hot?¡±


    ¡°Why are we in a small fishing village?¡±


    ¡°Because we are boarding the ship in this village. The wind is strong today, and the sea is not calm. The Imperial Astronomer said that there will be heavy rain soon, so we can only rest here for the night.¡±


    Jiang Danhe explained it to her, but Xiaoguo was a little curious. Although there was wind outside, there were no clouds for thousands of miles. The sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear. Could there really be a sudden change in the weather?


    Feeling puzzled, she continued to ask, ¡°Since we are boarding the boats in a small fishing village, why didn¡¯t you let me wait for you at the village? After all, it¡¯s in the neighboring village and it¡¯s close.¡±


    Unexpectedly, after Xiaoguo finished speaking, Jiang Danhe was amused. He pinched her cheek affectionately. ¡°Who told you it was close?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they say!¡±


    Xiaoguo slapped his hand away indignantly.


    Jiang Danhe was done laughing. Seeing her angry expression, he quickly explained, ¡°The two villages are close to the mountains, so they are called neighboring villages. However, there¡¯s still some distance to cover in order to reach the fishing village. There are countless small villages in between. If a person drives a carriage from Peach Blossom Village to the small fishing village, it will take a day. However, they will have to cut through the mountains¡ªit will be fast, but they can only make it on foot. The carriage can only travel up a short distance. It¡¯s impossible for the carriage to travel beyond that. By walking, It will take more than half a day to reach the back of the small fishing village.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to see you and Zhuang Zhuang sooner.¡±


    Xiaoguo had been listening attentively at the beginning, but when she heard the last sentence, her face turned red.


    ¡°So suddenly?¡±


    Xiaoguo blushed and pretended to be calm.


    Jiang Danhe was equally shy, but he continued, ¡°I wanted to see you guys earlier, and the distance is about the same, so I chose to meet you guys on this side.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked away and nodded in acknowledgment.


    ¡°By the way, you said in your letter that you would pick us up in about fifteen days. You were two days late and came on the seventeenth day. Aren¡¯t you worried about us not being ready? Or that I didn¡¯t have time to pick up Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Xiaoguo had wanted to ask him about it the day before, but she never got the chance.


    ¡°Are you someone who only knows how to read numbers?¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not answer her question and asked her instead.


    Xiaoguo understood immediately and chuckled. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re not.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said the same thing.


    After saying that, the two of them looked at each other and smiled. There was mutual understanding between them.


    The reason why Jiang Danhe wrote down the number of days was just to give Xiaoguo a rough idea of the number of days. The rest of the words told Xiaoguo that the number of days was uncertain. It was hard to say if it would be sooner or later.


    Xiaoguo understood his intentions, so she made preparations in advance. It didn¡¯t matter if they came late. She just had to prepare earlier.


    He knew that she was not someone who would sit around and wait for things to happen. She also knew that he understood her.


    Although the two of them had not spent much time together, and they were still very unfamiliar with each other, even though they had a four-year-old child.


    However, this did not stop the two hearts from getting closer to each other.


    Both of them were individuals who would take responsibility for each other once they decided to make a commitment.


    At this moment, the carriage stopped. Jiang Danhe asked Xiaoguo to stay inside and wait for him before he got out of the carriage. However, Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t sure if it was her imagination, but she saw his shoulders trembling while he was getting off the carriage.


    Before she could take a closer look, the man left.


    Xiaoguo blinked as she watched him walk away. Did she see wrongly?


    Not long after, Xiaoguo got out of the car with the bag while Jiang Danhe helped her alight from below.


    This was the fishing village, but it wasn¡¯t what she had imagined at all. There was no sea, no beach¡ªonly the occasional salty sea breeze reminded her that she was now by the sea.


    Jiang Danhe took the bag and led her to the place where they would rest for the night.


    The salty sea breeze was cool and comfortable on her body. The people around her were also busy moving luggages and unloading carts. There were also people dressed like commoners who were ushering the crowd. For a moment, the place was bustling with activity.


    Apart from the convenience of boarding the boats, there was another reason why they chose to stay in a small fishing village. There were many empty houses and also fewer people here. Most fishermen would be away from home for seven to eight days. There were enough rooms for them to spend the night.


    If there was heavy rain tonight, the sea would definitely be choppy. Even if they wanted to set up camp, it could only be by the beach. Otherwise, there were no other locations with flat ground around. However, the seawater would rise when there was heavy rain, so it would be too risky to set up tents at the beach. The tents could get washed away any time.


    Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo came to the house. According to his introduction, there was a young lady living here. The elders in the family had gone out.


    ¡°Why are you so familiar with this place?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked curiously.


    ¡°I had come to inspect the place before.¡± Jiang Danhe knocked on the door and turned to smile at her. ¡°We can¡¯t possibly come here without knowing the surroundings.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything. She just laughed sheepishly. She had almost forgotten. This was the emperor¡¯s trip. He would definitely check out all the places they would pass through along the way. There should be several contingency plans in place as well. She really couldn¡¯t wrap her head around it for a moment.


    At this moment, the sound of running footsteps came from inside the house. Then, a young, dark-skinned girl appeared at the door.


    Looking at the two strangers outside the door, she said cautiously, ¡°Hello, please come in.¡±


    ¡°Hello, sorry to disturb you.¡±


    The little girl was stunned for a moment before her face turned red. She looked at Xiaoguo shyly. She didn¡¯t expect her to be so nice despite her beauty.


    Xiaoguo had a good impression of the little girl in front of her. Although she was dark-skinned, the wit in her big eyes was very likable.


    This time, it was Jiang Danhe¡¯s turn to follow behind Xiaoguo. He looked helplessly at the two people in front of him. He was extremely jealous. This woman had abandoned him so quickly. Why was she pestering a little girl to chat with her?


    The little girl¡¯s name was Xiao Zhu. She was only 12 years old this year. Previously, she had heard from the village chief that the people who were coming this time were extraordinary. He told the villagers to treat them well and not be rash. He had asked them to prepare their rooms a long time ago. If the guests could come, he would give them the best conditions to stay in. If they did not come, it was fine.


    After a long time, the esteemed guests did not come. She thought that they would not be coming, but here they were. When she opened the door earlier, she was extremely afraid. She was afraid that her appearance would conflict with the guest¡¯s. She was also afraid that the esteemed guests would despise her. However, reality was completely different from what she had imagined. In a daze, she only relaxed her hands after arranging for the two of them to enter the room, revealing her palms that had turned red from being clenched in nervousness.


    Xiaoguo sat on the clean bed and looked around. She was very satisfied. The wooden hut was very clean.


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s with Xiaoyi. He¡¯ll probably be sleeping with him tonight. Xiaoyi refused to let him leave.¡±


    Before Jiang Danhe called Xiaoguo, he had gone to look for Zhuang Zhuang. The boy had already moved to another spacious house with Xiaoyi. Zhuang Zhuang wanted to follow Jiang Danhe, but Xiaoyi refused to let him go. Helpless, he could only give up and come over himself.

 Chapter 320 - 320 Injured

    320 Injured


    ¡°Perfect. Time for some alone time.¡±


    Jiang Danhe laughed after saying that. Suddenly, there was a tug on his shoulder. His breathing stopped and he rubbed it quietly.


    Xiaoguo was about to tease him when she suddenly saw his actions. She said solemnly, ¡°Take off your clothes!¡±


    Last night, it was dark and she couldn¡¯t see clearly, but she felt that something was amiss in the morning. His face wasn¡¯t rosy at all and he looked like he was seriously ill. Before she could notice anything, the other party had covered it up.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a bit early for this, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jiang Danhe deliberately interrupted.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t moving, Xiaoguo got up and went to his side to tug at his clothes.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, Xiaoguo, listen to me. It¡¯s not good, it¡¯s really not good. It¡¯s ridiculous in broad daylight, Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not want her to see the state of his back at all, so he was not going to let her get to him so easily. Xiaoguo got so tired that she became out of breath.


    However, she was not someone who would give up without a fight. The more he refused to let her look, the more suspicious she became.


    The two of them started chasing each other in the house. Jiang Danhe relied on his long legs and arms to get away from Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe!¡±


    Xiaoguo was so tired that she had no strength left. She couldn¡¯t help but cry out. She was worried and angry. There must be something wrong with him that he was stopping her like this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t feel good when he saw Xiaoguo fuming. He walked over and was about to comfort her when she grabbed his arm and pushed him onto the bed.


    ¡°Haha, Jiang Danhe, you can¡¯t hide!¡± Xiaoguo laughed smugly. Seeing that he was about to struggle, she took the opportunity to sit on him, so that he couldn¡¯t get up.


    ¡°Behave yourself!¡± Xiaoguo grabbed his arm with both hands and twisted it behind his back. However, she was afraid of hurting him, so she could only control him with her imposing manner.


    At this point, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know whether to move or not. The shyness and panic on his face were obvious. ¡°Xiaoguo, be good and come down. I¡¯ll explain to you slowly.¡±


    ¡°No, why are you so disobedient? Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Seeing that he was still not behaving, Xiaoguo stopped talking to him. She casually combed the loose hair on his forehead and quickly loosened his clothes. Fortunately, the other party was dressed lightly. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to undress him so easily.


    Jiang Danhe wanted to struggle again, but it was useless. He could only lie on the bed unwillingly and bury his head under the blanket. Fortunately, there was no one here to witness this. Otherwise, if word got out that he was dressed like this, he would be too ashamed to face anyone.


    Xiaoguo pried open his clothes angrily and was stunned for a moment. She looked at his back in disbelief. Half of his back was wrapped in gauze, and there were faint traces of blood on the gauze.


    Her heart ached as she stroked his back that was covered in gauze. She asked with a trembling voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. I accidentally bled and got bandaged up¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt guilty and did not dare to look at her. The tips of his ears betrayed him immediately.


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and looked at his back again. It was such a big wound. How badly injured was he?


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo sat back down and remained silent.


    Jiang Danhe felt the weight leave his back, so he put on his clothes and sat up. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt. I recovered a long time ago.¡±


    He was the one who was injured, but he was comforting her instead. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Jiang Danhe smiled and rubbed her chubby face. ¡°How is it? Are you not sad anymore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sad,¡± Xiaoguo said in a fit of pique. ¡°You¡¯re not sad even though you¡¯re injured like this. Why should I be sad?¡±


    ¡°I was wrong. I was really wrong.¡±


    Although Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know what he had done wrong, he still had to admit his mistake. This was a matter of attitude.


    Xiaoguo did not continue to ask him why he was wrong. Instead, she changed the topic.


    ¡°Tell me honestly, how did you get injured?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Jiang Danhe wanted to say more, but when he saw the other party¡¯s unconcealed worry, he felt warmth in his heart. He said simply, ¡°The last time I returned to the capital, I was going to receive Emissary Bodo. However, the other party had ulterior motives and had tricks up his sleeves. There was a small accident along the way and I accidentally scratched myself.¡±


    ¡°Accidental scratch?¡± Xiaoguo rolled her eyes in her heart, but she knew what he meant. It was not appropriate for her to probe further.


    ¡°Shall I change your dressing tonight?¡±


    Xiaoguo remembered that she had a lot of medicine in her bag. She had brought them in case of headaches, fevers, and any other injuries.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it now. My clothes are off anyway.¡±


    Jiang Danhe shamelessly tried to take off his clothes.


    Xiaoguo knew that he was teasing her, so she didn¡¯t take it seriously. She gently twisted his arm and snorted in satisfaction when he acted like he was in pain.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t stay for long. After all, he had official duties and wasn¡¯t really here for sightseeing.


    After he left, Xiaoguo wandered around the house alone. After walking around for a long time, she did not see Xiao Zhu.


    The house was only so big and there were only two rooms, but she couldn¡¯t feel the presence of a second person.


    ¡°Xiao Zhu? Xiao Zhu?¡±


    Xiaoguo tried to call out twice.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A crisp and pleasant voice came from above her.


    Xiaoguo was shocked, and Xiao Zhu looked at her fearfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay¡­¡± Xiaoguo felt that her reaction had frightened Xiao Zhu, so she immediately shook her head and comforted her. After the other party looked like she had calmed down, Xiaoguo looked up at where she was. ¡°Why are you up there?¡±


    ¡°This is the attic where I live.¡±


    Xiao Zhu poked her head out and said. Seeing that she seemed very bored, she said hesitantly, ¡°Do you want to come up and sit?¡±


    After saying that, she regretted it. She was such a noble lady. How could she climb up to her small attic?


    Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Can I go up?¡± she asked happily.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Xiao Zhu was overjoyed. It was already a surprise that the other party did not reject her.


    Xiaoguo looked around and saw the ladder on the wall. She rolled up her sleeves and got ready.


    Xiao Zhu was surprised to see that the other party was very skilled. She was afraid that she would fall. To think that she was not inferior to her at all.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    Xiao Zhu admired Xiaoguo from the bottom of her heart. She was beautiful and agile.


    Xiaoguo came to the attic and clapped her hands. She said coolly, ¡°It¡¯s a piece of cake¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu was very impressed by Xiaoguo¡¯s skills. For every little action that Xiaoguo made, Xiao Zhu would make a point to gush over it. It was as if she was viewing her through a filter.


    Xiaoguo coughed awkwardly, feeling a little embarrassed by the other party¡¯s gaze. She quickly looked around. The attic was very clean. Although the space was not big, there was a bed and table. Although the blanket and bed sheets were a little tattered, they looked clean and tidy. There were a few books scattered on the table, as if their owner had been reading them just now. The most eye-catching thing was the oversized window facing the bed.


    Xiaoguo followed her instincts and came to the window.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    The sea breeze blew into the attic through the window. She didn¡¯t expect the sea to be visible from here.


    Although it was a little dark now, it did not stop them from admiring the beauty of the sea.


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath of the sea air. Instantly, her entire body felt revitalized.


    Seeing that she actually liked to look at the sea, Xiao Zhu leaned over happily. ¡°You like to look at the sea too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Hearing her tone, Xiaoguo tilted her head and asked curiously, ¡°Do you enjoy doing that too?¡±


    ¡°I love it. I super super super super love it!¡±


    Xiao Zhu nodded eagerly, expressing her love for the sea.

 Chapter 321 - 321 Truth

    321 Truth


    Xiaoguo liked to listen to Xiao Zhu talk. She was extremely cute. When the little girl got excited talking about something, she would dance with joy.


    Once again, Xiaoguo was tickled by something Xiao Zhu was telling her. As she leaned against the window and laughed, she suddenly saw a shadow flash past below.


    Thinking that she was seeing things, she blinked hard and put this matter to the back of her mind.


    ¡°Xiao Zhu, you¡¯re so cute¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo said sincerely.


    Xiao Zhu blushed when she heard that. This was the first time someone had praised her for being cute. She didn¡¯t know how to respond to Xiaoguo.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe returned with a plate in his hand.


    ¡°Xiaoguo? Xiaoguo?¡±


    When he entered the house and didn¡¯t see Xiaoguo around, he shouted twice.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m here!¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard Jiang Danhe from the attic, she replied to him and told Xiao Zhu, ¡°Let¡¯s go down.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiao Zhu happily followed behind her.


    ¡°Why did you come down from there?¡±


    Jiang Danhe heard the commotion and came to the bottom of the attic. Coincidentally, he bumped into the two people coming down. He took a few steps forward and carried Xiaoguo down. ¡°You should stop climbing. What if you fall?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I am used to doing this at home.¡±


    Hearing her nonchalant tone, Jiang Danhe could only sigh helplessly. ¡°My wife is good.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t understand what he was making a fuss about. She walked to the table casually and looked at the food he had brought back. She swallowed her saliva and said, ¡°It¡¯s delicious¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe laughed in exasperation. ¡°Have you eaten it? How is it delicious?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten, but can¡¯t you let me have my fill just by looking at it?¡±


    Xiaoguo ignored him and sat down, speaking with deliberation.


    ¡°Alright, eat your fill with your eyes. Xiao Zhu and I will taste these fish and prawns.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said deliberately before inviting Xiao Zhu to sit down and eat.


    How could Xiaoguo miss the chance to taste the dishes? Her stomach was already rumbling. It had not been easy for her to endure her hunger until now. Moreover, it was her favorite seafood meal. How could she not eat it?


    Jiang Danhe brought a lot of food that was enough for the three of them. Although Xiaoguo was starving, her appetite was limited. She became full shortly after eating.


    Xiao Zhu was the surprising one. Although she was small, she had a big appetite. Her appetite was comparable to a grown man like Jiang Danhe.


    After Xiao Zhu finished eating, she rushed to send the plates back so that the two of them could rest early.


    She was small but strong. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t outdo her so she let the little girl clear the plates for them.


    ¡°Does she know where to return the plates?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked curiously at Xiao Zhu, who was walking out, and turned to ask Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°She should know.¡± Jiang Danhe put down his handkerchief and took out a new one to wipe Xiaoguo¡¯s hands. ¡°I collected the food at the village chief¡¯s house. Xiao Zhu must have recognized his plates.¡±


    ¡°How did Xiao Zhu know?¡±


    Xiaoguo subconsciously stretched out both hands towards him. The plates basically looked the same. How could she tell?


    ¡°I heard from the village chief that Xiao Zhu¡¯s family has been away from home for a long time. Since she is still young, she often eats at his house. And didn¡¯t you notice that the shape of those plates are quite unique?¡±


    Hearing his words, Xiaoguo thought of something and nodded. She said in surprise, ¡°Oh yes . They are not round.¡±


    If those plates were brought to the modern world, they would be considered instagram-worthy. Apart from not being round, they looked pretty good.


    Jiang Danhe stroked her head in satisfaction and said with a smile, ¡°The village chief¡¯s son works in a kiln. All defective products were usually destroyed upon production, but he felt that it was a pity, so he brought them home for his own use. They¡¯re the only family in the village who have these special plates, so they¡¯re very easy to recognize.¡±


    ¡°What if someone else also has a similar-looking plate?¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that since the useless plates were not worth much, there might be others who would bring them home for their own use.


    ¡°Did you see the bottom of the plates when Xiao Zhu was clearing them?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head. ¡°Was there something at the bottom?¡±


    ¡°The old village chief¡¯s surname is Wan. The kiln that his son owns is called Madam Wan. The words ¡®Madam Wan¡¯ are engraved in red at the bottom of the plates. Besides him, no one else could bring back the defective items from the kiln.¡±


    ¡°When did you notice it? Was it also part of your previous investigation?¡±


    If they had investigated in advance, it is really amazing that they knew all these details.


    ¡°I just happened to see it.¡±


    With that, Jiang Danhe took her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to help me change the dressing?¡±


    Xiaoguo was dragged into the house in a daze. Looking at Jiang Danhe, who was keeping a low profile, she felt an inexplicable sense of admiration. His observation skills were really impressive!


    When they returned to the house, Jiang Danhe began to take off his clothes.


    When she saw his well-defined muscles, Xiaoguo closed her eyes. For a moment, all her blood had rushed to her face and heart. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Should I not take off my clothes while you help me with the dressing?¡± Jiang Danhe continued what he was doing. Then, he understood something and turned around to look at her with ill intentions. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard his words, she subconsciously opened her eyes and looked back at him. What greeted her eyes was a piece of white and tender skin that was vaguely wrapped in gauze¡­


    Before her nose started bleeding, she forced herself to retract her gaze and take a few steps back. She focused her gaze on the other party¡¯s face and said angrily, ¡°Why are you standing so close to me?¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not answer her question. Instead, he looked at her flushed face with a smirk. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not thinking about you!¡±


    Her answer sounded like she was trying to fool herself.


    As expected, Jiang Danhe looked at her meaningfully. ¡°Feel free to look. We¡¯re not strangers anyway.¡±


    As he spoke, he took off his clothes completely, revealing his upper body. He reached out his arm to pull her over.


    Once he moved, every muscle on his arm started moving. Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes were involuntarily drawn to his body¡­


    ¡°Jiang Danhe! Are you going to let me change the dressing?¡±


    Seeing that he was getting closer, Xiaoguo slapped his back in a panic. Coincidentally, she hit him on his wound and he groaned in pain.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Xiaoguo held on to him anxiously and walked towards the bed.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t say anything. He just frowned and followed her to the bed. Then, he took the opportunity to push Xiaoguo down and lay on top of her. The look of pain on his face had long disappeared.


    ¡°!!¡± Xiaoguo was startled by him. As she lay on the bed, her heart was thumping non-stop. She looked at the man who was so close to her and said softly, ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just suddenly remembered that someone had signed a contract saying that she will have a daughter with me the next time we meet.¡±


    Jiang Danhe deliberately leaned closer to her and said slowly.


    Xiaoguo bristled when she heard that. ¡°What do you mean I signed it? You tricked me!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like daughters?¡±


    ¡°I do. No, no, no. It¡¯s not a matter of whether I like them or not.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    As Jiang Danhe spoke, he tried to undress her.


    Xiaoguo grabbed his hands shyly and anxiously. Feeling his rising temperature, she couldn¡¯t help but feel flustered. ¡°I don¡¯t want a daughter for the time being. At least not now!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Jiang Danhe vowed to find out the reason. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want a daughter for the time being?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­ I¡¯m not ready yet!¡±


    Xiaoguo said what she was thinking aloud. She was really not ready to have a second child.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe smiled and gently dressed her. Then, he pulled her out of bed. ¡°You¡¯re finally telling the truth.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe, who was getting dressed. She felt confused. ¡°Was this¡­ the end?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ you did it on purpose!¡±


    Xiaoguo could tell that he was trying to get information out of her, so she slapped him again in anger.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Xiaoguo had really hit the spot where he was badly injured.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

 Chapter 322 - 322 The Storm Is Here

    322 The Storm Is Here


    Xiaoguo helped him to the bed nervously so that he could lie on his stomach. She took a pair of scissors and cut open the gauze on his back.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing his back, Xiaoguo could not stay angry with him. There was only pain in her heart. It turned out that his injuries were worse than she had imagined.


    There was not a single patch of unwounded skin on his back. Some of the wounds had scabbed over, and some were still oozing pus. Most of his back was still inflamed. The blood from the wound had caused the gauze to stick to his skin. When she peeled away the gauze, the wound became raw again.


    Xiaoguo looked at the ¡°small injury¡± that he was referring to and her heart ached for him. Her hands moved gently, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t feel any pain as she applied the medicine.


    The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She asked deliberately, ¡°Are you still going to have a daughter?¡±


    ¡°Of course! ¡­ I¡¯ll try for one at a later date. I¡¯ll do it after I resign.¡±


    Xiaoguo was quite satisfied with what she heard. She loosened the gauze in her hand a little and adjusted it for comfort. ¡°He is still thinking about having a daughter at a time like this. He really deserves a beating!¡±


    ¡°Stay down for a while.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    Xiaoguo got up and put away the gauze and medicinal powder. Then, she came back and lay beside him. She looked at his side profile, which seemed too exquisite for a man, and suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Why wait until after retirement?¡±


    ¡°Retirement?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I mean after you resign.¡± Xiaoguo held her head and turned to explain to him.


    ¡°That way, I¡¯ll have time to take care of the children with you. You raised Zhuang Zhuang all by yourself. I failed in my duty and was absent from your side. This is my biggest regret.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo affectionately.


    Xiaoguo was suddenly scalded by the sincerity in his eyes. ¡°Then why did you let me sign the agreement to have a second child!¡±


    If he wasn¡¯t in a hurry, why did he let her sign it?


    ¡°I just want a promise from you.¡± After saying that, after a long pause, Jiang Danhe looked at her solemnly and asked, ¡°Will you leave me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t hide the worry in his eyes. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time.


    After an unknown period of time, so long that Jiang Danhe started to feel unsure again and doubt himself, Xiaoguo chuckled and said in an equally serious tone,


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    Her voice was not loud, but the determination in her voice was enough to reassure Jiang Danhe.


    After a long time, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He said firmly, ¡°Neither will I!¡±


    Ever since he got together with her, he had been obsessed with her. In the beginning, he was only fond of her appearance. After spending more time with her, he was more certain that he couldn¡¯t live without her. Her heart was even more attractive than her appearance.


    For a long time, he was unsure of Xiaoguo¡¯s feelings. He was constantly worried about losing her, so he had to get a promise from her. Now that he knew her feelings, he was elated.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, I really love you. More than you think.¡±


    ¡ª-


    As night fell, the sea exuded a unique and relaxing atmosphere. It was a pity that it was dark. Otherwise, Xiaoguo would have gone for a walk.


    In the middle of the night, a muffled thunder suddenly sounded from the gloomy sky, instantly lighting it up.


    Xiaoguo was suddenly blinded. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a dark figure closing the window.


    ¡°Is it going to rain?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked groggily.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡± After Jiang Danhe closed the window, he came back and lay down. ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    Xiaoguo acknowledged silently. Then, she fell asleep again.


    Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled outside the house. The soundproofing of the house was pretty good. Even if there were sounds coming into the house, they could act as a lullaby.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was sleeping soundly, Jiang Danhe raised his hand and gently covered her with a blanket. Although the weather had been getting hot recently, the rain would cool down the air and the nights could get a bit chilly.


    After doing all this, he fell asleep.


    The next morning, Jiang Danhe woke up first. After getting dressed, he informed Xiaoguo, who was still lying down, and left.


    Xiaoguo, who was alone now, stretched and got out of bed. She went to the window and opened it. She saw that it was still drizzling and there were no signs of the rain stopping.


    Didn¡¯t the Imperial Astronomer say that it would only rain for one night? It was said that a storm was short-lived, while a drizzle could last a long time. It looked like they wouldn¡¯t be boarding the boats today.


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath. The air was good. Although it was a little humid, it felt rather comfortable.


    After standing there for a long time in her undergarments, she started to feel cold. She quickly closed the window and returned to her bed, but she did not lie down for long. When her body felt warmer, she got out of bed.


    As soon as she arrived outside the house, Xiao Zhu had already fetched water. When she saw Xiaoguo, she brought it over.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, please wash up. The water is warm.¡±


    They were already familiar with each other from yesterday. Xiaoguo did not want Xiao Zhu to call her Madam, as she felt the term ¡°Sister¡± sounded more amiable. Xiao Zhu was also happy to call her that. She had specially boiled water for Xiaoguo this morning because she was afraid that unheated water would be too cold for her.


    ¡°Thank you, Xiao Zhu.¡±


    Xiaoguo walked over and tested the water temperature. It was just right.


    After she was done washing up, Xiao Zhu stood up to get the water. Xiaoguo was not agreeable to this. She was already feeling thankful that Xiao Zhu had fetched water for her to wash up. How could she make her discard the water for her?


    Hence, Xiaoguo brought the water outside and threw it on a random spot.


    Jiang Danhe returned quickly with breakfast in his hand.


    The warm porridge, refreshing pickled vegetables, and the white vegetarian buns were simple but very appetizing.


    Xiao Zhu sat down in embarrassment. She was supposed to entertain them, but she didn¡¯t have a single grain of rice or a drop of oil at home. Instead, the guests were now serving her.


    ¡°The Imperial Astronomer said that the rain will go on for another day, so we will have to board the boats tomorrow.¡±


    At the dining table, Jiang Danhe said as he ate.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t mind. This place was pretty good. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to stay another day. She could play with Xiao Zhu one more day.


    Xiao Zhu was also very happy. She liked Sister Xiaoguo and would probably never see her again. Hence, she was overjoyed to hear that she was extending her stay for another day!


    ¡°Is Zhuang Zhuang still with Xiaoyi today?¡±


    Xiaoguo knew that Jiang Danhe would definitely visit Zhuang Zhuang early in the morning. It was not convenient for her to go to his place. After all, Xiaoyi and Shao Zhan were in the same courtyard. It was not appropriate for her to go there as the minister¡¯s family.


    ¡°Miss him? I¡¯ll bring him back later.¡±


    What he meant was that Xiaoyi was still not letting him come back. ¡°But if you miss him, I¡¯ll force him to come back.¡±


    Xiaoguo understood and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just let him stay with Xiaoyi.¡±


    It was a rare chance that the two boys could spend time together, so she decided not to separate them.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and picked up some pickled vegetables for her. ¡°Try it. It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Xiaoguo took a sip of porridge with the pickled vegetables. The salty and spicy taste was very good.


    ¡°Xiao Zhu, do you know where to fish for seafood?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked the little girl, who was eating quietly at the side. The seafood was delicious. If only she knew where to catch some. Before she returned home, she could catch more and marinate them for her family to try.


    ¡°I know, I know. Once the sea ebbs, the fish will float on the surface. There are so many of them every day!¡±


    Hearing her question, Xiao Zhu answered eagerly and looked at her with bright eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes lit up too, but it was directed at the seaweed. ¡°Then can you bring me there?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Xiao Zhu pointed at the light rain outside. ¡°We have two raincoats at home so we can take one each. The rain outside is too light to drench us.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard her words, she was extremely excited. She started eating faster. Although she couldn¡¯t bring any seafood back now, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to take a look at the seaside. It would be a treat for her eyes. When she returned from the island, she would fill up a basket to the brim with seafood.


    Xiao Zhu was afraid that she would not be able to keep up with her speed, so she started eating quickly too.


    Only Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo in confusion. Did his wife have another hobby? She liked the sea, the boats, enjoyed fishing, and also beach-combing. Maybe he should bring her to the seaside to settle down after he retires?

 Chapter 323 - 323 Strange Woman

    323 Strange Woman


    The two of them were about to leave after dinner when Jiang Danhe stopped them.


    ¡°Go after you¡¯ve digested your food, otherwise you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Ermm, no. Let¡¯s wait a while.¡±


    Xiaoguo was suddenly reminded that Xiao Zhu was still a child. Her body was definitely not as strong as an adult. Besides, she had eaten a lot. It would be terrible if she caught a cold once she went out.


    Obediently, Xiao Zhu sat on a stool and waited for the food to go down.


    After a while, before leaving, Jiang Danhe warned the two of them to stay a little longer before going out.


    Xiaoguo and Xiao Zhu nodded in agreement. However, just as the man turned around and left, the two of them were already fully dressed. They put on their raincoats and bamboo hats and quickly ran out.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, are you sure you don¡¯t need to change?¡±


    Xiao Zhu looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s clothes regrettably. One look and she could tell that the material used on her outfit looked expensive.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not changing.¡±


    Xiaoguo was in a hurry to get to the beach, so she didn¡¯t have time to change. Of course the main reason was that her outfit she had on was the simplest and cheapest style out of all the clothes she had brought.


    When Xiao Zhu heard this, she gave up trying to persuade her and brought Xiaoguo to the beach.


    It turned out that the fishing village was near the sea, but the residential area was separated from the beach. Xiao Zhu¡¯s family lived at the edge of the village. After leaving the house, the two girls went around a few small roads and arrived at the seaside. The reason why the sea was visible from Xiao Zhu¡¯s attic was because the house was situated on higher grounds. In the entire village, only one or two families had two-storey houses. The other houses were mostly single-level.


    The moment she stepped on the beach, Xiaoguo felt a change in the feel under her soles.


    The rain was coming down in a drizzle. The rising fog blocked their vision, but it also added a hazy beauty to the sea.


    Xiao Zhu led her with familiar steps towards the place where sea creatures could be found.


    Xiaoguo followed closely behind her and tried her best to feel the sand under her feet. Although the ground had solidified a little due to the rain, she could still feel the unique texture of the sand.


    Ripples could be seen on the surface of the sea as the raindrops fell from the sky. Due to the storm last night, a lot of sea creatures and seaweed had become stranded on the beach due to low tide


    Xiaoguo¡¯s first reaction when she saw them was to pick them up, but she didn¡¯t bring any basket with her and she really regretted it.


    Although it was raining, it did not stop the villagers from rushing to the beach. Many people in raincoats and bamboo hats were bending down to pick up the gifts from the sea.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s expressionless face was hiding her excitement very well. She was consumed with regret for not bringing the basket.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo? Look!¡±


    Seeing that she was in a daze, Xiao Zhu thought that she was looking for seaweed, so she lowered her head and started looking around. She quickly found one and handed a large piece of seaweed to her.


    The minute she did that, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Xiao Zhu, go home and get the basket. I¡¯ll stay here to pick the seafood. Hurry, if not, someone else will get to them before us!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh!¡±


    Xiao Zhu responded in a daze. Then, she threw down the piece of seaweed in her hand and ran back to get the basket. Along the way, she kept wondering. ¡°Didn¡¯t Sister Xiaoguo say that she was only going to take a look? Why did she become so excited all of a sudden?¡±


    Xiaoguo picked up the seaweed that Xiao Zhu had thrown down like a baby. ¡°This child¡­¡±


    ¡°How could she throw it away just like that? The piece of seaweed was nearly washed away by the waves.¡±


    At this moment, she couldn¡¯t care less if her shoes would get wet. She rolled up the hem of her dress and stepped into the water. The rain had caused the weather to turn cold and the sea water was freezing. Once she entered the water, it was so cold that she almost passed out.


    ¡°I am going all out!¡±


    Xiaoguo was already mesmerized by the seafood in front of her. As she started picking, her hands were quickly filled up. Seeing that more people were slowly approaching her vicinity, she felt extremely anxious. Then, she looked around helplessly¡ªXiao Zhu had yet to appear. In order to pick up more seafood, she had no choice but to lift a layer of her skirt and wrap it around herself to use it as a temporary basket.


    Fortunately, she was wearing another layer under her clothes, so at least she wasn¡¯t exposed. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that she was holding her skirt in her hands. It looked like she was holding some kind of cloth wrap instead.


    Just as Xiaoguo was enjoying herself, Xiao Zhu arrived late with a handsome man following behind her.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The smile on Xiaoguo¡¯s face suddenly disappeared the moment she saw the man. She stole a glance at Xiao Zhu, who was looking guilty.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, the basket is here¡­¡± Xiao Zhu said pitifully. She didn¡¯t finish her sentence. ¡°The basket is here, but Brother Jiang is here too.¡±


    Xiaoguo quietly took the basket and carefully transferred the seafood from her skirt into it. Then, she mustered her courage and looked at Jiang Danhe¡¯s dark face.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you had enough?¡±


    Jiang Danhe interrupted Xiaoguo¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°I guess.¡± Xiaoguo swallowed. To be honest, she wanted to continue picking up more.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe took a deep breath and said gently to Xiao Zhu, ¡°Go back first. I¡¯ll bring Sister Xiaoguo back to make ginger soup for you in a while.¡±


    As soon as he said that, Xiaoguo realized that Xiao Zhu was not feeling well. She immediately asked worriedly, ¡°Xiao Zhu, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing. I might have caught a cold while running back.¡±


    Xiao Zhu quickly shook her head shyly to show that it was not a big problem. It felt really nice to have people showing concern for her.


    Xiaoguo was relieved to hear that she was fine. ¡°Hurry up and go back. I¡¯ll go find some ginger for you. When you get back, quickly crawl under the covers. Do you understand? We¡¯ll get back really soon.¡±


    Xiao Zhu listened to her words in a daze. She obediently returned home and lay under the covers¡ªher entire heart was filled with warmth. She really liked Sister Xiaoguo.


    On the other side, Xiaoguo patted her soaked clothes and hurried towards the land.


    ¡°Have you gotten enough?¡±


    Jiang Danhe took the basket from her hand and looked at the contents. The results were quite impressive. Even though she did not have any tools, she did manage to collect a lot of seafood.


    ¡°That should be it. Let¡¯s hurry back and make ginger soup for Xiao Zhu.¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could finish speaking, Jiang Danhe swiftly picked her up and placed her firmly on his back. She only came back to her senses when he took off her shoes and held her frozen feet in his hands.


    Xiaoguo moved her feet awkwardly. It wouldn¡¯t be good if anyone saw them. She blushed and looked around at the people around them. Although the two of them weren¡¯t making much noise, their actions were enough to attract one or two pairs of eyes. Those who saw them were whispering to each other. When Xiaoguo saw this, she started struggling more vigorously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. There will be more people looking at us later.¡±


    As soon as Jiang Danhe finished speaking, Xiaoguo immediately became obedient. She pressed herself against his back like a quail and hid her face against his neck.


    Jiang Danhe stole a glance at her and was amused by her cute behavior. He held back his laughter and said solemnly, ¡°Look at your cold feet. Aren¡¯t you afraid of falling sick!¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to say that she wasn¡¯t afraid. She had healing powers. What was there to be afraid of? But when she saw his worried side profile, her heart softened. She pretended to be weak and said, ¡°¡­ Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you are afraid!¡± Jiang Danhe was stubborn but soft-hearted. He did not let go of her feet. Even though the back of his hand was turning red from the wind, the warmth in his palm was still as hot as ever. It passed through his palm to Xiaoguo¡¯s feet.


    Xiaoguo wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself tightly against his back. Her heart was filled with joy.


    After the two of them left, a girl not too far away from them took off her bamboo hat, revealing her teary eyes. She looked at the couple leaving in the distance. The sadness in her heart turned into tears that flowed down her face. It was impossible to tell if they were tears or rainwater.


    She didn¡¯t look away until the two figures had disappeared. In her mind was the back of the man she couldn¡¯t forget. ¡°If only the woman on his back was me¡­¡±


    The girl muttered to herself.

 Chapter 324 - 324 Rainbow After the Rain

    324 Rainbow After the Rain


    At this moment, a woman suddenly called out to her and reminded her kindly, ¡°Zhizhi, you dropped your seaweed.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi came back to her senses and looked down expressionlessly. Then, she slowly picked up the seaweed and walked home silently.


    ¡°Hey, are you not gathering seafood anymore?!¡±


    No matter how the auntie called out to her, she remained silent as if she had lost her soul.


    After getting on the shore, a chill hit her as the sea breeze blew. The girl trembled uncontrollably. Then, she looked down at her equally drenched feet in a daze and muttered to herself again, ¡°If only it was me¡­¡±


    The auntie, who was not far away, shook her head regretfully. ¡°What a nice girl. But she seemed to have lost her soul recently. How pitiful¡­¡±


    On the other side, Jiang Danhe carried Xiaoguo on his back and returned to Xiao Zhu¡¯s house as quickly as possible. He also placed her on the bed and carefully covered her with a blanket. After making sure that she was tightly bundled up, he reminded her, ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll make ginger soup for you and Xiao Zhu.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Seeing her nod, Jiang Danhe left the house in relief.


    After he left, Xiaoguo hugged the blanket and rolled around happily. She didn¡¯t stop until she was wrapped up like a ball.


    After she drank the ginger soup, Jiang Danhe ordered her to wrap herself tightly in the blanket and sweat it out before unwrapping herself.


    Xiaoguo nodded in agreement. She wrapped herself up in the blanket before his eyes, revealing only her facial features. She looked as cute as a silkworm baby.


    Jiang Danhe felt like he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so he quickly suppressed his laughter and left.


    While he was cooking the ginger soup, he found a big pot and a bundle of firewood beside it. After asking Xiao Zhu about it, he started boiling some water for Xiaoguo to take a hot bath. After all, she had gotten drenched in seawater so she should drink a bowl of ginger soup and take a hot bath to ward off the cold.


    After boiling two large pots of hot water, Jiang Danhe poured everything into the bathtub and went to call Xiaoguo.


    ¡°A bath? Is there a bathtub?¡±


    Xiaoguo peeked through the blanket and spoke in a daze.


    ¡°I found an unused tub that was filled with junk in a corner. It¡¯s inconspicuous.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. She was wrapped too tightly in and was starting to feel a little drowsy. As she had problems sitting up, she tried to get up by twisting around in a comical manner. It made Jiang Danhe laugh out loud.


    ¡°Stop laughing and help me out¡­¡±


    For some reason, the blanket seemed to have gotten stuck to her body. No matter how hard she tried to break free, she couldn¡¯t get herself unwrapped from the blanket. At this moment, Jiang Danhe was still laughing at the side. Xiaoguo was so anxious that her face turned red and she could only shout in exasperation.


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Jiang Danhe stopped smiling and pursed his lips as he helped to get her out from the blanket.


    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡± Xiaoguo was so tired that she was panting when she finally managed to free herself. Looking at the other party¡¯s twisted handsome face, she said aggrievedly, ¡°Go ahead and laugh if you want to. Why are you holding it in?¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, the corners of his mouth curled up. He gently straightened the messy hair on her forehead and said gently, ¡°Hurry up and take a shower. The water will turn cold soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiaoguo got out of bed energetically and walked out with a change of clothes.


    Jiang Danhe looked at her back and smirked. ¡°If you need help to scrub your back, just call me.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and said two words without turning around.


    ¡°Get lost¡­¡±


    She closed the door and sat comfortably in the bathtub. Fortunately, she had brought along her scented soap. When she gets on the boat tomorrow, she will clean up nicely and make Jiang Danhe feel proud of her.


    She raised her arm and rubbed the pink soap against her skin. Then, she rinsed herself with water. The foam dissipated to reveal her milky white skin. She couldn¡¯t help but lean closer and smell herself. ¡°Smells wonderful¡­¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such a beautiful body. Jiang Danhe can wait another few decades for it!¡±


    Xiaoguo laughed shyly. Not that she was bragging, but she had stayed out of the sun all year round. As a result, her fair skin had become even fairer. She was a little envious of Jiang Danhe¡ªhe was lucky to have gotten himself a tender little wife¡­


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Where¡¯s my seafood? Where¡¯s the seafood?¡±


    After taking a shower, she suddenly thought of her seafood. And she didn¡¯t see Xiao Zhu anywhere. She couldn¡¯t find her in the attic either.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, where¡¯s the seafood?¡±


    Jiang Danhe handed her another cup of hot tea and scolded her helplessly, ¡°Your hair is wet. Aren¡¯t you worried about getting sick?¡±


    As he spoke, he helped her dry her hair.


    ¡°Yes I am¡­ where¡¯s my seafood?¡±


    Xiaoguo was pulled to a stool by him. She was still thinking about the seafood. She had picked a whole basket full of seafood. There was enough for her to prepare a seafood feast.


    Jiang Danhe exerted strength in his hand and almost pulled her hair off. Xiaoguo snorted in dissatisfaction and started fidgeting around.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll be gentle.¡±


    Jiang Danhe heaved a sigh of relief and regained his composure.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance!¡±


    Xiaoguo had started behaving petulantly whenever she was with Jiang Danhe. It was completely unlike her usual self.


    ¡°Got it, Madam¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe responded cooperatively and looked at her helplessly from behind. What a little devil. She only had eyes for that bag of seafood.


    He sighed in his heart, but his hands did not stop moving. He was really afraid that she would catch a cold. An adult like her did not know how to take care of herself at all. But she was always very concerned about others.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my seafood?¡±


    For the umpteenth time, Xiaoguo asked about the seafood. She was surprised that Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t say anything. She was starting to think that he had thrown it away.


    ¡°Xiao Zhu will bring it to the village chief¡¯s house and get someone to cook them.¡±


    Jiang Danhe put down the towel and explained to her.


    ¡°For lunch?¡±


    ¡°For lunch.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Haha! I can taste the seafood I picked myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Are they going to taste especially good?¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled at the smiling woman. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would have thought that she had caught the seafood herself from the sea.


    ¡°Of course, the fruits of one¡¯s labor are the sweetest¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo said matter-of-factly. Although she had only picked them up from the beach, she was the one who brought them back after all. It made no difference.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, it¡¯s time to eat¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu had just returned with lunch when an amazing fragrance wafted over. Xiaoguo took a deep whiff and replied happily, ¡°You¡¯re here¡­¡±


    When the two of them walked to the dining table, Xiao Zhu had already placed the dishes on the table. There were three dishes, one soup, and a plate of steamed buns. The dishes were all made from the seafood that Xiaoguo had harvested in the morning.


    There was seaweed salad, stir-fried sea cucumbers with sauce, green pepper octopus, and sea fish soup.


    ¡°Delicious, delicious¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo took a good look. They smelled very good. The cook must be a master chef!


    Jiang Danhe was charmed by her cuteness again. Did she eat the dishes with her eyes again?


    ¡°Who¡¯s the chef?¡±


    Xiao Zhu shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know him. The master who lives in the village chief¡¯s house brought him here.¡±


    Xiaoguo glanced at Jiang Danhe. ¡°Master must be referring to Shao Zhan. The imperial chef brought by the emperor?¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded silently at her, as if confirming her guess.


    The villagers did not know their exact identities. They only knew that they were rich officials from the capital. Other than the village chief, no one else knew.


    Xiaoguo knew that the dishes were made by the imperial chef, so she ate a lot. She was prepared to pick up a few cooking skills while she was at it. As expected of an imperial chef, the dishes were beautiful, fragrant, and delicious. Even a simple vegetarian dish could be transformed into something magical.


    Zhuang Zhuang still did not show his face. Fortunately, she knew that he was with Xiaoyi. Otherwise, she would have been worried sick.


    The light rain had stopped earlier than the Imperial Astronomer¡¯s prediction¡ªit stopped in the evening. Moreover, a super-large rainbow appeared right after, spanning across the sea, looking very beautiful.


    Xiao Zhu had seen this scene many times. It was not surprising for rainbows to appear after the rain.


    However, it had been a long time since Xiaoguo had seen such a dazzling rainbow. Without bothering to eat, she dragged Jiang Danhe to the beach to admire the rainbow.


    ¡°Run slower. Don¡¯t fall.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was like a worried old mother. Afraid that Xiaoguo would fall, he stayed close by her side.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Look! The rainbow is so beautiful¡­¡±

 Chapter 325 - 325 Boarding the Boat

    325 Boarding the Boat


    Jiang Danhe glanced at her and then at the rainbow casually. Rainy days were commonplace and he didn¡¯t think that they were beautiful, but the person in front of him looked more dazzling than the rainbow.


    ¡°How beautiful! What do you think?¡±


    Xiaoguo admired and exclaimed at the scene for a long time. She did not hear Jiang Danhe¡¯s voice, so she asked for his opinion.


    ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t turn around. She looked at the rainbow and nodded. It was indeed beautiful.


    ¡°Beautiful.¡± Jiang Danhe suddenly leaned close to her ear and repeated himself.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo smiled shyly and pretended not to hear him. She continued to admire the rainbow, but her ears betrayed her calm facade. They had gradually turned from pink to red.


    Jiang Danhe even gave her a deliberate nudge, and that made Xiaoguo roll her eyes at him. Even though she was annoyed at him, he was kept amused for a long time.


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, Xiaoguo packed her stuff and looked around to see if she had left anything behind. When she turned around, she saw Xiao Zhu standing at the door.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu rubbed her eyes. She knew that this was probably the last time they would see each other. She was a little reluctant to see her go. Although the other party had only stayed here for two nights, these were the two nights where she slept the most soundly. She felt incredibly at ease during her sleep.


    ¡°Xiao Zhu, when I return, I might have to stay at your house for a day. Do you remember our agreement to catch seafood together?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stand to see the girl crying. After teasing her, she continued, ¡°The next time we meet, I¡¯ll introduce you to my son. He¡¯s a four-year-old boy.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had been staying with Xiaoyi all this while, and Xiao Zhu had yet to meet him. She could only introduce him to her when they returned.


    When they returned, she was planning to stay At Xiao Zhu¡¯s place for another day with Zhuang Zhuang. She would take the opportunity to catch some seafood and bring them back home. She had already discussed this with Jiang Danhe, and he had agreed. He would make the necessary arrangements when the time came.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ve wanted to get to know Zhuang Zhuang for a long time. You have to come back. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Towards the end, Xiao Zhu looked a little lonely. Looking like she had something on her mind, she seemed rather forlorn.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo walked to her side and promised that she would return. That managed to cheer Xiao Zhu up again.


    All good things must come to an end. Xiao Zhu did not have the courage to send Xiaoguo to the beach to board the ship. She stood alone at the door and watched the departing figure. She muttered to herself, ¡°You must come back¡­¡±


    As expected, Xiaoguo had dressed up meticulously on this day. Besides surprising everyone, even Jiang Danhe took some time to recover from his shock. As she had only dressed up after dinner, he did not expect Xiaoguo to turn up at the beach looking so beautiful.


    She had personally sewn the simple but fairy-like outfit. The design was referenced from an ancient dress that she had seen from somewhere. The hem of the dress swayed with every step she took. The pastel pink and blue shades on her dress, matched with the little white flowers make for a pretty sight. She was definitely the star among the crowd.


    The most eye-catching thing about her was her hair that was tied into a bun. It was neat and elegant, unlike the other women¡¯s hairdos that looked boring and old-fashioned. For some reason, the hairstyle looked very good on her.


    Coupled with a simple jade hairpin and ruby earrings, she looked elegant, natural, energetic and beautiful.


    This was the first time Jiang Danhe had seen Xiaoguo style her hair into a proper woman¡¯s bun. He didn¡¯t expect her to look so pretty.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s big eyes followed the gazes of the crowd. At a glance, he saw the figure he had been yearning for day and night. He waved his hands excitedly. Due to the fact that there were many people around, he did not call out loudly. Instead, he called out to Xiaoguo silently in his heart.


    Perhaps due to their telepathic connection as mother and son, Xiaoguo saw Zhuang Zhuang waving at her at a glance. She raised her arms and waved back at him.


    Her slightly loose sleeves revealed her fair and unblemished skin when she raised her arm. She was also wearing a jade bracelet on her wrist. The combination of the two colors were strikingly beautiful and it attracted a lot of attention from the people around them.


    The men were interested in her, but when they saw her hairstyle, they became unsure about her identity. Some women who were envious of her looks hid their jealousy and secretly cursed her for being a vixen. Other women tried to find out her identity and tried to get close to her. It was their intention to know more about her beauty regime and also to find out where she got her clothes from.


    A small commotion came from the crowd, startling Shao Zhan, who had boarded the ship first.


    At this moment, he was using a pair of binoculars to observe the situation on the sea. When he heard the voices behind him, he did not put down the binoculars. Instead, he kept them in front of his eyes while he turned around. He spotted Xiaoguo at a glance. When he got a good look at her, he was stunned by what he saw. Then, he locked his gaze on Jiang Danhe, who was standing nearby. As expected, he saw a jealous expression on the other party¡¯s face. He could not help but snicker and put down the binoculars. This kid was truly blessed.


    Hearing the emperor¡¯s sudden laughter, the ministers beside him were confused. They looked at each other, but no one dared to ask any questions. Therefore, they only laughed along with the emperor. The scenario at that moment was very interesting indeed.


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Before all the men could look at Xiaoguo, he strode over. No matter how Li Shouji called out to him, he didn¡¯t seem to hear him. He avoided the crowd and walked towards her.


    Li Shouji let out a long sigh. He was so tired. Even now, he didn¡¯t have the time to say hello to his sister-in-law. It was all Jiang Danhe¡¯s fault. The man was busy spending time with his wife, but he had left him with a pile of work. Li Shouji had no choice. He was destined to lead a tough life¡­


    ¡°Are you done with your work?¡±


    Jiang Danhe had his arms wrapped around Xiaoguo¡¯s shoulder as he led her towards the ship. She looked at his serious expression and asked in confusion.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll bring you up the ship first.¡±


    His voice was a little stiff. Xiaoguo sensed that something was wrong and looked at him strangely. What was going on?


    Xiaoguo followed him onto the boat silently. When she saw Shao Zhan, she wanted to bow, but Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t give her a chance. He brought her straight to a particularly quiet corner. ¡°Wait for me here obediently. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t a fool. How could she not understand his obvious intentions? After the man left, she snickered. It seemed that she hadn¡¯t dressed up for nothing. The effect was surprisingly good.


    On the huge passenger ship, Shao Zhan was the first to board and he stood at the bow. The ministers boarded the ship subsequently and stood behind him.


    The women were arranged to be seated at the back of the ship. Xiaoguo was sitting on a stool that Jiang Danhe had brought for her. She was wearing a fisherman¡¯s hat that covered most of her face. Holding a fishing rod with a bucket at her feet, she looked like an angler.


    When other women saw her, they immediately started speculating. Was this the frivolously dressed woman whom they spotted earlier?


    Without looking at her outfit, and judging by her equipment, it was within expectations for other women to avoid any contact with her. After all, the ministers who were invited to accompany the emperor on his trip to the summer resort were of high status. Their female partners which they brought along, were either their wives or concubines. With their noble statuses, they would definitely avoid close contact with a fisherman.


    ¡°She¡¯s actually the general¡¯s first wife?¡±


    The woman¡¯s tone was filled with disdain. She seemed very surprised to know that the great general¡¯s wife was fishing here without any regard for her image. What a pity for the handsome general.


    Not far away, a woman recognized the woman who spoke. She was just a lowly concubine, yet she dared to criticize the general¡¯s wife. This woman must be tired of living.


    At the thought of this, the woman said disdainfully, ¡°Keep your mouth shut if you have nothing better to say. Don¡¯t pollute the air.¡±


    The woman who had spoken earlier froze for a second. It was obvious that those words were targeted at her. Since this woman was a favored concubine, she did not have a good temper. She immediately shook her sleeves and turned around, ready to retort. A sour expression was imprinted on her face instantly. But when she saw who had made the remarks, she swallowed her words unwillingly.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    The woman snorted softly. At this point in time, all the women present, whether they were wives or concubines, did not dare to breathe loudly. These women who often attended such events were all very perceptive. How could they not recognize this woman?

 Chapter 326 - 326 Docking The Ship

    326 Docking The Ship


    Just as the atmosphere was getting awkward, one of the ladies, who was second only to her status, changed the topic. Only then did the others dared to catch their breath.


    The woman looked at the lady, who was walking towards her, and felt relieved. She had to give the Grand Commandant¡¯s wife her deserved respect.


    The atmosphere here had improved, but in the corner, Xiaoguo was getting impatient. What was Jiang Danhe up to? Besides making her dress up like this, he even told her not to move at all. She had already told him that she wasn¡¯t going to fish anymore, but he insisted on handing her a fishing rod and asked her to focus on fishing until he came over.


    She didn¡¯t manage to catch a single fish even though her hands had already turned numb. If the ship was stationery, she might be able to catch a few. However, how could she catch anything on a moving ship? Just imagine, if a fish was about to bite the bait, but the hook suddenly started moving. The fish would have to chase after the hook in order to take a bite.


    Once again, Xiaoguo felt something bite on her bait. She lifted her rod, but there was nothing on the line. From getting excited to feeling numb, she was starting to get used to it.


    After sticking the fishing rod on the ship and making sure that it was secure, she stopped fishing completely. Admiring the beautiful scenery was much more enjoyable.


    Unlike the big yachts in modern times which were equipped with dining and leisure facilities, the ship only came with the basic amenities. Although it was a single-level ship, it was very spacious. There were seats, refreshments, and tables for the women to relieve their boredom.


    Traveling at a moderate speed, it ensured that the passengers were able to reach the island as soon as possible while enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way.


    Xiaoguo did see the sunrise when she boarded the ship in the morning, but the most charming thing to see while out at sea was probably the sunset. Since they were getting off the ship before noon, she would have to watch the sunset on the island.


    Feeling bored, Xiaoguo looked behind her. The ladies from various families were gathered in small groups and chatting over tea. She was the only one fishing here alone. Just thinking about it made her feel sad.


    However, she wasn¡¯t keen to join them. She was seated not very far from them. Although they were speaking in lowered voices, she could still hear them. They were talking about rouge, fabrics, concubines, and even sharing intimate stuff from their boudoir. These people really dared to talk about anything under the sun.


    Xiaoguo lost interest after hearing some of their conversation. As expected, the content of television dramas were inspired by life in reality. She had thought that the family dramas on television were a little exaggerated, but they don¡¯t seem so exaggerated to her now. The legitimate wives would gather to insult the concubines, and the concubines would plot to bring down the legitimate wives. The complicated plans and schemes that they came up with was truly shocking to hear.


    She retracted her gaze and looked at the sea again. Fortunately, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t have any concubines. If he did, she probably wouldn¡¯t last longer than two episodes.


    Speaking of which, she was suddenly reminded of Jiang Danhe. The men and women were seated separately on the ship. With a sail in the middle, they couldn¡¯t see each other at all. He mentioned that he would come back to look for her but it was more likely that she would only see him after they alighted the ship. She was now left alone to guard the fishing rod and listen to the gossip among the women.


    It was unknown which minister¡¯s concubine was spouting nonsense at the moment. She was talking about everything, including taboo subjects like intimate affairs in the bedroom. She even asked the other concubines for advice. From time to time, one could hear them giggling in the background. The wives nearby were rolling their eyes in exasperation.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued. But her interest did not lie in the women¡¯s discussion. She was more interested in watching the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces and looking at the clothes they were wearing.


    The wives were dressed modestly, and their every move coupled with their rolling eyes were proof that they were the legitimate wives.


    On the other hand, the concubines were dressed coquettishly and their every move revealed that they were the favored ones in the household.


    There were also some girls who were dressed in more youthful-looking attires. Xiaoguo could easily tell whether they were the daughters of the wives or the concubines.


    Humans were really strange creatures. It was easy to tell whether one was favored or not by looking at their facial expressions. Those fortune tellers probably relied on this to make their predictions.


    Just as Xiaoguo was getting excited, a submissive figure in the corner caught her eye.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Xiaoguo lifted the hat that was in the way and looked at the woman carefully. The women who came on this ship were the favored ones in their household. Her clothes were very beautiful, but the style looked slightly dated and the colors were a little dull. She must have worn them for many years. Moreover, her skin was a little dark. She did not look like a pampered lady at all.


    Who exactly was she?


    Just as Xiaoguo was engrossed in her thoughts, the other party suddenly looked in her direction. Xiaoguo was shocked and was about to look away in embarrassment. Unexpectedly, the other party looked away in panic. Xiaoguo was stunned. What was going on? Shouldn¡¯t she be the one feeling awkward? Why did the other party look so guilty?


    ¡°We¡¯re here, we¡¯re here.¡±


    At this moment, someone spotted the land in the distance and said loudly. Of course, it was probably one of the concubines who said it. Otherwise, all the wives would not be wearing a look of disdain on their faces.


    Xiaoguo also saw that they were about to reach land, so she quickly sat down and held onto something for support. She was afraid that the inertia of the ship stopping would throw her off balance.


    As for the other women, some of them were keen to check things out. They stood up quickly and ran to the side to look at the destination while gesturing excitedly. They were very happy and did not sense any danger at all.


    Xiaoguo looked at them and wanted to warn them of the danger. She stopped a group of girls nearby and told them to sit tight, telling them that it might get bumpy while the ship was docking. Unexpectedly, after hearing her words, the girls looked at her in disdain and walked away. Without looking back, they went ahead to check things out with their friends.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s kindness had gone unappreciated. She retracted her gaze and held on to her seat. She had already warned them and It was none of her business whether they took her advice or not.


    While the women¡¯s section was bustling with activity, it was not so lively on the other side. When the men saw that the ship was about to stop, they automatically held on to the wooden planks. Jiang Danhe looked worriedly at the other side. He wondered if Xiaoguo knew what to do. He had forgotten to remind her about being careful.


    As soon as the ship stopped, it swayed a little due to the force of inertia. Although it was not a big movement, the resulting impact was quite substantial. The passengers on Jiang Danhe¡¯s side were safe and sound, but those on the women¡¯s side were screaming in fright. The other ministers frowned when they heard this, seemingly embarrassed by the behavior of their family members.


    Only Jiang Danhe looked over worriedly. Once the ship stopped moving completely, he started walking over. However, considering that there were unmarried girls, Jiang Danhe stopped himself and stood anxiously at the entrance of the ship.


    When the women finally stopped screaming, Xiaoguo put down her hands. It was unbelievable that she was able to hear them even when she covered her ears.


    It took a while for the group of young ladies to calm down. Having grown up in a sheltered environment, these girls had never encountered such a situation before. They were so frightened that their faces turned pale. Everyone looked very pitiful. When they saw Xiaoguo¡¯s calm expression, they felt a trace of guilt. If only they had listened to her a while ago.


    Xiaoguo had no time to care about their thoughts. All she could think about was Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang. She wondered if the two of them had held onto something while the ship was docking.


    After the ship was docked, she got up anxiously, wanting to take a peek at the other side. Just when she reached the sails and was about to peek out, she saw a face. Because it was so close when she tried to focus, she ended up with crossed eyes.


    Jiang Danhe thought that she looked super cute, so he laughed. Xiaoguo was a little embarrassed. She stood up shyly and deliberately asked, ¡°Which woman are you peeping at?!¡±


    Jiang Danhe also stood up. Just a few moments ago, he had just seen a small figure sneaking over towards the men¡¯s section. Although the sail was thick, it was slightly translucent. The sun was shining from her side, so he could see her actions clearly.


    Hearing her question, he knew that she was fuming because of embarrassment. Hence, Jiang Danhe cleared his throat and said, ¡°I was trying to see you of course, little woman.¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel a little shy. She looked around carefully. Fortunately, everyone¡¯s attention was elsewhere. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing if anyone heard him.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t think much of it. There was nothing to be shy about since he was talking to his wife.


    Xiaoguo laughed at his thick skin. She really had to hand it to him.

 Chapter 327 - 327 Island Tour

    327 Island Tour


    The harmonious scene was painful to watch for a secret onlooker.


    She couldn¡¯t help but imagine that she was in a romantic relationship with Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°Are we going to take the carriage after we get off the ship, or are we going to walk to the resort?¡±


    Jiang Danhe held Xiaoguo¡¯s hand as they got off the boat. Although the ground was stable, he was worried about her falling.


    ¡°No carriages. We will just walk.¡±


    After Jiang Danhe helped her down, he led her beside him and they walked in close proximity to Shao Zhan. It was not a good idea to have the women folks follow closely behind the emperor. But Jiang Danhe was worried about Xiaoguo being too independent. If she tripped and fell behind the entourage, no one would notice it. It was better for her to walk with him.


    ¡°Where is the entrance to the summer resort?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked curiously in a low voice. They had been walking for a while. Along the way, the trees were well-manicured and the roads were clean. If she didn¡¯t know beforehand that the place was a small island, she would have thought that they were in a big park.


    ¡°This island is called a summer resort. It doesn¡¯t come with a gate, so getting off the ship is equivalent to entering the place.¡±


    Xiaoguo gasped and said in a low voice, ¡°Then we won¡¯t be sleeping outdoors, will we?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Jiang Danhe pinched her cheek in amusement. ¡°There¡¯s a place for us to stay. We¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. As long as they weren¡¯t camping, she was relieved!


    ¡°This place is bigger than I imagined, but also smaller than what I thought.¡± Jiang Danhe said something that sounded confusing. Then, he smiled and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯ll show you around later.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. After all, she was walking by Shao Zhan¡¯s side and was surrounded by ministers. This was already considered an anomaly. Moreover, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t care about what others were thinking and was holding on to her hand. The two of them were already being very conspicuous and Shao Zhan was turning a blind eye to their behavior. The two of them must try their best to keep a low profile.


    Sure enough, they did not have to walk far before an antique-looking house appeared in front of them. It was decorated with blue and vermilion tiles. The carved beams and brightly painted doors were now right in front of them.


    Together with Xiaoguo, everyone who was here for the first time couldn¡¯t help but gasp. It was an amazing sight.


    The size of the building was very spectacular, and it was surrounded by the natural beauty of nature. Just standing there made one feel refreshed.


    There were already people waiting for their arrival. When they saw Shao Zhan and the group, they knelt down and paid their respects. Then, the people in charge began to assign the rooms. Based on the minister¡¯s posts, the rooms were assigned accordingly around the periphery of the Dragon Hall.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were led into a room slightly to the right of the Dragon Hall. Before entering, Xiaoguo took a look at Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi¡¯s room. It wasn¡¯t far away, but it was situated on the left side of the main hall. There was no need to say anything about the luxurious hall in the middle. That must be Shao Zhan¡¯s room.


    ¡°This place is really not bad!¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she took out a shawl from her bag.


    She didn¡¯t feel it when she got off the ship, but now that she had reached the center of the resort, she suddenly felt a little cold. As expected of a summer resort, the temperatures here were completely different from the mainland.


    ¡°Do you need a break?¡±


    Jiang Danhe took the shawl and put it on her. As he helped her tidy up her outfit, he asked.


    ¡°No need. Didn¡¯t you promise to bring me around? Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t wait to go out and take a look. It was so cool. To think that the summer resort was the name of an entire island.


    In order to avoid the heat, they had developed an unnamed island into a summer sanctuary. How extravagant.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± With that, Jiang Danhe led Xiaoguo out. When they passed by the door, he informed the guards on duty before leaving.


    ¡°By the way, don¡¯t you have to accompany the emperor?¡±


    When Xiaoguo saw the guards, she remembered that Jiang Danhe was an official. It didn¡¯t seem appropriate that he was walking around the island instead of accompanying the emperor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My service is only required while traveling. Once we reach the destination, I am free to move around.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. Shall we bring Zhuang Zhuang along?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to bring him. Maybe next time. Xiaoyi won¡¯t let him go either.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe said that, Xiaoguo nodded in understanding. This was not an exaggeration. Xiaoyi was indeed very clingy towards Zhuang Zhuang. She had seen them during the journey and Zhuang Zhuang could not even find time to look for her.


    The two of them chose a main road and started their island tour.


    Along the way, the roads were clean and even. The trees and grass patches looked like they had been carefully manicured. It was completely different from what Xiaoguo had imagined. She thought that the island would be overgrown with weeds and infested with pests.


    ¡°This place is so clean. Has anyone cleaned it before we came?¡±


    ¡°The group of people we met when we came in were the palace servants stationed here. They are in charge of maintaining the safety and cleanliness of the island. They are not allowed to leave the island for the rest of their lives.¡±


    After hearing his explanation, Xiaoguo felt a little conflicted. Being made to stay forever on this island, these people were isolated from the world. To live in such a beautiful place where they did not have to worry about their daily meals, she wondered if it was a good thing.


    Jiang Danhe glanced at her and said, ¡°These people are actually family members of convicted officials. The current emperor has a compassionate heart and abides by the principle of not executing the families of criminal officials. Therefore, their families were all sent here. Every day, they have to sweep the grounds, clean the rooms, prune the trees, and clear weeds. This is a punishment and also a favor bestowed by the emperor.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard his explanation, she was instantly enlightened. Although these people were not allowed to leave the island and had to live under surveillance, it was definitely better than execution, exile or being sent to the borders to serve as military prostitutes.


    The environment here was beautiful, the work was simple. There was also no need to worry about one¡¯s meals. How could anyone despise the monotonous and boring life? This was already the best ending for the families of the convicted.


    They should be feeling grateful instead of blaming the heavens.


    After walking for a while, Jiang Danhe stopped and pointed to the uphill area. ¡°Are you curious about why I told you that the island is neither big nor small?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious!¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded frantically. She was dying of curiosity.


    ¡°Hold my hand.¡±


    Xiaoguo held his hand tightly and gave him a look that said, ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled and suddenly started running with her in tow.


    Xiaoguo cried out in fear and followed his footsteps excitedly. They held each other¡¯s hands tightly and picked up speed. Their laughter rang through the clouds. The further they ran, the narrower the path became. Because of Jiang Danhe, Xiaoguo ran very steadily. A joy that she had never felt before radiated from her heart. The more she ran, the more energetic she became.


    Jiang Danhe occasionally turned around to look at her. After confirming that there was no problem, he accelerated for the last time and headed straight for the peak.


    Xiaoguo came to a stop abruptly. Her breathing was erratic and her heart was beating so fast that she felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. She panted and said, ¡°What are we doing here?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was feeling fine. His breathing was just a little unsteady. ¡°Look down.¡±


    Xiaoguo listened to him and looked down. Immediately, a bird¡¯s-eye view of the island appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe laughed at her exclamation. ¡°How is it? Is the island big or small?¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped exclaiming and looked at the island seriously. It was indeed neither big nor small. ¡°It¡¯s medium-sized.¡±


    It was just right.


    ¡°Hahahahahaha¡­¡± Jiang Danhe suddenly laughed out loud.


    Xiaoguo nudged him shyly. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Wiping away his tears of laughter, Jiang Danhe stretched out his arm and pointed out the route the two of them had just taken.


    Earlier on, the two of them were chatting continuously as they walked. They had not expected to travel across a third of the island.


    ¡°That¡¯s where we got off the ship. That¡¯s where we are staying. We came from this side just now. When we have time, we can go there and take a look. I heard that there¡¯s a beautiful flower field. And over that side¡­¡±


    As Xiaoguo listened to Jiang Danhe speak, she stole a glance at him. This guy had actually prepared a dating guide. It seemed that her legs would become slimmer in the next few days.

 Chapter 328 - 328 Demoness in the Deep Forest

    328 Demoness in the Deep Forest


    On the way back, the two of them chatted and laughed. As soon as they arrived at their residence, they were informed by the guard that Li Shouji had been waiting for them in the house for four hours.


    ¡°Four hours?¡±


    Puzzled, Xiaoguo repeated the question.


    ¡°Yes, four hours.¡±


    The guard¡¯s answer was firm. Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at each other. It didn¡¯t feel like that much time had passed. How could four hours have passed during that short while? They didn¡¯t think that they had walked for so long.


    ¡°Wow¡­ You¡¯re finally back!¡±


    Li Shouji was starting to feel sad for himself. He had been waiting in the house for so long. Finally, they came back before he turned into stone.


    ¡°Why are you looking for us?¡±


    Jiang Danhe asked curiously. Unexpectedly, Li Shouji looked at Xiaoguo and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, I haven¡¯t had the chance to say hello to you over the past few days. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know you¡¯re busy.¡±


    Xiaoguo said with a smile. Li Shouji wanted to say more to her, but he was quickly interrupted by Jiang Danhe. ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Shouji said confidently. ¡°Why would I come to visit you if I had nothing to tell you?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I just wanted to say hello to Sister-in-law and have a meal with you two.¡± Before Jiang Danhe¡¯s patience ran out, he told him his purpose of visiting.


    Of course, eventually he could not escape from Jiang Danhe¡¯s beating. He actually waited for four hours to say this. He must have nothing better to do.


    Xiaoguo rubbed her stomach and realized that she was feeling a little hungry. Since four hours had passed, it must be past lunchtime now. In a few hours¡¯ time, it would be time for dinner.


    And Li Shouji actually waited so long for them. When they didn¡¯t come back, he didn¡¯t eat as well. There was no other choice. The three of them were already starving before dinner time. They could only get someone to prepare dinner in advance.


    After having a satisfying meal, Li Shouji left happily.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see the flower fields tomorrow and bring Zhuang Zhuang along.¡±


    Before going to bed, Xiaoguo said to Jiang Danhe. It had been a few days since she last saw Zhuang Zhuang. She missed him so much.


    ¡°Got it. Go to sleep.¡±


    Jiang Danhe also missed Zhuang Zhuang, but he could go visit him whenever he wished. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t do that.


    With his assurance, Xiaoguo fell asleep in satisfaction.


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, Jiang Danhe brought Zhuang Zhuang back, with Xiaoyi tagging along. The three of them returned together.


    It was a lively scene. Originally, there were only two people, but now there were four of them. Halfway through, it became a five person group.


    The group members were Xiaoguo, Jiang Danhe, Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoyi, and Li Shouji, who had joined the group halfway.


    Over the past few days, he didn¡¯t have much time to spare. Now that he had time, he spent all his days hanging around Jiang Danhe. No matter how much beating he received from the man, he simply refused to leave his side.


    ¡°Aiya, so what if I¡¯m following you? The four of you are going together. What¡¯s wrong with bringing me along?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was determined to shake him off, but Li Shouji was like a piece of plaster that he couldn¡¯t shake off.


    ¡°Alright, just let him follow us. The more the merrier.¡±


    Since Xiaoguo had spoken, Jiang Danhe could only give up.


    Hence, the five of them headed for their first destination, the flower fields.


    The air at the fields was very refreshing. The scorching sun was blocked by the towering trees, revealing only filtered rays of sunlight. The heat was completely blocked out by the shade. In the background, the birds were chirping and leaves were fluttering in the breeze. The scent of the trees and earth was Xiaoguo¡¯s favorite woody fragrance. It was an intoxicating setting.


    Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang skipped to the front. In the meanwhile, Li Shouji walked beside Xiaoguo callously, intruding into the small space between her and Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I saw you dressed so beautifully yesterday morning. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off you. In my opinion, even fairies can¡¯t compare to your beauty.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Xiaoguo was thin-skinned to begin with. With Li Shouji shamelessly praising her, she was starting to feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Li Shouji sang her praises continuously. Xiaoguo felt a chill travel down her spine and could only smile awkwardly.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s patience was at its limit. Just now, he didn¡¯t make any moves in consideration of the two children in front of him. However, when he received his wife¡¯s gaze, he couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and began to move his hands in preparation.


    Xiaoguo immediately stepped forward and took the two children¡¯s hands, before speeding forward with them.


    Li Shouji was even thinking of getting closer to Xiaoguo to chat with her. Unexpectedly, Jiang Danhe stopped him from leaving.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wearing an innocent look on his face, Li Shouji still didn¡¯t know what was coming for him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Mother? Why aren¡¯t Father and Uncle Shouji following us?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had walked quite a distance when he suddenly realized that the two men were missing from the group. Before Xiaoguo could speak, Xiaoyi suddenly hugged her leg nervously. His entire body was trembling uncontrollably.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xiaoyi?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t understand. The boy was fine earlier on. What had come over him all of a sudden?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Although he said that, his body was very honest. After saying those words, he held on tightly to Xiaoguo again.


    Seeing him like this, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly thought of something and became inexplicably nervous. Unknowingly, he wrapped his hands around Xiaoguo¡¯s other thigh as well.


    Seeing their behavior. Xiaoguo was puzzled. She couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong.


    ¡°Mother, do you think Father and Uncle were captured by the forest demoness?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked with a trembling voice. Xiaoyi inched closer to Xiaoguo and looked at her for confirmation.


    ¡°What forest demoness?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a female demon who lives in the deep corners of the forest. Her long black hair covers her face and her white clothes are tattered. She preys on people who travel alone and captures them to eat their internal organs¡­¡±


    Towards the end, Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi shivered at the same time. It was obvious that they were frightened of the monster Zhuang Zhuang was describing.


    ¡°Pfft, haha¡­¡± Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡±


    ¡°In the book I brought with me.¡±


    Xiaoyi said from the side.


    ¡°The ghosts in the books are not real. The tales are just fabricated to deceive children. There are no monsters in this world. Don¡¯t scare yourself. The two of them have something to discuss. Therefore they are walking at a slower pace. Let¡¯s wait a while for them. How about that?¡±


    Xiaoguo was still wondering what was going on with the two boys. Now she knows.


    ¡°¡­¡± Wen Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang looked at each other and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±


    They believed Xiaoguo¡¯s words completely. She would not lie to them.


    Xiaoguo found a large rock and sat on it. Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang followed closely behind her. Although they were not afraid now, it was better to stay close to an adult.


    After a while, Xiaoguo was getting tired from waiting. Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi were getting bored too, and they started playing with a grasshopper.


    Seeing that they were having fun, and she was feeling tired from sitting for so long, Xiaoguo stood up to stretch her muscles. Just as she was humming a tune quietly to herself, she suddenly saw a white figure flash across the woods beside her. She was so frightened that she froze in an instant. Could there really be a forest demoness!


    At this moment, she heard some noise coming from ahead. Xiaoguo was so frightened that her hair was standing on end. On second thoughts, she thought that there could be some truth to it. The zombies shown in movies were real, let alone ghosts. Just because she had never seen them before did not mean that they didn¡¯t exist.


    However, she still pretended to be calm. She had just said that there were no ghosts, and now she was saying the opposite. That was as good as slapping herself in the face. Besides, she had two kids beside her. She forced herself to calm down so that she wouldn¡¯t frighten them.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t the only one who heard the noise ahead of them. Zhuang Zhuang, who had sharp ears, also heard it. Just as the thoughts of demons appeared in his mind, he stopped himself. He turned around, intending to tell Xiaoguo about it when he saw her startled expression. She looked like she had just seen a ghost.


    This time, he started panicking. He threw down the grasshopper in his hand and ran anxiously to her side. ¡°Mother, Mother?¡±

 Chapter 329 - 329 Sea of Flowers

    329 Sea of Flowers


    Xiaoyi did not understand. Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang had thrown down the grasshopper, he did the same. Feeling afraid, he ran to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and hugged her while covering his face.


    At this moment, footsteps sounded. The three of them held their breaths for a moment and looked nervously ahead. Xiaoguo was also prepared to escape with the kids in her arms.


    Soon, Jiang Danhe appeared in front of the three of them with an anxious expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xiaoguo?!¡±


    Li Shouji followed closely behind with a worried expression.


    The three of them heaved a sigh of relief. Xiaoguo was even more relieved. Her heart had finally calmed down. So it was just the two of them.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xiaoguo?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was relieved to see that Xiaoguo was fine. He was scared to death when he heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s screams.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Xiaoguo got the two children to stand up. Then, she dusted off the grass on her body and stood up.


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe was still looking worried, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She wasn¡¯t laughing at him, but at herself. She was laughing at herself for being so silly. To think that she was frightened by the thought of a demoness in the deep forest.


    The two of them were confused when they saw Xiaoguo¡¯s smile. Why was she suddenly smiling?


    ¡°Sister-in-law, are you alright?¡±


    Li Shouji asked with uncertainty.


    ¡°Why? Are you guys wishing for something to happen to me?¡±


    No matter how many times Xiaoguo explained, the two men kept asking if she was alright. She was getting annoyed by their questioning. With the two kids watching, she couldn¡¯t possibly admit that she was frightened by the demoness in the forest.


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine.¡±


    When Li Shouji heard this, he immediately laughed.


    Just like that, the group continued walking towards the flower field.


    Jiang Danhe kept looking at Xiaoguo strangely. She clearly looked startled just now. What had happened just now?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiaoguo turned around and saw Jiang Danhe looking at her. She asked curiously.


    However, Jiang Danhe shook his head and put away his thoughts to focus on playing with the kids. Very soon, they reached the flower field.


    ¡°Mother, can you smell it? What a wonderful scent¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were walking at the front. When they detected the fragrance of the flowers, they told Xiaoguo and ran towards the source of the fragrance.


    ¡°Slow down,¡± Xiaoguo said hurriedly from behind. The two boys gave her a quick response and ran off without looking back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s right ahead after the turn.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was trying to reassure her. The ground here was flat, and there were no snakes, rats, or insects. Moreover, there were quite a number of people residing on the island. Nothing could possibly go wrong.


    Despite hearing that, Xiaoguo was still a little worried. She couldn¡¯t help but quicken her pace. Jiang Danhe had no choice but to follow her.


    Only Li Shouji was left behind, sighing pitifully to himself.


    The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. Xiaoguo could detect at least seven or eight different types of floral fragrances. There were at least three or four other scents that she could not identify.


    The closer she got, the stronger the fragrance became. Xiaoguo came to the turn and was stunned by the scene in front of her.


    Jiang Danhe stopped walking and laughed when he saw Xiaoguo suddenly stop in her tracks. He looked in her direction and saw that the field was filled with colorful flowers in full bloom.


    Hundreds of flowers were blooming in a myriad of colors. It was a dazzling sight. Xiaoguo was not in a hurry to identify any particular breeds of flowers. All she cared about at that moment was the scenery in front of her.


    Such a beautiful and enchanting scene was deeply mesmerizing. Xiaoguo felt like her soul was floating in the air and rolling around in the flower fields, free and unfettered.


    ¡°What a beautiful flower field. Oh no, it should be called a sea of flowers instead.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel intoxicated. It didn¡¯t feel quite right to call it a flower field. A sea of flowers was the perfect description.


    When she was standing on the peak, the field looked pretty small. Now that she was seeing it in person, it looked quite astonishing.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi had just appeared. The two boys were running around mischievously. Although they were tossing and turning, they did not damage a single flower. They were carefully avoiding and looking out for the blooms.


    The few of them met in the flower field and admired the beautiful scenery. Even Li Shouji couldn¡¯t help but feel intoxicated. He said regretfully, ¡°If only I could jump in and roll around.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not worried about the gardener coming to get you for ruining the flowers, feel free to roll around.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said, immediately dashing his hopes. Xiaoguo and the others laughed when they heard this.


    Li Shouji shrugged and smiled without saying anything.


    Xiaoguo looked around and realized that there were no other buildings apart from a large bungalow in the area. Apart from the few of them, there was no one else around.


    ¡°Why is there no one here? Why didn¡¯t anyone from the ministers¡¯ families come to visit the flower field?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t those madams and young ladies love to admire flowers? Why didn¡¯t they come?¡±


    Before Jiang Danhe could speak, Li Shouji explained to her, ¡°They don¡¯t dare to come here. Those nobles wouldn¡¯t dare to come here.¡±


    The disdain in his voice was obvious, but Xiaoguo didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Where is this place? Why are they afraid to come? Is this a place exclusive to the emperor?¡±


    ¡°There are no carriages or sedan chairs on the island. They definitely wouldn¡¯t walk this far to see the flowers. Moreover, the families of the major criminals live here. This is taboo to them, so they would never come to this place.¡±


    Jiang Danhe explained to her from the side. Then, he pointed to the lone-standing house and said, ¡°That¡¯s where they live.¡±


    ¡°The family members of the major criminals?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him in confusion. She didn¡¯t understand how criminals could be categorized into major or minor groups.


    Jiang Danhe nodded and said softly, ¡°The families of criminals are also divided into ranks. Those who have committed minor crimes are assigned to clean the houses where we are staying. Those who have committed moderate crimes are assigned to maintain the trees and greenery on the island. Those who have committed serious crimes are assigned to plant the flowers, vegetables, and crops on the island.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo understood now. So that was the reason. Those officials did not have any guards with them, so they were afraid that the servants here would hurt them. This turned out to be a convenience for them. They had this large sea of flowers all to themselves.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe walked around the field. After they had enough fun, she asked curiously.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen the servants that you were talking about?¡±


    Jiang Danhe handed the flowers in his hand to Xiaoguo.


    After Xiaoguo took it, he smiled and explained, ¡°Because of the emperor¡¯s arrival, all guilty officials are to stay away.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Xiaoguo shook her head and smiled. She knew it. It was odd that no one was around. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not right. Yesterday, you said that the people who welcomed us were the family members of the criminals. That means they have met the emperor.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said it himself yesterday. She did not remember wrongly.


    Looking at the other party¡¯s serious expression, Jiang Danhe was finding it hard to keep a straight face. He thought that she was very cute. ¡°Those were indeed the family members of the convicted officials, but they are also the island¡¯s stewards. They were fulfilling their duties and someone had to do the work.¡±


    At this point, he paused for a moment. There was a change in his expression for a moment, but it happened so quickly that no one noticed it. Even Xiaoguo, who was closest to him, did not notice the slight and fleeting change.


    Xiaoguo nodded doubtfully, indicating for him to continue.


    Jiang Danhe came back to his senses very quickly. He retracted his gaze and continued, ¡°However, the selection process of the stewards is very strict. The candidate has to be capable and the committed offenses have to be minor. This person should also be single in order to be eligible for the position.¡±


    Jiang Danhe held on to Xiaoguo tightly and led her towards him. Then, he continued, ¡°There are very few eligible candidates. It¡¯s like looking for a needle in a haystack. It¡¯s extremely difficult. However, there are many guilty officials. After much searching, we managed to pick out more than ten people.¡±


    Feeling Jiang Danhe drag her towards him, Xiaoguo was feeling a little puzzled, but she was immediately fascinated by the number he mentioned. If it was difficult, how did they manage to pick out more than ten people? ¡°How many criminals are there?¡±


    Jiang Danhe sighed deeply and said seriously.


    ¡°¡­ There will never be a last one.¡±

 Chapter 330 - 330 Sensitive

    330 Sensitive


    After the few of them had had enough fun, it was time for lunch. Jiang Danhe had already made arrangements with the delivery man to bring over a few more portions for lunch. Therefore, they sat down on the ground and enjoyed a picnic among the sea of flowers at noon.


    ¡°I recall you saying that there was no transportation. How do you explain the carriage?¡±


    Xiaoguo pointed at the departing carriage and asked Jiang Danhe with a smile.


    Jiang Danhe explained without batting an eyelid, ¡°There are indeed no carriages or sedan chairs available for leisure purposes. However, there are a few that are being used on the island for conveying messages and delivering food. Otherwise, if there were any emergencies, it would take a long time to travel on foot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the state¡¯s property. Outsiders are prohibited from using it,¡± Xiaoguo summarized his words succinctly


    ¡°That¡¯s right. My wife is awesome!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was generous with his praise, seemingly inspired by Xiaoguo¡¯s approach towards Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s education. At some point in time, he started practicing his encouraging mode of love on Xiaoguo. He was constantly praising her for no reason. For example, ¡°You are so beautiful today, you are so cute today, I love you so much, you¡¯re so awesome¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo could only respond to him with a blush. To be honest, all his cheesy and childish praises worked really well on her.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi looked at each other, their eyes filled with doubt. When had the couple become so lovey-dovey? It was just a few days ago since they last saw them.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey¡­¡± Li Shouji put down his bowl and chopsticks and shook his arms exaggeratedly. ¡°I am having goosebumps. Do you have to be so disgusting? If you don¡¯t eat now, the food will turn cold. If you don¡¯t want to eat, give the food to me!¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up the drumstick from Jiang Danhe¡¯s bowl and started eating. Jiang Danhe did not say anything about this. ¡°Go ahead then. Who cares?¡±


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo got a bit upset. She glanced at Li Shouji and then at Jiang Danh before saying softly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you mine.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes softened and he smiled gently. ¡°You can have it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it. You can have it.¡±


    Xiaoguo picked up the drumstick and gave it to him.


    ¡°You take it.¡±


    ¡°You eat¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you eat¡­¡±


    After going back and forth a few times, the two children didn¡¯t know where to look anymore.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop it. I¡¯ll spit out the drumstick now and return it to you. Ugh¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he pretended to stick his finger down his throat and successfully got a slap from Jiang Danhe. Then, he started to act like he was in pain and covered his arm while writhing around. He kicked up a fuss and asked Jiang Danhe to take responsibility for his actions. He even said that he would not stop until he had two drumsticks.


    Li Shouji¡¯s antics successfully made the few of them laugh out loud.


    ¡ª-


    At night, Xiaoguo sat on the bed while Jiang Danhe gently washed her feet. Her legs were swollen from walking all day. He felt so sorry to see her in this state.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Xiaoguo was overjoyed to see his concern for her, but she couldn¡¯t bear to see him worry too much.


    ¡°I¡¯ll massage you for a while more to relieve your fatigue.¡± Jiang Danhe¡¯s large hands were very strong. He massaged every acupuncture point and it made her feel very comfortable.


    ¡°What exactly happened to you today?¡±


    Seeing that the other party had relaxed, Jiang Danhe tried to ask about what had frightened her so much while on the way to the flower fields. He was hoping to get an answer from her.


    Unexpectedly, when Xiaoguo heard this, her body tensed up. Jiang Danhe could clearly feel her discomfort for a moment. This made him even more curious. ¡°What had she seen to cause such a reaction? Xiaoguo was not a timid person. What could it be that could scare her like this?¡±


    Xiaoguo was silent for a long time. Then she looked at him nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should talk about this. It might not be true. Maybe it was just me thinking too much. But¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me what it is first.¡±


    Jiang Danhe massaged the acupoints on her feet that helped with relaxation as he listened to her.


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s like this. Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi told me a story today¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo told him everything she had heard and seen. Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes darkened as he listened. He only regained his composure when she was done.


    He wiped her feet clean with a smile and placed them on the bed. Then, he said, ¡°You didn¡¯t see wrongly. There was indeed someone there. It was a girl in a white dress. She was a physician that the Prime Minister¡¯s wife had brought from the fishing village. The physician that she was supposed to bring fell sick, so she could only find a replacement from the fishing village. That day, the physician happened to be strolling around, that was why you saw her there.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m relieved to hear this.¡±


    Xiaoguo patted her chest. She actually didn¡¯t believe in ghosts and gods, but it was hard not to believe in the things that happened around her. Zombies, transmigration, and various other signs made her think about beings in the parallel dimension. Now that she had heard his explanation, she finally felt more at ease. It was good to know that the person she saw was a human.


    ¡°So you¡¯re afraid of¡­ ghosts¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe was trying to be cheeky and deliberately moved closer to scare Xiaoguo.


    But who was Xiaoguo? She was someone who had hit a zombie before. Why would she be afraid of something that she couldn¡¯t see or touch? And Jiang Danhe actually dared to scare her. She definitely has to teach him a lesson!


    She suddenly pounced on Jiang Danhe and tickled him hard. The last time, she had discovered his ticklish spot, which was under his ribs. When she touched him there, he would blush and react strongly by struggling. This time, she gathered all her willpower and attacked his ribs.


    Jiang Danhe was caught off guard and was pushed to the ground by Xiaoguo. The moment she touched his ribs, he knew what she was going to do.


    As he couldn¡¯t react in time, he had no choice but to use a little force to subdue her. Previously, he was afraid of hurting her, so he tried to endure her attacks. However, when he sensed that something big was about to happen, he stopped her. If she continued tickling him, he didn¡¯t know what he would do.


    In just that short span of time, he was already blushing and panting as he looked at her smug expression. In the end, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and pinched her cheeks before walking out hurriedly with the basin.


    After Jiang Danhe left the room, he put down the basin and sat down aggrievedly. He didn¡¯t have any ticklish spots at all. The reason why he was struggling and blushing was because his¡­ sensitive spot was under his ribs.


    This silly girl was still trying to challenge his willpower. If he had left the room slightly later, his plan to have a daughter would have been moved to the top spot on the agenda.


    ¡ª-


    The plans for sightseeing were affected by some last minute changes. Jiang Danhe was kept busy in the next few days. It was said that the emperor was holding a banquet. All the ministers and their families were invited to enjoy wine, food, and dance performances at the event.


    Xiaoguo had no choice but to bring Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi to sightsee around the island. She had thought that there would be guards following her, but she didn¡¯t expect the emperor to put so much trust in her. He didn¡¯t prepare anything after handing over the crown prince to her.


    Although there were no accompanying guards, Xiaoguo wondered if there could be any secret guards like the last time?


    Hence, after taking two steps, she turned around to look at the trees and bushes. As expected, there was no one.


    ¡°Mother, what are you doing?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi had long noticed that something was wrong with her. Why was she stopping every now and then to check out the surroundings?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiaoguo dismissed her thoughts and focused on playing with the two children. It didn¡¯t really matter whether there were secret guards following them or not. In any case, she just had to do her best to protect them.


    The three of them walked and stopped along the way. They stayed close to the vicinity of the residence and did not dare to venture too far. The main reason was that they would not be able to take their meals if they wandered too far. Jiang Danhe did not know where the three of them were going so there was definitely no way he could arrange for someone to deliver food. Xiaoguo could only keep watch of the time and go back when it was time for lunch.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know if it was her imagination, but she had a feeling that someone was watching and following her.


    At first, she thought that it was a secret guard, but she quickly dismissed the thought. Secret guards shouldn¡¯t be so bad at hiding. She could inadvertently see the hem of the person¡¯s clothes when she turned around. There was also one time when she saw a lady¡¯s skirt from the corner of her eye. It was quite obvious that the person was not a secret guard.


    Who would spent so much effort to follow her?

 Chapter 331 - 331 Being Followed

    331 Being Followed


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know if the other party was friend or foe, so she brought Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi back as soon as possible. What if the person was not targeting her, but Xiaoyi? As the saying goes, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.


    ¡°Mother, we still want to play!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t want to go back¡­¡±


    The two children¡¯s protests were in vain. Xiaoguo was determined to send them back. No matter how they tried to act cute, it was not going to sway her decision.


    Although the kids were feeling indignant, she still sent them back eventually. She only felt relieved when she saw the two of them enter the house.


    When she turned around, she paid special attention to her surroundings. As expected, she realized that the person was still around. Afraid of alerting the enemy, she could only pretend not to notice and continue walking elsewhere to confirm who the person¡¯s target was.


    As expected, when the person saw her leave, he quietly followed behind her. Xiaoguo was alarmed. So he was following her!


    At the thought of this, she pretended to look around, but in fact, she was trying to see the person who was following her.


    She had not offended anyone by coming here. Just as Xiaoguo was feeling puzzled, a large hand suddenly grabbed her.


    Xiaoguo was shocked. How dare he attack her in broad daylight?!


    She instinctively wanted to reach out and retaliate.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe had just come over when he saw her wandering around from afar. She was mumbling something and looked distracted. Seeing that she was about to walk into the pond, he quickly ran over and stopped her.


    ¡°Another sneak attack?¡±


    Jiang Danhe said in amusement. If he hadn¡¯t reacted quickly, she would have given him a slap.


    ¡°You gave me a fright!¡± Xiaoguo lay weakly in his arms. ¡°Someone was following me,¡± she whispered.


    She had used all her strength just now, so her body was now feeling weak. She could only hold on to Jiang Danhe tightly and lean on him to feel at ease.


    Jiang Danhe narrowed his eyes and inadvertently looked behind her. As expected, he saw the corner of a familiar white garment. His brows were instantly filled with frustration.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Jiang Danhe did not say anything in the end and brought Xiaoguo back into the house.


    ¡°Did you see who that was?¡±


    Xiaoguo returned to the house and asked anxiously.


    ¡°¡­¡± After thinking for a long time, Jiang Danhe decided to make things clear to her. ¡°I might know who it is.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Yu Zhizhi.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Xiaoguo had never heard the name before.


    Jiang Danhe sighed and said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with her either. If not for Li Shouji, I wouldn¡¯t have any impression of this person at all.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Seeing how serious he was, Xiaoguo had a bad feeling.


    ¡°Yu Zhizhi is a physician that the Prime Minister¡¯s wife brought over from the fishing village at the last minute.¡± Jiang Danhe first explained her identity to Xiaoguo before continuing, ¡°A long time ago, I was injured and ended up at the fishing village. It was her father who saved me¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo listened quietly and understood the whole story. She couldn¡¯t help but smack her lips. ¡°Is she doing this¡­ because she likes you?¡±


    ¡°No! My heart belongs to you. You¡¯re the only person I want in my life, in this life, in my next life, and in the future!¡±


    When Xiaoguo spat out those words indifferently, it frightened Jiang Danhe so much that he quickly expressed his sincerity and love for her. Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was filled with sweetness, but she still didn¡¯t show it on her face. There was no way Jiang Danhe could figure out what she was thinking. He felt extremely uneasy.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    After a while, Xiaoguo spat out one word. Jiang Danhe nodded frantically. ¡°It¡¯s real. It cannot get any more real than this!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know each other well?¡±


    Xiaoguo held back her laughter and continued asking.


    ¡°Not well, not well, not well at all. I can count on one hand the number of words I¡¯ve said to her!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was just short of kneeling down and making a vow. Xiaoguo naturally believed him. In fact, she had never suspected him at all. However, she was just asking him to listen to his sweet nothings. If Jiang Danhe were to utter sweet nothings in all seriousness, anyone, whether they were 80 or 8 years old, would find him hard to resist.


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Alright!¡±


    Jiang Danhe heaved a sigh of relief when his sweet nothings were interrupted.


    ¡°Was she the same person we saw when we were making our way to the flower fields the other day? Yu Zhizhi?¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly remembered that she was the person Jiang Danhe was talking about the other day. She was the replacement physician that the Prime Minister¡¯s wife had brought from the fishing village.


    ¡°Yes, but it was only recently that I heard Li Shouji bring up her name. I didn¡¯t even remember who she was when I bumped into her that day.¡±


    ¡°You bumped into each other the other day?¡± Xiaoguo heard the keyword. The two of them had met alone?!


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Jiang Danhe pinched her cheeks in amusement and kissed her pouting mouth. Xiaoguo was stunned by his kiss while he reveled in the moment.


    ¡°Continue explaining!¡± Xiaoguo slapped his hand away in anger and embarrassment and asked him in fake viciousness.


    But how vicious could she be? She was just a little white rabbit wearing a tiger mask.


    Jiang Danhe continued with a smile, ¡°It was on the day when we visited the flower field. Li Shouji and I were walking behind. At that time, we sensed something amiss. When we saw that it was her, we asked about her background and let her go afterwards. I really don¡¯t know her very well, but Li Shouji has a good memory. When we were chatting yesterday, he mentioned her identity. It¡¯s true. If Li Shouji didn¡¯t mention it, I really couldn¡¯t remember who she was.¡±


    Afraid that Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t believe him, he kept assuring her that he wasn¡¯t on familiar terms with Yu Zhizhi. Xiaoguo laughed when she heard that. It was not as if she didn¡¯t believe him.


    ¡°Then tell me, why was she following me?¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped smiling and asked curiously. Since she had taken a fancy to Jiang Danhe and was following her around, was she looking for an opportunity to get rid of her so that she could take over her position?


    It was no wonder that Xiaoguo thought that way. A few days ago, she had overheard those ladies and concubines on the ship. All of them were harboring evil thoughts. She could almost compile all those tales into a book of 36 schemes in her mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for the time being.¡± Jiang Danhe shook his head honestly. He really didn¡¯t know what she was up to.


    Besides following Xiaoguo this time, he also remembered seeing her when he was in the flower fields the last time. He had clearly seen her walking back. However, when he reached the field, he saw her sneaking around again.


    At the thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little frustrated. It seemed that he would have to find out more about her identity tomorrow. He had to think carefully whether he should spare her life.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    Xiaoguo waved her hands in front of his eyes. Jiang Danhe took her hands and said softly, ¡°Nothing, but you have to be careful. Let me check things out first.¡±


    Seeing his serious expression, Xiaoguo nodded seriously and said word by word, ¡°I know what to do.¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled and stroked her cheeks. This person was following Xiaoguo for no reason¡ªher motive was definitely impure. Although she was the daughter of his benefactor, if he found out that she was up to no good, he would definitely not let her off.


    He wouldn¡¯t let anyone have the chance to hurt Xiaoguo. Not now, not ever.


    Ever since she found out the identity of the person following her, Xiaoguo had a better understanding of the situation. Based on what Jiang Danhe had told her, she immediately guessed that Yu Zhizhi must have taken a fancy to Jiang Danhe. Women knew women best. She must have been thinking about him since the time he was recuperating at the fishing village.


    This conjecture made her feel excited for a long time. She didn¡¯t know that Jiang Danhe had such an interesting past. However, this relationship was purely one-sided. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Looks are everything in this damn world.


    However, Jiang Danhe¡¯s appearance was indeed highly-coveted. He had a good figure with well-developed chest muscles. He¡¯s one in a million, and hard to come by. She wouldn¡¯t trade him for anything in the world.


    It was a real pity that this piece of treasure belonged to her, and she would never share it with anyone. If anyone dared to touch it, she would not let them off so easily.

 Chapter 332 - 332 Investigating the Enemy

    332 Investigating the Enemy


    In the next few days, Xiaoguo did not follow Jiang Danhe¡¯s instructions to stay in the house. Instead, she went out as much as she could, seemingly trying to let everyone know that she was going out.


    However, she was selective with the places she went to. She only went to places which were more crowded. In that way, the other party could tail her while she wouldn¡¯t end up being alone with the stalker.


    It served the purpose of finding out what the other party was up to and at the same time, she would not put herself in danger.


    Yu Zhizhi was also very pleased. Based on her observations over the past few days, other than having a beautiful face, there was nothing much to rave about Qin Xiaoguo. She went out everyday and only knew how to dine and have fun. She didn¡¯t spend much time with her family at all. Other than her looks, she was much better than Qin Xiaoguo in all other aspects.


    If Xiaoguo knew what Yu Zhizhi was thinking, she would definitely laugh to death. If she didn¡¯t go out, how could she lure the other party out? She was doing all this to find out what the other party was up to.


    ¡ª-


    One morning, Jiang Danhe looked at the well-dressed woman and asked helplessly, ¡°Going out again?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. Then, she thought of something and said to him, ¡°Stop investigating Yu Zhizhi. I think I know what she¡¯s up to.¡±


    Jiang Danhe raised his eyebrows in interest. He had yet to find out anything, but Xiaoguo already knew something. How interesting. He asked curiously, ¡°What is she trying to do?¡±


    ¡°She is trying to snatch Tang Seng¡¯s meat1 from me!¡±


    With that, she walked out, leaving Jiang Danhe feeling confused.


    She wasn¡¯t spouting nonsense. Jiang Danhe was her Tang Seng¡¯s meat.


    Xiaoguo walked out of the house all dressed up. After a few steps, Jiang Danhe chased after her with a thick cloak in his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not wearing it!¡± Xiaoguo struggled to get out of the way. There was a reason why she was dressed so beautifully. In the face of her love rival, she had to make sure she was dressed for the battle.


    ¡°No, put it on!¡±


    The man, who was usually submissive to her, was very insistent at this moment. He looked like he would not let her leave until she put the cloak on.


    Feeling helpless, she could only let him put it on for her.


    After Jiang Danhe buttoned up the cloak, he looked at her from head to toe and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Go but don¡¯t venture too far.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo replied and left eagerly. The earlier episode had caused a slight delay. She didn¡¯t know if Yu Zhizhi was waiting anxiously for her. If she got frustrated and decided to stop tailing her, she would have dressed up for nothing.


    ¡°By the way, don¡¯t go out this afternoon. The emperor is holding a banquet tonight. We have to turn up on time.¡±


    After Jiang Danhe finished speaking, Xiaoguo stopped in surprise. ¡°Is it finally happening?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Danhe walked over to straighten her hairpin. ¡°The Imperial Astronomers predicted that tonight is an auspicious date.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded to show that she understood. How troublesome. They even need an auspicious date to hold a banquet.


    Being dressed in an oversized cloak, Xiaoguo walked around clumsily and aimlessly for a long time. However, the person who was supposed to be following her did not appear. Xiaoguo found it extremely strange. ¡°Do I have to use my ultimate move?¡±


    Just as Xiaoguo was looking around, a person appeared out of nowhere. Xiaoguo had a keen sixth sense and instinctively dodged in time. The person who suddenly jumped out of nowhere fell heavily to the ground.


    Xiaoguo took a closer look. Wasn¡¯t this the Yu Zhizhi she had been waiting for?


    Hiding the smile on her face, she put on a worried expression and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. Are you okay?¡±


    Yu Zhizhi was looking at Xiaoguo with a kind and harmless expression. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that she was really innocent.


    Xiaoguo smiled back with a face that was more innocent and harmless than her. Since she was fine, why wasn¡¯t she getting up yet?


    Yu Zhizhi waited for a long time, but she saw that the other party had no intention of helping her up. She couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled.


    According to the script she had imagined, Qin Xiaoguo should be helping her up enthusiastically and apologetically. Then, she would generously accept her apology. After all, if Xiaoguo had not dodged, she would not have fallen to the ground.


    Then, she would make use of the information she had gathered about Xiaoguo over the past few days to get closer to her. After befriending her, she would get the chance to meet Jiang Danhe. Then she would be able to express her feelings for him. After impressing him, she would end up being with him. This was the direction of the story. Why was the first step so difficult at this moment?


    However, it wasn¡¯t a big problem. Yu Zhizhi patted the dirt off her clothes and got up. If outsiders saw this, they would definitely think that this girl was really tough. Xiaoguo was in awe of her thick skin. The situation was already so awkward, but she was able to continue with her act. How impressive!


    After that, Yu Zhizhi started showing off her acting skills. Xiaoguo played along with her occasionally. It made Yu Zhizhi feel like she was almost in control, but not entirely. Things were not quite like what they seemed.


    No matter what, the two of them had become friends. Of course, this was only Yu Zhizhi¡¯s one-sided opinion. Xiaoguo was just putting on an act to go along with her.


    After they parted ways, they each headed for their accommodations. Xiaoguo looked back at her and saw that Yu Zhizhi¡¯s back view was radiating with joy. She couldn¡¯t stop herself and laughed out loud.


    This Yu Zhizhi was very naive. Xiaoguo had thought that she was a very scheming person, but if she had to say it, this Yu Zhizhi was at most a scheming and naive little girl.


    All her plans were written all over her face. On the surface, it looked like Xiaoguo was just agreeing with everything Yu Zhizhi was saying, but in fact, Yu Zhizhi had unknowingly told her a lot. When the information was put together, it was not difficult to guess her ultimate goal. Of course, she was trying to win over Jiang Danhe.


    During the conversation, Xiaoguo mentioned Jiang Danhe a few times. When Yu Zhizhi heard his name, an infatuated expression immediately appeared on her face. When she heard that Xiaoguo was going to introduce Jiang Danhe to her, the joy on her face was indescribable. Fortunately, she managed to hold back at the last moment. This made Xiaoguo very satisfied with her behavior.


    It wouldn¡¯t be fun if Yu Zhizhi revealed herself so quickly. At this moment, she only hoped that the other party could hold on for a while longer and not show her true colors so soon.


    On the other side, Yu Zhizhi returned to her room. The first thing she did was to close the door tightly. She sat back at the table and picked up the teapot to drink. As she was a physician that was brought along by the Prime Minister¡¯s wife, her room was big and beautifully decorated.


    After gulping down the whole pot of tea, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    Yu Zhizhi wiped away the moisture from her mouth happily. She could not hide the joy that she was feeling. She was now one step closer to Jiang Danhe!


    She had not expected to meet him again, but now, he had suddenly appeared in front of her. She still remembered how she had secretly watched him when she was hiding by the sea. It was hard to forget the feeling of recovering what she had lost. Of course, she would never forget the woman who was holding hands with him, his wife.


    At first glance, she felt very inferior. Although the other party was dressed plainly, she was very beautiful. She looked very compatible with him, unlike her, who was dark and thin and unattractive¡­


    Knowing that she was not worthy of him, she could only watch him secretly from afar. Just catching a glance of him was enough for her.


    However, the more she looked at him, the more upset she felt. She started to observe the woman beside him. Apart from her beauty, what other qualities did she have that she was able to attract such a handsome man? Yu Zhizhi wanted to find out. Otherwise, it was hard for her to admit defeat.


    Seeing Xiaoguo and Xiao Zhu laughing happily by the window, this was the first time she had seen someone laugh so beautifully without caring about her image. That time, she was almost prepared to give up.


    She was really prepared to call it quits, but by coincidence, it seemed that even the heavens were helping her. Suddenly, an opportunity was presented to her, and her love for him was rekindled again.


    One of the physicians brought by a lady happened to fall sick. By a stroke of luck, she was chosen to replace him. Fortunately, she had been learning medicine from her father since she was young, so she could easily handle most minor ailments. The heavens were truly on her side!

 Chapter 333 - 333 Overthinking

    333 Overthinking


    That day, she put on her most beautiful clothes and combed her hair into the most beautiful bun. She was prepared to meet Jiang Danhe in her most beautiful getup. Unexpectedly, that woman was even more eye-catching. She was simply-dressed and yet she looked so beautiful, attracting the attention of everyone present. Of course, there was also that person¡¯s gaze. The gaze that she yearned for was not directed at her¡­


    Hence, jealousy instantly filled her heart.


    Along the way, she could not help but observe Qin Xiaoguo. She also saw Jiang Danhe¡¯s thoughtfulness and love for the other party. It was really making her crazy with jealousy!


    His smile, his eyes, his heart, and all his emotional changes were influenced by one woman.


    She didn¡¯t dare to face him now, so whenever she saw him, she had to hide and watch him secretly. She couldn¡¯t help but picture herself with him. Even in her dreams, she also saw herself with him. Qin Xiaoguo¡¯s face had also been replaced by her own.


    Once on the island, it was difficult for her to see him again. By chance, she saw him in a group and followed the group in a daze. Coincidentally, he caught her along the way. She wasn¡¯t ready to meet him at that time. But facing the person she had been thinking about day and night, she didn¡¯t know what to think. She stood up shyly and came to him with her heart beating wildly.


    Unexpectedly, the other party only took a few steps back coldly and asked her who she was.


    At that moment, her world was on the verge of collapsing. She looked at him in disbelief. How could he have forgotten about her?


    She wanted to question him, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so. She only told him that she was a physician who came along with Mrs. Yang.


    Mrs. Yang was the Prime Minister¡¯s wife. Yu Zhizhi didn¡¯t know Mrs. Yang¡¯s true identity. She only knew that they were a bunch of rich people who came from the capital.


    That day was her darkest day. From that day onwards, she decided that she would spend her life with Jiang Danhe, since fate had reunited them. Although he didn¡¯t remember her, it was a small matter. She had to be with him. This was fate!


    Moreover, such an outstanding man was destined to have more than one wife. It was only right for him to have a few concubines by his side.


    She was willing to be his concubine, as long as she could remain by his side.


    Yu Zhizhi retracted her thoughts and happily sorted out her next plan. The next step was to get close to Qin Xiaoguo and become part of their family in the future. They would serve Brother Jiang together¡­


    If Xiaoguo could read her thoughts at this moment, she would definitely laugh out loud. What wishful thinking!!


    ¡ª-


    ¡°You even prepared clothes for me?¡±


    Xiaoguo stood up in surprise and came to his side. ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Although Jiang Danhe said that, he came in with nothing in his hands. There was no sign of any clothes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I will bring them over later.¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled and opened his arms for her to pat him down.


    Hearing his words, Xiaoguo stopped looking for the clothes and looked at him strangely. ¡°Will you bring over the clothes later?¡±


    What kind of clothes were they? His expression looked so mysterious that she was looking forward to it.


    ¡°Yes, Li Shouji will bring it to you later. I¡¯ll wait for you in the banquet hall. Just come over when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Jiang Danhe seemed rather busy. He left immediately after saying those words.


    Xiaoguo had wanted to wear the clothes she brought along for this trip, but after hearing Jiang Danhe¡¯s words, she dropped the idea. She started looking forward to seeing the clothes he had prepared for her.


    Xiaoguo waited until the evening, when the sun had already set. By that time, she was almost dozing off on a stool. At this moment, Li Shouji arrived.


    As soon as he saw her, he apologized and told her he was held up by some other matters. However, before Xiaoguo could say anything, he hurriedly called out to the woman behind him to help Xiaoguo dress up. After which, he left.


    Xiaoguo retracted the smile on her face. Only then did she see a woman behind him. She also saw some clothes and bottles on a tray that the woman was holding.


    ¡°And this is?¡±


    Xiaoguo was filled with doubts. She wanted to ask Li Shouji. But like Jiang Danhe, the man came and left in a hurry, leaving her with a back view of his receding figure.


    Unable to get an answer, Xiaoguo turned to the woman in front of her. Before she could open her mouth, she was quickly brought to the back room by the woman. To Xiaoguo¡¯s confusion, she closed the door.


    Although the woman was thin and small, she was extremely strong. Xiaoguo did not put up a struggle. She was made to sit on a stool and forced to go along with the woman¡¯s next course of actions.


    With her eyes closed, her senses became exceptionally sensitive. At this moment, she felt something dragging across her face, accompanied by varying sensations of pain. She quietly opened her eyes and realized that someone was threading her face. She was feeling pain because the hair on her face was being pulled out during the threading process.


    She couldn¡¯t bear to watch the process. Hoping that it would help to reduce the pain a little, she closed her eyes. But clearly, it was ineffective.


    After some time, her face temporarily regained its calm. In the next instant, something soft was pressed against her face. The brush gently swept across her cheeks, eyebrows, eyes, and mouth.


    Then, all was calm again. Xiaoguo was about to open her eyes when she suddenly felt someone touching her hair. It was a very comfortable feeling. She couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes and relax. However, that didn¡¯t last long. Shortly after, she could feel sharp objects being pushed into her hair. Although the movements were very gentle, they were still detectable.


    After which, it was her ears¡¯ turn. Her ear piercings, which were usually unadorned, were suddenly burdened with some heavy decorations. It was an uncomfortable feeling. She felt like her head was being held up by a frame. All movements became quite impossible all of a sudden.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    The woman put down the comb and said her first words of the evening.


    Xiaoguo was dazed for a moment before she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the woman¡¯s satisfied smile. Then, at her signal, Xiaoguo looked into the mirror.


    In that instant, she was shocked. ¡°This¡­ this is me?¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head and admired herself. This was truly the work of a professional. Her hair was styled to perfection!


    Next, Xiaoguo was dragged to her feet. The woman helped her to undress and change into the set of clothes that were brought in earlier.


    When Xiaoguo realized what was going on, she felt a little embarrassed. After all, having someone help her with changing was something completely new to her.


    But if she had to put on the clothes herself, it might be too much for her to handle.


    Standing in front of the woman in only her undergarments, Xiaoguo was made to raise her arms mechanically.


    After that, Xiaoguo was wrapped in multiple layers before the woman stopped to take a breather. Xiaoguo had already become numb at this stage. Her eyes were the only part of her body that could move freely now.


    At this moment, she finally understood why those rich and powerful ladies from the ancient era had to be helped along while walking. Not that they didn¡¯t want to walk by themselves. It was impossible to walk without any help.


    With much difficulty, the woman helped her to the mirror. Xiaoguo stared blankly at her reflection. This was the first time in her life that she had worn a formal suit. As Jiang Danhe¡¯s official rank remained the same, her outfit was tailored to match his rank.


    Although the design was dignified, the colors were not dull. The coat was dark blue, and it came with an ivory-white lining. The hint of white perfectly neutralized the dullness of the design and added a dash of vitality. It was low-key but still eye-catching.


    ¡°The general personally chose this dress for you.¡±


    The woman spoke at the side.


    Xiaoguo looked at her in surprise. ¡°He chose it for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The woman was a smart person. She didn¡¯t say much and didn¡¯t waste her breath on unnecessary words.


    Xiaoguo wanted to ask more questions, but the woman didn¡¯t give her a chance. She informed her that there was no time and asked her to set off.


    Xiaoguo had no choice. Worried about being late, she had no choice but to head towards the venue of the banquet with the woman¡¯s help. The banquet venue was located at the oversized garden behind the residential area.


    Fortunately, it was just a short distance away. Otherwise, she would have given up halfway through the journey.


    Along the way, the surroundings were brightly lit. It didn¡¯t look like night time at all. There were all kinds of lanterns and lights. It was a very beautiful sight.


    There were many people bustling around. Some were carrying snacks, while others were carrying wine and delicacies. They were all walking in rows towards the garden.

 Chapter 334 - 334 Jealousy and Envy

    334 Jealousy and Envy


    Of course, there were many ladies who were dressed up in luxurious clothes at the event. Xiaoguo thought that her outfit was pretty over the top, but she didn¡¯t expect the other ladies to look even more exaggerated than her. They looked like they were wrapping themselves into balls of fabrics. Their hairstyles were even more fancy. Gold, silver, jade, big flowers, and all kinds of accessories were piled on everyone¡¯s heads.


    In comparison, her hairstyle actually looked quite simple and plain.


    As it was not convenient for the ladies to turn their heads, they could only look straight ahead when they walked. If they spotted anyone they knew, they would greet them and speak without caring if the other party was able to look back and respond.


    Xiaoguo thought that everyone looked quite hilarious. Due to her constrictive outfit, it was inconvenient for her to laugh out loud. She could only laugh softly to herself.


    All the women seemed rather used to their outfits. Xiaoguo was the only one feeling uncomfortable. It was difficult to move around being dressed like that. If there was an emergency, she could only wait for her death.


    However, that may not be entirely true. After all, she was bundled up in such thick layers. If an attacker was holding a knife, he might have difficulties piercing through her clothes.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo wanted to laugh again. She was really impressed by her imagination.


    Unbeknownst to Xiaoguo, a jealous gaze was watching her from afar. Looking at the elegant back view, this person punched the tree indignantly. When she becomes Brother Jiang¡¯s woman in future, she will be just as beautiful. She will also attend banquets and wear beautiful clothes. She will also get someone to hold her while she walks¡­ She must have everything!


    That¡¯s right, this person was Yu Zhizhi. Before the event, she had pleaded with Mrs. Yang, asking the lady to bring her along to the banquet. To her surprise, the other party only smiled and glanced at her disdainfully. Without having to say anything, her gaze was piercing and insulting.


    After being rejected, Yu Zhizhi could only hide in the darkness and sneak around. In fact, she just wanted to see how Qin Xiaoguo was dressed for the event. She swore to herself that she would definitely dress up better than her!


    After walking for a short while, Xiaoguo was reminded by Lingzhi to look ahead. She tried her best to look up and saw Jiang Danhe waiting for her. She couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight of him.


    Oh, Lingzhi was the woman who had helped to dress her. While they were making their way to the event, Xiaoguo asked for her name. After all, it was impolite for her not to find out her name after spending the entire night with her. Jiang Danhe had borrowed Lingzhi from the Prime Minister¡¯s wife.


    The mission for Lingzhi was considered complete. After sending the beautifully dressed Xiaoguo to Jiang Danhe, she could excuse herself and leave.


    Xiaoguo thanked Lingzhi softly. The other party was stunned for a moment. Then, she smiled and nodded before turning to leave.


    As soon as she left, Jiang Danhe put away the amazement in his eyes and walked towards Xiaoguo. He almost couldn¡¯t come back to his senses because she looked too beautiful tonight.


    ¡°Xiaoguo?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiaoguo said sweetly.


    ¡°Xiaoguo?¡±


    Jiang Danhe called out again and held his hand out in midair.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him, but she answered loudly and put her hand in his.


    Jiang Danhe held her hand tightly in satisfaction. For some reason, he called out again, ¡°Xiaoguo.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo was gradually getting testy, but she still tried her best to respond to him gently.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful tonight.¡±


    Xiaoguo was like a balloon that had suddenly been deflated. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°You¡¯re very handsome too.¡±


    It was not a good place to chat. After all, there were many people coming and going. Jiang Danhe was happy to stand there and let everyone watch them, but Xiaoguo didn¡¯t like that. Hence, the two of them walked hand in hand towards the garden.


    The interaction between the couple made the other ladies extremely envious. The general knew to come out and escort his wife, unlike their ungrateful husbands!


    The ladies were green with envy. Even the unmarried young girls tugged at their handkerchiefs and looked at Xiaoguo enviously. The same thought was running through everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°How wonderful it would be if the handsome and loving general was still single.¡±


    It is absolutely impossible for them, the noble daughters from reputed families, to be concubines. Therefore, they could only blame the heavens for being unfair. To think that such a good man did not belong to them!


    Xiaoguo seemed to have sensed the gnashing of teeth around her. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little smug. She held Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand tightly in joy, making him feel overjoyed for a long time. In the end, he quietly leaned over and asked, ¡°Is this the couple outfit you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°Couple outfits?¡± When Xiaoguo heard this, she looked at his attire. She hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier, but now she realized that the color of his clothes was the same as hers. His clothes were just a shade darker¡ª making him look more mature and dignified.


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a couple outfit.¡±


    It turned out that she had mentioned this idea to him a long time ago, but she was just mentioning it casually. To her surprise, he actually took it to heart.


    Jiang Danhe looked very proud of himself and that amused Xiaoguo immensely.


    Other than Shao Zhan, all the other ministers had already arrived in the garden. Their families were also arriving one after another. Xiaoguo sat at the front with Jiang Danhe. Fortunately, there was no need for men and women to sit separately. Otherwise, she would have to make her way clumsily to the women¡¯s section.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    The first thing Jiang Danhe did after sitting down, was to pick up some food for her.


    Xiaoguo looked at the exquisite food on the small table and swallowed quietly. Even though she was very hungry, she had to take the big picture into consideration. She shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Maybe later.¡±


    Actually, everyone present was hungry, but Shao Zhan was not here yet. Nobody dared to start eating and could only look at the food.


    Fortunately, Shao Zhan arrived not long after.


    Xiaoguo stood up and bowed with everyone else. As it was not a palace banquet, they didn¡¯t have to greet the emperor formally. The men only had to cup their fists and bow. It was even easier for the women. They could just bend forward or do a curtsy.


    Between the two options, Xiaoguo chose to bend down. It was easier for her to get up that way. If she chose to do a curtsy, she didn¡¯t know what could happen.


    After which, Shao Zhan made his official speech. He said a few words casually and went straight to the point.


    ¡°Everyone, enjoy the beautiful scenery, entertainment, and delicacies!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, all the ministers who were present thanked him in unison. In an instant, the drums started playing. Two teams of ethereal-looking girls came from various directions to the center. They waved their long sleeves and started dancing gracefully.


    Xiaoguo stole a glance at everyone and realized that the first thing they did after thanking the emperor was to pick up their chopsticks. No one was interested in the beauties in front of them.


    It looked like everyone was hungry.


    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Jiang Danhe asked curiously when he saw Xiaoguo smile for no reason.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and looked down at the plate. Her eyes widened in an instant. ¡°Stop adding food to my plate!¡±


    Jiang Danhe put down his chopsticks in confusion. He looked at the food on her plate and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo was furious and looked at him speechlessly. How could he ask what was wrong while giving her an innocent look? She didn¡¯t notice him stacking food on her plate earlier. How did he manage to stack the food so high and steadily on such a small plate?!


    Apparently, after Shao Zhan sat down and finished his speech, Jiang Danhe immediately picked up his chopsticks and started adding food to her plate. He kept himself busy and did not stop. When she finally called for him to stop, he still had a piece of snack in his chopsticks. He could not decide whether to put it down or not.


    Xiaoguo had a lot to say to him, but she didn¡¯t say it out loud. He was doing this for her own good. There was no need for her to say so much.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s share the food.¡±


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo pushed the plate to the middle.


    Jiang Danhe blushed when he heard that. Was she going to share a plate with him? ¡°How intimate! It¡¯s awesome!!¡±


    Feeling shy, he did not dare to look around. He picked up the food on his plate and started eating.


    Xiaoguo took a look at him and laughed silently. This silly man had become so innocent all of a sudden. He wasn¡¯t this shy when he stole a kiss from her previously.

 Chapter 335 - 335 Special Event

    335 Special Event


    As the guests toasted each other, many people put down their chopsticks and finally had the time to look up and admire what was going on around them.


    It was the same for Xiaoguo. When she was done eating, she put down her chopsticks. Jiang Danhe did the same.


    If she hadn¡¯t seen it with her own eyes, it would have been hard to put it down in words. Xiaoguo was finally able to experience the pleasures of a man.


    All kinds of beauties were dressed in thin gauze dresses. Under the light, their dance steps were nimble and their movements were full of grace.


    Although the minister opposite her was quite advanced in age, he was so charmed by the dancers that his face turned red. His wife seated beside him got so angry that her face turned green.


    ¡°If only I could bring Zhuang Zhuang along.¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of Zhuang Zhuang. It was such a pity that he was not around to catch the exciting dance performance.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Jiang Danhe said softly. He met her puzzled gaze and explained, ¡°This isn¡¯t just a dance performance.¡±


    ¡°Not just a dance performance?¡±


    Xiaoguo immediately understood what he meant. She turned around and looked at the group of women dancing. She realized that at some point in time, they had removed the gauzy layers over their dresses to reveal just a cropped top covering their bosoms. In between their dance moves, their long legs were revealed under the thigh-high slits of their dresses. Their eyes were casting amorous glances at the audience. Some ministers with lesser self-control were already staring blankly at the dancers. They seemed to have forgotten about their wives and concubines beside them. They only had eyes for the beautiful women in front of them.


    Xiaoguo guessed that if Shao Zhan wasn¡¯t still here, they would have revealed their lustful intentions long ago.


    What a sleazy scene. Xiaoguo blinked a few times. She thought that the female dancers were being too bold. Putting aside the fact that they were openly flirting in public, these ministers had brought their families with them. These women actually dared to seduce the men in front of their legitimate wives. She really admired them for their guts.


    Before Xiaoguo could see enough, she noticed that some dancers were waving the ribbons in her direction from time to time. There were even a few times when they almost touched her forehead.


    This was really quite intolerable!


    It was one thing to seduce her man, but how dare they flick her forehead with the ribbons. She was not going to tolerate it any longer!


    Seizing the opportunity, when another ribbon was about to fly in her direction, she grabbed it and pulled it with all her might. The dancer almost lost her balance and fell to the ground. The woman quickly stabilized herself and looked at Xiaoguo warily. After that, she tactfully changed her target and went to seduce another minister.


    Xiaoguo looked away in satisfaction, while Jiang Danhe looked at her dotingly.


    At this moment, a sour voice sounded.


    ¡°The General¡¯s wife, that doesn¡¯t seem right. As women, jealousy is the biggest taboo. Apart from bearing children for our husbands and continuing the family line, the most important thing we should do is to help the family flourish. We should bring in more sisters to relieve your husband¡¯s boredom.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked to the side and saw a woman who was dressed to the nines, but there was an obvious look of fatigue on her face. At that moment, she was looking at Xiaoguo with a malicious look in her eyes.


    ¡°Madam, you should pay more attention to the Lord. Your mansion will probably become more lively after tonight.¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could speak, Jiang Danhe retorted. He was not going to let the woman get away with saying those words. How dare she educate Xiaoguo? She should seek his permission first.


    When the woman heard his words, she was furious. She looked back resentfully at her man whose face was filled with lust. When she saw the countless ribbons waving in her direction, she was immediately filled with despair. There were already many concubines in their mansion. After tonight, there will be¡­


    Xiaoguo was speechless as she looked at the woman who was defeated by a single sentence. She had thought that the woman was better than this. To think that her combat ability was so weak. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect that a few words from Jiang Danhe was enough to make her retreat.


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and looked at him teasingly. ¡°Do you wish to have a few more sisters too?¡±


    ¡°In all conscience, you¡¯re enough for me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked very sincere when he said that. Xiaoguo was overjoyed, but she still looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It cannot get more real than this!¡±


    As the two of them spoke, another ribbon swung towards them. This time it was a scented one.


    Before Xiaoguo could react, Jiang Danhe tugged at it with his big hand and caused the dancer to fall. Fortunately, everyone¡¯s attention was on the other beauties, so no one noticed that a dancer had fallen down.


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe in shock. ¡°Are you that ruthless?¡±


    ¡°I must make an example out of this to prevent future troubles.¡±


    As expected, after this incident, the other girls did not try anything on this side anymore and avoided the couple like the plague. The dancers all stayed a good distance away from them.


    Jiang Danhe was very satisfied with such an outcome.


    Xiaoguo was also very satisfied with his performance.


    Inadvertently, Xiaoguo had attracted another wave of intense jealousy while Jiang Danhe received much admiration from the ladies present. However, neither of them were bothered by it. They continued to flirt with each other in their own private world.


    The other ministers might not have noticed it, but how could the bored women beside them be oblivious to it? Seeing Jiang Danhe¡¯s attitude towards the dancers, they became even more envious of Xiaoguo. At the same time, a thought came to their minds. If only this man belonged to them.


    After a while, Jiang Danhe got ready to leave with Xiaoguo.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea for us to leave first.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The emperor has left too.¡± Jiang Danhe brought Xiaoguo with him and left quietly without alerting anyone.


    Before leaving, Xiaoguo took a look around the room. As expected, the emperor had already left. She didn¡¯t even notice his absence.


    After the two of them left, the young ladies from various families started leaving in pairs. Most of them hated such events. Some higher-ranking ministers who were more upright also left with their wives. Those who stayed behind were all lecherous men, together with their wives and concubines, who were feeling aggrieved and resentful. These women had no choice but to accept their fate. Even though the dancers were openly seducing their men, these ladies did not dare to speak up or leave the venue.


    The lady who was jealous of Xiaoguo, was rooted to her seat. She watched her man flirt with the dancers, but she did not dare to say anything. Sorely aware that Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe had left the banquet, the jealousy in her heart was intensifying with each passing minute.


    Previously, she had seen Jiang Danhe taking care of Xiaoguo in every possible way, and that caused resentment to build up within her. Looking at her husband who was so uncaring and lecherous, she couldn¡¯t help but say those words out of jealousy.


    She was filled with resentment, but she did not dare to leave the banquet just like that. She had already fallen out of favor. It was surprising enough that her husband had brought her along. At this age, it was not her aim to fight for her husband¡¯s affections. She only hoped for him to keep her in mind.


    The women who were left behind were all sharing the same thoughts. Since they were already married, they could only obediently stay by their husbands¡¯ sides and turn a blind eye to the many concubines.


    As Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo were leaving the room, they suddenly heard some chattering behind them. When they turned around, they only saw a few shy-looking ladies, and didn¡¯t notice anything unusual.


    The two of them were finding it strange. At this moment, there was a sudden change in music. A sensual tune could be heard coming from that direction.


    Xiaoguo glanced at Jiang Danhe. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a special event.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t be blamed for thinking along that drift, but the idea seemed quite unbelievable. ¡°Is it related to that kind of thing?¡±


    ¡°Those dancers are actually the daughters of criminals. They¡¯re all around the same age. Do you think they wish to stay on this island forever?¡±


    At this point, Xiaoguo understood. Of course, the young girls had to find a way to bloom. The only chance was to find a man and become his woman. That¡¯s the only way to get out of the island.


    ¡°Is the emperor agreeable to this?¡±


    After all, these women were the daughters of criminals. What if they harbored ill intentions?


    Jiang Danhe smiled and explained to her in a low voice, ¡°Dancers who can dance at such events have to go through many rounds of selection. Most of them are the only daughters in their families. Only those with no siblings will stand a chance.¡±

 Chapter 336 - 336 Monkey Demon

    336 Monkey Demon


    There were many girls on the island who were the only child in their families. It was not Shao Zhan¡¯s wish to see the girls stay in this place and wither till their death. Whether or not they could get out of this place was entirely up to them.


    Although Shao Zhan was kind, he was not stupid. He naturally had to consider all aspects carefully. Since he was allowing this to happen, he could not leave any room for mistakes.


    The interaction between the couple made the girls following behind them crave for more. Jiang Danhe¡¯s gentlemanly behavior tonight had captured the hearts of all the girls.


    After seeing the two of them return to their rooms, the girls reluctantly walked towards their respective accommodations. There weren¡¯t many good men of this caliber left. Compared to the other men tonight, he was simply outstanding. Moreover, most of these girls¡¯ fathers were not monogamous. Having grown up in such an environment, they were aware that it was almost impossible to meet a man who was so chaste and devoted.


    Some girls thought that it would be a good idea to become Jiang Danhe¡¯s concubine. At the very least, it was better than being someone¡¯s first wife and having to live with countless younger sisters.


    Hence, overnight, Jiang Danhe became Mr. Popular. All the unmarried girls fought to meet with him.


    ¡ª-


    After glaring at another flower girl, Xiaoguo was speechless. She said sourly, ¡°Jiang Danhe, you are truly amazing!¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s hair immediately stood on end. He immediately had a bad feeling and said fawningly, ¡°I am totally ignoring them.¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to say something when another flower girl floated over from afar. She turned her head angrily and ignored him.


    ¡°Xiaoguo? Xiaoguo?¡±


    No matter how Jiang Danhe called out to her, she did not look back at him.


    As for why Xiaoguo called them flower girls, there was a reason behind it. Take the person walking towards them for example. She had five or six huge flowers on her head and was dressed completely in pink. Her makeup also made her look like a flower. Before she got close, they could already smell the fragrance of her perfume.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Xiaoguo rubbed her nose and coughed uncomfortably.


    Seeing this, Jiang Danhe immediately poured water and handed it to her.


    Xiaoguo gave him a sideways glance before taking it from him with reluctance.


    ¡°Good morning, General. You¡¯re here to admire the flowers too? What a coincidence¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After a moment of awkwardness, the woman continued, ¡°Madam is here too¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned when she saw the woman¡¯s expression which looked like she was saying, ¡°I just noticed you. I hope you are not offended.¡± Out of sight, out of mind. She decided to let Jiang Danhe handle the woman.


    ¡°Xiaoguo?¡± Jiang Danhe looked nervously at Xiaoguo, who had suddenly gotten up and left. He quickly got up and chased after her.


    The girl, who was left alone, had a look of disbelief on her face. Such a beautiful girl was greeting him, but he didn¡¯t even look at her?!


    In the end, the woman couldn¡¯t stand the embarrassment. She stomped her feet and ran away.


    At this moment, Yu Zhizhi appeared from the side and glared hatefully at the woman who had just run away. She snorted heavily. This morning, that woman was already the fifth person to come and seduce Brother Jiang. These people were really shameless!


    On the other side, Xiaoguo was leisurely enjoying the warm morning breeze and breathing in the fresh air. As expected, there was no smell of scented powder here. It was really delightful.


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡± Jiang Danhe quickly caught up and held her hand.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Xiaoguo turned her head and snorted. ¡°Why did you come so quickly?¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not speak. He started to sniff at the air.


    Xiaoguo pushed his head away and asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Do you smell vinegar?¡±


    Xiaoguo took a sniff and said seriously, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why do I smell the scent of jealousy?¡± Jiang Danhe looked at her meaningfully.


    ¡°Good lord.¡± Xiaoguo realized that he was referring to her as a jealous woman.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Xiaoguo stammered. ¡°I¡¯m ignoring you. I¡¯m going over there!¡±


    Xiaoguo shook off his hand angrily and walked to the side alone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together¡­¡± Jiang Danhe did not get angry. When she tried to shake him off, he jogged to her side and held her hand. No matter how hard she struggled, he refused to let go until she stopped struggling.


    Xiaoguo looked at the thick-skinned Jiang Danhe and turned to laugh silently. ¡°What a bad guy, attracting the attention of all the ladies!¡±


    Ever since the banquet yesterday, Jiang Danhe had returned to vacation mode. He brought her and three other people with him. They took their time to admire the flowers and enjoyed a picnic. They were enjoying themselves thoroughly.


    For some reason, the flower girls who used to approach Jiang Danhe from time to time suddenly stopped bothering him. Xiaoguo had a feeling that Jiang Danhe had done something to them. But when she asked him, he didn¡¯t say anything and feigned ignorance. She had no choice but to stop asking him about it.


    ¡ª-


    It was another good day. Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi were lying under a tree on a piece of floral cloth spread on the ground. They were looking at Li Shouji who was perched on the tree.


    Xiaoguo sat by their side and wiped the sweat off their foreheads. They were running around earlier on and were now perspiring profusely. Fortunately, the temperature on the island was cool. Otherwise, they would have suffered from heatstroke if they ran like this on the mainland.


    At this moment, Xiaoyi pointed at Li Shouji and suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°Haha, Zhuang Zhuang, look. Doesn¡¯t he look like Sun Wukong?¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard him, he looked at Li Shouji carefully and said in surprise, ¡°He really looks like it!¡±


    Xiaoguo put away her handkerchief and looked up as well. She smiled softly. There was a slight resemblance.


    ¡°Who is Sun Wukong?¡±


    Li Shouji scratched his head in puzzlement and jumped down from the tree.


    Zhuang Zhuang answered quickly, ¡°It¡¯s a book that I got from Mother.¡±


    ¡°Book?¡±


    Li Shouji also liked to read books, but why hadn¡¯t he heard of Sun Wukong?


    ¡°It¡¯s a pictorial book. As in a hand-drawn one.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang replied proudly.


    Li Shouji was amused when he heard that. His sister-in-law¡¯s drawing skills were pretty mediocre.


    ¡°Then who is Sun Wukong?¡±


    ¡°A monkey!¡±


    Xiaoyi answered quickly. He liked Sun Wukong the most. He was invincible and was capable of the 72 Transformations.


    ¡°A monkey demon?¡± So it was a demon. Li Shouji waved his hand and said nonchalantly, ¡°How am I similar to a demon?¡±


    ¡°What demon?¡±


    His words attracted the criticisms of the two little ones. They would never allow anyone to blaspheme the Great Sage!


    Li Shouji was pulled to the side by the two children and was forced to accept their brainwashing regarding the Great Sage, Sun Wukong.


    Xiaoguo looked at his miserable expression and laughed unkindly.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe finally returned with a basket. He could hear their laughter from afar. He asked curiously, ¡°What are you guys laughing at?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Although the distance traveled was short, he was perspiring a little. Xiaoguo pulled him to sit down and wiped the sweat off his forehead. She continued, ¡°It¡¯s nothing actually. Li Shouji was looking at the surroundings while being perched on the tree. Xiaoyi mentioned that he looked like Sun Wukong. They are now introducing to him who Sun Wukong is.¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled when he heard this. He reached out and handed the basket to her. ¡°See if I have missed anything.¡±


    Xiaoguo took it happily and lifted the cotton cloth. A gust of cold air instantly hit her in the face. The heat she felt earlier on had completely disappeared.


    In the past two days, the weather was scorching hot, so ice cubes were distributed to all the rooms to cool down. Although the temperature here was lower, she still needed ice cubes to relieve the heat.


    After asking around, Xiaoguo found out that the ice cubes were actually made from spring water. Hence, she came up with the idea of making ice porridge. Every summer, it is a must for her to eat ice cream and ice porridge. From a large piece of ice, she started shaving it to make shaved ice. She only stopped when she had five full bowls of shaved ice.


    Moreover, the variety of sweet beans in the kitchen was especially comprehensive. There were red beans, barley grains, white beans, green beans, and purple flower beans.


    In addition, they also received fresh fruits like strawberries and mangoes every day. There were so many fruits that she had difficulty finishing them. Therefore, she made the fruits into jams so that they could be added to the ice porridge.

 Chapter 337 - 337 Going Fishing

    337 Going Fishing


    After she was done making the desserts in the morning, she was worried about the shaved ice melting before they got to enjoy it, so she placed it with a pile of ice cubes to keep it cold. When the kids were done playing, they moved to a spot that was nearer to the residence to rest. After which, she got Jiang Danhe to go back and get the desserts for her.


    Knowing that the ice would melt during transportation, she wrapped everything with a layer of ultra thick cotton. When she received the bundle, It was still freezing cold.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing missing.¡± Xiaoguo checked the contents and realized that the five portions were all there. There was also a pot of iced fruit tea that she made earlier. ¡°Stop playing. Come and eat the iced porridge!¡±


    The two children had been looking forward to this since the morning. When they heard Xiaoguo call them, they immediately let go of Li Shouji and ran over.


    ¡°Coming, coming!¡±


    ¡°Ice porridge, ice porridge!¡±


    The two children scooped out a spoonful of porridge and put it into their mouths. They relished the desserts with their eyes closed and kept saying the word delicious.


    Xiaoyi excitedly scooped out a spoonful and brought it to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mouth. He couldn¡¯t wait to share it with him. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, try my strawberry flavored porridge!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes lit up after eating. ¡°It¡¯s delicious! Try mine with the mango jam!¡±


    Hence, the two little ones each hugged a bowl of cold porridge and started feeding each other. They looked extremely adorable.


    Li Shouji managed to shake off the two children and came to sit beside Jiang Danhe. He looked exhausted, seemingly overwhelmed by the brainwashing session.


    Xiaoguo handed him the mango-flavored ice porridge and asked in amusement, ¡°Do you know Sun Wukong now?¡±


    Li Shouji took the ice porridge and chuckled. ¡°What Sun Wukong? He¡¯s the Great Sage.¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at each other and smiled. Alright, the brainwashing was a success.


    The three of them finished their iced porridge and continued playing for a while. They took breaks when they got tired. When they felt thirsty, they drank some iced fruit tea.


    Apart from the workers, there was no one else on the entire island. Among the group of people who came to the resort, only Xiaoguo and her gang often ventured outside. The others were comfortably cooped up in their rooms, fanning themselves and staying beside the ice cubes.


    ¡ª-


    As the island was located near the sea, seafood was served as part of their daily meals. Even though Xiaoguo loved seafood very much, she was starting to get tired of eating it.


    Of course, the most important reason was they always cooked the seafood in the same way. The dishes were either steamed or boiled. The chefs were too focused on keeping the original flavors of the seafood.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t the only one. Although Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were still young, they were also getting sick of eating seafood. Whenever they saw seafood, they felt like vomiting.


    Jiang Danhe was still okay with it since he was not picky about food. But he was starting to get tired of eating seafood.


    ¡°Mother¡­ cook for us once¡­¡±


    This was the umpteenth time Zhuang Zhuang had pleaded with her today. Even Xiaoyi started doing the same too.


    Jiang Danhe looked at her expectantly when he heard the kids. He looked like he was waiting for her to say yes.


    Xiaoguo pretended to be troubled and thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m here on vacation. I don¡¯t feel like working.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, after hearing her words, the three drama kings immediately displayed their unhappiness. They started to act cute and tried all sorts of ways to persuade her. They shook her arms and kissed her on the cheeks, leaving her with no room to resist. Even Jiang Danhe took the opportunity to kiss her a few times.


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡± Xiaoguo quickly broke away from them and wiped the saliva off her face. She looked at their expectant faces and said helplessly, ¡°Alright, I will cook.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    The three of them looked like they had won a battle. They smiled and tried to push her to the kitchen.


    ¡°We just finished lunch!¡±


    Xiaoguo grabbed the door frame and looked back at them.


    The three of them suddenly remembered that they had just eaten. They looked at each other and had no choice but to give up. It would be dinner time again after their nap.


    As long as Xiaoguo was willing to cook, they could wait no matter how late it was.


    ¡°Where are we going today?¡±


    Li Shouji¡¯s excited voice sounded.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xiaoguo asked back. Then she saw his attire, and asked him curiously, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    When Li Shouji heard her question, he disregarded his last question. Instead, he swung his fishing rod happily and said energetically, ¡°We¡¯re going fishing!¡±


    ¡°Fishing?¡±


    ¡°Going out to sea?¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe spoke at the same time, but they were concerned about different things. She was interested in fishing, but Jiang Danhe was more interested in going out to sea.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Li Shouji grabbed his equipment tightly and was about to leave when Xiaoguo quickly stopped him. ¡°How are you going? I want to go too.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a boat out. There are small boats specially made for fishing. We won¡¯t go far, we¡¯ll just fish in the waters nearby.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t want to eat seafood anymore, she was still interested in fishing. With that, she got ready to set off with Li Shouji.


    Seeing this, Jiang Danhe quickly pulled her back and said pitifully, ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    It would seem like a great injustice if Xiaoguo did not allow him to follow her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiaoguo was extremely excited. With a wave of her hand, she led the way towards the sea.


    Li Shouji, Xiaoguo, and Jiang Danhe were getting ready to set off together, but the three of them seemed to have forgotten about the two younger ones.


    When they finally thought of the kids, they spotted the two little tails following behind them. Fortunately, they had not gone far when Jiang Danhe grabbed them and brought them back. Children could not sit still. When the time came, they would make a fuss and ask for the adults to bring them back. Moreover, what if they fell into the water?


    ¡°Go take an afternoon nap. Otherwise, I¡¯m not going to make dinner.¡±


    The two children were unhappy at first and wanted to kick up a fuss, but as soon as Xiaoguo uttered those words, they immediately calmed down and obediently returned to the house. They lay down on the bed and closed their eyes to rest.


    Xiaoguo nodded in satisfaction and turned to say to the two men, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    With a single sentence, Xiaoguo managed to settle the kids. Whereas Jiang Danhe spent a long time coaxing them but to no avail. Looking at her confident back view, he heaved a sigh of relief. while exclaiming in his heart, ¡°Wife, you¡¯re so mighty and domineering!¡±


    When they arrived at the beach, they happened to come across a small boat docked by the sea. There was an empty fishing net on it. After asking the guards, they found out that this was docked by the stewards from the kitchen and they had just returned from fishing. The boat was free and available for use.


    The few of them were relieved when they heard that. They started pushing the boat and the net into the sea.


    The boat was a medium-sized one. There was more than enough space for three people. The two men each took one end while Xiaoguo sat in the middle. When the boat was some distance away from the shore, she threw down the anchor and started preparing the fishing gear.


    There were two sets of fishing rods to share between the three of them. Li Shouji took one set and Xiaoguo took the other. Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t very interested in fishing. He had only come along because he wanted to stay by Xiaoguo¡¯s side to protect her. Hence, he casually threw over the fishing net in a random spot after throwing in some fish food. He didn¡¯t keep watch beside the net but lay down on the boat instead. He rested his chin on one hand and admired Xiaoguo¡¯s side profile in fascination. ¡°Just look at his beautiful Xiaoguo, even her side profile was so beautiful.¡±


    The few of them had come out in a hurry and had forgotten to bring their umbrellas. There were no big trees to shade them from the sun. The two men were fine, but it was hard on Xiaoguo. Her fair skin quickly turned red under the sun, and then it slowly looked like she was getting sunburn.


    Seeing this, Jiang Danhe did not delay any longer. He quickly took off his robe and used himself as a support to shield her from the sun.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s narrowed eyes instantly opened. She rubbed her eyes and realized that it didn¡¯t seem so sunny all of a sudden. Just as she was looking up in wonder, Jiang Danhe¡¯s laughter rang in her ears.


    ¡°You silly girl.¡±


    Xiaoguo turned around and saw that he was shielding her from the sun. Her heart ached for him. He must be feeling sore from holding up his arms. ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯ll never get tired of shielding you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was very good at uttering sweet nothings nowadays. He always managed to make Xiaoguo blush and get her heart racing.


    It was the same this time. However, the romance in the air was interrupted by the insensitive Li Shouji.

 Chapter 338 - 338 Cooking Personally

    338 Cooking Personally


    In terms of being insensitive, Li Shouji had to be ranked top on the list.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe pulled back the corner of his shirt and looked to the side gloomily. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a magnanimous person. Since you are already shielding one person, it makes no difference if you shield another one.¡± At this point, Li Shouji took the opportunity to sneak under the shade again. He smiled cheekily and said, ¡°Just let me stay in the shade. Although my skin is thick, it¡¯s not as thick and rough as you think. Please take pity on my tanned and tender skin¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was pushed to the side by him. The shade that Jiang Danhe could provide was limited. Once Li Shouji got under the shade, Xiaoguo was in danger of being exposed to the sun.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Jiang Danhe pushed the man out again. The roomy shaded space belonged to Xiaoguo alone.


    However, apart from being insensitive, Li Shouji had another ¡°strength¡±. He was shameless and persistent.


    In the end, after some efforts, he finally won himself some shade. Although it was just a small shaded area, this was not a problem for him.


    Although the sleeves were small, they were still able to block out the sun.


    Xiaoguo looked away and laughed softly for a long time.


    After a short while, Xiaoguo made Jiang Danhe put down his arms. It must be tiring to stand with his arms up like this. Even if he didn¡¯t feel sorry for himself, her heart was aching for him.


    ¡ª-


    After fishing for four hours, Xiaoguo only lifted her fishing rod four times. Moreover, the line was empty three times out of four.


    It was the same for Li Shouji. In the end, they only had two sea fish in the bucket.


    When he saw Xiaoguo looking so dispirited, Jiang Danhe was prepared to reel in the rods and row the boat back. Looking at her sad face, he comforted her. ¡°Two fish is enough. No more, no less. It¡¯s a good number.¡±


    Xiaoguo broke into a few dry laughs. Two fish were indeed enough for them. After deep frying the two fish, it would be finished in a few mouthfuls.


    Jiang Danhe chuckled and retracted the anchor, getting ready to row the boat. However, Li Shouji¡¯s eyes were sharp and he spotted something.


    ¡°What¡¯s that rope under your leg?¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he looked down and remembered that he had thrown down the net earlier.


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe expectantly. There could be some big catch in the net.


    Jiang Danhe tried to lift up the net. Xiaoguo and Li Shouji¡¯s results were not fantastic so he didn¡¯t have high expectations for the catch in his fishing net.


    However, when he pulled at the net, it wouldn¡¯t budge. The three of them looked at each other with interest in their eyes and pulled at it together.


    The catch was less than they had imagined. Judging from the weight, they were expecting it to be a big catch. To their surprise, there wasn¡¯t much seafood caught in the net. However, it was several times more than what Xiaoguo and Li Shouji had caught. Most importantly, there were many rare items that they had never tasted before.


    Xiaoguo was no longer discouraged. She began to count the seafood in excitement. There were dozens of prawns, two ribboned fish, and one jellyfish. They had probably fished the jellyfish up accidentally when they were pulling up the net. There were also a few sea cucumbers and three big crabs.


    ¡°What is this? It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    Li Shouji nudged the sea cucumber with his foot and took a few steps back with a disgusted expression on his face.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know what it was, so he pulled Xiaoguo away from it.


    Xiaoguo, who was squatting down and sorting the seafood seriously, suddenly felt herself being pulled backwards by Jiang Danhe. She said in a curious tone, ¡°That¡¯s sea cucumber. It¡¯s especially delicious and beneficial for health.¡±


    Xiaoguo slapped Li Shouji away and looked at him reproachfully. How could he kick and step on such a delicacy? It was really heartbreaking.


    ¡°Sea cucumber? Is it edible?¡±


    Li Shouji¡¯s eyes widened. This thing looked so disgusting. How could he eat it?


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook a dish out of this tonight. The fragrance will knock your teeth off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! We¡¯re in for a treat!¡± Li Shouji clapped his hands happily. Suddenly, he was blinded by a flash of light and he covered his eyes in discomfort. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s that glowing thing?¡±


    Xiaoguo followed his gaze and couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva. It was sparkling and fat. ¡°That¡¯s a ribbonfish.¡±


    Li Shouji nodded and lost interest. Although it was glowing, it was still a fish. He had gotten sick of eating fish over the past few days.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo from the side. At this moment, she was glowing in his eyes. The way she spoke with confidence was very attractive. As he watched, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself.


    Xiaoguo had no time to deal with the two of them. She busied herself with the seafood and threw the smaller ones back into the sea. Those small creatures could not be eaten¡ªshe released them back into the sea so that they could continue growing.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll make a delicious seafood feast for you tonight!¡±


    Xiaoguo said confidently. As a seafood fanatic, she loved to make seafood dishes. She could come up with more than a dozen different ways to eat seafood.


    Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji looked at each other with joy in their eyes. They completely approve of Xiaoguo¡¯s culinary skills.


    ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry. Let¡¯s go back and cook!¡±


    Xiaoguo put the seafood into a bucket and urged the two of them to row quickly. Once the fish were brought ashore, they would die. At this moment, the scales were still silvery and glowing. They would lose their luster very soon. She had to cook them while they were still fresh.


    ¡°Sit tight and hold on to the boat,¡± Jiang Danhe said softly. After ensuring that Xiaoguo was seated, he and Li Shouji quickly rowed towards the shore.


    Jiang Danhe followed behind Xiaoguo with a bucket of water. The two of them went to the kitchen at the back of the residence and spoke to the butler inside. After getting his permission, they began cooking.


    The kitchen was bustling with activity. It was almost time for dinner, so the servants were all busy cooking. The two of them went to a corner where they would not get in anyone¡¯s way. Jiang Danhe started cleaning the seafood while Xiaoguo prepared some sauces for the dishes.


    The kitchen was huge and there were many condiments. She also found many interesting condiments there.


    Although there was no soy sauce in the kitchen, they had a substitute for it. There were all kinds of powders in various jars. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t see what they were, but she could smell them to identify them. She was able to recognize most of them, so she only had to cook with those that she could identify. The selection available was more than enough for her needs.


    Jiang Danhe finished cleaning a whole basin of prawns according to Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions. But he was unsure what to do with the sea cucumbers. Xiaoguo taught him to cut open the stomach and remove all the guts.


    The crabs were even simpler. He only had to wash them clean, then remove their stomachs and gills. After which, Xiaoguo chopped them into pieces and set them aside. These would be coated with flour and deep fried in oil later on.


    The ribbon fish was also gutted after its head was removed. They were then chopped into smaller pieces for later use.


    Left with a large piece of transparent jellyfish, Xiaoguo decided that she would not cook it. When no one was looking, she stuffed it into the fridge, planning to save it for another day.


    While Jiang Danhe processed the seafood in one corner, Xiaoguo steamed the rice first before going on to prepare the dishes.


    Since there was ample time, she didn¡¯t rush herself. After all, seafood cooks rather quickly. She walked around the kitchen and realized that there were many small round pumpkins in one corner. She took one and borrowed a pork rib from the kitchen.


    When she returned to the stove, Xiaoguo put down the pumpkin and pork ribs and took another look at the ingredients.


    There were many prawns. She planned to make two dishes¡ªspicy prawns and sweet sour prawns. She had to deep-fry all the prawns and stir-fry them with sauce. The two dishes were simple so she could take her time to make them.


    She only had a few sea cucumbers and crabs, so she would stew them with the pork ribs. When they were 80% cooked, the pumpkins would be hollowed out and placed in a casserole. The stew would be transferred into the pumpkins. After another half an hour of simmering, the pumpkins would have turned soft. By then, the flavors of the pumpkin and meat would be melded together. This dish would go very well with rice. But it would take more time to prepare, so she had to make this first.


    There were also two ribbon fish. Fresh ribbon fish taste best when they are fried. This was easy to make so there was no hurry.


    As for the remaining big fish, Xiaoguo did not plan to cook them at first. But she was concerned about having too few dishes. Li Shouji and Jiang Danhe had big appetites. In the end, she decided to add another soup dish to her menu. Since there was tofu in the kitchen, she will make sea fish tofu soup in a while.

 Chapter 339 - 339 Good Husband and Father

    339 Good Husband and Father


    Xiaoguo did a count. There were exactly four dishes and a soup. That should be enough.


    It had been a long time since she had set foot in the kitchen. Xiaoguo was very excited, but she felt that fresh ingredients accounted for a large portion of her excitement.


    All chefs get excited when they are presented with fresh ingredients. Her motivation to cook was pumped up to the max.


    The fragrance wafted out of the pot when Xiaoguo lifted the lid. Intentionally or otherwise, the people in the kitchen slowed down and came to her side. They craned their necks to see what was in the pot.


    Xiaoguo did not hide anything and generously invited those who were free to take a look.


    When those people heard her words, they immediately surrounded her. The few people who were busy became extremely anxious. They couldn¡¯t wait to finish their work right there and then.


    It was not an issue for everyone to crowd around and watch, but Jiang Danhe was instantly pushed aside as a result. At first, he was standing beside Xiaoguo, but now he was standing three meters away from her. There was no chance for him to squeeze through the crowd anymore. He could only look at Xiaoguo helplessly, hoping that she would notice his absence and take the initiative to look for him. Otherwise, he would have to use force to get to her side. After all, the crowd here was mostly made up of women. It would be a huge sin on his part if anybody got hurt.


    Unfortunately, Xiaoguo really didn¡¯t have time for him. She was too busy explaining to the others how to cut up sea cucumbers. She was also sharing with them the different ways to eat seafood.


    It turned out that the people in the kitchen thought that sea cucumbers were inedible because they looked too strange. When they caught any sea cucumbers, they thought that they were strange insects from the sea, so they threw them back into the waters. They got extremely curious when they saw her processing sea cucumbers. Now that there was a chance, they had to ask more.


    If not for the fact that the dishes were finally cooked, she wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to get away.


    The two of them carried the trays and walked towards their residence. At this moment, the sun had set and lanterns were lit up along the pathways.


    Xiaoguo looked relieved. ¡°Thankfully, the dishes were cooked at the right time. Otherwise, I would have problems getting out.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Jiang Danhe snorted.


    Xiaoguo could tell in an instant that something was wrong. She looked at him curiously. What was going on?


    ¡°I thought you looked quite happy.¡± So happy that she didn¡¯t care if he was gone.


    Jiang Danhe thought aggrievedly as his expression turned colder.


    Xiaoguo was smart enough to guess the source of the problem. A smile appeared in her eyes. ¡°What a big boy.¡±


    Then, she thought of a solution. She put on an aggrieved expression and complained, ¡°Do you know how much I missed you just now?¡±


    As expected, Jiang Danhe¡¯s ears pricked up when he heard this. The indifference in his eyes immediately turned to concern.


    Xiaoguo lowered her head to hide the smile in her eyes. She said softly, ¡°I was surrounded by the crowd and couldn¡¯t react in time. You didn¡¯t even come over to protect me. Do you know how many times I¡¯ve called out to you in my heart?¡±


    She was good at playing the blame game. Jiang Danhe had indeed fallen into her trap. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but he was still holding the tray in his hands. Xiaoguo was still going at full speed. Jiang Danhe could only coax her with his gentle words.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t go overboard with her performance. She stopped and casually changed the subject.


    She wasn¡¯t fooling Jiang Danhe. She really missed him. At that time, the crowd had gathered around her rather quickly. She didn¡¯t notice it when Jiang Danhe left her side. When she tried looking for him, he was already standing behind the crowd.


    Faced with a group of eager faces, Xiaoguo really couldn¡¯t bear to make them move aside. She could only let Jiang Danhe suffer for the time being. In her mind, she was trying to speed up and explain the seafood processing method so that she could get away as soon as possible.


    However, those were just her thoughts. The reality was, her explanation aroused their curiosity even more. Eventually, the discussion went on for a while and they lost track of time. They didn¡¯t even realize it when the sky turned dark. If Jiang Danhe hadn¡¯t called her when the food was ready, she would have forgotten that there were still a few people waiting to eat at home.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back quickly. Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi are probably starving.¡±


    Xiaoguo winked mischievously at Jiang Danhe and took the lead in walking quickly. Jiang Danhe laughed helplessly and caught up with her. The two of them walked side by side towards the house.


    Along the way, the two of them did not expect that the fragrance of the food would cause a commotion.


    The wonderful aroma attracted many people. They weren¡¯t the only ones on the island who had gotten sick of eating boiled seafood. Moreover it was mealtime now. Looking at the boiled seafood in front of them, the residents on the island suddenly detected the overbearing fragrance of food. Their tongues started twitching and they swallowed their saliva desperately.


    Everyone started searching for the source of the fragrance. Immediately, the ministers and ladies came outside to take in the fragrance in the air. They sent out a large number of servants to find out the source. For a moment, the island was bustling with activity.


    ¡ª-


    On the other side, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe did not expect that they would cause such a commotion.


    When the two of them returned with the food, everyone in the house was starving. They were lying on the dining table looking like dried salted fish.


    Once the couple appeared, the trio immediately sat up. Their eyes looked electrifying as they locked their gazes on the tray of food.


    If not for their rationality, the three of them would have pounced on the food and started eating using their hands.


    They didn¡¯t eat much for lunch. After an afternoon, they were so hungry that they only had gastric juices left in their belly. If they didn¡¯t eat now, they would have to swallow the gastric juices in their mouths.


    ¡°A nest of hungry wolves?¡± Xiaoguo was shocked by their reaction. They look like they were going to transform into wolves if she had arrived a little bit later.


    ¡°Mother, hurry up. We¡¯re so hungry¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang raised his arm, then dropped it heavily to show that he had no strength.


    Xiaoguo laughed sheepishly. ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡±


    Two large trays of food were placed neatly on the table. Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t bear to see Xiaoguo start getting busy again, so he forced her to sit down while he laid out the food on the table.


    Li Shouji and the kids were absolutely starving. They stared at the food with bowls and chopsticks in hand, waiting for dinner to start.


    Xiaoguo picked up her chopsticks and looked at the busy Jiang Danhe. Her heart was filled with warmth. From what she could see, he had the looks of a virtuous husband and father.


    Just as Xiaoguo was feeling amused by her thoughts, Jiang Danhe had already announced the start of dinner.


    In an instant, Xiaoguo was almost blinded by the flurry of chopsticks picking up food in front of her. This speed was actually possible in real life. As expected, television is inspired by reality.


    With a bowl and chopsticks in her hands, Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe. She could barely hide the surprise in her eyes. Seeing the speed at which the dishes were going down, the two of them quickly joined in.


    Halfway through the meal, an unexpected person came.


    This was the first time Xiaoguo had seen him in private since she arrived.


    As soon as Shao Zhan entered, he wrinkled his nose and sniffed for a long time. After confirming that this was the place, he quickly walked forward and found a stool to sit on. He fished out a bowl and chopsticks from his arms and filled the rice and dishes for himself in one go.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. Go ahead and eat.¡±


    Although Shao Zhan was eating in a hurry, he still looked poised. The upbringing in his bones was unmissable.


    There was a series of garbled words in between. None of them understood what it meant, but they understood the gist of it. To put it bluntly, a freeloader had come to join them for dinner.


    The few of them couldn¡¯t help but look disgusted. Reality was slapping them hard in their faces.


    There was enough food initially, but with the addition of a certain person, the portions seemed to be getting smaller. The men suddenly felt an impending sense of doom and their eyes got busy. The air was burning with tension, and the chopsticks started moving faster.


    Fortunately, Xiaoguo was already feeling full. After telling them to enjoy their meal, she quickly left the ¡°battleground¡±.


    That place was a hotbed for trouble, so she had to leave as soon as possible. What happened after that was proof of her clairvoyance¡­

 Chapter 340 - 340 The Cellar

    340 The Cellar


    After Xiaoguo left, the men finally stopped holding back and revealed their true colors.


    In an instant, the chopsticks on the table started dancing. One moment, a big prawn was flying, and the next moment, a crab was sliding over. Within the next instant, a piece of pumpkin was falling into the bowl¡­


    In such a chaotic environment, Jiang Danhe did not forget his role of a virtuous father. It was his job to refill the children¡¯s bowls with food and rice.


    He didn¡¯t have a choice. The two children were still young. Even if they wanted to fight with the men for food, they couldn¡¯t. Any food they picked up was destined to be taken away.


    Li Shouji let out a huge burp after eating his fill. In the end, under the disdainful gazes of the others, he licked away the last grain of rice stuck to his chopsticks.


    ¡°Eeks¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi exclaimed in disgust at the same time. Although it was a good thing to conserve food and not waste it, he had eaten too much and had gone through many bowls.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you guys the same?¡±


    Li Shouji said nonchalantly. He even showed them the bowls in front of him. All of them were licked clean. There was no need to wash them. They could be kept away immediately.


    When the rest heard his words, they blinked in embarrassment. Indeed, they had no right to despise Li Shouji. They were all the same in this case.


    When dinner was over, it was time to clear the dishes. Usually, the kitchen would send someone to deliver food and also collect the empty plates. However, this time, the meal was prepared by themselves, so no one would come by to pick up the dishes. They must gather all the plates themselves and get someone to collect them or send everything back themselves.


    Of course, no matter which option they chose, they had to sort the empty bowls, chopsticks, and plates, and place them back on the tray.


    As for who was going to do this job, the few of them were each hatching their own ideas. After all, nobody felt like moving after having a full meal.


    The strong will always bully the weak.


    The three men were thinking the same thing. Children should exercise more. A hundred steps after a meal, gives one a lifespan of 99 years¡­


    ¡°Sigh, Xiaoyi, let¡¯s go study.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was observant and quick-witted. Seeing that the situation was not looking good, he immediately pulled Xiaoyi, who was still in a daze, back into the house.


    The three men looked helplessly at the backs of the two shrimps. With such an excuse,it was hard for the men to stop them. After all, the kids did have to spend time on their books..


    Since the kids couldn¡¯t do the work¡­


    ¡°Sigh, I still have a lot of things to do. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Seeing that he might be implicated, Shao Zhan hurriedly stood up and used the word ¡°zhen¡±1 to suppress the other two men. Looking at them swallowing their anger without saying anything, he went back to sleep in satisfaction.


    The pressure of clearing the table instantly landed on Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°The general, which is myself, has some things to deal with, so I¡¯ll¡­ Haha.¡±


    Li Shouji bit his lower lip and rolled his eyes at Jiang Danhe, who was leaving. The emperor and the general have already spoken. What else can he do? He had no choice since he was just a lowly official.


    Now that he was left on his own, he reluctantly began to clear the table. Just as he was picking up a pair of chopsticks, an idea came to him. He ran out immediately. At this hour, almost everyone was finishing their meals. The staff who were in-charge of clearing the plates were still busy doing their jobs.


    Once Li Shouji stepped out, he spotted many servants walking around. He stopped someone and asked her to help clear the plates. After watching her leave with his own eyes, he turned around and left. He rubbed his round belly and went back to sleep.


    ¡ª-


    Xiaoguo had basically explored all the places on the island. It had been more than half a month since she got here. And during this time, she had almost explored every corner of the island. The only thing she had not tried was to swim in the sea.


    Although it was scorching hot outside, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t feel it. And that was because of the ice cubes. Baskets and baskets of ice cubes were brought into the house on a daily basis. Before the ice cubes started melting, the servants would replace them with new ones.


    Seeing the servant leave with another basin of ice, Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued. She was really curious to know how they stored ice, so she followed the servant out.


    The young girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old. Xiaoguo walked beside her and thought that she was a little reserved, so she lowered her voice and chatted with her.


    ¡°Are you throwing away the ice?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the girl said dryly, with a shaky voice. ¡°We¡¯re going to put it back in the cellar and freeze it into ice again.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xiaoguo nodded. She thought that it was a good idea. Recycling the ice means lesser wastage. ¡°Can I go to the cellar with you?¡±


    The young lady hesitated when she heard this. She stole a glance at Xiaoguo. ¡°¡­Sure.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled happily at her and looked around. She must take note of her surroundings. Otherwise, she might have problems finding her way back later.


    The little girl looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s smile and secretly thought to herself that she was very beautiful. She didn¡¯t look like a bad person, so it should be safe to bring her to the cellar.


    The cellar was used for storing fresh meat, food, and fruits. So outsiders did not have access to this place. However, the girl felt that the lady in front of her was not a bad person, so she agreed to her request.


    The two of them walked and made a few turns. The air felt colder the more they walked. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but rub her arms. The surrounding trees towered into the sky, blocking out the sunrays. It was no wonder that this place felt so cold.


    After a while, she saw two guards standing guard by a door.


    ¡°Madam, we¡¯re here.¡±


    The little girl stopped and said to Xiaoguo.


    With the young girl leading the way, she went past the front door easily. Beyond the front door was an oversized and ordinary-looking room. The cellar manager was seated inside. On the table was a stack of thick paper and beside it was a brush covered in ink.


    The butler knew the young lady. When she saw Xiaoguo, she asked her carefully about her identity and the purpose of her visit. After confirming that there were no problems, she let her in.


    In the middle of the room was a wide staircase that extended downwards. Both sides of the walls were filled with candles. The whole place was very brightly lit.


    At this moment, no one was visiting the cellar. Their footsteps echoed in the empty cellar, making the place feel a little creepy.


    However, the young lady looked like she was used to this place. Her expression was very normal. It was daytime now, so there was nothing to be afraid of. The cellar at night was more creepy. There were at least some people moving around during the day, but when night came, there was hardly anyone hanging in this place. However, if the servants had any errands to run, they still had to come down here no matter what. It was no use feeling scared.


    Xiaoguo roughly estimated the length of the stairs. Based on the time she took to come down, this cellar was at least three to four meters deep.


    As soon as they reached the cellar, a gust of cold air hit them in the face. The temperature in the air instantly dropped by at least ten degrees celsius.


    Xiaoguo wrapped her arms around herself in discomfort, but the little girl didn¡¯t seem affected. They went down the stairs and reached the floor of the cellar. An oversized thick curtain appeared in front of them.


    The little girl parted the curtains in the middle, revealing the well-lit interior. She smiled and gestured. ¡°Madam, please come in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Xiaoguo thanked her and walked in.


    The little girl followed closely behind and lowered the curtains.


    An oversized cellar appeared in front of her. If Xiaoguo had to describe it, it was a cellar-shaped refrigerator. There were no candles here, but it was still bright.


    Every corner of the cellar was filled with ice cubes. There was also an ice table with fresh meat and fruits stacked on it.


    While Xiaoguo was admiring the place, the little girl had already brought the basket to a shorter block of ice. She tilted the basket and poured it over the ice. As soon as the melted water landed on the ice, it instantly turned into ice.


    ¡°Once we bring the broken ice back, we¡¯ll pour it over the existing ice to freeze it. Then, when it is time to change the ice, we¡¯ll chisel it into smaller pieces.¡±


    The little girl explained to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo was shocked. The wisdom of ancient people was really endless.


    ¡°Why is it so bright in here?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked around a few times but didn¡¯t see anything that could illuminate the place. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the light source.


    ¡°The light comes from the luminous rocks.¡± This cellar was dug out by the workers bit by bit. The interior was also done up in stages over a period of time. Therefore they are very familiar with the structure of the cellar.¡±


    ¡°Luminous¡­ rocks?¡±


    Xiaoguo repeated it curiously. ¡°Is this the legendary luminous pearls?¡±

 Chapter 341 - 341 Luminous Rocks

    341 Luminous Rocks


    Seeing that she was interested, the little girl happily brought her to an empty space. She stuffed her finger through the gap in the ice and pointed it out to Xiaoguo. ¡°Here, this is it.¡±


    With that, she moved aside so that Xiaoguo could get a closer look.


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and saw the bulk of the luminous rocks through the gap.


    Luminous rocks of different sizes were neatly embedded in the walls, emitting a moon-white glow. The light was reflected through the ice cubes in the cellar, forming the illumination that Xiaoguo had imagined.


    ¡°Where did you find the luminous rocks?¡±


    After overcoming her surprise, Xiaoguo continued asking.


    The little girl scratched her head, indicating that she wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°It was transported by some men in armor. We¡¯re only responsible for sticking it on the walls.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in disappointment. This was good stuff. If she could bring a piece of the rock back, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about candles. This would be enough to light up the house every night.


    Since the place was an ice cellar, the temperature was colder than any ordinary cellar. The two of them did not stay for long and quickly went up.


    After coming out of the cellar, the two of them each went their own way. After all, the young lady had some work to do. As an idle person, Xiaoguo naturally couldn¡¯t pester her.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo was absorbed in her thoughts as she walked. She kept mumbling non-stop to herself and didn¡¯t see where she was going. She only stopped when she bumped into someone.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    A gentle voice sounded. Xiaoguo¡¯s hand that was covering her forehead froze and she quickly put it down. She said in a panic, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Why are you so engrossed in your thoughts?¡±


    Shao Zhan shook his head and asked in amusement.


    Xiaoguo shook her head awkwardly and said nervously, ¡°Nothing much. I was just blinded by the scenery.¡±


    Shao Zhan nodded. He knew that the other party was not telling the truth, but he did not continue asking.


    ¡°Danhe had been looking all over the place for you.¡±


    ¡°Looking for me?¡± Xiaoguo looked up at him in disbelief, not understanding what he meant.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Zhan was about to explain when he saw the figure behind her. He raised his chin and said, ¡°Let him tell you himself.¡±


    Xiaoguo had just turned around when she saw Jiang Danhe walking quickly towards her. Before she could react, he spoke anxiously.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked confused. ¡°I was just wandering around. Why?¡±


    Jiang Danhe suddenly heaved a sigh of relief and said calmly, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s good that we found her. I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    With that, Shao Zhan left with the two guards behind him.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not forget to thank him. When Shao Zhan heard this, he did not turn around and only waved his hand.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo saw the anxiety in his eyes and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious. Could something have happened to Zhuang Zhuang?!


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s silence frightened Xiaoguo. She couldn¡¯t help but imagine many things.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is fine.¡± Jiang Danhe could tell that she was feeling worried. No matter how angry he was, he still comforted her. Then he added, ¡°Nothing has happened to anyone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Xiaoguo was about to heave a sigh of relief when she suddenly felt that something was amiss. If nothing had happened, why did Jiang Danhe¡¯s face look so dark?


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo hesitated for a moment. Coupled with what Shao Zhan had just said, she asked hesitantly, ¡°Did you think that something had happened to me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    There was that familiar snort again. Xiaoguo immediately knew that she had guessed correctly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Ever since she got together with Jiang Danhe, Xiaoguo had gotten better at cajoling him. Hence, she was able to utter pleasing words at whim.


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe was starting to loosen up, Xiaoguo immediately took the opportunity to explain, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, okay? I won¡¯t do this again. I only went to the cellar to take a look. In future, I will definitely let you know in advance. I promise!¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself. Don¡¯t visit any remote places by yourself in the future!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was rarely so serious. Xiaoguo stopped joking and nodded seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that!¡±


    ¡°Although there are many guards here, there are still some places on the island that are not fully guarded. If any of the servants here have ill intentions, it will be dangerous for you to be alone.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was right. After all, the families of the criminals here had all kinds of personalities. Some were implicated by their families, and some were in cahoots with the sinners. There were many honest people, but there were also many bad people amongst them.


    After all, they were ladies who used to live glamorously. Now that they had landed in such a state, there was a possibility that they might be inclined to hurt those who were in a better situation than them. It was better to play safe.


    God knew how flustered he was when he didn¡¯t see Xiaoguo once he got back. He looked everywhere for her but he couldn¡¯t find her.


    So that was why. She was wondering why Jiang Danhe was suddenly so anxious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Thank you.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the sweat on his forehead and felt extremely guilty. She was used to being alone and having the freedom to do whatever she wanted. She had forgotten that there was someone who would miss her from time to time. At that moment, she was immensely touched.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart fell back into place when he saw her. All his emotions were transformed into one thought, ¡°As long as she¡¯s fine.¡±


    There was no anger left in him. All that was left in him was heartache. Didn¡¯t she just make a trip to the cellar? ¡°Why is your forehead red?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I accidentally bumped into the emperor¡¯s back. I¡¯m fine.¡± Xiaoguo rubbed her head nonchalantly. Then she thought of something. ¡°By the way, do you know where the luminous rocks in the cellar came from?¡±


    ¡°The luminous rocks?¡± Jiang Danhe looked at her strangely. ¡°You want that?¡±


    The two of them were so familiar with each other that they could read each other¡¯s mind.


    Xiaoguo nodded shyly and shook her head. ¡°I need to know more before thinking about whether I want it or not.¡±


    Jiang Danhe laughed. ¡°That means you want it.¡±


    ¡°The luminous rocks were found by the border guards when they were building the city walls. An entire mine of the rocks was transported back to the capital for the emperor. However, not much was used in the palace. The remaining rocks were all transported here to be used as lighting for the cellar.¡±


    ¡°Is there any of it left?¡±


    Looking at Xiaoguo¡¯s expectant gaze, Jiang Danhe shook his head.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hopes were dashed. She initially thought that the luminous rocks were mined from this island, but she didn¡¯t expect them to be mined from the borders. She was thinking that if the rocks were nearby, she would get the emperor¡¯s permission to dig out a piece of the rock herself. However, there was no way for her to travel to the borders.


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help her either. The border was too far, and the modes of communication and transportation were inconvenient. It would take more than a year to travel back and forth in order to get there.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t remain disappointed for long and quickly pulled herself together. It didn¡¯t matter if there were no more luminous rocks. In any case, candles were quite bright and they weren¡¯t expensive. Luminous rocks were not a necessity.


    Looking at the big hand that was reaching over, she took it without hesitation. Just like that, the two of them continued chatting and laughing as they walked towards their accommodation.


    Not long after the two of them left, two figures walked out of a pavilion not far away.


    ¡°Mother, I told you. Madam is not a bad person!¡±


    The young lady, who had just brought Xiaoguo to the cellar, was speaking anxiously to a woman beside her.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The woman reprimanded the girl very sternly. Looking at the other party¡¯s aggrieved expression, her heart softened a little. Then, she forced herself to be stern again. ¡°You cannot identify good people based on their appearances. In the future, you are not to bring people to the cellar without permission. If anything goes wrong, you are dead even if you have ten lives to spare! Do you understand?!¡±


    ¡°¡­ I remember,¡±


    The little girl lowered her head aggrievedly and said softly.


    As she lowered her head, she did not notice the tears in the other party¡¯s eyes. She could not help but wonder why her gentle and kind mother had become like this¡­

 Chapter 342 - 342 Idiot

    342 Idiot


    On the other side, when Xiaoguo returned to her residence, she realized that Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t the only one looking for her. Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoyi, and Li Shouji were looking for her for a long time. When she bumped into Shao Zhan earlier, he was also on his way to look for her.


    This made her feel even more guilty and touched at the same time. It seemed like she was no longer alone.


    ¡ª-


    Ever since the day she visited the cellar, Xiaoguo made sure to inform everyone when she went out. She wouldn¡¯t leave without a word.


    One fine day, she was making her way to the kitchen, to borrow the stove to make strawberry jam when she bumped into Yu Zhizhi, whom she had not seen for a long time.


    Looking at the haggard woman in front of her, Xiaoguo was shocked. How did she become like this after just a few days?!


    ¡°Xiao¡­ Madam!¡±


    Yu Zhizhi had wanted to call her Xiaoguo, but she suddenly remembered what she had said¡ªthat she didn¡¯t like being called by her name. Therefore, Yu Zhizhi addressed her as Madam again. Although Yu Zhizhi felt extremely reluctant, she had no choice. She had to get on Xiaoguo¡¯s good side.


    ¡°Aiyo, Yu¡­¡± Xiaoguo frowned and tried to recall her name.


    ¡°¡­Zhizhi.¡± Yu Zhizhi forced a smile, but in her heart, she really hated Xiaoguo. She had spent so much time buttering her up, but she still couldn¡¯t remember her name!


    ¡°Oh¡­ Yes, yes, Yu Zhizhi.¡±


    Xiaoguo clapped her hands looking like she had just managed to recall her name. She watched as the other party suffered another setback. Xiaoguo snickered to herself for a long time. Of course she remembered her name. She was just trying to tease her.


    Getting back to the main topic, Xiaoguo looked at Yu Zhizhi from head to toe. ¡°Why do you look so worn out?¡±


    Yu Zhizhi looked at the other party¡¯s rosy complexion and felt even more inferior. She took a few steps back and mustered her courage. She pretended to be relaxed and said, ¡°I¡¯m the physician that Mrs. Yang brought over. She hasn¡¯t had a good appetite these past two days and she refused to let me leave her side. She even said that I can take better care of her health if I stay by her side.¡±


    Xiaoguo was very impressed by how the woman could lie through her teeth without thinking. If she didn¡¯t know better, she would have believed her.


    Coincidentally, when she had nothing to do two days ago, she sat in the pavilion watching the two boys read and write. She fanned them and poured cold tea for them. While making tea in the kitchen, she overheard a few servants discussing among themselves. She didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but when she heard Yu Zhizhi¡¯s name, she paid extra attention to the conversation.


    The version she heard was different from what Yu Zhizhi had described. It was the complete opposite. Not that the Prime Minister¡¯s wife was unable to leave her. Yu Zhizhi was the one who couldn¡¯t leave the Minister¡¯s wife.


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife had gotten sick of eating seafood, so her appetite was poor over the past few days. Since Yu Zhizhi was considered as half a doctor, the minister¡¯s wife asked her to prescribe some herbs that would improve her appetite. She even gave Yu Zhizhi the medicine box that she had brought along for the trip. She gave her permission to use any of the available medicinal herbs to come up with a prescription.


    However, Yu Zhizhi had never encountered such rich-man¡¯s ailments before. In this era, people were lucky to have three square meals. How could anyone suffer from such ailments? However, she was not entirely unreliable. After all, she had learned medicine before. She looked at the Chinese herbs in the medicine box and selected a few that were beneficial for digestion based on what she could remember. Those herbs were then boiled for the lady¡¯s consumption.


    When the pot of black medicinal soup was brewed and given to the Prime Minister¡¯s wife, she didn¡¯t get better after drinking it. Because of that, she immediately thought of sending Yu Zhizhi back, and summoning the original physician who had already recovered. However, how could Yu Zhizhi agree to it? She begged and made promises until Prime Minister¡¯s wife reluctantly agreed to give her another chance. If she couldn¡¯t produce results within three days, she would be sent back immediately.


    However, she eventually managed to figure out the prescription and it really brought back the lady¡¯s appetite. Only then did the Prime Minister¡¯s wife allow her to stay.


    Yu Zhizhi looked like she was bragging. Xiaoguo did not interrupt her nor agree with her. She just listened quietly.


    Yu Zhizhi looked at her convinced look and felt a little proud of herself. ¡°With her level of intelligence, Xiaoguo was so easy to fool. She actually believed everything I said. What a fool.¡±


    However, although Xiaoguo¡¯s brain was not working well, her appearance was really a pain in the butt. When Yu Zhizhi thought about the dark circles under her own eyes, she felt really jealous of Xiaoguo. It was really unfair that such a stupid person was so good-looking!


    And that damn Lady Yang. Fortunately, she had racked her brains hard enough to recall an inconspicuous corner of a book that her father had given her. There was a section in the book that talked about stimulating the appetite. Otherwise, she would have been forcibly sent away before getting a chance to speak to Brother Jiang!


    Thinking of Xiaoguo¡¯s beauty and Mrs. Yang¡¯s high and mighty appearance, a trace of jealousy and indignation slowly rose in Yu Zhizhi¡¯s heart¡­


    Xiaoguo also noticed the strange look in the other party¡¯s eyes. The more she spoke, the more resentful she looked. Gradually, Xiaoguo lost her patience. She was starting to feel hot just standing there. She interrupted her, ¡°Yu Zhizhi, I still have something on. I¡¯ll get going first. We¡¯ll talk again when there is time.¡±


    When Yu Zhizhi heard this, she immediately perked up and pulled Xiaoguo back. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m free now. I¡¯ll go have some fun with you. Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°The kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in silent acquiescence. So be it. She was feeling bored anyway. It would be interesting to hear her brag.


    Yu Zhizhi didn¡¯t stop talking along the way. Faced with her constant chattering, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t get impatient. Instead, she simply ignored her. She nodded and acknowledged everything that Yu Zhizhi said. Whenever the woman asked about Jiang Danhe, Xiaoguo would interrupt and change the topic.


    Because of that, Yu Zhizhi did not manage to find out anything about Jiang Danhe. She could not help but feel a little discouraged, but she still followed Xiaoguo to the kitchen. Although she was not quite sure why XIaoguo was holding a plate of strawberries.


    She watched as Xiaoguo cut the precious strawberries into small pieces before pouring them into the pot. A large spoonful of sugar was then added to the strawberries.


    Since Yu Zhizhi had come into the kitchen with her, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t just let her stand there and do nothing. The additional pair of hands that she had brought along should be put to good use. Xiaoguo made her sit down and start the fire. This saved Xiaoguo from dirtying her clothes and smelling of smoke.


    Yu Zhizhi was the one doing all the hard work. However, she was overjoyed. She thought that she had gotten closer to Xiaoguo and hence she burnt the charcoal in joy.


    With the help of her free labor, Xiaoguo managed to make strawberry jam rather quickly. She tasted it to check the sweetness. ¡°Alright, you can extinguish the fire now.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Yu Zhizhi agreed happily.


    Xiaoguo turned her back and laughed to herself secretly. She must say that Yu Zhizhi was very naive. She was scheming, stupid, and naive.


    While making her way back, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect Yu Zhizhi to be so persistent today. She had told her many times to go ahead and get busy, but Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know if she got the hint or not. Yu Zhizhi just continued to hang around her.


    After dropping so many hints to no avail, Xiaoguo stopped. Yu Zhizhi was simply doing this in order to see Jiang Danhe. In that case, she would just let the woman follow her. In any case, Jiang Danhe was not around now. He would most likely return only in the evening. She didn¡¯t believe that Yu Zhizhi would be so thick-skinned to stay until then.


    However, the unexpected happened without any warning. Just as Yu Zhizhi entered the house with her, Jiang Danhe came out from the back room.


    Yu Zhizhi gasped loudly. Xiaoguo could hardly pretend that she couldn¡¯t hear her.


    ¡°Zhizhi, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi hurriedly smoothed her hair. She was filled with regret. She was completely covered in the smell of firewood. If Brother Jiang smelled it, her image would be ruined. No, she couldn¡¯t allow that to happen!


    ¡°Sigh, Madam, I¡¯ll go back first. I suddenly remembered that I had something on. I¡¯ll come and look for you later. Wait for me!¡±


    After saying that, she ran off. Of course, no one wanted to keep her. Looking at the woman¡¯s hurrying back view, Xiaoguo was curious. The man she had been longing for was here. Why did she run away?


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was displeased that Xiaoguo was staring at a woman with dubious intentions. He turned her face away domineeringly and took the plate from her hand before she could react.


    ¡°Why are you home?¡±

 Chapter 343 - 343 Guilt

    343 Guilt


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t answer and asked him instead. Didn¡¯t he say that Shao Zhan was looking for him and he would be gone for a day? He wouldn¡¯t be back until evening at the earliest. Xiaoguo had miscalculated. If Yu Zhizhi hadn¡¯t run away for no reason, the two of them would have come face-to-face!


    ¡°Yes, I have something on. I¡¯m just here to get some clothes.¡±


    Jiang Danhe gestured at the clothes in his hand.


    ¡°Why are you bringing clothes with you?¡±


    ¡°I have something on tonight. I¡¯ll be back first thing in the morning.¡±


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t have much time. After informing Xiaoguo, he walked out. However, he suddenly turned back halfway and instructed her worriedly, ¡°Keep the doors and windows shut.¡±


    ¡°Aiya, I know that¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded helplessly. This was the nth time he had said that.


    Jiang Danhe smiled and left after saying the words, ¡°Good girl.¡± And he left just like that. She could sense so much anxiety by just looking at his cute-looking back view.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He was so pressed for time, but he still spent so much time dawdling with her.


    Just as Xiaoguo was coming out with the ice porridge, she bumped into Yu Zhizhi, who was all dressed up.


    ¡°Xiao¡­ Madam, are you going out?¡±


    Yu Zhizhi quickly tugged at the corner of Xiaoguo¡¯s clothes. She couldn¡¯t help but sound anxious.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m going out to deliver some food.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were still studying in the pavilion. She was planning to serve them some ice porridge to reward them for their hard work.


    As the pavilion was not far away, Xiaoguo did not wrap up the porridge with a cotton cloth. However, after being intercepted by the other party, the ice porridge was starting to melt a little. Although it was still edible, she still needed to send it over as soon as possible. After all, the dessert was meant to be eaten cold so as to help them cool down.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo broke away from her and continued walking.


    Yu Zhizhi looked into the house and then at Xiaoguo¡¯s departing figure. She was so anxious that the handkerchief in her hand was about to be torn from her constant tugging. In the end, her rationality got the better of her. She stomped her foot indignantly and chased after Xiaoguo.


    As she chased after her, she said, ¡°Wait for me. Let¡¯s go together¡­¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she really slowed down. If she had to wait, so be it. She suddenly remembered that she had yet to inform Yu Zhizhi of the bad news. The man she had been longing for would not be back tonight. She had cleaned up and dressed up for nothing¡­


    Yu Zhizhi kept up with Xiaoguo¡¯s pace without any difficulty. She even deliberately walked half a step ahead of her.


    Of course, Xiaoguo had no intention of losing out to her. This was considered provocative behavior. Back then, although she was always in the kitchen, she had fought with zombies using her bare hands. How could she let a little sparrow like Yu Zhizhi subjugate her?!


    Just as the other party was feeling smug, Xiaoguo quietly took a big step forward and caught Yu Zhizhi¡¯s foot, causing her to almost trip. When Xiaoguo saw this, she immediately applied her acting skills and held on to Yu Zhizhi worriedly. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve been too tired recently.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi had a puzzled look on her face. Why did she suddenly trip? Did her fatigue lead to excess mental pressure?


    The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Yu Zhizhi pursed her lips. She really had to get a good rest.


    ¡°You¡¯re too tired. Go back and have a good rest.¡± Xiaoguo immediately tried to help her back to her accommodation.


    ¡°Oh, no need, no need!¡±


    Yu Zhizhi panicked. After saying that, she suddenly realized that she was being too anxious. She was really worried that she would miss Brother Jiang if Xiaoguog sent her back. If that was the case, she would have dressed up for nothing. She couldn¡¯t go back now!


    Her big eyes flickered anxiously as she racked her brains. In the end, she locked her gaze on the contents of the bowl. Although she didn¡¯t know what it was, she could only use it to distract Xiaoguo.


    After calming down, she said considerately, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go quickly. The food in the bowl is going to melt.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright then.¡± Xiaoguo pretended to think for a long time before agreeing reluctantly.


    Although she said that, her actions were the exact opposite. The cold porridge in her hands was indeed melting. She must hurry!


    She jogged to the pavilion and handed the desserts to the two kids without caring if Yu Zhizhi was following her. ¡°Eat first. You can study later.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!!¡± Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes lit up as he took the ice porridge. He scooped out a large spoonful of strawberry jam with a spoon and ate it with the cold crushed ice. Once it entered his stomach, it felt cold and wonderful.


    Looking at his cute appearance, Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was overflowing with maternal love. She was on the verge of screaming. The boy looked so cute!


    When Xiaoyi was almost done eating, Zhuang Zhuang finally came back to his senses. He picked up the cold porridge on the table and said sweetly to Xiaoguo, ¡°Thank you, Mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo replied gently, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°Mother, lower your head.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t understand, but she lowered her head cooperatively.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang put down the cold porridge and took out a handkerchief from his arms. He carefully wiped her forehead and nose. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t rush yourself next time. You¡¯re sweating from the heat. Zhuang Zhuang can¡¯t bear to see you like this.¡±


    ¡°Alright, son. I will keep it in mind!¡±


    Xiaoguo was basking in the tenderness of a little man. She was totally delighted.


    At the side, Xiaoyi quietly put down the cold porridge and watched the two of them interact enviously. His small hand reached for his handkerchief and clutched it before putting it back. He hid his thoughts and continued eating the cold porridge happily in pretense.


    Xiaoguo cooperated by looking up, lowering her head, and turning her head. Actually, the short distance she walked was not enough to make her sweat. It was just that the slight delay had caused her to stand under the sun for quite a while.


    But then again, where was Yu Zhizhi?


    Xiaoguo suddenly remembered that the woman was going to follow her here. Why hadn¡¯t she reached after so long?


    Just as she was looking around, Yu Zhizhi suddenly spoke behind her.


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    Startled, Xiaoguo turned around and saw Yu Zhizhi, who was drenched in sweat.


    ¡°Why are you sweating so much?¡±


    This time, Xiaoguo was truly impressed. She was actually sweating so much after walking such a short distance. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that she had run a marathon.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± A trace of guilt flashed across Yu Zhizhi¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just feeling a little hot.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Xiaoguo was not interested in her at all. She responded casually and turned her attention to the two children.


    Seeing that she didn¡¯t ask further, Yu Zhizhi heaved a sigh of relief. She secretly turned around and wiped her sweat with a handkerchief.


    Along the way earlier, she saw a figure that looked especially like Brother Jiang. On impulse, she chased after him. After chasing for a long time, she realized that it was a case of mistaken identity, so she quickly ran back.


    Perhaps she had a guilty conscience. When Xiaoguo asked her about it just now, she subconsciously evaded the question. Fortunately, Xiaoguo did not continue asking. That gave her a chance to catch her breath.


    Yu Zhizhi was extremely anxious, but she couldn¡¯t show it. She could only urge Xiaoguo to go back by dropping hints.


    Unexpectedly, Xiaoguo was unmoved. She stayed until evening, when the sun was almost setting.


    ¡°Are we going back already?!¡±


    Due to her excitement and the fact that she had not spoken for a long time, Yu Zhizhi¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. However, it was not difficult to tell how happy she was.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t left?¡±


    Xiaoguo turned around and looked at her strangely, as if she had just noticed her. She had been so focused on the two kids that she had almost forgotten about Yu Zhizhi¡¯s presence. In addition, the woman had not spoken a word, so she had forgotten that there was a fourth person with them.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d left.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi¡¯s smile was extremely stiff. However, in order to see Brother Jiang, she had to endure it!


    Xiaoguo knew what she was thinking. Along the way, she pretended not to see the woman following behind her. When they were almost reaching her accommodation, she pretended to look back casually and said in surprise, ¡°Zhizhi? Why aren¡¯t you going back? It¡¯s almost time for dinner.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi smiled awkwardly and quickly came up with a bunch of excuses.


    Xiaoguo looked at her and smiled evilly.

 Chapter 344 - 344 Grounded

    344 Grounded


    While Yu Zhizhi was getting ready to spit out her excuses, Xiaoguo suddenly revealed a ¡®kind¡¯ smile and took the initiative to say, ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us? It¡¯s just the three of us tonight.¡±


    As she spoke, she hugged Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi tightly. One adult and two kids¡ªexactly three of them.


    Yu Zhizhi was surprised at Xiaoguo¡¯s invitation, but then she realized. The three of them?


    It was different from the three people she was thinking about. Instead they were the three people in front of her!


    ¡°¡­ Is your husband not around?¡±


    Swallowing the words ¡°Brother Jiang¡± that almost came out of her mouth, Yu Zhizhi endured the pain and changed to ¡°your husband.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo smiled gently at Yu Zhizhi and said softly, ¡°He won¡¯t be around for the whole of today.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yu Zhizhi¡¯s face turned ashen.


    ¡ª-


    During dinner, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stop laughing. Each time she recalled Yu Zhizhi¡¯s expression earlier, she was unable to stop. It was really hilarious.


    Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang ate carefully. There was another burst of laughter. The two of them looked at each other in horror.


    Xiaoyi: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Xiaoyi: ¡°Oh¡­ I know. It must be because the food today was delicious!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang rolled his eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that she hasn¡¯t eaten a single bite of food and is only eating rice?¡±


    Xiaoyi looked at Xiaoguo in realization and nodded in understanding. ¡°Then she must be crazy.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang: ¡­


    Xiaoguo did not notice the little episode between the two of them. Instead, she was immersed in Yu Zhizhi¡¯s expression earlier on.


    She was sort of expecting that the other party would react badly, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be so bad. If looks could kill, she would have been riddled with holes.


    At night, Jiang Danhe did not return. Seeing that it was getting late, Xiaoguo got up and closed the door.


    Along the way, she went to another room and checked on Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi. The two of them were sleeping well and did not kick away their blankets. After taking a quick look, she went back to sleep in peace.


    As soon as she walked away from the bed, Xiaoyi suddenly muttered something. Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and turned her head to listen carefully for a long time. When she didn¡¯t hear anything else, she stopped thinking about it and turned to leave.


    The moment the door closed, Xiaoyi muttered to himself again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wipe it for you¡­ I have a handkerchief¡­¡±


    ¡ª-


    On the other end.


    Yu Zhizhi returned to her accommodation angrily. Without taking her dinner, she slammed the door shut, startling the others around her. Everyone mocked her with their eyes through the door.


    ¡°Why is a little village woman throwing a tantrum here? She really doesn¡¯t know her place!¡±


    As soon as Yu Zhizhi entered the room, she pulled the flowers from her hair and threw them to the ground. She stomped on them a few more times in frustration.


    ¡°I¡¯m so pissed! I¡¯m so pissed!¡±


    Yu Zhizhi pounced on the bed and buried her head under the blanket. She kept hitting the bed with her fists for a long time before stopping.


    ¡°Damn Qin Xiaoguo, why didn¡¯t she say so earlier! She had wasted so much of my time!¡±


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡±


    At this moment, there was a loud knock on the door. Yu Zhizhi was feeling vexed. When she heard such a rude knock, she subconsciously shouted, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me! Madam is feeling unwell and wants to see you.¡±


    When the person outside the door heard the tone in her voice, she naturally didn¡¯t reply in a nice tone to her.


    Yu Zhizhi tried her best to suppress her indignation and anger. She inhaled and exhaled with all her might. After suppressing her anger, she regained her original voice. ¡°I¡¯m coming¡­¡±


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Yu Zhizhi¡¯s face darkened. In the end, her rationality got the better of her. She reluctantly said, ¡°Got it.¡±


    When the person outside the door heard her answer, she snorted in satisfaction and left.


    When Yu Zhizhi heard the footsteps getting further and further away, she punched the bed frame angrily. Reluctantly, she got out of bed and picked up the medicine box. Imagining that all of these people were the floor and the door, she kicked and slammed her way out of the room.


    She really didn¡¯t understand why these rich ladies were suffering from their rich-men ailments. They had all kinds of niggling health problems and always liked to mobilize everyone when they were unwell. They were always so keen to let everyone know that they were sick. It was really annoying.


    Besides, she had not taken her dinner and yet she had to go take a look at the lady. Since she loved to fall sick so much, she should just die and save everyone the trouble!


    Yu Zhizhi thought viciously. But when she saw Mrs. Yang, she still tried to keep herself on her good side. She was afraid that the lady would send her away if she was displeased with her.


    ¡°You¡¯re really dilly-dallying. I didn¡¯t bring you here to enjoy yourself. I have not seen you for the whole day. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing every day. Shouldn¡¯t you be waiting on me? Why are you running around? I think you shouldn¡¯t go out anymore, lest you offend someone important!¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife was not a kind person. She was in her forties and had sharp eyes. She could tell at a glance that this woman was up to no good. This village woman was obviously not an honest person and was full of tricks. If she had to choose again, she would never have brought such a person over. It was really too late to think about this now!


    It was a pity that her body was useless. She didn¡¯t have any major problems, but she was constantly troubled by various ailments that were small and never-ending. It was hard for her to leave the doctor¡¯s side.


    ¡°¡­Got it. I¡¯ll be at your beck and call in the future.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi understood that she had to lower her head when she was under someone else¡¯s roof. However, she would keep this old woman in her mind. When she earned a reputation for herself one day, she would definitely not let this woman off so easily!


    Thoughts were just thoughts. Yu Zhizhi cursed the Prime Minister¡¯s wife as she gave her a careful massage.


    The interaction mode between the two was as such. The Prime Minister¡¯s wife scolded Yu Zhizhi openly, while Yu Zhizhi scolded the lady in her heart. It was considered a ¡®harmonious¡¯ communication mode.


    In the next few days, Yu Zhizhi was indirectly grounded and did not have time to look for Xiaoguo. She waited on the Prime Minister¡¯s wife with all her heart. Although she could not come out on her own, it did not mean that she could not go out with the lady.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife looked doubtful. She didn¡¯t believe that she would feel better if she spent more time outdoors.


    ¡°Really. It¡¯s a beautiful day. Going out more often and taking in fresh air is good for your health, Madam.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi¡¯s expression was sincere, looking like she was doing this for the lady¡¯s own good.


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife put aside her disbelief temporarily. It was fine for her to go out for a walk. She had been here for so many days and had yet to venture out. It was indeed not good to stay indoors all the time.


    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll go out for a walk later.¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t wait till later. The air is fresh in the morning. It¡¯s best to go out now.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi suppressed her anxiety and tried her best to speak calmly.


    When the prime minister¡¯s wife heard this, she agreed. It was too hot in the afternoon. Mornings were much cooler. ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    Actually, she didn¡¯t really feel like helping her, but this was a good position. Walking at the front, she would be able to spot Brother Jiang immediately¡­


    Of course, Yu Zhizhi wouldn¡¯t be so kind as to accompany Mrs. Yang for a walk. Earlier on, when she went to the toilet, she overheard someone talk about Qin Xiaoguo. Out of curiosity, she listened for a long time and realized that everyone was envious of Xiaguo having married the right person. She also heard the most important thing¡ªBrother Jiang was currently in the pavilion in the garden.


    Upon hearing this, how could she calm down? She had been longing for the opportunity to meet him. How could she miss it?


    However, if Mrs. Yang did not allow her to go out alone, she could only think of a reason to coax the lady out so that she could follow her.


    Overtly and covertly, she led Mrs. Yang into the garden. However, as the lady did not walk often, she could not walk fast. Yu Zhizhi was wishing to leave her behind so that she could run to find Brother Jiang. If the lady continued walking at this speed, Brother Jiang would probably leave before they reached the garden.


    Despite her thoughts, Yu Zhizhi did not dare to leave Mrs. Yang behind. She could only help her walk slowly towards the garden.

 Chapter 345 - 345 Creepy And Infatuated

    345 Creepy And Infatuated


    Yu Zhizhi was thinking about Jiang Danhe happily. While eavesdropping in the toilet, she only remembered the part where the women talked about Jiang Danhe being in the garden pavilion. She did not pay attention to the name that was mentioned afterwards¡­


    Yu Zhizhi could hear laughter from afar. She was instantly mesmerized and overwhelmed with emotions. This was the first time she had heard Brother Jiang laugh.


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife stopped and frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± Yu Zhizhi panicked and looked at her in disbelief. Why was she changing directions?


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife gave her a disdainful look. Without a word, she started walking the other way.


    However, Yu Zhizhi was adamant. She tried to drag Mrs. Yang towards the pavilion. As she held onto her, she said, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s some shade in the pavilion. You can rest there for a while. It might not be beneficial for you to walk for too long.¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife was caught off guard and was dragged about one meter from where she was. The servant beside her pushed Yu Zhizhi away and shouted, ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Yu Zhizhi fell to the ground with a look of disbelief on her face. Then, she glared at the old woman who pushed her down. ¡°Why did you push me?¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife didn¡¯t say anything. She only smoothed out the hem of her dress leisurely.


    The old woman, who just pushed Yu Zhizhi away, said aggressively, ¡°How dare you! Who gave you permission to pull and drag Madam along? I could hear the voice of a man coming from the pavilion. What is your motive, bringing Madam over to the pavilion?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yu Zhizhi was speechless. She didn¡¯t know how to explain herself. It was indeed wrong of her to pull the lady, but it was even more wrong for that dog to push her.


    Then, she glanced at Mrs. Yang viciously. Her dog had pushed someone, but she was behaving like it was none of her business. How disgusting. She was merely someone who came from a rich and influential family in the capital. In fact she was not even some big official. What a cocky ass!


    Yu Zhizhi, who was filled with resentment, retracted her gaze and looked down at the ground. After thinking for a long time, she lowered her head and pleaded for mercy.


    ¡°Madam, please forgive me. I was really worried about your health. If you continue walking under the sun, you will definitely succumb to the heat. Moreover, there¡¯s only one big pavilion around. I got so excited that I didn¡¯t hear anything. I almost¡­¡±


    As she spoke, tears streamed down Yu Zhizhi¡¯s face. During this time, she had been eating and sleeping well on the island. She didn¡¯t have to work outdoors or be exposed to the elements. Moreover, she had secretly used some of Mrs. Yang¡¯s white ointment, therefore, her skin had become much fairer. When she cried, she looked quite pitiful and delicate.


    Mrs. Yang was old and could not bear to see a young woman cry like this. There were no men here. There was no use for her petty ways here.


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± The Prime Minister¡¯s wife waved her hand impatiently. ¡°Get up.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi quickly stopped crying and stood up. She stood beside her, completely filled with disdain. She finally realized something. Besides being unwell physically, Lady Yang was also sick in the mind.


    The commotion on this side alarmed Xiaoguo and the gang. After leaving Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang behind, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe walked towards the source of the commotion.


    Jiang Danhe was concerned for Xiaguo¡¯s safety, so he held her hand and walked ahead of her.


    The first thing he saw was the unhappy face of the Prime Minister¡¯s wife. Jiang Danhe tugged at Xiaoguo and gestured for her to look in that direction.


    Xiaoguo walked to his side and looked over. Not only did she see the Prime Minister¡¯s wife, she also saw Yu Zhizhi, who was crying.


    What was going on?


    The two of them looked at each other, feeling puzzled.


    Since they had seen the two women, they couldn¡¯t just leave silently. Moreover, the other party had also seen them. It was even more impossible for them to leave without greeting them.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Yang.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, it¡¯s General¡­ Old Master Jiang¡­¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife had almost blurted out the word ¡°general¡± when she suddenly glanced at Yu Zhizhi, who was beside her. Hence, she quickly changed the way she addressed him.


    Yu Zhizhi¡¯s tears, which had just stopped, were about to flow again when she saw Jiang Danhe. She subconsciously ignored Xiaoguo who was standing beside him.


    If not for the bad timing, she really wanted to pounce on him and hug him. She wished for him to avenge her and teach this wilting old woman a lesson!


    ¡°Mrs. Jiang, your fame has fallen short of the truth. Seeing you in person, you look like a lotus flower blooming in the water. No wonder our Old Master Jiang chose to stay by your side all day long.¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife teased. Everyone knew about Jiang Danhe¡¯s devotion for his wife. Wherever the couple went, it was hard to miss their display of affection for each other. As long as Mrs. Jiang was around, General Jiang would definitely be within the vicinity.


    These ladies hardly stepped out of their houses. Firstly, they were afraid of the heat. Secondly, they were afraid of being blinded by the public display of affection between the couple. Just hearing about it made them extremely jealous, let alone seeing it with their own eyes.


    For a period of time, many of these ladies felt like they were soaking in the vinegar vat all day.


    Xiaoguo felt a little shy listening to the lady¡¯s praise. She said humbly, ¡°Not at all. Madam, you flatter me.¡±


    After saying that, she tried to retract her hand, but Jiang Danhe¡¯s grip on her hand tightened.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve bumped into each other, why don¡¯t we go to the pavilion for a cup of cold tea? My wife specially made this. It¡¯s not available anywhere else.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s praise made Xiaoguo feel embarrassed. She secretly pinched him a few times to make him stop.


    When the Prime Minister¡¯s wife heard this, her interest was instantly piqued. Her legs were already sore. If she walked a little longer, she would definitely suffer at night. It would be best if she could sit down. Besides, the general and his wife were not strangers.


    ¡°Alright. Then I can only apologize for intruding¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe chuckled and said politely, ¡°Mrs. Yang, please don¡¯t say that. Please come this way.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi stiffly helped Mrs. Yang towards the pavilion. When she passed by Jiang Danhe, she took a deep breath creepily. The refreshing musk fragrance entered her lungs, making her feel intoxicated. She didn¡¯t know that the handsome Brother Jiang smelled so good. He was indeed different from other men.


    Xiaoguo took a few steps back with Jiang Danhe and looked at Yu Zhizhi with displeasure. Why was she being so blatant about her affection for the man? Should she pretend not to see it?


    Of course, she had to keep up with the pretense. It was too early to expose Yu Zhizhi now. It was really quite difficult to act like she was blind.


    Everyone present was smart, except for Yu Zhizhi. Everyone could see what she was up to.


    This was especially so for the Prime Minister¡¯s wife. Upon arrival at the pavilion earlier on, she first sensed an inexplicable tightening of Yu Zhizhi¡¯s grip on her arm, and also her chaotic breathing. She could see the woman¡¯s odd behavior when she turned her head slightly. Coupled with the scene of Yu Zhizhi insisting on bringing her to the pavilion, she immediately understood. This woman really had ulterior motives.


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife snorted silently in her heart and despised Yu Zhizhi even more. Although this was not her first time seeing someone so eager to become a concubine, she still despised the woman every time she saw her.


    Yu Zhizhi tried all ways to show Jiang Danhe her most beautiful state, even though he did not even look at her.


    The servants who were walking with the Prime Minister¡¯s wife waited outside the pavilion. Only Xiaoguo, Jiang Danhe, the Prime Minister¡¯s wife, and Yu Zhizhi, who kept clinging on to the lady, entered the pavilion.


    When she entered the pavilion, the Prime Minister¡¯s wife spotted Xiaoyi at first glance. She refused to sit down no matter what.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe tried to persuade her for a long time before she walked to a spot that was three meters away from the pavilion. She looked like she was made to stand there as a punishment, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe could neither sit nor stand, so they had to stand with her. After all, the other party was quite advanced in age. It didn¡¯t feel right if they sat down while watching her stand.


    Xiaoyi looked at Xiaoguo innocently. He hadn¡¯t done anything at all¡­

 Chapter 346 - 346 Kind Reminder

    346 Kind Reminder


    Yu Zhizhi glanced at her in disdain. The old woman, who had been so arrogant a moment ago, now looked so listless when she saw a brat. How embarrassing.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe could only let Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang go back to study. Jiang Danhe was in charge of sending them back, leaving Xiaoguo to chat with the Prime Minister¡¯s wife.


    After watching Xiaoyi leave, the Prime Minister¡¯s wife was finally able to relax.


    ¡°Come, Madam, have some tea.¡±


    Xiaoguo took a clean cup and poured her a cup of cold tea.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife picked up the cup and took a sip. The taste was very refreshing. She couldn¡¯t help but finish it in one gulp.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo refilled her glass.


    ¡°Mrs. Jiang, I¡¯ve embarrassed myself¡­¡± The Prime Minister¡¯s wife looked shy. She had never finished a cup of tea all in one gulp. It was too embarrassing.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Chilled tea is best for summer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simply delicious. Did you make this yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I made this with fruit and black tea.¡±


    ¡°Fruits and black tea?!¡± The Prime Minister¡¯s wife¡¯s eyes widened when she heard that. She didn¡¯t know that fruits could be used for making black tea.


    Seeing that she was interested, Xiaoguo started discussing it with her.


    The two of them started talking, making Yu Zhizhi extremely anxious. Brother Jiang had been gone for so long. He should be back by now.


    He wasn¡¯t gone for that long, but to Yu Zhizhi, it felt like two hours had passed. Just as Xiaoguo and Lady Yang were getting more and more engrossed in their conversation, Jiang Danhe finally returned. Yu Zhizhi was overjoyed.


    Jiang Danhe did not even spare her a glance. He sat down beside Xiaoguo and joined in the conversation.


    Although Jiang Danhe was a man, he was not as pedantic and chauvinistic as other men. Occasionally, he would get involved in the conversation between Xiaoguo and the Prime Minister¡¯s wife.


    As they spoke, the teapot eventually became empty. However, the more they chatted, the happier they became. They had no intention of parting, so Jiang Danhe went to the kitchen to make more tea.


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife shook her head enviously. ¡°It¡¯s said that all gentlemen stay away from the kitchen. I¡¯ve finally seen for myself that the rumors were all true, and I understand why the other ladies didn¡¯t dare to witness it for themselves. Even though I am so old, when I saw how well Danhe took care of you, I couldn¡¯t help but feel envious¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned to hear her say that. Then she understood. Without saying anything, she smiled shyly.


    ¡°How magical. Happiness is really written on one¡¯s face¡­¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife looked at her smile and said nostalgically.


    At least that kind of smile had not appeared on her face for more than twenty years. The last time it made its appearance was when her daughter was born. After that¡­


    At the thought of this, the Prime Minister¡¯s wife¡¯s dignified face suddenly darkened.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know how to comfort her. She could tell what she meant, but she didn¡¯t know how to make her feel better.


    After that banquet, Jiang Danhe had spoken to her briefly about the few high-ranking ministers. They all had the same problem¡ªthere were too many women in their harems.


    Although the Prime Minister was already so old, he had many women in his harem. Some were in their forties, and some were in their twenties. Although the Prime Minister¡¯s wife was the most senior, she only wished for a devoted heart. However, her man¡¯s heart had already been divided into five or six parts. How much of it was left for her after being shared among the other women?


    Women in ancient times were really pitiful. It is a good thing that polygamy was abolished.


    Xiaoguo patted the back of her hand gently to comfort her. The other party only responded with a desolate smile.


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife tried to calm herself down. For some inexplicable reason, she couldn¡¯t help pouring her heart out to Xiaoguo when she saw her. She was not the type who revealed their true feelings so easily, but Xiaoguo had some charm about her that made people feel relaxed and compelled to confide in her.


    ¡°Aiyo¡­ Mrs. Yang, I am having a stomachache. I need to¡­¡±


    Yu Zhizhi had been waiting for a long time and was really not in the mood to listen to what the two of them were talking about. Her heart had already flown to Jiang Danhe¡¯s side. She really couldn¡¯t wait any longer. This was a rare opportunity for her and Jiang Danhe to spend time together. If she missed the chance, it would be gone forever. She had to think of a way to catch hold of him.


    ¡°Go on, go on.¡± The Prime Minister¡¯s wife waved her hand without turning her head. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at Yu Zhizhi.


    When Yu Zhizhi heard Lady Yang giving her permission to leave, she ran away without holding her stomach. Fortunately, she knew how to cover up a little and took a few detours to chase after Jiang Danhe. Otherwise, she would have really drowned in a pool of criticisms.


    She traveled all the way to the kitchen. But when she entered the place, Jiang Danhe was not there. After asking around, she found out that he had already left.


    Hence, without caring about her sweaty appearance, she picked up her dress and chased after him. In her mind, she was still crafting her confession. She had to make Brother Jiang fall in love with her!


    On the other side, after Yu Zhizhi left, the Prime Minister¡¯s wife looked at Xiaoguo solemnly and reminded her kindly, ¡°This girl has ulterior motives for Danhe. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yu Zhizhi?¡± Xiaoguo was stunned. How did this fool manage to reveal her thoughts to everyone?!


    Everyone should know what the woman was plotting by now¡­


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ashamed. Yu Zhizhi had already confessed to the whole world. Would it be too fake if she continued feigning ignorance?


    ¡°That¡¯s who she is.¡± The Prime Minister¡¯s wife was wearing a look of certainty. She was quite sure about her guess. Yu Zhizhi¡¯s intentions were written all over her face. Fearing that Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t believe her, she told Xiaoguo everything about her discovery.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be more wary of her.¡±


    Xiaoguo said sincerely. The Prime Minister¡¯s wife heaved a sigh of relief.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe returned with the cold tea. There were two pots of tea on the tray.


    First, he nodded at the Prime Minister¡¯s wife. Then, he said to Xiaoguo, ¡°I bumped into Li Shouji just now. He said that the kids are getting out of hand and he couldn¡¯t handle them anymore.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him in surprise. Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi?


    ¡°In that case, you better hurry back and take a look. At this age, they are usually quite cheeky. Boys are even more so.¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife, who was listening from the side, spoke first.


    ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯ll go back first,¡± Xiaoguo said embarrassedly as she stood up.


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife nodded in understanding. At this moment, Jiang Danhe took one teapot from the tray and placed it on the table. ¡°Mrs. Yang, since you like this tea, I made an extra pot for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I really like it a lot¡­¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife¡¯s face was filled with joy. After handing it to the servants, she left the pavilion.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe also left and rushed towards their residence. To be honest, even if Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were making a fuss, Xiaoguo felt that the situation should still be within control. Therefore, there shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem.


    When Jiang Danhe heard her conjecture, he didn¡¯t say anything. He just smiled mysteriously, making Xiaoguo feel uneasy.


    As soon as the two of them arrived at the door, they saw Li Shouji squatting at the door with his hands over his ears.


    Xiaoguo called out to him for a long time before he responded. He asked in confusion, ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡±


    Helpless, Xiaoguo sighed and asked again, ¡°Where are Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Li Shouji picked his ears and pointed into the room. ¡°They are inside!¡±


    Jiang Danhe patted his shoulder sympathetically. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡±


    Li Shouji shook off Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand aggrievedly. He was feeling sorry for himself, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Jiang Danhe was always setting him up. Before this, he was relaxing and enjoying the shade, but the man insisted that Sister-in-law had made some delicious food and invited him to come and eat. However, when he arrived, he realized that he had been tricked into babysitting the two boys!


    Seeing that Li Shouji had been thrown out of the room, Xiaoguo had a bad feeling. The door in the distance was tightly shut. She suddenly felt a little scared. If the two boys were really creating havoc inside, would she be able to suppress her anger?


    After mentally preparing herself, she pushed open the door. The scene in the room made her unable to calm down for a long time¡­

 Chapter 347 - 347 Two Ghosts Overturning the Sky

    347 Two Ghosts Overturning the Sky


    Over the next few nights, this scene often appeared in her dreams, and it stayed with her for a long time.


    The big and bright room was now fully draped in bright red gauze. The fabric was swaying gently in the breeze. Those who didn¡¯t know better might mistake this place for a horror movie set.


    Xiaoguo pushed away the red veil in front of her face and tried her best to act calm before walking in. The children were still young and should be warned verbally. She must avoid using physical punishment on them.


    Xiaoguo glanced around the room. It seemed fine. There was just red muslin hanging all over the place. It wasn¡¯t too bad. Everything would be fine once she removed the fabric. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine¡­¡±


    There was no sign of the two kids in this room. Xiaoguo then walked towards the other room.


    When she saw the scene in the room, Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes. She exhaled heavily and comforted herself. They had only draped the room with white muslin. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, It¡¯s not that bad¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah wu¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡±


    Two howls in different tones came from the innermost room, which was Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe¡¯s room.


    Feeling curious, Xiaoguo avoided the white gauze and walked forward. She raised her hand and pushed the door open. The door hit a small figure and it bounced back.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi touched his little butt and turned around in disgruntlement. He wanted to see who was stopping him from launching his power!


    ¡°¡­¡± He turned around aggressively. When he saw who it was, he was stunned on the spot. The fierce expression on his little face stiffened.


    Xiaoguo pressed her lips together hard, trying not to laugh.


    ¡°Awoo¡­ Awoo! Awoo?¡±


    Behind the bed curtains, another voice suddenly sounded. It was obvious who the voice belonged to. The owner of the voice gradually became irritable because he heard no response from the other party. In the end, she heard the sound of bottles collapsing and little footsteps approaching.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xiaoyi?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang walked over unhappily. Xiaoyi was the one who had asked him to dress up like this. He had even asked him to communicate with him using ¡°Ah Woo¡± sounds. Why did he suddenly stop?


    For a moment, the air seemed to have frozen over. The three of them stared at each other. Two pairs of eyes were shy and guilty. The remaining pair was staring in disbelief, at Zhuang Zhuang and the jar in his hands.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, the two of you should be studying.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, there is some fabric missing from your clothes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hehe.¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, that jar shouldn¡¯t be empty.¡± Xiaoguo pointed at the jar in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand.


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi looked at each other and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Mother has such a good memory!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Xiaoyi immediately echoed.


    Looking at the two little brats in their strange getup, the corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth twitched a few times. She took a good look at their faces. They were covered in white, red and black markings . It seemed that her cosmetics must have been ruined. Most of her makeup must have ended in the same fate as the lipstick in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Shall I ask the questions, or are you going to tell me yourselves?¡±


    ¡°We will tell you!¡±


    The two children chose the latter at the same time.


    However, who should be the one speaking up? The two brats were in a dilemma. They kept pushing the responsibility onto each other. In the end, Xiaoyi stood up guiltily. After all, he was the one who made Zhuang Zhuang dress up and play with him.


    Xiaoyi thought to himself that he should take responsibility for his own actions. He came up to Xiaoguo and puffed out his chest, looking at her squarely in the face. But after a while, he wilted under her gaze. He bent down and wringed his little hands while mumbling to himself.


    Fortunately, Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t deaf yet, so she could roughly hear the reason.


    ¡°Mother, Mother, Mother, you can¡¯t blame Xiaoyi. I¡¯m also curious about what the Ghost Parade in the book is like.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but there are only two of us. We can¡¯t do the hundred-demons parade.¡±


    ¡°And we couldn¡¯t find any black veils. We only managed to find some red and white ones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides, Uncle Shouji refused to play along with us even though we kept asking him to. We are not going to play with him anymore!¡±


    The two boys even started discussing among themselves in front of Xiaoguo. Even though she was angry, she had nowhere to vent her anger. She shook her head in silence. ¡°These two heedless kids¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ are you guys quite disappointed with this outcome?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I think this is still fine. The next time¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang winked at the other party and signaled him to stop. However, this was Xiaoyi, a silly boy who is highly imperceptive.


    The more Xiaoyi spoke, the softer his voice became. Although insensitive, he could sense that something was off. There was a quiet aura in the air. He turned around and looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who refused to communicate with him. Then, he turned to look at the expressionless Xiaoguo.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoyi finally smiled foolishly at Xiaoguo, trying to get by with his cuteness. ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    However, this move had been used by Zhuang Zhuang countless times. Xiaoguo was already immune to such a tactic and was completely unmoved by it.


    ¡°Are you going to do something about this or should I do something about it?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at her surroundings. She looked very calm. Her extreme calmness made the two brats feel uneasy.


    They both swallowed their saliva and said in unison, ¡°Let us work on it.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. She gave them a look, signaling them to get started.


    The two children dawdled for a long time, walking close to the wall. If they wanted to go out, they had to pass by Xiaoguo first.


    Xiaoguo stood at the door and leaned against the frame, her eyes fixed on the two of them. Then, she crossed her arms and shifted her weight to her other leg, looking like she was getting tired from standing.


    The two boys were very tense now. Every move that Xiaoguo made was stressing them out. They were both frozen on the spot, looking like cats with fur standing on ends. After calming down, they tried walking towards the door again.


    The closer they got to the door, the more nervous the two children became. Their eyes were locked on Xiaoguo. In the end, Xiaoyi bore the brunt of his fear and ran out first.


    Behind him, Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t manage to catch up with his friend. He tightened his butt while looking at Xiaoguo, who was wearing a vague smile on her face. The boy revealed a terrible-looking smile. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t kick my butt. I¡¯m still holding your lip tint in my hand. I heard that it¡¯s quite expensive. I¡¯ll give it back to you¡­¡±


    As Zhuang Zhuang spoke, he kept moving towards the door. Before leaving, he stuffed the lip tint into Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and ran out.


    Xiaoyi, who was keeping a lookout outside, immediately spotted Zhuang Zhuang running out from the room. For some unknown reason, he started running with him.


    When they arrived outside the house, they bumped into Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji, who were guarding the door.


    The four pairs of eyes met and the two little ones cried out in fear. They thought that Xiaoguo had specially asked the adults to come and capture them. They pushed the two men away and quickly ran off.


    Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji were stunned and could not recover from their shock.


    Xiaoyi, who was running away, finally remembered to ask Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Why are we running? Aren¡¯t we supposed to clean up the house?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Zhuang Zhuang glanced at him and said with lingering fear, ¡°If we don¡¯t run now, we won¡¯t be able to escape!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Xiaoyi was confused. He stopped Zhuang Zhuang, who was running aimlessly, and asked, ¡°We just have to clean ourselves up and remove the gauze from the room.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face was filled with guilt. He looked at Xiaoyi and said, ¡°Anyway¡­ don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s not go back for the time being. We¡¯ll talk about this later.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Xiaoyi rubbed his stomach. After crying ¡°ah woo¡± for so long, he was starving by now.


    ¡°Then¡­ is your butt more important than filling your stomach?¡±


    Xiaoyi looked at Zhuang Zhuang listlessly and said faintly, ¡°The most important thing is to eat and drink your fill.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had never been so speechless before. It was really an eye-opener. The ¡°stupid fool¡± that his mother always talked about was now right in front of him. Forgive him for being too ignorant. ¡°You¡¯d better go back.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? You should go back.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoyi swallowed and shook his head weakly. ¡°Maybe later¡­¡±

 Chapter 348 - 348 Eat More

    348 Eat More


    Xiaoguo saw Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s odd behavior and she thought for a moment. Then, she quickly walked towards the bed.


    As soon as she lifted the bed curtains, she saw what they had done!


    Earlier on, she had heard the sound of bottles collapsing. It turned out that the bottles were all on the bed. The bed was clean and tidy, but there was one colorful stain that stood out.


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes. She had a plan in mind.


    Jiang Danhe and Li Shouji entered and were about to clean up when Xiaoguo stopped them.


    Faced with their questions, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything. She just said that she would cook and told them not to touch anything.


    Under their strange gazes, Xiaoguo hummed a tune and walked towards the kitchen.


    ¡ª-


    The two boys hid outside until noon. The cosmetics on their faces had already dried up when Jiang Danhe appeared.


    Before the two boys could run, Jiang Danhe picked them up with one boy in each arm and walked back.


    No matter how the two brats struggled, it was all in vain.


    Initially, they were expecting to be greeted by a storm. Unexpectedly, they were greeted by a gentle breeze and warm sun. This should have been a happy situation, but neither of them could bring themselves to feel happy.


    Xiaoguo gently scooped rice for the two of them and thoughtfully added food to their bowls. She was behaving like nothing had happened.


    Zhuang Zhuang was pleasantly surprised.


    He observed Xiaoguo¡¯s expression carefully and wondered if she had noticed the stains on the bed. If she had, why didn¡¯t she spank him?


    Since she looked quite expressionless, that means that she hadn¡¯t seen it!


    Zhuang Zhuang was overjoyed. He really wanted to explain that he didn¡¯t do it on purpose. The cosmetics all dropped when he lost his grip. He really didn¡¯t do it on purpose.


    However, Xiaoguo said in unison to the two of them, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. Eat more.¡±


    Xiaoyi really lived up to his nickname of being a dumbass. After sitting down and smelling the fragrance of food in the air, he had long forgotten that he was a sinner. He sniffed at the food twice. When Xiaoguo urged him to start eating for the second time, he couldn¡¯t stop himself and really started eating. Halfway through, he even asked for more rice.


    Apart from the sound of eating, there was no other sound at the dining table. Although Xiaoguo¡¯s expression looked pretty normal, everyone except Xiaoyi had a bad feeling about this.


    It was always calm before a storm.


    Li Shouji looked at the brats with a smirk and thought to himself, ¡°Eat more. You¡¯ll suffer later.¡±


    From time to time, red gauze would flutter around the dining table. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s heart was filled with anxiety.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo suddenly placed a piece of meat in his bowl and said gently, ¡°Eat more.¡±


    ¡°No, I need to lose weight.¡±


    This was the first time Zhuang Zhuang had said such a thing. Then, he returned the piece of meat. The voice in his heart kept reminding him that it was not good to eat too much.


    Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows and didn¡¯t say anything else. This was her first time hearing Zhuang Zhuang talk about losing weight. It didn¡¯t matter whether they ate up or not. In any case, they have to face the music eventually.


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat it if you don¡¯t!¡±


    Xiaoyi looked at the meat on the plate and picked it up with his chopsticks. He stuffed it into his mouth and started chewing. Who cares? The most important thing was to eat his fill.


    Zhuang Zhuang moved away from him in disgust, looking like he had nothing to do with him.


    Xiaoyi was still grinning at Xiaoguo. He had no idea how terrible he looked, nor did he know how much hard work was waiting for them.


    Jiang Danhe glanced at the two of them indifferently and shook his head to himself. There was nothing he could do even if he wanted to help. Good luck to the children.


    ¡°Are you full?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m full!¡±


    Xiaoyi took the lead and replied. Zhuang Zhuang nudged him, hinting at him not to speak. However, Xiaoyi misunderstood and thought that he was asking him to say something on his behalf. ¡°Oh, Zhuang Zhuang is full too!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang covered his forehead like an adult, looking like he was going to faint from exasperation.


    ¡°Very good! Let¡¯s begin!¡±


    Xiaoguo was very satisfied with Xiaoyi¡¯s answer. She didn¡¯t want to punish Xiaoyi at first, but his father, the emperor, had said that she should spend more time on the boy. The emperor had no worries about Xiaoyi being in her charge. Since his father had spoken, she had to follow his orders.


    ¡°Begin? Begin what?¡±


    Xiaoyi did not understand what was going on. Then, he thought carefully about what he had to do after his meal. Suddenly, he thought of something. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nap time!¡±


    As he spoke, he yawned and said with teary eyes, ¡°I¡¯m indeed a little sleepy.¡±


    With that, he tried to pull Zhuang Zhuang to take an afternoon nap, but the latter did not move at all. He started blinking frantically at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are your eyes feeling uncomfortable?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked down at Zhuang Zhuang with interest and asked in surprise, ¡°Are your eyes feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, no, no¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang shook off the imperceptive Xiaoyi and stood up. Looking squarely at Xiaoguo, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll tidy up the room and wash the bedsheets. I¡¯ll also supervise the cleaning up of our bodies.¡±


    ¡°Very good. Get on with it.¡±


    Seeing that he knew exactly what to do, Xiaoguo was satisfied. She yawned and inadvertently lowered her head. When she saw the plates on the table, she pretended to look troubled and said, ¡°Then these plates¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll send them back!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was very responsible. After making sure that Xiaoguo was not going to spank him, he became much more magnanimous. Since it was his fault, he had to bear the consequences.


    ¡°Very good. I¡¯ll take my afternoon nap then. I¡¯m so sleepy. I feel so sleepy after eating. Sigh¡­¡±


    Li Shouji immediately reacted and pulled Jiang Danhe along. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Everyone should go back and take your afternoon nap, except for the two of you.¡±


    As he spoke, he did not forget to tease the two unlucky brats who tried to intimidate him into playing with them. Seeing how listless they looked now, Li Shouji was simply overjoyed!


    With that, the three of them went back to their rooms separately. Li Shouji returned to his room next door to take an afternoon nap, while Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe returned to their bedroom. Not long after, Jiang Danhe brought out the bedsheets and threw them to the two little ones, along with two sets of clean clothes for them.


    Xiaoyi was feeling sleepy from seeing everyone yawn. He started yawning drowsily.


    After Jiang Danhe left, Xiaoyi put down the bed sheets and clothes, and started rubbing his eyes. He tugged at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s sleeve pitifully and said, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang sighed. ¡°I told you not to eat too much. You get sleepy when you¡¯re stuffed.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there are still so many jobs waiting for us¡­¡± Xiaoyi pouted and whined non-stop. When Zhuang Zhuang looked like he was about to hit him, he immediately got back to acting normal again. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you know so much. You¡¯re so knowledgeable. You¡¯re a walking book¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi rambled on for a long time, but Zhuang Zhuang only rolled his eyes at him. ¡°It¡¯s useless to say so much. You still have to do what you need to do.¡±


    Xiaoyi snorted. He had buttered him up for nothing.


    Zhuang Zhuang took the lead and made a simple plan. First, they would bring the plates back to the kitchen and get someone to boil water. He had to follow Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions and not light any fire without the presence of an adult.


    While the water was boiling, they could take down all the gauze in the room and return the fabric to their original spots.


    Then, they must clean themselves up before washing the bedsheets and their soiled clothes. If they worked fast enough according to his plan, they should be done by dinner.


    With a plan in place, Zhuang Zhuang rolled up his sleeves and got to work with the listless Xiaoyi.


    After the two of them left with the plates, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe came out of the back room. Xiaoguo nudged Jiang Danhe proudly. ¡°What do you think? I told you that the two of them would be fine.¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed. He was so worried that the tasks would be too difficult for the two children. He didn¡¯t expect to be slapped in the face so quickly. Not only did they complete the tasks, they did everything in the most systematic manner.


    ¡°Never underestimate children at any stage. They are far more capable than you can imagine.¡±

 Chapter 349 - 349 Little Child Laborer

    349 Little Child Laborer


    Jiang Danhe completely agreed with her. Indeed, children are always tougher than adults think.


    At the dining table just now, he was almost going to step in and help them with the tasks. Fortunately, Xiaoguo kicked him in time. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have seen Zhuang Zhuang with his clarity of thoughts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow them.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the two figures swaying with their plates, so she brought Jiang Danhe along with her. The two of them secretly followed behind the kids like thieves.


    Xiaoguo knew that Zhuang Zhuang had a strong sixth sense, so she did not dare to follow too closely behind them. It was fine as long as she followed them from afar to ensure their safety. Even so, Zhuang Zhuang was especially sensitive. From time to time, he would turn around to look behind him.


    Zhuang Zhuang had been doing housework with Xiaoguo since he was young, so he was much stronger than Xiaoyi, who was the same age. In order to accommodate him, Zhuang Zhuang decided to take a break every few meters. In order to reduce Xiaoyi¡¯s burden, he even transferred all the small plates and saucers onto his own tray.


    Jiang Danhe said with stars in his eyes, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is really responsible. He will definitely be a good brother in the future.¡±


    Xiaoguo turned around and glanced at him. She saw the meaningful look in his eyes and chose to ignore him. She continued following the two children.


    As the two kids did not have time to change out of their outfits, their faces and attire looked very loud and flashy. That attracted the attention of many passers-by and they laughed openly at what they saw. The news spread like wildfire. Many servants were attracted by the laughter and came over to check things out.


    The two of them had makeup on their faces, so they were not recognizable. Holding the stack of plates in their hands, they looked like naughty child laborers.


    Some servants who were not on duty, started gathering around and teased the two of them. Within a short while, the passers-by had gathered into a big group, and many hands were reaching out to touch the chubby child laborers.


    ¡°Aiyo, look at this kid¡¯s chubby face¡­¡±


    ¡°Not only is he fat, he feels soft too¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me feel his cheeks, let me feel them. You¡¯re right!¡±


    ¡°Look, look! He even has a small belly!¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he sucked in his stomach embarrassedly and tried to conceal it. Unexpectedly, his subconscious actions caused another round of exclamations.


    ¡°Look, he even knows how to suck in his stomach. It seems that he¡¯s shy. Hahahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡±


    Initially, only one person noticed it. However, after hearing her words, everyone shifted their attention to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s belly. Some even reached out to pinch it.


    No matter how thick-skinned Zhuang Zhuang was, he couldn¡¯t stand being surrounded by so many girls. Everyone was touching him. He could only hold on to the tray and try to hide with much difficulty.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped Jiang Danhe, who was about to step forward, and asked curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was feeling uneasy. Although the servants had no ill intentions, he was still worried about the boys.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Xiaoguo pulled him back and got him to return to their hiding place. ¡°They know their limits. They wouldn¡¯t hurt Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked over worriedly before stepping back to his hiding place.


    Xiaoguo stroked his head in satisfaction. She had been stroking his hair a lot recently. Jiang Danhe was quite uncomfortable with her actions at first, but now he totally enjoys it.


    Speaking of which, these servants were all the daughters of sinners. The education they had received since they were young had not disappeared because of the manual work they had done over the past few years. Although they were surrounding Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi, one could tell from their feet that they were leaving some space between themselves and the boys. Therefore, the two boys were not feeling anxious at all. Instead, they were very comfortable. After all, these servants were all teenage girls.


    Zhuang Zhuang probably didn¡¯t enjoy it, but the same could not be said for Xiaoyi. With so many girls gathered around him, although he wasn¡¯t the main character in their discussion, it was still nice to have so many girls crowd around him.


    ¡°Look at him, look at him¡­¡±


    At this moment, a surprised voice sounded. The few of them finally let go of Zhuang Zhuang and turned their focus on Xiaoyi.


    ¡°He¡¯s so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open. He¡¯s still holding the tray so tightly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean sleepy? I think he¡¯s charmed¡­¡±


    ¡°Aiya, why are you so bad? He¡¯s still a child.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, the child¡¯s face is all red¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahahahahaha¡­¡±


    The girls reached out to touch Xiaoyi again. They obviously did not know that the two child laborers they were ravaging were the crown prince, and the general¡¯s eldest son.


    Xiaoyi only knew how to laugh foolishly, but Zhuang Zhuang was already getting impatient. Although he was a little man, he was still a man. After being ravaged by the girls, his mentality had long collapsed. He had been kept so busy all this while. One moment, he was sucking on his cheeks, the next moment, he was sucking in his stomach. He also had to hide from the ruthless hands that tried to touch him. He was so tormented that he almost dropped the tray. His little brows were now furrowed into a tight knot.


    Someone took the initiative to take the trays and send them to the kitchen for them. Xiaoguo was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t close her mouth. How could one¡¯s looks be used like this?


    Jiang Danhe held her chin and gently helped her close her mouth. He had come across such situations countless times when he was young.


    He still remembered that the young Jiang Danhe¡¯s daily joy was derived from shopping. Each time he went out empty-handed, he would always return with a bunch of servants carrying lots of shopping bags. The truth is, he had not spent a single copper coin. The stuff in the shopping bags were all gifts from the shopkeepers who found him cute.


    Hence, Jiang Danhe¡¯s father sent money to the shopkeepers to pay for all the items. He was insistent about not taking advantage of the commoners.


    Zhuang Zhuang was a little embarrassed. This didn¡¯t feel right. It felt like he was taking advantage of the situation.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, Zhuang Zhuang. We have less work to do!¡±


    Xiaoyi jumped and tried to pull him back. Unexpectedly, the other party didn¡¯t look happy at all.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Zhuang Zhuang shook his head and looked at Xiaoyi firmly. He articulated each word carefully, ¡°We should do our own things. We shouldn¡¯t let others do it for us, am I right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoyi understood immediately. His eyes lit up and he nodded. ¡°Yes!¡±


    The girls around them were shocked. The trays in their hands were taken back by the two children.


    After thanking them, the two children walked steadfastly towards the kitchen, not noticing the surprised gazes of the servants behind them.


    Xiaoyi¡¯s heart was surging with emotions. He followed Zhuang Zhuang and strode forward aggressively. He forced himself to walk till he disappeared from the line of sight of the crowd watching them. After which, he collapsed immediately. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, shall we rest¡­¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoyi helplessly, but he gave in to his friend¡¯s request. He put down the tray and sat down on the spot.


    Looking at the two boys who had started setting off again, Xiaoguo poked Jiang Danhe with her elbow. Her eyes were filled with smugness, looking like she was saying, ¡°My son is the best!¡±


    Jiang Danhe pinched her cheek dotingly and nodded. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is the best.¡±


    Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang walked around and finally arrived at the kitchen. After handing over the trays to the servants on duty, they rushed back without any delay. After finding the servants in charge of their residence, they asked for a large pot of hot water. Then, they returned to the house and brought out the new clothes and bedsheets that Jiang Danhe had handed to them.


    The bathtub was in the back room of their residence. Someone was sent to pour water for them. Then, the screen was pulled out. When the servant saw the clothes and bedsheets that they had thrown out, she tried to bring them out for washing.


    Fortunately, Zhuang Zhuang saw her and stopped her in time. Otherwise, they would have broken their promises.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe leaned against the window like perverts and looked in. The servants were pretty attentive and knew to provide small bathtubs for the two kids. Seeing that they were safe, Xiaoguo did not go in. Instead, she watched them from outside.


    At first, the two boys were seriously scrubbing their bodies, but then one of them started playing with the water. In the beginning, they sat in the tubs while playing. But later on, they stood up and splashed water at each other. They were having so much fun, and the pair standing outside the window were very amused.


    The two children were in their birthday suits and chasing after each other. They did not notice the two people outside who were already laughing out loud.

 Chapter 350 - 350 Chef Jiang

    350 Chef Jiang


    Due to the two of them fooling around, they had another mission¡ªto clean up the wet room.


    After the play session, Xiaoyi was no longer sleepy. He was full of energy and helped Zhuang Zhuang with the chores. He did not look sleepy like he did earlier.


    Although they tried very hard to wash the bedsheets, there were still a few stain marks that could not be removed completely..


    Just as the sun was about to set, the two little ones finally finished all the work. Xiaoyi placed his hands on his hips and looked at the bedsheets on the rope in satisfaction. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, we¡¯re so awesome!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled and nodded. ¡°Xiaoyi is amazing!¡±


    He knew that this was Xiaoyi¡¯s first time doing housework, so he had really done well. He didn¡¯t complain about the work being hard. He just liked to take occasional breaks in between doing the chores. However, this wasn¡¯t a big problem.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Xiaoyi laughed in embarrassment. Suddenly, his stomach rumbled. He was so frightened that he immediately covered it and said pitifully, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m hungry again¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang sighed softly and started walking forward.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, where are you going?¡± Xiaoyi thought that Zhuang Zhuang was despising him. He chased after him nervously and grabbed his hand.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang grabbed him and said helplessly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? Let¡¯s go find food.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Xiaoyi¡¯s sadness was immediately replaced with a happy expression on his face. He anxiously dragged Zhuang Zhuang out of the house with him.


    ¡°Mother, Mother!¡±


    If they were looking for food, they had to look for Xiaoguo.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked around but could not find anyone. Not only did he not find his mother, there was also no sign of his father as well. He had no choice but to bring Xiaoyi to look for Li Shouji. After asking him, they found out that Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo were cooking dinner in the kitchen. The two kids were overjoyed by the news and headed for the kitchen in a rush.


    Seeing that he had nothing to do, Li Shouji followed them. In any case, they were waiting for dinner. He might as well tag along. Even if he couldn¡¯t help, he could at least satisfy his cravings first.


    The three of them had just reached the kitchen when they saw Xiaoguo. However, she was not cooking. Instead, she was lighting a fire. The figure bustling around the kitchen counter was Jiang Danhe.


    The three of them rubbed their eyes in unison. They must be seeing things.


    However, no matter how hard they rubbed, the scene in front of them remained the same. Xiaoguo was indeed lighting the fire and Jiang Danhe was cutting the vegetables.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe turned around.


    ¡°Have you finished washing the bed sheets?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Xiaoyi and I have finished the washing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s all done!¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in satisfaction and pointed at Jiang Danhe with a smile. ¡°Then just wait for dinner. Our Chef Jiang is in charge today!¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    The three of them exclaimed in unison. Chef Jiang? Why did it sound so unbelievable?


    ¡°Mother, why?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything. She just held up her hands for them to see.


    ¡°Mother, are you injured?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    The three of them asked at the same time. Xiaoguo smiled and shook her head to show that she was fine. She also gave them a quick explanation.


    When Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were washing the bedsheets, she and Jiang Danhe saw that it was almost mealtime, so they came to the kitchen to start cooking. However, the knife in the kitchen had just been sharpened and was extremely sharp. Xiaoguo accidentally cut herself in the process. After that, Jiang Danhe refused to let her continue with the chores. After cleaning the wounds, he let her sit at the side while he cooked.


    When the trio heard this, they felt sorry for Xiaoguo and also for themselves. It looked like they might have to miss dinner tonight. Chef Jiang being the head chef sounded pretty horrifying¡­


    Jiang Danhe naturally saw through their thoughts. He could tell that they didn¡¯t trust him. Therefore he felt even more determined to prove to them otherwise¡ªhe would not allow them to underestimate his cooking skills.


    With this thought in mind, Jiang Danhe slowly brandished his gleaming chopper. Under the sunlight, it flickered with a dazzling shine. Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were still young and easy to fool. When they saw his pose, their eyes were filled with stars. They couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration.


    ¡°Wow, wow, wow¡­¡±


    Li Shouji raised his eyebrows when he saw Chef Jiang¡¯s posture. From the beginning to the end, he had always felt that Chef Jiang was unreliable. If he remembered correctly, Chef Jiang¡¯s best dishes were boiled eggs, boiled noodles, boiled vegetables and blanched meat¡­


    Blanching was a cooking technique that required absolutely no skills. Whether it was vegetables or meat, Jiang Danhe would boil them in plain water with a little salt before serving. This was his signature dish.


    Jiang Danhe did not care about anything else. The heavens had placed such a great responsibility on him. They will frustrate his spirit and exhaust his body, then expose him to starvation and poverty. They will also present setbacks so as to stimulate his spirit, and bring out the best of his abilities.


    Put simply, although he had no cooking skills, at least he had watched others cook before. He had assisted Xiaoguo countless times while she cooked. Even if he couldn¡¯t replicate her dishes to a tee, whatever he whipped up should at least be edible!


    He exhaled gently and took out his big knife. He aimed it at the carrots on the table and narrowed his eyes. The hand holding the knife began to move, increasing speed gradually until it became faster and faster¡­


    The sound of the chopping knife rang out continuously. The four of them watched the tall figure standing against the light. Coupled with his miraculous actions, they could not help but exclaim. Li Shouji was beginning to wonder about his understanding of Jiang Danhe. Perhaps he was indeed a cooking genius.


    Everything returned to normal. Jiang Danhe exhaled gently and calmly put down the knife. It seemed that the cutting was done. The others could not wait to see the results, so they rushed forward expectantly.


    ¡­ .


    After a while, Xiaoguo placed all the cut vegetables on a plate and sorted them neatly. The ingredients for each dish were placed together so that Jiang Danhe wouldn¡¯t fumble when he started cooking.


    Jiang Danhe lowered his head. No one knew what he was thinking, but he was too ashamed to look up at them.


    Li Shouji said quietly, ¡°I thought a miracle had really happened. So it was all an act.¡±


    ¡°I was looking forward to it for nothing¡­¡± Xiaoyi said with a pout.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and said softly, ¡°I was shouting until my voice became hoarse.¡±


    The more comments they made, the darker Jiang Danhe¡¯s face became. Xiaoguo¡¯s heart ached for him and at the same time, she found it funny. If he didn¡¯t know how to cut, so be it. Why did he have to act like he was so good at it? Now, he had to suffer the ridicule from everyone.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re going to cook?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked again with uncertainty. After all, the man was feeling discouraged a moment ago. Why did he look re-energized so quickly?


    Hearing the disbelief in Xiaoguo¡¯s voice, Jiang Danhe pursed his lips and closed his eyes. He instantly felt sorry for himself.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly comforted him to appease him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook!¡±


    Jiang Danhe mustered his confidence and put on his apron again. He looked at the cut vegetables on the table and felt extremely guilty. Although he could still remember what Xiaoguo had taught him about cutting vegetables, his hands were quite rusty when he attempted it. He had slipped up earlier on, but now he must redeem himself.


    In his mind, he kept repeating to himself the steps that Xiaoguo always mentioned to him when she was cooking. ¡°Heat up the oil, then add the meat, stir-fry until color changes, then add the vegetables.¡±


    It had to be said that Jiang Danhe was quick at picking things up. Although he was bad at cutting vegetables, he was quite good when it came to cooking. With Xiaoguo¡¯s help, the fragrance of cooked food started wafting out from the kitchen. Xiaoyi was the first to react. He sniffed at the stove vigorously, hoping to jump in and roll with the vegetables.


    ¡°I can smell it now. Not bad, not bad!¡±


    Li Shouji agreed. Having tasted his sister-in-law¡¯s cooking for so long, he could tell that Jiang Danhe¡¯s dishes were looking quite good. It was something worth celebrating!


    Zhuang Zhuang also looked at Jiang Danhe in admiration.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s confidence was restored. He knew that he wasn¡¯t that lousy. He had just proved that he could do it. If he just practiced a couple more times, he would be able to cook for Xiaoguo every day after he retires.


    As he thought about it, he winked at Xiaoguo, who was watching him cook at the side. She threw him a glance in amusement.

 Chapter 351 - 351 Cold Spring

    351 Cold Spring


    Things often go wrong when one celebrates their success too soon. This was a perfect description of Jiang Danhe¡¯s situation.


    Hearing everyone¡¯s praises, he felt inexplicably confident. He completely forgot about Xiaoguo¡¯s recipe while adding the condiments. With a wave of his hands, he improvised right on the spot.


    The results were obvious. The last two dishes turned out to be too salty.


    Therefore, when he was cooking the soup, Xiaoguo stopped him from adding salt. One could imagine how salty the last few dishes were.


    The few of them brought the dishes back to their residence and ate a lot. The little pride on Jiang Danhe¡¯s face did not disappear.


    The news of Jiang Danhe cooking was somehow leaked by someone, and that caused another round of jealousy among the ladies.


    Over the past few days, Yu Zhizhi was kept so busy that she could not find time to look for Jiang Danhe. The other day, she missed him again when she rushed back to the pavilion. Everyone had left, and no one was waiting for her. When she returned to her residence, filled with indignance, Mrs. Yang assigned many new tasks for her. One moment, she was asked to prepare some soup to relieve the heat, and the next moment, she was tasked to cook some appetite-enhancing soup. In any case, there were endless tasks for her to complete, so she did not have time to look for Brother Jiang during those days.


    While brewing the medicine, she heard the other servants talking about how Jiang Danhe doted on his wife and family, and how he even cooked in the kitchen. When she heard this, she turned green with envy. At that moment, she really felt like throwing out the medicine in her hands.


    Animosity was growing in her heart. If Mrs. Yang hadn¡¯t tasked her with so many jobs, she would have had the time to look for Brother Jiang. Perhaps she might have gotten together with him by now.


    Although those thoughts were running through her head, Yu Zhizhi did not dare to try anything rash. She could only accept her fate and prepare medicine for Mrs. Yang.


    When she finally found some free time to come out, she didn¡¯t manage to find Jiang Danhe. She went to their residence but there was no one there. She felt extremely puzzled.


    ¡°Brother, do you know where they went?¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. Yu Zhizhi was dying to find Jiang Danhe. Moreover, she could roughly guess where they had gone. However, her jealousy was subconsciously stopping her from thinking about it.


    The guard outside glanced at her in silence.


    Yu Zhizhi asked again with a dark expression. The other party remained silent. She got so angry that she started cursing and vented all her anger on the innocent guard.


    After the bout of cursing, she became belatedly aware of her bad behavior. Instantly, her expression changed. She did not dare to look into the other party¡¯s intimidating eyes. After throwing a dejected glare at him, she left with reluctance.


    Brother Jiang, whom Yu Zhizhi missed so much, was now soaking in the cold spring with Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi.


    As the name suggested, a cold spring was a spring with cold water.


    Although he was soaking in such a comfortable spring, Jiang Danhe was wearing an awful expression on his face with his broody eyes fixed on someone.


    As for the annoying Li Shouji, he looked very happy. Dressed in a thin robe, with his hands behind his head, he was floating in the water and enjoying himself.


    Jiang Danhe decided to ignore him and turned his attention to the other side. Xiaoguo was sitting in the cold spring behind a large rock in the distance.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, is the water too cold?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s very comfortable.¡±


    Xiaoguo replied from the other side and shifted her position. She found a medium-sized rock and placed it on the shore. The rock would act as an anchor point to prevent her from being washed away by the spring water.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe sounded a little disappointed. After all, he was thinking about spending time alone with her. He didn¡¯t expect Li Shouji to join them together with the kids


    He had no choice but to soak in the cold spring separate from Xiaoguo. The males enjoyed the cold spring on this side, while Xiaoguo did so alone on the other side. At this moment, she must be feeling very lonely.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart was aching so much. He was dying to swim over and soak in the water with Xiaoguo.


    However, the ¡®lonely¡¯ Xiaoguo was feeling very comfortable at this moment. She was floating in the water and enjoying the feeling of weightlessness. Soaking in the cool waters, she was absolutely reveling in the moment.


    Xiaoguo answered Jiang Danhe¡¯s greetings from time to time. In fact, she had no recollection of what he had said. She could only focus on enjoying the cold spring.


    Yesterday, Jiang Danhe had told her about bringing her to the cold spring today. When she heard that, she was extremely excited. In this weather, anything related to the cold was most welcoming.


    It turned out that Jiang Danhe was busy planning this outing over the past few days. Moreover, this was a newly-opened cold spring. They were the first few people to visit this place.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, how are you?¡±


    Jiang Danhe asked again patiently.


    Xiaoguo replied to him, ¡°I¡¯m very comfortable¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe could not help but feel a little disappointed.


    Coincidentally, at this moment, a fair butt was floating in front of him. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Without taking a second look, he slapped the butt with subdued strength.


    Immediately, a series of wails sounded. Xiaoyi covered his butt and looked at him in disbelief. Why did his cute little butt have to suffer a vicious beating for no reason?


    Li Shouji and Zhuang Zhuang did not pay attention to Xiaoyi wails. After all, he did provoke Jiang Danhe first.


    Xiaoguo was the only one who didn¡¯t see it, so she asked nervously.


    ¡°Is Xiaoyi okay?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡±


    Xiaoyi was about to cry when Jiang Danhe stopped him mercilessly.


    When Xiaoguo heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s words, she felt relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good. Be careful!¡±


    After all, they were now surrounded by water. Even adults had to take extra care, let alone the two little ones.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Jiang Danhe answered for the boy again. After making sure that Xiaoyi was not going to scream, he removed his hand that was covering the boy¡¯s mouth. He did not forget to signal at him with his eyes to watch out for his butt.


    Helpless, Xiaoyi could only blink and swallow his words. He held on to a rock with his small hands and slowly dove into the water. He aimed the rock at Jiang Danhe¡¯s butt and took action when the other party wasn¡¯t paying attention. In the end, he missed and only caused some ripples across the water.


    Jiang Danhe turned around and glanced at him. Xiaoyi said without batting an eyelid, ¡°I farted.¡±


    After saying that, regardless of whether Jiang Danhe believed him or not, Xiaoyi turned his head away from him. After feeling the probing gaze behind him disappear, he turned around and prepared to take action again.


    Zhuang Zhuang could see clearly what Xiaoyi was trying to do. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. ¡°Why can¡¯t he just soak in the water? Why is he asking for a beating?¡±


    Xiaoyi didn¡¯t care about the consequences. Since he had just been slapped in the butt, he had to seek revenge. Since his hands couldn¡¯t do it, he would use his feet.


    He slowly approached the figure and held onto a rock by the shore. With all his strength, he gave out his most mightiest kick.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± A muffled groan was heard.


    Xiaoyi felt like he had kicked something, but it was not his butt. This feeling was so familiar. What was it?


    Li Shouji and Zhuang Zhuang were both paying attention to the battle situation. When they saw this scene, they couldn¡¯t help but gasp and slowly sit up.


    Jiang Danhe was holding onto a stone with one hand while his other hand was submerged under the water. The veins on his exposed arm were bulging. It seemed quite obvious that he was experiencing some kind of pain.


    Xiaoyi looked at him for a long time and suddenly felt a sense of deja vu. After thinking carefully, he thought of something and silently took a few steps back. He quickly hid behind Zhuang Zhuang, who was watching the commotion.


    He had just kicked the other party¡¯s privates again¡­


    Previously, he had punched him there. This time round, he had kicked him in the same spot. Why was he always the unlucky one?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo could hear Jiang Danhe¡¯s groans, so she called out to him worriedly, wanting to ask if something had happened.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± As he didn¡¯t want Xiaoguo to worry, Jiang Danhe endured the pain and comforted her.


    Xiaoguo replied doubtfully. She didn¡¯t quite believe his words.


    After comforting Xiaoguo, Jiang Danhe took a few deep breaths to calm the pain that was coming from a certain spot on his body.


    If he had not sensed Xiaoyi¡¯s intentions and turned around subconsciously, he would not have gotten kicked there.


    He still had use for his male member. Before his retirement, he had already suffered two injuries at the same spot. And both times, it was caused by Xiaoyi.


    Damn! He really has to thank this boy.

 Chapter 352 - 352 Grown Taller

    352 Grown Taller


    Feeling chills run down his spine, Xiaoyi hid in fear. He buried his face in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s back to feel more at ease. In any case, he didn¡¯t feel afraid since he couldn¡¯t see anything. The fact that his body was still exposed didn¡¯t seem to bother him.


    After Li Shouji recovered from his surprise, he snickered and eventually let out a broad smile.


    The last time when Xiaoyi gave Jiang Danhe a punch in his nether regions, the latter had consulted the doctor several times. Many people were starting to question the general¡¯s health. Those doctors who saw him were also quite speechless. The general was in good shape, but he kept insisting that they check on him. He even forced them to prescribe medicine for him after the consultations. They had no choice. During that period of time, the doctors prescribed a lot of medicine that would help to nourish the kidneys. He only stopped seeing the doctors when he started having nosebleeds from the medicine.


    Now that he was injured for a second time, he would definitely kick up a big fuss again. Just thinking about it made him happy. Li Shouji brazenly gave Xiaoyi an appreciative look.


    After not hearing anything from Jiang Danhe for a long time, Xiaoguo felt strange. Why was he suddenly so quiet? After a while, Li Shouji¡¯s laughter sounded from the other side, making her even more curious.


    ¡°Is everything okay on your side?¡±


    Her heart was itching to know the truth. After a while, when the laughter did not subside, she could not help but ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s pain had subsided by now. He could only feel numbness at this moment. When he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s question, he felt so frightened that he quickly replied.


    ¡°Haha, Sister-in-law, Jiang Danhe¡¯s balls¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe reacted quickly and covered Li Shouji¡¯s mouth. He was so strong that he almost drowned the man in the water.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned slightly and stretched out her ears to listen for any sounds. ¡°What was that? What was it about Jiang Danhe?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe took the opportunity to let him go. He looked at Li Shouji, who was still smiling cheekily, and pushed him into the water again. He only stopped when the other party silently begged for mercy.


    Xiaoguo heard Li Shouji say that he was fine, but she felt like something was amiss. She pricked up her ears and listened carefully. There was only the sound of water splashing. Besides that, there were no other sounds. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t ask further.


    Jiang Danhe making an example out of Li Shouji was very effective. The two children who were peeking from the side were very frightened by what they saw. While the two men were not paying attention, they secretly went ashore and came to Xiaoguo¡¯s side to seek comfort.


    When Xiaoguo saw the two boys, she tried to ask them about what had happened. But the two boys seemed to have something on their minds and refused to tell her anything. No matter how she asked, they refused to utter a word. They looked like they were going to cry if she continued asking. Upon seeing this, Xiaoguo could only stop.


    When they arrived at Xiaoguo¡¯s side, the two boys were finally able to relax. One moment, they were swimming like dogs in the water. The next moment, they were floating on their backs comfortably in the water just like Li Shouji.


    They didn¡¯t seem to mind that Xiaoguo could see their naked bodies. The adults made sure to wear clothes that wouldn¡¯t become translucent when wet. However, the two kids weren¡¯t concerned about that. They only cared about enjoying themselves. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stop laughing at their silly behavior.


    After Jiang Danhe finished dealing with Li Shouji, laughter sounded from the other side. It made him feel so envious.


    No matter how reluctant he was, he could only sit here and look at the aggrieved Li Shouji.


    It had been some time since Xiaoguo bathed Zhuang Zhuang. Most of the time, it was Jiang Danhe who bathed him. And occasionally, the two boys would take a bath together. It was only today that she realized Zhuang Zhuang had lost some weight, and Xiaoyi had gained a lot of weight.


    Xiaoguo frowned slightly. She wondered if Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s appetite had been poor recently. But the boy did eat a lot. Why had he suddenly lost so much weight? Was he sick?


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, have you been feeling unwell?¡±


    With that thought in mind, Xiaoguo asked the question. It was really worrying.


    ¡°No.¡± Hearing her question, Zhuang Zhuang moved a rock and sat beside her. ¡°I¡¯m not unwell.¡±


    Xiaoguo stroked his head and pressed on his stomach. She couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with him at all. Forget it. She must get a physician to take his pulse. During this trip, many ladies had brought their own physicians with them. She would go and borrow one later on.


    ¡°Mother will bring you to the physician later.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why do I need to see a physician?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re abnormally thin.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re abnormally thin?¡± At this moment, Xiaoyi walked over and sat on the other side of Xiaoguo. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang also shook his head with a strange expression on his face. He couldn¡¯t understand what it meant to be abnormally thin.


    The two children tilted their heads and looked at Xiaoguo. They looked as cute as the illustrated dolls in the newspaper.


    Jiang Danhe had sharp ears and could hear their conversation clearly. He chuckled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that Zhuang Zhuang has grown taller?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiaoguo really didn¡¯t notice. When she heard his words, she lifted the two little ones to their feet and compared their height. Zhuang Zhuang was half a head taller.


    ¡°It¡¯s true! Zhuang Zhuang has grown much taller!¡±


    Xiaoguo rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head in surprise and only stopped when his hair was messed up like a chicken coop.


    Jiang Danhe smiled helplessly. After the new year, Zhuang Zhuang had grown much taller. As Xiaoguo was always by his side, she might not have noticed it. After growing taller, he looked much thinner although his weight remained the same.


    ¡°He grew a bit more since he arrived at the island.¡±


    After Jiang Danhe finished speaking, he glared at Li Shouji, who was about to interrupt. When the man looked like he understood, Jiang Danhe retracted his gaze in satisfaction.


    Xiaoguo thought about it carefully and could not recall when the boy started growing taller. She was immediately engulfed with emotions. Children really grew up so quickly.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Boys really have to keep active to grow taller. Staying indoors all the time is not going to work.¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly remembered that Zhuang Zhuang had stayed with her in winter last year, and only gained weight during that time. This year, he was much more active and spent a lot of time running and jumping around. He also ate well. However, this time round, he had grown taller instead. All the food that he ate had become nourishment for his bones. They didn¡¯t get converted into fats.


    ¡°A certain amount of exercise is indeed necessary.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said from the other end.


    Their conversation successfully attracted Xiaoyi¡¯s attention. He secretly made some mental notes. ¡°Exercise!¡±


    At the same time, Xiaoyi secretly made a few gestures and realized that he was indeed much shorter than Zhuang Zhuang. Previously, they were both around the same height. Now that the gap between them had suddenly widened, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad. ¡°We always played together, but you had secretly grown taller.¡± A strong sense of betrayal washed over him.


    Zhuang Zhuang was also in disbelief. Recently, he had indeed felt that his field of vision seemed to have widened. So it was due to him growing taller. Did that mean that he was about to become an adult?!


    This thought made Zhuang Zhuang inexplicably excited. No one noticed the silent Xiaoyi at the side.


    Zhuang Zhuang was still immersed in the joy of growing taller, but Xiaoyi was secretly pulling out his hair, trying to look taller.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t hide her smile as she looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was playing with the water happily. She felt proud and sad at the same time. The child had really grown up quite suddenly. She suddenly had a thought. In a few more years, Zhuang Zhuang would become independent and she wouldn¡¯t get to see this butt-naked child in front of her anymore. A faint sense of melancholy creeped into her heart.


    Xiaoguo suddenly noticed that there was one less person. She turned around and saw Xiaoyi, who was exuding a gloomy aura beside her.


    She sat down slowly and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoyi pursed his lips and did not speak. He just kept pulling at his hair. Xiaoguo could feel a lot of pain just by watching him. This kid was really using all his strength.


    ¡°No, no, stop pulling your hair. My dear boy¡­¡±


    After calming him down, Xiaoguo continued to ask him for the reason. Zhuang Zhuang had also gotten over his excitement by now. He realized that something was wrong with Xiaoyi and walked over immediately. He gently touched Xiaoyi¡¯s face and asked worriedly, ¡°Xiaoyi, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    When Xiaoyi saw Zhuang Zhuang coming over, he felt even sadder. He asked insecurely, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, will you continue playing with me?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t know why he was asking that, but he answered without thinking.

 Chapter 353 - 353 Pull, Pull

    353 Pull, Pull


    Xiaoyi still didn¡¯t quite believe him. He made Zhuang Zhuang swear again. It took quite a while to finally convince him.


    Xiaoguo found it strange. Why did Xiaoyi suddenly have such thoughts? After all, everything was fine just now and nothing had happened in between.


    Zhuang Zhuang was equally curious. He couldn¡¯t figure out what Xiaoyi was afraid of. ¡°What made you think that I would stop playing with you in the future?¡±


    Xiaoguo also looked over curiously. Under their gazes, Xiaoyi stammered for a long time, but he couldn¡¯t say a complete sentence. In the end, he managed to say a few keywords. The two of them summed up the words and found out the reason.


    Not long ago, Shao Zhan had found a study companion for Xiaoyi. He was a few years older than him and also a head taller than him.


    Although he had come as a study companion, he was actually a little playmate to Xiaoyi. However, that child did not like to play with Xiaoyi. He always claimed that he was a big child and did not play with children.


    Xiaoyi was naive. He asked the boy when he would be willing to play with him. Unexpectedly, the other party replied that he would play with Xiaoyi when they were the same height.


    After half a year, the boy grew a lot taller since he had been eating and sleeping well in the palace. However, Xiaoyi was the opposite. Although he was also growing, the rate of his growth was much slower.


    The child became less inclined to play with Xiaoyi. Although he didn¡¯t not isolate him, he didn¡¯t get friendly enough, by Xiaoyi¡¯s standards.


    As time passed, Xiaoyi came to think that only those of the same height could play together. Now that Zhuang Zhuang has grown taller, he might stop playing with him because of their height difference.


    After Xiaoguo¡¯s serious counseling and Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s repeated assurances, Xiaoyi finally felt relieved. He also understood that true friends would not cut ties because of appearances. True friends were two hearts that resonated. As long as the resonance was still there, their friendship would never disappear.


    ¡ª-


    Over the past few days, whenever Xiaoguo went out for a walk, she felt a faint probing gaze following her. But every time she looked back, she couldn¡¯t find anything.


    The feeling was too fleeting for her to be sure.


    When she noticed it, she subconsciously thought that it was Yu Zhizhi, but she quickly dismissed her guess.


    First of all, Yu Zhizhi didn¡¯t have such ¡°superb¡± tailing skills. Secondly, there was no need for the woman to follow her. After all, Yu Zhizhi seemed to think that she had become a close friend to Xiaoguo. There was no need for her to spend so much time and effort to follow her around.


    She had never offended anyone here. It was hard to think of anyone who would do this.


    Or rather, was someone following her?


    Was she thinking too much?


    This conjecture made Xiaoguo ponder for a long time. There was one time when she went out with Jiang Danhe and the two of them paid special attention to their surroundings. They didn¡¯t discover anything or anyone that was suspicious. This indirectly proved that Xiaoguo was overthinking.


    Just as Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief, Jiang Danhe objected.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked again in disbelief. Did she hear wrongly?!


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Jiang Danhe comforted Xiaoguo and told her to calm down. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that it¡¯s possible. After all, you don¡¯t feel this way for no reason.¡±


    Jiang Danhe believed that Xiaoguo¡¯s sixth sense did not pop out of nowhere. Since she had such a feeling, there was a 50% chance that it was not groundless.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t think of who it is.¡± After Xiaoguo sat down, she thought carefully. Since she couldn¡¯t figure it out, she decided to give up. ¡°Sigh, I don¡¯t want to think about it anymore. It¡¯s probably just my imagination.¡±


    Since she could not think of anyone, Xiaoguo decided not to think about it. She attributed her feelings to her hypersensitivity.


    Jiang Danhe had another guess, but he didn¡¯t tell Xiaoguo about it. He just decided to pay more attention in the future.


    The strange thing was that in the next few days, as long as Jiang Danhe was with her, she did not feel this way. When Jiang Danhe was not around, that feeling would return.


    This made Xiaoguo even more certain that it was her imagination. She was feeling too insecure.


    Yu Zhizhi, whom Xiaoguo had not seen for a long time, finally appeared. Just as Xiaoguo was resting, she quietly did something big.


    On this day, Xiaoguo brought Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang to the pavilion to study as usual. However, the servants she met along the way were all acting strangely. They behaved normally when they saw her, but as soon as she walked past, they started whispering behind her back. She also noticed that everyone was looking at her strangely.


    After arriving at the pavilion, this strange phenomenon did not go away. Instead, it became more intense.


    For some reason, the servants avoided the pavilion and hid at one corner, while pointing at her and whispering among themselves.


    This atmosphere affected Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang. At some point in time, the two of them stopped fooling around and became cautious.


    When Xiaoguo saw the kids¡¯ behavior, her brows became so deeply knotted that they could almost trap a mosquito. She turned to look at the culprits with displeasure.


    When the servants saw Xiaoguo¡¯s face, they got so frightened that they quickly scattered like birds. In an instant, the surroundings fell silent.


    Coincidentally, at this moment, a young lady passed by. She was the girl who brought Xiaoguo to the cellar.


    When the girl spotted Xiaoguo, she looked hesitant. She was intending to take a detour at first, but after some thoughts, she walked towards the pavilion.


    As soon as Xiaoguo saw her walking over, she was quite certain that the girl knew something. She could find out more from her.


    ¡°Madam, please come over¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, the little girl stopped two meters away from the pavilion and called out to Xiaoguo from where she was.


    Xiaoguo found it strange, but then she saw the concern in her eyes and understood. The two children were around, so it was inconvenient for her to speak in front of them.


    At the thought of this, she got up and walked over, but she felt extremely nervous. If it was not convenient to speak in front of a child, it must be something bad.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi looked at each other and pricked up their ears to listen to the conversation. They were also feeling very curious.


    ¡°Madam¡­ I just passed by the kitchen and saw your husband¡­ having some body contact with a dark-skinned woman¡­¡±


    The little girl wasn¡¯t sure how to put it in words. Feeling a little embarrassed, she looked at Xiaoguo sheepishly. The worry in her eyes was real. She looked like she was worried about hurting Xiaoguo. The more she spoke, the softer her voice became.


    ¡°Those people saw it too?¡±


    Xiaoguo was instantly relieved and did not take it seriously. From what the girl was saying, she finally understood why those people were giving her strange looks.


    The little girl nodded, acknowledging her thoughts.


    Xiaoguo chuckled. So that was the reason. ¡°Is that dark-skinned girl from Mrs. Yang¡¯s residence?¡±


    Although it was a question, Xiaoguo sounded very sure. She could already guess who it was.


    As expected, the young lady was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°That¡¯s right. When I was delivering ice to Mrs. Yang, I bumped into her. She always had a first-aid kit with her.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Xiaoguo snorted. It was indeed Yu Zhizhi. She knew it. She had not come to look for her for so long. It turned out that she had gone straight to her target.


    ¡°Were they just pulling and dragging each other?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it seemed like only that woman was pulling at your husband.¡±


    The little girl thought about it carefully and realized that it was not the two of them pulling at each other. The truth was that the woman was the one doing all the pulling.


    ¡°Did you notice my husband¡¯s expression?¡±


    After thinking for a long time, the young lady shook her head honestly. She had only taken a glance and did not see everything. Most of the time, she only saw the back of the man with his hands behind his back.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo felt like laughing. Although she didn¡¯t see Jiang Danhe¡¯s expression, she could guess how terrible-looking his expression was.


    Xiaoguo wanted to chat with her for a while longer, but the other party seemed to have spotted something. Her pupils constricted, and she hurriedly said her farewell before leaving.


    ¡°Aye?¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to stop her, but she didn¡¯t expect such a skinny girl to move so swiftly. In the flash of an eye, she had already gone out of sight.


    Just as she was feeling puzzled, she saw an elderly servant walking past the pavilion. Unknowingly, Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes met hers, and an inexplicable feeling instantly arose in her heart.

 Chapter 354 - 354 Confession

    354 Confession


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but retract her smile and look straight at her. Her gaze seemed so familiar. It felt so similar to the gaze that she had been feeling over the past few days.


    Just as Xiaoguo was about to probe further, the other party quickly lowered her head and left.


    Xiaoguo was puzzled. She was about to call out to her when Jiang Danhe returned.


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re back.¡±


    Xiaoguo heard his footsteps and turned to look at him. Then, she turned around and realized that the woman had disappeared completely.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned and took a few quick steps forward. She looked around but could not see anyone.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t look too good at this moment, but he tried his best to speak to her in a gentle tone.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and shook her head. Then she realized that he didn¡¯t look too good. She immediately thought of Yu Zhizhi.


    ¡°Did Yu Zhizhi look for you?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Jiang Danhe looked at her in surprise. He was just planning to tell her, but it looked like she already knew.


    ¡°I think everyone who came out of the kitchen knows about it.¡±


    Xiaoguo sat back in the pavilion and gestured to the servants who were passing by the pavilion.


    Jiang Danhe was confused. When he saw those people¡¯s evasive expressions, he understood. He sighed helplessly. ¡°What a lunatic.¡±


    Of course, he was talking about Yu Zhizhi. She was a ridiculous woman. He had barely spoken to her, but she was actually fantasizing about marrying him. It was completely disgusting.


    ¡°What did she tell you?¡±


    It was rare for him to look so annoyed. Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued. She wanted to know the whole story.


    ¡°Just now¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped mid-sentence. Xiaoguo was so anxious to hear him carry on. However, the other party gestured for her to look behind her. Xiaoguo followed his gaze and saw two long-eared donkeys eavesdropping.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were still listening attentively to the conversation. They were very curious about the story. The brush in their hands had already made a large ink stain on the clean rice paper. Their attention was now focused on the couple¡¯s conversation.


    It had been a while since they heard the next sentence. The two children mustered up their courage and looked up to see what was going on.


    When they looked up, they met a pair of unfriendly gazes. They immediately lowered their heads guiltily and started scribbling on the rice paper frantically. Putting on a serious front, they tried to act like they were not eavesdropping.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe retracted their gazes and came to a quiet place.


    From Jiang Danhe¡¯s disgusted tone, it was quite obvious that Yu Zhizhi had said many disgusting things to him.


    The sequence of events was as follows. After Jiang Danhe¡¯s simple explanation, Xiaoguo finally found out the entire story. The humble Yu Zhizhi had successfully disgusted her to the max.


    In the morning, Xiaoguo was planning to bring a pot of cold tea to the pavilion. She had wanted to prepare it herself, but Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t want her to tire herself out, so he took the initiative to go to the kitchen to make tea. Coincidentally, he bumped into Yu Zhizhi, who had gone there to brew some medicine. At first, she seemed normal. Later on, for some reason, she suddenly stopped Jiang Danhe from leaving and started her long confession of love.


    She started talking about how love at first sight was unforgettable, and how overjoyed she was to see him again. She was willing to be his concubine and serve him for the rest of her life. She would bear him many sons and begged him to take her in, blah, blah, blah.


    Jiang Danhe was on the verge of vomiting as he spoke, and Xiaoguo felt even worse than him. She quickly raised her hand to interrupt him, worried that she would vomit if she continued listening.


    It was really hard to imagine that a woman could behave in such a lowly manner!


    To think that she was begging. An unmarried girl was actually begging a man to take her. What was she thinking? What a crazy woman.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the woman who had suddenly turned around and felt that something was wrong. He carefully nudged her and asked, ¡°Xiaoguo, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Are you okay?¡±


    They looked at each other and said in unison, ¡°It¡¯s a little disgusting.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was actually quite afraid of Yu Zhizhi. When he was in the kitchen earlier, he couldn¡¯t push her too hard as she was a woman. However, she pounced on him like a bee to honey, making him unable to dodge in time. He became extremely frustrated. At that moment, he was dying to slap her to her death.


    However, he did not tell Xiaoguo those words. He was afraid that she might find him too cruel and rough. That would also ruin his gentlemanly image.


    ¡°By the way, how did you manage to shake her off?¡±


    If Yu Zhizhi was so persistent, how did he come back?


    Jiang Danhe avoided eye contact. His brain cells were spinning rapidly. His mouth worked faster than his brain. ¡°Li Shouji happened to come in, so I ran.¡±


    ¡°You ran?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe, who was standing in front of her in a daze. This man actually ran away?!


    ¡°I walked. I walked!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was quick to react. As soon as he said that, his mind started functioning. He felt like lightning had struck him and his eyes turned blank for a moment. What did he just say? Run? Run away?


    Although he did try to salvage the situation, Xiaoguo still shot him a look of disgust and stepped back. She only stopped when she was about a meter away from him.


    Jiang Danhe wanted to explain, but Xiaoguo deliberately avoided him. When he reached out, she avoided him. When he felt aggrieved, she despised him.


    On top of her disdainful look. Xiaoguo pursed her lips and kept moving backwards. Her disdainful posture made Jiang Danhe really anxious. He blurted out the truth without hesitation.


    ¡°I knocked her out!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, an awkward silence filled the air.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe started blinking his eyes. He was actually trying out Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi¡¯s favorite tactic¡ªacting cute.


    The result was obvious. Xiaoguo did not buy that at all. She almost hit him.


    Jiang Danhe hugged Xiaoguo tightly. ¡°Calm down, calm down. I won¡¯t blink anymore!¡±


    She had just been disgusted by Yu Zhizhi, and now Jiang Danhe was trying this trick. He was lucky that she didn¡¯t hit him.


    ¡°You just left her where she was?¡±


    Xiaoguo panted heavily. If anything happened to Yu Zhizhi, he was going to get all the blame!


    ¡°No, no. I just found someone to take care of her. I didn¡¯t hit her too hard. She¡¯ll wake up in a while. By then, she¡¯ll be able to go back by herself.¡±


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t dare to fool her this time. After explaining in detail for a long time and reassuring her that Yu Zhizhi couldn¡¯t find trouble with him, Xiaoguo felt more relieved.


    ¡°No, did you really knock her out with your bare hands?¡±


    After Xiaoguo¡¯s worry subsided, all she could do was gloat. Listening to his description, she really felt like laughing. She could imagine Yu Zhizhi¡¯s incredulous expression before she fainted.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t dare to use too much strength. She fainted after a single slap.¡±


    The calmer Jiang Danhe sounded, the happier Xiaoguo was. At this moment, she felt a little sorry for Yu Zhizhi. After all, it was not easy to fall in love with an opiniated straight man who was already taken.


    However, now that Yu Zhizhi had taken the initiative to remove the veil, Xiaoguo was prepared to make things clear and make her give up completely.


    But to Xiaoguo¡¯s surprise, she didn¡¯t even have a chance to make an appearance because Yu Zhizhi was sent away.


    After returning that day, Xiaoguo had spent a full day preparing to make Yu Zhizhi retreat.


    The next day, she quickly put on her beautiful clothes. After searching for a long time, she didn¡¯t see Yu Zhizhi anywhere. Just as she was looking around aimlessly, she suddenly saw a group of servants hiding in the rockery and whispering to each other.


    When a group of women was gathered together, gossip was inevitable. Xiaoguo tiptoed over and listened attentively for a long time.


    After the servants left, Xiaoguo, who was dressed beautifully, walked out of the rockery. The exquisite fan in her hand almost fell to the ground as she looked into the distance in disbelief.


    She had yet to make an appearance, and the show was already coming to an end?!

 Chapter 355 - 355 Leaving the Island overnight

    355 Leaving the Island overnight


    That day, the news of Yu Zhizhi pestering Jiang Danhe and being knocked out by him spread like wildfire. Even the Prime Minister¡¯s wife, who hardly went out, got to hear about it.


    After some considerations, she decided to send Yu Zhizhi out of the island that night before she caused more trouble. Along the way, she even drugged her to avoid any unnecessary trouble.


    When the drug wore off, it was already dawn. When Yu Zhizhi opened her eyes again, she saw a dilapidated house beam that looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. This was not her accommodation on the island.


    In her daze, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.


    ¡°Zhizhi? Zhizhi?¡±


    Yu Zhizhi looked in the direction of the voice. An old and wrinkled face appeared in front of her. She looked up at him in confusion.


    ¡°Father?¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Her father smiled and carefully helped her up to lean against the bed frame. He asked worriedly, ¡°How are you? Do you feel any discomfort?¡±


    Yu Zhizhi shook her head gently. Other than feeling dizzy, she didn¡¯t feel any other discomfort. In order not to worry her father, she shook her head. ¡°I am feeling fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Mr. Yu handed her the glass of water. ¡°Have some water first.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi¡¯s peeling lips parted slowly, but she swallowed the question she was about to ask. Taking the glass, she took a sip.


    After her father left, Yu Zhizhi had the time to recall what had happened.


    Why does her head feel so dizzy? Wasn¡¯t she on the island? Why was she back in the fishing village when she opened her eyes? Was it an illusion? Was this all a dream?


    No! No! This was all real!


    She clearly remembered that she was confessing to Brother Jiang. Why had she come back here in the blink of an eye?


    Yu Zhizhi felt very flustered. Everything seemed like a mystery and a dream at the same time. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t tell what was going on.


    Yu Zhizhi forced herself to calm down. After taking a deep breath, she slowly began to organize her thoughts.


    First of all, she was sure that she had confessed to Brother Jiang before she lost her memory. This was because she was still wearing the same dress now. She had asked for this dress from another lady when she was about to discard it.


    Secondly, she vaguely remembered something during the process of her confession. She had felt a sudden sharp pain in her neck before she fainted. When she woke up again, she seemed to have seen Mrs. Yang. The other party frowned and said something. Then, white smoke wafted past and she couldn¡¯t remember the rest.


    Yu Zhizhi patted her head hard, feeling extremely frustrated. These few memories were all blurry and disconnected. She was having a hard time figuring things out.


    As she patted at her own head, she suddenly remembered something. Although it was fleeting, she was quite certain about what she saw!


    Coupled with the white smoke, how could Yu Zhizhi not know what had transpired? Her face, which was still sweet and cute moments ago, instantly twisted into a scary expression. Mr. Yu, who was about to enter, stopped in his tracks. He let out a long sigh and left after closing the door.


    Yu Zhizhi, who was in the room, hit the bed hard until her hands turned red. She stopped and looked ahead angrily.


    ¡°She actually drugged me and sent me out of the island overnight. She really did it, Lady Yang!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Yu Zhizhi sneered. When she was losing consciousness, she managed to open her eyes and saw the swaying ship and Mrs. Yang¡¯s personal servant. Before she was able to take a closer look, her stamina ran out and she blacked out completely.


    Although she was unwilling, she had to admit that she had no choice¡­


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was looking ahead with lifeless eyes. Resting her chin on her hands,her cheeks were squashed so hard that her facial features had almost disappeared. Even so, she could still breathe normally through her nose.


    Jiang Danhe quietly peeled an orange, and brought a piece to Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth affectionately.


    Xiaoguo opened her mouth. After chewing a few times and swallowing the fruit, she sighed.


    Jiang Danhe looked at her in confusion. Just as she was about to sigh again, he quickly stuffed another piece of orange into her mouth and successfully stopped her from sighing.


    ¡°My dear, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Jiang Danhe had asked this question countless times.


    Looking at the listless-looking Xiaoguo, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t say anything else. The other day, she had left the house looking all poise, but shortly after, she returned looking like a wilted plant. Ever since then, she didn¡¯t seem to have regained her energy. She kept sighing and saying that she couldn¡¯t cook anymore. They ended up having meals that were served from the kitchen for several days.


    ¡°Why do you think Yu Zhizhi was sent away?¡±


    ¡°You sound quite disappointed.¡±


    Jiang Danhe narrowed his eyes and stuffed another piece of orange into her mouth.


    ¡°No.¡± When Xiaoguo heard this, she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and continued, ¡°The thing is, before I could go on stage, the curtain call had already ended. All the energy in my body has instantly dissipated, causing me to feel weak.¡±


    Jiang Danhe chuckled. This had been going on for three days. ¡°Then Mrs. Jiang, when are you going to regain your strength?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ at least half a lifetime and at most, a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Yo, does that mean you¡¯re going to stay away from the kitchen forever?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and shook her head. Then, she shot him a look, implying that he was slandering her.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t hide the smile in his eyes. He continued to tease her. ¡°Our hardworking lady has become lazy¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re slandering me!¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I should inform Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi. Otherwise they will continue asking me everyday when you are going to start cooking again. Now that you¡¯ve become Mrs. Sloth, we have no choice¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was unhappy to hear that. She spat out the orange seeds and got ready to spar with him. That will teach him to not spread rumors about her.


    But as soon as she pounced on him, she noticed the smile in his eyes. She immediately understood why. She blushed and sat back down.


    ¡°You are provoking me on purpose!¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Jiang Danhe stroked her back. ¡°In all honesty, you¡¯re only good-looking when you¡¯re so energetic.¡±


    The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth curled up as she glanced at him. ¡°I look good at all times!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. You look good at any time!¡±


    Jiang Danhe quickly apologized and acknowledged that he was wrong. His actions made Xiaoguo laugh out loud.


    Just as the atmosphere was gradually turning pink, Li Shouji appeared. He flicked his hair at Jiang Danhe and gestured for him to come over.


    Jiang Danhe looked at him unhappily. No matter how anxious the other party looked, he remained unmoved. He knew this man too well. Just by looking at his expression, he could tell that Li Shouji was calling him for something unimportant.


    Xiaoguo was worried about Li Shouji losing his head. In her kindness, she nudged Jiang Danhe, signaling him to find out why Li Shouji needed him.


    Jiang Danhe gave Xiaoguo a resigned look before getting up and leaving reluctantly with Li Shouji.


    Xiaoguo watched him leave. Since she was alone, there was no point in staying there any longer. She might as well go back and accompany the boys.


    Hence, she got up and cleared away the fruit peels on the table. Just when she had put everything on a tray and was about to leave, an elderly servant suddenly blocked her way to the door.


    Xiaoguo took a step back and looked at the woman in front of her. When she saw her face, she immediately frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    When the servant heard Xiaoguo speak, she fell to her knees without another word. She said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Please help me, Madam.¡±


    The moment she knelt down, Xiaoguo moved aside and said calmly, ¡°Get up and talk.¡±


    The servant hesitated for a moment before slowly getting up on her feet. However, because of her health, she could not stand steadily. She swayed a few times and grabbed the side of the table in a panic before regaining her balance.


    Xiaoguo slowly retracted her outstretched hand and sized up the woman. She said conclusively, ¡°You were the one who followed me a few days ago, right?¡±

 Chapter 356 - 356 Bring Her Away

    356 Bring Her Away


    When the servant heard this, she nodded calmly. She didn¡¯t seem surprised that Xiaoguo had guessed correctly. She was quite sure that Xiaoguo would not make things difficult for her.


    Xiaoguo sized her up. Judging from her aura, she was definitely quite extraordinary. If she guessed correctly, this woman must have been a person of high status before she came to this island.


    Although the woman¡¯s face was filled with wrinkles, her facial features were well-defined. It was not difficult to imagine how beautiful she was when she was younger. Although her figure had become hunched due to years of hard labor, her figure looked well proportioned. She must have had a good figure in her younger days.


    Taking a cautious stance, Xiaoguo did not speak. Instead, she sat down and waited quietly for the other party to speak first. In this situation, whoever was more anxious should speak up first. Besides, the other party had something to ask of her.


    The woman did not sit down at Xiaoguo¡¯s invitation. Instead, she remained standing by the side. After a long time, she sighed and slowly recounted her past.


    The woman¡¯s real name was Zhao Yuyan. Taking on her husband¡¯s surname, people addressed her as Madam Sun Zhao. The Magistrate Zhao of Yangzhou was her father and she got married to the son of Magistrate Sun of Liuzhou. It was a joyful union.


    Unfortunately, in their 15 years of marriage, they did not have any children. At the beginning, the couple enjoyed a harmonious relationship, but gradually, due to some external voices, the relationship became estranged.


    However, the heavens were still kind to the two of them. In the sixteenth year of their marriage, she became pregnant. The entire family was overjoyed and made a lot of preparations to welcome the first baby in the family.


    Eventually she gave birth to a girl. After all, it was her first child, so the couple was still very happy. However, the Sun family was quite wealthy and they eagerly hoped for a boy to be born. But things did not go according to their wishes. Zhao Yuyan had hurt her body when she gave birth to her daughter and could no longer have another baby.


    The news was a huge blow for the entire family. From then on, her husband came home drunk every day and got bewitched by other women. He became someone who was obsessed with beauty and power.


    Within a few years, the entire family got torn apart by him. Some family members died and some ran away. In the end, when the house was confiscated, Zhao Yuyan and her young daughter were the only ones left. They waited quietly at home to accept their fate.


    After five years in prison and five years of exile, they finally came to this island. Although they still had to work, this place was like heaven for them.


    The families of sinners like them didn¡¯t have to suffer or worry. They didn¡¯t have to worry about not having a proper meal or their health. They didn¡¯t have to worry about not seeing the sun the next day. They didn¡¯t have to worry about anything. They just had to work every day, eat their fill, and get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    But ultimately, they had no freedom in this place¡­


    After hearing her story, Xiaoguo sympathized with her. But she did not let down her guard. After all, she still did not know what the other party was up to.


    After telling her story, the woman knelt down again. She looked at Xiaoguo with tears in her eyes and said sincerely, ¡°Madam, please take my daughter away. She shouldn¡¯t be trapped here like me for the rest of her life.¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly stopped her and tried to pull her up. But the other party refused to get up no matter what. She looked like she was not going to get up until Xiaoguo agreed to her request.


    ¡°Madam, Madam!¡±


    The woman grabbed Xiaoguo and cried in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯ve seen my daughter before. She¡¯s the skinny little girl with big eyes who brought you to the cellar. Her name is Yuling. She¡¯s 13 years old this year. I beg you, please be kind. I beg you, I beg you. I¡¯ll kowtow to you. I beg you, I beg you¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly tried to pull her up, but the other party seemed very determined. No matter how hard Xiaoguo tried, the woman simply wouldn¡¯t budge. She remained in the same position and kept kowtowing to her.


    The sound of the woman kowtowing made Xiaoguo¡¯s feel terrible. Seeing that there were blood stains on the ground, Xiaoguo pulled her back with all her might. Her voice was a little hoarse from anxiety. ¡°Calm down first. I have to think carefully.¡±


    At this moment, the woman was no longer the same as before. She was in a panic. Her eyes were blurred with tears, and her forehead was swollen. Blood flowed from her forehead to the bridge of her nose. Even though she looked like she was in a daze, she kept repeating, ¡°Please, please¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo tried to calm herself down as she comforted the woman.


    The other party kept begging her in a lowered voice. Xiaoguo¡¯s heart felt like it was going to stop.


    Perhaps it was because she was a mother, therefore she could empathize with the woman¡¯s situation. Just thinking about Zhuang Zhuang starving and freezing made her feel terrible. Not to mention that Zhao Yuyan had to endure seeing her daughter go through jail and exile with her. A young girl¡¯s memories of her childhood were filled with suffering. It was really a scary thought for anyone.


    Watching Xiaoguo¡¯s receding figure, the woman said, ¡°I don¡¯t have many years left to live. I might die in my sleep any day, but Yuling is still young. If she was left all alone in this world, I won¡¯t be able to rest in peace even if I die.¡±


    Xiaoguo paused and stood there for a few seconds before leaving.


    The woman stood alone in the pavilion and watched her back view quietly. With tears in her eyes, she clutched her heart and coughed uncontrollably. Then, she skillfully wiped the blood from the corners of her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m really begging you¡­¡±


    The woman wrapped her forehead with a thick veil. When she dragged her tired body back to her residence, she bumped into Yu Ling, who had just returned to change.


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    When Yu Ling saw the woman¡¯s tired appearance, she immediately went up to her. She looked at her mother worriedly and reached out to help her up.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    When the woman saw her, she immediately returned to her usual cold self. She straightened her chest and pushed away the girl¡¯s hands. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not slacking off!¡± Yu Ling was so frightened that she quickly shook her head and explained, ¡°I came back to change my clothes because they got wet when I was shaving the ice.¡±


    As she spoke, she was afraid that her mother wouldn¡¯t believe her. She thought of going back to the house to show her the wet clothes.


    The woman pretended to be impatient and stopped her. ¡°Hurry up and get to work. Don¡¯t slack off!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Yu Ling said aggrievedly. Then, she rubbed her eyes and left.


    After she left, the woman coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground.


    Yu Ling, who was behind her, seemed to have sensed something and turned around. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and leave! Hurry up!¡±


    Yu Ling retracted her raised foot and nodded.


    She had always been an obedient girl to her mother. No matter what her mother said, Yu Ling would automatically follow her instructions and do as she was told. When she heard her mother tell her to leave, her body immediately reacted first and she turned to walk in the opposite direction.


    However, Yu Ling still turned around worriedly. She didn¡¯t know when that thin and weak body had become so frail. She could hear her mother coughing constantly in the middle of the night.


    It seemed that the mother in her memory had always been weak and frail.


    On the other side.


    When Xiaoguo returned to her residence, the sounds of the woman¡¯s kowtowing and her begging were still ringing in her ears. She couldn¡¯t hear or see anything else. It was a strange sensation.


    Even the insensitive Li Shouji noticed that something was wrong.


    At the dining table, he kept signaling at Jiang Danhe with his eyes to ask what was wrong.


    Unexpectedly, Jiang Danhe shook his head.


    Jiang Danhe was deeply worried about Xiaoguo, who only ate plain rice and not anything else. So, he helped to pick out fish bones for her while adding more dishes to her plate. Xiaoguo only continued eating in a daze, eating whatever that was put on her plate. She was behaving very strangely.


    Just as Jiang Danhe placed a piece of fish on her plate, the other party suddenly put down her bowl and chopsticks. She said that she was full and returned to her room.


    She didn¡¯t stop no matter how hard Jiang Danhe called out to her. Even Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi¡¯s loving kisses did not bring her out of her daze.


    Jiang Danhe also put down his chopsticks. Why did she suddenly become like this after going out for a while? No, it was even worse than before.


    Before this, she was still responsive. Now, she has completely withdrawn herself.


    At night, when Xiaoguo was lying in bed, she did not even notice when Jiang Danhe lay down beside her.


    Just as he was thinking about how to start the conversation, Xiaoguo suddenly sat up and looked at him.


    ¡°Do you know Magistrate Zhao from Yangzhou?¡±

 Chapter 357 - 357 No Cure

    357 No Cure


    Jiang Danhe also sat up. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about this?¡±


    ¡°Aiya, tell me first.¡±


    Xiaoguo tried to coax him as she gave him a nudge.


    Jiang Danhe smiled and reached out to hug her. He was hoping to continue teasing her.


    However, the other party pushed him away shyly and pinched him in embarrassment. ¡°Tell me quickly!¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not want her to get mad, so he quickly said, ¡°Magistrate Zhao of Yangzhou. You must be referring to the previous magistrate of Yangzhou. The current magistrate¡¯s surname is Zhang.¡±


    ¡°The previous one?¡±


    Xiaoguo was a little puzzled. When did he become the previous magistrate? Was he laid off or did he pass away?


    ¡°His household was confiscated quite some time ago. It must have been more than ten years since it happened.¡±


    Xiaoguo did some calculations. Was it the same period when Zhao Yuyan¡¯s husband¡¯s house got confiscated? Did it happen at the same time? What crime had Zhao Yuyan¡¯s husband committed to receive such a severe punishment?


    Seeing how curious Xiaoguo looked, Jiang Danhe told her everything he knew.


    ¡°The Magistrate Zhao of Yangzhou was a famous benevolent person at that time. He was upright, honest and charitable. He had only one daughter and she married the only child of Magistrate Sun¡¯s family in Liuzhou. For the first ten years, they enjoyed a good relationship. However, for some reason, the young master of the Sun family somehow fell into some bad habits. He ate, drank, whored, and gambled. Later on, he was exploited by some people and that got his entire family implicated. Even the Magistrate Zhao of Yangzhou was dragged into it. No one was spared. All the men were killed or crippled, while the young and beautiful women were sold. Those who were elderly were taken into custody or exiled.¡±


    Jiang Danhe sighed as he spoke. Although he had never seen Magistrate Zhao in person, he had heard that there were no corrupt officials under his jurisdiction. Under his leadership, the people were living a good life and everyone was happy.


    Moreover, on the day when Magistrate Zhao and his family were beheaded, the commoners under his jurisdiction knelt on the ground to send them off. They followed them all the way to the Beheading Platform at the entrance of the market.


    At that time, the emperor had ordered that the Zhao family be denied a proper burial. However, the commoners still pulled out their bloody corpses under the eyes of the officials, who chose to turn a blind eye to what they were doing. Only then did the Zhao family get a proper burial.


    Xiaoguo listened quietly and sighed. What an injustice! The magistrate who was honest and upright all his life had ended up like this just because his son-in-law had implicated him.


    ¡°What exactly is the crime?¡±


    Jiang Danhe said softly, ¡°Usurping the throne.¡±


    Xiaoguo gasped. ¡°How bold of him!¡±


    ¡°He was bewitched by someone. In actual fact, he was an honest and responsible person. But at that time, he was bewitched by the emperor¡¯s brother. He didn¡¯t realize it at first. By the time he did, it was the end of the road for him.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes flickered. He had failed to mention something¡ªit was all thanks to the previous emperor who killed an official without finding out the truth. He had angered many elders and ministers in the imperial court and he made them realize a fact. The emperor that they were serving faithfully was after all an outsider. He killed the people of Shao Nation as he wished. This matter greatly disappointed the ministers of the country, which was why Shao Zhan was able to take advantage of the situation.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue. So that was the story. How tragic. A single mistake had implicated two families.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about Magistrate Zhao?¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was not going to continue asking, Jiang Danhe asked her instead.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t make up her mind. She had wanted to find out if Zhao Yuyan was telling the truth, but she didn¡¯t expect the truth to be so sad. In that case, Zhao Yuyan must have entrusted her only family to an outsider as a last resort. If there was another member who was still alive in her family, she probably wouldn¡¯t have thought of this plan.


    Unable to make up her mind, Xiaoguo told Jiang Danhe everything. She still had a sense of dependence on Jiang Danhe. As long as he was around, she would subconsciously rely on him.


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, his long silence told Xiaoguo the answer¡ªthis matter was quite tricky.


    Xiaoguo lay back on the bed in frustration. Seeing her like this, Jiang Danhe felt very helpless. He gently patted her arm and said, ¡°Rest early.¡±


    The next day, Jiang Danhe left right after breakfast. Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi insisted that Xiaoguo bring them to the pavilion to study, but she turned down their request.


    ¡°Why¡­¡±


    ¡°Be good. I have some matters to attend to. Go find Uncle Shouji and let him bring you there.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Shouji and Father have gone out. They¡¯re not around.¡±


    ¡°Then stay in the house.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi¡¯s disappointed expressions did not move Xiaoguo. She could only shrug her shoulders and express her helplessness. After which, she brought out a pot of fruit tea.


    After leaving the house, Xiaoguo found a familiar guard and asked him to help find Zhao Yuyan. She instructed him to bring Zhao Yuyan to her place once he found her.


    Then, Xiaoguo brought the fruit tea to Mrs. Yang¡¯s residence. This was the first time she had taken the initiative to visit.


    Mrs. Yang looked very surprised. She was clearly curious about Xiaoguo¡¯s purpose of visit.


    Without any pretense, Xiaoguo exchanged a few pleasantries and told Mrs. Yang the purpose of her visit.


    When Mrs. Yang heard this, she looked concerned. ¡°Are you unwell?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Xiaoguo quickly explained. Then, she thought of something and continued, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong. I just need a physician to take my pulse. I know that you have a wide network and many friends, Madam. I was hoping to ask you for a favor, to help borrow a physician from the other ladies.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. No problem!¡± The Prime Minister¡¯s wife was very generous. After hearing her words, she was about to get up when she thought of something. She turned around and asked softly, ¡°Are you trying to check for pregnancy?¡±


    Xiaoguo blushed, wondering why her question was so sudden. ¡°No¡­¡±


    The Prime Minister¡¯s wife looked like she understood. She then pulled Xiaoguo along and walked out laughing.


    The General and his wife were so loving. It was not surprising that they were checking for signs of pregnancy.


    Xiaoguo followed Mrs. Yang to another lady¡¯s residence in a daze. The lady very generously lent her physician to her. She subconsciously thought that Xiaoguo was pregnant and congratulated her for a long time.


    Xiaoguo thanked them profusely, but she couldn¡¯t explain her situation. The truth was, even when she tried to explain herself, they refused to believe her. They kept giving her a look as if they understood everything. Xiaoguo was finding it hard to explain further, so she decided to stop explaining and let them believe what they wanted to.


    After that, they shared some parenting experiences with her for about two hours. When they were done, Xiaoguo finally had time to bring the physician back to her residence.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo dropped him a few hints. She didn¡¯t say much, but she made him understand that she was not the one who was consulting him. She let him know that he would be taking the pulse of another person.


    As soon as she entered, she saw Zhao Yuyan waiting anxiously in the house. There were also some guards standing by the side. When the guards saw Xiaoguo return, they took their leave.


    When Zhao Yuyan saw Xiaoguo, her eyes lit up with anticipation. Xiaoguo felt that it was very glaring and subconsciously avoided eye contact. She said to the physician behind her, ¡°Please check on her.¡±


    The physician was a smart person. Other than checking on a patient, everything else had nothing to do with him.


    When he reached the table, the physician skillfully took out a small pillow from the medicine box. Xiaoguo quickly gestured for Zhao Yuyan, who was standing still, to sit down.


    Zhao Yuyan sat down in confusion and rested her hand on the pillow.


    The doctor started taking her pulse. At first, his expression seemed normal, but then it became more and more serious. After a long while, he shook his head regretfully and retracted his finger. He cupped his hands at the anxious Xiaoguo and said, ¡°Madam, this person¡¯s illness is terminal. I have no treatment for her.¡±


    Zhao Yuyan retracted her arm with a calm expression, as if she was indifferent to life and death.


    Xiaoguo was a little anxious. She asked, ¡°Is there really no other way?¡±


    The doctor shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no way to reverse the situation. This illness stems from her heart. In addition, she¡¯s overworked and depressed. It is quite a feat that she has lived with her ailments until now. Her days are numbered. If she rests well and takes care of her body, she might live a little longer. If she continues living a life of exertion and worries, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    The doctor shook his head and sighed. Then, he cupped his hands and left.

 Chapter 358 - 358 I Love You

    358 I Love You


    Xiaoguo could only watch the doctor leave. She did not dare to look back at Zhao Yuyan, afraid that her heart would soften if she did.


    Knowing that she was not going to accede to Zhao Yuyan¡¯s request, Xiaoguo tossed and turned the entire night. She kept thinking about what she could do to help her. After thinking about it, there was only one thing she could do.


    Since she couldn¡¯t bring Yu Ling with her, she had to think of a way to treat Zhao Yuyan. Unexpectedly, there was no cure for her illness. The only thing that she could help her with turned out to be insurmountable.


    ¡ª-


    Jiang Danhe was busy with some work and only returned after lunch.


    He thought that he wouldn¡¯t make it in time for lunch. Unexpectedly, when he entered the house, the food was just being served.


    As soon as Li Shouji entered, he took aim at the food on the table. When he realized that the fragrance didn¡¯t smell familiar, he was extremely disappointed. It had been a long time since he had tasted his sister-in-law¡¯s cooking. He was really craving it.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, when will we be able to taste your cooking again?¡±


    ¡°Anytime.¡± Xiaoguo served them their food. Hearing his question, she forced a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll cook tonight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! I will eat less for lunch and save some belly space for dinner!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and said nothing.


    Although Li Shouji always made comments about the food, he was quick to finish the food on his plate. He didn¡¯t know if it was his imagination, but he felt that the food from the kitchen was getting better and better.


    He guessed that the chefs might have picked up some tricks from Sister-in-law. In actual fact, Li Shouji was spot on with his guess.


    During this period of time, Xiaoguo did hang out in the kitchen very frequently, even though she did not cook on a daily basis. Moreover, she did not deliberately hide when she was cooking. If anyone were to pay attention while she cooked, they would be able to see the ingredients she used and her entire cooking process. It was definitely possible for them to pick up a thing or two from her.


    ¡°Why are you only eating now?¡±


    ¡°I was held up by something.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was not like Li Shouji who only cared about food. As soon as he entered the house, he sensed that the atmosphere was not right. Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang, who could not sit still during their meals on most days, were actually so well-behaved today. Although Xiaoguo said that there was nothing wrong, he felt that something was amiss.


    Whenever he asked her something, she would reply accordingly. She was still wearing a smile on her face, but it looked rather forced.


    Jiang Danhe swallowed the doubts in his heart and was prepared to tell her the good news later. When he thought of her expression once she heard the news, he couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. His efforts in the morning should be very worthwhile.


    After dinner, Jiang Danhe stopped Li Shouji from leaving. He pushed the two children to him and asked him to bring them for their afternoon nap. He then dragged Xiaoguo back to her room.


    Li Shouji looked disheartened. He lowered his head and looked at the two smiling boys. His heart was crying out in agony. It seemed that his lunch break plan for today had just been ruined.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo was pushed back into the room by Jiang Danhe. Seeing his serious expression as he closed the door, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous.


    Jiang Danhe put on a serious face and looked at Xiaoguo. ¡°What¡¯s the matter today? What is affecting your appetite?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xiaoguo was wondering what was wrong. So it was just this. She heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°I found a doctor to see Zhao Yuyan this morning.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Jiang Danhe nodded and continued asking, ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®then¡¯. It¡¯s a terminal illness. It¡¯s untreatable.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was silent for a moment. ¡°Do you know what I was doing this morning?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Make a guess.¡±


    ¡°You must be busy with work. What else could you be busy with?¡±


    Xiaoguo said casually. She was clearly not in the mood to guess.


    Jiang Danhe was unhappy with her reply. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hint. I was kept busy with what you were thinking last night.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes widened when she heard that. She looked at him in disbelief. ¡°About bringing Yu Ling out of this place?¡±


    This time, it was Jiang Danhe¡¯s turn to take control of the conversation. Just a moment ago, Xiaoguo kept ignoring him. When she heard him mention Yu Ling, she instantly perked up. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little jealous.


    ¡°Hurry up and tell me what happened.¡±


    Seeing that the other party had sat down and was pouring tea unhurriedly, Xiaoguo was extremely anxious. She sat down and urged him to tell her more.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Xiaoguo kept shaking him until he couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Xiaoguo stopped shaking Jiang Danhe and signaled him with her eyes, asking him to elaborate.


    It turned out that Jiang Danhe had been kept busy investigating the identities of Zhao Yuyan and Yu Ling all morning. He thought that humans were usually unpredictable. He had to play safe.


    First, he had to confirm if the account given by Zhao Yuyan was true. Then, he had to investigate if there were any descendants from the Zhao family or the Sun family. After confirming that there were no descendants, he mentioned it to Shao Zhan. After a serious and thorough investigation, Shao Zhan made an exception and agreed to let Yu Ling leave the island.


    Xiaoguo was overjoyed. In her excitement, she pounced on Jiang Danhe. The two of them fell to the ground, creating a lot of noise. Fortunately, it was a wooden floor. Otherwise, they would have been completely covered in dirt.


    When Jiang Danhe fell, he did not forget to protect Xiaoguo. He looked at her and said, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Xiaoguo was overjoyed. She looked at him with sparkling eyes. The gloominess over the past two days was instantly swept away. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it would be difficult?¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s difficult, we have to try and get it done.¡± Jiang Danhe pretended to sigh and said, ¡°I had no choice since someone was losing sleep at night.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she was so touched that she wanted to cry. When she first heard him mention Yu Ling, she had a hunch.


    Jiang Danhe was always like this. He always did things quietly. He did mention that he would remember everything she said. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, he would make sure to remember her every word. Even if it was a small matter, he could make use of it to express his respect and love for her.


    This must be the legendary love that was all responsive to one¡¯s needs. She was so lucky to have encountered it.


    She didn¡¯t want to thank him again because it was not enough to express what she wanted to say. What Jiang Danhe had done for her couldn¡¯t be summarized by a simple ¡®thank you¡¯.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was stunned. His smile froze on his face. His pupils trembled as he looked at her in disbelief.


    Xiaoguo smiled and said word by word, ¡°I, love, you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart was pounding. He looked straight at her with a hint of shyness. This was the first time Xiaoguo had said ¡°I love you¡± to him.


    At this moment, their eyes met and emotions surged. Just as he was about to do something, the other party pushed him away and walked towards the door.


    As she walked, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell them the good news now!¡±


    With that, she pushed open the door and left without looking back. One could see that her entire back view was radiating with joy.


    Jiang Danhe looked helplessly at the departing figure and sighed softly. Then, he stood up.


    At this moment, three puzzled heads poked through the open door and looked at Jiang Danhe in a daze. Three pairs of eyes were looking at him curiously, looking like they wanted to get in on the action.


    Jiang Danhe watched as Xiaoguo disappeared. Then, he stopped smiling and turned his head slightly. The three heads paused and immediately disappeared from his sight.


    Jiang Danhe was now left alone. He tried to recall the emotions he felt earlier on, and how she had said the words ¡°I love you.¡±


    It was really strange. It was clearly three simple words, but when they came out of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth, it made his heart race and his legs go weak. He seemed to have lost control of his emotions.


    At the thought of this, Jiang Danhe smiled. Then, his smile froze. His expression turned cold as he walked to the door and closed it. Only then did he reveal a blissful smile again.


    The two children and one adult hiding outside the door subconsciously held their breaths when he walked over. They only relaxed when the door closed.


    The few of them stood at the door and looked at each other. Then, they looked through the gap in the door.


    The three sleazy butts were wriggling around. It was really unbearable to watch.


    They looked so terrible that anyone who accidentally saw it would have to go and wash their eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t a joke. The two little butts were still considered cute. The sleazy looking one was Li Shouji¡¯s big butt.

 Chapter 359 - 359 This Is It

    359 This Is It


    However, they were not peeping. They were just being concerned.


    Who knew why Jiang Danhe suddenly closed the door? Moreover, the loud bang just now was too strange. The three of them had to analyze the situation.


    So again, this was not peeping!


    ¡ª-


    After Xiaoguo came out, she looked around but was unable to find Zhao Yuyan. She even looked for them in their quarters but they were not there. Just as she was feeling puzzled, she happened to bump into Yu Ling.


    ¡°Yu Ling.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Madam? How do you know my name?¡±


    When Yu Ling heard someone calling her, she turned around and saw that it was Xiaoguo. She walked over, feeling excited and confused. She felt excited because she had bumped into Xiaoguo, and confused because she had never told her her name.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Looking at Yu Ling¡¯s innocent expression, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t feel like telling her the truth. ¡°I heard it by chance when your mother called you.¡±


    Yu Ling did not suspect anything when she heard this. Instead, she nodded in realization. ¡°I see. Hehe.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Yu Ling, do you know where your mother is?¡±


    Xiaoguo gently tidied the stray hair strands on Yu Ling¡¯s forehead that were ruffled by the wind.


    A trace of shyness flashed across Yu Ling¡¯s face. Then, she quickly lowered her head. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s at the back of the mountain. I¡¯m not sure about her exact location.¡±


    ¡°The back of the mountains?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Yu Ling blushed and refused to look up, afraid that Xiaoguo would laugh at her. ¡°My mother always goes to the back of the mountains, but she doesn¡¯t let me follow her. She has stopped going there recently, but she just went again today.¡±


    At this point, a trace of sadness flashed across Yu Ling¡¯s eyes. Being the obedient daughter that she was, although she did think of following her mother secretly, she was unable to do it. When she thought of her mother¡¯s stern expression, her body would tremble involuntarily. Just standing on the spot was a problem, let alone following her.


    Xiaoguo looked in the direction she was pointing at and hesitated. She had never really gone on that road before. Moreover, she had heard from Jiang Danhe that there was a graveyard at the back of the mountains¡­


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva. She was having a hard time deciding whether to go or not. In the end, her rationality prevailed and she decided against it. It was quite a scary place after all.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for her here.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she was about to sit down in the shade when Yu Ling¡¯s next words made her stop.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back first? My mother will probably be back in the evening. When she comes back, I¡¯ll get her to look for you.¡±


    ¡°In the evening¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo hesitated and turned to look at her, then at the path.


    In the end, she decided to go there to check things out. Apart from being eager to tell Zhao Yuyan the news, curiosity was also part of the reason.


    According to Yu Ling, Zhao Yuyan would always bring a shovel to the back of the mountain. She would stay there for half a day each time and would not return until the skies turned dark. What was she doing there?


    Although curiosity kills the cat, there is no lack of curiosity among humans.


    Xiaoguo stepped onto the small path that led to the back of the mountains. For some reason, the more she walked, the more she felt that something was wrong. It was daytime, but she could feel fog surrounding her.


    Unable to take it anymore, Xiaoguo stopped and took a deep breath. After a while, she walked in with a calm expression.


    Putting aside her psychological fears, the surrounding environment was actually pretty nice.


    Xiaoguo let go of the burden in her heart and walked much more briskly. However, she wasn¡¯t prepared to keep walking. If she still couldn¡¯t find Zhao Yuyan after a while, she would make her way back.


    Eventually, her hard work paid off. Xiaoguo walked and took breaks along the way. Not long after, she heard muffled sounds coming from a short distance ahead.


    Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and carefully identified the source of the sound. Then, she locked onto a spot. There was a small path that had been etched into the dense grassland. The flowers and grass around it were dense and lush. Only the small path that had been trampled out looked out of place.


    Xiaoguo walked along the path for a few meters before stopping. There was a slope by her feet, and below it was an empty plot of land. Looking further, she could see bulging mounds of soil. It was pretty obvious what they were.


    Zhao Yuyan, whom she was looking for, was looking weak while standing on the empty ground. Surrounded by dried flowers, grass, and branches, she was digging with a shovel. Beside her feet was a pit measuring about two-meter-long and one-meter-wide.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    An idea came to Xiaoguo¡¯s mind and she felt a lump in her throat.


    Zhao Yuyan¡¯s hand paused, and the shovel stopped in the soil. She was about to look up at the person who had spoken, but at that moment, she felt a cough rising from her throat. Ignoring everything else, she covered her mouth and started coughing dryly. Her face immediately turned pale by several shades.


    Xiaoguo had good eyesight. She saw the blood at the corner of the woman¡¯s mouth at a glance. Without thinking, she wanted to walk down the slope. However, when the other party saw her movements, she immediately waved her hand vigorously, signaling her not to come down. In her anxiety, she started coughing again.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly stood still and waited for her to walk up.


    Zhao Yuyan held the shovel and struggled to climb the slope. Along the way, she saw Xiaoguo¡¯s outstretched hand and avoided it without thinking. Not that she disliked Xiaoguo, but¡­ she was simply too dirty at the moment.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t care what she thought. Seeing that she was dodging, she just grabbed her without thinking. She held onto her arm and pulled her up.


    Zhao Yuyan retracted her gaze in surprise and explained dryly, ¡°I¡¯m covered in dirt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t care about the soil and weeds on her body. She had done similar work before. When she was working in the fields at home, she was much dirtier than Yu Ling was in her current state.


    Hearing her words, Xiaoguo suddenly felt a strong sense of sadness. She could empathize with her. The woman in front of her had led a sheltered life since she was born. After she got married, she became a noble lady. She had not done any chores for decades, but now¡­


    Hearing her words, Zhao Yuyan lowered her head again and muttered to herself, ¡°Am I not dirty¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here¡­¡±


    Halfway through her question, Xiaoguo suddenly stopped.


    ¡°This is a nice place. There are flowers, greenery, and it also offers a good view of the sea and sky. I don¡¯t like crowds.¡± Zhao Yuyan¡¯s eyes were calm, but she forced a smile. ¡°This is the place.¡±


    Xiaoguo opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Facing a woman who was about the same age as her mother and who was also a mother like her, Xiaoguo felt powerlessness and injustice for the first time in her life.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Her throat had gone dry. Xiaoguo cleared her throat and continued,¡± I can bring your daughter out of this place.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this. Her voice trembled as she said, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to smile to show that there was no need to thank her, but the corners of her mouth were frozen¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡±


    After an unknown period of time, Xiaoguo heard her own dry voice. The woman opposite her seemed completely relieved. There was a hint of strength in her voice. It sounded like¡­


    ¡°This is not a good place. You¡¯d better leave quickly.¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Yuyan continued digging.


    Xiaoguo panicked and subconsciously took her hand. ¡°Go back and talk to Yu Ling. She will definitely miss you if she has to leave you.¡±


    There was an imperceptible shakiness in her voice.


    ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±


    Zhao Yuyan nodded in a daze. It was time to talk things out with her daughter. Then, she picked up the shovel and started walking back.


    Xiaoguo followed closely behind her, trying her best to focus on the figure in front of her. She did not dare to be distracted or turn back to look.


    It looked like she was keen to get out of that place as soon as possible. The pit where fresh soil was scattered over the old soil, and the countless overlapping graves without tombstones¡­


    Just now, she suddenly had a premonition that if she left this place by herself, Zhao Yuyan would never make it out of this place anymore.


    Everyone needs a glimmer of hope to live on, even if the deadline was a day, a quarter of an hour, or even a second¡­

 Chapter 360 - 360 Live Well

    360 Live Well


    When the two of them got out of the mountains, they immediately saw Yu Ling squatting at the end of the path. She was holding a stalk of foxtail grass and drawing something on the ground in boredom.


    Upon seeing her, Zhao Yuyan¡¯s eyes flashed with reluctance. But there was more relief in her look than anything else.


    ¡°It is good that Yu Ling could get out and be free. It is good that she didn¡¯t have to bear the burden of being the daughter of a criminal. It is good that she didn¡¯t have to stay by her mother¡¯s side. It is good that she was alive and well.¡±


    Hearing their movements, Yu Ling looked up and quickly threw down the foxtail grass. She ran over and shouted, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    As she ran, her bangs bounced along with each step. She looked extremely cute.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Zhao Yuyan opened her mouth silently and looked at Yu Ling greedily, as if she was trying to remember her appearance.


    Xiaoguo stood at the side and felt a lump in her throat again. Then, without disturbing anyone or saying a word, she left in the other direction.


    Yu Ling ran over and saw her leaving. She asked curiously, ¡°Mother, why did Madam leave?¡±


    Zhao Yuyan did not answer her. She just touched her face and body and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    When Yu Ling heard her mother¡¯s gentle tone, she was instantly stunned. It sounded so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. This feeling made her feel like she had returned to a few years ago. At that time, her mother was always gentle. She always had a smile on her face and would always stroke her with affection. Whenever she was sad, her mother would comfort her patiently.


    Her mother¡­ was finally back!


    After Yu Ling came back to her senses, she smiled sweetly with tears in her eyes and nodded firmly. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    In the dead of the night, all was quiet and still. Yu Ling, who had just finished her work, dragged her tired body anxiously towards her residence. She was filled with joy as she thought about her mother, who was waiting for her.


    Earlier on, her mother had told her to come back as soon as she was done with her work. She said that she had a gift for her.


    From afar, she saw the house that was lit with a warm glow. Yu Ling was delighted and quickened her pace home.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Yu Ling pushed open the door and called out to Zhao Yuyan happily. Because of her excitement, her voice was higher than usual. If this were any other time, her mother would definitely not allow it.


    But today, Zhao Yuyan was exceptionally gentle and tolerant towards Yu Ling. It made Yu Ling feel like she had returned to the past, which was just a couple of years ago.


    At that time, life was hard. They could barely afford to have three meals a day. They ate in the wind and slept in the open. Every day, they were chained up and made to walk for dozens of miles. However, with her mother by her side, she never felt that life was hard. Instead, after she arrived here, although she had food, water, and shelter, her mother suddenly stopped kissing her. That made her feel worse than having to swallow nails.


    Zhao Yuyan turned around and looked at Yu Ling. She reached out and beckoned to her a few times. ¡°Come, come here.¡±


    Although Yu Ling was a sensible child, she was still young. Although she felt that her mother¡¯s change was a little strange, she did not think too much about it. She thought that her mother was being so gentle towards her because of her recent good behavior.


    Yu Ling sat obediently at Zhao Yuyan¡¯s feet, her eyes filled with love and admiration.


    Zhao Yuyan stroked her child reluctantly. The injustice in her heart was almost erupting into the sky. Even when her family was being destroyed, she did not feel it this strongly.


    Looking at the child who had unknowingly become a grown girl, she was both happy and sad. Why didn¡¯t the heavens give her a few more years to live? She only had to guard Yuling until she reached adulthood. Even such a small wish couldn¡¯t be fulfilled in the end¡­


    ¡°Yuling, from now on, you have to live well and do your job responsibly. You must learn to make judgments on your own and be tactful with your words. The human heart is unpredictable so be careful with what you say. Don¡¯t trust the other party just because they look like good people. You don¡¯t judge a person by his appearance. You look at his heart. And in the future¡­¡±


    At this point, Zhao Yuyan choked up. She suppressed the blood in her throat and continued, ¡°Live well in the future. Keep your eyes open. You don¡¯t have to be rich in the future. I only wish for you to lead a peaceful life. Do you understand?¡±


    Yu Ling did not answer. She felt inexplicably sad. An indescribable sense of sadness made it difficult for her to speak. She felt like she would lose her mother if she nodded.


    Zhao Yuyan didn¡¯t care if the girl nodded or not. She continued speaking, ¡°I made this bag of clothes a long time ago. Although these are not quality fabrics, they are the best fabrics that I can afford right now. Don¡¯t mind them. Also¡­¡±


    Yu Ling took the bag with trembling hands. Looking at her mother who kept talking, tears flowed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes.


    Yu Ling felt like her mother was saying her last words. This conjecture made her feel uneasy. She pleaded, ¡°Mother, can you stop?¡±


    Zhao Yuyan shook her head gently and continued talking in a low voice. From conducting oneself to handling things in life, and all other matters after she reached adulthood, Zhao Yuyan explained everything in detail, afraid that she would miss out on something.


    These were all the things that she could think of that had not happened or could happen in the future. She used her failed life experience as a negative example. She was afraid that Yu Ling would follow in her old path. In the future, her child would have no mother. The girl would have to etch out her own path in the future.


    Zhao Yuyan seemed to have endless things to say. No matter how much Yu Ling cried and threw a tantrum, it did not affect her at all. She was feeling uneasy and felt that whatever she said was not enough. After all, no one could predict the future. There would still be regrets no matter how prepared one was.


    At dawn, Zhao Yuyan finally stopped moving her dry lips. A wave of fatigue suddenly washed over her.


    ¡°Yuling, I¡¯m a little tired. I want to rest for a while¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother? Mother! Mother!¡±


    Yu Ling panicked and pounced over. When she heard the faint sound of breathing, her heart calmed down. She knelt on the ground and trembled uncontrollably.


    For some reason, at that moment, she suddenly thought that her mother had passed away.


    Before she could think about how this feeling came to her, from the corners of her eyes, she saw the bag that had slipped from her hands earlier. She took a quick glance at her mother, who was sleeping. Then, she got up and picked up the bag from the ground. When she opened it, she saw that it was filled with brand new colorful dresses. They were all neatly folded in a stack.


    Yu Ling felt a lump in her throat. She wiped the sweat off her palms and carefully picked up one dress. She unfolded it and placed it against her body. When she realized that the size was about right, she carefully put it back. She had never dared to imagine herself in a colorful dress before this.


    For as long as she could remember, her mother had never allowed her to wear brightly colored clothes, let alone dresses. She had always been asked to wear oversized and ill-fitting clothes. The styles and colors of her clothes were all mannish-looking. If the legs of the pants were too long, they would be rolled up a few times. She had been wearing all these clothes until now.


    When Yu Ling was younger, she was beaten up by her mother after she curiously tried on a dress that some other people had thrown out. After beating her, her mother hugged her and cried remorsefully. However, she was still told to never wear a dress.


    At that time, she didn¡¯t understand her mother¡¯s intentions. Later on, when she was a little older and had seen more things, she completely understood her mother¡¯s good intentions.


    She remembered the time when she was ten years old, a young lady who was on good terms with her, was suddenly dragged away by seven or eight people in military uniforms.


    When she saw her again, the girl had been thrown into the livestock shed. Her body was covered in blood and injuries. Some of the blood had congealed, and some of her wounds were still bleeding. Her once beautiful dress was now draped over her body in a mess. Her exposed skin was covered in crisscrossing scars and bruises.


    Everyone avoided her, except for Yu Ling. She walked over and gave her a sip of water. At that time, a drop of blood and tears flowed down the girl¡¯s mangled face. She used all her strength to say a few words before she stopped breathing completely.


    Even now, Yu Ling has not forgotten those words. ¡°Never wear a dress.¡±


    The young lady at that time should be about 13 years old¡­

 Chapter 361 - 361 The Cause

    361 The Cause


    Snapping out of her reverie, Yu Ling carried an empty basin out and quickly brought in a basin of warm water. She came to the bed and wrung out a wet handkerchief before carefully wiping the sweat off her mother¡¯s forehead.


    Then, she put down the towel and sat quietly by the bed to look at her. The more she looked at her, the more her heart ached. It had been a long time since she had looked at her mother directly. She didn¡¯t even know when dark circles and wrinkles had appeared on her face, and when she had started to look so sickly.


    Yu Ling had always known that her mother loved her very much, but she didn¡¯t know why she suddenly became so strict with her.


    Thinking back carefully, all these changes seemed to have happened three months after they arrived on this island.


    ¡ª-


    It was another brand new day. Yu Ling was busy working and had not seen her mother for the entire day. A group of esteemed guests had arrived on the island. While serving them, she was rewarded with an apple.


    This was the first time Yu Ling had seen a fruit. Oh, no, it wasn¡¯t the first time she had seen it. She had seen other people eating it but she didn¡¯t get a chance to touch the fruit. When she saw other people eating apples, she could only envy them and secretly swallow her saliva while imagining the taste.


    After receiving the reward, Yu Ling happily hid the apple. Then, she looked around for her mother, hoping to share it with her.


    But at this moment, a girl who was not much older than her appeared. Behind her were two girls of the same age. They stopped Yu Ling arrogantly.


    When Yu Ling saw them, the hand holding the apple, which was wrapped in her arms, started trembling subconsciously. She took a step back warily. It was them again!


    She didn¡¯t know when it started, but the three of them had been targeting her and making things difficult for her. From time to time, they would come around to make things difficult for her. Whenever they bumped into her, they would mock her. Sometimes, they would even throw stones or mud at her.


    Yu Ling frowned and asked nervously, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, dirty girl, shouldn¡¯t you be working now? Are you slacking off?!¡±


    The young lady who was leading the group, looked at Yu Ling in disdain. This girl looked dirty all year round. Her clothes were always dirty and androgynous-looking. How annoying. Just looking at her made one feel like hitting her.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Yu Ling subconsciously wanted to retort, but she remembered what her mother had said. She swallowed her words, deciding to leave and ignore the girls.


    However, when the leader of the group saw her like this, she felt that she was an easy target. Coincidentally, she had nothing to do now, so her interest was piqued and she was prepared to teach Yu Ling a lesson.


    The three children, who were slightly older than Yu Ling, maliciously teased her until she was covered in mud and footprints.


    Even so, Yu Ling¡¯s hands were still tightly wrapped in her arms. Even though she had been pushed to the ground with mud thrown at her, she showed no signs of unwrapping her arms. Instead, she tightened her grip.


    The leader of the group saw her trying to conceal her hands within her arms. Her shrewd eyes darted around and she guessed that Yu Ling must be hiding something precious. She gave the other two girls a look.


    The other two understood and stepped forward tacitly. Each of them grabbed one of Yu Ling¡¯s arms and restrained her in a surrendering posture.


    The young lady in the lead slowly walked forward and sized her up. She didn¡¯t seem to take the other party¡¯s vigilant gaze seriously. In the end, her gaze locked onto the bulge in Yu Ling¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Aye, what¡¯s this?¡±


    The girl taking the lead smiled and reached at the bulge.


    Yu Ling was extremely anxious. If she saw what she was hiding, she wouldn¡¯t even get to keep the apple skin. No! No! She still had to keep it for her mother!


    Just as the girl was about to touch her clothes, Yu Ling used all her strength to break free and pushed the leader of the group down to the ground.


    After the two lackeys recovered from their shock, they forgot about teaching Yu Ling a lesson. Instead, they hurriedly went to help their leader up.


    Yu Ling¡¯s sudden bout of courage had completely disappeared. Instead, she looked very apologetic now, as if she was sorry for pushing the girl down. She had forgotten about how the girls had bullied her earlier on.


    However, she was still happy to feel the apple in her arms. Before the three of them could react, Yu Ling immediately ran in the opposite direction. By the time the three of them realized what had happened, Yu Ling was long gone.


    There was nothing the girls could do. Yu Ling had already run away, leaving only a cloud of dust behind her. The three of them were so angry that they started cursing. Judging from the words that came out of their mouths and the vicious looks on their faces, they did not look like children in their teens at all.


    Behind a big tree not far away, the pale Zhao Yuyan loosened her clenched fists. She looked at Yu Ling¡¯s running back view and her heart ached for her daughter. Shortly after, she left too.


    Yu Ling managed to get away from the girls and returned to her residence. She waited excitedly for her mother to come back. From time to time, she would look out anxiously to see if she was there.


    While waiting, she even took the time to clean herself up. She was afraid that her appearance would make her mother worry.


    Then, she held onto the apple that had just been washed and waited quietly. Even though she was dying to taste the apple, she had to wait for her mother to come back and eat with her.


    Not long after, Zhao Yuyan returned.


    As soon as Yu Ling saw her mother appear, she immediately took out the intact apple in her arms. ¡°Mother, this is for you!¡±


    Zhao Yuyan¡¯s face was pale as she looked at the small hands that were stretched out towards her. She wasn¡¯t paying attention to the apple. Instead, she was focusing on those rough little hands. Those hands should have been soft and fair, but they were now rough from years of manual work. As a mother, how could she bear to accept this?


    Yu Ling was supposed to be the daughter of an official, but now, she was suffering along with her. At such a young age, she had to work non-stop. She should be living a luxurious life, but here she is, putting up with such bullying just to protect an apple.


    It was only an apple. The apple that she despised the most in the past had now become a delicacy that Yu Ling could only dream of¡­


    At the thought of this, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.


    At this moment, tears that had been accumulating for the past ten years streamed down Zhao Yuyan¡¯s face.


    Resentment, anger, sadness, helplessness, and powerlessness were all mixed together, pushing her to her limits.


    Yu Ling seemed to be in a daze. Her hands, which were holding the apple, were trembling. Zhao Yuyan slowly squatted down and hugged her tightly. Her grip was so strong that it seemed like she was going to break the girl in half.


    However, the sensible Yu Ling did not struggle. She could feel the uneasiness coming from her mother and knew that she was not feeling well. Therefore, she endured the discomfort at her waist while holding the apple tightly in her hands. She would wait for her mother to calm down before giving it to her.


    Her free little hands patted her mother¡¯s back from time to time. The little Yu Ling was using her wee bit of strength to comfort her mother.


    That night, Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan shared the apple that was preserved by Yu Ling¡¯s bravery.


    Zhao Yuyan felt that the apple was the sweetest, most delicious, and most unforgettable apple she had ever eaten in her life or even her next life. At the same time, she eventually made up her mind.


    After that day, Zhao Yuyan seemed to have become a different person. The gentle smile on her face disappeared and she became extremely strict with Yu Ling.


    In the past, she had always taught the girl to endure when she encountered trouble. Her advice to her was to take a step back and give in to others. But now, it has changed. The mantra was, if no one provoked her, she would not offend them. If anyone provoked her, she must definitely fight back.


    She shared with her everything, from how she should conduct herself to how she should get along with people.


    She was a complete doting mother in the past, but now she had become the strictest mother to Yu Ling.


    Yu Ling could not accept her sudden coldness.


    Zhao Yuyan could see the girl¡¯s tears and fears, but she had to be ruthless.


    If she were in good health, she would definitely not treat Yu Ling like this. But she knew that she was not going to live long, how was Yu Ling going to survive on her own?

 Chapter 362 - 362 Thank You

    362 Thank You


    If she was still around, she could still try to protect her. If she was not around, what would happen to her innocent and kind Yu Ling, her cute and flawless Yu Ling, and her Yu Ling whom she could not stop worrying about¡­


    Not only did Zhao Yuyan change, even Yu Ling became a different person.


    From being lively and cheerful in the past, she suddenly became quiet.


    No one knew if it was a good or bad thing.


    All of this changed after Yu Ling met Xiaoguo.


    Yu Ling, who had always been cautious, chose to blindly trust Xiaoguo time and time again. She even praised Xiaoguo in front of Zhao Yuyan more than once. This piqued the latter¡¯s interest in this woman whom she had never met before, and a bold idea came to her.


    It would be great if Yu Ling could leave this place. If she could follow a good person, she would feel at ease even if she suddenly passed away.


    However, before carrying out this crazy plan, she had to first find out the character of the lady that Yu Ling had mentioned. Hence, she chose the most direct way, which is to follow her.


    After observing for a few days, she realized that the other party was very sensitive. Whenever her gaze was targeted at her, the other party would immediately sense it. Several times, she felt that the other party had found out she was tailing her.


    Later on, she found out her identity and became even more determined. The lady had a powerful status and a good character. She was really the best candidate.


    Yu Ling¡¯s judgment was right. Xiaoguo was indeed very kind. Although her idea would seem ridiculous in the eyes of servants like them, it was as easy as pie for Xiaoguo and her husband.


    If Yu Ling were to follow them, she would have no worries at all.


    Now that her wish had been fulfilled, Zhao Yuyan felt that it was about time for her to go. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Ever since she fell ill, every day that passed by was draining for her. She had never felt so comfortable like the way she felt today.


    In the darkness, she felt her body slowly become lighter. Zhao Yuyan breathed quietly as she faced death without fear.


    ¡°I must be dead. Otherwise, why does my usually cold body feel so warm now?¡±


    Zhao Yuyan felt that her body was getting stronger and stronger. She didn¡¯t feel like she was dying at all. Instead, she looked more like she had returned to life.


    The thought startled her and she slowly opened her eyes.


    Yu Ling was taking a nap with her eyes closed in exhaustion. She had one hand resting on the bed and was holding Zhao Yuyan¡¯s hand with the other. She sensed her mother¡¯s movements immediately.


    ¡°Mother? You¡¯re awake.¡±


    Yu Ling quickly stood up and poured a glass of warm water. She helped Zhao Yuyan up and brought the glass to her mouth. ¡°Have some water.¡±


    Zhao Yuyan¡¯s throat was so dry that it felt like it was on fire. Countless questions flashed through her mind, such as what had happened and why she was still alive.


    But at this moment, she could only suppress her doubts for the time being and drink the warm water to moisten her throat.


    When Yu Ling saw that she had finished drinking, she put down the glass and thoughtfully stuffed a pillow behind Zhao Yuyan¡¯s back so that she could half sit up.


    ¡°Madam cooked the dishes herself. It¡¯s on the table. I¡¯ll bring it over.¡±


    With that, Yu Ling turned around and walked away. Behind her, Zhao Yuyan opened her mouth, but then she closed it again helplessly. Her throat was so dry that even uttering a word was painful. Therefore, opening her mouth was quite impossible.


    Actually, she wanted to tell Yu Ling that there was no need to bring her the food. It was too wasteful. There was no need to waste food on a person who was about to die.


    The air was filled with the strong fragrance of medicinal herbs and freshly cooked rice. Zhao Yuyan, who had just eaten, felt much more energetic now.


    She thought to herself, ¡°Even if it was terminal lucidity, it can¡¯t be this powerful.¡±


    Zhao Yuyan, who thought that she had reached the end of her life, had just finished her lunch and the medicinal soup. After which, she fell asleep again. She was still alive even after dinner in the evening.


    This really surprised her. Earlier on, she was ready to face death with open arms, but now, she was getting pacinky. Was she still going to die or not?


    Yu Ling was unaware of Zhao Yuyan¡¯s thoughts. At this moment, she was on her way to look for Xiaoguo. The purpose of her going there was to thank Xiaoguo personally.


    In the earlier part of the day at dawn, she realized that her mother¡¯s body temperature was very low and cold. There was sweat on her forehead and her face was pale. She got so frightened and panicky that she immediately ran to look for their steward. But he did not care at all. He told her to bury her mother if she stopped breathing. After saying that, he went back to his room to catch up on his sleep.


    Yu Ling had no choice but to ask Xiaoguo for help.


    Unexpectedly, after hearing her words, the other party agreed without hesitation. She even helped her find a doctor to brew some chinese medicine.


    The steward who was in-charge of them was not a kind person, so he definitely would not leave food for them. Just as Yu Ling was fretting over lunch, Xiaoguo entered the house with a tray. It turned out that she was worried about the two of them having nothing to eat, so she personally cooked for them.


    Before leaving, she told Yu Ling to look for her anytime if she needed help. After seeing Yu Ling nod in agreement, Xiaoguo left in satisfaction.


    As Yu Ling was in a hurry to get to Xiaoguo¡¯s place, she couldn¡¯t stop panting along the way. As she got closer to her residence, the gratitude in her eyes became more and more dazzling.


    She shouldn¡¯t have come so late to disturb her, but she really wanted to thank her in person. She was kept busy watching over her mother during the day and didn¡¯t have time to visit Xiaoguo. Therefore, when night fell and after her mother had fallen asleep, she went out to visit Xiaoguo despite feeling exhausted.


    Xiaoguo came out of the house with a candle in her hand. She immediately spotted Yu Ling, who was sweating profusely. Her heart skipped a beat. It was late at night and all was quiet outside. Did something happen to Zhao Yuyan?


    ¡°Is there anything wrong, Yu Ling? Is your mother¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Yu Ling shook her head anxiously and explained, ¡°My mother is fine. She¡¯s fallen asleep.¡±


    Xiaoguo exhaled and nodded. She was so worried that she broke out in a cold sweat. When she saw Yu Ling¡¯s anxious expression, she thought that something serious had happened.


    She knew that the thousand-year-old ginseng should be quite effective.


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned for a moment before responding with a smile, ¡°Did you come so late to thank me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Yu Ling smiled and nodded. Then, she thought of something and lowered her head in inferiority. ¡°I have nothing to give you¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°From now on, if you ask me to go east, I will not go west. My mother and I will never forget your kindness in saving our lives. If you need me in the future, I will definitely do everything I can to help you!¡±


    Yu Ling was clearly still a child, and her voice was so tender. But for some inexplicable reason, Xiaoguo felt that Yu Ling was not joking. She was only doing her a small favor, but the girl had made such a firm vow.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes darkened. How could she nod? She could only force a smile and didn¡¯t nod or respond.


    She did not save Zhao Yuyan¡¯s life at all. The ginseng was just keeping Zhao Yuyan alive so that she could hold on for a while longer. She was already at the terminal stage of her illness. Zhao Yuyan would never be able to recover completely.


    Seeing Xiaoguo like this, Yu Ling thought that she didn¡¯t believe her. Hence, she swore to herself that she would grow up to be a capable person to repay Madam¡¯s kindness.


    After rejecting Xiaoguo¡¯s offer to send her back, Yu Ling walked into the darkness alone. Along the way, she would turn around and wave at Xiaoguo from time to time. She only stopped when she was completely out of sight.


    Under the moonlight, Yu Ling started running. Although her forehead was covered in sweat, she did not slow down because she still had to go back and accompany her mother.


    Xiaoguo leaned against the door frame and looked quietly at Yu Ling¡¯s lonely but strong back. She couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Zhao Yuyan, your daughter is much more tenacious than you think.¡±


    ¡°If you continue laughing, your snot will flow.¡±

 Chapter 363 - 363 Sweet Feast

    363 Sweet Feast


    At this moment, a teasing voice sounded beside her ear.


    Startled, Xiaoguo turned to look at Jiang Danhe and asked curiously, ¡°Why are you out here?¡±


    ¡°I was worried that my dear Madam would be cold, so I am here to bring you some warmth.¡± Jiang Danhe gestured at the shawl in his hand. After putting it on her, he smiled and said, ¡°You can sleep soundly now.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯ll be able to do that after tomorrow.¡±


    After leaving behind an inexplicable sentence, Xiaoguo strode back, leaving Jiang Danhe feeling confused standing there by himself.


    After catching up with her, he asked curiously, ¡°Why tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and waved her hand before entering the house.


    After a while, Jiang Danhe sighed and shook his head dotingly. His heart had melted again.


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, Xiaoguo pestered Jiang Danhe for a long time. Then, she came out of the house and continued to ask worriedly, ¡°Have you memorized it?¡±


    ¡°Yes I have¡­¡±


    ¡°Repeat what I have said.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You really didn¡¯t remember it!¡±


    Xiaoguo had expected Jiang Danhe to forget her words, so she was prepared to repeat herself.


    ¡°I can remember it. I just need to sort it out.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked helplessly at her distrustful gaze. He then began to recite her words from beginning to end.


    ¡°If there are any big prawns, catch a few more of them. Bring back one sole fish. If there is any kelp, it would be good to get some. If not, forget it. You can also get some of your favorites. But make sure that they are kept fresh. Send them to the kitchen right after you catch them.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and looked at him in admiration. ¡°Not bad. Go on, then.¡±


    Jiang Danhe carried the two wooden buckets and slowly walked towards the beach.


    Xiaoguo tried to hold it in, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was so frightened by her words that his body immediately tensed up. He immediately sped up and sprinted towards the sea.


    Xiaoguo smiled and walked in the opposite direction to go to the kitchen.


    The kitchen staff were fishing at sea. However, based on their usual speed, the fresh seafood would be half-dead by the time they made their way back.


    That was the reason why she sent Jiang Danhe to pick up seafood from the staff and then send them to her as soon as possible.


    She was doing all these because it was an important day today.


    This morning, she was going to prepare a feast for Shao Zhan. Apart from agreeing to his request, she was also planning to ask him for a favor.


    The success or failure of that matter rested on this meal, so Xiaoguo was taking it very seriously.


    The cause of the matter was like this. Yesterday, when she got a physician to check on Zhao Yuyan, she found out that the only thing that could revive the woman was a thousand-year-old ginseng.


    It was not just any ordinary wild ginseng. Where could Xiaoguo find one?


    Fortunately, Jiang Danhe found out the cause of the matter. He also knew the person who had access to the ginseng. Therefore, he made himself ask Shao Zhan for some thousand-year-old ginseng¡­.roots.


    Although he only managed to get some loose ginseng roots, they were just as effective for saving lives.


    Moreover, these roots were at least a thousand years old. That piece of ginseng had grown into a human form and looked almost life-like.


    The loose ginseng roots were now in their hands, but Shao Zhan asked for a meal made by Xiaoguo in return.


    Even a fool would know that Shao Zhan was deliberately going easy on them. Xiaoguo also accepted his favor gratefully.


    In order to show her sincerity, she was planning to make a lot of dishes. All of them were customized to Shao Zhan¡¯s liking. There were many occasions when he joined them for their meals, so due to her occupational habit, Xiaoguo did manage to observe his likes and dislikes.


    According to his usual preferences, Shao Zhan loved sweet things. As long as he came across something sweet, he would eat more.


    There were a few times when Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe had attended a few banquets organized by the emperor. At that time, it was a public event. As the ruler of a country, Shao Zhan had to hide his preferences in case anyone made use of that information to harm him. Shao Zhan had known this since he was young.


    Therefore, Xiaoguo decided to prepare a sweet feast to satisfy his sweet cravings.


    Although it was difficult to imagine that Shao Zhan had a sweet tooth, him being in that high position for so long, it was inevitable that he needed something to help relieve his pressure. Sweets were well-known as a stress relief treasure.


    When Xiaoguo arrived at the kitchen, the servants were all busy with breakfast. When they saw her appear, they couldn¡¯t help but speed up their work. They all wanted to finish their work quickly so that they could learn from her.


    During this period, it was all thanks to Xiaoguo that they had learnt so much. The dishes they made were no longer dull and tasteless. They had also won unanimous praise for their cooking. Fortunately, due to the improvements, there was less wastage in the kitchen. There were even some occasions where they ran out of food.


    The managers were pleased when the servants cooked well. As a result, they would be rewarded with more fabrics at the end of each month.


    The servants here were paid monthly, but their payment was not in silver. Instead, they were given fabrics and daily necessities as remuneration for their work.


    This was because they had no need for money on the island. What was more useful than money were daily necessities and fabrics.


    If they did well in their jobs, they would receive more fabric. Otherwise they could also exchange the fabrics for other things. Based on their needs, they could exchange fabrics for powder, soap, lip tint, and so on.


    While Xiaoguo was getting busy, some people had already finished cleaning up and were gathering around her. Although they were all eager to learn, no one dared to get too close. They left a lot of empty space for her to move around.


    There was a story behind this.


    This had happened once before. It was unknown who had started it, but after one person came round to watch her cook, more and more people started gathering around her. Very soon, Xiaoguo was surrounded by a large group of people.


    It got so crowded that it seriously interfered with her cooking. There were even a few times when the crowd tugged at her or bumped into her. She almost chopped off her fingers because of that.


    Xiaoguo had reached her breaking point, so she went all out and gave them a taste of her knife skills.


    In an instant, the crowd around her dispersed. The chaotic environment instantly became terrifyingly quiet. They all stood far away from her and did not dare to get too close again.


    The few people who were standing nearest to her were now furthest away from her. At that moment, they were still terrified by what they witnessed earlier.


    The polished chopper had flown past their hands. They could feel the blade slide across the hair on their skin. Fortunately, they had dodged in time. Otherwise, they would have lost a few fingers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind sharing my cooking skills. It¡¯s fine if you want to watch me cook. However, if you go overboard and don¡¯t watch the boundaries, I will have to enforce certain measures.¡±


    Not long after, Jiang Danhe returned with fresh seafood.


    ¡°There are a lot of prawns. There was only one Long Li fish, so I brought it back. It is not that fresh since it was caught before dawn. There wasn¡¯t any kelp, and there weren¡¯t many other species. I didn¡¯t take those and just left them for the servants.¡±


    Jiang Danhe finished explaining the mission summary in one breath and received a ¡®well done¡¯ compliment from the other party. Then, he happily came to her side, getting ready to help her.


    There weren¡¯t many sweet dishes that one could make, and there were definitely limited ingredients here. There wasn¡¯t much she could do, but Xiaoguo tried her best to work within the limitations.


    It was a very challenging task to create infinite possibilities with limited ingredients. Xiaoguo¡¯s long-awaited challenge had presented itself.


    The pineapples in summer had already ripened. Among the fruits that they had received over the past two days, there was one pineapple. It was sweet and came with a hint of sourness. It was a joy to eat.


    Therefore, sweet sour pork with pineapples became a must-have dish on the menu.


    Neck and neck beside it was the dish of sweet and sour tenderloin.


    The fish that Jiang Danhe brought back did not require much deboning. After removing the bones, the fish meat was cut into thick strips. In a while, the fish meat would be wrapped in flour and fried in a pot. Then, she would stir-fry a tomato dipping sauce. That would complete another dish¡ªdeep fried fish strips.

 Chapter 364 - 364 I Agree

    364 I Agree


    The prawns today were very fresh. She took out half of them to make a sweet and sour cold salad.


    The remaining portion was then shelled. Using eggs and flour, Xiaoguo added some salt and mixed a batter. After the prawns were wrapped in batter and fried in oil, they were stir-fried with tomato sauce to be made into tomato prawn balls.


    Another dish not to be missed is the most classic candied sweet potatoes.


    In addition, there were three refreshing vegetarian dishes¡ªsweet corn pancakes, tender tofu stew, and canned fruits.


    There was also bean sprout soup. The sweet lunch feast was now ready.


    All the dishes would go very well with plain rice. Based on her previous experience, Xiaoguo had steamed a huge pot of rice this time. It was definitely enough to fill the emperor¡¯s stomach.


    While the two of them were kept busy in the kitchen. Shao Zhan was not having an easy time either.


    Since the couple was working up a storm in the kitchen, Li Shouji was deployed to another location. And that meant freedom for Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang.


    The two mischievous brats were now left unattended. When the cat¡¯s away, the mice will play. In the end, the principled Zhuang Zhuang succumbed to Xiaoyi, and was dragged along to Shao Zhan¡¯s place.


    Xiaoyi did this for only one reason¡ªhe had heard that they were having lunch over at the emperor¡¯s place. It would be good for them to go early and wait.


    If Shao Zhan knew what the boy was thinking, he probably wouldn¡¯t be feeling so touched and relieved. He had thought that his eldest son had become sensible. Little did he know that the boy was completely an unfilial son.


    Xiaoyi had lived with Shao Zhan during the initial period when they first arrived on the island. Later on, he stayed with Xiaoguo together with Zhuang Zhuang.


    After many days of not seeing each other, the heartless boy didn¡¯t even know to come back and visit his father, leaving the man all by himself and feeling lonely.


    However, he was a man and the ruler of a country. It was not appropriate for him to keep showing up at Xiaoguo¡¯s residence.


    It was also during this period of time that Shao Zhan finally realized how good a boy Zhuang Zhuang was. In addition to his admiration for Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo, he was starting to feel envious of them.


    He wished he could run to the two of them and say loudly, ¡°Your son now belongs to me. You can take this unfilial son of mine!¡±


    Shao Zhan was not exaggerating. For example, as long as there was something good that came out of the kitchen, Zhuang Zhuang would always make sure to bring him some. Although his silly son was also following beside Zhuang Zhuang, he never fails to disappoint him.


    Such incidents kept recurring. For instance, when Zhuang Zhuang was conversing with Shao Zhan like an adult, Xiaoyi would be on the side, urging Zhuang Zhuang to go back quickly. He always said that if they went back late, Li Shouji would finish all the delicious food.


    Shao Zhan¡¯s heart ached when he heard this. He is a living person, but he pales in comparison to a pile of food. It¡¯s really pathetic to even think about it.


    But then again, Xiaoguo¡¯s snacks were indeed delicious.


    When the dishes were done, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were unable to bring everything out themselves. They had to get someone from the kitchen to send the food over to Shao Zhan.


    As soon as Xiaoguo requested help, there was an uproar in the kitchen. Everyone was fighting for the job of delivering the dishes. Everyone was hoping to admire the cooked dishes up close.


    While making their way there, Jiang Danhe could tell that Xiaoguo was feeling uneasy. He could roughly guess what was bothering her.


    ¡°Did you ask Shao Zhan to help Zhao Yuyan?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Xiaoguo looked surprised. Then she asked, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Jiang Danhe gave her a knowing look. He only had three words to answer Xiaoguo¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Xiaoguo was unhappy. What a petty man. To think that he was trying to keep her in suspense. Her curiosity was really killing her. ¡°Tell me, how did you guess?¡±


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe was imitating Xiaoguo¡¯s behavior from last night. He quickly took two steps forward and waved his hands behind him, looking like he was harboring some top secret.


    When they returned to Shao Zhan¡¯s residence and sat down, the food was served.


    Unsurprisingly, Shao Zhan was eating heartily. His appetite was much bigger than usual. Seeing that he could eat so much, Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang became anxious when they saw that he was not any slower than Li Shouji. The three pairs of chopsticks started attacking the food at the same time. Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe could only see flashes of movements dancing in the air. They looked at each other and were glad that Li Shouji was not around. Otherwise, the scene would have been even more lively.


    Just when Xiaoguo was reaching out for a piece of meat, a pair of chopsticks intercepted her and snatched it from below her nose. Being too slow, she only managed to catch a whiff of air. Retracting her hand helplessly, she continued eating the plain rice in her bowl.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe, who had been observing her, picked up a piece of meat for her and gestured for her to continue eating while he helped to add food to her bowl.


    He had long foreseen such a situation. If Li Shouji was also here, it would be even more difficult for him to pick up anything with his chopsticks. At this table, there were a bunch of people eating fervently. The only solution is to fight for the food. If he didn¡¯t help her with the food, Xiaoguo would probably have to eat only plain rice for this meal.


    The dining table was not a good place to hold a discussion, so Xiaoguo waited for the empty plates to be removed before bringing up the matter.


    Ever since she saw Zhao Yuyan digging her own grave that day, the scene remained fresh and vivid in her mind. Every time she thought of it, she would feel extremely depressed.


    She knew that she was not a saint and did not have the ability to save people from their suffering. There were many people who were sad on this island¡ªthere was no way she could help them all.


    But it was hard for her to ignore it. It was fine if she didn¡¯t know. But if she knew and did not help Zhao Yuyan out, she would find it hard to forgive herself.


    Xiaoguo found it difficult to express her request. Shao Zhan had already shown his mercy by letting her leave with Yu Ling. If she wanted to bring Zhao Yuyan along as well, she would be pushing her luck.


    ¡°¡­ After all, Zhao Yuyan is about to die. I really can¡¯t bear to let her die here alone.¡±


    Jiang Danhe had brought Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi back first. Only Xiaoguo and Shao Zhan were left in the house. After she finished speaking, the other party remained expressionless.


    Shao Zhan looked at Xiaoguo in a daze, as if he was thinking of someone.


    After a while, just as Xiaoguo was about to give up, Shao Zhan spoke.


    ¡°I agree to it.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him in surprise. She wanted to ask again to confirm, but she quickly reacted and said, ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡±


    Shao Zhan was the ruler of a country. Whatever he said was the final word. It would be too silly of her to ask if it was true.


    Shao Zhan shook his head and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Shao Zhan nodded. Xiaoguo took a few steps outside and suddenly stopped. She turned around and said, ¡°In a few months, I¡¯ll make you a special milk dessert.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo, who had resolved the worry in her heart, was so excited that she skipped out of the room.


    Shao Zhan was stunned for a moment before he laughed heartily. It seemed that he could no longer hide his love for sweets.


    When his laughter finally stopped, he suddenly thought of something and took out a jade pendant from his bosom. Holding it in his hand like a treasure, he stroked it gently.


    The quality of the jade pendant looked quite mediocre. It did not seem compatible with his status at all. There were some cracks and uneven pits on the entire jade pendant.


    There were no other decorations on the plain-looking jade. There was only one word ¡°Mu¡± carved on it.


    A crisp female voice kept appearing in his head.


    ¡°You want to know my name? Fine! ¡®Without the endearing qualities of a flower, I have let down the wind and nature.¡¯ If you want to know my name, guess carefully. If you get it right, I¡¯ll be your friend!¡¯¡±


    Thinking of that kind and young face that was still preserved in her youth, Shao Zhan could not help but fall back into his memories. His bitter laughter was filled with longing, love, and endless regrets¡­


    So what if he had become the emperor? The dead would never come back to life.


    Just now, he seemed to have seen a reflection of her on Xiaoguo¡¯s face. The two women were so kind. Even the kindness in their eyes looked identical.


    He thought that if she were still alive, she would have made the same request as Xiaoguo. This was also why he had agreed without thinking.

 Chapter 365 - 365 Willpower

    365 Willpower


    Thinking about it this way, he didn¡¯t seem to have forgotten about her over time. Instead, he was missing her more and more.


    The emotions that he deliberately suppressed seemed to have erupted again at this moment because of Xiaoguo. They came so quickly and aggressively that he was completely taken by surprise.


    Then, Shao Zhan used all his strength to put the jade pendant back into his garments, near to his heart. This seemed to be the only way for him to not break down from thinking about her.


    ¨C


    After leaving, Xiaoguo did not go back directly. Instead, she could not wait to find Zhao Yuyan and tell her the good news.


    As soon as she entered the room, she realized that it was empty and the bed was clean. The person who should have been lying on the bed was nowhere to be seen. Even Yu Ling was not around. This puzzled Xiaoguo very much.


    When she came out in confusion, she bumped into Yu Ling, who had just rushed back.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Yu Ling said in surprise.


    Xiaoguo nodded. Seeing how sweaty Yu Ling was, she asked curiously, ¡°Why are you sweating so much?¡±


    ¡°My mother wanted to drink water. Coincidentally, there¡¯s no more water at home. There was some delay along the way. Luckily I gave my mother the apple that you sent to us before I went out. Otherwise, she would have become extremely thirsty by now.¡±


    Yu Ling was chattering away as she carried the kettle into the house.


    Xiaoguo followed behind her, wanting to ask her where Zhao Yuyan had gone. However, she did not have the chance to interrupt. It was only when Yu Ling looked at her anxiously that she had the chance to ask, ¡°You don¡¯t know where your mother went either?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Earlier on, she said that she was thirsty. Had she gone out to look for water because she couldn¡¯t wait any longer? It¡¯s all my fault for coming back so late¡­¡±


    Yu Ling was filled with regret. If only she had known, she would have come back earlier. Why did she try to be a busybody? If she had not tried to fetch water for that old lady, she wouldn¡¯t have wasted so much time.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t agree with Yu Ling¡¯s speculations. It didn¡¯t seem like Zhao Yuyan had gone out to look for water. With this in mind, she asked, ¡°Yuling, see if there¡¯s anything missing from the house.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yu Ling didn¡¯t understand why Xiaoguo was asking her about that, but she still looked around seriously. She was about to shake her head when she suddenly thought of something. She ran outside and saw that the shovel in the corner had disappeared.


    Xiaoguo followed her out. She could tell at a glance where Zhao Yuyan had gone, but she couldn¡¯t tell Yu Ling about it. Hence, she comforted her first before finding an excuse to leave and walk towards the back of the mountain.


    After Yu Ling returned to the house, she got more and more uneasy as she thought about it. When she saw Xiaoguo leave, she couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She wanted to go out and look for her mother. But when she came out, she saw Xiaoguo, who had just made up an excuse to go home. In fact, she was actually secretly heading towards the back of the mountain.


    Yu Ling was not a slow person. Instead, she was very clear-headed. She had always been very suspicious of her mother and Xiaoguo. The two of them seemed to have become very familiar with each other overnight. From their conversations, it always felt like they were hiding some secrets.


    Yu Ling didn¡¯t want to speculate about the two of them, but she still followed Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo was very familiar with the route. She arrived at the same place that she had come just the other day.


    As expected, she heard a woman coughing before she got close.


    Xiaoguo sighed softly and walked over.


    ¡°How can you walk so far and dig so much soil when you¡¯re thirsty?¡±


    Zhao Yuyan, who was immersed in digging, was shocked by the sudden voice. After calming down, she looked at the person.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Hearing her question, Zhao Yuyan guessed that Xiaoguo might have bumped into Yu Ling. She quickly asked, ¡°Did Yu Ling go back?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. Zhao Yuyan quickly picked up the shovel and started walking up. As she walked, she said, ¡°If Yuling can¡¯t see me, she will definitely start getting anxious.


    Xiaoguo pulled her back and said, ¡°If you knew that Yuling would be anxious, why didn¡¯t you lie down and rest?¡±


    ¡°Why should I lie down? In two days¡¯ time, I can lie down as much as I want. While I can still move, I have to dig out the grave. When the time comes, I can just make my way here.¡±


    Zhao Yuyan was superstitious about having no grave after one¡¯s death. She didn¡¯t want to be like the others, who were wrapped up in a straw mat and thrown into a pit after they died.


    Although she couldn¡¯t live with dignity, she wanted to die with dignity.


    Even without the burial clothes and coffin, she had to dig a bigger grave and erect the tombstone. She didn¡¯t want to become a nameless person like everyone else after she died.


    What she liked the most about herself was her name. It was given to her by her father. When she was born, Magistrate Zhao looked at the courtyard happily and wrote an impromptu poem.


    ¡°In the courtyard, fragrant orchids attract a pair of butterflies. In the warm spring, flowers bloom and swallows return.¡±


    Xianglan was her mother¡¯s name. Yuyan was her name. She was born during the warm spring season. The swallows had flown for a long time and returned to this land. Everything seemed to be filled with vitality and prosperity.


    As for the name ¡°Yuyan¡±, it was not only Magistrate Zhao¡¯s hope and blessing for his only daughter. He also wanted her to be like the swifts, working hard to find their destination. No matter what kind of desperate situation they were in, they never gave up easily. She should be tenacious and not bow down to defeat.


    Before she got married, she had always lived like this. She did not let her father down at all. However, after she got married, she had no choice.


    In the end, this little swift could no longer withstand the rain and was about to collapse before she could fly into the warm spring.


    ¡°If you lay here, you won¡¯t be able to see what the outside of the island looks like. You won¡¯t be able to see Yu Ling in the future.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to see Zhao Yuyan looking like she had nothing left to live for. Her initial desire to live had completely disappeared. She was now filled with a deathly aura. Her body, which could have lasted for a few more days, looked like it was about to collapse at any moment.


    When Zhao Yuyan heard her words, she didn¡¯t get it at first. Then, she turned around and looked at Xiaoguo. She got so excited that she became incoherent. ¡°What¡­ what do you mean by that?¡±


    Xiaoguo snickered. ¡°It¡¯s what you think it is.¡±


    ¡°Can I say that I will regain my freedom again?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded silently, agreeing with her guess.


    Zhao Yuyan¡¯s legs instantly went weak. She quickly held on to the shovel and nodded countless times in disbelief at Xiaoguo. Only then did she believe that this was an unrealistic reality that she had never dared to dream about.


    Her sunken eyes were now engorged, and the tears that were welling up looked like they were filled with blood. The veins on her neck and forehead were bulging from excitement. Her dry mouth was unable to utter a single word as well. She could only open and close her mouth to tell Xiaoguo how happy she was.


    It was a terrifying scene, but Xiaoguo could only feel sadness.


    Xiaoguo believed very much that a person¡¯s willpower was limitless.


    A long time ago, she had heard of an old man who had terminal cancer. In order to see his unborn grandson, he relied on his willpower to last for another eight months. When his grandson was born, the old man gave the baby a name before passing on.


    Therefore, she also believed that if she could provoke Zhao Yuyan a little more, she would definitely be able to hold on for some time. At the very least, she would be able to leave the island. If she died after seeing that Yu Ling had settled down, her mental state would definitely be different as compared to now.


    This was the least she could do for this poor woman.


    Xiaoguo told her a lot and painted a rosy scenario for her. For example, if she managed to leave the island, she would be able to see Yu Ling jumping around and enjoying the fresh air outside. She could completely abandon her status as a family member of the convicted and live freely for the rest of her life.


    This series of actions successfully aroused Zhao Yuyan¡¯s desire to live. She couldn¡¯t stop imagining their life after they leave the island.


    Xiaoguo looked at the woman¡¯s look of yearning and heaved a sigh of relief. Seeing how energetic she looked, Xiaoguo felt relieved. At least she didn¡¯t have to worry about Zhao Yuyan dying here alone.

 Chapter 366 - 366 Mother and Daughters Place

    366 Mother and Daughter¡¯s Place


    In order to stimulate her willpower, Xiaoguo said a lot. Unknowingly, she had revealed a lot of information. Yu Ling, who had secretly followed her, looked like she had lost her soul. She was in a daze and subconsciously wanted to step forward and ask for clarifications.


    But reason held her back, telling her not to be so impulsive.


    How was she going to accept the news that her mother was about to pass away?


    At this moment, Yu Ling covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound that would scare the other two persons. Then, she staggered out of the place before anyone else did.


    For some reason, she didn¡¯t want to face this issue directly, nor did she want to break the smile on her mother¡¯s face at this moment. Therefore, before her mind could accept the news, her body had already given her the answer.


    She should have known. She should have known¡­


    Her mother¡¯s abnormal expression, her cough, her pale face, and her increasingly waning figure¡­


    She really should have noticed it earlier.


    Yu Ling slapped herself remorsefully and cried as she did so. As she cried, she continued slapping herself. She only stopped reluctantly when she heard a voice coming from outside.


    Knowing that she was not in the right state of mind to appear in front of her mother at this moment, Yu Ling forced herself to remain calm and sneaked out through the window.


    After Xiaoguo and Zhao Yuyan separated, the latter quietly put down the shovel and entered the house as if nothing had happened. She called out to Yu Ling with a smile, but she couldn¡¯t find the girl. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Yu Ling had gone to get water again.


    After running out, Yu Ling wanted to ask Xiaoguo what was going on, but just as she was about to catch up with her, she suddenly stopped herself.


    Her mother had kept it from her because she didn¡¯t want her to know. Did she have to expose her?


    But what if she heard wrongly?


    At the thought of this, Yu Ling was a little hesitant. She had mixed feelings about whether she should clarify things. In the end, she decided to do so. If the matter had become an irreversible fact, she could not be muddle-headed and keep avoiding it.


    ¡°Madam!¡±


    Yu Ling wiped her tears firmly and ran forward, calling out to Xiaoguo.


    Hearing Yu Ling¡¯s voice, Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and turned around to realize that it was really her. ¡°Yu Ling?¡±


    Yu Ling ran over, panting. The bangs on her head were wet and sticking to her forehead.


    Seeing her like this, Xiaoguo subconsciously thought that she had come out to look for Zhao Yuyan and had gotten anxious because she couldn¡¯t find her. She quickly said, ¡°Your mother has already gone back.¡±


    In order to make things sound better, Xiaoguo even carefully made up an excuse. ¡°I bumped into her on the way just now. It was your supervisor who summoned her to work. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already asked your mother to go back. You should hurry back too.¡±


    When Yu Ling heard this, her eyes started welling with tears again.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yu Ling?¡±


    ¡°Madam, tell me the truth. I know everything.¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she pretended not to understand her words.


    ¡°I followed you to the back of the mountains. I heard everything¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned when she heard that. She tried to recall how much she had said. ¡°You know everything?¡±


    Yu Ling nodded tearfully. ¡°I know, I know everything.¡±


    With that, she burst into tears.


    Xiaoguo patted her helplessly and comforted her. ¡°Yu Ling, your mother is really great. I admire her very much.¡±


    Yu Ling cried and nodded. She sobbed and agreed, ¡°That¡¯s right. My mother is a very great person in my heart!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but I don¡¯t want her to leave me. Why is she leaving me? How nice it will be if she can stay with me forever.¡±


    ¡°Yu Ling, no one in this world can stay by our sides forever. Everyone will reach their end one day. Moreover, death is not really a parting. Forgetting is. As long as your mother is still in your heart, she will always be by your side. It doesn¡¯t matter if you cannot see her in person.¡±


    Yu Ling slowly stopped crying and looked at her with teary eyes. ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Xiaoguo nodded heavily and wiped her tears. She continued, ¡°Your mother is just going to leave a little sooner. She will go to the next world to set up a new home for you.¡±


    ¡°Will I still be her child in my next life?¡±


    ¡°Of course!!¡±


    Death was not a loss of life. It was just a passing of time. The living were passers-by, and the dead were returnees.


    If being born into this world is a definite journey, then death is just setting off for a new one.


    ¡°Therefore, don¡¯t be afraid and don¡¯t be sad. Those who leave this world didn¡¯t leave their deceased relatives and friends. They had only taken on a super cool invisibility power to protect their loved ones.¡±


    When Yu Ling heard this, she stopped feeling conflicted. She wiped the tears off her face and said firmly, ¡°Madam, thank you!¡±


    Xiaoguo rubbed her head and said gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Go back and spend more time with your mother. If the butler asks you to work again, just ignore him. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    ¡°Also, rest well. In a few days, you and your mother will leave this island with me and live a new life outside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Yu Ling smiled and nodded. She waved goodbye and suddenly ran back. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t tell my mother that I know about this. I don¡¯t want her to worry.¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned when she heard that. Then, she smiled and nodded. ¡°Got it. I won¡¯t tell her!¡±


    As she spoke, she made a mouth-sealing gesture.


    When Yu Ling saw this, she blushed and smiled. After reminding her, she ran home in relief. Madam was right. She should cherish the present.


    Xiaoguo was frightened by her reckless running. When she saw that she had run far away safely, she smiled to herself.


    The daughter and mother were indeed carved from the same mold.


    Zhao Yuyan told her not to tell Yu Ling about her illness, and Yu Ling asked her not to tell Zhao Yuyan that she already knew. They were keeping secrets from each other. In fact, their love for each other was deeper than the other.


    ¡ª-


    As the weight in her heart had been lifted, Xiaoguo was feeling exceptionally happy. Although Jiang Danhe was happy for her, he did not forget to remind her.


    Jiang Danhe turned over and lay on his side while looking at Xiaoguo. ¡°Are you very happy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy!¡±


    Xiaoguo put her hands behind her head and smiled so widely that her cheeks were almost reaching her forehead.


    ¡°But someone seemed to have forgotten something.¡±


    ¡°Who are you referring to?¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t really paying attention. Then she realized that he was referring to her. Her interest was piqued. She sat up and asked him, ¡°Me? What did I forget?¡±


    ¡°My dear wife, what are you going to do with Zhao Yuyan and her daughter? Where do you intend to settle them?¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ I naturally have a plan. Do you think I¡¯m hot-blooded and have no regard for the consequences?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know that he was referring to this. It was only a small matter. She had already thought about it. Since Zhao Yuyan had entrusted Yu Ling to her, she will plan for her future.


    Her cows were going to produce milk soon. She was thinking of renting a shop to sell plain milk, milk tea, and milk desserts. It would be hard for her to handle everything alone. If Yu Ling was willing, she could come work with her.


    Zhao Yuyan¡¯s body was in bad shape, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on for long. When the time came, she would help Yu Ling to settle Zhao Yuyan¡¯s funeral.


    A long time ago, she had thought of being a remote boss and leaving the job to Su Changsheng. She would provide the milk and recipes for him and he would manage the rest.


    However, this was a partnership after all. Small conflicts were inevitable. It was better to set up a stall herself. In any case, she had nothing to do. It was better to keep herself busy.


    Moreover, she could still collaborate with Su Changsheng. She didn¡¯t have a big appetite. She could just open a small shop in Yonghai County. Not only could she help Zhuang Zhuang with his studies, she would also have something to keep her preoccupied.


    If Su Changsheng was agreeable, she could still provide him with the recipes and milk so that he could develop his business elsewhere.

 Chapter 367 - 367 I Cant Bear to Part With You Too

    367 I Can¡¯t Bear to Part With You Too


    Seeing how confident she seemed, Jiang Danhe asked curiously, ¡°What are your plans?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded curiously.


    ¡°Do you remember the two cows at home?¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what I said about milk being edible and that it could be made into various sweet snacks?¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded to show that he did.


    Xiaoguo smiled at that. ¡°My plan is¡­¡±


    After Jiang Danhe heard her plan, he nodded in admiration. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Xiaoguo had confidence in her plan. When the time came, it would definitely become a big hit in the entire Shao Nation.


    ¡°You¡¯d better do a good job. I¡¯ll be waiting for you to provide for me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at her with a smile in his eyes. Without thinking, Xiaoguo nodded in agreement and said jokingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I promise to feed you until you¡¯re fair and chubby.¡±


    After saying that, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. If Jiang Danhe became a fair and chubby man, he would definitely be very cute.


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    At the thought of a fair and fat Jiang Danhe looking very serious, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. If that was the case, it would be too cute.


    Jiang Danhe looked helplessly at the woman, who was laughing and tossing around. He said, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to sleep, let¡¯s have a baby girl.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. I¡¯m going to bed. Good night.¡±


    This time, it was Jiang Danhe¡¯s turn to laugh. However, looking at Xiaoguo, who was all covered up, he suddenly said mischievously, ¡°Sigh¡­ what a pity¡­¡±


    ¡ª-


    Unknowingly, they had been staying on the island for more than two months. They had not realized it, but when they did the math, it really shocked them.


    It was almost time to harvest the grains at home, and the vegetables in the courtyard should be mature now.


    Xiaoguo was feeling extremely anxious to leave the island. How she wished that she could get home right after waking up. She had thought that she would return in a month or so. To think that she had stayed here for more than two months.


    After doing the calculations, Xiaoguo¡¯s heart had already flown home. She would probably be busy harvesting the crops once she got back.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Jiang Danhe, who was packing his luggage, stopped Xiaoguo and asked her curiously.


    Without stopping, Xiaoguo said, ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Yu Ling and her mother.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked like he understood. He nodded and continued to pack his clothes.


    The day after tomorrow was their departure date. Everyone on the island was getting busy. As soon as Xiaoguo came out, she bumped into a few groups of people carrying boxes. After carefully avoiding them, she arrived near Yu Ling¡¯s residence.


    The two of them lived in a simple servants¡¯ room. It was surrounded by rows of single rooms. Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan lived in a room at the end of a row.


    The other servants had all gone to work. It was quiet here. Xiaoguo only heard some slight movements when she came to their room¡¯s door.


    Xiaoguo knocked on the simple wooden door. Soon, the sounds in the house disappeared. Instead, she heard footsteps approaching.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Yu Ling was the one who opened the door. She started speaking to Xiaoguo even before the door opened.


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s me?¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled when she heard Yu Ling greeting her, and so she asked her in response.


    ¡°Hehe, because no one else will come here except for you.¡±


    With that, Yu Ling made way for her to enter.


    Xiaoguo smiled and entered the house.


    In the house, Zhao Yuyan was packing her luggage. When she saw Xiaoguo, she stopped what she was doing and greeted Xiaoguo happily, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. She observed her carefully. Her face had regained some color. She didn¡¯t look so sickly anymore, and was looking much healthier instead.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving early the day after tomorrow. How are your preparations?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost done.¡± Zhao Yuyan looked at the bag on the bed cautiously and whispered, ¡°We don¡¯t have much stuff.¡±


    Xiaoguo also noticed the deflated bundle on the bed and she quickly looked away. ¡°Yes, yes. Don¡¯t leave anything behind. You won¡¯t be coming back in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhao Yuyan nodded excitedly.


    At this moment, Yu Ling came over with a glass of water and asked curiously, ¡°Madam, where are we going after we leave this place?¡±


    Xiaoguo took the glass and said, ¡°Let¡¯s disembark at the fishing village first. We¡¯ll stay there for a day before returning to my house. It¡¯s in Peach Blossom Village which is not far away.¡±


    Yu Ling nodded cluelessly. Although she didn¡¯t know the place that Xiaoguo was talking about, she still felt happy!


    Zhao Yuyan looked at her daughter, who was smiling foolishly at the side. Her heart ached for the girl. She had lived with her in prison since she was young. When she got older, she was exiled to the border with her. Every day, Yu Ling only had access to the limited space within the island. Thinking about it, this was the first time Yu Ling was going to see the outside world.


    Xiaoguo had told Zhao Yuyan about where she lived a while ago. When she came to look for her at that time, Xiaoguo thought that she had her eye on Jiang Danhe¡¯s identity. She might have thought that Yu Ling would follow her back to the capital to settle down. Therefore, she told her immediately that she did not live in the capital to avoid misleading her.


    Unexpectedly, Zhao Yuyan was overjoyed when she heard this. It was even better to not go to the capital. She just wanted Yu Ling to live a peaceful life in the same place for the rest of her life. She must not go to the capital, lest she be blinded by the myriad of temptations there.


    Yu Ling didn¡¯t know anything about the fishing village, Peach Blossom Village, and Yonghai County that came out of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth. The longing in her eyes deepened as Xiaoguo spoke.


    After Xiaoguo left, the mother-daughter pair¡¯s excitement did not stop.


    When night fell, the mother and daughter were still lying on the bed, looking forward to the scenery beyond the sea.


    Zhao Yuyan had no answers to the questions that Yu Ling was asking her. It had been a long time since she had led a life in the outside world. While she was excited and happy, she was also a little melancholic and lost.


    Yu Ling was not disappointed when she did not hear her mother¡¯s response. She carried on imagining the outside world on her own.


    ¡ª-


    Soon, it was time to leave.


    The island was bustling with activity again. The last time this place was so lively was when the banquet was held. Before that, it was when Xiaoguo had just arrived on the island with everyone.


    Xiaoguo looked around reluctantly at her surroundings, and also the pavilion that she had visited frequently.


    Jiang Danhe walked over with his bag. Seeing her reluctance, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you here again in the future.¡±


    ¡°Bring Zhuang Zhuang along too.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We will bring Zhuang Zhuang along.¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled helplessly and agreed.


    Xiaoguo smiled and looked outside. ¡°Where¡¯s Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°I wonder where he went with Xiaoyi. He said he would be back soon.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded, thinking disconsolately that the two boys would definitely cry when they had to part upon getting off the ship.


    ¡°By the way, when you get off the ship, will you return to the capital right away?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Danhe nodded, then he raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t bear to part with me?¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she blushed and said angrily, ¡°Says who?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear to part with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo almost suffered internal injuries from his answer. The anger in her chest instantly turned into bashfulness.


    After a while, she mumbled something back.


    Jiang Danhe heard her clearly, but he still teased her deliberately. He suppressed the corners of his mouth that were curling up uncontrollably and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked around sheepishly at the people walking past them. She signaled him with her eyes that he should stop, but he still didn¡¯t seem to hear her.


    Left with no choice, Xiaoguo could only resist her shyness and repeat, ¡°I¡­ you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ you!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Xiaoguo went all out and looked straight at him. Then, she activated her diaphragm and roared, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to part with you either!!!¡±


    This time, Jiang Danhe was not the only one who heard it. The passers-by and the ladies who were standing around all heard her.


    After a moment of silence, there was a flurry of whispers and snickers.


    At this moment, Mrs. Yang had also arrived outside. She had clearly heard Xiaoguo¡¯s roar and said teasingly, ¡°I knew that you can¡¯t bear to part with the general, Madam.¡±


    The lady who had lent her the physician previously also walked out at this moment. When she heard the Prime Minister¡¯s wife¡¯s teasing Xiaoguo, she started teasing her too.

 Chapter 368 - 368 Goodbye, Little Island!

    368 Goodbye, Little Island!


    Those girls who were unmarried covered their faces and chuckled. Their faces were flushed with embarrassment. They were clearly embarrassed by Xiaoguo¡¯s straightforward confession.


    Every time Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe publicly displayed their love, countless ministers would get hurt as a result. Don¡¯t ask why. If you did, you would be despised by the women beside you.


    Xiaoguo blushed and hid behind Jiang Danhe in embarrassment, hiding from the teasing gazes around her.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before they had to board the ship. Everyone gathered together and walked towards the beach. Xiaoguo looked behind and saw that Zhao Yuyan and Yu Ling were also following the group. She was relieved to see that.


    They didn¡¯t come as a big group when they arrived, but when they left, there were many more girls joining them.


    Walking in front of her was the same group of people, but behind her were many new faces, most of whom were young and beautiful girls. Oh, they shouldn¡¯t be called girls anymore. They had most likely become adults after that night.


    She was wondering why she had not seen the ministers for so long. It turned out that they were all fooling around in these girls¡¯ rooms. Looking at the blushing faces of the girls behind her, she knew that they must have been working hard during this period of time.


    Xiaoguo was not interested in those ministers who had spent their time indulging in wine and women. She took a few glances at them before retracting her gaze. Turning to look at the man beside her, she couldn¡¯t help but exclaim to herself. Her man was indeed obedient and pleasing to the eye.


    After some thought, Xiaoguo leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, ¡°If you dare to eat on the sly, I¡¯ll cut it off.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Jiang Danhe really didn¡¯t hear her clearly this time, so he asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Xiaoguo snickered and shook her head.


    Jiang Danhe looked at her strangely. Under normal circumstances, when he didn¡¯t pay attention to what she said, she would nag at him for a long time, but today she was not being her usual self.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was walking between the two of them, looked up at them. He was confused. ¡°Eating on the sly? Cutting what?¡±


    His big eyes were filled with doubt.


    Xiaoguo lowered her head and gave him a nudge. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going,¡± she said softly.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded in confusion before looking straight ahead again.


    The ship had already stopped by the shore. The boarding platform was lowered, waiting for people to board.


    As usual, the men and women were separated. Xiaoguo wanted to carry her luggage herself, but Jiang Danhe wouldn¡¯t let her. Hence, she held Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand with her free hands and walked towards the stern of the ship.


    They were still seated at the same spot as before. Although the view from the bow was the best, the stern has its own plus points.


    After boarding the ship, Xiaoguo looked at the boarding gate. As soon as she saw Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan, she waved her hand, signaling them to come to her side.


    This was the second time Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan were boarding a ship. The last time they were on a ship, they had chains around their necks. They were in no mood to admire the beautiful scenery while out at sea.


    This time round, it was different. From the moment the two of them stepped onto the boat, they had mixed feelings. Holding each other¡¯s hands, they walked to Xiaoguo¡¯s side. They were both feeling curious and nervous about their surroundings.


    Zhao Yuyan was much more mature than Yu Ling so she didn¡¯t keep looking around, but she couldn¡¯t help but tear up.


    ¡°I¡¯m finally out! I¡¯m finally out!¡±


    Zhao Yuyan was so excited that her grip on Yu Ling¡¯s arm tightened unconsciously. When she heard the other party¡¯s cry of pain, she came back to her senses and loosened her grip. Her heart instantly ached for her daughter. She quickly hugged her and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yu Ling. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Yu Ling smiled and shook her head. Although it was painful, she was fine with it, because this person was her mother.


    Xiaoguo did not wish to intrude on the mother and daughter at this moment. Knowing that two of them were filled with emotions, she decided to leave them alone.


    Zhuang Zhuang glanced at the two strange people and tugged at Xiaoguo. He whispered in her ear, ¡°Mother, who are they?¡±


    Although he had seen the two of them before, he didn¡¯t know them very well. Xiaoguo had never told him about them.


    Hearing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s question, Xiaoguo leaned over and whispered back, ¡°Sister Yu Ling and Aunt Yuyan are leaving with us. I¡¯ll explain the details to you later, okay?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded obediently and said, ¡°Can I go look for Xiaoyi?¡±


    ¡°Maybe later.¡± Xiaoguo looked at the port. A group of people were trying to raise the platform. The ship should be setting off soon¡ªit was not safe to walk around now. ¡°The boat will be shaky when it starts moving. You¡¯d better go later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded to show that he understood.


    At this moment, Yu Ling looked at Zhuang Zhuang and guessed that he must be Madam¡¯s son. She smiled and squatted down to ask, ¡°Are you Young Master Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhuang Zhuang was shy around strangers. He turned around and shook his head at her and said seriously, ¡°My name is Zhuang Zhuang, not Young Master Zhuang.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, the three of them laughed. Yu Ling was overjoyed. ¡°You¡¯re so cute!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang blushed and nodded graciously. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    At this moment, Xiaoguo said to Zhuang Zhuang, ¡°Introduce yourself.¡±


    ¡°I am Zhuang Zhuang. My given name is Jiang Qingwen. I¡¯m four years old this year. I have many hobbies.¡±


    Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan were overjoyed to hear such a refreshing introduction.


    Zhao Yuyan said to Xiaoguo, ¡°Madam, you taught the child so well. He¡¯s shy around strangers and is so eloquent.¡±


    She thought that she had quite a good upbringing when she was young, but when she was four years old, she didn¡¯t even know half of what this boy knew.


    Xiaoguo smiled modestly and said, ¡°He¡¯s alright. He was born with a love for books.¡±


    ¡°You can read?!¡±


    When Yu Ling heard this, she looked at him in surprise.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded. ¡°I am learning from a teacher.¡±


    Although Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang had no intention of showing off, the other two were still grinning from ear to ear after hearing what the latter said.


    Yu Ling¡¯s eyes flashed with envy as she praised him sincerely, ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m alright. There¡¯s always someone better. This is nothing.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang always reminds himself to be humble and introspective, and not to be arrogant or complacent. He was only saying his thoughts. There were so many people in the Shao Kingdom who were better than him.


    Although Yu Ling had never gone through a formal education, Zhao Yuyan had never slacked off in teaching her. Even without books, she could use the ground as paper and branches as brushes. She taught Yu Ling to read by writing the words out stroke by stroke.


    Although Yu Ling was not as eloquent as Zhuang Zhuang, she was not illiterate.


    ¡°Just call him Zhuang Zhuang. Zhuang Zhuang, this is Sister Yu Ling.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t like people using honorifics on her. Besides, she didn¡¯t come from some prestigious family and she was not particular about such formalities. It was better to keep things casual.


    Yu Ling was stunned and subconsciously looked at Zhao Yuyan.


    Zhao Yuyan quickly shook her head. ¡°No, Madam. We shouldn¡¯t do away with the honorifics.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head. She didn¡¯t care for these things. ¡°There¡¯s only Zhuang Zhuang and me at home, and Jiang Danhe is away. Besides, I regard Yu Ling as my sister. You don¡¯t have to be so reserved. You can call me Xiaoguo. Yuling can call me Sister.¡±


    Seeing that Zhao Yuyan was about to say something, Xiaoguo continued, ¡°My house isn¡¯t in the capital and I don¡¯t live in a mansion. Home is just a small farmyard. I don¡¯t care about such formalities. After taking in Yu Ling, I¡¯m her sister, nothing else.¡±


    Zhao Yuyan looked up at her seriously. After realizing that Xiaoguo meant every word she said, her eyes were filled with tears again. She choked and said, ¡°Thank¡­ thank you!¡±


    She was absolutely relieved this time!


    Yu Ling looked at Xiaoguo in disbelief. She was her younger sister? She had an older sister now? An older sister?


    ¡°Sister? Sister Xiaoguo?¡± Yu Ling called out nervously.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded graciously and smiled at her.


    Yu Ling called out to her many more times, but Xiaoguo responded every single time.


    ¡°Okay, hold on tight and get a firm footing, the boat is about to depart.¡±


    Xiaoguo watched as the people at the port waved the flag. It meant that they were setting off. She quickly pulled Yu Ling back as she was still spinning around.


    After everyone had gotten a firm grip on something, the ship slowly moved forward. After a few seconds of shaking, the ship regained its balance.


    Xiaoguo looked at the island that was gradually disappearing into the distance and said in her heart, ¡°Goodbye, island!¡±

 Chapter 369 - 369 Follow Me to the Capital

    369 Follow Me to the Capital


    Zhao Yuyan looked at the island that was gradually disappearing into the distance. Her heart was feeling lighter in that instant. She hugged Yu Ling tightly and turned to face the sea.


    ¡°Yuling, live well. From today onwards, we will start afresh.¡±


    Zhao Yuyan retracted her gaze and leaned gently against Yu Ling. Yu Ling felt her mother¡¯s weight and leaned towards her with a smile. Mother and daughter snuggled up to each other and embraced the morning sun.


    When the ship¡¯s movements became more stable, Zhuang Zhuang went to look for Xiaoyi. However, Xiaoguo reminded him to come back before they reached their destination. Once they disembark, they would have arrived at the fishing village. They would not be going in the same direction as Xiaoyi from then on.


    Xiaoguo was afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would get caught in the crowd and be separated from her. Although Jiang Danhe was here with them, it was better for her to keep the boy within her sight.


    Zhao Yuyan was talking to Yu Ling about something. The mother and daughter were leaning against each other very intimately. Xiaoguo was bored and thought of Jiang Danhe, so she sneaked over to the sail. It was the same spot as the last time. She wondered if Jiang Danhe could read her mind. If he was on the other side of the sail at this moment, then they would be truly telepathic.


    Feeling excited, Xiaoguo quietly squatted down and looked over.


    However, she was immediately disappointed. She did not see the person she was hoping to see. There were only a few ministers chatting with each other.


    Xiaoguo looked away in disappointment and was about to leave when she felt someone poking the back of her head.


    She was stunned for a moment before joy took over. If she wasn¡¯t wrong, it should be Jiang Danhe¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s really you!¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe happily, looking full of herself. Jiang Danhe almost laughed out loud.


    ¡°Silly girl.¡± Jiang Danhe touched her face and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t you know to look up?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, then how did you know I would be here?¡±


    Xiaoguo snickered sheepishly.


    Jiang Danhe was amused when he heard that. He said, ¡°We can read each other¡¯s minds.¡±


    ¡°Show-off.¡± Xiaoguo looked at him and asked, ¡°Have you been waiting here for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been here since I got on the ship.¡±


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and smiled to herself.


    ¡°Did you see Zhuang Zhuang walk over?¡±


    ¡°I saw him. He was seated beside Xiaoyi and playing with him.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid that he would get separated from me during disembarkment, so I didn¡¯t let him go over your side. Instead, I made him follow me on this side.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. I¡¯ll bring him to you before the ship arrives at the dock.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded, then she looked hesitant. Pretending to be casual, she said, ¡°Will you leave right away after getting off the ship?¡±


    Jiang Danhe knew what she was going to say, but he had no choice. He nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve been out longer than expected. Once we get off the ship, there will be troops waiting for us. We¡¯ll leave immediately upon arrival.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded unhappily. ¡°Oh.¡±


    Seeing this, Jiang Danhe raised his hand and rubbed her head. ¡°Weren¡¯t you planning to stay in the fishing village for a few more days? I¡¯ll leave a carriage at the village chief¡¯s house. You can go back whenever you want.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded, still looking unhappy. She suddenly felt that it wouldn¡¯t be so bad if Jiang Danhe was always at home.


    She had not lived with a man other than her father. Initially, she was not used to it, so she subconsciously resisted it. But now, it didn¡¯t seem as difficult to accept as she had imagined when the other party was Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°Come to the capital with me.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked up at him in disbelief. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Come to the capital with me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was very serious. He had wanted to bring her to the capital for a long time.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was tempted for a moment, but she shook her head. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll wait for you to come back. There are too many animals in the house. I¡¯m worried about them.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was about to say something when he saw the expression on her face. He stopped and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll try my best to go back every month.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Is it time to harvest the crops at home?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about time. We¡¯ll be able to harvest them in another half a month.¡±


    Jiang Danhe quickly did some calculations. Half a month was enough. ¡°Then I¡¯ll send the emperor back to the capital before returning. I¡¯ll do the harvesting when I return.¡±


    ¡°No need for that. We only have a small plot. Brother and I can finish harvesting in half a day.¡±


    Firstly, Xiaoguo felt that there was no need for three people to work on that small plot of land. Secondly, she didn¡¯t want him to rush to and from the capital. If he had to come home right after he returned to the capital, how could his body take it?


    Jiang Danhe nodded superficially, but Xiaoguo could tell what he was thinking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come back. We might be harvesting the crops in just a few days¡¯ time. After you return to the capital, take a good rest. You can come back at a later date. It would be too hard on you to spend so much time on the road.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded. He loved to see her nag at him, so he continued to act hesitant.


    Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo immediately started nagging again. ¡°Although you¡¯re still young, traveling will still take a toll on your body. Although youth is your asset, you shouldn¡¯t do this. You¡¯ll realize it when you¡¯re old. By then, it¡¯ll be too late for regrets. The illnesses you accumulated when you were young will all come to you when you¡¯re old¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s throat was almost smoking from all the talking, but Jiang Danhe was still smiling. She was so angry that she stepped across the sail and slapped him.


    ¡°Stop smiling cheekily. Are you listening?¡±


    ¡°I heard you!¡± Jiang Danhe covered his shoulders and immediately said seriously, ¡°I swear!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s expression finally relaxed. Then, she rubbed his shoulders sympathetically.


    Seeing this, Jiang Danhe instantly weakened. He squatted down so that she could reach him.


    Although the lovey-dovey scene between the two of them was concealed, someone still saw it.


    To be honest, the ship was only so big. No matter how hidden they were, it was impossible to miss them. After all, it would be more shocking if no one saw the two life-sized humans.


    Li Shouji and Shao Zhan were among those who were watching them. Although they had witnessed the entire process, they quickly looked away in disdain.


    How should one put it? Although they seemed disgusted, their eyes betrayed them. They could not shift their gazes away from the couple.


    Everyone enjoyed good gossip, but Li Shouji was more inclined towards it than anyone else.


    Shao Zhan was staring at the couple in a daze because they made him think of Xiaoyi¡¯s mother. Back then, they were just as loving. But now, he could only watch on enviously.


    Li Shouji¡¯s reason was even simpler. He was just watching out of curiosity as a bachelor. Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo¡¯s voices were very soft, but he could occasionally hear bits of their conversation. However, the more he listened, the more puzzled he became. What was so beautiful about such a meaningless conversation?


    Seeing the smiles on their faces from time to time, he trembled in horror. It was really scary. Then, he quickly lost interest because it was too boring.


    When the two of them spoke, they could laugh about anything. It was really crazy. If one didn¡¯t know better, it would look like two airheads were conversing with each other.


    If Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe knew what Li Shouji was thinking, they would definitely snort. ¡°What do you know about romance?¡±


    Before the boat docked, Jiang Danhe brought Zhuang Zhuang over. The little guy¡¯s eyes were still red. It was obvious that he had just cried.


    As soon as he saw Xiaoguo, he immediately pounced on her and hugged her leg. He then started to cry.


    Xiaoguo comforted him gently, telling him that it would be just a short separation. She also told him to keep in contact by writing letters. That finally managed to calm him down.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe held onto the railing and asked Xiaoguo to hold on to him, in case the ride became too bumpy while the ship was trying to dock.


    After the ship stopped, someone came to put down the platform. A row of carriages was parked neatly by the shore. There was also a group of horses and soldiers waiting at the same spot.


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe reluctantly. The other party caught her eyes immediately. His eyes were filled with reluctance and comfort.


    At this moment, neither of them had expected a short separation to be so unbearable. It was not as easy as they had thought. In reality, neither of them could do it with ease.

 Chapter 370 - 370 Safe Journey

    370 Safe Journey


    After getting off the ship, the three of them arrived at a quiet spot. Jiang Danhe kissed Xiaoguo¡¯s forehead and squatted down to kiss Zhuang Zhuang.


    Then, Jiang Danhe looked at the two of them reluctantly and instructed them, ¡°Go home early. Let me know when you get home. I¡¯ll send you a letter when I reach the capital. Zhuang Zhuang, study hard and listen to your mother. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang nodded in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Be careful on the way.¡±


    At this moment, someone had already disembarked and entered one of the carriages. Xiaoguo knew that Jiang Danhe had to leave, so she reminded him worriedly.


    Zhuang Zhuang followed closely behind Xiaoguo and said, ¡°Father, be careful. I¡¯ll be good. I¡¯ll definitely miss you!¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled in relief and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too.¡±


    Then he looked at Xiaoguo and gave her a look.


    The tips of Xiaoguo¡¯s ears turned red. She looked around and said, ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too.¡±


    Jiang Danhe wrapped his arms around her in satisfaction. From afar, it looked like he was just leaning closer. Up close, one would realize that Jiang Danhe was holding her waist and also secretly kissing her cheek while whispering in her ear, ¡°I¡¯ll miss you even more.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s body went numb when she heard that. Jiang Danhe held onto her and rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head before walking towards the leading horse.


    At this moment, Li Shouji walked over and specially bade farewell to Xiaoguo. ¡°Sister-in-law, the next time I come back with Brother Jiang, make me a couple more meals.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. ¡°Have a safe trip!¡±


    Li Shouji heard someone calling out to him from behind, so he nodded at Xiaoguo. He leaned over and touched Zhuang Zhuang before leaving.


    At this moment, Xiaoyi ran towards Xiaoguo without any resistance. At first, Zhuang Zhuang thought that Xiaoyi was reluctant to part with him. Feeling touched, he stretched out his arms in anticipation of his hug. Unexpectedly, Xiaoyi ran right past him.


    Zhuang Zhuang retracted his arms awkwardly and turned around in disbelief to see what Xiaoyi was up to.


    Xiaoyi had already said goodbye to Zhuang Zhuang, so this time, he was here for Xiaoguo. He jumped into her arms and snuggled against her.


    Just before he landed on her, Xiaoguo squatted down and hugged him.


    After a long time, Xiaoyi looked up. ¡°Can you kiss me like you kissed Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    This was something he had always dreamed about. This time, it took a lot of courage for him to say it. After saying it, he was afraid that she would refuse, so he buried his head and did not dare to look at her.


    Xiaoguo was stunned when she heard this. Then, she smiled and cupped his little face in her hands. She kissed him on the forehead and on each cheek. Her loud kissing sounds made Xiaoyi blush.


    ¡°Can you write me more letters like Zhuang Zhuang always did?¡±


    Under such an atmosphere, he made a second request.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes lit up even more. Then, he continued with his third request.


    ¡°Will you miss me? Just like¡­¡± It was a little difficult for Xiaoyi to say this. Finally, under Xiaoguo¡¯s loving gaze, he mustered his courage and said,¡± Just like how I will miss you. ¡±


    ¡°Of course. I miss Xiaoyi so much every day. If Xiaoyi could live with me and Zhuang Zhuang, I would wake up laughing in my dreams.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew that Xiaoyi was yearning for love, and she did like him a lot. Whenever she was cooking, she would think about how nice it would be if the boy was around.


    Xiaoyi heard a voice urging him from behind. Having received a satisfactory answer, he got ready to go back. But as soon as he let go of Xiaoguo, he gathered his courage and kissed her on the cheek. Before she could react, he ran away with a snicker. When he passed by Zhuang Zhuang, he even waved at him.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s not that you can¡¯t bear to part with me. You actually can¡¯t bear to part with my mother.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled as she watched Xiaoyi get into the carriage, then she met Shao Zhan¡¯s gaze. The two of them nodded at each other from a distance as a form of farewell.


    As the convoy started walking, Jiang Danhe turned around and waved at her. Xiaoguo laughed. She knew he would turn around.


    Then, she waved at him with equal enthusiasm.


    After the convoy left, the shore instantly fell silent.


    Xiaoguo had no chance to feel sad because Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan were still behind her. At this moment, the village chief of the fishing village had also just walked over.


    He was present all this while. It was just that there were too many people around and he did not approach them.


    ¡°Madam, the general has told me that you will stay at my house for the time being.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the uneasy Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan and thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you know if Xiao Zhu is at home?¡±


    ¡°Xiao Zhu?¡± The old village chief¡¯s expression froze, but he quickly covered it up. ¡°She should be at home.¡±


    No matter how subtle it was, Xiaoguo still spotted the change in his expression. She frowned slightly. ¡°What was going on?¡±


    Seeing that she was silent, the old village chief¡¯s heart was beating wildly. After a while, he said vaguely, ¡°This child has been having trouble with someone recently. She has not left the house for a long time.¡±


    ¡°What kind of trouble?¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly asked. Xiao Zhu was not the type to cause trouble.


    Seeing how worried she was, the old village chief weighed the pros and cons and told her everything.


    When Xiaoguo heard his account, her heart ached for the girl and she felt furious. This Yu Zhizhi was really up to no good!


    In the end, Xiaoguo declined the old village chief¡¯s request to stay at his place. She decided to stay at Xiao Zhu¡¯s house for the time being.


    On the way, Zhuang Zhuang asked curiously, ¡°Who¡¯s Xiao Zhu?¡±


    ¡°Mother will tell you later.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang could tell that Xiaoguo was frustrated, so he nodded obediently and followed her.


    Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan were also very discerning. They did not say anything and followed behind her quietly.


    They had heard the village chief¡¯s words just now. Although they didn¡¯t know the reason, just hearing it made their hearts ache.


    When they arrived at Xiao Zhu¡¯s house, Xiaoguo took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock.


    After a while, when Xiaoguo¡¯s hands were starting to hurt, she finally heard movement in the house. It was the sound of something heavy falling to the ground.


    Xiaoguo was feeling anxious as she thought Xiao Zhu had fallen. She pounded on the wooden door even harder.


    As she knocked on the door, she called out, ¡°Xiao Zhu, it¡¯s me. Sister Xiaoguo is back. Xiao Zhu? Xiao Zhu?¡±


    Soon, there were hurried footsteps coming from behind the door. They stopped when they reached the other side of the door. Immediately after, there was a series of jingling sounds as the door was unlocked. Xiaoguo took two steps back. At the same time, the door was pushed open from the inside.


    Xiao Zhu, whose eyes were red and swollen, appeared in front of them. She looked no less horrifying than a female ghost in a horror movie.


    As soon as she saw Xiaoguo, Xiao Zhu¡¯s swollen eyes began to tear up again. She didn¡¯t say anything and only cried silently.


    Feeling heartbroken, Xiaoguo wiped her tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore. I know everything.¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and cried even harder. Her tears were flowing freely.


    Xiaoguo patted her back, feeling sorry for her. Having not seen her for a while, Xiao Zhu seemed to have become thinner. Besides that, she was just taking a cursory look across the room when she noticed the bloodstains on the girl¡¯s knees. Looking into the house and seeing the fallen stool, it was not difficult to guess how she had tripped and scraped her knees.


    Xiaoguo helped Xiao Zhu into the house. Yu Ling swiftly helped to pick up the stool, so that the girl could sit.


    Zhao Yuyan and Zhuang Zhuang opened their bags and looked for the first aid kit. After which, they handed the kit to Xiaoguo to apply medicine for Xiao Zhu. At this moment, Yu Ling also scooped a ladle of water from the water bucket.


    Xiaoguo gently rolled up the girl¡¯s trouser legs, revealing her swollen knees. She used a handkerchief to dab at her wounds and wiped them clean. After cleaning her wounds, she sprinkled some medicinal powder on them evenly without bandaging them. It was better to leave such wounds to air dry for faster recovery.


    Xiao Zhu accepted everything in a daze. Then, her eyes focused on Xiaoguo as she spoke in a hoarse and choked voice.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have a father and mother anymore¡­¡±

 Chapter 371 - 371 Youre an orphan

    371 You¡¯re an orphan


    Xiaoguo patted her back gently and said sadly, ¡°I heard from the old village chief.¡±


    Xiao Zhu wiped her tears and lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for them for six years. I can¡¯t believe that they passed away just like that. I really cannot believe it.¡±


    Her tone was filled with hesitation and helplessness. Her parents were supposedly going on a trip. How did they become dead overnight? It was hard for her to accept the news.


    When Xiaoguo first heard the news, she was also shocked. The first thing she thought of was Xiao Zhu¡¯s feelings.


    Zhao Yuyan looked at Xiao Zhu, who was a year younger than Yu Ling. She sighed sympathetically. What a pitiful child.


    Yu Ling looked at the girl who was about her age and felt sorry for her.


    At this moment, Xiao Zhu unloaded all the sadness in her heart while confiding in Xiaoguo.


    Other than comforting her, Xiaoguo had no other choice. The last time they met, Xiao Zhu had talked about her family. Although she looked a little lonely at that time, her words were filled with anticipation and longing for them.


    Now she was suddenly told about her parents¡¯ death that happened six years ago. As a daughter, she was the last person in the village to know. How did that make her feel?


    All these years of longing, and days of pining, had turned out to be a hollow dream.


    All of this was Yu Zhizhi¡¯s fault!


    Although hiding the truth was not a long-term solution, this was definitely not the time to make it known to the girl.


    Xiaoguo thought of Yu Zhizhi, who was still up to no good. A glint flashed across her eyes. She would not let her off so easily this time.


    ¡ª-


    The cause of the matter was like this. Ever since Yu Zhizhi was sent back to the village, she had been feeling indignant. Her hatred for Mrs. Yang had inexplicably shifted to Xiaoguo.


    Ever since the day they boarded the ship, after Xiaoguo made her stunning appearance, Yu Zhizhi kept hearing endless praises about her in the village. Yu Zhizhi was already feeling indignant and jealous of Xiaoguo. When she heard those talk about her, she started to spread rumors about her.


    After smearing Xiaoguo¡¯s reputation and hearing the villagers¡¯ disdainful discussion, Yu Zhizhi felt a perverted sense of satisfaction.


    From then on, things got out of hand. The more the rumors spread, the more ridiculous they became. When there was nothing left to fabricate about Xiaoguo, Yu Zhizhi started making up stories about the other madams and young ladies. She told the villagers that none of the nobles who boarded the ship were good people. They were all people who disregarded human lives and looked down on others.


    Listening to the insults of the villagers who did not know the actual truth, Yu Zhizhi was overjoyed.


    Once, when she was spreading rumors about Xiaoguo, Xiao Zhu overheard her and subconsciously retorted her.


    Yu Zhizhi was not going to let her mess things up, so she started retaliating as well.


    The more they talked, the angrier they became.


    Yu Zhizhi was furious to hear someone defend Xiaoguo. When she saw the doubtful expressions on the faces of the surrounding villagers, she could feel the fire raging in her. She rolled up her sleeves and was ready to teach Xiao Zhu a lesson.


    Xiao Zhu was even less afraid of her. She gathered her courage and placed the tray in the distance. She rubbed her palms together and looked warily at the approaching figure.


    Seeing that something interesting was going to happen, the villagers rushed over and surrounded the two of them. However, there were also a few people who tried to stop the fight. But in the midst of the commotion, they seemed rather insignificant.


    Xiao Zhu was still young, so she was definitely not a match for Yu Zhizhi, who was much taller than her. However, she was agile and wasn¡¯t too severely disadvantaged.


    Yu Zhizhi stopped panting and looked at Xiao Zhu, who had a smug look on her face. She was extremely furious. She wiped the blood off her face and malice silently emerged from within her.


    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re indeed an orphan without parents. You¡¯re so gullible!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Stop it! Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Zhizhi, don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Stop talking. Let¡¯s all disperse!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    As soon as Yu Zhizhi finished speaking, the surrounding villagers interrupted her, seemingly afraid that she would continue.


    Xiao Zhu¡¯s hands were trembling. She shouted while glaring at Yu Zhizhi, ¡°I¡¯m not an orphan! I have a father and mother!¡±


    Yu Zhizhi picked her ears leisurely and looked at her with a sneer. ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯re not an orphan. You have parents, but they died six years ago. You¡¯re an orphan¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Before Yu Zhizhi could finish speaking, there were already disapproving voices around her. They were all talking loudly in an attempt to drown out her voice.


    The scene was very noisy. Xiao Zhu could still hear the exact words from the other party¡¯s mouth. Immediately, her face turned pale and she looked at Yu Zhizhi with widened eyes. The blood in her body was coagulating and flowing backwards. She was shaking and feeling light-headed.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying, you¡¯re a liar!¡±


    Even so, Xiao Zhu did not believe her. She continued to accuse Yu Zhizhi of being a liar.


    However, Yu Zhizhi pushed aside the crowd that was trying to stop her. Before anyone could react, she came in front of Xiao Zhu and stared straight at her. She said word by word, ¡°You¡¯re an orphan. Your parents died of illness long ago. That was six years ago¡­¡±


    After Yu Zhizhi finished speaking, the villagers finally reacted. Ignoring her resistance, they forcefully pulled her away from Xiao Zhu.


    The villagers who were left behind tried to touch the pale-faced Xiao Zhu. But before their hands could touch her, she suddenly started running.


    Halfway through, she did not forget to pick up her tray while mumbling to herself, ¡°She¡¯s a liar. She lied to me on purpose. Big liar! My parents are not dead. They are away on a long trip. I¡¯m not an orphan! I have parents. They¡¯re still alive, but they¡¯re on a trip! Big liar! Yu Zhizhi is a big liar! I have parents¡­¡±


    The other villagers who were left behind looked at Xiao Zhu, who was running towards the village chief¡¯s house. They looked at each other in dismay. If they had known earlier, they would have stopped Yu Zhizhi. Why did they just stand by and watch?


    Yu Zhizhi, who had been escorted away with her mouth covered, saw Xiao Zhu¡¯s stumbling back and heaved a sigh of relief. She broke out in laughter. It was really gratifying.


    Xiao Zhu was completely out of sorts. She muttered to herself as she arrived at the village chief¡¯s house, barging in without knocking.


    The old village chief¡¯s family had just finished eating and were washing the dishes. When they saw Xiao Zhu appear, the old village chief¡¯s wife immediately called out to her, ¡°Have you eaten? I¡¯ll make you some food.¡±


    When she didn¡¯t answer, the old village chief¡¯s wife looked up at her worriedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xiao Zhu?¡±


    At this moment, the old village chief heard the commotion and came out. He noticed Xiao Zhu¡¯s odd behavior immediately. Just as he was about to ask her what was wrong, she spoke.


    ¡°Grandpa Chief, my parents are still alive, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± The old village chief was indeed experienced. He answered Xiao Zhu without batting an eyelid. He even tossed a disgruntled look at his wife, who was looking stiff and tense.


    ¡°They are still alive, am I right?¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Zhu was obsessing over this question. Seeing that the old village chief was avoiding the topic, she could not help but start to cry.


    When the old village chief saw the guilty expressions on the faces of the villagers who had caught up with the girl, anger instantly surged through him. He knew that these fellows were not reliable!


    ¡°Grandpa Chief!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Xiao Zhu¡­¡±


    The old village chief fell silent.


    Xiao Zhu desperately wanted him to tell her the answer, but he had clearly disappointed her. Silence was often the best answer.


    From that day on, Xiao Zhu had no recollection of how she got home or locked the door, or landed on the bed.


    For the next three days, the villagers did not see Xiao Zhu. Feeling guilty, the villagers sent representatives to knock on her door and deliver food to her everyday.


    The old village chief was even more worried. Every day, he would send young men to climb the wall to check on Xiao Zhu. He and his wife took turns to comfort her through the door.


    Back then, he had personally promised Xiao Zhu¡¯s parents to take good care of her.


    He had also personally promised to keep their deaths from Xiao Zhu, who was still young at that time.


    He even promised to keep it a secret until she was old enough to accept the truth.

 Chapter 372 - 372 Big Pot of Vegetables

    372 Big Pot of Vegetables


    The villagers were let in on this because of various considerations.


    The old village chief hoped that everyone could help to take care of Xiao Zhu, who was still young. He didn¡¯t need them to take care of her daily meals, but he hoped that they would pay more attention to her safety. After all, the two of them were not young anymore and Xiao Zhu was also at a lively and active age. Worried that they were unable to keep her safe all by themselves, they roped in the entire village to help care for the girl.


    Xiao Zhu¡¯s parents were well-liked when they were alive, so the decision for the entire village to help take care of Xiao Zhu was unanimous.


    However, all these good intentions had gone down the drain in an instant. Yu Zhizhi had successfully aroused the anger of the entire village.


    Although the old village chief wanted to teach Yu Zhizhi a lesson, her father was the only person in the village who knew medicine. He could not afford to offend the man.


    Fortunately, Mr. Yu was not an ignorant person. He knew what his daughter had done. Although he wanted to cover up for her, he knew that he had to do something.


    Instead of letting others teach her a lesson, it was better for him to do it himself. Hence, he chased the unwilling Yu Zhizhi into the mountains to gather Chinese herbs. She had stayed away from home for three full days. Even if the village chief and the villagers wanted to find her, they would not be able to get hold of her.


    Father Yu¡¯s plan was really well-crafted.


    ¡ª-


    After Xiao Zhu spat out the unhappiness in her heart, she felt a little better. The emotions that she had been suppressing for the past few days were finally released.


    After being comforted by the group, Xiao Zhu put away her emotions and looked at the few people she was not familiar with. She leaned towards Xiaoguo nervously.


    ¡°Come, Xiao Zhu, let me introduce you.¡±


    Xiaoguo held Xiao Zhu¡¯s hand and pulled Zhuang Zhuang beside her. ¡°This is my son, Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Sister.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re Zhuang Zhuang. Hello.¡±


    Xiao Zhu¡¯s throat was a little hoarse. When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he handed her a glass of water considerately.


    Xiao Zhu took the glass, feeling pleasantly surprised. She smiled and nodded, while thanking him. ¡°I keep hearing Sister Xiaoguo mention your name. We finally met.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled in embarrassment.


    After watching her take a sip, Xiaoguo continued with the introductions. ¡°You can call her Aunt Yuyan. This is her daughter, Yu Ling. She¡¯s a year older than you.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Aunt Yuyan.¡±


    Xiao Zhu first greeted the smiling Zhao Yuyan. Then, she looked at Yu Ling, who was about her age, and sized her up timidly.


    Yu Ling was a little livelier. When she heard that she was a year older than Xiao Zhu, she took the initiative to hold her small hand. She spoke to her like a big sister, ¡°Hello, Xiao Zhu!¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Xiao Zhu was attracted by Yu Ling¡¯s sociable personality and started laughing unknowingly.


    Although it wasn¡¯t the first time the two girls had met girls their age, they didn¡¯t quite get along with those girls.


    What was more special was that Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling became as close as biological sisters shortly after they met. The speed at which their friendship advanced was truly astonishing. After a while, they started addressing each other as sisters.


    Upon seeing the smile on Xiao Zhu¡¯s face, Xiaoguo was very much relieved.


    When one is in a good mood, hunger comes easily.


    Within a short while, their stomachs started growling. Xiao Zhu¡¯s stomach was growling the loudest.


    The rest of them at least had breakfast, but Xiao Zhu did not. To be precise, it had been a long time since she had eaten. Over the past few days, she had been crying all day. She only drank water when she was hungry. When she got tired from crying, she would fall asleep. She had not taken a single bite of the food that the villagers had sent over. It was a miracle that she had lasted until now.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo naturally knew that there was nothing to eat at Xiao Zhu¡¯s house, nor was there anything that she could cook with. Hence, she got up and went to the old village chief¡¯s house to borrow his kitchen to prepare some dishes.


    The others wanted to go with her, but Xiaoguo rejected them without thinking. She was going to the other space to get something to cook from the fridge.


    It was more convenient for her to cook alone. Cooking was an easy task¡ªshe was fast with her hands, and would be done in a while.


    Before leaving the house, she brought a basket with her. This way, no one would suspect where she came from and it would be easier for her to explain herself.


    After leaving the house, she found a secluded place and looked around. She even looked up to check. In any case, she looked around everywhere before entering the space.


    It had been a long time since she came to the kitchen. Xiaoguo opened the fridge that was filled to the brim. Before leaving for the island, she had bought a lot of food. They had set off without consuming much of the food, so the fridge was still quite full.


    In addition, when she was on the island, she had secretly stashed away a lot of seafood.


    Fortunately, the vegetables in the fridge had not started rotting. Since there wasn¡¯t much vegetables left in there, Xiaoguo took them all out and also took out a piece of meat.


    After coming out, she looked around and walked towards the village chief¡¯s house.


    The old village chief had just finished making lunch. There were big white steamed buns and a large pot of fragrant pork with cabbage.


    At this moment, the village chief¡¯s wife was holding a large basin while scooping out the food. The village chief was also transferring steamed buns onto a large plate, preparing to send food to them on a tray.


    When the two of them saw Xiaoguo, they were a little nervous. After all, the other villagers didn¡¯t know her identity, but the two of them were well aware of it.


    As soon as Xiaoguo entered the kitchen and took a deep breath, her appetite was aroused. ¡°It smells so good¡­¡±


    It had been a long time since she tasted vegetable stew. She really missed it.


    The chief chef¡¯s wife looked embarrassed. ¡°Eat more later if it¡¯s delicious. I made a big pot of it.¡±


    ¡°I think it has to be good. Just by smelling the fragrance, I can eat two bowls of this.¡±


    Xiaoguo said with a smile. It seemed that she had no use for the ingredients she had prepared.


    At this moment, the old village chief had placed the white steamed buns on a tray. ¡°They¡¯re a little heavy. I¡¯ll bring them to you.¡±


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the old man who looked like he was in his seventies or eighties. How could she bear to let him carry them?


    The old village chief shook his head and insisted that it was too heavy. However, he was quickly interrupted by Xiaoguo.


    ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t need these ingredients anymore. I¡¯ll leave them for you.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo took out the vegetables and meat from the basket and placed them on the table. Ignoring their objections, she picked up the tray and left.


    The old village chief and his wife chased her to the door. They did not dare to pull her back and could only watch her leave.


    Although her movements were slow, she looked quite steady, so the two of them returned to the house with relief.


    When Xiaoguo returned, the few of them finished all the vegetable stew in the basin like hungry wolves. There was not a single bun left either.


    The full basin and bowls were all licked clean, looking like they had just been scrubbed.


    The washing of the dishes was handed to Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu. After the two of them were done, the clean plates were sent back to the old village chief¡¯s house.


    After Zhao Yuyan finished her meal, she felt a little tired. When Xiaoguo saw this, she let her take her rest.


    Zhuang Zhuang was also feeling a little sleepy. He lay in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and started yawning. She asked him to go back to the house and lie down, but he insisted on staying with her.


    Xiaoguo had no choice but to put two chairs together and let him lean in her arms.


    Before long, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling returned.


    Xiaoguo asked Yu Ling to go find her mother and rest for a while. Yu Ling was very smart and knew what Xiaoguo meant, so she nodded and left right away.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was patting Zhuang Zhuang to sleep. After he fell asleep, she took off her jacket and covered him with it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go clean up his room.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need to do that.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head. ¡°He doesn¡¯t need a long nap. I¡¯ll just let him sleep for a short while.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Xiao Zhu nodded and sat beside her. She said apologetically, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, I¡¯m really sorry. I promised to pick you up when you returned, but I didn¡¯t know that you had come back, so I didn¡¯t prepare anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to prepare anything. Just seeing you is good enough.¡±


    Xiaoguo said softly and Xiao Zhu blushed in embarrassment.


    The two of them chatted for a while more before Xiaoguo got to the point. ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you to visit your father and mother this afternoon.¡±


    Xiao Zhu¡¯s smile froze. After a long while, she nodded.


    She didn¡¯t want to face reality, but she had to do it.

 Chapter 373 - 373 Enemies Crossing Paths

    373 Enemies Crossing Paths


    Xiaoguo guessed that Xiao Zhu probably hadn¡¯t paid her respects to the two elders, so she took the initiative to bring up the subject.


    One might say that Xiaoguo was meddlesome or that she had nothing better to do. She just couldn¡¯t bear to see Xiao Zhu live with regrets over this matter.


    Xiaozhu¡¯s parents did not dare to let her know about their deaths as they feared that she was too young at that time. That was why they fabricated a reason to say that they were gone on a long trip. It was done out of love and concern for their daughter.


    There are some things that cannot be ignored and treated as if they do not exist. Xiao Zhu should move on at this moment.


    Xiaoguo knew that it was easier said than done.


    After a while, Xiao Zhu looked up at Xiaoguo determinedly. ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, come with me to visit my parents.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and smiled at Xiao Zhu.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang rolled over, scaring the two of them so much that they immediately stopped talking. When they saw that he was only rolling over and had fallen back to sleep, they started laughing silently again.


    ¡ª-


    In the afternoon, when Zhuang Zhuang saw that Xiaoguo was going out, he wanted to tag along even though he didn¡¯t know where she was going.


    Seeing this, Yu Ling immediately stopped him. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I came across a few unfamiliar characters. Can you teach me?¡±


    She thought that Zhuang Zhuang would say yes, but she was soon disappointed.


    The little guy thought for a moment and said without hesitation, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll teach you when I get back.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Yu Ling looked at Xiaoguo pleadingly, looking like there was nothing more she could do.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t go, I¡¯ll come back very soon.¡±


    Xiaoguo tried to coax Zhuang Zhuang, and he eventually listened to her.


    The old village chief had given the address to Xiao Zhu the other day. After the two of them came out, they walked towards the place he had mentioned.


    As there was not enough time, they didn¡¯t prepare any offerings. It wasn¡¯t appropriate to borrow offering items from others, so they had to go empty-handed.


    The fishing village was actually not big, but the residential area was very densely populated. Since the village was located by the sea, there were limitations in the usage of land. Other than the residential area, only the mountains could be used as a cemetery.


    When the villagers passed away, their families would find a random spot in the mountains to set up their graves. There were no rules or boundaries to speak of with regards to burial spots.


    Following the old village chief¡¯s instructions, Xiaoguo and Xiao Zhu set off for the mountains.


    Although Xiao Zhu had grown up here, she had never been to this side of the mountains. After taking two steps, she bumped into a grave filled with weeds. Instinctively, she pounced on Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo patted her gently and said, ¡°If you¡¯re afraid, hold my hand.¡±


    As she spoke, she held out her hand.


    Xiao Zhu took it without hesitation. ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, why is it so cold here?¡±


    ¡°The weather is turning cold. After all, the summer is over.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt the temperature and said dismissively. Fortunately, she had brought a few thicker garments with her on this trip. Otherwise, she and Zhuang Zhuang would have to go home in their summer clothes.


    Xiao Zhu shook her head vigorously and said fearfully, ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of cold, rather it¡¯s¡­¡±


    As if responding to her guess, there was a sudden sound from the depths of the forest. Countless birds flew out from the trees, accompanied by a round of coarse cawing.


    ¡°Argh!!!¡±


    Xiao Zhu hugged Xiaoguo and cried out uncontrollably. Her cries were even louder than the noise that sounded across the mountains. The number of startled birds was no less than before.


    Xiaoguo was also shocked by Xiao Zhu¡¯s cry. After carefully observing her surroundings, she exhaled and said, ¡°Xiao Zhu¡­ don¡¯t scare yourself. The temperature in the forest is naturally lower. It¡¯s normal for the air to be damp and cold since this area is shielded from the sun.¡±


    ¡°But what about the cackling sound?¡±


    Xiao Zhu still didn¡¯t believe her, but she loosened her grip a little.


    ¡°There are many living things here. It might be the sound of an animal or the sound of withered trees collapsing. Those quacks you heard are the cries of pheasants.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see!¡±


    Xiao Zhu let go of her hand completely and stood with her hands on her hips. She put on a brave expression to show that she wasn¡¯t afraid. Xiaoguo laughed out loud when she saw that.


    After Xiaoguo¡¯s explanation, the other party¡¯s fear was successfully eliminated. After which, they continued with their journey.


    While searching for the exact location of the grave, the two of them arrived in front of a towering redwood tree. They walked down a small slope beside the tree and arrived in front of a big, odd-shaped rock. After walking for another five meters, they finally saw the grave of Xiao Zhu¡¯s parents.


    According to the old village chief¡¯s description, the couple was buried together. Every year, he would ask the villagers who knew about them to top up soil on the grave. That was why the graves were not flattened over time by the elements.


    After seeing her parents¡¯ graves, Xiao Zhu¡¯s fear instantly disappeared, leaving only longing and sadness in her heart.


    The people lying here were her family. She barely has time to miss them, let alone feel afraid.


    Xiaoguo moved further away to give Xiao Zhu some time to herself. She then walked to a spot that was just behind a tree.


    Soon, she heard wailing and crying. Xiaoguo resisted the urge to go over. Instead she retracted her foot and waited quietly in the same spot.


    Listening to Xiao Zhu tell her parents how much she missed them, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel melancholic¡ªshe missed her parents too. Two kind souls were actually lying here in eternal repose. It was really a cruel twist of fate.


    At this moment, she wondered if Earth was a toy created by the Muses of the Gods. When they were in a good mood, they would create rainbows. When they were in a bad mood, disasters like zombie viruses and droughts would be labeled as natural disasters and get sent to Earth¡­


    ¡°Yo, I was wondering who was crying here. So it¡¯s the little orphan.¡±


    Xiaoguo retracted her thoughts and laughed to herself. Enemies were bound to cross paths. Before she could look for this woman, she had already appeared in front of her.


    ¡°I was wondering who it was. So it¡¯s the little medicine girl who was thrown out overnight by Mrs. Yang.¡±


    Yu Zhizhi was looking smugly at Xiao Zhu, who was kneeling on the ground. Just as she was gloating in her heart, she was suddenly startled by a voice beside her. She turned around abruptly and saw a figure whom she didn¡¯t expect to see.


    In her shock, she did not hide the fear on her face. ¡°Qin Xiaoguo! Why are you here!¡±


    ¡°Why was she here? If she was here¡­ was Brother Jiang here too?¡±


    At the thought of this, a look of joy flashed across Yu Zhizhi¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yo, you are not addressing me as Madam anymore?¡±


    Xiaoguo strolled over and reached out to help Xiao Zhu up. She looked down at the girl with a smile in her eyes.


    Xiao Zhu looked at her in embarrassment. Her legs were numb from kneeling. Otherwise, she would have jumped up and greeted Yu Zhizhi.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s words stung Yu Zhizhi¡¯s nerves, reminding her of her embarrassing past. Instantly, her little face turned dark and crumpled up like a used rag. It was completely devoid of the happiness it had just moments before.


    Yu Zhizhi¡¯s mouth opened and closed. Trembling with anger, she said stubbornly, ¡°Madam? Ptui, ptui, ptui, ptui!¡±


    Xiao Zhu was unhappy when she heard that. She immediately tried to break free from Xiaoguo¡¯s grip, with the intention of reaching out to scratch Yu Zhizhi¡¯s face.


    Xiaoguo was quick to react and stopped her. This woman deserved a beating, but it should be handled by the adults.


    Yu Zhizhi instinctively took a step back, but she felt that it would seem cowardly of her. So, she forced herself to take two steps forward and looked at Xiao Zhu with apprehension¡­


    As soon as she saw the girl, her face involuntarily throbbed with pain. That wretched girl had really sharp claws. The last time she scratched her, she had left a bloody scratch on her face. Fortunately, it was not a deep scratch, so she had no scars after treating the wound with some medicine. However, the most important thing for a woman was her face. She would hold this grudge forever.


    Earlier on,, when she had just finished picking herbs and was on her way home, she heard someone crying. She thought that it might be something worth checking out, so she changed her route and walked over.


    She didn¡¯t expect to see this wretched girl. As soon as she saw her, she was reminded of her own face and couldn¡¯t stop herself from mocking the girl. Who would have thought that her nemesis, Qin Xiaoguo was here too!

 Chapter 374 - 374 Leave Together?

    374 Leave Together?


    Qin Xiaoguo took in her expression and regarded her with amusement, as if she were watching a performing clown. She spoke slowly and calmly,


    ¡°Oh right¡­ someone had gone to great lengths, but she was knocked out and couldn¡¯t even get close to her target¡­¡±


    ¡°You!!¡±


    Yu Zhizhi was immediately reminded of this humiliating episode. She subconsciously pointed at Xiaoguo and started hurling profanities at her and also Zhuang Zhuang.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t prepared to let Yu Zhizhi off so easily. When she heard the woman insulting Zhuang Zhuang too, she immediately sneered. She wouldn¡¯t be getting out of here alive today.


    ¡°You! What are you doing!¡±


    Yu Zhizhi was in the midst of cursing when she was startled by Xiaoguo, who started walking towards her. Her eyes widened and her legs trembled uncontrollably. She subconsciously took a step back.


    ¡°What do I want? Huh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo approached her with a smile on her face. She only stopped when their faces were almost touching. ¡°There are so many abandoned graves here. If there¡¯s an additional pile, it¡¯s not going to be obvious. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡±


    Yu Zhizhi thought that Xiaoguo might murder her, but she immediately dismissed the thought. She was sure that Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t dare to do such a thing!


    Seeing her fearless expression, Xiaoguo said with a smile, ¡°There are many traps in the mountains. It¡¯s understandable if someone went missing without a reason, right?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    Xiao Zhu replied loudly from behind.


    Yu Zhizhi was trembling all over, but she was not going to back down. Instead, she kept on provoking Xiaoguo.


    ¡°You always come to the mountains and pass by these graves. Aren¡¯t you worried about the deceased coming to look for you after saying such disgusting words to their daughter?¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, a gust of wind blew over. Yu Zhizhi trembled and her eyes darted uncontrollably to the grave of Xiao Zhu¡¯s parents.


    Xiao Zhu immediately knelt down and cried, ¡°Father¡­ Mother¡­ You must help me¡­ You have to help me take revenge on this woman for bullying and insulting me like this¡­ Remember Yu Zhizhi, remember her face¡­ Remember to look for her tonight¡­¡±


    She thought that Yu Zhizhi would be afraid, but the woman continued to curse like a brainless person with a pale face.


    Unable to take it anymore, Xiaoguo gave her an ultimatum. ¡°Take a last look at this world.¡±


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo calmly reached out her hand under the other party¡¯s terrified gaze. With a cracking sound, Yu Zhizhi lost all signs of consciousness.


    Xiao Zhu was stunned on the spot. She looked at the fallen figure and panicked. ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, she, she, she¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Xiaoguo sighed and turned around helplessly.


    Xiao Zhu felt relieved when she heard that. She walked over and looked curiously at the woman who had fallen to the ground. She kicked her leg and realized that she wasn¡¯t putting on an act. Feeling puzzled, she asked, ¡°Then why did she collapse?¡±


    Xiaoguo was also feeling very helpless about this. ¡°She fainted from fright.¡±


    Before she was able to do anything, the other party had fainted from fear. She had thought that Yu Zhizhi had an unyielding character, but it turned out that she was just putting on an act.


    ¡°¡­ Then what about that cracking sound just now?¡±


    ¡°She must have broken her neck when she fell backwards¡­¡±


    At this point, Xiaoguo felt even more helpless. It was the same thing all over again. She had been preparing for a long time to get back at her, but the other party had automatically gone offline without her having to do anything. It was truly insufferable.


    She had wanted to knock her out with her palm, using the same tactic that Jiang Danhe had used on Yu Zhizhi. Then, she would drag her away and hang her on a tree. There were countless graves below. By the time she woke up, it would be night time. Combined with the terrifying atmosphere, it should be enough to scare her.


    She didn¡¯t expect Yu Zhizhi to be so sensible. She went offline on her own without having her to do anything.


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    Xiao Zhu kicked her and asked with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Just carry her out and leave her at the mountain pass.¡±


    Xiaoguo gave it some thought and couldn¡¯t bear to leave the woman here. If anything happened during the night, the consequences could be dire. After all, no matter how annoying the other party was, she was still a young girl. No matter how sharp her tongue was, she didn¡¯t deserve to be treated like this.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Although Xiao Zhu hated Yu Zhizhi, she was not a cruel person at heart. She would feel bad if the woman was left here in the middle of the mountains. It seemed like a good idea to leave her at the mountain pass. There was more human traffic there, so at least she was not left alone in a desolate place. On top of that, her broken neck was not a serious issue. Her father is a physician, so she can receive treatment at home.


    Xiaoguo supported Yu Zhizhi¡¯s upper body and carefully held her neck to prevent further injuries. Xiao Zhu picked up Yu Zhizhi¡¯s legs and panted heavily as she walked.


    ¡°She¡¯s so heavy. She looks so skinny. I didn¡¯t expect her to be this heavy.¡±


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu obediently shut her mouth and tried her best to walk down the mountains with Yu Zhizhi¡¯s legs in her hands.


    The two of them had not forgotten about the medicinal basket that belonged to Yu Zhizhi. They brought it down together with them.


    When they finally reached the foot of the mountain, Xiaoguo and Xiao Zhu found a shady spot and put the woman down.


    Xiaoguo lowered the basket on her shoulder and placed it beside Yu Zhizhi. After dusting off the dirt on her hands, she said to Xiao Zhu, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, okay.¡±


    Before leaving, Xiao Zhu ran back and gave Yu Zhizhi another kick. Seeing that the woman was still dead to the world, she snorted and chased after Xiaoguo.


    In the evening, they heard a commotion outside.


    Before the few people in the house could go out to check, Xiao Zhu, who had just returned from picking up dinner, snickered at Xiaoguo. She even winked at her when the rest were not paying attention.


    This time, Xiaoguo knew what had happened. She chuckled to herself and took the tray from Xiao Zhu¡¯s hands without a sound. It seemed that Yu Zhizhi had been discovered.


    Yu Ling had gone out to pick up dinner. As soon as she entered the house, she began to share with everyone what she had heard and seen.


    Xiaoguo listened to her vivid description and smiled to herself. When she met Xiao Zhu¡¯s eyes, the amusement in their eyes could not be concealed.


    At the dining table, the only two people who knew the inside story did not say anything. It was not because they were afraid that they would leak the news, but because this matter really had nothing to do with them.


    Yu Zhizhi must have twisted her neck and fainted. It had nothing to do with them.


    If one were to insist that they were involved, then they had only done a good deed and dragged Yu Zhizhi to a less secluded place so that she wouldn¡¯t lay unconscious in the mountains.


    When it was time to rest at night, Xiao Zhu insisted on sleeping with Xiaoguo. When Yu Ling saw this, she wanted to join them too, but the beds in the attic were limited and could not accommodate four people. Hence, she could only give up regretfully. However, she decided to play with them for a while longer before going to bed.


    Hence, Yu Ling happily followed them up the stairs. Zhao Yuyan looked at her back and chuckled. She shook her head helplessly and returned to the house alone with the candle.


    During the day, Xiao Zhu had already changed the bed sheets and pillowcases to clean ones in her room just so that she could sleep with Xiaoguo.


    The four of them lay comfortably on the small bed and looked at the night view outside the window. They sighed in unison.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you leaving tomorrow?¡±


    Xiaoguo remained silent for a moment. ¡°The plan is to set off tomorrow morning after combing the beach.¡±


    Xiao Zhu¡¯s eyes were dim. After hearing this, she nodded silently.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve decided to leave the day after tomorrow.¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo finished speaking, Xiao Zhu exclaimed happily, ¡°This is awesome!¡±


    Her voice was so loud that it startled Yu Ling and Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Are you so happy that I¡¯m leaving one day later?¡±


    Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang, who was burrowing into her arms, and smiled at Xiao Zhu.


    Xiao Zhu nodded instinctively, but then she realized that it was too dark to see anything clearly, so she said loudly instead, ¡°I¡¯m so happy!¡±


    Xiaoguo and Yu Ling couldn¡¯t help but laugh when they heard her sincere words.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, can you visit me more often in the future?¡± Then, feeling that it didn¡¯t sound right, she immediately added, ¡°Or can I visit you?¡±


    After remaining silent for a while, Xiaoguo spoke up just as Xiao Zhu was about to become disappointed.


    ¡°Xiao Zhu, do you want to leave with me?¡±

 Chapter 375 - 375 Decision to Stay

    375 Decision to Stay


    When Yu Ling heard this, she had the biggest reaction. She sat up immediately and looked at Xiao Zhu with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°My mother and I are going to Sister Xiaoguo¡¯s house. Xiao Zhu, do you want to join us?¡±


    Xiao Zhu was stunned when she heard this. She lowered her head and said after a while, ¡°I want to spend more time with Father and Mother.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in understanding. She had actually brought up this idea because she felt that Xiao Zhu was too lonely.


    When she boarded the ship and left the last time, Xiao Zhu¡¯s gaze made her feel inexplicably sad. The family she was pining for had left her. And the day after tomorrow, she would be all alone by herself.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yu Ling sighed in disappointment. But she immediately nodded in agreement. ¡°You should spend more time with them.¡±


    With that, she lay back on the bed and rested her hands behind her head. She looked at the stars in the night sky and fell into deep thoughts.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll come visit you more often in the future. I¡¯ll come and see you when you miss me. How about that?¡±


    At this moment, Xiaoguo¡¯s suggestion was met with frantic nods from Xiao Zhu.


    ¡°If only you could stay a little longer. Hehe.¡±


    Xiao Zhu couldn¡¯t help but say what she was thinking.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, Yu Ling glanced at her, looking pensive.


    The few of them chatted for a long time, but Zhuang Zhuang only called out once to Xiaoguo from the moment he lay down and did not speak thereafter.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is asleep.¡±


    Yu Ling¡¯s voice attracted the two of them. They looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who had been silent all this while. It turned out that he had fallen asleep a long time ago. No wonder he was so quiet all this time.


    The little boy was sleeping very soundly with his small hands tightly gripping onto Xiaoguo¡¯s clothes. If one listened carefully, they could even hear his soft snores.


    Xiaoguo chuckled. So he was feeling sleepy. She was wondering why he looked so listless earlier and he even kept burrowing into her arms.


    Seeing this, Yu Ling got out of bed and said softly, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and said softly, ¡°Go on. Good night¡­¡±


    ¡°Good night?¡±


    Xiao Zhu wondered what those two words meant. If it was a good night, does it mean that it would be safe at night?


    At the thought of this possibility, she immediately said good night to Yu Ling.


    Safety at night was very important!


    Yu Ling didn¡¯t know what it meant either, but it sounded like a nice greeting. She smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°Goodnight to you too! Goodnight to Zhuang Zhuang, who is sleeping¡­¡±


    With that, she left the attic.


    Xiaoguo looked away and smiled. ¡°These two imps.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Zhu snickered.


    ¡ª-


    On the other hand, Yu Zhizhi was not enjoying the same happy atmosphere.


    When Yu Zhizhi was carried back by the villagers, Father Yu was shocked. He thought that something bad had happened. After checking Yu Zhizhi¡¯s pulse, he realized that she had only sprained her neck and had fainted briefly from shock.


    Seeing that she was fine, Father Yu heaved a sigh of relief. He had almost been frightened to death by her appearance earlier on.


    He brewed a pot of herbs with calming properties and massaged Yu Zhizhi¡¯s neck with some wine. After doing all that, he left the room.


    While Yu Zhizhi was unconscious, she could feel a scorching pain in her neck. Someone had also poured some hot and bitter-tasting water down her throat, causing numbness in her tongue.


    This reminded her of what her third aunt had said the other day. If a gossipy woman kept spreading rumors, she would be sent to the eighteenth level of hell. In that place, her tongue would be pulled out and her neck would be chopped off.


    During this period of time, she had been spreading so many rumors. It was inevitable that she would feel afraid. Coincidentally, when she heard what her third aunt said, she was so frightened that she did not even dare to walk alone at night.


    She seemed to recall that Qin Xiaoguo had killed her before she fainted. Could it be that she had now arrived at the eighteenth level of hell?!


    Thinking of this made her hair stand on end and she started breaking out in cold sweat.


    When she felt her tongue go numb just now, did that mean that her tongue had been pulled out? Then the pain in her neck earlier was very likely the sensation of her head being chopped off?!


    These thoughts almost made her pee in her pants.


    But then she realized. If she was really dead, why would she need to pee? Can a dead person pee?


    With that thought in mind, Yu Zhizhi, who was lying on the bed, instantly opened her eyes. She could barely open her eyes in the darkness. With much difficulty, she managed to see the room clearly under the moonlight. She heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I am not dead!¡±


    Thinking carefully about the sequence of events, Yu Zhizhi was furious. At this moment, she wished that she could die. That way, she could transform into a ghost and take revenge on them.


    As her anger grew, Yu Zhizhi felt like peeing even more. She almost couldn¡¯t hold it in when she pounded the bed just now.


    Just as she was trying to get up to go to the toilet, she suddenly felt a pain in her neck and it made her fall back onto the bed uncontrollably. This caused her to lose control of her bladder.


    At this moment, Father Yu, who was next door, heard some noise coming from her room. He shouted as he walked over, ¡°Zhizhi? Are you awake? Is your neck okay?¡±


    When she heard her father, Yu Zhizhi could only hurriedly shout for him to stop and not come in.


    Father Yu stopped in his tracks and stopped outside the door in disappointment. ¡°Zhizhi, are you still blaming me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Afraid that he would suddenly come in, Yu Zhizhi quickly replied.


    ¡°Sigh, Zhizhi, I know you¡¯re upset with me, but there¡¯s something I have to say again. Stop creating trouble and live a down-to-earth life like before. Is that okay?¡±


    Mr. Yu was mentally and physically exhausted. He didn¡¯t know why his daughter was behaving in this way. After returning from the trip, she started to behave strangely. The child, who had never disagreed with him, had openly refuted him a few days ago.


    When he found out that his obedient daughter had spread lies behind Xiao Zhu¡¯s back and maliciously hurt her, he was filled with disbelief. In order to protect her, he sent her to the mountains to pick herbs. He made her go before dawn and return in the evening.


    However, in his daughter¡¯s eyes, she misunderstood his good intentions as being in cahoots with the other villagers.


    He really didn¡¯t know what to do with her.


    At this moment, Yu Zhizhi was suffering in silence. Being stuck in such a predicament, she could only wipe her tears and pretend to be calm. ¡°I understand, Father. I¡¯ll behave myself in the future.¡±


    Father Yu nodded in satisfaction and left.


    When Yu Zhizhi felt that she had completely relieved herself, she couldn¡¯t help but lie on the pillow and sob.


    In her confusion, she thought of the villagers¡¯ expressions when they looked at her in recent days, as well the expressions she wore when telling lies, and her father¡¯s disappointed and pained expressions.


    Her complicated emotions were intertwined. Those disgusted and twisted faces kept appearing in her mind in a repetitive manner.


    Had she really done something wrong?


    ¡ª-


    ¡°I want to stay behind with my mother.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Xiaoguo patted the sand off her hands and looked at Yu Ling in disbelief. That was pretty unexpected.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, my mother likes the sea, so I want to stay here for the time being and accompany her on her last journey.¡±


    Yu Ling had thought about it through the night. Since her mother didn¡¯t have much time left, she didn¡¯t want her to suffer. Her mother liked the sea and freedom, so she wanted to stay with her on the last journey of her life.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Yu Ling smiled happily, revealing her small teeth. ¡°Thank you, Sister Xiaoguo.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and shook her head. Then, she turned to look at Zhao Yuyan, who was watching the sea. At this moment, the woman seemed to have become much younger under the nourishment of the morning sun. Everything seemed so unreal.


    At this moment, the woman turned around and met Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes. Then, she smiled from the bottom of her heart.


    Zhao Yuyan walked over and sat on the sand. Then, she found an excuse to send Yu Ling away.


    ¡°Yuling told you, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded.


    ¡°This is a good place. The sea is very quiet. It would be very comfortable to rest here eternally.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything and nodded in agreement.


    After Zhao Yuyan finished speaking, she smiled and glanced at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange?¡±

 Chapter 376 - 376 Asking For A Favor

    376 Asking For A Favor


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That I chose the sea as my final resting place¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head calmly. ¡°It¡¯s quite a good idea. Better than being buried in the soil and suffering the pain of being bitten by bugs and rotting in the soil.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I was afraid that my thoughts would sound strange.¡±


    Zhao Yuyan seemed to have found a confidante. She told Xiaoguo a lot, including why she wanted to be cremated.


    In this era where soil burial was the norm, cremation seemed like an irrational idea.


    Ever since Zhao Yuyan had this thought, she was worried that her idea would be frowned upon.


    She had lived too mundanely in the better half of her life. She was a swallow at heart. Since she could not soar in the blue skies and white clouds, then she would wander in the vast and gentle sea instead.


    ¡°Can you bear to leave everything behind?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at her ordinary and yearning face and couldn¡¯t help but find it strange. Could she really face death so calmly?


    ¡°The heavens never decide life and death based on whether you are ready or not. Either way, when it¡¯s time, nobody gets to choose. It¡¯s hard for anyone to leave without regrets.¡±


    ¡°But I am ready now.¡±


    At this point, Zhao Yuyan looked at Xiaoguo. ¡°Does Yu Ling already know?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°My condition.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo was silent for a second before nodding. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Yuyan looked proud. ¡°She¡¯s indeed my daughter. What a smart girl!¡±


    ¡°Yu Ling is so smart. With you by her side, I have nothing to worry about.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and said deliberately, ¡°It seems that I have a heavy burden on my shoulders.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t crush you. I believe in you.¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Yuyan lay down on the sand. She shook her head comfortably and continued, ¡°Now, I¡¯m just waiting to close my eyes and enjoy life.¡±


    Seeing how comfortable she was, Xiaoguo also lay down on the sand. She closed her eyes and quietly enjoyed the sea breeze and the sound of the waves.


    ¡°In my next life, I still want to be Yu Ling¡¯s mother. It would be great if I could bump into you again.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you going to repay me?¡±


    Xiaoguo laughed after saying that.


    Zhao Yuyan smiled back. ¡°That¡¯s right. To repay your kindness.¡±


    Xiaoguo snorted. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you. You¡¯d better not pretend to not know me in your next life.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Hahahaha¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled back at her.


    Parting was for a better reunion the next time.


    ¡ª-


    During lunch, when Xiao Zhu found out that Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan were not leaving, she was so excited that she almost flipped the table. She kept asking them if it was true.


    The few of them nodded again and again. Only then did she believe them. Her beautiful eyes narrowed as she said, ¡°That¡¯s great! Then the three of us can stay together!¡±


    A smile flashed across Yuling¡¯s eyes when she heard this. Then, she smiled and nodded. ¡°Hehe, sure!¡±


    Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan had no objections. Xiao Zhu was too lonely now. They also wanted to spend more time with this poor little girl.


    In the afternoon, Xiaoguo was prepared to make a trip to the old village chief¡¯s house. She didn¡¯t let anyone follow her and was planning to go alone.


    Now that Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan had decided to stay in the fishing village, there were still many things to do. She was going to look for the old village chief to explain the situation and ask him to help watch over the girls.


    ¡°Mother, I want to go with you!¡±


    This time, Xiaoguo agreed. She would just let him follow her. If she didn¡¯t, Zhuang Zhuang would definitely cry.


    It had been a long time since the mother and son had done something together. Zhuang Zhuang was very happy. Along the way, he kept asking her questions while looking at the clouds and the sea. The atmosphere was extremely lively.


    Halfway through, he asked about their destination.


    ¡°Mother, where are we going?¡±


    Xiaoguo laughed when she heard that. She pinched his little nose and said with a smile, ¡°You¡­ You wouldn¡¯t even know if someone sold you.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Mother won¡¯t do that to me.¡±


    Xiaoguo laughed and patted his head. ¡°We¡¯re going to look for the old village chief. Sister Yu Ling and her mother have decided to stay in the fishing village and live with Sister Xiaozhu for a while.¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he tilted his head and asked, ¡°For a while?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Xiaoguo responded calmly. Then, looking at his strange expression, she remembered that she had yet to explain the whole situation to him.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, can I tell you about Sister Yu Ling and Auntie Zhao Yuyan?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped making her way to the village chief¡¯s house. Instead, she found a spot and sat down with Zhuang Zhuang before she started explaining to him.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard the story, he couldn¡¯t help but cry. Before Xiaoguo could ask him what was wrong, he jumped into her arms.


    In between sobs, he said, ¡°Mother, can you not leave me? Please never do that.¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned for a moment. Then, she patted his head sadly. ¡°Okay, I promise you.¡±


    After hearing her words, Zhuang Zhuang slowly stopped crying. He looked up at his mother, who looked so gentle in front of him. He didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. If his mother were to leave him one day, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to take it. Just thinking about it made him want to cry.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo knew that children of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s age could not understand death. Just thinking about it would make them sad.


    She still remembered the time when she was young, she would cry for a long time when she occasionally thought about her parents leaving her one day.


    After calming down, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang patted the sand off their bodies and continued walking towards the village chief¡¯s house.


    When the two of them arrived, the old village chief was discussing something with a group of people. Xiaoguo saw that they were all men, so it was not convenient for her to go over. She followed the village chief¡¯s wife to the back room and waited for the old village chief to finish his discussion.


    Soon, the old village chief came in. He smiled sheepishly at Xiaoguo and said, ¡°Madam, sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Xiaoguo smiled and shook her head. After the man sat down, she said, ¡°I came here this time to ask you for a favor.¡±


    The old village chief looked at her in surprise and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Xiaoguo told him about Zhao Yuyan and her daughter staying in the fishing village. She also told him in detail about Zhao Yuyan¡¯s health.


    The old village chief¡¯s wife was a sentimental person. When she heard about Zhao Yuyan and her daughter¡¯s situation, she felt sad for them and tears welled up in her eyes.


    The old village chief nodded silently and said firmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam. I understand their situation. I¡¯ll take care of their three meals and will look out for them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not good for them to keep troubling the two of you. Besides, Zhao Yuyan¡¯s condition is unpredictable. It could drag for a week, a month, or half a year. I was thinking that maybe you can prepare some cookware and food for them. A moderate amount of food should suffice. Just keep your eyes peeled. When things settle down in the future, they can buy more themselves.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    The old village chief nodded readily. ¡°Leave this to me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you in advance.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and thanked the chief. This was what she had thought of. The physician on the island had said that Zhao Yuyan could live longer if she maintained a positive outlook. Seeing that she was getting better by the day, she might be able to last longer than expected.


    Since they wanted to settle down here, they should try to lead a normal life. They couldn¡¯t keep troubling the old village chief to provide everything for them. Therefore, it was more convenient for them to cook their own meals.


    ¡°Please accept this money.¡±


    Xiaoguo took out fifteen taels of silver from her pocket and placed them on the table.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡±


    The old village chief and his wife refused repeatedly. How could they accept her money?


    ¡°Take it. I can¡¯t let you spend so much effort and money. Besides, I have nothing to thank you for after receiving such a warm welcome from you and Madam. This bit of money is my token of appreciation.¡±


    Xiaoguo was being very euphemistic. Based on the current standard of living in the Shao Nation, fifteen taels of silver was more than enough to last most ordinary people for at least a year. After using the money to buy pots, pans, and food, there would still be a big sum left.

 Chapter 377 - 377 Fishing Net

    377 Fishing Net


    At the moment, the few of them had yet to settle down. Since the village chief had a carriage at home, it would be very convenient for them to buy things in the county.


    Yu Ling and Zhao Yuyan were not familiar with the outside world yet. Xiao Zhu had never gone out alone, so it would be unrealistic to expect them to buy food on their own now.


    However, once they become more familiarized with the outside world, they should be fine.


    Therefore, Xiaoguo had to trouble the old village chief during this initial period.


    Seeing how insistent Xiaoguo was, the old village chief looked at his wife hesitantly. She nodded at him, indicating that he should accept it.


    After a while, he sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll accept it then. Madam, don¡¯t worry. Since the Zhao family¡¯s mother and daughter have come to the fishing village, they are a part of the village now. As the village chief, I will definitely take responsibility and take good care of them.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. She had no doubt about his words.


    It was rare to come across someone who was willing to go out of his way to take care of the orphans in the village. He was definitely a very responsible person.


    ¡°To be honest, I have another favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me.¡±


    ¡°I also need your help to keep an eye on their situation. If there¡¯s any problems, please inform me.¡±


    ¡°Aye, okay. I will.¡± The old village chief understood what she meant and nodded without hesitation.


    Xiaoguo smiled and said, ¡°I live in Peach Blossom Village. You can locate me by my husband¡¯s surname. Our surname is Jiang. It¡¯s easy to find us.¡±


    The old village chief immediately instructed his wife to find a pen and paper to write the name down. After writing, he showed it to Xiaoguo. When Xiaoguo had confirmed that the name was taken correctly, he carefully kept the paper.


    After saying goodbye to them, Xiaoguo was about to walk towards Xiao Zhu¡¯s house when Zhuang Zhuang stopped and pointed to the sea. ¡°Mother, shall we go to the seaside for a while?¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the sea and nodded. She held Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand and walked towards the beach.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked down at the sand under his feet. He stepped on the sand and kicked it.


    Xiaoguo could tell that he was curious, so she squatted down and asked, ¡°Do you want to take off your shoes?¡±


    ¡°Can I take off my shoes? And go bare-footed?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked into her eyes hesitantly. Then, under her encouraging gaze, he smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo squatted down and took off his shoes. She suddenly realized a problem. ¡°Have Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s feet gotten a little bigger?¡±


    It was only then that she realized that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s shoes were a little too small for his feet. Before leaving for the island, she had made the shoes according to his size. It had only been two months since then, but he had already outgrown the shoes. That was really fast.


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t tell if his feet had grown bigger, but the shoes did feel a little tight. He hadn¡¯t told his mother about it. He wanted to let her know when they got home, but his mother had found out before that.


    ¡°That was fast¡­¡± Xiaoguo took off his shoes and placed them aside. She measured his little feet with both hands and rubbed them while feeling nostalgic. Her actions made Zhuang Zhuang laugh out loud.


    ¡°Mother¡­ no matter how fast I grow, I¡¯m still your son. I¡¯ll never be separated from you!¡±


    He was right about that. The bond between a mother and her child was unbreakable. Whenever Xiaoguo was unhappy, Zhuang Zhuang was able to sense it immediately. Then, he would immediately shower her with warm and sweet words. Xiaoguo did not have a chance to sigh even if she wanted to.


    At this moment, Zhao Yuyan, Yu Ling, and Xiao Zhu arrived at the beach.


    ¡°Hey, is that Zhuang Zhuang and Sister Xiaoguo?¡±


    It was hard to tell because Xiaoguo had her back towards them and Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head was lowered.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang heard his name. Although the voice was soft, he instinctively looked up in that direction.


    When Xiao Zhu heard Yu Ling¡¯s words, she spotted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s Zhuang Zhuang and Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    The three of them walked quickly towards them.


    Xiaoguo was focused on taking off Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s shoes. Seeing that there was no reaction from her, Zhuang Zhuang nudged his mother and reminded her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t understand and looked up at Zhuang Zhuang. At that moment, she heard two voices behind her.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiaoguo answered first before looking at the person.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. Recently, there had been too many people who were addressing her as their ¡®big sister¡¯. At this age, she should be addressing other old women as her ¡®big sister¡¯. She really didn¡¯t expect to meet a group of little sisters here.


    ¡°We have come out to look for you.¡±


    Xiao Zhu was overjoyed and ran over first.


    ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. We were tidying up the house when we found a small wooden boat and fishing net. After our beach-combing session tomorrow, we can go out and catch some seafood.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled when she heard that. That would be great. She should try to bring as much seafood as she could get her hands on. The bigger the catch, the more she can share it with the rest. Earlier on, she was still worrying about not being able to gather enough seafood.


    However, if they were going out to sea, it would be better if there was more time. They would leave for home first thing after their beach-combing session. It was unlikely that they would be able to catch much seafood. If they wished to catch more fish, they would have to go out to sea when the sky was still dark. But then, that would be too dangerous.


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s too late to cast the net tomorrow. We¡¯re going home right after combing the beach.¡±


    Xiaoguo said in disappointment. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling fell silent when they heard this. It was not going to work.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can do it now.¡±


    Zhao Yuyan looked at them strangely. ¡°Why have this bunch of girls become muddle-headed all of a sudden? It¡¯s not like they could only go out to sea tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Xiaoguo patted her head and smiled. How silly.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling instantly perked up and said in unison, ¡°Then we¡¯ll go get the boat and the fishing net!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the fishing net!¡± Zhuang Zhuang was not going to be left out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡±


    Xiao Zhu took the shoes from Xiaoguo¡¯s hands and helped Zhuang Zhuang put them on together with Yu Ling¡¯s help.


    Zhuang Zhuang swallowed the words that were at the tip of his tongue. He was about to say that he could put the shoes on by himself. Looking at the two girls, who looked so motivated, he nodded firmly and tried to keep up with them.


    With his short legs, it was impossible for him to keep up with the two older girls. Hence, Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu ran for a while before stopping and turning around. They picked up Zhuang Zhuang, who was trying to catch up. With both of them holding onto the boy¡¯s arms, the three of them instantly raced forward.


    Looking at such a funny scene, Xiaoguo and Zhao Yuyan laughed so hard that they almost choked.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was in the middle, seemed to be running and floating at the same time. However, his little face looked extremely serious. It was a very comical sight.


    After a long time, the three of them returned with strained expressions.


    Although the boat and net were not heavy, having to push the weight over a long distance did require a lot of strength and effort.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo and Zhao Yuyan quickly went forward to help. Only then did the three of them have the chance to catch their breath.


    Just as Zhuang Zhuang was pushing with all his strength, he suddenly felt the weight disappear from his hands. Being caught off guard, he almost fell forward.


    Hearing the laughter from everyone, he blushed in embarrassment and chuckled to himself.


    With their combined efforts, the few of them managed to push the boat into the sea. The small boat swayed a few times before floating steadily on the water.


    The small wooden boat was left behind by Xiao Zhu¡¯s parents at that time. Ever since they passed away, no one had used it. Although the boat was old, it was fortunate that there were no cracks on it, and the oars were also intact.


    As the boat was small, it could only seat two or three people.


    Xiaoguo knew how to row a boat, so she had to get on it. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling both wanted to get on the boat too. Since they were both skinny, it was okay for them to hop on.


    By now, the boat had reached its maximum capacity. Zhao Yuyan wasn¡¯t very interested, so she volunteered to stay on the shore and wait for them.


    Zhuang Zhuang seemed to be thinking about something. He kept looking at Xiaoguo pitifully, hoping that she would bring him along.


    Xiaoguo looked hesitantly at the space between the three of them and then took another look at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s stomach¡­


    ¡°Come join us.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang immediately opened his arms happily and waited for Xiaoguo to pick him up.


    However, what greeted him was Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling pulling him onto the boat by his arms. When he was seated down firmly between the two of them, he looked sadly at Xiaoguo¡¯s back view.


    Sensing something, Xiaoguo explained without looking back, ¡°Mother has to row the boat. I can¡¯t take care of you.¡±


    Hearing her explanation, Zhuang Zhuang nodded in understanding.


    Just like that, the three and a half people rowed off.

 Chapter 378 - 378 Big Catch

    378 Big Catch


    Xiaoguo was an adult, Yu Ling, and Xiao Zhu were considered as two older children. Zhuang Zhuang was considered as half a child.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll hold onto Zhuang Zhuang tightly.¡±


    Yu Ling hugged Zhuang Zhuang from behind and locked him tightly in her arms.


    Among the three of them, she was the only one who didn¡¯t know how to row a boat. Therefore, she was the only one without an oar. Naturally, the task of taking care of Zhuang Zhuang fell on her.


    ¡°Alright, thank you, Yu Ling.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, not at all.¡± Yu Ling chuckled foolishly. Then, she quietly tightened her grip.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, hold on tight to Sister Yu Ling.¡±


    Xiaoguo did not hear Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice, so she reminded him.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang replied unhurriedly. Then, he looked behind him helplessly. It didn¡¯t matter if he held on to Sister Yu Ling or not. In any case, there was no way he was going to fall.


    The main reason was that she had used an extraordinary amount of strength to wrap her arms around him. He was guessing that if the boat capsized at that moment, he wouldn¡¯t get separated from Yu Ling, who was hugging him in her arms.


    He wondered if Sister Yu Ling was protecting him or herself.


    Yu Ling felt the hull under her butt moving forward. She was so excited that her entire body was trembling.


    If Zhuang Zhuang knew what she was thinking, he would definitely roll his eyes at her. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re feeling excited? Or are you afraid?¡±


    Yu Ling sensed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s gaze on her and she smiled brightly at him. In the next instant, the boat started swaying slightly. It scared her so much that she immediately tightened her arms around Zhuang Zhuang. Only then did she feel a sense of security with him in her arms.


    She was secretly delighted. Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s body was really strong. It was indeed the right choice to hold onto him.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to row too far. When she reached the desired spot, she threw down the fishing net.


    With the fishing net thrown into the waters, they would wait for the catch tomorrow. This was the most they could do.


    At night, before going to bed, Xiaoguo summoned everyone to sit around the table. As they were leaving the next day, she had something to tell them.


    She was the one who brought them here, so she should take on full responsibility for them.


    First, Xiaoguo placed a bag of loose silver on the table.


    ¡°There¡¯s about fifty taels of silver here. Keep them well.¡±


    As expected, none of them wanted it and kept stuffing it back into her hands. Xiaoguo dodged left and right, refusing to take it back.


    Xiaoguo was very amused by this scene. In the end, she stuffed the money into Zhao Yuyan¡¯s arms. Seeing that she was about to return it, she immediately said solemnly, ¡°This money is for your living expenses. Keep it well.¡±


    ¡°The old village chief should have prepared some food supplies for you. You don¡¯t have to worry about your daily meals for now. When you¡¯re more settled, you can use this money to buy food for yourself. In the future, contact me if you need anything, understand?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Xiaoguo was looking at the three of them with a very serious look on her face. The three of them nodded in unison.


    ¡°In the future, if you need anything, you can go to the old village chief. He will send someone to inform me. Remember, I¡¯m talking about anything. If you miss me, that¡¯s fine too. I¡¯ll come when I get the news.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and told them to go back and rest early.


    They were going to comb the beach tomorrow, so it was better to rest early.


    No one moved at all. Seeing this, Xiaoguo had no choice but to sit down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, is Peach Blossom Village far from here?¡±


    Yu Ling asked the question that she was curious about.


    ¡°Not far.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. She thought that something was wrong, but it turned out to be about this matter.


    ¡°Using the mountain as a reference point, Peach Blossom Village is on one end while you are right on the opposite end. If we follow the mountain route, it will be slightly further. Even if we set off as soon as the sun rises, the fastest we can reach the village is when the sun is almost setting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not close. I was thinking about going to visit you when I miss you.¡±


    Yu Ling sighed in disappointment. If only the distance to the village was the same as on the island. This way, she could visit Sister Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang at any time.


    The others were having the same thought. They did not expect Peach Blossom Village to be so remote. Everyone was feeling quite disappointed.


    Xiaoguo was amused to hear that. If she tried to walk, her feet would definitely suffer.


    ¡°Alright, rest early.¡±


    They got up and returned to their rooms with candles in hand. As usual, Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang and Xiao Zhu to the attic to rest.


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, Xiaoguo packed her bags and the others got out of bed.


    Everyone was all geared up. Holding on to the wooden boat, they headed out to sea.


    Based on Xiao Zhu¡¯s experience, it was better to go early. Otherwise, all the good stuff at sea would be picked up by other women.


    After her previous experience while beachcombing, Xiaoguo knew very well how skillful those women were. Xiao Zhu was right. They were quite amazing. One had to be quick and alert in order to catch the good stuff.


    When they arrived at the beach, there were already people waiting for the tide to subside.


    The few of them took a look and decided to bring in the fishing net. They had nothing to do anyway.


    In for a penny, in for a pound. They pushed the boat out and got themselves seated. Rowing with their oars, they arrived at the place where the net was thrown over the last time.


    At this moment, there were a few fishing nets markers floating on the sea. They were all planted by the villagers themselves. The full-time fishermen would not cast their nets here. They usually venture further towards the center of the sea because the catch would be more plentiful there. Those who cast their nets here were villagers who were catching seafood for their own consumption.


    Among the few floating markers, theirs were the most recognizable. It was bright red and was easily spotted at a glance.


    Although Xiaoguo and the others didn¡¯t have high hopes, they couldn¡¯t help but wish for a bigger catch.


    Feeling apprehensive, Xiaoguo and Xiao Zhu each grabbed one end and tried to lift the net, but to no avail. The two of them looked at each other and were overjoyed. Wasn¡¯t this the weight of a big catch?


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Yu Ling saw their expressions and her mouth fell open. She was obviously thinking the same thing.


    ¡°Is our boat big enough?¡±


    Just as the few of them were feeling excited, Zhuang Zhuang said something to dampen their spirits. In that instant, the atmosphere became much quieter.


    ¡°We won¡¯t pull it up. We¡¯ll just row the boat back.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯ll work!¡±


    Yu Ling¡¯s suggestion was endorsed by Xiao Zhu. Xiaoguo had to make the final decision. If this big bundle was brought onto the small boat, it would definitely sink.


    Xiaoguo had no other choice. So be it. Either way, it was tedious. It didn¡¯t matter if they pulled up the net or not. At the very least, the fishing net in the water could prevent the boat from capsizing.


    ¡°Okay! Go!¡±


    All Xiaoguo could think about was how big a share everyone can get from this catch. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. She picked up the paddle and rowed with all her might.


    But the boat did not move at all.


    She turned around strangely and saw two extremely calm faces filled with question marks.


    In the entire boat, only Zhuang Zhuang was helping her row the boat when he heard her order.


    He had no choice. He really wanted to stick his hands into the water to row, but his arms were too short. He could barely reach the surface of the water.


    Zhuang Zhuang was exhausted and drenched in sweat from the paddling, but it seemed that no one was even rowing. He called out to Xiaoguo aggrievedly before the others were jolted back to their senses.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Xiao Zhu said to her. Xiaoguo tried her best to close her mouth and nodded silently. She said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Looking at the energetic Xiao Zhu, Xiaoguo was a little confused. What had she just said?


    Zhao Yuyan watched from the shore as the tide receded. They were not here yet, so she decided to start first.


    If she didn¡¯t start moving, the other aunties and young ladies would clear out the beach in no time. Before the tide subsided, there were already some people who couldn¡¯t wait to go into the water. When the tide subsided, those people waiting by the shore immediately moved towards the sea from all directions.


    This was Zhao Yuyan¡¯s first time combing the beach. She stepped on the fine sand left behind by the seawater. Her legs were feeling weak so she had difficulty exerting strength. After a while, she managed to find her momentum. The more she picked, the more excited she became. She even managed to snatch a lot of good stuff from a few aunties. She was so focused that she didn¡¯t even realize that Xiaoguo and the others had returned.


    In any case, when she looked up, she saw that they had caused a commotion. The women had stopped what they were doing and were gathering around to whisper among themselves.

 Chapter 379 - 379 Going Home!

    379 Going Home!


    Feeling curious, Zhao Yuyan stopped what she was doing and shook the sand off her hands before walking over.


    After squeezing through the crowd, she saw a large pile of green stuff. She couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but it didn¡¯t look like seafood.


    Other than Xiaoguo, everyone else in the group looked a little dejected.


    ¡°After all this time, we¡¯ve only caught a bunch of kelp. There¡¯s only so little seafood.¡±


    Xiao Zhu looked sadly at the few sea fish in the wooden bucket. How pathetic. They were not even enough to fill the gaps between her teeth.


    Disappointed, Yu Ling took out the last fish from the fishing net and threw it into the bucket. After laboring for half a day, they only caught five fish. The remaining stuff were all some green stuff that she hadn¡¯t seen before.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I like kelp. The more the better!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s attitude towards kelp was completely different from theirs. She liked it very much.


    Kelp was nutritious. Apart from seaweed, she liked kelp the most. It was perfect for soups, salads and fillings. She had gotten exactly what she wished for.


    When Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu heard this, they thought that she was trying to comfort them.


    The two of them looked at each other with the same thoughts in their eyes.


    Sister Xiaoguo was going home soon. They should maintain a happy atmosphere instead of sighing in despair throughout the day.


    After cheering themselves up, the two of them looked at Xiaoguo again. They were now wearing looks of satisfaction and joy.


    Xiao Zhu said, ¡°The kelp is indeed good stuff!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡± Yu Ling chimed in. Although she had only just found out that the green thing was kelp, it did not affect her extolling the stuff at all.


    ¡°This kelp is indeed a good thing. Okay! It¡¯s beneficial for¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Okay, she still wasn¡¯t quite sure about the goodness of kelp.


    Xiaoguo nodded and inadvertently looked at the crowd around them.


    Good lord, in order to check out the harvest in the fishing net, she had actually missed out on beachcombing. ¡°This is such a good opportunity. Hehe¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked into the crowd and secretly gave Zhao Yuyan a look. The other party immediately understood and started combing for seafood.


    After all, there was only so much one person could do. Hence, Xiaoguo secretly let Zhuang Zhuang and Xiao Zhu join in. She pretended to pack up the fishing net nonchalantly and slowly moved out of the crowd¡¯s view. Then, she started gathering seafood in a frenzy.


    The surrounding people were still excitedly watching Yu Ling sort out the kelp.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ How can we finish so much kelp?¡±


    Yu Ling did not notice that she was the only person left who was tidying up the kelp in the fishing net. She was also muttering to herself about the benefits of kelp.


    Just like that, the three of them could have sorted out the kelp quickly, but with only one person left, it was hard to say how long it was going to take.


    However, the longer Yu Ling was taking to sort out the kelp, the more Xiaoguo liked it.


    It¡¯s strange, but these seafarers have incredible patience and perseverance. They can spend half a day just observing a pile of kelp.


    As a result, after Yu Ling was done packing the kelp, Xiaoguo and the others had also reaped a bountiful harvest. When the other villagers were preparing to start picking seafood on the beach, they were dumbfounded. There was nothing good left.


    Xiaoguo and the others were already carrying the small boat in satisfaction. With a few buckets of seafood on the boat, they headed for home happily.


    On the way back, they saw the old village chief waiting at the door with a villager. There was a carriage parked beside him.


    The cheerful atmosphere instantly dissipated.


    That was because everyone knew that it was time for Xiaoguo to leave.


    Zhuang Zhuang could also sense that something was wrong. He closed his smiling mouth and quietly carried the boat.


    ¡°Madam, we can set off now.¡±


    The old village chief stepped forward and interrupted the gloomy atmosphere.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave after packing up.¡±


    Xiaoguo replied with a smile.


    The few of them moved the small boat to the courtyard and placed it in a safe spot. Then, they began to distribute the seafood.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, why don¡¯t you bring these back? We can always catch some when we want to eat.¡±


    Xiao Zhu wanted to load all three buckets onto the carriage, but Xiaoguo stopped her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need so much. Just give me this bucket which has more kelp.¡±


    In Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes, kelp was more attractive than the seafood.


    ¡°No, kelp is not as delicious as seafood.¡±


    With that, the three of them worked together to transfer all the wooden buckets onto the carriage.


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo brought down one full bucket of seafood for them, leaving two buckets that contained kelp for herself.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s not argue anymore. You guys can keep this. Don¡¯t let it spoil. Try to finish it soon.¡±


    Seeing that they were going to add seafood into her buckets, Xiaoguo said, ¡°I¡¯ll come often. We¡¯ll catch more seafood together another time.¡±


    When the three of them heard her words, they smiled.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were young, so they got teary-eyed instantly. Zhao Yuyan was fine, but she was feeling a little emotional. Her state of health¡­


    After this farewell, she wondered if they would meet again.


    ¡°Alright, alright, stop crying¡­ Be good and live well. I promise you that I¡¯ll visit often.¡±


    Xiaoguo hugged the two teary little girls and patted their backs to comfort them.


    As she was hoping to reach home before dark, Xiaoguo did not dare to dawdle. After coaxing the two girls, she took her bag and prepared to leave.


    Before leaving, Xiaoguo looked at Zhao Yuyan. The two of them nodded silently as a gesture of farewell.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t sure either. She wondered if Zhao Yuyan would still be around the next time she came back¡­


    At the thought of this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad. Afraid that the tears they had barely held back would fall again, she quickly wiped her tears and got into the carriage.


    Zhuang Zhuang was also busy bidding farewell to the others. In the end, he nodded heavily at Zhao Yuyan, drawing a smile from her. Only then did he retreat into the carriage with a flushed face.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving! You can look for me regarding anything. I¡¯ll be right over!¡±


    Before Xiaoguo left, she leaned out of the carriage and instructed worriedly.


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling swallowed their sobs and waved desperately in the direction Xiaoguo had left.


    Zhao Yuyan watched as the carriage drove further and further away. Her eyes dimmed as she said softly in her heart, ¡°Goodbye¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang watched the carriage leave before calling out to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo thought that he couldn¡¯t bear to part with her and was about to comfort him.


    Unexpectedly, Zhuang Zhuang shook his head to show that he was fine. ¡°Mother, I have something in my bag that Aunt Yuyan asked me to give you.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Yuyan asked you to give it to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo was curious now. Why didn¡¯t she pass it to her personally? Instead, she asked Zhuang Zhuang to do it for her.


    Seeing that she didn¡¯t respond, Zhuang Zhuang took over the bag and rummaged through it. Soon, he found a palm-sized object that was wrapped in a cloth.


    Xiaoguo held it in her hand. It felt like a rock.


    ¡°No wonder you insisted on packing your own bag. You were hiding a little secret.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled sheepishly. ¡°Aunt Yuyan wouldn¡¯t let me tell you. She even said that it was a surprise and that she could only give it to you when you leave. This is my promise to her as a little man!¡±


    Hearing his words, Xiaoguo became even more curious. She looked down at the thing in her hand. What was this mysterious thing?


    Xiaoguo quickly unwrapped the cloth. It was something that she had forgotten and used to yearn for. It was a luminous stone!


    ¡°When did Aunt Yuyan give you this?¡±


    ¡°She gave it to me yesterday afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Did she say anything when she gave it to you?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang thought about it carefully and said, ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything else. She just said that this was her personal collection from a long time ago. She asked you not to worry, it¡¯s fine to keep it.¡±


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath. If it was from a long time ago, could she have secretly hidden it when she was building the cellar on the island?


    Was this something she could keep?


    Xiaoguo hesitated. Since it belonged to the country, she shouldn¡¯t keep it.


    However, on second thought, no one would know if she used it at night. Besides, it was just a small piece of luminous stone. It would be fine if she used it. After thinking it through, Xiaoguo accepted it with relief.


    This was a really fruitful trip.

 Chapter 380 - 380 Back At Home!

    380 Back At Home!


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stop smiling along the way. Even Zhuang Zhuang, who was feeling happy, felt even happier.


    Xiaoguo got home faster than she had expected. She thought that she would only reach home after sunset. However, as soon as the setting sun appeared, the carriage entered Peach Blossom Village.


    Xiaoguo, who was sitting inside, suddenly felt the carriage shake but it quickly stabilized within seconds.


    The man outside the carriage explained, ¡°I just bumped into a villager walking in the middle of the road with a basket of firewood on his back, so I drove the carriage around him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t pay much attention to it and responded casually.


    At this moment, some people were cooking at home. Some families had already finished eating and were chatting outside their houses.


    The appearance of the carriage attracted the attention of the villagers. They tried hard to see who was in the carriage.


    However, in order not to attract too much attention, Xiaoguo did not lift the curtain to greet them. She kept a low profile all the way to her doorstep.


    The carriage stopped outside the door. As soon as Xiaoguo¡¯s feet touched the ground, the puppies in the house began to bark. All the other animals in the house started to call out too. They seemed to know that their master had returned and they were creating quite a ruckus.


    Hearing this, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang almost burst into tears. It was true that even a nest made of gold and silver could not compare to their own nest.


    After Xiaoguo alighted from the carriage, she turned around and helped Zhuang Zhuang down. She took out the key and handed it to him. ¡°We¡¯ll open the door later. Otherwise, the dogs will scare someone when they come out.¡±


    Xiaoguo was worried that the dogs at home would get too excited after not seeing them for so long. It wouldn¡¯t be good if they ran out and frightened someone.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded and said happily, ¡°Got it!¡±


    With that, he went to wait at the entrance while Xiaoguo got ready to bring out the things from the cart.


    Seeing that it was inconvenient for her, the villager who had sent her back helped her carry the wooden buckets down.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Although Xiaoguo could move them, she was carrying a bag in her hand. Therefore it was slightly inconvenient for her to unload the buckets. She was lucky that there was someone around to help.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    The villager was an honest man. Besides sending them back on this trip, he also had other tasks to complete.


    Time was tight so he did not dare to take any breaks. After saying that, he got ready to leave.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Xiaoguo stopped him and said worriedly, ¡°It¡¯s going to turn dark soon. Isn¡¯t it too late for you to go back now? Shall I find you a place to rest for the night? You can go back tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not going back to the fishing village today.¡± The villager chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the county to rest for the night. I still have to buy some grains tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he is going to the county.¡± Xiaoguo first looked at the sun and realized that there was still time. The evening sun was throwing light on the ground. If he made his way to the county now, he should be able to get there pretty soon.


    At the thought of this, she nodded in relief. ¡°Then be careful and stay safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, okay¡­¡±


    The villager got back into the carriage and drove away with a wave of the whip.


    Zhuang Zhuang watched the carriage leave before opening the door with the key.


    Just as Xiaoguo was thinking about home, Mrs. Yang¡¯s door opened.


    ¡°Aiyo, Xiaoguo, Zhuang Zhuang! You¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry. Xiaohu, stop eating. Zhuang Zhuang is back!¡±


    Mrs. Yang was holding a steamed bun in her hand. She shouted excitedly as she ran towards Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡¯d better slow down¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang¡¯s stomach in fear. It was nostalgic and funny to hear her shouting.


    Her stomach was already so big, but she still dared to jump around.


    ¡°Aiyo, I missed you so much!¡±


    Mrs. Yang hugged and accused Xiaoguo with tears and laughter. She complained about her going away for so long and enjoying herself so much that she had completely forgotten about them.


    While crying, Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t forget to stuff a steamed bun into her mouth. Seeing this, Xiaoguo was speechless. It had been some time since they last met, and the other party seemed to have grown an even bigger appetite.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law, I miss you too¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to hug her too tightly. She wasn¡¯t as uninhibited as the other party. Instead, she patted Mrs. Yang¡¯s back carefully, afraid that she would hurt her stomach.


    At this moment, the reality of her being away finally struck her. Mrs. Yang¡¯s stomach was not this big before she left for the summer resort.


    Just as Mrs. Yang was crying and complaining, Xiaohu and Xiaohua ran out of the house. Zhuang Zhuang, who had just opened the door, was pushed to the ground by the two of them and they started rolling around.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, Brother Xiaohu missed you so much¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, Sister Xiaohua wants a hug too¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh? You seem to have gained weight.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, indeed.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pushed the two of them away helplessly, leaving a gap for himself to breathe. He took a few deep breaths and said, ¡°Brother Xiaohu, Sister Xiaohua, I miss you too!¡±


    When Xiaohu heard this, he immediately felt aggrieved. He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes before starting to cry, ¡°You¡¯ve been away for so long. I was so bored¡­ I had no one to play with or talk to. It was hard on me¡­¡±


    This pair was indeed mother and son. Xiaohu and Mrs. Yang started to speak simultaneously.


    Before Xiaohu could finish speaking, Mrs. Yang continued, ¡°You¡¯ve been away for so long. I felt so bored¡­ I had no one to play with or talk to. It¡¯s so hard¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo looked at each other from afar. How could they be so in sync with each other?


    Just as the mother and son were about to faint from the suffocating love, Yang Feng and Yang Jia, who had also come out, couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and saved the pair from their suffering.


    Yang Feng looked at his wife, who had been pulled away by him. She was just about to pounce on Xiaoguo. He said helplessly, ¡°Our family is getting tired of hearing these words.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him. At first, she didn¡¯t understand what he was saying, but then she remembered. Was he talking about what Mrs. Yang had just said?


    Yang Jia pulled Xiaohu aside and added, ¡°Ever since you and Zhuang Zhuang went away, my sister-in-law and Xiaohu have been saying the same thing eight hundred times a day.¡±


    ¡°Calluses have started growing in our ears.¡±


    The two of them spoke in unison. Even the deaf could detect the helplessness in their voices.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang looked at each other and smiled. ¡°The two brothers have good rapport too.¡±


    Xiaohua, who was the only calm person amongst them, shook her head helplessly.


    After much difficulty, Mrs. Yang and Xiaohu finally calmed down.


    ¡°We were eating just now when we heard the commotion outside. At first, we thought that your brother was feeding the animals.¡±


    Mrs. Yang had been kicking up a fuss for a long time and had finished the steamed bun in her hand. Only then did she perk up and talk to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Is my brother at home?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked in surprise, but then she looked around. ¡°Where was he?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo! Xiaoguo! Zhuang Zhuang! Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Just as Xiaoguo finished speaking, Qin Anming¡¯s weak voice sounded from afar.


    Mrs. Yang was standing away from the group, so she spotted Qin Anming immediately. She exclaimed and attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    What came into view was a pile of wooden sticks of various thicknesses running towards them.


    That¡¯s right, it was running. After taking a closer look, they could see a head with white teeth hidden among the pile.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s first reaction was actually relief.


    It seemed that Qin Anming was really listening to her and taking care of his teeth.


    When Qin Anming saw Xiaoguo, he almost cried. Firstly, he missed her. Secondly, it hadn¡¯t been easy for him during this period of time!


    When he was making dinner in the evening, he suddenly realized that there was no more firewood at home, so he went out to collect some.


    He had planned to pick wood at the back of the mountain, but a few days ago, he heard from the villagers that snakes were spotted in that area. After thinking about it, he decided to go to another spot.


    He had no choice. He was really afraid of slippery reptiles.


    After gathering the firewood, he bumped into a carriage on the way back. He had wanted to make way for it, but the driver had the same thoughts as him and turned in the same direction.


    That really shocked him. The firewood that he had painstakingly gathered fell to the ground. He subconsciously squatted down to pick everything up, but he had forgotten about the carriage behind him.


    Fortunately, the driver was skilled enough to make a last-minute turn. Otherwise, the hooves would have trampled over him.

 Chapter 381 - 381 Why Are You Back?

    381 Why Are You Back?


    At this moment, Qin Anming was crying bitterly. He was so close to not being able to see his cute sister and fat nephew ever again.


    Throwing down the firewood that he had painstakingly gathered earlier, he ran excitedly to Xiaoguo and hugged her tightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally back. I missed you so much!¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect him to have such a big reaction. She could feel a lump rising in her throat. Just as she was about to hug him back and say that she missed him too, he mercilessly let go of her and ran towards Zhuang Zhuang.


    It felt like she was just a transit train and the other party had only stopped by for a short while. His goal was to reach the finishing line behind him.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s outstretched arms were still hanging awkwardly in midair. While no one was looking, she quickly put them down and turned to glare at the back of Qin Anming¡¯s head.


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    ¡°Dear Uncle¡­¡±


    ¡°My dear nephew¡­¡±


    Not only were their exchanges mushy, their actions were even more intense. As they spoke, their faces kept rubbing against each other.


    The rest who were watching broke out in goosebumps. They quietly took a few steps back and kept a distance from the pair.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to look at this scene. She only got a hug from Qin Anming, he gave Zhuang so many kisses and cuddles. On top of that, he kept telling that boy that he missed him.


    Why was there such a big difference in treatment?


    Mrs. Yang smacked her lips and thought that it was getting quite boring. She gave Brother Yang a look and the two of them got ready to go back.


    Yang Jia left with Xiaohu and Xiaohua reluctantly.


    Xiaoguo picked up her bag and walked past Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at them anymore. She opened the door and went into the house.


    As soon as she opened the door, the two puppies pounced on her. Xiaoguo gave them a rub on their heads. In the next instant, they spotted Zhuang Zhuang, who was standing outside, and ran towards him.


    Xiaoguo sighed helplessly. Why were the dogs so heartless too?


    She retracted her gaze and looked at the courtyard again. She didn¡¯t expect to miss it so much despite being only gone for two months.


    Before they set off for the island, the courtyard was still looking sparse. At this moment, the lush and tender vegetable leaves had completely filled up the vegetable plot.


    The vegetables that she had planted were already mature. Every single stalk looked well-grown and delicious. The beans, loofahs, and cucumbers had already sprouted and were growing on the vines. Just looking at them made her extremely happy. Not to mention that when all the vegetables matured at the same time, it would definitely be another harvest month.


    Among the vegetable crops, the most conspicuous were two piles of flower stems with thorns. On a closer look, it turned out that the Chinese roses that Jiang Danhe had planted had already sprouted green branches. There were also light pink and light yellow flower buds growing on them.


    What surprised Xiaoguo the most was the roses. She didn¡¯t expect the flowers to bloom so quickly. Just as the old man had said, the seedlings were healthy, so they would bloom within the year.


    But the magnolia tree was growing too slowly.


    As Xiaoguo admired the courtyard, she took time to greet the animals.


    ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s been a while since we last met. You¡¯ve gained a lot of weight¡­¡±


    Looking at the fat chickens and ducks, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva irrationally. What a sin. She had promised herself not to eat home-raised poultry¡­


    Not to be outdone, the donkey kept braying. Xiaoguo had no choice but to quickly comfort it. It was making so much noise.


    She was almost going deaf from the noise.


    ¡°Oh my, you miss me the most!¡±


    Xiaoguo patted its head while feeling overjoyed. As she touched it, she suddenly realized that it had grown fatter.


    ¡°Why do I feel that all the animals in the house have gained weight during the time that I was away? Is it an illusion?¡±


    With this thought in mind, she looked at the two cows who were eating grass. They had also grown much bigger.


    It seemed that they had been eating well while she was away¡­


    It was getting late and Xiaoguo was very hungry. Earlier on, they didn¡¯t stop for lunch because they were in a hurry to get home. Smelling the aroma that was wafting out from various houses, she was really craving for food.


    She returned to the house and put down her bag. Just as she was stepping through the door, she remembered that the seafood was still sitting outside the house. She then turned around and went outside.


    When she got outside, she ignored the pair, who were still hugging each other. She carried a bucket of seafood in each hand and entered the house.


    Before leaving, she glanced at the two people who were still absorbed in their own world. ¡°Go ahead and hug. Let¡¯s see if you are going to have dinner.¡±


    The pot was filled with water and rice. Qin Anming must have filled the pot earlier. Looking at the ratio of water to rice, he must be planning to make rice porridge.


    Xiaoguo added another spoonful of water and a handful of rice into the pot. Then, she covered it and prepared to start the fire.


    She had just squatted down when she saw that there was no firewood. Recalling the pile that was scattered on the ground outside, realization dawned upon her. But at this moment, she didn¡¯t feel like moving at all¡­


    Despite that, she still dragged her tired body to the door. Seeing that the two of them were still stuck together, she couldn¡¯t help but remind them.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang turned to look at her with bright smiles on their faces, seemingly asking what they could do for her.


    Although she didn¡¯t want to break the warm atmosphere between the two of them, she had already walked back and forth several times. It was time for them to pay some attention to her!


    ¡°You guys¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to ask if they were done yet, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so when she saw their kind faces. She could only smile and ask, ¡°Are you guys hungry?¡±


    The two of them nodded in unison. They were definitely hungry.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    As Qin Anming spoke, he got up and walked home with Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Firewood¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe, we will pick it up!¡±


    Qin Anming paused for a moment before he thought of the firewood. He got Zhuang Zhuang to squat down and help him pick up the firewood. He was so happy to see the two of them that he almost forgot about it. ¡°Haha.¡±


    Xiaoguo sighed and turned to leave.


    She was feeling too lazy to squat down and pick up the firewood. Maybe her body was feeling exceptionally relaxed and lazy because she was now at home. When she was putting away the bags earlier, she felt like lying down when she saw the bed. Fortunately, her hunger kept her going and gave her the energy to continue.


    When she returned to the kitchen, she lit a candle and began to sort out the seafood she had brought back.


    There were lots of kelp in the two buckets. Almost half the contents were kelp.


    Kelp has many health benefits, and it is a delicious food. There are many ways to prepare it. It could be mixed into salads, fillings, soups, stews. At the noodle shop, they could also add kelp into the noodles.


    Xiaoguo was planning to split the kelp into three portions. One for Mrs. Yang, one for Mr. Kong, and one for the noodle shop.


    The seafood could also be divided into three portions. There wasn¡¯t much seafood to begin with, so she was not going to keep any for herself. She would only keep some of the kelp.


    While Xiaoguo was distributing the seafood, Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang lit the fire and sat quietly at the side, watching her.


    ¡°Mother¡­ What dishes are we cooking?¡±


    ¡°Kelp salad it is.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Zhuang Zhuang poked the slippery surface of the kelp with his little finger and asked curiously, ¡°Is it delicious?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious and nutritious.¡±


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo cut a large piece with a knife and handed it to Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Take it and wash it.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang took the kelp and went to wash it.


    Qin Anming was standing beside Xiaoguo. After Zhuang Zhuang left, he asked her worriedly, ¡°Why did you guys come back so late?¡±


    ¡°It was hard to predict the timing. We set off on the day before yesterday. Then, I stayed in the fishing village with Zhuang Zhuang for two more days. We also caught some fish while we were there.¡±


    When traveling, plans are always subject to changes.


    ¡°By the way, why are you home?¡±


    This was the part that Xiaoguo was curious about. Judging from the laundry on the rope, he must have been back for some time.


    ¡°Erm, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Qin Anming stammered, unable to explain himself. He felt so guilty that he didn¡¯t dare to look at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing that he wasn¡¯t going to say anything, Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and said deliberately, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll ask Ruyi tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hey, no, no, no.¡±


    Qin Anming panicked and pulled Xiaoguo back instinctively. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that something was up.


    Xiaoguo was even more certain of her guess. She frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Qin Anming stammered for a long time and said embarrassedly, ¡°I just sprained my waist. I came back to rest for a few days.¡±


    ¡°How many days?¡±


    ¡°A month¡­¡±


    ¡°A month?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Slightly more than a month.¡±


    ¡°More than a month?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really not more than two months. Really!¡±

 Chapter 382 - 382 Dead Dough Mantou

    382 Dead Dough Mantou


    Qin Anming looked as if he were taking an oath. Xiaoguo started to frown as she watched him.


    ¡°So you sprained your back not long after we left?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ um¡­¡±


    Qin Anming wanted to say no, but when he saw Xiaoguo looking straight into his eyes, he nodded honestly.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. I just sprained my back. It¡¯s not that bad. The main reason I came back was to take care of the house. I was worried about you being away for so long. Since I have twisted my waist, Ruyi asked me to stay here for a while longer.¡±


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t want Xiaoguo to worry, so he quickly explained to her.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really!¡± Qin Anming nodded frantically to show that he wasn¡¯t hiding anything. He even deliberately moved his waist for her to see. ¡°See, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Seeing that he was really fine, Xiaoguo believed him.


    ¡°How did it happen?¡±


    ¡°It was a busy day at the shop when it happened. I didn¡¯t rest well a few days in a row. While trying to stretch, I twisted my waist.¡±


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t want to tell her about this because he was feeling embarrassed. He had sprained his back because of a stretch. He was too ashamed to admit it.


    ¡°Are you all right now?¡±


    Xiaoguo was still worried. How could a sprained waist recover so quickly?


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine now. I got better after resting for a few days. I still feed the animals with melon seedlings every day.¡± At this point, Qin Anming looked rather proud. He smiled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that they¡¯ve gained a lot of weight?¡±


    ¡°I did, but I thought it was just my imagination.¡±


    Hearing his words, Xiaoguo understood. It turned out that Qin Anming had given them special treatment. Otherwise, why would they suddenly gain so much weight?


    ¡°Where did you get the melon seedlings?¡±


    ¡°When I was at Qin Manor, I didn¡¯t have much to do. I remembered that there were melon farmers there, so I brought back a lot of seedlings using the donkey cart.¡±


    The pride in Qin Anming¡¯s tone had spread beyond the room. Even Zhuang Zhuang, who was seriously washing the kelp, could sense it.


    Xiaoguo was sincerely impressed. She gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Impressive!¡±


    She had been raising the animals for so long, but her achievements could not compare to his efforts in a month. She really had to hand it to him.


    ¡°Mother¡­ kelp.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang came in from outside and handed the washed kelp to Xiaoguo.


    At this moment, the porridge in the pot was almost done. After the fire was extinguished, the lid of the pot was lifted to allow the contents to cool down. In this weather, it¡¯s hard to ingest piping hot food.


    Xiaoguo took the kelp and placed it on a board. Rolling it into a ball, she cut it into shreds. These were then placed in a basin and mixed with smashed cucumbers.


    Just as Xiaoguo was crushing the garlic, Qin Anming pointed at a pot that was emitting steam and asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Pork cheeks.¡±


    Xiaoguo replied without looking. With a big knife in her hand, she swiftly and accurately smashed the garlic, one clove at a time. In the blink of an eye, one head of garlic had turned into garlic paste.


    ¡°Help me bring the meat over.¡±


    She had thought for a long time about what to eat in this weather. In the end, she decided to make a cold dish. It was convenient and easy to make, and it¡¯s tasty too.


    Although Qin Anming didn¡¯t know where she got the pork cheeks from, he didn¡¯t ask. He felt that this wasn¡¯t important. He didn¡¯t mind as long as there was food.


    ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s too hot.¡±


    Qin Anming took the pork cheeks out of the bowl and placed it beside the board. He reminded her worriedly, afraid that she would burn herself.


    Xiaoguo responded by cutting the meat into pieces and putting them together with the cucumber kelp. She poured in the vinegar and sesame oil and stirred them evenly.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming brought out the cold dish and the porridge respectively, while Xiaoguo brought out the steamed buns that Qin Anming had made with unleavened dough. Bringing everything into the house, they started to eat.


    Zhuang Zhuang took a long time to take a bite of the steamed bun. He chewed with difficulty and said incoherently, ¡°This steamed bun is so chewy.¡±


    Qin Anming blushed when he heard this. He swallowed the kelp in his mouth in embarrassment and said, ¡°I just found out that steamed buns have to be made with yeast.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang paused for a moment. Worried about hurting his pride, the two of them pretended that it was quite delicious and took two big bites in a row.


    Qin Anming looked helpless. He knew his own standards. There was no need to comfort him.


    He had always thought that steamed buns were made the same way as noodles. After adding water to flour and kneading it into a dough, a fluffy white bun would be ready after steaming.


    On that fateful day, he had steamed a large pot of solid dough with confidence. It was a little far-fetched to call them steamed buns, and it was a little exaggerated to call them noodles. It was hard to label it as anything.


    After speaking with Mrs. Yang, he realized that there was something called yeast. But there was nothing he could do. Since he had already made them, he could not let everything go to waste. From that day till now, he had been eating them everyday with tears in his eyes. Even so, he was unable to finish them.


    ¡°Think of it as training for your jaws.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was changing his teeth. Chewing was beneficial for him.


    As soon as Xiaoguo said that, Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He immediately burst out laughing. A hard piece of steamed bun spewed out from between his front teeth and into Qin Anming¡¯s bowl.


    In slow motion, it flew in a perfect parabolic arc, right in front of their eyes.


    ¡°¡­¡± Seeing this scene, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. As soon as the piece of bun landed, her laughter rang out.


    ¡°Hahahahahaha¡­¡±


    Qin Anming couldn¡¯t help but laugh along with her.


    To be honest, he was quite speechless about these steamed buns. In winter, they could probably be used as bricks to build a house.


    The three of them kept laughing until they became out of breath.


    ¡ª-


    At night, Qin Anming brought Zhuang Zhuang back to the house, leaving Xiaoguo alone in the kitchen.


    The seafood had been divided into equal portions, but it could only be sent out the next day. The storage was going to be an issue.


    After chasing the two of them away, Xiaoguo closed the kitchen door and flashed into the other space to take out some ice cubes from the fridge.


    She had stored the ice cubes when she was on the island. Firstly, she was worried about the heat at home when they got back. Secondly, she was keeping them for the seafood.


    At that time, she was thinking of using ice to keep the seafood fresh after catching it. By the time it was delivered to others, it would still be fresh.


    At first, Xiaoguo wanted to keep the seafood in the fridge, but it was already filled with all kinds of seafood. She had caught them on the island when she was feeling bored. Whenever she couldn¡¯t finish any of her catches, she would keep them in the fridge.


    Unknowingly, a lot of space in the fridge was already taken up.


    After moving out a few pieces of crushed ice, she placed them in each basin and poured cold water on them. This would help to keep the seafood fresh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll set off early in the morning.¡±


    ¡ª-


    The next day, Xiaoguo woke up alone on the big bed and stretched comfortably.


    Zhuang Zhuang insisted on sleeping with Qin Anming last night. He wanted to tell him about life on the island. After Xiaoguo woke up in the middle of the night, she could still vaguely hear voices on the other side of the house.


    When Xiaoguo was done making breakfast, there was still no sign of them getting out of bed. As expected, the two of them had stayed up late last night.


    After bringing breakfast to the table, Xiaoguo did not wake them up. Instead, she brought a basin of seafood to Mrs. Yang¡¯s house.


    Yang Jia was the one who opened the door. When he saw Xiaoguo, he immediately took the basin from her and looked inside curiously. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Seafood for you.¡±


    As she spoke, the two of them went into the house. Mrs. Yang and the others were eating. This was the first time they had seen seafood, so they spent a lot of time checking it out.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to interrupt their meal. After telling them to finish the seafood as soon as possible, she left with an empty basin.


    Just as she reached the door, Mrs. Yang chased after her and said, ¡°Are you free today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to deliver seafood in the morning. I should be free in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll look for you later. Hehe.¡± Mrs. Yang was overjoyed when she heard that. ¡°I wanted to look for you after dinner last night, but Yang Feng wouldn¡¯t let me. He said that you must be very tired, having just returned from your trip. So you would need a lot of rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not tired. You can come whenever you want.¡±


    After Xiaoguo finished speaking with a smile, Mrs. Yang was overjoyed and she quickly nodded.


    When Xiaoguo returned, Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang were washing up. When they saw her coming back, they were not curious at all. They knew where she had gone.


    ¡°Are you going to the county later?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Qin Anming took a sip of porridge and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you. I have no worries now that you¡¯re back. It must have been a busy period at the noodle shop while I was away.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest for a few more days¡­?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Qin Anming reluctantly.

 Chapter 383 - 383 The Noble on the Donkey Cart

    383 The Noble on the Donkey Cart


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t want him to leave so soon, and neither did Xiaoguo. It had been a long time since they last met. Of course, they had to spend some time catching up with each other.


    Strongly agreeing with Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s request, she said, ¡°You should rest for a few more days.¡±


    Qin Anming looked like he was put in a difficult spot. Although he really wanted to stay for a few more days, he inexplicably felt sorry for the few people who were still working hard in the noodle shop.


    After much consideration, he would make a decision depending on the situation.


    In a while, he would follow them to the county. If the shop was not too busy, he would rest for a few more days. If it was too busy, he would start work in the shop.


    ¡ª-


    After dinner, the three of them set off for the county in the donkey cart.


    ¡°Did Zhuang Zhuang bring his diary?¡±


    In a while, they would be going to Mr. Kong¡¯s place to deliver seafood. At the same time, they would hand in the homework that was assigned to Zhuang Zhuang before they left for the island.


    ¡°I did!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang patted his small backpack, looking very confident about his homework.


    Xiaoguo and Qin Anming looked at each other and smiled.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡±


    According to the route, they will go to the noodle shop first, before heading to Mr. Kong¡¯s house. Finally they will leave the county to make their way home.


    At the entrance of the noodle shop, Ruyi was splashing water at the door. From afar, she spotted Xiaoguo¡¯s donkey cart and also Qin Anming, who was driving it.


    It had been a long time since she had seen him. Ruyi immediately put down the basin before proceeding to smooth out her hair and tidy up her clothes. After ensuring that she looked presentable, she came out and waited for his arrival.


    Uncle Xu looked up at her as he did his accounts. He was feeling puzzled. He wondered what she was doing.


    While driving, Qin Anming spotted Ruyi. He turned around and said, ¡°Ruyi is at the door.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled when she heard that. She lifted the curtain and shifted herself out from the carriage. She started waving at Ruyi, who was looking in their direction.


    ¡°Ah!!! Sister Xiaoguo!!¡±


    Ruyi was looking all coy initially, but when she saw Xiaoguo, she couldn¡¯t keep up the act and laughed out loud while jumping up at the same time.


    Her voice attracted the attention of everyone in the restaurant and they all lined up to welcome Xiaoguo happily.


    The lively atmosphere instantly captured the attention of the people on the streets and in the shop. They were all trying to guess which big shot was sitting in the donkey cart.


    Xiaoguo could feel the gaze from passers-by even though she was sitting inside the carriage. She quickly retreated into the carriage. Afraid that Qin Anming would feel awkward on his own, she pushed the thick-skinned Zhuang Zhuang out of the carriage. Two people feeling awkward together is better than one person facing it alone.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was pushed out of the cart, did not disappoint Xiaoguo. He calmly faced the people who were sizing them up.


    However, Qin Anming was suffering by his side. He was not as thick-skinned as the boy. He blushed and looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was right beside him. He wished he could stuff the rope into Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hands so that the boy could drive, then he could just hide in the carriage with Xiaoguo.


    It seems that the Qin family members were all thin-skinned. Zhuang Zhuang had definitely inherited his trait from Jiang Danhe.


    The more people looked at him, the calmer he became. He could even smile and look back at them.


    They finally arrived at the entrance of the noodle shop. As soon as they stopped the donkey cart, Ruyi quickly walked over and lifted the curtain. She called out happily, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo, who was trying to cheer herself on, was stunned. Looking at Ruyi¡¯s smile and seeing so many unfamiliar faces looking at her, she dug her fingers into the seat cushion awkwardly.


    The bustling crowd had long spotted Xiaoguo through the lifted curtain. But they instantly lost interest and went about their business.


    Come to think of it, which high-ranking official would ride on a donkey cart?


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo!¡± Seeing that she was not moving, Ruyi called out to her again.


    ¡°¡­Ruyi.¡±


    Xiaoguo laughed awkwardly and wished she could cover Ruyi¡¯s mouth. Why had her voice become louder after not seeing her for a while?


    Dragged out of the car by Ruyi, Xiaoguo was instantly surrounded by a group of people. They started asking questions while she was still standing outside the shop.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, when did you come back?¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, is the summer resort fun?¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, what¡¯s there at the summer resort?¡±


    ¡°Why has Sister Xiaoguo been gone for so long?¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, Sister Xiaoguo, have you become fairer again?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Zhuang Zhuang has gained weight again!¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s ears were about to explode from the bombardment. Ruyi, together with the few girls, were surrounding her like little sparrows and chattering non-stop.


    They had so many questions. Before she could hear anything clearly, another question was thrown at her. There was no way she could make out what they were asking.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She raised her voice to stop them from asking more questions. When the crowd quietened down, she asked her own questions.


    ¡°If you¡¯re all here, who¡¯s in the shop?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The few of them exclaimed and scattered like birds. They just remembered that there were still people eating in the shop.


    It was unfortunate for Old Uncle Xu, who was left alone in the shop. Just when he was coming out, he was stopped by some customers. Taking orders, settling the bills, cooking, and serving the dishes, he had to do them all. How he wished that he could become eight people at once to keep up with the tasks. His old bones were almost falling apart from juggling so many jobs.


    After the group scattered, the air circulation became better. Ruyi, who was left alone, pulled Xiaoguo closer and said with a smile, ¡°Hehe, they can stay in the shop. I¡¯ll chat with you.¡±


    After everyone left, Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming stood up and tidied up their messy hair and clothes.


    They were feeling really speechless. The two of them were standing right there. Didn¡¯t anyone see them? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the two of them were quick-witted and moved away from the crowd, they would have been trampled into pies.


    The donkey at the side was also shaking the hair on its head. If it could speak now, it could be spewing vulgarities by now.


    Xiaoguo followed Ruyi, who had free time on her hand. Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming followed closely behind them while carrying the wooden buckets. The four of them walked past the lively front hall and arrived at the backyard.


    ¡°This is seafood?¡±


    This was the first time Ruyi was seeing seafood. She touched an especially ugly fish curiously and said in disdain, ¡°Why are the fish from the sea so ugly?¡±


    All fishes have two eyes and a mouth, but why do the fish from the sea look so unpleasant? They looked just like the demons in ancient books.


    ¡°They are not pretty, but they have fewer bones and tender flesh. This kelp can be made into cold salads or cooked with potato starch noodles. It¡¯s very delicious.¡±


    When she heard that the kelp could be used as an ingredient in potato starch noodles, Ruyi¡¯s interest was piqued. She threw the sea fish back into the bucket and picked up the kelp beside her to study it.


    Along the way, a few young girls in the front hall ran over one after another. They pestered Xiaoguo and asked her some questions.


    Xiaoguo stood guard over a pot of water and told them a lot about the scenery, the sea and the island. She explained everything briefly. Not only was she satisfying their curiosity, but she was also saving time.


    After all, there was still a bucket of seafood in the donkey cart. Xiaoguo was afraid that it would spoil, so she was hoping to send them over while they were still fresh.


    Zhuang Zhuang could not escape from the clutches of the girls. His little face had turned red from their pinches. By the time he left, his face was completely red.


    In the end, Qin Anming left together with them. Ruyi was very generous and gave him a few days off. She said that the shop had not been too busy recently and that the few of them could handle it themselves. Only then did he leave in peace with Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.


    The three of them bade farewell to Ruyi and everyone else. Soon, they arrived at Teacher Kong¡¯s house.


    This was the first time Qin Anming was paying a visit. He was extremely nervous. If Xiaoguo hadn¡¯t held onto him, he would have already given up on visiting Mr. Kong.


    The thought of meeting the Great Sage later made him tremble. How he wished he had never come. He put down the bucket and returned to the donkey cart to wait for Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang carried his small bag and ran happily to the door. After getting Xiaoguo¡¯s approval, he knocked on the door.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to see Teacher and Mrs. Kong¡­


    The elderly couple, who were enjoying the shade in the courtyard, exchanged curious looks when they heard knocking on the door.


    They hardly have any visitors on normal days. Who could it be at this hour?


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the door.¡±


    Mrs. Kong stopped Mr. Kong, who was about to get up. She put down the fan and walked to the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±

 Chapter 384 - 384 Hard to Reject Your Hospitality

    384 Hard to Reject Your Hospitality


    Mrs. Kong asked as she moved slowly towards the door. Not that she didn¡¯t want to walk faster, but her body didn¡¯t allow it. This was already her fastest speed.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Zhuang Zhuang. I¡¯m back¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang pressed his ear against the door and listened to the commotion inside. Then, he shouted happily.


    When Mrs. Kong heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s voice, she immediately sped up.


    It was the same for Mr. Kong, who was resting in the rocking chair. When he heard that his beloved disciple had returned, he sat up abruptly. In an instant, every part of his body felt invigorated.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    Putting down his feet, Mr. Kong quickly put on his shoes. He was so excited that his beard could barely hide his flushed face. While making his way out, he did not forget to respond to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Seeing that the old woman couldn¡¯t open the door after fiddling for a long time, he couldn¡¯t help but urge her, ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    Mrs. Kong squinted at the lock on the door. She was old and presbyopic. Holding the key in her hand, she was having difficulty finding the keyhole.


    Upon hearing Mr. Kong¡¯s occasional urging, she gave him a disapproving look. Was this the same person who was just complaining about his headache and chest tightness? Was he the same man that was looking all lethargic earlier on?


    ¡°Master, Madam, take your time!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang could see Mrs. Kong through the gap in the door. Seeing how anxious she was, he quickly comforted her and told her to take her time. At the same time, he gave her a sweet smile.


    Mrs. Kong, who was behind the door, was comforted when she heard his words. In that instant, her hands stopped trembling and her eyes could finally focus. Feeling revitalized, she quickly found the lock.


    The moment she unlocked the door, she felt even more contempt for Mr. Kong who was running over. Zhuang Zhuang was only four years old, but he knew how to say those comforting words. Why couldn¡¯t Mr. Kong say something like that when he was already a few decades old?


    The moment before the door opened, Xiaoguo quietly pulled Qin Anming back a few steps.


    At first, Qin Anming didn¡¯t quite understand what she was trying to do, but he quickly understood. He was extremely glad that Xiaoguo had pulled him back. Otherwise, it would be so embarrassing if he got pushed over.


    The moment the door opened, Zhuang Zhuang opened his arms and got into the horse stance. Before Mr. and Mrs. Kong pulled out the key, they had already wrapped their arms around the little man in front of them.


    The first sentence they said was the one he had heard the most since he returned.


    ¡°We missed you so much!¡±


    Mrs. Kong and Mr. Kong fought to hug Zhuang Zhuang as they moved from the door to the foot of the stairs.


    Qin Anming quietly nudged Xiaoguo and asked her with his eyes, ¡°Are you sure this is the sage¡¯s house?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded firmly.


    Mrs. Kong and Mr. Kong did not notice the two figures beside them. The three of them were absorbed in their own little world. The old couple only had eyes for Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°You¡¯re fair and chubby. You really look like a wedding doll.¡±


    ¡°What do you know? Young boys should look like this. It¡¯s an endearing look! Besides, when they grow up, they¡¯ll stretch out and become leaner!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Do you think Zhuang Zhuang has grown taller?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s grown taller. You¡¯re really a big baby. Hurry up and let me hug you. I miss you so much. When I see our Zhuang Zhuang, I can eat an extra bowl of rice!¡±


    ¡°Madam, I miss you too. I can also eat an extra bowl of rice when I see you.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo¡­ Master misses you even more! I feel like I have lost my soul. It has just come back to me now that I have seen Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°Master, I miss you so much every night that I can¡¯t sleep!¡±


    ¡°My good disciple is indeed closest to me!¡±


    Mr. Kong was dissatisfied that his wife was always hogging Zhuang Zhuang, so he competed with her for Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s affection.


    Mrs. Kong snorted and looked at him in disgust. ¡°So, you miss him? I miss him more than you do!¡±


    ¡°I miss him more!¡±


    ¡°I miss him even more!¡±


    ¡°I miss him more than you do!¡±


    ¡°I miss him more!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mrs. Kong gritted her teeth in anger. This old man was adamant about going against her. He kept saying the word ¡®more¡¯ in every sentence. She was really running out of things to say!


    Zhuang Zhuang was trying not to offend either side. With a few comforting words for each person, he managed to calm down both parties.


    The two people who were watching from the side looked at each other. ¡°Should we just leave?¡±


    After an unknown period of time, Mrs. Kong turned to look at Xiaoguo in embarrassment. She then realized that there was another unfamiliar man in their presence.


    ¡°Auntie, this is my brother, Qin Anming.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Kong.¡±


    At first, Qin Anming was afraid that he might come across as being too abrupt. In the end, he realized that he had worried for nothing. Mr. Kong and Mrs. Kong were much more amiable than their titles suggested.


    Putting aside their titles, based on the way they interacted, they looked like an ordinary couple from the suburbs. They were simple and kind.


    Mrs. Kong quickly invited them into the house and poured a cup of cold tea for each of them. ¡°Drink this quickly to relieve the heat.¡±


    Xiaoguo thanked her and downed the tea in one gulp.


    Although the weather was not so hot now, the residual temperature was not to be underestimated. In addition, the two salted fish that had been exposed under the sun for a long time had dried up by now.


    ¡°By the way, Brother¡­¡±


    Qin Anming nodded in understanding and placed the bucket on the table.


    ¡°Kelp¡­¡±


    Mrs. Kong picked up the kelp and shook it in surprise.


    Her favorite food is kelp. Two days ago, she was just talking about it. She didn¡¯t expect to receive it today.


    ¡°I thought that kelp was good for health, so I brought you more.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that it was better to explain her reason for bringing kelp. She felt that kelp was good for the body. The two elders of the Kong family were old and no longer had much of an appetite for meat. Therefore, a vegetarian diet would be more suitable for them.


    At first, she was afraid that the other party would think that she was being insincere, having brought so little seafood, and so much kelp. But Xiaoguo¡¯s worries were for nothing. Kelp was exactly what the two Kong elders wanted.


    Mrs. Kong was overjoyed. She explained to Xiaoguo that Mr. Kong¡¯s appetite had been poor recently. The only thing he felt like eating was kelp salad.


    But where could she find kelp for him? She went to the market several times, but was unable to find any.


    But Mr. Kong was craving it badly. Although the man was old, he was very picky. If there was any food that he couldn¡¯t get his hands on, he could nag about it for at least a year.


    As a last resort, she was thinking of writing a letter to their son in the capital, asking him to send some kelp over.


    Before they had a chance to write that letter, Xiaoguo had brought the kelp over. It was exactly what the old couple wanted.


    ¡°Alright! That old man will finally stop nagging at me.¡±


    Mrs. Kong said meaningfully. Mr. Kong, who was teasing Zhuang Zhuang by the side, immediately blushed upon hearing her words.


    ¡°Some old man?¡±


    Mr. Kong secretly looked around the room to see if anyone knew that the ¡°old man¡± was actually him.


    After making sure that no one had noticed it, he heaved a sigh of relief. Before he could close his mouth, he met Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s smiling gaze.


    Mr. Kong¡¯s face turned red again.


    Alright, he was done for. His dignified image as the Great Sage was completely ruined¡­


    At noon, Xiaoguo and the others were about to leave, but when she saw the pitiful faces of the two elders, she hesitated. Although she knew that they were most likely putting on an act, she still felt sorry for them.


    Seeing her hesitate, the two elders of the Kong family immediately preyed on her indecisiveness. They started lamenting about how lonely they were and how much they missed Zhuang Zhuang¡­


    In the end, the three of them found it difficult to turn down their kindness, so they stayed behind for lunch.


    Zhuang Zhuang also handed in his diary to Mr. Kong. He didn¡¯t seem very nervous. Instead, Xiaoguo was the nervous one.


    After all, this was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s first holiday assignment. She wondered if it was up to standard in Mr. Kong¡¯s eyes.


    While the homework was being checked, the two of them stayed in the study. Xiaoguo, Mrs. Kong, and Qin Anming stayed in the outer room. They had no idea how the situation was.


    Feeling distracted, Xiaoguo only felt relieved when Zhuang Zhuang came out with a face full of joy.


    It looked like he had passed. How wonderful.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    ¡°Go on back.¡± Mr. Kong nodded and looked at Zhuang Zhuang. ¡°Rest well for the next few days. Come back to school when you feel more rested.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled and nodded. Then, he looked at Mrs. Kong and said, ¡°Goodbye, Madam¡­ I¡¯ll remember to miss the both of you¡­¡±

 Chapter 385 - 385 What Are They Doing?

    385 What Are They Doing?


    Mrs. Kong was still reluctant for them to leave. She said half-jokingly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay for today and start school straight away?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang widened his eyes and stammered, ¡°Uh¡­ I think I¡¯d better not. My heart is still scattered at the moment. I¡¯ll go home and let it settle first. Hehe¡­¡±


    Everyone could see through his thoughts. The adults looked at each other and decided to tease him.


    Xiaoguo smiled and deliberately thought for a moment. Then, she said, ¡°How about this? We¡¯ll stay here today.¡±


    ¡°I think so too,¡± Qin Anming said.


    ¡°Alright, stay behind then.¡±


    Mr. Kong chimed in with a smirk.


    ¡°Perfect. I have already cleaned up Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s room anyway.¡±


    Mrs. Kong said as she led him over.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Xiaoguo helplessly. Although he was a little smarter than children his age, he was still a child. For a moment, he was unable to respond.


    Zhuang Zhuang was feeling completely confused. He could only shake his head vigorously and look towards Xiaoguo for help.


    In the end, they returned home safely. Zhuang Zhuang lay on the bed looking like he had just survived a disaster.


    He still wanted to play for a few more days¡­ After all, his uncle was also at home. It was more lively with him around¡­


    Qin Anming stopped the donkey cart at the door and did not enter. Then, he shouted into the house, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let¡¯s go now.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Coming!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang got up and hung his small bag on the clothes rack.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang ran outside and greeted Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang.


    ¡°Go on. Don¡¯t wander around. Stay close to Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Got it¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded happily and got onto the donkey cart by grabbing Qin Anming¡¯s hand.


    It was obvious that he was looking forward to the outing with his uncle.


    After the donkey cart left, Xiaoguo closed the door and returned to the house. She sat down beside Mrs. Yang.


    ¡°Where did Zhuang Zhuang and your brother go?¡±


    ¡°They are going to collect melon vines. There¡¯s a melon farmer in Qin Manor who just harvested the melons. No one wants the remaining vines on the ground, so we are collecting them to feed the animals.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo glanced at her and smiled helplessly. In fact, she was planning to go with Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang. But she suddenly recalled that Mrs. Yang had talked about coming over in the afternoon. Hence, she turned around and came back to the village.


    As expected, Mrs. Yang was already sitting at the entrance of her house, chewing on something. Looking at the fruit that she was holding, some parts of the core were already visible. She could tell that Mrs. Yang had been waiting for a while.


    Xiaoguo shook the water off her hands and handed a washed pear to Mrs. Yang. ¡°Eat this, it¡¯s a little sourish pear.¡±


    Mrs. Yang licked her lips and took it happily. After taking a bite, she looked extremely satisfied.


    Xiaoguo looked at her and swallowed a mouthful of saliva silently. It was hard to imagine anyone eating a sour pear so happily.


    Earlier on, at Kong¡¯s residence, they were sitting and hanging out after dinner when they suddenly saw a bag of fresh pears on the ground. Feeling curious, they asked about the bag of fruits and found out they were harvested from a pear tree in the couple¡¯s courtyard. However, the pears were extremely sour. Neither of the old couple had the courage to eat them. They were afraid that their teeth would not survive the torture.


    Mrs. Yang sighed with emotion. When she was young and pregnant, she always craved for these sourish pears in her hometown. She couldn¡¯t go one day without eating them. Now, she couldn¡¯t eat them anymore. If she ate one mouthful, she would most likely lose her teeth.


    Hearing her words, Xiaoguo immediately thought of Mrs. Yang, so she brought back a lot of pears for her.


    As expected, she loved the pears.


    ¡°There¡¯s another bag on the table. Bring it home later.¡±


    ¡°How can I¡­¡± Although Mrs. Yang sounded like she was too embarrassed to take them, she looked overjoyed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I brought them specially for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and handed her another one. She had specially washed two pears in order to ration them. Otherwise, based on Mrs. Yang¡¯s usual style, the pears would be completely wiped out in no time.


    ¡°Eat less of this. Don¡¯t finish them all in one go.¡±


    Looking at Mrs. Yang, who was eating two or three mouthfuls at a time, Xiaoguo instructed her worriedly.


    ¡°Got it. I will just eat two a day.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at her strangely. ¡°Why are you suddenly so obedient?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, my mother sent me a basket of hawthorns some time ago. I got greedy and ate half a basket in a day. I got sick and it took me a long time to recover.¡±


    Mrs. Yang said nonchalantly, but Xiaoguo was shocked to hear that.


    ¡°Your Brother Yang even said that I deserved it. He asked me if I still dared to eat without inhibitions.¡±


    Mrs. Yang imitated Yang Feng¡¯s tone indignantly and complained to Xiaoguo for a long time.


    ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m so heavily pregnant and I only want to eat something. Isn¡¯t it crazy that there are so many food restrictions? During my previous pregnancies, I also ate like this. They both turned out healthy and alive¡­¡±


    It was said that pregnant women were more emotional. Xiaoguo was witnessing it for herself now.


    Just now, Mrs. Yang was still complaining about Yang Feng. In the next moment, she started talking about other things.


    She told Xiaoguo everything that had happened in the village during the two months that she was away. Afraid that she would miss out on anything, she told her everything in detail.


    She was so precise to the point that Xiaoguo found out why Widow Li and Mrs. Liu were fighting and bickering. It was all because of a green onion. She even found out where this wild green onion was harvested from.


    Noticing that Mrs. Yang was not drinking any water, Xiaoguo was worried about her feeling thirsty. So she poured some water for her and reminded her to drink it.


    In the end, after giving a detailed account of what she had seen and heard, Mrs. Yang began to ask about Xiaoguo¡¯s trip.


    ¡°Tell me¡­ tell me¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang has been getting more irritable lately. Her habit of throwing tantrums has also become more frequent.


    Although Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t quite used to it, she still found her very cute. It turned out that pregnancy could really change a person¡¯s personality.


    ¡°Okay, I will tell you!¡±


    Xiaoguo tried her best to describe the scenery and the things she saw on the island.


    Mrs. Yang had never stepped out of Yonghai County in her entire life. So even though Xiaoguo¡¯s description was not very vivid, she could visualize the beautiful sceneries in her head.


    ¡°Wow¡­ that sounds wonderful¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang held her chin and looked at Xiaoguo enviously. ¡°The scenery at sea must be very beautiful.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. She liked the sea too. Moreover, the two months she spent on the island was the most relaxing time she had had in recent years.


    ¡°Hey, Xiaoguo, what do you think they¡¯re doing?¡±


    Mrs. Yang suddenly tilted her head and looked outside. She spoke softly, as if she was afraid of startling someone.


    Xiaoguo turned around in confusion and saw two tall cows rocking against each other.


    Her first reaction was embarrassment. She immediately turned around. ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Mrs. Yang said nonchalantly. She was still watching the cows with relish. ¡°Your flower cows¡­¡±


    ¡°Dairy cows.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ dairy cows.¡± Mrs. Yang immediately corrected herself and continued, ¡°Your cows will probably see baby calves next year.¡±


    ¡°Stop looking.¡± Xiaoguo turned back to Mrs. Yang. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. If there are any babies, it should be around next year.¡±


    ¡°Is that the same as the human gestation period?¡±


    Mrs. Yang asked a question that Xiaoguo was also curious about.


    Seeing that she was none the wiser, Mrs. Yang thought for a moment and continued, ¡°I heard from my elders that the length of pregnancy for cattle and humans is about the same¡±


    Hearing her words, Xiaoguo nodded in agreement. She had heard something like that. The gestation period for cows could last as long as nine months. It was indeed similar to ten months of pregnancy in humans.


    Mrs. Yang told Xiaoguo some additional facts about cows. Although neither of them had in-depth knowledge about the species, it did not affect them trying to guess the answers to their questions.


    Since both of them did not know the answers, they might as well make guesses together.


    Xiaoguo was so embarrassed that she didn¡¯t want to look at the cows. She was really glad that Zhuang Zhuang wasn¡¯t at home at this moment.


    If he were to witness it, combined with his inquisitive personality, he would definitely ask her in his childish voice, ¡°What are the cows doing?¡±


    Well, just thinking about it is embarrassing.

 Chapter 386 - 386 Handsome Man

    386 Handsome Man


    After Mrs. Yang left, Xiaoguo stood alone in front of the cows. She looked at the cows, who had unknowingly grown so big. She couldn¡¯t help but miss the time when they were still calves.


    It was so nice back then. Just a handful of grass was sufficient as a meal for them. Now, she had to use a cart to bring food for them.


    Now that they were so tall, they had an even bigger appetite. Not to mention that there could be a baby calf growing in the belly. If that was the case, how many carts of grass would she have to pull?


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but worry about her future as a nanny. In the future, she would be spending her time cutting grass or making her way to cut grass for them.


    Unexpectedly, Xiaoguo¡¯s guess was spot on. In the next year, Xiaoguo had no time to rest at all. She actually broke through several pairs of shoes. Fortunately, with the help of Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu, she managed to save two pairs of shoes. With the girls around, the many trips she had to make became slightly more bearable.


    But let¡¯s leave this for another time.


    ¡ª-


    Xiaoguo, who had just woken up from her afternoon nap, sat alone at the table and started writing the letter attentively. She had planned to write the letter when she got home, but there was some slight delay.


    She wondered if Jiang Danhe had arrived in the capital safely.


    It was a little late to send this letter. She hoped that Jiang Danhe would not take offense¡­


    Xiaoguo thought to herself with a smile. It had been so long since she had sent him a letter. He was most probably feeling upset over this. After all, she had promised to write a letter to inform him when they reached home.


    She must comfort Jiang Danhe properly.


    After writing down the last word, Xiaoguo put down her brush and blew on the ink.


    While tidying up, she realized that she had unknowingly written three full pages. However, she felt that it was not enough. There were still many things she wanted to share with him.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo was stunned. So that was how much she missed him.


    It was said that sharing was the best way for two people to express their love. It was the same for Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe.


    At this moment, there was the sound of someone waking up in Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s room. When Xiaoguo heard this, she quickly put the letter into an envelope. When she sends Zhuang Zhuang and Qin Anming to the county tomorrow, she will drop the letter off at the courier station.


    The next morning.


    Xiaoguo and the other two set off for the county.


    Qin Anming had to get to work before the morning rush hour and Zhuang Zhuang had to attend his morning classes.


    A busy day had begun, but that was someone else¡¯s day. Other than a trip to the county, Xiaoguo had no other plans.


    ¡°Brother, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°You go ahead. I¡¯ll go back in two days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡±


    Xiaoguo handed him the bundle in her hand and watched him go in before leaving.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Just as they were about to reach Mr. Kong¡¯s house, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly shook her arm.


    ¡°Yes, why?¡±


    Xiaoguo gave him a strange look and secretly tried to guess the reason.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also be back in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Why are you coming back?¡±


    ¡°To rest of course. Otherwise, why is Uncle going back?¡±


    Xiaoguo had to give it to him for his confidence. She didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°Who told you that your uncle is coming back to rest? Besides, you have school. You¡¯ll only come back in five days.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ then why is Uncle coming back?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang leaned towards Xiaoguo¡¯s face pitifully and asked in a childish voice.


    Xiaoguo pushed his face away mercilessly and said, ¡°Your uncle is back to harvest the grains. Are you doing that too?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo thought that Zhuang Zhuang would drop the subject. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so enthusiastic when she mentioned harvesting.


    ¡°I want to help with the harvesting. I¡¯m already a big child. I can help you with the farm work.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang straightened his back and said in naivety. In fact, he was about to say that he was already an adult, but he didn¡¯t have the confidence to say it. After all, he knew that he was still far from being an adult.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Your uncle and I can finish working in half a day.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you and Uncle to tire yourselves out¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s tone at this moment was giving her goosebumps.


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang suspiciously. ¡°Why is he behaving like Xiaoyi right now?¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang hesitantly. After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, if you want to act cute, you have to smile first.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s serious face was cracking at a steady pace. That¡¯s right, how could he forget about the smile that Xiaoyi had mentioned¡­


    As they spoke, they arrived at Mr. Kong¡¯s house. Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and carried his bag with one hand. Using her other hand, she helped him down the carriage.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, study well. Mother will pick you up in five days.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and praised him with a smile. ¡°Good boy.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang understood that the most important thing for him now was to study. As long as he behaved and focused on his studies, it was the best way he could lighten the burden on his mother¡¯s shoulders.


    It was better to wait another year to help with the farm work. By then, he would definitely be big and tall. He would help share his mother¡¯s burden when the time comes.


    After sending him in, Xiaoguo said goodbye before leaving.


    She rushed to the courier station and delivered the letter just in time. After watching the courier put the letter away, she felt completely relieved.


    Once the letter was sent out, she only had to wait for its delivery. She hoped that it wouldn¡¯t reach him too late. She also hoped that Jiang Danhe could remain calm and not get anxious. She really didn¡¯t mean to forget about writing the letter, it was just that she remembered it a little late¡­


    When she returned home, she saw Mrs. Yang sitting alone at the door, sighing. She was holding a small sour pear and there was a pear core at her feet.


    Mrs. Yang could recognize the sound of Xiaoguo¡¯s donkey hooves even with her eyes closed. Before Xiaoguo had come to a complete stop, Mrs. Yang patted her butt and stood up excitedly. ¡°Xiaoguo, you¡¯re back¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, are you waiting for me?¡±


    Actually, it was unnecessary for Xiaoguo to ask. After all, Mrs. Yang had been coming over everyday recently.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m waiting for you!¡±


    Mrs. Yang followed her into the house and said, ¡°Earlier on, there were two carriages parked outside your house looking for you.¡±


    ¡°When was that?¡±


    ¡°It was just a while ago.¡±


    ¡°At that time, I happened to be waiting for you outside your house when the two carriages came. They looked very expensive. The man who got out of the carriage was also incredibly good-looking, just like your Danhe. However, he appears more delicate and refined than Danhe. He had a unique charm about him.¡±


    Mrs. Yang was thinking hard, finding a word to describe him. She suddenly had a flash of inspiration and clapped her hands. ¡°By the way, the words elegant and gentlemanly best describe him. He was wearing a white robe and waving a small fan in his hand. He looked so suave¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a keen observation.¡±


    Xiaoguo teased Mrs. Yang with a smile. Out of five sentences, four were praising his good looks. After listening for a long time, she knew that the person looking for her was a good-looking man.


    ¡°Hey, who said that? I also know that one of them is called Jia Bao.¡±


    Mrs. Yang was feeling indignant and quickly told Xiaoguo the last clue she knew.


    ¡°Jia Bao?!¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard the name, she knew who had come.


    That¡¯s right. He was as gentle as jade. Although he looked like a scholar, he was extremely dark on the inside. Other than Shopkeeper Su, there was no one else who matched this description.


    ¡°Did they say anything when they were here?¡±


    Mrs. Yang swore not to be looked down upon by Xiaoguo. Trying her best to disregard the man¡¯s appearance, she carefully recalled the scene earlier.


    ¡°Yes¡­ they didn¡¯t say anything else. They just asked me when you would be back. I told them that it was hard to say. They said that they would come back tomorrow before leaving.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. She was filled with admiration for Su Changsheng. This cow had just gotten pregnant with a calf, and he had come to visit right on time.


    If not for the fact that there were no hidden cameras in this era, she would have thought that the other party had secretly installed one in her cowshed. Otherwise, how could his timing be so accurate?


    An unscrupulous merchant was indeed an unscrupulous merchant. He would never miss out on any opportunity to earn money.


    Xiaoguo was really impressed by this man. ¡°No wonder he is rich. No wonder he is such a rich man. No wonder he is so successful.¡±


    There was a reason for everything.


    ¡°How do you know that handsome man?¡±


    ¡°I know him, but not very well.¡±


    Xiaoguo was really worried about doing business with him. She wasn¡¯t as smart as him. Although she had some ideas in mind, it was likely that he might not take them seriously.

 Chapter 387 - 387 Visit

    387 Visit


    Xiaoguo had always been wary of others.


    The other party was a businessman. She could not be swayed by his beauty. If he took her cows away, she would have nowhere to cry.


    After Mrs. Yang left, Xiaoguo got started on her grass-cutting work. She led the donkey towards the forest.


    The schedule for the day was full. She would cut grass in the morning and go to Qin Manor in the afternoon.


    After going to Qin Manor¡¯s fields with Qin Anming that day, Xiaoguo had become obsessed with that place¡ªmainly because of the vegetable crops and melon vines that could be found there.


    After the fruits were picked, the remaining vegetation would become a paradise for all herbivores.


    It was only then that she found out that most of the villagers in Qin Manor were farmers. The fields were planted with crops all year round. If anyone needed any green seedlings, they could just pay a visit to Qin Manor.


    Qin Anming had spoken with a few familiar villagers beforehand. They were all delighted to have Xiaoguo go and pick the vines. Some villagers who saw her even invited her to go to their plots.


    After all, the vines were useless to them. Leftover vines in the fields were a hindrance. Since someone was willing to help remove them, why not?


    Therefore, Xiaoguo became extremely popular in the fields of Qin Manor. Almost every family was fighting over her. As soon as they saw her donkey cart appear, countless pairs of hands tried to drag her into their fields.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. She was fast and could clear a whole plot within a short time. How could she not be well-liked?


    Xiaoguo also enjoyed it very much. She was very satisfied that she had access to a variety of vegetable seedlings from different plots.


    This was also why every time she came to this place, the donkey cart was always filled to the limit, to the point where there was no space for her to sit. In order to reduce the burden on the donkey, she had to get out and walk.


    In any case, it wasn¡¯t too tiring. She treated it as a form of exercise to help her reduce the weight she had gained in the previous year.


    It was killing two birds with one stone.


    The green seedlings were already piled up in the corner of her house. Looking at them gave her a sense of security.


    Moreover, cows had to eat a variety of grass so that the milk they produced would be plentiful and nutritious.


    For the sake of the pregnant cows, Xiaoguo had even written down a food list, such as the types of grass and the dry goods that they ate on a daily basis.


    In order to get high-quality milk, she was really doing everything she could.


    Every day, she was either on the road looking for grass or transporting grass.


    ¡ª-


    The next day, Xiaoguo still remembered what Mrs. Yang had said about Su Changsheng coming to visit today.


    In any case, she had a good supply of grass stashed aside. It didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t collect any for one day.


    As she didn¡¯t know the exact time they were coming, she didn¡¯t go out for the entire day. She stayed at home and waited for Su Changsheng to come.


    Su Changsheng did not let her wait for long. He came early in the morning.


    When Xiaoguo heard a knock on the door, she went out to open it. As expected, a white figure was standing right outside the door. The moment the door opened, he put away his fan.


    ¡°Long time no see, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Xiaoguo stepped aside and invited him in.


    Su Changsheng nodded to express his gratitude before heading straight for the cows.


    Jia Bao who was following behind him nodded at Xiaoguo, and gestured for another person to enter.


    This time, it wasn¡¯t just the two of them. There was also a bearded old man who came with them.


    Xiaoguo looked at the unfamiliar man and muttered to herself, while she followed them to the cows.


    ¡°Madam, let me introduce you. This is someone I specially invited to help you check on the health of the cows.¡±


    Su Changsheng retracted his gaze in satisfaction from the cows and introduced the man to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°A vet?¡±


    ¡°What was Su Changsheng doing?¡±


    Xiaoguo put away her thoughts and nodded at the vet as a greeting.


    ¡°Sorry to trouble you.¡±


    Xiaoguo was also curious to find out if the two cows were healthy. It would be good to have someone take a look.


    The vet nodded and rolled up his sleeves before walking towards the cows.


    After a series of touching and observation, he nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°These two cows are very healthy. Their feces are not foul-smelling. They look strong, their eyes are alert, and their cries are loud. Moreover, the female is pregnant. We can expect to see the baby calf in May or June next year.¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t the only one who appeared satisfied. Even Su Changsheng heaved a sigh of relief and stole a glance at her.


    At first, he was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to raise the cows well. He didn¡¯t expect that his worries were for nothing. It seems that his small building will be opened for business next year. Just thinking about it made him happy.


    Before the owner of the cow could feel happy, Su Changsheng was already making plans in his mind. Looking at his smiling face, those who didn¡¯t know better would think that the cows were his.


    At this moment, Su Changsheng was already thinking about himself in the next year. He was secretly delighted.


    ¡°Silver¡­ Silver¡­ Shiny and shimmery silver¡­ my silver.¡±


    Jia Bao looked at his young master, who was suddenly laughing out loud. He nudged at his master helplessly. He had promised to take care of his image.


    Su Changsheng cleared his throat and said, ¡°Jia Bao, go and bring down the gifts.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Jiabao knew that his master was intentionally sending him away, so he sensibly left with the man beside him.


    The man who came out with him was an honest man. He didn¡¯t understand what was going on, so he rolled up his sleeves and was about to move the box.


    ¡°Maybe later.¡±


    Jia Bao stopped him and led him to sit in the carriage. He said lazily with a stalk of grass in his mouth, ¡°You should sit down too. We¡¯ll move it later.¡±


    Although the man didn¡¯t understand why, he obediently rolled down his sleeves and sat alone by the side.


    Xiaoguo knew that Su Changsheng had something to say, so she invited him into the house. After all, it was not appropriate to talk while standing outside.


    ¡°Have some tea.¡±


    Xiaoguo placed her special fruit tea in front of him.


    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    Su Changsheng was not in a hurry to get to the point. Instead, he picked up the teacup with interest and sniffed it.


    ¡°The fragrance of green tea and the sweetness of fruits. Nice!¡±


    Su Changsheng did not hold back his compliments. First, it was a round of praises, and then he managed to find out how the tea was made. It was a smooth sequence. Unknowingly, Xiaoguo had let him lead her by the nose without even realizing it.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing Xiaoguo¡¯s speechless expression, Su Changsheng eventually perked up, but he did not feel embarrassed at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    Over the years, his habit of wanting to know the recipe whenever he encountered something new had become ingrained in his bones, and it was difficult to change.


    Xiaoguo faked a few laughs. If it weren¡¯t for her strong willpower, she would have blurted out the recipe.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the main topic.¡± Su Changsheng was a very serious and organized person when it came to doing business. As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper and placed it on the table. He said, ¡°This is my milk plan. I¡¯ll let you take a look first. If it¡¯s not suitable, we¡¯ll adjust it.¡±


    Xiaoguo was in no hurry to pick it up. Instead, she said, ¡°I have a request too. I¡¯ll speak first. You can decide if you want to collaborate after listening.¡±


    Su Changsheng thought for a moment and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m opening my own dairy shop in Yonghai County. I¡¯ll only open one store.¡±


    After hearing this, Su Changsheng nodded readily. This was in line with his thoughts. He had never planned to run his business in Yonghai County. He was aiming for the capital and was looking at only one store.


    ¡°I thought you were going to open shops all over the Shao Nation.¡±


    Xiaoguo was amused to hear his thoughts.


    ¡°That was my initial plan, but after thinking about it, I decided to only open one store in the capital. The rarer something is, the more valuable it is.¡±


    Xiaoguo agreed with Su Changsheng¡¯s words. The capital was prosperous and every family had some money in their hands. Even if he only opened one store, he could still make lots of money.


    Satisfied, Xiaoguo opened the paper on the table and looked at the plans inside. The preliminary plan set in the ancient times had been completed.


    The money that Su Changsheng offered Xiaoguo was really an astronomical amount. At least, it was a price that exceeded her expectations. It was ridiculously high. Most importantly, he was going to pay her once a year¡ªit was not a one-off payment for everything.

 Chapter 388 - 388 Fourth Sister

    388 Fourth Sister


    This meant that Xiaoguo would make a considerable sum of money every year. There was also the money that the noodle shop gave her every month.


    Two portions of income, excluding the income from opening a dairy shop herself, was enough to last her for the rest of her life.


    ¡°You¡¯re really confident.¡±


    Xiaoguo controlled the muscles on her face and tried to speak calmly.


    ¡°I am indeed confident.¡±


    Su Changsheng¡¯s four simple words were filled with confidence.


    He was confident that he could earn back several times the amount of money he was putting in, so he doesn¡¯t care at all about this small amount of money.


    The plan was feasible. The money was feasible. Xiaoguo felt that the business was very feasible.


    ¡°I have a request too.¡±


    Su Changsheng put forward his request.


    ¡°Milk is said to spoil easily. I need you to provide methods and techniques to preserve it.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she nodded without thinking and said confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I can sterilize the milk and keep it fresh.¡±


    She had already planned it out. She happened to know the pasteurization method. As for storage, it was even easier.


    ¡°Sterilization?¡±


    Su Changsheng didn¡¯t know what sterilization was, so he asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes, there are a lot of organisms in the milk that are bad for our health, so it needs to be heated to kill the germs. I¡¯ll do this step for you and store the milk in sealed buckets.¡±


    ¡°I can provide the buckets.¡±


    Su Changsheng didn¡¯t know much about sterilization, but when he heard that she needed sealed buckets, he happened to have a huge supply in his hands.


    When he went overseas to learn the craft of wine-making, he happened to need a large number of sealed barrels, so he ordered many of them at that time.


    However, a special material was needed to make airtight buckets. Therefore, after spending lots of money to search through the entire country, he managed to find some of that material.


    He could guarantee that the wooden buckets made by the craftsmen were absolutely airtight.


    Xiaoguo nodded in relief. It would be great if he could help. If the containers were airtight, there would be no problem with the preservation.


    ¡°The sealed milk should be transported from Yonghai County to the capital as soon as possible. It will not spoil at room temperature for half a year. However, once the seal is broken, the milk must be kept in a place with sufficiently cooled air. After which, It must be used up within three days.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, you still have to prepare a cellar in the shop. It¡¯s best to fill it with ice and keep it at the same temperature as winter weather.¡±


    ¡°Also, when making dairy products, try to keep the surrounding temperatures low. It would be best if the preparation area was also filled with ice.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew how to make Western desserts. By-products of milk like butter and cream were sensitive to high temperatures, especially in summer. Therefore, cold air is a must-have.


    Su Changsheng nodded seriously. He had memorized everything she had said. He would prepare to implement those things when he gets back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle the cellar and the ice cubes. When it¡¯s completed, I hope you can come over to take a look.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I should do. No problem!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and agreed. With the money, she was willing to do anything.


    ¡°I still have fifty unused airtight buckets. I¡¯ll send them to you when you need them. After all, they¡¯re quite big and take up a lot of space.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The cow will start producing milk next year. They had to plan first, before taking their time to settle the rest.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back first. Although I may have been impolite earlier on, I hope to keep in touch.¡±


    Su Changsheng opened the fan in his hand again and smiled.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s keep in touch.¡±


    Xiaoguo stood up as well and nodded with a smile.


    Feeling satisfied, Su Changsheng went outside and said to the two people waiting at the door, ¡°Jiabao, bring it in.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Jia Bao spat out the grass in his mouth and called out to the man beside him to start moving the box.


    Xiaoguo looked at them curiously. ¡°What are they moving? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s food. Are there new products again?¡±


    However, Xiaoguo quickly dismissed that idea. Who would store food in a large wooden box? And there were several boxes at that.


    Even if it was for a wedding, one wouldn¡¯t be able to prepare so much dowry.


    There were five big boxes in total, and they were all made of mahogany. Su Changsheng really had three words written all over his face¡ªI am rich.


    ¡°These are some small things that I¡¯ve collected during my travels around the world. They¡¯re not worth much. I don¡¯t have any women at home, so I have no need for these items. Madam, if you don¡¯t mind, please accept them.¡±


    Su Changsheng was very generous towards his chosen business partner. Coincidentally, he had received many gifts from his friends in various countries. Since he had no use for those gifts, he gave them to Xiaoguo to leave a good impression.


    It would be much easier for them to work together in the future.


    Xiaoguo clearly understood his intentions, but it was too late to refuse. If she rejected him now, it would seem impolite of her.


    ¡°Forget it, so be it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you in advance.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Let¡¯s call each other by our names. You should be younger than me. I¡¯ll call you Xiaoguo. You can call me Su Si or Changsheng.¡±


    Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief. From the atmosphere just now, she had thought that he would ask her to call him Brother. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t.


    Just as Xiaoguo was about to nod, the other party suddenly threw out a bomb.


    ¡°You can also call me Fourth Brother or Brother Changsheng.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew that he was teasing her, so she smiled helplessly and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Number Four.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Before Su Changsheng could retract his teasing expression, it froze on his face.


    ¡°Number Four?¡±


    To think that she could come up with it.


    After a while, Su Changsheng smiled helplessly and said calmly, ¡°Up to you.¡±


    Xiaoguo finally smiled sincerely and waved her hand. ¡°Goodbye, Number Four.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Su Changsheng shook his head and laughed. He fanned himself and got into the carriage.


    Jia Bao suppressed his laughter and followed behind. He quickly said goodbye to Xiaoguo and drove away. He was afraid that if he stayed another second, he would laugh.


    When he heard her say Number Four, he thought that he had returned to the capital. That was because the Old Master always addressed the Young Master in the same way.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t think too much about it. As soon as he mentioned the word four, she immediately thought of the term and blurted it out. Unexpectedly, the other party wasn¡¯t unhappy. Instead, he accepted it.


    After watching the carriage leave, she closed the door and returned home.


    As soon as she entered, she saw five big boxes placed neatly in the corner. She felt a little helpless.


    How was she going to move them?


    Xiaoguo casually opened a box and was blinded by the colorful fabrics inside.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo, who had thought that she had seen many good things, finally realized her ignorance at this moment. After opening the remaining four boxes in a row, Xiaoguo was completely mind-blown.


    ¡°This is too much¡­¡±


    There were all kinds of brocades, satins, and exotic embroidered fabrics. If she used these fabrics to make clothes, they would last her for a lifetime.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo regretted touching them with her hands. She should have washed her hands first.


    If she had known that this was the small gift that Su Changsheng was talking about, she would never have accepted it. It was too expensive.


    In addition to the beautiful textiles of the Shao Kingdom, there were also Persian wool and silks from the Western Region. They came in all colors and prints. It was a dazzling sight.


    The beautiful patterns and the high prices¡ªXiaoguo was feeling quite overwhelmed.


    After a careful count, there were 25 bolts of fabrics. If they were converted to cash, it would be a very beautiful amount.


    Tears welled up in Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes as she put everything away. Alright, there was no need to buy clothes and fabrics for the rest of her life.


    In order not to let down the gifts, Xiaoguo spent the entire night working on the recipes.


    She wrote down everything within her knowledge and memory.


    Not only that, she also wrote down the recipes for various milk tea beverages. She wrote down everything she could remember, without missing a word.


    Fortunately, she used to enjoy desserts and milk tea, so now, she could write out the entire recipes for these items.


    Xiaoguo only stopped writing when dawn broke. She looked at the stack of paper that could be bound into a book and put them away in satisfaction. She yawned and went to catch up on her sleep.


    This was the good thing about living alone. She could sleep and cook whenever she wished.

 Chapter 389 - 389 Harvest Month

    389 Harvest Month


    It was the annual harvest month again.


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of last year. When she first came to the village, it was the first year after the famine ended.


    Now that a year had passed, other villages were slowly recovering their vitality. At the very least, people were no longer starving like before.


    In the year that Shao Zhan ascended the throne, he had been working hard to solve the problem of famine. He had taken back a lot of money from corrupt officials and used that to relieve the people¡¯s hunger temporarily. He had also worked hard to resolve environmental and water issues. After the silent efforts of this country, all adversities had gradually been overcome.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, are you going to do any harvesting today? Let Brother Yang and Yang Jia help you with it.¡±


    Mrs. Yang¡¯s family was harvesting grains today. Basically, the entire village was going to do the same thing. Xiaoguo was the only one who was not in a hurry.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. My brother told me to wait until he returned.¡±


    Xiaoguo had wanted to do it herself. It was not a tedious chore. She could finish clearing the plot in one day on her own. However, Qin Anming insisted that she wait until he returned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it today. Your plot and ours. Your Brother Yang will be back soon.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait. You have such a big plot. Brother Yang and Yang Jia have enough on their hands.¡±


    ¡°Alright, just say the word if you need any help.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Qin Anming returned the next morning. When he came home the last time, he had gone to the fields to take a look. His estimate was just about right.


    ¡°After we¡¯re done harvesting the crops, we¡¯ll bring back all the corn stalks in the fields.¡±


    Xiaoguo drove the donkey cart and looked at Qin Anming, who was driving the carriage beside her.


    ¡°Okay, are we bringing them back to feed the cows? Where should we keep them?¡±


    There were quite a lot of corn stalks. Where could they store them?


    ¡°It should be fine if we leave them outside the house. Nobody is going to take them, right?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s question made Qin Anming laugh. After having a good laugh, he said, ¡°Who would steal your corn stalks? There are plenty of them in the fields. If anyone wants them, they can just get it from there.¡±


    There were many people in the village who planted corn. Who would steal something that was unwanted and available in abundance?


    Xiaoguo blushed. ¡°There¡¯s still a one in a million chance.¡±


    Qin Anming laughed at Xiaoguo along the whole trip. Even when they were working in the fields, he still laughed at her from time to time.


    In the end, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She threw a piece of wet mud at him and it hit him in the mouth.


    A large lump of mud landed right on his mouth. As his mouth opened and closed, chunks of the mud fell off, leaving only a dark stain behind.


    Now it was her turn to laugh. ¡°What a coincidence. Haha¡­¡±


    Qin Anming was feeling a little helpless at first, but seeing her laugh so hard, he could roughly guess that he must be looking very comical right now.


    Trying to imagine what he looked like, he started laughing with her.


    A split second before they got out of breath, they stopped laughing and got down to business.


    Within the morning, they had finished harvesting from two plots of land and brought everything home. Even the corn stalks and wheat stalks were chopped and loaded into the two cars.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xiaoguo placed the sickle in the cart and looked around. After making sure that she didn¡¯t leave out anything, she raised her hand to indicate that they should go home.


    Although their foreheads were covered in sweat, they could not hide the joy on their faces. The land and the heavens were smiling on them this year. There was sufficient rain, so the fruits that grew were plump and round.


    It wasn¡¯t just the two of them. Even the other villagers looked like they had gotten a bountiful harvest this year.


    This was great. It was a year of abundance for everyone.


    ¡ª-


    In the capital.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Li Shouji had just dismounted with the letter when he saw Jiang Danhe walking out anxiously with a bag on his back. He quickly stopped him and asked for the reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m going home.¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t wait for the guard to bring the horse over. As he spoke, he attempted to get on Li Shouji¡¯s horse. ¡°Let me borrow your horse.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute. Did something happen at home?¡±


    Li Shouji grabbed him tightly with both hands and forced him to stop.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, but I have something to attend to.¡±


    Jiang Danhe knew that if he didn¡¯t tell the truth, Li Shouji would pester him till nightfall. Hence, he could only say helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s the autumn harvest. I¡¯ll go back and check things out.¡±


    When Li Shouji heard this, he relaxed his grip before asking curiously, ¡°Then are you still going to read this letter here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll read it when I get back.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said without thinking. He was already in a hurry. Why would he be reading any letters?


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a letter from my Sister-in-law.¡±


    As soon as Li Shouji finished speaking, Jiang Danhe¡¯s arm quickly snatched the envelope away, leaving only an afterimage behind in the man¡¯s hand.


    Li Shouji thought that he was seeing things and he rubbed his eyes hard. When he realized what had happened, the envelope in his hand was gone, and so was the man. All that was left was a horse looking at him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the general?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to the Deputy General, the General has gone back.¡±


    The guard rubbed his eyes in disbelief and said in surprise. The general¡¯s speed was really astonishing. If not for his sharp eyes, he would not have noticed it.


    Li Shouji stared silently at the door and took a few deep breaths. He still couldn¡¯t suppress the anger in his heart, so he got on the horse angrily.


    Seeing this, the guard at the door quickly asked, ¡°Deputy General, where are you going?¡±


    The guard was afraid that the general would not be able to find him later, so he asked in advance where he was going.


    ¡°The barracks.¡±


    The guard had come from the barracks earlier and naturally knew why Li Shouji was going there. He sighed quietly to himself.


    Looking at how angry he looked, he would definitely be venting his anger on the recruits. He really felt sorry for them.


    Now that he thought about it, it was a blessing to be able to leave the military camp and stand guard here. At the very least, he didn¡¯t have to worry constantly about becoming the commander¡¯s punching bag.


    After thinking it through, the guard happily changed shifts with another person and went to eat.


    Before he got near the kitchen, he could smell the fragrance coming from there. He swallowed hard and quickened his pace. At this moment, he was even more certain that this was a good job!


    On the other side, Jiang Danhe returned to the bedroom with the letter and threw the bag on the bed. Then, he sat by the bed and gently stroked the envelope.


    Looking at the words written on the envelope, he was filled with love and anger at the same time.


    This heartless little thing had only written to him after so long, causing him to lose sleep every night.


    Not wanting to ruin the letter, he carefully tore open the envelope and took out the paper inside.


    The thickness of the letter soothed the dissatisfaction in his heart. The joy was immediately visible on his face, and the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably.


    ¡°If you dare to make up the word count, I¡¯ll definitely go home immediately and make you bear me a child.¡±


    Jiang Danhe whispered softly.


    However, the outcome definitely disappointed him. This time, Xiaoguo did not make up the word count. Instead, every word she wrote came from the bottom of her heart. Even the usually thick-skinned Jiang Danhe could not help but feel emotional while reading the letter.


    Not only did she say a lot of sweet and heartwarming words in her letter, she also shared with him her daily life which made him feel extremely nostalgic.


    Moreover, the thoughtful content of the letter seemed to make him feel that Xiaoguo was whispering in his ear. This feeling was extremely intimate.


    Oh no, he felt even more homesick now.


    This was the only thought Jiang Danhe had after reading the letter. He felt even more anxious to get home.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Achoo¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo rubbed her nose in discomfort and continued driving the donkey cart.


    Ever since she finished harvesting the grains that day, she had been sneezing non-stop. Perhaps she had caught a cold.


    It was impossible for her to catch a cold. With her superpower, she definitely wouldn¡¯t fall sick.


    ¡°Achoo¡­¡±


    With that thought in mind, she sneezed again.


    One sneeze means someone is thinking about you, Two sneezes means someone is cursing you.


    Every time Xiaoguo sneezed, she only sneezed once. If she was not sick, then someone must be talking about her.


    She laughed at the thought.


    There was no need to guess. It must be Zhuang Zhuang!


    Knowing that it was time for her to pick him up, she wondered when he had started talking about her.


    ¡°This little brat¡­¡±


    Knowing that she was going to pick him up today, he must have been waiting anxiously for her arrival.


    With this thought in mind, Xiaoguo smiled and sped up. In fact, she missed Zhuang Zhuang a lot too.

 Chapter 390 - 390 Go On a Diet Again

    390 Go On a Diet Again


    However, the truth disappointed her.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t miss Xiaoguo very much at all. No, it should be said that he didn¡¯t have time to think about her for the time being.


    These days, his time was mostly spent on the road.


    Out of the five schooling days, he was out for four and a half days. The remaining half of the day was spent resting.


    When Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang back, the little boy told her happily where he had been over the past few days.


    It was a barren, fertile, and desolate land.


    It turned out that there were still people living in poverty around them. The beautiful life he had enjoyed over the past year had almost made him forget the period when they were starving and living from hand to mouth.


    Witnessing this phenomenon made Zhuang Zhuang fall silent for a long time. But that was not Teacher Kong¡¯s intention.


    Seeing that the boy looked a little gloomy, Mr. Kong brought him to the fields to observe the harvest of each family.


    The extreme contrast between the two scenes made Zhuang Zhuang understand that he shouldn¡¯t look at things so superficially. The bad predicament would pass and good things await in the future.


    Zhuang Zhuang also helped a lonely old man cut firewood and fetch water. He taught children younger than him to write their names. He also helped two old men to peel corn¡­


    Xiaoguo understood Mr. Kong¡¯s intentions and was extremely touched. She hugged Zhuang Zhuang tightly. She felt that the best decision she had made was to let Zhuang Zhuang stay by Mr. Kong¡¯s side.


    There was indeed so much to learn.


    Zhuang Zhuang suddenly stopped smiling and hugged Xiaoguo aggrievedly. He looked up at her with tears in his eyes, while wearing a pitiful look on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo rubbed his face curiously. Why was the smile on his face suddenly gone?


    ¡°Are boys so temperamental¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­ I¡¯ll be a good boy in the future.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t understand why he was suddenly talking about this, but she was touched and smiled. ¡°It would be good if you grew up safe and sound.¡±


    Most parents do not wish for their children to become successful. They only hoped for peace and joy for their kids. Everything else was just icing on the cake.


    ¡°Learning from Teacher Kong wholeheartedly will be beneficial to you for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°I will, Mother.¡±


    Xiaoguo no longer felt jealous. Since Zhuang Zhuang was following Mr. Kong, although he had no time to miss her, it was alright with her.


    The child would grow up one day, quietly, out of sight of his parents.


    ¨C


    For some unknown reason, after Zhuang Zhuang came home from Teacher Kong¡¯s place, he proclaimed that he was going on a diet. Even the pig trotters made by Xiaoguo failed to entice him.


    Xiaoguo tried to find out why, but to no avail.


    ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to persuade me. I won¡¯t eat it.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why the sudden change?¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she placed a piece of the pork leg near the tip of his nose and swayed it a few times, trying to tempt him.


    At first, Zhuang Zhuang almost couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of the meat. However, in the end, he swallowed his saliva and shook his head vigorously.


    ¡°I said no. Mother, don¡¯t waste your energy. I want to eat cucumbers.¡±


    ¡°No way. Zhuang Zhuang. What¡¯s the reason?¡±


    Xiaoguo put down the pork leg meat and looked at him in confusion.


    Zhuang Zhuang tried his best to retract his gaze from the piece of meat and swallowed his saliva secretly.


    ¡°Did the pork skin bounce a few times just now? Oh my god! Mother¡¯s pork legs were definitely the best in the world.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry¡­ It¡¯s a pity¡­ I must endure!!!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s not for any particular reason, I just want to lose weight.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang simply refused to tell the truth. Xiaoguo had no choice. If he wanted to lose weight, so be it. She got up and went to the kitchen to get him a cucumber.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo handed him the cucumber with water droplets on it. Then, she shook off the water droplets on her hands and got ready to eat.


    But she suddenly noticed the missing piece of pork leg.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s fingers paused and she stole a glance at Zhuang Zhuang.


    Unexpectedly, the other party tensed up as if his tail had been stepped on. It was obvious that he had done something guilty and was afraid of being discovered.


    Her sharp eyes saw the meat stains at the corner of his mouth. They must have been left behind by him because he was in a hurry to eat the pork leg.


    Xiaoguo snickered to herself and pretended to stop for a moment. Then, acting like she had not noticed anything, she picked up the pork meat, and deliberately ate with mouth-watering sounds.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ delicious¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang silently nibbled on the cucumber. There were still some unknown water stains at the corner of his mouth. She wondered if it was the juice of the cucumber or his saliva.


    Just as Xiaoguo was taking another bite of the food, Zhuang Zhuang swallowed the tasteless cucumber in his mouth with tears in his eyes. He tried his best to put on a front and clapped his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯ll go back to my room first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Go on.¡±


    Xiaoguo waved her hand and deliberately held the pork leg in front of him. Seeing that he was about to open his mouth, she deliberately teased him and refused to give it to him.


    Zhuang Zhuang placed his hands on his hips. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m not eating it.¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly nodded. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll give you another cucumber tonight.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm, that meat is so enticing¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang turned around with tears in his eyes and returned to the house.


    He didn¡¯t want cucumbers. He wanted meat¡­


    It was all Brother Xiaohu¡¯s fault. He insisted that he was as fat as a ball and that he didn¡¯t look like a scholar at all. Scholars were all skinny.


    Zhuang Zhuang retorted, saying that he was fat and cute. However, Brother Xiaohu waved his hand and said with a smile. ¡°Cute is a description for girls.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t said that, Zhuang Zhuang wouldn¡¯t have thought of losing weight. He would be eating without inhibitions now¡­


    Pork leg¡­ his pork leg¡­


    Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who had returned to the room, and laughed silently. He said that he was going back to rest. Her guess was that he was going to hide in his room and cry.


    Since Zhuang Zhuang was not around, Xiaoguo had no desire to eat. After eating the rice in her bowl, she filled a bowl of rice for Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m going out to look for your Auntie Yang. Remember to wash the dishes¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mother!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s slightly expectant voice sounded out in response.


    When Xiaoguo heard his reply, she snickered and deliberately left the house noisily.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard the door close, he secretly opened a crack of his room door to make sure that there was no one around before running out.


    He had only planned to eat some meat, but when he saw the bowl of rice on the table and the chopsticks beside it, tears immediately flowed out of his mouth.


    As expected, his mother still doted on him¡­


    Zhuang Zhuang ate a large bowl of rice and half a pork leg with tears in his eyes.


    Based on the appetite of a four-year-old child, he ate especially much.


    After Xiaoguo came out, she went straight to Mrs. Yang¡¯s house.


    Since Zhuang Zhuang was unwilling to say anything, Xiaohu must know the reason. After all, Zhuang Zhuang was still fine when he returned yesterday.


    After finding out about the cause of the incident, Xiaoguo was quite cool about it. However, Mrs. Yang was furious. With her big stomach, she tried to hit XIaohu¡¯s butt with a broom.


    Xiaohu kept running around the house while his mother chased him with the broom. The others acted as if they didn¡¯t see anything. It was obvious that this scene was very common in the Yang family. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be behaving so indifferently.


    At first, Xiaoguo was worried and tried to stop Mrs. Yang. However, she realized that Mrs. Yang wasn¡¯t really hitting the boy. She was just trying to scare him, and so Xiaoguo didn¡¯t try to stop her anymore.


    Xiaohu was very mischievous. As he fled, he turned around and laughed at Mrs. Yang. ¡°You can¡¯t catch up with me!¡±


    Mrs. Yang had an indomitable character. The more indignant Xiaohu appeared, the more energetic she became. Unknowingly, she had picked up a broom and one shoe in her hands.


    She was going to use both items in her hands. She was determined to beat him till he succumbed to her.


    Mrs. Yang could tell that he was afraid, so she sneered and said, ¡°You think I can¡¯t catch up, right? Watch how I will beat you when I catch up!¡±


    The scene of the two of them running around the house was quite entertaining.


    Yang Feng even grabbed a handful of melon seeds for Xiaoguo. The two of them chatted as they ate, wondering when Xiaohu would admit defeat.


    The episode ended with Xiaohu covering his buttocks and crying.


    When Xiaoguo came out of Mrs. Yang¡¯s house, she bumped into a carriage parked outside her house.


    When she got closer, she saw that it was someone she knew.


    ¡°You have a letter for me?¡±


    ¡°A letter for you, Madam.¡±


    The two of them spoke at the same time. The courier smiled sheepishly and handed her the letter.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xiaoguo took the letter and looked down at the name. To her surprise, it wasn¡¯t Jiang Danhe¡¯s signature, but Xiaoyi¡¯s.

 Chapter 391 - 391 Departure, to the Fishing Village

    391 Departure, to the Fishing Village


    It had been a long time since she had heard from Xiaoyi. She had promised to contact him more often, but she almost forgot her promise.


    When she got home, Xiaoguo was focused on reading the letter in her hand. She didn¡¯t even notice that Zhuang Zhuang had sneaked out of the kitchen and was standing behind her.


    ¡°Mother, what are you looking at?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang wiped his mouth and stood behind her.


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath. The rich fragrance of meat was floating in the air. She sniffed carefully but did not expose him. After all, she had to give her little man some face.


    ¡°A letter from Xiaoyi.¡±


    ¡°From Xiaoyi?¡±


    ¡°From Xiaoyi!¡±


    Xiaoguo imitated Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s tone and showed him the letter.


    As soon as Zhuang Zhuang heard Xiaoyi¡¯s name, he wanted to open it and take a look. However, Xiaoguo refused to give it to him. No matter how hard he tried, she simply refused to hand it over.


    ¡°Mother, give it to me¡­¡±


    ¡°I can give it to you, but you have to wash your hands first.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang hid his greasy hands in embarrassment and looked at Xiaoguo with a flushed face.


    His mother had returned too quickly, that¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t had time to remove the evidence of him stealing food.


    He looked at Xiaoguo shyly and shuffled towards the water point. He was extremely shy, seemingly afraid that Xiaoguo would give him a dressing down.


    Xiaoguo turned her head and snickered. Then she looked at Zhuang Zhuang, who was washing his hands.


    After he was done washing his hands, she watched him wipe them dry. Then, she handed him the letter.


    ¡°Go read it.¡±


    ¡°I love you¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled and ran back into the house with the envelope.


    Xiaoguo saw his back view as he ran out. On his clean clothes, there was a pair of greasy finger marks on his buttocks.


    She could imagine how frantic Zhuang Zhuang must have looked earlier. She must have frightened him when she entered the house. Having no time to wash his hands, he just wiped his hands on his back.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang, who had just run in, suddenly ran out again with a letter in his hand.


    ¡°Mother, this is for you from Xiaoyi.¡±


    With that, he handed the letter to her. After she took it, he turned around and went back into the room.


    Just moments ago, when he was opening the letter, he realized that there were two letters inside. One was addressed to Zhuang Zhuang, and the other to Xiaoguo.


    He did not open the letters. Instead, he quickly handed it to Xiaoguo.


    Although he hoped that his mother would only love him and was unwilling to share her love, he could accept it if it was Xiaoyi.


    Xiaoguo did not enter the house. Instead, she found a step in the courtyard and sat down.


    Feeling a little expectant, she opened the envelope. The first thing she saw was a simple greeting and an account of what he had been doing recently. Most importantly, the letter was filled with his thoughts for Xiaoguo.


    Ever since Xiaoyi told Xiaoguo his innermost thoughts when they separated the last time, he was finally able to open up about his thoughts and concern for her.


    As there was no face-to-face contact, he was even more enthusiastic in the letter. He said a lot of things that he was usually embarrassed to say.


    As Xiaoguo read the letter, she couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth and snicker.


    She didn¡¯t know where this kid had learned so many flowery words. He was actually quite good at it.


    After reading the letter, Xiaoguo folded it neatly and kept it in her arms. She thought happily to herself that since she was so deeply missed by the other party, she should start writing now. She was going to write a long essay and send it back to Xiaoyi.


    Coincidentally, when she sends Zhuang Zhuang off tomorrow, she could drop the letter off at the courier station.


    When she returned to the house to get a brush and paper, she happened to see Zhuang Zhuang lying on the bed with a happy expression. His legs were swinging back and forth. It was obvious that he was in an extremely good mood.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, you can write your reply after you are done reading the letter. We will send it out tomorrow.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to disturb his thoughts at this moment, but she still reminded him softly.


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled and nodded. He replied in a childish voice, ¡°Oh, I will do that¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and closed the door for him. She took the brush and paper to another room.


    ¡ª-


    Time passed quickly. The hot season had completely passed. At this moment, one could vaguely feel coolness in the air.


    It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, an annual celebratory festival. Last year, Xiaoguo, Ruyi, and the others spent the festival at home. However in this year, two accidents occurred during the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    Xiaoguo, who had just sent Zhuang Zhuang off, was about to go home when she was influenced by the lively atmosphere around the area. Without realizing it, she had gone a few rounds around the market and ended up buying a lot of delicious food.


    When she got home, the donkey cart was already filled with snacks.


    Just as she was lamenting about having bought too much, she suddenly realized that there was an unfamiliar carriage outside her house.


    The sounds of the donkey cart woke the man waiting at the door. He quickly got out of the carriage.


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xiaoguo tried to identify the man and she said in surprise, ¡°Are you from the fishing village?¡±


    As she had only met him once, Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t quite sure.


    ¡°Madam, I was the one who sent you back the last time.¡±


    The man nodded, confirming Xiaoguo¡¯s guess.


    Seeing him appear, Xiaoguo subconsciously had a bad feeling.


    When the man saw Xiaoguo, he looked troubled. He said hesitantly, ¡°Madam, the village chief sent me to look for you.¡±


    At the mention of the village chief, Xiaoguo frowned. He definitely wouldn¡¯t look for her if there was nothing. Something must have happened to Zhao Yuyan.


    ¡°Is it¡­¡±


    The man nodded in understanding. It was difficult to broach the subject. Death was a topic that people always avoided.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw his expression. She had a bad feeling about it.


    After a while, the man said, ¡°The mother and daughter from the Zhao family, whom you have left in the fishing village, are not doing well. Yesterday evening, Zhao Yuyan¡¯s health took a turn for the worse. The old village chief asked Doctor Yu from the village to check on her. He said that she was dying, so he quickly asked me to come look for you.¡±


    Although Xiaoguo was mentally prepared, she was still a little stunned. It took her a while to react. She hurriedly said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go back quickly.¡±


    ¡°Aye, okay!¡±


    The man did not hesitate and quickly invited her into the carriage.


    Xiaoguo had just raised her foot when she suddenly remembered that she still had something to do. She couldn¡¯t just leave like this. What would happen to the animals at home?


    ¡°Wait a moment. I need someone to watch over my home. I¡¯ll get help from someone first before we leave.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo ran to the entrance of the Yang residence.


    After knocking on the door, Yang Jia came to open it. Xiaoguo was really thankful that Yang Jia was at home.


    ¡°Yang Jia, help me guard the door for the day.¡±


    Noticing that she seemed very anxious, Yang Jia nodded in agreement without asking why.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sister-in-law.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the house key. The donkey cart is still outside.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll bring it back now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡±


    Yang Jia smiled and took the key. He closed the door and followed behind her.


    Xiaoguo was very glad that there was a lot of grass at home, so Yang Jia didn¡¯t have to go out and cut the grass.


    She had been troubling him a lot recently. When this matter was over, she had to thank him properly.


    After saying goodbye to Yang Jia, Xiaoguo turned around and got into the carriage.


    Yang Jia maneuvered the donkey cart to make way. After the carriage left, he opened the door and went in.


    He tethered the donkey and fed it grass and water. He also fed all the poultry in the house. After making sure that nothing was left out, he locked the door and left.


    After Xiaoguo got into the carriage, she couldn¡¯t stop sighing. She really didn¡¯t like goodbyes.


    Although being mentally prepared in advance helped to alleviate some of the shock, it did not alleviate her sadness at all.


    The hard life of a woman was coming to an end. She didn¡¯t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.


    Since Zhao Yuyan¡¯s situation had gotten worse yesterday evening, it would be night time when Xiaoguo arrived. She wondered if she would get to see Zhao Yuyan for the last time.


    ¡°I hope I can see her. I have to see her¡­¡±

 Chapter 392 - 392 Shes Everywhere

    392 She¡¯s Everywhere


    Mrs. Yang heard Xiaoguo¡¯s voice from inside the house, so she stretched her head to look outside. When she saw that Yang Jia had gone out to open the door, she did not move. She remained seated and waited for Xiaoguo to come in.


    But after a while, Xiaoguo still did not come in. Yang Jia even left the house and only returned after a long time.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Xiaoguo come in?¡±


    ¡°She went out and asked me to look after the house for a few days.¡±


    Yang Jia gestured at the key in his hand.


    ¡°She went out again?¡± Mrs. Yang stood up when she heard this and asked hurriedly, ¡°Why did she go out again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Yang Jia shook his head and said, ¡°It seems quite urgent. Something must have cropped up. It was decided at the last minute.¡±


    Mrs. Yang nodded in acknowledgment and sat back down in disappointment.


    ¡°When will she come back from this trip? Don¡¯t tell me she won¡¯t come back until I give birth¡­¡±


    ¡ª-


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t reach the fishing village until it was dark.


    Without daring to make any stops, she bade farewell to the villager who had sent her here and jogged towards Xiao Zhu¡¯s house alone.


    The villager behind her swallowed his words hesitantly and shook his head helplessly. At this time, the person might have already¡­


    At this moment, the fishing village had fallen into darkness. Only the smell of smoke and fragrance of food could be detected in the air.


    When Xiaoguo arrived at Xiao Zhu¡¯s house, the front door was wide open. Looking in from the outside, it was pitch-black. There was only a weak candlelight flickering.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was beating wildly. She wondered if they were asleep or if something had happened. Why was it so quiet inside with the door left open? It was very strange.


    ¡°Xiao Zhu? Yu Ling?¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped at the door and called out as she looked around.


    ¡°Xiao Zhu? Yu Ling?¡±


    Xiaoguo called out again. When she didn¡¯t hear anything, she carefully walked in.


    The surroundings were pitch-black¡ªit was hard to see the ground clearly. Afraid of falling, Xiaoguo could only walk slowly.


    Relying on her memory, she planned to go to Zhao Yuyan¡¯s bedroom first. When she passed by the table at the door, she picked up a half-burned candle.


    As it had been burning for too long and the wick had not been cut, the candle flame was a little weak at this moment.


    Xiaoguo casually picked up something and flicked the wick. After removing the useless wick from the candle, the flickering flame returned to normal.


    With the candlelight, she felt more at ease. At least she could see clearly and didn¡¯t have to grope around in the dark.


    Zhao Yuyan¡¯s room was clean and tidy. There was no sign of anyone living there.


    At this point, Xiaoguo could pretty much guess the situation. She was not in time to see her for the last time¡­


    Inside the house, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were sitting in the attic and looking out at the dark sky through the open window.


    ¡°Xiao Zhu, why is the sky so dark?¡±


    Yu Ling¡¯s voice sounded indifferent. Xiao Zhu turned around and looked at her. She said carefully, ¡°It will brighten up soon.¡±


    ¡°Will it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it will.¡±


    Xiao Zhu was very sure that the sky would not remain dark forever. The stars were just hiding tonight. They will appear again tomorrow.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    There was a sudden flash of light in the dark sky. When she looked more closely, it was gone.


    Xiao Zhu looked in the direction she was pointing and saw nothing.


    Yu Ling retracted her finger and looked at Xiao Zhu gloomily. ¡°Where do people go after death?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ the old village chief said that after death, people will turn into stars to accompany their loved ones who are still alive.¡±


    As Xiao Zhu spoke, she pointed at the two very faint stars and said, ¡°Look, they¡¯re my family.¡±


    When Yu Ling heard this, she looked up at the sky and squinted hard before she saw the two dim-looking stars.


    ¡°Then where is my mother?¡±


    There were no other stars in the sky. Yu Ling was feeling puzzled and her question left Xiao Zhu confused as well.


    Afraid that she would be sad, Xiao Zhu tried her best to think of an answer. Her eyes did not stay idle as she searched for the sign of other stars in the sky.


    Yu Ling was getting more and more disappointed. She lowered her head in silence.


    Just as Xiao Zhu was scratching her ears and cheeks anxiously, Xiaoguo suddenly leaned out and said, ¡°The meteor you saw just now was your mother¡­¡±


    Her voice startled the two girls. They subconsciously hugged each other and looked at the source of the voice in horror.


    ¡°Who¡¯s talking?¡±


    ¡°Who are you! Why can¡¯t we see you!¡±


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu hugged each other tightly, shaking as they looked into the darkness. Their bodies started moving back uneasily.


    Seeing that they had reached the wall with no space to retreat further, they started sobbing uncontrollably.


    ¡°Stop crying.¡± Xiaoguo looked at the two of them helplessly. ¡°How can you see me if you don¡¯t light up the candles?¡±


    The two of them stopped crying. Xiaoguo sighed and walked down the stairs.


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu heard the sound of someone going down the ladder. Not long after, there was the sound of someone coming up. The two of them swallowed nervously and stared at the door.


    A warm candlelight entered the room first. Then, Xiaoguo¡¯s face became visible in the candlelight.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    The fear in Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu¡¯s hearts was washed away in that instant. They ran over excitedly towards her.


    Xiaoguo was dragged by the two of them into the attic, while sandwiched between them.


    Before she could speak, the two of them fired at her like little steel cannons.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, when did you arrive?¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, did you come alone? Where¡¯s Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, you¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo covered their mouths with her hands and said with a smile, ¡°I came by myself and I just arrived. Since the door was open, I came in.¡±


    Xiao Zhu looked at Yu Ling and asked curiously, ¡°Is the door open?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I think I forgot to close it.¡±


    Yu Ling thought for a moment and said softly.


    Xiaoguo looked at the two of them helplessly. So they had forgotten to close the door. ¡°These two children are really worrying.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sister Xiaoguo, my mother passed away this morning.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Xiaoguo put down the candle and asked sadly, ¡°How has she been?¡±


    ¡°Mother said that the past few months were the happiest time she ever had. She said that she had never felt so relaxed and happy in her entire life.¡±


    Yu Ling¡¯s mind was filled with the thoughts of her mother on her deathbed. The smile on the corner of her lips was tinged with sadness, but at the same time, there was an indescribable sense of relief.


    Xiaoguo thought of Zhao Yuyan¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but feel sad. This poor woman had left just like that. At least she was happy before she left. It was good that she was happy.


    ¡°By the way, Sister Xiaoguo.¡± Yu Ling looked at Xiaoguo seriously. She remembered her earlier words, and she asked eagerly, ¡°My mother has also turned into a star to accompany me, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xiaoguo put away her sadness and nodded with a smile. She said seriously, ¡°That shooting star just now was your mother. She has chosen a bright and big star to accompany you in the sky.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she go to her next life to set up a new home for me?¡±


    Yu Ling asked anxiously. She wanted to be her mother¡¯s child in her next life. How could her mother become a star?


    ¡°After a person dies, their soul will be disintegrated into countless clones and be scattered everywhere. They will either sink into the ground, float into the air, or be absorbed by other animals and plants. They will become a part of their surroundings or be reincarnated.¡±


    Xiaoguo sighed and hugged Yu Ling tenderly. She continued softly, ¡°She will become part of the universe. She will be everywhere. Every breath you take, every step you take, every tree you walk through, every blade of grass, and even every flower. They are all your mother¡¯s avatars. She will be by your side at all times, protecting you and accompanying you. A hundred years later, she will return to this world and become your mother again.¡±


    ¡°So, Mother is everywhere, yes? She didn¡¯t leave me, yes? We¡¯ll meet again in the next life, won¡¯t we?¡±


    Yu Ling was anxious to hear a firm promise to relieve the pain she was feeling.


    Without hesitation, Xiaoguo said, ¡°Yes!¡±

 Chapter 393 - 393 Departure

    393 Departure


    Xiaoguo did not hesitate to give Yu Ling the confidence she needed.


    She did not lose her mother. Instead, she would always be in her mother¡¯s arms.


    Her mother was with her.


    ¡ª-


    According to Zhao Yuyan¡¯s last wish, there would be no burial. Instead, she had asked for a cremation.


    Although the old village chief did not approve of a cremation, he still had to respect her last wishes. The dead should be given due respect. He led a few villagers to help build a bed frame out of firewood for her.


    In the year 43 of the Shao Kingdom, on the 13th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, at a quarter past seven in the morning, the sky was clear without a cloud in sight. It was bright and sunny. It was also the time of Zhao Yuyan¡¯s death.


    At half past seven, her remains were tidied up.


    At 9:15 a.m., the fire was lit.


    The fire burned out at a quarter to 1 p.m.


    According to her last wishes, her daughter, Zhao Yuling, personally scattered her ashes into the sea.


    When Zhao Yuyan was alive, she did not manage to find freedom. She hoped that she could roam freely in the arms of nature after her death. Her wish was to live spontaneously and freely.


    This was also why she chose the sea as her resting place.


    Zhao Yuyan would exist in a state that was invisible to everyone. She had transformed into all things in the world to accompany those who were still living on earth.


    ¡ª-


    The next day, as soon as Xiaoguo opened her eyes, she saw two little girls lying on either side of her.


    Each girl was hugging onto one of her arms. It was no wonder that she dreamt of herself being hit by a car and ending up with broken arms. The reality was that her arms had turned numb.


    Having been held all night, it would be odd if her arms did not lose all their sensations.


    While chatting last night, the two children dozed off in the midst of their conversation because they were hit by an intense wave of sleepiness. Maybe it was after seeing Xiaoguo that they were finally able to let go of the tense feelings that were bothering them throughout the day.


    In the end, Xiaoguo carried the two sleeping girls back to their beds to rest. After which, she went down alone to shut the main door.


    Xiaoguo opened her eyes for a while before gently retracting her arm. Enduring the numbness in her arms, she carefully walked past the two of them and went down the attic.


    When she went down the ladder, she didn¡¯t even dare to exert too much strength with her arms. She felt like her arms would break if she applied too much force.


    When she arrived at the kitchen, she looked around in satisfaction. There was indeed more stuff here as compared to the last time she was here, although it still didn¡¯t seem like much.


    Using the available food, she made a pot of seafood porridge. As there was no main dish to go with it, she could only make the porridge less watery.


    Soon, the fragrance of the porridge woke up the two girls in the attic.


    The two of them were still feeling dazed. They looked at each other for a long time before they remembered that Xiaoguo had returned last night.


    At the thought of this, the two of them scrambled out of bed and went down the attic after putting on their shoes, fearing that Xiaoguo would be gone if they were a second late.


    Xiaoguo, who was adding firewood, heard the sound of running feet. She guessed that the two girls had woken up.


    Since they were up, it was time to eat.


    She added the last handful of firewood and dusted off her hands.


    Just as she was about to serve the food, two young girls came running in.


    They called out in unison, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped what she was doing and looked at them.


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s nothing. We just wanted to check if this is real.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So we weren¡¯t dreaming.¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, you¡¯re really here!¡±


    ¡°We just woke up and thought that this was part of our dream.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until I smelled the porridge that I realized that you are really here!¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling each hugged her arms and started chattering non-stop.


    The two of them could barely stop talking before the seafood porridge turned into a paste.


    One of them was fighting to bring out the bowls while the other was fighting to bring out the pickled vegetables.


    Helpless, Xiaoguo followed behind them with three pairs of chopsticks.


    At the dining table, Yu Ling deliberately avoided Zhao Yuyan¡¯s favorite seat. Her eyes were fixed on the porridge and she did not look up.


    Xiaoguo noticed it too, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She just added more pickles to her bowl when it ran out.


    Xiaoguo let out an almost inaudible sigh.


    .


    It was unlikely that Yu Ling had come to terms with her mother¡¯s death. She would probably be grieving for some time.


    Fortunately, there was Xiao Zhu who was good at managing the atmosphere at the table. At least with her chattering, it wasn¡¯t too quiet at the table.


    After dinner, the three of them sat down together after washing the dishes.


    It was impossible for Xiaoguo to stay here all the time, so she hesitantly asked the question she had mentioned the last time. She was really worried about the two young girls living alone.


    As they grow older, it would be inevitable that some malicious people with impure intentions will prey on them. Therefore, she felt that it was better for them to stay with an adult.


    This time, neither of them hesitated. They said in unison, ¡°We¡¯ll go wherever Sister Xiaoguo goes.¡±


    Xiaoguo gave a sigh of relief. This was the best outcome.


    ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s leave today. We can still make it in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had no objections. They stood up and happily packed their bags.


    Xiao Zhu returned to the attic to pack her few belongings, which consisted of a few old patched garments, a tattered book, a bristled brush and a tiny piece of inkstone.


    She only had one small bag. After Xiao Zhu was done packing, she walked around the house four or five times. She really did not expect herself to have only these few pieces of belongings, having lived in this house for more than ten years.


    Before this, Xiao Zhu was already quite dependent on Xiaoguo. However, since she wanted to spend more time with her parents, she stayed behind in this place. Now that she had spent some time with them, she was finally able to move on, although she still had some worries.


    It was good to leave now, not to mention that she was going to stay by her favorite Sister Xiaoguo¡¯s side.


    Yu Ling gently stroked the empty ceramic jar in her arms, and tears fell from her eyes again.


    ¡°Mother, let¡¯s leave with Sister Xiaoguo.¡±


    When Zhao Yuyan was alive, she often told her to stay with Xiaoguo and repay her kindness. Xiaoguo had saved them from the island¡ªher kindness should be remembered for the rest of their lives. On top of that, Xiaoguo had even found them a place to stay.


    Every single thing that Xiaoguo had done, should not be forgotten even in their dreams.


    Before Zhao Yuyan died, she had repeatedly reminded Yu Ling to repay Xiaoguo¡¯s kindness. Unfortunately, she had no chance to do that anymore, but Yu Ling still had the chance.


    Yu Ling retracted her thoughts and wiped the tears off her face. She smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I¡¯ll bring you along to repay her kindness.¡±


    On the other side, Xiaoguo went to the old village chief¡¯s house alone while the two girls packed their bags.


    There was still a lot of food in Xiao Zhu¡¯s house that was bought some time ago. Xiaoguo was not planning to take it with her.


    Hence, she asked the old village chief to gather the villagers who had helped with Zhao Yuyan¡¯s funeral, and have them share the remaining food grains.


    When the old village chief heard this, he rejected the offer without hesitation. The amount of wheat flour and rice that he had gotten someone to buy was quite substantial. If converted into silver, it was worth quite a lot.


    ¡°Village Chief, listen to me. We can¡¯t thank the villagers enough for their help, but I came in a hurry this time and didn¡¯t prepare any gifts. You must accept this as a token of my appreciation.¡±


    It was understandable if the villagers were unwilling to help. But for those who voluntarily came forward to help, Xiaoguo did not want them to work for nothing.


    The old village chief was adamant. He said firmly, ¡°The money you gave me the last time was enough for our emergency funds. I definitely can¡¯t accept it this time.¡±


    Xiaoguo was shocked. The money she gave him was for him alone. She didn¡¯t expect him to use it as the village emergency funds.


    Hearing his words, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a deep sense of respect for him. Although the old village chief didn¡¯t look righteous, he always did things in the most righteous manner.


    One should never judge a book by its cover.


    Seeing how determined he was, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything else. Instead, she told him about Xiao Zhu¡¯s plan to leave.


    The house would be left empty but she might come back to visit occasionally. She hoped that the old village chief could help to take care of the house.


    The old village chief agreed to this request without hesitation. He always agrees readily to any request from anyone in the village. This was because he lived by this principle¡ªthe matters in the village were his business and the people in the village were his family.


    As long as he was alive, this would remain as his responsibility.

 Chapter 394 - 394 The Way to Find His Wife

    394 The Way to Find His Wife


    After bidding farewell to the old village chief, Xiaoguo really admired this 70-year-old man from the bottom of her heart.


    He was doing the best that he could in this position.


    ¡°How is it? Are you ready?¡±


    Xiaoguo was sitting in the carriage, waiting for Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling to come out.


    Yu Ling appeared first and sat down with her. When she heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, she nodded. ¡°I¡¯m ready. I didn¡¯t forget anything.¡±


    Yu Ling had packed all the clothes that were made by her mother. There was also a ceramic jar containing Zhao Yuyan¡¯s ashes, and a few miscellaneous items. It sounded like a lot, but the bag looked rather flat.


    Xiaoguo nodded and looked at Yu Ling¡¯s dusty clothes and the oversized shoes she was wearing. She thought to herself that she would make new garments and shoes for both girls when she gets home. Coincidentally, thanks to Su Changsheng¡¯s gift, there was no shortage of fabrics at home.


    In the middle of their conversation, Xiao Zhu came out of the house. She was carrying an even smaller bag. Being the last to leave the house, she had to close all the doors and windows of the house, before she could lock the main door.


    Xiao Zhu looked at the carriage waiting at the door. She stopped in her tracks and stood beside the door frame.


    She looked down at the door frame, which was just one step away. Without hesitation, she stepped over it and landed firmly on the steps outside.


    Then, she turned around and closed the door with a smile.


    In the past, she was always behind the door frame, watching visitors leave the house. Now, she doesn¡¯t have to wait anymore. She could finally walk out the door.


    Yu Ling looked at her dazed expression and shouted with a smile, ¡°Xiao Zhu, let¡¯s go. By the time we get there, it will be dark¡­¡±


    With that, she turned around and stuck out her tongue shyly at Xiaoguo.


    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was being too enthusiastic. It was as if she couldn¡¯t wait to go to Sister Xiaoguo¡¯s house.


    Although she really couldn¡¯t wait to go to her house, it was too unreserved of her to say it out loud¡­


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. She just thought that Xiao Zhu was being so cute. The driver wasn¡¯t even around. So what was the hurry?


    Xiao Zhu turned around and smiled at them while carrying her bag. ¡°I¡¯m coming¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Xizi, you¡¯re too slow.¡±


    Xiao Zhu looked at the man who had arrived late and complained jokingly.


    The man whom she addressed as Brother Xizi, had just come over. He was completely drenched in sweat.


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry. We are still on time¡­¡±


    Xizi wiped his sweat and got into the carriage. He did not forget to remind everyone to sit properly. After ensuring that they were properly seated, he waved his whip.


    Xizi was the villager from the fishing village who had driven Xiaoguo back and forth.


    Since he knew Xiao Zhu rather well, the two of them kept exchanging jokes during the ride. Not long after, Yu Ling joined in their discussion. There was a lot of laughter along the way. It was more lively than the time when Xiaoguo was traveling alone.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, is Peach Blossom Village a nice place?¡±


    Apart from the fishing village, Xiao Zhu had never been anywhere else.


    Yu Ling also looked at Xiaoguo curiously. Previously, she had no fixed residence. Other than being exiled, she had only lived on the wastelands and on the island. She never had the chance to visit a normal village.


    ¡°Peach Blossom Village is quite a nice place. There are many peach trees there. Every spring, the entire village will be covered in peach blossoms that are pink and white. It is extremely beautiful. Although the village is not located near the sea, it has a wide river. The people in the village are also very nice. When we get back, I¡¯ll introduce you to a group of older sisters and two girls your age.¡±


    Xiaoguo believed that Mrs. Yang and Ruyi would definitely like this pair of new kids.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were secretly filled with anticipation because of Xiaoguo¡¯s words. They were feeling nervous and excited about their new life.


    Xi¡¯zi glanced at the excited Xiao Zhu and couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for her.


    Xiaoguo, who was smiling throughout the journey, had no idea that a big surprise was waiting for her at home.


    Jiang Danhe could not help but sigh at his fate. He was locked out again.


    Ever since he received Xiaoguo¡¯s letter, he had been thinking about her day and night. He wished that he could fly to her in the blink of an eye. It was pure torture for him.


    He wanted to write her a reply, but he had problems writing out his feelings no matter how hard he tried. The words could not convey the thoughts in his mind..


    Therefore, he simply applied for leave, packed his bags, and rushed home.


    When he finally reached home after hurrying back on his horse, the door wouldn¡¯t budge when he tried to open it.


    Unwilling to give up, he pushed again. This time, he exerted some strength, but the door still wouldn¡¯t budge.


    The barking of the dogs and cows in the courtyard became louder and louder. Afraid of attracting the attention and misunderstanding of the surrounding villagers, he quickly took a few steps back and moved away from the entrance.


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t open the door, he turned around and knocked on Mrs. Yang¡¯s door, instead of waiting foolishly outside the house. He had learnt his lesson.


    Mrs. Yang was bored and swatting flies in the house. When she heard knocking on the door, she thought that Xiaoguo had returned. She held onto her stomach and ran towards the door.


    Yang Jia was walking out at the same time. He had heard the knocking too. Just as he was about to open it, he saw his sister-in-law running at top speed towards the door.


    Before he could react, the other party had already opened the door.


    Mrs. Yang¡¯s smile froze on her face. It was obvious that she wasn¡¯t expecting this visitor. It was truly unexpected. She said in surprise, ¡°Danhe is back!¡±


    When Yang Jia heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s name, he walked over curiously.


    Jiang Danhe was also wearing a smile. He remembered Xiaoguo telling him that one had to smile when meeting someone. It was a form of courtesy.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, Xiaoguo is not at home. Do you know where she went?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Sister-in-law went out yesterday,¡± Yang Jia said as he walked over.


    Jiang Danhe frowned slightly. ¡°Yesterday?¡±


    Mrs. Yang quickly added, ¡°Something urgent might have cropped up. She should be back soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She seemed rather anxious yesterday.¡±


    Yang Jia told him everything he knew.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s brows relaxed a little.


    Seeing this, Yang Jia quickly went into the house to bring out the key.


    Jiang Danhe took the key and went back. Filled with disappointment, he opened the front door, led the horse in, and tied it to a corner.


    His lonesome figure was seated on the bed. He kept shifting positions, from lying down, sitting up, and wandering around. It was hard for him to stay still.


    Since Xiaoguo was not at home, why did he come back?


    ¡°What a heartless woman¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    If the two puppies could speak, they would have told him off long ago. This was the umpteenth time he had sighed at the two puppies.


    Suddenly, he looked towards the door and an idea struck him.


    According to Yang Jia, she was in a hurry to leave. What could be the reason?


    Since she was not at home, he would go look for her!


    Why didn¡¯t he think of that earlier? Jiang Danhe slapped his thigh and stood up.


    His sudden movement startled the two puppies. They barked unhappily at him and ran off.


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t be bothered with them. He led the horse, locked the door, and left the house.


    She must have gone to the county. Other than him, the people that she was most concerned about were her brother and Zhuang Zhuang.


    Therefore, he just had to look for her in those places!


    Hence, Jiang Danhe skipped lunch and started his search for his wife on an empty stomach.


    ¡ª-


    Before dusk, two lonely figures, one big and one small, were sitting on a stool at the door with their backs facing the setting sun. They were sighing and looking very despondent.


    Zhuang Zhuang had his chin on his hands, as he looked at his father helplessly. ¡°Father.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    With listless eyes, Jiang Danhe replied without moving.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe was also feeling hungry, but if he knew how to cook, he would have done it by now.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t moving, Zhuang Zhuang held up his chin again and pouted unhappily. He knew that he couldn¡¯t depend on the other party.


    Since his mother was not at home, why did he bring him back? If he had not come back with his father, he would have finished his dinner by now.


    Speaking of which, the Master¡¯s wife was making chicken soup tonight. She must be drinking it at this moment.


    At the thought of this, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s stomach started growling.


    Then it was followed by another gurgle.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Jiang Danhe in surprise. ¡°So you¡¯re hungry too¡­¡±

 Chapter 395 - 395 Brother-in-law Is Very Happy

    395 Brother-in-law Is Very Happy


    Jiang Danhe blushed and raised his hands in embarrassment to cover his entire face.


    After a while, Jiang Danhe finally spoke.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, can you cook?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhuang Zhuang blinked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Nothing.¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt ashamed for asking that, so he stopped talking. If word got out that his kid had to cook for him, it would be an embarrassment.


    After an unproductive conversation, the two of them fell silent again.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the distant path and called out to Xiaoguo countless times in his heart, ¡°Xiaoguo, come back quickly.¡±


    After taking his horse out in the morning, he went straight to the county city. He went to the noodle shop first, but could not find Xiaoguo there. Hence, he rushed to Mr. Kong¡¯s house, but he still did not find her.


    Afraid of being alone, Jiang Danhe tricked Zhuang Zhuang into returning home with him. Since he couldn¡¯t see his wife, it was only right that his son should accompany his father.


    Since he was already back, there had to be someone home with him.


    Jiang Danhe did not say much when he went to Mr. Kong¡¯s house. The poor Zhuang Zhuang thought that Xiaoguo was home, so he happily packed his small bag and followed his father back.


    On the way home, the boy clamored to go back to Mr. Kong¡¯s house when he found out the truth. However, how could Jiang Danhe let him go? He would feel so lonely by himself. Two lonely souls together would make loneliness seem more bearable.


    Since there were no lunch arrangements, the two of them returned to the noodle shop. After eating and drinking their fill, they returned home in low spirits.


    For the entire afternoon, they did nothing but stare at each other. When the temperature dropped, they sat at the door and transformed into the Wife-watching Stone and Mother-watching Stone.


    At this moment, the two of them were calling out in their hearts.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, come back quickly¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother, come back quickly¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re hungry¡­¡±


    When Mrs. Yang was done making dinner, she came out to summon the two of them.


    She knew that they had no plans for dinner.


    Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang looked at each other with sparkling eyes. Although they were telling her that they shouldn¡¯t accept her offer, their actions were extremely honest.


    Just as they were putting the stools back in the house and closing the main door, they heard the sound of hooves in the distance.


    The father and son¡¯s ears twitched. They stopped in their tracks and looked ahead hopefully.


    They were still looking forward to Xiaoguo¡¯s return.


    Mrs. Yang was very amused by their expressions. She crossed her arms and followed their gaze.


    Xiaoguo was focused on introducing her surroundings to the two girls when Yu Ling suddenly pointed at someone in the distance. She asked curiously, ¡°Is that Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°No, Zhuang Zhuang is at school in the county.¡±


    Xiaoguo waved her hand and said without thinking.


    They were still quite a distance from the house. Hearing her words, Yu Ling became rather unsure. Maybe she was mistaken.


    But, the girl had good eyesight. The more she looked at the person, the more he looked like Zhuang Zhuang. So she repeated herself again.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, it¡¯s really Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to laugh when she heard this. How could Zhuang Zhuang be here? She had personally sent him off yesterday.


    Seeing that the two of them still didn¡¯t believe her, Yu Ling anxiously reached out and pointed in that direction. She said, ¡°Isn¡¯t the shorter one Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Xiao Zhu narrowed her eyes and tried her best to look in that direction. She confirmed Yu Ling¡¯s claim one step ahead of Xiaoguo, ¡°It¡¯s really Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Then, Xiao Zhu sighed in confusion and asked, ¡°But who¡¯s that person beside him? He looks so familiar¡­¡±


    When Yu Ling heard her words, she paused and looked over curiously. Was there someone beside Zhuang Zhuang? She couldn¡¯t see anyone.


    Just now, she was so focused on looking at Zhuang Zhuang that she didn¡¯t notice another person beside the boy.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued when she heard their conversation. It was sounding more and more convincing.


    Succumbing to their words, Xiaoguo looked ahead. The image she saw instantly stunned her.


    ¡°It¡¯s really Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoguo said in surprise. Why was Zhuang Zhuang at home?!


    ¡°See, I told you I didn¡¯t see wrongly!¡± Yu Ling said proudly. Then, she asked in confusion, ¡°Who¡¯s beside him?¡±


    They were still quite far away. Although Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu had seen Jiang Danhe before, they had not interacted much with him. They were much more familiar with Zhuang Zhuang.


    No matter how hard Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling tried to identify the person, they were no match for Xiaoguo who recognized him at a glance.


    The carriage was getting closer to the two figures. If she still couldn¡¯t recognize the man, she was going to get a scolding from him. And that particular man would get upset again.


    ¡°Next to him is Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s father.¡±


    Xiaoguo was still a little shy about calling him her husband. Moreover, it was not appropriate to say Jiang Danhe¡¯s name directly. It would seem like they were not on familiar terms with each other.


    Therefore, when she said the words, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s father, it perfectly explained his identity. She also didn¡¯t feel so awkward at the same time.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    As soon as she said that, the two of them exclaimed in realization. They knew it. He looked so familiar. So he is Sister Xiaoguo¡¯s husband.


    ¡°What about the other person?¡±


    The two of them had met Jiang Danhe before, but they didn¡¯t know the pregnant woman on the other side. They wanted to find out more so that they wouldn¡¯t make a fool of themselves in front of Sister Xiaoguo.


    Seeing that the carriage was about to reach their house, Xiaoguo had no time to explain to them. She said, ¡°She¡¯s a very good big sister. I¡¯ll introduce her to you later.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two of them nodded. Then, they picked up their bags and got ready to get out of the car.


    Xiaoguo was also very happy. Although she didn¡¯t know why he had returned, it didn¡¯t stop her from feeling happy.


    Before the carriage could stop, Zhuang Zhuang happily tugged at the corner of Jiang Danhe¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°Mother is back¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe pretended to be calm and nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s your mother.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang glanced at him. What was he trying to act cool? He could see his hands trembling with excitement.


    Jiang Danhe was indeed not as calm as he looked on the surface. If not for the fact that the occasion was not right, he really wanted to run over, stop the carriage, hug Xiaoguo and tell her that he missed her very much. Then, he would ask her where she had gone. He was absolutely starving.


    Xiaoguo seemed to have sensed the man¡¯s resentment and she waved at him from afar.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s hands were faster than his brain. He responded to her immediately and even smiled unknowingly. It was obvious that he was very happy to see her home.


    Then, he heard Mrs. Yang and Zhuang Zhuang laughing. His raised hand paused in mid-air and his face turned red. In the next instant, he put down his hand in embarrassment.


    It was better to express his longing secretly later. There were too many strangers here.


    Xi Zi stopped the carriage and put down the footstool.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xiaoguo came down first and expressed her thanks to Xi Zi. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling followed her and did the same.


    When Jiang Danhe saw Xiaoguo appear, he started walking towards her. However, when he saw the two people following behind her, he paused for a second before moving forward.


    One step ahead of Jiang Danhe, Zhuang Zhuang ran to Xiaoguo¡¯s side. Although he was wondering why Sister Xiao Zhu and Sister Yu Ling had come back together with his mother, he still smiled and greeted them.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling liked Zhuang Zhuang very much and they greeted him with smiles on their faces. However, a tall shadow loomed over them and the two of them instantly became reserved.


    ¡°Hello, Brother-in-law.¡±


    Xiao Zhu¡¯s eyes quickly landed on the man. Jiang Danhe smiled in satisfaction when she called him brother-in-law.


    ¡°Hello, Brother-in-law!¡±


    Yu Ling saw that he seemed to like this form of address, so she chimed in after Xiao Zhu.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s smile widened. Although Xiaoguo had brought two followers back, they seemed quite sensible. He didn¡¯t mind having them around.


    ¡°Hello to you too.¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t stop smiling. He was reveling in the joy of being addressed as ¡°brother-in-law¡±.


    Xiaoguo secretly patted him and looked at his face. She muttered under her breath, ¡°How silly.¡±


    That didn¡¯t affect Jiang Danhe¡¯s good mood at all. He loved it whenever anyone affirmed their relationship as husband and wife.


    She was Sister Xiaoguo, and he was brother-in-law. It was obvious that the two of them were in a close relationship.

 Chapter 396 - 396 Agreement

    396 Agreement


    Mrs. Yang, who was standing at the door, had seen enough. Since Xiaoguo was back, she wouldn¡¯t have to take care of their dinner anymore. Hence, she got ready to walk back to her house.


    Although she was very curious about where Xiaoguo had gone and why she had brought the two little girls back, she knew that this was not the time to ask questions.


    ¡°Sister-in-law¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo had sharp eyes and saw Mrs. Yang walking back at a glance. She quickly called out to her.


    Mrs. Yang stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her. She gave her a look. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you a visit tomorrow¡­¡±


    Since it was getting late, Xiaoguo would do the introductions tomorrow.


    Mrs. Yang smiled and nodded. She knew that Xiaoguo would never forget her!


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Feeling satisfied, Mrs. Yang went back for dinner. Xiaoguo looked at Mrs. Yang¡¯s back view and chuckled to herself.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Seeing that there was nothing else for him to do, Xi Zi voiced his request to leave.


    ¡°¡­ Wait a minute!¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped Xi Zi, who was about to leave with his horse. After which, she quickly ran into the house.


    The few people who remained behind did not understand why she was going inside.


    Soon, Xiaoguo ran out with something in her hands.


    ¡°I heard that you have a little boy at home too. Take this as a small gift from me.¡±


    As she spoke, Xiaoguo handed him a piece of cloth.


    Xi Zi often helped with purchasing goods for the village, so he could tell at a glance that the cloth was expensive. He refused to accept the gift.


    ¡°Madam, this won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t accept it. It¡¯s too expensive. How can I accept it?¡±


    ¡°Please accept it. I was planning to use this to make clothes for my son. The size of the fabric should be just enough for your son.¡±


    Xi Zi waved his hands repeatedly and started moving backwards. Without another word, Xiaoguo stuffed the fabric into his arms.


    Xizi thought that it didn¡¯t seem right to stuff it back into her arms. He hesitated for a moment, but his thoughts got the better of him, so he accepted it in shame.


    ¡°Thank you, Madam!¡±


    Xi Zi felt like crying at this moment. His son was almost six years old, but he had never worn any new clothes. Most of his clothes were modified from adult¡¯s clothes. It was all thanks to Madam that his son could finally wear new clothes. On top of that, they would be made from precious fabrics that he could never afford in his lifetime.


    ¡°You should go now.¡±


    Xiaoguo waved at him. It was hard to drive in the dark, so Xi Zi still had to hurry to the county. He would stay there for the night and return the next morning.


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Xi Zi did not dare to leave the fabric in the car for fear of dirtying it. He insisted on holding it in his arms. After taking two steps, he turned around and looked at Xiaoguo, thanking her solemnly and gratefully.


    After seeing Xiaoguo nod, he set off on the carriage.


    As soon as Xi Zi left, Xiaoguo stretched her back comfortably. It was really exhausting to sit in the car. It was more comfortable to stand on flat ground.


    It¡¯s often said that one should stay grounded and practical, as that is the most comfortable way to live.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    It was getting late and everyone was starving. When they heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, they immediately nodded in agreement.


    The group walked home together.


    ¡ª-


    On the other hand, the old village chief had just finished his busy day. When he returned home, he saw two large sacks in the kitchen.


    The village chief¡¯s wife was cooking porridge. When she saw him return, she said, ¡°Dinner will start in a while.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    The old village chief touched the two familiar-looking sacks and asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see what¡¯s inside. Xi Zi brought them here this morning. He said that Madam had asked him to send it over and that you¡¯ll understand when you see the contents.¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife thought that the sacks contained precious stuff that belonged to the village, so she didn¡¯t look at the contents at all.


    The old village chief frowned when he heard that. Could it be what he was thinking?


    He managed to untie the ropes in no time. What he saw was a bag of snow-white flour and another bag of white rice.


    Seeing that her husband was not moving, the village chief¡¯s wife thought that something had happened. She put down her spoon and hurried over.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife had come to a stop when she was blinded by the rice in the bag. ¡°This¡­¡±


    In an instant, she was overjoyed. She picked up a handful of rice in her trembling hands. ¡°What is supposed to mean?¡±


    The old village chief was not as excited as her. Seeing her like this, he sat at the side and said, ¡°It¡¯s for the village.¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife nodded in disappointment. She had actually guessed it, but she was also used to it.


    Sigh, it had been a long time since she had seen so much white rice and white flour.


    ¡°There are so many people in the village. How much can one family get?¡±


    ¡°It will not be shared among the entire village. Only five households will receive it.¡±


    The old village chief could tell that she was disappointed. After saying that, he smiled and added, ¡°And we are included.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?!¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    The old village chief smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve suffered much with me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, how old are we? Don¡¯t say that!¡±


    The old village chief¡¯s wife wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never suffered since I married you.¡±


    She was telling the truth. Although she didn¡¯t get to enjoy delicacies, she had never suffered in any other way. Being with him was the best decision she had ever made, and it was also the happiest time of her life.


    The old village chief gently took her hand and patted it. ¡°Let¡¯s weigh it. We¡¯ll split it into five portions.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife went out to get the weighing scale. Halfway through, she turned around and said worriedly, ¡°Look after the porridge, in case it gets burnt.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I got it.¡±


    Only then did the village chief¡¯s wife leave with a smile.


    The old village chief shook his head helplessly. Then, he obediently went to the stove and started stirring with a spoon.


    ¡ª-


    After Xiaoguo and the group finished their dinner, she left the dishes to them before returning to her room herself.


    Tonight, she will sleep in the same room as Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling will sleep in the other room.


    She had just made the bed when the two girls came in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest after playing for a while. It¡¯s been a long day.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Sister Xiaoguo.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Sister Xiaoguo. You guys should rest early too!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xiaoguo lit two candles for them and closed the door before returning to her room.


    As soon as she entered, she saw Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang looking at her with their arms crossed.


    Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks. Were they going to interrogate her?


    She sat down across from them unhurriedly, and poured herself a glass of water in a leisurely manner.


    After a while, Zhuang Zhuang was the first to collapse. It couldn¡¯t be helped. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to last until now.


    After she had enough water, Xiaoguo looked up at Jiang Danhe. She was suddenly tickled by his aggrieved and awkward expression.


    Unable to control herself, the water spurted out of her mouth.


    Jiang Danhe had no intention of dodging it. He faced the warm water spraying out of her mouth.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to look at the pitiful-looking man. Under his gaze, she reached out to touch him.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What was she doing? Zhuang Zhuang was still here! ¡°That¡¯s not right. Should I leave? Or should I just move away? Forget it, forget it. I am going to stay put. It¡¯s rare that she was taking the initiative to do something so intimate. I¡¯ll lose out if I move.¡±


    In the end, Xiaoguo¡¯s small hand landed on his face. She stroked him gently a few times before leaving the room.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s awkwardness instantly disappeared. That made sense. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know that he was coming back, that was why she went out. If she had known, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have gone out.


    After a series of brainstorming, Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo with an even more ambiguous gaze.


    After Xiaoguo put down her hand, she saw his eyebrows switch from looking furrowed to relaxed. Then his face became flushed, and then he started pursing his lips. It was a lively scene on his face.


    No matter what, he was still very handsome without any water stains on his face.


    Xiaoguo explained to the two of them why she had brought Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling back.


    Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang did not mind Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling joining the family. They were actually feeling bothered over another matter.


    After a ¡°friendly¡± discussion with the two of them, Xiaoguo wrote a letter of agreement under their tickling hands.


    In the future, if she was going out, she had to explain her whereabouts clearly and promise not to act alone. She should always travel in pairs and it would be best if she was escorted by a familiar man.

 Chapter 397 - 397 Sticking to My Wife

    397 Sticking to My Wife


    The next morning, Xiaoguo got out of bed. To her surprise, someone had gotten up before her.


    When Xiaoguo came out, she was almost blinded by what she saw. The house was spick and span, the floor was clean, the table was neat, and there was smoke coming from the kitchen.


    The troughs for the chickens and ducks were filled with food. Even the two puppies had been fed. The cows, donkeys, and horses were eating fresh grass with their heads lowered.


    The courtyard was abuzz with energy.


    Xiaoguo rubbed her eyes and followed the laughter to the kitchen.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were squatting in front of the stove with their heads lowered, studying something.


    ¡°Why are you up so early?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s voice startled the two of them.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    Xiao Zhu greeted her with a smile.


    Xiaoguo yawned and nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no need to wake up so early. You should rest more.¡±


    She thought that children loved to sleep in. Take for example, Zhuang Zhuang who was usually so hardworking, he was still fast asleep in bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re not tired. We slept very well last night.¡±


    As Yu Ling added firewood to the stove, she said, ¡°I usually wake up at this time in the morning. Since I have nothing to do, I thought I¡¯d just get out of bed.¡±


    The two of them didn¡¯t know how to cook either. There was porridge in the pot and a few steamed buns beside it. There were also some pickled vegetables on the plates.


    Xiaoguo looked at the two of them and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to get up so early next time. I can do the cooking.¡±


    Seeing that the two children were going to shake their heads, Xiaoguo continued, ¡°If you have stuff to do, you can wake up a little later. Sleep in until you wake up naturally. Then you can go ahead to do whatever you wish.¡±


    Although the two of them claimed that they had slept until they woke up naturally, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t believe their words. How could they sleep well in an unfamiliar place and wake up naturally at that?


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling exchanged glances before nodding and smiling at Xiaoguo.


    In fact, they did not sleep well last night. When they were still In a daze, the sun had come up. It didn¡¯t seem right for them to stay in bed and laze around. Hence, the two of them got out of bed and did whatever they could.


    Xiaoguo rubbed the heads of the two sensible children. ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    The two children obediently moved aside from the stove. Xiaoguo put on an apron and started preparing some cold dishes.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling fought over the task of boiling the eggs. In the end, one of them helped to light the fire and the other helped to put in the eggs.


    Xiaoguo was tossing the shredded potatoes and had just transferred them onto the plates when Jiang Danhe came over. There was still some visible dampness on his body. He looked like he had just washed up.


    If there were no dark circles under his eyes, he would be absolutely and utterly handsome.


    Xiaoguo took one look and turned away. The smile in her eyes deepened.


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu took a look and greeted him. Then, they lowered their heads and continued with their work. They froze for two seconds before looking up at him again.


    Jiang Danhe was so frightened by the two of them that he almost buckled over. Then, for the sake of his image, he shifted his position, pretending to look like he was doing the horse stance.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling looked at the man who had suddenly started working out and nodded in realization. It turned out that he had dark circles under his eyes because of his obsession with training. Brother-in-law was indeed a dragon among the heroes!


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She immediately burst out laughing.


    Although Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling didn¡¯t quite understand why she was suddenly laughing, they could roughly guess. Sister Xiaoguo must have thought that their brother-in-law was so athletic and she must be so proud of him.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Danhe stopped in his tracks and said with a red face, ¡°I¡¯ll go get Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    With that, he ran away in a panic.


    When she saw him leave, Xiaoguo, being the only one who knew the truth, laughed even harder. She couldn¡¯t let the truth come to light yet. She was laughing so hard that she was almost out of breath. Tears were also streaming down her face.


    Xiao Zhu looked at her before squatting down. She was feeling confused.


    Yu Ling nudged her and looked at her inquiringly. ¡°What is Sister Xiaoguo laughing at?¡±


    Xiao Zhu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. In any case, the pile of potato skins in her hand didn¡¯t look funny.¡±


    The two of them took a few steps away from her, still feeling puzzled. Her brother-in-law was no longer here. Why was Sister Xiaoguo still laughing? It was so strange¡­


    Xiaoguo did eventually stop laughing. She threw the potato skins into the trash can beside her and looked at the two of them. ¡°Let¡¯s get ready to eat.¡±


    After saying that, she looked like something came to her mind. She covered her mouth and started laughing again.


    The story goes like this, starting from last night.


    Jiang Danhe was a man in his prime after all. Moreover, the person lying beside him was someone he had been thinking about day and night. It was natural that he would involuntarily think about something while lying beside her.


    After Zhuang Zhuang fell asleep, Jiang Danhe was having difficulty falling asleep. At first, Zhuang Zhuang was sleeping in between the two of them.


    But somehow, their positions shifted, and Jiang Danhe ended up sleeping in the middle.


    Jiang Danhe had secretly switched places with Zhuang Zhuang by shifting him while he was asleep. He snuggled up against Xiaoguo¡¯s back and wrapped his arms around her.


    Xiaoguo could sense what he was trying to do and was shocked. She moved away from him and whispered, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is still here.¡±


    ¡°I just want to hug you.¡± Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand paused before moving to her back. He whispered to her, ¡°¡­ Do you want to?¡±


    Xiaoguo blushed. Even in the darkness, she could feel his burning gaze on her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to! Go away!¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Xiaoguo flew into a rage and moved back unconsciously. She happened to bump into him with quite a bit of force, causing him to groan in pain.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Xiaoguo was shocked. Jiang Danhe was usually quite tolerant of pain. He was usually quite calm even when he was bleeding. Why was he groaning over a small bump? Could it be that he had wounds on his body?!


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t lie down anymore. She pushed herself up with both hands to check on his condition.


    ¡°Have you gotten hurt again?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t see his face in the darkness.


    Jiang Danhe blushed and held onto his clothes tightly. Seeing his actions, Xiaoguo started to make wild guesses.


    Without another word, she started undressing him.


    One was pulling off the other person¡¯s clothes with all her might, and the other person was refusing to let go.


    Amidst all the pushing and tugging, it was inevitable that there was a lot of body contact. The atmosphere between them became more strange and ambiguous.


    When Xiaoguo¡¯s knee accidentally kicked a certain part of Jiang Danhe¡¯s body, the other party let out another muffled groan.


    Instantly, the atmosphere froze. No matter how ignorant Xiaoguo was, she could guess what it was. It was obvious that he was¡­ excited.


    In any case, the groan just now was also because her butt had bumped into his¡­


    Xiaoguo lay back down shyly and covered herself with the blanket, turning away from his view.


    Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t doing any better either. Logically speaking, it was normal for him to have a reaction when facing his wife and the woman he liked. But why was he feeling so embarrassed at this moment?!


    He was feeling so shy¡­


    After tossing and turning all night, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. His body was burning, and he couldn¡¯t sleep well.


    He only felt better when he was pressed against Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to see him suffer, so she simply accepted his tentative approaches.


    Throughout the night, other than sticking close to Xiaoguo, Jiang Danhe only touched her in a few spots¡ªhe did not go overboard.


    He knew the boundaries, so Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop him. In any case, nothing was going to happen. So be it. She was not going to lose anything.


    If one were to ask them about why they were still so reserved and shy? The answer would be, they were still not ready.


    ¡ª-


    After breakfast, Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo led the horses to the county.


    Zhuang Zhuang wanted to go with them, but they didn¡¯t let him. This time, they weren¡¯t going out for leisure. They had something to attend to.


    Since she had decided to open a new shop, Xiaoguo had to start making preparations now.


    This time, the two of them were going to the county to find a suitable shop.


    As for the renovations, it could take a long time. Now was the best time to start preparing. According to the designs she had in mind, the renovation works should only be complete by the end of the year.


    Coincidentally, Jiang Danhe was at home now. Xiaoguo felt more at ease with him by her side. When she wasn¡¯t sure, he could help her with her decisions.

 Chapter 398 - 398 Haunted

    398 Haunted


    Jiang Danhe got on his horse with Xiaoguo. With a sneer on his lips, he threw a merciless look at Zhuang Zhuang who was feeling aggrieved.


    ¡°Giddyup!¡±


    As soon as Jiang Danhe spoke, the horse galloped away, leaving no time for Zhuang Zhuang to do anything.


    Xiaoguo leaned back comfortably against Jiang Danhe¡¯s chest.


    Jiang Danhe seemed very satisfied with her skillful intimacy. The little intimate acts that she occasionally did to him, was right up his alley.


    ¡°Have you set your sights on any shops?¡±


    Jiang Danhe asked softly.


    ¡°No.¡± Xiaoguo shook her head. ¡°Where do you think I should set up shop?¡±


    Although Jiang Danhe had been away from home for some time, he was still familiar with Yonghai County.


    Previously, Shao Zhan had lived in Yonghai County. Since Jiang Danhe had traveled around this area quite a bit, he knew the streets pretty well.


    After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°Wansheng Street is mainly made up of pawn shops and gambling dens. Dongwu Street is mainly made up of rice, noodles, grains, and oil stores. Yongle Street is where you can find food, clothing and all the living necessities. It¡¯s also the most central street in the county. That street is also divided into several named streets. In addition, there are dozens of nameless small streets around it. On those streets, you can find a scattering of shops. Most of them are running funeral-related businesses. Along the remaining few small roads and the borders of the county city, you can find kilns and shops that sell wood, bricks, and tiles.¡±


    ¡°There are so many streets in Yonghai County?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked up at Jiang Danhe¡¯s sexy neck and was attracted by his moving Adam¡¯s apple. Her eyes flickered for a moment before she looked away as if she had been scalded.


    Jiang Danhe did not notice her abnormality. He continued speaking, ¡°Yonghai County is only smaller than the other counties around it. No matter what, it¡¯s still around the capital. It can¡¯t be that small.¡±


    Xiaoguo acknowledged his words in a distracted manner.


    Jiang Danhe looked down at her and thought that she was feeling hot, so he rode his horse closer to the shade.


    After arriving at the county city, the two of them discussed and focused their search on Yongle Street without considering the other streets.


    When they arrived at the noodle shop, they dismounted. After greeting everyone inside the shop, they started exploring the vicinity around the restaurant.


    After Jiang Danhe¡¯s explanation, Xiaoguo found out that the noodle shop was situated at the corner of a small street on Yongle Street.


    Having been here so many times, this was the first time Xiaoguo knew the names of every street. Previously, she only knew a few. She had always thought that they were individual streets. She didn¡¯t expect them to all share a name¡ªYongle Avenue.


    They walked around until noon. Xiaoguo was extremely tired. She didn¡¯t feel tired at all when she was in the car. Why was it so tiring to walk?


    Jiang Danhe was not very tired, but seeing her like this, he found a herbal tea shop and ordered two cups of herbal tea so that they could rest for a while.


    Xiaoguo felt much better after drinking a cup of herbal tea.


    ¡°I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Wrong in what aspect?¡±


    Jiang Danhe handed her his cup of herbal tea before asking.


    ¡°I always thought that the county city was only so big. Having been here so many times, I just realized that I had only explored a small portion of this place.¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to finish another cup of tea when Jiang Danhe stopped her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink so much. You will get a stomachache.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and only took a small sip.


    Jiang Danhe retracted his hand in satisfaction and said, ¡°Do you have a favorite street in mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiaoguo thought for a moment. ¡°We should open the shop in a busy area¡¯.¡±


    On a crowded street, there would be more customers.


    ¡°From Yongle Avenue?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled. ¡°What about that small street on Yongle Street?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment. ¡°What do you think of Xiangyang West Road?¡±


    Jiang Danhe thought for a moment and guessed the shop she liked. ¡°That two-story building on Xiangyang West Road?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the one!¡±


    Xiaoguo had passed by the shop earlier on and immediately took a fancy to it. It was a two-story ancient-style building. Although it was a little dilapidated, the foundation looked very strong. Moreover, it had a small courtyard. If she took over, she only had to make minor modifications to it. She believed that renovations could be completed by the end of the year.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Xiaoguo eagerly asked for his opinion.


    Before Jiang Danhe could speak, another voice interrupted him.


    ¡°Not so good.¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned. Not far away from them was a scruffy-looking man who was covered in dirt. His hair was disheveled, and his face was covered in stubble. It was impossible to tell his actual age.


    She had to determine his gender by listening to his voice.


    Jiang Danhe narrowed his eyes and asked calmly, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Unexpectedly, the scruffy man fell silent this time. He was drinking herbal tea by himself. There were a total of seventeen or eighteen cups on the table.


    Xiao Guo was feeling worried for him. He drank so many cups of tea without seeming to care about catching a cold.


    Seeing that he was silent, Jiang Danhe frowned slightly. He really disliked baffling individuals who speak in incomplete sentences.


    It was the same for Xiaoguo. His words were as annoying as a fly.


    The two of them had not rested enough, so they endured it and spoke softly in case the man eavesdropped on them again.


    Just as Xiaoguo was asking Jiang Danhe if this two-story building was okay, the man spoke again.


    ¡°Not good.¡±


    This time, the good-tempered Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Jiang Danhe stopped her and signaled her with his eyes to calm down. He was going to handle it.


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath and sat back down unhappily.


    After Jiang Danhe comforted Xiaoguo, he ordered a pot of herbal tea and asked the waiter to bring it to the man. He went over and sat down too.


    The man did not see himself as an outsider. When he saw the new pot of tea, he picked it up and drank it directly from the spout.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s expression remained unchanged. When the other party looked like he had enough, Jiang Danhe asked, ¡°May I ask what¡¯s wrong with that small building?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    The man seemed very satisfied with Jiang Danhe¡¯s attitude. After drinking his fill, he spoke.


    Xiaoguo pricked up her ears and waited for the man to continue.


    Jiang Danhe shook his head in confusion.


    The man snorted at the two of them and looked around. Then, he said mysteriously, ¡°That place is haunted¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hair stood on end and she subconsciously reached for Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe immediately held her hand and gave her a comforting look.


    Then, he looked at the man again. ¡°Please elaborate.¡±


    The scruffy-looking man retracted his gaze and said with a dark gaze, ¡°The place is haunted. I heard that there is a terrifying male ghost wandering around in the middle of the night. When he sees a man, he will suck away his soul. When he sees a woman¡­ Hehehehehe¡­¡±


    As the man spoke, he sized up Xiaoguo in a disgusting manner. Then, a row of white teeth appeared across his blackened face before he started chuckling.


    This time, Xiaoguo had to hold onto Jiang Danhe to calm him down.


    Jiang Danhe was pulled back to his original seat by Xiaoguo. It took him a long time to calm down.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to believe what a lunatic says.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that the man was crazy and abnormal. It was difficult to tell if his words were true or not. They could just go over and take a look later.


    Jiang Danhe nodded at Xiaoguo. Since the two of them were done resting, they got ready to pay the bill and leave.


    However, when the two of them were about to leave, the man shamelessly followed behind them. After he saw them settling the bill, he tried to leave with the two of them.


    Very quickly, the shop assistant came over to intercept.


    However, he was stopping Xiaoguo, instead of the scruffy-looking man.


    ¡°We¡¯ve settled the bill.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the waiter strangely.


    Unexpectedly, the waiter looked behind her in embarrassment and said tactfully, ¡°There¡¯s another bill¡­¡±


    ¡°??¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe strangely and the two of them looked behind them.


    At some point in time, the scruffy man had caught up with them. He was quietly tugging at Xiaoguo¡¯s skirt and picking his nose with his other hand. Then, he saw their gazes and smiled brightly at them.

 Chapter 399 - 399 Unkempt And Unidentified

    399 Unkempt And Unidentified


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo watched as he reached for her dress with the same hand that he was using to dig his nose. Unable to take it anymore, she slapped him.


    ¡°Slap¡­¡±


    A crisp sound rang through the clouds.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°My heart aches for you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe rubbed Xiaoguo¡¯s right hand that looked flushed, and sighed sympathetically for the umpteenth time.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Xiaoguo retracted her hand helplessly. There were so many people on the streets, but Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t seem to feel shy or awkward.


    Jiang Danhe wasn¡¯t bothered at all. He held her small hand again and placed it on his chest, before massaging it with his big hands.


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡± Xiaoguo looked behind her in frustration. Then, she turned around and said gently to him, ¡°They have turned red from washing. It was not because of the slap. How could it possibly hurt?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do either. Look at how red your hands are. It¡¯s killing me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was acting exaggeratedly as if her hand had suffered a lot of damage. It was really a touching scene where his heart was aching for her physical pain.


    Xiaoguo took one last look at him and tried to pull her hand out, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t get it out. In the end, she gave up. Whatever. If he wishes to hold it, just go ahead.


    The two of them walked forward with the scruffy man following behind them. He was just three meters away from them.


    Xiaoguo stopped walking and gave the man an unfriendly look. He subconsciously shook his head and straightened his neck to glare back at her.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Does this road belong to you? I can walk wherever I want!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath and tried to control her anger. Jiang Danhe immediately patted her back and pulled her forward.


    Seeing this, the scruffy man quickly followed them and maintained a distance of three meters behind them. If they stopped, he also stopped. If they started moving, he did the same.


    Whenever Xiaoguo stopped to glare at him, he would immediately say, ¡°This road doesn¡¯t belong to you. I can walk wherever I want!¡±


    Hearing this, Xiaoguo really couldn¡¯t refute his words.


    Just like that, the three of them successfully attracted the attention of the passers-by with their strange behavior.


    Thanks to that, the passers-by maintained a good distance from them . After all, there was an unknown black object following behind them. Anyone would be afraid to get close.


    Having been followed by the man along one full street, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore and pulled Jiang Danhe aside.


    ¡°You! Go! First!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t going to fall for his tricks!


    The scruffy man was in no hurry. He took a step forward with a smile and took half a step back.


    ¡°I simply love it here!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s right hand was getting restless in Jiang Danhe¡¯s grip again.


    The scruffy-looking man seemed to have noticed her small actions. He raised his swollen and smudged left cheek provocatively and said frivolously, ¡°Go on and hit me!¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but take two steps back from the man.


    His messy hair was like an incubation nest for flies. As he approached, one or two flies flew out from his hair.


    Xiaoguo almost fainted from the stench coming from his body. Fortunately, Jiang Danhe covered her nose in time to block out some of the stench.


    ¡°Hehe, are you still going to slap me? If not, I¡¯ll carry on admiring the surroundings¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him in disdain. She was definitely not going to hit him again.


    She had washed her hands more than twenty times after that slap.


    Who would have thought that so much unidentified stuff could exist on a person¡¯s face? Even until now, she could still feel the grimy feeling on her hands.


    The degree of stickiness could be seen from the other party¡¯s face¡ªXiaoguo¡¯s fingers was still imprinted on it.


    Fortunately, there was no gooey or slimy stuff. If there were, Xiaoguo believed that she would have discarded her hand.


    Xiaoguo was so angry that she laughed. She nodded calmly and said, ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Jiang Danhe pulled Xiaoguo along and walked forward quickly. When the scruffy man saw them leave, he stopped humming and quickly put on his shoes to follow them. He was afraid that the two of them would leave him behind.


    Even if he were to continue following them, he could not be faster than the two youngsters.


    After a while, with the help of Jiang Danhe¡¯s evasive maneuvers, they managed to shake off the man.


    The sloppy man stood at the intersection and reached out to scratch his messy hair. He looked around suspiciously, but there was no sign of the pair.


    But he didn¡¯t seem anxious. Revealing his big teeth, he started laughing.


    Then, he turned around and walked towards a certain direction.


    Xiaoguo was feeling a little dizzy from Jiang Danhe¡¯s tugging. But seeing that they had gotten rid of that person, she couldn¡¯t help but feel happy.


    ¡°I wonder what he was trying to do.¡±


    The two of them still had unfinished business. After shaking off the man, they went to the two-story building to take a look.


    Along the way, Xiaoguo kept thinking about it, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what the man wanted from them.


    ¡°Could it be that he was after your money?!¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly thought of such a possibility. After all, when Jiang Danhe was making payment, he had taken out a rather big and heavy-looking money bag.


    It was possible that they were targeted for their money.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like it.¡± Jiang Danhe thought for a moment and shook his head.


    If the guy had his eye on the money, then he wouldn¡¯t have to shake the man off with Xiaoguo by his side. In any case, he felt that something was amiss.


    Xiaoguo was not someone who would get stuck in the details. She quickly sighed and waved her hand. ¡°In any case, we¡¯ve shaken him off. Forget it. Let¡¯s hurry up and get to that place.¡±


    Jiang Danhe retracted his thoughts and nodded with a smile. The two of them quickened their pace and headed for the two-story building.


    The building was located at a small intersection on Yongle Street. Two blocks ahead was the noodle shop. Not far away was the residence where Xiaoguo had set up her stall to sell potato noodles.


    Therefore, this two-story building located on the street was also part of the residential area.


    Based on Jiang Danhe¡¯s introduction, the residences of various lords and vassals were located in the near distance ahead of the building. If she opens her shop here, it would definitely enjoy good business.


    Those rich people always liked new and novel stuff.


    Yonghai County was a low-key place. There were many outstanding and rich people in the county, but all of them kept a low profile.


    If there were any new products in the market, they would not just sit back and watch. Whether the product was delicious or awful-tasting, they would buy some back to try.


    Moreover, Shao Zhan used to live in the vicinity. As one could imagine, there were many more high-ranking officials and nobles living in this area.


    Xiaoguo believed Jiang Danhe¡¯s words without a doubt. She believed everything that he said.


    Therefore, her desire for this two-storey building had become even stronger, and she was dying to get her hands on it.


    Earlier on in the morning, the two of them only walked around the vicinity and were only looking out for empty shops.


    At first, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe really did not notice this place. It was only when a gust of wind blew past and caused the door to creak that it caught their attention.


    They had no idea who it belonged to, but the door wasn¡¯t closed. It was wide open and the interior was extremely messy.


    When she took a closer look, she realized that there was a tattered piece of paper posted at the door. On it were two simple words: For Sale.


    There was no other information on it.


    What was even stranger was that sale notices were usually written on red paper. Doing that creates a festive and positive impression on the viewer. But the owners of this house did things very differently¡ª they used white paper for their sale notice. The words ¡°for sale¡± were written like a scribble. If one did not take a closer look, they would not have noticed the words.


    As the door was unlocked, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe thought that the owner might be inside, so they went forward and knocked on the door.


    What greeted them was a cloud of dust. After dodging the dust, they were startled by a wild cat running out of the house.


    After calming down, the two of them looked at each other and walked in. They tried calling out to the owners as they entered.


    However, after searching everywhere, they could not find anyone in the house. The two of them didn¡¯t think that it was wise to stay any longer. Since they could not find the owner, they hurriedly walked out.


    Later on, they did check out a few other shops, but none of them were as impressive as the two-story building that caught Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 400 - 400 Rioting

    400 Rioting


    When they returned to the two-story building, the door was still half-open.


    Xiaoguo suddenly stopped in her tracks. She glanced around and saw a dark, unknown object.


    She immediately had a bad feeling.


    When Jiang Danhe saw Xiaoguo stop, he stopped too. He turned around and looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Did you see anything?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Jiang Danhe asked again curiously. Then, he looked around and was about to say no when he suddenly saw¡­ a person nestled in the corner?


    It could be considered a human.


    Xiaoguo turned around angrily and looked straight at the black figure.


    When the scruffy man saw that Xiaoguo had finally seen him, he opened his mouth happily and chuckled at her.


    With his dirty black hands, he held out two roasted chickens towards her.


    Xiaoguo frowned, wondering what he was up to. ¡°I¡¯m not eating that.¡±


    The scruffy man ignored her and pointed at Jiang Danhe.


    Xiaoguo stepped in front of him and said calmly, ¡°He won¡¯t eat them either.¡±


    The scruffy man did not seem to take her words to heart. After pointing at Jiang Danhe, he buried his head in his food. Then, he took out a gourd, opened it and took a few gulps. After which, he pointed at the two of them.


    Xiaoguo really didn¡¯t understand what he was trying to say now, but she told him, ¡°We¡¯re not drinking either.¡±


    The scruffy man rolled his eyes at her. Then, he placed the roasted chicken and white wine in his arms, seemingly afraid that she would snatch them from him.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Xiaoguo rolled up her sleeves and was about to step forward. She was going all out. She didn¡¯t intend to keep this hand anymore!


    Jiang Danhe held her back and pulled her behind him.


    Xiaoguo might not have noticed the two burly figures beside the man, but he did.


    ¡°Is that them?¡±


    As soon as the voice sounded, Xiaoguo calmed down and looked in the opposite direction.


    The sloppy man seemed very afraid of Xiaoguo¡¯s fists. Even though the other party was blocked, he still leaned against the wall timidly.


    However, when he heard the man¡¯s question, he nodded vigorously without thinking. As he nodded, he tightened his grip on the roasted chickens in his hands.


    ¡°Is that them?¡±


    At this moment, another man opened his mouth and asked him.


    The scruffy man held the wine pot tightly and nodded.


    The two men looked at each other. ¡°We¡¯ve found them!¡±


    They spoke at the same time and reached out to Jiang Danhe. ¡°Pay up.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    Before Jiang Danhe could speak, Xiaoguo leaned out and walked to his side.


    ¡°Roasted chicken and wine, sixty-five copper coins in total.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with us? You should be looking for the person who is eating it.¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe understood the situation immediately. It was this scruffy man again.


    Looking at the man eating busily in the corner, Xiaoguo crossed her arms over her chest. After saying those words, she grabbed Jiang Danhe and was ready to leave.


    ¡°Hey, wait!¡±


    The two men did not react in time. Seeing that the couple was about to leave, they quickly stopped them.


    ¡°Your old man can¡¯t eat for free. Judging from your dressing, I cannot imagine that you would ill-treat your father. The younger generation has truly degenerated.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re dressed so well and don¡¯t look like you lack money. How can you dress your elders so poorly? You¡¯re so shameless. Do you have a conscience?!¡±


    ¡°The old man just wants to eat some braised chicken and drink some wine. It¡¯s not expensive. Just buy it for him! Why are you doing this!¡±


    ¡°What? Are you still pretending that you don¡¯t know me? I¡¯ve never seen anyone as ruthless as you!¡±


    ¡°Quick, quick, quick. Fellow villagers, come and say a fair word. Everyone, look at the disgraceful behavior of this young couple!¡±


    The two men did not give Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe a chance to speak at all. They kept rounding up people with their loud voices. Very soon, there was a large crowd.


    Jiang Danhe reacted first. He put his arms around Xiaoguo and pushed away the approaching crowd before moving her to a safe place.


    ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. How about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine too.¡± Jiang Danhe smiled in satisfaction and patted her head. Not bad, she finally knew how to show concern for her man.


    At this moment, the two men behind them were still going on. They added fuel to the fire and proclaimed that the couple was disrespectful, unfilial and ungrateful to the old man.


    Jiang Danhe was the first to object. The scene was in a frenzy because of the two men and the crowd that was confused by their words. It was impossible to suppress everyone with just their voices. He could only use force. It was more direct that way.


    Jiang Danhe quickly pushed aside the crowd and found the man with the loudest voice. He grabbed his collar and lifted him into the air.


    The surrounding crowd was immediately frightened by what they saw. They stood rooted to the ground and did not dare to make a sound.


    At first, the man tried to resist, but after struggling for a while, he realized that it was useless. Fear took over and he became unable to utter a complete sentence.


    Jiang Danhe had no intention of doing anything to him. He just wanted to bring the whole situation under control.


    After a while, he put the man down.


    Wearing a cold expression on his face, he frowned and asked in a soft but forceful voice, ¡°We don¡¯t even know him. Why should we pay for him?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ What do you mean you don¡¯t know him? Aren¡¯t you his son and daughter-in-law¡­?¡±


    At the end of his sentence, the man began to stutter. Seeing that the other party was not avoiding his gaze, he began to feel uncertain.


    He couldn¡¯t help but regret his earlier actions. Why did he believe the man¡¯s words? It was all his fault for being biased¡ªsiding the weaker party without finding out the truth.


    But it was too late to say anything now. The man swallowed and wondered if the man in front of him would beat him up¡­


    Jiang Danhe sneered and said softly, ¡°My wife and I don¡¯t know that person. Moreover, both our parents passed away a few years ago.¡±


    The man¡¯s face turned pale when he heard that. He looked at the man beside him.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    As soon as Jiang Danhe finished speaking, some of the people who were criticizing them immediately switched sides and started speaking up one after another.


    The two men were so frightened that their legs started trembling. They were only running a small business. That man took the roast chicken and wine from their shop and was about to leave. When they stopped him, he said that he would get the money from his son and daughter-in-law.


    At first, the two of them didn¡¯t believe him. After waiting with him for a long time, they finally saw a man and a woman. Moreover, the woman took the initiative to walk towards him, so they subconsciously believed his one-sided explanation.


    Seeing that the two of them were not going to take responsibility, they even fabricated lies and gathered a crowd to cause trouble. They wanted to trigger public opinion through the masses, forcing the pair to pay up. Unexpectedly, that was a huge mistake.


    While the two men were thinking of ways to apologize and beg for forgiveness, someone in the crowd spoke up.


    ¡°The man doesn¡¯t look like he is in the right mind. He¡¯s a lunatic. He often goes around looking for a free meal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I know him too. He lives around here.¡±


    ¡°He often tricks people into buying food for him. He does that all the time.¡±


    ¡°It was the same trick the last time¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He even stole a fish from my house the last time¡­¡±


    When one person spoke up, everyone else started chiming in. Just when they were looking for the protagonist to resolve the matter, they realized that he had long disappeared. There was only a pile of chicken bones left where he was sitting earlier.


    Gradually, the surrounding crowd dispersed, leaving only Xiaoguo, Jiang Danhe, and the two men who were asking for the money. However, the two men were feeling regretful at this moment.


    ¡°Brother, we¡¯re sorry. We¡¯re really sorry.¡±


    ¡°Brother and Sister-in-law, we¡¯re fools. We¡¯re sick. We¡¯re crazy. Please be magnanimous and forgive us.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s earlier maneuver left a deep impression on them. How could he be so strong when he didn¡¯t look beefy at all? The two men were really afraid of getting beaten up. They were just ordinary folks and couldn¡¯t withstand a single punch from this big brother, so they tried to apologize as sincerely as they could.


    Seeing that the two men were on the verge of getting on their knees, Xiaoguo walked to Jiang Danhe¡¯s side and squeezed his arm, which was hanging by his side.

 Chapter 401 - 401 First Time Ever

    401 First Time Ever


    Jiang Danhe glanced at her and understood what she meant.


    When the two men heard that the two of them would not pursue the matter, they were so touched that they almost cried. They quickly bowed and thanked them.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Jiang Danhe called out to the two men who were about to leave.


    They got so frightened that their legs went weak and they almost knelt down. They turned around and asked carefully, ¡°Is¡­ is there anything else?¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled and slowly took out something from his pocket.


    After a while, when the two men returned to the restaurant, they still looked confused. They looked down at their hands in disbelief.


    He actually gave them money¡­


    ¡ª-


    After the two men left, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Jiang Danhe kept the silver and looked at Xiaoguo. He said dotingly, ¡°If I didn¡¯t do that, you would have given them the money too.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded silently. That was not wrong¡­


    Xiaoguo looked at the man in front of her carefully. The emotions in her eyes were even more intense than before.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jiang Danhe felt his body heat up under her gaze.


    Xiaoguo shook her head and smiled at Jiang Danhe. ¡°Someone was very cool just now¡­¡±


    Whether it was when Jiang Danhe lifted the man up or when he took out the money, both his actions completely won over Xiaoguo¡¯s heart.


    This man was too awesome!!


    When Jiang Danhe was grabbing one of the two men, Xiaoguo suddenly felt like peeking at his skin under those clothes. She was guessing that his muscles and veins were bulging underneath his skin. At the thought of this, her legs felt so weak that her knees were almost buckling.


    It was not her fault. She could only blame this dear man for being too charming.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was a little shy at first. If he had known that Xiaoguo liked such a manly side of him, he would have held on to the man for a while longer.


    However, looking at the other party¡¯s eyes that were gradually losing focus, he inexplicably felt that it was not exactly like what he had imagined.


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly shook her head to get rid of all the strange thoughts in her mind. There was a hint of panic in her voice.


    She didn¡¯t know what was going on¡ªshe was not such a lustful person in the past. Why did she have such strange thoughts whenever she looked at Jiang Danhe?


    It¡¯s so embarrassing¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stand the other party¡¯s piercing gaze. Afraid that he would see through her thoughts, she could only avoid his gaze and pull him into the house.


    ¡°You¡¯re still going in to take a look?¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped Xiaoguo and looked at the untouched door. He subconsciously felt that there was no one in the house, so he was thinking of asking around for information about the owner. Once he has the facts, he could go straight to the owner.


    ¡°Yes, there should be someone inside this time.¡±


    Xiaoguo gave him a mysterious look, then she smiled and pulled him inside.


    Finding it strange, Jiang Danhe followed behind her and let her drag him forward. He did not resist at all. Instead, he was being very indulgent. If she wanted to go in, he would just follow her.


    Xiaoguo walked in confidently. She didn¡¯t know if the person inside was the owner, but he must be someone who knew a little about the house.


    Besides, this person had caused them so much trouble. It wouldn¡¯t do for him to hide away secretly. On top of that, their money cannot be spent for nothing. They had to think of a way to get it back.


    There was a reason for her being so certain. The auntie they met earlier had mentioned that someone was living in that two-story building.


    Xiaoguo really heard those exact words. She even went directly to the auntie and asked her in order to obtain the correct information.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was holding Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand and striding in like she was going to catch a thief.


    She pushed the door open and waved away the cobwebs and dust on her face. Then, she strode forward.


    Jiang Danhe was shocked by her domineering stance. His eyes almost turned starry in an instant as he tried to close his mouth with much difficulty.


    My wife is so cool¡­


    Xiaoguo came to the place she was thinking about and pushed open the closed wooden door. Then, she was stunned. The person she had imagined was not inside.


    Although Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t know what was going on, he didn¡¯t like it when he saw her disappointed expression. So, he quickly comforted her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go outside and ask the surrounding families to see if I can find out anything about this house.¡±


    Xiaoguo was still feeling unhappy. She was upset by the fact that her imposing stance earlier on must have looked like a joke.


    ¡°Hush, hush¡­¡± Jiang Danhe wrapped his arms around her shoulders and comforted her.


    Unwilling to give up, Xiaoguo looked around the room. Apart from a dirty bed and a gourd, there was nothing else. Everything in the room was in clear view.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes lit up. She stopped Jiang Danhe and said with a smile, ¡°Gourd¡­¡±


    ¡°You want it?¡±


    ¡°Gourd!¡±


    Xiaoguo repeated herself and looked expectantly at Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the gourd in the room and instantly thought of something.


    ¡°That scruffy man lives here?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this the same gourd that the scruffy man was drinking from earlier on? There was a red string hanging from the mouth of the gourd.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s that man!¡±


    Xiaoguo hugged Jiang Danhe excitedly and moved away from him. She was right. The sloppy man really lived in this house.


    She knew it. Out of all the empty rooms, this was the only one that was dirty. Someone must have stayed here for a long time. It was obvious that the scruffy man was staying here.


    No normal person could sleep in a room like this, but he could!


    ¡°Then where did he go?¡±


    ¡°Take a look around.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and followed Jiang Danhe out of the house and into the backyard.


    After looking around, they didn¡¯t find anything. The place was absolutely empty.


    ¡°Did he go out to cheat again?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe and saw from his eyes that it was not impossible.


    When they thought of this possibility, the two of them couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Coincidentally, at this moment, a loud sound came from the courtyard.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    Forgive them for thinking the wrong way.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at each other with red faces and walked towards the sound.


    Not that they were curious to find out what was happening, but it wasn¡¯t easy for them to bump into someone in this place. They had to dig for more information. Otherwise, it would be a wasted day if they couldn¡¯t find any news about the owner.


    Following the sound, the two of them arrived at a corner of the courtyard. There was only an old wooden plank standing against the wall which was acting as a cover.


    On top of the misleading noises, they started hearing gurgling sounds as they moved closer towards the plank.


    There was also an unpleasant smell in the air.


    The two of them looked at each other¡ªthey both had a bad feeling about this. Just as they were about to leave in embarrassment, a big white butt stuck out from behind the plank.


    Xiaoguo turned away the moment she saw it. Jiang Danhe also moved her away immediately.


    When they arrived at a spot further away from that corner, the two of them still looked a little pale. When they thought about how they had actually followed the sound to witness someone using the toilet, they wished they could die of embarrassment.


    Their faces were alternating between shades of white and black. After the awkwardness, there was only amusement left.


    ¡°That was really¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips and looked at Jiang Danhe, who was also looking unhappy. She suddenly started laughing softly.


    Jiang Danhe pinched her cheeks helplessly. Her cheeks were puffed up from her smile. ¡°For the first time in my life.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was very frustrated by her earlier encounter. It would take her a year for her to get over the shock.


    Just as the two of them were feeling embarrassed and vexed, the owner of the white butt came out holding onto his pants.


    He was not surprised to see Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe. Instead, he looked very calm. He pretended not to see the two of them and went on to wear his pants.


    Xiaoguo turned her head away consciously. She didn¡¯t expect such a sloppy person to have such a fair butt¡­


    Ahem, what were you thinking!


    Xiaoguo buried her head in Jiang Danhe¡¯s arms. It was better to lean into the handsome man¡¯s arms and try to recover from the shock.


    Jiang Danhe grabbed the back of her head and held her tightly in his arms, simply because the scruffy man was taking out his pants and putting them on again. He had just realized that his underwear was worn back to front.

 Chapter 402 - 402 Ill Give It to You For Free

    402 I¡¯ll Give It to You For Free


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. He knew that Sloppy wasn¡¯t exactly crazy. In fact, he seemed quite normal.


    So he glared at him fiercely, warning him to stop.


    Sloppy¡¯s hand paused for a moment. Then, he quickly put on his pants and secured his belt tightly. In his nervousness, he even tied it into a dead knot.


    Jiang Danhe frowned. He thought that the man seemed normal, but sometimes he didn¡¯t behave normally at all.


    The scruffy man put on his pants and walked towards the two of them. Suddenly, he slapped his own thigh.


    Xiaoguo was startled by his actions. Before she could figure out what he was doing, he ran away.


    The two of them looked at each other and followed the man.


    As they followed him back to his room, they saw him take out a half chicken leg from beside the wine pot using his hands which were still unwashed after his visit to the toilet. He smiled at the two of them and started eating.


    Xiaoguo took a step back in disgust. That was so unhygienic.


    But then again, he probably didn¡¯t care. It would be strange if he washed his hands before eating.


    The two of them didn¡¯t interrupt him. They watched him eat and drink until he burped.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but hold on to Jiang Danhe¡¯s sleeve. The man had eaten his fill, but the two of them were still hungry.


    Jiang Danhe reached out and patted the back of her hand. He gave her a look, indicating that he would bring her for a meal later.


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded silently.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡±


    The sloppy man licked his fingers and sized up the two of them, before blurting out those words with no rhyme or reason.


    ¡°Why are you going?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him in confusion. She didn¡¯t know if he was really crazy or just faking it.


    ¡°Burp. Go for lunch!¡±


    Sloppy burped and replied to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re already burping. Why do you still need to eat?¡±


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t intending to bring him along. It was ridiculous. His appetite was like a bottomless pit¡ªhe had already eaten two roasted chickens, and yet he still wants to eat.


    ¡°Then buy me dinner.¡±


    Good lord, what a bold statement. Xiaoguo was getting ready to slap him.


    ¡°Say that again.¡±


    Xiaoguo held back her temper and asked again. She was giving him a chance by doing that. If he shut up and didn¡¯t ask again, she would consider letting him off.


    ¡°Buy me dinner.¡±


    Mustering up his courage, Sloppy repeated his statement. Afraid that Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t understand, he repeated himself again. When she didn¡¯t say anything, he repeated his words another time.


    Just like that, he repeated himself over and over again.


    Just as Xiaoguo was about to pounce on him, Sloppy finally thought it through and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to buy this place?¡±


    For some reason, the man suddenly seemed enlightened, and he spoke right to the point.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s raised hand stopped in midair. Damn it, she really felt like¡­


    Jiang Danhe kindly helped her to put her hand down.


    Sloppy seemed to have found her weakness. He put away his timid look and sat on the blackish bed with an air about him.


    ¡°Have a seat. Let¡¯s have a good chat.¡±


    As he spoke, he generously made way for the two of them.


    Xiaoguo looked at the bed, which looked like it was covered in filth. She smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, we¡¯ll just stand.¡±


    Jiang Danhe almost suffered from internal injuries when he saw her expression. She was really too cute.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s words seemed to align with Sloppy¡¯s intentions. Coincidentally, he didn¡¯t want anyone to sit on his bed. This was simply perfect.


    After Xiaoguo finished speaking, Sloppy spread himself across the entire bed as quickly as possible. He got straight to the point immediately, fearing that Xiaoguo would go back on her word.


    ¡°Are you guys planning to buy my house?¡±


    ¡°This is your house? Where is the evidence?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t believe that this was his property. If he really was the owner of the house, he wouldn¡¯t be in such dire straits.


    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s no evidence. This house is mine!¡±


    The sloppy man thought about the evidence and suddenly realized that there was none. This house was his. There was no need for any evidence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been pooping over there for many years. If you don¡¯t believe me, go and take a look yourself.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s scalp went numb. The image involuntarily popped into her mind, and she instantly felt nauseous.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing that she wasn¡¯t saying anything, Shabby thought that she didn¡¯t believe him, so he got up with the intention of showing her the poop.


    ¡°When did you start living here?¡±


    Xiaoguo was really afraid. She didn¡¯t want to go over.


    Sloppy sat back down. He felt that it was better to sit than stand. Hearing her question, he thought for a moment and said, ¡°I forgot.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She stood up abruptly and looked at Jiang Danhe. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded and the two of them started walking out.


    ¡°Sigh, my poop isn¡¯t over there. You¡¯re going the wrong way.¡±


    Sloppy saw them trying to leave, so he got up and walked out too. When he saw them walking in the wrong direction, he became anxious.


    ¡°Are you guys leaving? Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go! You¡¯re not allowed to leave!!¡±


    Sloppy suddenly rushed in front of them and slammed the door. With bloodshot eyes and heaving chest, his raspy breathing could be heard from five meters away.


    Jiang Danhe immediately dragged Xiaoguo behind him and shielded her with his body.


    Narrowing his eyes, he looked in hostility at the man who was blocking the door. He instinctively reached for his waist.


    Xiaoguo saw what he was doing and knew that he had a sharp dagger at his waist. Anyone who came into contact with it would either die or bleed to death.


    Knowing the seriousness of the situation, Xiaoguo quickly placed her hand on his and comforted him gently.


    Jiang Danhe only calmed down after being comforted by Xiaoguo. However, this was only limited to him not drawing out his dagger.


    He said coldly to the man, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The sloppy man¡¯s legs were feeling weak. He looked at Jiang Danhe warily. When he was sure that the man would not kill him, he quickly said, ¡°Hold on! Hold on!¡±


    With that, under their puzzled gazes, he hit himself on his head repeatedly while muttering, ¡°Hurry up and remember!¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo walked out from behind Jiang Danhe and wanted to reach out to stop the scruffy man. Unexpectedly, Scruffy suddenly seemed to have become a different person, appearing all composed and polite.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Shu Botong. I¡¯ll be thirty years old in two years.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at him in disbelief.


    Was this person playing them?


    He must be playing them!


    ¡°Move!¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. Although the two-storey house was good, she felt that something was wrong with this person. She could just look for another house.


    ¡°Madam, Madam, let me explain. I¡¯ve suffered a serious head injury in the past, and it often acts up. I am not lucid at most times. Please forgive me if I have offended you just now.¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe listened to his story with suspicion.


    Sloppy¡¯s original name was Shu Botong. He was from Yonghai County and came from a well-to-do family. At the age of 20, he got married and enjoyed a good life.


    Unfortunately, after the reversal of his family¡¯s fortune, his parents passed away and his wife abandoned him. Afraid of being implicated, his uncle and aunt moved out of the house one night and ran away. Botong spent his days getting drunk. One fateful night, he was kicked in the head by a horse that was tied to a post by the road. He had his head buried in horse dung for the entire night.


    He thought that he was going to die. But unexpectedly, there was still a trace of breath left in him when he was discovered.


    The owner of the horse sent him to a medical center as his way of apology. He also left him some money before leaving him there.


    Due to the severe trauma, and lack of oxygen for the entire night, Shu Botong became mentally ill. He fluctuated between states of clear-headedness and confusion. He would often speak incoherently with scattered thoughts in his mind. During an attack, he would become stuck in a half-crazy state. He was hardly clear-headed, but there were still times when he was.


    After hearing his description, pity instantly rose in Xiaoguo¡¯s heart.


    If he was telling the truth, then he is just too pitiful. He was living a glorious life, but everything changed overnight just because of an accident. Just thinking about it was hard to bear.


    Jiang Danhe seemed to have calmed down. Although he sympathized with the man, it was difficult to tell if he was telling the truth. It was better to get to the bottom of things.


    ¡°This place is my last possession. There¡¯s a title deed, but it¡¯s not with me. I was afraid of misplacing it, so I had entrusted the government office to keep it for me when I was still sober. If you want this place, I can give it to you for free. However, I have a condition. If you agree to it, this place will be yours.¡±

 Chapter 403 - 403 I Want Red Water

    403 I Want Red Water


    After Shu Botong finished speaking, he suddenly shuddered. Then, his entire body began to tremble. Using all his strength, he said, ¡°The condition is that you will take care of me for the rest of my life.¡±


    With that, he banged his head on the table.


    ¡°Aye?¡±


    Both of them were shocked by his sudden action.


    Jiang Danhe was standing close to him. He reached out and touched his neck. After confirming that his heart was still beating, he nodded at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief. As long as he wasn¡¯t dead.


    She thought that he was dead. It was really quite scary.


    Before Xiaoguo could catch her breath, the person leaning over the table instantly looked up and said energetically, ¡°Are you still going to look at my poop?¡±


    Xiaoguo could feel blood gurgling at the base of her throat.


    She kept reminding herself, ¡°He is a patient. He is a patient. He is a patient¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo swallowed hard and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m not going to look at it.¡±


    Shu Botong was extremely disappointed. Poop was the only evidence that could prove that he lives here.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­¡±


    Just as Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were about to leave, Shu Botong suddenly said this.


    The two of them looked at each other helplessly¡­


    Xiaoguo blinked. ¡°Forget it¡­¡±


    Soon, the three of them appeared on the street.


    They had wanted to settle their meal nearby, but when the people at the restaurant saw that there was such a person in their company, they refused to let them in.


    This was the reason why the three of them were still wandering around after so long.


    Shu Botong was fine. After all, he has two roasted chickens in his stomach. However, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were feeling miserable.


    Since they couldn¡¯t enter any restaurants, they decided to buy something from the street stalls. However, Shu Botong was not agreeable to that idea. He insisted on entering a restaurant. He even threatened to cry if they dared to eat at any street stall.


    Although he was behaving like a jerk, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t get mad at him. For some reason, they felt sorry for him.


    In the end, the three of them had no choice but to go to Ruyi.


    At this moment, business was booming in the shop. Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe had arrived suddenly at the doorstep of the noodle shop with an unidentified object that emitted a strange smell. Ruyi almost swatted it away with the fly swatter in her hand.


    In the end, under Xiaoguo¡¯s smiling face, Ruyi let the three of them enter from the back door and eat in the backyard.


    Not that she was heartless, but if that thing came in, the shop would be left with zero customers. Even the fragrance of the broth couldn¡¯t hide the stench on his body.


    Ruyi really didn¡¯t want to be in the same space as that thing, so she ran out to let someone else serve them.


    Xiaoguo could empathize with her, so she could only bear with her hungry stomach and wait for the food to be brought in.


    After a while, Qin Anming arrived. Although he was mentally prepared, the smell that greeted him when he opened the door made him purse his lips tightly.


    His hands were subconsciously grabbing onto the food tray, and his feet were glued to the ground. He was unable to move an inch.


    In the end, Xiaoguo got up considerately and walked over to take the tray from him.


    Qin Anming felt like a burden had been taken off his shoulders. He quickly said goodbye before walking out.


    Even though he was trying very hard to hide the panic in his footsteps, he did not manage to hide it eventually.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but sigh to Jiang Danhe for the nth time today.


    Shu Botong wasn¡¯t bothered by anything at all. When he smelled the enticing fragrance, he couldn¡¯t wait anymore. The moment the bowl was placed on the table, he started eating as if his life depended on it. He didn¡¯t even wait for the food to cool down.


    Xiaoguo did not have a tongue that was as tough as his. She was afraid of burning herself. No matter how hungry she was, she could not eat the food immediately. She could only eat it after it cooled down.


    Jiang Danhe was also hungry, but it was still bearable.


    At the dining table, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe ate with good table manners. Even though they were hungry, they did not gobble their food. It was a stark contrast to Shu Botong¡¯s sloppy table manners.


    It was really hard to associate Shu Botong in his clear-headed state with his current behavior.


    Ruyi and Qin Anming, who were peeking through the door, narrowed their eyes and looked away in disdain.


    Curious about his identity, the two of them began to make speculations. At first, they spoke in whispers, but later on, their conversation got out of control and it reached Xiaoguo¡¯s ears.


    They were guessing whether the man was an acquaintance. Maybe he was a close friend of Xiaoguo¡¯s parents. Maybe they were kind enough to buy a meal for a stranger. If not, could he be a debtor? Or a blackmailer¡­?


    Their discussion was getting more and more exaggerated and far-fetched. Xiaoguo put down her chopsticks and walked out.


    When the two people at the door heard the approaching footsteps, they instantly stood up to leave. But Xiaoguo was not going to let them leave and continue their speculations elsewhere.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Feeling a chill down their spines, they really stood rooted to the ground.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s back and shook his head. He was going to take the noodles from her to help cool it down, when he turned around and realized that there were no more noodles left. There was only a pair of lonely chopsticks casually placed on the spot.


    He looked in the direction where he could hear the slurping of noodles. Xiaoguo¡¯s half-eaten bowl of noodles was completely completely empty now.


    Shu Botong saw Jiang Danhe looking at him, so he put down the bowl in his hand and reached out with the intention of snatching the bowl in front of him. However, before he could touch it, Jiang Danhe took it away.


    What a joke. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to cool down this bowl of noodles. How could he let the man have it? He couldn¡¯t possibly order a new bowl and wait for it to cool down all over again.


    When Xiaoguo returns later, he would just give her his bowl of noodles. The temperature would be just nice. In any case, he wasn¡¯t feeling so hungry right now.


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe was ignoring him, Shu Botong pursed his lips. Then, he thought of something and said to him, ¡°I want to drink the red water in the shop!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I want red water! The same one that the people are drinking in the shop!¡±


    Jiang Danhe was not as kind as Xiaoguo. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t here, so he didn¡¯t restrain himself. He frowned coldly and stared at Xiang Botong. His hand subconsciously reached for his waist.


    Shu Botong felt like he was being strangled. He couldn¡¯t speak no matter how hard he tried. Seeing the look in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes, he didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly.


    Shu Botong carefully avoided looking at Jiang Danhe. He turned away and stared at the door.


    It was better to wait for that woman to come back and get her to buy him some red water.


    After a while, before the noodles turned completely cold, Xiaoguo finally returned. As soon as she entered, Shu Botong came up to her before she could even catch her breath.


    ¡°Buy me red water.¡±


    Having waited a long time for her return, Shu Botong thought for a moment and said, ¡°I want two pots of it.¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to sit down when she froze in midair. In the next second, she stood up again and gestured for him to wait.


    Seeing that she was about to leave, Jiang Danhe frowned. Was she really going to get it for him?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat first? I¡¯ll go get it for him.¡±


    Halfway through her sentence, Jiang Danhe¡¯s lips curled up. He realized what she was going to do.


    Xiaoguo gave him a knowing look in return and she walked out.


    Shu Botong looked very happy. He did not forget to give Jiang Danhe a glare. What a miser!


    It didn¡¯t take long for Xiaoguo to return with a piece of waxed paper in her hand.


    Shu Botong looked at it curiously several times. Could the oil paper be filled with red water?!


    Seeing his anticipation, Xiaoguo said calmly, ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    She took the oil paper and pasted it neatly on one side of his face. Then, she aimed and took a shot.


    It was done in one swift stroke. It was crisp, loud, and satisfying!


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Jiang Danhe handed her his bowl and thoughtfully gave her his chopsticks.


    When Shu Botong was waving his hands in fear just now, he had accidentally knocked over her chopsticks.


    Xiaoguo sat down and shook her numb palms before taking the chopsticks. ¡°I¡¯ll make you something delicious when we get back tonight.¡±


    It was getting late, much later than the two of them had expected. Thanks to Shu Botong, they still had a lot of things to do in the afternoon.


    They were supposed to settle everything within the morning, but it was going to take an entire day instead.


    The three children at home must be feeling very anxious by now. Xiaoguo had even promised to visit Mrs. Yang, but in the end, she had not done anything at all. The whole morning was wasted on Shu Botong.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo started eating faster.


    Shu Botong, who was sitting by the side, was finally behaving himself. His entire face was still numb and painful.

 Chapter 404 - 404 This Awkward Man

    404 This Awkward Man


    It was just nice. There were a pair of red palm prints on both sides of his face. It was a very symmetrical look.


    At first, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know his age. Just by guessing, she thought that he was in his forties or fifties. When she slapped him at that time, she did feel a little guilty for her actions.


    But when she found out that he was only 28 years old, she felt more at peace with herself.


    Since they were all in their twenties, and about the same age, it would be fine even if they slapped him once, twice, many times or even beat him up.


    After dinner, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe had to make a trip to the government office to verify if Shu Botong was telling the truth.


    In order to save time, the two of them decided to ride a horse there.


    After Jiang Danhe carried Xiaoguo onto the horse, he was about to get on when someone suddenly touched his shoulder.


    He turned around and saw Shu Botong looking at him with his arms crossed. His eyes were shining, as if telling him that he was ready.


    Xiaoguo lowered her head and stopped Jiang Danhe a second before he hit the man. She said to Shu Botong, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go back first?¡±


    Shu Botong¡¯s arms were still raised while he remained silent. He was being very persistent.


    Seeing that she was about to lose her grip on Jiang Danhe, Xiaoguo quickly dismounted and went to the noodle shop to ask for a pot of sour plum soup. And that finally placated the man.


    After Shu Botong left happily with the teapot, Xiaoguo pulled the unhappy Jiang Danhe onto the horse and they set off immediately.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Jiang Danhe? Danhe?¡±


    After Jiang Danhe carried her onto the horse, he did not speak. No matter how Xiaoguo coaxed him, he did not make a sound.


    In the end, seeing that there was no other way, Xiaoguo pretended to lose her patience and turned her head away to ignore him.


    The two of them started playing a game of ignoring each other on the horseback.


    Jiang Danhe was the first to lose his cool. He reached out and touched her with his hand that was not holding onto the horse.


    Xiaoguo ignored him.


    Jiang Danhe touched her again.


    Xiaoguo still ignored him.


    Just like that, after a few times, Xiaoguo burst out laughing. When he saw her laugh, Jiang Danhe started laughing too.


    Seeing him smile, Xiaoguo turned to look at him. ¡°Now can you tell me the reason?¡±


    ¡°What reason?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at her like she was spouting nonsense. Feeling amused, Xiaoguo hit him with her elbow.


    ¡°Tell me quickly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of anything.¡± Jiang Danhe was rarely so hesitant. The matter that was bothering him was very trivial. Would she think that he was petty if he told her?


    Hence, Jiang Danhe thought for a long time whether to tell her the reason. He didn¡¯t say anything until they reached the entrance of the government office.


    Just as Xiaoguo was about to walk in, Jiang Danhe took action and grabbed her arm. ¡°Are you really going to take care of him for the rest of his life?¡±


    ¡°Who are you referring to?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t get what he was saying initially. ¡°Take care of who for the rest of their lives?¡±


    ¡°Sloppy.¡±


    ¡°Shu Botong?¡±


    ¡°Sloppy.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard Xiaoguo call his name, his face darkened. And he deliberately repeated the word sloppy.


    Xiaoguo suddenly smiled and asked gently, ¡°Are you unhappy about that?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m happy or unhappy. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe was still feeling a little uncomfortable broaching the subject. He didn¡¯t want to say it out loud, and was hoping that Xiaoguo could get what he was trying to say.


    ¡°Oh¡­ so you are okay with it.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew exactly what he was trying to say. Trying to tease him, she pretended not to understand.


    Jiang Danhe blushed and followed behind Xiaoguo without saying a word.


    Xiaoguo was walking in front of him. When she reached the steps, she deliberately pretended to miss her step and looked like she was about to fall. This was her way of giving in to him.


    As expected, although Jiang Danhe was secretly upset with Xiaoguo, he was still observing her every move. Seeing that she was about to fall, he quickly grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You¡¯re here with me.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re here, That¡¯s why I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Jiang Danhe understood the underlying meaning behind her words. He was overjoyed. All his awkwardness was immediately replaced by joy.


    Seeing that he was happy, Xiaoguo felt happy too. At this point, the two of them were smiling.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the government office, while waiting for the guard to announce their arrival, Jiang Danhe said seriously, ¡°Why don¡¯t I buy you a piece of land nearby?¡±


    ¡°No need. Why would I fork out money when I could get a house for free? I¡¯ll just take care of him for the rest of his life. At most, I¡¯ll just take care of his daily meals. It¡¯s simple.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she looked inside. Why hadn¡¯t the guard come out after so long?


    ¡°Moreover, I can get him to work for free in the future. When the shop is open for business, there will be a lot of things that need to be done. With an extra pair of hands, It will help me with a lot of things.¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo had thought things through in detail, Jiang Danhe gave up trying to persuade her. After all, the man was sick, he shouldn¡¯t worry too much about it.


    With his thoughts ironed out, Jiang Danhe was now in a good mood. He took out a badge from his waist and showed it to the official guarding the door.


    When the officer saw his badge, he immediately bowed and welcomed them in.


    Xiaoguo followed behind and looked at Jiang Danhe helplessly. ¡°This man!!¡±


    ¡ª-


    The guard who went in to announce their arrival was new and had little experience. When someone came looking for the county magistrate, he didn¡¯t ask for the identity of the visitor or ask what the matter was. As soon as he heard that the person was looking for the county magistrate, he immediately ran in to make an announcement. When the magistrate asked him for more information about the visitors, he was unable to provide any answers.


    Therefore, during the announcement, he could only briefly describe the couple¡¯s appearances.


    The county magistrate was not someone that anyone could meet. Based on the guard¡¯s description, the magistrate deduced that the visitors were some unimportant people, so he was not in a hurry to meet them.


    At this moment, Magistrate Liu was lying comfortably in a rocking chair. He was surrounded by a few beautiful ladies. Someone was feeding him grapes and another person was fanning him on the other side. He was totally enjoying himself.


    Therefore, when he saw Jiang Danhe appear in front of him, he was utterly shocked.


    In the next instant, he fell off the chair and the fats on his body trembled rhythmically along with his fall.


    ¡°Welcome, General. I apologize for not welcoming you earlier.¡± Magistrate Liu quickly got up and tidied his clothes. He was all smiles and did not forget to push away the women who were surrounding him. ¡°Go, go, go, go!¡±


    Xiaoguo silently averted her gaze. She was feeling quite envious of him¡­


    Jiang Danhe did not have any thoughts about the magistrate¡¯s actions. It was really none of his business. As long as he loved the people and was patriotic, he was a good official if he worked whole-heartedly for the people. The magistrate being lecherous was not an issue at all.


    After Jiang Danhe explained his purpose for coming, Magistrate Liu was in a daze. After a while, he came to a realization and said, ¡°So it¡¯s about Shu Botong¡­¡±


    The truth was exactly as Shu Botong had said. However, after hearing Magistrate Liu¡¯s words, Xiaoguo suddenly had a thought. ¡°Could Shu Botong be suffering from schizophrenia?!¡±


    The two of them also saw the title deed that Shu Botong had left at the office.


    ¡°There was one day when Shu Botong suddenly came to the government office. Claiming that it was for safety reasons, he handed the title deed to me and entrusted me to keep it for him. Speaking of which, he¡¯s really quite pitiful¡­¡±


    Magistrate Liu recalled the scene that day and felt very sorry for him. If Shu Botong had not fallen from grace, he might be the one sitting in the magistrate¡¯s position instead.


    Xiaoguo suddenly remembered Shu Botong¡¯s claims about the house being haunted. If he wanted someone to buy his house, why would he tell people about the rumor?


    ¡°Before Shu Botong went crazy, he could still guard the house, which was his only possession. Once he went crazy, everyone started harboring thoughts about the house. He had no choice but to pretend to be a ghost to scare away those people. And he did manage to scare off a few of them. All his tactics were only applied to specific groups of people. He has the final say on who gets to be the next owner of the house.¡±


    Magistrate Liu knew everything about the county. He was a little lecherous, but he had relied on his merits to become an official. Although he did occasionally take shortcuts and was a little crafty, he really worked hard for the people.


    Magistrate Liu was not going to give the deed to them directly. Instead, he asked the private advisor to make a trip and follow the couple back. No matter what, they would only hand over the deed after obtaining permission from Shu Botong.


    ¡°County Magistrate Liu is quite good at his job¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo whispered to Jiang Danhe in case the private advisor following behind her overheard her.

 Chapter 405 - 405 Split Personality

    405 Split Personality


    If Magistrate Liu was a person of poor character, Shu Botong wouldn¡¯t feel at ease about handing the deed to him for safekeeping.


    Jiang Danhe nodded in agreement. What he told her next made Xiaoguo admire Magistrate Liu even more.


    ¡°Some time ago, as Zhu Zhizhou from Guangyang Prefecture was getting old, the higher-ups were planning to promote a respected county magistrate nearby and transfer this person to Guangyang Prefecture. County Magistrate Liu was the first choice, but the people of Yonghai County couldn¡¯t bear to let him leave, so they all begged for him to stay. At that time, Magistrate Liu was all packed and ready to go, but upon seeing this scene, he decided to stay.¡±


    The man who often talked about promotion was actually willing to sacrifice his promotion for the sake of the people in Yonghai County and stay on as a small county magistrate.


    Indeed, one should not judge a book by its cover.


    At first, she thought that Magistrate Liu was not a good person. In the end, she realized that she had really misjudged the man.


    When they arrived at the two-story building, Shu Botong had stayed there, following Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions. However, there were three teapots in front of him.


    She clearly remembered that she had only ordered one pot of sour plum soup for him. Where did the other two pots come from?


    Before she could ask, Shu Botong confessed.


    It turned out that the one pot that Xiaoguo gave him was not enough. He finished it while making his way back, so he returned and asked for three more pots.


    ¡°Where did you get the silver?¡±


    ¡°No need for silver. It¡¯s free.¡±


    Shu Botong looked at her like she was asking him a ridiculous question. It was obvious that he had no money, so he couldn¡¯t possibly pay for the tea.


    Xiaoguo refused to look at him. So he had gotten the tea for free. Hmph, if it weren¡¯t for her, Ruyi would have chased him out with a fly swatter.


    This was what really happened. Before Shu Botong entered the shop, he was already shouting for red water. He had seen Xiaoguo talking to Ruyi before and they seemed to be very familiar with each other. Therefore, he remembered the latter¡¯s face. As soon as he entered, he walked straight to Ruyi, who was at the counter holding a fly swatter.


    ¡°I want red water!¡±


    ¡°Stop! I thought you already had a pot?¡±


    Ruyi immediately held out the fly swatter in front of her and said in horror.


    Shu Botong looked at the fly swatter that was in the way. He couldn¡¯t get around it no matter how hard he tried, so he decided not to move forward. She can hold it up for all she wants. It was not going to affect his request for the red water.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left here. It¡¯s not enough for me.¡± Shu Botong waved the empty teapot in his hand at Ruyi to show her that he wasn¡¯t lying.


    In order to send him away, Ruyi went all out. She made him three teapots in a row and handed them to him from afar. ¡°You can go now.¡±


    Shu Botong didn¡¯t mind. Hugging the pots happily, he left the shop. In order to show his good mood, he skipped and jumped all the way back.


    As Ruyi watched him leave, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    Three teapots, and four teapots of sour plum soup.


    With tears in her eyes, Ruyi charged the bill to Xiaoguo¡¯s account.


    On the other side, Xiaoguo went into the house with a few others. The advisor and Shu Botong checked the contract several times before taking it out.


    ¡°This is the contract for the transfer of the house. Take a look and sign it if there are no problems.¡±


    As the advisor spoke, he handed the document to Xiaoguo. At first, Xiaoguo thought that it was a deed, but when she took a closer look, she realized that it was not the case.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe took it and read it carefully. There were a few big words at the top: ¡°Gentleman¡¯s Agreement¡±.


    This was a letter of agreement. The general content was that Shu Botong was willing to transfer the two-story house to someone for free, as long as the receiver could fulfill the following requirements.


    Firstly, the receiver had to treat Shu Botong as family.


    Secondly, the receiver had to take care of Shu Botong until he passed away. He must not be abandoned or abused.


    Thirdly, the receiver had to be responsible for Shu Botong¡¯s food, clothing, and transportation until he died naturally.


    Fourthly¡­


    Fifth¡­


    Although there were many conditions listed in the agreement, the main condition was exactly as Shu Botong had mentioned. She just had to take care of him for the rest of his life.


    After Jiang Danhe finished reading the agreement, he heaved a sigh of relief. The care that Shu Botong had talked about was indeed the basic kind of care. It was not what he had imagined at first. At this moment, he finally felt complete relief.


    At the end of the contract, there were some lines marked in bold.


    ¡°Note: You have to swear on your life. The contract will only take effect if the above conditions are met.¡±


    There was also a signature and fingerprint at the back. The agreement was done very meticulously.


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment and looked at Shu Botong carefully. When he saw Xiaoguo looking at him, he did not avoid eye contact. He looked back at her for a while before grinning at her.


    This time, Xiaoguo did not look away in disdain. Instead, she laughed out loud.


    Shu Botong is most likely schizophrenic. He must have split into a second persona to protect himself, so that he could avoid facing up to reality.


    The person in front of her should be his other personality. He was not a fool, a lunatic, or a mental patient. He must be a carefree person who was not bound by societal norms.


    There are many such people in real life, but there is a nice name for them. They are known as optimists.


    He was definitely not a fool. After all, which fool could successfully scam other people for free food and drinks every day? Fools wouldn¡¯t pretend to be ghosts to deceive others, nor would they use dishonest tactics to trick people.


    The clear-minded Shu Botong was unwilling to face the gaze of society, nor did he have the courage to face the sympathetic and curious eyes of the people around him. He was also forced to face an impoverished life which was a foregone conclusion. Therefore, he developed a second personality which was not bothered by society norms, and who only had eyes for food and wine.


    Everyone said that he was crazy, but only the real Shu Botong knows that he isn¡¯t crazy. He was just quietly hiding away, unwilling to face this cruel and terrible reality.


    Thinking of this, a trace of pity appeared in Xiaoguo¡¯s gaze as she looked at him


    It wasn¡¯t directed at Shu Botong. She was feeling pity for his other personality.


    Being showered every day with looks of disdain from others, he really must have a lot of courage.


    Moreover, if he didn¡¯t have a split personality, Shu Botong would have starved to death long ago. After all, how could a proud person like him give up his dignity to scam others for a free meal?


    Xiaoguo could tell this from his sober state. At that time, she thought it was strange, but after thinking about it, she finally got it.


    At that time, when Shu Botong was in a lucid state, he subconsciously avoided touching his own body, and he couldn¡¯t meet people¡¯s gaze directly due to his inferiority complex. It was as if he was afraid that his appearance would be reflected in the other person¡¯s pupils.


    Just as Xiaoguo was sighing to herself and preparing to take good care of him in the future, Shu Botong said bluntly, ¡°Buy me roasted chicken.¡±


    As he spoke, he started scratching his hair, which was clumpy and covered in grease. Xiaoguo suspected that there must be a colony of lice living within. Moreover, they must be a large family with eighteen generations of descendants!


    Xiaoguo saw him move his hand out of his hair. His grimy nails were now gleaming with grease. Just as he was about to stick that same hand into his mouth to pick at his teeth, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She shouted in a hoarse voice, ¡°Stop!¡±


    Everyone present was so startled that they froze on the spot. Even the private advisor almost tore the title deed in his hand.


    Jiang Danhe quickly came back to his senses and looked at Xiaoguo, wondering what was wrong with her.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t explain. She just said to the advisor, ¡°I¡¯ll sign it.¡±


    Still in shock, the advisor handed her the brush and red clay.


    After signing her name and fingerprinting it, Xiaoguo handed it to Shu Botong.


    Just as Shu Botong was imitating her and signing the contract, he suddenly thought of something. He put down the brush and handed the contract to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°He has to sign it too.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at the finger pointing at him and looked at Xiaoguo in confusion.


    ¡°Why does he have to sign it?¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo finished asking, Shu Botong suddenly laughed and said smugly, ¡°He has money!¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at each other and sighed helplessly.


    He did see Jiang Danhe¡¯s pouch.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? He has so much money to help pay for my roast chickens. What about you? Hmph!¡±


    Xiaoguo could never have imagined that one day she would be despised by a mentally ill person.


    She didn¡¯t have money?! The silver she had could crush him to death!

 Chapter 406 - 406 Apologizing

    406 Apologizing


    He actually said that she had no money!


    This was the funniest thing Xiaoguo had heard since she got rich.


    Shu Botong hummed from his nostrils with an air of indifference, which truly annoyed Xiaoguo.


    She was wrong. She was terribly wrong again!


    Shu Botong was a lunatic who deserved a beating. To hell with optimism. His IQ must truly be lacking.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you buy me a plot of land?¡±


    Taking a few deep breaths, Xiaoguo looked up at Jiang Danhe and said gently.


    She had come to terms with it, she had completely come to terms with it. With the land, she could build whatever she wanted. She didn¡¯t have to worry about having another nagging baggage. How nice would that be?


    Jiang Danhe was overjoyed when he heard this. He quickly nodded and agreed. As he spoke, he tried to pull her up with the intention of leaving.


    Shu Botong rolled his eyes and quickly snatched the contract away. He scribbled his name while muttering, ¡°Why are there so many strokes? It¡¯s so difficult to write¡­¡±


    Xiao Guo and Jiang Danhe exchanged a glance and shared a knowing smile.


    After writing down his name with much difficulty, Shu Botong came to the finger-printing part, which was much easier.


    However, even though it was a simple task, he completely made a mess out of it. The print he made looked absolutely distorted. If one did not look carefully, it would be hard to tell that it was a fingerprint. It could have been mistaken as a drop of blood that had dripped from someone¡¯s broken nose.


    ¡°Alright.¡± The private advisor picked up the contract. After making sure that everything was in place, he held it in his arms. ¡°The title deed is yours. You must adhere to the contract.¡±


    As he spoke, he handed the title deed to Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    Xiaoguo took it and looked at it. When she saw that there were no problems, she thanked the advisor and put it away.


    The private advisor¡¯s mission was completed. After seeing her put away the title deed, he left.


    Shu Botong looked at the two of them. It seemed like something was brewing inside his head.


    ¡°What about him?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo. Since she had promised to take care of him, the problem now was to make arrangements for his accommodations.


    Xiaoguo smiled and said, ¡°Just leave him here. I¡¯ll go and order his daily meals from Ruyi.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    After hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s words, Shu Botong objected immediately. She had promised to take care of him, but she was actually going to leave him behind!


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a feasible plan.¡± Jiang Danhe smiled and he started analyzing seriously. ¡°He can guard the door if he stays here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll look for the renovation contractor tomorrow. During the renovation period, he can help to supervise the work. It will save us a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re abusing a sick man!¡±


    Shu Botong felt terrible when he heard the couple echoing each other.


    This was too scary. It was even worse than when he was alone. He could eat and sleep whenever he wanted. Now, he actually had to work.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Xiaoguo smiled and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to let you continue being a sick man.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?!¡±


    Shu Botong silently hugged his trembling body. ¡°Is she going to ravage me?¡±


    Xiaoguo only smiled at him and said nothing else.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo silently, not quite understanding what she meant.


    Sensing his eyes on her, Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe and winked at him, indicating that she would talk to him later.


    Jiang Danhe smiled and nodded. He was extremely satisfied. He knew that Xiaoguo¡¯s gaze would always be on him.


    It had been too long since they came out. Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe did not want to delay any longer, so they reminded Shu Botong to eat on time before they left the place.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡± Xiaoguo repeated patiently.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shu Botong still looked like he was upset with Xiaoguo. Therefore when he heard her, he didn¡¯t say anything. He silently shifted his position and turned his back to her.


    ¡°I know you can hear me. Don¡¯t wander off. We¡¯ll come back here tomorrow.¡±


    Xiaoguo did not pay much attention to Shu Botong¡¯s behavior. After saying that, Jiang Danhe carried her onto the horse and the two of them rode off.


    Shu Botong looked at their departing figures and slowly clenched his fists. He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m a lunatic. How can I understand human language?¡±


    ¡ª-


    The two of them bought a lot of delicious food along the streets. Since they were going back so late, they had to get some treats for the three children at home.


    On the way, she came across a stall which sold sour plums, so Xiaoguo bought a catty of it for Mrs. Yang.


    She could imagine the resentment on her friend¡¯s face when she goes back later.


    She could use the sour plums to placate her.


    On the way.


    ¡°Are there any bathhouses in the county?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked Jiang Danhe out of habit.


    Jiang Danhe thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Yes, there are several nearby.¡±


    He knew the reason why Xiaoguo was asking him about that, so he told her about the few shops that were located around Shu Botong¡¯s residence.


    Xiaoguo smiled. She really liked the telepathic connection between them. He could give her timely feedback without her having to say anything.


    She really couldn¡¯t stand Shu Botong¡¯s greasy appearance anymore. For the sake of her eyes and Ruyi, that man had to wash up.


    God knows how much effort Xiaoguo had put in to get Ruyi¡¯s agreement, so that Shu Botong could take his three meals in the noodle shop on a daily basis.


    ¡°Tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll throw him in there.¡±


    Jiang Danhe continued.


    Xiaoguo nodded and held onto his arms that were around her waist.


    Jiang Danhe knew that this was her happy expression, so he pulled her back until she was resting against him.


    Xiaoguo leaned into his arms and they started chatting casually.


    The two of them were thinking of going back later. They were enjoying their time alone while traveling on the horse¡¯s back.


    However, the journey will eventually come to an end. No matter how slowly they tried to travel, it was already as slow as they could get.


    As soon as they arrived at the house, they could hear the sound of running footsteps when the dogs in the courtyard started barking.


    As soon as Xiaoguo was carried off the horse, the door opened.


    Zhuang Zhuang was the first to run over. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling jumped in front of her and asked her excitedly about where she had gone for the day.


    While Xiaoguo was being pestered by the few kids, Jiang Danhe thoughtfully brought the food into the house on his own. His back looked extremely lonely.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. It was the same everywhere else in the world. A mother is the most important figure in the family, while a father plays a more arbitrary role.


    This scene made Xiaoguo feel very uncomfortable. Her heart was aching badly for the man.


    Hence, she lowered her head and urged Zhuang Zhuang to look for Jiang Danhe. She didn¡¯t want the man to feel left out.


    Zhuang Zhuang had actually noticed it too. When he heard Xiaoguo¡¯s words, he immediately chased after Jiang Danhe.


    As he ran, he called out to his father affectionately.


    When he heard the boy, all of Jiang Danhe¡¯s haughtiness disappeared. It was instantly replaced by indulgence and tenderness.


    Xiaoguo did not want to fight over the job of distributing snacks. She would let Jiang Danhe show his fatherly love.


    Just as she was sitting at the side and smiling as she watched the rest distribute the snacks, Zhuang Zhuang said something that successfully petrified Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Auntie Yang came over a few times today to look for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s smile froze. She perked up and asked, ¡°Did she say anything?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhuang Zhuang shook his head and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°In any case, she stomped her feet when she heard that you had not come back yet.¡±


    ¡°Give me the sour plums.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang handed the paper bag to her in a daze and asked hesitantly, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head. Before she could answer, she ran out anxiously.


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at the departing figure and looked at Jiang Danhe in confusion, hoping to hear his explanation.


    Jiang Danhe shrugged, indicating that he was none the wiser. Then, he continued to distribute the snacks.


    On the other side, Xiaoguo arrived at Mrs. Yang¡¯s house. She picked up a branch from the ground and hid it behind her before knocking on the door.


    When Mrs. Yang heard the sound of knocking, she immediately started walking out and muttering to herself, ¡°Okay, Xiaoguo, you¡¯re the best. You¡¯ve left me hanging for the entire day. Watch how I am going to deal with you¡­¡±


    Although her posture didn¡¯t look so friendly, it was not difficult to tell that she was pleased.


    She had been waiting the entire day for Xiaoguo. How could she not be happy?


    ¡°You are¡­¡± Mrs. Yang opened the door. Before she could stop smiling, she was shocked by Xiaoguo¡¯s actions. ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I¡¯m here to apologize.¡±

 Chapter 407 - 407 Kiss in the Kitchen

    407 Kiss in the Kitchen


    Mrs. Yang was forced to take a few steps due to Xiaoguo¡¯s imposing aura.


    She stammered, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Xiaoguo was going to apply her strategy of acting cute, which was always fool-proof. She put on an extremely awkward looking expression that could barely be called cute.


    Taking one look at her, Mrs. Yang could immediately tell that she was teasing her.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t even think about covering up for your deed in this manner.¡±


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly handed over the sour plums she had prepared and that immediately stopped Mrs. Yang from saying more.


    The nagging that was on the tip of her tongue instantly became something else.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to introduce me. I¡¯ve gotten familiar with the two young ladies since this morning.¡±


    Xiaoguo sat opposite her and watched her eat. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like any bit of this sour plums,¡± Mrs. Yang said as she stuffed it into her mouth. ¡°I am only forgiving you because you have admitted your mistake with a good attitude.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Xiaoguo stopped smiling and nodded quickly. ¡°I am totally at fault.¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard her words, she pretended to forgive her with reluctance.


    ¡°Thank you for lunch, Sister-in-law.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew that Zhuang Zhuang and the others wouldn¡¯t go hungry during the time when she was not at home. Mrs. Yang would definitely come and summon the children during mealtimes.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Mrs. Yang waved her hand indifferently.


    Xiaoguo smiled at her with sincerity. It was wonderful to have a neighbor, friend and family like Mrs. Yang.


    While chatting, Mrs. Yang heard that Xiaoguo was looking for a renovation contractor, so she recommended someone to her.


    ¡°My uncle¡¯s brother works as a carpenter in the county. You can go check out his shop.¡±


    Xiaoguo was delighted to hear that. ¡°That¡¯s great. It saves me the trouble of going around to look for someone.¡±


    When Mrs. Yang heard her words, she quickly shook her head. ¡°You can¡¯t afford to be careless with this kind of thing. You should still look for more options and make comparisons before coming to a decision.¡±


    Xiaoguo was well aware of this, so she nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go to the shop tomorrow.¡±


    Mrs. Yang nodded and told her the address.


    The purpose of her telling Xiaoguo about the shop was not to let her choose directly, but to give her another option. No matter what, since Xiaoguo was sent there by her, they would definitely give her a discount.


    ¡ª-


    When it was time for dinner, Mrs. Yang had to start preparing to cook. Xiaoguo got up and bade farewell to her before walking home.


    As soon as she entered the courtyard, she realized that the kitchen chimney was smoking.


    Her interest was piqued. ¡°Were they so self-motivated today that they had started cooking?¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could enter the kitchen, Zhuang Zhuang and Xiao Zhu called out in unison.


    It didn¡¯t sound like there was a problem, but Xiaoguo could detect a hint of distress in their voices.


    ¡°Huh? What delicious food are you making?¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and walked into the kitchen. Then, she retreated immediately in the next instant. It turned out that the chimney was not the only thing that was smoking, the kitchen was completely filled with smoke as well.


    ¡°Hurry up and come out. There¡¯s so much smoke inside.¡±


    Xiaoguo rubbed her eyes and looked at the few people who were still standing there in a daze.


    With the stove in the way, she didn¡¯t see the figure who was trying to defuse the fire below.


    Seeing the strange expressions on the children¡¯s faces, Xiaoguo subconsciously felt that they must have caused the fire while messing around.


    ¡°Are the three of you trying to burn down my kitchen?¡±


    The three people in the room tensed up and looked nervously at the stiff man beside them. Then, they shook their heads anxiously at Xiaoguo. It was unclear if Xiaoguo was able to see them.


    Zhuang Zhuang pursed his lips and gestured aggrievedly to the side.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t quite understand, but she acknowledged with a vague reply, ¡°Ah.¡±


    Then, Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu also gestured anxiously towards something on the side.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiaoguo was confused by their actions. She really didn¡¯t understand what they meant, so she could only shout into the room, ¡°Jiang Danhe!¡±


    She had been back for a while, but Jiang Danhe was nowhere to be seen. The other three kids were all acting strangely. She urgently needed someone who could talk to her and explain things to her.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo thought she was hearing things. She looked at the kitchen and then at the back room. She didn¡¯t understand what was going on, so she called out again.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe!¡±


    A weak reply came from the kitchen. ¡°Yes!¡±


    This time, Xiaoguo heard him clearly. She turned to look at the kitchen and whispered to the three of them, who were in a daze, ¡°No way.¡±


    The three of them nodded silently. That¡¯s right. Their father (brother-in-law) was here. He was the one who caused the fire in the kitchen.


    Jiang Danhe looked up from the stove and smiled at Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo immediately turned around with shoulders trembling.


    But don¡¯t get me wrong. She wasn¡¯t crying, instead she was laughing.


    What was Jiang Danhe trying to do? His face was covered in soot. It was too funny!


    After a while, Xiaoguo composed herself and turned to look at him.


    Jiang Danhe had already stood up from the stool when she turned around. He walked to the door frame and looked at Xiaoguo sadly.


    While waiting for her return, Zhuang Zhuang kept complaining that he was hungry. Jiang Danhe had no choice but to do the cooking himself.


    However, Zhuang Zhuang, Xiao Zhu, and Yu Ling were not confident in his cooking skills. They insisted on watching him cook. On the surface, they claimed that they were there to help out. But the actual truth was quite evident. Under the guise of helping out, they were actually monitoring him.


    He had been through all kinds of situations¡ªthe watchful eyes of three little kids had no effect on him.


    However, Jiang Danhe had to admit that he was too arrogant.


    With three pairs of innocent eyes staring at him blankly, no matter how strong his mental strength was, it was hard to withstand.


    As soon as he added water, someone would come over to check if there was enough water. Once he added firewood, someone would immediately walk over to check if he could start a fire.


    If not for the fact that they were still young, Jiang Danhe would have slapped every single one of them.


    Before he knew it, he had added a lot of firewood to the stove. Once the fire started burning, the chimney couldn¡¯t handle all the smoke. About half of the smoke drifted out of the open stove and by the time they realized it, the entire kitchen was filled with smoke. Everything looked dark and gloomy, almost like the hell in the story that Xiaoguo had told them about.


    Xiaoguo came back before they could do anything to salvage the situation.


    ¡°Shall I do the cooking?¡±


    Xiaoguo held back her laughter and asked Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe shook his head gently. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You¡¯ve had a long day.¡±


    ¡°Then shall I assist you?¡±


    This time, Jiang Danhe nodded without hesitation.


    The two of them entered the kitchen together. The smoke in the kitchen had dissipated a little. Zhuang Zhuang wanted to stay and help. But Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were keen observers¡ª they quickly pulled the reluctant Zhuang Zhuang back into the house.


    Now, the kitchen belonged to the two of them.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help herself. She dipped her hand in clean water and walked to Jiang Danhe. She then raised her hand to wipe the soot off his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was immediately frozen on the spot. Looking at the woman in front of him, his heart started beating wildly.


    The setting sun slid through the open window and landed on Xiaoguo¡¯s face, its gentle glow gradually spreading across her face.


    Jiang Danhe was captivated by the woman¡¯s serious expression and gentle hands.


    He couldn¡¯t help but stare at her slightly parted lips. The four words ¡°rosy lips and pearly teeth¡± were truly embodied on Xiaoguo¡¯s lips.


    Her rosy lips were moving as she breathed.


    Jiang Danhe felt like his heart was being bitten by ants¡ªthe itch was too much for him to bear. Unable to take it anymore, he pulled the hand that was about to leave his face and gently pulled Xiaoguo into his arms. Guided by his desire, he leaned down towards her.


    Xiaoguo was stunned for a moment before she started struggling. This was the kitchen. The children were all at home. If they were accidentally seen, she would be done for.


    Jiang Danhe moved back slightly and said breathlessly, ¡°I¡¯ll keep a lookout.¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could protest, he leaned over her again.


    Perhaps it was his intoxicating breath, or maybe it was something else, suddenly Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to resist anymore. She just wanted to follow his lead¡­


    The two of them were deeply engrossed in each other, unaware that they were being watched by a pair of curious big eyes.

 Chapter 408 - 408 Renovation Go!

    408 Renovation Go!


    Having been dragged into the house, Zhuang Zhuang was not very happy to begin with. When he asked for the reason, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were vague and didn¡¯t give him a convincing reply. That made him even more depressed.


    While Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were clearing the table, Zhuang Zhuang secretly ran to the kitchen. Before he entered, he heard some noises.


    For some reason, Zhuang Zhuang stopped smiling and quietly squatted down by the door, peeking inside.


    What were his parents eating?


    Zhuang Zhuang sniffed hard, but he didn¡¯t smell any meat. It wasn¡¯t meat or bones. What were they nibbling on?


    Feeling curious, Zhuang Zhuang stretched his neck to take a better look. Other than their flushed faces, he could not see anything else.


    Zhuang Zhuang stomped his feet in a fit of pique. They didn¡¯t even ask him along when they had good food. He was not going to care about his parents anymore!


    It was the same for Sister Yu Ling and Sister Xiao Zhu. They must know that his parents were secretly eating delicious food and wanted to help them hide it from him. He had taught them to read and write for nothing, so he should ignore them too!


    With that thought in mind, he left angrily.


    Fortunately, Zhuang Zhuang had left at this moment and did not continue looking. Otherwise, the two of them would have been exposed.


    Inside the room, Xiaoguo pushed Jiang Danhe¡¯s wandering hands away with all her might. Breathing heavily and looking at each other with passionate eyes, the two of them stepped away from their embrace.


    Xiaoguo turned her head away first. She said nervously while tidying her clothes, ¡°Hurry up and cook.¡±


    Jiang Danhe turned around and tried his best to calm down. He also replied shyly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two of them tacitly understood what had just happened, and they immediately busied themselves with their work. Neither of them brought up the fact that they had almost lost control of themselves.


    However, both of them were aware that after today, they would become even closer with a deeper emotional connection. They would also become more committed as a couple.


    They both noticed this change in their relationship and it warmed their hearts. Even when they occasionally glanced at each other, it was incredibly sweet and intimate.


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, as they still had to go to the county to look for renovation workers, the two of them got ready to set off after breakfast.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, if we¡¯re not home by noon, remember to go to Auntie Yang¡¯s house with Sister Xiaozhu and Sister Yuling. Do you understand?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s mouth moved slightly. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly thought of something. He closed his mouth and nodded indifferently, indicating that he understood.


    The boy was not being his warm usual self. Although his behavior made Xiaoguo feel uncomfortable, she did not manage to figure out the reason behind his change.


    Ever since dinner yesterday, Zhuang Zhuang had been acting cold and aloof. When she spoke to him, he didn¡¯t completely ignore her, but he didn¡¯t behave like his usual self.


    In fact, there was no need to explain these things to him in detail, since Zhuang Zhuang was a smart and perceptive child. Xiaoguo was only trying to strike up a conversation with him.


    The outcome was obvious. No matter how much she said, he still behaved the same way.


    Xiaoguo sighed and Jiang Danhe narrowed his eyes without saying anything. He then got on the horse with Xiaoguo in his arms.


    She still wanted to say a few more words, but Jiang Danhe did not give her a chance and rode off before she could say anything.


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? I still want to talk to him.¡±


    Xiaoguo turned to look at him unhappily.


    Jiang Danhe touched her head. ¡°It¡¯s useless to say anything to him now. Just wait until he gets over it. He got his stubbornness from me.¡±


    ¡°Are you proud of that?¡±


    At the mention of this, Xiaoguo got a little worked up. The boy was feeling upset for some inexplicable reason. Even after asking and coaxing him, he refused to say a word. She even has to put up with his attitude. What a little brat.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Jiang Danhe did not dare to nod. Although it was a good thing that his son resembled him, there was a time and place for everything. If he nodded his head at this moment, he would definitely get a good beating from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m more obedient than him. I don¡¯t need any coaxing.¡±


    After Jiang Danhe finished speaking with a smile, he gave the horse¡¯s belly a squeeze, and the horse sped off immediately.


    The words that were about to come out of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth were sealed by his sudden actions. After settling on the horse¡¯s back, she glared at him helplessly. He was already an adult, but he still behaved like a child.


    Jiang Danhe smiled at her innocently. He didn¡¯t mean anything else¡ªhe only enjoys hugging his wife.


    The two of them arrived at the county and made their way to the place that Mrs. Yang had recommended. When they arrived, they discovered that this area was densely populated with carpenters and painters.


    The shop that Mrs. Yang mentioned, was the largest shop in the area.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe split up. Xiaoguo went to Mrs. Yang¡¯s cousin for consultation while Jiang Danhe went to the surrounding shops to check things out.


    Price and craftsmanship were two major considerations. Whichever shop that offered the best services would be chosen for their services.


    ¡°Brother.¡± Xiaoguo walked into the shop and stopped someone. She asked, ¡°Do you know where Yonghai Luban is?¡±


    Yonghai Luban was the title of Mrs. Yang¡¯s cousin in Yonghai county.


    The man, who was stopped by Xiaoguo, wiped his sweat with a towel draped over his shoulder while sizing her up. ¡°I am him.¡±


    Xiaoguo exclaimed in surprise. What a coincidence.


    ¡°And you are?¡±


    Xiaoguo quickly introduced herself. When Yonghai Luban heard that it was his cousin who had recommended him, he immediately became excited.


    ¡°Haha, since you were referred here by my cousin, I won¡¯t treat you as an outsider. Take a look around. I¡¯ll finish the work in my hands first. It won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and quickly nodded. Then, she took a few steps back to get out of the way.


    After everyone returned to their work, Xiaoguo decided to look around while waiting.


    The courtyard was neither big nor small. It was neatly filled with finished and half-finished wooden furniture. The workmanship of the furniture was exquisite and the carvings on them were beautiful.


    More than a dozen carpenters were working hard to chisel the wood in their hands. Blocks of shapeless wood were meticulously polished and carved to become exquisite works of art.


    Xiaoguo was halfway through when she made up her mind.


    Jiang Danhe came back to the shop rather quickly. After looking around the place with Xiaoguo, he nodded at her silently.


    The two of them had great chemistry. They could read each other¡¯s thoughts with just one look.


    After looking around at the other shops, Jiang Danhe discovered that Mrs. Yang¡¯s recommended shop was the best. In terms of the workers¡¯ attitude and the craftsmanship, everything they had to offer was the best.


    All they needed to find out now was the price. To be honest, based on their workmanship, it was acceptable if they asked for a higher price.


    Xiaoguo had spent the previous night drawing a sketch. Although it didn¡¯t look quite professional, Mrs. Yang¡¯s cousin was able to give her his suggestion right after seeing it. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but admire his professionalism.


    Mrs. Yang¡¯s cousin took her drawing and took a closer look. Based on his decades of experience, he was able to tell her what she had envisioned in her mind.


    The happiest thing in life is when your hairdresser understands your request just from a few words, or when your decorator can capture the exact style you want. It¡¯s just so comforting!


    After bargaining, Mrs. Yang¡¯s cousin gave the two of them an honest price very quickly.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were both pleasantly surprised. The price was very low, even lower than they had expected.


    After careful verification, Xiaoguo signed the contract with him.


    Jiang Danhe paid a third of the renovation cost as a deposit.


    The remaining two-thirds would be divided into two payments. During the renovation period, they would make the second payment and the last payment would be made when the job is complete.


    Moreover, the shop was also responsible for the painting work and the excavation of a cellar in the backyard that Xiaoguo planned to build. They were taking care of almost everything, so Xiaoguo could just sit back and relax.


    Since they had not seen the house yet, Mrs. Yang¡¯s cousin sent two men to follow Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe to the two-storey building for an on-site inspection. They would survey the scene and draw a new sketch based on the actual conditions of the house.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe rode in front while the two craftsmen drove behind in their carriage, all of them traveling towards the two-story building.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the two-story building, Xiaoguo had a bad feeling.


    Feeling the same, Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo. It was obvious that the two of them had guessed the same thing.


    ¡°Has Shu Botong gotten himself into trouble again?¡±

 Chapter 409 - 409 Coward

    409 Coward


    As it turned out, her sixth sense was amazingly accurate.


    The originally empty and quiet two-story building was now bustling with activity. One could even hear harsh shouting and curses coming from the inside.


    The two carpenters behind them were wearing puzzled expressions on their faces. They followed behind the two of them and stopped the carriage.


    The small dilapidated door was now worse for wear due to the crowd squeezing through. Its appearance looked like a gust of wind could collapse it any moment.


    After Xiaoguo was carried off the horse by Jiang Danhe, she went straight inside.


    The originally empty room was now filled with people. There were men and women of all ages. Some were watching the commotion, and some were collecting debts. It was a lively scene.


    Someone spotted Xiaoguo and suddenly shouted, ¡°They¡¯re back!¡±


    There was a sudden silence in the air. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have to worry about how to make her way in, the crowd immediately made way for her.


    Xiaoguo looked at the unobstructed path in front of her and spotted the sloppy bastard at the end of it.


    Shu Botong seemed to have noticed Xiaoguo¡¯s presence. He mustered up his courage and smiled at her a few times. Then, he continued to fiddle with the ¡®treasure¡¯ in his hand.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe had made his way over, and he gently stroked Xiaoguo¡¯s back to soothe her.


    Shu Botong was carefully counting the things in his hands. From snacks to clothes and shoes, they were all bought by him. They were indeed very precious to him.


    Shu Botong didn¡¯t say anything, but the crowd didn¡¯t stay quiet for long. When they saw Xiaoguo appear, they immediately surrounded her and started complaining to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here. I¡¯ve been waiting since last night. This person took something from my shop and refused to pay. Hurry up and pay me back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Without a word, he took a pair of shoes from our shop and ran away. I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time. Hurry up and settle the bill.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still holding onto the fabrics from our shop. That piece he took is expensive. You¡¯re his guardian, aren¡¯t you? Hurry up and pay.¡±


    ¡°Also, he bought two taels of wine from our shop and hasn¡¯t paid yet. Are you going¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, he brought two trays of meat buns. That¡¯s a total of 35 copper coins¡­¡±


    ¡°And the joss paper, ingots, and candles at my shop. That¡¯s a total of¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh, there¡¯s also our¡­¡±


    ¡°Quickly pay up! We¡¯ve been waiting since this morning.¡±


    ¡°Look at him. He¡¯s still holding my apples. They just arrived this morning. There are only a few of them, but he took them all. Hurry up and pay me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Hurry up and give us the money¡­¡±


    There was a variety of food, drinks, and clothes. There were even offerings for worshiping ancestors, like incense, paper, ingots, and candles.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s head was hurting from all the noise. She really had to hand it to Shu Botong. How could he have done so much in such a short time?


    Jiang Danhe could tell that Xiaoguo was getting impatient, so he called everyone out individually to explain things to them.


    Seeing that someone was taking charge of this matter, the group followed him out. The onlookers also went out to watch the commotion. At this moment, only Xiaoguo and Shu Botong were left in the room.


    Shu Botong sensed the strange atmosphere and hesitated for a moment as he touched the fabric. He pretended like all was well and continued to focus on counting the items in his hands.


    He needed all these items. Since he had someone to take care of him now, it would be a waste not to make use of her. Since he had already given her the two-story house, it was only right for her to provide for him. It wasn¡¯t like he was doing this all the time. It was just a one-off situation. There was not going to be a next time.


    Xiaoguo let out a long sigh and said quietly, ¡°There should be a limit to your crazy act.¡±


    Shu Botong¡¯s hand paused. It took him a moment to react. He looked at her with his eyes that were embedded in his dark face. He remained silent, as if he didn¡¯t understand what she meant.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Xiaoguo sneered. She had really misjudged him. To hell with split personalities. She should have seen through it long ago. He was just pretending to be crazy.


    ¡°Unable to withstand public scrutiny, you pretend to be a lunatic and scam people for free food and wine, just to escape from reality. Do you really think that no one knows? You are the famed Shu Botong who is the eldest son of a scholarly family. The awe-inspiring Shu Botong from yesteryear. To think that this man could do such a shameless thing. It¡¯s really an eye-opener.¡±


    Shu Botong was still able to keep up his pretense initially, but upon hearing the later part of her words, he completely broke down.


    Upon hearing Xiaoguo mention the two identities that he felt ashamed of, Shu Botong could no longer pretend. He had been avoiding his identities as eldest son and top scholar. Now that he had been exposed by this little woman, only he could truly understand his own feelings.


    At this moment, Shu Botong¡¯s eyes had turned red and his entire body was trembling. Those things that he had deliberately forgotten were replayed in front of him again. The exquisite and expensive brocade cloth he was holding had become twisted in his hands.


    Seeing his reaction, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t seem satisfied, so she continued, ¡°Look at you now, dirty and unkempt, nothing like the impressive figure you once were. I can only imagine that period when your career and family were doing well. In the blink of an eye, you have fallen from the high pedestal into muck and mire. How did you feel?¡±


    ¡°Stop it!!¡±


    Shu Botong¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, looking like he would bite Xiaoguo if she continued.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t afraid of him. She sneered and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lay a finger on me. Try me.¡±


    Putting aside the fact that he still had to rely on her to survive, Jiang Danhe was still outside. If he dared to touch her, he would definitely have to bear the consequences.


    Even if Xiaoguo gave him extra courage, he wouldn¡¯t have the guts to touch her.


    Shu Botong clenched his fists and panted heavily. His dark face had turned red from anger and embarrassment.


    Everything he didn¡¯t want to face had been brought up so casually by her. How could she do this?


    This was the first time that Xiaoguo was showing him the intimidating side of her. She slowly approached him, and carefully scrutinized him from head to toe.


    For some reason, Shu Botong suddenly felt a little fearful of her. He was used to being sized up like this, but why did Xiaoguo¡¯s gaze make him feel so embarrassed that he felt like hiding away.


    Seeing him gradually lower his head, Xiaoguo felt helpless and a little sad.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­¡± Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but smack her lips. She said almost coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to beg for food with a scholar¡¯s identity. Do you think you can feel at ease just because you¡¯ve changed into someone else? Shu Botong, how long are you going to keep running away?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t even look at yourself, what¡¯s the point of living?¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo turned around to leave. If he really had a split personality, he would be worthy of her sympathy. But pretending to be crazy and hiding from the world was really despicable.


    Shu Botong, who was pretending to be crazy, had probably deceived himself as well. At this moment, he already believed that he was a lunatic.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything!¡±


    Shu Botong finally said the words a second before she stepped out. She didn¡¯t know anything. She didn¡¯t deserve to talk to him like that. She didn¡¯t know anything!


    Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and snorted without looking back. She said, ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t know anything. Who would understand the thoughts of a coward?¡±


    Shu Botong seemed to have been hit by the word coward. He ran out with all the items in his arms.


    When making his way out, he had to pass by Xiaoguo. There was still a trace of reason in him, therefore he did not touch her. Even though the other party had said a lot of hurtful things that he could not accept, he still carefully avoided her before running away.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe walked over as he had finished dealing with the group of people.


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and looked at him gently. ¡°How much did you pay?¡±


    Jiang Danhe made a number with one hand. Xiaoguo sighed. Of course, she knew that the sum he paid was definitely not counted in coins. Just for that piece of fabric, it had to be calculated in taels.

 Chapter 410 - 410 Ready to Go

    410 Ready to Go


    Jiang Danhe listened to Xiaoguo¡¯s sigh and reached out to rub her chubby face.


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Although Jiang Danhe was outside paying the bills, he was also paying attention to the situation in the house. When he saw Shu Botong running out in a bad mood, his first reaction was to worry about her safety.


    Xiaoguo shook her head at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Let¡¯s see what he does next.¡±


    She had already spoken. If he still wanted to play dumb, she didn¡¯t wish to deal with him anymore. She could look for another place. The two-storey building was not the only option.


    The two craftsmen waited for the crowd to disperse before walking forward. They looked at the two of them hesitantly. ¡°Are we still going to do the site inspection?¡±


    Jiang Danhe reacted quickly and said to the two of them with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to have made you come all the way here for nothing. We¡¯ll invite you two again after things are settled here.¡±


    As he spoke, Jiang Danhe gave each of them a silver coin before they could show their dissatisfaction.


    Instantly, their faces lit up with joy. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Just send us a letter when you¡¯re done. We¡¯ll come over immediately.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded calmly and watched the two of them leave.


    Xiaoguo looked at the dirty house and sighed.


    She hadn¡¯t planned to make it clear so quickly and was prepared to take it slow, but who could have expected Shu Botong to give her such a big surprise this morning?


    The money they had was all their hard-earned money. They couldn¡¯t afford to have him spend their money like that. Going out and spending a few taels every day was not sustainable. She believed that Shu Botong was capable of doing just that.


    Actually money was really a small matter. More importantly, If he offended someone while he was out, she would be kept busy paying money and apologizing every day.


    It would be fine if Shu Botong was really a sick man, but he was not sick. He was a normal person.


    She didn¡¯t mind being a busybody¡ªshe just wanted to help as much as she could.


    If Shu Botong could come to his senses, she would take care of him for the rest of his life. However, if he continued to run away from reality, she would part ways with him.


    Jiang Danhe came to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and put his arm around her shoulders.


    Looking at the house that was impossible to walk in, Jiang Danhe silently pulled her back a few steps. ¡°These?¡±


    ¡°He can clean up the house when he comes back.¡±


    Because of those debt collectors, the house that was barely decent was now dirty and messy. Muddy footprints could be seen everywhere. There were also mysterious stains on the walls that might have been made by some mischievous little imps.


    The person who created this mess would have to settle it.


    ¡ª-


    Shu Botong ran all the way to the end of Yonghai County before he finally stopped.


    He was panting so hard that he almost fell to his knees. Even so, the items in his arms were still well-protected. There was not even a speck of dust on them.


    The black mud on his face looked even more glossy due to his sweat. The stench on his body became even more pronounced as the sweat evaporated.


    Along the way, the people he bumped into instinctively pinched their noses and dodged from him.


    He was usually unmoved when he saw people behaving that way towards him. However, for some reason today, he could sense an indescribable emotion rising in him. It was a bitter feeling.


    Shu Botong walked along a small path that was surrounded by green grass. This path was so heavily trodden that no grass was growing on it. It seemed that many people walked on this path regularly.


    Walking alone, his back view looked inexplicably desolate.


    At the end of the path was a lonely grave mound. Standing on a half-slope at the end with withered grass growing around, it looked clean and well-maintained, probably because someone regularly cleaned it.


    Shu Botong knelt down skillfully and laid out the items on the ground.


    Food, drinks, fabrics, and shoes were all placed neatly together.


    He casually took out the last matchstick he had and lit the joss paper and incense sticks with some struggling.


    As the fire grew stronger, more joss paper was added to the pile. After putting down the last stack of joss paper, Shu Botong kowtowed a few times to the simple tombstone.


    He muttered to himself, ¡°Father, Mother, how are you? I¡¯m still the same. Yesterday, I gave the two-story building to someone else on the condition that they take care of me for the rest of my life. At first, my thoughts were very simple. Since I have nothing left now, if I am fortunate enough to survive in the future, at least I can live without having to worry about my basic meals. It¡¯s good enough to live like this. Being this way, I don¡¯t have to face the sympathetic, disdainful, and disgusted looks of others. It¡¯s pretty good¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Shu Botong¡¯s gaze gradually became doubtful. ¡°But, is this considered cowardly behavior on my part?¡±


    ¡°When I was clean and tidy, people still sympathized with me. Now that I¡¯ve become like this, I just get a few more disgusted looks from them. It seems that there is no difference. Anyway, no one is going to look at me in a normal manner.¡±


    As Shu Botong spoke, he revealed a despairing smile. But then a voice sounded in his mind, filled with regret and disappointment.


    The feeling was like a sudden awakening, and he became clear-headed in an instant. Then, a long-lost vitality arose in his heart.


    Shu Botong¡¯s lips curled up slightly. He slowly covered his heart and said calmly, ¡°So there is still shame in me.¡±


    Just because of a few words from Qin Xiaoguo, he found something that he was unaware of.


    Shu Botong laughed at the thought.


    No one had ever said those words to him before. In his heart, he was probably unwilling to go on living like this. He was just waiting for someone to knock him out of his senses.


    Unfortunately, all these years, he had received nothing but pity and disdain. This had caused him to fall into despair. After all, no one cared about him anymore, so it didn¡¯t matter.


    At this moment, a gust of wind lifted his long hair that was covering his eyes. Being exposed to the sunlight all of a sudden, Shu Botong¡¯s eyes were not accustomed to it. They were blinded by the sudden glare of the sun. It had been many years since he had seen this world. He really missed it now.


    When he closed his eyes in discomfort and opened them again, the wind was already blowing in the opposite direction.


    Shu Botong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He looked at the tombstone. ¡°Are my parents rooting for me too?¡±


    The tombstone didn¡¯t answer him, but his inner voice had already answered him.


    After thinking it through, the man vigorously patted the dust off his body. However, he realized that dirt was not coming off. Instead, he seemed to be making it worse.


    Shu Botong looked at his hands helplessly. After thinking it through, he couldn¡¯t bear to see himself in this state.


    He wiped his hands on the wrong side of his clothes, which was still relatively clean. Although his hands were still dirty, he had already done his best.


    Then, he squatted down and picked up everything on the ground. Without looking back, he walked towards the direction where he came from.


    It was a rare moment of good weather and a rare moment of good mood.


    Shu Botong greedily admired the sky, the sun, the shade of the trees, and the passing crowd.


    Although there was still disgust in their eyes, Shu Botong¡¯s thoughts were now different because of his changed mindset.


    Seeing that they were retreating in disgust, Shu Botong waved his hand graciously and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be clean soon.¡±


    Then, he ignored their expressions and walked towards a shop by the road.


    The few people behind him seemed to have seen a ghost. A sentence quietly appeared in their minds.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this lunatic again?¡±


    Each time Shu Botong entered a shop, there would be one less item with him and more money in his hands. Apart from food and drinks, which couldn¡¯t be returned, he returned the remaining fabrics, clothes,and shoes. As for the incense, gold ingots, and joss money, he had burned them, so they couldn¡¯t be returned.


    However, just the fabrics and clothes alone were worth a considerable sum of money. For him at this moment, it was a huge sum of money.


    He was initially planning to return the money to Xiaoguo and her friends, but after some thought, he decided to walk into a nearby shop.


    When the shopkeeper of the fabric shop saw him, he was so frightened that he immediately became nervous. He almost closed the door and invited him out.


    Shu Botong did not care about his actions. Instead, he generously threw the silver on the table.

 Chapter 411 - 411 Taking a Bath

    411 Taking a Bath


    Seeing him like this, the shopkeeper gulped in fear.


    Shu Botong looked at the pile of ready-made clothes behind the man, he thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Give me a set of ready-to-wear clothes and shoes that I can wear. I also want some underwear.¡±


    To be honest, it had been a long time since he had money to buy underwear. Those he had were so worn out that he wouldn¡¯t use it as toilet paper.


    The shopkeeper looked at him strangely. ¡°Why was this lunatic acting strangely today?¡±


    However, for the sake of the money on the table, the shopkeeper did not say a word. He turned around and started looking for some clothes for him.


    Why should he care about what was wrong with the man? As long as he could make some money.


    Following the business principle of not turning down any opportunities to make money, the shopkeeper quickly took out a set of ready-made clothes, undergarments and a pair of shoes, before placing them on the table for Shu Botong.


    ¡°What do you think? The workmanship, fabric, stitching, not to mention the color and style¡­ You can¡¯t find this anywhere else¡­¡±


    After the shopkeeper¡¯s sales pitch, Shu Botong was a little tempted. Based on his previous experience of living a lavish lifestyle, this set of clothes were definitely costly.


    However, he was short of money. The only silver he had did not belong to him. After the shopkeeper¡¯s recommendations, Shu Botong said excitedly, ¡°I want the cheapest one.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you miss out on any money-making opportunities, you¡¯re a fool. If you miss out on any money-making opportunities, you¡¯re a fool. If you miss out on any money-making opportunities, you¡¯re a fool.¡±


    The shopkeeper recited his business principle silently a few times. In the end, making money was still his priority.


    ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll find it for you now!¡±


    Compared to the shopkeeper¡¯s smiling face, Shu Botong¡¯s expression was much harder to describe.


    He touched the beautiful clothes that the shopkeeper had yet to put away. The material and workmanship were no different from the countless others that used to fill his wardrobe, most of them mean nothing to him. He would basically discard them like junk after wearing them once. But now, they were beyond his reach¡­


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    As he thought about this, Shu Botong couldn¡¯t help but sigh at his fate.


    The shopkeeper, who was rummaging through the clothes, thought that he was getting impatient. Afraid that he would leave, he quickly sped up his movements and said, ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll find it soon.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    After saying that, Shu Botong continued to stroke the clothes on the table. He wanted to spend more time with this set of clothes.


    ¡°Sigh, okay¡­¡±


    The shopkeeper, however, thought otherwise. He believed that Shu Botong was getting impatient, so he didn¡¯t dare to stop and quickly searched for the garment.


    He finally found a set of cheap ready-to-wear garments from the bottom of the box.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    Shu Botong paid for the garments without even looking at them.


    At this moment, he only had eyes for the luxurious garments on the table. Compared to them, everything else was lacking and unsatisfactory, but he had no other choice.


    The shoes and underwear that he bought were also from the cheaper range. Upon checking out, they only cost as much as two sleeves of the silk garment.


    Carrying the change and the clothes and shoes that he had just bought, Shu Botong happily headed towards the bathhouse.


    His next plan was to wash off the dirt on his body. Now that he was clear-headed, he almost gagged when he took a whiff of his body odor.


    Excited by the thought of getting clean, Shu Botong couldn¡¯t help but hum and skip while making his way to the bathhouse.


    The shopkeeper behind him watched him leave with a strange gaze. He shook his head and sighed. ¡°He has gone crazy again.¡±


    In the next instant, he almost fainted when he was just about to put away the clothes on the table.


    What was that ugly black stain on his originally beautiful and pristine blue garment?!


    ¡°Ah¡­ Oh my god¡­ I¡¯ve suffered a huge loss¡­¡±


    Shu Botong, who was already walking away and heading towards the bathhouse, paid no attention to the screams coming from behind him.


    When he arrived at the entrance of the bathhouse, he looked around curiously.


    Why didn¡¯t he know that there was a bathhouse here? It looked pretty good.


    Without another word, Shu Botong took out the silver in his hand. Having this would come in handy during negotiations.


    Just as the shop assistant at the door was about to chase him away, he was suddenly blinded by a flash of light. When he saw the money, he immediately smiled and welcomed his customer in.


    He shouted enthusiastically, ¡°One customer for a bath!¡±


    ¡°I need a body scrub too.¡±


    It was not Shu Botong¡¯s first time at a bathhouse, so he naturally knew what services were available here.


    When the shop assistant heard this, he became very happy. After all, the more jobs they did, the more money they would receive. As a newly opened business, they needed money the most.


    ¡°Okay, one guest for bathing and scrubbing¡­¡±


    After shouting, he brought Shu Botong to the bathroom.


    ¡°Take a bath first. When you are ready for a scrub, let us know. The waiter will come right after.¡±


    Shu Botong nodded. After the attendant left, he let himself loose.


    First, he scooped up the warm bath water with his hand. Then, he smelled the fragrance essence and soap that were placed on the side. Intoxicated, he narrowed his eyes and sighed.


    He hadn¡¯t smelled such a lovely fragrance in a long time. This was the smell of cleanliness.


    Unable to contain his excitement, he quickly took off his worn and tangled clothes before throwing them on the ground. He then got into the bathtub naked.


    As soon as his skin touched the water, Shu Botong couldn¡¯t help but sigh in relief. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to do the scrub because he knew that he had not bathed in a long time. The dirt was already fused with his skin and had become a part of his body. The only way to scrub the dirt off was to soak in water for a longer period of time.


    After soaking for a while, he rang the bell and called for the attendant who had been waiting for him for some time.


    Perhaps the attendant knew that it was a ¡°big job¡±. Normally, there was only one attendant for each customer, but when it came to him, they arranged for two attendants to serve him.


    When the two men at the door heard the bell ring, they put on their masks and looked at each other firmly, as if they were about to face something terrifying.


    After getting themselves mentally prepared, the two of them pushed the door open and entered as if they were facing a great enemy.


    Not long after the door closed, a shrill scream came from inside. The people outside stopped what they were doing and looked curiously at the direction of the voice, trying to guess what was going on.


    The scream seemed to have turned on a certain switch. Not long after, screams started sounding one after another.


    They sounded so horrifying that even passersby could feel chills running down their spines.


    After a long time, the screams slowly became weaker. It made one wonder if the person had run out of strength or something.


    When the door opened again, the two attendants came out with a basin filled with murky water. Although they were sweating profusely and looking tired, their expressions revealed a sense of joy.


    ¡°That was a satisfying scrub!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It feels so good to see strips of dirt fall off his body!¡±


    ¡°I must have removed at least five kilograms of dirt off that man.¡±


    ¡°It has to be more than that. I think there¡¯s at least ten kilograms. The floor in the room was filled with so much dirt that it was almost impossible to walk.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that his skin was looking so raw, I really would have carried on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. How I wished that his skin was thicker so that we could keep scrubbing until we were satisfied. I can scrub him for a day without getting tired.¡±


    ¡°Haha, if he comes again, the two of us will give him another scrub together!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    The voices of the two men reached the ears of Shu Botong, who was lying still, and it was truly hard for him to bear.


    At this moment, he was lying in the bathtub with his body twitching. His entire body was burning with pain. The skin from his face to his heels were all red, looking like he had just been scooped out of hot water.


    At this moment, his soul had yet to return to his body. Although his body was soaked in water that had been changed three times, his soul seemed to still be enduring the punishment he had just received. His body twitched and convulsed, looking both pitiful and ridiculous.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Go back?¡±


    Jiang Danhe saw that it was almost noon and there were still children waiting for them at home, so he asked.


    Xiaoguo looked at the sun and then out the window. She had overestimated him after all.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh and nod at Jiang Danhe. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Xiaoguo was about to get on her horse when she was stopped by a hoarse male voice.

 Chapter 412 - 412 Renovation in Progress

    412 Renovation in Progress


    Xiaoguo stopped moving when she heard the voice. Jiang Danhe then put her down.


    The two of them stood rooted to the ground and looked in the direction of the voice.


    A handsome man dressed neatly in a clean robe was standing against the light. Accompanying his appearance, a faint floral fragrance could be detected in the air.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe looked at each other and thought to themselves, ¡°Who is this big brother?¡±


    The conclusion was that he was a stranger.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe shrugged and got ready to leave on their horses.


    They couldn¡¯t associate this handsome man with the sloppy Shu Botong at all.


    Shu Botong¡¯s eyes were filled with shyness. After all, he had not shown his true self for several years. He was really not used to this sudden change.


    He didn¡¯t have time to feel moved for long before he was ruthlessly interrupted by those two heartless people.


    The courage that had surged up in an instant vanished instantly together with the profound emotions in his heart.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were going to leave, Shu Botong didn¡¯t have time to indulge in his emotions. He quickly ran forward to stop them.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Looking at Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe¡¯s suspicious expressions, Shu Botong once again felt powerless.


    However, it had been a long time since he had called out his own name, and he felt a little shy and embarrassed to say it out loud. He kept repeating the words, ¡°It¡¯s me, It¡¯s me¡±, hoping that the two of them would recognize him.


    In the end, he was left with no other choice. Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe took a long and careful look at him before they got ready to leave again.


    In a moment of desperation, he finally said the three words that he had been avoiding.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯m Shu Botong!¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe stopped what they were doing and smiled at each other.


    Then, they turned to look at him and said with a smile, ¡°You finally admit that you¡¯re Shu Botong.¡±


    Shu Botong was stunned and looked at Xiaoguo in disbelief. As smart as he was, how did he not realize that they were pretending not to recognize him?


    ¡°You guys¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe helped Xiaoguo off the horse and went to the side to tie up the horse.


    Xiaoguo stood rooted to the ground with a smile and sized Shu Botong up in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad. You were indeed the top scholar who was known for both your looks and talent.¡±


    As she spoke, she observed his reaction.


    When Shu Botong heard this, he only smiled. He didn¡¯t seem hurt by Xiaoguo¡¯s words, unlike the last time. Instead, he nodded graciously and accepted Xiaoguo¡¯s scrutiny.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand twitched as he tied the horse. Hearing Xiaoguo praise Shu Botong made him feel a little jealous for no apparent reason.


    He quietly tied up the horse and sized up the man from the corner of his eye. He realized that Shu Botong was indeed quite good-looking, but he wasn¡¯t as masculine as him. In that aspect, he definitely won him hands down.


    Feeling a little proud, he came to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and stuck close to her, wanting to assert his dominance.


    His actions successfully attracted Xiaoguo¡¯s attention.


    The corners of Jiang Danhe¡¯s mouth started to curl up. When he felt Xiaoguo¡¯s gaze on him, he immediately flashed a proud smile at Shu Botong.


    ¡°See? I will always be the center of Xiaoguo¡¯s attention. She will never look at another man.¡±


    Shu Botong didn¡¯t quite understand what Jiang Danhe was thinking. Besides, he didn¡¯t have that kind of feelings for Xiaoguo. Therefore, when he saw Jiang Danhe¡¯s smile, he subconsciously thought that he was trying to show his friendliness. Without a second thought, he immediately returned the smile.


    Unexpectedly, Jiang Danhe¡¯s face suddenly darkened. Just as Shu Botong was feeling puzzled, Xiaoguo came out to be the peacemaker.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s noon. Let¡¯s have lunch.¡±


    Neither of them had any objections to her words. They nodded and started walking together.


    Since Shu Botong had made the right choice, she would have to go ahead with the renovation of her two-story building. After lunch, she would fetch the craftsman over to do some sketches.


    However, this meant that the three young children at home would have to suffer again. After this busy period was done and dusted, she would have to spend some quality time with the kids.


    ¡ª-


    After dinner, Jiang Danhe left to bring the two craftsmen over. Xiaoguo and Shu Botong returned to the two-story building.


    ¡°By the way, this silver is for you.¡±


    As soon as they entered the building, Shu Botong handed her the money that he had kept for the entire journey. There was a hint of embarrassment in his voice.


    Xiaoguo looked at the silver in his hand in surprise and asked, ¡°Why are you giving it to me?¡±


    ¡°I am paying you back.¡± Shu Botong scratched his head and explained in embarrassment, ¡°This is the silver for the returned fabrics, clothes, and shoes. I couldn¡¯t get refunds for the other items, so this is all I¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°I have used part of it to buy some clothes and for taking a bath. This is all that¡¯s left.¡±


    Shu Botong thought for a moment and explained further.


    Xiaoguo shook her head when she heard that. ¡°Keep the money for yourself.¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t know why he had bought all those items, she knew now that Shu Botong wasn¡¯t a fool. He must have some use for them.


    ¡°All right, then.¡±


    The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth twitched. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so straightforward. Although she was indeed prepared to give him the money, she suddenly felt that something was amiss. What could be the reason for that?


    Shu Botong ignored her expression and put away the silver. He had offered it sincerely just now, but the other party refused it. That was just as well¡ªit was good to have some silver in his pocket.


    After a moment of silence, Xiaoguo pointed to their surroundings. Shu Botong¡¯s mind suddenly went into overdrive, and he nodded at Xiaoguo, solemnly declaring, ¡°I understand!¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in relief. Shu Botong finally understood human language. That was quite an unusual feat.


    While he was working hard, Xiaoguo sat leisurely on a chair in the corner, keeping herself out of his way. She took two apples from the table and went out to take a look. She borrowed some water from another house to wash the fruits clean before sitting down again.


    Shu Botong wiped the sweat from his forehead and said shyly, ¡°I¡¯m not eating.¡±


    The only response to his words was a crisp and crunchy sound.


    Xiaoguo nibbled on the apple and looked at him calmly. She had no intention of giving him the apple in the first place.


    Shu Botong knew that he had misunderstood. He continued packing up awkwardly and did not dare to look up at her.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe arrived with the craftsmen. Xiaoguo took out a handkerchief and wiped away his sweat before handing him the other apple in her hand. ¡°Have an apple.¡±


    Jiang Danhe took the apple happily and took a small bite, feeling all sweet and fuzzy in his heart.


    ¡°Delicious¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course. I picked it.¡±


    Shu Botong¡¯s proud voice shattered his fantasy.


    He forced herself to swallow the apple in his mouth and said with difficulty, ¡°That¡¯s only because my wife had washed it clean.¡±


    Xiaoguo was happy to hear those words. She smiled and gave Jiang Danhe a nudge.


    She then handed the half-eaten apple to Jiang Danhe because she was going to bring her sketch and view the house together with the craftsmen. It was impolite to eat while speaking with them.


    After Shu Botong threw away his pigpen, he ran over to ask Xiaoguo for further instructions.


    ¡°Take the silver and buy a new set of bedding.¡±


    In any case, she didn¡¯t want to see the grimy bed set that he was using.


    Shu Botong also agreed strongly with her. Now that he was clean, he didn¡¯t want to go back to being dirty again. He had gotten himself all clean and nice-smelling today, there was no way he was going to get stinked up again.


    ¡°We can¡¯t come here so often so you will have to help us watch over the renovations. From today onwards, I¡¯ll hire you and give you two taels of silver every month. After this place is open for business, we can renegotiate your monthly salary.¡±


    Shu Botong nodded heavily. ¡°Okay, okay, okay.¡±


    This was an awesome arrangement. There was food, accommodation, and a monthly salary. How carefree it was to stay here every day.


    Xiaoguo knew that he had misunderstood, but she didn¡¯t explain herself. She would leave it at that for now. When this place opens for business, he will be swamped with work.


    The craftsman went back right after they were done with the sketching. They agreed to start work the next morning. Since the workload was greater than they had imagined, they did not state a specific time for completion. They only gave Xiaoguo a rough estimate, and that would be after the New Year.


    It was just as Xiaoguo had thought. After the New Year was fine with her. It would still be in time.


    When there was nothing else, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe got ready to leave.


    As soon as they got on the horse, Shu Botong ran out.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t forget our agreement¡­¡±

 Chapter 413 - 413 Mid-Autumn Festival

    413 Mid-Autumn Festival


    After saying that, Shu Botong actually felt a little shy.


    When the room suddenly became quiet earlier on, he felt inexplicably lost. Unable to control himself, he ran out. By the time he realized what was going on, the words had already slipped out of his mouth.


    ¡°Uh, I mean¡­ Anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t forget.¡± Xiaoguo was stunned at first when she heard that. Then, looking at him, she could roughly guess what was on his mind. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely come often.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave the renovation to you and disappear for weeks or months, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    Shu Botong¡¯s ears turned red, but he still insisted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t referring to that. In any case, remember to take care of me. We have signed the agreement, don¡¯t go back on your word.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded helplessly. What a stubborn man. He was just hoping for them to visit him more often. It was not a big deal.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe urged his horse and galloped away, quickly disappearing from the other person¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Alright, alright, alright. There¡¯s still a jealous man beside me¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything else. She just took Jiang Danhe¡¯s arms and wrapped it around her waist. With her actions, she was telling him that he was the only person she needed.


    Jiang Danhe gently tightened his grip and wrapped her in his arms. He wasn¡¯t being jealous at all. He just wanted to feel her concern for him.


    On the way home, the two of them did not forget to buy a few sugar figurines.


    They bought three for the kids in their household, and they got another two¡ªone each for Xiaohu and Xiaohua.


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe set off for the county again. It was the first day of renovation work for the shop, so it was necessary for them to make a trip there.


    When the two of them arrived at the front of the building, the craftsmen had already started work. Some were painting and repairing, while others were dismantling and digging, each person was doing their own job. The whole place was bustling with activity.


    There were also two figures interspersed among the busy workers.


    ¡°That¡¯s our brother, right?¡±


    Xiaoguo was a little unsure. She was standing quite far away from the man, so she couldn¡¯t see clearly even though she was straining her eyes.


    When Jiang Danhe heard her voice, he suppressed his joy and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s our brother.¡±


    He really liked to hear Xiaoguo saying the word, ¡°Our¡±. He loved her so much!


    Xiaoguo was feeling touched as she looked at Qin Anming. She knew that he would come and help.


    The horse stopped at the door. Jiang Danhe lifted his robe and got off the horse, looking very suave. Then, he reached out to help Xiaoguo down.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t as flashy as him. She only made sure to land steadily on the ground.


    Qin Anming had just finished pouring the last cup of tea on his side. When he saw the two of them appear, he walked over with two cups of cold tea.


    Jiang Danhe greeted him obediently, ¡°Brother.¡±


    Qin Anming smiled and nodded. Then, he handed the tea to the two of them. ¡°Drink some cold tea and rest for a while.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother.¡± Jiang Danhe seemed more used to calling Qin Anming brother than Xiaoguo. He kept addressing him, telling him that it had been hard on him and reminding him to rest more¡­


    Xiaoguo quickly took the tea from him, feeling a bit embarrassed. She had not done anything at all. If anyone deserved credit for their hard work, they would be the craftsmen, Qin Anming and Shu Botong.


    Qin Anming felt that even though it may not be physically tiring to ride a horse, it was still tiring for his younger sister, who was so delicate and fragile. Even if they flew here, they would be exposed to the sun during their journey. Therefore, he felt that it was indeed exhausting for them.


    Shu Botong also spotted the couple. He quickly stopped what he was doing, and walked over with some cold tea.


    ¡°How is it? Am I doing a good job as a supervisor?¡±


    Seeing his expression, which looked like he was begging for praise, Xiaoguo commended him on his work. ¡°Not bad, not bad. You¡¯ve improved, but don¡¯t get too smug.¡±


    Shu Botong waved his hand and dismissed her words. ¡°How old am I? Do I need praise? What a joke.¡±


    A few laughs escaped from Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth. She didn¡¯t take his words seriously at all. It would be more convincing if he were to hide his flushed ears before saying those words.


    ¡°Brother, is the shop busy? Why don¡¯t you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m taking a day off today. Ruyi couldn¡¯t leave the shop, so she asked me to bring a few pots of herbal tea over to quench the craftsmen¡¯s thirst.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xiaoguo glanced at Shu Botong. ¡°So the tea was not made by someone.¡±


    Shu Botong¡¯s hair immediately stood on end. He quickly said, ¡°Who said that? It¡¯s all thanks to me!¡±


    ¡°When eating at the shop yesterday, I thought of ordering a few pots of tea from Ruyi, and I was even planning to pay for them. But she refused to accept the money. The tea was brought over by me this morning.¡±


    ¡°So, it was my idea to prepare the drinks for the workers. Even though it was actually made by Ruyi, the idea originated from me.¡±


    Shu Botong said a lot. He was just short of writing the word ¡®competent¡¯ on his face.


    He didn¡¯t want Xiaoguo to think of him as someone who got paid for doing nothing.


    ¡°Ah, I see. You are so thoughtful,¡± said Xiaoguo, surprised that he actually cared. She smiled and nodded in agreement.


    After receiving Xiaoguo¡¯s praise, the scholar felt as beautiful as a flower. However, due to his pride, he pretended to cough and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get back to work.¡±


    With that, he left before Xiaoguo could answer.


    Jiang Danhe snorted as he watched Shu Botong leave. He thought to himself how effeminate-looking the man was, and how much he liked to blush.


    Actually he was the pot that was calling the kettle black. Talking about effeminate looks, his facial features were only slightly more masculine than Shu Botong.


    As for the tendency to blush¡­ if he didn¡¯t come into contact with Xiaoguo, he could confidently say that he wouldn¡¯t blush for at least 800 years.


    Qin Anming and Shu Botong were helping with the work, so Jiang Danhe joined in.


    Xiaoguo had nothing to do. She was keen to help, but the three of them unanimously refused to let her lift one finger. Left with no choice, she gave up on carrying the logs and poured tea for them instead.


    With more people working, things got done rather quickly. Although there were only three additional headcount, the efficiency was pretty high.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t just pour water for them all the time, so she tried to pick up litter or rearrange some small items from time to time. The three of them saw this and let her be. They wanted her to sit around and do nothing, but they knew that she wouldn¡¯t listen. However, when they saw her trying to carry a heavy piece of wood, they immediately stopped her. Lifting small items was fine, but heavier items should be left alone.


    Xiaoguo felt very helpless about this. It seemed like everyone had underestimated her strength, but there was nothing she could do. So be it. She shouldn¡¯t let them worry while they are working.


    ¡ª-


    The Mid-Autumn Festival, is also known as the Moon Worship Festival, Moon Birthday, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon Goddess Festival, Moon Festival, Reunion Festival, and the list goes on.


    It was an annual traditional festival.


    The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of astronomical phenomena and evolved from the Autumn Festival and Moon Sacrifice in ancient times.


    The tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival was to worship the moon, admire the moon, eat mooncakes, look at lanterns, admire osmanthus flowers, and drink osmanthus wine. It has been passed down to this day and has lasted for a long time.


    Last year, Xiaoguo celebrated the festival with a large group of people including Qin Anming and Ruyi. Although they had a good time on that day, it didn¡¯t feel like a true reunion with one person missing from the group.


    Coincidentally, Jiang Danhe was around to celebrate this year¡¯s Mid-Autumn Festival. His presence made the festive atmosphere even more joyous for Xiaoguo.


    Everyone woke up early in the morning and made plans to spend their day in the county. They would spend the night there as well. After all, the real fun begins at night.


    Watching flower lanterns and guessing riddles were all night activities. Xiaoguo had missed out on the fun in the previous year. She was not going to miss it again this year.


    Before leaving the house, the group fed the animals in the house and set aside ample food for them. Having done that, they could leave the house without any worries.


    This was the first time Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were going out for such an important festival. They couldn¡¯t get to sleep throughout the night and were still feeling energetic until dawn.


    At this moment, all of them were dressed in new clothes from head to toe. The atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival made them feel like they were celebrating the New Year.


    The outfit Xiao Zhu was wearing was made entirely by Xiaoguo.


    Although Xiaoguo had also made new clothes for Yu Ling, the latter eventually decided to wear the clothes that her mother had made for her.


    It had been a long time since her mother had enjoyed any festivities. It was a good opportunity for her to bring her mother out.

 Chapter 414 - 414 A Gathering For Everyone

    414 A Gathering For Everyone


    Xiaoguo understood her reasons for doing that. In any case, when she made those clothes for them, it didn¡¯t mean that the children had to wear them for specific occasions.


    Zhuang Zhuang was also wearing the new clothes that Xiaoguo had made for him, but the colors did not align with the little guy¡¯s aesthetic preferences.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know why, but she simply loved the color pink. Zhuang Zhuang really disliked wearing pink clothes, which were usually worn by little girls. But being the sensible boy that he was, he didn¡¯t want to upset his mother.


    The already cute and fair-skinned child looked even more like a lovable little girl with the clothes accentuating his appearance.


    Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo were dressed very simply¡ªboth of them were not fond of wearing bright-colored clothes. As for dressing the children in bright colors, apart from satisfying Xiaoguo¡¯s selfish desire to dress them up, the more important thing was to make them more noticeable.


    The streets are going to be crowded. It would be terrible if something happened, and the children got separated from them. Dressing up the children in eye-catching colors would make it easier to spot them in the crowd.


    Jiang Danhe had been sighing non-stop from the moment he saw Zhuang Zhuang dressed in pink clothes. The more he looked at him, the more upset he got. ¡°Why is this kid not a girl¡­? He looks so adorable¡­¡±


    He felt so sad¡­


    With that face, it was no wonder that others would mistake Zhuang Zhuang for a girl. He really looked too cute.


    As there were quite a number of people sitting in the carriage, Jiang Danhe was afraid that the donkey could not bear the weight. Therefore, he removed the cart from the donkey¡¯s back and loaded it onto the horse¡¯s back instead.


    Xiaoguo did a headcount to make sure no one was left behind. Even though there were only a few people, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.


    ¡°Alright, no one is missing. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were extremely excited. As soon as the carriage started moving, the two of them eagerly lifted the curtain and looked out, while chatting animatedly.


    Although the two of them were newcomers in the village, they had gotten to know more villagers than Xiaoguo.


    Along the way, many girls of the same age greeted the two of them.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were squeezed so tightly by the two of them that they almost got flattened. It took some effort for them to catch their breath. Just moments ago, they felt like they were going to suffocate.


    Looking at the two girls, who were still chattering non-stop, Xiaoguo sighed to herself. It¡¯s fortunate that the girls were not born in the capital city, otherwise their behavior would have been labeled as unladylike and would have attracted criticism.


    After leaving the village, the two girls became even louder. They were very curious about their surroundings. Seeing this, Xiaoguo immediately abandoned Zhuang Zhuang and fled out of the carriage to sit beside Jiang Danhe, who was driving the carriage.


    ¡°Why did you come out?¡±


    When Jiang Danhe saw Xiaoguo come out, he subconsciously drove the car towards a more shaded spot.


    ¡°I came out to accompany you.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled at him and said.


    Jiang Danhe almost blushed as he pretended to cough a few times. He straightened his back quietly and secretly stole a glance at her, feeling secretly delighted in his heart.


    ¡°So you love me so much that you can¡¯t even leave me for a moment¡­ I feel so shy¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him and chuckled to herself.


    Zhuang Zhuang was suffering in the carriage. He really didn¡¯t expect his mother to be so disloyal¡ªshe had abandoned him and went out alone to hide from the noise. He really didn¡¯t expect her to do that¡­


    No, he has to go out too. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me here alone.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Zhuang Zhuang, look over there!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had just left his seat when he was pulled back by Xiao Zhu.


    Feeling helpless, he looked in the direction she was pointing. ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that just a tall tree?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve never seen such tall trees growing by the beach!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After Xiao Zhu finished speaking, she ignored Zhuang Zhuang, whose mouth was twitching. She turned around and touched Yu Ling. ¡°Have you seen that before, Yu Ling? What a tall tree. I¡¯ve never seen such tall trees in the fishing village or in Peach Blossom Village¡­¡±


    ¡°There are many such trees on the island where I used to live. Many of them are taller than this.¡±


    Yu Ling didn¡¯t want to disappoint Xiao Zhu, but she had seen many tall trees before, so she wasn¡¯t very impressed by this one.


    Xiao Zhu exclaimed regretfully. So she was the most ignorant one among them. Maybe it would be better if she stopped talking for now.


    Not long after, Xiao Zhu¡¯s exclamation sounded again.


    ¡°Wow¡­ look at this bridge¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, look at that road.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dog, it¡¯s a dog¡­ What an ugly big dog¡­¡±


    ¡°Yu Ling, Zhuang Zhuang, look. It¡¯s a bird¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu¡¯s exclamations continued throughout the journey. Most of the time, she was exclaming about things that were commonly-seen, instead of the bustling scenes in the county.


    However, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe knew why she was behaving in that way. It was not very often that she had the chance to come out and play, so it was natural for her to get excited over everything that she was seeing.


    Although Yu Ling was not as dramatic as her, she made quite a lot of noise too.


    At times, they would point to a dog, then at a tree, laughing and exclaiming intermittently.


    The two of them were enjoying themselves heartily while Zhuang Zhuang was grieving alone. Indeed, people¡¯s joys and sorrows were completely independent.


    When they arrived at the county, they could feel the lively atmosphere of the festival even from a distance.


    At this moment, Yonghai County was twice as lively as the usual marketplace. There was a bustling crowd, and the sounds of hawking and laughter could be heard incessantly. There were stalls of all sizes selling candy figurines, masks, lanterns, kites, mooncakes, and sweet-scented osmanthus wine. There was something for everyone to eat, drink, and play with.


    The lively atmosphere during the day only heightened one¡¯s anticipation for the night¡¯s festivities.


    From the moment Xiaoguo saw the entrance of the county city, she quietly raised her arms and covered Jiang Danhe¡¯s ears. When he was wondering about her actions, Xiaoguo counted down to three in her heart.


    Three, two, one.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling¡¯s sky-shattering cries immediately rang out and attracted the attention of many people around them.


    Amidst the noisy environment, their cries had created a moment of silence.


    When their voices died down, Xiaoguo removed her hands. Jiang Danhe shot her a grateful smile¡ªif she hadn¡¯t covered his ears, he would have had to live with ringing ears for quite a while.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was in the carriage, was not as lucky as his father. After hearing the girls¡¯ screams, his ears were filled with ringing and buzzing sounds for quite some time.


    As it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xiaoguo had discussed with the craftsmen to give them a day off so that they could return home to celebrate with their families.


    At this moment, Shu Botong was the only person in the two-story building. He was sitting alone at the door, waiting for something.


    As the carriage stopped, Shu Botong immediately brightened up


    He dusted himself off and stood up expectantly, waiting for them to call him.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to see Shu Botong spending the day alone on such a festive day, so she and Jiang Danhe unanimously decided to bring him out to play.


    When Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling got out of the car, the smiles on their faces froze. They weren¡¯t expecting to see an outsider.


    They had never met this person before. This was also Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s first time seeing the man. Feeling curious, his gaze swept over Shu Botong several times.


    After a round of introductions, the few of them got into the carriage and drove towards the noodle shop.


    Qin Anming, Ruyi, and the others were naturally included in the lively celebrations of the festival.


    It was the Mid-Autumn Festival. For sure, Xiaoguo had to spend it with them. This was what it meant to be reunited.


    The noodle shop had closed its doors early today. Other than Ruyi, Qin Anming, Uncle Xu, Xiaocui, Ling Long, and Fu¡¯er, the other shop assistants had all been given a day off. At this moment, the front hall of the noodle shop was empty.


    The rooms in the backyard were bustling with activity.


    Everyone was dressing up in their rooms. Some were washing up, some were changing, and some were combing and styling their hair. They were all taking it very seriously, as if it was the New Year.


    When the group was finally gathered together, Xiaoguo looked at their happy faces and couldn¡¯t help but break into a happy smile.


    Xiaoguo had not formally introduced Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling to anyone before, so Xiaoguo took the opportunity to introduce them, and also Shu Botong to everyone else.


    From now on, they were family.


    With Ruyi and Qin Anming taking the lead, everyone took the initiative to welcome the two young ladies and Shu Botong who just went through a major transformation.


    Since they were the few people that Xiaoguo trusted and recognized, they were considered family and would be treated with sincerity by everyone.

 Chapter 415 - 415 Nagging

    415 Nagging


    After parking the carriage in the backyard of the noodle shop and locking the door, the group walked towards the market.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling, were a little reserved initially, but they gradually relaxed under the influence of the few older sisters.


    Shu Botong was still as thick-skinned as ever. It didn¡¯t take long for him to hit it off with the group. Being polite was Xiaoguo¡¯s biggest misunderstanding of him. He was, in fact, a very thick-skinned man.


    Although it was not as fun during the day as it was at night, the group still played from morning till afternoon. After having a meal in between, they went out again.


    As evening approached, lanterns slowly lit up the streets.


    The group sat in a teahouse on the second floor and looked out of the open window. The entire street looked extremely beautiful.


    ¡°Sigh, this is so nice. I haven¡¯t taken a break in a long time.¡±


    Ruyi stretched and said with a satisfied look on her face.


    ¡°Have you been feeling exhausted these days?¡±


    Xiaoguo thoughtfully placed the snacks that the shop assistant had just served in front of Ruyi.


    ¡°The workload is still the same in the shop.¡± Ruyi scooped a mouthful of snacks into her mouth with a spoon. ¡°It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t taken a break in a long time.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, this is so delicious!¡± Ruyi exclaimed, sweeping away her fatigue from earlier and pointing excitedly at the snacks on the plate. She finished them all in just a few bites.


    Xiaoguo looked at her helplessly, before passing her own portion to Ruyi. She didn¡¯t forget to remind her, ¡°You must make sure to balance work and rest. Your health is important.¡±


    Ruyi smiled at her in embarrassment and continued eating. ¡°Got it, Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe was paying attention to Xiaoguo at all times. Seeing that there was nothing left on her plate, he seamlessly placed his portion in front of her.


    However, Xiaoguo did not notice his actions. She was still immersed in her ¡®preaching¡¯.


    ¡°You¡¯re so young. You shouldn¡¯t wear your body out. Although youth is your asset, it¡¯s not infinite. Life is your most valuable capital¡­¡±


    Ruyi nodded as she ate. She looked like she was listening, but occasionally, she looked like she was not paying attention. Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly changed the topic and worked on the others in the group.


    ¡°All of you, remember this. Don¡¯t think that youth equates to good health. Moderation is key. You have to remember that health comes first. Everything else should come after your health. Do you understand?¡±


    The others who were originally watching the street scene, suddenly found themselves getting pulled into the conversation. They could only avoid Xiaoguo¡¯s gaze and pretend to look focused on their food.


    Xiaoguo looked like she had more to say. She had no choice. Once she started talking, she couldn¡¯t stop herself.


    Ruyi finally finished her snacks and looked up at Xiaoguo. She said happily and helplessly, ¡°I know, I know. We all know¡­¡±


    ¡°But, speaking of which.¡± Ruyi smiled at Jiang Danhe. ¡°Brother-in-law, don¡¯t you think Sister Xiaoguo has been nagging quite a lot recently?¡±


    The others nodded silently. That was right.


    Jiang Danhe replied without thinking, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She nags out of concern for you guys.¡±


    The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth curled up as she nodded gently. That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. She was concerned about them¡­


    Ruyi had to award him with a perfect score for that perfect answer. It didn¡¯t matter if he got too smug about it.


    Hearing his response made all the singles among the group blush.


    As the only married couple present, was it really appropriate for them to display their affection in public like this?


    ¡°Aiyo¡­¡± Ruyi looked at him teasingly and then at Xiaoguo. Her eyes were filled with mischief. ¡°Do you really think that Sister Xiaoguo was not slightly more naggy than she was last year?¡±


    Jiang Danhe suddenly remembered how Xiaoguo was like in the previous year. Compared to how she was now, it seemed like she had¡­ changed a little bit.


    There was one time when he fell asleep before drying his hair after taking a shower. In the end, Xiaoguo found out about it and scolded him for the entire night. She even listed out a dozen health hazards such as strokes, facial paralysis, and headaches, which were associated with going to sleep with wet hair.


    There was also the last time when she found out that he was drinking cold water frequently. She ¡®expressed her concern¡¯ for him again, saying that this would cause stomach problems, nerve pain, stomachaches, lung problems and so on.


    In addition, there was also the time before the last when he didn¡¯t dry himself off after showering, and Xiaoguo happened to chance upon him, leading to another round of ¡®concern¡¯.


    There were also countless instances before that.


    However, he thought that it was a sign of Xiaoguo¡¯s love for him. If she didn¡¯t care for him, why would she even bother to keep reminding him so patiently?


    Jiang Danhe came back to his senses and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Then, he said calmly and firmly, ¡°No.¡±


    He had to protect his wife¡¯s image!


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ruyi didn¡¯t have a way to keep track of time, but she could estimate how long he hesitated. ¡°Brother-in-law, you hesitated for a moment there. That pause was as long as it took to sip a mouthful of tea.¡±


    As she spoke, she pointed to Uncle Xu who was drinking tea at the side. Just when she directed the question at Jiang Danhe, Uncle Xu had brought the tea to his mouth. Jiang Danhe only spoke after the mouthful of tea was completely swallowed.


    It was much slower than his speedy reply earlier. It was hard not to suspect that he was lying.


    Jiang Danhe panicked for a moment. He subconsciously looked at Xiaoguo and met her gaze.


    ¡°Oh no, I can¡¯t explain myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, Since I¡¯m a year older, it¡¯s inevitable that I have gotten a little more naggy. I¡¯m one step closer to being a centenarian.¡±


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze calmly and took a sip of the steaming tea. She couldn¡¯t help but reflect on herself. She seemed to have become more naggy recently, but she really couldn¡¯t help herself. She couldn¡¯t help but worry for the people around her. If this continued, she would definitely turn into an old lady.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but sigh loudly for her future.


    Jiang Danhe was watching her every move, afraid that she might be unhappy. When he heard her sigh so loudly, he was scared out of his wits. Therefore he continued coaxing her cautiously and nervously.


    ¡°Sigh, how could you be seventy years old? The most I can say is that you are approaching your thirties.¡±


    Ruyi didn¡¯t understand. Sister Xiaoguo was only in her twenties. To round it off, she was at most thirty? How could she be in her seventies?


    Xiaoguo smiled and said, ¡°30 is already in sight. Is 70 that far off?¡±


    ¡°Haha, the way you calculate is too scary¡­¡±


    Shu Botong put down his teacup and continued, ¡°If you are seventy years old, Anming and I would be ancient.¡±


    ¡°Hey, leave me out of this. I¡¯m a few years younger than you.¡±


    Qin Anming was the first to protest. He was still young.


    When Shu Botong heard this, he snorted helplessly and looked around. Xiaoguo, Jiang Danhe, Zhuang Zhuang, Xiao Zhu, and Yu Ling were sitting around him. Sitting across from him were Ruyi, Qin Anming, Xiao Cui, Linglong, and Fu¡¯er. They were not considered adults. The only one who could match his age was Qin Anming, but he simply refused to admit it.


    He had no other options. ¡°Then there is only¡­¡±


    Shu Botong quickly locked onto Uncle Xu in the corner and said with a smirk, ¡°Uncle Xu has not spoken yet. What are you upset about?¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    As soon as he said that, everyone burst out laughing. Even Zhuang Zhuang giggled along with them.


    Uncle Xu was the only one who didn¡¯t know what was going on. Seeing that everyone was looking at him, his hand, which was wiping the fog off his glasses, paused. What had happened? He only knew that the green tea here was fragrant and mellow. He was thinking of ordering another pot.


    Looking at his indifferent expression, the few of them felt even more amused. At this moment, he seemed to have the mentality that only elderly people have, although he had not yet reached that age.


    ¡°Hurry up and eat. The lantern show is starting soon.¡±


    After laughing, Xiaoguo suddenly raised her head and looked outside. The sky had turned dark without them realizing it. The lanterns were now illuminating the streets, and they were all flickering and emitting their own glow.


    There was also red paper pasted on the walls. On them were lantern riddles of varying difficulty, waiting for people to solve them.


    The few of them quickly finished up the snacks on the table and settled the bill. After which, they headed off to the lantern show.

 Chapter 416 - 416 Lantern Riddles Competition

    416 Lantern Riddles Competition


    ¡°Take a look, take a look. All the fun games are here. Come and take a look¡­¡±


    ¡°Flower lanterns, colorful lanterns, in all shapes and sizes¡­¡±


    ¡°Osmanthus wine, freshly brewed osmanthus wine. It¡¯s brewed from fresh osmanthus flowers. One sip makes you want another. You won¡¯t get drunk after drinking this osmanthus wine¡­¡±


    ¡°Take a look, take a look at the fresh osmanthus pancakes. They are cheap and delicious.¡±


    The county of Yonghai was more lively than ever on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival


    ¡°Mother, look, it¡¯s a lion dance lantern.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang took Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and gestured for her to look up.


    Xiaoguo looked up at the majestic and domineering dance lion, which is vividly suspended in mid-air, creating a strong visual impact.


    The lion¡¯s mouth was open and it was facing directly at the group. Looking up at it was pretty scary.


    Xiaoguo took a few steps back and had a good look at the lion. She then smiled and replied, ¡°Wow¡­ this lion looks so cool.¡±


    ¡°There are also rabbit lanterns!¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had never seen anything like this before. They jumped and hopped, hoping to touch the lanterns, but how could they touch it? The lanterns looked close visually due to their size, but in actual fact, they were quite far away.


    The few of them strolled leisurely, making stops every now and then. Within a short time, everyone¡¯s hands were filled with snacks and toys.


    Ling Long, Fu¡¯er, and Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling, who were about the same age, had warmed up to each other quite a while ago. They went around the fair holding hands while enjoying themselves.


    With Ling Long and Fu¡¯er around, Xiaoguo was not afraid that Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling would get lost. Without having to worry, she strolled leisurely behind them.


    Zhuang Zhuang was wearing a mask and holding a lantern in his hand. He had won these items from solving lantern riddles.


    Not only that, even the lantern in Xiaoguo¡¯s hand was a gift from Zhuang Zhuang.


    Uncle Xu shook the goldfish lantern he had won and said, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang is amazing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t even have the answer to that lantern riddle just now.¡±


    As Shu Botong spoke, it was not difficult to detect a trace of regret in his words.


    ¡±It¡¯s too difficult. Who would have known that the answer to the riddle ¡®Going in the wind and coming back, flying diagonally in front of the peak¡¯ is ¡®hibiscus flower¡¯?¡±


    Qin Anming shook his head and said regretfully. He was the one who had picked the lantern riddle just now. However, he couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it and it was Zhuang Zhuang who solved it for him. In the end, the child generously gifted the lantern to him.


    If not for Zhuang Zhuang, Qin Anming wouldn¡¯t even have a lantern in his hands. If that happened, it wouldn¡¯t just be awkwardness that he was feeling right now. He would be feeling ashamed as well.


    Ruyi sighed. She wasn¡¯t educated but she had at least three lanterns in her hands. However, they were all given to her by Zhuang Zhuang.


    Actually, let¡¯s rephrase that. Among the group, only Jiang Danhe, Xiaoguo, Zhuang Zhuang, Shu Botong, and Uncle Xu had answered the riddles themselves. The rest of the group were all holding lanterns that were won by Zhuang Zhuang for getting correct answers to the riddles.


    The little guy was very kind. In order to make them accept his gifts without feeling bad, he told them that he was unable to carry all the lanterns by himself, and that he needed their help to hold some of them. That was how he managed to save their precarious dignity.


    ¡°Then how did Zhuang Zhuang guess that the mystery was ¡®Hibiscus Flower¡¯?¡±


    Qin Anming ran to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s side and handed the lantern to Xiaoguo. He then picked Zhuang Zhuang up and gave him a shake. ¡°Tell Uncle how you managed to solve the riddle.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s little face trembled under his shaking.


    It¡¯s actually easy to guess. Take out the ¡®X¡¯ from the character ¡®wind¡¯ and you get the character ¡®Ji¡¯. Put ¡®you¡¯ inside and you get the word ¡®phoenix¡¯. In front of ¡®peak¡¯ is the character ¡®mountain¡¯, and ¡®flying diagonally in front of the peak¡¯ forms the shape of a person. When you tilt the person-shaped character, it becomes the radical for ¡®one person¡¯, which is the first character in ¡®immortal¡¯. So, ¡®Going in the wind and coming back, flying diagonally in front of the peak¡¯ becomes ¡®Feng Xian¡¯1¡å


    ¡°So, the answer is Hibiscus Flower.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eloquent explanation stunned everyone.


    They had all guessed in the wrong direction and had not thought along that line.


    ¡°No, no. Let¡¯s compete again.¡±


    Coincidentally, they passed by a stall and Ruyi stopped the group indignantly.


    The few of them had no objections. It was just a game anyway¡­


    ¡°This time, we¡¯ll split into groups. The group that loses will have to prepare supper for everyone. How about that?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°I agree! I agree!¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°How do we split ourselves up?¡±


    As soon as she suggested competing again, everyone agreed. Even Xiao Zhu and Yuling, who were running around in front, turned back to join the group. It was obvious that they were very interested in her suggestion.


    ¡°Simple. Male and female will be split up into two groups.¡±


    ¡°There are only five of us, but there are seven of you. The numbers are not equal.¡±


    Shu Botong snorted and said.


    Ruyi extended a finger and shook it with a smirk. ¡°No, no, no¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the four of you against the three of us. Zhuang Zhuang, Ling Long, Fu¡¯er, Xiao Zhu, and Yu Ling, belong to the children¡¯s teams.¡±


    ¡°Then how does this work? Are we going to have three teams?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. There will be two teams. Brother-in-law, Brother Anming, Uncle Xu, and you will form a team of four,¡± Ruyi said as she pulled the four of them together. Then, she came to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and continued, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, Xiaocui and I will form a team of three. In terms of numbers, you guys have an edge over us¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the children¡¯s team. They¡¯re all neutral parties. They can choose the group that they wish to join.¡±


    Shu Botong¡¯s head was spinning while he listened to her explanation. Then, he said helplessly, ¡°In other words, it¡¯s still the four of us pitting against the eight of you¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true¡­¡±


    As soon as Ruyi finished speaking, the children went to stand beside Xiaoguo.


    Ruyi nodded in satisfaction. Alright, it was settled this time.


    Shu Botong was also a competitive person, although he was slightly dissatisfied, he realized that their group still had an edge over the other group. Therefore, he nodded and agreed with this arrangement.


    Jiang Danhe looked at the two of them helplessly. They had actually decided on the grouping without asking anybody else for their opinions. He really wanted to be on the same team as his wife¡­


    Before starting their discussion, they had already attracted a lot of attention from the passers-by. When those people saw that the competition was about to begin, they quickly surrounded the group. Even the stall owner was smiling at them and saying welcoming words to them incessantly.


    He was extremely happy to see that the group had attracted so many people to crowd around his stall.


    When he heard that they were going to compete, he immediately took out his best riddle lanterns. Each one was prettier and bigger than the last.


    It seemed that the boss was an amiable person!


    Amidst everyone¡¯s cheers, the competition officially began.


    It was not so easy to win those exquisite lanterns from the stall owner.


    The boss took out a rather difficult riddle and placed it in the box. After some discussion, the men¡¯s team started first.


    While the men¡¯s team was figuring out the answer, Xiao Zhu secretly tugged at the corner of Xiaoguo¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiao Zhu stole a glance at the excited Ruyi and said softly, ¡°I can¡¯t solve any riddles. Do we still have a chance of winning?¡±


    ¡°Neither can I.¡±


    ¡°Us too¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu¡¯s words elicited a response from everyone except Ruyi. The other girls admitted that they were not knowledgeable in this area and would be of no help to the team. They hoped that they would not become a burden during the game.


    Xiaoguo smiled gently and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. The act of participation is more important. It¡¯s just a game. Besides, look at how confident your Sister Ruyi is!¡±


    Although they didn¡¯t quite understand where Ruyi¡¯s confidence came from, they were still attracted by her calm and composed demeanor.


    Sister Xiaoguo was right! Since they were going to lose, they might as well lose with dignity. The process of participation was more important!


    Xiaoguo was about to comfort them when Ruyi seemed to have grown ears at the back of her head. She had already heard their conversation. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we still have Zhuang Zhuang. We¡¯ll definitely win this time.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned her head and blinked at them. Then, she lowered her head and rubbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head. ¡°Good boy, Zhuang Zhuang. Help me win this game and I¡¯ll treat you to a feast!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard the word ¡®feast¡¯. He quickly nodded and agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡±


    Ruyi nodded in satisfaction. She had absolute confidence in Zhuang Zhuang!


    Xiaoguo looked at the two of them whispering to each other and sighed helplessly.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, take it easy. Your biological father and uncle are on the other team.¡±

 Chapter 417 - 417 The Atmosphere Is Strange

    417 The Atmosphere Is Strange


    While the female team was talking, the men¡¯s team had already finished solving their riddles.


    Within the time limit, the men¡¯s team had solved a total of ten riddles, breaking the highest record in the history of this stall.


    With the exception of Ruyi, everyone else on Xiaoguo¡¯s side applauded.


    Wearing confident looks on their faces, Ruyi and Zhuangzhuang shouted loudly, ¡°Boss, it¡¯s our turn now!¡±


    When the boss heard this, he walked over with the box.


    Shu Botong came over looking like a spectator. He said, ¡°We have created a new high. Can you do this? If I remember correctly, someone did not get any correct answers during her last attempt.¡±


    Ruyi snorted at Shu Botong¡¯s sarcastic comment, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    Then, she squatted down and said to Zhuang Zhuang with a smile, ¡°Good boy, Zhuang Zhuang. We just have to get 11 correct answers later. There¡¯s no need to aim for too many. After all, it¡¯s better to cut them some slack. Ah¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at her in confusion. She was just talking about wiping out the opponents moments ago. Why is she showing mercy now?


    No matter what, Zhuang Zhuang was still thinking about the feast, so he nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Shu Botong didn¡¯t take their words seriously. After all, Zhuang Zhuang was still a child. No matter how good he was, he didn¡¯t believe that the boy could do better than the adults.


    Ruyi got up and pushed him away. ¡°Get up. You¡¯re affecting our performance.¡±


    Shu Botong snorted and stood a few meters away from her reluctantly.


    The people around them realized that a child was going to solve the lantern riddles. They were intrigued. ¡°A child playing this game? Would he be up to it?


    Amidst everyone¡¯s confusion, Zhuang Zhuang took out the first lantern riddle.


    ¡°Having roots that don¡¯t reach the ground, and leaves that don¡¯t bloom. They drift with the water during the day and don¡¯t return home at night.¡±


    Ruyi leaned forward nervously and read out the riddle.


    As soon as the lantern riddle was revealed, most people were able to guess the answer right away.


    Shu Botong thought that it was too simple as well.


    Without thinking, Zhuang Zhuang said, ¡°The answer is duckweed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    The boss was overjoyed and immediately awarded a point to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Even though Zhuang Zhuang knew the answer, he couldn¡¯t help but look towards Xiaoguo with a hopeful expression, seeking praise from her.


    Xiaoguo did not disappoint him and gave him his deserved praise.


    After receiving the praise, Zhuang Zhuang regained his vitality. He had to answer more questions and bring his mother to the feast as promised by Sister Ruyi.


    As he thought about this, Zhuang Zhuang hesitated. He glanced at Jiang Danhe, who was his opponent for now.


    Jiang Danhe was also paying attention to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s performance. Seeing how smart the boy was and hearing the heartfelt praises from the crowd, he felt a great sense of joy and pride. He thought to himself, ¡°He is indeed my good son!¡±


    As soon as Zhuangzhuang turned around, he saw the proud expression on his father¡¯s face, which made him feel even more delighted. He thought to himself, ¡°Maybe I should bring Father along to the feast as well!¡±


    The second riddle was quickly drawn.


    With a good start, Zhuang Zhuang managed to solve his way through to the eleventh riddle.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang had already won. However, he couldn¡¯t stop himself. The more riddles he solved, the more excited he became.


    Shu Botong was completely convinced. At this moment, he was already thinking about his plans for supper.


    Zhuangzhuang¡¯s outstanding performance also won applause from the entire audience.


    The happiest person was undoubtedly Ruyi. When Zhuangzhuang solved all fourteen riddles within the allotted time, she was even more delighted than the boy¡¯s parents. If it weren¡¯t for her weight, she would have hugged Zhuangzhuang tightly and given him a big kiss.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made me proud. I¡¯ll treat you to a big meal tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Yay! Sister Ruyi, can I bring Mother and Father along?¡± Zhuang Zhuang was overjoyed, but he did not forget to fight for benefits for Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°Of course you can!¡±


    ¡°What about Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°Sister Yu Ling, Sister Xiao Zhu, Sister Linglong, Sister Fu¡¯er, Sister Xiaocui, Grandpa Xu, and Uncle Botong?¡±


    ¡°Our Zhuang Zhuang has so many good sisters.¡± The corners of Ruyi¡¯s mouth twitched. She feigned reluctance and said, ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang felt that it wouldn¡¯t feel good to eat alone. He had to treat everyone to a big meal.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Supper is settled then.¡±


    Ruyi looked at Shu Botong meaningfully. After saying that, she covered her mouth and snickered at Xiaoguo and the others. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly think about what to eat later so that they can cook for us.¡±


    Qin Anming and Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but look at Shu Botong.


    ¡°What? What?¡± Shu Botong waved his hands in the air. ¡°Why are you looking at me? We lost the game as a team. Don¡¯t blame it on me.¡±


    Uncle Xu was the only one out of sorts. In any case, they couldn¡¯t possibly let an elderly man cook up a feast for them.


    The group won a lot of lanterns, but they didn¡¯t take everything with them. Firstly, it was impossible to take them all. Secondly, they had no use for so many lanterns, so they only chose a few that they liked.


    After receiving the lanterns from the stall owner, the few of them left the place happily.


    Everybody was hungry after spending so much time at the fair. It was a good time to head back for supper.


    ¡°Let¡¯s think about what we would like to have. Coincidentally, we have everything in our shop. In any case, there is no need for us to cook. We just have to order and eat.¡±


    Ruyi smiled while holding one lantern in each hand. Chattering non-stop, she was in a wonderful mood.


    Shu Botong waved his lantern at her back, looking like he was venting his anger.


    Sensing something, Ruyi turned around and spotted his fist before he could retract it.


    Shu Botong was so frightened that he quickly straightened his back. Feeling guilty, he didn¡¯t dare to look into her eyes, and kept hiding behind Qin Anming.


    There was no way that Ruyi would throw a tantrum at Brother Anming. Looking at Shu Botong¡¯s cowardly behavior, she could only let out a soft snort to express her mockery towards him.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Shu Botong did not dare to do anything to her, and could only call her a wild and ugly girl in his heart!


    The atmosphere seemed a little strange¡­


    Xiaoguo quietly observed the two of them from the side. She didn¡¯t know why, but although they had just met, they were fighting like roosters, always pecking at each other whenever they had the chance.


    Even so, she could sense an impenetrable barrier between the two of them.


    Surprisingly, Qin Anming seemed indifferent to their behavior. It¡¯s really unclear what he thinks about Ruyi in his heart. If he was even slightly fond of her, he should have some response to their bantering. Instead he looked like an onlooker who was watching the younger generation fool around.


    If Xiaoguo dared to fool around with another man like this, Jiang Danhe would probably explode.


    Was Qin Anming too insensitive, or¡­


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Xiaoguo was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t notice Jiang Danhe, who had quietly moved to her side.


    ¡°Yes? Nothing.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked suspiciously in the direction she was staring at and saw Shu Botong sneakily looking in her direction from behind Qin Anming.


    The vinegar jar fell into the hot oil and started sizzling instantly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him for a long time, but he didn¡¯t speak. The man, who was smiling just now, had gone quiet all of a sudden.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you unhappy about losing the game?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Jiang Danhe had just sworn to ignore her, but he gave up immediately in the next minute. After thinking about it, he decided to explain himself.


    ¡°I went easy on you just now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s unhappiness was instantly cured by Xiaoguo¡¯s words.


    Of course Xiaoguo knew. She had said it on purpose when she saw that he was ignoring her.


    During the game, there were several easy riddles, but he did not manage to solve them. It was definitely not because he couldn¡¯t, but he was just deliberately going easy on her team. She was very sure about this.


    Jiang Danhe could feel the corners of his mouth curling up. However, he was still feeling upset and didn¡¯t want her to see that he was happy, so his smile at this moment was looking more like a cramp.


    Suddenly, his beautiful mood was disrupted by the occasional gaze from behind.


    Jiang Danhe leaned closer to Xiaoguo domineeringly and glanced back smugly, as if to say, ¡°This is my woman. If you look again, I¡¯ll dig out your eyeballs.¡±


    Shu Botong¡¯s entire body trembled involuntarily. He looked at the sky curiously. It was only August, so the weather shouldn¡¯t be cold.


    Seeing that he was avoiding his gaze, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but feel a little satisfied. He nodded silently, thinking that the man had backed off.

 Chapter 418 - 418 For Now

    418 For Now


    If they knew what the other party was thinking, it would definitely be embarrassing for the both of them.


    This was really a beautiful misunderstanding.


    Jiang Danhe was standing beside Xiaoguo. In front of her was Ruyi, and diagonally behind her were Shu Botong and Qin Anming.


    Shu Botong was hiding behind Qin Anming and looking at Ruyi. From Jiang Danhe¡¯s position, it looked like Shu Botong was looking at Xiaoguo.


    Therefore, this was really an unnecessary bout of jealousy on Jiang Danhe¡¯s part. Fortunately, Xiaoguo had Jiang Danhe in her grasp and knew how to coax him. Otherwise, when they were making supper later, Jiang Danhe would definitely teach the man a lesson.


    The little episode passed quickly. When the group returned to the noodle shop, it was already late, and their stomachs were all growling.


    ¡°Hurry up and make dinner. There¡¯s all kinds of ingredients in the kitchen. You can make whatever you want. I¡¯m starving¡­¡±


    Ruyi didn¡¯t want to select the menu anymore. If someone were to serve her an empty plate now, she would probably gobble it up. It didn¡¯t matter what dishes were served, as long as there was something to eat.


    Seeing her like this, Shu Botong snorted and thought to himself, ¡°She can¡¯t even sit down properly in her seat.¡±


    After complaining in his heart, he followed Qin Anming into the kitchen.


    Jiang Danhe also followed behind them. Only Uncle Xu lifted his robe and was preparing to sit down.


    ¡°Hey, Uncle Xu, what are you doing?¡±


    Ruyi leaned over the table and saw that Uncle Xu was about to sit down, so she asked.


    ¡°Waiting for¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re waiting for dinner?!¡±


    Ruyi looked up with an incredulous look on her face.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°How is that possible!¡± Ling Long and Fu¡¯er retorted at the same time. ¡°How can Uncle Xu go back on his word after losing the game?¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡± Ruyi nodded. ¡°Uncle Xu is not that kind of person.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Uncle Xu, what were you going to say just now?¡±


    Only then did Ruyi remember that the other party seemed to have something to say.


    ¡°¡­ Nothing much. I¡¯m going to the kitchen.¡±


    Before Uncle Xu could sit down, he was rushed to the kitchen by the few of them.


    Although he did think of waiting for dinner, he couldn¡¯t be that kind of person! Since the team had lost, he must keep his word and acknowledge defeat.


    He had lived an honest life for decades, so he couldn¡¯t be stumped by a small task like making supper. If he couldn¡¯t cook, he could start a fire. He hoped that the young people in the kitchen wouldn¡¯t take pity on him because of his age and stop him from doing any work.


    Xiaoguo had been walking all day and her legs were almost cramping. She was feeling extremely comfortable sitting on the stool.


    In the hall, a group of women were sitting and relaxing in their seats. At the same time, the kitchen was bustling with activity.


    Jiang Danhe had picked up his cooking skills from Xiaoguo. Qin Anming¡¯s cooking was barely edible. Shu Botong only knew how to eat, and Uncle Xu knew how to start a fire.


    Since they were all equally inexperienced in the kitchen, it was obvious who would take on the role as the head chef.


    Jiang Danhe put on an apron and took charge of the cooking. Qin Anming was in charge of cutting the vegetables. This was Shu Botong¡¯s first time in the kitchen. Unable to handle any important tasks, he could only help out on the side, and Uncle Xu couldn¡¯t escape from the fate of doing work either.


    Since he knew how to start a fire, he would start one.


    Uncle Xu seemed agreeable with the chores on the surface, in actual fact, he was secretly wiping away his tears. ¡°These youngsters are not so sensible after all¡­¡±


    Soon, the fragrance of food started wafting out from the kitchen. The people in the hall did not sit back and do nothing. Before the food was served, they were busy cleaning up the tables and joining them up.


    Then, they opened the windows to reveal the bright moon hanging high in the sky. In a while, they will admire the moon while enjoying their supper.


    However, there was a small interlude before this.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, should I put vinegar in this stir-fry dish?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, what can I do if I have put too much salt in the vegetables?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, what do I do if all the tofu is mashed in the Mapo dish?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, what should I do if the rice porridge turns into rice?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, do I need to blanch the pork ribs?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo, do we add garlic to the loofah?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡­ Xiaoguo¡­ Xiaoguo¡­


    Xiaoguo expressed that she didn¡¯t want to hear the word ¡®Xiaoguo¡¯ again. Her head was hurting so much.


    Although the cooking process was a little chaotic, the outcome was satisfactory.


    The food tasted pretty good, and the table was filled with dishes¡ªsome were stewed, some boiled, some stir-fried, and some were made into salads. Everyone ate to their fill.


    No one cleaned up the tables because they were too tired to do so. Having had a full supper, everyone was feeling drowsy.


    Ruyi had already prepared rooms for everyone. After dinner, the group washed up and went straight to bed.


    ¡ª-


    Time flies. Shortly after the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was time for Jiang Danhe to leave. He had originally planned to stay a few more days, but he had already received several letters urging him to return to the capital. Unable to put it off any longer, he packed up and prepared to leave.


    Looking at the woman packing his bag, Jiang Danhe was filled with reluctance. He repeated what he had said many times.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, come with me to the capital.¡±


    As he spoke, he leaned towards her aggrievedly, trying to persuade her.


    Xiaoguo stopped folding the clothes for a second before calmly pushing away his handsome face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, for now. There are still a lot of things here that need preparation. I can¡¯t leave.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°For now? Does that mean that you will go back with me in the future?¡±


    Xiaoguo blushed in embarrassment. She pretended not to hear him and continued to pack the clothes.


    ¡°For now? For now?¡±


    Jiang Danhe leaned in front of her persistently.


    ¡°Get up. You¡¯re blocking the light.¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Xiaoguo pushed the man away and spoke with her back facing him.


    ¡°For now? For now? Yes?¡±


    Jiang Danhe kept sticking against her and touching her as he spoke.


    With difficulty, Xiaoguo avoided his ticklish hands. In the end, she was dragged onto the bed by him.


    ¡°Stop fooling around. Zhuang Zhuang will come in soon.¡±


    Even though Xiaoguo had told him to stop, Jiang Danhe still held her down and insisted that she elaborate on the meaning of what she had said earlier..


    ¡°For now means for now.¡±


    Xiaoguo had no choice. After struggling for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t break free from his grip.


    She could only look at him breathlessly and say, ¡°After everything has stabilized here, I can go to the capital and stay there for a while.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but give her a peck on the cheek.


    Xiaoguo covered her face in disbelief. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling happy.¡± Jiang Danhe looked straight into Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s running footsteps outside the door.


    Jiang Danhe had no choice but to let go of her.


    The two of them had just sat down when Zhuang Zhuang pushed the door open and entered.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiaoguo replied guiltily.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face? Why is it so red?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang ran curiously between the two of them and sat down. He took one look at his mother before turning to look at his father. He looked very cute and adorable.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know what to say. She could only look at Jiang Danhe strangely.


    Before she could speak, Zhuang Zhuang exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Father¡¯s face is red too!¡±


    Now, both Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were feeling embarrassed. They both avoided looking at each other, while Zhuang Zhuang was seated between them, shaking his head and making wild guesses.


    With Zhuang Zhuang around, even if Jiang Danhe wanted to say something heartwarming to Xiaoguo, he couldn¡¯t. In the meantime, he could only wait for Zhuang Zhuang to fall asleep while he held onto his wife¡¯s hand and grieved quietly.


    He really wanted to put Xiaoguo in his pocket and bring her to the capital, and never be apart.


    Of course, it was just a thought. There was no way he could do that. After all, his wife was always focused on making money, putting her handsome husband in second place.


    Looking at the fair face in front of him, Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart was itching. Just as he was about to take action, Zhuang Zhuang, who was sleeping in the middle, suddenly slapped him on the face, waking him up completely.


    Jiang Danhe looked sadly at the little man, who was drooling because he was sound asleep. No matter how helpless he felt, he started to calm down.


    All his emotions turned into a smile as he kissed the boy¡¯s little rosy face.


    ¡°Go to sleep, my precious baby.¡±

 Chapter 419 - 419 Cold Draught

    419 Cold Draught


    ¡°Why do I have to leave with Father?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was unhappily lifted onto the horse by Jiang Danhe. He looked at Xiaoguo sadly, hoping that she could save him.


    ¡°You still want to rest? You must have forgotten your books.¡±


    Jiang Danhe patted his head gently.


    Zhuang Zhuang sighed. ¡°Although¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Xiaoguo walked over and touched his face. She said softly, ¡°You¡¯ve rested for so many days. Study hard when you get there, understand? Mother will pick you up in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded obediently and stopped whining.


    Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo and let out a silent sigh.


    The mother only had to say one line, as compared to his long and windy coaxing. That was definitely preferential treatment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°When you get there, don¡¯t forget to write to me.¡±


    Seeing that he was getting ready to leave, Xiaoguo quickly reminded him and she blushed right after. She really felt a bit shy for being so direct.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled happily at her. With that, he rode off.


    Xiaoguo was becoming more and more dependent on him. This was really good news for him.


    ¡ª-


    Time flew by.


    Ever since Jiang Danhe left, Xiaoguo went back to her usual routine. However, she must say that with the addition of Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu, her life had become much more interesting than before.


    Her daily activities were cutting grass, making clothes, and chatting with Mrs Yang. On alternate days, she would travel to the county to check on the renovation progress and play with Ruyi and the others. Her days were well-planned and joyful.


    Unknowingly, the autumn, which was barely noticeable, passed by in a blink of an eye. The temperature plummeted overnight and before one realized it, the bone-chilling wind had started blowing outside.


    Xiaoguo was suddenly woken up by the cold.


    She lay shivering in the cold blankets, tossing and turning all night, half-awake and half-asleep. Despite going to bed early, she still felt groggy and exhausted when she woke up.


    Before opening her eyes, Xiaoguo¡¯s ears perked up first. Amidst her yawing, she could vaguely hear talking voices coming from outside her room.


    Xiaoguo slowly opened her eyes and sat up, carefully listening to the voices.


    ¡°The weather is too strange.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s so cold that my nose and tears are running.¡±


    ¡°Last night I thought I had fallen into a cellar on the island.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s even a thin layer of ice in our water jar. This freaking weather is really scary.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we put on more layers? I feel like I¡­ Achoo¡­¡±


    ¡°I think so too. If I don¡¯t wear another layer, I¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling started sneezing at each other. What they said earlier had really come true.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo had jumped out of bed and gotten dressed. The cold wind blowing through the cracks in the window was already enough to make one shiver, not to mention if one were to go outside. Just thinking about it made her feel cold.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo.¡±


    ¡°Yes, quickly go in and get dressed.¡±


    Yu Ling was standing in front of Xiaoguo¡¯s room door and immediately noticed her thin figure. She said, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, you should wear more clothes too. It¡¯s way colder than it looks.¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Zhu turned around and said, ¡°It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the intense cold outside is enough to make your bones ache.¡±


    As she spoke, she shuddered to emphasize what she had just said.


    Xiaoguo was amused by their playful demeanor. ¡°You two go back to your room and put on some warm clothes. I¡¯ll make breakfast. We need to prepare for the winter after that,¡± she said.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling looked at each other, not understanding what she meant. What was there to prepare for the winter?


    However, they still listened to her and ran back into the house to put on their clothes. They couldn¡¯t afford to get sick and cause trouble for Sister Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo opened the door and was about to go out when she was blown back into the house by the cold wind.


    No, she had to put on additional layers. It was simply too cold.


    After returning to the house to put on her coat, she gathered her courage and opened the door. Enduring the cold wind in her face, she quickly ran to the kitchen.


    Once she entered the kitchen, the temperature instantly warmed up.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had woken up early to make porridge, therefore in addition to the burning stove, the entire kitchen was filled with hot steam rising from the porridge, which made the house much warmer than the temperature outside.


    Soon, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling arrived at the kitchen.


    The two little girls didn¡¯t have any winter clothes, so they had put on several layers of thin clothes, making them look like two round bundles. The many layers also made it difficult for them to bend over and crouch down. After being warmed up by the heat in the kitchen, they eventually broke out in sweat. That gave them no other choice but to take off the clothes that they had painstakingly put on.


    ¡°I made two sets of winter clothes for you some time ago and I didn¡¯t have time to give them to you. You can put them on after eating.¡±


    When Xiaoguo was done laughing at them, she brought the food to the table and told them about the winter clothes.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling nodded heavily and replied with joy, ¡°Yes!!¡±


    Then, they put aside the clothes that they had taken off and set up the dining table with Xiaoguo.


    After breakfast, the three of them felt much warmer. Xiaoguo left Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling to clean the dining table, while she went into the house to look for the window and door curtains that had been stored away during the last spring.


    Since the curtains had been washed before she put them away, a faint fragrance could still be detected when she unfolded them.


    With the help of Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling, the curtains were quickly hung up, and it wasn¡¯t clear whether it was a psychological effect or not, but the three of them felt that the temperature in the room had indeed risen quite a bit at this moment.


    Of course, the animals had to wear winter clothes too. They were going to wear the same set from the previous year. Fortunately, Xiaoguo had made the clothes in a roomier fit, otherwise,the animals wouldn¡¯t have been able to fit into them this year.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had never seen anyone dress an animal before, so they were quite curious.


    After they had seen enough, the two of them finally joined in and helped to dress the animals.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, is it going to snow?¡±


    Yu Ling asked curiously as she dressed the dog.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s indeed cold, but it won¡¯t snow anytime soon.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t expect the weather to be so cold today. It was only yesterday when she was wearing thin summer clothes. Today, she was suddenly donning thick clothes for the winter.


    ¡°The temperatures seemed rather abnormal this year.¡±


    Xiao Zhu looked at the livestock shed thoughtfully. After a while, she asked, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, should we lay down some hay for them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should. We¡¯ll do that later. I¡¯ll go to the county first to drop off some winter clothes for Zhuang Zhuang. I don¡¯t think he has any thick clothes there. The temperature is dropping too quickly.¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, don¡¯t worry. You can go ahead and deliver the clothes to Zhuang Zhuang. We¡¯ll do the hay laying.¡±


    Yu Ling laughed and patted her chest confidently.


    Xiao Zhu nodded in agreement with Yu Ling¡¯s suggestion.


    The two of them could handle it!


    Xiaoguo stopped what she was doing and looked at the two of them hesitantly. She turned to look at the hay that had been piled up high against the wall.


    After a while, she nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Sure, but please be careful.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the two young girls laughed joyfully. They nodded repeatedly at her and promised to do a good job.


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded before continuing to dress the donkey.


    However, her gaze looked rather worried. In fact, apart from delivering clothes to Zhuang Zhuang, there was another very important matter that she had to attend to.


    Ever since Jiang Danhe left, she had not received other letters from him besides the one that he sent to inform of his safe arrival.


    She didn¡¯t want to make any wild guesses, but she couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    From the first day since she met Jiang Danhe, the two of them had never lost contact for so long. This time, the interval was so long that she was starting to get worried.


    She had written to him a few times during this period, but so far, she had received no replies from him.


    Even so, she was not worried about Jiang Danhe being disloyal to her. Instead, she was worried about his safety.


    The courier station often had people coming from and going to the capital city, so she wanted to go and ask around this time to see if she could get any news about the capital city.


    Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com

 Chapter 420 - 420 Ice Storage

    420 Ice Storage


    Although her visit might not be of much help, she only needed to know that there were no major upheavals in the capital. By knowing that, there is at least a one-third chance that Jiang Danhe is safe and sound.


    Just as Xiaoguo was returning to the house to pack up Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s winter clothes, she saw Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling helping to set up the donkey cart.


    When she came out, she saw the donkey cart ready and waiting in place.


    Xiaoguo looked at the two of them gratefully. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± The two girls scratched their heads in embarrassment and said, ¡°Be careful on the way.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything. She just nodded and smiled as she got into the car and waved goodbye to them.


    When Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling returned to the room to get their things, they happened to see two sets of winter clothes that were neatly placed on the bed. One set was light pink and the other set was light blue.


    Xiao Zhu liked pink, while Yu Ling liked blue.


    The two girls hugged their clothes happily and rolled around on the bed. It seemed that they would be having a nice and warm winter this year.


    Xiaoguo placed the bundle in the carriage and tucked her hands into her sleeves to protect herself from the cold air.


    The donkey had traveled the same route many times to get to the county, therefore it could find its way there on its own.


    This saved Xiaoguo a lot of trouble. She could tuck her hands into her sleeves to keep warm without having to expose them to the cold.


    When she arrived at the county, the first thing Xiaoguo did was to pass the clothes to Zhuang Zhuang.


    The little man ran out of the warm cozy house with a flushed face. He looked like he was still emitting heat.


    When Zhuang Zhuang saw Xiaoguo, he threw himself into her arms.


    He was looking very aggrieved. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that he had been bullied.


    However, those who know the truth would understand that the child was just missing his mother.


    ¡°Mother¡­ I miss you so much¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve said that so many times.¡±


    After calming him down, Xiaoguo quickly thought of leaving as she had something weighing down on her mind. She was hoping to get to the bottom of it quickly.


    Zhuang Zhuang refused to let go of her. When Mr. Kong called for him to go back, he reluctantly let go of her leg.


    The little guy, who looked so aggrieved a moment ago, instantly reverted to his obedient demeanor. He waved at her and said, ¡°Goodbye, Mother¡­¡±


    With that, he ran back without another word.


    Xiaoguo still had the clothes intended for Zhuang Zhuang tucked under her arm, but the latter seemed to have forgotten why he had come out. After crying and clinging to her thigh for a short while, he went back to class.


    Madam Kong took the bag from Xiaoguo¡¯s hand and shook her head with a smile. ¡°Come in and warm yourself up.¡±


    ¡°No, I have something on. I¡¯ll come visit again.¡±


    Xiaoguo came back to her senses and quickly explained before taking her leave.


    Right after she left, she couldn¡¯t decide on where to go first¡ªthe courier station or the two-storey building.


    In the end, she decided to visit the two-storey building first. After that, she would make her way to the courier station.


    She was actually feeling hopeful. What if Jiang Danhe¡¯s letter was on the way?


    When she arrived at the two-story building, the exterior work was almost complete. The building looked rejuvenated. Just by looking at its facade, It was impossible to tell that it was previously in a dilapidated state.


    The overall structure of the ancient-looking building was mostly left untouched. She only made some minor modifications to the details.


    For example, Xiaoguo had requested for a row of flower baskets to be placed under the windows on every floor. When the season comes, seeds will be planted. It would definitely be a beautiful scene when the flowers bloom.


    There was also the backyard where the staff dormitory was located. She had also created a small garden there, leaving a small pathway which leads to the cellar and well.


    After the repairs and renovations, the inside of the building had taken shape and was becoming more and more similar to what Xiaoguo had envisioned. It¡¯s a feeling that¡¯s hard to describe, but it gave her a lot of joy and satisfaction.


    Everything was progressing as planned.


    It was cold, but the enthusiasm of the masters had not diminished. Shu Botong, in particular, was very enthusiastic. He was also unexpectedly good at boosting everyone¡¯s morale.


    As soon as the cold air came in, hot tea was immediately served. His actions warmed the craftsmen¡¯s hearts and also earned their praises.


    When Xiaoguo arrived at the building, all she could hear were praises for the man.


    As Xiaoguo acknowledged the words of the craftsmen, she turned to look at Shu Botong. It seemed that he had been working hard during this period.


    With this thought, a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.


    Xiaoguo smiled and sat down in front of Shu Botong. She took out a silver ingot from her pocket and said, ¡°It¡¯s cold. Go buy some warm clothes and heating supplies.¡±


    Shu Botong shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    As he spoke, he pushed the silver back to her.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything else and handed the money back to him.


    Shu Botong wasn¡¯t the type to drag his feet. Seeing how persistent she was, he reluctantly accepted the money.


    Xiaoguo rolled her eyes at him. Before she could speak, Shu Botong spoke.


    ¡°The cellar in the backyard is going to be completed soon. We¡¯ve been working on it recently. Do you want to go over and take a look?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued. Her cellar. Just thinking about it made her happy. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    Shu Botong raised his eyebrows. He knew that she would be pleased, so he followed her to the backyard without another word.


    Three to five masters were still working on the cellar, which had already taken shape. They could start laying bricks in the next couple of days.


    The neatly stacked green bricks beside the cellar had been left there for quite a while.


    ¡°Watch your step.¡± Shu Botong reminded her of her safety, fearing that she would fall down the stairs if she kept looking down the cellar instead of watching where she was going.


    It would be fine if she fell on the spot. However, if she fell into the cellar, she could end up badly injured or even die from her injuries. This was no laughing matter.


    Xiaoguo craned her neck and looked inside. Apart from the faint candlelight, she couldn¡¯t see anything. The cellar was pitch-black and a little scary.


    After taking a few steps back, she felt more at ease.


    Seeing her like this, Shu Botong snickered. He had thought that she was quite bold, but it turned out that he had overestimated her.


    ¡°When the cellar is done, what will you store in it?¡±


    Shu Botong suddenly recalled something she had mentioned before, but it had been too long and he couldn¡¯t quite remember it. The only thing he remembered was that it was something that was afraid of heat.


    ¡°Ice blocks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, ice blocks!¡± Shu Botong looked enlightened. He knew it. It was a cold thing.


    Xiaoguo had also told him about the type of shop she was going to open. Although his expression changed when he heard her talk about cows¡¯ milk, his reaction was better than most people. He also seemed more receptive towards the idea than those people.


    When Zhuang Zhuang, Jiang Danhe, Qin Anming, Ruyi, and Shu Botong heard her idea about using cow¡¯s milk, they thought that it was strange. However, they still supported her.


    Xiaoguo could guess the reason. It was because of their trust in her that they supported her unconditionally.


    ¡°When the work for the cellar is complete, we¡¯ll start storing the ice. At a later stage, I¡¯ll buy some wooden buckets. You can do the freezing here, and I¡¯ll do it at home. We¡¯ll try to fill up the cellar during the winter.¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    Shu Botong readily assured Xiaoguo that with this unusual weather and low temperature, he would take less than a winter to fill it up the cellar.


    ¡°Winter came early this year, and the temperature is lower than usual. Hurry up and buy more thick clothes and bedding. Don¡¯t fall sick from the cold. Buy some charcoal and burn them. Coincidentally, the stove here has just been repaired. Don¡¯t scrimp on these items. The most important thing is to not fall sick. Also¡­¡±


    Shu Botong nodded repeatedly. He did not deliberately rebut her like he usually did. When he received genuine concern, he always took it very seriously.


    As Xiaoguo had something on her mind, she didn¡¯t stay long. After reminding him carefully, she drove off in the carriage.


    Since Shu Botong had been categorized as one of her own, she would definitely treat him with sincerity. Therefore, it was inevitable that she would nag at him sometimes. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t show any signs of impatience, so she felt more at ease.


    After watching Xiaoguo leave, Shu Botong wrapped his thin clothes tightly around himself and looked up at the sky, deep in thoughts and sniffling hard.


    ¡°Maybe I should go buy some clothes. It doesn¡¯t feel right to let down the lady boss¡¯s concern¡­¡±


    With this thought in mind, he informed the craftsmen inside and then headed straight for the garment shop, carrying the warm silver coins with him.

 Chapter 421 - 421 Incompatible?

    421 Incompatible?


    As soon as Xiaoguo arrived at the entrance of the courier station, she realized that everyone looked very busy.


    Usually, the people at the courier station could at least take occasional breaks, but at this moment, they were scrambling to complete their tasks.


    The usually quiet courier station was now bustling with activities. There were various types of carriages parked within the station and outside its gates.


    The couriers all looked exhausted with sweat dripping from their foreheads. Despite the cold weather, everyone looked hot and sweaty. Judging from their appearances, one might have thought that they were in the midst of summer.


    Avoiding the crowd, Xiaoguo parked the donkey cart in a spot that wouldn¡¯t cause obstruction. After that, she walked into the station.


    Xiaoguo was feeling a little hesitant. This place had become so busy all of a sudden. Could they be hosting some esteemed guests? Would her presence be intrusive at this moment?


    Just as she was hesitating, she saw someone familiar.


    ¡°Xiaohai!¡±


    Xiaohai was the courier who usually delivers the letters to Xiaoguo. She had only found out his name when she heard someone calling him.


    She called out to him softly, not daring to make too much noise for fear of alarming the others who were busy.


    Perhaps because her voice was too soft, the other party did not respond and continued with his work.


    After much hesitation, she decided to go forward and speak with him.


    At this moment, Xiaohai was so focused on moving the wooden boxes that he did not notice Xiaoguo approaching him.


    He didn¡¯t see her until she tapped him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, Madam!¡±


    Xiaohai was very surprised to see her here, so he waved his hand and found someone to help him move the boxes. He then walked Xiaoguo to a spot where they could talk.


    ¡°Have you been busy lately?¡±


    When Xiaohai heard her ask this, he nodded shyly and said, ¡°Recently, all the surrounding stations have been quite busy.¡±


    It was inconvenient for him to tell her the reason, and Xiaoguo understood why. Being tactful, she didn¡¯t ask any further.


    Xiaoguo asked hesitantly, ¡°Are you familiar with¡­ the capital?¡±


    ¡°The capital?¡± Xiaohai didn¡¯t quite understand what she meant, but hearing her question, he thought carefully before saying, ¡°I just went to the capital last month.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ is there any event going on in the capital?¡±


    Xiaoguo hesitated and switched the word ¡®change¡¯ to ¡®event¡¯. If she didn¡¯t choose her words carefully, people could misunderstand her question and think that she had ulterior motives.


    ¡°Event?¡± Xiaohai scratched his head and said in realization, ¡°So you have also heard about the banquet in the capital¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh Haha¡­ That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo blinked a few times and immediately put her adept acting skills to good use. Although she didn¡¯t know anything about the banquet, it seemed that the capital must have been quite busy lately.


    ¡°My visit to the capital coincided with the banquet. In order to enter the capital, I had to go through three inspections. They asked for my place of departure and also the purpose of my visit. Security was very tight¡­¡±


    It turned out that another banquet had been held in the capital, and from his description, it seemed particularly grand and unprecedented. As a high-ranking official, Jiang Danhe was certainly indispensable in such an occasion, so it was understandable that he was busy.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo listened to him and nodded to show that she was listening attentively.


    Xiaohai also shared the news that Xiaoguo wanted to hear the most.


    ¡°By the way, Madam, I also saw the general. He looked very busy and was moving around a lot on his horse. But on second thought, it makes sense. How can the general be relaxed at such an occasion? The emperors and envoys of the various countries were all present, so safety issues must be crucial at the event. I heard that there were even military exercises¡­¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard the words ¡°Jiang Danhe¡±, she instantly felt relieved. As long as he was safe.


    ¡°¡­ Under the wise leadership of our emperor, the Shao Nation is becoming more prosperous. The emperors of various countries are visiting our country more frequently as well. This is concrete proof that our Shao Nation has become the top country in the east¡­¡±


    For some reason, Xiaohai suddenly became emotional and started speaking excitedly. His whole being was glowing so brightly with pride and patriotism for the Shao Nation that it made Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes hurt a little.


    Xiaoguo could only smile along with him as she quickly sorted out the news she had heard.


    Apart from feeling relieved, she also felt a little annoyed.


    This Jiang Danhe was actually so busy that he had forgotten about her. How detestable¡­ When he replies, she will make sure to torture him.


    No matter what, knowing that Jiang Danhe¡¯s life was not in danger, Xiaoguo finally felt relieved.


    After bidding farewell to Xiaohai, Xiaoguo walked out of the post station, still secretly holding a grudge against Jiang Danhe.


    How detestable of him to make her so worried¡­


    However, Xiaoguo had forgotten that Xiaohai had gone to the capital last month. No matter how grand the banquet was, it couldn¡¯t last for more than a month.


    In the capital¡­


    The banquet was pulled off without a hitch. After the kings and ministers of the various countries left safely and happily for their homes, peace returned to the capital.


    However, this applied only to the commoners. In the palace, another ¡°family banquet¡± was being held in the Shao Nation.


    In his seat, Jiang Danhe was looking disinterested and wearing a moody expression. On his right was Li Shouji, and the next official in rank was sitting to his right, with everyone taking their seats in order.


    Since this was a family banquet, there weren¡¯t many rules. The atmosphere was relatively more relaxed.


    Shao Zhan sat at the highest seat in the center. Seated beside him was the rarely seen empress. Seated on his right was a military official, and on his left was a civil official.


    Some officials with families brought their wives to the banquet, but because of the occasion, they dared not misbehave and could only bring their spouses to the event.


    As for the ministers who had no family, they could only sit in their chairs and drink alone.


    Coincidentally, most of the military officials present were not accompanied by their families.


    Unlike the civil officials who were much more carefree, the military officials spent most of their days in the wind and rain. On a daily basis, they spend most of their time with groups of rough men, leaving them with no time to interact with the colorful world beyond the military camp.


    Listening to the women¡¯s voices urging their husbands to stop drinking from time to time, the military officials were all feeling envious.


    While it was called a banquet in the section where the civil officials were seated, it was at most a party for a group of rough men on this side where the military officials were seated.


    The song and dance performances in the hall could not dispel the resentment in the air.


    ¡°Do you want more of this small fried fish?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll eat it then.¡±


    Talking to himself, Li Shouji took the plate of small fried fish in front of him and moved it all to his own table.


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at Li Shouji. Although the man was taking away everything on his table, he completely ignored him.


    ¡°General is the only one among us who is married here. Why didn¡¯t he bring his wife along?¡±


    The man beside Li Shouji leaned forward and whispered in his ear.


    This person had a full beard and dark skin. He was tall and burly. If not for the fact that he had just become an adult, he looked more like a general than anyone else.


    Li Shouji retracted his gaze in disdain. As he chewed on the small fried fish, he said, ¡°Da Mao, pay attention to your image. You should really try shaving. The general and I don¡¯t really like to bring you along when we go out.¡±


    After saying that, he gestured at the three of them. ¡°Look at you, then look at me and the general. The three of us looked so incompatible.¡±


    The young man named Da Mao scratched his head in embarrassment and asked, ¡°Then how can we match up to the general?¡±


    ¡°We only have to¡­ What do you mean by ¡®we¡¯? It¡¯s you, you, you, you, you. You don¡¯t look compatible with us!¡±


    Li Shouji was trying to give the man some serious advice. When he suddenly heard the latter grouping himself into the same camp as him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed.


    ¡°What a joke.¡± Although Li Shouji wasn¡¯t as good-looking as Jiang Danhe, he was still a handsome young man. Moreover, he was still unmarried, and a robust, well-built young man at that.


    The woman brought by the Miaojiang envoy kept winking at him alone. Wasn¡¯t this enough to prove his charm?


    Who would be in the same camp as this silly fool?


    After giving Da Mao a long lecture, Li Shouji drank his sake while trying to catch his breath. At the same time, he did not forget to throw a sidelong glance at the man.


    ¡°I¡¯m so angry. This stupid fool!¡±

 Chapter 422 - 422 Hes Slandering Me

    422 He¡¯s Slandering Me


    Da Mao, who had just been lectured, was scratching his head innocently and glancing at Li Shouji with his small eyes.


    He looked like he wanted to refute him, but when he thought of his poisonous tongue skills, he felt a little afraid. ¡°I should just let it go¡­¡±


    Seeing that Da Mao had finally come to his senses, Li Shouji was very satisfied. After putting down the wine glass, he patted Da Mao¡¯s shoulder and comforted him like a good brother. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. It¡¯s still possible for you. Go back, take a shower and shave. You could still be considered a handsome man.¡±


    Before Da Mao could rejoice, he was hurt by his next words.


    ¡°By the way, what do you actually look like? I haven¡¯t seen your face in years. I¡¯ve almost forgotten it.¡±


    Li Shouji finished speaking and sighed. ¡°Forget it. It doesn¡¯t matter what you look like. What¡¯s more important is that you¡¯re Da Mao!¡±


    Li Shouji paused for a moment before he asked in confusion, ¡°Eh? Are you Da Mao?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Da Mao¡¯s shoulder was hurting from his pat, so he looked at the red-faced man hesitantly and said, ¡°Are you drunk?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Li Shouji slapped the table and said in a daze manner, ¡°I was eating small fried fish. How could I be drunk¡­¡±


    ¡°But you¡­¡±


    Before Da Mao could finish speaking, the other party¡¯s head landed on the table heavily.


    ¡°Who, who, who hit me!¡±


    Li Shouji thought that someone was attacking him. He immediately stood up and confronted the non-existent person.


    Fortunately, Da Mao was quick enough to stop him. Otherwise, after tonight, Li Shouji would become the laughing stock of the court assembly.


    Li Shouji kept muttering to himself. Just as he was about to create a scene, Jiang Danhe¡¯s next sentence immediately sent shivers down his spine. In that split moment, he was feeling regretful that he had not drunk more wine. He should have gotten himself knocked out instead.


    In that way, he wouldn¡¯t have to endure the deadly silence.


    The longer Jiang Danhe stayed on at the banquet, the more bored he became. He thought of going home, but staying home by himself was boring too.


    He had sent several letters to Xiao Guo, but they had all gone unanswered and seemed to have disappeared into thin air.


    The letter that the other party had written to him had been read so many times that it had become crumpled.


    During this period, Xiaoguo had not replied to a single letter from him, and that made him very sad.


    Is earning money more important than him?


    The indignant Jiang Danhe was starting to feel emotional and aggrieved because of the alcohol. Some tears seemed to be flickering in his hazy eyes.


    The minister sitting opposite him suddenly noticed a glimmer of light flashing across from him. When he took a closer look, he didn¡¯t find anything unusual, so he didn¡¯t take it to heart and continued to admire the beautiful dance.


    But in the next moment, there was another flicker of light that caught his eye.


    This time, he could see clearly that the light had come from the general¡¯s gleaming eyes.


    This realization instantly filled him with deep respect and admiration for the general, and he felt a surge of reverence in his heart.


    Not only was the general upright and bold, he was also so tenacious in private. In such a relaxed setting, he was still able to maintain his composure at all times. This made him admire the general even more.


    At the same time, he felt ashamed of himself.


    After reflecting on himself, the minister raised his glass and offered a toast to Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe retracted his thoughts and raised his glass to return the gesture in a daze.


    After downing the liquor, he suddenly felt dizzy for a moment. Then, he thought of something and turned to ask the drunken Li Shouji, ¡°Did you send out all my letters?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Li Shouji felt a chill behind his neck and he quickly regained his senses. Right on the heels of that, he turned around stiffly and asked Da Mao in a low voice, ¡°DId you send the letters out?¡±


    His voice was so soft that even Da Mao couldn¡¯t hear him. The latter kept asking him to repeat himself.


    Li Shouji had no choice. He didn¡¯t want the man behind him to hear him, so he kept repeating the question in a low voice.


    Fortunately, Da Mao managed to hear him eventually.


    Before Li Shouji could heave a sigh of relief and marvel at his lucky escape, Da Mao suddenly turned his head and looked at one of his subordinates.


    His hand that was wiping his sweat stopped in midair. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this.


    Da Mao did not control his volume. He asked his subordinate in a loud voice, ¡°Did you send out the letters?¡±


    The subordinate was now wearing the same expression as Li Shouji. He turned around and looked at his subordinate as if he was facing grave danger. ¡°Did you send out the letters?¡±


    The same expression of fear and trepidation appeared on the face of the subordinate.


    And this went on with the men passing the question down to the next person.


    All the way until it reached the last military official in the row. Under the watchful eyes of the other military officials, that minister reached out and called out to the servants outside.


    At this moment, all the ministers realized the same thing. They were all going to become dead meat¡­


    Jiang Danhe lowered his head and sneered. ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    ¡°I can explain¡­¡±


    Seeing Jiang Danhe¡¯s expression, Li Shouji silently tightened the grip on his chopsticks. At this moment, he was trying to find a way to absolve himself of the fact that he had messed things up while attempting to ingratiate himself with his boss.


    The ministers behind Li Shouji were also figuring out their own excuses in their minds.


    How were they going to explain the mess that they had made in their attempt to suck up to their boss?


    ¡°Who was the one who insisted on fighting for this task? Who said that this matter could be left to someone?¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled sinisterly. The hall was clearly burning with charcoal, but Li Shouji was freezing at this moment¡­


    Fortunately, there was finally a response from the servant that the last minister had summoned.


    Li Shouji swallowed his saliva silently. At this moment, he only had one thought in his mind. He had to find a scapegoat!


    Hence, he quickly turned around and looked at the confused Da Mao while speaking to him in an accusing tone, ¡°Who was the one who swore that this matter would be settled without a hitch?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. You were the one who said that. You told me that you were giving me a chance to show off my ability.¡±


    Da Mao looked at Jiang Danhe nervously. At this moment, he felt that excusing himself was not the best way out. It was better to face his fear head-on. In that way, he could at least die a quick death.


    ¡°You, you, you, you, you¡­¡± After being betrayed so quickly by Da Mao, Li Shouji became so nervous that he started stuttering.


    Da Mao was also afraid of Li Shouji, but he was even more afraid of Jiang Danhe. Therefore, if he had to die, at least the deputy general would die before him.


    As expected, after hearing his words, Jiang Danhe¡¯s expression turned even colder. He actually started to laugh softly. What had happened the last time he laughed like this?


    Oh, right! A large group of their enemies died right after that¡­


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe¡¯s every breath seemed to be hanging on the men¡¯s necks, making them feel trapped and hoping for death. But they were also hoping that their superiors could help to bear most of the oncoming rage. In that way, they might get a chance to survive a little longer.


    Li Shouji stuttered for a long time before finally saying something that was absolutely powerless. ¡°You¡¯re slandering me! You¡¯re slandering me!¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at Jiang Danhe and tried to beg for mercy with an aggrieved expression. ¡°He¡¯s slandering me¡­¡±


    At this moment, the music in the hall had changed to an impassioned rhythm. Wasn¡¯t this the perfect time to settle scores?


    The corners of Jiang Danhe¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. Then, he grabbed Li Shouji¡¯s collar following the beats of the drums. Li Shouji immediately grabbed Da Mao¡¯s collar and Da Mao also subconsciously grabbed onto the person on his right, and so on and so forth, until the chain reaction was suddenly interrupted.


    The ministers, looking like they had just been saved, hurriedly conveyed the news to Da Mao.


    With widened eyes, Da Mao walked past Li Shouji and passed the news he had just received directly to Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°The letters have been sent. The letters have been sent..¡±


    When Jiang Danhe heard this, he loosened his grip on Li Shouji. However, he accidentally elbowed Li Shouji when he retracted his arms. It was unclear if the jab was intentional or not.


    It was so painful that Li Shouji almost jumped up. In the end, it was the ¡®considerate¡¯ Da Mao who held onto him.


    Li Shouji grinned at his good subordinate. ¡°Not bad, not bad. Your survival instincts are really strong¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    Da Mao was simple-minded. He misunderstood his sarcastic words as a compliment. He scratched his head and said humbly, ¡°Of course not¡­ I¡¯m not as good as you, Deputy General!¡±

 Chapter 423 - 423 I Wont Let You Off

    423 I Won¡¯t Let You Off


    Hearing his answer, Li Shouji almost fainted.


    Da Mao was thinking of showing Li Shouji some concern, but before he could do so, he felt a trembling poke at his waist.


    He turned around in confusion. In the next instant, his subordinate passed him a letter. The other party also whispered something in his ear, causing his expression to turn dark.


    After a while, Da Mao suppressed his fear and respectfully placed the letter in Li Shouji¡¯s hand. He said simply, ¡°This is the reply.¡±


    Li Shouji snorted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just hand it to the general directly?¡±


    Da Mao heard his words but he pretended that he didn¡¯t hear it, and continued to drink his wine while watching the dance performance.


    Li Shouji secretly elbowed him. Seeing him grit his teeth in pain, he finally felt a little better. ¡°That was for betraying me.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Li Shouji retracted his gaze and handed the letter to Jiang Danhe fawningly. ¡°This is my Sister-in-law¡¯s reply¡­¡±


    Da Mao kept watching him from the corner of his eye. After seeing him hand the letter to the general, he heaved a sigh of relief. He said to Li Shouji in his heart, ¡°Deputy General, I apologize again.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe saw Xiaoguo¡¯s handwriting on the envelope, he finally smiled for the first time in days.


    After taking the letter, he carefully stroked the words on the letter, looking like he was trying to touch the face of his beloved through the envelope.


    When he was done caressing the letter, he hid it in his arms, looking guilty as if he had done something wrong and worried about being discovered by others.


    After putting it away, he looked around and only felt satisfied when he saw that no one was looking.


    Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that he was hiding a treasure in his arms.


    Of course he had to admire Xiaoguo¡¯s letter secretly. How could he open it here? Although he couldn¡¯t wait to read it, he had to control himself!


    He will go home and read every single word and punctuation in the letter.


    When the banquet finally ended, Jiang Danhe was the first to run out. He had taken the carriage when he came, but thinking that it was too slow, he unloaded the carriage and made his way home on the horse¡¯s back.


    The coachman and Li Shouji, who had just come out, looked at each other. Neither of them understood what was going on.


    Li Shouji kicked the carriage and looked at the coachman.


    The coachman looked back at him. At this moment, the two of them were thinking about the same question.


    ¡°How are we going to go back?¡± They had clearly come together by carriage¡­


    There was no other way. The palace gates were locked, and most of the ministers had left. There was no way for them to get a free ride.


    Feeling helpless, the two of them took turns to pull the carriage home. Fortunately, the residence was not too far away. Before they use up all their strength, they should be able to reach home.


    After they left, the military officials appeared from their hiding places.


    Da Mao was the first to come out from hiding to check on the surroundings. After confirming that it was safe, everyone popped their heads out.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Does the general know?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. How could the general know? We didn¡¯t dare to say anything.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ does the deputy general know?¡±


    The corners of Da Mao¡¯s mouth twitched. He said worriedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell the deputy general either.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone looked at each other. A cruel storm was coming.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Deputy General¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ We¡¯re all finished¡­¡±


    The outcome at that time was actually a brief summary of the information sent by Da Mao¡¯s subordinates.


    What he didn¡¯t tell Li Shouji was that Jiang Danhe¡¯s letter had just been sent yesterday. The reply letter from Xiaoguo was received in the previous month¡­


    All the ministers who knew the truth sent their most sincere blessings to themselves and Li Shouji, who was still kept in the dark.


    They hoped that the deputy general and themselves could still see the sun tomorrow.


    When Jiang Danhe returned home, he hurriedly closed the door and pounced on the bed sneakily before burying his head in the envelope. He took a deep breath, trying to take in the lingering smell on the letter.


    Perhaps it was because of the bumpy journey, there was no trace of Xiaoguo¡¯s scent on the envelope at all.


    But that was fine¡ªhe still had his secret treasure.


    Jiang Danhe sized up his surroundings to check that it was clear. Then, he sat up on the bed and secretly took out a light yellow undergarment from his chest. He held it to his nose and took a deep breath indulgently. Only then did he feel satisfied.


    He couldn¡¯t bear to be separated from Xiaoguo anymore. Fortunately, before he left for the capital, he had stolen one of her personal belongings to comfort his longing and lonely heart.


    However, he swore to god that he was really not a pervert!!


    It wasn¡¯t his intention to take her underwear. At that time, he just wanted to take something that belonged to her. However, Zhuang Zhuang had suddenly barged in at that moment. In his panic, he randomly grabbed one item and threw it into his bag. He didn¡¯t even have a chance to take a proper look at it.


    When he was missing her halfway through the journey, he took out the item and realized that the garment looked somewhat peculiar. Hesitatingly, he unfolded it and discovered to his horror that he had taken Xiao Guo¡¯s intimate bodice in his moment of panic.


    Feeling guilty, he quickly hid the garment. Fortunately, there was no one around. Otherwise, he was going to have a hard time explaining himself.


    But then again, he seemed to remember that Xiaoguo wore this undergarment quite frequently¡­


    Shaking off the messy thoughts in his mind, Jiang Danhe shifted his attention to the envelope.


    With excitement filling his heart, Jiang Danhe opened the envelope. His eyes were shining with anticipation, but the more he read, the uglier his expression became.


    In the end, he suppressed his anger and gently put down the letter. After putting away the undergarment in a safe place, he slammed the bed before getting up!


    ¡°Unreliable Li Shouji, I! Definitely! Won¡¯t let you off! You!¡±


    Li Shouji, who had no idea that a disaster was coming, was still dragging the carriage with all his might.


    He barely made it to the doorstep, almost losing his life in the process.


    The guards took one look at his strange appearance and quickly rushed forward to take the carriage handle from him. Then, they started asking him about what had happened.


    Li Shouji didn¡¯t have the strength to chat with them. He waved his hand casually and sat down on the carriage while wiping the sweat off his forehead tiredly with his sleeves.


    ¡°This coachman! He actually abandoned me halfway and ran home alone. He really needs a beating. When I see him tomorrow, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson!¡±


    Li Shouji, who was secretly thinking of stirring up trouble, suddenly shivered inexplicably before his sweat could dry up.


    He looked up at the sky in confusion. A moment later, he shook his head and said to himself,


    ¡°The weather had turned cold¡­¡±


    The carriage was handed over to the guard for him to pull it back. Li Shouji got up slowly and walked towards his residence. He was going to take a fragrant bath now to comfort his weary heart.


    The guards behind him only dared to start discussing among themselves after he had disappeared.


    ¡°What did the deputy general do to provoke the general again?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Isn¡¯t the deputy general courting death on a daily basis?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. Hurry up and pull this in. We¡¯re changing shifts soon.¡±


    ¡°Aye, yes, yes. Quick.¡±


    With his hands resting on his slender waist, Li Shouji inched forward bit by bit, sighing three times for every step he took. This behavior became more exaggerated when he passed by Jiang Danhe¡¯s door. If an unknowing person saw him, that person might think that something terrible had happened to him.


    After wailing for a long time, he slowed down his pace, but he was unable to lure out the man in the room. At the thought of this, he could not help but sigh again. His plan of acting like a disabled man had failed.


    He turned around and walked towards his room. If he had known that Jiang Danhe¡¯s hearing was so bad, he wouldn¡¯t have spent so much effort walking past his room.


    After leaving Jiang Danhe¡¯s courtyard, Li Shouji reverted to his usual upbeat demeanor. He had to take a quick bath, put on fresh clothes, and go to sleep. Otherwise, it would be dawn again if he slowly took his time.


    ¡°Li Shouji.¡±


    The voice was not loud, but it was enough to make one¡¯s heart tremble.


    Li Shouji, who was walking with his head lowered, suddenly froze on the spot. Was he hallucinating?


    He looked up in the direction of the voice and saw a face in the darkness. It looked even darker than the night sky.

 Chapter 424 - 424 The Lost Bodice

    424 The Lost Bodice


    Jiang Danhe slowly walked out of the darkness.


    Li Shouji wiped his eyes and sized him up in disbelief. ¡°So you are here.¡±


    He knew it. Earlier on, he had been whining outside his door for a long time, but no one had come out. It turned out that he had come here.


    ¡°Why? Is there something you need from me?¡±


    Jiang Danhe did not speak. He just continued to approach him slowly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Li Shouji was finding it strange that Jiang Danhe was keeping quiet. ¡°He usually hides in his room after receiving letters from Xiaoguo, and would only emerge from his room after a long time. Why is he acting so strange today?¡±


    Although Li Shouji looked like he was expressing his concern for Jiang Danhe on the surface, his body had already reacted based on his instincts. As Jiang Danhe approached him, he started retreating.


    Jiang Danhe lifted Li Shouji¡¯s collar with one hand and said in an icy tone, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Let¡¯s settle the score.¡±


    With widened eyes, Li Shoulji was dragged into the room.


    It was late at night, therefore it was better not to alarm the other men.


    Looking at the back of Jiang Danh¡¯e head, Li Shouji said anxiously, ¡°Settle the score? What score? Do we owe each other anything?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was accumulating his strength, so he completely ignored the man.


    Li Shouji leaned backwards and refused to follow him.


    At this moment, his pain receptors are telling him that if he followed Jiang Danhe, it was not going to end well.


    However, no matter how he resisted, it didn¡¯t stop Jiang Danhe from dragging him forward.


    Just like that, Li Shouji was dragged into the back room with a dumbfounded expression. Having been pushed to the ground with tears in his eyes, he was hoping that someone might pass by and save him. But with one merciless push, Jiang Danhe shut the door with his big hands.


    A moment later, Jiang Danhe walked out with a carefree expression and disheveled clothes. His footsteps were noticeably much lighter.


    After the figure disappeared, Li Shouji walked out of the door shakily.


    The once dignified young master now looked like a demon from a painting.


    His neat hair was now in a mess. On his tanned face, there were green and black bruises. The most eye-catching thing was the dark circles under his eyes. It was hard to imagine how the person who threw the punches could be so accurate that the resulting black eyes looked so symmetrical.


    Li Shouji spat out the clothes in his mouth and walked out shakily.


    As he walked, he muttered to himself, ¡°Prepare the horses! How dare these b*stards lie to me. Just wait and see. These b*stards will will be the death of me¡­¡±


    Hence, the homes of the military officers bustled with continuous activity for that night.


    The next day, the people in the military camp discovered a strange phenomenon.


    They were trying to figure out why the officers were all covered in injuries.


    ¡°Was this some special combat strategy?¡±


    Not only was there an awkward atmosphere among the soldiers, but the atmosphere between officers was also very uncanny.


    On the training ground, although most of Li Shouji¡¯s attention was on the soldiers below, he could still catch a glimpse of the few people beside him with his peripheral vision.


    Feeling angry, he couldn¡¯t help but snort at the few people beside him, causing the several strong men to silently shrink their necks in fear.


    They only relaxed when Li Shouji looked away.


    This was well within their expectations¡ªthey had all become dead meat¡­


    Da Mao was standing furthest away from Li Shouji. He was supposed to stand beside him, but after last night, he tried to stay as far away from him as possible.


    When he saw Li Shouji, he could feel his entire body aching in response. He¡¯s someone that they couldn¡¯t afford to provoke. ¡°It¡¯s so terrifying, boohoo¡­¡±


    The actions of these few men caused Xiaoguo to suddenly receive all the letters that Jiang Danhe had written at different times. And the contents of each letter were more sorrowful than the last.


    ¡ª-


    The woman that Jiang Danhe was thinking about day and night, was silently feeling worried at this moment.


    After a fruitless search, Xiaoguo took out all the clothes from the cupboard in frustration and threw them onto the bed.


    Then, she reorganized them piece by piece.


    The purpose of doing this was not to sort out the clothes for the next season. Instead she was trying to find a missing piece of clothing.


    ¡°I clearly remembered that I had placed it here after the bath¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo kept repeating to herself as she folded the clothes.


    She had been rummaging through the same place several times and was starting to feel a little frustrated.


    She had looked for the garment earlier on, but she didn¡¯t manage to find it at that time.


    Didn¡¯t they say that the more you try looking for something, the harder it is to find it? If you stop looking, it will appear soon.


    Hence, when she couldn¡¯t find it the first time, she quickly stopped looking for it. She was hoping that it would appear soon, but the outcome was too disappointing. If she really stopped looking, it would completely disappear from her wardrobe.


    That was in fact the most expensive and best-looking piece among her collection. Why did she misplace this piece of all items?


    No, she couldn¡¯t afford to misplace any of them. She had always kept her intimate items carefully. How could something disappear just like that? It was really strange¡­


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu were outside, sewing and listening to the commotion coming from the


    room.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, what are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°I think she is looking for her bodice.¡±


    Xiao Zhu repeated in disbelief, ¡°Her bodice?¡±


    ¡°How did she manage to misplace such a private piece of clothing?¡±


    Yu Ling nodded and said, ¡°She has been looking for it for some time, but she did not manage to find it. I heard that it is her favorite and most expensive piece of undergarment.¡±


    ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡±


    Xiao Zhu asked curiously. Why didn¡¯t she know anything about this? They were clearly living under the same roof.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo said it herself just now. Didn¡¯t you hear her? But then again, you¡¯re so focused on your embroidery that you probably didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Zhu, help me check if the stitches are correct.¡±


    After saying that, she nervously handed the purse she had sewn to Xiaozhu.


    The two of them had only started learning needlework from Xiaoguo recently. At first, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t want to teach them because her skills were not very refined. If they wanted to learn, she could hire a professional to teach them.


    However, the two of them refused right away. It was not their intention to pick up any professional skills. They just wanted to sew and mend some items.


    That was why Xiaoguo agreed to teach them. Putting everything else aside, just the sewing and mending that she usually did at home was still manageable for her.


    Among the two of them, she had thought that Yu Ling would be more skilled since she was older. Unexpectedly, Xiao Zhu was the faster and more serious student.


    Yu Ling was good with her hands, but her head hurt whenever she touched a needle and thread. She had no patience for such meticulous work, so it was difficult for her to sit still. Embroidery was torturous work for her.


    On the other hand, Xiao Zhu could sit for an entire day without feeling tired. The little girl seemed very talented in embroidery. Whenever Xiaoguo taught her something, she was able to remember it and even figure out other stitching techniques on her own.


    When Xiao Zhu heard Yu Ling¡¯s words, she nodded in realization. She was always very engrossed when doing needlework. Once she starts on her embroidery, she would become oblivious to her surroundings. She only had eyes for the needles and threads in front of her.


    She took the purse from Yu Ling and looked at it carefully. Then she nodded and said, ¡°No problem!¡±


    When Yu Ling heard this, she finally exhaled and said with relief, ¡°That¡¯s great¡­¡±


    If the stitches were incorrect, she would have to take the purse apart and sew it back again. It was very tedious work.


    Xiao Zhu snickered and continued to work on the pouch in her hand. How could such a fun thing be torturous for her? She would love to keep sewing forever.


    Outside the room, it was sunny and windy. Inside, there was a storm brewing.


    Xiaoguo was starting to feel numb from all the folding. She was on the verge of ripping the cupboard apart, but she still couldn¡¯t find her bodice. Instead, she found a string of silver hidden in a corner.


    Feeling helpless, she put all the clothes back neatly in the cupboard. She had to face up to the fact that the piece of undergarment was gone for good.


    There were no outsiders in the house. Who would steal such an intimate item? Therefore, she ruled out the possibility of theft in her head.


    Then she was left with one other possibility. That was¡­ where had she stuffed her bodice?!

 Chapter 425 - 425 About to Give Birth

    425 About to Give Birth


    The weather was getting colder and the firewood for heating was still nowhere to be found. Fortunately, Xiaoguo still had some left from last year which could last her for a while more.


    In such cold weather, Xiaoguo retreated to hibernation mode. She tried not to move as much as possible.


    But today, she had no choice but to move.


    The long-awaited firewood has finally arrived, and the village is now registering the needs of each household. It seemed that Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stay in anymore.


    After breakfast, Xiaoguo wrapped herself up tightly and went out.


    When she passed by Mrs Yang¡¯s house, she stopped in her tracks and hesitated for a few seconds before walking over.


    She was thinking to herself that Mrs. Yang was going to give birth soon, so it might be inconvenient for her to move around. Therefore, she decided to go ahead on her own.


    When she arrived at the village chief¡¯s house, there was a long queue at the entrance. Xiaoguo had come early but there were many others who were earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here.¡± As soon as Xiaoguo stood still, the person in front of her greeted her.


    After looking around, Xiaoguo thought that it was strange when she didn¡¯t see anyone from the Yang family.


    Not long after, just as she was about to go back and look for someone from the Yang family, she saw Mrs Yang walking over slowly.


    Xiaoguo was shocked when she saw her from afar. She immediately ran over to support her and asked worriedly, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I just came out for a walk.¡±


    Mrs Yang doesn¡¯t seem bothered at all, which made Xiaoguo feel very worried for her.


    ¡°Try not to wander around during the last trimester of your pregnancy. The ground is very hard in winter. Try to avoid coming out if you can.¡±


    Mrs Yang was about to give birth, so Xiaoguo thought that someone else would come. She didn¡¯t expect Mrs Yang to come out by herself.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡±


    It was unclear if Mrs Yang was really listening, but she agreed readily to Xiaoguo¡¯s words.


    Now that Mrs. Yang¡¯s stomach was very big, Xiaoguo tried to be careful whenever she touched her. Mrs Yang laughed at her for being so cautious and worried.


    ¡°There are so many people here.¡±


    Mrs Yang looked ahead. There were twice as many people here as there were last year. ¡°Everyone¡¯s lives are really improving.¡±


    Last year, most people had yet to recover from the famine. This year was different. Every family had a good harvest and everyone had more money on hand. So things were looking up for most people.


    ¡°Thanks to the firewood you gave us, we were able to stay warm in this cold weather. Otherwise, we would have to endure the cold for a few more days.¡±


    Being pregnant, Mrs. Yang was even more afraid of the cold. Fortunately, when the temperatures dipped, Xiaoguo had sent her some firewood. This allowed her to stay warm for a couple more days.


    Xiaoguo smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. She then looked at her stomach and said, ¡°Are you delivering soon?¡±


    Mrs Yang nodded and smiled expectantly. ¡°It should be within this month.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she almost jumped out of her thick clothes. She remembered that pregnant women should take extreme care and avoid going out as much as possible, especially during the final trimester. If they have to go out, they usually don¡¯t go out alone. She had not seen anyone who was as carefree as Mrs. Yang.


    ¡°Hurry up and hold onto me.¡±


    Xiaoguo placed her hands on her hips and gestured to Mrs Yang to grab hold of her.


    Mrs Yang snickered. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Despite saying that, she still went along with Xiaoguo¡¯s wishes and held onto her. ¡°Do you feel less worried now¡­?¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. She really felt more relieved.


    It was mainly because Mrs Yang¡¯s appearance was too scary. Although Xiaoguo had seen other pregnant women before, none of their stomachs were as big as Mrs Yang.


    Perhaps Mrs Yang¡¯s figure was slightly fuller, therefore when she was in the advanced stage of her pregnancy, her bump became more noticeable than others.


    Each time Xiaoguo saw her, she had a strong urge to help her support her stomach. Compared to other women who were almost at full term, Mrs. Yang¡¯s belly was noticeably larger.


    At this moment, the queue was moving forward slowly. Xiaoguo and Mrs Yang followed closely in line.


    Suddenly, Xiaoguo thought of something and looked at Mrs Yang happily. ¡°Sister-in-law, are you pregnant with twins?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me¡­¡±


    Mrs Yang was stunned for a moment, but she quickly shook her head and gave Xiaoguo a gentle slap.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know why Mrs. Yang had such a big reaction. Her stomach was indeed enormously big. If it¡¯s not twins but a single birth, the baby must be quite big.


    Mrs Yang smiled and replied, ¡°We already have two kids at home. How are we going to raise more? One more is enough. If we have two at the same time, we won¡¯t have enough to eat anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too exaggerated¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. According to rumors, the old village chief was about to retire. Brother Yang was the most likely candidate to become the next village chief of Peach Blossom Village.


    Putting everything else aside, after becoming the village chief, one would receive a monthly salary. Although it was not much, it was a stable income.


    Moreover, even if they only relied on their plot of land, it was more than enough to support the entire family.


    When Mrs Yang heard this, she quickly shook her head. ¡°Please spare me.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and didn¡¯t say anything else. In any case, she felt that the possibility of having twins was high.


    After registering the required amount of charcoal, Xiaoguo slowly walked Mrs. Yang home..


    Along the way, the two of them started talking about the charcoal supply for this year.


    ¡°Why did the charcoal come so late this time?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have much experience. She only knew that it came quite early last year, much earlier than this year.


    ¡°Who knows? As long as it arrives, that¡¯s good enough. There¡¯s going to be heavy snow in two days¡¯ time. If the charcoal doesn¡¯t arrive by then, who knows how many people will freeze to death.¡±


    At the mention of snow, Mrs Yang was filled with fear. The snowfall in Shao Country every year was very substantial, so it was fortunate that the village was able to receive the charcoal supply before the snow arrived.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Xiaoguo was equally glad.


    The two returned to their homes separately. Xiaoguo had just finished her lunch and was about to take a nap when she heard urgent knocking on the door. She barely had time to get near her bed.


    While she was putting on her clothes, Xiao Zhu had already opened the door. In the next instant, she rushed in together with another person.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat, then she immediately walked out. When she saw that the visitor was Yang Jia, she became even more anxious.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°My sister-in-law is in labor!¡±


    Yang Jia said anxiously, ¡°My brother and my mother are not at home!¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Xiaoguo had never encountered anything like this before and she started panicking. However, she quickly forced herself to calm down.


    ¡°Where did Auntie and Brother Yang go?¡±


    ¡°My brother went to the county to transport the charcoal. My mother went to visit Grandma Wang,¡± Yang Jia quickly replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Quickly go to Mrs. Wang¡¯s house and bring the both of them back here. Hurry up.¡±


    Mrs. Wang was the midwife who delivered all the babies in the village.


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡±


    Yang Jia was just a young man after all. He had never encountered anything like this before, so he had gotten very nervous. Moreover, there was no adult at home, so he immediately came to look for Xiaoguo at the first opportunity.


    Hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s instructions, he immediately ran out.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have time to put on her coat. She ran towards Mrs Yang¡¯s house with Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling.


    As soon as she entered, she was shocked by the sight of blood under Mrs Yang. RIght after that, she was jolted back to her senses by Xiaohua and Xiaohu¡¯s cries.


    Worried about scaring the children, she immediately pushed them out of the door. Then, she got Yu Ling, who was older, to stay behind to help, leaving Xiao Zhu to watch over the two children.


    Xiao Zhu was also feeling afraid. She didn¡¯t know what to expect and didn¡¯t dare to make any sounds to disturb the adults in the room. She could only keep Xiaohu and Xiaohua, who were still crying, as far away as possible from the room to prevent them from distracting the people inside.


    As soon as Yu Ling entered the house, she was so frightened that her limbs went limp. She had never seen anything like this and she was still young after all. However, she forced herself to calm down and turned her gaze towards Xiaoguo.


    Mrs Yang was lying flat on the bed at this moment. Her lower body was drenched, but it was unclear if it was due to amniotic fluid or blood. At that moment, she was rolling in pain on the bed. Beads of sweat were dripping like soybeans from her forehead.


    Grandma Wang¡¯s house was not far away, it should not take too long for the two women to arrive.


    Xiaoguo carefully recalled what she had seen on TV about preparing for childbirth. She wanted to prepare everything before Grandma Wang arrived.

 Chapter 426 - 426 Delivering the Baby

    426 Delivering the Baby


    Xiaoguo calmed herself down and came to Mrs Yang¡¯s side. ¡°Sister-in-law, try to relax.¡±


    Mrs Yang opened her eyes. When she saw that it was Xiaoguo. She immediately tried to cooperate.


    ¡°This¡­ this little brat is really anxious. He¡¯s coming out so early.¡±


    Seeing that she still had the energy to make jokes, Xiaoguo relaxed a little.


    ¡°Yu Ling, go boil a pot of hot water first.¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to avoid frightening Yu Ling, in case she saw anything that could be traumatizing. So she asked her to leave while she attended to the situation.


    Yu Ling nodded obediently and walked out.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, how are you feeling?¡±


    From what she had heard, Xiaoguo knew that the cervix had to dilate before the baby could be delivered. She had no idea how to check the progress, so she could only ask Mrs. Yang to find out if she was ready.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I am only in pain right now. The baby will still take a while to arrive.¡±


    Although Mrs Yang was in pain, she still perked up and tried to talk to Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo nodded. Fortunately, she still had time to prepare and Mrs Yang looked like she was in good spirits.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I¡¯ll cover you with a blanket to get ready.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ Ah!!¡±


    Mrs Yang had just opened her mouth when her stomach started hurting again.


    Xiaoguo quickly told her to calm down. Of course, she had to use less strength now. There was still a tough battle ahead.


    Mrs Yang was not inexperienced. She knew that Xiaoguo was right, so she silently endured the pain.


    As Mrs. Yang gritted through another wave of pain, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to delay any longer. She quickly took the opportunity to cover Mrs. Yang¡¯s lower body with a blanket, then she reached under her back and felt around for her wet pants before removing it.


    Feeling the cold air on her lower body, Mrs. Yang tossed a shy glance towards Xiaoguo, but the busy woman didn¡¯t notice it at all.


    She really didn¡¯t expect Mrs. Yang to be so shy since it was her third time in labor. Moreover, they were friends who hung out on a daily basis. Her heart was filled with a mix of emotions at this moment.


    Mrs Yang slowly laid her head down, feeling pain and embarrassment both at the same time. This feeling was something that was going to stay with her for a long time.


    Xiaoguo had no time to chat with her. She carefully placed a blanket beside each of her legs.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, can you rest your legs against the blankets to see if they¡¯re at the right height?¡±


    Mrs Yang followed her instructions in a daze. At this moment, she was feeling disoriented. Xiaoguo¡¯s voice was the only sound she could hear and recognize.


    She did exactly what Xiaoguo told her to do.


    After spreading her legs, she nodded slightly to indicate that the height was ok.


    The older Mrs. Yang and Grandma Wang had yet to arrive after a long wait. Xiaoguo was so anxious that she kept pacing around in circles, causing Mrs. Yang to feel dizzy just from watching her.


    She had gotten everything ready, but the women were still not here. It¡¯s too nerve-wracking!


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t be afraid. Relax and stay calm!¡±


    Xiaoguo was feeling nervous, and her hands were trembling uncontrollably. When she heard Mrs Yang call her, she quickly comforted her.


    Mrs Yang sighed weakly. She looked at the pale Xiaoguo and opened her mouth several times without making a sound. This was clearly what she wanted to tell Xiaoguo. ¡°Relax and stay calm.¡±


    Seeing that her lips were cracked, Xiaoguo picked up the warm water beside her and moistened her lips with a cotton cloth until the dead skin disappeared.


    Mrs Yang wanted to thank Xiaoguo, but before she could open her mouth, the pain hit her again.


    This time, Mrs Yang looked like she was in a lot of pain. The veins on her neck were bulging. With clenched fists, she bit hard on her lower lip while holding her breath. Harnessing all her strength, she pushed downwards with all her might. By now, her entire body was trembling and drenched in sweat.


    When Xiaoguo saw this, her legs and stomach were shaking. ¡°No way, no way!!¡±


    Just as she was still in a daze, Mrs Yang suddenly shouted, ¡°Xiaoguo, quick!¡±


    At this point, she completely understood. Mrs Yang was delivering the baby right now!!


    Instinctively, she turned her head to look outside the house. Other than Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu¡¯s worried expressions, and the sounds of Xiaohua and Xiaohu crying in fear, there were no other new developments.


    The midwife, Grandma Wang, was not here yet. What should she do? What should she do?


    ¡°Oh! Xiaoguo! Hurry! Ah!¡±


    At this moment, Mrs Yang was calling out again. She could already feel the baby coming out.


    Xiaoguo looked anxiously at the woman who was writhing in pain on the bed. Then she looked at the empty road outside the door. In the end, she nodded firmly. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±


    Time waits for no man. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t afford to be afraid. There was no room for delay. She had to give it her all!


    When she reached the lower end of the bed, Xiaoguo gathered her courage, lifted the cover in one go, and poked her head in to take a look.


    She swore that she would never forget that scene for the rest of her life. She probably would have to ask for several bowls of Meng Po soup1 when she reaches the underworld after her death.


    Xiaoguo controlled her trembling body and resisted the waves of dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her.


    ¡°It¡¯s really coming out. Oh my¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    Although Mrs Yang was a little disoriented, she did consider the fact that Xiaoguo was still a newbie. In any case, she was much more experienced than Xiaoguo, so she told her everything that she knew.


    But Xiaoguo didn¡¯t understand a single word of what she was saying.


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­ Mmm¡­ Ah¡­ scissors¡­ Ah!!¡±


    Unable to rely on Mrs Yang¡¯s account of her experience, Xiaoguo could only take a deep breath, reach under the blanket, and look directly at where the baby was coming out from.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, one, two, three. Push! Okay! Take a deep breath. One, two, three, Push!¡±


    Mrs Yang adjusted her breathing according to Xiaoguo¡¯s words. And Xiaoguo went from being flustered at the beginning, to becoming calm and steady after a while, tugging gently at the baby as Mrs. Yang exerted strength at each interval.


    This was also thanks to her biology class in junior high school where her teacher had shown them a video of an actual birth in the hospital. At that moment, she suddenly recalled the birthing process that she saw in the video.


    At this moment, there was no other way. She could only carry on and follow the steps based on her recollection.


    Fortunately, with Mrs. Yang¡¯s physical build and experience, the delivery went smoothly.


    After a while, Xiaoguo felt a weight in her hand. Her face lit up as she looked at the chubby baby covered in blood and vernix. Without hesitation, she immediately picked up the pair of sterilized scissors that she had boiled, steamed, and rinsed with alcohol, to cut the umbilical cord.


    The chubby boy was now laying in Xiaoguo¡¯s hands. At this moment, the little guy must be thinking that he was still in his mother¡¯s womb. Xiaoguo aimed at the baby¡¯s back as she patted his back with her cupped palm. After a while, the baby that was feeling pain for the first time, finally realized that he was no longer in the womb. Hence, he let out a groan and his wrinkled face instantly scrunched up. Right on the heels of that, his loud and powerful cries sounded across the room.


    Hearing him cry, Mrs Yang and Xiaoguo instantly felt relieved.


    The few people waiting anxiously outside the house felt immensely relieved too.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, do you need help?¡±


    Yu Ling stood guard at the door and asked.


    Xiaoguo was about to say no, but before she could speak, Mrs Yang started pushing again.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, there¡¯s another one coming!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I need help! Yu Ling, come in quickly.¡±


    Yu Ling responded and opened the door.


    As soon as she entered, the smell of blood and heat in the air hit her in the face. Without hesitation, she walked to Xiaoguo¡¯s side.


    ¡°Yu Ling, wipe down the child, then clean his umbilical cord with wine and wrap him up in a small blanket. Hurry up and don¡¯t let the baby catch a chill.¡±


    Yu Ling responded in a flurry and brought the child to one side.


    Xiaoguo did not dare to stop. She quickly returned to Mrs Yang¡¯s side and lifted the blanket to take a peek. As expected, another small head was making its way out.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, continue. Take a deep breath. One, two, three, push! Come, take a deep breath. One, two, three¡­¡±


    At this moment, Mrs Yang¡¯s body was covered in sweat. Her hair had come loose and there were clumps of it stuck to her forehead and face. Her lips were dry and cracked from biting. Having exerted too much strength while pushing, her capillaries had ruptured and traces of red marks could be seen on her face.


    Xiaoguo was no better. She looked like she had just been fished out of water. She didn¡¯t even dare to think about what was going to happen next.


    After a while, Xiaoguo looked at Mrs Yang, who was sound asleep with two babies lying on either side of her. She couldn¡¯t come out of her daze for a long time.


    The smell of blood in the air slowly dissipated. Grandma Wang and Mrs. Yang arrived shortly after the second child was born.

 Chapter 427 - 427 Special Encounter

    427 Special Encounter


    The rest of the work was left to Grandma Wang. The two placentas successfully fell off and slid out from the womb.


    Exhausted from giving birth to two babies consecutively in a row, Mrs. Yang was now sleeping.


    Xiaoguo wanted to leave, but her legs were still feeling a little weak. She couldn¡¯t move at all. She could only sit on a stool at the side to conserve her strength.


    Looking at the quiet room, Xiaoguo only had one thought in her heart. ¡°Thank you to my respected and cute biology teacher¡­¡±


    After the room was cleaned up, Xiao Zhu came in with Xiaohua and Xiaohu. The two children had cried so hard that their eyes had become swollen because they were so worried about their mother. Each of them stood by Mrs Yang¡¯s bed with two red walnuts on their faces as they carefully poked at their sleeping brothers.


    Xiaohu was the more mischievous one. When he saw that his mother was fine, his mind started to work. While the adults were not paying attention, he lifted the small blanket that was wrapped around the two babies.


    ¡°Look! They have penises just like me!¡±


    As he spoke, he was about to pull down his pants to show everyone.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling, being girls, were very shy when faced with such a lively child like Xiao Hu. As soon as he started to pull down his pants, the two of them turned their heads away shyly.


    Old Mrs. Yang, who had just sent Granny Wang off, was entering the house when she spotted Xiaohu¡¯s actions. She immediately slapped his butt.


    ¡°You little brat, misbehaving again.¡±


    Xiaohu had thick skin, so he didn¡¯t seem affected by the slap. He just pulled up his pants and chuckled to himself.


    Xiaohua was the more well-behaved one. She carefully covered up the two little brothers with the blanket again. She then rested her chin on her hands and looked at them curiously. Although they looked a little ugly, they were very cute.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    Xiaohua couldn¡¯t hide her love for her little brothers. She liked them so much that she couldn¡¯t stop touching them.


    Old Mrs. Yang sat down beside Xiaoguo and said gratefully, ¡°It was fortunate that you were here. Otherwise what would have happened to the three of them¡­?¡±


    As she spoke, she shook her head guiltily. ¡°Tell me, why did I have to go out today? I knew that the kids¡¯ mother could go into labor anytime soon. Why did I have to go out during this time? Sigh¡­¡±


    Since she had mentioned it, Xiaoguo took the opportunity to ask her, ¡°Auntie, Yang Jia said that you went out to look for Grandma Wang. Why did you take so long to come back?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I went to look for Grandma Wang today to talk to her about helping with the delivery. Along the way, the daughter-in-law of the Wei family went into labor. Grandma Wang insisted that I go with her. I was thinking that the kids¡¯ mother was not going to deliver today so I decided to tag along and pick up some skills from her. But who would have thought that she actually went into early labor today?¡±


    Yang Jia, who was waiting outside anxiously, had avoided coming in earlier because of the situation. When he heard that Mrs. Yang had given birth to two boys, he was overjoyed. He said that he was going to the county to look for his brother but he was immediately stopped by Mrs. Yang.


    At this moment, he was quietly listening to the commotion in the room. He quickly explained, ¡°I went to Mrs. Wang¡¯s house but couldn¡¯t find the two of them. I had to ask around for a long time before I found them at Old Wei¡¯s house. That¡¯s the reason for the delay.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, you are here. Otherwise, my sister-in-law and my two nephews¡­¡±


    At this point, Yang Jia stopped talking and squatted down, trying to choke back his tears. All these years, his sister-in-law had done so much for this family. He had long regarded her as his second mother from the bottom of his heart. When he couldn¡¯t find Grandma Wang just now, he almost fell into despair. It was so fortunate that Xiaoguo was around¡­


    As Old Mrs. Yang listened to Yang Jia, tears welled up in her eyes. She held a handkerchief that she had just washed with water and wiped away the stains on Xiaoguo¡¯s hands carefully. ¡°How should I thank you¡­,¡± she cried.


    Their attitude made Xiaoguo feel terrible.


    She wondered if she was fearless because of her ignorance.


    After calming down, she felt a lingering fear in her heart. Where did she get the courage to deliver the baby? If she had been a second late or made any mistakes along the way, Mrs. Yang and two babies could have lost their lives. if that happened, she would have¡­


    Xiaoguo¡¯s thoughts were a mess. She politely declined Mrs. Yang¡¯s request to keep her for dinner, and returned home with the two girls.


    As soon as they entered the house, Xiaoguo lost her balance and fell to the ground, startling the two girls beside her.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo!¡±


    ¡°Are you alright, Sister Xiaoguo?!¡±


    The two of them tried to help her up, but Xiaoguo really didn¡¯t want to move. She waved her hand and said tiredly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were not moving, she nudged them. ¡°Go into the house.¡±


    Xiaoguo pushed the two of them into the house. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling did not want to leave. How could they let her sit here alone?


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Hurry up and go into the house. I need to calm down.¡±


    Just a moment ago, the lives of three human beings were resting in her hands. At that time, she didn¡¯t feel it, but now that she was more relaxed, she could feel her heart trembling.


    Xiao Zhu was about to say something when Yu Ling quickly stopped her. She shook her head and dragged her back into the house.


    ¡°Yu Ling?¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡±


    Xiao Zhu was still reluctant to leave, but Yu Ling forcefully pulled her away.


    After the two of them left, Xiaoguo sighed. Her hands still felt sticky and the scene earlier was still vivid in her mind. At this moment, she was just pretending to be calm. In fact, she didn¡¯t feel calm at all. Instead, she was extremely terrified.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to spend some time alone to reflect upon herself, but the two people behind her did not give her the chance to do so.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling hid at the door and discussed softly as they watched her back.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo doesn¡¯t know that we are here, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Let¡¯s just keep our voices down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too cold outside. Should we call her in?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t come in even if we asked her to.¡±


    ¡°What if she catches a cold?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. She was sweating so profusely just now.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s boil a pot of water. Sister Xiaoguo must be feeling quite uncomfortable right now.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good plan!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s think of a way to get her to come in first.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling started devising a plan to bring Xiaoguo into the house.


    Xiaoguo was deep in thought too. She looked helplessly at the two girls behind her who were talking with their heads lowered. ¡°Please, since they are going to attempt something secretly, they should at least keep their voices down. Should I pretend not to hear them or not?¡±


    In the end, the two young girls still couldn¡¯t think of anything after racking their brains. Sister Xiaoguo was so smart, their combined intelligence was nothing in comparison.


    In the end, it was Xiaoguo who stood up and returned to the house. She saw how happy the two young girls looked when she did that. If she were to continue sitting outside, they would get worried sick. That was why she decided to go into the house eventually.


    Thanks to Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling, Xiaoguo took a comfortable hot shower which made her feel much refreshed.


    All her tensed nerves led to drowsiness when she finally had the chance to wind down. But she still forced herself to finish making dinner.


    Unknowingly, it had taken her half a day to deliver Mrs Yang¡¯s baby. After dinner, Xiaoguo quickly returned to her room.


    As soon as she lay on the bed, she sat up again. She just couldn¡¯t lie down. If she didn¡¯t share her thoughts now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to relax for the next few days.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡±


    Xiaoguo got up anxiously and picked up a brush and paper to start writing.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe, I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t imagine that I did something incredibly shocking and unbelievable this afternoon. Even if I told you, it would be hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law suddenly went into labor this afternoon, but there was no one at home except for Yang Jia and the two children. Yang Jia had no choice but to look for me. There was another family in the village who was also in labor. The midwife, Grandma Wang, and Old Mrs. Yang had both gone to that lady¡¯s house. Initially, I had gotten everything prepared and was only waiting for Mrs. Wang to come over. However, we were all caught off guard when the baby decided to come out right there and then.¡±


    ¡°This was my first time delivering a baby, or rather, this was the first time that I was caught in such a situation. To be honest, I don¡¯t know where I gathered my courage from, helping to deliver the two chubby boys. Oh right, Sister-in-law had given birth to twins. I had told her before today she was most likely carrying twins, but Sister-in-law didn¡¯t believe me. When she wakes up, I have to talk to her about this. Hehe.¡±


    ¡°Look at me, I¡¯m digressing again¡­¡±

 Chapter 428 - 428 Dream Shop

    428 Dream Shop


    The next morning, right after Xiaoguo finished her breakfast, she went to visit Mrs. Yang armed with a basket of eggs and two thick blankets that she had made for the two babies.


    ¡°Sister-in-law is here.¡±


    Yang Jia was the one who opened the door. When he saw Xiaoguo, he couldn¡¯t hide the joy on his face. Now their whole family regarded her as their life-saving benefactor, so they are naturally very grateful to her.


    Xiaoguo responded with a smile. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling greeted him as Brother Jia.


    After entering, Xiaoguo looked around and heard Yang Jia say,


    ¡°My mother went to the county early in the morning. She said that she was going to buy an old hen to make some nourishing soup for my sister-in-law.¡±


    Yang Jia spoke to Xiaoguo as they walked into the house. However, when they reached the door of the inner room, he stopped and said, ¡°My sister-in-law is inside. Please go in.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded, knowing that he was trying to make himself scarce.


    Upon entering the room, she saw that Mrs Yang was breastfeeding. Xiaoguo felt relieved when she saw her rosy complexion.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, didn¡¯t I say that you were having twins¡­?¡±


    She had told Mrs. Yang yesterday morning that she must be pregnant with twins, but she denied it repeatedly. Just look at how it turned out.


    Mrs Yang looked at her helplessly and smiled. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. You¡¯re good!¡±


    Xiaoguo walked over and sat by the bed. She reached out and patted the two babies. ¡°Brother Yang must be overjoyed.¡±


    ¡°Sigh. He didn¡¯t come back after going out yesterday. He definitely has no idea that I¡¯ve given birth. I wonder if his work is more important than his wife.¡±


    Mrs Yang couldn¡¯t help but feel a little aggrieved. He didn¡¯t even make an effort to inform them when he was not coming home. Was he really that busy?


    ¡°Brother doesn¡¯t know that you had given birth. If he knows, he would have rushed back during the night.¡±


    Yang Feng was someone who doted on his wife very much. If he knew that his wife had given birth while he was out, he would crawl back if he had to.


    Mrs Yang snickered, but she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°When he comes back, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and didn¡¯t take her words seriously.


    Just then, Mrs. Yang¡¯s two babies were fully fed and they were staring around curiously with their big eyes, looking extremely adorable.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had wanted to hold the babies for a long time. As soon as Mrs. Yang put them down, they immediately picked the babies up. Although both of them were inexperienced, they quickly got the hang of holding the babies and even patted them quite skillfully. In no time, the two little babies fell asleep in their arms.


    ¡°By the way, Sister-in-law, look at the small blankets I made for the babies.¡±


    Xiaoguo handed over the blankets she had placed behind her. Mrs Yang got dressed and took them from Xiaoguo, looking at them lovingly for a long time.


    ¡°This is wonderful¡­¡± Mrs Yang rubbed the blanket against her body. ¡°This is so soft. There must be a lot of cotton stuffing inside.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. Looking at Mrs Yang¡¯s pained expression, she said, ¡°It¡¯s for my two little nephews. It¡¯s fine even if I had to use more.¡±


    Mrs Yang was overjoyed to hear this.


    Before the weather turned cold, Xiaoguo had gone to the shops to buy fabric and a lot of cotton stuffing. By the time she finished stitching up the blankets, the temperature had dropped drastically. She had made two blankets thinking that Mrs. Yang could use them interchangeably. Now, it was just nice, with each baby having their own blanket.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, I haven¡¯t thanked you yet,¡±


    Mrs Yang said to Xiaoguo after carefully placing the neatly folded blankets beside her


    ¡°It¡¯s just two blankets for my little nephews. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±


    When Mrs Yang heard this, she smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m thanking you for helping me to deliver the babies yesterday. You, Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu saved my life.¡±


    Xiaoguo was going to say that there was no need to thank her, but Mrs Yang took her hand and continued, ¡°You don¡¯t know, I was actually so afraid yesterday. I really thought that I was going to suffocate during labor.¡±


    Mrs Yang¡¯s eyes instantly shimmered with tears. Xiaoguo was stunned for a moment. She looked so calm yesterday. Xiaoguo had no idea that she was so scared¡­


    ¡°The babies came so suddenly, so we weren¡¯t mentally prepared at all. Do you know that my heart turned cold when the amniotic fluid broke? When I heard Xiaohua and Xiaohu crying, I felt even worse. I wanted to comfort them, but I couldn¡¯t due to the pain. At that time, I really felt like my life was coming to an end.¡± Mrs Yang wiped her tears and continued, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I might have died. I was so lucky to have you with me. I must thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu too. Thank you so much. When I recover, I¡¯ll definitely make floral dresses for the two of you.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she smiled and said to the two bashful girls, ¡°You¡¯re in luck. Sister-in-law is an expert at making clothes.¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling looked at each other and nodded with a smile.


    Just then, the two sleeping babies suddenly made some noises. Mrs. Yang, being an experienced mother, immediately knew that they had pooped.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had never seen someone change a diaper before, so they obediently stayed by Mrs. Yang¡¯s side to learn from her.


    Xiaoguo looked at Mrs Yang, who was smiling benevolently at this moment, and sighed to herself. It¡¯s impossible for any woman to go through something like this and not feel afraid.


    Fortunately, Mrs Yang was healthy and delivered the baby smoothly.


    At that time, it was an emergency situation and Xiaoguo was the only person who could help with the delivery. Looking back, it was really quite a frightening experience.


    However, if she had to choose again, she would still choose to help Mrs. Yang with the delivery.


    So there was no need for her to feel conflicted¡ªshe had done a good deed after all.


    Pfft pfft pfft¡­


    An odor accompanied by some odd sounds was detected in the room. Apart from Mrs Yang, who was laughing uncontrollably at the side, the other three people were feeling dizzy from the smell.


    Even Xiaoguo, who was sitting furthest away, was affected by the stench. Who said that a child¡¯s feces and farts didn¡¯t smell? It smells as bad as that of an adult.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stay for long. She wanted to make a trip to the county in the afternoon and drop off the letter at the courier station. After that, she had to go check on the shop.


    The last time she went, the renovation works were almost completed. There was only some finer details left that had to be worked on. It had been a week since then, so it should be about time to wrap things up.


    After lunch, Xiaoguo got ready to set off for the county. She had brought money with her. If the renovations were complete, she could make the final payment.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had not gone out for some time, so they tagged along with her to check things out.


    The few of them went to the courier station first. After handing in the letter, they headed to the two-story building.


    At this moment, Shu Botong was wiping the tables in the room.


    During this period, the construction work in the building has almost been completed, and the tables that Xiaoguo had ordered were also done. However, the craftsmen had sent over the tables too early, so the surfaces of the tables were now covered in dust due to the renovations. Shu Botong had been wiping the tables and rinsing the rags incessantly on a daily basis.


    After cleaning the last table, Shu Botong did a stretch and counted the days in silence. He lamented to himself, ¡°Why has Xiaoguo not come to visit this place yet?¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo entered the house, she heard his voice. She knew that it had been a long time since she last paid a visit, so she smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m here now.¡±


    Shu Botong turned around in surprise with a guilty expression on his face. He had actually spoken his mind. Fortunately he didn¡¯t criticize her for breaking her promise. If she had heard it, she might have given him another slap.


    Just thinking about it made his face hurt.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were snickering as they followed behind Xiaoguo. When Shu Botong saw their smug and gloating faces, he felt rather depressed. Because of his status, the old and young were bullying him at the same time. ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo did not notice the little interactions between the three of them. She walked directly to the staircase that led to the second floor. The previous staircase had been in disrepair for many years and was in shambles. After it was torn down and rebuilt, there was now a brand new staircase in the building.


    They went up the stairs to the second floor. The craftsmen were now working on the final carvings.


    The design of the railing on the second floor was personally designed by Lu Ban from Yonghai, who was Mrs. Yang¡¯s cousin. The finished product was indeed beautiful. Now, all they had to do was to carve out the same floral designs onto every piece of the railing. After installing the railings, the renovations would be complete.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t disturb the craftsmen. She only watched on, feeling more and more satisfied with their work. This was the shop of her dreams.

 Chapter 429 - 429 Full Moon

    429 Full Moon


    Shu Botong followed her to the backyard and looked at the large empty plot of land. He asked curiously, ¡°Are you growing flowers on this plot?¡±


    If she was going to fill the plot with flowers, it would look very pretty. But would there be more bees as a result?


    Due to some trigger in his brain, Shu Botong suddenly thought of bees.


    ¡°Half the plot will be used for growing flowers and half of it for growing fruits,¡± Xiaoguo replied as she checked the ice in the bucket to see if it was freezing well. ¡°For the desserts that we will make in the future, fruits would be one of the main ingredients. We have to plant more fruits like strawberries and so on.¡±


    Being self-sufficient would help to cut down on the cost.


    Shu Botong nodded and asked, ¡°Do you want to go down to the cellar to take a look?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xiaoguo shook the water off her hands and nodded.


    Feeling curious, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling followed behind them.


    Yu Ling was a frequent visitor of the cellar¡ªshe didn¡¯t seem afraid as she strode forward. However, Xiao Zhu had never entered the place before. Feeling a little afraid, she held onto Yu Ling¡¯s hand tightly.


    Shu Botong held a candle in front of him to light the way and he did not forget to turn around and remind them, ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t fall.¡±


    Xiaoguo tucked her hands into her sleeves. The breath she exhaled was clearly visible. It was much colder here than outside.


    When they reached the flat ground, Shu Botong lifted the curtain and a gust of cold air hit them in their faces. Xiaoguo and the others were caught off guard. Upon inhaling the cold air, they could feel their internal organs freeze momentarily.


    It had been a long time since Yu Ling had experienced such a feeling. When she suddenly inhaled the cold air, she started sneezing uncontrollably.


    Xiaoguo rubbed at her sore nose and entered the cellar which looked like it was brightly illuminated.


    Yu Ling ran in and walked around. She said excitedly, ¡°This place is as bright as the cellar on the island. There are luminous rocks here¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu also looked around in surprise. It was so sparkling and beautiful¡­


    ¡°Our lady boss is so capable and resourceful.¡±


    Shu Botong immediately flattered her while wearing a smile.


    ¡°Come on, I can tell that you enjoy saying my name,¡±


    Xiaoguo said without batting an eyelid and looked over at him.


    Shu Botong didn¡¯t even flinch and shamelessly said, ¡°Let¡¯s get things straight. We can call each other by names in private, but formally, you¡¯re still the boss lady¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were looking around the cellar. Hearing his words, the two of them walked over and asked curiously, ¡°Are we going to call Sister Xiaoguo ¡®Lady Boss¡¯ too?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to call me that. There shouldn¡¯t be formalities between friends. Only lunatics would call me that.¡±


    The lunatic himself was completely unfazed at this moment. He continued chuckling foolishly to himself.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling glanced at Shu Botong and laughed with their hands covering their mouths.


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and looked at the brightly lit cellar again. Why were there luminous rocks here? This has to be traced back to some recent events.


    Just as the cellar was about to be completed, two carriages that came from the border suddenly stopped at the entrance of the two-storey building.


    Coincidentally, Xiaoguo was present that day. The young man driving the cart was dressed in many layers. After double-checking her identity, he showed her his badge and informed her that the two carts of luminous rocks, which had been transported from the border, were the emperor¡¯s gift to her for the shop opening.


    Just as Xiaoguo was wondering how Shao Zhan knew about this, Jiang Danhe¡¯s letter arrived soon after. She then realized that Jiang Danhe had been saying things to the emperor.


    She was wondering about this too. How could the emperor be aware of what she was doing and even send the necessary materials in time?


    Jiang Danhe was really too cute this time. Of course, he was always cute at other times too¡­


    ¡ª-


    The cow¡¯s stomach was getting bigger and bigger. Judging from the weather, it will probably snow in the next two days. With the help of Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu, Xiaoguo surrounded the livestock shed with hay to keep the temperature warm.


    She also laid extra hay in the livestock¡¯s pens.


    After everything was done, it started snowing quietly that night.


    When she woke up the next day, everything outside the house was dressed in white and covered in snow. It was a beautiful sight but it was also extremely cold.


    Looking at the heavy snowfall outside, Xiaoguo shuddered involuntarily. She put down the curtain and crawled back under the blanket. The warmth from the blanket was just enough to dissipate the coldness in her body.


    In his sleep, Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have detected the chill. He rolled himself into a ball and snorted in dissatisfaction.


    Xiaoguo laughed silently and lowered her head to kiss the little guy¡¯s flushed face. The little guy groaned for a long time before he finally threw himself into her arms and continued to sleep.


    Looking at Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s cute appearance, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She reached out and hugged him tightly before closing her eyes.


    Zhuang Zhuang was brought back by Xiaoguo a few days ago. The temperature had been dropping recently, and the little boy had caught a cold. He had not been recuperating well at Mr. Kong¡¯s house during this time, so Xiaoguo decided to bring him back.


    Actually, she was also worried about the boy catching a cold while making his way home. In fact, it was better if he stayed put at Mr. Kong¡¯s house. However, the sick child was missing his mother very badly, and that was too much to bear for Xiaoguo¡¯s heart. In the end, she wrapped the boy up tightly and brought him home.


    The mother and son dawdled on the bed for a long time before getting out of bed reluctantly.


    Mrs Yang¡¯s babies were exactly one month old today. Moreover, Mrs Yang had instructed Xiaoguo not to cook and to eat at her house for the day.


    Hence, when the firecrackers sounded, Xiaoguo and the others were already getting ready to leave the house, all dressed up in their beautiful outfits.


    All of a sudden, the four of them turned back to pick up the gifts they had prepared.


    Zhuang Zhuang was looking forward to this day because it was the first time he was seeing the two baby brothers.


    A few days ago, Xiaoguo did not let him go out because he was having a cold. Firstly, she didn¡¯t want him to catch a chill. Secondly, the two babies were still young and had weak immune systems. That was the reason why it had dragged on until now.


    He looked solemnly at himself in the mirror and only left when Xiaoguo called out to him.


    The four of them were holding gifts that they had personally prepared. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had brought two red undergarments that they had personally embroidered.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s gift to the babies were their names. He had specially asked Teacher Kong to help name the two babies.


    When Zhuang Zhuang was sick, Xiaoguo had mentioned to him during her visit that Auntie Yang had given birth to two little brothers. Hence, Zhuang Zhuang had kept that in mind. Before he headed for home, even though he was feeling sick and weak, he still made an effort to ask for two names from Mr. Kong.


    One had to know that being able to own a piece of Teacher Kong¡¯s calligraphy was an honor that most people could only dream of. And to have a name given by him is even more special. A name is something that follows a person for a lifetime. It was such a great honor that even ordinary folks would be overjoyed just thinking about it.


    Mrs Yang was indeed overjoyed. She accepted Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s gift solemnly. The entire family was gathered around her and everyone had only praises for the gift. Those six characters were so precious to them that they would not trade them for sixty taels of gold.


    Old Mrs. Yang was even more excited. She was so excited that she almost knelt down to thank the boy.


    Yang Jia looked back and forth at the words tirelessly, his eyes turning red. The teacher that he most admired! To think that he was lucky enough to see his writing in this lifetime. He would have no regrets even if he died now¡­


    Xiaoguo discreetly took out the gift from herself and Jiang Danhe. She said to Mrs Yang, ¡°Jiang Danhe originally planned to come back, but he really couldn¡¯t make it. He asked me to apologize on his behalf.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, what are you talking about? I know that Danhe is busy. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t blame him.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and handed her the gift. ¡°Jiang Danhe and I bought this for the two kiddos.¡±


    Mrs Yang took the two longevity locks and hugged Xiaoguo happily. ¡°Aiya! Thank you, thank you!! Thank you!¡±


    Xiaoguo was almost knocked down by her. Feeling amused, she steadied herself before hugging her back.


    Then, Mrs. Yang unwrapped the swaddling wraps of the two babies and took off their undergarments before putting on the embroidered ones that Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had made for them. She also put one longevity lock on each baby.


    ¡°Yang Yuanzhi, Yang Lingyou.¡±


    Mrs Yang looked at the two energetic babies and couldn¡¯t help but read out the two names that Mr. Kong had given them.


    The children seemed to have a premonition. Each time she read out a name, one of them would laugh in response.


    Seeing this, the group of people gathered around and looked at the two clever babies. They all thought that it was a coincidence and urged Mrs Yang to recite the names again.

 Chapter 430 - 430 Hoping to Conceive

    430 Hoping to Conceive


    Mrs. Yang swallowed nervously and looked at one of the babies. She called out tentatively, ¡°Yuanzhi?¡±


    ¡°Hee¡­¡±


    The child seemed to understand. He reached out his arms and grabbed randomly at the air while laughing non-stop.


    Shocked by this scene, everyone looked at each other. This was too magical¡­


    Mrs Yang hugged the child and looked at the other child tentatively. ¡°Luyou?¡±


    To their surprise, the baby who was just frowning earlier, suddenly relaxed and laughed just like his brother did


    ¡°Hey! How amazing is that?¡±


    The usually calm Yang Feng couldn¡¯t help but slap his thigh and shout in surprise.


    It was understandable that he was feeling excited, but the babies were startled by his sudden actions. In the next instant, they stopped laughing and started crying with furrowed brows¡­


    Mrs Yang began to comfort them in a flurry. She didn¡¯t forget to glare at Yang Feng, who was smiling foolishly.


    Yang Feng didn¡¯t expect the babies¡¯ emotions to change so quickly. He could only chuckle sheepishly in embarrassment at his wife¡¯s displeasure.


    His frightened expression amused the others and everyone started chuckling. Even Mrs. Yang tried to stifle her laughter while comforting their sons.


    Yuan Zhi, one should set one¡¯s sights beyond the mountains.


    Lu You, to be refined in demeanor and have a bright future.


    The two names carry great significance¡ªthey represent the expectations and prospects that Mr. Kong had envisioned for the babies.


    Xiaoguo smiled and looked behind her. Her smile froze when she inadvertently saw Xiaohua and Xiaohu standing in a corner, looking reserved.


    These two kids¡­


    While everyone was rejoicing over the newborn babies, Xiaohua and Xiaohu were feeling neglected. Ever since their little brothers were born, their status had plummeted.


    Xiaohua had become more sensible, and Xiaohu had become very well-behaved. He was worried about his parents not liking him anymore.


    At this moment, everyone was circling around their little brothers. Xiaohua and Xiaohu stood timidly at the side, not knowing how to approach them.


    Why were the babies named Yuanzhi and Luyou while they were given such simple-sounding names, Xiaohua and Xiaohu¡­?


    Xiaoguo was standing close to Mrs Yang, so she gave her a gentle nudge.


    The Yang family had never been biased, but they had definitely neglected Xiaohua and Xiaohu today.


    Mrs. Yang picked up on Xiaoguo¡¯s hint and saw the two kids standing a distance away from the group.


    In an instant, an inexplicable sadness welled up in her heart.


    Yang Feng, who had been observing Mrs. Yang, also saw his son and daughter when he noticed her looking at them. Naturally, he noticed their strange expressions. His heart sank, and he walked towards them with a smile.


    Yang Feng was quite strong and he picked up the siblings both at the same time.


    Xiaohua and Xiaohu were shocked by the sudden feeling of weightlessness, so they instinctively reached out to grab on for support. When they regained their senses, they realized that they were leaning in their father¡¯s arms.


    Yang Feng carried the two children to the bed and sat down while keeping them in his arms. ¡°Little Sister and Brother, you should come see your younger brothers too.¡±


    Xiaohua and Xiaohu blushed and looked at their parents shyly.


    ¡°Our dear Xiaohua and Xiaohu are looking more like an older sister and brother now,¡±


    Yang Jia spoke as he followed closely behind them.


    His words resonated with Auntie Yang, who nodded in agreement and said, ¡°All the children in our family are well-behaved and excellent.¡±


    Xiaohua and Xiaohu were instantly overjoyed. It was great that their parents still loved them even with the arrival of their little brothers.


    Xiaoguo looked at the two children and smiled.


    She suddenly remembered what Jiang Danhe had mentioned in his letter. It turned out that he was even more thoughtful than herself, and had bought gifts for Xiaohua and Xiaohu in advance, just to prevent the two children from feeling left out.


    This Jiang Danhe was becoming cuter and cuter.


    After everyone had finished indulging in the atmosphere of warmth and love, Xiaoguo finally spoke up to interrupt them.


    ¡°Xiaohua, Xiaohu, I have a gift for you. Uncle Jiang had bought them in the capital while getting the gifts for your younger brothers. See if you like them.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed them the gifts that were wrapped in red cloth.


    Xiaohua and Xiaohu were confused and surprised. They didn¡¯t expect that they would receive gifts as well. After carefully taking the gifts, they expressed their gratitude.


    Xiaohua was given a silver bracelet with two bells attached to it. Each time the bracelet was gently shaken, the bells would make a clear jingling sound. The young lady was in love with the gift.


    What Xiaohu got was a jade pendant with a cute tiger engraving. He loved it so much that he kept stroking the tiger and showing it off to the others. He even told them that he was the tiger on the pendant, and that made everyone laugh out loud.


    Seeing that the two kids had regained their usual liveliness, the adults in the room heaved a sigh of relief.


    Zhuang Zhuang stole a glance at Xiaoguo. But¡­ didn¡¯t his father give him anything?


    Mrs Yang and Brother Yang felt very guilty and upset when they saw their children¡¯s lonely gazes earlier on. During this period of time, the entire family had been busy looking after the newborns and had neglected their feelings. It was entirely their fault.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Mrs Yang whispered to Xiaoguo, as she reached out and held onto her.


    She had thanked her so many times over the past few days, but with everything added up, just a word of thanks was not enough to express her gratitude¡­


    Xiaoguo smiled at Mrs Yang and shook her head. There was no need to thank her. She could not forget how well the Yang family had taken care of her and Zhuang Zhuang during the famine. Even though they didn¡¯t have much food themselves, they still insisted on sharing what they had with the two of them. She would never forget this life-saving favor.


    At this moment, breakfast was ready. After the group finished their meal, they heard voices coming from outside.


    It turned out that some close friends in the village had come to visit. They all knew that the Yang family was celebrating the babies¡¯ full month today, so they had brought eggs and snacks to congratulate them.


    According to the customs of Peach Blossom Village, it was not necessary to bring a monetary gift when visiting. Most households were not particularly wealthy, so bringing a small token of appreciation was good enough.


    Mrs Yang¡¯s maternal family had also come. Yonghai Luban was among them.


    Not long after, the Yang family¡¯s house had become crowded with people. The atmosphere was extremely lively. Some guests were invited, and some had come uninvited. All of them had come to offer their congratulations.


    After the two babies had had their fill, they were surrounded by a large group of women. Everyone was fighting to hold the babies and there were no breaks in between.


    Fortunately, the babies were mild-mannered, and did not cry after being passed around by so many people. Instead, they smiled and laughed at the women, causing them to feel envious and jealous of Mrs Yang.


    The reason why so many people had come to congratulate her was because Mrs Yang was the first woman in the village to give birth to twins. The babies were also the only pair of twins in the entire village, and they were both boys at that.


    Once the word got out, the Yang family became the envy of the village.


    In modern times, baby boys and baby girls were regarded equally. Since there was gender equality, everyone, regardless of gender, had an equal chance to shine.


    However, in ancient times, the difference between the genders was vast.


    In this era, girls would get married and leave the family when they reach a certain age. Only boys were seen as the backbone of the family, responsible for carrying on the family name and passing down their lineage.


    In this era, the opportunities for men were endless. However, women only have one destiny, which is to get married and have children.


    Hence, one could imagine how envious everyone was of Mrs Yang, who had given birth to a pair of twin boys. And even her first child was a boy.


    Other than congratulating them, the people had also come here to rub off on some of their luck.


    Some of them had brought their daughters-in-law and unmarried daughters. There were also some visitors who were pregnant ladies. All of them had come with the same goal in mind¡ªto rub off on Mrs Yang¡¯s good luck in giving birth to two baby boys.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t have twins, one baby was also fine, as long as it came with a penis.


    This was the prevailing mindset at that time, and it cannot be said that it was entirely right or wrong. This was the way it was during that era, the opportunities available to women during this time were limited, or even non-existent.


    The lively atmosphere of the Yang family was a stark contrast to the other family in the village, who were also celebrating their baby¡¯s one month birthday, but in a much quieter way. The reason for the subdued atmosphere was because they had a baby girl, and only a few people visited them to offer their congratulations. Even firecrackers were left out of the celebrations.


    One family¡¯s joy is another family¡¯s sorrow.

 Chapter 431 - 431 None of You Love Me

    431 None of You Love Me


    At noon, there were still several tables of banquet to be held. The invited guests were Mrs. Yang¡¯s close family friends. They had planned for seven or eight tables, but unexpectedly, there were many uninvited guests, and they couldn¡¯t be asked to leave. This disrupted all their plans, and they could only add more tables at the last minute.


    More importantly, it was unclear if there was enough food to go around.


    Fortunately, those who came uninvited had brought food along with them. Among the food that the guests brought, there were steamed buns, cabbages and tofu. Those who were more generous brought pork with them. In any case, most of the guests had brought food along to the banquet. Upon arrival, they all passed the food directly to Mrs. Yang¡¯s and did not cause any inconvenience to the family.


    Of course, there were also some who tried to cheat and freeload, but since it was a joyous occasion today, everyone turned a blind eye to it.


    There was no need to make many dishes for the full month celebrations. It was sufficient to make a big pot of vegetables stew from cabbage, pork, and tofu.


    Old Mrs. Yang and a few other mother-in-laws were busy cooking in the kitchen. It was not an easy task to cook for dozens of people. Old Mrs. Yang had started making preparations since yesterday, steaming mixed grain buns for the entire day.


    Yang Feng was naturally happy to welcome two sons again. Since the family had no lack of money, they had bought a lot of pork in advance for the celebrations. This is a joyous occasion, so the Yang family had to throw a big party to celebrate.


    The kitchen was bustling with activity. Not long after, the fragrance of meat wafted out. The younger children were drooling and guarding the kitchen door, looking in eagerly.


    As soon as the firecrackers sounded, the banquet officially began. The heavy snow outside had stopped a long time ago.


    Mrs Yang was still in confinement and couldn¡¯t go out, so Yang Feng specially set up a small table for her in the house.


    Xiaoguo and a few others stayed in the house to eat with Mrs. Yang.


    After the women in the house went out to eat, Mrs Yang heaved a sigh of relief.


    Looking at Xiaoguo, who was hiding at the side, she snorted enviously. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save your good sister-in-law?¡±


    ¡°Those women¡¯s envious gazes were fencing you up. I can¡¯t barge in even if I wanted to.¡±


    God knows how hard it was for Xiaoguo to hold back her laughter earlier. A group of women had come in and surrounded the bed, asking Mrs. Yang all kinds of questions.


    For example, ¡°What are the secrets to conceiving a boy? What are the secrets to making a baby? What did you usually like to eat? What did you give your husband? What time did you have sex¡­? and blah, blah blah¡­¡±


    It was said that ancient people were conservative. Xiaoguo had thought so in the past, but today, she finally found out the truth. These women were too bold in their private discussions. As someone who had come from the modern era, Xiaoguo was feeling quite embarrassed when she heard the topics of their discussion.


    Fortunately, Xiao Zhu, Yu Ling, Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaohua, and Xiaohu had gone out to play. Otherwise, it would be extremely awkward.


    Although Mrs Yang was usually quite uninhibited when talking to Xiaoguo in private, it was too much even for her to discuss matters related to marital intimacy in front of so many people. She stammered and struggled to express her thoughts coherently.


    Fortunately, the sound of firecrackers announcing the start of the banquet sounded just in time, and stopped the women from pestering Mrs. Yang any further. Seeing that they were not going to get any secrets out of her, they left the room in disappointment.


    They had to at least get some meat or baby-making secrets out of this visit, otherwise, their trip today would have been in vain.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say. I could feel my face turning red. These people are too bold. There are even unmarried girls among them too, this is too much¡­¡±


    Mrs Yang patted her flushed face and was about to complain when the door opened.


    She was so startled that she immediately shut up and looked nervously at the door. Her heart instantly skipped a beat when she thought that it was those women again. It would be terrible if anyone overheard what she was saying.


    The curtain was lifted and Yang Feng appeared at the door.


    Both of them heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡±


    Yang Feng asked with a puzzled expression. He looked at himself and saw that there was nothing odd about him or his outfit.


    Xiaoguo and Mrs. Yang shook their heads shyly and quickly assured him that it was nothing. This instantly dispelled Yang Feng¡¯s suspicions.


    ¡°Hurry up and eat.¡±


    Yang Feng had brought a large basin of meat, vegetables, and mushrooms. Right after the food was cooked, he had specially filled a basin of the stew for them. There was also a full basin of white steamed buns that were specially prepared for them.


    Xiaoguo looked outside and saw that the kids were still wandering outside so she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get the children.¡±


    ¡°You go ahead and eat. I¡¯ll get the kids.¡±


    Yang Feng stopped Xiaoguo. After putting down the basin, he opened the door and left.


    After a while, the children entered with bowls and chopsticks in their hands.


    Their faces were all covered in sweat after their playing session.


    Zhuang Zhuang sat down beside Xiaoguo and said happily, ¡°It smells so good. I have to eat three big bowls of this.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. Before she could speak, Xiaohu chimed in, ¡°How can you eat three big bowls at such a young age? My physique is more suited for three big bowls.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, Xiaohu is bragging. Zhuang Zhuang, don¡¯t listen to him.¡±


    Xiaohua¡¯s disdainful words made Xiaohu unhappy. The little guy looked like he had just been caught red-handed. After forcing a calm laugh, he said angrily, ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can finish three bowls of this! Just watch!¡±


    Xiaohua glanced at him and muttered softly, ¡°Big talker.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I heard you!¡± Xiaohu shouted with a red face.


    Xiaohua shrugged her shoulders indifferently, seemingly saying, ¡°So what?¡±


    Xiaohu gritted his teeth and snorted before turning his head away from her.


    ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me. Just wait and see. I will prove to you!¡±


    Xiaohua snorted at him and turned her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even look at you if you had not looked at me.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang, who had started the conversation, looked at Xiaoguo innocently. ¡°Weren¡¯t they talking about eating just now? Why are they arguing now? It¡¯s hard to understand¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s body. Then, she filled a bowl for him. ¡°Come, eat more and grow taller!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang took it happily and nodded. He swore to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I¡¯ll definitely grow tall and strong.¡±


    As it was inconvenient for Mrs Yang to move around, Xiaoguo also filled a bowl for her.


    The others helped themselves to the food. It was a big basin of stew. They could pick and choose the items that they wanted to eat.


    Xiaohu, in order to save face for what he had said earlier, really forced himself to finish three bowls. Although each bowl was not filled to the brim, at least the number was accurate.


    In the end, Xiaohua admitted defeat. She really had to give it to her silly brother. Why was she fighting with him over such trivial stuff?


    The people in the courtyard left after eating. Xiaoguo wanted to help with cleaning up, but the others chased her away and did not even let her go near the tables.


    At night, they also ate at Mrs Yang¡¯s house. However, there were only two families gathered around one big table.


    Xiaoguo had thought that it was going to be a simple meal. Unexpectedly, there was a big spread of chicken, fish, pork, and meat.


    The group of people ate until their faces were glowing. They only stopped when their stomachs were bulging


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang narrowed his eyes, looking very sleepy.


    Xiaoguo put the towel aside. Afraid of waking him up, she walked over quietly and touched his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Father¡­ why didn¡¯t he give me a gift?¡±


    The little guy looked quite aggrieved, and even groaned a few times after asking the question.


    Xiaoguo was stunned and looked at the little chubby boy in surprise.


    ¡°This silly boy, had he really forgotten¡­?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was working tirelessly at the moment, all for those few days of vacation. If he knew that his foolish son had forgotten about that important day, he would definitely be sad and disappointed.


    She was busy preparing for the surprise, but her silly son had forgotten all about the date.


    Sensing the bitterness in Xiaoguo¡¯s heart, Jiang Danhe started sneezing heavily in the far distance. He wrapped the cloak that Xiaoguo had made for him tightly around himself and continued on his way.


    In his daze, Zhuang Zhuang started crying. He kept saying that no one loves him anymore and that he didn¡¯t want to go to school or leave home.


    Xiaoguo covered the little guy¡¯s mouth helplessly, but the tears were still streaming down his face. She wasn¡¯t sure if he had fallen asleep. After trying to comfort him repeatedly to no avail, she could only let go of his mouth and try to wake him up.


    But the little guy turned his head and turned his back to her while making snoring sounds.

 Chapter 432 - 432 Surprise

    432 Surprise


    It looked like the boy had fallen asleep.


    Xiaoguo covered him with the blanket again before leaving with the towel.


    After Zhuang Zhuang heard the footsteps leave the room, he quietly opened his eyes and secretly wiped his tears.


    He must not cry. He needs to be a well-behaved child. It¡¯s only right for Xiaohua and Xiaohu to receive gifts. He shouldn¡¯t feel jealous. He has no reason to be jealous.


    But still, he couldn¡¯t help but cry and express his unhappiness under the pretext of talking in his sleep.


    The more he thought about it, the more tears came to his eyes. The little boy wiped them away vigorously, trying to hold back the sobs at the corners of his lips. He was afraid that Xiaoguo would notice something amiss if she suddenly returned to the room.


    He has to be a good child. He was already a big kid and should not be wilful and cause trouble for the adults.


    Xiaoguo, who was standing outside the door, saw everything. She frowned and slowly closed the door with a sigh.


    This silly boy seemed to have forgotten the special day that was coming soon¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m really¡­ happy to have such a silly son!¡±


    ¡°My good son, cry all you want. All the unhappiness you are feeling now will be taken over by immense joy in a few days! Cry all you want, little man¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo covered her mouth while giggling. Afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would hear her, she quickly went to Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling¡¯s room.


    The two of them were discussing something when they heard a knock on the door. They stopped their discussion and shushed each other.


    ¡°Are you asleep?¡±


    When they heard that it was Sister Xiaoguo, they immediately loosened up.


    ¡°No, we are not sleeping yet¡­¡±


    Very soon, the door was opened from the outside. When Xiaoguo entered the room, she couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    Seeing the confused expressions on their faces, she stopped laughing and explained, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have forgotten about his birthday. He was just saying that we don¡¯t love him anymore and that we didn¡¯t prepare any gifts for him.¡±


    Yu Ling exclaimed in disbelief. ¡°No way, aren¡¯t children usually very sensitive about their own birthdays? I remember when I was younger, I would get excited for days before my birthday every year.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We were just discussing what gift to give him.¡±


    Xiao Zhu thought for a moment and asked softly, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, will our Brother-in-law make it back on time?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡± Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. ¡°He mentioned in the letter that he should be able to rush back on the actual day.¡±


    ¡°So what should we do? Do we need to buy some firecrackers?¡±


    Yu Ling had never held a party before, so she was a little curious.


    Xiaoguo smiled and said, ¡°No need for that¡­ Just a simple meal with friends is good enough.¡±


    ¡°But we have to hide all our plans from Zhuang Zhuang. I¡¯ll go to Mrs Yang¡¯s house tomorrow and inform her. No matter how much Zhuang Zhuang reminds us and asks about it, we have to pretend that we are unaware of his birthday. When the day comes, we¡¯ll give him a big surprise. How about that?¡±


    The more Xiaoguo thought about it, the more excited she became. She could barely suppress her joy at the thought of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s reaction on the actual day.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! It¡¯s a surprise party? It¡¯s so fun¡­¡±


    If not for the fact that Yu Ling was afraid of waking Zhuang Zhuang up, she would have clapped her hands and cheered. She didn¡¯t know that birthdays could be celebrated like this. It was so fun.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, what are you going to give Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Xiao Zhu was also feeling very happy, but thinking about the birthday gift was giving her a headache. Coincidentally, she had no idea what to get for Zhuang Zhuang, so she was hoping to pick up some ideas from Xiaoguo.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she almost blurted out that she had no idea yet. But when she saw the strange expressions on their faces, realization dawned upon her. She narrowed her eyes and looked at them in amusement. ¡°Are they trying to trick me? No way.¡±


    Xiao Zhu blinked a few times to lubricate her eyes which were feeling dry. ¡°Hehe¡­ I¡¯m just curious¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. We are curious and also looking for inspiration¡­¡± Yu Ling quickly added.


    Afraid that Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t believe them, the two of them quickly blinked to show their innocence.


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze suspiciously and said slowly, ¡°Then what gifts did you prepare?¡±


    She was hoping to get some inspiration from them too.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m a little sleepy. We¡¯re going to bed, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right!¡± Xiao Zhu reacted extremely quickly and yawned. ¡°Look, your tears are coming out. You should get to sleep soon¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yu Ling took a gulp as she glanced at the unfazed Xiaoguo.


    ¡°Okay¡­ we have no idea what to give him yet¡­¡±


    Yu Ling lowered her head first. Xiao Zhu followed suit and looked at Xiaoguo pitifully. The two of them had no money or anything to their name. The only thing they knew was making undergarments and purses.


    The two of them had thought of making clothes for Zhuang Zhuang, but their skills were not up to par. At best, they could only make a belt.


    Xiaoguo nodded, looking like she understood.


    She knew it. The girls had no ideas, just like her¡­


    It was all her fault for providing Zhuang Zhuang with too many things. The little guy didn¡¯t seem to lack anything at all. He had no lack of items like pens, paper, ink, clothes, and shoes. Many of those items in his possession were new and unused. Jiang Danhe had also given him jade pendants and bracelets in the past. However, the little guy felt that those accessories were meant for girls, so he never wore them. Food and drinks were not lacking in his life too.


    Hence, she really didn¡¯t know what to give Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Maybe I should buy him a few big pork knuckles?¡±


    ¡ª-


    As Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday approached, Xiaoguo still had no idea what to get for him. However, the two little girls seemed to have thought of something, and were getting busy behind Xiaoguo¡¯s back.


    Xiaoguo was becoming more and more anxious. It looked like she was the only one who still had no ideas.


    However, life still has to go on. As soon as Zhuang Zhuang recovered, she sent him back to Mr. Kong¡¯s house.


    The little guy seemed quite unhappy. Or rather, he acts normal, but in private, he always sighs and complains to himself.


    Xiaoguo noticed this and was secretly amused.


    Although the boy seemed rather pitiful, for the sake of the surprise that was about to come, Zhuang Zhuang had to suffer a little first.


    The little boy carried his small school bag and reluctantly got out of the donkey cart. After taking two steps, he stopped and turned around to look at Xiaoguo.


    It seemed like there were many things that he wanted to say, but he didn¡¯t know how to start. He could only look at Xiao Guo with hopeful eyes, hoping that she would hug him tightly like she did before.


    Xiaoguo instinctively moved her feet, but then she retracted them forcefully. Everyone had worked hard for so long to keep the secret. She couldn¡¯t ruin the efforts of everyone.


    Moreover, Jiang Danhe should be on his way, rushing to get home. She must not ruin his surprise plans.


    She turned her head stiffly to avoid looking at Zhuang Zhuang. Raising her hand, she waved at him nonchalantly. ¡°Go in. Mother is leaving now¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­ in a few days it¡¯ll be¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. It¡¯ll be a sunny day in two days. Mother will wash all the clothes. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo quickly got into the donkey cart and drove off. She was afraid that if she stayed there any longer, her heart would soften and she would end up telling him everything.


    As Zhuang Zhuang watched the donkey cart leave, the joy in his eyes slowly disappeared. He took a few steps forward in disappointment and looked at the empty street.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my birthday in a few days¡­¡±


    Madam Kong¡¯s heart ached for him. She couldn¡¯t bear to see him continue standing there by himself. She walked right over and brought him into the house.


    Zhuang Zhuang followed closely behind her, looking slightly dazed. Halfway through, he glanced at her and muttered something under his breath.


    Madam Kong thought that she was hearing things because of her age, so she didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    Little did she know that this action almost made Zhuang Zhuang do something reckless.


    That evening, it suddenly began to snow heavily. After finishing his evening studies, Zhuang Zhuang returned to his room.


    He stood in the room and looked around. Then, he calmly opened the window and let the cold wind in.


    Dressed only in a thin shirt, Zhuang Zhuang stood by the window and stared blankly into the distance.


    Madam Kong was worried about the little guy, so she went to his room with a lighted candle.


    Unexpectedly, she saw this scene as soon as she arrived. Feeling shocked, she quickly went forward to close the windows.


    When the room became warm again, Zhuang Zhuang came back to his senses and looked at Madam Kong, who was closing the window. He was wearing a confused look on his face.


    ¡°Madam?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, why are the windows open? You¡¯ve just recovered from your cold. You must not fall sick again. Otherwise, your mother is going to be so worried.¡±


    Madam Kong said with concern as she closed the windows for him.

 Chapter 433 - 433 Xiaoguo the Matchmaker

    433 Xiaoguo the Matchmaker


    Zhuang Zhuang let Mrs. Kong help him to put on more layers while he remained frozen on the spot, looking like a wooden figurine.


    ¡°I¡­ noticed that the windows were open. I was about to close them.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang trembled as he looked into the other party¡¯s sympathetic gaze and told a lie in his childish voice.


    Madam Kong didn¡¯t suspect anything. She nodded and added a few more pieces of charcoal to the brazier in his room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask your master to check tomorrow if the windows have come loose. We can¡¯t live with broken windows in winter. When you fall sick, you¡¯ll feel awful and it¡¯s even worse for your mother. The last time you fell sick, you might not have noticed it since you were unwell, but your mother had come to pick you up with red swollen eyes. She must have been worried sick about you not eating or sleeping well.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s nose tingled, and tears were welling up in his eyes again. Before, it was only him and his mother, and her thoughts were always focused on him. But now that there were more people around them, his mother couldn¡¯t focus all her attention on him anymore. That made him very sad.


    Madam Kong didn¡¯t say anything else. She pulled him back to the bed and watched him lie down before saying, ¡°Quickly go to sleep.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded obediently.


    Madam Kong made sure that the boy was well wrapped up in the blanket before she left the room.


    After closing the door, the smile on her face froze and she sighed softly to herself.


    She saw the little guy open the windows himself earlier. Sigh¡­ She really felt like telling him the truth so that he wouldn¡¯t feel so sad anymore.


    Madam Kong raised her hand and then put it down. After hesitating for a moment, she turned and walked away.


    She couldn¡¯t say it. If she did, the surprise would be ruined¡­


    Suppressing her impulse to tell the boy the truth, she walked away for a short distance before turning back again.


    Thump, thump, thump¡­


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, it¡¯s Madam. Your mother told me something and I almost forgot to tell you about it.¡±


    Madam Kong held her breath and listened intently to the sounds behind the door. Then, she continued speaking, ¡°Your mother said she will come and pick you up in a couple of days and you will be staying with her for a few days. She didn¡¯t say why, but you don¡¯t need to worry about it. Rest early, I will leave now.¡±


    With that, Madam Kong returned to her room with relief. She did not let the cat out of the bag. It was just a reminder. She hoped that Zhuang Zhuang would not try anything silly again.


    She didn¡¯t expect the little guy to worry so much at such a young age.


    Zhuang Zhuang closed his eyes to hide his tears.


    For some inexplicable reason, he had opened the windows just now, hoping to fall sick. In that way, his mother would pay more attention to him and she would belong solely to him again.


    He really didn¡¯t expect himself to have such foolish thoughts. His mother always loves him and she mentioned before that he was her heart. Therefore, he shouldn¡¯t hurt himself just to grab her attention.


    He didn¡¯t hate everyone. He was just feeling unaccustomed to the additional family members, who were taking his mother¡¯s attention away from him. He was feeling unaccustomed to the long separation away from his mother. He was only feeling unaccustomed, that¡¯s all¡­


    And more importantly, he was filled with anticipation when Mrs. Kong told him that his mother would bring him home in a few days. Was it because of his birthday?


    Although he didn¡¯t know why his mother and the others were suddenly hiding things from him, it didn¡¯t matter as long as they remembered his birthday.


    A smile quickly appeared on the little man¡¯s face as he closed his eyes while chanting in his heart, ¡°Let the days pass quickly.¡±


    ¡ª-


    Time passed quickly. It was the day before Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday.


    The snow had stopped falling before daybreak. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were building a snowman outside the house. When they saw Xiaoguo, they greeted her happily.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, look. Which snowman looks better, Yu Ling or mine?¡±


    When Yu Ling heard this, she immediately said before Xiaoguo could speak, ¡°Of course it¡¯s mine! Isn¡¯t that right, Sister Xiaoguo?¡±


    She was very confident that her snowman was looking good¡ªit even had arms and legs. ¡°It definitely looks better than Xiao Zhu¡¯s snowman which has branches for its limbs!¡±


    Xiaoguo pretended to be conflicted as she thought about it. Looking at the expectant gazes of the two of them, she became dumbfounded.


    She couldn¡¯t find a winner between the two snowmen. But in terms of ugliness, they were definitely on par with each other.


    One snowman was covered in branches. With two potatoes as eyes, its body was pitch-black.


    The other snowman had a round body, two super long legs, and a pair of discordant arms.


    In any case, the more she looked at them, the more bizarre they looked.


    After much deliberation, Xiaoguo came to a less hurtful conclusion.


    ¡°They both don¡¯t look good.¡±


    That¡¯s right. She only said that they didn¡¯t look good. She didn¡¯t use the word ugly. It was a very heartwarming answer.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Just as expected, the two of them immediately wailed once Xiaoguo said that. What kind of answer was that¡­?


    Xiaoguo laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the county to pick up Zhuang Zhuang later. Are you coming with me?¡±


    The two girls shook their heads in unison. At this moment, they were keen to find out the winner. If there is no conclusion, then no one is going to leave.


    ¡°When you get back, I¡¯ll show you what the most beautiful snowman in the world looks like.¡±


    When Xiao Zhu heard Yu Ling¡¯s words, she immediately smiled and accepted it. ¡°It will be created by me.¡±


    Yu Ling gave her a sidelong glance and snorted. ¡°Let¡¯s find out!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Neither of them believed the other, each thinking that their own snowman was the most beautiful.


    Turning their heads with their backs facing each other, they started working on their snowmen, determined to outdo each other.


    Xiaoguo shook her head helplessly and then stretched her body lazily before walking away. She should go take her breakfast first.


    When she was going to leave the house after taking her breakfast, the two of them were still building their snowmen.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Hurry up and eat before the food turns cold.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Without even turning their heads to say goodbye, they immediately immersed themselves into building their snowmen again.


    Retracting her gaze helplessly, Xiaoguo closed the door, and drove off.


    Before picking Zhuang Zhuang up, Xiaoguo made a trip to the noodle shop.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, I bought a set of beautiful clothes for Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    Ruyi said proudly to Xiaoguo, clearly very satisfied with her gift.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not pink.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at her and said, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang will definitely have nightmares if he sees the color pink.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, The clothes are not pink.¡±


    They were peach pink.


    Xiaoguo looked at Ruyi¡¯s smirk and felt that things were definitely not simple.


    ¡°Remember to bring Shu Botong along for lunch tomorrow.¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo finished speaking, Ruyi responded reluctantly.


    ¡°Why should I bring him along? Just giving him a bowl of longevity noodles is good enough.¡±


    Xiaoguo took a sip of tea and slowly sized up Ruyi.


    Ruyi was feeling uncomfortable from her gaze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Ruyi, let me ask you something.¡±


    Xiaoguo put down her teacup and looked at the nervous girl. ¡°Do you still wish to be my sister-in-law?¡±


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Ruyi immediately covered her mouth shyly and looked nervously at Qin Anming, who had just walked over. After confirming that he didn¡¯t hear Xiaoguo, she said weakly, ¡°What¡¯s the use of wishing on my part?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to find out for you?¡±


    Judging from her words, it looked like she still had feelings for Qin Anming. That would make things easier. If not, such a nice girl could end up with someone else.


    Ruyi was thinking of letting things take their own course, but she hesitated when she turned to look at the busy Qin Anming. In the end, she nodded and gave consent to Xiaoguo without saying a word.


    She liked Brother Anming, but he always maintained a distance from her. If there was no third party involved, their relationship would stay like this forever.


    It was good to find out what his thoughts were. Then at least she would have some clarity on the matter.


    In this aspect, Ruyi was much braver than Qin Anming.


    Xiaoguo smiled and looked at Qin Anming, who was busy working at the side. She didn¡¯t believe that he had no feelings for Ruyi. If he didn¡¯t, why did he stumble when he walked past her just now?


    ¡°Playing matchmaker every now and then can be fun. Hehe¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    After bidding farewell, she went to look for Shu Botong. No matter what, she had to inform him. Otherwise, he would get very upset if she really left him out.


    Xiaoguo truly believed that if he found out that he was left out of the party, he would walk all the way to Peach Blossom Village to settle scores with her. Even if he didn¡¯t know the exact address, he would go from house to house to find them.


    Sometimes, Shu Botong could be very stubborn in that way.

 Chapter 434 - 434 Revealed the Secret?

    434 Revealed the Secret?


    Shu Botong sized up Xiaoguo from head to toe, before taking a sip from his teacup in satisfaction.


    It would be best if she didn¡¯t leave him out. Otherwise, even if he had to walk all the way, he would find her and settle scores with her.


    ¡°Do you remember?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him helplessly. She had repeated herself several times, but he still didn¡¯t say anything. It was truly infuriating.


    ¡°Yes, I got it. I¡¯ll definitely be there.¡±


    Shu Botong stopped pretending and finally nodded in agreement.


    Although he seemed unaffected and calm on the surface, he was actually feeling extremely anxious.


    He would be going to the party tomorrow but he had yet to prepare a gift. It was his first time visiting their house, so he couldn¡¯t possibly go empty-handed. Besides, it was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday. What should he bring?


    Xiaoguo waved her hand in front of the man who still looked lost in his thoughts. After a while, seeing that he was still in a daze, she left silently.


    Shu Botong was immersed in his own world, still thinking about what gift to give. It was unclear if he saw Xiaoguo leaving. Even if he didn¡¯t see her, she was right in front of him. It was just a small matter, she could leave if she wished, as long as she did not distract him from his thoughts.


    However, the moment she stepped out of the door, he said, ¡°Please see yourself out¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xiaoguo said as she left the place without stopping.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°If you give me a wooden peach, I¡¯ll give you a jade jewel in return. It¡¯s not my repayment to you, but it¡¯s my way of preserving the good relationship between us.¡±


    ¡°If you gift me with a wooden peach, and I repay you with a piece of beautiful jade, it is not a gesture of gratitude. It is because I cherish our relationship.¡±


    ¡°People often exchange tokens in their relationships with others, but it¡¯s not the value of the token that matters, it¡¯s the emotional significance of the sentiment behind it.¡±


    Mr. Kong was speaking eloquently from his seat. Zhuang Zhuang, who was sitting below, seemed a little distracted with his eyes constantly looking out of the windows.


    Mr. Kong naturally noticed this and he gently put down the book.


    The soft sound of the book being placed on the table finally caught Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Mr. Kong nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s all for today¡¯s morning class. Go back to your room, pack up and wait for your mother to come get you.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang lowered his head in embarrassment and guilt.


    There are three states in studying¡ªthe environmental state, the mental state, and the state of Zen.


    There are six hearts in studying¡ªa pure heart, a yearning heart, a quiet heart, a clear heart, a focused heart, and a considerable heart.


    Usually, Zhuang Zhuang would abide by these teachings and principles, but today, he¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master.¡±


    Mr. Kong shook his head. He was still young and it was his first time. It was no big deal.


    ¡°By the way, this is for you.¡±


    Mr. Kong was aware that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday falls on the next day, but he did not forget to keep the secret and stick to the surprise operation. Therefore, he took out the red bag in advance and handed it to the boy.


    Zhuang Zhuang took it from him and was about to unwrap it when Mr. Kong quickly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t unwrap this now. You can do it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at Mr. Kong in confusion. Why tomorrow? Tomorrow was his birthday. Could this be his birthday gift? But why didn¡¯t the master say so?


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    No matter what it was, joy appeared in Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes. This was most likely his birthday gift. He felt so happy¡­


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded with a smile and quickly ran back to his room.


    Mr. Kong looked at the cheerful little figure and shook his head with a smile. The boy was finally smiling¡ªthat was quite a feat.


    Zhuang Zhuang returned to the house and picked up his small bag, which he had already packed. Holding the gift that Teacher Kong had given him, he carefully closed the door and windows. Then, he ran eagerly towards the main door. While on his way, he even took the time to greet Madam Kong.


    When he came to the door, he sat on a small stool and stared at the door like a fledgling baby, hoping that Xiaoguo would come through the door in the next second.


    Madam Kong followed behind him and chuckled to herself as she looked at his straightened back.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, come in and wait for a while.¡±


    Usually, the stool at the door was reserved for Zhuang Zhuang because it was positioned right across the door. He always waits for Xiaoguo on the stool. However, it was winter now, but he still insisted on sitting outside even though his face had turned red from the cold.


    Madam Kong couldn¡¯t bear to watch him sit in the cold anymore, so she called him in.


    Zhuang Zhuang hesitated for a moment before getting up to go into the house, as he didn¡¯t want Mrs. Kong to worry for him.


    After warming up for a while, there was a knock on the door. Zhuang Zhuang picked up his school bag that was half the size of his body and ran over to open the door.


    While running, he shouted, ¡°Mother? Mother? Mother?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Zhuang Zhuang!¡±


    Xiaoguo spotted Zhuang Zhuang through the crack in the door and saw the anxious look on the little boy¡¯s face. The moment she opened the door, she went forward to pick him up.


    In that instant, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s eyes quickly welled up with tears. He wiped them away inadvertently, not wanting his mother to see him cry.


    Xiaoguo let go of him and took the bag from him. Then, she patted his little butt, causing him to giggle.


    ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll give this to your Teacher and Madam first.¡±


    Xiaoguo gestured to the clay jar in her hand. These were century eggs that she had marinated last month. Since she had quite a lot of duck eggs, she specially made extra for the old couple.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded happily and followed behind her obediently.


    Madam Kong was a few steps behind Zhuang Zhuang. When she walked out of the house, Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were already walking towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting old. My legs aren¡¯t as agile as they used to be.¡±


    Madam Kong looked rather embarrassed. The time she took to move three steps was enough for others to run three meters.


    Xiaoguo smiled and didn¡¯t respond to her sentence. She took out the century eggs and handed them to her.


    Madam Kong¡¯s face was filled with joy. She loved the marinated duck eggs that Xiaoguo made. Although the taste was unusual, they were very delicious.


    ¡°Quick, come in and rest for a while.¡±


    RIght after speaking, Mrs. Kong was about to pull Xiaoguo into the house. However, Xiaoguo still had some unfinished business at home, so she waved her hands and bade farewell.


    She had thought of inviting the Kong¡¯s to the birthday party but it was inconvenient for the two elders to travel back and forth by car. Their health was more important, so she eventually gave up on the idea.


    ¡°Mother¡­ are we going home?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at her expectantly.


    Xiaoguo pinched his cheek and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not go back yet. I¡¯ll go buy some food.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang dislikes being touched on his head and face, but when it comes to his mother, it¡¯s another story. He loved it whenever his mother touched or pinched his face.


    ¡°Have we run out of food at home?¡±


    ¡°No, but I don¡¯t have enough for tomorrow¡­ There¡¯s not enough food, so I have to buy more.¡±


    Xiaoguo almost let slip the event that was happening tomorrow. Fortunately, she changed her tone and covered it up.


    Zhuang Zhuang narrowed his eyes. Then, he suppressed the smile on his face and pretended that he had not heard her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Hmm, Hmm¡­ Hmph, Hmm, Hmm¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo stole a glance at Zhuang Zhuang. Why did he suddenly seem so happy? Had he found out about the surprise party tomorrow? DId she just reveal their secret plans?


    Zhuang Zhuang realized that Xiaoguo was looking at him, so he gave her a super big smile and continued with his out-of-tune singing.


    His lower legs were hanging from the seat and swaying to the rhythm of his song. He looked extremely happy.


    Xiaoguo silently covered her ear that was right beside Zhuang Zhuang. As a mother, she should at least pretend to appreciate her son¡¯s singing that didn¡¯t sound quite melodious, but she simply couldn¡¯t do it¡­


    ¡°Dear Son, please show me some mercy. Mother¡¯s ears are hurting¡­¡±


    ¡ª-


    Jiang Danhe had finally arrived in Yonghai County.


    First, he headed to the noodle shop to say hi to his brother-in-law. Then, he went to Mr. Kong¡¯s house to pay his respects to the two elders.


    Madam Kong looked at him in surprise. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo just left in the morning. If you were a little earlier, you would have bumped into them.¡±


    Jiang Danhe laughed when he heard that. His brother-in-law had said the same thing just now. What a coincidence. It was a good thing that he didn¡¯t bump into them. Otherwise, the surprise would have been ruined.


    As he was in a hurry to get home, he handed over his gifts to the Kong¡¯s before taking his leave.


    After leaving and walking over a short distance, he came face-to-face with two modest-looking carriages waiting by the side.


    Jiang Danhe took a look and met the curious gaze of the little guy sitting inside. He chuckled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 435 - 435 Surprise in Progress

    435 Surprise in Progress


    As soon as he finished speaking, the two carriages started moving in a discreet manner. More than a dozen secret guards followed closely in the shadows to protect them.


    Jiang Danhe had come home alone this time, but accompanying him was an additional burden that he could not get rid of.


    He didn¡¯t plan to bring him along, but he couldn¡¯t withstand his persistent persuasion, as well as the pressure from Shao Zhan.


    If he doesn¡¯t bring this person back with him, he can forget about returning home.


    Therefore, he had no choice but to acquiesce.


    If not for this person tagging along, he would have arrived yesterday.


    The imperial guards, accompanied by the emperor¡¯s decree, made it obvious who was inside the sedan chair.


    At this moment, Xiaoyi was rummaging through his small school bag and muttering under his breath.


    ¡°Brush, little tiger, picture book, golden rice paper, pellet drum, rabbit fur, grasshopper¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi stopped momentarily and shook the grasshopper cage in his hand. He realized that the insect, which was alive earlier on, was now motionless. As he swayed the cage, two of the grasshopper¡¯s legs fell off.


    After a few seconds of silence, he said, ¡°Dead grasshopper.¡±


    With that, he put the cage aside and continued to think about the gifts that he was planning to give Zhuang Zhuang. It had taken him a long time to gather all these items, all for the purpose of giving them to Zhuang Zhuang the next time they met.


    Basically, he would check on those items every day, afraid that he would miss out on any of them. These were all his hard work. He would personally hand them over to Zhuang Zhuang when they met.


    At the thought of Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoyi couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud.


    When the people outside the carriage heard this, they looked at the carriage with puzzled faces. They didn¡¯t understand why the little prince was suddenly laughing to himself.


    Only Jiang Danhe looked straight ahead, pretending that he hadn¡¯t heard anything. At this moment, he was staring ahead with his eyes fixed in the direction of home. He really didn¡¯t care about what was going on outside. All he could think about was to get home.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Mother, tomorrow I¡¯ll celebrate ¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was shocked and worried that Zhuang Zhuang would continue speaking. She didn¡¯t know how to interrupt him and was getting anxious. Fortunately, the other party stopped speaking on his own.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, what¡¯s about tomorrow?¡±


    Despite this, Xiaoguo still mustered up the courage to ask the same question again.


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled and shook his head. He was not going to talk about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Mother. I¡¯m going to bed¡­¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang closed his eyes and lay quietly at the side.


    Xiaoguo turned around and blew out one candle, leaving only one lit candle which made the room more conducive for sleep. Then she patted the boy¡¯s back and gently coaxed him to sleep.


    Soon, the sound of Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s steady breathing could be heard.


    Xiaoguo looked at his cute face and couldn¡¯t help but lean forward to give him a gentle kiss. Unable to help herself, she kissed him again.


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was pretending to be asleep, was trying his best to keep himself from smiling. Afraid that Xiaoguo would see through him, he quickly rolled over and laughed quietly to himself.


    A knowing look appeared on Xiaoguo¡¯s face. She realized that Zhuang Zhuang was still awake. Just moments ago, she had almost gotten fooled by him.


    ¡°Go to sleep. Mother will go play with Yu Ling and the others.¡± After thinking for a moment, she added, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡±


    At first, Zhuangzhuang was taken aback, but then he silently nodded his head after a few seconds. His little face, which he had been hiding, turned red in that instant.


    His mother had found out that he was pretending to be asleep. How embarrassing.


    Xiaoguo laughed and patted his butt before getting up to leave.


    After coming out, she went to the door of Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu¡¯s house. She knocked on the door and waited for the door to open. Then, she said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m going out to look for them now and I¡¯ll be back soon. I¡¯ve told Zhuang Zhuang that I am coming to your place. If anything happens, can you cover for me?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling nodded seriously. After Xiaoguo left, the two of them closed the door and got back to work. They had to hurry up and continue making the decorations that they need for tomorrow.


    It was a little dark outside. Coincidentally, there were some leftover lanterns at home that could be put to good use.


    After picking out a lantern from the bunch, she started walking along the main road.


    Jiang Danhe had already arrived at Peach Blossom Village, but he couldn¡¯t show his face yet, so he asked the village chief to find an empty house for him to stay temporarily.


    Before the sky turned dark, Jiang Danhe had asked Xiaoguo to pay him a visit. Apart from the surprise of his return, she didn¡¯t expect Xiaoyi to come back with him either.


    After putting Zhuang Zhuang to bed, she left the house to look for them.


    The group of them were staying in a house within the village. Xiaoguo walked for less than a minute before arriving.


    There were two carriages parked at the door, along with a few horses.


    One of them seemed to recognize Xiaoguo. It took two steps towards her and wagged its tail.


    Xiaoguo recognized it at a glance with the help of her lantern. The horse had a tuft of red hair on its head. Wasn¡¯t that Jiang Danhe¡¯s Wind Chaser?


    She was the one who gave the horse its name. When Jiang Danhe came back the last time, she found out from him that the horse which always accompanied him on his travels did not have a name. Hence, she came up with the name ¡®Wind Chaser¡¯ for the horse.


    The reason for that was because, when the horse ran, the tuft of red hair on its head would flutter in the wind, making it look very valiant.


    Xiaoguo walked over and stroked its mane gently. ¡°My dear Wind Chaser, I¡¯ll feed you nice grass tomorrow.¡±


    When the two guards at the door saw Xiaoguo, they let her in without stopping her.


    Someone in the dark nudged the big boss beside him. ¡°Someone just went in. Should we check things out?¡±


    The man who was addressed as ¡®Big Boss¡¯ punched the other guard impatiently. ¡°What are you going to check? That¡¯s the General¡¯s Wife. If you dare to touch her, you¡¯re just courting death!¡±


    The man rubbed his head in pain and said aggrievedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡±


    ¡°Why is Number six so gluttonous? He was supposed to be on duty now, but instead, he has gone out for his meal.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Number two!¡±


    The man known as ¡®Number six¡¯ was just about to get angry when the fire rising in him suddenly got extinguished. He didn¡¯t say more, but his eyes were still looking at Number two indignantly.


    Number two snorted at him deliberately, trying to provoke him. He enjoyed seeing him hold back his anger.


    Big Boss slowly retracted his gaze and whispered, ¡°Continue standing guard.¡±


    With that, he turned to leave.


    ¡°Hey, Boss, where are you going?¡±


    Number two and Number six asked at the same time.


    Without turning his head, Big Boss said, ¡°I¡¯m going to eat.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Number two and Number six watched him leave speechlessly.


    ¡°Heh, this man¡­¡±


    ¡ª-


    Xiaoguo had arrived at the door of Jiang Danhe¡¯s house. She was about to knock when the door opened by itself.


    Jiang Danhe looked at her with a smile. Before Xiaoguo could speak, he picked her up and brought her to the back room.


    Xiaoguo was so shocked that she almost dropped the lantern in her hand. Fortunately, Jiang Danhe caught it quickly and placed it aside.


    The two of them exchanged glances, and the atmosphere gradually became ambiguous. Jiang Danhe¡¯s gaze was too intense, and Xiaoguo could only look away bashfully.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe was leaning closer and closer towards her. Seeing that he was about to lose control, Xiaoguo quickly said, ¡°Where¡¯s Xiaoyi?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Danhe stopped moving and looked at her closely for a long time. He sighed and pulled her to sit down with him.


    ¡°He¡¯s just next door.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Xiaoyi arrived.


    When this kid saw Xiaoguo from the window, he stopped washing his feet and quickly ran over with his shoes held in his hands. But before this actually happened, when his feet landed on the ground, he was immediately stopped by someone and was forced to finish washing his feet before he was allowed to leave.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. It didn¡¯t affect his running speed at all.


    He pushed open the door loudly and stared at Xiaoguo with sparkling eyes while calling out sweetly, ¡°Auntie¡­¡±


    Ever since the two of them started exchanging letters, Xiaoyi had started addressing her as ¡°Auntie¡±. He was hoping to be closer to her.


    The couple in the room were stunned for a moment. Turning to look each other in the eye, they realized how lucky they were. Fortunately, they had let go of each other. Otherwise, they would have been caught in an awkward situation.


    ¡°Xiaoyi¡­ come in quickly. It¡¯s cold outside.¡±


    Xiaoguo came back to her senses and got up to lead Xiaoyi into the house, before closing the door that had been violently pushed open by the little guy.


    Xiaoyi sat down at Xiaoguo¡¯s original seat with a flushed face. Only then did he have time to look at Jiang Danhe, who didn¡¯t look too good. However, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to him and turned to look at Xiaoguo again.


    Auntie Xiaoguo was still the prettier and gentle one.


    ¡°Are we going to appear in front of Zhuang Zhuang in a ¡®flash¡¯ tomorrow, or are we going to ¡®pop¡¯ and appear in front of him?¡±


    From the moment Xiaoyi arrived, he had already started to plan his appearance in front of Zhuang Zhuang.

 Chapter 436 - 436 Not Leaving

    436 Not Leaving


    These two ways of making an entrance are the most surprising and impactful that he could come up with after racking his brain.


    Xiaoyi¡¯s ideas were quite difficult to understand. What was the difference between a ¡®flash¡¯ and a ¡®pop¡¯?


    Seeing that neither of them was speaking, Xiaoyi wondered if there was something wrong with his presentation.


    After Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe came together to make a decision, they both vetoed Xiaoyi¡¯s suggestion. They would prefer to go with a more natural approach.


    When Zhuang Zhuang opened his eyes in the morning, they would just appear in front of him. There was no need for any exaggerated surprise. The simpler the approach, the greater the surprise.


    Xiaoyi was feeling so sleepy that he kept rubbing his eyes and nodding off on the table. Seeing this, the two of them carried him back to his room to sleep.


    As soon as the little guy touched the pillow, he quickly snuggled under the blanket. Without having to coax him, he fell asleep naturally on his own.


    When she left Xiaoyi¡¯s room, Xiaoguo realized that she had been out for quite some time.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    She didn¡¯t dare to stay out for too long, as Zhuang Zhuang might get suspicious.


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and the two of them walked towards home.


    Along the way, they could only hear the sound of the cold wind blowing. The entire village was enveloped in silence. Accompanying their footsteps were the barking noises of dogs in the distance.


    ¡°Quickly go back and rest. You must be tired from the bumpy journey.¡±


    As they reached the doorstep, Jiang Danhe showed no sign of leaving. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t think much of it. She was only worried about his health.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯ll go in with you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe calmly voiced out the plan that he had harbored for a long time. But he avoided eye contact with Xiaoguo because he was feeling guilty.


    She knew it!


    Before they came out, he had blown out the candles in the room. He had been planning this from just now?


    Just when Jiang Danhe thought that Xiaoguo was going to refuse him, she nodded instead.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Xiaoguo snickered and looked at the man, who didn¡¯t move an inch. She raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want to return to your house anymore?¡±


    ¡°I do. I do!¡±


    Jiang Danhe quickly replied and followed her into the house. He was afraid that she would lock him out if he replied a second late.


    ¡°Keep your voice down. I wonder if Zhuang Zhuang is asleep.¡±


    They had secretly planned the surprise for so long. Tomorrow was the most important day. They had to be extra careful.


    Jiang Danhe understood. He nodded and followed behind her quietly.


    When she arrived at the main hall, Xiaoguo went to Yu Ling¡¯s room first to greet them.


    Seeing that the two of them were still sticking on the flowers, she did not forget to remind them, ¡°Your brother-in-law and I will stick on the flowers tomorrow. Rest early.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, we understand¡­¡±


    Although the two of them said yes verbally, they still continued with their work right after Xiaoguo left the room.


    Jiang Danhe did not go near the girls¡¯ room because he wanted to make himself scarce. When Xiaoguo came out, he asked, ¡°Are they still awake?¡±


    ¡°No, they are sticking on the flowers.¡±


    Jiang Danhe nodded when he heard this. But in his heart, he was thinking, ¡°Sticking on flowers? What¡¯s that?¡±


    Xiaoguo carefully opened the door a crack and peeked in.


    Zhuang Zhuang was lying flat on the bed with his fists clenched. His face was flushed from sleep, looking like he had fallen fast asleep.


    Xiaoguo was relieved to see that. After bringing Jiang Danhe in, the two of them worked together carefully to move Zhuang Zhuang to the bed. While moving him, they did not dare to breathe too loudly, fearing that they would wake him up.


    After putting him down, the little guy just rolled over, smacked his lips twice, and went back to sleep.


    Xiaoguo gestured silently to Jiang Danhe to get some rest.


    Jiang Danhe smiled and nodded before taking off his coat.


    Xiaoguo got into bed first, with Jiang Danhe following closely behind. After the two of them lay down, he blew out the candle. The room immediately became quiet, with only the sound of their faint breathing.


    Jiang Danhe had a lot to say to Xiaoguo, but he eventually gave up on speaking as he didn¡¯t want to wake Zhuang Zhuang from his sleep. He turned around to embrace Xiaoguo, before falling asleep himself.


    Perhaps he was really tired, or maybe his nose was filled with Xiaoguo¡¯s scent every time he inhaled, but Jiang Danhe fell into deep sleep very quickly.


    Xiaoguo secretly touched his face for a long time, but he didn¡¯t notice it.


    Looking at the tired man, Xiaoguo¡¯s heart suddenly felt a little sorry for him. Some time ago, he had mentioned in his letter that he was extremely busy. It must have been hard for him to find time to come back this time¡­


    The eyebags under the other party¡¯s eyes told her the answer.


    After retracting her hand, Xiaoguo wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against his chest as she slowly fell asleep.


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, the sound of birds chirping outside woke Xiaoguo up. Before she could move, someone stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Zhuang Zhuang won¡¯t wake up so early.¡±


    The room was still very dark. But as soon as Xiaoguo moved, Jiang Danhe felt it and immediately held her tightly while comforting her with his voice.


    Xiaoguo immediately relaxed and lay on his chest again, a sigh escaping from her lips.


    With Jiang Danhe around, she always forgets the time. Her usual biological clock never works whenever she is with him.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t wake up halfway, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No.¡±


    The pause in Jiang Danhe¡¯s reply went unnoticed by Xiaoguo, who was still half-asleep.


    What he didn¡¯t tell Xiaoguo was that Zhuang Zhuang had to go to the toilet in the middle of the night. Being half-awake, the boy had mistaken him for Xiaoguo.


    Jiang Danhe did not dare to make a sound and stiffly carried the little boy towards the toilet. After he was done with his business, the little boy did not notice anything unusual. As soon as he touched the bed, he turned around and fell back to sleep.


    After resting enough, the two of them got out of bed.


    When Xiaoguo came outside, she was surprised to find that Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu had already woken up and cleaned up two rooms. They were in the midst of wiping the tables with some cleaning rags.


    ¡°Why are you up so early?¡±


    Speaking of this, the two young ladies appeared a little shy. ¡°We have guests today, so we thought that we should get up early to tidy up the house.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled when she heard that. ¡°You know everyone who is coming. There are no outsiders among them. You two should rest more.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, knowing that Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday is today, we were too excited to go to sleep. It¡¯s good to get up and do some work.¡±


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu smiled in embarrassment. They both felt embarrassed by their own actions and felt even more so when they said it out loud.


    Xiaoguo snickered at their explanation. So that was the reason. They were indeed still young and had so much hope and aspirations towards everything in life. How nice was that¡­


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe came out of the room. After greeting the two young ladies, he said to Xiaoguo, ¡°Shall I pick up Xiaoyi?¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    The two of them had discussed last night that Xiaoyi should stay with them. It was not appropriate for the little guy to stay alone by himself, so it was better for them to bring him over to live with them.


    After Jiang Danhe left, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Who is Xiaoyi?¡±


    They had never heard of this name.


    ¡°I think you girls should roughly know who he is.¡±


    They should have seen Xiaoyi before in the fishing village and on the island. After a brief reminder from Xiaoguo, the two of them reacted as if they had been struck by lightning. They asked in a trembling voice, ¡°The crown prince?¡±


    The two of them had seen this little figure before, but they had never come into close contact with him. After all, the two of them did not have any status and could not possibly get close to the crown prince at all. Therefore, when they heard that he would appear in the house, they became extremely nervous.


    They were afraid of losing their lives if they made any mistakes.


    For most commoners, hearing the title of the Crown Prince was terrifying enough, let alone seeing him in person.


    It was already quite a feat that Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling didn¡¯t faint upon hearing his title.


    Once bitten, twice shy. When Yu Ling heard the noble title, she felt terrified. She feared that she might be enslaved again if she let her guard down for a moment and commit any mistakes.


    Xiaoguo could tell that the two of them were feeling uneasy, so she comforted them. ¡°Xiaoyi is completely different from what you think. You¡¯ll know when you see him. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Even so, how could they not be afraid? That was the crown prince. Xiaoguo guessed that if she had met Crown Prince Xiaoyi first instead of the ¡°commoner¡± Xiaoyi, her expression would probably be the same as that of the two girls.

 Chapter 437 - 437 Gods Chosen One

    437 God¡¯s Chosen One


    She didn¡¯t know if her comforting words were effective, but the two of them seemed to have calmed down.


    Xiaoguo knew that words alone couldn¡¯t do much. The girls still had to interact with Xiaoyi first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When he comes later, I¡¯ll introduce him to you. He¡¯s a cute little boy who likes to act cute.¡±


    If not for his status, she would not have thought that Xiaoyi was the crown prince. How could such a lively, cute, cheerful, and kind boy be the only child of the noble emperor?


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling nodded apprehensively, unable to hide the nervousness in their eyes.


    Seeing them like this, Xiaoguo regretted telling them about Xiaoyi¡¯s true identity. If she had known earlier, she would have told them that he was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s friend in the capital. It would have been more convenient than telling them that he was the crown prince.


    She must have slept too much and become muddle-headed.


    With that thought in mind, Xiaoguo rubbed her head and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ll go cook first.¡±


    When she arrived at the kitchen, she unwrapped the dough that she had prepared the previous night. Once she pulled the dough apart, a perfect honeycomb pattern was revealed.


    Taking out the pork belly that she had taken out the night before, she diced it up, stir-fried it in bean sauce and threw in some salt for seasoning. After frying the meat, she set it aside, allowing it to cool before marinating it in a while.


    When that was done, she started making the meat buns. In a while, she would prepare a plate of pickled radish. After that, she could steam some sweet potatoes and carrots with the buns. On top of that, she will also cook a pot of corn porridge and some eggs, which were always an essential item for their breakfast. A simple breakfast would then be complete.


    Ever since Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling started living with Xiaoguo, they had grown much taller, which was proof of how nutritious Xiaoguo¡¯s meals were.


    On the other hand, Xiaoyi had woken up before dawn. He got dressed by himself and got out of bed. When he opened the door to look outside, he realized that the guards were still sleeping.


    After stepping through the door, he bypassed the guards and went to Jiang Danhe¡¯s room.


    The room was empty¡ªthe person who was supposed to be there was nowhere to be found.


    Feeling puzzled, he looked around the room but was unable to find any traces of Jiang Danhe. After thinking for a moment, he decided to look for Zhuang Zhuang on his own.


    Since he couldn¡¯t get back to sleep anymore, he might as well visit Zhuang Zhuang earlier and surprise him. Since the two adults didn¡¯t agree to his plan, he would carry it out himself.


    He is going to give him a big surprise. Haha!


    Without further ado, Xiaoyi returned to his room, picked up his small school bag, closed the door, and set off.


    The others were still asleep. They did not expect their crown prince to carry his school bag and go out alone secretly.


    Of course, this did not include the secret guards.


    ¡°Boss, are we following the Crown Prince?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you asking the obvious. What is he going to do if we don¡¯t follow him?¡±


    ¡°Number six, did you lose your brain too when you had diarrhea last night?¡±


    The guard called ¡®Number six¡¯ did not expect his words to bring about so much dissatisfaction. He was on the verge of tears as he looked at his boss, who was the only one not mocking him. His boss still cares for him¡­


    ¡°Boss¡­¡±


    ¡°If your brain is useless, throw it away. At least your head will become lighter.¡±


    The boss said coldly without looking back. He straightened the blanket, covered himself properly and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, laughter filled the room.


    Number six looked aggrievedly at the other men who were older than him and snorted heavily. He didn¡¯t dare to voice out his unhappiness.


    Having no other choice because of his low rank and little experience, he could only bear with them.


    ¡°Alright, hurry up and follow me. If anything happens, we will get into big trouble.¡±


    After saying that, the boss added, ¡°Number six must be exhausted from the night shift. Get someone else to follow him.¡±


    ¡°Boss¡­¡±


    Number six was already prepared to continue with his shift but he didn¡¯t expect his boss to be so thoughtful. The man¡¯s gesture really moved him.


    While the others were always fooling around, the brotherly bond between the group was strong. When they heard this arrangement, nobody objected. So the three men went out automatically, leaving the others to rest in the room.


    ¡ª-


    Xiaoyi¡¯s memory of Peach Blossom Village was a little blurry. It had been a long time since he last came here. Before he came out, he was quite confident that he could find his way to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s house. However, after walking for a short distance, he became hesitant.


    Reality had given him a hard slap across the face.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    Xiaoyi was standing under a big tree in a daze. He looked up at the sky and then at the empty path. He was terrified and did not dare to move forward.


    After a while, he managed to muster up his courage and took a gulp before walking forward.


    In any case, one had to seek out the correct path, instead of waiting for it.


    After a while¡­


    ¡°Number three, why do you think the Crown Prince is walking on the spot?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Let¡¯s wait a little longer. Maybe he¡¯s exercising.¡±


    After a while¡­


    ¡°What? He didn¡¯t even walk more than a meter.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t move at all.¡±


    ¡°Is he lost?¡±


    At this moment, someone finally pointed out the problem.


    As soon as the words were spoken, the other men fell silent. ¡°How could they not be aware of something that was so obvious? Why did he have to say it out loud?! That was so ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Number Three glanced at Number Four, who immediately understood. He picked up a small stone and threw it in the correct path towards the destination.


    Xiaoyi, who was in a dilemma, suddenly noticed an unknown object fly past from his right side. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a small stone.


    The pebble landed on the road and jumped a few times before stopping on a main road.


    Xiaoyi looked up and nodded to himself. This must be a hint from the heavens. That was quite amazing.


    He had made his decision to go this way!


    Just like that, Xiaoyi regained his full strength and strode forward with confidence, without any sign of the cowardice he had shown earlier.


    Seeing that the Crown Prince was walking again, the secret guards were deeply moved. Their feet were getting numb from the cold. It was not an easy feat, getting the crown prince to start moving forward.


    However, this joy did not last long because His Highness quickly got stuck again¡­


    ¡°¡­ Number Four¡­¡±


    Fourth Brother didn¡¯t even need the other party to say anything. Looking like he understood, he skillfully picked up a stone and threw it forward.


    Xiaoyi looked at the stones falling from the sky with joy. He knew that he was one lucky guy who was being watched by the heavens.


    Following the pebbles, Zhuang Zhuang successfully arrived in front of the big tree closest to Xiaoguo¡¯s house.


    At this point, he could almost remember the route. He was very familiar with the big tree in front of him. At that time, Xiaohu had brought him and Zhuang Zhuang to climb it.


    When Number Four saw him stop, he thought that the Crown Prince had forgotten the route again, so he instinctively wanted to throw another stone.


    But before he could raise his hand, he was stopped by Number Three. The other party gestured for him to look ahead.


    Number Four looked ahead strangely and realized that a tall figure had appeared out of nowhere. At this moment, the man was leaning against a big tree with his arms crossed. He was lazily looking at Xiaoyi, who was just a short distance away from him.


    Xiaoyi raised his head and continued walking, suddenly feeling a little discouraged. He was feeling useless for not remembering the way. What¡¯s worse was that after only a while, he had already forgotten where he came from. He had just walked past that route earlier on, but he had already forgotten the way.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°Hurry up. Breakfast is almost ready.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was urging him on. He had been looking at the little guy for a long time. He watched him stop and walk so many times that he finally lost his patience.


    Xiaoyi was looking dejected, but he perked up immediately when he suddenly heard a familiar voice.


    Looking up at the man who seemed like a savior, he thought to himself, ¡°The pebbles have turned into a real person. God is really looking out for me.¡±


    ¡°By the way, what did he say just now? Aunt Xiaoguo made breakfast?! I miss it so much¡­¡±


    When Jiang Danhe saw the little guy standing there in a daze, he frowned in confusion before turning around to leave.


    Seeing this, Xiaoyi quickly ran after him.


    As he ran, he shouted, ¡°Wait¡­ wait¡­ for me¡­¡±


    As Xiaoyi started to run, his bag bounced up and down, hitting his butt with each step. The continuous pounding somehow helped to carry his voice forward.


    Although Jiang Danhe did not answer him, he quietly slowed down in response to his cries.

 Chapter 438 - 438 The Third Person in the Darkness

    438 The Third Person in the Darkness


    Looking at the departing figures, Number Four turned around and looked at Number Three. He asked, ¡°Are we still following them?¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap.¡±


    After saying that, Number Three walked back to where he came from without looking back. He was prepared to go back and sleep a little longer before daybreak.


    Number Four stood rooted to the ground. The other guard followed closely behind Number Three, also planning to catch up on his sleep.


    Seeing them leave without hesitation, Number Four shrugged. What was there to worry about when the Crown Prince was with the general? Forget it, he should go back and get some sleep too.


    After thinking it through, he quickened his pace and caught up with the two people in front of him.


    Although their main job was to escort the Crown Prince, they all knew that with the general around, there was no need for them at all. This trip was basically a vacation that was gifted to them by the emperor.


    Xiaoyi looked at the door that was getting closer and closer. A familiar and strange feeling welled up in his heart.


    Thinking about Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s expression when they met later, his heart was filled with joy. He quickened his pace and overtook Jiang Danhe.


    The dogs in the courtyard were very intelligent. Although they were not familiar with Xiaoyi, Jiang Danhe was someone whom they recognized. He quickly intercepted the dogs in advance to prevent them from barking. Otherwise, they would have woken up Zhuang Zhuang who was sleeping soundly.


    Xiaoyi ran towards the kitchen with his school bag slung over his shoulder. He opened the door and lifted the curtain, but the smile on his face froze as soon as it appeared.


    There were six pairs of eyes looking at each other in the kitchen, and an awkward atmosphere lingered in the air.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling leaned against each other cautiously, not daring to look at Xiaoyi.


    Xiaoyi gripped the curtain tightly and leaned against the door. Feeling confused as he looked at the two girls, wondering to himself who they were, He didn¡¯t think that he had met them before.


    The two girls were terrified when they saw Xiaoyi sizing them up. Although the person in front of them was just a child, it might be fine if they didn¡¯t know his identity. However, if they knew his identity, they could no longer treat him as any normal kid.


    Fortunately, the strange atmosphere between the three of them was promptly interrupted by Xiaoguo¡¯s entrance.


    After a brief introduction, Xiaoyi took the initiative to greet Yuling and Xiaozhu. He wasn¡¯t a shy person to begin with, and he didn¡¯t put on any airs.


    However, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were not as unreserved as him. They still felt a tad uncomfortable in his presence.


    Seeing how reserved the two of them were, Xiaoguo had no choice but to separate the three of them. Otherwise, the problem was not going to resolve itself if they continued standing there.


    ¡°Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling, can you help to watch the fire? I¡¯ll bring Xiaoyi into the house first.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    As soon as she said that, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling nodded their heads readily.


    Xiaoguo snickered and led Xiaoyi into the house.


    Xiaoyi took two steps forward while being led away by Xiaoguo. Even so, he did not forget to turn around and wave goodbye at them with a smile.


    Although he didn¡¯t know why they were looking at him strangely, he was looking forward to meeting new friends.


    Xiaoguo noticed his little actions and she turned her head to look at the two little girls who seemed to have been struck by lightning. She couldn¡¯t help but smile helplessly to herself.


    ¡°Auntie, is Zhuang Zhuang awake?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. It will probably take a while.¡±


    Xiaoguo lifted the door curtain. Jiang Danhe, who had just returned after washing up, also followed them into the room.


    When Xiaoyi saw Zhuang Zhuang on the bed, he ran forward excitedly. After placing his bag on the bed, he quickly lay down beside Zhuang Zhuang. Supporting his face with his hands, he looked at his friend with a burning gaze.


    The smile on his face was almost reaching his ears.


    The friendship between the two little boys didn¡¯t fade away with the passage of time, even though they could not meet each other frequently.


    As if sensing something in his dream, Zhuang Zhuang frowned slightly. Just as everyone was holding their breath and thinking that he was going to wake up, Zhuang Zhuang smacked his lips and stopped moving in the next minute.


    Xiaoyi was so frightened by him that he could barely breathe. His surprise plan had not been executed yet, so he couldn¡¯t let it end so hastily.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was showing no signs of waking up, Xiaoguo decided to let him sleep a little longer. She would wake him up before breakfast.


    She was planning to leave the room with Jiang Danhe first. In any case, the little guy wouldn¡¯t wake up so soon. She would leave Xiaoyi to accompany him.


    Before Jiang Danhe left, he glanced at Zhuang Zhuang with an ambiguous expression. The corners of his mouth were curling up involuntarily.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo happened to see the corners of his mouth curl up before he could stop himself. She looked curiously around the room but she didn¡¯t notice anything that looked funny.


    Jiang Danhe stopped smiling and shook his head. Half-hugging her, he went with her to wash up.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you washed up already?¡±


    Xiaoguo struggled for a moment, but the other party was quite strong.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wash up again with you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said as he pushed her forward, seemingly trying to get her out of the room as soon as possible.


    Xiao Guo looked at him strangely. ¡°Is he not feeling well? Why is he still accompanying me to wash up after he was done? Could it be that he couldn¡¯t leave me even for a minute?¡±


    Ahem, she was feeling a little shy¡­


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Jiang Danhe pinched her blushing cheeks and looked at her curiously. Why had her face turned so red?


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not telling you!¡±


    Xiaoguo turned her head away from him in embarrassment.


    In the end, she was just overthinking things, but she was not going to admit it.


    ¡ª-


    At this moment, only Xiaoyi and Zhuang Zhuang were left in the room.


    Xiaoyi wanted to be the first person that Zhuangzhuang sees when he wakes up, so he tried to keep still as much as possible. His arm that was propping him up had become a bit sore.


    However, remembering his plan, he only moved his numb arms and carefully searched in his backpack for a monster mask, before putting it on his face.


    He was trying to imagine the surprise on Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face when he woke up and saw him in this disguise. Zhuang Zhuang would definitely cry out in surprise. This was going to be a big surprise¡ªdefinitely bigger than the one that the others had prepared for him.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    Just as he was immersed in his fantasy, a wave of drowsiness hit him. His eyes slowly became blurry, and his little head started nodding off, almost hitting Zhuang Zhuang in the face.


    Eventually, he succumbed to his drowsiness and fell asleep right beside Zhuang Zhuang.


    The little one had woken up early and must have been very tired. It was pretty impressive that he could hold out for so long.


    When the sounds of Xiaoyi¡¯s snores reached Zhuang Zhuang, who was pretending to be asleep, he opened his eyes helplessly and looked at the ghost mask beside him.


    He had promised to surprise him, but how did it end up like this¡­?


    Should he pretend to be surprised or very surprised later? Either way, it was a difficult task for him as he wasn¡¯t good at acting.


    In order to surprise someone, shouldn¡¯t he be extra careful¡­?


    Zhuang Zhuang sat up and waved his hand in front of Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes a few times, only to discover that the other person was sleeping even more soundly than him. He was thinking of waking Xiaoyi up and pretending to still be asleep himself, but it seemed that it was not going to work.


    After watching him for a long time, there was no sign of his friend waking up.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang was feeling a little regretful. He shouldn¡¯t have woken up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet.


    If he had not done that, he would not have realized that his father had returned. If he had not realized that, he would not have gotten so excited that he could not fall asleep.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he couldn¡¯t fall asleep, he wouldn¡¯t have woken up so early. If he hadn¡¯t woken up so early, he wouldn¡¯t have heard about the surprise activity that Xiaoyi had mentioned.


    If he hadn¡¯t heard about the surprise event that Xiaoyi was going to present to him, he wouldn¡¯t have landed himself in this awkward situation.


    Last night, Zhuang Zhuang was half-asleep when he was carried to the toilet. Therefore, he didn¡¯t think much about it. However, when he returned to bed, he suddenly woke up in shock.


    His mother wasn¡¯t that strong. Not that he was exaggerating, but his mother definitely couldn¡¯t withstand his weight. The question was, ¡°Who is the one who carried me to the toilet?¡±


    A third person in the darkness¡­


    Countless guesses flashed through his mind and every single one of them terrified him.


    Emboldened, he secretly got up and looked at the bed. The room was pitch-black, so he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly.


    However, he remembered that there was a luminous stone under his mother¡¯s pillow. She had placed it under her pillow in case they needed illumination at night.


    Zhuang Zhuang secretly took out the luminous stone from under her pillow.


    After taking it out, he shone it towards the side of the bed. This frightened him so much that he almost lost his grip on the stone.


    Why was his father at home?! Was he dreaming or was he hallucinating?!

 Chapter 439 - 439 Surprise... Gone Wrong

    439 Surprise¡­ Gone Wrong


    Zhuang Zhuang blinked in disbelief and rubbed his eyes vigorously.


    Although it was hard to believe, his father had appeared suddenly just like that. It was absolutely the real deal. Nothing more, nothing less.


    Ahem, sorry to digress.


    After Zhuang Zhuang recovered from his surprise, although his mind was still in a mess, he knew that if he took too long, he would wake the two of them up. Hence, he decided to put away the luminous stone.


    But at this moment, Jiang Danhe, who was supposed to be sleeping soundly, suddenly opened his eyes.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand shook and his heart felt like it was about to go numb from the shock. When he took another look, he found that his father¡¯s eyes were shut. He didn¡¯t open his eyes at all.


    Zhuang Zhuang thought he was seeing things, and couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    Perhaps it was his first time doing something on the sly, therefore he was feeling a little nervous.


    After calming himself down, Zhuang Zhuang placed the luminous stone back in its original spot. Then, he crawled under the blanket and tried to get back to sleep. However, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all.


    Smart as he was, Zhuang Zhuang couldn¡¯t figure out the reason for his father¡¯s sudden return.


    Suddenly, a thought flashed across his mind. ¡°Did he come back for my birthday¡­?¡±


    When he thought of this possibility, the little guy couldn¡¯t suppress the joy in his heart.


    Coupled with the strange behavior of his mother and the others during this period of time, Zhuang Zhuang finally understood everything.


    ¡°So that was why!¡± He was truly, truly, truly overjoyed.


    Jiang Danhe, who had opened his eyes earlier to tease him on purpose, had shut his eyes at this moment. He was listening to the boy¡¯s small movements in the darkness. The corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily. ¡°That¡¯s my cute and silly son.¡±


    ¡ª-


    Speaking of which, Xiaoyi was still sleeping soundly. Even when Zhuang Zhuang got up to get dressed, took off his mask and his shoes, and covered him with a blanket, there was no reaction from him.


    Before Zhuang Zhuang left, he looked at Xiaoyi solemnly. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve given you a chance. Forget it. Just sleep well. I¡¯ll wake you up before dinner.¡±


    After saying the words silently in his mind, he left the room and closed the room door after him.


    When Zhuang Zhuang came out, his eyes were lit up by the decorations in the main hall.


    There were twice as many streamers as there were last year. At this moment, they had filled up the entire ceiling. Little figurines that were the mini versions of Zhuang Zhuang were hanging from the straps of each flower decoration. Although the drawings were mediocre, the effort put in was monumental.


    Looking at the familiar and unusual style of illustration, he could easily tell who had drawn it. Besides his mother, who was adorable and skilled in both literature and martial arts but bad at drawing, who else could it be?


    From the moment Zhuang Zhuang found out that there was a birthday surprise for him, he had been looking forward to it. He felt very regretful and ashamed for thinking that his mother didn¡¯t love him.


    With a quick dash into the kitchen, Zhuang Zhuang lifted the curtain and grinned at the few people, saying, ¡°Thank you for the surprise you¡¯ve prepared for me!¡±


    The people in the kitchen were stunned for a moment. They thought that it was Xiaoyi who had come in. Unexpectedly, it was the protagonist who had made an early appearance.


    Apart from Jiang Danhe, everyone else was very shocked.


    Zhuang Zhuang pounced on Xiaoguo¡¯s back and said happily, ¡°I knew it! Mother wouldn¡¯t forget my birthday¡­¡±


    ¡°I definitely would not forget your birthday.¡±


    Xiaoguo wrapped her arms around Zhuang Zhuang. Although it was a little different from the surprise she had imagined, it was not a big deal. The most important thing was that the boy was happy.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Xiao Zhu and Sister Yu Ling.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was looking extremely cute as he thanked everyone while he was still in his mother¡¯s arms.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling shared a common trait that many young girls have, which is a love for cute things. Zhuang Zhuang had always been cute in their eyes, but today, he looked even more adorable.


    When they heard the little cutie thank them, the two girls became all starry-eyed. The little boy was really too cute¡­


    Jiang Danhe put down his spoon and squatted down to look at Zhuang Zhuang. He asked in a jealous manner, ¡°What about me?¡±


    The blushing Zhuangzhuang made up his mind and let go of Xiaoguo. Without hesitation, he threw himself into his father¡¯s arms and hugged him tightly, saying, ¡°Thank you, Father¡­ and I love you.¡±


    When saying the words ¡°I love you¡±, he spoke in a very soft voice. Right after saying that, he hid his head against Jiang Danhe¡¯s neck, feeling so shy that he couldn¡¯t face anyone.


    It was true that Zhuang Zhuang constantly expressed his love for Xiaoguo, but it was the first time he was saying those words to Jiang Danhe. The feeling was awkward and mildly gratifying at the same time.


    Jiang Danhe was momentarily stunned and he couldn¡¯t hide the joy that was emerging in his eyes. He looked at Xiaoguo anxiously for affirmation. ¡°Did you hear that? Zhuang Zhuang said that he loved me!¡±


    Xiaoguo also looked very happy. She nodded silently, and did not disrupt the wonderful atmosphere between the father and son.


    Jiang Danhe felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest. This was the first time Zhuang Zhuang had declared his love for him. He immediately thought of countless ways to reply to him, but none of them were as sincere as this sentence.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    He wrapped his arms tightly around the little man in his arms and stroked his little shoulders. A special connection between flesh and blood instantly surged through his heart.


    Jiang Danhe imitated Xiaoguo¡¯s usual actions and stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s round head stiffly and carefully.


    Zhuang Zhuang lay quietly in his father¡¯s arms, enjoying his caress. His heart was filled with joy. He really liked his father, and he was so happy that he could come back in time.


    ¡ª-


    Breakfast was already served, but there was still no sign of Xiaoyi waking up. He was still sleeping comfortably by himself, tossing and turning in the bed that belonged entirely to him.


    Zhuang Zhuang watched as Xiaoyi rolled over again before reaching out to wake him up.


    To be honest, he didn¡¯t quite have the heart to wake his friend up. He was sleeping so soundly, and it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to wake him up halfway through his sleep.


    However, no matter how inappropriate it was, he had to wake him up. The buns that his mother had steamed today were especially fragrant. It would be a pity if he didn¡¯t get to eat them while they were hot.


    Zhuang Zhuang nudged Xiaoyi, but the little guy only waved his arm and turned away in frustration, showing no signs of waking up.


    Feeling helpless, Zhuang Zhuang started shaking and calling out to him, ¡°Xiaoyi, wake up. It¡¯s time to eat¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m up¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi¡¯s words and actions were contradicting each other.


    The more he said, the more lazy he felt.


    ¡°Xiaoyi, wake up. It¡¯s time to eat¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awake¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not awake at all! Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi!!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had never met anyone who was more of a bedhead than himself. However, he was not as patient as Xiaoguo. After all his violent efforts, the other party still showed no signs of waking up. Suddenly, an idea came to him.


    ¡°Xiaoyi, what are you doing here?¡±


    The sleeping Xiaoyi was listening subconsciously to Zhuang Zhuang. What was he here for? There was supposed to be a surprise¡­ A surprise!!


    At the thought of this, the little guy woke up immediately. He sat up abruptly and his blurry eyes instinctively locked onto Zhuang Zhuang, who was snickering.


    It took him a long time before he came back to his senses and slowly accepted the fact that his surprise plans had gone down the drain.


    ¡°I actually fell asleep¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi did not want to face reality. There was no one dumber than him in this world. He had failed to deliver a surprise and had even made a fool of himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s considered a surprise too. I¡¯m very happy to see you! Very, very happy!¡±


    Xiaoyi smiled shyly in response to the warmth and comfort that he just received.


    Although the surprise didn¡¯t work, Xiaoyi¡¯s appearance was the biggest surprise for Zhuang Zhuang.


    Just when he thought that Xiaoyi was going to say some touching words, the other party only scratched his head and asked with wide eyes, ¡°Is the food ready yet?¡±


    He vaguely heard someone mention that there was some delicious food.


    Zhuang Zhuang sighed helplessly. ¡°Yes, get up and eat.¡±


    What was he even expecting from Xiaoyi?


    Xiaoyi swore that he had never gotten out of bed with so much speed and motivation. If the people who served him in the palace saw this, their jaws would probably drop.


    Was this the same crown prince that they had to threaten, coax, and persuade to get out of bed? He must have been switched out along the way.


    Even though it was hard to believe, this miracle really did happen, but they would never get to witness it for themselves. This miracle would only happen when Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo were around.


    Those palace attendants would never have thought that Xiaoyi would dress and wash up himself, fold the bed sheets, and eat so much when he was away from the palace.

 Chapter 440 - 440 Hot and bustling

    440 Hot and bustling


    There were all kinds of delicacies in the palace¡ªfrom flying birds to land animals and even sea creatures. It was no exaggeration to say that just breakfast alone was enough to fill a big table.


    But no matter how delicious the food was, Xiaoyi had no appetite for it.


    He usually takes only a few bites from each dish, and if he takes one bite too many, the servants would remove the dish from the table. Even if he liked a particular dish, he could not express his fondness for it and can only say that ¡°it¡¯s alright¡±. Similarly, if he disliked a dish, he couldn¡¯t express his distaste for it and can only say ¡°it¡¯s alright¡±. If he comes across a dish that is mediocre, he could only describe it as such.


    In short, he had to describe every dish as ¡°alright¡±.


    Before this, he still had some freedom, but things were becoming more restrictive in the palace. He couldn¡¯t make decisions about what he eats and drinks, and he had almost no time for leisure. All his time was now spent on studying, writing poetry, and accompanying his father to court.


    All he could hear on a daily basis were the reports from the ministers. Every day, there was someone telling him about the things that he cannot do and the things that he cannot touch. He even has to avoid getting caught when watching ants move on a cloudy day, otherwise he could get reprimanded if someone saw him doing that.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes darkened.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was handing the peeled eggs to Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi.


    Zhuang Zhuang smiled sweetly at Xiaoguo. Then, he put down the buns and picked up the eggs to eat.


    Xiaoyi didn¡¯t move an inch. He continued to chew on the bun while staring blankly at the eggs on the plate.


    Xiaoguo looked at him curiously. Thinking that the eggs were out of his reach, she pushed the plate closer to him.


    Just then, Xiaoyi was jolted from his thoughts. His heart started to pound when he looked up and saw Xiaoguo smiling at him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Although Xiaoguo was shocked by the boy suddenly looking up, she still said gently, ¡°Eat more. You have to eat your fill for breakfast. You will grow taller when you eat more.¡±


    It had been a long time since he had heard someone say the words ¡°eat more¡±.


    Xiaoyi held back his tears and nodded. Then, he shifted all his attention to the dining table. With gleaming eyes, he picked up a bun with his left hand and an egg with his right.


    He took turns to eat the buns, eggs, and porridge. In between, he would take a few bites of the pickled vegetables that Xiaoguo had added to his bowl.


    It was a simple meal, but it was the most comfortable, filling, and satisfying meal Xiaoyi had eaten in the past few months.


    Ruyi and the others arrived when they had just finished clearing up the table.


    The group had headed out early in the morning, hoping to reach Xiaoguo¡¯s place as soon as possible.


    Xiaoguo had invited them not only for Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday, but also because she was hoping to meet up with everyone.


    It had been a few months since the last gathering. Everyone had been very busy in the meantime, so taking a day off to rest was a good idea. Besides, a gathering like this could help strengthen their relationships and was beneficial for bonding.


    The weather was too cold, and there was not enough room to fit so many people in the carriage. Hence, Qin Anming and Shu Botong, who were in their prime, sat outside to drive the carriage, while Ruyi sat in the carriage with the girls and Uncle Xu.


    Zhuang Zhuang stood at the door and welcomed the guests to express his gratitude.


    Qin Anming stroked Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s head and praised him for being cute and sensible. He praised the little guy so much that he almost floated into the sky.


    As for Xiaoyi¡¯s identity, Xiaoguo had learned her lesson. She simply told everyone that he was Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s friend to avoid causing unnecessary panic among the group.


    As they were walking into the house, Qin Anming suddenly grabbed hold of Xiaoguo.


    He led her to a quiet place and Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but feel curious about his mysterious behavior.


    When they came to a stop, she asked eagerly, ¡°Brother? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo was feeling a little excited at this moment. She didn¡¯t know why she was feeling so excited.


    Qin Anming looked at her strangely and said, ¡°I bought two hens for Mrs. Yang. I didn¡¯t attend the babies¡¯ one month birthday the last time. Come with me when I pay her a visit later.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. What else could it be?¡±


    Qin Anming asked curiously. Xiaoguo had been behaving strangely since just now. What could be the reason?


    Xiaoguo put away her disappointed expression and patted his shoulder. For a second, she thought he had come to his senses and was going to ask for her help to propose to Ruyi.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Qin Anming was feeling confused. ¡°Why is she behaving so strangely and not finishing her sentences? This is quite annoying.¡±


    Xiaoguo waved her hand and said nothing. It seemed that she would have to find a chance to chat with him later.


    ¡°What exactly is going on?¡±


    Qin Anming chased after Xiaoguo, looking determined to find out the truth.


    But who was Xiaoguo? If she told him now, Qin Anming might become shy and hide from everyone. Hence, no matter how much the other party pressed her, she simply refused to tell him anything.


    Qin Anming had no choice but to give up. ¡°Forget it, forget it. Just remember to come with me to Mrs Yang¡¯s house later.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go now, and we can invite them over at the same time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡±


    Anytime was fine.


    The two of them went to the courtyard and took out two live chickens from the carriage.


    Xiaoguo looked at the two chickens that were flapping their wings. She swallowed hard. So they were live chickens. She thought that Qin Anming had brought slaughtered chickens.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and followed him to the Yang residence.


    ¡ª-


    After Mrs Yang and her family arrived, everybody started preparing lunch.


    The women were all kept busy in the kitchen. Other than Uncle Xu, the men were also helping out.


    Although most men would stay away from the kitchen in the Shao Nation, the men who were present at this gathering did not care much about this.


    The reason why Uncle Xu was not in the kitchen was very simple. After losing the last competition, Uncle Xu almost burned down the kitchen when he tried to start a fire. Just this incident alone was scary enough.


    It was better to let him look after the children.


    This was the first time Xiaoyi had seen babies this small. He watched them curiously for a long time. When he realized that they were both little boys, he felt extremely happy. He loved playing with boys. Girls were too delicate.


    It was no wonder that he thought that way. Many ministers in the capital had sent their children to the palace to play with Xiaoyi. However, those kids were all too proper. The boys were so obedient, let alone the girls. Xiaoyi wanted to invite one girl to climb up the tree and play with him, but she only knew how to cry.


    To summarize, he still liked to play with Zhuang Zhuang the most. Next was Xiaohu, because he was very good at climbing trees and playing in the rivers.


    He was not fond of playing with the delicate children in the capital at all. They were all so boring.


    Although there were many people in the kitchen, it was not chaotic at all. Instead, it was very orderly. Some of them were washing vegetables, some were cutting vegetables and stir-frying, some were tending to the fire, washing pots, and adding water, while others were kneading dough, rolling it out, and cutting noodles. Everyone had their own tasks.


    ¡°My mother¡¯s hand-made noodles are very chewy. You¡¯ll understand when you eat them. I¡¯m not boasting at all.¡±


    Mrs Yang said as she cut the vegetables.


    ¡°Then I have to eat more later.¡±


    Shu Botong was a very sociable person. It didn¡¯t take long for him to become good friends with everyone.


    ¡°It¡¯s absolutely delicious. Once you eat it, you will keep craving it.¡±


    After Mrs Yang finished speaking with a smile, Old Mrs. Yang also smiled and said in embarrassment, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. It¡¯s just simple noodles. They¡¯re not that good.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re too humble. I still remember the taste after eating it the last time.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s words piqued everyone¡¯s interest.


    ¡°When did you eat it?¡±


    Xiaoguo put down the shovel and turned to ask curiously. Since his return, he had never eaten at the Yang residence.


    Jiang Danhe said with a poker face, ¡°When I was in my teens.¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter.


    How could he possibly remember the noodles from more than ten years ago? Even if he wanted to praise someone, he didn¡¯t have to be so exaggerated. It was hilarious. So, everyone was extremely tickled by his words.


    Just like that, Jiang Danhe¡¯s unintentional joke had boosted the morale of everyone in the kitchen. Because of that, the cooking was done very quickly. In no time, two large tables full of dishes were made amid laughter and joy.


    Xiaoguo had found out about everyone¡¯s preferences in advance, and prepared a special menu for her guests. Everyone¡¯s favorite dishes were present on the table.


    Spice Chicken, Mapo Tofu, Di Sanxiang, Sweet and Sour Fish, Vinegar Cabbage, Cabbage Heart in Golden Soup, Carbon Grilled Pork Chop, Marinated Pork Knuckle, Saut¨¦ed Pork Knuckle, Eggplant Meat, Tomato Eggs, Celery Shrimp, Lion¡¯s Head, Mushrooms and Vegetables, Cold Vegetable Assorted Sauce, and Stir-Fried Pork belly.

 Chapter 441 - 441 Unexpected Accident

    441 Unexpected Accident


    More than a dozen people gathered around the two tables and ate to their hearts¡¯ content.


    The group spent time together until the afternoon. If not for the fact that Ruyi and the others had to rush back before dawn, they would have played until night time.


    Night fell.


    Xiaoguo lay on the bed and closed her eyes to rest.


    At this moment, she was the only one in the room. Jiang Danhe had brought the two children to take a bath. She had just taken her bath a while ago.


    Not long after, Jiang Danhe came into the room. When he saw the woman with her eyes closed, he subconsciously lightened his footsteps.


    Since he was trained in martial arts, his footsteps were light to begin with. In addition to that, he had deliberately lightened his footsteps, therefore, he did not make a single sound when he entered the room.


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t sleeping. She was just resting with her eyes closed. Her relaxed nerves suddenly tensed up because she felt something rubbing against her hair.


    Instinctively, she opened her eyes and saw a handsome face with a serious expression.


    The owner of the handsome face paused and asked softly, ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sleeping at all.¡±


    Jiang Danhe continued to dry her hair. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that wet hair will make one fall sick? Doesn¡¯t that apply to you too?¡±


    The concern in the other party¡¯s voice was obvious. Xiaoguo¡¯s heart warmed up when she heard that. ¡°I¡¯ll remember it the next time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve said this before.¡±


    ¡°Really? Hehe.¡±


    Seeing that this was not working, Xiaoguo went into another mode¡ªfeigning ignorance.


    Jiang Danhe smiled and changed two towels before he managed to dry her hair completely.


    Xiaoguo waited for him to put down the towels before she sat up. There were no signs of the two boys in the house. She asked curiously, ¡°Where are the children?¡±


    ¡°They wanted to soak in the tub by themselves, so they chased me out.¡±


    Speaking of this, he felt very helpless. He had worked so hard to fill up their buckets, but in the end, he was driven out by them shortly after. This was a perfect example of killing the donkey when the grinding is done.


    ¡°Huh? Really? I thought you were going to take a bath with them.¡±


    Xiaoguo laughed and patted the space beside her, indicating for him to sit down. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to bathe alone later.¡±


    It was such a cold day. It was nice to hide under the covers as early as possible. Xiaoguo was feeling a little sorry for Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Jiang Danhe sat beside her and seemed to have thought of something. His tone changed and he said teasingly, ¡°If you feel sorry for me, why don¡¯t you bathe with me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    Xiaoguo blushed and watched awkwardly as the man moved closer and closer. She didn¡¯t dare to look around and could only try to push him away.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop making fun of you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled and grabbed her hands, which were pressed against his chest. He carefully placed them in his palms and stroked them.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s excitement gradually dissipated after he tried to calm her down. She could tell that Jiang Danhe was not in a good mood, so she asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Jiang Danhe lowered his head and continued stroking her hands. It was obvious that something was wrong. He didn¡¯t look fine at all.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll retract my hands and ban you from touching me,¡± she said in a half-threatening tone.


    As she spoke, she tried to withdraw her hands.


    Jiang Danhe looked up at her and didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he silently tightened his grip.


    Although he didn¡¯t say anything, Xiaoguo felt that it was more embarrassing than if he had said something.


    He was looking at Xiaoguo with a complicated expression. His smiling eyes that were filled with love, helplessness, and tolerance, were making Xiaoguo blush again.


    ¡°What did I just say?¡±


    Was she threatening him with the excuse that she wouldn¡¯t let him touch her hand? Had she overestimated herself or underestimated him? Her hand was not some prized possession, and yet she dared to make that statement. It was really quite embarrassing.


    Just as Xiaoguo was drowning in embarrassment, the other party spoke up.


    First, he let out a helpless sigh. Then, he said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll tell you. After all, I don¡¯t want to lose this pair of hands that I like so much.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Wait a minute, did he say that liked these hands?!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xiaoguo thought for a long time before saying,¡± My hands don¡¯t look good. They¡¯re not soft, tender, or smooth¡­ ¡±


    She wasn¡¯t a refined lady who did not have to do any chores. Whether in this life or in her previous life she had always been a hard worker. In her mother¡¯s words, even her choice of college major required her to work with her hands. She was simply destined to work throughout her entire life.


    While other girls had smooth and tender hands, her hands were marked with scars and cuts. These were caused by hot oil and kitchen knives when she learned cooking from her father. She had no shortage of calluses on her hands too.


    ¡°But I just love them.¡±


    Jiang Danhe interrupted her unhappily. Although it was Xiaoguo who was saying those things, he didn¡¯t want her to say anything bad about herself. To him, Xiaoguo was perfect in every way, so he didn¡¯t want to hear anyone talk bad about her, not even herself.


    ¡°I like everything about you. Anything that¡¯s related to you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at her sincerely, wanting to express his love for her through the window of his soul.


    Without having to speak, his attitude was enough to make Xiaoguo fall head over heels for him. And to make things worse, he had added that last sentence to his speech. Now she felt like her heart completely belonged to him.


    ¡°You¡­ are so good at sweet nothings. Did you learn it from somewhere?¡±


    As soon as the words left her mouth, Xiaoguo was petrified. Was she an idiot? Shouldn¡¯t she say something sweet at a time like this? For example, ¡°I like you no matter what. Or I like everything about you.¡± Then, the two of them would look each other in the eyes, and so on and so forth!


    Why did the atmosphere change when it came to her? The two of them were standing so close to each other that she could even see the corners of Jiang Danhe¡¯s mouth trembling as he held back his laughter.


    ¡°Hey, no way!¡±


    Xiaoguo lowered her head helplessly and said weakly, ¡°I feel like laughing¡­¡±


    ¡°Whenever I see you, I find it hard to suppress my joy. My heart and mouth become uncontrollable.¡±


    ¡°¡­Me too!¡±


    Xiaoguo seized the opportunity this time and did not say anything to ruin the atmosphere.


    Jiang Danhe was overjoyed to hear her confession. He cherished every single confession from Xiaoguo. Every time he thought of her, his heart would feel warm and fuzzy.


    Love that goes both ways is always beautiful.


    Just as the atmosphere was becoming quite harmonious, the two of them involuntarily moved closer and closer to each other.


    Just as their lips were about a melon seeds¡¯ width apart, something was brewing in another corner of the house.


    The two of them seemed to have forgotten that there were two little ones waiting to be carried out of the bathtub.


    The water was getting cold and Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi knew that they shouldn¡¯t stay in the tub any longer. Since no one cared about them, they had to take care of themselves.


    They stepped on the stool and got out of the bathtub. With each other¡¯s help, they completed the tasks of drying themselves and getting dressed.


    As soon as they came out, the cold air made the two of them shiver. Without delay, they immediately ran into the house.


    The sound of footsteps approaching could be heard by the two adults in the house. It was only then that Xiaoguo suddenly remembered that there were still two little ones who were coming in.


    Hence, she tried to sit up straight, but how could Jiang Danhe give up at this moment? He had to press on.


    ¡°It¡¯s right on the tip of my tongue! It¡¯s right on the tip of my tongue!!¡±


    Xiaoguo was shocked by him and she dodged frantically. Was he crazy? The thought of being seen by the children like this made her feel so shy that she was going to lose sleep over this.


    Jiang Danhe, with his thick skin, would not understand this.


    Suddenly, the door opened and Xiaoguo took the opportunity to push Jiang Danhe away with all her might.


    However, she accidentally exerted too much strength and pushed Jiang Danhe towards the door.


    Before the two of them could react, the door was pushed open from the outside. The person who pushed it was quite strong.


    Xiaoguo watched helplessly as the door frame hit Jiang Danhe¡¯s face and bounced back.


    She let out an involuntary gasp. She quickly got out of bed and put on her shoes to check on the situation. It sounded very painful.


    Zhuang Zhuang also felt the impact and he looked at Xiaoyi in shock, but the relief in his eyes was obvious.


    The two of them had just narrowly avoided being hit by the door that bounced back. Luckily, they dodged in time, otherwise it would have been very painful if they had been hit.

 Chapter 442 - 442 Remember to Miss Me

    442 Remember to Miss Me


    Jiang Danhe had been clenching his fists from the moment the door banged into him, and they had remained clenched until now.


    But he wasn¡¯t feeling angry, it was just that the impact had caused quite a bit of pain. The pain in his face was negligible, the most painful part was somewhere else on his body.


    Xiaoguo came to his side and held his handsome face in her hands. Her heart was aching for him.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    While asking him, she rubbed the bridge of his nose, which had turned red.


    The bridge of his nose was so high and prominent that it had absorbed most of the impact from the door frame. It feels really painful just thinking about it.


    ¡°Not so bad.¡±


    Fearing that Xiaoguo would worry, Jiang Danhe shook his head and tried to endure the pain.


    But Xiaoguo did not believe him at all. His face wouldn¡¯t have turned green if it didn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°Sit down quickly. Let me take a look.¡±


    In a moment of desperation, Xiaoguo was about to pull him to the bed when Jiang Danhe quickly stopped her. Cold sweat was breaking out on his forehead again.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll be fine after standing here for a while.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, really.¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was still trying to pull him away, Jiang Danhe quickly stopped her in fear. It was best for him to remain where he was.


    Xiaoguo thought that he was behaving strangely. Why did he have to stand there?


    Knowing that they had gotten into trouble, Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi slowly retracted their heads that were peeking into the room. The two looked at each other, with the words ¡°we¡¯re done for¡± written all over their faces.


    ¡°This¡­ When did you install the door handle? Why is it so low¡­?¡±


    After a while, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    He had suffered for no reason. If he had known that the door handle was installed at such a low position on the door, he wouldn¡¯t have just stood there foolishly. With his reaction speed, he could have easily avoided bumping into the door.


    ¡°The door handle?¡± Xiaoguo looked at the door. ¡°Oh¡­ I just installed this. The handle was made quite some time ago but I kept forgetting about it. But it¡¯s not really that low.¡±


    She had always found it hard to open the door without a handle, so she asked the craftsmen to make one for her. However, she never remembered to stick it on.


    Until one day, while looking for her clothes in the cupboard after her shower, she suddenly came across the door handle. Since she was free at that time, she took the opportunity to install it on the door. Otherwise, she might forget about it again.


    Xiaoguo pushed the door handle and smiled with joy, ¡°It¡¯s stuck so firmly on the door! Natural adhesives are really quite good, I must say!¡±


    Jiang Danhe lowered his head and thought to himself, ¡°Why am I so unlucky? I bumped into the handle right after it was installed¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the man who was not making a sound and felt even more puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does his nose hurt so much?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t the type who would kick up a fuss over the slightest pain, so Xiaoguo was speculating that his nose bridge might have been broken. This was a serious matter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. Let me see.¡±


    Xiaoguo furrowed her brows, pulled down his head, and carefully examined his nose.


    Other than the slight redness on his nose bridge, there were no other wounds. She touched his nose with her hand and found that there were no visible injuries.


    ¡°That is strange. The bridge of his nose looks fine. What is causing his discomfort?¡±


    Xiaoguo was extremely worried, but the other party simply refused to tell her. Xiaoguo had no choice but to touch him from head to toe, trying to figure out the source of the pain.


    How could he tell her the spot where he had been hit? The moment she reached out to touch him, he immediately endured the indescribable pain and dodged from her.


    At this moment, realization suddenly dawned upon Xiaoguo. She retracted her gaze and looked at Jiang Danhe awkwardly. The other party was also secretly looking at her. When their eyes met, both of them quickly looked away in embarrassment.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up.¡±


    Coincidentally, the pain had passed. Jiang Danhe quickly found an excuse to leave.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop him, because she already knew where he was hurting.


    Coupled with the question that he asked about the door handle earlier, her smart little brain immediately thought of the reason.


    The door handle was located at a position where she found it easier for her to exert strength, and that position was in front of Jiang Danhe¡¯s legs. So based on her bold guess, the handle must have bumped into him at his sensitive spot when the door opened towards him¡­


    Xiaoguo was extremely embarrassed. Even though Jiang Danhe had left the room, her shyness did not go away after a long time.


    It wasn¡¯t entirely her fault for sticking the handle so low. It was just that Jiang Danhe¡¯s legs were too long and the handle was at the same level as a certain part of his body, which resulted in the collision.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Wen Xiaoyi were listening to the commotion inside when the door suddenly opened. The two of them were shocked and leaned against the wall without daring to breathe.


    When Jiang Danhe passed by, he glanced at the two little boys hiding in the corner. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, he still made them feel uneasy.


    What were they waiting for at a time like this? Of course they were trying to seek Xiaoguo¡¯s protection.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Auntie¡­¡±


    Xiaoyi followed behind Zhuang Zhuang and ran towards Xiaoguo.


    However, what the two of them did not know was that they were not at fault in this accident. The biggest culprit was right in front of them.


    Xiaoguo looked at the two children who were seeking her protection and felt a mixture of emotions. It seemed that her fault was greater than the sum of their faults combined.


    After coaxing the two little ones to bed, she came out alone and looked outside. She realized that there was still light in the bathroom. Jiang Danhe was still inside.


    She had wanted to ask him if he was okay, but she ended up dozing off on the bed.


    When Jiang Danhe returned, the three of them were already sound asleep.


    Fortunately, Xiaoguo had left a space for him beside her. Otherwise, he would have to wake everyone up.


    As he had just come from outside, his body was inevitably cold. Xiaoguo, who was sound asleep, instinctively wrapped her arms around herself and moved closer to the two children.


    When Jiang Danhe saw this, he quickly rubbed his body with his hands. When his body temperature became slightly warmer, he reached out and brought Xiaoguo closer towards him.


    The person in his arms felt the familiar warmth and snuggled closer intuitively.


    Jiang Danhe chuckled in satisfaction and did not forget to cover her with a blanket. Then, he blew out the candle.


    ¡ª-


    In the next few days, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were simply basking in love.


    Xiaoyi had also spent an unforgettable little vacation here.


    Before leaving, he hugged Zhuang Zhuang reluctantly, not wanting to leave. In the end, he was carried into the carriage by the same person who brought him here. Even so, the little guy was crying so hard that his snot was flowing continuously. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that they were witnessing a life-and-death situation.


    Xiaoguo laughed out loud at the boy¡¯s dramatic behavior. Her reluctance to part ways with Jiang Danhe had mostly dissipated.


    Jiang Danhe pulled her to a spot and said hesitantly, ¡°I might not be coming back again within the year¡­¡±


    Taken aback for a moment, Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes shimmered with tears before she quickly regained her composure and nodded as if nothing was wrong, ¡°Are you not coming back for the New Year?¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t bear to say it out loud, so he just nodded in response to her question.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Xiaoguo forced a smile. ¡°Then you have to take good care of yourself.¡±


    Jiang Danhe only nodded and didn¡¯t say anything when he heard her words. However, he looked straight at her, hoping that she would say something.


    Xiaoguo smiled for a moment and asked cautiously, ¡°Are you really not coming back for the New Year?¡±


    It seemed that their family of three had never celebrated the Spring Festival together. Not even once¡­


    Jiang Danhe shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t get away. Xiaoguo, do you want to¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Jiang Danhe hesitated for a while before he finally gave up and shook his head casually.


    A look of disappointment flashed across Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes. Then, she smiled and nodded.


    As he got ready to set off, Jiang Danhe took the opportunity to kiss Xiaoguo. Under her shocked gaze, he smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll miss you. Remember to think of me.¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned for a moment before she started nodding vigorously. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you.¡±


    She would miss him very, very much.


    Jiang Danhe smiled and turned to leave. As he passed by Zhuang Zhuang, he kissed him on the cheek and gave him some careful instructions before setting off on his horse.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s reluctant gaze followed Jiang Danhe as he left, but the latter did not dare to look back. Otherwise he really wouldn¡¯t be able to resist taking her away with him.

 Chapter 443 - 443 Obsessed with Surprises

    443 Obsessed with Surprises


    Xiaoyi¡¯s reluctant voice brought Xiaoguo back to reality.


    After bidding farewell to his beloved Aunt Xiaoguo, he reluctantly left with the carriage.


    ¡°Goodbye, Xiaoyi¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, we have to keep in touch¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do that! Have a safe trip.¡±


    Although Zhuang Zhuang was young, he firmly believed that men don¡¯t cry. However, he was really feeling quite sad at this moment. With teary eyes, he waved at Xiaoyi, who was sticking his head out of the carriage.


    Xiaoguo smiled and waved at Xiaoyi together with Zhuang Zhuang.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s horse was at the front. He did not dare to look back at Xiaoguo.


    It was the same for Xiaoguo who did not dare to look at Jiang Danhe¡¯s back.


    He clearly had more to say just now, why didn¡¯t he continue? If he had continued, she might have agreed to it¡­


    Why didn¡¯t he continue?


    No matter how sad and reluctant they felt inside, Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo still turned to look at each other at the last minute when they were about to lose sight of each other.


    Immediately, the emotions welled up in their hearts and they could only suppress those feelings with their remaining rationality. Both of them couldn¡¯t bear to part with each other, feeling uneasy when they were apart for just one day. How were they going to endure the next few months without each other?


    ¡ª-


    Time flew by swiftly, and the sun and moon moved like shuttles. Everyday seemed to go by in a flash. Before one could even accomplish anything, the day was already over.


    It was almost New Year¡¯s Eve, but Xiaoguo didn¡¯t feel like it was the new year at all.


    Last year, she was so excited that she had already made preparations in advance at this time of the year. But this year she just didn¡¯t feel motivated at all. She was finding it hard to keep up with things.


    Mrs Yang had been nagging at her for a long time, but Xiaoguo looked like she wasn¡¯t paying attention at all. It was unclear if she was listening or not, since she only hummed occasionally in response to Mrs. Yang.


    Looking at Xiaoguo¡¯s listless appearance, Mrs. Yang became furious.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, hey!¡±


    Mrs Yang stuffed the baby into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and forced her to come back to her senses.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiaoguo hugged the child in confusion and looked at Mrs Yang with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°I see that your soul has left with Danhe.¡±


    Mrs Yang rolled her eyes at her. It had been so many days since he left, but she still looked so distracted. It was really worrying and heartbreaking to see her in this state.


    In her current condition, no one dared to let her venture out on her own, for fear that she might accidentally fall into a ditch without anyone knowing.


    Fortunately, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t try to go out. She usually didn¡¯t like going out, and now she liked it even less. She would rather stay at home all day, like a young lady in a boudoir.


    Hearing Jiang Danhe¡¯s name, Xiaoguo¡¯s hand that was patting the baby paused for a moment. Putting on a nonchalant expression, she said, ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very true!¡±


    Before Mrs Yang could speak, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling spoke at the same time.


    What followed next was a series of rants about Xiaoguo¡¯s strange behavior over the past few days. Mrs Yang couldn¡¯t help but smile when she listened to them.


    For example, Xiaoguo forgot to add salt to the stir-fry, she forgot to put water in the steamed rice, she forgot to put cornmeal in the corn porridge, she forgot to bring out her chopsticks for dinner, she didn¡¯t sleep at night and didn¡¯t wake up during the day, and the list goes on.


    Xiaoguo was embarrassed for a second, and at the same time, she could not remember the things that they had mentioned. Did she do all those things?


    Feeling indignant, she thought carefully before saying in a guilty manner, ¡°Um¡­ At least I didn¡¯t forget to start the fire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Xiao Zhu and I started the fire.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo thought that it was better to shut up.


    When Mrs Yang heard what Yu Ling said, she shook her head without saying anything.


    ¡°And the most important thing is that you almost paid more than double the money when you were buying the plates.¡±


    Yu Ling was still feeling shocked when she mentioned this.


    After the shop was fully renovated, the next thing to do was to buy the tools required for making desserts, as well as utensils like plates and spoons for serving the desserts.


    If not for Brother Botong¡¯s timely reminder when she was settling the bill, Xiaoguo would have lost more than double the cost of all the items.


    When this was brought up, Xiao Guo felt even more guilty and so she remained silent. Even if she wanted to defend herself, it was useless. After all, there was some truth to the things that they were saying, and she definitely had some recollection of these incidents. However, she didn¡¯t want to admit publicly that she couldn¡¯t live without Jiang Danhe.


    Mrs Yang looked at her in disdain and said, ¡°I think you should just go and look for Danhe. You can come back after the Spring Festival.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Mrs Yang¡¯s words enlightened Xiaoguo in that instant. She had to admit that she was feeling tempted.


    Before he left, Jiang Danhe was probably trying to ask her to spend the new year with him in the capital. However, for some reason, he didn¡¯t say anything. Therefore, she might as well just go and visit him directly.


    ¡°If the mountains can¡¯t come to me, then I¡¯ll go find the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law!¡±


    Xiaoguo grabbed her hand excitedly and shook it twice.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mrs Yang swallowed hard and looked nervously at the woman who had gotten worked up all of a sudden. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I can visit Jiang Danhe in the capital!¡±


    Xiaoguo let go of her hand and patted the startled baby in her arms. She said softly, ¡°Since Jiang Danhe can¡¯t come back, I¡¯ll secretly visit him and surprise him. How about that?!¡±


    ¡°Another surprise?!¡±


    Xiaozhu and Yuling looked at her in shock, not understanding why she was suddenly so obsessed with surprises. Last time, it was a surprise for Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday, and this time it was a surprise trip to the capital city.


    Xiaoguo was immersed in her own fantasy and had no time to pay attention to their suspicious gazes.


    However, she didn¡¯t stay excited for long before her excitement became deflated. ¡°Forget it¡­¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Mrs Yang¡¯s smile faltered and she asked in confusion. She felt that Xiaoguo¡¯s idea was very good. When she imagined the scene of the couple meeting again, she felt very happy for them. She was secretly wishing that she could be there and tell Yang Feng to stay away, while she secretly delivered the surprise herself.


    ¡°The animals in the house need me. I can¡¯t leave.¡±


    She definitely has to bring Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu along with her if she goes to the capital. Then there would be no one at home. The cow was pregnant and had a big appetite. It was also picky with its food. So there were a lot of chores that had to be done in the house.


    When Mrs Yang heard this, she waved her hand nonchalantly and said, ¡°That¡¯s not a big deal. Just let Yang Jia do it.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head repeatedly and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s too troublesome. How can I trouble him again?¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Mrs Yang said with a smile. ¡°He was feeling bad about borrowing books from your place on a daily basis. This is a good excuse for him to feel less uncomfortable about it.¡±


    Mrs Yang knew Yang Jia like the back of her hand. Each time, before he visited Xiaoguo¡¯s place to borrow books, he had to prepare himself mentally for a long time. If there was anything that he could help her with, he would be glad to do so.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she felt rather hopeful. However, there was still a trace of rationality in her. She said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask him first and make plans after he agrees to it.¡±


    Mrs Yang nodded. Although she knew Yang Jia well, it was better for Xiaoguo to ask him for the favor herself.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, if that doesn¡¯t work, Xiaozhu and I can stay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, right!¡±


    Although the two of them were looking forward to going to the capital, they could go there anytime since there is plenty of time.


    Besides, the priority was to create a surprise for Sister Xiaoguo and their brother-in-law.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We still have another candidate.¡±


    Xiaoguo had no qualms about using the person she had in mind.


    ¡°Who are you referring to?¡±


    Mrs Yang was as curious as Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling, so the three of them couldn¡¯t help but ask in unison.


    ¡°Shu Botong.¡±


    Shu Botong was like a title deed that had become bound to her. On the surface, the agreement was for her to take care of him until he grew old. However, from another perspective, it seemed more like a slave contract.


    And Shu Botong would never be able to escape from her grasp. ¡°Hehe.¡±


    As soon as the name was mentioned, the three of them nodded in understanding and said in unison, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    An ¡®evil¡¯ smile appeared on Xiaoguo¡¯s face. Shu Botong was going to be of great use.


    In the distance, Shu Botong couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he wrapped his cloak tightly around himself and continued to clean up. Unaware of what Xiaoguo was planning for him, he carried on with his work.

 Chapter 444 - 444 Argument

    444 Argument


    In the end, Shu Botong managed to escape unscathed. There was no need for him to look after the house. Rather, it was Yang Jia who took the initiative to look for Xiaoguo and volunteered to help her look after the house, after hearing about the matter from Mrs. Yang.


    ¡°I feel bad about having to trouble you again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not a tedious task and I could do with some exercise. It¡¯s winter and I can¡¯t stand being cooped up all day.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you again.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled in embarrassment.


    Yang Jia smiled and nodded. He was hoping to offer more help so that he would feel better about borrowing books from Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, when are we setting off?¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling asked eagerly when they saw Xiaoguo enter the house.


    The two of them had never been to the capital before. Just thinking about it made them feel excited.


    With each girl grabbing onto both of her arms, Xiaoguo was led to sit down on a chair.


    ¡°We leave the day after tomorrow?¡±


    At this hour, it was too late to set off today. She still had to pick up Zhuang Zhuang tomorrow and prepare the luggage. They wouldn¡¯t be able to leave until the day after tomorrow.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Is it winter in the capital too?¡±


    ¡°Do we need to bring some nicer clothes? It¡¯s the capital after all.¡±


    ¡°Do the people in the capital look like us?¡±


    ¡°Is the capital prosperous and bustling? Are there more people on the streets than in our county?¡±


    ¡°The capital¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo covered her ears helplessly. She wanted to answer their questions, but the two of them wouldn¡¯t give her a chance to speak!


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo covered the girls¡¯ mouths with both hands. In that instant, she felt like the world had fallen silent.


    ¡°The capital is not in another country. It¡¯s still part of Shao Kingdom, so they are having winter there too. Bring some warm clothes. We won¡¯t be back until after the New Year¡±


    ¡°The capital is at the feet of the emperor. It is definitely more prosperous than other places. It is more densely populated, and the people there are better off too. They all have two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and ears¡­¡±


    After answering their amusing questions, Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief.


    Their questions were to be expected. Recalling the time when she first visited the capital, she was also very curious about the place. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were younger than she was, so they must have even more questions in their mind.


    ¡ª-


    The next morning, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling took the initiative to stay at home to pack their luggages and prepare food for the animals.


    Xiaoguo arrived in the county alone.


    She first went to the noodle shop to inform Qin Anming. But to her surprise, he strongly disagreed with her. No matter how Xiaoguo persuaded him, he simply wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    ¡°Brother¡­ why?¡±


    Xiaoguo was going crazy. Her brows were furrowed like a caterpillar.


    ¡°No means no. It¡¯s too dangerous for a woman like you to visit the capital alone with three children!¡±


    ¡°I went there last time too.¡±


    ¡°That was different. The last time, you had the county chief and guards escorting you. How can it be the same?¡±


    Xiaoguo leaned over the table and rubbed her head helplessly. ¡°I asked the courier at the courier station to escort us to the capital. It¡¯s very safe. Really.¡±


    ¡°Do you know the situation outside the county?¡± Qin Anming turned around and looked at her. He said in an unusually serious tone, ¡°Just because Yonghai County is safe doesn¡¯t mean that other places are safe too!¡±


    ¡°Do you know that there are countless bandits lying in wait out there? What if something happens to you?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a girl traveling with three children by yourself. How can you be so reckless? What if something happens along the way? The last time, when we had to move the graves to the capital, I only felt at ease because there were a bunch of people traveling together. But you¡¯re actually thinking of going there on your own this time. Do you know¡­¡±


    ¡°I always thought that you had grown up, but you are still so naive¡­¡±


    Qin Anming hardly speaks in such a serious manner, and he was being quite resolute this time. There was no room for negotiations at all.


    Seeing his absolute attitude, Xiaoguo felt a little aggrieved. However, she refused to give up and continued to negotiate with him.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s fine. I can go by the same route that the officials use. The courier said that there won¡¯t be any danger.¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Qin Anming interrupted her and said, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    ¡°No means no!¡±


    ¡°Brother!!¡±


    Xiaoguo was feeling a little frustrated now. She couldn¡¯t understand why she couldn¡¯t go, as it wasn¡¯t much of a big deal.


    Qin Anming still looked unmoved. He turned his head away from her and continued with his work.


    Xiaoguo was more puzzled than sad. She didn¡¯t understand why the person who was always accommodating towards her was being so unreasonable today.


    At this moment, Ruyi quickly came over to smooth things over. She pulled Xiaoguo back to her room.


    ¡°Come, have some water.¡±


    Xiaoguo took the glass of water and took a long sip. She still looked very upset.


    Ruyi looked at her for a long time before she burst out laughing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always regarded Sister Xiaoguo as an adult in my heart. But today, I realize that you look so much like a little girl when Brother Anming was reprimanding you. Hahaha.¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t take it anymore and rolled her eyes at Ruyi. ¡°Look at how fierce your Brother Anming is. There¡¯s no room for me to retort.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve talked back to him quite a bit.¡± Ruyi blurted out the truth.


    A menacing gaze instantly swept across the room. She was so frightened that she immediately changed the subject and started badmouthing Qin Anming.


    After Xiaoguo had calmed down, Ruyi started explaining to her from Qin Anming¡¯s perspective, ¡°Some time ago, a family of three came to Yonghai County in dire straits and they were begging for food at our noodle shop. Taking pity on them, Brother Anming bought three bowls of noodles for them out of his own pocket.¡±


    ¡°From our casual conversation, we found out that they had traveled from Pingdu Town to the capital to look for their relatives. However, they bumped into a bunch of bandits while taking the official route. Beside getting robbed and beaten up, the girl, who had just turned 15, almost got raped by the gang. Fortunately, a group of people passed by and saved them.¡±


    ¡°This is the reason why Brother Anming didn¡¯t want you to visit the capital on your own. Although it¡¯s not common to run into bandits, you can¡¯t be too careful. He wouldn¡¯t feel safe if you traveled without any escorts by your side. Brother Anming is afraid that something will happen to you. We are living in chaotic times now.¡±


    ¡°The last time when you went to the capital, although there were soldiers escorting you, Brother Anming was so worried for your safety that he couldn¡¯t eat or sleep. Every day, he would go to the courier station or the county office in his free time, and find out news about you from those people who were returning from the capital.¡±


    The more Ruyi spoke, the more upset Xiaoguo became. She realized that Qin Anming was only trying to protect her because he cared about her. She felt guilty for getting angry with him.


    As Ruyi spoke, she suddenly paused and reached out to wipe the tears off Xiaoguo¡¯s face in a panic. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I shall stop talking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Xiaoguo wiped her tears with her sleeve. ¡°I¡¯ll go look for my brother now. Thank you, Ruyi. If you hadn¡¯t told me about it, I probably wouldn¡¯t have known.¡±


    Qin Anming definitely wouldn¡¯t tell her the things that Ruyi had just told her. He could have just explained the reason earlier on, but he chose not to do that and almost caused a misunderstanding.


    ¡°Go ahead, go ahead.¡±


    When Ruyi heard that she was going to look for Qin Anming, she nodded happily. The two of them were clearly very concerned about each other. They shouldn¡¯t be fighting at all.


    Xiaoguo wiped the tears off her face and opened the door to walk out. After taking two steps, she saw Qin Anming waiting in the distance.


    When he heard the door open, he froze in that instant. After a long pause, he turned around and said hesitantly, ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Qin Anming was stunned. Before he could apologize, Xiaoguo had beaten him to it.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being so naive. Brother was right. There are dangers everywhere in this world. I¡¯m just a helpless woman who was thinking of traveling alone with three kids. I was too impulsive and did not consider all the possible risks. Brother is doing this for my own good. I shouldn¡¯t have lost my temper at you. Besides¡­¡±


    Seeing that the other party was not saying a word, her tears started flowing like a tap that could not be turned off. The more she spoke, the more tears streamed down her face.

 Chapter 445 - 445 The Three of You

    445 The Three of You


    Qin Anming couldn¡¯t bear to see her crying like this. Feeling sorry for her, his eyes instantly turned red.


    He quickly took a few steps forward and patted her back while saying softly, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo felt even worse when she saw him behaving in this manner. She had almost lost her temper at the person who was expressing his concern for her. She was really too mean towards him.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m always thinking about myself and doing whatever I want, making you worry constantly about me.¡±


    She was used to being alone and making her own decisions. It was the same in her previous life. She had lived on her own without any siblings or close friends. But now, she almost forgot that she had a brother, and that she had someone who would worry about her and feel sorry for her.


    He loved her so much, but she almost broke his heart. How terrible was her behavior!


    ¡°You are always a little girl in my heart. I have almost forgotten that you¡¯re a mother, and an opinionated adult. I believe that you¡¯ll consider all the possible outcomes before making any decisions. Am I right?¡±


    Qin Anming patted her head sympathetically and continued, ¡°So, I¡¯ve decided to go with you. Forgive me, but I¡¯m still worried about you going there by yourself, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Boohoo¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo felt like kneeling down. She was really blessed to have such a good brother!


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Disregarding the difference between genders, Qin Anming gently embraced her. At that moment, he once again realized that she had grown so tall, and was no longer the little girl who moped for a long time after losing her tooth¡­


    Xiaoguo leaned into his arms, and felt like slapping herself for behaving so aggressively towards him. She wouldn¡¯t be able to find such a good brother anywhere else in the world.


    Seeing that she was crying even harder, Qin Anming hesitated for a moment before lifting her up.


    ¡°Woo¡­ Huh?¡±


    Xiaoguo, who was crying with all her heart, opened her teary eyes. Her tears instantly stopped flowing. Had she ascended into the sky?


    Qin Anming lifted her up and put her down three times in a row. He said awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s a tossing game¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was still feeling a little confused when she was put down.


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t dare to look into her eyes. He scratched his cheek awkwardly and said, ¡°You were so cute when you were young. That¡¯s what our father did to make you stop crying.¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned. Is it really so coincidental?


    She used to cry a lot when she was young. And her father would always lift her up and say those same words.


    Was this something that all fathers in the world do to pacify their kids? Or was this just a coincidence?


    ¡°I¡¯ll apply for leave from Ruyi now. We¡¯ll set off the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Without giving her time to think, Qin Anming patted her head and walked past her, heading towards Ruyi¡¯s room.


    Xiaoguo turned around with the intention of calling out to him. But looking at his determined back, she stopped herself.


    Right after that, she chuckled to herself. ¡°Let¡¯s all go together. Otherwise, he will get very worried if he cannot see me.¡±


    It was really her blessing to have a brother who was constantly thinking about her. It was a pity that she was an only child in her previous life and did not have the chance to experience the joy of having a sibling.


    After leaving the noodle shop, Xiaoguo went to Mr. Kong¡¯s house. It was also the day for Zhuang Zhuang to return home like he usually did.


    Afraid that the little guy would continue to sit on the small stool and wait for her, she tried her best to be on time, reaching there as soon as the morning class ended.


    And she made it right on time. Zhuang Zhuang had just packed his bag and came out of the room when he saw Xiaoguo waiting in the house.


    ¡°Mother¡­ you¡¯re so early today¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he smiled and pounced on her to hug her. After not seeing her for a few days, he missed his mother very much.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, let me ask you something. Shall we go to the capital to visit your father?¡±


    ¡°Visit Father? Really?!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang looked at her in disbelief.


    Xiaoguo nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll come back after the new year.¡±


    Some time ago, Zhuang Zhuang was feeling upset that his father wasn¡¯t coming home for the Spring Festival. He didn¡¯t expect his mother to bring him to visit his father. That was awesome.


    Madam Kong looked at the two of them with a smile. Xiaoguo had told her about the plan and she fully supported her decision. The Spring Festival was a time for reunions. Her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson were also coming over to visit the two of them during the new year.


    ¡°Let¡¯s inform Mr. Kong to let him know that we are taking time off.¡±


    After saying that, Xiaoguo was about to bring Zhuang Zhuang to look for Mr. Kong when Madam Kong stopped her and said,


    ¡°Sit and wait. He¡¯ll be out in a while.¡±


    Mr. Kong had a habit of tidying up the desk and putting everything back in their original positions after each class.


    Under Mr. Kong¡¯s influence, Zhuang Zhuang became even more fastidious about keeping his things neat and tidy.


    After tidying up the study, Mr. Kong walked into the hall as Madam Kong had predicted.


    ¡°What are we having for lunch?¡±


    His voice sounded before he entered the room.


    Mr. Kong paused and blushed under his beard in the next instant. ¡°So, Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo are still here.¡±


    Madam Kong smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll cook whatever you want.¡±


    Mr. Kong walked towards his wife in an awkward manner and sat down by her side, while looking at the mother and son in embarrassment. He looked particularly awkward when his eyes landed on Zhuang Zhuang¡ªhis dignified image as a teacher was now in ruins.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang were chuckling to themselves silently. It turned out that the old couple¡¯s daily interaction was to talk about food. They were too cute.


    After informing Mr. Kong of the reason for taking leave, they successfully got his approval.


    When Zhuang Zhuang found out that he wouldn¡¯t be spending the New Year at home, he extended his greetings to the two elders in advance.


    After leaving the Kong residence, Xiaoguo felt that she had to inform Shu Botong as well. She was actually planning to invite him home for the Spring Festival before this.


    Even though she was going to leave for the capital, she wasn¡¯t worried about him feeling lonely during the festival, because Ruyi would definitely invite him over for the festivities.


    Although the two of them were always bickering when they met, they had already regarded each other as friends in their hearts. The little squabbles between friends were harmless.


    ¡°What?! You¡¯re going to the capital?!¡±


    Shu Botong¡¯s reaction was comparable to that of Qin Anming¡¯s.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s ears were hurting from the noise. She rubbed them uncomfortably and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost the Spring Festival. It¡¯s not safe to venture out of the county. It¡¯s best not to go.¡±


    Shu Botong was saying exactly the same thing as Qin Anming, which made Xiaoguo somewhat suspicious. ¡°Has it been so turbulent outside lately? Why is everyone saying the same thing?¡±


    ¡°Are there robbers on the official route?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. It¡¯s almost the Spring Festival. The people living on the mountains should be raising money for the new year.¡±


    Shu Botong was being very tactful. In this day and age, those who had no money would rob from others. It was best for women to stay home. It was too unsafe out there.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be very careful. Besides, my brother will be coming with me. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    It is important to stay safe when one is outside. Xiaoguo was thinking that she still had access to the ring space. If she encountered any bandits, she would pull everyone into the ring space to ensure that the bandits could not find them.


    However, the exact situation would depend on how things progress. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain to everyone the place that she had brought them to.


    No one could dissuade the fearless Xiaoguo from her plans. Seeing this, Shu Botong decided to shut up. However, his eyes were rolling in their sockets. He was definitely contemplating something.


    ¡ª-


    The next day.


    Xiaoguo and the children arrived at the courier station in the carriage that commutes from the village to the county. After paying for the fares, she got out of the carriage and saw¡­ a few people at the entrance of the courier station, waving at her.


    ¡°The three of you¡­¡±


    The bag on Xiaoguo¡¯s shoulders almost fell to the ground. What are these people trying to do?


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Hi¡­ Sister Xiaoguo, let¡¯s go to the capital together¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about leaving me behind.¡±


    Qin Anming saw Xiaoguo first and greeted her. Ruyi also waved at her happily. Shu Botong picked up his bag and raised his eyebrows at her.


    Their appearance had caught her off guard.


    By the time she realized what was going on, the group had seated themselves in the carriage.


    ¡°You¡¯re going too?!¡±


    Xiaoguo put down her bag and looked helplessly at the two people, who were chatting happily beside her.


    Ruyi and Shu Botong nodded in unison and said, ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°What about the shop?¡±


    ¡°What about the noodle shop and the two-story building?!¡±

 Chapter 446 - Chapter 446: Arriving at the Capital

    Chapter 446: Arriving at the Capital


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    To her surprise, when the two of them heard this, they looked very confident. They had made ample preparations before setting off.


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Xu and Xiaocui are still there. Everything has been arranged. There¡¯s no problem at all!¡±


    Shu Botong nodded immediately and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. All the necessary arrangements have been put in place. Before leaving the building, I had bought a few hardy and durable locks to lock up the place properly. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s very safe!¡±


    At this moment, the carriage had already set off. It was too late for Xiaoguo to say anything else. So be it. It would be much livelier with more people traveling with her.


    Yesterday, Shu Botong went to look for Qin Anming after Xiaoguo left the two-storey building. Coincidentally, Ruyi was also at the noodle shop. After some discussion, the three of them came up with a plan with the same goal in mind.


    They were not going to let Xiaoguo visit the capital alone. If she wanted to go, they would have to accompany her since there was strength in numbers. Moreover, they could spend some time enjoying themselves in the capital. Why not take advantage of the opportunity?


    Hence, the three of them decided to go together with her.


    ¡­..


    Fortunately, the people at the courier station were pretty accommodating. Seeing that there were a few more people joining Xiaoguo at the last minute, they prepared a larger carriage for them.


    Otherwise, they would have to travel in two carriages and trouble two couriers to escort them to the capital.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, Zhuang Zhuang, are you guys hungry?¡±


    Qin Anming asked as he took out the sesame seed cakes from his bag.


    The two of them shook their heads and Qin Anming turned to ask the others including the couriers who were seated outside the carriages. When he found out that they weren¡¯t hungry, he put the snacks back into his bag.


    ¡°Brother, have you brought dried food with you?¡±


    Xiaoguo noticed a bulging pack in his bag. At first, she thought it was clothes, but now she realized that it was a bag of dry food.


    ¡°Yes, the food is still hot. I have pies, steamed buns,and scallion pancakes.¡±


    This was his first time traveling to the capital, so he didn¡¯t know what to prepare. He only knew that most people bring dry food with them when traveling, so he brought some just in case.


    ¡°Brother, did you bring any clothes?¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, I forgot.¡±


    After Xiaoguo asked, Qin Anming suddenly realized that he had forgotten to bring extra sets of clothes because he was too caught up thinking about what snacks to bring.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll buy some clothes for you along the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Qin Anming nodded shyly and hugged Zhuang Zhuang, who was laughing at him. Then, he turned his gaze outside, refusing to look at the few people in the car who were trying to hold back their laughter.


    Ruyi looked at him with a broad smile. What should she do? Her dearest Brother Anming is so adorable. Just the thought of going on a trip with him to the capital filled her heart with so much joy.


    Xiaoguo covered her face and snickered to herself. Her silly brother was really quite cute.


    In any case, the weather was cold now, so the food stuff would not spoil easily. It was better to bring more with them.


    It was Ruyi¡¯s first time going on a long trip, and it was also her first time going to the capital. When she told the others in the shop last night, they were all feeling envious. If the situation allowed, she really felt like bringing everyone along with her.


    Although she was just a hitchhiker herself, she believed Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t mind her tagging along.


    With that thought in mind, Ruyi gave Xiaoguo a friendly smile. When Xiaoguo smiled in return, Ruyi looked outside the carriage in relief.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ So this is what it looks like outside the county. There are so many main roads here¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped smiling. Qin Anming was following her because he was worried about her. Xiaoguo could roughly guess why Ruyi was tagging along. However, she wasn¡¯t sure why Shu Botong was coming with them.


    Shu Botong sensed that someone was looking at him and instinctively turned around. He was stunned for a moment when he met Xiaoguo¡¯s gaze. In the next instant, he quickly looked away, pretending like nothing had happened.


    His subconscious actions made Xiaoguo even more certain that he had ulterior motives.


    Was this considered as his admission of guilt?


    Shu Botong secretly thought to himself, ¡°Did I reveal anything?¡¯


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were young and lively to begin with. Fortunately, the carriage was big enough for the two of them to play around in.


    Zhuang Zhuang was forced into his uncle¡¯s arms to share the awkwardness. He had wanted to get closer to his mother, but his uncle refused to let him go. Helpless, he had no choice but to give up.


    After all, it was very comfortable and warm in his uncle¡¯s arms, so he just leaned against him.


    In the military camp in the capital city, today was the monthly military drill.


    The soldiers on the training ground were filled with excitement. The other commanders were all feeling exhilarated when they saw this. If not for the fact that they were concerned about a particular high-ranking person, they would have joined in the drills themselves.


    Jiang Danhe sat in his elevated seat, with a blank and distracted look in his eyes. It is rare for him to be in this state.


    The two officers, who had been beaten up lightly, started discussing secretly between themselves.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the general?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°Has he been like this since yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday? He¡¯s been like this since he came back from his last break.¡±


    ¡°What did the deputy general say?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t dare to say anything.¡±


    ¡°What happened this time?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? It was ages ago.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I had just come back from my family leave after getting married.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I almost forgot. Anyway, for some reason, didn¡¯t you notice that the deputy general and all the other officers are avoiding the general like mice running away from the cat?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Now that you mention it, I remember. The last time our deputy general¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem, ahem!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem, ahem, stop it!¡±


    ¡°You have gotten so weak after getting married.¡±


    The officer with the fake cough rolled his eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯re so obtuse. No wonder you haven¡¯t gotten a promotion all this while.¡±


    Seeing that the other party still wanted to continue speaking, he decided to ignore him and quietly moved his stool away from the man.


    The officer, who was still talking excitedly, suddenly felt an inexplicable cold wind blow past him. He felt like someone was watching him from a distance.


    He thought to himself that something didn¡¯t feel quite right. Straightening his back, he stole a glance behind him. In that instant, he was petrified. The man seated closest to him could almost hear the sound of cracking bones coming from his body.


    Jiang Danhe retracted his gaze and exhaled softly. Then, he tried his best to focus on the arena.


    Could he just retire?


    After all, he was only a few years away from 30 years old, and he was only a few decades away from 70 years old.


    Time was passing so quickly that in the blink of an eye, it had flown past him. When he realized how much time had passed, he was startled. He was really getting old, and his daughter was still nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Forget it, forget it. It is better to be realistic. If only Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang could fly into my arms right now¡­¡±


    The others would definitely not realize that the general, who was so handsome and awe-inspiring, had such a vivid imagination.


    Jiang Danhe had no idea that the wife and son he had been longing for were getting closer and closer to him.


    The journey was much safer than Qin Anming had imagined. Apart from encountering some beggars and money collectors along the way, the group didn¡¯t come across any bandits. And that definitely eased Qin Anming¡¯s tense nerves.


    Qin Anming also kept a close watch on Xiaoguo throughout the journey. At the slightest sign of trouble, he would stand in front of her to shield her from any possible danger. However, the constant vigilance gave her a lot of anxiety, and she almost started to believe that she was a valuable and sought-after target. It felt as if people from all over the country were trying to kidnap her.


    Coincidentally, it was the time of year when people were rushing to the annual fairs that were being held all over the country. Along the way, the group shopped around and took short breaks in between. For the sake of safety, they chose to stay in inns. When they came across any local fairs, they would make a pit stop and join in with the locals, buying the clothes and food that they liked.


    By the time they reached the capital, all of them were carrying large and small shopping bags, as if they had just returned from a long shopping trip.


    The courier stopped the carriage at the general¡¯s residence.


    Ruyi, Yu Ling, and Xiao Zhu didn¡¯t have a chance to rest their eyes since they entered the capital. At this moment, their eyes were wide open as they looked at the door of the general¡¯s residence in disbelief.


    Swallowing nervously at the same time, they wondered if this was a place that they could enter.


    Xiaoguo got out of the car first. Looking at the familiar mansion, she smiled from the bottom of her heart. She couldn¡¯t stop smiling when she knew that Jiang Danhe was right there, inside the mansion.


    At the thought of seeing his father, Zhuang Zhuang was overjoyed. And so, he eagerly rushed into the house..

 Chapter 447 - Chapter 447: Familiar-looking Mother and Son

    Chapter 447: Familiar-looking Mother and Son


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    When the guards at the door saw the carriage stop at the entrance, they thought that the usual courier was here to deliver letters. However, when they saw someone get out of the carriage, they immediately straightened their posture and vigilantly observed the people who were alighting.


    A familiar-looking and beautiful woman appeared in their line of sight first. Before they could figure out who it was, they became puzzled when they saw a child come down from the car.


    A woman bringing a child to this place? To look for someone? Are they here to look for their family?


    As the guards were not allowed to leave their posts without orders, as much as they were curious, they could only watch from where they were standing. In their hearts, they were hoping that she would walk up the steps towards the entrance. In that case, they would have a reason to ask her why she was here.


    Under everyone¡¯s expectant gazes, Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks as she approached the steps. Without hesitation, she turned around and walked towards the carriage.


    The guards were extremely disappointed. They had been idling the whole day and were hoping to hear some juicy gossip. But it seemed like it was not going to happen.


    Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang to the front of the carriage and smiled sheepishly at the embarrassed courier. Then, she lifted the curtain abruptly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you guys coming down?¡±


    ¡­..


    The five people in the carriage were startled by her.


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu¡¯s legs went weak when they saw the soldiers. Seeing their brother-in-law in the home setting was fine, but now that they were in his work place, their legs simply became out of control.


    The same thoughts were running through Ruyi¡¯s mind. When she saw the words ¡°General¡¯s Residence¡± at the entrance, she felt very afraid. This had really exceeded her expectations. Her brother-in-law, who looked completely down-to-earth at home, had suddenly become an intimidating figure in this place.


    ¡°Come out.¡±


    Xiaoguo held the curtain and called out to them. Zhuang Zhuang was feeling quite anxious to see his father, so he also tried to persuade the others to get out of the car.


    Faced with the mother and son¡¯s voices, Qin Anming finally succumbed and got out of the car.


    The reason why he didn¡¯t get out of the car was actually similar to the others. They knew that Jiang Danhe was a general, but there was still a big difference between knowing his title and seeing the reality of it in person.


    However, no matter what Jiang Danhe¡¯s status was, he was still his brother-in-law and family. After thinking it through, he didn¡¯t feel conflicted anymore.


    Qin Anming got out of the car with Shu Botong following closely behind him. The latter was not as scared as everyone else, but he looked rather dazed when he saw the armored guards at the door.


    During the time when his house was confiscated, a group of soldiers dressed in armor had rushed into his place. When he saw the same armored soldiers at the entrance earlier on, he fell into a daze. He could almost hear the sounds of those heavy footsteps ringing in his ears again, that was the reason why he was stunned for a moment there.


    With widened eyes, the guards at the door watched two more men get out of the car. They were wondering if they should inform their superiors. This group of visitors was too strange.


    When she saw Qin Anming alight from the cariage, Ruyi didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. The people living in the general¡¯s residence were her friends. What was there to be afraid of? She had called him brother-in-law so many times, so she must not be afraid. Getting off the carriage is no big deal!


    Looking like she was on the verge of dying, Ruyi got out of the car with her bags in hand.


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu also suppressed their fear and followed behind her. It would be odd if everybody got off except for them.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang waited patiently for everyone to get out of the carriage. She didn¡¯t forget to thank the couriers who had escorted them here. Not wanting them to come all the way here for nothing, she offered to pay them for their help. Unexpectedly, they refused to accept the money. After waiting for everyone to get out of the carriage, the two couriers returned to the courier station to rest.


    While they were getting out of the car, the guard had already reported their arrival to Li Shouji.


    There was no choice. Only the general and the deputy general were residing in the residence. Since the general was not around, there was only the deputy general whom they could report to. The guard would have liked to report this to the general¡¯s wife, but she was still in her hometown, so he could not do so even if he wished to.


    ¡°What? Three men and four women are at the door? And two of them look familiar?¡±


    Feeling puzzled, Li Shouji repeated his question again. This was the first time that someone had come to visit. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little curious.


    ¡°Deputy General, to be precise, there are two men, four women, and a little boy.


    ¡°Oh¡­ which one of them looks familiar?¡±


    ¡°Deputy General, 1 think I¡¯ve seen the boy and his mother before. They look very familiar.¡±


    His words successfully piqued Li Shouji¡¯s curiosity. He decided to take a look himself.


    ¡°What do the two of them look like?¡±


    Li Shouji asked as he walked, trying to recall as he searched through his memories. The familiar-looking mother and son?


    ¡°The woman is quite pretty. She has fair skin, big eyes, and a small face. The boy is also quite cute. He¡¯s fair and chubby.¡±


    Forgive him for being uncultured, that was the only way he knew how to describe the two people.


    Li Shouji was truly enlightened by the guard¡¯s generic description. He stopped and gave him a disdainful look before continuing to walk towards the door.


    Although he didn¡¯t show it on his face, he had already started to do a quick search in his mind. The mother and son who matched the guard¡¯s description¡ªwho had come to the general¡¯s residence to look for someone. A bold thought suddenly came to him.


    The guard walked with his head lowered and almost bumped into Li Shouji, who suddenly stopped in his tracks. Luckily, he managed to stop in time, but he was sweating profusely in his heart. ¡°Oh my god, this could affect my career path if I made any mistakes.¡±


    After the short pause, Li Shouji started walking faster and faster. He couldn¡¯t wait to see if the person outside the door was who he thought she was.


    However, if she was indeed the person he had guessed, why didn¡¯t he notice any actions from Jiang Danhe? If he knew that his wife and son were coming, wouldn¡¯t he have to make preparations at least a few days in advance?


    ¡°It was indeed them!¡±


    Li Shouji¡¯s face lit up and he shouted, ¡°Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law! Nephew, nephew!¡±


    No one was treated unfairly. He called them the same number of times.


    Xiaoguo smiled and waved at him. Forgive her for feeling too shy to greet him loudly in public.


    Also happy to see him, Zhuang Zhuang jumped up and down, while waving at him. He was not as shy as his mother. Instead, he was very thick-skinned.


    Li Shouji had called out to him loudly, so he responded just as loudly to him. This is him being hospitable.


    Ruyi and the others had never seen Li Shouji before, so before he could run over, they quickly asked, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, who is he?¡±


    Xiaoguo said to them, ¡°He¡¯s Jiang Danhe¡¯s good friend. His name is Li Shouji.¡±


    After thinking for a while, she decided not to tell them about Li Shouji¡¯s position so that they could get along with him without any burdens.


    At this moment, Li Shouji came up to them. He touched Zhuang Zhuang and looked at everyone happily. ¡°Sister-in-law, why are you here? Does Jiang Danhe know?¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t know yet. We were hoping to surprise him.¡±


    Xiaoguo made a gesture to keep it a secret before asking, ¡°Is he not at home?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not here!¡± Li Shouji looked at the others curiously. ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°This is my brother and his friends. They were worried about me, so they came with me.¡±


    ¡°This is my brother, Shu Botong, Ruyi, Yu Ling, and Xiao Zhu.¡±


    ¡°Hello, hello.¡± After greeting the others, Li Shouji led the group towards the residence.


    The guards watched as the group walked past them. They were so frightened that they didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. From the moment the deputy general called out ¡°sister-in-law¡± and ¡°nephew¡±, they instantly remembered their identities.


    They were wondering why the pair looked so familiar. It turned out that Young Master and Madam, who had superb culinary skills, had returned!


    After they left, the guards heaved a sigh of relief, secretly glad that they hadn¡¯t said anything


    inappropriate.


    ¡°You must be tired from the journey.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad. How have you been¡­?¡±


    Xiaoguo admired the scenery in the courtyard as she walked. She didn¡¯t expect Jiang Danhe to heed her advice. After some landscaping, the front yard no longer looked lifeless.


    ¡°Are you asking about me or Jiang Danhe?¡± Li Shouji immediately laughed and said teasingly, ¡°If you are asking about me, I¡¯ve been well. If you are asking about Jiang Danhe¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was indeed trying to ask about Jiang Danhe, but there were too many people around, so she felt a bit embarrassed and changed her question at the last minute.


    Hearing Li Shouji¡¯s response, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t hide it anymore. Although she was a little shy, she asked, ¡°How has he been?¡± ¡°Not so good..¡±

 Chapter 448 - Chapter 448: Rest or Marketplace

    Chapter 448: Rest or Marketplace


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Li Shouji saying those words with an expressionless face made Xiaoguo break out in a cold sweat. Even the others who were standing around her couldn¡¯t help but feel worried.


    Li Shouji became amused when he saw their serious expressions and he burst out laughing. After having a good laugh, he explained, ¡°He is well and healthy. I was referring to his heart. That heart is suffering from serious lovesickness.¡± Xiaoguo didn¡¯t get what he was saying at first. She only realized it later when she saw the teasing expressions on everyone¡¯s faces.


    Lovesick? Did Jiang Danhe miss her?


    At the thought of this, she felt the blood rush through her veins, and she pursed her lips shyly.


    In her panic, she did not forget to look down at Zhuang Zhuang. The little boy only looked up at her in confusion. He was still too young to understand the romantic relationships between adults.


    Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t quite understand what Li Shouji was saying, Xiaoguo was relieved. She pretended to be calm and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    Li Shouji knew that Zhuang Zhuang was still around, so he didn¡¯t repeat himself. However, he definitely wasn¡¯t lying about the part where Jiang Danhe was lovesick.


    ¡­..


    The few of them were exhausted from the journey. Li Shouji quickly found rooms for them, and they were all staying close to each other. After putting down their bags, the few of them did not rest. Instead, they gathered together to chat.


    Shu Botong wanted to find out more about the capital, so he took the initiative to chat with Li Shouji. When the two of them became very familiar with each other, the rest of the group gradually came over to join them.


    ¡°When will Danhe be back?¡±


    Li Shouji replied to Qin Anming, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. If things go smoothly, he¡¯ll be back in the afternoon. Otherwise he¡¯ll only be back at night. How about I try to find out later?¡±


    In the future, it was very likely that he would follow Jiang Danhe back to his hometown. Since Qin Anming was Jiang Danhe¡¯s brother-in-law, he will also become his biological brother. He must make sure to answer all his questions seriously.


    ¡°Forget it. It won¡¯t be good if he finds out we are here.¡±


    Qin Anming smiled and shook his head. Ever since his brother-in-law left Xiaoguo, he had become highly sensitive. If anyone was careless and did anything to arouse his suspicion, he would quickly find out the truth by following the clues. He only turned into an unthinking and hopeless fool when he was around Xiaoguo.


    Li Shouji nodded in agreement. That¡¯s right, the cunning Jiang Danhe must not know of this. They must keep the secret to the end.


    The group had arrived at lunchtime. When the chefs in the backyard heard that Xiaoguo was here, they were dying to meet her immediately. However, there was too much work to do, so they had to finish their work first.


    When they were done with their chores, the two chefs happily came to the hall on the pretext of serving the dishes. As they served the dishes, they exchanged pleasantries with their Madam.


    The two of them genuinely missed their Madam from the bottom of their hearts. Even though they hadn¡¯t spent much time together, they just liked her very much.


    The two of them had worked as chefs for a long time, and they had worked at many other places before. The general¡¯s residence was the only place where they were treated like equals, without any form of discrimination. They were always happy and motivated to come to work each morning.


    They had basically tried all the recipes that Madam had given them the last time, but the taste still didn¡¯t seem quite right. So they were hoping for their Madam to demonstrate the cooking in person. After waiting for so long, their wish had finally come true. Therefore it was inevitable that they were overjoyed to see her.


    Since Xiaoguo and the others had arrived at the mansion, the two chefs worked hard to make a table full of dishes.


    Xiaoguo was hoping for the chefs to join them for the meal, but the two of them had a pile of chores waiting for them in the kitchen, so they had to leave regrettably.


    At the dining table, Li Shouji was eating when he suddenly thought of something. ¡°Sister-in-law, will you still be going back this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go back after the Spring Festival.¡±


    After adding some food to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s bowl, Xiaoguo heard a sigh. She looked up at Li Shouji and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. If you stay, I¡¯ll get to enjoy delicious food every day,¡± Li Shouji said pitifully. But then, he suddenly looked happy again. ¡°It¡¯s fine. At least until next year, I¡¯ll still get to enjoy good food. Am I right, Sister-in-law?¡±


    Xiaoguo was feeling helpless, she felt like saying, ¡°Did I come here to cook?¡±


    However, before she could say anything, she was startled by Li Shouji¡¯s sparkling eyes.


    The words that were about to come out of her mouth became stuck in her throat. She could only nod and agree in silence.


    A brilliant smile immediately appeared on Li Shouji¡¯s face. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, everyone present could understand what he was thinking. It could be summarized into three words. ¡°That is awesome¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the fair this afternoon!¡±


    At the dining table, Ruyi put down her chopsticks and said excitedly.


    When they were traveling towards the capital, the courier had specially chosen a remote path to avoid the crowd. However, they still came across many people who were rushing to the New Year fair. The capital had truly lived up to its reputation for being a bustling and prosperous place.


    From the moment Ruyi entered the capital, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the fair. In her entire life, she had only been to the market in Yonghai County. She didn¡¯t think that she would get a chance to venture out of the county in her lifetime. En route to the capital, she visited many markets, of varying sizes, and was dazzled by all the things she saw.


    After passing by the entrance of the capital¡¯s market, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the lively atmosphere after taking just one look at it.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was done eating. She looked at Ruyi helplessly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired. It¡¯s so fun to go out!¡±


    Ruyi whispered in her ear, seemingly too embarrassed to let the others hear her.


    Xiaoguo rubbed her ears, which were feeling ticklish from Ruyi¡¯s breath. Then she looked at the others. ¡°Are you guys resting or going to the fair?¡±


    Qin Anming looked at Ruyi and said, ¡°I want to rest.¡±


    Shu Botong immediately chimed in, ¡°Me too!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re resting too,¡± Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling said in unison as they looked at Ruyi apologetically.


    Everyone¡¯s reaction was as expected. Xiaoguo also nodded and said, ¡°Me too.¡± Seeing that no one was on her side, Ruyi looked pitifully at the only person who had yet to speak up. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang was feeling a little hesitant. He was thinking about how to phrase his rejection in order not to upset Sister Ruyi.


    After much hesitation, he decided not to speak, and demonstrated his intentions through his actions instead.


    Ruyi took a deep breath and said weakly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stay in and rest too.¡±


    Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang, who was hugging her, as a reward. The little guy also gave her an adorable smile.


    ¡°Just stay home and rest well. In any case, the fair will remain open for quite some time. You can still visit the fair in the next two days.¡±


    As soon as Li Shouji finished speaking, he received unanimous agreement from the group.


    Ruyi nodded helplessly. They were right. Everyone was tired from traveling over the past few days. During this time, she had visited so many markets that her excitement had gotten slightly out of control. It seemed that she had to slowly adjust her state of mind.


    The few of them laughed when they saw Ruyi looking all listless. ¡°This little girl is really interesting. She¡¯s so young, yet she loves going to markets so much. It seems that youth is still the best.¡±


    Wait a minute, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were younger than her? Why didn¡¯t they like marketing?


    To each his own.


    Although the plan was not to tell Jiang Danhe about the arrival of Xiaoguo and the group, if nothing was revealed at all, it was unclear when the protagonist would return.


    So Li Shouji, the thoughtful subordinate, waved his hand and sent someone to the military camp to fetch the general.


    ¡°What should I say, Deputy General?¡±


    Coincidentally, Li Shouji had casually summoned a newcomer. And when Xiaoguo arrived, this soldier was having his lunch. By the time he came out, he didn¡¯t hear any news, so naturally he didn¡¯t know the identity of the person who had arrived at the residence


    Although Jiang Danhe¡¯s soldiers were quite gossipy at times, they were very loyal. They freely spoke among themselves, but never spread idle gossip outside the camp.


    Moreover, this soldier was a newbie and was still not familiar with the other soldiers yet. Therefore, no one would deliberately update him with the latest happening in the residence.


    So, the newcomer arrived at the military camp in a daze and met with the general again.


    Facing the general¡¯s authoritative gaze, the recruit¡¯s mind went blank. He could only remember one sentence from the deputy general. ¡°Be very vague when you speak to him.¡±


    Vague, vague, vague!!


    ¡°General, there are some visitors at the residence. The deputy general wants you to go home early.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Jiang Danhe frowned. The dignitaries in the capital would not dare to turn up unannounced.


    ¡°General, it¡¯s a group of people!¡±


    The recruit looked very pleased with himself.. ¡°That¡¯s vague enough, isn¡¯t it?¡¯

 Chapter 449 - Chapter 449: Capturing Mdm Jiang

    Chapter 449: Capturing Mdm Jiang


    Translator: Atlas Studios


    Jiang Danhe looked at the recruit in front of him speechlessly. How did this person enter the military camp?!


    Although he found it very strange, he still finished his work early and went home while it was still daylight.


    As soon as he reached the door, the guard at the door saluted him as per normal.


    A sneaky figure in the corner saw Jiang Danhe and immediately went in to inform Li Shouji.


    Jiang Danhe nodded, acknowledging the guard¡¯s greeting. Then, he stopped in his tracks and took a few steps back.


    The guard closest to him swallowed almost imperceptibly.


    ¡°Did someone visit the residence today?¡± ¡°Yes, General.¡±


    ¡­..


    Jiang Danhe nodded and continued to ask, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    The guard, who had received instructions from Li Shouji, was trying his best to control the answer that was coming out of his mouth. He had to rack his brains to think of a lie. In that instant, a drop of sweat started trickling down his forehead.


    When Jiang Danhe blinked, the guard swiftly wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    When the man looked at him again, there was not a single speck on his forehead.


    ¡°General, I¡¯m not sure. The deputy general personally brought him in!¡±


    The guard secretly gave himself a thumbs-up for his wit. ¡°That was quite clever. As the saying goes, if a deputy general doesn¡¯t go to hell, who will?¡¯


    Jiang Danhe frowned slightly. After telling the guard to continue with his duty, Jiang Danhe walked into the house.


    ¡± What is Li Shouji doing? Even the guards are covering for him.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t fooled by the guard¡¯s actions. Everything must have been orchestrated by Li Shouji, so there was no point in confronting the guards. He just had to find the real culprit behind the scenes.


    Jiang Danhe, who was not acting according to plan, started walking straight towards Li Shouji¡¯s room.


    Inside the room, Li Shouji was in the middle of a conversation with Shu Botong when his sixth sense kicked in. He quickly told Shu Botong to stay inside and not come out.


    Then, he closed the door and emerged from the room.


    While going down the staircase which led to his room, he bumped into Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°Why are you here?!¡±


    Li Shouji was a little surprised by his appearance, but he quickly regained his composure and tried to cover up his surprise. ¡°Haha, so early today?¡±


    Jiang Danhe sized him up and asked, ¡°Did someone come to the residence today?¡± ¡°Ah, someone has come to surprise you on my behalf.¡±


    With the help of his adept acting skills, Li Shouji coaxed Jiang Danhe back to his room.


    Looking at the man¡¯s departing figure, Jiang Danhe¡¯s furrowed brows relaxed.


    He was curious to find out what Li Shouji was up to.


    He strode to the door and opened it without hesitation. The room was extremely bright, but there was a familiar smell in the air.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he slowly walked into the house.


    Xiaoguo was hiding behind the door, watching the figure that had appeared in front of her. Feeling excited, she quietly approached him. On the count of three, she would pounce on him. It would be best if she could scare him.


    Three¡­ two¡­ one!


    ¡°Hey ah!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s smile was still hanging on her face, but now she was looking at the wall in front of her face with fright.


    The moment she pounced on him, Jiang Danhe instinctively grabbed her and picked her up. However, when he realized who she was, he stopped his actions immediately and hugged her instead with remarkable speed.


    ¡°Xiaoguo?!!¡±


    Xiaoguo could hear the disbelief and excitement in his voice.


    She was feeling a little confused. Was he trying to throw her over just now?!


    Although she was still in his arms now, she still believed that she wasn¡¯t mistaken. If he had not reacted in time, she would be looking at the floor now instead of the wall.


    ¡°When did you get here?!¡± ¡°Can we talk face-to-face?¡±


    Xiaoguo spoke helplessly to the person behind her. Her back was leaning against his chest. Other than the vibrations of her words, she couldn¡¯t feel anything else.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    After Jiang Danhe released her, Xiaoguo tried to turn around, but he didn¡¯t give her a chance to do that. Grabbing her with his big hands, he twirled her into his arms, even before she could look at his face.


    ¡°When did you get here? Why didn¡¯t you inform me? Is this another surprise?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at her with a smile. He liked this surprise very much.


    Looking at Xiaoguo, he felt like a lost eagle that had finally found its nest. He wished that he could stay by her side forever and never separate from her ever again.


    ¡°We arrived this morning. It¡¯s pretty apparent that the surprise had almost turned into a scare.¡±


    Xiaoguo was overjoyed by Jiang Danhe¡¯s reaction. It felt so sweet to be missed by the person that she was missing.


    But somehow, surprises seemed to have a grudge against her. Why hadn¡¯t any of her surprises turned out as planned? The outcomes were always different from what she had imagined.


    However, it didn¡¯t matter. The process wasn¡¯t important. At least the outcome was still perfect.


    Xiaoguo smiled contentedly and reached out to hug him back, while listening quietly to the heartbeat that was pounding against his chest.


    The atmosphere between the two of them was wonderful, but they seemed to have forgotten something.


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s legs were turning numb from waiting behind the other door. He still couldn¡¯t find the chance to make his appearance.


    He was supposed to appear with his mother just now, but there was a slight delay due to his shorter limbs. At the same time, he happened to see his father swift grabbing actions. Somehow, his legs reacted faster than his brain, so he retreated behind the door first.


    His small arm could break if his father grabbed him like that.


    The few people outside the door were also waiting for an opportunity. Their legs were turning numb from squatting, but they still couldn¡¯t find a chance to rush out.


    Moreover, the few of them seemed to have realized something¡ªit didn¡¯t matter if they appeared or not, because no one really cared.


    The group was now peeking into the room from behind the door. As they watched the couple hugging each other, they felt really helpless.


    ¡°Xiaoguo (Sister), this is quite different from our plan. Stop hugging each other¡­¡± ¡°Cough, cough.¡±


    In the end, Li Shouji coughed a few times to remind the two people in the room.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Xiaoguo blushed and quickly pushed Jiang Danhe away while calling out in the direction of the other door, ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, come out.¡± ¡°Father¡­¡±


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard his name, he was delighted. It was finally time for him to make his appearance!


    The little guy pushed open the door and ran out, heading straight for Jiang Danhe. The other party picked him up and kissed his round little face.


    ¡°My dear son!¡±


    Jiang Danhe had to declare that today was his lucky day. It was such a happy occasion.


    Zhuang Zhuang also hugged him back and rubbed against his cheeks. Then, he pointed outside with a smile and said, ¡°There are more people!¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked out curiously. When the group appeared from behind the door, his eyes lit up and he smiled happily at them.


    Earlier on, when he heard the news that there were visitors at the residence, he did feel a tinge of anticipation. He was wondering if Xiaoguo and her friends had come. But in the end, he dismissed the thought.


    When he got home, Li Shouji¡¯s reaction made him feel puzzled and expectant.


    Fortunately, the outcome did not disappoint him. No, it turned out to be the most joyous occasion.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome! I¡¯m so happy that you guys are here!¡± ¡°Brother-in-law, are you happy to see us, or Sister Xiaoguo?¡±


    Ruyi placed her hands behind her back and walked around to Xiaoguo¡¯s side with a smile.


    After saying that, she gently pushed her towards Jiang Danhe.


    Jiang Danhe pulled Xiaoguo into his arms and said with flushed ears, ¡°1 am happy to see everyone!¡±


    Despite saying that, the way he hugged his sweetheart was his most truthful answer to Ruyi¡¯s question.


    When the others saw this, they all exclaimed in unison. Everyone knew what was going on¡ªhe was more glad to see Sister Xiaoguo than anyone else.


    Everyone burst out laughing. Xiaoguo thought it was funny too, so she gave him a gentle nudge.


    Unexpectedly, this little gesture was noticed by a few sharp-eyed individuals, and it triggered another round wave of teasing.


    Xiaoguo was thin-skinned to begin with. At this moment, she was just short of writing the words ¡°I¡¯m shy¡± on her face. However, the few of them still refused to let her off and continued teasing her. They must make her pay for forgetting about them earlier on.


    For a moment, laughter filled the entire mansion.


    The general¡¯s residence was bustling with activity again after a long time. Now that the mistress of the residence had returned, the atmosphere in the residence had become warm and lively again..


    ¡­..

 Chapter 450 - Chapter 450: Ex-wife

    Chapter 450: Ex-wife


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    It was almost New Year¡¯s Eve. Because there were more people in the residence, it was extremely lively.


    Ruyi had never lived in a house of this size, which even came with such a spacious courtyard. Feeling inspired to decorate the space, she spent her days dragging Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling to the market to shop with her. At the same time, Shu Botong, Qin Anming, and Li Shouji would follow behind them to help carry their shopping bags.


    Xiaoyi knew that Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo had come to the capital, so he went to visit them that evening. When he left, he brought Zhuang Zhuang along with him to the palace, saying that they were going there to play. But they had been gone for several days now, and there was no sign of him sending Zhuang Zhuang back.


    Xiaoguo wanted to go out with Ruyi and the others, but unfortunately she couldn¡¯t get away because Jiang Danhe was being very clingy.


    Apart from the time when he was out working, he spent most of his free time with Xiaoguo, hanging beside her all day long. No one was so insensitive as to disturb their couple¡¯s time.


    Moreover, he had to see her when he reached home. Otherwise he would throw a tantrum and only stop after Xiaoguo tried to cheer him up.


    Therefore, she could only hang out with Ruyi and the others when Jiang Danhe was not around.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, is it okay for you to come out?¡±


    Ruyi asked as she ate the candied hawthorn in her hand.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    If she continued to stay at home, she would fall into depression very soon. Xiaoguo handed the baked sweet potatoes to the people behind her and said happily, ¡°I heard that he will come back very late today.¡±


    Jiang Danhe knew that he had gone too far, so he took the initiative to tell her that he would be returning late before leaving for work in the morning.


    Ruyi¡¯s face puckered up as she tasted the sourish candied hawthorn. With difficulty, she said, ¡°They seem quite busy recently. Li Shouji had gone out with him too.¡±


    Ruyi was about the same age as Li Shouji, so they addressed each other by their names. Just a few days ago, he still had time to go out with the group, but in the past two days, he suddenly got busy. With one less person to help carry her shopping bags, Ruyi had to limit her purchases.


    ¡°Sister Ruyi, you should just eat roasted sweet potatoes like us. They¡¯re very sweet.¡±


    Upon seeing Ruyi frown while tasting the candied hawthorn, Yu Ling deliberately waved the sweet potato in her hand, letting the fragrance waft to the other party¡¯s nose. Tears of regret instantly flowed from Ruyi¡¯s mouth.


    She had thought that the candied hawthorns in the capital would be sweeter than those in Yonghai County. She didn¡¯t expect them to taste worse.


    Qin Anming smiled and split open the sweet potato in his hand. He handed her the half which he had yet to take a bite. ¡°I am full. You can have this.¡±


    Seeing this, Ruyi quickly stuffed the last hawthorn into her mouth. Then, she took the sweet potato shyly and said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Anming¡­¡±


    After taking it, she even showed off to Yu Ling before nibbling on it happily. Brother Anming had given her the sweet potato, so even the skin was too precious to be thrown away..


    Xiaoguo smiled and looked behind her. She was about to tease her brother when she saw the distracted-looking Shu Botong. He seemed to be looking for something.


    ¡°Are we still going by this route today?¡±


    Xiao Zhu turned around and asked.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s go. This is the faster route to the market,¡±


    Shu Botong said immediately when he heard her question.


    The others had no objections. In any case, it didn¡¯t matter which route they picked. As long as the endpoint was the same.


    Xiaoguo retracted her gaze and took a bite of the cold sweet potato. There was something strange about Shu Botong¡¯s behavior. She had a feeling that he had some secret agenda for coming to the capital. She couldn¡¯t find time to ask him over the past few days and she was almost dying of curiosity.


    They passed by many big houses along the way. It was obvious that the people living in them were not lacking in wealth.


    It was true that this was a shorter route to get to the city, but it was not the only way to get there. Xiaoguo heard that Shu Botong had proposed to take this route.


    Just as the few of them were walking leisurely, a sedan chair that was carried by a few men came approaching from the opposite direction.


    In this day and age, it was rare to see sedans carried by bearers. Moreover, this was one that was carried by eight people.


    This was Xiaoguo¡¯s first time seeing a man-powered sedan, so she couldn¡¯t help but steal a few more glances.


    When the sedan passed by them, a gust of wind suddenly blew past, lifting the curtain of the sedan. Immediately a burst of fragrance was detected in the air, almost making the few of them sneeze.


    Only Shu Botong was staring straight at the sedan chair. To be precise, he was looking at the person inside.


    Xiaoguo waved her hand to disperse some of the fragrance and she saw the man staring at the sedan chair in a daze.


    Following his gaze, she saw the sedan chair stop at the door of a house. A group of servants rushed forward eagerly. Some of them were leaning over as footstools, and some were standing at the side with bent backs, to welcome the person in the sedan chair.


    It was really an eye-opener for Xiaoguo. Even the emperor didn¡¯t have so many servants fawning over him. Who was this person inside?


    Out of curiosity, she stood rooted to the ground and looked in the same direction as Shu Botong, but they were watching for different reasons.


    When the curtain of the sedan was lifted, a pair of slender and well-manicured hands extended from inside the sedan and gently held on to the servant¡¯s hand. On one of the slender wrists was a jade bracelet. Just by looking at her hands, one could tell that this lady was definitely a beauty.


    As expected, when Xiaoguo saw her face, she nodded in silence. ¡°What a pure and charming beauty.¡±


    Shu Botong frowned immediately when he saw the woman get out of the sedan.


    Looking at him, one could not help but wonder about their relationship.


    Xiaoguo was wondering the same thing. She looked at the beauty and then at Shu Botong, just like a curious onlooker.


    When the beauty had disappeared from their sight, Shu Botong heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Looking slightly stunned, Shu Botong did not speak. An aura of silence was emanating from his entire body.


    ¡°I knew it. You came here for a reason. Do you know her?¡±


    Xiaoguo ignored him and continued asking.


    This time, Shu Botong didn¡¯t pretend not to hear her question again. He nodded slightly and explained, ¡°She¡¯s my previous¡­ wife.¡±


    When he mentioned the word ¡°wife,¡± there was a hint of sarcasm in his tone and a disdainful smile on his lips. He looked like he had a strong aversion to this person.


    Xiaoguo nodded in sudden realization. It all made sense now. She had been wondering why his expression looked so complicated earlier. It turned out that the woman in question was his ex-wife who had abandoned him.


    ¡°Did you know that she was living here?¡±


    Shu Botong was the one who kept insisting that everyone should go this way.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know.¡± Shu Botong shook his head honestly before saying with a disdainful look on his face, ¡°I only know that she had become the concubine of a senior minister named Chang. It was only after asking about her whereabouts from Brother Shouji that I know that she lives in the vicinity.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded and looked at the sign of the mansion, feeling puzzled. ¡°Why does this surname look so familiar?¡¯


    ¡°Chang? Chang? Chang¡­¡±


    ¡°Minister Chang is already so old. She had become his concubine?¡¯


    Suddenly, Xiaoguo remembered who Minister Chang was. Wasn¡¯t he the lecherous old man who had several young women hanging around him at the banquet on the island?


    ¡°How could it be him¡­ ?¡¯


    Thinking of that man who had been hollowed out by wine and lust, and who was approaching 50, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but shudder with disgust. She couldn¡¯t understand why such a beautiful woman would choose to be with him.


    ¡°Hmph, for the sake of fame and fortune, she doesn¡¯t care about anything else. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have clung to me so desperately back then.¡±


    Shu Botong¡¯s disdain for her was almost overflowing.


    Xiaoguo watched his expression carefully. From what he was saying, there seemed to be more to this.


    She probed, ¡°Then what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I was just curious to find out how she¡¯s doing. Heh, it seems like she¡¯s doing well.¡±


    Shu Botong had to admit that this woman was indeed very ¡°capable¡±.


    She had a clear goal, knew what she wanted, and was ruthless enough to abandon her own parents in order to pursue wealth and power on her own in the capital.


    In terms of ruthlessness, if she was ranked first, no one would dare to claim second.


    Back then, if she had not clung onto him so desperately, putting on a facade of modesty and gentleness, he wouldn¡¯t have been forced into a marriage by his parents who were eager for grandchildren. He definitely wouldn¡¯t have married someone who was shallow and unscrupulous.


    Although she claimed that she loved him, she was just eying his fame and wealth.


    As expected, when he came into trouble, that woman¡¯s true colors were immediately exposed. She had also quietly embezzled a lot of money from his family. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to make it safely to the capital.


    One had to know that her family was in dire straits. Otherwise, her parents would not have starved to death eventually.


    God was indeed unfair. Good people were always doomed, but bad people always had the last laugh..

 Chapter 451 - Chapter 451: Old Friend

    Chapter 451: Old Friend


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Ruyi and the others had walked quite a distance when they realized that two people were missing from their group.


    So the group retraced their steps and finally found the pair.


    Ruyi shouted from afar, ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, Shu Botong, what are you doing? You¡¯re going to get lost if you don¡¯t catch up!¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her words. How could the two of them get lost so easily? Besides, they had traveled along this road multiple times. They could find their way back even with their eyes closed.


    However, she still replied, ¡°Alright, we¡¯re coming!¡±


    Ruyi and the others stopped to wait for them, while Xiaoguo walked and turned to say to Shu Botong, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Shu Botong nodded and followed Xiaoguo without looking back.


    ¡­..


    In the future, there was no reason to go by this route anymore. However, he was still feeling indignant that bad people could continue living a good life.


    The group had just regathered when someone called out to them.


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s really you. I thought it was someone else with the same name.¡±


    ¡°Jia Bao?¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and looked at the man walking towards her in surprise. Wasn¡¯t this Jia Bao, who worked for Su Changsheng? ¡°What a coincidence to run into you here.¡±


    Jia Bao greeted the others and replied Xiaoguo, ¡°I was just returning to the capital with our young master, we just got home this morning.¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper Su is also in the capital?¡±


    ¡°Yes, his family resides in the capital. He has come back for the new year.¡± Jia Bao pointed behind him. ¡°That¡¯s the Su residence.¡±


    Xiaoguo followed his gaze and was stunned for a moment, widening her eyes in surprise. She knew Su Changsheng was wealthy, but looking at it now, it seemed like his family was even wealthier than she had imagined.


    Moreover, Jia Bao¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t just pointing to a single location; he had swept his hand across a large area, indicating that all of it was part of the Su residence?! How big was it?


    ¡°I was moving things at the door when I heard someone calling your name. At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but then I heard your voice and so I came out to see for myself. I didn¡¯t expect that it was really you.¡±


    As soon as Jia Bao finished speaking, Su Changsheng appeared.


    ¡°Jia Bao, I was wondering where you went to slack off. So you¡¯re here. Do you want me to move the seven or eight boxes at the door myself?¡±


    Su Changsheng was walking and speaking at the same time. Suddenly, he came to a stop and looked at Xiaoguo in surprise. ¡°Am I seeing things?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Number Four.¡±


    Xiaoguo greeted him with a smile. The last time they met, he told her that she could call him whatever she wanted. It was very convenient to call him Number Four.


    Su Changsheng didn¡¯t care about how she addressed him. He was more concerned about something else. ¡°Since you¡¯re in the capital, is there anyone taking care of the cows?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Su Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t feel like speaking to him anymore. ¡°That¡¯s it. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Xiaoguo, Xiaoguo.¡± Since she was addressing him as Number Four, Su Changsheng thought that it was fine for him to call her by her name. ¡°Don¡¯t go yet. Since you¡¯re here in the capital, why don¡¯t you come with me to check out the shop? The renovations are almost complete.¡±


    They had talked about this before. Su Changsheng was not as professional as Xiaoguo when it came to renovations and interior decor. Before the shop was completely done up, he wanted her to take a look, to see what was lacking or needed adjustments. With Xiaoguo now in the capital, it saved them both a lot of trouble.


    ¡°Sure. When are you going to the shop?¡±


    The two of them had indeed agreed on this before. It was her duty to help.


    Su Changsheng thought for a moment and said, ¡°Tomorrow. Shall I pick you up?¡±


    Xiaoguo hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Sure.¡±


    After giving him the address, Su Changsheng¡¯s gaze shifted to the people beside Xiaoguo. He looked at Ruyi and said with a smile, ¡°I know this young lady, but I don¡¯t know the others¡­¡±


    When Ruyi heard him say that he knew her, she was stunned. The handsome man still remembered her. That was awesome!!


    ¡°Let me introduce you. This is¡­¡±


    After Xiaoguo was done with the introductions, Su Changsheng actually greeted everyone personally. No matter what, there was no harm in making more friends. He was a businessman, so having more friends was beneficial for business.


    Xiaoguo and the others were planning to go to the market, and Su Changsheng, who had just arrived, had many other things to attend to. It would be a waste of time to chat for too long, so the group quickly bade farewell to each other.


    After walking for a distance, Ruyi couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect Shopkeeper Su to still remember me. It¡¯s been a long time since I last saw him, and he looks even more handsome now¡­¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling asked curiously, ¡°Sister Ruyi, how did you get to know him?¡±


    ¡°Hehe! It was actually me who went to check on his background and conveyed the information to Sister Xiaoguo. So I guess I¡¯m half an informant, right, Sister Xiaoguo?¡± Ruyi turned around and asked with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled back and nodded. ¡°It was Ruyi who helped me find him. That¡¯s how I managed to get in contact with him. Ruyi has helped me a lot.¡±


    ¡°Is he Shopkeeper Su, who transported a few carts of wooden barrels to the building?¡±


    Shu Botong remembered that some time ago, when the two-story building was still undergoing renovation, he received a few carts of wooden buckets with the word ¡°Su¡± labeled on them. That must be him then.


    ¡°Those are not ordinary wooden buckets. They are air-tight buckets. That¡¯s him. He¡¯s the shopkeeper of the Su Family and also our milk business partner.¡±


    When Shu Botong heard this, he nodded enviously. So Shopkeeper Su was actually so young. He was truly talented and rich.


    ¡°Why did you call him Number Four?¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard Qin Anming¡¯s question, she laughed out loud. Seeing their puzzled expressions, she explained, ¡°Because he¡¯s the fourth child in his family. He asked me to call him whatever I want.¡±


    ¡°Number Four, Number Four. Its grounded, down to earth, and affectionate. Haha.¡±


    The few of them looked at the woman who was suddenly laughing and looked at her in confusion. Was Number Four that funny?


    They didn¡¯t understand what Xiaoguo was thinking. She had pulled a noble son from his pedestal by calling him ¡°Number Four¡±. The image of a rural, stuttering, and crooked-mouthed man had merged with that of a young, handsome, and wealthy noble son. Once this image was imprinted in her mind, it couldn¡¯t be erased.


    Xiaoguo and the group played until noon and didn¡¯t go back, choosing to eat outside. Before leaving the house, they had informed the chefs that they wouldn¡¯t return for lunch, so the kitchen didn¡¯t have to prepare their meals for them.


    The marketplace in the capital was not small and the items put on sale were different every day. One can come out and shop every day without ever getting tired of it.


    After lunch, the group went for another round of fun at the fair before returning to the general¡¯s residence with a large shopping haul.


    ¡°Ruyi, have you bought enough?¡±


    Shu Botong put down the pile of things in his arms and rubbed at his sore waist. Now that his wish was fulfilled, he no longer had the motivation to go out to the streets. Not to mention that he came back every time with his hands full, and having to walk so much until his legs were almost worn out.


    ¡°Are you guys very tired? I feel fine.¡±


    Ruyi looked at the two of them in confusion. Was that all that they could manage? But she heard that there would be a performance the day after tomorrow and she was thinking of checking it out.


    ¡°I, for one, cannot do it anymore. You should look for someone else.¡± Shu Botong swore that he would never go out again.


    Ruyi rolled her eyes at him, before turning to look at Brother Anming, hoping that he would say something.


    Qin Anming averted his gaze. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, he was thinking the same thing as Shu Botong.


    First putting aside whether her wallet was able to withstand her high expenditure, with such a heavy workload every single time, she should at least try to spare a thought for the two of them who were working as laborers.


    Seeing that Qin Anming was keeping quiet, Ruyi knew what his answer was. Without feeling discouraged, she turned to look at Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling. ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    The two of them immediately shook their heads. ¡°No, we¡¯re not tired!¡±


    Not only were they not tired, they were in fact very happy. Even if they had to make a few more trips to the fair, they wouldn¡¯t feel tired at all.


    When Ruyi heard this, she was instantly delighted. She looked at the two men in disdain. ¡°Let¡¯s go ourselves. We don¡¯t need them anymore!¡±


    They can carry the shopping bags themselves. Ruyi automatically divided the remaining four people into two groups.


    Xiaoguo pursed her lips, hoping that Ruyi was not including herself in her shopping plans. Actually, she didn¡¯t feel like going either.. Shopping with Ruyi was so exhausting¡­

 Chapter 452 - Chapter 452: Colored Glass

    Chapter 452: Colored Glass


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Jiang Danhe had all day today, so he decided to stay home and keep Xiaoguo company.


    However, things didn¡¯t turn out as expected. Although he had free time, Xiaoguo was getting busy.


    ¡°What are you doing today?¡±


    Xiaoguo gave him a strange look at first. But when she saw his innocent expression, she suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to inform him.


    It was already midnight when Jiang Danhe returned home last night. She was so sleepy that she couldn¡¯t open her eyes, so she didn¡¯t have the chance to tell him anything.


    ¡°I bumped into Su Changsheng yesterday and he¡¯s picking me up today to go see his newly renovated shop,¡±


    Xiaoguo said as she got dressed. Seeing that Jiang Danhe was about to get out of bed, she quickly stopped him and said, ¡°What are you doing? Didn¡¯t you say that you had nothing to do today? You should take the opportunity to sleep in.¡±


    ¡­..


    He had come back so late last night and had only slept for a few hours.


    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t get back to sleep,¡± Jiang Danhe said as he started to get dressed and make the bed. Then he left to wash up, but not before saying, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll bring you some water.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Xiaoguo watched the man leave and tried to figure out what was going on for a moment, but eventually, she still couldn¡¯t think of an answer.


    Even after Xiaoguo was done washing up, Jiang Danhe was still following behind her with a grumpy expression.


    ¡°By the way, do you want to come with me?¡±


    She had asked this question casually because she remembered that he had nothing to do today. She still preferred if he stayed home to rest.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Jiang Danhe replied without hesitation, and his mood instantly turned sunny, as if he had been waiting for her to say this.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xiaoguo hesitated for a moment, thinking that it might be better for him to rest for a while.


    ¡°What time do we leave?¡±


    Jiang Danhe asked happily. Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to say anything else. She was thinking of making the visit short so that Jiang Danhe could come home and rest.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Jiang Danhe took her hand and walked happily towards the hall.


    Xiaoguo followed behind him helplessly. She finally knew why the man was looking so unhappy earlier on.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Zhuang Zhuang back yet?¡±


    It had been almost a week since he went to the palace, it was about time for him to come back.


    ¡°I went to see him and he was having a good time learning horse-riding and archery with Xiaoyi.¡±


    Listening to Jiang Danhe¡¯s description, she could imagine the little boy sitting on the horse. She knew that Xiaoyi¡¯s lessons were diverse and interesting, so Zhuang Zhuang must be enjoying himself. Although she was feeling happy for him, she couldn¡¯t help but worry about his safety.


    ¡°He won¡¯t fall, will he? What if he gets kicked by the horses again? The swords have no eyes. What if he gets hurt? Is there anyone taking care of him?¡±


    Xiaoguo kept asking a lot of questions while Jiang Danhe started walking slower and slower. Finally, he turned around abruptly, pinched her cheeks, and kissed her, successfully stopping her from speaking.


    ¡°Show more concern for your man.¡±


    With that, he turned around and left with an air of dominance. But one had to ignore the shy expression on his face.


    Xiaoguo touched her lips in disbelief. Did she just get bitten by him just now? It felt a little numb and painful¡­


    In the carriage, Su Changsheng was chatting leisurely with Xiaoguo, but Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. He only sat by the side, looking out of the carriage window.


    If not for the fact that he wanted to accompany Xiaoguo, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted to see this person¡¯s face.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t bear to ignore Jiang Danhe, so she held his hand as she chatted with Su Changsheng.


    While chatting, Su Changsheng suddenly narrowed his eyes and locked onto Xiaoguo¡¯s lips. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your mouth?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Uh¡­¡± Xiaoguo subconsciously touched her lips. She blushed and looked at the man beside her.


    This time, Jiang Danhe did not evade the question. He wrapped his arms around Xiaoguo and gave Su Changsheng a provocative smile.


    Xiaoguo gave Jiang Danhe a gentle nudge. He was being too bold and thick-skinned. Just moments ago, she was trying to find a random excuse to get past the question, but his actions just rendered all excuses obsolete.


    It was a pity though, that the person opposite them was someone who valued money more than anything else. He seemed oblivious to the flirtation that was taking place between the couple. Therefore, when he saw the strange interaction between Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo, he only felt confused.


    ¡°How did you get that on your lips?¡±


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were stunned. Why was he still asking when the answer was so obvious?


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t look like he was feigning ignorance, Xiaoguo gave up. She said calmly as the embarrassment on her face dissipated, ¡°I accidentally bit my lips.¡±


    Su Changsheng nodded in understanding. He had guessed correctly!


    Jiang Danhe sighed silently. They were clearly showing off their love, but why was he feeling so powerless¡­?


    Su Changsheng looked at the two of them and raised his eyebrows.


    When they arrived at their destination, Su Changsheng alighted first. Jia Bao lifted the curtain and waited for the three of them to come down before putting it down.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Su Changsheng was very confident about the renovation works. He was personally involved in doing the sketches and deciding on the design style. Every piece of wood here was also carefully selected by him.


    As soon as Xiaoguo got out of the car, she was immediately dazzled by the minimal French-style design. ¡°How did he manage to achieve this?¡¯


    ¡°How¡­ how did you come up with this idea?¡±


    ¡°Had he also transmigrated? Is he someone from the same era?!¡±


    ¡°This is the unique style of the Shao Country. I combined it with the influence from several other countries and made some small changes to the details. How about it? It¡¯s really amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    From a young age, he was determined to create a shop that would amaze the world. He wanted to become the top businessman, not only locally, but also in other countries. His name would be synonymous with success ¨C Su Changsheng!


    Clap, clap, clap¡­


    The round of applause was for Su Changsheng.


    Xiaoguo admired and worshiped him from the bottom of her heart. She had to give it to him. ¡°So the big shot is here. No wonder he is so rich!¡±


    It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books. This saying has held true since ancient times.


    Su Changsheng has seen so much and traveled to so many places. His vision had surpassed the majority of the people in this era, which was why he was able to create such a unique and innovative way of making money.


    She only stopped clapping when her palms turned red. From the bottom of her heart, she said to him, ¡°You¡¯re really amazing!!¡±


    Su Changsheng pursed his lips to hide the smile on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed beautiful.¡±


    Jiang Danhe also gave his praise, although he still disliked the man. This guy¡¯s aesthetic standard was at the forefront of all humans.


    Su Changsheng nodded proudly. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    II


    II


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s smile instantly disappeared.


    ¡°Come in and take a look.¡±


    Su Changsheng smiled and led the way through the arched door. Xiaoguo held Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand and followed closely behind. She couldn¡¯t wait to see the interior.


    At this moment, there were still many craftsmen working inside. The general structure had taken form, and only the small details were left to be worked on.


    The walls and lighting fixtures were all of the type that Xiaoguo wanted to have but didn¡¯t know how to achieve.


    Along the way, she kept exclaiming to herself. ¡°What am I going to do? This is my dream love shop¡­¡±


    ¡°You actually have colored glass!!¡±


    Xiaoguo let go of Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand and ran to the huge bay window that had been completed, carefully touching and feeling it.


    Su Changsheng could leave her dream love shop now¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m most satisfied with this corner too.¡±


    Su Changsheng came to her side and touched the precious glass with a mix of pain and pleasure on his face. It was not easy to acquire it.


    ¡°How much did this cost?¡±


    Xiaoguo was feeling tempted. She really wanted to install one in her two-story building.


    ¡­..


    Su Changsheng remained silent and only extended his five fingers. Xiaoguo laughed when she saw that. Was that all? She could afford it.


    But right after that, he started flipping his fingers back and forth countless times, showing no sign of stopping.


    ¡°Alright, I suddenly realize that it¡¯s not that beautiful after all.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped Su Changsheng and left to admire the other parts of the shops.


    At this price, she would be crazy to continue fawning over that piece of colored glass. It was slightly more beautiful, more translucent, and a little bit more attractive than normal glass.. Besides that, there was nothing else!

 Chapter 453 - Chapter 453: Ancient Egypt

    Chapter 453: Ancient Egypt


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    But then again, the colored glass was already so beautiful. There was no need for anything else. Su Changsheng¡¯s aesthetic taste was simply superb.


    ¡°The price is a small issue. The main problem is that it¡¯s difficult to obtain. If not for that reason, I could give you a piece as well.¡±


    Su Changsheng explained as he walked behind her.


    Xiaoguo leaned listlessly on Jiang Danhe¡¯s strong arm and shook her head. ¡°Forget it. The price is making me dizzy.¡±


    Su Changsheng chuckled softly. Speaking of this colored glass, the process of getting hold of it was a long and difficult process.


    ¡°How did you get your hands on it?¡±


    Xiaoguo was feeling a little curious. Su Changsheng must have had a wide social network. Natural colored glass was still not available in the Shao Nation, but he was able to get his hands on such a large piece.


    ¡­..


    ¡°There was a time by chance, when I crossed the borderless desert, drifted across the Atlantic Ocean, and walked across parched and dry plains. I came across various tribes who lived in countries that were not recorded on the atlas. These people were long-limbed and unclothed. Their bare bodies were covered with pieces of leaves. There were some others who had dark skin, but their entire bodies were covered in red mud. They lived in cramped, clay houses and drank from muddy waters¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was very surprised. Had he been to Africa? His description sounded very similar to those primitive tribes in Africa. When he mentioned those tribal people whose bodies were covered in red mud, that was the characteristics of the Himba tribe in Africa.


    The people of the Himba tribe consider nudity as beauty, so it is common for them to go topless regardless of age or gender.


    On the other hand, covering their entire bodies with red clay is considered not only aesthetically pleasing but also serves as protection against sunburn and insects for the Himba tribe. This practice has gradually developed into a cultural tradition for the group.


    These primitive tribes have detached themselves from society and created their own distinct languages and customs that were exclusive to each ethnic group.


    ¡°Did you meet any cannibalistic tribes?¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s interest was piqued by what Su Changsheng was saying. She suddenly thought of the Nufeta villagers, whom she had only seen on the Internet. They were a cannibalistic tribe.


    It was said they used human bones to make various household items or hunting tools. Human bones were a common sight in the village.


    Su Changsheng gave her a strange look before nodding. ¡°I heard from the local guide who was accompanying us, but I didn¡¯t dare to visit that place. We took a big detour to avoid passing through that village.¡±


    It was no joke. Coming in contact with the tribe would mean getting roasted over the fire. Was this something that a woman would know?


    Jiang Danhe looked at the two of them, who were deeply engrossed in their conversation. He couldn¡¯t help but start wondering to himself. ¡°Should I buy an atlas too? Or should Igo on an overseas trip?I would need a clearance document for that. Yes! Its still not too late to prepare now!¡±


    ¡°Being in that place is even more difficult than living through a natural disaster or famine. The living conditions were harsh, with a lack of water sources. Any normal person would have a hard time staying there for just one day.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded in agreement. She had watched documentaries about primitive tribes in Africa before and was both shocked and grateful after watching them. She was truly grateful that she wasn¡¯t born in such a place.


    Africa is indeed a very rich and fertile continent with abundant natural resources and favorable natural conditions for development. However, it could also be due to these favorable conditions that Africa was still so backward now.


    As the saying goes, one thrives and survives under suffering and hardships,


    but perishes from complacency. The abundant resources in Africa have, in many parts of the continent, fostered a lackadaisical attitude and a lack of motivation for progress and development.


    This was the case thousands of years later, let alone thousands of years ago.


    Africa is also a continent with the largest number of tribes. Most of these tribes are still detached from modern civilization and adhere to primitive and ancient customs. From a modern perspective, many of these practices are now seen as extremely cruel and barbaric.


    ¡°Did you find the colored glass from there?¡±


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t remember any records in history that involved the discovery of stained glass in those primitive tribes.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s in a place called¡­ Kemet.¡±


    Su Changsheng looked at her tentatively, waiting to hear what she had to say.


    As soon as he said that, Xiaoguo understood. The name ¡°Kemet¡± was used in hieroglyphics to refer to Ancient Egypt. It spanned across two continents, Asia and Africa, with most of it located in the northeast of Africa. It was bordered by Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, the Red Sea to the east, Palestine and Israel to the northeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north.


    Kemet means ¡°black land¡±, and with the disappearance of hieroglyphs, it is now called Misr in modern Arabic, meaning ¡°vast country¡±. Later Egypt was transliterated as the Arab Republic of Egypt.


    ¡°You know about Kemet?¡±


    Now, Su Changsheng¡¯s curiosity about her has increased by more than just a little bit.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t sense anything amiss, so she just nodded. ¡°Of course I know.¡±


    There was a period of time when she became very interested in the Egyptian pharaohs, pyramids, sphinxes, and mummies, so she did a lot of research on those topics. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy. To understand a place, it is best to start from its background and history. Not only did she know everything about Egypt, she can even recite its history from the back of her mind.


    Su Changsheng chuckled softly. ¡°A name that only the locals know. She¡­¡±


    ¡°The World Atlas records it as ¡°Misr¡±, how do you know it as Kemet?¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned, but she didn¡¯t show it on her face. She calmly replied, ¡°I heard it from a storyteller and I thought it was all made-up. I didn¡¯t expect it to be true. Haha.¡±


    Su Changsheng narrowed his eyes, not quite believing her words. ¡°Then you have a good memory. Introduce me to that storyteller when you have time.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded.


    Jiang Danhe unconditionally believed in whatever Xiaoguo was saying. Not only that, he even patted her head proudly and thought to himself, ¡°My wife is really knowledgeable and intelligent.¡±


    Feeling guilty, Xiaoguo quickly changed the subject and asked, ¡°By the way, did you find that glass in Kemet?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Su Changsheng stopped smiling and continued, ¡°I was tempted the moment I saw it. So I spent more than three years acquiring all of these pieces at a high price. It was with much difficulty that I managed to collect enough to assemble into one large piece.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded. She seemed to have some impression of it. According to historical records, glass first appeared in ancient Egypt. It was formed by the condensation of acidic rocks from volcanic eruptions and some other minerals. Natural colored glass was really rare. Instead of calling it colored glass, it was more accurate to call them colored crystals.


    Currently, the Shao Nation also has the craft of making glassware, but the glass produced was colorless. As for this kind of natural colored crystal, it is indeed expensive, but the biggest problem is its rarity.


    The more Xiaoguo looked around the shop, the more shocked she became. Her legs were becoming soft and weak.


    She only had one thought. How could she chase Su Changsheng out and monopolize this place?


    The renovation was simply amazing. With no comparisons, one would never be harmed. Not only were the decorations high-end, even the cellar and processing room were perfect. There were no night rocks in this place, but there were a few super big night pearls embedded in the walls to illuminate the place. It was inhumane.


    In summary, this place was perfect.


    She didn¡¯t dare to stay there any longer. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would rush back to Yonghai County and redecorate her two-story building.


    After politely rejecting Su Changsheng¡¯s request to send them off, the two of them decided to take a walk.


    On the way back, Xiaoguo was in low spirits. Holding on tightly to Jiang Danhe¡¯s sleeve, she looked dejected and listless.


    ¡°How about I make a trip to Misr?¡±


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t bear to see her looking so sad, so he had decided to set off after the new year.


    Xiaoguo grabbed his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous. I can¡¯t let you go there.¡±


    Her man was so handsome. What if he was captured by a certain tribe?


    Xiaoguo was very good at consoling herself. Her love for natural colored glass had disappeared in a flash.


    Although her two-story building was not as luxurious and elegant as Su Changsheng¡¯s shop, it had its own unique charm. She still liked her own renovation style very much.


    Looking at the woman, who was beaming with joy again, Jiang Danhe stroked her head gently. His dear Xiaoguo was just so cute. She was awesome, obedient, and adorable..

 Chapter 454 - Chapter 454: Abducting the Crown Prince

    Chapter 454: Abducting the Crown Prince


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Nothing is better than one¡¯s own.


    Although there were no precious treasures in her two-story building, every carving and decoration was carefully thought out and selected by her.


    Therefore, although natural colored glass was precious, it was not suitable for her two-story building.


    It was rare for Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo to go on a date with no third party tagging along. Shopping and wandering along the way, Jiang Danhe would pay for anything that Xiaoguo had touched or stopped to look at. No one could stop him from doing that. This allowed Xiaoguo to experience what it¡¯s like to be doted on by a CEO.


    Su Changsheng¡¯s carriage passed by the market and the people sitting inside happened to catch a glimpse of the couple.


    ¡°Madam and her husband are quite loving.¡±


    Although he knew the other party¡¯s identity¡ªthe general and the general¡¯s wife, when he picked Xiaoguo up today, he was still used to the term Madam, and did not include the title General when addressing her.


    ¡­..


    Jia Bao retracted his gaze enviously. When was he going to have a partner? He had spent all his days running around with his young master. Despite the long and bumpy journeys, his master always looked spirited and lively, unlike him, who was starting to look haggard. He was feeling curious about the food his young master had taken to maintain himself.


    Su Changsheng only sighed slightly. They were quite loving, but why was he feeling a little jealous?


    ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jia Bao didn¡¯t know why his master was suddenly sighing. Could he be thinking about marriage too?


    Jia Bao came up with a guess that seemed more plausible the more he thought about it. His young master was in his forties, wealthy and good-looking. Other than his love for money and freedom, he was a highly eligible bachelor.


    If the news got out that he was looking for a wife, the young ladies from the capital would definitely rush to their residence. By that time, his master would be spoilt for choice.


    Thinking of his young master, who had yet to settle down, Jia Bao¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. He silently sped up the carriage, so that he could go home and tell his old master that the young master was thinking about marriage.


    Su Changsheng looked at the couple as they walked further and further away. Feeling slightly regretful, he retracted his gaze. It was difficult to find a woman who met all his requirements and could converse freely with him. But sadly, this person was already married with a son. It was really a pity. If only he had met her earlier.


    ¡°Jia Bao, why are you going so fast?¡±


    Jia Bao felt a chill down his spine. He quickly put down the whip and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go slower.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    On the morning of New Year¡¯s Eve, the general¡¯s mansion was already bustling with activity.


    Before dawn, everyone in the residence had already started getting busy.


    For the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, the two chefs were so busy that they had no time to rest. The fresh ingredients were carried into the kitchen in baskets¡ªamong them were chickens, ducks, fish, and pork legs. The supply of ingredients was endless.


    On this same day last year, the mansion was very quiet. Everyone simply gathered together to have a meal, which counted as the New Year¡¯s celebration.


    This year was different. The male owner, female owner, young owner, and family were all at home. Everyone was working hard to prepare for the new year festivities.


    ¡°Hang it here? Or here?¡±


    Xiaoguo raised the lantern and tried placing it at two different spots.


    Ruyi rubbed her chin and hesitated. ¡°Let¡¯s hang them on both sides. The more the merrier.¡±


    Xiaoguo sighed and hung up the lanterns resignedly. She should have just said so earlier. She had made so many wasted trips because of Ruyi¡¯s indecisiveness¡­


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. The main planner for this year¡¯s Spring Festival was Ruyi. Everyone else was a helper and could only follow her arrangements.


    Ruyi stood in the pavilion in the center and watched everyone get busy. She was feeling quite satisfied. It would be wonderful to set off fireworks in such a big courtyard.


    ¡°Brother Anming, your couplets are upside down¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey! Shu Botong! I told you to stick the word ¡®fortune¡¯ upside down, but you insisted on sticking it upright. Are you doing it on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling¡­ Why are the plates only half-filled with peanuts and melon seeds¡­?¡±


    The two girls quickly closed their mouths and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Ruyi waved her hand helplessly. The two gluttons.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling hurriedly covered their mouths and giggled before running off with the tray of snacks.


    ¡°Brother-in-law, brother-in-law! Can we put romance on pause for a while?¡±


    Jiang Danhe blushed and quietly moved one step away from Xiaoguo. He nodded in embarrassment and pretended that he was working conscientiously.


    Ruyi sighed. She really had to watch over this pair constantly.


    She took a few steps back and sat in the pavilion. The weather was so cold but she was perspiring from anxiety. These people were really quite hard to manage.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right. It looks like someone¡¯s missing?¡±


    Ruyi counted several times and realized that there was one less headcount.


    ¡°Where is Li Shouji?!¡±


    ¡°Stop looking. I¡¯m here.¡±


    Li Shouji was sitting not too far behind her and was rubbing his hands together. Luckily, he had been assigned a simple task, which he had already completed early on in this cold weather.


    Ruyi was so startled by him that she almost cried out. She turned around abruptly and looked at him. ¡°Why did you run behind me without a word? You really gave me a fright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a long time,¡± Li Shouji said as he sniffled. ¡°You were so engrossed that you didn¡¯t notice me. It¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault¡±


    Ruyi couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. ¡°Have you completed your task?¡±


    ¡°It was completed a long time ago. Tonight, I¡¯ll show you the invincible fireworks I¡¯ve created!¡±


    Li Shouji was filled with confidence about the fireworks that he had meticulously developed over the past six months. Everyone was in for a good show tonight.


    ¡°You created it?! Where¡¯s the pile of fireworks I gave you?¡±


    ¡°Over there.¡±


    Li Shouji smiled and pointed to a pile in the courtyard.


    ¡°¡­ I think there should be more in the pile.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know, creation requires raw materials, so I used some of it. But don¡¯t worry, I promise! I promise that it will be an eye-opener for everyone. If the fireworks are not impressive, I¡¯ll stuff myself into a firecracker bucket and you can light the fire. How about that?¡±


    Li Shouji quickly added when he saw that she was about to get angry.


    When Ruyi heard this, she relaxed her brows and sized him up before nodding in satisfaction. ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°He must weigh at least 120-130 catties. If we launch him up into the sky, he should brighten up the sky for a while.¡±


    Li Shouji raised an eyebrow at her, while she threw a disdainful look at him.


    At this moment, a man with a lantern quietly moved towards a particular woman.


    Ruyi narrowed her eyes and stood up. She shouted, ¡°Brother-in-law, brother-in-law! Why are you always hanging around Sister Xiaoguo? The two of you have different jobs¡­¡±


    Ruyi sighed and threw herself back into the ¡°battleground¡± with a smile.


    As soon as Ruyi said that, Jiang Dange had a startle response. He trembled all over, and before he could react, he had physically stepped away from Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo buried her head in her arms shyly. ¡°This JiangDanhe¡­¡±


    The others laughed out loud at his actions and started teasing him. They only stopped when his face became as red as the couplets.


    After laughing it off, Ruyi arranged for the two of them to work together.


    Zhuang Zhuang had not returned ever since he left for the palace. Xiaoguo heard from Jiang Danhe that the boy had mastered horse-riding and archery. He could also do a proper horse-stance now. While Xiaoguo was overjoyed, she was also missing him very badly.


    Fortunately, Zhuang Zhuang would be sent back soon. This would temporarily resolve her longing for him.


    When the carriage from the palace stopped at the entrance, Zhuang Zhuang ran in with his small backpack.


    He threw himself into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms and called out to his mother. It was obvious that he had been missing her as well.


    ¡°Aiyo, my dear¡­ I missed you so much. Hurry up and let me kiss you.¡±


    Xiaoguo kissed him hard on his cheeks that had lost their baby fat. Why had he lost so much weight?


    It seemed that he had grown up, and his baby fat was disappearing, and he was going to become a handsome young man.


    Zhuang Zhuang would turn five after the new year. At the thought of this, Xiaoguo felt terrible.


    After the age of five, he would be seated at a separate table from her. The little guy was going to leave her so soon. She felt so sad that she wanted to cry.


    ¡°Mother¡­ Xiaoyi came back with me.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang whispered in her ear.


    Her tears immediately flowed back into her eyes. Had her son abducted Xiaoyi?!


    On this day of family reunion, Zhuang Zhuang had secretly brought the emperor¡¯s son here. Was that considered a crime¡­?


    Mother and son secretly looked around. Everyone else was busy in the hall. Apart from the two of them, there was no one else around.


    ¡­..


    After confirming that the environment was safe, the mother and son began to


    move..

 Chapter 455 - Chapter 455: Jiang Danhe Has Gone Astray

    Chapter 455: Jiang Danhe Has Gone Astray


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Xiaoguo took his backpack from him and the two of them arrived at the main entrance. As expected, the carriage was still parked at the same spot.


    ¡°I found a random reason to keep the carriage parked here.¡±


    Xiaoyi was hiding in the carriage all this while. Zhuang Zhuang cleverly found an excuse and asked the unsuspecting coachman to remain at the same spot.


    Because it was his first time doing this, Zhuang Zhuang was a bit nervous and didn¡¯t want anyone to see him. After getting out of the car, he immediately came to find Xiaoguo to discuss the next steps.


    ¡°My son is so smart¡­¡± Xiaoguo was overjoyed to hear Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard his mother praise him, he felt so happy that he blushed.


    Xiaoguo smiled and suddenly realized that something felt wrong.


    ¡­..


    If Zhuang Zhuang abducted Xiaoyi, wasn¡¯t she an accomplice?


    ¡°Mother, what reason should we tell the coachman?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang had come up with an excuse saying he had a gift for Xiaoyi, and asked the coachman to wait at the door while he went into the house to get it. What should he say next?


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie. Just be direct.¡±


    The coachman was from the palace. It was better for him to see Xiaoyi and know his whereabouts. This way, Shao Zhan wouldn¡¯t worry about his son either.


    ¡°Will the coachman take Xiaoyi away by force?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang asked nervously.


    ¡°No,¡± Xiaoguo said firmly.


    He wouldn¡¯t dare to. Xiaoyi was the crown prince. At most, he would rush back to the palace and report it to Shao Zhan. He had no right to take this matter into his own hands.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know if Xiaoyi had left a message when he came out. After all, he was a mischievous little kid who had run away on a whim. Any parent would feel worried in such a situation.


    After becoming a mother herself, whenever Xiaoguo saw mischievous children, she couldn¡¯t help but worry and feel concern for them.


    When Zhuang Zhuang heard his mother¡¯s reply, he heaved a sigh of relief. Xiaoyi was really too pitiful. He really couldn¡¯t bear to leave him alone.


    He had wanted to return home this morning, but Xiaoyi begged him and even kicked up a fuss. He was unwilling to let him go. Therefore, Zhuang Zhuang had no choice but to wait until evening.


    When it was almost sunset, Xiaoyi reluctantly let him go as the sky was turning dark.


    Recalling the look in Xiaoyi¡¯s eyes before he got into the carriage, how could Zhuang Zhuang bear to leave him behind? Hence, he agreed to his bold request.


    Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang came to the carriage and stopped the coachman from bowing. Then, they called Xiaoyi to come out of the carriage, right in front of the coachman.


    The coachman looked at the crown prince with widened eyes and immediately rushed back to the palace in a daze. At this moment, he still couldn¡¯t figure out how the boyhad gotten into his car without him noticing. No, no. He couldn¡¯t bear the responsibility for this. He had to hurry back and report the incident.


    ¡°Why is he taking so long? Is Zhuang Zhuang back yet?¡±


    Xiaoguo had mentioned earlier that she couldn¡¯t wait any longer, and was going to pick Zhuang Zhuang up at the door. But she hadn¡¯t returned after so long. Hence, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t wait any longer and came out to look for them.


    When Jiang Danhe saw Xiaoguo walking towards him by herself, he frowned instinctively. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang hasn¡¯t returned yet?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s back, he¡¯s back.¡±


    Xiaoguo took his hand and gestured for him to relax. ¡°He went back to the house to put away his luggage, but he didn¡¯t come back alone.¡±


    Jiang Danhe frowned again. He was smart enough to guess the meaning behind Xiaoguo¡¯s words. ¡°Did Xiaoyi come back with him?¡±


    Seeing the other party nod, Jiang Danhe said helplessly, ¡°Prepare two more seats. We¡¯ll start dinner slightly later.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡± Wait a minute, why did he say two seats?¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang already had one seat set aside for him. She only had to make one space for Xiaoyi.


    Xiaoguo was about to ask him why there was a need for two extra seats when the other party spoke first.


    ¡°You can go in first.¡±


    ¡°Then where are you going?¡± Xiaoguo looked at him strangely. Hadn¡¯t he come out looking for her?


    ¡°I am going to¡­ wash my hands.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said calmly, not daring to look into Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes.


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and smiled. ¡°I think you¡¯re going to look for Zhuang Zhuang.¡±


    Jiang Danhe rubbed the tip of his nose in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    Looking at the other party¡¯s increasingly red cheeks, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop smiling. She didn¡¯t believe his words. ¡°Why? Do you miss him?¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and go back first. I¡¯m just going to wash my hands.¡±


    Jiang Danhe refused to admit it and insisted, ¡°Boys should go out and explore. How can they stick to their parents all day long? Besides, he has only been away for a few days¡­ Just go back first. I¡¯ll return soon.¡±


    Xiaoguo wanted to tease him a little more, but he didn¡¯t give her a chance. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t leaving, he threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯m going to kiss you.¡±


    ¡°!!¡± Xiaoguo was shocked by his words. She subconsciously looked around to make sure that there was no one around, before saying shyly to him, ¡°How annoying¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo suspected that he had been reading some strange books lately. Otherwise, why would he speak so cheekily and playfully all the time? This man had been led astray!


    Seeing that she was not budging, Jiang Danhe took two steps forward. Xiaoguo was so frightened that she ran away without looking back.


    Just moments ago, she was still saying that he didn¡¯t mean his words. In the next minute, she was running as if there was a ferocious beast behind her.


    Jiang Danhe was completely charmed by her cuteness. Thinking about his plans for the night, he didn¡¯t dare linger and headed straight to his room.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, I¡¯m coming for you¡­¡±


    After a long time, Jiang Danhe finally arrived with Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi.


    Xiaoguo smiled at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t he say that he wasn¡¯t going to look for Zhuang


    Zhuang¡­?¡¯


    Jiang Danhe coughed guiltily and sat down beside her.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi had not made an appearance for a long time as they were having a good time in the palace. As soon as they entered the house, they told everybody about their activities over the past few days.


    The preparations for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner were done. Xiaoguo and the others also did their best to help out in the kitchen. They knew that the two chefs were under a lot of pressure. Besides preparing their share for dinner, the chefs also had to cook for all the soldiers in the residence. The workload was pretty big. And since today was a special day, the dishes could not be too simple.


    Thanks to the help of Xiaoguo and everyone else, the two chefs managed to survive this ordeal.


    Someone from the kitchen came over and asked when the food could be served.


    All of them turned to look at Jiang Danhe at the same time.


    Earlier on, they had already asked him the same question, but Jiang Danhe had told them to wait. When asked for the reason, he only gave a secretive look.


    The sky outside was gradually turning dark. Firecrackers had been heard since dawn. As night fell, every house was lit up with fireworks.


    Xiaoguo and the others witnessed for themselves the extravagance of the people in the capital.


    At this moment, a huge firework soared into the sky and burst with a loud bang, exploding into dozens of smaller fireworks that bloomed at the same time. The colorful display looked like a spariding sea of flowers.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    The few people who were admiring the fireworks in the courtyard couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. It was a beautiful sight.


    I


    ¡°Whose house did that come from?


    Ruyi asked curiously. Such enormous fireworks must cost a lot of money.


    Looking like he had received some sort of signal, Jiang Danhe first instructed the kitchen to serve the dishes before he explained to the rest, ¡°Those are fireworks from the palace.¡±


    ¡°The fireworks signify the start of a meal, and they will be set off for a long time until dinner is over.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Ruyi watched the fireworks exploding continuously in the sky with her mouth agape. She was completely enjoying the extravagant display. Even from such a far distance, she could see the fireworks so clearly. If she was watching the display at a closer distance, it would be even more magnificent.


    ¡°When are we going to set off our fireworks?¡±


    Li Shouji couldn¡¯t wait to show everyone the fireworks he had prepared.


    ¡°After dinner,¡±


    Ruyi quickly responded to his question. It would be so perfect to stay up late to watch the fireworks after dinner and enjoy them while spending the New Year¡¯s Eve together.


    ¡°You can set off your fireworks after dinner. Set off some other ones before dinner starts.¡±


    As soon as Xiaoguo finished speaking, Shu Botong immediately added, ¡°Then let¡¯s do it now. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Count me in.¡± Not to be outdone, Li Shouji immediately raised his hand.


    ¡­..


    ¡°And me!¡±


    After expressing her interest, Ruyi also took the opportunity to raise Qin


    Anming¡¯s hand. ¡°Brother Anming will set off one firework too.¡±


    Qin Anming smiled without objecting, since having fun was the priority today.


    ¡°And us!¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi also raised their hands high, trying to get in on the action without anyone noticing.


    ¡°You guys can forget it!¡±


    To their dismay, everyone objected in unison..

 Chapter 456 - Chapter 456: Confession Under the Fireworks

    Chapter 456: Confession Under the Fireworks


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    In an instant, the two little figures wilted at a visible speed.


    Their plan had failed.


    The aroma of the delicious dishes were urging the group to move faster, prompting them to quickly finish up with the fireworks and start dinner.


    ¡°Is my Brother-in-law going to light the fireworks?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Jiang Danhe rolled up his sleeves and got into a stance. ¡°I¡¯m very good at this. I¡¯ve never burnt my hands before.¡±


    ¡°None of us did!¡±


    As soon as he said that, the few of them almost fell for it. He made it sound like everyone else had burnt their hands before.


    ¡­..


    Without caring if it made Jiang Danhe look bad, Xiaoguo was the first one to laugh out loud . Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi also laughed along, without any trace of the pitiful look that they were wearing on their faces when they were rejected by the group earlier on.


    Ruyi had thoughtfully prepared small sparklers for Xiaoguo, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling. This was the first time she had seen such products. The stall owner said that they were very safe and suitable for women and children.


    Upon hearing that, Ruyi bought a bunch of the sparklers immediately. They were perfect for women like Xiaoguo, who were afraid of fireworks, and children like Xiao Zhu, Yu Ling, Zhuang Zhuang, and Xiaoyi.


    Look at how considerate she was¡­


    After handing the sparklers to Xiaoguo, Ruyi ran off to pick out the fireworks. She remembered that there was a super beautiful one that she had to set off personally.


    Xiaoguo distributed the sparklers to Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling before handing some to the two boys.


    Watching the two boys take the sparklers reluctantly from her, Xiaoguo thought for a moment and said with a smile, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Xiaoyi didn¡¯t understand what she meant, but Zhuang Zhuang did. He stuffed the sparklers back into her hand and happily pulled Xiaoyi away.


    In a daze, Xiaoyi stuffed the sparkler back into her hand and ran towards the crowd with Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, is that alright?¡±


    Yu Ling asked worriedly. The two children were still young. Would it be too dangerous for them to touch the fire torches and fireworks?


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Xiaoguo smiled and shook her head. She looked up and said, ¡°Look over there.¡±


    Yu Ling looked over curiously. Even though Xiaoguo had allowed the boys to join the others, the adults would not allow the two boys to set off the fireworks by themselves. Someone would have to help them with the torches.


    ¡°I¡¯m not late, am I?¡±


    As they were choosing the fireworks, an unfamiliar and mature male voice sounded.


    A tall man appeared in front of them, illuminated by the light of the lanterns. Wearing a smile as he looked at them, he seemed very sociable and easy-going.


    ¡°I want to join in too. Let¡¯s set off the fireworks together. I¡¯ll pick one¡­¡±


    He mumbled to himself and behaved like he was on familiar terms with everyone who was present.


    The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth trembled involuntarily. ¡°So the other seat was reserved for him.¡±


    But did he really not notice a few unfamiliar faces among the group?


    Shao Zhan picked out one firework. At this moment, he finally realized an awkwardness in the air.


    Then he remembered that he had forgotten to introduce himself.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Xiaoyi¡¯s father.¡±


    After taking off his dragon robe, he was just an ordinary child¡¯s father.


    ¡°It¡¯s too quiet at home and there¡¯s just the two of us spending the Lunar New Year together. But the brat had run away from home, so I¡¯m the only one left at home. It¡¯s so lonely¡­¡±


    Except for the few who knew him, the others in the group felt a sense of pity towards him. Their hearts were also aching for Xiaoyi. It turned out that the two of them were so pitiful, without a wife or a mother.


    ¡°Of course! You¡¯re Xiaoyi¡¯s father, so you¡¯re our friend.¡± As Ruyi spoke, she took the initiative to let him choose the fireworks. She said generously, ¡°You can choose whatever you want since you¡¯re so good-looking. Hehe¡­¡±


    Shu Botong and Li Shouji were on the verge of vomiting blood. Just moments ago, she nagged at them non-stop for taking an extra lantern. But now, she was actually saying that!!


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. Ruyi¡¯s old habit was acting up again. Whenever she sees a good-looking man, she becomes very tolerant. Although Shu Botong and Li Shouji weren¡¯t ugly and could also be considered as handsome, the two of them always looked like they deserved a beating.


    Xiaoguo looked like she had just been struck by lightning. Ruyi had actually flirted with the emperor!!


    As expected, it was good that she didn¡¯t know Xiaoyi¡¯s identity. Otherwise, she would definitely behave like Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu, who were now hiding behind her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ruyi asked curiously as she looked at the handsome man who was holding back his laughter.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Shao Zhan pursed his lips and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve heard such unadulterated praise.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Hahahahaha¡­¡±


    Although Ruyi didn¡¯t quite understand what he meant, she could still roughly guess. It seemed that her new friend quite enjoyed hearing people praise him for his looks.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set off the fireworks quickly. All those delectable dishes are getting cold¡­¡±


    Apart from feeling a little guilty at first, Xiaoyi was completely fine now. His father didn¡¯t look like he was going to punish him, so he was completely relieved.


    When everyone else heard Ruyi¡¯s words, they quickly carried their fireworks to the empty space.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe set off one firework first. As Xiaoyi was still young, he also needed someone to help him with it.


    Shao Zhan walked over slowly and hugged the fireworks that Xiaoyi had chosen, while tossing a glance over at him.


    Xiaoyi felt uneasy all over.¡± What¡¯s up with this look, like he¡¯s going to get even?¡±


    Six or seven big fireworks were arranged neatly in a straight line. The few people lit up the torches in their hands and after exchanging glances with each other, they lit the fireworks and ran off together.


    In an instant, a series of fireworks were shot into the sky above the general¡¯s residence. The scene was so spectacular that it attracted the attention of everyone else in the residence. They put down the bowls and chopsticks in their hands and came out to admire the short fireworks show.


    Xiaoguo threw away the spent sparkler in her hand and got ready to cover her ears. The sound of these six or seven big fireworks exploding together would definitely be deafening.


    Jiang Danhe ran over and placed his hands over her ears.


    Xiaoguo looked up at him, and he looked down at her. With eyes locked on each other, they exchanged smiles. There was no need to say anything.


    At this moment, the fireworks in the sky exploded, instantly illuminating the entire sky.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t hear anything else at this moment. All she could hear was her own heartbeat. Her eyes were focused on the other party¡¯s mouth.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s confession was drowned out by the sound of fireworks, but Xiaoguo still heard him very clearly.


    ¡°You make my heart flutter more than the fireworks.¡±


    At this moment, Xiaoguo suddenly laughed. Feeling enchanted, Jiang Danhe kissed her in the moment of darkness when the fireworks temporarily disappeared. When the fireworks bloomed again, he quickly let her go.


    The whole sequence of actions was swift and moving.


    Jiang Danhe was so shy that he didn¡¯t dare to look down at Xiaoguo. However, he could feel her gaze that was making his heart flutter.


    If he lowered his head, he would have noticed Xiaoguo¡¯s loving gaze.


    At the dining table, a large table filled with delicious food was laid out in front of them. The few of them dined and laughed until midnight.


    Amidst their conversation, they found out that the two extra chairs were for the father and son. Jiang Danhe also told them how he knew about it even though the other party did not tell him in advance.


    Like father, like son. If Xiaoyi ran away, the father would definitely do the same too. This festival was supposed to be a day of reunion, eating together, and enjoying the festivities together. After one of them left home, there was only one person left in the house. Therefore they should just run away together.


    It was so lively here. Shao Zhan had not felt so happy in a long time. He finally understood why Xiaoyi liked hanging with this group so much. Now, he was also feeling reluctant to leave.


    After the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, the group lit the fireworks for the countdown.


    Li Shouji wiped the grease from his mouth and blew on the torch excitedly. Finally!! This was finally the moment. He would definitely dazzle them with the fireworks.


    Li Shouji was indeed a smart and creative guy. He wasn¡¯t exaggerating at all. When the fireworks exploded in the sky, it was the most beautiful and stunning fireworks the group had ever seen.


    Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but admire him. It was quite an amazing feat.


    The fireworks lasted for a long time. The few of them leaned against each other and looked up to admire the wonderful display in the sky.


    Although each firework only lasted for a moment, the scene of the group standing side by side was a sight for everyone to remember.


    Even though Xiaoyi was unwilling, he was eventually taken away by Shao Zhan.


    Since they had sneaked out, the two of them had to go back quietly. It wouldn¡¯t be good if they were discovered by those people in the palace..

 Chapter 457 - Chapter 457: Can I?

    Chapter 457: Can I?


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Xiaoyi was reluctantly carried into the carriage. Before leaving, he carefully stuck his head out and said to Zhuang Zhuang, who was closest to him, ¡°I¡¯ll be back¡­¡±


    Immediately after, a punch landed on him. Xiaoyi wailed and covered his head as he retreated into the car.


    After watching the carriage leave, Zhuang Zhuang let out a sigh like an adult and hoped that Xiaoyi would behave himself.


    In the carriage, Shao Zhan mocked Xiaoyi, who was behaving in a dramatic manner. ¡°You must have grown up a lot over the past year. You just leave the house without informing anyone.¡±


    Xiaoyi¡¯s wailing suddenly stopped and he looked at his father carefully. ¡°No way. Is he really settling scores now? Is he serious?¡¯


    ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s because¡­ so¡­¡±


    The two of them always spent New Year¡¯s Eve together, staring at each other. It was so boring. Knowing that it would be very lively here, how could he not come and join them?


    ¡­..


    Shao Zhan snorted. ¡°He only cared about himself. Doesn¡¯t he know that his father would feel bored too?¡¯ On this festive occasion, a son had abandoned his father and gone off to enjoy life on his own. It was unfair to him as a father.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Xiaoyi looked at him aggrievedly with his big eyes.


    Shao Zhan¡¯s heart softened immediately. ¡°Next time¡­¡±


    ¡°I promise there won¡¯t be a next time!!¡±


    Xiaoyi quickly made a promise, fearing that his father would keep a closer watch on him when they returned to the palace. Therefore, he kept saying all sorts of nice words, trying to appease his father.


    Shao Zhan showed no signs of being swayed by Xiaoyi¡¯s words. After listening to him quietly, he finally spoke up and said, ¡°I mean, next time remember to take me with you.


    tl II


    ? ?


    On the other side, the surroundings had finally quietened down. At this moment, everyone had fallen asleep. The few of them had initially planned to go out to the streets to watch the lion dance, but dinner had dragged on for too long, so they gave up eventually.


    ¡°Go back to the house and sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow.¡±


    On the first day of the Lunar New Year, they had to eat dumplings at dawn. It is said that the earlier you eat dumplings on this day, the more luck you will have in the new year.


    Ruyi stretched and walked towards the room, but Xiaoguo stopped her.


    ¡°The hot water has already been prepared. We need to take a new year¡¯s bath to wash away the old dust. This is a tradition that we should stick to.¡±


    Xiaoguo dragged her along as she spoke, not forgetting to call Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling along.


    The four of them would have to take a quick bath together before retiring for the day.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Filled with reluctance, Ruyi tried to find all sorts of excuses to avoid taking a bath. But Xiaoguo simply ignored her as she pushed her to the bathroom.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go this way.¡±


    Li Shouji took the lead and walked in the other direction. Shu Botong and Qin Anming were following behind. Jiang Danhe was at the back, holding Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hand.


    Unlike women who take a long time to shower, the men were much quicker. They could pour a bucket of water over themselves and be done with it. In winter, they could even use cold water.


    When nobody was paying attention, Jiang Danhe secretly signaled to Zhuang Zhuang.


    Zhuang Zhuang was a little hesitant. In the end, under Jiang Danhe¡¯s slightly seductive gaze, he nodded back at him.


    Zhuang Zhuang let go of Jiang Danhe¡¯s hand and ran to Qin Anming. ¡°Uncle, uncle, can I sleep with you tonight? It¡¯s been so long since I last slept with you¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s acting skills were pretty good. The others did not notice anything amiss and started teasing Jiang Danhe.


    ¡°Your son likes his Uncle more¡­¡±


    ¡°A nephew who enjoys sticking around his uncle, no problem. It¡¯s always been that way.¡±


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t have any objections to this. Instead, he smiled and nodded.


    Seeing that Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t object, Qin Anming stroked the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Okay, sleep with me tonight then.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Zhuang Zhuang laughed and jumped up. He looked very happy.


    Jiang Danhe looked even happier than him. ¡°This is awesome¡±


    As Zhuang Zhuang walked, he did not forget to turn around and steal a glance at his father. ¡°My complete set of ancient books and a set of scented ink..¡±


    Jiang Danhe was in a good mood. He nodded and gave the boy a look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give it to you tomorrow.¡±


    The father and son exchanged glances and nodded quietly. It was obvious that both parties were very satisfied with the outcome of the deal.


    After taking a shower, Xiaoguo parted ways with Ruyi and the others, as the bathroom was closer to her room. She didn¡¯t dry her hair, and only wrapped it in a towel before hurrying back to her room.


    As soon as she stepped in, she felt a little strange. The room seemed unusually quiet.


    ¡± Where¡¯s Zhuang Zhuang?¡¯


    As Xiaoguo dried her hair, she walked towards the bed where Jiang Danhe was lying.


    No one answered her question because Jiang Danhe had already closed his eyes.


    Just as Xiaoguo approached the bed, thinking that he had fallen asleep, the other party slowly opened his eyes.


    His eyes were filled with a hazy sense of vulnerability as he looked straight at her. His usually sharp eyes were looking exceptionally pure and kind at this moment. She felt her heart melting instantly.


    In this state, Jiang Danhe resembled the way Zhuang Zhuang looked when he had just woken up. He looked utterly cute and adorable.


    ¡°You¡¯re back¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiaoguo replied softly, as if she was afraid of waking him up. Her eyes were filled with a gentleness that he had never seen before.


    Jiang Danhe, who was pretending to be drunk, suddenly blushed at that moment. He got up to hide the smile on his face.


    ¡°I told you not to drink so much, but you refused to listen to me. Are you feeling better now?¡± Xiaoguo asked worriedly as she stroked his back. ¡°How is it? Are you feeling unwell? Do you need me to make you some hangover soup?¡±


    Jiang Danhe loved it whenever she expressed her concern for him. The more Xiaoguo cared about him, the happier he was.


    Moreover, he knew exactly what to do to win Xiaoguo¡¯s meticulous concern and love.


    Just shaking his head and keeping quiet was enough to soften her heart.


    ¡°Jiang Danhe in his drunken state is too cute. He looks like a replica of Zhuang Zhuang¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo hid the smile on her face. She decided to tease him while he was still drunk.


    The good-looking man now looked like a baby, who could be manipulated by Xiaoguo any way she wished.


    Looking at his flushed cheeks from the alcohol, Xiaoguo mustered her courage and reached out her sinful hands to give him a gentle squeeze.


    He always did that to her¡ªit was finally her turn to pinch him back. And surprisingly, it felt pretty good. Although his body didn¡¯t feel quite as soft and tender as Zhuang Zhuang, it was very firm and bouncy.


    Once she started, she couldn¡¯t stop. Especially since he kept looking at her so innocently. Her evil thoughts were getting out of hand. If she didn¡¯t take advantage of him now, when would she get another chance?


    Xiaoguo could no longer control the strange feeling in her heart. Forgive her, the drunk Jiang Danhe was really super soft and cute!


    Jiang Danhe let her ravage him. He didn¡¯t show it on his face, but he was actually struggling internally.


    One part of him was telling him to pounce on her. The other part of him was telling him to calm down and take things one step at a time. He should seduce the other party until she finally lets down her guard.


    Xiaoguo was so engrossed in her kneading act that she did not notice the other party¡¯s eyes. The storm that was brewing, was about to reach its peak.


    Suddenly, Jiang Danhe took action and pushed Xiaoguo down.


    Startled by his sudden movement, Xiaoguo looked at him uneasily with her big, watery eyes.


    The two of them looked at each other. The man looked completely awake now. Xiaoguo must be aware that he was just pretending to be drunk. As for his motive, she should be aware of it as well.


    ¡°Can I?¡±


    Jiang Danhe tried to suppress his racing heart and looked at her carefully. He did not want to miss out on any single fluctuations in her emotions.


    She looked shy, nervous, and uneasy, but there was no resistance or disgust in her eyes.


    This discovery was enough to excite him. The slight nervousness in his heart quickly disappeared, leaving only endless flames that were ready to erupt.


    Xiaoguo looked at him seriously and smiled before nodding shyly.


    It was a very slight nod. She didn¡¯t dare to say a word, afraid that her heart would jump out of her throat if she said anything.


    Although the two of them already had a child, they were still quite ignorant about this matter.


    The atmosphere was starting to get sticky when Xiaoguo suddenly came back to her senses and asked a mood-killing question, ¡°Where¡¯s Zhuang Zhuang?¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at her helplessly and did not speak. He only answered her with his actions.


    Xiaoguo was so frightened by the flames in his eyes that she extinguished her other thoughts, immersing herself in the wave of passion that was exclusive to the two of them..


    ¡­..

 Chapter 458 - Chapter 458: Small Misunderstanding

    Chapter 458: Small Misunderstanding


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    After that night, the two of them seemed to have opened up a new world.


    Whenever Jiang Danhe was at home, he would definitely stick to Xiaoguo. He couldn¡¯t do anything bold, but he always makes an effort to steal a kiss or hug from her.


    Everyday before dawn, Jiang Danhe would be looking forward to nightfall. And during the night, Xiaoguo would be looking forward to dawn.


    Xiaoguo heaved a sigh of relief when Jiang Danhe¡¯s vacation ended.


    If things continued like this, Jiang Danhe might not worry about his kidneys but Xiaoguo would have to worry about her waist.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you some snacks.¡±


    ¡­..


    Xiaoguo said with a smile. No matter what, she had come to the capital. She had to pay a visit to the top snack house in the world, the Powdered Dish Shop.


    ¡°Wow¡­ We¡¯re in for a treat.¡±


    Ruyi glanced at Qin Anming. Previously, they had heard some diners talk about the famous Powdered Dish Shop in the capital. They didn¡¯t expect to be in luck today.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Zhuang Zhuang isn¡¯t around.¡±


    Qin Anming shook his head regretfully.


    On the first day of the new year, Zhuang Zhuang was called away by Xiaoyi again.


    ¡°Zhuang Zhuang must be enjoying all sorts of delicacies in the palace,¡±


    Shu Botong chimed in. He didn¡¯t think that Zhuang Zhuang would be missing much.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Ruyi didn¡¯t understand. She was thinking of bringing some snacks back for Zhuang Zhuang.


    ¡°Xiaoyi¡¯s family are definitely no ordinary folks. Look at the patterns on their clothes, they were all embroidered with gold threads. To be dressed so extravagantly, they must be either rich or powerful.¡±


    Shu Botong had sharp eyes, and he noticed it as soon as he saw Xiaoyi. When he saw the boy¡¯s father, he was even more certain of his guess.


    Xiaoguo smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Heis quite right. But the truth is, they are both rich and powerful.¡±


    Ruyi understood what he meant now. Their family was already so rich, so they must be well-fed. They might even have a few chefs in the residence who specialized in making snacks.


    At the thought of this, she felt a little envious of Zhuang Zhuang.


    At the mention of Xiaoyi and his father, Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu fell silent at the same time. Although they had gotten along very well during their previous interactions, their perception of hierarchy was deeply ingrained in their bones and could hardly be changed.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and redirected everyone¡¯s attention to the Powdered Dish Shop.


    The antique-looking shop was now right in front of them.


    To their surprise, the famous Powder Dish Shop only had such a small entrance. The shop space didn¡¯t look big either¡ªit looked much smaller than the fabric shop beside them.


    ¡°Is this the place?¡±


    Ruyi asked with uncertainty. No matter how she looked at it, this place didn¡¯t look like a reputed restaurant.


    ¡°Could they be using their fame to sell some inferior products?¡±


    Shu Botong also thought that the shop looked suspicious. He was hesitating whether to go in or not. If this was a shop that was trying to rip off customers, it would burn a big hole in his pocket if he went in.


    Qin Anming remained silent and looked at Xiaoguo. ¡°Shall I go in with Botong to check things out?¡±


    They were girls after all, to play safe, it¡¯s better for the two men to go in instead.


    Shu Botong nodded in agreement.


    The main reason for their apprehensiveness was that this shop gave them a strange vibe. Not only was it empty, there was also no fragrance of freshly made snacks. Moreover, there was only a counter and a shop assistant in this tiny place without even a table in sight.


    The storefront was nicely done up, but the interior looked really strange.


    While Xiaoguo was still hesitating, a familiar voice sounded above her head.


    ¡°What a coincidence. Have you guys come here for tea?¡±


    Su Changsheng was on the second floor. When he stretched his head out and saw a familiar figure, his eyes immediately lit up. Was this telepathy? He was just thinking about her when she suddenly appeared.


    When the group saw him, they entered the shop with relief. Since he was here, this must be the real deal.


    If they hadn¡¯t come in, they wouldn¡¯t have known that there was another world inside. What they saw was only the entrance, but the actual shop was upstairs.


    They climbed the stairs and arrived at the second floor, which was a bright and spacious hall. Although they didn¡¯t see anyone on the first floor, the second floor was filled with people. The air was also filled with a strong fragrance of freshly made snacks.


    It was fortunate that they bumped into Su Changsheng. Otherwise, the shop assistant at the door would not have let them up¡ªit was too crowded inside and there were no seats at all.


    After avoiding the crowd with difficulty, they finally arrived at the private room where Su Changsheng was.


    The interior was quite spacious, enough to seat a few people.


    ¡°Thank you. If we hadn¡¯t bumped into you, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to get in.¡±


    Xiaoguo thanked him just before taking a seat, making Su Changsheng somewhat bemused.


    ¡°I thought we¡¯re friends. There¡¯s no need to say that.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. ¡°That¡¯s true. There shouldn¡¯t be formalities between friends.¡±


    Su Changsheng raised the corners of his mouth and smiled slightly, looking extremely handsome. Xiaoguo thought that he looked rather suave when he wasn¡¯t behaving like a profiteer.


    ¡°The coconut balls here are not bad. The butterfly crisps and mung bean cakes are good too.¡±


    After saying that, Su Changsheng thought for a moment and continued, ¡°The Ruyi cake and Auspicious fruit are not bad either.¡±


    ¡°Aye?¡±


    Ruyi was stunned. Her name had been made into a pastry. How interesting.


    Su Changsheng smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s order a bit of everything? It¡¯s my treat.¡±


    ¡°How can we let you do that?¡±


    Ruyi looked at Xiaoguo happily and shot her an inquiring look at the same time.


    Xiaoguo looked at Su Changsheng and shook her head. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll treat you to the snacks.¡±


    Su Changsheng smiled and asked, ¡°When are you guys going back?¡±


    ¡°Soon. In three days.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew what he was going to say. Sure enough, when the other party heard this, he said, ¡°Then just take this as a farewell meal. After today, I¡¯ll be very busy. Otherwise, I will definitely treat you to a meal.¡±


    Xiaoguo did not ask him further for the reason. Since he had already said so, how could she refuse? ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll sponge off on you today¡­¡±


    Su Changsheng smiled and nodded at her with a magnanimous look. Then, he called out to the shop assistant to place his order.


    Qin Anming quietly pulled Xiaoguo closer to him. He thought that something felt off. He didn¡¯t know if he was thinking too much, but the way Su Changsheng looked at his sister didn¡¯t look normal¡­


    The snacks recommended by Su Changsheng were indeed delicious. Paired with the fragrant green tea, the snacks were flavorful but not greasy. Once eaten, they immediately melt in the mouth, with a lingering aftertaste.


    The atmosphere was very harmonious with the group enjoying the snacks over a delightful conversation.


    Su Changsheng was indeed knowledgeable and could engage in conversation with anyone. As he shared his experiences, everyone was entranced and deeply impressed by his stories. They admired him for having been to so many places at such a young age¡ª everybody was feeling extremely envious.


    Putting down her teacup, Xiaoguo looked at the group of people staring intently at Su Changsheng and chuckled to herself. Fortunately, it was Su Changsheng who was at the center of attention. If this was someone with thinner skin, he might have been too embarrassed to speak up.


    After bidding farewell to everyone politely, Su Changsheng looked at Xiaoguo again and said meaningfully before boarding the carriage, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you a visit sometime.¡±


    Xiaoguo knew what Su Changsheng meant, so she nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Su Changsheng smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The cow was about to give birth. He had to come over when that happened.


    Everyone present understood that the two were talking about cows, but Jiang Danhe, who had just arrived at the corner of the street, didn¡¯t know that.


    Or rather, he had forgotten about it.


    At the thought of the annoying Su Changsheng meeting up with Xiaoguo, he felt terrible.


    He felt terrible and uncomfortable.


    As the group walked home, they happened to see the back view of Jiang Danhe, who looked inexplicably lonely.


    Before anyone could figure out what was going on, the man gave Xiaoguo a mournful look and turned to walk back.


    To think that he had come out of the military camp, filled with longing for her. He couldn¡¯t wait to see her, but she was enjoying herself laughing and giggling with another man. That was so cruel of her.


    ¡­..


    Xiaoguo had no idea what was going on. It was only when Qin Anming nudged her that she quickly chased after Jiang Danhe.


    As she caught up with him, Jiang Danhe felt a little more relieved in his heart, but he was still wearing a sullen expression on his face.


    No matter how she asked him, he refused to speak and continued walking forward. When Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t keep up, he secretly slowed down and waited for her to catch up before continuing to resume walking at full speed.


    After blowing out the lights at night, Jiang Danhe changed all his grievances into actions..

 Chapter 459 - Chapter 459: Eeks, Pervert

    Chapter 459: Eeks, Pervert


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    When Xiaoguo found out the whole story, she laughed at him for a long time. From then on, her evaluation of him was that he was jealous and petty.


    She made fun of him many times before she finally wrapped up the episode.


    No matter how reluctant they were, eventually they still had to part ways.


    It had been quite some time since they arrived at the capital. It was time for them to go back.


    Jiang Danhe watched as Xiaoguo packed her luggage.


    Xiaoguo definitely noticed his reluctance, but she had no choice. He couldn¡¯t go back for the time being, and she couldn¡¯t remain in the capital. There was still a lot of work to do at home.


    Each time Xiaoguo kept a piece of garment in her bag, Jiang Danhe would pull it out. And that went on continuously for a long time. By the time Zhuang Zhuang fell asleep, she had yet to pack a single piece of clothing in her bag.


    ¡­..


    This couldn¡¯t go on. Xiaoguo removed her bag and sat beside him, stroking his cheeks gently. ¡°Alright, alright. You can come home when you have time. Or I can come and visit you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t have any objections to her treating him like a child¡ªin fact, he quite enjoyed it. Right after she finished speaking, he nodded obediently and didn¡¯t cause trouble again.


    However, the silence did not last long.


    Just as Xiaoguo was reaching for a piece of clothing in the cupboard, Jiang Danhe suddenly stood up, as if he just made a discovery. Rushing swiftly to her side, he grabbed something out of the cupboard and stuffed it in his arms before she even had time to react.


    It was obvious that there was something wrong judging from his sneaky moves.


    ¡°What are you hiding?¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled and shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t believe him and continued asking, ¡°I saw a shadow flashed past your hands just now.¡±


    ¡°Was there?¡± Jiang Danhe was feeling wronged. ¡°You must have seen wrongly. It¡¯s already late. Rest early. You still have to get up early tomorrow.¡±


    As he spoke, he pulled her towards the bed.


    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t get anything out of him, Xiaoguo decided to outwit him, and so she followed him to the bed. ¡°My eyes have been feeling a little tired recently.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Jiang Danhe suddenly realized that he had overreacted, so he softened his voice and continued, ¡°You have to take care of yourself. Your eyes are so beautiful, you must protect them. Otherwise, my heart will ache for you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked with a smile.


    When Jiang Danhe heard that she was doubtful about his love for her, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Xiaoguo seized the opportunity and quickly pulled out the item hidden in his chest when he let down his guard.


    ¡°Aha, I knew there was something. Tell me the truth. What is this?!!¡± After Xiaoguo got her hands on the item, she avoided the other party¡¯s attempts to snatch it from her and quickly came to a spot three meters away from him. In a low voice, she asked, ¡°Who does this belong to?!¡±


    She had taken a good look at what was in her hand. It was actually a girl¡¯s undergarment. In an instant, a burst of anger rushed from her heart to her head, making it impossible for her to think clearly.


    ¡°It even has a fragrance! Jiang Danhe! You!¡±


    Xiaoguo felt like throwing him out. ¡°How dare he keep such an intimate item hidden away in his room. Which young lady could be so self-degrading to give her undergarment away so casually? What an unvirtuous woman!¡±


    ¡°Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting!!!¡±


    This piece of undergarment that appeared from nowhere made her so angry that she felt like crying. A wave of betrayal, sadness, and grievance had completely overwhelmed her mind, making it impossible for her to think. Actually, she didn¡¯t feel like thinking at all.


    Jiang Danhe was stunned. The script that he had prepared was useless. Why was it different from what he had imagined? Did she misunderstand this whole thing?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he regretted it. Why did he say that? Wasn¡¯t it quite obvious?


    As expected, Xiaoguo became furious when she heard Jiang Danhe¡¯s nonchalant response.


    ¡°You are asking me what¡¯s wrong? Jiang Danhe, I really didn¡¯t expect you to be such a person.¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart was on the verge of breaking when he heard the disappointed tone in her voice. He quickly got up and went to her side to explain himself, ¡°This is yours. Take a closer look.¡±


    Xiaoguo was stunned. She looked suspiciously at the undergarment in her hand. Now that he mentioned it, it did seem like hers. The fragrance smelled quite familiar, and the color and style looked exactly the same as her missing bodice.


    ¡°Is this really mine?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Jiang Danhe smiled helplessly. He almost lost the chance to fully explain himself.


    Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes. ¡°If it¡¯s mine, then why is it with you?¡±


    Jiang Danhe suddenly felt numb. He felt like he had just escaped from a fire. They were now finally getting to the point.


    ¡°Eww¡­¡± Seeing that he was keeping silent, Xiaoguo made a wild guess She took two steps back in disgust and distanced herself from this pervert.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a pervert!¡± Jiang Danhe explained instinctively. But then he froze right after saying that. No one mentioned anything about him being a pervert¡­


    Xiaoguo looked at him and quietly took another two steps back. Perverts would never call themselves perverts.


    ¡°You hid it so well¡­¡±


    After saying that, Xiaoguo walked the long way back to the bed.


    She packed the bodice into her bag. Just recently, she was still wondering why her bodice had disappeared for no reason. It turned out that Jiang Danhe had taken it. Little did she know that he had such a fetish¡ªhe was truly a deep one.


    Looking like she just remembered something, Xiaoguo paused and turned to look at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to my bodice, did you?¡±


    ¡°What kind of look is that?¡± Jiang Danhe looked at her helplessly. He was her husband just a moment ago, but now he had become a pervert in her eyes?!


    ¡°I can explain.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± Xiaoguo covered her ears. She couldn¡¯t bear to hear anything vulgar from the mouth of such a handsome man.


    ¡±¡­¡± There was no way he was going to explain his way out of this.


    Jiang Danhe tried to approach her. He was feeling quite terrible. How could his wife think of him like that? It made him so sad. Although such sinful thoughts had crossed his mind one dark night, he never acted on them! Never!


    ¡°Don¡¯t come over.¡±


    When she saw him approaching, Xiaoguo retreated warily until she came to a dead end. She became trapped between him and the bed that Zhuang Zhuang was sleeping on. She didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly.


    Seeing that she still didn¡¯t believe him, he grabbed her and wrapped her in his arms.


    Xiaoguo had no intention of struggling, but she was still looking at him with an indescribable look.


    It was obvious that she didn¡¯t believe him, and he was getting quite riled up about it.


    Jiang Danhe let out a long sigh helplessly and explained in a low voice, ¡°I did think of keeping one of your garments as comfort when I miss you. I had absolutely no indecent intentions. The undergarment was purely an accident. I only realized what it was when I left the house.¡±


    As the two of them conversed, they kept their voices to a minimum in case they woke Zhuang Zhuang up.


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she felt a little doubtful. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    Seeing this, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. She was just teasing him earlier. She didn¡¯t expect him to fall for it so easily.


    Jiang Danhe narrowed his eyes. He didn¡¯t look shy as he did before. ¡°Alright, were you messing with me?¡±


    Noticing the change in his expression, Xiaoguo retracted her neck instinctively. Why did she feel like she was in danger¡­


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    Despite feeling threatened, she still straightened her neck and responded to his question.


    Jiang Danhe took a glance at the sleeping Zhuang Zhuang before striding out of the room with Xiaoguo on his shoulder.


    Because she was concerned about waking Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to make a big fuss. She could only struggle lightly. ¡°Jiang Danhe! Jiang Danhe, what are you trying to do?¡¯¡±¡®


    No matter how she asked, Jiang Danhe refused to say anything. He walked straight out and closed the door.


    He was very familiar with the residence, so he naturally knew which parts of the house had more privacy. Soon, they arrived at a secluded room.


    Xiaoguo was put down by him. Before she could take a good look at the decorations in the room, he pulled her onto the bed.


    ¡°The night is short. Let¡¯s enjoy it while we can.¡±


    After saying the last sentence with narrowed eyes, he quickly got to work.


    Xiaoguo wanted to stop him, but she didn¡¯t have the chance. She didn¡¯t understand why things had turned out like this. Just a moment ago they were still talking about serious matters.


    However, Jiang Danhe did not give her a chance to think. He would not allow her to get distracted midway..

 Chapter 460 - Chapter 460: Baby Cow

    Chapter 460: Baby Cow


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    The weather gradually turned warmer. Although it didn¡¯t feel hot yet, the coldness in the air had mostly disappeared.


    The temperature now was nice and comfortable.


    It had been more than two months since Xiaoguo and the others returned to the fishing village. In the past two months, the cold air had completely disappeared. The land had regained its vitality, and the sunny and beautiful weather had returned.


    Spring, the most lovable season of all, has arrived.


    Along with spring, there was also some good news¡ªthe cow was about to give birth.


    Su Changsheng took this very seriously and specially brought the vet over from the capital.


    After a diagnosis from the vet, they were able to determine the exact date of delivery.


    ¡­..


    Xiaoguo had been kept busy with this over the past few days. She was also writing less frequently to Jiang Danhe.


    In order to provide a good birthing environment for the cows, they cleaned the animal shed once again and laid a thin layer of dry hay in the corner. They also led the male cow out and left the female cow to wait for delivery on its own.


    Sister Xiaoguo, is there too little grass?¡±


    I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the hay under the cow and replied with uncertainty. She had no experience in delivering calves, but she had some experience in delivering piglets. Both should be similar in some ways.


    Xiao Zhu nodded and stared curiously at the rear end of the cow.


    Xiaoguo saw what she was doing and asked in horror, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Why are you staring at the cow¡¯s butt? Cows can feel shy too¡­¡±


    Hehe,¡± Xiao Zhu said with an embarrassed smile. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little curious.¡±


    Feeling amused, Xiaoguo tapped her forehead and tried to get up.


    However, she suddenly felt dizzy and weak in her legs, as if she was about to fall down. It was perhaps due to her crouching for too long or possibly some other reason.


    Fortunately, Yu Ling was standing behind her and managed to grab hold of her


    Sister Xiaoguo?! Are you alright?


    Yu Ling asked nervously. Startled by what just happened, Xiao Zhu quickly ran over to support her.


    Seeing the nervous expressions on their faces, Xiaoguo smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Perhaps I¡¯ve been squatting for too long, that¡¯s why I felt dizzy when I stood up suddenly. I¡¯m really fine.¡±


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu observed her carefully for a while before feeling relieved.


    Sister Xiaoguo, we¡¯ll keep watch tonight.¡±


    As they weren¡¯t sure what time the cow would go into labor, they decided to keep a close eye on it for the next few days, even during night time.


    At night, Xiaoguo would get up several times to check on the cows. Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling did try to take over, but Xiaoguo refused their help, citing the reason that children grow fastest during their sleep.


    No matter what, they must not let her wake up to check on the cows again tonight!


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head without thinking.


    No way!¡±


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling spoke in unison and resolution.


    Seeing them like this, Xiaoguo swallowed her words and nodded in agreement.


    Xiaozhu and Yuling were finally happy now that Xiaoguo had agreed to let them watch over the cow at night.


    ¡°By the way, Sister Xiaoguo, have you been vomiting over the past two days?¡±


    Yu Ling looked at Xiaoguo, feeling heartbroken that she had lost weight. She also didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she noticed that their sister had been vomiting recently and couldn¡¯t stand the smell of food. She could barely eat a few bites, and if she ate slightly more, she would vomit.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and shook her head. ¡°I think I¡¯ve been having some digestive issues. I was starting to feel much better over the past few days.¡±


    It was true that her loss of appetite came quite suddenly. She had some stomach issues before, but it had not bothered her for a long time. So far, she hasn¡¯t had any issues since coming here. It was a bit strange for her to suddenly fall ill out of the blue.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you see a doctor? You¡¯re being so stubborn.¡±


    Xiao Zhu said immediately, feeling angry and sad that she didn¡¯t care about her health.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Xiaoguo patted her shoulder and comforted her with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve never taken any medicine or seen a doctor for my stomach problems. Don¡¯t worry, it always gets better after a few days. Look, I¡¯m feeling energized again.¡±


    As Xiaoguo spoke, she jumped a few times on the spot for them to see, afraid that they wouldn¡¯t believe her.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling¡¯s worries were temporarily dispelled, but they still insisted that she take a good rest for the night. The two of them could watch the cow instead.


    Unable to dissuade them, Xiaoguo had no choice but to agree.


    After returning to the room, she lay on the bed exhausted. She hasn¡¯t been feeling well for the past few days, and the reason for her waking up at night was because she could not sleep well. Just when she finally stopped vomiting, sleep became problematic. It was really quite annoying.


    She touched the fats on her stomach and wondered if those ailments were caused by her weight gain.


    She had gained a lot of weight recently. After vomiting for the past few days, she didn¡¯t lose any weight at all.


    She couldn¡¯t fall asleep at night and had problems getting up during the day.


    Not long after returning from the capital, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling took over the responsibility of cooking three meals a day. This was because Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t stand the smell of oil and smoke due to her upset stomach. The other reason was because she would fall asleep in the blink of an eye, even halfway during a conversation.


    She was feeling quite helpless about it. How good would it be if she could fall asleep as easily at night as she did during the day?


    As she thought about it, her eyes became heavier and heavier, and she quickly dozed off.


    Shortly after, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling stood at the door and peeked in. It was just as they had expected.


    Sighing helplessly, they entered the house and skillfully took off Xiaoguo¡¯s shoes and covered her with a blanket. After doing everything, the two of them left the house and did not forget to close the door behind them.


    At night, Xiao Zhu sleepily took a candle and stumbled out of her room, yawning all the way to the shed. When she held up the candle, she was so shocked that she almost screamed.


    In that instant, she was pleasantly surprised and shocked. After pacing on the spot for a long time, she finally remembered to go look for someone.


    Not daring to disturb Sister Xiaoguo who had just fallen asleep with great difficulty, she went back to the room and woke up Yu Ling.


    Yu Ling was not sound asleep yet. She woke up immediately when Xiao Zhu touched her.


    What¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She seemed rather tense. When she saw Xiao Zhu¡¯s strange expression, she was very shocked.


    ¡°The cow has given birth!!


    Xiao Zhu suppressed her excitement and managed to blurt out what she was trying to say.


    Yu Ling quickly put on her shoes and headed outside, not forgetting to drag Xiao Zhu along with her. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    When they arrived at the livestock shed, Yu Ling asked Xiao Zhu to hold the candle for her while she went in to take a look.


    The other day, when the vet was talking about how to deal with the new calves, Yu Ling had paid close attention, so she was confident that she could handle it by herself.


    Xiao Zhu was not as bold as her, so she could only hold the candle to provide illumination for Yu Ling.


    As soon as she brought the candle closer, she realized that there was only a pool of blood on the ground. The calf was standing beside the mother cow and started drinking milk right in front of them.


    There was no need for the two of them to do anything.


    Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling stared at the little cow for a long time and noticed that it could walk and eat. Although it was still not walking steadily, that was just a small issue. Once the newborn was able to stand up, everything would turn out fine.


    After cleaning up the blood, they added some grains and hay that had been prepared beforehand to the food trough. The water bowl was also topped up before they returned to their rooms to sleep.


    When Xiaoguo opened her eyes, she noticed the new-born calf in the livestock shed. At first, she thought that she was dreaming. It took her a while to fully wake up and listen to Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°You guys are amazing!¡±


    Xiaoguo hugged the two of them happily and praised them for their calmness and composure under such circumstances.


    Now that there was milk, it was time to get busy!


    Xiaoguo was filled with confidence as she started with the preparations.


    First, she took out her customized sterilization furnace. Although it looked quite basic, it had the same functions as any other sterilization set-ups.


    ¡°Go and bring us our newly-bought wooden buckets.¡±


    After Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling left to bring the buckets, Xiaoguo hid in the house and traveled to the other space. After rummaging through her things, she finally found a thermometer in one corner.


    Her face lit up. She just recalled that there was one in the kitchen. Sure enough, it was still there. She just didn¡¯t know if it was working.


    Without hesitation, she immediately flashed out of the space.


    ¡­..


    Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t sure if it was just her imagination, but in recent days, the process of traveling in and out of the space was starting to get difficult. It used to be quite effortless.


    In the past, because she had her own kitchen and food supplies in the space, she didn¡¯t have to worry about Zhuang Zhuang starving with her. After getting through this period of time, and having made more money, the space didn¡¯t serve much of a purpose anymore.


    It felt like the current space had served its purpose and that it was time for it to move on..

 Chapter 461 - Chapter 461: Milk Is In Place

    Chapter 461: Milk Is In Place


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    When she came out, Xiaoguo looked at the ring on her finger carefully and stroked it reluctantly.


    ¡°Thank you, Comrade Ring. Thank you for staying by my side and saving my life.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled sincerely and left the house with the thermometer.


    Since she didn¡¯t look down, she naturally didn¡¯t notice the red light flashing on the ring. It looked the same as the light that was flashing in the kitchen earlier.


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu had also brought over all the wooden buckets at the same time Xiaoguo returned from the space.


    After the cow delivered the baby calf, Shu Botong transported all the sealed buckets that Su Changshcng had sent over to the shop.


    In addition to the sealed buckets, there were also a few ordinary wooden buckets. Those would be used for collecting the milk during milking.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, how do you milk the cows?¡±


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu were in a dilemma. They stretched out their hands, not knowing where to start.


    Although it was a cow that they were handling, it was still a private part of the animal¡¯s body, so they were feeling a little awkward.


    Xiaoguo wiped her hands clean with a towel and said confidently with a smile, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    As she spoke, she pretended to be calm and extended her hands towards the cows.


    To be honest, although she looked calm on the surface, her heart was beating like a drum.


    It was her first time milking a cow, but she had watched videos of people doing it before. Due to her personal interest in the subject, she had observed in detail how milking was done in the video. However, there were still some differences when it came to doing it in person.


    When she touched the cow, Xiaoguo took a deep breath. Based on the action that she was envisioning in her mind, she tugged on it a little harder but with gentle motions. The milk flowed out like water from a faucet and in no time, she had filled up half a bucket.


    The little calf watched from the side, and it¡¯s not clear whether it was upset because its food was being taken away. It kept coming over, wanting to drink the milk from the bucket. Fortunately, Xiaozhu and Yuling stopped it in time, otherwise, the whole bucket of milk would have gone to waste.


    With Xiaoguo¡¯s lead, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling overcame the barriers in their hearts and slowly found the hang of it. In no time, they had filled up two buckets of milk.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t dare to extract too much milk. Although two buckets wasn¡¯t a lot based on a cow¡¯s daily milking output, it was enough.


    She didn¡¯t want to overdo it, and she couldn¡¯t bear to do it to the cow.


    Yu Ling was in charge of starting the fire. Xiaoguo held a thermometer and carefully checked the milk, stirring it from time to time. When the temperature reached 68 degrees Celsius, she kept it stable at that temperature for 30 minutes. For precision, she also bought an hourglass. After the last grain of sand fell to the bottom, exactly half an hour was up.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, I¡¯ve lit the candles on the cellar steps.¡±


    Xiao Zhu said as she walked over. This way, it wouldn¡¯t be too dark when they go down later.


    Xiaoguo nodded. As she observed the temperature of the milk, she said, ¡°Alright. In a while, pour the milk into a bucket and bring it straight to the cellar to refrigerate.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiao Zhu nodded and helped Yu Ling control the temperature of the fire.


    Previously, when the craftsmen were digging the cellar in the shop, Xiaoguo suddenly had an idea. It would be so convenient if she had a cellar at home. Hence, she asked the craftsmen to come to her house and dig a medium-sized cellar.


    Coincidentally at that time, she was making ice at home. She had wanted to bring the ice to the county, but she ended up keeping it at home for future use. After that winter, she had filled the whole cellar with ice blocks.


    Now that she had a cellar, not only could she use it as an air-conditioned room in summer, she could also use it as a refrigerator.


    Moreover, by sterilizing the milk themselves, they could directly store it in the cellar, saving them from having to transport the milk to the county cellar in buckets, which would be too troublesome. By squeezing the milk and sterilizing it on-site, they could also accumulate more milk in the cellar. Each time Su Changshcng came to collect the milk, he could bring back several more buckets in a single trip, which would save him the trouble of making several trips just to transport a few buckets of milk at each time.


    When Xiaoguo went to the capital during the new year, Yang Jia was the one who helped her freeze the ice at home. Speaking of him, she was wondering if he liked the set of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone that she had given him. It had been a few days since she last saw him. She didn¡¯t know what he was busy with and why he hadn¡¯t appeared in such a long time.


    Xiaoguo suddenly remembered that Yang Jia wasn¡¯t the only one whom she had not seen in a while. She hadn¡¯t seen Mrs Yang recently cither. She was starting to wonder if anything had happened to them. This had completely slipped her mind since she had been feeling unwell over the past few days.


    No! She had to visit the Yang family later.


    ¡°Sister Xiaoguo, the time is almost up.¡±


    Seeing that she was in a daze, Yu Ling hurriedly reminded her.


    Xiaoguo placed the scaled bucket below the faucet that was installed specially under the big pot. When the last grain of sand fell to the bottom of the hourglass, she opened the partition and the milk that had been successfully sterilized at low temperature flowed into the bucket below.


    There were a total of three scaled buckets. The three of them each carried one bucket into the cellar.


    ¡°Watch your step.¡±


    As Xiaoguo walked in front, she did not forget to turn around and remind the two young ladies.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sister Xiaoguo. You watch your step too.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    There were some leftover luminous rocks from the store renovation, so she transported them home and installed them in the cellar. Although it was not as bright as the shop, it was enough to provide some illumination in the dark.


    As soon as the few of them entered the cellar, they shivered in unison. The temperature inside was very different from outside. They were not used to the cold and did not dare to take their time. After placing the buckets neatly in a corner, the three of them quickly came up.


    In order to ensure that the cows could produce healthy milk, Xiaoguo also added a lot of nutrition to their diet. She made sure that they didn¡¯t miss out on any of the refined grains or cut grass.


    During her free time, she didn¡¯t stay idle. Since the milk was starting to pile up in the storage, it was time for her to start writing the recipes.


    There were many recipes that appeared in her mind, but she knew that it was not the right time to make everything all at the same time.


    Xiaoguo carefully shortlisted some recipes and placed them together. She felt that these could be sold as the main items on the menu, and the rest could be freely added to the list.


    Especially since it was almost summer, they could prepare some cold beverages. Fruit tea and milk tea were all popular items.


    After tidying up, she sent the thick stack of recipes to Su Changshcng.


    With an increasing abundance of milk in the cellar, Xiaoguo made several trips to transport them to the store.


    Then, she informed Su Changshcng and invited him over. Apart from transporting the milk, she was thinking of explaining the recipes to him and demonstrating the production process herself.


    Because of the milk cow, Su Changshcng had not left the county since he arrived the other day. After receiving the invitation, he quickly headed to the two-story building. Ever since he received the recipes, his mind was filled with doubts. He was hoping that Xiaoguo could help to enlighten him.


    Xiaoguo was also waiting for him. When she saw him appear, she stood up and went up to welcome him.


    ¡°Why are you so polite today?¡± Su Changshcng raised his eyebrows in disbelief. She had never been so polite before. Why was she acting so strangely today?


    To his surprise, Xiaoguo hesitated for a moment before glancing at him with a worried gaze while she walked past him. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the cellar.¡±


    Xiaoguo felt that it would be difficult to explain. She might as well demonstrate and explain to him at the same time.


    As soon as Xiaoguo finished speaking, Shu Botong suppressed his laughter and followed her to the backyard.


    Clenching his hand into a fist, he coughed twice in embarrassment. He did not look at Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling, who were holding back their laughter. He then said something to Jia Bao, who was following him, and walked towards the cellar with a flushed face.


    Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu did not follow Xiaoguo. Xiaoguo had already taught them most of the steps. Since they had learned almost everything, they stayed behind in the shop to clean up.


    Jia Bao thought that it was awkward to stand around without doing any work, so he helped the two girls sweep the floor and clean the tables. He also cleaned up the dust that the two of them could not reach.


    When they arrived at the cellar, Xiaoguo pointed to the side and said to Su Changshcng, who was following behind her, ¡°There are a total of ten buckets here. Can you move them today?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Su Changshcng said confidently without even looking. He could move twenty barrels, let alone ten.


    ¡°Alright, try to transport them as soon as possible, preferable without any delay. When you reach the capital, store them immediately in the cellar.¡±


    Xiaoguo explained carefully in detail. Su Changshcng also listened attentively, not daring to be careless at all.


    ¡°By the way, you¡¯d better bring back the clean buckets the next time you come to transport the next batch of milk.¡±


    After all, these buckets were not disposable, so he had to bring back replacements each time he came back..

 Chapter 462 - Chapter 462: Preparing For Opening Day

    Chapter 462: Preparing For Opening Day


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Even if she didn¡¯t say it, Su Changsheng would have known what to do. He nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo led him to a long stone table in the cellar. This was the preparation table. There was no better place to do the production other than the cellar because the temperature was stable.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how to use these tools.¡±


    Su Changsheng followed her to the preparation table and shook his head regretfully. Although he had been to many places and seen many things, he couldn¡¯t figure out these things after looking at them for a long time. He was feeling a little disappointed with himself.


    When she was in the capital, Xiaoguo had visited him to pass him a few sketches. She asked him to find someone to build two sets of tools based on the sketches, without specifying their use, only mentioning that they were necessary for making dairy products.


    Even after playing around with the two sets of strange appliances in his hands, he could not think of a single way to use them.


    Xiaoguo smiled. She didn¡¯t say anything because it was hard to explain their usage in words. It was better for Su Changsheng to see it with his own eyes.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Do you know what cream and butter are?¡±


    Xiaoguo asked.


    Su Changsheng frowned slightly. Looking into her eyes, he shook his head in embarrassment.


    ¡°Remember the recipes I gave you a few days ago, most of the desserts require two ingredients¡ªcream and butter. They can both be extracted from milk,¡±


    Xiaoguo explained everything in detail and even demonstrated the process herself. Su Changsheng and Shu Botong watched her every move carefully, not daring to blink.


    Seeing that they were so eager to learn, Xiaoguo delved deeper into the details, breaking down each step and explaining it thoroughly. Fortunately, the two students were very smart and understood everything she said.


    Xiaoguo carefully demonstrated how to use each tool. Su Changsheng and Shu Botong also tried it out themselves to get a feel for how they worked.


    The entire process was very smooth and interesting, and both students became happier and more motivated the more they learned. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Xiaoguo was feeling exhausted, they wouldn¡¯t have let her off.


    The three of them spent the entire day in the cellar, only coming up for breaks when they couldn¡¯t stand the cold or when it was time to eat. The rest of the time, they were completely immersed in the world of making desserts.


    As the sky turned dark, the few of them returned home with the fruits of their labor.


    Although it was a little late, Xiaoguo made it a point to rush home.


    In the next few days, Xiaoguo spent most of her time in the shop. It was the same for Su Changsheng. He only rushed back to the capital with all the milk after making sure that he had understood everything there was to learn.


    Su Changsheng had his own special route, which allowed him to reach the capital quickly. Sure enough, in less than four days, he had successfully stored the milk in his cellar.


    After that, he eagerly started on the preparations.


    He stocked up on all the ingredients that were missing in his kitchen, and carefully selected a few trusted employees, teaching them all the techniques he had picked up from Xiaoguo. Of course, their indentures were all in his hands, so he wasn¡¯t worried about any slip-ups that could occur in the future.


    Su Changsheng was well-prepared to begin with. After another half a month of preparations, his dessert shop was finally open for business.


    On the day of the opening, many friends came to support him. Even Jiang Danhe showed up. Although he was reluctant, he still followed Xiaoguo¡¯s advice and came to offer his support for the store opening.


    Su Changsheng was surprised to see him, but he quickly welcomed him into the house with excitement. It was quite apparent that his ¡°rival in love¡± had not come out of his own will. Some woman must have persuaded him to come.


    Although he had many friends who turned up on this day, they had come out of goodwill. It was obvious that they didn¡¯t think that cows¡¯ milk was edible. It was already good enough that they weren¡¯t turned off by the idea.


    Some of them started off by ordering some items randomly off the menu, with zero expectations for the desserts. But who would have thought that the turnaround would come so quickly.


    At first glance, they were attracted by the unique presentation of the dishes. The unique design and novel names of the items really whetted their appetites.


    The desserts were exquisite and delicious.


    No one could have imagined that cow milk could taste so good and that so many food items could be made out of it.


    The desserts were delicious, and the beverages were refreshing. The group of so-called well-traveled young gentlemen had never tasted anything like this before.


    Those who came for the event were all wealthy people. After tasting the desserts and drinks, they were all enchanted by the items. Some ordered more, while others packed some to bring back home for their family¡­


    For a moment, the shop became even busier and the news spread like wildfire. There were more people coming in than going out.


    Su Changsheng was sitting in front of the cashier. He was collecting so much money that he was on the verge of passing out. His smile never stopped, and his mouth was turning dry.


    Although he had money, he was still happy to see other people¡¯s money coming to him, even if it was just one copper coin.


    He weighed the heavy purse in his hand and almost fainted from happiness.


    Seeing the crowd in the shop, Su Changsheng nodded silently and decided that he would expand this business!!


    Jiang Danhe was different from the others who had come to the shop. As soon as he entered the place, he ordered all the desserts and drinks on the list. When other people saw him, they thought that he was an inexperienced fool. Later on, they realized that he really had foresight, unlike them now, unable to order anything even if they wanted to.


    Helpless, this group of people could only stare at his table with burning eyes, hoping that the other party would be kind enough to share a little of his desserts with them. Even a tiny little bite would do¡­


    Seeing this, Jiang Danhe quietly moved his table away from them and savored the desserts that were conceived by Xiaoguo. With just one bite, he couldn¡¯t help but smile, knowing that his wife never fails to impress.


    The more he ate, the more uncomfortable he felt. No! He missed her even more now. He had to take leave this month and go home! Even if he wasn¡¯t allowed to go home, he had to sneak his way back!


    While things were going smoothly for Su Changsheng, it wasn¡¯t the same case for Xiaoguo.


    An unexpected and enormous surprise suddenly fell upon her, leaving her startled and unsure of what to do next.


    The story goes back to two weeks ago¡­


    As soon as Su Changsheng left, Xiaoguo started the preparations for her shop.


    Since it was a small shop, she didn¡¯t plan to offer too many varieties. After careful consideration, she shortlisted six items from each category, since the number six signifies good luck.


    There were six desserts and six beverages.


    Egg tarts, puffs, brioche, iced bun, tiramisu, cookies.


    Pearl milk tea, fruit tea, lemon black tea, yam paste, milk-topped Matcha, green tea.


    What she didn¡¯t expect was that Shu Botong actually enjoyed making desserts.


    Before the official opening, when they gathered together to discuss the need for more staff and what roles they should take on, Shu Botong volunteered to make desserts. He was a little embarrassed when he made the suggestion.


    Xiaoguo agreed to it after some consideration. Among the three, he was the fastest learner compared to Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu. Moreover, he was pretty good with his hands. Having mastered all the desserts and drinks in the shop, he was definitely the perfect candidate for this job.


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re up!¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo continued to look at Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling. ¡°Are you two going to make desserts or work at the shop front?¡±


    The two of them quite liked making desserts, but there was no need for so many people doing the same job. Hence, Yu Ling spoke first. ¡°I¡¯ll be at the shop front.¡±


    Xiao Zhu quickly waved her hand. ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll stay in front. You go to the kitchen since you are a better learner than me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re better than me. I think you should stay at the back.¡±


    ¡°You go to the kitchen. I¡¯ll be right in front.¡±


    Both of them enjoyed making desserts. Seeing how they were both modest and accommodating towards each other, Xiaoguo smiled and said, ¡°You are both good at making desserts.¡±


    The three of them didn¡¯t quite understand what she was saying, so they looked at her at the same time.


    Xiaoguo was amused by their synchronized actions. After having a good laugh, she continued, ¡°How about you take turns? If you¡¯re tired of working in the kitchen, you can go to the front. If you¡¯re tired of manning the shop front, you can retreat to the back. How about that?¡±


    The three of them nodded in unison. ¡°Okay!¡±


    They are a family, so there¡¯s always room for discussion and negotiation.


    In the end, it was decided that Shu Botong and Yu Ling would make desserts at the back, and Xiaoguo and Xiao Zhu would man the shop front. There was no need to hire new employees in the shop. The four of them should be able to manage everything..

 Chapter 463 - Chapter 463: Upgrading In Progress, Pregnant Mom

    Chapter 463: Upgrading In Progress, Pregnant Mom


    Editor: Atlas Studios


    After discussing it, Xiaoguo finally heaved a sigh of relief. She had not been sleeping or eating well over the past few days. Now that all the preparation work was done, she had to go back and take a good rest. She must conserve her energy and continue preparing for the battle tomorrow!


    Just as she was about to get up, Shu Botong asked, ¡°When can we collect our shop sign?¡±


    The shop was opening for business tomorrow, but the sign had yet to be hung up.


    ¡°!!¡± Xiaoguo slapped her thigh. If he hadn¡¯t mentioned it, she would have completely forgotten about it. What a terrible memory she had!


    ¡°It must have been done long ago. I haven¡¯t had time to collect it yet.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and pick it up later.¡±


    Shu Botong said with a smile.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Xiaoguo covered her face in embarrassment and said shyly, ¡°Look at my memory¡­¡±


    The others did not speak. They just smiled at her while she wallowed in self-frustration.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I have to go back and catch up on my sleep.¡±


    With that, Xiaoguo got up to leave.


    Two days ago, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had officially moved from Peach Blossom Village to the shop. Xiaoguo had wanted to stay here too, but the animals at home could not be left in the house without anyone to care for them. Hence, she had to rush home every day after finishing up her work in the shop.


    As soon as she reached the door, Xiaoguo suddenly felt her vision go black. She passed out as her legs buckled under her.


    Fortunately, Shu Botong was standing close to her. With no time to care about propriety, he hugged her tightly and anxiously called out to her, ¡°Xiaoguo? Xiaoguo?¡±


    Xiaoguo and Yu Ling also exclaimed and ran to her side. They called out to her along with Shu Botong, but Xiaoguo showed no signs of waking up.


    Seeing this, Shu Botong didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. He picked her up and ran towards the medical clinic. As he ran, he said to the two of them, ¡°Hurry up and find Anming!¡±


    Yu Ling reacted quickly and gave Xiao Zhu a nudge. ¡°You follow them. I¡¯ll go look for Brother Anming and the others!¡±


    With that, she ran off before Xiao Zhu could react.


    Xiao Zhu hurriedly locked the door before rushing to the clinic with Shu Botong.


    At this moment, Qin Anming was busy in the noodle shop. He was feeling slightly depressed. Looking up at the sky, he thought that he could be feeling this way because of the weather.


    Not long after, a hurried cry could be heard, causing everyone in the noodle shop to lookout.


    Yu Ling couldn¡¯t be bothered to care about anything else. She scanned around the noodle shop and finally spotted Qin Anming. In a panicked voice, she told him, ¡°Brother Anming, Sister Xiaoguo has fainted!¡±


    ¡°What?!!¡±


    When Qin Anming heard this, the bowl in his hand fell to the ground. He became extremely flustered and ran out with no idea where to go. Fortunately, Yu Ling came out and brought him to the medical clinic.


    When Ruyi came back to her senses, she ran out with Qin Anming without another word. The others were also very worried about Xiaoguo, but they could not leave the shop. They could only wait anxiously for new updates.


    Upon arrival at the clinic, they saw Xiaoguo sleeping soundly on the bed, as well as Shu Botong, who was still panting heavily.


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t have time to wipe the sweat off his face. Afraid of waking Xiaoguo up, he asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xiaoguo?¡±


    Shu Botong exhaled and pointed to the door, indicating that they should go out and talk.


    Qin Anming swallowed his anxiety and followed him outside. Once outside, he started asking eagerly again.


    Afraid that Qin Arning would get too anxious, Shu Botong quickly said, ¡°She¡¯s fine!¡±


    He was still panting heavily at this moment. Afraid that Qin Anming could not understand what he was trying to say, he tried to comfort him first.


    Qin Anming paused for a moment before heaving a sigh of relief. He was on the verge of collapsing to the ground. After hearing that she was fine, he finally had the time to wipe his face. It was unknown if those were sweat or tears.


    As Ruyi finally caught up, she saw the two men whispering to each other, and


    Yu Ling was nowhere to be seen. Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°How is Sister Xiaoguo?¡±


    Qin Anming shook his head first. He didn¡¯t know the details. He could only wait for Shu Botong to catch his breath.


    Judging from the expressions on their faces, it didn¡¯t look like Xiaoguo was in any danger. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Xiaoguo was fine.


    Not long after, Shu Botong smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a joyous occasion! Xiaoguo is pregnant!¡±


    ¡°Huh?!


    Qin Anming and Ruyi looked at each other in disbelief. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant?!¡±


    At this moment, Yu Ling and Xiao Zhu walked over with the medicine, smiling from ear to ear.


    As soon as she entered the clinic, Yu Ling was called away by Xiao Zhu. The doctor had prescribed two sets of medicine. One pack was to be mixed with water while the other pack was to be boiled. Xiao Zhu couldn¡¯t manage all by herself, so she called Yu Ling over to help. Along the way, she explained the reason to her.


    ¡°Then why did she faint?¡±


    Qin Anming was still not entirely reassured and wanted to ask the doctor himself. He wouldn¡¯t feel at ease until he hears the doctor¡¯s response with his own ears.


    Shu Botong stopped him and explained with a smile, ¡°The doctor said that she¡¯s been working too hard these past few days, so her qi and blood circulation are weak. She¡¯ll be fine after resting and spending some time recuperating.¡±


    ¡°This is the medicine prescribed by the doctor. I¡¯ll give this to Sister Xiaoguo now. There¡¯s another bowl she has to take later.¡±


    With that, Xiao Zhu entered the room with Yu Ling.


    Qin Anming watched them leave and was about to follow them when he suddenly thought of something. ¡°Xiaoguo is pregnant?!¡±


    His sudden words startled the two of them. What was going on? Shu Botong just told him the news earlier.


    Ruyi was also very happy, but after being startled by Qin Anming, she paused for a moment before saying loudly, ¡°Yes! She¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    With that, she was overjoyed. She didn¡¯t have the chance when Sister Xiaoguo gave birth to Zhuang Zhuang, but this time, she had to prepare a small blanket for the baby.


    ¡°How many months along is she?¡±


    The news had finally sunk in for Qin Anming. The smile on his face was so bright that someone who didn¡¯t know better might have thought that he was the one who was pregnant..


    ¡°It¡¯s barely three months.¡±


    Shu Botong replied from the side. Everyone was happy with the arrival of a new life.


    Seeing that Brother Anming was still in a daze, Ruyi shook her head and walked past him into the house.


    In the room, she could still hear Qin Anming¡¯s silly laughter.


    Xiaoguo had already woken up and taken the medicine. She also learned about the news of her pregnancy from Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling.


    At the moment, she couldn¡¯t say that she was happy or unhappy. She was still feeling confused. The symptoms she had experienced before finally made sense now. Nausea and drowsiness were signs of early pregnancy, after all.


    When Ruyi entered the house and saw Xiaoguo, she couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°Congratulations, Sister Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she came to the bed and reached out to carefully touch her stomach.


    It should be said that apart from Xiaoguo, everyone else was smiling widely. Xiaoguo was the only one who did not look like she was pregnant.


    The few of them, who were immersed in joy, made sure that Xiaoguo was properly taken care of.


    Just as the room was filled with joy, a panicked and suppressed voice suddenly sounded from the entrance of the medical hall. Those who didn¡¯t know better would have thought that something had happened.


    Xiaoguo and the others were also feeling curious. They were in the backyard of the medical clinic now, so they couldn¡¯t see what was happening at the shop front. They did find that the man¡¯s voice sounded familiar.


    The more Qin Anming listened, the more he felt that something was amiss. He left to check things out after informing the rest.


    Out of curiosity, Ruyi followed behind him. Right on the heels of that, Shu Botong went out as well, leaving Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling in the room to keep Xiaoguo company.


    In the eyes of the two girls, Xiaoguo was very fragile at the moment. The doctor had advised her to rest well during the first trimester, and the thought of how Xiaoguo had been working so hard during the recent period of time terrified them. They must make sure to watch over her as if she were a porcelain doll.


    Xiaoguo wanted to get out of bed to take a look, but she was quickly stopped by the two little guards. They firmly told her to lie down and covered her with a blanket.


    The girls wrapped her up so securely that only her head was left uncovered.


    She couldn¡¯t resist even if she wanted to. She was afraid that the two of them would tie her up if she tried.


    Since she couldn¡¯t move, she could only use her ears to listen.


    The commotion outside the room had quietened down not long after Qin Anming went out. She couldn¡¯t hear anything even if she tried. In the end, she had no choice but to give up.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Just as Xiaoguo was feeling disappointed, Jiang Danhe appeared with a joyful expression on his face.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang, who was beside him, quickly spoke up to catch her attention.


    ¡°You guys? Why are you back!¡±

 Chapter 464 - Chapter 464: Opening

    Chapter 464: Opening


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Xiaoguo stared in shock at the father and son, who were fussing over her.


    What was going on today? Was she dreaming, or was she really dreaming?!


    Zhuang Zhuang wiped his red teary eyes and carefully threw himself onto Xiaoguo, calling out in a childish voice, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Her heart softened when she saw him crying and looking like he was begging for a hug.


    Xiaoguo pushed away the blanket and gave Zhuang Zhuang a hug. She wiped the sweat on the little man¡¯s forehead, feeling sorry for him. ¡°Did your father bring you back?¡±


    She was planning to pick him up tomorrow morning. She didn¡¯t expect Jiang Danhe to suddenly come back today.


    Zhuang Zhuang nodded silently. ¡°Father said that he would give you a surprise and attend the store opening.¡±


    ¡­..


    The little boy was crying so hard that he was almost out of breath. Xiaoguo stroked his back, still feeling very sorry for him.


    Jiang Danhe looked like he had something to say, but in the presence of so many people, he was feeling a little shy. He could only stare at Xiaoguo and her stomach lovingly.


    Qin Anming and the others stood at the doorway in mutual understanding and did not step further into the room, giving some privacy for the family of three, or rather, the family of four.


    Looking at their beaming faces, Xiaoguo felt her face burning and couldn¡¯t bear to look at them any longer. She turned her head to Jiang Danhe and asked, ¡°Why did you come back suddenly?¡±


    ¡±Su Changsheng¡¯s shop has just opened for business, and it¡¯s doing quite well. Since your store is also opening soon, I thought I should rush back.¡±


    Jiang Danhe arrived in the county this morning and first went to pick up Zhuang Zhuang. After which, he dropped by the noodle shop to inform them of his arrival. As soon as he got there, he heard from Uncle Xu and the others that Xiaoguo had fainted and was now at the medical center.


    However, he didn¡¯t know which clinic they had gone to, so he had no choice but to bring Zhuang Zhuang along to check at every clinic. No matter how sensible Zhuang Zhuang was, he was still a child. When he heard that his mother had fainted, he really felt like crying. However, he tried to hold it in, but eventually he still couldn¡¯t stop himself from crying out loud along the way.


    Jiang Danhe had no choice. He was feeling worried for Xiaoguo and sorry for Zhuang Zhuang at the same time. He could only try to soothe him while looking for the clinic together.


    There were three major medical clinics and countless small ones in the entire county. After blindly searching for a few clinics, Jiang Danhe forced himself to calm down.


    Based on his hunch, he went straight to a clinic that was nearest to the store. That turned out to be the one where Xiaoguo was taken to. Fortunately, she was there, and fortunately, she was okay.


    The moment he saw her, his heart finally settled down.


    At the thought of this, Jiang Danhe smiled and touched her stomach. As long as Xiaoguo and the baby were fine, everything was good.


    The two of them still had a lot to say to each other, but it was not the right time and place to do so. They decided to talk more when they got home.


    Xiaoguo was about to get off the bed when she was stopped by everyone. Unable to understand their actions, she looked at them in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The fact that she was pregnant had not really sunk in yet, so she couldn¡¯t comprehend their reactions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the donkey cart.¡±


    Jiang Danhe said with a smile.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Xiaoguo shook her head and was about to get out of bed when Zhuang Zhuang wrapped his arms around her. The boy knew his mother¡¯s weaknesses, so without saying a word, he just looked at her pleadingly with his big eyes.


    Xiaoguo finally succumbed, but she was still not used to their overly protective behavior towards her.


    Hence, she insisted on walking back to the shop herself. The few of them had no choice but to accommodate her request. However, they supported her and huddled around her along the way. This scene made her look like a celebrity walking on the streets, and the rest who were surrounding her were her bodyguards.


    Zhuang Zhuang even raised his arms to prevent passers-by from bumping into his mother.


    The group was protecting her so carefully that Xiaoguo¡¯s face was turning red from the onlookers¡¯ curious looks. When she saw them whispering amongst themselves and pointing at her, she felt like running away. However, a large hand was holding onto her tightly, making it impossible for her to step away from the group.


    ¡°If I had known, I would have just remained inside the clinic. It¡¯s better than making a scene out here.¡±


    Seeing Xiaoguo¡¯s awkward expression, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t say anything. He secretly kissed her on the head when no one was looking.


    At the thought of their second child that was growing in her womb, his heart was almost melting. He could feel a constant surge of energy in his body that he didn¡¯t know to expend. He was dying to run a few laps and shout at the top of his lungs to get it out of his system.


    After a long walk, they finally made it home.


    Xiaoguo wanted to check if there was anything that she had left out for the opening tomorrow. However, Jiang Danhe did not give her a chance. As soon as she arrived home, he carried her to the bed.


    ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡±


    ¡°You need a good rest. The fetus hasn¡¯t stabilized yet, so the first three months are very crucial.¡±


    Jiang Danhe seemed to be more experienced at this than Xiaoguo.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang handed her a glass of warm water. ¡°Mother, drink some water.¡±


    Xiaoguo had not been eating and drinking well for the past two days. At this moment, her lips were peeling and there was fatigue on her face. Both father and son were heartbroken to see her looking like that.


    Seeing the pure joy in their eyes, Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She raised her hand and placed it on her stomach. ¡°There is a little child inside here now¡­¡±


    At this moment, a pair of small hands gently landed on her hands. Feeling surprised, Xiaoguo looked up at Zhuang Zhuang, who was smiling at her. Jiang Danhe also placed his hand on top of the boy¡¯s hand.


    This was the first interaction between the family of four.


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant,¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly blurted out those words.


    Jiang Danhe nodded when he heard her. He looked into her eyes and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s our second child.¡±


    ¡°My brother or sister.¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang welcomed the arrival of the baby very much. Whether it was a baby brother or sister, he would definitely take good care of it.


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Xiaoguo truly felt the reality of her pregnancy.


    At this moment, joy and anticipation filled her heart. She felt so guilty for her carelessness.


    She should have been the first to notice any abnormalities in her own body, but she carelessly attributed them to other causes.


    She started to recall herself not eating or drinking well, and not getting quality sleep during this period of time. She even stayed up late to work on the recipes. Later on, she also spent long hours inside the cellar. She had basically done everything that was unfavorable for the fetus.


    According to the doctor, the child was very healthy. It was truly a blessing¡­


    Xiaoguo stroked her stomach. It was such an obvious bump, but she didn¡¯t notice it. She didn¡¯t even think much of it when her period was late. She felt like a failure.


    Jiang Danhe noticed that something was wrong with her and immediately guessed the reason. Without saying anything, he got up and hugged her, while Zhuang Zhuang followed his father¡¯s example and did the same.


    The three of them hugged each other tightly.


    Although the child had come as a surprise, it still brought anticipation and joy to the family. From today onwards, they will officially become a family of four!


    The three of them lay on the same bed and thought about the child¡¯s gender, appearance, and name. The more they talked, the happier and more energetic they became.


    However, Xiaoguo was starting to feel drowsy again due to her pregnancy symptoms. Just as Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang were discussing the child¡¯s name, they suddenly heard the sound of steady breathing.


    Jiang Danhe signaled to Zhuang Zhuang and the two of them looked at the sleeping Xiaoguo at the same time. They didn¡¯t know if it was because of her pregnancy, but at this moment, she looked particularly gentle, and even her sleeping posture was so beautiful.


    The father and son tacitly fell silent. They protected Xiaoguo from either side and followed her into dreamland.


    The next morning, Xiaoguo arrived at the county with Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang.


    Shu Botong, Xiao Zhu, and Yu Ling were also standing by and waiting for her arrival.


    Shu Botong had picked up the signboard for the store, and the name of the store was very simple¡ªit¡¯s called ¡°Xiaoguo¡¯s Store¡±. After thinking for a long time, they couldn¡¯t come up with a name that was as simple and memorable as this one.


    Ruyi and Qin Anming had specially closed the shop for one day and had brought the shop staff over to support the store opening.


    Although Su Changsheng did not come, his gifts were delivered on time.


    When the auspicious hour arrived, the firecrackers sounded, attracting countless people to gather and watch.


    As the items on sale were novel, the store attracted many curious customers to come in and explore.


    They came in with the intention of giving the food a try, but unexpectedly, the taste exceeded their expectations..

 Chapter 465 - Chapter 465: The Disappearance of Mrs Yang And Her Family

    Chapter 465: The Disappearance of Mrs Yang And Her Family


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    The results were very impressive. It far exceeded Xiaoguo¡¯s expectations. The people in Yonghai County were more receptive than she thought. At first, she thought that people would resist the idea of drinking cows¡¯ milk, but the outcome was truly surprising.


    Just like that, the shop sales on the first day exceeded Xiaoguo¡¯s basic expectations.


    In stark contrast to the turnover, everyone was exhausted. However, when it was time to count the money after closing, this bit of hardship was nothing compared to the amount of profit they had made.


    Just like that, Xiaoguo¡¯s shop went through its trial operations and officially gained a foothold in Yonghai County to become a specialty shop in the area. There were people who came because of its reputation, and there were also passers-by who came in because they were attracted by the shopfront. In short, the store was always bustling with activity every day.


    People from both the north and the south, as well as those from the towns and the counties, only had praise for this unique cuisine.


    Of course, there were also people who were envious of her success and wanted to start their own business, but they could not figure out the recipes. The food they made was nothing like the desserts that were sold at Xiaoguo¡¯s shop. Not only did their products taste strange, they also looked very different. Eventually, they had no choice but to give up.


    Hence, Xiaoguo¡¯s shop became an exclusive landmark in Yonghai County.


    ¡­..


    After Jiang Danhe found out that Xiaoguo was pregnant, he sent a letter to request for long leave from the capital. Even if Shao Zhan did not agree, there was nothing he could do. After all, it was paternity leave that Jiang Danhe was applying for.


    Beside approving his leave request, Shao Zhan also delivered a lot of supplements to Xiaoguo as a friend.


    They didn¡¯t plan to hire any staff for the store initially, but as Xiaoguo¡¯s belly grew bigger by the day, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t want her to work in the store anymore. He stubbornly went to the broker and bought two girls and one boy as employees for the store.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know anything about this until Jiang Danhe showed her the indentures.


    Fortunately, the three children were well-behaved and kind-hearted. When she found out that they were orphans, Xiaoguo felt sorry for them, so she officially took them in as part of their big family.


    It was Xiaoguo¡¯s goal to stay active and excel in her work. But before she could start, it had all come to an end. She¡¯s reverted to being a hands-off manager who only works at the cashier.


    During her pregnancy, Xiaoguo was especially picky with her food. She didn¡¯t show it before, but ever since Jiang Danhe started on his leave, she started acting up and would only throw tantrums at him.


    No matter how many tantrums she threw, Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t lose his patience at all. He always took care of all her emotions.


    In order to cater to her appetite, he even learned how to cook. He prepared sour dishes when she craved sour foods and gave her spicy dishes when she craved spicy foods. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t find any fault with him. Even if she was deliberately throwing a tantrum, he would always look at her dotingly. Once her tantrum had subsided, he would give her a hug and a kiss.


    Xiaoguo, who was being doted on by him, also tried her best to overcome all kinds of emotions during her pregnancy. The couple¡¯s relationship was getting better with each passing day.


    Every time Zhuang Zhuang got home, he would lie on Xiaoguo¡¯s stomach and listen to the movements of the baby. There were also times when he would read a book to it.


    When Xiaoguo was five months pregnant, her belly had become so big that it was even bigger than Mrs. Yang¡¯s pregnant belly.


    Everyone was guessing if she was pregnant with twins or triplets.


    Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were shocked when they heard those speculations.


    It¡¯s already difficult to raise one child, let alone two or three. Just thinking about it was enough to frighten the two of them.


    The days passed by peacefully and happily, but suddenly Jiang Danhe had to leave briefly and return to the capital.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say it, but she was feeling reluctant to part with him.


    ¡°Be good.¡±


    Jiang Danhe stood in front of the horse. He had spent the whole night watching over her. He was even more reluctant than her to part ways.


    However, he had been away from the palace for too long, so it would be difficult for him to report to his boss. Although he was on official leave, he could not go overboard. Fortunately, he wouldn¡¯t stay long in the capital. After settling the backlog of work, he would come back immediately.


    Seeing that Xiaoguo was ignoring him, Jiang Danhe approached her again and touched her arm. He said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve cut all the fine grass that the cows feed on. You can use those first. I should be back before the grass is finished. Also¡­¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for her being far along in her pregnancy and unable to endure the bumpy ride, he would have brought her with him.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I understand. Hurry up and leave. The sooner you go, the sooner you¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Xiaoguo urged him to go. She knew that he had overdrawn his leave this time. There were a lot of things to do in the capital. If he didn¡¯t go to take care of them, it wouldn¡¯t be justifiable.


    At Xiaoguo¡¯s urging, Jiang Danhe finally got on his horse and left.


    Looking at the departing figure, Xiaoguo sighed reluctantly. Now that her body was heavy, she would feel uncomfortable after standing for too long.


    Just as she was turning to get back into the house, Jiang Danhe suddenly rushed back.


    ¡°I¡¯m still worried. I¡¯ll get someone to take care of you.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him with helplessness and happiness. ¡°No need. I can manage on my own. Just settle your matters and come back early to accompany me.¡±


    Ever since he received the letter to return to the capital, he became more anxious than Xiaoguo. Worried about her, he had offered to find a maid to take care of her, but she shot down that idea.


    Now that the pregnancy had stabilized and there were no issues with her health, there was no need to find someone to take care of her since she had no dietary restrictions and she was enjoying good sleep every night.


    Seeing that he was about to say something, Xiaoguo chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s really nothing. If you¡¯re really worried, hurry up and settle your matters. Then come back and spend time with me.¡±


    Jiang Danhe hesitated as he held onto the horse. In the end, he looked at her seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll come back as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded happily. Of course she believed him!


    After Jiang Danhe left, Xiaoguo turned to get back into the house. When she caught a glance of Mrs. Yang¡¯s house, she began to worry again.


    According to old Mrs. Yang, Mrs. Yang¡¯s mother missed her a lot, and she kept nagging for her to go home. Hence, Mrs. Yang brought Brother Yang and the four children to visit her mother.


    But it had been almost six months and they had yet to return. She wondered how the family was doing.


    Just as she was about to enter, a carriage drove over from afar. Xiaoguo stopped and looked at the person in the carriage. It was Brother Yang, who had been away for a long time.


    Feeling delighted, Xiaoguo waved at him.


    When Yang Feng saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. Then, he turned around and said something to someone in the carriage.


    The carriage was a distance away, so she couldn¡¯t hear what Yang Feng was saying. Once he finished talking, Mrs Yang eagerly lifted the curtain and looked out.


    ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    Mrs Yang¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. When Xiaoguo heard it, her heart tightened.


    Before the carriage could stop, Mrs Yang got out of the carriage eagerly. After not seeing each other for so long, the two of them had a lot to catch up on.


    Her sudden movement startled Xiaoguo. She quickly took a few steps forward to help her alight from the car.


    After regaining her balance, the excited Mrs. Yang didn¡¯t know where to start. Suddenly, her smile froze as she looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s stomach in disbelief. ¡°You, you, you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been five months.¡± Xiaoguo smiled sheepishly. ¡°I thought I will only see you again after the baby is born.¡±


    Yang Feng stopped the carriage and looked at her stomach with the same expression as Mrs. Yang. He was clearly surprised and shocked.


    That wasn¡¯t all. Xiaohu and Xiaohua, who were carrying the twins, also heard her voice in the car. They stuck their heads out with smiley faces. However, when they saw her stomach, their eyes widened in curiosity. Why did she look like their mother after not seeing her for a while?


    Xiaoguo scratched her head in embarrassment. She also felt that the child had come too suddenly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been away for that long. Why is your stomach so big?¡± Mrs Yang was feeling dazed for a moment. It felt as if she had gone to another country instead of her maiden home.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later.¡± Xiaoguo could see the fatigue on their faces. ¡°Go home and rest first. I¡¯ll visit you later.¡±


    When Mrs Yang heard her words, tears welled up in her eyes. She nodded with difficulty. ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient for you to move around. I¡¯ll come look for you after I¡¯ve rested.¡±


    Feeling worried, Xiaoguo only nodded in silence..

 Chapter 466 - Chapter 466: Happiness

    Chapter 466: Happiness


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    As Brother Yang spoke, he managed to bring the four children out of the carriage. Then, he nodded at Xiaoguo and brought Mrs. Yang and the kids home.


    The entire family looked very tired. Xiaoguo watched them enter the house before heading home worriedly.


    Mrs Yang went home and packed up briefly before going over to look for Xiaoguo. Not that she was tired but she had a lot to get off her chest.


    Xiaoguo felt terrible as she looked at the woman who was sobbing. She had never seen Mrs Yang looking so aggrieved before.


    ¡°What kind of person is my sister-in-law? She actually ran away with another man, and my brother broke his leg because of her. My mother and father are also bedridden, and the two children are so young. How could she have the heart to do this!¡¯¡±


    The more Mrs Yang spoke, the angrier she became. When her maternal family sent someone to summon her, they didn¡¯t tell her the truth. They only told her that her parents missed her and wanted her to go home and visit them.


    And so she happily brought her family back for a visit, the house no longer looked like a home. It was a complete mess. The baby was crying, her brother was crying, and her father and mother were also lying in bed and crying.


    ¡­..


    Recalling that scene now still made her feel frustrated.


    Xiaoguo patted her back comfortingly to calm her down.


    Mrs Yang¡¯s sister-in-law¡¯s surname was Sun, and her brother¡¯s nickname was Da Chun. She could vaguely remember meeting the couple at the full month celebration of the twins. The woman looked mean and spoke in an unpleasant manner. The man, on the other hand, was honest and looked like a decent person.


    Mrs Yang¡¯s sister-in-law had somehow managed to hook up with a hooligan in the village. She was already in her thirties, but she was still easily duped like a girl in her twenties. To think that she planned to abandon her child and husband, and even thought of running away with that hooligan.


    Not only that, she also looted all the money from her family, planning to take it with her. Fortunately, Da Chun found out and secretly followed the couple to their meeting place.


    The hooligan was waiting at the entrance of the village with a horse-drawn carriage. As soon as the two of them met, Da Chun rushed forward in rage. Before the two of them could react, he snatched the money pouch and clung onto it with all his might, hiding it in his arms. He refused to let go, even when they beat him up, leaving the unscrupulous couple with no choice.


    During the scuffle, the frightened horse was startled and stood up suddenly. Fortunately, Da Chun reacted in time and his leg was not completely broken, but he had to recuperate for a period of time to recover from his injury.


    Da Chun was not foolish either. He had informed his family members before leaving the house. When his parents arrived with the other villagers, they found their son lying on the ground moaning in pain. The old couple panicked and immediately rushed over to beat up the two culprits.


    When the adulterous couple saw the villagers running over with hoes and wooden sticks, they were scared out of their wits. In their panic, they tried to escape, but their legs were being held back. In desperation, they grabbed a rock and started hitting the elderly couple who were holding their legs. They didn¡¯t know how many times they hit the two seniors, but they eventually broke free and hurriedly drove away in the horse-drawn carriage, leaving behind the silver they had been coveting.


    After the villagers arrived, they hastily carried the elderly couple who was badly injured and the unconscious Da Chun, to the village doctor¡¯s house.


    Fortunately, the three of them only had superficial injuries which did not pose any danger to their lives. They just needed some time to recuperate.


    The villagers could only take care of Mrs Yang¡¯s family for a short while, since they all had their own chores to do. By the next day, they got someone to summon Mrs Yang to come home. Afraid that she would feel burdened and refuse to come, they told her a lie.


    Mrs Yang went and stayed there for at least half a year. When Da Chun and her parents were almost recovered, it was already time for the summer grain harvest. The three recovering patients could not start working yet, so Mrs. Yang and Yang Feng planted the crops before leaving for home.


    ¡°¡­ Our Xiaohua and Xiaohu have suffered. They¡¯re still children. During this time, not only did they have to look after our twins, they also had to take care of the two little ones over there¡­¡±


    At the mention of her own children, Mrs Yang felt sorry for them. That woman had given birth late. The eldest child had not even been weaned for a year, and she chose to run away just like that.


    ¡°If I see her, I¡¯ll strangle her to death!¡±


    Mrs. Yang was clearly furious. Xiaoguo could hear her molars grinding against each other.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be angry. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll stay happy for long,¡±


    Xiaoguo placed the sliced apples in front of her and spoke softly.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Yang¡¯s sister-in-law asked with a curious expression before exhaling heavily. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s bound to be punished by the heavens!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and continued, ¡°I think that thug was only after your brother¡¯s money when he got involved with your sister-in-law, or rather, that woman.¡±


    When Mrs Yang heard the words ¡°your sister-in-law¡±, she almost felt sickened. Upon hearing Xiaoguo correct herself, she felt much better.


    She was also drawn to what Xiaoguo just said. Thinking about it carefully, the two of them had hooked up at the same time that her brother had received a huge sum of money. That hooligan was jobless and had all sorts of vices. He must be up to no good. Now that they didn¡¯t get their hands on the money, would that bastard still butter up that silly woman?


    The answer was obvious.


    The two of them smiled as they exchanged glances. They had obviously thought of the same thing.


    As predicted, Mrs. Yang¡¯s sister-in-law was soon sold by her detestable lover, and she wandered from place to place, living in unspeakable misery. She spent the rest of her life in endless pain, regrets, and fear. But that is a story for another time¡­


    Mrs Yang wiped her snot forcefully and patted her chest. She said happily, ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling so miserable these past few days. Now, I feel so much better!¡±


    Xiaoguo picked up a piece of apple and handed it to her. Mrs Yang took a bite and quickly regained her vitality.


    She sized Xiaoguo up and teased her, ¡°You¡¯re moving too fast. I haven¡¯t seen you for a while and you got pregnant just like that?¡±


    Xiaoguo blushed as she tried to catch up with her train of thoughts. She really felt a little embarrassed to hear Mrs. Yang teasing her like that.


    Looking at Mrs Yang, who was winking at her, Xiaoguo blushed and replied in a barely audible voice, ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang saw her reaction and decided not to tease her any further. She laughed and said, ¡°Your belly looks quite heavy. Could it be twins?¡±


    Before Xiaoguo could speak, she smiled happily. ¡°It would be great if you have twins, best if they are both girls. Then I would have two daughters-in-law.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she touched her stomach and said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s twins, just one baby, boy or girl, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Mrs. Yang saw the happy expression on her face and also felt happy for her. She looked at the neatly arranged hay in the corner of the yard and asked, ¡°Is Danhe at home?¡±


    ¡°He just left for the capital. He has stayed with me for quite some time. There is a lot of work waiting for him in the capital. He has gone back and will return when he¡¯s done.¡±


    When Xiaoguo mentioned him, her face was filled with happiness.


    ¡°You look good. Danhe has taken good care of you. Do you have any discomfort in your legs?¡±


    Mrs Yang remembered the time when Xiaoguo was pregnant with Zhuang Zhuang, her legs often ached badly at night. She had to use a hot towel to soothe her legs every day. Even so, it didn¡¯t solve the problem. It was still so painful that she had problems falling asleep at night.


    ¡°They are fine. Jiang Danhe gives me a foot massage every night.¡±


    Speaking of this, Xiaoguo felt a little guilty. Jiang Danhe had lost weight because of her pregnancy, whereas she had gained a lot of weight. Whenever she tried to do something by herself so that he could rest, she would receive strong objections and a string of doting criticisms.


    He said that the baby belonged to the two of them. If she was feeling so uncomfortable, how could he rest? When Zhuangzhuang was born, he wasn¡¯t around, and that was enough for him to feel guilty for the rest of his life.


    Xiaoguo did not tell Mrs. Yang these words, in case she started teasing her again.


    ¡°Aiyo¡­ Aiyo¡­¡±


    Mrs. Yang exclaimed in envy. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Danhe to be so attentive and thoughtful in this aspect.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. It was true that Jiang Danhe was very attentive. Since she became pregnant, he took care of her so well that she didn¡¯t have a chance to ask for anything. He was always around to solve all her problems.


    When she was hungry, the food was ready; just when she was feeling sleepy, the bed was made; just when she needed a hot towel, it was already prepared¡­


    All she needed was to eat, drink, and sleep. Everything was well provided for her..

 Chapter 467 - Chapter 467: The Joy of a Wife

    Chapter 467: The Joy of a Wife


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    When Jiang Danhe was not around, Xiaoguo still didn¡¯t have to do anything because Qin Anming took leave to come back and take care of her.


    After asking, she found out that Jiang Danhe had gone to the noodle shop to ask for help from her brother before he left.


    Qin Anming smiled and said, ¡°When it comes to taking care of my little sister, you don¡¯t have to ask, I¡¯ll come running to help her myself.¡±


    Ever since Xiaoguo got pregnant, she felt like she was on an emotional roller-coaster. Hearing his words, tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so good to me, Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your brother, that¡¯s why.¡±


    Qin Anming felt that a brother was like a father figure, therefore it was his duty to take care of his only family and sister.


    Xiaoguo blinked and felt a lump in her throat. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be your older sister in my next life and take care of you!¡±


    ¡­..


    Qin Anming was amused when he heard that. He knocked her on the head and said dotingly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be your younger brother.¡±


    They looked at each other and exchanged smiles.


    Xiaoguo felt that she was truly blessed. As an only child, she had always envied those who had siblings. She always dreamed of having a brother or sister, but she didn¡¯t feel comfortable telling her parents about it. Her parents also had no plans for a second child, so she lived as the only child of the Qin family for over 20 years.


    In high school, there was a time when she was bullied by an unfamiliar girl from another school because of her distinctive looks. At that time, she thought that if she had a brother or sister, they would definitely help her seek revenge.


    However, the reality was that she had no siblings and no best friends. She didn¡¯t like interacting with other kids in school, and that earned her the label of being a loner¡­


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Qin Anming and asked, ¡°Brother, if I were bullied, would you help me beat the bullies up?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t hesitate at all. ¡°Regardless of gender, I¡¯ll definitely beat up the bullies until they beg for mercy!¡±


    As he spoke, he showed off the biceps he had recently acquired from his training. Although they were not as big as Jiang Danhe¡¯s, they were definitely more prominent than before.


    A look of realization appeared on Xiaoguo¡¯s face.


    Suppressing the tears that were welling up in her eyes, Xiaoguo exclaimed loudly each time Qin Anming struck a pose.


    Qin Anming knew that the other party was deliberately flattering him, but since he could make her laugh, it was fine with him.


    With this thought in mind, Qin Anming became more and more enthusiastic with his poses, and he began to show off even more moves, possibly more than those bodybuilders who displayed their moves in the competitions.


    Xiaoguo was only responsible for clapping and laughing.


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t keep Xiaoguo waiting for long. He returned within a month.


    Perhaps due to the arduous journey, he looked totally exhausted. He didn¡¯t even have time to shave.


    Even so, there was a sparkle in his eyes. When he saw Xiaoguo, the obvious joy on his face was heartwarming.


    ¡°This time, I can witness the birth of our second child.¡±


    As soon as they met, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t wait to share the news with her. Although the process of getting this long vacation wasn¡¯t very beautiful, it didn¡¯t matter as long as the outcome was good.


    Xiaoguo looked up at him in surprise. Her eyes were sparkling. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really!¡±


    Looking at her happy face, Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t care about anything else. With an itchy throat, he kissed her on the spot without any hesitation.


    All the hardships he had suffered along the way had disappeared at this moment. Everything was worth it!


    After kissing her, he quickly squatted down and leaned his head on her stomach in case Xiaoguo tried to pinch him. With a soft voice, he said, ¡°My dear child, do you miss me?¡±


    Looking at his childish demeanor, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She punched him gently with her small fist. ¡°What a silly man.¡±


    Jiang Danhe had returned at the right time. Everyone in the village was digging in the fields. With abundant rainfall this year, the harvested crops were bound to be good.


    Although Xiaoguo wanted to help out in the fields, Jiang Danhe wouldn¡¯t let her due to her heavily pregnant belly. After begging for a long time, Jiang Danhe reluctantly agreed to let her deliver his meals to him.


    Qin Anming returned to the county not long after Jiang Danhe returned home. He wanted to come back and help, but Jiang Danhe rejected him. This was not an urgent matter. He could handle it alone. Besides, he was hardly around to help out at home. Now that there was such an opportunity, he had to work extra hard.


    Qin Anming thought that it made sense too. If his brother-in-law wanted to show off his ability, as his brother-in-law, he shouldn¡¯t interfere.


    Xiaoguo had not cooked for a long time. To be precise, it had been more than four months since she last touched the kitchen utensils.


    She wasn¡¯t completely unfamiliar with it, but she only felt a bit clumsy and flustered while preparing the dishes.


    When the oil was poured into the dish, she realized that the fire had not been lit. When the dishes were served, she realized that she had forgotten to add salt.


    However, those were only small issues. The dishes that she whipped up still turned out to be delicious.


    Xiaoguo carefully packed the cooked food in the basket and smiled happily to herself.


    Thinking about Jiang Danhe who was waiting for her to deliver food to him in the fields, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but smile. She never thought that she would experience the joy of being a wife too.


    As soon as she left the house, she bumped into Mrs. Yang, who was also delivering food to the fields. The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked towards the fields.


    Although there was sufficient rainfall this year, the temperature was also higher than usual. It¡¯s best to finish planting the crops as soon as possible.


    More than half of the villagers were sitting in the fields eating their lunch, with no intention of going home. After finishing their meal, they quickly got back to work, hoping to finish planting all the crops before returning home to rest.


    When they reached the fields, Xiaoguo parted ways with Mrs. Yang. The location of her plot was rather remote, so she had to walk further in.


    Xiaoguo was overjoyed when she spotted Jiang Danhe working in the fields. She took out a handkerchief and got ready to wipe his sweat.


    When Jiang Danhe footsteps behind him, he turned around and realized that it was Xiaoguo. In that instant, he relaxed and put down the hoe before striding forward to take the basket from her.


    ¡°How is it? Are you tired?¡±


    Jiang Danhe asked considerately, but his hands did not stop moving. He took off his coat and laid it on a clean and flat piece of ground. Then he carefully helped her sit down and skillfully massaged her calves.


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Xiaoguo smiled. He was clearly more tired than her, but he still asked her if she was tired. It made her happy, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him. ¡°What about you? Maybe we should go home and rest.¡±


    It was a hot day today and Jiang Danhe¡¯s tanned skin looked a little red at this moment. Bean-sized droplets of perspiration trickled down from his forehead, along his temples, to his well-defined jawline, before finally dropping onto the ground.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes were suddenly dazzled. Feeling tempted, she raised her hand and carefully wiped the sweat off his face with a handkerchief, her eyes filled with unprecedented concentration.


    Jiang Danhe was enjoying the attention that Xiaoguo was giving him. At this moment, he felt like he was floating on a cloud. While enjoying his wife¡¯s tenderness, he told her, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I will finish planting soon.¡±


    ¡°Then Hl stay here with you,¡± Xiaoguo said without thinking.


    Jiang Danhe was about to shake his head, but seeing her look of concern, he nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    At most, he would try to work faster and minimize Xiaoguo¡¯s exposure to the sun.


    Seeing him nod, Xiaoguo narrowed her eyes and smiled happily.


    During her pregnancy, Xiaoguo had gained some weight. She was becoming more adorable, more smiley and more lovable.


    This was how Xiaoguo appeared in Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes, making her all the more precious to him.


    ¡°Hurry up and eat.¡±


    Xiaoguo pulled his hand and led him to sit down. She took out the two dishes and soup she had prepared and also washed a bunch of grapes for him.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ My wife¡¯s culinary skills are still amazing.¡±


    When Jiang Danhe was with Xiaoguo, he could sweet-talk her at the drop of a hat.


    At first, Xiaoguo was a little embarrassed by his behavior. Now that she had gotten used to it, she was able to respond to his teasing.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    She didn¡¯t try to be humble at all, in fact, she felt a little smug.


    Jiang Danhe loved it so much!


    The couple finished their lunch happily. After putting away his bowl and chopsticks in the basket, Jiang Danhe was about to carry his hoe and return to the fields when he was stopped by Xiaoguo.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sweetheart?¡±

 Chapter 468 - Chapter 468: Going Into Labor

    Chapter 468: Going Into Labor


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    When Xiaoguo heard Jiang Danhe calling her ¡°sweetheart¡±, she couldn¡¯t help but blush and feel her heart racing. She was already the mother of two children, but he was still calling her ¡°sweetheart¡±. Although she liked it very much, they were in a public space after all¡­.


    Xiaoguo looked around frantically and was relieved to see that there was no one else around.


    Fortunately, their plot was situated in a remote corner, otherwise if anyone heard it, she would be so embarrassed that she wouldn¡¯t dare to step out of her house anymore.


    Seeing that she was silent, Jiang Danhe felt a little anxious. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Seeing how anxious the other party was, Xiaoguo quickly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling unwell. Rather, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Jiang Danhe put down the hoe and touched his face and body. They were as good as new. There was nothing wrong with him.


    ¡­..


    ¡°I want you to come over and take a break.¡±


    Xiaoguo said with a smile. She didn¡¯t know why Jiang Danhe suddenly looked so cute.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t move, Xiaoguo patted the space beside her and said, ¡°Come here quickly.¡±


    After eating, one had to take a short break, let the food digest before doing any physical activities. Otherwise, gastric problems could develop.


    Jiang Danhe sat down with a flushed face. The two of them leaned against the big tree and quietly admired the beautiful scenery.


    Peach Blossom Village is a very beautiful place. The air is fresh and it has a good geographical landscape. It is truly a nice place to live in.


    Jiang Danhe slowly opened his eyes, turning his head to look at Xiaoguo as he asked softly, ¡°Xiaoguo, would you like to go to the capital with me?¡±


    ¡°The capital?¡± Xiaoguo opened her eyes and looked at him. ¡°But my stomach¡­¡±


    ¡°I mean, after our baby arrives.¡±


    Jiang Danhe was being very serious. Xiaoguo avoided his gaze and looked into the distance. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang and Teacher Kong are getting along like a dream. What about him?¡±


    Jiang Danhe choked up, and the light in his eyes dissipated. That was true. How could he have forgotten about this?


    ¡°Forget it. Forget that I said anything.¡±


    Jiang Danhe smiled. Actually, he shouldn¡¯t obsess about being together physically. As long as their hearts were together, they wouldn¡¯t feel lonely even if they weren¡¯t by each other¡¯s side.


    Xiaoguo nodded gently. She had definitely thought about going to the capital with him, but there were too many considerations. The shop, the animals at home, her friends, her brother¡­


    ¡°Maybe in the future, and I¡¯ll come back once a month.¡±


    Jiang Danhe looked at the distressed Xiaoguo and comforted her. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I just have to make a few more trips back and forth.¡±


    ¡°My dear sweetheart, when I¡¯m done with the matters in the capital, our family of four will travel the world.¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him in surprise. ¡°What gives you the idea of traveling the world?¡±


    ¡°From what Su Changsheng said, the world is huge. I want to bring you out to explore while we¡¯re still young.¡±


    Jiang Danhe had laid out a plan. He was planning to work for a few more years and train a large group of loyal undercover soldiers for Shao Zhan. After that, he will completely retire , regardless of whether Shao Zhan allows him to go or not.


    Xiaoguo was tempted by his words. Previously, she had dreamed about exploring the world. This sounded like a great plan.


    ¡°Will I look ugly when I¡¯m old?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was taken aback, and he looked at her so closely that it made her blush. He shook his head and said, ¡°No, you will always be the most beautiful person in my heart.¡±


    Xiaoguo was delighted to hear that, but before she could speak, Jiang Danhe asked in return, ¡°Will you despise me when I¡¯m old? By then, my chest muscles, biceps, abs, and thigh muscles will all be flabby, and my butt won¡¯t be perky anymore, will you still love me?¡±


    Jiang Danhe was just short of writing the words ¡°you crave my body¡± on his face. Xiaoguo looked around shyly. Even though she knew that there was no one around, she was still shocked by his words.


    Did Jiang Danhe regard her as someone who only has desire for his body?!


    It didn¡¯t seem wrong though¡­ She quite liked it¡­


    She coughed awkwardly a few times before saying, ¡°Of course not. I love you. Even if you lose all your hair and teeth in the future, I will still love you.¡± Jiang Danhe tried to stop himself from shaking as he looked at her with an intense gaze. ¡°Say that again.¡±


    ¡°I said that I love you for who you are, regardless if you have hair, teeth, or muscles. I will still love you. I will love you forever.¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Jiang Danhe leaned over and sealed her mouth.


    When Xiaoguo was pushed to the ground by Jiang Danhe, she was still wondering if there was anyone around.


    Time passed quickly. Xiaoguo hardly goes to the shop anymore. With Shu Botong around, she really didn¡¯t have to worry.


    Shu Botong was truly a genius. He spent a lot of time researching and developing many new types of desserts, and he always sends them to Xiaoguo for tasting. Once she approved of the item, he would immediately put it on the menu.


    Xiaozhu and Yuling made it a point to visit her whenever they had free time. Occasionally, they would bring with them embroidered belly bands or little pants for the unborn child.


    Qin Anming also made it a point to come back every few days. On some days, he would buy some fish or old hens for Xiaoguo. He would then brainstorm with Jiang Danhe in the kitchen on how to cook them.


    Ruyi would occasionally come over with Qin Anming, and at other times, she would bring Ling Long, Fu¡¯er, Xiaocui and Uncle Xu with her. She always brought seasonal fruits for Xiaoguo and there was a symbolic meaning behind every fruit she brought. For example, eating grapes is good for the baby¡¯s eyesight, and eating apples is nutritious, and so on and so forth.


    It was the same for Su Changsheng. Although he was not around, he never forgets to bring back some small snacks and dried fruits every time he came to transport the milk. All these tidbits were meant for Xiaoguo to nibble on in her free time.


    During her pregnancy, Shao Zhan became the sole supplier of bird¡¯s nest and lingzhi mushrooms. He gave them out as if they were free. Initially, Xiaoguo felt a little uneasy about receiving all these expensive food stuff, thinking it would be better if he saved them for himself. But Shao Zhan assured her in his letters that there was a plentiful supply of all these delicacies in the national treasury, and that she should feel free to consume them. He also asked her to consider them as gifts from himself and Xiaoyi.


    Mrs. Yang also made some soft and comfortable undergarments specially for her during her pregnancy. As the pregnancy progressed, she started to experience various types of discomfort, especially since her belly was growing bigger and heavier. Wearing the clothes that Mrs. Yang made for her would help to support the belly and relieve some of the baby weight.


    When Mr. Kong and Madam heard that she was pregnant, they knew that she would feel drowsy all the time. Hence, they sent over a rocking chair that Mr. Kong had personally made for her so that she could take comfortable naps in it.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo was lying on the rocking chair. Beside her was a table with a pile of fruits and snacks laid out on it. She was leisurely watching Jiang Danhe milk the cows, snickering to herself occasionally. After receiving a helpless look from the other party, she laughed even harder.


    She would never forget the expression on his face when he first milked the cows. It was hard to put down in words. He looked so awkward and cute at that time. She even went up to ask him how he felt after milking the cows, but he ended up teasing her instead.


    At first, Jiang Danhe was clumsy and didn¡¯t know how to start. Now, he was able to go through the motions with an expressionless face. Only he would know the inner struggles he had to overcome to get to this stage.


    Spring and autumn were two seasons that had the least presence. As soon as the weather turned cold, winter arrived quietly.


    It had been nine months since Xiaoguo got pregnant. In the final month, Jiang Danhe did not leave her side. Even when she went to the toilet, he stayed by her side and refused to leave.


    He had invited the midwife from the county and she had been staying at their house for quite some time. Shao Zhan had recommended this midwife who used to work in the palace. When she got old, she retired and returned to Yonghai County with her husband.


    Having been in the industry for more than 40 years, the children she delivered were all energetic and healthy. The adults under her care also turned out well and alive. Shao Zhan himself was also delivered by her. She had worked in the palace for forty years and had a wealth of experience in dealing with various issues.


    Not that he didn¡¯t trust the midwives in the village, but Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t want Xiaoguo to take any risks.


    In the following days, Qin Anming and Zhuang Zhuang returned early to watch over Xiaoguo.


    There was no empty room at home, so Qin Anming stayed in Mrs Yang¡¯s house and shared a room with Yang Jia. During the day, he would take turns with Jiang Danhe to stay by Xiaoguo¡¯s side.


    Xiaoguo felt that the two of them were overreacting. Even Zhuang Zhuang was starting to behave like them. From the minute he got home, his big eyes would keep looking at her.


    Just like that, under the patient care of everyone, the time had come for Xiaoguo to give birth..

 Chapter 469 - Chapter 469: Birth

    Chapter 469: Birth


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    It was night time. Jiang Danhe had just blown out the candles and was preparing to go to bed.


    However, Xiaoguo suddenly felt discomfort in her belly and dampness between her legs. She guessed that her water had broken.


    Pretending to be calm, she patted Jiang Danhe, not daring to open her mouth. She was afraid that she would cry out in fear if she tried to say anything.


    Jiang Danhe was not sleeping yet. When she patted him, he jumped up reflexively and got out of bed to light a candle.


    The moment the candlelight lit up the room, he saw Xiaoguo looking pale and weak on the bed. He was taken aback, and before his brain could react, he had already called the midwife.


    The midwife rushed into the house immediately and chased the father and son out. She closed the door and lifted the blanket.


    ¡°Go and prepare hot water, towels, hard liquor, and scissors.¡±


    ¡­..


    The midwife¡¯s methodical words woke Jiang Danhe up. Ignoring the frightened Zhuang Zhuang beside him, he turned around and ran to the kitchen. Before he could light the candles, he had already found the pot and was getting ready to light the fire.


    The hand that was holding the torch kept trembling non-stop. It was impossible to light it up.


    As he got more anxious, more sweat started breaking out on his forehead. When he finally managed to light the fire, it was accidentally extinguished by his sweat that was dripping down.


    When Jiang Danhe saw this scene, he couldn¡¯t help but curse softly to himself.


    At this moment, Zhuang Zhuang ran over and said, ¡°Father, there¡¯s hot water on the stove!¡±


    Thanks to Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s reminder, he remembered that he had been keeping hot water on the stove just in case, since he didn¡¯t know when Xiaoguo would go into labor.


    After acknowledging Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s words, he picked up the hot water and ran into the room. The scissors and liquor were kept in the room where she was sleeping.


    Seeing that his father was aware of the hot water, Zhuang Zhuang ran out alone. When he arrived at Mrs Yang¡¯s house, he knocked on the door.


    Yang Jia came to the door rather quickly. Looking at the boy¡¯s anxious expression, he could roughly guess the reason.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get Brother Anming!¡±


    With that, he quickly ran back into the house. Soon, Qin Anming ran out fully dressed. He grabbed Zhuang Zhuang and ran towards home.


    Mrs Yang also heard the commotion. She asked Yang Feng, who had also gotten up, to stay behind and take care of the children.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the baby will come out so quickly. Stay at home and look after the kids. I¡¯ll go over first.¡±


    Yang Feng looked down at the twins, who were sleeping soundly. He nodded hesitantly and put down his clothes. ¡°Go quickly.¡±


    Mrs Yang acknowledged his words and ran out after putting on her shoes.


    Old Mrs. Yang also came out with a candle and followed Mrs Yang to XIaoguo¡¯s house.


    ¡°Take a deep breath.¡±


    The gentle and powerful voice of the midwife gave Xiaoguo courage. Trying to suppress her anxious emotions, she followed the midwife¡¯s instructions to breathe slowly.


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    The midwife lifted the blanket to check. Seeing that there was still no movement, she came to Xiaoguo¡¯s side and helped her massage her stomach.


    The midwife¡¯s hands were not particularly soft, but the moment she touched her belly, Xiaoguo let out a long breath of relief.


    Unclear about the situation in the room, Jiang Danhe was feeling extremely anxious. He wanted to take a peek through the crack in the door, but he was afraid of disturbing them.


    Helpless, he could only comfort Xiaoguo with his voice. Although they couldn¡¯t see each other, he told Xiaoguo that he was always there for her.


    When Mrs. Yang and Old Mrs. Yang rushed in, Jiang Danhe quickly looked through the gap in the door that was left ajar. When he saw that Xiaoguo looked fine, he felt a little relieved.


    Afraid that Xiaoguo would run out of strength, Qin Anming went straight to the kitchen after making sure that she was safe. He was going to make a pot of sweet porridge for her to replenish her strength after giving birth.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t want to leave. He held onto the door with his small hands and stared in Xiaoguo¡¯s direction through the door with teary eyes. He didn¡¯t want to worry his mother, otherwise he would have started crying by now.


    Jiang Danhe couldn¡¯t bear to see Zhuang Zhuang looking so sad. He picked him up and sat him on a chair, comforting him in a soft voice. Xiaoguo had exchanged glances with Jiang Danhe just now. The two of them had a tacit understanding and understood each other¡¯s intentions with that single glance. Xiaoguo wanted him to keep an eye on Zhuang Zhuang and also help to subdue his fear.


    Zhuang Zhuang heard the trembling in his father¡¯s voice, so he sensibly wiped away his own tears and also his father¡¯s tears. They must not cry now!


    Jiang Danhe was surprised. His heart was feeling so numb that he didn¡¯t even notice that tears were flowing down his face.


    In the house, Xiaoguo had just endured several waves of pain, each time more painful than the last. In the end, with a word from the midwife, she started to push.


    Mrs Yang wiped her sweat with a hot towel and reminded her worriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t scream. You need to conserve your strength.¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have the strength to answer her. She just nodded in response.


    Old Mrs. Yang was standing by the midwife¡¯s side, trying to help out. Although she couldn¡¯t help much, she was still able to help with some tasks like passing things and pouring water.


    The time was creeping by the minute, and small blood vessels on Xiaoguo¡¯s face had burst due to the exertion, resulting in red and purple patches in some spots, which looked rather scary.


    Mrs Yang broke out in a cold sweat when she saw this. She asked the midwife anxiously, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t there been any progress after so long?¡±


    ¡°The baby has a big head. It¡¯ll take some effort.¡±


    The midwife was not flustered at all. She had seen bigger heads than this. ¡°Continue pushing!¡±


    Fortunately, Xiaoguo still had the strength to continue the prolonged battle.


    Unable to see or hear anything, Jiang Danhe paced back and forth anxiously. His clothes were almost torn apart by his tugging. If only he could transfer some of his physical and mental strength to Xiaoguo.


    Qin Anming was also having a tough time. He burned his hand in the kitchen while he was rushing around, and despite not having the time to treat it properly, he still came over to check on what was happening in the room.


    Finally, the good news came.


    The midwife successfully delivered a fair and chubby boy. Based on her vast experience, she took a look at Xiaoguo¡¯s stomach and lifted the blanket to look below. ¡°There¡¯s another one.¡±


    This news stunned everyone, especially Xiaoguo. She had barely recovered from the previous exertion and now she had to start pushing again.


    Mrs. Yang placed the cleaned and swaddled baby beside Xiaoguo. Then, she quickly changed the water and waited for the next baby.


    The little baby subconsciously wanted to drink milk, but no one could be bothered with him at this moment. Unable to get what he wanted, the little boy pursed his lips and started crying.


    His cries were very loud and clear. When the people outside heard it, they finally felt relieved. The group stood guard at the door and waited for a long time, but they did not see anyone come out of the room. Just when they thought they could relax, their hearts were once again filled with anxiety.


    Xiaoguo closed her eyes and pushed with all her strength. Finally, she relaxed and collapsed on the bed, panting heavily.


    Her eyes were so tired that she could hardly keep them open. Her consciousness was gradually fading out. The last thing she could remember were the two chubby babies beside her.


    Before she fainted, she was still thinking to herself that Jiang Danhe¡¯s wish for a daughter had gone up in smoke.


    After the midwife was done cleaning up, she let the people waiting outside enter the room.


    The strong smell of blood in the room made Jiang Danhe, who was used to the smell, suddenly tear up.


    Listening to the adult¡¯s steady breathing on the bed, his heart finally felt at ease.


    Only then did he have the energy to focus on the two babies beside Xiaoguo.


    Zhuang Zhuang lifted the covers of the two babies first, revealing their gender. The father and son¡¯s smiles froze on their faces at the same time.


    Neither of them was a girl?


    Qin Anming wasn¡¯t thinking about the same thing. He looked at the babies on the bed with tears in his eyes. His dearest sister Xiaoguo had become the mother of three children!


    When Xiaoguo opened her eyes, she saw the following scene.


    Jiang Danhe was gently hugging the two babies and kissing them alternately. Zhuang Zhuang was jumping around, trying to grab the babies. But his father was deliberately teasing him, placing the babies out of his reach. This made the little boy so angry that he wanted to exchange a few moves with his father, but he was worried about waking his mom who was still sleeping.


    Qin Anming was watching from the side with a smile. As soon as he extended his arms, Jiang Danhe immediately passed the babies to him, without the slightest playfulness he had with Zhuang Zhuang earlier.


    Zhuang Zhuang snorted at him and stopped pestering him. He went straight to his uncle¡¯s side and got close to his two younger brothers.


    Qin Anming didn¡¯t tease him. When he saw the boy come over, he held the babies and put them against his face.


    When he heard their gurgling noises, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s face instantly turned red, and he gently kissed each of his two younger brothers..

 Chapter 470 - Chapter 470: Departure

    Chapter 470: Departure


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    The brothers seemed to share a deep connection. Although the two little babies could not see clearly yet, they still smiled at their brother.


    Seeing this, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s heart melted and he kissed the two of them again.


    Jiang Danhe smiled happily and turned to walk towards Xiaoguo with a warm towel.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?!¡± Jiang Danhe¡¯s surprised voice attracted the attention of the other two people in the room.


    Qin Anming carried the two babies and came to Xiaoguo¡¯s side with Zhuang Zhuang. At this moment, Jiang Danhe regretted calling out just now. It would have been better if he quietly spent some tender moments with Xiaoguo first before informing the other two.


    At least that wouldn¡¯t have resulted in him being pushed away from his wife, and unable to show concern for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some sweet porridge.¡±


    ¡­..


    The porridge had been kept warm on the stove all night, so it was still hot for consumption.


    Finally! Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes lit up. His brother-in-law was leaving!


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. She had noticed Jiang Danhe scratching his ears and cheeks anxiously. Naturally, she did not miss the flash of joy in his eyes.


    After Qin Anming left, Xiaoguo patted the bed beside her. Jiang Danhe quickly sat down and gently helped her up so that she could lean against the bed. He also stuffed a thick blanket around her to make sure she was comfortable and


    warm.


    Just as she was about to say something, Zhuang Zhuang suddenly interrupted, ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve worked hard!¡±


    ¡°!!¡± Jiang Danhe¡¯s lips twitched. This was what he wanted to say!!


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart softened. She opened her arms and gestured for Zhuang Zhuang to go to her.


    Zhuang Zhuang chuckled and pounced over. He leaned into his mother¡¯s arms and snuggled against her blissfully.


    Jiang Danhe was so envious that his eyes almost popped out. That cuddle belonged to him!


    The two babies suddenly made some noises. Possibly due to the fact that they were twins, they had good chemistry. They cried, laughed, and pooped at the same time.


    Xiaoguo saw for herself that the two babies looked even chubbier than when she saw them before passing out yesterday. They were both very fair and chubby.


    Xiaoguo finally understood why her pregnant belly was so big. With these two lumps of meat residing inside, how could her belly not be big?


    Jiang Danhe placed the babies on her and supported them gently with his hands. He knew that Xiaoguo had yet to recover all her strength.


    When the two babies landed in Xiaoguo¡¯s arms, they became quiet. Sensing the familiar smell and temperature, they quickly fell asleep.


    ¡°They just had milk.¡±


    Sensing Xiaoguo¡¯s confusion, Jiang Danhe explained, and added evilly, ¡°I prepared the milk for them.¡±


    When Xiaoguo heard this, she immediately understood what he meant and looked at him shyly.


    What was there to prepare? He only had to unbutton her clothes and feed the babies.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s smile deepened when he saw her blush.


    After a while, Qin Anming¡¯s sweet porridge arrived.


    Jiang Danhe personally fed the porridge to Xiaoguo. Zhuang Zhuang wanted to hang around, but Qin Anming brought him out.


    The room was very quiet now. The twins were lying by the side, sleeping soundly. Jiang Danhe was not in a hurry to speak. He focused his attention on feeding Xiaoguo until she finished the last spoonful. Then, he gently wiped her mouth.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and shook her head. Throughout her pregnancy, other than the fact that she had to give birth, Jiang Danhe was the one who had worked harder. ¡°You too.¡±


    II


    Should we name the babies?


    II


    None of them had expected twins, so they did not prepare many names to choose from.


    Xiaoguo looked at the two chubby fellows and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll let Zhuang Zhuang decide on the names later. As for their nicknames, I¡¯ll call them Big Fatty and Second Fatty.¡±


    After saying that, she burst out laughing.


    Jiang Danhe looked at her dotingly. ¡°We¡¯ll do that.¡±


    Big Fatty, Second Fatty together with Zhuang Zhuang¡ªthe three brothers¡¯ names sounded very solid!


    Not long after Xiaoguo woke up, Mrs Yang brought her entire family to visit her. Xiaohua and Xiaohu were equally shocked to see the two babies on the bed. Two younger brothers again?!


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t know how Ruyi, Shu Botong, and the others found out, but they arrived before noon.


    Everyone took turns to hold the babies, and fuss over them.


    Although the two babies were still small, they were different from other newborns. They had fair and tender skin, abundant black hair, high nose bridges and well-proportioned faces. One could tell that they would grow up to be handsome young men.


    Two days ago, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling went to the Guanyin Temple in another county and personally picked up two amulets. They sewed them onto the baby¡¯s belly bands for good luck.


    The reason for the gathering today was not only to visit Xiaoguo, but also to celebrate Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday.


    Big Fatty and Second Fatty¡¯s birthday was just one day before their brother¡¯s.


    The group gathered together and enjoyed a big hearty meal. However, Jiang Danhe was the one in-charge of cooking this time.


    A man in an apron was not something they hadn¡¯t seen before, but they still found it shocking when they saw Jiang Danhe in an apron. Ruyi quietly crept behind him and laughed at him for a long time.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t mocking him. She was laughing in admiration.


    Zhuang Zhuang personally named his two younger brothers on his birthday.


    The second son was called Jiang Xishuo, and the youngest was called Jiang Xingze.


    Zhuang Zhuang was secretly happy when he heard everyone singing praises of the names that he had given to his brothers.


    Ever since he found out that his mother was pregnant, he had thought about naming the baby for a long time. He had also asked Mr. Kong for advice on the two names he had come up with. Before this, he was still thinking about which one to choose, but now, he could use both of them!


    On Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday, he got a proper cream birthday cake with his age written on it.


    Xiaoyi had secretly read the letter written by Jiang Danhe on Shao Zhan¡¯s desk. He found out that Xiaoguo had given birth to two boys. Therefore, in the darkness of the night, Xiaoyi sneaked out of the palace, successfully got on a carriage, and headed towards Peach Blossom Village.


    Just as he was wondering why things were going so smoothly, the curtain of the carriage was suddenly lifted to reveal Shao Zhan¡¯s face.


    Xiaoyi was so frightened that he hid in a corner of the car and hugged his small backpack that was filled with gifts.


    Shao Zhan chuckled and shook his plain-looking robe. He said, ¡°I told you before. Remember to bring me along when you run away.¡±


    As the curtain was lifted by the wind, Xiaoyi saw that the man driving the carriage had become Li Shouji.


    Xiaoyi and the other two, together with a team of secret guards in the dark, finally arrived at Peach Blossom Village before the full month celebration party began.


    After the full moon banquet ended, Ruyi told Xiaoguo the good news. She was getting married to Qin Anming.


    According to Ruyi, she was the one who had taken the initiative to confess to Qin Anming. In the past few years, neither of them had talked about their relationship. However, Ruyi couldn¡¯t wait any longer. When she saw that Xiaoguo had given birth, she became even more anxious. After all, she was not a young girl anymore. She didn¡¯t want to waste any more time, so she went all out and confessed to him.


    Qin Anming also had feelings for Ru Yi, but he was too shy to take the initiative. He never could have imagined that he would receive a proposal from a girl.


    After getting Xiaoguo¡¯s approval, Ruyi began to plan for the wedding.


    The wedding preparations should have been done by Qin Anming, but Ruyi couldn¡¯t wait and did everything herself, completing the preparations within a day.


    Just like that, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe attended their wedding ceremony with the babies in their arms.


    Everything took place so quickly that before Xiaoguo could react, Ruyi had already become her sister-in-law by the next day.


    Shu Botong was even more amazing. As a middle-aged man who has been divorced once and was considered a ¡°leftover¡± in the dating market, he unexpectedly developed feelings for Yu Ling and was planning to marry her once she came of age.


    When Xiaoguo learned about this news, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had lost her mind after her pregnancy, or if the world was changing too rapidly.


    What was even more shocking was that Yang Jia actually came over to ask for Xiao Zhu¡¯s hand in marriage. He was also planning to get married after the girl reached adulthood.


    Because of this matter, Xiao Zhu specially ran back and sat in front of Xiaoguo with Yang Jia by her side. The love in their eyes almost blinded Xiaoguo.


    Just like that, Xiaoguo¡¯s two little sisters have both found their significant other. Botong and Yang Jia were good men, so she had no reason to object to their marriage. Hence, she gave them her sincerest blessings.


    Later on, during their conversations, they revealed that they were all motivated by Xiaoguo¡¯s childbearing experience. To put it simply, they were all feeling envious of her.


    In the end, Xiaoguo left for the capital with Jiang Danhe.


    The reason was that Mr. Kong was asked to return to the capital by his son, and naturally, Zhuang Zhuang was unwilling to part with his teacher and vice versa.


    At this moment, Jiang Danhe appeared and resolved all of Xiaoguo¡¯s worries at one go.


    He bought one shop beside the desserts shop and knocked down the adjoining wall. The chickens, ducks, cows, donkeys, and two dogs were then transported to the capital and kept in the new space. Shu Botong and the others were in-charge of taking care of the animals.


    Now, there was nothing left for Xiaoguo to worry about. Her brother had started a family, and Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling had found themselves a partner. The animals at home also had a place to call home. The shop was now being managed by Shu Botong, and she had given everyone a share of the business. She felt completely at ease now..


    ¡­..

 Chapter 471 - Chapter 471: Exclusive Paintings

    Chapter 471: Exclusive Paintings


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    They only set off after the Spring Festival.


    Tears welled up in Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes as she looked at the closed door of the house and the word ¡°Fortune¡± that was pasted on it. She really couldn¡¯t bear to leave this place.


    Zhuang Zhuang was feeling the same. He only felt better after looking at his parents and younger brothers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s not like we won¡¯t be coming back,¡±


    Jiang Danhe said as he kissed her forehead tenderly.


    They would return. This was their home. Their roots were here, and their families were here. No matter how far they drifted, they would eventually come back.


    Xiaoguo nodded and hugged the babies tightly as they got into the carriage.


    ¡­..


    The carriage began to move slowly. Xiaoguo poked her head out and looked at Mrs Yang¡¯s house. The reluctance in her eyes was intensifying by the minute.


    ¡°My dear sister, Hl be back.¡±


    Suddenly, the crying of the baby in her arms attracted her attention. Seeing that the baby was hungry, Xiaoguo skillfully unbuttoned her clothes.


    Mrs Yang waited for the carriage to leave before walking out from behind the door. She wiped the tears off her face and waved reluctantly in that direction.


    ¡°Sister, you must come back often!¡±


    Xiaoguo was moving to the capital firstly for Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s education and secondly to accompany Jiang Danhe.


    The family of five could finally live together on a long term basis.


    Shao Zhan and Xiaoyi were absolutely delighted to see Jiang Danhe and his family relocate to the capital.


    After Mr. and Mrs. Kong returned to the capital, they moved back to live with their family in their family mansion. Everyone was happy to welcome them back. Back then, their children could hardly bear to see the two elders leave, so it was great that they could come back now!


    Zhuang Zhuang had to carry on with his classes. Shao Zhan had arranged for Xiaoyi to attend Teacher Kong¡¯s class together with Zhuang Zhuang. The mischievous boy was only well-behaved when he was with Zhuang Zhuang. He never listens to his father and only listens to Zhuang Zhuang. With Zhuang Zhuang watching over him, Shao Zhan was very reassured.


    However, considering that Mr. Kong was already advanced in age, the classes were held at his home instead.


    Xiaoyi, who usually liked to sleep in, was delighted to attend classes with Zhuang Zhuang everyday. There was no need for anyone to wake him in the morning. He also stopped skipping classes and hardly pranks the people around him.


    Other than Mr. Kong¡¯s class, additional classes were also arranged for the two of them. Since they were already studying humanities, they couldn¡¯t neglect the martial arts.


    When his family became more settled in the capital, Jiang Danhe kept his word. He made a point to visit Peach Blossom Village with them every two months, staying there for about a week each time.


    With the round trip and the length of stay, it added up to a considerable amount of time.


    Although it was a bit excessive, Shao Zhan generously agreed to this arrangement. Since Jiang Danhe was able to stay in the capital without neglecting his duties, there was no reason not to agree to his requests.


    Because of the frequent trips back home, homesickness became more bearable since everyone knew that they would meet again shortly after.


    The only issue was the distance between them, but that didn¡¯t affect their relationship at all.


    Ever since they moved into the general¡¯s residence, Jiang Danhe had tidied up the garden for Xiaoguo. The garden was now planted with various varieties of flowers and the entire general¡¯s residence was now filled with a floral fragrance.


    Even when Jiang Danhe met with his colleagues, everyone praised him for being a changed man now that he has his wife by his side. He even smells like a flower now.


    He never said a word in the face of these teasing. However, one could tell from his face that he was basking in happiness.


    Summer in the capital was much hotter than in Peach Blossom Village.


    Xiaoguo was about to change the two babies into thinner garments when Jiang Danhe returned.


    While fussing over the babies, she turned to look at him and asked, ¡°Why are you so early today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve come back early to spend time with you and the kids.¡±


    Jiang Danhe undressed in front of her and changed into his casual clothes. During this time, he kept posing and flexing his muscles to show off his physique. He wouldn¡¯t admit it, but he was actually trying to seduce Xiaoguo.


    Just as he was shyly sizing up Xiaoguo to see if she was mesmerized by him, he noticed that she had no time to pay attention to him. She had already turned her attention to the two chubby babies on the bed.


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s eyes darkened. In a fit of pique, he threw his clothes onto the clothes rack and sat alone at the table without saying a word. He gazed mournfully at the mother and the two babies on the bed, but mainly focused his attention on Xiaoguo. When Zhuang Zhuang was at home, she would spend her time taking care of him, but now that he wasn¡¯t around, she had to take care of her twin sons. As her husband, he was the last on her list, and she didn¡¯t have much attention left for him.


    After Xiaoguo helped Big Fatty and Second Fatty put on their clothes, she started wiping down their bodies with a handkerchief.


    The two chubby babies were getting fatter with each passing day, even surpassing Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s size when he was a baby. It was unclear whether it was because Xiaoguo¡¯s breast milk was highly nutritious or because the two kids were efficient at absorbing the nutrients.


    As she was thinking about it, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s crisp and pleasant voice sounded from outside the door.


    ¡°Mother¡­ Mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo was delighted to hear his voice. She took out another handkerchief and waited for the little man to enter.


    Seeing Xiaoguo¡¯s expectant expression, Jiang Danhe became even more upset. From the moment he got home and entered the house, Xiaoguo had exchanged only a few words with him. And most importantly, she didn¡¯t even wipe his sweat!


    Zhuang Zhuang was already six years old. Starting from last year, the little guy had grown much taller. The nutrients from the food he consumed was no longer contributing to his horizontal growth but instead was adding on to his height.


    The six-year-old boy seemed to take after Jiang Danhe. After the New Year, he was growing at an even faster rate. He had grown beyond her waist level. It was impossible for her to carry him like she did a few years ago.


    Zhuang Zhuang didn¡¯t keep Xiaoguo waiting for long. Within a short while, he ran in with a wide grin on his face. Although his face was flushed, it didn¡¯t affect his good looks at all.


    After coming to the capital, Zhuang Zhuang also got to know many other children from the families of high-ranking officials. However, like Xiaoyi, he didn¡¯t like to play with them. But on the other hand, those kids enjoyed playing with him. This could be due to his handsome little face, which had not developed to its full potential.


    There was no denying that Zhuang Zhuang was a good-looking boy. He had inherited many of Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo¡¯s best features, and anyone who met him couldn¡¯t help but comment on how good-looking he was.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhuang threw himself into Xiaoguo¡¯s arms, allowing her to wipe his sweat and take off his coat. He was enjoying himself very much. At the same time, he did not forget to touch his two younger brothers, who were reaching out to grab him from behind their mother.


    Suddenly, his big eyes darted around the room and he spotted Jiang Danhe, who looked a little forlorn. Within the next second, he called out to him with a smile, ¡°Father.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Jiang Danhe was about to cry. He had finally noticed his father.


    Xiaoguo chuckled to herself. How could she miss his intense resentment? She had indeed neglected him recently. It seemed that she had to find an opportunity to make it up to him.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s birthday was in June. Jiang Danhe brought the family back to Peach Blossom Village to celebrate her birthday.


    After coaxing the three children to sleep at night, Jiang Danhe entered the house and passed her a book in a secretive manner.


    When Xiaoguo opened it, she realized that it was a super thick stack of hand-drawn illustrations!


    ¡°What¡¯s this?!¡± Xiaoguo flipped through each drawing in disbelief. She looked up at the smiling Jiang Danhe, feeling extremely touched.


    ¡°A birthday gift for you.¡±


    Jiang Danhe kissed her forehead gently and said, ¡°Happy birthday, my dearest wife.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Xiaoguo wiped her tears and kissed him back.


    Looking at his darkening eyes, she quickly changed the topic and asked, ¡°When did you start preparing these drawings?¡±


    As she asked, she flipped through the stack. What greeted her eyes was the scene of her lying in the medical center after the diagnosis of her pregnancy. She wouldn¡¯t have known if she hadn¡¯t seen it. While looking at the page, she laughed so hard that her legs almost went into spasms.


    Did she look so stiff at that time?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you talk about wanting to capture a certain moment? Although I can¡¯t take a photo like you said, I can draw it for you.¡±


    Xiaoguo tried to recall, she remembered it was quite a while back when she was watching Zhuang Zhuang climb the trees. At that time, she thought that the setting sun was very beautiful and she mentioned something about capturing the moment to Jiang Danhe. She didn¡¯t expect him to remember her words and even take action!


    In the sketchbook, she could see bits and pieces of their past interactions. There were scenes of the men¡¯s and women¡¯s teams competing during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the few of them watching fireworks during the Spring Festival in the capital¡­ from her first trimester to the late stages of pregnancy, the day of the twins¡¯ delivery, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s birthday, the full moon banquet, her brother and Ruyi¡¯s wedding, the Spring Festival, the move to the capital, the way Zhuang Zhuang looked when he was in class, the way he looked when he was learning how to shoot an arrow, the moment when Big Fatty and Second Fatty rolled over, and when they started to crawl, and the moment when the twins grabbed Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s hair¡­


    The last piece of illustration still had wet patches of ink. It contains the scene when all their friends were gathered together to celebrate Xiaoguo¡¯s birthday. She was making a wish with her eyes closed.


    At the bottom, there were a few small words¡­¡±to be continued¡±..

 Chapter 472 - Chapter 472: Time Flies

    Chapter 472: Time Flies


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Jiang Danhe didn¡¯t interrupt Xiaoguo and waited until she finished looking through the drawings before he started speaking. ¡°Ever since you sent me the drawing of Zhuang Zhuang bowing to his teacher, I¡¯ve been learning to draw. What do you think? Do they look pretty accurate?¡±


    There was a very obvious hint of pride in his tone.


    Xiaoguo felt a little awkward when she heard him mention her hand-drawn ¡®masterpiece¡¯. Compared to Jiang Danhe¡¯s drawings, it would be a bit far-fetched to call her drawing a sketch.


    The other party looked like he was fishing for praise and it was making her feel quite uncomfortable. Xiaoguo raised her hand to ruffle his hair. ¡°Very impressive. I was wondering why you were behaving so secretively, always hiding in your room. So you were drawing these on the sly. I¡¯m so¡­ happy¡­¡± Xiaoguo had started noticing Jiang Danhe working on something secretly for some time now. Whenever she approached him, he would quickly hide the things in his hand. It was very strange.


    Now, she finally understood. She was so in love with his cute and diligent man!


    ¡°My dear husband, thank you. I love you!¡±


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart was racing like a horse, even though he had heard Xiaoguo¡¯s confession many times. In that instant, his eyes started tearing with emotions.


    ¡°I love you too! I love you the most!¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled. There was only one way to reward Jiang Danhe, and that was¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go sleep in that room!¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at him meaningfully.


    Jiang Danhe understood immediately. Feeling invigorated, he picked her up and ran straight to the other room, saying eagerly, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s sleep!!¡±


    After she saw Jiang Danhe¡¯s vivid drawings, Xiaoguo suddenly had a thought. She wanted to know what the two elders of the Qin family looked like.


    Jiang Danhe had definitely seen them before, but she wondered if he still remembered their faces.


    After hearing her request, Jiang Danhe started to think carefully. He had a vague impression of her parents. During that time when he had gone to pick up the bride, the two elders were teary-eyed and reminded him carefully and firmly to take good care of Xiaoguo.


    The more he thought about it, the more vivid the memory became.


    Xiaoguo quickly prepared the paper and pen for him, and Jiang Danhe began to sketch.


    The time he took to finish the drawing was neither short nor long, but the waiting time was agonizing for Xiaoguo. While he was drawing, she didn¡¯t dare to look, fearing that the portraits might turn out to be her parents, But at the same time, she was also hoping it to be otherwise. She was feeling very conflicted.


    If they were her parents, then she was absolutely the same Xiaoguo that was in this era. But then, she had missed out on the opportunity to be filial again¡­


    If they weren¡¯t¡­


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t have to wait for too long before Jiang Danhe placed two portraits that were yet to dry in front of her. As he did that, he told her softly, ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and looked towards the table. Two familiar faces appeared in front of her. Even the moles on the two elders¡¯ faces were identical!


    ¡°Dad! Mom!¡±


    The sadness that Xiaoguo had been hiding for a long time erupted at this moment. She stroked the two kind faces on the table. She couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.


    She missed them so much! Why did she miss the chance to fulfill her duties as a daughter again? Why did she have to miss them two times?


    Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart tightened. He quickly hugged her, thinking that she was missing the two elders.


    After watching her cry for a long time, Jiang Danhe was worried about her getting too worked up, so he comforted her and thought of bringing her to pay respects to her parents in two day¡¯s time.


    After venting her anger, Xiaoguo wiped her tears and withdrew herself from his arms. She carefully smoothed out the creases on the paper and placed the two portraits in the sketch collection that Jiang Danhe had given her.


    ¡°Father, Mother, I miss you so much¡­¡±


    Qin Anming and Ruyi¡¯s child was born three years after the two of them got married. They had a daughter, one that Jiang Danhe was hoping to conceive with Xiaoguo. Her nickname was baby, and her given name was Qin Manning. She was a lively and energetic ¡°tomboy¡±. Whenever she had the chance, she would chase after her three brothers and climb things with them. She was not inferior to the little boys at all.


    In the same year, Yu Ling, Shu Botong, Xiao Zhu, and Yang Jia held their wedding on the same day. As the two of them had no elders, Xiaoguo was the one who gave them away to the grooms.


    On that day, she cried so hard. She regarded them as her own kids, who had grown up and were leaving the nest.


    Of course, this scene was also carefully recorded by Jiang Danhe in his drawing collection.


    A year after they got married, Shu Botong and Yu Ling were the first couple to receive good news. They were blessed with a daughter, whose nickname was Zu¡¯er, and her given name was Shu Jing.


    Yang Jia and Xiao Zhu also had a baby girl the next year. Her nickname was Bobo, and her given name was Yang Jinyao.


    By then, Jiang Danhe had turned green with envy. But he still rejected Xiaoguo¡¯s request to have another child. The memory of the delivery scene and the smell of blood was something he didn¡¯t want her to go through again.


    Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi were now twelve-year-old boys. They spend their time playing and hanging around with two seven-year-old boys all day long.


    When they return to Yonghai County, they would also be followed by three little girls who did not behave like girls at all.


    It was even livelier when they returned to Peach Blossom Village. This large group of children was able to turn the village upside down, not to mention the two pairs of twins who were a lovely sight to behold.


    In the capital, the two handsome boys had attracted many young ladies from various influential families. Those girls had given up their airs as young noble ladies and were constantly trying to get close to the two boys. This was a major cause of distress for the boys.


    It wasn¡¯t that bad for Xiaoyi, since he mostly resided in the palace. Most people don¡¯t see him that frequently. As for Zhuang Zhuang, he was in a worse situation.


    Despite being only twelve years old, Zhuang Zhuang¡¯s demeanor and appearance was unrivaled in the capital city or even in the whole country.


    No matter where he was, there would always be young ladies trying to get close to him. However, this little person was just oblivious to their affections. Other than his mother, he could not allow another woman into his life.


    Every day, he would look for his mother after class.


    Big Fatty and Second Fatty were even cuter. They were even chubbier than Zhuang Zhuang when he was young. Fair and chubby as they were, they always won praises for their cute appearances wherever they went.


    Finding it hard to catch hold of Zhuang Zhuang, those girls shifted their attention onto the two little handsome boys. Since they were his younger brothers, the twins always came back with a bunch of scented handkerchiefs and snacks after taking a short walk around the neighborhood.


    Xiaoguo thought that it was strange. After asking the twins, they told her in unison, ¡°The handkerchieves are for Big Brother. The snacks are for us to keep.¡±


    Based on the old saying, ¡°A daughter in the house would attract a hundred suitors.¡± However, at the general¡¯s residence, it was the opposite. The Jiang family had one son, and a hundred women knocking on their door.


    Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, many years had passed.


    As the children grew up one by one and became independent, the adults had aged unknowingly.


    Of course, we are talking about age in that era. Fast forward to hundreds of decades later, forty years old is still considered young.


    Jiang Danhe had trained an astonishing number of combat secret soldiers. Even until their deaths, they would never betray the Shao Nation. They had pledged their lives to protect their emperor!


    Shao Zhan kept his promise and let Jiang Danhe leave the palace. Five years ago, he was conferred the title of a noble. Later on, it was inherited by Zhuang Zhuang, oh no¡­.or rather, Jiang Qingwen, who had made major contributions to the nation at a young age.


    Shao Yi also grew up very quickly. Aware of the burden on his shoulders, he learned to become more calm and restrained in his demeanor. When he was 17 years old, he received Shao Zhan¡¯s approval and inherited the throne, becoming a famous and illustrious emperor in history, known as Emperor Yi. Zhuang Zhuang had chosen the same path as his father. He vowed to protect the country with his life and fought for the stability of the country¡¯s future. Accumulating one merit after another, he rose steadily in rank and status. From Jiang Danhe¡¯s son to Jiang Qingwen, he remained the sole person that Xiaoyi trusted the most.


    Big Fatty, Jiang Xishuo became a scholar under the guidance of Teacher Kong. Later on, he entered the imperial court and launched a national literacy campaign, contributing his efforts to the prosperity of the future generations of the Shao nation.


    Second Fatty Jiang Xingze was not interested in literature or martial arts. From a young age, he enjoyed hanging out with Su Changsheng. Despite Jiang Danhe¡¯s attempts to scare him, he continued to do things his own way. As he grew older, he became a business prodigy, even more obsessed with money than Su Changsheng. Eventually, he ousted Su Changsheng to become the wealthiest man in Shao nation, with plans of expanding his business to other countries.


    With their contributions, the Shao Nation became a prosperous and thriving country, achieving the goal of providing its people with a secure and happy life. It became the leading state on the mainland, surpassing others in terms of military strength, culture, and economy. Its achievements were far beyond the reach of other countries..

 Chapter 473 - Chapter 473: Ending

    Chapter 473: Ending


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Now that the children had grown up with a promising future ahead of them, it was time for the adults to go on the trip that they had agreed to take.


    When they set off on their trip, it was later than expected. The plans had been delayed by a few years.


    Jiang Danhe was bringing out the carriage¡ªhe was going to fulfill his promise of taking Xiaoguo on a tour around the entire country.


    Xiaoguo looked tenderly at the busy Jiang Danhe, her heart was melting at the sight of him. This mature man still looked so charming and handsome that her heart still fluttered for him.


    Jiang Danhe sensed her gaze and turned to smile at her. Similarly, Xiaoguo was still very beautiful. Time had not left a mark on her face. In fact, she was even more beautiful than before.


    The couple are so affectionate towards each other that there is no room for their three children to come in between them.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    The three sons called out to Xiaoguo in unison. Although they were not young anymore, they still loved to act cute in front of her.


    Xiaoguo looked at the three of them lovingly. Just looking at one of them was impactful enough. And when they appeared together, it was really something else.


    Tell me, how did she give birth to such good-looking children? All of them had attractive faces, sparkling eyes, perfect noses, and lips like rouge. They were tall, suave and charming, making it hard for anyone to measure up.


    No wonder so many ladies kept pestering the three of them.


    The three boys, each of them nearly 1.8 meters tall, were now teary-eyed, looking at her with such tenderness that it was making her heart ache.


    ¡°Quick, Zhuang Zhuang, Big Fatty and Second Fatty, come over and give Mother a hug!¡±


    After so many years, Xiaoguo still liked to call them by their nicknames. No one else would dare to call them that. This was a privilege that was reserved for family members only.


    As soon as Xiaoguo opened her arms, the three brothers eagerly surrounded her. If not for the fact that they were outside the house, they would have started whining to seek comfort from their mother.


    Zhuang Zhuang was the oldest and the most clingy towards Xiaoguo. She thought that he would grow out of it, but now, he was still a ¡®mummy¡¯s boy¡¯. The twins were just a teeny bit better than him.


    They had never been separated from their parents for an extended period of time, therefore, they were very reluctant to see them go. However, they also knew that this was their mother¡¯s wish. They loved their mother so much, so they naturally couldn¡¯t bear to see her sad. It was unfortunate that they couldn¡¯t get away at this moment, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have let their parents go on a trip by themselves. They would have tagged along with them no matter what.


    Xiaoguo rubbed their shoulders, which were too wide for her arms to wrap around them completely. She was feeling comforted and a little sad at the same time.


    They had agreed to go on this trip together as a family, but who would have thought that the kids would grow up so quickly and become adults in the blink of an eye?


    She still remembered the first time she saw Zhuang Zhuang. The little guy was dark and skinny. Now, she had to tiptoe in order to pat his head. And the twins. Back then, they were round as a ball. Now, they have grown to become as lean as their brother.


    Over the years, she had put in a lot of effort to educate and train her three children. But this was truly unexpected. When the three brothers were out on their own, every one of them was independent and capable. However, in her presence, they immediately became clingy kids who were constantly competing for her attention.


    She was happy and worried at the same time. The three boys were hanging around her every day. She wondered if she had the chance to see the third generation in her lifetime. She was hoping to meet with her daughters-in-law when she returned from her trip with Jiang Danhe. And hopefully even a grandchild or two.


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Jiang Danhe had long lost his patience. After putting away the bags, he knocked on the three brothers¡¯ heads. They were still not done hugging his wife!


    Looking at their father, who was still as strong as a mountain, their eyes were filled with admiration and reliance. No matter how capable the boys were, when they saw their parents, they still behaved like babies, constantly craving their parents¡¯ love.


    As Jiang Danhe grew older, his gaze had become more intense and matured. He looked at his three sons with pride. ¡°Do your job well, be honest and reliable, and protect yourselves. Don¡¯t put yourselves in danger, and don¡¯t let us worry¡­¡±


    Unknowingly, he had been rambling on for quite a while. Eventually, realization hit him and he smiled sheepishly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop nagging. I believe you know what to do. It¡¯s not like your mother and I are leaving for good. We¡¯ll be back when you start missing us.¡±


    Then, he lowered his head gently and said to Xiaoguo, ¡°It¡¯s time for us to set off.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded reluctantly and turned to look at her three sons. They couldn¡¯t bear to part with her, and it was just as hard for her to say goodbye to them.


    Unknowingly, they have grown up, and more than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s Li Shouji?¡±


    Xiaoguo looked at the entrance of the mansion but there was no sign of the man.


    Jiang Danhe shook his head. He didn¡¯t know his whereabouts.


    That¡¯s right. Li Shouji was still a swinging bachelor and was still living with them.


    Just before setting off, two ordinary carriages appeared and blocked the path in front of them.


    Xiaoyi stepped out of the carriage first, and Jiang Danhe sighed helplessly when he saw who it was. It seemed like they couldn¡¯t avoid them no matter what!


    Xiaoyi ran straight towards Xiaoguo. After so many years, his affection for her remained the same.


    It was the same for Xiaoguo. She patted his head like she always did. Although Xiaoyi had become the emperor, he still comes over for dinner every other day, just like before.


    ¡°This is not fair. You guys are going on a trip without me.¡±


    After stepping off the throne, Shao Zhan had completely let himself go, frequently visiting their place to eat or sleep over. He was no longer the steady and serious person he used to be. If anyone were to nag at him, he would say in response,¡±After being repressed for so long, can¡¯t I relax a bit now?¡±


    ¡°You want to go with us too?!¡±


    Jiang Danhe seemed rather calm. Xiaoguo, on the other hand, was shocked. ¡°How could an emeritus like him be coming out so often? Shouldn¡¯t he be stayingin the palace? And now he even wants to escape from the capital?!!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together. At least you will have some company.¡±


    As Shao Zhan spoke, he placed his bag in their carriage. As they had sneaked out of the palace, the two most revered people in the world did not bring any guards with them. However, it was unknown if there were any hidden guards around.


    Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo were not quite happy with the additional headcount. They would never feel bored in each other¡¯s company!


    However, the situation was quickly disrupted.


    Xiaoguo looked helplessly at Li Shouji who had seated himself in the carriage and asked, ¡°Are you coming too?!¡±


    Of course!


    II


    Li Shouji replied with a smile. Although he was still single, he had adopted a son who had taken over his position. He had appeared so late because he was wrapping things up at work earlier.


    ¡°How can I miss out on such fun!¡± Li Shouji started urging her. ¡°Sister-in-law, let¡¯s go.¡±


    No matter how unwilling they were, Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe accepted their fate. They will just let them be. This wouldn¡¯t disrupt their private time anyway.


    Just as the carriage was about to drive off, Su Changsheng appeared and insisted on joining them. Like Li Shouji, he was an old bachelor who had never married. Somehow he had found out about them going on a trip, and he rushed over to join them. Being so well-traveled and knowledgeable, he would make a good traveling companion. Therefore, everyone tacitly agreed to let him go with them.


    Only Jiang Danhe was unhappy. This was completely different from what he had imagined¡­


    Just like that, the five of them waved goodbye to the reluctant children and set off in a two-horse carriage.


    They first made a detour to Yonghai County and Peach Blossom Village to check on their friends and family.


    A long time ago, Xiaoguo had given the shop to Shu Botong and Yu Ling. However, the two of them insisted on retaining the shop name, so it is still called ¡°Xiaoguo¡¯s shop¡±. Now, it has become an established name in the eyes of the villagers¡ªa shop that everyone would enter when passing by.


    Under their care, the number of cows had increased by almost tenfold. Seeing this, Jiang Danhe bought off some land in a mountainous area and set up a farm there.


    Ruyi and Qin Anming had opened a chain of noodle shops with their daughter. Over the years, the business flourished and brought in a lot of money for them.


    Ling Long and Fu¡¯er found their better halves one after another and eventually got married. Xiaocui also found a good husband. Uncle Xu has grown old, but he still has sharp hearing and vision. His fingers on the abacus were still quick and agile. The calculations for the bills were always precise¡ªnever a penny more, and never a penny less.


    Mrs Yang¡¯s family was living a good life. Brother Yang had become the village chief, and Xiaohua was happily married. Xiaohu had also gotten himself a beautiful wife and was living a blissful life. Mrs Yang had become a grandmother for some time now.


    The twins lived up to their names. They had left the family at a young age to embark on the path of learning. One of them studied medicine and the other studied literature. Now, they were both respected professionals in their respective fields.


    Yang Jia and his wife, Xiao Zhu, were now managing the ranch, living there with their children. With their effective management, the animals under their care grew and flourished. In their spare time, they opened up the ranch, turning it into an attraction. That brought in a steady stream of visitors to come for sightseeing and leisure.


    When they went to Yonghai County, there were five people in one carriage.


    When they left, there were three carriages and seven people. Ruyi and Qin Anming had also joined them.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. They had money and time on their hands. Their children had all grown up, and they had no third generation to take care of, so they could relax and enjoy life.


    Just like that, the group set off in the most beautiful spring season.


    In the next few years, the commoners of the entire Shao Nation came to know of a group of middle-aged people who, instead of taking care of their grandchildren at home, were traveling across the country in the simplest of clothes, eating their way through the nation and enjoying all it had to offer. They were spreading their laughter and joy throughout the land.


    Their actions became a cause for discussion and envy.

 Chapter 474 - Chapter 474: Side Story 1

    Chapter 474: Side Story 1


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    The first rays of the morning sun shone on the barren and dry land.


    In the dark room, a thin and frail-looking figure was trying hard to stand up. She raised her withered hands and covered the skinny boy, who was fast asleep, with a tattered blanket.


    She tiptoed out the door and walked to the kitchen.


    Looking at the few grains of rice in the rice jar, Xiaoguo was in a dilemma. After spending all the money she had left on her mother-in-law¡¯s funeral, she was now truly at her wits¡¯ end.


    She divided the rice into three portions and placed one portion into the pot. Although it was a small amount, it was enough for a meal.


    Sitting on the stool, Xiaoguo lit the fire and looked at the raging flames. Her heart was filled with sorrow.


    Her eyes glanced towards the only brick by the stove that was a different color. She hesitated for a moment, but eventually, she withdrew her hand.


    That was the last tael of silver in the house. She couldn¡¯t touch it. That was her savings for Zhuang Zhuang. She didn¡¯t know how long she could last. It would be best if she could survive the famine. If not¡­


    Xiaoguo wiped her tears. What should she do with Zhuang Zhuang¡­?


    Xiaoguo felt a sudden pain in her head. She propped herself up on the stove to stop herself from falling.


    Lately, this has been happening quite frequently. Coupled with the nightmares that had been plaguing her at night, it was making her headache worse.


    In her dreams, she lived with her parents in a strange place. It was completely different from this place. They were dressed differently, the skyscrapers were brightly lit at night, the women had colorful hair, the men all had short hair, and there were vehicles with four wheels¡­


    It was a strange and bizarre world that was dazzling and bewildering.


    There were only her parents and her in her dreams, but there was no brother.


    The family of three led a blissful life and she grew up peacefully.


    However, things changed quite abruptly. After a sudden and eerie storm, some strange people appeared on the streets and began to attack and bite anyone they saw. Before long, the entire street was covered in blood, and the continuous sound of miserable screams sent chills down the spines of those who heard them.


    Some of the strange people had half their heads missing. Some had no arms or legs, and had their intestines hanging out from their abdomen. In short, they looked really strange. It didn¡¯t take long for those who had been bitten by them to turn into creatures like them. It was as if they had lost their minds. Later on, they learned that these creatures were called zombies.


    Fortunately, somebody dressed in green saved her and brought her to a place where everyone was dressed in green.


    As for her parents, they were bitten to death by zombies. In her dreams, she lived a mechanical and lifeless existence like the zombies, with no will to live. She even looked forward to death every day.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo smiled to herself. In her dream, she was no different from her current self. Both of them were living a life worse than death. However, she was in a better state than in her dream. At least with Zhuang Zhuang by her side, she was motivated to stay alive for his sake.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    After Zhuang Zhuang woke up, he came out to look for his mother. He knew that his mother would be cooking in the kitchen at this time.


    Xiaoguo retracted her thoughts and smiled at the little boy. ¡°Zhuang Zhuang has woken up¡­¡±


    ? ?


    Life still didn¡¯t get better. The nightmares came every night as expected. She knew everything about what Xiaoguo had done in that world. As time passed, they didn¡¯t feel like dreams anymore.


    In order to verify her thoughts, Xiaoguo went to visit the prophet in the village. At this moment, the prophet was lying in bed calmly waiting for her death.


    When she saw Xiaoguo arrive, she didn¡¯t seem surprised. Instead, she knew the purpose of her visit.


    On the way home, Xiaoguo kept thinking about the last words the prophet had said to her. ¡°There is a predetermined fate in this life and in the afterlife¡­¡±


    In this life? In the afterlife?


    Ever since this thought was planted in her mind, she was no longer afraid of dreaming. In fact, she looked forward to her dreams every day.


    In her dreams, she could cook very well. She was very capable and knowledgeable. She could do many things that she never knew she could do.


    Looking at herself who was losing her vitality day by day in her dream, she really wanted to encourage her to live on!


    The disaster gradually improved as the heavens blessed them with ten days of heavy rain, and the rivers started to flow again. Tender grass sprouted from the earth, and trees started to bud.


    Just when she thought she could survive the disaster, she suddenly felt dizzy and fell to the ground before she had the chance to feel joy. Before closing her eyes, she saw Zhuang Zhuang crying helplessly.


    She only had one thought. ¡°ZhuangZhuang¡­ ZhuangZhuang¡­ Xiaoguo from the other world, come and save our son!!!¡±


    Unable to bear the endless cries in her ears, Xiaoguo opened her tired eyes and slowly looked at the child who was hugging her. The moment she got a good look at him, she woke up in shock.¡± Where did this little black monkey come from?!¡±


    The boy looked very sad and miserable. He pouted and cried out to her, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo opened her eyes again. She couldn¡¯t tell what year it was. She looked at the vaguely familiar-looking room and blinked. This room seemed quite modern. Had Second Fatty renovated her room again?


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead?¡±


    As soon as she heard the voice, she was so frightened that she immediately covered her mouth. ¡°Who¡­ who is speaking?!¡±


    She was the only one in the room. So this voice was most likely coming from her?


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­ Hey¡­ Haha¡­¡±


    After making a few sounds, she realized that it was indeed her voice. It was so shocking that she almost started screaming.


    ¡°Guoguo¡­ Guoguo¡­ It¡¯s time to get up and have breakfast. You have to report to the university later. It¡¯s already past eight o¡¯clock. Didn¡¯t you say that you were going early? If you delay any longer, it¡¯s going to be night time.¡±


    Xiaoguo covered her mouth and looked at the closed door in shock. She would never forget this voice!


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mrs. Qin had just left the room when she walked back again. She listened to the commotion inside with a strange expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this girl today?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Xiaoguo wiped her tears and pretended to be calm. ¡°I¡¯ll be up soon.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up¡­¡±


    With that, Mrs. Qin went to the kitchen.


    Xiaoguo pinched herself. ¡°It hurts.¡± She pinched herself again. ¡°It still hurts¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this inception?¡¯


    Since her mother was outside the door just now, this room must be her bedroom. There were even posters of her favorite idols on the wall. The date displayed on her phone was¡­ the first day of college¡­


    She looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was fair, with collagen-filled skin. She still had a well-proportioned youthful figure, agile limbs, 20/20 vision in both eyes, healthy and complete set of teeth, a straight back, and the appearance of an 18-year-old. However, she remembered clearly that she just turned 70 years old¡­


    Has she been reborn? Or has she returned to the modern world with her memories?


    In that life, she died without illness or calamity. She breathed her last peacefully in Jiang Danhe¡¯s arms.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo felt a little suffocated. She pounded on her chest a few times before she felt a little better.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo heard her mother calling out to her from behind the door again. Xiaoguo quickly responded. Before she could think about anything else, she quickly washed up and brushed her teeth. Her mother¡¯s nagging skills were much better than hers¡ªif she were to delay until her mother¡¯s third reminder, what she had to face wouldn¡¯t be a verbal warning anymore. Her mother might resort to physical force.


    She didn¡¯t dare to go out now in her current state, afraid that her parents would see through her. One had to know that her parents were as observant as robots, not even a single hair out of place could escape their keen eyes.


    Although it had been quite a while since she came into contact with modern civilization, she still knew how to use these advanced products.


    She washed up, put on her clothes, and took her bag. Her luggage was outside. Her father must have taken it to the trunk.


    Coming out of the bedroom, Xiaoguo greedily looked at every renovated floor tile in the house before she headed swiftly to the kitchen. Looking at the familiar and gentle figure, she couldn¡¯t help but hug her mother tightly.


    Mrs. Qin exclaimed in surprise. When she saw who it was, she transferred the spoon to her other hand and gave Xiaoguo a smack on her butt. ¡°Why are you still so lazy on the first day of school?¡±


    It was clearly a punishment for her lazing around in bed.


    Xiaoguo blushed and took a step back awkwardly, but she did not let go of her mother.


    To be honest, just moments ago, she was still a seventy-year-old woman. It felt so strange just thinking about it. Moreover, she was used to patting her sons¡¯ butts. She felt a little embarrassed when she unexpectedly got spanked by her mother.


    At this moment, Mr. Qin came in from outside. He smiled dotingly and said, ¡°How old are you? To think that you¡¯re still acting cute in front of your mother. Don¡¯t you find it embarrassing?¡±


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t turn around.. Her eyes had turned red in that instant so she didn¡¯t dare to lookback¡­

 Chapter 475 - Chapter 475: Side Story 2

    Chapter 475: Side Story 2


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    When Mrs. Qin heard her husband¡¯s voice, she smiled and said, ¡°I had to wake her twice before she got out of bed.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Mr. Qin clearly didn¡¯t believe her. He knew his girl¡¯s personality very well. She didn¡¯t look like someone who would laze around in bed.


    ¡°Girl, are you feeling unwell?¡± Mr. Qin quickly stepped forward and touched her forehead worriedly, before feeling his own forehead. ¡°There¡¯s no fever. Did you catch a cold? Does your throat feel uncomfortable? Do you feel like sneezing? Maybe you should start school tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Go, go, go!¡± Mrs. Qin patted his big belly. ¡°What do you mean by starting school tomorrow? I think you just don¡¯t want Guoguo to report to school!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Mr. Qin touched his stomach and said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about her. Besides, there are so many good universities in our city. Why does she have to go to Lin City? That place is not as prosperous as ours. We¡¯re a first tier city. Why should she go to a second tier one?¡±


    Mrs. Qin threw away her spoon and turned around to look at him in disbelief. She couldn¡¯t stand this aspect of him. Why did he insist on keeping his daughter by his side? How could she ever have any achievements if things continued like this?


    ¡°Your daughter chose the college herself. As her parents, we should give her our full support. We shouldn¡¯t be her stumbling block..¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I think Guoguo is still young. She should stay by our side at this age. When she grows up¡­¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were getting worked up, Xiaoguo quickly wiped her tears and stopped them. ¡°Although Lin City is a second-tier city, their university has excellent teaching resources. Excluding those who had chosen to study abroad, most of the top scorers in the college entrance examinations had chosen to enroll in my school.¡±


    The college that she had enrolled in was one of the top ranking colleges in the country, and also had a good reputation on the international level. Her father was not dissatisfied with the school, he just didn¡¯t want her to leave home.


    When Mr. Qin heard her mention her peers who had gone abroad, he quickly shut his mouth. Compared to her going overseas, it was better to keep his daughter by his side. He should stop talking about it. Otherwise, if he forced her into a corner and she decided to go overseas, he would have nowhere to cry.


    ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s eat¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo sniffed and tried to smooth things over with a smile.


    Mrs. Qin let out an angry snort. Knowing that he was in the wrong, Mr. Qin helped to serve the food and set the table. Even while serving the rice, he hurriedly served his wife first.


    Xiaoguo was still in a daze as she sat in the car and set off for Lin City.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    After calling out to the two of them, Xiaoguo returned to her trance-like state.


    Mr. and Mrs. Qin glanced at her in the rearview mirror and exchanged glances. Even with years of mutual understanding between them, they couldn¡¯t figure out what was going through their daughter¡¯s head. ¡°What was going on today? She was behaving so strangely.¡±


    She called out to them again several times without saying anything else. It was only when they got off the expressway near the city that Xiaoguo had a complete grasp of the situation.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, I will go back once a week.¡±


    ¡°What?!!¡±


    Mr. Qin¡¯s hand trembled as he drove. He was happy to hear that, but it sounded so strange¡­


    Mrs. Qin was more direct. She immediately turned around and looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it was too troublesome to travel back and forth?¡±


    Not that they hadn¡¯t mentioned it to her before, but this girl had told them that if she had the time to travel back and forth, she might as well participate in more extra-curricular activities to broaden her horizons.


    The corners of Xiaoguo¡¯s mouth twitched. Did she say that before? It was a memory from decades ago. She had no recollection of it.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s more important to spend time with you.¡±


    The two cities were close to each other. She could reach home in two hours by car. She didn¡¯t want to waste such precious time on extracurricular activities.


    Most importantly, no matter how good life was now, it could not stop the apocalypse that was going to take place four years later.


    Since she had the chance to come back with her memories intact, she was not going to let the tragedy of that lifetime repeat itself.


    That was a natural disaster. She had no power to stop it. The only thing she could do was to protect herself and her parents, and do what she could within her capabilities.


    If not for the fact that she was trying to avoid suspicion, she wouldn¡¯t even want to attend school. She would have stayed at home with her parents, and started preparing for the apocalypse. There was no point in going to school.


    Xiaoguo, who was deep in thought, didn¡¯t notice her parents¡¯ expressions. When she returned to her senses, she saw the two of them secretly wiping their tears. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Mom, Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Guoguo¡­ Guoguo has grown up¡­¡±


    ¡°Daddy and Mommy are crying tears of joy¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart tightened and tears streamed down her face. ¡°Dad, Mom¡­¡±


    She merely mentioned that she wanted to spend time with them, and they reacted so strongly to her words. She felt like she had failed in her duties as a daughter¡­


    ¡°Okay, okay, stop crying. We¡¯re almost at the school gate. It would be embarrassing if anyone sees us.¡±


    Mr. Qin wiped his tears and heaved a sigh of relief. He was so happy today. He had to do something, maybe give her a reward!


    Mrs. Qin and Xiaoguo had just stopped crying when they were shocked by his sudden change in attitude.


    ¡°Honey, what are you doing?¡±


    Seeing that the school gate was getting further and further away, the mother and daughter looked at Mr. Qin strangely, not understanding what he was trying to do.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Guoguo say that she is coming home every week? It¡¯s inconvenient to travel back and forth by public transport. It¡¯s too slow. I¡¯ll buy her a car. It¡¯s easier if she drives herself!¡±


    Mr. Qin turned on the GPS happily and entered the address of the nearest car dealer.


    Xiaoguo was shocked by his actions. ¡°No way?!¡±


    ¡°Are they going to buy a car just like that?!¡± If she remembered correctly, she had mentioned this to them not long ago after she got her driver¡¯s license. However, the two elders thought that she was still young and it was too dangerous for her to drive, so they promised to give her a car after graduation. ¡± Why have they suddenly decided to buy a car now?!¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡± Mrs. Qin looked like she approved of her husband¡¯s idea. In this summer season, she didn¡¯t want her daughter to squeeze with strangers on a public bus. It would be too tiring for her. She turned to her husband and said, ¡°Buy a good make. It¡¯s safer. It¡¯s best if the car can last beyond her college years.¡±


    ¡°What do they mean?!¡± Xiaoguo turned to look at her mother in disbelief. ¡°Are they being serious?!¡±


    Mr. Qin nodded in agreement. ¡°The interior must be comfortable, and it must come with all the safety features.¡±


    It had to be good enough for his dearest daughter.


    Xiaoguo was so shocked by their conversation that she collapsed in the backseat. Driving?! Please, she hadn¡¯t touched a car door in decades. She couldn¡¯t even find the seat belt buckle just now!


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it has to look good too. The best color is pink or white. These colors look more stylish¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Appearance is secondary. The most important thing is the interior. It has to look good and feel comfortable. And the brakes¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you guys listening to me?!¡±


    Xiaoguo kept talking for a long time, but no one was paying attention to her. The two of them finalized the type of car they wanted to buy without giving her a chance to say anything.


    When they arrived at their destination, they went straight to the car model that they had set their eyes on. They forced Xiaoguo to go in and get a feel of the car. Fortunately, they did not make her go for a test drive.


    Anyway, in the end, they still bought a car, but not the one they had decided on. Instead, they listened to Xiaoguo¡¯s request and bought an SUV that was in the same price range.


    Mr. Qin¡¯s heart didn¡¯t ache at all when he swiped his card. He had bought a car that cost a few hundred thousand just like that. Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was aching for him. With that much money, she could have bought a lot of food supplies with it!


    The Qin family runs a five-star hotel, and Xiaoguo¡¯s father was a master chef who runs state banquets. To them, a few hundred thousand is not a big deal, and they don¡¯t feel any pain spending that kind of money.


    However, in the end, Qin¡¯s mother insisted on going to the Z,S store to put a pink car wrap on this SUV.


    Just like that, three days later, at the entrance of the school, a flashy pink off-road vehicle was kindly delivered to Xiaoguo by an employee from the Z,S shop.


    A cool woman with a good figure was dressed conservatively and all wrapped up from head to toe. At the same time, she was the owner of a flashy looking SUV. Such an eye-catching image instantly caused a stir on the school¡¯s online platform. Everyone was guessing the identity of the girl and was dying to see if her face was a match or contrast to her attractive figure..

 Chapter 476 - Chapter 476: Side Story 3

    Chapter 476: Side Story 3


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Xiaoguo had no idea about any of this. In her previous life, she was considered a loner in school. In this life, she was cold and antisocial.


    She was oblivious to the people and the things that were going on around her. In this life, she didn¡¯t keep any friends by her side, there was nobody at all.


    However, there were always exceptions.


    Recently, a girl had been calling her and inviting her to join their archaeology major.


    The first time she picked up the phone, she asked the other party how she got her number. She was told that she got it from a teacher at the student affairs office. Xiaoguo then hung up and blocked the girl¡¯s number.


    However, to her surprise, the other party was quite persistent. Basically, she called her five to six times a day. When she didn¡¯t pick up, the other party would change her number and continue calling. When she finally picked up, she kept persuading her to join the archeology major.


    However, to Xiaoguo¡¯s relief, although the girl was quite persistent, she wasn¡¯t completely insensitive. At least she didn¡¯t look for her at her dormitory.


    One day, there was a sudden knock on her dormitory door.


    There were four people living in one dormitory. The other three residents had gone to class, so Xiaoguo was the only person in the room.


    After putting down the laptop, Xiaoguo got out of bed and opened the door.


    The girl outside the door was nervously catching her breath. She wasn¡¯t expecting the door to open so quickly. She looked at Xiaoguo with a slightly open mouth and a dazed expression.


    Xiaoguo stood rooted to the ground. She was too familiar with this face. It had been decades since she had seen this face that looked so young and plump with collagen.


    ¡°Hello, Qin Xiaoguo.¡±


    The girl outside the door saw Xiaoguo looking at her and not saying anything. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little afraid. She heard that she wasn¡¯t easy to get along with. It seemed that the rumors were true¡­


    Xiaoguo retracted her thoughts. Hearing the other party call her name, she almost burst out laughing.


    However, considering that they didn¡¯t know each other yet, she could only pretend not to know her. She frowned and looked at her. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°Hello, my name is Xu Ruyi.¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes turned red when she heard her say those words. She had not changed her name. ¡°Thats really nice¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo turned away and entered the room first, afraid that the girl might notice something amiss.


    Ruyi was shocked to see her walk away suddenly. However, when she thought of the purpose of her visit, she took a gulp and entered the room tentatively.


    ¡°I am from the archaeology department, the one who called you a few days ago¡­¡±


    Towards the end of the sentence, she felt a little guilty. After all, it felt strange to admit that she was harassing her.


    Xiaoguo did not turn around. Since she had just bumped into Ruyi, did that mean that she would find her other friends and him?


    Ruyi looked at her unmoving back. The more she spoke, the less confident she felt. There was a difference between speaking face-to-face and over the phone-


    just as she was about to give up, Xiaoguo spoke.


    ¡°Why did you come to me?¡±


    Ruyi was stunned. Then, she scratched her head shyly and said, ¡°I am not sure either. I just like you. Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not gay. I just feel an affinity between us, so I came to look for you,¡±


    The flustered Ruyi hurriedly explained to her. Seeing that the other party didn¡¯t look annoyed, she continued, ¡°I¡¯m the only girl in the department. When I saw your photo with the SUV on the school website, I thought of getting to know you as a friend. Plus, I don¡¯t think you enjoy your major at all because you hardly attend class. So I took the liberty of coming to find you. Actually, archaeology is really fun. Don¡¯t you want to see how people lived thousands of years ago? What were the types of transportation they used, what they ate, what they wore? What they did every day¡­¡±


    As Ruyi talked about her favorite major, she was extremely proud and couldn¡¯t stop talking about it.


    When Xiaoguo heard her words, she felt like teasing her and telling her that they had both come from that place she just mentioned. But she eventually gave up on that idea.


    She wasn¡¯t planning to attend any classes in the first place, so she never showed up for any of the lectures that were related to her major. In any case, she had no need for all this knowledge in the future. Instead, she spent more time at the Taekwondo Club and the Martial Arts Club than on her academic classes. As for Archaeology, she could consider joining the major just for the sake of Ruyi.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m in. I¡¯ll request for a transfer tomorrow.¡±


    Ruyi was so happy that she almost jumped up. She looked at her with sparkling eyes and asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Xiaoguo smiled and nodded. Seeing this, the other party dragged her out of the room and told her as they walked along, ¡°Why wait till tomorrow? Let¡¯s go now!¡±


    Just like that, Xiaoguo became an archeology major. She also shifted to stay in the same dormitory as Ruyi. They were the only ones living in the dormitory, so it was quite peaceful.


    Archaeology was really a charming profession. Even though she had not started formal classes yet, she was already attracted by what the professional lecturers had to say.


    After five days of orientation in college, Xiaoguo was ready to go home over the weekend. Ruyi was residing in Lin city. When she saw that Xiaoguo was going home, she also went home since she had nothing else to do.


    In the following week, Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t have time to go home because she had to attend military training. It would last for 14 days and she wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the camp in the middle of training.


    At this moment she was driving her pink SUV on the highway, headed for home. She had kept herself busy over the past week. In order to prepare for the apocalypse in a few years, she had spent her time studying taekwondo, martial arts, and judo. Whenever there were any martial arts-related activities in school, she would sign herself up for it. At the same time, she was totally neglecting her academic studies.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. When the apocalypse comes, martial arts would be her most useful skill. Her self-healing superpower was largely useless. Picking up martial arts for fitness and self-defense was definitely a good idea.


    Back then, she had chosen an SUV as part of her future plan. A normal sedan was too small and flimsy. A large off-road vehicle was much more powerful and would be useful for running over zombies.


    Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin knew that Xiaoguo would be back, so they chose not to work over the weekend. Instead, they stayed at home to welcome their precious child.


    When Xiaoguo met them, she gave each of them a hug, and after finishing the lovingly-prepared lunch, she dragged her parents to catch up on some gory zombie movies.


    If they got used to seeing zombies now, it would not be too shocking if they see a real one in the future.


    As expected, Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin almost vomited out the undigested food in their stomachs.


    Watching the elderly couple rush off to vomit, Xiaoguo put down the potato chips in her hand and glanced at the TV screen where zombies were biting people. She shrugged and decided that in the future, she would watch these movies with her parents after meals when the food has been digested.


    Just like that, for the next two days, they watched a total of six zombie movies. Xiaoguo silently ticked off the first five boxes on her schedule. The past few movies were all entry level ones. There were still two full pages of movies waiting for the two elders.


    It was all thanks to those foreign filmmakers who were so passionate about making zombie-themed movies, that she had so much material to sort out. Although some of the movies were not realistic enough, they were all pretty much the same. It didn¡¯t matter as long as they were gory enough.


    On Sunday afternoon, Xiaoguo picked up her school bag and waved her cell phone at the two elders who were sending her off. ¡°Dad, Mom, let¡¯s get online and watch a movie together tonight.¡±


    The elderly couple¡¯s faces stiffened, but the neighbors who didn¡¯t know better exclaimed enviously, ¡°Mr. Qin, your daughter is so considerate. Unlike our rebellious kids who don¡¯t come straight home after school. You guys even enjoy family bonding activities like watching movies together. We are so jealous!¡±


    Mr. and Mrs. Qin nodded stiffly and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. She¡¯s obedient and sensible. Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°You can watch the movies if you want. And whoever wants this strange daughter can take her away.¡±


    Xiaoguo snickered and waved goodbye to the two elders before driving off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. Its all for your own good.¡±


    Seeing that the pink car was getting further and further away, the two elders almost cried in relief. ¡°That girl is finally gone¡­¡±


    ¡°Ding-Dong¡­¡±


    Mrs. Qin received a WeChat notification on her phone. Upon opening the app, she saw that it was a voice message sent by Xiaoguo.


    Under Mr. Qin¡¯s encouragement, Mrs. Qin opened the voice message. The voice that usually sounded sweet was now scarier than a demon.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, don¡¯t forget. 8:30 pm tonight¡­. I love you guys¡­¡±


    The two elders of the Qin family almost embraced each other in tears. Zombies were too torturous and disgusting. They didn¡¯t want this daughter anymore!


    Xiaoguo smiled and put down her phone, turning her attention back onto the road.


    She didn¡¯t want to do this, but real zombies were even scarier than those in the movies. Mrs. Qin looked brave, but she was actually the least courageous in the family. During the apocalypse, there were many people who died from fright.


    And Mr. Qin too. His stomach was so big and he seemed to have gained weight recently. It was time to arrange for him to lose some weight..

 Chapter 477 - Chapter 477: Side Story 4

    Chapter 477: Side Story 4


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Xiaoguo especially cherished the days of military training. The instructors were selected from the special forces, so their skills were top-notch. She had to take this opportunity to pick up more moves that could subdue the enemy in one strike, especially those ultimate moves that directly attack the head.


    At this moment, she was sitting among a group of boys. Ruyi was the only girl beside her.


    The two girls became the only two flowers in the archeology department.


    The archeology department was just as Ruyi had said. If Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t here, Ruyi would be the only flower among the guys.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, look!¡±


    Ruyi¡¯s exclamation interrupted her train of thoughts. She instinctively looked in her direction and saw Ruyi looking infatuatedly at the instructor from another class.


    ¡°Such firm muscles¡­¡± Ruyi was drooling from a distance, her eyes narrowed and stared lustfully at the instructor¡¯s tanned skin, examining every inch of it carefully.


    ¡°Pectoral muscles, abs, damn! He even has the Adonis belt!!¡±


    Trying hard to suppress her emotions, Ruyi¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. She shook Xiaoguo vigorously. ¡°Look, look. Did you see that?¡±


    A drop of sweat had just trickled down the instructor¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple and onto his chest muscles! ¡°Oh God!¡±


    Xiaoguo was feeling dizzy from her shaking. There were so many officers present. Most of them had taken off their jackets because of the hot weather. Some of them were shirtless, and some were dressed conservatively in singlets.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Our instructor saw you.¡±


    Ruyi was stunned. She carefully retracted her gaze from the other instructor and stole a glance at their chief instructor. She realized that he was really looking at her. No wonder she had shivered for no reason just now. It felt as if there was an air conditioner blowing at her.


    Not daring to let her mind wander again, she hurriedly retracted her gaze and looked ahead.


    Xiaoguo chuckled to herself. Ruyi had caused such a commotion that their chief instructor had already taken a few glances at her. Unfortunately, the girl was too focused on something else and wasn¡¯t paying any attention to their conservative-looking instructor at all.


    Speaking of which, it did seem rather odd. It was a bright and sunny day, so most of the other instructors had taken off their jackets because of the weather, which was what their assistant instructor had done.


    However, their chief instructor did not even break a sweat. He was covered up from head to toe, without a single unfastened button or exposing an inch of skin.


    Such a conservative outfit was not going to catch the attention of the lustful Ruyi.


    To be honest, it had been four days since the military training, but they still didn¡¯t know what the instructor looked like. He always wore oversized sunglasses and a face mask, never speaking unless it was necessary, and would give orders through the assistant instructor instead.


    ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Instructor!¡±


    The assistant instructor nodded and turned around. He jogged to the main instructor¡¯s side and saluted him before whispering something to him.


    From Xiaoguo¡¯s direction, she could only see the assistant instructor¡¯s back and the chief instructor¡¯s mouth moving.


    The assistant instructor saluted and jogged back to the students.


    ¡°On your feet!¡±


    As soon as the voice sounded, Xiaoguo stood up with the others and looked curiously at the chief instructor, who was walking towards them. This seemed to be the first time he was standing so close to them.


    ¡°Is there anyone who wants to challenge our chief instructor with the moves they have just learned?¡±


    As soon as the assistant instructor said that, there was an uproar among the trainees.


    The assistant instructor frowned and shouted, ¡°Silence!¡±


    Everyone fell silent, but they still avoided the assistant instructor¡¯s gaze. They weren¡¯t fools ¨C they only needed to complete and pass the basic military training. There was no need to take it so seriously or to engage in sparring exercises. It was pointless to go through such formalities.


    Furthermore, the assistant instructor was already intimidating enough, let alone the main instructor. His imposing aura alone was enough to make the trainees feel overwhelmed. To put it nicely, it was a challenge. To put it bluntly, it was a session for the trainees to get beaten up.


    They had to be fools to raise their hands.


    The assistant instructor frowned even more when he saw this. His piercing gaze swept across the group of boys who were all lowering their heads in silence. He sighed in disappointment. ¡°Boys these days are seriously lacking in strength and courage .¡±


    ¡°Instructor, I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    At this moment, a gentle female voice sounded, attracting the attention of everyone. Even the chief instructor¡¯s usually calm eyes briefly flickered with surprise before returning to their usual cold gaze. One might have thought that it was an illusion.


    From the moment Xiaoguo was contemplating whether to step forward, Ruyi had been holding her hand, afraid that she would raise her hand on impulse.


    In the end, she didn¡¯t manage to stop her. Seeing that the assistant instructor had already pointed at Xiaoguo, she had no choice but to let go of Xiaoguo¡¯s hand.


    Looking at her determined posture, Ruyi was a little worried. How was this thin figure going to withstand the instructor¡¯s tackles?


    Regardless of what the others might think, Xiaoguo just thought that it was a rare opportunity to spar with the instructor and didn¡¯t want to waste it. After watching so many rounds of demonstration just now, she had a good understanding of the method. Now it was time to put it into practice.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to the instructor, Qin Xiaoguo!¡±


    ¡°Not bad!¡± The assistant instructor nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Women are just as capable as men.¡±


    Those words made the group of boys blush in embarrassment.


    The main instructor had not spoken a word. When Xiaoguo came up, he moved to the side and got into position.


    Xiaoguo gulped. Actually, she was feeling a little nervous and excited at the same time. The more she learned, the higher the chance of survival.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Seeing that she was a girl, the assistant instructor was exceptionally gentle to her.


    Xiaoguo exhaled and nodded. She also assumed a combat posture and stared intently at the chief instructor, who was three meters away.


    Although she couldn¡¯t see where his eyes were looking, Xiaoguo still kept her eyes on a fixed spot based on her intuition. This piqued the interest of the main instructor. Raising his eyebrows, he thought to himself that she was a bold girl.


    Ruyi felt like her heart was now in her throat. She covered her mouth tightly and looked ahead nervously, silently preparing to carry Xiaoguo to the infirmary if necessary.


    The main instructor made the first move. Xiaoguo thought about the earlier demonstration and quickly squatted down. Then, she threw a punch, which was easily dodged by the other party. At the same time, the instructor gave her a sweeping kick.


    Xiaoguo narrowly dodged it, and she quickly followed up with a rapid kick and punch.


    This is no joke. She hadn¡¯t practiced martial arts with Jiang Danhe for nothing in her previous life.


    After a series of punches, the instructor remained unscathed with no sign of exertion on his part. On the other hand, Xiaoguo had exhausted her strength and could only rely on her sheer willpower to hold on.


    The main instructor stopped teasing her and with the swing of his elbow, Xiaoguo was knocked down to the ground.


    Although the instructor had intentionally held back his strength, it was still enough for her to feel the impact.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Xiaoguo blinked and looked at him curiously. She followed his lead and got up. After thanking him, she returned to the group.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Ruyi quickly asked. Xiaoguo shook her head, indicating that she was fine.


    Then, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the main instructor. Did he just talk to her?


    His voice was a little low and hoarse, as if he had not spoken for a long time. However, it was not unpleasant to hear. There was a magnetic quality to it, and even sounded quite familiar¡­


    The assistant instructor then asked if anyone else wanted to come up, and the male trainees eagerly raised their hands, perhaps impressed by the exchange between the sparring just now or stimulated by the fact that a girl like Xiaoguo had gone up to fight. They were all excited and full of energy, as if they had just been injected with chicken blood.


    After that, the main instructor did not rest. He quickly knocked out the boys one by one, and ended the challenge without breaking a sweat.


    However, he didn¡¯t say a word the entire time. Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had heard wrongly earlier on.


    Perhaps it was Xiaoguo¡¯s keen attitude that made the chief instructor notice her. In the following days, Xiaoguo became his main training partner.


    Upon learning of her interest in attacking the head, he quietly taught her several lethal techniques that could kill with a single blow. According to the rules, he shouldn¡¯t teach her those moves, but he knew that the girl in front of him was not someone without sense. Although he didn¡¯t know the reason for her special interest, he believed that she wouldn¡¯t do anything bad with her new found skills.


    The chief instructor also gave Xiaoguo a strange vibe. Although the two of them hardly spoke to each other, there was always some sort of chemistry between them. With just one look from him, Xiaoguo could tell what was wrong, and vice versa. If she frowned, he would accurately point out her wrong movements.


    That feeling was strange, but also irresistible..

 Chapter 478 - Chapter 478: Side Story 5

    Chapter 478: Side Story 5


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Military training passed quickly. Fourteen days was neither long nor short.


    Amidst their busy schedule, the instructor had made time to conduct the training here. After completing the mission, they had to quickly go back to catch up on their work.


    At this moment, all the trainees were queuing at the door, and sending off the instructors with much reluctance. Some emotional students were even crying.


    Ruyi was one of them, but not entirely because she couldn¡¯t bear to part with the instructors. The main reason was because she couldn¡¯t ogle at the well-built instructors anymore. She was crying out of desperation.


    Knowing Ruyi¡¯s character, Xiaoguo moved slightly away from her. In the previous life, with her handsome brother around, Ruyi still tried to restrain herself. Now, she had completely revealed her true colors.


    As she watched the military SUVs leave the school gate, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she suddenly made eye contact with a man in one of the cars. She paused for a moment before nodding to him as a form of farewell.


    She didn¡¯t know the reason for the feeling of reliance during this period. It wasn¡¯t until this moment that she understood. Perhaps it was because of the trainers¡¯ identity and clothes they were wearing that gave her a sense of security.


    Four years later, it was the last lesson before the summer vacation.


    In class, the teacher was talking about history, touching on the chapter about Shao Kingdom. A topic which was very close to Xiaoguo¡¯s heart.


    Ruyi sat beside her and noticed that she was looking at something in a fixated manner. Feeling curious, she carefully leaned over. As soon as she saw it, she completely lost interest.


    She didn¡¯t know why Xiaoguo was so interested in the Shao Nation. China had a history that spanned across thousands of years and there were many countries of various sizes. However, ever since Xiaoguo visited one museum two years ago, she seemed to have lost her soul. Every day, she would either check on the history of the Shao Nation or visit museums and historical institutes that had artifacts from that era.


    Ruyi had to admit that the Shao Kingdom was an admirable dynasty, but did she have to go to that extent?


    Xiaoguo gently stroked the portraits in the history book. It was great that they were all here.


    Jiang Danhe, Zhuang Zhuang, Xiaoyi, and Big Fatty and Small Fatty were also there.


    It was just that they looked better in person than in the portraits.


    At the thought of this, Xiaoguo snickered to herself.


    ¡°The State of Shao is indeed an advanced era.¡±


    Just as Xiaoguo was immersed in her thoughts, a voice that came out of nowhere completely startled her. She subconsciously looked over and saw that the teacher had walked over to her side from the podium.


    When she saw Xiaoguo looking at her, the female teacher smiled gently. ¡°Are you smiling because of this era or because of the person in the portrait?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, laughter erupted in the classroom.


    Xiaoguo blushed. Did she just laugh out loud?


    The answer to this question was found in the amused expression on Ruyi¡¯s face.


    tl


    I¡¯m sorry, teacher.¡±


    The female teacher shook her head. ¡°I like this advanced era very much too.¡±


    With that, the teacher clapped her hands and said, ¡°Students, let¡¯s use the last two hours of the class before the vacation to talk about the Shao Nation!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiaoguo closed the book and listened quietly to the teacher¡¯s lecture. She spoke of all the familiar historical figures and told the stories of Zhuang Zhuang and the others. Xiaoguo was feeling so touched and proud that she almost burst into tears.


    Now, she could only get a glimpse of them by looking at historical materials and visiting the museums¡­


    After class, Xiaoguo quickly gathered her books, looking a little anxious.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect that there would be desserts and drinks made from milk in the Shao Nation. I really want to taste them.¡±


    Ruyi slowly closed the book and smacked her lips as she spoke, looking like she was tasting the delicious food from afar.


    Xiaoguo glanced at her and smiled without saying anything. ¡°You ate a lot in your previous life.¡±


    ¡°Oh, by the way! Xiaoguo, isn¡¯t that dairy shop called Xiaoguo¡¯s Shop? Did you own it in your past life? Hahaha¡­¡±


    As Ruyi spoke, she felt so amused by the idea. To think that she could say such a ridiculous thing.


    Xiaoguo paused for a moment before continuing to pack her bag. Actually yes¡­ she really did own that shop.


    II


    Hey, Xiaoguo, where are you going?¡± Ruyi grabbed the person who was about to leave and asked curiously, ¡°Why do you seem so anxious lately?¡±


    The two of them were roommates. There were many times when Xiaoguo would wake up with a start or shout in her dreams. When Ruyi asked her about it during the day, she always said that she had forgotten.


    After hearing her words, Xiaoguo pulled her along and ran back to the dormitory.


    Closing the door behind her, she pushed Ruyi onto the bed. ¡°Have you forgotten about what I told you last night?!¡±


    Ruyi blinked innocently. ¡°Last night?¡±


    Realization dawned on her. ¡°I remember, but I thought you were talking in your sleep.¡±


    When Xiaoguo woke up suddenly last night, she told Ruyi a bunch of things about the apocalypse and zombies. However, Ruyi thought that she was talking in her sleep.


    Over the past few years, Xiaoguo made her watch many zombies and apocalyptic movies. She even made her parents watch those movies with them. It was no wonder that she kept dreaming about these things since she always watched movies of this genre.


    ¡°Ruyi, do you believe me?¡±


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath and looked at her seriously. In the past few years, she had subtly hinted to Ruyi about the impending apocalypse to prepare her for it. But now, she thought that it might be better to tell her the truth.


    ¡°I do!


    II


    Ruyi nodded without hesitation. Of course she believed her!


    ¡°Alright! From now on, you have to remember everything I say and don¡¯t tell this to other people!¡±


    Seeing how serious she looked, Ruyi nodded nervously. She had a bad feeling about this.


    Xiaoguo thought for a moment. She was planning to go home and visit her parents before coming back to tell Ruyi. Now, there is a slight change of plans.


    I have had prophetic dreams from a young age. Lately, I¡¯ve been dreaming of something specific. A month from today, the world will experience a week-long of black rain. This rain will bring with it an extraterrestrial virus. After the rain stops, some people will experience skin ulceration and loss of cognitive ability. They will develop an inexplicable attraction to meat and turn into zombies.¡±


    II


    At first, Ruyi was a little nonchalant. The more she listened, the more nervous she became. She then thought of Xiaoguo¡¯s strange behavior recently. She didn¡¯t want to believe it because it sounded so ridiculous. How could something that was fictitious come to life?


    ¡°No way¡­ Have you been too tired recently? Or have you become too immersed in the movies?¡±


    She had no idea how stiff her face looked at this moment. Although there was disbelief in her tone, a part of her believed in Xiaoguo.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t say anything. She just looked at Ruyi firmly.


    Ruyi was on the verge of breaking down. She pushed her away and hugged her own head. She repeated frantically, ¡°Impossible, impossible!! How is this possible! It¡¯s impossible! Impossible, impossible!¡±


    Xiaoguo quietly packed her luggage. There was no need for her to come back to school.


    When Ruyi came back to her senses, she saw Xiaoguo sitting opposite her with a calm expression on her face.


    After a moment of hesitation, she asked, ¡°Is it the apocalypse I imagined?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ruyi looked out of the window. She could hear the laughter of the students. How could such a beautiful world disappear?


    Did you know this all along? Is that why you made me and my parents watch those zombie movies?¡± Ruyi asked Xiaoguo.


    II


    Ruyi recalled many things and finally understood Xiaoguo¡¯s odd behavior during this period of time.


    Xiaoguo hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s quickly tell the others!¡±


    As Ruyi spoke, she got up and ran out. Xiaoguo didn¡¯t stop her. She had to see it for herself to understand what futility means.


    ¡°The world is going to end!


    II


    ¡°The world will end in a month!


    II


    ¡°Li Yan, Li Yan, the apocalypse is coming in a month. Humans will turn into zombies. Run!¡±


    ¡°You know zombies? Hurry up and go home! Don¡¯t go out in one month¡¯s time!¡±


    Hey, Zhang Xiaofan, the end of the world is coming in a month. There will be zombies attacking people. Don¡¯t go on the graduation trip!¡±


    II


    ¡°Teacher Dong, the end of the world is coming. Don¡¯t go overseas! Hurry home and prepare to prepare for the apocalypse!¡±


    When Ruyi stepped out of the dormitory, she stopped everyone she saw and blabbered away. The more anxious she was, the more confused the other party became.


    Just like that, she ran all the way to the school gate. She told everyone she met and tried to persuade them. However, they only treated her as a lunatic. Some people surrounded her to watch the commotion, and some raised their cell phones to take videos of her. Some people even mocked her, thinking she had gone mad after watching those movies with Qin Xiaoguo.


    No matter how loud she shouted, everyone looked at her as if they were looking at a lunatic..

 Chapter 479 - Chapter 479: Side Story 6

    Chapter 479: Side Story 6


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Xiaoguo knew how it was going to turn out when Ruyi left the room. But when she saw her return in a daze, she still felt a little sad.


    Having been her roommate for four years, it was impossible for her not to feel compassion for Ruyi. She had mentioned it occasionally in class before, but at that time people just laughed at her and said she had become silly from watching too many movies. No one believed her.


    Later on, some of them even mocked and ridiculed her when they bumped into her. Some male students even went so far as to belittle her on the basis of gender.


    Just as Xiaoguo was about to comfort her, Ruyi wiped her tears and said, ¡°What should I prepare?¡±


    She did try to warn everyone, but since they didn¡¯t believe her, they couldn¡¯t blame her. Good luck to them.


    At this moment, the only person she trusted was Xiaoguo. She held on to Xiaoguo tightly as if she was holding on to a life-saving rope.


    Xiaoguo patted her hand to comfort her. ¡°Go home first. Please supervise your parents to do some training and strengthen their mental fortitude. Don¡¯t tell them too much.¡±


    The main reason was that no one would believe her.


    Ruyi trusted her very much and did whatever she was told. Seeing that Xiaoguo had packed her luggage, she did not delay and quickly picked up the luggage to start packing. It didn¡¯t take long for them to clear out their dorm room.


    Xiaoguo drove Ruyi home. When they arrived at the entrance of the neighborhood, Ruyi wanted her to stop the car at the gate and walk in herself. However, the other party drove straight in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you to your building and see where your unit is.¡±


    When they reached the bottom of the building, the two of them agreed to contact each other by phone before parting ways.


    Xiaoguo deliberately noted down the building number before leaving and heading straight for the expressway.


    Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin were shocked to see Xiaoguo who was carrying so many bags. Had their dearest baby been expelled by the school?!


    ¡°It¡¯s the holidays now, so I brought everything back.¡±


    ¡°Oh my dear, it¡¯s just summer vacation, not graduation,¡± Mr. Qin said as he helped her move her luggage.


    Mrs. Qin closed the door behind the two of them. When she heard her silly husband¡¯s words, she said in disdain, ¡°Have you forgotten? Guoguo is graduating this year.¡±


    When Mr. Qin heard this, he was stunned. ¡°What?! So fast¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad! You really don¡¯t care about me anymore! You don¡¯t even know when I will be graduating from college.¡±


    Xiaoguo threw her bag on the bed and pretended to be displeased.


    ¡°Of course I care, I care¡­¡± Mr. Qin said happily. ¡°I forgot about it momentarily. By the way, isn¡¯t your department holding a graduation trip? When are you leaving?¡±


    Mr. Qin cleverly changed the subject. Xiaoguo snorted and let him off the hook. ¡°Yes, there is a graduation trip but they are going to the desert. It¡¯s going to take more than a month. I might as well stay home and spend time with you guys.¡±


    When Mr. Qin heard this, he chuckled and nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Don¡¯t go. Spending a month in the desert is a no go. Just stay home with Dad and Mom.¡± Mrs. Qin tapped the back of his head and started nagging, ¡°You just want your child to stay by your side forever. She¡¯s never going to succeed in life!¡±


    ¡°A graduation trip is so important for gaining new experiences and making new friends. This fool¡­¡±


    While thinking about that, Mrs. Qin kicked her husband and left for the kitchen.


    Mr. Qin yelled out in pain. Seeing that his wife didnt turn to check on him, he stopped his act and immediately chased after her with a cheeky smile.


    Xiaoguo was very happy to see the two of them so loving at this age. Family harmony was something that money could not buy.


    However, when she thought of the ending of her parents in her previous life, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad. They didn¡¯t not grow to a ripe old age in both lifetimes. In this life, she must not let the same tragedy happen again.


    When she got home, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t waste any time. Time was running out. Wasting time was equivalent to wasting life away.


    However, her most recent concern was whether to reinforce her home and stock up on food, or go to the camp in her previous life.


    Staying at home was ultimately not safe, and it wouldn¡¯t work as a long-term solution. They couldn¡¯t possibly stay indoors all the time, and no matter how much reinforcement was done, it could not be as safe as a national campsite. Therefore, going to the campsite would be a safer bet.


    The camp was in the same city as her college, located in the military headquarters. However, she must not act rashly. If she were to go now, she would get arrested as a terrorist before she could get close.


    It seemed that she could only figure out a way to get there after the apocalypse began.


    In the following days, Xiaoguo was very busy, but she still made time to work out with her parents.


    ¡°Why are you going to Lin City all of a sudden?¡±


    Mrs. Qin stopped her rope-skipping and asked curiously.


    Even Mr. Qin stopped the treadmill and looked at her in confusion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you preparing for graduation? Why are you still going back to school?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xiaoguo was about to speak when she was distracted by the commotion outside.


    When she came to the window, it suddenly started raining heavily with black raindrops falling from the sky.


    ¡°Oh no!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s hair was standing on end. How could the timing be so different from what she had expected?!!


    ¡°Eh? Black rain is so magical¡­¡±


    Mrs. Qin was feeling curious and wanted to open the window, but she was quickly stopped by Xiaoguo. She looked at the trembling girl in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dear? Why are your hands so cold?¡±


    Mr. Qin also retracted his gaze and looked at Xiaoguo worriedly. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    As they spoke, her parents led her to the sofa.


    Xiaoguo sat down stiffly, her body was now drenched in sweat. Just as she was deep in thought, she heard cursing voices from outside.


    Feeling curious, Mrs. Qin walked to the window and looked out. It was Grandma Liu from the level below them. At this moment, she was pointing and cursing at something on the upper floors. The commotion had completely piqued Mrs. Qin¡¯s interest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go down and take a look.¡±


    With that, she ran out. Xiaoguo tried to stop her, but to no avail. Just as she was feeling anxious, Mr. Qin suddenly started laughing.


    ¡°What kind of rain is this? It¡¯s only raining in one spot. Haha¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned and came to his side. She realized that the rain was only falling around their block. Everywhere else was clean with no signs of rain.


    At this moment, Mrs. Qin returned and shared with them what had happened.


    It turned out that the ¡°black rain¡± was actually ink, splashed by Uncle Li¡¯s grandson from upstairs. It happened to splash on the white bedsheets that were left out to dry on Grandma Liu¡¯s balcony downstairs.


    Grandma Liu was hopping mad and scolding Uncle Li¡¯s grandson outside the building, attracting many people to watch the commotion.


    Upon hearing the truth, Xiaoguo¡¯s legs went weak and she fell onto the sofa. Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin, who were gossiping, did not notice her odd behavior.


    This blunder acted as a reminder to her.


    In the following days, Xiaoguo sped up her preparations. However, all of this was done behind her parents¡¯ backs.


    As the day approached, Xiaoguo felt more and more uneasy, but she tried to maintain a facade of normalcy by eating and drinking as usual. However, her eye bags and the red veins on her eyeballs betrayed her inner anxiety.


    Recently, Ruyi¡¯s calls have become more frequent. Every time Xiaoguo picked up the phone, she would take the call beyond the hearing range of her parents. She was behaving so secretively that the two elders started to speculate if she had a boyfriend.


    That day had finally arrived.


    At night, the muffled sound of thunder woke up the family of three.


    Xiaoguo opened her tired eyes and quickly walked to the window. She pulled open the curtain and saw drops of black rain falling forcefully against the glass, as if trying to shatter the window.


    While she was hurriedly drawing the curtains, she heard her parents knocking on her room door.


    Xiaoguo took a deep breath and walked over, trying to remain calm. She opened the door and pretended to look like she had just woken up. ¡°Mom and Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Mrs. Qin was being supported by her husband. When she saw Xiaoguo, she quickly hid her vulnerable side. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We just came to check on you.¡±


    Mr. Qin was a little hesitant. ¡°Black rain is falling from the sky¡­¡±


    At this moment, Mrs. Qin elbowed him to stop him from talking.


    ¡°Black rain?¡± Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes darted around. It seemed that the movies she had shown them some time ago had turned out to be useful. She said half-jokingly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a sign of the zombie outbreak?¡±


    Mrs. Qin¡¯s face turned pale when she heard her words. Mr. Qin didn¡¯t look any better.


    The couple held onto each other tightly. Xiaoguo looked at the two of them and felt a little sorry for them. However, she still said, ¡°This black rain is really strange.¡±


    Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin were no longer feeling sleepy. Xiaoguo noticed this and stayed by their side, subtly hinting to them the possibilities of zombies.


    And so, in less than two days, Qin¡¯s parents had come to believe that the rain was a sign of the impending apocalypse.


    The black rain storm was raging on and getting more intense by the minute. It seemed to be more powerful than the one she witnessed in her previous life. Xiaoguo knew that if they didn¡¯t set off now, they wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this place..

 Chapter 480 - Chapter 480: Side Story 7

    Chapter 480: Side Story 7


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    The longer this dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be.


    Xiaoguo turned on her cell phone and realized that the internet was flooded with posts of people showing off the black rain. Some people even wore swimsuits and stood in the black rain, tagging their posts with emotional captions. In short, black rain was now the top trending topic on the internet. For every ten posts that appeared online, nine posts were related to black rain.


    Xiaoguo sighed and changed into a set of comfortable clothes and shoes. She put on her backpack and looked at the empty room. No matter how reluctant she was, she had to leave.


    When she came out, she saw her mother secretly wiping her tears and her father was comforting her mother softly.


    Xiaoguo stopped in her tracks and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Mr. Qin was more rational and knew that they were now in a passive situation. Although the idea of an apocalypse was shocking and unbelievable, one¡¯s sixth sense could turn out to be terribly accurate. He was completely convinced that the apocalypse was coming.


    ¡°Guoguo, what if¡­ I mean, what if it¡¯s just the weather?¡±


    Mrs. Qin was still a little hesitant. Were they being too sensitive? The weather bureau had reported that a recent fire at a plastic factory had caused an excessive amount of black dust in the air. Based on their explanation, the black rain was caused by the dust particles mixed with the rain. According to them, this was not a major problem.


    ¡°But it¡¯s been four days,¡±


    Mr. Qin said as he looked at her.


    Mrs. Qin¡¯s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She really didn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah!!! Help!¡±


    She was about to say something else when there was a sudden cry outside the door that was louder than the rain. It didn¡¯t sound like it was coming from just one person.


    Mrs. Qin shrunk into Mr. Qin¡¯s arms like a frightened rabbit and tried her best to stop herself from shaking.


    Xiaoguo reacted quickly. Instinctively, she stepped forward to lock the door and the anti-theft door. She looked through the peephole and saw that the corridor was covered in blood. Broken limbs were strewn on the floor.


    Quanzhou from the Liu family¡­ the Fang family¡¯s eldest son¡­ Xiaodong, who was living next door¡­ Daquan, who was diagonally across from them¡­ The young couple from the Zhang family¡­ They were all eating something.


    Just as she was watching attentively, she saw Mr. Wang from next door, ran out with his wife¡¯s broken arm between his teeth. He had already turned into a zombie.


    Xiaoguo held her breath. She seemed to remember that Mrs. Wang was pregnant¡­


    At this moment, Mr. Wang was blindly looking for his next target.


    Coincidentally, the little girl, Fang Fang, who was living right across from them, heard the commotion and came out to check. The sound of the door opening attracted the attention of all the zombies.


    In that instant, all the zombies looked greedily at the source of the sound. The blood and half-eaten meat in their mouths dropped to the ground and turned into a puddle of sticky mess.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she shouted instinctively, ¡°Go in quickly!!


    If


    Fang Fang, who was still half-asleep, was jolted awake in that instant. When she saw the bloody scene, she quickly slammed the door shut just before the zombies pounced on her.


    Seeing that the food had disappeared, all the zombies anxiously knocked on the door and scratched at the ground. They also came to Xiaoguo¡¯s door because of her shouts earlier on.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s heart was beating wildly. She nervously looked through the peephole and saw Mr. Wang¡¯s gray murky pupil. She immediately held her breath in fear.


    Fortunately, her door was thick enough to drown out most of the sounds. The zombies wandered around mindlessly for a while and eventually walked away from her door.


    After hearing Xiaoguo¡¯s cry, Mrs. Qin covered her mouth tightly, afraid that she might accidentally make a sound.


    Mr. Qin was standing by the window and watching the situation on the street.


    The black rain was still falling, but because of the presence of blood, the puddles on the ground had turned a dark shade of red. It was a horrifying sight.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s phone started ringing. As she picked up the call, she turned on the television.


    Ruyi¡¯s panicked voice sounded in her ears. On the television, the leaders were addressing the public through an emergency broadcast.


    Mrs. Qin sat down on the sofa and watched the television in a daze. She muttered to herself, ¡°The apocalypse¡­ It¡¯s really the apocalypse¡­¡±


    Xiaoguo frowned slightly when she saw her mother¡¯s behavior. She said a few words to Ruyi to calm her down before hanging up.


    ¡°Mom? Mom?¡±


    Xiaoguo tried her best to shake Mrs. Qin, but she seemed to have lost her soul. She couldn¡¯t wake her up no matter how hard she tried.


    Seeing this, Mr. Qin came over to help her. Suddenly, Mrs. Qin pushed the two of them away and ran to the toilet to throw up.


    Xiaoguo ran to get water while Mr. Qin walked over and patted his wife¡¯s back. He felt so worried for her.


    Mr. Qin knew that his wife was timid. Although she seemed talkative and loud on the surface, she was actually very timid. Even though they were now in the house, she was already feeling so frightened. If she saw what was going on outside, she was definitely going to faint.


    Mrs. Qin shook her head and tried to say something, but then she vomited again.


    At this moment, Xiaoguo brought over some water. Mr. Qin took it and carefully fed it to Mrs. Qin.


    Feeling the coolness in her throat, Mrs. Qin looked up and saw the worried look in their eyes. She tried her best to catch her breath and told them, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Mr. Qin helped her to the living room. The rain outside the window had gradually stopped, and a blazing sun was now hanging high in the sky.


    Xiaoguo knew that the scorching sun would last for 24 hours. Even when night came, the sun was not going to go down.


    Let¡¯s set off now!


    They couldn¡¯t wait any longer. The most well-equipped and secure place in the country was the central military base in Lin City. It was also the only camp that remained safe and well-equipped during the post-apocalyptic period.


    The outbreak had happened earlier than expected. They couldn¡¯t stay in the building any longer. They must run before the rest of the people start to mutate.


    Xiaoguo was like a calming pill for the couple. They believed everything she said without a doubt.


    They knew that they had to leave this place. After all, Xiaoguo had already sent all their belongings to the central military camp in the city. As for the reason, their daughter¡¯s explanation was that the camp was safe.


    After making sure that her parents were fine, Xiaoguo took the lead and prepared to go out the door.


    But Mr. Qin refused. He was a man. How could he let his daughter walk in front of him?


    ¡°Dad, you cover the rear.¡±


    Xiaoguo had her word on this matter, so there was no room for negotiation.


    Mr. Qin looked at his wife in the middle and nodded reluctantly.


    Although Mr. Qin agreed to stay at the back, his gaze never left Xiaoguo, who was taking the lead. He was prepared to rush over if there was any danger.


    Xiaoguo was not planning to go out blindly. Instead, she took out a telescope from her backpack.


    This is not an ordinary telescope, but one that could be extended to view a far distance. It could also bend to look left, right, up and down. When encountering a corner, one could first extend it to check for dangers ahead.


    Fortunately, their house was on the second floor. As long as they were careful, they could get out of the building quickly.


    ¡°Daddy, take good care of Mommy.¡±


    Mr. Qin nodded nervously.


    The slippery blood mixture in the corridor, the broken limbs, and the finger marks on the wall, as well as the occasional screams and roars coming from upstairs¡ªall these were testing the limits of their sanity.


    Fortunately, watching those zombie movies had paid off. What they were seeing now was nothing compared to those scenes in the movies.


    This was how the two elders of the Qin family consoled themselves. This was the only way they knew how. Otherwise, they were really afraid that they might vomit at any moment. If they attracted the attention of the zombies, that would be the end of them.


    In a few rooms, there were still zombies gnawing on the corpses. Xiaoguo gestured towards the two people behind her, and the three of them quickly ran past while holding their breath.


    Fortunately, they arrived at the ground floor without any mishaps.


    But things were not so straightforward here in the open. Terrifying screams could be heard coming from each of the buildings, and there were many zombies wandering within the neighborhood.


    Most of the zombies were still in the building and had yet to come out. It was noon, and there were not many zombies beyond the perimeters of the neighborhood. To the three of them, this was a blessing in disguise.


    Blood was flowing down along the steps and onto the ground. One could also see blood seeping through the windows and staining the exterior walls of the building. It looked like a living hell.


    Feeling like she was going to break down, Mrs. Qin bit hard on her lower lips. She was useless, but she must not drag them down.


    Mr. Qin¡¯s usually rosy cheeks had completely turned pale at this moment. Holding onto tightly to his wife¡¯s hand, he tried to pass on some of his body heat to her, although his body temperature was quite low at this instant.


    At the steps near the entrance, Xiaoguo held on to the two of them. Mr. Qin followed her gaze and saw Doctor Liu, who usually took walks with them, gnawing on a pregnant woman with his blood-filled mouth.


    The pregnant woman was not completely dead yet, her limbs were twitching, and her hands were still subconsciously trying to protect her cut open belly.


    Xiaoguo took out a custom-made extendable ax from her backpack. The handle was a meter long with an ax fixed on one end, and a sharp knife attached on the opposite end. Under the sunlight, the blade was gleaming bright like a star.


    ¡°Guoguo!¡±


    Mr. Qin looked at her uneasily. Was she going to do what he was thinking?


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t explain. She looked around to check if the surroundings were safe while she quietly approached Doctor Liu.


    She had to kill him. He was blocking her car right now. In order not to attract the attention of other zombies, she had to kill him quietly..

 Chapter 481 - Chapter 481: Side Story 8

    Chapter 481: Side Story 8


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Mrs. Qin held on to Xiaoguo uneasily. After all, the apocalypse had just begun, so killing was still an unfamiliar concept to them.


    It was one thing to watch it in movies, but the actual situation was too heart-wrenching.


    In the blink of an eye, a small zombie wandered over from behind.


    It was Xiaobao from the Zhang family. Mr. Qin grabbed Xiaoguo nervously and suddenly felt pity for the child. Zombies in movies had no hearts, but that might not apply to zombies in reality.


    Xiaoguo also saw the little zombie and immediately got ready for battle. It was not entirely true to say that she didn¡¯t have compassion, but zombies were inhumane.


    In order to let the two elders see the truth as soon as possible, Xiaoguo took a step back with the two of them. The little zombie was slow to react and had poor vision. All she could smell was human flesh. It bared its fangs and brandished its claws, ready to attack. Mrs. Qin quickly hugged Mr. Qin in fear.


    Seeing that the effect had been achieved, Xiaoguo didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. She quickly cut off the zombie¡¯s head.


    Mrs. Qin closed her eyes. She knew that this was the best solution, but she still couldn¡¯t bear to see such an obedient child¡­


    Mr. Qin did not dodge. He kept a close watch on what Xiaoguo was doing. He was the pillar of the family and must not become a hindrance to them. Those people had already become zombies, there was no humanity left to speak of.


    According to the movie, a zombie¡¯s head was its Achilles Heel. They would die only if their heads were cut off.


    After dealing with the little zombie, Xiaoguo gave the ax a swing. This was indeed a good ax. It was worthy of its price and its marketing slogan.


    It was lightweight, sharp and waterproof.


    In her previous life, she had killed zombies before. Although she didn¡¯t kill that many, she wasn¡¯t as hesitant as her parents.


    Fortunately, the commotion here did not attract Dr. Liu, who was still feeding on a corpse. Xiaoguo knew that zombies had a keen sense of hearing and smell, so there was no need for her to approach them carefully. A better strategy would be to get close to them quickly and go in for the kill before they could react.


    Xiaoguo just wanted to get this over and done with. Otherwise, it would be over when a big troop of zombies appears!


    According to her plan, before the other party could turn around, its head was dislodged from its body.


    Xiaoguo inserted the car key into the keyhole and opened the car door without making a sound. She waved at the two people who were hiding by the side.


    Mr. Qin picked up Mrs. Qin, whose legs were weak, and ran into the car.


    Xiaoguo also got into the car and closed the door gently behind her.


    Her car had the quietest engine among the other cars models, but it wasn¡¯t completely silent.


    Therefore, the sound of the engine still attracted a few zombies nearby, who started to walk towards them with their wide opened mouths.


    Mrs. Qin grabbed her seatbelt tightly in fear. Her face was as pale as a sheet of paper. In a panicked tone, she asked Xiaoguo, ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Mr. Qin was also wearing a serious look on his face. ¡°Xiaoguo¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on tight to your seat belts.¡±


    Xiaoguo had already expected this to happen. She had hired someone to modify the SUV a year ago. There were two buttons inside the car. When one button was pressed, spikes would protrude from the sides of the car. Those spikes were so sharp that they could cut a strand of hair into two pieces.


    As for the other button, its function was to clean the spikes, removing any objects that were stuck on them.


    The boss of the illegal modification shop had described Xiaoguo with the following words, ¡°A beautiful appearance hiding a killer¡¯s intent.¡±


    Mr. and Mrs. Qin took her instructions very seriously. After hearing her words, they immediately held onto their seat belts and grabbed at the car roof handles.


    Xiaoguo stepped gently on the accelerator. There weren¡¯t many zombies around at the moment, so there was no need to rev the engine and attract more zombies. There was also no need to activate the spikes just for these few zombies.


    Xiaoguo didn¡¯t care about the zombies that were charging at her. She simply ran over them. The sound of bones cracking were constantly ringing in her ears. However, she was already prepared to turn a deaf ear to all this noise. At this moment, if the zombies don¡¯t die, then she and her parents will die. Compassion was completely useless in such a scenario.


    All the zombies blocking their way were crushed under the wheels. This was not a massacre, but rather a kind of redemption. The sooner they died, the sooner they could get away from this miserable place.


    Just like that, Xiaoguo¡¯s car drove onto the highway.


    There weren¡¯t many cars on the highway. Due to the continuous strange rain, no one would go out in a normal sedan. Only big cars would drive in this weather condition.


    On the highway, they spotted a few broken cars and some zombies. It was relatively quiet, so it was quite an easy drive.


    Mrs. Qin lay weakly in the car seat. She had gotten quite used to looking at the countless dead zombies and was no longer as apprehensive as before. Her daughter and husband were right. Those zombies were just some mindless animals now. The sooner they were killed, the sooner they would reach paradise.


    Xiaoguo took out her phone and read the message from Ruyi. Then, she typed a few words and attempted to get in touch with Ruyi and her family before the internet collapsed.


    When they arrived in Lin City, the situation there could not be underestimated.


    At the highway entrance, there were many people who had turned into zombies and were chasing after the survivors.


    There were mutilated corpses, terrifying zombies, overturned cars, fires caused by burning gasoline, and thick black smoke.


    Seeing Xiaoguo¡¯s car, many people who were still alive tried to stop it.


    But Xiaoguo had no intention of stopping the car.


    Mrs. Qin was feeling apprehensive but Mr. Qin patted her gently and shook his head at her.


    Mrs. Qin tried to put away her worries. It made sense. They could barely protect themselves, how could they possibly care for other people? If they had to be selfish, so be it. As long as the three of them were alive, that was all that mattered.


    Although Xiaoguo wasn¡¯t paying much attention to what was going on in the back seat, she was completely relieved when she didn¡¯t hear anything more from her mother. People can be unpredictable, and even if you help others today, they may not help you in return. Being selfish is good. At least they can stay alive.


    Along the way, they ran over many zombies and successfully arrived at the ground floor of Ruyi¡¯s residence. Fortunately, there were not many zombies around her neighborhood.


    After sending Ruyi a message with her mobile phone, she turned down the volume on the radio and waited for Ruyi and her family to come down, all the while listening to the latest news and surveying the surroundings.


    Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin listened to the radio with worried expressions. In the end, they collapsed helplessly in the backseat.


    At this moment, the country had no choice but to build a camp nearby. Everyone was asked to quickly make their way to the camps on their own.


    It was the exact same situation in her previous life. After the announcement, most people rushed to the camp on their own. There were also some who chose to roam around.


    In this life, Xiaoguo only wanted to live peacefully with her parents. Therefore, going to the camp was the best option.


    After waiting for a long time, Ruyi finally came down with her parents and a dog.


    Xiaoguo frowned when she saw the few of them covered in blood splatters. When they got closer, she asked, ¡°Did you encounter the zombies?¡±


    Ruyi nodded and said with a trembling face, ¡°I killed two.¡±


    Xiaoguo nodded thoughtfully, and carefully checked for any wounds on their body. After ensuring that they did not sustain any wounds, she started the car.


    She first introduced everyone to each other. Thanks to their daughters, the two pairs of parents quickly became familiar with each other.


    ¡°Where are we going now?¡±


    Ruyi¡¯s mother was a delicate southern woman. What she had seen and experienced today frightened her very much. She had just witnessed her obedient daughter kill two zombies with her own eyes. It had taken her a while to recover from the shock.


    Before Xiaoguo could answer, Mrs. Qin spoke first and told them what she had just heard on the radio.


    Even a tall and mighty man like Ruyi¡¯s father was paralyzed by fear. Since the authorities had made such an announcement, the world was truly finished¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged.¡± Seeing their low spirits, Xiaoguo comforted them. ¡°We have to carry on no matter what. As long as we are all well and alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes! We have to stay alive!¡±


    After Ruyi wiped her hands with the wet wipes that Xiaoguo gave her, she nodded firmly. They must survive!


    Although the two sets of parents were much older in age, they were not as strong-willed as their daughters. They were all feeling sad and afraid.


    However, when they saw how spirited the girls were, they could not show their true feelings. At this point, they had to live well! They had to survive!


    The situation on the roads was like a living hell, filled with screams, blood, and violence. The streets that used to be clean and orderly were now filled with scenes of carnage. Happy families were broken in an instant. Even the best of friends turned on each other in the blink of an eye.


    On the way, Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes landed on the school bus at the foot of the ditch. It was the school bus that her school had booked for the graduation trip. At this moment, it was overturned, with shattered glass, pieces of flesh, blood, and human limbs scattered around it.


    Her grip on the steering wheel tightened involuntarily. Then, she retracted her gaze and looked straight at the clear road in front of her.


    Stay alive..

 Chapter 482 - Chapter 482: Side Story 9 (Part 1)

    Chapter 482: Side Story 9 (Part 1)


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    It was a breeze moving into the camp. Thanks in part to the fact that most people had not thought of hiding out at this place yet. Therefore, there were not many survivors in the camp at this time.


    After checking for visible wounds on their bodies, they were allowed to enter the temporary dormitory. There were limited rooms, so the few of them were squeezed into one small room.


    After comforting her parents, Xiaoguo walked out with Ruyi.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, will they refuse our request to keep the stuff?¡±


    Ruyi was very worried. If the people here refused to let them keep the stuff, their efforts all this while would have been in vain.


    ¡°They won¡¯t,¡±


    Xiaoguo replied without hesitation. Besides, even if they didn¡¯t allow it, she wasn¡¯t worried.


    ¡°Go on in.¡±


    While talking, the two of them had already arrived at the office. After explaining the purpose of their visit to the soldier inside, he brought the two girls to the storage room.


    Ruyi followed behind him with a look of relief. If they had not kept those supplies for them, the few large boxes should have gone missing by now.


    Before the black rain, Xiaoguo had prepared several containers. They all contained food, clothes, electricity generation, gasoline, and everything else that could be used in the days to come. There were a total of ten containers.


    Ruyi had also prepared a lot of supplies. Although they weren¡¯t as comprehensive as Xiaoguo, it should be enough for her entire family and the dog.


    Xiaoguo had forcibly kept more than a dozen containers at the camp on the pretext of serving the people.


    She had expected that the soldiers of the country would not ignore the ¡®trouble¡¯ that was premised on this reason.


    Even if this reason was too far-fetched, these responsible soldiers would not turn a blind eye to it.


    If it was inconvenient for them to help for some reason, there was no need to worry. These containers were all equipped with combination locks that required her iris, fingerprint, and password to open. All three factors were necessary and the containers could be left at the door without fear of losing the contents.


    ¡°There you go.¡±


    The officer who had brought them there pointed to an entire warehouse and handed over the keys. He asked them to return the keys after they were done sorting out the stuff. With that, he left.


    As he walked away, the officer turned to look at the girls standing at the door of the warehouse and smiled. To be honest, if he wasn¡¯t under orders, he wouldn¡¯t have done such a thing. This was a military base, not a courier station. Moreover, the world has been in chaos recently. He didn¡¯t have the time to handle such matters.


    However, it seemed as if romance was blossoming for his boss who had been a bachelor for the longest time. As subordinates, they should lend a hand if they could.


    Xiaoguo took the key and opened the iron door of the warehouse. There were containers parked all over the place.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, how are we going to bring them back?¡±


    Ruyi looked at the heavy containers and felt worried. She had only thought about buying things and hadn¡¯t prepared for how to transport them.


    Xiaoguo smiled and took out a few chains. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Let¡¯s chain them up.¡±


    Ruyi hung up the chains in confusion, while watching Xiaoguo closely.


    The containers that Xiaoguo bought were high-tech and came with robots to operate them. One only had to turn on the switch of the first car and operate the containers with a special remote control. Once activated, they would automatically connect themselves and move forward and backward at will. ¡°Wow!¡± Ruyi looked at her in shock. ¡°Advanced-technology?! They must be very expensive!¡±


    She had secretly used her parents¡¯ passbooks to buy the containers and supplies. The ordinary ones were already expensive. These high-tech ones must have cost a bomb!


    Xiaoguo smiled. She had bought some stocks and made quite a lot of money over the past four years, all of which was used to prepare for this. Those containers were definitely expensive.


    Ruyi insisted on asking about the price. Under her persistent questioning, Xiaoguo had no choice but to reveal the figure with a show of her fingers.


    After knowing the price, Ruyi was unable to close her mouth for the entire day.


    Life in the camp was more comfortable than they had imagined.


    Xiaoguo, her parents, Ruyi, and her parents had all been allocated a good room. At least the two families didn¡¯t have to squeeze into the same room anymore.


    The number of people in the camp was also increasing day by day. Everyone looked dazed and disheveled.


    Seeing them, Xiaoguo¡¯s parents and Ruyi¡¯s family couldn¡¯t help but realize that it was really the end of the world.


    They were living a comfortable life and getting by with their own supplies. The two families had set up a restaurant together, which was approved by the highest-ranking officer in the camp. Therefore, even if there was anyone who was jealous of their containers, they did not dare to harbor any improper thoughts on their possessions.


    Throughout the post-apocalyptic period, besides the people in the military, only the two families were dressed neatly every day, without having to worry about their meals. They could even watch television and use air conditioning with the help of a generator. In certain aspects, their living conditions were even more comfortable than those of the military personnel..

 Chapter 483 - Chapter 483: Side Story 9 (Part 2)

    Chapter 483: Side Story 9 (Part 2)


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    In the second month of the post-apocalyptic world, some people with special abilities appeared. Soon after, the military announced that crystals had formed in the brains of zombies, which were useful for enhancing one¡¯s superpowers. This attracted many superpowered people to hunt and kill zombies.


    But all of this did not affect Xiaoguo and the others. They continued running their thriving restaurant business.


    Xiaoguo¡¯s self-healing superpower was at a basic level. Ruyi¡¯s earth-type superpower also appeared not long after.


    With the onset of Ruyi¡¯s superpower, Xiaoguo requested for a permit to plant crops in the empty space outside her door. With a casual wave of Ruyi¡¯s earth-element hand, a squarish vegetable plot appeared right in front of them. It was extremely convenient.


    To her surprise, Mr. Qin suddenly unlocked his water-based superpower, which meant that they no longer had to worry about their water supply.


    Ruyi¡¯s father had unlocked the lightning-based superpower, which meant that they no longer had to worry about their electricity supply. As long as they could control the strength of the lightning properly and transfer it to the generator, they would have an endless supply of electricity.


    Although Mrs. Qin and Ruyi¡¯s mother did not have any superpowers, they were not sad or disappointed. With their husbands and daughters protecting them, they did not need any superpowers.


    Ever since there were four superpowered people in the restaurant, they became even more valued by the military. However, they had no intention of seeking fame or recognition. All they wanted was to live a simple and peaceful life at their small restaurant.


    The payment of food had changed from supplies to crystal cores. There were four superpowered people at home, so crystal cores were more useful for them.


    In the fifth month of the post-apocalyptic period, the large search team that had gone out to look for survivors had returned safely. They had successfully brought the survivors from the two nearest cities back to the camp.


    The military booked the entire restaurant to welcome the returning heroes with a sumptuous dinner.


    Since morning, the campsite had been bustling with activity. Xiaoguo and the others woke up before dawn to prepare dinner.


    According to the statistics, 120 people would be coming. The workload was so heavy that it would require an entire day. Finally, the food for 120 people was completed by the evening.


    After the generator was switched on, the entire place was instantly illuminated to reveal the delicacies on the table, which were emitting an enticing aroma.


    When everything was done, the soldiers sat themselves down.


    After checking that there was nothing else to prepare, Xiaoguo got ready to leave.


    But in the crowd, a burning gaze followed her until she disappeared. Then, he retracted his gaze regretfully.


    ¡°Is that the girl you¡¯ve been looking out for and thinking about all this time?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± A hoarse voice retorted instinctively. The person who spoke first, took a glance at him. ¡°Still pretending? Your eyes were practically glued to that girl.¡±


    Seeing that the other party was about to get angry, the man quickly steered the conversation. ¡°Hurry up and eat. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve eaten such fragrant hot dishes. If we don¡¯t eat now, those hungry brats will eat everything.¡±


    The man, who was now stuffing food into his mouth, did not notice the blushing man beside him.


    In the eighth month after the apocalypse, Xiaoguo became an elder sister¡­


    Mrs. Qin was already pregnant before the apocalypse, but for some reason, she was unaware of it. It was only until her belly started to show that the others came to realize her condition. They only found out the stage of her pregnancy after Ruyi¡¯s mother took her pulse.


    Looking at her baby brother, who was laughing at her, Xiaoguo fell into deep thought.


    At that moment, Mr. Qin was thinking of a name for the baby, and Xiaoguo suddenly said the words ¡°Qin Anming¡±. Unexpectedly, the baby in the swaddle suddenly laughed out loud and only smiled at Xiaoguo. When he couldn¡¯t see her, he would cry and make a fuss.


    Mr. Qin said that from the looks of it, the two of them might have been family in their previous lives. In this life, they were renewing their kinship.


    As Xiaoguo listened to her father¡¯s deduction, she suddenly felt a lump rising in her throat. She had told her brother before that she would become his elder sister and take care of him in her next life.


    Looking at the little baby who was babbling away, Xiaoguo stretched out her finger silently. ¡°Brother? Have you come here for me?¡¯


    The little guy grabbed her finger and opened his mouth as if he was saying something.


    Xiaoguo smiled as her eyes turned red. ¡°Its really you, Brother.¡±


    Since Mrs. Qin was going through confinement, Xiaoguo took over most of her work.


    At noon one day, Xiaoguo was sitting in the hall and daydreaming. A romantic period drama was playing on the television, and the air conditioner was blowing out cold air.


    The door suddenly opened. Xiaoguo instinctively came back to her senses and stood up. ¡°We¡¯re not open yet¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, she froze on the spot. A tall figure appeared in front of her. Looking at the distinctive red cuffs, Xiaoguo was momentarily stunned. In that instant, she felt as if she had returned to that other lifetime¡­


    The person who saved her from the zombies, the person who brought her to the camp, the person who helped her find accommodation, the person who came to show his support every day, and the one who had not spoken to her all this while¡­


    ¡°What do you want to order?¡±


    The person was stunned. The courage he had just mustered disappeared in that instant. Fortunately, his ears were hidden under his hat, so the other party could not see them even if they turned red.


    Seeing that he was not saying anything, Xiaoguo smiled and said familiarly, ¡°How about red braised pork? And iced tea?¡±


    The man was now blushing as he nodded gently and sat down stiffly in the nearest chair. He did not dare to look into her eyes.


    ¡°How did she know that I like braised pork belly with iced lemon tea? Oh no, my heart is beating too fast¡­¡±


    The braised pork belly was already cooked in a pressure cooker, so Xiaoguo only had to reheat it in the wok. She also served him a large portion of rice, remembering that he had a big appetite. After some consideration, she scooped up an extra spoonful, and piled it up on the plate.


    She also prepared a large glass of iced tea before bringing everything out.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xiaoguo paused and looked up at him in confusion. ¡°Have we met before?¡±


    His voice sounded so familiar, with a low and slightly hoarse tone¡­ it was so familiar.


    At this moment, her heart was racing so fast that she didn¡¯t know what to do. Besides Jiang Danhe, she had never felt this way about any other man.


    ¡°Four years ago¡­ in university, during military training¡­¡±


    He was feeling a little nervous since he hardly speaks and at this moment, he was facing the girl he liked.


    ¡°Instructor?!!¡±


    Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes widened. She was wondering why this voice sounded so familiar. So he was their chief instructor during the military training in college.


    They were truly fated!!


    He was her instructor in this life and the savior in her previous life. They were truly destined to meet.


    Under Xiaoguo¡¯s excited gaze, the man was at a loss, so he said dryly, ¡°I¡¯m going to eat.¡±


    Right after saying that, he regretted it. That wasn¡¯t what he meant!!


    Xiaoguo smiled awkwardly and moved further away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please enjoy your meal.¡±


    The man clenched and unclenched his fist a couple of times, before he looked at Xiaoguo¡¯s back and silently picked up his chopsticks. He took off his hat, glasses, and mask and started eating the delicious food without really tasting it.


    He looked at the little figure in front of him sadly. He really wanted to talk to her¡­


    Feeling his gaze on her, Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t do anything else even if she wanted to. Mainly because she was feeling very uncomfortable at this moment. Why was he looking at her like that?


    Unable to take it anymore, Xiaoguo turned around and looked at him. This time, not only was the man stunned, she was also stunned.


    Then, tears started streaming down her face¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ your name?¡±


    The man paused for a moment before saying shyly, ¡°Jiang, Jiang Danhe.¡±


    Xiaoguo suddenly laughed while the tears continued to stream down her cheeks. Jiang Danhe¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he frowned. He didn¡¯t like to see her cry.


    Without realizing what he was doing, he had already walked over to wipe her tears away.


    Xiaoguo looked at the familiar face intently and greedily before she broke into a blissful smile.


    The two of them were destined to be together. They were not going to be separated for a few lifetimes.


    -(End)