Chapter 103 Mian Tingyu's "On Being a Dog"

Jiang Ce wailed for a while, which made A Jun burst into tears. He had no choice but to push the cart back while comforting A Jun.

"Don't cry, don't cry. Look how fun this windmill is."

Xue Chan finished organizing the several sketches she had drawn during her few days at Weishui, but Jiang Ce still hadn't returned.

She glanced at the already dark sky and was about to call someone to go find him when Jiang Ce pushed the door open and came in.

Why did you bring Jun over here?

Jiang Ce was filled with grievances and had nowhere to vent them. When he saw Xue Chan walking up, he immediately strode forward, grabbed her hand, and wailed, "That heartless woman, she went to play by herself and left the child for me to take care of."

Xue Chan's head ached from his howling, so she reached out and covered his mouth: "Stop howling."

Jiang Ce's attempt to complain backfired, and he was even more aggrieved when his mouth was covered. With a mournful face, he punched Xue Chan's shoulder repeatedly, complaining, "Look at you, you don't care about me at all, and you even told me to shut up. You heartless woman."

He felt so wronged he wanted to cry, while he kept accusing her of her terrible behavior.

Xue Chan: "......When did I tell you to shut up?"

Jiang Ce, while holding A-Jun, jumped up and down, saying, "You have it, you have it! You just told me to stop howling."

He was furious, but Ah Jun just laughed at his antics.

Ah Jun smiled, and the two exchanged a glance and instantly smiled softly as well.

The two of them sat on the bed, holding Ah Jun in their arms.

Ah Jun is seven months old, has learned to sit, and is curious about everything.

As soon as he was put on the bed, he crawled around, sometimes grabbing the sachet, sometimes playing with the little butterfly pillow.

Jiang Ce ran out and brought him a whole bunch of new and interesting things to play with, some of which he made himself, and some of which he found outside.

The two sat on the edge of the bed watching him play.

Xue Chan picked up a bell and waved it in front of him, the bell ringing "ding-a-ling". As she gently shook it, she guided A-Jun to crawl on his stomach, listening to the sound to locate him.

After he crawled around twice, he crawled into Xue Chan's arms. Perhaps it was because of her warm and fragrant body, but as soon as A-Jun was in her arms, he nestled there and didn't move.

Afraid that he would fall asleep too early and cause trouble at night, Xue Chan gently pinched A-Jun's cheek and patted him. Seeing that he was more awake, she gently kicked Jiang Ce, signaling him to think of a solution.

Jiang Ce stroked his chin thoughtfully, then covered his face, leaned closer, and opened his hands to reveal a funny face inside. A-Jun was amused by him.

He teased her for a while, then played hide-and-seek while gently poking Ah Jun's soft flesh.

The room was filled with joy and laughter, and Ah-Jun's laughter echoed down to the corridor.

After making a scene for the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, Jiang Ce was exhausted and collapsed onto the bed, unable to move.

However, Ah Jun was also tired of playing, so she simply hugged Xue Chan's hand and found a comfortable position to snuggle in her arms and fall asleep.

Jiang Ce took a pillow and leaned on it, lazily watching Xue Chan coax A Jun to sleep.

Ah Jun whimpered twice as he slept. She gently patted him and rocked him softly. The scene was tender and beautiful under the candlelight.

The child murmured in his sleep, and she smiled, gently asking him, "You miss your mother in your dreams, don't you? Go to sleep, and you'll see your mother when you've had enough sleep."

Jiang Ce heard her speaking softly to A-Jun in her sleep.

She paused, then murmured something.

"You have a mother, and I have a mother too..."

Xue Chan immediately covered her face with one hand, lowered her head, and remained silent.

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward, and Jiang Ce immediately sat up and put his hand on her shoulder. Xue Chan turned her face away, trying to smile, but after a couple of laughs, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, I... I don't know why I suddenly..."

She was so choked up that she couldn't speak a complete sentence, only tears continued to flow. Even though she covered her face, tears still streamed down her chin.

Jiang Ce didn't say anything, he just held her gently.

Xue Chan leaned against him and sobbed, her tears soaking her clothes, her shoulders trembling.

Jiang Cerou patted her back: "It's okay...it's okay..."

Xue Chan cried for a while, but by the time she got up from Jiang Ce's arms, she had calmed down considerably. She wiped away the remaining tears and gently patted Jiang Ce's hand: "Don't worry, it's alright now."

Jiang Ce looked at her eyes, which were red from crying, pursed his lips, and suddenly said, "Let's go fishing?"

Xue Chan paused in wiping away her tears: "Now? It's already dark."

Jiang Ce laughed: "It's getting dark, perfect for fishing, do you want to go?"

“That works, but what about A-Jun?” Xue Chan looked at the little one in her arms with some hesitation.

"Oh, just let the wet nurse take him back. He's asleep anyway."

After saying this, Jiang Ce opened the window and asked Yun Sheng, who was standing in the corridor, to call the wet nurse.

The wet nurse was already in their courtyard, and soon she carried the sleeping Ah Jun back home.

Jiang Ce put a cloak on Xue Chan, then grabbed her hand and hurriedly left the hospital to ride away on horseback.

The fishing spot is a small river not far from the inner garden. Looking back, you can still see the scattered lights of the garden on the high ground.

The two of them carried very little, only a bamboo basket, two poles, two lamps, and two small stools.

Jiang Ce and Xue Chan sat on a stool, baited their hooks, cast them into the water, and then sat and waited for the fish to bite.

Although it is early autumn, the night wind is still a bit chilly, carrying a damp and cold dewy feel, and you can smell a few wisps of fresh grass and trees mixed in with it.

Jiang Ce brushed away the snow-white cattail fluff that was clinging to him, and with a gentle push, he broke open a water chestnut to reveal its pinkish-white color. He stuffed a handful of peeled water chestnuts into Xue Chan's hand, and then continued peeling them himself.

"Where did you get your water chestnuts?"

"When I went out, I saw Chunniang and Chutao cooking water chestnuts on a stove, so I asked for two handfuls."

The two had barely finished their whispered conversation when Xue Chan, who hadn't even finished eating half a water chestnut, started fishing.

She immediately pulled the lever, but the other end struggled fiercely and she couldn't budge it an inch.

Xue Chan stood up, gritted her teeth, and walked backward, pulling the string as she went.

"Quick, help me pull it!" The fish was so strong that it almost pulled her towards the riverbank, and Xue Chan took the opportunity to kick Jiang Ce.

He was still diligently peeling water chestnuts when Xue Chan kicked him, bringing him back to his senses. He immediately got up and helped her.

"Whoosh!"

With their combined efforts, the fish was pulled to the surface. Xue Chan reached out to take the fish, but Jiang Ce, worried that the fishhook might cut her hand, quickly took it from her, saying, "I'll take it."

The fish was taken off the ground and kept jumping around. Jiang Ce scooped it up, and Xue Chan watched the lamplight.

"Wow, what a huge bass!"

Jiang Ce tossed the fish into the basket and laughed, "You're really lucky."

Xue Chan sat down on a stool, ate a water chestnut, and said casually, "What does it mean to be lucky? It means I'm good at fishing."

"Alright, alright, you're really skilled." Jiang Ce tugged at her sleeve, leaned closer, and smiled. "You're so amazing, why don't you teach me?"

Xue Chan reached out and gently hooked his chin: "This skill can only be understood intuitively and cannot be explained in words. You should explore it yourself slowly."

The two chatted and laughed for a while, then continued casting their clubs.

Not long after arriving here, Xue Chan caught a plump bass, which was a good start. She then caught two shrimp and a crab, but Jiang Ce caught nothing.

Xue Chan rested her face on her hand, her eyes reflecting the dim moonlight on a clump of reeds. The slender reeds swayed gently in the breeze. The rustling sound disappeared silently on the calm water, with only a few new green fireflies dancing among the reeds and fish occasionally leaping and splashing in the water.

"Whoosh!"

Xue Chan's hook caught something again; it probably wasn't a big fish, so this time the pull was easier.

He propped his chin on his hand and sighed, "That's good."

Xue Chan leaned closer to him and laughed, "Instead of sighing, why don't you think about how to eat this fish? What's the difference between you fishing and me fishing? In the end, it's all going to end up in your stomach anyway."

Jiang Ce looked at the lamp and noticed that Xue Chan had caught a silvery-white crucian carp with a tail as long as a palm: "Why don't we fry it? Steam the perch and pan-fry the crucian carp."

The crucian carp was also thrown into the fish basket and jumped around a couple of times.

Cool water droplets fell on Xue Chan's face, but when she touched them, she realized they weren't water splashed from the fish.

She looked up and found that the half-moon that had been there was no longer visible. The sky was extremely dark, and the sound of the wind blowing through the reeds was much louder.

There were a few "plop plop" sounds on the water's surface, and large raindrops pelted down on people, stinging painfully.

"It's raining, hurry back!"

Jiang Ce immediately put away the fishing rod and lamp, and pulled Xue Chan to untie the reins. He ran fast, and didn't forget to take the basket of fish with him.

The two rode back, but the rain grew heavier and heavier, pouring down relentlessly. The rain was so heavy that it was difficult to travel, and since they hadn't brought raincoats or hats, they had no choice but to stop and seek shelter in a pavilion.

The rain was torrential, and the pavilion was drafty on all sides. The rain pounded against the pavilion's tiles, creating a loud crackling sound, and instantly the two were trapped inside by the curtain of rain.

The wind and rain were fierce, the air thick with the scent of rain, and the chill of autumn permeated the air.

The two, whose clothes were already soaked, clung to each other for warmth.

The night rain came suddenly, and although it didn't stop after a while, it lessened considerably, and the autumn wind became gentler.

Xue Chan, hearing the less urgent sound of the rain, said, "Let's hurry back while the rain has subsided, otherwise we'll have to spend the night outside if it starts raining again."

"Let's go quickly!" Without saying another word, Jiang Ce grabbed Xue Chan and ran out of the pavilion, riding back to the garden on horseback.

When they arrived at the gate, Yun Sheng and Chu Tao were already waiting with umbrellas and lanterns. Upon seeing the two of them, who were soaked to the bone, they immediately stepped forward to offer them umbrellas and coats.

"You can't stand getting caught in the autumn rain. You might catch a cold. Go back and change your clothes and warm yourself by the fire."

As the group prepared to return to the courtyard with their umbrellas, Jiang Ce stopped Xue Chan, saying, "Since we're going to take a bath anyway, why don't we go soak in the hot springs to warm ourselves up?"

When he made the suggestion, Xue Chan thought it was a good idea, so the two of them changed their route and went to Fengquan.

When the two arrived, Jiang Ji and Zheng Tan had already been gone for a long time.

[Plot details to be added:]

The hot spring pool was only about two zhang wide, surrounded by a ring of large and small blue stones. These stones were originally from the spring in the mountains and were preserved when houses were built next to the spring.

As autumn arrives, two maple trees reaching the eaves turn yellow, orange, and red, while wisps of steam rise from the small hot spring beneath them.

The two, already soaked, shivered and slipped into the water after taking off their outer robes and inner shirts.

The warm, slightly hot water washed over my body, gradually dispelling the chill of the autumn rain.

Yuansheng and Chutao handed over the clean robes and skirts from behind the screen and left, leaving only the two of them in the misty Fengquan.

There weren't many lamps lit; you could only vaguely see two shadowy figures close together through the screen.

Xue Chan waded through the water, stepping lightly on the stones, and found a comfortable spot to sit. Jiang Ce, carrying a cup of lychees that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, strode through the water, his long legs creating a splashing sound.

The water rippled outwards, wetting Xue Chan's dress again and again.

What are you doing?

Her voice drifted through the misty fog, landing softly in my ear.

Jiang Ce placed the lychees on a rock, spread his arms and leaned against it; the hot spring water only reached his chest.

He smiled mischievously and said, "It's fun."

Xue Chan turned to her side and half-lay on the bluestone, her water-soaked silk robe floating on her delicate back. Despite the mist, her skin was still slightly flushed.

Jiang Ce moved through the water and got to her side.

Xue Chan lay with her back to him, her cloud-like hair bun now bare of its hairpins and ornaments, looking languidly at the moment. A few strands of wet hair appeared even blacker and shinier, framing her rosy, dripping ears, and then falling casually over her shoulders before scattering in the water.

Jiang Ce placed one hand on the bluestone, reached into the water and wrapped it around her waist, then leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Why aren't you looking at me?"

The hot spring water was hot, and the chest pressed against her back was even hotter.

Xue Chan rested her head on her arm, her voice as soft as if it had been soaked in water: "What's so interesting about you?"

"Am I not pretty?" He turned Xue Chan around, and the two of them nestled face to face between two blue stones. He brought his face closer and raised an eyebrow: "I advise you to take a closer look before you speak."

Xue Chan wasn't afraid of his threats at all. She directly reached out and pinched Jiang Ce's cheeks, turning them left and right twice.

The Fengquan area was dimly lit, with only the lanterns hanging on the lampstand casting a soft, warm yellow light that illuminated his deep-set bones, lush eyebrows and eyes, and moist, rosy lips.

"I've seen it, it's good, are you satisfied?"

Jiang Ce looked at her with resentment and poked her heart with his fingertip: "You're just giving me the runaround."

Xue Chan cupped his face in her hands and pecked him twice on each side: "Is that enough?"

Jiang Ce thought for a moment, then lowered his head to kiss her, mumbling indistinctly, "Not enough, not enough, that's all."

Xue Chan pushed him away: "So annoying."

She turned her back to him again.

Xue Chan always said this, but Jiang Ce no longer felt anything about her saying "So annoying".

He moved closer, almost touching Xue Chan completely. He used his long legs to part Xue Chan's legs, which were pressed together underwater, and slipped between them. With a quick movement of his shoulder, Xue Chan sat on his lap.

She remained lazy, leaning against Jiang Ce's chest and lying on her side.

Jiang Ce picked up a strand of her hair that was hanging over her shoulder, twirled it twice on his fingertips, propped his head up, and casually played with her hair.

I played for a while.

Jiang Ce picked up a comb from the side, loosened Xue Chan's hair, and gently combed it for her. Her long hair floated in the water, its ripples touching his heart.

"Do you want to eat lychees? I'll peel one for you."

Xue Chan said, "Whatever you say."

Jiang Ce held a plump lychee in his hand, and with a gentle pinch, his pale red silk robe slipped down, revealing a white shirt underneath. He peeled back the outer layer of white flesh, revealing the plump and fragrant lychee.

The lychees were excellent; after peeling, they were smooth and juicy, and they dripped juice all over my hands. The fragrant lychees dripped through my fingers and landed on Xue Chan's shoulder.

Jiang Ce lowered his head and licked it off, not wasting a single bit. He was just so shameless, nibbling and biting, leaving his teeth marks all over his shoulder.

Xue Chan kicked him away and cursed, "Are you a dog?"

Jiang Ce leaned back in.

"We have cats, birds, fish, and rabbits, what we're missing is a dog, right? I'll be your dog, your dog, wagging my tail by your side every day, wouldn't that be great? Don't you like that?"

Xue Chan said calmly, "I don't like dogs."

"You're lying!" Jiang Ce grabbed her ankle and climbed up her leg. "Last time you went to Shen Zhe's house, you really liked his dog. You liked it so much that you didn't want to go home."

He cupped most of Xue Chan's face in one hand, his expression serious.

"You like dogs."

He likes me too.

Xue Chan was speechless at his words and could only say, "This is the first time I've ever seen someone who loves being a dog. It's truly the strangest thing in the world."

Jiang Ce touched her leg, and her skirt bloomed like a flower in the water.

"Dogs are great! Dogs are so wonderful, so cute, so lovable. In our next life, you can be a human, and I'll be a dog, always sticking close to you. Don't you like dogs?"

"Being a dog is good, being a dog is good too, I love being a dog, do you want to hear me bark?"

He grinned and pressed himself against her again.

Xue Chan ignored him and remained silent.

Jiang Ce moved closer on his own. Her shoulder was pressed into the water, and Jiang Ce sank into her body. She tilted her head back and took a breath.

He barked twice in her ear.

"Does it sound good? Do you like it?"

Xue Chan tried to pry his hands off her skirt, but couldn't. Instead, he became even more wicked.

"Hehe, if you don't say anything, I'll keep calling your name in your ear."

Jiang Ce held her so tightly that she couldn't move. She struggled and thrashed in the water for a while, but to no avail.

Xue Chan took a breath and said helplessly, "I like it, okay?"

Her voice trembled slightly, as smooth and moist as a lychee in the hot spring. Jiang Ce was satisfied, but then objected.

"No, no, no! I need you to prove it to me."

He started acting like a rogue, but since he was under someone else's roof, he had no choice but to submit. Xue Chan suppressed the urge to punch him.

"Then how do you plan to prove it?"

Jiang Ce curled his lips into a smile, revealing a sharp tooth, and pressed it against her neck: "I have my own standards of judgment."

He started gnawing on everything indiscriminately.

The two lost their balance and knocked over the porcelain cup on the bluestone. The fruit fell into the water with a "plop," its bright red color appearing and disappearing in the wisps of mist.

Maple Spring was quiet, with the sound of rushing water carrying even the sound of breathing into the water. The water, which was already bubbling up, rippled even more violently, creating waves in the pool of hot spring water.

Jiang Ce clung to her, and she couldn't shake him off.

"You said you didn't like dogs, but you clearly do." He listened to her panting as he kissed her with a smile.

She felt dizzy and pinched Jiang Ce.

It's so annoying, they're always taking advantage of me.

They should make a chain to tie it up.

The rain was still falling outside, but it was no longer as torrential and forceful as before. Now it was a fine, continuous drizzle, the rain soaking into the eaves tiles, leaving only a slight dampness. The light from the lamp shone through the misty rain, illuminating two thin shirts fluttering in the water.

Jiang Ce carried Xue Chan out of the water.

He wrung out the water from her hair and helped her put her dress back on. The two sat down, and Jiang Ce dried her hair.

Xue Chan kicked him in the waist.

"What's wrong?"

I'm hungry.

Jiang Ce then remembered that Xue Chan hadn't eaten much that evening because the crab was cold, and she had spent the evening playing with A-Jun and going fishing, so she must be hungry.

He asked her, "What would you like to eat? Shall we have it made?"

Xue Chan said, "It's too late now, let's not keep them busy."

“How can that be? What if you get a stomachache from being hungry?” Jiang Ce retorted.

Xue Chan thought for a moment, then grabbed his arm and laughed, "Why don't we make it ourselves? There's plenty of food in the kitchen, isn't there? We won't make anything complicated, we can just bake it on the small stove?"

Jiang Ce stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Okay."

The two followed Chu Tao and the others back with the lanterns. After everyone had left, they left only a small lantern and quietly slipped into the small kitchen.

Jiang Ce sipped a bowl of marinated goose meat and then took out two handfuls of freshly picked chestnuts from the porcelain jar.

What did you take?

"We're going to roast the goose meat."

"Barbecued meat can be greasy if you eat too much of it, how about we bring some pickled vegetables?"

Do we need to cross the water?

"No need, just slice them, wash them, and mix them with soy sauce, sweet vinegar, and salt and pepper."

Jiang Ce directly broke off a section of lotus root and a small radish into the basket, quickly sliced ​​them with a knife, put them on a plate, and then poured oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar on top as Xue Chan had instructed.

The two felt it was time to slip away when they heard footsteps outside.

They quickly hid under the stove.

Chunniang put on her clothes and peeked into the kitchen. The rustling sounds from before were gone. She assumed it was a mouse, gave a low hiss, and left.

After she left, the two "mouse" hands that had been hiding slipped away.

They closed the doors and windows and lit a small stove for brewing tea. They sat together by the fire to roast a white goose and threw a few chestnuts into the fire.

Xue Chan also swiped a small bottle of osmanthus honey wine.

The wine was refreshingly sweet, and the lotus root and radish were drizzled with sweet red vinegar, making them tender and crisp. The goose meat was roasted until golden brown, sizzling and dripping with oil, and its aroma was irresistible.

They ate and chatted quietly. The chestnuts, roasted by the fire, burst open, releasing a sweet aroma when peeled.

There was only one candle beside them. Xue Chan used small scissors to cut off a section of the wick, and the light immediately became a little brighter.

The candle flickered, dimmed for a moment, and then reignited.

The charcoal stove on the ground had long since been extinguished, and the bowls and plates had been neatly stacked.

The two did not sleep in the bed, but instead lay on the narrow couch next to each other, wrapped in blankets, and snuggled together to sleep.

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A note from the author: Friendly reminder: Do not night fish.