Chapter 814 is because of him

Song Chunxue got up and picked up the bowl lid first, even Da Shun, who was standing at the door, was not as fast as her.

"Have you been busy lately?" Song Chunxue wiped the bowl lid and placed it next to Xie Zheng. "You seem to have lost some weight compared to before."

Lord Xie shook his head, "It's alright, not too busy."

He tore off a chicken leg and handed it to Song Chunxue, "Have you seen the child?"

"Yes, I've seen him."

Although they chatted for a long time and hugged on the mountain last night, they still felt awkward and unfamiliar with each other because they hadn't seen each other for many days.

It's strange, why do I feel this way? Song Chunxue wanted to laugh several times.

When the food was served, Song Chunxue was surprised to find that dinner consisted of potato dumplings, with a flavorful sauce made from ground peppers and roasted chili peppers, along with wild vegetables mixed with minced garlic and a large plate of braised pork knuckle, all of which smelled very appetizing.

Song Chunxue took a bite. "Did they change chefs?"

"Yes, we've changed to a chef who used to work at a big local restaurant. Although he's getting on in years, he can still cook simple dishes. What do you think of the taste? Does it suit your palate?"

Song Chunxue stood up and looked at Wu Bing and Da Shun standing outside the door.

"You all go down and eat. I'll call you if I need anything."

"yes."

Song Chunxue closed the door and turned to walk towards Xie Zheng.

Xie Zheng looked up at her, his expression slightly flustered. He couldn't help but lower his head to avoid her gaze, but he quickly forced himself to meet her eyes again.

"What's wrong?"

Song Chunxue sat down in front of him and placed her hand on the back of his hand. "Why did you change the chef? What if you don't like the food?"

"I……"

"It was clearly my fault first, and I should be the one making amends and seeking reconciliation. Instead, you're the one doing all this. I feel really bad about it, Lord Xie."

Xie Zheng grasped her hand in return, "It's not your fault. I wasn't trying to be nice to you, I just wanted to be good to you. You don't need to overthink it."

"Okay, let's eat." Song Chunxue picked up her bowl and chopsticks. "The rice porridge with braised pork knuckle isn't greasy at all, you should eat more."

"This was prepared especially for you. I hope you like it." Xie Zheng took a teapot from a small stove not far away. "I also brewed apricot peel tea. Drink it after you finish the meat."

Song Chunxue was touched; Lord Xie was comforting her in his own way.

She said no more, ate two bowls of potato dumplings, most of a braised pork knuckle, and a large pot of apricot tea.

This tea was so good at cutting through the greasiness that she eventually even scraped the tendons off the pork knuckle bone and ate it.

Although they were chatting and laughing, compared to before, she felt that Lord Xie was much more distant from her.

Suddenly, she realized where the problem lay.

Today, Xie Daren is an exceptionally upright gentleman, so well-behaved that it's unbelievable. He's even very careful when holding hands, and there are no other intimate gestures.

Although they kissed yesterday.

But after the bowls and chopsticks were taken away, he neither changed his clothes nor went to the narrow kang (heated brick bed), and remained sitting at the table talking.

Does he have some concerns?

Song Chunxue was a little confused, and couldn't help but wonder if Lord Xie, like her, would feel resentment after the monk appeared.

Although he was reluctant to part with her at the moment, the appearance of that person made him think of the past.

After all, Song Chunxue had been married to that person for over ten years.

Having questions in her mind, Song Chunxue didn't hide them.

"Are you sitting so upright because you look down on me?"

Xie Zheng was taken aback, then quickly shook his head, "No, why do you say that?"

"It's nothing," Song Chunxue smiled. "Have you been practicing swordsmanship these days? Shall we go to the backyard to digest our food?"

"Okay." Xie Zheng stood up. "I'll go change my clothes."

Song Chunxue picked out the most suitable sword for him from the box in his storage ring; it was a longsword with cloud patterns.

Because Xie Zheng has been cultivating and practicing swordsmanship for the past two years, he has formed a pact with the spirit of the artifact without needing to say anything about delivering goods or maintaining the artifact.

"Such a precious sword, you just gave it to me so easily?" Xie Zheng was delighted with it. "It seems you really gained a lot from this trip. You know, many cultivators spend their entire lives struggling to find a weapon that suits their needs, let alone a sword with a spirit."

"Actually, there's a better one, but Lord Xie and I felt it was more suitable for Senior Brother, so..."

Xie Zheng patted her on the back and whispered in her ear, "Am I the kind of person who's petty and jealous?"

"I can barely handle this sword, let alone a more powerful one. It would be a waste for me to use it." Xie Zheng held the sword in one hand and her hand in the other. "I'll need Sister Song's guidance later."

...

The second son, Jiang Yehui, knocked on the door of the third son, Jiang Yejun.

The two brothers closed the door and drank tea with solemn expressions.

After a long while, the second son asked, "Do you know why Mother has been back for several days but has been hiding in the mountains and not seeing anyone?"

Sanwa nodded, "I know."

The second son frowned. "You're trying to hide this from me?"

Sanwa poured him some tea. "Would you like some cooked watermelon noodles?"

"You even made cooked noodles?" The second son asked in surprise, knowing that this dish was not easy to make. "Who made it?"

“My mother-in-law made it. She had a millstone carved into the mountain, and when she had free time, she would tie a donkey to it and push the millstone.”

As he spoke, the third brother lifted the handkerchief covering the porcelain bowl, put a spoon in, and handed it to the second brother.

The cooked noodles they eat are made from wheat, which is all flour and has no bran. But to eat cooked noodles, they must first be stir-fried and then ground twice to make them finer and taste better.

For cooked noodles to taste good, sugar must be added.

It's not a particularly expensive dish; its value lies in the complex preparation process.

They ate it twice when they were little, but their mother was too busy and never made it again.

The second child scooped a spoonful and put it in his mouth, pursing his lips and chewing slowly. It was dry, but the taste was familiar and fragrant.

Just as he was about to have a sip of tea to soothe his throat, Sanwa presented him with a half-slice of watermelon, inside which was a copper spoon.

After calling for a while, making sure no watermelon would spray out while speaking, the second child asked curiously, "Where did you get this watermelon from?"

Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any watermelons this season, and even if there were, eating them would easily cause diarrhea.

"I bought it before and stored it in the cellar with some ice. It hasn't spoiled, so you can eat it without worry," Sanwa said with a smile. "It's just diarrhea. It'll be cleared up in less than an hour. It won't affect my work tomorrow."

Who is being talked about?

The second son picked up a copper spoon, scooped out a big mouthful of watermelon, and put it in his mouth. He then scooped up half a spoonful of cooked noodles and put them in his mouth as well. Mmm, it tasted just like when I was a kid.

It's very pleasant.

But he didn't forget his real reason for coming to find Sanwa.

"You're good at changing the subject, aren't you? What's wrong with Mom?" The second son cut off a few pieces of watermelon. "Can I have the other half?"

Sanwa laughed, "Is it for Second Sister-in-law? I can't accept half, I'll pick out a whole one for you, a sweet one."

"Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?" the second brother urged. "I need to get back as soon as possible."

He had only been married a short time and wanted to stay with his bride after returning from the yamen. He only came to find Sanwa tonight because he felt something was amiss.

"Did you meet a monk the other day?" Sanwa asked bluntly. "Did he speak to you?"

“A monk?” The second brother thought carefully. “I think I’ve run into him on the street before. He looks… kind of familiar.”

“It’s because of him,” Sanwa said gently. “Don’t tell anyone else. According to Lord Xie, that man is our father.”

"Cough cough cough, cough cough..."