Where is this?

Zheng Yan rarely spoke. Looking at the unfamiliar place before him, he couldn't help but become more vigilant.

Chuanwen chuckled, “It’s the place where my fellow villager Er Gou lives.”

She had checked on Er Gou's arrival in the capital the last time she left the palace, and even asked Sister Yue, who said he would arrive in the next few days based on his pace. Today, when she left the palace, she made a special check, and sure enough, Er Gou had arrived two days ago, and he had been stewing a pot of her favorite braised pork every day, just in case she was caught off guard and had no time to prepare.

Zheng Yan had heard Chuanwen mention this Er Gou many times, and he became curious about the man.

However, when the two arrived at the courtyard, they were dumbfounded to find that the door was locked.

Chuanwen was puzzled. When she left Tian Wanyin's house, she had specifically checked and found that Ergou was home.

Upon closer inspection, Chuanwen realized that Er Gou had gone out while she was busy looking for the way.

She sniffed the air carefully, and the faint aroma of meat wafted through the air. Chuanwen couldn't wait for Er Gou to return, and it was getting dark. She had to get back to the palace before the gates closed, so she looked at Zheng Yan.

Zheng Yan was taken aback, realizing what Chuanwen was up to, and said, "The master is not home, and it would be against the law for us to go in without permission."

Chuanwen picked up a clod of dirt and drew a little pig with a curled tail on the door, "so that Er Gou will know it's me."

Then he turned to Zheng Yan and said with a smile, "It's okay, Er Gou and I are family. We didn't break into someone else's house, we just forgot our keys when we got home."

Zheng Yan was speechless at Chuanwen's sophistry, but he became even more curious about this Er Gou, since he and Chuanwen had a good relationship.

Zheng Yan climbed over the wall and found the pot of braised pork simmering on the stove in the kitchen. He then cut it off using a rag as a mat.

When Chuanwen saw Zheng Yan climb over the wall and come out, not a drop of soup had spilled from the pot in his hand, he gave him a thumbs up. Zheng Yan smiled and said, "Eat quickly, we still need to get back to the palace as soon as possible."

As long as there's food, anything is negotiable.

Chuanwen took the chopsticks and squatted down at the door to eat. Er Gou's braised pork had a unique recipe, and it was tender yet not dry, fatty but not greasy. It was the best Chuanwen had ever eaten.

However, while he was enjoying his meal, Zheng Yan felt a little embarrassed watching from the side. Chuanwen offered Zheng Yan some, but Zheng Yan smiled and shook his head. Seeing Chuanwen's satisfied expression, he decided not to take it from her. This small casserole was probably only enough for Chuanwen alone.

Chuanwen didn't stand on ceremony with him anymore. Since he had already let him pass, hehe, the whole pot of braised pork was quickly emptied, and Chuanwen ate to his heart's content.

Zheng Yan climbed over the wall again to return the empty pot and chopsticks to the kitchen, and then the two left.

No sooner had they left than a dark-skinned boy with one eyebrow returned.

When he unlocked the door, he saw the little pig with a curled tail on it and smiled. It seemed that Xiao Wen had been here.

He unlocked the door and went inside. Sure enough, he found that the braised pork that had been warming in the kitchen was now just an empty pot. He sighed at how big Chuanwen's appetite was, put down the books he had bought, and started washing the pot and cooking rice.

When it was completely dark, Su Yue returned and saw someone setting out bowls and chopsticks in the main room. She almost didn't recognize him as her second brother. She couldn't help but come over and tug at his unibrow and dark face. "The day before yesterday you had a red face and a big beard, and today you have unibrows and a dark face?"

Su Heng then remembered that he hadn't washed his face off yet, so he told his sister to eat first while he went to get water to wash his face and ripped off his eyebrows. A clean and refreshing young man, as elegant as an orchid tree, appeared before him.

"I went out this afternoon and bought a few books. I was afraid of getting into trouble again, so I put on some makeup."

Su Heng didn't take it to heart and sat down to eat.

Su Yue sighed as well. Her family members were all good-looking, but her second brother was even more outstanding. How outstanding? He could attract a bunch of middle-aged women and young girls to look at him when he walked down the street, and many people even wanted to marry their daughters to him.

However, she looked at the four dishes on the table and asked curiously, "Why is it so lavish today?"

"I'm in a good mood." Su Heng smiled, revealing two small dimples at the corners of his mouth. He picked up a piece of food for Su Yue with his chopsticks. "Sis, you've had a long day, eat more."

Su Yue rolled her eyes at him. When wasn't she tired? He didn't cook her anything delicious every day, but she was even more curious. "What's making you so happy?"

Su Yue guessed that either he found money or it was related to Chuanwen. Although her second brother was mostly unpredictable, he was sometimes quite easy to understand.

Su Heng smiled without saying a word, and Su Yue suddenly noticed that there was no braised pork on the table today.

Since her second brother came, he has been stewing a pot of braised pork every day. Although he doesn't say it, she knows that he is stewing it for Chuanwen. However, Chuanwen has not yet come, so she is lucky enough to be able to eat delicious braised pork every day.

"Did Xiaowen come today?"

Su Yue couldn't help but ask, and Su Heng pointed to the door, "There are marks she left on the door."

A mark? Su Yue looked back at the courtyard gate she had closed, and briefly recalled that she hadn't seen any marks when she came in. But then she thought, it was dark, so she probably hadn't noticed.

Looking at her second brother, whose face was relaxed and who was clearly in a good mood, Su Yue couldn't help but sigh. How could their family be worthy of Chuanwen now? She tried to persuade her second brother gently, but he just smiled and remained silent. Su Yue was at a loss. So, while her second brother was sometimes easy to understand, he was more often hard to fathom. She didn't know if his smile meant he had listened to her advice or not.

After the meal, Su Heng cleared the dishes and told Su Yue to go and rest. Su Yue wanted to clear the dishes so that her second brother could study, since the exams would be coming up after the New Year.

Su Heng laughed and said it wouldn't make a difference, and besides, although he was a scholar, he didn't want to be a useless bookworm. Su Yue couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she went to rest. She was really tired, and having her second brother by her side made her feel much more at ease. She closed the door and fell asleep as soon as she lay down.

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