Chu Xuesong silently withdrew his hand, put down the knife and walked out.
Ye Nuan shook her head in annoyance, she didn't want to say it directly.
After the porridge was cooked, she took it directly to the terrace in the yard. Turning around, she saw Chu Xuesong helping her mother carry the washed clothes. This man was indeed very diligent. Was it because he was afraid of being disliked that he developed a people-pleasing personality?
When she brought out the fried eggs and stir-fried peanuts, Su had already hung up the clothes, and Ye Xiaohu was folding paper around Chu Xuesong.
"Come and have breakfast." Ye Nuan called out, and he brought Ye Xiaohu over here, and then sat elegantly opposite her.
Ye Nuan picked up a fried egg for Ye Xiaohu and said, "One for each of you. After that, have some peanuts. If the peanuts don't taste good, you can go to the kitchen and get some dried radish."
Ye Xiaohu nodded obediently and said to Chu Xuesong, "Sir, you can have some fried eggs too."
Chu Xuesong nodded with a smile. The Ye family didn't have a rule of not talking while eating. The three of them chatted from time to time, and there was constant laughter. Chu Xuesong, who was standing by, occasionally joined in with a few words, but even when he laughed, he didn't make any loud noises.
He is very gentle and polite.
After finishing his meal, he rushed to collect the bowls, but Ye Nuan stopped him and said, "Aren't we supposed to teach Xiao Hu? Go ahead."
The study was the first room on the north side of the second floor, its windows facing the pond and a patch of saplings in the distance. It was already filled with books borrowed from Qi Wuze, and the desk, brush, inkstone, and paper were all ready. He only needed to bring someone up.
Ye Xiaohu had previously been taught by his mother, learning while playing, which wasn't formal enough. Once he switched to a teacher, he immediately became more disciplined, sitting at the table and listening attentively. After cleaning up the kitchen, Ye Nuan went upstairs to listen for a while, and the more she listened, the more satisfied she became.
This person's lectures were very interesting, he would quote classics and relate them to everyday life. He would also interact with Xiaohu and guide him very well. Xiaohu listened with great interest and even asked many questions.
Ye Nuan walked down the stairs quietly and ran into her mother. Su pointed upwards and asked in a low voice, "How is it?"
"That's right." She also lowered her voice and pulled her mother out. "This teacher is right. Xiaohu was able to ask questions just now and listened attentively."
Su smiled and said, "That's good. He seems to be a good person. But time will tell. Take my mother's experience as a lesson. Don't fall for him."
here we go again!
Ye Nuan was helpless: "Mom, the farm has just started, I don't mean that!"
Su was worried and said, "That's right. You own a farm now, after all. It's normal for him, a mere scholar exiled to the wilderness, to want to rely on you, just like your father married me. Even if he wants to seduce you, don't be easily tempted."
"Mom, what's the point of hooking up? He's a man who wouldn't do such a thing." Ye Nuan was both angry and amused, pushing the man out. "Didn't you say you wanted to soak beans? Then go quickly. I'm still waiting to grind the soy milk."
Su chuckled lightly: "You think I'm nagging, but you'll know later that mother is right."
Ye Nuan pushed the person away and walked out with the basket in her hand. Chu Xuesong stood on the second floor and looked out. He caught a glimpse of her slim figure out of the corner of his eye, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
During this period, she deliberately slowed down the growth of plants and animals and increased the planting area. She planted soybeans, wheat, sesame, sorghum, rapeseed, peanuts, sweet potatoes, potatoes outside the farm, and also tried to plant some rice inside the farm.
The paddy fields were right next to the pond, so water could be easily drained in. Trees were planted on the dams between the other crops. Besides the poplars and willows that provided shade, fruit trees were the most common.
Apples, oranges, chestnuts, longans, and all the vegetables are planted in the yard, with an astonishing variety.
Winter was only a month away, and even with the spiritual spring, many crops would freeze to death. Unless they were allowed to grow instantly, Ye Nuan didn't want that, so she had to plant more. Besides sending some to Luomu City, she also had to keep some for herself, in case someone came to exchange food for it.
She is close to Crescent Lake. Whether it is bandits or passing caravans including the Creation Pavilion, they will come here to fetch water. Sooner or later, someone will come to do business.
The sesame seedlings had grown some tender parts, which she could pick to make sesame leaf dumplings and weed out the seedlings at the same time. She squatted in the field, wearing a straw hat, and went through the rows. When she had weeded out most of the basket, Chu Xuesong brought Ye Xiaohu down from upstairs and brought her a small stool.
The two of them also wore straw hats and followed her to weed the seedlings.
Ye Nuan asked casually: "What did you teach today?"
Ye Xiaohu answered obediently: "The teacher taught me the Three Character Classic and told me stories. He also told me to respect the elderly and love the young, and to help my sister with work. Now it's a manual labor class."
Ye Nuan was surprised and turned to look at Chu Xuesong, "Your class is really interesting."
Chu Xuesong put the sesame seedlings into the basket and said, "Didn't you say that we can't just study hard? It was Ah Nuan's advice." His voice was soft and warm, with a slightly curled ending, and the sound of Ah Nuan calling out was particularly beautiful.
As familiar as the big brother next door.
The sound of horse hooves came from afar. Ye Nuan stood up to see, muttering, "It should be City Lord Qi coming. Xiaohu, let mother put the lamb chops in to stew." Ye Xiaohu immediately ran to the yard obediently.
Chu Xuesong was still sitting in the vegetable garden, with the corners of his lips raised, and asked Ye Nuan: "Who is this City Lord Qi to Ye Nuan? You seem very happy."
Ye Nuan smiled and said, "He is my rich man." How could he not be happy?
He's also a proud and awkward local rich man!
Chu Xuesong pulled the stool behind her sideways and asked, "Are we still going to remove these sesame seedlings?"
"No need. He has a bad temper. He must have something to say if he comes here in person."
"A Nuan knows him quite well."
Ye Nuan bent down to pick up the basket: "Well, I know him well. He is very nice and cute."
cute?
Chu Xuesong had never heard of this word being used to describe a man, let alone a tall and ruffian-like man like Qi Wuze.
He bent his knuckles slightly, and a small stone hit Ye Nuan's knee. Ye Nuan's leg went numb, and she fell to the ground. Chu Xuesong helped her up and asked, "Are your legs numb from squatting for so long?"
Why is only one leg numb? Ye Nuan was puzzled. Chu Xuesong said, "You should sit down for a while before getting up. I'll carry the basket."
Ye Nuan nodded and sat down following his hand. Then the stool flipped over and she fell back, pressing on the person behind her.
Chu Xuesong took a deep breath and endured the pain, saying, "A Nuan, you're pressing on my stomach."
Ye Nuan was flustered and apologized repeatedly. In the chaos, she heard Qi Wuze's angry shout: "What are you doing?" Then she was pulled up and slid in front of the tall man.
Qi Wuze narrowed his eyes slightly, and his dark pupils stared at Chu Xuesong on the ground as coldly as the north wind and the icy river.
"Hey, City Lord Qi, let go first." Ye Nuan came back to her senses and saw Chu Xuesong lying on the ground holding his stomach, his face pale. She quickly reached out to pull him.
"Xiaobai, I'm sorry, get up quickly!"
noob?
Qi Wuze felt unbalanced. Why should he be called City Lord Qi and this guy be called Xiaobai?
Realizing his own misstep, he softened his expression, let go of Ye Nuan, and then stuffed the basket into her hands again. "You're so clumsy, you carry the basket and go first. I'll pull him."
Ye Nuan felt a little embarrassed. She really didn't expect that she could even fall over while sitting on a stool.
"Well, Xiaobai's stomach still hurts, so could you please bring back the two stools on the ground as well?"
Qi Wuze looked at her with his teeth clenched. Ye Nuan thought he was unwilling and bent down to take it, but her hand was pushed away. "Why are you so troublesome, woman? Go away, I'll take it."
Ye Nuan left first with the basket. Qi Wuze stood there, looking Chu Xuesong up and down, and asked casually, "Are you the pale-faced scholar?"
Chu Xuesong smiled bitterly: "Can you pull me up first?"
Qi Wuze said disdainfully: "It's not like he's missing any limbs, why would a man live if he's so weak!"
Chu Xuesong: No wonder Wei Qian always says he has a bad mouth, it’s true!
Just as he was about to get up, Qi Wuze pushed him down again. The sunlight was a bit dazzling, but Chu Xuesong was good-tempered and didn't lose his temper. He asked in confusion, "City Lord Qi, didn't you let me get up?"
Qi Wuze bent down to straighten Ye Nuan's stool, then sat down with a majestic posture, his long legs stretched out in black boots, his jawline tense as he frowned, sizing up Chu Xuesong's overly handsome face. He asked, "What's her name? Where are you from? What's your purpose in approaching her?"
It looked like he was interrogating a criminal!
Chu Xuesong half-sat up with his hands, patting the mud stains on the hem of his white clothes. Although his posture was obviously awkward, he was still as elegant as jade.
"My name is Chu Bai, from Lin'an, Qingzhou. I was exiled here and was fortunately saved by A Nuan. A scholar must repay a favor, and I should repay the favor of saving my life with my own body."
Qi Wuze sneered: "Don't be so picky with me. Promise yourself to me? I think you want to live off me. Boy, living off me is not a good habit."
He had saved Ye Nuan and the Ye family many times. If she was to make a promise, it should have been made to him first. What did this kid have to do with it?
Chu Xuesong's face remained calm, without any embarrassment of being humiliated as a scholar. He said softly, "A Nuan is willing to let me eat. Look, the fire is lit in the kitchen and she is cooking."
Qi Wuze turned around to look and saw smoke rising from the courtyard. This person was clearly provoking him. He returned his gaze to Chu Xuesong and raised an eyebrow to ask, "Chu in Chu Xuesong's name?"
Chu Xuesong's heart skipped a beat, then he calmed down and said, "I don't know what Chu you are talking about, but I know Chu clearly, the white one."
Qi Wuze looked at him again, his eyes moving to his fingertips. Chu Xuesong's wrist was tense, and he tried to soften his palm. He smiled and said, "If City Lord Qi continues to talk, I'm afraid Ah Nuan will come and call again."
Qi Wuze ignored him and sneered, "Open your palm and take a look."
Chu Xuesong cooperated by spreading out his hands. His palms were covered with thin calluses and even had a few blisters. He said casually, "I've never done farm work before, so blisters appear whenever I do. But it's no big deal."
Who cares whether you are in the way or not? Qi Wuze stood up, picked up the stool at his feet and said, "Carry your own stool." He lifted Ye Nuan's stool onto his shoulder, strode along the path to the yard.
Chu Xuesong sneered, picked up the stool and followed him slowly.
Ye Nuan brewed some scented tea and put it outside, then called out, "City Master Qi, I brewed some scented tea. Please sit down first."
Why City Lord Qi again? Qi Wuze was not happy with this title. He stopped Ye Nuan and said, "Don't be so busy yet. Come over here and tell us how to dig the trench and bury the bamboo tube."
Qi Wuze was followed by more than a dozen people, including soldiers from the city as well as specially invited craftsmen and farmers.
Ye Nuan wiped her hands and walked towards them. She briefly explained the trench she was going to dig and said, "Tie the bamboo tubes tightly together to prevent water leakage, and bury them directly in the yard." She had already asked Feng Dazhu to make the piston, so they could be installed and used when the time came.
Among the dozen or so people, three were experienced farmers. After listening to her and discussing for a while, they said, "Okay, we'll ask if we don't understand."
While the others were busy, Ye Nuan's eyes fell on the vegetable basket beside her and she asked in surprise, "Is there fish in the basket?"
This basket was lent to Qi Wuze before. Inside it was a long wooden basin with more than a dozen fish crammed into it.
Qi Wuze's face regained its usual lazy and frivolous expression, "Didn't you say you wanted to return the basket and catch some fish by the way?" Desert fish is a rare species, there are only a few of them in the City Lord's Mansion, and he took them all.
When Ye Xiaohu heard that there was a fish, he ran over to take a look. Seeing the lively fish, he said excitedly, "Brother Thigh, you are so awesome. Can I touch it?" He asked while stretching out his hand.
Ye Nuan grabbed them and said, "Don't touch them. Put them in the pond. In two months, there will be plenty of fish to eat."
Ye Xiaohu thought he would have fish to eat today, but when he heard his sister say that, his face fell. Chu Xuesong walked up to him and asked, "Xiaohu, do you like fishing?"
Ye Xiaohu nodded immediately.
"How about we put the fish in the pond now and come fishing in the winter?"
"Well, hurry up, let's release the fish." Ye Xiaohu was happy now.
Qi Wuze was unhappy and thought to himself: Do you think you can catch the fish I brought?
I also secretly thought that when the fishing season came, I would bring a large group over, surround all the fish ponds, and kill them all in one fell swoop!
Ye Nuan looked at her brother and Chu Xuesong and smiled. Qi Wuze's eyes fell on her face, with a look of displeasure. He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and put it in front of her, raising his voice and saying, "This is the design of the windmill, and the farm tools you asked for. Take a look."
The paper was almost touching her face. Ye Nuan leaned back, reached out to take it, glanced at it, and walked into the yard. The two of them sat down on the small table on the terrace. Seeing this, Su immediately brought out paper and pen and placed them in front of them.
Ye Nuan pointed to a spot and asked, "Can this be ground a little finer?"
Qi Wuze leaned over to take a look, his gaze lingering on her round fingertips. "It's possible, but are you sure you want to do it this way? Draw another diagram of the axis of this windmill, with the dimensions here."
Ye Nuan was a little embarrassed. It was really difficult to paint with a brush.
"I'll try."
She hunched over her desk, meticulously crafting each stroke. Her raven-black hair cascaded across her shoulders, a few strands sliding onto the back of her hand. The black was pure, the white delicate. Qi Wuze stared at the hair moving across her hand, his heart pounding.
"This stroke is wrong." A well-proportioned hand reached out from the side and covered the back of Ye Nuan's hand. With a light stroke of the pen tip, the details that she had been unable to draw well were easily drawn out.
Ye Nuan said excitedly, "That seems to be enough." She looked up at Qi Wuze, "Look, isn't it much clearer now?"
Qi Wuze's pupils shrank sharply, and his cold gaze slowly moved up from Chu Xuesong's hand to his smiling face. Chu Xuesong also met his gaze and smiled gently: "What's wrong with City Lord Qi?"
Then, under Ye Nuan's shocked gaze, Qi Wuze grabbed Chu Xuesong and ran away. He walked out of the yard, jumped on his horse, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Ye Nuan, still holding a pen and paper, stared at the two men and the horse as they disappeared. Su heard the noise and ran out, wondering, "Where is Master Qicheng?"
Ye Nuan pointed outside, "He ran away with Xiaobai!"
"Ah?" Su couldn't believe it. "He took Xiaobai and ran away?"
"Um."
"Mom, what do you think they are going to do?"
Ye Xiaohu ran out in a hurry and shouted, "They must be going out to play. Woohoo, I want to go too."
Ye Nuan felt that this person was definitely not just there for fun.
The sky was azure, vast and lofty. Qi Wuze ran furiously for a hundred miles, until all he could see was scorched earth. Only then did he stop and throw Chu Xuesong against the hard red rock. The broken black gold blade pierced Chu Xuesong's right wrist, severing a section of his plain white sleeve.
He sneered, "Did you do this on purpose?"
Chu Xuesong was puzzled: "What did City Lord Qi say?"
"City Lord Qi seems jealous. Do you like Ah Nuan?"
Qi Wuze denied: "I just can't stand you holding a girl's hand casually." He always stretched out his hand and waited for Ye Nuan to put it on her own. How could this pale-faced scholar do that? He would just take action without saying a word. He was simply courting death.
Chu Xuesong exerted force, and his sleeve ripped. He didn't care at all and chuckled, "So City Lord Qi doesn't like Ah Nuan? I can tell City Lord Qi directly that I like Ah Nuan, very much, and she will definitely like me in the future."
Qi Wuze felt very depressed and wanted to smash the face in front of him and chop him into pieces. "Who allowed you to like her? She will never like you in the future!" She likes me.
Chu Xuesong's eyes suddenly turned cold. "City Lord Qi is so overbearing. He doesn't like Ah Nuan, and he doesn't allow her to like others. If you don't know, you would think it's her father."
Provoking him didn't work, Qi Wuze sneered: "I'm your father!"
"Watch your hands, otherwise..." He punched Chu Xuesong hard on the stomach that had been pressed before, and Chu Xuesong's face twisted for a moment.
"Don't worry, there won't be any bruises."
Qi Wuze jumped on the horse and said with a smile, "Don't feed the wolves before you go back!" Then he squeezed the horse's belly hard and quickly disappeared from Chu Xuesong's sight.
Chu Xuesong touched his belly and smiled happily, his smile was like a madman, "Being tough is not a good quality. People always regret it when they lose something. Humph... City Lord Qi..." His eyes fell on the wolves that were slowly approaching not far away, and his smile suddenly became cruel.
A Nuan, please fall in love with me quickly!
He couldn't wait any longer!
Ye Nuan sneezed violently. Seeing Qi Wuze rushing back alone, she asked in surprise, "Where's Xiaobai?"
Qi Wuze was dissatisfied: "He has no name or surname? Call him Chu Bai."
Ye Nuan: "Where's Chu Bai?"
Qi Wuze felt a lump in his throat and scoffed, "He said the wilderness had beautiful scenery and he wanted to go for a stroll." He walked past Ye Nuan and asked, "Where does Chu Bai live?"
Ye Nuan followed him and said anxiously, "Nice scenery? What kind of scenery can there be in the wilderness? There are wild beasts outside. It's very dangerous to leave him there alone."
"Where does he live?"
Ye Nuan didn't want to answer him and turned to walk out. Now that he had passed her test and arrived at Yunjian Farm, he couldn't let anything go wrong.
Qi Wuze stood there and watched her walk out, feeling sour and uncomfortable in his heart. Su called him several times but he didn't respond.
He sat on the terrace in the yard, and soon stood at the gate of the yard, and soon walked to the edge of the pond. Half an hour later, he finally saw Ye Nuan coming back with Chu Xuesong, who was in a miserable state and had bloodstained clothes.
Qi Wuze: “.” He felt a little bad.
Ye Nuan passed by him without saying a word, not even a glance. Then she helped him directly to the small wooden building, left a bottle of golden wound medicine for Chu Xuesong, and asked softly: "Can you handle it yourself? If not, I'll let Xiaohu come in to help."
Chu Xuesong smiled gratefully, "Yes."
Just as Ye Nuan was about to leave, he said, "Ah Nuan, don't blame City Lord Qi. He didn't leave me there on purpose. He did warn me about the wolves, but I was just unlucky and happened to run into one."
He leaned against the soft pillow, his face pale and his voice weak. Even in this situation, he was still thinking about others. What a kind-hearted person he was, which made Qi Wuze look impulsive and evil.
People are all made of flesh and blood, and will tend to favor the weak.
Chu Xuesong waited for her reaction.
Ye Nuan looked at him, her brows furrowed little by little: Why does the taste of tea feel so strong?
Her eyes weren't gentle, but rather held an indescribable darkness. Then they softened again, and she said seriously, "I know him very well. I know what kind of person he is. He wouldn't intentionally kill anyone. No matter what past conflicts you had, I want you to know that I trust him with everyone else."
This reaction was not what he expected!
Chu Xuesong's hands were slightly bent at his side, his expression a little hurt. He held the medicine bottle without saying a word. It was not until Ye Nuan closed the door and left that his drooping brows curved up and he muttered to himself: "I got hurt in vain. If I had known earlier, I should have been gentler!" He was still too hasty!
This woman is so difficult!
From now on, he will treat her very well, very well, so well that he will squeeze Qi Wuze out!
Ye Nuancai closed the door and faced Qi Wuze's hesitant gaze. She curved her eyebrows and smiled, deliberately changing the subject, "We haven't finished the drawing just now, let's continue."
She lifted her skirt and walked to the low table and sat down, then picked up her brush and asked as she drew, "Come over and take a look, is this okay?"
The warm sun shone on her fair face, and her eyes were clear and bright as she looked at him, yet she didn't ask a single question about what had just happened. The more indifferent she was, the more bitter Qi Wuze felt in his heart.
He suddenly asked, "Are you blaming me?"
Ye Nuan shook her head: "No."
Qi Wuze didn't believe it. He sneered, "You don't know what's good for you!" He turned around and walked out, then ran away like a gust of wind.
Ye Nuan: “.”
City Lord Qi doesn't seem like City Lord Qi anymore. He has always been calm and composed, so why is he so impulsive today?
Su was carrying the dishes to the main hall. Seeing Qi Wuze leaving again, she hurriedly asked, "A Nuan, is City Lord Qi going crazy?"
Ye Nuan held her forehead and waved to her mother. Su came closer in confusion.
She lowered her voice and said, "Mom, let me be honest, I think City Lord Qi might like me!"
Su: “.”
Women's sixth sense is very accurate. Qi Wuze may really like her a little bit, but it may also be because there is no room for two tigers in one mountain and his possessiveness is at work.
Su chuckled and patted her shoulder with relief, "You can be a little more shameless."
Ye Nuan was baffled by her laughter. "Can they be even more shameless? They both like me, and then they get jealous of each other. City Lord Qi drags the guy out and beats him up, and Chu Bai comes back to act pitiful?"
Su: "...Maybe it's true."
Ye Nuan sneered and put away the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone on the table. "Come on, I'm not that arrogant. I like many things. Maybe they like many other things. It's not like they have to have me."
Being well fed is the most important thing in the wilderness. She hasn't even become the richest person in the wilderness yet, so why would she want to fall in love!
Qi Wuze rushed back to the City Lord's Mansion and immediately sent someone to find Gao Zangfeng. There had been no bandits recently, so Gao Zangfeng had been enjoying his free time. He was taking a nap when he heard the City Lord was looking for him urgently, and he ran over without even tying his belt.
He asked anxiously, "City Lord, didn't you go to Yunjian Farm? Why are you back?"
Qi Wuze was holding back his anger, and when he saw that his shoes were on backwards, he scolded him, "Put your shoes on properly!"
Gao Zangfeng put on his clothes in a hurry.
He then asked, "How was the investigation of Chu Bai last time I asked you to do?"
Gao Zangfeng laughed heartily and patted his chest, saying, "City Lord, I've found out this time that among the exiled criminals there is indeed a man named Chu Bai, from Lin'an, Qingzhou. I'm not sure about the others, but I found Miss Ye's family."
"Her father is Ye Ling, the Grand Secretary of Ye, the biological father of the current Noble Lady Ye. When Miss Ye was young, she was betrothed to the Fourth Prince, the current Emperor. Later, she was disfigured and exiled for poisoning Noble Lady Ye."
Qi Wuze's anger grew even worse. "She was betrothed to the current emperor? She likes the current emperor? He actually made her face look like that!"
Gao Zangfeng pondered, "I think it's very likely, otherwise how could she poison Lady Ye. No, Miss Ye is such a good person, she must have been framed. If I were to say, Lady Ye is such a worthless person, she even stole my sister's man..."
He was still nagging, and Qi Wuze rubbed his forehead and cursed, "Get lost!"
Gao Zangfeng quickly shut up and left.
"return."
Then he rolled back.
"Don't mention this to anyone, keep it to yourself!"
Gao Zangfeng responded quickly, and seeing that the city lord looked unhappy, he tried to run away.
"return!"
Gao Zangfeng: “.” Is he the ball?
Qi Wuze hesitated and felt a little embarrassed. After a long while, he asked, "Do you think she likes me?"
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