The conspiracy between her second aunt and uncle was brewing silently, unknown to Yun Chu. On her way home, she missed Yun Ling a little and wondered what Yun Ling would do if she were here.
Then they thought that Yunling was a businessman who knew how to be flexible and adaptable, so she would not repeat what was said in a straightforward manner like Yunling did, which made everyone unhappy and in the end, she had to rush home without even having a meal.
Yunling must have a way to shut up her second aunt and prevent Zhang from being wronged. Why doesn't she have such an ability?
The more Yun Chu thought about it, the deeper her longing for Yun Ling became. She hadn't seen Yun Ling for a long time and didn't know when the girl would return. For the first time, she hoped that the days would pass quickly so that she could see Yun Ling sooner.
**
Yunling lived a leisurely life in Bianjing. She would lie on a recliner, listening to the lively firecrackers outside, occasionally hearing the sounds of arguments and disputes in the streets and alleys, and watching the ever-changing snow scene in the courtyard. The days passed by little by little.
As the Lantern Festival approached, heavy snow began to fall from the sky.
But it seemed unable to dampen the enthusiasm of the people. Before dawn, the streets and alleys were filled with the crackling sound of firecrackers, followed by the smell of burning paper money, mixed with a hint of sweetness.
Yunling couldn't sleep, so she put on her coat and went to the kitchen.
Tang Ling was already busy in the kitchen. When she saw Yun Ling arrive, she greeted her with a smile.
"Young lady, may you have a peaceful and healthy Lantern Festival."
"Tang Ling, may the Lantern Festival be peaceful and healthy. What are you doing?"
"Today is the Lantern Festival. According to custom, we should eat sweet glutinous rice balls with lactose. Eating them will bring good luck throughout the year."
Yunling watched as Tang Ling broke off small pieces of the kneaded glutinous rice flour, then added a small grain of brown sugar and wrapped them up. Just watching it made Yunling's throat feel sweet and cloying.
"This candy is so sweet it's almost cloying."
Tang Ling giggled:
"It's not just sweet; the sugar is secondary. The soup for these lactose dumplings also needs to be made with honey-preserved osmanthus flowers. It tastes sweet and delicious."
Just listening to Tang Ling's description made Yun Ling's throat feel nauseous, so she quickly stopped.
"Tang Ling, can we make some savory ones? Savory glutinous rice balls are delicious too."
Tang Ling paused, tilted her chin slightly, thought for a moment, and then suddenly exclaimed excitedly:
“Yes, yes, Mr. Lu brought back some dried seafood and dried shiitake mushrooms from the trading company before the holiday. I can use white radish to make a savory soup base. Just don’t put brown sugar in these glutinous rice balls.”
"Uh-huh!!"
Yunling nodded emphatically; she absolutely loved salty and savory things.
But then she thought of Lu Yinghuai. She hadn't seen him much lately, and wondered if he was unwell or something. Yunling decided to take this opportunity of eating dumplings to ask him about it.
"Tang Ling, are these lactose dumplings ready? If you can eat them, I'll go call the young master."
"Young Master? Does the young lady need him? He left before you arrived."
A hint of disappointment flashed in Yunling's eyes. For some reason, something felt off.
"He went out so early?"
"Yes, it seems the business will open on the eighth day of the first lunar month. He said he has a lot to do, so he naturally wants to go early."
Yunling felt even more disappointed. How could Tang Ling know something that she herself had never known?
But she couldn't maintain this mood for long. As soon as Tang Ling started preparing the dried seafood, her mind was completely drawn to it. She didn't know much about Lu Yinghuai or Pei Lin; all she wanted was to enjoy herself.
Pei Lin, who was in the room, was also not feeling well. He could hear Yun Ling's voice, but he didn't want to face her so soon.
He paced back and forth in the room, his heart pounding with each step. When he finally thought of confessing his feelings to Yunling, he clutched his chest in anxiety to calm himself.
He was so nervous that the closer it got, the more anxious he became. This phenomenon was inexplicable, uncontrollable, and something he couldn't suppress even if he wanted to.
Pei Lin lay back down in bed, his lips trembling incessantly, muttering something unintelligible. Afraid that people outside might hear, he pulled the blanket over his head again. Now, his heart was pounding like thunder, deafening him.
He couldn't take it anymore, so he threw off the covers, put his feet on the ground, walked to the table, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and gulped it down. After a shiver, his heart calmed down.
Taking advantage of this calm, he quickly organized his words and thought of some things to make himself happy. In this way, he gradually passed the majority of the day.
As dusk approached, he took a deep breath, opened the door, and saw Yunling, Tangling, and Gangzi sitting outside the kitchen eating silkworm rice. Upon seeing Yunling, his heart, which had just regained its composure, immediately became chaotic.
"Hey, you shorty, you've been staying in your room all day long these days, you wouldn't be doing something shady, would you?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? You...you...why are you still wearing men's clothes? It's so ugly. Didn't you buy women's clothes before the New Year? Go and put them on."
"Hmm... I think wearing men's clothes is quite comfortable. I'm used to wearing them, and it's getting dark, so there's no need to change into new clothes and save the trouble of washing them."
Pei Lin immediately felt a surge of resentment. He walked to Yun Ling's side, grabbed the back of her collar, and said seriously:
"Have you forgotten what you promised me on New Year's Eve?"
"It was just going for a stroll around Zhouqiao with you, I remember it."
"Then hurry up and change into women's clothes. I don't want to go out with someone as ugly as you, lest someone recognize me and ruin my reputation."
Gangzi's face immediately fell. What the hell? Grabbing his boss by the back of his collar was bad enough, but now he was even mocking his boss for being ugly. Damn it, he wasn't exactly good-looking himself, yet he dared to insult others!
Gangzi wanted to confront Pei Lin, but Tang Ling pressed his foot down under the table, signaling his intention, and he stopped himself. However, his face remained dark as he looked at Pei Lin. He knew he would not let Pei Lin off the hook if he did anything else.
"Hey, you little rascal, you've asked me to go shopping on the Lantern Festival and made me wear women's clothes. Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a crush on me and want to confess your feelings to me, would you?"
"How is that possible???"
Pei Lin, caught off guard, shrieked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His heart was pounding with anxiety; it felt like it would jump out of his chest and he couldn't catch it.
"You...you...you're overthinking it, aren't you? Huh? You think I'd fall for someone as lazy as you, with short legs, and who loves coriander? Don't be ridiculous. If word got out, wouldn't that just make us a laughingstock? Don't you think so?"
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