Chapter 45 The Days Grow Longer "You're definitely up to something again."...
Early in the morning, the weather gradually warmed up.
Because she was worried about Xue Chan, Cheng Huaizhu arrived early in the morning.
But today she slept for an unusually long time, and hadn't gotten up even though the courtyard was bathed in the bright sunlight.
Did she sleep well last night?
Cheng Huaizhu tiptoed in and asked Yun Sheng, who was organizing books, but received a shake of her head in response.
"Although things have stabilized a bit, I tossed and turned almost all night, and only managed to fall asleep around dawn."
Upon hearing Yun Sheng's words, Cheng Huaizhu calculated and said, "Then he has only slept for less than two hours."
"That's right..."
Seeing her furrowed brows, she couldn't help but sigh.
There was another sound of voices outside. When Yun Sheng opened the door, Chu Tao and Ying Yue were huffing and puffing as they carried a bamboo basket up the stone steps. Perhaps it was too heavy, because the two of them dropped it, and the bamboo basket crashed heavily to the ground, the sound making the door shake.
Yun Sheng quickly went out and left the door slightly ajar: "What are you two doing carrying bamboo baskets so early in the morning?"
Chu Tao said, "It's not that we wanted to move it; these things were sent by the Marquis of Wu'an's residence."
As soon as she mentioned it, Yun Sheng got angry: "What kind of 'treasure' did you send this time? You still think you're not going too far enough!"
Yingyue quickly covered her mouth, and Chutao put her finger out and shushed her a few times.
Yun Sheng crossed his arms: "This basket should be thrown away!"
The two men advised her, "We know you're angry, but it's not easy to refuse this. Besides, we don't even know what's inside. Let's wait for the girl to see it before making a decision."
"Since it's been delivered, just leave it there."
Xue Chan's voice came out, and only then did the group realize that the window beside them had been propped up, and she was standing in front of the window.
A short while later, the door opened. Xue Chan, dressed in a plain white robe that accentuated her slender and tall figure, walked out, her eyes filled with weariness.
Cheng Huaizhu looked at the large bamboo basket, which was a foot wide and half a foot high, and it landed with a dull thud: "What 'good stuff' has been delivered this time?"
Xue Chan: "Open it."
Chu Tao then did as she was told, lifting the lid of the bamboo basket. The sweet fragrance of fruit immediately wafted out, revealing the contents of the basket.
It was a basket of plump and large loquats.
This is not the season for loquats; it's only mid-March now, and most loquats commonly found in the market don't ripen until early summer.
But these clusters, golden and bright like golden pearls, are interspersed with emerald green leaves.
There is a small square tag on top of the fruit.
Xue Chan picked it up, and it read: "May you enjoy this much, and have good health and long life."
In the corner at the end, there is still a seal, and Cat Gentleman is bowing respectfully with his head down.
Cheng Huaizhu immediately ordered someone to wash a loquat: "At least you have a conscience. It wasn't for nothing that I shed those tears in front of Madam Zheng."
A plate of washed loquats was brought in from outside. Cheng Huaizhu pulled Xue Chan into the house, sat down, and began peeling the loquats.
The thin outer skin of the loquat was easily peeled off, revealing the bright yellow and plump flesh, with juice dripping all over her hand.
Cheng Huaizhu cut a loquat in half, removed the brown pit inside, and ate one half herself first.
The fruit pulp is cool, refreshing, and sweet when you bite into it.
"These loquats are so sweet, much sweeter than the ones in our garden."
As she spoke, she fed the other half into Xue Chan's mouth, peeling a fresh loquat as she asked with a smile, "How is it? Delicious, isn't it?"
Xue Chan nodded: "It's indeed very good."
She then instructed Yunsheng: "Divide these loquats into four portions, one for your uncle and aunt, one for Huaizhu, and the rest, except for mine, should be given to the maids to try."
Xue Chan put down the note and said, "Never mind."
Cheng Huaizhu sat to the side peeling loquats, eating one after another, her hands covered in juice: "You just forgave him like that?"
Her question puzzled Xue Chan: "It wasn't a real illness to begin with, and now that he's apologized and given me a gift, why should I keep pressing the matter?"
Mingxia soaked a silk handkerchief in water, wrung it out halfway, and handed it to Cheng Huaizhu. Cheng Huaizhu slowly wiped her hands: "Really?"
She observed Xue Chan's expression, but she remained calm and composed.
Xue Chan sat down and slowly ate the loquat that Cheng Huaizhu had peeled for her, and said softly, "Yun Sheng, go and find out when Young Master Jiang usually returns to the manor. We should thank him for such a gift."
Cheng Huaizhu spoke up: "He hasn't been at home these past few days."
Xue Chan: "Hmm?"
Cheng Huaizhu didn't look up at her, but continued peeling loquats: "When I went to the banquet, I heard that Governor Jiang, who was guarding Liangzhou, had returned to the capital. Jiang Erlang has probably gone out of the city to pick him up."
Xue Chan paused in turning the pages of the book.
Speaking of which, this Lord Jiang had done Xue Chenghuai a favor.
Ten years ago, during the battle against the Western Rong, her father was just a minor official responsible for escorting provisions. They encountered enemy forces along the way, and the officials above him were defeated by their generals, abandoning the provisions and fleeing in all directions.
Only Xue Chenghuai risked his life to lead a few people to escape and desperately escort the grain to Chaoxi City. However, due to insufficient manpower and complicated circumstances, they were unable to do so.
Just as they were getting close, they encountered Jiang Shiyu, who had come to support Chaoxi.
The supplies were delayed for several days.
In the end, Prefect Chen of Chaoxi refused to surrender and defended the city to the death, eventually committing suicide to atone for his sins. His entire family was reduced to a four-year-old son.
The emperor was furious, and Xue Chenghuai was escorted to the capital to await execution.
At the critical moment, Jiang Shiyu sent a letter to the capital. Xue Chenghuai was thus spared death and his innocence was restored.
But........
Her mother, however, had already suffered a miscarriage due to her running around, and ultimately died in childbirth right before Xue Chan's eyes.
She was seven years old at the time.
If it weren't for Jiang Shiyu, she would have lost her father as well.
Xue Chan closed her eyes, exhaled, and said, "In that case, let's have someone inquire when they will be back."
Cheng Huaizhu: "He made a mistake, and now he's atoning for it. You two are even. Why is it so important to say thank you?"
Xue Chan said calmly, "Because I am a person who knows how to repay kindness."
Cheng Huaizhu curled her lips coldly and glanced at her: "Stop pretending, I know you too well. Tell me, what exactly do you want?"
Xue Chan smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth: "Didn't I say we should repay kindness?"
Cheng Huaizhu snorted and swallowed the loquat: "You're definitely up to something again."
Xue Chan's smile grew even brighter.
——
In the evening, Jiang Ce, who had returned to his residence first, left Yi'an Hall and practiced swordsmanship with You Yu.
Before long, someone from the manor relayed a message: "Second Master, Miss Xue from the Cheng residence has sent someone."
"Huh?" Jiang Ce sheathed his sword, frowned in confusion, but still said, "Bring the men in."
The servant led in a familiar-looking maid, and Jiang Ce looked her over carefully. She was indeed Xue Chan's maid; he remembered her name was Chu Tao.
"What's wrong? Is something the matter with your daughter?"
Chu Tao curtsied and said, "Miss said that because you helped me on the Shangsi Festival, I felt sad and guilty. Loquats are precious, so I specially asked the cook to prepare a meal that is good for healing. Please enjoy it, sir."
Jiang Ce blinked. So that's how it is. He had indeed misunderstood. Feeling a little ashamed, he coughed and said, "Miss Xue is too kind. Please convey my gratitude to her."
Chu Tao stepped forward, opened the food box she had brought, and took out the food one by one, placing them on the table.
A small bowl of bitter melon rice, with crisp green bitter melon and tender spring bamboo shoots mixed together in a porcelain cup, and another plate of fresh and delicate crab roe tofu.
Chu Tao continued picking, taking out a small dish of golden-yellow and green fruits.
She said, "This is honey-preserved osmanthus apricot. The young lady said that her husband likes sweets, so she specially made this snack. It is made from freshly picked green apricots, pitted and washed, and then stuffed with honey. As for the honey-preserved osmanthus sugar, it was specially made by my master last autumn before my young lady went to the capital."
Her words made Jiang Ce feel even more guilty, and he sat at the table with his head down, remaining silent.
He was petty and used a snake to scare her, but Xue Chan was so tolerant. Even without explanation, he could see the effort she had put into preparing these dishes.
Jiang Ce was still feeling ashamed, while You Yu sat quietly on the veranda watching.
Chu Tao took out the last serving, a porcelain bowl, which she guessed contained soup.
As she opened the box, she said, "The young lady said that the weather is getting warmer and your injuries are becoming harder to heal. People in the capital tend to cook meat with strong flavors, which is not good for healing. This Heavenly Fragrance Soup is made by stewing osmanthus, vegetables, fruits, and meat together with bones, and it has a sweet and refreshing taste."
Jiang Ce said, "This soup must have been simmering for a long time, right?"
Chu Tao ladled a small bowl of soup and placed it in front of him, answering crisply, "Yes, this soup isn't greasy, but it takes a long time. Just figuring out how to remove any fishy smell from the meat and bones takes quite a while."
"Thank you," Jiang Ce immediately took the bowl of soup.
Hatsune stepped aside and said, "Please."
Looking at the dishes in front of him, which were well-balanced in terms of meat and vegetables and were made with great care, Jiang Ce didn't know where to begin.
Chu Tao lowered her head slightly and said softly, "Although I don't know what your usual habits are, Miss is used to drinking soup before meals, saying it's good for your stomach."
Jiang Ce said softly, "Is that so?"
Hatsune: "Mmm"
Since Xue Chan has this habit, he should drink the soup first.
Jiang Ce picked up the bowl of soup. The broth in the celadon bowl was clear, with a few scallions and oil floating on top. The meat and bones were clean and white, without a trace of blood. The osmanthus pieces stewed with it were crystal clear and slightly translucent. It was light but not bland.
Remembering something, he looked at Youyu, who was holding a glutinous rice ball in one hand and a glutinous rice ball in the other under the eaves, and said, "Let's eat together, consider it lunch."
Youyu got up and went out of the courtyard: "Eat by yourself, I'm going to find Ayao."
As soon as he left, Jiang Ce followed Chu Tao's advice and took a sip of the soup. The first taste was the sweetness of the vegetables and fruits, while the osmanthus melon itself had a light, unique fragrance. Together, they made the soup even more special.
This soup is really well made.
Jiang Ce immediately scooped up a piece of soft, tender meat. The meat was stewed so softly that the bones seemed to dissolve into the broth at any moment. The tender meat easily fell off the bone with a gentle touch, releasing only the aroma of meat and the sweetness of the broth, without any fishy smell.
His eyes lit up, and he scooped up another piece of meat and put it in his mouth.
The meat looked much like regular meat, except for the texture.
Jiang Ce finished his bowl of soup and then poured himself another bowl.
As he asked Chu Tao, he put a piece of meat in his mouth and said, "What kind of meat is used to stew this? It doesn't seem to be the usual kind of meat and bones."
Hatsumomo tilted her head slightly.
"Snake meat"
Jiang Ce was startled and looked up at Chu Tao. Her voice was soft, and Jiang Ce thought he must have misheard.
"What?"
She seemed honest and straightforward, but what she said was somewhat chilling.
"Have you forgotten the snake that the young master gave to the young lady a few days ago?"
It's in your bowl right now.
Jiang Ce's whole body stiffened and went numb. He was still holding the bowl of soup in his hands and was using a spoon to scoop up a piece of meat when it stopped in mid-air.
He stared at the meat, as if he could see colorful, vibrant creatures wriggling before him. His whole body went numb, but with meat still in his mouth, he felt a wave of dizziness and nausea.
"puff"
Jiang Ce turned his face away, about to vomit.
To everyone's surprise, Chu Tao became angry when she saw him like this.
"I used to think that you were young and didn't know how to get along with a young lady. My young lady has broken so many knots over that one sash. She's been beating it from afternoon until evening, and not only did you not appreciate it, you even sent a snake to scare her. She's always been weak, and this time she's been sick for several days. I thought that since you were injured, my young lady discussed it with Chunniang in the kitchen for a long time, and only sent it after she was satisfied with it herself. I didn't expect it to be like this again."
She was quite different from Yun Sheng, who always argued with her, but Chu Tao felt that the two of them were going to be husband and wife eventually, and she would speak up for Jiang Ce from time to time.
Looking back now, it really wasn't worth it.
As the little girl spoke, she couldn't help but feel wronged, both angry and aggrieved. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back.
She choked up a little and wiped away her tears herself.
"If you don't like someone, just say so directly. Why humiliate them like this? It's a real waste of my young lady's sincere feelings!"
Jiang Ce, who was about to vomit, was stunned and forgot about vomiting when he saw Chu Tao's angry and tearful appearance. So he simply swallowed it.
"I, I, I didn't! Look, I've already eaten it all!" He immediately stood up, somewhat flustered, and simply ladled out another bowl for himself, eating it all in front of her. "You have to believe me, I really didn't."
Chu Tao didn't want to argue with him, so she quickly packed up the food box, bowed, and ran out the door.
"Farewell!"
Chu Tao stormed off in a huff, leaving Jiang Ce sitting blankly at the table.
Was he being targeted and retaliated against?
Should he be angry, or not?
Yu Cong walked in and saw him looking like a wilted eggplant, half-heartedly eating honey-fried apricots and spring dishes, but he didn't touch the fragrant soup again.
He lowered his head and asked him softly.
"Is the soup good?"
Jiang Ce raised his deadpan face: "You did this on purpose."
Yu held back for a long time, first shrugging her shoulders, then bursting into laughter.
"..." Jiang Ce glared at him, picked up a piece of apricot with his chopsticks, chewed it hard, but the apricot in his mouth seemed to have no taste.
His feelings were very complicated; he understood Xue Chan less and less.
Chu Tao said that she had put so much effort into making the ribbon, and now she had put so much effort into making these vegetables.
In the south, some people eat snakes, saying it's good for their health.
Was it a coincidence? Or was it a premeditated act of revenge?
Then why did she choose to wear a sash?
Jiang Ce felt that Xue Chan was a good person at times, and a bad person at others. Sometimes she was frank, and sometimes she was fake.
Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion—what kind of person is he really?
On the same day, the results of the imperial examinations were released.
The emperor decided to hold an elegant banquet on the banks of Fuguang Pond on the seventh day of the fourth month.
When Chu Tao returned, she ran into Xue Chan and the others receiving the imperial decree in the front hall. She went back to her courtyard first and sat on the veranda, fuming, waiting for Xue Chan to return. She waited until she was almost asleep before Xue Chan and Cheng Huaizhu finally entered the house together.
Xue Chan smiled gently and said, "You've given them all?"
Chu Tao immediately complained, "That man is heartless. He brought a snake to scare the girl. And then he pretended to be afraid of snakes. It's really infuriating."
Xue Chan smiled and comforted her, "Alright, it's all alright. Yun Sheng is waiting for you to come back and play in the garden with her. Go on."
Chu Tao then stormed out in a huff.
Xue Chan and Cheng Huaizhu sat in front of the door playing cat's cradle without saying anything.
She silently observed her.
In fact, not only along the way, but ever since Xue Chan fainted from fright, she hadn't asked about this matter much.
Xue Chan knew that she was waiting for her to speak. But there was really nothing to talk about, and she wasn't actually angry.
She was not afraid of snakes, nor was she plotting revenge. Whether it was the sash or the food, it was all out of her own goodwill.
Jiang Ce is a man who is truly frustrating to do, so it's good to give him a warning.
Cheng Huaizhu finally couldn't help but ask Xue Chan, "By the way, was your Heavenly Fragrance Soup really made with snake meat?"
Xue Chan slowly raised her face, her eyebrows curving slightly.
It was almost April, and the days were getting longer. It wasn't completely dark yet; a deep blue light still shone through the window. So her face was blurred in the dim twilight, but her voice was quite playful.
"you guess"
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