Chapter 47 Early Morning Troubles, Warm Dumplings...
August 22nd, early morning.
The backyard of Xichun Inn, next to the carriage.
Two suspicious-looking men approached the carriage; the fat one stood guard, keeping watch.
The thinner one was squatting on the ground fiddling with the carriage wheels. "What bad luck! The carriage doors and windows are all locked, and I can't see inside at all."
"What's the rush? Fix the wheels, and we'll just wait and see what happens to the kids tomorrow."
"Mr. Liu, have you made all the arrangements?"
"Don't worry..."
...
The wheels wobbled, and the wind chimes by the car door seemed to ring for a fleeting moment—
A book in the bookcase inside the car suddenly turned a page; a bouquet of flowers on the table beside the long couch swayed in the breeze; medicinal herbs on the medicine table were scattered, their fragrance wafting through the moonlight; and a whetstone on the daybed table gleamed with a cold light.
Zhang Xuan peered through the window at the two furtive figures in the backyard. The young man remained expressionless. "What are those two doing?"
Qin Tianshu suppressed his anger, flipping through books rapidly at the table. "Who knew they'd disturb my sleep so late at night? Aren't they going to sleep?!"
"His mouth stinks during the day, and he still doesn't stop at night!"
"Just wait, I'm going to beat them up!"
"You'll never get to sleep again in this lifetime!"
I've said it so many times, he's the kind of person who can't fall back asleep once he's awake. Why, why does God have to punish him in this way? Why!
Qin Tianshu looked resentful. Hearing his words, Qingyu wanted to laugh, but she also felt that those two idiots were indeed annoying. She leaned against the window and yawned, "A dark and windy night, perfect for murder and arson."
Lin Fanxiang sat on the edge of the couch, the usually gentle girl looking listless. "If the carriage is damaged, we'll have to go get it repaired tomorrow. Maybe the place where they repair the carriage is a trap."
In the stillness of the night, a time for sweet dreams, the sound of the wind chimes woke everyone up.
Qin Tianshu and Zhang Xuan's rooms had a view of the backyard, and it was cold outside, so they both came inside without prior arrangement.
It was late at night, and the group of people were too lazy to even put on their coats, but they still wanted to see what those two guys were up to. In the end, they all looked dejected when they arrived—Qin Tianshu was both dejected and cursing.
Wen Chuan sat opposite Qin Tianshu. The young man helplessly poured Qin Tianshu a glass of water. "Since you can't sleep anyway, why don't you go and see what's going on?"
Qin Tianshu frowned, his phoenix eyes filled with a lifeless rage. "I'm not going. I really can't resist going now."
He could get there and take them down, then beat them with a book.
"Why--"
Zhang Xuan couldn't help but yawn as well. He glanced at the incense clock and realized it was almost the end of the Yin hour.
"The cabbages are about to crow by now," Zhang Xuan said listlessly.
“No, Cai Cai usually crows around 7 AM,” Lin Fanxiang replied.
Cai Cai is a big lazy chicken. She loves to eat and sleep, and even her crowing is just a symbolic cry. While other chickens crow with a "cock-a-doodle-doo," Cai Cai's is—
"Ooh—ooh—tear~~~coo coo coo."
...
Qin Tianshu: "Ha, even chickens sleep more than I do."
Qingyu clicked her tongue and turned to Qin Tianshu, "Alright, if you can't sleep, count dumplings. You'll fall asleep while you're counting."
Qin Tianshu: "Isn't this an old method from Youzhou? You seem to know quite a bit about it, Qingyu."
People in the north love to eat dumplings, especially those from Youzhou. They often use dumplings as a metaphor for sleeping, and they also use them as a folk remedy for insomnia.
Qingyu frowned and waved her hand, "I don't know, Wen Chuan taught me."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuan lazily replied, "Stop talking, I'm not only sleepy now, I also want to eat dumplings."
It's true that dumplings are rarely eaten in the South. He's only had them a few times in his life. The one he remembers most vividly is the meal that Qing Shui and Wen Chuan Qing Yu had together.
Lin Fanxiang: "There seems to be a Nuannuan Dumpling Restaurant on North Street in Jizhou City. I went there yesterday afternoon."
Wen Chuan fiddled with the dry teacup on the table, and couldn't help but chuckle softly, his voice casual and lazy, "Warm Dumpling Restaurant...a pretty good name."
Using reduplicated words to describe selling dumplings, could the person be from Youzhou?
Qingyu hissed, "What do you think about us going to eat dumplings now?"
Qin Tianshu rested his chin on one hand and flipped through a book with the other, saying, "Are you crazy? It's not even dawn yet."
Lin Fanxiang glanced at Xiangzhuanzhong again, "If we wait a little longer, it will be Mao Shi (5-7 AM). I remember that sign says they open at Mao Shi."
Wen Chuan nodded, the boy's expression was indifferent, as if he had no interest, "When the sun rises at Mao Shi (5-7 AM), there will be early risers who will go to eat."
Zhang Xuan glanced outside; the two men were still huffing and puffing as they fiddled with the wheels. "Shall we go have breakfast now, and watch the sunrise?"
Lin Fanxiang nodded, "I'm fine with it."
Qingyu straightened up, her tone full of interest, "I think so too, I was just thinking of eating dumplings."
Wen Chuan stood up and walked to Qing Yu's side. In an instant, the boy's face softened, and he said with a smile, "I can too. I just can't sleep anyway."
The four of them looked at Qin Tianshu, who was almost asleep on his book.
Qin Tianshu: "..."
Let him sort out how this topic got brought up.
With a "snap," the scholar closed his book, deciding to just treat it as breakfast.
"Let's go!"
...
The night was long and dark on the north street of Jizhou City.
The boys walked side by side down the street, their conversation filled with laughter. At that moment, even the gradually brightening streetlights paled in comparison to the morning mist clinging to their shoulders.
Warm Dumpling Restaurant.
This is a small shop on the street, an unremarkable storefront with five or six tables inside.
Perhaps they arrived too early; the host had just hung up the sign signifying the opening of the business. The robust and honest-looking middle-aged man wiped his apron with his hands and smiled briskly at them.
"Hey, everyone, want to eat dumplings?"
Qin Tianshu stepped forward. "Yes, this... haven't we arrived too early?"
On the hazy street, the early-rising business owner smiled happily at the group of beautiful teenagers, "It's a bit early, but it's fine too."
"Just wait for me to set up two tables. In a little while, while you're eating dumplings, you'll be able to see the sunrise straight down this road."
Qingyu let out a soft "Wow!" and then smiled at the boss, "Really? Then we've come to the right place."
The boss laughed as he called for the people in the room to move tables, while beckoning to Qingyu and the others, "You look unfamiliar; you're not from Jizhou, are you?"
Zhang Xuan nodded, "My family is in the south. This time we are going to Youzhou to visit relatives and are passing through Jizhou City."
Qin Tianshu glanced at Zhang Xuan, then said to the boss, "You go ahead with your work, we're not in a hurry."
The owner warmly said it was no problem, and a moment later the owner's wife came out after hearing the noise, her hands still covered in dough. The owner went into the room to help.
The proprietress asked, "What kind of dumplings would you like? Today we have pork and cabbage, pork and scallion, and simple zucchini and egg dumplings. The prices are on the sign. Please order, and I'll go make them right away."
At this point, another young man and the boss came out carrying tables and benches, with a board tucked under the man's arm.
The man should be their son, and the board is the price tag, showing how much vegetarian filling there is, how much meat filling there is, and the prices for small, medium, and large portions.
Qingyu and Wenchuan exchanged a glance; Wenchuan was still holding the unconscious Cai Cai.
Qingyu said, "We'd like two medium-sized bowls of pork and cabbage."
Zhang Xuan, pulling Qin Tianshu along, hurriedly said, "Hello, ma'am, I'd like two large bowls of pork and scallion."
Qin Tianshu was both amused and exasperated. He pulled Zhang Xuan aside and said, "The portions here are large, so eat less."
Lin Fanxiang also spoke up. She first smiled politely at the proprietress, and then said, "I'd like a small bowl of zucchini and egg dumplings."
She then stopped Zhang Xuan with her eyes. Zhang Xuan pouted, and Qin Tianshu smiled at the proprietress and said, "He ate a large bowl of pork and scallion, I'll just have a medium bowl of pork and cabbage."
"Okay,"
The proprietress remembered, and she called out inside, "Three medium bowls of pork and cabbage, one small bowl of zucchini and eggs, and one large bowl of pork and scallions!"
"knew!"
The boss's deep, resonant voice came from the inner room, where the sounds of dough being kneaded could be heard. The boss and his wife's son were also busy setting up the stall and helping to make dumplings in the inner room.
In the distance, the sunlight was about to break through, and other breakfast shops were gradually opening along the roadside.
What is this? The everyday life of people in the early morning?
Qingyu rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. Wen Chuan sat beside her, occasionally glancing at her, and the two of them laughed together.
Fan Xiang sat opposite Zhang Xuan and took his pulse. Although he woke up early today, Zhang Xuan's physical condition was good, and he hadn't coughed since.
Dr. Lin nodded in satisfaction, and Zhang Xuan stopped, satisfied.
Qin Tianshu, who was sitting alone in the "main seat" (on one side of the table), stretched and opened his fan. He fanned himself a few times for no apparent reason, looked at the sky in the distance and a patch of fireworks, and sighed leisurely.
As the morning mist gradually dissipates to welcome the rising sun, wisps of smoke begin to rise and swirl around the neighborhood.
The sounds gradually grew louder, and the aroma of dumplings filled the air.
Such is the way of the world.
...
As the sun rose above the horizon, the rising steam from the dumpling soup momentarily blurred the boy's vision, unknowingly ushering in a new day for them.
Cai Cai nestled in Wen Chuan's arms. It was woken up by the smell of dumplings, but Wen Chuan usually didn't let it go down to eat. There was a lot of dust on the street, and if it walked around, it would get covered in dust again.
Wen Chuan patted its head and whispered to it that he would pack it up and take it back to the inn to eat.
Cai Cai: "Coo coo coo~"
While eating, Zhang Xuan and Qin Tianshu discussed what other delicious food and fun things there were to do in Jizhou City. Fan Xiang gently scooped up the dumplings in the dumpling soup. She ate slowly, and although it was a small bowl, it was enough to fill her up.
Qingyu ate the dumplings in silence. The dumplings had thin skins and generous fillings. The dough was chewy and fragrant, and the filling, though simple, was full of homely flavor. The dumpling soup was also very clear and warm, and it also had a hint of the original aroma of rice.
Delicious!
The girl was savoring the steaming hot dumplings of the morning, and was about to praise them when she suddenly smelled another very fragrant aroma, as if it were wafting from not far away.
It smells so good...
It smells like flowers.
After swallowing a dumpling, she casually asked, "Can you smell anything?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuan sniffed, "No, it seems like all we smell in this area is dumplings."
Qingyu put down her chopsticks, her expression somewhat puzzled. She seemed to know what that tasted like.
Wen Chuan looked at her from the side, "What's wrong?"
Qingyu shook her head, then suddenly smiled, looking somewhat bewildered.
Qin Tianshu glanced at her. "Get to the point. What did you smell?"
Qingyu gave a soft "Hey," her relaxed demeanor tinged with a smile, and said softly, "There are monsters in this Jizhou City."
It's another interesting great demon.
Zhang Xuan, still eating dumplings, looked at Qing Yu with a puzzled expression. After swallowing the last bite, he said casually, "You always had them."
Qingyu: "..."
Lin Fanxiang, who was standing to the side, had also finished eating. She looked at Zhang Xuan gently and asked, "Are you full?"
Zhang Xuan shook his head; he hadn't finished eating yet.
Lin Fanxiang nodded knowingly, her smile gentle, "Then eat more."
Qin Tianshu patted him on the shoulder, "Finish eating before you talk."
After saying that, he looked at Qingyu and said, "I really didn't feel it. Explain it more clearly."
Wen Chuan looked at Qing Yu with a puzzled expression and asked gently, "A great demon?"
To be honest, they didn't sense any demonic energy in the city other than that of the Demon Suppression Pavilion in Jizhou. Even if there was, it was extremely faint, consisting of minor demons that had long since infiltrated the human world, and no aura of a major demon.
"Hmm," Qingyu nodded and read aloud, "It's a pretty powerful monster, and it seems quite fun."
Lin Fanxiang thought for a moment. She remembered that the demon race was half born to cultivate and half to kill, and it seemed that they relied on life-and-death duels for cultivation. She asked Qingyu, "Then are you going to go find him?"
Qingyu fell silent upon hearing this, her expression slightly strange. "I don't want to look for him, but that demon seems to be looking for me."
The demon race is divided into lesser demons and greater demons. In Qishan, each formed race has its own king or monarch, such as the Tiger Mountain Lord, the Butterfly King, the Monkey King, the Fox King, and so on. Apart from these, the demon race has no other divisions of power or rules.
In fact, lesser demons roam the world, fighting at the drop of a hat. Those who die are buried on the spot, and those who live continue on their way, living and living, until they become great demons—
Once you reach the level of a Great Demon, things are different again. Great Demons will no longer be excited by blood, will not actively provoke trouble, and will not be as reckless and violent as before. In layman's terms, they become calm after reaching a certain level. Whether it is out of self-respect or enlightenment at a higher level, Great Demons rarely target Lesser Demons.
But Qingyu's situation is a bit different. Great demons are not afraid of each other. The pure demon spirits of a great demon after its death are always a great tonic for the demon race. At this moment, Qingyu herself is injured and lacks demon power, so it is normal for her to be targeted by the great demon in the shadows.
...
Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Xi Chun Inn.
When Qingyu and his group returned, they found the inn surrounded by people, and government officials were clearing the road—someone had died inside the inn.
Qingyu stood by with her arms crossed, watching. The corpse was still in the inn, and they could faintly smell the stench of blood.
Lin Fanxiang frowned. She was very sensitive to the smell of blood. She had smelled the blood at the street corner just now, but she didn't expect that something had happened at Xichun Inn.
Their belongings and carriage were still in the inn. Qin Tianshu and Wen Chuan exchanged a glance, then walked through the crowd to the front, where the officials stopped them.
Before they could speak, the innkeeper looked over. There were soldiers from the yamen standing opposite him. The innkeeper hurriedly came toward them, saying as he walked, "Sir, it's them. The carriage in the backyard belongs to these young men."
As Qingyu and the others watched them talking, it seemed that the two who had caused trouble in the early morning had gotten into trouble. Fan Xiang turned her head and reminded Zhang Xuan not to use a knife and to be mindful of his identity.
Qingyu was standing at the back of the crowd, which was unusual for her. At some point, a butterfly that was almost transparent in the sunlight fluttered and landed on the girl's shoulder.
As the light and shadows faded, Qingyu smiled gently.
The girl gently stretched out her hand, and a butterfly flew to her fingertip. She gazed at the butterfly, then bent her fingertip and clenched her fist for a moment.
Her strength was neither too strong nor too weak, neither enough to kill nor escape—the butterfly vanished from her palm in an instant, unnoticed by anyone.
Qingyu smiled, a look of disdain mixed with understanding.
Old monster, what are you pretending for?
-----------------------
Author's Note: Since there's no ranking list, I'll update every other day for now. [cat paw emoji]
Okay, the real reason I wrote this is: Please, comment!!! [Hugs][Please]
Seeing the comments from other readers who followed the story, I found them hilarious! [laughing] I hadn't even thought of calling the male lead "Chuanzi" before, and I didn't think he had any nicknames. Now I think it's really fitting! [melting]
(Also: If Qingyu is fish and Wenchuan is skewers, it feels like these two have suddenly changed from the pure and beautiful couple I had in my heart [sprinkling flowers] to the earthy, everyday couple of grilled skewers at the night market [empty bowl]... Squid skewers, huh? [scared]...)
Hahahaha
Preview: This chapter, "Butterfly Love," is one of my personal favorites. I felt it flowed smoothly while writing, and it's better than the previous one, "Redemption" (may I say that? [glasses])
However, the next story about Yunzhou is my favorite, because the scene of becoming famous overnight at an auction in the dead of winter amidst wind and snow is just so evocative, hehe [dog head with rose in mouth].
Okay, without further ado, thank you all for watching this far! More exciting things are coming up! (He self-consciously [shy]) Love you all, muah muah muah [heart emoji]
Finally, here's a random character: [Noob Dog]
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