Chapter 335: What if I get addicted to it again...?
Judging from the sound, it hasn't frozen to the bottom yet, but it's not far away. It's probably at least 30 centimeters thick.
With this thickness, people generally cannot break the ice when standing on it, so it is not easy to take the ice.
Shen Fenghe felt a little regretful about bringing Shen Yichuan here. If it were just her, she could just take out the chainsaw from the space and use it. Why would she need to spend any effort?
Just as she was racking her brains over how to scare Shen Yichuan into getting the chainsaw out, Shen Yichuan, holding a willow basket, was already excitedly stomping on the ice, saying as she did so, "Sister, I've never seen ice this thick before! It's so fun!"
Chen Fenghe was helpless: "Be careful not to fall..."
Before he finished speaking, Shen Yichuan slipped. He was wearing a wolfskin coat and slid a long way on the ice like a small steamed bun, which made people laugh.
At this moment, a deep voice suddenly rang out: "It's so cold, aren't you afraid of being cold?"
Chen Fenghe was startled and quickly turned around, only to see Xiao Yunshuo holding the reins of the little red horse, followed by Yuan Xu sitting on a mule cart.
Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "You guys are here so soon?"
Xiao Yunshuo pulled something wrapped in a dry lotus leaf from his bosom and threw it to her, saying, "I was worried you'd be hungry, so I came here as soon as it got dark."
Chen Fenghe took the thing and opened the dry lotus leaves layer by layer. Inside was a light yellow soft and glutinous pastry that was still steaming.
"Sticky bean buns?"
Sticky rice dumplings are a common pastry in the north. They are usually made with yellow rice flour, and sometimes flour is mixed with corn flour and red beans. It is not unusual, but it is still warm.
Yuan Xu smiled and said, "My son saw this being sold in the city. Before leaving, he paid the boss a premium to make it for him. Otherwise, how could it still be warm?"
Xiao Yunshuo glanced at him and scolded him in a low voice: "I want you to be so talkative."
Then he looked at Chen Fenghe and said, "Don't you like sweet food? Try it while it's still hot."
Shen Yichuan climbed up from the ice and saw the delicious food. He couldn't help drooling and looked up at Shen Fenghe and said, "Sister, I want to eat it too!"
Xiao Yunshuo lowered his head and glanced at him coldly. Shen Yichuan shrank his head in fear and hid behind Shen Fenghe.
Yuan Xu was already suppressing his laughter when he said, "Come here, kid, your share is here with me."
Shen Yichuan hurried over to take the sticky rice dumplings and started eating them while they were still hot.
Seeing that he had something to eat, Chen Fenghe also took a bite. The soft, sweet taste spread between her teeth in an instant, and Chen Fenghe squinted her eyes with some enjoyment.
Seeing her like this, Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but curl his lips and asked again, "What are you doing by the river so late at night? Aren't you cold?"
Chen Fenghe quickly ate the sticky rice dumplings while they were still warm, then said, "I thought I'd come over to get some ice cubes and boil them back so I can wash up before going to bed."
Xiao Yunshuo looked at the thick ice on the river, was speechless for a moment, and said, "How are you going to cut through such thick ice?"
Chen Fenghe naturally couldn't reveal that he was planning to use an electric saw to cut the ice, so he could only chuckle and raise the pickaxe in his hand.
Xiao Yunshuo: "..."
Xiao Yunshuo said, "Let's go back first. Yuan Xu and I will come back later."
Chen Fenghe thought about it and thought that it would be a waste if the labor was not used, so she nodded and got on the mule cart back with Shen Yichuan.
When Qin Mengyue saw them coming, she quickly asked them to come in and warm themselves by the fire. Yuan Xu took down all the things on the mule cart one by one. In addition to grain, bacon and other things, there were also candles and oil lamps. Candles were lit in several rooms, and there was no need to use torches for lighting.
There were also cotton quilts, mattresses and wolf skins. On the kangs in the two side rooms on the left and right sides of the main house, a thick cotton mattress was first laid, followed by two thick layers of wolf skins. There was also a cotton quilt and two layers of wolf skins for covering.
These were naturally done by Qin Mengyue, Shen Fenghe and a few other little ones. As for Xiao Yunshuo and Yuan Xu, they pulled a mule cart to the river to get ice.
After Qin Mengyue sent the little guys out, she whispered, "Feng He, you and Shuo'er...sleep in the west room tonight. It's been really hard for you along the way. You finally settled down..."
Chen Fenghe: “…”
Chen Fenghe coughed a few times before saying, "Mother, let's talk about this later. The three little ones don't know His Highness's identity yet. If he and I stay together, what if the three little ones go out and tell others about it? Besides, Yuan Xu is here. There are only two rooms. If mother and we each take one, where will Yuan Xu sleep?"
Qin Mengyue couldn't help laughing when she heard this. "Ah... you're right. I felt I had wronged you, so I didn't think too much about it. I was really too hasty. You're the one who thought it through."
After a while, Xiao Yunshuo and Yuan Xu came back.
Fortunately, they had bought some daily necessities in the city during the day, including iron pots and wooden barrels for cooking.
The stove was not working, so we found a few stones to build a simple stove, put the ice in to heat it up, and then put it in a wooden barrel. Everyone washed their hands, faces and feet.
The three little guys had been walking for a whole day, and their heads were nodding off as they washed their hands, faces, and feet.
Qin Mengyue and Shen Fenghe carried the three of them into the inner room and coaxed them to sleep, then returned to the main room.
Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "The conditions are simple. You and Yuan Xu will sleep in that room tonight, and my mother, a few kids and I will sleep in this room..."
Before he finished speaking, Yuan Xu immediately stood up and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I have some matters to deal with in Youzhou City. I have to leave immediately and will not be staying tonight. This room should be for Your Majesty and His Highness..."
As he spoke, he turned around to look at Xiao Yunshuo. Seeing Xiao Yunshuo's cold eyes looking at him, he quickly stopped what he was going to say, chuckled twice, and said, "My subordinates have urgent matters, so I won't delay here. The two ladies and His Highness should have a good rest..."
As he spoke, he used his lightness skills to run out of the yard.
Chen Fenghe: “…”
There's no need to run so fast, right?
Qin Mengyue hadn't expected this to happen, and was a little confused for a moment.
However, Chen Fenghe couldn't find a better excuse for the moment. Qin Mengyue quickly came to her senses and said with an awkward smile, "Fenghe, the children are all asleep. It's a bit crowded for two adults and three children to sleep on the kang... You and Shuo'er... ahem... Mom is sleepy too. Mom will go to bed first..."
Having said that, he immediately turned around and went back to the east room, not forgetting to lock the door.
Chen Fenghe: “…”
Qin Mengyue looked dazed before, so there’s no need for her to move so quickly now, right?
Only Xiao Yunshuo and Shen Fenghe were left in the main room. Shen Fenghe was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig her toes into the ground...
Xiao Yunshuo used some water to put out the fire in the main room, and the room suddenly became dark.
Chen Fenghe couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
As a modern person, I don’t really care about this kind of thing.
But... she didn't plan to be with him, and she even slept with him. The key is that he was serious about her, so she felt a little guilty.
What if... I get addicted to it again?
Thinking about the trouble she would have to deal with later, she decided it would be best to resist being seduced by the allure of sex...
"Go to sleep." Xiao Yunshuo saw that she was still standing there in a daze, thinking that she was nervous, and said in a low voice.
Shen Fenghe came back to her senses and said in a somewhat panicked tone: "Oh...oh!"
Before she could finish her words, she was already picked up and carried sideways.
"Ah!" She just screamed, then thought about how embarrassing it would be if she disturbed others, so she quickly covered her mouth.
Even though she had never eaten pork, she had seen pigs run, so she couldn't act too panicked.
Of course...somewhat panic is still necessary, after all, it has to fit the character.
Chen Fenghe distracted herself by thinking about these things, and when she came to her senses, she had been put on the bed, with Xiao Yunshuo's broad shoulders pressing down on her with a sense of oppression.
Chen Fenghe subconsciously pushed him away, but before she could exert any force, Xiao Yunshuo's face had been lowered to the point where his nose almost touched hers.
"Your Highness...Your Highness...Um..."
Half of the word "down" was swallowed, and Xiao Yunshuo's thin lips had already covered her lips, forcefully and domineeringly prying them open.
Their lips and teeth intertwined, and Chen Fenghe soon became a little confused and infatuated.
Okay...it's not like she had to abandon him, so you can't blame her in the future...
She finally prepared herself mentally and was about to reach out and hug Xiao Yunshuo's neck, but Xiao Yunshuo let her go.
Shen Fenghe, who was immersed in it, opened his eyes blankly and looked at Xiao Yunshuo with a puzzled look.
Xiao Yunshuo held her in his arms and said with a gentle smile, "It's getting late, go to bed."
Chen Fenghe: “???”
What
That’s it?
Was all the psychological preparation she had just put in for so long in vain?
Fortunately, I hadn't extended my hand yet, otherwise it would have been even more embarrassing.
Speaking of which... Is this man incompetent? He can even stop? Is her charm so bad? This shouldn't be the case...
Seeing her staring at him in confusion, Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but smile. He leaned close to her ear and said in a hoarse voice, "The time is not right yet. I can't reveal my identity yet. If you get pregnant, it will be difficult to explain. Besides, how can this be my first time with the Crown Princess in such a shabby place..."
Before Xiao Yunshuo finished speaking, there was a sudden loud bang. The window that had been in disrepair for a long time was blown down by the wind.
Chen Fenghe: “…”
"But..." Xiao Yunshuo's eyes sparkled in the darkness. He leaned over and bit her red and hot earlobe, then said in a hoarse voice, "If the Crown Princess wants..."
"Who! Who thought about it! I don't want to! I want to sleep!" Chen Fenghe's face was hot as if she had a fever. She immediately denied it, then turned over, turned her back to him, and closed her eyes in anger.
There must be no evidence that she wants to take the initiative, otherwise she will not be able to clear herself of the charge of "abandoning" in the future.
Xiao Yunshuo laughed lowly twice, but a hint of regret flashed in his eyes.
In fact, he endured it even harder.
But... at the moment he couldn't protect her, and he also wanted to take her. If someone found out, he wouldn't be able to admit his identity to clear her name, and if he had to let her bear all the stigma, it would be another layer of harm to her.
Instead of doing this, it would be better to endure it for a while, and when he regains his status in the future, he will give her the honor she deserves.
Hearing the sound of Shen Fenghe's even breathing, Xiao Yunshuo sighed softly and forced himself to close his eyes and fall asleep.
He was finally dozing off to sleep when suddenly something cold reached into his collar.
Xiao Yunshuo suddenly opened his eyes and saw that Chen Fenghe had turned over again at some point. Probably because she was too cold, she subconsciously looked for a fire source and put her cold hands directly into his clothes.
The fire that had been extinguished was ignited again in an instant.
Xiao Yunshuo was both angry and amused, and really wanted to pin her down and do it himself.
However, in the end, he took a few deep breaths and held back. He reached out and pulled Shen Fenghe's hand out from his chest, held it in his palm, and warmed her with his hand.
Chen Fenghe really didn't mean it.
She had always been alert when sleeping, but after all the hard work these days, her body was indeed tired to a certain extent. In addition, perhaps because Xiao Yunshuo was by her side, she subconsciously relaxed, which was why she fell asleep so quickly.
However, the moment Xiao Yunshuo's hand grabbed her, she woke up suddenly.
However, even if she was awake, how could she face the fact that she had unconsciously used someone's chest as a hand warmer? She gritted her teeth and pretended to be asleep.
When he woke up again, he was woken up by the three little guys, Shen Yichuan, Shen Qingxing and Xiao Yunhao.
"Sister! Get up quickly!" Shen Yichuan shouted.
"Sister! Aunt Yue has already prepared breakfast!" Shen Qingxing also said.
"Sister-in-law! The sun is about to come out!" Xiao Yunhao had used up all the words and thought for a while before he came up with a good one.
Shen Qingxing turned around and corrected him, "Hao'er, you're wrong. It's snowing today, and there's no sun!"
"oh……"
Chen Fenghe was dozing off while listening to the little ones talking in baby voices. Suddenly she remembered something and was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat. She quickly opened her eyes and looked around.
Xiao Yunshuo is no longer here.
Shen Yichuan seemed to see what she was looking for and asked, "Sister, what are you looking for?"
Chen Fenghe blushed slightly and coughed twice before saying, "I'm not looking for anything. You guys got up early."
Shen Qingxing said excitedly: "Sister, it's snowing outside. We made a big snowman outside!"
However, Chen Yichuan asked like a little adult, "Sister, why did you come to sleep in this room alone? Aren't you afraid of the cold?"
Chen Fenghe: “…”
She couldn't help but pat the little devil on the head and said, "You're still asking, you little brat? It's because you guys didn't sleep well and kicked people around, so I came to sleep in this room because there was no room on the kang."
I would never let these little brats know that I slept with Xiao Yunshuo last night.
Shen Yichuan touched his head and was very unconvinced: "I slept very well, so I didn't kick anyone!"
Fortunately, Qin Mengyue came in to help and said, "I told you to come and ask your sister to go out for dinner, why can't you go out yet? Breakfast will be cold soon."
Chen Fenghe stood up embarrassedly and washed up before walking into the main room.
"Mom, I'm sorry. I was so tired that I didn't realize I overslept. Why didn't you call me..."
Qin Mengyue smiled and said, "Mom knows you are tired. Making breakfast is not a big deal. I learned all these skills during my exile. Don't underestimate me."
Chen Fenghe's face flushed subconsciously, she suspected Qin Mengyue might have misunderstood. However, it was difficult to clarify at the moment, so she went outside and made up an excuse: "Mom, what delicious food did you make?"
The stove and kitchen haven't been repaired yet, so breakfast was cooked on the simple stove that was set up in the main room last night.
Chen Fenghe leaned over to take a look and saw that what was bubbling in the pot over a low fire was actually sweet potatoes cooked in batter. There was also a plate of pickled radish, a plate of pickled bamboo shoots, and a few plump white meat-filled buns.
The pickled radish and sour bamboo shoots were pickled by Chen Fenghe on the road of exile. The other flour, buns and the like were delivered by Xiao Yunshuo and Yuan Xu in a mule cart last night.
Chen Fenghe asked with a smile, "Where did these sweet potatoes come from? I didn't see them on the mule cart yesterday."
Qin Mengyue said, "It was sent to me early this morning by an aunt named Yang from the village. I tried to refuse it for a long time but failed, so I accepted it and gave them some pickled radish and pickled bamboo shoots as a return gift."
After hearing this, Chen Fenghe said, "So that's how it is. These sweet potatoes are soft and sweet, and they warm people's hearts."
Qin Mengyue smiled and said, "Isn't it? This bun is also from Shuo...it's also what Master Yun and his friends bought at the market yesterday. It's fresh out of the oven, and it's still soft after being heated up. Have one."
Chen Fenghe agreed and took the buns, and the family had dinner together.
As soon as I put down the bowl, the little guys flew out again and started chirping and playing in the snow in the yard.
Shen Fenghe then asked in a low voice: "When did His Highness leave?"
She didn't even notice it, which made her feel very embarrassed.
No matter how tired you are, you should not let your guard down when it comes to people you trust.
Qin Mengyue smiled and said, "I didn't hear it either. When I woke up, I saw a note he left behind. He said he had something to deal with and had to go back to Youzhou City for the time being."
After hearing this, Shen Fenghe nodded and said, "So that's how it is."
As he was speaking, there was a knock on the door, followed by Zhang Zhou's voice: "Madam Qin, Madam Shen, are you home?"
Zhang Yuan's family was also assigned to this village, and the two families lived not far from each other.
Upon hearing this, Chen Fenghe and Qin Mengyue hurried out to greet her, saying with a smile, "She's here. It's Aunt Zhou, come in."
Zhang Zhou came in and looked around. She said, "This courtyard is quite large, but it's a bit shabby. It's even shabbyer than ours. The government is so arrogant and always bullies us. It's unbearable to put the Buddha's face before the monk. Madam Qin is the queen after all..."
At this point, Qin Mengyue's expression froze. She interrupted her and said with a gentle but firm smile, "Auntie Zhou, that was all in the past. I'm no longer a queen. I'm just a criminal woman exiled to the frontier. From now on... I'll just be a village woman in this village. Please don't mention the past anymore..."
In the past, she didn't particularly dislike others mentioning her identity as the queen, but since she learned that the men of the Qin family and even Xiao Yunshuo were guilty of treason, and that it was probably done by Emperor Yu Cheng who secretly sent people to do it, she decided in her heart to draw a clear line with Emperor Yu Cheng and never mention the love between husband and wife again.
Seeing this, Zhang Zhou hurriedly smiled and said, "Madam Qin, you are right. I said something wrong. Please don't take it to heart."
Qin Mengyue smiled and said, "Auntie Zhou, don't say that. We will be here together in the future and we must help each other."
Zhang Zhou smiled a bit embarrassedly after hearing this and said, "That's exactly what I meant. I came here so early this morning to see if there's anything you need to fix in your yard. Your family is full of women and children, so if there's anything my son can do for you, just let me know. I'll have him come and help anytime."
Chen Fenghe understood what she meant as soon as she heard it, and immediately took over the conversation, saying with a smile: "Grandma Zhou, you've come at a great opportunity. Our kitchen, woodshed, and courtyard walls have all collapsed, and we're in need of help. If Brother Zhang is willing to help, that would be great. We can still pay Brother Zhang his wages as we did when we were in exile. What do you think, Grandma Zhou?"
These words made Zhang Zhou feel even more embarrassed: "Alas... Miss Shen, you are too polite. We have come all the way here, and you don't know how many times you have saved our lives. Forget about wages. Even if Yuan'er works here for free for the rest of his life, it is what he deserves..."
Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "Grandma Zhou, let's put this aside. It's winter, and there's not even a single wild vegetable to be dug up in the fields. It doesn't matter if Grandma Zhou, Brother Zhang, and Sister Feng'er are living a tight life, but Sister Feng'er is pregnant. No matter how hard it is for the adults, we can't let the child suffer, right? My mother and I still have some small change. Although it's not much, it's better than what Grandma Zhou's family has. We won't talk about wages, we just say we want to buy some fine flour, grain, pork, and other nourishment for Sister Feng'er. If Grandma Zhou refuses to accept it, it means she looks down on us, and we dare not trouble Brother Zhang anymore."
Zhang Zhou originally came here to see if she could help Shen Fenghe and the others with odd jobs, just like she did during her exile, so that she could get some pay and live a better life.
Although Chen Fenghe and the others were also exiled, how could the former masters of the palace not have some private money or valuables that could be pawned?
Even if there was nothing, Chen Fenghe was very capable and good at hunting. She could kill a wild boar or roe deer and sell it for enough money to eat for a long time. Apart from anything else, during the exile, although they were two women with three children, they never had to worry about money.
Zhang Zhoushi did not come here with the intention of taking advantage. In fact, she also thought that since they had no male laborers, no matter how capable a woman was, some work would be difficult for her to do. Her son was strong, and it was legitimate for him to earn some money by relying on his strength.
But thoughts are just thoughts. If they really want to talk about this matter, Zhang Yuan, as a man, cannot come forward, and his wife He Xiaofeng is a young wife, so she has to speak up with her old face.
She was a little embarrassed to speak, but unexpectedly, Chen Fenghe was so young and spoke so beautifully. She understood her purpose of coming without leaving any trace. Not only did she agree to it, but she also said that they also needed help. It made people feel very comfortable to hear it.
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