Chapter 103: Reply to the Letter
On a cold winter morning, branches were covered in a light blanket of snow. A chill breeze blew, and the slightest sway sent thick snow plummeting overhead. Jiang Lin stood up and met Qin Xiangnuan's eyes. She had just woken, her cheeks flushed. She yawned, her hand covering her mouth. Her tangled hair gave her a girlish air. Jiang Lin averted his gaze. Qin Xiangnuan was about to greet him, but noticing his movements, she sniffed, thinking, "How difficult is he to understand?"
After those two roasted sweet potatoes yesterday, she thought her relationship with Jiang Lin had taken a step forward and they could be called friends.
But now it seems that it is not what she thought.
Qin Xiangnuan raised an eyebrow, rubbing her hands together as she approached the bonfire. The warmth helped her stiff body relax. Xu Jian took advantage of his free time to walk over to her, occasionally glancing at Jiang Lin. With Xiaoyao Hou's son around, he felt constrained and uncomfortable no matter what he did.
"Miss Third, I'm afraid we have to leave."
Xu Jian spoke tentatively, but Qin Xiangnuan responded graciously, "We've already wasted enough time. I'll tell Second and Third Uncles later that we can leave anytime." Qin Xiangnuan smelled the rice porridge simmering in the iron pot, and her stomach rumbled. She scooped some from the pot with a wooden spoon and sipped carefully from the bowl. After two sips, she noticed that Xu Jian beside her was hesitant to speak several times. Puzzled, she paused and asked, "Is there anything else?"
"Prince...will you come with us?"
Xu Jian held a lowly position. If the Marquis of Xiaoyao were around, he would have to rely on Jiang Lin's approval, making many things difficult. Qin Xiangnuan nodded in sudden realization. She had forgotten this. In her mind, regardless of official rank, they were all ordinary people, naturally the same as everyone else. But their mindsets were difficult to change overnight.
"He's here, just ask him."
Qin Xiangnuan pouted and continued to drink the rice porridge with her head down.
Xu Jian's body was stiff. When he turned around and saw Jiang Lin, he immediately bent his waist, almost burying his head in the snow, and said in an extremely humble and respectful voice, "Your humble servant Xu Jian, greets the prince." Qin Xiangnuan squatted on the ground, eavesdropping on their conversation. She couldn't help but make a sly face and squinted her eyes with rich expressions. She found the scene in front of her extremely funny.
Jiang Lin took in her expression, put his hands behind his back, cleared his throat and said, "Get up."
"My trip is for private matters. You don't have to be so restrained." Jiang Lin said, then took the bowl from Qin Xiangnuan's hand and frowned at the little rice porridge left. "Anything else?" Qin Xiangnuan stood up, rubbed her sore ankle, and took the bowl back again. When the two of them fought, their palms and wrists collided with each other. Qin Xiangnuan used some force. Jiang Lin originally wanted to increase his strength to fight with her, but he found that Qin Xiangnuan could always resolve his so-called attack very easily, like a little effort to achieve a great effect, which shocked and curious him.
Qin Xiangnuan ate all the rice grains cleanly, pouted, and pointed at the iron pot beside her. "Prince, if you're hungry, just go and get some. Even if our general's mansion is in dire straits, we wouldn't want you to have a bowl of porridge. But snatching it from someone else doesn't sound like something you would do, does it?"
Her gaze passed Jiang Lin and looked at the undercurrent behind him.
Anliu grinned guiltily, but it wasn't a big deal. His lips, chapped from lack of water and nervousness, ripped open, and he jumped in pain. Jiang Lin heard the noise and turned around to see his grinning face. Qin Xiangnuan's sarcastic remarks had already put Jiang Lin in a bad mood, and he vented his anger on Anliu, saying in a stern tone, "What are you doing?"
"How shameful!"
Anliu covered his mouth with a wronged look and stood quietly at the back.
Qin Xiangnuan watched the master-servant interaction without taking it seriously. After clearing away the dishes, she returned to Liu's side. Liu still held Qin Guang's letter home. In just one night, it had become so wrinkled it looked like it was about to fall apart. It was obvious how many times Liu had read it over and over again. Seeing the words was like seeing the person in person; it was undoubtedly the greatest comfort for her in her exile.
"Mother, Father must be thinking of you too. If possible, you might as well write a letter and ask the prince to take it over."
Qin Xiangnuan spoke naturally, pulling out a brush and rice paper from her sleeve like a magic trick and handing them to Liu. "I brought this from the cave. Nuannuan misses Daddy, and I've always remembered him." Qin Xiangnuan clutched her chest, her eyebrows raised in a playful, little-girlish manner. Liu hesitated for a moment, but soon bent over the stone and began writing rapidly.
The small piece of paper was covered in dense, tiny handwriting. Qin Xiangnuan could tell without even looking that she was deeply concerned about Qin Guang's situation. However, Liu would certainly not mention their problems or difficulties to Qin Guang. They were both the same, sharing only good news and not bad news. Liu read the letter several times before finally sealing it and walking over to Jiang Lin.
"Mrs. Qin." Jiang Lin saw Liu and respectfully performed the etiquette of a junior.
Liu felt a little embarrassed and returned the greeting indifferently, saying, "I am just a common woman now. I cannot bear to be treated like this by the prince." Jiang Lin listened to her polite words, but his face turned serious as he said, "No, the general has braved life and death, and is the person Jiang Lin admires most in his life. Madam, please do not be modest. Don't underestimate yourself either. Although you may be in decline now, who knows what the future will bring?"
"In my opinion, the general will surely make a comeback."
These words, spoken from Qin Xiangnuan's mouth, were very different from what Jiang Lin had said. Liu stared at Jiang Lin for a long moment, her mind swirling with thoughts. Then, turning back to Qin Xiangnuan, who was helping to load the luggage onto the cart, she whispered, "Your Highness, the Qin family is too high to reach. If you're interested, I'd probably refuse on Nuannuan's behalf. I hope you'll forgive me."
Jiang Lin frowned. Over the past few days, people from the Qin family had come to talk to him more or less.
Although many people, including Qin Feng, disliked the idea that Jiang Lin and Qin Xiangnuan were secretly in love and had other relationships, Liu's blunt rejection was rare. Jiang Lin didn't argue or deny his feelings, but instead asked, "Madam, what do you mean by this? Do you think Jiang is not worthy of entrusting your life to? Or is it that I am unable to protect the Qin family and take care of the Third Miss?"
When talking to straightforward people, you should speak straightforwardly.
Jiang Lin's black and white eyes sparkled with sincerity, without the oppression or condescension of someone in a high position. Liu looked deeply at Qin Xiangnuan, a little hesitant, "The prince will do great things in the future, and he needs a woman who can take care of the family and manage the inner house in the mansion."
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