Chapter 119: Make it Lively
"Third Miss! How are you?" A concerned voice rang dimly in her ears. Qin Xiangnuan raised her head, sweating profusely. She supported herself on Brother Hei's arm and stood up. She sat in the middle of the yard and rested for a long time before she recovered. Brother Hei handed her a bowl of hot water. She drank two sips, and her stomach gradually felt better. She smiled faintly and said, "Now we are even. You saved my life."
Qin Xiangnuan was joking, but Big Brother Hei knew it. He scratched his head and said, "How can we be the same? It's just a small favor."
"But you need to take care of your health. Don't just care about others and neglect yourself." Brother Hei looked at her with deep emotion in his eyes. Qin Xiangnuan hadn't noticed before, but now, after the old woman's reminder, it was like a piercing of the window paper. She didn't know how to respond, her movements and tone becoming awkward, and she wanted to find an excuse to leave quickly.
Brother Hei was a thoughtful person and naturally knew where her embarrassment came from.
"Don't take my mother's words to heart. Just treat them as casual remarks, something you heard and then let out the other ear." Big Brother Hei lowered his head, clasping his hands as he explained, "My father passed away early, and she was the one who raised me. She's always been stubborn, and ever since my father passed away, she's placed all her hopes on me. Now that I can't expect to pass the imperial examinations, she's hoping I'll find a wife to carry on the family line as soon as possible."
Brother Hei is simple, but also a little inferior.
"I don't want to. In my current situation, no matter who I marry, the girl will suffer with me. It's enough to waste my own life, how can I waste other people's youth?" After saying this, Brother Hei looked up at Qin Xiangnuan as if he had figured it out. "So, I hope the third lady can forget about what happened today. I will naturally warn mother not to say such foolish words in the future."
Qin Xiangnuan didn't know how to respond. She only knew that while she couldn't accept Hei's passion and admiration, she couldn't let him sink into such self-deprecation. After much deliberation, she looked up at him and said, "Perhaps after things are settled in the village, you could join the army. I'm afraid there will be a war in a few years, and countless soldiers will be needed."
"With the abilities of you and your brothers on the mountain, you might be able to fight your way out."
Qin Xiangnuan thought of Qin Guang's current situation and reminded him, "If you really join the army, remember this: retreat bravely while the tide is turning. Don't try to stand out too much. A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind." Qin Xiangnuan stood up to leave. After taking only two steps forward, Brother Hei called her from behind. Qin Xiangnuan turned around unexpectedly and saw him hesitate for a moment before asking, "Are you and that young man... in a relationship of mutual admiration?"
Jiang Lin?
As the sky gradually darkened, Qin Xiangnuan couldn't clearly see Hei's expression. She lowered her eyes, her expression flickering. Her sweet, charming voice, tinged with a hint of coldness, said, "We're just companions, walking the same path for a while." These words quickly drifted through the air, and she wasn't even sure if Hei had heard them clearly. It was simply a reminder to herself to hold on to her heart and not waver.
At night, Qin Xiangnuan took a nap in her room for a few hours because of stomachache, and was awakened by the noisy sound outside.
"Give it to me! I want it!"
"Big brother, it's so sweet! You should try it too..."
Qin Xiangnuan rubbed her sleepy eyes and nearly tripped over the threshold. Rubbing her eyes, she walked into the courtyard and was instantly awakened by surprise. The courtyard was decorated with red lanterns. Qin Feng climbed a ladder and adjusted the position of the lanterns under the eaves. Zou and Liu had decorated every corner of the courtyard with red silk and cloth strips. Qin Xiangsong was holding two candies in his arms, while Beibei was beside Jiang Lin, chewing on a sweet bean paste pastry. The corners of her mouth were covered with food residue, almost sticking to her clothes. Fortunately, Jiang Lin wiped it off for her.
"Little sister, are you awake?"
Qin Feng turned around and saw her, pointing at the lantern in his hand and asked, "Look, is it tilted? Is the height just right?"
"Yeah." Qin Xiangnuan came back to her senses, staring at him in amazement, and then slowly walked into the courtyard. Joyful conversations could be heard everywhere, and the kitchen stove was filled with a dazzling array of food. There were five or six fish as long as his arm, not to mention other chickens, ducks, and other meats. Anliu brought back the last basket of vegetables, panting, and said to Qin Xiangnuan, "Miss San! We don't know what to buy either. Can you count it? Is there anything missing? If so, we can go to town and buy more."
"Did you guys do all this?"
Qin Xiangnuan asked in surprise, looking back at Jiang Lin. Secret guards? They're probably bandits, right? The yard is almost overflowing with stuff. I think they've emptied all the shops in town. Anliu didn't understand her words, thinking they were a compliment. He scratched his head and said, "Yes, the master specifically told us to prepare it just like we do at the mansion. We asked if it was a bit too grand, but he said the general's mansion must be busier than ours every year. If it's deserted, it's better not to prepare it."
"He wants you to..." Anliu stole a glance at Qin Xiangnuan's expression, and added in a roundabout way, "He wants the general's mansion to be like in previous years, and not let the current situation affect your mood." Jiang Lin was thoughtful, but he never said it.
Qin Xiangnuan was moved. She watched as Liu and Zou's lips curled up into smiles. They discussed cutting out some window decorations from red cloth and paper and prepping for the New Year's Eve dinner. "Little sister, go help! Those lanterns over there haven't been put up yet!" Qin Feng was so consumed by Qin Xiangsong's pestering that he had no time to go and hang them up, so he could only hand the items over to her.
"Let me do it." Qin Xiangnuan stretched out her hand, but before she could touch the lantern, she was intercepted by Jiang Lin in the middle.
He was walking in front and heard no footsteps coming from behind. He narrowed his eyes and said jokingly, "What? I won't even hold the ladder when I do things for you? If I fall down, where will you find such a useful purse? Why don't you protect it well?" Why does any good thing taste different in his mouth?
Qin Xiangnuan rolled her eyes silently and followed him up, holding on to the wooden ladder.
Jiang Lin stepped forward, and the hem of the dress happened to fall into Qin Xiangnuan's sight. She saw the gold thread embroidered on the bottom of the hem. The dragon and phoenix pattern looked familiar. It seemed to be... a dragon pattern? Qin Xiangnuan was startled and looked up at the young man who was diligently hanging the lanterns. His tough and handsome face was filled with a hint of hidden ambition. Could it be that he wanted to...
"What are you looking at?"
Jiang Lin felt her gaze, raised his chin and asked, "Let's see how high it is."
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