Plum Blossom Cake and Wine (3)
The man found a robe from the inner room and put it on the woman's shoulders.
"Ahem."
"I heard the sound of a child and wanted to go out and take a look."
Hua Xing tucked the corner of the woman's clothes, and her gentle eyes seemed to be melting with tears.
"Bang!"
The wind outside suddenly closed the wooden door, and the brown wood blocks, which had been in disrepair for a long time, creaked.
The woman leaned over and coughed a few times, and the white brocade handkerchief instantly turned bright red.
"What's wrong with Sister Beauty? Are you sick?"
The orange-red little grape gently tugged at the woman's sleeve, its bright eyes filled with worry.
The woman leaned over and stroked the little girl's hair: "Yes, my sister is sick, very sick."
"I don't know if I can see the sun tomorrow."
Xu Ning still has the body of a child. Children are timid and emotionally sensitive, and are easily frightened. Xu Ning couldn't control herself even if she wanted to.
"Woooaa! Wah-wah!"
The little girl's tears as big as beans fell as soon as they fell.
"Xiangxiang, don't cry. I was just scaring you. I just caught a cold." The woman gently wiped the tears from Xu Ning's face.
Taohua is not good at coaxing children.
She got pregnant the year she married Hua Xing, and the child was born safely. But something happened at that time, and the child died of a high fever before the full term. If he were still alive, he would have been two years old.
The little girl held back her tears and sobbed continuously, hiccuping from time to time: "Sister is so beautiful, the King of Hell must not have the heart to take you away."
Taohua was amused by the child's innocent words, and the pain in her body seemed to be less severe.
"Yeah, the King of Hell will definitely not take me in."
The woman smiled faintly, with tears in the corners of her eyes.
The evening breeze came into the house, blowing away the aroma of wine. Hua Xing carried the woman into the inner room.
"What are you doing? There are children here." The woman's face flushed.
Tang Xixu covered Xu Ning's eyes.
Xu Ning was speechless. She was just about to deceive Tang Xixu, but she didn't expect him to be one step ahead.
The scent of ambergris rose in the air, enveloping the room. Xie Taohua leaned against the windowsill with her head tilted, and the half-jar of wine in Tang Xixu's hand was already empty.
"In the Hall of Eternal Life, we once descended the steps, whispering softly while leaning on each other's fragrant cheeks. Our love was harmonious, and we wished to be together forever. Who would have thought that the twin stars would shine together that night, and that the lone moon would appear again this evening?"[1]
Xu Ning listened attentively, and even chewed the almond cakes a little slower.
The sound of opera filled the restaurant, and Hua Xing sang "Changsheng Palace" with her fingers.
Tang Xixu crossed his legs and swayed them to the tune.
There was a gust of wind in the room. Hua Xing turned around and Xie Taohua stood up to drink a cup of tea.
"when"
The woman stood up and fell to the ground.
Hua Xing heard the sound and ran to help her.
"Hua Xing, I can't walk anymore. I can't lift my feet or my hands." The woman looked tired, and two children came closer with worried expressions.
Hua Xing hugged the woman in his arms tightly, his voice intermittent: "Don't worry, Taohua, everything will be fine. The doctor said that after taking these medicines, you will be fine by the beginning of next spring."
"Don't you want to go to the capital? I'll take you there. I received a letter from home yesterday, hoping that we can go back and reunite soon."
"I buried the Peach Blossom Wine under the peach tree. Calculating the date, I can drink it after this treatment is over."
Hua Xing talked a lot, and the woman responded frequently, but gradually, she fell silent.
It got cold at night, and Tang Xixu took off his outer robe and put it on Xu Ning's back.
Xu Ning felt uncomfortable and was speechless.
The woman closed her eyes and leaned quietly against the flowerbed. Dark clouds quietly covered the eyes of the moon, and no silver frost was visible.
"Sister! Beautiful sister..."
Xu Ning's heart suddenly tightened, and several people looked nervous.
The man stopped talking and slowly turned his head to look at the woman on his shoulder, his eyes moist and bloodshot.
"Peach blossom, peach blossom."
The man's heart suddenly felt hollowed out, water filled his nasal cavity, and his voice was fragile, like a bubble that would burst at any moment.
Hua Xing raised his hand and slowly and gently stroked the woman's pale eyebrows. He didn't dare to detect her breath.
The man hugged the woman with tears in his eyes, his face pressed against Xie Taohua's head.
After a while, a fragile voice came: "What's wrong?"
The woman slowly opened her eyes, weak and hazy, her pupils blurred and distracted, her voice like a layer of wet window paper.
"It's okay, I'm glad you're okay." The young man patted the woman's shoulder, and a faint smile appeared on his tear-stained face. His empty heart was suddenly filled, and his rosy eyes quickly stopped shedding tears.
Tang Xixu held his sister's hand tightly and breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Ning's frown relaxed and she held Tang Xixu's hand tighter.
"Hua Xing, I want to hear you sing Peach Blossom Fan."
"good."
One song ends, another begins, full of resentment, longing, crying and complaining.
…
Tang Xixu and Xu listened to Hua Xing singing several songs, and then left because it was too late.
"Brother, will Sister Taohua die?"
Xu Ning didn't know why he asked this question.
"Everyone in this world will die, including you and me."
Xu Ning naturally knew this. For example, her parents died when she was a child, and she depended on her grandmother for support.
The little girl was silent, no longer as lively as before.
"Miaomiao, don't worry. Since you are my sister, I will protect you well. Although the situation is not peaceful now, I will do my best."
Xu Ning didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "What are you talking about? I'm not that weak."
Tang Xixu laughed out loud, while Xiao Pu Tao was quite serious.
There were one or two flying insects around the lanterns in the Mo Mansion. The dim candlelight illuminated the bluestone pavement in front of the door. The guards were upright and meticulous.
"Young master, please come in quickly. Madam has been looking for you for a long time." The wet nurse had been waiting outside the door for a long time. Tang Xixu finally felt relieved when she came back.
"Thank you for your help, Granny Wu." Tang Xixu smiled slightly. Granny Wu was his wet nurse and his mother's personal maid. She had become a member of the Mo family over the years.
Tang Xixu always respected her.
Xu Ning nodded in agreement, and Granny Wu responded with a smile. She prayed that with the young lady around, the young master would be fine.
"Tang Xixu, your skin is itchy, right?"
"How old are you? You're just going to the pub to drink. Can you spare me some time?"
Tang Xiwan reached out to grab a twig, but couldn't find any after searching for a long time.
"Mom! Mom, I was wrong. I won't dare to do it again next time."
Mrs. Mo chased Tang Xixu all over the house.
"Mother, calm down. Don't get sick from anger." Xu Ning said, taking out a long stick he found from a corner and putting it in Madam Mo's hand.
Tang Xixu flew into a rage, pointing at Xu Ning and yelling, "You traitor! You wasted all my money!"
The boy jumped over the table and asked, "Did you forget the snacks I bought you?"
Xu Ning ignored everything and laughed while holding her stomach.
I didn't expect that Mrs. Mo would lose her composure sometimes.
"Tang Xixu, I never thought you would have this day."
Xu Ning recalled that when she first came through, the young man was ready to kill her.
"You even brought your sister with you. I think you've been having too much of a good time lately. You deserve a beating!"
Tang Xixu took a step forward, and Madam Mo hit him with a stick, but none of the sticks landed on Tang Xixu.
"Mom, mom, please stop hitting me. I know I'm wrong."
"If I don't teach you a lesson today, I won't be called Tang Xiwan!"
Madam Mo rolled up her sleeves, determined to teach Tangxi Xu a lesson.
The little girl supported her chin with an innocent look in her eyes.
Tang Xixu had no mood to argue with her and was too busy dodging the stick.
"Brother, brother, save me!"
Mo Tingzhou and a woman walked in.
Qiao Mulan now has not changed much from what she was many years ago. The only difference is that she is a little more immature.
"Mother."
Qiao Mulan bowed with a faint smile.
"Lan'er is here."
Tang Xiwan's anger turned into a little smile.
Tang Xixu hid behind Mo Tingzhou and made faces at Xu Ning.
Xu Ning didn't bother to pay attention to him. She only had eyes for her beautiful sister Qiao Mulan.
"You must be Miaomiao." Qiao Mulan leaned over and touched the top of Xu Ning's head.
"My name is Qiao Mulan, you can call me Sister Lan'er."
The woman's gentle voice seemed to glow, and Xu Ning was stunned.
Now Qiao Mulan looks like a small pale pink crabapple.
The woman's fingertips were cold and there was a faint fragrance in her breath.
"Sister Lan'er smells so good!"
The little girl winked playfully, and the woman smiled even more happily.
The woman's every frown and smile fell into Mo Tingzhou's starry eyes.
"From now on, if Yin Zhao goes to drink secretly again, you must stop him."
The little girl widened her eyes in disbelief.
Qiao Mulan noticed Xu Ning's confusion. She glanced at Tang Xixu and said, "I see Yin Zhao likes you very much. He never allows other girls to touch him."
The woman leaned close to Xu Ning's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Yin Zhao is a mysophobe and doesn't like people touching him."
The young man next to him was applying medicine. Their eyes met and the young man glared at Xu Ning.
Xu Ning glared back, and Tang Xixu glared back, back and forth, neither of them was at a disadvantage.
Qiao Mulan noticed it and chuckled, "You two little kids, who's eyes are bigger?"
"Is there any need to compare? Of course it's mine."
Xu Ning said nonchalantly.
Qiao Mulan shook her head, noticing that the young man couldn't reach a certain spot. "Miaomiao, Yin Zhao has a wound that he can't clean. Why don't you help him?"
The little girl turned her head away.
He has hands and feet, and he glares at me. I don't want that.
The hope that suddenly jumped out of the boy's eyes disappeared again.
Qiao Mulan noticed the change in Tang Xixu, and she whispered something to Xu Ning again.
"Alright then. I'll just reluctantly help him out."
Qiao Mulan laughed. It was hard not to like Miaomiao, who looked like a little adult.
"What are you doing?"
Tang Xixu was very angry.
"Apply medicine."
There was a glow between the boy's brows, and the upturned corners of his lips were difficult to hide.
"What did you say to Miaomiao just now? Why did her expression change so quickly?" Mo Tingzhou was puzzled.
Qiao Mulan straightened her sleeves and said, "I told Miaomiao that Yin Zhao emptied his wallet to buy her the jade pendant. He didn't have enough money so he did hard labor for the owner of the tavern to save up enough."
Mo Tingzhou raised his eyebrows and smiled faintly: "Madam, you are wise."
…
The rammed earth wall behind the beacon tower leans against the golden setting sun, while the crimson sunset embraces the small town. Camel caravans from Xizhou merchants shuttle through the city, and black wind chimes on the eaves of restaurants chime. The vendors sell their last beef patties, pack up their stalls, and call it a day.
The elegant aroma of tea wafted through the streets. A storyteller banged his gavel, recounting the heroic exploits of the Mo family army on the battlefield. The audience clapped with gusto. New tea drinkers aligned their chopsticks to nibble on slices of beef, while veterans stroked their coarse porcelain bowls and took long gulps of their long-brewed tea.
"I don't think the Jin people can defeat us. We have General Mo, so why should we be afraid of them?"
"That's right. Besides, the two young masters of the Mo family are both very brave and extraordinary."
After dinner, Tang Xixu took Xu Ning out for a stroll, and the two children found a place anywhere.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you looking so sad?"
The young man frowned, not knowing what he was worried about.
"Dad hasn't been home for a few days. I heard from my eldest brother that the war situation is not optimistic these days."
The boy's serious expression was tinged with worry.
Xu Ning paused, thinking about what would happen in the future, and forced a smile to comfort him, "Don't worry, Dad is the God of War General, he will be safe and sound, don't worry about it. The most important thing is to practice hard."
Tang Xixu leaned over with his hands on his thighs, looking into the seemingly innocent eyes of the little girl in front of him.
The boy's clear eyes suddenly became deep, like a dark whirlpool that wanted to suck Xu Ning in.
"I've always thought there's something strange."
Every time Tang Xixu showed this look, Xu Ning's heart would rise to his throat. It was like this in the last life, and it was still like this in this life.
The fear and pressure in my heart all surged up at this moment.
"W-what."
Xu Ning's eyelids twitched, and she had a bad feeling.
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