Plum Blossom Cake and Wine (6)
"Are you going to make apricot cheese?"
The woman turned around and smiled: "Guess."
Tang Xixu woke up at noon and yawned, "Haha." His mouth opened to his eyes.
The boy opened his eyes, and his long eyelashes painted with black ink made his eyes look big.
The servants who were sweeping the floor were whispering to each other, and the young man didn't understand what was going on.
I worked so hard to draw this, I can't let him find it easily.
"I want to eat mutton steamed buns. They're over on West Street. Go quickly." The boy hadn't left yet. "If you don't go now, the stall will close. Hurry."
The young man spread his hands helplessly: "Okay, okay, I'll go right away. You should eat less snacks, otherwise you'll say you're full when I buy them back later."
"I know, I know."
The little girl pushed the boy out the door.
Xie Taohua scratched the girl's nose lightly and smiled dotingly: "You really are such a fool."
"What's the matter? I just drew him a cute little turtle, that's all." Xu Ning felt guilty, his eyes darting around. "I'm sure Brother Axu won't dislike it."
Many merchants from Xizhou came to West Street, and brown camels carried goods slowly forward. The shops were closed during the day, and the night market began. The lights were twinkling, and the beautiful Hu girls were charming and graceful.
"My dear, you like this one."
A middle-aged woman hinted at something and quickly pulled the person in.
“Cough, cough, cough”
The shop has a strong smell of rouge and powder, which chokes and makes the throat very spicy.
I dazzled myself when I saw the person in the bronze mirror. The eyes looked like eyes but they weren't eyes at the same time. What the hell was this?!
Thinking of how Miaomiao looked strange before she left the house, she shouted, "Tangxi Miao! Miao!"
The two turtles lie cheek to cheek, and the word "king" on their foreheads further demonstrates the majesty of the king of the mountain.
The handsome face flushed red and the boy was furious.
As I watched, I started laughing again.
Especially when she blinks, it has a strange and funny beauty.
"Ahem, ahem. Boss, I need some water. My little sister is being naughty and making you all laugh at me."
The boy pretended to be calm, saying that the children of the Tangxi family must not be rude in public.
The proprietress no longer hesitated, covering her mouth with her hands and laughing softly: "Young Master, you are too modest. I see that your sister's painting is very good. Many girls are using this rouge. Why don't you take a box home?"
Tang Xixu refused vehemently: "My lady, you are overthinking it. How could I use these things?"
The proprietress held my wrist and wouldn't let me leave.
Something flashed through his mind, and the young man suddenly thought of something. He turned around and said, "Since my lady is so enthusiastic, I will take care of the business."
"This, this, and that, pack them all up."
Such a big deal, the proprietress was stunned, and after a while she said, "Oh, okay, okay."
Fearing that someone would change their mind, he gave another order: "Hurry up, you guys! Didn't you hear what the young master just said? We want all of these."
As the saying goes, money makes the eyes open. When people have money, they will smile more.
The woman's heavily made-up face was filled with smiles. "Do you need delivery?"
Tang Xixu glanced at it and said, "No need. Thank you for your kindness. I can take it."
The boy borrowed some water to wash his face, bought some mutton buns and Hu pancakes before going back.
Smoke from cooking rose, the temperature dropped sharply, the sky darkened, and yellow sand flew everywhere. The boy shivered and jogged back.
I ran a little too fast and bumped into someone as expected, "Ouch!"
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to do that. The sand just blinded me and I couldn't see the road clearly."
The man wore a dark cloak, its dark patterns shimmering in the light. Beneath the cap lay an elderly face, with a curly silver beard, deep eye bags, and a strange mark between his eyebrows.
The man looked over when he heard the sound. A small snake emerged from behind the old man's neck, spitting out its tongue and staring at Tang Xixu.
The boy was startled and took a step back.
"Don't be afraid, he won't bite you."
The sound was like the crackling of rotten door wood, crisp and creaky, yet with a sense of mystery reminiscent of the depths of an ancient forest.
The old man tapped the little snake's head lightly, and the little snake shrank back, crawling into the collar of the clothes. A long curved shape could be clearly seen sliding across the chest and abdomen.
The old man had no intention of blaming him, so Tang Xixu said goodbye and left.
The old man looked at the young man's hurried figure, as if thinking about something.
"Perhaps we have found him."
Tap the snake's head lightly with your index finger.
The sunset melts into gold, the purple-red sunset glows with a sense of mystery and ghostliness, and the intoxicating aroma of wine fills the streets.
Ever since Tang Xixu stepped into the house, Xu Ning's heart was in his throat and he felt a little guilty.
"Here, luckily I ran fast, otherwise these only three would be gone."
This attitude is too normal, he is not even angry.
"Ahem, ahem, thank you, you've worked hard."
The little girl had her hands behind her back, looking quite uncomfortable.
The young man smirked, pursing his lips to suppress a laugh: "Oh."
Then she said, "The rouge shop opened today, so I bought some."
Xu Ning raised his head in confusion.
?
"I bought it for Sister Taohua."
Although Xu Ning didn't like to deal with these things, she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed when she heard that it wasn't bought for herself.
Xie Taohua walked in and saw that the little girl was in a bad mood.
"Miaomiao, come here quickly and see what I have done."
The golden apricot blossom cake is carved with exquisite patterns. The crust is dense and soft, melts in the mouth, and is soft, smooth and has a crunchy feeling.
"tasty!"
The grape eyes are bright, a bit like a cat's eyes in the daytime.
There is nothing happier than being praised for the delicious food you cook.
"Why do I feel like Miaomiao has grown taller again?"
Xie Taohua measured her height against Xu Ning.
"Is there any?" Tang Xixu took a bite of the apricot blossom cake and drank a sip of fruit wine, "No."
The young man lowered his head and glanced at them. In the eyes of the tall man, all the short people were equal.
Xu Ning didn't want to pay attention to him, and Xie Taohua had no say in the children's affairs.
He shook his head repeatedly, smiled but said nothing.
Hua Xing came back with two pieces of cake after delivering the wine, but due to her health, Xie Taohua only took a small bite.
That small bite lingered in my mind for a long time.
The last time I ate it was when my sister was still alive. At that time, my sister cooked it and she was responsible for eating it. She ate only as much as she cooked.
Later, when her sister passed away, she learned how to make this pastry, but only made it once for Hua Hang, and the next time was this time.
"Look, sister, the girl has grown up so much. Her eyebrows and eyes are like yours, and her personality is like yours too."
Xu Ning saw the woman sitting aside and talking to herself: "Sister Taohua, are you worried about something?"
The woman wiped the tears from her eyes and raised the corners of her lips: "No, I'm just too happy."
"Oh, if you're happy you should laugh, why are you crying?"
The woman lost her composure in front of the children and said, "Yes, I should laugh. I should laugh."
The next morning, my face felt itchy, as if something had been smeared on it.
The little girl smacked her lips, frowned and didn't want to open her eyes. She was a little annoyed by being woken up: "Stop making trouble." She scratched the itchy place with her little hand.
The young man curled his lips into a wicked smile, looking very amused.
"I told you..."
Xu Ning opened her eyes and saw a face that was upside down.
"What are you doing?"
Tang Xixu quickly hid his hand and said, "I see there's a bug on your face. Let me help you get it off."
"Bugs?!" The little girl was horrified. "Where is it?"
Xu Ning sat up, panicked.
"It's been taken away." The young man said without blushing or beating his heart.
When I woke up, I was no longer sleepy, so I got up and washed my face.
"Sister Taohua has prepared the meal a long time ago and is waiting for you." The young man stood up to stop her.
"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" How embarrassing it would be to keep so many people waiting.
In order to prevent Xu Ning from looking in the mirror, Tang Xixu took the initiative to go over and tie her hair into a bun, even though he also thought it was ugly.
Xu Ning didn't suspect anything.
It's almost noon, so it can't be considered morning.
The meal was light, and there were a few desserts that Xu Ning liked.
Xie Taohua saw the two "red suns" from a distance and smiled slightly with her hands covering her mouth.
The little girl frowned. What was she laughing at?
Not only her, but also Hua Xing, who didn't often play with them, started laughing.
"Is there something on my face?"
Xie Taohua raised the bronze mirror. The little man in the yellow mirror had red cheeks from lipstick, thick eyebrows, and lips that were red enough to drip blood. It was obvious that he had done it maliciously.
He is really obsessed with things, neither male nor female.
"Tang! Xi! Xu!"
Xu Ning wanted to hit him, but he was not tall enough and couldn't even jump over him.
"Hey, hey, I can't hit her, I can't hit her." The boy put his hand against the little girl's face.
Xu Ning's claws danced in the air like a kitten with its fur standing on end.
"Miaomiao, why are you upset? I think you're quite cute." Xie Taohua cried with laughter.
In the end, Tang Xixu bought Xu Ning a month's supply of sweet soup, and the situation finally settled.
…
"It seems that His Majesty is worried and has sent someone."
Veteran Chen Yin frowned.
"What does a mere eunuch like him know? Why would he be a military supervisor?"
Qi Su's voice was loud, like thunder in the rain.
Mo Wenqing sat at the long desk, thinking about something.
Everyone in the tent fell silent. The emperor's close ministers seemed to have come from afar to issue a happy decree, saying that Mo Wenqing had worked hard guarding the border, and the State of Jin had repeatedly provoked him, so he sent people to share his worries. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was an attempt to divide the power in his hands.
As for Wen Liang, Mo Wenqing had heard a little about him. He had only entered the palace in recent years.
In less than two years, a man with no background became a close minister to the emperor. One can imagine his strength.
"You've been here for so long, but I haven't treated you properly. Qingfeng, please take this invitation." Mo Wenqing quickly wrote it and handed it to Chen Qingfeng.
The bonfire in the center of the battlefield was burning fiercely, with occasional sizzling sounds. The whole lamb on the grill was sizzling with oil, and the fine yellow dust was mouth-watering.
Mo Wenqing sat in the center, holding up a slightly chipped earthenware bowl. He spoke in a resounding voice, "Your Excellency has been here for a day. I've been so busy with military affairs that I only managed to find time to host a banquet today. I hope Your Excellency will forgive me!"
"Mo will drink a glass as punishment."
Mo Wenqing gulped down the wine, drinking it so fast that the wine flowed down the corners of his mouth.
Wen Liang narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly. Although he was young, he looked like a fox.
"General Mo, you are being polite. You and I both serve His Majesty. How can we ask for forgiveness?"
Wen Liang was about to drink when he saw a hole on the edge of the bowl and couldn't help frowning.
Mo Wenqing saw this and ordered someone to change the bowl.
Unexpectedly, the man raised his hand and said, "It's okay. I've heard that General Mo is frugal and not particular about trivial matters. Seeing it with my own eyes today, I know it's true."
"Is this General Mo Xiao?"
Wen Liang saw Mo Tingzhou standing opposite him.
"It's my son."
Mo Tingzhou stood up and greeted Wen Liang.
Although he is called a young general, Wen Liang is a few years younger than Mo Tingzhou.
"You are too polite, young general."
The man still had a smile on his face.
"From now on, I'll have to trouble you to share the military affairs."
Mo Wenqing asked tentatively.
Wen Liang put down his chopsticks and placed the lamb slices he had picked up back on the plate. "When it comes to military affairs, Lord Mo is the expert. Besides, he knows the number of elite soldiers in the army, the military pay, and the surrounding terrain better than General Mo."
Chen Yin and the others put down their bowls and chopsticks, their faces calm but their hearts pounding with anxiety.
Wen Liang was undoubtedly sounding the alarm, implying that His Majesty knew nothing about border affairs, or knew very little.
His Majesty has obviously been suspicious for a long time. For a military general, the emperor's suspicion is like a knife hanging over his head. He doesn't know when or if his head will be cut off.
Mo Wenqing stared at the wine, his face pale. Recalling his childhood with His Majesty, he felt mixed emotions.
"We are all His Majesty's subjects, and guarding the border is our duty. If there are any shortcomings in the future, I hope Your Excellency will give us more guidance." Mo Tingzhou ignored the courtesy and met those eyes with presumptuous words.
Wen Liang's face instantly turned cold, and the smile disappeared from the corners of his eyes.
After a moment of silence, he sneered and said, "Young General, you are absolutely right." He raised his glass.
After being beaten, it lost its dignity.
"Let go, let me in."
"Please don't make things difficult for us. The general said you are not allowed to enter the important areas of the camp." The guard said helplessly.
A few noises not far away caught Mo Wenqing's attention.
"Go and see what's going on." Mo Wenqing said to a young general.
After the young general understood, he wanted to go over and whisper.
Wen Liang raised his eyes. Mo Wenqing guessed it was not a big deal. "It's okay. Just talk about it here."
"General, the young master and young lady are here. You and your wife haven't been home for many days, and they miss you."
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