Plum Blossom Cake and Wine (5)
The woman on the couch was pale, as thin as rice paper. She hadn't been able to eat anything in the past few days, except for medicine and the occasional drink of plain water.
The young man raised the corner of his lips slightly, "Okay."
Xie Taohua was obviously surprised. She looked over at him, not knowing what to say.
The air was quiet for a moment.
"Brother Axu bought me some candied fruit yesterday. It was delicious."
If you drink Chinese medicine for too long, your mouth will definitely taste bitter. Xu Ning took out a few pills from the brocade bag and stuffed them into Xie Taohua's mouth.
The sour and sweet taste of dried plums neutralizes the bitterness. The doctor warned her to eat less sweet food, so Huahang, considering her health, never bought them again.
"This way the medicine won't be bitter."
She put the spoon to Xie Taohua's lips and drank it. It was indeed not that bitter.
Xu Ning breathed a sigh of relief. Although good medicine tastes bitter, it will make you feel sick if you drink it for a long time.
The little girl's emotions were all written on her face. While Xu Ning was going to the toilet, Xie Taohua spit out the dried fruit.
"Cough, cough"
Hua Xing hurried over and patted him on the back. "I'll make some snow pear soup for you to drink later."
The woman shook her head.
"I have to drink something flavorful. Drinking bitter medicine all day makes me less and less likely to eat. How can I ever get better? How can I fulfill her last wish?"
Tang Xixu frowned and was speechless. Although Hua Xing's tone was stern, he agreed.
The apricot blossoms in the yard were about to fall. It had rained last night, and a cluster of light pink petals were slightly wet and shattered in the inconspicuous darkness.
When Xu Ning came back, he left the window open.
"The sun is out, there's no wind, and it's very warm."
Hua Xing's warning look disappeared.
The warm sunlight passed through the tiny cracks and turned into golden threads on the back of Xie Taohua's hand. That spot felt warm, and she couldn't grab it with her other hand.
"Okay, we've seen enough and talked enough. You two should go back soon, otherwise Madam Mo will come to me and ask for someone."
The flower shop started to drive people away.
Tang Xixu put his hands behind his back and walked around Rao Huaxing: "I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. There's an important battle on the front line. Dad and Mom have gone to the front line, so they asked us to come to you."
Hua Xing suddenly realized. He wondered why the two little guys came here today, each carrying a package. It turned out that they were waiting for him here.
Hua Xing held his forehead and found a suitable room for the two of them.
"My place is only this small. It's only for a few days, so you two can squeeze in."
"There's a bed inside, and a small couch behind the curtain that's just right."
The empty room in the tavern was a study, and this bed was temporarily made by someone else.
After Hua Xing walked away, Tang Xixu turned around and Xu Ning rushed to sit on the bed: "This place is mine, and you, it's over there."
The little girl stretched her head toward the couch.
The young man wanted to say something but stopped himself. Forget it, she is my sister. Mother said that sisters should be spoiled. Besides, Grape has a bad background, so she needs more care.
"Okay, okay, I was just saying that the temperature drops quickly at night. Do you want another quilt?"
The little girl turned her head away, and a slight blush appeared on her moon-like face.
"No need, it's quite suitable."
"What did you say?"
The boy leaned forward and tilted his head, putting his right ear close to the little dumpling.
Okay, here we go again.
"I said, no! Use it!"
The sweet little girl's voice was so loud that it shook Tang Xixu's eardrums.
The boy covered his ears and stood up straight: "If you don't need it, then don't. Why are you so loud?"
"I'm afraid you can't hear me because you're too old."
"What did you eat to grow up? How much poison has been smeared on your little mouth?"
The boy frowned in displeasure.
"Baijiafan." Xu Ning blurted out based on his fabricated identity.
Tang Xixu closed his mouth in disappointment, and suddenly felt ashamed, blaming himself for his bad mouth.
The medicine prescribed by the doctor must have been effective these past two days. Xie Taohua has been much more energetic, can eat well, has strength in her body, and looks much better.
Hua Xing sings the same song every day, the Peach Blossom Fan. Occasionally they'll change to something else, but mostly this one.
During the day, Hua Xing would put on costumes and makeup, set up a stage in the yard, and sing in a more formal manner.
In the previous life, hearing Hua Xing sing a song was worth a fortune. Xu Ning had never heard him sing seriously except for the one time in Buhuo City. He usually just hummed a few words.
I don't know what happened to Xie Taohua, but she suddenly started making clothes and made several sets of clothes for Xu Ning, some that fit her well, some that are a little bigger, for both summer and winter.
"Sister, please don't do that. It hurts your eyes."
The woman smiled and continued embroidering.
Xu Ning looked at Hua Xing and said unhappily, "Aren't you afraid of tiring your wife?"
Hua Xing smiled without saying anything, watching the black chess piece fall and realizing that he had lost, "Wait a minute, I didn't mean to play here."
"How can you regret your move? Who said you can never regret your move?"
Xu Ning covered his mouth and laughed secretly. Hua Xing couldn't beat Tang Xixu now, but ten years later, not only would he not be able to beat him, he would have to work for him.
"why are you laughing?"
For some strange reason, ever since Xu Ning came to Tangxi Xu's house, his mood has always been unstable, and Tangxi Xu is often puzzled.
"Nothing, just wanted to laugh."
Tears welled up in Xu Ning's eyes and she stopped smiling.
…
"What's going on?"
"Why did the people from Jin suddenly come?"
In the early years, the imperial court sent Mo Wenqing to sign a treaty with the State of Jin, agreeing not to interfere with each other within ten years. Now there is still half a year left before the ten-year agreement, and his sudden arrival at this time may mean something has happened.
Tang Xiwan asked the soldiers.
"A few days ago, a group of people came, dressed as ordinary people. I didn't think much of them, but after entering the city, they started causing chaos everywhere. Although they didn't hurt the people, they destroyed a lot of things."
Chen Qingfeng continued, "I took a group of people to stop them and discovered they were not ordinary people."
"After torture, we learned that he was from Jin."
"They just say that so easily?"
"Originally they said they were passing merchants from Xizhou. Later, while I was on night watch, I heard them speaking the Jin dialect."
Chen Yin added: "Moreover, these people are highly skilled in martial arts and appear to be from the Central Plains."
In the State of Jin, only Lie Yin could teach someone with great martial arts skills.
"That guy is back? He was poisoned back then. Even if he recovered, it would be difficult for him to wake up so soon."
Another young general wondered, "Who else could it be if not him?"
Mo Tingzhou was silent for a long time before thinking about something. "I remember that one of the four Dharma protectors of the Lie Yin Sect, the Northern Dharma Protector Song Jinsheng, was from the Jin Kingdom. There was a prince in the Jin Kingdom named Helansheng. I heard that he was seriously ill and lived in the palace."
"He Lansheng is Song Jinsheng, so this is going to be tricky."
Everyone looked solemn.
"General, Eunuch Wen Liang is here."
A guard broke the silence in the room.
"General Mo, how are you these days?"
"Thank you for your concern, Father-in-law. I wonder what brings you here?"
The feminine and handsome face has slightly raised eyebrows.
The apricot trees on the courtyard wall admire their own beauty, the night wind from the frontier blows in one after another, and the cold stars in the lonely night have a beauty of broken crystals.
Tang Xixu cut the wick of the lamp and lay on the soft couch: "Sleep peacefully, call me if you need anything."
Xu Ning picked at the stitches on the quilt and asked, "Brother, what happened? Why are Mom and Dad so worried?"
There was silence all around, and there was no response from the boy for a long time.
"elder brother?"
Xu Ning sat up and asked again.
The young man behind the Bisha kitchen turned over and murmured, "Go to sleep. This is not your concern."
After a while, Xu Ning asked again, "Is it related to that He Lansheng?"
The young man in the darkness suddenly opened his eyes, his expression clear.
"No matter what happens, I am here with you, my parents, and my brother. We will not abandon you."
The girl was speechless and didn't know what to say.
This was the first time anyone had said that to her.
"Didn't you say you wanted to embroider a handkerchief for your mother? Why don't you start tomorrow so you don't have nothing to do all day and think about other things?"
A long black line appeared on the girl's forehead.
Even though Tang Xixu in his previous life had explained the whole matter in detail, Xu Ning wanted to solve the problem and get to the bottom of it.
She vaguely remembered that Mrs. Mo told her that night that when Fang Hongzhi met Ye Yulan, that man was still a young boy with outstanding talent and was a good candidate for martial arts.
He had studied under two great masters, Zui Shengchi and Bi Ruohua, and after traveling extensively, he created his own Huinan Xin Jue. At that time, he was unrivaled in the martial arts world.
That's strange. Since he has no rivals, how could Ruchen Sword Immortal defeat him?
Xu Ning was puzzled and fell asleep in a daze while thinking about it.
Her breathing was shallow and long, and the cold moonlight warmed the girl's face.
The wind roared, "Whoosh! Woo! Woo—" slamming against the wooden door, snapping against the window paper as if it were about to tear a piece off. It also sounded like the howling of ghosts and wolves, and Xu Ning woke with a start, his heart pounding.
“Heh, heh, heh.”
"What's wrong?"
Tang Xixu was a light sleeper and would wake up at the slightest noise from the people behind him.
After calming down, she said, "No."
The sound is fragile and feels cautious.
With a hurried sound, a black shadow came towards him.
"I'm right here."
Tang Xixu rolled up the quilt and spread it beside the bed.
The young man pretended to sleep with his arms around his chest.
The person on the bed still showed no intention of lying down.
"There's no ghost. That's the sound when the wind gets strong."
My cheeks were hot and I felt a little embarrassed: "I'm not afraid."
The sound is as small as a mosquito.
The young man raised the corners of his lips slightly, and the strong wind slowed down and became more gentle.
I had no dreams the next night, but Tang Xixu didn't sleep well because the floor was hard and he woke up with a sore back in the morning.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Xu Ning quickly noticed something was wrong.
"Nothing, just a little sore neck."
Xu Ning understood and felt bad: "Come sit over here."
The boy didn't think too much and did as he was told.
A pair of small hands pressed on the neck and massaged gently. Although the technique was unfamiliar, you could feel that the masseur wanted to do it well.
Tang Xixu raised his eyebrows. It was really sad that the sun rose from the west. This girl actually felt sorry for him.
After massaging the neck, Xu Ning pounded the shoulders, and then the back.
"How are you? Are you feeling better now?"
The person in front of me was too comfortable, with his eyes closed and his mind wandering, so he didn't hear clearly.
Xu Ning thought the force was not enough, he was not satisfied and increased it a little more.
"Hiss—it hurts, it hurts, it hurts."
The young man shrank his body suddenly, waking up from his dream.
"Can't you be gentler?"
Xu Ning slowed down a bit and continued massaging.
The wind chimes on the eaves jingled against each other, and everything was so peaceful and cozy, so comfortable that I felt sleepy.
Tang Xixu's eyelids were heavy, his mind blurry. He took back what he had just said. This little girl's skills are not bad. He didn't have time to think about it, and his mind was confused.
The more he pressed, the more he felt something was wrong, so he increased his pressure, but the man didn't respond.
I looked sideways and saw that he had fallen asleep comfortably.
Xu Ning found a blanket and covered the boy with it. Tang Xixu tilted his head back with his lips slightly open. This sleeping position was a little funny.
There is a piece of black ink on the table. Mix it with some water and grind it into powder. Then soak the brush tip and dip it in the black ink.
Hehehe, such a beautiful face, I will add a few more strokes to it, I believe it will be more eye-catching.
The girl's devilish nature took over and she wrote the word "king" on the boy's fair forehead, drew two turtles on his cheeks, drew an eye on his closed eyelids, and added a few eyelashes.
If she opens her eyes, they will surely be "enchanting and charming" and "full of alluring features", becoming the focus of the crowd.
After finishing the painting and cleaning up the battlefield, the little girl whistled and walked out as if nothing had happened.
"What happened to Miaomiao? She's so happy."
Xie Taohua is in good spirits and has the energy to go out and bask in the sun these days.
Grape glanced around: "Nothing."
"Sister Taohua, what is this doing?"
In the flower shop, a woman is picking apricot blossoms, holding a ladder.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
