The summer rain comes suddenly in the morning, and enters the window, waking me from my beautiful dream.
It was still dark when Xu Jiang was awakened by the sound of rain. She sat on the mat and was dreaming. After a long time, she yawned, slowly got out of bed, and walked out.
Yinyin was sleeping in the outer room, soundly sleeping like a pig. Xu Jiang was afraid of waking her up, so she moved very gently.
After washing up, she picked up the teapot on the table and went to the small kitchen under an umbrella to get some water.
The upper house had a large kitchen, and the two inner rooms also had small kitchens, convenient for getting hot water or having a late-night snack. The courtyard where Xu Jiang lived had been vacant, but since her arrival, everything inside had come alive.
A fire was burning in the small kitchen stove, and a pot of hot water sat on the stove. Xu Jiang blew the water to a boil, poured it into the teapot, added more water to cover the fire, and slowly returned to the house.
The rain was heavy and the moisture covered her face. She was about to find a handkerchief to wipe it, but Yin Yin came over and wiped the water droplets off her body with the handkerchief.
"Sister, why are you awake so early?" She was still sleepy when she spoke, and her eyes were a little swollen.
"I couldn't fall asleep after being woken by the sound of rain." Xu Jiang took the handkerchief and wiped himself, then said to her, "It's still early, you can sleep a little longer, I'll make you some tea."
"No need to sleep, I'll stay with my sister."
Xu Jiang pinched her face and said, "Okay, go wash up quickly."
Yinyin washed up, and Xu Jiang prepared tea.
She found two sets of white porcelain cups, opened the jar and took out Songluo tea. This tea was produced in Hui County and was obtained by Lou Jingxin. There were two small jars in total, and one of them was given to her.
By the time Yinyin had finished cleaning up, the tea had already been poured. While waiting for the soup, Yinyin brought out a snack box, picked out a plate of ox tongue pastries and a plate of lotus pastries, and placed them on the small table.
"Come and sit down." Xu Jiang waved.
So the two of them sat cross-legged on the wooden couch, listening to the rain and drinking tea.
Yin Yin took a sip of the pine needles and immediately frowned, "It's bitter."
Xu Jiang broke off half a tongue biscuit and stuffed it into her mouth, jokingly saying, "It's really a child's taste."
Yin Yin snorted, "The lady also has childish tastes, and the young master also has childish tastes."
Both mother and son like sweet things.
Xu Jiang chuckled, then sighed softly, "I wonder if he can get used to eating out." The dry food and pastries prepared for him should have been eaten long ago.
The ox tongue pastry was too dry. Yin Yin frowned and took a sip of bitter tea. Then she said, "In the past, the young master would have been accustomed to it. But now that his sister has spoiled him and made him a picky eater, I'm afraid he's going to suffer."
Xu Jiang knocked her head and said angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? How come I've spoiled you?"
Yinyin covered her head and said with a smile, "Of course not. If you don't believe me, you can ask the young master's servant. Before I met you, the young master didn't have any particular requirements for food and didn't judge it. But ever since he started cooking for himself at the bookstore, he's been refusing to eat anything when he comes home, and it's so irritating that the master wants to kick him off the table."
The father and son were indeed a pair of enemies. Xu Jiang couldn't help laughing and said, "I've never seen him picky about food. When he goes to temple fairs or markets, he always eats what he wants."
"Young Master never went to temple fairs or markets, but after meeting Sister, he went to every one of them, even to Liquanfang, and came back drunk." Yinyin counted on her fingers, "Look, eating, drinking, playing, and having fun! He didn't do anything before, but now he's done it all since being with Sister. How can Sister still deny it?"
"Aren't these things normal people would do?"
"The young master and the mistress wouldn't do it. The mistress prefers quietness and doesn't like crowds. At most, she'd just stroll around the garden. The young master has been with the mistress since he was a child, and he's just like that. Even when the master takes him out to a banquet, he's always quiet and doesn't make a difference whether he goes or not. So the master didn't force him to do that later on."
Xu Jiang was curious to hear Yinyin talking about Lou Yunchun, a person she didn't know. She then asked, "What does he do for fun?"
"Before the imperial examination, he would study, practice martial arts, accompany his wife in meditation, and listen to his master's lectures. Besides the Imperial College and home, he would stay at the Taoist temple. Later, he passed the imperial examination and entered the Dali Temple. He was busy with official duties, often leaving early and returning late. Even on his days off, he was rarely seen strolling around or socializing."
"He has no friends?"
"I don't know, and I haven't seen it."
Xu Jiang had only met Lou Yunchun's colleagues, and had never met his private friends or acquaintances. The two of them were mostly together in Huailiu Lane, and all the people they interacted with were her acquaintances.
She couldn't help but think of the first time she met Lou Yunchun. His cold and daunting demeanor made it difficult for him to get close to her.
Looking at Lou Yunchun now, his eyes were often smiling, and he was more approachable when interacting with others, like a celestial being that had come down to earth, with a touch of earthly grace. He was occasionally greedy and couldn't hold his liquor, becoming a fool when drunk. He loved to hear her praise, would play with her, and would also quarrel with her, but mostly he was dependent on and indulged her.
Xu Jiang's mind flashed back to every moment she spent with Lou Yunchun, and she couldn't help but smile.
"What are you laughing at, sister?"
"Nothing." She picked up the tea and took a sip. It wasn't bitter.
Yin Yin stared at her for a long while, "Sister, you must be missing the young master."
Xu Jiang coughed and said, "Little girl, do you know what you want?"
"How could I not know?" Yin Yin opened her eyes wide and said seriously, "Yin Yin wants it, Madam wants it, Master wants it, Sister Liu Mei wants it, everyone wants it, doesn't Sister want it?"
"Silly, it's different."
"What's the difference?"
Xu Jiang's cheeks were flushed, and she was too shy to tell anyone about her feelings.
Seeing that she was just concentrating on drinking tea, Yinyin took her hand and asked, "Tell me, what's the difference?"
Xu Jiang smiled and said, "You will understand when you grow up." You will understand what love between men and women is.
Seeing Yinyin was still pestering him, Xu Jiang quickly fanned her face, "Yinyin, it's a bit stuffy in the room, I feel a little hot."
"It's hot?" Yin Yin saw her face flushed and believed it. "I'll go open the window."
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