40 Post Station Incident
◎Spring is still here, but things and people have changed, which makes me surprised◎
The sudden rain stopped, the air was filled with the unique smell of rain, the quiet woods gradually became noisy, and the south-facing house was still damp.
There was a brazier burning in the room. Song Jinyi lay quietly on the bed, her face pale and her lips bloodless. Her consciousness was struggling in the darkness of nothingness, and intermittent conversations came to her ears.
"The young lady is fine, but..." The voice at the end gradually became lower and weaker, and she could not hear what was said.
After an unknown amount of time, someone was heard asking, "Why hasn't Madam Song woken up yet?" with a choked voice.
Song Jinyi felt that the man's voice was very familiar, it was... Li He.
Why does she sound like she's about to cry?
Song Jinyi's tightly closed eyelids moved slightly, and her hands tucked under the quilt trembled at the same time. She opened her eyes a little in a daze, her pupils darting left and right. Wherever her sight reached, there was a white mist. She couldn't focus for a moment, and suddenly a huge black shadow broke in front of her eyes.
Li He accidentally saw Song Jinyi's eyelids trembling, and then saw her open a crack. She was so excited that she couldn't speak. She rushed directly to Song Jinyi and said tremblingly: "Madam Song, you are finally awake? That's great!"
Li He's eyes were red, and red bloodshot covered the whites of her eyes like spider webs. It looked like she had been crying for a long time and had endured for a long time to look like this.
Song Jinyi opened her mouth slightly, but before she could say anything, she saw Li He's sudden change of mood. Her shoulders trembled, and she lowered her head, blaming herself: "It's all my fault. I blame myself for being greedy. If I had come back earlier, maybe I could have seen Madam Song earlier, maybe..."
Li He said "maybe" several times. Song Jinyi wanted to stop her from saying "maybe", but her throat felt like it was blocked by cement. She opened and closed her mouth slightly, but no sound came out.
There were traces of tears on Li He's cheeks. She wiped her tears while speaking with a sob. When she raised her hand, she saw Song Jinyi's eyes rolling, as if she wanted to express something, but she was sobbing so hard that she couldn't stop for a while and couldn't even speak clearly.
Song Jinyi was so thirsty that she felt uncomfortable. Seeing Li He like this, she felt a headache again. Why was there no reliable person around her? She raised her hand weakly, but was ignored by Li He.
…
A pair of hands rested on Li He's shoulders, and he whispered, "Go pour a cup of tea first. Your Madam Song has been sleeping for such a long time, and she has also been poisoned by coal. Her throat is feeling uncomfortable and needs some water to moisten it."
After listening to the woman's words, Li He left to pour water.
Song Jinyi looked up and saw a woman wearing a pomegranate red Shu brocade dress with wide sleeves and dark patterns. She had a high bun and her hairpins were decorated with scattered pearl flowers. Her facial features were not made up. A pair of sharp eyes swept over her, and she looked bright but not ostentatious.
"Your situation is not serious. You just forgot to open the window when burning charcoal, and you got coal poisoning. Fortunately, you were rescued in time, so you are fine." The woman said suddenly.
As if he understood the question in Song Jinyi's eyes, he introduced himself: "My name is Cheng Xia, I live next door to you. When I came back, I saw you fainted at the door, so I called a doctor for you."
Song Jinyi thanked him softly.
Cheng Xia said no, tilted his head towards her and smiled, "I originally owed Madam Song a favor, and now I'm just going along with it and repaying the favor."
The more Song Jinyi listened, the more confused she became. There was a hint of bewilderment and doubt in her eyes. She didn't even know Cheng Xia, so how could he owe her a favor?
Li He brought the tea over, gestured left and right, looked at Song Jinyi embarrassedly and then at the teacup in his hand. Cheng Xia helped Song Jinyi up with understanding, and Li He handed the tea to Song Jinyi's lips.
The room was full of people. In order to ease the atmosphere, Cheng Xia talked to Li He from time to time. Song Jinyi looked back and forth between the two of them.
After two cups of warm tea, Song Jinyi's dry throat felt better and she could utter some words. When Cheng Xia went to the side to wash her hands, Song Jinyi asked in a muffled voice, "I see you seem to know this Madam Cheng?"
Li He nodded and said, "I've met her before. She helped me and even spoke for me in prison. I'm very grateful to Madam Cheng." Her last words were to Cheng Xia.
Cheng Xia was wiping her hands with a cloth as she came over here. She roughly guessed what Song Jinyi and Li He had said, so she smiled and said nothing.
When Li He mentioned the inner prison just now, Song Jinyi immediately understood: Yes, there are too many cooks coming to Shengjing, and of course she can't remember them all.
Song Jinyi asked casually, "I wonder where Madam Cheng is employed?"
Cheng Xia said, "What high position? It's just a way to make a living. I wonder if Madam Song has ever heard of Liuxiangju?"
When Song Jinyi heard this, all the nonsense he had said before turned into humble words after the word "Liuxiangju" came out.
Liuxiangju! Song Jinyi's heart tightened, and she couldn't help but look up at her twice. She was actually from Liuxiangju? !
Liuxiangju and Zuiliuxia are the two names that Xu Ruolan often mentions. They are the two most famous teahouses in Yunzhou.
Song Jinyi also makes tea drinks, so they are in the same industry. She paid special attention to these two names, but she didn't expect to meet someone from Liuxiangju today.
Song Jinyi looked at Cheng Xia calmly. The fact that this woman could come to Shengjing to attend the birthday banquet showed that her cooking skills were not bad.
Li He is Zui Liu Xia's true signature dim sum chef. If I could recruit her to join my own sweet tea shop, could we surpass these two and become the third most famous teahouse in Yunzhou?
Song Jinyi bit her lower lip, pondering the feasibility of this matter.
I thought it was surprising that she was from Liuxiangju, but Li He added, "Madam Cheng is the owner of Liuxiangju. The tea she makes is delicious. Madam Song, you must try it when we get back."
Song Jinyi smiled stiffly and said okay with a choked voice, but she felt worried in her heart: Fortunately, she hasn't said it yet, otherwise it would be embarrassing.
******
After Cheng Xia left, Li He stirred the charcoal and asked Song Jinyi without turning back what she wanted to eat.
Song Jinyi was leaning against the headboard with a bundle of cloth behind her waist, looking out the window, as if she was thinking about something else. Upon hearing this, she refused, "My stomach is upset right now. I have no appetite and can't eat anything. I'm afraid I'll vomit if I eat."
Li He said seriously: "But when I was sick before, the doctors always told me to get well." Then he began to stroke his non-existent long beard, acting like a doctor, and talking about the same old things, how good it is for the body.
Song Jinyi couldn't help laughing when she looked at Li He. She sat for a while and then said she was tired. Li He asked again, and Song Jinyi was still the same. She was indeed dizzy and had an upset stomach. Besides, she usually only ate half of the food she cooked. How could she have any good cooking skills in this inn in the wilderness?
The sky outside the window is filled with dark clouds. The air seems to have become heavy, and the sounds around give people the illusion that night is about to come, which makes people want to sleep.
Song Jinyi's sleeping face was peaceful, her brows were relaxed. She didn't have a nightmare this time and slept lightly. Her sense of smell awakened before her body. A unique fragrance seduced her sense of smell, her nose twitched, and then she became conscious.
Song Jinyi supported herself with her elbows and stood up. Following the fragrance, she saw Li He holding a bowl of red fruits. She asked what time it was.
"It's ugly hour."
No wonder it’s dark.
Li He brought the bowl to her and said, "This is the stir-fried red fruit I made. Madam Song, please try it."
Although the taste was good, Song Jinyi didn't want to refuse Li He's kindness, so she picked up a spoon and ate one. The hawthorn had been boiled and was very soft and sticky, with a texture like red bean paste. The rock sugar wrapped around the hawthorn neutralized the sour taste, making it more sweet and sour.
The white sesame seeds and osmanthus flowers on top enriched the taste and served as embellishment. It tasted really good. She ate a few more and returned the bowl to Li He.
Li He smiled and said proudly, "I told you I made it. Madam Song will definitely be able to eat it."
Song Jinyi asked her whether she had memorized the recipe for stir-fried red fruits or thought of it herself.
Li He swallowed the rest without wasting any food, saying, "I used local ingredients myself. Hawthorn is an appetite-stimulating food, and I thought that Madam Song had been lying in bed for half a day and had a poor appetite, so this would be the best thing for her to eat."
Song Jinyi looked at Li He silently. It is not easy to cook delicious food, and it is even more amazing to create delicious food.
Song Jinyi asked about the question that had always puzzled her: "Why did Zui Liuxia say... instead of you?" Her voice was unclear, and she evaded the name that should not be mentioned.
Li He's eyelashes trembled slightly. She bit her lip tightly, and her hand unconsciously stirred the empty bowl, making a "ding-dong" sound. After a while, she slowly talked about what happened that year.
Li He and Chun Sanniang are sisters. They lost their father and mother when they were young and had no relatives. Chun Sanniang had no choice but to take young Li He to Shengjing to find her relatives.
When they arrived at their relative's home in Shengjing, they were taken in by their relatives. However, Chun Sanniang had to work from morning till night every day, and her hands were so stiff that she couldn't lift them at night.
The family had a happy event and gave two pieces of peach cakes. Li He finished them in a few bites and felt that it was not enough. She tossed and turned in the evening and thought about it over and over again. She secretly went to the kitchen to see if there were any more peach cakes.
There was no peach cake in the kitchen, so she thought about making it herself, but was caught by the cook. For the sake of her sister, Chun Sanniang said that she was hungry and made something for herself.
Coincidentally, the guest who came that day was the owner of Zui Liuxia. He picked up a piece and immediately felt that Chun Sanniang had a talent for making pastries. He wanted to take her in as an apprentice and said something to the owner.
The next day, Chun Sanniang and Li He were "invited" to Zui Liuxia. At first, Chun Sanniang studied diligently and practiced hard, but all she got in return was a "not enough" from her master.
But what Li He did casually was mistaken for what Chun Sanniang did, and he was praised by his master.
From then on, Chun Sanniang asked Li He to help her on the surface, but in fact she gave all the key steps to Li He and threatened her not to tell anyone, otherwise she would be kicked out.
But gradually, the better Li He did, the more Chun Sanniang gained because of Li He, and the more she resented Li He.
Spring is still here, but things and people have changed, and I am surprised. 【1】
Even if they are related by blood, they cannot resist the disturbing eyes of the world, the charming hearts of the prosperous society, the greed and profit, and finally they reap what they sow.
******
When Li He left, she closed the window tightly and put out the fire in the charcoal brazier. She said to herself, "I have to be careful this time."
Song Jinyi's folded hands suddenly clenched. She clearly remembered yesterday, with the window open—
She looked at the flickering candlelight and pondered for a while.
I don’t know who or who wants her dead, or maybe their purpose is not to kill her but to stop her from returning to Shengjing?
She couldn't be tripped up.
【Author’s words】
【1】-"Yuan Xi Qing"
Song Jinyi: Embarrassing that I'm one step behind me￣□￣｜｜
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