Xiao Qian'er blinked her eyes and said innocently: "Brother Rong'er, why are you glaring at me? Well, just now in the kitchen we... hum, we made you so happy... and you're still not satisfied." Her voice became smaller and smaller as she spoke.

Just then, Su Xiaoxiao came in from outside with a small wooden barrel in her arms. The barrel was filled with hot white rice.

I don’t know if it was because of the lingering aftertaste or the hot steam rising from the hot rice in her arms, but her little face was rosy and so cute.

"Zhao Lang, Sister Lingfei and Sister Qian'er, it's time to eat. Hey, what are you talking about?" the little fox demon asked curiously.

Xiao Qian'er turned around and said seriously, "I'm discussing with your Zhao Lang how to use you as a test reward tonight and eat you up completely! Xiaoxiao, do you want to discuss it with us?"

“…”

Su Xiaoxiao's steps froze... Then the little fox demon hugged the rice bucket and wanted to turn around and run away without saying a word. Fortunately, Zhao Rong was quick to pull her back into his arms.

"Don't listen to Qian'er's nonsense."

He said helplessly, stretching out his finger to pick up another grain of white rice from the corner of Su Xiaoxiao's mouth. This little coward, he is not good at anything but eating. You can tell at a glance that he just ate a few bites outside and didn't even wipe his mouth.

In addition, Qian'er's goose yellow skirt fits Xiaoxiao very well at this moment. The two of them are of similar height, Qian'er is slightly taller, but her little butt is more upturned, with a good curve and fleshy feel, so Xiaoxiao is still quite attractive. Although she is timid and likes to eat dryly, at least the meat grows where it should grow, and the food of Old Zhao's family is not wasted.

And Xiao Qian'er has to reflect on this point seriously. Being too thin is not good. It hurts sometimes. Although the current aesthetic trend among Confucian scholars on the mountain is to have a skinny and delicate figure, if Xiao Qian'er were there, she would definitely be the sweet and charming maid that many Confucian scholars dream of... Of course, only Zhao Rong knows that if Qian'er is asked to accompany students in the study, she can forget about being a sweet and charming maid. At most, she will just cause trouble.

"Hoo, you really can't escape now, you've fallen into the arms of the big bad wolf! You're so stupid!" Xiao Qian'er smiled and made faces at Su Xiaoxiao and continued to scare her.

"Fox liar! Sister Qian'er." Su Xiaoxiao hugged Zhao Rong's arm and raised her head and said, "Zhao Lang will not eat me. He is not a fox-eating monster. At most, he likes to ride on foxes... and Sister Lingfei is here at night. Xiaoxiao is not afraid!"

"Sister Qian'er will be there that night, aren't you afraid?" Little Qian'er blinked and went to Hasu's little itch pit. The little fox demon giggled and patted her little hand, and the two girls started laughing and playing.

Zhao Rong and Zhao Lingfei looked at each other helplessly. He sighed and shook his head. Qingjun smiled. Zhao Rong reached out and covered her hand, clasping his ten fingers together.

Afterwards, the couple took a small wooden bucket and served the rice together, filling six bowls. Su Xiaoxiao and Xiao Qian'er both had big appetites, so they had to finish at least two bowls.

"Okay, time to eat. You two girls, stop playing around." Zhao Rong coughed twice and displayed the aura of the head of the family.

Su Xiaoxiao and Zhao Qian'er sat up straight immediately. The little fox demon reacted, her face slightly red, and she jumped out of Zhao Rong's arms and sat on the wooden bench on the other side. Zhao Rong raised his sleeve to cover it calmly. He glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. Sometimes she looked stupid, and her character was indeed pure and cowardly, so Zhao Rong couldn't figure out whether she was knowingly committing the crime. Could this be a racial talent? Zhao Rong felt a little melancholy in his crotch.

"Brother Rong'er, why do you keep peeking at Xiaoxiao?"

"Nonsense, I was watching openly."

"Then why don't you peek at me and the young lady?"

"Do you still need to peek?"

“…”

Xiao Qian'er snorted softly and suddenly stretched out her pale little hand, "Brother Rong'er, what were your results in the exam?"

Zhao Rong was helpless, "Don't you already know?"

"No, we have to check it ourselves?"

"You don't have a transcript, so should I take down the red list at the entrance of the academy and give it to you?"

"What about the test paper? Huh, let me see if it's really a perfect score paper."

Zhao Rong remained calm, "I can't give you another copy of chess, painting, calligraphy, etc... How about I play another song for you?"

"never mind."

"Why?"

"We have to eat later."

"?"

"Hmph, your music skill is 6 points, but maybe you are not as good as Xiaoxiao and I in playing the piano." Xiao Qian'er turned curious, "By the way, what did you draw in your painting skill?"

"You guys."

"Well, not bad. Give me a compliment and give me a chicken drumstick." She then asked, "What about the rest?"

Zhao Rong thought for a moment and took out a manuscript. "I only have a handwritten manuscript of the Confucian classics test questions. I was planning to take it back to Mr. Yan for further advice. You can take a look if you want."

Xiao Qian'er immediately took it out, spread it out solemnly, and began to read it seriously, nodding her head from time to time, "Hmm... Hmm... Not bad."

A little fox demon who was waiting for food with a bowl in hand could no longer sit still and wanted to show some concern for her husband's studies. Su Xiaoxiao jumped off the stool and leaned forward, "Wait, let me check it too!"

Su Xiaoxiao and Zhao Qian'er huddled together, looking down with a serious face for a while, muttering, "A bowl of rice and a gourd of water, no worries but happiness... What's so happy about it?" It seemed that he suddenly remembered that this was a perfect score paper selected by the teacher of the academy, and immediately nodded his head, "Wow, good, that's it..."

Zhao Qianer glanced at her companions, as if wondering how could Ben Xiaoxiao understand it? She thought about it, nodded seriously, frowned and praised, "Well, not bad..."

These two girls... Zhao Rong couldn't help laughing. Concubine Zhao Ling beside him served them fish soup and smiled.

Afterwards, they finished flipping through the manuscript in an orderly manner, sighed softly, and handed it back to Zhao Rong with a mysterious look on their faces, while not forgetting to encourage their husbands.

"Brother Rong'er did well this time. You need to keep up the good work and don't get too proud."

"Zhao Lang's handwriting is really beautiful. Hmm, but I can't be too proud! I will try to write better next time!"

The two girls waved their hands, showing the demeanor of virtuous wives.

"Okay, okay." Zhao Rong nodded immediately and asked, "Ladies, can we have dinner now?"

Afterwards, the four of them rubbed their chopsticks together and started dinner. Although there was one more person than in the past, they cooperated very well and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Halfway through, Qingjun gently scooped up a spoonful of milky fish soup with a silver spoon and put it into her red lips. Qian'er and Xiaoxiao did the same. Zhao Rong glanced sideways.

"The fish soup is very delicious. My husband should have some too." Qingjun served a bowl to Zhao Rong.

Zhao Rong nodded.

After dinner, the four of them cleaned the table and washed the dishes together. They saw that the rain had stopped and the sky was clear with a bright moon and sparse stars.

For some reason, the moon is particularly bright tonight.

Zhao Rong carried a bench to the corridor. The autumn wind was blowing. Qingjun brought a small red clay stove, and Xiaoxiao and Qian'er brought a jar of fruit wine.

In the breeze-filled corridor, four people sat on a bench together, warming wine by the fire, drinking to warm themselves, and for a moment, they looked at each other in silence.

It was Su Xiaoxiao who spoke first, "Sister Lingfei, I have to leave first, otherwise I won't be able to go back until the curfew of Taiqing Mansion comes."

Zhao Lingfei was wearing a cyan-gold dress, which made her look particularly bright and beautiful under the moon, like a goddess in the moon palace. She gently pressed the fox-eyed girl's hand and said, "Don't leave. Stay tonight."

Su Xiaoxiao opened her mouth, then closed it, lowered her head and her face turned red.

Zhao Lingfei said to her softly, "Tell us how you met Ziyu."

The little fox demon perked up, and immediately began to talk about the past with Zhao Rong in a lively manner.

Zhao Rong listened with a smile and fiddled with the stove with the tongs. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly turned around and asked, "Zhao Lang, do you know how long we have known each other?"

Zhao Rong said softly, "Almost two and a half years."

Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and said, "Nonsense, it hasn't even been a year yet!"

Zhao Rong looked up at Mingyue and suddenly smiled, "Really? I feel like we've known each other for more than two years."

Su Xiaoxiao counted on her fingers and chuckled, "Could Zhao Lang have also counted the time in the dream?"

Zhao Rong smiled but said nothing.

Concubine Zhao Ling picked up the small fire tongs and helped him control the temperature of the stove. She lowered her head and asked, "My husband, I have always had a question. When you bought that boat ticket to Nan Xiaoyao Island, did you really want to never come back?"

Zhao Rong nodded, then shook his head, "I misunderstood you at that time, so I acted on my own."

Concubine Zhao Ling asked again: "After you got the jade and figured out everything, when you were at the ferry crossing of Longquan Mountain in Dachu, did you ever think of continuing to Nanxiaoyaozhou?"

Zhao Rong hesitated, took a sip of wine, and nodded, "But I still came, and I want to hold your hand."

"But deep down in my heart, what my husband really likes is the kind of life that goes south by boat, studies and travels, right? If it weren't for the bond between me and Qian'er. Because..." Concubine Zhao Lingfei said softly, "After the quarrel in Dali last time, my husband was also hesitant about whether to go south. That road that was not chosen may have always remained in the deepest part of my husband's heart."

Zhao Rong didn't say anything for a while, staring at the stove in a daze. After a long time, he took a sip of wine and said, "Maybe."

Concubine Zhao Ling and Xiao Qian'er looked at each other, and she suddenly smiled, "If my husband had chosen another path, I wouldn't feel that sad."

The drunk man was stunned. This obsession had indeed always remained in his heart.

"In fact, Qian'er and I only need to know what my husband means. We only need to know that my husband does not abandon me and Qian'er, but just wants to... leave temporarily. So, it's okay. If you like someone, you don't have to keep him forever. Letting him go occasionally may be a better choice..."

Concubine Zhao Ling looked up and said seriously: "Because there is no banquet that will last forever, but as long as we have each other in our hearts, all the separations will only be a better reunion next time."

"Madam..." Zhao Rong was stunned.

Su Xiaoxiao and Zhao Qian'er held his hands on each side and nodded together, agreeing with what Zhao Lingfei said. They had the same attitude.

Zhao Rong looked carefully at the faces of Qingjun, Xiaoxiao and Qian'er, then looked up at the moon in the sky.

He suddenly felt that the wine tonight was particularly intoxicating.

In this hazy, illusory and real world, many people, many things, many regrets and many mistakes in my heart seem to no longer be important.

What is important is to cherish the people and the life in front of you.

Under the moon, a man laughed and shouted drunkenly:

"Hey, Concubine Zhao Ling."

"What?"

"I have a... sword fairy wife."

"Okay," she said.

——

(PS: Good brothers, Xiao Rong has decided... From this chapter on, I will temporarily stop writing Jian Niang. I will post another single chapter in the next few days and have a serious chat with you all.

Finally, Xiaorong was also very sad. But as Qingjun said, there is no banquet that will never end, but all departures are for a better reunion next time!)