Chapter 144 A Little Ambiguous
The Marquis of Changxing's residence, the Wei Rui Pavilion.
Meng Jinyao sat on the chaise lounge, listening to Chunliu and Ningdong read supernatural tales. Chunliu read the narration, while Ningdong read the dialogue.
Qingqiu peeled melon seeds for Meng Jinyao, while Xiazhu fanned her.
It wasn't too hot today. During the hottest hours, we put ice chests in the room to cool it down. After 3 PM, it wasn't too hot anymore, so we took the ice chests off. The room was still quite cool, so we just used a fan.
Meng Jinyao squinted comfortably, looking quite content.
When Gu Jingxi returned, he saw this scene and was slightly taken aback. He thought to himself that the young girl knew how to enjoy herself. He had never enjoyed such a life, being served by several maids like this.
"My lord."
When the four maids saw Gu Jingxi, they quickly curtsied to him.
Meng Jinyao looked up and saw a man in a crimson official robe walking towards her. She called out, "Husband." Noticing the food box he was carrying, she asked, "Husband, what is this?"
Gu Jingxi replied, "It was a gift from the Emperor; Madam should like it."
Meng Jinyao was taken aback. It was packed in a food box, so it must be a meal bestowed by the emperor. Everyone said that the emperor ate the best and most delicious food. If he could give it to an important minister, it must be some rare delicacy. She had never seen what imperial cuisine looked like. Now she could not only feast her eyes but also her mouth. She immediately perked up.
Gu Jingxi observed the subtle changes in her facial expressions and knew that she was interested.
A moment later, Gu Jingxi handed her the food box: "Madam, here you go."
Meng Jinyao stood up, took the food box from his hand, and opened it. When she saw the red, oval-shaped lychees covered in thorny 'armor', her eyes lit up with joy: "Lychees?"
Seeing her radiant smile, Gu Jingxi knew he was right not to give the lychees to his friend, but still asked, "Does Madam like them?"
Meng Jinyao nodded repeatedly: "I like it."
As she spoke, she opened the bottom layer of the food box and discovered that it was specially made with only two layers. The upper layer held the food, and the lower layer held the ice. The ice had now melted into water, emitting a slight coolness, but the water did not leak out, indicating that it was very well sealed. The surface of the lychee peel was also cool to the touch.
Meng Jinyao distributed the lychees to her four maids, one for each of them, and then instructed Ningdong to go out and fetch some ice to keep the lychees fresh.
Each of the four head maids received only one lychee. This was not because she was stingy, but because there were not many lychees to begin with, only a little over a pound, totaling only thirty-two. And these thirty-two lychees were not to be underestimated; they were all very precious.
Lychee is a delicacy from Lingnan, thousands of miles away from the capital. Even if you have money, it's hard to get one. Lychees change color and taste within three or four days after being picked from the tree. Preserving them properly and transporting them from Lingnan to the capital from thousands of miles away is no easy task. It requires a swift, day-and-night journey of 800 li (approximately 400 kilometers) by express courier. Some lychees may even spoil halfway through the journey.
Even the emperor, who held absolute power, couldn't eat as much as he wanted. In the past, an emperor, in order to win the favor of his concubines, had to run so many horses to their deaths to get them to eat fresh lychees. So only the rich and noble could taste them; ordinary people couldn't even dream of it.
Lychees are so precious that there is a saying: "It is better to have a lychee belt around your waist than to have ten thousand pieces of gold around your waist." Lychees are rare, and countless people, including high-ranking officials and nobles, are eager to have them.
Gu Jingxi saw the little girl's eyes light up when she looked at the lychees. He smiled slightly. After all, she was still a child. No matter how composed she was usually, she still had a childlike nature. She couldn't take her eyes off the delicious food. She was no different from a little kid who couldn't resist the temptation of candied hawthorns.
He reached out, picked up a shelled one, and held it to the little girl's lips, teasingly saying, "Madam, you can't taste it just by looking at it, why don't you try it?"
Meng Jinyao snapped out of her daze and saw him looking at her with a smile. His gentle eyes were very alluring. She subconsciously opened her mouth to accept his feeding and took a small bite. The lychee flesh was like solidified cream, soft and refreshing, sweet and fragrant, with a slightly sour taste. It was very delicious and left a lasting impression.
Seeing her half-closed eyes, a satisfied look on her face, even a hint of nostalgia, Gu Jingxi asked with a smile, "Was it that delicious?"
Meng Jinyao nodded: "It's delicious. After so many years, it still tastes just like I remember."
The last time she ate lychees was ten years ago. Her grandfather got some lychees from a friend, but he didn't eat any of them and brought them all back to feed her. At that time, she didn't understand how precious lychees were; she only knew they were delicious. Later, her grandfather passed away, and she could no longer eat them until today.
Seeing the misty tears in her eyes, Gu Jingxi knew without asking that she must be thinking of her grandfather. The lychees she remembered were also given to her by her grandfather. He said gently, "If Madam likes them, then let Madam eat lychees every summer from now on."
each year?
Meng Jinyao was stunned. She looked up at him and saw a handsome man looking at her with a gentle expression, his eyes seemingly filled with affection.
Looking into those gentle eyes, her heart skipped a beat. She turned her face away uncomfortably and murmured, "The Emperor doesn't bestow gifts upon you every year."
Gu Jingxi chuckled softly: "Your husband can get lychees from Lingnan without the Emperor's reward; it just takes a little effort."
Meng Jinyao was stunned again upon hearing this.
Indeed, high-ranking officials and nobles all have their own methods. Everyone waits for the emperor's reward, but even then, they might not be able to get a meal. It's better to rely on their own resources, manpower, and materials. Wealthy families can certainly manage that.
Gu Jingxi brought the remaining half of the lychee to her lips: "Open your mouth."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao lowered her eyes and glanced at Gu Jingxi. She hadn't reacted at first, but now she felt a little embarrassed.
The husband feeding his wife seemed a bit ambiguous, but seeing his open and honest expression, she realized she was overthinking it and became even more embarrassed. The lychee was already right in front of her mouth, and she didn't know whether to eat it or not.
After hesitating for a moment, she finally awkwardly lowered her head and bit into the other half of the lychee. She held the lychee in her mouth and took a few bites, then realized something was wrong. She had bitten off the pit, which was also hard on her teeth.
Seeing her staring at him with her almond-shaped eyes and a subtle expression, Gu Jingxi asked teasingly, "Does Madam also like to eat lychee seeds?"
"I accidentally got bitten."
As Meng Jinyao spoke, she glared at him and then spat out the pit, which landed right in his palm.
In that instant, their eyes met, and the atmosphere froze.
Meng Jinyao then realized she had done something outrageous. How could she spit leftover fruit pits into the hand of such a precious person as Lord Gu? Even with her own maid, she wouldn't spit leftover fruit pits directly into her maid's palm. Those pits, which were covered in saliva, should have been spat into the small dish for fruit pits and peels.
Instantly, a flush rose to her face, and she blushed crimson with embarrassment. She awkwardly looked away without saying a word and simply pretended to be dead.
Gu Jingxi was somewhat surprised and didn't want to make a fuss about such a small matter. But seeing the girl blushing and looking shy, he couldn't help but tease her as he said, "Madam is treating me like a maid."
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