Chapter 79 The Elegy of the Great White Goose
By the time we had eaten and drunk our fill, it was already dark.
After thanking Uncle Huang and his family, we left. Xiao Ying saw us off again and again before shyly turning around and going home.
"Xiaoying's fish soup is so delicious!" I smacked my lips, savoring the taste.
Zhuge Liang simply smiled, and after a long while, turned to look at me, "Please excuse my poor performance..."
My lips twitched slightly, and I lazily raised my eyelids to look at him. "Sir, are you lost again?"
"Miss Pei is indeed exceptionally intelligent." Mr. Zhuge nodded politely and smiled.
I slipped and almost fell flat on my face. "This is near your house!"
The dog quickly stepped forward and helped me up.
"Where do you live?" Seeing his innocent smile, I wiped my sweat and maintained my composure.
"The thatched cottage in the east of the city is about thirty steps east of Xiao Ying's house, then turn right and go straight ahead for fifty steps," Mr. Zhuge answered fluently.
I looked at him suspiciously, then remembered Aunt Zhang who had asked for the kitchen knife. "Did you come from Aunt Zhang's house?"
"Go south for 73 and a half steps, then turn left for 46 steps."
I raised an eyebrow slightly, remembering Miss Li who wanted the rouge. "Where did you come from Miss Li's house?"
"Go straight in the northeast direction," the person continued, answering fluently.
I'm completely baffled. I remember it so clearly, yet I absolutely refuse to recognize the way! Amazing.
Considering how much fish soup I'd drunk, I decided to lead the way. Of course, more importantly... I had nowhere to stay.
"Thank you for leading the way, young lady. I will stay up ahead. May I ask where Miss Pei lives?" After walking for a while, they finally found the legendary thatched cottage.
Hearing this, I blinked. "Actually..."
“My father was from Xiangyang, but we’ve never been to Xiangyang,” Gou’er said honestly, then lowered his head. “Later, my father died, so my sister and I came to stay with relatives, but…”
I nodded hastily, secretly praising the dog's amazing acting skills; it looked so pitiful that even I felt sorry for it. I glanced at Zhuge Liang; he was still smiling, calm and composed.
I secretly felt annoyed; aside from being terrible with directions, this guy was frighteningly shrewd at other times.
"It's getting late. If you don't mind, you two can stay at my humble abode for the night," Zhuge Kongming said softly, a smile in his eyes.
I inwardly cheered, but outwardly maintained a calm and composed demeanor, and said in a refined manner, "Thank you very much, sir."
The thatched cottage was surrounded by a fence, a typical farmhouse courtyard, and it seemed that poultry were also kept there.
They entered the thatched hut together. He went inside first and lit the lamp.
A dim, yellow light gradually spread out like a bean, bringing warmth to the room. Although the room was simple, it was very warm and clean. The blankets were neatly folded, and the items were arranged in an orderly manner.
"Miss Pei, Young Master Pei, please come with me to the next room to rest. You should also get some rest." Zhuge Kongming grabbed a quilt and called Gou'er to the next room.
I watched him leave with a smile; he was truly a handsome and refined gentleman in this turbid world.
When I woke up early the next morning, a delicious aroma wafted in from outside, tempting my appetite. I quickly got up and dressed.
Pushing open the door, I saw Zhuge Liang in the courtyard. The morning sun shone on his face and body as he bent over to add firewood. A clay pot on the fire seemed to be simmering porridge, making a bubbling sound, and the aroma was coming from it. Several plump white geese waddled around in the courtyard.
"Miss Pei is awake?" He looked up and saw me, greeting me with a smile as warm as a spring breeze.
"Sister." The dog, who was squatting nearby feeding the geese, looked up and called out with a smile.
We sat at the natural stone table in the courtyard for breakfast. The breakfast was rice porridge, which had a very sweet and fragrant taste and was very appetizing.
After breakfast, the dog washed the dishes, and I squinted at Zhuge Liang, feeling something was off, as if something was missing.
"Miss Pei?" Perhaps feeling uneasy under my gaze, Zhuge Kongming looked down at himself to make sure he was alright, then looked up at me again.
I stared at him for a long time, when suddenly a gust of wind blew by, lifting his sleeve, and I suddenly realized what was going on.
"A fan!" I clapped my hands and shouted.
"ah?"
I turned my head and watched a plump white goose waddle past me slowly, chuckling maliciously.
As if sensing my ill-intentioned gaze, the big white goose let out a cry, flapped its two plump wings, and quickly hid behind Zhuge Kongming.
I stroked my chin, walked up to Zhuge Liang, examined him closely, nodded, and concluded: "Indeed, a fan is missing!"
Zhuge Kongming looked at me with a question mark on his face.
The next second, chaos erupted.
"Don't run! Don't run!" I chased those big white geese all over the yard. Heaven knows how they could run so fast when they looked so fat. "Help! Help! Don't just stand there!" I called out breathlessly as I chased after them.
Without saying a word, the dog immediately joined the fray.
Zhuge Kongming stood there, his intelligent face showing a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"Excuse me... is Kongming here?" A slightly aged voice sounded at the door, tinged with uncertainty.
Zhuge Kongming turned around, saw the person who came, and hurriedly stepped forward respectfully, "Teacher, what brings you here? I was just about to pay you a visit."
Just then, the dog, quick-witted and agile, grabbed a large white goose. The poor goose flapped its wings, shaking off a pile of downy feathers.
I quickly stepped forward with a smile, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm not trying to rip you off, I just want to borrow something from you."
To my surprise, the big white goose didn't know what was good for it and turned around to peck at my hand. I glared at it angrily and said, "You stingy rooster! It's just a few feathers!" With that, I quickly plucked a few big and beautiful feathers in a few quick movements.
The mournful song of the great white goose soared into the sky.
“This is…” An old man was ushered into the courtyard by Zhuge Kongming and stared at me blankly.
I turned around and saw that my posture was extremely ungraceful, so I quickly stood up, touched my hair, tugged at my skirt, patted the dog, and said, "Release it."
The dog let go and stood up. The big white goose immediately darted into its nest and refused to come out. By the way, from then on, that goose would avoid me whenever it saw me; it really held a grudge…
"Teacher, this is Miss Pei, who is staying at my home," Zhuge Kongming introduced.
I hurriedly bowed in a perfunctory manner, still clutching a large handful of goose feathers in my hand.
“This is Mr. Shui Jing, my teacher,” Zhuge Kongming said, looking at me with a smile.
"I am Sima Hui," the old man said with a smile, stroking his goatee. He was very kind.
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