Chapter 165
It started snowing after that day. The snowflakes were not very big, about the size of a child's little fingernail. They were densely packed together and took two days to cover the sky and the earth with a thin layer of white gauze.
In Jiayang County, Zhao Zexi in the inn took a sip of wine and turned to look at the fine and dense snow outside the window.
"Young master, your injury hasn't healed yet. The doctor told you to drink less alcohol." Shu Yan, a servant who also survived the war, said with dissatisfaction.
Shuyan has been with the young master since he was very young. The years of friendship between them made him less cautious when talking to the young master.
Zhao Zexi smiled and stuffed a piece of cake into his mouth: "I know, I know, just drink a couple of sips to satisfy your craving, it's no big deal."
Shu Yan, holding a piece of cake in his mouth, said with red eyes: "Such a big cut is so unimportant. If Madam knew, she would definitely peel off my skin."
"No, it's not your fault."
Shu Yan was comforted and asked, "Master, when are we going back?"
Zhao Zexi took a sip of wine and said, "My mother wrote to urge me to leave earlier. I've been delayed for a while now. I'll leave in a couple of days after I recover from my injuries."
He will be leaving next year. At the beginning of this year, he made an appointment with some good friends to go on a study tour. Xixing Pass is known as the number one fortress in the world. It was supposed to be their last stop, but they did not expect to encounter a locust plague on their way back and were delayed there for a while.
"Master, have you heard? The third daughter of the Meng family has died. Her body was pulled out of the river yesterday. Now the mourning hall has been set up. It seems that they are not planning to send her back to Jiangzhou."
Meng Qiwu's parents were officials in Jiangzhou. When she was a child, she lived with her uncle and aunt for some reasons. When she heard that her aunt was seriously ill, she rushed from Jiangzhou to visit her, but she didn't expect that she would never be able to go back.
Zhao Zexi was silent for a moment: "Let's go burn some incense tomorrow!"
They also had a sense of camaraderie.
"Okay, I'll get ready later."
Zhao Zexi turned his head to look out the window in a depressed mood, and saw a monk below chanting sutras for the deceased to be reborn.
The monk was wearing the most ordinary monk's robe. There was an ethereal look between his eyebrows that ordinary people did not have. There was a bright red mole just below his eyelid. At this time, he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his face solemn, his voice clear and distant, and his whole body exuded a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
Zhao Zexi's expression was a little surprised, dispelling the depression between his brows. He obviously recognized the monk below.
Monk Kongchen is a disciple of Master Kongjue of Xiangguo Temple in the capital. He is said to be the most Buddhist disciple in the past hundred years. It is said that it is difficult for the dignitaries in the capital to meet him, and the Buddhist scriptures he copied by hand are worth a fortune. Zhao Zexi did not expect to see him here.
Just when he was wondering whether to go down and say hello, he saw a young man with heroic features walking up to Kong Chen, and the two were talking about something.
While Qi Zuqing was busy running around the city, he was also inquiring about what happened in the north city that day. It was already strange to have a thunderstorm in winter, not to mention that the thunderstorm that day clearly avoided the Han people in the county and only killed the Turks. This was not just strange, it was even absurd just to hear about it.
But such an absurd thing happened right before his eyes.
Although he was outside the city at the time, he was still shocked by the sound. However, despite the huge sound, no one in the county died from the thunder and lightning except the Turks.
This made Qi Zuqing feel unprecedentedly curious, so he went to find Kong Chen, who was chanting sutras for the deceased in the city to pray for their souls to be reborn.
He wanted Kong Chen to calculate for him what this strange phenomenon was. Ancient books said that when strange phenomena fell from the sky, rare treasures would appear. He wanted to find out what this rare treasure was.
Ever since the thunderstorm that killed the Turks, many witches and alchemists have appeared in the city. Some even said that it was a divine deer that had descended to the world. People in the county said that many of them saw a white deer that night.
Qi Zuqing was quite excited when he heard this. Ancient books did record that white deer were very magical. However, when he found out that the white deer was raised by humans, his excitement disappeared.
This is sheer nonsense. How could a sacred deer be kept captive? If it could be kept captive, it couldn't be called a sacred deer!
After reading the Sutra of Rebirth, Kong Chen was initially puzzled as to why he was looking for him. When he learned that he wanted him to tell him where the rare treasure was, he was silent for two breaths and then turned and left.
Qi Zuqing, who was abandoned and abandoned: "..."
Lijia Village
Jiaojiao, who had just woken up from a nap, sat on the kang in a daze. Yin Zheng came out of the kitchen, handed him a sugar cake, and put the bowl of sugar cake on the kang table.
Jiaojiao took a bite of the sugar cake. The sweet taste of the sugar cake spread from his mouth before he came to his senses. He moved forward, raised his hand and gave the sugar cake to his father. After taking a bite, he said, "Dad, Jiaojiao just had a very strange dream!"
"What dream?" Yin Zheng asked as he gently lifted up the sleeve of Jiaojiao's right hand, revealing the two-inch long wound on her arm.
Two days later, although the wound on Jiaojiao's arm had scabbed over, the skin around the wound was still very red and swollen. Every time Yin Zheng saw this scene, he couldn't help but tremble with heart and blamed himself for not protecting him well.
Jiaojiao swallowed the sugar biscuit in his mouth and tried to think carefully about what he dreamed about, but found that he could not remember it. He frowned unconsciously, trying to remember it.
After a while, he couldn't remember it at all, and looked up at his father with a bewildered look on his fair face: "I can't remember it, Jiaojiao clearly remembered it just now!"
"It's okay." Yin Zheng said as he dipped his hand in the ointment and applied it to Jiaojiao's wound with force. During this time, he turned his head from time to time to look at Jiaojiao's expression. If any change occurred, he would immediately stop what he was doing and apply the ointment with less force.
Yin Zheng spent a quarter of an hour applying the medicine on a small scar. After applying the medicine, he wrapped Jiaojiao's arm with clean gauze before letting down his sleeve.
After her father finished applying medicine to her, Jiaojiao handed the remaining cake to her father, helped him stand up with the help of his hand, and treated his wound like her father did.
Jiaojiao was always particularly stubborn at times, like when Yin Zheng had to apply medicine to her father's wound. When he turned his back on him with his cheeks puffed out and angrily ignored him, Yin Zheng compromised and took turns applying the medicine to Jiaojiao's wound.
Jiaojiao used her little hands to pick up the green plaster on the kang table, and starting from the long scar on the back of her father's hand, she gently applied the ointment on the wound.
While applying the ointment, she looked up at her father's expression, and from time to time she puffed out her cheeks and breathed on the wound on Yin Zheng's hand, as if this could relieve the pain.
From this angle, Yin Zheng could see his long eyelashes and bulging white cheeks. After trying to hold back, Yin Zheng couldn't help but reached out and gently poked Jiaojiao's face.
Jiaojiao's face is very soft, and a slight poke will make a dimple.
Jiaojiao blinked after being poked in the face, then she reacted and held her father's hand helplessly: "Don't move, be good, Jiaojiao, it won't hurt."
Seeing the helplessness on Jiaojiao's little face, Yin Zheng curled his fingers slightly. If his hand had not been pressed, he would have poked Jiaojiao's face again.
Jiaojiao was always helpless and indulgent towards this father who occasionally misbehaved. She took out a candy from her pocket and fed it to her father, saying, "You can't move after eating the candy."
Yin Zheng nodded with the candy in his mouth, and Jiaojiao felt relieved and continued to apply the medicine.
Yin Zheng had many wounds on his body, especially on his back. It took him half an hour to apply the medicine. After that, Jiaojiao was so tired that she shook her left hand and walked forward to nestle in her father's arms.
While massaging his aching arm, Yin Zheng carefully looked over the imperial examination papers from previous years that Xie Shuyu had sent him. After reading for a while, he began to write down and try to go through them.
Jiaojiao lay quietly in her father's arms. After a while, Qin Mianmian, who had just woken up from her nap and finished practicing her Chinese characters, ran to Jiaojiao and said happily, "Jiaojiao, it's snowing heavily."
Jiaojiao's eyes lit up and she looked up at her father.
Feeling his gaze, Yin Zheng put down his pen, took the hat and put it on him, then put on the collar and cotton shoes before carrying Jiaojiao out.
It was indeed snowing heavily. Unlike the fine snow of the previous two days, large flakes of snow were falling from the sky, and when they fell on people, they felt a slight impact.
Jiaojiao reached out and caught a piece of snow. When the snow fell into his hand, it was almost as big as his little hand.
Yin Zheng put Jiaojiao down from his arms, Qin Mianmian reached out and held Jiaojiao's hand, and the two happily ran around the camphor tree in the yard, with Youyou chasing after them.
Laughter and the sound of deer calling fell on the hazy snow. Yin Zheng stood aside and watched. Although he didn't know what to be happy about, he still couldn't help but soften his brows: "What do you want to eat today?"
Qin Mianmian raised her hand first: "Let's eat mutton hotpot."
Eating mutton hotpot is the best thing on a snowy day, even though he is only five years old and has never eaten mutton hotpot many times.
They were close to the border, so mutton was not hard to come by. Yin Zheng nodded and planned to go to the town early to buy a copper pot for antique soup and see if there was any mutton. If not, he would have to use chicken instead.
Qin Mianmian was probably still frightened by what happened two days ago. When he heard that he had to go out, he immediately shook his head and refused. Not only did he not go himself, he also pulled Youyou to stay at home with him.
Yoyo was so angry that she pushed him on the butt and stopped following Jiaojiao and Yin Zheng out.
Before leaving, Jiaojiao poked her head out from her father's shoulder and earnestly instructed: "Brother and Youyou, be good at home and don't fight."
Only after seeing Qin Mianmian and Youyou nodded did Jiaojiao feel at ease and retreat back into her father's arms.
The town was still not as lively as before the disaster. After buying the copper pot, Yin Zheng walked towards the meat market. There were not many shops selling meat now, but Yin Zheng was lucky enough to come across a butcher shop with half a sheep left on its stall.
Even in the heavy snow, Yin Zheng didn't worry about the meat not being able to be kept, so he bought half of it. The butcher's wife thought Jiaojiao was cute, so she gave Yin Zheng two large bones with a lot of meat on them to take home and make soup.
Before leaving, Jiaojiao waved her little paws to the butcher's lady and said softly, "Goodbye, auntie."
The lady in the butcher shop was so happy that she told Jiaojiao to come to her shop to buy meat next time and she guaranteed that she would weigh a lot.
It should be bright and crisp.
Eating mutton hotpot in winter is really delicious. Jiaojiao ate too much that night and was uncomfortable, holding his stomach and humming softly. Yin Zheng held him in his arms and gently rubbed his stomach, and he felt a little better.
It snowed heavily all night, and the rustling sound gave me an inexplicable sense of peace.
The next day, Yin Zheng got up early. As soon as he went out, he saw a vast expanse of white. There was thick snow on the ground, and it reached his calves when he stepped on it.
Yin Zheng climbed up the house to sweep the snow, then came down to boil some water before going into the house to wake Jiaojiao up.
After waking up, Jiaojiao rubbed against her father's arms in a daze, and then took a nap for a while before waking up.
After he was dressed, his father took him down from the kang. He stood in front of the wooden basin and tiptoed to soak his little face towel. After wringing it dry, he rubbed it on his face.
While Jiaojiao was washing her face, Yin Zheng brought hot water to Qin Mianmian next door. Qin Mianmian got up and put on her clothes without him calling her.
After washing up and having breakfast, Jiaojiao looked at her father expectantly and pointed at the snow outside and said, "Let's have a snowball fight."
"Yeah." Yin Zheng touched the back of his round head and said, "Let's digest the food first before we go fight."
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