Breakfast
Chang'an wasn't the historically rich city Aruo remembered, but rather the imperial capital of the Great Qi. The current emperor, Emperor Huiqing, had reigned for twenty-seven years. Although foreign invaders occasionally invaded the northwest border, with skilled generals guarding the frontier, the Great Qi enjoyed peace and prosperity, and the imperial capital, Chang'an, was bustling and bustling.
Aruo counted on her fingers and found that she had been in this world for almost ten years.
At first, she was overwhelmed by all sorts of discomfort and rejection. Without a cell phone, a computer, or a car, the backwardness was even more devastating than having no one to turn to. At one point, she thought she would soon die in this world so alien to her. But perhaps it was God's mercy that allowed her to make it this far despite all the hardships.
From being penniless and living on the streets, to being cheated by a charlatan and doubting life, to now having friends who can afford to buy him a roast chicken whenever he feels like it, this process... Aruo doesn't want to recall it at all.
All she knew was that in those ten years that seemed so long but now seemed to have passed in a flash, she learned to compromise, to get used to life without any technological products, to survive, to work hard to live, step by step, from west to east, and then from the south all the way to the capital.
Aruo thought the biggest change since coming here was probably her biological clock. Back then, there were no electric lights, and to save oil and wicks, people went to bed at sunset, even lying in bed at night with their eyes wide open counting sheep.
In order to save time and because she couldn't sleep that long, Aruo would always get up early. This was also the main reason why Aruo and Caixin chose to run a breakfast stall to make money.
"Girl, take the money."
"Okay, thank you for the two cents." He weighed the copper coins in his hand and felt relieved. The feeling of getting money was really an incomparable joy. It made people more motivated to work.
Just after wiping the table, I saw several men wearing the same dark blue robes with gold patterns, black hats on their heads and swords hanging around their waists walking towards me.
"Good morning, brothers. Is it the same as usual?" Aruo said with a smile when a guest came to the door.
"Xu Tian, you're so slow! I've already finished my whole bowl." The man, who had been squatting on the stone pier at the bridgehead because there wasn't enough space, looked up and complained. His wheat-colored face was well-defined, his eyes were sharp, and his movements were slightly heroic. His blue clothes couldn't hide his travel-worn appearance, and his sword lay casually at his side.
The middle-aged man called Xu Tian nodded to Aruo, then waved to the man over there, "Beili, you're back? What are you doing squatting there? Come and sit down."
"Hey, hey, Beili is full, why are you still sitting here?" Another baby-faced man said with a smile, pouring a cup of soy milk, "Xiao Caixin, the soy milk you make is still so delicious~"
"Go to hell! I just had a bowl of wontons. How can I be full?" Beili pulled open a bench and sat down, pushing the baby-faced man aside. He said disdainfully, "Do you think everyone is like you, unable to finish two bowls of rice?"
"Who can't eat two bowls?" Seeing the two girls covering their mouths and laughing, the baby-faced man blushed and said angrily, "I, I ate a lot! Don't blame me if you lose the duel!"
"Qi Qi, can you please not mention this? I didn't sleep well for several days and I was not in good spirits, so I made a mistake." Beili almost spit out the soy milk in his mouth, wiped his face in embarrassment, and hurried to clear his name.
"If I lost, I lost. Why are you making so many excuses?" Qi Qi rolled his eyes and was about to say something when he saw a girl in green clothes coming over with a bowl. He quickly stood up and took it. "Thank you, Xiao Caixin. I can do it myself."
He accidentally touched the girl's fingers, and his baby face turned red again. Seeing this, several colleagues laughed at him. Qi Qi was so anxious that he wanted to roll up his sleeves and hit someone, but he was afraid of scaring the little beauty in front of him.
"Xiao Qiqi, you really have an ulterior motive." Aruo smiled softly behind the small stall. She was almost tired of seeing this drama that happened almost every day. "Didn't I tell you that my Xiao Caixin is as calm as water, so you should just forget it."
"Tsk..." Qi Qi glanced at the charming girl, whose smile remained unchanged, and muttered as he scraped at the noodles in his bowl. This graceful lady, what's wrong with a gentleman's pursuit? They all watched the fun. Miss Caixin was the most beautiful and gentle person he had ever met. She was capable, and her cooking was delicious. What was so funny about him liking her?
Which man doesn't like a girl who is pretty, gentle and can cook?
Everyone exchanged a knowing look. They were not laughing at the girl he liked, but at his really disappointing performance.
"Alright, alright, stop messing around and finish eating! The master is back, so don't be lazy anymore." Xu Tian, the oldest and most steady, warned everyone after seeing how chaotic they were. He then glared at Bei Li, who was about to speak, "Especially you. The master will definitely ask about your progress these past few days."
"I have already reported this to the adults when I came back last night." When talking about business, Beili's expression became serious, and there was a hint of solemnity between his brows.
"Is there any news?" Xu Tian asked with concern.
"Not really. This is really weird."
"Brother Xu, Beili, are you talking about the recent case of missing babies?" Aruo suddenly poked his head out and asked.
"This is a secret and cannot be told." Beili looked at the girl who held her face with her hands and looked curious, and said in a profound tone with his arms crossed.
"Why can't I tell it? Everyone in the capital has been talking about this recently. The actor Zhang even made up a joke about it in a teahouse. I heard that when the two babies disappeared, no one was in office until a few days ago when the grandson of the Minister of Revenue, Lord Liu..." Aruo tilted his head and sorted out what he had heard during this period.
Bei Li knocked the table with his chopsticks in annoyance, "If you criticize the imperial officials, you will be arrested and thrown into the Ministry of Justice."
"Is your Ministry of Justice so idle?" They don't even think about who is promoting how powerful and busy their Ministry of Justice is and how good they are at solving cases.
However, after staying in the capital for almost a year, Aruo also knew that the current emperor had great trust in the Ministry of Justice. Except for judicial cases directly handled by the Dali Temple, other major cases were basically under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. It was said that the current main person in charge of the Ministry of Justice was still a person with strong connections and was deeply trusted by the emperor.
"Just tell us this," Xu Tian also reminded, "If others hear it, be careful and punish you for making false accusations."
"Yes, yes, not everyone in the Ministry of Justice is as easy to talk to as us. They are ruthless and cruel during interrogation. Their methods...tsk tsk, I'm afraid you will be scared if I tell you about them." Qi Qi also came over and said seriously. At this moment, he didn't want to remember that he was the one who was good at interrogating prisoners and whose methods could be considered ruthless.
"I see. I'll just tell you about it." Based on the idea that more friends mean more paths, Aruo has always been kind to others. Her generous manners are different from those of ordinary shy girls, so she can make generous friends wherever she goes.
She had met these people by chance since arriving in Beijing. They were straightforward and didn't mind their words. Having been out and about for a long time, she knew to be cautious in her words and actions. But this time, since she was asked to do so, she decided to ask more questions. "So, you really can't tell me?"
Xu Tian and the others all made a gesture to cover their mouths at the same time, which made Aruo feel bored. He spread his hands and said, "It seems that Actor Zhang has nothing to say."
After seeing them off, Cai Xin leaned out from behind the stall and asked, "Are they all gone?"
"Yeah," Aruo watched Caixin clearing the dishes on the table. Even though she was wearing coarse clothes, her natural beauty could not be concealed. She lowered her brows deliberately, which made her look pitiful and weak. Aruo couldn't help shaking his head.
Fortunately, she met some strange but reliable people wherever she went along the way, otherwise Cai Xin would not be suitable to show up in public. Thinking of this, she wanted to give discounts to Xu Tian and other customers who came to patronize the store every day in official uniforms.
"It's really thanks to them that even the thugs don't dare to come and collect our money." Cai Xin is also very self-aware. She never dresses up and never greets anyone except those she knows. "By the way, why are you suddenly interested in the case?"
"Nothing, I just heard too much recently and couldn't help but want to eat some melons." Aruo replied nonchalantly while washing the dishes, secretly regretting that he couldn't earn the money from the actor Zhang.
"Oh? Eat melon? What kind of melon do you want to eat? Watermelon is not in season yet, right?" Cai Xin was puzzled.
Aruo felt weak and couldn't help but touch her head. "After raising her for so long, she's still just a simple little vegetable."
"What..." Cai Xin slapped her hand away and said angrily, "Ah! Aruo, there's still soapnut powder on your hand!"
"Ahahaha, well, let's pack up quickly and go back. Today is a day off~ Let's go to West City to find something delicious." Aruo dodged her hand that was occupying the soy sauce and begged for mercy, "This is a day off specially for rewarding Xiao Caixin~"
"You talk as if we didn't have a day off yesterday and the day before yesterday." Cai Xin didn't buy it and glared at her coquettishly. "By the way, did Brother Xu just say their master is back?"
"Who?" Aruo blinked, confused.
"Didn't you hear it?"
Aruo shook her head. She didn't often eavesdrop on gossip, but she only paid attention when she happened to be interested in it.
"Their master is one of the four sons of the capital, as rumored." Cai Xin's eyes lit up as she spoke of these rumors, her face filled with longing. "He, along with the current Prince of Zhao, the Junior Minister of the Dali Temple, and this generation's Marquis of Dingbei, are considered the most outstanding young men in the capital by the young ladies. How many people dream of marrying them..."
Is this the dream of a young girl from Beijing? So, even in this era, there's such a thing. Aruo shook her head, unable to help but feel indignant about the number four. Why do all the good and the bad always end up in groups of four? Rather than the Four Sons of Beijing, she's now more interested in studying the Four Evil Ones...
After all, Changsheng had offended one of the villains, so he had to think carefully about how to deal with this. He couldn't really let that kid chop off his hands. He had cried that day and said that his mother's relics had been won away, and the only way to get them back was to chop off his hands.
"Aruo, are you listening to me?" Cai Xin couldn't help but pinch her face. It was rare for her to share this kind of news, but she didn't care at all. "Where's the girlish heart you mentioned? Where did it go? Isn't a girlish heart supposed to pay attention to this kind of news?"
"Xiao Caixin, a girl's heart is used to appreciate delicious food. My girl's heart will appear in the afternoon." Aruo came back to his senses, took her hand and said seriously.
"You're just lying. That wasn't the excuse you used when you tried to get me married." Cai Xin didn't believe it. Two years ago, when she was trying to get me married, she had clearly said that a girl's heart was the feeling of a young girl in love, and that a girl should be like hot water, and that when you encounter good tea, you should work hard to make it.
She was naive at that time and foolishly fell for it, and almost married that guy who was hard to describe... Now she still gets a chill down her spine when she thinks about that mess.
"A girl's heart depends on the situation." Speaking of the past, Aruo felt a little guilty. Back then, he thought it was too much trouble to travel around the world with a beautiful woman, and he happened to meet someone with good conditions, so he wanted to match them up, but he didn't expect... Well, the past should not be mentioned, so he quickly comforted the ancestor in front of him, "Besides, didn't I risk my life to get you back?"
"Hehe, now you know who is important." Cai Xin raised her eyebrows and hooked her arm proudly.
"You, you, you are absolutely the most important." Aruo said with a flattering look on his face.
"Aruo, caixin," a soft female voice came from the front of the stall, drawing the attention of the two.
The two looked over and saw a graceful young woman with a big belly and a gentle smile.
Aruo quickly put down the bowl in her hand, wiped it on her apron, and walked over. "Sister Xian, why are you here? Sit down and have a rest."
"It's okay, it's okay. The doctor told me to move around more so that I can give birth later." Shuxian was carefully helped to sit on the bench by the two men. She stroked her bulging belly, her face full of anticipation for being a new mother.
She lived in a courtyard at the entrance of Chunfengli Alley, and her husband was a teacher at a nearby private school. Several large courtyards in Chunfengli were rented by people from other places, and they all had a good relationship.
"Sister Xian, your belly is so big. Are there really not two babies inside?" Cai Xin squatted in front of her, reverently placing her palm against her belly, feeling the beating beneath it.
"Auntie Song takes my pulse every day. I really only have one child. It's just that I've been well-nourished, so I'm growing well," Shuxian said a little embarrassedly. Auntie Song, a gynecologist in Spring Breeze, took good care of her. This was her first child, and she was worried the child wouldn't grow well. With her mother-in-law away, the couple didn't know much about this and ate a little too much. Then Auntie Song came and corrected her problem.
"Then Sister Xian, you really have to listen to what Auntie says. I heard that if the baby is too big, it will be difficult for the mother to give birth. Walk more and be stronger, so you will suffer less. Also, remember to take the medicine Auntie prescribed on time, and find someone immediately if you feel uncomfortable. Hey, he moved!" Aruo said suddenly in surprise, his round eyes widened, looking at her belly in disbelief.
No matter how many times I feel the fetus move, I am filled with joy. The feeling of life passing through my belly and into my palms is magical and touching.
"Haha, that's the child saying hello to the aunts. It seems he really likes you." Shuxian said with a smile. Ever since she became pregnant, everyone in Chunfeng has been very caring towards her, especially the two people who met her when she found out she was pregnant. They felt that the child was welcoming them and they got along very well. "By the way, my uncle's family sent a lot of vegetables and fruits. I'll take them to you later."
"How can that be? We can just go get it ourselves." Every household in Chunfeng gets along like family, and there are often greetings and greetings. Caixin doesn't hesitate.
"It's just a few steps, let me walk a little longer." Shuxian said, holding her waist as she stood up.
"We are almost done with our stall, let's go together." This spot is used in turns with the vegetable seller. They use the earliest period of time. After they pack up their things, the vegetable seller will come to set up the stall. Now the time is almost up.
Aruo neatly turned over the tables and chairs and placed them next to a nearby shop. He cleaned the floor with Caixin, pushed the stall cart, and walked towards the spring breeze with Shuxian. They talked and laughed on the way, and the topic basically revolved around the unborn baby.
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