Wei Yao's eyes darted around restlessly, and then he suddenly asked casually, "General, tomorrow... is New Year's Eve. If you insist on returning to Taiyuan against the imperial edict, Chengshangju in Shanyun has already made arrangements for you. Shall we spend New Year's Day there this year?"
Yuwen Sheng twirled his knuckles, his gaze drifting to the snow-covered ravine, but the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his expectation: "Now that I am married, I will naturally spend New Year's Day with my wife. If you find Fuxian too deserted, then go to Chengshangju to celebrate the festival yourselves."
Upon hearing this, Wei Yao's face lit up immediately: "Yes, yes, General is right. It's my fault for having a bad memory. Every family celebrates New Year's Day together. Since General has already married, he will naturally spend it with his wife. So... Ze Bang and I won't be going to Cheng Shang Ju. Can we also go to the Sang family to join in the fun?"
He asked the question nervously.
Yuwen Sheng turned his head, his smile as amiable as his rejection.
"cannot."
Wei Yao's face immediately fell, and he feigned tears, saying sadly, "General, why did you deliberately hide the matter from Madam? Look, it's been so many days since the wedding, yet you won't let us see her even once, nor will you allow us to investigate anything about Madam in private. If we hadn't overheard Sang Xuanqing's words that day, we still wouldn't know who Madam is. You wouldn't... have told Madam nothing and have been deceiving her with the false identity of Liu Fengmian all along, would you?"
The thought of this possibility made Wei Yao's heart skip a beat, and she couldn't help but carefully observe the general's expression.
Yuwen Sheng's eyes suddenly darkened, and his smile became chilling, which frightened Wei Yao into silence.
We're doomed.
He guessed correctly.
"New Year's Day, according to folk tradition, is a time for family reunion, cleaning and warding off disease, celebrating and praying for a peaceful and healthy new year. These words sound quite novel. It's the first time I've had family members who can do these things, so naturally I want to experience it properly. Afterwards... I'll tell her myself."
Yuwen Sheng spoke slowly and gently, his tone casual and playful, but Wei Yao felt as if a sharp sword had pierced her chest, and she could clearly hear a sense of heartache and distress in his voice.
Their general... may not be afraid of being alone, bearing the burden of loneliness for a long time, but he does not want to be like this. Rather, he is forced by fate to get used to it.
Wei Yao still remembers the general when he was a child. He didn't like to laugh or cry. He had no father or mother, no one to protect him or teach him.
At that time, he would often stand blankly under a lush banyan tree, looking up at the sunlight filtering through the leaves.
A sense of loneliness and desolation surrounded him. He swam in the shadows, but only a sparse ray of sunlight pierced through his eyes, giving him a bright warmth in the winter.
That scene deeply impacted little Wei Yao's heart and remains unforgettable to this day.
Wei Yao blurted out, "General, are you worried that Madam might be... unhappy if she finds out you are Yuwen Sheng?"
He originally wanted to say he wanted a divorce, but he was so afraid that the general would chop him into a human stick that he changed his mind in a hurry.
"..."
Yuwen Sheng didn't speak for a moment, but Wei Yao understood immediately.
"Otherwise, General, you could try to subtly probe Madam's attitude towards General Yuwen. If she greatly admires you, then you can confidently tell her."
After listening, Yuwen Sheng carefully reviewed the operational procedures in his mind, and said with a half-smile, "I have my own ideas about these things, do I need you to teach me?"
Wei Yao didn't blame the general for abandoning him after using him. He was just thinking that everything has two sides. Of course, the general would be happy to accept the good outcome, but what would the lady do if she heard that the "Living Yama" was known as "Zhang Liao who could stop crying"?
——
With the busyness drawing near to New Year's Eve, Zheng Quchi suddenly realized what crucial thing he had forgotten.
Other craftsmen all had a holiday on New Year's Day, with two days off in total. But Zheng Quchi's status was different now, so he naturally received some special treatment.
After arranging everything properly, Mu Ke came to inform her that she could go home for the New Year's Eve holiday, which left her quite bewildered.
Mu Ke laughed at her: "Aqing, what's wrong? You're not happy to be home for the holidays?"
Zheng Quchi took a breath and quickly shook his head: "No, that's not true..."
However, she hadn't even had time to think about how to get back!
"After the New Year, your craftsman rating should be released. I'll send it to you at a later time," Mu Ke told her the good news.
Zheng Quchi immediately shook off the trivial troubles in his mind and said, flattered, "Uncle Mu, how could I let you deliver it to me? I'll just come and get it myself."
"It's alright. I heard that your new house is quite unique. It's just that your courtyard wall is so high that even thieves don't dare to climb it at night, for fear of falling and getting hurt. So, everyone is curious about what kind of treasure you've built this house into, that it's worth hiding it like this. I've also become curious after hearing that, so I'd like to find an opportunity to visit and take a look."
Seeing that he had gone this far, could Zheng Quchi still refuse?
She laughed heartily: "Uncle, come anytime. Xuanqing is always ready to warmly welcome you."
Upon hearing her words, Mu Ke beamed with joy: "Alright, alright, but could you ask your uncle to bring your brother Wei along? You two really need to have a good talk. You can't keep arguing about things; you need to resolve them when necessary, otherwise they'll become a dead knot."
Zheng Quchi paused for a moment.
What she was thinking about wasn't anything else, but that if Wei Yao came to her house and ran into Liu Fengmian, then Liu Fengmian's fact that he was Yuwen Sheng's subordinate would definitely be exposed.
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