Wanwan held the list of imperial merchants with a smug look on her face.
I wish Brother Xiao could see his achievements.
The name flashed through Wanwan's mind, casting a shadow over her heart. Although she had only recently moved to the capital, it seemed like she hadn't seen Brother Xiao for a long time.
Has he moved away from Hailan Village? Has his swordsmanship improved even further? Does he still suffer from insomnia at night?
Her thoughts drifted far away, and for the first time, the girl's heart was filled with gloom.
"Wanwan, why are you unhappy?" Wanwan's eyes were blocked by the sunlight, and Wan Suizhou's voice suddenly rang out in front of her. Wanwan looked up and met her grandfather's loving gaze.
"Is something on your mind?" Wan Suizhou stepped forward and sat down opposite Wanwan.
Wanwan's heart skipped a beat. Grandpa and Brother Xiao were close, so maybe Grandpa knew about Brother Xiao's recent situation.
Thinking of this, Wanwan suddenly stood up as if she had been injected with chicken blood, her face half happy and half expectant, "Grandpa, we've been away from Hailan Village for so long, and Brother Xiao hasn't written a letter. Does Grandpa know how he's been lately?"
Wan Suizhou raised his white eyebrows, but answered irrelevantly, "Have we been away from Hailan Village for a long time?"
Wanwan grew anxious and clung to Wan Suizhou's arm like a kitten, "Grandpa, it's been so long..."
Before she could finish speaking, Wanwan suddenly realized that her grandfather was deliberately making excuses for her. She became anxious and shook Wan Suizhou's arm much more vigorously. "Grandpa, do you know about Brother Xiao's situation? Are you deliberately not telling Wanwan? If you don't tell Wanwan, Wanwan won't help you prune the red plum blossoms."
Wanwan deliberately puffed out her cheeks, indicating to Wan Suizhou that she was angry.
Wan Suizhou finally gave in after his granddaughter saw through his act and kept pestering him. He stroked Wan Suizhou's curved head as if petting an angry kitten, "Okay, okay, Grandpa won't tease you anymore."
After saying that, Wan Suizhou took out a jade pendant from his bosom.
The jade pendant is carved from a piece of fine, clear blue jade. Upon closer inspection, a fish is also carved in openwork. The workmanship is exquisite and the jade is lustrous.
What appears to be a jade pendant is actually a painting. Under the bright sunlight, it emits a bluish halo, truly resembling green bamboo. Exquisite tassels also hang from the bottom of the jade pendant.
While Wanwan was still in a daze, Wan Suizhou had already placed the jade pendant in her palm.
“This was given to Grandpa by Young Master Xiao. He said that if you are worried and ask him repeatedly, then Grandpa can give this to you.”
After speaking, Wan Suizhou gently stroked his curved head, his white beard gleaming silver in the sunlight.
"Hmph." Wanwan was still sulking. She gripped the jade pendant tightly, crossed her arms over her chest, and refused to look at it again. "He didn't give it to me directly, but made Grandpa do it for me. He didn't even show up himself, and he hasn't written a letter in all this time. Really."
The jade pendant seemed to ignite a crescent-shaped flame of anger. Clutching it tightly, her cheeks puffed out like an angry pufferfish, but she was unaware of the barely contained amusement and joy in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
These little expressions naturally did not escape Wan Suizhou's notice. He stroked his beard and laughed heartily a few times, "When he comes to the capital, Wanwan will settle accounts with him in detail."
Wanwan pouted nonchalantly, "Who wants to go find him?"
But a joy was welling up inside me, almost bursting out of my chest.
After Wan Suizhou left, Wanwan, as if afraid of being discovered, secretly held the jade pendant and admired it for a long time in a sunny spot before finally hanging it on her waist with satisfaction.
Her slender waist suddenly felt a bit heavier, but Wanwan felt even more at ease.
However, for nearly four years afterward, Wanwan received no further news from Xiao Qi.
In the initial period after leaving Hailan Village, Wanwan still felt a thin thread connecting her to Xiao Qi because of the jade pendant at her waist. However, in the four years that followed, Xiao Qi seemed to have vanished into the vast ocean, leaving no trace.
The already faint thread broke over time.
Wanwan often clutches the jade pendant at her waist to recall Xiao Qi's appearance. She always feels that the process of getting to know Xiao Qi was like a dream. Her family members rarely mention him anymore, and it seems that apart from herself, no one cares about Xiao Qi anymore.
Could it be that Brother Xiao has stopped wanting to talk to me first?
In three days, Wanwan, who will turn sixteen, sat by the window, resting her chin on her hand, gazing at the sycamore tree with its falling leaves, and once again fell into thought about Xiao Qi.
I'm almost sixteen, and Brother Xiao is nineteen...
Will his appearance change a lot? It is said that the appearance of young people changes the most easily. When we meet again, will I still be able to recognize him?
Wanwan didn't have much time to ponder each day. In the past four years, Zhang Xiu's Wanjia Shop had become the largest imperial merchant, and things were getting busier and busier. Even with many people hired, he was still too busy to handle everything and often needed Wanwan's help.
Sure enough, Wanwan had only been sitting by the window for a short while when another shop assistant came in, sweating profusely, to report that there was trouble at a shop in the capital.
Wanwan has an impatient personality. As soon as she heard that someone was causing trouble, she put on the airs of a small business owner, slammed her hand on the table, and shouted, "Who is it? Take me to see this right now!"
The shop assistants quickly prepared the carriage, and Wanwan followed them to the shop without stopping.
The sun was shining brightly today. Wanwan had her hair styled in a cascading bun. Although her family had become increasingly well-off over the past four years, she remained low-key when she went out. She did not wear any elaborate or expensive jewelry, but only two newly picked small green flowers in her hair. Her green dress made her look even more lively and pretty.
Those eyes, which were always full of curiosity and a desire to explore, had become two pools of autumn water, and the curiosity and exploration within them were even brighter. Every gesture was full of a girl's liveliness and cleverness.
As they were traveling, a more luxurious carriage suddenly appeared in front of them. The coachman immediately turned around and made way for the other carriage. Just as the carriages passed each other, a gentle breeze blew by, and the wind playfully blew open the curtain of the other carriage.
Inside, a face with a curved, longing expression was revealed.
The man had eyes as black as jade, and a cold aura like a clear icy lake emanated from between his brows. His slanted eyebrows reached his temples, his eyes were like stars, and his features seemed to be sculpted from ice and snow. His temperament was aloof and composed. Although he was somewhat different from the fifteen-year-old Xiao Qi in his memory, most of his appearances overlapped.
The emotions in Wanwan's heart almost overwhelmed her reason.
Brother Xiao!
Wanwan tried her best to suppress her impulse. No, no, if Xiao Qi was coming to the capital, why wouldn't he inform her first? Besides, that carriage looked like the kind of vehicle used by officials.
Perhaps this person just looks extremely similar to Xiao Qi.
The wind blew by, and the carriage curtain was quickly drawn down. The fleeting impression made Wanwan even more uneasy. She must have been distracted lately and misjudged. How could she be so sure with just a glance?
Wanwan smiled self-deprecatingly to herself.
"Miss, what's wrong?" The accompanying embroiderer noticed that Wanwan's expression was a little strange and asked, "Did you see any familiar faces?"
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