Chapter 8: Pretty Xiaoyue'er tempts her heart and makes her brother Yun fall in love
A few months passed and it was already midsummer.
Luo Guyun had been away from the village for the past few days. In Qingniu Town, a hundred miles from Luling County, there was a craftsman renowned for his exceptionally effective swords. He had designed a style to his liking and taken several members of the village protection team to order a batch of weapons. Xiao Xiangyue had wanted to go too, but Luo Guyun, worried about the intense heat in the forge, worried the child wouldn't be able to handle it, decided not to let him go.
With the lesson learned on the road, Luo Guyun became more careful about Xiao Xiangyue's diet. Before leaving, he specifically told Chunmei to pay attention to the ingredients of three meals a day.
Unlike the cool summers of Alsophila spinulosa, the summer heat in western Sichuan was unbearable. Xiao Xiangyue had a cold constitution and wasn't particularly susceptible to the heat. Lizhuang was surrounded by farmland, and the summer nights were filled with the croaking of frogs. Children, light sleepers, were often awakened by the croaking. With restless nights and the unbearable heat during the day, they were beginning to feel unwell.
In the summer, vendors carry baskets from village to village, hawking refreshing snacks like cold shrimp, ice jelly, and cold cakes. These refreshing treats, topped with a spoonful of brown sugar syrup, offer a refreshing and soothing experience in the heat.
Ban Deng loves this dish the most. As soon as he hears the shouts, he starts to crave it and has to eat several bowls every day to feel satisfied. Ban Deng will be six years old in the second half of the year. He is best friends with Xiao Xiangyue. Luo Guoyun is serious and dignified. Ban Deng is a little afraid of him and always behaves well in front of him. Xiao Xiangyue is different. He is handsome and easy-going. Ban Deng likes him from the bottom of his heart. When he hears Luo Guoyun calling Yue'er, he also calls her Yue'er. After being scolded by Li Chunmei several times, he calls her "young master" in front of others, but still likes to call her Yue'er in private.
The six-year-old boy found that Xiao Xiangyue was not as good as him. He did not understand many things and had never seen many things. He found everything strange and was very timid. He was even afraid of cats and dogs. The little man had a strong desire to protect. As soon as the cats and dogs approached Xiao Xiangyue, he would help him drive them away. If there was anything delicious or fun, he would always want to share it with him. Of course, he would also bring the cold shrimps, cold cakes, and ice jelly he bought to him. Seeing that Banben was eating happily, Xiao Xiangyue took a bite. It was sweet and cool, very refreshing. He was feeling stuffy in the hot summer and had no appetite. This was just right. He could not stop eating it.
As it was getting dark, I saw smoke and dust billowing on the dirt road in the distance, and several horses galloping towards Zhuangzi.
"Brother Yun is back!" Xiao Xiangyue, who was playing on a bench in the courtyard, cheered and hurried forward to greet him. Luo Guoyun dismounted, picked him up, and pinched his face: "Yue'er, have you eaten well these days?" This was the first time they had been apart since leaving Alsophila Valley. Although it was only a few days, somehow, he felt a little bit of longing.
"Yue'er seems a little lighter." He weighed the child in his arms and strode into the manor. After they were seated, he set the child down. From his bag, he pulled out a small, exquisite dagger. "Brother Yun made this especially for Yue'er. Do you like it?" Xiao Xiangyue took it and examined it. The blade was clear and gleaming with a cold light. The handle was engraved with auspicious clouds, and a crescent moon rested on the clouds. It was exquisite and unique. She loved it so much that her eyes lit up with joy.
Ban Bench watched eagerly from the side. He took out a knife and rubbed Ban Bench's messy head: "This is for you."
"Me too?" Ban Bench was overjoyed. Holding the knife in his hand, he jumped three feet high in excitement.
Luo Guyun pulled several all-nighters and then rode back home at full speed, feeling exhausted. He went to bed early. The summer night was filled with thunder and lightning, accompanied by strong winds. Awakening from sleep, he discovered that the small lamp he had lit in the corner before bed had been blown out at some point, leaving the room in darkness. He was about to get up and relight it when a flash of lightning struck, illuminating the room. He saw Xiao Xiangyue curled up on her side, sleeping, and something felt wrong… While they were on the run, Xiao Xiangyue always slept on top of him. Back in Lizhuang, she would habitually burrow into him in the middle of the night, rubbing her head against his neck or chest, always finding a comfortable position before falling asleep. Luo Guyun hugged the child and was even more surprised to feel his body cold. He quickly lit the lamp to check on him. He saw that his brows were furrowed, his hands were pressed against his abdomen, sweat was beading on his forehead, and his face was pale. I was so frightened that I lost all my sleepiness and called out urgently: "Yue'er! What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
Xiao Xiangyue whispered, "My stomach...my stomach hurts a little."
Luo Guyun quickly stood up and called Li Chunmei and her husband. Outside, there was a raging storm. Chunmei said anxiously, "Oh, it's the middle of the night. What should we do? Bandeng's father, please go to the city. Mr. Cheng, the shopkeeper, knows some medical knowledge. Ask him to come and see the young master!" Without a word, Bandeng's father galloped off into the rain.
Luo Guyun hugged Xiao Xiangyue, the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. This child must have seen that he was tired and didn't want to wake him, so he endured it alone. If he hadn't woken up suddenly, how long would he have endured... He also regretted that he had slept too deeply. He needed to be more alert when he went to bed next time.
He reached out and placed his hand on Xiao Xiangyue's abdomen, wanting to rub it. He felt something hard around his navel, as if something was bulging. He hadn't rubbed it twice before his stomach started to churn and he wanted to vomit. He retched uncomfortably for a while, his pale face flushing red. His stomach was empty, but he couldn't vomit anything. He just lay in his arms, gasping for air.
Luo Guyun felt extremely distressed, and he kept stroking the child's back to help him calm down. At the same time, he asked Chunmei: "Has Yue'er had a good appetite these days? It seems that she hasn't eaten anything."
"It's been hot lately. The young master hasn't been eating much. I noticed he didn't have a good appetite, so I made some rice with loach tonight, but he couldn't finish it after just one bite. I also noticed something was wrong with the young master. I thought he must be too tired after just coming back, so I planned to tell you tomorrow. But he didn't expect him to fall ill in the middle of the night..." Chunmei said anxiously, standing by the bed. She saw how much Luo Guyun loved Xiao Xiangyue, and now the child was sick after just a few days away. She felt sad and guilty.
The bedroom door opened. A middle-aged man hurried in, carrying a medicine box. Shopkeeper Cheng, a man in his late forties, had learned some rudimentary medical skills and had previously worked as a traveling doctor in a nearby village. When Li Chunmei opened her own pharmacy, she hired him as its manager. Besides managing the pharmacy, he also treated patients for headaches and fevers, prescribing prescriptions.
After carefully taking the child's pulse and probing the abdomen, Shopkeeper Cheng understood. "The hotter the weather, the more you should avoid cold foods. Young Master, you have cold and dampness entering your body, damaging your spleen and stomach, causing intestinal cramps. It's painful, but it's not serious. A cupping session will force the dampness out, and after a few doses of warming and stomach-soothing medicine, you should be well again."
"Cold food?" Luo Guoyun was suspicious. Xiao Xiangyue had always been particular about her diet, even drinking warm water. When had she ever eaten anything cold?
Chunmei suddenly realized and gnashed her teeth: "That bastard Banben..."
Although Xiao Xiangyue was in great pain, she listened to everyone's words and whispered, "It was me... I asked Ban Deng to buy them. Cold cakes... ice jelly... and cold shrimp... Yue'er thought they were delicious, so she ate more..."
Shopkeeper Cheng said to Luo Guoyun, "Looking at the young master's pulse, he seems to have some deficiency. He must have been taking medication for a long time. But after all, his physical foundation is not as good as that of ordinary people, so he must not be careless."
After the cupping, the hard lump in Xiao Xiangyue's navel softened, and the pain eased slightly. Before Chunmei could bring him the prepared medicine, he had already fallen into a deep sleep. Luo Guyun wiped his sweat-soaked forehead with a hot towel, thinking to himself, "I heard from Shopkeeper Cheng that intestinal cramps are extremely painful. Looking at the child's exhausted appearance, I wonder how long he's been in pain. I have to find a way to cure his habit of suppressing everything."
Luo Guyun was well-versed in the art of war, so commanding an army was no problem for him. So, disciplining a child was a piece of cake.
The next day, after dinner, he returned to his room and sat by the coffee table with a serious face: "From now on, Yue'er and brother will sleep separately. You sleep in the bedroom, and I will move to the outer room."
Xiao Xiangyue was startled, with panic flashing in her eyes: "No...don't, Yue'er is afraid of the dark..."
"Afraid of the dark? I see you are not afraid of the dark at all. The lights were out last night, and you didn't see the moon and you weren't afraid." Luo Guyun remained calm.
"I...I...I don't want to sleep apart from Brother Yun." Xiao Xiangyue was clearly frightened. After hesitating for a moment, she uttered this sentence quietly but firmly. Her beautiful eyes flickered in the light, already filled with tears. She stared at him unblinking, her eyes full of pleading.
Luo Guyun's heart skipped a beat. He didn't even groan last night when he was in so much pain. How could one sentence make him cry? Seeing the child trembling with fear, and on the verge of tears, he felt so regretful that he couldn't pretend anymore. He hugged the child and put him on his lap: "Yue'er, why didn't you call me last night when you were in so much pain? What's the point of Brother Yun sleeping next to you?"
"Yue'er... Yue'er knows it doesn't hurt anymore now that Brother Yun is sleeping next to her." Luo Guyun thought the child would explain something, but after holding it in for so long, she blurted out something like this, leaving him at a loss for words. He said seriously, "Then Yue'er, promise me that no matter what happens in the future, you must not keep it to yourself, but tell your brother, okay?" Hardening his heart, he added, "If you behave like last night, I won't sleep with you anymore."
Xiao Xiangyue was stunned and nodded desperately.
When the two of them went to bed and were about to fall asleep, Xiao Xiangyue put her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, "...The frogs are too noisy, Yue'er can't sleep." Luo Guyun almost laughed out loud, holding his cheeks with both hands and said, "Brother, cover Yue'er's ears so that you can't hear the noise."
Another day passed, and at the dinner table, a bowl of porridge was placed in front of Xiao Xiangyue. Luo Guyun scooped up a spoonful, blew on it with a mysterious look on his face, and then fed it to her mouth: "Yue'er, try it, is it delicious?"
Xiao Xiangyue looked at him suspiciously, then took a bite. It was so sweet and fresh that she exclaimed in surprise, "Hmm, delicious!...What kind of meat is this?"
Luo Guyun laughed: "This is frog leg meat... The frogs kept me awake at night, so I avenged Yue'er!"
In the afternoon, thinking Yue'er's appetite was poor, he decided to try something new. A tenant farmer had just delivered a bamboo basket of frogs. Luo Guyun boiled the frog legs, carefully peeled the flesh, and added it to the porridge, adding a little shredded ginger and salt. The white and tender frog legs were the same color as rice grains. While it looked like a bowl of porridge, it tasted fresh, sweet, and delicious.
Xiao Xiangyue's eyes widened. "Brother Yun... did you kill the frogs?" Looking at the porridge in front of her, she felt a pang of reluctance, yet she couldn't resist the deliciousness. She figured there were so many frogs, she couldn't kill them all, so she began to eat. From then on, this frog porridge became Xiao Xiangyue's favorite, and she missed it every now and then. After eating, she was grateful for the sound of frogs croaking at night, and it didn't bother her so much anymore. Once she got used to it, it became like a lullaby, and she drifted off to sleep.
In the courtyard, dozens of vigorous young men were training enthusiastically.
A young man squatted in the corner, staring intently, his face full of envy. Ban Bench ran over: "A Jin, what are you doing here?"
The boy's name was Cheng Jin. He was the son of the pharmacy owner, Cheng, and he was thirteen years old.
"I wanted to join the village protection team, but the young master said I was too young and wouldn't let me in." Cheng Jin was dejected.
Ban Bench looked at him sympathetically, his eyes rolling: "Why not go find Yue'er? The young master loves the young master the most. Let him go and talk to him. It will definitely work!"
The two of them ran to the south yard, dragged up the person who was still lying in bed, and went to the yard together.
Luo Guoyun was sparring with a sturdy young man. Seeing Xiao Xiangyue, he quickly stopped his moves, walked forward, and frowned, saying, "Why is Yue'er here? It's autumn now, and it's very cold this morning. Why don't you wear more clothes?" He picked up the coat that was lying aside and put it on Xiao Xiangyue.
It was Xiao Xiangyue's first time watching everyone's drills in the courtyard. Seeing him sweating profusely, his arms exposed, his gray-white, double-breasted jacket clinging to his body, the front and back soaked in sweat turning dark blue. She felt a little distressed: "Ah, Brother Yun, why are you sweating so much? Are you tired?" She stood on tiptoe and gently wiped the sweat from his neck with her sleeve.
Xiao Xiangyue had just sat down on the stone bench when Luo Guyun frowned again. He pulled the child up, sat on the stone bench himself, held the child on his lap, and said, "The stone bench is cold. Be careful not to let the cold air enter your body. You will get sick again. Erhu, go and get a chair for the young master." The last sentence was said to a young man standing next to him.
After everyone sat down, he quickly brought a cup of warm water and handed it to them, whispering, "You got up too early, and it's not good to have an empty stomach. Drink some water to warm it up first. We'll go back and have breakfast later." Xiao Xiangyue didn't even raise his hand, and took two sips from the cup that was brought to his lips. Luo Guyun wiped the water stains on the corners of his lips before putting the cup down.
The two of them usually interacted like this, quite naturally. Everyone else was watching, somewhat puzzled. The young master was usually stern and stern, never smiling. Had they ever seen him so gentle and considerate?
Seeing everyone looking over here, Xiao Xiangyue finally remembered the important matter and tugged at his sleeve: "Brother Yun, A Jin wants to join the village protection team, just let him try!" Luo Guyun then noticed the two children beside him. He thought that these children were really smart and knew how to use Yue'er's connections. He called over a young man: "Heizhu, let A Jin train with you for a while and see how it goes."
Cheng Jin hadn't expected things to be so easy, and was overjoyed. He thought to himself that the young master's words were indeed effective, and it seemed that he would have to try harder to get closer to Xiao Xiangyue.
Luo Guyun continued sparring with the others, his movements agile as a dragon, his moves a blend of false and real, lightning-fast. Most of the young men who entered the fray were defeated within ten moves. Xiao Xiangyue's eyes lit up as she cheered loudly, her palms clapping until they turned red. She truly felt that Brother Yun was truly amazing! Luo Guyun demonstrated and corrected each move, then let everyone practice on their own and left early with him.
A large earthen kiln had been built in the backyard, and several young men were busy at it. Their faces were covered in soot, and their eyes were still rolling, so it was impossible to tell who was who.
Xiao Xiangyue came out of the west courtyard after practicing her zither and asked in surprise, "Brother Yun, what are you doing?" Luo Guyun stared at the kiln and waved without turning back, "Yue'er, go away quickly. It's too stinky in here."
Winter was approaching. Luo Guyun remembered what Xiao Pingzhou had said about the charcoal Xiao Xiangyue used for winter heating, specially treated by Doctor Sun, so it had no smoky smell. He decided to try making his own. He brought a large cart of chestnut wood and tinkered with it for several days without success. Cheng Jin went to ask his father for advice, and Shopkeeper Cheng offered a recipe: adding mugwort to the charcoal during the burning process would not only remove the pungent smoke, but also give it a light fragrance when burned. It could also remove dampness, detoxify, and relieve heat, greatly benefiting the body. Overjoyed, he quickly sent a few more young men up the mountain to cut a few more carts of chestnut wood, which he was now burning.
Xiao Xiangyue was not willing to leave, so she squatted down and looked at the charcoal in the stove with him with great interest.
Chunmei came over and said to Luo Guoyun, "Boss Zhou from the Dajiang Foreign Trade Company in the city has personally sent an invitation. He's getting married on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month. Young Master, please be sure to come and have a drink at the wedding."
Since forming the village protection team and handling several successful cases, Luo Guoyun gradually gained some fame. Every respectable family in the surrounding area would invite him to any wedding or funeral. He was extremely impatient with these social events and would usually just give a red envelope and send it to someone.
He stared at the charcoal in the kiln, and without looking up, he replied, "I won't go. Just pack a few silver dollars and send them over."
Bandeng heard this from the side and said excitedly, "Getting married? That means there will be a bride to see? Yue... Young Master, let's go see the bride together, okay?" He pulled Xiao Xiangyue's sleeve, his face full of anticipation.
"See the bride?" Xiao Xiangyue was also a little curious.
"Well, the bride has a lot of flowers on her head and is dressed in bright red. She looks so beautiful!" Banben continued to incite.
The atmosphere at the residence of Mr. Zhou, the owner of the Dajiang Foreign Trade Company, was filled with joy. The door lintels and pillars were covered in bright red satin and adorned with striking red flowers. The clatter of gongs and drums and the melody of suonas filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere.
Luo Guyun appeared at the gate with Xiao Xiangyue and a bench.
Boss Zhou hurried forward, bowing and saying, "I'm deeply honored that the Young Master has graced me personally with your presence! Please come in!" He led them into the hall, where they sat at the main guest table alongside several well-dressed middle-aged men. Xiao Xiangyue had rarely witnessed such a bustle, and with inexplicable excitement, she ran in and out with Ban Bench, glancing around, unable to sit still.
Luo Guoyun exchanged pleasantries with everyone and took his seat. His eyes, however, followed the little people constantly coming in and out. He was worried that the two children might get burned by the constant rush of servants carrying dishes and soup.
"Young Master, you are a handsome young man, a young hero. I wonder if you have a wife?" The old man sitting opposite asked. Luo Guoyun sighed. Here they come again...
Luo Guoyun was seventeen, eighteen in lunar age. At that age, he would have been engaged long ago in the countryside. Furthermore, he was handsome, well-known, and the young master of Li Village, making him the object of countless young women's admiration. For the past six months, matchmakers had been lining up at his doorstep. He disliked attending such gatherings, because whenever they did, there would be proposals for marriage. He was so focused on revenge that he had no time for marriage.
Luo Guoyun was well-educated. Although he secretly complained, he did not show it on his face. He withdrew his gaze from following the two children and replied respectfully, "My nephew has never married."
The old man was Li Dengmin, the mayor of Luling County. He became interested: "I have a close friend's daughter, who is well-educated, gentle, and virtuous..."
Luo Guoyun interrupted him quickly: "Thanks for the kindness, County Magistrate. Although my nephew has never married, my father had already arranged a marriage for my nephew in my hometown when he was still alive. We will just wait for the three years of mourning to be over, and then we will get married." He had used this rhetoric countless times, and it came out smoothly without any thought.
"Who wants to get married?" Xiao Xiangyue, whose face was covered in sweat from playing, had sharp ears. When she heard this, she ran over happily, leaned against him, stared at him with her big watery eyes, and asked with a smile.
"Oh my! This young master is so handsome... He's just like the one in the painting!" Mr. Liu, the rice shop owner sitting nearby, exclaimed, "Tsk, tsk, look at his looks, his manners... He's truly like a god... How old is the young master? Is he engaged?"
Luo Guyun was irritated for no reason and said coldly, "My brother is still young, it's too early to think about marriage."
There was a burst of firecrackers outside. Ban Bench came in, pulled Xiao Xiangyue out and said, "The bride is here, let's go and see her!"
The two children squeezed into the densely packed crowd. Being small, they couldn't see anything amidst the crowd of adults. They anxiously snuck forward, finding little gaps, and finally made it to the front row. A hundred meters away, they saw a sedan chair parked. A woman dressed in scarlet brocade lifted the curtain with a bamboo pole, shouting, "Bride, get out!" The groom, dressed in a bright red wedding gown and a red flower on his chest, ran forward, bent down, and carried the bride on his back, walking down the long red carpet.
Local custom requires the groom to carry the bride into the house, and her feet must not touch the ground, as this is considered unlucky. The bride, covered by a veil, was hard to see, and perhaps because of her oversized clothing, she looked a bit overweight. The groom had only taken a few steps when he stumbled and nearly fell.
The crowd erupted in laughter: "Zhou Sanwa, your legs are already weak before the wedding night!"
Xiao Xiangyue also laughed so hard that she collapsed backwards. As usual, she turned around and called out, "Brother Yun, look! The groom is carrying the bride on his back. It's so funny!" Suddenly, her chin bumped into someone's chest. It was Luo Guyun. He had come up behind Yue'er before she knew it, separating him from the crowd.
The dishes at the wedding banquet were so greasy that Xiao Xiangyue could barely finish them. She only ate a few chopsticks of bamboo shoots from the braised pork with bamboo shoots. Luo Guyun entertained the guests for a while, drank a few cups of wine, and then left early with the two children.
After coming out of the hall, Luo Guyun said, "It's still early, Yue'er, do you want to go for a walk in the city?" Xiao Xiangyue nodded quickly, "Yes, Yue'er wants to eat Dongji's sweet potato candy!" Holding the bench, she walked in front, swaying from side to side, and Luo Guyun followed slowly behind.
Sweet potato candy is a local specialty. Sweet potatoes are shredded, dried, coated with maltose, and stir-fried in an iron pan. Pressed into cakes, they are sprinkled with peanuts and sesame seeds. Once cooled, they are cut into small cubes for a sweet, crispy treat. Freshly made sweet potato candy is delicious; if left for too long, it becomes either too hard to chew or too soft to eat. Luo Guoyun always gives Xiao Xiangyue a little bit of it whenever he visits the county town.
Dong Ji's shredded potato candy was the most famous. They made and sold it fresh from a large pot in front of the shop, and long lines of customers often formed, waiting for the freshly-made candy. Xiao Xiangyue loved watching the making process, and every time she walked past the shop, she couldn't move.
After enjoying the sight, we bought a big bag of sweet potato candy. The two children stuffed their mouths full and walked back happily.
"Brother Yun, have another piece." Xiao Xiangyue broke off a piece of sweet potato candy and handed it to his mouth.
Xiao Xiangyue had already fed him several pieces just now. Luo Guyun didn't like sweets very much, but he took another bite anyway. He reached out to wipe off a small piece of shredded potato stuck to the corner of his mouth and smiled dotingly, "How did you become like a little cat from eating so much?"
The three of them walked back slowly. Passing by a well, villagers usually put a ladle next to the well for passersby to drink water to quench their thirst. Ban Bench was a little thirsty, so he ran over to the well and drank a few big mouthfuls. Xiao Xiangyue also scooped up water and poured it into her mouth. Luo Guyun wanted to stop him, but it was too late. He frowned and said, "The water in the kettle is still warm. Why do you want to drink cold water? Be careful of stomachache again." He remembered what Shopkeeper Cheng said last time, that Xiao Xiangyue was born with deficiencies and was too weak to be taken lightly. He specially filled a kettle with hot water when he went out in the morning.
Seeing how nervous he was, Xiao Xiangyue got playful and rushed over to him, hanging on his neck, and said coquettishly, "Brother Yun, everything will be fine if you carry Yue'er on your back."
He got what he wanted and lay on his back. Xiao Xiangyue started to act naughty again, stroking his hair, scratching his armpits, and deliberately reaching his cold hands into his vest to feel: "Ah, Brother Yun is sweating!" He also stretched his body and stretched his neck to see Luo Guyun's expression. For some reason, he just liked to see Brother Yun gnashing his teeth at his bullying, but helpless. He was so happy that his eyebrows and eyes were all smiling.
Bench pointed at them, clapped his hands and laughed, "Yeah, it's like a groom carrying his bride."
Xiao Xiangyue tilted her head and asked crisply, "Brother Yun, will you also carry the bride on your back in the future?"
Luo Guoyun said casually: "Well, Yue'er will also have to carry her own bride in the future!"
Xiao Xiangyue pouted and said, "Yue'er doesn't want to carry the bride on her back. Yue'er only wants Brother Yun to carry her on his back."
After passing a forest, there was a big slope. Luo Guyun smiled mischievously and said, "Okay, brother will just carry Yue'er..." Suddenly, he loosened his hands, pretended to fly, and rushed down the slope at a high speed. Xiao Xiangyue screamed in fright and almost fell down, and quickly hugged her neck. Luo Guyun pretended that he couldn't stop his feet, staggered, and pretended to fall. Xiao Xiangyue closed her eyes in fear, thinking that she was going to fall to the ground. Unexpectedly, he rolled over, grabbed her with one hand, and threw her from his back to his chest, just like the time he fell from the horse's back, and she fell firmly into his arms, unharmed.
Xiao Xiangyue reacted and yelled angrily: "Brother Yun is bad, Brother Yun is bullying!"
Luo Guyun turned over again, put his big hand on the back of the child's head, pressed him to the side under him, and said, "Who told Yue'er to always tease his brother?" Their faces were very close, Xiao Xiangyue looked at him with anger in her eyes, and she had not recovered from the shock just now. Her chest rose and fell, her pink lips were slightly open, her breathing was rapid, and her long eyelashes almost brushed her face, making her feel numb. Luo Guyun suddenly felt his heart skip a beat, and he was dazed for a moment. As if bewitched, he moved his lips closer and closer... The moment their lips were about to touch, he suddenly woke up and almost jumped away. His heart seemed to jump out of his chest, he was panicked and didn't know what to do. He quickly helped Xiao Xiangyue up and patted the grass on his body.
Banben ran up from behind and grabbed Xiao Xiangyue: "Did Yue'er fall? Are you hurt?" He was still glaring at Luo Guyun angrily: "Do 100 push-ups tonight as punishment!"
The first heavy snow of the winter fell, and the flakes fluttered down, piling up on the ground a foot thick. Although Xiao Xiangyue had seen snow before, the weather in Alsophila Valley was hot and humid, and the snowflakes fell to the bottom of the valley and could hardly pile up. Seeing the thick snow, he couldn't help himself. He joined Ban Deng, Cheng Jin and other children in the courtyard to make snowmen and have snowball fights, having a great time. Knowing that he had never played in the snow, Luo Guyun was a little worried, but he just indulged him. As a result, he caught a cold and developed a fever that night. After taking several doses of medicine, the fever subsided, but the cough did not go away. Luo Guyun lit charcoal braziers in the west and south courtyards, inside and outside the house, where Xiao Xiangyue often stayed, and took great care of her, but the cough lingered for more than a month, and only improved in the spring. Who knew that in spring, her pollen allergy would come back. She always felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, and tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep well. Sometimes Luo Guoyun should have gotten up at dawn, but the child was sleeping soundly on top of him. Thinking that Xiao Xiangyue had finally fallen asleep, he couldn't bear to wake him up, so he let the child lie there motionless, and missed training several times.
Luo Guyun was worried all day long and deeply understood the feelings of everyone in the theater at that time. It was really not easy to keep the child safe and sound.
Finally, summer arrived. Xiao Xiangyue's life began to get a little better. In the summer, he could enjoy his favorite loach rice, eel noodles, and his favorite frog leg porridge. After a while of nursing, some of the lost weight had returned. He had grown taller, his features more handsome, less childish, and he already looked like a teenager.
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