Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Hey, you are fascinated by it
A little later, Xiaoman, He Ping and Chen Ling'an arrived.
He Ping was a very outgoing person. When he saw Mrs. Jiang, he called her "Auntie", which made her laugh non-stop. When she learned that he would take part in the imperial examination next spring, she stuffed all the Duan inkstones, Hui inkstones, Song Dynasty tribute paper, and various Hu brushes made of goat, purple, and wolf hair in the study into He Ping's hands.
He Pingmei was so amazed that he grinned from ear to ear, and his chatter became even more eloquent. Sometimes he praised her for decorating the house elegantly and stylishly, and sometimes he shouted while holding a book.
Xiaoman rolled her eyes at him and said, "You're a show-off. Can you be quiet?"
"This is a Song Shu edition of Er Ya with a single annotation!" He Ping burst into tears with emotion. "It's extremely rare. I thought it was destroyed during the war between the Song and Yuan dynasties. I didn't expect it to be preserved by my aunt."
Mrs. Jiang smiled and said, "These are my father's collections. I put them in my study to show off my knowledge. I never even look at them, which would be a waste of them. If you like them, take them."
He Ping almost knelt down in front of her: "Mom, you are my real mother!"
Mrs. Jiang covered her mouth with her hands and laughed uncontrollably.
Completely different from the noisy He Ping, Chen Ling'an seemed extremely silent. Apart from saying a few words when he first entered the door, he remained silent after that. It was so quiet that it seemed as if this person did not exist.
He sat quietly by the window, the west-facing sunlight seeping into the room through the window lattice, dispersing into misty beams of light, gently casting a layer of light golden warmth on his slightly pale skin.
Xiaoman looked at him secretly, and quickly looked away before he looked back.
Chen Ling'an picked up the cup to hide the smile on his lips.
She loudly discussed tonight's dishes with Mrs. Jiang, occasionally arguing with He Ping, and occasionally getting so annoyed by He Ping that she jumped up and punched him. He Ping would jump and run away, but within half an hour he couldn't help but provoke her again.
The small flower hall was bustling with activity, and with these two people around, the atmosphere would never be dull.
"What are you in a daze for, Xiao An'an——" He Ping rushed over with his arms open.
Chen Ling'an placed his folding fan against his forehead and slowly pushed it away. "Compared to the Zhang family's siblings, she and you are more like siblings."
He Ping was quite pleased. "Blood doesn't mean anything. What's more important is that we have similar tastes... No, it's that we have similar mindsets and are getting closer day by day."
As they were talking, Mrs. Jiang invited them to dinner.
Because He Ping liked the pickled duck tongue here, Mrs. Jiang specially ordered someone to buy two kilograms. "The ones at home are not pickled yet. Come back in three days. My family's secret recipe is definitely better than the ones you buy outside."
He Ping chewed on the duck tongue and nodded.
Seeing Chen Ling'an staring at the plate in front of him without moving his chopsticks, Xiaoman gently pushed him and said, "I'm watching every dish. There's nothing you can't eat. Come on, eat! Do you still need me to help you set the table?"
"Oh." Chen Ling'an picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of braised bamboo shoots and put it into his mouth.
"How is it?" Mrs. Jiang looked at him eagerly.
Chen Ling'an's voice trembled slightly, "It's delicious."
Xiaoman was keenly aware of his emotional changes, deep longing, and unspeakable sadness.
"That's good." Mrs. Jiang breathed a sigh of relief.
"Actually, I learned this from your mother. Back then, we were all still married, and whenever we got together, the sisters would make some food and bring it over. Her specialty was braised bamboo shoots in oil, so I learned a thing or two from her, but it still doesn't taste as good as your mother's."
Chen Ling'an took a deep breath and his voice returned to normal. "I'm fine now. Thank you, Mrs. Jiang."
Xiaoman's cheeks puffed up: Mrs. Jiang, Mrs. Jiang, how boring!
Chen Lingan glanced at her and said, "Are there any extra ones? Can I take some away? Aunt...Aunt."
"Yes, yes, there are many!" Mrs. Jiang smiled happily. "I heard from Xiaoman that your house is not clean and the stove is cold. This is not good. You can dress poorly, but you can't eat poorly."
"I moved a while ago and sorted out a lot of kitchen supplies. We're small, so we can't use all of them, so I'll just give them all to you. When you have a day off, we can ask the maids to pack it out."
Chen Ling'an wanted to say that it was okay, as he wouldn't be home for dinner. However, Xiaoman was quick to speak and said, "He's taking a day off tomorrow!"
He Ping clapped his hands and said, "Then I'll come and help tomorrow too."
Mrs. Jiang stood up and called Jinxiu, "Bring me the inventory from the warehouse so I can see what's missing. Mother Fang, before curfew, find someone and start working early tomorrow."
Xiaoman muttered to Fang's mother, "Find a few more people! You don't know how desolate the place he lives in is. It's overgrown with weeds and moss. It's such a nice house! What a waste!"
He Ping circled around Mrs. Jiang, holding a pen and paper. "Godmother, you tell me what to write."
Xiaoman gave him a blank look: You even called your godmother, you are really amazing.
He Ping: The more courtesy, the less blame.
Everyone was laughing and making noises, and the happy atmosphere filled the entire house and yard, even making Chen Lingan smile.
He slowly withdrew his hand that was frozen in mid-air.
It is indeed time to clean up my own house thoroughly. Forget it, let them be.
The next day was a great day, with bright sunshine, fresh air, and neither too cold nor too hot, perfect for work!
As soon as Chen Ling'an opened the door, he saw a large group of people that almost filled half of the alley, and his expression froze in an instant.
"Good morning." Xiaoman helped Mrs. Jiang over the threshold.
He Ping followed closely behind, carrying a large bag. "Ouch, this is so heavy, make way, make way!"
Then there was Fang's mother, Jinxiu, and someone he didn't know but smiled at him kindly...
Chen Lingan was stunned for a moment, then asked the servants who came to work: "Aren't you afraid of me?"
The aunt was stunned. "Why, you don't want to pay?"
"Give."
"Then why am I afraid of you?"
"Um...you don't know who I am?"
"As long as you don't withhold our wages, no matter who you are, you are a good person."
Chen Ling'an was stunned, then shook his head and smiled to himself.
Under the refreshing autumn sun, people were wielding hoes to weed, level the ground, repair courtyard walls and roofs, build stoves and hearths, and wipe the dusty doors, windows and corridors clean. Two or three half-grown children were running around serving tea and water.
Xiaoman and He Ping argued endlessly about where to put things. Mrs. Jiang laughed and scolded them a few times, then went on to busy herself with directing everyone to clean up the study.
The long-silent house became lively again.
Chen Ling'an stood under the corridor, looking at the busy and happy people in a daze.
It seems... this is not bad.
The sun sets and the helpers prepare to go home.
Wages were paid daily. Mrs. Jiang asked Mother Fang to take the money, but was stopped by Chen Lingan.
Seeing that Mrs. Jiang was still trying to argue, Xiaoman quickly said, "He has money, let him pay, so he won't feel uncomfortable."
He Ping came over and said with a playful smile: "He is very shy and acts like a shy little girl, unlike me who is open and likable."
Xiaoman laughed at him: "Bah, you are so shameless!"
"You don't understand," He Ping whispered in her ear, "Godmother is a money-giving boy. She's generous and likes to give things to others. If you accept them, she'll be happy. If you don't, she'll feel embarrassed."
Xiaoman sighed, a trace of anger appearing between his brows.
He Ping knew that she must be thinking of those ungrateful ungrateful people in the Zhang family, and smiled sinisterly: "I have an idea..."
Xiaoman blinked and burst out laughing.
"You're up to something bad again." Along with Chen Ling'an's cold voice, a bunch of keys flew into Xiaoman's arms.
"This is?"
Chen Lingan said stiffly, "The biggest key to my house is the one for the main door. Don't go to the North Pacification Office to find me next time. That place is too gloomy."
Don't be silly and wait at the door all the time without knowing where to hide when it rains.
Xiaoman was stunned for a moment, a blush bloomed on her cheeks, and her smile grew bigger and brighter, without any affectation or scruples, and filled with exuberance and hope.
"You're smiling so silly." Chen Ling'an turned his face away so that she wouldn't see the smile in his eyes.
He Ping raised his eyebrows and smiled at Xiaoman, with a hint of sarcasm: Finally, your wish came true.
The blush on Xiaoman's face instantly spread to her eyes. She glared back, as if to hit him.
When Chen Ling'an turned around, her ferocious look disappeared instantly. She looked at him with a smile on her lips, her cheeks flushed with laughter and her eyes were full of glances.
Even though the sunset glow was bright and dazzling, it could not compare to her smile at this moment.
Chen Ling'an was stunned.
Xiaoman felt embarrassed when he looked at her, "Silly!" She picked up her skirt and ran out quickly.
Chen Ling'an coughed and looked indifferently at the tidied courtyard, not knowing that his ears had turned pink.
He Ping laughed loudly. Mrs. Jiang heard it and asked him what he was laughing at through the study window.
He Ping shook his head. "This scene reminds me of Shen Liao's poem: 'A daughter, wearing a silk brocade, happily catches the love god. Next February, near the festival, she will bring wine and lead the cow to visit her parents.'"
Xiaoman didn't quite understand, but seeing her mother smiling without saying anything and Chen Ling'an looking angry and embarrassed, she knew that what He Ping said just now was definitely not a good thing.
She picked up a rag and threw it over.
The brother and sister were used to fighting and were very familiar with each other's moves, so He Ping dodged to the side.
Bang!
The rag was placed on Wu Yong's head as he entered the room.
Xiaoman took a deep breath and quickly handed him a towel to wipe his face. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you come in."
"No problem." Wu Yong wiped it casually, his face solemn, "I have an urgent matter to report to the Lord."
Chen Lingan walked over quickly and said, "Come this way."
When they reached a deserted wing, Wu Yong took a break and said, "My Lords, we caught a human trafficker a while ago and handed him over to the Jiangning County Court for questioning. In order to reduce his sentence, he confessed a lot."
Chen Lingan remembered this incident and asked, "What did the interrogation reveal?"
Wu Yong swallowed his saliva. "Your sister... The trafficker heard from one of his accomplices that he had abducted a daughter of a noble in Jinling City. She was about the same age as your sister."
Chen Ling'an's expression changed suddenly, and he rushed out. "Where is she? How is she now?"
Wu Yong trotted after him, "It's been a long time, and the clues are too vague. Lord Zheng is not sure if she is your sister. He must confirm the details with you. I'm still waiting for you at the yamen."
"Chen Ling'an!" Xiaoman ran over breathlessly. "I called you several times but you didn't hear me. What happened? Why are you so anxious?"
Wu Yong secretly cried out that it was not good. The adults were at their most anxious point right now, and this girl just barged in. Wouldn’t she be scolded by them?
"I..." Chen Ling'an took several deep breaths, but still couldn't suppress the trembling in his voice, "My sister, my sister..."
With just a few words, Xiaoman understood what he meant, "I'll go with you!"
Chen Ling'an nodded.
Eh? Eh? Eh? Wu Yong's eyes widened, and he managed to hold back a scream.
Sir, something seems different.
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