Chapter 21 Baked Buns [New] Sincerity is the ultimate weapon...
Through the dense, continuous rain, Ding Xi caught a glimpse of You Mingjiang, and his heart was filled with turbulent emotions.
He casually placed the bamboo medicine basket under the altar covered with a tattered cloth.
That place is secluded and quiet; it's a good, unassuming spot.
Dr. You arrived in the rain, his footsteps light.
He had waited for so long, and when she finally appeared before him, he was somewhat stunned. Having followed her for so long, he had rarely seen her dressed so brightly: apricot white, pea green, lotus root pink, ginger yellow…
The sky was overcast, and the damp, sticky rain made the day even more unpleasant. Yet, she alone was like a tender leaf sprouting in April in Jiangnan, vibrant with moisture; like the light after the rain, pure and bright. She possessed both the elegance of "spring river water as green as blue" and the liveliness of "plum rain when plums are yellow".
For some reason, the moment I saw her, all my previous anxiety and speculations settled down peacefully.
A hint of secret smugness even surfaced in his eyes.
She finally arrived.
He had been waiting there for a long time.
.
You Mingjiang stepped over the temple threshold, stood still, and brushed the small water droplets off her clothes before deftly closing the oil-paper umbrella and giving it a gentle twist.
Water droplets rolled down the umbrella ribs, dripping and splashing, creating a ring of sparkling water.
The roof of the dilapidated temple had a large gap, unable to hold in the wind and rain. Years of accumulated dust in the hall were stirred into puddles of mud by the rain.
Guided by the system, a conspicuous red arrow pointed to two ragged teenagers.
The older one, about seventeen or eighteen years old, had a baby face, lively eyebrows and eyes that were dazzlingly bright.
He was tall and straight, with broad shoulders and back. The veins on his arms were visible, and his smooth muscles concealed a wild power. His skin was a wheat color from years of sun exposure. He leaned lazily against the pillar, like a satiated leopard cat resting, his languor revealing a sense of alertness.
Another boy, barely a teenager, sat slumped by the fire, his face ashen and sickly. But his thick wrists and bulging forearm muscles suggested that his fists were not to be trifled with.
Judging from the situation, these two are probably the "petty thieves" accused by the system.
Upon seeing this, You Mingjiang's anger subsided considerably, as if hot water had been poured over snow.
She had assumed that the visitor would be a troublesome figure sent by an enemy, or a street ruffian who was known for causing trouble.
To my utter surprise, there were two teenagers in front of me, a few years younger than me.
This unexpected situation caused her to relax her tense defenses, and she began to carefully examine the two people.
Seeing that the two were dressed in thin clothes, patched upon patched, and their faces, covered in mud and water, still had the innocence of childhood, making them look no different from little beggars, her heart softened suddenly.
Could it be that someone in the family is sick and needs emergency care? The young boy, with his sallow complexion, did indeed look sickly, his lips were pale and bluish-white, he was sweating and shivering...
A spontaneous feeling of pity, like spring vines, quietly entwined You Mingjiang's heart.
Her demeanor was exactly what Ding Xi wanted.
He alone is neither a big nor a small person, which inevitably makes people think twice; but with Ma Zhen added, anyone who sees him will immediately recognize him as "a pair of down-on-their-luck teenagers" and feel some pity for him.
Ding Xi was the best at understanding how to manipulate people's soft spots.
.
Ma Zhen lay sprawled on the haystack, his stomach empty, his body cold, and waves of dizziness washing over him. Hearing the girl's voice, he was surprised, but he could only twitch his eyelids, too weak to even open his eyes. He could only hope that Doctor Ping Yizhi would arrive soon.
You Mingjiang glanced at the two men, his curiosity piqued but he didn't voice it. He spoke in an exceptionally calm tone: "Excuse me, young men, may I ask if you may take shelter from the rain here?"
Ding Xi smiled broadly, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "The temple belongs to the gods; we are merely borrowing this place for shelter. Please make yourselves at home."
As he got closer, Ding Xifang noticed that she was carrying a newly woven basket on her shoulder and couldn't help but take a second look.
Could this be a treasure as well?
Or is it that she has supernatural powers, and can turn any object she picks up into gold?
You Mingjiang thanked him and walked straight to the other side of the dilapidated temple.
She saw a tall pile of dry grass in the corner, bent down and scooped up a handful. The grass rustled, and with a flick of the flint, she quickly lit a pile of orange-red fire.
The fire burned brightly, and the short, stout earthenware pot sat steadily on the flames, soon emitting a soft "bubbling" sound.
This earthenware jar contains a golden loach lying on a jadeite.
It's a soup made by simmering water celery and loach together :)
It was Tong Baixiong who, taking advantage of a lull in the midday rain, personally scooped the loaches out of the muddy field ridges, cleaned them, and handed them to You Mingjiang, saying they were for him and Dongfang Bai to eat.
You Mingjiang didn't refuse and accepted it generously.
She thought about finding a bamboo medicine basket, but that would be quite a journey. If she got hungry, she needed some food to fill her stomach, so she carefully fried the loach until it was golden and fragrant, then added a handful of leftover water celery and slowly simmered it into a large pot of milky white soup, which was very delicious.
After leaving enough for everyone else, she ladled out a pot of hot soup, wrapped a few steamed buns in oil paper, and said she was going up the mountain to collect firewood. Then, carrying a basket on her back, she followed the route marked by the system and found this place.
The soup will heat up in no time.
With a gentle lift of the lid, steam billowed out. The misty steam, mingled with the fresh scent of water celery and the umami of fish, filled the dilapidated temple, whetting the appetite of everyone present.
Ma Zhen, who was lying there pretending to be asleep, twitched her nostrils twice. The fragrance entered her nostrils, and she suddenly jolted awake, opening her eyes and sitting up.
Seeing You Mingjiang ladle a bowl of milky white hot soup and sip it slowly, Ma Zhen watched longingly, his mouth already watering, and he unconsciously swallowed.
He hadn't had a proper meal in three days, his gaze fixed on the earthenware pot, unable to look away; his empty stomach also let out a mournful "gurgle".
Ding Xi noticed this and deliberately coughed.
Ma Zhen snapped out of his daze, looked up and met his older brother's gaze. Realizing he had lost his composure, he blushed slightly, awkwardly picked up a twig, and poked at the campfire to cover it up.
Do you think Ding Xi isn't hungry? Of course he is.
He kept his hunger hidden in his heart, and even if he went hungry for three days and three nights, he could still manage to force a smile on his face.
·
You Mingjiang looked up and happened to see Ma Zhen swallowing hard, and couldn't help but smile.
She took a bowl from the basket and, as if it were her own younger brother, asked with a smile, "Young man, if you don't mind the humble style, please try a bowl and appreciate my cooking skills?"
Ma Zhen was still staring intently at the earthenware pot, his eyes almost glazed over. Upon hearing this, he was overjoyed and stammered, rubbing his hands together, "This...this is too much to ask..."
“Well, in this desolate wilderness, to be able to find shelter from the rain in the same temple is surely a blessing from past lives. Since we’ve met, we should look after each other. A bowl of clear soup is nothing.” As You Mingjiang spoke, she filled a bowl to the brim and personally handed it to him.
"Ma Zhen!" Ding Xi called out to stop him, but it was too late.
Ma Zhen hurriedly took the bowl, and before the soup had cooled down, he picked up the rough earthenware bowl with both hands and poured it down his throat.
No sooner said than done, scalding hot soup splashed out, landing on his face and making him shudder with pain; his tongue burned even more. Ma Zhen paused, staring at the swirling oil droplets in the bowl, realizing he had made a mistake in his haste. He quickly pursed his lips, blew on it to cool it down, and then took a small sip.
But then I felt a warm current slide down my throat, and in an instant, my internal organs felt comfortable.
He could no longer care about anything else, buried his face in the bowl, and drank it down with great gulping, like parched seedlings longing for rain.
Seeing how pitifully hungry he was, Ding Xi couldn't stop him in time and could only sigh, apologizing to You Mingjiang, "This lad is really rude, please forgive him, young lady."
"It's alright, he's just a kid."
You Mingjiang gently waved her hand, stopping his scolding, her eyes filled with pity. "Heavens above, even a blind sparrow won't starve. It's fate that we can shelter from the rain under the same roof. This bowl of soup is a blessing that it can keep a half-grown child from going hungry."
Seeing that Ding Xi didn't move, You Mingjiang turned to look at him directly: "What about you? Aren't you going to drink a bowl?"
Ding Xi shook his head, his face slightly flushed: "Thank you for your kindness, but I'm really not hungry..."
A strong sense of guilt gripped Ding Xi. His cheeks burned again at her closeness, and his eyes instinctively wanted to look away, yet he forced himself to meet her gaze openly. His guilt stemmed not only from the theft itself, but also from that fleeting glance he'd caught by the river earlier. This chaotic embarrassment far surpassed the act of stealing.
Unexpectedly, Ding Xi's stomach rumbled loudly, as if deliberately trying to sabotage him, causing him great embarrassment.
You Mingjiang raised an eyebrow and asked directly, "Your brother drank it, but you didn't. Don't you trust my soup?"
As she spoke, she tilted her head back and took a big gulp of water, then handed the bowl to him. "Now, can I rest assured?"
Ding Xi was taken aback: "I'm not..."
Before Ding Xi could answer, Ma Zhen hurriedly came over, almost spilling the soup, and handed his half bowl of soup to Ding Xi.
His eyes sparkled as he earnestly said, "Brother, drink mine. I've already tried it, it's fine."
Ma Zhen spoke very seriously, almost to the point of reverence.
Ding Xi looked at the half-bowl of loach soup in front of him, and something warmed in his chest. When he was truly moved, he didn't know what to say, so he simply tilted his head back and drank the soup in one gulp.
Loach soup is very warming.
It was so warm that he almost forgot that the martial world should be cold.
Ding Xi couldn't remember the last time he had a bowl of hot soup like this.
You Mingjiang asked with a smile, "Is my cooking decent?"
Ding Xi simply nodded, but a hint of a smile lingered at the corner of his mouth.
Ma Zhen had finished his bowl of wine, but he was still staring at the earthenware pot in a daze, muttering, "So good."
"It's just loach stewed with water celery, very simple." Seeing how much he liked it, You Mingjiang gently pointed to the earthenware pot on the fire, "Be careful not to burn yourself. If you like it, use more."
Ma Zhen quietly nudged Ding Xi's arm, and seeing his tacit approval, he reached out his hands to take the earthenware pot.
Just then, with a crisp "crack," the earthenware pot unexpectedly split open, and the scalding hot loach soup poured out, directly onto Ma Zhen's legs.
"ah--!"
Ma Zhen gasped sharply from the burn, the searing pain in his calf almost bringing tears to his eyes.
But he couldn't even care less about the burning pain in his wounds. His eyes were fixed on the soup spilled on the ground and the shards of the earthenware pot. He froze, "...Loach soup...it's all spilled!"
·
·
It's over.
Ma Zhen's mind was blank, buzzing.
He tried to bend down to pick up the shards, but his fingers were stiff and wouldn't move. He stared blankly at the mess on the ground, muttering, "I didn't mean to..."
Ding Xi suddenly stood up, his chest heaving with rage. The scene before him suddenly changed; it wasn't Ma Zhen, but a winter night from ten years ago.
When he was seven years old, that thin, small figure shakily pulled a cold pancake from the steamer. He huddled in the corner, covered in bruises, only concerned with stuffing the stolen half-pancake into his mouth; how could he possibly be full?
The shopkeeper's vicious curses still echoed in my ears: "You little thief, you're so young and you already know how to steal. What will you be like when you grow up? You deserve to be beaten to death!"
No... he wasn't trying to steal; he was just starving, almost to death!
He really knows he was wrong and begged me to stop hitting him...
Fear overwhelmed him like a tidal wave, making it hard for him to breathe. Ding Xi clenched his teeth tightly, as if he had turned back into the beaten child.
It's just a cold pancake, how could it be so deserving of death? And now that a pot of hot loach soup has been spilled, what should be done about it?
·
But the reprimand that Ding Xi had expected did not come.
You Mingjiang wasn't angry. Without even glancing at the mess on the ground, she quickly walked over, grabbed Ma Zhen's wrist, and asked anxiously, "Is it badly burned?"
Ma Zhen was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at the broken pieces and soup on the ground, unable to speak coherently: "I really didn't... it was this earthenware pot itself..."
The trouser legs were wet and clung to my legs, steaming hot, and the skin underneath must have been scalded and swollen.
"Why are you saying all this?" You Mingjiang frowned slightly. "I'm just asking you, does it hurt?"
Does it hurt?
Ding Xi looked up abruptly, almost wondering if he had misheard.
Ma Zhen was stunned, her lips trembling slightly: "I...I ruined your loach soup..."
"...At this critical moment, what are you talking about with all this soup? Getting burned is no joke!"
Ma Zhen stood there blankly, unable to understand what was being said.
You Mingjiang squatted down and gently rolled up his trouser leg. Sure enough, his calf was bright red and covered with a string of shiny blisters. She put on thin medical gloves, took out a small porcelain box, dipped her finger in some ointment, and gently applied it to the red and painful skin.
"Bear with it," she said gently. "This Ziyun ointment can clear heat and relieve pain, and it's very effective for burns."
Ma Zhen's legs were stiff, and he dared not move. Like a child who had done something wrong, he lowered his head and looked at You Mingjiang's dark hair.
The ointment felt cool, but his eyes welled up with tears.
From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever treated him like this. When he did something wrong, he was always only beaten and scolded. Later, as he grew up, he also learned to use his fists to deal with the coldness and indifference of the world. Such gentle and kind treatment was something he had never encountered in his life, leaving him at a loss.
·
"Luckily, it's not serious." You Mingjiang said, looking up at Ding Xi beside her. "Are you alright? You don't look too good."
Ding Xi stared at the box of Ziyun ointment, his fingernails unconsciously digging into his palms. When he was seven, he hadn't even swallowed the cold pancake he'd stolen before he was brutally beaten. He lay by the ditch all night, thinking he would die silently like a stray dog. Over the years, the phrase "stealing is stealing, it's an inherent flaw, thieves deserve to be beaten to death" had become ingrained in his very being.
Now, he has truly become a thief, a bandit...
He chose this path himself, but the barren, frozen land in his heart always seeps out a bone-chilling cold in the dead of night.
"Big brother?" Ma Zhen called out worriedly.
Ding Xi took a deep breath, drawing it out with great difficulty from the deepest part of his lungs. He suddenly looked at You Mingjiang, his voice hoarse and barely audible: "If... if a child is so hungry that he steals food, would you punish him by beating him severely?"
You Mingjiang raised her head, her eyes piercing.
In that instant, Ding Xi felt as if his internal organs were illuminated by that gaze, and all the festering wounds hidden in the shadows were laid bare.
The dilapidated temple fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of rain and the crackling of firewood.
You Mingjiang put away the Purple Cloud Ointment and pondered for a moment: "Stealing itself is certainly wrong."
Ding Xi's heart sank.
But her voice rang out again, unhurriedly, "But a starving child is simply following his survival instinct."
She took out a piece of snow-white gauze and gently applied it to Ma Zhen's scalded skin. "It is the fault of the world that a child is so hungry that he has to steal."
Ding Xi felt a wave of dizziness.
He had never heard such a thing before.
"Is it the fault of the world?" he couldn't help but ask, his voice filled with an urgency he himself didn't realize.
You Mingjiang nodded: "Such a young child, so hungry that he has to steal food, what are the local government, the granary, and the orphanage doing? And what about the child's father?"
With a deafening roar, something exploded in Ding Xi's chest, causing his ears to ring and his limbs to lose all strength. He gritted his teeth, trying to force back the burning, tingling sensation, but to no avail. A surge of heat rushed to his eyes, blurring his vision instantly.
"Thank you..." he said in a hoarse voice, barely audible, as if he had used up all his strength.
He wanted to say more, to tell her how these words had unlocked the iron lock that had been rusted in his heart for many years, but all his words turned into a fire in his throat, burning his eyes.
You Mingjiang seemed to have sensed something.
Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, insightful yet unjudgmental, before she nodded slightly: "You're welcome."
This perfectly timed thoughtfulness, like a soft needle, precisely pierced his most vulnerable spot.
Ding Xi was used to smiling obsequiously, but now he didn't know what expression to wear.
You Mingjiang snapped his fingers, easing the tension at the opportune moment: "I still have some steamed buns here, how about we bake some to eat?"
Dry branches crackled and sparked in the fire.
The golden-brown crust of the steamed bun was cracked with honey-colored fissures, and the aroma of wheat mixed with the smell of caramel wafted into the nose, while dust fell down in a soft rustling sound.
You Mingjiang flipped the steamed buns while they were toasting.
The firelight illuminated her profile, making her look warm and resolute.
You Mingjiang separated the baked buns, which were golden brown and crispy. They were still steaming when broken open, and a fragrant aroma wafted over. Ma Zhen's mouth was watering, but he clenched his teeth and didn't move.
When she handed him one, Ma Zhen subconsciously shrank back. Although she didn't pursue the matter, he was punishing himself. Because of him, a perfectly good pot of soup had been spilled and the earthenware pot had been broken. The thought that "I don't deserve to eat" weighed heavily on his chest.
"I...I'm not hungry," he lied, his voice so low it was almost inaudible, when his stomach suddenly growled loudly.
You Mingjiang raised an eyebrow at him.
Ma Zhen's face burned with embarrassment. He cursed himself for being greedy and shameless. He had just caused trouble and was still thinking about food?
“The soup spilled because the earthenware pot wasn’t sturdy,” You Mingjiang tilted his head to look at him, without a trace of blame in his eyes. “Upon closer examination, it’s because I chose the wrong earthenware pot. The responsibility lies with me, what does it have to do with you?”
Ma Zhen stared at her blankly, momentarily dazed.
He was like a lost child, looking around blankly; or like a soaking wet stray dog, curled up by a campfire offered by someone, both craving that little bit of warmth and afraid of sullying the light.
How pathetic.
.
"Here you go." You Mingjiang suddenly shoved the steamed bun into his hand. "Eat it while it's hot, it's easy to choke when it gets cold."
Ma Zhen's hand trembled, but he didn't shake it off.
The steamed buns were so warm they burned my palms.
He slowly, very slowly, closed his fingers, deforming the steamed bun. Suddenly, he lowered his head and took a big, hard bite, chewing quickly and urgently like a starving wild dog. He choked abruptly, pounding his chest and coughing, tears streaming down his face, but he refused to spit it out.
You Mingjiang quickly handed over a bamboo tube and said gently, "Slow down! Nobody's going to take it from you!"
Ma Zhen gulped down a large mouthful of water and finally swallowed it. He was panting, with crumbs of steamed bun still stuck to the corners of his mouth, but suddenly he grinned.
.
So such things really do exist in the world.
Even if you do something wrong, you can still get a hot steamed bun.
Ding Xi felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest. If only someone had asked him "Are you hungry?" back then, instead of giving him a beating...
He suddenly turned his face away, staring at the continuous rain outside the temple.
A sudden surge of resentment, like frost rising from the depths of my heart, was both cold and heavy, unable to settle into anything substantial.
"Young man?" You Mingjiang walked over and handed him a golden-brown baked bun, keeping the burnt one for himself. "The bun is getting cold."
The call was perfectly natural, neither too loud nor too soft, and carried a familiar intimacy, as if calling one's own younger brother.
"You don't have to..." Ding Xi wanted to say "You don't have to do this," but what came out was, "Thank you."
He took the steamed bun, the warm touch sending a shiver through him, and he couldn't help but say again, "Thank you."
You Mingjiang smiled and said, "It's just a baked bun."
Yes, it's just a baked bun.
Ding Xi held the steamed bun, took a small bite carefully, and held it in her mouth for a long time before finally swallowing it.
Sweet.
The seed buried deep in the frozen soil of my heart finally encountered a ray of sunlight shining through a crack, and quietly loosened, wanting to break through the soil.
After everyone had eaten, she squatted down, picked up the broken pieces of the earthenware pot one by one, wrapped them in a faded rag from the temple, and then buried the whole bundle in a mud pit outside the temple.
.
A patch of orange-red light shone down from above, mingling with the remaining rain.
Ding Xi leaned against a pillar, his face upturned, his palms outstretched, catching the intermittent raindrops.
No one spoke, but every ear was alert, catching every sound around them. Ma Zhen glanced at You Mingjiang for a moment, then at Ding Xi who was receiving rain, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.
Especially You Mingjiang's every move.
She tore off a piece of faded cloth, wrapped it tightly around a withered branch, and, with rainwater, carefully wiped the idol.
The statue's left hand remains in its original position, but its right arm is severed at the elbow, revealing the grayish-white clay body. The lacquer on the crown is peeling off, barely sticking to the clay body. The face is splattered with red paint and is completely ruined, its originally solemn features utterly destroyed.
After staring intently for a long time, You Mingjiang let out a very soft sigh, and both pairs of eyes immediately turned to her.
Ma Zhen touched his nose, a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "Why are you sighing? What's so special about this statue?"
You Mingjiang didn't answer, but turned his gaze to Ding Xi, asking casually, "Young brother, have you ever met Jiang Guangwang?"
Ding Xi was taken aback and shook his head.
“This is it.” You Mingjiang lightly touched the dust on the statue’s knees with a dry twig. “King Jiang Guang, one of the Ten Kings of Hell, is in charge of the Great Hell of Crying. Those who committed crimes, theft, or fraud in their lifetime will be judged by him after death.”
Her tone was calm, but Ding Xi's expression changed slightly.
Ma Zhen was unaware of what was happening, and whispered, "How could the statue of the King of Hell have fallen to such a state..."
“The idol has fallen into disrepair because people’s hearts have become corrupt.” You Mingjiang turned around and looked at Ding Xi with clear eyes. “Just as some people would rather steal than believe that there are any people in this world who are willing to lend a helping hand.”
Her voice wasn't loud, but it resonated in Ding Xi's ears like a thunderclap.
“Now,” she gently reached out her hand, her gaze falling on the corner behind him where the medicine was hidden, “young man, could you please return my bamboo medicine basket to me?”
Ding Xi froze instantly.
The mouthful of steamed bun he had just swallowed was stuck in his chest, neither going up nor down, making him feel choked and his heart palpitate.
He moved his lips a few times, trying to force a smile to brush it off, but the muscles in his face were too stiff to obey him.
Many doctors were helpless against this malaria, so he had to find out the details first, and then use that to blackmail her into coming along to treat Hongxinghua and Mazhen's malaria. He even planned to give her a share as compensation after he robbed Tan Dao's batch of red goods. Although this method was dishonorable, he couldn't care less in the heat of the moment.
At this moment, his little scheme crumbled under You Mingjiang's clear gaze. He wavered and regretted it.
Under Ma Zhen's astonished gaze, Ding Xi silently lifted the tattered cloth on the altar, took out the well-hidden bamboo medicine basket, and presented it to You Mingjiang with both hands.
He lowered his eyes, not daring to look at her, and said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry, Dr. You."
He turned his head and gave the still shocked Ma Zhen a bitter smile that was more like a grimace: "This... is the Doctor You I was just talking about, the one with excellent medical skills."
Ma Zhen's face changed rapidly, from shock to shame, and finally only helplessness remained. He stammered, "I...I didn't want to..."
He didn't say he didn't want anything, but Ding Xi understood that their newly awakened, fragile sense of shame made them too ashamed to mention seeking medical treatment again.
Ding Xi nodded with a wry smile, his voice full of exhaustion: "I will... think of another way."
He felt as if he had been stripped naked, standing under the bright sky, all his frivolous tricks exposed.
.
With that said, the matter is considered closed.
Ding Xi lifted his leg to walk towards Ma Zhen when he suddenly heard a soft call from behind: "Little brother, wait a moment!"
He paused slightly, then turned around.
"Here you go." You Mingjiang handed over a money pouch.
Ding Xi hesitated before taking it, and his palm suddenly felt heavy. Opening it, he found some loose silver and several large-denomination banknotes, totaling about two hundred taels.
You Mingjiang smiled and said, "Take it. Find a stable place, do some small business, and live an ordinary life from now on."
Ordinary days?
The smile on Ding Xi's face vanished instantly.
In her eyes, was he ultimately a dirty weed that needed to be trimmed and straightened?
"What do you mean by 'ordinary days'?" Ding Xi's face darkened, his voice low and frightening, his grip on the money pouch creaking. "Do you think I'm just a scoundrel who'd do any dirty thing and only deserves your charity?"
He really wanted to throw this hot potato back.
"Ordinary days are nothing more than peaceful days, free from hunger and beatings, simply passing by one day after another. Isn't that a good life?"
You Mingjiang wasn't annoyed. She sighed softly, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment. "Hey, you only ate one baked bun. Are you full?" After saying that, she turned and left without saying anything more.
Toasted steamed buns?
The image of that baked bun from earlier flashed through my mind—fragrant, golden brown—along with her gentle profile as she applied medicine to Ma Zhen…
In this world, besides Hongxinghua, no one else remembered whether he was hungry or not. Many years ago, Hongxinghua also asked him the same question: "Little Xi, are you full?"
As Ding Xi watched her retreating figure, a strong sense of resentment and an urge to defend himself suddenly gripped him.
"Wait!" he blurted out, his voice trembling slightly.
You Mingjiang stopped at the sound, turned around and looked at him with a slightly questioning look in her eyes: "Hmm?"
“I’m not…” Ding Xi’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and the rest of the words seemed to be choked up, squeezed out with difficulty, little by little, “the kind of person you imagine.”
You Mingjiang quietly observed him for a moment, without asking any questions or refuting him, but simply nodded very lightly and solemnly.
“I know,” she said.
A bittersweet warmth inexplicably welled up inside her, reaching her eyes and making her nose sting. Ding Xi hurriedly took two steps forward, then froze, realizing her own lapse in composure: "Dr. You!"
You Mingjiang stared at him intently, waiting for him to say the next sentence.
Ding Xi took a deep breath, as if gathering all his strength, his back teeth unconsciously clenching and then relaxing, and he said resolutely, "Wait, I... have a favor to ask..."
"Oh?" You Mingjiang couldn't help but smile, her eyes sparkling. "Since you've made such a solemn request, even if I don't want to listen, it seems I have no choice but to listen."
Her smile was like moonlight breaking through the clouds, its clear radiance spreading across the world. Whether in grand mansions or humble cottages, the moonlight was equally gentle and captivating.
.
Xinghua Village is a very small restaurant.
This place wasn't always called Xinghua Village.
The name comes from the lines "Amidst the sparse shadows of apricot blossoms, the flute plays until dawn," and has nothing to do with Du Fu's line "A shepherd boy points to Apricot Blossom Village in the distance."
When naming a restaurant, the more elegant the name, the better; you can't let the business fail, can you?
More importantly, everyone should know that Xinghua Village has such a beautiful woman as Hongxinghua.
However, no one believes what was said above; it was all just old woman Hongxinghua boasting.
There is indeed an apricot tree in Xinghua Village. It was planted in the courtyard the year that Hongxinghua found Dingxi.
Although it is a small apricot tree, it is very difficult to keep it alive, especially since it can "falsely live". Sometimes, it will sprout tender buds, but they will wither and die within a few days.
Back then, Hongxinghua was anxiously taking care of Dingxi while tending to the apricot tree without any hope.
Now, every year in March and April, the apricot blossoms bloom in profusion; and her good grandson Ding Xi, that bastard, has finally gone out to make his way in the world.
He's now become a despicable bandit leader, and he's even hooked up with Ma Zhen, a fellow bandit. The two of them are out there doing who knows what, leaving her, who's still attractive and needs someone to take care of her, all alone to suffer the torment of malaria...
Hongxinghua feigned wiping away her tears, then happily grabbed the wine pot and filled the cup with Daughter's Red wine.
Ding Xi, that scoundrel, usually bosses her around in the store, keeping a close eye on her like an iron barrel, so she can't even steal a drop of alcohol.
Unfortunately, this annoying malaria flared up every three days, right on time, and even made this delicate flower wither.
Before the glass of wine could even reach her lips, she suddenly heard her own little troublemaker yell, "Red Apricot Blossom—you're sick and you're still sneaking a drink!"
Hongxinghua's hand trembled, and half a circle of wine foam appeared on the rim of the cup, along with the alcohol she had just been drinking, which instantly dissipated by more than half.
She turned around at the sound, and what she saw there stunned her.
Besides Ding Xi and Ma Zhen, there was also a young girl carrying a bamboo medicine basket.
The girl was dressed brightly, so brightly that she seemed light and airy, and even the hazy twilight no longer seemed gloomy.
You Mingjiang smiled and said, "Old man, my surname is You, and I am a doctor."
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Author's note: [Good Luck Lianlian] Malaria: Malaria is not transmitted through everyday contact; its main transmission route is through the malaria-carrying mosquito.
[Heart] Sincerity is a touchstone. You Mingjiang only needs to treat people sincerely, and the other person's reaction will determine the relationship between the two parties.
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