Chapter 34 Casual Chat: Who is the most handsome?
This winter has been sluggish and sticky, not pleasant at all.
It doesn't snow, the sky just hangs over, and the occasional rain is just a perfunctory affair. Aunt Yu said that the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess were arguing, and they even cursed the Rain Master who came to mediate. They chased him from the east corridor of the Heavenly Court to the west corner, and even the Dragon King who was passing by got a kick to the chest.
That's why there was no rain or snow this year.
Yao Ruyi found it amusing; the argument was quite a spectacle. Moreover, the "Heavenly Court" that Aunt Yu was talking about sounded like a small, cramped courtyard.
Even now, I fear the gods haven't reconciled yet! The winter solstice has passed, and we should be gradually entering deep winter, with snow falling like goose feathers. But snowy days are still few and far between, and when the sun comes out, even the wind isn't so biting.
A mild winter has its advantages and disadvantages. Fewer poor people die of cold and hunger on the streets, but "winter drought followed by spring drought" and "if wheat is covered with three layers of snow, you'll sleep on a pillow of steamed buns next year." Without snow accumulation for insulation, wheat seedlings are more likely to have their roots damaged by the cold. Without snowmelt to replenish the water supply, the jointing and heading stages will be insufficient, which will easily lead to reduced yields. Insect eggs that have been buried deep in the soil to overwinter may also not be able to freeze to death. This is the reason why drought and locusts have coexisted since ancient times.
Now that there is no snow, farmers around Bianjing and even throughout the northern prefectures are worried about disasters in the spring and a bad winter.
But for now, the officials and common people inside and outside Bianjing City are still grateful that this year is warm: the weather is warm, the Bian River is not completely frozen, and after the floating ice is broken, the grain transport boats carrying the medical officers and physicians can travel about eighty li a day, passing through Chenliu and Yongqiu, and can reach Sizhou and enter the Huai River after five days; after entering the Huai River, they turn southeast, go south from Chuzhou, and enter the Yangtze River through Yangzhou.
The Yangtze River has a rapid current. According to Dr. Jiang, who is well-versed in hydrology and geography, by taking advantage of the southeast wind and traveling day and night, the daily journey can reach 100 li (50 kilometers). It will pass Nanjing in three days and reach Ezhou in five days, where it can then turn into the Xiang River.
After passing through Tanzhou (Changsha) and Hengzhou (Hengyang), they arrived at Yongzhou ten days later and then entered the Lingqu Canal. Once they reached the Lingqu Canal, Guizhou was within reach. Traveling downstream along the Li River, they could reach Guizhou in two days.
Furthermore, the government has already issued an order granting the fleet a gold plaque, requiring local prefectures and counties along the route to prioritize providing provisions for the boatmen. If the waterways become congested, merchant ships and government vessels can be forced to give way.
There was a previous rumor that the fleet would change ships in Yangzhou to sail down to Guangzhou, then up the West River and the Li River to Guizhou, reducing the journey to just fifteen days, which would be faster. However, this claim was quickly debunked. The East China Sea is extremely rough in winter, and although the Song Dynasty ships had relatively advanced compartments, their wave resistance was ultimately limited.
In total, even traveling day and night, it would take at least twenty days for Sister You and her husband, the other doctors, and the large amount of relief medicine and rice they carried to arrive. Fortunately, the emperor had previously issued an urgent decree ordering the southern prefectures to allocate manpower and medicine to support them, which might allow them to hold out for a while longer.
Bianjing was far from Guizhou. When Yao Ruyi learned that it would take twenty days for the grain transport ships to arrive, she was worried that by the time Sister You and the others arrived, it would be too late. She thought it would be better to request assistance from the nearest prefecture. However, Lin Wen'an's few words made her realize that the Song Dynasty was not like the later era, and could not help each other in times of trouble.
Although the journey is long, it is essential that a court physician lead the group.
First, Bianjing (Kaifeng) gathers the best doctors in the country, including the most skilled physicians in the entire Song Dynasty, who are familiar with and able to treat all kinds of diseases. Second, relying entirely on local spontaneous relief efforts would leave no one to coordinate and supervise disaster relief, leading to chaos and disorder. Third, it is crucial to stabilize public morale. Guizhou is too far away, and the plague has been raging for two months without being brought under control. If the court does not act soon, the people will lose heart, and any future natural disasters could escalate into man-made calamities.
Fourth… Lin Wen’an shook his head slightly: “The prefectures of Lingnan are already poor, and winters are difficult. How can they support such a major epidemic on their own? The neighboring prefectures are probably already terrified of the epidemic. Without an imperial decree, they probably wouldn’t dare to send anyone over. Local officials have a responsibility to protect their territory and also to ensure the safety of the people under their jurisdiction. It is already difficult enough that they can allocate some grain and medicine.”
Yao Ruyi felt a heavy weight in her heart as she listened, and in the end, all her words turned into a sigh. She felt even more admiration for those doctors and physicians who disregarded their own safety and traveled thousands of miles to save lives.
Today, the sun shone softly. The frost on the roof tiles had just formed a soft layer every night, but it melted away as soon as it got light, leaving the eaves of every house in the alleyway glistening with moisture, and the stone slabs on the ground always feeling damp.
Before dawn today, the gate of the Yao family's courtyard at the end of the alley opened. The thick cotton curtain hanging on the gate was tied up halfway with a cloth strip to facilitate the entry and exit of guests.
The two sets of tables and chairs that were originally used by students to sit and eat under the window had been put together, and the tabletop was piled with scraps of cloth and linen. Yao Ruyi was sewing a cloth mask, a medicine bag, and a linen tent with the aunts and sisters-in-law in the alley.
This thing is about practicality, not aesthetics. As long as the stitches are fine, it's fine. Yao Ruyi quickly got the hang of it.
After the emperor issued an edict to send another physician to Lingnan, not only did a wave of "I'm going!" and "Me too!" sweep through the Imperial Academy, but people all over Bianjing (Kaifeng) were also talking about it.
Yesterday, Shen Ji took the lead in donating 20,000 strings of cash to the imperial court to procure quicklime, bedding, clothing, and various prepared medicines. Following suit, wealthy and powerful families, officials, merchants, temples, and Taoist monasteries in Bianjing also generously donated.
Within two days, the Shuimen Wharf was piled high with bundles of mugwort and boxes of medicinal herbs. The silver donated by the merchants was exchanged for rice, grain and medicinal herbs, just waiting to be loaded onto ships and head south.
The families and students in the alley also donated generously, one after another. Yao Ruyi calculated her shop's turnover, inventory, and daily expenses, and after deducting these, she donated all the profits she had earned from running the shop during this period.
Money can be earned again, but human life is of paramount importance, and this time she's not stingy at all.
She didn't do much business today, selling only what customers bought and focusing on needlework with her aunts and sisters-in-law for most of the day. Time flies when you're busy, and now it's almost time for the Imperial Academy to close.
Basking in the not-too-hot sun, Aunt Yu had already sewed several cotton hats and linen smocks. After finishing them, she tossed them into a basket to store them, and then started sewing the next one.
Although the imperial court also produces these items, and many government-run workshops and temples in the city are working around the clock to produce textiles, the clothing and utensils supplied have already filled two or three large ships, but no one knows whether it is enough.
They couldn't do much else besides donating some money and preparing as many supplies as possible. They made them specifically for Mrs. You and her husband, as well as their students. The epidemic was fierce, and every extra garment they made brought them peace of mind.
As Aunt Yu worked, she glanced at the bustling entrance of the You family's house. Doctor You was about to take many medical students from the Imperial Academy with him. To encourage such a righteous act, the court had specially allocated a cargo ship for them to ride on. In the past few days, his home had been filled with the families of his students coming and going, delivering things time and time again.
Cotton-padded clothes and hats, medicinal herbs and grains, as well as all kinds of amulets and purification talismans, almost filled the You family's small courtyard.
"...But I really didn't expect Qinglang to have such ambition. She's truly remarkable." Aunt Yu, head down sewing a hat, whispered to Ruyi, Madam Cheng, and the others, "I never realized it before. I always thought she was a fussy, eccentric person. She had to scrub the floor in the house until it was spotless every day, and she would pour boiling water over the clothes and dishes before washing them. That was such a waste of coal! Besides, she clearly said before that all she wanted was for Jasmine to marry into a good family in the future, so I didn't like her. Now, I have a completely different opinion of her."
Qinglang was the name of Sister You. The aunts said she was the daughter of the late Physician Xue. At that time, Qinglang was a type of green stone that resembled jade in color. Not only was it beautiful, but it was also used as a mineral medicine during the Song Dynasty. It was often ground into powder and used in eye drops to improve eyesight and remove corneal opacity.
When Doctor Xue named her, he must have racked his brains and thought it over carefully before finally choosing this name: Qinglang. It means "the most beautiful of stones, capable of healing the ignorance of humanity."
He hoped that she would possess both beauty and wisdom.
Yao Ruyi had been there for so long, but this was the first time she had ever heard of Sister You's name. As she sewed the cotton mask, she memorized the name.
Madam Cheng was the main sewer for these items today. She sewed very quickly and even managed to pick up where Aunt Yu was going: "That's normal. Sister You loves Jasmine so much! She probably feels that she can endure any hardship herself, but she doesn't want her daughter to suffer even a little bit. She and Doctor You are a perfect match, so naturally she hopes that Jasmine can also live an ordinary life as a wife and mother, and have a peaceful and smooth life. That's enough. There's nothing shameful about being an ordinary person. It doesn't matter if you don't have those so-called great achievements."
"I misunderstood her before." Aunt Yu nodded, then looked wistfully at the dim light above the eaves. "Yes, I understand her feelings. Now, I don't ask for anything else, I just hope that my youngest daughter in Luoyang can get better, be healthy and safe, and not make me worry about her every day. That would be enough."
"Jiuwan's health hasn't fully recovered yet? How come it's been so long!" Sister-in-law Yinzhu asked casually, then turned to look at what Xiaosong was doing, muttering, "Why are these children so quiet? I have a bad feeling about this."
I saw her, Xiao Shitou, Moli, Jiang Tu, and Guan Rongrong playing house in the Yao family's courtyard. The children pretended to run a cosmetics shop and were applying rouge and drawing eyebrows for the Yao family's dogs and cats, who were their customers that day.
These children were originally quite bold, intending to grab Lin Wen'an to play the "applying rouge" game with them. However, when the little ones entered and looked up, they were met with the cold face of Uncle Lin, who was sitting under the porch.
Beneath his brow creases were a pair of icy eyes, his thin lips slightly pursed, his face somber. He glanced up slightly after noticing the children's movements, and the little rascals trembled in fright, immediately choosing to run off and wreak havoc on the dogs.
Although Big Yellow was also scarred and fierce, barking and snarling at strangers, even a regular customer like Silver Pearl couldn't escape its intimidating barks. But now, with several children's chubby hands grabbing its neck, it just sat stiffly, letting the children playfully rub its face against it.
That scarred face had been painted with all sorts of colorful and gaudy colors, making it unsightly.
Sister-in-law Yinzhu breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the dogs were utterly despondent, the children were relatively well-behaved. They didn't mess with the coal briquettes, play with the wheat flour, or throw firecrackers into the latrine. Thank goodness.
But she still glanced at Jasmine, who was playing among the children.
Jasmine is truly different. She's known for the past few days that her parents are going on a long trip and that they're going to fight the plague demon, yet she hasn't cried. On the contrary, Little Stone still has tears on his face, sobbing as he works as a rouge shop assistant for the little girls.
The General Ma, who used to visit the Yao family every day, has been sold!
If Ruyi hadn't comforted him by saying that Zhou the carpenter would carve a new one to sell in a few days, he might have hugged the Yao family's pillar and cried all day long.
Jasmine, on the other hand, continued to play with Little Stone and Little Song as usual, and sometimes she would giggle from being amused by the puppy.
They're still young, forgetful, and don't understand what parting means yet, right?
Thinking about it, Sister Yinzhu turned around with relief as she watched the children playing happily. Continuing the conversation, she asked Aunt Yu with concern, "I seem to remember that Jiuwan's son is already over two years old. It's been so long, how come he hasn't recovered yet?"
Jiuwan is Aunt Yu's youngest daughter. Upon hearing the question, Aunt Yu gave a heavy, cold snort:
"It should have been fine long ago, but that wicked old hag has ruined everything! She's two-faced. In public, everyone praises her as a wonderful mother-in-law, a rare find. She employs farmhands and cooks, but doesn't let her daughter-in-law do any work. And behind her back? Jiuwan had a difficult childbirth, and her postpartum bleeding hasn't fully healed yet, but she's made to hold and breastfeed the baby every day!"
I told her to get some medicine to stop the lactation, and not to have Jiuwan feed the baby anymore. I suggested we hire a foster mother instead. We're not short of money, are we? Guess what she said? She said that only the mother's milk is good for the baby, and who knows what foster mothers outside eat? Their milk isn't clean.
Even the best breast milk can't kill a mother! Her grandson is a treasure, but is my daughter some outsider? I had to swallow my pride and make a huge scene before she finally agreed to hire a foster mother. Now Jiuwan is alive, able to wean, no longer so weak she's shivering and has to get up every night to breastfeed. She can finally lie down, recuperate, and take her medicine.
It's infuriating to even think about it. If I didn't frequently drag my husband to visit her, I don't know how my Jiuwan would have gotten better.
Everyone sighed in dismay, but such mothers-in-law are actually quite common, and many of them like to put on airs in front of their daughters-in-law! So, one example after another was given: some mothers-in-law were violent and verbally and physically abused their daughters-in-law because they had given birth to daughters; some forbade their daughters-in-law from visiting their parents' home, falsely accusing them of stealing grain from their husband's family to support their own; some not only neglected their daughters-in-law during their postpartum period but also deliberately shaved their grandson's head in the first month of the lunar year to curse the daughters-in-law's maternal uncle to death…
Not only was Aunt Yu not comforted, but she continued to curse angrily. Even Yao Ruyi frowned repeatedly as she listened. This was too terrible! What kind of people are these?
She's starting to fear marriage.
Finally, Madam Cheng and Sister-in-law Yinzhu gave Aunt Yu some advice: "When Jiuwan is feeling better and can move around, bring her back to live with us. If her family doesn't come to pick her up, then she won't go back."
"That's right, I was just planning to!" Aunt Yu thought so too. She was going to Luoyang after the New Year. If she saw that her daughter looked well on that trip, she would bring her back. If her son-in-law didn't come to pick her up in person and didn't sincerely repent, she really wouldn't go back.
After the aunts and sisters-in-law finished their excited discussion, they happened to catch a glimpse of Lin Weiming, Cheng Shujun, and Meng Boyuan, who had just left school early. The three young men walked together from afar through the back gate of the Imperial College.
As they passed the group of elderly women in front of the Yao family's house, they were all taken aback by the aunts and sisters-in-law's sharp gazes. Lin Weiming and Meng Boyuan, in particular, hurriedly bowed and said before even reaching them, "Greetings, aunts and sisters-in-law. We're going home to study now, farewell."
After saying that, he ran away from his aunts.
Cheng Shujun originally wanted to greet Yao Xiaoniangzi, who was sandwiched inside, but as soon as he glanced over, he saw that the group of aunties had narrowed their eyes slightly, and a strange smile appeared on their lips.
He dared not linger any longer, and with a chill running down his spine, he said to his mother, "Mother, I'll go home and study now."
He wanted to catch up with the two swift-running killers, but before he could take a step, Aunt Yu called out to him, "Cheng family's eldest son, don't go! I have something to ask you to do. Come here, cut all these papers and sew them into booklets. Also, write a few covers so your sister-in-law can take them to Guizhou to record some prescriptions and symptoms. They'll come in handy."
That's it. Cheng Shujun turned around stiffly, and Cheng's wife waved to her son and said with a smile, "Since your aunt asked you to help, don't refuse, come and do the work."
He forced a smile and replied, "Yes."
He bent down to pick up the pen, ink, paper, paper cutter, hemp rope, and thick needles from the side. Not daring to sit among the women, he picked up a small stool far away, bent his long legs, and worked silently with his back to them.
Sure enough, as soon as he sat down, the aunties, who had been discussing the battle between daughters-in-law and wicked mothers-in-law, immediately changed their topic and asked Madam Cheng, "Why isn't your eldest son getting married yet? He's already seventeen, isn't he?"
Cheng Niangzi said, "We are an orphan and a widow. Our eldest son is still studying. I'm afraid that girls from good families won't be interested in him. It would be better to wait until he passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar before we talk about marriage."
Aunt Yu waved her hand dismissively: "Hey, you're so stubborn! Can marriage wait? It's not too late to look for someone for two or three years! If you trust me, I'll look for someone for you."
Madam Cheng was indeed tempted, and said with a smile that was half joking and half serious, "Then I couldn't be happier! I'll entrust this to you, Auntie! If things go well, I'll definitely give you a generous matchmaker's fee!"
Sister-in-law Yinzhu smiled and said, "Don't be too happy yet. With Aunt Yu's fiery temper, she's never been a matchmaker before."
Aunt Yu glanced at her sideways and snorted, "What's so difficult about matchmaking? I'll be your matchmaker right now."
Her eyes darted around, then she turned her chubby, round face to reveal a kind and gentle expression completely different from her usual demeanor. She patted Yao Ruyi, who was lost in thought, caught up in her fear of marriage, and asked, "Ruyi, what kind of husband do you like?"
Everyone immediately understood and burst into laughter.
Even Madam Cheng couldn't stand it anymore; they were even setting up a marriage match in front of the two children! She pointed at Aunt Yu and laughed, "You little rascal!"
Although Cheng Shujun was a few steps away, his aunts and sisters-in-law were not going to deliberately avoid him when they were talking. They were all speaking louder than each other, and he could hear them clearly. He didn't know whether to stay or leave. He was so stiff that he was like a wooden board roasting on a stove. Even the back of his neck was red. His paper cutter trembled and he almost cut his finger.
Yao Ruyi was still immersed in the previous horrible topic of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and hadn't heard Aunt Yu and Madam Cheng's jokes about Cheng Shujun's marriage and matchmaking. Suddenly asked this question, she was really a bit blank. She thought for a while and felt that she couldn't answer: "I don't know either."
She was only twenty when she died of illness in her previous life. Her whole body and mind were fighting against the disease, and survival was a luxury. How could she have any interest in love? She never even thought about it, let alone fell in love with anyone.
"How could I not know? You're eighteen now, isn't that the perfect age?" Aunt Yu covered her mouth and laughed. She was clearly talking about Yao Ruyi's age, but her elbow was bumping into Madam Cheng, as if asking her, "Isn't that right? Don't you think so?"
Cheng Niangzi's body was being swayed from side to side by Aunt Yu's fat arms, and she couldn't help but laugh: "Yes, yes, yes." She also covered her mouth and smiled at Yao Ruyi, "That's right, the new year will be the nineteenth, Ruyi, you should start thinking about it."
Although Aunt Yu's decision was made on a whim, Madam Cheng... was actually quite tempted.
Although Ruyi broke off the engagement, everyone in the alley knew what had happened, so they couldn't blame her. Besides, she was pretty and intelligent, filial to Dr. Yao, and now she ran the shop herself quite well, making her really likable.
Encouraged by Aunt Yu's encouragement, Madam Cheng carefully considered Ruyi's qualities one by one and found that they weren't mismatched at all! They were of similar age and appearance, and their family backgrounds were also quite similar! One family consisted of an orphan and a widow, the other of a poor old woman and a young girl; one ran a tailor shop, the other a general store; both were impoverished former officials' families, which was actually quite a good match!
Sister Yinzhu, holding her embroidery hoop, could tell that Madam Cheng was interested, so she smiled knowingly at Ruyi and asked, "Ruyi, do you like handsome men?"
If you were to ask which family in the alley has the most handsome child, it would undoubtedly be Cheng Niangzi's child.
Except for Little Stone, all the Lin family children looked like their father, with pointed mouths, monkey cheeks, and big eyes, resembling humanoid monkeys that had been shaved off from the mountains. As for the Meng family, Third Brother was too old and, for some reason, refused to marry, which wouldn't do; Fourth Brother was already engaged, but he wasn't exactly handsome, looked rather simple-minded, and spent his days laughing foolishly, skipping school and climbing over walls, appearing not very bright.
The rest are either married or still young.
So when Sister-in-law Yinzhu asked that question with a smile, it was naturally pointed to something.
Yao Ruyi was stumped by the question.
Although she didn't know why her aunts and sisters-in-law always jumped to this topic so quickly when they gossiped, she still asked herself and thought about it honestly. Finally, she nodded honestly with her chin in her hand: "Then it has to be handsome."
She's not stupid, why would she specifically pick the ugly ones?
She answered frankly and openly, without any hesitation, and with a heartfelt seriousness, which made the aunts and sisters-in-law burst into laughter again, and they all asked her, "How pretty do you want her to be?"
Aunt Yu was excitedly about to add a question: "Then do you want someone as handsome as the eldest son of the Cheng family?" She was just waiting for Ruyi to nod in agreement, and then she would have already done half of her matchmaking.
Unexpectedly, Yao Ruyi blurted out almost without thinking, "He should at least be as handsome as my second uncle."
The laughter of the aunts and sisters-in-law stopped abruptly. The women looked at each other in bewilderment. Sister-in-law Yinzhu secretly glanced at Madam Cheng's expression and saw that she was somewhat surprised, with only a slight look of astonishment on her face, which put her at ease.
Aunt Yu exchanged a glance with the others and whispered unwillingly, "Your second uncle? Lin's second son? When did he become your second uncle? Well... he is very handsome, but... he never smiles all day long, and his personality is too cold. He doesn't know how to care for people! So his handsomeness is slightly diminished, don't you think?"
The aunts were questioning Yao Ruyi, while in the Yao family's general store, no lights were on during the day, only a sliver of light leaked in through the open sales window, falling faintly on the counter, shelves, and a small patch of floor, while the rest of the store was shrouded in deep shadow.
Lin Wen'an had just been assigned by Yao Qizhao to come in and get him some spicy snacks.
Ever since Ruyi made the spicy chips, my husband has been like a child, eating several chips every day to satisfy his craving. Even when it hurts so much that he has to go to the toilet, he still won't stop.
He walked in the dim light, like a faint shadow, just as he overheard the neighborhood women outside the window pressing Yao Ruyi about what kind of man she liked.
His steps, which were about to leave, suddenly stopped. He stood in the dim, gloomy light and slowly leaned back. In truth, he didn't know what he was waiting for or what he wanted to hear.
"No, my second uncle is actually a very nice person. He's always smiling."
The girl's clear, melodious voice drifted in.
"Nonsense! He's been back for so long. Ask your sisters-in-law and aunts, has anyone ever seen him smile? His face is so fierce, I think he's even more stern than your grandfather. Even Little Stone is afraid of him! He runs away whenever he sees him."
Amidst the chorus of agreement from the crowd, only the girl stood firmly in his defense.
"I've seen it before."
"Besides, you can laugh when you want to, and you can not laugh when you don't want to. Nobody laughs every day. If you're not handsome if you don't laugh, then there's no handsome person in the world. Even my grandfather said that my second uncle was not only the smartest in the Imperial Academy, but also the most handsome. My grandfather said that when my second uncle passed the imperial examination and paraded through the streets, he was almost buried by the flowers, fruits, and handkerchiefs thrown by women on the street. The threshold of his house was almost worn down by matchmakers."
"That's true, but... that was all in the past!"
“Even without mentioning the past.” The girl’s voice was crisp and clear, but her tone was firm and each word was distinct, as if she believed her eyes were the only measure and that she was absolutely right. “Look, look! The Imperial Academy has just let out for the day. If you aunts don’t believe me, I’ll go in right now and drag my second uncle out to compare him with the students. Just look, he’ll definitely still be the most handsome and good-looking!”
Now, the aunts and sisters-in-law were all speechless after Yao Ruyi's words.
Yinzhu's sister-in-law sighed and rubbed her forehead, "My Ruyi, silly girl, do you even understand? Is this really a competition of who's prettier?"
Yao Ruyi was stunned: "Isn't that right?" Wasn't it what they just asked, who is the most handsome?
That's my second uncle, he's the most handsome! That's right! She spends all her time looking out the window at the young talents in the Imperial College, coming and going. Some suddenly carry their classmates and run, some kick a ball while running, some yell and insist on jumping over their classmates' backs like a goat, some suddenly start singing a little tune... She's speechless, only thinking how wonderful it is to be young, with inexhaustible energy.
Turning his head to look at Lin Wen'an again.
He sat alone in the small courtyard, amidst the faint smoke and sparse shadows, dressed in plain clothes against the wind, like a pine or cypress growing on a mountain cliff.
Yao Ruyi felt as if her eyes had been cleansed after just one glance.
She's not blind; her second uncle is the most handsome!
The chatter outside suddenly quieted down.
The light and shadow in the shop were like a cup of cooled green tea. The dim light from outside the window slanted in, immersing the entire shop in a gray-green hue. Lin Wen'an's back was pressed against the cold, hard wall. His expression was not visible in the shadows, only his drooping eyelashes trembled slightly.
After a long while, he finally raised his head and smiled gently.
After quickly packing up the spicy chips, she even wrote on a blank ledger on the counter that the master had secretly eaten several more spicy chips before quietly returning to the courtyard to continue keeping the master company and keeping an eye on the group of children so they wouldn't anger Big Yellow.
Outside the window, after a moment of silence, Aunt Yu quickly waved her arm to change the subject: "Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore! Why are you talking about men all of a sudden? It's such a downer! You've been working all day, how much have you done? Time is tight, we have to go to the dock in a couple of days to see off the You family and their students, so hurry up and finish... Cheng's eldest son, oh dear, what are you daydreaming about? I asked you to write a cover, what are you doing? The ink on your pen is dripping all over the floor!"
Cheng Shujun finally snapped out of his daze and frantically began to salvage the situation.
Two or three days later, all the things that everyone had worked together to make were finally finished. They were loaded onto more than a dozen carts and transported back and forth between the Imperial College and the dock several times until they finally arrived at the West Water Gate Wharf. From there, the porters carried them onto the boats one by one.
Today, all the neighbors in Guozijian Alley have made an appointment to go to the dock together to see off the You family couple and their students.
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My second uncle was delighted. [Sunglasses]
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