Chapter 65 Roasted Milk: With a hint of barely perceptible indulgence, Lin Wen'an's arm naturally encircled her.
On a spring afternoon, the alleyways near the Imperial College were very quiet.
When the Lin family father and daughter arrived from afar, Yao Ruyi was busy roasting milk. There were few people today, and with San Cun Ding, Xiao Bai, and Xiao Huang running the convenience store, she really had nothing to do.
She idly watched Yao Deshui pull his cart back and forth, watched Cong Xin collect donkey dung and bury it in the vegetable garden, and noticed that the magpie that had built its nest under the eaves last year seemed to have added two more eggs. She strolled around her own yard a few times, then went through the side gate to the Lin family's house to prune the branches of the two trees, Pingping and Tingmu.
With nothing else to do, she simply watered the Lin family's flowers thoroughly, even splashing water onto the blue brick floor until it shone brightly.
Lin Wen'an, who was on his day off at home and focused on compiling a new version of teaching aids and test papers for her, had to look up at the window every now and then. Through the carved window frame, he could see that Ruyi had wrapped her head with a floral cloth, and the sleeves were rolled up high to her arms, revealing two shapely forearms that were particularly fair and white in the winter.
He wrote a line, and she would come running over with a bucket of water; he wrote another line, and she would come running back with a broom; just as he lowered his head, she would bring a flowerpot and patter it against the window. After a while, when he looked up again, she hadn't come running over, so he put down his pen.
He rose and went outside. The wind rustled through the leaves, and the courtyard was empty, save for the plants that had drunk their fill and whose leaves were vibrant with life. He strolled through the side gate and entered the Yao family's courtyard. He bumped into the milk peddler; Yao Ruyi was directing them to deliver the milk to Zhixingzhai, while she kept a jug for herself in an earthenware jar. Seeing him, she turned around, her eyes sparkling with a smile:
"Geng Hao seems to have had a lot of mutton brought over, saying he wants to borrow the kitchen at Zhixingzhai to cook and invite everyone to eat. It's midday, and I'm feeling greasy, so I declined. Are you going? Just now, Geng Zhu called Cong Xin and Sancun Ding over as well. When Grandpa heard there was mutton, he also said he wouldn't be back for lunch."
Lin Wen'an didn't care much for mutton; he wasn't particularly fond of it anyway. Besides, with Ruyi not going, he became even more reluctant to go. He couldn't find any peace and quiet in the crowd, so he shook his head.
"Then it'll just be the two of us for lunch today." Yao Ruyi seemed to have thought of something delicious, shaking the earthenware pot in her hand with a smile on her lips. "They're eating good food, so let's have something special today, how about roasted milk? Have you had some yet?"
Lin Wen'an first nodded to indicate that he was fine with eating anything, then shook his head to show that he had never eaten it before, and finally said in a gentle voice, "I'll help."
Lately, he's really enjoyed seeing her like this.
Smiling, tilting her head, she said to him, "Just the two of us."
"It's very simple, just crack the eggs for me!"
Now the two of them are much more comfortable with each other. It seems that because Yao Deshui came and after her conversation about Yao Deshui's future, she felt like she had overcome another hurdle with Lin Wen'an. Now she always wants to be with him, occasionally holding hands, hugging each other when they are tired, without having to do anything special.
Even just sitting there feels comfortable.
At first, Yao Ruyi may have been attracted by his handsome features, but what truly drew her closer to him was their two hearts, both of which had been patched up and were riddled with holes.
Yao Ruyi would occasionally think this way, feeling sentimental. No one knew what she had experienced in her past life, but she could hardly forget it. When she occasionally went against the grain of this world and felt out of place, she found that Lin Wen'an always made the same choice as her in small matters such as whether or not to keep Yao Deshui.
Perhaps there will never be another person in this world as compatible as him with her.
Just like roasted milk, if you only eat something like this as a snack for lunch, Grandpa and Uncle Cong will nag that it's "not proper," and Aunt Yu will complain, "How can you be full with this?" Madam Cheng might silently pick up some noodles to eat with it, but Lin Wen'an will only say, "I'll help you."
The urge to eat roasted milk was purely a spur-of-the-moment thought; there was no other reason. In her past life, her grandmother often made this for her as a snack between meals, and she had never tasted it since coming into this world. Today, when she saw the cow dealer delivering the milk, she suddenly felt a craving for its flavor.
If you're moved, take action immediately.
Without a word, she pulled Lin Wen'an and rushed into the kitchen. Yao Deshui smelled the milk and wanted to follow, but Yao Ruyi walked ahead, reached out and patted the donkey, and casually talked to it: "Oh right, I forgot you were home too. We'll eat together in a bit, and you can try some too. It's made with milk and egg yolks, so you should be able to eat it, right? I remember Wen Shiqi Niang said before that you can eat cooked egg yolks."
Lin Wen'an walked behind, and as he stepped over the threshold, he bent down and casually rubbed the furry forehead.
Yao Deshui called out softly, "Hmm, hmm."
When this "little troublemaker" was first brought back, Lin Wen'an didn't want Yao Ruyi to have to get up in the middle of the night to warm milk for the donkey. For the first few nights, when there was no gourd-shaped milk bottle, he was the one who got up to warm milk and feed it. The little donkey recognized his scent and even nudged his palm with its head.
After being stroked repeatedly by the two men, Yao Deshui's hair on its forehead became disheveled. With the threshold high, Yao Deshui had no choice but to huddle at the kitchen doorway, peering inside with its big, round eyes. Its light gray downy fur hadn't completely shed, but it had grown much rounder and thicker than when it first arrived, curling up like a fuzzy peach.
Lin Wen'an rolled up his sleeves to help change the coal briquettes, glanced at it, and couldn't help but wonder: ...Why is it that as long as something passes through Ruyi's hands, whether it's a cat, dog, or donkey, it's like feeding pigs, and it can grow so fat in just a few days?
As soon as the weather warmed up, even the leanest and most agile Big Yellow seemed to have gained weight, and the scar on its face even appeared to have stretched out a bit.
Yao Ruyi was unaware that she was being ridiculed for being a pig farmer.
She was cracking the egg in half, carefully rolling the yolk into one half of the shell to separate the two yolks. Then she added sugar, starch, and a ladle of milk to a ceramic bowl and handed it to Lin Wen'an to stir well.
She casually placed the earthenware pot on the fire, and when it was slightly warm, she poured in the milky yellow paste and simmered it over low heat. At this time, she also had to stir it constantly with the wooden spoon in her hand until it was thick enough to cling to the spoon. Then she poured it into a large bowl, shook it to level it, and let it cool and solidify.
Once solidified, it was inverted, cut into small square pieces, and arranged on a ceramic baking tray. Lin Wen'an had already lit the oven. When the fire was blazing, Yao Ruyi cracked an egg yolk and carefully brushed a layer of molten gold onto each piece of milk.
Push it into the furnace, and in less than 15 minutes, pull it out—that's it.
The top layer of the baked milk tart was brushed with egg wash, giving it a caramel color after baking, while the other sides of the cube were a tender golden yellow. The crust was crispy and fragrant, while the inside was sweet and smooth. Taking a bite was like eating the filling of an egg tart on its own, with a rich milky flavor. She didn't put in too much sugar, making it just the right amount of sweetness.
Each person had their own plate, and they sat down side by side on the veranda.
I also gave Yao Deshui a few pieces, cut them open and let them cool before putting them in front of him so he could eat them by himself.
Young donkeys can eat egg yolks. A weak and disabled donkey like Yao Deshui can eat some and grow stronger, but not too much, lest it become too fat. Yao Deshui smelled the aroma and had already followed, dragging his cart along, braying impatiently.
Yao Ruyi couldn't help but laugh. It really was her donkey, just like her, a glutton.
The afternoon breeze was cool, and the sunlight was thick and abundant, covering the ground.
Yao Ruyi and Lin Wen'an sat side by side on the veranda, eating roasted milk. The caramel-colored crust was crisp and chewy, making a soft "crunch" when bitten into, while the inside was tender and golden, trembling and slippery. As soon as it entered their mouths, the rich milky aroma melted, mixed with just the right amount of sweetness, and slid gently down their throats.
Lin Wen'an had never been very interested in food, but seeing Yao Ruyi eating with a smile on her face, picking up that small piece with her chopsticks, he also ate a few more bites. At that moment, even the breeze seemed sweet.
He ate while enjoying the breeze, watching Yao Deshui wolf down his food as well.
There were only the two of them and the donkey at home. It was quiet all around, with only the sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves.
The corridor was spacious, but the two of them sat very close together. Yao Ruyi had recently taken a liking to sitting next to him. Just sitting beside him and having her arm lightly touch him made her very happy.
Yao Ruyi didn't dare let Yao Deshui eat too much. It finished its food in just a few bites, then left the two of them behind to chase the wind through the lush vegetable leaves, its shadow constantly swaying on the ground.
A wisp of willow catkin, white and fluffy, drifted in from somewhere and landed on Lin Wen'an's dark temple. Yao Ruyi saw it, and with a slight thought, she turned to the side, reached out her fingertips, and gently picked it off for him.
She withdrew her hand, her fingertips still twirling the soft willow catkins, just as her eyes met his.
He had been looking down, focused on the movements of her fingertips, but now when he looked up at her, his eyes were clear and bright, warmed by the spring sun, and silently enveloped her.
The afternoon light glided across his straight nose, casting a soft shadow beneath his eyelids.
The courtyard was quiet and peaceful, with gentle breezes and soft light.
Yao Ruyi's heart felt as if it had been gently struck by that same tender gaze, or drawn by the lingering cool touch of his hair on her fingertips. An inexplicable and indescribable attachment unexpectedly spread from the softest part of her heart.
Even though we spend every day together, it still doesn't feel like enough.
Almost instinctively, she raised her hand again, gently pulled his collar, and leaned in to kiss him. The sweet taste of milk still lingered between their lips. After a brief, gentle touch, she rested her forehead against his neck and wrapped one arm around his waist.
With a hint of indulgence that was barely perceptible, Lin Wen'an naturally wrapped his arm around her.
The wind under the corridor, carrying the scent of willow catkins and sunshine, quietly passed through the hall. Yao Ruyi snuggled close to him, and her heart gradually filled with satisfaction. Just as she was about to tell him that she had made up her mind to explain their relationship to her father today, Lin Wen'an spoke first, as if by telepathy: "I wrote a letter back to Fuzhou a while ago."
When did this happen? Yao Ruyi was surprised and tilted her head up slightly from his embrace.
He lowered his eyes, his gaze calm and focused.
“…I wrote in the letter,” he paused, each word clear and gentle, “that I have found someone I want to spend my life with.”
The voice reached her ear, its tone tinged with anticipation and trepidation, yet unwavering: "Ruyi, I'd like to have my family propose marriage. Are you willing?"
Yao Ruyi's heart was pounding. Before she could respond, she heard him add very seriously that he had asked his father to take stock of the family's belongings, and that none of the "house, car, money, and gold bracelet" she had mentioned would be missing.
Well, he hasn't forgotten.
Yao Ruyi wiped away a bead of sweat, feeling a little guilty. She really couldn't talk nonsense in front of him anymore; his memory was truly something he could remember for a lifetime.
After a while, Lin Wen'an tightened his arms around her, his chin gently brushing against the top of her head, and murmured with some puzzlement, "...I wonder if the letter has been delivered? It's been over a month now, how come it hasn't arrived yet..."
Before the words were finished, a series of fierce and loud barks from Xiaobai and Xiaohuang suddenly erupted outside the courtyard gate, mixed with a panicked "Ouch!" Then, the half-closed courtyard gate was violently kicked open, and two figures, chased by the dogs, stumbled and ran in, covering their heads and scrambling for cover.
Yao Ruyi was startled and subconsciously tried to see who it was, but Lin Wen'an swiftly blocked her behind him.
He rose so quickly he created a gust of wind, grabbing a broom from under a pillar as if to stop them. Just as he raised the broom, he heard the woman, her hair disheveled and looking utterly wretched from being chased by Little Yellow, turn around and cry out, "Brother, don't hit me! It's me!"
Lin Wen'an froze, exclaiming in astonishment, "Yueyue?" His gaze swept over the figure beside him, who was being chased by Xiaobai and was almost leaping onto the wall, and he was even more incredulous: "Dad?"
A moment later.
The breeze remained cool and gentle, brushing against the corridor. Lin Wenyue and Lin Zhu collapsed beside the corridor, their hair disheveled, panting heavily, unable to utter a single word.
Lin Wen'an sat upright, looking at their disheveled appearance, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
“The Yao family’s guard dogs are all extremely fierce. When did you and your father arrive? If you approach the door without saying hello, you’re bound to get bitten.”
Fortunately, he didn't actually get bitten. Yao Ruyi awkwardly served hot tea, and seeing the situation, she quickly made an excuse: "I'll go across the street and ask Grandpa to come over!" and then hurriedly slipped away.
So only the three members of the Lin family remained in the Yao family courtyard.
Lin Wen'an frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Why did you and Father suddenly come here? Since you had already set off, why didn't you write a letter in advance to inform me? I could have asked Cong Bo and Cong Xin to meet you at the dock."
Besides…didn't he just ask his father to give a small amount of money and write a letter to inform him? Lin Wen'an had his own plans; how could he so rashly go to their door without formally obtaining the teacher's and Ruyi's approval?
Especially… his gaze shifted to his sister, his brow furrowing even more tightly, “Yueyue, why did you come along too? Did you have another argument with Huaiji?”
Upon hearing this, Lin Wenyue immediately sat up, raised her hand to straighten her messy hair, raised her chin, and said angrily, "It's not that I'm throwing a tantrum! He spends all his time in the military camp. He finally gets a day off, and when I asked him to go out with me, he refused. So, can't I come with Dad to see you?"
Lin Wen'an looked at her without saying a word, and Lin Wenyue also turned her head away, put her hands on her hips, and remained silent.
After a moment of silent confrontation, Lin Wen'an turned to look at his father, Lin Zhu, and saw that he was staring blankly at the side gate behind the Yao family's house, his face full of melancholy. Soon his eyes were red, probably because he was thinking of his mother again. Lin Wen'an felt even more unreliable, so he turned back to his sister and questioned her: "Tell me the truth."
Lin Wenyue's husband, Wen Huaiji, and she had been childhood sweethearts, growing up together. Lin Wenyue met him when she was young and living with her maternal grandparents; they were just close playmates then. Later, his family was transferred to Huguang for official posts, and the two little ones cried their hearts out when they parted, thinking they would never see each other again. Unexpectedly, fate brought them together again. When Lin's family resigned and returned to Fuzhou, Wen's family was transferred to Fuzhou as commanders, and the two met once more.
Lin Wen'an knew Wen Huaiji all too well. Despite being a burly, rough-around-the-edges martial artist, unlike the refined and cultured scholar, he was the kind of person who would say one thing and do another every month, who would say he wanted to eat mutton but wouldn't buy chicken, and who would even blindly agree that cows could fly high in the sky.
The Wen family's residence in Fuzhou was just across the street from the Lin family's. Wen Huaiji's family was very small. Wen Huaiji's mother was a devout Buddhist and spent 358 out of 360 days a year practicing in the temple. She didn't care about her son and daughter-in-law at all. Wen's father was busy with military affairs and had no time or intention to discipline his daughter-in-law. Wen Huaiji also had two brothers who were already serving in the military and never lived at home.
That's why Yueyue got married right after she came of age, and she became even more lawless after marriage.
That's why Lin Wen'an asked such a question.
Sure enough, Lin Wenyue's feigned anger vanished, and she grinned, covering her mouth as she whispered, "I'm so boring! It's the Shangsi Festival, a day off, and I asked him to shave his beard, put on a skirt, and dress up as a woman to accompany me on a spring outing, but he dared to make excuses! Humph!" She changed the subject, a hint of smugness in her voice, "So I went home for a short stay, and just then your letter arrived. Father was going out, so I came along!"
As she spoke, her eyes darted around, and mimicking Lin Wen'an's usual dignified demeanor, she read aloud, in a high-pitched, dramatic voice, the letter Lin Wen'an had written home: "'I have now met the one I love... I can entrust my feelings to him, I can rely on him for my will, and we will stay together for life, never to be apart!'" After reading it, she winked mischievously at her brother, "I want to see which deity has made our family's iron tree bloom!"
Lin Wen'an: "..." My hands are itching.
Sure enough, he knew that his younger sister had been spoiled by Uncle Cong when she was young, and as she grew up, Wen Huaiji willingly let her bully and manipulate her, even enjoying it. She always acted so capriciously, never caring what others thought. Before Lin Wen'an went to the capital, Yueyue would frequently come home to stay, often throwing tantrums to eat Uncle Cong's cooking instead of returning to her husband's house. Wen Huaiji probably never imagined that his wife could disappear in the blink of an eye from her father-in-law's house, which was just across the street from their usual place!
They've gone so far; the Wen family must be frantic with worry.
"Rest for two days, then go back immediately." Lin Wen'an said coldly. "How can you act so recklessly? You didn't even tell me, how worried must Huaiji be?"
"Oh dear, Lord Lin, please don't be so quick to scold me." Lin Wenyue didn't care at all. Instead, she leaned closer, winked, and lowered her voice, "My brother's sweetheart... is she the one from just now..." Her eyes glanced in the direction Yao Ruyi had left.
Before he could finish speaking, Uncle Cong's excited and loud voice came from the courtyard gate: "Yueyue? Yueyue is back too?" With this voice, Uncle Cong helped Yao Qizhao step over the threshold.
Lin Wenyue immediately burst into tears. Leaving her brother behind, she lifted her skirt and ran over, throwing herself into Uncle Cong's arms and crying loudly, "Uncle Cong! I missed you so much! Don't worry about my brother anymore, come back to Fuzhou with me!"
Uncle Cong was also moved to tears. He was a grown man, unmarried, and careless. How could he possibly raise a child? Yet, Yueyue ended up in his hands. He carried her on his shoulders, held her hand, and carried her on his back, raising her year after year with his own hands.
Amidst the chaos, Yao Ruyi hurriedly re-entered the room, catching Grandpa Yao off guard as he went to greet Lin Zhu. Lin Zhu, startled from his daze, quickly got up to greet her.
"Mr. Yao! It's been many years. How have you been?"
When old friends meet again, both are filled with emotion. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, they finally take their seats.
On the other side of the pillar, Lin Wen'an had also quietly gotten up and walked to Yao Ruyi's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with her. This sudden change caught both of them off guard. They exchanged a silent glance and saw a similar surprise and a hint of tension in each other's eyes. They then fell silent in tacit agreement, listening to the two elders under the corridor reminiscing with smiles and whispering.
Seven years is not a short time, and there is so much to say. Yao Qizhao is still relatively lucid today, so it would be strange if his words were not incoherent. From the scenery of Beijing to their respective circumstances, as they talked, they could not avoid that unforgettable scar.
Mentioning Lin Wen'an's mother, Lin Zhu lowered his head and sighed, choking back tears, "I tried so hard to keep her for so many years, but I still couldn't. Fortunately, she passed away peacefully and told me that she didn't regret it at all."
Yao Qizhao, whose wife also passed away young, also shed tears.
Just as the two were about to burst into tears like Yueyue and Congbo, Lin Wen'an coughed lightly at the right moment, leaned over and gently pushed the warm teacups on the table toward them, and said gently, "Father, sir, please have some tea."
That stopped it.
Unexpectedly, after Lin Zhu put down his teacup and inquired about Yao Qizhao's health and recent situation with concern, his expression suddenly became unusually solemn. He reached out and untied the heavy blue cloth bundle he had brought with him, spreading it out on the low table under the corridor, revealing thick stacks of papers inside—house deeds, shop deeds, land deeds, and several large stacks of paper money neatly bound with mulberry bark paper, which looked quite heavy. On top of them was a money shop's stub book.
Yao Ruyi stared wide-eyed.
"This...this..." She quickly turned to Lin Wen'an, only to see that he was also surprised, seemingly not expecting his father to have moved all the family property over! Just as she was about to speak to stop him, Lin Zhu had already gotten straight to the point.
“Sir,” Lin Zhu said sincerely, “Erlang was raised under your watchful eye. You know his character and personality better than anyone.” He paused, his gaze fixed intently on Yao Qizhao.
The doubt in Yao Qizhao's eyes deepened.
Seeing that Yao Qizhao didn't seem to understand, Lin Zhu was also a little puzzled. He glanced at Lin Wen'an out of the corner of his eye, but couldn't tell whether his son was nodding or shaking his head, so he braced himself and continued:
“I only learned that Erlang had made up his mind when he wrote a letter a while ago. Considering that he is not young anymore, and that our families are old acquaintances with your family, I, as his father, had nothing to say, so I brought all the property and money that the family has accumulated over the years!”
As he spoke, he actually began to count the deeds and banknotes. “Look, this shop has eight rooms in total, all in the most bustling areas of Fuzhou City; the best paddy fields outside the city cover a total of 1,200 mu; as for the cash, the money deposited in the bank, plus these banknotes, it’s about… about four or five thousand strings of cash, that’s too much… I can’t even keep up with the interest…” He clumsily flipped through the deeds, actually trying to count them on the spot.
"Wait! Hold on!" Yao Qizhao suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him.
He was in poor spirits and sometimes confused. He had been away from home most of the time lately, busy compiling books and explaining exercises to students at Zhixingzhai. Although he knew that Yao Ruyi was close to Lin Wen'an, he hadn't thought much about it. Now, hearing Lin Zhu speak like this, he finally understood.
He turned his head abruptly as if burned by fire, his two sharp, knife-like eyes, filled with blinded anger and disbelief, shooting straight at the two people standing side by side in the shadow of the pillars.
Right under his nose! How did these two people... to the point of secretly exchanging gifts, disregarding etiquette, and becoming so deeply in love that they were about to get married?
Even Lin Zhu had traveled a long way to come knocking on his door! And he was kept completely in the dark!
A surge of anger, a feeling of being ignored and deceived, welled up inside Yao Ruyi. Her scalp tingled from Grandpa Yao's glaring eyes, and Lin Wen'an also looked ashamed; he hadn't considered things carefully. But he still took a small step to the side, bracing himself for his master's wrath.
This seemingly minor act of protection only made Yao Qizhao's face turn even more ashen. He struggled to stand up, supporting himself against the pillar.
"You two! Come here!"
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Sorry! I'm a few minutes late QAQ
Good luck to all the students taking the college entrance exam tomorrow!
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