Chapter 121 An'an doesn't need to worry about being a widow at such a young age.
The couple went hiking tomorrow, and after getting into bed, they embraced and slept soundly, without doing anything else.
As Xu Jinnian predicted, the next day was indeed a sunny and windless day.
Sheng An didn't forget her business. After quickly washing up, she went to the main kitchen to cook for Ning Sihan in the neighboring yard.
Given Ning Sihan's current physical condition, she would have difficulty digesting rich and meaty foods, so Sheng An made relatively light but very delicious fish wontons and a basket of chicken broth radish soup dumplings.
As soon as the two fillings were prepared, the aroma wafted out, and Baoxiu, who was helping her, couldn't help but swallow hard: "Master, how can the raw fillings smell so good!"
It smelled wonderful, but you could hardly smell the fishy smell of the meat or the spiciness of the radish. It was as if the fish and radish had been transformed into wisps of invisible vapor and disappeared under the skillful hands of the master.
Anyway, after learning cooking from her master for several months, she still hadn't mastered the skill at all.
Her master often praised her for her talent, but she felt that compared to him, she was definitely a fool.
"It's because you didn't eat breakfast, so everything smells delicious to you."
Sheng An jokingly offered an explanation, then changed the subject by instructing Bao Xiu to start a fire.
Baoxiu wasn't particularly curious and believed Sheng'an's words without question, obediently going to the stove to light a fire and boil water.
Sheng An packed enough food for two meals, including the lunch portion.
She instructed Baoxiu to cook another bowl of wontons at noon, heat up the steamed buns, and have Shuqi personally deliver them to the neighbor's house.
Baoxiu wrote everything down without asking who the guest next door was.
It wasn't that she wasn't curious, but she understood the rules of Shengyuan: don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't inquire about what you shouldn't inquire about.
Before Shuqi left with the food box, Sheng An returned to the small building, washed up, and changed into clothes suitable for hiking.
"Put on this cloak; it'll be quite windy riding the horse later."
Xu Jinnian opened a rarely used wardrobe, took out a bright red quilted cloak, carefully folded it, and put it into a cloth bundle.
Sheng An exclaimed in surprise, "Where did this cloak come from? I don't remember buying it."
Previously, Granny Sun had made clothes for the whole family for the New Year. She thought there were still a few outfits in the wardrobe that she hadn't worn yet, so she didn't ask Granny Sun to make any for her.
Unbeknownst to her, a bright red cloak had appeared in her wardrobe.
“An’an’s skin has become fairer, which is perfect for bright colors. I asked Granny Sun to make one for you. I originally planned to take it with me when I went to Jinling to keep warm, and it will be perfect for riding today.”
Xu Jinnian explained the origin of the bright red cloak, his gaze falling on Sheng An's porcelain-white face: "Want to try it on?"
Hearing him say that, Sheng An became somewhat interested: "Okay."
Xu Jinnian reopened the bundle, picked up the cloak, shook it gently, and personally draped it over Sheng An's shoulders, his slender fingers deftly tying the collar ribbon.
"The white fringed edges are so beautiful, and the embroidery on the chest is exquisite. Granny Sun's craftsmanship is superb!"
Sheng An touched the white fur trim on the brim of the hat. He wasn't sure if it was rabbit fur or the fur of another animal, but he thought the white against the red was particularly eye-catching. He admired Granny Sun's tailoring skills.
It's all handmade!
This skill would have been highly sought after in my previous life.
"The cloak is nice, but An'an is even more beautiful."
Xu Jin gently stroked Sheng An's cheek and couldn't help but lower her head to kiss him: "This color suits you very well. I'll have Granny Sun make you a few more red dresses in the future."
Sheng An was somewhat incredulous and quickly walked to the bronze mirror.
Her face was delicate and small, with well-defined eyebrows, eyes, and nose. Her almond-shaped eyes were lively and expressive, and against the backdrop of red, her red lips and white teeth made her look even more radiant.
Sheng An was surprised herself, and boasted to Xu Jinnian in the bronze mirror, "You were right, this bright red makes me look even more beautiful!"
From today onwards, bright red will become one of her favorite colors.
Looking at his wife's bright smile in the mirror, Xu Jinnian couldn't help but smile too.
After admiring the beauty in the mirror, Sheng An happily packed the cloak into her bundle and went with Xu Jinnian to the Jiang family to borrow a horse.
Honghong is a clever horse. It actually remembered Sheng'an, whom it had only met once. As soon as the groom led it out of the stable, Honghong came up to Sheng'an and gently touched her with its big head.
Sheng An was flattered and quickly took out a large cabbage from another bundle: "I heard you like to eat cabbage after the frost, so I brought this especially for you."
Honghong excitedly chirped twice at her, then stuck out her long tongue and started munching on the cabbage from her hand.
After finishing a large cabbage, Sheng An smiled and scratched his red head: "Since you accepted my bribe, don't leave me behind later, okay?"
Whether she understood or not, Honghong chirped at her twice more.
After being petted by Sheng An, it obediently walked up to Xu Jinnian, bumped its head against his chest, and stomped its paws, as if urging him to hurry up.
Sheng An saw this and grew to love Hong Hong's BMW even more.
After saying goodbye to the coachman, the two led Honghong out of the Jiang residence.
Xu Jinnian loosened the reins, tied a cloak around Sheng An's neck, and picked her up horizontally: "Get on the horse first, hold on here with both hands, don't be afraid."
With that, he lifted his arms upwards, and Sheng An steadily mounted the horse, his view suddenly opening up.
She suddenly became excited, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xu Jinnian: "So this is what it feels like to sit on horseback! I'll definitely learn horsemanship properly when we get there!"
Xu Jinnian mounted his horse, wrapped his arms tightly around Sheng An's slender waist, and gripped the reins: "Hold on tight."
Sheng An quickly adjusted his posture and shifted his center of gravity slightly forward, using the horse's momentum as it started to move: "Hold on tight, let's go!"
A hint of a smile flashed in Xu Jinnian's eyes, and he lightly squeezed the horse's flanks with his legs: "Giddy up!"
Upon receiving the instruction, Honghong immediately started running, her jet-black mane dancing in the wind and shimmering with iridescent colors under the sunlight.
The streets were bustling with people, and Xu Jinnian carefully controlled his horse's speed, deliberately taking routes with fewer people.
Soon, the two men and one horse passed through the north gate and began to travel quickly on the deserted road.
"Ahhh!"
A biting wind rushed towards her face, and Sheng An couldn't help but let out a series of screams. She felt no fear, only excitement: "Jin Nian, is this Hong Hong's fastest speed?"
As if in response to her words, Honghong increased its speed again, galloping across the wide, deserted road, leaving afterimages and making a joyful chirping sound.
Xu Jinnian was somewhat speechless at the conspicuous bag, and gently pulled on the reins to remind it to slow down: "Slow down."
Honghong is a good horse that understands human nature; it obediently slows down gradually.
The couple's destination was Shenhu Mountain, fifty miles away. It was named for its shape, which resembled a tiger descending the mountain. There was a temple halfway up the mountain, and the Buddhist people of Qingzhou would go there to offer incense and pray for blessings.
However, with the year-end approaching, there weren't many people visiting the temple, and I hardly encountered anyone going to Shenhu Mountain along the way.
Honghong truly lives up to its reputation as a steed capable of traveling a thousand miles; its endurance and speed are both top-notch. It covered a distance of fifty miles by running and walking for less than an hour, reaching the foot of Shenhu Mountain.
At the foot of the mountain was a wide, flat area. The couple were surprised to see several horses, slightly less red than the red ones, tied to trees not far away, along with more than a dozen people dressed as guards.
Sheng An guessed that this was a young master or young lady from some family in the city who was out for a stroll, and after glancing at them a few times, he looked away.
There are many cold-resistant trees on Shenhu Mountain. When you sit on horseback and look up, the lush greenery makes it impossible to see the top of the mountain.
When Sheng An was lifted off the horse by Xu Jinnian, her legs went weak the moment her feet touched the ground. Fortunately, Xu Jinnian had anticipated this and caught her in time to prevent her from falling to the ground.
Only then did Sheng An realize that his legs and feet were numb and he couldn't exert any strength at all.
To make matters worse, my inner thighs are chafed and sore. I didn't feel it when I was riding the horse, but now I can clearly feel the discomfort.
If it weren't for the thick winter clothes, Sheng An believes her skin would have been chafed raw.
Thinking of this, her eyes unconsciously glanced at Xu Jinnian's groin, wanting to ask him if it hurt.
Sheng An's thoughts were written all over his face, and Xu Jinnian could see it without being able to, so he was speechless for a moment: "I'm fine."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "I will take good care of my health, so An'an doesn't need to worry about being a widow at such a young age."
Men often gather in the streets and alleys to tell dirty jokes, and every time he passes by, some of their words reach his ears.
Before the marriage, he couldn't understand the meaning of those strange laughs, but now that he has had a second intimate encounter with An'an, he realizes that a man's ability in a certain area is very important.
Sheng An was caught off guard by Xu Jinnian's words. Her lips twitched, and she glared at him irritably: "What kind of nonsense are you thinking about in broad daylight!"
There were more than a dozen living people nearby; if they heard her, they would think she was extremely thirsty.
Xu Jin cleared her throat lightly, realizing she had been too hasty, and subtly changed the subject: "Can we leave now?"
Sheng An glanced at him, lifted her leg slightly, and only after realizing that blood flow to her leg had returned to normal did she say, "It's alright now, let's walk slowly."
Xu Jinnian led his wife up the steps with one hand and held the horse's reins with the other.
Shenhu Mountain is not steep and it is not difficult to climb. The couple chatted as they climbed and did not feel tired at all.
Honghong thought they were too slow, so she shook her neck and broke free from Xu Jinnian's hand, and started walking uphill on her own.
Xu Jinnian ignored it and maintained her original pace, always holding Sheng An's hand and walking in step with her.
Suddenly, a clear female voice came from above: "Hey, this horse is really nice. It doesn't have an owner with it yet. Could it be a horse kept by a temple?"
Immediately following was a male voice responding: "Temples wouldn't keep such a BMW; perhaps its owner is down there."
It was immediately obvious that Hong Hong was extraordinary; the man and woman were clearly not ordinary people. Sheng An guessed that the group of guards at the foot of the mountain were their people.
However, these things were irrelevant to him, and Sheng An wasn't that curious. He wiped the slight sweat from his forehead, grabbed Xu Jinnian's hand, and continued climbing.
The conversation between the man and the woman continued.
"Sixth Brother, we've already visited that sickly fellow. There's nothing fun to do here. When are we going back to Beijing?"
"Sixth Brother has official business to attend to and will be heading to Jinling tomorrow. He won't be able to return until after spring at the earliest."
"Spring? That's too late! No, Nanjing is nowhere near as good as the capital. I'll set off for Beijing after the New Year!"
The woman's voice was urgent and fast, revealing a hint of willfulness and capriciousness, clearly indicating that she had been spoiled at home since childhood.
The man firmly objected: "I told you not to come before, but you cried and made a fuss and insisted on coming. Now it's too late to regret it. You have to come with me!"
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