Chapter 235: The Corner Gate Opens, Warmth Flows Through the Alley
The afternoon sun scorched the blue brick floor of the Fang residence's backyard. The wintersweet blossoms in the corners of the walls were a golden speck, their delicate fragrance emanating from the footsteps of the passing crowd. Little Swallow clung to the top of the Fang residence's back wall, half leaning out, clutching a piece of osmanthus cake she'd just stolen from the kitchen. She called out incoherently, "Guard Zhou! Is the paint on that door dry? Can you open it a little so I can take a look?"
From outside the wall came the sound of craftsmen hammering at wood, mingled with Guard Zhou's response: "Princess, wait a moment! The painter said this final coat of paint needs to dry for a full two hours, otherwise it won't look good if it gets all stained!"
"I'm so anxious, so anxious!" Xiaoyanzi jumped down from the wall, and the crumbs of osmanthus cake fell all over her clothes. She didn't even bother to wipe them off. She paced back and forth around the wall that separated the two houses, her red cloak sweeping across the moss on the wall, leaving a string of water droplets. Xiao Jian was standing not far away practicing sword skills, the sword light drawing a cold arc in the sunlight. Seeing her like an ant on the hot pot, he couldn't help but put away his sword and smiled, "It's just a corner gate. Is it worth waiting for you since morning?"
"Why not?" Xiaoyanzi stopped abruptly, her eyes wide. "This is no ordinary door! This is a door that allows me to go home at any time!" She suddenly lowered her voice, moved closer to Xiao Jian, and poked the wall with her fingers. "Just think about it, if Yongqi gets angry with me in the palace in the future, I can just push this door and go back to my parents' home. Let's see if he dares to bully me!"
Xiao Jian was amused by her and laughed out loud, and the red silk on the sword tassel swept across the ground: "With the way Yongqi holds you in the palm of his hand, how could he bear to let you suffer?" As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Fang's mother coming out of the corridor holding Chuntao's hand, holding a plate of freshly cut apples, with exquisite silver sticks inserted in the fruit plate.
"Why is Ci'er climbing over the wall again?" Fang's mother put the fruit plate on the stone table and patted her back in annoyance. "Your new coat is already covered in dust. If Concubine Yu sees it, she'll say I didn't teach you well." Although she scolded her, her eyes were full of smiles, and her fingertips gently brushed away the grass debris in her daughter's hair.
Xiaoyanzi picked up an apple and stuffed it into her mouth, mumbling, "Mother, I just want to see the corner gate." She pulled Fang's mother's hand and dragged her towards the wall. "Look how thin this wall is! From now on, if I shout from the palace courtyard, you'll definitely hear me from here!"
Mother Fang staggered two steps when she was pulled by her, and nodded with a smile: "I hear it, mother has sharp ears." She looked at the wall, her eyes slightly warm - back then in Jiangnan, she was always afraid that her daughters would marry far away, but now, after getting married, the couple is only across a narrow alley. The royal favor is so detailed.
As he was speaking, Guard Zhou suddenly shouted from outside the wall: "Princess! The paint is dry! We can open it now!"
Xiaoyanzi let out a cry and rushed over. Xiao Jian and Fang's mother hurried to follow. They saw the craftsmen carefully pushing open the newly painted corner door. A small "囍" character was affixed to the vermilion door panel, trembling gently in the wind. The door hinges creaked, revealing the backyard of Prince Rong's mansion across the street—a freshly swept bluestone path, two pots of blooming camellias placed on the sidewalk. Beyond, the wooden stakes for the martial arts training ground had been erected. Sunlight filtered through the open door, casting long shadows on the ground.
"It's open! It's really open!" Xiaoyanzi rushed through the corner gate first, spun in a circle on the grounds of the Wang Mansion, and then quickly ran back to the Fang Mansion. She ran back and forth three times like a happy bird. She suddenly stopped in the middle of the door, one foot in the Fang Mansion and the other in the Wang Mansion. She turned around and smiled at Fang's mother and Xiao Jian: "Look! I'm half at home and half in my new home!"
Fang's mother covered her mouth with her hands and laughed, tears glistening in the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. "Silly child, stop running now, or you might fall." Chuntao, standing behind her, holding a clean handkerchief, also laughed, "Young lady, you're so happy, you're even more proud than if you'd won the top prize in the imperial examination."
Xiao Jian walked into the palace and took a look around. His eyes fell on the wooden stakes in the training grounds. He nodded slightly. "These stakes are sturdy. I'll practice swordplay with you someday." He turned and saw several pots of crabapple blossoms piled in the corner, their branches wrapped in red silk. "These flowers are the double-petal variety you requested. They will bloom in a sea of red in the spring."
Xiaoyanzi ran to the crabapple flowerpot and gently touched the bud with her fingers: "When it blooms, I will move a chair and sit here, basking in the sun while eating the sugar-coated fruits made by my mother." She suddenly remembered something and rushed back to the Fang Mansion kitchen. After a while, she ran out with a food box. Inside was freshly steamed osmanthus cake, still steaming.
"Hurry up and try some!" She distributed the cakes to the craftsmen and gave two pieces to Guard Zhou. "Thank you for your hard work. This is freshly made by my chef. It's so sweet!" The craftsmen were flattered and took them, thanking him repeatedly. Guard Zhou smiled while biting the cake and said, "Princess, this is giving us a taste of the wedding candy in advance!"
Fang's mother stood by the corner gate, watching her daughter run back and forth between the two courtyards, her red cape like a dancing flame. Xiao Jian stood beside her and whispered, "Look, mother, this is so good! She can come back anytime she wants." Fang's mother nodded and wiped her eyes. "Good, really good..."
Sunlight streamed through the corner gate, gilding both courtyards with a golden glow. Little Swallow, holding a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake, stood between the gates. To her left was the home where she was born and raised, to her right was the new life that was about to begin. This vermilion corner gate, like a warm bridge, connected the hopes of two worlds. She took a bite of the cake, the sweet fragrance spreading across her tongue. She couldn't help but shout out into the distance, "Yongqi! Come and see! Our corner gate is open—"
The sound passed through the narrow alleys and over the palace walls, like a wind carrying honey, blowing all the joy in the heart towards the coming and perfect day.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
