Chapter 141 Why Compete with Chestnuts?
The autumn sun shone softly in the courtyard of the General's Mansion, making the chestnuts on the stone table even warmer. Ye Wanning clutched a fresh chestnut she had picked from the back mountain, trying hard to crack it open—Pei Zhi had said he wanted to eat chestnut cake, so she had specially picked it to surprise him.
The chestnut shell was harder than she expected. After squeezing it for a while, she only managed to crack a small fissure, but her hand hurt, and her nails even changed color. "Why is it so hard?" she complained, then picked another chestnut, only to prick her fingertip with the tiny thorns on the shell. She quickly pulled her hand back and frowned.
"Why are you arguing about chestnuts?" Pei Zhi's voice came from behind. He had just finished dealing with military affairs, and his robes were still dusty from the journey. He walked over and sat down at the stone table, picked up a chestnut and looked at it: "The chestnuts in the back mountain have hard shells. You have to use a knife to make a slit in them to peel them."
He went to the kitchen and got a small fruit knife. He came back and sat down next to her, using the blade to make a cross on the chestnut shell: "See, it's easy to peel once you make a cross." He then handed the chestnut to her, "Try it."
Ye Wanning took it, pinched the cut, and gently pried it open. Sure enough, the shell cracked, revealing the golden chestnut kernel. "It's so much easier to peel!" Her eyes lit up, and she picked up a knife to cut it open, but Pei Zhi stopped her hand.
"Be careful not to hurt your hands." He took the chestnuts and made a slit in them, then handed them to her one by one. "You peel the kernels, and I'll peel the shells. That way it'll be faster."
Ye Wanning hummed in agreement and began peeling. The chestnut kernels had a thin skin, which she gently tore off and placed in a small dish. Pei Zhi peeled the shells quickly, and soon a pile of them was stacked in front of her, like a small mountain.
"Try it and see if it's sweet. These are chestnuts from the very top of the back mountain, sweeter than those from the bottom." Pei Zhi picked up a peeled chestnut and held it to her lips, his eyes full of anticipation.
Ye Wanning opened her mouth and took a bite. The sweet aroma spread in her mouth, carrying the taste of sunshine, and it wasn't dry at all. "Sweet! Much sweeter than the ones I bought at the market last time!" She smiled and peeled a piece to feed him.
Pei Zhi held her hand, watching her satisfied expression, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips. The two sat there, one shelling the chestnuts, the other peeling them, the sunlight bathing them and making the chestnut kernels glow golden. Occasionally, a breeze would blow by, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms and the sweet scent of chestnuts from the courtyard—a truly delightful aroma.
Ye Wanning was peeling chestnuts carefully and didn't notice the bits of chestnut kernel stuck to the corners of her mouth. Pei Zhi saw this and gently wiped them off with his fingertips, his movements as tender as if he were handling a precious treasure: "You can't even eat them cleanly, they're like little beans, there's always something stuck to the corners of your mouth."
"It's all because the chestnuts you bought were so delicious!" Ye Wanning blushed slightly and quickly lowered her head to continue peeling. "After I'm done peeling, I'll make chestnut cake and put your favorite osmanthus sugar in it."
“Okay, I’ll wait.” Pei Zhi nodded and pushed the chestnuts he had just peeled towards her. “No rush, take your time peeling them. If you get tired, take a break. I’m free this afternoon, I’ll keep you company.”
The setting sun dyed the sky orange-red, like a spilled rouge box, and even the clotheslines in the General's Mansion were warm from the sun. Ye Wanning carried a bamboo basket over to collect the clothes—Pei Zhi's casual clothes and her skirt, which she had hung out to dry that morning, were now dry and smelled of sunshine.
She first took down her own dress, folded it, and put it in the basket. But when it came to Pei Zhi's casual clothes hanging on top, she stood on tiptoe and reached out, her fingertips almost touching them, but she still missed. She couldn't help but stand up even higher, her heels almost leaving the ground. She didn't get the clothes and almost stumbled.
"Be careful, what if you fall?" A warm voice came from behind. Ye Wanning turned around and saw Pei Zhi wearing a military uniform with a cloak slung over his shoulder—he had obviously just returned from the military camp and hadn't had time to change.
He strode over, easily lifting the casual clothes with a flick of his wrist, as if it were a trivial task. "Why didn't you ask for help?" He folded the clothes and put them in the basket, touching her forehead with his finger. "You're sweating. Were you standing on tiptoe?"
"I thought I could reach it." Ye Wanning was a little embarrassed, looking down at the clothes in the basket. "Who knew you would hang these clothes so high?"
"Call me next time you wash the clothes, don't stand on tiptoe." Pei Zhi picked up the bamboo basket and took her cloak. "It's not surprising that you can't reach it, you're so small."
"I'm not a little kid!" Ye Wanning glared at him angrily, but obediently followed him into the courtyard. The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them, which were tightly intertwined, making them look like two ribbons entwined on the stone path.
As Pei Zhi walked past the crabapple tree, he suddenly stopped. A late-blooming crabapple was in full bloom at the top of the tree, its deep pink petals particularly vibrant in the setting sun. He reached out and plucked it, then walked to Ye Wanning and gently tucked it into her hair.
“This crabapple blossoms late, yet they are more vibrant than those of this morning.” He looked into her eyes, his voice as gentle as the light of the setting sun, “It suits you perfectly.”
Ye Wanning reached out and touched the crabapple blossom in her hair; the petals were soft and carried a faint fragrance. She looked up at Pei Zhi; his face still bore the marks of travel, yet his smile was exceptionally gentle, the setting sun casting a soft glow on his features.
"Is it pretty?" she asked softly.
"It looks good." Pei Zhi nodded, tucked her stray hairs behind her ear, and gently brushed his fingertips against her earlobe. "My wife looks good in anything."
Ye Wanning's ears turned red instantly, and she quickly lowered her head to follow him. The clothes in the bamboo basket smelled of sunshine, the crabapple blossoms in her hair were fragrant, and he beside her carried a familiar scent. The setting sun slowly lengthened their shadows until they merged into the gate of the General's Mansion.
After returning inside, Pei Zhi put down the bamboo basket and helped her drape her cloak, saying, "It's chilly outside, don't catch a cold." He turned around, poured a cup of hot water, and handed it to her. "Have some water. You must be tired from standing on tiptoe earlier."
Ye Wanning took the cup and took a sip. The warm water went down her throat, and even her heart felt warm and trembling.
As dawn broke, the dew in the courtyard was still glistening. Pei Zhi, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, practiced his swordplay in the yard, the blade flashing coldly in the morning light. His movements were swift and agile; as the sword swept across the ground, fallen leaves fluttered down, leaving Ye Wanning stunned.
She stood under the eaves, a handkerchief in her hand, having come to deliver water, but was captivated by the way he practiced swordsmanship. The sword seemed to come alive in his hands; his slashes, cuts, thrusts, and parries were all crisp and decisive, exuding the heroic spirit of a soldier.
"You want to try it too?" Pei Zhi sheathed his sword and turned around, just in time to see her staring at the sword, and couldn't help but laugh.
Ye Wanning nodded, a little embarrassed: "I think you look like you're having a lot of fun practicing swordsmanship. I'd like to learn a couple of basic moves from you."
Pei Zhi walked over and handed her the sword—the sword was heavier than she had imagined. Her hand wobbled as soon as she grasped the hilt, and she almost dropped the sword.
"Be careful, hold the sword firmly." Pei Zhi quickly supported her hand and helped her adjust her posture. "Keep your palm hollow and your fingers firm, so the sword won't wobble."
Ye Wanning adjusted her posture, but as soon as she got into position, she felt her shoulders tighten. She tried to imitate Pei Zhi's sword stroke, but the sword went to one side and almost hit the pillar next to her.
"Don't rush, stand properly first." Pei Zhi came up from behind her and pressed her shoulders with both hands to help her press down. "Sink your shoulders, don't shrug them. Imagine your shoulders are constantly sinking down, otherwise you'll get tired and won't be able to practice properly."
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