9. Eating ice
study.
The sound of cicadas pierced through the carved windows of the study, which were covered with green gauze, and the heat of the midsummer afternoon was intense.
Jin Qizhi sat upright at his desk, the sleeves of his thin shirt rolled up, revealing a section of his fair wrist.
He was annotating the Spring and Autumn Annals, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead due to the heat.
"Big brother~" Jin Lanyue lay on the straw mat, her little feet swinging in the air, "Shall we play cat's cradle?"
Jin Qizhi didn't even look up, the tip of his brush gliding across the rice paper: "Do you still remember the characters I just taught you?"
The little dumpling immediately pouted, its chubby cheeks puffing out like a little pufferfish.
She rolled over to the desk, tugged at her older brother's sleeve and shook it gently: "It's too hot~ Yue'er's little head is all dizzy from the heat, she can't remember any of the words~"
Jin Qizhi finally put down his brush and looked down at the spoiled little guy.
"Alright then." Jin Qizhi took out a brocade box. "Let's play with this."
The little dumpling couldn't wait to open the box, inside was a set of exquisite tangram puzzles.
She cheered and ran to the bamboo mat by the window with the box in her arms, starting to jingle and fiddle with it.
The study returned to silence, with only the faint sound of ice melting in the copper basin.
Jin Qizhi picked up his pen again, glancing occasionally at his younger sister who was amusing herself.
After an unknown amount of time, Jin Qizhi suddenly realized that the rustling sound had disappeared.
Turning around, I saw the tangram pieces scattered all over the floor, but the little dumpling was nowhere to be seen.
"Moon?"
"Here it is~" came a childish reply from not far away.
Jin Qizhi got up and took a look, and was immediately at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Jin Lanyue had somehow climbed to the side of the ice basin, almost lying on top of it.
The hem of her gauze dress was already soaked, but she was completely unaware as she used her small hands to scoop up the floating ice cubes in the basin.
"It's so cool and comfortable~" she squinted her eyes, like a lazy little cat.
"Get up quickly!" Jin Qizhi hurriedly lifted the person up. "What if they fall in?"
Although the ice water in the basin only reached Jin Lanyue's knees, it didn't stop him from thinking that his younger sister was in danger.
Little Jin Lanyue was held up in mid-air by the back of her collar, her limbs flailing like a little turtle: "Is it hot in the moonlight? Big brother's study is like a steamer!"
Jin Qizhi sighed, picked up a round fan, and gently fanned her: "A calm mind brings coolness. Look at your big brother..."
"It's so hot!"
Having no other choice, Jin Qizhi had to order his servants to bring in a new ice basin.
"Yay! Big Brother Crab Crab!" Jin Lanyue was happy again.
Jin Qizhi held her, dragged the mat to the ice basin, put her younger sister on the mat, and patted her little head: "You can play here, but you can't run around."
"Mmm!" Jin Lanyue nodded obediently, and Jin Qizhi returned to the desk, turning back every few steps.
Seeing Jin Lanyue playing with tangrams next to the newly moved ice basin, he breathed a sigh of relief and started studying again.
As the little girl played, she leaned against the ice basin, tossed the tangram puzzle in her hand onto the mat, and began to fiddle with the edge of the basin with her little hands, her big round eyes fixed on the ice inside.
The ice in the Beiding Marquis's residence was all large blocks of ice collected in winter and stored in ice cellars, to be used in summer.
To better absorb heat, the ice cubes were cut into small pieces.
It looks crystal clear and exceptionally beautiful.
Jin Lanyue felt a cool and comfortable sensation. Looking at the ice cubes, she thought of an ice bowl.
Delicious ice bowl, delicious ice bowl.
I want to eat an ice bowl...
The ice cubes in front of me look delicious too...
[Task triggered]
Another summer has arrived, and your once doting elder brother now treats you coldly. He once ruthlessly banished you from the Marquis's mansion, and upon your return, he punished you by making you kneel in the study for accidentally offending her.
[After a long while, you were finally allowed to get up. Your legs were aching terribly, and looking at the man in front of you who was still working with his eyes downcast, you felt an urge to rush up and stab him.]
But you can't. Then, you turn your head and see the ice basin beside you.
[You've got an idea—isn't he incredibly focused on his work? Didn't he barely give you a glance even when you were kneeling before him? Then take the ice basin away and see how focused he can be working in this sweltering study!]
Either tear off his feigned seriousness, or let him suffer heatstroke!
[Task: Remove the ice basin]
[Reward: Basic Healing Charm x3]
Jin Lanyue tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then gave a cheerful smile.
She understood!
The system auntie said, "...Big brother...study...ice...get rid of it..."
She knows what to do!
So Jin Lanyue couldn't wait to reach out her little hand, grab a piece of ice, and stuff it into her mouth with a gulp.
"Brew...cool..." she mumbled, her mouth full of ice, "Long, go...put it in...your stomach!"
She started chewing, crunching away as her little baby teeth struggled against the ice.
Her cheeks were bulging out; the ice was too hard, so she clenched her little hands into fists and used force together.
Chew, chew, chew...
After finishing the first ice cube, she slumped softly beside the ice basin: "Phew...so cool, I'm so tired..."
It's not as good as an ice bowl.
But my lips feel cool, and my body feels cool too; it doesn't seem so hot anymore...
After resting for a while, she started clenching her little fists to encourage herself: "No, Yue'er will not give up!"
The little chubby hands were plump and round. When he clenched his fist, there were small indentations at the knuckles on the back of his hands. His fair and tender little hands opened, and he grabbed a piece of ice and stuffed it into his mouth with a gulp.
Chew, chew, chew, chew...
When Jin Qizhi looked up again, Jin Lanyue had already grabbed the fourth piece of ice and was about to stuff it into her mouth.
He was horrified and threw the calligraphy brush in his hand: "Yue'er, you can't eat this! Put it down right now!"
He rushed over in a flash, grabbed Jin Lanyue, snatched the ice from her hand, and then nervously looked at the ice basin.
He almost fainted when he saw it.
The ice tower, neatly stacked in the ice basin, is missing a small corner.
"My God, how much have you eaten!" He looked at his sister, who was staring at him innocently with a harmless smile.
But when it opens its mouth, cold air comes out.
"Yue'er can count now..." Jin Lanyue said earnestly, counting on her fingers, "Four... no, it's three."
Her expression was innocent yet expectant, hoping to be praised.
Jin Qizhi's vision blurred, and he almost pinched his philtrum, his voice trembling: "Move away...move away quickly..."
"Move the ice basin away quickly!" He felt completely unwell.
The servants came in and took away the newly brought ice basin.
"Move that one too!" Jin Qizhi felt like she was developing a psychological aversion to ice basins.
The servants went back and took away the half-melted ice basin as well.
[Task Completed]
[With a little trickery, you managed to get rid of the ice basin. Seeing your older brother on the verge of fainting, you felt a surge of satisfaction.]
[Reward Received: Basic Healing Charm x3]
[Beep]
[Host is about to become ill.]
[Cause: Excessive consumption of unhealthy ice cubes]
Symptoms: Diarrhea
[One basic healing talisman has been automatically applied. Please rest assured, host.]
[Currently, there are 2 basic healing charms remaining.]
Jin Lanyue rubbed her tummy and found that her stomach, which had been rumbling, was no longer rumbling.
Jin Qizhi, with his younger sister in his arms, slowly sat down on the mat, his eyes vacant, and began to contemplate life.
After all, the mature older brother is only ten years old, and his mental resilience is not yet that good.
Jin Lanyue bit her finger and finally began to belatedly wonder if she had done something wrong.
The older brother doesn't look very happy.
But ice cubes are really delicious when they're cool...
Jin Qizhi sat on the ground, lost in thought.
He remembered that his teacher had asked him to annotate the Spring and Autumn Annals, praising his intelligence and predicting that he would one day pass the imperial examination with flying colors...
His sister ate three pieces of ice.
He thought of the high hopes his parents had for him, and how his father hoped he would become successful as soon as possible so he could share his burdens...
His sister ate three pieces of ice right under his nose.
He thought back to how he had always been a role model for his peers, the kind of "other people's child" that adults always talked about...
His sister! Right under his nose! ate three pieces of ice from the ice bowl!
Jin Qizhi collapsed onto the straw mat with a loud thud.
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