64. Strange People
Jin Lanyue reached out her little hand and grabbed it, but the smooth silk hem of the Grand Tutor's robe brushed against her chubby little hand and slipped away from her grasp.
The little dumpling watched as the Grand Tutor walked further and further away.
"Brother Xie..." The little dumpling tugged at Xie Wenling's sleeve, looking bewildered. "Is the Grand Tutor angry?"
"Perhaps." Xie Wenling withdrew his gaze.
Anyway, he didn't care about Qu Zijin's thoughts at all.
He simply looked down at the little bundle in his arms: "I will forever remember the kindness of Princess Fukang. So, what gift does the Princess wish to give in gratitude for this palace banquet?"
The little dumpling was even more confused.
Why is Brother Xie starting to say strange things too?
The second brother, who had only run over after seeing Qu Zijin walk away, happened to overhear Xie Wenling's question.
The "clever" second brother immediately volunteered to translate: "Oh, you don't need to worry about the first half of the sentence! He's asking you what gift you want!"
This time, the little dumpling understood.
Her eyes immediately lit up, like two sparkling stars: "Shall we give Yue'er a gift?"
"Hmm." Xie Wenling nodded, still indifferent, but his gaze softened slightly compared to usual.
The second brother stroked his chin thoughtfully: "But Father and Mother said that we can't just take things from other people..."
“But Brother Xie isn’t just anyone!” the little dumpling said, tilting her head and speaking with conviction.
Xie Wenling didn't refute her, but went along with her words: "Go ahead and say it."
Without hesitation, the little dumpling said, "I want cakes! I want candy! Candied fruit, sesame candy, osmanthus cakes, candied hawthorns..."
Hearing the list of snack names, Xie Wenling suddenly became curious about her appetite: "So many, can you finish them all?"
“I can finish it all! I can finish it all!” The little dumpling nodded vigorously. “I can share it with my older brother, second older brother, father, and mother…”
The little dumpling never eats alone and is always happy to share.
The second brother protested a little: "I don't want to eat snacks! I want to be a hero! Heroes are..."
Before he could finish speaking, his stomach growled, and his face immediately turned red.
Xie Wenling looked at the expectant little dumpling, then at the embarrassed little boy, said nothing, and turned to walk out: "Come with me, let's go buy it now."
"Yay!" The little dumpling happily followed.
My second brother jogged after me, shouting, "Wait for me! I... I'm going to keep an eye on him, not to get some snacks!"
He doesn't want to eat snacks! Absolutely not!
-
On the street at dusk.
Shops began to light up their lanterns.
Xie Wenling politely declined the little boy's request for a hug, letting the two children hold hands and walk together, while he followed behind.
"Thank you, brother! Thank you, brother!" The little dumpling suddenly pointed ahead, "That's the house!"
She knows exactly which snacks are good.
Inside the shop, all kinds of candied fruits and dried fruits were displayed in a dazzling array.
The little dumpling pointed at this and that with her tiny hands: "I want this apricot! This plum! Ah, that peach looks delicious too..."
Xie Wenling nodded to the shopkeeper: "Pack some of everything."
"Alright!" The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. "Young lady, you have excellent taste. Our candied fruit is a family heirloom recipe..."
As they left the candied fruit shop, the little dumpling was already clutching a bunch of oil paper packets.
Next came sesame candy, osmanthus cake...
Jin Lanyue, along with her brother and Xie Wenling, strolled around from morning till night.
The little one who said her feet hurt and she couldn't walk this morning is now full of energy when shopping.
My second brother went from saying "I don't want to" at the beginning to now having several bags of snacks in his hand, his mouth full of candy crumbs.
"Thank you, brother..." the little dumpling suddenly looked up at her, "You should try one too!"
She took a dried apricot out of the paper package and tiptoed to deliver it to Xie Wenling.
Xie Wenling paused slightly, then lowered his head to accept the dried apricot: "...Thank you."
"Is it delicious?" the little dumpling asked expectantly.
"Um."
The little dumpling smiled sweetly, a smile sweeter than candied fruit.
"Is there anything else you want?" Xie Wenling asked her.
The little dumpling glanced at the handful of snacks he was carrying and shook her head: "Moon's got enough, thank you, Brother Xie~"
“No need to be so polite,” Xie Wenling paused and said softly, “These foods are not a repayment. If you need anything in the future, you can ask me again.”
The little girl blinked, not quite understanding, but vaguely realizing that Xie Wenling was promising her something. So she nodded dazedly, "Okay..."
"Shall we go back to the carriage?"
"good!"
The three then walked towards the carriage.
The little dumpling was holding a small bag of freshly bought dried apricots, and every now and then she would pick up a piece and put it in her mouth, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons from the sweetness.
Her second brother was right beside her, eating snacks with her.
Xie Wenling followed behind them, carrying the things.
The little dumpling was hopping around when suddenly his gaze was drawn to a figure on the street corner—a well-dressed woman with her hair neatly tied back, standing with her head down in front of a pharmacy, seemingly hesitating whether to go in.
Their movements were furtive and secretive.
"Second brother..." The little dumpling gently tugged at the sleeve of her second brother beside her, pointing in that direction with her little finger, "That person is so strange."
The second brother looked in the direction she was pointing and exclaimed, "Could it be a thief?! Let this great hero take action!"
"No, Second Brother! Don't fight! Daddy and Mommy will scold us!" The little dumpling quickly pulled him back, but couldn't help looking over again.
The woman seemed to sense the gaze and suddenly looked up, her eyes staring straight at her.
The way she looked at her was strange, as if she was hiding some inexplicable emotion.
But it was by no means well-intentioned.
This made the little dumpling shrink its neck inexplicably and subconsciously move closer to Xie Wenling.
"What's wrong?" Xie Wenling noticed her unusual behavior and asked, looking down at her.
"No, no..." The little dumpling shook her head, clutching his clothes tightly with her little hands, and whispered, "I just think that person... is so scary."
Xie Wenling frowned slightly and looked at the street corner, but the woman had already turned and left in a hurry, her figure quickly disappearing into the crowd.
He only managed to catch a glimpse of a back view; he saw nothing else.
"Brother Xie, do you know her?" the little dumpling asked, tilting her head up.
“I don’t recognize him,” Xie Wenling said, turning his gaze away. “He might just be a passerby.”
The second brother leaned over, still chewing on candy, and asked indistinctly, "What's wrong with 'Every Time It Gets Nauseous'?"
"...Yue'er, Yue'er is alright." The little dumpling shook its head.
The three continued walking towards the carriage, gradually leaving the bustling market behind.
The little dumpling looked back at the street that was getting further and further away, and for some reason, she felt a little panicked.
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