Chapter 83: Cold Food Festival and Spring Rain She Doesn’t Want to Lie to Her Grandmother for the Rest of Her Life
Wang Qiulan sat by the window and held the hand of the person in front of her tightly.
Her Jinyun has been a sweet and lovable child since she was young.
When Jinyun was born prematurely, she was held in the womb for a long time and nearly choked to death on a mouthful of saliva. She was as weak as a willow in the wind since she was a child, but she was never allowed to worry about anything.
At the time, Jinyun was a skilled embroiderer. When she was too ill to leave her bed, she stayed by the bedside, embroidering with her. The younger sisters, Qi Jie'er and Ling Jie'er, were also sensible. Instead of running around, they gathered around the bed, passing thread and straightening the cloth. In spring, they wove fresh willow branches into a green ring for Jinyun to wear in her hair. In winter, the two sisters would sit in the warm sun, turning their sister over and drying dried persimmons together until they were golden and translucent.
They all knew that the disease was incurable, but as long as Jinyun was still there, the family felt content.
Last winter, Jinyun's health was getting worse day by day. She coughed so much that she couldn't sleep all night, but she still forced herself to tell her, "Grandma, if I die, please cremate me instead of burying me. I want to stay with you and my sisters forever."
She held her granddaughter's cold hand, tears welling up in her eyes, and could only nod. It wasn't until that summer night, when she woke up to go to the bathroom, that she found the house empty. She frantically searched for the creek at the corner of the alley, only to find Jinyun curled up on the riverbank, her face pale.
She saw her, buried her head in her arms and murmured, "Grandma, I'm in so much pain, my whole body hurts... I don't want to be a burden to you anymore, I want to go find my parents."
At that moment, her heart felt like a piece was being torn out. She walked back with the dying Jinyun on her back, feeling like the sky was falling.
At night, she coughed while talking to her and her two younger sisters, as if she was making arrangements for her final affairs.
She said, Grandma, don't worry, Jinyun is not in pain at all.
She asked her younger sister to buy some Poria cocos cakes because she wanted to eat something sweet.
She sent her two younger sisters away. She held the relatives' cry of filial piety in the front hall, but she kept holding their hands tightly.
But who would have thought that when Jinyun woke up again, the deadness in her eyes was gone, and she was able to get up and get out of bed.
Wang Qiulan thought that this was the blessing from the Bodhisattva and Buddha that she had prayed for by burning incense and praying to Buddha, but after only one day, she knew that this was no longer her Jinyun.
This Jinyun had always tried her best to be a good sister and a good granddaughter, never letting them worry about anything. She wondered if Jinyun was afraid they would be lonely, so she really sent a fairy to accompany them.
These days, I see the people in front of me coming to Pingjiang Prefecture. They are drenched in sweat while setting up stalls in the summer and are bitten by the well water in the winter, but they still wash glutinous rice and red beans and mung beans in large basins.
She made the pastry shop a thriving business, even buying cattle and land. She watched her obediently call her grandmother, make her happy, smile at Sister Qi and Sister Ling, and be affectionate to the shop assistants.
She felt that this was also her Jinyun.
She had long regarded this child as her own granddaughter. No matter who she was, she was a treasure sent by God to accompany them.
Her two lovers, one in the sky and one beside her.
Now that Jinyun has someone she loves, she needs to have her own family and her own life in the future. She can't always live under the name "Wei Jinyun".
It's time.
She wanted to tell her that she had known it for a long time, and she wanted her to tell her her original name.
Wei Jinyun was stunned for a moment, then hugged Wang Qiulan tightly, choking with sobs, "Grandma, I... my name is also Wei Jinyun. I took my grandmother's surname, Wei. As for the word 'Jinyun', she said it came from 'Jinyun covers the ten miles of Yichun. Jinyun covers. Courtyards by the water, homes at the foot of the mountain.' When they picked me up, it was spring, and Pingjiang Prefecture was ablaze with flowers, as beautiful as clouds and rosy clouds."
She buried herself in Wang Qiulan's arms, "Grandma, I didn't mean to lie to you..."
Wei Jinyun thought that her grandmother didn't understand these things, but she didn't know that even her eight-year-old sister could notice her abnormality.
Wang Qiulan raised her hand and gently patted her back, but she burst into laughter, "Is your name really Jinyun too?"
"Um."
Wei Jinyun responded sullenly, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"What a coincidence, my dear granddaughter."
Wang Qiulan held her face and wiped away her tears with a handkerchief.
Wei Jinyun raised his eyes hesitantly, his eyes full of confusion and anxiety.
She had clearly lied to her grandmother, but she didn't seem angry at all.
"You are also Grandma's good granddaughter. Grandma's former Jinyun will no longer be in pain over there. She can finally rest well."
Wang Qiulan gently held Wei Jinyun's hand, and wrapped her hand completely with her soft hand, "Grandma has always treated you as her granddaughter."
Wei Jinyun's nose felt sore, tears welled up again, and her voice trembled, "Then Grandmother... why are you suddenly telling me this?"
Wang Qiulan reached out and ruffled her hair. "Because my dear granddaughter has someone she likes."
She looked at Wei Jinyun's stunned expression and continued, "You're going to get engaged and live your own good life in the future. I can't let you have anything on your mind. When it comes to asking for your name, I have to ask for your name and your birth date, right?"
Perhaps it was because the Cold Food Festival was approaching and the wind was very cold. In the past few nights, she always dreamed of Jinyun from the past.
She wore the dress she had made, sitting quietly by the window embroidering. She smiled whenever she saw her, her eyes curved, no longer frowning in pain as before. She always said to her grandmother, "She's fine, there's no pain, she can get out of bed and walk around freely, and she can see the beauty of all four seasons."
At first, she was reluctant to wake up, wanting to spend more time talking to her granddaughter. But later, Jinyun's visits to her dreams became less frequent. The last time she saw her, she was standing under the peach tree at the entrance of her alley, wearing a willow wreath, and whispered, "Grandma, I'm leaving. Live your lives well and don't worry about me."
"Grandma, my name is Wei Jinyun, and my birth chart is exactly the same as your Jinyun's."
Wei Jinyun looked at her grandmother's red eyes and spoke seriously, "Wang Qiulan is my grandmother, whom I will respect and honor from now on. Wei Fuqiu and Wei Fuling are my biological sisters."
It would be nice if you could explain it.
She didn't want to lie to her grandmother all her life.
"Um."
Wang Qiulan stroked her hair.
She felt that the Jinyun in front of her was never a replacement, but another fulfillment sent by God, taking over the wishes that the previous Jinyun could not let go of.
The cold food wind started blowing outside the window.
The days of spring passed quickly, and in a blink of an eye it was around the time of Cold Food Festival. The warmth of the previous few days quietly faded in a late spring cold snap. At night, fine raindrops fell from the sky, weaving into a gentle mist, shrouding the entire Pingjiang Prefecture in a misty haze.
The bluestone outside Yunlaixiang was wet with rain, and water droplets from the eaves formed thin threads, dripping to the ground. The peach, apricot, and crabapple trees by the river were soaked with raindrops, becoming even brighter, and occasionally, when the east wind blew, they carried the water droplets with them and fell.
In the mist, even the figures of passers-by became blurred.
Although it was almost Cold Food Festival, fireworks had long been banned in the Bianjing area, and every household ate cold food. However, the customs in Wu were different. The locals believed that cold food was not in accordance with the spirits' wishes, so fireworks were not banned.
Everywhere in Pingjiang Prefecture, wisps of smoke rose from houses, dispersing through the rain and mist. In front of Tianqing Temple, one could still smell the aromas wafting from the shops: the freshness of blanched bamboo shoots and the scorching aroma of fried fish, tempering the chill of the late spring.
Wei Jinyun stood at the door of the shop, waiting for the waiters to arrive one after another and for the customers to come with umbrellas, seeking the fragrance.
The drizzle was still falling, and the wind chimes hanging at the door were tinkling in the wind. Wei Fuling stood at the corridor, carefully holding a bowl filled with rice, staring at the swallow's nest under the corridor.
Meng Ge'er, gnawing on a greasy duck leg, walked over to her and asked vaguely, "Ling Jie'er, don't swallows eat insects? Why are you feeding them rice?"
"Shh-"
Wei Fuling put her index finger in front of her lips and whispered, "Keep your voice down, Xiaoyanzi's mother is coming!"
Meng Ge'er was very obedient. He held his breath immediately and even forgot to chew the duck leg. He quickly shrank behind Wei Fuling and poked his head out to peek secretly.
A swallow flapped its wings and circled, then landed steadily beside Wei Fuling's hand. It lowered its head and pecked some rice from the bowl, then flew into the nest and fed it to the chirping little swallows.
"Sister Ling."
Wei Fuqiu held up another bowl and asked, "Is that the rice grain you have in your hand? I looked everywhere for it when I was mixing the rice bran just now, but I couldn't find it. I wonder if you took it."
"Shh-"
Wei Fuling and Meng Ge'er turned around at the same time and made a gesture of silence in unison.
Wei Fuqiu followed their gaze towards the swallow's nest, and seeing the swallows flying back to peck at the grains, she immediately shut up, nodded slightly, and quietly took a few steps back.
She looked down at the bowl in her hand which contained only rice bran.
Never mind, it doesn’t matter if we eat later on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Xiaoyanzi is their new family member.
The rustle of a shoulder pole echoed through the drizzle as the peddler, carrying his load, slowly stopped at the door of his shop. He wore a short jacket, his trouser legs stained with mud.
His front and back bamboo baskets were filled to the brim. The front basket was filled with fresh mugwort, and the back basket was filled with wheat straw, which was darker in color and had slightly thicker leaves, stacked layer upon layer.
"Shopkeeper Wei!"
The peddler moved his load under the porch. "Here's the mugwort and wheat straw you requested. They've just been cut from the edge of the field... Do you still want to do as you requested and have them delivered over the next few days, right up until Qingming Festival?"
Wei Jinyun nodded. "Yes, thank you for your help. Go to the backyard quickly. We need to make qingtuan soon. It will be too late if you are late."
"Oh, okay!"
The peddler responded, picked up his load swiftly, and followed her steadily to the backyard.
Gu Xiang came to work in the drizzle. She was always the first one to arrive. She held a handful of fresh willow branches and stuck one on each of the doorframes of Yunlaixiang and Miaomiao Bakery.
Inserting willow branches is an old custom during the Cold Food Festival and Qingming Festival. One reason is that willow branches can ward off evil spirits and prevent disasters. The other reason is that they can summon souls, hoping that the deceased can follow the scent of willows back home to visit.
In the backyard, three donkeys were nibbling hay, their tails wagging. They were fat and strong, completely different from Huihui, who was curled up on a haystack and chewing hay from time to time. When Huihui saw someone coming, he stood up and rubbed his head against Wei Jinyun's hand, then slowly sat down again.
Wei Jinyun and Gu Xiang put the mugwort and wheat straw into a wooden basin, washed them repeatedly with clean water, took them out and drained the water, and poured them all into the feed port of the stone mill.
A donkey pulled the millstone, and Gu Xiang added grass beside it. The stone mill turned gurglingly, and green juice slowly flowed down the gaps in the millstone and dripped into the large basin below. The whole backyard was filled with the bitter fragrance of grass.
Soon the other guys also came to work, washing their hands and helping out.
Wan Wu knows the most about food and learns the fastest. She is the boss in the kitchen now.
She poured the ground grass juice into the glutinous rice flour and kneaded the green cake into a smooth and soft dough. Chao Jiu was quick and was responsible for dividing the dough into evenly sized pieces. The other guys sat at the table and helped peel the salted egg yolks, mix the meat floss, make other snacks, and bake a variety of breads.
Wei Jinyun pinched a dough ball, rolled it into a round shape with her palm, and flattened it, skillfully wrapping the filling. She then filled it with savory egg yolk and pork floss, pinched the top tightly, and rolled it into a plump, round green dumpling. Then, she used another dough ball to fill it with delicate red bean paste—a classic, traditional flavor. The black sesame filling, laced with lard, was rich and fragrant, while the custard filling was a new creation, dense and sweet.
The savory ones are of course not left out, with refreshing shredded pork with shepherd's purse and crispy and tender diced snow vegetable and bamboo shoots. They are soft, chewy and full of oil when you take a bite.
The steaming trays are placed layer by layer on the stove, and the aroma of plants and rice slowly permeates. When the steaming is almost done, the lid is opened to reveal the round and plump green dumplings inside, their green skins steamed to a luster like jade.
"Be careful of the heat."
Under Gu Xiang's instructions, everyone carefully took out the green rice dumplings covered with bamboo leaves and placed them in a flat basket to cool.
When the temperature dropped a little, Wei Jinyun led the guys to pack the dumplings. They wrapped the green dumplings with square oil paper, and then pasted a piece of pink and white flower paper with the "Yunlaixiang" logo on it. Finally, they used hemp rope to tie a beautiful knot around the oil paper. It looked fresh and beautiful when they held it in their hands.
Qingtuan is eaten with care and tradition, and does not need to be wrapped too exquisitely.
When the packed green rice dumplings are placed in the lobby, old customers will come to pick them up with umbrellas.
Aunt Zhang came in with a smile, carrying a basket. "The egg yolk pork floss and pickled mustard greens and bamboo shoots flavors I ordered yesterday, are they ready?"
The idle young men also received their share of qingtuan, and immediately grabbed their oil-paper bags, wrapping them more tightly than they would themselves, fearing they would get wet. They ran through the rain, memorizing their homes: two boxes for Uncle Li's house, three for Mr. Zhang's...nothing could be missed.
The rain hadn't stopped during the Cold Food Festival, and the dining tables in the shop were mostly empty. Most customers hurried in, picked up their pre-ordered qingtuan (green rice dumplings) and bread and pastries, and headed home. After all, the days around Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping Day) were the most relaxing times, when I longed to get home early to sit around with my family, brew a pot of hot tea, and chat over pastries.
The kitchen was steaming hot as lunch was being prepared. Wan Wu cleaned a plump sea bass, rubbed it with salt and shredded ginger, and steamed it. A gentle poke revealed the tender, white flesh, almost boneless. March-season soft-shelled turtle was also delicious. In a nearby casserole, a braised soft-shelled turtle was stewed to a crispy tenderness, its flesh coated in a thick sauce, a rich, fragrant aroma.
Around the Qingming Festival in Pingjiang Prefecture, besides eating qingtuan (green rice dumplings), people also try stewed lotus roots. Since there's no lotus root available this season, they use the crispy lotus roots saved from last summer. They wash and cut them into sections, then carefully pour soaked glutinous rice into the holes of the lotus roots before slowly simmering them in a pot.
Over a low simmer, the aroma of glutinous rice mingled with the sweetness of osmanthus honey, filling the kitchen. Don't use starchy lotus root for stewed lotus root; starchy lotus root is perfect for pork rib soup and has a soft, chewy texture. For stewed lotus root, use crispy lotus root, which, once cooked, has a slightly crunchy, sticky texture.
Soon, the dishes were served on Yunlaixiang's long table. A plate was filled with green rice dumplings, and steamed sea bass, braised soft-shelled turtle in sauce, and stewed lotus root were also placed in order.
Wan Wu held the braised soft-shelled turtle in front of everyone and waved it, "Have a try! It's the most tender and plump in this season."
But everyone shook their heads and shrank back, wanting only to look at the plate of big sea bass.
Wan Wu was anxious and picked up a piece of turtle meat with a skirt with chopsticks. "Eat the skirt. It's stewed until it's soft and chewy, and it melts in your mouth."
"I don't dare eat it. It's too ugly. It feels like it's staring at me."
Wei Jinyun picked up a piece of stewed lotus root.
When she was a child, soft-shelled turtle was always a must-have for New Year's Eve dinner, but every time she looked at its hard shell and round eyes, she couldn't bring herself to eat it. However, even when Lu Lan was away, her servants always remembered to deliver fresh Yangtze River seafood on time. In March, besides sea bass, cauliflower fish, and pufferfish, soft-shelled turtle was the most popular choice.
Seeing that no one reacted, Wan Wu stopped trying to persuade them and took a piece of the skirt and put it in her mouth. "Tsk tsk, this tastes so fresh and tender. You guys are really not having a good time."
Gu Xiang couldn't hold back any longer. After hearing what Wan Wu said, he reached out and picked up a turtle leg from the casserole. The turtle meat was stewed in the casserole until it was tender and the bones fell off easily.
She put it in her mouth, chewed it, and savored it carefully, saying, "It's really as tender as tofu, not fishy at all, and very fresh."
"Boss, the way you eat your legs is scary."
Amu looked at her gnawing on the turtle leg, his tone full of admiration.
Gu Xiang picked up a piece of meat with a skirt and stuffed it into Amu's mouth without saying anything. "Try it too. I guarantee you'll want to eat more after you've eaten it."
Amu was caught off guard and a mouthful of food was stuffed into his mouth. He frowned and chewed it twice.
The turtle's skirt is as soft and glutinous as rice cake, very chewy, and the aroma of sauce mixed with the fresh fragrance spreads in the mouth, and there is indeed no fishy smell.
She muttered, "How horrible!" as she quickly swallowed the meat, chewing even the bones clean. Then she smacked her lips and said, "It seems... quite delicious?"
Everyone finally unanimously decided to eat with their eyes closed.
I closed my eyes and put the scary turtle meat into my mouth, and I felt that it was tender and had a rich sauce flavor.
In a short while, the turtles in the casserole were eaten up, and in the end only an empty shell was left on the table.
Wan Wu looked at the empty pot and laughed, "Just now they were all complaining about not being able to eat, but now they're eating faster than anyone else, even more talkative than our shopkeeper Wei."
Wei Jinyun bit the green dumpling, and the evening mist was eight hundred eyes white.
The rain was still falling during the Cold Food Festival, and there were not many customers in the shop. After the waiters finished their lunch, they occasionally got up to pack up the green rice dumplings for the customers who came in to get them, and then they spent the rest of their time in the shop in groups of three or four.
Chang Siyan found two small clay stoves, lit them up, added a few pieces of charcoal to the wine, the flames danced, and the surroundings were filled with a warm atmosphere.
Wei Jinyun gathered around them, making milk tea. She sprinkled small, plump glutinous rice balls into each bowl. When the milk tea was ready, the aroma of milk and tea wafted all over the floor. She poured a bowl for each person and placed two plates of green rice dumplings on the table.
When she sat down, Yuanbao leaped into her arms, curling into a fluffy ball. Weirui squatted on the ground, teasing the loofah with a piece of green rice dumpling crumbs, while Yuqing took a willow branch and tickled Maodou's ears. Their tails wagged merrily as they circled around her, occasionally gathering together to bark.
Amu held the hot milk tea, took a bite of the sweet dumplings, and ate the green rice dumplings, and sighed with satisfaction, "I'm so happy——"
Everyone sighed, "How happy—"
The guys were chatting with each other. The aroma of milk tea, the grassy fragrance of green rice dumplings, the humming of cats and dogs, and the laughter of the crowd were not drowned out by the sound of the rain outside.
Amidst the slanting drizzle, a figure approached quickly and stopped at the door of the shop. He was about fifty years old, wearing a bamboo hat, with a few strands of white hair peeking out from under it, yet he didn't look old at all.
When he took off his bamboo hat and untied his straw raincoat, he was revealed to be dressed in a dark suit, standing tall and straight. Although there were a few light wrinkles on his face, his complexion was rosy and his eyes were bright, giving him the appearance of a man with white hair and a youthful face.
He sniffed and said with a smile, "What a fragrant grassy aroma. Give me some green dumplings, in different flavors."
After saying that, he walked over to the small table by the window and sat down.
Chao Jiu quickly picked out several flavors of green rice dumplings and handed them to him, then poured him a cup of hot milk tea.
"Thank you very much."
He picked up the milk tea, his eyes quickly fell on the busy Wei Jinyun, and immediately called out, "Shopkeeper Wei, come here."
Wei Jinyun walked over upon hearing the voice and saw him looking her up and down before he smiled brightly, "Nice girl!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xiang strode over, stood beside Wei Jinyun, and crossed his arms.
"Who are you? How can you be so slick-tongued, old man? You are so disrespectful to your elders!"
Ning Wuya laughed heartily at Gu Xiang's fierce look, twisting his beard and saying, "Hey, I was just praising your Shopkeeper Wei, how did I offend you? You, young lady, have quite a bad temper."
His eyes fell on Gu Xiang's tall and straight figure, and he nodded in praise. "But you, young lady, are really strong, with broad shoulders and a steady waist. You are a good material for a martial artist. Do you want to learn a few moves from me? I guarantee that you will be even more powerful in the future, and ordinary people will not be able to get close to you."
"She's a young lady, so you have to take a look at her?"
Gu Xiang frowned, crossed his arms even more fiercely, and said fiercely, "What do you mean by learning a few moves? Stop talking nonsense. If you keep talking nonsense, I will be very rude to you. Beating you will be the least of my worries."
Ning Wuya, instead of being annoyed, smiled even more happily when he saw this. He pointed at Gu Xiang and said to Wei Jinyun, "Boss Wei, this guy is interesting. He has a straightforward personality and his skills look very skillful. He's a good talent!"
Wei Jinyun watched for a while and saw that although the old man spoke casually, his eyes were frank and he did not have the frivolous look of a lecher.
She pulled Gu Xiang's sleeve and said softly, "Xiao Gu, it's okay. You can go and do your work first."
Gu Xiang was still a little worried. He glared at Ning Wuya fiercely before crossing his arms and walking aside.
Ning Wuya picked up a qingtuan (a green dumpling) filled with egg yolk and pork floss and took a big bite. The soft green outer layer had a faint herbal fragrance, while the salty egg yolk and crispy pork floss inside created a rich, salty and sweet taste.
He thought the taste was rare, so he nodded and praised, "It tastes good, the crust is soft and not sticky, and the filling is generous. It's much better than the simple meals I had in the mountains."
Ning Wuya waved his hand and said, "Except for the qingtuan, give me one portion of each of your bread and pastries. I must try some of the new delicacies today."
All the snacks were served by Gu Xiang himself. Every time she served them, she would glare at Ning Wuya fiercely, which made Ning Wuya laugh.
Wang Qiulan came out of her children's clothing shop carrying a bamboo basket and said to Wei Jinyun, "Jinyun, the paper ingots you asked for are all folded, and there are some paper boats in the basket."
Paper ingots were neatly arranged in the bamboo basket, and a few paper boats were placed beside them, with the creases carefully pressed.
"Okay, thank you, Grandma."
Wei Jinyun took the bamboo basket, turned around, took two bags of green rice dumplings from the counter, picked up a small jar of wine, and left the shop.
Lu Lan said that if he came back late, she would go to help check on Shen Heru. Wei Jinyun happened to be free today. During the Qingming Festival, she had to worship her grandfather, parents, and her modern grandparents. She didn't have much free time, so she thought of going today.
The drizzle covered the Changmen Wharf with a light mist. The stone steps along the way were covered with moss and were a bit slippery, so one had to be extra careful when stepping on them.
There were several black-sailed boats moored in the stream, their owners absent, only the lanterns on the bows swaying gently in the wind. The dock was deserted, unusually quiet.
Wei Jinyun was holding an oil-paper umbrella and carrying a bamboo basket as she walked along the path beside the pier.
After walking for about a cup of tea, they came to Shen Heru's tomb. The weeds in front of the tombstone had been cleared away, probably because Lu Lan had taken care of it before leaving.
Raindrops fell on the stele. Wei Jinyun stopped, gently folded his umbrella, placed the bamboo basket in front of the stele, first placed green rice dumplings and wine on it, then took out paper ingots and paper boats, arranged them one by one, and lit them.
She squatted down and whispered, "Sir Shen, I'm Wei Jinyun. Lu Lan has gone to the Yangtze River for inspection and I don't know when he'll be back. He was afraid he'd miss your death anniversary, so he asked me to come and see you on his behalf before he left. Today is Cold Food Festival, and I brought you some green rice dumplings and your favorite wine. Please try them."
The paper ingots slowly curled up their corners under the fire, turning into sparks that mixed with paper ashes, fluttering gently in the rain, and were carried by the wind towards the water surface at the dock, flickering.
"Sir Shen, Pingjiang Prefecture is very peaceful after the New Year, and there is no news of pirates on the river. Lu Lan has done a great job, protecting the Yangtze River that you care about so much."
Wei Jinyun's lips curved into a faint smile. "By the way, he and I are getting engaged. From now on, we will come to see you together every year."
The paper ingots and the boats burned quietly. Suddenly, a familiar sound of footsteps came from behind, accompanied by a gentle voice, "Heru, I caught up and came back."
Wei Jinyun suddenly turned around and saw Lu Lan standing not far away with an umbrella.
He walked closer and squatted beside her. "Ayun is right. We will come to see you together in the future... Heru, Heru, you always worried about what kind of person would be in charge of me, Lu Changce, in the future. Now you don't have to guess. It won't change. It's her."
Lu Lan's hand touched Wei Jinyun's slightly cool palm, and her brows furrowed slightly. "It's raining heavily, why didn't you put on a cloak before coming out?"
"It's okay, I didn't feel too cold."
"Then let's go back."
"Um."
Wei Jinyun responded, and soon his body suddenly felt lighter.
Lu Lan bent down and picked her up by the waist. With his other hand, he held up the oil-paper umbrella firmly, protecting both of them. He then handed the umbrella to her, "Hold the umbrella tightly, don't get wet."
After walking a few steps, Wei Jinyun, still carrying the bamboo basket, subconsciously said in a muffled voice, "Yun Laixiang is not going that way, you are going the wrong way."
Lu Lan chuckled softly, without stopping, and said with an especially tender look, "I know."
He carried her to the pontoon boat at the dock, bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, his breath warm, "I missed you."
Wei Jinyun looked up at him and asked softly, "And then?"
Lu Lan's eyes were full of smiles. He carried her onto the deck, lifted the curtain and walked into the black-sailed boat.
There were two rattan chairs in the cabin, and a pot of tea was warming on the table, the aroma of tea was thick and the air was warm.
He placed her gently on the wicker chair and leaned closer.
"And then...reward me."
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The author has something to say: Note: "Ten miles of Yichun are covered with brocade clouds. Brocade clouds cover the courtyards by the water and the houses at the foot of the mountain." It is from "Remembering Qin E: Hoofsteps on Flowers in Qujiang" by Qin Guan.
Jinyun: I must be kind to my grandmother and my sister for the rest of my life. [Poor]
Lord Lu: I've flashed back again [scatter flowers]
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