Xiangzhong came in the rising moonlight. There were two people sitting under the crabapple tree in the quiet courtyard. One of them was holding a teacup and pouring water in big gulps, while the other was sitting in the back combing the hair of the person in front. There was nothing better than this peaceful life.
"You're back, wash your hands and have dinner." The elder sister tied the braid and looked at her. She thought that girls look better with long hair, so she nodded affirmatively.
Xiangzhong laughed and joked, "It's a good thing we made it back, otherwise you two wouldn't even be able to have a hot meal."
"That's right, Xiaoyue said she would wait until you came back to eat. If you come back a little later, it won't be cold."
As they spoke, the two of them walked in side by side, Ling Yue touched her nose and followed behind.
Braised pork, roast duck, fried eggplant with meat, and cabbage and egg soup.
This meal is enough to last two Chinese New Years.
After washing my hands, I sat down. The best thing about summer is that food doesn’t get cold easily. The temperature is just right now, not too hot but not too cold to make the food hard.
"It smells so good." Ling Yue leaned in and smelled it, exclaiming.
Upon hearing this, the eldest sister quickly picked up a piece of braised pork with chopsticks and placed it in Lingyue's bowl, muttering, "Then eat more. Look how skinny you are, you're just a skeleton."
Ling Yue just nodded and kept stuffing food into her mouth.
Actually, I was really hungry just now, but for someone who hasn't eaten for a few days, there is nothing that I can't bear.
But when the two of them saw this, they felt even more distressed.
Look at how hungry he is.
Thinking of this, the eldest sister glanced at Xiangzhong, who was also distressed. Xiangzhong coughed lightly, silently picked up his bowl and chopsticks and started eating.
The eldest sister withdrew her gaze and scooped another bowl of soup towards Ling Yue, saying, "Yue'er, eat slowly. Don't choke. There's a lot to eat."
Ling Yue nodded while eating, taking a sip of soup, and was completely oblivious to the lawsuit between the two.
After filling his stomach a little, he looked up and saw that his elder sister's bowl was still empty. He quickly picked up some dishes for her and ate slowly while talking.
After chatting about some family matters, Ling Yue asked, "Uncle Zhou, please be careful when you are out there. Would you like to take a few days off?"
It is impossible for Xiangzhong to ask for leave, but if my eldest sister works in the Women's Federation, it will be easier to ask for leave.
It is indeed unsafe outside during this period. My elder sister goes out to work and comes home every day without any bodyguards, so it would be better for her to take a leave and stay at home.
The eldest sister was about to refuse when Xiangzhong interrupted her, "Well, I think it makes sense. Lingyue just came back, so it would be better to take a few days off to accompany her."
Ling Yue nodded quickly, pouting aggrievedly: "Yeah, big sister, I'm scared when you're not home."
Upon hearing this, the eldest sister rolled her eyes at Ling Yue and said, "Are you still afraid? I think you're incredibly brave."
But think about it, the two of them haven't seen each other for a long time, not to mention Ling Yue has suffered so much, so just ask for two days.
"Okay, I'll go tomorrow. Eat quickly and eat more."
Ling Yue took another sip of soup with satisfaction: "Well, then I'll go with you to ask for leave tomorrow."
The elder sister smiled, still saying caring words: "Why should I accompany you? I am already so old and still need someone to accompany me. When you have time, you should sleep well, eat more, and replenish your energy and spirit."
Ling Yue could only nod. She had to accompany her, at least she had guards by her side. But she just had to get up early tomorrow and follow her.
"Tang Nancheng will arrive tomorrow. He's been staying at the Fifth Academy for a while now. He only comes out once a month to collect your share of the profits from the Palace Museum, and then goes back."
"We originally wanted to register his name with the military district again so that he could receive subsidies regardless of whether he retired or not, but he refused. We want to wait until you come back before making a decision. Please think about it carefully."
Ling Yue paused while eating, remembering that Tang Nancheng was originally a retired soldier, but was later re-hired by Qian Zilin to be Ling Yue's bodyguard.
Because of this incident, Qian Zilin was bullied by those people for a while, but was finally suppressed by Xiangzhong.
According to Tang Nancheng's character, if he is recalled for war, he will definitely come back to show his support. But if it is not the case, and it is just to get more subsidies, then I think he will not agree even if you kill him.
"No need, Uncle Zhou. Brother Tang won't agree. He's my assistant and will be in the future. I can afford to support him."
After thinking for a while, Ling Yue said, "I may stay in the laboratory for a longer time in the future. Brother Tang can help me a lot."
It is better to give him motivation to live now than to give him money directly.
Xiangzhong understood Lingyue's meaning. Seeing that Lingyue had her own ideas, he nodded and said, "If you need anything, you can tell me. Don't be like before and carry it all by yourself."
"Yeah, okay, okay, Uncle Zhou, eat more." Ling Yue said with a smile.
Seeing this, Xiangzhong shook his head helplessly.
The belated reunion dinner always has to be finished. After putting down his bowl and chopsticks, Xiangzhong only had time to say a few words before leaving in a hurry.
Both of them cleaned up the dishes as usual, one washed the dishes while the other cleaned the house. When they were done, the moon had already climbed overhead. They sat under the crabapple tree, half lying down with their arms around their stomachs, listening to the chirping of cicadas. It was quiet and comfortable.
"Sister, don't you want to ask me how I'm doing in there?"
The eldest sister sighed softly: "I can imagine it without you saying it. Fortunately, it's all over now."
As she spoke, the eldest sister touched Ling Yue's hair and earnestly warned her, "Don't do this again in the future. Listen to your Uncle Zhou. He won't harm you."
Ling Yue didn't say anything after hearing this, and leaned into her elder sister's arms: "Then why is elder sister still glaring at Uncle Zhou at the dinner table?"
The eldest sister pulled Ling Yue out of her arms embarrassedly: "What do you know, little brat? Hurry up and get your clothes. I'll take you to take a bath."
"Okay, big sister thinks I stink."
The elder sister pretended to hit her, but Ling Yue laughed and ran back to her room happily.
The room was the same as before, without any change, with a clean table, a spotless floor, and a bed that smelled faintly of soap.
He took out the clothes from the box under the bed, packed them in a cloth bag, picked them up and walked out.
Because there is no water heater, it is very troublesome to take a bath at home, so we usually go to a bathhouse outside.
At first Ling Yue was not used to it. After all, there were no private rooms. She would never go to the big bathhouse to wash if she could just wipe herself at home. But today was not the same. She hadn't taken a bath for so long, and she had to rely on the face washing water to wipe her body. She could even smell a sour smell.
Walking on the way to the bathhouse under the moonlight, people who had finished their meal sat in groups of three or five under the trees by the roadside and chatted. When they saw the eldest sister bringing Ling Yue out, they had gossipy smiles on their faces.
"Hey, this is Lingyue, isn't she? She's become more and more beautiful after not seeing her for a few years. She's really pretty."
"Really? She's so pretty. Where have you been working these past few years? You never come back to visit."
Ling Yue followed her elder sister awkwardly. She couldn't remember who these people were at all.
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