"No," Zhong Mingwei pursed his lips and looked at Meiya. He held Meiya's hand again, "Pomegranate means having many seeds, which is a good omen. Naturally, it is deeply loved by the concubines in the harem."
"Oh, so that's what it means." Meiya suddenly realized. "No wonder Concubine Zhao had pomegranate flowers embroidered on many of her clothes. I was wondering at that time, Concubine Zhao liked precious flowers like peonies and crape myrtles the most. Why would she embroider such common pomegranate flowers on her clothes? So that's the reason."
Zhong Mingwei looked at Mei Ya's dark eyes and felt a pain in his heart. He paused for a moment and lowered his head. He said, "Pack up. It's time to eat. Pang Yi bought some smoked meat pies from the market. You like them."
Meiya's face froze. Then she lowered her head. She said nothing more and got off the kang silently. While cleaning up the dishes, she muttered in her heart, "You remembered it wrong. Many people like to eat bacon pies, but I don't like bacon pies. I really don't like it at all."
Zhong Mingwei pushed open the window and watched Mei Ya walk to the well with the bowl in her hand. He watched her fetch a bucket of water and wash the dishes. He also looked at the bare pomegranate tree by the well. He clenched his hands into fists in his sleeves and suddenly pounded them on the pillow, making a muffled sound.
…
After lunch, the four of them went down the mountain together. Pang Yi drove the car, while Zhong Mingwei, Mei Ya, and Gu Changlin sat in the carriage. This was the first time that Zhong Mingwei had gone down the mountain since he came to Ningguta. Zhong Mingwei didn't feel anything yet, but Mei Ya was already extremely excited. Even though there was Gu Changlin in the car, Mei Ya still kept chattering with Zhong Mingwei.
"You see, it's this river, the one I always tell you about," Meiya lifted the car curtain and pointed at the river at the foot of the mountain outside the window and said to Zhong Mingwei, "Isn't it big?"
"Yes," Zhong Mingwei looked in the direction of her finger and nodded, "It looks like it's flowing down from the mountain."
"Yes, the source must be on the mountain." Mei Ya's eyes were shining. She looked at Zhong Mingwei beside her and liked him more and more. She secretly glanced at Gu Changlin and found that he was leaning against the wall of the car with his eyes closed. Mei Ya became bolder and quietly held Zhong Mingwei's hand with one hand.
Zhong Mingwei was surprised. When he lowered his head, he saw the white hand holding his hand and putting it into the girl's crimson sleeve. Zhong Mingwei felt the heat from the girl's hand and the damp sweat on her palm. He looked up at Mei Ya's eyes that were hurriedly turned away and could not help but smile silently. He didn't say anything and didn't move. He just let the girl's damp hand hold him tightly.
"Did lotus flowers grow in this river last summer?" Zhong Mingwei turned his head and asked Mei Ya.
"No," Meiya thought for a moment, then shook her head decisively, "I just saw water plants growing, but I never saw any lotus flowers growing. Why? Do you like lotus flowers?"
"Yes, I like it very much." Zhong Mingwei looked at Mei Ya's fair face, and his gaze moved to the small dark red scar on her chin. He wanted to tell Mei Ya that he felt Mei Ya was like a lotus. This girl who grew up in such a dirty place as the palace had such a pure and clear heart, which made him feel ashamed.
But Zhong Mingwei didn't say anything in the end. He just rubbed the small dark red scar gently with his fingertips.
"Stop rubbing it," Mei Ya said impatiently. She slapped Zhong Mingwei's hand away and muttered softly, "You always like to rub it here for no reason. You're going to make my skin peel off."
Zhong Mingwei lowered his head and smiled, then saw Jixian Book House right in front of him.
Chen Qingxuan was helping Grandma Chen onto the donkey cart when he heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance. Chen Qingxuan hurriedly turned around and saw Pang Yi pulling the reins and stopping the cart in front of him.
"Mr. Chen, where are you and grandma going?" Mei Ya poked her head out of the window and asked Chen Qingxuan.
"The fields have thawed, we have to go back for the spring ploughing..." Chen Qingxuan said, looking at Meiya's bright smiling face in the window. It was so dazzling that he felt a little dazzled. His heart was beating "bang bang bang". Then he saw another man's face appear in the window. Chen Qingxuan's face froze immediately. He looked at Zhong Mingwei's hand on Meiya's shoulder, and also looked at Meiya grinning at Zhong Mingwei and then sitting back in the carriage obediently.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
