Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Just Right (End of Text...
The weather in April and May is mild and the spring is bright. Zhuangzi is located in the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers, which is a good time for an outing.
Xiao Xun has been quite busy these days, I wonder if he can spare some time. If he does, it would be a good idea for the whole family to go out for a trip.
We'd be near the mountains and rivers, so we could bring some food and pickle some meat to grill by the river. Maybe Xiao Xun could take Tangyuan hunting. The whole farm would be ours, so we wouldn't have to worry about getting lost. It would definitely be quite fun.
In the evening, Lin Qiuran discussed it with Xiao Xun, who readily agreed, "I haven't taken my two days off this month yet, so I'll go at the end of the month. I'll switch with someone else, and the next day will be perfect for delivering the dumplings to the academy."
Lin Qiuran nodded. Tangyuan had no objection to living in the academy, and she also didn't want Tangyuan to get used to it at home for a month. This day would come sooner or later, so just go.
The next day, Tang Yuan ran over to ask Lin Qiuran, "Mom, did Dad say he's free?"
His eyes were bright and full of anticipation. In terms of communication, it seemed that Xiao Xun was always busier. Like him, he had two days off a month. Sometimes he came back late, and sometimes he had to go out and was not at home for ten days or half a month.
During the two days off, Tangyuan was mostly in school. He only practiced martial arts with his father every night, and the rest of the time, they rarely met. Anyway, I didn't see him for a long time before, but now I'm used to it.
Tang Yuan added, "If Dad is too busy to go, that's fine. I can go with you and Grandma."
Tangyuan is still very understanding of the difficulties faced by his elders. He goes out to work, not to have fun. He has to listen to his superiors. If he asks for this and that, wouldn't it be even more difficult for him to stay in the barracks?
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Your father said that he would take you to the forest to go horseback hunting at the end of the month. Since you said you don't want to go, it's okay... Then I will talk to your father again."
Tang Yuan said anxiously, "Mom, Dad has already said he's going. It would be terrible if he changed his mind. We'll take Dad with us. Mom, please don't say anything."
Tangyuan was overjoyed, with happiness written all over his face, and he ran around the house excitedly.
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Don't worry, your father promised you, he will definitely do it."
Today is the 21st, and there are still a few days left. Tangyuan can have some fun by himself. He can stay in the village for a few days, or go out and visit with friends. He has been busy for half a year, and it is time to relax.
Tang Yuan couldn't help but cheer, "That's great, that's great, we can go on an outing. Mom, I'll take you fishing, and there are also new puppies, Xiao Huang and Xiao Hei, who look just like Yu An's puppies. They're very obedient and can even lick my palm with their tongues. I'll take you to see them."
Tang Yuan said with regret, "If I hadn't been able to come back and take care of it, I would have definitely raised it myself."
Lin Qiuran couldn't help but laugh and said, "Alright, alright, stop bothering me here and go do what you need to do."
Tangyuan was responsible for making everyone happy, while Lin Qiuran was responsible for preparing things for the outing, which had to include marinated meat, easy-to-eat vegetables, and finally, dishes that tasted good when heated up.
Lin Qiuran told her maid to prepare what she wanted to bring. Time passed day by day, and by the end of April, the weather was getting warmer. People on the street were all wearing light clothes with thin sleeves and flowers in their hair, looking very beautiful.
On the night of April 29th, after Xiao Xun returned from work, they loaded their belongings onto the carriage and headed for the farm to save themselves the hassle of traveling the next morning. The farm also had accommodations, and Sun Tangyuan often stayed there. Staying overnight, they could go straight for an outing the next morning—convenient and time-saving.
It was a deep night, the sky ablaze with stars. Two carriages were bound for the outskirts of Beijing, flanked by guards. Xiao Xun rode on horseback, while Lin Qiuran and Sun sat inside with Tangyuan. The carriage behind held the maids and luggage. Tangyuan was excited all the way. She lifted the carriage curtain and looked up to count the stars. After counting, she showed them to Lin Qiuran, "Mother, look, those are the Big Dipper. They can point you in the right direction..."
Tangyuan chattered all the way, and Lin Qiuran listened carefully. Xiao Xun was not riding fast, so he listened all the way outside the car.
The glutinous rice balls made a crisp sound, which he found pleasant to the ear.
When they were almost at the farm, Tangyuan fell asleep on Lin Qiuran's legs, and the couple smiled at each other.
Mrs. Sun felt the carriage's bumps and couldn't help but sigh, "This kid has been chattering all the way, and now he's almost asleep. Actually, staying at the manor isn't bad either. It's like being back in Xiao Village."
Lin Qiuran had never spent a night at the Zhuangzi before, and he was feeling a bit interested. When people are poor, they want to make money to live a good life. When they have a good life, they start to return to their original nature and want to return to the countryside. "Zhuangzi will probably be more comfortable."
Sun smiled and said, "Yes, there are the sounds of insects chirping, birds singing, cocks crowing, and frogs croaking. It's not like back home, where the maids and servants have all caught the insects. There's not a single sound, it's incredibly quiet."
There are few masters in the mansion and little work. Everyone in the capital knows that the servants in Dingyuan Marquis's mansion are idle. There are many servants in other mansions. Even if they have finished their work, they will inevitably be asked to run errands, but this is not the case in Dingyuan Marquis's mansion.
After not living in the village for a long time, Sun felt familiar when hearing these sounds.
Of course, the country house wasn't as nice as the one in Beijing. There were no ceilings, so when I looked up, it was pitch black. There weren't many lights, just an oil lamp and a candle, which only illuminated a small area. There was a dusty, long-absent smell. The room was small, and the bed was narrow, but for just one night, I made do with what I had.
The maid brought water, and Lin Qiuran washed up in the yard. The air was quiet but not so quiet. The houses in the distance were all asleep, and from time to time there were the barking of dogs and the croaking of frogs.
There are many stars in the sky, one could say it is a sky full of stars, which is something that cannot be seen in modern times. Lin Qiuran suddenly thought of when he first came here, he was worried about all kinds of trivial matters and had no time to appreciate the stars and the moon at night.
She looked up at the sky. Xiao Xun had come to her side without her noticing. "It's very beautiful."
Lin Qiuran nodded, "Is Tangyuan asleep?"
Xiao Xun: "Yes, mom is taking him. He just opened his eyes for a while after getting out of the car, but now he's fast asleep again. He must have been playing again during the day."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "I'm going to the academy the day after tomorrow. I won't be back for a month. I must have fun."
Otherwise you will regret it later. Tangyuan is like this. He studies hard and has fun playing.
Lin Qiuran leaned closer to Xiao Xun and said, "I can't seem to remember those trivial things here."
The wind blew, and Lin Qiuran couldn't remember anything about business, profits, and personal relationships... Perhaps the wind was too gentle and the night was too quiet. The barking of dogs and the chirping of insects stirred her heartstrings, leaving her no time to think about anything else.
Xiao Xun put his arm around Lin Qiuran's shoulders and held him close to him, "Yes."
Lin Qiuran said, "When Tangyuan goes to school, we'll come here often. No wonder he's so eager to go to the manor. It's really good."
This place was sparsely populated, and with the sky as a blanket and the ground as a bed, it would be so comfortable. But with Sun and the child around, Lin Qiuran absolutely didn't dare. They lived next door, separated by a wall, and could hear everything.
Xiao Xun's eyes lit up, "Okay."
Lin Qiuran felt that it was still a little cold at night, and could not help but snuggle closer to Xiao Xun. "Let's go, go to bed early and get up early tomorrow."
The next day, Lin Qiuran woke up before dawn.
She usually slept until she woke naturally, but today she was woken by the crowing of roosters. She opened her eyes and saw that it was still dark when she heard the rooster's "cock-a-doodle-doo." Once one rooster crowed, all the chickens in the village started crowing, and then the dogs barked too, making it extremely lively.
Lin Qiuran closed his eyes for a while, then perked up and got up.
Tangyuan went to bed early yesterday and woke up very early today. However, he knew that he couldn't go out to play in the dark, so he had to wait until dawn to play. So he followed Sun to stroll along the ridges of the fields.
By April, the wheat seedlings had sprouted, the ridges neatly divided, the wheat saplings lush and green, and the growth was very encouraging. Farmers brought their children to the fields to weed and catch insects. Without the pesticides of later generations, they had to do the work themselves. Otherwise, the harvest would be poor, and their commissions would be small.
They bring a big jar and put the insects they catch into it. They can then take the jar back to feed the chickens, and it gives them another source of income.
Tangyuan also went to the fields to catch insects. Sun praised him, "Well done! Well done! Now that you know how to farm, you know that food is hard to come by. Catch more."
This is what Sun is good at, so naturally he has a lot of profound truths to tell Tangyuan.
When Lin Qiuran woke up, he saw the grandfather and grandson, one big and one small, one tall and one short, walking slowly between the ridges of the fields, one catching insects and the other weeding in the field.
She then realized that the glutinous rice balls were growing very fast. They used to only reach the base of Sun's thighs, but now they had reached her waist.
Tang Yuan was very excited to see Lin Qiuran get up. He ran towards her with his arms outstretched, but when he remembered that he still had a bug in his hand, he stopped and said, "Mom, don't come over here. There's a bug!"
Tang Yuan had scared Lin Qiuran with a frog last time, so he remembered that and would not show it to Lin Qiuran. If he saw one on the street, he would chase it away.
Lin Qiuran smiled and asked Xiao Xun to invite them back for dinner.
The food in the farm is naturally simple, but the simplicity in the morning can also make the barbecue food for the lunch picnic delicious.
Each person had a bowl of dumpling soup and some egg pancakes, and that was it for breakfast, which was nowhere near as good as the ones at home. The glutinous rice balls weren't too bad, so they quickly finished them and ran out.
After dinner, Lin Qiuran asked the maid to pack up and headed deeper into the woods. A thin layer of mist rose in the morning, and everything was shrouded in fog. The father and son rode their horses to hunt in the mountains. Before leaving, Tangyuan said, "Mom, just wait. I'm sure I'll bring back a lot of prey at noon, so we'll have plenty to eat!"
Lin Qiu wanted to see how much prey the father and son could catch. Besides, even if they caught a lot, it wouldn't be as delicious as the meat she had marinated in advance.
Lin Qiuran prepared chicken legs, chicken wings, and pork belly yesterday afternoon, as well as two lamb chops and two lamb legs. There were many people coming, a family of four, plus maids and guards.
In addition to meat dishes, there are also seasonings, pre-washed fruits, snacks, and all kinds of food.
Lin Qiuran said, "Your father is a veteran of military campaigns, so he's definitely better at cooking than your mother. Go hunting, and don't come back empty-handed."
Xiao Xun may not be able to compare with Lin Qiuran in other aspects, but when it comes to hunting, he is definitely no problem.
Xiao Xun: "Just wait."
Lin Qiuran watched the two people walk away, but she didn't wait. She came here to have fun, so she took her people to find a rocky beach near the stream, put down their things, and set up a tent together.
It is made of canvas, and when the sun is strong at noon, you can sit inside to enjoy the coolness.
Then she took out everything she had brought. Lin Qiuran had only brought some charcoal and some food. She first cleaned up the area with her maid, then gathered stones to build the stove. Sun Shi didn't sit around either, and went to collect firewood.
Since we are going on a spring picnic, we should also experience the fun of starting from scratch. It is boring to bring everything and just eat it.
He picked up some flat stones and built a stove and a furnace. Lin Qiuran also found a relatively flat stone slab, scrubbed it clean by the stream, and placed it on top of the stove as a baking tray.
Boil some hot water and clean these things. After this was done, Sun collected a lot of firewood. There were many branches in the wild. In such a large area with dozens of farms, there was plenty of firewood.
Sun: "Look at these little branches, how many there are? The dry ones are best to burn."
A tablecloth was spread on the ground, and several maids gradually let go and started laughing and playing by the water.
While picking flowers and digging wild vegetables, Lin Qiuran also dug up a few wild onions, which he used to pickle meat.
It was almost noon, so Lin Qiuran started grilling these first. Sun went out again and brought back a lot of firewood. She was addicted to it. "I'll go get some more, I'm afraid it won't be enough."
Lin Qiuran smiled and nodded. Seeing that the old lady was walking briskly, he grilled some more meat. She was tired and would definitely eat a lot at noon.
Near noon, the father and son finally returned. They were both sweating. Xiao Xun was holding two pheasants in his hands, and Tang Yuan was holding a gray rabbit in his arms. "Mom! Mom! Dad caught a rabbit for me. Can I not eat this? I want to raise it."
Lin Qiuran bent down and asked, "How are you going to raise your children in the academy?"
Tang Yuan: "The servant can help me take care of it. You and grandma can also help, mother, I beg you."
Lin Qiuran was relieved. He had done well in the exam and studied hard, so a small wish could be fulfilled. "Just keep him. Let your father prepare the barbecue. Are you hungry?"
Seeing the rabbit's eyes still rolling around, Lin Qiuran couldn't bear it. He had brought so much food with him, there was no need for it to eat this.
Tangyuan cheered, asked the servant to look after the rabbit, and went to barbecue with Xiao Xun.
The father and son showed off their cooking skills, but the taste was disappointing. Compared to Lin Qiuran's tender and juicy lamb legs and lamb chops, Xiao Xun's roasted pheasant meat was dry and only sprinkled with seasonings, which was not very flavorful. The roasted pheasant was hard to eat, and it was difficult to bite off the glutinous rice balls. But he was very stubborn, "Mom, ours is also delicious."
Although he said so, he couldn't stop drooling. The wilderness was so big and there was wind, and the fragrance blew over with the wind.
Look at Lin Qiuran taking the small pancake he brought from home, putting the lamb leg slices in the pancake, wrapping it with green onions, and then rolling it up. It tastes so good when you take a bite of it.
The meat was sprinkled with seasoning, sizzling with oil and smelling delicious.
The father and son were originally gnawing on pheasant legs, and the glutinous rice balls felt a bit difficult to chew, so luckily Lin Qiuran handed him a wrap.
Lin Qiuran also handed one to Xiao Xun, "Don't eat the roasted pheasant yet, take it back and see if you can make soup with it."
Xiao Xun smiled and took the wrap that Lin Qiuran handed over. He felt ashamed of his cooking skills, and Lin Qiuran's wrap was indeed delicious.
The meat has been marinated in advance and is very tender. It is flavorful and has the aroma of charcoal fire when you put it in your mouth.
The roasted chicken legs were firm, the chicken wings were dry and fragrant, and there were large chunks of beef and pork. Xiao Xun also caught a few fish, but they were not big. Lin Qiuran fried them, and they tasted delicious.
She also took eggs from the farm and made scrambled eggs with green onions, which could also be eaten wrapped in a wrap.
The gurgling stream, the aroma of meat, fruit, and pastries blended together, making it so comfortable and relaxing. After dinner, the family lay on the grass, with canvas and sheets spread out beneath them, the aroma of green grass filling their noses.
The sun shines on my body, making me feel warm. I hear the tinkling of water in my ears, and the glutinous rice balls roll on the ground. "Mom, can I come over during the holidays?"
Before leaving today, Tangyuan started looking forward to the next time. He likes it this way.
Lin Qiuran said, "Of course."
Tang Yuan: "It's more interesting than before. The barbecued meat and rolls made by my mother are really delicious. I want to bake them at home too."
Lin Qiuran: "Okay."
Tang Yuan: "Mom, you are so kind, and Dad is so kind too!"
After a moment's thought, he added, "Grandma too!"
She listened to the voice beside her, her heart incomparably calm. Her mind drifted to the beautiful scenery of the mountains, a lush green of wildflowers, and the sound of the stream. Her family was there, and Tangyuan chattered like a puppy. Xiao Xun didn't say much, but holding Lin Qiuran's hand, she felt at ease knowing he was by her side.
Sun liked firewood, so she went to collect some. She hadn't collected any in years, so today she finally had a chance to do so.
Lin Qiuran felt the furry sunlight rubbing her head, and the breeze wrapped in heat was like holding her in his arms.
Everything is just right.
Tang Yuan also felt that it was just right. If he didn't have to go to the academy tomorrow, it would be even better. But he knew that he had to walk the road ahead on his own.
——End of text——
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The extra chapters later should include Tangyuan's school life, written from Tangyuan's perspective, and there should be a few chapters about Mr. Xu. Not subscribing will not affect the subscription rate of the full text. I hope you will give a five-star rating when the full text is finished.
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