Chapter 28 Jiuli Mountain can soften into water with just a word.
On the day he went to Jiuli Mountain, Lin Shutang only brought two boxes of things, which contained clothes, jewelry, account books and some miscellaneous books to pass the time.
Two maids and two servants accompanied her.
It wasn't a grand affair; in fact, it was a very light and simple trip.
It was as if she never intended to live with him for long.
Shen Yun didn't say much, but assigned two more guards to accompany and protect Lin Shutang's carriage.
Lin Shutang did not say anything more.
The carriage eventually stopped in front of a small courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles.
Lin Shutang got off the carriage, somewhat taken aback.
I had assumed that Shen Jun's private residence, if not as grand and imposing as the Duke's mansion, would at least be a luxurious mansion with multiple courtyards.
Lin Shutang almost thought she had gone to the wrong place, but then she saw Shen Yun walk in with a calm expression.
Lin Shutang had no choice but to follow closely behind.
Pushing open the two wooden doors and walking along the bluestone path in the courtyard, you will see two crabapple trees in full bloom on the left. Their branches are lush, and their pink and white flowers are tightly clustered. The fallen petals float in a shallow pond under the trees.
On the right side, there is a mimosa tree, and below it are a stone table and two stone benches.
The blue brick walls were covered with roses, their green leaves lush and vibrant, interspersed with a few scattered blossoms.
Lin Shutang looked around and felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Some distant memories slowly surfaced; this was the layout of her courtyard when she was in Qingzhou.
They simply replaced the peach trees with mimosa trees.
Lin Shutang withdrew her gaze from the mimosa tree and turned to look at Shen Yun, only to find him with his eyes lowered and no reaction.
It seems he has no intention of explaining to Lin Shutang.
She simply gathered the items from the boxes and helped Lin Shutang organize them and put them into the room.
The maids and servants who accompanied them did not come along.
They were all placed by Shen Yun in a house not far from here, and did not live with them.
Shen Yun said that he would send these people to take care of her when he was not around during the day.
Lin Shutang didn't believe it. She wasn't some pampered rich girl who couldn't take care of herself.
Those people were clearly there to watch over her while he was away.
Lin Shutang did not want to argue.
Now that he has sent everyone else away, Shen Yun is taking care of all these things himself.
Sensing Lin Shutang's gaze, Shen Yun raised her chin and pointed in a direction, "Go sit over there."
It was as if she were some kind of hindrance.
Lin Shutang pouted; she clearly wanted to help him.
Since that's the case, then he can just be by himself.
Lin Shutang obediently walked to the stone table under the acacia tree and sat down, lazily eating the snacks and tea prepared by Shen Yun.
Watching him neatly categorize and put things away, he went in and out of the yard several times.
How pleasant!
Lin Shutang took a bite of the crab roe pastry, and a cool breeze carrying a strong crabapple fragrance wafted towards him, making the pastry in his hand seem to be infused with floral scent.
Lin Shutang had just seen it from the carriage. The Begonia Grove was not far from here; in fact, this courtyard was located on the outskirts of the Begonia Grove.
The endless expanse of crimson stretching for ten miles stirred Lin Shutang's heart.
The crabapple blossoms of Jiuli Mountain truly live up to their reputation.
Lin Shutang squinted his eyes contentedly.
Shen Yun happened to come out of the room and saw her looking like a cat that had been basking in the sun. He gently curved the corners of his mouth.
By the time they reached Jiuli Mountain, it was already quite late. By the time Shen Yun had finished tidying up, the evening glow on the horizon had almost completely disappeared.
The last rays of the setting sun brought with them the coolness of the night.
Shen Yun came out of the room, washed her hands, walked to the stone table, and picked up Lin Shutang in her arms.
"What are you doing?" Lin Shutang hugged his neck, looked up at the sky. The moonlight was still hanging on the willow branches. There was no reason for Shen Yun to want to...
"It's windy outside, come inside and rest." Shen Yun glanced at her.
"Oh." Lin Shutang lowered her head, her ears turning red.
Well, as the ancients said, "After a good meal and plenty of food, one thinks of other things."
It's no wonder she misunderstood.
-
"You did this?"
Lin Shutang stared wide-eyed at the clear stewed pheasant soup and stir-fried vegetables placed on the table.
He stared in disbelief as Shen Yun returned from the kitchen and brought out the last dish of stir-fried mushrooms and pork.
“The conditions in the army are harsh, so you have to learn something.” Shen Yun served her soup.
"I had no idea." Lin Shutang's surprise had not subsided, and she couldn't help but sigh.
“Because you’ve never thought about understanding me,” Shen Yun suddenly said.
The voice was so low that Lin Shutang almost didn't hear it.
She looked at Shen Yun, but his expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn't been the one who had spoken just now.
"So you think you know me very well?" Lin Shutang said, somewhat unconvinced.
"You like sweets, especially the crab roe pastry from the south of the city. You can't cook, but you love looking at all kinds of recipes. No matter how much you take when you eat, you always leave a third of the rice. You like to sleep on your left side and always have something in your arms. You love looking at the Kyushu landscape map and count how many goldfish are still alive in the water tank every day."
Shen Yun placed the soup in front of her and began to speak slowly, looking at her face.
He knew it all by heart, without the slightest hesitation.
It's as if these unique marks belonging to Lin Shutang have long since become his habits.
Shen Yun's gaze shifted downwards, landing on Lin Shutang's hand placed below the table frame. "When you're nervous, guilty, or lying, you unconsciously clench your fists."
Lin Shutang suddenly looked up at him.
The movement of the fingertips suddenly froze.
She saw a smile curve at the corner of Shen Yun's lips as he leaned slightly towards her. "He's also very sensitive; a single word can melt him."
!
Lin Shutang blushed deeply, realizing that her words were unnecessary!
-
The next day, Shen Yun went to the government office near Jiuli Mountain to take over the post of the officials from the capital region.
Lin Shutang stayed in the courtyard.
He got up and saw that maids and servants were already cleaning the courtyard.
After having breakfast, Lin Shutang prepared to stroll through the crabapple grove, with Luwu following beside her.
Although Shen Xiuyan said he was going to come to Jiuli Mountain to make arrangements in advance, he hasn't contacted her yet.
She hadn't seen him since she fell into the water at the flower-viewing banquet.
Fortunately, he had told her beforehand that he was new to the job and would be very busy for a while. He would take the initiative to have someone pass on his message to her once things settled down.
Otherwise, Lin Shutang would have truly believed that this person was playing a trick on him.
Jiuli Mountain faces the sun to the north, and due to its high altitude and abundant rainfall, the crabapple trees here bloom earlier than other crabapple trees.
Moreover, the petals bloomed luxuriantly and tightly, with clusters of pink and white flowers crowded together, and the fallen petals spread out as a soft, rustling blanket.
At this moment, the rising sun shines obliquely through the gaps in the crabapple branches, forming clusters of light that illuminate the lingering morning dew in the air, causing wisps of smoke to rise.
Lin Shutang entered, her scarlet dress trailing behind her, seemingly imbued with the fragrance of flowers.
She crouched down, cupping the top layer of freshly fallen petals from under the tree. Clear dewdrops rolled into her palm, gathering into streams that dripped through her fingers.
Lin Shutang turned to look at Luwu and asked her to go back and get a bamboo basket so she could take the newly fallen crabapple petals back with her.
Didn't Shen Yun say she couldn't cook?
She deliberately did it to show him!
-
At the foot of Jiuli Mountain lies a small town.
Due to its terrain, transportation is relatively isolated. However, it is an indispensable key point on the defense line of the capital region.
Therefore, the imperial court allocates a considerable amount of military funds to Lingyuan City every year, and the soldiers' training has never been neglected.
Today is the first day, and Fang Yue, the garrison commander of Lingyuan City, has specially prepared a banquet to welcome Shen Yun and other officials from the capital.
During the meal, he briefly introduced the mountains and rivers of Lingyuan to Shen Yun and others, as well as the famous craftsmen and timber merchants within a hundred miles of the city. He also mentioned that he had compiled the information he had gathered into a book, which would be sent to the officials shortly.
Fang Yue raised his glass and said that although he was a rough man, he would do his duty to build the military command platform to defend against foreign enemies and would definitely cooperate fully.
Shen Yun only drank one cup and did not drink any more.
Later that evening, Fang Yue persuaded Shen Yun to stay, saying there would be a song and dance performance that night.
Shen Yun declined, saying that if there were other important matters, they could discuss them in detail at the various passes the next day.
Fang Yue could tell that this young master from Yujing didn't like the scene, so he didn't insist on keeping him. He sent someone to escort Shen Yun out of the mansion.
When Shen Yun returned to Jiuli Mountain, it was still early, and the maids and servants in the courtyard had not yet left.
Upon seeing Shen Yun enter the courtyard, they all silently put down their work and respectfully withdrew one by one.
Only Green Willow was nowhere to be found.
Shen Yun entered the kitchen and saw Lu Wu sitting under the stove, burning firewood to start a fire.
Lin Shutang stood in front of the table, her sleeves rolled up to reveal her snow-white forearms, kneading the dough on the cutting board.
A bamboo winnowing basket was placed to the side, filled with handfuls of crabapple petals.
Luwu was the first to see Shen Yun and immediately tried to get up to greet him, but Shen Yun waved her away.
Green Willow lowered her head, said nothing more, and bowed as she retreated.
"Green Willow, I added too little water this time, I guarantee it will still hold its shape when steamed." Lin Shutang slammed the dough onto the work surface, slapped it twice in frustration, and then continued to knead it vigorously.
For some reason, Shen Yun's pent-up fatigue vanished instantly.
He walked in and asked, "Why did you decide to cook today?"
Lin Shutang turned to look at him, not expecting Shen Yun to return so early.
She continued kneading the dough, saying, "Anyway, it's nothing."
He spoke little, and his tone was indifferent, lacking the excitement he had shown when sharing with Luwu earlier.
Shen Yun didn't expect her to treat him the way she treated Lvwu, so he wasn't disappointed by her coldness.
Seeing that she didn't seem to want to confide in him much, he didn't bother her anymore.
He walked to the side, washed his hands, and skillfully took the fresh vegetables and meat prepared by the servants.
I started preparing dinner.
Lin Shutang secretly glanced up and saw that Shen Yun's knife skills were excellent. Her slender fingers pressed down on the ingredients on the cutting board, and she held a cleaver in one hand. Undissolved water droplets were still condensed on the back of her pale hand.
Lin Shutang found it hard to believe that such beautiful hands were the same hands that held knives and swords.
My senior apprentice was the best woodworking disciple under my father. His hands were constantly wielding various kinds of wood-cutting knives, and they were cut by all sorts of sharp and rough wood. His palms and fingertips were covered with countless knife wounds.
Compared to Shen Yun, Senior Brother Song Ying's hands are really ugly. But they are very much in line with Senior Brother's experience.
Therefore, the sight of those hands washing their hands and cooking in the kitchen seemed even more horrifying.
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