Every day, the first thing Huo Xiaolong does after washing her face is brush her teeth. The hard willow branches with fine salt make her cheeks ache and her tongue taste bitter.
"Mom, can I not brush my teeth?"
"No, if you don't brush your teeth every morning, your breath will smell bad, and then Xiangxiang won't want to play with you."
No, the little girl wouldn't refuse to play with me. Hou Xiangxiang didn't have many friends before, but after meeting Huo Xiaolong in Pingyang County, she was like a little bird flying out of its cage, and she and Huo Xiaolong were very wild together.
You have to chew the willow branches yourself, and after you've chewed out all the fibers, you can use the twigs to sweep your teeth a few times to remove the dirt from your mouth.
Not to mention others, even Huo Xiaolong's mouth would be poked and bleed from time to time. If he smiled at someone in the morning, there might still be some blood left in his teeth.
Toothbrush handles are easy to make, but what's a better alternative for the bristles?
The little girl sat in her room, staring at the roof beams, pondering for a long time. She decided that she still needed to ask Lu Feigong about this matter.
Huo Xiaolong slipped on his little boots and ran towards Fengyue Tower. As he passed the backyard, he saw Zhou Ning'an and Zhihua sitting on a stone bench, enjoying the cold wind. Today was the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. Except for yesterday, when the young master Zhou didn't come, he had been running to Fengyue Tower every day without fail for the past few days.
During the Chinese New Year, the brothels are closed, and the girls are given a holiday. They can also put aside their martial arts training for a few days and have a happy New Year.
"Brother Ning'an, you're here again?"
"What do you mean 'again'!" Zhou Ning'an thought. "This child's words are really hard to hear." When he first met Huo Xiaolong, the petite and delicate girl with big eyes called him "Brother Ning'an" repeatedly, making Zhou Ning'an think that Huo Xiaolong was a likable child.
Later, Young Master Zhou discovered that Huo Xiaolong was likable, but only to the pleasure quarters and the Huo family.
Aside from his own people, this little dumpling never fails to say something shocking.
They just pick out whatever they find offensive and say it!
"Why don't you come inside? My sister won't let you in either. Don't leave her here in the cold wind."
"Long'er, come here."
It was Er Ya's words that saved Zhou Ning'an. Seriously, if it weren't for the fact that the kitchen of Fengyue Tower was connected to the backyard, Huo Xiaolong would have ruined all the young girls' love lives.
"Sister Er Ya, what do you mean by 'the bristles are a bit stiffer'? Does that mean you can brush your teeth without hurting your skin?"
The little dumpling, also known as Bear Cub Number Two, had just been talking to Zhou Ning'an, but now completely forgot about him and came to Er Ya to ask her about her toothbrush.
"I don't know, sister. Go ask that young boy from the Mo family; I see them studying these things every day."
Huo Xiaolong nodded, then went to Lu Feigong and took a piece of wood, which he then began to hammer and tinker with beside him.
Looking at the numerous small holes drilled into the top of the wooden board, the eldest master squatted down and asked...
"Long'er, what are you fiddling with now?"
"For brushing teeth"
"Willow twigs will do."
"Sir, doesn't it hurt when you use the willow twig to poke your lips?"
The little boy looked intently at Lu Feigong as he spoke these words. The eldest master, knowing that Huo Xiaolong had some expertise in this area, nodded. "Alright, no wonder no child in the Mo family could figure out the diagrams for the chariot and the triangular dagger on their own; the Mo family children are too rough."
Look how well they live; if a willow branch gets stuck in their mouth, they have to find something to use as a substitute.
"Long'er, what do you think we should do? Uncle will get it for you."
Huo Xiaolong was overjoyed to have someone help her, especially Lu Feigong, who was far more skilled at making this thing than she was. The round holes the little girl had made were slightly uneven in size. But when the eldest master took over, the round holes were all perfectly aligned, just like they had been machine-made.
"Sir, you're amazing! You did a fantastic job!"
Lu Feigong handed the handle to Huo Xiaolong and asked...
"And then what? And then what?"
He didn't want his mouth to be full of blood every morning, so he was somewhat looking forward to the novel thing Huo Xiaolong was researching.
"Then it's about finding out what kind of brush can be used to brush your teeth without hurting your mouth."
Huo Xiaolong was just about to go out to find some animal fur when he bumped into Sister Erya who was coming towards him.
"Here you go, Long'er. This is what I scraped off yesterday when I slaughtered the pig. Xiao Tong said they use this to sweep up iron filings. I figured if it can sweep up iron filings, it should be able to sweep up teeth too, so I brought it to you."
The little dumpling beamed with joy as it looked at the pig bristles in its hand.
"Thank you, Sister Er Ya! I'll go find something else then."
Huo Xiaolong ransacked the brothel, even trimming some of the bear cub's fur. If there's anything they're still missing, it's that neither the brothel nor the Huo family owns a carriage; all their horses belong to other people.
The little dumpling spotted Zhou Ning'an, who hadn't returned to his room, and she sidled over with a beaming smile, giving the young master Zhou the sweetest smile of the new year.
"Brother Ning'an"
While admiring the plum blossoms with Zhihua, Young Master Zhou glanced at Little Potato beside him, feeling a slight headache. Had he given her too little New Year's money? Should he give her some more so she could go out and play with her sisters?
Unfortunately, the person he loved was also deeply in love with her. Looking at Huo Xiaolong, who had already thrown himself onto Zhihua's lap, Young Master Zhou replied...
"What's wrong? Tell me."
If you have something to say, say it quickly and leave as soon as you're done. There are just too many third wheels at Fengyue Tower. Next time, I'll definitely have to invite Zhihua out too.
"Could you give me some of the hair from that horse you brought?"
"ah?"
Young Master Zhou was a little confused. You're not going to ask him for anything else? What do you want horsehair for?
"Just a tiny bit on the ponytail, just one strand will do."
Zhou Ning'an was about to ask Huo Xiaolong what he needed the horsehair for when Zhihua spoke up for him.
"Here, go and cut some for Long'er."
The girl carried a dagger, the very same one Lu Wangji had forged for them using Xiongnu weapons. Zhihua handed the dagger to Zhou Ning'an, and the young man, gazing at the girl before him with her peach-blossom face, elegant demeanor, and serene expression, was even more captivated by the sight of her drawing the dagger from her waist, despite her scholarly air.
"Okay... I'll go now."
"Sister, Brother Ning'an is completely smitten!" Looking up at Zhihua's back as she nearly tripped over the threshold, Huo Xiaolong said.
Little Tuanzi initially thought Zhou Ning'an was attracted to Zhihua's appearance; after all, women with such refined manners and eloquent speech were rare in the border town. Now, it seems that Young Master Zhou is simply a hopeless romantic! Even if Zhihua pulled a dagger from her waist, or even if she pulled a spiked club from under the table, Young Master Zhou would still exclaim, "What a stunning beauty!"
"Before my sister came to the brothel, my mother taught me that if a woman wants to have a good life in her later years, she must marry the right man, win the favor of her husband and mother-in-law, and the mistress of the house should be tolerant, relieve her husband's worries, and be lenient with the etiquette and virtues of the household."
The little dumpling looked up at Zhihua without moving, feeling a pang of heartache.
"But now, I don't think so anymore. Didn't Long'er say that these words are used to bind women? They're like a black cloth blindfolding women?"
Huo Xiaolong's eyes widened. Zhihua had overheard what she and Hou Xiangxiang had said that day...
"Since you like him, make him unable to leave you, let him know how unbearable it would be to leave you."
Zhihua watched Zhou Ning'an walk into the courtyard, a smile playing on her lips, and continued...
"If Long'er falls in love with someone in the future, you should do the same. That way, he will willingly offer you his whole heart."
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