80 wedding candies
Perhaps this is a case of the fruit ripening and falling from the vine?
Finally, the jade pendants engraved with "boat" and "ink" were placed on their respective waists, while the yin-yang jade pendant, meticulously carved by the master craftsman, hung in front of Du Zhijin's window. The wind blew through the corridor, making the jade pendants tinkle like bells; occasionally, they fell silent, because they had come together.
When Du Zhijin passed by, he would separate the jade pendant he was so attached to, just to hear the sound. When Ying Jianhua passed by, he would put the two separated jade pendants back together. Of course, that's a story for later. After a restless night and a day filled with emotional ups and downs, Ying Jianhua could no longer hold on after finishing carving the jade pendant and fell into a drowsy sleep leaning against the table.
When he woke up, the sun had already set, and the sky was filled with rosy clouds. The person was no longer in the courtyard.
He panicked, worried that everything he had just experienced was just a dream, worried that Du Zhijin had not actually returned at all... He didn't have time to put on his shoes and stepped barefoot into the courtyard, looking around but still not seeing her.
...Was he abandoned again?
He leaned against the door, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, yet he felt no pain even as his nails dug into his palms. His throat felt like it was blocked by a wad of waterlogged cotton, heavy and damp, and he couldn't utter a sound.
Until Du Zhijin's voice rang out in front of me.
Why did you run out without shoes?
He looked up abruptly, and in the setting sun, her shadow, like a stretched piece of silk, fell right at his feet.
The shadow was bathed in the warm orange light of the sunset, clearly illuminating the curve of her hair and the folds of her clothes. Even the tips of her fingers, hanging by her side, cast delicate shadows on the ground. He instinctively took a half-step back, as if afraid of shattering the ray of light and shadow.
It's real, not a dream.
He remained silent for a long time, and Du Zhijin became suspicious. She simply put down the bucket and reached out to feel the temperature of his forehead.
"He doesn't have a fever." If he's not sick, why is he acting so irritably?
A warm palm touched her forehead. Ying Jianhua was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses and replied, "No... I thought you were gone."
"I went outside to fetch water," she said, pointing to the bucket beside her feet.
Although not afraid of the rumors about the well being haunted, drawing water directly from it still felt unsettling. For the past few days, they had been buying water from outside, but now that Du Zhijin had some free time, he decided to fetch water from the alley himself.
Seeing that he still looked absent-minded, she thought for a moment and then told him more about what she had seen and heard on the way: "There is a well on the south side and the north side of the alley, but I heard that the water on the north side is sweeter, so I took a detour there. On the way back, I met an aunt and helped her carry water, which took a lot of effort, so it was late."
"Then my aunt said—"
My aunt is very talkative. She asked if she was a young couple who had recently moved in. She didn't deny it at the time, but now, in front of Ying Jianhua, she suddenly found it difficult to say...
Although Amo and she are in love, they haven't officially met at Dengxian Mountain, so they probably can't be called "husband and wife"... If Amo finds out, will he think she's frivolous?
But he pressed on, asking, "What did Auntie say?"
She stammered, "She said her melons are sweet, and she'll send us one tomorrow."
Ying Jianhua pondered, "We can't accept their gifts for nothing; we should reciprocate."
"What gift should we give in return?" For some reason, the phrase "young couple" kept replaying in her mind, so she blurted out, "Wedding candy?"
Both of them were startled by these words.
One blushed after being surprised, while the other smiled and had his eyes crinkled.
"Okay, I'll give you candy," Ying Jianhua said softly.
Strange, I haven't bought any candy yet, so why does even the wind taste sweet?
————
The news that a young couple had moved into the alley spread like wildfire, and there were even rumors that if you went up to them and said something flattering, you could get a sweet osmanthus candy.
"I've calculated it. If I time it right, I can get four osmanthus candies! If I say it to a woman alone, I get one; if I say it to a man alone, I get two; and if I say it to both of them, I get another one!"
"Wow!" The children clapped, admiring Yuan Xiaobao for figuring out the pattern. Yuan Xiaobao, having eaten four candies, was very proud and imitated a general on stage, patting his round "general's belly" from overeating. Then, in the next instant, the "general" was lifted up and vanished.
Aunt Yuan said angrily, "Well, you little rascal, no wonder you didn't eat dinner, so you went to someone else's place to beg for money!" "Mother, Mother, I was wrong!" Yuan Xiaobao cried loudly, but Aunt Yuan was determined to punish him, and no matter how much he cried, her merciless iron hand remained unmoved.
Carrying the baby in one hand and a watermelon in the other, she walked along, berating, "Don't you even know how much osmanthus sugar costs per pound! It's fine if you eat it all yourself, that's because people are kind and don't mind, but you actually dare to teach others to take advantage of you, trying to eat them out of house and home?!"
That wasn't ordinary osmanthus candy; it was candy from "Fu Yi Zhai"! It cost a lot of money per pound. Aunt Yuan wasn't the type to take advantage of others, and besides, the girl had helped her fetch water yesterday. So, when she heard her son had eaten the girl's candy, she immediately brought a watermelon to apologize.
Without even asking, Aunt Yuan knew that only one house was haunted, and she arrived there in no time.
Before she could knock, the courtyard gate opened from the inside, and a man in white walked out. Both she and the man were stunned. It was only when he saw her carrying melons that he took the initiative to ask, "Aunt Yuan?"
"Yes, yes." Aunt Yuan seemed to wake from a dream and hurriedly responded. Ying Jianhua nodded and turned to call Du Zhijin out.
Only after the person left did Aunt Yuan's soul return. She patted her chest with lingering fear, finally understanding why Miss Mu had been willing to fetch water.
A woman as beautiful as a celestial being! Aunt Yuan boasted that she had grown up in the heart of the capital and had seen all sorts of goddesses and imperial concubines. But Miss Mu's husband was something else entirely—more handsome than any painting she had ever seen!
When Du Zhijin heard that someone was looking for him, he was initially puzzled, but when he saw that it was Aunt Yuan, he immediately smiled and said, "Why did you really come?"
She was even thinking of sneaking out to buy a melon.
Aunt Yuan: "Don't even mention it. My son has eaten so much of your food, hasn't he? I apologize. Please take this melon; it's from our own garden. I'll give him a good beating later and teach him a lesson!"
"No, no, no. As long as the child likes it, it's not worth much money," she quickly said.
Yuan Xiaobao peeked out from behind his mother, sucking on his finger, clearly still savoring the sweetness of the osmanthus candy. Du Zhijin took out another handful from her pocket and handed it to him. He was initially delighted, but didn't dare to accept it immediately, instead looking timidly at his mother.
Yuan Xiaobao: Mother——
Aunt Yuan: You're not allowed to eat!
Du Zhijin clearly saw the subtle exchange between the mother and son and found it amusing, so she didn't immediately hand over the candy. Ying Jianhua, however, couldn't bear to watch any longer and quietly tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to try and persuade Aunt Yuan.
She said, "The child looks clever, we all like him, it's okay for him to eat a little more." As she spoke, she quickly stuffed the candy into Yuan Xiaobao's hand. Aunt Yuan wanted to stop her, but she couldn't keep up with his speed, and could only watch helplessly as Yuan Xiaobao pocketed the osmanthus candy.
Little did the aunt know that the person she was competing with in hand speed was a sword cultivator!
Having received the candy, the child's mouth was sweeter than the candy itself, and auspicious words were thrown out like they were free: "Wishing my brother and sister a happy marriage, a long and happy life together, and boundless blessings..."
When he finally ran out of words, he felt a little embarrassed, but then he noticed that his brother, who looked like an angel, was smiling.
Could it be that he didn't make a mistake in giving his blessing?
Aunt Yuan glared at her son with exasperation, then turned to see Du Zhijin and Ying Jianhua standing together like a perfect couple. Her heart softened, and she couldn't help but say a few more words: "Sister, don't think your aunt is being nosy. The capital is in turmoil these days, so it's best to save your money. It wasn't easy for you two to get married and start a family, otherwise you wouldn't be renting this unlucky house."
Upon hearing the words "young couple," Du Zhijin felt a pang of guilt, a blush creeping up her ears, and she was speechless. Ying Jianhua, on the other hand, remained composed: "Auntie is right, we will certainly manage the household diligently."
After seeing the mother and son off, he turned around and saw Du Zhijin standing there blankly holding a watermelon. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are you doing holding that watermelon?"
Practicing martial arts?
"Ah, it's nothing..." she mumbled, snapping out of her daze.
Amo did not deny that they were a "young couple," and even said that they should "diligently manage the household."
She hugged the watermelon in her arms tightly, thinking, perhaps this is also a case of ripe fruit falling from the vine?
————
Summer in Rurikyo is so hot that there is not a breath of wind, and the jade pendant under the window does not make a sound for a long time; it is so hot that you can't wear clothes, even a thin gauze feels too thick.
It's so hot that two people have to sleep together.
Du Zhijin questioned the last point: "Wouldn't it be hotter if two people slept together? Besides, my body temperature is higher than normal, so sleeping together might be too hot." "That's why we should sleep together."
Yingjianhua placed his mugwort pillow on the couch, and seemed quite pleased with the image of the two pillows placed together.
She clearly didn't understand what he meant and exclaimed "Ah!" in confusion.
He said, "Your body temperature is higher than normal, and I am normal, so my body temperature is lower than yours. Is there a problem with sleeping with someone whose body temperature is even lower?"
She thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "It seems... that's how it is."
"Since there's no problem, let's go to sleep early." After saying that, Ying Jianhua pulled up the blanket and closed her eyes. Soon after, her breathing became shallow.
Du Zhijin held his breath, unable to believe that they were lying on the same bed.
Although they were separated by a vast distance... he was wearing that thin gauze! Thin gauze!
She couldn't sleep at all, because every breath she took carried his scent. A faint medicinal fragrance mingled with the smell of soapberry, and if you sniffed closely, you could even detect a hint of osmanthus sugar's sweetness. The scent alone could conjure up his image—his hair still dripping wet, his hand reaching to hang the freshly laundered clothes on the clothesline, a gust of wind blowing, the clothes fluttering, and him turning his head amidst the fluttering fabric…
Stop! Stop! Don't keep smelling it!
She suddenly opened her eyes and saw the bright moonlight outside the window. Since she couldn't sleep anyway, she thought she might as well go out and practice her sword. But just as she was about to tiptoe out of bed, she heard Ying Jianhua, who had been sleeping beside her, suddenly speak.
Can't sleep?
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