Chapter 561: Sadness and Parting
An abandoned wharf on the outskirts of Ningmen Prefecture.
Daohua slowly woke up to the sound of flipping pages. She opened her eyes and was stunned for a while. Then she turned her head and saw Xiao Yeyang sitting by the window looking at a map.
Xiao Yeyang seemed to have noticed something and looked towards the bed. When he raised his eyes, his gaze met Daohua's hazy sleepy eyes. He chuckled and said, "You're awake. Did I disturb you?"
Daohua shook her head, looked at the sky outside the window, and asked, "What time is it now? Haven't we arrived at Ningmen Mansion yet?" As she spoke, she sat up.
Xiao Yeyang walked over to the bed and saw that Daohua's hair was a little messy. He helped her fix it and said, "It's already 2:00 PM. There was a lot of noise at the dock, so I didn't let you go there. Now we're at an abandoned dock."
Daohua was shocked when she heard it was already 4:45 PM. "It's already so late, why didn't you call me? If you're still here, won't you be too late?"
Xiao Yeyang smiled and said, "Don't worry. We're going to the Northern Frontier to secretly deliver weapons. We might attract attention if we leave during the day, so we're leaving tonight."
Rice Flower breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, Wang Maner came in with hot water: "Girl, wash your face."
Daohua nodded and walked to the basin to wash her face.
Xiao Yeyang put away the map on the table, called Defu over and asked him to bring the food, then sat aside and watched. Seeing Daohua applying lip balm on her red lips, he immediately walked over. When Daohua finished, he reached out and took the lip balm box and put it under his nose to smell it, smiling and said, "I was wondering why I smelled the fragrance of magnolia flowers. It turns out it's coming from your lip balm."
Daohua glanced at him sideways and snatched the lip balm from him: "Look at the things used by girls at home too."
Xiao Yeyang smiled and said, "You didn't use lip balm before, why are you using it now?"
Daohua: "I don't know if it's because of the heat in my body, but my lips have been a little dry lately. I'll put on some lip balm to moisturize them."
After hearing this, Xiao Yeyang's eyes fell on Daohua's red lips. The lips painted with lip balm looked even more tender and plump.
Daohua felt uncomfortable being stared at. She glared at Xiao Yeyang, stood up, pushed him away, and walked to the window to look outside. "Isn't this the abandoned dock where One-Eye and Baldy tied us up and put us on the boat?"
Xiao Yeyang walked over with a smile: "You have a good memory."
At this time, Defu came over with a food box: "Master, Miss Yan, it's time to eat." After saying that, he quickly placed the food on the table.
After arranging everything, Defu winked at Wang Maner, who was standing still, indicating that she should go out with him.
Wang Maner looked at Daohua and Xiao Yeyang who were sitting at the table, and followed Defu out of the room.
Looking at the food on the table, Daohua really felt hungry. She took the fish soup from Xiao Yeyangsheng and took a quick sip from the bowl.
Seeing this, Xiao Yeyang quickly said, "Slow down."
Daohua took a few sips before putting it down: "This fish soup is really delicious."
Xiao Yeyang smiled and said, "The fish for making the soup was caught temporarily from the river, so of course it's fresh." Seeing that there was soup on Daohua's mouth, he immediately reached out to wipe it for her.
Daohua turned her head away and asked, "What are you doing?"
Xiao Yeyang reached out again and wiped the soup from her mouth, then smiled and said, "Your mouth is dirty."
Daohua took out her handkerchief and wiped it again: "Next time, just tell me directly."
Xiao Yeyang didn't respond. He picked up a piece of steamed fish with his chopsticks, picked out the bones, and placed it on Daohua's plate. "Try it. The boat girl's skill in cooking fish is very good."
Daohua lowered her head and began to eat, nodding as she ate: "Mm, it tastes really good."
Seeing that she liked it, Xiao Yeyang picked up a few more pieces for her with his chopsticks.
After a while, when Daohua had almost finished eating, Xiao Yeyang said, "While I'm away, if you have any questions, go find the manager of the glass shop."
Daohua put down her chopsticks and said, "What could possibly happen to me at home? As for you, even though you're just delivering something, you still have to be careful." After saying that, she paused and said, "Come back soon."
Xiao Yeyang smiled and nodded: "Don't worry, I will come back to see you soon." Then he glanced at Daohua jokingly, "Don't miss me too much."
Seeing that Xiao Yeyang was still in the mood to joke even when discussing such a serious matter, Daohua immediately glared at him unhappily. After thinking for a moment, she added, "Those weapons in Sishan Village were secretly forged by the Eighth Prince. Didn't they have any idea after you took over there?"
Xiao Yeyang was silent for a moment. "Probably not yet. When we took over Sishan Village, it was near the end of the year and we were busy, so we might not have paid attention. However, after sending the weapons to the Northern Frontier this time, I'm afraid we can't hide it anymore. There are also people from the Eighth King in the Northern Frontier military camp."
Daohua looked worried: "What should we do then? Will the Eighth Prince attack you?"
Xiao Yeyang: "This is inevitable."
Daohua's heart suddenly began to tighten. She was not too worried about the Tatars in the open, but she was afraid of the "own people" hiding in the dark.
Seeing Daohua's worry, Xiao Yeyang reached out and held her hand, saying with a smile, "Don't worry, we are sending the weapons secretly. If Uncle Eighth Prince really wants to cause trouble, he will go to Master Wu."
When the emperor's uncle handed over Sishan Village to Governor Wu, he also had this consideration in mind. No merit can be taken for nothing.
Daohua was still a little worried: "Really? I always feel that those secret guards and assassins are so omnipresent that nothing can be hidden from them."
Xiao Yeyang laughed: "How can I be so powerful? I'm not a god." Then he patted her hand and said, "Don't worry about it. If I can't even do this, what future can I have?"
Daohua tilted her head and looked at him, remaining silent.
Although Xiao Yeyang did not mention the matter of Concubine Ma being promoted to the main wife during this period, she could feel that this guy was holding a grudge.
This anger may have been accumulated since childhood.
"Be careful and don't be too reckless."
Xiao Yeyang nodded and said, "Next time you go to Taohua Village to visit Grandma and Master Gu, bring more maids and servants with you." After a moment of silence, he added, "You must wear the veil properly."
Daohua said "hmm".
Xiao Yeyang looked at the sky and said, "Let's go. I'll take you home."
Defu had already prepared the carriage, and Wang Maner had packed up Daohua's things.
After getting off the boat, Xiao Yeyang helped Daohua onto the carriage, and then he sat on it himself.
Daohua glanced at him and said nothing.
The carriage started slowly. Inside the carriage, Daohua rested her elbows on the small table and looked at the scenery outside. Xiao Yeyang looked at her silently. Neither of them spoke.
As they got closer to the city gate, Daohua felt a little irritated. She lowered the curtains and stopped looking outside, leaning back in the carriage to play with the palace belt.
Xiao Yeyang was also feeling a little depressed and blocked at the moment. He took Daohua's hand and said with a forced smile, "I'll try my best to come back and spend the Dragon Boat Festival with you."
Daohua nodded.
Hearing the clamor of pedestrians outside, Xiao Yeyang knew that the city gate was approaching. He glanced at Daohua reluctantly and said, "After entering the city, you can go back to the mansion by yourself. I won't follow you."
Rice Flower: "Okay."
When the carriage was almost at the city gate, it stopped.
Xiao Yeyang glanced at Daohua, opened the door and jumped out of the carriage.
Daohua sat in the carriage without moving. When the carriage started again, she couldn't help but lift the curtain and look back.
Xiao Yeyang saw it and walked over quickly: "What's wrong?"
Daohua wanted to say something, but she didn't know how to start. She stared at Xiao Yeyang who was chasing the carriage for a while and said, "Go early and come back early."
Xiao Yeyang also had a lot to say in his heart, but at this moment he couldn't utter a word. In the end, he just smiled and said, "Wait until I come back to drink the peach blossom wine we brewed together."
After saying this, he gradually stopped and watched the carriage go away.
Daohua didn't look at it for long. She quickly lowered the curtain, leaned against the car, took several deep breaths, and then she felt a little better.
Yan Mansion.
As soon as Daohua came back, she first went to see Old Lady Yan and Mrs. Li, and then went to the courtyard of Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai.
"Big sister!"
They were both very happy to see the rice flowers.
Daohua looked at the two of them and was silent for a while before saying, "Be careful when you go out."
Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao both nodded: "Don't worry, we are already grown up and can take care of ourselves."
Daohua took the bundle from Wang Maner's hand and handed them the ginseng tonic pills and a few silver bills prepared for them.
Seeing the banknotes, Yan Wentao immediately shook his head and refused: "Daohua, uncle and aunt gave us money, please put the banknotes away quickly, we don't want them."
Daohua showed her disapproval. "What they gave was theirs, and what I gave was mine. The two cannot be confused. As the old saying goes, a poor family is rich on the road. It's better to carry more money with you to be prepared."
Yan Wenkai didn't hesitate, holding the ginseng tonic pill and asking curiously, "Big sister, what is this?"
Daohua immediately explained the effects of the ginseng tonic pills.
Yan Wenkai's eyes lit up when he heard this: "This thing is great. When we're on business trips abroad, we often miss mealtimes and get so hungry we feel dizzy and dizzy."
Daohua: "You left in such a hurry this time that I didn't have time to do more. Let's wait until next time. I will definitely give you enough next time."
Yan Wenkai immediately nodded with a smile.
Yan Wentao said, "This thing is not cheap to prepare, right?"
Daohua smiled and said, "Don't worry, I only use herbs from my own farm."
Yan Wenkai immediately sighed, "It's great to have a rich sister."
Yan Wentao glared at him unhappily. This guy didn't know how to be polite when using his sister's things.
Yan Wenkai said that it was nothing, his sister was well off now, so she could help them, and when they had good things in the future, they could just supply her with more.
After dinner, Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai left quietly. Daohua sent them to the door and watched their figures disappear into the night.
On the way back to the yard, Daohua suddenly felt that the Yan family's backyard seemed a lot quieter. The eldest brother had gone to Beijing, and the third and fourth brothers were now also starting to work hard for their own future.
She and her brothers have grown up, and this kind of separation will probably happen more and more often in the future.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com