Chapter 51 Night Talk

After Ming Huazhang left, Ming Huashang fell asleep quickly. She was very tired and slept very deeply. She was finally woken up by hunger.

Ming Huashang curled up in the quilt, hesitating between continuing to sleep and getting up to find food. Ming Huazhang's medicated oil seemed to have taken effect. Her legs were sore and numb. It would be torture for her to go out at this time.

While she was struggling with her conscience, the door rang. The person knocked on the door, and from the sound of his voice, he didn't worry about waking her up at all: "Ming Huashang, are you there?"

He groaned before he finished speaking, and another female voice came: "Be quiet, maybe she is sleeping."

"She's still sleeping at twilight hour. Is she a pig?"

Seeing the noise outside again, Ming Huashang sighed, good, now she is fully awake. She got up, put on her outer clothes, and answered outside: "Wait a moment, I'll be right there."

The quarrel outside the door stopped abruptly. Ming Huashang opened the door and saw two familiar faces: "You're awake. Are you okay?"

Ming Huashang shook her head. She saw that they were still holding food boxes and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

"Oh, I was afraid you would die." Jiang Ling raised the food box in his hand and said, "The tomboy insisted on bringing you food, and after she brought it, she didn't mention it herself, and asked me to take it."

Ren Yao was embarrassed by what he said and squeezed Jiang Ling's back hard: "Shut up!"

Ming Huashang laughed. She knew that this was Ren Yao and Jiang Ling's awkward kindness. Young people are always ashamed to speak their true feelings out loud, and they must be labeled as despised and ridiculed. Ming Huashang opened the door and smiled, "I am not very motivated. I almost fainted from running. I didn't expect you still remember me. Thank you. Come in and sit down."

Ren Yao and Jiang Ling walked in, and Ren Yao asked, "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'll be fine after a good night's sleep." Ming Huashang poured them some water and said, "I just woke up. I don't have any hot tea. I'm sorry to bother you with it."

"We just ate, so there's no need to bother with this." Jiang Ling put the food box on the table and said casually, "Eat it while it's still hot."

When Ming Huashang was investigating the Wei family puppet case, she often ate with Jiang Ling and Ren Yao. She did not shy away from eating. She sat down and took out the bowls, chopsticks and dishes while asking, "Why are you here? What did you teach in the afternoon class?"

Speaking of this, Jiang Ling became more talkative. He complained nonstop: "The teacher taught me secret words, I thought it was very mysterious, but it turned out to be something that I had to memorize by rote."

Ming Huashang took a bite of the cake, bit her chopsticks and asked, "What is it?"

Ren Yao explained: "Don't listen to his nonsense, he didn't understand. The teacher taught us how to pass messages. The Xuanxiao Guards have special jargon and codes. When it is inconvenient to speak, they have to use sound to send messages. Different lengths and frequencies of sounds represent different meanings, and when combined, they form a sentence. The teacher asked us to memorize all the codes, and there will be a test tomorrow."

Ming Huashang said, "Well, I'm done."

"It's actually quite simple." Ren Yao bent his knuckles and tapped on the table. "For example, this is for time, and this is for direction."

"You dialed the wrong time." Jiang Ling looked at her with disdain. "You can even dial the simplest time wrong. Is there water in your brain?"

Ren Yao slammed his fist on the table, his eyes wide open: "What did you say?"

Ming Huashang immediately picked up her own bowl and said gloatingly, "I understand what you said. Sister Ren is going to beat you."

"She dares! Wow, you tomboy, are you a firecracker? You just start fighting when someone provokes you..."

Ming Huashang said, "Stop fighting. I don't want to cause trouble. Maybe Jiang Ling was just saying it casually and didn't mean any harm."

The more Ren Yao listened, the more he thought Jiang Ling was abominable. There was a commotion in the house when two clear noises came from outside the door. Ming Huashang was holding the bowl, and Ren Yao was grabbing Jiang Ling's ears. All three pairs of eyes turned back.

Xie Jichuan stood at the door, maintaining an elegant and gentle smile, and said, "Am I here at the wrong time?"

"Thank you, brother." Ming Huashang stood up quickly, "Why are you here?"

Xie Jichuan raised his hand and showed the cakes in his hand: "Jingzhan had to go out for something, and I was afraid that my sister would be hungry, so I brought some cakes. But now it seems..."

Xie Jichuan glanced at the other two people and the rice bowls on the table and said with a smile, "I worry too much. My sister is very popular, how could she be hungry?"

Ren Yaoe glared at Jiang Ling fiercely, but let him go for the sake of the presence of others. Jiang Ling rubbed his ears and muttered in a low voice: "You are a bully, and you will only be fierce in front of the people who let you."

Ren Yao was about to roll up his sleeves again, Ming Huashang hurriedly said: "How can I be so worthy of your concern? Thank you for your concern, brother. Please take a seat."

Ren Yao and Jiang Ling gathered themselves together. Xie Jichuan sat down, glanced at the empty lunch box, and said, "It seems that I am late. Second sister probably doesn't need any snacks."

"Where?" Ming Huashang happily unwrapped the paper package and said, "Snacks don't count as meals, so they don't conflict with eating."

Xie Jichuan watched Ming Huashang finish a piece of cake in just two bites, and his smile froze slightly. In his impression, the ladies from aristocratic families never talked while eating or sleeping, and there were strict rules on how many bites they could eat at each meal. When they were sick, their appetite was even worse, and they would be full after eating two pieces of cake.

I have never seen pastries like Ming Huashang that are not considered rice.

Xie Jichuan said: "If you don't have an appetite, you don't have to embarrass yourself just to save my face."

Jiang Ling silently watched Ming Huashang bite off half a piece of peach blossom cake, then turned to look at Xie Jichuan.

Why do you think she is in trouble?

Xie Jichuan also paused and swallowed back what he was about to say. Ming Huachang ate so deliciously that Xie Jichuan felt that he was being too sentimental.

Xie Jichuan rarely adhered to the social distance of the noble family and asked seriously: "Second sister, I always thought that women eat very little. Won't you hurt yourself by doing this?"

"How could that be?" Ming Huashang said, "Those women are not born with small appetites, but the environment wants them to eat small, like birds and cats, delicate and beautiful, pitiful and adorable. I am different. My father taught me since I was young that being able to eat is a blessing, and being good at eating is wisdom."

Ren Yao also said, "Yes, if you want to practice martial arts and go out every day like a man, how can eating two pieces of cake be enough? Those women who have small appetites that Mr. Xie has seen are probably girls from aristocratic families who never leave their homes."

Xie Jichuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "It turns out that I was blinded by one thing. Second sister is very knowledgeable and well-versed in human nature, which I cannot compare with."

As they were talking, there was another knock on the door. This time, there were three gentle and powerful knocks. Ming Huashang looked up and saw who was coming. He was overjoyed: "Second brother!"

Ming Huazhang scanned the extremely noisy crowd in the room with mixed feelings. He was called away by Han Jie temporarily, and after he finished dealing with her, he was afraid that she would be hungry, so he hurried back, but he didn't expect that he was worrying too much.

Why would Ming Huashang be hungry? She would live well no matter who she left.

Ming Huashang saw that Ming Huazhang was holding something and asked excitedly, "Second brother, did you bring food too?"

Ming Huazhang walked in helplessly and said, "I was afraid that you were too hungry to have any strength, so I brought a bowl of sweet porridge for you to fill your stomach and then came out to eat. But..."

Ming Huazhang glanced at the empty food box and half-empty pastries beside her. It was obvious that she didn't need them anymore.

He was not surprised that Ren Yao and Jiang Ling came, but Xie Jichuan was also here?

Ming Huachang's eyes lit up, and he happily took the food from Ming Huazhang: "Sweet porridge! Second brother, how did you know I wanted to drink porridge?"

When Ming Huashang opened the third portion, Jiang Ling, Ren Yao and Xie Jichuan were completely convinced that she was fine.

They were here to visit, Ming Huashang showed off her good appetite, Ming Huazhang also came back, and they left one after another soon. Ming Huashang ate the dessert slowly and asked, "Second brother, I heard from Brother Xie that you went out this afternoon. Did you resolve the issue?"

Ming Huazhang hummed softly. He was disappointed when he first rushed over and found that she had already eaten. But when he saw her eating the sweet porridge mouthful by mouthful, he became worried. Ming Huazhang whispered, "Don't force yourself."

"Not at all." Ming Huashang swallowed a mouthful of porridge. "Normally, I can't eat so much, but I ran ten laps today, and I'll have to run at least ten more laps tomorrow. How can I have the energy if I don't eat enough? Don't worry, second brother. I know what I'm doing. I won't be polite in front of you, even if I don't do it with others."

That's good. Ming Huazhang felt relieved and said, "You are really popular. I was away all afternoon and so many people brought you food."

Ming Huazhang felt something was wrong after he finished speaking. Why did he seem jealous? Ming Huachang narrowed his eyes and replied with a smile: "Yes, second brother, you must treat me better in the future, otherwise I will forget you."

Ming Huazhang's subtle thoughts were disturbed before he could figure them out. He glared at her and raised his hand to tap her forehead: "Nonsense."

"Then you have to let me do what I want." Ming Huashangsi did not dodge at all. As she expected, Ming Huazhang's knuckles flicked on her forehead, but without much force.

Ming Huazhang sighed at the girl in front of him, and finally said, "Eat quickly, you still have a lot to learn later."

Ming Huachang nodded, and after finishing the meal, Ming Huazhang asked her to sit down and he cleared the dishes. Ming Huachang propped up her chin and watched Ming Huazhang clear the table. Even though he was doing these clichéd, trivial, and not at all elegant things, he was still as elegant as jade and looked very handsome.

Ming Huashang suddenly said, "Second brother, when you get married in the future, your second sister-in-law will definitely be very happy."

Ming Huazhang raised his eyes and glanced at her coldly: "What nonsense are you talking about."

"It's true." Ming Huashang rested his chin on his hand and said seriously, "I have always felt that a man's most handsome appearance is not when he is galloping on the battlefield, in front of a large group of guests, or when he is a general or a prime minister, but when he is cooking and holding a child. Unfortunately, apart from my father and you, I have not met a third man like this."

Ming Huashang was born without a mother, her grandmother was high and mighty, the second and third wives had their own plans, and her cousins ​​were deep-minded. However, she was able to grow up to be such a cheerful and happy person today because she had a good father.

The Duke of Zhenguo gave her enough love and a sense of security, so that she never hesitated to show kindness to others. Even if she was treated coldly, she would still take the initiative to reach out next time.

That's why today, when she asked for leave and didn't go, three groups of people came to bring her food.

Jiang Ling and Ren Yao brought packed meals from the canteen, which were the warm fireworks of the world; Xie Jichuan brought snacks, which were the cold and delicate gestures of goodwill from the aristocratic families; Ming Huazhang brought sweet porridge, which was the understanding and support among relatives.

Ming Huashang thought she was lucky, and all the kindness she had shown was rewarded. But she was not so lucky, as she had met such a good father and brother so early in life, and could no longer succumb to ordinary men.

To be honest, Ming Huazhang was somewhat flattered. He knew very well how much Ming Huachang opposed marriage, and the fact that she could compare him with her future husband showed how highly she thought of him.

Ming Huazhang was upset again. He thought it was a natural desire for a brother to show off after receiving praise from his sister, so he said, "You are still young. You will find someone you like in the future."

Ming Huashang smiled and did not comment.

Ming Huachang only knew that Ming Huazhang was good at poetry, calligraphy and martial arts, but he didn't expect that he was also very organized in doing housework. In a short while, he had everything cleaned and put in place. After washing his hands, he sat down and asked, "Are you full?"

"Um."

"Then let's start learning today's lesson." Ming Huazhang said, "The teacher is taking care of you novices. The secret code assigned today is just the beginning. Secret codes are very important in the mission. They are not only used to transmit intelligence, but also to communicate attack and retreat plans through whistles during combat. You must memorize them by heart and there can be no ambiguity. Otherwise, failure of the mission is a small matter, but it will cause the death of you and your comrades."

Ming Huashang nodded, followed his memory and typed out a string of syllables on the table, and asked, "Second brother, what does this code mean?"

"Time and direction." Ming Huazhang said, "But one time was repeated."

"Jiang Ling was actually right." Ming Huashang stopped, very surprised, "I thought he was really ignorant, but it turns out he just doesn't want to learn."

"Don't talk about others, worry about yourself." Ming Huazhang said, "He doesn't want to learn, what about you?"

Ming Huashang sighed, frowned and said, "I know. I will try my best."

Ming Huazhang looked cold and difficult to talk to, but he was surprisingly patient and reliable. He broke down the most basic secret codes and explained the rules to Ming Huachang one by one. His thinking was logical and his words were sharp, so Ming Huachang quickly understood.

Understanding and then remembering is much better than simply memorizing. Ming Huashang admired Ming Huazhang very much and praised him from the bottom of his heart: "Second brother, you are really amazing. You know the facts and the reasons. Even if I can learn it, I can't explain it to others so quickly."

Ming Huazhang smiled slightly and asked, "Who else do you want to teach?"

Ming Huashang thought about it and nodded: "You are right."

If she doesn't plan to get married, she won't have children in the future. It's better if fewer people know about this kind of thing.

In the blink of an eye, she learned the night sky, the stars, and the unknown insects hiding behind the house, chirping in the distance. Ming Huashang finally typed out every sentence accurately according to Ming Huazhang's requirements. She breathed a sigh of relief, and her whole body was paralyzed: "Second brother, is it okay this time?"

Ming Huazhang glanced at the sky and let her go for now: "Let's stop here for today. Go to bed early. Tomorrow at 3:30 pm, you will follow me to the training ground."

Ming Huachang's eyes widened in shock when she heard this: "So early? Didn't General Han say that we would gather at 11:00 a.m.?"

"That's the others." Ming Huazhang said, "Your foundation is too poor. You can slowly finish ten rounds on the first day, but will it be the same in the future? You have never learned martial arts, and you are already a step behind Ren Yao. You can't fall behind in physical strength. From now on, you have to get up half an hour earlier than them and go to the training ground to practice more."

Ming Huashang finally understood why Ming Huazhang could master both civil and martial arts while others could not, despite being of the same age. She knew she couldn't avoid it, so she could only agree with a bitter face: "Okay."