Even if you're just curious, there's no need to stare at it like that!
"They're probably envious of our carefree lives," Hong Xiaoduo said. From this distance, she could clearly see the expressions on their faces; they all looked righteous and didn't seem like villains at all!
She was just with a group of children; it wasn't enough to make the other party wary or take any precautions.
Besides, the terrain here is flat and the view is open, making it a good place to avoid being ambushed.
Hong Xiaoduo turned her head and picked up another sesame seed cake to eat. The weather was starting to get colder, so it wasn't really suitable to buy some food and bring it on the road to eat as meals.
Foods like steamed buns and meat pies taste terrible when they're cold, and if you're not careful, they can cause stomach upset.
Tian Shu said it was easy; just gather firewood, start a fire, and roast it, just like before.
Firewood for roasting some dry rations is easy to find, but it rains in late autumn too. What about rainy days?
Yes, what to do on rainy days? There are no weather forecasts in this dynasty. If you look at the weather forecast, there are dark clouds, so it's very likely that it will rain. That's about all she can do.
No, this is important and I need to remember it. Next time, after I connect with the old man at the science museum, I'll ask him to come up with a way to give her an object that can predict the weather.
If we add another donkey cart, we don't need to worry about who will drive it; we can simply tie the reins to the existing donkey cart.
We need to buy another tent, one for resting and the other for heating dry food and boiling water.
The old man got off the carriage and walked towards Hong Xiaoduo and the others, with the guards following closely behind.
"What are you doing? Can't you see that it's just a young woman and a few children? I'm not the one on the dragon throne, why are you making such a fuss?" The old man noticed and turned around, displeased.
Upon hearing this, the guards who were following him broke out in a cold sweat. They thought to themselves, "Since leaving the capital, our lord has been sullen and rarely speaks. Now, the first thing he says is so frightening."
"What, are my words no longer valid?" The old man's gaze was firm and sharp, emanating an undeniable air of authority. The guards exchanged glances and respectfully returned to their positions.
The old man lifted his foot and continued walking forward. As he got closer, he saw several children turn around and look at him, their eyes full of wariness.
He walked over by himself, and the children were quite nervous. If the guards had followed him, who knows how terrified they would have been.
"Children, don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person. I just came because I thought the atmosphere here was quite nice and I wanted to join in the fun. Is that alright?" The old man said, looking at Hong Xiaoduo.
She's the oldest here, so the decision-making power should be in her hands, right?
“Of course, we can rest here and have something to eat for lunch. If you don’t mind, you can eat with us, sir,” Hong Xiaoduo said with a smile to the old man.
The old man was remarkably spry, his face etched with the marks of time—a wisdom and composure born of years of experience. One look at him and you knew he was a truly upright and kind old man.
He didn't have any guards with him just now, probably because he was afraid of scaring the children. Hong Xiaoduo had no reason to refuse someone like that.
Upon hearing her agree, the children sitting around quickly made room for the old man, who took off his boots and sat down cross-legged.
"Grandpa, have some sesame seed cakes." Kaiyang said, pushing the bowl of sesame seed cakes in front of him toward the old man.
"Grandfather, eat! It's delicious!" Yao Guang urged the old man when he didn't start eating.
The other children also pushed the food closest to them toward the old man.
"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony." The old man replied with a smile, then reached out and took a sesame seed cake, taking a bite under the watchful eyes of the children.
The crust, brushed with oil and sugar and coated with sesame seeds, was crispy and fragrant. Inside, there was a filling of translucent pieces of fatty meat and dried vegetables, which was savory with a hint of spiciness. "Hey? It smells really good," the old man said to Yaoguang after taking only one bite.
"Right? I didn't lie to my grandfather, did I?" Yao Guang was overjoyed.
The old man nodded repeatedly, saying, "No, no." He then looked at Kaiyang and said, "This is the best sesame seed cake I've ever eaten in my life."
Hong Xiaoduo listened and looked at the old man, and couldn't help but laugh. He was so good at coaxing children.
This kind of flatbread still exists today. I ate it in Meicheng, a town in Jiande City near Hangzhou. It was really delicious; I could eat several in one go.
After arriving here, she only ate it three times, from three different places, but she felt that it was pretty much the same in terms of appearance and taste.
Thinking of this, Hong Xiaoduo couldn't help but laugh. She still remembered Meicheng Town, but couldn't recall where she lived or what her family was like.
"Young lady, please don't laugh. I'm just telling the truth," the old man explained when he saw her smile.
Hong Xiaoduo quickly waved her hand: "Father-in-law, you misunderstand. I was just thinking about something else and didn't mean to laugh at you."
The old man smiled and nodded. He had just finished eating the sesame seed cake in his hand when a child next to him handed him a piece of dried meat.
"These kids are so enthusiastic," the old man thought to himself.
“Grandfather, I’ve washed my hands, they’re clean.” It was Tianquan who handed over the dried meat. Seeing that the old man was looking at the dried meat but not taking it, he quickly explained.
The old man grinned and quickly took the dried meat, saying, "It's not that I'm worried your hands aren't clean, it's just that I didn't expect you to treat me so well on our first meeting."
"By the way, I have a question. Why are all these children bald? Is it because of some custom or belief in your area? Or something else?" The old man couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"Oh, it's just that they all had lice and nits in their hair before, so I shaved their heads to save trouble," Hong Xiaoduo explained.
We're just casual acquaintances, there's no need to explain in such detail.
"Oh, that's how it is," the old man thought to himself. But then he began to ponder. "These children are all a bit thin, but judging from their spirits and clothes, their conditions aren't bad. Even if they accidentally got lice or nits, we can just patiently look for them and remove them. There's no need to shave their heads off. Isn't that a bit excessive?"
Furthermore, the "Opening Statement" of the Classic of Filial Piety states, "Our bodies, hair, and skin are given to us by our parents, and we dare not damage them." This means that our bodies, limbs, hair, and skin are all given to us by our parents, and we should not easily harm or even destroy them. This is the beginning of filial piety.
Only those who have seen through the illusions of the world shave their heads when they become monks.
Furthermore, from the young woman's few words, he heard a key phrase: "she" shaved their heads to save trouble. This meant that she was capable of making decisions and taking charge. Did she not have any elders above her?
At his advanced age, he considered himself to have never done anything rash in his decades of life, yet now he was acting like a gossipy old woman from a back alley, wanting to know exactly what the relationship was between this young woman and her seven children…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
