Chapter 76 Are you also looking forward to his coming?
"Meow!"
In the warm morning light, Fubao stretched out his body while leaning against the wall, licking his palms lazily.
"Good morning, Fubao!"
Jiang Suisui, with her pigtails, was skipping under the wall, a cheese bun in her hand, her mouth bulging, and she was greeting incoherently.
At the stone table next to them, Jiang Keyu and Jiang Chengyou were also having breakfast.
Hearing the noise outside, Song Baoyuan, who was sitting at the dressing table, turned around and looked out the window. Seeing that it was her daughter talking to herself happily, she couldn't help laughing.
She dressed simply and prepared to go out.
"Sui Sui, come with mother."
"I'm coming!"
Jiang Keyu watched her daughter run past her and said, "If you have something else to do, I can also look after Sui Sui."
"You should take care of yourself first." Song Baoyuan sighed silently.
Jiang Keyu hesitated to speak.
Well, just consider it as caring about him.
"Chengcheng, mother is leaving!"
"Goodbye, mother!"
Jiang Chengyou had just said goodbye to his mother when he stuffed the whole egg into his mouth. "Ugh!"
"Eat slowly."
Jiang Keyu patted his back. "What's wrong? Are you in a hurry to go to school?"
Jiang Chengyou was stunned when he heard it, "Ugh!"
I wish I could choke to death on the spot.
Jiang Keyu smiled and shook her head.
Not long after, Liu'an came running from the gate, "Sir, the young lady just left, and the one next door is out too."
"Did you go to the teahouse too?"
Liu'an spread his hands and said, "I don't know, but we went in the same direction."
Jiang Keyu frowned, put down the spoon in her hand, and suddenly lost her appetite.
Jiang Chengyou didn't understand, so he tilted his head and asked, "Dad, what's wrong with you?"
"Don't ask around, little kid."
"snort."
Jiang Chengyou turned his face away in dissatisfaction.
Jiang Keyu raised an eyebrow when she heard that, and reached out to pinch his puffed-up face, "You're small, but you have a big temper."
"Huh?" Jiang Chengyou opened his eyes wide, "Didn't mother say that father's right hand was injured?"
Pinching him obviously works very well.
Jiang Keyu looked at her son, thoughtfully.
Suddenly leaning forward, he said, "Secret."
He even coaxed her, "If you keep the secret, Daddy will reward you by not having to go to school today. How about that?"
“Really!”
Jiang Chengyou jumped off the bench excitedly, "So Daddy, are you going to play Cuju with me?"
"Don't worry." Jiang Keyu picked him up and looked outside. "Let's find something else to play today."
*
Song Baoyuan went to the Ministry of Revenue first, and then to the teahouse. As soon as she arrived, she saw many people crowding at the door looking in.
"What's going on?" She walked to the counter and asked Xu Pingsheng who was counting the accounts.
Xu Pingsheng glanced at the door and said, "They are waiting for Master Xie."
"Why?"
"They say that Master Xie possesses astonishing talent. His insights on Mr. Fan's acceptance of advice yesterday were very beneficial to everyone, and they would like to discuss it further today. Some people also brought their own poems and essays, hoping that Master Xie would comment on them or give them some guidance."
Song Baoyuan was stunned when she heard this.
"By the way, isn't Master Xie your neighbor? Do you know if he'll be coming today?"
As soon as Xu Pingsheng said this, everyone's eyes turned to Song Baoyuan, waiting for a definite answer.
Song Baoyuan: "..."
It's hard not to feel stressed when you're being watched by so many expectant eyes.
"I, don't know." Song Baoyuan answered honestly.
Everyone looked away in disappointment.
Song Baoyuan sighed inwardly and lowered her voice, "Is it really that exaggerated?"
Xu Pingsheng also whispered, "Those who are admired and followed by others are always crazy, and scholars who are usually noble are no exception."
He also asked curiously, "Boss, how is your relationship with Master Xie? Invite him to come a few times a month, and we won't have to worry about business in the future."
"There's no need to worry!"
The sudden sound startled everyone.
Song Baoyuan and Xu Pingsheng both turned around and saw Gao Luoshu, who had appeared out of nowhere and was quite resentful.
"Our business was already good, but when he arrived, so many people blocked the road. Not only did we lose our peace and quiet, we didn't even have time to rest."
"Mr. Gao, you're wrong," Xu Pingsheng disagreed. "We're running a business, so how can we complain about having too many customers? Mr. Xie's presence is an opportunity for us. He'll attract more talented people, and over time, our reputation will spread. Whenever there's a gathering of celebrities in the future, our place will be the first place they think of. With more and more customers, we can expand our teahouse even further!"
He turned his head and asked, "Is that right, boss?"
Song Baoyuan nodded in agreement, "When that time comes, you will be the shopkeeper."
Xu Pingsheng was shocked, "I didn't mean to do anything rebellious!"
"Don't be nervous." Song Baoyuan chuckled and walked upstairs. "What I mean is, you are the shopkeeper and I am the boss."
Xu Pingsheng breathed a sigh of relief.
Gao Luoshu followed him upstairs, "Are you also looking forward to his arrival?"
"Who?" Song Baoyuan asked, then realized what was happening. "Master Xie? We can make money if he comes, so what's wrong with that?"
"You're not short of money."
"That's not too much."
Gao Luoshu kept asking, "Is this really why you're looking forward to his arrival?"
Song Baoyuan stopped at the door of the room and turned around in surprise, "What do you mean, Master Gao?"
"That's exactly what it means."
Song Baoyuan didn't think so and looked into his eyes without any hesitation.
A trace of panic flashed in Gao Luoshu's eyes, "I, I, I am..."
He hesitated and couldn't say anything for a long time.
"Mr. Gao, please be careful with your words." Song Baoyuan said this and turned back into the house.
Gao Luoshu took small steps forward and clung to the door, wanting to go in but not daring to. "Are you angry?"
"No." Song Baoyuan sat down by the window. "Why would I get angry over a single sentence?"
"I am..."
Gao Luoshu felt really uncomfortable holding back his words, "I just feel a little confused because you are so special to him."
Song Baoyuan paused as she spread out the paper and pen. "What's so special about it?"
"Just, just, especially, good?"
Gao Luoshu couldn't explain it, but he felt particularly strongly about it.
Song Baoyuan laughed and shook her head, "Am I not good to Mr. Gao?"
Gao Luoshu was speechless for a moment, but he still stepped into the house anxiously, "It's different. The way you treat me and the way you treat him are clearly different."
"What's the difference?"
"For example, for example...for example, you won't be happy when you hear my name from someone else's mouth!"
Song Baoyuan was stunned.
After a moment of confusion, she frowned and asked, "How could that be?"
"Yes!" Gao Luoshu said dissatisfiedly, "You are..."
Seeing her expression, he dared not say anything more and suppressed his grievance.
"Mr. Gao, please don't talk nonsense." Song Baoyuan lowered her eyes. "I have something to do. Please leave for a while."
Gao Luoshu hesitated and it took him half a minute to disappear from the house, which was just a few steps away.
He walked out of the door with much more ease, and went downstairs with an unhappy look on his face.
Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed before his eyes, and the wind it brought blew up his hair.
Gao Luoshu: “?”
What had darted past him?
When he saw clearly, the figure had already rushed into the room where Song Baoyuan was.
"call!"
Song Baoyuan was stunned when she saw Xie Yuchao suddenly appear in front of her, breathing heavily and with red ears.
Xie Yuchao took a long time to recover.
"Why are you running like this?" Song Baoyuan came back to her senses, took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to him, "Wipe it."
Xie Yuchao looked at her hands, and with a "click", they exchanged the objects in their hands.
Song Baoyuan watched helplessly as a warm paper bag appeared in her palm.
The aroma is a bit like sugar-roasted chestnuts.
"How could I not run faster?" Xie Yuchao breathed a sigh of relief. "Those people downstairs were chasing me like a rabbit. I thought I had committed a crime."
Song Baoyuan was amused by his complaining expression, "It's because Master Xie is so talented that he has become famous in just a few days."
Although he knew she was teasing him, Xie Yuchao still found her words pleasing to the ear.
Song Baoyuan opened the paper bag and took a look inside. It was indeed sugar-roasted chestnuts with a fragrant aroma.
"Where did this come from?"
"I went out today to buy brushes and ink at Yunjianzhai. But I saw a long line in front of the shop next door, so I went to take a look out of curiosity. It turned out to be a shop selling sugar-roasted chestnuts."
Xie Yuchao explained, "I was wondering why so many people would waste their time queuing for a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts, so I asked around. Someone said their sugar-roasted chestnuts are the best in Beijing, unlike any other, and if you come too late, you won't be able to buy them even if you have money. Someone else said their daughter loves them, so they've been waiting since dawn. They were bragging about it being the only one in the world, so I bought a bag too."
Song Baoyuan felt like she was listening to a story.
Xie Yuchao leaned forward and held up his face. "Try it for me and see if it's really as exaggerated as they say."
"Why don't you try it yourself?"
“I don’t like this.”
Song Baoyuan was suspicious, "Why did you buy it if you didn't like it?"
"Just to join in the fun." Xie Yuchao said confidently.
Song Baoyuan weighed the paper bag; it was full and still hot. Yunjianzhai wasn't close to the teahouse, so if she had brought it here normally, even in a carriage, it would have been cold.
"Try it." Xie Yuchao urged her when she saw she was hesitant to move. "If you don't eat it while it's hot, wouldn't it be a waste of money?"
Song Baoyuan poured out a few and placed them in her palm, "Okay."
But just as her green fingers picked up the chestnut, Xie Yuchao snatched it away.
Song Baoyuan looked up in confusion, "Why, you're not giving me food again?"
"I forgot to peel it. Let me do it." Xie Yuchao said helplessly, "Your hands don't look like they can do such rough work."
Peeling chestnuts is not a rough job. Song Baoyuan laughed, but froze when she saw his serious expression.
Thinking of what Mr. Gao had just said, she couldn't even describe the feeling in her heart at this moment.
"Here." When Xie Yuchao handed back the peeled chestnuts, he realized that she was staring at him, "Hmm?"
Song Baoyuan pretended to be calm, picked up the chestnut, and put it into her mouth under his gaze.
"how?"
Sweet, but not greasy. Song Baoyuan nodded in approval, "It's good."
Xie Yuchao smiled but said nothing, silently peeling the next one.
When he stared at Li Zi, Song Baoyuan stared at him. When he looked up, Song Baoyuan looked away at the right time.
Fearing she would be discovered, Song Baoyuan casually changed the subject, "Where are the pens and ink you bought?"
Xie Yuchao's eyelids twitched. Of course, he couldn't say that after buying this bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts, he had no money to buy pens and ink.
"Well, the rosin paper I usually use is quite expensive and rare, and Yunjianzhai is out of stock these days. I don't like the others either, so I didn't buy any."
"I see."
Song Baoyuan didn't think there was anything to doubt.
“Bang, bang.”
The knock on the door was a little inopportune.
Jiang Keyu, who was supposed to be at home, stood at the door expressionlessly, holding Jiang Chengyou with only her left hand.
The atmosphere suddenly became weird.
Song Baoyuan was slightly stunned, completely unexpected.
"Why are you here?"
She stood up and asked, "Chengcheng, why didn't you go to school?"
The one who answered her was Jiang Keyu, who forced a smile on her lips, "The master had something to do today, so I brought him back."
"Why are you still holding him?" Song Baoyuan reached out to take her son. "Won't it hurt the wound?"
Jiang Keyu avoided her hand. "He saw that I usually hugged my sister, and he insisted that I was biased because I didn't hug him."
As he spoke, he walked around Song Baoyuan, went into the house, and sat down naturally opposite Xie Yuchao.
He saw the sugar-roasted chestnuts on the table, and also saw the handkerchief that Xie Yuchao was playing with in his hand.
This guy seemed to do it on purpose. He recognized it as Ayuan's handkerchief.
"Didn't Mommy tell you that Daddy was injured?" Song Baoyuan turned back and sat next to her son. "Can Mommy hold him?"
"No!"
Jiang Chengyou sat on his father's lap and hugged his arms tightly.
Song Baoyuan was puzzled. Wasn't this child most afraid of his father? Why did he change his nature today?
"Don't bother talking about him and Sui Sui making such a fuss." Song Baoyuan frowned slightly. "Children are ignorant. Don't you feel the pain yourself? The doctor told you to rest well, but you're either busy or wandering around. How can you have a moment of peace?"
Jiang Keyu: “…”
Is this a lesson for him?
He remained calm, leaned close to Jiang Chengyou's ear, and whispered, "Your mother is so fierce."
Song Baoyuan: “?”
How could that be?
And she could hear it.
Jiang Chengyou opened his eyes wide, looked at his mother, stepped on his father's legs for support, and leaned over his father's left shoulder. He also cupped his little hands to his mouth and moved his mouth close to his father's ear.
"Chengcheng!" Song Baoyuan was incredulous. "Do you also think mother is mean?"
Jiang Chengyou shrank back as if he was afraid and buried his head in his father's neck.
"Chengcheng?" Song Baoyuan felt strange and couldn't help but poke her son's neck tentatively.
Jiang Chengyou didn't know what he was doing. He twisted his body and shook his head.
"Can I hold you, Mom?"
Song Baoyuan asked again and put her arms around her son's waist.
Just when she was about to use force to forcibly take the child away...
“Hmm!”
Jiang Chengyou suddenly turned around and screamed, which scared Song Baoyuan so much that her shoulders trembled.
The petals spread out above her head and landed on her face, causing her to blink rapidly.
Jiang Chengyou threw himself into her arms, clutching a handful of pink azaleas in his hands. "Do they look good, mother? I'll give them to you!"
Song Baoyuan laughed dumbly, hugged him in her arms, and her tone became doting, "Where did you get it?"
"Daddy and I picked these for you. Do you like them?"
"Um!"
When Song Baoyuan lowered her head to respond, a shadow covered her eyes and her ears were filled with warmth for a moment.
Jiang Keyu's hand brushed behind her ear naturally and intimately, picking up a azalea petal stuck in her hair.
The atmosphere in the house became increasingly weird.
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