The ship sailed for over ten days, and the adults worried about the children getting seasick. Fortunately, they vomited a few times and gradually recovered. Xiao Yuan was especially energetic, either watching seabirds one day or going fishing the next. Xiao Yao would quietly admire the scenery alone, listening to the rushing water and thinking of her grandfather, mother, and family...
The fish cooked by the boat girl was especially delicious. Xiao Yao would go to observe how she cooked and prepared the fish whenever she had free time. The boat girl was also strange. Every time Xiao Yao went to observe, she either put less salt or added more soup.
"You woman, your cooking has been getting worse and worse lately. Do you still want to make money to marry your son off?" A dark-skinned man scolded the boat woman with dissatisfaction on his face.
"I don't know what's wrong. When that fairy-like lady came, my hands became a little out of control." The boat girl rubbed her hands back and forth on her apron, with her head lowered, for fear of displeasing the man.
Xiying, who went to the cabin to boil water, happened to hear their conversation. When she saw that everyone was there, Xiying smiled and said, "Miss, have you learned your craft well?"
"I don't know. I haven't actually tried it yet. I plan to give it a try after I get ashore."
"So what do you think of the meals we've prepared these past two days?"
"It's OK, but sometimes the fish tastes good, and sometimes it tastes a little bit worse."
"If you want to eat good fish, then don't go into the kitchen again."
"What does the taste of the fish have to do with me?" Xiao Yao thought Xiying said this because she was afraid that she would always go into the kitchen and it would be difficult to explain to her mother if she returned to Kyoto.
"Just now I heard the boat girl talking to someone else..." So Xiying repeated the conversation between the two people to everyone.
"Haha, haha, Ping'an, next time you go into the kitchen, your grandfather will know without asking anyone, because if the fish doesn't taste right one day, it must be you who went to learn the skills from him again." Old Master Tong laughed so heartily that his beard twitched and he couldn't stop.
"Ping'an, second brother will find a notebook tomorrow and write down all the interesting things that happened to you along the way. He will tell our parents and second aunt about it when we get home." Xiao Yi said with a smile.
"Sister, you are so amazing. You are so lovable even though you have lost a tooth. If you lose another tooth in the future, you will definitely charm the boat girl!" Xiao Yuan said, shaking his head.
Licking the new teeth that had already appeared, Xiao Yao turned around and ignored these people who were gloating over her misfortune.
From that day on, Xiao Yao really never went to the boat girl to learn how to cook fish again. She didn't notice how much better the food tasted. Anyway, she was satisfied that she no longer had to bear the blame of being a cook who brought disaster to the fish.
Two days later, the boat docked. It was said that it would take another two days by car from here to reach my uncle's house.
After more than ten days of sailing, we were finally able to land. After discussing it, we decided to rest for a day before setting off again.
Compared to the wharf where we boarded the ship, this place is countless times more prosperous, with carriages coming and going one after another; restaurants and teahouses are lined up one after another, and merchants dressed in silk and satin are everywhere...
"Let's go for a walk." Xiao Yuan, whose eyes had long been drifting away, begged Xiao Yi.
"There are so many people here, I can't take care of you two by myself!" Xiao Yi knew that his grandparents would take the time to rest and would never go shopping. He also had to accompany his cousin and his wife, so where should he, a group of people who were unfamiliar with the place, go?
"Knock, knock, knock" there was a knock on the door.
When Qing Fang opened the door, he saw Tong Jinsheng, who had changed his clothes, standing outside.
"Cousin." Xiao Yi stood up to greet him.
"I'll take you out for a walk. There are many special snacks here, as well as small accessories that girls like, some with pearls, shells and feathers. In short, they are completely different from those sold in Kyoto." Tong Jinsheng introduced diligently.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" When Xiao Yuan heard that there would be snacks, he didn't want to wait any longer.
Xiao Yao took the initiative to hold Tong Jinsheng's hand, and she would be under his care today. Xiao Yuan walked towards Xiao Yi proudly like a little princess, and handed over her hand very politely.
"It's my honor to have the opportunity to take care of Miss Xiao Er. Thank you for thinking highly of me." Xiao Yi teased.
"Opportunities are hard to come by, so you must learn to cherish them, okay?"
"I know. I will definitely cherish it."
While they were making a fuss, several people went downstairs. Xiao Yuan wanted to buy anything she saw, no matter if it was useful or not, while Xiao Yao basically just looked but didn't buy anything. "Miss Xiao Er, what are you going to do with all these things you bought?"
"There is a bookstore. I want to find two travelogues. Cousin, second brother, can we go in and take a look?" This was the first time Xiao Yao asked for help since she went out. Xiao Yi smiled dotingly at his sister, took her hand and walked in.
"Brother Tong, is that you?"
Tong Jinsheng was about to catch up with his cousin when someone called him. He turned around and saw that it was Tang Hao, the third son of the Tang Tongpan family. Although he was young, he was a famous child prodigy in Suzhou and had a handsome face. This young man with family background, intelligence, and good looks had been coveted by countless families in Suzhou.
"It's Mr. Tang, why are you here?" Both families lived in Suzhou City, and they were surprised to meet each other here.
"I'm here as a visitor to my uncle's house." Tang Hao answered politely. Their fathers were colleagues, but the two families didn't interact much because Tong Guangyu had just been transferred here not long ago, and their relationship was just a greeting when they met.
"I'm here with my cousin and his sister to visit the bookstore."
"I want to buy some books too. Let's go in together."
"Okay, let's go together!"
"Brother Tong, please go first."
When they entered, Xiao Yi was chatting with the bookstore owner, asking him about the local customs and practices, and the owner also asked some questions about Kyoto. Xiao Yuan sat at a large table, fiddling with the toys he had bought, while Xiao Yao was engrossed in a book.
"Young Master, look there." Yan Bo gently nudged Tang Hao's arm. Tang Hao followed the servant's gesture and saw Xiao Yao intently reading. The little girl, her eyes downcast, her thick eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. Her skin, as smooth as fresh snow, was even more delicate than that of a Jiangnan woman. Her cherry-pink lips, like two petals, were sometimes parted, sometimes pouting.
Tang Hao withdrew his gaze with difficulty. Although the other party was not big, she was a girl after all. As a gentleman, he should not stare at her endlessly.
"Ping'an, have you made your choice? Ruyi, quickly pack up your things. We'll shop around for a while and then go back to the inn." Xiao Yi ordered.
"That's good." Xiao Yao closed the travel notes in her hand, walked to the checkout counter, raised her head, and signaled Xiao Yi to pay the bill.
"Hey! I finally understand. I came to Suzhou just to serve you two as a servant, paying bills, carrying things, and holding Miss Xiao."
Xiao Yao was about to speak, but when she saw two strangers in front of her, she subconsciously covered her mouth and then said, "Now you know why mother sent you here instead of my third brother!" She winked playfully after saying this.
Tang Hao couldn't control himself and looked at Xiao Yao again. This young man and young lady were obviously not locals. Their accents were wrong and their clothes were different. Could they be the cousins that Brother Tong had mentioned? Most of the Tong family's relatives were in Kyoto. Could these people be from Kyoto?
Yanbo's eyes followed Xiao Yao's figure. This little girl was so pretty. Although he didn't know why she had been covering her mouth, the moment she walked over, it was enough for him to see her face clearly. It's no exaggeration to say that this was the first time he had seen such a pretty girl in all the years he had lived in Suzhou!
Yanbo has always believed that there are very few young ladies in Suzhou who are worthy of his own young master. The second young lady of Mr. Zhang's family, who is known as the talented woman of Suzhou, and the eldest young lady of General Wu's family, who is both civil and military, are not worthy of carrying the young master's shoes. Even this young lady who came from nowhere today is not a good match for the young master!
If she were the daughter of a high-ranking official in the capital, and if her knowledge was as outstanding as her looks, she would be a perfect match for his own son.
"You!" Xiao Yi was used to being bullied by his sister, but he couldn't bear to say anything to her, so he could only shake his head helplessly.
"Let me introduce him to you." Tong Jinsheng spoke quickly when he saw Tang Hao coming over.
"This is my cousin, Xiao, from Kyoto. This is the third son of Tang Tongpan's family. Our fathers were colleagues."
"Hello, Mr. Xiao."
"Mr. Tang, you're too polite."
"I'm tired. Can we find a restaurant to rest?" Xiao Yuan actually wanted to say that she was hungry, but she had to maintain her ladylike image in front of strangers, so she changed her words temporarily.
"I want to go back to the inn." Xiao Yao lowered her head. It was too hard for her to maintain the image of a lady. It would be better for her to go back to the inn, say whatever she wanted to say and play whatever she wanted to play.
"We should also go back to the inn. Only after a good rest can we have the energy to hit the road tomorrow." Tong Jinsheng was worried about his grandparents and wife in the inn, so he agreed with his cousin's suggestion.
"I..." Xiao Yuan pointed to his stomach vaguely. Where are the snacks? Where are the special dishes? I can't bear to leave without trying them!
"I've asked Qingfang and the others to buy them. When we return to the inn, you'll be able to enjoy snacks and special dishes." Along the way, Xiao Yi has already figured out his cousin's temper and understood her preferences. She is a simple and happy little girl. As long as she has food to eat and fun to play with, everything else can be discussed.
"Then go back quickly! I miss grandpa and grandma." She sounded like a sensible child when she said this! In fact, everyone knew what she was thinking.
"Second brother, because you are considerate, I will reward you by carrying me back to the inn." Xiao Yuan said even more considerately.
"Second Miss Xiao, your brother hasn't eaten enough." The meaning is self-evident. A person who has not eaten enough cannot carry the second Miss Xiao on his back.
"Cousin, let's go." Xiao Yao ignored the two people who were still bargaining, pulled her cousin and left.
Tang Hao, who had never been ignored like this before, wanted to be angry, but when he thought of the little girl, he couldn't get angry at all. He was very confused and wondered what was wrong with him!
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