The New Year in Shuo Jing City was about to arrive.
At the end of last year, He Yan was in the Liangzhou Garrison and couldn't come back. After the New Year, she was going to get married again. He Sui went to buy a lot of New Year's goods and insisted on celebrating the New Year at home. Unfortunately, he wasn't from Shuo Jing City. Ever since Madam He passed away, there were even fewer relatives in his home. There weren't many who could visit his relatives.
However, his neighbors were very enthusiastic. They would send some dried fruits to He Yan from time to time. They would send him a plate of cooked dumplings and a piece of cured meat. They would even hold his hand and say, "Yan Yan, when you marry into a Xiao family in the future and become a young mistress, don't forget about us neighbors. I even hugged you when you were young. "
"Yes, yes, yes, I even sewed clothes for you!"
Thanks to Xiao Jue, they didn't have to buy enough meat this year.
However, He Yan still bought some things with his own money and asked someone to bring them to Wang Ba and the others. He also gave some gifts to the military instructors. They were in the camp outside the city and could only spend the New Year with the soldiers. She was going to get married on the 10th of the New Year. He Yan wanted Xiao Jue to allow them to take a leave. Shi Tou and the others were all her friends who had followed her since she was in the Liangzhou Garrison. He Yan wanted to invite them to her wedding banquet.
However, ever since Xiao Jue appeared that day when she met with Chu Zhao, she hadn't seen Xiao Jue in the past few days. She was probably busy with the aftermath of the Mingshui case.
The sky gradually darkened. They could faintly hear the sound of firecrackers and fireworks in the distance. It wasn't snowing tonight. It was a clear night. He Sui moved the table to the courtyard and called He Yan and the others to eat. He Yan wanted to help with the New Year's Eve dinner, but He Sui refused. He Sui said, "You're going to get married after the New Year. How can I let you work? Sit down! Yan Yan, just focus on eating. "
He Yunsheng secretly rolled his eyes.
Including Qing Mei, there were only four people on the table, but there were five pairs of bowls and chopsticks. The empty bowl and chopsticks belonged to the late Madam He.
He Sui poured everyone a small glass of sweet wine, which was a New Year's gift from his master when he was a bodyguard. He Sui picked up the wine glass and took a sip. Looking at the empty bowl and chopsticks, his eyes softened and he sighed. "If Ahui was still here, she would be so happy to see Yan Yan get married."
"Ah Hui" was the deceased Madam He.
He Yan was a little sad. The real Second Miss He was gone, but all she could do now was to live on in her place and protect He Sui, He Yunsheng, and Qing Mei.
"Father, let's not talk about this on such a joyous occasion," He Yunsheng frowned, "Besides, my mother might have been an immortal in the heavens to bless my elder sister and let her get married smoothly. Look at her, if it wasn't for God's blessing, I think she can only quarrel with me at home for the rest of her life. No one would want to marry her. "
He Yan looked at him with a smile. "Yes, yes, yes. But Yunsheng, I think you're not young anymore. I don't know what kind of girl you'll marry in the future. Would the girl be willing to take a fancy to you? If you don't change your temper, maybe you can only quarrel with Xiang Xiang at home in the future. "
"You're talking nonsense, I …" He Yunsheng immediately retorted.
He Yan cupped his chin and moved closer. "Oh, do you already have a girl you like? Tell me. "
When it came to quarreling, He Yunsheng had never won against He Yan. In a moment of anger, he turned to He Sui. "Father, look at He Yan!"
"There's nothing wrong with what your sister said." He Sui was always on He Yan's side. "You should learn from your brother-in-law."
He Yan was lowering his head to taste the wine. When he heard that, he almost choked. He said the word "brother-in-law" very fluently.
He Yunsheng looked at him gloatingly. Qing Mei covered her mouth and laughed in a low voice.
"Okay, okay, let's not talk about this." He Sui raised his glass. "In the new year, I hope we'll all have good luck and good things!"
The afterglow of the fireworks could be seen in the night sky. The new year was coming.
He Sui didn't allow He Yan to drink too much wine. He Yan only drank a small cup. It was enough for him. He Yunsheng, on the other hand, drank a lot. Originally, the family had agreed to stay up for the new year together. However, the father and son fell down before the time was up. He Yan and Qing Mei spent a lot of effort to send the two of them back to the bed. Then, they returned to the central room and lit the stove.
Qing Mei rubbed her hands and said, "I didn't expect Young Master and Old Master to be drunk so early."
He Yan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He Yunsheng suggested staying up for the new year and he was sleeping soundly. Forget it, he would just treat it as helping him to stay up.
"Do you want to eat?" He Yan handed a roasted orange to Qing Mei.
Qing Mei took it and peeled the orange. She took a piece and put it in her mouth. The He Family didn't treat Qing Mei as a servant. They didn't follow the rules of a master and servant like other wealthy families. The orange was a little sour. Qing Mei squinted her eyes and swallowed it before saying, "I didn't think so at first. However, since it's the new year, I feel that the family is a little lonely. Old Master and Young Master aren't here. There's only Young Master and me. "
Looking at other families, the whole family was happy and harmonious. It was very lively.
He Yan didn't think that there was anything wrong with this. She had been alone a lot, so she wasn't as depressed as Qing Mei. Instead, she looked at Qing Mei and nodded. "We should have called Chi Wu over."
Qing Mei was stunned. "What does this have to do with Imperial Bodyguard Chi Wu?"
"It has something to do with him." He Yan also took an orange and said while eating, "He lived here every day previously. You didn't say it was lonely. Now that he's not here, you say it's lonely. You're missing him. "
Qing Mei was stunned. She denied it without thinking. "I didn't. Young Miss, don't talk nonsense."
"Actually, it's nothing." He Yan put the peeled orange on the stove to roast. The hall was immediately filled with a fragrant smell. "After I go to the Xiao family, you'll be the only servant in our family. Of course, you'll have to go with me. At that time, you'll see Chi Wu frequently. At that time, you won't feel lonely anymore. "
"Young Miss." Qing Mei anxiously stamped her feet. "Servant really didn't mean it that way."
"I think Chi Wu isn't bad." He Yan deliberately teased her. "He's born pretty good. He's also a member of the Nine Flags Battalion. In the future, he might even be able to become an official. Moreover, he listens to you. I saw that he swept the floor when you asked him to and hung the clothes when you asked him to. If he doesn't have feelings for you, why would he listen to you like this? "
"Young Miss!" Qing Mei was angry. Her face flushed red. She suddenly stood up. She stopped eating the orange and didn't want to stay up all night. She only said, "Servant didn't mean it that way. Young Miss, please don't speak nonsense. There's nothing between me and Imperial Bodyguard Chi Wu. "She put the orange back and ran away.
"Eh?" He Yan asked from behind. "You're not staying up all night?"
"I'm not staying up all night!"
He Yan felt a little regretful. He shouldn't have teased her like this. Now, he could only stay up all night. She picked up the orange that Qing Mei put down and tossed it up. She sighed. "You're a little girl who doesn't mean what she says."
Someone's voice sounded. "You know a lot."
He Yan turned around and saw Xiao Jue leaning against the door. She was looking at her with a faint smile on her face.
"Xiao Jue?" She was overjoyed. "Why are you here?" She looked outside. "You came in directly?"
"I knocked on the door." Xiao Jue said as she walked in. "However, your house doesn't have any imperial bodyguards. It doesn't make much of a difference whether I knocked or not."
She was speaking the truth.
He Yan pulled her to sit by the stove and stuffed an orange into her hand. "Do you want to eat?"
Xiao Jue took the orange. She only held it in her hand and didn't eat it.
"Why are you here?" He Yan asked. "Aren't you at home with your brother and sister-in-law?"
"After the New Year's Eve dinner, I came to see you." He looked around and said thoughtfully, "Why aren't your father and brother here?"
"Don't talk about it. They were drunk. I helped them into the room to sleep." She looked at Xiao Jue. "If you came a little later, I would have fallen asleep."
Xiao Jue said, "You were waiting for me. Why would you fall asleep?"
"I wasn't waiting for you." He Yan was confused.
Xiao Jue turned his head to look at her and replied with a faint "Oh".
He Yan grabbed her arm and said sincerely, "How did you know that I was waiting for you! It wasn't easy for me to wait for you to show up after everyone fell asleep! Now that there's no one around, it's just nice … "
"Just nice what?"
"Just in time …" He Yan was just casually making up a story, so he didn't continue to make it up. He looked up and met his slightly bright eyes.
"Just nice, I'll treat you to an orange." He Yan held his hand and held the orange in front of him.
Xiao Jue looked at her for a while and laughed softly.
He Yan felt that he might be a joker. Xiao Jue, who was usually cold and aloof, was always amused by him. This was an ability that ordinary people didn't have.
"It's boring to sit in the room. Do you want to sit on the roof?" He Yan invited him enthusiastically.
"The roof?"
He Yan grabbed his hand and walked out. "Yes!"
The He Family's house wasn't an expensive house. The roof wasn't very high either. They could reach it with a light jump. She and Xiao Jue sat side by side. She put her hands behind her back and looked into the distance.
On New Year's Eve in the Shuo Capital, there were fireworks everywhere. They were too far away to see clearly. They could only see the stars flashing across the sky.
"When I was young and before I went to the military camp, I liked to climb roofs." He Yan said, "The He Family's roof was higher than this one. At that time, my martial arts weren't good and I couldn't fly up. I could only use the ladder. Once, I fell down halfway. I was afraid that Madam He would find out so I didn't dare to make a sound. After that, my back hurt a lot. "
Xiao Jue asked, "Why do you like to climb roofs?"
"Because it's high enough." He Yan made an archery pose. "When you climb high enough, you can reach the moon and pick the stars."
He chuckled. "Childish."
"Who wasn't childish when they were young?" He Yan retorted. "Moreover, I haven't climbed roofs for many years."
After he joined the army, he lived in a tent. There was no roof to climb. After he got married, he didn't even want to think about it. Now that he thought about it, it was a long time ago that he climbed roofs.
"If you want," Xiao Jue said, "the Xiao family's roof is yours."
He Yan looked at him and asked tentatively, "I can climb roofs after I get married?"
"Yes."
"Can I bring you with me?"
"Yes."
"Carrying food …"
Xiao Jue interrupted her. "If you want to do it, you can do it."
He Yan blinked and lowered her head to smile. She couldn't hide her smile. It was like a rippling water, getting bigger and bigger.
Xiao Jue glanced at her and seemed to be speechless. After a while, she said, "You're so happy just by climbing roofs?"
"Of course," He Yan replied. "I'm very easy to satisfy. I don't have any expensive interests. I'm happy as long as I have food, clothes, and a roof to climb."
Xiao Jue smiled and didn't say anything.
He Yan touched his arm. "Hey," He Yan said. "How's the matter with Xu Xiangyu's gang?"
Xiao Jue's smile disappeared. "A part of it belongs to Chu Zilan."
This was something that He Yan had already expected. She asked, "You mean that Chu Zhao's previous righteousness was intentional?"
"Most likely," Xiao Jue looked into the distance. "He should have replaced Xu Jingfu's position in the Crown Prince's heart."
"Do you know what the Emperor thinks of the Uto?" He Yan asked, "After this incident, the Emperor won't accept the Uto's request for peace, right?"
Xiao Jue didn't say anything. After a while, she shook her head.
He Yan knew that Emperor Wenxuan was no longer the most important thing. The conflict between the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince would be planned sooner because of Xu Jingfu's death. It wouldn't be long before the conflict between the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince would be on the table.
Xiao Jue and the Crown Prince and the Guang Yan saw each other as enemies. If there was a conflict in the future … she would definitely stand on the Fourth Prince's side. However, she didn't have the right to do so. If the Emperor wrote an imperial edict to pass the throne, she would at least suffer in terms of reputation.
"Don't worry," Xiao Jue said, "I know what I'm doing."
He Yan smiled. "That's true. Today is the New Year. It's better not to think about these things."
"The wedding dress is ready," Xiao Jue suddenly changed the topic. "In a few days, it will be sent to your residence."
"So soon?"
Xiao Jue glanced at her. "The wedding is in less than ten days. How is it fast?"
He Yan smiled and said, "Although that's true, but …"
She didn't feel it usually, but when she heard him say this, she suddenly felt a little nervous.
"After tomorrow, I won't see you again."
He Yan asked, "Why?"
"Newlyweds can't see each other a few days before the wedding." Xiao Jue replied.
He Yan said softly, "I don't usually see you as a person who follows the rules."
Xiao Jue raised her eyebrows.
"What I mean is," He Yan grabbed her hand and said sincerely, "You're right. It should be like this. With you taking care of everything, I'm very relieved."
She now understood that Xiao Jue was a person who could be persuaded by reason but not cowed by force. As long as she said a few words of praise to him, he would be very happy. If she had known that this person was so easy to please, He Yan thought to herself. She should have hugged his leg and flattered him more when they were in the Xianchang Gymnasium. Perhaps, other than swordsmanship, he would have taught her knife skills and horsemanship as well.
Her acting was clumsy. However, Xiao Jue only looked at the hand that He Yan had grabbed. He paused for a moment and then placed her hand in his palm.
"He Yan." He called her name.
"Ah?"
"Happy New Year." He said lightly. His black eyes were filled with stars in the night sky. It was more moving than the fireworks in the sky.
He Yan was stunned for a moment.
A warm feeling of satisfaction gradually rose from her chest. She suddenly felt that this new year was truly a brand new one.
"You're welcome." She tilted her head and leaned on Xiao Jue's shoulder. She rubbed her head. "Happy New Year to you too."
At the end of the street, the sound of firecrackers could be heard.
Every household had new Spring Festival couplets pasted on their doors.
Shi Jinbo's residence was especially bleak this year.
Originally, according to this time, the Chu family should have just married into the family. It was a perfect day for marriage. Unexpectedly, something happened to the Xu family not long ago. Even the Chu family was unlucky. In the end, Chu Zhao put righteousness before family and avoided disaster for the time being. However, because of the marriage between Shi Jinbo and the Xu family, he became the laughingstock of the capital. Chu Linfeng cared about his reputation and didn't leave the house for the entire New Year. There was no joy in the new year in the residence. It was extremely cold and cheerless.
In Chu Zhao's courtyard, there was even more silence.
When Xu Pingting first arrived, she learned the truth about Xu Jingfu's death. Every day in the courtyard, she scolded Chu Zhao for being heartless and repaying kindness with evil. After a few days of being taught the "rules" by the nannies in the courtyard, she became much quieter. However, because of this, the only bit of liveliness in the entire courtyard dissipated.
Chu Zhao sat in the room. The sound of the fireworks was very far away. The outside and inside of the residence were like two completely different worlds.
Someone came in from behind. The servant said, "Fourth Young Master, there's a letter from Miss Ying Xiang."
Chu Zhao took the letter and read it. After a while, he placed the letter in the flame of the oil lamp and let it slowly burn out.
There was also a strangely-shaped piece of Shi Tou on the table. It was as flat as a person's palm. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be in the shape of a horse. However, the broken part was rough and uneven. It was out of place with the other decorations on the table.
Chu Zhao's gaze fell on the piece of Shi Tou. His expression gradually became distant.
The servant paused and struggled for a moment. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Fourth Young Master, when you saw Miss He that day, why didn't you use Young Mistress Xu as bait to make Miss He stay?"
He Yan valued He Xinying so much. If He Xinying was used as a threat, He Yan and Xiao Jue's marriage might not have been successful.
"It's useless," Chu Zhao replied.
The servant didn't understand and looked at the person in front of him. The man sat alone in front of the table. The weak light from the oil lamp made his figure appear thin and lonely. It was as if he was the only person in this huge residence. It seemed as if he was going to sit here alone forever.
"She's a woman who can control her own fate," Chu Zhao said with a smile after a long time, "No one can threaten her."
"I can't, Xiao Huaijin can't, and He Xinying can't either."
The night market in Jiyangshui City appeared in his mind. A young girl with bright eyes was walking on the street. The crowd was surging, and the lanterns were bright as day. She just stood there. She was different from the others. She was like an eagle that wanted to spread its wings. With just a glance, he knew that she yearned for the sky and not a cage.
He was a person who couldn't control his own fate. That was why he was inexplicably and irredeemably attracted to her. However, he was destined to be abandoned.
Because just as she said, they weren't the same kind of people.
They never were.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
