Lifting up the black cloth, they walked into the pile of historical papers belonging to the mysterious Hua family. The carefully designed window allowed sunlight to pass through but not peeking eyes, making this secluded journey particularly warm. However, Xu Le and Zhong Huoyan did not stay in this room for too long. When the sun began to emerge from the window and was about to change its name to sunset, they walked out.
Master Fan held the teapot, closed his eyes, and sat peacefully and happily on the bamboo recliner under the big tree. He seemed to have forgotten the humiliating time when Feng Yu threw him naked on the tree. Hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, he opened his eyes and looked sideways. He asked in surprise, "Finished reading so quickly?"
"Master Fan's family history in the empire is more than seven hundred years. Of course, it's impossible to finish reading it so quickly. In fact, I've only read half of that female ancestor's mood diary. But time is up, so I have to leave." Xu Le replied.
"Leave? Where are you going? The Federation? "Master Fan asked with a frown.
Xu Le answered, "We're going to the market. We'll come back tomorrow."
Master Fan slapped his thigh heavily, leaving an angry palm print on his white and tender skin. He cursed a famous line from Schiller's early comedy script.
"Come back tomorrow? What do you think my place is? A public toilet? You think you can come and go as you please? "
Xu Le had read this script. He smiled and did not explain too much. Holding Zhong Huoyan's hand, they walked out of the white courtyard briskly under Master Fan's scolding.
The setting sun cast countless oblique shadows on the shabby streets of the slums. The two of them walked in these shadows. They passed through the alleys under three locust trees and arrived at the market. Under the curious gazes of the surrounding stalls, they arrived at Aunt Susan's shop.
…
…
The steaming dinner, the warm atmosphere, and the quiet night in the small courtyard of the slums seemed so warm. After eating to their heart's content, it was Zhong Yanhua's turn to wash the dishes unwillingly but still with a sweet smile on her face. After chatting for a while, the three-person game of the Imperial South Road Flower Card began fiercely again until late into the night.
In the attic, Xu Le quietly assembled the improved HD video player. His fingers, which did not seem to be very nimble, were as stable and precise as a machine. At an unbelievable speed, he turned the scattered components into a good toy that the young masters of the noble families in the capital of the Empire could not help but feel sore again.
For him, being able to occasionally smell the smell of machinery in such a peaceful day was a very happy thing, just like chatting about cards during dinner.
Zhong Huoyan was lying on her stomach on the small bed. She supported her chin with her hands and her legs were bouncing up and down mischievously. Her beautiful eyes, which were like black gemstones, were quietly focused on Xu Le, who was sitting beside the table.
Men are sexiest when they're working hard? It seemed that the women's magazines she read when she was young said so, the young girl thought.
"Brother, when you were sleeping under the sun in Master Fan's manor during the day, I carefully read the mood diary. I increasingly feel that the ancestor of the Hua family was an amazing woman."
Xu Le carefully placed the soldering iron on the metal blade of the six-star knife. He turned back to look at the young girl on the bed. After a moment of silence, he replied, "I don't want you to become such an amazing woman."
"Why?" Zhong Huoyan rolled up from the bed. She opened her eyes wide and looked back at him very seriously.
Xu Le knew how to answer. From the last time he met Huai Caoshi, Zhong Huoyan yearned for that kind of life, that kind of valiant life, but …
Xu Le thought for a moment. He looked at her and said gently, "Whether it's the ancestral planet, the Federation, or the Empire, many things may have changed on the surface, but in fact, there are many things that haven't changed. One of the most important things is the relationship between men and women. Why are there so few women like the ancestor of the Hua family or Huai Caoshi? Because it's very hard, and I don't want you to live too hard. "
The small talk was just an interlude. He didn't know if the young girl had a sleepless night downstairs. In any case, Xu Le slept very soundly. It was as if he had returned to the time when he was seriously injured and fleeing. It was in this attic that he felt a sense of security and relaxation.
In the days that followed, this kind of happy life was repeated.
When he woke up early in the morning, Xu Le often saw the young girl selling mast flowers behind the Morning Rain Alley. Sometimes he would stick his head out of the attic window and shout. Then he would throw out the chestnuts he had eaten last night with banknotes. They would fall at the girl's feet. Then he would put a large bouquet of fragrant white flowers on the stone steps of the door.
Every time this happened, Zhong Huoyan would squat by the well in the kitchen and brush her teeth angrily. She didn't know why she was angry. Xu Le wanted to go into the kitchen to help his aunt prepare dinner, but she stubbornly refused to look at him or give way. Her mouth was full of white foam, and her cheeks were very round. It was very cute.
After breakfast, Xu Le rode an electric tricycle, hitched a ride with Zhong Huoyan and the high-definition video player he had made last night, and went to the market. After rolling up the heavy rolling gate, he took Zhong Huoyan's hand and went to the Great Teacher to bury himself in the pile of old books again. No matter how the young girl threw at him, he smiled and refused to let go.
The Great Teacher Fan Mansion was very quiet and the sun was very good. The Great Teacher was angry, helpless, and numb. He was too lazy to care about the siblings, so Xu Le had a very good environment. He slept soundly under the clear sunshine to make up for the hard work of working overtime last night. As for the pile of old books that might carry many secrets, naturally, the very interested Zhong Huoyan examined them carefully.
The sun was setting again, and they returned to the small courtyard. Late at night, Aunt Susan slept soundly with a smile on her face. Xu Le was working in the attic. Zhong Huoyan began to talk about the useful information and interesting things that she had seen in the Great Teacher Fan Mansion during the day. Most of the interesting things were related to the female ancestor of the Hua family.
"She copied a poem in the pages of the Imperial Geographical Record. The author was called Li Zhi. The note said that the author was also a woman. But the problem is that I used the Great Teacher Fan Mansion's search instrument for a long time, but I couldn't find such a person in the history of the Imperial Literature. I suspect that this female poet named Li Zhi should be a character from the ancestral planet."
"Brother, are you listening?"
"Yes."
"Listen carefully to this poem: Near to the Far East and West, deep to the shallow clear stream. High to the Sun and Moon, close to family and distant husband and wife … It's really well written. "
Zhong Huoyan sat on the bed and leaned against the wall. She stared at Xu Le's back without blinking and said, "Close to family and distant husband and wife. You and Sister Shui 'er are only engaged, but you haven't married yet. You can't say that you're close to her. It's been almost three years, and she hasn't said anything about looking for you."
Xu Le didn't turn around. He smiled and said, "Then are you going to let Shang Qiu or Nan Xiangmei be your sister-in-law?"
Hearing this answer, Zhong Huoyan twisted her fingers and bit the corner of her lips. She was angry and didn't say anything.
…
…
Life was just like that. It was dull, warm, and safe. No one came to disturb them, including the Imperial Palace. There was no follow-up news.
Today, Xu Le was no longer the fugitive of the Federation. He was the only male heir of the Imperial Family. Therefore, he didn't need to fear the secret agents everywhere in Tianjing, and the chip detectors that could be found everywhere. However, on such a happy day, under the warm sun of the Empire, he couldn't help but miss everything about the Federation.
He missed his friends over there. He was very happy, so he hoped that they could be happy too.
There was a faint shadow in his happy life. According to the usual practice, Paul's monthly allowance would be transferred to Aunt Susan's account around the 12th. However, it was already the 20th of this month, and the number in the bank account still hadn't changed. When Aunt Susan was cooking, she was obviously a little absent-minded, and she lost even more when playing the South Road Flower Card.
"You don't have to worry, I know some news from the front line. There hasn't been a big war in Mo Hua Planet for two months. Moreover, the front line is too far from here, so the communication of information is not smooth. It's normal for the allowance to be sent back a few days later."
Aunt Susan shook her head, looked at Xu Le, and said, "That child signed an allowance distribution agreement with the military logistics department before he went to the front line. Now, a large part of his allowance will be automatically deducted every month and transferred from the department to my account. All of it is electronically transferred. He only needs to make an electronic signature confirmation at the front line. It's impossible for him to be delayed by the journey. The fact that the allowance hasn't arrived yet can only mean that the logistics department hasn't gotten his electronic signature confirmation."
Xu Le continued to comfort her. "This doesn't mean anything. If Paul is really in the Personal Guard Camp, then the straight-line distance between him and Her Royal Highness won't be more than two kilometers. It's impossible for him to be in too much danger. As for the delay in the electronic signature confirmation, it may be because Her Royal Highness is out on patrol or something like that. He has to follow her all the way and doesn't have time to deal with it."
"I hope so." Aunt Susan forced a smile.
If comfort was useful, there wouldn't be so many sad love songs in the world. What's more, a mother and son's heart were connected. Once the worry started, it couldn't be stopped. Countless terrible conjectures made Aunt Susan toss and turn at night, unable to sleep peacefully. Perhaps it was because she caught a cold, in the quiet night below the small courtyard, from time to time, there were painful coughs that couldn't be suppressed.
Xu Le put on his pajamas, gently walked down the attic, and went into the kitchen to boil water. He took out a pear from the refrigerator, peeled it, put it into a bowl, put it in the pot, and waited quietly for the pear to be steamed. Then, he slowly raised it in warm water for Aunt Susan to eat when she got up tomorrow.
The next morning, Aunt Susan habitually went to the market to sell goods with her sick body. She was stopped by Xu Le, fed her medicine, and then returned to the small courtyard from Master Fan Manor early at noon.
The steamed pear in the kitchen was still on the stove, still warm, but Aunt Susan was gone. There was a note left by the stove with two lines of scribbled handwriting on it.
"Because of some inconvenient reasons, we can only ask you to meet us in this way. I believe that this is enough to show our sincerity and determination."
Xu Le slowly clenched his right hand, and the note in his palm shattered under the pressure of an invisible force. He looked back at the clean wooden door of the small courtyard, and his eyes slowly narrowed with a murderous look.
He thought blankly, someone is forcing me to kill someone again.
…
…
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