novelAbuy Chapter 25: Girl Huai Chun
Chapter 25: Girl Huai Chun
Sizi then came bounding back, carrying Huahua in her arms. Ah Huang was biting the hem of her skirt and wouldn't let go, dragging her a long way, which made Sizi laugh continuously.
"Look, Guoguo! Ah Huang is so naughty!"
"It's teething and its gums are itchy, so just let it play."
"Do kittens lose their baby teeth too? Hua Hua just bit Si Zi's finger, it's ticklish but doesn't hurt at all."
"All living things are of this nature; when the time comes, they will have their corresponding duties."
Sizi seemed to understand but not quite, holding up the flowers and whispering a promise to visit again tomorrow, so innocent and carefree.
Chang Le watched her younger sister's carefree appearance quietly, a gentle smile on her lips, but her fingertips hanging at her sides curled slightly.
She glanced up at the person beside her. He stood under the shade of a jujube tree, his posture as upright as a green bamboo, his face handsome and refined, possessing a unique and outstanding demeanor. Even the gentleness in his eyes revealed a composure that was hard for others to match.
Her heart sank inexplicably. She had always known that her uncle, Changsun Wuji, had long intended for her to marry her cousin. Although her father and mother had not said it outright, the marriages of royal princesses throughout history had always been subject to the checks and balances of the court. No matter how much favoritism they showed, they could not defy the imperial power and were not in control of their own lives.
The sunset glow painted the western sky, and dappled light and shadow filtered through the branches and leaves of the jujube tree. The evening breeze carried the fragrance of rice paddies through the courtyard, creating a tranquil and gentle atmosphere.
Chang Le got up to leave, but Si Zi was already so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping. However, she still squatted down in front of the kitten, extended her little finger, and made a pinky promise.
"Hua Hua, Hui Hui, Ah Huang, and Xiao Hei, you two must behave and wait for Si Zi to come tomorrow. Don't run around."
The little kitten and puppy seemed to understand but didn't quite, and rubbed against her little hand. Si Zi was immediately satisfied and ran to Wang Zhihuan, standing on tiptoe and sticking out her little finger.
"Pretty guy, pinky promise! Can Sizi bring dried fish tomorrow?"
Wang Zhihuan squatted down and gently hooked his fingertips around her small fingers. His profile was clean and gentle, and the sunlight fell on his hair, creating a faint halo.
"You can bring a few, but they are still young and it's hard for them to digest if they eat too much."
"Each of those rhinoceroses gets one, there's absolutely no favoritism!"
Chang Le stood to the side, her eyebrows softening and a faint smile appearing on her face. Her gaze lingered on Wang Zhihuan for only a moment before quietly shifting away, a light blush creeping onto the tips of her ears, and a slight bitterness rising in her heart.
"Alright, go ahead." Wang Zhihuan released his hand. "Tomorrow I'll hang a little bell on Huahua. When you hear the jingling sound from afar, you'll know it's coming to find you."
Sizi's eyes lit up: "Jingle, jingle, that sounds so nice!"
As Chang Le led her to the courtyard gate, Xiao Sizi kept turning back to wave goodbye to the four little ones in the yard, looking innocent and adorable.
The donkey cart slowly drove away, the sound of hooves gradually fading into the evening breeze.
The next moment, a system notification quietly appeared.
[System Prompt]: The host, by elucidating the profound principles of things through the spirituality of all beings, has connected the great path of self-cultivation, family harmony, and national governance, inspiring noble ladies to gain enlightenment and spread the word. Merit Points +500!
The carriage swayed along the official road, with three-year-old Xiao Sizi nestled in Chang Le's arms.
As the carriage swayed and rocked, the little Sizi's head bobbed sleepily, its eyelids sticking shut, but its little mouth still mumbled incoherently, "Huahua... Huihui... Ah Huang... Xiao Hei... Bring dried fish tomorrow..."
Chang Le gently held her younger sister's soft little body with one hand, and slowly patted her back with the other. Her gaze passed through the gap in the carriage curtain, looking at the sunset that was gradually sinking in the distance.
The sunset painted the sky a warm red, just like the warmth that had welled up in her heart when she watched Wang Zhi speak calmly in the farmyard earlier, even making her ears burn.
She looked down at the sleeping Sizi in her arms, the image of him in the courtyard flashing through her mind again and again—but fate was cruel. Chang Le's eyes were slightly vacant, quietly hiding the fragmented thoughts in her heart.
Inside the farmhouse courtyard, Wang Zhi stood at the gate for a long time until the shadow of the donkey cart was completely obscured by the mulberry trees by the roadside and could no longer be seen, before turning back into the courtyard.
The four little ones in the yard, just a month old, had already exhausted themselves from playing and found a comfortable place to sleep.
The bold tabby cat, Huahua, nestled at the head of his bed, curled up into a fluffy little ball;
Quiet Grey sat by the kitchen threshold, sleeping soundly amidst the smoke and cooking fumes.
Ah Huang, the yellow dog with a white face, lay on the root of the jujube tree, his little belly bulging and purring softly.
The pure black little black dog huddled under the stone bench, curling up into a tiny ball, looking adorably clumsy.
Wang Zhi bent down and carefully scooped the little black cat out from under the stone bench. The little guy kicked its short legs a couple of times in its sleep but didn't wake up at all. He gently placed it in the corner covered with old clothes, next to the other two kittens.
After finishing all that, I realized I hadn't made dinner yet.
He stood in the kitchen, looking at the half-wilted cabbage on the cutting board and the half-block of tofu left over from yesterday, then thinking about the meals he had prepared before—
The noodles are cut unevenly, and the seasoning is always just salt, soy sauce, and scallions. The cooking time is entirely based on intuition. It can fill your stomach, but it has no flavor at all.
Suddenly I felt like I had let myself down.
In his past life, he was so busy that he was always on the go, and all his meals were takeout. His biggest wish was to have some free time and cook himself a hot and delicious meal.
But before he could enjoy a peaceful life, he unexpectedly traveled to another world. Now he finally has time and a stove, but he always does things half-heartedly.
This time, I will not treat myself unfairly.
He raised his hand to bring up the system panel and glanced at his merit points balance.
During this time, I helped Madam Li recuperate, promoted Champa rice with all my might, and discussed and spread the Dao with Li Zhi. I have accumulated quite a lot of merit points here and there. I currently have more than 25,000 merit points, which is only a little short of my goal of 30,000.
He swiped his finger across the exchange list and quickly found the Advanced Culinary Skill, which required exactly 2,500 merit points. He hesitated for only a moment before decisively clicking confirm.
A crisp system notification sound rang out, and a warm current instantly flowed through my limbs and into my hands.
When I looked down at my hands again, I realized that my fingertips and palms had developed countless muscle memories out of nowhere.
It's not that the brain consciously memorizes, but rather that the hands naturally understand all the intricacies of chopping vegetables, controlling the fire, and seasoning.
He casually picked up the cleaver and aimed it at the half-wilted cabbage. With swift, fluid strokes, he cut the cabbage into shreds so fine they were translucent, each shred perfectly uniform in thickness, neatly arranged on the cutting board.
Looking at the results before him, Wang Zhihuan couldn't help but smile.
This merit point was totally worth it!
Immediately turn on the fire, heat the pan, add cold oil, and with a sizzling sound, the aroma fills the air.
Slice a few pieces of homemade cured pork belly. The fat slowly curls up to a golden edge as it gets heated, and the rich aroma of meat mixed with the smell of smoke wafts out from the cracks in the kitchen window.
Ah Huang, who was snoring under the jujube tree, suddenly raised his little head, twitched his nose twice, and wagged his tail as he approached the kitchen door.
In less than half an hour, a simple yet delicious meal was ready: braised noodles with wood ear mushrooms and tofu were chewy and flavorful, garlic greens were drizzled with hot oil and smelled wonderful, and refreshing smashed cucumber was refreshing and appetizing.